Drugs in schools
SUMMER 2014
Most drug violations in CPS involve an ounce or less of marijuana. Schools are quick to call police, yet rarely have the resources to offer education, counseling or other non-punitive help to students.
Monday, July 28, 2014
7-28-14 The Whole Child Blog — ICYMI: Principals Share Advice on Whole Child Podcast
The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education:
ICYMI: Principals Share Advice on Whole Child Podcast
Principals are the key players in developing the climate, culture, and processes in their schools. They are critical to implementing meaningful and lasting school change and in the ongoing school-improvement process. There is also no doubt that the role—or roles—of a principal has changed dramatically in recent years and will likely change even more in upcoming decades. In a 2013 episode of the Wh
7-26-14 THE WHOLE WEEK @ The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education
The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education:THE WHOLE WEEK @ The Whole Child Blog What Happens When You BelieveI was recently asked if I remember teachers or educators that made a difference in my life and learning and how they inspired me. Yes, for a while I was that "middle" kid. I was your student who came diligently every day to class, completes their work, and if given the choice,
The Gulen Archipelago – redqueeninla
The Gulen Archipelago – redqueeninla:
The Gulen Archipelago
by redqueeninla in Education
The largest chain of Charter Schools in this country is run from the Poconos by a reclusive, self-exiled Turk named Fethullah Gรผlen. From its website, this self-proclaimed “faith-inspired initiative to improve educational opportunities for a local community” inspires instead a wide range of interpretation and suspicion.
The Gulen Archipelago
by redqueeninla in Education
The largest chain of Charter Schools in this country is run from the Poconos by a reclusive, self-exiled Turk named Fethullah Gรผlen. From its website, this self-proclaimed “faith-inspired initiative to improve educational opportunities for a local community” inspires instead a wide range of interpretation and suspicion.
And this is how the volatile and complex politics of a middle eastern countryhalfway around the globe, Turkey, overlaps with the convoluted and complicated politics of modern Education Reform in one of the world’s most diverse cities, Los Angeles.
The Gulen Movement (GM) is the ideological core of the Charter School chain that is at the heart of the recent court ruling “allowing” two of their schools to remain open in LAUSD.
Alleging financial impropriety in at least two of its schools, located respectively in Palms (westside) and Van Nuys (west Valley), the LAUSD charter office asserts authority to close the two schools, in keeping with a mandate to retain some semblance of oversight over the largest concentration of publicly funded quasi-private “Charter” Schools in existence anywhere. The leadership of these two particular schools, the Hizmet movement, or GM, won an injunction from the closing by arguing that failing to renew a school’s charter was tantamount to revoking its charter, a move that requires public input.
But it may just well be that avoiding such a messy discussion is the goal of our public school board. They must be sensitive to even the appearance of any sort of defamation of anyone’s culture or religion. And yet protestations to the contrary notwithstanding, the Gulen Movement is a hugely powerful, and hugely controversial, political entity in this country. The incursions of this cult into our public school system and political landscape are so widespread and so deep that there is no escaping the need for the electorate to read about this movement for yourself.
Unless there is a broader understanding of the extent of its influence and The Gulen Archipelago – redqueeninla:
Campbell Brown Distorts the Truth in Rochester southbronxschool
http://www.southbronxschool.com:
So today, it was Campbell Brown's turn to have her moment of attention in Albany. She , along with her followers, er, parents,filed a lawsuit today, Wright v NY, (In factthe lead plaintiff was written about on these pages in 2012) attempting to do away with tenure and due process for teachers. We know it is a frivolous lawsuit, we know that it's a copycat lawsuit, we know thatMichelleRheeFirst and Wall Street are behind it and we know that those, like Campbell Brown and Mona Davids are desperate for relevancy and attention.
About a month or so ago when Campbell announced her intentions, she cited a family in Rochester that was allegedly treated appallingly by their daughter's (Then in 7th grade) teacher after the girl (The girl's name, as well as the family's name and teacher's name will not be published here) had written an essay about Fredrick Douglas.
