Monday, April 14, 2014

4-14-14 The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education

Rethinking Classroom Pedagogy in the Standards-Driven Classroom — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Rethinking Classroom Pedagogy in the Standards-Driven Classroom

April 14, 2014 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers

Post written by Amber Medin

The long-term benefits of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have been touted by the academic community at large, yet it's often difficult to envision the light at the end of the tunnel when dealing with the demands and challenges of actual classroom implementation. Although these standards make it clear what is expected of students, many teachers are left without a road map explaining how to approach and properly convey this new material in the classroom.

The key, said Robert Marzano in his 2014 ASCD Annual Conference session "The New Pedagogy of the Common Core and the Science Standards," is not to blindly dive into the higher-order thinking questions in an effort to meet the CCSS and NGSS without first setting reasonable goals and a workable framework of instruction that moves purposefully toward student-directed, cognitively complex tasks. "If you were to teach all the content in the national standards documents in the time available ... without adding days to the school year or time to the school day, you'd have to change school from K–12 to K–22," explained Marzano.

Tried-and-true instructional strategies that have been in place since the 1980s thinking skills movement should not be discarded in light of increasingly rigorous standards. Instead, teachers should start by

4-12-14 THE WHOLE WEEK @ The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education

The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE WEEK @ The Whole Child Blog Insights on Writing: A Core SkillWriting powerfully is a skill that teachers know every student needs to develop if he or she is to have the best chances in life. Yet, paradoxically, it's one of the skills that students most often resist practicing. The April 2014 issue of Educational Leadership examines the many w

by mike simpson / 15min

UPDATE: WHITENING THE CITIES + Are you ready to rumble? Looks like we have a candidate Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Are you ready to rumble? Looks like we have a candidate.:

WHITENING THE CITIES [Update]

Following up on this morning's Jackie Robinson post where I pointed out that Jackie's family had been part of the great black migration from the plantation South. They migrated in the 1930s to southern California and settled in Pasadena where there were lots of jobs in a booming defense industry as well as a burgeoning black community. Fast forward to today when Pasadena has lost about one-quarter

by Mike Klonsky / 16min

Are you ready to rumble? Looks like we have a candidate.

“What happened to the hundreds of children from closed schools who never made it the welcoming schools on the West and South Sides?” Fioretti said.

It's cold and gloomy outside. But I'm smiling ear to ear. Here's why.

Ald. Bob Fioretti just gave a powerful speech at the City Club. It was a solid left hook to Rahm's jaw and sounded to everyone like the opening salvo in the 2015 race for mayor. And guess what? He received a standing O from not only CTU Pres. Karen Lewis, but from the suit-and-tie business folks as well. It looks like it not just the 99% that are fed up with Rahm's arrogance, bullying, divisiveness, and mismanagement.

From the Sun-Times:

Ald. Bob Fioretti (2nd) on Monday accused Mayor Rahm Emanuel of presiding over the “widening of Chicago into two cities” and hinted strongly at a race for mayor. With Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis cheering him on from the City Club audience, Fioretti unveiled a liberal, pro-union agenda that would make newly-elected New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio proud.

From DNAInfo:

Fioretti's speech was met with a standing ovation from the crowd of local business leaders. In his keynote speech, the 2nd Ward alderman reflected on his seven years in office — and especially on the Emanuel administration's last three years at the helm.

"There are the kind of problems that are preventable: the kind that those in the Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Are you ready to rumble? Looks like we have a candidate.:

4-14-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum:

Common Core Roundup (with trends and memes)

I'd been meaning to do this for awhile but every single day - in multiple news outlets - there are stories about Common Core. I occasionally see some "good news" ones but frankly, those mostly come from Gates Foundation funded groups (or more often than not, seriously, in Forbes magazine).Let's be clear - this is not some small-scale, scattered uprising. It is happening everywhere in t

by Melissa Westbrook / 1h

4-13-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Times editorial on Initiative 1351The Seattle Times wrote an editorial to discourage people from signing petitions to put Initiative 1351, Class Size Reduction, on the ballot. The editorial was, of course, full of lies, misrepresentations, and unprincipled statements.I don't know where other people stand on initiatives. Lots of states don't have an initiati

by mike simpson / 7min

Russ on Reading: Who Gets Recess? Congress But Not Elementary School Children

Russ on Reading: Who Gets Recess? Congress But Not Elementary School Children:

Who Gets Recess? Congress But Not Elementary School Children

Congress is on recess and House Majority Whip, Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has some homework for his Republican colleagues. Politico reports that McCarthy wants his fellow members to visit charter schools in their districts to highlight the Republican position on school choice. I have my own ideas of what these Republican congresspersons can do on recess. What follows is the only one that is printable (but one of the others was a pleasing play on the term "whip").

