Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Michelle Rhee takes herself out of the running for Trump’s education secretary - The Washington Post

Michelle Rhee takes herself out of the running for Trump’s education secretary - The Washington Post:

Michelle Rhee takes herself out of the running for Trump’s education secretary






Michelle Rhee, who rose to national prominence as the controversial chancellor of D.C. Public Schools, appeared on Tuesday to take herself out of the running to become President-elect Donald Trump’s education secretary.
Rhee’s name had been circulated as a potential candidate for education secretary, speculation that only intensified after she and her husband — former NBA star and current Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson — met with Trump over the weekend. Trump pronounced them both “greatly talented” and, according to his transition team, they spoke about “the possibility for increasing competition through charter and choice schools.”
Rhee put the education secretary rumors to bed on Tuesday afternoon, tweeting that she was not pursuing the position. But she pushed back against criticism by some in the education reform community that she should not have met with Trump, given his statements about women, immigrants, Muslims and people with disabilities.
“I have appreciated the opportunity to share my thoughts on education with the PEOTUS,” Rhee’s message said, using an acronym for President-elect of the United States. “Interestingly many colleagues warned me against doing so. They are wrong. Mr. Trump won the election. Our job as Americans is to want him to succeed. Wishing for his failure would be wanting the failure of our millions of American children who desperately need a better education.”
“I am hopeful about the opportunity to find common ground on this important issue of education and will do whatever I can to be supportive,” she wrote in a separate tweet.



In light of the speculation about the Secretary of Education role, I wanted to clarify my position and what's best for America's students.

As an Asian American woman, Rhee would have brought diversity to a prospective Cabinet that is otherwise shaping up to be largely white and male. She also would have brought a diversity of ideas: Rhee is a longtime Democrat who has been a strong supporter of the Common Core State Standards, which Trump and his base abhor. She says that young undocumented people who have grown up in the United States should have a route to citizenship, putting her squarely at odds with the president-elect, who put mass deportation at the center of his campaign.
But Rhee’s blunt pronouncements about broken public schools — and the way she seemed to relish public battles with the teachers union as she instituted sweeping changes in D.C. schools — have made her one of the most widely known figures calling for change in the education system. She has been a foremost voice pushing for the expansion of charter schools and a rare Democrat who embraces vouchers for private schools — on expanding such taxpayer-funded alternatives to traditional public schools, she and Trump see eye to eye.
And not incidentally, Rhee’s brash style is a lot like Trump’s: The two share the distinction of having fired employees on national television, Trump on his show “The Apprentice” and Rhee during a public television documentary.Michelle Rhee takes herself out of the running for Trump’s education secretary - The Washington Post:

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 11/22/16



Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 11/22/16

Featured Post

Jeff Sessions’ Other Civil Rights Problem - The New York Times




The results from Georgia— Victory in the Battle Against a State Takeover District - Network For Public Education
The results from Georgia— Victory in the Battle Against a State Takeover District - Network For Public Education : The results from Georgia— Victory in the Battle Against a State Takeover District by Bertis Downs – Athens, GA parent and Network for Public Education Board Member and Janet Kishbaugh – Atlanta, GA parent and Public Education Matters- Georgia Member For those of us who support public
Public school teachers worry for their profession under a Trump presidency
Public school teachers worry for their profession under a Trump presidency : Public school teachers worry for their profession under a Trump presidency The president-elect has called teachers “stupid.” President-elect Donald Trump once called teachers “stupid” and sharply criticized teachers unions. Members of his family have minimized sexual harassment and suggested that teaching kindergarten wo
CURMUDGUCATION: Dear Dan Rather
CURMUDGUCATION: Dear Dan Rather : Dear Dan Rather Dear Dan: I just noticed your post on Facebook in which you said Some disasters hit us with a sudden and unexpected fury like 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina. But some boil beneath the surface wreaking destruction without enough of us paying attention. If you want to see the hair on the back of my neck stand up in anger ask me about one such disaster -
Spotlight on CEJ: More Powerful Together | Schott Foundation for Public Education
Spotlight on CEJ: More Powerful Together | Schott Foundation for Public Education : Spotlight on CEJ: More Powerful Together | In honor of #GivingTuesday on November 29th, the Schott Foundation has reached out to some of our grantee partners to get the low-down on what they do, who they’re doing it for, and the challenges that they handle like rockstars every day. The Schott Foundation has partne
Undocumented Sacramento State students strategize about how to avoid being deported | The Sacramento Bee
Undocumented Sacramento State students strategize about how to avoid being deported | The Sacramento Bee : How to avoid being deported under Trump? Sac State students strategize A panel participating in the summit for undocumented students at California State University, Sacramento on Monday, November 21. Erica Perez, California State University, Sacramento Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/n
Garcetti doubles down on LA being sanctuary city for immigrants | abc7.com
Garcetti doubles down on LA being sanctuary city for immigrants | abc7.com : GARCETTI DOUBLES DOWN ON LA BEING SANCTUARY CITY FOR IMMIGRANTS LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said the Southland would remain a sanctuary city for immigrants and backed those statements up when meeting with concerned students and officials on Monday. Garcetti met with students from the Los Angeles
Trump could reverse Obama’s actions on college sex assault, transgender rights - The Washington Post
Trump could reverse Obama’s actions on college sex assault, transgender rights - The Washington Post : Trump could reverse Obama’s actions on college sex assault, transgender rights A woman carries a sign in solidarity with a Stanford University rape victim during graduation at Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif., in June. Stanford students were protesting the university’s handling of rape cases, alleg
Do NOLA Test Score Increases Demonstrate Real Learning Gains? - Living in Dialogue
Do NOLA Test Score Increases Demonstrate Real Learning Gains? - Living in Dialogue : Do NOLA Test Score Increases Demonstrate Real Learning Gains? By John Thompson. Author’s Note: This post was drafted before the election, but held until after the anticipated defeats of Donald Trump and Massachusetts’s State Question 2. The assumption was that the timing would be right for a balanced discussion o
A 9 to 5 School Day: Are Longer Hours Better for Students and Educators?
A 9 to 5 School Day: Are Longer Hours Better for Students and Educators? : A 9 to 5 School Day: Are Longer Hours Better for Students and Educators? In 2004, Kuss Middle School in Fall River, Massachusetts, was labelled a Level 4 or “chronically underperforming” school, a lowly status that made it the focus of increased oversight and intervention. By 2013, however, Kuss, along with other strugglin
Today is a day to remember that Malloy and the Legislature STOLE Connecticut’s school seat belt money! - Wait What?
Today is a day to remember that Malloy and the Legislature STOLE Connecticut’s school seat belt money! - Wait What? : Today is a day to remember that Malloy and the Legislature STOLE Connecticut’s school seat belt money! From today’s Chattanooga Times Free Pres, 6 students in ICU after school bus driver charged in crash that killed Woodmore Elementary students , Five students are confirmed dead i
Schools as Foundations of Democracy - Bridging Differences - Education Week
Schools as Foundations of Democracy - Bridging Differences - Education Week : Schools as Foundations of Democracy Deborah Meier continues her conversation with Harry Boyte. To read their full exchange, please visit here . Dear Harry and friends, We get back—in your last letter—to an underlying theme that runs through our discourse! Election vs. citizen action. Actually, Harry, I suspect we'd real
Fast ForWord Computer Reading Program is KindaSlow!
Fast ForWord Computer Reading Program is KindaSlow! : Fast ForWord Computer Reading Program is KindaSlow! When technology fails, shouldn’t there be accountability–like real teachers? In Gainesville, Florida, home of the prestigious University of Florida, the Alachua School District spent $1.9 million on a reading computer program called Fast ForWord. But children who did Fast ForWord did worse th
Neutrality is Dangerous - Badass Teachers Association
Badass Teachers Association : Neutrality is Dangerous By: Ferial Pearson This week, I've spoken on a panel at the ADL about Islamophobia, talked with the mayor about the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community, and presented to over 40 school librarians about Culturally Responsive Teaching, and there was one thing that came up all three times. Neutrality is dangerous, irresponsible, and just plain bad. T
