Sunday, December 19, 2010

Pennsylvania's education reform arsenal - pottsmerc.com

Pennsylvania's education reform arsenal

Published: Sunday, December 19, 2010

Earlier this month, California parents became the first in the nation to use a so-called "parent trigger" to force radical change at a school ranked in the bottom ten percent of elementary schools in the Golden State. Pennsylvania may be next to "pull" the trigger.

In California, 62 percent of parents at McKinley Elementary School — far more than the 51 percent required — signed a petition demanding it be changed to a charter school. Under the law, passed in January, parents may choose from a menu of reforms: converting to a charter school, replacing the principal and staff, reforming the budget, or closing.

Other states may follow in California's footsteps. In addition to Pennsylvania, legislators in Georgia

A call to action on early-childhood education. | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/19/2010

A call to action on early-childhood education.

Obama can chart a course for U.S. academic excellence

This month, the test scores of Chinese students sent another shock wave through a zeitgeist already obsessed with national decline: Are they getting ahead of us in everything? Will China rule the world in 30 years? Is the United States destined to a future of limited horizons and lowered expectations?

On a widely respected standardized test administered to 15-year-olds in 65 countries, students from Shanghai and Hong Kong ranked at or near the top in reading, math, and science. American students came in 23d and 24th in most subjects. "We can quibble, or we can face the brutal truth that we're being out-educated," Education Secretary Arne Duncan told the New York Times.

That was another blow to a nation already struggling with the aftermath of the Great Recession. Our confidence is shattered, our faith in the future diminished.

But there is also good news hidden behind the gloomy headlines: We know what it takes to regain our economic hegemony and reinvigorate the American dream. And it's all about education - specifically, early-childhood

Want to end bullying? Teach empathy early - EducationNews.org

Web's #1 Source for K12 and Higher Education News and Commentary - EducationNews.org

Gov. Christie's pick for N.J. schools chief hopes to bridge education gap in some communities
Christopher Cerf says New Jersey 'has one of the best education systems in the country'

Passing rate for TSU law students taking bar hits record high
At just over 75%, the rate is the highest in the past 37 years. It's no secret that for years, graduates of Texas Southern University's law school have been less likely to pass the bar exam than their peers from other law schools in the state. ...

Want to end bullying? Teach empathy early
Julia Steiny - Want to end bullying? Teach empathy early. The American public is enraged about the seeming epidemic of bullying. ...

Will firing 5-10 percent of teachers make us Finland?
Michelle Rhee and Bill Gates like to say that our public schools would become high-performing if we only fired the bottom 5-10 percent of teachers. Here's an examination of that notion. ...

Commentaries

Dictionary-Based Vocabulary Testing and the Word-as-Shape Fallacy - An Open Letter to the New York Times
Robert Oliphant - In perpetuating the word-as-shape fallacy your "500 billion words" article (12/17/10) misguidedly t undercuts your own linguistically sophisticated daily crossword puzzle, the completion of which in less than 10 minutes invariably signals a reassuring absence of Alzheimer's dementia. So by way of a balanced discussion, I urge you to share the following statement with your readers

5 myths about school food
Janet Poppendieck | Maybe kids will eat vegetables. When President Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act on Monday, he joked that if he hadn't been able to get the bill passed he would have been "sleeping on the couch."

America's Shanghai Surprise
Bill Costello, M.Ed - American students are lagging significantly behind their peers from several countries in Europe and Asia according to new results from a key international assessment. They are the furthest behind students from the Chinese city of Shanghai, who received the top international test scores in math, science, and reading.

Carrot for changing teacher evaluations Thoughts on Public Education | Analysis, opinion and ruminations on California education policy

Thoughts on Public Education | Analysis, opinion and ruminations on California education policy

Carrot for changing teacher evaluations

Will districts respond to State Board's incentives?
John Fensterwald - Educated Guess

December 17, 2010

Last month, State Board of Education President Ted Mitchell couldn’t get any votes for his plan to encourage districts to change the way they evaluate teachers and administrators. Education groups didn’t like the proposal any better.
But this week, with the California School Boards Association and the Association of California School Administrators now praising it, the Board unanimously adopted a new version that offers an incentive to districts willing to link […]

Funds misuse, nepotism feared at Texas charter schools | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

Funds misuse, nepotism feared at Texas charter schools

12:59 AM CST on Sunday, December 19, 2010

By HOLLY K. HACKER / The Dallas Morning News
hhacker@dallasnews.com

Last in an occasional series.

Focus Learning Academy, a charter school tucked in a strip mall in Dallas' Red Bird area, takes pride in teaching students with learning disabilities. For founder and Superintendent Leroy McClure, whose brother struggled with a learning disability, it's a personal mission.

Also Online

Interactive map: Dallas-area charter schools

Database: TAKS scores, state ratings for Texas charter districts, schools

Link: Texas Education Agency information on charter schools

Part 1:

Charter schools spread across Texas with goal of newer, better teaching

'Black flight' changing Dallas schools' makeup

Part 2:

Texas' top charter schools demand more from students, parents, teachers

Dallas ISD to study public school-charter school partnerships

Part 3:

Charters give education in New Orleans a fresh start

Students who've stayed in Texas since Hurricane Katrina show big gains in new schools

Graphic: Big Easy's charter boom

Part 4:

Charter schools with ties to religious groups raise fears about state funds' use

More resources:

Research and compare schools

Blog: The Education Front

More education news

McClure earns $146,000 to run the school of about 700 students, about $50,000 more than the typical superintendent of a traditional Texas school district that size.