Congressperson, instead of spending your recess time visiting charter schools, why not visit some actual public schools and talk to some actual certified, experienced professional educators and ask them why children in these schools have no recess. I hope you would also ask what the impact is of no recess for these young children.

There is something fundamentally wrong in this country when we send our legislative leaders off on a two week recess and yet we deny recess to our school aged children.

This topic is on my mind right now because last week I visited a K-5 school in northern New Jersey that has no recess in its schedule. It will not surprise you that this school district has more than 80% minority population, 74% Russ on Reading: Who Gets Recess? Congress But Not Elementary School Children:

Meal Site Lists Updated - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)

Meal Site Lists Updated - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Updates List of Programs Serving Nutritious Meals to Low-Income Families

SACRAMENTO—Disadvantaged families in California can now access interactive Web pages with up-to-date lists of child and adult care centers offering nutritious meals at low or no cost, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.

"Having enough nutritious food to eat is a huge contributing factor to a child's ability to succeed in school and in life," Torlakson said. "These centers offer an important resource for families, and I hope this information gets them the support they need."

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Nearly 5,000 local day-care centers and 17,000 sponsored family day-care home providers in California participate in the CACFP.

Child care centers and day-care home providers participating in this program provide nutritious food to infants, children, and adults. All children enrolled in these day-care homes receive meals at no charge. Most participating day-care centers also provide meals at no charge. In centers that have a separate charge for meals, participants may receive free or reduced-price meals.

Child care centers can provide free or reduced-price meals if families of children in their care meet household income eligibility guidelines. For example, a family of four earning $30,615 a year (up from $29,965 last year) can qualify for free meals and snacks. Also, a family of four earning $43,568 a year (up from $42,643 last year) can qualify for reduced-price meals and snacks. The Income Eligibility Scales for 2013–14 for free and reduced-price meals and snacks are attached.

Child care centers or day-care home providers with children in households that receive California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids, CalFresh (formerly Food Stamps), Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment Program, Head Start, Early Head Start, or the Even Start Program are automatically eligible at the free rate. Adult daycare centers with adults that receive CalFresh, FDPIR, Social Security Income, or Medicaid benefits are also eligible for reimbursement at the free rate. Institutions serve meals to all participants regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.*

To find day-care home sponsors in your area, visit the California Department of Education's CACFP Day Care Home SponsorsWeb page and search by county. For a child or adult day care center, visit the 2013–14 CACFP Center Sites Web page and search by county.

# # # #

* The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. The USDA prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form

, go to any USDA office, or call 866-632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to the USDA by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; by fax 202-690-7442; or email at program.intake@usda.gov. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339, or 800-845-6136 (Spanish).

Attachment

Meals and Snacks Free Eligibility Scale

Household Size	Annual	Monthly	Twice Per Month	Every Two Weeks	Weekly
1	$14,937	$1,245	$623	$575	$288
2	$20,163	$1,681	$841	$776	$388
3	$25,389	$2,116	$1,058	$977	$489
4	$30,615	$2,552	$1,276	$1,178	$589
5	$35,841	$2,987	$1,494	$1,379	$690
6	$41,067	$3,423	$1,712	$1,580	$790
7	$46,293	$3,858	$1,929	$1,781	$891
8	$51,519	$4,294	$2,147	$1,982	$991
For each additional family member, add:	+$5,226	+$436	+$218	+$201	+$101

Meals and Snacks Reduced-Price Eligibility Scale

Household Size	Annual	Monthly	Twice Per Month	Every Two Weeks	Weekly
1	$21,257	$1,772	$886	$818	$409
2	$28,694	$2,392	$1,196	$1,104	$552
3	$36,131	$3,011	$1,506	$1,390	$695
4	$43,568	$3,631	$1,816	$1,676	$838
5	$51,005	$4,251	$2,126	$1,962	$981
6	$58,442	$4,871	$2,436	$2,248	$1,124
7	$65,879	$5,490	$2,745	$2,534	$1,267
8	$73,316	$6,110	$3,055	$2,820	$1,410
For each additional family member, add:	+$7,437	+$620	+$310	+$287	+$144

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction

D.C. are you listening?: A New Local, Community-Based Approach for Accountability | Cloaking Inequity

D.C. are you listening?: A New Local, Community-Based Approach for Accountability | Cloaking Inequity:

D.C. are you listening?: A New Local, Community-Based Approach for Accountability

It turns out that a new local, community-based approach to accountability is happening… I first introduced the idea of Community-Based Accountability on October 12, 2012 in the post Accountability: Are you ready for a new idea?

