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Saturday, March 26, 2011

UTLA- A Landmark Year For Union Election Corruption by Mark Hemphill - Perdaily.com

UTLA- A Landmark Year For Union Election Corruption by Mark Hemphill - Perdaily.com

UTLA- A Landmark Year For Union Election Corruption by Mark Hemphill

by Leonard Isenberg
UTLA IMAGE.jpeg
(Mensaje se repite en Español)

(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)

Part 1: Where It All Began

Unless you're a member of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) teaching community, you probably didn't know that round one of the elections for offices within the United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) union has come and gone and round two comes to a conclusion March 29 between the two surviving virtually indistinguishable runoff slates to decide the remaining offices. However, even if you're a member of the teaching community, you may not know of these events, given that estimates of the voter turnout ran as low as 15% and no higher than 17%. Pretty sorry for the second largest teacher's union in the country. At some school sites, teachers didn't even know there was an election, and if they did, they couldn't identify the candidates much less separate them by their positions on issues. But even if you're not a teacher, Keep this in mind. What happens here will dramatically effect all teachers, public education and you by transference. So read on if
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NYC Public School Parents: Bloomberg booed at today's Triangle Shirtwaist ceremony

NYC Public School Parents: Bloomberg booed at today's Triangle Shirtwaist ceremony

Bloomberg booed at today's Triangle Shirtwaist ceremony

by Leonie Haimson
See video below of today's ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in Greenwich village. It was the deadliest industrial disaster in the city's history, in which more than a hundred seamstresses, most of them very young, died from the fire or jumped to their deaths when the exits were blocked. The disaster led to legislation requiring improved safety standards and working conditions.

The Mayor, by proposing the layoffs of thousands of teachers, most of them women, and the elimination of all
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Daily Kos: The Finland Phenomenon - a film on schools

Daily Kos: The Finland Phenomenon - a film on schools

The Finland Phenomenon - a film on schools

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

On Thursday night I saw the premiere of "The Finland Phenomenon: Inside the World’s Most Surprising School System." This is the latest film by Robert Compton, who perhaps best known for "Two Million Minutes."

Let me simply list the key takeaways from the film:
1. Finland does not have high stakes tests
2. Finland worked to develop a national consensus about its public schools
3. Having made a commitment to its public schools, Finland has few private schools.
4. When asked about accountability, Finns point out that they not only do not have tests, they do not have an inspectorate. They find that trusting people leads to them being accountable for themselves.
5. Finland does not have incredibly thick collections of national standards. They have small collections of broadly defined standards, and allow local implementation.
6. Qualifying to become a teacher is difficult.
7. Teachers are well trained, well supported, and given time to reflect about what they are doing, including during the school day.
8. Finns start school later in life than we do
9. Finnish students do little homework.
10. There is meaningful technical education in Finnish Schools

The premiere was introduced by the Ambassador of Finland to the US, and followed by a panel discussion. I will provide some comments about the panel discussion, but I want to focus mainly on the takeaways.

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The Death of Literacy? | Lefty Parent

The Death of Literacy? | Lefty Parent

The Death of Literacy?

by Cooper Zale

There’s been a thread on the Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) listserv I participate in titled “The Death of Literacy”, started by one of the more active list participants, Todd, who is closing down his book store which he has unsuccessfully tried to transform into a learning center or perhaps a library for alternative schools in the San Francisco Bay area where he lives. He is bemoaning a generation of young people who appear to be turned off to books and literature (at least the printed and bound versions you buy in bookstores or borrow from the library), in favor of electronic media and particularly dazzling video games that to many in the older generations seem like tools for killing time, perhaps self-medicating the stresses of life, and little more.

Based on Todd’s original post, a long thoughtful email discussion continued on the subject mainly among three list participants – Todd, Leo and Matt (with others chiming in occasionally) that involved a several week

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I’d Love To Meet You Sunday At The #ASCD Conference! | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

I’d Love To Meet You Sunday At The ASCD Conference! | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

I’d Love To Meet You Sunday At The ASCD Conference!

by Larry Ferlazzo

Just a reminder that I’ll be at the ASCD Conference in San Francisco this Sunday (tomorrow), and would love to meet readers of this blog!

You’ll find me at the Eye on Education booth #2423 from 11:45 AM — 2:00 PM (they’re the publishers of my new book coming out next month, Helping Students Motivate Themselves. Alice Mercer is also going to try to do a live webcast from the same place at 11:00 AM that day, and I’ll be there then, and she’ll be hoping to have other drop-in visitors speak. So come on by!

Other than that, I’ll be doing whatever Alice tells me to do, unless people have other suggestions!

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Fundamental Attribution Error « InterACT #ASCD

Fundamental Attribution Error « InterACT

Fundamental Attribution Error

by David B. Cohen

This morning’s general session at the ASCD conference featured a talk by Chip Heath, a Stanford professor and author (with his brother, Dan), of the books Switch, and Made to Stick.

The point of his talk was to look at the conditions that make change more or less likely, for individuals, groups, and organizations. In thinking about change, Heath used the analogy of a rider on an elephant. The rider is the analytical mind – important, but considerably smaller than the elephant. The elephant is the emotional side of our behavior – more powerful than the rider, but more effective when they work together. Effective change comes from getting the rider and the elephant working together, and the last key to change is clearing the path, removing the obstacles and changing the environment to help the rider and elephant along.

In terms of shaping the environment, Heath advised the audience to beware of “fundamental attribution error.” Rather than try to summarize it perfectly, I looked it up.

From AllPsych Online:

1. Fundamental Attribution Error. This refers to the tendency to over estimate the internal and underestimate

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Larry Miller's Blog The WI X Files #wiunion #1u

Larry Miller's Blog
Newly Released Wisconsin Emails Show GOP Considered Ways To Punish Democrats By SCOTT BAUER 03/23/11 Huffington Post MADISON, Wis. — Everything from taking away computers to denying a year of service in the state retirement system was considered to punish the 14 Wisconsin Democrats who fled to Illinois for three weeks to ...
Hundreds attend, testify at legislative hearing on charter school changes SUSAN TROLLER | The Capital Times Posted: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 Susan Troller is an award-winning education reporter who has covered business, art and urban design, food and K-12 schools for The Capital Times over the past five years. Chalkboard ...
Walker’s Attack on Immigrant Community By Jeff Starck Mar. 24, 2011 Marshfield News Herald Immigrant support groups from throughout Wisconsin say Gov. Scott Walker is targeting minority communities in his proposed budget by taking away vital resources to help balance Wisconsin’s budget. ...
Watch MSNBC’s Ed Show to See the GOP’s Divisive and Reactionary Tactics To watch the Ed Show on GOP tactics go to: MSNBC’s *The Ed Show***
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News: Wisconsin Gets Weirder - Inside Higher Ed #wiunion #1u

News: Wisconsin Gets Weirder - Inside Higher Ed

Wisconsin Gets Weirder

March 25, 2011

Just when it seemed that the political conflict and intrigue over public higher education in Wisconsin could not get any more intense or convoluted, it did. Thrust into the tangled mix of controversy over employee union policies andpotential governance restructuring that have roiled the University of Wisconsin System this winter came word late Thursday of a Republican operative's perceived attack on academic freedom and on one of the university's most visible scholars, which promises to complicate an already combustible situation.

