9-6-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"

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

“Four Ways to Spot a Great Teacher”

Four Ways to Spot a Great Teacher is a Wall Street Journal column by Dana Goldstein that might be useful to distribute to parents. You can see my interview with Dana here.

2 by Larry Ferlazzo / 38min 

Newark School Fiasco Continues For Students & Parents

I’ve written a number of previous posts about the on-going fiasco at Newark schools, and it isn’t getting any better. Some very understandable angry and furstrated parents called for a boycott on the first day of school last week, and there is some effort to make it a long-term one. I don’t know the details on the ground there, but I do have to say from my community organizing experience that ther

2 by Larry Ferlazzo / 17min hide  //  save

“SchoolCircle – Organize Your Communication to Parents”

SchoolCircle – Organize Your Communication to Parents is a post by Richard Bryne about a new online teacher/parent communication tool called… SchoolCircle. I’m adding it to A Beginning List Of The Best Resources On Using Technology To Help Engage Parents.

2 by Larry Ferlazzo / 17min 

Interesting Idea: “Digital Parent Volunteers”

Here’s an interesting idea from George Couros: You might also be interested in The Best Sources Of Parent Engagement Advice For Teachers.

5 by Larry Ferlazzo / 2d 

“A Checklist for Back to School Night”

A Checklist for Back to School Night is a useful post for every teacher. It’s by Heather Wolpert-Gawron and appeared in Edutopia.

3 by Larry Ferlazzo / 2d 

“Parents’ ability to track student grades, attendance by smartphone has growing app-eal”

Parents’ ability to track student grades, attendance by smartphone has growing app-eal is a new article in the Sacramento Bee about the growing popularity of mobile apps by schools for parents and students. You might also be interested in A Beginning List Of The Best Resources On Using Technology To Help Engage Parents.

4 by Larry Ferlazzo / 2d 

“NY City schools will push for more ‘family connections,’ parent involvement, Chancellor Carmen Fariña says”

City schools will push for more ‘family connections,’ parent involvement, Chancellor Carmen Fariña says is the headline of a New York Daily News article. Here’s are some excerpts: Family engagement at schools will be getting an overhaul, the city schools boss tells the Daily News. Changes include longer one-on-one parent-teacher conferences, workshops for parents and support for GED and English as

3 by Larry Ferlazzo / 2d 

AUG 31

Advice To Parents Starting School — British Version

Starting school: what every parent should know is from The Telegraph, a British newspaper. It reviews what students of different ages should know, and how parents can help them know it — using the UK “National Curriculum” as a guide. It’s interesting to compare it the Common Core — see The Best Resources For Talking To Parents About The Common Core Standards.

3 by Larry Ferlazzo / 5d 

AUG 30

“Fla. School Board Candidate: Allow Some Parents With Criminal Pasts to Volunteer”

Fla. School Board Candidate: Allow Some Parents With Criminal Pasts to Volunteer is the title of a blog post over at Ed Week. Here’s how it begins: A candidate vying for a seat on the Pinellas County School Board in Largo, Fla., this November wants principals to have more control over how the district’s policy that bars most parents with criminal records from volunteering at schools is implemented

4 by Larry Ferlazzo / 6d 

AUG 28

This Is Interesting: Parents Help Decide Curriculum & Hire Teachers At Pennsylvania School

State College’s Delta Program middle school off to busy start is the headline of an article about a middle school in Pennsylvania begun by a local district to reduce loss of students to charters. Here’s an excerpt: Delta Director Jon Downs said the alternative program for State College middle school students — the complement to the established secondary school — operates on a democratic model wher

2 by Larry Ferlazzo / 8d 

“Teacher home visits ease kindergarteners’ fears of first day of school”

Teacher home visits are certainly in the news these days! Here’s the latest article about what’s going on in Tulsa: Teacher home visits ease kindergarteners’ fears of first day of school. Here’s the final sentence in the story: “We’re really trying to focus on family engagement, not just involvement,” Velez said. “We really are trying to let them know how they can keep learning going at home.”

