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Thursday, March 19, 2015

Special Nite Cap Catch Up on All the Days Post 3/19/15



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What is the Young Teachers Collective? | Young Teachers Collective
What is the Young Teachers Collective? | Young Teachers Collective: What is the Young Teachers Collective?MARCH 19, 2015 / STEPHRRIVERAAs future and young teachers, we are constantly advised not to go into teaching. We are painted as apathetic and unaware of “what we’re getting ourselves into.” This idea completely ignores the fact that the next generation of teachers are the same students who exp
Gov. Cuomo Declares War On Special Education | Crooks and Liars
Gov. Cuomo Declares War On Special Education | Crooks and Liars: Gov. Cuomo Declares War On Special EducationCredit: DonkeyHotey As a long-time special education teacher, I have been disheartened by Governor Cuomo. Back in January, he laid out his plans to reform public education which included an overhaul of how we are evaluated.Evaluation is necessary, but to mandate 50% of test scores to our ev
Campus Pride National LGBTQ-Friendly College Fair Program | Campus Pride | The leading national organization for LGBT student leaders and campus groups
Campus Pride National LGBTQ-Friendly College Fair Program | Campus Pride | The leading national organization for LGBT student leaders and campus groups:Campus Pride National LGBTQ-Friendly College Fair ProgramTHANK YOU!Campus Pride & GLSEN extend our appreciation to our presenting sponsor Toyota as well as the hundreds of LGBTQ and ally students who participated in the first-ever online colleg
“Doxxing”: A Primer | deutsch29
“Doxxing”: A Primer | deutsch29: “Doxxing”: A Primer I learned a new term today: doxxing (also spelled doxing). In short, doxxing involves the spreading of personally-identifiable information (documents, of “dox”) on the internet.I noticed that some usage of the term presumes inappropriate “dropping” of personal “docs.” However, it seems that the perceived appropriateness of doxxing can sometimes
Testing resistance around the country, now a national movement: A state-by-state update | Seattle Education
Testing resistance around the country, now a national movement: A state-by-state update | Seattle Education:Testing resistance around the country, now a national movement: A state-by-state update#PARCCWALKOUT for updatesFrom Fair Test with additions made in italics:Testing Resistance & Reform NewsAs the peak of spring standardized exam season nears, parents, students, teachers, superintendents
Would you surrender your child’s rights? Of course not. How you can defend your child. | Reclaim Reform
Would you surrender your child’s rights? Of course not. How you can defend your child. | Reclaim Reform: Would you surrender your child’s rights? Of course not. How you can defend your child.Posted on March 19, 2015by Ken PrevitiPearson testing “monitors” your child electronically without your prior knowledge or consent. Pearson is foreign company collecting information (lucrative data mining) on
Thousands of New York City Teachers Protest Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Free Market Education Reforms - Working In These Times
Thousands of New York City Teachers Protest Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Free Market Education Reforms - Working In These Times:Thousands of New York City Teachers Protest Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Free Market Education ReformsNew York teachers and parents took to the streets last week in protest of an education budget they say furthers free market education reforms. (United Federation of Teachers / Instagram)  
What If Education Reform Got It All Wrong in the First Place? - Pacific Standard
What If Education Reform Got It All Wrong in the First Place? - Pacific Standard:What If Education Reform Got It All Wrong in the First Place?That’s the conclusion of a growing number of researchers who argue that 30 years of test scores have not measured a decline in public schools, but are rather a metric of the country’s child poverty and the broadening divide of income inequality.It’s been jus