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To recap briefly what the last three months had already wrought in Wisconsin: Governor Scott Walker has become a national icon (positively or negatively depends on one's views on the role of the labor movement) for his attack on collective bargaining for public employee unions, including those for professors and graduate students.

And as that drama (which included a virtual shutdown of Wisconsin's legislative process and efforts to recall politicians on both sides of the aisle) was unfolding, Walker endorsed a move by the University of Wisconsin's flagship campus at Madison for greater independence, not only from state regulation but, to the dismay of Wisconsin's other public institutions, from the rest of the university system.

Those developments have created a complicated political dynamic in

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ASCD Inservice: Give Boys Reading Role Models

ASCD Inservice: Give Boys Reading Role Models

Give Boys Reading Role Models

What with boys and reading?

In "The Boy Factor in Special Education: Overrepresented or Misguided Pedagogy?," one of the early sessions at ASCD's Annual Conference in San Francisco, presenters talked about ways to make instruction more accessible to boys. And really, the strategies discussed--more active learning environments, less emphasis on conformity, more student choice--are tools that work with all genders, and are about the overall goal to make learning more engaging.

The strategy that really stood out relates to the question above--How can we hook more boys into reading? Presenter Gail Choice observed that we need to provide boys with male reading role models.

"Boys don't see reading as a masculine activity," Choice said. She suggested getting male volunteers to come into

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this week's angriest posts | angry asian man

this week's angriest posts | angry asian man
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4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: AMONG CHARTER SCHOOLS, INCONSISTENCY BEGETS OPPORTUNITY

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: AMONG CHARTER SCHOOLS, INCONSISTENCY BEGETS OPPORTUNITY
AMONG CHARTER SCHOOLS, INCONSISTENCY BEGETS OPPORTUNITY By Matthew Di Carlo | The Shanker blog, the voice of Albert Shanker Institute | http://bit.ly/gzL3OR March 23, 2011 - Andrew Rotherham – who writes the blog “Eduwonk” – has also recently started writing a weekly column for Time Magazine. Most of his ...
FUNDING REFORM OUT OF THE ASHES: Get new fairer, simpler system in place now By John Fensterwald - Educated Guess | http://bit.ly/hwMjk1 3/24/11 • With K-12 schools facing financial disaster if state taxes aren’t extended, it takes a pie-eyed optimist to discuss better times ahead. But, under rules for repaying schools what ...
CÉSAR CHÁVEZ REMINDS US Themes in the News for the week of March 21-24, 2011by UCLA IDEA | http://bit.ly/h4MKkj “It is not enough to teach our young people to be successful…so they can realize their ambitions, so they can earn good livings… It is not enough to progress as ...
LACCD Hi-jinks: VAN DE KAMPS COALITION CRIES FOUL OVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS Coalition says $12 million in measure J bond money should be used for finishing community college campus project at Van de Kamps property. By David Fonseca |Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch | http://bit.ly/f5koPt March 25, 2011 | Northeast Los ...
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NYC Public School Parents: Highs and lows of Thursday's education forum in Washington Heights

NYC Public School Parents: Highs and lows of Thursday's education forum in Washington Heights

Highs and lows of Thursday's education forum in Washington Heights

by Leonie Haimson

On Thursday night, an education forum was hosted by NY State Senator Espaillat. Here is an account of the proceedings from Tory Frye, parent at PS/IS 187:

Noah Gotbaum [ President of the Community Education Council in District 3] was brilliant at last night's education forum in Washington Heights; the crowd completely lit up at his remarks, which were rays of light in an otherwise dark and dismal evening.

From a parent's perspective, here were the low lights:

  • The suggestion by Chancellor Merryl Tisch, head of the NY State Board of Regents, that the state can foster a focus on the arts and music in city schools by making schools accountable/creating standards
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Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: With Arms like an Octopus, Gates Foundation Reaches in all Directions

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: With Arms like an Octopus, Gates Foundation Reaches in all Directions

With Arms like an Octopus, Gates Foundation Reaches in all Directions

by Melissa Westbrook
From: Bill Williams, Executive Director, Washington State PTSA

I am pleased to announce that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded a grant to Washington State PTA in the amount of $191,424. Among other things, funds from the grant will be used
• to enhance communications with and among our members;
• to strengthen efforts to engage all parents, especially those from communities who have historically been underrepresented; and
• to undertake a public information campaign about the importance of every student graduating ready for college or a career.

WSPTA is very appreciative of the generosity of the Foundation in supporting our efforts to achieve our vision

It's the Student, Stupid

by Melissa Westbrook
This isn't really what Dick Lilly over at Crosscut said but it's what went thru my mind reading his recentarticle. Here's his premise about "closing the achievement gap":

Among the results of this frustratingly persistent problem is a vast, energetic industry of school reform, headlined in recent years by the involvement of powerful private foundations and the policy directives of the federal government: “No Child Left Behind” in the “Race to the Top.”

Over the years, a variety of structural changes have been proposed and, to one degree or another, tried: small schools, mayoral governance, charter schools, (more) intensive professional development for teachers, (more) leadership training for principals. Testing and more testing, along with the loss of federal funds and wholesale staff changes when schools have failed to improve scores (many states dumbed down their tests to avoid the consequences). And lately, paying teachers based on student test
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This Week In Education: Events: Notes From Yale SOM 2011

This Week In Education: Events: Notes From Yale SOM 2011

Events: Notes From Yale SOM 2011

by Alexander Russo

Picture 19#somELC It was something of an "off" year for the Yale SOM education conference – not in terms of attendance or quality of the program but rather in terms of VIPs and the atmosphere of self-congratulation. Faced with charter quality problems and political setbacks and all the rest, could reformers have finally learned humility to go along with their urgency? It wouldn't be a bad thing. In any case, there was no video greeting from Arne Duncan or even any high level USDE officials in attendance. [Andy Rotherham complained that the USDE’s Brad Jupp had to conference into the morning session because the Administration was being “run like a Central American country."] There was no Wendy Kopp, Jon Schnur, Jonah Edelman, or even Michelle Rhee. There weren’t any other reporters or bloggers there (that I know of). Some sort of fall-off was inevitable,

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Teamster Nation: Teamsters take over Pershing Square

Teamster Nation: Teamsters take over Pershing Square
Teamsters take over Pershing Square @l_mentary tweets: ! Teamsters have taken over Pershing Square! They're are still plenty of marchers at JP Morgan/Chase. SEIU is leading the action against the too-big-to-fail bank, which laid off janitors who apparently weren't too big too fail. ...
LA March for Jobs swells as UK March26 winds down Call it "Solidarity Saturday" as workers march nonviolently in multiple time zones today. In Wisconson, workers are collecting signatures to recall Republican senators who voted to strip government workers of their collective bargaining rights. In ...
5K chanting 'Hoffa' in LA as march begins Teamsters set out to march on L.A.Five thousand Teamsters strong are just setting out on the March for Jobs from the Staples Center to Pershing Square. We're told the crowd of union members, students and community activists is huge. Right now the ...
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UKUncut Are Occupying Fortnum and Mason’s. Are They Occupying a Charity? « Student Activism

UKUncut Are Occupying Fortnum and Mason’s. Are They Occupying a Charity? « Student Activism

UKUncut Are Occupying Fortnum and Mason’s. Are They Occupying a Charity?

by Angus Johnston

Activists from the British group UK Uncut have split off from a much larger anti-cuts protest in London at this hour to occupy the high-end department store Fortnum and Mason.

