How are Schools Testing in Art, Music, and Gym? - Dana Goldstein

How are Schools Testing in Art, Music, and Gym? - Dana Goldstein:

How are Schools Testing in Art, Music, and Gym?

by Dana Goldstein

Today at Slate I look at models for testing in art, music, theater, and physical education. Though it may seem absurd to administer standardized tests in these subjects, attempts to do so are proliferating in response to President Obama's Race to the Top program, which asked states and districts to collect student achievement data for every teacher, in every grade level and every subject.
South Carolina has been a trailblazer here. Their fourth-grade music and arts tests do include "performance tasks;" in music, students perform an 8-beat rhythym, and in art they create a drawing that is graded on whether it depicts depth of field, detail, and texture. But there is also a multiple choice component:

South Carolina’s fourth-grade music exam, administered via computer, asks: “When singing a melody 

This Week In Education: Thompson: Mike Petrilli's Strangely Combative Truce Proposal

This Week In Education: Thompson: Mike Petrilli's Strangely Combative Truce Proposal:

Thompson: Mike Petrilli's Strangely Combative Truce Proposal

by john thompson

@drjohnthompson It is no surprise that Mike Petrilli's otherwise excellent post,How to Push for Reform without Alienating Teachers,included a paragraph with a boilerplate attack on teachers.  His short, combative paragraph ends with the misstatement that teachers and our champions want to, "stop measuring teachers’ contributions to student achievement gains."   That is the way that political battles are fought.
But Petrilli knows that union leaders, Diane Ravitch, and others who have made a career in pressing for reform do not want to "stop" reforms.  We just disagree with him on the merits of many policies.  Petrilli knows that one problem with the data-driven accountability movement is that it equates "student achievement gains" with real learning increases.
So I am  more worried that Petrilli does not consider the threat of Gov. Scott Walker's "reforms" to the 

A Good Man | Maria Shriver | The Open Field Network

A Good Man | Maria Shriver | The Open Field Network:

JUNE 13, 2012

A Good Man

By Mark K. Shriver

I never planned to write a book, much less a book on my relationship with my dad. But something happened to me during the days leading up to his funeral, at the funeral itself, and in the days thereafter.

I had heard that old epithet -- “a good man” -- in reference to Dad so many times that it passed from a cliché to an irritant to a haunting refrain. I had lost count of the people who had applied it to Dad when they’d reached out to me.

At first, I thought that the cliché was just an easy out, words for people who didn’t know what else to say.

But then I realized that they were taking the phrase back. Through their repetition, if not their realization, they were redeeming words that I thought had been put out to linguistic pasture.

Some of the more startling instances came back to me as I knelt in the dark beside Dad’s coffin on the morning of the funeral. A prominent U.S. senator who knew Dad 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Hillary lectures India about "bogus" education

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Hillary lectures India about "bogus" education:

Hillary lectures India about "bogus" education

by Mike Klonsky

Clinton warns Indian Ed Minister Kapil Sibal: "It doesn't add up. It doesn't make a difference."

The idea of Hillary Clinton lecturing India's Education Minister about "bogus" distance learning programs is almost too much to bear.

"I think we have to be very thoughtful about how to make the most of these efforts, because, to 

Remarks by the President to Graduating Students of the Science Leadership Academy -- Philadelphia, PA | The White House

Remarks by the President to Graduating Students of the Science Leadership Academy -- Philadelphia, PA | The White House:

