Jersey Jazzman: @jaredpolis: America's Worst Congressperson

Jersey Jazzman: @jaredpolis: America's Worst Congressperson: What a schmuck : Yes, 75 year old Diane Ravitch -- grandmother, author, and historian -- is "evil" in the eyes of this sittin...

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding_common_ground/2013/09/how_public_is_the_public_school_system.html

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding_common_ground/2013/09/how_public_is_the_public_school_system.html


HMM.....

Delta Scape: Why do we need celebrities to fix education?

Delta Scape: Why do we need celebrities to fix education?: Director M. Night Shyamalan is the latest celebrity to take a turn at telling us how to fix the education system in the United States.  I ...

For the record, I LOVED Lady in the Water, Signs, Sixth Sense. But on this, he's lost me. Off the rails, totally.

Be sure and watch the interview. Listen for how little he really says.
Then, watch the parody down the page. and roar with laughter.

BTW, it's after hours, and i'm at the public library on their late night...
Update, 28 minutes later:
Excerpt of Shyamalan's book, on NPR, here:  http://www.npr.org/books/titles/221422419/i-got-schooled-the-unlikely-story-of-how-a-moonlighting-movie-maker-learned-the-?tab=excerpt#excerpt

And, here's SLATE, with predictions for the ending of the book: http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/09/09/m_night_shyamalan_s_new_book_i_got_schooled_about_how_to_fix_the_education.html

The real status quo?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/05/29/how-school-reform-preserves-the-status-quo-and-what-real-change-would-look-like/

Wow, I'm a 1-percenter!

So says Charles Koch, (of the Koch Brothers, Koch Foundation, Tea Party, free-market economics, etc). Of course, his reference is the entire world. Which does me a fat lot of good, since I earn and spend my teaching salary here in the US, where it ain't even close. Too bad the commute from Bangkok or Calcutta is such a bitch. My money would stretch a LOT more there, or any number of other places around the globe. But, again, I live HERE, and it just doesn't go very far, with rising costs for, well, EVERYTHING, and no cost of living adjustments in years. And, in this 'right to work' state, I have no union protection, no collective bargaining. My well-being and ability to earn a living depends entirely upon the whims of the state legislature every January.

Read up on Milton Friedman and the Chicago School of Economics if you're interested in background on Koch's position. I'm trying to get through Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine, but it's depressing to read and realize these jerks are calling the shots. Have your heard about the

What a school year, already

I've been snowed under, managing students, contacting parents, trying to plan properly with my co-teacher, teaching and reteaching, while planning time is eaten up with the new state evaluation system for teachers. It'called TKES. Teacher Keys Effectiveness System. Sounds impressive. Really it's VAM dressed up. And our training for it is in the form of these boring, repetitive videos that we have to watch and sign off that we've watched. Imagine if I taught class this way...

Be careful, in the wrong hands, it's dangerous...

Yikes

Watch out

Had a rough day, kids?

listening to the radio after work

A song by The Band Perry came on. Done. I started thinking of my favorite people at work...
I was also taught to play nice, but that was then.

A familiar story nationwide

Most of us can relate to this shift in mobility and opportunity in American society from then till now. Unless you are among the 1%, in which case it's perfectly okay.

New York City charter schools getting $4.5 million state grant to teach regular public schools

So, one school is being paid to collaborate with the other school. Why aren't they both receiving some of the money? Why would PS85 want to show the charter how to connect with parents, just to see them lured away by the charter? Seems rather one-sided to me.

Myths about introverts

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/29/introvert-myths_n_3569058.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Georgia Attorney General says SACS should be more transparent

Wow, ya think? An organization with the power to torpedo superintendents, get board members removed, and revoke accreditation should maybe get in line with sunshine laws? HOw about when a state agency uses their info and reports as basis for action? Maybe they should have to reveal all the details...

You tell 'em, finland

Sahlberg tells what he thinks of the Gove  (UK) plan:  http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/jul/01/education-michael-gove-finland-gcse?CMP=twt_gu&view=mobile

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/feb/15/us-education-reform-lessons-from-finland

Wow, you mean, it's the poverty?

A new report from ETS explains all the long-term effects of poverty. Amazing.
http://www.ets.org/newsroom/news_releases/report_warns_child_poverty

Why can't John Merrow get published?

You'd think it would be a slam dunk. He's an experienced, respected journalist. When all his comments on the subject were complimentary and supportive, nobody had a problem. Now that he is thinking for himself, suddenly it's not newsworthy.
http://takingnote.learningmatters.tv/?p=6490

Why do great teachers give up teaching?

why great teachers hang it up.

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/07/17/why-great-teachers-are-fleeing-the-profession/

Dangers of Technology

Diane Ravitch is fantastic. Check out her blog, but first read this piece in Scientific American. She clearly lays out her argument for why we should be cautious about the rise of technology in our schools, instead of accepting big tech arguments without questioning.

What are we doing to families?

