Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Modern School: L.A. Judge Kills Teachers’ Contract

Modern School: L.A. Judge Kills Teachers’ Contract
L.A. Judge Kills Teachers’ Contract As mentioned in an earlier post, the ACLU filed suit in L.A. on behalf of parents to block LAUSD from laying off teachers in low income schools, even when this violated seniority rules in the contract. Judge Wiliam F. Highberger, a Los Angeles County ...
Subpoenas Envy In Chicago Redux On Tuesday, January 25, union members will stand in “solidarity” outside Chicago’s federal court house with activists who are resisting grand jury subpoenas being used as fishing expeditions against the anti-war movement. All of those subpoenaed had ...
Oakland to Encourage Texting (of Police) at School Students in Oakland can now send text messages to the Oakland Unified School District police whenever they feel threatened or in danger. Of course, it remains to be seen if their anonymity will truly be protected or if they will believe it will to ...
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The Answer Sheet - Teaching without classroom teachers

The Answer Sheet - Teaching without classroom teachers

Teaching without classroom teachers

Florida is the state that keeps on giving, at least to education writers. What it gives to its students is another question. One thing it isn’t giving to all of them these days is classroom teachers. According to The New York Times, more than 7,000 students in Miami-Dade County Public Schools are now in a program in which they are taking core subjects via computer. There’s no teacher in the class, but, rather, a “facilitator” to help the kids. One especially interesting thing about the arrangement is this: Many and perhaps most of the students had no idea what they were walking into when they started school last fall.
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Denver rebuts the Denver Post | DeFENSE

Denver rebuts the Denver Post | DeFENSE

Denver rebuts the Denver Post

by admin

The tide has definitely turned against corporate-reform darling, Nate Easley. But don’t take our word for it. Read just a few of the letters to the editor and other pieces written in response to the cloying propaganda printed by the Denver Post to try to save him.

These are the letters that the Denver Post are too afraid to publish. Read on…

Dear Denver Post,

As a grandparent of children in Denver Public Schools that has been active in education; the most important thing that parents demand is a voice in the process where major decisions are being made that impact our children’s education.

DPS has a history and challenge of transparency in the process of closing “failing” schools and


The Denver Post props up Nate Easley

by admin

(originally sent via email – sign up for our newsletter to the right)

The Denver Post thinks we’re a joke. They say that we’re just a “handful of people” that want to hold Easley accountable. Well, as you know from our reports about the unrest and push-back in response to the hostile takeover of the greater Montbello schools, it’s not just a handful. It’s an entire community, and Easley is feeling it. He even now claims he attended a meeting with parents recently!

Well, it’s about time, Nate. But it’s too little, too late.

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Parents must not be an afterthought in plans for educational progress | Thoughts on Public Education

Parents must not be an afterthought in plans for educational progress | Thoughts on Public Education

Parents must not be an afterthought in plans for educational progress

Posted on 1/25/11 • Categorized as Preschool, Uncategorized

By Gabrielle Miller

As the discussions continue about improving the U.S. public education system, I keep wondering: What about the role of parents?

There are a variety of thoughtful and interesting conversations about everything from resource allocation, to the impact of race on educational achievement, to the most effective uses of technology, to redefining education to meet the needs of the 21st century – topical and relevant discussions that never seem to include parents. Parents aren’t completely ignored, but more often than not, the role they play isn’t a substantive part of the discussion. Their involvement becomes a less than critical part of any proposed solution. I believe we can make the argument that a significant part of the solution to the educational challenges

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Pandora’s Professional Development (1st Installment) « Failing Schools

Pandora’s Professional Development (1st Installment) « Failing Schools
Pandora’s Professional Development (1st Installment) Filed under: humor, Pandora the Swan, standardized testing, teachers
“My calculus book is copyright 1984…but we DID get new metal detectors this year.”" This video is a must watch. Students, teachers, and parents recently turned out in force to defend Jamaica High School in Queens, which currently faces closure. Members of the school community spoke to highlight the gains they’ve managed to make over ...
By the way… …I wasn’t always a critic of 900 Grant. As I’ve said before, I originally believed in what the DPS regime says it is trying to do. There appears to be an illogical belief among some– spread, unfortunately, by the likes of the Denver Post editorial ...
No Laughing Matter Yesterday, The Denver Post published an editorial condemning a community effort to recall Northeast Denver school board member Nate Easley, Jr. After deriding the recall attempt as “a joke,” they (once again) over-simplified the conflict it represents ...
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Curriculum for Pre-k? « JD2718

Curriculum for Pre-k? « JD2718

Curriculum for Pre-k?

by jd2718

At last night’s UFT Exec Board the special order of business was to approve 4 resolutions – not to send to the Delegate Assembly – but rather to send directly to the NYSUT Representative Assembly.

