Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, January 4, 2016

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/4/15


CORPORATE ED REFORM


RIP JOE BOWER

His Blog – For the Love of Learning 




There was little due diligence on new education law, but there will be plenty for indigestion — Opinion — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine
There was little due diligence on new education law, but there will be plenty for indigestion — Opinion — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine: There was little due diligence on new education law, but there will be plenty for indigestion“Nothing to see here, move along now!” is the mantra of our state and federal bureaucrats with regard to the Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA, which replaced No Child
Black Boys in Crisis: Is Punishment Too Harsh? | The Edvocate
Black Boys in Crisis: Is Punishment Too Harsh? | The Edvocate: BLACK BOYS IN CRISIS: IS PUNISHMENT TOO HARSH?It’s no secret that Black men are considered the trouble makers of society. In America’s prison systems, black citizens are incarcerated at six times the rates of white ones – and the NAACP predicts that one in three of this generation of Black men will spend some time locked up.Do these nu
Does the Education Platform of the Washington State Democrats Mean Anything to Our Legislators? | Seattle Education
Does the Education Platform of the Washington State Democrats Mean Anything to Our Legislators? | Seattle Education: Does the Education Platform of the Washington State Democrats Mean Anything to Our Legislators? During the busy holiday season, The Spokesman Review ran an article about a newly formed PAC called Act Now for Washington Students.The goal of this group is to sway legislators into taki
CURMUDGUCATION: The Merit Pay Lie
CURMUDGUCATION: The Merit Pay Lie: The Merit Pay LieEvery profession accepts merit pay. All people in the Real Working World accept having their income tied to their job performance. Why should teachers be any different?That's the standard line. Only it isn't true. Here's a quick report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This particular piece only covers 2006-2009, but it's unlikely that the sta
November ballot measures could have huge impact on LAUSD - LA School Report
November ballot measures could have huge impact on LAUSD - LA School Report: November ballot measures could have huge impact on LAUSDCalifornia voters may face difficult decisions regarding the future of education in the state in November as the state ballot could feature several propositions that would have an enormous impact on the educational landscape.So far only one ed-related measure has bee
Badass Teachers Association: USDOE Threatens Low-Income Families And America’s Opt Out Parents! | PopularResistance.Org
USDOE Threatens Low-Income Families And America’s Opt Out Parents! | PopularResistance.Org: USDOE Threatens Low-Income Families And America’s Opt Out Parents!Above Photo: From Badassteachers.blogspot.com.As much as corporate education reformers (and we will include the USDOE in this category) want you to believe that standardized testing is used to help children, educators know the truth.  What th
Argument preview: New threat to public employee unions : Friedrichs v. California Teachers Assoc
Argument preview: New threat to public employee unions : SCOTUSblog: Argument preview: New threat to public employee unionsAnalysisNext Monday, January 11, when the Supreme Court returns from its holiday recess, it will devote an expanded argument to a case that has made unions which represent government workers deeply fearful for their financial future and their public stature.  A significant blo
Education Department Threatens Low-Income Families and America's Opt Out Parents! - LA Progressive
Education Department Threatens Low-Income Families and America's Opt Out Parents! - LA Progressive:Education Department Threatens Low-Income Families and America’s Opt Out Parents!As much as corporate education reformers (and we will include the US Department of Education in this category) want you to believe that standardized testing is used to help children, educators know the truth. What the US
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Speaking of Testing...
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Speaking of Testing...: Speaking of Testing...A couple of items to consider.From Seattle Opt Out:KINDERGARTEN PARENTS IN SEATTLE: Do you know that today, Jan. 4, the testing window for MAP opens in schools that are choosing to administer it? Most of the parents we've encountered WERE NOT INFORMED of this. Many have been confused about what is happening--principals
NYC Public School Parents: Part IV of the inBloom saga through FOILed emails: inBloom is born, faces increasing controversy, and dies
NYC Public School Parents: Part IV of the inBloom saga through FOILed emails: inBloom is born, faces increasing controversy, and dies: Part IV of the inBloom saga through FOILed emails: inBloom is born, faces increasing controversy, and diesThis post, the final one with excerpts from the emails I FOILed from NYSED, documents the rise and fall of inBloom; through their communications to officials a
Teachers are not failing the economy. Policymakers are failing public schools and society - Kappa Delta Pi Record
