NYC Educator: Zombie Plague of Bad Teachers in Press--Real Ones Just Go to Work

NYC Educator: Zombie Plague of Bad Teachers in Press--Real Ones Just Go to Work

 Zombie Plague of Bad Teachers in Press--Real Ones Just Go to Work

Someone put the bat signal on my Cory Booker post and I've gotten a few status quo questions. I've responded to them, but I really hate answering questions like that.

What would you do about all the teachers who suck? We'd respect the union more if it didn't defend all those bad teachers. Why are all city schools so terrible?

These questions are not new to me. For years I've read newspaper editorials and op-eds that sprang from these assumptions. I've been writing this blog for almost 14 years, and I don't really love moving back to square one. Nonetheless I've responded to a few of them.

As I write this, I'm finished teaching for the day, waiting on a School Leadership Team meeting. I'm in the teacher cafe with a bunch of people who are prepping lessons. I've already done most of what I've got to do, and the rest will wait until morning. I've set this blog to pop up at 4 AM, and that's around the time I'll be popping up too. I have a little quiet time in the morning, then I walk my dog and come in.

I'm in an hour early every morning. Because my job as chapter leader is basically insane (I'm not complaining--I love this job), it's the only way I can make sure I have time to do actual schoolwork.  There is a group of us here early, and I'm the only one who's chapter leader. Everyone else is doing extra, off schedule unpaid work too. They're prepping lessons, writing PowerPoints, making copies, stapling papers, and doing 500 other things. But that's not where the real work is.

The real work is on the classroom when you're with 34 teenagers, some of whom may be smarter, or even crazier than you are. I can't really guarantee I'll always be the smartest. You never know when some kid will get all arrogant and have a better argument than you do. But you can always work on being crazier than they are. However, no matter how unpredictable you fancy yourself, there's always some kid even more so, and that kid might be in front of your face at this very moment.

In that case, you'd better be smart, because that's a very delicate situation. What can you do or say that might make the odd behavior before you cease, improve, or better yet, become productive? For me, the answer is conversation first, and if there's a later, home contact more often than not. A lot of teachers don't like to call. I don't blame them CONTINUE READING: NYC Educator: Zombie Plague of Bad Teachers in Press--Real Ones Just Go to Work

Chavez Charter Chain Teachers, Newly Unionized, Decry School Closing | GFBrandenburg's Blog

Chavez Charter Chain Teachers, Newly Unionized, Decry School Closing | GFBrandenburg's Blog

Chavez Charter Chain Teachers, Newly Unionized, Decry School Closing

Last night I attended a hearing at the ‘Public’ Charter School Board on 14th St NW here in Washington DC to support the teachers at Chavez Prep Middle School, which the un-elected chain’s board has decided to close.

Mark Simon wrote on Facebook,

“Chavez teachers did an amazing job last night! PCSB members asked some good questions of trustees, but avoided the Obvious role of Ten Square, which was simultaneously advising on contract negotiations and bank loan negotiations. Getting no concessions from the bank conveniently busts the union. Coincidence? Victory Ten Square. So why is the PCSB pushing Ten Square on schools anyway? Could preventing charter unionization from spreading be a bigger agenda than keeping one successful school open?”

I wrote:

I was there too, but didn’t stay until the very end- my back hurt from standing so much. (in the overflow space out in the hall) It’s definitely not a coincidence that they closed those particular schools; it’s clearly union-busting, just like McDonald’s or Walmart closing the few of their stores that unionized.

I didn’t hear anybody mention that, though they may have done so after I left.

BTW about 8-9 years ago I attempted to mentor a young math teacher at Chavez Parkside (Anacostia) through the CONTINUE READING: Chavez Charter Chain Teachers, Newly Unionized, Decry School Closing | GFBrandenburg's Blog

Debunking 3 myths about black students — using data and logic - The Washington Post

Debunking 3 myths about black students — using data and logic - The Washington Post

Debunking 3 myths about black students — using data and logic

Ivory A. Toldson, a professor of counseling psychology at Howard University, has a new book with a mouthful of a title and an important message: “No BS (Bad Stats): Black People Need People Who Believe in Black People Enough Not to Believe Every Bad Thing They Hear About Black People.”

