10 Things You Can Do In School After The Trayvon Martin Tragedy - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson

10 Things You Can Do In School After The Trayvon Martin Tragedy - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson:

10 Things You Can Do In School After The Trayvon Martin Tragedy

by JOSE VILSON on JULY 22, 2013

Thanks to those of you who contributed awesome comments to my last post about Trayvon Martin. I’ve written some pieces (see here, here, and here) over the last few years about this topic, but by no means do I consider myself the sole expert on boys of color. I teach them, and I used to be one before I became a man of color. Yet, the things I knew as a former boy of color haven’t changed much. We need change. Here are some things anyone (specifically adults) can do to help our students do better both academically and socioemotionally.

1. Value them. Give them a sense that they belong in whatever environment you’re in, especially if you control that environment.
2. Listen to them. Many of them are so disaffected by America and all the illusions it brings. Let them tell their stories to you. You’d be surprised about what you hear.
3. Show them other ways, but don’t force them. They say the only way that people change is if they do it on their own. However, if they don’t see another way besides the direction they’re going, then they won’t move. We have to work in that middle lane between forcing our kids and showing them they have better potential than what’s

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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Announces Big Leadership Changes/Shifts

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Announces Big Leadership Changes/Shifts:

Seattle Schools Announces Big Leadership Changes/Shifts

From SPS(bold mine):

With an increasing number and complexity of Seattle Public Schools’ capital projects underway to accommodate enrollment growth, safety upgrades and technology infrastructure, Superintendent Jose Banda announced today that he is making organizational changes to provide additional leadership in the District's Capital, Facilities, Operations and Technology departments.

Voters approved a $694.9 million Building Excellence IV (BEX IV) capital levy, the largest and most comprehensive in Seattle Public School’s history, in February 2013. This, along with the current Building, Technology and Academics (BTA) capital levy, has significantly increased the scope of work in capital projects over the next six years. To ensure that the district is organized effectively to implement this work, the Superintendent asked for two independent reviews of the district’s organization related to capital projects and operations. The reviews were conducted by the national Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) and a group of content experts from the Puget Sound region.

One of the concerns raised by both capital review groups was the significant span of control assigned to the Assistant Superintendent of Operations. Both groups recommended appointing a new cabinet-level position to oversee capital and 

What parents really think about school reform:

What parents really think about school reform

By Valerie Strauss, Published: July 22 at 5:22 pmE-mail the writer

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School reformers like to talk about giving parents “choices” in public education because that’s what parents want. But a new national survey says that most parents with students in public schools want something different.  The two big questions are: What do and don’t parents want? And do reformers care what parents want when it turns out parents don’t actually want what they are offering?

The poll, commissioned by the American Federation of Teachers and conducted by Hart Research Associates, says that most parents want strong neighborhood schools — not choices of schools for their children to attend. They don’t want public money diverted to private-school vouchers, or low-performing schools to be closed, or resources being taken away from traditional public schools to be used for public charter schools, the poll says.

The issue that is probably the most troubling to parents is an over-emphasis on standardized testing, with 59 percent saying their child has experienced anxiety or worry about taking a state standardized assessment. In fact, most parents reject the bulk of the education reform agenda.

Here were some of the results of the poll, which a spokesman from Hart, a Democratic 

Georgia Drops Out of PARCC; Will Florida Soon Follow? | Scathing Purple Musings

Georgia Drops Out of PARCC; Will Florida Soon Follow? | Scathing Purple Musings:

Creeps Like Mitch Daniels Make Teacher Tenure Necessary

Mitch Daniels - former governor of Indiana and current president of Purdue University - is an anti-intellectual, book-banning little twerp: Purdue University President Mitch Daniels on Friday stood by his efforts to keep liberal historian Howard Zinn's work from being taught in Indiana schools, saying the actions he took while governor were meant to keep the book out of the hands of K-12 student

by Duke / 8min

Georgia Drops Out of PARCC; Will Florida Soon Follow?

