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Saturday, December 14, 2013

12-14-13 Ed Notes Online Week


Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online




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Susan's Saturday Morning Special
The weekly weekend reading list from Susan Ohanian. We have a few new cartoons:Classic New Yorker Cover Using Apple Maps apphttp://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=861http://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=860Buy! Buy! Buy! Reading Comprehension Activity for ESL StudentsOne of the Great Openings in Literaturehttp://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=859Future Worker in the Global Economyhttp://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=858Listen to Childrenhttp://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=857Preparing tomorrow's critical thinkers for corporate Americahttp://susanohanian.or
Norm in The Wave: On Poverty, Education, Labor: Is Obama Really a Liberal?
A total (much-needed) rewrite of a blog post I did on a Paul Krugman column with some expanded political points.Published Friday, December 13, 2013 in The Wave and at www.rockawave.comOn Poverty, Education, Labor: Is Obama Really a Liberal?By Norm ScottAs a lefty/progressive (don’t dare call me a liberal), family events like Thanksgiving with a mostly conservative/tea party family can be either enervating or energizing, depending on who ends up with a bowl of cranberry sauce on his head. Obama is a major bone of contention with most of the family viewing him as a wild-eyed radical looking to t
NYC Principal Brian De Vale: I am Daniel-San
I would like to thank John King for forcing this system upon me. My job has never been easier. In fact a high functioning ape could now probably do my job.... Brian De Vale, NYC PrincipalIt doesn't get any better.From: De Vale BrianSent: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 7:24 PMTo: Logan Ernest (SCA); mmulgrew@uft.org; Suransky ShaelSubject: I am Daniel -SanI think the entire New Teacher Evaluation System is a disgrace. It strips principals of our ability to write proper, professional observations and I believe it was more about the money paid to the people who made the software and system than it

DEC 12

22,091 homeless children, how many are at a Moskowitz Success Academy Charter School?
Their numbers have risen above anything in the city’s modern history, to a staggering 22,091 this month. If all of the city’s homeless children were to file into Madison Square Garden for a hockey game, more than 4,800 would not have a seat... Andrea Elliot, NY TimesAnd how many would find a seat at an Eva Moskowitz Success Academy Charter School? Or in fact, how many of these 22,000 children are
Rosalie Friend Reports on Ravitch and Farina at PS 15
Excellent report from Rosalie as a follow-up to the report I received yesterday (Carmen Farina Introduces Diane Ravitch at PS 15K Community Library Opening).And by the way, for those who don't get what school-based organizing is all about, check out an expert like Julie Cavanagh. From Rosalie Friend to Change the Stakes Listserve:At the presentation at PS 15, Carmen Farina seemed to back Diane's a

DEC 11

Carmen Farina Introduces Diane Ravitch at PS 15K Community Library Opening
Yesterday was a big day for the PS 15K community in Redhook with two red hot ed superstars, Diane Ravitch and rumored next chancellor Carmen Farina, in attendance. Actually in my book, 3 superstars if you count Julie Cavanagh, PS 15 chapter leader and one of the event organizers.Carmen Farina has been the chair of the "Friends of PS 15 Committee" for 3 years and helped get the school a n
Substance: Chitown CEO Nixed in NYC!... Byrd Bennett strikes out in New York City as her slavish adherence to Rahm's school closing quota catches up with her
Chicago schools Chief Executive Officer Barbara Byrd Bennett completed her main assignment from Mayor Rahm Emanuel at the Board of Education's May 22, 2013 meeting when she recommended the gutting of the city's real public school system with the unprecedented closing of 49 of Chicago's real public schools. The recommendation, which was passed unanimously by the seven member school board of the nat

