Former Americans Elect chief may head Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's StudentsFirst - POLITICO.com

Former Americans Elect chief may head Rhee's StudentsFirst - POLITICO.com:

Former Americans Elect chief may head Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's StudentsFirst

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By ALEXANDER BURNS | 

9/24/12 9:20 PM EDT

The former CEO of Americans Elect may be the next president of the national education reform group founded by onetime Washington D.C. schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee.

Kahlil Byrd, who headed a national campaign to gain ballot access for a third-party presidential candidate, was identified as the next president of StudentsFirst in a Monday email from an outgoing official with the group. StudentsFirst officials declined to confirm the selection, but the group has been in the hunt for additional top-level staff.

In a message to friends and colleagues, outgoing StudentsFirst COO Dmitri Mehlhorn referred to Byrd as the group's new president. In the same email, Mehlhorn announced his own departure from StudentsFirst to join Bloomberg Law.

"Of course, we have much more to do before the USA closes its student achievement gap. But, crucially for me, StudentsFirst is now past the 'launch' phase. The movement’s assets include 

Palmetto Educators Network: How Do Charter Schools Compare to “Schools with Students Like Ours” in South Carolina?

Palmetto Educators Network: How Do Charter Schools Compare to “Schools with Students Like Ours” in South Carolina?:

How Do Charter Schools Compare to “Schools with Students Like Ours” in South Carolina?

How Do Charter Schools Compare to “Schools with Students Like Ours” in South Carolina?

Using the South Carolina School Report Card system and the state Poverty Index, the tables below identify charter schools within the SC Public School Charter District and 5 additional selected charter schools to identify how charter schools in SC compare with “Schools with Students Like Ours” (a metric established by the SC Department of Education, see notes).

The data show that charter schools in SC perform (based on test data drawn from the state assessment system and AYP) BELOW typical in 8/8 elementary 

Missouri Education Watchdog: Feeeeed Me Seymour.

Missouri Education Watchdog: Feeeeed Me Seymour.:

Feeeeed Me Seymour.

by stlgretchen

Hungry students face the reality and results of Federal mandates in local schools.

This student produced youtube video below illustrates how hungry students are due to the HealthyHunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (isn't that a delicious contradiction?).  It shows the fallacy of a "one-size fits all" calorie program for students.  Think of this video as a precursor of when the horrors of a "one-size fits all" Common Core educational program is realized by students.  "One size fits all" might work well for a system...for human beings....not so much.

Popout

What happens in Scotland regulating food choices (even outside the school building) might just find its 

Another view on charter amendment: Goal in Georgia ought to be cooperation, not competition. | Get Schooled

Another view on charter amendment: Goal in Georgia ought to be cooperation, not competition. | Get Schooled:

Another view on charter amendment: Goal in Georgia ought to be cooperation, not competition.

by Maureen Downey

Here is a piece from Jim Arnold, a frequent contributor to this space. Per my comment yesterday, I am going to start running more of the many commentaries that I’m receiving on the Nov. 6 charter school amendment vote.
Yesterday’s piece urged support of the amendment.  This essay argues the opposite.
Arnold points out something I learned after my first year on the AJC editorial board — people want schools to solve many varied problems. As the editorial writer who wrote about education issues for the AJC, I met with groups who wanted schools to teach character education, civics and the Bible. I met with folks who wanted schools to educate kids on head injuries, safe sex and allergies. I met with proponents of more recess, art, music, PE, drama and foreign languages.  I met with parents who wanted longer summers and shorter summers or longer school days and shorter days. I met with advocates who wanted to abolish pre-k or who wanted to expand it to 3-year-olds.
There was a …

UPDATE: The most important post you will read today. Constitutional Amendment 49 must be defeated. « Fred Klonsky

The most important post you will read today. Constitutional Amendment 49 must be defeated. « Fred Klonsky:

The most important post you will read today. Constitutional Amendment 49 must be defeated.

by Fred Klonsky

My friend Glen Brown wrote this post last June 11th. He was the Paul Revere of Constitutional Amendment 49 which will appear on the November ballot.
This bill represents the most serious threat to the state’s public employees, both active and retired. A no vote by you is not enough. You must contact everyone you know to vote no on this amendment. Some have written me to ask if this is a binding vote or an advisory vote. This is a real vote. If it passes with 60% of the votes, it becomes part of the Illinois Constitution.