We insist that a parent who 'cares' will read to their youngster every day, and then listen to them read when they are older. But if it becomes a burden, or interferes with other, more pressing priorities, what is really accomplished? This mother is exhausted. We can sit back in our armchair and analyze all that we believe should be changed in her life, but, it's HER life, after all. We don't know what the pressures and obstacles may be. If she is exhausted from work because she is the primary wage earner in the household, who has the right to criticize her for keeping a roof over their head and food on the table? If she is simultaneously caring for children and an elderly parent (or in-law), how can we take issue? Bottom line, she dreads the read aloud, and her son will eventually pick up on that. He will begin to dread her dread. How does this serve the aim of building a literate society.

http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/22/im-tired-of-reading-out-loud-to-my-son-o-k/

Wow, some people really illustrate that Mark Twain quote...

"It's better to remain silent and be assumed a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."

That can also apply to launching a Twitter tirade without knowing ANY of the facts. See this rehash of what happened on Twitter after Marc Anthony sang at the baseball All-Star Game. It shows the frightening level of ignorance and prejudice in our society. Manuel Monserrate has explained the truth that shows the extent of this lunacy better than I ever could, so please read and enjoy. For this reason, I eagerly await the day when some uneducated cop tries to give me grief, a day which can't be long off.

So, you run a 'successful' charter school and want to have control of the preparation of your teachers. The answer? Start your own Graduate School of Education. That's the premise behind the Relay Graduate School of Education, housed at North Star Academy in Newark, NJ. Here's one take on it:
But is a school really successful if 50 enter 5^th grade, 1/3 are gone by 8^th grade and only a handful ever graduate?
Is this any indication of the quality of teaching, or pedagogy involved?  I won’t go so far as to suggest that what I personally might perceive as offensive, demeaning pedagogy is driving these attrition rates (okay… maybe I just did).

Gates branching out

Now he wants to get his hooks into higher ed.  Excerpt:
Critics fear that the focus on quickly pumping more students through the system could encourage colleges to water down requirements or turn away applicants who might struggle. Already some feel it has prompted community colleges to churn out too many graduates with short-term certificates that polish the colleges' completion numbers but offer dubious long-term value to students. Eventually, critics worry, the foundation's efforts to promote access and completion could actually increase social divisions by creating separate and unequal programs.
If philanthropic efforts like Gates's create public colleges that are just teaching to the job interview, the result could be "a better on-ramp for jobs but a worse one for real social mobility," says Robin Rogers, an associate professor of sociology at Queens College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, in an e-mail. Ms. Rogers, who is working on a book about the role of billionaire philanthropy in public policy, says "the leadership class of the United States could become one that students had to be born into or selected to be in"—through scholarships—"by the existing elite."

Your brain on professional sports

The Chronicle has an article about brain injury and CTE. Focuses on football players, mentions milder head injuries in passing, but doesn't really drive home the point that you can develop problems very easily.

Must read

If you don't follow Jack Hassard's blog, The Art of Teaching Science, you really should. He has dissected Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards, the NCTQ report, and now he's looking at  the makeup of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Apparently this is replacing NCATE. I missed that one. Anyway, Jack is blistering the choice of who serves on this council, as it is heavy on admin and reformer types. Take a look.

Once again, all together...

IT'S THE POVERTY, STUPID!

http://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/2013/07/13/kids-count-on-public-education-not-grit-or-no-excuses/

P.L. Thomas (Furman University) lays it all out for anyone who STILL doesn't get it. That would be everyone living under a rock since the 1960s. Like 95% of our elected officials.
So, you are 2.5x more likely to be a rich adult if you were born rich and never bothered to go to college than if you were born poor and, against all odds, went to college and graduated.

This will be welcome news to folks in underserved communities, I'm sure

I'm so glad that now we can all benefit from the latest technical advances, brought to us by Doctors for America.

*Sarcasm intended*
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_news.php?id=899

Work-family balance in academia

Someone has looked at the men's side of this discussion, specifically men in the sciences. The categories and comments are interesting. for instance, Asked, “Do you think that having children then is difficult to manage with being a scientist?” one physicist said, “No, absolutely not. That’s why you have a wife.”
That kind of comment would not likely be heard in a business setting, at least not without the door closed and locked. Wow.

Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/08/22/sociologists-consider-how-male-scientists-balance-work-and-family#ixzz2ZJo6s67M
Inside Higher Ed

Finally, TFA criticism they can't ignore

It's coming from those who've completed their program, instead of only outside observers. They'll have to pay attention to this.
http://prospect.org/article/teach-americas-civil-war

Members of Congress don't like critique

There is a member who is a former HS English teacher. He had the audacity to critique a memo from another member. It's priceless. and revealing.
http://www.happyplace.com/25021/former-high-school-teacher-congressman-irks-gop-by-marking-their-memos-with-a-red-pen

Wow, so much for romney's bluster and dire warnings about Obamacare

None of it came true in Massachusetts: http://money.cnn.com/2013/06/01/pf/massachusetts-health-care.moneymag/index.html

so, why did he spew so much nonsense on the campaign?

Back to Finland

From the Atlantic: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/07/the-secret-to-finlands-success-with-schools-moms-kids-and-everything/277699/

The Finns didn't always have it this good. For much of the early 20th century, Finland was agrarian and underdeveloped, with a GDP per capita trailing other Nordic countries by 30 to 40 percent in 1900.


Finland's strong trade unions pioneered its initial worker protections, but the state soon took those functions over. Today, roughly 75 to 80 percent of Finns are union members (it's about 11 percent in the U.S.), and the groups dictate the salaries and working conditions for large swaths of the population.
And as the country worked to industrialize in the 1960s, its economic policymakers took on a mentality similar to that of CEOs at tech companies with awesome employee perks like free string cheese and massages.

