Open Congress : Major Bill Actions Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress:

Bill Introduced: S. 1704: Affordable College Textbook Act

A bill to expand the use of open textbooks in order to achieve savings for students.

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Bill Introduced: H.R. 3538: Affordable College Textbook Act

To expand the use of open textbooks in order to achieve savings for students.

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Bill Introduced: H.R. 3461: Strong Start for America's Children Act of 2013

To support early learning.

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Bill Introduced: H.R. 3538: Affordable College Textbook Act

To expand the use of open textbooks in order to achieve savings for students.

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Bill Introduced: S. 1704: Affordable College Textbook Act

A bill to expand the use of open textbooks in order to achieve savings for students.

6h skip  //  save

Bill Introduced: H.R. 3461: Strong Start for America's Children Act of 2013

To support early learning.

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NYC Educator: Oh, the Horror

NYC Educator: Oh, the Horror:

Oh, the Horror

Charter school operators, who enroll about 6% of the city's students, are recoiling in shock from Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio's decision to represent the other 94% of city schoolchildren in his transition team. Don't they read Gotham Schools? If they did, they'd know that charters should be covered at least half the time, if not all the time.

What is with this guy, including public school parents like Zakiyah Ansari on his team? Doesn't he know she's an advocate for public school children? Mayor Bloomberg never paid the slightest attention to her. Bloomberg knew that what was important was finding ways to pay charter operators three times what the NYC schools chancellor made, and indeed there are now several charter moguls raking in big bucks as a result.

How are Bloomberg's BFFs going to continue hopping onto the gravy train if this trend continues? Are we going to actually spend city funds on public schoolchildren instead? That would be an outrage. Why would entrepreneurs come to NYC if they can't make money off the sweat of our children? It's bad enough we outlawed child labor. Now, just when we're finally figuring how to make money off the little urchins, along comes liberal de Blasio to throw a monkey wrench into the works.

Naturally charter school advocates are outraged. Eva Moskowitz made her kids, their parents, and her at-will 

Parents Make Better Teachers (Sara Mosle) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Parents Make Better Teachers (Sara Mosle) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:

Parents Make Better Teachers (Sara Mosle)

Sara Mosle teaches writing at Philip’s Academy Charter School in Newark, N.J., and has written about education for Slate, the New York Times, and The Atlantic among other publications. This appeared in Slate, August 30, 2013.

In a recent [New York Times] article, Motoko Rich described how many schools are now exclusively hiring teachers and principals in their early 20s who work for just two to three years before leaving education altogether. Instead of deploring this trend, charter programs have embraced a pool of eager, young, and idealistic college graduates, many in or fresh out of Teach for America, who are willing to work long, grueling hours for low pay and with no promise of a sustained career path.

The Times focuses on the resulting turnover and inexperience among these educators. Studies show that schools with high rates of teacher attrition perform poorly on average and that many educators don’t hone their skills until their third year in the classroom or beyond. The Times article, however, neglects another downside to charters’ emphasis on youthful hiring: Many schools launch with few or no adults on staff who know first-hand what it’s like to be a parent.

If you aren’t a parent, maybe this won’t strike you as odd. It wouldn’t have 

DeBlasio Appoints One of the Best Parent Advocates to Transition Team | janresseger

DeBlasio Appoints One of the Best Parent Advocates to Transition Team | janresseger:

DeBlasio Appoints One of the Best Parent Advocates to Transition Team

Posted on November 26, 2013 by janresseger

The New York Daily News reports that New York City Mayor-Elect Bill DeBlasio has appointed Ms. Zakiyah Ansari to his 60 member transition team.  Ms. Ansari will be weighing in on matters as important as the choice of New York’s next school chancellor.

As a parent of eight children, all of whom have graduated from or are currently attending New York City public schools, and as advocacy director for the New York Alliance for Education Justice, Ms. Ansari has been among the most effective critics of the closure of pubic schools in New York City and the co-location of charter schools into buildings that also house traditional public schools.

She has led statewide protests in Albany for fair school funding under the Campaign for Fiscal Equity court case remedy and she has been a persistent and outspoken critic o

'It Feels Like Education Malpractice' - Hope Reese - The Atlantic

'It Feels Like Education Malpractice' - Hope Reese - The Atlantic:

'It Feels Like Education Malpractice'

What one woman learned from 10 years of teaching in a New York City public school

 

Jim Young/Reuters

Laurel Sturt was a 46-year-old fashion designer in New York City whose career trajectory took an unlikely shift one day on the subway. A self-proclaimed social activist, Sturt noticed an ad for a Teaching Fellows program. Then and there, she decided to quit her job in fashion design and shift her focus to her real passion: helping others. She enrolled in the two-year program and was assigned to teach at an elementary school in a high-poverty neighborhood near the South Bronx.

A decade later, Sturt has written about the experience in her provocative memoir Davonte’s Inferno: Ten Years in the New York Public School Gulag. I spoke with her about how her time in the classroom affected her views on education today.