By now, most of us know what the “Pension Clause” or Article XIII (General Provisions), Section 5 (Pension and Retirement Rights) of the Illinois Constitution states:  “Membership in any pension or retirement system of the state or any local government or school district, or any agency or 

Park Ridge board of education member Anthony Borelli.

by Fred Klonsky

Park Ridge board of education member Anthony Borelli, far right.
There is something healthy and democratic about citizen school boards.
That’s why many in Chicago would like one. Chicago is the only school district in the state without an elected school board.
The district I retired from in June has one, of course. Over the years I have worked with some pretty terrific 

Out and Around: The Presumption of Literacy « Student Activism

Out and Around: The Presumption of Literacy « Student Activism:

Out and Around: The Presumption of Literacy

by Angus Johnston

My sister can’t read.
Her disability usually isn’t obvious when you meet her. And when she’s home visiting my parents, she spends a fair amount of time out in the city on her own. She takes the bus, she shops, she goes to restaurants. She gets her nails done.
My dad gives her her walking-around money as five-dollar bills to limit how much she can lose if someone decides to cheat her when giving change.
But like I say, mostly her disability is invisible. And when folks do notice, they’re usually cool about it.
(I remember once, years ago, I was out with L and we got into some sort of awkward situation. I wanted to explain to the woman we were inconveniencing, and so I said “she’s…” And then I wasn’t sure how to finish the 

There goes that ad again. Every time I see it I find new things. « Fred Klonsky

There goes that ad again. Every time I see it I find new things. « Fred Klonsky:

There goes that ad again. Every time I see it I find new things.

by Fred Klonsky

They’re still running that Rahm ad on Chicago TV a week after the teacher’s strike was settled.
I wouldn’t even bring it up again. I though that I have tweeted and posted enough on how stupid it is, how I can’t imagine any Chicagoan who own a remote simply muting it or scrolling past it on their DVR.
As for teachers and other city employees, the sight of that fool must pisses them off. Good luck with the police and fire contracts, Rahm.
But Barb Moreno makes a good point.
What exactly does

Noguera: The Origins of My Views on Education - Bridging Differences - Education Week

Noguera: The Origins of My Views on Education - Bridging Differences - Education Week:

Noguera: The Origins of My Views on Education

by Pedro Noguera

Deborah Meier

Pedro Noguera

Deborah Meier—visionary teacher and founder of successful small schools in New York City and Boston—and Pedro Noguera—author and director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education—debate issues relevant to schools, teachers, and students.

Dear Deborah,
As I join you in blogging on Bridging Differences, allow me to step back and tell readers a little bit about myself to get things started.
I have been in the field of education for almost 30 years. I have been a public school teacher in Providence, R.I., and Oakland, Calif.; an elected school board member in Berkeley, Calif. (1990-1994); a professor and researcher at the University of California, Berkeley; Harvard; and now, New York University. I am also the parent of four children who have attended public schools in Berkeley, Cambridge, and New York City. (I now have a fifth child, but she's still too young to go to school.)

In each of these roles, I've learned new and important lessons about the way education in American society 

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Jonathan Frozol?

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Jonathan Frozol?:

Jonathan Frozol?

by admin

OK, OK. It’s kind of silly. But I have Ben & Jerry’s on the brain because we met with them last week – no, not Ben, not Jerry – but a wonderful group of employees who actually decide where the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation money goes. They were in town to visit some of the groups they fund, and PURE is fortunate to be among them.
And they brought coupons. Free pint coupons.
So, here’s the deal. The next three people who register to see Jonathan Kozol this Thursday (register here) and then send me an e-mail using the Contact Us link above will get a coupon for a free B & J pint.  I’ll let you know if you’ve won and you’ll have to find me at the event to claim your prize! Here are the details:
Lecture by Jonathan Kozol, author of Savage Inequalities
September 27, 2012 6pm – 8pm
Northwestern University Law School Thorne Auditorium375 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60611
Activist author Jonathan Kozol will speak in Chicago – the epicenter of the corporate-style “education reform” storm – on September 27 about his new book Fire in the Ashes: Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children in America.
Kozol argues that there is a profound connection between urban poverty, racism and educational neglect. Today, he says, the public schools and teachers who serve children in poverty are under attack. Kozol, author of a series of notable books about the conditions of children in urban America, will speak in Chicago on September 27. He will address the current, unprecedented assault on public education and on public school teachers.
In Fire in the Ashes Kozol reconnects with some of the children his readers first met in Amazing Grace (1996), Savage Inequalities (1991) and Shame of the Nation (2006) and his other works documenting the social and educational conditions facing urban children. Kozol argues that as a society, we must judge ourselves by the way we treat our children–particularly our poorest children–and that public schools are a critical anchor in a democratic society. He describes vividly the resilient and curious spirits of children growing up in adversity; he asks that we examine the priorities of our society which has seized upon their public schools as a profit center, instead of a sheltering, supportive center of learning.

