Morning Wink 8-8-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #edreform #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

TODAY

Winning the Common Core - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

Winning the Common Core - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Winning the Common CoreBy Nancy Flanagan on August 8, 2013 8:55 AMPerhaps because Americans as a nation have a gift for organizing, we tend to meet any new situation by reorganization, and a wonderful method it is for creating the illusion of progress at the mere cost of confusion, inefficiency and demoralization.Charles

by mike simpson / 18min 

NEA Today 8-8-13

NEA Today: TOP STORIESWhat I’ve Learned: Keeping History Class CreativeBy Cindy Long Educators may spend their careers preparing lessons, but often the most memorable are those they learn themselves.  With that in mind, NEA Today asked school staff –  everyone from classroom teachers and bus drivers to guidance counselors and school nurses – to share the everyday lessons they’ve picked up along th

by mike simpson / 21min 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Common Core Standards not so common

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Common Core Standards not so common: Common Core Standards not so commonCCCS were supposed to prepare students for a global economy by equipping them with critical thinking skills. They were touted as a way to even the playing field so that class, race and gender wouldn't determine what and who were being taught (See Jean Anyon on Social Class and School Knowledge).B

by mike simpson / 23min 

Jersey Jazzman: New York Test Scores: Reformies Go All In

Jersey Jazzman: New York Test Scores: Reformies Go All In: New York Test Scores: Reformies Go All InThe "reform" movement is going all in with yesterday's test score releases in New York State:Large numbers of New York students failed reading and math exams last school year, education officials reported on Wednesday, unsettling parents, principals and teachers, and posing new challenges to a natio

by mike simpson / 24min 

Building fighting teachers unions | SocialistWorker.org

Building fighting teachers unions | SocialistWorker.org: Building fighting teachers unionsAs rank-and-file teachers around the U.S. seek to revitalize their unions, Lee Sustar looks at the high stakes in the struggles ahead.August 8, 2013Chicago teachers, parents and students protest drastic cuts to the school budget (Sarah-ji)THE SCHOOL year is set to begin with teachers looking to the example of

by mike simpson / 1h 

Probe urged of donations solicited by Mayor Kevin Johnson - Sacramento City News - The Sacramento Bee

Probe urged of donations solicited by Mayor Kevin Johnson - Sacramento City News - The Sacramento Bee: Probe urged of donations solicited by Mayor Kevin JohnsonBy Ryan Lillisrlillis@sacbee.comPublished: Thursday, Aug. 8, 2013 - 12:00 am | Page 3BA Sacramento man plans to file complaints today with the local U.S. attorney's office and the state's political watchdog, urging those offices to investig

by mike simpson / 1h 

Paul E. Peterson: The Obama Setback for Minority Education - WSJ.com

Paul E. Peterson: The Obama Setback for Minority Education - WSJ.com: Paul E. Peterson: The Obama Setback for Minority EducationSteady gains for black and Hispanic students under No Child Left Behind have come to a virtual standstill.By  PAUL E. PETERSONShould federally mandated school accountability and testing requirements be abandoned? With Congress actively considering a major revision of No C

by mike simpson / 1h 

Bill Gates on His Foundation's Health and Education Campaigns - Businessweek

Bill Gates on His Foundation's Health and Education Campaigns - Businessweek: Bill Gates on His Foundation's Health and Education CampaignsBy Brad StoneAugust 08, 2013FacebookTweetLinkedInGoogle PlusEmailPhotograph by Mark Peckmezian for Bloomberg BusinessweekGates outside his office at the Bill and Melinda Gates FoundationYou recently tweeted that very rare clip of FDR being pushed in his wheelch

by mike simpson / 2h 

NAEP And Public Investment In Knowledge

Shanker Blog » NAEP And Public Investment In Knowledge: NAEP And Public Investment In KnowledgePosted by Matthew Di Carlo on August 8, 2013As reported over at Education Week, the so-called “sequester” has claimed yet another victim: The National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. As most people who follow education know, this highly respected test, which is often called the “nation’s rep

by mike simpson / 2h 

Schools Matter @ The Chalk Face

SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE: Who’s Lying to Whom? Duncan, Bloomberg, and the Rotted Common CoreYesterday Mike Bloomberg called the new test score basement that all NY schools have rushed into “very good news,” and he blamed the media for noticing that it was happening.  With State and City schools–at least the ones with poor kids–once more crushed under the boot (Rochester had 5% of kids passi

