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Friday, May 24, 2013

MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-24-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch





Will Obama and Duncan Condemn School Closings in Chicago?

Chicago Public Schools voted to close down dozens of public schools. As many as 40,000 children are losing their schools, many of who are children with disabilities. The vast majority of the children are African American.
Will the President and Secretary of Education speak out against this willful destruction of public schools and 

Why It Is Hard to Boycott Walmart

I never want to shop at Walmart. I hate to see even a penny of my money going to support the Walton family crusade to privatize American education.
However, I am in Watkins Glen in upstate Néw York, a beautiful town on Lake Seneca. I am here awaiting the birth of my fourth grandson. I wanted to buy a toothbrush but couldn’t find any pharmacy in town but Walmart. Lots of empty stores because Walmart has replaced almost

North Carolina Newspaper Puts Public Schools First

The Wilmington, North Carolina, Star-News published an editorial recognizing the danger of taking money away from public schools and giving it to charters, vouchers, and private vendors.
The editorial begins:
“Private schools and charter schools may satisfy individual parents, but they will not improve the public schools. They take not only money out of the system but also those students whose parents have the means, work 

Norm Scott: Obama’s Dilemma

Norm Scott, retired NYC teacher posted this on his website, Ed Notes Online:
We have Al Qaeda on the run but right now the biggest threat to our agenda is Karen Lewis and the Chicago Teachers Union,” said an Obama spokesperson.
“Our pal Rahm Emanuel has been forced to close 50 schools in retaliation for the strike led by Lewis and now suffers poll numbers so low they are getting close to the interest rate. He is actually being criticized for using money he saves by closing schools to put $100 million into building a new basketball arena where our president and Arne Duncan will be able to shoot hoops once their term in office is over. For that Rahm is being called the 

The Scoop on Chicago Privatization

Just saw this amazing interview and could not resist posting it in full:
*******************
An Interview with Paul Horton : What Goes on in Chicago—Should be exposed to the world?
[Paul Horton is a History teacher at the University of Chicago Laboratory High School]
Posted by Michael Shaughnessy EducationViews Senior Columnist on May 18, 2013 in Commentaries, Daily, Editor’s Pick, Insights on Education, Teachers | 0 Comment
Michael F. Shaughnessy -
1) Paul briefly, what the hell is going on in Chicago?
54 schools are targeted for shut down and 90% are 

Chicago: Time for a Néw Mayor

George Buzzetti writes:
“Chicago, you must set the agenda not Emmanuel and his destruction crew. You must take back control of Chicago and the School Board. There is nothing like a politician who gets the public mad as hell at them for change. In L.A. Monica Ratliff was elected with only $44,000 against more than a million and she never took a day off work and she drives a long way to her teaching job. If you have a good mayoral candidate the chances are good to get Emmanuel out and to elect sense again even if it has been a long time. Now is the time for 

Temps Scoring Essay Questions on State Tests

This article may explain why the big testing corporations won’t machines to score essays.
How do you think they score them now?
How do you think they have been scored for many years?
By temps. By people earning $10-12 an hour with no particular skills and minimal training.
Not long ago, I posted a story that said that Pearson was advertising on CraigsList in Texas for people to score 

John White Makes Excuses for Low-Scoring Voucher Students

Vouchers were supposed to “save poor kids from failing schools,” but what happens when the voucher schoolsare far worse than the public schools?
John White made excuses. He blamed the schools they attended the previous year.
No excuses, John!
“LEAP scores for third- through eighth-graders show only 40 percent of voucher students scored at or above 

Big Rumor in Louisiana: John White Heading to DC

The Louisiana blogs, which these days are the only place in that corrupt state to read honest and probing discourse, are buzzing with rumors that their state commissioner John White will soon leave for a job with Arne Duncan.
If true, he will not be missed. Jindal will find another reactionary ideologue to take White’s place and pursue the governor’s radical privatization agenda.
Why would Duncan want White? When Jindal chose White, Duncan called him “a visionary leader.” White would 

An Account of Historic, Tragic Day in Chicago

The best reporting on the historic closure of dozens of Chicago public schools was in the Sun-Times. It provided a human face to a public tragedy.
Most moving were the scenes at schools listed for clisure.
The board voted enmasse. It didn’t even take time to name the schools it killed.
The decision was rendered unless time than it takes to boil an egg.
And there was this:
“One of the speakers lugged out of board chambers by CPS security was Erica Clark, a CPS parent and 

