Ed Notes Online: NYC Schools Face Another Wave of For-Profit Field Testing

Ed Notes Online: NYC Schools Face Another Wave of For-Profit Field Testing:

NYC Schools Face Another Wave of For-Profit Field Testing

by ed notes online

Parents and Educators Protest Unsound Testing Policies

If you want to help in this fight, join our Change the Stakes group.

www.changethestakes.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


October 24, 2012

NYC Schools Face Another Wave of For-Profit Field Testing as
Parents and Educators Protest Unsound Testing Policies

Reference material on this week’s field tests and additional updates on challenges to New York City and State’s high stakes testing programs and policies

Pearson’s New York State Field Tests

The New York State Education Department has assigned 169 NYC schools (559 schools 

Sorry, Bob Schieffer: Between Testing and Teacher Evaluations, America's Teachers Don't Feel Too Loved

by ed notes online

As someone who has worked in a non-union school, I can tell Ms. Kenny what violates trust between teachers and administrators. Knowing that you can be fired for your personality.  Knowing that there is a fresh crop of well-intentioned, starry-eyed Teach for America kids who can take your place in the time it takes to make a phone call. Knowing that you will be scorned for using your allotted sick days and guilted into working through lunch, during prep time, and hours after the final school bell rings. ----charter school teacher Allison LaFave

Wow1 I'm impressed. There are lots

ATR Reports on Bronx UFT Meeting

by ed notes online

One of our correspondents sent this along with a handout. Look for more reports from this and other meetings at the NYCATR blog which I am  managing temporarily.

About 100 attendees. Meeting well run by Amy ( only speaker from UFT ). about 15 were guidance/social workers. 65 % female; 50 % non white. 1/3 first time ATRS. 1800 ATR # confirmed. UFT seems to be pushing ATR rights a little more; supposedly DOE is clamping down on Principal ATR abuses; UFT wants ATRs to notify them promptly of any perceived problems. NO ATR chapter will be formed.

Crowd was fairly passive but had many questions but little new info. UFT meets with DOE regularly; one person asked if ATRs could serve as mentors or teacher assists in CR; say they 

Newark Contract: Weingarten is a Serial Pusher of Bad Contracts

by ed notes online

The NTU leadership and Weingarten ought to be ashamed they're pushing this piece of shit contract onto Newark teachers, but they're incapable of that emotion. They're too busy sucking up to the corporatocracy as they collect their six figure salaries and benefits and sell working teachers down the river with these "innovative" contracts Weingarten and the education reformers/corporatocracy love so much. It's time to rid the AFT and the locals of these corporate 

The Innovative Educator: Common core ignores the power of the interests and ideas that come from our students and teachers - Deborah Meier

The Innovative Educator: Common core ignores the power of the interests and ideas that come from our students and teachers - Deborah Meier:

Common core ignores the power of the interests and ideas that come from our students and teachers - Deborah Meier

by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen)

Editor’s note:  I feel fortunate to be living during a period in our history where for the first time we can easily form social learning circles that bring together from around the world, experts, authors, and others that share passions and can engage in rich and meaningful dialogue. The power of the technology to connect in ways never before possible is a game changer when it comes to learning. I have brought together one such amazing network of people who come together to think about and grapple with issues of ed reform and alternatives to the status quo with The Innovative Educator group.  Here is a piece of that learning where education icon Deborah Meier shares some of her thoughts on the common core.

Deborah Meier - Shares

Its a nice thought--that it [Common Core] is offering a "common language". I wish it were. But common core as presently understood is a 13 year mandatory curriculum (developed largely by experts in testing, not the subject matter being tested) of what is to be taught--and in what sequence. It ignores the power of the interests and ideas that come from students and teachers as the basis for forming curriculum"--or of picking up from the world around us our "curriculum". Starting "where we are" intellectually and moving out from there--a common approach to thematic studies, for example. Or spending months on one "small" part of history or science, in order to be able to ask deeper questions and make deeper sense--rather t

How the world’s longest-running school voucher program fared

How the world’s longest-running school voucher program fared:

How the world’s longest-running school voucher program fared

by Valerie Strauss

Though Gov. Mitt Romney and President Obama agree on some education issues, there are important differences, including the extent of federal involvement in local school issues and voucher programs. Romney supports the use of tax money to pay for tuition at private schools, including religious schools, while President Obama opposes vouchers, saying that public dollars should be used to improve public schools. Here is a new look at the world’s longest-running and most heavily researched voucher program, in Chile, written by Michael Pons, a Colorado based policy analyst who spent 25 years reading voucher studies.

