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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 1-11 #edreform #ows


Schools Matter: With 99% of the People, Why Can't We Get 2/3 of the States

Schools Matter: With 99% of the People, Why Can't We Get 2/3 of the States:With 99% of the People, Why Can't We Get 2/3 of the Statesby Jim HornDuring this political season, corporations are taking their turns lining up to sponsor political debates whose results are then made made entirely meaningless and irrelevant by subsequent unlimited blasts of negative ads that serve to buy the candidate most likely to prostrate himself completely at the feet of American plutocrats. Since the ... more »

Parents – watch out for parent trigger proposals in your state « Parents Across America

Parents – watch out for parent trigger proposals in your state « Parents Across America:Parents – watch out for parent trigger proposals in your stateby pureparentsPAA member Caroline Grannan recently posted this update on the parent trigger, explaining that, despite well-funded propaganda, there are no successful parent trigger programs. The Parent Revolution, which pushed the California parent trigger law, has apparently abandoned the strategy.Yet parent trigger proposals are popping up all over the country, including Florida. Details in this PAA ... more »

RheeFirst! » Are D.C. school officials hiding test data?

RheeFirst! » Are D.C. school officials hiding test data?:Are D.C. school officials hiding test data?by adminNote: Although these tests occurred in 2011, one year after Rhee’s departure from DC, the DC school personnel that administered them are the same personnel and system that she put in place.Written by Jay Mathews for The Washington Post. Read the entire article here.“Is this an intentional effort to deny parents, voters and taxpayers the information they need to judge the integrity of D.C. test ... more »

Misunderstanding & Misrepresenting the “Costs” & “Economics” of Online Learning « School Finance 101

Misunderstanding Misrepresenting the “Costs” “Economics” of Online Learning « School Finance 101:Misunderstanding Misrepresenting the “Costs” “Economics” of Online Learningby schoolfinance101The Fordham Institute has just released its report titled “The Costs of Online Learning” in which they argue that it is incrementally cheaper to move from a) brick and mortar schooling to b) blended learning and then c) fully online learning.http://www.edexcellencemedia.net/publications/2012/20120110-the-costs-of-online-learning/20120110-the-costs-of-online-learning.pdfAccompanying this report is... more »

In Bad Faith | Edwize

In Bad Faith | Edwize:In Bad Faithby Leo CaseyThere is but one conclusion that can be drawn from the NYC Department of Education’s last minute walk out of negotiations over a teacher evaluation system for 33 schools placed in the Transformation and Restart models: it was always Tweed’s intention to refuse to enter into an agreement for teacher evaluations.Part of the evidence for this conclusion comes from the conduct of NYC DOE officials during negotiations. Throughout the month of December, ... more »

Blue Jersey:: Dear NJEA: You Break It, You Buy It

Blue Jersey:: Dear NJEA: You Break It, You Buy It:Dear NJEA: You Break It, You Buy Itby: Jersey JazzmanTue Jan 10, 2012 at 12:30:00 PM ESTLast evening, the New Jersey Senate passed the Urban Hope Act by a margin of 53-3:The charter school pilot bill designates three failing school districts - in Trenton, Camden and Newark - as renaissance school districts. The bill enables one or more nonprofit entities to apply to the state to supplant the existing non-performing schools ... more »

John Thompson: No Excuses Reformers Find Plenty of Them for NCLB - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

John Thompson: No Excuses Reformers Find Plenty of Them for NCLB - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:John Thompson: No Excuses Reformers Find Plenty of Them for NCLB by Anthony CodyGuest post by John Thompson.On the 10th anniversary of "the lost decade," produced by No Child Left Behind, we will read plenty of explanations of why the law did little good, and often did great harm to poor children of color. Ironically, the rationale for NCLB was that educators had ...more »

