Big Education Ape

Thursday, July 14, 2011

All Things Education: Petrilli on Educating Poor Kids is Problematic

Petrilli on Educating Poor Kids is Problematic

by Rachel Levy

One of the few conservative edu-pundits I follow is Michael Petrilli. I disagree with him that high-stakes testing, rigid accountability schemes, disempowerment of teachers unions, and a focus on hiring and firing policies will lead us down the path towards better education. And he seems entirely too focused on specific outcomes, compared to improving the overall quality of teaching and learning. But he has some ideas worth considering and has great insights into the political process. Plus, he is reasonable, thoughtful, and open to respectful debate.

This recent post of his (and he wrote a similar one a while back) explored two questions:

"First, whether affluent parents should be satisfied with the public schools to which they send their own children. And second, whether those same parents can be energized to fight on behalf of

Daily Kos: Why the DOE's move to test preschool children is wrong

Why the DOE's move to test preschool children is wrong

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

The latest proposal from Duncan's Department of Education is to expand testing of children to preschool age, especially for children in poverty. Stephen Krashen, a retired but distinguished educator, addresses this in a guest posting in Anthony Cody's Living in Dialogue blog for Education Week Teacher. Titled Stephen Krashen: Race to the Top for Tots: Don't Measure the Temperature of the Fire - Put it Out!, I recommend that those interested in the topic read it. Krashen provides well-documented arguments against the approach, which on the surface might seem to make sense - after all, more than 20% of our young people live in poverty and screening them as to their cognitive, emotional and physical development appears to be a necessary first step to determining how to address deficiencies. Krashen notes the requirements:

The standards and tests include "all (sic!!) of the Essential Domains of School Readiness" (Selection Criteria, section B (3)). This means setting detailed standards and testing children in mathematics and literacy, and as well "a progression of standards for ensuring children's health and safety, ensuring that health and behavioral screening and follow up are done, and promoting

KOCH OUT News | www.kochwatch.org

News | www.kochwatch.org

The Nation: ALEC Exposed *-By John Nichols * *July 12, 2011-* “Never has the time been so right,” Louisiana State Representative Noble Ellington told conservative legislators gathered in Washington to plan the radical remaking of policies in the states. It was one month ...

Nation Magazine Writer John Nichols Discusses the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)

In These Times: Publicopoly Exposed *How ALEC, the Koch brothers and their corporate allies plan to privatize government*. *-By Beau Hodai* *July 11, 2011-* On February 25, 2011, Florida State Representative Chris Dorworth (R-Lake Mary) introduced HB 1021. The bill sought to curtail ...

ALEC: The Voice of Corporate Special Interests In State Legislatures Source: Right Wing Watch *Introduction* When state legislators across the nation introduce similar or identical bills designed to boost corporate power and profits, reduce workers rights, limit corporate accountability for pollution, or restrict ...

Rep Gov Scott Walker at Gateway

New Petition by the Center for Media & Democracy PR Watch: TELL CORPORATIONS TO DUMP ALEC! Why are major corporations risking their reputation by cozying up behind closed doors with the Koch Brothers and Big Tobacco to manipulate state laws throughout the country? The Center for Media and Democracy has uncovered that smoke-filled back room ...

Common Dreams: Center for Media & Democracy Unveils Trove of Over 800 ALEC "Model Bills" Secretly Voted on by Corporations *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* *July 13, 2011-* Today, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) made available over 800 “model” bills and resolutions secretly voted on by corporate and legislative members of the American Legislative Exchange Council ...

The Young Turks: Shocking Fact About Rich Americans

Sign our petition to Mayor Bloomberg demanding Education Equality « New York City Parents Union

Sign our petition to Mayor Bloomberg demanding Education Equality

by admin

Please sign our petition to Mayor Bloomberg demanding he provide equal access to a quality education for all our children. Public education is a cornerstone of our democracy in the United States of America.

Unfortunately, under Mayor Bloomberg’s mayoral control, the New York City school system has deteriorated. Mayor Bloomberg’s corporate reforms, countless reorganizations of the New York City Department of Education and appointment of non-educator cronies has devastated America’s largest school system of 1.1 million students. We, the parents, demand change now!

It only takes a minute for you stand up for public education. Thank You.

Click here to sign.

LULAC Warns That State and Local Funding Flexibility Act is BAD - Hispanically Speaking News

LULAC Warns That State and Local Funding Flexibility Act Will Further Disadvantage Minority

Today, the House of Representatives will mark up The State and Local Funding Flexibility Act, as introduced, will relieve any incentive of schools to commit federal dollars to low-income and historically disadvantaged students, and Native students. The proposed legislation introduced by House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) would allow school districts to use federal funding for other purposes.

