Saturday, February 6, 2021

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Saturday, February 6, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER #BLACKHISTORYMONTH

 Big Education Ape

THE TOP BANANA
TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES 



Muzzle Alert: Capital HR Director and Union President Put On Radio Silence, A Very Clever Veiled Threat, & When A Termination Is Not A Termination | Exceptional Delaware - https://wp.me/p4JboV-5Nu via @ExcptlDelaware

Superintendent threatens ‘disciplinary action’ if Philadelphia teachers don’t show up to school Monday - Chalkbeat Philadelphia - https://philadelphia.chalkbeat.org/2021/2/5/22268481/superintendent-threatens-disciplinary-action-if-philadelphia-teachers-dont-show-up-to-school-monday on chalkbeat

I Tried A Number Of New Things In Classes This Week – And Most Of Them Failed | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... - https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/?p=115398 on @Larryferlazzo

This Week in Working: VA Workers and Teachers Unions - The Working In These Times newsletter for the week of February 5 https://inthesetimes.com/article/this-week-in-working-va-workers-and-teachers-unions

Threshold for temporarily closing NYC schools because of COVID-19 cases ‘being reevaluated,’ de Blasio says https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/ny-multiple-covid-cases-school-shutdown-rule-20210205-65udmvrcwrf6dk6u5oscjglyfa-story.html#ed=rss_www.nydailynews.com/arcio/rss/category/new-york/education/

Summer School Is a Hot Idea Right Now. Could It Work? https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/us/summer-school-covid.html

Analysis: Most schools meet district ventilation standards. Experts say that may not be enough https://philadelphia.chalkbeat.org/2021/2/5/22263040/analysis-most-schools-meet-district-ventilation-standards-experts-say-that-may-not-be-enough

CTA president on vaccinating teachers; San Francisco school superintendent on ‘frivolous’ lawsuit | EdSource - https://edsource.org/?p=648285 on @edsource

NEA PAC Council pushes for accountability for members of Congress who voted to overturn election results https://educationvotes.nea.org/?p=48787#.YB7bTMJheoI.twitter via @EdVotes

Cardona gets bipartisan support at confirmation hearing https://educationvotes.nea.org/?p=48786#.YB7bY_Dr8cQ.twitter via @EdVotes

Fewer Applications And Less Money: Why Some Colleges Are Merging https://www.npr.org/2021/02/05/964581491/fewer-applications-and-less-money-why-some-colleges-are-merging?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social

Should Schools Reopen If Teachers Aren't Yet Vaccinated? CDC Will Soon Weigh In https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/02/05/964534341/should-schools-reopen-if-teachers-arent-yet-vaccinated-cdc-will-soon-weigh-in?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social

Pandemic learning takes another turn: Will teachers be in person in classrooms? https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/classroom-monitors-in-person-learning/2021/02/06/cbdb6e8e-66f8-11eb-8c64-9595888caa15_story.html?tid=ss_tw

Finding Teachable Moments on the Field and in the Classroom - ED.gov Blog - https://blog.ed.gov/?p=29599

ACSE Agenda February 17, 2021 - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education) - https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/as/acseag0221.asp

ED Announces National Survey to Gather Critical Data on School Reopening | U.S. Department of Education - https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/ed-announces-national-survey-gather-critical-data-school-reopening

The Origin of Black History Month—And Why it Still Matters - YES! Magazine https://www.yesmagazine.org/opinion/2021/02/05/black-history-month-origin/

Proposal to sue LAUSD to reopen school campuses is a political stunt, Beutner says http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/lanowblog/~3/KRktexZuDso/beutner-lausd-lawsuit-reopening-political-stunt


