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Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Three South Bay students head to China Girls Math Olympiad - San Jose Mercury News
Rise & Shine: City finds teacher faked fall on observation day | GothamSchools
Rise & Shine: City finds teacher faked fall on observation day
- A Brooklyn teacher threw herself down stairs to avoid a performance review, investigators say. (Post)
- The city tossed a mound of books from the windows of a Catholic school it’s leasing. (Daily News)
- City schools and colleges accounted for half of all construction starts in the last two years. (Crain’s NY)
- A nonprofit gives special assistance to visually impaired students who are heading to college. (NY1)
- The Harbor School is finally holding school fulltime on Governor’s Island. (WNYC)
- West Harlem residents still can’t decide what should be done with the old PS 156 building. (Times)
- The Post points out that the union’s charter schools saw larger-than-average test score drops.
- Chicago has dropped a plan to save money by eliminating non-varsity sports. (Sun-Times)
- An independent review of test irregularities in Atlanta found no evidence of systemic cheating. (Times)
- In letters to the editor, readers including a city teacher weigh in on kindergarten teacher quality. (Times)
Monday, August 2, 2010
Editorial: Reality behind Texas' school ratings is murky | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Opinion: Editorials
Editorial: Reality behind Texas' school ratings is murky
07:10 PM CDT on Monday, August 2, 2010
In Texas, a single word can make all the difference for a school. The state's accountability ratings use elaborate formulas to mash up the complexities of student performance and affix one of four labels to each campus: exemplary, recognized, acceptable or unacceptable.
Effect on North Texas schools
While many districts saw improved ratings, some of those got help from new rules that give credit for failing students who are predicted to pass future TAKS tests.
• Of the eight local school districts that earned exemplary ratings, four jumped up as a result of the Texas Projection Measure.
• Three of the 17 recognized districts used the projection measure to earn that rating, and nine districts benefited from other rules that boosted them in the ratings.
• Of the 14 districts that saw their ratings improve this year, 10 benefited from one of the rules that gave them a bump up.
And while those ratings didn't tell parents everything they needed to know about their kids' schools, they offered a reasonably consistent and understandable overview of performance.
Not anymore.
The meaning behind those one-word assessments has become murky, as the state started awarding extra credit for failing students who are predicted to pass theTAKS test in the future.
Friday's announcement that huge numbers of schools earned top ratings sounded fabulous on its face. But a closer look revealed that most of the gains
Edujobs Drama Continues - Politics K-12 - Education Week
Edujobs Drama Continues
Remember we told you the Senate was slated to finally, finally vote on a $10 billion edujobs package tonight? Well, that didn't end up happening.
Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the Majority Leader, pulled the legislation, which also included $16 billion in Medicaid aid for states, after a cost estimate found that the bill was not completely offset (meaning paid for) by cuts to
Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the Majority Leader, pulled the legislation, which also included $16 billion in Medicaid aid for states, after a cost estimate found that the bill was not completely offset (meaning paid for) by cuts to
Sacramento Press / New Music Teachers’ Association Helps Parents Find Quality, Local Instructors
New Music Teachers’ Association Helps Parents Find Quality, Local Instructors
Sacramento, CA — A new music teachers association based in Sacramento is making it easier for parents and aspiring musicians to locate qualified music education programs in their communities. The North American Music Teachers Association (NAMTA) recently launched an online community dedicated to connecting music students with quality teachers and assisting music teachers with the business side of music education.
According to David Terry, a Sacramento resident and president of NAMTA, “Parents and students looking for quality music lessons in their communities enjoy free online access to NAMTA, where they can view our member profiles. One of the things parents appreciate about NAMTA is they can immediately see which music teachers have been background check approved. And that peace of mind is very important in this day and age.”
Viewing NAMTA teacher web pages and reviews by current and former students will help parents and students
According to David Terry, a Sacramento resident and president of NAMTA, “Parents and students looking for quality music lessons in their communities enjoy free online access to NAMTA, where they can view our member profiles. One of the things parents appreciate about NAMTA is they can immediately see which music teachers have been background check approved. And that peace of mind is very important in this day and age.”
