Are you an educator ready to run for office? This could be your chance. - Education Votes

Are you an educator ready to run for office? This could be your chance. - Education Votes

Are you an educator ready to run for office? This could be your chance.

“I was so excited about attending the See Educators Run training in Dallas, and even more excited about running for office by the time I left,” said North Carolina member Joseph Sorce, who attended the program in 2017.

NEA’s See Educators Run training is especially designed for educators who are ready to run for office. Attending will establish the first building block to running local, statewide, and even national campaigns.

Retired teacher Joseph Sorce.

Sorce taught for more than 20 years before running for a school board seat in Cumberland, N.C. His goal is to make sure politicians stay focused on students, not individual agendas.

“The organizing piece was what I really enjoyed,” said Sorce of See Educators Run. “The presenters have real expertise. They gave us a heads up about so many things that someone running for the first time might not be aware of—the paperwork, how to get the people you will need on your “kitchen cabinet” as they call it, and how to raise funds.”

The deadline for the next training is July 31—so if you’re even thinking of running for office, now’s the time to apply!

You can have a seat at this three-day training, which will include NEA experts and top political consultants in Detroit, Mich., who are there to help you develop the skills you need for a CONTINUE READING: Are you an educator ready to run for office? This could be your chance. - Education Votes

From Hot Meals to PB&Js: The Realities Of School Lunch Debt - 1A

From Hot Meals to PB&Js: The Realities Of School Lunch Debt - 1A

From Hot Meals to PB&Js: The Realities Of School Lunch Debt

What happens when a student incurs debt from meals provided at school?

One Pennsylvania school district tried to collect on that debt by sending parents a letter threatening that their children could be taken from them.

The New York Times reported on the case:

“Your child has been sent to school every day without money and without a breakfast and/or lunch,” read the letter, which was signed by Joseph Muth, director of federal programs for the Wyoming Valley West School District. “This is a failure to provide your child with proper nutrition and you can be sent to Dependency Court for neglecting your child’s right to food. If you are taken to Dependency court, the result may be your child being removed from your home and placed in foster care.”

This letter is just one of many recent examples across the country of students and families being penalized for failing to pay their debt from school meals.

In Rhode Island, two school districts began using collection agencies to recover school lunch debt. In one district, the debt had reached $90,000.

What does this issue reveal about American families? And what impact does it have on students?

From Eater:

Some states are seeing school lunch debt soar into the millions of dollars, but the exact amount of lunch debt schools nationwide have accumulated collectively isn’t known because the U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn’t collect or provide that data. As an issue that disproportionately involves marginalized families — those in poverty, living paycheck to paycheck, or even undocumented immigrants afraid to participate in the federal free lunch program — lunch debt magnifies the CONTINUE READING: 

From Hot Meals to PB&Js: The Realities Of School Lunch Debt - 1A

Who Elected the California Charter School Association?

Who Elected the California Charter School Association?

Who Elected the California Charter School Association?

We ask that you please do not forward or otherwise share this document.”– CCSA Staffer Cassy Horton

While Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) District 4 Board Member Nick Melvoin has laughed off the idea of holding public meetings in the evening when more stakeholders can attend, an agenda secured by Michael Kohlhaas dot org shows that Melvoin is perfectly willing to reserve that time for members of the charter school industry. After a 9:00 AM “special” (i.e. no general public comment allowed) LAUSD Board meeting and a 1:00 PM session of the Committee of the Whole, Melvoin and his Senior Advisor and Director of Community Engagement Allison Holdorff Polhill met with three staffers from the California Charter School Association (CCSA) and representatives from three charter school chains. The subject of this meeting was an attempt to make it easier for charter schools to obtain LAUSD facilities, “framed as a draft resolution for Nick’s consideration” but actually “explicitly” requested by Melvoin.

The fact that Melvoin, who was elected to represent the 80% of students who attend LAUSD schools, outsourced the writing of a resolution to the CCSA should not be surprising. After all, this is the same board member who spearheaded the effort to allow charter schools to write the rules on how they would be overseen by the district. He also has at least two former CCSA staffers, Chief of Staff Sarah Angel and Director of Strategy and Community Engagement Clayton Rosa, on his payroll. However, the confidential emails exposed by Michael Kohlhaas dot org show just how deeply the lobbying CONTINUE READING: Who Elected the California Charter School Association?