Sports | Teacher in a strange land
Sports In the 15 years that I have been blogging and creating content for education publications, there are two subjects that always draw angry (and often nasty and insulting) comments: Women in leadership. And sports. There’s something about school sports that gets people a little overexcited. There’s a kind of passionate, Friday-Night-Lights loyalty toward school-based athletics that you don’t
John Thompson Reviews Derek Black’s “Schoolhouse Burning” | Diane Ravitch's blog
John Thompson Reviews Derek Black’s “Schoolhouse Burning” John Thompson, retired teacher and historian in Oklahoma, reviews law professor Derek Black’s recent book, Schoolhouse Burning. Derek Black’s new book, Schoolhouse Burning: Public Education and the Assault on American Democracy, combines the best principles of the historical research that I was taught in the 1970s with the best of recent
Teachers Union President Weingarten: Vaccinations Aren't 'Precondition' For School Reopening, But Need To Be Priority
Teachers Union President Weingarten: Vaccinations Aren't 'Precondition' For School Reopening, But Need To Be Priority Tweet LISTEN 23:20 Randi Weingarten on BPR | Feb. 5, 2021 Teachers Union President Weingarten: Vaccinations Aren't 'Precondition' For School Reopening, But Need To Be Priority Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said Friday on Boston Public Radio t
CDC Director Employing Magical Thinking About School Reopenings | gadflyonthewallblog
CDC Director Employing Magical Thinking About School Reopenings Dr. Rochelle Walensky wants you to know it is not safe to go to any Super Bowl parties this weekend. “We must take prevention and intervention seriously,” the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Director said at a White House briefing on the Covid-19 pandemic Wednesday. “Whichever team you’re rooting for and whichever commercial is you
Lucy Craft Laney, Black Educator Hall of Fame Member - Philly's 7th Ward
LUCY CRAFT LANEY, BLACK EDUCATOR HALL OF FAME MEMBER E’ry day this month, the Center for Black Educator Development , in partnership with Phillys7thWard.org , will highlight a Black Educator Hall of Famer. But, don’t forget, e’ry month is Black History Month . February is just the Blackest. Today, our featured Black Educator is Lucy Craft Laney . I want to wear out, not rust out. Lucy Craft Lane
CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Budget Kicks Off Another Round Of Charter Battles
PA: Budget Kicks Off Another Round Of Charter Battles Governor Tom Wolf has released his budget proposal, and charter supporters are not happy. This is not the first time Wolf has made the charter school industry sad. Back in the summer of 2019 he fired some shots across their bows with an aggressive agenda for fixing Pennsylvania's messed up charter funding system. In return, they've launched a
Education Dept. Launches First Federal Effort To Track School Reopening | 89.3 KPCC
Education Dept. Launches First Federal Effort To Track School Reopening Ever since the pandemic closed the nation's schools in March 2020, there has been no official national source for understanding where schools have reopened, how many hours of live instruction students are getting online and just how unequal the access to learning has been over the past 11 months. On Friday, the National Cent
NYC Public School Parents: Mitt Romney, time to educate yourself on class size!
Mitt Romney, time to educate yourself on class size! President Biden’s Covid relief program includes $60 billion to prevent teacher layoffs and close budget gaps, and $50 billion to implement smaller classes, exactly what kids will need after the various losses and deprivations they’ve suffered over the last year. Yet during the Senate hearings for Education Secretary designee Miguel Cardona, Mi
A BUCKET OF NUGGETS – Dad Gone Wild
A BUCKET OF NUGGETS “Politics will eventually be replaced by imagery. The politician will be only too happy to abdicate in favor of his image, because the image will be much more powerful than he could ever be.” ― Marshall McLuhan Sometimes these posts fly from my fingers like bolts of lightning, but the majority of the time the process is closer to extracting a splinter – lots of poking, proddi
Education Matters: CATCH UP WITH MR. G - THIS WEEK IN DCPS
Education Matters CATCH UP WITH MR. G THIS WEEK IN DCPS The District can pretend they care with a video, but their actions speak a lot louder than their words. by Unknown / 4h Ask, and ye shall receive. Here is a DCPS PSA for staff; please watch it and try not to cry, spit out your mile or smash your computer. Warning that will be a challenge. Once again, no mention of the pandemic; you know it's
TENNESSEE EDUCATION REPORT + THIS WEEK'S WILDNESS Dad Gone Wild Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it.
TENNESSEE EDUCATION REPORT TENNESSEE EDUCATION REPORT EDUCATION POLITICS AND POLICY IN THE VOLUNTEER STATE TENNESSEE EDUCATION REPORT Do We Really Have to Do This? 200+ by Andy Spears / 1d I mean, really? The Tennessee House Republican Caucus sent out a tweet today bragging about the amount of money the state has invested in teacher pay over the past decade. Here it is: Republicans have passed $6
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California Department of Education SSPI TONY THURMOND STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Advisory Commission for Special Education (ACSE) Meeting Agenda for February 17, 2021 17h Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting agenda. Emergency Operating Cost Reimbursement Programs 1d The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service released po
THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER
NewBlackMan (in Exile) THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) Jenn Nkiru’s Panafrican Imagination: Black Studies as Aesthetic Practice by Mark Anthony Neal / 12h 'liquid blackness, a research project on blackness and aesthetics at Georgia State University, in collaboration with the Film and Media Studies Department, Emory University, presented a public screening and artist talk dedicated to the aw
THIS WEEK Education Research Report
Education Research Report Promoting School Choice with Questionable Evidence by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 2d A new report from the Hoover Institution’s Education Success Initiative purports to offer evidence-based guidance for policymakers in shaping more equitable outcomes from school choice programs. However, Christopher Lubienski of Indiana University reviewed Toward Equitable School Choice and f
THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007
Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 I Tried A Number Of New Things In Classes This Week – And Most Of Them Failed by Larry Ferlazzo / 9h OpenClipart-Vectors / Pixabay I batted a thousand today: I introduced a separate new activity in each of my virtual classes today by saying I didn’t know if it was going to work or not, and, sure enoug
KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all #REDFORED #tbats #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDVACCINE #BLACKHISTORYMONTH
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all Dana Milbank: The GOP Has an Anti-Semitism Problem by dianeravitch / 25min Dana Milbank is a regular opinion writer for the Washington Post. He wrote about the Republicans’ anti-Semitism problem. They refuse to denounce anti-Semitism. Bigotry mul