Which groups are over- or under-represented in regular DC public schools and the DC charter schools? | GFBrandenburg's Blog
Which groups are over- or under-represented in regular DC public schools and the DC charter schools? | GFBrandenburg's Blog: Which groups are over- or under-represented in regular DC public schools and the DC charter schools?I’ve been taking a careful look at where various groups of students in Washington DC are enrolled, using various official DCPS and OSSE documents, to see which groups are unde
Is Education Reform Worth the Demise of Neighborhood Schools?
Is Education Reform Worth the Demise of Neighborhood Schools?:Is Education Reform Worth the Demise of Neighborhood Schools?Some worry the benefits of a better education don’t outweigh the new problems it brings.A couple of years ago, an Arkansas legislator named Reginald Murdock began paying attention to the school buses that plied the highways around his state. Some of them seemed to be on the ro
Winter-Spring Speaking Schedule for Feminist Teacher, Ileana Jiménez « Feminist Teacher
Winter-Spring Speaking Schedule for Feminist Teacher, Ileana Jiménez « Feminist Teacher: Winter-Spring Speaking Schedule for Feminist Teacher, Ileana JiménezI had the honor of being a part of the opening plenary at this year’s Scholar & Feminist Conference hosted by the Barnard Center for Research on Women (photo credit: Sarah Rodriguez).I’m excited to announce my speaking schedule for the rem
Schools Matter: The Moral Collapse of Education Reform
Schools Matter: The Moral Collapse of Education Reform: The Moral Collapse of Education ReformÜbermenschIn 1954 the U. S. Supreme Court declared 9-0 that separate schools based on race are inherently unequal. That decision launched the American Civil Rights Movement, and it provided a moral and legal foundation for civil rights gains among women, the disabled, English language learners, and the LG
You won’t believe what New Mexico teachers aren’t allowed to say to students - The Washington Post
You won’t believe what New Mexico teachers aren’t allowed to say to students - The Washington Post:You won’t believe what New Mexico teachers aren’t allowed to say to studentsSouth Valley Academy students protest after leaving class on March 2 in Albuquerque, N.M. New assessment tests that have angered parents and teachers across the nation prompted the walkouts by hundreds of high school students
NYC Public School Parents: How Cuomo's idea to expand state receivership is based on a false narrative of failing schools
NYC Public School Parents: How Cuomo's idea to expand state receivership is based on a false narrative of failing schools: How Cuomo's idea to expand state receivership is based on a false narrative of failing schoolsBelow is the testimony I gave today in front of the NYC Council Education Committee, in favor of the resolution opposing the Governor’s proposal on receivership -- the state taking ov
Richer Schools Get More Money
3/19/2015 – The Education Spring Goes To College: The Education Spring Goes To College THIS WEEK: Richer Schools Get More Money … Education Not An Equalizer … Hedge Funders Back Cuomo … NCLB Hasn’t Worked … Bad Republican House BudgetTOP STORYThe Education Spring Goes To CollegeBy Jeff Bryant” The Education Spring has become an influential force in higher education too. The popular groundswell of
Chicago’s veteran reformers praise Chuy Garcia on finances ‪#‎Chuy2015
Chicago’s veteran reformers praise Chuy Garcia on finances | Chicago Reporter:Chicago’s veteran reformers praise Chuy Garcia on financesIf the media are right when they insinuate that Chuy Garcia is so unprepared to deal with the city’s finances, why are so many veteran good-government reformers backing him?For one thing, they remember how disastrous much of the media thought Harold Washington was
Saving Students From A Shattered System: A school without representation? A true story
