Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, February 10, 2014

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 2-10-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2


Nite Cap UPDATE

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE


CORPORATE ED REFORM



In closely watched trial, student testifies one teacher berated her, another was incompetent
The Vergara v. California lawsuit challenges state teacher job protections as unconstitutional.; Credit: Adolfo Guzman-Lopez/KPCC The first of several student plaintiffs - who have sued California claiming teacher job protections robbed them of an adequate education - took the stand in a Los Angeles Courtroom Monday afternoon and described how a teacher denigrated him in fifth grade. “She pulled


NY Gov. Cuomo blasts state’s top education officials over Common Core
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo blasted the state’s top education officials on Monday, saying that efforts they plan to take to correct the state’s botched implementation of the Common Core State Standards was “too little, too late.” Implementation of the standards and the rollout of aligned standardized tests has been a mess in New York, […]    


Get Schooled: New era of accountability: Reducing students to "anonymous data points."
Peter Smagorinsky, Distinguished Research Professor of English Education at the University of Georgia, wrote this essay for the blog. By Peter Smagorinsky “I didn’t decide to get into teaching because I wanted to teach English. I got into teaching because I wanted to teach kids.”

Chris Cerf, who never should have been hired, is stepping down
Via The Record: blockquote>New Jersey Education Commissioner Chris Cerf, who helped broker a landmark tenure law with the state's large and powerful teachers union, is stepping down to rejoin the private sector. He said Monday he will leave his $141,500-a-year job on Feb. 28 to become chief executive of Amplify Insight, a division of Amplify, an education technology firm run by his former boss, Jo

It's simple
The real tough guys, those in the US Military, now have no trouble with gays serving openly. Heck, they have no problem with active duty military in same-sex marriage - they now get full benefits. The NFL general managers who are being cowards right now can no longer pretend to be tough guys.   Real tough guys stand up to bigotry. Including their own. Michael Sam was projected as a 3rd or perhaps

Network for Public Education Endorses Baraka for Newark Mayor
The Network for Public Education has endorsed City Councilman Ras Baraka for Mayor of Newark, New Jersey. He is a career educator who opposes school closings and supports reduced class sizes and other research based strategies. We are proud to support him and believe that his election will begin a movement to restore democracy to education in Newark, whose schools have been under state control fo

House Education Committee passes gifted education spending bill
The House Education Committee Monday passed yet another schools spending bill, this one intended to improve gifted and talented education at a cost of $5 million. The discussion and vote on House Bill 14-1102 followed a now-familiar pattern. First there’s lengthy testimony highlighted by opposition from school district witnesses who argue the money would be better spent on restoring past K-12 budg


Q&A: Publicly funded preschool ‘top priority’ for U.S. Department of Education - by Lillian Mongeau
Expanding publicly funded care for children under 5 is a top priority for the U.S. Department of Education, said Libby Doggett, the deputy assistant secretary of Policy and Early Learning. Doggett, a Texas native, was appointed in late August 2013 to replace Jacqueline Jones, the first person to hold the post ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the Edsource Today website for full links,


State of the Union, Getting Covered with the Affordable Care Act and More in the MomsRising’s Weekly Blog Roundup!
Game time – in more ways than one! MomsRising members across the nation watched the State of the Union address and tracked the policies moms and families care about during a national game of BINGO! Indeed, shouts of BINGO!  were heard across the nation that night because the president not only noted that we need to take action on these critical policies in order to help both our families and o


Chris Cerf to Step Down as New Jersey Commissioner of Education
Will take CEO slot at educational software outfit run by former boss at NYC school system

Cuomo Says Education Board’s Plan Dilutes Teacher Reviews
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo attacked state education officials over a proposal that would give teachers more leeway to protest poor evaluations.    
Robert E. Cooke, a Creator of Head Start, Dies at 93
An adviser to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, Dr. Cooke was instrumental in major initiatives to benefit children.    
Chief of Harlem Children’s Program Will Step Aside
Geoffrey Canada will step down as the chief executive of Harlem Children’s Zone after two decades.    


The Louisiana Department of Education rushed and ruined the implementation of Common Core, on purpose and for quick cash
I’ve been researching this story for close to 4 months now talking to local superintendents, teachers, parents, teacher leaders, and both pro and con Common Core folks. I’ve been following tips and reviewing internal documents that were sent out to school districts as well as listening to accounts of what local educational leaders were told in person. What I was surprised to discover is that LDOE,


Pussy Riot on Colbert
Nadya Tolokonnikova and Masha Alyokhina, the former members of the Russian group Pussy Riot, who spent two years in prison stopped by the Colbert Report to discuss their imprisonment, Vladimir Putin and human rights.  They're remarkable.   Part One and Part Two