4 by Larry Ferlazzo / 9d hide  //  save

“How to Get Kids to Class: To Keep Poor Kids in School, Provide Social Services”

How to Get Kids to Class: To Keep Poor Kids in School, Provide Social Services is the headline of an op-ed in The New York Times by the president of Communities in Schools. Here’s the last paragraph: Putting social workers in schools is a low-cost way of avoiding bigger problems down the road, analogous to having a social worker in a hospital emergency room. It’s a common-sense solution that will

3 by Larry Ferlazzo / 9d 

Nice Piece For Parents: “12 ways to identify a good school”

Jay Mathews has just published a nice post in The Washington Post titled 12 Ways To Identify A Good School. Here’s how it begins: Fourteen years ago, I wrote a Washington Post magazine piece about a young couple seeking a school for their daughter, including 12 things to look for in a good school. The article survives online. Parents still ask me if I would change any of those recommendations. I w

3 by Larry Ferlazzo / 9d 

Infographic: “Connecting With Parents – Tips & Tricks For Smooth Sailing”

I’m adding this infographic to The Best Infographics About Parent Involvement In Schools:

7 by Larry Ferlazzo / 9d 

9-6-14 All NEW Living in Dialogue

Home | Living in Dialogue:

End Suspensions, and Bring Play Back to Kindergarten

By Sara Lahm. Is there a crack forming in the anti-child world we have been subjecting our children to for far too long? I ask this question on the heels of Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson’s announcement that, effective immediately, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first graders will no longer be suspended for non-violent infractions while in a Minneapolis Public Scho

100+ by Anthony Cody / 16h 

SEP 02

Back to School Advice: Opt Out of High Stakes Standardized Testing

By Denisha Jones. As many parents prepare to send their child(ren) off to school this year they are hopeful that their children will return home each day with reports that they learned something new or made a new friend. Unfortunately for many parents their children will come home and report that they spent the day preparing for tests. The days will turn into weeks, and in some cases, students wil

400+ by Anthony Cody / 3d 

SEP 01

Deborah Meier: On Leisure This Labor Day

Deborah Meier from Schoolhouse Live on Vimeo. This Labor Day small schools founder Deborah Meier reminds us of the need for leisure time to practice the art of democracy. Learn more about Deborah here. The post Deborah Meier: On Leisure This Labor Day appeared first on Living in Dialogue.

8 by Vincent Precht / 4d 

Do Our Schools Need a New Accountability System?

By Anthony Cody. A new report from Marc Tucker is gaining some support for its supposedly new approach to holding schools accountable. But I am afraid his plan makes many of the mistakes that previous such systems have made. Here is the core of his proposal: Instead of testing all of our students every year with low-level, cheap tests, our students would take high stakes tests only three times in

100+ by Anthony Cody / 4d 

Edu-Politics 101, Part Two: The High Cost of Pleasing the Powerful

By John Thompson. I twice supported Barack Obama for president. Throughout President Obama’s first term, I asked what we teachers might have done to provoke him so. Were his anti-teacher policies the avoidable result of teachers and unions being too slow to address conditions in Chicago schools? By now, it is clear that teachers were in the wrong place at the wrong time. President Obama was search

29 by Anthony Cody / 4d 

AUG 31

Politicizing the Common Core as Candidates Plan Their Next Moves

Across the country, politicians are reacting to the Common Core debate. Some are sinking and others are swimming in their support or condemnation of the national standards. The post Politicizing the Common Core as Candidates Plan Their Next Moves appeared first on Living in Dialogue.

61 by Robert Perry / 5d 

AUG 30

Will the Teaching Class Take the Lead?

