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Thursday, January 16, 2014

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-16-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2


Nite Cap UPDATE

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Arizona Hopes New Charter Schools Can Lift Poor Phoenix Area
A movement in Phoenix to open 25 high-performing schools in the next five years is focused on test scores in the growing Latino population.    
De Blasio, a Critic of Charter Schools, May Need Them for His Pre-K Agenda
Mayor de Blasio is looking for classroom space and qualified teachers to accommodate 50,000 prekindergartners. Charter schools are willing, but not allowed to provide prekindergarten.    

Portland Association of Teachers wants Portland Public Schools to hire more teachers, cut class sizes in new contract
Portland Association of Teachers president Gwen Sullivan said they hoped the new plan could help provide a path to a negotiated agreement. But the sudden change also seems to show disruption in a process that had seemed increasingly close to a deal.

Bill Green to chair SRC, Jimenez to replace Dworetzky, sources say
Notebook sources and other news reports indicate that Gov. Corbett intends to nominate Councilman Bill Green as chair of the School Reform Commission Friday, and appoint Farah Jimenez, executive director of the People's Emergency Center, to fill a second seat on the commission being vacated by Joseph Dworetzky. read more
More than 130 Philly educators implicated in cheating, officials say
After more than two years of investigations by both the state and the School District, 138 Philadelphia educators have been implicated in test score cheating, according to information given to the School Reform Commission Thursday. The Pennsylvania Department of Education has filed or is pursuing actions against 69 current and former employees based on its investigation of 14 so-called Tier 1 scho

Little Lies, Sweet Little Lies You Can't Disguise at PS 154 in the Bronx
This past Monday was the 11th day without violence at PS 154 in the Bronx. But the bigger day was Friday, the 10th. It marked 10 whole days at PS 154 without violence so sayeth DR Alison Coviello; Ed.D and Principal of PS 154 in the Bronx.If I could turn the pageIn time then I'd rearrange just a day or twoNotices went out, the doves were released, white smoke plumed from the chimney. The pixies sp


Hey Pittsville, IL Folks! Here are the Stop Common Core Resources I Promised.
Hey Pittsville, IL folks it was great spending time with you tonight!  Secondly I apologize for running out of handouts which is an awesome problem to have!I love being able to talk to groups like you about problems with the Common Core State Standards.  Thank you Carrie Martin for putting this event together.Also thank you to the school administrators who came and lurked in the back.  I wish we h



El Camino College to Open Social Justice Center & Program
Photo courtesy of El Camino College Social Justice Center Pictured: Breanna von Stein & Robert DeWitz The Social Justice Program at El Camino College will be celebrating the grand opening of its partnering Social Justice Center on Thursday, February 13, 2014 from 1-3 pm. The El Camino College Social Justice Center & Program stemmed from the Occupy […]

Operators of Failed Wisconsin Voucher School Move to Florida
We at EmpathyEducates would like to thank Stop Special Needs Vouchers for putting it all together. The caution in context is instructive. We are aware of the need to learn from history. Within this treatise, there are lessons to be learned. By Joanne Juhnke | Originally Published […]


Let’s “raise expectations” for Secretary Duncan.
Yesterday, Education Secretary Arne Duncan insulted the caliber of America’s teachers, and criticized Americans for our alleged “complacency” and “low expectations” for education. Today, he joined representatives from testing giant Pearson at the White House, where they discussed expanding NCLB-style testing into higher education. We believe in America’s teachers and students, and we know the kind


Preview: David Ikard Discusses New Book 'Blinded by the White: Why Race Still Matters in 21st Century America'
Left of Black @ the Root.comDavid Ikard, a Professor of English at the University of Miami discusses his new book Blinded by the White: Why Race Still Matters in 21st Century America.  Full Episode will post Monday, January 20th.


Alpine teachers vote to authorize strike
The teachers held a secret vote Thursday afternoon before a school board meeting.
Leaders pledge to boost access to college
UC San Diego chancellor was among those who attended a White House summit on the topic Thursday.
Federal probe in San Ysidro gets serious
The defense attorney for former San Ysidro schools Superintendent Manuel Paul said in court this week that Paul is the subject of an active federal investigation and charges are imminent.
Twelve Embarrassing Years of NCLB and RTTT: Time for Arne to Blame USDOE
Ever notice that the “problem” with American education appears to be everywhere except with the US Department of Education (USDOE)? I find this rather remarkable given that American education has been subjected to twelve years of a combination of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Race to the Top (RTTT). Seems like it is time […]


7 Mid-School Year Reminders on Finishing Strong
Recently, I was inspired by the story of Diana Nyad, who made it a personal goal to swim from Cuba to Florida and did so at the age of 64. Her 100-mile feat came with many unsuccessful previous attempts, the pain of jelly-fish attacks, hallucinations, and unwavering teamwork. You can see her inspirational story here. Etsy.com Image Like long-distance swimming, being an educator is a marathon, not

Twelve Embarrassing Years of NCLB and RTTT: Time for Arne to Blame USDOE
Ever notice that the “problem” with American education appears to be everywhere except with the US Department of Education (USDOE)? I find this rather remarkable given that American education has been subjected to twelve years of a combination of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Race to the Top (RTTT). Seems like it is time for US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to finally admit that federally-t

New Reports Help Answer Expanding College Opportunity Challenge
On the day the Obama Administration convened a White House summit on expanding college opportunity for low-income Americans, The Education Trust advocacy organization released a pair of reports highlighting measures institutions can take to boost enrollment and graduation rates of underrepresented minorities and low-income students. In “Learning from High-Performing and Fast-Gaining Institutions”

