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Monday, December 16, 2013

Morning Wink 12-16-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2


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Los Angeles district’s improbable member Monica Ratliff: We need ‘greater bilingual and dual language offerings’ | Hechinger Report
Los Angeles district’s improbable member Monica Ratliff: We need ‘greater bilingual and dual language offerings’ | Hechinger Report: Los Angeles district’s improbable member Monica Ratliff: We need ‘greater bilingual and dual language offerings’By Aisha AsifFifth-grade math teacher Monica Ratliff became the newest member of L.A. Unified School Board after a heavily-publicized win against Antonio Sanchez, a labor union favorite who outspent her bynearly $2 million. Since Ratliff started her term, the country’s second-largest school district has seen its share of controversy, from a botched iPad
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-16-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: New York Regent Betty Rosa: State’s Program Designed to Create FailureThe New York Board of Regents is determined to pour unprecedented sums into more standards, more tests, and more tests and more standards. Two Regents have opposed this determined focus on standards and testing: Regent Betty Rosa of the Bronx and Regent Kathleen Cashin of Brooklyn. Interestingly, these are two of the few experienced educators on the state board. In this article, Regent Rosa blasts3 by dianeravitch / 37min Should New York Regents Privatize the
12-16-13 Wait What?
Wait What?: Malloy’s Steelpointe Harbor corporate welfare package; the gift that keeps givingThis past September, Governor Malloy and the State Bond Commission approved $31 million in taxpayer funded subsidies for the development of a Bass Pro Store and other improvements to support of the Steelpointe Harbor development project in Bridgeport.    Malloy’s corporate welfare package came on top of $11 million in Federal funding, various subsidies form […]The post Malloy’s Steelpointe Harbor3 by jonpelto / 1h  12-15-13 Wait What?Wait What?: Numbers Don’t Lie, Unless Someone Wants Them To“Never in

TODAY

12-16-13 The Answer Sheet
The Answer Sheet: Study: Test-score gains don’t mean cognitive gainsIn a finding that should give pause to backers of standardized test-based school reform, a new study by neuroscientists at three major universities shows that students who achieved  the highest gains on standardized tests did not show the same gains in the ability to analyze material and think logically. The research, conducted by
12-16-13 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education
Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: Jeb Bush: the New Status QuoJeb Bush and his top dollar mouthpieces have become the gift that keeps on giving. Let’s call them on two of their recent public statements. Last week, top policy wonk Matt Ladner touted Florida’ s record at narrowing the achievement gap betwe
12-16-13 Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog
Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)About one year ago, Major League Baseball player Ryan Freel committed suicide; researchers and his family investigate reasons why he might have done this. After careful brain analysis, researchers revealed that Freel had stage two chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a disease which is usually associated with  erratic beha
12-16-13 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Using Current Events As A Language-Learning ActivityStudents watch videos on current events, answer questions, and create their own in my latest NY Times post for English Language Learners. Includes a student interactive and teaching ideas. You can see all my previous NY Times posts here.3 by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h hide  //  
12-15-13 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: Ed Notes Reprint, Nov. 2007: Welch, Tweed, Farina, and Creative DestructionThanks to Tim-Parent's comment at Gotham for digging up this ednotes piece from November 14, 2007, with discussion over a 2003 Carmen Farina quote in Businessweek that seemed to support the Jack Welch philosophy. But in 2007 Farina clarifies what she said with this:Farina's comment posted on the listserve S
12-16-13 teacherken at Daily Kos
teacherken at Daily Kos: Family values hypocrisyis the title of this terrific Washington Post op ed by E. J. Dionne. He begins : Politicians talk about family values but do almost nothing to help families. They talk about parental responsibility but do almost nothing to help parents. They talk about self-sufficiency but do precious little to make self-sufficiency a reality for those who must strug
12-16-13 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Wash Post & Politicker: Carmen Farina Likely To Be Named ChancellorFrom Politicker:According to The Washington Post, Bill de Blasio is reportedly “likely” to name Carmen Farina, a former adviser and deputy schools chancellor, to be the schools chancellor in his incoming administration–possibly on an interim basis. A source following the process relayed similar informatio
Terry Grier and San Diego Unified: What might have been | UTSanDiego.com
Terry Grier and San Diego Unified: What might have been | UTSanDiego.com: Terry Grier and San Diego Unified: What might have beenIn January 2008, the San Diego Unified School District proudly hired Terry Grier, a nationally admired reformer with a long track record of success, as superintendent. “Dr. Grier is exceptionally, exceptionally qualified,” board President Katherine Nakamura said.A year a
More Effective, Less Expensive, Still Controversial: Maximizing Vocabulary Growth In Early Childhood
Shanker Blog » More Effective, Less Expensive, Still Controversial: Maximizing Vocabulary Growth In Early Childhood: More Effective, Less Expensive, Still Controversial: Maximizing Vocabulary Growth In Early ChildhoodPosted by Lisa Hansel on December 16, 2013Our guest author today is Lisa Hansel, communications director for the Core Knowledge Foundation. Previously, she was the editor of American
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Pearson caught in the act. Says they're sorry.