By Michael Pons

Will a federal role in funding, standards and accountability continue over the next four years, or will the United States embrace a free-market approach?  The presidential candidates’ education proposals are as sharp a 

More of The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

More of The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School

by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)

I have written extensively about The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School several times. A place where reality stops, and fantasy rules. Sadly, it seems that reality is slowly creeping back in.

At The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, where every student no matter their circumstances is special and knows that they will always get the upper hand over a teacher, mayhem and madness is the rule and not the exception.

Professionals at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School have shared with The Crack Team that despite all efforts to make every student a winner at The Happy Good Time Emotio

Idaho businessman brings Romney into education reform fight | OregonLive.com

Idaho businessman brings Romney into education reform fight | OregonLive.com:

Idaho businessman brings Romney into education reform fight

by The Associated Press

BOISE -- Eastern Idaho businessman Frank VanderSloot is employing Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to criticize unions and promote Tom Luna's education overhaul at the ballot box on Nov. 6. 

VanderSloot, an overhaul supporter, is paying for TV commercials showing Romney criticizing the teachers union. 

The National Education Association gave nearly $1.1 million to the campaign against Luna's education changes, which include limiting union bargaining power and requiring online classes. 

The VanderSloot-backed campaign commercial uses Romney, who is popular in Idaho, 

Judge Rules Against Parents in Camden Case, Kids to Remain in District Schools - NJ Spotlight

Judge Rules Against Parents in Camden Case, Kids to Remain in District Schools - NJ Spotlight:

Judge Rules Against Parents in Camden Case, Kids to Remain in District Schools

Citing poor test grades and decaying public schools does not sway judge in petition for emergent relief

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By John Mooney, October 25, 2012 in Education |1 Comment

An administrative law judge yesterday ruled against three Camden parents hoping to yank their kids from public schools on the grounds that they were failing to provide a “through and efficient” education.

Related Links

Vargas v. Camden Order

The Legal Question for Camden: What Constitutes a Toxic School?

The court's decision in Vargas v. Camden adds to the state’s never-ending debate over constitutional rights to a quality education.

Essentially, the parents filed a class-action complaint with the state arguing that their children should be entitled to attend another district or even private school on the public’s dime because they were suffering “irreparable harm” for every day they stayed in the Camden system.

As part of the case filed with state Education Commissioner Chris Cerf, the three petitioners sought immediate emergent -- or emergency -- relief to flee what is arguably the lowest-performing district 

Two More Studies Show The Flaws Behind Using “Value-Added Measures” To Assess Teachers — Is Gates Foundation Listening? | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

Two More Studies Show The Flaws Behind Using “Value-Added Measures” To Assess Teachers — Is Gates Foundation Listening? | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…:

Two More Studies Show The Flaws Behind Using “Value-Added Measures” To Assess Teachers — Is Gates Foundation Listening?

by Larry Ferlazzo

Education Week reports on two new studies done by very well respected researchers, including Douglas Harris(who literally wrote the book on value-added measures), finding that VAM does not accurately measure teacher performance in middle and high school. They point to tracking as one of the reasons.
The find what many previous studies have found:
The scholars’ analysis also showed that teachers who taught more remedial classes tended to have lower value-added scores, on average, than those teachers who taught mainly higher-level classes.
That phenomenon was not due to the best teachers’ disproportionately teaching the more-rigorous classes, as is 

Settlement voided; teacher layoff process to go to trial - latimes.com

Settlement voided; teacher layoff process to go to trial - latimes.com:

Settlement voided; teacher layoff process to go to trial

The state Supreme Court has declined to reinstate a settlement that allowed local officials to shield schools from having disproportionate numbers of teachers laid off during a budget crisis.  The voided settlement had allowed exceptions to rules stating that less-experienced teachers must be let go first.
The apparent result is that seniority will, once again, be the basis for layoffs in the Los Angeles Unified School District pending further litigation. In the meantime, district officials and allied attorneys said they are exploring options to keep the intent of the settlement in force.
With the settlement officially vacated, the original litigation is now on track to go to trial. New settlement negotiations also are possible.
“I am disappointed that the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, but I’m encouraged that we will be able to make our case quite clearly in the trial court,” said L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy.