DEC 10

Farina and Cashin, Part 2: MOREistas Chime in With Praise for Both
There were mostly positive reactions to both candidates from MORE members on our post, Farina vs. Cashin: Battle of Philosophies, Part 1.Given that my progressive education preferences lead me to favor Farina, I may be unfair to Cashin who 20 years ago I had a personal problem with due to her harassment of a teacher friend when she was principal at PS 193K.So this came in from a respected colleagu
Farina vs. Cashin: Battle of Philosophies, Part 1
Rachel Monahan is reporting that the job of chancellor is all hers if Carmen Farina wants it. Farina only has emerged as a serious candidate over the past few days given her stated desire to spend time with her grandkid(s). I hear from some people this is close to a done deal. And given the options it is one I support despite some feelings that Farina doesn't always live in the real world -- I'll
Eva Moskowitz' Success Academy Gets Preferential DOE Treatment, Emails Show- DUHHH!
NEW YORK CITY — When Eva Moskowitz starts a new charter school, top officials at the city’s Department of Education move heaven and earth to meet her demands.During the past two years, the DOE gave Moskowitz’s controversial chain, Success Academy, rent-free space in city school buildings to open 14 new co-location sites. In each handover, Moskowitz demanded the DOE deliver the space clear of furni
39% of frontline bank employees must rely need public assistance because of insufficient wages - The Real News
Use this info at your next family gathering where your tea party relatives rail against the 47% of the nation who are "moochers" living off the hard-earned "winnings" of the 1%. 1 out of 3 Bank Tellers in NY on Public Assistance New report finds bank executives receive big bonuses, while 39% of frontline bank employees must rely on welfare because of insufficient wage. See vide

DEC 09

E4E Member Resigns in Protest Over Their Support for King/Tisch
Here is something you will never see mentioned at Gotham Schools. Consider this my resignation of membership for E4E and the corporate driven ideology which binds this organization as a supporter of the Common Core and it’s test driven oppression of learning.... A NYC Teacher and FORMER member of E4ESo, E4E is trying to organize a force to support John King and Meryl Tisch and is urging its "
Diane Ravitch in Red Hook Wednesday Hosted by Julie Cavanagh and PS 15 Red Hook Community
You all know how I feel about both these ladies. Put them together and there's magic. So sorry I can't make this but Darren will be there to film.Reminder: I Will Be at P.S. 15 in Brooklyn on December 11by dianeravitch I will join with teachers, parents, and anyone else who wants to attend on December 11 at 5 pm at P.S. 15 in Brooklyn for a conversation about my recent book Reign of Error. No lect
Squaring the Circle on Common Core: Left Meets Right on Huckabee
Interesting too how not one of these people mentioned Gates, Broad and Co.   and all allowed Huckabee to spin a bullshit narrative as to the genesis of CC.  ... Patrick Walsh....apparently Huckabee has been getting heat from his audience for his support of Common Core so the beginning is his attempt to pull away/clarify his views on the topic – not altogether successfully... Leonie Haimson I haven

DEC 08

Randi Munches on PISA
“The crucial question we face now is whether we have the political will to move away from the failed policies and embrace what works in high-performing countries so that we can reclaim the promise of public education... Randi WeingartenIs she talking about the failed policies of the teacher unions without whose support NCLB or RTTT could have been enforced?I can't believe anything Randi says is ta
In Parting Shot, Bloomberg/Walcott Oversee Demise of Adult Ed
Thus the charge in an email document received from an anonymous source.
Obama's Admiration for Mandela - Is He Pal'n Around With Terrorists?
....the people who complain today about fast food workers organizing or the government taking guns away would have been the same people in the 80s saying Mandela was a terrorist. I can imagine the 1980s Facebook statuses. "Mandela died today. Thank God he never got a chance to steal South Africa away from the hard-working people and hand it over to a bunch of whiners who just want to profit

DEC 07

Susan Ohanian's Saturday Morning Special
New Cartoon:Found in a Standards-Struck Classroomhttp://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=854This one received so much comment, I'll mention it again.Teacher Contemplating Common Corehttp://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=851You won't want to miss Duncan's recent remarks:http://susanohanian.org/show_duncan.php?id=1889http://susanohanian.org/show_duncan.php?id=1888http://susanohanian.org/

