Schools Matter: Perfidious Petruzzi calls for accurate evaluations of Green Dot Charter Corporation?

Schools Matter: Perfidious Petruzzi calls for accurate evaluations of Green Dot Charter Corporation?:

Perfidious Petruzzi calls for accurate evaluations of Green Dot Charter Corporation?

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

"The lowest-performing, based on test scores, is the large Green Dot chain." — Los Angeles Times

Wall Street privatization darling Marco Petruzzi (above) led a beleaguered Green Dot through charges of racism, embezzlement, poor performance, and now cheating. Green Dot Founder Steve Barr (below) created a mythology about his corporate charters that persists even today. Barr photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/kk/
CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

There are some serious issues with Howard Blume and Sandra Poindexter's article entitled "L.A. Unified bests reform groups in most cases, data shows," but when the charter charlatans exposed in the piece started to foam at the mouth with hubris and hypocrisy, they need to be shown up for what they really are. The corporate crooks at Green Dot wasted no time writing an audacious fact-free response to the Los Angeles Times piece, ironically entitled "A call for accuracy in evaluating school progress."

Their amateurish essay is replete with sloppy prose and is the epitome of the corporate reformers' need to constantly shift metrics in order to fulfill their only goal — money making. Green Dot corporation, namely their well heeled CEO Marco Petruzzi, insisted

Beverly Hall, Schools Chief During Atlanta Cheating Scandal, Defends Actions - NYTimes.com

Beverly Hall, Schools Chief During Atlanta Cheating Scandal, Defends Actions - NYTimes.com:

A Revered Educator’s Fall From Grace

By KIM SEVERSON

Published: September 7, 2011

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ATLANTA — Sitting in the polished offices of a lawyer who specializes in corporate criminal defense, Beverly Hall looked tired.

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Kendrick Brinson for The New York Times

Dr. Beverly Hall, Atlanta's school superintendent, now stands marked by the biggest standardized test cheating scandal in the nation's history.

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Special Investigation Into Test Tampering in Atlanta’s Schools

Related

• On Education: Cracking a System in Which Test Scores Were for Changing (July 18, 2011)

• Systematic Cheating Is Found in Atlanta’s School System (July 6, 2011)

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It is not easy being the pariah of a major American city.

Dr. Hall, once named as the nation’s school superintendent of the year and a veteran of 40 years in tough urban districts including New York and Newark, now stands marked by the biggest standardized test cheating scandal in the country’s history.

As Atlanta tries to sort fact from fiction and get back to the business of educating the 50,000 children in its public schools, Dr. Hall is left to defend her reputation, prepare for any possible legal action and consider whether her

Let’s Get Sharon Peaslee Elected to the Seattle Public School Board | Seattle Education

Let’s Get Sharon Peaslee Elected to the Seattle Public School Board | Seattle Education:

Let’s Get Sharon Peaslee Elected to the Seattle Public School Board

by seattleducation2011

Sharon Peaslee is running against Peter Maier for the District 1 seat.

Remember Peter Maier? The guy who said at the school board meeting when the board voted to fire our Broad-trained superintendent Dr. Goodloe-Johnson without cause that he had received the report on what later was known as Pottergate but chose to remain silent? The guy who rubber stamped everything that Goodloe-Johnson put before him?

Fortunately, a far better candidate threw her hat into the ring and with the support of all those who know that we need to turn around many ed reform policies that were so blithely approved by the gang of four, we will have

Latino Immigrant Children More Likely to Go Hungry - Hispanically Speaking News

Latino Immigrant Children More Likely to Go Hungry - Hispanically Speaking News:

Latino Immigrant Children More Likely to Go Hungry

Nearly one in five children in the United States lives in a family that struggles to put food on the table, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Latino children of immigrants are even more likely to be at risk of hunger, according to by Bread for the World Institute.

More than 30 percent of Latino children live in households where they don’t get enough to eat, and a third of Latino families rely on food banks to help feed their families. Recent U.S. Census Bureau poverty figures show that more than one in four Latinos lived below the poverty line in 2009, and 56 percent of immigrant children live in low-income families.

“More than half of immigrant children in the United States live in impoverished households where food is scarce,” said Ivone Guillen, immigration policy fellow at Bread for the World Institute. “Sadly, many children do not participate in federal safety-net programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP (formerly food stamps) and free school meals

Students choke on “reform” when lunch is 10 minutes long « Parents Across America

Students choke on “reform” when lunch is 10 minutes long « Parents Across America:

Students choke on “reform” when lunch is 10 minutes long

by CarolineSF

So-called education “reform” means teaching to the test, narrowing curriculum — and truncating lunch to 10 or 15 minutes. School food advocates object in a post on the popular The Lunch Tray blog.

