Modern School: Illiterate Braggart to Take Over 15 Detroit Public Schools

Modern School: Illiterate Braggart to Take Over 15 Detroit Public Schools:

Illiterate Braggart to Take Over 15 Detroit Public Schools

by Michael Dunn

Yes, I realize this is a rather bombastic headline, but it was hard to resist. Consider the following public statement by John Covington, Chancellor of the Education Achievement Authority, the agency that will be taking over 15 low performing Detroit Public Schools. In response to the agency’s plan to lengthen the school year he was quoted in the Detroit Newssaying:

"I don't know if people understand the magnitude of what just happened. . . This 210 days for students, it puts us at the highest in the nation, only second to Massachusetts."

Disregarding his inarticulate sentence structure and poor math skills, the fact remains that six 

Welcome to helpbarbaraweeks.com

Welcome to helpbarbaraweeks.com:

Barbara Weeks works in the cafeteria at Pony Express Elementary School in Sacramento, California.      Barbara just returned from an extended leave of absence on which she was caring for her cancer-stricken mother.  She and her daughter live with her mother.      A few days ago the house burned down, killing her mother.  Because there was a reverse mortgage on the house, Barbara is left with nothing.      When Barbara returned to the fire scene to try to scavenge any personal belonging that might still be usable she discovered that looters had cleaned the place out.      Barbara is left with NOTHING. We hope everyone will contribute something...anything would help!

David Halperin: Leaked Memo Reveals That House GOP Leaders "Directed" For-Profit College Lobbying Strategy

David Halperin: Leaked Memo Reveals That House GOP Leaders "Directed" For-Profit College Lobbying Strategy:

David Halperin

Senior Fellow, United Republic / Republic Report

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Leaked Memo Reveals That House GOP Leaders "Directed" For-Profit College Lobbying Strategy

For-profit colleges like ITT, DeVry, Kaplan, and the Art Institutes -- sometimes called subprime schools because they leave many students deep in debt while taking billions of dollars from taxpayers -- continue an expensive lobbying push to influence Congress and avoid accountability. Republic Report has received a 2011 draft strategy memo by the biggest for-profit college trade association, APSCU, outlining a plan to keep taxpayer money flowing to poorly-performing schools and to derail investigations of fraudulent activity.

The six-page APSCU draft document reveals:

• The group's strategy for passage of key bills in Congress was "directed by" the "House 

Diane Ravitch: the promise and perils of online teaching | Educating Ourselves

Diane Ravitch: the promise and perils of online teaching | Educating Ourselves:

Diane Ravitch: the promise and perils of online teaching

By Mary McConnell, Monday, March 19, 2012 at 6:02 pm MST

Diane Ravitch used to be my favorite educational historian (her 2000 book Left Back is still probably the best single account of a century of school reform run amok.) In recent years she’s undergone a conversion to the status quo, which disappoints me. If you want to know why, here’s a link to my review of her later book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, which was published in the journal  First Things.

http://www.firstthings.com/article/2010/05/apostasy-sells

Last week Ms. Ravitch gave the keynote address at a conference of Computer-Using  

RheeFirst! » Once again, Michelle Rhee-form fails in DC– Her Middle School Muddle

RheeFirst! » Once again, Michelle Rhee-form fails in DC– Her Middle School Muddle:
Once again, Michelle Rhee-form fails in DC– Her Middle School Muddle

by admin

Written by Ken Arche for Greater Greater Washington. Read the entire article here.
“Former Chancellor Michelle Rhee created many of the PS-8 schools in 2008-2009 in response to parental opposition to school closings. By adding middle school grades to existing elementary schools, the new PS-8 schools were intended to reduce the impact of school closings on Ward 5 parents… What lessons should be learned from Kelly Miller, or from the failing Ward 5 middle schools that were closed or merged by Chancellor Rhee? How can those lessons be applied when building new middle schools in Ward 5? Unfortunately, DCPS would provide no answer to these questions…
Filardo explains that research indicates no difference in educational outcomes between middle schools and PS-8 schools. Ward 5 parents’ support for the move, says Filardo, is what will make the difference.“

U.S. Education Reform and National Security - Council on Foreign Relations

U.S. Education Reform and National Security - Council on Foreign Relations

U.S. Education Reform and National Security

Chairs: Joel I. Klein, News Corporation and Condoleezza Rice, Stanford University
Director: Julia Levy, Culture Craver

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Overview

The United States' failure to educate its students leaves them unprepared to compete and threatens the country's ability to thrive in a global economy and maintain its leadership role, finds a new Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)–sponsored Independent Task Force report on U.S. Education Reform and National Security.
"Educational failure puts the United States' future economic prosperity, global position, and physical safety at risk," warns the Task Force, chaired by Joel I. Klein, former head of New York City public schools, and Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. secretary of state. The country "will not be able to keep pace—much less lead—globally unless it moves to fix the problems i