Learning to Read | Teacher in a strange land

Learning to Read | Teacher in a strange land

Learning to Read

When educators talk about the Reading Wars, they’re not overexaggerating.

With the possible exception of the similarly bitter Math Wars, there’s no pedagogical battlefield more littered with sacred-cow theories, bold statements, unsubstantiated policy and outright acrimony.

Recently, the combat has heated up again, with a handful of irate but organized parents and a spokesperson with good media connections claiming that the ‘science’ of learning to read is ‘settled.’ As if a proclamation about the One Best Way could convince the public (and, even more ridiculous, reading teachers) that if we all just calmed down and standardized reading instruction, every single child could read by the end of first grade, as God intended.

Which was why it was so refreshing to read this from Michelle Strater Gunderson, long-time first grade teacher (and articulate union leader) in the Chicago Public Schools:

It should not be expected for a child to read by the end of first grade. We should only be concerned if the process of learning to read has not yet taken hold. Please debate.

At this writing, there are 65+ comments, all of which boil down to this: No debate. The statement is true (often followed by personal examples of how this race-to-read pressure has done great damage to children).

I have waded into the reading instruction controversy a couple of times—here and CONTINUE READING: Learning to Read | Teacher in a strange land

5 Tips for Classroom Fundraising When Traditional Routes Aren’t Cutting It - Teacher Habits

5 Tips for Classroom Fundraising When Traditional Routes Aren’t Cutting It - Teacher Habits

5 Tips for Classroom Fundraising When Traditional Routes Aren’t Cutting It

Guest Writer: Anica Oaks

Raising enough funds to bring additional materials and activities to the classroom isn’t always easy, and the traditional routes don’t always work. This is especially true if you’re teaching in a non-“core” curriculum subject like art, theatre, or sports.

Educators, it’s time to think outside of the box. When it comes to classroom fundraising, getting extra creative and utilizing digital resources can make a huge difference in terms of how many donations you pull in. Here are five tips to help you get creative with classroom fundraising.

Kick Off Some Crowdfunding

A lot of teachers are coming to rely on crowdfunding websites like Indiegogo, GoFundMe, and KickStarter for garnering funds. You’ve probably seen friends and family share these kinds of links on their social media pages.

Crowdfunding is a great way to reach people across the world—many people you otherwise wouldn’t reach at all. Crafting a crowdfunding site with a specific (and realistic) goal and time-frame can pull in a lot of attention from a wide array of social media users. This method of teacher funding might be new, but it’s proving to be effective for many teachers in need.

Host a Scavenger Hunt

No matter the grade level, students love to hunt for clues! Make it educational by including aspects of your current curriculum. Allow students to form their own small teams, and each team must pay an entrance fee before the day of the hunt.

Make it a school-wide event and get other teachers in on the action. CONTINUE READING: 5 Tips for Classroom Fundraising When Traditional Routes Aren’t Cutting It - Teacher Habits

Portrait of a Charter Entrepreneur: Ron Packard | Diane Ravitch's blog

Portrait of a Charter Entrepreneur: Ron Packard | Diane Ravitch's blog

Portrait of a Charter Entrepreneur: Ron Packard

When we consider the charter industry, it’s hard not to notice how it has become fertile territory for entrepreneurs with no education experience.

Take a case in point: The meteoric career of Ron Packard.

Begin by reading this dated biography, posted on  SourceWatch.

When it was written, Ron was making $5 million a year as CEO of the online charter chain K12 Inc. The company had a market value of more than $1.25 billion. Ron and former Secretary of Education Bill Bennett founded with startup money supplied by ex-felon and junk bond king MIchael Milken and Larry Ellison of Oracle.

