Choosing Democracy: Why Good Teachers Embrace Culture

Choosing Democracy: Why Good Teachers Embrace Culture:

Why Good Teachers Embrace Culture

Meeting students where they are often requires knowing, celebrating, and incorporating their cultural backgrounds.

By Sophie Quinton

Arizona's attorney general called the program "propagandizing and brainwashing." An administrative law judge ruled that it "promotes racial resentment against 'Whites,' and advocates ethnic solidarity of Latinos."

With that, the Tucson Unified School District's controversial Mexican-American studies courses shut down in 2011. Yet a University of Arizona study found that the mostly Latino students who took the courses were 46 percent to 150 percent more likely to graduate from high school than those who did not. The study also determined positive effects on math and reading test scores. An independent audit of the curriculum confirmed that taking the courses helped students succeed in school.

All good teachers build a bridge between what students know and what they need to learn. Yet teaching that embraces students' cultural backgrounds has largely been left out of current debates on what makes teachers effective. The drama in Tucson helps explain why: Culturally responsive teaching often requires confronting some of the most painful divides in American life.

"Basically, it's about effective teaching, but it takes into consideration the changing demographics of America's schools," says Jacqueline 

Mother Crusader: FIX IT! Because This IS NOT How We Do Things In Highland Park. Here, We RESIST!

Mother Crusader: FIX IT! Because This IS NOT How We Do Things In Highland Park. Here, We RESIST!:

FIX IT! Because This IS NOT How We Do Things In Highland Park. Here, We RESIST!

I've honestly never seen anything like what happened last night in my home town of Highland Park, New Jersey.

 

Scores of Highland Park residents and union supporters came out Monday night to the auditorium at Bartle Elementary to protest layoffs of nine staff members at Highland Park's schools, including two top union officials. 

The school board and administration were literally surrounded by critics: So many people showed up that they had to take out a partition in the wall, doubling the size of the room and letting the overflow crowd tickle into the nosebleeds. (emphasis mine)

Yup, that's right. The Board, at the recommendation of our brand new Superintendent, approved a Reduction in Force (RIF) of nine district employees on November 4th, 2013. The RIF included the 

RECAP: Beyond Borders #StuVoice Chat - Student Voice

Student Voice:

RECAP: Beyond Borders #StuVoice Chat

Poll: New York Voters are Divided on Common Core | Truth in American Education

Poll: New York Voters are Divided on Common Core | Truth in American Education:

Poll: New York Voters are Divided on Common Core

Filed in Common Core State Standards, Education at State Level by Shane Vander Hart on November 19, 2013 • 0 Comments

Siena College released a poll yesterday on New Yorkers views of the Common Core and standardized testing.  806 registered voters were surveyed between November 11-14.  The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.5%

49% of New Yorkers are not confident that the Common Core State Standards will make students more college and career ready.  45% of voters are confident that it will.  There is also a variety of opinion about how demanding the standards are.

About a third of voters (34 percent) think Common Core standards are too demanding, while about one-quarter (27 percent) think they are not demanding enough and one-quarter (23 percent) think they are about right. Twenty-eight percent say that efforts to improve education in  the last three years have moved New York schools in the right direction, 22 percent say they have moved schools in the wrong direction and a plurality, 44 percent, think they have had little impact. There is too much testing in  public schools, 52 percent say, while 12 percent say there is 

Will Political Centrists Go Outside Their Comfort Zones To Expand Pre-K Access?

Will Political Centrists Go Outside Their Comfort Zones To Expand Pre-K Access?:

Will Political Centrists Go Outside Their Comfort Zones To Expand Pre-K Access?

Building on President Obama’s “Preschool for All Initiative” proposed earlier this year – that would dramatically expand access to prekindergarten programs for 4-year olds – Democratic leaders in both chambers last week introduced the “Strong Start for America’s Children Act”. The new bill differs somewhat from what the White House proposed, as explained by Education Week’s Alyson Klein who examin

by Jeff Bryant / 2min 

"Zero-Tolerance: The History of Structural Violence on Our Students" | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity

"Zero-Tolerance: The History of Structural Violence on Our Students" | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity: "Zero-Tolerance: The History of Structural Violence on Our Students"Posted on: Monday November 18th, 2013OTL allies from the Urban Youth Collaborative (UYC) and the Dignity in Schools Campaign – New York (DSC-NY) are presen

by mike simpson / 18h 

NEWS AND VIEWS

The Most Important Lesson Schools Can Teach Kids About Reading: It’s Fun

The Atlantic

“Discussions of reading, especially public policy discussions, focus almost exclusively on its utilitarian value. What’s missing is the pleasure readers derive from the reading they do … Pleasure is not incidental to reading – it’s essential … Teachers of reading and literature need to make pleasure more central to our practice … Instructors should be mindful of the variety of pleasures that readers experience and not privilege intellectual pleasures, the characteristic province of school … Students should have regular opportunities to behave the way adult readers do and choose their own reading. They know the kinds of texts from which they will take pleasure. At the same time, teachers should expand the possibility of pleasure by introducing students to new books they might not select on their own.”
Read more …

