Morning Wink 9-6-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

Q&A: Dana Goldstein, Author, 'The Teacher Wars' : NPR Ed : NPR

Q&A: Dana Goldstein, Author, 'The Teacher Wars' : NPR Ed : NPR: Q&A: Dana Goldstein, Author, 'The Teacher Wars'by ERIC WESTERVELTSeptember 06, 2014 8:43 AM ETI recently came to the education beat after spending the better part of a decade as a foreign correspondent, mainly reporting on conflicts in the Middle East.Shortly after turning in my Kevlar vest for chalk dust I was struck by how i

by mike simpson / 8min 

Arguing Over What Public Schools Should Do?* | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Arguing Over What Public Schools Should Do?* | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Arguing Over What Public Schools Should Do?*“Why do people argue so much about education?”I heard this question as I pumped up Mt. Hamilton. Biking up a California mountain forces you to think about many things or else you note how goofy you are for taking five hours to climb nineteen miles just to

by mike simpson / 12min 

Newark Parents Boycott School For POWER To Control Their Neighborhood Schools Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública:

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: Newark Parents Boycott School For POWER To Control Their Neighborhood Schools: Newark Parents Boycott School For POWER To Control Their Neighborhood SchoolsNewark Parents Want Local Control of Their Schools- Not Racist Corporate Takeover! Start a Boycott on Day OneA group of parents and students in Newark, New Jersey, boycotted the

by mike simpson / 14min 

High marks for turnaround - Lowell Sun Online

High marks for turnaround - Lowell Sun Online: High marks for turnaroundNational teachers union leader hails progress at Lowell schoolsBy Alana Melanson, amelanson@lowellsun.comMAKING THE GRADE: American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten watches fourth-graders Gabriel Rodriguez, rear, and Connor Mills, both 9, work at Pawtucketville Memorial Elementary School in Lowell Thursday. Sh

by mike simpson / 19min 

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 9-6-14

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:Ferguson Readings                                 Photo: Scott Olson, GettyHere is a very incomplete list of thought-provoking articles on the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the protests as a result and the militarization of local policy forces.Mariame Kaba with a commentary in the Washington Post: For Blacks, America is Dangerous by Default  Kare

2 by mike simpson / 24min 

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

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

1 by mike simpson / 28min 

9-6-14 All NEW Living in Dialogue

Home | Living in Dialogue:End Suspensions, and Bring Play Back to KindergartenBy 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 long

2 by mike simpson / 30min 

Stephen Krashen Blog 9-6-14

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

1 by mike simpson / 31min 

9-6-14 Hemlock on the Rocks (The Big Gulp)

Hemlock on the Rocks: LA Schools: Restoring The SUPER In Tendent by Sara Rooshttp://www.citywatchla.com/lead-stories-hidden/7465-la-schools-restoring-the-super-in-tendent -When my home town built a new school in the early '70′s, a whole era vanished in concert with the disappearance of gilded letters proclaiming the "Superintendent's Office" within. I never did figure out what a "Su

2 by mike simpson / 33min 

9-6-14 Wag The Dog Week

WagTheDog | Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart. ~ Rumi: Wag The Dog WeekCommon Core Bait and Switch“Selling” the Common Core State Standards to students, parents, and employers with promotional slogans such as  “college and career readiness”, “critical thinking”, “constructivist  learning”, “technology integration”, and  “21st

1 by mike simpson / 35min 

9-6-14 With A Brooklyn Accent: Love Letters to the BATS

With A Brooklyn Accent:Why Charter School Leaders Are Behind Attacks on Teachers Unions and Public SchoolsIf you ever wonder why famous charter school leaders like Eva Moskowitz or Steve Perry don't just run their schools quietly and let the results speak for themselves and instead devote much of their time attacking teachers, teachers unions and public schools, consider this. When the hiring free

1 by mike simpson / 37min 

9-6-14 Jersey Jazzman NJ Ed News Round-up Jammin' All Week

Jersey Jazzman:Jersey Jazzman Jammin' All WeekA Reply To A Reply from @tomamoranTom,Contrary to your beliefs, no one called you a racist. You know this: you put our other criticisms of you in quotes, but not the one where you allege we call you racist.What we said was that you support One Newark, a racist school reorganization policy. Which it is.You say:Maybe you folks should take a pill, and eng