Economic Dominance with Political Incompetence - Kappa Delta Pi Record - Volume 50, Issue 1: Teachers are not failing the economy. Policymakers are failing public schools and societyAbstractJump to sectionGrowth Competitiveness IndexOverall CompetitivenessOther IndicatorsReally?The fraudulent claims by policymakers and pundits that the United States is losing its economic competitiveness due to a
Poetic Justice Builds on the Dignity of Women in a Tulsa Jail | John Thompson
Poetic Justice Builds on the Dignity of Women in a Tulsa Jail | John Thompson: Poetic Justice Builds on the Dignity of Women in a Tulsa JailOklahoma imprisons women at double the national rate. About 80 percent of them are locked up for nonviolent offenses. We don't just incarcerate a higher percentage of women than any other state. We're number one in the entire country.The time is right for Okla
Fred T. Korematsu was a national civil rights hero - Curriculum | Fred T. Korematsu Institute
Curriculum | Fred T. Korematsu Institute: SHORT BIOGRAPHY:Fred T. Korematsu was a national civil rights hero. In 1942, at the age of 23, he refused to go to the government’s incarceration camps for Japanese Americans. After he was arrested and convicted of defying the government’s order, he appealed his case all the way to the Supreme Court. In 1944, the Supreme Court ruled against him, arguing th
Sad News as we lose a great education blogger and educator Joe Bower. | EduBloggers
Sad News as we lose a great education blogger and educator Joe Bower. | EduBloggers: Sad News as we lose a great education blogger and educator Joe Bower.Joe Bowed died yesterday. His Blog – For the Love of Learning From CBC-Canada comes, Popular Red Deer teacher Joe Bower mourned on social mediaCondolences are pouring in on social media for a popular Red Deer teacher who died over the weekend, wi
Save Our Schools March – It’s Time to March Again ~ July 8-10!
Save Our Schools March – It’s Time to March Again ~ July 8-10!: It’s Time to March Again ~ July 8-10!Save Our Schools: Coalition for ActionMarch & RallySave the Date: July 8-10, 2016Many thousands of us gathered on July of 2011 for the Save Our Schools March and Call to Action. We assembled to state our grievances about the state of public education and to share our visions for the future. In
Meet John King, Acting Secretary of Education | ED.gov Blog #AskJohnKing
Meet John King, Acting Secretary of Education | ED.gov Blog: Meet John King, Acting Secretary of EducationEvery New Year offers the chance for each of us to set new personal goals to make us healthier, happier, or more productive. In 2016, I hope you’ll join me as I recommit myself to ensuring that every child in America—regardless of background or circumstance—has access to an excellent education
SOPIPA Goes Into Affect January 2016 with Loopholes – Missouri Education Watchdog
SOPIPA Goes Into Affect January 2016 with Loopholes – Missouri Education Watchdog: SOPIPA Goes Into Affect January 2016 with LoopholesThe endless data gathering on up-and-coming American voters continues with very little to slow it down. I think it is important to use that term rather than students, because that is part of the end game. We have a monster trying to recreate its master, a government
Special Issue of “Educational Researcher” (Paper #6 of 9): VAMs as Tools for “Egg-Crate” Schools | VAMboozled!
Special Issue of “Educational Researcher” (Paper #6 of 9): VAMs as Tools for “Egg-Crate” Schools | VAMboozled!: Special Issue of “Educational Researcher” (Paper #6 of 9): VAMs as Tools for “Egg-Crate” SchoolsRecall that the peer-reviewed journal Educational Researcher (ER) – published a “Special Issue” including nine articles examining value-added measures (VAMs). I have reviewed the next of nine
4LAKids - Arne in the rear view mirror: HOW ARNE DUNCAN RESHAPED AMERICAN EDUCATION AND MADE ENEMIES ALONG THE WAY
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Arne in the rear view mirror: HOW ARNE DUNCAN RESHAPED AMERICAN EDUCATION AND MADE ENEMIES ALONG THE WAY: Arne in the rear view mirror: HOW ARNE DUNCAN RESHAPED AMERICAN EDUCATION AND MADE ENEMIES ALONG THE WAYby Perry Bacon Jr, NBC News' Meet The Press | http://nbcnews.to/1JTfLgT U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan visits with 9-year-old Nadia Garcia
School district apps: Concerns about privacy, transparency | The Star-Telegram
School district apps: Concerns about privacy, transparency | The Star-Telegram: School district apps: Concerns about privacy, transparencyMark Hoffer Star-Telegram/Mark HofferData about students, parents and education is a hot commodity, raising privacy questions about how much information is too much.Tens of thousands of Tarrant County parents, students, teachers, and community members use school
Today is the deadline: effective family engagement practices - The Washington Post
Today is the deadline - The Washington Post: Today is the deadline: effective family engagement practices  If you are interested in submitting comments to the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services on a draft policy statement on the implementation of “effective family engagement practices from the early years to the early grades,” today is the deadline. Following is the draft polic
This Week In Education: Update: The Return Of "Broader, Bolder"