The morality of income inequality

No surprises here:

Americans know they live in a two-tier country -- one where the uber-super-ultra-rich are leaving the rest of us behind; where, as Michael Moore famously put it, 400 of the richest people control the same amount of wealth as 150 million others; where, as President Obama said in a speech on Wednesday, the "average CEO has gotten a raise of nearly 40% since 2009, but the average American earns less than he or she did in 1999."

 The fairness gap is the basis for a wide range of policies, from the tax code to education; health care to the minimum wage.

 If the rich making more will help the poor be better off, too, that's cool. If not, it's unfair, or amoral. For real-world reference, here's a quick look at CEO pay in the United States, from the AFL-CIO: The average S&P 500 CEO compensation in 2012, according to that labor group, was $12.3 million. A worker? $35,000. Do the poor benefit from that disparity? Does everyone? Anyone?

from TIME magazine

Interesting article.

"Earlier this year, S. Paul Reville, the Massachusetts Secretary of Education, blogged in Education Week that reformers need now to think beyond the numbers and “admit that closing achievement gaps is not as simple as adopting a set of standards, accountability and instructional improvement strategies.” In Massachusetts, he wrote, “We have set the nation’s highest standards, been tough on accountability and invested billions in building school capacity, yet we still see a very strong correlation between socioeconomic background and educational achievement and attainment. It is now clear that unless and until we make a more active effort to mitigate the impediments to learning that are commonly associated with poverty, we will still be faced with large numbers of children who are either unable to come to school or so distracted as not to be able to be attentive and supply effort when they get there.” Reville called for “wraparound services” that would allow schools to provide students with a “healthy platform” from which they could begin to work on learning."

Read more: http://ideas.time.com/2011/12/09/why-are-the-rich-so-interested-in-public-school-reform/#ixzz2Z9IOJ0pc

What a relief- I'm actually a 1-percenter.

So says Charles Koch, in a new commercial airing in some parts of the country.
Of course, he is using the entire globe as his reference population. so, by his reckoning, if you make 34,000/yr, you are among the top 1% wealthy people IN THE WORLD. Whew, I feel so much better now. It's not such a big deal anymore that it's a struggle to cover the bills some months, that I haven't seen a pay increase in several years (in fact I make LESS now than 5 years ago when I started at my current school), that the price of gasoline is shooting up suddenly for no damn reason.
For background on Koch and his economic philosophy, read up on Milton Friedman and the Chicago School of Economics. Also try reading Shock Doctrine, if it's not too depressing. I'm still working on it. Also look at the article exposing their political influence and connections, as soon as I find it. Here's one to get you started. And another. How about the Times?
Aha, here it is: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer
There's even a film about it: http://www.thenation.com/blog/167502/koch-brothers-exposed#

By the way, here's an example of what free-market policy can get you.

Jersey Jazzman: Creeps Like Mitch Daniels Make Teacher Tenure Nece...

Jersey Jazzman: Creeps Like Mitch Daniels Make Teacher Tenure Nece...: UPDATE: Daniels isn't only a twerp; he's a dishonest academic . Mitch Daniels - former governor of Indiana and current president ...

PUtting the cart before the horseO

Or, in this case, the policy before the science?  Interesting comparison of soda and chocolate milk...

Academic freedm? In Indiana, not so much

And he has now been named President of Purdue University, by a board that he mostly appointed.
http://chronicle.com/article/In-E-Mails-Former-Indiana/140401/
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/mitch-daniels-academic-freedom-94318.html
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/07/17/e-mails-reveal-mitch-daniels-governor-tried-ban-howard-zinn-book
The best part is where he tried to ban Howard Zinn's book in IN colleges and schools. Because he's an expert?

Kirk's first bloody nose

That's Kirk Douglas. Here he writes about why he's proud to be a Jew.
I learned a bit of Georgia history reading this: the state tried to outlaw the show South Pacific because of the song "You've got to be carefully taught", claiming that "it contained "an underlying philosophy inspired by Moscow." " I can believe there was someone that ignorant and paranoid- he's probably still serving in the legislature.

For those interested, here's Matthew Morrison (Glee) singing the song on the stage: http://www.broadway.com/videos/145507/show-clip-south-pacific-youve-got-to-be-carefully-taught/?sort=popular&page=1&show=south-pacific

Bet you know at least parts of the Gangnam Style lyrics...

Surprise, surprise. If you sing in a target language, it helps you to learn that language. Well, duh! Those of a certain age remember singing Frere Jacques. I remember it to this day. There's also this old standby. It was included in an episode of Law and Order: SVU. Extended lyrics here.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10188533/Singing-can-help-when-learning-a-foreign-language.html

Gentrification comes in many forms

It comes in the form of upper-income homebuyers moving into 'blighted' neighborhoods and turning them around so that tax rates and real estate prices skyrocket till the families who've lived there for generations can't afford to stay. It also comes in the form of  'private operators' taking over formerly public schools. Again, the community is gradually displaced as outsiders arrive in the wake of supposedly 'desirable' schools. Just my 2 cents.
http://www.citylimits.org/conversations/207/gentrification-goes-global

This has come up before: the high-tech 'shortage' is bogus. Baloney. B.S. There is not really a shortage of high-tech workers. There is a shortage of Americans willing to work at reduced rates, just as there is a shortage of employers willing to pay a fair salary for this expertise. Why are the salaries down? (or, at least, have not risen in several years) Why? It's because tech employers have opted to recruit cheaper workers from other countries. They are willing to work for less, and I don't blame them. I blame the employers who choose to manipulate the market by manipulating job-seekers.