Here is some background from the post I am giddy!!: Community-Based Accountability

I had writer’s block all summer. I owed Professor Rich Milner and two co-authors (Dr. Muhummed Khalifa and Dr. Linda Tillman) my portion of a chapter for the upcoming Handbook of Urban Education to be published by Routledge.We were asked to write on a “direction for future work (and needs) in the field of urban education.” My co-authors had already written the theoretical underpinning (post-colonial theory) and had specified the problem (persisting achievement gap in the midst of NCLB, high-stakes testing, and accountability). So what was the alternative to NCLB in its current conception!? I thought about the school reform course I took with David Tyack at Stanford a decade ago that focused on the community-based schooling in the 1960s. Then i considered that our datasets and their interconnectedness has advanced rapidly over the past two decades. In the vein of Dewey, I considered the measurement of a child’s success in conjunction with their heterogenous pursuits. In the political sphere, i pondered that Democrats often support community empowerment and Republicans espouse local control— which conflicts with the current conception of NCLB.
I then considered….How can we blend these key ideas into a new form of accountability?
My primary line of research is high-stakes testing and accountability… Yet I struggled all summer with re-thinking accountability. In fact, I put a stack of books on top of the manuscript… so that I didn’t have to see it…. then, I went to an accountability conference in Rome and I had a break through. I am came back from the meeting inspired. My portions of the manuscript that I had struggled to write for months came flowing out in three days… On October 17th I posted an excerpt from the Handbook of Urban
D.C. are you listening?: A New Local, Community-Based Approach for Accountability | Cloaking Inequity:

CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION NEWSLETTER

CASU Spring 2014 Newsletter |:

CASU Spring 2014 Newsletter

Posted on April 14, 2014 by CASTUDENTUNIONLeave a comment

CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION NEWSLETTERIssue #2, 5th of April 2014

Fight for CCSF

The fight back around the threatened closure of San Francisco City College has reached a fever pitch. The unjust and illegal ACCJC, an accreditation body which covers California community colleges, has threatened the school with closure. In response to the downsizing and privatization the student body has stood up against this assault on public education. A series of protests over the last year, including an occupation of San Francisco’s City Hall, have yielded not only popular support of students and community but also a slew of lawsuits. These lawsuits not only came from student organizers, but also from the local American Federation of Teachers and the City Attorney’s office of San Francisco. The constant pressure and ensuing lawsuits lead by students has resulted in an immediate injunction of the ACCJC’S decision until the end of the City Attorneys case. Recently the pro-ACCJC administration, led by Bob Agrella the special trustee with extraordinary powers, has instituted an unfair payment policy, attempted to raise administrators salaries, while canceling classes and imposing a quota on class size. The payment policy disproportionately hurt international and undocumented students. In a meeting with newly appointed Chancellor Arthur Tyler one student was crassly told they should “pick up cans” in addition to working and studying to meet the financial demands of the ACCJC. In response to these attacks hundreds of students decided to bring their demands into the administration building on March 13th. They were met by the batons and pepper spray of both the campus police and the San Francisco Police Department. After the violent repression of this peaceful protest, Bob Agrella and his police have begun targeting students with the threat of removing their right to assemble and to organize on campus. These specific attacks are strikingly similar to what we have seen at other community colleges across the state such as Santa Monica College. Administrations actively suppress the student movement by inflicting violence upon the campus to make way for the Student Success Act. In the face of these attacks, and lawsuits, the college’s board of trustees and the student government have offered almost no immediate solution. However, at City College there exists a successful community push back created by student grassroots organizing and the demand of community control over their own institutions. The movement has even forced the City Attorney to file suits against the state accrediting body. As these attacks on public education spread, they can ultimately only be stopped by students on a statewide level. Only an organization such as CASU, which is embedded within the students, can defend the right to education!

38 Student Enrolled or No Class

Once again the California Community College system has turned their backs to needs of the students. As if that wasn’t painful enough, the Los Angeles Community College District has now mandated that the average class room size be thirty-eight students. Thirty-eight students! Any professor would agree that a class of that size CASU Spring 2014 Newsletter |:

4-14-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE:

Jindal to Dump PARCC?