Protesters are staging the occupation to draw attention to Britain’s corporate tax avoiders, but critics have leaped to criticize the group, claiming that Fortnum and Mason is actually a charitable enterprise, donating all of its profits to charity.

Are they right? Not really.

Fortnum’s is owned by Wittington Investments Limited, which is in turn owned by two entities — the Garfield

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Twitter Strategies Pt II « My Island View

Twitter Strategies Pt II « My Island View

Twitter Strategies Pt II

by tomwhitby

There seems to be a thirst on the part of some educators for Twitter tactics and strategies. It seems that the more I write about this subject, the more I get requests for additional posts. I take this as a good sign and an indication that Social Media may be gaining traction with educators. I see Twitter as an excellent source for gaining an understanding of what one needs to know. I feel that when we talk about Twitter as a great source for Professional Development, that is somewhat misleading. Twitter does not provide the development, but it does offer a direction to sources for that development. It provides educators with the knowledge to ask the right questions. It steers people to the best sources to learn the answers to their questions. More basically it enlightens educators as to what they should be asking. Twitter enables those who don’t know what they don’t know, to have a direction for seeking enlightenment.

One of the benefits of this type of learning is that it can be quite specific. In the past many PD workshops addressed the bells and whistles of software applications and the general use of an application. It often failed to address the specific needs of teachers in specific subject areas. IT folks know computers and applications.

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Last Week's Best Posts on Big Education Ape » PostRank #WeAreWI #WIUnion #p2 #pfla #AwakeFL #1u

Last Week's Best Posts on Big Education Ape » PostRank





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An Education Reform Summit DFEP Democrats for Education Privatization #iunion #wisolidarity #notmywi #union #wiunion #wi

2011-Mar-25
An Education Reform SummitDFEP Democrats for Education PrivatizationYou are Invited To Attend An Education Reform SummitSpeakers: Democrats for Education Reform-California State Director Senator Gloria Romero (ret.), State Senator Bob Huff (Host), Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy, Citrus College President Dr. Geraldine Perri and Riverside Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Rick Miller. Come and listen to a roundtable discussion on the issue of education reform in California.
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KOCH BREAK News | www.kochwatch.org

2011-Mar-25
News | www.kochwatch.orgNew Jersey Newsroom: Gov. Chris Christie and Senate President Stephen Sweeney see end to local police departments *March 24, 2011-* Officials of the heavily Democratic region of Camden County heard a proposal behind closed doors by Gov. Chris Christie and Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney on Wednesday about regionalizing public safety services. Sweeney, a ...Lewiston Sun-Journal: LePage orders removal of labor mural, sparking outcry *March 23, 2011-* Gov. Paul LePage has ordered the removal of a 36-foot mural ...
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“What if the loser were right?” « Failing Schools

2011-Mar-25
“What if the loser were right?” « Failing Schools“What if the loser were right?”MARCH 25, 2011by SabrinaLos Angeles History teacher Charles Olynyk shares a teachable moment, about wars, winners, losers, and how we preserve history.As the saying goes, “Until the lions have their own historians, the hunter will always be valorized.”—“Twisted Logic” (Originally posted at Remember Fremont)Today is Friday, March 25, 2011 and Day 74 of Year Two. At least no one tried to run me off the road this ...
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Remainders: Rhee’s Kryptonite and other official narratives | GothamSchools

2011-Mar-25
Remainders: Rhee’s Kryptonite and other official narratives | GothamSchoolsRemainders: Rhee’s Kryptonite and other official narrativesby Elizabeth GreenOn a new mag cover, Michelle Rhee is superwoman and Randi bears Kryptonite. (Reason)An Aspen Institute study shows why D.C.’s teacher evaluations don’t cut it. (Thompson)Managing the challenge of serving a community you aren’t from. (GS Community)New Jersey unions are forming an advocacy group to fight Chris Christie. (AP)The Newark teachers union president, meanwhile, takes a fighting stance. (NJ Spotlight)Video caught a Bronx mother ...
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Education Roundup for 3-25-11 - Year 2011 (CA Dept of Education)

2011-Mar-25
Education Roundup for 3-25-11 - Year 2011 (CA Dept of Education)Education Roundup for the Week Ending March 25, 2011SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Education (CDE) today issues this week's Education Roundup featuring education-related announcements of public interest.Fresh Fruits and Vegetables FundingState Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson released the following statement regarding the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement that California will receive more than $10.8 million next school year, to provide grants for elementary schools to offer fresh fruit ...
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The Best Resources For Learning About The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

2011-Mar-25
The Best Resources For Learning About The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...Larry FerlazzoThe Best Resources For Learning About The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory FireFiled under best of the year, social studiesToday is the 100th anniversary of the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. Here’s an excerpt from a CNN piece that explains it well:Friday marks the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Waist Co. fire, a blaze at a sweatshop in New York that shocked the nation ...
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What the World Looked Like Without Unions « Outside the Cave #wiunion #1u #wearewi

2011-Mar-25
What the World Looked Like Without Unions « Outside the CaveWhat the World Looked Like Without Unionsby Stephen LazarThe first four images are from exactly 100 years ago right now, about 2 miles from where I now live. If you think unions, and the teachers union in particular, don’t matter for safe working and learning conditions, read thisEDUSolidarity post from Leo Casey. Read more about remembering the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.
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Guest Blogger: Magnet Mom, on LAUSD’s Cuts and Layoffs, and How a Los Angeles-Area Magnet School Will Cope

2011-Mar-25
Guest Blogger: Magnet Mom, on LAUSD’s Cuts and Layoffs, and How a Los Angeles-Area Magnet School Will CopeGuest Blogger: Magnet Mom, on LAUSD’s Cuts and Layoffs, and How a Los Angeles-Area Magnet School Will Copeby CYNTHIA on MARCH 25, 2011Magnet schools are the shining stars in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)–a district so large it dwarfs many small towns and as the second-largest school district in the nation after New York City’s, is intimidating in its size and ...
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This Week In Education: Turnarounds: Day One At The "New" Locke High School

2011-Mar-25
This Week In Education: Turnarounds: Day One At The "New" Locke High SchoolTurnarounds: Day One At The "New" Locke High Schoolby Alexander Russo"As the 8:00 a.m. starting time approached, a stream of nearly 2,500 black and Latino students flowed toward Locke High School from every direction. Off the bus, out of parents' cars, or (mostly) on foot, the throng passed the school's electric marquee and a couple of squad cars and TV news trucks before finally reaching the front gate."Not ...
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CUNY’s Remediation Needs Remediation « EdVox

2011-Mar-25
CUNY’s Remediation Needs Remediation « EdVoxCUNY’s Remediation Needs Remediationby edvoxnyBy John GarveyOn March 4th, The New York Times published an article about remediation at CUNY that highlighted the large number of students who need remediation and the frustrations of CUNY faculty. The article’s major focus was on the financial and intellectual burdens that students needing remediation, especially those needing a great deal of remediation, placed on the University. A senior University official was quoted as suggesting that CUNY was not ...
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Continuing Education: You can’t teach kids when they aren’t in school.