‘White Moms’ Remark Fuels Common Core Clash

Politico

“Education Secretary Arne Duncan … told a gathering of state superintendents of education that ‘white suburban moms’ were rebelling against the Common Core academic standards – new guidelines for math and language arts instruction – because … ‘their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they were and their school isn’t quite as good as they thought’ … To the immense frustration of Common Core supporters, an eclectic array of critics have raised sustained and impassioned objections about the new standards … Many parent … called Duncan’s remark patronizing and said it fit into a pattern of state and national education officials dismissing parents and ignoring their concerns.”
Read more …

Why Good Teachers Embrace Culture

National Journal

“The Tucson Unified School District’s controversial Mexican-American studies courses shut down in 2011. Yet a University of Arizona study found that the mostly Latino students who took the courses were 46% to 150% more likely to graduate from high school than those who did not. The study also determined positive effects on math and reading test scores … Culturally responsive pedagogy starts with the premise that race and class matter, and that some schools fail to send diverse students signals that they belong … It’s a philosophy that makes intuitive sense, and that’s backed by a range of academic studies… New Mexican-American and African-American studies classes will return to TUSD high schools this fall, as a decades-old desegregation ruling mandates that the district offer ethnic-studies classes.”
Read more …

Special Education Budget Cuts, Sequestration, Hurt America’s Most Vulnerable Students

The Huffington Post

“For American students with disabilities, class sizes are increasing, services are waning and providers are disappearing. More than half of parents who have children with disabilities and responded to a survey say their schools have altered special education services because of declining funding … Sequestration cleaved $579 million from federal special education funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act this year – a figure that may worsen, depending on Congress … IDEA specifies that Congress would pay up to 40% of the average that states were spending on each student with disabilities. The closest Congress got to this funding level was in in 2005, when it hit 18.5%, and in 2009, when the one-time economic stimulus boosted payments. Since sequestration, Congress has been paying just 14%.”
Read more …

Udacity’s Sebastian Thrun, Godfather Of Free Online Education, Changes Course

Fast Company

“Something that had been unthinkable – that the Internet might put a free, Ivy League–caliber education within reach of the world’s poor – seems tantalizingly close … But there’s a problem: The man who started this revolution no longer believes the hype … ‘I’d aspired to give people a profound education–to teach them something substantial,’ [says] Professor Sebastian Thrun … ‘We were on the front pages of newspapers and magazines, and at the same time, I was realizing, we don’t educate people as others wished, or as I wished. We have a lousy product’ … ‘We’re not doing anything as rich and powerful as what a traditional liberal-arts education would offer you’.”
Read more …

NEA President Dennis Van Roekel Kicks off American Education Week | NEA Today

NEA President Dennis Van Roekel Kicks off American Education Week | NEA Today:

NEA President Dennis Van Roekel Kicks off American Education Week

November 19, 2013 by twalker  
Filed under Featured News, Top Stories

By Anita Merina

NEA President Dennis Van Roekel travelled to Washington State to kick off the 92^nd year of American Education Week, celebrating and honoring the hard work of public school educators and students.

Joined by Washington Education Association President Kim Mead, President Van Roekel embarked on a whirlwind day of visits that not only showcased the staff-led, student-centered transformation of school recipients of federal School Improvement Grants (SIG) but also demonstrated what will be lost as SIG funding ends.

Each school received a banner from WEA and NEA celebrating the school as a high performing Priority School as well as a $500 check from the NEA for the school library.

“We are so honored to be part of the kickoff of American Education Week, because these schools show what can happen when the union works with the school and district, the educators work as a team, and the community is included in the effort to meet the needs of every student,” says Mead.

NEA President Dennis Van Roekel talks to educators at Totem Middle School in Marysville, Washington.

For Van Roekel, the national kickoff and AEW tour was about collecting the stories of members who were transforming schools to meet the needs of their students and the challenges they faced. “These are the stories I will take on the road with me.”

The day began in Marysville with a visit to Totem Middle School where they were greeted by Marysville Education Association President Arden Watson and joined by State Rep. John McCoy and Superintendent Becky Berg.

McCoy, a Tulalip tribal leader praised the work of the school staff and urged staff to talk to their legislators. “We must fully fund education,” said McCoy, a point echoed by Marysville Superintendent Becky Berg.  “Your schools demonstrate what happens when we add funding to the already rich creative ideas staff have to help all students succeed.”