Remarks by the President to Graduating Students of the Science Leadership Academy -- Philadelphia, PA

by The White House

The Franklin Institute
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5:50 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you so much.  Everybody, have a seat.  Have a seat.  Well, this is so exciting to have a chance to see all of you.  Congratulations on your graduation.  (Applause.)  I know I kind of messed up graduation a little bit, but it turned out that it was beautiful yesterday.  So we had this all planned out.  (Laughter.)  We knew there was going to be sun yesterday; it’s a little cloudier today.  We wanted to make sure you guys looked good in your caps and gowns and didn’t get too wet.
Listen, I just want to say to all of you how incredibly proud I am of the work that you guys have accomplished, because some of you may have heard -- in between studying you may have listened to a speech that I’ve given or remarks that I’ve made in the past -- the nation that excels in science and math and technology, that’s going to be the nation that rises to the top in the 21st century.  Almost everything we do is based on our capacity to innovate.  And America became a economic superpower because we were constantly able to tap into the incredible talents and ingenuity of young people like you who decided -- why can't we fly?  Why can't we cure diseases?  Why can’t we make sure that the energy that we use is able to make life a little bit better and a little bit easier for people?
And so throughout our history we’ve constantly had innovators who have been able to not only excel in basic science and basic research, but have then been able to translate it into practical things that we now take for granted.  And obviously, there was a pretty good scientist here in Philadelphia named Benjamin Franklin, who was able to tool around with kites and keys and all kinds of stuff before he helped to write our Constitution.  So you’ve got a pretty good legacy, here in Philadelphia, of innovation.
And the fact that, as I look around this auditorium, we are tapping into the talents of everybody -- women as well as men; folks from every ethnic group, every background -- that’s also this incredible strength for the United States, because innovation, brainpower does not discriminate by gender or race or faith or background.  Everybody has got the capacity to create and improve our lives in so many ways.
So you guys are representative of the future.  This is a great postcard for what America is all about.  And as you take your next steps -- I’m assuming that everybody here is going to some sort of post-high school education, everybody here is going to be going to college, and some of you are going to continue beyond college -- I just want you to know that you are going to be succeeding not just for yourself -- and that’s important -- your parents are going to want you to have a job, so they’re very pleased about the fact that you’re taking a path that is almost assured to provide you with extraordinary opportunities in the future -- but you’re also going to be making a difference for the country as a whole.
So my expectation is, is that somebody in this auditorium is going to figure out new sources of energy that help not only make us more energy independent, but also deals with problems like climate change.  There is somebody in this room who’s going to help make sure that we are defeating diseases like Alzheimer’s or cancer.  There is somebody in this room who is going to help revolutionize our agricultural sector, or our transportation sectors, or will invent some entire new industry that we don’t even know about yet.
And the pace of change these days is so rapid -- I’m reminded when I talk to Malia and Sasha that when Sasha was born, most people weren’t on the Internet and now she knows more about it than I do.  (Laughter.)  And so, in many ways, your youth and the fact that you’ve come of age in this new information age gives you an enormous advantage over old fogies like us.
So the bottom line is, we’re proud of you.  You are going to succeed.  You’re well on your way.  The last thing I’d ask of you, even as you focus on your chosen field and you are moving forward, is to make sure that you also give back, that for a lot of you in your neighborhoods there may not be as many kids who are interested in math and science.  And you need to make sure that wherever you have the opportunity, you’re mentoring and serving as a good role model to the next generation coming up behind you.
For the women who are here, a lot of you know that historically we haven’t had as many women in math and science and engineering fields.  So as you succeed, hopefully you’re going to go back and mentor some people, and encourage them to get involved in these fields as well.  If you do that then I have extraordinary optimism for the future.  And I think that not only will you succeed, but you’re going to help your country succeed as well.
So thank you very much, everybody.  Appreciate you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Offers Democrats Campaign Money/"Ed Reform" Expertise, They Refuse | K-12 News Network

Michelle Rhee Offers Democrats Campaign Money/"Ed Reform" Expertise, They Refuse | K-12 News Network:

Michelle Rhee Offers Democrats Campaign Money/”Ed Reform” Expertise, They Refuse

by admin

One of the first things Michelle Rhee’s group, StudentsFirstNY, did upon launching in that state was approach Democratic Congressional candidate Hakeem Jeffries (NY-CD8) and offer him a six-figure, unregulated, third party donation to his campaign.
They probably thought Jeffries was an easy mark, given the positions he’s taken in the past urging that New York City open itself up to more charter schools in alignment with StudentsFirst’s pro-charter agenda. Jeffries’ opponent in the Democratic primary, city councilman Charles Barron, is much less in favor of the expansion of charters.