2011-Mar-25
Continuing Education: You can’t teach kids when they aren’t in school.You can’t teach kids when they aren’t in school.by Linda PerlsteinArticles like this one, by Karen Ann Cullotta in the New York Times yesterday, feature the lengths administrators go to to get kids to show up at school. It is important work; absenteeism is one of the biggest problems in education, and complicates everything else schools are trying to do. (Including value-added scores for teachers: If a student fails to ...
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Gov Hurts - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 03/24/11 - Video Clip | Comedy Central

2011-Mar-25
Gov Hurts - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 03/24/11 - Video Clip | Comedy Central The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cGov Hurtswww.thedailyshow.comDaily Show Full EpisodesPolitical Humor Satire BlogThe Daily Show on Facebook
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In Springfield, this is what democracy looks like. « Fred Klonsky's blog

2011-Mar-25
In Springfield, this is what democracy looks like. « Fred Klonsky's blogIn Springfield, this is what democracy looks like.by Fred KlonskyIn Springfield the deadline has passed for introducing legislation.But do not rest.Do not think for a moment that they can’t still go after collective bargaining, tenure, seniority or our pensions.They got shell bills. A shell game if there ever was one.Progress Illinois:Veteran Springfield observer Charles Wheeler said yesterday to keep an eye on what he called shell or vehicle bills. ...
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Tax the rich. « Fred Klonsky's blog

2011-Mar-25
Tax the rich. « Fred Klonsky's blogTax the rich.by Fred KlonskyIn January, President Obama named Jeffrey R. Immelt, General Electric’s chief executive, to head the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. “He understands what it takes for America to compete in the global economy,” Mr. Obama said.I’m not Paul Krugman. I’m just a K-5 art teacher. I’m not up for a Nobel Prize in economics.My theory of economics runs something along these lines: “You can’t get blood from a stone.”If ...
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The Party Line - March 25, 1911 | MyFDL

2011-Mar-25
The Party Line - March 25, 1911 | MyFDLThe Party Line – March 25, 1911By: Gregg Levine Friday March 25, 2011 6:48 am Tweet The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, one of America’s most horrific industrial accidents, happened 100 years ago today, on March 11, 1911. Though New York City’s fire department arrived on the scene within two minutes of the call, the fire at this “modern” high rise at the corner of Washington Pl. and Greene St. still claimed the ...
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Action News • Wisconsin Uprising • Justice Is in the Air #union #wiunion #wi

2011-Mar-24
Action NewsAction News • Wisconsin Uprising • Justice Is in the AirSpring 2011Photo: Barbara MinerWisconsin Gov. Scott Walker declared war on teachers and other public sector workers on Friday, Feb. 11. Most of us activists knew when the Republicans swept both chambers of the state Legislature and the governorship that things would get bad, but few dreamt they’d get this bad, this fast.Walker claimed his “budget repair” bill was needed to fill a $137 million shortfall in the state budget, ...
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A song entitled, “Madison” | blue cheddar. #wiunion

2011-Mar-24
A song entitled, “Madison” | blue cheddar.A song entitled, “Madison”BY BLUECHEDDARPlease click and listen. This song is called “Madison” and it comes to you from some sweet musicians in Oakland, California. I know that many of the supporters of collective bargaining in Wisconsin are not in Madison. I also know that we have a large number of people that are outside the state and around the globe sending encouragement and standing up for worker rights and unions. I think in ...

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Carlos Lam just admitted he wrote email telling Scott Walker to frame unions | blue cheddar. #wiunion

2011-Mar-24
Carlos Lam just admitted he wrote email telling Scott Walker to frame unions | blue cheddar.Carlos Lam just admitted he wrote email telling Scott Walker to frame unionsBY BLUECHEDDARUpdated 3:59 p.m. Carlos Lam has admitted writing the email and resigned as deputy prosecutor of Johnson County, according to a statement from the Johnson County Prosecutor.Before you read the meat of this, just check out the difference in headline. The local-yocal TV station, WKOW wrote:“Email to Gov. Walker suggested faking an ...
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solidaridad: Advocating Public Education Roundup 11W12

2011-Mar-24
solidaridad: Advocating Public Education Roundup 11W12Advocating Public Education Roundup 11W12by Robert D. Skeels * rdsatheneIn a profound sense, Democrats like Michelle Rhee have paved the way for Scott Walker — Richard D. KahlenbergEvery day the list of CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS grows and grows. The inevitable result of putting public money into private hands.CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS' sister site, THE BROAD REPORT, detailing the depraved machinations of the vile plutocrat Eli Broad, was recently updated as well.Our quote of the week comes ...
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Hechinger Report | Teachers alone cannot be expected to fix America’s woes

2011-Mar-24
Hechinger Report | Teachers alone cannot be expected to fix America’s woesTeachers alone cannot be expected to fix America’s woesby Vikash ReddyVikash ReddyAs a Teach For America (TFA) alumnus, I enjoyed George Will’s recent op-ed, “Teach for America: Letting the cream rise,” in The Washington Post. Will notes that TFA has become a force not just in education-reform circles but also among recent college graduates, with more than 15 percent of seniors at Harvard and Princeton competing for the chance ...
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What is the Value of Art Education? – ED.gov Blog

2011-Mar-24
What is the Value of Art Education? – ED.gov BlogWhat is the Value of Art Education?Linda Pauley of the United States Department of Education accepts artwork from Holly Simonsen, of Cedar Wood Elementary in Bothell, WA. The painting will hang in the Department’s Seattle regional offices. In the background are winning works from Crayola’s Visual Voices program. These pieces will hang on walls throughout the Department’s regional offices and at the LBJ building in Washington, D.C.Student Art Inspires Department of ...

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“The system only works when there are workers and managers.” -Governor Quinn’s spokesperson. « Fred Klonsky's blog

2011-Mar-24
“The system only works when there are workers and managers.” -Governor Quinn’s spokesperson. « Fred Klonsky's blog“The system only works when there are workers and managers.” -Governor Quinn’s spokesperson.by Fred KlonskyIllinois Times:Labor unions are continuing negotiations over legislation backed by Gov. Pat Quinn that would lift collective bargaining rights from current high-ranking state agency workers and legislative liaisons, as well as their right to apply for future union membership. “We strongly support union representation and collective bargaining for many state ...
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CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

2011-Mar-24
CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALSYoung Scholars of Central Pennsylvania *YOUNG SCHOLARS CHARTER SCHOOL FACES SCRUTINY OVER TIES WITH ISLAMIC LEADER: FEDERAL AUTHORITIES EXAMINING POSSIBLE EMPLOYEE KICKBACKS, ACCORDING TO REPORT*; March 22, 2011; Centre Daily News (State College, PA) The Young Scholars of Central ...Chiron Charter School *FORMER CHARTER SCHOOL OFFICIAL FACES 7 FELONY CHARGES;* September 6, 2006; Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) The former top administrator at a defunct downtown Minneapolis charter school has been charged with seven felony counts of misusing more ...
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CPS closes small schools because they have small enrollment. « Fred Klonsky's blog