The event is free. There will be a discussion after Kozol’s talk.

Bullying Prevention Gains Momentum, But We Still Have A Long Way To Go | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

Bullying Prevention Gains Momentum, But We Still Have A Long Way To Go | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:

Bullying Prevention Gains Momentum, But We Still Have A Long Way To Go

by NEA Health Information Network

By Rocío Inclán, Director of the Human and Civil Rights Department of the National Education Association
October is Bullying Prevention month, and this year we see signs of progress in the national effort to stop bullying in our schools.
For example, the recently released 2011 National School Climate Survey from the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) shows for the first time decreased levels of victimization based on sexual orientation. It also found increased levels of student access to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) school resources and support.
This is excellent news. LGBT students have been a major target of bullying

What do SAT, ACT scores really mean? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

What do SAT, ACT scores really mean? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

What do SAT, ACT scores really mean?

By Valerie Strauss

The big news in the world of college entrance exams — that would be the SAT and the ACT — is that the scores from the high school class of 2012 were disappointing.

Newly released reading scores on the SAT hit a four-decade low, and
(bigstock)writing scores edged down too, while math scores were essentially unchanged from last year.  SAT average scores have declined by 20 points since 2006, when the test was revised to include a writing section.

ACT scores for the 2012 high school class were released in August and the national results were essentially the same as in 2011, meaning no real progress.

So what does it all mean? On one level, a lot. On another, pretty 

Science professors biased against females — study

by Valerie Strauss

A new Yale University study shows that bias against women persists in the sciences — in this case, at the university level, where science professors of both sexes were found to rate males as “significantly more competent and hireable” than equally qualified female applicants.
Read full article >>

Schools Matter: Technagogically Yours

Schools Matter: Technagogically Yours:

Technagogically Yours

by Storm

On the heels of a recent post here regarding a K-2 cubicle "learning" factory in Yuma, AZ, "Nineteenth Century English Schools...," I'd like to offer something on what I have called "technagogy." But briefly, I would note that the Yuma, AZ school isn't only English, it is fully American as well. This is only natural as America is the child of England.

Some of you may know that Henry Thoreau was, for two weeks, a kind of "district" manager for the Concord Schools--one of the top slots earning big dollars for the time, and he just out of Harvard. One primary duty of teachers in this setting was to try to maintain air quality as the rooms were heated by wood stoves, were poorly ventilated, and the students' health was in real danger. Why two weeks for Henry's tenure, especially in the 

A Conservative Agenda for Federal Edu-Policy :: Frederick M. Hess

A Conservative Agenda for Federal Edu-Policy :: Frederick M. Hess:

A Conservative Agenda for Federal Edu-Policy

by Frederick M. Hess  •  Sep 25, 2012 at 6:31 am
Cross-posted from Education Week

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Yesterday, in the new issue of the quarterly National Affairs, Andrew Kelly and I argue that it's possible to devise a coherent, principled, and limited vision of the federal role in education-- and that such a vision offers an overdue and crucial alternative to the well-intentioned overreaching that has characterized federal ed policy for over a decade. We begin by observing:

The conservative approach to education policy is nothing if not confused. Conservatives cheer top-down federal standards and accountability while demanding bottom-up parental choice. They call for eliminating the federal Department of Education, but support spending on major federal education programs like Title I aid for disadvantaged students, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and student loans. They treat restoring "local control" as a panacea, while neglecting the fact that "local control" strengthens the grip of teachers' unions. They 

Education and Democracy | Dailycensored.com

Education and Democracy | Dailycensored.com:

Education and Democracy

by stephenl

Democracy and an educated citizenry go hand in hand. Public education is the great equalizer. America’s founders believed it was insurance against loss of liberty.

Jefferson said:

 “Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves, therefore, are its only safe depositories. And to render them safe, their minds must be improved to a certain degree.”

 Neil Postman perhaps is best known for saying “Americans are the most entertained and least informed people in the world.” Most know little or nothing about what matters most.

Why this parent blames the mayor for teachers strike | catalyst-chicago.org

Why this parent blames the mayor for teachers strike | catalyst-chicago.org:

Why this parent blames the mayor for teachers strike

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I think the mayor is just plain wrong and at fault for the current strike. I think he set out to demonize the teachers and imply they were overpaid and under-performing.