One of them (which I wish I had read in advance) called for curriculum for pre-k. I raised a question (unfortunately, I was not well-prepared and did not articulate well), and abstained.

In retrospect, my concern fell in two related categories (not that I expresed myself this clearly):

  • Why should poor kids have curricula when rich kids don’t? I should have raised concern about losing playtime as a result.
  • In every other area where we have advanced standards for students, students and teachers have been
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NYC Public School Parents: Jamaica HS teachers and students fight for their school's survival

NYC Public School Parents: Jamaica HS teachers and students fight for their school's survival

Jamaica HS teachers and students fight for their school's survival

by Leonie Haimson

Jamaica HS Closing Hearing: James Eterno Presents the Real Data from Grassroots Education Movement onVimeo.

This video from Norm Scott is truly stunning. Check out Deputy Chancellor John White, 2010 graduate of the
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Monday, January 24, 2011

solidaridad: Get out the Public School Vote for CRES 14 during this week's PSC 2.0 Advisory!

solidaridad: Get out the Public School Vote for CRES 14 during this week's PSC 2.0 Advisory!

Get out the Public School Vote for CRES 14 during this week's PSC 2.0 Advisory!

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene
"If corporate charter-voucher schools were obligated, like public schools, to educate every child, we would see the proliferation of charters disappear almost overnight. Take the profitability out of the equation, and charter schools would return to their original mission." — Robert D. Skeels (Coalition of Educational Justice)

Getting out the vote for Local District 4 and Echo Park Community Partners Design Team Plan
Vote for LD4 and Echo Park Community Partners Design Team PlanVote for LD4 and Echo Park Community Partners Design Team Plan
Vote for LD4 and Echo Park Community Partners Design Team Plan

Yes, that's me braving the Saturday afternoon sun passing out public school flyers.

Many of us volunteered several hours this weekend reminding our neighbors of the PSC 2.0 advisory vote this week which will determine whether our brand new school remain
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For Immediate Release: Detroit Federation of Teachers Presidential Challenger Steve Conn Declares Victory, Demands New Election to Replace Fraudulent Vote Count | Dailycensored.com

For Immediate Release: Detroit Federation of Teachers Presidential Challenger Steve Conn Declares Victory, Demands New Election to Replace Fraudulent Vote Count | Dailycensored.com

For Immediate Release: Detroit Federation of Teachers Presidential Challenger Steve Conn Declares Victory, Demands New Election to Replace Fraudulent Vote Count

Written by Danny WeilEducationJan 24, 2011
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“This isn’t Florida, and the DFT is Not a George Bush Union,” Declared the Real Winner, Steve Conn

CONTACT: Steve Conn

(313) 645-9340

In a hotly contested runoff election for President of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, challenger Steve Conn of Defend Public Education/Save Our Students, (DPE) declared victory after the Election Committee refused to conduct a fair recount. The vote count separated Conn from incumbent Keith Johnson by only 41 votes, with as many as 700 votes uncounted. Dozens of ballots are missing, and teachers have signed affidavits stating that they voted and demand that their votes be counted.

“The DFT Election Committee rejected DPE’s demand for a hand count

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solidaridad: Big Finance and Big Business paying for corporate charter school advertisements

solidaridad: Big Finance and Big Business paying for corporate charter school advertisements

Big Finance and Big Business paying for corporate charter school advertisements

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene
In an age where our communities are seeing the last of the public commonwealth sucked up by the profit machines that are charter-voucher schools, advertising and marketing have become key aspects of the move towards privatization. Most EMO/CMO charter-voucher schools have budgets for this, but just in case, the well heeled bosses at the Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce want to make sure you understand and act upon their corporate message. Hence this message and photos submitted by an avid solidaridad reader, exposing the dark underbelly of the business community's tampering in affairs once reserved for people with an understanding
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Afternoon Update: New Posts on Parents 4 democratic Schools 1-24-11 Get Involved- Read Education News

New Posts on Parents 4 democratic Schools

Get Involved- Read Education News


Parents 4 democratic Schools

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