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Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 10/27/15



CORPORATE ED REFORM







Progressive Educational Policies LA’s Democrats Should Embrace
Progressive Educational Policies: Progressive Educational Policies LA’s Democrats Should Embraces LAUSD searches for a new Superintendent, there has been a call not to “politicize” the process by people who mysteriously or calculatingly believe that the job itself isn’t political.Well let’s disabuse everyone of that notion right now.There is nothing in human experience more political than Educatio
Why Obama’s new plan to cap standardized testing won’t work - The Washington Post
Why Obama’s new plan to cap standardized testing won’t work - The Washington Post: Why Obama’s new plan to cap standardized testing won’t workLet’s ignore the fact that in releasing its new “Fact Sheet: Testing Action Plan,” the Obama administration included information from a two-year studythat was under embargo (forcing the organization that had commissioned the report to move up its own release
Stanford study shows that online charter school students are lagging - The Washington Post
Stanford study shows that online charter school students are lagging - The Washington Post: Stanford study shows that online charter school students are laggingStudents in the nation’s virtual K-12 charter schools — with students who take all of their classes via computer from home — learn significantly less on average than students at traditional public schools, a new study has found.The online c
Once home to WFSB Channel 3 – the upscale apartment project is now a source of campaign donations for Luke Bronin. - Wait What?
Once home to WFSB Channel 3 – the upscale apartment project is now a source of campaign donations for Luke Bronin. - Wait What?:Once home to WFSB Channel 3 – the upscale apartment project is now a source of campaign donations for Luke Bronin.In November 2014, the Hartford Business Journal reported on a project called the “Residences at River View,” a new building designed to replace what was once
solidaridad: Policing students and testocracy
solidaridad: Policing students and testocracy: Policing students and testocracyWhile the individuals responsible for brutality at Spring Valley High School need to be held accountable, we also need to see the context in which this type of response to students is systemic within #testocracy. There is increased pressure for compliance in drill and kill test prep and producing the data on test scores
The Obama Administration’s (Smoke and Mirrors) Calls for “Less Testing” | VAMboozled!
The Obama Administration’s (Smoke and Mirrors) Calls for “Less Testing” | VAMboozled!: The Obama Administration’s (Smoke and Mirrors) Calls for “Less Testing”For those of you who have not yet heard, last weekend the Obama Administration released a new “Testing Action Plan” in which the administration calls for a “decreased,” “curbed,” “reversed,” less “obsessed,” etc. emphasis on standardized test
Mayor: Dissolve the School Reform Commission | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Mayor: Dissolve the School Reform Commission | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Mayor: Dissolve the School Reform CommissionIn a major education policy speech this morning, Mayor Nutter called for the dissolution of the School Reform Commission and the return of a local board of education."Of all the policy recommendations I make today, none will have a bigger impact on Philadelphia than
CURMUDGUCATION: Cartman Rules
CURMUDGUCATION: Cartman Rules: Cartman RulesWhat is absolutely guaranteed to pop the wheels right off the school bus when it comes to order and atmosphere and culture and just plain treating children with the decency to which they are entitled because they are A) living human beings and B) here?Cartman rules. (NSFW ahead)Yeah, that's the whole point of a Cartman Rule. You will respect my authorita
New corporate misconduct database reveals top violators
New corporate misconduct database reveals top violators: New corporate misconduct database reveals top violatorsLarge corporations are responsible for a vast majority of penalties levied over the past five years on companies that have violated American environmental, health and safety laws. According to a new corporate misconduct database compiled by the think tank Good Jobs First, Fortune 500 com
If the president won’t put children first, who will? - The Hechinger Report
If the president won’t put children first, who will? - The Hechinger Report: If the president won’t put children first, who will? hools of all types have failed black and brown students as well as families in poverty and we need a president devoted to equity, accountability and achievement.So why are Democratic presidential candidates backing off education reform?During the most recent Democratic
Links to PAA charter school webinar and slide show | Parents Across America
Links to PAA charter school webinar and slide show | Parents Across America: Links to PAA charter school webinar and slide showHi Folks- If you missed our Oct. 25 webinar on the Washington Sate Supreme Court ruling that charter school funding in the state is unconstitutional, you can watch the 45-minute video here and review the full slide show presentation here.Many thanks to panelists Dr. Wayne
1.5 million current and former student SSNs at risk says MO Auditor » Missouri Education Watchdog
1.5 million current and former student SSNs at risk says MO Auditor » Missouri Education Watchdog: 1.5 million current and former student SSNs at risk says MO AuditorA recently released cyber audit of DESE’s student data system (MOSIS) revealed several weaknesses that MO State Auditor Galloway said placed 1.5 million current and former students’ personal information, such as social security number
How “all kids” is the current LAUSD? | Opinion | Jewish Journal
How “all kids” is the current LAUSD? | Opinion | Jewish Journal: How “all kids” is the current LAUSD?Steve Zimmer. Photo by Carla Acevedo-BlumenkrantzIn decrying the recently leaked memo outlining a plan to create more high-quality public charter schools in our city, LAUSD School Board President Steve Zimmer said: “This is not an all-kids plan or an all-kids strategy…it’s very explicitly a some-ki
Luke Bronin hauls in Lobbyist cash, generates multiple violations of CT Campaign Finance Law - Wait What?