2011-Mar-24
CPS closes small schools because they have small enrollment. « Fred Klonsky's blogCPS closes small schools because they have small enrollment.by Fred KlonskyCPS is closing eight Chicago schools. Usually they blame school closings on poor performance. Not this time.The reason CPS is closing these small schools is because they’re small schools.WBEZ:On the Southeast Side, four small schools in what was once Bowen High School will be consolidated again into a comprehensive high school.CPS says overall the closings will move about ...
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Sobering New Report on California High Schools | NBC Los Angeles

2011-Mar-24
Sobering New Report on California High Schools | NBC Los AngelesSobering New Report on California High SchoolsBUZZ UP!0diggGetty Images / Joe Corrigan/StringerA new survey of high school principals by a UCLA institute opens up a window on the impact of the recession and budget cuts. The key findings, as described on the web site of theSilicon ValleyEducation Foundation. California high schools are providing less time, attention and quality programs. As a consequence, student engagement and achievement and progress to college ...
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Spending By Americans For Prosperity Would Be Disclosed Under Bill Advanced By Lawmakers - NE StatePaper.com #wiunion

2011-Mar-24
Spending By Americans For Prosperity Would Be Disclosed Under Bill Advanced By Lawmakers - NE StatePaper.comSpending By Americans For Prosperity Would Be Disclosed Under Bill Advanced By LawmakersUpdated: 3-24-11March 22, 2011Avery.It might not make a lot of difference, but it definitely makes a statement. The Legislature gave 31-0 first-round approval Wednesday to a bill that would force Americans for Prosperity and other organizations to tell the world how much they spend to influence elections in Nebraska. Americans for Prosperity, a ...
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Did Willow Smith Just Tweet An Attack On Chris Brown? « Student Activism

2011-Mar-23
Did Willow Smith Just Tweet An Attack On Chris Brown? « Student ActivismDid Willow Smith Just Tweet An Attack On Chris Brown?by Angus JohnstonNot long ago, someone tweeted the following from Willow Smith’s @OfficialWillow Twitter account:So Chris Brown is going to prison now breaking a window at ABC, but he didnt go for hurting Rihanna? http://bit.ly/i6IuIn #karmaThe tweet has since been deleted, but it’s burning up the Twittersphere.The first question people are asking is: Is it real? Was Willow’s account
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KOCH BLOWS News Break | www.kochwatch.org #wiunion #1u #wearewi

2011-Mar-23
News | www.kochwatch.orgDavid Pakman: Mississippi Shows Sad Future of Anti-Union Explosionby CD"Buycott"?by CDIn response to widespread calls for consumer boycotts of Kock products, right-wing blogger and Andrew Breitbart stooge Liberty Chick has responded by calling for a "buy-cott" of Koch products. Basically she has posted the same list you've been seeing all over the internet, and is now telling right-wingers everywhere to buy these brands to counter those nasty liberals and their self-righteous attempts to reduce the Koch fortune.From Liberty ...
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Big Education Ape: 3-23-11, Special PM #wiunion Edition #1u #wearewi

2011-Mar-23
Big Education Ape: Ed News Now, #eduBig Education Ape: Ed News Now as shared by 6 people on Coopmike48’s Twitter listNext update in about 12 hoursBack to front pageHEADLINESEDUCATIONPOLITICSART ENTERTAINMENTLIVINGSTORIESENVIRONMENT#EDU#CSUS#eduMore than 100 shut out of Newark school meeting after auditorium fills to capacity | NJ.com bigeducationape.blogspot.com - More than 100 shut out of Newark school meeting after auditorium fills to capacity | NJ.comMore than 100 shut out of Newark school meeting after auditorium fills to capacityPublished: Tuesday, Marc...coopmike48Today’s Japan Update ...
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Modern School: New Sheriff in Town, Julie Washington, LAUSD’s New Corporate Enforcer

2011-Mar-23
Modern School: New Sheriff in Town, Julie Washington, LAUSD’s New Corporate EnforcerNew Sheriff in Town, Julie Washington, LAUSD’s New Corporate Enforcer1diggArne Duncan was in L.A. this week for an education summit. That can only mean one thing: promotion of his latest pet project, employee/boss collaboration. The details of this summit are summarized by Charles Taylor Kerchner (in John Fensterwald’s, Educated Guess).According to Kerchner, Duncan told listeners that “Crisis gives us a perfect opportunity, not just a perfect storm.” Crises, we ...
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solidaridad: Class War In Wisconsin: First Hand Accounts

2011-Mar-23
solidaridad: Class War In Wisconsin: First Hand AccountsClass War In Wisconsin: First Hand AccountsThursday March 24, 2011, 4:30PMUTLA Building Room 816*3303 Wilshire Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90010Corner of Wilshire and BerendoMembers of United Teachers Los Angeles, Lisa Karahalios and Sarah Knopp, were able to go to Madison to witness the struggle firsthand will come together to share their experiences and the lessons learned from the battle for Wisconsin.A sickout initiated by teachers in Madison, Wisconsin protesting Governor Scott Walker's union- busting ...
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KOCH BREAK News | www.kochwatch.org #wiunion #1u #wearewi

2011-Mar-23
News | www.kochwatch.orgWSJ Market Watch: New Civil War erupts, led by super rich, GOP Commentary: ‘Shock Doctrine,’ Reaganomics trigger explosive class war *By Paul B. Farrell, MarketWatch * *March 22, 2011-* Yes, “there’s class warfare, all right,” warns Warren Buffett. “But it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re ...Who Is America's Worst Governor? *-Originally blogged by Keith Balmer on Typepad.com/ Prince of Satire:* *March 21, 2011-* The Coup D'Etat of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker infuriated me. ...
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Shanker Blog » Among Charter Schools, Inconsistency Begets Opportunity

2011-Mar-23
Shanker Blog » Among Charter Schools, Inconsistency Begets OpportunityAmong Charter Schools, Inconsistency Begets Opportunityby Matthew Di CarloAndrew Rotherham – who writes the blog “Eduwonk” – has also recently started writing a weekly column forTime Magazine. Most of his articles have been interesting and relatively fair, even on the controversial issues. He has a point of view, just like the rest of us, but usually makes a good-faith effort to present alternate viewpoints and the relevant research.His most recent piece was ...
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Cuts to Local Public Schools are a Reality | CTA Radio Ad - California Teachers Association

2011-Mar-23
Cuts to Local Public Schools are a Reality | CTA Radio Ad - California Teachers AssociationCuts to Local Public Schools are a Reality | CTA Radio AdScript: Cuts to local public schools are not a threat – they’re a reality right in your neighborhood. March 2nd: San Bernardino school board announces that 272 teachers may be laid off. March 9th: Fresno delivers pink slips to 257 teachers. March 11th: Sacramento schools announce lay-off notices for 2,550 educators and counselors. March ...
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Modern School: Why I Support Fighting Unions #wiunion #1u #wearewi

2011-Mar-23
Modern School: Why I Support Fighting UnionsWhy I Support Fighting Unions0diggEdusolidarity.org solicited postings on “Why You Support Unions.” Of course I am very glad that I have a union to back me up in grievances with my boss and to help negotiate my contracts. Imagine if I had to gomano a mano with my boss each year to beg for health care, sick leave, supplies, smaller class sizes AND a living salary? With collective bargaining, we can negotiate these things ...
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The Next Step in Scott Walker’s Corporate Education Reform Agenda: Diploma Mills - Times - Forbes #wiunion #1u #wearewi

