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Thursday, January 7, 2016

The “Dear Colleague” Letters and John King’s Homework | deutsch29

The “Dear Colleague” Letters and John King’s Homework | deutsch29:

The “Dear Colleague” Letters and John King’s Homework


No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) both include sections regarding civil rights, which originate with the Title IX Amendments of 1972. NCLB includes civil rights in its Title IX:
IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act shall be construed to
permit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (except as otherwise permitted under title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972), national origin, or disability in any program funded under this Act.
Exceptions in the Title IX document from 1972 include but are not limited to institutions controlled by religious organizations “with contrary religious tenets” and organizations that traditionally admit only a single sex.
In ESSA, the title that incorporates civil rights and that refers back to Title IX amendments from 1972 is now labeled Title VIII. Still, the civil rights component is in ESSA just as it was in NCLB. And there is not much to that civil rights component (which might be broadly referred to as Title IX, even though Title IX has many more sections than just the one on civil rights).
The importance of the above information is that it provides background for a six-page letter dated January 07, 2016, from Senator James Lankford, who chairs the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management (part of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs), to Acting US Secretary of Education John King. Lankford’s letter concerns the USDOE’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and its issuance of what it calls “Dear Colleague letters,” or letters sent The “Dear Colleague” Letters and John King’s Homework | deutsch29:


CURMUDGUCATION: Rules for Tools

CURMUDGUCATION: Rules for Tools:

Rules for Tools

Tom Vander Ark is as prolific as hell, so I have to admire his tenacity and energy, but every time I read his stuff, I'm driven to conclude that he's kind of a tool.

I don't intend to make a personal judgment-- for all I know, he's a delightful gentleman. But he often seems to achieve the near-perfect expression of the corporate tool approach to the education biz. This is unsurprising-- Vander Ark has been the executive director of education for the Gates Foundation, an education venture capitalist, and the head of a retail chain start-up. 

If you want a taste of Vander Ark's corporate tool approach to education, you can check out his latest thoughts at Buffington Post-- "21 Things Education Leaders Should Do Right Now"

Well, actually, twenty-one things ed leaders should do in the next 180 days or so. Vander Ark has broken the Things into three groups of seven. 

First Ninety Days



1. Make good first impressions. Visit every school.

2. Check out your leadership team. Get rid of anybody necessary in order to build a "high trust, high capacity team."

3. Hone your personal narrative. (Seriously-- this is how Vander Ark writes). "You'll have a hundred opportunities to share your story during your first ninety days," particularly if you don't waste time listening to people.

4. Open your political capital bank account and make initial deposits. He's talking about making CURMUDGUCATION: Rules for Tools:


Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/7/15



CORPORATE ED REFORM



Transform the New York State Board of Regents From the Inside | Alan Singer
Transform the New York State Board of Regents From the Inside | Alan Singer: Transform the New York State Board of Regents From the InsideChancellor Merryl Tisch and Vice-Chancellor Anthony Bottar are both resigning from the New York State Board of Regents, the governing body for education in New York State. Bottar represents a region in upstate New York and Tisch holds an out-large position. With
Newark’s teachers’ union fights back–but will it be supported by members? Or the mayor? | Bob Braun's Ledger
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CURMUDGUCATION: Core: Back Off, Parents
CURMUDGUCATION: Core: Back Off, Parents: Core: Back Off, ParentsThe Hechinger Report ran a piece with the somewhat confrontational title, "Back off parents: It’s not your job to teach Common Core math when helping with homework."In the piece, Kathlenn Lucadamo argues that parents just need to get out of the business of trying to teach math at home. Her subheading is "What should par
Seaside students' GoFundMe campaign aims to get them out of tsunami zone | OregonLive.com
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New student database slammed by privacy experts - The Washington Post
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Charter School Fix is a Framework for Fraud
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Storm Clouds Over Hillary Clinton’s Education Agenda
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Weingarten blames Cuomo for CUNY union’s lack of contract | POLITICO
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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State's "Former Charter Schools" - Updates
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State's "Former Charter Schools" - Updates: Washington State's "Former Charter Schools" - UpdatesI call them "former charter schools" because, according to OSPI, that's what they are.  They are "contractors" fulfilling a program formulated by OSPI for their students.My reading of all that is going on comes to two c
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's mea culpas don't extend to school closings and wild charter expansion
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With A Brooklyn Accent: BK Nation Forum Defuses Stereotypes About Opt Out as a "White Movement"
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OPT-OUT LEADER TO CHALLENGE MULGREW FOR UFT PRESIDENT « Movement of Rank and File Educators
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Three Protagonists Controlling Public Education and Downton Abbey. Time for a *Downstairs* Rebellion. – Missouri Education Watchdog
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Time for Education Advocates to Get Behind Bernie Sanders? - Living in Dialogue
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A School's Year in Hell, Through the Lens of a National Board Portfolio Entry - Living in Dialogue
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Torlakson Appoints Division Directors - Year 2016 (CA Dept of Education)
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State Board of Education approves charter school policy change :: WRAL.com
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Editorial: Taxpayers assume risk, little gain for charter schools | Tampa Bay Times
Editorial: Taxpayers assume risk, little gain for charter schools | Tampa Bay Times: Taxpayers assume risk, little gain for charter schools Florida has invested heavily in privately run charter schools for years, and the payoff for taxpayers has been uneven at best. While some successful charter schools fill particular needs in local communities, too many have failed and research shows they have n
Deep Pockets, Corporate Reform, and Teacher Education | VAMboozled!
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American Rage: The Esquire/NBC News Survey
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Let’s Make Community Schools the Schools Our Children Deserve – PCAPS Releases Plan | WeArePCAPS
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1/7/2016 – Five Education Stories To Keep Your Eye On In 2016
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A CEO’s Point of View: Children as Products for Corporate Consumers | janresseger
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#TomPorton, Hero Teacher, retires | JD2718
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Louisiana Educator: Bassett Examines Progress Point Influence on School Performance Scores
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Wendy Lecker explains - Again - Why the Malloy-Wyman teacher evaluation system is a terrible farce - Wait What?
Wendy Lecker explains - Again - Why the Malloy-Wyman teacher evaluation system is a terrible farce - Wait What?: Wendy Lecker explains – Again – Why the Malloy-Wyman teacher evaluation system is a terrible farceIn her commentary piece last week, public education advocate Wendy Lecker returned to the issue of Governor Dannel Malloy and Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman’s unfair, inappropriate and fundamenta
All I Really Need to Know I (Should Have) Learned in Kindergarten | EduShyster
All I Really Need to Know I (Should Have) Learned in Kindergarten | EduShyster: All I Really Need to Know I (Should Have) Learned in KindergartenAre no excuses charter schools setting kids up to struggle later by pushing academic skills too hard, too soon? By Emily KaplanThe very youngest children at the charter school at which I taught all start their nine-hour school day in the same way: by reci
Quality Counts - Education Week
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With A Brooklyn Accent: Tom Porton's Parting Shot: Why One of the Bronx's Most Brilliant Teachers Decided to Retire
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Thinking Big: How to Expand Democratic Schools - Bridging Differences - Education Week
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Public Education Advocates Stall School Takeovers - NEA Today
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Debt-laden Detroit schools need state help -study - Yahoo News
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A primer on the damaging movement to privatize public schools - The Washington Post
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To the 1 percent pouring millions into charter schools: How about improving the schools that the vast majority of students actually attend? - Salon.com
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Why Wal-Mart family foundation is spending $1 billion on charter schools - CSMonitor.com
Why Wal-Mart family foundation is spending $1 billion on charter schools - CSMonitor.com: Why Wal-Mart family foundation is spending $1 billion on charter schoolsThe Walton Family Foundation has already spent $385 million to help start charter schools in poor communities.LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — A foundation run by the heirs of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton said Thursday it will spend $1 billion over the
Sacramento News & Review - Run, Roger, Run! SN&R’s CEO urges Roger Dickinson to enter city council race - Greenlight - Opinions - January 7, 2016
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California governor to propose increased funding for education | Reuters
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Sen. Bernie Sanders said he opposes privately run charter schools
Bernie Sanders LIVE - Newmarket Town Hall - YouTube: From Politico NO CANDIDATE LEFT BEHIND: At a recent town hall event in New Hampshire, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said he opposes privately run charter schools. He said, “If we are going to have a strong democracy and be competitive globally, we need the best educated people in the world. And I believe in public education — I went to public scho
Chicago Teachers Union Joins Demand for Rahm Emanuel, Anita Alvarez To Resign - Working In These Times
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Ed Notes Online: Ding, Dong, Tisch Ends 2 Decades of Destruction as Regent - Memo from NYSAPE
Ed Notes Online: Ding, Dong, Tisch Ends 2 Decades of Destruction as Regent - Memo from NYSAPE: Ding, Dong, Tisch Ends 2 Decades of Destruction as Regent - Memo from NYSAPEhttp://www.nysape.org/nysape-pr-board-regent-candidates.htmlFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 6, 2016More information contact:Lisa Rudley (917) 414-9190; nys.allies@gmail.comJessica McNair (315)-368-7550; themcnairfamily@gmail.comNY
Christie as federal prosecutor: Part One–FBI agents as props carrying empty boxes of “evidence” | Bob Braun's Ledger
Christie as federal prosecutor: Part One–FBI agents as props carrying empty boxes of “evidence” | Bob Braun's Ledger: Christie as federal prosecutor: Part One–FBI agents as props carrying empty boxes of “evidence”They say it all: Pictures of FBI agents hauling what media outlets in 2009 called “boxes of evidence” away from the home and office of former New Jersey Assembly Speaker Joseph Doria (D-H
Report gives children’s services in California more low grades than high ones | EdSource
Report gives children’s services in California more low grades than high ones | EdSource: Report gives children's services in California more low grades than high onesFERMIN LEAL/EDSOURCE TODAYAimee Perez, left, dresses as a doctor as she gives a check-up to Chelsea Conway during their preschool class at Land School in Westminster, Calif. Preschool education received a grade of B- in the 2016 Cali
solidaridad: School choice, it's the new apartheid. Proposition 39 illustrated!
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Schools Matter: Guest Post: Relay Graduate School of Education: A Policy Brief
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Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/615
CORPORATE ED REFORM Court of appeal finally to hear case charging underfunding of schools | EdSourceCourt of appeal finally to hear case charging underfunding of schools | EdSource: Court of appeal finally to hear case charging underfunding of schoolsCREDIT: CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATIONPlaintiffs in the Robles-Wong v. State of California lawsuit announce the case at a press conference in S