Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, April 30, 2012

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 4-30 #soschat #EDReform


The Obama Record in Education | Secretary Duncan's Remarks to the Mom Congress

The Obama Record in Education | U.S. Department of Education: The Obama Record in EducationSecretary Duncan's Remarks to the Mom CongressAPRIL 30, 2012Contact:Press Office, (202) 401-1576,press@ed.govThank you, Mark.Good morning and welcome to Washington, delegates.This is the third Mom Congress, and I've been honored to be at all three of them. I'm even more honored to have partners like you working across America to support education.With the support of parents and community leaders like you, educators all across our country are ... more »

CMT Scores and Teacher Evaluations – But Wait – That’s Like Comparing Apples and Tomatoes - Wait, What?

CMT Scores and Teacher Evaluations – But Wait – That’s Like Comparing Apples and Tomatoes - Wait, What?: CMT Scores and Teacher Evaluations – But Wait – That’s Like Comparing Apples and TomatoesbyjonpeltoGovernor Malloy, Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor and the rest of the “education reformers” continue to claim that Connecticut needs a “one-size-fits-all” approach to teacher evaluations in which teachers are, at least in part, rewarded, promoted or let go based on how well their students do in Connecticut’s standardized ... more »

What’s Good About “Constructive Turbulence”? « Diane Ravitch's blog

What’s Good About “Constructive Turbulence”? « Diane Ravitch's blog: What’s Good About “Constructive Turbulence”?bydianeravI blog weekly for Education Week. I think it is a wonderful publication and a great newspaper of record for education.On my blog, I have been free to write whatever I want. No one has ever told me that I can’t say what I think. I respect Education Week for that editorial independence. I mention this because a friend wrote today to ask me if I started ...more »

Kenneth Cole gets schooled - Salon.com

Kenneth Cole gets schooled - Salon.com: Kenneth Cole gets schooledUpdated: The fashion mogul has backed off his assault on schoolteachers after a public outcryBYDAVID SIROTA[UPDATE BELOW]It was always bound to go there, but few likely expected it would be so blatant. I’m talking about the ongoing campaign against organized labor; for decades deeply rooted in American political culture, the crusade has been periodically amplified in popular culture as well, from 1954′s “On the Waterfront” all the way to the Sopranos’ ... more »

Response to transformation plan: 'End to public education' | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Response to transformation plan: 'End to public education' | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Response to transformation plan: 'End to public education'The Occupy Philly Labor Work Group, of which Iam a member, drafted the followingstatementon theproposed transformation plan for the School District of Philadelphia.The Knudsen Plan – The End of the Promise of Public Education“Grow up and deal with it.” Mayor Michael Nutter’s response to critics of the School Transformation Plan.The fate of public education in Philadelphia just got darker if ... more »

RheeFirst! » ALEC member, MO Rep. Dieckhaus, recruited Rhee to launch her anti-teacher crusade in MO

RheeFirst! » ALEC member, MO Rep. Dieckhaus, recruited Rhee to launch her anti-teacher crusade in MO: ALEC member, MO Rep. Dieckhaus, recruited Rhee to launch her anti-teacher crusade in MObyadminOriginally posted on the IEA Region 28 blog. Read theentire post here.“Scott Dieckhaus, a republican from Washington and House Chairman of the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee spoke to StudentsFirst leaders about coming to Missouri in the fall of 2012. Dieckhaus is quoted in the article:“StudentsFirst has a very pragmatic and ... more »

What Do Your Students Need? — Whole Child Education

What Do Your Students Need? — Whole Child Education: What Do Your Students Need?byKlea Scharberg Students as learners are also students as people, with hopes, fears, and needs. That's why it's so important to build adult-student relationships that support and encourage each student's academic and personal growth. Thefrequency and perceived worth of interaction(PDF) with faculty, staff, and other students is one of the strongest predictors not only of student persistence but also of student learning.The winner of the2012 Vision in ...more »

Schools Matter: Join the National Boycott Against Pearson

Schools Matter: Join the National Boycott Against Pearson: Join the National Boycott Against PearsonbyJim HornShare widely. FromUnited Opt Out:Pearson, ALEC, and the Brave New (Corporate) World: Stand Up to Pearson Now!Supporters of Public Education,The curtain has been pulled aside recently from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), exposing the seedy underbelly of our democracy. Organizations like ALEC circumvent the democratic process in favor of corporations. Financial resources are used to influence public officials and provide model legislation meant to easily ... more »

LAUSD'S DEASY- ABOVE THE LAW? by Rene Diedrich - Perdaily.com

LAUSD'S DEASY- ABOVE THE LAW? by Rene Diedrich - Perdaily.com: LAUSD'S DEASY- ABOVE THE LAW? by Rene DiedrichbyLeonard Isenberg(Mensaje se repite en Español)(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)It is already clear from Los Angeles Unified School District's (LAUSD) Superintendent John Deasy that he considers the law a mere formality that he can dispense with at will. In continuing to act in complete derogation of teachers' contractual and civil rights, Deasy has ... more »