1 by mike simpson / 38min 

9-6-14 Curmudgucation Week

CURMUDGUCATION:Curmudgucation WeekEfficiency Report Is Only Mostly That BadThe edublogonewsphere buzzed a bit this week about a report from GEMS Education Solutions regarding educational efficiency and the fact that it finds the US somewhat lacking. It is, however, a large report, and some reporters made the mistake of skipping through to just the shiny, sexy parts. I'm not sure that the report ha

1 by mike simpson / 42min 

9-6-14 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):Kashkari to Gov. Brown: ‘You should be ashamed of yourself’Kashkari to Gov. Brown: ‘You should be ashamed of yourself’ Brown (left), Kashkari (right) Governor Jerry Brown and his Republican challenger, Neel Kashkari, spent a few testy minutes in their debate last night talking about public education. Their

1 by mike simpson / 44min 

All Week @ The Answer Sheet 9-6-14

The Answer Sheet:All Week @ The Answer SheetAmerica’s suburban schools facing new pressuresOne of the problems with many school reforms being implemented in schools today is that they are being done in isolation — from one another and from other policies that are necessary to actually allow the education changes to work. In the following post, two professors explain how housing policy affects Amer

1 by mike simpson / 46min 

9-6-14 Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Schooling in the Ownership Society All Week

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog:Schooling in the Ownership SocietyMike Klonsky's SmallTalk Schooling in the Ownership SocietyOur neighborhood rally with Karen LewisKaren at El Cid. THE DELUGE...This afternoon's  rally at the monument in Logan Square, was drowned by a deluge as a series of storms rolled across the city. Karen Lewis and some brave souls made a run for El Cid up the block and set up ca

1 by mike simpson / 48min 

9-6-14 Wait What? - All Week

Wait What?:  Wait What? All WeekGovernor Malloy: Tell the truth about your position on teacher tenureAs we know, on-line petitions demanding politicians account for their actions have become all the rage.  It is time for Governor Malloy to come clean and tell the truth about his position on tenure. Therefore we’ve started on an-line petition to do exactly that: Governor Dannel Malloy is the only D

1 by mike simpson / 50min 

9-6-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum Week

Seattle Schools Community Forum:Seattle Schools Community ForumSeattle Times, This One's For YouGuess what?  According to a new Brookings study, teachers matter. Principals matter.Superintendents?  Not so much.Findings:In this report, the authors examine the extent to which school district effects on student learning are due to the superintendent in charge, as compared to characteristics of distri

1 by mike simpson / 52min 

9-6-14 Ed Notes Online Week

Ed Notes Online: Ed Notes OnlineCongrats to John Elfrank-Dana who has now successfully battled two abusive principalsIf this were Atlanta, Almonte would be leaving in handcuffs..... Ed NotesBergtraum HS principal leaves after caught pushing kids into substandard online courses & violating sped rights; sadly she will now likely go and ruin some adult ed program. Congrats to John ElFrank-Dana wh

1 by mike simpson / 54min 

9-6-14 Fred All Week 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.: Fred All Week Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacherRunning.If you are a member of IEA Retired you should have received your nomination form in the mail for IEA Retired delegate. The IEA Representative Assembly will be in April of 2015. We are back in Rosemont. This year we retiree

1 by mike simpson / 56min 

9-6-14 Perdido Street School Week

Perdido Street School: Perdido Street School WeekCuomo's Weakened Stature Gets The Politico TreatmentThe Politico article, Andrew Cuomo's Progressive Blues, that went up this morning and got prominent placement on the Politico website, is not going to make Andrew Cuomo or his campaign happy.The takeaway: Andrew Cuomo's political stature is diminished and his future as both governor and presidentia

1 by mike simpson / 59min 

9-6-14 the becoming radical EMPATHYEDUCATES! | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD

THE BECOMING RADICALEMPATHYEDUCATES!the becoming radical  A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by Loadbang Concert & RecordingLoadbang Concert & Recording This will include music by my friend Peter Kay.1 by plthomasedd / 2h SEP 04Grade Retention ResearchGrade Retention Research Alexander, K.L., Entwisle, D.R., & Dauber, S.L. (1994). On the success of failure: A reassessment of the effect

