Latest News and Comment from Education

Friday, March 9, 2012

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 3-9 #soschat #EDReform


Modern School: VAM, Blam, Thank You Ma’am

Modern School: VAM, Blam, Thank You Ma’am: VAM, Blam, Thank You Ma’am0diggHuck/Konopacki Labor CartoonsIn a rare moment of lucidity,the New York Timespublished a piece this week pointing out how even the best teachers (or those with the “best” students) can end up with terrible Value Added (VAM) scores and potentially face reprisals or get fired as a result.How is this possible?If 85% of a teacher’s students are proficient in reading but 95% were proficient the prior year, she would earn ... more »

Remarks by the First Lady at Let's Move! Event | The White House

Remarks by the First Lady at Let's Move! Event | The White House: Remarks by the First Lady at Let's Move! EventbyThe White HouseRelease Time:For Immediate ReleasePenacook Community CollegePenacook, New Hampshire3:45 P.M. ESTMRS. OBAMA: Thank you, everyone. (Applause.) Thanks so much. Rest yourselves, because you’ve been working hard to make this community healthy. You deserve a little sitting down. Even as we talk about Let’s Move you can rest. (Laughter.)It is so wonderful to be here. And I want to ... more »

Geaux Teacher!: STAND UP FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION!!!

Geaux Teacher!: STAND UP FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION!!!: STAND UP FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION!!!bynoreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT)The House Education Committee has called a meeting this coming Wednesday at 8:30. The Senate Education Committee has called a meeting the following day upon adjournment (that could mean early in the morning or at any time during the day). Both committees will hit the ground running in an effort to push Governor Jindal's Blueprint for Education through. This article explains the implications and directs ... more »

Open Letter of Thank You to Florida Senator Hays and others – Stand Strong against “Parent Trigger” – Florida parents Thank YOU !! « Continuing Change

Open Letter of Thank You to Florida Senator Hays and others – Stand Strong against “Parent Trigger” – Florida parents Thank YOU !! « Continuing Change: Open Letter of Thank You to Florida Senator Hays and others – Stand Strong against “Parent Trigger” – Florida parents Thank YOU !!bygatorbonbcDear Senator Hays and all other Senators in Florida who voted NO today on SB1718, the so called “parent trigger” bill.Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.You made the right choice to vote ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 3-9 #SOSchat #p2 #edreform

The Washington Teacher: Mayor Gray Plans to Close More Schools!Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-59 minutes agoThe Washington Teacher: Mayor Gray Plans to Close More Schools!: Mayor Gray Plans to Close More Schools!byCandi PetersonMAYOR GRAY PLANSTO CLOSE MORE SCHOOLS!YOUR SCHOOL MAY BE AT RISK!DC commissioned a study of our public schools by a Chicago organization called IFF, that was funded by private money from the Walton Foundation (Walmart).The study ranks all schools into 4 Tiers by Test scores (Tier ... more »

Schools Matter: North Carolina Teachers Smothered in Tests

Schools Matter: North Carolina Teachers Smothered in Tests: North Carolina Teachers Smothered in TestsbyJim HornFromthe Advancement Project(ht to Monty Neill)Taking Back Our Classrooms: The United Struggle of Teachers, Students, and Parents in North Carolina Against High-Stakes TestingMarch 5, 2012North Carolina students, parents and teachers say the state’s use of high-stakes testing as its primary means of evaluating students and schools is ineffective, counterproductive, and denies young people the quality education they deserve, according to a new report.Released today by Advanc... more »

School Tech Connect: File This Under "D"....