by mike simpson / 2h 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-8-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: In Plain English: Why “Reform” is the Problem, Not the SolutionAlan Brown, a professor in North Carolina, wrote this open letter to State Senator Berger, who has sponsored a series of destructive bills that were passed into law. It was published here. It is clear, informed, and coherent. The tone is friendly and non-confrontational

by mike simpson / 2h 

New Data Links Preschool Attendance to Kindergarten Reading and Math Skills |

New Data Links Preschool Attendance to Kindergarten Reading and Math Skills |: New Data Links Preschool Attendance to Kindergarten Reading and Math SkillsAugust 8, 2013 by Alyssa HaywoodePhoto: Micaela Bedell for Strategies for ChildrenEarlier this month, the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics released “America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2013.”Drawing

by mike simpson / 2h 

8-8-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: Startling Statistics From The Common Core TestsFrom the NY Times:On the English exam, 3 percent of nonnative speakers were deemed proficient, and 6 percent of students with disabilities passed. Essentially, if you are an ESL student or a student with an IEP, you will not pass the Common Core exams.Can't wait until they change the high school Regents exams.As things stand now

by mike simpson / 2h 

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: The in box. Arthur Goldstein on the Common Core.  Arthur Goldstein teaches English as a Second Language at Francis Lewis High School in Fresh Meadows, Queens. My friend NY teacher Arthur Goldstein sent me this article in today’s Daily News.   I’m trying to imagine what my principal would tell me if I

by mike simpson / 2h 

Teachers For Social Justice: ALEC Protest, City Council Education Committee Meeting and Bud Billiken Parade

Teachers For Social Justice: ALEC Protest, City Council Education Committee Meeting and Bud Billiken Parade: ALEC Protest, City Council Education Committee Meeting and Bud Billiken ParadeAUGUST 7, 2013 LEAVE A COMMENTJoin CTU & GEM Members This Week Thursday, August 8 at 12 pm     Students, Teachers, Clergy, Workers opened a weekof ALEC protests - Photo @phillipcantor17 E Monroe (at Wabash &am

by mike simpson / 2h 

Indiana Finds “Manipulations” of School Grades Occurred Under Bennett’s Watch | Scathing Purple Musings

Indiana Finds “Manipulations” of School Grades Occurred Under Bennett’s Watch | Scathing Purple Musings: Indiana Finds “Manipulations” of School Grades Occurred Under Bennett’s WatchPosted on August 8, 2013by Bob Sikes      Rate ThisThe reporter who broke the Tony Bennett grade change story is continuing to follow up. As per numerous requests, current Indians superintendent Glenda Ritz announced y

by mike simpson / 2h 

NYC Educator: Here in Bizarro World Massive Failure Is Good News

NYC Educator: Here in Bizarro World Massive Failure Is Good News: Here in Bizarro World Massive Failure Is Good NewsI just read at Diane Ravitch's blog that Mayor Bloomberg has joined fellow know-nothings Joel Klein and Arne Duncan in hailing the massive failure on Common Core exams as a good sign. I'm rarely at a loss for words, but I don't know precisely what to say to this.How on earth is a two

by mike simpson / 2h 

Gates pours millions in new grants to change teaching profession

Gates pours millions in new grants to change teaching profession: Gates pours millions in new grants to change teaching professionBy Valerie Strauss, Published: August 8 at 4:00 amE-mail the writer2CommentsMore(Andrew Harrer/BLOOMBERG)The Gates Foundation is spending millions of dollars in new grants that will further its already vast and controversial influence on public education. After spending

by mike simpson / 2h 

8-8-13 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Parents and Educators Reject Official Explanations for Dismal State Test ScoresCall for full transparency in state testing program and an end to the use of standardized tests for promotion, teacher evaluation and closing schools... Change the StakesHere is a follow-up to my earlier post:T-Day: For Deformers, Mission Accomplished. By now the scores have come out and they are a disa

by mike simpson / 2h 

YESTERDAY

Fourth Anniversary of My Blog | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Fourth Anniversary of My Blog | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Fourth Anniversary of My BlogDear Readers,This post marks my fourth anniversary as a blogger. I want to thank those readers who regularly read my twice-weekly posts, those who have dipped into them occasionally, those who have subscribed to the post, and finally those—nearly 5,000–who have taken the time to write