Viewing NAMTA teacher web pages and reviews by current and former students will help parents and students
Teachers union’s political funds grow and some migrate south | GothamSchools
Teachers union’s political funds grow and some migrate south
New York City’s economy is still suffering, but the teachers union’s political coffers have grown, as have union members’ donations.An analysis of the United Federation of Teachers’ political activities, done by Kim Gittleson, shows that contributions from union members to the union’s political action committee are at their highest level in 10 years. The amount of money in the fund, called
Explaining to middle schoolers why fair isn’t always equal
Older M.S. 223 students working with the Summer Bridge program made this bulletin board to welcome the new sixth-graders. (Photo courtesy M.S. 223)
Each summer, the South Bronx’s M.S. 223 brings in as many of its rising sixth-graders as it can find for a
Iffy Senate outlook for state aid package - Boston.com
Iffy Senate outlook for state aid package
By Andrew Taylor
Associated Press Writer / August 2, 2010
Associated Press Writer / August 2, 2010
Text size – +
WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama's Senate allies are taking one last run at advancing what's left of his tattered jobs agenda.
The $26 billion spending measure would help states and local school boards with their budget problems, but its fate is unclear in advance of a key test vote on breaking a GOP filibuster.
The idea is that money -- $16 billion to help states with their Medicaid budgets and $10 billion to help school districts avoid teacher layoffs -- will help preserve the jobs of public employees, giving a boost to
LATEST EDUCATION NEWS WIRE UPDATES
- Iffy Senate outlook for state aid package (AP, 4 p.m.)
- Microsoft to sell Office for Mac 2011 in October (AP, 3:20 p.m.)
- Average Va. in-state tuition, fees up 10.6 percent (AP, 3 p.m.)
- We're No. 1! UGA tops party schools ranking (AP, 1:50 p.m.)
- Immigrant students to hold Boston Dream teach-in (AP, 1:08 p.m.)
LATEST K-12 EDUCATION NEWS
- Vt. school says renovations can't be put off more (AP, 10:28 a.m.)
- Concern over students switching schools (Boston Globe, 1:27 a.m.)
- Vermont school district considers camera policy (AP, 8/1/10)
- GLOUCESTER Controversial Gloucester charter school preparing for Aug. 31 opening (Boston Globe, 7/31/10)
- 2 months later, where is Kyron Horman? (AP, 7/31/10)
LATEST HIGHER EDUCATION NEWS
- Adult stem cell research far ahead of embryonic (AP, 7:10 a.m.)
- Cambridge to consider student immigrant resolution(AP, 8/1/10)
- Maine independent touts his business background (AP, 8/1/10)
- When Double Dippers become economic party poopers(AP, 8/1/10)
- Oil spill taints UC Berkeley's BP-funded research (AP, 7/31/10)
Durty Handz EdVox
EdVox
Durty Handz
JULY 30, 2010
The phrase “by any means necessary” is most often attributed to the late Malcolm X; however it was the French existentialist philosopher, Jean Paul Sartre who in 1963 coined the phrase in his play Dirty Hands:
“I was not the one to invent lies: they were created in a society divided by class and each of us inherited lies when we were born. It is not by refusing to lie that we will abolish lies: it is by eradicating class by any means necessary.”
Now, 30 years after the passing of Monsieur Sartre we are definitely seeing the effects of dirty hands under the tight grip of Mayor Bloomberg on the NYC public school system, and most unfortunately on children in low income communities of color relegated to attending historically under-performing schools. It would be all too easy to attempt to rest the blame for the abomination that has become public education on the Obama nation, but in actuality for our children these spurious outcomes were never birds in the hand, they remained birds in the Bush.
