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Saturday, September 20, 2014

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 9-20-14

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:







Strong Mayor Proposal for Sacramento: Debate on Monday

Students in periods 3 and 4, here is an opportunity for political participation credit by learning more about the controversial November ballot proposal backed by mayor Kevin Johnson to change city governance into what's commonly known as a "strong mayor" system. Details:The Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association will host a community forum/debate on Measure L, also known as the "St


Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 9-13-14
Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:Politics and the English LanguagePeriods 5 and 6 read George Orwell's Politics and the English Language this week.  The essay is an appropriate starting point for our study of government and politics because it focuses on language and writing, specifically how the modern decadence of our language is both a cause and effect of our corrupted thoughts.    Political language




Evening Saturday morning reflection on teaching

Evening Saturday morning reflection on teaching:






Yes I know my title is somewhat contradictory, but I had too much else that had to be done this morning in order to draft one of my periodic reflections upon what it means to be a teacher, so I offer it to those who might be interested as the sky around me has turned almost completely dark.
I have now had my students since Wednesday August 27, a total of 17 class days.  But since we are on an A Day / B Day schedule, I have had class with my A Day students 9 times, my B day students 8 times. A day students are almost all 9th graders, either in Gifted & Talented Government or AP US Government & Politics.  B Day kids all 12th graders in AP Econ.
When in their sits I can now call more than 90% of them by their correct names, and the ones I can't is because they rarely volunteer in class, so I may have to look at my seating chart, call on them, and thus get them involved and me learning their names.
I can recognize them all in the hallway, even the quiet ones, and can now call about half of them by name outside of class.
It is a start.
It is important.
Students want to feel that I am making an effort to get to know them.
But that is the easy part.
Follow me beyond the fold as I explain.
I call all my parents at the start of the year, and if they are not there, leave a message including my cell phone.  That actually means many of my students have my cell phone, which I do not mind.  They all have my school and personal emails, and the ability to contact me through the program we use for registering grades.
All that has become relevant in the past week or so.
I have had a number of students either with panic attacks, or fearing they could not do the work.  
I have had parents reach out to me on a number of issues, including one very sweet young lady Evening Saturday morning reflection on teaching:

solidaridad: Don't let Marshall Tuck rob California students of their own identities and dignity!

solidaridad: Don't let Marshall Tuck rob California students of their own identities and dignity!:



Don't let Marshall Tuck rob California students of their own identities and dignity!

Don't let Marshall Tuck rob California students of their own identities and dignity!


All three of these individuals used their positions of power over school children of color to shut down Ethnic Studies Programs, close Heritage Language Programs, and shutter Dual Language Immersion Programs. In some cases they even banned influential books like Paulo Freire’sPedagogy of the Oppressed. Students have the right to learn about their own cultures, languages, and histories. What kind of individuals rob students of their own identities and dignity?