by mike simpson / 13h 

K-12 News Network | Local Control Funding Formula — A View From SoCal

K-12 News Network | Local Control Funding Formula — A View From SoCal: Local Control Funding Formula — A View From SoCaladmin August 7, 2013 Budgets, Los Angeles, Orange County, Sacramento, San Francisco, State Education Law 0By Deb McCurdy, special to K12NN and reposted with permission.Students throughout California are finally getting some relief.  A few weeks ago, the state legislature reached

by mike simpson / 13h 

Indiana - Grade Manipulation Found - NYTimes.com #Cheats4Change

Indiana - Grade Manipulation Found - NYTimes.com: By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSPublished: August 7, 2013Say it ain't so!or NOT!Cheats For Change http://bit.ly/13ti3BK The state schools superintendent, Glenda Ritz, on Wednesday acknowledged manipulation in the way Indiana’s schools are graded, the latest fallout from a report by The Associated Press that found her predecessor worked behind the scenes to

by mike simpson / 13h 

Centennial board members joins new national advocacy group - phillyburbs.com: 00redesign

Centennial board members joins new national advocacy group - phillyburbs.com: 00redesign: Centennial board members joins new national advocacy groupStoryCommentsPrintCreate a hardcopy of this pageFont Size:Default font sizeLarger font sizeEmail to a friendPhoto provided by Network for Public EducationMark B. Miller, Centennial school board member.Buy this photoPosted: Wednesday, August 7, 2013 1:0

by mike simpson / 14h 

Senator, state education board member consider debate on CSCOPE | Education Blog

Senator, state education board member consider debate on CSCOPE | Education Blog: Senator, state education board member consider debate on CSCOPEBy Terrence Stutztstutz@dallasnews.com5:22 pm on August 7, 2013 | PermalinkThe chairman of the Senate Education Committee has accepted an offer from  the vice chairman of the State Board of Education to debate a controversial series of lesson plans in Tex

by mike simpson / 14h 

Nite Cap 8-7-13 #BATsACT #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change

James Baldwin said it best: "For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAPTODAY“What Kind of Fool Am I?” Tony Bennett | Taking Note #cheats4change“What Kind of Fool Am I?” Tony Bennett | Taking Note: “What Kind of Fool Am I?” Tony Bennettby JOHN MERROW on 07. AUG, 2013 in 2013 BLOGSHum a Few Bars and I'll Fake it!http://cheats4c

by mike simpson / 15h 

“What Kind of Fool Am I?” Tony Bennett | Taking Note #cheats4change

“What Kind of Fool Am I?” Tony Bennett | Taking Note: “What Kind of Fool Am I?” Tony Bennettby JOHN MERROW on 07. AUG, 2013 in 2013 BLOGSHum a Few Bars and I'll Fake it!http://cheats4change.tumblr.com/It was the other Tony Bennett who sang that song, of course. But former Indiana and Florida state superintendent Tony Bennett probably ought to be asking himself that question.  As Tom LoBianco of th

by mike simpson / 16h 

What the Bee Didn't Tell Readers About the NCLB Waiver for Sac City | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

What the Bee Didn't Tell Readers About the NCLB Waiver for Sac City | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: What the Bee Didn't Tell Readers About the NCLB Waiver for Sac Citypublished by Kate_Lenox on Wed, 08/07/2013 - 12:16pmSacramento City Unified and eight other large districts across the state have been granted a waiver by  the US Dept. of Education from No Child Left Behind. The

by mike simpson / 16h 

NYC Public School Parents: Shock Doctrine: five reasons not to trust the results of the new state tests

NYC Public School Parents: Shock Doctrine: five reasons not to trust the results of the new state tests: Shock Doctrine: five reasons not to trust the results of the new state testsDear parents: As you may have probably heard, the new state test scores were released to the press and they are disastrous.Only 31% of students in New York State passed the new Common Core exams in reading and math. Mor

by mike simpson / 17h 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Get out of town, ALEC!