Last year, both students and families were lulled into the false security of thinking that NYC schools were doing better than ever before: 8th grade passing scores were 57% in ELA and 71% in math. Fast forward to 2010 and the scores reveal that in reality only 38% of 8th graders are
QUICK Hits � The Quick and the Ed
QUICK Hits
Quick Hits is a short compilation of question-raising news stories, blog posts, and video clips that Education Sector team members are reading and viewing each day.- Jay Greene and Checker Finn are dueling it out over the Common Core education standards. Who’s going to win this one in the long-term? (Jay P. Greene’s Blog)
- Why is it that during hard times, some of the best innovation and remarkable improvements are made in a lot of organizations—except for traditional public school systems? (Education Innovating)
- Is the college admissions interview making a modest comeback? How do you distinguish between all those 4.0 students anyway? (The Washington Post)
- A Viable Pensions Alternative: Cash-Balance Plans? (Teacher Beat)
- A food bill we need? Michelle Obama’s take on school lunch reform. (The Washington Post)
Explaining to middle schoolers why fair isn’t always equal | GothamSchools
Explaining to middle schoolers why fair isn’t always equal
Older M.S. 223 students working with the Summer Bridge program made this bulletin board to welcome the new sixth-graders. (Photo courtesy M.S. 223)
Each summer, the South Bronx’s M.S. 223 brings in as many of its rising sixth-graders as it can find for a
Progress on vacancies at Promise Academies | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Progress on vacancies at Promise Academies
Those teacher vacancies at Promise Academies, still open in late July, are not going unfilled.
District officials reported last week that they were “in the final stages of the hiring process” at the District’s six Promise Academies, and that the large numbers of openings posted on the District’s online vacancies list had been filled.
Last Monday, District spokesperson Fernando Gallard reported the following numbers of vacancies:
read more
District officials reported last week that they were “in the final stages of the hiring process” at the District’s six Promise Academies, and that the large numbers of openings posted on the District’s online vacancies list had been filled.
Last Monday, District spokesperson Fernando Gallard reported the following numbers of vacancies:
read more
School Tech Connect: Call Now To Keep Teachers Working
Call Now To Keep Teachers Working
It's not too late to weigh in on the education jobs bill that's in the senate. They're going to vote tonight, so call, particularly if you are represented by a Republican senator.
Here's an NEA-sponsored number that helps you connect to your senator. It gives you a little coaching first.
1-866-608-6355
The job you save may be your own. It doesn't actually matter: kids all over the country need more teachers and smaller classes. Call right now.
If you've never called your senator, it couldn't be any easier. Here's a recording of me calling Senator Burris (D-IL). I clipped the parts where the senator's staffer was talking; the whole call lasted about 20 seconds.
I would have been a little less cheerful if my senator were a Republican because most Republicans are going to vote against this bill.
Call Now!
*I am not affiliated with or a member of the NEA.If I were still a teacher, I would be.
Here's an NEA-sponsored number that helps you connect to your senator. It gives you a little coaching first.
1-866-608-6355
The job you save may be your own. It doesn't actually matter: kids all over the country need more teachers and smaller classes. Call right now.
If you've never called your senator, it couldn't be any easier. Here's a recording of me calling Senator Burris (D-IL). I clipped the parts where the senator's staffer was talking; the whole call lasted about 20 seconds.
I would have been a little less cheerful if my senator were a Republican because most Republicans are going to vote against this bill.
Call Now!
*I am not affiliated with or a member of the NEA.If I were still a teacher, I would be.
District hopes changes boost dismal alternative ed graduation rates | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
District hopes changes boost dismal alternative ed graduation rates
by Dale Mezzacappa
More than one out of every 10 students in the School District enrolls in an alternative school at some point during their high school years, according to a recent study of this burgeoning network of schools. But researchers found that low percentages of students who cycle through these schools – many of which are designed to recapture dropouts – actually earn their diplomas.
The study, by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., has led a watchdog committee mandated under the state takeover for monitoring academic performance to
Hess-tify! � The Quick and the Ed
Hess-tify!
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