WEALTHY WHITE MALES LIKE MARSHALL TUCK KILLED ETHNIC STUDIES





Nite Cap 9-20-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT



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 CAP




BETRAYAL, Part 2 | Bob Braun's Ledger
BETRAYAL, Part 2 | Bob Braun's Ledger: BETRAYAL, Part 2 N JEA President Wendell SteinhauerThere was hope in the spring. In March and  April when the anti-privatization forces took to the streets, even in Trenton, and Wendell Steinhauer, the president of the 200,000-member New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) declared Newark’s fight was the fight of everyone who wanted to save public education.
Coop’s Youth Part 4 – Not Quite a Girlfriend | Lefty Parent
Coop’s Youth Part 4 – Not Quite a Girlfriend | Lefty Parent: Coop’s Youth Part 4 – Not Quite a GirlfriendSeptember 20th, 2014 at 16:07Second semester of eighth grade started in late January of 1968, along with Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In on U.S. television and the Tet offensive in Vietnam. My mom worried about an endless U.S. involvement in that war that might eventually lead to me being drafted
Choosing Democracy: This important election - California
Choosing Democracy: This important election - California: This important election - California 
Marie Corfield: NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia has no time to be diplomatic – Part II
Marie Corfield: NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia has no time to be diplomatic – Part II: NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia has no time to be diplomatic – Part IIPart I of this series on the round table discussion between NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia and NJ education bloggers and activists focused on the devastating effects of high-stakes testing on special needs children, and how edu-pren
What's the Matter With Music Students Today? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher
What's the Matter With Music Students Today? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: What's the Matter With Music Students Today?By Nancy Flanagan on September 20, 2014 4:41 PMEarlier this week, I was invited to be part of a panel discussion at a gathering of the Oakland County (MI) School Boards Association. The topic was education politics, and my co-panelists were Steve Norton, Ex
BustED Pencils BLOG: "Effective Educators" and public schools under attack in Wisconsin
BustED Pencils BLOG: "Effective Educators" and public schools under attack in Wisconsin: "Effective Educators" and public schools under attack in WisconsinBustED Pencils - Fully Leaded Education Talk - BustED Pencils:Dear Wisconsin Politicians and Department of Public Instruction,It is now time to pronounce standards and accountability based education reform dead.  No more high
What’s Wrong with Standards-Based Education? Let Me Count the Ways - UNITED OPT OUT: The Movement to End Corporate Education Reform
What’s Wrong with Standards-Based Education? Let Me Count the Ways - UNITED OPT OUT: The Movement to End Corporate Education Reform: What’s Wrong with Standards-Based Education? Let Me Count the WaysBY MORNA MCDERMOTT · SEPTEMBER 20, 2014 www.educationalchemy.comWhat are standards?The word “standards” in and of itself is not a dirty word. People have standards every day– for how they will negotiat
solidaridad: Campaign to Promote Ethnic Studies Summitt Flyer, October 18, 2014
solidaridad: Campaign to Promote Ethnic Studies Summitt Flyer, October 18, 2014: Campaign to Promote Ethnic Studies Summitt Flyer, October 18, 2014Campaign to Promote Ethnic Studies Summitt Flyer, October 18, 2014 byRobert D. SkeelsCampaign to Promote Ethnic Studies Summitt Flyer, October 18, 2014CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTEETHNIC STUDIES SUMMITSaturday, October 18, 2014 ~ 9am-5pmCSULB Anatol Conference Ce
Watch “Disruption” here today and march on climate change tomorrow | Seattle Education
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2nd Banana 9-20-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform
BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANARECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POSTTeacher Refuses, Florida DOE Responds. FAIR testing suspended statewide #Florida | Continuing ChangeTeacher Refuses, Florida DOE Responds. FAIR testing suspended statewide #Florida | Continuing Change: Teacher Refuses, Florida DOE Responds. FAIR testing suspended statewide #FloridaSeptember 15, 2014Education      Rate ThisIf you think that
Morning Wink 9-20-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSSounding Off: Educating Bill Green on Local Control | WeArePCAPSSounding Off: Educating Bill Green on Local Control | WeArePCAPS: Sounding Off: Educating Bill Green on Local ControlPosted on September 20, 2014by wearepcapsby Ron WhitehorneIn an interview with the Inquirer’s Kristen Graham,  Bill Green, dimisses  the importance of a referendum on abolishing
Sounding Off: Educating Bill Green on Local Control | WeArePCAPS
Sounding Off: Educating Bill Green on Local Control | WeArePCAPS: Sounding Off: Educating Bill Green on Local ControlPosted on September 20, 2014by wearepcapsby Ron WhitehorneIn an interview with the Inquirer’s Kristen Graham,  Bill Green, dimisses  the importance of a referendum on abolishing the SRC and returning our schools to local control.   He also perpetuates the misunderstanding that state
9-20-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"
Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement":“With Tech Taking Over in Schools, Worries Rise”Parent are rightfully concerned about who will be controlling school data about their child (see The Best Posts On The inBloom Data Fiasco). The New York Times just published With Tech Taking Over in Schools, Worries Rise, which gives a pretty good overview of the issue.2 by La
9-20-14 All NEW Living in Dialogue
Home | Living in Dialogue:Yong Zhao Slays the Authoritarian Testing DragonBy Anthony Cody. For progress to occur in China – or the US, the dragons of educational authoritarianism must be slain. Chinese-American professor Yong Zhao has been a bit of a contrarian regarding education reform in the United States. He comes at the subject with a unique perspective. He experienced the Chinese educational
9-20-14 Hemlock on the Rocks (The Big Gulp)
Hemlock on the Rocks: More on Deasy, LAUSD from Karen KlienHistory repeats itself: L.A. Unified Supt. John Deasy and school board members are back to butting headsThis would be a difficult period for Supt. John Deasy and the Los Angeles Unified School District even if he and the school board were intent on working together for the benefit of students. But these aren't the most cooperative of times
9-20-14 Wag The Dog Week
WagTheDog | Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart. ~ Rumi: Wag The Dog WeekCommon Core 2.0 or 2001 Education Odyssey?With the Common Core’s emphasis on data mining and data-driven instruction there is a misguided focus and emphasis on maximizing and standardizing student “learning outcomes” rather than inspiring and supporting stu
9-20-14 With A Brooklyn Accent: Love Letters to the BATS
With A Brooklyn Accent:A Short History of Anti-Immigrant Movements in the USThe first wave of anti-immigrant hysteria in the US took place before the Civil War and was directed at Irish Catholic immigrants. It led to the formation of the No Nothing Party and also sparked mob attacks on Catholic institutions in many northern citiesThe second wave of anti- immigrant hysteria took place after the Civ
9-20-14 Jersey Jazzman NJ Ed News Round-up Jammin' All Week
