1-10-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher

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

John Dillon. The new reality.

From John Dillon’s blog. In the New Reality, some of the biggest backers of accepting the Boeing demand(forget proposal) to move new workers to 401K programs, to lose on healthcare costs, etc. were the national leaders of the International Association of Machinists.  In fact, the rift is palpable between the two, national administrators recommending the local vote yes to Boeing’s demands.  On t

by Fred Klonsky / 40min 

Bev Johns. Another attempt at raising Special Education class size.

Bev Johns is a long-time Special Education activist and advocate. From: Beverley Holden Johns Date: Fri, Jan 10, 2014 at 12:41 PM Subject: new ISBE plan to eliminate special ed class size The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) staff has a new proposal to ELIMINATE State special ed class size limits, and ELIMINATE the State 70/30 rule - the 30 percent limit on the percentage of students with

12 by Fred Klonsky / 4h hide  //  save

School administrators: “We are working in concert with all the parties.”

From Glen Brown’s blog. Pension Reform Message to Illinois Association of School Administrators Members (from Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark). I’m paraphrasing, but Judge DiVito believes that the courts would have to ignore years of applicable case law and the intent of the pension protection language that was approved during the 1970 Constitutional Convention. In the next few days we will be

by Fred Klonsky / 4h 

My support for this court fight is without reservation.

Some of my colleagues have raised questions about the particulars of  the legal strategy in defending the pension protection clause and fighting Senate Bill 1. I could and did share my opinion about how to pursue the political fight before SB! was passed and signed by the Governor. But I don’t know anything about the current legal particulars. I’ve heard from the lawyers andI’m confident that our

by Fred Klonsky / 53min hide  //  save

Chicago Teachers Union endorsed Will Guzzardi for 39th House Rep.

In a major development in the campaign for State Representative in the 39th District, the Chicago Teachers Union announced its support for progressive Democrat Will Guzzardi. “From opposing school closings to working for an elected school board, Will Guzzardi has stood side by side with us and fought passionately to defend quality public education,” said CTU president Karen Lewis. “Guzzardi is th

3 by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

The Adventures of Bruce Rahmer in Bizarro World.

3 by Fred Klonsky / 19min 

1-9-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Teacher Mrs. Lewis takes them to school.by Fred Klonsky / 9min hide  //  save1-8-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacherFred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Standardized testing.. A few weeks ago I registered to ta

by mike simpson / 8h 

1-10-13 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"

Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement":

My Best Posts On The Harlem Children’s Zone & Other “Promise Zones”

, President Obama announced grants to five communities designated at “Promise Zones” that are planned to replicate — more or less — the Harlem Children’s Zone. I’ve published many posts about the Harlem Children’s Zone — both positive and less than positive — including concerns about parent engagement and how they relate to local institutions. Though I don’t know all the specifics of these five ne

3 by Larry Ferlazzo / 3h 

1-7-13 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"

Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement": “Listening To Parents With Our Heads And Hearts”Listening To Parents With Our Heads And Hearts is my latest Education Week Teacher post. This is the first post in a three-part series on parent engagement. Today, Katy Ridnouer, Janice Fialka, and Joe Mazza provide their guest responsesby Larry Ferlazzo / 1h The Best Articles

by mike simpson / 44min 

  

1-9-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: This Week’s Round-Up Of Good Posts & Articles On Education PolicyHere are some recent useful posts on educational policy issues: A Bold New World: A Guide to the Local Control Funding Formula is from Ed Source, and is a “everything you want to know” guide to California’s new and, I hope, trendsetting law on school fundi

by mike simpson / 8h 

1-10-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University):

Should Universities Reward Academics for Public Influence?

NOTE: Since I have already posted a few comments on the blog mentioned below, and since I have already received a couple responses to those comments, let me open with a caveat about my selfishness in this post: (1) I am not lobbying to be including in the ranking identified below, and (2) my selfishness is much larger than that as my central argument involves how I and all academics are evaluated

7 by plthomasedd / 1h hide  //  save

remnant 49: “I cannot put my finger on it now/The child is grown the dream is gone”

remnant 49: “I cannot put my finger on it now/The child is grown the dream is gone”.

1 by plthomasedd / 2h 

 

1-9-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Ending Poverty Requires Community, Not WarMany, if not most, wars have failed to salvage victory from the inherent destruction war brings. All wars leave collateral damage in their wake. A big picture message offered in Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow is that the w

by mike simpson / 8h 

1-10-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School:

NYSED Commissioner King Is Right About This

Hold onto your hats - I'm going to agree with NYSED Commissioner/rookie teacher John King about something:In an interview that will air on Capital Tonight this evening, state Education Commissioner John King shrugged off the news that NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi plans to ask his Board of Directors for a no confidence vote on King’s leadership, saying that in his opinion, the teachers union’s rea

by reality-based edu... / 4h 

Cuomo's Education Bond Puts State's Environment At Risk

Sheriff Andy wants to invest $2 billion in technology for schools so that students can take tests on computers and their teachers can be evaluated using so-called state of the art technology.That's not exactly what he said when he called for a $2 billion bond for education technology, but that's what many observers think he wants the money for (i.e., the infrastructure for the PARCC tests.)Scott W

by reality-based edu... / 2h 

1-9-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: NYSED Commissioner King: Merit Pay A Great IdeaFrom TWC.news:Another proposal from the governor, rewarding excellent teachers, those who rated highly effective on a valuations would be eligible to receive $20,000 as a bonus.Dr. John King said, "We certainly support rewarding highly effective teaching. We know there's an opportunity to identify teaching practices and all

by mike simpson / 8h 

Chicago’s UNO Charter Scandal Tarnishes Luster of Arne Duncan’s Hands Off Strategy | janresseger

Chicago’s UNO Charter Scandal Tarnishes Luster of Arne Duncan’s Hands Off Strategy | janresseger:

Chicago’s UNO Charter Scandal Tarnishes Luster of Arne Duncan’s Hands Off Strategy

Posted on January 10, 2014 by janresseger

A dozen years ago, President George W. Bush and Secretary of Education Rod Paige, the former superintendent of the Houston Public Schools, brought us all the test-and-punish “Texas miracle” in the form of the No Child Left Behind Act.  We all know what happened to that so-called miracle.