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Get out of town, ALEC!: Get out of town, ALEC!The NationIf ALEC thought they could slink in and out of this city under cover of darkness, they don't know Chicago very well. We don't play here.According to ALEC, up to 2,000 state legislators and lobbyists are expected to be meeting behind closed doors inside the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago. Although ALEC’s

by mike simpson / 18h 

Recess and Movement Breaks Are Needs… NOT Rewards | Connected Principals

Recess and Movement Breaks Are Needs… NOT Rewards | Connected Principals: Recess and Movement Breaks Are Needs… NOT RewardsAugust 7, 2013By Chris Wejrcc licensed ( BY SA ) flickr photo by Camdiluv ♥: http://flickr.com/photos/camdiluv/4441155157/Kids need movement. We all need movement.  Recess is a need.  PE is a need.  Energy breaks are necessary.If I am in a longer session and I need to move, I

by mike simpson / 18h 

SES IS A MESS So why only 8 Waivers? Supplemental Educational Services

Supplemental Educational Services: Supplemental Educational Services Statement on NCLB Waiver Approval - Year 2013"All California schools deserve relief from the unworkable mandates of No Child Left Behind"Description: What are supplemental educational services?Legislation: What does No Child Left Behind, section 1116(e), require for implementing supplemental educational services?Regulations: What

by mike simpson / 20h 

Letter to a Young No Excuses Student | EduShyster

Letter to a Young No Excuses Student | EduShyster: Letter to a Young No Excuses StudentPosted on August 7, 2013This fall, Boston’s largest public elementary school, with an all-minority student body, will reopen as a no-excuses charter.Dear [insert name here]:Another school year is about to start and I’ve got some exciting changes to share with you. Your old school, John J. Marshall, with its low

by mike simpson / 21h 

You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat! — Whole Child Education

You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat! — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGYou’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat!August 7, 2013 by Walter McKenzie"You're gonna need a bigger boat!" —Police Chief Brody, JawsThree able men are shoveling chum out into the water to attract the menace terrorizing their beaches. Suddenly an image begins to take form beneath the water, circling the small fishing vessel. The

by mike simpson / 21h 

PS 154 Community Look To Principal Carol Burris on Long Island as an Example of a True Education Leader southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com: PS 154 Community Look To Principal Carol Burris on Long Island as an Example of a True Education LeaderThe following is from the Washington Post's education blogger Valerie Strauss. Again, rarely do I copy and paste other blogs other writers writings, but Carol Burris hit a home run here.The community of PS 154 please, please take heed to what Ms Burris has written

by mike simpson / 21h 

CORE districts win ground-breaking waiver from NCLBSI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: CORE districts win ground-breaking waiver from NCLBBy Tom ChorneauWednesday, August 07, 2013Statement on NCLB Waiver Approval - Year 2013"All California schools deserve relief from the unworkable mandates of No Child Left Behind"In a move rife with policy implications nationwide, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan granted Tuesday eight California s

by mike simpson / 21h 

Missouri Education Watchdog: Data Quality Campaign and AT&T Want Your Personal Information. Why?

Missouri Education Watchdog: Data Quality Campaign and AT&T Want Your Personal Information. Why?: Data Quality Campaign and AT&T Want Your Personal Information. Why?Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook Do you know where or how your data is being shared via AT&T or Data Quality Campaign?This post is a follow-up to yesterday's article on the Data Quality Campaign announci

by mike simpson / 22h 

10 things I want all new teachers to know | Connected Principals

10 things I want all new teachers to know | Connected Principals: 10 things I want all new teachers to knowAugust 7, 2013By Justin TarteThis year I am working closely with our BTAP (beginning teacher assistance program) to help plan and develop some beginning of the year trainings. For the record, our BTAP committee has been doing a wonderful job over the years, however like anything, we are alway

by mike simpson / 23h 

Growth of K-12 online education

Growth of K-12 online education [Infographic]: Growth of K-12 online education [Infographic]Aug. 7, 2013EMAIL PRINT (0) COMMENTSWhat was once reserved for higher education is now a growing trend among K-12 students nationwide - online learning. More than 275,000 students in grades K-12 in the U.S. are getting a high-quality education - often through a full-time online public school - without board

by mike simpson / 23h 

Interview of the President by Jay Leno, The Tonight Show The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | NBC