Posted on July 22, 2013by Bob Sikes

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From Wayne Washington in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution:

 Georgia leaders announced today that the state will not offer a new and expensive standardized test tied to the controversial set of national standards called Common Core.

In rejecting the test, Gov. Nathan Deal and Superintendent John Barge cited its cost, which could have been as high as $27 million — slightly more than the state’s entire K-12 testing budget.

Georgia will offer assessments developed by education officials in this state, who will continue working with their counterparts in the region toward the goal of offering a regional test.

“Assessing our students’ academic performance remains a critical need to ensure that young Georgians can compete on equal footing with their peers throughout the country,” Deal said in a joint statement with Barge released 

Making the connections between Trayvon Martin and schooling in urban America | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Making the connections between Trayvon Martin and schooling in urban America | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Making the connections between Trayvon Martin and schooling in urban America

by thenotebook on Jul 22 2013 Posted in Commentary

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The death of Trayvon Martin and the acquittal of his killer provide a window on race in America in the “post-racial” Obama era. In spite of the judge's rulings in the case, the views of Zimmerman's defense, and the opinions of many, mostly white, people, race not only matters, but pervades our judgments on politics and social conditions.

Racial profiling doesn't take place only in gated communities--it happens in schools. The policies of a criminal justice system that targets African American males for detention, selective prosecution, and harsh sentencing are mirrored in the zero-tolerance programs of most urban school districts. 

African American males are more likely to be suspended, expelled, and arrested than any other demographic that commits the same offenses. Underlying these policies are the same stereotypes of young Black males that prompted George Zimmerman to act and fuels much of the support for his acquittal.   

The Trayvon Martins in our country are guilty until proven innocent. Juror B-37 from the trial thought that George Zimmerman’s “heart was in the right place,” and that Trayvon Martin “played a huge role in his death”. Martin, in her view, “could have walked away.” Of course, we don’t in fact know if he could have walked away if he wanted to. But the point is that, for Juror B-37, the burden for avoiding violence was on Martin. 

Following that line of thinking: When Emmett Till was murdered in cold blood for 

First the Blueway: Now the Common Core school standards | Arkansas Blog

First the Blueway: Now the Common Core school standards | Arkansas Blog:

First the Blueway: Now the Common Core school standards

Posted by Max Brantley on Mon, Jul 22, 2013 at 12:55 PM

• COMMON CORE ADVOCATE: Education Commissioner Tom Kimbrell

The legislature's education committees are meeting today and tomorrow and a hot topic is the Common Core standards, a bipartisan effort that arose from the state's governors and school officials to devise a unified set of goals for American education.

Sigh. It has become the latest conspiracy-theory-run-amuck for the extreme rightwing. Attacking the Common Core is a tea party fave. It's so extreme, that even some arch-conservative education think tanks (the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, to name one) have risen in defense and will be among those testifying in Arkansas.

When Sen. Jason Rapert started Tweeting concern about the Common Core, you knew where this was headed. The question is whether the wackjobs can rout the education establishment like they routed the conservation establishment on the White River Blueway.

The Billionaire Boys Club, in the form of the Gates Foundation, has provided a lot of the support for the effort to set a comprehensive agenda for grades K-12. The Washington Post explains here about the Tea Party warpath. The fear now is that states will back away from the Common Core and thus ruin the central idea of having the whole country pulling together toward a common goal of 

Improving Schools: The "Real World" Fallacy — Whole Child Education

Improving Schools: The "Real World" Fallacy — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Improving Schools: The “Real World” Fallacy

July 22, 2013 by Sean Slade

First, if you haven't read Tom Whitby's post "The Big Lie in Education," do so. This post is a follow-up from what Whitby has eloquently started.

While we are reflecting, refreshing, and recharging, lets reflect on what we are trying to teach our students and why. Take the premise uttered by many that education must prepare our students for the "Real World." What is this "Real World" that is often held up as a gold standard for anything educationally relevant in a time when everything is changing so quickly and dramatically around us?