Itchy Triggers

Itchy Triggers:
Itchy Triggers

by Sam

Should parents who are unhappy with their local school have the power to replace the entire staff, turn it into a charter school, or shut it down completely – even if just 51% of the school’s families agree?
It’s an enticing, polarizing proposal – the so-called “parent trigger.” It’s also now a law in four states, and the subject of debate in scores of others. But is it a good idea? In the end, will parent-trigger laws help parents more effectively ensure a high-quality public education for their children, or will they result in a reckless short-circuiting of the democratic process itself?
The answer, of course, is “it depends,” and what it depends on is the way parents and communities go about evaluating the quality of their neighborhood schools – and, when necessary, deciding on the most constructive path forward.
Here’s what we know: having more parents more directly engaged in the education of their children is a highly desirable goal. If teachers are the incremental x-factor to a student’s success in school, parents are the 

Geaux Teacher!: HOUSE DEBATE SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY!

Geaux Teacher!: HOUSE DEBATE SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY!:

HOUSE DEBATE SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY!

by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT)

This post came from Mike Deshotel's blog - the link is on this page and his posts will provide more information about the RED CARD INITIATIVE. I am working on a page that will allow you to watch the live cast of the proceedings and to comment for our legislators at the same time. Stay Tuned for Follow The Bill Louisiana.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Jindal Bills on House Floor Thursday 

LAE lobbyist Shane Riddle informed me this morning that HB 974 and HB 976 are scheduled for consideration on the House Floor starting at 9:00 a. m. Thursday, March 22. The debate could be extensive.

The following are my suggestions for reaching your Representative in the next 3 days. You may telephone your Representative at the capitol at 225-342-6945. They are expected to be in committee meetings during most of the day Tuesday and Wednesday, so try leaving a message asking your Rep. to return your call. Both of those days, the House floor will be in session starting at 4:00 p. m. Your best chance of reaching them would be from 

This Week In Education: Quotes: TFA Founder Under Fire For Value-Added Views

This Week In Education: Quotes: TFA Founder Under Fire For Value-Added Views:
Quotes: TFA Founder Under Fire For Value-Added Views

by Alexander Russo

Either her message has gotten lost or she seems to have lost some urgency over ensuring we’re making sure every year for every kid counts (because we know the consequences of the alternative for too many are dire). 
 - Unnamed TFA alumni responding to Wendy Kopp oped last week  plus Kopp response via Whitney Tilson (see below)
FROM TILSON
After reading [Kopp's oped piece last week], one of my readers (and a former TFA corps and staff member) wrote the following:
Maybe I missed it, but I haven’t seen you or anyone else in your email group comment on Wendy’s WSJ op-ed about the publishing of the NYC value-added data, which had me a little confused…either her message has 

PWCS 2012 School Division Budget Update « PWC Education Reform Blog

PWCS 2012 School Division Budget Update « PWC Education Reform Blog:

PWCS 2012 School Division Budget Update

by pwceducationreform

PWCS 2012 School Division Budget Update

March 20, 2012 — pwceducationreform

2012 School Division Budget Update
Amid all the hyperbole and hysteria, it seem the PWC school board will be voting on a final budget on the 21st of March.  The budget has been updated and now includes a 2% across the board salary increase for all employees.  That increase comes at the cost of a .5% across the board spending cut, including reduced school budgets, and increased class sizes.  Our MS and HS class sizes will now be the state maximum.
Several things are still in limbo – namely the cost of competing adjustment (COCA) and whether school division employees will be expected to contribute towards their pensions.  Our state legislators have told the school division that they expect the 

Milwaukee Teachers’ Union Leadership Proposes Bold Move for Kids with “MPS Children’s Week” Campaign « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

Milwaukee Teachers’ Union Leadership Proposes Bold Move for Kids with “MPS Children’s Week” Campaign « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!:

Milwaukee Teachers’ Union Leadership Proposes Bold Move for Kids with “MPS Children’s Week” Campaign

by millerlf

My Pledge:
Larry Miller
Scott Walker is like the feudal magistrate who destroys the dam, floods the valley and then criticizes the villagers for not stockpiling enough sandbags.
Dealing with the aftermath of Walker’s horrific cuts has been devastating to our public schools and to the community. And teachers have been at the forefront of the struggle to stand up and reclaim our state.
But right now we have to do something to stop the flooding. Cuts in staffing have meant growing classroom sizes in MPS – and that’s putting our students’ success in jeopardy. MPS Children’s Week, as proposed by the

Milwaukee Parents Support Milwaukee Teachers

by millerlf

From: I Love My Public Schools

For Immediate Release – Friday, March 15
Contact: Angela McManaman, 414‐793‐4815
MILWAUKEE – Parents in Milwaukee Public Schools today are praising a bold initiative undertaken by the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association (MTEA) to invest more resources in district classrooms and help Milwaukee’s children. “Good things are happening in MPS,” adds Tanya Ingvolstad‐Otero, an MPS alumna and mother of four bilingual MPS students. “MPS has excellent teachers who succeed against all odds. I stand with the teachers today just as they stand every day with my children and all of Milwaukee’s children.”
“I know how hard our teachers work every day to meet the needs of our children,” says Jasmine Alinder, an MPS