In a letter to Members of Congress, Brent Wilkes, LULAC National Executive Director expressed concern that a persistent achievement gap exists between both high and low-performing schools. “With a national graduation rate of only 72% and an on-time graduation rate for Latino students hovering around 56%, Congress must target its efforts and polices toward strategies that are most likely to strengthen academic performance and graduation rates for all students.

“We all know that Federal education programs often have unintended consequences which is why every effort must be made to ensure that each tax payer dollar is spent effectively. At present, the data shows that an

House Judiciary Committee to Look at Two Immigraiton Bills

Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee took up two immigration bills that supposedly address community safety, but in reality are simply the latest attempts to restrict immigration and limit due process for immigrants. Neither Chairman Lamar Smith’s (R-TX) “Keep Our Communities Safe Act of 2011,” or Rep. Bob Goodlatte’s (R-VA) “Security and Fairness Enhancement for America Act of 2011” (SAFE Act) offer solutions to the immigration crisis.

Instead, Chairman Smith’s bill would authorize indefinite detention for a wide range of immigrants, while Rep. Goodlatte’s bill would eliminate the diversity visa—a lottery that offers 50,000 visas per year to immigrants from countries

State Board of Education gets tough with SIG | Thoughts on Public Education

State Board of Education gets tough with SIG - by Kathryn Baron

by Kathryn Baron

In a day fraught with finger-pointing and defensiveness, the State Board of Education (SBE) on Wednesday put 90* schools on notice that their second-year funding for the federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) program is not a sure thing. Faced with what State Board President Michael Kirst termed a “searing” report from the U.S. Education Department, the [...]

California’s 2nd-grade tests provide vital information; don’t end them - by James Lanich

by James Lanich

California legislators may be making a fateful decision that will have a dire effect on our state’s schoolchildren. California has among the finest academic standards of any state. For the past 11 years, these standards have become useful tools as students from second grade through high school have taken the California Standards Test (CST) each spring [...]

Investing in Education Now Brings Returns in Future | California Progress Report

Investing in Education Now Brings Returns in Future

by megan

By Assemblywoman Julia Brownley

Businesses know that smart investments are the key to future growth. Governments also make smart investments such as the one California made in higher education after adopting a master plan in 1960. Many today credit California universities for its ranking as the eighth largest economy in the world and as an incubator for high technology, biotechnology and agricultural advances.

California’s leadership in education and the economy, however, is in danger of slipping. State education spending fell by $17 billion over the last three years, forcing schools to shorten the school year, increase class size, close school libraries and eliminate summer school among other actions.

Ignorance Index II: The Spending Cuts Myth

by megan

By Robert Borosage

Conservative Republicans hold as an article of faith that cutting government spending creates jobs, even in the midst of a recession. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, the conservative zealot who has personally blown up the debt ceiling talks twice over the mere hint of closing tax loopholes,says, “All of our efforts are centered around jobs – starting with cutting spending and federal regulations – to grow the economy so that people can get back to work.”

But this is nonsense. There’s no economic theory that would suggest that in current conditions, cutting government spending would create jobs.

Despite the conservative mantra that “government doesn’t create jobs, the private sector creates jobs,” even Cantor and Republican conservatives admit, news flash, that cutting government spending will cut government jobs.

Diane Ravitch, Champion of Public Education, Leads SOS Teach-in on July 21st

Diane Ravitch, Champion of Public Education, Leads SOS Teach-in on July 21st
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Diane Ravitch, Champion of Public Education, Leads SOS Teach-in on July 21st

by AnthonyCody

Dr. Diane Ravitch has emerged as a true champion of public education over the past few years. She recently used her blog to explain why she has been such an active supporter of the Save Our Schools March:

I am marching to protest the status quo of high-stakes testing, attacks on the education profession, and creeping privatization.

I want to protest the federal government’s punitive ideas about school reform, specifically, No Child Left Behind and the Race to the Top. Neither of these programs has any validation in research or practice or evidence. The nation’s teachers and parents know that NCLB has been a policy disaster. Race to the Top incorporates the same failed ideas. Why doesn’t Congress know?

I want to protest the wave of school closings caused by these cruel federal policies. Public schools are a public trust, not shoe stores. If they are struggling, they should be improved, not killed.

On Thursday, July 21st, Diane Ravitch will join us on the eve of our march, for our last teach-in and fundraiser. This event will take place at 8 pm Eastern, 5 pm Pacific time. We hope to raise at least $5000 on this one day — watch the web site for updates throughout the day!
Join us for an exciting conversation with the nation’s leading expert on the history of education, and a true champion of our schools.
Registration is free, but space is limited. We will hold ten spaces for people willing to organize house parties of five people or more. Sign up now!.