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Pearson caught in the act. Says they're sorry.: Pearson caught in the act. Says they're sorry.Pearson, the textbook/testing publishing giant, was caught misusing its non-profit arm to bribe N.Y. and other state educators with international junkets. The British-based conglomerate which has made billions in profits as a result of its dominant role in Common Core t
NYC Public School Parents: City's Education Councils Seek Reforms in Message to the New Mayor
NYC Public School Parents: City's Education Councils Seek Reforms in Message to the New Mayor: City's Education Councils Seek Reforms in Message to the New MayorEducation Councils representing parents citywide have signed on to a letter to Mayor-elect de Blasio.  In this unprecedented show of unity, the Councils have issued a statement to de Blasio raising concerns in numerous areas, including the
Louisiana Educator: State Takeover Schools Produce Low ACT Scores
Louisiana Educator: State Takeover Schools Produce Low ACT Scores: State Takeover Schools Produce Low ACT ScoresThis report is based on data provided by the Louisiana Department of Education.The following are important questions that should be asked concerning the proper use of our taxes and the management of our public schools:Is it good policy to allow the Louisiana State Department of Education
Contradiction of School and Classroom Cultures (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Contradiction of School and Classroom Cultures (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Contradiction of School and Classroom Cultures (Part 2)In the last post, I described a visit to a Southern California urban high school’s four social studies classes where the dominant culture expressed values of doing the least amount of work to pass the academic course. For most of the
Great Teachers on California EdChat | InterACT #caedchat #EdChat
Great Teachers on California EdChat | InterACT: Great Teachers on California EdChatDECEMBER 16, 2013tags: #caedchat, twitterby David B. CohenSunday nights at 8:00 PM (PT), California EdChat (#caedchat) is my favorite place to be online. Educators from all over our state, along with a few dropping in from elsewhere, take up all sorts of topics relating to teaching. I think in the past several month
Common Core and the Food Pyramid :: Frederick M. Hess
Common Core and the Food Pyramid :: Frederick M. Hess: Common Core and the Food Pyramidby Frederick M. Hess  •  Dec 16, 2013 at 9:01 amCross-posted from Education WeekBack at the beginning, in 2009 and 2010, I never would've expected the Common Core debate to get this heated and impassioned. Why? Unlike a lot of folks, it's because I thought (and continue to think) that the Common Core itself just
Mike Rose Sorts Out Debate about Quality of Teacher Education | janresseger
Mike Rose Sorts Out Debate about Quality of Teacher Education | janresseger: Mike Rose Sorts Out Debate about Quality of Teacher EducationPosted on December 16, 2013 by janressegerThis morning Valerie Strauss has published the second in a series of three articles by UCLA education professor and writer Mike Rose about college programs in teacher education.  I blogged on the first piece in the serie
Do you think charter schools “know how to do middle school really well?” | Ward 8 DC Teacher
Do you think charter schools “know how to do middle school really well?” | Ward 8 DC Teacher: Do you think charter schools “know how to do middle school really well?”by ANGEL CINTRON JR. • DECEMBER 16, 2013According to DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson, charter schools “know how to do middle school really well.” When it comes to defining the phrase “really well,” are education reformers basing their
Politics of LA school board may shift | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC
Politics of LA school board may shift | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Politics of LA school board may shiftAnnie Gilbertson | December 16th, 2013, 6:00amDamian Dovarganes/APDeceased Los Angeles school board member Marguerite LamotteThe Los Angeles school board is scheduled to decide Tuesday how to fill the seat left vacant after the death of board member Marguerite Lamotte. Lamotte was a close ally to
Ethics Board responds to Parents United lobbying complaint | Parents United for Public Education
Ethics Board responds to Parents United lobbying complaint | Parents United for Public Education: Ethics Board responds to Parents United lobbying complaintPosted on December 16, 2013 by HELENGYMLeave a comment(Cartoon: Eric Joselyn, 2011)[Updated]   If it walks like lobbying and talks like lobbying, is it lobbying?That’s the question Parents United for Public Education and our partners asked a ye
John Thompson: Are Charitable Groups Crossing the Line Into Politics? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
John Thompson: Are Charitable Groups Crossing the Line Into Politics? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: John Thompson: Are Charitable Groups Crossing the Line Into Politics?By Anthony Cody on December 16, 2013 1:28 AMGuest post by John Thompson.I do not intend to give legal advice without a license.  It has been nearly three decades since I was a legal historian and a quarter of a cen

YESTERDAY

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: All I Want for Christmas:An Educator's List!