From the Newshour website:

<<Studies find a decrease in the intensity of firms' recruitment efforts since the recession and an increase in pickiness about whom they are willing to hire. ...the inference seems obvious: the supply of potential workers is already plentiful relative to employer demand. So why are stories about the need for guest workers and the U.S. falling behind in the global high-tech talent search dominating the discussion?>>
<<Currently, U.S. colleges graduate far more scientists and engineers than find employment in those fields every year -- about 200,000 more -- while the IT industry fills about two-thirds of its entry-level positions with guest workers.>>

Turnover is bad

Wow, who would have guessed. Yes, I'm being sarcastic. I think it's insane that turnover in the NBA coaching ranks is used to make it comprehensible to the public. Sad that we have to use a sports analogy to illustrate failings in education policy.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/science/2013/06/firing_nba_coaches_and_school_superintendents_too_quickly_is_a_bad_thing.html

"Success" for all? NOT

NY is closing schools in a hurry to make room for charters that will open this fall, and beyond, even after Bloomberg is out of office. Some haven't even been  approved by the state, and yet they have space designated for them. Such is the rush to provatize. And pay careful attention to the policies as some of these charters extend from elementary into high school. If you don't take any outsiders, then where do kids go who have left (or been invited to leave) your program? Where will they go to high school? Success, my foot.
http://www.citylimits.org/news/articles/4839/new-charter-high-school-will-be-closed-to-transfer-students#.UdGoYz772bI

Now, here's a school that might succeed

Although I suspect TPTB will still find a flaw and blame the teachers, so they can be replaced with computer software.... sounds like something Georgia would actually do.
http://www.theonion.com/articles/progressive-charter-school-doesnt-have-students,33009/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=LinkPreview%3A1%3ADefault

Many times, I'm more productive without thos pesky students underfoot, too.

When it costs you money to get paid

Can you afford your job? More and more employers are skipping the old routine of cutting payroll checks, or even sending direct deposit transactions, in favor or loading your salary onto a debit card. Of their choosing, of course. In osme cases, the fees associated with the cards are a burden to workers, who may not even be aware they have a choice in the matter. Sounds like company scrip is back, in a new form. FOLLOW THE MONEY.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/01/business/as-pay-cards-replace-paychecks-bank-fees-hurt-workers.html?src=me&ref=general

Teacher fired after putting fire out

Teacher fired after putting fire out

So, when will she fire the person who left food cooking UNATTENDED in that oven?

Celebrate: the book isn't dead yet!

College students still turn to print (over e-books) for 'serious' reading, that is academic and "long-form" reading. Yay, the book still lives!
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/students-prefer-print-but-not-books-for-serious-academic-reading/44871

The loss of another choice for parents

Funny that in this age where "choice" in education is trumpeted as such a wonderful thing, the one choice that has persisted the longest is in decline, with hardly a droop of ink devoted to the subject. Catholic schools are closing, mostly because of declining enrollment. These schools have been one of the primary alternatives to inner city public schools for generations, and now they are closing by the dozens. Enrollment has declined over the years, revenues are down, and with increasing number of lay teachers, expenses are up. In neighborhoods where the local public school was a killing zone, these schools provided a haven for students who would have been ground into hamburger. Where are all the wealthy foundations with big checks to keep these schools open? Where are the advocates? Where are all the interested journalists? There seems to be only one journalist who has noticed: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/nyregion/as-archdioceses-schools-retrench-worries-grow-for-a-building-block-for-minority-students.html
For some schools it's already too late. My old elementary school has just had its last year of operation. Maybe some of the others can still be saved?
Oh, by the way, these schools have always served the underserved. Today, that means lots of brown children who will lose out on real opportunity in favor of privatized "choice".

The iimportance of persistence

Academics don't always get published just because they want it. It takes work, revision, and persistence in submitting to another publication or publisher. This reminds me of Kid President's Pep Talk, where he asks "What if Michael Jordan had quit?...when he was cut from the team in high school?"
Professor Martin says, Persistence is not about hitting your head against a brick wall when there is no chance of breaking through. It is about developing a capacity to judge your own work, making a considered judgment about what to do next, and then actually doing it. Most of all it is about being willing to fail, learning from the experience, and trying again.


Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2013/07/08/essay-importance-rejection-academic-careers#ixzz2ZJmTKYJA
Inside Higher Ed

On the decline of editorial cartooning

In a society where independent, critical thoughts are dangerous, the population of editorial cartoonists has dwindled from 280 in 1990 to 80 in 2000, to possibly fewer than 30 today. Ted Rall has some thoughts on the matter.

Now, this takes nerve

The guy must have stainless-steel balls to even try it. He faked data that was used in over 50 published papers. Some of those papers were written by students he mentored, and who trusted and relied upon his data sets. And he describes himself as a junkie, addicted to clean, elegant data- that he manufactured. no wonder it was so pretty. My bank account statement is kind of messy. I'd like to make it look better. Think I could make up somenumbers that are  more appealing?