2-10-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"
Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement":  Infographic: “Ways A Parent Can Help With Spelling”I’m adding this infographic to The Best Infographics About Parent Involvement In Schools:by Larry Ferlazzo / 21min British School Plans Hefty Parent Fines When Kids Are Late — Uh, I Think They Might Want To Rethink That…Emerson Valley School plans fines for pupil lateness
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week in Class: Weeks 13-20 the Lost Files
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week in Class: Weeks 13-20 the Lost Files: Week in Class: Weeks 13-20 the Lost Files I have been a super-bad correspondent since winter break started over a month ago. For this I will apologize. Writing about what I am actually doing in my class is important, and not just for the handful of readers perusing my blog. It’s important for me to think honestly a
NYC Public School Parents: Dr. Johnny Lops, child psychiatrist, reflects on the damaging pressure from testing on NYC parents, teachers and kids
NYC Public School Parents: Dr. Johnny Lops, child psychiatrist, reflects on the damaging pressure from testing on NYC parents, teachers and kids: Dr. Johnny Lops, child psychiatrist, reflects on the damaging pressure from testing on NYC parents, teachers and kidsDr. Johnny Lops is a child psychiatrist who works at a hospital in Brooklyn and has a private practice.  His website is at Drjohnnylops.c
The Assessment Landscape - Chris Tienken
The Assessment Landscape - Chris Tienken
The real problem with US Common Core: it further outsources education | Ana Marie Cox | Comment is free | theguardian.com
The real problem with US Common Core: it further outsources education | Ana Marie Cox | Comment is free | theguardian.com: The real problem with US Common Core: it further outsources educationNew York is the latest to revolt against Common Core. What's especially scary is more business intrusion into the classroomBETAAna Marie Coxtheguardian.com, Monday 10 February 2014 10.44 ESTJump to comments (
Nite Cap 2-10-14 #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 CAPStudentsFirst forming small donor campaign fund for local, state elections | EdSource TodayStudentsFirst forming small donor campaign fund for local, state elections | EdSource Today: StudentsFirst forming small donor campaign fund for local, sta

2-10-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"

Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement":





 Infographic: “Ways A Parent Can Help With Spelling”

I’m adding this infographic to The Best Infographics About Parent Involvement In Schools:
British School Plans Hefty Parent Fines When Kids Are Late — Uh, I Think They Might Want To Rethink That…
Emerson Valley School plans fines for pupil lateness is an article at the BBC. Here’s an excerpt: A school plans to fine parents of pupils who consistently arrive late. Emerson Valley School in Milton Keynes plans to impose the £60 fixed penalty if children miss registration 10 times in a 12-week term. The junior school, which is in special measures, hopes the move will raise standards. But the pl
In The New York Times Today: “Do Parents Care Enough About School?”
The New York Times regular feature, “Room For Debate,” features this question today: Do Parents Care Enough About School? There are some excellent responses — it’s a must-read!
The Best Student Projects That Need Family Engagement — Contribute Your Lessons!
I’d like to create a very lengthy list of lessons that require students to engage with their parents and families in a positive way. I know I’ve previously posted about some, but I need to track them down. I’m also hoping that lots of teachers will send in summaries of successful lessons that they’ve done. I’ll add them to list and, of course, give you credit. You can find all my parent engagement
“District Leaders Urged to Rethink Community Engagement Strategies”
District Leaders Urged to Rethink Community Engagement Strategies is an interesting post over at Education Week about a recent address by former Milwaukee School Superintendent Howard Fuller. Here’s an excerpt: Fuller said school district leaders must reflect the racial makeup of the families they serve in order to achieve meaningful community engagement. That presents a real challenge, he added,
“How Budget Cuts and PTA Fundraising Undermined Equity in San Francisco Public Schools”
How Budget Cuts and PTA Fundraising Undermined Equity in San Francisco Public Schools is a very interesting article in the San Francisco Public Press that deals with issues of funding inequity far beyond the confines of San Francisco. In fact, it may be the best piece I’ve seen on role of parent fundraising in this problem and ways to deal successfully with the challenge. Here’s how it ends: The m
The Best Posts On The inBloom Data Fiasco
I’ve written several posts about the inBloom data fiasco — inBloom is the company that’s basically trying to collect, store and share student data and is supported by the Gates Foundation. I thought I’d put together a quick Best list: Where inBloom Wilted is from Ed Surge. Irate Parents Fight to Keep Information on Their Kids Private is the headline of an article about an effort to create a nation
Parent Engagement Enters “Twilight Zone” In Newark
I’ve published a couple of posts over the past two weeks about the wild stuff going on in Newark schools. It’s getting wilder. Check out Newark parent leader arrested, jailed, after criticizing state plan to close schools.
What Should Parents Do If They Think A Teacher Is Ineffective?
Problem In the Classroom? Tread Lightly is a New York Times post by Jessice Lahey giving advice on how a parent should handle things if they believe their child’s teacher is not an effective one. The post, plus the comments, might be worth sharing with parents…..




2-8-14 Engaging Parents In School All Week… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"
Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement":Important NY Times Article: “Can Marriage Cure Poverty?”As most people know, there is a common narrative suggesting that single-parent households can be a cause of many problems affecting children — in and out of school. I wonder about that view, and have previously published The Best Articles Questioning The View That Singl
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