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | NBC: Interview of the President by Jay Leno, The Tonight ShowPresident Obama On ObamacarePresident Obama explains some of the changes coming on October 1st.Interview of the President by Jay Leno, The Tonight ShowNBC StudiosBurbank, California4:34 P.M. PDTQ    Welcome the President of the United States -- Barack Obama.  (Applause.) Welcome back, sir.THE PRESIDENT: 

by mike simpson / 23h 

NASBE Bought and Paid For | Truth in American Education

NASBE Bought and Paid For | Truth in American Education: NASBE Bought and Paid ForFiled in CCSS Implementation by Shane Vander Hart on August 7, 2013 • 0 Comments8Well you have to appreciate that the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) is open and honest about being bought off.  From a presser they just sent out yesterday:ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 6 – Even as most states work hard

by mike simpson / 23h mark as read  //  save

Morning Wink 8-7-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #edreform #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSTODAYMade in America: Segregation by Design | the becoming radicalMade in America: Segregation by Design | the becoming radical: Made in America: Segregation by DesignPosted on August 7, 2013 by plthomasedd“The woman in the gold bracelets tells her friend:,” begins a poem by Barbara Kingsolver from her collection Another America/Otra America. A careful rea

by mike simpson / 1d 

2nd Banana 8-3-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

2nd Banana 7-27-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

2nd Banana 7-20-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 7-13-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 7-6-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

2nd Banana 6-29-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

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Nite Cap 8-4-13 Nite Cap 8-3-13Nite Cap 8-2-13 

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Winning the Common Core - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

Winning the Common Core - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:

Winning the Common Core

By Nancy Flanagan on August 8, 2013 8:55 AM

Perhaps because Americans as a nation have a gift for organizing, we tend to meet any new situation by reorganization, and a wonderful method it is for creating the illusion of progress at the mere cost of confusion, inefficiency and demoralization.

Charles Ogborn

There was another one in my inbox today--an irritating guest column from a grinning "business leader" urging Michiganders to get behind the Common Core State (sic) Standards, thereby supporting greater learning for our "future entrepreneurs, innovators and talent." (Read: low-level employees.) There was a total absence of entrepreneurial innovation in this column, alas, which seemed to be a cut-and-paste of the usual faux international-comparison stats, puffed-up claims about standards and outright fibs about the convincing "evidence" underlying the CCSS.

I have long held that the CCSS are a thoroughly political response to a nagging, century-old problem: our national inability to eradicate poverty via education alone. Pretty much everyone knows that standards, by themselves, have absolutely zero magical transformative power. If test scores improve as a result of the imposition of CCSS, it will be because teachers decide--one at a time, school by school--to reshape their own instruction, conforming to these national standards and the aligned tests.

Standards, however, were something we could do. It wasn't all that difficult to weasel a way around the federal proscription against a national curriculum, hire a bunch of writers and consultants, get something down on paper, then hit the road to publicize the new policy and 

NEA Today 8-8-13

NEA Today:

TOP STORIES

What I’ve Learned: Keeping History Class Creative

By Cindy Long Educators may spend their careers preparing lessons, but often the most memorable are those they learn themselves.  With that in mind, NEA Today asked school staff –  everyone from classroom teachers and bus drivers to guidance counselors and school nurses – to share the everyday lessons they’ve picked up along the way in a... [Read more]

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Fighting Budget Cuts, North Carolina Educators Dig In For the Long Haul

By Brenda Álvarez Schools may still be out for the summer in North Carolina, but thousands of educators in the Tar Heel State have spent much of July and August rallying in opposition to devastating cuts to public education. Teachers, support staff, parents, and school administrators have come out in droves in massive public protests, and many have... [Read more]

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Overhaul of Professional Development Critical to Student Success, Report Says

By Tim Walker Is the world of education seeing a resurgence of respect for the much-maligned term, “professional development”? Can it shake off its reputation for dreaded, episodic, daylong workshops that fail to connect to anything relevant in a teacher’s classroom? Maybe, according to a new report by the Center for American Progress (CAP), but... [Read more]

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Educators Say Enough is Enough, Let’s Organize!