School Tech Connect: File This Under "D"....: File This Under "D"....bynoreply@blogger.com (Tim)...forduhhhhhhhh.Florida's senate just defeated-by-tiea vulture parent-trigger bill.These trigger laws are so fundamentally dangerous that only far-right Republicans and the Rahm Emanuel-wing of the Democratic party favor them.But get a load of this person who's apparently a state senator:I'm sure that re-explaining it to someone dumb enough to ask the questionaftera marathon debatewould be like

Education forum sponsored by PAA Charleston affiliate « Parents Across America

Education forum sponsored by PAA Charleston affiliate « Parents Across America: Education forum sponsored by PAA Charleston affiliatebyleoniehaimsonEducation forum sponsored by PAA Charleston affiliateiCal ImportStart:March 12, 2012 7:00 pmEnd:March 12, 2012 8:15 pmVenue:Seacoast ChurchAddress:Google Map750 Longpoint Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC, United StatesSponsored by our newest affiliate, Charleston Area Community Voice for Education:Beyond CCSD’s Vision 2016:A Community Conversation about Testing and AccountabilityDo Performance and Achievement = Learning?Charleston Area Community V...more »

Special Education Agenda March 21, 2012 - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education)

Agenda March 21, 2012 - Administration Support (CA Dept of Education): Agenda March 21, 2012Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) Standing Committees meeting agenda.Legislation Committee MembersJanice BrownMaureen BurnessMorena de GrimaldiBetty KarnetteJames WoodheadPolicy Review and Development Committee MembersJanice BrownMaureen BurnessKen DenmanAgenda Times Are Approximate and Are Provided for Convenience OnlyAll items may be re-ordered to be heard on any day of the noticed meeting. The order of business may be changed without notice.Reasonable Accommodation for Any In... more »

Why Florida’s parent trigger bill failed in state Senate - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Why Florida’s parent trigger bill failed in state Senate - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Why Florida’s parent trigger bill failed in state SenatebyValerie Strauss“If we’ve got a bill called the parent empowerment bill, then why is the PTA against the bill?” Florida state Sen. Nancy Detert (R-Venice) asked.The answer is that Florida parentsdidn’t want it, because they didn’t see it as a parent empowerment bill. Instead, they thought that the bill, known as the “parent trigger,” would ...more »

The Washington Teacher: Mayor Gray Plans to Close More Schools!

The Washington Teacher: Mayor Gray Plans to Close More Schools!: Mayor Gray Plans to Close More Schools!byCandi PetersonMAYOR GRAY PLANSTO CLOSE MORE SCHOOLS!YOUR SCHOOL MAY BE AT RISK!DC commissioned a study of our public schools by a Chicago organization called IFF, that was funded by private money from the Walton Foundation (Walmart).The study ranks all schools into 4 Tiers by Test scores (Tier 1 being the highest performing and Tier 4 being the lowest performing). The study recommends that all ... more »

Teach for America's rocky first year | Seattle Times Newspaper

Local News | Teach for America's rocky first year | Seattle Times Newspaper: Teach for America's rocky first yearIt's been a rocky first year for the Puget Sound branch of Teach for America, but principals say the first TFA teachers are performing well.ByBrian M. RosenthalSeattle Times education reporterPREV1of2NEXTELLEN M. BANNER / THE SEATTLE TIMESJordan Keller, a Teach for America (TFA) teacher, assists fourth-grader Nomin Barsbold and second-grader Laila Abdalla at Silver Lake Elementary in Federal Way in an English Language ... more »

No Child Left Behind’s effect on literacy - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

No Child Left Behind’s effect on literacy - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: No Child Left Behind’s effect on literacybyValerie StraussThiswas written by P. David Pearson, preeminent literacy researcher and chair of the newly formed International Reading Association Literacy Research Panel.By P. David PearsonWhile it is customary to give three cheers to something that we want to celebrate or commemorate, when I think about the legacy of the last decadeof literacy instruction in America’s schools, I can only ... more »

El estado de Nueva Jersey es el destino de los más altos funcionarios del gobierno ecuatoriano « Spanish Readers' Blog

El estado de Nueva Jersey es el destino de los más altos funcionarios del gobierno ecuatoriano « Spanish Readers' Blog: El estado de Nueva Jersey es el destino de los más altos funcionarios del gobierno ecuatorianobyMr. RConsul Jessica Escala junto al Abogado Ginarte durante el informe de labores a finales del 2011No es Miami, tampoco Washington. Ni siquiera Nueva York. Es Nueva Jersey donde se están generando las más importantes discusiones y proyectos en beneficio de los ecuatorianos residentes no ... more »

