House Republicans Reeling From Opposition and Weak Defense of Parent Trigger | Scathing Purple Musings

House Republicans Reeling From Opposition and Weak Defense of Parent Trigger | Scathing Purple Musings:

House Republicans Reeling From Opposition and Weak Defense of Parent Trigger

by Bob Sikes

Most observers say that Rep. Carlos Truillo (R-Miami) was bested by a handful of Florida democrat legislators in this week’s Parent Trigger debate in the House. Not only did opponents out number supporters – 23 people speaking in opposition with four in support – the suggestion arose as to just how small the number of parents there are clamoring for what’s called a parent empowerment bill. From James Cal’s story in the Florida Current:

Who are these parents?” asked Donald Peace, a Pasco County teacher with 32 years of experience. He told the committee there is a lack of parents attending school meetings and parent-teacher conferences.
“If these parents were involved in their children’s education it would probably not be a failing school,” Peace said.

Even Trujillo admitted that the turnaround provision is already mandated under federal law and went so far to say, 

UPDATE: Jim Webb on Congressional Abdication Daily Kos: Because I have nothing better to do with my time right now

Daily Kos: Because I have nothing better to do with my time right now:

Jim Webb on Congressional Abdication

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

Some here may remember that I was very active in the Senatorial campaign of Jim Webb against George Allen in 2006.  Besides the fact that I could not stand Allen, my reasons included several things often overlooked when people rallied around Webb because of his opposition to the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq:
1.  Webb wanted to rebuild the American middle class
2.  Webb wanted to see a restoration of the proper balance between the Congress and he Executive Branch, particularly on matter of the military, diplomacy and war and peace.
Webb has always been a thoughtful and articulate writer.   Thus I want to call to the attention of this community a new piece he has up at The National Interest titled Congressional Abdication. The title refers to the Congress not exercising its proper role in matters of national security and diplomacy.
To give a sense of the article, allow me to offer this paragraph in particular:

This is not the same Congress that eventually asserted itself so strongly into the debate over the Vietnam War when I was serving on the battlefield of that war as a Marine infantry officer. It is not 

Because I have nothing better to do with my time right now

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

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Happy Bach Day To You

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

in honor of the birth,in 1685, of Johann Sebastian, may I offer this:

Popout
and if you don't want to listen for the full performance of this, I will offer a few more selections below the cheese doodle

Ed Committee backs crackdown on interest-deferred bonds | EdSource Today

Ed Committee backs crackdown on interest-deferred bonds | EdSource Today:

Ed Committee backs crackdown on interest-deferred bonds - by John Fensterwald

by John Fensterwald

Despite opposition from several education organizations, the Assembly Education Committee on Wednesday voted 6-0 for a bill that would severely restrict school districts’ ability to float construction bonds that would saddle future taxpayers with huge balloon payments.

These financial instruments are known as capital appreciation bonds, or CABs, and they have become common over the past decade. By deferring payments on the bonds for sometimes decades and extending the term of the bonds to 30 or 40 years, districts can end up paying interest amounting to 10 times the principal or more, instead of twice the principal as is common for a standard 25-year school bond.

District headquarters, Poway Unified

Poway Unified has become the CAB poster child. Taxpayers will pay no interest on the first 20 years of a $100 million construction bond in that district. When it’s fully paid off in 40 years, they will have shelled out $1 billion. But Poway Unified’s is not the extreme case.An analysis of SB 182, the bill approved Wednesday, cited an example of a 

New teacher assessment: much promise, many questions - by Benjamin Riley

by Benjamin Riley

What if I told you that: There is a major national education reform under way, with its origins in California; which may result in the creation of a national “bar exam” to enter the teaching profession; and yet few in the education community seem to be paying attention to this effort or weighing in on whether it’s worth supporting? This is the story of the education Teacher Performance...

