In This Issue:
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ARE WE ASKING TOO MUCH FROM OUR TEACHERS? |
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REJECTING TEST SCORES AS A CORE VALUE |
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BROKE IS BROKE |
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iPads for all?: WHY 21st CENTURY EDUCATION IS NOT JUST ABOUT TECHNOLOGY |
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HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT: The Rest (but
not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other Sources |
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EVENTS: Coming up next week... |
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What can YOU do? |
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Featured Links:
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“As a parent, you have no choice but to have faith in
your childs school, administrators and especially, their teachers. Bad
things are suppose to happen outside of the school and our children
should be safely protected while being educated and cared for by those
given authority by our school district. The failure of our school
districts policies, the failure of school administrators to identify
signs that are common 'red flags' were ignored and for that, our
children and our families have paid a tremendous price.”
- From the Victim Impact Statement of Darlene, mother of A.M. victim,
State of CA v. Paul Chapel, Case: PAO71543 (September 20, 2012 | http://bit.ly/P4cdwR)
-
It’s not a lot that parents ask.
• We ask hat our children be kept safe and healthy and out of harm’s way while they are at school.
• We insist that parents have a right to be informed of what’s going on
with our children whether it’s good or bad – no matter our socioeconomic
status, level of education or what language we speak at home. No dirty
little secrets.
• And we ask that no more parents who are first names on the page have
to make Victim Impact Statements on behalf of children who are initials
in the court record. The innocence protected on Sept 20th was long
gone.
The warning signs were there at Telfair, in letters twenty feet high on
one of those digital billboards. Red flags enough for Red Square,
Tiananmen and Pyongyang. Darlene’s son (and all 13 of Chapel’s victims
this time) - were in the third grade. Third graders are nine years old.
We are not looking for a witch hunt – or for pre-judicial punishment or
for people to blame. We also don’t want posturing politicians wrapping
themselves in indignant outrage and making a show of their public
overreaction. We want folks to do their jobs before the bad stuff
happens so the bad stuff doesn’t happen .
But ultimately it is an awful lot we ask: Never again.
__________________
The New York Times opinion piece following asks if we are asking too much from our teachers.
Obviously if we expect teachers to solve the ills of society we are.
If we are asking this of the teachers’ unions or boards of education or
the legislature – of or congress or billionaire
philanthropist/plutocrats …if we expect resolutions or contracts or
court settlements or charter schools or bond issues or
magical-realism-legislation to solve the ills of society – we are asking
the wrong people the wrong questions.
Society as a whole – We the People – need to ask+answer …and then do the hard work. But public education is where we must begin.
¡Onward/Adelante! - smf
ARE WE ASKING TOO MUCH FROM OUR TEACHERS?
Op-Ed in the New York Times By Alex Kotlowitz | http://nyti.ms/UG2Sj1
Sunday, September 16, 2012 :: THE CHICAGO TEACHERS’ STRIKE, which
appears to be winding down, may be seminal, but for reasons that are not
necessarily apparent. It came as a surprise. In July, the city had
agreed to hire more teachers to accommodate a longer school day. Last
Sunday, the city agreed to a substantial pay raise. The following day,
teachers walked off their jobs for the first time since 1987. The
union’s president, Karen Lewis, complained at a news conference about
the lack of air-conditioning in schools and the new teacher evaluation
system, which seemed rather flimsy reasons for some 26,000 teachers to
abandon their posts.
Not only was the public confused, but so were the union’s members. One
teacher told me last week that if you asked 30 of his colleagues why
they were striking, you’d get 30 different answers. Their explanations
varied: the teachers wanted respect, they opposed school reform, they
feared the privatization of education (in the form of charter schools),
they wanted to teach Mayor Rahm Emanuel a lesson. But I believe
something else has been going on here, something much more profound.
“Reform of teacher tenure,” Paul Tough writes in a new book, “How
Children Succeed,” has become “the central policy tool in our national
effort to improve the lives of poor children.” Are we expecting too much
of our teachers? Schools are clearly a critical piece — no, the
critical piece — in any anti-poverty strategy, but they can’t go it
alone. Nor can we do school reform on the cheap. In the absence of any
bold effort to alleviate the pressures of poverty, in the absence of any
bold investment in educating our children, is it fair to ask that the
schools — and by default, the teachers — bear sole responsibility for
closing the economic divide? This is a question asked not only in
Chicago, but in virtually every urban school district around the
country.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been spending time at Harper High, a
neighborhood school in Englewood that started classes in mid-August.
Over the past year, the school lost eight current and former students to
violence; 19 others were wounded by gunfire. The school itself, though,
is a safe haven. It’s as dedicated a group of administrators and
faculty members as I’ve seen anywhere. They’ve transformed the school
into a place where kids want to be. And yet each day I spend there I
witness one heartbreaking scene after another. A girl who yells at one
of the school’s social workers, “This is no way to live,” and then
breaks down in tears. Because of problems at home, she’s had to move in
with a friend’s family and there’s not enough food to go around. A young
man, having witnessed a murder in his neighborhood over the summer, has
retreated into a shell. Just within the last month, another girl has
gotten into two altercations; the school is naturally asking, what’s
going on at home?