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: All I Want for Christmas:An Educator's List!: All I Want for Christmas:An Educator's List!When my siblings and I were younger, my parents had us write a list of everything we wanted for Christmas. Of course, raising 5 kids, we never got everything we put on that list. But it felt so good writing it because you knew you were going to get something on that list.MY
BREAKING NEWS!! EVA MOSKOWITZ EXPOSED ON INNER WORKINGS OF SUCCESS ACADEMY!!! .southbronxschool.com
http://www.southbronxschool.com: BREAKING NEWS!! EVA MOSKOWITZ EXPOSED ON INNER WORKINGS OF SUCCESS ACADEMY!!!This past Thursday as I was hanging out in my favorite post-work coffee house I began a conversation with another human being about the state of education in this country. Even though this person is somewhat new to teaching, this person was not drinking the Kool-Aid of the deformer andwas
Santa Claus, WMD, and the Teacher Pension Crisis | Reclaim Reform
Santa Claus, WMD, and the Teacher Pension Crisis | Reclaim Reform: Santa Claus, WMD, and the Teacher Pension CrisisPosted on December 15, 2013by Ken PrevitiReality: There is no Santa Claus. There were no secret, hidden weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq. There is no pension crisis for teachers and public employees in any state.In spite of Fox’s Megyn Kelly claiming that the North Pole livin
Awake You Sleeping Giant! | Parents United for Public Education
Awake You Sleeping Giant! | Parents United for Public Education: Awake You Sleeping Giant!Posted on December 13, 2013 by TCFEARFULLYMADELeave a comment(Photo: Harvey Finkle)Parent Tonayia CofferDespite the frigid temperature on Thursday afternoon, over 100 people crowded the corners of Bustleton and Cottman Avenues, one of the busiest intersections in Northeast Philadelphia chanting to the beat of
About Pearson, the Golden Goose State Standards, And Then Some | deutsch29
About Pearson, the Golden Goose State Standards, And Then Some | deutsch29: About Pearson, the Golden Goose State Standards, And Then SomeDecember 15, 2013On December 13, 2013, Pearson, Inc., agreed to pay a $7.7 million settlement for allegedly using its nonprofit, Pearson Charitable Foundation (PCF), to assist its profit-making parent corporation in developing educational materials– including so
Nite Cap 12-15-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
James Baldwin said it best: "For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAPmark as read12-15-13 Ed Notes OnlineEd Notes Online: Change the Stakes end of year meeting - Tuesday 12/17, 5:30Join what promises to be a lively discussion about the issues and how we – as parents, teachers and students – can respond individuall
12-15-13 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: Change the Stakes end of year meeting - Tuesday 12/17, 5:30Join what promises to be a lively discussion about the issues and how we – as parents, teachers and students – can respond individually and collectively.....Change the Stakes Press Conference re: City Council Resolution on High-Stakes Testing - On December 9th, Change the Stakes participated in a press conference held on t
Unpacking political contrition | BCS in Context
Unpacking political contrition | BCS in Context: Unpacking political contrition On the evening of Sep. 20, 2012, the Los Altos United Methodist Church held a facilitated “listening” and “healing” event in a well-meaning attempt to bring together reasonable minds on both sides of the increasingly bitter BCS-vs-LASD battle.This worthwhile peacemaking event was promoted by, among others, BCS Foundati
Please Excuse Davontaye, He Suffers From Povertenza | Our Legaci
Please Excuse Davontaye, He Suffers From Povertenza | Our Legaci: PLEASE EXCUSE DAVONTAYE, HE SUFFERS FROM POVERTENZADear Judge,I know that Davontaye’s actions caused the deaths of four people. But please don’t give him life in prison. He suffers from Povertenza. You may not know about this condition but Povertenza is an illness that people from impoverished socio-economic backgrounds have.Due to
Misleading the Public | PWC Education Reform Blog
Misleading the Public | PWC Education Reform Blog: Misleading the PublicDecember 15, 2013 — pwceducationreform On Wendesday night the PWC School board will vote to approve the bids for building the 12th high school.  I suspect the votes will go in favor of the school plus the pool. Chairman Johns, Dr Otaigbe, Mrs Jessie, and Mrs Williams have all said they strongly support the pool.  Mrs Covingto
DailyCensoredcom – Investing in for-profit college stocks: public pension funds aid and abet corporate crime
DailyCensored.com – Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal NewsInvesting in for-profit college stocks: public pension funds aid and abet corporate crime: Investing in for-profit college stocks: public pension funds aid and abet corporate crimeBy Danny Weil on December 15, 2013 9:14 pm / no comments The featured image is a picture of the home of the Murphys.  It is for sale for $27 mil
12-15-13 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness
the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): GUEST POST: Literature, Young Adult Fiction, and the Common Core, Lauren GirouardLauren Girouard is a student in my first year seminar (writing intensive). Lauren is an avid reader—a Neil Gaiman fan—and when she chose to write about Common Core, I asked her permission to
CPS releases charter proposals - chicagotribune.com
CPS releases charter proposals - chicagotribune.com: CPS releases detailed proposals for 21 charter campusesEmailChicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel discusses at a Phalanx Family Services press conference the challenges both public schools and charter schools face in Chicago. (Posted on Aug. 6, 2013)By Noreen S. Ahmed-UllahTribune reporter8:36 p.m. CST, December 13, 2013Chicago Public Schools on Friday rel
Former schools chief Tony Bennett finds new work
Former schools chief Tony Bennett finds new work: Former schools chief Tony Bennett finds new workFormer Indiana Schools Superintendent Tony Bennett is back in the public eye, helping to pitch a Common Core test to state education leaders four months after he resigned as Florida’s schools chief in the midst of a school grade-change scandal.ACT spokesman Ed Colby said Friday that Bennett will help
12-15-13 The Answer Sheet
The Answer Sheet: How much teachers get paid — state by stateHow much do teachers across the United States get paid? Here is data, state by state, collected from the National Center for Education Statistics by Jon Boeckenstedt, associate vice president at DePaul University in Chicago. The data are for 2013 and represent the estimated average annual salary of teachers in public elementary and secon
12-15-13 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: One Hundred KIPP 5th Graders in a Single Classroom on the Floor for a Week Until They "Earned" Their DesksKIPP spends a great deal of money promoting their brand of total compliance segregated charter schools as the tough love, no excuses solution for schooling in urban communities disabled by poverty and the lack of hope. KIPP and its billionaire supporters contend that
¡QUEME LOS BARCOS!: Politics, Repercussions, and Cloaking Inequity | Cloaking Inequity
¡QUEME LOS BARCOS!: Politics, Repercussions, and Cloaking Inequity | Cloaking Inequity: ¡QUEME LOS BARCOS!: Politics, Repercussions, and Cloaking InequityFirst, let me say thank you for reading Cloaking Inequity. Since 2012, this labor of love focused on the inequities that are purposefully hidden in the educational policy discourse has been read by hundreds of thousands of people from 161 countri
Student Prepares for Hunger Strike for Democracy in Education - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
Student Prepares for Hunger Strike for Democracy in Education - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Student Prepares for Hunger Strike for Democracy in EducationBy Anthony Cody on December 15, 2013 11:40 AMOn Friday I asked the question "Who gets to decide what is taught in our schools?" and suggested that teachers and students ought to have the biggest role in these decisions.
12-15-13 Jersey Jazzman
Jersey Jazzman: Will the Star-Ledger Editorial Board EVER Get Education Right?Once again, the Star-Ledger's editorial board can't get the basic facts about education correct; this time, it's the Newark teachers contract:Under the new system, 190 of the best teachers have received merit pay bonuses so far, in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $12,500. The greater bonuses went to those teaching hard-to
12-15-13 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: Do you think charter schools “know how to do middle school really well?”According to DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson, charter schools “know how to do middle school really well.” When it comes to defining the phrase “really well,” are education reformers basing their narrative of quantity over quality, i.e. proficiency rates versus growth? What do you – @thechalkfacers – think? In
A New Majority for Our Schools, Our Solutions | Randi Weingarten
A New Majority for Our Schools, Our Solutions | Randi Weingarten: A New Majority for Our Schools, Our SolutionsPosted: 12/15/2013 10:41 am It has the feel of Groundhog Day: Another international education comparison, another round of hand-wringing and finger-pointing, and then right back to the same policies. You know what they say about the definition of insanity.The latest results come from the
When Private Firms Run Schools, Financial Secrecy Is Allowed - NYTimes.com
When Private Firms Run Schools, Financial Secrecy Is Allowed - NYTimes.com: By MORGAN SMITHPublished: December 14, 2013Expanded coverage of Texas is produced by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit news organization. To join the conversation about this article, go totexastribune.org.Connect With Us on TwitterFollow@NYTNational for breaking news and headlines.Twitter List: Reporters and EditorsRedactions
Morning Wink 12-15-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSmark as read12-15-13 Wait What?Wait What?: Numbers Don’t Lie, Unless Someone Wants Them To“Never in my career as a high school English teacher — as an instructor of reading and writing, as a purveyor of literature — have I been asked to collect more “student data” and create more “spreadsheets” than I have in the past several years.”  - Barth Keck Barth Ke