Jersey Jazzman: nj.com Commenters Must Be Invertebrates

Jersey Jazzman: nj.com Commenters Must Be Invertebrates:

nj.com Commenters Must Be Invertebrates

by Duke

Atrios has famously said that the worst place on the internets is the comment sections of newspaper websites.

I would only add the worst comment section in America must be at nj.com. Especially when they have a story about teachers:

egads1

I'd be happy with the 4% raise. 1/2 of those animals are dropping out anyway.

Voiceofreezin

No wonder the majority don't like this contract. It now means they have to perform, better yet do their jobs. No more hiding! 

kbThis time when they strike, fire them immediately. What Newrk schools need is a total turnover of the teaching staff...at least the staff that will strike. 

OutrageousBehaviorAnd they wonder why teacher's unions are getting slammed. What a selfish group of entitled individuals. Teaching in such a terrible district, to boot. Behaving like a bunch of union goons.. Perfect. 

Everyone’s a Teacher, Everyone’s a Learner | Connected Principals

Everyone’s a Teacher, Everyone’s a Learner | Connected Principals:

Everyone’s a Teacher, Everyone’s a Learner

by George Couros

cc licensed ( BY NC SD )  flickr photo shared by gcouros
Sunday night for me was kind of filled with “aha” moments as I saw some pretty real and relevant examples of teaching and learning, and how the world has truly flattened.
My current music obsession has been The Avett Brothers, and their new album, The Carpenter, which is fantastic.  For the first time, in a long time, I have been inspired to pick up my guitar and play (I could not tell you my favourite song by them because they are simply awesome, so here is a YouTube playlist of some acoustic versions that I really have enjoyed).  Interested in seeing them in concert, I looked up their website and noticed 

I Quit | United Opt Out National

I Quit | United Opt Out National:

I Quit

by admin

Kris L. Nielsen
Monroe, NC 28110

Union County Public Schools
Human Resources Department
400 North Church Street
Monroe, NC 28112

October 25, 2012

To All it May Concern:

I’m doing something I thought I would never do—something that will make me a statistic and a caricature of the times.  Some will support me, some will shake their heads and smirk condescendingly—and others will try to convince me that I’m part of the problem.  Perhaps they’re right, but I don’t think so.  All I know is that I’ve hit a wall, and in order to preserve my sanity, my family, and the forward movement of our lives, I have no other choice.

Before I go too much into my choice, I must say that I have the advantages and disadvantages of differentiated experience under my belt.  I have seen the other side, where the grass was greener, and I unknowingly jumped the fence to 

School Tech Connect: You Wanna See Dumb?

School Tech Connect: You Wanna See Dumb?:

You Wanna See Dumb?

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

This is possibly one of the dumbest conversations I've ever seen or heard. From now on, when you look up "dumb" in Wikipedia, it should link to this conversation.

I think Robin Steans means well, but she's so full of sh*t that I can't even imagine being in the parlors where her shpiel is received politely.

The state is about to fix this. For the first time this spring, when the ISAT is given, the cut scores are going to be actual true college and career-ready cut scores, so we're not going to have to have this confusing 'meets versus exceeds, what's does it really mean?'

There's utterly no basis in reality for this statement or the ones that follow, although I realize it's the mythological 

Jersey Jazzman: A Newark Teacher Speaks

Jersey Jazzman: A Newark Teacher Speaks:

A Newark Teacher Speaks

by Duke

I received an email from a teacher in Newark today. It was so well-written and so powerful that I asked for permission to share it.