Delayed charter sector self-assessment balances praise, critique | GothamSchools

Delayed charter sector self-assessment balances praise, critique | GothamSchools: Delayed charter sector self-assessment balances praise, critiquebyGeoff DeckerA chart comparing district and charter schools' principal turnover rates, from today's "State of the Sector" report.A sweeping look at who attends charter schools in New York City, and how they fare, shows that the sector excels at advancing academic achievement but struggles to enroll high-needs students and to retain staff.For the past nine months the New York City Charter School Center and a ... more »

Common Core standards drive wedge in education circles – USATODAY.com

Common Core standards drive wedge in education circles – USATODAY.com: Common Core standards drive wedge in education circlesBy Greg Toppo, USA TODAYUpdated1h 46m agoCommentsReprints PermissionsWASHINGTON – When did fractions and non-fiction become so controversial?By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAYTeacher David Riesenfeld has been piloting Common Core standards in his 10th-grade world history class in New York City.EnlargeBy Robert Deutsch, USA TODAYTeacher David Riesenfeld has been piloting Common Core standards in his 10th-grade world history class in New York City.Sponsored LinksA hig... more »

The Story of H.E.A.R.T. — Whole Child Education

The Story of H.E.A.R.T. — Whole Child Education: The Story of H.E.A.R.T.byASCD Whole Child BloggersPost submitted by Mike Greenway and Lynn ArcherByrne Creek Secondary is a school with H.E.A.R.T. that has always been caring and focused on the well-being of its students and their families.Before the schoolopened its doors seven years ago, the administrative team knew that it was important to have a simple and easily remembered set of guiding principles for the students and staff. As a new secondary ... more »

This just in from the National School Boards Association: Local school boards “under siege” | Seattle Education

This just in from the National School Boards Association: Local school boards “under siege” | Seattle Education: This just in from the National School Boards Association: Local school boards “under siege”byseattleducation2011From NSBA,Local control under siegeThe ability of local boards to control the destiny of their own schools, rooted in the establishment of one-room school houses in America’s rural farming communities, is under siege on several fronts, a panel of experts warned in a presentation Saturday titled School Boards’ Last Stand.Threats ... more »

Metro Nashville schools Rheezoning lawsuit could echo far | The Tennessean | tennessean.com

Metro Nashville schools rezoning lawsuit could echo far | The Tennessean | tennessean.com: Metro Nashville schools rezoning lawsuit could echo farEquality case, now a class action, draws national attentionPurchase ImageJeffrey and Frances Spurlock, the retired Southwestern Bell employee and her custodian husband are the plaintiffs in the three year old lawsuit against Metro Nashville Public Schools rezoning lawsuit. The trial, to judge whether Metro's clusters need to be rezoned to prevent re-segregated schools, kicks off in federal court next Tuesday. ... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis Management Assistance Team: Baldwin Park Unified to pay $1.4 million back to nutrition fund, five-year plan approvedAfter months of back and forth between Baldwin Park Unified and the California Department of Education (CDE), district officials are finally submitting to the state agency's requests to spend down money in its cafeteria account and pay back more than $1.4 million in allegedly misspent money intended to feed needy children.4 Capo coaches disciplined for taking $15,850 in giftsFour high ... more »

RESOLUTION ON HIGH-STAKES TESTING | Dailycensored.com

RESOLUTION ON HIGH-STAKES TESTING | Dailycensored.com: RESOLUTION ON HIGH-STAKES TESTINGbyDanny WeilRESOLUTION ON HIGH-STAKES TESTINGWritten byDanny WeilEducationApr 30, 20120diggSharePlease read and circulate!http://timeoutfromtesting.org/nationalresolution/This resolution is modeled on the resolution passed by more than 360 Texas school boards as of April 23, 2012. It was written by Advancement Project; Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund; FairTest; Forum for Education and Democracy; MecklenburgACTS; Deborah Meier; NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.; Nation... more »

Selective Use of Data Avoids Real Issues in Improving Public Education for All Children | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

Selective Use of Data Avoids Real Issues in Improving Public Education for All Children | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Selective Use of Data Avoids Real Issues in Improving Public Education for All ChildrenbyCheryl S. WilliamsIt seems the one thing we can all agree on when discussing how to improve public schooling for all our children is that we need data to guide our approach to personalizing teaching and learning in the classroom, so that we can ... more »

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Parents speaking out in May!