An April 14, 2014, nola.com article has Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal publicly saying he is “willing” to leave the Partnership for Assessment of College and Careers (PARCC)– and even the Common Core State Standards (CCSS): Gov. Bobby Jindal has said he is willing to withdraw Louisiana from a consortium of states developing the assessment associated with the Common Core academic standards if the

by deutsch29 / 7min

The Paradox of Race in the U.S.

The Paradox of Race in the U.S.. via The Paradox of Race in the U.S..

1 by plthomasedd / 5min

4-13-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: Devaluing Teachers in the Age of Value-AddedDevaluing Teachers in the Age of Value-Added. via Devaluing Teachers in the Age of Value-Added.1 by plthomasedd / 57min All Week 4-12-14 @ THE CHALK FACE@ THE CHALK FACE : All Week @ THE CHALK FACE Georgia Moms Stand Firm Against TestingGuest post by Meg Norris It was my fourth or fifth speech about Common Core and why I had left my te

by mike simpson / 1h

Paul Horton: The War on Books II: Certified School Librarians Are the New Disappeared - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Paul Horton: The War on Books II: Certified School Librarians Are the New Disappeared - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Paul Horton: The War on Books II: Certified School Librarians Are the New Disappeared

By Anthony Cody on April 14, 2014 11:39 AM

Guest post by Paul Horton.

See Part 1: In Defense of Books, here.

I was raised to believe that librarians were my friends and I have never met one who didn't help me in some way. Just like you, I have met my share of shush Nazi's, but the firm "quiet down" was always uttered to create a silence that benefited the thinking of the whole.

Silence created a pathway to something more important than noise--books. These librarians protected worlds of the imagination that I had yet to imagine, wondrous times and places beyond times and places, silences full of wonder.

Librarians are trained to ask great questions, to get to know kids and adults on their own terms to better guide aspiring readers, writers, and researchers to destinations unknown, on the other side of the bogs of doubt, frustration, and cynicism.

They know how to work magic, initiating minds, young and old, into the mysteries of mystery, the recesses of intuited shadows, and the openings of unexplored worlds. They are keepers of exquisite curiosity shops of the soul where algorithms dare not tread.

They understand that to read is to be human and that human potential can be imagined and explored through life-long reading. They are invested in this idea: everything they touch nurtures exploration of other worlds. They are also cultivators; they grow empathy, passion, curiosity, and knowledge.

To cut librarians out of an educational system is the equivalent of pulling up a Redwood by its roots--all great civilizations, or trees, for that matter, collect knowledge. Collection is a very human endeavor, we gather who we become. If we collect information, we will become information.

This is precisely what is being done to our educational system in the name of "reform."

In Chicago, for example, school librarians are increasingly sacrificed at school budget tables along Paul Horton: The War on Books II: Certified School Librarians Are the New Disappeared - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

4-14-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University):

The Paradox of Race in the U.S.

The paradox of race in the U.S.: In order to become a culture in which race does not matter, race must always matter. Due this coming June, my first granddaughter will be born into this world a bi-racial child during the second term of the first bi-racial president of the U.S. The symbolic power of that coincidence is, I think, significant, but the realities of the U.S.—I regret to add—far outweig

by plthomasedd / 0min

4-13-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Devaluing Teachers in the Age of Value-Added“We teach the children of the middle class, the wealthy and the poor,” explains Anthony Cody, continuing: We teach the damaged and disabled, the whole and the gifted. We teach the immigrants and the dispossessed natives, the tr

by mike simpson / 1h

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, April 14, 2014

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

How Common Core education standards are changing the way LAUSD schools test children

Education Headlines

Monday, April 14, 2014

FCMAT provides links to California K-12 news stories as a service to the industry. However, some stories may not be accessible because of newspapers' subscription policies.

Solar panels to save Long Beach Unified $2 million over next 25 years

Thanks to the newly installed solar panels at Cabrillo High, Long Beach Unified School District expects to slash its utility bills by $2 million over the next 25 years.

Fresno Unified, teachers take contract dispute into fact-finding phase

Contract talks between the Fresno Teachers Association and the Fresno Unified School District stalled Friday as state-appointed mediators determined that no settlement in the months-long deadlock was possible.

Santa Ana school police seek witnesses in use-of-force investigation involving teen

Santa Ana Unified School District Police Chief Hector Rodriguez asked for witnesses to come forward as the department investigates video footage apparently showing a school police officer restraining a sobbing 14-year-old boy with a headlock.

Sweetwater's next challenge

The Sweetwater Union High School District may have cleared a hurdle by reaching a three-year tentative contact agreement Thursday with the teachers union, but it’s not out of the woods yet.