1 by mike simpson / 1h 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 9-6-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT  Trials+Tribulations Of Opening School With Misisfrom the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles Weekly Update for the Week of 8 Sept 2014 | http://bit.ly/YihifD AALA thanks a secondary administrator, who wishes to remain anonymous, for providing this article. 4 September, 2014   ::For years, we heard it was

2 by mike simpson / 1h 

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Week… 9-6-14 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE WEEKDaily Show Does Great Segment On Child RefugeesI’m adding this great video segment to The Best Resources For Learning About The Children Refugee Crisis At The U.S. Southern Border: The Daily ShowGet More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive7 by Lar

2 by mike simpson / 1h 

This Week's Education Research Report 9-6-14 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Education Research ReportTHIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORTTeacher Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2012–13 Teacher Follow-up SurveyOf the 3,377,900 public school teachers who were teaching during the 2011–12 school year, 84 percent remained at the same school (“stayers”), 8 percent moved to a different school (“movers”), and 8 percent left the profession (“leavers”) during the followin

2 by mike simpson / 1h 

9-6-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter:  Schools Matter All WeekKIPP: Waiting for the Marshmallow While Getting the FistEducators have jumped on the bandwagon, hoping to teach the skills of delaying gratification to inner-city kids. Dave Levin, co-founder of KIPP (a network of charter schools) employs teaching these cognitive tricks to all his students, who also each wear T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “Don’t eat th

2 by mike simpson / 1h 

All Week 9-6-14 @ THE CHALK FACE

@ THE CHALK FACE : All Week @ THE CHALK FACE About the radio showJoin Drs. Shaun Johnson and Tim Slekar LIVE Sundays at 6PM EST and Wednesdays at 7PM EST on Blog Talk Radio for progressive, pro-public education talk radio. Call in to speak live with Tim and Shaun during the show, (805) 727-7111. You can also listen to our Monday "Sunday-Replay" at 7PM EST, and re-broadcasts of the archiv

2 by mike simpson / 1h 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 9-6-14 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGOhio: Letter from a Teacher in a For-Profit SchoolThis came in my email from a teacher who gave me her/his name, email, school name, and phone number. I asked for permission to post the letter and received it. Do you have any suggestions for this teacher? Ms. Ravitch, I am writing to you because you are the first person I

1 by mike simpson / 1h 

YESTERDAY

Who is More Popular than US Sec of Education Arne Duncan? - NYTimes.com

Indian Leader’s School Visit Draws Fire - NYTimes.com: Indian Leader’s School Visit Draws Fire NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday appeared before millions of India’s schoolchildren, answering respectful questions with an avuncular twinkle for an hour and a half, and telling stories about his own school days.Yet behind the seeming informality of the format was an elaborate, labor-in

2 by mike simpson / 8h 

All Things Education: Pre-doctoral program warm-up: A look at high school teacher turnover in Hanover County, Virginia

All Things Education: Pre-doctoral program warm-up: A look at high school teacher turnover in Hanover County, Virginia: Pre-doctoral program warm-up: A look at high school teacher turnover in Hanover County, VirginiaThis past summer in conjunction with a local public education advocacy group, Friends of Hanover Schools, that I was a part of, I engaged in a little pre-doctoral program warm-up. At a

1 by mike simpson / 10h 

SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: Progressive Lecture Series

SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: Progressive Lecture Series: Progressive Lecture Series  BY DUANE CAMPBELLSACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: Progressive Lecture Series:

1 by mike simpson / 10h 

CTA Launches Back to School Ad Campaign- California Teachers Association

- California Teachers Association: CTA Launches Back to School Ad CampaignContact: Frank Wells (562) 708-5425 or Claudia Briggs (916) 325-1550.TV, Radio, Print Ads Focus on Teacher-Led Reforms and Well-Rounded Education that Ensures Student SuccessAs educators, we know what really works to improve student learning. It’s why we’ve led efforts to turn around hundreds of lower-performing schools. Wor

3 by mike simpson / 11h 

Tim Slekar: Ask Scott Walker and Mary Burke meaningful questions about education : Ct

Tim Slekar: Ask Scott Walker and Mary Burke meaningful questions about education : Ct: Tim Slekar: Ask Scott Walker and Mary Burke meaningful questions about educationNews media are missing the point by covering the political back-and-forth over education policy between Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and challenger Mary Burke, says blogger Tim Slekar.“Who cares?” writes Slekar, dean of the School of