PT Barnum and the Louisiana Circus

Louisiana matters hugely to the fate of American public because of the myth that Néw Itleans had a miraculous transformation once Hurricane Katrina wiped out the public schools and the teachers’ union.
Julian Vasquez Heilig here explains that the myth is a lie.
The Louisiana Department of Education controls the data and they are not releasing it. When they do, it can’t be 

Alabama Teacher of the Year: A Great Teacher Whose School Did Not Make AYP

Alison Grizzle was chosen as Alabama Teacher of the Year.
Read this article and watch the video and you will see why.
She teaches math at P.D. Jackson-Olin High School in Birmingham.
She is a National Board Certified Teacher.
Her school did not make AYP.
The punitive, no-brain law called No Child Left Behind

How Low Can Rahm Go?

Rahm Emanuel has distinguished himself by his sycophancy towards Chicago’s power elite. Here “The Nation”dissects his tawdry record.
The Chicago Teachers Union plans a voter registration drive to sign up new voters in the communities damaged by Rahm’s schoo closings.

Diane in the Evening 5-23-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Rahm: No Money for Schools But Millions for…. by dianerav Even as Rahm Emanuel says he has no money for schools, none at all, the cupboard is bare….. He somehow managed to find $55 million to build a private basketball stadium. Now, this is a mayor with priorities! Scott Walker Determined to Privatize Wisconsin Schools by dianerav Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is following the ALEC script: More charters More vouchers Lower standards for entry into teaching Did he ask the voters if they want to get rid of pub... more »

San Jose teachers, board adopt landmark teacher evaluation system | EdSource Today

San Jose teachers, board adopt landmark teacher evaluation system | EdSource Today:

San Jose teachers, board adopt landmark teacher evaluation system - by John Fensterwald

UPDATE:Obama Cuts Drones But Can't Guarantee Safety of Karen Lewis Ed Notes Online: John Merrow's Growing Relentlessness on Rhee

Ed Notes Online: John Merrow's Growing Relentlessness on Rhee Cheating Scandal Sparks Rhee Scrutiny:


Obama Cuts Drones But Can't Guarantee Safety of Karen Lewis

"We have Al Qaeda on the run but right now the biggest threat to our agenda is Karen Lewis and the Chicago Teachers Union," said an Obama spokesperson.

Karen Lewis seeking drone
"Our pal Rahm Emanuel has been forced to close 50 schools in retaliation for the strike led by Lewis and now suffers poll numbers so low they are getting close to the interest rate. He is actually being criticized for using money he saves by closing schools to put $100 million into building a new basketball arena where our president and Arne Duncan will be able to shoot hoops once their term in office is over. For that Rahm is being called the most loathsome politician in America? How dare they?"

"And some in the media have started ganging up on 

SHAME: Gala More Proof Success Charter and Wealthy Supporters Steal Space and Resources from Public School Kids

Do you think they could afford to get their own buildings? They'll step over the bodies of their former "scholars" who they've tossed back into public schools.


Scene Last Night: Loeb, Christie, Jones, Tepper, Singer

By Amanda Gordon - May 23, 2013 4:32 PM ET

Daniel S. Loeb put aside discussions with Sony Corp. (6758) last night to be the first honoree at the first gala forSuccess Academy Charter Schools.
With a “no counterparty left behind” philosophy, and feeling “a little bit like Don Fanucci” in “The Godfather,” as he put it, Loeb, the chief executive officer of Third Point LLC, rallied impressive support from the financial-services 


John Merrow's Growing Relentlessness on Rhee Cheating Scandal Sparks Rhee Scrutiny

John Merrow has been relentless in connecting the dots in the Michelle Rhee cheating scandal. Remember those glowing reports he did on PBS about Rhee (and Vallas in New Orleans?)

Don't underestimate how important the move of media people like Merrow away from supporting the deformers will prove to be.
Connect these dots to Walcott's almost hysterical response to the mayoral candidates.

I see on Dec. 31 Tweedies burning and shredding documents like they did in the US Saigon embassy on the day before the fall.