By Amy Jordan What can you do when you feel like high-stakes testing is ruining education for your students? What can you do when you feel like your voice as an educator isn’t being heard by those responsible for making all the decisions about public education? The answer is ORGANIZE! That’s what 40 educators from seven states learned over four... [Read more]

UPDATE: Trib reports there's still no 'Safe Passage' Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Common Core Standards not so common

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Common Core Standards not so common:

Trib reports there's still no 'Safe Passage' in place for CPS kids

This morning's Tribune reports that security plans on new school routes are still in flux, with just weeks to go before schools open. The chaos within the CPS bureaucracy is threatening the lives and safety of thousands of children affected by Rahm's mass school closings.CPS Liar-In-Chief Becky Carroll claims it's all good and that plans are on track to smoothly shift students from 47 schools bein

by Mike Klonsky / 3min 

Common Core Standards not so common

CCCS were supposed to prepare students for a global economy by equipping them with critical thinking skills. They were touted as a way to even the playing field so that class, race and gender wouldn't determine what and who were being taught (See Jean Anyon on Social Class and School Knowledge).

But it appears that the implementation of Common Core standards reflects and reproduces the growing divide and inequities between have and have-not states and school districts. Given the expensive and redundant testing regimen that comes with CCCS, it's the testing,  publishing and training companies that are benefiting, more than the poorest and neediest kids.

A new report issued by the Center on Education Policy finds that, "cuts or freezes in state funding … have negatively affected CCSS implementation activities in some states," with 20 states reporting K-12 funding deceases. Twelve of these states reported that these reductions led to scaling back Common Core efforts. States also reported that their 

UPDATE: Jersey Jazzman: New York Test Scores: Reformies Go All In

Jersey Jazzman: New York Test Scores: Reformies Go All In:

Charters That Kick Out Kids Have NOTHING To Teach Real Public Schools

I blogged earlier this month about Montclair, NJ, which has become quite possibly the most important front in the war against spreading reforminess to the Jersey 'burbs. Superintendent Penny MacCormack - a Broad Superintendents Academy Book Club graduate and protege of NJDOE Education Commissioner Chris Cerf - has been pushing to bring the Common Core to this integrated suburb, much to the chagrin

19 by Duke / 38min 

New York Test Scores: Reformies Go All In

The "reform" movement is going all in with yesterday's test score releases in New York State:

Large numbers of New York students failed reading and math exams last school year, education officials reported on Wednesday, unsettling parents, principals and teachers, and posing new challenges to a national effort to toughen academic standards. 

Across the city, 26 percent of students in third through eighth grade passed the state exams in English, and 30 percent passed in math, according to the New York State Education Department. 

The exams were some of the first in the nation to be aligned with a more rigorous set of standards known as Common Core, which emphasize deep analysis and creative problem-solving. 

City and state officials spent months trying to steel the public for the grim figures, saying that a decline in scores was inevitable and that it would take several years before students performed at high levels. Under the old exams 

Building fighting teachers unions | SocialistWorker.org

Building fighting teachers unions | SocialistWorker.org:

Building fighting teachers unions

As rank-and-file teachers around the U.S. seek to revitalize their unions, Lee Sustar looks at the high stakes in the struggles ahead.

August 8, 2013

Chicago teachers, parents and students protest drastic cuts to the school budget (Sarah-ji)

THE SCHOOL year is set to begin with teachers looking to the example of last year's successful Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) strike as their union locals face their toughest struggles in 50 years.

It's difficult to overstate the challenges facing public school teachers--and the children, parents and communities they serve--as the next wave of corporate-driven "education reform" takes shape.

Privatization is rampant, with chunks of entire school systems like New Orleans and Detroit being turned over to charter operators--or with plans to turn them over. Half of the schools in Kansas City, Mo., have already been closed. In Los Angeles, charter schools have siphoned some 10 percent of student enrollment away from traditional public schools. In Philadelphia, budget cuts are being used to threaten the layoff of thousands of teachers unless their union agrees to staggering contract concessions.

What's more, new legislation in states across the U.S. mandate harsh evaluation schemes, attacks on teacher tenure and the proliferation of charters, thanks to the Obama administration's federal Race to the Top grant program that requires such changes.

The CTU strike was far and away the biggest and most successful example of teacher resistance to this onslaught. At a time when the CTU's national affiliate, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), is in full retreat, the Chicago teachers showed that an 

Probe urged of donations solicited by Mayor Kevin Johnson - Sacramento City News - The Sacramento Bee

Probe urged of donations solicited by Mayor Kevin Johnson - Sacramento City News - The Sacramento Bee:

Probe urged of donations solicited by Mayor Kevin Johnson

By Ryan Lillis
rlillis@sacbee.com

Published: Thursday, Aug. 8, 2013 - 12:00 am | Page 3B

A Sacramento man plans to file complaints today with the local U.S. attorney's office and the state's political watchdog, urging those offices to investigate Mayor Kevin Johnson's solicitation of thousands of dollars in charitable donations from Wal-Mart.