Jersey Jazzman:Jersey Jazzman Jammin' All WeekThe Fine, Reformy Whines of @ConorPWilliams & @campbell_brownAs Paul Krugman recently opined: when you can't win an argument on the merits, whine about "tone":I’m far from convinced by everything that gets done today in the name of education reform. But Rhee’s and Brown’s examples are indicative of a troubling pattern for reform opponents
9-20-14 Curmudgucation Week
CURMUDGUCATION:Curmudgucation WeekEdPost Dials It Back, Still WhiffsOver the last forty-eight hours, the rapid responders from Education Post ran into a rapid response of their own. They decided to go after Carol Burris, and while various bloggers called them on their response out in the bloggosphere, Burris and many other responders descended upon the comments section, particularly for the post b
9-20-14 This Week in LA - School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD
LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District):Deasy, Garcetti help kick off City Year in 25 LAUSD schoolsDeasy, Garcetti help kick off City Year in 25 LAUSD schools Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, helping kick off City Year in LA Unified schools. LA Unified Superintendent John Deasy and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti were on hand today to help 288 C
All Week @ The Answer Sheet 9-20-14
The Answer Sheet:All Week @ The Answer SheetClemson U. stops mandatory student survey with detailed sex questionsClemson University has said students do not now have to fill out a survey that had been mandatory and that included some highly detailed questions about sex, such as, “With how many people have you had sex (including oral) in the last 3 months?” The Greenville News reported that the sur
9-20-14 Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Schooling in the Ownership Society All Week
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog:Schooling in the Ownership SocietyMike Klonsky's SmallTalk Schooling in the Ownership SocietyName droppingThe throat-slash sign? Really?  It's a 15-yard penalty in the NFL.“It’s one more desperate attempt at trying to be relevant in places where he’s not relevant. You can’t look at a list of insults to certain parts of town — closing police stations, closing mental he
9-20-14 Wait What? - All Week
Wait What?:  Wait What? All WeekQuestions that teachers (parents, public school advocates and all voters) should be asking…Over the next week, the leadership of the Connecticut Education Association will be deciding whether to follow the lead of the American Federation of Teachers and endorse Governor Dannel “Dan” Malloy, the only Democratic governor in the nation to propose doing away with teache
9-20-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum Week
Seattle Schools Community Forum:Seattle Schools Community ForumWest Seattle Schools Were on Shelter-in-PlaceFrom SPS Communications (tweeted 25 minutes ago):West Seattle schools were in shelter-in-place after dismissal because of shooting in the High Point. Parents can now pick up students.From comments at the West Seattle Blog:4:32 pm - All the fall athletes (soccer, cross country, swimming…) are
9-20-14 Ed Notes Online Week
Ed Notes Online: Ed Notes OnlineGirls Prep Charter Takes Kids Not Picked Up on Time to Local Precinct, Threatens Parents with Administration of Childrens ServicesGirls Prep has figured out a way to start the school to prison pipeline in pre-k. Children first in the world of charters.4 by ed notes online / 21h On Democratic Centralism (Loyalty Oaths?) - From Trotsky to Shanker and Others(Albert Sha
9-20-14 Fred All Week Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher
Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Fred All Week Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacherSwiffers. My days as a custodian.I just finished reading Ben’s Reader article about the janitorial scandal at CPS. It seems that to cut costs and make more profit, Aramark took away mops from custodians and gave them Swiffers. Mop
9-20-14 Perdido Street School Week
Perdido Street School: Perdido Street School WeekCuomo's Memoir "Shelved" Indefinitely, Victim Of Moreland Mess, Cuomo MicromanagingGee, who didn't see this coming after the Moreland mess this summer:Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to launch his presidential bid with an inspiring autobiography — the way Barack Obama did with “Dreams of My Father” — has gone haywire, partly because the micromana
9-20-14 the becoming radical EMPATHYEDUCATES! | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD
THE BECOMING RADICALEMPATHYEDUCATES!the becoming radical  A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by How We Raise Our Children: On “Because” and “In Spite Of”While I am disheartened by the cultural tolerance of all sorts of violence that remains in the U.S.—and then particularly in my home region, the South—I am deeply puzzled by a distinction between the public discussions surrounding the NFL’s twin s
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 9-20-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT  Lausd Gets Approval For New Maywood CampusBy Arnold Adler, Los Angeles Wave Staff Writer | http://bit.ly/1AW8eJ9 Friday, September 19, 2014 1:55 pm  ::  MAYWOOD — Plans have been completed for the Los Angeles Unified School District's new South Region High School No. 8, to be built at 5800 King Ave. The school
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Week… 9-20-14 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE WEEKIngenious Idea & Video: “The Dancing Traffic Light”6 by Larry Ferlazzo / 43min Infographic: “Inside the Brain of a Struggling Reader”Here’s an intriguing infographic: See the original infographic at http://www.scilearn.com/blog.12 by Larry Ferlazzo / 43min YESTERDAYThis Week’s “Round-
This Week's Education Research Report 9-20-14 #edreform #EDCHAT #P2
Education Research ReportTHIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORTTalking to, reading to infants benefits their cognitive developmentThis study uses a nationally representative sample of 9-month-old infants and their families from the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study to investigate if reading to infants is associated with higher scores on contemporaneous indicators of cognitive development independen
9-20-14 Schools Matter All Week
Schools Matter:  Schools Matter All WeekAndre Agassi's New Passion: Corporate WelfareAndre Agassi is touring the country checking out the 27 charter schools he has built with real estate tycoon, Bobby Turner. Agassi says its all worth the effort to make his millions from taxpayer dollars just to see children so "engaged in learning," as they are below in the East Nashville Rocketship cha
All Week 9-20-14 @ THE CHALK FACE
@ THE CHALK FACE : All Week @ THE CHALK FACE About the radio showJoin Drs. Shaun Johnson and Tim Slekar LIVE Sundays at 6PM EST and Wednesdays at 7PM EST on Blog Talk Radio for progressive, pro-public education talk radio. Call in to speak live with Tim and Shaun during the show, (805) 727-7111. You can also listen to our Monday "Sunday-Replay" at 7PM EST, and re-broadcasts of the archiv
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 9-20-14 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGPeter Goodman Predicts that Vergara East Will Be Tossed OutPeter Goodman, long-time observer of NĂ©w York politics, predicts that local and state politics will play a large role in the anti-tenure case that was recently filed in Staten Island. Why Staten Island? It was chosen because it is the most conservative borough in

