loss aversion

I can see it now...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/merit-pay-and-loss-aversion-nonsense-studies/2012/07/23/gJQA5GKs4W_blog.html#pagebreak

maybe I'm not listening carefully

In the flood of  'reporting' about the shooting at the Aurora Century theater, there's been lots (LOTS) of chatter about premeditation and revenge, and planning. Even from the profilers and shrinks.
Not one of them so far has stated what seems obvious to me: James Holmes may be mentally ill. His history, what we know of it, fits for a schizophrenic (undiagnosed or unmedicated) having a psychotic break. There are other possibilities as well, but that's the first thing that comes to my mind. Only Chris Cuomo suggested the possibility today on The View. What's up with that?

sarcastic tone intended...

So, extreme focus on test results results in boring classes; wow, really? and from the same people who printed value-added ratings...

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/education/la-ed-school-creativity-20120715,0,5690286.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Feducation+%28L.A.+Times+-+Education%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Community College Spotlight | Educating for equity

Community College Spotlight | Educating for equity

So, I wonder, would I have been better off going to tech school for HVAC or something else more essential than teaching kids?

Magic Bull

Magic Bull

Interesting questions raised.

Here's another: If this is so critical to improving teaching and learning in our schools, why is it being kept such a closely guarded secret? You can't find an article outlining the "taxonomy", because you have to buy the book to lean about it. Money in someone's pocket. Or you can take his classes at Relay Graduate School of Education, putting MORE money in someone else's pocket...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blog/answer-sheet/Archive/201207

I wonder if Arne Duncan read this Dilbert strip today?

I wonder if Arne Duncan read this Dilbert strip today?
LOVE IT! I think I know this person.

Teacher Keys?

http://www.artofteachingscience.org/2012/07/08/georgia-department-education-evaluation-plan-work/

more on value-added...

Remember that letter signed by school administrators around NYS, criticizing the decision to proceed with effectiveness ratings based on VAM?Here is a letter signed by education researchers and professors at multiple Ga institutions, arguing against the Teacher Keys implementation scheduled for this fall. It has been published in the Washington Post and at EmpowerED Georgia. Apparently, no media in the state is interested so far:
 http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/georgia-professors-blast-teacher-evaluation-system/2012/07/09/gJQAFhSbZW_blog.html#pagebreak
http://www.empoweredga.org/Articles/greater-letter-1.html
When will local media pick it up?

Schools Matter: Elevator Speech on Harm of High Stakes Testing

This one says it all: Private entities have already tried running school districts according to corporate models & seen disastrous results.

Schools Matter: Elevator Speech on Harm of High Stakes Testing: Dov Rosenberg posted this on Facebook and I think it's going viral.  WORKING LIST! Why Testing & Privati...

Teachers in the Crosshairs | Common Dreams

A new take on blame. Whose fault is it, really?

Teachers in the Crosshairs | Common Dreams

Schools Matter: Smear Campaign Against Teachers is Freakish, New L...

Cartoon worth seeing

Schools Matter: Smear Campaign Against Teachers is Freakish, New L...: Perhaps like an alcoholic or drug addict, our children, teachers, public schools and country will have to hit rock bottom before finding ...

Gerald Coles: Why Bother Educating the Poor? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Coles offers his own "Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People From Being a Burden on Their Parents or Country". He's only reflecting the prevailing mindset of many of our policymakers.
Here's a taste:
 Since overseas labor is less costly, fewer U.S. workers are needed for the jobs that are and will be available in this country. Why spend money to provide U.S. poor children with adequate food, clothing, healthcare and other basics of life, along with the full funding needed to educate them? For business needs it would be a waste of money.

Gerald Coles: Why Bother Educating the Poor? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

some of the research on VAM

The RAND Corp folks produced the following analysis of Value-added Measurement in 2003:
The research base is currently insufficient to support the use of VAM for high-stakes decisions. We have identified numerous possible sources of error in teacher effects and any attempt to use VAM estimates for high-stakes decisions must be informed by an understanding of these potential errors.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2004/RAND_MG158.pdf
If you want something more recent, check out this one from the National Academies Press, 2010:  Despite a substantial amount of research over the last decade and a half, overcoming these challenges has proven to be very difficult, and many questions remain unanswered--at a time when there is strong interest in implementing value-added models in a variety of settings.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12820 (pdf available free)

BOTTOM LINE:  VAM isn't ready for prime time. I personally think that anyone whose job is threatened as a result of these mathematical gymnastics should run, not walk, to their union rep or attorney and challenge the findings. It does not meet the standard of general acceptance of validity and reliability.

Note: Grant Wiggins' post at http://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/value-added-why-its-use-makes-me-angry-or-good-idea-gone-bad/ pointed me to these references, and others.

Is the 'teacher shortage' a myth like the 'skilled worker shortage'?

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2012/06/what_if_the_skilled_worker_sho.html#recommend

Recently some news articles have quietly revealed an ugly truth: there are lots of  'skilled workers' right here in the US. They may be geographically seperated from places where the jobs are (relocating is such fun, ya know?), or may have parallel experience in a different market sector that prospective employers don't recognize or acknowledge. In any case, there are lots of folks out of work who could do those jobs. The 'shortage' isn't nearly as extreme as we (and USCIS) have been led to believe.
So, that got me thinking, what about the 20-year teacher 'shortage'? Could it be a similar scenario? Maybe there are qualified teachers who could teach those kids, but they live in another state, taught in a private rather than public school, elementary rather than middle school, etc. Hmm.

Wow, a heavy hitter says VAM doesn't work- G Wiggins!

So, Wiggins says that even though he likes the idea, it's not as useful as everyone (Arne Duncan and our governors) assumes. He's excerpted in Class Struggle and his complete piece is at http://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/value-added-why-its-use-makes-me-angry-or-good-idea-gone-bad/

Now, how can we get TPTB to read this and understand it?

Here's someone I'd like to work for

A supt in south Ga tells it like it is about Common Core.
I'd like to point out that my district has purchased some of the products developed to align with Common Core. Brought to market in record time. I had to attend a multi-day training.
It's disappointing to see readers who think this is a good idea, and advocate teaching from a script.

http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2012/07/01/are-the-new-national-academic-standards-rotten-to-the-common-core/