1 by mike simpson / 13h 

Nite Cap 9-5-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT

James Baldwin said it best: "For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP9-5-14 Living in Dialogue - End Suspensions, and Bring Play Back to Kindergarten - Living in DialogueEnd Suspensions, and Bring Play Back to Kindergarten - Living in Dialogue: End Suspensions, and Bring Play Back to KindergartenBy Sara Lahm. Is t

3 by mike simpson / 13h 

9-5-14 Living in Dialogue - End Suspensions, and Bring Play Back to Kindergarten - Living in Dialogue

End Suspensions, and Bring Play Back to Kindergarten - Living in Dialogue: End Suspensions, and Bring Play Back to KindergartenBy 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

1 by mike simpson / 13h 

Why Unionizing Teachers In Charter Schools is a Bad Idea

Why Unionizing Teachers In Charter Schools is a Bad Idea: Why Unionizing Teachers In Charter Schools is a Bad IdeaSEPTEMBER 5, 2014 BY NANCY BAILEY 1 COMMENTIn California, the new NEA leader Lily Eskelsen García is working to gather charter school teachers to unionize. HERE. She appears savvy and smart and gave an uplifting, firery introductory speech to teachers upon her election. As a retired me

1 by mike simpson / 13h 

Student Member App + Advisory Commission on Charter Schools App + CNP Reimbursement Rates - State Board of Education

Student Member Application Memo - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education): REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS FOR THE2015-16 STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION STUDENT MEMBERThe California State Board of Education (SBE) is accepting applications for the 2015–16 Student Board Member position. Any student who is a California resident and enrolled in a public high school, will be a senior in good standing in the

1 by mike simpson / 13h 

Back To School With American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten | Talk Radio News ServiceTalk Radio News Service

Back To School With American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten | Talk Radio News ServiceTalk Radio News Service: Back To School With American Federation of Teachers President Randi WeingartenTRNS Bureau Chief Ellen Ratner interviews Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (Courtesy Photo A

1 by mike simpson / 14h 

NYC Public School Parents: NYC Kids PAC endorsements

NYC Public School Parents: NYC Kids PAC endorsements: NYC Kids PAC endorsementsFor immediate releaseSept. 4, 2014For more information contact: Shino Tanikawa, info@nyckidspac.org , 917-770-8438NYC KidsPAC endorses Teachout for Governor, Jackson, Liu, Koppell for State Senate;Fedkowskyj and Simon for AssemblyToday, NYC KidsPAC, a political action committee composed of parent leaders devoted to stre

1 by mike simpson / 14h 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Our neighborhood rally with Karen Lewis

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Our neighborhood rally with Karen Lewis: Our neighborhood rally with Karen LewisKaren at El Cid. THE DELUGE...This afternoon's  rally at the monument in Logan Square, was drowned by a deluge as a series of storms rolled across the city. Karen Lewis and some brave souls made a run for El Cid up the block and set up camp there to discuss the issues at hand. Even great

1 by mike simpson / 14h 

Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » Teacher Rotation: China’s New National Campaign for Equity

Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » Teacher Rotation: China’s New National Campaign for Equity: Teacher Rotation: China’s New National Campaign for Equity5 SEPTEMBER 2014 717 NO COMMENTBy 2020, about one million teachers and principals in China will be swapped between good and poor schools annually, if the nation’s new strategy for easing education inequity goes as planned. The

1 by mike simpson / 15h 

IQC Recruitment Joint Letter - Application Information (CA Dept of Education)

IQC Recruitment Joint Letter - Application Information (CA Dept of Education): CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION 2015 CALL FOR APPLICATIONSINSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY COMMISSIONWe are requesting your assistance in recruiting currently practicing teachers with teaching experience and expertise in science, history–social science, world languages and/or health to apply for membership on the Instructional

1 by mike simpson / 19h 

for the love of learning: Bring Your Own Device: It's awesome except for the inequity

for the love of learning: Bring Your Own Device: It's awesome except for the inequity: Bring Your Own Device: It's awesome except for the inequityIt's the end of my first week at my new school and it has been awesome!I'm teaching six classes. Two grade 6 social studies, two grade 6 language arts and two grade 8 social studies. For grade 6, I am teaching two classes language arts and social studies