Mother Crusader: Cerf Invites Edison Learning Crony To Open "Cluster" Of Charters In Paterson With No Public Input

Mother Crusader: Cerf Invites Edison Learning Crony To Open "Cluster" Of Charters In Paterson With No Public Input:

Cerf Invites Edison Learning Crony To Open "Cluster" Of Charters In Paterson With No Public Input

by darciecima

The Paterson public school district has been under state control for 21 years, and elected officials are saying enough is enough.  But state control suits NJ Education Commissioner Chris Cerf just fine. 

After all, if he isn't in complete control of the district, how can he hand out charter schools to his buddies?

I have been following and writing about the Paterson Collegiate Academy Charter School Application for some time now, because as soon as I saw Steven Wilson I knew he was the kind of charter operator that would make Cerf go weak at the knees. Wilson came out of Edison Learning, just like Christie, Cerf and Evo Popoff (Cerf's new Chief Innovation Officer overseeing the Office of Charter Schools) but all I could do was speculate that these guys knew each other.

If you follow this blog at all, you know I am a big fan of the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) and regularly submit OPRA requests which reveal all kinds of interesting information. So the thought occurred to me to OPRA emails between Wilson and Cerf or any other employee of the NJDOE.  

Turns out not only was I right, but Wilson and Cerf are chummy enough that Wilson emailed Cerf back in July 2012, three months before he submitted his application to the state, and the email went to Cerf's personal email 

The Business of Education | My Island View

The Business of Education | My Island View:

The Business of Education

by tomwhitby

As I have traveled around this country participating in education conferences I have made several observations in regard to the effects of the Internet and social media on various levels of education as a profession, as an industry, and as an institution. These are often the topics of sessions at education conferences that draw thousands of educators in to look at, examine, talk over, consider, and move on. This all takes time and has been going on since tech was first introduced to education in various forms as tools for learning. It may be time to step back and look at the bigger picture.
As technology advances there are consequences for many industries that either fail to adapt, or whose product is replaced by what technology offers. Horse drawn carriages were replaced by horseless carriages. Typewriters were replaced by word processors. Instamatic cameras were replaced by digital cameras, which are now being replaced by cell phones. Photographic film is not found in any of the millions of stores from which it was previously sold in mass quantities. The news cycle no longer faces deadlines because of 24-hour news cycles. Newspaper and magazine stands have only a fraction of the offerings they had even five years ago. There is no longer a Kodak, Polaroid, Underwood Typewriter, or Newsweek magazine. They were all giants taken out by technology.
With all that, we as educators should have learned from all the examples of those industries that preceded us as 

NYC Educator: The Good Old Days

NYC Educator: The Good Old Days:

The Good Old Days

by NYC Educator

A colleague told me yesterday about how she got her job. She was doing student teaching in our building and constantly being observed by her college teacher. The professor was effusive with praise for her, and her first department AP always found an excuse to be around and eavesdrop. He would shuffle through papers on a desk pretending to be looking for something, or stumble around as though lost in his own office.

When she finished her student teaching, he was able to offer her a job. Before she got tenure, he formally observed her, almost religiously, precisely six times a year. She generally did well, but her first time was particularly interesting, to me, at least.

The AP came in with his notebook (There were no iPads 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: It's War!

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: It's War!:

It's War!

by Mike Klonsky

Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them. -- Frederick Douglass

Barbara Byrd-Bennett will make her declaration of war on Chicago's most vulnerable communities today, when she announces officially that she will close 50 schools over the next few months, the largest number ever closed in one place at one time in the country, This first round of closings will move about 15,000 students to consolidated "welcoming" schools, dramatically increasing class sizes, heightening safety risks, and causing major problems for families with special-needs kids. This, despite research showing that the closings will save little money and despite more than 20,000 parents, teachers, students and community members turned out at 

'

Last Chance to Support #transformbmore EXTENDED | Re:education in Baltimore

Last Chance to Support #transformbmore EXTENDED | Re:education in Baltimore:

Last Chance to Support #transformbmore EXTENDED

by Edit Barry

Twitpic of MD Delegate Maggie McIntosh of the 43rd Legislative District arguing for HB 860 on March 20, 2013