YESTERDAY

 Big Education Ape

Sports | Teacher in a strange land

Sports | Teacher in a strange land
Sports




In the 15 years that I have been blogging and creating content for education publications, there are two subjects that always draw angry (and often nasty and insulting) comments: Women in leadership. And sports.

There’s something about school sports that gets people a little overexcited. There’s a kind of passionate, Friday-Night-Lights loyalty toward school-based athletics that you don’t see for, say, Advanced Algebra or Chemistry. This fervor is often justified with old, familiar tropes: Sports are what keep kids in school. Sports build teamwork and leadership. Being an excellent athlete can lead to scholarships.

All of these have—or once had—kernels of truth. But do these benefits justify spending so much time and energy on preserving big-budget HS sports programs —especially during a virulent pandemic, for God’s sake?

Just how critical are school sports? Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS), during confirmation hearings for Dr. Miguel Carona, nominee for Education Secretary, revealed that he ‘believes that one of the biggest problems facing students and schools today is that allowing transgender students to play school sports means “there is not a level playing field.”’   This is the most important thing a sitting U.S. Senator in a basketball state could think to ask the prospective future leader of public education in America? Evidently.

Hey, I was a public school educator for 30+ years. I understand and appreciate the CONTINUE READING: Sports | Teacher in a strange land

John Thompson Reviews Derek Black’s “Schoolhouse Burning” | Diane Ravitch's blog

John Thompson Reviews Derek Black’s “Schoolhouse Burning” | Diane Ravitch's blog
John Thompson Reviews Derek Black’s “Schoolhouse Burning”




John Thompson, retired teacher and historian in Oklahoma, reviews law professor Derek Black’s recent book, Schoolhouse Burning.

Derek Black’s new book,Schoolhouse Burning: Public Education and the Assault on American Democracy, combines the best principles of the historical research that I was taught in the 1970s with the best of recent scholarship. Overall, the result is a surprisingly hopeful overview. Unfortunately, it offers an analysis of contemporary history which is more pessimistic.Black makes the case that at the end of the 1700s, and after the Civil War, Americans saw education as a right of citizenship. That explains why access to the 19th century American education system was second only to that of Prussia.

In 1972, however, the Supreme Court denied that education was a fundamental right, and that contributed to today’s argument that education is a private choice, not a public good. Black reminds us that “Schools are not roads.” But, today, the outcome of the battle for public education is unclear.

Black explains that federal grants to education began in CONTINUE READING: John Thompson Reviews Derek Black’s “Schoolhouse Burning” | Diane Ravitch's blog




Teachers Union President Weingarten: Vaccinations Aren't 'Precondition' For School Reopening, But Need To Be Priority

Teachers Union President Weingarten: Vaccinations Aren't 'Precondition' For School Reopening, But Need To Be Priority
Teachers Union President Weingarten: Vaccinations Aren't 'Precondition' For School Reopening, But Need To Be Priority


LISTEN 23:20
Randi Weingarten on BPR | Feb. 5, 2021

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said Friday on Boston Public Radio that while vaccination for teachers is “not a precondition,” for reopening schools, it needs to be a top priority for state and local officials throughout the country.

The former inner-city educator commended Boston’s handling of school reopening, which took place this past Thursday. She specifically praised Boston Public Schools officials for prioritizing what she called the “blueprint” for safe reopening — factors like proper social distancing, mask mandates and effective air ventilation systems.

Read More: Boston Public Schools' Reopening Will Bring 'Certainty And Stability,' Says Superintendent Brenda Cassellius

However, she also made the point that many cities and towns across the U.S. don’t have the money or resources to provide these kinds of safety measures, making teacher vaccination all the more critical.

