Sunday, October 27, 2013

Lisa MacFarland of WA DFER and her conspiracy theories

Lisa MacFarland, Director of Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) for Washington State, who received a $10,000 grant from the Walton’s as an “Education Reformer to Watch” for her work on pushing charter school initiative 1240 in the state of Washington and former Director of External Affairs with theLeague of Education Voters (LEV), just sent out an e-mail regarding the Seattle school board race.

In this e-mail, Ms. MacFarland said that Sue Peters’ was a conspiracy theorist because of the connections that Sue and I made a few years back between Bill Gates and Eli Broad and their agenda regarding public education that was described in our post The Lines

Surprising split in school reformer monolith - The Washington Post

Surprising split in school reformer monolith - The Washington Post:

Surprising split in school reformer monolith

But we say we are doing it for the kids

Critics of current trends in education reform, such as historian Diane Ravitch, often complain that they are up against a phalanx of business executives and rich investors more interested in making money than improving schools. These people, the critics say, march in lock step to replace our traditional public schools with charters, vouchers and online campuses so they can squeeze profits out of taxpayer dollars.

That sense of unity among the corporate types has been shattered in the past few weeks by a bitter quarrel between two of the reform movement’s most prominent leaders. One is hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson, one of the original founders of Teach for America and Democrats for Education Reform and a long-time board member of the KIPP charter school network in New York City. The other is Jeanne Allen, founder and president of the

Brown administration sides with schools over flexibility of LCFF money SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources:

Brown administration sides with schools over flexibility of LCFF money
By Tom Chorneau
Monday, October 28, 2013

In settling a simmering dispute between schools and civil rights groups over the use of new state funding targeting disadvantaged students, the Brown administration appears to have decided to give local officials authority to define the mission.

Civil rights and community groups had been lobbying the governor’s office, state schools chief Tom Torlakson and members of the California State Board of Education most of the summer to impose greater restrictions on the funds provided under the new Local Control Funding Formula – directives that would better ensure the money is being used to help English learners, low income students and foster youth.

But a staff report set for consideration by the state board next week on how the state board might craft LCFF spending regulations suggests the governor has sided with schools.

“It is as the governor said early on in committing to the principle of subsidiarity,” said one local school official who took part in the negotiations and asked not be identified. “You define it. You measure it. You deliver it.”

The report follows a series of closed-door stakeholders meeting hosted by the administration and the California Department of Education to get input on the new spending regulations as well as requirements on districts to meet new accountability mandates.

One key issue was how the state board might decide between two conflicting goals within the enabling legislation

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Military bases open their doors to home-schoolers - Yahoo Finance

Military bases open their doors to home-schoolers - Yahoo Finance:

Military bases open their doors to home-schoolers

ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. (AP) — A growing number of military parents want to end the age-old tradition of switching schools for their kids.

They've embraced homeschooling, and are finding support on bases, which are providing resources for families and opening their doors for home schooling cooperatives and other events.

"If there's a military installation, there's very likely home-schoolers there if you look," said Nicole McGhee, 31, of Cameron, N.C., a mother of three with a husband stationed at North Carolina's Fort Bragg who runs a Facebook site on military home schooling.

At Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, the library sported special presentations for home-schoolers on Benjamin Franklin and static electricity. Fort Bragg offers daytime taekwondo classes. At Fort Belvoir, Va., there are athletic events and a

Do you think TFA is a special interest?: “Get up, Stand Up” | Cloaking Inequity

Do you think TFA is a special interest?: “Get up, Stand Up” | Cloaking Inequity:

Do you think TFA is a special interest?: “Get up, Stand Up”

A century ago, President Teddy Roosevelt railed against special interests controlling our government:

Just as the special interest of cotton and slavery had threaten the nations integrity before the civil war, so now the great special business interest who often control and corrupt the men and methods of government for their own profit.
The Constitution does not give the right of suffrage to any corporation. The citizens of the United States must effectively control the mighty Commercial forces which they have called into being.
Laws should be passed to prohibit the use of corporate funds directly or indirectly for political purposes.

PARENT POLITICAL PICKS: The Network For Public Education | NPE endorses three candidates for Centennial School District School Board, PA

The Network For Public Education | NPE endorses three candidates for Centennial School District School Board, PA:

NPE endorses three candidates for Centennial School District School Board, PA

admin October 27, 2013 NPE Endorsements

The Network for Public Education has endorsed Michael Hartline, Betty Huf, and Jane Schrader Lynch for Centennial School District School Board.

Incumbents Hartline, Huf, and Schrader Lynch have worked together as part of the Centennial School Board to create a climate of cooperation between all of the stakeholders of the district’s schools. In Pennsylvania, the actors of the corporate reform agenda are looking to expand into the suburbs in a crusade to privatize the schools of the Keystone State. Hartline, Huf, and Schrader Lynch understand the influence of the corporate reform and they will continue to work to preserve the integrity of the schools of the Centennial School District.