The Nation of Islam has shared their version of the story. What happened? According to the story the student was;
Campbell Brown Distorts the Truth in Rochester
So today, it was Campbell Brown's turn to have her moment of attention in Albany. She , along with her followers, er, parents,filed a lawsuit today, Wright v NY, (In factthe lead plaintiff was written about on these pages in 2012) attempting to do away with tenure and due process for teachers. We know it is a frivolous lawsuit, we know that it's a copycat lawsuit, we know thatMichelleRheeFirst and Wall Street are behind it and we know that those, like Campbell Brown and Mona Davids are desperate for relevancy and attention.About a month or so ago when Campbell announced her intentions, she cited a family in Rochester that was allegedly treated appallingly by their daughter's (Then in 7th grade) teacher after the girl (The girl's name, as well as the family's name and teacher's name will not be published here) had written an essay about Fredrick Douglas.
The Nation of Islam has shared their version of the story. What happened? According to the story the student was;
...recently forced to endure the chastisement of her teachers, principal, and other school administrators for her response to a district-wide activity where students were asked to read The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, and write a brief essay explaining what the narrative meant to them.Why? The student;
...composed a powerful essay comparing her own educational experiences with those of Douglass. Like him, she lamented that her peers did not like to read, and how difficult it was to obtain a decent education.Hey, if she is write such a powerful essay, something very right must be happening in the classroomhttp://www.southbronxschool.com:
7-28-14 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online:
Francesca Gomes on the New Teacher Contract
I'm Shocked, Just Shocked WSJ Reporter Leslie Brody Would Write a Biased Article on Tenure
The Wall Street Journal article is just another example of how the media uses "fuzzy math" to distort and pervert the statistics to suit their ideological aims and to support the attack on teacher "due process rights"... Chaz School Daze Chaz on ICE blog: The exoneration rate in 3020-a cases has remained consistent over the years at 4%. James Eterno response: You won't find
Francesca Gomes on the New Teacher Contract
While many teachers were able to see the contract for what it was, the only organized protest against it was mounted by the Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE). Though the effort made by this group was truly commendable, it currently has too small of a base to mount an effective attack or empower the teachers in a city with such a vast, sprawling geography and such a high number of schools.
7-27-14 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: The Diane Ravitch Contradiction: Educators Should Rebel, but Be Nice When Addressing Oppressive Union Leaderships....you want the workers to be rebellious, not docile. There is a time for collaboration and a time to stand up and fight... Ravitch on film "Metropolis." I grow frustrated when union members attack their unions. Of course, they should fight to win democratic
7-28-14 LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD
LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District):
Morning Read: Lawsuit looms over California PE classes
Foster youth gain support from UCLA summer program
Foster youth gain support from UCLA summer program Instability — multiple homes and multiple schools — is one of the biggest obstacles to academic success for foster children. But about two dozen high school students in foster care in Southern California are benefiting from one constant in their lives: a program each summer at UCLA aimed at keeping them on track academically and preparing them for
LAUSD charter school growth faster pace than in state, nation
LAUSD charter school growth faster pace than in state, nation Click table to view larger image At the start of the new school year in two weeks, LA Unified will have almost 200 more charter schools than it did a decade ago. The growth reflects a more swift expansion than national and statewide trends in school choice options. Since 2004, charter schools in LA Unified have increased nearly four t
Johnson holding money lead over McKenna; Vladovic has donors
Johnson holding money lead over McKenna; Vladovic has donors Notes along the campaign trail: In the money race for the open District 1 board seat, Alex Johnson continues to hold an overall lead over George McKenna, according to the City’s Ethics Commission Through last week, Johnson had raised $47,646 to $6,450 for McKenna, an 8-to-1 ratio that hasn’t budged in weeks. In PAC money spent on the cam
Morning Read: Lawsuit looms over California PE classes
Morning Read: Lawsuit looms over California PE classes California schools face lawsuit over physical education classes Thousands of elementary school teachers have been asked this summer to hold on to their lesson plans as 37 school districts throughout the state seek to show that they are providing students with required exercise. LA Times The LAUSD board election matters; voters should turn out
7-26-14 This Week in LA - School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD
LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District):Breaking News: Judge allows Magnolia charters to remain openBreaking News: Judge allows Magnolia charters to remain open A California Superior Court judge today ruled that two Magnolia Public Schools (MPS) charters can remain open, blocking LA Unified’s effort to have them shut down over financial concerns
BESE Special Meeting Scheduled for Tuesday, July 29, 2014 | deutsch29
BESE Special Meeting Scheduled for Tuesday, July 29, 2014 | deutsch29:
________________________________________________________________
BESE Special Meeting Scheduled for Tuesday, July 29, 2014
The Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) must decide how to approach 1) being sued by 17 legislators; 2) being supported in a pro-Common Core (CCSS) lawsuit filed chiefly by charter school supporters and backed by “choice” money but wanting to enforce CC as the single “choice” for Louisiana schools, and 3) whether to sue in outright defiance of the Division of Administration’s (DOA) refusal to approve or to “sue for the right to sue” given Governor Bobby Jindal’s, the Office of Contractual Renewal’s (OCR) and DOA’s auditing and limiting BESE/LDOE assessment contracts and funding.