By: Melissa Lindberg / September 17, 2012

• 
  Melissa Lindberg

My kid is in a Chicago public school—a really good one, with selective enrollment, great teachers, and a great new “green” school building that is LEED-certified - but has no air conditioning. And here’s the thing: It's getting warmer earlier--in the 80's last March, and hot in school. You know what? It's hard to learn and to teach when it’s too hot. The heat makes it difficult to concentrate.

Why is this relevant? The lack of air-conditioning in some schools is just one of the issues that have been raised by teachers in the current strike. In Track E schools, students were in non-air 

Jersey Jazzman: No Correlation Between Intelligence and Wealth

Jersey Jazzman: No Correlation Between Intelligence and Wealth:

No Correlation Between Intelligence and Wealth

by Duke

It's important to understand that when I and others say there is a correlation between socio-economic status and test scores, we're not saying there's a correlation between socio-economic status and intelligence.

Mitt Romney proves it:

Romney’s wife, Ann, was in attendance, and the candidate spoke of the concern he had for her when her plane had to make an emergency landing Friday en route to Santa Monica because of an electrical  malfunction.

“I appreciate the fact that she is on the ground, safe and sound. And I don’t think she knows just how worried some of us were,” Romney said. “When you have a fire in an aircraft, 

LAUSD: TEACHER QUALITY (REMOVAL) SPECIALIST - Perdaily.com

LAUSD: TEACHER QUALITY (REMOVAL) SPECIALIST - Perdaily.com:

LAUSD: TEACHER QUALITY (REMOVAL) SPECIALIST

by Leonard Isenberg

(Mensaje se repite en Español)

(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)
In the 1960 movie The Magnificent Seven, the bandit Calvera, played by Eli Wallach, tries to get the gunfighter, played by Yul Brenner, to help him rob the poor peasants in a small Mexican village by telling him, "If G-d did not want them shorn, he would not have made them sheep." As more and more teachers 

Jersey Jazzman: Howdy Commissioner Cerf!

Jersey Jazzman: Howdy Commissioner Cerf!:

Howdy Commissioner Cerf!

by Duke

NJ Education Commissioner Chris Cerf was in Jersey City tonight. Big thanks to the invaluable stopthefreezeNJand Deb Cornavaca of SOSNJ, who reported that the event did not go well for the man who rules the JC schools:

DEFEND NJ PUBLIC ED! ‏@stopthefreezeNJ
Resident rips Cerf for lacking openness, fairness. Crowd erupts against Cerf. He is sharing an uncomfortable laugh.

Deborah ‏@decornavaca
@jerseyjazzman Newark bringing it home. 7 Newark schools made AYP but he still replaced staff. Ms. Jackson rocks.

DEFEND NJ PUBLIC ED! ‏@stopthefreezeNJCerf getting ripped for not reaching out to the 

School Tech Connect: The Devil and Daniel Biss

School Tech Connect: The Devil and Daniel Biss:

The Devil and Daniel Biss

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

I don't have time to write, but make sure you have a look at this.  H/t to the Patch for letting candidates talk beyond sound bites.

I can only comment that the framers of our 1970 Constitution wrote the pension clause to protect us not only from Daniel Biss's opponent, but also from Daniel Biss, to say nothing of the hapless Elaine Nekritz.

We have to go after the fundamental cause of the problem, which is the state kept skipping payments for decades. We have to put a mechanism to ensure going forward the state will pay its share. For new people on the system, we have to acknowledge not only 

Arizona Bars Children From Learning About Themselves (The Librotraficante) [Why We Write Series] | The Jose Vilson

Arizona Bars Children From Learning About Themselves (The Librotraficante) [Why We Write Series] | The Jose Vilson:

Arizona Bars Children From Learning About Themselves (The Librotraficante) [Why We Write Series]

by Jose

Luis Rodriguez

What Luis Rodriguez makes evident in the following excerpt from the preface of Always Running is our responsibility to speak to the injustices of the world from the lens of a common struggle. Check:

Criminality in this country is a class issue. Many of those warehoused in overcrowded prisons can be properly called “criminals of want,” those who’ve been deprived of the basic necessities of life and therefore forced into so-called criminal acts to survive. Many of them just don’t have the means to buy their “justice.” They are members of a social stratum which includes welfare mothers, housing project residents, immigrant families, the homeless and unemployed. This book is part of