The New Republic, which I seem to remember being a cheerleader for ed deform (I may be wrong so check my 

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Good Kopp, Bad Kopp | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

Good Kopp, Bad Kopp | Gary Rubinstein's Blog:


Good Kopp, Bad Kopp

Two months ago I wrote about Wendy Kopp stepping down and two new co-CEOs of TFA taking her place.  As the weeks have passed, I’ve been able to get more of sense of who these CEOs are and what their views are.

Matt Kramer and Elisa Villanueva-Beard have been carefully chosen to be the faces of TFA.  I am beginning to see how they each might embody one of Wendy’s two public personas:  There’s Wendy the extreme corporate reformer who pals around with Joel Klein and who refers to TFA critics as ‘haters’ in commencement addresses.  Then there’s Wendy the moderate corporate reformer who writes editorials about how teacher evaluations should not be publicly released and who wrote a thoughtful response to my open letter to her.  Though I still don’t know a lot about either of them, it seems like Matt is the extreme reformer (Bad Kopp) and Elisa is the moderate reformer (Good Kopp).
Matt and Elisa have embarked on their TFA Listens tour.  Based on what they are tweeting about, they are listening, but only hearing what they want to.  And what they want to hear is that schools are plagued by non-TFA teachers who abuse students with their soft bigotry of low expectations:

The Educated Reporter: Guest Post: Teacher Turnover - Who Stays and Who Leaves

The Educated Reporter: Guest Post: Teacher Turnover - Who Stays and Who Leaves:


Guest Post: Teacher Turnover - Who Stays and Who Leaves

EWA's 66th National Seminar, held at Stanford University, took place earlier this month. We asked some of the journalists attending to contribute posts from the sessions. The majority of the content will soon be available at EdMedia Commons. Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing a few of the posts. Melissa Bailey of the New Haven Independent is today's guest blogger.

When a school loses a high percentage of teachers, what happens to the kids they leave behind?

A researcher shed light on that question, and a former teacher shared a solution, at a EWA National Seminar panel on teacher turnover.

The researcher, Susanna Loeb of the Stanford Graduate School of Education, said the teacher turnover problem 

Wisconsin State Legislature Takes Aim at United Council, Nation’s Oldest Statewide Student Association |

Wisconsin State Legislature Takes Aim at United Council, Nation’s Oldest Statewide Student Association |:


Wisconsin State Legislature Takes Aim at United Council, Nation’s Oldest Statewide Student Association

Just a few hours ago, a budget committee of the Wisconsin state legislature voted to eliminate students’ right to fund the nation’s oldest and most respected statewide student association, United Council. This could well be the biggest student movement story in the United States this year.
United Council, founded in 1960, was the first of the wave of state student associations established in the sixties and seventies, and has consistently been one of the most successful. UC has been a consistently strong voice for students in Madison and across Wisconsin, and is a model and mentor to student organizers across the country.
Though United Council has at times been controversial in some quarters, it rests on a democratic base of student support. Campuses join UC by student referendum, and students on campuses that choose to join pay a membership fee of $3 a semester as part of their tuition payment. Individual students have the right to request a refund of that fee if they oppose United Council membership, and any time that a student government or group of students comes to oppose UC, they can arrange to run a referendum to end their campus’s membership.
This is how UC membership has operated for decades, and it’s a model that is in place for other groups around 

Health reform plans, pricing released in Calif. - Yahoo! News

Health reform plans, pricing released in Calif. - Yahoo! News:


Health reform plans, pricing released in Calif.

California gets detailed look at impact of health care reforms with insurance plans, pricing

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Californians are finally getting to see what "Obamacare" means for them.
President Barack Obama's health care overhaul made a big leap Thursday when California's health insurance exchange announced the plans and the prices that will be offered to those buying individual coverage.
Some of the state's largest individual health insurers, including Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield,Kaiser Permanente and Health Net Inc., will be among 13 plans competing through the state's new health exchange.
The rollout in the nation's most populous and diverse state is important because it demonstrates how the Affordable Care Act will work on a large scale, health policy experts said.
"California really demonstrates that the concept of an exchange can work by really increasing head-to-head plan competition," said Caroline Pearson, vice president of Avalere Health, a Washington, D.C., data analysis firm catering to the health care industry and government. "It brought a lot of 

Teacher’s resignation video: ‘Everything I loved about teaching is extinct’

Teacher’s resignation video: ‘Everything I loved about teaching is extinct’:


Teacher’s resignation video: ‘Everything I loved about teaching is extinct’

i quitIn the video below, veteran teacher Ellie Rubenstein of Highland Park, Ill., resigns after eloquently explaining how teaching has changed over the past 15 years of school reform and why she believes public education is being misdirected.
Rubenstein, who teaches fourth grade at the Lincoln School in the North Shore School District 112, talks about how, at age 45, she left an advertising and business career and decided to become at a teacher. With 10-year-old twins, she went to night school for three years and earned a master’s degree. She initially loved teaching, but then changes in the profession began to eat away at what she was able to do. She says in the video:
The classroom teacher is no longer trusted or in control of what, when or how she 

Social Inclusion in the Middle Level | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

Social Inclusion in the Middle Level | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:


Social Inclusion in the Middle Level

Special Olympics Project UNIFY's picture
This article was originally published by NASSP, which is building a partnership with Project UNIFY and is currently a member of LFA
By Andrea Cahn and Betty Edwards
When you see me, I want you to see that we are alike.
When you see me, I want you to see that I get nervous sometimes.
When you see me, I want you to see a happy dancer.
When you see me, I want you to see a football player.
When you see me, I want you to see someone who tries to be a good friend.

The statements above are from It’s Our School, Too, a play reflecting poignant quotes and perceptions of students who for far too long have felt excluded from the fabric of the school—those with intellectual disabilities. Written by Suzy Messerole and Aamera Siddiqui and commissioned by Special Olympics Project UNIFY®, It’s Our School, Too! is based upon interviews with youth from the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area and members of Special Olympics Project Unify Youth Activation Committee. The play provides insight into the world of students with intellectual disabilities and the varying opportunities they have to be an integral part of the school.
Identified as a significant civil rights issue, social inclusion speaks to the needs of all youth to learn and live within an environment that recognizes their strengths and contributions while providing opportunities for them to be active members of the school community. Federal 

Elk Grove School district questions governor’s budget proposals

Elk Grove Citizen : News:


School district questions governor’s budget proposals



Governor Brown speaks to a huge audience of the state’s movers and shakers on May 22. Some of his remarks were on his school funding plan.



By Roy Herburger - Citizen Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, May 23, 2013 3:01 PM PDT
Would it be fair if students in the Sacramento City Unified School District that live on the north side of Calvine Road receive more state funding for each student than neighboring students who live within the Elk Grove school district?

This is the discrepancy that many school districts statewide see in Gov. Jerry Brown’s school funding proposal as outlined in his proposed 2013-14 budget.

On May 22, he spoke to about 700 California leaders at the Sacramento Host Breakfast and explained his position.

He wanted to use 80 percent of his local control funding divided up between all districts in the state on a student-by-student basis.

Brown proposed that 16 percent of the school money be divided up to assist schools with English as a Second Language programs. He also wanted the final 4 percent of the school 

Wow! A tremendous media report about high stakes testing. – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

Wow! A tremendous media report about high stakes testing. – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER:


Wow! A tremendous media report about high stakes testing.

Western New York has been a hot bed of high-stakes testing resistance this year. This media report from our local CBS affiliate is the most comprehensive look at testing issues and student data sharing I have seen anywhere in the “mainstream media”. Thank you to @RachelKingston4  for the detailed research.
Follow the author on twitter @stoptesting15

Dennis Van Roekel: Chicago's Students Deserve Acts of Heroism

Dennis Van Roekel: Chicago's Students Deserve Acts of Heroism:


Chicago's Students Deserve Acts of Heroism

Posted: 05/23/2013 2:31 pm



For weeks now, teachers, parents and community leaders have been protesting Chicago Public Schools' plan to close 50 schools in what will be the largest single wave of school closures in U.S. history.
The media coverage has been dramatic, but what you see in the eyes of educators who are so adamantly opposed to this plan is the same thing you see in the eyes of educators all across this nation -- the innate instinct to protect the children we care about.
There is plenty of evidence to suggest that Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan to shutter 50 (yes, 50) schools won't be good for Chicago's children, especially children of color. The New York Times reports that "in the 100 schools that have closed in Chicago since 2001, 88 percent of the students affected were black."
Not only is there evidence that all class sizes in the city will increase -- some by as much as 40 percent -- but recent studies have concluded that only a very small minority of students will be placed into substantially better school environments. And worse: children will have