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Barack, the great triangulator

Barack, the great triangulator

I think Obama may have just just sewn up the 2012 election. The big boys from Wall Street finally had enough political posturing and made it clear that they wouldn't tolerate a default by the U.S. on its debt. The GOP loonies have self-destructed over taxes. Social Security, Medicade and Medicare may be safe for a while, even though Obama threw them onto the table, knowing that the T-Party crazies would not allow Boehner to cut a deal that included a tax increase for millionaires and billionaires. Hail Barack, the great

Phony accountability in Rhee’s D.C. - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Phony accountability in Rhee’s D.C.

by Valerie Strauss

What is going to happen to the D.C. school system for failing to keep its promise to the federal government in its successful Race to the Top funding?

First, the promise: D.C. schools officials, who won $75 million in 2010, said in the application that it could produce a reading proficiency rate of 56.6 percent in 2011 if it was a Race to the Top winner (which it was last year).

That didn’t happen.

Read full article >>

Why librarians should be more like Lady Gaga

by Valerie Strauss

School libraries around the country are being dramatically cut as government officials look for places to cut their budgets — even though research shows that the country’s highest-performing students come from schools with good library centers.

This is a version of a post written by The Daring Librarian, otherwise known as, Gwyneth Anne Jones, who works as a teacher-librarian in Laurel, Md., and who writes The Daring Librarian blog. She was named a “mover and shaker” of 2011 by the Library Journal, and is on the board of directors of the International Society for Technology in Education.

Read full article >>

The Trouble With Charter Schools and Unions | Seattle Education

The Trouble With Charter Schools and Unions

by seattleducation2011

It has been documented, at least on this website, that charter schools do not hire union teachers because these charter schools want to make a profit and the greatest expenditure on the balance sheet is the cost of the teaching staff, particularly if they are unionized.

An example of this is a story that was recently written about Opportunity Charter School in Gotham Schools,After Union Bid, Fired Charter School Teacher Allege Retaliation.

Earlier this year, a small group of determined teachers at Opportunity Charter School marched into Leonard Goldberg’s office and confronted their boss.
They carried a letter that detailed their complaints with Goldberg’s response to their recent bid to unionize. Not only had Goldberg refused to recognize the staff’s vote to join the United Federation of Teachers, they said, he had begun waging an anti-union email campaign.
Goldberg, the school’s CEO, declined the letter and ordered them to leave, according to a teacher

School Tech Connect: Ring A Bell?

Ring A Bell?

Just finished Sheila Bair's Exit Interview in the NYTimes Magazine. It's a pretty good read--- there's a section about how she was advocating a pretty strong loan modification program for homeowners during the meltdown and the President was interested; it's just that she got outgunned by Geithner, who wasn't really into helping homeowners.

Anyway, there's this:

Schools Matter: Revving Up for Save Our Schools DC Conference and Rally

Revving Up for Save Our Schools DC Conference and Rally

by Jim Horn

From HuffPo:

NEW YORK -- After months of planning the "Save Our Schools March And National Call to Action," educators will take to the streets in Washington D.C. in two weeks to protest what they call the generally misguided direction of education policy.

The campaign has a broad social media presence and is easily identifiable by its logo: a yellow school crossing sign emblazoned with its call of alarm, "SOS."

"We're trying to alert people to a danger," said organizer and former Oakland educator Anthony Cody. "The end goal is to resurrect the ideal of a democratic public school system."

From July 28 to 31, when teachers and activists descend on Washington, Cody and his fellow

Here are the discussion items for the 11/10 IEA Board of Directors meeting. Would Stand for Children have a problem with any of it? « Fred Klonsky's blog

Here are the discussion items for the 11/10 IEA Board of Directors meeting. Would Stand for Children have a problem with any of it?

by Fred Klonsky

Ken Swanson and the IEA leadership claim that not only was Jonah Edelman arrogant in his talk at Aspen, he lied as well.

Here is a way you can make a judgment call on what was true and what was false in Edelman’s description.

What I am including in this post is the discussion agenda for the November 2010 IEA Board of Directors meeting. Would Jonah feel right at home in a meeting like this? You bet he would.

My emphasis in bold.

1. Establish incentives to attract effective teachers to struggling, low performing schools.
2. School consolidation to streamline administrative services, thereby significantly reducing costs.
3. Streamline dismissal processes in return for

CA Prison Hunger Strikers’ Health Rapidly Deteriorating « occupy california

CA Prison Hunger Strikers’ Health Rapidly Deteriorating

by *

from PrisonerHungerStrikeSolidarity:

Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity coalition received an urgent update from medical staff at Pelican Bay State Prison that the health of at least 200 hunger strikers in the SHU is rapidly worsening. A source with access to the current medical conditions who prefers to be unnamed reported:

“The prisoners are progressing rapidly to the organ damaging consequences of dehydration. They are not drinking water and have decompensated rapidly. A few have tried to sip water but are so sick that they are vomiting it back up. Some are in renal failure and have been unable to make urine for 3 days. Some are having measured blood sugars in the 30 range, which can be fatal if not treated.“

SHU prisoners at Pelican Bay have said they are willing to risk their lives and will continue to strike until their

An Urban Teacher's Education: Finding a Teaching Job Not So Easy

Finding a Teaching Job Not So Easy

by James Boutin

When I decided to leave New York City, I felt a completely unjustified sense of confidence that I would find a teaching job somewhere else (or maybe I was just too stressed out to think straight). Now that it's mid-July and I haven't been so much as contacted by any of the districts I've applied to, I'm starting to think I better consider alternative options for the coming year, which is too bad, because I was really hoping to do National Boards this year - also, I REALLY LOVE TEACHING!

