Monday, April 12, 2010

United Teachers Los Angeles UTLA members approve Tentative Agreement

UTLA members approve Tentative Agreement
The agreement will maintain class sizes and save more than 2,100 jobs for the 2010-11 school year without implementing a permanent pay cut.
- Detailed Vote results
- Tentative Agreement text
- Tentative Agreement Q&A
- Tentative Agreement presentation
- Furlough day implementation chart

Important Alert Regarding English Language Authorization
Details

RIF Information
- Tentative Agreement Q&A The vote will be April 7-9.
- RIF Layoff Survival Guide (2010 Edition)
- ***RIF data form (p. 23-26) due Friday, April 9***
- What to do if you ARE RIF'd (2 pages)
- More RIF Information (Updates, FAQ's, Newsletter)

"March for California's Future"
Sign up for the April 21 bus trip to Sacramento (Click here)
-On April 21, after a 48-day march, thousands will gather in Sacramento for a major rally with one key message: Fight for California's Future

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Diane Ravitch on Chicago's "renaissance"

It's 2010. Has Chicago had a renaissance yet? ... Usually when you set a goal, that's the goal you plan to meet. I've looked at the evaluations of the Chicago plans and what I've seen is that when schools are closed, communities are disrupted -- in some cases, shattered. (Progress Illinois)

Bruce Dixon, co-founder of Black Agenda Report

This Week In Education AM News: Los Angeles Shortens Year To Save Jobs

This Week In Education

AM News: Los Angeles Shortens Year To Save Jobs

by Alexander Russo

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Teachers agree to shorten LAUSD school year LA TImes: Union members OK the deal that could save the district up to $140 million, save about 2,100 jobs and maintain class sizes. It will become effective if approved by the school board Tuesday... Subjects covered by standardized tests could expand Pittsburgh Times Review: Under President Obama's proposed blueprint for education, students could take standardized tests in history, science and foreign languages — not just math and reading — to evaluate how well their schools are performing... Teacher tells NH police he didn't encourage shock Boston Globe: The teacher of a high school class in which a New Hampshire student was critically injured by an electrical shock has told police he denied encouraging the shock, as some students told police...Bilingual Ed., Immersion Found to Work Equally Well EdWeek: A randomized study shows students are as successful learning English through English-immersion or bilingual education programs...Wis. teachers, students mystified by sex education warning AP: Mike Taake has taught sex education for 30 years, and he says he knows what doesn’t work: just telling students to wait...Role-playing games pull reluctant school kids into a supportive crowd CSM: For kids with a troubled school life, role-playing games teach valuable life skills such as risk-taking and leadership.

The Educated Guess Standardized tests’ Holy Grail

The Educated Guess

Standardized tests’ Holy Grail

Posted in Race to the Top, Research, Tests

The much-maligned multiple-choice test, the crux of California’s and other states’ accountability exams, will be replaced partly, if not entirely, by more complex, lengthier and probably more costly, state tests. As part of its Race to the Top program, Education Secretary Arne Duncan has set aside $350 million to pay for the development of new standardized tests, plus high schools measures of career and college readiness, over the next four to five years.
Duncan and President Obama, who has derided “fill-in-a-bubble” standardized tests, are expecting that the new “performance assessments,” along with the common-core standards to which they’ll be aligned, will guide teachers’ instruction and improve student results. Skeptics – primarily defenders of current versions such as California’s STAR tests – are doubting whether the next generation tests can deliver what Duncan is demanding.
(Read more and comment on this post)

By John Fensterwald on April 12th, 2010

Hollywood delivers; check it out

Posted in Uncategorized

Here’s a video that could bring Gov. Schwarzenegger to his knees – or to tears, with laughter, assuming a sense of humor. “Hot for Teachers” is a comedy video produced by parents of a Laurel Canyon elementary school upset by budget cuts. They turned to fellow parent Brian Austin Green (”Beverly Hills, 90210″ and his girlfriend, actress Megan Fox. Check it out; it’s a stitch. (The Educated Guess is puzzled by the title, other than the fact that it does get you to click.)

By John Fensterwald on April 9th, 2010

Education - Everything you need to know about the world of education.

Student rides political lessons to school board

The student member of MoCo's school board modeled campaign on Obama's

MORE ON EDUCATION

Chris Barclay, left, vice president of the Montgomery County school board, chats with student member Tim Hwang at a budget meeting. (Susan Biddle For The Washington Post)

Even Megan Fox knows Calif. has an education crisis

You know that the crisis in California’s public education system is really severe when even the actress Megan Fox -- not exactly identified with intellectual pursuits -- knows there is a really big problem.

She and her boyfriend, Brian Austin Green, star in a short video for thewww.saynotocuts.com website, which tells the tale of massive budget cuts in California that have left many schools without nurses, janitors, librarians and counselors. Sports programs are now considered a luxury, and teachers are being laid off across the state in droves.

Continue reading this post »

Should high schoolers read aloud in class?

Recently I visited a history class at a local, low-performing high school where students read in turn from the autobiography of a famous American. The teacher was bright and quick. He interrupted often with comments and questions. The 18 sophomores and juniors seemed to be into it, but it was such an old-fashioned--and I suspect to some educators elementary--approach for that I decided to see what other educators thought of it.

I love spending time in classrooms, listening and watching. Often I see something new and surprising, or sometimes old and surprising like one young English teacher diagramming sentences. Was round robin reading (what educators usually call the read aloud technique I witnessed) bad or good? Was it a time-wasting throwback or a useful way to involve every student?

Yes and yes, teachers told me. That is the problem judging the way teachers teach. It all depends on the circumstances, the students, the object of the lesson, the style of the instructor and the judge. Read these and tell me who is right:

Continue reading this post »

Ed Buzz: The Nation

Schools tackle teacher-on-teacher bullying (USA Today)
English-language learners making gains (Education Week)
Researchers argue over Head Start study (Education Week)
States skeptical about Race to Top contest (New York Times)
School law clinics face backlash (New York Times)
L.A. allows students to stay in other districts (Los Angeles Times

Ed Buzz: The Region
Loudoun looking to slash positions, up fees (WTOP)

Kids at Md. school get tainted milk (Fox 5)

McDonnell signs college lab school legislation (Richmond Times Dispatch)

Schools reduce police presence (The Examiner)

Montgomery College, schools brace for cuts (The Gazette)

P.G. County PTA reinstated (The Gazette)

Md. GOP: Don't raise dropout age (The Gazette)

Birth-control center finds home at T.C. Williams (Alexandria Gazette Packet)

Fairfax teacher quits over embezzlement charges (Examiner)

MoCo teachers say they are overwhelmed (Gazette)

Alex. considers new school boundaries(Examiner)

PG parents fear impact of school cuts(WJLA)

Md. lawmakers favor ed cuts (Baltimore Sun)

EducationNews.org - EducationNewsToday

EducationNewsToday

College not mandatory under exam program

4.12.10 - Ze'ev Wurman and Sandra Stotsky, in their opinion piece ("Grade 10 Diploma Not a Wise Idea," Insight, April 4) misrepresented our proposals.

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