"What happens in a place like Philly, where you can’t get the mitigating factors? Where they’re never going to be able to put the ventilation systems together in the next few weeks?” she asked.

“The easiest route to reopen schools is to get everybody vaccinated and have both shots in the arm, and the [two week] immunization period.”

Read More: The COVID Slide: Inequality And Pandemic Learning Loss

CDC study published in late January found low transmission of COVID-19 in schools with proper safety precautions, which elevated pressure to bring teachers and students back as quickly as possible, with or without vaccinations for teachers, bus drivers and other school officials.

But Weingarten said government officials need to be accounting for the psychological stresses around reopening, as well.

"All the risk is on the educators, in terms of going back to school buildings,” she said. "The science is one thing, but the moment — psychologically — you [return to in-person classrooms], you’re always wondering if you’re the case, if you’re the one in 100.”

“The difference between educators and so many other frontline workers is: What happens when a child takes off her mask? What happens when kids in a class just for a moment … forget about the social distancing? You’re dealing with lots of other factors on an ongoing basis, that make some of the mitigation hard,” she said.


CDC Director Employing Magical Thinking About School Reopenings | gadflyonthewallblog

CDC Director Employing Magical Thinking About School Reopenings | gadflyonthewallblog
CDC Director Employing Magical Thinking About School Reopenings



Dr. Rochelle Walensky wants you to know it is not safe to go to any Super Bowl parties this weekend.

“We must take prevention and intervention seriously,” the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Director said at a White House briefing on the Covid-19 pandemic Wednesday.

“Whichever team you’re rooting for and whichever commercial is your favorite, please watch the Super Bowl safely, gathering only virtually or with the people you live with.”

However, on the same day at another Washington briefing she said we can reopen schools safely as infections soar without even waiting to vaccinate teachers first.

“There is increasing data to suggest that schools can safely reopen,” she said, and CONTINUE READING: CDC Director Employing Magical Thinking About School Reopenings | gadflyonthewallblog

Lucy Craft Laney, Black Educator Hall of Fame Member - Philly's 7th Ward

Lucy Craft Laney, Black Educator Hall of Fame Member - Philly's 7th Ward
LUCY CRAFT LANEY, BLACK EDUCATOR HALL OF FAME MEMBER




E’ry day this month, the Center for Black Educator Development, in partnership with Phillys7thWard.org, will highlight a Black Educator Hall of Famer.

But, don’t forget, e’ry month is Black History Month. February is just the Blackest.

Today, our featured Black Educator is Lucy Craft Laney.

I want to wear out, not rust out.

Lucy Craft Laney was born in 1854 in Georgia. The daughter of a Presbyterian minister and domestic worker, Laney learned how to read at the age of four, attended a high school founded by the Freedman’s Bureau, and was part of Atlanta University’s inaugural graduating class in 1873.

Upon graduating, Laney spent the next ten years teaching children in Macon, Milledgeville, and Savannah, before settling in Augusta, where she founded the first boys’ and girls’ school for Black children at the behest of the Presbyterian Church and the Freedman’s Bureau. Enrollment ballooned from six students to over two hundred. With $10,000 secured by way Francine E. Haines of the Presbyterian Church, Laney built a home for the Haines Normal CONTINUE READING: Lucy Craft Laney, Black Educator Hall of Fame Member - Philly's 7th Ward

CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Budget Kicks Off Another Round Of Charter Battles

CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Budget Kicks Off Another Round Of Charter Battles
PA: Budget Kicks Off Another Round Of Charter Battles


Governor Tom Wolf has released his budget proposal, and charter supporters are not happy.

This is not the first time Wolf has made the charter school industry sad. Back in the summer of 2019 he fired some shots across their bows with an aggressive agenda for fixing Pennsylvania's messed up charter funding system. In return, they've launched a variety of PR pushes; indications are they have something a little more potent in mind this time.

In his 2020 budget speech, tried to soothe the industry and thread the needle, saying that Pennsylvania students should get a great education "whether in a traditional public school or a charter school" an noting that "Pennsylvania has a history of school choice, which I support." But he also said that some charter schools are “little more than fronts for private management companies, and the only innovations they’re coming up with involve finding new ways to take money out of the pockets of property taxpayers.”

The 2021 budget has several features to tighten up Pennsylvania's exceptionally loose charter industry. 

Pennsylvania's 14 cyber charters will be audited. "Wait," you say. "the cyber charters aren't audited?" The answer is "barely;" six of the charters have never been audited at all, and the largest cyber CONTINUE READING: CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Budget Kicks Off Another Round Of Charter Battles



Education Dept. Launches First Federal Effort To Track School Reopening | 89.3 KPCC

Education Dept. Launches First Federal Effort To Track School Reopening | 89.3 KPCC
Education Dept. Launches First Federal Effort To Track School Reopening




Ever since the pandemic closed the nation's schools in March 2020, there has been no official national source for understanding where schools have reopened, how many hours of live instruction students are getting online and just how unequal the access to learning has been over the past 11 months.