But in a rebuke that held at arm’s length not only Rhee, but the constellation of Mayor Bloomberg/charter promoter Eva Moskowitz/former Chancellor of NY Public Schools Joel Klein forces of privatization in New York 

Daily Kos: I still believe in this country

Daily Kos: I still believe in this country:

I still believe in this country

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

I just read I don't believe in this country anymore.  I can feel along with its author the pain he experiences, for I have seen it in the faces of some of my fellow teachers and far more often in the faces of the families of the students I have taught recently.  Increasing numbers of our graduates focus on state colleges and universities because other opportunities have been foreclosed by finances, by loss of financial aid possibilities.
Yet I still believe in this country.  If I did not, I would not have spent this past weekend in Providence, at Netroots Nation.
I would not have brought John Jackson and Diane Ravitch in to speak about how we can win the war on public education.
I would not have spent the past 17 years teaching in public schools, trying to convince my young people that 

Teaching English at Las Montanas: A “Good” Lesson? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Teaching English at Las Montanas: A “Good” Lesson? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:

Teaching English at Las Montanas: A “Good” Lesson?

by larrycuban

Ms. Sandy Demeter sat at her desk in the front of the room as the 27 ninth grade students filed in English 1 before the tardy buzzer sounds. Desks were arranged in clusters of three facing the teacher and whiteboards.
Demeter’s laptop sat next to the LCD projector. According to Learning Materials Center records (a.k.a.the library), she often brought her class there to work on projects with their laptops or 25-plus iMacs already in the Center.
After the buzzer sounded, Demeter settled students down. She asked the class to begin 15 minutes of Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) and to write a reflection on what they have read. Students took out their reading materials. After about ten minutes, some students began typing on their laptops. Chimes on Demeter’s desk sounded ending SSR; students closed their laptops.
The teacher reviewed the week’s assignments listed on the whiteboard. She then turned to the structure of the haiku that they began yesterday. She went over the 17-syllable haiku by pointing to the one on the whiteboard 

The message teachers get - Other Views - NewsObserver.com

The message teachers get - Other Views - NewsObserver.com:

The message teachers get

By Jason Langberg

Tags: Teachers | North Carolina | working conditions | pay

Two centuries ago, Thomas Jefferson said, “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.” Over 100 years ago, John Dewey wrote, “Education is the fundamental method of social progress and reform.” Nearly 60 years ago, in Brown v. Board of Education, Chief Justice Earl Warren declared, “Education is perhaps the most important function of state and local government.”
Today, powerful forces are destroying public education, and educators are among their victims.
My partner is one of thousands of hard-working, passionate, dedicated, excellent public school teachers in North Carolina. She loves her students, parents and co-workers. She feels fortunate to have a job and doesn’t complain much. However, each year, her profession becomes increasingly difficult and demoralizing. I feel compelled to stand up for her.

Most days, she must arrive at school by 7:45 a.m. for meetings, and she doesn’t leave until 4:45 p.m. She has up to 25 students in her classroom at any given time, and teaches 56 students in total. She doesn’t have an assistant or 

Gates Foundation Explains the Galvanic Skin Response Monitor « Diane Ravitch's blog

Gates Foundation Explains the Galvanic Skin Response Monitor « Diane Ravitch's blog:

Gates Foundation Explains the Galvanic Skin Response Monitor

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 hour ago

An enlightening article by Stephanie Simon of Reuters was just posted. Simon interviewed Gates’ officials and others, and her article fills in the Gates’ rationale that has until now been missing. The article says: The biometric bracelets, produced by a Massachusetts startup company, Affectiva Inc, send a small current across the skin and then measure [...]