The book, as the title suggests, addresses myths about black students and debunks with them data and logic. The post below was written by Toldson, who takes three of the myths head-on.

Toldson also is the president of Quality Education for Minorities, editor in chief of the Journal of Negro Education and executive editor of the Journal of the Center for Policy Analysis and Research, published by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

This appeared on the Conversation website, and I was given permission to publish it.

By Ivory Toldson

Evidence suggests white teachers are more negative with — and have lower expectations for — black students. As a counseling professor who specializes in educating black children, these findings do not surprise me. I often hear education professionals and others use simplistic negative statistics to explain complex challenges facing black students.

In my new book, “No BS (Bad Stats): Black People Need People Who Believe in Black People Enough Not to Believe Every Bad Thing They Hear about Black People,” I refer to these kinds of negative statistics as “BS,” or “bad stats.” They are data points that are incomplete, poorly contextualized, usually negative and sometimes wrong.

My book uses data, research and anecdotes to confront nine lies about education and black students. I give CONTINUE READING: Debunking 3 myths about black students — using data and logic - The Washington Post

Why Schools Have Such Strict Bathroom Rules - The Atlantic

Why Schools Have Such Strict Bathroom Rules - The Atlantic

When Schools Tell Kids They Can’t Use the Bathroom
By imposing harsh restrictions on when students can use the restroom, educators are teaching kids to ignore their bladder.

Most people probably take their bathroom privileges for granted, heading to the toilet in their home or office whenever the need arises without thinking much about it. But at school, children don’t always have that luxury.

A recent survey by the Society for Women’s Health Research found that schools often disregard kids’ restroom rights, often by failing to have a bathroom rule on the books and provide staff with education on bladder health. Absent official policies, parents and doctors tell me, many teachers come up with their own regulations, which anecdotes suggest can border on absurd. I heard about a teacher who allegedly stipulated that her students could only go to the restroom during class time once every two months, for instance, and read about some school districts routinely locking restrooms at lunchtime or after school to discourage misbehavior.

Schools seek to minimize the amount of time kids spend in the bathroom during class to ensure that they get the most out of their instruction, and generally restrict students’ access to prevent misconduct in the restrooms, where kids tend to be unsupervised. Well-intentioned yet overburdened teachers might adopt such rules to avoid disruptions and ensure that all their students are accounted for. But treating bathroom use as a discipline issue can have serious health implications, especially when a kid needs to go, but can’t.

Read: Using the restroom: A privilege—if you’re a teacher

A majority (84 percent) of respondents in the recent survey, which was distributed among school nurses serving all grade levels nationwide, said students often have ulterior motives when they ask to use the bathroom—maybe they don’t have to go and just want to meet up with a friend, for example, or perhaps they intend to skip the bathroom altogether and cause a ruckus in the hallway. A little more than half reported that kids misbehave in the bathroom. Underlying these assumptions is the fact that few schools have written policies on students’ bathroom use—just 8 percent of nurses said such rules existed, while fewer than half said students on their campus can use the bathroom whenever they please, with permission required only as a formality.

And the survey’s results suggest that such realities persist despite growing recognition of the health consequences. More than a third of respondents expressed concern about the adequacy of kids’ bathroom-break time—and CONTINUE READING:  Why Schools Have Such Strict Bathroom Rules - The Atlantic

School Districts Serving Students Of Color Have Less Money : NPR

School Districts Serving Students Of Color Have Less Money : NPR

Why White School Districts Have So Much More Money

In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that segregated public schools are unconstitutional.

In 2018, on the 64th anniversary of that ruling, a lawsuit filed in New Jersey claimed that state's schools are some of the most segregated in the nation. That's because, the lawsuit alleges, New Jersey school district borders are drawn along municipality lines that reflect years of residential segregation.

The idea that school district borders carry years of history is the premise of a new report from the nonprofit EdBuild, which studies the ways schools are funded in the U.S.