I'm omitting the first paragraph, as it details this teacher's particular salary situation. Suffice to say the teacher, with more than ten years of experience, will take a significant hit on pay - and that's not even counting the new state-mandated contributions to benefits, which will quadruple over four years.

None of the teachers I know are happy with this.  It has been the consensus that we would all vote NO.  Having peer evaluators has the potential advantage of us having empathetic people helping to decide how "effective" we are.  The more likely scenario, however, will be that they pay retired teachers to do this ("When I was in the classroom, I had 40 kids in there...") , and drain the Zuckerberg money in those consultant fees.  

Ed Notes Online: COALITION FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION TO HOLD 3RD ANNUAL CONVENTION Sat. Oct. 27

Ed Notes Online: COALITION FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION TO HOLD 3RD ANNUAL CONVENTION Sat. Oct. 27:

COALITION FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION TO HOLD 3RD ANNUAL CONVENTION Sat. Oct. 27

by ed notes online

Grassroots group to focus on replacing mayoral control of NYC public schools with People's Board of Ed   

[NEW YORK, NY] The organization committed to “Ending Mayoral Control” of public education is holding its Third Convention on Saturday October 27th, 2012 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Community Service Center building, located at 105 East 22nd Street in New York City (Manhattan).
 

The organization has fought against the rubber room, against school closings and charter school re-locations and is struggling for a democratic form of school governance as evidenced by its concept of aPeople’s Board of Education. Parents, teachers, students and members of the education community can call (718) 616-9587 or (212) 362-6021. For information, please call (347) 785-3418.

The convention is open to the public and is free of charge. CPE membership is $10 and CPE will gladly accept donations.

The Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública is an independent, non-sectarian, and non-governmental organization with short, middle and long-term educational and social goals. We believe that education is a human right and we want to ensure that New York City public schools are places of learning in which all stakeholders (parents, students, educators, non- pedagogical staff, administrators and the community) are engaged in a democratic process to provide a free and quality education to all its students, from Pre-school to College.

More info at http://forpubliced.blogspot.com/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE – SHOCKING WORDS « Teachers Fight Back

CHICAGO TRIBUNE – SHOCKING WORDS « Teachers Fight Back:

CHICAGO TRIBUNE – SHOCKING WORDS

by alkleen

OMG, EVEN THE TRIB GETS IT!

Wow !  the Chicago Tribune, (otherwise known as public school teacher bashing central), actually printed a front page story explaining that maybe charter schools aren’t the answer to what ails inner city public schools. WOW!  I never thought I would read a story like that from the Tribune. It’s shocking how the reporters that did the story managed to sneak that by the Tribune editors. The editors must have been too busy tracking down rumors about Rupert Murdoch buying the Tribune.
Then what at first glance appeared even more shocking, the lead editorial was urging voters to vote no on the proposed pension amendment.  It’s only when reading the whole editorial that I came to realize the Tribune was urging a no vote because they thought the amendment didn’t go far enough to make teachers responsible for making up the pension deficit. Now that’s more like the Tribune we’ve come to know and despise.
Whatever their motives, I think it’s a plus that the Tribune is urging a no vote. We need all the help we can get to defeat the amendment. The Tribune must be pretty confident they are going to be able to convince the General 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Can UW Be Promoting I-1240?

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Can UW Be Promoting I-1240?:

Can UW Be Promoting I-1240?

by Melissa Westbrook

You may have heard of the Partnership for Learning, yet another business-based ed reform group.   They have just put out a document called Examining Charters: How public charter schools can work in Washington State.  It "examines" charters in other states and comes to the astonishing conclusion that we need them here in Washington State.

However, upon a quick read, I came upon a troubling issue.

It was written with the help of UW's Center on Reinventing Public Education.  Actually, the whole thing was 

“Two Cheers for Gates Foundation Student Survey Research” — Guest Post By Dr. John Thompson | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

“Two Cheers for Gates Foundation Student Survey Research” — Guest Post By Dr. John Thompson | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…:

“Two Cheers for Gates Foundation Student Survey Research” — Guest Post By Dr. John Thompson

by Larry Ferlazzo

(Editor’s Note: As regular readers know, I’ve written a great deal about how I use student evaluations to improve my classes and my instruction (see The Best Posts On Students Evaluating Classes (And Teachers). I’ve invited Dr. John Thompson to add his thoughts on the topic. )

Guest Post by Dr. John Thompson
Education consultant Craig Jerald deserves at least two cheers for his analysis of the Gates Foundation’s recent reports on the use of student survey data to improve instruction. Jerald explained that Gates researchers do not anticipate students giving a summative grade for their teacher. “Instead, they are asked a series of carefully worded questions about their classroom experiences that measure specific kinds of instructional practices and classroom conditions that are conducive to student learning.”
Jerald challenged the loose wording of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who said, “I would love to have the students grade the teachers at the end of the year as opposed to just the other way around so that teachers get feedback” He then praised Amanda Ripley’s “engaging and informative” Atlantic article, “Why Kids Should Grade Teachers,” while adding, “Just skip the headline.”
Jerald argued that “nobody anywhere is really asking students to ‘grade teachers,’ and when journalists, pundits, and presidential candidates call it that, they risk undermining the very tool they seek to champion.” He worried 

Modern School: America Has World’s 4th Highest Level of College Attainment

Modern School: America Has World’s 4th Highest Level of College Attainment:

America Has World’s 4th Highest Level of College Attainment

by Michael Dunn

Proponents of free market education reforms have been claiming for years that our schools are failing. One of their most compelling arguments has been that the dismal state of our K-12 public education system is responsible for our low ranking in college attainment compared with other nations.

The problem with this argument is that it is not true. The U.S. actually ranks fourth internationally in college attainment.

The commonly cited data is that the U.S. ranks 13^th out of 34 OECD nations in terms of college attainment. However, this data only refers to the proportion of 25-34 year olds who have received a tertiary education, not the total number of people who have attained a tertiary education. When 25-64 year olds are included, the U.S. ranks fourth in the world, according to 

Auditors cite lax oversight of charters by CDE, as enrollment grows

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources:

Auditors cite lax oversight of charters by CDE, as enrollment grows 
By Tom Chorneau
Wednesday, October 24, 2012

At the last State Board of Education meeting, Richard Zeiger, the Department of Education’s chief deputy superintendent, announced that tens of millions of dollars in state and federal funds have been lost by start-up charter schools that either never opened or closed within a year or two of opening.  At that meeting, Hunkapiller told the board that oversight procedures, especially of federal grants as high as $575,00 to beginning charter schools, should be stronger.

Hunkapiller said  yesterday that now-closed charter schools have defaulted on $5.5 million from the state’s Charter School Revolving Loan Fund, which gives loans of up to $250,000 mainly to start-up charter schools.  She said the defaults occurred primarily in the early years of the program, but have increased again ”in the last year or two.” 

Chief of state’s charter school division stepping down | EdSource Today http://bit.ly/Q75Zkd

 Newquist's departure comes after The Bay Citizen revealed that the bureau had not fulfilled many of its fundamental oversight responsibilities, including aggressively investigating complaints, monitoring the quality of educational programs and rooting out unlicensed schools and diploma mills.  Enforcement Chief at Postsecondary Bureau to Resign - The Bay Citizen http://bit.ly/Q75I0A

 

As advocates for California charter schools celebrated Tuesday another double-digit increase in enrollment – news arrived from Washington disclosing serious flaws in state oversight of the sprawling charter movement.

A stinging audit of the U.S. Department of Education’s management of charter school grant money also sharply criticized the California Department of Education for failing to properly monitor charter schools’ compliance with federal law.

The review team, from the Office of Inspector General, also noted that the CDE failed to provide required oversight of charter authorizing agencies and frequently assigned unqualified evaluators for site visits.

The critical report comes as the state’s charter school association announced the opening this fall of 109 new charters, bringing the total number in the state to 1,065.

Charter enrollment also jumped another 17 percent in the 2011-12 school year to over 484,000 – largest in the nation.

Los Angeles County had the largest charter school growth with 40 new schools. Sonoma County had 12, San Diego