PS 106 Update: Why There's No Payroll Secretary
Who is responsible from above Marcella Sills after a decade of this kind of stuff? Will the NY Post blame Farina?From a source:Our last payroll secretary who had retired teturned to PS 106 part time after being begged by [Principal] Sills to return. But Sills was so nasty to her and treated her with gross disrespect. Finally the payroll secretary told her she was leaving due to the way Sills treat
Press Advisory from City-As-School present recommendations on the future of NYC education for Mayor Bill de Blasio at “Performance-Based Education”
This was organized by my friend and fellow MORE steering committee member John Antush. John's mind never stops working. City-As-School High School 16 Clarkson Street  New York NY 10014 Alan Cheng, Principal For Immediate Release: January 8th, 2013 Contacts:  Kimberly Acosta (student): kimberly.acosta.13@cityas.org Naomi Richards (student)John Antush (Teacher): Johna@cityas.org Tel: 212.337.6884 P
The Daily Howler On NY Times Confusing Farina Story
Do you understand that story? We don’t! If the school [PS 6] was so good when Farina was assigned there, why did it need a “renaissance” or an “upward swing?” If Farina was tasked with bringing the school “to an even higher level of performance,” why did it need to “blossom?”... Daily HowlerWhile I generally liked the Javier Hernandez story on Farina, I to was puzzled by this contradiction the How

So you think you can teach middle school?
Do you want to become a public middle school teacher? Do you think you can handle thirty rambunctious teenagers in a classroom? Before you sign up for this assignment, let me explain why each grade is very, very different.

Camden schools' turnaround man
"If you follow some of my critics on Twitter," Camden School Superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard says, "you'd think I was the most loathed person in the city."

Charters founded by Brown seek renewals
PHILADELPHIA The Philadelphia School Reform Commission is expected to vote Thursday night on several charter school matters, including the renewals of two charters founded by Dorothy June Brown.

Pa. auditor announces public meetings on charters
Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said Wednesday that his office would hold public meetings on improving the "accountability, effectiveness, and transparency" of charter schools across the state.


The Best Videos Documenting The History Of The English Language
There are quite a number of decent videos documenting the history of the English language, and I’m trying to figure out how to use them in my IB Theory of Knowledge class. Ideas are welcome. Here are the videos I know about: The Story Of English is a nine-part television series, and I’ve embedded the entire playlist below: How did English evolve? is from TED-Ed. I’ve embedded the video below, a
Nice Interactive: “Median Income Across the US”
Median Income Across the US is a nice interactive map from WNYC that shows the income levels of all the census tracts in the United States. I’m adding it to The Best Tools For Analyzing Census Data. Thanks to Google Maps Mania for the tip.
January’s Best Tweets – Part Three
Every month I make a few short lists highlighting my choices of the best resources I through (and learned from) Twitter, but didn’t necessarily include them in posts here on my blog. I’ve already shared in earlier posts several new resources I found on Twitter — and where I gave credit to those from whom I learned about them. Those are not included again in this post. If you don’t use Twitter, yo
Arise Academy faces closure; 3 other charters are finally renewed
Three charter schools whose status has been in limbo since 2012 won belated renewals from the School Reform Commission Thursday evening. But a fourth, Arise Academy Charter High School, is a step nearer to closure. read more

Twelve Embarrassing Years of NCLB and RTTT: Time for Arne to Blame USDOE
Ever notice that the “problem” with American education appears to be everywhere except with the US Department of Education (USDOE)? I find this rather remarkable given that American education has been subjected to twelve years of a combination of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Race to the Top (RTTT). Seems like it is time […]

College Affordability Chat with Arne Duncan Recap
On January 13th, 2014, the US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined the weekly #StuVoice discussion to talk about college affordability. Duncan opened the chat by asking a question about college rankings and ratings, and sought input as to what were the most important things for students when it comes to an institution of higher education. Responses varied from individual to individual, but th


The Problems with the Common Core Coalition for Public Education/CoaliciĂłn por la EducaciĂłn PĂşblica
Coalition for Public Education/CoaliciĂłn por la EducaciĂłn PĂşblica: The Problems with the Common CoreBy Stan Karp This is a revised version of a talk on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) delivered in Portland, Oregon, Sept. 20, 2013. The CCSS have been adopted by 46 states and are currently being implemented in school districts throughout the United States.MICHAEL DUFFYThe trouble with the Com
empathyeducates – Newark Still Not Making Progress Serving Children With Disabilities
empathyeducates – Newark Still Not Making Progress Serving Children With Disabilities: Newark Still Not Making Progress Serving Children With DisabilitiesBy | Originally Published at Education Justice. January 14, 2014Nearly two years since the Newark Public Schools (NPS) agreed to a court-ordered Settlement to improve the delivery of special education services, the latest compliance report filed
Leadership lessons from “Let it go”: not just a Disney song! | Connected Principals
Leadership lessons from “Let it go”: not just a Disney song! | Connected Principals: Leadership lessons from “Let it go”: not just a Disney song!by Amber Teamann • January 17, 2014 • 0 CommentsIf you haven’t seen the movie “Frozen” yet, I highly recommend it. While I did see it with my girls originally, I absolutely saw it again with a grown up friend…it’s that good! One of the main characters is
Nite Cap 1-16-14 #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 CAPJust Another Cheerleader for Privatization and Corporate Ed Deform???Why we march | Parents United for Public EducationWhy we march | Parents United for Public Education: Why we marchPosted on January 16, 2014 by HELENGYMLeave a commentTomorrow,