By Anthony Cody. The teachers of America have been learning some very deep lessons about the nature of 21st century capitalism. And these lessons may turn teachers into a political force to be reckoned with in the years to come. Those who have studied Marxist theory know that he predicted that the exploited working class held the key to political and economic change. It is the workers that generat

1K by Anthony Cody / 6d 

AUG 29

Arne Duncan’s Edu-Politics 101

By John Thompson. National and local reporters who cover the Education beat already know the full story behind Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s retreat from his demands that states comply fully and immediately to everything on his corporate reform wish list. Most have displayed balance and excellence in reporting on the second tier issue that is public education. The press has ably documented

100+ by Anthony Cody / 7d 

Aixa Rodriguez on Racism: We Must Connect What We Teach to Real Life

by Aixa Rodriguez. 1. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? Educators are on the front line when it comes to dealing with the effects of tragic events. When it comes to the Michael Brown shooting the the subsequent protests and militarized police response, teachers who care about social justice, sho

100+ by Anthony Cody / 7d 

Lucianna Sanson: Move Past Discomfort to Learn About Racism

By Lucianna Sanson. 1. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? Our response as educators should be to speak up about these issues and raise awareness about the institution of racism in America. White people, especially, should be educated about racism and prejudice and privilege in America. Until we l

51 by Anthony Cody / 7d 

Xian Barrett: Confronting Racism Cannot Wait

By Xian Barrett. 1. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? We must acknowledge the fact that if our students feel as if we don’t care if they live or die, there is literally no way we can engage them in an academic or any human way. It is our responsibility to weave the study of the inequities shown

10 by Anthony Cody / 7d 

Yohuru Williams: Discussions of Race Can be Thorny

by Yohuru Williams. 1. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? One of the most important things to remember is that the Michael Brown shooting, like any teachable moment, is an opportunity for students to think about and apply their academic studies to real issues. The Brown shooting, for example, is

64 by Anthony Cody / 7d 

Adam Bessie: Our First Step in Discussions of Race is to Listen

By Adam Bessie.      In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice?  Without doubt, there is a cone of silence around race in the education dialogue from white teachers – and I include myself in this.   Part of this is because there are very real institutional and political pressures keeping all teachers fro

15 by Anthony Cody / 7d 

Denisha Jones on Discussing Race: Meet People Where They Are

By Denisha Jones. 1. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? I think our responsibility is to help our colleagues and neighbors understand why the death of Michael Brown and the response in Ferguson is an educational issues. I have heard from many teachers and parents that this has nothing to do with

7 by Anthony Cody / 7d hide  //  save

Stephen Krashen Blog 9-6-14

SKrashen:

My response to Bill Nye (The Science Guy"): Standards OK but not the Common Core Standards

Response to Bill Nye (“Science Guy”), Posted Sept 2 at: Could Common Core be the antidote for Creationist teachers?Bill Nye: If I were king of the forest we would have math in the core curriculum. Science would be in the core curriculum. English in the core curriculum. Elementary science is where you get scientists. Everybody in the space program, everybody who's a doctor got interested in science

7 by skrashen / 2d 

SEP 01

Sustained Silent Reading after the National Reading Panel: Alive and Well

Sent to Education Week,  Sept 1, 2014.As Liana Heitin states ("N.Y.C. Chancellor Pushes for Schools to Reinstate Independent-Reading Time," August 27), there has been "little media attention" given to the issue of free reading in school. There has, however, been a great deal of attention paid to this question in professional educational publications. Contrary to the conclusions

1 by skrashen / 4d 

AUG 30

The real problems with the common core

The real problems with the common coreSent to the Christian Science MonitorArguments for opposing the common core presented by Gov. Jindal ("Common Core: Bobby Jindal says Obama forcing a national curriculum," August 27) do not include the reasons many professional educators and researchers oppose it. A central argument is that there is no need for a radical change in curriculum or testi

100+ by skrashen / 6d 

AUG 29

A more efficient, more pleasant way to teach English

Sent to the South Chine Morning Post, August 29, 2014Philip Yeung's observations about Hong Kong English instruction ("Teach English that's actually of use to struggling students," August 28) applies to language instruction in other countries.  Yeung tells us that Sir Aker-Jones' daughter, after 12 years of English, could not "say or write a three word sentence." Survivors of f

13 by skrashen / 7d