HS graduation test, French style

Here's what we are doing to out young people. even they recognize that this process has no real purpose or significance, yet it continues. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/28/world/europe/a-rite-of-passage-for-french-students-receives-a-poor-grade.html?src=recg

Newark High Street Fire

102 years ago, the Triangle Factory burned, and 146 employees, overwhelmingly young, female, and immigrant, died. I've been reading David Von Drehle's book on the  subject, and contemplating the truth of his subtitle, The Fire That Changed America. Frankly, I'm not sure so much has changed, but that's a topic for another day. What has gotten me as I read is finding out that fire was part of the business back then, and that there had been a deadly fire in a Newark garment factory just six months before the Triangle. http://blog.nj.com/njv_mark_diionno/2010/11/decades-old_fatal_newark_facto.html  Plus, the fledgling garment worker's union had called a strike and picketed during 1909-1910. Unfortunately, safety concerns were not part of the discussion, as the primary concerns were wages and working hours for workers who were often the sole support of their families.
Sounding familiar?

Wonder if NCATE has reviewed them?

You may have heard of the NCTQ report, which gave poor ratings to many highly-regarded schools/colleges of education, without ever stepping foot on campus or interviewing a living soul. Having completed one of those allegedly inadequate programs many years ago, I'm curious how NCTQ would rate TFA in terms of program quality, especially now that it is  “approved as a state sanctioned vehicle for the preparation of teachers in Idaho.” Exactly which exemplary practices are to be found in the 5-week summer boot camp and hit-or-miss follow-up during the school year, and particularly, what is exemplary and worth replicating in the minimal two-year commitment?
Perhaps our schools of education should emulate the financial arrangements of TFA in order to get back in the good graces of the folks at NCTQ.

Top NYC adminsitrators no longer evaluated

In the NYC school system, home of value-added evalutations and performance pay strategies, none of the senior personnel are subject to formal evaluations any more. The current Chancellor, Dennis Walcott, says formal evaluations aren't needed; he evaluates his staff informally on a daily basis, yadda yadda. Funny, I do the same with my students, but no one gives a damn about my assessments of their progress. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323683504578567970958195656.html?mod=WSJ_hps_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird
BTW, it took a Freedom of Information Act request to get this info... so much for transparency.

Then there's this gem:
"Certainly that's how we do it in business," said Mr. Levy, who is a managing director of investment firm Palm Ventures. "Everyone has an evaluation from the CEO on down, and I've always thought that that was an appropriate way to manage."

QUESTION:
How many of those CEOs lose their jobs over these formal evaluations? my sense of it is they generally keep their job until they get into a pissing contest with the wrong faction on the board of directors.

Obesity and food deserts

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/experts-food-deserts-linked-childhood-obesity/nYtPQ/

Who is surprised?

Those greedy SNAP leeches

The Food Stamp Program, currently known as SNAP, is under attack in Congress. here are some examples of what's been going on. Remember, there are restrictions on what you can use your food stamps for, and it's no easy thing in this economy. Keep in  mind that Walmart, which opposes the Living Wage concept, keeps its employees low paid so that many of them actually qualify for assistance. In some states, teachers and college professors qualify for assistance. No small thing, yet certain of our legislators consider it to be a handout for lazy bums, not help for folks struggling to feed their families. Pay close attention to this graph from a July article:

Can't you just hear them in DC? Ah, let them eat cake!

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/07/farm-bill-deal-to-hungry-americans-youre-on-your-own/277721/?google_editors_picks=true

http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2013/07/11/billions_for_farmers_nothing_for_the_poor.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/07/yes-you-should-be-totally-outraged-by-the-farm-bill/277159/

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/07/farm-bill-passes-food-stamps

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/07/hooray-lets-screw-poor-even-more-when-economy-already-keeping-them-out-work

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/06/republican-farm-bill-asset-test-food-stamps-snap

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/05/senate-agriculture-committee-food-stamps-discrimination

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/12/soledad-obrien-food-stamps-jeff-sessions-fiscal-cliff

On books and bookworms

I'm sitting in one of my favorite places to work and think, and just sit: the library. The public library, which has had its hours cut to the bone, barely allowing the staff to maintain their status as full-time employees. This library is open only 4 days a week, a total of 32 hours. Sad to think that one day, kids won't have the opportunity I had at their age.

Ahm, something to look forward to...

Getting smarter with age. In many different ways.

http://www.oprah.com/health/Aging-Brain-Facts-Do-You-Get-Smarter-as-You-Age

A Teacher on Teaching: NFL Adopts Common Core Playbook--Copying Education...

A Teacher on Teaching: NFL Adopts Common Core Playbook--Copying Education...: (Washington, D. C.) In a surprise news conference today U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and National Football League Commissioner R...

Weird statement on unemployment.

