Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: We need a living wage in Chicago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: We need a living wage in Chicago:

We need a living wage in Chicago

R.I.P. Maya Angelou (1928-2014)

Find a beautiful piece of art. If you fall in love with Van Gogh or Matisse or John Oliver Killens, or if you fall love with the music of Coltrane, the music of Aretha Franklin, or the music of Chopin - find some beautiful art and admire it, and realize that that was created by human beings just like you, no more human, no less. -- Note to self

 LIVING WAGE...While Rahm's appointed minimum-wage committee continues to "study" the issue, a group of progressive aldermen are submitting an ordinance to the City Council today, to raise the minimum wage in Chicago to $15-an-hour. Rahm wants to study the possibility of raising it to $10. I would argue that we need a living wage bill nationwide.

"I think it's time for us to present a real ordinance," said Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) Tuesday, adding that members of the Progressive Reform Caucus will be submitting the ordinance at Wednesday's City Council meeting.

Watch Rahm, Burke and the boys shoot it down. But thanks for trying, aldermen.

TRAFFICKING IN TEACHERS...Don't miss the latest horror story by George Joseph, in In These Times, about the trafficking of Filipino teachers into Houston (Rahm's model Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: We need a living wage in Chicago:

5-28-14 Wait What? Pelto 2014 Exploratory Committee is up and running!

Wait What?:

Pelto 2014 Exploratory Committee is up and running!

Pelto 2014 Exploratory Committee is up and running!

May 28, 2014 Friends, I want to thank all the people who have stepped forward with words of support and encouragement as I explore whether to run for governor in 2014 Your continued help is the vital building block in this developing effort. First, we hope to have the petitioning forms available by next Monday. […] The post Pelto 2014 Exploratory Committee is up and running! appeared first on Wait

23 by jonpelto / 3h 

5-27-14 Wait What? Former state Rep. Jonathan Pelto explores third-party run for governor

Wait What?: Former state Rep. Jonathan Pelto explores third-party run for governorRavitch on Pelto:  “Hope Every governor who abandons public education faces a similar challenge”The nation’s leading pro-public education advocate has used her blog to tell her 80,000 readers about our work here in Connecticut. Diane Ravitch’s latest piece is entitled, “Jonathan Pelto Mulls Third Party Challenge to G

by mike simpson / 9h 

The Answer Sheet 5-28-14

Answer Sheet:

When Maya Angelou blasted Obama’s school-reform policies

The legendary poet and author Maya Angelou, who just passed away at the age of  86, was a big supporter of President Obama, and in 2011, he awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. But she also was a critic of his school-reform policies, raising her voice last year to blast […]

19 by Valerie Strauss / 19min hide  //  save

WiFi in U.S. schools estimated cost: $4 billion to meet Obama’s goal

President Obama’s vision of ensuring that 99 percent of American K-12 schools have broadband and WIFI by 2018 is going to be mighty expensive. The Federal Communications Commission received an estimate Wednesday of how much money it will take: $800 million a year for five years for a total $4 billion.  The estimate came from […]

1 by Valerie Strauss / 49min 

Jim Carrey gives commencement speech at Maharishi University of Management

Jim Carrey surprised graduates at the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, with a funny, emotional commencement speech in which he told them a poignant story about his father and urged them to walk their own path in life and never settle. “The decisions we make in this moment are based in either love […]

3 by Valerie Strauss / 5h hide  //  save

YESTERDAY

Send in questions, comments for live online education chat at 1 p.m. Wednesday

I’ll be doing a live online education chat on washingtonpost.com at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 28. Please submit questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, jokes or whatever here, and tune in then or read the transcript later. Here are transcripts of some of my previous online chats: here, here, here, and here.

2 by Valerie Strauss / 8h 

The Answer Sheet 5-27-14

Answer Sheet: Is Boston’s school district eliminating history department as part of Common Core?The Boston public schools district found itself in the position of having to issue a public statement denying that it was eliminating its history and social studies department after someone posted on the Web that it was and the news went viral in the education world. Historians assumed it was true and r

by mike simpson / 4h 

5-28-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida ALL Week

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education:

Surrogates Beginning to Flack for Jeb Bush on Common Core

Its begun. Badly needing to talk about something else than Common Core Standards, Jeb Bush’s surrogates have begun to do it for him. Consider a Lloyd Brown piece in Sunshine State News. Brown is a former speechwriter for Bush: After I retired, I worked for him (Bush) briefly and again was impressed. His approach to policy was, “What’s in it for Florida families?” That’s pretty refreshing when the

by Bob Sikes / 2h 

5-27-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida ALL Week

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: Feds Warn Charter Schools About Not Serving Special Needs KidsWrites Chris Staiti for Bloomberg News: U.S. charter schools must provide special-education services and avoid discrimination in admissions, academic services and athletics whether or not they receive federal

by mike simpson / 9h 

5-28-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE:

If The Onion Gets It … : “when the mist distorts the outline of the cypress trees”

If The Onion Gets It … : “when the mist distorts the outline of the cypress trees”. via If The Onion Gets It … : “when the mist distorts the outline of the cypress trees”.