Today Miss Eyre over at NYC Educator published a post on the same topic. She tells the story of a friend who's been trying to get a longterm teaching position in a small district for a few years and has been passed over time after time. Add that to the knowledge that gaining tenure is getting more and more difficult, which makes it easier and easier to create a system that takes in teachers, chews them up, and spits them out, and it makes for a pretty bleak picture. It's a picture in which real teachers who care about real learning and the importance of real

“It’s OK to Be You.” « City School Stories

Reflections of an Author « City School Stories

Reflections of an Author

by fmurphy

“It’s OK to Be You.”

Submitted by Frank Murphy on July 14, 2011

The Attic Youth Center is an independent organization in Philadelphia dedicated to the work of making life better for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth of our city. In order to get its message out to young people who have been victimized by homophobic bullying, the Attic has initiated an advertising campaign on our public transportation system. Posters are displayed on SEPTA buses and subway cars carrying the following message: “It’s OK to Be You.”

According to a report issued in 2009 by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), a national

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: Of Tuition Hikes and Salary Spikes...

Of Tuition Hikes and Salary Spikes...

The national and state economic collapse--and the way in which our lawmakers at both levels of government have responded-- has wreaked havoc on California's higher education system, once considered the state's crown jewel and an achievement that led the world in expanding college access to all citizens. This week, California State University trustees and UC regents are voting on hefty tuition hikes that will see CSU tuition raised by an additional 12% on top of the 10% that was voted on last November and UC tuition likely increased by 9.6% in addition to the 8% that took effect this summer. UC tuition was raised 32% last year. CSU tuition is also up by about a third over the past couple of years. The Sacramento Bee reported that the impact of higher tuition could be most burdensome to middle class families, who

Opportunity Charter teachers stand up for their fired colleagues | GothamSchools #TCH11

Opportunity Charter teachers stand up for their fired colleagues | GothamSchools

Opportunity Charter teachers stand up for their fired colleagues

by Geoffrey Decker

A UFT organizer hands out a pro-union flier to Emily Samuels, an Opportunity Charter School administrators. To the left, Ana Patejdl, a teacher at the school.

For the first time since more than a dozen of their colleagues were abruptly fired last month, current teachers at Opportunity Charter School spoke publicly about the administration’s response to their efforts to join the United Federation of Teachers.

A small group of the teachers joined UFT organizers outside of the school in Harlem this afternoon, carried signs and distributed flies to passersby. They said the schools used a draconian lateness policy as cover to terminate teachers who voted to unionize earlier in the year.

Of the 15 staff members whose contracts were terminated last month, all but one voted pro-union.

The firings had a chilling effect on staff morale, said Jennifer Mitchell, a fourth year teacher.

“People don’t feel safe here. They don’t feel appreciated,” she said.

Mitchell, one of the longest-tenured teachers at the school, which opened in 2004, said the school had drifted

Firing Line: The Grand Coalition Against Teachers - ParentAdvocates.org

Parent Advocates - ParentAdvocates.org

Joanne Barkan: The Grand Coalition Against Teachers
In a nation as politically and ideologically riven as ours, it’s remarkable to see so broad an agreement on what ails public schools. It’s the teachers......In the last few years, attention to the role of public school teachers has escalated into a high-profile, well-financed, and seriously misguided campaign to transform the profession based on this reasoning: if we can place a great teacher in every classroom, the achievement gap between middle-class white students and poor and minority students will close; all students will be prepared to earn a four-year college degree, find a “twenty-first-century job” at a good salary, and help to restore U.S. preeminence in the world economy.

Firing Line: The Grand Coalition Against Teachers
Saturday 9 July 2011
by: Joanne Barkan, Dissent [3] | Op-Ed
LINK

In a nation as politically and ideologically riven as ours, it’s remarkable to see so broad an agreement on what ails public schools. It’s the teachers. Democrats from various wings of the party, virtually all Republicans, most think tanks that deal with education, progressive and conservative foundations, a proliferation of nonprofit advocacy organizations, right-wing anti-union groups, hedge fund managers, writers from right leftward, and editorialists in most mainstream media—all