On the noon news, it was reported that unemployment figures are up statewide. The stated reason was "teachers and new graduates" who are not working this summer. But, teachers who are going back to work in a couple of weeks are NOT unemployed, nor are we eligible for unemployment benefits. And as for graduates, they aren't eligible for benefits either, as they are looking for that first professional opportunity. So I started searching and came up with this announcement from Labor which says, “The rate increased primarily because of two factors that occur this time of year,” said State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. “A large number of education workers are unemployed during the summer and new graduates are considered unemployed until they find a job.” So, it isn't teachers, but the other folks in seasonal jobs such as bus drivers and nutrition services, who are allowed to receive benefits (don't understand why; other folks in seasonal jobs are denied benefits on the grounds they knew the job was seasonal). As for the new grads, how do we know how many of them are 'unemployed' and not in internships, getting ready for grad school, leaving the state, getting married, joining the military, etc.
This is what should have been the real concern: "The number of jobs declined slightly to 4,043,500, down from 4,044,100 in May. State and local government education services lost 12,700 jobs, the most of any sector. However, some industries added workers. Those increases came in professional and business services, 8,000; leisure and hospitality, 4,000; construction and financial services, 1,700 each; and manufacturing and other services, 1,200 each."

Here's what the tv station put on their website, but the on-air reader screwed up. Notice also how much is left out of this version.

So, unemployment is actually up because there are FEWER JOBS. Who would have thought?

Unreal

A couple of points:
1. Funny that this occurred in late June, as school was closing for the summer.
2. I doubt that a fantastic collection, of, say, Holocaust materials, would be dumped so unceremoniously from the library of a school in the 'burbs.
3. First, it was a mistake, then the charter was offered the collection and they dumped whatever was rejected, then there simply isn't money to maintain the collection. Make up your mind, folks. Pick a story and STICK TO IT.
http://www.freep.com/article/20130625/NEWS02/306250101/Highland-Park-African-American-books-thrown-out

blasting NCTQ in the wake of their 'report'

@the chalk face- what a cool site, with lots of sharp-witted folks to write for them. I've been cruising a bit and found this one

Erich Fromm said 50 years ago that “we are losing that teaching which is the most important one for human development: the teaching which can only be given by the simple presence of a mature, loving person.” We are still losing them today, and we can’t afford to lose any more.

Paul Thomas on Common Core Evidence

Thomas here rips Duncan's defense of Common Core and points out that there is not a shred of evidence it will produce the desired recults, or indeed, any positive results. Another gem by way of Diane Ravitch.

Back to the myth of public pension liability

Public pensions and their beneficiaries have been taking a lot of heat the last couple of years. These defined benefit plans have been blamed for 'bankrupting' cities across the country. several states also blame public pensions for their fiscal woes. In Illinois, for example, the state is $100 BILLION in the red on pension obligations. Why? Not because those bloodsucking employees did anything wrong, but because lawmakers either skipped or shorted payments to the state's five retirement systems for decades. So, I'm with the governor on his plan to hold paychecks of legislators until they come up with a plan. It's the same all over. Cities and states have 'postponed' mandatory conributions again and again, and now the bill is due, but there's no money to pay it. Funny, if I do that, they turn off my utilities, right? legislators do it, and they just keep on rolling.

Having said all of this, I do not understand why a college basketball coach makes so much money. And I think I need to look into the possibility of a job with the prison system. Their docs, shrinks, and dentists seem to make out great.

An elected official in support of schools- endangered species

He says, among other things:

I do not have advanced degrees in mathematics or statistics, but I was entirely public-school educated, from grade school and high school to college and law school, and I know that restoring $100 million after a $1 billion cut is anything but record funding.

There is a myth that we live in an era of no options other than to continue to cut funding for schools and teachers, but what is so disturbing to me is the fact that we have practical options at our disposal to begin to restore adequate funding to our schools.

Institutions of public education should be grand. They should be bold. They should be tall, towering monuments to not just the achievements of American industry and perseverance, but to their potential as well. Let us fully fund and promote public education and allow America's youth to thrive in this new millennium with the tools, resources, and education needed to be the smartest, most innovative and most adaptive workforce on Earth. It won't happen overnight. It won't happen with one budget, in one state, in one year, but this is where we can start. Let's start to make America's public education system the envy of the world, as it once was

 

Amazing, isn't it? You can find the Diane Ravitch summary here, and then follow the link to his complete comments, with video.

The value of 'games'

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/02/beyond-strategy-and-winning-how-games-teach-kids-empathy/

Maybe the kdis are learning what it's like on the other side of winning. Maybe they are figuring out how to read the other playes and anticipate the next move. Maybe they are learning some planning skills. Regardless, we need to make time for games. Not gaming, but games.

Pontiac teachers’ health insurance cancelled when district uses insurance premiums to balance its books

Pontiac teachers’ health insurance cancelled when district uses insurance premiums to balance its books

Forget a lawsuit, someone needs to  pursue criminal charges of fraud and theft against everyone involved in this outrageous mess.

In spite of all the official rhetoric about our impossibly broken system that must be replaced instead of fixed, there are a few indications that all is not disaster in education. Wouldn't we all be better served if someone would examine these data and figure what went right so the rest of us can try to emulate it? Scalable, right?

It' good to know who our elected officials really serve

Because it sure isn't us!
The governor of Idaho pitched low labor costs in his state in trying to entice gun manufacturers to relocate. His letter said that "Idaho’s average cost for our highly skilled, often custom-trained workforce is 21 percent less than Connecticut". Who would have ever imagined that having the second- lowest per capita personal income would be a point to brag about? The gov's spokesman says that the intent was to emphasize predictability for business: “You want predictability in taxes, you want predictability in labor costs, you want predictability in your costs,” Hanian says. “Right now, in this business sector, in a number of states, there is anything but certainty. That’s not the case with Idaho.”  And when big business comes to town, they will expect those favorable conditions to be maintained. How will that play with the voters, I wonder?
In out nation's capital, Walmart is in a funk over a proposed "living wage". Keep in mind that they are the masters of low-wage management and manipulation. They are upset that someone might actually want them to pay a decent wage, which the federal minimum definitely is not. So, they threatened to take their marbles and go home. The mayor's position? "In a statement, Gray hinted more strongly than ever that he is prepared to veto the legislation. “The cancellation of three planned stores will surely set us back,” he said. “I strongly urge the Council to consider whether this legislation will actually promote strong economic development in the District and expand job opportunities for District residents.”"  Apparently he REALLY wants Walmart in his neighborhood. When they pulled this in Chicago, the mayor caved and vetoed the legislation. Again, whose interest is being served here?

And more sea waste...

The images in this slide show are all from the Pacific Ocean, but the point applies every where: when it goes overboard, or downriver, this is where it winds up.

Some of the locations of the photos:
Monterey Canyon, off the coast of California
http://sanctuarysimon.org/monterey/images/build/sc_overview_map_full.jpg
info here: http://sanctuarysimon.org/monterey/sections/submarineCanyons/overview.php

Davidson Seamount:
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/02davidson/background/missionplan/media/locatormap.html


Axial Seamount:
a seismically active underwater volcano at the edge of the Juan de Fuca plate (remember the tectonic plates? this is the smallest and it's sliding underneath the North american plate.) This is the area I visited as a teacher at sea some years back...
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/vents/axial98/axial98.html

More about submarine volcanoes here: http://www.ooi.washington.edu/story/Axial+Seamount  These folks know their stuff. Axial photo here: http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=331021
And a 2011 eruption at Axial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY8Cx9rLiY4  Folks in Seattle are up on this stuff.

Ever notice a local restaurant that has tremendous turnover of their waitstaff? The reason may be something like this. In other words, these business people/entrepreneurs are breaking the law. and, that's not all. There's more. Let's just remember that most of this contract would be unenforceable if challenged in court, but how many of their servers have the resources to do so? It would be much better, now that this is all out in the open, for the state of Arizona to launch an investigation. But, of course, that's not likely to happen. And so, these two individuals will not learn any respect for the law nor for their employees in the foreseeable future.

Dolphins can choke on your fishing gear

So, since apparently no one has considered this possibility before, please pay attention to how you dispose of your lines, hooks, lures, etc. Don't leave them behind. Not only dolphins, but waterfowl, small pets, and children can be injured by the junk you leave behind. Drop it in the trash can, and if there isn't one, put it in your tackle box or your car until you get to someplace that has one. Remember the bait shop where you stopped on the way to go fishing? Truly, I'm tired of picking up tangled and abandoned fishing lines with all manner of hardware still attached...

http://news.discovery.com/earth/oceans/dolphins-choke-on-fish-and-fishing-gear-in-florida-lagoon-13062.htm#mkcpgn=emnws1

Good grief, how do they get anything done?

And where is the reearch to support htis model as effective? Or is the focus simply on the bottom line?

http://ideas.time.com/2012/08/15/why-the-open-office-is-a-hotbed-of-stress/

Indeed, what should it be called?

Robert Reich has a way of posing deeply thought-provoking questions. Here's one: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/an-impertinent-question_b_3582032.html?utm_hp_ref=daily-brief?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=071213&utm_medium=email&utm_content=BlogEntry

I'm inclined to agree. and I have a follow-up question: What does one call it at the state or local level?

Malala Day

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/12/malala-un-visit_n_3585465.html?utm_hp_ref=daily-brief?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=071213&utm_medium=email&utm_content=NewsEntry

Rhee in Tennesee

Next stop, Texas? she's speaking in December to the charter schools organization there...
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/113204/michelle-rhee-tennessee-studentsfirst-floods-school-races#

Cats don't really ignore us

and my next thought on reading this headline was, 'we're invisible'.
But, seriously, there's been a study, and they found that cats do respond to human voices, just not by tail wagging or jumping up and barking, like dogs do. Of course, I could have told them that...

http://news.discovery.com/animals/pets/cats-do-not-ignore-humans-130625.htm#mkcpgn=emnws1

morning routines: creativity killer?

I'm not sure aobut how to make this work for me. work in progress.
http://ideas.time.com/2012/02/01/why-morning-routines-are-creativity-killers/

HOw long before the temp craze hits teaching?

Temporary employment is up 50% since the 'end' of the recession. More employers are going through temp agencies and labor contractors, rather than hire directly. This used to be a way to shift benefit costs and liability to a third party. Now it's just a way to keep wages artificially low.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/08/temp-jobs_n_3562180.html

Cyberbullying

This is a topic more and more in the news and in our meetings. Here is one story:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/cyber-bullying-unmasked-the-tragic-case-of-cassidy/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=2012-06-25

Yes, teachers deserve a break

Especially after a hellish year like the one in Dallas. If they don't want to teach summer school, so be it. It's extra duty, for extra pay. Key word: extra. If you wanted teachers chomping at the bit to take a few more weeks of abuse, you shouldn't have treated them so badly to begin with. It's telling that upper-level administrators are also jumping ship.
http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/06/26/summer-school-dallas-no-teachers

Citizen Scientists REcognized by White House

http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=128359&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click

Gun found in Atlanta airport; man taken into custody

Gun found in Atlanta airport; man taken into custody

Check your bags before going to the airport, people. It really isn't THAT hard!