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Parents speaking out in May!: Parents speaking out in May!byadminDon’t forget to come out for the DePaul College of Education Forum this Wednesday, May 2. I’ll be speaking there along with several other parent leaders. You can catch PURE’s Wanda Hopkins on May 20th at another education forum.Here’s the schedule, courtesy of Raise Your Hand:May 2nd –DePaul College of Education,“Parents and Schools”, 5:30-7:30pmWendy Katten from RYH speaking with representatives from Blocks ... more »

Mad men « Fred Klonsky

Mad men « Fred Klonsky: Mad menbyFred KlonskyThere was a scene inMad Menlast night where Don Draper’s daughter, Sally is on the phone to her friend, the more-than-slightly-weird Glenn. Sally had just returned from a dinner where her father had received an award.Sally had inadvertently walked in on a sordid scene involving the character Roger and her step-mother’s mother.Asks Glenn, “How’s the city?”“Dirty,” answers Sally.Which brings me to the topic of Springfield.I will be with sixty teachers from the area, ... more »

Churches criticize transformation plan | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Churches criticize transformation plan | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Churches criticize transformation planbyDale Mezzacappaon Apr 30 2012 Posted inLatest newsGerald Wright of Parents United for Public Education addresses the meeting at Mother Bethel during an audience speakout. City Councilman Mark Squilla (lower right) listens.COMMENTS (2)PRINTEMAILSeveral hundred people gathered at historic Mother Bethel AME Church on Lombard Street Sunday night to decryplans put forward by the School Reform Commissionto close dozens of schools, expand charters, and reorganize the School... more »

4LAKids - This has little to do with public education, it has everything to do with what’s going on in LAUSD: AN OBITUARY FOR THE FACTS

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: This has little to do with public education, it has everything to do with what’s going on in LAUSD: AN OBITUARY FOR THE FACTS: This has little to do with public education, it has everything to do with what’s going on in LAUSD: AN OBITUARY FOR THE FACTSFacts, 360 B.C.-A.D. 2012In memoriam: After years of health problems, Facts has finally died.BY REX W. HUPPKE, CHICAGO TRIBUNE REPORTER|HTTP://TRIB.IN/JVK26AApril 19, 2012 :: A ... more »

Sanjay Gupta’s great speech at U Michigan commencement - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Sanjay Gupta’s great speech at U Michigan commencement - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Sanjay Gupta’s great speech at U Michigan commencementByValerie StraussUniversity of Michigan alumnus Sanjay Gupta returned to Ann Arbor this past weekend at the start of the 2012 commencement season and delivered an uncommonly entertaining speech to more than 45,000 people in the Big House.Too manycommencement speechesare, well, boring — too long, too conventional, utterly humorless. Not Gupta’s.A neurosurgeon and CNN medical correspondent, Gupta told ... more »

The Innovative Educator: Newest Ed Reform Leader is a 12-Year-Old Opt Out Hero

The Innovative Educator: Newest Ed Reform Leader is a 12-Year-Old Opt Out Hero: Newest Ed Reform Leader is a 12-Year-Old Opt Out Herobynoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen)“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”Helen Keller We’ve heard from a lot of heroes lately in the ed reform movement; from teachers and parents like Chris ...more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: International Education in SPS

Seattle Schools Community Forum: International Education in SPS: International Education in SPSbyMelissa WestbrookI had been meaning to write this thread for some time now. It's a worthy example of how Seattle Schools starts off with a good idea but cannot follow-thru with execution.I will be upfront and say I probably should have done more research so fill in the gaps if you know more. But the issues are in very sharp focus right now and it is a program that ... more »

NYC Educator: Go Knit a Scarf

NYC Educator: Go Knit a Scarf: Go Knit a ScarfbyNYC EducatorThat's what I want to tell Governor 1% Cuomo's brother in law, Kenneth Cole, after reading about histeacher-bashing bulletin boardthe other day. A friend of mine set up a petition toprotest this nonsense, while another says we ought not to give him the attention the billboard seems to demand.It could indeed be that Cuomo's brother in law simply wants attention for his product, and that he hopes this blows up ... more »

No Matter Who Wins the Student Loan Fight, Students Will Lose - News - GOOD

No Matter Who Wins the Student Loan Fight, Students Will Lose - News - GOOD: No Matter Who Wins the Student Loan Fight, Students Will LosebyNona Willis AronowitzIn the past few days, both parties have turned the fate of college kids into a political football. With the3.4 percentinterest rate on student loans set to double July 1 if Congress doesn't temporarily extend relief, President Obama and his adversaries have taken to arguing about how we might pay for the difference. ... more »

PTA Encourages State and Local Chapters to Adopt National Resolution on High Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings

PTA Encourages State and Local Chapters to Adopt National Resolution on High Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings: PTA Encourages State and Local Chapters to Adopt National Resolution on High Stakes TestingbyBob SikesPTA’s National Senior Policy analyst, Jacque Chevalier responded to email inquiries this week regarding theNational Resolution of High Stakes Testing, and said the following:We are sending it out to encourage State and Local PTAs to endorse the Resolution.NPTAisn’t able to officially endorse the resolution – we are in ... more »