Reunión Comunitaria, 25 de febrero de 2016- Optar-Fuera las Pruebas del sector Urbano
La división de clase/color en nuestras escuelas públicas urbanas es sostenida mediante una maquinaria de desigualdad y racismo que al fin le proporciona a las corporaciones una oportunidad lucrativa mediante la privatización de las escuelas públicas y en la gentrificación de las comunidades de color. “United Opt Out National” se une a “Opt Out Philly” para convocar una reunión que sirva para levantar conciencia sobre el secuestro de nuestras escuelas públicas y de nuestras comunidades por la corporaciones. Invitamos a las comunidades de Filadelfia y Camden a que se unan a nosotros mientras compartimos importante información y discutimos acciones directas que puede ayudarnos en construir un “movimiento de optar fuera” en un esfuerzo de reclamar las escuelas y nuestra comunidad.
The class/color divide in our urban public schools is propped up by an inequitable and racist high-stakes testing machine that ultimately provides for corporate profiteering through the privatization of public education and the gentrification of communities of color. United Opt Out National is partnering with Opt Out Philly to host a town hall to raise awareness about this take-over of our schools and our communities. We invite the greater Philadelphia and Camden communities to join us as we share information and discuss direct actions that can help build the “opt-out movement” in effort to reclaim our urban cores. We will gather on Thursday, February 25, 7:00 pm, at New Visions United Methodist Church, 3259 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA.Philadelphia Community Town Hall, February 25, 2106– Opting Out in the Urban Core - UNITED OPT OUT: The Movement to End Corporate Education Reform:
Philadelphia Community Town Hall, February 25, 2106– Opting Out in the Urban Core
The class/color divide in our urban public schools is propped up by an inequitable and racist high-stakes testing machine that ultimately provides for corporate profiteering through the privatization of public education and the gentrification of communities of color. United Opt Out National is partnering with Opt Out Philly to host a town hall to raise awareness about this take-over of our schools and our communities. We invite the greater Philadelphia and Camden communities to join us as we share information and discuss direct actions that can help build the “opt-out movement” in effort to reclaim our urban cores. We will gather on Thursday, February 25, 7:00 pm, at New Visions United Methodist Church, 3259 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA.Philadelphia Community Town Hall, February 25, 2106– Opting Out in the Urban Core - UNITED OPT OUT: The Movement to End Corporate Education Reform:
La división de clase/color en nuestras escuelas públicas urbanas es sostenida mediante una maquinaria de desigualdad y racismo que al fin le proporciona a las corporaciones una oportunidad lucrativa mediante la privatización de las escuelas públicas y en la gentrificación de las comunidades de color. “United Opt Out National” se une a “Opt Out Philly” para convocar una reunión que sirva para levantar conciencia sobre el secuestro de nuestras escuelas públicas y de nuestras comunidades por la corporaciones. Invitamos a las comunidades de Filadelfia y Camden a que se unan a nosotros mientras compartimos importante información y discutimos acciones directas que puede ayudarnos en construir un “movimiento de optar fuera” en un esfuerzo de reclamar las escuelas y nuestra comunidad.
Estaremos reuniéndonos a las 7:00 pm en la New Visions United Methodist Church (La Iglesia Metodista), que queda en el 3259 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
Teachers union sympathizers will rally at public school sites in more than two-dozen cities across the nation Wednesday morning — including at more than 170 Los Angeles Unified school sites — as part of a national demonstration of support for traditional public school districts.
Among those expected to be in attendance in Los Angeles: the president of nation's second-largest teachers union. And that she's in L.A. specifically is no accident.
Randi Weingarten, who heads the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), said she chose to attend a Los Angeles rally to demonstrate her concern with plans to drastically expand charter schools in the city.
Countering those plans, Weingarten said, is "amongst [her] highest priorities." She added AFT has been working "hand-in-glove" with its local union affiliate, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), to organize opposition to a plan from the Broad Foundation that calls for enrolling 130,000 new students in charter schools by 2023.
The foundation's leaders say parents are hungry for more options, pointing to long waiting lists at Los Angeles charter schools. But L.A. Unified leaders have said the plan could throw the district into financial peril.
"Why wouldn't we do everything in our power to give parents a lot of alternatives, including the neighborhood public school?" Weingarten said. "Why create this false choice?"
"It's a zero-sum game for funding," she added, "because of the attempts to create more and more and more charters at the expense of fixing local public schools."
National organizers have dubbed Wednesday's rallies "walk-ins," since community members will have the chance to walk into school buildings before classes begin as a show of support. But UTLA leaders also say their concerns about charters will feature prominently during Wednesday's rallies.