Luke Bronin hauls in Lobbyist cash, generates multiple violations of CT Campaign Finance Law - Wait What?: Luke Bronin hauls in Lobbyist cash, generates multiple violations of CT Campaign Finance LawHaving spent in excess of $1 million on his initial run for public office, political newcomer and Greenwich native Luke Bronin is expecting the voters of Hartford to make him their next mayor on Electi
Obama’s stunning reversal on standardized testing: Why his latest comments could spell doom for “reformers” - Salon.com
Obama’s stunning reversal on standardized testing: Why his latest comments could spell doom for “reformers” - Salon.com: Obama’s stunning reversal on standardized testing: Why his latest comments could spell doom for “reformers”The president came out last weekend against the overemphasis on testing, breaking with 20 years of precedentThe activist/performance art group The Yes Men’s signature techn
These are the states that really have the best schools in the US - Vox
These are the states that really have the best schools in the US - Vox: These are the states that really have the best schools in the USTexas and Florida, not usually renowned for quality education, turn out to be educational powerhouses once you adjust for student demographics.A new report from the Urban Institute looked at how students from each state compare with similar students in other state
Head of LAUSD search says community wants pro-public education superintendent | 89.3 KPCC
Q&A: Inside the search for the next LAUSD superintendent | 89.3 KPCC:  Head of LAUSD search says community wants pro-public education superintendentThe man who heads the hunt for the next Los Angeles Unified superintendent says the size of the 650,000-student school district and its high-profile search are adding to the challenge of finding a new leader. Hank Gmitro, president of Hazard, Young
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The flip side of testing madness. 'You will test only 2% of the time'
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The flip side of testing madness. 'You will test only 2% of the time': The flip side of testing madness. 'You will test only 2% of the time'Duncan and Casserly making the media rounds... Last night on the PBS News Hour, no matter what Gwen Ifill asked about the administration's supposed shift on testing. Duncan responded with his stock answers. Michael Casserly, Dire
Gates Undercover | Save Maine Schools
Gates Undercover | Save Maine Schools: Gates UndercoverSeveral months ago, while conducting some much overdue research into the back-story of Common Core, I stumbled across a document from the Gates Foundation that painted such a frighteningly clear picture of next-gen ed-reform that I actually wondered for a time if perhaps I was hallucinating.I wasn’t, and within a very short time, it became unm
L.A. school board will consider appointing outside superintendent search committee - LA Times
L.A. school board will consider appointing outside superintendent search committee - LA Times: L.A. school board will consider appointing outside superintendent search committeeThe Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday is expected to consider appointing an outside committee to guide its search for the next superintendent of schools.A group of civic leaders has pressed the school board repeated
Ohio school district asks state to reimburse $5 million given to charter schools - The Washington Post
Ohio school district asks state to reimburse $5 million given to charter schools - The Washington Post: Ohio school district asks state to reimburse $5 million given to charter schoolsLast March, the Board of Education of the Woodridge Local Schools district in Ohio passed a resolution calling on policymakers to take steps to clean up its  scandal-ridden $1 billion charter school sector. Now it is
'The diplomacy is over': Protesters blast Cerf, derail Newark meeting | NJ.com
'The diplomacy is over': Protesters blast Cerf, derail Newark meeting | NJ.com: 'The diplomacy is over': Protesters blast Cerf, derail Newark meetingNEWARK – Just three months after his appointment, it appears the welcome wagon for Superintendent of Schools Christopher Cerf has worn thin.A meeting of the city's School Advisory Board was derailed after members of the Newark Student Union and other
Obama's School Testing Talk Is Meaningless - US News
Obama's School Testing Talk Is Meaningless - US News: Obama's Empty Testing TalkThe president's pledge to reduce school tests is meaningless.Over the weekend, President Barack Obama received high praise from parents and teachers foracknowledging that testing is taking too much time away from teaching, learning and fostering creativity in schools, and recommending that standardized tests take no mo
No Child Left Behind: What Worked, What Didn't : NPR Ed : NPR
No Child Left Behind: What Worked, What Didn't : NPR Ed : NPR: No Child Left Behind: What Worked, What Didn'tCross your fingers.Congress is trying to do something it was supposed to do back in 2007: agree on a rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It's not controversial to say the law is in desperate need of an update.The ESEA is hugely important, not just to our nation's schools
Too many tests? Obama's plan treats the symptoms, not the cause. - LA Times