(I know. Confusing. Take a deep breath then reread what I wrote above.)
Thus, BESE President Chas Roemer has scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday, July 29, 2014, at 11 a.m., at the Claiborne Building in Baton Rouge.
The agenda addresses four items, three of which hinge upon suing or being sued.
The agenda also includes a charter school approval item:
3. Items for Consideration
3.1. Consideration of Louisiana State Representatives, James
Armes, et al., v. State of Louisiana, et al., 19th Judicial District
Court, Docket No. 632,150, Section 22
3.2. Consideration of Navis Hill, et al., v. Louisiana State
Governor, et al., 19th Judicial District Court, Docket No.
621,170, Section 27
3.3. Consideration of a discussion regarding additional options
related to Executive Order No. BJ 2014-7
3.4. Consideration of the Type 2 charter for Milestone SABIS
Academy of New Orleans previously approved for renewal in
December 2013
Let the lawsuits (and associated subpoenas) fly!
Like my writing? Read my newly-released ed “reform” whistle blower, A Chronicle of Echoes: Who’s Who in the Implosion of American Public Education
NOW AVAILABLE ON KINDLE.
Summer, once the time for reflection, now the time for radical redesign
Summer, once the time for reflection, now the time for radical redesign:
Summer, once the time for reflection, now the time for radical redesign
Tanesha Dixon vividly remembers the first summer she spent as a teacher – as part of a service program in Uganda, just before her senior year at Notre Dame.
“I had my heart set on being a forensic psychologist,” she told me recently, amidst the busy midday shuffle of downtown Washington, D.C. “Then I felt what it was like to be part of a place that was changing people’s lives. And I decided I wanted to keep being that person.”
Eleven years later, Dixon has become that person for scores of young men and women at the Wheatley Education Campus in the D.C. neighborhood of Trinidad. In that time, she’d observed that the stereotype of how teachers spend their summer – a.k.a seventy-seven consecutive Saturdays – never corresponded to the reality of her and her colleagues. “Summer is always the time for reflection, for the research you can’t always complete during the year, and for doing the work you have to do to make the next year even better than the last.”
This year, however, Tanesha Dixon is still waiting for her first moment of summer respite. “Every day,” she confessed wearily, “I work all day, go home, eat something, and then work until three in the morning. I feel like I’m building Rome and the road to it, simultaneously.”
Tanesha’s principal at Wheatley, Scott Cartland, knows what she’s talking about. Six years ago, his first summer at the school coincided with the DC government’s decision to install military-like checkpoints throughout Trinidad to try and stop a spate of murders. He remembers well the first school assembly he tried to organize that September. “We couldn’t get the crowd quiet enough to say anything,” he recalled. “Security guards were chasing kids around the aisles, other kids were screaming – it was complete chaos. You realize you’re outnumbered, and the kids don’t know you or trust you. We were in for a long year.”
Since then, with the help of teachers like Dixon, Cartland had helped engineer an impressive culture shift at Wheatley. But even though crucial factors like trust, attendance and student achievement had risen considerably, “it still wasn’t fast Summer, once the time for reflection, now the time for radical redesign:
7-28-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy
Wait What?:
The Time for Action is upon us
Sign a Pelto/Murphy 2014 Petition Today: Bushnell Park – near the food trucks 11:30 – 1pm
The Time for Action is upon us
Following a great weekend of collecting signatures for the Pelto/Murphy 2014 petition effort, we continue to ramp up our historic effort to get on the November ballot and ensure that the people of Connecticut have a real choice in this year’s election for governor hangs in the balance… As supporters know, the August 6th 2014 deadline […] The post The Time for Action is upon us appeared first on W
Sign a Pelto/Murphy 2014 Petition Today: Bushnell Park – near the food trucks 11:30 – 1pm
Looking for an opportunity to ensure that our voices are heard in this year’s gubernatorial election? If you are in the area, swing by Bushnell Park from 11:30 to 1:00pm today (near the food trucks) and sign the petition that will allow us to be on this year’s ballot. Thanks so much, Jonathan Pelto and […] The post Sign a Pelto/Murphy 2014 Petition Today: Bushnell Park – near the food trucks 11:3
7-27-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy
Wait What?: Wait What? I didn’t leave my political party, my party left meI’m often asked why, considering I’m a life-long Democratic, I am “leaving” the Democratic Party and running as an independent for Governor. I start by explaining that as hard as it is to run as an independent, I thought the institutional barriers to winning a Democratic Primary were even greater. But then I add that, […] T
Charter school misinformation | Save Our Schools NZ
Charter school misinformation | Save Our Schools NZ:
The University of Arkansas (UARK) recently produced a report that concluded US charter schools, despite being terribly underfunded, were performing favourably compared to US state schools, being only slightly behind state schools in test scores.