On Friday, the National Center for Education Statistics, at the U.S. Department of Education, announced a new survey to answer all these questions and more. The survey will be administered to approximately 7,000 nationally representative elementary and middle schools across the country. It follows an executive order from President Biden.

Schools will be surveyed on, among other things:

  • Whether they are fully remote, hybrid or fully in-person
  • How full-time, remote and hybrid enrollment varies by student race/ethnicity, income, English learner status and disability status
  • Attendance rates, whether online or in-person, and by each subgroup listed above
  • If hybrid, how often students are learning in person
  • If remote, how many hours of live instruction are offered
  • Whether certain students, such as younger students or those with disabilities, are being prioritized for in-person classes

Results will be collected monthly from February through at least June 2021, and reported to the public. To get up and running quickly, the survey will rely on some of the existing data collection systems of the "Nation's Report Card" testing program, and the results will be used to help contextualize the results of that test when it is CONTINUE READING: Education Dept. Launches First Federal Effort To Track School Reopening | 89.3 KPCC

NYC Public School Parents: Mitt Romney, time to educate yourself on class size!

NYC Public School Parents: Mitt Romney, time to educate yourself on class size!
Mitt Romney, time to educate yourself on class size!




President Biden’s Covid relief program includes $60 billion to prevent teacher layoffs and close budget gaps, and $50 billion to implement smaller classes, exactly what kids will need after the various losses and deprivations they’ve suffered over the last year. 

Yet during the Senate hearings for Education Secretary designee Miguel Cardona, Mitt Romney took his allotted time to attack the entire goal of lowering class size.  As the Salt Lake Tribune noted, he “did not mention state he now represents. Utah has the largest average elementary school class sizes in the country & has for years. Some studies have shown a correlation between class size and learning, particularly among younger students. “

In some Utah schools, in an ordinary year, class sizes can be as large as forty kids per class.

Nor did Romney mention the fact that he attended the elite Cranbrook Academy in Michigan , which has average class sizes of 14 , or that he sent his sons to Belmont Hill School in Massachusetts, with average class sizes of 12.

Instead, in his comments, he referred to a  McKinsey study from 2007  that pointed out that some high-performing nations like South Korea and Singapore have large classes.  But these sorts of studies, including those from the OECD, too often omit two key factors:

Families in these nations spend a huge amount  of their annual income on private tutoring programs. In 2010, South Korean families spent 10.7%  of average household income on private tutoring, and amount has risen since then. South Korean students spend so much time in these private evening programs that they take pillows to help them sleep at their desks.  Moreover, many of these nations like South Korea are making an effort to lower the class size in their schools.

There are several other Mckinsey reports that cite the value of smaller classes.   See this 2010 McKinsey report which points out that “Research suggests, for example, that poor CONTINUE READING: NYC Public School Parents: Mitt Romney, time to educate yourself on class size!

A BUCKET OF NUGGETS – Dad Gone Wild

A BUCKET OF NUGGETS – Dad Gone Wild
A BUCKET OF NUGGETS




“Politics will eventually be replaced by imagery.
The politician will be only too happy to abdicate
in favor of his image, because the image will
be much more powerful than he could ever be.”
― Marshall McLuhan

 

Sometimes these posts fly from my fingers like bolts of lightning, but the majority of the time the process is closer to extracting a splinter – lots of poking, prodding, and scraping before completing the task. Today fall’s into the latter camp. There is a lot of things I think need hitting, and I’m going to try and cover as many as possible today. Some will require going backward and revisiting in the coming weeks, but hopefully, we’ll lay the groundwork. So forgive me if this feels more scattered than usual, but let’s see if I can pull some threads together.

TRAGEDY IN ANTIOCH

As happens all too often, today’s offering starts with tragedy. Earlier in the week, a 15-year-old male was shot at killed at his home in Antioch. Per the Tennessean, EJ Utley was a freshman at Hillsboro HS. Despite being a freshman, he saw significant playing time with the Hillsboro HS football team this past season. By all accounts, he was a good student, who stuck mostly to himself. His killer allegedly hid on his porch while a young lady visited Utley in his house. After about 10 minutes of her arrival, Utley came out on his porch where he was ambushed by  his CONTINUE READING: A BUCKET OF NUGGETS – Dad Gone Wild