His background:

Packard, born in 1963, grew up in Thousand Oaks, California, the son of a radar and weapon systems engineer for Hughes Aircraft, where he worked as a summer engineer.^[12] He then worked in the mergers and acquisitions operation of Goldman Sachs from 1986 to 1988, and at McKinsey and Company from 1989 to 1993.^[13] After leaving McKinsey, Packard went to Chile to work on getting government permits for some investors who CONTINUE READING: Portrait of a Charter Entrepreneur: Ron Packard | Diane Ravitch's blog

CURMUDGUCATION: FL: Next Surveillance State Deadline Approaching

CURMUDGUCATION: FL: Next Surveillance State Deadline Approaching

FL: Next Surveillance State Deadline Approaching

In the wake of the murders at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, the great state of Florida decided to make a giant leap forward in establishing a surveillance state, proposing a data base that would collect giant massive tanker cars full of data from every public sources imaginable as well as social media. It will provide a one-stop shop for singling out every troubled child in the state. What could possibly go wrong?

We should soon find out. Governor DeSantis set a ready-to-go date of August 1, 2019.

Well, we're supposed to find out. An EdWeek investigation back in May revealed that the system is hitting some speed bumps-- which is probably just as well. From the EdWeek piece:

Don't mind me. I'm just here to help.

“It was never a good idea to try to implement a database this big, in this time frame,” said Amelia Vance, the director of education privacy at the Future of Privacy Forum, a Washington think tank that has been closely tracking Florida’s response to the Parkland shooting. "The lack of forethought and consideration for what this will mean for individual children is really troubling."

And what this will mean is, in fact, very troubling. EdWeek also obtained a list of some of the data bases that are supposed to be part of this well-bronzed cyber-big-brother, this Big Tan Eye. Some of the data that various departments have available to share:

* Law Enforcement has a criminal information sharing platform that includes reports, tips, and "other information that needs to be verified before law enforcement agencies can rely upon it." CONTINUE READING: CURMUDGUCATION: FL: Next Surveillance State Deadline Approaching

Seattle Schools Community Forum: People For Seattle Are Telling Tales (and no surprise who's part of it)

Seattle Schools Community Forum: People For Seattle Are Telling Tales (and no surprise who's part of it)

People For Seattle Are Telling Tales (and no surprise who's part of it)

It came to my attention that there was a recent article in The Stranger about linking the candidacies of both Zachary DeWolf and current CM Kshama Sawant who are both running for City Council in a flyer.

The flyer comes from the "People for Seattle" PAC.  It's a group that has no Facebook page, no Twitter handle and no way to contact them.  What they do have is a website that wants your name and your money.

Here's what caught my eye in the article:

Anyhow, after ticking off tired attacks against Sawant, the mailer highlights criticism of DeWolf's year on the Seattle School Board, claiming he "often missed important meetings and rarely met with parents." In an email, People for Seattle cite Melissa Westbrook's blog to back those claims. 

So I hit that link and nowhere did I say DeWolf has only been on the Board for just a year.  It's not true.  Have I called out his lackluster record and lack of community meetings? Yup.  But those nabobs of negativism at "People for Seattle" are not going to misrepresent what I have stated.


It comes as ZERO surprise to me that two of the people who are part of "People for Seattle" are former CM (and week-long mayor) Tim Burgess and former school board director (who strives mightily to make himself relevant) Stephan Blanford.

Blanford KNOWS that DeWolf has been in that position for two years - he was CONTINUE READING: Seattle Schools Community Forum: People For Seattle Are Telling Tales (and no surprise who's part of it)

On What Page Are The New Connecticut Commissioner of Education And The State Board Of Education? | Real Learning CT

On What Page Are The New Connecticut Commissioner of Education And The State Board Of Education? | Real Learning CT

On What Page Are The New Connecticut Commissioner of Education And The State Board Of Education?

After the embarrassing and ungracious offering of the job of  Connecticut  Commissioner of Education to one person, then withdrawing the offer, and then offering the job to a second person, the reason given to the public for choosing the second person was that the State Board of Education wanted a Commissioner with whom it was “on the same page”. But what is that page? A good place to start looking for that page is with the goals of the new Commissioner.