SD school workers want raises, no healthcare increases

Cafeteria workers, landscapers, clerks and other nonteaching employees of the San Diego Unified School District are asking for higher wages and fighting to prevent changes to health benefits during labor negotiations. The roughly 6,000 employees have made their case public, distributing fliers and holding rallies to promote their cause.

Report: State agency ill-equipped to spot school district food service fraud

Recent mismanagement issues with the nutrition services departments of two San Bernardino County school districts, Colton Joint Unified and Rialto Unified, are among a series of similar problems in California made worse by “overmatched” state investigators facing what could be a flood of such cases, according to a report prepared last year for the state Senate.

McKinleyville district, teachers each turn in 'final offers'

With offers to end a nearly year-long labor dispute now under review by a mediator, officials from the McKinleyville Union School District and the McKinleyville Teachers Association both sounded notes of optimism Friday over the chance of striking a deal soon.

Schools aim to get truants back into class

Inland educators are working to reverse what a top state official has called a school “crisis” – one of every five elementary students in California were truant.

How Common Core education standards are changing the way LAUSD schools test children

This spring, in California and states across the nation, the usual barrage of standardized tests have been put on hold. California districts are getting used to track the quality of schools and districts over time. Instead, educators are preparing for the next big thing: The new Smarter Balanced English-language arts and mathematics tests that school districts have already begun using in classrooms.

Swett board exploring bond to replace Carquinez Middle School in Crockett

The John Swett School District took the first step in replacing its aging middle school April 9, when the board commissioned a poll that will test the community's receptiveness to placing a $50 million bond measure on the November ballot.

Teen substance abuse is the new 'normal,' school counselor says

Gone are the days when "stoners" could be picked out of a crowd on high school campuses, a counselor at College Park High warned parents this week. These days, Jason Lechner told the parents and students Thursday night, even star athletes and top-achieving students drink, smoke marijuana, abuse prescription painkillers or have tried heroin.

L.A. teachers union president ready to step aside for challenger

Los Angeles teachers' union president Warren Fletcher said he will no longer actively campaign for reelection, clearing the path for challenger Alex Caputo-Pearl to become the next leader of United Teachers Los Angeles.

'Premium' on school bond issues violates law

Despite warnings that the practice is illegal, schools across California continue to squeeze extra cash out of bond deals to pay banks and lawyers – leaving taxpayers with an unexpected bill.<

Friday, April 11, 2014

Kern High School District approves last group of raises

The Kern High School District board approved a last round of 5 percent raises for union members -- this time transportation workers -- during a special board meeting Thursday.

Preliminary deal reached in Oxnard Union contract talks

The Oxnard Union High School District and employee union leaders have reached a tentative deal, ending a contract negotiation process that led to several packed school board meetings. Reached on Wednesday, the deal calls for at least a 2 percent raise and the elimination of five furlough days.

California Department of Education: Colton Joint Unified ‘now in compliance’ on financial issues

Eight months after issuing a report that harshly criticized how Colton Joint Unified used the district’s cafeteria fund and the failure of staff to obey state and federal regulations, the California Department of Education said Thursday that the district is “now in compliance” with required regulations.

FBI initiates probe into Centinela Valley school district activities

The FBI is beginning to probe the activities of the Centinela Valley high school district at a time when the board has vowed to do a full investigation in the wake of Superintendent Jose Fernandez’s placement on paid leave this week.

Fresno County educators, Sikh leaders vow to work against bullying

Valley Sikh leaders and Fresno County educators at a public forum addressing the bullying of Sikh American students say they are willing to work together to resolve the problem.

Sweetwater talks yield tentative deal

The Sweetwater Union High School District and its teachers union reached a tentative contract agreement Thursday night after a year of contentious negotiations and a strike authorization vote just last month.

Legislation to strengthen mandated reporting by teachers makes gains

Two bills -- one to strengthen teachers' mandated reporting requirements and the other to provide additional funding for new state education standards -- were approved by the Assembly Education Committee.

Mt. Diablo trustees approve administrator raises, leave out top managers

The Mt. Diablo school board on Wednesday approved about $1.1 million in administrator raises and bonuses, but in a 4-1 vote excluded four top managers covered by contracts.

High-paid South Bay schools superintendent is put on leave

A South Bay schools superintendent who attracted scrutiny for his $674,559 pay was placed on administrative leave this week, pending an internal investigation.

EdSource: Southern California districts seeking parent input on funding plans

Making parents partners in the state's new school funding process and encouraging them to share their ideas and opinions is a complex and delicate task that has taken many forms in three of the school districts

Thursday, April 10, 2014