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Patrick Walsh Reviews A Chronicle of Echoes | deutsch29
Patrick Walsh Reviews A Chronicle of Echoes | deutsch29: Patrick Walsh Reviews A Chronicle of EchoesSeptember 19, 2014On September 19, 2014, New York teacher and United Federation of Teachers (UFT) chapter leader Patrick Walsh published the following review of my book, A Chronicle of Echoes: Who’s Who In the Implosion of American Public Education, on the online news site, Truthdig.Patrick Walsh, 2
9-18-14 Jersey Jazzman - The Fine, Reformy Whines of @ConorPWilliams & @campbell_brown
Jersey Jazzman: The Fine, Reformy Whines of @ConorPWilliams & @campbell_brownAs Paul Krugman recently opined: when you can't win an argument on the merits, whine about "tone":I’m far from convinced by everything that gets done today in the name of education reform. But Rhee’s and Brown’s examples are indicative of a troubling pattern for reform opponents: anti-reformers are prone to
NYC Educator: Where Are We Gonna Put Those Kids?
NYC Educator: Where Are We Gonna Put Those Kids?: Where Are We Gonna Put Those Kids?Mayor de Blasio, to his credit, has stated he'd get rid of the trailers. I envision getting a bunch of lawn chairs, a barbecue, a large party, and blowing them up. But, you know, we'd do it the safe way, like they do with outdated casinos in Vegas. They sort of implode. That's kind of anti-climactic, but there's no
Hofmeister’s “Have-to”s Leave Even More Questions | Life at the Intersections
Hofmeister’s “Have-to”s Leave Even More Questions | Life at the Intersections: HOFMEISTER’S “HAVE-TO”S LEAVE EVEN MORE QUESTIONSSEPTEMBER 19, 2014 BRETT DICKERSONOklahoma Superintendent of Schools candidates L-John Cox – Dem, and R-Joy Hofmeister-Rep First, let’s acknowledge that those school A-F rankings that came out this week are bogus, and both candidates clearly say so.Second, let’s also ackn
Using Students with Special Needs to Privatize Public Schools
Using Students with Special Needs to Privatize Public Schools: Using Students with Special Needs to Privatize Public SchoolsSEPTEMBER 19, 2014 BY NANCY BAILEY LEAVE A COMMENTEducation Week came out with an article pondering a serious question. How can you have special education charter schools and still call it inclusion? HERE.I wondered, were the school reformers going to do the following:Return
9-19-14 With A Brooklyn Accent: A Short History of Anti-Immigrant Movements in the US
With A Brooklyn Accent: A Short History of Anti-Immigrant Movements in the USThe first wave of anti-immigrant hysteria in the US took place before the Civil War and was directed at Irish Catholic immigrants. It led to the formation of the No Nothing Party and also sparked mob attacks on Catholic institutions in many northern citiesThe second wave of anti- immigrant hysteria took place after the Ci
Nite Cap 9-19-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT
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 CAPEgo, money and false promises: Michelle Rhee’s big secret and the collapse of education “reform” - Salon.comEgo, money and false promises: Michelle Rhee’s big secret and the collapse of education “reform” - Salon.com: Ego, money and false promise