Weingarten will attend a walk-in alongside L.A. Unified Schools Superintendent Michelle King at Hamilton High School, the West Los Angeles building where King was once principal.
Hamilton students prepared for the visit last week by crafting a giant yardstick quilt, featuring nearly 100 panels decorated to represent the school’s academic programs and clubs.
Ariel Davis, 16, is a junior at Hamilton High School in West Los Angeles. She says funding and support for the school's diverse array of academic and extracurricular programming 'is something that we need to protect.'KYLE STOKES
Ariel Davis, 16, a junior at Hamilton, said she has no problem with charter schools as an option for students seeking specialized attention or alternative curriculum. But Davis said she fears aggressive expansion of charters will harm her district school, which she says has served her well.
“This is something that we need to protect,” Davis said of her school. “If we don’t, it’s going to fall into ruin and it’s not going to be the same."
In addition to being Elk Grove’s mayor, he is the director for the California Charter School Association.
Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis’ original plan to open a charter school in Elk Grove this late summer may be postponed.
He is collaborating with Tri-Valley Learning Corp. (TVLC), a Livermore-based nonprofit, to operate Golden State Charter School, a pre-K-8 school. They have managed charter schools in Livermore and Stockton for the past decade.
“This is purely about providing an alternative and another choice for Elk Grove families,” Davis said.
In addition to being Elk Grove’s mayor, he is the director for the California Charter School Association.
Tri-Valley’s leaders decided to withdraw their petition on Feb. 2 to address a 10-page review from Elk Grove Unified School District staff that heavily critiqued their school plan. The staff recommended to the school board to not accept the petition.
Tri-Valley’s withdrawal gave them 30 days to address the concerns and report back to Elk Grove. Their board will decide on their next move at their Feb. 17 meeting, Tri-Valley’s charter development director Lynn Lysko told the Citizen.
Davis said the petition’s withdrawal was a good move.
“(Elk Grove Unified) took a pretty hard stance against the petition,” he said. “Tri-Valley now has an opportunity to fix the petition and bring it back for consideration. At that point, the district should have all of their issues addressed.”
Elk Grove School Board President Bobbie Singh-Allen told the Citizen she found her district’s review of Golden State Charter School to be “eye-opening.” She said that as per district regulations, her district will not accept any more charter school petitions for the 2016-17 school year.
The Elk Grove school district staff reported 29 concerns when they reviewed the plans from Tri-Valley. They doubted the TVLC staff could successfully implement their education programs due to a lack of solid funding plans and inadequate means of serving all students.
Plans are to open the Golden State Charter School near Interstate 5 in the Laguna West area. The district staff discovered the school’s proposed site actually lies within the Sacramento City Unified School District’s jurisdiction.
Staff also reported that Tri-Valley would also need Elk Grove city approval to rezone the school site from a “general commercial” use to house Golden State Charter. Other concerns focused on Tri-Valley’s budgeting, which is mainly based on bonds such as a $25.5 million bond they issued last year. The nonprofit was reportedly unable to provide audited financial statements for their 2014-15 school year.
District staff also noted that the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District raised concerns over Tri-Valley’s practice of charging tuition fees upwards of thousands of dollars a year to foreign students. Such a practice violates the state regulation that prohibits charter schools from charging tuition.
The Elk Grove district also questioned Golden State Charter School’s staff development practices, budget plan and projections, approaches to teaching students from different groups such as English language learners, and its plan to charge fees for after-school programs.
“Relying on ‘fee-based’ programs to provide before- and after-school programs will dissuade families without the means to participate in these programs from seeking to enroll their children at the school,” the Elk Grove district report stated.
Questions of how many local educators and parents were interested in joining Golden State Charter were also raised. The district staff reported that Tri-Valley claimed that 40 local people including educators expressed interest but the charter petition did not disclose their names, due to “professional reasons.”
Golden State Charter is the second charter school that Davis has tried to open in Elk Grove. He earlier led an effort to open the Grove Leadership Academy in 2013 but his staff withdrew their charter petition following a critical reaction from the Elk Grove district staff and teachers union.