Eric Sunderland, a Sacramento Municipal Utility District employee and former city school board candidate active in local Democratic Party politics, said Wednesday that he will ask U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner to investigate whether Johnson solicited behest donations from Wal-Mart "in exchange for official action."

The city of Sacramento is considering easing its restrictions of big-box superstores. Current regulations require superstore chains like Wal-Mart to undergo intense economic impact studies when proposing new stores – a process that city officials contend has acted as a de facto ban on the chains within city limits. The mayor and City Council are expected to vote on whether to ease the big-box regulations later this month. Johnson is expected to support scaling back the restrictions.

Sunderland said he will also ask the state Fair Political Practices Commission to investigate whether Johnson has a conflict of interest in the big-box vote.

Sunderland said that he supports keeping the big-box regulations unchanged.

The Bee reported in June that Wal-Mart and the Walton Family Foundation – which is not

MY Wife Made Me!

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/08/08/5632538/hed-here.html#storylink=cpy

Paul E. Peterson: The Obama Setback for Minority Education - WSJ.com

Paul E. Peterson: The Obama Setback for Minority Education - WSJ.com:

Paul E. Peterson: The Obama Setback for Minority Education

Steady gains for black and Hispanic students under No Child Left Behind have come to a virtual standstill.

By 
• PAUL E. PETERSON

Should federally mandated school accountability and testing requirements be abandoned? With Congress actively considering a major revision of No Child Left Behind, that question has moved to the top of the national education agenda. The Obama administration, teachers unions and some Republicans are joining forces to gut core provisions of the education law that was one of the Bush administration's crowning achievements.

No Child Left Behind, which began in 2002, focused on the low performance of African-American and Hispanic students. It required that all students, no matter their race or ethnicity, reach proficiency by 2014. Since minority students had the longest road to travel, schools placed special emphasis on their instruction, and measured the quality of their instruction by ascertaining their performance on standardized tests.

Each school was required to report annual test-score results for every student in grades three through eight. (High-school students took only one test in four years.) Although all schools were tested, No Child requirements bore most heavily upon schools that received federal compensatory education dollars, which typically had substantial percentages of minority students.

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In 2008, Democrats secured major contributions from teacher organizations by campaigning aggressively against No Child's testing and accountability provisions. "We can meet high-standards without forcing teachers and students to spend most of the year 

Bill Gates on His Foundation's Health and Education Campaigns - Businessweek

Bill Gates on His Foundation's Health and Education Campaigns - Businessweek:

Bill Gates on His Foundation's Health and Education Campaigns

By Brad Stone

August 08, 2013

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Photograph by Mark Peckmezian for Bloomberg BusinessweekGates outside his office at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

You recently tweeted that very rare clip of FDR being pushed in his wheelchair in 1944. Why did you find that to be a powerful image?
Polio eradication is this amazing effort. We’re raising the money to get it done by 2018. When these problems leave the rich world, they’re out of sight, out of mind. And reminding people of what a big problem it was and how amazingly others responded—which is why we have these tools at all—helps people, saying this can be the second disease to be eradicated.

What are the prospects for the eradication of polio and malaria?
Polio is where we have a very concrete plan. It’s raising $5.5 billion—of which the [Bill & Melinda Gates] Foundation is going to give $1.8 billion. If we get credibility from the polio success, we can be more articulate about a malaria or measles elimination plan. The big one would be malaria, but that’s a long-term, in-my-lifetime-type thing, not imminent.

Can you share experiences in your travels that persuaded you to spend 

Shanker Blog » NAEP And Public Investment In Knowledge

Shanker Blog » NAEP And Public Investment In Knowledge:

NAEP And Public Investment In Knowledge

Posted by Matthew Di Carlo on August 8, 2013

As reported over at Education Week, the so-called “sequester” has claimed yet another victim: The National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. As most people who follow education know, this highly respected test, which is often called the “nation’s report card,” is a very useful means of assessing student performance, both in any given year and over time.