The report starts with a number: $23 billion. According to EdBuild, that's how much more funding predominantly white school districts receive compared to districts that serve mostly students of color.

"For every student enrolled, the average nonwhite school district receives $2,226 less than a white school district," the report says.

EdBuild singles out 21 states — including California, New Jersey and New York — in which mostly white districts get more funding than districts composed of primarily students of color.

More than half of students in the U.S. go to segregated, or "racially concentrated" schools, according to the report. Those are schools in which more than three quarters CONTINUE READING: School Districts Serving Students Of Color Have Less Money : NPR

Proposed legislation would substantially curb growth of California charter schools | EdSource

Proposed legislation would substantially curb growth of California charter schools | EdSource

Proposed legislation would substantially curb growth of California charter schools
Restrictions would limit appeals, cap number of new charters, factor fiscal impact

The chairman of the Assembly Education Committee and several Democratic colleagues introduced a package of bills Monday that would impose severe restrictions on the growth of charter schools.

Three of the bills would eliminate the ability of charter schools to appeal rejected applications to the county and state, place an unspecified cap on charter school growth and enable school districts to consider the financial impact of charter schools when deciding whether to approve them. A fourth bill would abolish the right of a charter school that can’t find a facility in its authorizing district to locate a school in an adjoining district.

Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell, D-Long Beach, who chairs the Education Committee, said the bills collectively would enable school districts “to make responsible and informed decisions” that are “critical for student success and taxpayer accountability.” Eric Premack, a veteran charter school adviser and advocate, called the legislation a “full-frontal” assault and “scorched earth” approach to charter schools.

Charter schools are publicly funded schools that have greater flexibility in hiring, curriculum and other aspects of their operations. Unlike traditional public schools run by elected school boards, charter schools in California are nonprofit organizations with self-appointed boards.

The California Teachers Association, which put out the press announcement on Monday, other teachers and school employees unions, and the California state chapter of the NAACP, endorsed the bills. Their release coincides with the continuing teachers strike in Oakland Unified, where teachers are blaming charter school growth for weakening the district’s financial strength and are demanding restrictions on charter school expansion.

Another bill that O’Donnell co-authored, with Sen. Connie Leyva, D-Chino, requiring charter schools to comply with the state’s open meeting, public records and conflict of interest laws, passed the Senate last week and, on a fast track, is scheduled to be heard in O’Donnell’s Education Committee on Feb. 26. Many charter schools already adhere to the laws, but Senate Bill 126 would make CONTINUE READING: Proposed legislation would substantially curb growth of California charter schools | EdSource

John Thompson: Oklahoma’s “Staggering” Teacher Exodus | Diane Ravitch's blog

John Thompson: Oklahoma’s “Staggering” Teacher Exodus | Diane Ravitch's blog

John Thompson: Oklahoma’s “Staggering” Teacher Exodus

John Thompson writes from Oklahoma:

The Tulsa World’s headline nailed the big picture, “‘Staggering’: 30,000 Oklahoma Teachers Have Left Profession in the Past Six Years, Report Shows.” The World’s Michael Dekker cites State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister who explained, “The loss of 30,000 educators over the past six years is staggering — and proof that our schools must have the resources to support a growing number of students with an increasing number of needs.”

https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/education/staggering-oklahoma-teachers-have-left-profession-in-the-past-years/article_32479aa7-9877-55c9-959c-76f7332a7e7d.html

These huge losses occurred in a state which employed only 50,598 teachers in 2017-18.

Hofmeister addressed the immediate problem, “Steep budget cuts over the last decade have made the teaching profession in Oklahoma less attractive, resulting in a severe teacher shortage crisis and negative consequences for our schoolchildren.” The analysis, 2018 Oklahoma Educator Supply and Demand Report, by Naneida Lazarte Alcala, also touched on the ways that the lack of respect and the decline of teachers’ professional autonomy contributed to the massive exodus from the classroom.

https://sde.ok.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/Oklahoma%20Teacher%20Supply%20and%20Demand%20Report%202018%20February%20Update.pdf

The report showed that Oklahoma’s annual attrition rate has been 10 percent during the last 6 years, which was 30 percent more than the national average. This prompted an increase from 32 emergency certifications in 2012 to 2,915 in 2018-19. As a result, the median experience of state teachers declined by 1/5^th in this short period.