February 2016 Meeting Agenda - Resources (CA Dept of Education): AMERICAN INDIAN EDUCATION OVERSIGHT COMMITTEEMEETING AGENDAFriday, February 26, 201610 a.m.–5 p.m.California Department of Education1430 N Street, Room 1101Sacramento, CA 95814Soboba Tribal Administration Building23906 Soboba Road, Grants OfficeSan Jacinto, CA 92583Four Winds of Indian Education, Inc.2345 Fair StreetChico, CA 95928Ag
Breaking news: Complaint accuses Magnolia Charters of illegal use of funds — PS connect: Breaking news: Complaint accuses Magnolia Charters of illegal use of funds A public school teacher and a parent in Orange County, California, filed a legal complaint today against Magnolia Charter Schools accusing the charter organization of violating state and federal law by improperly using state and federal
CPS CEO Clayfool: Parents are not welcome in my schools. | Fred Klonsky: CPS CEO Clayfool: Parents are not welcome in my schoolsIn a freakish reaction to planned walk-ins at CPS public schools tomorrow, CPS CEO Forrest Claypool threatened parents. with a letter sent home. “We have a planned response,” Clayfool warned.CPS CEO Clayfool: Parents are not welcome in my schools. | Fred Klonsky:
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: On the so-called 'failure' of the small schools movement: On the so-called 'failure' of the small schools movement Holy Cross prof, Jack Schneider, writing at EdWeek, makes a pretty fair assessment of the small schools movement.In the eyes of Gates and company, the problem was with small schools as a particular policy fix rather than with the thinking behind the fix.
#HowMuchTesting and for What Purpose? Join the Debate! – Cloaking Inequity: #HowMuchTesting and for What Purpose? Join the Debate! The “opt out” of testing movement has gained steam over the past few years and turned into a social movement. Professors across the United States are finally joining the debate in large ways. Matthew R. Lavery from the University of Central Florida submitted the follo
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Speaking truth to power: Speaking truth to powerAs teachers and parents prepare for tomorrow'sWalk-Ins for the public schools all of our children deserve, local media is focusing in on some of the key players in the city's progressive movement.Don't Miss...WGN is running a two-part feature on Chicago's rebel principal,Troy LaRaviere. Troy has been reprimanded by the
Company run by Malloy appointee to the State Board of Education collects $517,128 in funds allocated by the State Board of Education. - Wait What?:Company run by Malloy appointee to the State Board of Education collects $517,128 in funds allocated by the State Board of Education.Last November, Governor Dannel Malloy appointed Erik Clemons of New Haven, along with two other individuals, to the Stat
2015 Saw Historic Shift in State Education Leadership, New Report Says - State EdWatch - Education Week: 2015 Saw Historic Shift in State Education Leadership, New Report Says Across the nation, there was an unprecendented turnover in state level educational leadership in 2015, according to a new report issued by Achieve, an education advocacy organization focused on state level policy. And there
accountabaloney | High Stakes and Accountability Don't Mix: Feb 16, 2016, Accountabaloney Press Release: Parents ask Lawmakers to “Smell the Baloney”Parents ask Lawmakers to “Smell the Baloney”Today, a group of Florida parents will be delivering red foam clown noses to Governor Scott, Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, the Board of Education and all 160 legislators, in an attempt to draw attentio
Who is Killing the Teaching Profession? – Save Maine Schools: Who is Killing the Teaching Profession? At a conference held in 2009 called “Redefining Teacher Education for Digital Age Learners,” Tom Carroll told his audience: “The industrial era career pipeline is collapsing at both ends. We’re losing accomplished teachers and bright young beginning teachers.”Carroll, who serves as president of th
Two NOLA scandals show why the public must hold public schools accountable - The Hechinger Report: Two NOLA scandals show why the public must hold public schools accountableBeloved city principal goes on leave as an investigation continuesWhere there is smoke there is fire, and the evidence that suggests cheating occurred at Landry-Walker High School in New Orleans is suffocating.After the school’
Program Aims to Keep Schools Diverse as New York Neighborhoods Gentrify - The New York Times: Program Aims to Keep Schools Diverse as New York Neighborhoods GentrifyBrooklyn Arts and Science Elementary School is one of seven New York City public schools taking part in an Education Department initiative aimed at maintaining a racial and socio-economic balance at schools in fast-gentrifying neighbor
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Work Session Thursday on Race and Equity Initiative: Work Session Thursday on Race and Equity InitiativeThis week the Board will hold a Work Session on SMART Goal #2 – MTSS-B. (The district has now created an MTSS-A and MTSS-B. “A” is about “success in academics” and “B” is for “attitudes, beliefs and belonging.” They wait until pages 13-14 to define MTSS overall
CURMUDGUCATION: I Don't Hate Hillary, But...: I Don't Hate Hillary, But...I don't hate Hillary Clinton.I don't think that she should be convicted of treason. I don't think her email handling represents an unprecedented breach of, well, anything. I don't think that she has a trail of misbehavior and ethical violations behind her any wider or deeper than the average political animal, and I believe t