Saving Students From A Shattered System: A school without representation? A true story:A school without representation? A true storyWhile mentoring a first year, special education teacher, in Milwaukee’s Guadalupe middle school an incident happened that I will never forget.  The facts caught on video were told to me as follows. A teacher is walking down the hall and his leg thrusts backward and hi
‘Wrapping Our Arms Around All Children’ | Oklahoma Observer
‘Wrapping Our Arms Around All Children’ | Oklahoma Observer: ‘WRAPPING OUR ARMS AROUND ALL CHILDREN’BY JOHN THOMPSONThis is the third in the series about alternatives to the risky school choice experiment known as SB 68. This “under the radar” bill is the latest education gamble based on the idea that the stress of high stakes testing and extreme competition can overcome the educational legacies o
When Will "Progressives" Defend Public Education? - Living in Dialogue
When Will "Progressives" Defend Public Education? - Living in Dialogue: When Will "Progressives" Defend Public Education? By Anthony Cody.This morning I opened my email to find a message from “Bold Progressives,” who exist to rally support for Democratic Party candidates willing to fight for real change. The message was a survey from the “Progressive Change Campaign Committee,”
Test security now means checking social media for cheaters - Yahoo Finance
Test security now means checking social media for cheaters - Yahoo Finance: Test security now means checking social media for cheatersStandardized test security now means monitoring social media and some aren't OK with that For the organizations that give standardized tests, it's a common — and common-sense — security measure.But to the growing number of critics of the exams, the practice of monit
Cyber Schools Are Failing, So Why Are They Expanding? - NEA Today
Cyber Schools Are Failing, So Why Are They Expanding? - NEA Today:Cyber Schools Are Failing, So Why Are They Expanding? One of the most frustrating characteristics of the education reform political climate is the correlation between a specific policy’s popularity and the absence of any reliable evidence supporting its effectiveness. Whether its overtesting, budget cuts, merit pay, or vouchers, it
The teaching crisis that unions and school districts won't address - LA Times
The teaching crisis that unions and school districts won't address - LA Times: The teaching crisis that unions and school districts won't addressHigh-stakes testing hasn't helped matters. Polling shows that 3 out of 4 teachers agree that continuous test-based monitoring of students takes too much classroom time away from actual teaching. Nearly 9 in 10 respondents feel that linking teacher evaluat
What this spring’s Common Core tests promised, and what they will actually deliver - The Hechinger Report
What this spring’s Common Core tests promised, and what they will actually deliver - The Hechinger Report:What this spring’s Common Core tests promised, and what they will actually deliverFour years and over $360 million later, new Common Core tests are here. What’s new and what isn’tMuslim Alkurdi, 18, of Albuquerque High School, joins hundreds of classmates in Albuquerque, N.M, Monday, March 2,
Pearson Is Watching: What Test Security Means For Student Privacy - Forbes
Pearson Is Watching: What Test Security Means For Student Privacy - Forbes:Pearson Is Watching: What Test Security Means For Student PrivacyPssst…I know the answer to the first question on the third-grade PARCC math test. My inside source couldn’t wait to spill those beans as soon as he jumped into his mother’s mini-van in the pick-up line outside his New Jersey elementary school earlier this mont
#HedgePapers No.6: Daniel Loeb — Hedge Clippers
#HedgePapers No.6: Daniel Loeb — Hedge Clippers: #HEDGEPAPERS NO.6: DANIEL LOEB19 MAR 2015•HEDGEPAPERSDANIEL LOEB: BAD BEHAVIOR, BAD POLITICS, BAD KARMAA yoga devotee is calm, spiritual and concerned about the welfare of others—unless the yoga devotee in question is Dan Loeb, who is known for publicly excoriating executives and relentlessly pursuing the accumulation of more wealth than most people