Given the challenges faced by the Oklahoma City Public School System, it is noteworthy that the highest turnover rate in 2017-18 (almost 25 percent) occurred in central Oklahoma. Over 11 percent of teachers in the central region are new hires.

It should also be noted that charter schools have the highest turnover rate (almost 42 percent), even higher than that of middle schools. 

I kid my colleagues in middle school. But there is a serious point. Choice advocates have had success in their political campaign to defeat traditional public schools, but their turnover rate is another sign that the oversupply of charters shows that privatization isn’t a viable, educational alternative to neighborhood schools. 

But the financial cutbacks were not the only cause of the crisis. Alcala cites a survey of teachers who have left Oklahoma schools; 2/3rds said that increased compensation would not be enough to bring them back to the classroom.  Citing reasons that were beyond the scope of the report, 78 percent said that the quality of the work environment had declined, and nearly half said it had deteriorated a great deal.

On the other hand, the report suggested aspects of teaching conditions that merit further examination. It cited research on the negative effects of teacher turnover on student achievement, especially for low-income students. This stands in contrast with research cited by accountability-driven, competition-driven school CONTINUE READING: John Thompson: Oklahoma’s “Staggering” Teacher Exodus | Diane Ravitch's blog

Oakland Strike: Teachers and District at Odds About Privatization | Diane Ravitch's blog #Unite4OaklandKids #WeAreOEA #WeAreCTA #strikeready #REDFORED

Oakland Strike: Teachers and District at Odds About Privatization | Diane Ravitch's blog

Oakland Strike: Teachers and District at Odds About Privatization

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement by Keith Brown President, Oakland Education Association, on Status of Contract Talks

I do not believe that it is helpful to bargain contracts through the media. Up until now I have refrained from discussing details to give the negotiating team on both sides room to bargain. However, after seeing a series of misleading reports come out of the administration today, I think it’s time to set the record straight.

The district says they have moved closer to OEA’s position on salary. Implied in their statement is that significant movement has happened since the strike began. This is untrue. The fact is they have yet to make an offer that will keep experienced teachers in Oakland.

The administration would lead you to believe this is only about salary. The state trustee has now joined this disinformation campaign.

Let me be clear, the union believes our students should have access to school nurses, counselors, school psychologists, librarians and other specialists. Class sizes are just too big and hinder the ability of our educators to give students the attention they deserve. These were also the issues on the table in the recent teachers’ strike in Los Angeles. In that strike, labor and management, with the help of outside mediators, crafted solutions that brought in dollars from the county and state to fund more nurses and counselors and lower class size. We should find similar creative solutions here.

We also join Los Angeles in their fight for a cap on the rapid expansion of charter schools that comes at the expense of much needed resources at our neighborhood public schools – to the tune of $57 million a year.

School closings are a critical issue in Oakland. It should be discussed at the bargaining table – they refuse.

The district’s bargaining team either lacks the creativity or the authority to craft solutions to our students’ needs and our educators’ demands.

We appreciate the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s dedication to finding a solution that puts our teachers and students front and center in this fight.

It is clear that the district does not have the support of parents and the community and are resorting to lies and misinformation to try to bring the public to their side. We ask that people be mindful of these tactics. We should expect more from our district officials. When 19 out of every 20 teachers is walking the picket line joined by parents, when our rallies attract thousands, when 97 percent of our students stay home – it’s clear that this community wants what OEA demands.

The Oakland Education Association represents 3,000 OUSD educators, including teachers, librarians, counselors, nurses, psychologists, psychiatric social workers, therapists, substitutes, and early childhood and adult teachers. OEA is affiliated with the 325,000-member California Teachers Association and the 3 million-member National Education Association.