The President’s Turnaround ARTS Program Is Unfair!: The President’s Turnaround ARTS Program Is Unfair! Every child in every public school in America deserves access to the arts, and legitimate art classes, which include real credentialed art teachers!In 2012, President Obama announced an Arts Education Plan called Turnaround ARTS. The program, which was to cost $14.7 million over three years, was
Tell them no. Comments to USDoE close February 18. – Missouri Education Watchdog: Tell them no. Comments to USDoE close February 18.Every state group opposing Common Core or ESSA, anyone opposing Fed-Led, every parent concerned about data mining their child, every teacher, should simply write in and at least say NO. Our silence infers compliance.The Federal Government has a proposal to collect s
Ohio Again Hides Rotten Record of Huge On-Line Charter School from Federal Regulators | janresseger: Ohio Again Hides Rotten Record of Huge On-Line Charter School from Federal RegulatorsOver the weekend, Ohio’s Plunderbund blog demanded an explanation from the Ohio Department of Education about the continued exclusion of on-line charter schools from Ohio’s reporting to the U.S. Department of Educa
The Future of School Integration - The Atlantic: The Promise of Integrated SchoolsNew research shows more districts opting for diverse schools, as others face resistance.Kristina Carr and Hanna Benn deliver flowers to their teachers Air Base Elementary School, one of the first in Miami-Dade County to integrate black students 50 years ago. Wilfredo Lee / APCharlotte, North Carolina, became a nation
WGN: Principal Troy LaRaviere on teacher pensions. | Fred Klonsky: WGN: Principal Troy LaRaviere on teacher pensions.-From WGN Chicago television. CHICAGO – The teachers’ pension crisis clouds every aspect of the Chicago Public Schools.The district is running enormous deficits and demanding that teachers pay more.But teachers say they didn’t cause the problem and it’s unfair to put the burden of o
Standards, Grades And Tests Are Wildly Outdated, Argues 'End Of Average' : NPR Ed : NPR: Standards, Grades And Tests Are Wildly Outdated, Argues 'End Of Average' Todd Rose dropped out of high school with D- grades. At 21, he was trying to support a wife and two sons on welfare and minimum wage jobs.Today he teaches educational neuroscience at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He's also the
Why veteran teachers aren't surprised young people are shunning the profession - LA Times: Why veteran teachers aren't surprised young people are shunning the professionL.A. teachers rally in Grand Park in February 2015. In the last decade, there has been a 70% drop in people preparing to be California teachers. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)dging from my email, a lot of California public school
How Many Education Secretaries Have Been K-12 Classroom Teachers? - Politics K-12 - Education Week: How Many Education Secretaries Have Been K-12 Classroom Teachers?Newly minted acting U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr. , who has been officially nominated to head up the Education Department, loves to weave his background as a social studies teacher into his speeches (especially when he'
Standardized test scores decline with each passing hour of school: Standardized test scores decline with each passing hour of school(HealthDay)—While the debate over the value of standardized testing continues, new research suggests that educators should also consider the timing of these tests.The study found that students aged 15 and under suffered from mental fatigue as the school day progressed
Dispute With New York City Threatens Success Academy’s Pre-K - The New York Times: Dispute With New York City Threatens Success Academy’s Pre-KA critical deadline passed on Monday in a dispute between Success Academy charter schools and the de Blasio administration over the charter school network’s prekindergarten program, leaving its fate in doubt.The disagreement arose last year after Success Ac
Fordham Institute Favors PARCC, Neglects Item Readability | deutsch29: Fordham Institute Favors PARCC, Neglects Item ReadabilityIt seems that the Fordham Institute views itself as the grader of the corporate reform initiatives that it is paid to support. In July 2010, it graded the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and state standards– and found in favor of CCSS in this highly questionable, slant
Solutions to and Analysis of Louisiana’s Budget Crisis – Crazy Crawfish: Solutions to and Analysis of Louisiana’s Budget CrisisI’ve been seeing numerous vitriolic statements from various folks recently assigning blame to each other over Louisiana’s budget crisis. For those of you who don’t know, Louisiana is short approximately one billion dollars of general funding revenue. We have to make that
A Retired Massachusetts Principal on her Teachers’ “Value-Added” | VAMboozled!: A Retired Massachusetts Principal on her Teachers’ “Value-Added”A retired Massachusetts principal, named Linda Murdock, posted a post on her blog titled “Murdock’s EduCorner” about her experiences, as a principal, with “value-added,” or more specifically in her state the use of Student Growth Percentile (SGP) scores to
Equity, Race, Revolution & Reform in US Education: What has (not) changed? an anniversary program | Education Town Hall Forum:Equity, Race, Revolution & Reform in US Education: What has (not) changed? an anniversary programCOMING THIS WEEK on the Education Town Hall —To honor Black History Month and the Education Town Hall’s anniversary, join us on February 18, as host Thomas Byrd leads a