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You got into teaching at the age of 46, which is later than most. What 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Making learning authentic

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Making learning authentic:

Making learning authentic

With attacks mounting on colleges of education, including from Sec. of Ed Arne Duncan, I'm happy to read the occasional story about good young teachers who learned their skills in good teacher training programs. Yesterday's piece in DNAinfo gives us a snapshot of 5th-grade teacher Heather Reed at Chicago's Pritzker Elementary, teaching the way it's supposed to be done. Ms. Reed comes out of DePaul's teacher ed program.

Now in her eighth year of teaching at Pritzker School, Reed said her approach to teaching "relies heavily on making learning authentic to my students" because "if a topic doesn't matter to them, or they can't find something interesting in it, they're not very likely to understand or remember it."

Quotables

Billionaire Rauner

Bruce Rauner

“Capitalism is the greatest poverty-fighting 

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 11-25-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2

Nite Cap UPDATE

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

CORPORATE ED REFORM

EF English Proficiency Index not the way to measure a nation's English language proficiency

Index not a valid guide to English skills Published November 16, South China Morning PostI refer to the article by William Wang ("Hongkongers need to learn English from an early age", November 11). He makes the recommendation highlighted in your headline because of Hong Kong's ranking on the Education First (EF) English Proficiency Index.Policy decisions about English education should no

by skrashen / 19min 

Al Gore is now a vegan

as you can read in this blog post by Juliet Eilperin at the Washington Post. She notes that the story first surface in a passing mention in this Forbes piece on Hampton Creek Foods.  The relevant paragraph in the Forbes piece, without the hot links, is as follows (with the specific words in bold): While Tetrick, Hampton Creek’s CEO, hasn’t been able to persuade everyone, it’s the type of people he

by rss@dailykos.com ... / 6min 

Late, Late Night FDL: Like A Rolling Stone

Here is the Interactive Video. The interactive video is set up to look like a TV screen. And you can flip through the channels as the song plays, and each click reveals a new show in which the stars lip sync to the 1965 classic. There are 16 different channels in which to surf, including reality shows, a shopping network, news programs and even a cooking show. Be sure to click though all of the s

by CTuttle / 3min 

The in box. Todd Mertz: Act now. Rest later.

From teacher and pension activist Todd Metz. Friends and Colleagues We have been fighting this for four years.  Many are tired of it.  Many are sick of contacting their legislators…over and over. But now is the time to push through.  Our legislators need to hear from all of us again. It just takes a minute. At 5:00 tonight, the House confirmed that our legislators will return to Springfield a week

by Fred Klonsky / 3h 

My Daughter’s Kindergarten Common Core Math Workbook

The Common Core has hit home for me, literally.  I received from my daughter’s school a kindergarten common core workbook, and, as you might imagine, I have ‘issues’ with it. My daughter’s school, like most schools, is having a budget crisis.  So when I think that these workbooks each retail for about $30, I question if this is the best use of scarce funds. Now I will be the first to admit that I

by Gary Rubinstein / 1h 

Why You Can’t Click “Publish”

My last blog post started with this sentence: “Here’s the lastest videos educator’s are jacked about” Two clear spelling errors. I had already published it and while it’s not uncommon for me to fix and edit these after I’ve posted it, I missed these two. I received a DM on twitter letting me know about this. That’s not the first time I’ve had people DM me and I appreciate it every time someone doe

by Dean Shareski / 2h 

What Are The Cognitive Impacts Of Poverty?

Earlier this year, I posted The Best Articles About The Study Showing Social Emotional Learning Isn’t Enough, which highlighted a study showing that social emotional learning isn’t enough — that poverty causes a lack of self-control and perseverance and it’s not the other way around. Since that time, a number of other articles have been published focusing on that same subject –the cognitive impac

by Larry Ferlazzo / 3h 

"inBloom Score" for Rating Student Discipline for Colleges Proposed by NY School Boards Association

Across the nation, public school families have been acutely concerned with the unprecedented and potentially illegal creation of a massive, cloud-based database of sensitive student data.  These concerns have met with derision from a range of corporate reform-minded policy makers and pundits.  But testimony offered to the New York State Assembly last week proves there are people who clearly intend

by Patrick J. Sulliv... / 3h 

 mark as read

Ed Roundup for Week Ending 11-22-13 - Year 2013

Ed Roundup for Week Ending 11-22-13 - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): Education Roundup for Week Ending November 22, 2013SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Education (CDE) today issued this week's Education Roundup of education-related announcements of public interest.STEM Symposium ConcludesThe CDE's California Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Symposium came to a successful conclusion this week in Sacramento as 2,100 attendees shared best practices, ideas, and strategies on how to bring high-quality STEM education to life in the classroom.Teachers, administrator

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Fast for Families

Fast for Families:  What we hope to accomplishThis year, we have come the closest ever to achieving real immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. In June, the U.S. Senate passed a comprehensive, bipartisan immigration bill (S.744). Now, the House of Representatives has chance to complete the dream for 11 million aspiring Americans by addressing the moral crisis that is our broken immigration system.Unfortunately, the Republican leadership in the House continues to delay a vote on the one issue that holds strong bipartisan support and is backed by a breadth of communities and groups ac

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Nite Cap 11-25-13 #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."A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP mark as readThe Network For Public Education | Grass Roots Report: Videos and account of hearings on the dangers of inBloom and private data-sharing in Albany and Chicago2min National Day of Action December 9th | WeArePCAPSNational Day of Action December 9th | WeArePCAPS: National Day of Action December 9th9min National Governors Association Pushes for Third-Grade Reading Proficiency |National Governors Association Pushes for Third-Grade Rea

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11-25-13 Fred Klonsky | Running for our pensions. | VOTE 4 Fred Klonsky.