Commonwealth Court grants injunction to Pennsylvania teachers union | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Commonwealth Court grants injunction to Pennsylvania teachers union | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Commonwealth Court grants injunction to Pennsylvania teachers union By Eleanor Chute / Pittsburgh Post-GazetteThe home addresses of public school employees are private, at least until a state Supreme Court decision.Commonwealth Court this week issued an order in the case which began in 2009 when the Penn
Testing backlash: Students and parents chaffing at explosion of standardized tests | Deseret News National
Testing backlash: Students and parents chaffing at explosion of standardized tests | Deseret News National: Testing backlash: Students and parents chaffing at explosion of standardized testsParents Can Opt Out - United Opt Out NationalClick Here to go to United Opt Out National: Click Here to go to the Website- United Opt Out TeamClick Here to go to the Website FairTestWhen Ethan Rediske was on hi
Chicago Mayor's Race Reveals Deep Divide In Democratic Party ‪#‎Chuy2015‬ ‪#‎imwithchuy‬
Chicago Mayor's Race Reveals Deep Divide In Democratic Party : It's All Politics : NPR: Chicago Mayor's Race Reveals Deep Divide In Democratic PartyOne of the nation's savviest politicians is in an unexpected fight.Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's former White House chief of staff, is in an unprecedented runoff election next month.Chicago Race Exposes Progressive, Wall Street Wings Of
Bill de Blasio: We're fixing our schools at the root - NY Daily News
Bill de Blasio: We're fixing our schools at the root - NY Daily News: Mayor de Blasio: We need Albany to extend mayoral control so we can fix our schools at the rootDe Blasio says that Mayoral Control makes it clear: The buck stops with him.For too long, our schools have been divided into “good” and “bad.”Every public school parent, myself included, knew what a bad school looked like: few resource
How So-Called "Education Reformers" Have Learned the Art of War | EdCircuit
How So-Called "Education Reformers" Have Learned the Art of War | EdCircuit: How So-Called “Education Reformers” Have Learned the Art of War By David GreeneDavid Greene is a former 38-year Social Studies teacher and coach. He is also a program consultant for WISE Services, an organization that helps high schools create and run experiential learning programs for seniors. In addition, the
7 things to know about PARCC's effect on teacher evaluations | NJ.com
7 things to know about PARCC's effect on teacher evaluations | NJ.com: 7 things to know about PARCC's effect on teacher evaluationsNew Jersey parents and students may have heard that data extracted from the new state tests in English and math will count in the performance evaluation of some teachers for this school year.That much is simple to explain.But how that data is calculated, which teachers
Teaching History the Pearson Way | Alan Singer
Teaching History the Pearson Way | Alan Singer: Teaching History the Pearson WayI reviewed a copy of the teacher guide toPearson My World Social Studies: The Growth of Our Country at the New York State Council for the Social Studies annual conference. Curiously (a word I will use throughout this post) the hard-copy teacher guide does not identify a grade level, butonline it is designated for 5th g
Nine Billionaires Are About to Remake New York’s Public Schools—Here’s Their Story. | The Nation
Nine Billionaires Are About to Remake New York’s Public Schools—Here’s Their Story. | The Nation: Nine Billionaires Are About to Remake New York’s Public Schools—Here’s Their Story.A Nation investigation reveals how a group of hedge funders are about to get exactly what they paid for. Hedge-fund manager Whitney Tilson stands at a Harvard club podium in midtown Manhattan, facing a room full of inve
Eva et al. flunk the fairness test | The Thomas B. Fordham Institute
Eva et al. flunk the fairness test | The Thomas B. Fordham Institute: Eva et al. flunk the fairness testMichael J. PetrilliMarch 17, 2015In the pre-Common Core era, we had a big problem. Most state tests measured minimal competency in reading and math. But we failed to communicate that to parents, so they reasonably thought a passing grade meant their child was pretty much where they needed to be.