2011-Mar-23
The Next Step in Scott Walker’s Corporate Education Reform Agenda: Diploma Mills - E.D. Kain - American Times - ForbesThe Next Step in Scott Walker’s Corporate Education Reform Agenda: Diploma MillsMar. 23 2011 - 5:42 pm | 0 views | 0 recommendations | 0 commentsRepublicans in Wisconsin have not yet begun to fight against the traditional public school system in that state. A new Republican bill in that state would give nine political appointees – a Charter School Authorizing Board ...
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The Mammoth Pell Grant Program

2011-Mar-23
The Mammoth Pell Grant ProgramThe Mammoth Pell Grant Programby KEVIN CAREY on MARCH 23, 2011in UNCATEGORIZEDShareThe Chronicle published a forum on Pell Grants this week, along with my new column on the same subject. We’ve clearly reached a point where the rapidly growing cost of Pell ($44-billion in FY 2012 according to OMB, although I doubt Congress will actually appropriate that much) can’t be ignored. Once tax credits, loan subsidies, and other aid programs are added in, general federal subsidies ...
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Chris Lehmann: In Defense of Teachers Unions #wiunion #1u #wearewi

2011-Mar-23
Chris Lehmann: In Defense of Teachers UnionsChris Lehmann: In Defense of Teachers Unionsby Chris LehmannAre unions perfect? No. Ask anyone involved with one.But it comes down to this: Do you believe that people have the right to a say in their own workplace?If so, do you believe that their voice will be stronger collectively or alone?If you believe that teachers have more ability to have a say in their schools collectively, then you believe in unions. Whatever frustrations, whatever issues, ...
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solidaridad: Speaking truth to Camino Nuevo Charter Academy Revisionists

2011-Mar-23
solidaridad: Speaking truth to Camino Nuevo Charter Academy RevisionistsSpeaking truth to Camino Nuevo Charter Academy Revisionistsby Robert D. Skeels * rdsatheneI appreciate that PND has done some beneficial things in the Westlake area. However, charter-voucher schools are anathema to both democratic processes and social justice. I don’t care how dedicated individual teachers or even individual board members are, school privatization is still school privatization. Unelected boards are still unelected boards. Lack of community control is still lack of community control. ...
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Sacramento's "We Are One" Rally & Action (FB)

2011-Mar-23
Sacramento's "We Are One" Rally Action (32)Zak Ford invited youSacramento's "We Are One" Rally ActionTimeMonday, April 4 · 5:00pm - 7:00pmLocationCesar Chavez Plaza Park10th I StreetsSacramento, CACreated BySacramento Central Labor Council, AFL-CIOMore InfoOn April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, where he had gone to stand with sanitation workers demanding their dream: The right to bargain collectively for a voice at work and a better life.Today, that same demand is electrifying people across America. It’s ...
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“The courage of a common school teacher”: THIS is what a leader sounds like « Failing Schools

2011-Mar-23
“The courage of a common school teacher”: THIS is what a leader sounds like « Failing Schools“The courage of a common school teacher”: THIS is what a leader sounds likeMARCH 23, 2011by SabrinaParrin, Texas superintendent John Kuhn has become something of a celebrity among educators, because he is one of the few district leaders who has the guts to speak the truth– as seen from the school level– to the powers that be. He is rare in that he defends ...
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I’d Love To Meet You At The ASCD Conference! | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

2011-Mar-23
I’d Love To Meet You At The ASCD Conference! | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...I’d Love To Meet You At The ASCD Conference!by Larry FerlazzoI’ll be at the ASCD Conference in San Francisco this Sunday, and would love to meet readers of this blog!Unfortunately, I’ll only be there on Sunday. You’ll be able to find me at the Eye on Education booth #2423 from 11:45 AM — 2:00 PM (they’re the publishers of my new book coming out next ...
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Schools Matter: Rotherham in TIME - Bending the Truth

2011-Mar-23
Schools Matter: Rotherham in TIME - Bending the TruthRotherham in TIME - Bending the Truthby Kenneth LibbyThis is a post that should have been up a while ago, but I needed to check with multiple sources to make sure the facts were straight. This post will focus on something Andrew Rotherham said in TIME magazine.From TIME:Recently, the group [Stand for Children] pushed through tax increases to improve school funding in Oregon as well as changes in the ways that teachers ...
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On Charter Schools and Integration: A Case Study - Dana Goldstein

2011-Mar-23
On Charter Schools and Integration: A Case Study - Dana GoldsteinOn Charter Schools and Integration: A Case StudyBlackstone Valley Prep phys-ed teacher Jay Murray is also trained in phonics; here he conducts a pirate-themed reading lesson, rewarding correct answers by putting "gold coins" in each child's treasure chest.Yesterday Bob Herbert published a very good column about why racial and socioeconomic integration remain important education reform goals, even though saying so much has become politically taboo.Educators know that it is very ...
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THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: Major development re the charter schools associated with the Gulen movement

2011-Mar-23
THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: Major development re the charter schools associated with the Gulen movementMajor development re the charter schools associated with the Gulen movementby The Perimeter PrimateThe Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer article by Martha Woodall and Claudio Gatti has been spreading like wildfire.U.S. CHARTER-SCHOOL NETWORK WITH TURKISH LINK DRAWS FEDERAL ATTENTION (March 20, 2011)Fethullah Gulen is a major Islamic political figure in Turkey, but he lives in self-imposed exile in a Poconos enclave and gained his green card by convincing a ...
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Des Moines Education Association: Please keep NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen in your thoughts

2011-Mar-23
Des Moines Education Association: Please keep NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen in your thoughtsPlease keep NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen in your thoughtsby MelissaPlease keep NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen in your thoughts this week. Her husband passed away on Friday. Below is his obituary and a note that she has written to her NEA friends.Ruel Eskelsen: In Loving MemoryMar 22nd, 2011 by LilysBlackboard.Ruel Eskelsen, husband of NEA Vice President Lily Eskelsen, died in Washington, D.C. on March 18. He ...
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Democurmudgeon: Republican Road Map to Privatized Education, Free from Public Interference. Go Charter Schools #wiunion #1u #wearewi

2011-Mar-23
Democurmudgeon: Republican Road Map to Privatized Education, Free from Public Interference. Go Charter Schools...Republican Road Map to Privatized Education, Free from Public Interference. Go Charter Schools...by DemocurmudgeonOne of the most incompetent elected officials in our state, Sen. Alberta Darling, is about to present the “Big Government Republican” solution to our public education "nightmare." Although many of the changes directly contradict the conservative mantra of local control, accountability, and watchdogging wasteful government spending, the road map to a one party system ...
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This Week In Education: Update: Two Richards Enter, One Richard Leaves

2011-Mar-23
This Week In Education: Update: Two Richards Enter, One Richard LeavesUpdate: Two Richards Enter, One Richard LeavesThe latest in the Whitmire/ Kahlenberg debate over Michelle Rhee's accomplishments as head of DCPS is Whitmire's apparently asked for -- and been denied -- a correction in Kahlenberg's Slate article and brought in his own expert on NAEP data to dispute Alan Ginsburg's reoport comparing Rhee's NAEP scores to her predecessors (Slate Refuses to Correct Kahlenberg article on Rhee). Now I've known Mike
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By Greater than Two-to-One, Americans Want Jobs, Not Spending Cuts | Elections #WIUnion #p2