And the Bats

With A Brooklyn Accent Go BATs All Week 11-23-13

Ed Roundup for Week Ending 11-22-13 - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

Ed Roundup for Week Ending 11-22-13 - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education):

Education Roundup for Week Ending November 22, 2013

SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Education (CDE) today issued this week's Education Roundup of education-related announcements of public interest.

STEM Symposium Concludes

The CDE's California Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Symposium came to a successful conclusion this week in Sacramento as 2,100 attendees shared best practices, ideas, and strategies on how to bring high-quality STEM education to life in the classroom.

Teachers, administrators, STEM program providers, and philanthropic and business leaders from around the state attended the two-day event. Speakers included State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson; NBA legend and California's After-School STEM Ambassador Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; Academy Award-winning actor Geena Davis, founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and chair of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls; education scientist and 2013 TED Prize winner luminary Dr. Sugata Mitra; National Vice President of SkillsUSA Laura Gouillon; teen programmer and entrepreneur Thomas Suarez; neuroscientist Dr. Kenneth Wesson; and former astronaut and Reaching for the Stars! Foundation founder José Hernández.

All STEM sectors were presented at the Symposium, including computer science, robot technology, manufacturing, health science, and more across all grades from preschool through post-secondary. Attendees participated in hands-on workshops, students and teachers demonstrated their STEM projects and initiatives, and the vendor marketplace displayed 64 businesses supporting STEM education.

The event was sponsored by the CDE, the Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation , and the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls .

Five California Schools Receive National Grants

The CDE congratulated five school districts for receiving U.S. Department of Agriculture 2014 Farm to School Grants (PDF) designed to improve access to local foods in eligible schools.

Modesto City High School District received $90,751 to improve processing capabilities to bring in more local food on the school menu, hold promotional activities, develop new menus, and expand its school garden program at four sites to help students understand where their food originates.

Oakland Unified School District received $100,000 to purchase more locally produced food and develop a "California Thursdays" program featuring this food to help students understand more about agriculture.

Pasadena Unified School District received $44,486 to introduce more locally produced fresh fruits and vegetables to its students and reach out to their families to encourage them to cook more with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Pittsburg Unified School District received $100,000 to start a program to increase the awareness among students and their families about nutrition and healthy eating options, including fresh fruits and vegetables.

Sweetwater Union High School District received $44,935 to introduce more locally produced fresh fruits and vegetables to its students and to incorporate local food products in their menus to help students understand more about the origins of their food.

Four Food Directors Honored at Nutrition Event

The CDE also congratulated four child nutrition directors who received awards for their leadership, being innovative, and an inspiration to others in the field of child nutrition services during the "A Celebration of California Food and Cultures  " event in Palm Springs.

The event's sponsor, the Center for Ecoliteracy , honored Rodney Taylor of Riverside Unified School District, Sandy Curwood of Conejo Valley Unified School District, Pilar Gray of Fort Bragg Unified School District, and Scott Soiseth of Turlock Unified School District.

The CDE selected the four honorees to serve as ambassadors to provide inspiration and technical assistance at leadership conferences throughout the state where other child nutrition directors can receive training. There are currently 14 ambassadors who provided 10 training sessions last month and are expected to provide another 15 training sessions next year.

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Fast for Families #Fast4Families #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2

Fast for Families:

 What we hope to accomplish

This year, we have come the closest ever to achieving real immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. In June, the U.S. Senate passed a comprehensive, bipartisan immigration bill (S.744). Now, the House of Representatives has chance to complete the dream for 11 million aspiring Americans by addressing the moral crisis that is our broken immigration system.

Unfortunately, the Republican leadership in the House continues to delay a vote on the one issue that holds strong bipartisan support and is backed by a breadth of communities and groups across the country.

Every day the House leadership stalls on a vote for immigration reform, families and communities suffer the impact of deportations, deaths on the border, exploitation at work and the fear of living in the shadows with no path to citizenship.

By fasting, we hope to follow the examples of Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi to touch the compassion and sensibilities of our elected leaders to address the moral crisis of an immigration system that fails to comport with our national values, our creeds and belief in justice.

It’s time to once and for all pass true immigration reform.
Read the Fasters’ Declaration

• View a list of the sponsors who are supporting the Fast for Families campaign
• Read more about the current immigration legislation