Trump's Search For Education Secretary Narrows To Two Candidates - BuzzFeed News
Trump's Search For Education Secretary Narrows To Two Candidates - BuzzFeed News : Trump’s Search For Education Secretary Narrows To Two Candidates Republican megadonor Betsy DeVos would be the conventional choice, while school reformer Michelle Rhee would be the “fuck you” candidate for teachers unions. President-elect Donald Trump’s search for a secretary of education has narrowed to two candid
Where Donald Trump Stands on School Choice, Student Debt and Common Core - The New York Times
Where Donald Trump Stands on School Choice, Student Debt and Common Core - The New York Times : Where Donald Trump Stands on School Choice, Student Debt and Common Core When it comes to predicting how President-elect Donald J. Trump ’s administration will affect America’s schools and universities, education experts say they are struggling to read the tea leaves. “The fundamental issue is that nob
Jeff Sessions’ Other Civil Rights Problem - The New York Times
Jeff Sessions’ Other Civil Rights Problem - The New York Times : Jeff Sessions’ Other Civil Rights Problem In 1986, the Republican-dominated Senate Judiciary Committee torpedoed Ronald Reagan’s nomination of Jeff Sessions to the federal bench. As sworn testimony there revealed, Mr. Sessions, then the United States attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, had referred to the N.A.A.C.P. and t
Broadie Antwan Wilson, schools chief in Oakland, Calif., expected to be nominated for D.C. schools chancellor - The Washington Post
Antwan Wilson, schools chief in Oakland, Calif., expected to be nominated for D.C. schools chancellor - The Washington Post : Antwan Wilson, schools chief in Oakland, Calif., expected to be nominated for D.C. schools chancellor D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser is expected to name Antwan Wilson — the superintendent of schools in Oakland, Calif. — as her nominee to lead the District’s school system on T
Obama Administration Calls On Schools To Stop Abusing Kids | The Huffington Post
Obama Administration Calls On Schools To Stop Abusing Kids | The Huffington Post : Obama Administration Calls On Schools To Stop Abusing Kids In the 2013-2014 school year, more than 100,000 students were subjected to some form of corporal punishment. Although 28 states and the District of Columbia explicitly prohibit the act of physical discipline in school, corporal punishment is hardly a relic
Top 5 Reasons @TeachForAmerica and ed reformers LOVE Trump and Rhee – Cloaking Inequity
Top 5 Reasons @TeachForAmerica and ed reformers LOVE Trump and Rhee – Cloaking Inequity : Top 5 Reasons @TeachForAmerica and ed reformers LOVE Trump and Rhee Word on the street is that Teach For America (TFA) wants to publicly endorse Michelle Rhee (TFA alum) for US Secretary of Education. Apparently there is some pushback within the organization against the alliance of TFA, Rhee and Trump. The e
What About the Crazy Talk of “Moving Students into High Quality Seats”? | janresseger
What About the Crazy Talk of “Moving Students into High Quality Seats”? | janresseger : What About the Crazy Talk of “Moving Students into High Quality Seats”? What Could Go Wrong? These days, as part of the rhetoric of technocratic school reform, you often hear people talk about the goal of moving more students into high quality seats. It’s a puzzling way of talking, as though education is purel
Education Under Trump: Who Will Ride Shotgun, and Who Will Get Locked Out? - Politics K-12 - Education Week
Education Under Trump: Who Will Ride Shotgun, and Who Will Get Locked Out? - Politics K-12 - Education Week : Education Under Trump: Who Will Ride Shotgun, and Who Will Get Locked Out? By Alyson Klein and Andrew Ujifusa President-elect Donald Trump hasn't picked an education secretary yet, and he didn't talk a great deal about schools on the campaign trail. But his triumph in the election already
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: N.Y. Dems try and regroup behind Cuomo after the Clinton debacle
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: N.Y. Dems try and regroup behind Cuomo after the Clinton debacle : N.Y. Dems try and regroup behind Cuomo after the Clinton debacle Fallout from the Clinton debacle. N.Y. Gov. Cuomo , is not wasting any time. He's positioning himself for 2020 and trying to prevent a takeover of the party by progressives. Daily News' Kenneth Lovett reports: Gov. Cuomo this past week
More Books! | Deborah Meier on Education
More Books! | Deborah Meier on Education : More Books! Here is my latest in both some new(ish) books that I want to recommend as well as a few older ones that are still worth reading. The Artisan Teaching Model , by Kenneth Baum and Daniel Krulwich “Explore a powerful and innovative new approach to leadership development within schools. Based on the authors’ success in a South Bronx school, this
Audio: Schools increasingly seek out tolerance workshops post-election | 89.3 KPCC
Audio: Schools increasingly seek out tolerance workshops post-election | 89.3 KPCC : Schools increasingly seek out tolerance workshops post-election Fall would typically be a slow period in the Anti-Defamation League’s education department. The group usually holds about 20 anti-bias programs at schools during the autumn months. Not this year. “We’ve seen a 50 percent increase this fall,” said Dav

YESTERDAY

Sweetwater Schools Embrace “Corporate Education Reform” | tultican
Sweetwater Schools Embrace “Corporate Education Reform” | tultican : Sweetwater Schools Embrace “Corporate Education Reform” At November’s monthly Mar Vista High School staff meeting, the CORE Districts accountability protocol was formally presented. In June, the Sweetwater Union High School District’s (SWUHD) board agreed to a $39,200 per year fee for CORE Districts membership. By accepting the
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 11/21/16
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 11/21/16 Featured Post Trump and Potential Education Secretaries Talked Choice, Common Core - Politics K-12 - Education Week Spotlight on the "Doggedly Determined" Education Voters of 

Top Posts This Week