Oakland Strike: Teachers and District at Odds About Privatization | Diane Ravitch's blog

No! We Aren't Cancelling Black History Month - We Want to Ensure Diversity Is Year Round And Diversify Our Teachers While We Are At It - Philly's 7th Ward

No! We Aren't Cancelling Black History Month - We Want to Ensure Diversity Is Year Round And Diversify Our Teachers While We Are At It - Philly's 7th Ward

NO! WE AREN’T CANCELLING BLACK HISTORY MONTH – WE WANT TO ENSURE DIVERSITY IS YEAR ROUND AND DIVERSIFY OUR TEACHERS WHILE WE ARE AT IT

Earlier this month, in these pages, Philadelphia writer Ernest Owens argued that we should cancel Black History Month and instead “recognize black history — and its people — all year round.”

I take Mr. Owens’ point, and while I don’t believe that we should cease to embrace February as a month dedicated to honoring and celebrating the many accomplishments of African Americans, I do agree that “schools must diversify their curriculums to acknowledge the existence of black people routinely,” not merely during one month of the year.

As superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, I am proud to say that we are doing just that. We’re working to ensure that our students are exposed to rich, challenging instruction that honors their diverse backgrounds and experiences.

RELATED STORIES

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• Cancel Black History Month | Opinion
• Philadelphia’s many African students need culturally inclusive education | Opinion
• He seeks more black men to teach in Philly and beyond

Our city’s schools serve a wonderfully diverse student population: as of this year, nearly half our students are African American, roughly one fifth are Hispanic, 14 percent are white, nearly 9 percent are Asian American, and several thousand identify as having multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds.

This diversity is not unique to Philadelphia; indeed, America’s public schools are more diverse than ever, especially in large cities, where students of color CONTINUE READING: No! We Aren't Cancelling Black History Month - We Want to Ensure Diversity Is Year Round And Diversify Our Teachers While We Are At It - Philly's 7th Ward

No Such Thing as a Regulated, Public, or Good Charter School | Dissident Voice

No Such Thing as a Regulated, Public, or Good Charter School | Dissident Voice

No Such Thing as a Regulated, Public, or Good Charter School

There are many diversionary dichotomies within the unscrupulous web of charter school disinformation that have long distorted social consciousness and undermined the fight for social progress and high quality education for all. Some include the following:

1. regulated verses unregulated charter schools
2. for-profit verses nonprofit charter schools
3. good verses bad charter schools
4. high-performing verses low-performing charter schools
5. mom-and-pop verses corporate charter schools
6. school district-approved verses “totally autonomous” charter schools
7. well-funded verses poorly-funded charter schools
8. no-excuses verses regular charter schools
9. urban verses suburban charter schools
10. small verses large charter schools
11. online verses brick-and-mortar charter schools

These and other misleading contrasts are designed to maximize confusion and abolish the consciousness and outlook that the core underlying issue with allcharter schools is their privatized, marketized, and corporatized character. All other considerations are generally secondary, superficial, diversionary, or false in comparison to this key issue.

The privatized, marketized, and corporatized character of all charter schools is the central issue regardless of the different forms of charter schools. Form and content are not the same. Appearance and essence are not identical. It is important to look past the diversity of charter schools and appreciate their internal state; i.e., what is common and central to all of them. This will provide a much deeper understanding of charter schools. Forms and appearances are often misleading and superficial.

The privatized, marketized, and corporatized character of all charter schools is the reason why all charter schools have nothing to do with public right and instead embrace the outmoded ideologies and practices of the “free market,” private property, consumerism, competition, and possessive individualism.

The privatized, marketized, corporatized character of nonprofit and for-profit charter schools is also the reason why more than 95% of charter schools have never been started, owned, operated, or controlled by teachers since their CONTINUE READING: No Such Thing as a Regulated, Public, or Good Charter School | Dissident Voice

Amid fiscal turmoil, Sac Unified faces possible state takeover | Capitol Weekly #Unite4SACKids #WeAreSCTA #WeAreCTA #strikeready #REDFORED #SCTA #CTA

Amid fiscal turmoil, Sac Unified faces possible state takeover Capitol Weekly | Capitol Weekly | Capitol Weekly: The Newspaper of California State Government and Politics.