1 by mike simpson / 20h 

9-5-14 Wait What? - Governor Malloy: Tell the truth about your position on teacher tenure

Wait What?: Governor Malloy: Tell the truth about your position on teacher tenureAs we know, on-line petitions demanding politicians account for their actions have become all the rage.  It is time for Governor Malloy to come clean and tell the truth about his position on tenure. Therefore we’ve started on an-line petition to do exactly that: Governor Dannel Malloy is the only Democratic governor i

1 by mike simpson / 22h 

9-5-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools UpdatesFrom last Friday's "Friday Memo" from the Superintendent Here's something interesting from the press conference with the Mayor that included Superintendent Nyland.  The Superintendent referenced a "taskforce" about African-American student outcomes.  I was a bit puzzled but the Friday memo from the Superintendent has the &

1 by mike simpson / 22h 

Geaux Teacher!: Standardized Testing and Pearson's Dangerous Game!

Geaux Teacher!: Standardized Testing and Pearson's Dangerous Game!: Standardized Testing and Pearson's Dangerous Game!Re-post from a Jason  Stanford of The Texas Observer.If you haven't figured out yet that education "reform" with its Standards and Testing mania is BIG BUSINESS check this out.  Pearson Publishing (and all it's subsidiaries and holdings) are reportedly having a difficult

1 by mike simpson / 22h 

9-5-14 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: Lawmakers tightening accountability of LCFFMorning Read: Lawmakers tightening accountability of LCFF Activists win further regulation of LCFF money School administrators are still balking at attempts by lawmakers and other student advocacy groups to further tighten accountability restriction

1 by mike simpson / 22h 

By All Means, Let’s Talk About Alcohol and Campus Sexual Assault. But Let’s Do It Right. |

By All Means, Let’s Talk About Alcohol and Campus Sexual Assault. But Let’s Do It Right. |: By All Means, Let’s Talk About Alcohol and Campus Sexual Assault. But Let’s Do It Right.September 5, 2014 in StudentsStudentActivism.net is the work of Angus Johnston, a historian and advocate of American student organizing. A new piece went up at the Chronicle of Higher Education yesterday titled Why Campu

1 by mike simpson / 22h 

Thank you Mr. President for your Welcome! Join Us! | Cloaking Inequity

Thank you Mr. President for your Welcome! Join Us! | Cloaking Inequity: Thank you Mr. President for your Welcome! Join Us!https://twitter.com/ProfessorJVH/status/507763384817696768 Consider studying for your Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at California State University Sacramento. Join us! Click here.Please Facebook Like, Tweet, etc below and/or reblog.Want to know about Cloaking Inequity’s fresh

1 by mike simpson / 23h 

Activists win further regulation of LCFF money :: SI&A Cabinet Report

Activists win further regulation of LCFF money :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: SEPTEMBER 05, 2014Activists win further regulation of LCFF moneyby Kimberly Beltran(Calif.) School administrators are still balking at attempts by lawmakers and other student advocacy groups to further tighten accountability restrictions under the state’s new sch

2 by mike simpson / 23h 

School Districts Part Of Network Working With Google To Collect Information | Missouri Education Watchdog

School Districts Part Of Network Working With Google To Collect Information | Missouri Education Watchdog: School Districts Part Of Network Working With Google To Collect InformationinShareLet me just start by saying I love the internet. It allows me to connect to friends and family who live far away. It allows me to share ideas on a plethora of social networks like Pinterest and Facebook. I can u

1 by mike simpson / 23h 

9-5-14 Schools Matter - KIPP: Waiting for the Marshmallow While Getting the Fist

Schools Matter: KIPP: Waiting for the Marshmallow While Getting the FistEducators have jumped on the bandwagon, hoping to teach the skills of delaying gratification to inner-city kids. Dave Levin, co-founder of KIPP (a network of charter schools) employs teaching these cognitive tricks to all his students, who also each wear T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “Don’t eat the marshmallow!” SourceWh

1 by mike simpson / 23h 

As Schools Open, Resistance Must Continue! | WeArePCAPS

As Schools Open, Resistance Must Continue! | WeArePCAPS: As Schools Open, Resistance Must Continue!Posted on September 5, 2014by wearepcapsNext week students return for another year at badly under resourced, under staffed, “bare bones” schools. Even if the stalled cigarette tax passes, our schools will be in no better shape, and, arguably, worse off than last year. And last year was the low point