Too often this "Real World" that people propose is an antiquated idea that bears little relevance to today, yet alone tomorrow. "Real World" cannot be an education system based on last century's framework. It cannot be a system based on last century's metrics nor last century's constrained concept of knowledge.

It cannot be anything which restricts itself to two or three core subject areas and tested by an antiquated and inherently dysfunctional bubble test. It cannot be anything which views core knowledge as a static and eternal set of numbers and facts. It cannot be anything which does not at its basis understand that we live in a time

The Effects of Early Learning

We have come to a pivotal point in education. The effects of early learning have consistently shown that children who do not have a strong start will continue to lag behind and encounter major barriers in the latter grades. Data from early grades have been powerful predictors of achievement and outcomes. Therefore, strong foundational skills in reading, math, and writing are fundamental for succes

by Dianna Minor / 3d 

Profiles in Education: Ryan Twentey

Ryan Twentey of Parkville High School in Maryland is known as a dedicated teacher who fosters his students' artistic interests to develop the skills they need to be successful in school, in the community, and in preparation for college. His photography and multimedia students have earned a 100 percent pass rate on the AP exam. Twentey also teaches interactive media production. He produces tutorial

by ASCD Whole Child ... / 4d 

Winning Rap of Science Genius 2013

    Connecting learners with curricular content so they take ownership of it and make it their own necessitates that design and delivery of learning experiences meets two requirements. It must be meaningful to learners. It must make sense to learners. In a paradigm of top-down education reform that effectively limits teacher autonomy, this is easier said than done. How much flexibility

by Jason Flom / 4d 

ASCD Affiliates Unconference

Over the past year, in my work with ASCD affiliates, we have been exploring ways to revolutionize the ways we serve their affiliate members. Why? The writing is on the wall that today's educators have different needs and expectations. It's difficult to get out of the classroom to attend conferences, and when educators can get away for professional development they want to be actively engaged in a

by Walter McKenzie / 4d 

Who Says Book Clubs Are Just for Moms?

I was honored to host the most recent Whole Child Podcast where we talked about ways we reflect, recharge, and refresh as educators. One theme present in the podcast discussion and one we hear about over and over again is reading. While we encourage students (of all ages) to read often, as adults we find it difficult to find the time to read between full-time jobs, raising our children, and, heav

by Kevin Scott / 4d 

Cover Up at IS 162 in the Bronx? Let's Ask District 7 Superintedent Yolanda Torres southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

Cover Up at IS 162 in the Bronx? Let's Ask District 7 Superintedent Yolanda Torres

On June 10, 2013, I wrote a post, "Where is the Bronx District Attorney When You Need Him?" I left a lot of details out, names, the school, the district, etc... Today, I am rewriting/rerunning that post but not holding anything back. Names, school, everything.

These three miscreants get away with such behavior while Christine Rubino,Francesco Portelos, myself and 8 other colleagues and the rest of the teachers in NYC are crapped on. Accountability from Tweed is bullshit. It means nothing. It is just watching out for yourself, your cronies, and those that live in the rectums of administrators.

Remember, this shit can't be made up! 

This happened over the course of several years in District 7 in the Bronx. The school is IS 162.
Yolanda Torres is the superintedent, the principal is Marilyn Manzolillo and the AP is Greg Papadopoulos.

But everything is true. Everything happened. Everything was covered up.
Greg Papadopoulos put in "long hours" at home doing the scheduling. I mean really really 

Weingarten: The promise of public education for all is ‘under assault’:

Weingarten: The promise of public education for all is ‘under assault’

By Valerie Strauss, Published: July 22 at 1:00 pmE-mail the writer

Randi Weingarten

Here’s the text of the speech that American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten gave at the organization’s convention in Washington D.C. on Monday:

This year, there were many reminders of the role that educators play in the lives of America’s children.