In addition, McClure's wife, Yvette, receives $100,000 from the school for consulting work and sits on the school board. His brother serves as Focus Academy's facilities manager, and his sister is a teacher there.

Focus demonstrates the hope for charter

Out of control — Joanne Jacobs

Out of control

by Joanne

Once the elite high school in Washington, D.C., Dunbar High is out of control, reports the Washington Post.

Nearly half the senior class is not on track to graduate, more than 100 students are taking courses they’ve already passed and the campus is growing increasingly unsafe.

A private contractor hired to turn around the school two years ago was fired by Kaya Henderson, the interim schools chancellor.

“In general, the building seems to be in turmoil at all times,” Henderson wrote in a termination letter made public this week. “Well after the school day begins, many students are wandering around the

Sunday links. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Sunday links.

by Fred Klonsky

Teacher union leaders testify.

With an all-out assault on teacher union rights being drafted as we speak, the bill or bills will come before the General Assembly any minute. School is out for many, so stay in touch.

I was no fan of the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan, but good for Diane Ravitch for being awarded the prize named for him. It honors her work in advancing education public policy.

What’s wrong with the parental trigger, latest ed reform craze in California? Bruce Baker considers the

The Wall.

by Fred Klonsky

Blaming Doctors and Teachers for Underuse of High-Tech Tools | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Blaming Doctors and Teachers for Underuse of High-Tech Tools

by larrycuban

Sample patient record view from an image-based...

Image via Wikipedia

If anything has been learned from the introduction of desktop computers into schools since the early 1980s–yes, thirty years ag0–it is that increasing the access of students to machines, from 125 students per computer to currently less than 4:1 does not automatically lead to teachers and students using computers for instruction routinely. Access to an innovation, then, does not mean frequent teacher use in classrooms.

How come? The usual suspect is the teacher. Blaming teachers for infrequent use of electronic machines was common in the past when technological innovations were launched but is clearly foolish today when most

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Queens Teacher: Just sayin'

Just sayin'

by Queens Teacher

I wonder when people are going to get it...

It's not about "bad" teachers. It's about doing away with unions, job protections, and providing cheapest labor possible. That's the business world. Work people to death for a few years and make them miserable so they quit. No pensions to pay. No high salaries. Win-win situation for employers. In the business world, many people don't stay at a job more than five to ten years. There's a high turnover for most employees.

Deformers have no regard for public education because their kids go to elite private schools. They couldn't care less about the quality of education at our public schools. Since they are rich and brilliant, regular folks don't count. Therefore, they need to be in charge so they can privatize our schools. Remember, their kids are unaffected by any deform policies. Just look at how expensive private schools and charters are run. NOT at all the way they propose public schools should be run. Books and movies will be made on this educational deform.

Seattle Public Schools community blog: So Much News - Here's a Round-Up

So Much News - Here's a Round-Up

by Melissa Westbrook

A big shout-out to all of you who first posted about these items. I thought them important enough to start a news thread.

A lawsuit has been filed against the district and Board directors over the Teach for America contract. Here's astory from KOMO-news. Steve Sundquist certainly clear about the fact that TFA recruits are getting certification at the SAME time they are first-year teachers. He doesn't give a single reason to be doing this and claims there is no "obligation" to hire TFA recruits. (Yes, the claim is true but we didn't go to this trouble and cost to NOT hire them.)

Then, from the Huffington Post, a story by the lawyer, John Affeldt, representing the plaintiffs in the California case in the 9th Circuit over this issue. He found that in a Senate appropriations bill, there had been an amendment slipped in to allow novice teachers to be called "highly qualified" and to concentrate their numbers in

Queens Teacher: Mayor Has Too Much Power

Mayor Has Too Much Power

by Queens Teacher

Appointment of Black proves that mayor has too much power

We cannot win for losing! And that is not to say that the fight to have Cathie Black rejected as city schools chancellor is far from being over. What is disappointing to me is the crying out, or lack thereof, by our elected officials.

As educated, elected officials, they if anyone should know the importance of an education. I did not say good, better or best — just an education. I do not believe our black, Hispanic and few whites and Asians are receiving an education. If they were, our young would not be doing the things they do. And you know what they are. If it were possible that an independent educational agency could do a study on mayoral control in this city, I wonder what it would show.

With the crazy way this appointment took place, could this have been a friendly wager between two friends? Traveling in the same circles makes petty conversation and ends up with a wager that will have grave

Schools Matter: Most important youtube video ever

Most important youtube video ever

by skrashen

This is a FANTASTIC video.

Some high points, thanks to Susan Ohanian:

Nothing to Hide and No Excuses: Video Evaluation to Raise Teacher
Quality

School Reform Foundation and Charter Teachers for the Future of America have a
plan for teacher evaluation. Every reform cliche is turned on its head here,

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Sunday, December 19, 2010