Too many tests? Obama's plan treats the symptoms, not the cause. - LA Times: Too many tests? Obama's plan treats the symptoms, not the cause.e backlash against education reform as practiced by the Obama administration has been fierce and persistent, and not just from teachers. Parents have mounted their own protests by opting their children out of the annual tests that the 2001 No Child Left Behin
Charter School Chain Accused of Union Busting - Courthouse News Service
Courthouse News Service: Charter School Chain Accused of Union Busting LOS ANGELES (CN) - A chain of public charter schools is using its charter status to harass and threaten teachers for trying to unionize, California's Public Employment Relations Board claims in court.     The PERB sued Alliance College-Ready Public Charter Schools and its 27 Los Angeles area campuses in Superior Court on Friday
California NAACP takes stand on limiting role of School Resource Officers #AssaultAtSpringValleyHigh | Cloaking Inequity
California NAACP takes stand on limiting role of School Resource Officers #AssaultAtSpringValleyHigh | Cloaking Inequity: California NAACP takes stand on limiting role of School Resource Officers #AssaultAtSpringValleyHighMSNBC reported,A cell phone video shot inside a South Carolina high school Monday appeared to show a police officer body-slamming a female student and dragging her across a class
Fragile Truce Shows Signs of Crumbling During Newark School Board Meeting - NJ Spotlight
Fragile Truce Shows Signs of Crumbling During Newark School Board Meeting - NJ Spotlight: FRAGILE TRUCE SHOWS SIGNS OF CRUMBLING DURING NEWARK SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGCharter-school advocates clash with teachers’ union leader, students disrupt gathering and chant ‘Cerf must go’Protesting students disrupt yesterday's meeting of the Newark school board.It’s not like he had a wide berth to begin with, bu

YESTERDAY

Star-Ledger Says NJ Parents Who Opted-Out of PARCC are "Sabotaging the Data" | Truth in American Education
Star-Ledger Says NJ Parents Who Opted-Out of PARCC are "Sabotaging the Data" | Truth in American Education: Star-Ledger Says NJ Parents Who Opted-Out of PARCC are “Sabotaging the Data”Hubris.And that raises a core question for opponents of this test, and all those who boycotted it: Would New Jersey somehow be better off not knowingthese facts? To ask that question is to answer it. The no
An Open Letter to America's Parents and Teachers: Let's Make Our Testing Smarter | Barack Obama
An Open Letter to America's Parents and Teachers: Let's Make Our Testing Smarter | Barack Obama: An Open Letter to America's Parents and Teachers: Let's Make Our Testing SmarterHere's a simple question: If your kids had more free time at school, what would you want them to do with it?If you're like most parents, here's what I suspect you wouldn't want your children to be doing with their extra tim
Tensions erupt at Newark school board meeting | Bob Braun's Ledger
Tensions erupt at Newark school board meeting | Bob Braun's Ledger: Tensions erupt at Newark school board meetingA growing sense of impatience and frustration over continued state control of the Newark schools and increasing encroachment by privately-operated charter schools boiled over into disruption Monday night at a regular meeting of the city’s school board. A pro-public school activist, Jimm
The Waltons Promote the (Failing) Tennessee ASD | deutsch29
The Waltons Promote the (Failing) Tennessee ASD | deutsch29: The Waltons Promote the (Failing) Tennessee ASDOn October 26, 2015, the Walton Foundation sent this email to subscribers of its Walton Family Foundation (WFF) list, wffnews@wffmail.com.  Here is an excerpt:Dear [Name],Bobby White graduated from Frayser High School in Memphis in 1990. Last fall, he came back — not just as an alumnus but a
Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch won't seek another term | WBFO
Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch won't seek another term | WBFO: Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch won't seek another termThe leader of the New York State Board of Regents will not seek a new term. Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch made the announcement at the start of board meeting in Albany Monday morning.ListenListening...0:58WBFO's Eileen Buckley has reaction on Chancellor Tisch's plans not to seek
Greater Wisdom — Hmong Innovating Politics
Greater Wisdom — Hmong Innovating Politics: HOW GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CALIFORNIA SMARTER BY VETOING AB 176By Andy Le, HIP MemberOn October 7, 2015, California Governor Jerry Brown vetoed AB 176, a bill that would have required California’s Community College system to collect disaggregated data on Asian American and Pacific Islander (API) subgroups. In his veto message,
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 10/26/15
CORPORATE ED REFORMBlack Lives and Police Lies | Bill Ayers #BlackLivesMatterBlack Lives and Police Lies | Bill Ayers: Black Lives and Police LiesBIG LIES!!!The Top Cop in the country, FBI Director James B. Comey, is in a blue rage and on a public relations rampage.He’s worried, he tells audiences and media outlets across the country, that “a chill wind that has blown through American law enforcem