Tuesday, January 10, 2012

by seattleducation2011

The vote was 22-2

Below is the resolution:

Whereas section III.13 of the platform of the 37th District Democrats specifically opposes privatization of public schools, vouchers, and charter schools;

Whereas the voters of Washington State have defeated charter measures three times;

Whereas peer-reviewed research shows that charter schools perform no better than public schools;

Whereas charter schools often serve only a select group of students;

Whereas charter schools shift public moneys to private for-profit firms;

Whereas Washington State is experiencing a prolonged fiscal and budgetary crisis; and

Whereas charter school legislation would require substantial additional revenue;

Whereas children with special needs are

Apocalyptic teaching in 2012: skate or die « Cooperative Catalyst

Apocalyptic teaching in 2012: skate or die « Cooperative Catalyst:

Apocalyptic teaching in 2012: skate or die

POSTED BY CHAD SANSING ⋅ JANUARY 10, 2012 ⋅ LEAVE A COMMENT

FILED UNDER CIVICS & ECONOMICS, CIVICS EDUCATION, SKATEBOARDING, STUDENT-RUN BUSINESS, VIRGINIA SOL

[Cross-posted from Classroots.org.]

I believe in negotiating curriculum, instruction, and assessment with students. I believe in inquiry and erring on the side of students’ pursuits over that of the state. I believe in asking students what they want to do and asking myself how I can help them accomplish their goals. I don’t think we need – or could find – a more compelling model of teaching or assessment than that.

However, as usual, I offer this disclaimer: I don’t always teach to my ideals. Sometimes I give in to the instincts I developed as a school-successful student and teacher. I deliver content and look for short cuts that prove there’s enough “achievement” going on in my classroom to

The Corrosive Power of Stereotypes in Politics and Education | National Education Policy Center

The Corrosive Power of Stereotypes in Politics and Education | National Education Policy Center:

The Corrosive Power of Stereotypes in Politics and Education

by Paul Thomas

January 9, 2012

In the early years of my life as a high school English teacher—during the Reagan years—I began my journey to being a critical educator as naive but sincere. One of the first steps into creating a critical classroom included my confronting students about race and class.

When I asked students (in a school sitting in the rural South and high poverty) who they believed was on Welfare, they echoedReagan’s “Welfare Queen” stereotype (although the population of the school included a significant percentage of rural poor Whites). I then offered them the data, showing that whites were on Welfare at the time in far larger numbers than African Americans. While they tended to argue that wasn’t true, despite the data, I also asked them to unpack the more complicated data—African Americans being disproportionately among Welfare recipients when contextualized by racial ratios in the U.S.

This second step led to what was more disturbing for my students—a process I use to this day. I ask students

NCLB: The Death Star of American Education - Bridging Differences - Education Week

NCLB: The Death Star of American Education - Bridging Differences - Education Week:

NCLB: The Death Star of American Education

by Diane Ravitch

Dear Deborah,

I know you are touring schools in Japan and soaking up lessons for us as you travel. Since you have Internet access, I'd like to share some thoughts about a momentous occasion: the 10th anniversary of No Child Left Behind, which occurred on January 8.

After 10 years of NCLB, we should have seen dramatic progress on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, but we have not. By now, we should be able to point to sharp reductions of the achievement gaps between children of different racial and ethnic groups and children from different income groups, but we cannot. As I said in a recent speech, many children continue to be left behind, and we know who those children are: They are the same children who were left behind 10 years ago.

In my travels over the past two years, I have seen the wreckage caused by NCLB. It has become the Death Star

Parents catching up under No Child Left Behind - Featured Stories - Modbee.com

Parents catching up under No Child Left Behind - Featured Stories - Modbee.com:

Parents catching up under No Child Left Behind

By Nan Austin
naustin@modbee.com

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Parents were supposed to get power under the No Child Left Behind Act to recognize failing schools and choose to leave them or help fix them.

But too often all the schools in low-income neighborhoods are on federal watch lists. Few parents move their children to higher performing schools when given the chance and little evidence suggests that parents' real impact in school decision-making is widespread.

Moms such as Jessica Melendez, however, are taking the first steps. Melendez's children attend Caswell Elementary in Ceres, where she volunteers every day.

The Bee's Nan Austin interviews Pam Able, superintendent of Modesto City Schools

Modesto Bee - (Debbie Noda/dnoda@modbee.com) Kindergarten students line up at the cafeteria door in preparation to walk to their classes at Caswell Elementary School in Ceres.

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"Years ago, this school wasn't known for good

State senators pass a teacher effectiveness bill with blessing of Rhee’s group: Are they trying to irk teachers? | Get Schooled

State senators pass a teacher effectiveness bill with blessing of Rhee’s group: Are they trying to irk teachers? | Get Schooled:

State senators pass a teacher effectiveness bill with blessing of Rhee’s group: Are they trying to irk teachers?

6:18 pm January 9, 2012, by Maureen Downey

I am perplexed why the first official state press release on an education reform bill out of the Georgia Senate quotes an official from StudentsFirst, the education advocacy group created by former Washington school chancellor Michelle Rhee.

While Rhee has fans in Georgia and the Legislature, she has alienated teachers with what they consider her “blame the teacher” posture. (Rhee would argue that she doesn’t blame teachers for all that’s wrong with schools, but that states have to end the practice of treating all teachers as equivalent and do more to root out bad teachers and reward good ones.)

The release announces that the Senate today passed Senate Bill 184, which requires school

Diane Ravitch To Discuss NY School Reform in Cobble Hill - Carroll Gardens, NY Patch

Diane Ravitch To Discuss NY School Reform in Cobble Hill - Carroll Gardens, NY Patch:

Diane Ravitch To Discuss NY School Reform in Cobble Hill

The bestselling author will be speaking at PS 29 on Tuesday, January 10.

By Gwen Ruelle
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January 9, 2012

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Diane Ravitch will be discussing her newest bestseller, The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education, tommorrow evening at PS 29 in Cobble Hill (425 Henry Street), less than three blocks away from thecontroversial co-location of the new Success Academy.

Ravitch is a noted historian of education and author of ten books on education in the United States. She was the Assistant Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993, and a member of the National Assessment Governing Board from 1997 to 2004. She is currently Research Professor of Education at NYU.

Ravitch's newest book criticizes privitization, standardized testing, and charter schools, among countless other popular restructuring methods for schools in the United States. The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education illustrates

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