As I explained in a comment on the blog, educators aren’t the ones who think insanely short lunches are a good idea. As this commentary mentions, they are under intense (seriously intense, crushing) pressure from the non-educators who control our nation’s education policy.

The truncated lunches are part of a bigger picture. That’s why educators and parents should set the direction for our education policy — not the billionaires, hedge-funders and

Our own worst enemies. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Our own worst enemies. « Fred Klonsky's blog:

Our own worst enemies.

by Fred Klonsky

I don’t know the teachers at the three schools who voted to waive their Collective Bargaining Agreement rights and take the Mayor’s offer for 90 extra minutes a day and what is essentially 2% less pay than they were contractually promised.

I don’t know if they are young or veteran teachers. I don’t know how much administrative pressure there was. Or how bad they need the job. Or if they think they are doing what’s best for their students.

Whatever.

They are wrong.

And if the Mayor succeeds in his attempt to bust the contract and the union. If he succeeds in driving a wedge

Achieving Education Excellence for All: A Guide to Diversity-Related Policy Strategies for School Districts

Achieving Education Excellence for All: A Guide to Diversity-Related Policy Strategies for School Districts:

Leading Education Organizations Launch Diversity Guide for Schools

Guide advises school districts on the establishment or refinement of diversity-related policies

Alexandria, Va. (September 7, 2011) – Three leading education organizations have released a new guide that examines the educational benefits of student diversity and addresses how school districts can establish or refine diversity-related policies that advance achievement for all students.

The National School Boards Association (NSBA), the College Board, and EducationCounsel, LLC, today unveiled Achieving Educational Excellence for All: A Guide to Diversity-Related Policy Strategies for School Districts. The guide, funded through a generous grant from the Ford Foundation, was written by Arthur L. Coleman, Francisco M. Negrón, Jr, and Katherine E. Lipper.

“Despite the fast-changing pace of our new global society, a longstanding need remains for schools to carry the promise of Brown v. Board of Educationinto the new millennium,” said Anne L. Bryant, NSBA’s Executive Director. “Our hope is that local lead­ers at all levels of the school community, from school board members, to educators, to superintendents and parents, use this resource to move the conversation forward about the importance of diversity as a means for achieving academic goals, and that they do so in a way that is not only legally sound, but also reflects the best values of the communities they serve.”

Achieving Educational Excellence for All: A Guide to Diversity-Related Policy Strategies for School Districts features chapters on policy, law, and community engagement associated with the development of diversity-related policies. The report has been endorsed by the American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, Association of Teacher Educators, National Association of School Psychologists, National Education Association, and School Social Work Association of America.

“This guide will help school boards translate our 20th century vision of equality and fairness into a workable plan that lifts the academic achievement of all students in the 21st centu­ry,” said Negrón, NSBA’s General Counsel. “While our society has become increasingly diverse, too many of our communities are becoming increasingly segregated. Voluntary migration patterns and economic segregation have replaced legally imposed divisions, and this guide will help school leaders navigate these difficult issues.”

Link to the report: http://www.nsba.org/EducationExcellenceForAll

Audio: Christie agreed to help Oliver remain as Speaker for help passing employee benefits overhaul - NorthJersey.com

Audio: Christie agreed to help Oliver remain as Speaker for help passing employee benefits overhaul - NorthJersey.com:

Audio: Christie agreed to help Oliver remain as Speaker for help passing employee benefits overhaul

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2011 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 7, 2011, 12:51 PM

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN

STATE HOUSE BUREAU

STATE HOUSE BUREAU

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TRENTON — Leaked audio from Governor Christie's closed-door speech to conservative donors in Colorado gives new details on the heated final days in the battle to cut public employee benefits.

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Governor Christie and Assembly Speaker Oliver

In particular, Christie said Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) personally asked him for Republican support to stay in power if dissident Democrats tried to oust her to stop the cuts. Then Christie delivered, asking surprised members of his own party to cross the aisle and back Oliver if there was a coup attempt.

A coup never materialized, and public employee benefits were cut in June, one of the signature accomplishments of Christie's administration so far. But the episode raised questions about whether Oliver will have enough support to stay on as speaker after her two-year term ends in January.

A transcript of the audio was posted online by a reporter from the magazine Mother Jones.The recording was made during an event hosted by the Koch brothers, two wealthy conservatives, on June 26, three days after the Assembly approved

Magnets: Should DISD spread the talent around or build up more of them? | The Education Front Blog | dallasnews.com

Magnets: Should DISD spread the talent around or build up more of them? | The Education Front Blog | dallasnews.com:

Magnets: Should DISD spread the talent around or build up more of them?

by William McKenzie/ Editorial Columnist

Holly Hacker had an informative piece about college readiness in Sunday's Morning News. She separated North Texas high schools by their levels of poverty. Then she looked at how well schools did in getting their students ready for college compared to campuses with similar poverty rates.

The comparison showed several things. But, not surprisingly. it highlighted how traditional high schools with more than half of their kids from low-income homes have a disturbingly small number of their kids on a college ready track.

This finding echoed what we wrote in this editorial about the large number of failing traditional high schools in

Why New York School Numbers Don’t Quite Add Up - NYTimes.com

Why New York School Numbers Don’t Quite Add Up - NYTimes.com:

Why New York School Numbers Don’t Quite Add Up

Photographs by Todd Heisler/The New York Times

The four P.S. 1’s in New York City, clockwise, from upper left: The Bronx; Tottenville, Staten Island; Brooklyn and Manhattan.

By ANNA M. PHILLIPS

Published: September 7, 2011

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In the beginning, there was Public School 1. Then it got messy.

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There are actually four P.S. 1’s in New York City: That first school, established in 1806 and later named for Alfred E. Smith (Manhattan); the Courtlandt School (the Bronx); the Bergen (Brooklyn); and Tottenville (Staten Island). Plus, of course, the P.S. 1 in Long Island City, Queens, which once was the first school in that borough, and now houses a contemporary-art museum. There are also three P.S. 2’s, three P.S. 3’s and four P.S. 4’s.

In a system of 1,700 schools, the numbering can be dizzying. If someone tells you her

Trial set to begin in 'Irvine 11' student protest case - latimes.com

Trial set to begin in 'Irvine 11' student protest case - latimes.com:

Trial set to begin in 'Irvine 11' student protest case

The trial of 10 students charged with misdemeanors for allegedly taking part in a protest against an Israeli ambassador's appearance at UC Irvine is scheduled to begin Wednesday afternoon with opening statements.

The students -- known as the Irvine 11 -- are accused of repeatedly interrupting Michael Oren when he spoke in front of hundreds on campus in February 2010.

The Orange County district attorney chose to file misdemeanor charges originally against 11 students in February of this year after a grand jury investigation presented its findings last summer. Charges against one of

My District Spent $33 Million on Technology and All I Got Are These Lousy Test Scores « The Core Knowledge Blog

My District Spent $33 Million on Technology and All I Got Are These Lousy Test Scores « The Core Knowledge Blog:

My District Spent $33 Million on Technology and All I Got Are These Lousy Test Scores

by Robert Pondiscio
September 7th, 2011

Tags: 21st century skills, education techology, New York Times
Posted in Education News, Education Practice, accountability | No Comments »

Maybe the medium is not the message.

Voters in the Kyrene school district, which serves students in Tempe, Phoenix and Chandler, Arizona approved spending $33 million on education technology, and are being asked to fork over another $46.5 million in November. The funds have purchased a lot of laptops, interactive whiteboards and software. What it hasn’t bought is higher test scores. The New York Times reports reading and math scores have stagnated in Kyrene since 2005 while rising statewide. “To many education experts, something is not adding up — here and across the country. In a nutshell: schools are spending billions on technology,

Back to School? Take Action! - Alliance for Quality Education

Back to School? Take Action! - Alliance for Quality Education:

Back to School? Take Action!

In just a few weeks parents, students, teachers and other community members will kick off a statewide week of action to tell their stories about how school cuts are impacting our communities. As students return to the classroom, it’s clear to everyone - School Cuts Hurt. Many programs, teachers and support staff positions have been ripped from our schools. Some districts have even had to cutback Pre-K because of cuts from Albany. How can we expect our children to be prepared for college and careers without support?

Please check the list below to find the event nearest you so that you can make your voice heard by telling how school cuts are impacting your school and community. Let’s make sure that the Governor and our legislators know that the budget they passed in the spring is hurting our kids now. School Cuts Hurt.

New event sites are being added so be sure to check back regularly. If you’d like to host your own event (and we hope that you do!) please contact our Campaign Coordinator Chad Raddock at cradock@aqeny.org.

School Cuts Hurt: Week of Action Events

Binghamton: TBA

Buffalo: 9/22. Rally. 5:30p.m. Niagara Square (Downtown in front of City Hall) Buffalo, NY. Click HERE to RSVP

Capital Region: 9/22 Town Hall mtg. 6p.m. Delaware Branch — Albany Public Library, 331 Delaware Ave, Albany Ny.Click HERE to RSVP.

Kingston: TBA

Long Island: Event time/date/location TBA

Middletown: TBA

Newburgh: TBA

NYC: 9/21. Rally. 12p.m. Location TBA. Click HERE to RSVP

Plattsburgh: TBA

Rochester: 9/21. Town Hall. 6p.m. School without Walls, 480 Broadway Ave, Rochester NY. Click HERE to RSVP

Schenectady: TBA

Syracuse: 9/21. Town Hall. 6p.m. Location TBA. Click HERE to RSVP

Yonkers: 9/22. Town Hall. 7p.m. Location TBA. Click HERE to RSVP

Watertown: TBA