What is the Young Teachers Collective? | Young Teachers Collective

What is the Young Teachers Collective? | Young Teachers Collective:










What is the Young Teachers Collective?

As future and young teachers, we are constantly advised not to go into teaching. We are painted as apathetic and unaware of “what we’re getting ourselves into.” This idea completely ignores the fact that the next generation of teachers are the same students who experienced the faults of oppressive reforms. From No Child Left Behind (NCLB), to de facto segregation of schools, we know that education can and should be so much more. The Young Teachers Collective, a group of future and young teachers from across the country, are ready to make our voices heard.
GOALS
The current climate of the education system is not inviting. We constantly see poor reforms implemented by people the most distant from the classroom. We constantly hear “don’t go into teaching.” Regardless, we see the profession as something worth fighting for. In order to win this struggle, we understand the importance of coming together to support each other and lift each other up–even if it’s only through an online community. By creating this collective, we hope to:
  • Create a space to educate each other and others
  • Promote a common vision for the future of education
  • Build a network to support each other to prevent\support each other during burn out
  • Strengthen our presence in discussions about education
  • Create a space to share\suggest resources to build consciousness as well as materials to use in the classroom
In order to do this we plan to engage in the following:
  • Weekly blog posts by members of YTC discussing an issue of their choice
  • Host monthly Twitter Chats. Our past chat includes improving teacher education.
  • Host monthly Google Hangouts
  • Host webinar workshops
  • Host workshops and\or discussions on our campuses\in community when possible
IMPORTANCE OF YOUNG AND FUTURE TEACHERS’ VOICES
While many of us have been inspired by teacher-activists currently in the field, we have come to recognize the importance of creating our own collective voice. The voices of young and future teachers are largely ignored in the education movement. We are often dismissed because we are viewed as not having the experience to truly understand the issues facing public education. However, there is no doubt that our voices are valuable and even necessary in this struggle. We are in the unique position of simultaneously facing issues affecting both students and teachers. At the same time, this position presents different challenges that students and experienced teachers are not aware of. Young and future teachers are the only ones who can really speak to these challenges, which is why it is so important that we speak out and have our voices amplified.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
If you are a future or new teacher in the field looking to learn more about YTC, please contact us at: YoungTeachersCollective@gmail.com

Gov. Cuomo Declares War On Special Education | Crooks and Liars

Gov. Cuomo Declares War On Special Education | Crooks and Liars:



Gov. Cuomo Declares War On Special Education



Gov. Cuomo Declares War On Special Education
Credit: DonkeyHotey


 As a long-time special education teacher, I have been disheartened by Governor Cuomo. Back in January, he laid out his plans to reform public education which included an overhaul of how we are evaluated.

Evaluation is necessary, but to mandate 50% of test scores to our evaluations is unreasonable. This new standard is an attack on special education. Our students are enrolled in special education schools because of their severe disabilities and because of the mandates on their IEP’s (Individualized Education Plan, which is a legal document as mandated by the state).
Our city’s most vulnerable students are forced to participate in high stakes testing based on their grade, not abilities. These tests are developmentally inappropriate for our students and they result in much lower test scores. Lower test scores do not mean they have “bad” teachers. In fact, the teachers in my school are some of the most hardworking ones that I know. If Governor Cuomo is successful, and the 50% goes through, all special education teachers are in danger of having poor evaluations. What teacher is going to want to work in special education knowing that despite their hard work and dedication, they could be fired for it? Our special education students thrive on routine and with knowledgeable and adept teachers. If they don’t have these teachers, who will be there to educate and care for these students?
In Governor Cuomo’s speech he also made his love for charter schools quite clear. He showed his favoritism towards charters with no plan to help the funding-starved public schools. So why does Governor Cuomo love charters so much? In an article by Petr Svabin the Epoch Times, the donors behind Governor Cuomo’s reelection campaign were revealed, showing over $1.6 million in donations, from charter school proponents. Eva Moskowitz and her cohorts donated $682,367.
I know what it is like to be in co-location with Moskowitz. Her chain began in my building over eight years ago. She has gutted my special needs school without shame. Moskowitz’s school has become the “haves,” while my school, along with another general ed school in my building, became the “have nots.”
Over a year and a half ago, her plan, pushed through by Bloomberg and his cronies, would have shut down my school. If we had lost this space, federal, state, and local laws that were put in place to PROTECT these children would have been violated.
Mayor de Blasio has said many times that he would not permit her school to displace special needs students, which the media has mostly ignored. A press conference was organized by advocacy groups, teachers, students, parents, community leaders, and elected officials at my school. Coincidentally, Moskowitz planned her press conference for her lawsuits against the city that same day. Guess what got coverage?
She closed her schools last March to rally in Albany. Participants either did not know what they were fighting for or they did not care that over 100 students would be affected by her expansion. Governor Cuomo also made an appearance, and it was later revealed that he was instrumental in the planning of this event. Subsequent to this rally, he changed the law Gov. Cuomo Declares War On Special Education | Crooks and Liars: