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Monday, November 30, 2015

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 11/30/15



CORPORATE ED REFORM



 


Marie Corfield: NJ Legislature looks at full day K this week
Marie Corfield: NJ Legislature looks at full day K this week: NJ Legislature looks at full day K this weekCamden resident and public education activist, Sue Altman, is guest posting today to call attention to an important bill up for a vote this week in the NJ Assembly:Two important education related bills are up for floor votes in the NJ State Assembly this week. One bill will establish a task fo
A Message From Lily - Lily's Blackboard
A Message From Lily - Lily's Blackboard: A Message From LilyOpen mouth. Insert foot. That’s what I did.You may have seen video of me addressing the Campaign for America’s Future in October, where I mentioned my frustration with those who believe there’s a single fix for public schools. I related an encounter with one such person, and I said I should have used the opportunity to give him the rundow
Revolutionary Civics for All. | BustED Pencils
Revolutionary Civics for All. | BustED Pencils: Revolutionary Civics for All.“It’s so important for students to feel their role as the office of a citizen!” Isidore StarrThe quote above illustrates beautifully what we are throwing away when we mandate theregurgitation of rote knowledge about government.However, come to Wisconsin and share in the ignorance that is unintelligent legislation without
How schools would be judged under ‘Every Student Succeeds,’ the new No Child Left Behind - The Washington Post
How schools would be judged under ‘Every Student Succeeds,’ the new No Child Left Behind - The Washington Post: How schools would be judged under ‘Every Student Succeeds,’ the new No Child Left BehindSen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) listen to testimony during a hearing looking at ways to fix the No Child Left Behind law. (Susan Walsh/AP)Federal lawmakers on Monday rel
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Revised ESEA - Please Let Our Congressional Reps Know Your Concerns
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Revised ESEA - Please Let Our Congressional Reps Know Your Concerns: Revised ESEA - Please Let Our Congressional Reps Know Your ConcernsThe vote on the next version of No Child Left Behind is coming up for a vote this week, first in the Senate and then, next week, in the House.  There are several issues that have come to my attention via Diane Ravitch and the Netwo
CURMUDGUCATION: CBE & The Data Bottleneck
CURMUDGUCATION: CBE & The Data Bottleneck: CBE & The Data BottleneckCan you tell I've been doing a lot of reading about Competency Based Education lately?While some proponents like to point to more human-friendly versions of CBE such as a personalized district in rural Alaska, the more common picture of CBE is of a huge data-mining monstrosity. And while CBE has been rolling steadily at us
¿Cómo se dice ‘hardest-to-teach?’ A look at what Clinton said about charter schools. - The Washington Post
¿Cómo se dice ‘hardest-to-teach?’ A look at what Clinton said about charter schools. - The Washington Post: ¿Cómo se dice ‘hardest-to-teach?’ A look at what Clinton said about charter schools.Hillary Clinton recently made some comments about charter schools that upset charter school advocates. She said, to be exact:“Most charter schools — I don’t want to say every one — but most charter schools, t
This Is Not A Review: José Vilson’s reflections on “More Than a Score” | I AM AN EDUCATOR
This Is Not A Review: José Vilson’s reflections on “More Than a Score” | I AM AN EDUCATOR: This Is Not A Review: José Vilson’s reflections on “More Than a Score”VideoPicMTASThis video for the book More Than a Score features interviews with several of the book’s contributing authors.José Vilson teaches middle school math in the Inwood/Washington Heights neighborhood of New York, NY. His book, This
Thanksgiving Leftovers: Julian Vasquez Heilig is a Jive Turkey | Cloaking Inequity
Thanksgiving Leftovers: Julian Vasquez Heilig is a Jive Turkey | Cloaking Inequity: Thanksgiving Leftovers: Julian Vasquez Heilig is a Jive TurkeyRecently I was accused of whitewashing because I gave a lecture at the University of Minnesota. The top down, private-control and privatization reformers are getting more creative (or less creative).  Here is a blog written by Kenneth Eban at the Citizen
Randi Weingarten: Why we support the Every Student Succeeds Act — Medium
Why we support the Every Student Succeeds Act — Medium: Why we support the Every Student Succeeds ActSusan Bowles, a kindergarten teacher in Gainesville, Fla., was fed up with all of the testing she was required to give her 5-year-old students.As an act of civil disobedience, for which she was willing to take the consequences, she refused to administer one of the several tests for kindergartners —
The Urban Education Catastrophe Left Untouched by Anti-Testing Activism - LA Progressive
The Urban Education Catastrophe Left Untouched by Anti-Testing Activism - LA Progressive: The Urban Education Catastrophe Left Untouched by Anti-Testing ActivismWhen it comes to its stated objectives—reducing educational disparities by race and class—test-based school reform embodied in No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top has failed miserably.Education activist movements organized in resistan
Standardized Tests Every Day: the Competency Based Education Scam | gadflyonthewallblog
Standardized Tests Every Day: the Competency Based Education Scam | gadflyonthewallblog: Standardized Tests Every Day: the Competency Based Education ScamIN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE:Welcome to class, children.Please put your hands down, and sit at your assigned seat in the computer lab.Yes, your cubicle partitions should be firmly in place. You will be penalized if your eyes wander into your nei
Books, books and more great books! | Deborah Meier on Education
Books, books and more great books! | Deborah Meier on Education: Books, books and more great books!Dear friends and colleagues,I regularly like to promote some favorite books of mine here.This time let me introduce you to a few of quite a lot of interesting books that have been published lately about schooling and a few that I just recently read but were published some time ago.Two are close to ho
Final No Child Left Behind rewrite is public at last — all 1,059 pages — just days before Congress votes - The Washington Post
Final No Child Left Behind rewrite is public at last — all 1,059 pages — just days before Congress votes - The Washington Post: Final No Child Left Behind rewrite is public at last — all 1,059 pages — just days before Congress votesSen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, left, and Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), chairman of the House Educa
No Art Left Behind | PopularResistance.Org
No Art Left Behind | PopularResistance.Org: No Art Left BehindAbove Photo: From LivingInDialogue.com.In the past 13 years of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top test-driven education policies, art has been pushed to the margins in our schools. Students have lost countless hours for creating art, music and dance that expresses themselves. But artistic expression is like the seedling that force
Testing, testing: A look at other assessments | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Testing, testing: A look at other assessments | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Testing, testing: A look at other assessmentsIn Pennsylvania, the PSSAs and Keystones are probably the most familiar standardized tests, in part because of the high stakes associated with them.But students in the School District of Philadelphia take a number of other assessments each year whose names are less well
CREDO Study Shows On-Line Schools Worse For Students » Missouri Education Watchdog
CREDO Study Shows On-Line Schools Worse For Students » Missouri Education Watchdog: CREDO Study Shows On-Line Schools Worse For StudentsOperating a brick and mortar school is expensive. Maintenance of the physical plant is expensive and limits growth opportunities to the space available. Hiring teaching talent locally can also be a challenge for a traditional school. Finding the right person with
'Star Wars' mania becomes a force in schools and classrooms | 89.3 KPCC
'Star Wars' mania becomes a force in schools and classrooms | 89.3 KPCC: 'Star Wars' mania becomes a force in schools and classrooms Help NPE STOP Damaging New Provisions in ESEA Reauthorization Bill - Action Network"Star Wars" mania is in full force just weeks before the seventh film hits theaters. Riding that wave, some Los Angeles Unified schools will host "Star Wars"-themed
Scoring the New Every Student Succeeds Act :: Frederick M. Hess
Scoring the New Every Student Succeeds Act :: Frederick M. Hess: Scoring the New Every Student Succeeds ActIt's crunch time for the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The week before Thanksgiving, months of intense negotiations yielded a House and Senate deal on their competing bills to overhaul the No Child Left Behind Act. The ESSA will, in short order, get an up-or-down vote in each chamber
Congress Is Likely to Reauthorize Education Law. How Will We Undo Arne Duncan’s Damage? | janresseger
Congress Is Likely to Reauthorize Education Law. How Will We Undo Arne Duncan’s Damage? | janresseger:Congress Is Likely to Reauthorize Education Law. How Will We Undo Arne Duncan’s Damage?Seven years ago today—on November 30, 2008—I picked up my Sunday Cleveland Plain Dealerto see a story above the fold on the front page, a story whose headline screamed: Good Teachers Are Key to Student Achieveme
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLESKim Foxx, running against AlvarezCarol Marin“The federal investigation of the shooting is active and ongoing,” the U.S. Attorney’s office assured us this week. Just remember. The feds never hurry. And Chicago is bleeding. --Sun-TimesKim Foxx“She [State's Attorney Anita Alvarez] waited until her hand was forced by intense political
NYC Educator: The Wit and Wisdom of Class Size Arbitrators
NYC Educator: The Wit and Wisdom of Class Size Arbitrators: The Wit and Wisdom of Class Size ArbitratorsOur arbitrator couldn't remember my name or that of my principal, and got them both wrong, but it doesn't matter. It's not like a parking ticket, where you can appeal. There were not a whole lot of oversized classes by the time my school got to a hearing. One of them was a College Now class. I'v
School advocates look to extend tax hike on wealthy :: SI&A Cabinet Report
School advocates look to extend tax hike on wealthy :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: School advocates look to extend tax hike on wealthy(Calif.) A voter initiative aimed at extending temporary personal income tax hikes to fund schools was cleared for circulation last week, allowing backers to seek the 585,407 signatures needed to qualify the
House, Senate Education Committees Release Final Proposal to Replace NCLB | Education & the Workforce Committee
House, Senate Education Committees Release Final Proposal to Replace NCLB | Education & the Workforce Committee:House, Senate Education Committees Release Final Proposal to Replace NCLB WASHINGTON, D.C. | November 30, 2015 - Today bipartisan leaders on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions released the final legisl
Leaving math standards to politicians doesn’t add up (By Wendy Lecker) - Wait What?
Leaving math standards to politicians doesn’t add up (By Wendy Lecker) - Wait What?: Leaving math standards to politicians doesn’t add up (By Wendy Lecker)The Corporate Education Reform Industry and its allies say the Common Core, Common Core testing mania and their agenda to privatize public education in the United States is necessary in order to ensure children are college and career ready.Howev
With A Brooklyn Accent: The War on Public Education in Broward County Florida- A Guest Post by Terry Pruess
With A Brooklyn Accent: The War on Public Education in Broward County Florida- A Guest Post by Terry Pruess: The War on Public Education in Broward County Florida- A Guest Post by Terry PruessLISTEN… PEOPLE OF BROWARD…  A FORT LAUDERDALE TEACHER SPEAKS…Things I plan to say to my leaders with my local and national community of public education supporters listening in...Let’s NOT be  “The Last Honey
No Child Left Behind’s Successor - WSJ
No Child Left Behind’s Successor - WSJ: No Child Left Behind’s SuccessorCongress rewrites the Bush-era law by giving more power to states.Conservative reformers have had major successes, notably on welfare in 1996. But when a reform doesn’t turn out as hoped, they need to adapt. A case in point is No Child Left Behind, which the GOP Congress is now preparing to leave behind.This week the House pla
Segregated by choice, state's charter schools face a test - StarTribune.com
Segregated by choice, state's charter schools face a test - StarTribune.com: Segregated by choice, state's charter schools face a testState weighs whether to include charters in integration plan, and a lawsuit blames charters for heightening segregation in Minneapolis and St. Paul schools. The cafeteria at Noble Academy charter school in Brooklyn Park is adorned with Laotian-style ornamentation, a
Online schools are losing support, creating divisions in the national charter school movement | cleveland.com
Online schools are losing support, creating divisions in the national charter school movement | cleveland.com:Online schools are losing support, creating divisions in the national charter school movementCLEVELAND, Ohio – Poor test results at online schools are creating divisions in the charter school community in Ohio and nationally, leading some national leaders to question whether e-schools shou
Common Core Forces Fiction From Classroom | The Daily Caller
Common Core Forces Fiction From Classroom | The Daily Caller: Goodbye To All That: Common Core Forces Fiction From US Classrooms, Lowers Test ScoresThe adoption and implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative in more than 40 states around the country since 2010 has wrought two major changes: (1) a notable decrease in the use of fiction and literature in America’s reading and Engli
Does Obama’s Call to Cap Standardized Tests Really Matter? | Articles | Noodle
Does Obama’s Call to Cap Standardized Tests Really Matter? | Articles | Noodle: Obama’s Call to Cap Standardized Testing: Is it Better?When President Obama announced on October 24 that he wanted schools to spend no more than two percent of instructional time on standardized testing, it seemed like the announcement educators had been waiting for since he took office in 2008.Critics, though, think C