1 by mike simpson / 1d 

Morning Wink 9-5-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-5-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Plunderbund: Ohio’s Richest Charter HaulThe Ohio blogger Plunderbund here lays out the astonishing record of William Lager and the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow.(ECOT). This online charter sch

3 by mike simpson / 1d 

2nd Banana 8-30-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 8-23-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 8-16-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 8-9-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

2nd Banana 8-2-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post2nd Banana 7-26-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Nite Cap 9-5-14

Nite Cap 9-4-14

Nite Cap 9-3-14

Nite Cap 9-2-14

Nite Cap 9-1-14 

Nite Cap 8-31-14

Nite Cap 8-30-14

Nite Cap 8-29-14

Nite Cap 8-28-14

Nite Cap 8-27-14

Nite Cap 8-26-14

Nite Cap 8-25-14

Nite Cap 8-24-14

8-23-14 Saturday Matinée Double Feature 

Q&A: Dana Goldstein, Author, 'The Teacher Wars' : NPR Ed : NPR

Q&A: Dana Goldstein, Author, 'The Teacher Wars' : NPR Ed : NPR:

Q&A: Dana Goldstein, Author, 'The Teacher Wars'

by ERIC WESTERVELT

September 06, 2014 8:43 AM ET

I recently came to the education beat after spending the better part of a decade as a foreign correspondent, mainly reporting on conflicts in the Middle East.

Shortly after turning in my Kevlar vest for chalk dust I was struck by how intensely polarized the education reform debate is in America. I'd traded real mortar fire for the rhetorical kind: Man the barricades, incoming Common Core!

Which raises the question: How did we get here?

Fortunately, that's the topic of a new book from journalist Dana Goldstein's: The Teacher Wars: A History of America's Most Embattled Profession.

In it, she explores the origins of today's debates and the key players involved in them, from embattled union leaders to wealthy philanthropists to activists concerned about poverty and inequality. Goldstein argues that, if you look back a century ago, you find a very similar cast of characters.

The book covers a lot of ground:

The feminization of the teaching corps in the early 19th century built on the idea that teaching should be a kind Christian missionary work for women.

The rise of unions in the 20th century in reaction to political witch hunts, sexism, and absurdly low pay.

Goldstein's policy recommendations for today, including ways of increasing race and gender diversity in the classroom; reducing the role and impact of testing; eliminating some union protections that were needed decades ago but that, she argues, thwart innovation and change today.

Goldstein has been an associate editor at The Daily Beast and The American Prospect, and she's contributed to The Nation, Slate, TIME, and other publications. The Teacher Wars is her first book.

What are the origins of teachers' unions? And what kinds of opposition have they faced?

Unions start in about 1897 and gather steam throughout the first half of the 20th century. And we see a lot of sort of ridiculous, politicized attacks on teachers at that time: Whether it's firing a teacher because she's pregnant, or firing a teacher who opposes IQ testing of kids, and then using those IQ test scores to track kids into either vocational or academic curricula. Or these witch hunts in which tens of thousands of American teachers lose their jobs either because they are Communists or have expressed some interest in communism.

There's a huge sense that there's this red menace and that teachers are going to be indoctrinating children with these far left-wing beliefs. And we see teachers being asked to sign or swear loyalty oaths to the United States government ... thousands of teachers do lose their jobs across the country because they do take a stance that they are unwilling to really perjure themselves. And a lot of reasonable people look at these witch hunts and say teachers' unions make sense. Teachers need someone to defend them. They need an organization to defend their interests.

This grew out of a real problem — that teachers were being pressed for political and social conformity?

That's true, and another thing that was happening is that the profession was subjected to a lot of sexist pressures as well. In a city like Chicago at the turn of the century, 97 percent of the teachers are female. And school reformers are attempting to lower female teachers' pay in order to pay male teachers more, because they perceive that it's a problem that so many Q&A: Dana Goldstein, Author, 'The Teacher Wars' : NPR Ed : NPR:

Arguing Over What Public Schools Should Do?* | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Arguing Over What Public Schools Should Do?* | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:

Arguing Over What Public Schools Should Do?*

“Why do people argue so much about education?”