Amid fiscal turmoil, Sac Unified faces possible state takeover

As the Sacramento City Unified School District faces a $35 million budget shortfall and a possible takeover by the state, the teachers’ union is pointing fingers of blame at district administration.

The Sacramento City Teachers Association wrote a lengthy letterearlier this month to newly elected state Superintendent Tony Thurmond asking for the California Department of Education to investigate potential misuse of public dollars and a potential conflict of interest involving Superintendent Jorge Aguilar.

The union also requested investigation into Jorge Aguilar’s acceptance of $2,391 in honoraria for appearances at outside agencies.

“Taken as a whole, it’s a pattern of questions we have,” said David Fisher, the teacher’s union president. “We want a comprehensive investigation that won’t just look at one individual thing out of context.”

The action has received the support of Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, a Sacramento Democrat, who has called for a state audit to get to the bottom of the crisis.

But Alex Barrios, chief communications officer for the Sacramento City Unified School District, said all the accusations are a “distraction tactic” intended to shift focus away from budget challenges.

“The District has now had an opportunity to thoroughly review SCTA’s allegations,” he said in an email statement. “We have compiled evidence demonstrating that SCTA’s allegations have no merit. We look forward to presenting our evidence to (California Department of Education) as soon as we receive direction from them on whether they will consider these claims and how we should respond.”

The union’s letter outlined several areas for investigation, including a $6 million vacation buyout program for administrators.

No school board members responded to email requests for comment.

The California Department of Education is still in the process of reviewing the letter, said Cynthia Butler, the department’s spokesperson.

The union’s letter outlined several areas for investigation, including:

–Aguilar’s second part-time job at UC Merced and a subsequent data-sharing agreement between the district and UC Merced that would pay the university $1.75 million over four years.

–A $6 million vacation buyout program for administrators.

The letter also requested investigation into Aguilar’s acceptance of $2,391 in honoraria for appearances at outside agencies, potential misuse of funds at Hiram Johnson High School and the principal of New Technology High School holding a second job and not keeping CONTINUE WORKING: Amid fiscal turmoil, Sac Unified faces possible state takeover Capitol Weekly | Capitol Weekly | Capitol Weekly: The Newspaper of California State Government and Politics.

Sacramento City USD parents express concerns over 'state takeover' | abc10.com #Unite4SACKids #WeAreSCTA #WeAreCTA #strikeready #REDFORED #SCTA #CTA

Sacramento City USD parents express concerns over 'state takeover' | abc10.com

Sacramento City USD parents express concerns over 'state takeover'
Parents worry about their kids' education as the Sacramento City Unified School District continues to figure out how it can prevent being taken over by the state.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento City Unified School District is still trying to figure out how it can prevent being taken over by the state.

According to SCUSD officials, the district is projected to run out of money in November. In order to avoid a state takeover, the district has to make significant cuts to balance the budget by June.

Several parents told ABC10 they're concerned about what this means for their kids' education. 

RELATED: Sacramento City Schools mull an early start to next school year

"My question is: What does that exactly mean?," said Christoper Saldaña, whose son attends a SCUSD school.

Saldaña isn't alone in feeling uncertain about what impact the state taking over will have on students.

"With things just sort of being a huge question mark right now, we're worried. We want to make sure that our school can function in the way that it needs to and that the students are getting the services that they need," added Sarah Phillips.

Parents said they received an email explaining that a takeover would mean less money to spend on students and no more local control, meaning the school board would lose its authority to make decisions.

Saldaña says he still has a lot of questions for the district about the effects of a takeover.

"We've asked the school administration and have gotten no answers," he added. "We had our parent-teacher group meeting (Tuesday), and asked, and the parent-teacher group had also gotten the email but nothing further."

Experts with the State's Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team say it's taken other California school districts up to 10 years or more to recover from a state takeover.

The district says parents can stay up to date with what's going on with the budget crisis by signing up for budget alerts on its website.

Continue the conversation with Daniela on Facebook.

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WATCH MORE: Why Sacramento Unified School District may need help from state

The financial crisis and management team told ABC10 that the district has a long history of ups and downs - but this time the district spent more money that it has on expensive health plans for teachers.