Now several years into Arne Duncan’s tenure as U.S. Secretary of Education, we continue to learn more about the “Chicago miracle” brought to us by Duncan, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Public Schools, and the man who has infused into federal education policy the “miracles” of innovation and freedom from too much red tape.  These were the signatures of the school reform he presided over in Chicago in the form of Renaissance 2010, a decade-long program that closed public schools and launched a vibrant charter sector.

We can now watch the results quietly playing out in the U.S. Department of Education. According to Education Week writer, Alyson Klein, for example, yesterday San Antonio, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Southeastern Kentucky, and the Choctaw Nation were designated as “Promise Zones.” Klein notes that future funding for this program is unsure: “The roughly $60 million Promise Neighborhood program was initially pretty popular in Congress.  But it has faced pushback, as lawmakers have questioned whether it makes sense to dole out a 

Aggregated Ignorance… | School Finance 101

Aggregated Ignorance… | School Finance 101:

Aggregated Ignorance…

Posted on January 10, 2014

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2 Votes

Short one for today… on a personal pet peeve, which is apparently not only my pet peeve. Perhaps more than anything else, I hate it when pundits – who often have little clue what they are talking about to begin with, toss around big numbers with lots of zeros… or “illions” attached in order to make their ideological point. Case and point this morning on Twitter:

Bear in mind, this is nothing new for this particular individual.

Thankfully, I don’t even have to write the critique of this utter foolishness, since the Center for 

How The Common Core Became Education's Biggest Bogeyman:

How The Common Core Became Education's Biggest Bogeyman

Posted: 01/10/2014 7:34 am EST

Shortly before Thanksgiving, Arne Duncan made a glib remark about the Common Core that quickly blew up.

Speaking before a gathering of state schools chiefs, the secretary of education dismissed growing opposition to the new national set of learning standards, saying "white suburban moms" were rising up against the Core simply because its more rigorous tests meant they were being told "their child isn't as brilliant as they thought they were."

The riff wasn't all that different from Duncan's usual words of support for the Common Core. He often says states have "dummied down standards" and insists officials need to tell students the truth about just how smart they are. But as soon as he named "white suburban moms" as part of the problem, his refrain became the gaffe heard 'round the mom-blogger world.

The pointed phrasing fed into parents' bubbling anxiety about the Core, more fully known as the Common Core State Standards Initiative, an education push that aims to make sure students across the United States are learning the skills they need to succeed in a global economy. In recent months, as schools began teaching and testing students on the new standards -- and telling families about their plans -- what started 

When Computers Are Co-Teachers - Margaret Ramirez - The Atlantic

When Computers Are Co-Teachers - Margaret Ramirez - The Atlantic:

When Computers Are Co-Teachers

A school in California is experimenting with "blended learning"—and seeing promising results.

Michael Kooren/Reuters

HUNTINGTON PARK, CALIF. — On a rainbow-colored rug in a predominantly Latino neighborhood six miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, 26 fidgety second graders are reading a phonics passage about helping wildlife. Some detect the main idea quickly, shooting their hands in the air. Others need more time and attention. The teacher, Mark Montero, asks questions trying to keep everyone on track.

After 10 minutes, it’s time to do things a different way. Montero shines a red beam of light on the wall, signaling to students to take their positions.

“Computer captain, please say, ‘All aboard,’” announces Montero, who favors iPads and laser pointers to paper and chalk.

“All aboard!” replies Abigail Bueno, a 7-year-old with long dark braids and a dimpled smile.

Soon, the class has split in two groups based on their particular learning needs. On the rug, Montero leads 13 students in learning about the long vowel “I” sound. At computers along the wall, the others strap on headphones and start reading books from a digital library program.

Here at the charter school Aspire Titan Academy, a principal, 12 teachers, and 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Sorry Rahm. Rauner's toast.

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Sorry Rahm. Rauner's toast.:

Sorry Rahm. Rauner's toast.

 If “we don’t fundamentally change direction, we’re toast.” -- Bruce Rauner campaign ad

Sorry Rahm. But your boy Rauner is toast. I know, I know, you're officially supporting Quinn, the Democrat, in the governor's race. But, everyone knows you and Rauner are tight. Even though he's supposedly a Republican, he's been one of your many wealthy patrons you're counting on to get yourself re-elected in 2016 and prevent a Chicago de Blasio scenario. He's also your guy when it comes to school closings, smashing teacher unions, and expanding privately-run charters.

Being a Republican for billionaires like Rauner, is like being a member of the Chicago Yacht club. It's not a political statement, it's a statement about your class. Even fellow state Republicans aren't buying it. And like you, he's not even a real Chicagoan. He's an interloper who bought an apartment here so his kid could go to Walter Payton, one of the city's top selective-enrollment schools. Of course it also took a phone call to pal, Arne Duncan, who then made a phone call, and so on. Even the wealthiest in Rahmville, need "a guy." Isn't that