The Network for Public Education endorses candidates for office based on our principles and goals. More specifically, we support candidates who oppose high-stakes testing, mass school closures, the privatization of our public schools and the outsourcing of its core functions to for-profit corporations, and we will support candidates who work for evidence-based reforms that will improve our schools and the education of our nation’s children.

The Network for Public Education is pleased to endorse Michael Hartline, Betty Huf, and Jane Schrader Lynch for Centennial School District School Board and we encourage those who care about public education to do the same.

For more information about The Network for Public Education, please visithttp://networkforpubliceducation.org.

I'm Shocked: Corporate Media and Corporate Mayor Speak Out for Corporate Reform Superintendents

I'm Shocked: Corporate Media and Corporate Mayor Speak Out for Corporate Reform Superintendents

SacBee Tribute to the Heroic Raymond: He took on teachers union - Marcos Breton - The Sacramento Bee

Raymond took on teachers union - Marcos Breton - The Sacramento Bee: Raymond took on teachers unionBy MARCOS BRETONmbreton@sacbee.comPublished: Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013 - 12:00 amBefore starting as the new superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District, Jonathan Raymond was told how he could escape unscathed from the no-win job he was taking on.“Rudy Crew (a former Sacramento superinte

2 by mike simpson / 3h

K-12 News Network | LAUSD: The Voters Have Spoken and Publicly-Elected School Boards Choose Superintendents

K-12 News Network | LAUSD: The Voters Have Spoken and Publicly-Elected School Boards Choose Superintendents: LAUSD: The Voters Have Spoken and Publicly-Elected School Boards Choose Superintendentsadmin October 26, 2013 Educators, Elections, Los Angeles, School Boards, School Districts 0Guest post by Karen Wolfe, a parent and public education advocate who lives in Los Angeles.Parents and public sch

by mike simpson / 2h

L.A. Daily News Says Mayor Garcetti Supports Superintendent Deasy And Questions School Board.

Garcetti: Deasy’s exit is “an evolving story.” When asked by a reporter directly if he was saying the current board is micromanaging Deasy, Garcetti said “Those are your words.” L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said he was “disheartened” to read newspaper stories about Deasy’s possible resignation. “He is a friend and (someone) whose work I support,” Garcetti said. (File photo by John

1 by smf / 2h

Change in leadership could leave L.A. schools in turmoil

When John Deasy took the helm of Los Angeles Unified in 2011, he was backed by the school board, mayor and civic leaders in a bid to transform the nation’s second-largest school district with bold measures to improve student performance.

by By Howard Blume a... / 1d

Mayor Garcetti 'disheartened' about schools Supt. Deasy

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Friday morning that he was "disheartened" to hear that Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy could be leaving the school system and the mayor issued a strongly worded statement about the school board.

by By Michael Finneg... / 1d

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch

L.A.’s Business Community Fights to Save Deasy

A leading member of the bar and a member of the California Board of Regents is urging the Los Angeles school board to retain Superintendent John Deasy, who recently threatened to resign. The letter was signed by George Kieffer, a Schwarzenegger appointee to the state Board of Regents in 2009. Business leaders are working hard to hold on to Deasy, despite his poor relations with the educators of Lo

2 by dianerav / 58min

Los Angeles Parent: Who Runs Our Schools?

As parent activist Karen Wolfe explains here, Los Angeles is in the district of a power struggle over control of its public schools. Wolfe says the voters elected school board members to reflect the will of the people. Superintendent John Deasy has threatened to resign as his way of pressuring the elected board to do what he wants and to get the business community to demand that the board let De

7 by dianerav / 1h

10-27-13 Wait What? - When will Steve Perry be shown the door?

When will Steve Perry be shown the door? - Wait What?:

No Mission Accomplished for Vallas’ when it comes to Bridgeport Military Academy

When facing the Connecticut superior court judge who eventually concluded that he lacked the credentials to serve as a superintendent of schools in Connecticut, Paul Vallas spent his time on the stand tooting his own horn and bragging about all the great things he was doing for the children of Bridgeport. Some were programs that […]The post No Mission Accomplished for Vallas’ when it comes to Brid

4 by jonpelto / 13min

When will Steve Perry be shown the door?

Last week, a White House employee was fired for using his twitter account to make insulting comments while on the public payroll. Tweeting while on the job got him fired on the spot and escorted to the door. His twitter account has now been deleted but according to press reports, the White House aide was […]The post When will Steve Perry be shown the door? appeared first on Wait What?.

5 by jonpelto / 1h

10-26-13 Wait What?

Wait What?: And meanwhile, Capital Prep’s Steve Perry missed 19% of school days so far this yearAccording to records on file with the Hartford Board of Education, Capital Prep Principal Steve Perry, who describes himself as “America’s most trusted educator,” missed 15 school days or 19 percent of the work schedule so far this school year. According to the City of Hartford school adminis

1 by mike simpson / 1h

Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Nite Cap 10-27-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best:

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."

YESTERDAY

Nite Cap 10-16-13