Charter school misinformation
The University of Arkansas (UARK) recently produced a report that concluded US charter schools, despite being terribly underfunded, were performing favourably compared to US state schools, being only slightly behind state schools in test scores.
The report has, of course, been trumpeted by our own lovely right wing blogs here in NZ as proof that charter schools are the way forward. Predictably, Kiwiblog and the like were not so fast to look at criticisms of the University of Arkansas’s research.
In School Finance 101: UARK Study Shamelessly (& Knowingly) Uses Bogus Measures to Make Charter Productivity Claims, Bruce D. Baker picks the claims apart in great detail.
Note: Baker’s analysis is not a swift overview or cherry picking from a blogger, pundit or journalist playing to the crowd. He is well placed to critique the research – he is a Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, where he teaches courses in school finance policy and district business management. The report was produced by the National Education Policy Centre at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
What did the UARK Research find?
The report found that student performance at charter schools is roughly on par Charter school misinformation | Save Our Schools NZ:
‘Education reform’ now a pejorative term to many progressive Democrats - The Washington Post
‘Education reform’ now a pejorative term to many progressive Democrats - The Washington Post:
‘Education reform’ now a pejorative term to many progressive Democrats
‘Education reform’ now a pejorative term to many progressive Democrats
Earlier this year I published a post about how the Democratic Party has been split for years over the issue of corporate school reform. President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan have been Democratic leaders of the dominant reform movement which seeks to transform public schools through standardized-test-based “accountability” and the expansion of charter schools. (There are Republican leaders as well, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush).
Recently, there has been growing pushback against corporate reform from elements in the Democratic Party. Donna Brazile, a longtime strategist, this month announced that she will co-chair a newly formed organization called Democrats for Public Education and she told delegates at the American Federation of Teachers’ national convention that “the very premise of market-driven education reform” is wrong. The new organization is apparently a counter to the Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), which has for years supported Obama’s reform agenda and supported the spread of public charter schools. After the new group was announced, DFER head Joe Williams issued a one-sentence statement — “Welcome to the jungle, baby.” (Perhaps a reference to the Guns n’ Roses song?)
More opposition to the Obama reform agenda was expressed at this month’s 2014 Netroots Nation convention, which brings together progressive political activists to discuss and debate key issues facing the country. Jeff Bryant, who is the director of the Education Opportunity Network, a partnership effort of the Institute for America’s Future and the Opportunity to Learn Campaign, writes in this post about what he witnessed at the convention and what it means for the future of school reform. This original version of this post, which you can see here on the network’s blog, began with a discussion of the political tenor of the convention and the ecstatic reception received by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who spoke about the growing income inequality in this country and declared that it was time to fight against a “rigged” economic system. Bryant also wrote about a sense among many of the participants that Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2016. What appears below is his discussion about education issues were approached at this and earlier Netroots Nation conventions.
Bryant owns a marketing and communications consultancy in Chapel Hill, N.C., and has written extensively about public education policy. You can read the original post from which the following is taken by clicking here.
By Jeff Bryant
Every year Netroots Nation is arguably the most important annual event in the progressive community and a telling barometer of what is on the minds of, as Howard Dean (and Paul Wellstone before him) put it, “the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party.”
The education-related conversations at the meeting were numerous and animated. There were demands for early childhood education, anger expressed at President Obama’s K-12 policies, and outcries against the ‘Education reform’ now a pejorative term to many progressive Democrats - The Washington Post:
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