NYC Educator: Big Fat Zero

NYC Educator: Big Fat Zero: Big Fat ZerobyNYC EducatorI've never really understood why teachers give zeroes. What's a zero? Is it a test grade? A quiz grade? Is it something to stay up all night and worry about? I don't know, so I've never actually threatened anyone with a zero, let alone given one.But last year, every once in a while, I'd draw a big zero on a piece of paper, and deposit it on the desk of a student ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Jeb Bush attacks SOS, League of Women Voters, over "Parent Trigger"

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Jeb Bush attacks SOS, League of Women Voters, over "Parent Trigger": Jeb Bush attacks SOS, League of Women Voters, over "Parent Trigger"byMike KlonskyFormer Florida governor and Bush family scion Jeb, has for some reason found it necessary to launch an attack on Save Our Schools (SOS) as part of his campaign to import theParent Triggerinto his state.Patricia Levesque, executive director of Bush’s Foundation, sent out a blast e-mail to supporters this week, asking them to contact ... more »

Louisiana Educator: Jindal Plan Moving Now! March 14-15

Louisiana Educator: Jindal Plan Moving Now! March 14-15: Jindal Plan Moving Now! March 14-15byMichael DeshotelsLegislators are telling the LAE lobbyists that the Jindal public school destruction bills will be heard first in the House Education Committee on Wednesday March 14, then in the Senate Education Committee on Thursday March 15. I also got a personal call from Republican Senatorfriend who told me the same thing.They are telling us that if we as educators care about public education we had better ... more »

Whole Child Around the World: A Good School Is a Good School — Whole Child Education

Whole Child Around the World: A Good School Is a Good School — Whole Child Education: Whole Child Around the World: A Good School Is a Good SchoolMarch 8, 2012 byASCD Whole Child BloggersDownload Podcast Now [Right-Click to Save]March is a special month at ASCD as we hold ourannual conferenceand celebrate excellence in education. In the coming weeks, we will honor our2012 Outstanding Young Educator, ourASCD Affiliate Overall Excellence Award recipient, and our2012 Vision in Action: the ASCD Whole Child ... more »

Fatal Flaws of Millionaire’s Tax Will Make Matters Worse for Public Education - California Teachers Association

Fatal Flaws of Millionaire’s Tax Will Make Matters Worse for Public Education - California Teachers Association: Fatal Flaws of Millionaire’s Tax Will Make Matters Worse for Public EducationContact: Mike Myslinski, communications consultant, 408-921-5769 (cell)BURLINGAME – Dean E. Vogel, president of the 325,000-member California Teachers Association, released this statement regarding support for the governor’s tax initiative and the unintended consequences of the proposed Millionaire’s Tax initiative.“Despite a catchy title that certainly has some appeal, the Millionaire’s Tax init...more »

Sen. Tom Harkin: Fixing Economy Starts With Early Education

Sen. Tom Harkin: Fixing Economy Starts With Early Education: Joy ResmovitsJoy.resmovits@huffingtonpost.comBecome a fan of this reporterGET UPDATES FROM JOYLike832Saki Knafosaki.knafo@huffingtonpost.comBecome a fan of this reporterGET UPDATES FROM SAKILike469Sen. Tom Harkin: Fixing Economy Starts With Early EducationFirst Posted: 03/ 8/2012 8:58 pmUpdated: 03/ 8/2012 9:33 pmWhen Sen. Tom Harkin asked a panel of education experts at a Thursday Senate committee hearing how they would improve the country's public schools, he was surprised by what they didn't say.A Harvard University pro... more »

San Leandro High students enter second day of hunger strike to protest budget cuts - Inside Bay Area

San Leandro High students enter second day of hunger strike to protest budget cuts - Inside Bay Area: San Leandro High students enter second day of hunger strike to protest budget cutsThe Daily ReviewPosted: 03/08/2012 02:30:52 PM PSTUpdated: 03/08/2012 03:21:17 PM PSTThree San Leandro High School students began the second day of a hunger strike Thursday to protest the fifth year of budget cuts by the school district.Kayla Ely and Anai Rosales, 17-year-old seniors, and Veronica Mandujano, an 18-year-old senior, ... more »