YESTERDAY

N.J. recess bill: Go and play, every day
N.J. recess bill: Go and play, every day: N.J. recess bill: Go and play, every dayWant to know the deal on recess? Go to the experts."We can exercise!" said Collette Guerin, one in a gaggle of second graders rocking the playground last week at Zane North Elementary School in Collingswood."You can use up your energy so you're calmer," chimed in classmate Celia Titcombe.Lilly Sto
John White Opts to Defer Charter Authorizer Approval…? | deutsch29
John White Opts to Defer Charter Authorizer Approval…? | deutsch29: John White Opts to Defer Charter Authorizer Approval…?The Charter School Approval Flea Flicker In March 2012, the Louisiana legislature passed Act 2, which includes language allowing for the authorization of “local charter authorizers” (LCAs)– organizations that are able to authorize charter schools in Louisiana and that are able
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 11/29/15
CORPORATE ED REFORMHelp NPE STOP Damaging New Provisions in ESEA Reauthorization Bill - Action Network:  Bad Teacherist [Reading Roxane Gay] | The Jose VilsonBad Teacherist [Reading Roxane Gay] | The Jose Vilson: Bad Teacherist [Reading Roxane Gay]I’m not the perfect teacher.At my best, I have a meticulously thought-out lesson plan with activities that access multiple pathways, and I can get an ac