2011-Mar-23
By Greater than Two-to-One, Americans Want Jobs, Not Spending Cuts | ElectionsBy Greater than Two-to-One, Americans Want Jobs, Not Spending CutsBy: Jon Walker Wednesday March 23, 2011 10:16 amTweet Share From the Dept. of "If you have to say it..." JOBS sign on HQ of leading Deficit Peacock US Chamber of Commerce. (photo: vpickering)CBS News has released a new poll and, not surprisingly, with official unemployment around nine percent, it found that an overwhelming 51 percent of Americans said jobs/economy ...
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The Blackboard Awards - Nominate a Teacher

2011-Mar-23
The Blackboard Awards - Nominate a TeacherNominate a Teacher for the Blackboard AwardsTeachers from public, private, religious and charter schools in New York City are eligible for the award.Nominators must fill out the following fields and include a brief explanation of why their teacher is special. You are encouraged to be as specific as possible.The Blackboard Awards for teachers are sponsored by Fordham University, United Federation of Teachers and Glenwood Management.The survey deadline is 5PM THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011.
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Teachers: The new pariahs | Being Latino Online Magazine

2011-Mar-23
Teachers: The new pariahs | Being Latino Online MagazineTeachers: The new pariahsby Eric Jude Cortesby Eric Jude CortesI am an experienced public school teacher and I am a pariah. You may have seen me talked about on major 24-hour news networks. Your governor may claim that I am part of the privileged elite. Your mayor claims that I am the reason why your city is broke. Talking head after talking head claims that my pension, bargaining power, and job security ...
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THANK YOU FOR JOINING US IN EDUSOLIDARITY TODAY

2011-Mar-23
EDUSolidarityEDUSOLIDARITYThroughout the day of March 22, teachers will be sharing posts entitled “Why Teachers Like Us Support Unions”. For those of you here to share, thank you for doing so. To submit your posts,click here.For those of you not sharing, we hope you will take the time to read from an extremely varied and wide variety of teachers across the country and world. We ask that you read with open minds. You will read many different reasons for support, some ...
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Hump day. « Fred Klonsky's blog

2011-Mar-23
Hump day. « Fred Klonsky's blogHump day.by Fred KlonskyFriday starts Spring Break. We get Friday off as a comp day for evening parent conferences. So technically today isn’t hump day. We’re over the hump. Let’s catch up with some things in the file.Michelle Rhee and Diane Ravitch on the same list? Really?It kind of hurt my eyes to see the names of Diane Ravitch and Michelle Rhee on the same page in Catalyst’scontinuing report of potential CPS CEOs. Diane is ...
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Schools Matter: Christie's Starvation Diet for Schools Ruled Uncontitutional

2011-Mar-23
Schools Matter: Christie's Starvation Diet for Schools Ruled UncontitutionalChristie's Starvation Diet for Schools Ruled Uncontitutionalby Jim HornAs the Governor's girth grows at a pace that is only exceeded by that of his ego, and as he applies his ham-handed surgical procedure for economic banding to New Jersey schools, the Courts have finally stepped in to challenge Christie's attempted extermination of public education through starvation. New Jersey Abbot Districts, those with the poorest children in the state, have been particularly hard ...
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Today’s Japan Update | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

2011-Mar-23
Today’s Japan Update | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...Today’s Japan Update Here are the newest additions to Part Two of my “The Best…” list on the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (you can see Part One here): Diplomas, and an Uncertain Future, for Japanese Pupils is an article from The New York Times. Here’s a well-done ...“Earth Hour” Is Coming-Up “At 8:30 PM on Saturday 26th March 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people ...
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KOCH OUT AM News | www.kochwatch.org #wiunion

2011-Mar-23
News | www.kochwatch.orgRichard D. Wolff: "The Tax Cut Bill" WATCH ON BLIPTV:Richard D. Wolff: "Personal Debts" WATCH ON BLIPTV:Truthout: Attacks on Public-Employee Unions Undermine the Middle Class *March 21, 2011-* It's not like we didn't see it coming. At the very start of this year, January 2, The New York Times warned us of the coming battle with a front-page story, "Public Workers Facing Outrage in Budget Crisis." The Economist, in its ...Employment Policy Research Network: Fuzzy Privatization Math *March ...
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Jersey Jazzman: "Ignoramitocracy"

2011-Mar-23
Jersey Jazzman: "Ignoramitocracy""Ignoramitocracy" Paul Krugman made a new word! Part of what’s going on here is simply opposition for the sake of opposition. But as Pollack says, the underlying problem is that anyone with actual expertise and any kind of public profile — in short, *anyone who is ...I'm Gonna Be Sick Joel Klein's love letter to Chris Cerf made me throw up in my mouth: *By Joel Klein* Chris Cerf has been nominated as commissioner of education in New ...
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Ravitch: Actually, it’s an age of hypocrisy and meanness - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

2011-Mar-23
Ravitch: Actually, it’s an age of hypocrisy and meanness - The Answer Sheet - The Washington PostRavitch: Actually, hypocrisy and meanness mark our timesKid donates $300 life savings to protect teachers’ jobs A fifth-grader, understanding a lot better than many adults about the importance of keeping teachers in the classroom better than a lot of adults, took a stand about layoffs at her California elementary school by donating her life savings of $300 in an ..
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Modern School: Univ. Arizona Students Build Nation's Longest Fake Border Wall

2011-Mar-22
Modern School: Univ. Arizona Students Build Nation's Longest Fake Border WallUniv. Arizona Students Build Nation's Longest Fake Border Wall0diggAngus Johnston, of the Student Activism blog, recently wrote about a protest at the University of Arizona, in which students installed a fake border fence in the middle of the campus, seven feet high and topped with barbed wire. The action was taken by a group called No More Deaths, which fights “to end death and suffering on the U.S./Mexico border through ...
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Why This Teacher Supports Unions (A Thought) | The Jose Vilson

2011-Mar-22
Why This Teacher Supports Unions (A Thought) | The Jose VilsonWhy This Teacher Supports Unions (A Thought)by JoseI can tell you of the petty nonsense I’ve faced as a teacher, the plethora of veteran teachers they tried to get rid of because they’re too old, the times I didn’t think my job was safe because I had an opinion that’s far from mainstream, the people I’ve met who were harassed on a daily basis for being too ____, and the ...
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Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The view from Florida #wiunion #statesos #awakefl

2011-Mar-22
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The view from FloridaThe view from Floridaby Mike KlonskyMore testing madnessI've been in Florida all week, trying to get a handle on Gov. Scott's train wreck of a school reform. The latest fiasco has to do with the state's testing madness and a new law that forces schools to evaluate and pay teachers on the basis of students' FCAT scores. The last time the legislature passed such a bill, it had to be repealed when the ...
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Twitter Strategies « My Island View

2011-Mar-22
Twitter Strategies « My Island ViewTwitter Strategiesby tomwhitbyWhenever it comes to writing about Twitter in a blog post, I never know how basic to go in my descriptions. I guess I must assume that there will be many people who have no idea about Twitter. I can also be confident that many other readers are capable of writing a similar post with better strategies. The problem with Twitter is that it is confusing to explain, difficult to understand, and only ...
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More than 100 shut out of Newark school meeting after auditorium fills to capacity | NJ.com