If you’ve been following the fate of the Baltimore City school construction bill, you were probably hoping for closure Wednesday night. The vote has been postponed to give legislators a chance to read the bill. Haven’t read the details yet yourself? Why wait? Download the PDF of HB0860 here. The bill returns to the floor March 21 at 10 a.m.
For national context on the state of the nation’s public school buildings, this article is also worth a look. It 

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School Part VII: THE TRAIN WRECK southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School Part VII: THE TRAIN WRECK

by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)

When last we visited The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School we saw how the proverbial doody is hitting the proverbial fan. That ain't nothing.

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School is now nothing more than a train wreck awaiting the clean up crew wreckage of corpses of hope and education of what will ceased to be, especially after tonight's PEP meeting.

To say that there is no direction at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School is an understatement. Yes, we here at SBSB do believe that the intentions of the decision makers at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School were the best, however one can only look and see with the carnage of all about The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School. Incredulously, those in 

Voice your opinion on issues important to you. How? With one click. | Reclaim Reform

Voice your opinion on issues important to you. How? With one click. | Reclaim Reform:

Voice your opinion on issues important to you. How? With one click.

Posted on March 20, 2013by kenpreviti

Voice your opinion on issues important to you. How? With one click.
Refuse to be a willing victim. Speak out.

Simple: Find your Senators & Representatives in one click. Contact them.
HERE: http://www.opencongress.org/people/zipcodelookup

Simple: Find your letters-to-the-editor source in one click. Write a letter to your paper.
HERE: http://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4055/letter/?letter_KEY=210&tag210.email

School closings? Pension theft? Scapegoating teachers? Privatization of profit from draining finances from public services? High stakes testing? Opt-Out of testing for your child? Voter registration restrictions? Public employee and union destruction? Vouchers? Bullying? The list goes on… DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

The two links above are free and safe. They can be used by anyone even though particular groups made these available to everyone.

Refuse to be a willing victim in a society whose needs are being ignored in favor of extremist ideology and multinational mega-corporations with their billionaire backers legally corrupting legislators and purchasing media sources.

REFUSE TO BE A WILLING VICTIM.

Reclaim reform.

All Things Education: Constituents: Eric Cantor wants to hear that you agree with his bankrupt agenda.

All Things Education: Constituents: Eric Cantor wants to hear that you agree with his bankrupt agenda.:

Constituents: Eric Cantor wants to hear that you agree with his bankrupt agenda.

by Rachel Levy

Blogger's note: This is the second in a series of posts that I wrote in February of 2012 as part of a writing fellowship application. See the introduction to this series here. Eric Cantor's foray into education reform a la vouchers and privatization--he desires to "move heaven and earth to fix education for the most vulnerable" and says that "our schools are too dangerous"--along with recent attempts to re-invent himself reminded me of this post about how he was was (also) trying to re-make himself one year ago.

Eric Cantor has sent out an e-mail to his constituents; the subject line reads “I’d like to Hear From You.”  The congressman wants “to understand where you stand on the many issues facing our nation and how they’re impacting you and your family.” Included is a survey full of leading questions.

Eric Cantor is notorious for ignoring his constituents, but people or corporations outside of his district, however, are another story. During the 2010 campaign, his advance staff went so far as to have local police remove and 

Legislative Analyst urges conditions on selling district property | EdSource Today

Legislative Analyst urges conditions on selling district property | EdSource Today:

Legislative Analyst urges conditions on selling district property - by John Fensterwald

by John Fensterwald

The Legislative Analyst’s Office is taking issue with Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to remove restrictions limiting how school districts can use money from the sale of district property. The LAO wants to add a condition intended to make a district carefully weigh the option of selling district property to plug a hole in its general operating budget.

Until the recession, with few exceptions, districts had to put money from selling of district land and buildings into a capital account for building repairs or future construction. But in 2009, to give districts more options to deal with the recession, the Legislature temporarily allowed districts to spend the proceeds from the sale of property purchased entirely with district funds on one-time general operating expenses. These are defined as “costs that are nonrecurring in nature and do not commit the school district to incur costs in the future.” Only eight districts have taken advantage of the offer so far, according to LAO analyst Paul Golaszewski. San Bruno Park School District in San Mateo County was among them and spent $12 million from property sales  on textbooks, 

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Hold NCAA March Madness Press Call | U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Hold NCAA March Madness Press Call | U.S. Department of Education:

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Hold NCAA March Madness Press Call

Contact:  

 Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov 

Event Date 1: March 21, 2013 12:30 pm - 01:30 pm

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will hold a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) March Madness press call on Thursday, March 21, to discuss the need to strike a healthier balance between academics and athletics in college sports. Duncan will highlight progress that has been made in establishing minimal academic benchmarks for post-season tournament eligibility, but also will urge college presidents and trustees to better balance incentives in coaches’ contracts in the future to support the educational mission of their institutions. Richard Lapchick, University of Central Florida’s director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports; Tom McMillen, former Maryland congressman and University of Maryland basketball star; and Ben Jealous, president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), will join Duncan on the call.

Members of the press who wish to join the call may dial (888) 603-9624.

Event 1

Who :	U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan Richard Lapchick, University of Central Florida's director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports Tom McMillen, former Maryland Congressman and University of Maryland basketball star Ben Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP
What :	NCAA March Madness tournament press call
When :	12:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, March 21, 2013
Where :	Call in: Dial (888) 603-9624

Connecticut concerns about Renzulli Academy segregation makes Washington Post - Wait, What?

Connecticut concerns about Renzulli Academy segregation makes Washington Post - Wait, What?:

Connecticut concerns about Renzulli Academy segregation makes Washington Post

by jonpelto

The Washington Post’s education reporter, Valarie Strauss, reprinted the recent column written by Wendy Lecker on her blog, The Answer Sheet.

Strauss writes, “Are schools for “gifted” students promoting segregation? Here’s an argument that they are, from Wendy Lecker, a columnist for Hearst Connecticut Media Group and senior attorney for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity project at the Education Law Center.”

Lecker’s piece was first published in the Stamford Advocate and through the other Hearst Connecticut media outlets and then re-posted here at Wait, What? under the title “Gifted” to the right, “Special” to the left, the rest of you sit down and wait”

In addition, you can read my commentary pieces on the subject here at:  Gifted and 

Started a profile at myEDmatch for kicks, what a strange, reformy thing this is – @ the chalk face

Started a profile at myEDmatch for kicks, what a strange, reformy thing this is – @ the chalk face:

Started a profile at myEDmatch for kicks, what a strange, reformy thing this is

by Chalk Face, PhD

I saw that a friend on Facebook “liked” something called myEdmatch. Apparently, finding a teaching job is like online dating. To wit:

Complete the Core Beliefs Profile so myEDmatch can suggest schools that would be good matches based on your core beliefs about education.

So, is this tHarmony, or something?
I filled out some beliefs with minimal forethought and opened an account, under an assumed name, of course.
I realize that this is a Beta version, so its capabilities might be limited at this time. But let’s play around. So, according to my “match score,” roughly 101 schools fit my preferences. There are a bunch of filters I can choose

Ms. Reform: Education Reform as Starlet of NetFlix’s “House of Cards” by Adam Bessie

by Timothy D. Slekar

This post originally appeared in the Daily Censored at http://www.dailycensored.com/ms-reform-education-reform-as-starlet-of-netflixs-house-of-cards/
“Education Reform” is a rising star: once Ms. Reform was all but ignored, featured in arcane reports presented in monotone at heavily acronymed academic conferences; now, she struts down the red carpet in Dolce & Gabbanna at awards shows, billionaire tech entrepreneur sidled on her arm, waving at the cameras with a poised grace.
Ms. Reform made her big-screen debut in Davis Guggenheim’s documentary Waiting For Superman, where Oprah – and thus the entire corporate media – deemed her a rising starlet; then she made her first feature length appearance alongside Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake in the comedy Bad Teacher, which showed her 

Missouri Education Watchdog: Where's the "Do-Not-Track Common Core Data Act of 2013?"

Missouri Education Watchdog: Where's the "Do-Not-Track Common Core Data Act of 2013?":

Where's the "Do-Not-Track Common Core Data Act of 2013?"

by stlgretchen

Jay Rockefeller introduced a "no tracking" bill (Do-Not-Track Online Act of 2013) to "prescribe regulations regarding the collection and use of personal information obtained by tracking the online activity of an individual, and for other purposes." 

From calpirg.org and Free Cookies-Strings Attached:

Recently West Virginia’s Senator John D. Rockefeller, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee,  proposed the Do-Not-Track Online Act of 2013. The bill would require the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish standards allowing internet users to set their web browsers to tell websites, advertising networks, data brokers and other online entities that they do not want to be tracked online for 

Last Stand for Children First: Chicago Public Schools Promise to Give Every Student at Closed Schools a Pony

Last Stand for Children First: Chicago Public Schools Promise to Give Every Student at Closed Schools a Pony:

Chicago Public Schools Promise to Give Every Student at Closed Schools a Pony

by Last Stand for Children

Despite a reported 1 billion dollar debt, the Chicago Public Schools announced that all students at closing students would be given their very own pony.   District officials vowed to pick up the tab of approximately $2,500 per student for the ponies.

“Our research shows that children--particularly small children--love ponies.   We also have to consider that many children will have to travel further to their receiving schools.  Also, many of these students have seen absolutely no stability in relationships they've formed with people” said school CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett in a press release issued shortly after midnight.

District officials said they'll pay for the investments by "redirecting resources from underutilized" schools, which will be closed. But a 2011 study by the Pew Charitable Trusts revealed that many districts that have closed 

School Tech Connect: Charter Meeting Thursday Night in Bowmanville

School Tech Connect: Charter Meeting Thursday Night in Bowmanville:

Charter Meeting Thursday Night in Bowmanville

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

Raise Your Hand is putting out a red alert on the new Concept charter school that the appointed state charter commission just inserted into Chicago. There's a meeting Thursday night of the Bowmanville Community Organization; I hope people can go.

Concept Charter School Coming to Lincoln Sq/Bowmanville?

Despite the fact that the Board of Education rejected the application for expansion of this charter, Concept Schools appealed the process at the state level and was approved last night to open a new K-12 school likely in the Bowmanville area at Hoyne and Balmoral not far from “underutilized” Trumbull school and many other schools that are working towards building their enrollment.

If you are in the Amundsen, Budlong, Chappell, Jamieson, and Trumbull boundaries you should consider how this school would impact enrollment and funding at your schools.

What can you do? Attend a community meeting THIS THURSDAY at North Community Bank, 5241 N. 

Policy Intervention or Political Posture? | National Education Policy Center

Policy Intervention or Political Posture? | National Education Policy Center:

Policy Intervention or Political Posture?

by elaine

Christopher Lubienski

Fawn Johnson

Education the Louisiana Way
By Fawn Johnson
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., last Friday visited a private Catholic school, St. Mary's Academy in New Orleans, for a tour and a discussion with local education officials and families. The purpose of the visit, (gumbo and sazerac aside) was to promote Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's education agenda, much of which has landed in court. "We want to explore what has been gained in terms of experience to see how we can learn from this at the federal level," Cantor said after the event.
Jindal, a rising star in the Republican party, last year announced an ambitious education plan for Louisiana that has been cheered by school choice advocates and booed by teachers' unions. The plan forms a virtual battleground for a difficult education debate in a state whose schools are ranked among the very worst in the country. Louisiana is the perfect place for radical school proposals, and Jindal doesn't shy away from the task.