Ed Notes Online: Rebecca Friedrichs in Mourning: Rebecca Friedrichs in MourningFriedrichs: Please, pay me less.Untold story: How Scalia's death blew up an anti-union group's grand legal strategyhttp://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-scalia-s-death-anti-union-group-legal-strategy-20160214-column.htmlMichael HiltzikContact ReporterThe Economy Hub The anti-union lawsuit known as Friedrichs
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Protecting Your Student's Data (and Your Privacy): Protecting Your Student's Data (and Your Privacy)The Department of Education is seeking comment on a new student database. From Student Privacy Matters:The U.S. Department of Education intends to create a new student database to house the personally identifiable information of 12,000 students, 500 teachers and 104
Understanding How Our Brains Learn | Creative by Nature: Understanding How Our Brains LearnOver the last 30 years or so, researchers in cognitive science, education and developmental psychology have discovered some amazing things about how the human brain works, how our minds are naturally configured to develop skills, think creatively and continuously learn.You’ve probably heard that we each use
CORPORATE ED REFORMImportant ESSA Discussion February 16: Online Streaming Available & Tweet Senator Alexander Your Feelings on ESSA – Missouri Education WatchdogImportant ESSA Discussion February 16: Online Streaming Available & Tweet Senator Alexander Your Feelings on ESSA – Missouri Education Watchdog: Important ESSA Discussion February 16: Online Streaming Available & Tweet Senator
July’s “Best” Lists – There Are Now 1,746 Of Them
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Here’s my regular round-up of new “The Best…” lists I posted this month
(you can see all 1,746 of them categorized here): The Best Resources &
Ideas For ...
Extreme Commuting and Online Education
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Blog:
Technology and Learning
How long is your commute?
Do you think that educators involved in online education think differently
about commuting - incl...
The Exceptional Delaware Memo
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So I took a break over the last week and a half. I did cheat last Monday
and popped two articles up. But whatever. It’s my blog. I’ll do what I
please....
Forbes Says 18 Dumb Things
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Forbes has some super-duper insights to offer about education, courtesy of
Omri Ben-Sahar and Carl E. Schneider. If you don't recognize those names
from th...
"I Want To Remind You . . ."
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When I first started teaching my own class of 3-5 year olds, I had this
idea that the children should make their own rules. I'm sure I'm not the
first ...
NEA Continues Support for Charter Schools
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*NEA Continues Support for Charter Schools*
by Jim Horn
Every year American public school educators send approximately a billion
and a half dollars to t...
This Week in Education Organizing - July 21, 2017
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*The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools Newsletter July 21, 2017*
Welcome to our July 21 newsletter! As always, share the latest stories from
your city ...
Andre Helmstetter for District V
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It took me awhile to get here but, after careful consideration, I am
endorsing *Andre Helmstetter* for Board position V.
I have great respect for both Ale...
Florida Education Reform: “It’s a Trap”
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In his stand-up comedy days, Steve Martin had a routine about a TV
evangelist. This character had, he believed, stumbled across the perfect TV
evangelist s...
.. of presidential indictments & self-pardons
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both of which have been in the news recently, especially given the release
of the memorandum Kenneth Starr commissioned that was written by Ron
Rotunda t...
A Lesson for Neil deGrasse Tyson
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I've had great respect for Neil deGrasse Tyson ever since the first time I
saw him on Bill Maher's show. I mean, here's a guy, smarter than me,
smarter th...
Weekend News & Commentary — July 22-23, 2017
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On Friday, fifteen civil and human rights leaders published a letter to
José Muñoz, chairman of Nissan North America, urging him to allow workers
at the Ni...
Autism Speaks at District 75
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I got a summer school gig again this summer. Same school as last year,
different building, but still in District 75.
I am happy.
Last year I did phys ed...
NEWS FLASH: FOUNDING FATHERS USE NEW TECHNOLOGY
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Members of both major political parties attacking each other. Fake News.
Name-calling. Wild tweeting? Today’s world? Of course, but it …
Continue reading →
Student of the Month Nightmare
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I was grading papers late last night—and had already polished off my second
Twix bar—because I hate grading papers and have to reward myself with sugar
to ...
How To Really Drain The ATR Pool.
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Over the decade, the DOE has tried many different ways to reduce the ATR
pool and has utterly failed as the total number of ATR...