The middle school used its federal dollars to increase professional development, adding an extra 45 minutes per day to personal-planning time. Staff also extended student-learning time by 30 minutes. This 

The price of testing | Edwize

The price of testing | Edwize:

The price of testing

 

Miss Education is in her second year teaching 4^th grade in the Bronx. This year, she’s found herself deeply affected by the challenge of seeing her students struggle with standardized tests.

In early October, I had to administer yet another pre-assessment to my students. I understood that my students were starting to feel frustrated and uncomfortable with all of this pre-testing going on, so I really tried to make it as painless as possible. I explained what had been explained to me. I said, “These tests will not affect your grade; the purpose is to help me, as your teacher, see how much information you know.” I explained that the results of these tests would help me be a better teacher because I’d know what I need to focus on with them.

The test was 90 minutes. It had five constructed response questions — all of which were worded in a way that was more complex than necessary, making the questions confusing and even awkward to read. Nonetheless, my students trusted me, so they accepted the pre-tests with an eager smile and a look of consent.

Ten minutes in, I started to see a lot of worried and insecure faces. After some more time, I heard paper rustling as if someone were madly flipping through the pages of a book. I scanned the classroom and noticed Adam. Adam was flipping through his test aggressively. His face was pale. Next thing I knew, Adam was waving the whole test packet in the air violently.  I nearly ran over to him to intervene.

As soon as I put my hands on his shoulder, Adam stopped waving the paper. “Hey, hey, hey! Relax, relax,” I said. I told him to stop and take a breather, to put his head down and take a break. Tears

- See more at: http://www.edwize.org/the-price-of-testing#sthash.FJEUSrF8.dpuf

Bill Ayers and the Radical “Spark”: Past and Present | Dissident Voice

Bill Ayers and the Radical “Spark”: Past and Present | Dissident Voice:

Bill Ayers and the Radical “Spark”: Past and Present

by Alan Wieder / November 19th, 2013

“They just don’t get it.” Yes, the phrase is overused, yet, all too appropriate when addressing the continuing critiques, from both the left and the right, of Bill Ayers. The recent publication of the second phase of his memoir, Public Enemy: Confessions of An American Dissident (Beacon, 2013), was followed on the “SDS and ‘60s Leftists” page of Facebook by an un-thoughtful conversation on Ayers, his comrade and wife Bernardine Dohrn, and the Weather Underground (WO). Facilitated by George Fish and responding to a negative book review by Jon Wiener, 43 comments followed Fish’s post. Mostly sour, bitter, and ahistorical in tone, the comments provide the antithesis of Ayers’ book and life, that of learning from the past and continuing, in a human and life affirming way, the ongoing struggle that began for Ayers in the civil rights movement, antiwar movement, Students for a Democratic Society, and then the Weather Underground.

When confronted by a radio interviewer who referred to the sub-title as snide, Ayers softly replied that the entire title was chosen for its irony. Missing both the breadth and depth of Public Enemy, the interviewer as well as Wiener and other critics fail to acknowledge the thoughtfulness and energy that Ayers brings to struggle, both past and present. In this particular book, we alternate between the author’s recollections of first, his experience in the 2008 attempt to demonize Barack Obama because he “palled around with terrorists,” and, 

11-19-13 THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG Common Core and Student Success: What Parents Can Do — Whole Child Education

Common Core and Student Success: What Parents Can Do — Whole Child Education:

Push Back on the Push Down

Push Back on the Push Down November 19, 2013 by Angela Eckhoff A high-quality early education is capable much more than can be measured by a test score; early childhood experiences that build upon children's interest and sense of wonder will also serve to inspire children to better understand themselves as learners and promote deeper understandings of their world. This post has been generate

1h 

Common Core and Student Success: What Parents Can Do

Today, as we look at the importance of parental involvement in education—as part of American Education Week's Parents Day—it is important to consider the role parents play in the Common Core State Standards' success. Like most other education initiatives, the Common Core will need a team of committed individuals, starting at home with the parents, to ensure its success. The Common Core standards,

by Kristen Pekarek / 29min skip  //  save

Use the Common Core to Focus on Integrity

The Common Core State Standards aren't an enemy. They're a smart way of saying to the public, "This is where education is going. This is what your child needs to know and be able to do as a future worker, citizen, and leader." To that end, the Common Core standards are helping to advance what we already know to be solid, holistic learning for our schools. This includes providing teacher

by Paula Mirk / 29min 

11-18-13 THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG Raise Your Hand, It's American Education Week

Raise Your Hand, It's American Education Week — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGRaise Your Hand, It’s American Education WeekNovember 18, 2013 by Kristen PekarekThis week—November 18–22—whole child partner National Education Association, along with partners National Parent Teacher Association, American Association of School Administrators, National School Boards Association,American Sch

by mike simpson / 20h 

Pop Your Collar For Parent-Teacher Conferences [New York Times] - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson

Pop Your Collar For Parent-Teacher Conferences [New York Times] - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson:

Pop Your Collar For Parent-Teacher Conferences [New York Times]

by JOSE VILSON on NOVEMBER 19, 2013

in MR. VILSON

A few weeks ago, I was invited to write for New York Times’ Room for Debate, a special web section of the Times dedicated to debating intense subjects of the week. This one was dedicated to parent-teacher conferences. I wrote:

Critics call it a waste of time, of course. They argue that only the “good” students’ parents participate, and so there’s not much to discuss. They are of the opinion that only parents of “bad” kids should be invited.