1 by plthomasedd / 40min 

5-27-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: What’s Really Wrong with Advanced Placement Courses and College Board?What’s Really Wrong with Advanced Placement Courses and College Board?. via What’s Really Wrong with Advanced Placement Courses and College Board?.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical1 by plthomasedd / 2h hide  //  saveYESTERDAYThe 2008 Common Core Sales Job: Part ThreeIn 2008, the National Governors Asso

by mike simpson / 9h 

5-28-14 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):

Maya Angelou, RIP

With the death of Maya Angelou, I offer a few intersections between Angelou and James Baldwin. James Baldwin and Maya Angelou At 80, Maya Angelou Reflects on a ‘Glorious’ Life: Angelou says author James Baldwin, whom she considers a brother, had a covert hand in getting her to write “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Acting on Baldwin’s advice, Angelou’s editor tried a little reverse psychology an

by plthomasedd / 6min 

If The Onion Gets It … : “when the mist distorts the outline of the cypress trees”

The power of ideology makes me think of those dewy mornings when the mist distorts the outline of the cypress trees and they become shadows of something we know is there but cannot really define. The shortsightedness that afflicts us makes our perception difficult. More serious still is the way we can so easily accept that what we are seeing and hearing is, in fact, what really is and not a distor

7 by plthomasedd / 40min 

5-27-14 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): What’s Really Wrong with Advanced Placement Courses and College Board?“Fraudulent schemes come in all shapes and sizes,” asserts John Tierney, adding, ” To work, they typically wear a patina of respectability. That’s the case with Advanced Placement [A.P.] courses, one o

by mike simpson / 9h 

5-28-13 Curmudgucation

CURMUDGUCATION:

What Should Conservatives Be For In Education

Over at the Young Guns network, Frederick Hess has asked and answered the question, "What should conservatives be for in education?"It's a good question. Conservatives have let themselves get boxed into a corner on the new test-driven high-stakes privatization status quo in education. On the one hand, the Obama administration has implemented education policies that are like a conservativ

by Peter Greene / 9:58 AM UTC-7 

#AskArne: Teach To Lead To Lead The Teaching Leaders

Bad news: Arne and the US DOE are back with another scrumdiliicious video interview with his royal Arneness.Good news: It's not all completely ridiculous. And as always, I'll watch it so that you don't have to. More times than usual, it turns out. I like to watch with the sound off to get a better non-verbal read, but the only captions available are the auto-captions, which are apparently set to &

5 by Peter Greene / 2h 

5-27-13 Curmudgucation

CURMUDGUCATION: Test (In)SecurityOne of the features of High Stakes Testing is a level of security usually associated with large bales of money, important state secrets, and the recipe for Bush's Baked Beans. On facebook, in the category of "Ethical Dilemmas Nobody Ever Thought She'd Face," teachers are arguing about whether it's okay to photograph or copy any of the PARCC or SBA exams.

by mike simpson / 9h 

5-28-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School:

Diane Ravitch To Run Against Andrew Cuomo In November?

This bit of political news surprises me: The Working Families Party is eying education activist Diane Ravitch as its gubernatorial candidate should the liberal minor party decide to withhold its backing of Gov. Cuomo, a source told the Daily News Wednesday morning. The party has spoken to Ravitch, 75, about possibly being its nominee and she has expressed interest, the source said. "Either wa

by reality-based edu... / 14min

Who Needs All That Technology?

Not school's in Finland:HELSINKI — At the start of morning assembly in the state-of-the-art Viikki School here, students’ smartphones disappear. In math class, the teacher shuts off the Smartboard and begins drafting perfect circles on a chalkboard. The students — some of the highest-achieving in the world — cut up graphing paper while solving equations using their clunky plastic calculators.Finni

by reality-based edu... / 1h 

Preet Bharara Appears To Have His Sights Set On Albany Pols And Cuomo Too

From Ken Lovett at the Daily News: ALBANY - Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara has asked the state Senate and Assembly to preserve all documents related to Gov. Cuomo's anti-corruption commission, the Daily News has learned. It’s the latest sign of an investigation by Bharara’s office in the aftermath of Cuomo’s decision in March to disband the now-defunct Moreland Commission. At the time it

by reality-based edu... / 2min 

This News Will Make Bloomberg Very, Very Sad

Bloomberg henchman Deputy Dan Doctoroff is still leading the charge to bring the Olympics to NYC and rectify one of Mayor Bloomberg's biggest setbacks - his failure to turn NYC into an Olympic Village.Mayor de Blasio says he's not interested, however:Mayor Bill de Blasio has ruled out any possibility that New York City will submit a bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, a top member of his st

by reality-based edu... / 2h 

5-27-14 Perdido Street School Week

Perdido Street School: Daily News Misses A Big Part Of ELA Regents Score Plummet StoryThe Daily News claims cheating teachers were the main reason scores on the 2013 ELA Regents exam fell: Scores on English Regents exams for high schoolers plummeted when the city cracked down on grade-fudging teachers, a Daily News analysis shows. Thousands of public school students failed the high-stakes state te

by mike simpson / 9h 

solidaridad: Marshall Tuck's Dropout Factories

solidaridad: Marshall Tuck's Dropout Factories:

Marshall Tuck's Dropout Factories

Marshall Tuck's Dropout Factories by Robert D. Skeels

Marshall Tuck's Dropout Factories

Marshall Tuck, who ran Mayor Villaraigosa's 15 schools and compiled a mediocre and unimpressive record. He has also been president of the Green Dot charter chain. — Professor Diane Ravitch

Having to take remedial high school courses after arriving at the university is also very demoralizing for students. Many end up dropping out. The California State University tracks the number of matriculates that make it to their second year. Tuck's Animo Inglewood Charter students had a CSU drop out rate of 55 percent in 2008. That same year saw the Tuck managed Animo Leadership Charter students drop out from the CSU at a staggering 68 percent!

Graduates from Marshall Tuck led High Schools Dropping out of CSU after Freshman Year
Animo Leadership Charter High School 2004 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	31%
Animo Leadership Charter High School 2005 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	44%
Animo Leadership Charter High School 2006 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	47%
Animo Leadership Charter High School 2007 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	57%
Animo Leadership Charter High School 2008 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	68%
Animo Leadership Charter High School 2009 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	52%
Animo Leadership Charter High School 2010 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	29%
Animo Leadership Charter High School 2011 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	37%
Data Tables: http://j.mp/TUCK_FAIL |http://www.laprogressive.com/marshall-tuck-unqualified/

Graduates from Marshall Tuck led High Schools Dropping out of CSU after Freshman Year
Animo Inglewood Charter High School 2005 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	43%
Animo Inglewood Charter High School 2006 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	52%
Animo Inglewood Charter High School 2007 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	47%
Animo Inglewood Charter High School 2008 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	55%
Animo Inglewood Charter High School 2009 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	20%
Animo Inglewood Charter High School 2010 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	13%
Animo Inglewood Charter High School 2011 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	20%
Data Tables: http://j.mp/TUCK_FAIL |http://www.laprogressive.com/marshall-tuck-unqualified/

Graduates from Marshall Tuck led High Schools Dropping out of CSU after Freshman Year
Oscar De La Hoya Animo Charter High School 2007 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	62%
Oscar De La Hoya Animo Charter High School 2008 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	32%
Oscar De La Hoya Animo Charter High School 2009 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	18%
Oscar De La Hoya Animo Charter High School 2010 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	27%
Oscar De La Hoya Animo Charter High School 2011 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	31%
Data Tables: http://j.mp/TUCK_FAIL |http://www.laprogressive.com/marshall-tuck-unqualified/

Graduates from Marshall Tuck led High Schools Dropping out of CSU after Freshman Year
Animo Venice Charter High School 2008 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	22%
Animo Venice Charter High School 2009 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	43%
Animo Venice Charter High School 2010 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	38%
Animo Venice Charter High School 2011 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	29%
Data Tables: http://j.mp/TUCK_FAIL |http://www.laprogressive.com/marshall-tuck-unqualified/

Graduates from Marshall Tuck led High Schools Dropping out of CSU after Freshman Year
Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School 2009 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	50%
Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School 2010 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	46%
Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School 2011 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	59%
Data Tables: http://j.mp/TUCK_FAIL |http://www.laprogressive.com/marshall-tuck-unqualified/

Graduates from Marshall Tuck led High Schools Dropping out of CSU after Freshman Year
Jordan High School Partnership Academy 2009 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	38%
Jordan High School Partnership Academy 2010 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	52%
Jordan High School Partnership Academy 2011 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	40%
Jordan High School Partnership Academy 2012 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	41%
Data Tables: http://j.mp/TUCK_FAIL |http://www.laprogressive.com/marshall-tuck-unqualified/

Graduates from Marshall Tuck led High Schools Dropping out of CSU after Freshman Year
Roosevelt Senior High School 2009 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	20%
Roosevelt Senior High School 2010 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	31%
Roosevelt Senior High School 2011 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	44%
Roosevelt Senior High School 2012 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	22%
Data Tables: http://j.mp/TUCK_FAIL |http://www.laprogressive.com/marshall-tuck-unqualified/

Graduates from Marshall Tuck led High Schools Dropping out of CSU after Freshman Year
Mendez High School for College and Career Prep 2012 Admits to CSU First Year Dropouts	27%
Data Tables: http://j.mp/TUCK_FAIL |http://www.laprogressive.com/marshall-tuck-unqualified/