“Technies Gone Wild”

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 hour ago

I take the title of this blog from a comment just received in response to the galvanic thingie (I have trouble remembering if it is a GSR or a GRS, a galvanic skin response monitor or a galvanic response skin monitor). The title seemed appropriate for an article sent by another reader. This one describes [...]

How Rhee Cons the Innocent

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 hours ago

A reader submitted this post: http://backburner-nkk.blogspot.com/2011/08/ive-been-conned.html It tells the now-familiar story of how an unwary person was conned by Michelle Rhee’s Students First. The reader was going through her email, and along came a “puppies-and-kittens” petition from Change.org, and “Click!” Too late: “And suddenly, there it was…the wolf in sheep’s clothing, the Trojan horse of all [...]

New Information on the Galvanic Skin Response Bracelet

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 hours ago

The Gates Foundation now says that its grants for the galvanic skin response monitor had no connection with teacher evaluation, even though the statement on its web site says the purpose of the grant is to “determine the feasibility and utility of using such devices regularly in schools with students and teachers” and says that [...]

The Chicago Story: Karen Lewis 1, Jonah Edelman 0

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 hours ago

A few days ago, the Chicago Teachers Union voted overwhelmingly to strike. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Just a year ago, Jonah Edelman of Stand for Children boasted at the Aspen Ideas Festival how he had outsmarted the teachers’ union. He described how he had shaped legislation not only to cut back teachers’ job protections but [...]

The Question of the Day

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 hours ago

Responding to a third-grade teacher who despaired of complying with all the demands pressing on her, this reader asks the best question of all: why is this hard-working, dedicated, conscientious teacher compelled to satisfy Bill and Melinda Gates? Frankly, the same question occurred to me but this reader asked it better than I. How did [...]

Mr. and Mrs Gates, Please Read This

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 16 hours ago

I received the following comment from a third-grade teacher. She is trying her best but federal and state officials keep interfering with her ability to teach. You will note that she writes acronym after acronym of big programs, big ideas that officials keep dumping on her. As I read her comment, my heart went out [...]

How Students First Recruits New Members

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 22 hours ago

A friend told me she signed an online petition on Change.org for some cause to make the world a better place, and promptly received an email from Michelle Rhee of Students First thanking her for joining. She was astonished to discover that she was a member of Students First, because she never signed anything that [...]

Schools Matter: Foreign language mastery: what the research says

Schools Matter: Foreign language mastery: what the research says:

Foreign language mastery: what the research says

by skrashen

Foreign language mastery: What the research says
Sent to the Washington Post, June 12, 2013

Andrew Eil claims that the “easy steps” to foreign language mastery are to study grammar very hard, drill vocabulary every day, and force yourself to talk (“Speak the language,” Washington Post Express, June 11).

A massive amount of research done over the last few decades by a wide variety of researchers and published in scientific journals presents a very different view: We acquire language when we understand what people tell us and what we read, when we get “comprehensible input.”  When we get a great deal of comprehensible input through listening and reading, we acquire the grammar and vocabulary of the second language.

Studies show repeatedly that intensive grammar study and memorizing vocabulary are of limited value, and that speaking doesn’t promote language acquisition; rather, the ability to speak is the result of comprehensible input.

Andrew Eil has clearly done well in foreign language acquisition, but I think that his competence came largely 

Schooling in the Ownership Society: The death of Philly's public school system

Schooling in the Ownership Society: The death of Philly's public school system:

The death of Philly's public school system

by Mike Klonsky

Coming soon to your city -- if it hasn't already got there
 

Here's what a state takeover, a decade of corporate-style "reform" under the so-called School Reform Commission, and privatization have done to Philadelphia's public schools. 

Writes Kathy Matheson, Associated Press:

Helen Gym

The City of Brotherly Love is boiling over with frustration. It's not just the $700 million in education cuts this past year. It's not just a loss of state aid, which led to a massive rally and 14 arrests. And it's not just the plan to close 40 of Philadelphia's 249 schools within a year.