I heard this question as I pumped up Mt. Hamilton. Biking up a California mountain forces you to think about many things or else you note how goofy you are for taking five hours to climb nineteen miles just to eat peanut butter sandwiches in the parking lot of the James Lick Observatory. So two friends and I chat about biking, the panoramas of the Santa Clara valley and, yes, even education.

About halfway up the mountain my friends and I began talking about the constant disagreement over schools. Victor mentioned the uproar over whether a high school should provide condoms to students. Deborah remembered a conversation with an aunt who was a “creationist.” They knew I was an educator and this led to Deborah’s question: “Why do people argue so much about education?” Let me pick up the conversation as we passed a sign that said five miles to the top.

“There’s a lot of agreement among Americans,” I said. “Most folks believe that kids have to learn the basic skills,” I paused for some breath. “They want kids to know the humanities, sciences, and arts. They want their children to be prepared for college and getting a job. And most people believe that computers help kids learn more.”

Victor said: “OK, let’s say you’re right about the agreement but what about those controversial issuesArguing Over What Public Schools Should Do?* | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:

Newark Parents Boycott School For POWER To Control Their Neighborhood Schools Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública:

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: Newark Parents Boycott School For POWER To Control Their Neighborhood Schools:

Newark Parents Boycott School For POWER To Control Their Neighborhood Schools

Newark Parents Want Local Control of Their Schools- Not Racist Corporate Takeover! 

Start a Boycott on Day One

A group of parents and students in Newark, New Jersey, boycotted the first day of school on Thursday to protest a new system that reorganized the state-run district this year.

One Newark, unveiled last December, gives students the option of attending a school besides the one in their local neighborhood. It has also expanded charter schools in the district, while consolidating or repurposing other schools. The plan is currently being investigated the U.S. Department of Education over claims that it has a disproportionally negative impact on minority students.

Some parents also think that state-appointed District Superintendent Cami Anderson did not solicit enough input from community members in making the plan, and others have claimed that the new transportation system created by the plan is disorganized and unsafe. Anderson as repeatedly disputed the charge that community stakeholders were not involved in the development of One Newark.

Tuesday's action was part of a series of protests and petitions that have been ongoing since reorganization was announced. Newark has 40,000 students, and is one of the state’s lowest performing districts. In 2013, for example, Newark had a 68 percent graduation rate, compared to 88 percent in the state.

Neither activists nor school officials had hard numbers Thursday on exactly how many children stayed home, though Anderson said she did not see high rates of absenteeism and thought the school day went smoothly. Prior to the boycott, hundreds of families committed to participating in the protest, according to press releases from the organizers, Parents Unified for Local School Education (PULSE).

Students participating in the boycott could attend one of three "Freedom Schools," where volunteers gave children instruction, the New Jersey Star-Ledger reported.

In a press release for the boycott, Johnnie Lattner, a co-founder of PULSE, said that activists are boycotting schools because “we have used every organizing tool available to us.”

“Today we make a stand against Cami Anderson dividing, destroying, dismissing, dismantling, and disrespecting parents, students, teachers, and community. We say no to the One Newark Plan,” said Lattner.

Yvonne Malone, who pulled her 12-year-old son out of school on Thursday, told HuffPost that she Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: Newark Parents Boycott School For POWER To Control Their Neighborhood Schools:

High marks for turnaround - Lowell Sun Online

High marks for turnaround - Lowell Sun Online:

High marks for turnaround

National teachers union leader hails progress at Lowell schools

By Alana Melanson, amelanson@lowellsun.com

MAKING THE GRADE: American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten watches fourth-graders Gabriel Rodriguez, rear, and Connor Mills, both 9, work at Pawtucketville Memorial Elementary School in Lowell Thursday. She praised performance improvements made there and at the Murkland Elementary School. See a video at lowellsun.com. SUN / JULIA MALAKIE 

 LOWELL -- Trust, collaboration and safety in risk-taking that benefits both students and staff.

These were among the qualities of Lowell schools celebrated by Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, a national teachers union, during her visit to Pawtucketville Elementary School Thursday.

To Weingarten, Lowell is a successful model for a district that has "transformed opportunities for children in an enduring way."

"They've done reform in the right way," she said.