Selling Schools Out | Corporate Accountability | The Investigative Fund

Selling Schools Out | Corporate Accountability | The Investigative Fund:Selling Schools OutBY LEE FANGTHE NATIONNOVEMBER 17, 2011Under the banner of high-tech progress, corporate lobbyists have rammed through legislation privatizing K-12 education across the country.EmailContact usPrintShareIN CONJUNCTION WITHSee this story at its source »MICROSOFTBill Gates and Rupert Murdoch, two of the tycoons who stand to benefit from a wave of school privatization laws, at a Microsoft CEO Summit in 2009.If the national movement to "reform" public education through vouchers, charters and ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Morning Posts #ows #edreform

Schools Matter: Why not try the obvious first?Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-1 minute agoSchools Matter: Why not try the obvious first?:Why not try the obvious first?by skrashenWhy not try the obvious first?Sent to the Chicago Tribune, Jan 9, 2012According to one principal, students need a longer school day so they can catch up in reading (“Chicago schools to begin longer days Monday,” Jan 9).We can get much bigger gains spending less money and with much less work, with ... more »

This Week In Education: Video: What The Nation's "Best" Teachers Have To Say

This Week In Education: Video: What The Nation's "Best" Teachers Have To Say: Thompson: Building On Disaggregationby john thompsonNCLB supporters have been celebrating the law's tenth anniversary by savaging the educators who had the temerity to challenge the self-evident righteousness of data-driven accountability. Opponents have been citing NCLB's failure to improve student performance, while recounting the damage it did to the children it was supposed to help. Jack Jennings's take on NCLB in Education Week best exemplifies the retrospectives by ... more »

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 BehindBy Nan Austin naustin@modbee.com E-Mail Printreprint or license0 CommentsText Size: 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 ... more »

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 DowneyI 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 ... more »

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 HillThe bestselling author will be speaking at PS 29 on Tuesday, January 10.By Gwen RuelleEmail the authorJanuary 9, 2012 Email Print Comment Upload Photos and VideosDiane 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 ... more »

What’s missing from education reform debate - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

What’s missing from education reform debate - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:What’s missing from education reform debateby Valerie StraussThis was written by Mark Naison, professor of African and African American Studies at Fordham University in New York and chair of the department of African and African-American Studies. He is also co-director of the Urban Studies Program, African-American History 20th Century. This first appeared on the blog With A Brooklyn Accent.Read full article Virginia governor pushes questionable ed reformsValerie ... more »

Schools Matter: Why not try the obvious first?

Schools Matter: Why not try the obvious first?:Why not try the obvious first?by skrashenWhy not try the obvious first?Sent to the Chicago Tribune, Jan 9, 2012According to one principal, students need a longer school day so they can catch up in reading (“Chicago schools to begin longer days Monday,” Jan 9).We can get much bigger gains spending less money and with much less work, with an approach that children will like a lot better than staying in school longer: Invest ... more »

Florida’s budget solution: Ban the kids - Fred Grimm - MiamiHerald.com

Florida’s budget solution: Ban the kids - Fred Grimm - MiamiHerald.com:Florida’s budget solution: Ban the kids BY FRED GRIMMFGRIMM@MIAMIHERALD.COMMiamiHerald.com/columnistsPondering the budget Gov. Scott sent to the Legislature, I’m overcome with something similar to the sentiment suffered by adults in the lobby of Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.One admires the soaring thatched ceiling, huge wooden beams, hard-carved furnishings, faux African artifacts and the wild (or at least wildish) animals roaming the grounds, and lament that this could be one of the ... more »

What’s Wrong With Walcott? « JD2718

What’s Wrong With Walcott? « JD2718:What’s Wrong With Walcott?by jd2718by Lynne Winderbaum, retired ESL teacher, JFK HS, and former Bronx High School UFT District Rep“I’m not going to remove him, but he knows he cannot have any similar type of comments. He is on a very strict line as far as his behavior,” said Walcott, who added that some school staffers want Chase to remain in his post.Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx-principal-fire-outrageous-machine-comments-photocopier-article-1.1002357#ixzz1iy5ky7opFollowing the deplorable moral standards of his predecessors ... more »

Parents’ Rights in Prince William County Schools « PWC Education Reform Blog

Parents’ Rights in Prince William County Schools « PWC Education Reform Blog:Parents’ Rights in Prince William County SchoolsJanuary 9, 2012 — pwceducationreformCan parents review the information the public schools hold about them and their children? Can they access their child’s locker? Can the public schools distribute a student’s information outside the local school district without the parents’ consent, for instance to the state or federal Department of Education or other organizations / institutions?The first, can parents review the information PWCS ... more »

School Tech Connect: Low Morale?

School Tech Connect: Low Morale?:Low Morale?by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)I can't imagine why.Can you imagine trying to teach anything worthwhile while having these stupid pacing guides shoved down your

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed Reform Marches On In Washington State

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed Reform Marches On In Washington State:Ed Reform Marches On In Washington Stateby Melissa WestbrookLisa Macfarlane, who helped co-found LEV, has moved on and is now the head of Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) with this modest-sounding goal:"..a political organization focused on encouraging a more productive conversation within the Democratic Party on the need to fundamentally reform public education. DFER operates at all levels of government to educate elected officials and support reform-minded candidates for public ... more »

No Chicken or Egg Choice « My Island View

No Chicken or Egg Choice « My Island View:

No Chicken or Egg Choice

Today, #Edchat’s first Topic was: Which should we support first for the best result, a reform in student learning (teaching methods), or a reform in teacher learning (PD)? I did have a preference when I made up the question, but I saved my opinion for the chat. There were a few comments about this being a question similar to: which came first, the chicken or the egg? I didn’t see it that way. I was simply looking for the most immediate way to affect needed change in a system that by many accounts is failing to meet goals, as its shortcomings are exacerbated by deepening dependence on data driven decisions based on high stakes testing results.

I have a unique position as an adjunct in the Department of Education in a small private college. I am a supervisor of student teachers in secondary English. My position enables me to visit and observe students totaling 40 to 50 visits a year in middle schools and high schools on Long Island, in New York. In addition to

Should teachers own their learning? | Ideas and Thoughts

Should teachers own their learning? | Ideas and Thoughts:

Should teachers own their learning?

What if school districts and school administrators trusted teachers to let them direct their own PD?

What if the ideas of personalized learning and students owning their learning was applied to teachers?

These are questions I ask as I wonder about the ways in which schools and districts attempt to support teacher growth. In the same way schools have a hard time empowering students to own their learning, districts struggle with letting teachers own theirs. I'm not aware of any district that truly embraces the notion of personalized learning. Districts all seem to feel the need or push to set goals for schools and teachers. They tend to standardized professional development and in many ways replicate the industrial models of school. The underlying desire for accountability is largely the barrier to trust.

What if their goal was to have teachers truly own their own learning?

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Officials call for plan to increase L.A. Unified enrollment - latimes.com

Officials call for plan to increase L.A. Unified enrollment - latimes.com:

Officials call for plan to increase L.A. Unified enrollment

The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday directed staff to develop a plan to increase district enrollment by at least 5%. The nation’s second-largest school system has shrunk rapidly in recent years because of declining birth rates, population shifts and an exodus of students to nearly 200 independently managed charter schools.

The plan may include an expansion of successful and popular magnet programs, which began as part of a voluntary integration effort. More than 20,000 students end up on waiting lists and 5,000 of these attend charter schools, private schools or public schools outside L.A. Unified, said board member Steve Zimmer.

“We have programs that families have chosen,” Zimmer said. But the school system has lacked “a strategic

AN $80,000 KICK « Teachers Fight Back

AN $80,000 KICK « Teachers Fight Back:

AN $80,000 KICK

Chicago Tribune news item: A college student who said he was kicked in the leg by his automotive course instructor during a class is suing the teacher and the college. The student said his teacher kicked him in the shin in class after the teacher saw the student attempting to attach an auto transmission part with a hammer. The teacher allegedly shouted at the student and without any warning or provocation kicked him in the shin. The student said that he was distressed, embarrassed and confused by the “forceful kick that almost led him to cry”. The suit seeks damages of $80,000 from the college and from the teacher.

How many times must I advise teachers to refrain from touching students in any way, shape, or form? Please do not become a teacher unless you have an amazing amount of patience. Your patience will more than likely be tested on a daily basis. Your students will do things that will be incredibly frustrating for you, but you must learn techniques to deal with every challenge to your patience.

Imagine if you were an automotive teacher and you gave specific instructions on how to assemble a transmission

But First Him, Always Him | The Jose Vilson

But First Him, Always Him | The Jose Vilson:

But First Him, Always Him

Alejandro Luis Vilson Rojas and His Dad

For the last four days, I’ve averaged about four hours of consistent sleep, including a a period of 24 hours from Thursday to Friday where I slept nothing. These days have been a haze of semi-consciousness, floating between staring at hospital beds and nurseries and recouping in the disaster area that was my house. Before December 5th, I remember reading a few books (OK two: Kevin Nealon’s Yes, You’re Pregnant But What About Me and Thomas Hill’s What to Expect What Your Wife is Expanding), reading a TON of articles online that answered all the questions Luz had of me that I didn’t know the exact answer to, and hoping to God I didn’t lose too much

What’s wrong with N.J. charter school policy - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

What’s wrong with N.J. charter school policy - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

What’s wrong with N.J. charter school policy

This speech, given recently at a protest in Maplewood, N.J., against the state’s charter school policy, was delivered by Stan Karp, who taught English and journalism in Paterson for 30 years. He is now the director of the Secondary Reform Project for New Jersey’s Education Law Center and an editor of Rethinking Schoolsmagazine.

Read full article >>

Des Moines Education Association: A DMEA Executive Board Member's Initial Take on Iowa Education Reform Proposals

Des Moines Education Association: A DMEA Executive Board Member's Initial Take on Iowa Education Reform Proposals:

A DMEA Executive Board Member's Initial Take on Iowa Education Reform Proposals


Our Executive Board Treasurer, Scott Rieker wrote down his initial thoughts on the education reform proposals to the Iowa Legislature from Governor Branstad. If you have not yet read the proposals in full you can read them at this LINK.

Here are Scott's thoughts....

"Hi all,

The big legislative “bomb” that we’ve been waiting for dropped this morning. On a first read, I swing between cautiously optimistic and AAARRGGHH!!!

City and State Move to Shut Down Brooklyn Charter Network – SchoolBook

City and State Move to Shut Down Brooklyn Charter Network – SchoolBook:

City and State Move to Shut Down Brooklyn Charter Network

Jan. 10, 2012, 6:39 p.m.

City and state education officials announced on Tuesday that they plan to close an entire network of charter high schools in Brooklyn that have suffered management and financial woes for years.

One day after New York City Department of Education officialsdeclared their intention to close Williamsburg Charter High School at the end of this school year, the state’s Education Department moved to shutter the two other high schools that are run by the same management organization: Believe Northside Charter High School andBelieve Southside Charter High School.

If the schools close in June, it will affect more than 1,500 students, the largest impact any charter school closing in the city would have to

"NYSUT responds to governor's statement on teacher evaluations." January 10, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org

"NYSUT responds to governor's statement on teacher evaluations." January 10, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org:

NYSUT responds to governor's statement on teacher evaluations

ALBANY, N.Y. Jan. 10, 2012 - New York State United Teachers today respectfully disagreed with Gov. Andrew Cuomo's characterization of New York's teacher evaluation law enacted in 2010 in concert with the state's Race to the Top application.

"This legislation was not designed to protect unions but, in fact, was jointly supported by NYSUT and the State Education Department, and had strong bi-partisan support in the Assembly and Senate. In fact, it has been widely lauded for its focus on strengthening teacher effectiveness to enhance student learning," said NYSUT President Richard C. Iannuzzi. "The law has been recognized as a national model precisely because it emphasizes the value of collaboration."

"New York is ranked No. 2 by the U.S. Department of Education in the Race to the Top awards on the strength of the law being called into question," he added. "We share the governor's frustration with implementation. However, the failure lies not with the law, or with teachers and local school districts, but with the State Education Department's lack

Bush Foundation Financial Backer K12 Inc to be Investigated for Securities Fraud | Scathing Purple Musings

Bush Foundation Financial Backer K12 Inc to be Investigated for Securities Fraud | Scathing Purple Musings:

Bush Foundation Financial Backer K12 Inc to be Investigated for Securities Fraud

From a Yahoo Business story last month:

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential securities fraud at K12, Inc. (“K12” or the “Company”) (NYSE: LRNNews).

The investigation focuses on whether the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by failing to disclose that: (1) according to various academic benchmarks, K12 students were chronically underperforming their peers at traditional schools; (2) K12 has aggressively recruited students to their schools, regardless of how well-suited they might be for the Company’s

SBE Numbering and Charter Submission Package - Resources (CA Dept of Education)

SBE Numbering and Charter Submission Package - Resources (CA Dept of Education):

SBE Numbering and Charter Submission Package


Deadlines for SBE Numbering and Charter Submission Package

Listed below are the deadlines and required documents for submitting a Charter Submission Package in order to receive a charter number from the State Board of Education (SBE).

E-mailed numbering requests will not be accepted. All items listed in the Charter Submission Package are to be received by the Charter Schools Division by 5 p.m. on the due dates listed below:

State Board of Education Meeting DatesCharter Submission Package Deadline
January 11-12, 2012

the due date has passed

March 7-8, 2012
January 19, 2012
May 9-10, 2012
March 20, 2012
July 18-19, 2012
May 29, 2012
September 12-13, 2012
July 26, 2012
November 7-8, 2012
September 19, 2012
January 9-10, 2013
November 19, 2012

Mail complete Charter Submission Packages to the following address:

California Department of Education
Charter Schools Division
Attn: Charter Submission Package
1430 N Street, Suite 5401
Sacramento, CA 95814-5901

All packages must include the following:

  • Application for a Charter School Number (DOC; 62KB; 1pp.)
  • Evidence of charter authorizing local educational agency (LEA) public hearing and approval (e.g., board minutes).
  • One hard copy duplex printed and one digital copy (on CD) of the full charter as approved by the authorizing LEA including any attachments or appendices. This will include all 16 elements of California Education Code (EC) Section 47605(b)(5) and statements that the charter school will be nonsectarian, will not charge tuition, and will not discriminate.
  • Petition (signature[s] of interested teacher[s] and/or parent[s]).
  • First year start-up cost, cash flow and three year financial projections. This includes any information provided to the authorizing LEA pursuant to California EC Section 47605(g), including (a) potential effects on the district (administrative services, facilities, liability); and (b) first year start-up costs, cash flow, and three year financial projections.
  • Application for a County-District-School (CDS) code with original signature of the authorizing LEA’s superintendent. Form TSD-01 or Form TSD-02, Application for County-District-School (CDS) Code.
  • Charter School Assurance Form: Form CALPADS - CS 05 and further information may be found on the CALPADS Charter Schools Web page.

Incomplete packages cannot be forwarded to the State Board of Education for numbering.

Helpful Information

FAQs for Completing a Charter Submission Package

Charter Number and CDS Code Purpose

Helpful Contacts

Charter Schools Division | charters@cde.ca.gov | 916-322-6029

CDS Administration | cdsadmin@cde.ca.gov | 916-327-4014

Helpful Links

California Law (Outside Source)