2011-Mar-22
More than 100 shut out of Newark school meeting after auditorium fills to capacity | NJ.comMore than 100 shut out of Newark school meeting after auditorium fills to capacityPublished: Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 8:01 PM Updated: Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 8:14 PM By Jessica Calefati/The Star-Ledger FollowShare05ShareEmailPrintAndrew Mills/The Star-LedgerAngry residents left outside pound on the doors as hundreds of parents, students, teachers and city officials debate the merits of a proposal to meld almost a dozen charter and district schools ...
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NEA, NAACP Swallow Bankers’ Line on Swipe Fees | FDL News Desk

2011-Mar-22
NEA, NAACP Swallow Bankers’ Line on Swipe Fees | FDL News DeskNEA, NAACP Swallow Bankers’ Line on Swipe Feesby David Dayenswiping from the customers? photo: catatronic)The amendment to the Dodd-Frank legislation reducing the cost of interchange fees for debit and credit cards passed with a supermajority in the Senate. It went through the normal process and it won. Now the banks, in a slightly stronger position than during the Dodd-Frank debate, are trying to get the changes delayed, and effectively ...
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Big Education Ape: 3-22-11, Special PM #wiunion Edition #p2 #WEAREWI #wi #tcot

2011-Mar-22
Big Education Ape: Ed News Now, #wiunionBig Education Ape: Ed News Now as shared by 6 people on Coopmike48’s Twitter listNext update in about 12 hoursBack to front pageHEADLINESEDUCATIONPOLITICSART ENTERTAINMENTLIVINGBUSINESSCRIME#WIUNION#EDU#wiunionBig Education Ape: 3-22-11 , ALL Education Edition #wiunion #wi #tcot bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Big Education Ape: Ed News Now, EducationBig Education Ape: Ed News Now as shared by 6 people on Coopmike48’s Twitter listNext update in about 12 hoursBack to front pageHEADLINESEDUCATIONPOLITICSAR...coopmike48Wisconsin Democrats Have Republicans On The Run « CAFFEINATED POLITICS ...
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Teachers defend their unions across the blogosphere | GothamSchools

2011-Mar-22
Teachers defend their unions across the blogosphere | GothamSchoolsTeachers defend their unions across the blogosphereby Maura WalzIf you’ve noticed that your blog reader filled up today with the headline “Why teachers like me support unions,” it’s no coincidence — it’s part of a national teacher-led effort to share why they joined a union and what it means for their teaching.Teachers from around New York City — and the country — have taken up the call to blog today in support ...
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School Financial Emergency - Hot Topics (CA Dept of Education)

2011-Mar-22
School Financial Emergency - Hot Topics (CA Dept of Education)School Financial EmergencyReports to the education community and the public on the impact of California's state budget crisis on education funding.On January 6, 2011, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson declared a state of financial emergency in California’s schools. He launched a department-wide review and urged Californians to come to the aid of schools across the state."There’s simply no other way to describe it: this is an emergency. Every day, ...
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U.S. education reforms: U.S. education reforms - mcall.com

2011-Mar-22
U.S. education reforms: U.S. education reforms - mcall.comStandardized tests force schools to overlook important goalsAn Allentown student practices taking a PSSA test at Jackson Elementary School. (Monica Cabrera, Morning Call FIle Photo /March 22, 2011)5:42 p.m. EDT, March 22, 2011E-mailPrintShare Text SizeIn his State of the Union address, President Obama expressed the hope that American education could recapture its "Sputnik moment." He was referring to a period of educational reform that persisted for about a decade after the former Soviet ...
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solidaridad: Protest Chief School Privatizer Arne Duncan at Fremont HS Today!

2011-Mar-22
solidaridad: Protest Chief School Privatizer Arne Duncan at Fremont HS Today!Protest Chief School Privatizer Arne Duncan at Fremont HS Today!by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene[R]ight wing reactionary DFER/DLC corporate elitist filth Arne Duncan was recently interviewed. Mocking the deaths, destruction, diaspora of people of color, gentrification, and widespread misery Hurricane Katrina caused, Duncan had this unconscionable thing to say about schools in relation to Katrina: "best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans was Hurricane Katrina." — ...
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WE ARE ONE: APRIL 4 -- NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION #wearewi #WIunion

2011-Mar-22
For more: http://www.we-r-1.org This video was not paid for or endorsed by any specific organization. This video is the work of an individual citizen.Contact: DennisTrainorjr (at) gmail (dot) comfacebook: http://www.facecook.com/dennistrainorjrTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/dennistrainorjrAfl-cio, mlk, martin Luther king Jr, union, April 4, national day of action, protest, tea party, Koch brothers, kill the bill, budget repair bill, Collective Bargaining, Scott Walker, Scott Walker Anti-Union Bill, Scott Walker Union Bill, Scott Walker Wisconsin Union Bill, Wisconsin Anti-Union Bill, Wisconsin Anti-Union Bill Passes, Wisconsin Collective ...
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Daily Kos: I am a proud union teacher

2011-Mar-22
Daily Kos: I am a proud union teacherI am a proud union teacherby rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)I stand with my unionized sisters and brothers, especially in Wisconsin, but everywhere where teachers and unions are under attack.I am the lead union representative for more than 100 teachers in my school.Today, all across the country, teachers are blogging their support for our unionized sisters and brothers in Wisconsin, and you can follow some of the results of that at EDUSolidarityToday I want to tell ...
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NYC Educator: Why Teachers Like Me Support Unions

2011-Mar-22
NYC Educator: Why Teachers Like Me Support UnionsWhy Teachers Like Me Support Unionsby Miss EyreIf you feel like you've seen that title before, it may be because today, a number of teacher bloggers, including NYC Educator and myself, are dedicating our blogs to the topic of solidarity and, dare I say it, pride. In light of repeated and, frankly, ever more ridiculous attacks against the "lavish lifestyles" teachers enjoy, we feel that it's important to make people understand why unions ...
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Meeting for RIFed Teachers… | REALTeachers

2011-Mar-19
Some Quick Updates… | REALTeachersMeeting for RIFed TeachersIf you didn’t see it before, please note that the SCTA meeting for teacher who received preliminary layoff notifications (pink slips) will be on Monday March 21st at JFK High School at 4 p.m. It is critical to attend this meeting if you have a lay-off notice. You’ll get information from the legal team about how to proceed.Rosa Parks named newest district “Priority School”If you didn’t hear it already, Superintendent Raymond announced Wednesday ...
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Defending Wisconsin | Recall Scott Walker #p2 #WIUNION #WEAREWI

2011-Mar-19
Defending Wisconsin | Recall Scott WalkerHOME | STAY INFORMED | VOLUNTEER | FORUM | MAILING LIST | PETITION | DONATION | VIDEO | CONTACT USwww.Facebook.com/DefendingWisconsinAs the citizens of Wisconsin, we have witnessed the true colors shown by our Governor! His actions thus far have targeted the people that strive to bring this great state of ours success and pave its bright future!We the people of Wisconsin must unite in solidarity to battle against those who threaten our democracy and our ...
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