But we shouldn’t look at these meetings as a way to reform our children. They simply provide the face-to-face element of a longer conversation, which starts with a letter to every child’s home, works its way through progress reports and the occasional phone call with parents, and ends with a report card.

To read more, click here. Share and comment. This is especially appropriate since mine starts in about 20 minutes. Thank you for your support!

Mr. Vilson

*** photo c/o http://www.nea.org/home/40927.htm ***

- See more at: http://thejosevilson.com/pop-collar-parent-teacher-conferences-new-york-times/#sthash.1sqebF33.dpuf

solidaridad: Recolonizing Our Classrooms: The Race and Class Hypocrisy of Corporate Education Reform

solidaridad: Recolonizing Our Classrooms: The Race and Class Hypocrisy of Corporate Education Reform:

Recolonizing Our Classrooms: The Race and Class Hypocrisy of Corporate Education Reform

DIVERSITY FORUM THEME

Unequal by Design: Schooling the Poor and Students of Color 

in Today's Public Schools and Universities

November 20, 2013

3 – 5pm: Faculty & Grad Student Panel

Academic Senate Chambers

Panel of Faculty, Students, and Activists Speak on

"The Privatization of Public Higher Education"

6pm - 8pm: Campus–Wide Forum & Keynote

Titan Student Union

Student Performances

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Wayne Au, Assistant Professor at 

University of Washington, Bothell 

"Recolonizing Our Classrooms: 

The Race and Class Hypocrisy of Corporate Education Reform"

Wayne Au is an Associate Professor at the University of Washington, Bothell and an editor for the social justice education magazine, Rethinking Schools. A former public high school history and language arts teacher, Au's work focuses broadly on teaching for social justice, multicultural education, and critical education theory. Most recently his work has focused on the race and class implications of high-stakes testing and other aspects of corporate education reform.

------------------------------------------------

Co-Organized by: Researchers and Critical Educators (RACE) and the Los Angeles Regional Network (LA-RN) 

of the California Chapter of the National Association for Multicultural Education (CA-NAME)

Sponsoring Organizations: 

Chicana & Chicano Resource Center (CRC), College of Education (COE), Reading Department, Department of Secondary Education, Department of Special Education, Elementary & Bilingual Education Department, Educational Leadership Department

More information:  www.CaliforniaNAME.org

Unequal by Design: Schooling the Poor and Students of Color in Today's Public Schools and Universities by Robert D. Skeels

11-18-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum:

Seattle Police Clear Mann Building

This just in from the Central District News:Seattle Police say they have made arrests and are searching the building as groups occupying the Horace Mann school are being cleared from the Seattle Public Schools property on E Cherry near 23rd.SPD says that three four adult males were arrested as police continue to search the building after entering the barricaded facility Tuesday afternoon.CDN is re

by Melissa Westbrook / 59min 

Where Were You That Day?

There is quite a lot of talk leading up to Friday, November 22, 2013 as the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy.  Many news outlets are asking, "What do you remember of that day?" and I realized that most of the readers of this blog were likely not even born then.  I can tell what I remember as a very small child. I was with my mother in the town general mercantile s

by Melissa Westbrook / 16min 

Tuesday Open Thread

 From the Central District News, a trailer was released for a film, One Square Mile, that was shot throughout Seattle including Garfield High School.   Many recognizable sights and yay! Garfield. I learned that there is a subtropical storm brewing over the Central Atlantic about 600 miles off Bermuda. Melissa is showing signs of developing a tighter core of convection (thunderstorms) close to its

by Melissa Westbrook / 1h 

11-18-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Board Meeting Ramps UpFirst, there will be a meeting - called by the Superintendent - for discussion around renovating T.T. Minor to be the new home for World School.  The meeting is tomorrow night, Monday the 18th, at JSCEE at 5:30 pm.I'm not sure what form the discussion will take.  The issue is two-fold.  One, World School has been consistently ignored by the di

by mike simpson / 56min 

Sacramento Mark Hopkins/Meadowview Community Survey Results! Hmong Innovating Politics

Hmong Innovating Politics:

Mark Hopkins/Meadowview Community Survey Results!

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