A diminished HOPE turns 20. And the debate continues

A diminished HOPE turns 20. And the debate continues

Gov Miller's legacy is being systematically gutted. Such a sad outcome. The HOPE program is being defunded, slowly, even as the lottery commission pays bonuses to top-level staff. Teacher compensation is no longer the highest in southern states. What's left?

As the world turns: Drama on Cherokee school board turns to...

As the world turns: Drama on Cherokee school board turns to...

So, the Supe doesn't see eye to eye with some board members. After doing something stupid on a weekend (going out for drinks and then jaywalking), you get even by filing a false complaint with the police. As if there is no way you could be found out... Brilliant move.
And just imagine what these clowns would do with a teacher who didn't dance to their tune. This is why we need ALL due process protection.
But, it's all about the kids, right?

everyone thinks they have the answer

Here is the perspective of a scientists turned teacher: http://www.musingsonlifeandlove.com/2010/09/13/the-hardest-job-everyone-thinks-they-can-do/#comment-13172

He points out that when he worked in the lab, nobody ever told him how to do his work. Now that he is in the classroom, everyone seems to think they know what he's doing wrong. I feel his pain.

Kudos to Diane Ravitch for posting the link to this gem.

Amusing "news" items

Check out Teachbad's fake news page: http://teachbad.com/fake-education-news-2/

There are some priceless headlines, like Permanent Marker Used on White Board, and Thanks for Raising Our Kids. My absolute favorite: Teacher Psyched About Getting Same Room. Having changed rooms every year, for like, ever, I can relate.

What a relief!

Turns out, I don't have to like teaching to be good at it. That's fortunate, because many days, I can't stand teaching, or more precisely, what it has become. The endless rounds of meetings and documentation while nothing of substance changes and little of substance is accomplished. The total lack of administrative support. The complete apathy of certain parents and students, usually those who can least afford to be apathetic. So, it's a good thing that good teaching and misery are not mutually exclusive.

Life is not a multiple choice test

Those are the words of Ron Maggiano, an award-winning Fairfax County (Va) teacher who has resigned after a career of 33 years. He's fed up and has  had enough. Valerie Strauss has his refelction on the decision and reasons for it. It all boils down to: testing.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/06/24/life-is-not-a-multiple-choice-test/

What a depressing look at 'return on investment'

It turns out I'm not getting a good return on the cost of my college degree. That sucks.
Of course, my students might have a different view of it. Personally, I'm tired of shopping at thrift stores for everything but undergarments. Are you listening, state legislators who've denied cost-of-living adjustments? Are you listening, board memebers who've slashed the local supplement to nothing and reduced my 403b match to almost nothing? Are you listening?

Anthony Cody on defeating Common Core

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2013/06/lesson_for_our_leaders_the_bes.html

Cody is fantastic, and tells it like it is:

We need to be absolutely clear. The Common Core is NOT a new paradigm.

It is old wine in a new, high tech bottle. If you want to give teachers a set of

loose standards and the time to work together to make them come alive

for their students, fantastic. However, if you want to create a seamless

system of cradle to college expectations, measured in all sorts of high stakes

tests, we are not interested, and will fight you every step of the way.

So, that's how the studios do it.

Can't wait to see someone try and leverage this model for education.
from Bloomberg

Obama, in his own words

Thank goodness for Valerie Strauss digging this up...
He actually sounded like he was against expanded standardized testing. That's not how it sounds these days...  What happened?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/05/27/what-obama-said-back-then-about-standardized-tests/

How to kill a school and a community

Break it up, install 'magnet' programs, require the teacher to re-apply for their jobs and then only "School reform", LA-style.  http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-adv-crenshaw-teacher-20130701,0,1041818,full.story

Why are teachers made to feel isolated?

http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2013/06/11/fp_greene_coffee.html?tkn=TXZFkU3OS2F39RmtHM9AlvlobZ4uCqFd9w%2FP&cmp=ENL-TU-NEWS1

In schools where I've worked in the past 10 years, the teachers' 'lounge' or 'break room' has been rebranded 'Teacher Work Room'. Apparently we aren't meant to take breaks.
Free cup of coffee? Haven't seen such in forever. Teachers who want some java generally keep a pot going in their room, or in the supply area behind the room, and maybe share with friends/teammates.

Why all this? It keeps us isolated, insecure, submissive.

Hunger affects decision-making and perception of risk

Hunger affects decision-making and perception of risk

It's like the ocmmercial says, "You're not yourself when you're hungry". I know I'm not, and my decision-making and reactions under stress aren't rational when I'm hungry.

back to that value-added study

About a year or so ago, the NY Times ran a big, splashy article about a new study that purported to quantify the value added by a great teacher over the earning lifetime of his/her class. Well, just like the Texas Miracle, the Atlanta Debacle, and the Rhee Makeover, it seems maybe it wasn't quite such a good study in the first place. Bruce Baker has been looking at it, and concludes the numbers were overstated, to say the least.


http://dianeravitch.net/2013/06/13/bruce-baker-another-look-at-the-much-hyped-chetty-rockoff-freidman-study/comment-page-1/#comment-187587