Two of the “main assessments” – i.e., those administered in math and reading every two years to fourth and eighth graders – get most of the attention in our public debate, and these remain largely untouched by the cuts. But, last May, the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees NAEP, decided to eliminate the 2014 NAEP exams in civics, history and geography for all but 8th graders (the exams were previously administered in grades 4, 8 and 12). Now, in its most recent announcement, the Board has decided to cancel its plans to expand the sample for 12th graders (in math, reading, and science) to make it large enough to allow state-level results. In addition, the 4th and 8th grade science samples will be cut back, making subgroup breakdowns very difficult, and the science exam will no longer be administered to individual districts. Finally, the “long-term trend NAEP,” which has tracked student performance for 40 years, has been suspended for 2016. These are substantial cutbacks.

Although its results are frequently misinterpreted, NAEP is actually among the few standardized tests in the U.S. that receives rather wide support from all “sides” of the testing debate. And one cannot help but notice the fact that federal and state governments are currently making significant investments in new tests that are used for high-stakes 

8-8-13 SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE

SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE:

Thought Dreams

I’ve nearly completely extricated myself from my daily reading and commenting on Facebook and Twitter. I’m a retired public school teacher. I’ve virtually stopped writing about education and the continuing destruction of our public schools. I live it everyday now as a consultant in the classrooms.   I’ve been traveling a lot over the last few […]

1 by Kuhio Kane / 45min 

Hasta la vista, Testing?

The dust has not settled yet from the release of the first year scores from New York State’s Common Core aligned assessments for Grades 3-8. The media talking heads, bureaucrats, and public are trying to frame what the results mean for New York’s schools.    Read here for some excellent commentaries about the scores from […]

7 by Chris Cerrone / 9min 

Ohanian on Achieve, Inc. and the Common Core

A clip from Susan writing at The Daily Censored–see the rest here: Reading the press release, I wonder: HOW to get people to raise up against the oppressive phraseknowledge-based economy, a term rolling off the tongues of the “haves” as an excuse for their refusal to acknowledge the vital skills possessed by people making things work […]

by Jim Horn / 39min 

Another Reason Why School Reformers Should Listen to Students

Most of the big education stories this month have been rooted in the situational ethics of school “reformers.” Common Core testing is essentially an experiment being imposed on children without the consent of their parents. This week we’ve see what happens when New York does something that no ethical teacher would do – impose tests […]

by John Thompson / 0min 

NYT Editorial Sinks to New Low

Dear Mr. Rosenthal, This is why I have decided to cancel my subscription to your paper today. Many people I know have already done so, but I’ve been holding out because of my love for the good journalism that goes on at the paper. As a teacher, parent and thinking individual, this editorial today about […]

by freetoteach / 9min mark as read  //  save

TFA: “It’s just one unverifiable anecdote after the next”

While it may be overly optimistic (which I am rarely accused of being) to suggest that the shine is wearing off the Teach for America brand, it is clear that credible challenges to TFA are being acknowledged more often, including resistance from within the organization itself. Some evidence-based challenges have come from Gary Rubinstein, Katie […]

4 by plthomasedd / 33min 

The New York Emperor Has No Clothes

The parents of NY’s students will have to put an end to the testing regime once and for all, the teachers can no longer protect themselves or the children in their classrooms from this Common Core testing insanity masquerading as education reform. From NYC Public Schools Parents: Shock Doctrine: five reasons not to trust the […]

by freetoteach / 10min 

Who’s Lying to Whom? Duncan, Bloomberg, and the Rotted Common Core

Yesterday Mike Bloomberg called the new test score basement that all NY schools have rushed into “very good news,” and he blamed the media for noticing that it was happening.  With State and City schools–at least the ones with poor kids–once more crushed under the boot (Rochester had 5% of kids passing reading and math) […]

by Jim Horn / 0min 

8-7-13 Schools Matter @ The Chalk Face

SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE: Governor Corbett Handpicked Government Careerist and Education Reform Lobbyist to Head State’s 14 Public Universities? Vote Tomorrow. by Sean Kitchenhttp://www.ragingchickenpress.org/2013/08/06/governor-corbett-handpicked-government-careerist-and-education-reform-lobbyist-to-head-states-14-public-universities-vote-tomorrow/ Governor Corbett has allowed a corporate

by mike simpson / 9h