Kasich ‘Gobbledygooks’ On GOP Health Care Bill
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Ohio’s term-limited governor penned another op-ed in the New York Times on
Republican health care bills in Congress and how unacceptable they are in
thei...
How to Identify an Enemy of Public Education
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“How the Democratic Party Became an Enemy of Public Education” explained
how both Republicans and Democrats are selling the idea that private-sector
educ...
All Doctors Should Teach (Paula Cohen)
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I have written often about the cluster of occupations that make up the
“helping” professions: teaching, clinical medicine, nursing, therapy, and
social wor...
DeVos in Twitter war with AFT
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Does this mean, no more school visits together with Randi and Betsy?
*Jack Roskopp* at Detroit Metro Times reports that Education Secretary*
Betsy DeVos "*...
I Lift My Lamp
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Emma Lazarus, born on this day in 1849… After returning from Europe,
Lazarus was asked for an original poem to be auctioned off as a fundraiser
for the bui...
USC to fire ex-dean over drug allegations
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*File: Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A. arrives at Changing Lives And
Creating Cures Gala at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Thursday, Nov. 20,
2014, in ...
Something Is Rotten In The State Of Connecticut
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On July 19, 2017, the unelected, governor-appointed Connecticut State Board
of Education approved 504 additional seats in state charter schools for
next ye...
Where Journalism Shouldn’t Be
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Satire doesn’t need explication. But satire, on occasion, can also provide
a useful starting point for clarifying poins. Erik Wemple’s column on Chris
Cill...
When "Miracle" Charter Schools Shed Students
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A follow-up to yesterday's post:
As I noted, NBC's *Sunday Night with Megan Kelly* broadcast a story earlier
this month about Boys Latin Charter School, a ...
The Many Ways We Are De-Professionalizing Teaching
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The policy goal here is de-professionalizing teaching, establishing it once
and for all as a short-term, entry-level technical job designed to attract
a re...
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
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Watch Ethel Rosenberg’s sons on 60 Minutes this Sunday! This Sunday, July
23rd, at 7:00 pm, 60 Minutes is expected to air a story examining the case
of Eth...
99 Years of Progress Erased – unless we fight back
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Public healthcare for all? Public education for all? What is being done to
our monetized children regarding their potential healthcare and their
existing e...
#TrumpWorld & #USWomensOpen: This Is Not Normal
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Members of SOMA stage a peaceful, silent protest at the LPGA Women's Open
at Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster, NJ, July 16, 2017
First, congratulatio...
Does KIPP Deserve To Expand In Philly?
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Charter schools are a large component of the modern education reform
movement. In theory, the charters will get better results because with the
added auto...
You Can Be an Astronaut, but You Can't Be Black
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“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s a question I always
imagined every kindergarten student hearing.
“I want to be a doctor!” declares Sally.
...
Editorial Peddles School Privatization Agenda
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The San Diego Union editor deserves the bunkum efficiency award for packing
so much baloney in a scant four paragraphs. The first sentence of the
editorial...
Every Student Deserves to Be Heard
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Students who are victims of sexual assault or harassment are often afraid
they won’t be believed or taken seriously, and terrified they’ll be
victimized in...
School Reform’s Hot Air Balloon
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The current issue of The Washington Monthly contains an article by former
journalist Thomas Toch, “Hot for Teachers,” the latest in continuing string
of pi...
Trumpkins
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The evidence is clear:The Trump campaign met with Russian interests to
obtain information to help their campaign. Trump’s top advisors omitted
information...
Book Deserts and Their Effects
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Feature Report: “Book Deserts and Their Effects” — with citations and
resources Recording, 7/13/17, begins at 2:00 — Over the past few years, the
District ...
When social media meets the academy
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After I started my PhD program, I gave up much of my social media and
blogging activity (though not all). This was for reasons of time, energy,
but also vo...
Who’s Afraid of Professional Teachers?
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New York’s charter school sector, apparently. Politico reports that the
charter sector has potentially won a much desired prize: permission to
“certify” th...
No Status Quo in Wisconsin!
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Since testifying against the Wisconsin DPI (Department of Public
Instruction) teacher license rule changes, some have suggested that I am
simply a defend...
A Note About Identity and The Light That Guides Us
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Recently, I wrote on Medium about my racial identity and how my blackness
shapes the way I view the world. Observe: The idea of joy ...
Read More
The po...
‘I Quit!’
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TweetHave You Heard Episode #21: Teachers Are Leaving and They Want to Tell
You Why In this episode of Have You Heard, we hear from teachers who left
thei...
Beyond Testing
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Dear Friends and Family, I want to let you know that my new book, Beyond
Testing: Seven Assessments of Students and Schools More Effective Than
Standardize...