Miguel  Cardona, the next Connecticut Commissioner of Education, stated that his three goals are: 

1. Make a positive impact on graduation rates.
2. Close the achievement gap.
3. Ensure that all students have increased access to opportunities and advantages that they need to succeed in life.

Those goals have a familiar ring to them. The history of Connecticut trying to meet those goals is not a proud one. But maybe that “new page” that the new Commissioner and the State Board of Education are on is one of a dramatic new vision and radical new actions. What could that vision and those radical new actions look like?

First, would be to change the term “graduation rate”  to something like the graduating of well-educated high school students. Currently, graduation rates CONTINUE READING: On What Page Are The New Connecticut Commissioner of Education And The State Board Of Education? | Real Learning CT

THIS WEEK Education Research Report

Education Research Report

THIS WEEK 

Education Research Report

Comparing effects of educational interventions on literacy skills in Grade 1

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 1d

Two large-scale studies examined the effects of policy and educational interventions on literacy skills in children schooled in zones with specific educational needs. To calculate the potential effects of such interventions, treatment-effects estimators with nearest neighbor matching were used. In Study 1 with policy intervention ( N = 1095), children in experimental group (Exp) were assigned to

JUL 25

Smaller class size means more success for women in STEM

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 1d

A new study demonstrates that increasing class size has the largest negative impact on female participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classrooms, and offers insights on ways to change the trend. Using data obtained from 44 science courses across multiple institutions - including Cornell, the University of Minnesota, Bethel University and American University in Cai

Preschool teachers ask children too many simple questions

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 1d

tudy examined teachers' approach during shared reading Ohio State University COLUMBUS, Ohio - When preschool teachers read books in their classrooms, the questions they ask play a key role in how much children learn, research has shown. But a new study that involved observing teachers during class story times found that they asked few questions - and those that they did ask were usually too simple

Decades after a good-behavior program in grade school, adults report healthier, more successful lives

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 1d

What defines a "good life" in your 30s? The exact answer probably depends on the person, but most people could agree on some general themes: good physical and mental health, solid relationships, and a steady job or good education. Being financially responsible and involvement in your community or civic life also help make life better. Now University of Washington researchers have found that that

Charter School Effects on School Segregation

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 1d

Download PDF In the first nationally comprehensive examination of charter school effects on school system segregation, we demonstrate that growth in charter school enrollment increases the segregation of black, Hispanic, and white students. The effects, however, are modest because charter schools make up a small share of total enrollment and have different effects across different kinds of distri

School Discipline Policies and Connections to the School - to - Prison Pipeline

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 1d

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has released its report, Beyond Suspensions: Examining for Students of Color with Disabilitie s . The report examines compliance with federal laws designed to protect students of color with disabilities from discrimination, and whether the federal government’s enforcement of these laws adequately protects these students from discriminatory disciplinary actions

Crime, Violence, Discipline, and Safety in U.S. Public Schools

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 1d

Preliminary statistics show an estimated 962,300 violent incidents and 476,100 nonviolent incidents in U.S. public schools during the 2017–18 school year. Seventy-one percent of schools reported having at least one violent incident, and 65 percent reported having at least one nonviolent incident. The National Center for Education Statistics First Look report, : Findings From the School Survey on

JUL 24

Direct investments in the health and education of low-income children yield the highest returns

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 2d

Which policies improve social well-being the most? Should we spend more (or less) on health insurance? What about raising top marginal income tax rates, or targeting investments towards children? With those questions in mind, this paper examines 133 historical policy changes in the U.S. over the past half century. The study analyzes policies spanning social insurance (e.g. health and disability i

Parent efforts insufficient to promote teen independence

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 2d

Download Report (pdf) An essential task of parenting involves helping teens learn to manage their own health and well-being, so they are prepared for adulthood. The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health asked a national sample of parents of teens 14-18 years old about their efforts to support their teens’ independence. Nearly all parents (97%) report using at least one

Persistence & Retention – 2019

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 2d

First-Year Persistence and Retention for Fall 2017 Cohort Of the 3.5 million students who enrolled in college for the first time in fall 2017, 74 percent or 2.6 million students persisted as of fall 2018. The overall first-year persistence rate has improved slightly, with a 2.2 percentage point gain between 2009 and 2017. New to this year’s report are the persistence rates for top five popular ma