"For 10 years we've lived with promises that privatization and choice options 

Wait, What? - Working to educate, persuade and mobilize through "perceptive and acerbic" observations about Connecticut Government and Politics

Wait, What? - Working to educate, persuade and mobilize through "perceptive and acerbic" observations about Connecticut Government and Politics:

When Government Fears Democracy; It’s Time to Fear Government

by jonpelto

In a blatant and disgusting abuse of power, Governor Malloy, with the support of the vast majority of Democratic Legislators, has taken away the fundamental democratic rights of Connecticut citizens, in this case, the people of Bridgeport.

Last night, during the Legislature’s Special Session, the House of Representatives and the State Senate adopted House Bill #6001, An Act Implementing Provisions of the State Budget the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2012.

Deep within the bill, in Section 292 of the 297 section document, the Malloy Administration is authorized to “loan” the City of Bridgeport $3,500,000 to cover a school budget deficit they face this year.

In return, as a condition of making the loan, the City of Bridgeport must select a “superintendent of schools or chief financial officer of the Bridgeport school district from a pool of up to three candidates approved by the commissioner.”  In this case, the 

You May Say I’m a DREAMer [Where We Belong] | The Jose Vilson

You May Say I’m a DREAMer [Where We Belong] | The Jose Vilson:

You May Say I’m a DREAMer [Where We Belong]

by Jose

An interesting story came across my desk this morning. Daniela Peraez, the valedictorian of her class, almost had to rescind her citizenship status over complications with the migra. This particular paragraph stuck with me:

Despite her uphill legal battle that lies ahead, Pelaez will head to Dartmouth College in September on a full scholarship.
As friends, family, and supporters watched Pelaez emerged confidently dressed in her white cap and gown at the North Miami Senior High School graduation, but her accomplishments recognized there went well beyond her diploma. She received the Superintendent’s Diploma of Distinction, she graduated Summa Cum Laude and she was the Valedictorian.
“Without your demonstration of kindness and sense of community I would have been deported,” 

Why Throwing Money at Schools Actually Is the Answer - Education - GOOD

Why Throwing Money at Schools Actually Is the Answer - Education - GOOD:

Why Throwing Money at Schools Actually Is the Answer

by Liz Dwyer

Whenever the issue of improving public schools comes up there's always somebody eager to say that throwing more money at the problem isn't the answer—schools just need to become more efficient with the dollars they have. Frequently the person saying this doesn't actually have kids enrolled in a public school, or if they do, they don't have kids attending public school in a low-income community. Well, next time you encounter the money doesn't matter spiel, point out that there’s plenty more cash being "thrown" at schools in wealthy Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County, New York and it certainly seems to be working for the kids there.
According to an analysis by 24/7 Wall Street, which looked at U.S. Census, education, and housing data from

A City Education: Lessons Learned From Service in Schools

by Meg Malone

In our A City Education series, two City Year corps members share their experiences working as tutors and mentors in schools in hopes of closing the achievement gap and ending the dropout crisis.
Last summer I was one of a diverse group of 255 young people from across the country arriving in New York City to work as tutors and mentors in the city’s public schools. Now, after ten months of service with City Year New York, a program that emphasizes the importance of graduating from high school, it's strange to be preparing for my own, slightly different, graduation.
I'd be lying if I said this year hasn’t been challenging and stressful. It's also been touching to hear students share 

Geaux Teacher!: PUBLIC RECORDS ACT VS. LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Geaux Teacher!: PUBLIC RECORDS ACT VS. LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION:

PUBLIC RECORDS ACT VS. LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT)

Earlier today a Facebook friend and teacher posted the following note on my page:

"The element of gifted is listed as a component in the development of my score as a teacher. I emailed the state department to find out how it is used. The person answering my email sent me links to material that mentioned gifted. None of it answered my question as to HOW gifted was factored in. Therefore, I emailed AGAIN with the information that the material they sent had not answered my question. I never did get an answer. Yesterday at a meeting, I was told that gifted would have to make more progress on their scores than other students. . . which makes no sense to me since many are already at the top of the range. . where are they supposed to go? It's very worrisome for me."