Site News: New Home for Education News & Commentary
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Quick! Get over there! The daily education news roundup and education
commentaries that you're probably looking for are now being published over
at The Gra...
Coop Goes to Europe Part 42 – The Clays
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It was Saturday December 8th and I woke up in the rollaway bed in Kevin
Clay’s bedroom at the family’s house in Horspath. I had gotten in last
night around...
The Blackwhite World of LAUSD’s Charter Schools
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BLACKWHITE…a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party
discipline demands this. But it means also the ability to BELIEVE that
black is white,...
The Third Annual National Give-A-Kid-A-Book Day
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July 6, 2017 marks the 3rd annual National Give-a-Kid-a-Book Day. This day
of book giving was initiated on this blog in 2015 as a way to get books
into ch...
THE COUP TO DESTROY THE AMERICAN DREAM
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Within the core of our freedoms, lie the avenues powerful individuals use
to take away the rights of citizens and the controls of government designed
and e...
Parent/Educator EDU
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I have long been a guest blogger for Edutopia, which has been both a
challenge and an honor. I have always found it challenging to be
provocative in promot...
Should We Be Grateful?
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In an odd turn of events, and with little explanation, Michigan Governor
Rick Snyder has decided to return the state’s School Reform Office back to
the Dep...
The Sweeny-Prieto School Aid Proposal: An Analysis
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Source: The Sweeny-Prieto School Aid Proposal: An Analysis Mark Weber
Doctoral Candidate Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey POLICY
BRIEF: Weber_Sw...
This is also who we are
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I needed this story. Maybe you need it, too. This is also who we are. This
is how we find one another. This is how we resist.
Continue reading…
Support Room 134!
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*Friends, family, even public education supporters I don't know on social
media are always asking about how they can help given the constant madness
of the...
An Open Letter to NC Lawmakers
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An Open Letter to NC State Lawmakers and NC State Superintendent Mark
Johnson: I am a NC native, voter, and public school teacher. I am
addressing you all ...
Charter schools harm students
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Remediation costs from charter high school “graduates” getting into
college, but not having basic proficiency are astronomical both in terms of
economics...
Demand … or Be Damned
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I was invited by Kevin Zeese to contribute something to Popular Resistance
a while back, to contribute a call for an action in response to current
educatio...
The case against heavy phonics
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Sent to the Sydney Morning Herald, May 28, 2017
Monica Dux claims the evidence supporting explicit systematic instruction
is "overwhelming" and that whole...
Class of 2017: When you see a chance…
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The price to pay for never acting on the things you want out of life can be
heavy. You miss opportunities. You wonder what might have been. Regretting
inac...
Don't Like Chris Christie? Blame the Democrats.
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Yesterday Diane Ravitch published a piece in The New Republic, titled Don't
Like Betsy DeVos? Blame the Democrats.
If you care about public education at al...
Paul Ryan Comes To Harlem
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In a sense, the visit of such a person to such an institution made perfect
sense, that much the more in the Age of Trump. After all, here you had
Speaker o...
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Welcome to The Inspired Moto! Here you will find our collection of
one–of-a-kind items, each hand made from reclaimed motorcycle or automobile
parts, com...
We Opted Out, Now What?
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Your family made the decision to "refuse" or opt out of the state
assessments. By taking this action you are standing up for your child's
education. You ...
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*Countering Islamophobia in Classrooms and Schools: A Workshop for
Educators*
In the US, fear of terrorism has been used to justify the racial and
relig...
PARCC TEST MEMBERSHIP DOWN TO SIX STATES AND D.C.
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I'm remembering back to 2015 when Arne Duncan's SUV took a wrong turn on
the way to Ariel Community Academy in Chicago, and he was forced to get out
and w...
The Secret to Fixing Schools (My Next Bestseller)
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The Secret to Fixing Schools (My next bestseller) Prologue I just finished
watching a fascinating documentary on Netflix entitled, “The Secret”. The
film p...
Campbell Brown’s newest nanny state
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She flamed out at network news. She’s flamed out at cable news. So what’s a
washed-up ex-this, ex-that, to do? Campbell Brown is now going to tell you
how ...
Farewell, Sleep
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Today is the official last day of my spring break. I've done a scientific
survey: My natural bedtime is 2 AM, and my natural wake up time is 9:41
AM. Tom...
New Local Businesses in Sacramento
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Starting a new local business in Sacramento is a monumental task, but can
be accomplished with footwork, perseverance and knowledge. One must learn
the loc...