MPS Public Hearing for Student Bill of Rights To Be Held This Thursday at 5:30

by millerlf

Following is a Student Bill of Rights written by student members of Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES), a youth organization associated with Voces de la Frontera. Over one thousand students, mostly in Milwaukee and Racine, have reviewed the document and given input to its content. YES has also received input from a number of youth organizations and education activists.
The resolution supporting the Student Bill of Rights will be discussed at  a board committee meeting and public hearing this Thursday at 5:30 at central office. Please try to attend and support YES.
Student Bill of Rights
Written by the students of Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES)
Student Power and Voice
I. Students have the right to organize and have a voice in their school.
II. Student representatives should be included in any decision-making that significantly affects

Louisiana Educator: Jindal Bills on House Floor Thursday

Louisiana Educator: Jindal Bills on House Floor Thursday:

Jindal Bills on House Floor Thursday

by Michael Deshotels

LAE lobbyist Shane Riddle informed me this morning that HB 974 and HB 976 are scheduled for consideration on the House Floor starting at 9:00 a. m. Thursday, March 22. The debate could be extensive.

The following are my suggestions for reaching your Representative in the next 3 days. You may telephone your Representative at the capitol at 225-342-6945. They are expected to be in committee meetings during most of the day Tuesday and Wednesday, so try leaving a message asking your Rep. to return your call. Both of those days, the House floor will be in session starting at 4:00 p. m. Your best chance of reaching them would be from 4:00 p. m. on. If you have your Rep's cell number this is the best way to reach him/her. On Thursday, while they are debating, you can call them at the above number any time during the day. If you can't get through, ask the clerk to take your message to the Representative.

Let me tell you what to expect in a conversation with your Rep. if he/she is looking for an excuse to vote with the 

Occupy professional development with Edcamp | Philadelphia Public School Notebook #ows

Occupy professional development with Edcamp | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:
Occupy professional development with Edcamp

by Guest blogger

This guest blog post comes from Kristen Swanson, an edcamp organizer. The next Edcamp Philly will take place May 19.

---

We’ve all been there: A mind-numbing, passive, professional development session that aims to “fill up” your mind with knowledge and expertise. Quite often, these types of experiences leave you drowsy and uninspired.
Well, there’s a new form of professional development sweeping the nation that aims to change all that. Edcamps are unconferences for educators where learners share their experiences and their professional expertise in a collaborative, interactive learning environment.

Image: 

Image Caption: 

Participants at Edcamp Philly 2011.

Photo Credits: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kjarrett/5744215737/in/photostream/

read more

Hostile takeover: Parents seek control of failing school in education reform - Yahoo! News

Hostile takeover: Parents seek control of failing school in education reform - Yahoo! News:

Hostile takeover: Parents seek control of failing school in education reform

By Stephanie Simon | Reuters – 7 hrs ago

   

• Enlarge Photo
  
  Adelanto Mayor Cari Thomas (R) speaks during a Adelanto …


• Enlarge Photo
  
  Chrissy Guzman (L) speaks in frustration during a Adelanto …

(Reuters) - Desert Trails Elementary School in the impoverished town of Adelanto, California, has been failing local kids for years. More than half the students can't pass state math or reading tests.

On Tuesday, the school board will discuss a radical fix: a parent takeover of the school.

For the moms and dads, it's a local, and intensely personal, debate. But their little school at the edge of the Mojave Desert has also become a flash point in a high-stakes national struggle over the future of public education, one that pits powerful teachers unions against some of world's wealthiest philanthropies.

Desert Trails, with children in kindergarten through 6th grades or roughly aged 5-12, could be the first school in the country to invoke the concept known as "parent trigger."

A 2010 California law permits parents at the state's worst public 

A letter to the Seattle School Board from Dr. Barbara Torre Veltri regarding Teach for America, Inc. | Seattle Education

A letter to the Seattle School Board from Dr. Barbara Torre Veltri regarding Teach for America, Inc. | Seattle Education:

A letter to the Seattle School Board from Dr. Barbara Torre Veltri regarding Teach for America, Inc.

by seattleducation2011

March  16,  2012
Seattle  Board  of  Directors
Seattle,  Washington  98124-­‐1165
Dear  Mr.  DeBell,  Ms.  Smith-­‐Blum,  Ms.  Patu,  and  Executive  Committee Members,
Thank  you  for  your  interest  in  children  and  your  advocacy  for  education  in  Seattle.  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  preparing  teachers  at  Northern  Arizona  University  who  are  Seattle  natives  and  are  teaching  in  your  schools.  I  have  also  been  privileged  to  work  with  Seattle  Public  School  teachers  and  administrators  in  the  capacity  of professional  development  presenter  over  the  last  two  decades.
While  in  your  city,  I  felt  the  commitment  of  your  teachers  and  administrators,  who not  only  participated  in  faculty  development  sessions  (Thematic  Teaching  with  Sports…Baseball),  but  also  were