For those of you (probably even most teachers) with little knowledge of the provisions of Act 54
http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=711248 

Fragmentation « Cooperative Catalyst

Fragmentation « Cooperative Catalyst:

Fragmentation

by mrsenorhill

This is cross-posted from the Disruption Department blog, and while St. Louis focused, I believe the coop can provide some insight into some problems I’m struggling with.
It’s interesting to think of community education in light of the issues brought forward by a recent @jessicabock article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
I’ve often struggled with the most appropriate ways to approach our service to our community’s (communities’) families.  I think the difference of our approach is that we listen and provide resources and means, rather than articulating some end we want people to meet.
We ascribe no general “reform” answer, but rather seek to help community members provide more human educational opportunities for our cities students, connecting them with the outside world that befits their talents 

LAUSD'S BOY - STATE SENATOR ALEX PADILLA AND AB 1530 - Perdaily.com

LAUSD'S BOY - STATE SENATOR ALEX PADILLA AND AB 1530 - Perdaily.com:

LAUSD'S BOY - STATE SENATOR ALEX PADILLA AND AB 1530

by Leonard Isenberg

(Mensaje se repite en Español)

(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)

The thesis of Naomi Klein's book The Shock Doctrine is that if you scare people enough they will allow government to trample on their civil rights or the rights of others based on the belief that this will make us safe. The irony is that what the shock doctrine more accurately describes is a world where we and the survival of our society are in even much greater danger.
Eli Broad Academy graduate Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent John Deasy is the conductor of the well orchestrated plan to privatize public education, where a fairly compensated professional 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: You can't "trust" Rahm's Infrastructure Trust

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: You can't "trust" Rahm's Infrastructure Trust:

You can't "trust" Rahm's Infrastructure Trust

by Mike Klonsky

More arrests this afternoon at the Chicago Health Dept. as protests continue over the mayor's closing of half the city's mental health clinics.  Word is that another patient just died, allegedly due, directly or indirectly to the closing of their clinic. Some patients, with few means of transportation, have to travel 10 miles or more across town to get treatment.

In what's proving to be one of the biggest lies ever told by a politician, Rahm and the Dept. of Health bureaucrats continue to claim that closing neighborhood health clinics is "good for patients" and that "every City client has a personalized transition plan and is being monitored closely..."

Side note: AFT Prez. Randi Weingarten, came to Chicago a few weeks ago to march with 8,000 teachers and gave a fine speech at the giant CTU support rally.  As readers might recall, I gave her her props for that. However, she was back in town again last week speaking on a panel at Clinton's Global Initiative and in support of Rahm's opaque "Infrastructure Trust" (one of the great misuses of the word Trust, ever), which will supposedly bring thousands of jobs to the city.  What it will more likely do is line the pockets of a handful of Rahm's 

Jersey Jazzman: "Reform" Is an Excuse For Poverty

Jersey Jazzman: "Reform" Is an Excuse For Poverty:

"Reform" Is an Excuse For Poverty

by Duke

Over at Matt DiCarlo's place, Clifford Janey, the former superintendent of Newark's and DC's schools, makes too much sense:

Not until leaders from all sides of the issue consider these conditions and connect changes in social policy to those in education policy will gains in student achievement become a reliable reference point of college/work readiness. What is compelling about the intersection of social and education policy is not the need for it as the third leg of the new reform stool, but the lack of sensibility to embrace it. A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (Volume 24, Number 3S) found that the lack of affordable housing in poor urban communities can contribute to family instability, impair individual psychological wellbeing and weaken protection against communicable diseases. How can undernourished children in unstable families, who are routinely moving four or five times in a school year, avoid the cycle of vulnerability that continues to foreshadow academic failure? Let’s be clear, even the best of teachers with support from accomplished school leaders would be challenged to reverse this educational