Jewell Elementary & Aurora Public Schools Skirt Law
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Letter sent to Colorado State Board of Education, as well as media,
senators who sponsored bill, Aurora Education Association, Aurora
superintendent office...
All those things that don’t change
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Well, I saw a cardinal hopping around the trees this past weekend at a
local state park. Spring winds are blowing but the winds of winter still
doesn’t wan...
Education Bloggers Daily Highlights 3/2/2017
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Education Bloggers Daily Highlights 3/1/2017 Education Bloggers Daily
Highlights Courtesy of Big Education Ape A special thank you to education
blogger Mik...
What Works Can Hurt: Side Effects in Education
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This medicine can reduce fever, but it can cause a bleeding stomach. When
you buy a medical product, you are given information about both its effects
and s...
Bad Hair Day
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It’s winter time. It’s cold — okay, not for anyone outside California and
Florida, but still — I’m wearing hats in the morning. Lovely knitted hats
that I’...
WWJD to Public Schools?
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Public education supporters have legit reasons to be worried about
President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of Education, Betsy
DeVos.
Living t...
The Invasion of the Public School Snatchers
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Public schools are in danger. The public school, that long-standing symbol
and foundation of democracy, is threatened by people who either sincerely
beli...
Lessons Learned
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Our children receive so much direct instruction from their parents, schools
and institutions. Day in and day out, the lessons are specific with
measurable ...
Capturing the Spark
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It’s been a long time since InterACT was an active education blog, though I
remain quite proud of what we did here. Those of us who wrote blog posts
here h...
Rocketship is a gross place
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I’ve always thought Rocketship was a really gross model for a charter
school. It’s a terrible experiment for poor black and brown children, one
that more a...
Random Musings and Observations. . . .
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I’ve been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular
readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for
that. Sinc...
WTU Peterson Slate: Not a 1 Woman Dictatorship
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Candi Peterson & GeLynn Thompson
Candidates for WTU Prez & GVP 2016By Candi Peterson, WTU Gen. Vice President
*Statements or expressions of opinions herein...
MY NEW BLOG
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My new blog will consist of fictitious headlines, meant to be a blend of
humor and satire. I apologize ahead of time if any other satirical site has
simila...
Random House published my new book SCHOOLS ON TRIAL
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On February 16th, Doubleday, an imprint of Random House, published my new
book SCHOOLS ON TRIAL: How Freedom and Creativity Can Fix Our Educational
Malprac...
NYS Tests: Has anything really changed?
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When I wrote my blog post last year, The Truth about New York State
Testing, I thought to myself… if only I could really tell the whole truth
about the tes...
Thank you
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Dear Readers,
Thank you for visiting *The Perimeter Primate*. This blog is being retired
for the time being. Although I no longer post here, I do still s...
I am Retiring
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I have some news: I am retiring from the PBS NewsHour and Learning Matters.
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other
conte...
All Aboard the Opt Out Bus
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The #OptOutBus is currently traveling the country giving away free books to
children! Follow their progress at their Facebook page and donate to their
FR...
Mixer on the River for Safer Schools V
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Join GLSEN Hudson Valley for and evening of summertime fun that brings
businesses, not-for-profits, individuals, and school communities together
for an a...
Time To Say Goodbye
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As some of you may have already noticed, I'm shutting down District 299. I
created the blog way back in the day (2005) when when I realized that
Chicago ed...
A Teacher Tries Opting Out
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This is my first blog post and kind of the reason I decided to create my
own blog: to keep people updated on what is going on with my request, as a
teacher...
Flaws at the Heart of Current Education Reforms
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Originally posted on Creative by Nature:
“Teaching is an art form rooted in the wise and careful use of educational
research and assessment tools. When gove...
Revised Policy Statement Released
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On the eve of the Chicago mayoral election, Chicagoland Researchers and
Advocates for Transformative Education (CReATE), a network of education
researcher...
my response to john merrow
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In response to What a Difference a Dash Makes! by John Merrow
Dear Mr. Merrow,
I believe you know EXACTLY what is going on; you are simply too smart and
...
Spanish Readers’ Blog: 2014 en resumen
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Spanish Readers’s blog con la ayuda de WordPress ha preparado su reporte
anual para el año que termina (Vea el 2013): Un resúmen: La sala de
conciertos de ...
A Call for the Next Phase in the Resistance
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Originally posted on the becoming radical:
Teachers at every level of schooling have struggled against two powerful
social claims: (i) education has always...
Seven of Campbell Brown's Funders Come Clean
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Campbell Brown's courageous stand to take on teacher tenure protections has
recently come under some fire because her Partnership for Educational
Justic...