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and United Teachers of Lowell President Paul Georges visit a fourth-grade classroom at Pawtucketville Memorial Elementary School Thursday. "They've done reform in the right way," she said of the district. SUN / JULIA MALAKIE

Sun staff photos can be ordered by visiting our SmugMug site.

"In a way where they deeply value and respect the teaching force, find ways to engage parents, do things together with a tremendous intention on the strategies that work -- such as professional development in schools, time with teachers working together in schools, aligned to good curriculum, and not just thinking that it's all about the test scores."

The last time Weingarten came to Lowell was two years ago when she visited Murkland Elementary School. Over the past four years, both schools have experienced remarkable turnarounds, catapulting to Level 1 accountability status based on MCAS scores.

"It starts with changing the culture so that people feel that it is a place where educators want to teach, where parents want to send their children, and where kids want to be," Weingarten said.

Under the Achievement Gap Act of 2010, administrators were given more authority to hire staff and make curriculum changes at low-performing Level 4 schools. A recent bill approved by the House would have kept in place many of those changes that have assisted in turning around schools, but it was subsequently defeated in the Senate.

According to teachers union President Paul Georges, however, while those increased authorities -- which he called disrespectful and demeaning to teachers -- were available for administrators to use, they chose not to exercise them at schools like Murkland. Unlike some other districts, principals did not fire staff members or make them reapply for their jobs, he said, and any program changes made were done in a collaborative effort between staff and administration.

"When teachers are empowered to create the plan, to be part of the plan, they own the results," Georges said.

He said the union "could have negotiated very easily what we did at the Murkland without any intervention by the state," but the federal School Redesign Grant that came along with it helped immensely.

With the $250,000 the district received over three years, Superintendent of Schools Jean Franco said a behavioral specialist and an English as a Second Language coach were hired. Teachers were also given additional planning time to work together to make their hours of instruction as constructive and effective as possible.

Franco said the district chose to invest in the knowledge base of its staff in order to achieve sustainable results.

"We're left with a new evaluation system, and a different way to look at data," she said.

The money that hired the additional employees will run out, but Franco said she expects the district

Read more: http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_26481006/high-marks-turnaround#ixzz3CXyY0dOg

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 9-6-14

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:

Ferguson Readings

                                 Photo: Scott Olson, GettyHere is a very incomplete list of thought-provoking articles on the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the protests as a result and the militarization of local policy forces.Mariame Kaba with a commentary in the Washington Post: For Blacks, America is Dangerous by Default  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (yes, THAT Kareem Abdul-Jabb

by L. Jablonski / 6d 

AUG 26

Ferguson, Missouri

The New Yorker's cover for the week we return to school,  Eric Drooker's "Ferguson, Missouri." “An artist friend of mine was killed by a cop in lower Manhattan, back in 1991. He happened to be black, and the police officer was never indicted.” Drooker continues, “As a resident of Manhattan’s Lower East Side, I witnessed the blurring distinctions between the police and military during the

26 by L. Jablonski / 10d 

JUN 10

New Parents Depending on Apps for Parenting Guide

New parents, starting with this generation, are depending on their smartphones to help them survive raising their child. Instead of using their own knowledge to raise their child, the parents download parenting apps online. These apps help parents in all ways physically and mentally. There are apps that relate to a baby's health and emotion; parents would determine whether their child was healthy

1 by Vincent Chan / 87d 

JUN 08

The Leading Web Browser; Google's Web Browser

Since computers were invented, the web browser, Internet Explorer (IE), was the most popular web browser to be used. As computers and software start expanding, different web browsers, such as Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome, were developed but were not used as much as IE because every new monitor purchased comes with IE already installed. This lead to IE being the most used of all the ot

1 by Vincent Chan / 89d 

JUN 02

AP U.S. Government Summer Reading (Periods 5 and 6)

Summer reading assignment for all AP US Govt students (non-HISP) who will be in my classes next year is available here. 

1 by L. Jablonski / 96d 

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 4-26-14

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:Russia is Still Having Fun with the UkraineSo there are now up to 40,000 Russian troops equipped with all their fighting machines on the border of the Ukraine. Russia has annexed Crimea and clearly shows intent of not stopping there. Ethnically Russian cities inside of the Ukrainian border have exploded in revolt and violence has torn the streets. There are cities in the

by mike simpson / 7d