This Week In Education: Update: The Return Of "Broader, Bolder": Update: The Return Of "Broader, Bolder"Back in the day, there used to be an advocacy organization called Broader, Bolder that was a counterpoint to some of the education reform ideas being promoted by EEP, DFER, and others.In 2008, I named it one of the year's big winners in education. Arne Duncan signed onto the
Are Charter Schools the New Subprime Mortgages? | EduShyster
Are Charter Schools the New Subprime Mortgages? | EduShyster: Are Charter Schools the New Subprime Mortgages?A new study warns that we may be headed towards a charter school *bubble*…EduShyster: It’s unusual to see the words *hair-raising* and *academic study* in tandem, but your new study merits that marriage. You and your co-authors make the case that, just as with subprime mortgages, the federa
Economy Grows But State Funding for Public Schools Continues to Shrink | janresseger
Economy Grows But State Funding for Public Schools Continues to Shrink | janresseger: Economy Grows But State Funding for Public Schools Continues to ShrinkHere is what Wikipedia says about Grover Norquist:  “Grover Glenn Norquist…  is an American political advocate who is founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform, an organization that opposes all tax increases…. A Republican, he is the pr
How Business Got Schooled in the War Over Common Core Standards - Fortune
How Business Got Schooled in the War Over Common Core Standards - Fortune: How Business Got Schooled in the War Over Common Core StandardsWhen Exxon Mobil, GE, Intel, and others pushed for the education standards, they incurred the wrath of Tea Party conservatives and got a painful lesson in modern politics.In February 2014, two of the world’s richest men, Bill Gates and Charles Koch, dined togeth
We're Thinking About ADHD All Wrong, Says A Top Pediatrician : NPR Ed : NPR
We're Thinking About ADHD All Wrong, Says A Top Pediatrician : NPR Ed : NPR: We're Thinking About ADHD All Wrong, Says A Top PediatricianDiagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are up around 30 percent compared with 20 years ago. These days, if a 2-year-old won't sit still for circle time in preschool, she's liable to be referred for evaluation, which can put her on track for early i
Debt payments set to balloon for Detroit Public Schools
Debt payments set to balloon for Detroit Public Schools: Debt payments set to balloon for Detroit Public SchoolsLansing — The debt payments of Detroit Public Schools — already the highest of any school district in Michigan — are set to balloon in February to an amount nearly equal to the school district’s payroll and benefits as the city school system teeters on the edge of insolvency.Detroit Publ
The concept of different “learning styles” is one of the greatest neuroscience myths - Quartz
The concept of different “learning styles” is one of the greatest neuroscience myths - Quartz: The concept of different “learning styles” is one of the greatest neuroscience mythsAre you a visual learner who writes notes in a rainbow of different colors, or do you have to read something aloud before it will sink it? Chances are, you’ve been asked a similar question at some point in your life, and
How Ramon Cortines set the standard for the next L.A. schools chief - LA Times
How Ramon Cortines set the standard for the next L.A. schools chief - LA Times: How Ramon Cortines set the standard for the next L.A. schools chief On his first day back as the head of the nation's second-largest school system,Ramon C. Cortines paid an unlikely visit to the headquarters of United Teachers Los Angeles. The union had a tense relationship with former Supt. John Deasy, and was pushing
ASD views show politics key to successful school reform
ASD views show politics key to successful school reform: ASD views show politics key to successful school reformTennessee’s Legislative Black Caucus Calls On State-Run School District To “Stand Down" | Nashville Public Radio http://bit.ly/1RlTaQkThe Achievement School District was in the news again last month when the Tennessee Black Caucus joined the Democratic Caucus in calling for a morato
Ohio and its legacy of careless charter schools - Editorials - Ohio
Ohio and its legacy of careless charter schools - Editorials - Ohio: Ohio and its legacy of careless charter schoolsThis is the year that improved oversight, transparency and accountability come to charter schools in Ohio. State lawmakers finally have taken action to repair a governing system that has become the object of national ridicule, charter schools, many operated by for-profit management f
Feds quietly close long-running probe of Milwaukee voucher program
Feds quietly close long-running probe of Milwaukee voucher program: Feds quietly close long-running probe of Milwaukee voucher programU.S. investigated treatment of students with disabilitiesOnce again, WI public schools outperform taxpayer-funded voucher schools « Education Votes http://bit.ly/1RlPSwlThe U.S. Department of Justice has closed a long-running investigation into whether the Milwaukee
Texas Grocery Magnate Forbids 'Open Carry,' Opposes School Choice, Supports Sanctuary Cities
Texas Grocery Magnate Forbids 'Open Carry,' Opposes School Choice, Supports Sanctuary Cities: Texas Grocery Magnate Forbids 'Open Carry,' Opposes School Choice, Supports Sanctuary CitiesCharles Butt, the Texas billionaire magnate behind the H-E-B supermarket chain which forbid the open carry of firearms law that went into effect January 1, 2016, opposes school choice, funds anti-school choice lobb

YESTERDAY

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Schools: What's Happening, What's Next
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Schools: What's Happening, What's Next: Charter Schools: What's Happening, What's NextI'll start with what I think is coming next.  A big fat fight in the legislature - one that will take time and energy away from the work of McCleary.  (Despite what Republicans think, a one-pager to the Supreme Court with some dates and thoughts on funding are unlikely to
Major education issues to watch in 2016 – and predictions of what to expect | EdSource
Major education issues to watch in 2016 – and predictions of what to expect | EdSource: Major education issues to watch in 2016 – and predictions of what to expectA safe New Year prediction: EdSource writers won’t sit around Monday mornings wondering if there’s anything to write about. Especially because it is an election year, 2016 will be interesting and intense. Here are nine big issues to foll
Good-bye Joe | Cooperative Catalyst
Good-bye Joe | Cooperative Catalyst: Good-bye Joe Tonight, my friend Joe Bower passed away after a massive heart attack a few days ago. He died with his family all around him.Joe was one of the first educators I interacted with via social media. During many late night chat sessions he taught me to question many of my basic assumptions about education.Why do we give grades to students anyway? Does
New York Plays the NCLB Testing Game | deutsch29
New York Plays the NCLB Testing Game | deutsch29: New York Plays the NCLB Testing GameOn January 02, 2016, I wrote a post about former US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s departure from the US Department of Education (USDOE).In that post, I included a letter dated December 22, 2015, written to state superintendents by Ann Whalen, whose temporary title is, “Delegated the authority to perform th
Who closed the Bronx’s high schools? by Lynne Winderbaum | JD2718
Who closed the Bronx’s high schools? by Lynne Winderbaum | JD2718: Who closed the Bronx’s high schools? by Lynne Winderbaumby Lynne Winderbaum, retired ESL teacher, JFK HS, and former Bronx High School UFT District RepI wrote an intro piece on the destruction of the large high schools in the Bronx last week – Lynne, a chapter leader than district rep through this process, has much more to say – Jo
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/3/15
CORPORATE ED REFORMWhy did retired teacher Roberta Rebb die the Sunday before Christmas? | Reclaim ReformWhy did retired teacher Roberta Rebb die the Sunday before Christmas? | Reclaim Reform: Why did retired teacher Roberta Rebb die the Sunday before Christmas? Roberta Rebb was a genuinely good person and an excellent teacher who had taken early retirement for health reasons. Most people ask how