JUL 23

Scholars weigh in on new ideas about autism

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

A new paper that challenges widely held ideas about autism has attracted comments from more than 30 scholars across the disciplines of psychology, anthropology, education, and neuroscience. The authors maintain that many of the behaviors common to autism--including low eye contact, repetitive movements, and the verbatim repetition of words and phrases--are misinterpreted as a lack of interest in

Teacher incentive programs can improve student achievement P

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

It seems like a great idea: Pay teachers more if their students learn more. But does it work? Though teacher incentive programs are growing in popularity, no one knows for sure if they have a positive effect on student achievement, or if they are worth the extra expenditure of precious state education funds. A new study by an economist at the University of California, Riverside shows that, if pro

Interventions to improve mathematical achievement i

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

https://www.ulster.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/417864/web-00553-05_UU_A4_Report_v7.pdf

Reading from paper compared to screens

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

Given the increasing popularity of reading from screens, it is not surprising that numerous studies have been conducted comparing reading from paper and electronic sources. The purpose of this systematic review and meta‐analysis is to consolidate the findings on reading performance, reading times and calibration of performance (metacognition) between reading text from paper compared to screens. M

A comprehensive, integrated, 3-year program that has an estimated 18 percentage point effect on 3-year community college graduation rates

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 3d

Nationwide, graduation rates at community colleges are discouragingly low. This randomized experiment provides evidence that graduation rates can be increased dramatically. The City University of New York's (CUNY) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) is a comprehensive, integrated, 3-year program that has an estimated 18 percentage point effect on 3-year graduation rates, increases 6-ye

50-State Comparison: State Policy Models for Connecting Education to Work

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 4d

Over the next 36 months, Education Commission of the States will release three 50-State Comparisons that capture connections between education and work. The first of the three, this resource explores several areas implicated in ensuring students’ educational experiences prepare them for success in the workplace: workforce investment boards, career pathway systems and financial aid programs. When

JUL 22

School readiness impaired in preschoolers with ADHD symptoms

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 4d

Preschoolers with symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are much less likely than other children their age to be ready for school, new research from the Stanford University School of Medicine has found. The study, which will be published online July 21 in Pediatrics , is among the first to comprehensively examine school readiness in young children with ADHD. Several previous studie

Black and Latinx college graduates had some of the highest debt-to-income ratios

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 4d

College students in Texas who graduated from public universities with a bachelor's degree had, on average, student loan debts that equaled 74 percent of what they earned in their first-year wages, according to a new study from SMU (Southern Methodist University). The study, which looked at students who started college between 2004 and 2008, also shows that black and Latinx students are predicted

Changes in Student-Teacher Developmental Relationships and Their Linkage to Middle and High School Students’ Motivation

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 4d

Student-teacher relationships that improve over time may help slow or prevent declines in student motivation. In a diverse sample of 1,274 middle and high school students from three schools, this mixed-methods study found that those who improved in developmental relationships with teachers reported greater academic motivation, and more positive perceptions of school climate and instructional qual

Principal Turnover: Insights from Current Principals

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 4d

Studies show that school functioning and student achievement often suffer when effective principals leave their schools. Past research has identified five main reasons principals leave their jobs: inadequate preparation and professional development, poor working conditions, insufficient salaries, lack of decision-making authority, and ineffective accountability policies. This study draws on evide

Causes and Impacts of Principal Turnover, and Solutions

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 4d

Report indicates high-poverty schools hit hardest by principal churn Principals are a key in-school factor associated with student achievement . When principals leave, it can disrupt school progress, increase teacher turnover, and stall student achievement. A new study developed by the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) reviews exis

JUL 20

Teachers should have broader access to high-quality professional development x

by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 6d

A new report by EPI Economist Emma García and Research Associate Elaine Weiss looks at the career supports and professional development available to teachers and discusses how they can exacerbate the teacher shortage. The 

Education Research Report