12-14-13 Jersey Jazzman Jammin' All Week

Jersey Jazzman:
Jersey Jazzman Jammin' All Week









Michelle Rhee Is Really Bad At Her Job
Leonie Haimson tells us that Reformy John King, New York's Education Commissioner, is so scared of continuing parental outrage at his test-obsessed policies that he has to basically turn his "listening tour" into a scripted political rally:The Brooklyn stop on Commissioner King's "listening tour", asdescribed here,  featured one of the few friendly audiences he has faced, overw


No Love for the Merit Pay Fairy in Newark
As I wrote before, merit pay in Newark is turning out to be a big, fat scam imposed on the teachers who bargained in good faith to accept it into their contract. The teachers aren't getting nearly what they were promised, there is little reason so far to believe that merit pay has increased teacher effectiveness, and there's plenty of reason to believe that much of the merit pay bonus money is not

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What Planet Do the StudentsFirst People Live On?
No, gentle reader, this did not come from The Onion:User Actions  FollowStudentsFirstNYVerified account‏@StudentsFirstNYBecause of #CommonCore, kids in Bed-Stuy will be able to compete in the same global economy as kids in wealthy suburban districts....7:15 PM - 10 Dec 13Silly me: I actually read stuff, so I was thinking maybe poverty and racism and inequity and poverty and poverty and poverty and poverty had something to do with the differences in outcomes between kids in Bed-Stuy and the "wealthy suburbs."Thank goodness StudentsFirst has come along and disabused me of such nonsense
The Mustache of Understanding Tries To Do Education
A couple of weeks ago, I noted that Tom Friedman - the NY Times's own Mustache of Understanding - was in danger of losing his Wanker-In-Chief title to Frank Bruni. The bald-faced food critic, you see, had attempted to opine on education, with predictably disastrous results; how could bushy-nosed Friedman ever top Bruni's stunning display of ignorance and laziness and stay on top of the wankeriffic heap?Oh, me of little faith. If there's one thing I think we've come to learn over the years, it's that Tom Friedman will never give up in his battle to remain the least well-informed bloviater in ou
Mythbusting Chris Cerf at @NJEA: R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Chris Cerf, NJ Education Commissioner, at the New Jersey Educators Association convention, Atlantic City, 11/8/13*:I always look forward to this event and I'm really delighted. And I want to extend my appreciation particularly to the leadership of the NJEA, with whom I feel that we've had a sometimes spirited discussion, but always a positive and a respectful one.NJ Governor Chris Christie, 11/5/10:“These teachers have all summer off. Can’t they have their convention during the summer?’’ the governor said as he spoke to a clutch of high schoolers surrounding him.“They got to get two days off f

DEC 10

How The "Reform" Virus Is Spreading To NJ's Suburban Schools
New Jersey's schools are considered to be at the top of the nation; our suburban schools, in particular, are among some of the very best in the world. Nonetheless: the "reform" virus is spreading out from the urban areas into the 'burbs with frightening speed.How is this happening? Let's look at a test case:Last month, I told the tale of one Tim Capone, superintendent of the Highland Par

DEC 07

Intimidation & Harassment From Montclair's Reformy BOE
UPDATE: OK, I was over the top on that first graph; the Stasi were obviously much worse than the Montclair BOE. Changing...If you are interested in repressing the free expression rights of your fellow citizens, may I suggest sending your resume to the Montclair, NJ Board of Education?Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey obtained a temporary restraining order yesterday to st

DEC 04

Everything You Heard Today About NJ Teachers Is Wrong
So I guess someone at the NJ Department of Education decided that today (the day after PISA Day) was the perfect time to tell the world that many of our state's teachers suck:  More than a quarter of teachers who were reviewed in a two-year pilot program of the state’s new evaluation system were rated only "partially effective" or worse in one part of the new system, according to a new r

DEC 01

'Twas the Night Before PISA Day!
'Twas the night before PISA Day, when all through the foundationsThe wonks were all dreaming about Bill Gates's donations;The rankings were crafted for each nation with care,In hopes that more grants would come from billionaires;The children were tested and stressed at their desks;While visions of bubble sheets made them feel quite grotesque;Suburban moms in their 'kerchiefs, and dads in their cap