Take Rhonda Crosswhite, a sixth-grade teacher at Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla. When the tornado hit, Rhonda gathered her students in a bathroom stall, and threw her body on top of the children to shield them from the storm. As the twister ripped the roof off the school, one child began crying, saying, “I love you, I 

Federal Cuts Force Impact-Aid Districts to Cut Staff, Close Schools - Politics K-12 - Education Week

Federal Cuts Force Impact-Aid Districts to Cut Staff, Close Schools - Politics K-12 - Education Week:

Federal Cuts Force Impact-Aid Districts to Cut Staff, Close Schools

By Alyson Klein on July 22, 2013 1:24 PM

It's been almost five months since Congress slashed education spending through across-the-board cuts known as "sequestration," which were intended to force a still completely elusive, long-term bipartisan budget deficit-reduction deal.

The school districts that became the poster children for these cuts? The ones that get money from the $1.2 billion Impact Aid program, which helps districts that have a big federal presence (such as a military base or an American Indian reservation nearby) make up for lost tax revenue. About 1,200 districts receive those funds, and a small handful rely on them heavily.

Why were they the poster kids? Because unlike other key K-12 formula programs, Impact Aid isn't "forward funded," which means the sequestration cuts hit right away. (Most schools won't feel sequestration's pinch until the start of the coming school year, but it began to nip at Impact Aid districts last spring.) Plus, Impact Aid districts also tend to serve a lot of children in poverty, so they are more reliant on Title I money than other school districts.

How important are Impact Aid districts to the administration's argument that sequestration would be very bad news for schools for schools? Back in March, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan held a big press conference with a bunch of districts that belong to the National 

UPDATE: Common Core Assessment Sticker Shock | Truth in American Education

Common Core Assessment Sticker Shock | Truth in American Education:

Georgia Leaves PARCC

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported this afternoon that Georgia has decided to pull out of PARCC.In rejecting the test, Gov. Nathan Deal and Superintendent John Barge cited its cost, which could have been as high as $27 million — slightly more than the state’s entire K-12 testing budget.Georgia will offer assessments developed by education officials in this state, who will continue working w

by Shane Vander Hart / 25min mark as read  //  save

Your Help is Needed for Oklahoma State Board of Education Meeting

Restore Oklahoma Public Education requests the help of fellow Sooners for the upcoming Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting coming up this Thursday, July 25th.  If you are able please be at the meeting that is being held at the Oliver Hodge Building (northest of the Capitol on the Capitol Complex – 2500 N.Lincoln, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma  73105) before 9:15a to speak against the Common Core.T

by Shane Vander Hart / 25min 

Another Response to Chester E. Finn, Jr.

“Common Core: conservative to the core” is one of many articles Chester E. Finn, Jr., has penned encouraging conservatives to embrace Common Core State Standards. Unfortunately, Mr. Finn never discloses that his “conservative” Thomas B. Fordham Institute has accepted nearly a million dollars from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop supportive materials for Common Core Standards. Mr. F

by Karen Schroeder / 25min 

Common Core’s Negative Impact on Education and Biblical Literacy

David Coleman, the non-English teacher who wrote the Common Core national English language arts (ELA) standards, is conducting a charm offensive to persuade Christians to embrace the new national standards. According to Mr. Coleman, students “educated” under Common Core will be better readers and better able to understand Scripture, and thus will enjoy deeper and more satisfying spiritual lives. Q

by Jane Robbins / 1min

Common Core Assessment Sticker Shock

Filed in Common Core Assessments by Shane Vander Hart on July 22, 2013 • 2 Comments

Politico reports that a PARCC report to be released today guarantees Common Core testing will be more expensive than current state testing.  This just states something we already knew, but it’s nice for them to admit it.

The tests for Common Core standards are almost guaranteed to be more expensive than most existing state tests, according to a report from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers due for release on Monday. That’s for good reason, a PARCC staffer tells POLITICO Pro: Computer-based tests include plenty of “show your work” questions on the math and English/language arts exam. Answers that require human scoring are more expensive to grade than their multiple-choice counterparts.

The higher costs for this testing will undoubtedly be fodder for tea party activists who are engaged in a state by state fight against Common Core, railing against more federal government involvement in state education standards.

The conundrum for states that might choose to bail: Going their own way could still be more