The stories are all too familiar, and yet somehow we’ve come to believe
that with really good teachers and longer school days and rigorous
testing we can transform children’s lives. We’ve imagined teachers as
lazy, excuse-making quasi-professionals — or, alternately, as
lifesavers. But the truth, of course, is more complicated. Quality
schools and quality teaching clearly can make a difference in children’s
lives, sometimes a huge difference, but we too often attempt to impute
to teachers impossible powers. (After more than 15 years of reform in
Chicago, the dropout rate has been markedly reduced but is still an
astonishing 40 percent.)
Consider that in Chicago, many elementary schools have a social worker
just one or two days a week (they’re shared among schools) in
communities where children face myriad pressures and stresses. Class
sizes in kindergarten through third grade hover around 25, even though
the Tennessee STAR study, conducted in the 1980s and renowned in
education circles, found that small classes of about 15 during those
early years can make a big difference for students’ long-term outcomes.
In Chicago, slots in after-school programs for 6- to 12-year-olds have
been reduced by 23 percent since 2005, according to Illinois Action for
Children, an advocacy organization. Earlier this year, the city
shuttered half its mental health clinics. A promising mentoring program,
Becoming a Man, which was found by a University of Chicago study to
have reduced violence and increased graduation rates among its
participants, is oversubscribed. Forty-five schools want its services,
but it has only enough money
to work in 15. Last year, at an Aspen Institute conference, the
education historian Diane Ravitch was asked her wish list to improve
schools. At the top of her list: universal prenatal care — which, of
course, has nothing to do with the classroom. Or so it would seem.
Of course, Ms. Ravitch wanted to make a point. As we slash services in
deeply impoverished communities and reduce school budgets, how can we
expect that good teachers alone can improve the lives of poor children?
Poverty, of course, can’t be an excuse for lousy teaching. But neither
can excellent teaching alone be a solution to poverty.
It’s been too easy to see this dispute as one between two hotheaded
personalities — Mr. Emanuel and Ms. Lewis, or as a play for respect.
Rather, as I spoke with teachers on the picket lines last week, it
became clear that it was about something much more fundamental, and
something worth our attention: top-notch teaching can’t by itself become
our nation’s answer to a poverty rate that, as we learned the other
day, remains stubbornly high: one of every five children in America live
below the poverty level.
In Chicago, 87 percent of public school students come from low-income
families — and as if to underscore the precarious nature of their lives,
on the first day of the strike, the city announced locations where
students could continue to receive free breakfast and lunch. We need to
demand the highest performances from our teachers while we also grapple
with the forces that bear down on the lives of their students, from
families that have collapsed under the stress of unemployment to
neighborhoods that have deteriorated because of violence and
disinvestment. And we can do that both inside and outside the schools —
but teachers can’t do it alone.
- Alex Kotlowitz is a journalist, an author and a producer of the documentary “The Interrupters.”
REJECTING TEST SCORES AS A CORE VALUE
THE CHICAGO TEACHERS STRIKE REFLECTED THE NATIONWIDE
DIVIDE OVER 'MARKET REFORMS,' SHORTHAND FOR THE ACCOUNTABILITY METRICS
THAT TIE TEACHERS' SALARIES AND JOBS TO HOW WELL THEIR STUDENTS PERFORM.
By Sandy Banks, LA Times | http://lat.ms/NIlSMd
September 21, 2012, 5:12 p.m. :: It wasn't about money. It was about respect.
That's what Chicago teachers union president Karen Lewis kept reminding
the public during the seven-day teachers strike that had parents
scrambling and kept 350,000 children out of class.
But there was way more than respect at stake in the dispute. It was a
clash between an impatient mayor and a demoralized teaching corps over
competing visions of public schools — one side focused on job
protection, the other on accountability.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel got the longer school day he wanted and a new
process to evaluate teachers, tied to students' test scores. The union
got a better benefits package and more protection for laid-off teachers.
And we got a look at the fallout from a philosophical divide that is roiling school districts nationwide.
"There's a reason teachers all over the country were following this,"
said Joshua Pechthalt, president of the California Federation of
Teachers, which represents 135 union locals. "If you're a teacher in the
classroom, you feel the pressure of these 'market reforms' coming
down."
Technology has made it easier to divine effective teaching by tracking
student performance over time on standardized exams. But teachers
bristle at the notion that the alchemy of instruction can be reduced to a
score — particularly one that might get them fired.
"Teachers in Chicago were willing to draw a line in the sand," Pechthalt said. "That points the way for the rest of us."
::
Market reforms. In public school lingo, that's shorthand for the sort of
accountability metrics that tie teachers' salaries and jobs to how well
their students perform.
Supporters say that's a way to reward successful teachers and raise the
fortunes of failing schools. Detractors say it scapegoats teachers and
fails to accommodate societal ills that classroom lessons can't
transcend.
And both sides hew to their perspective with missionary zeal.
In Los Angeles Unified, Supt. John Deasy contends the school system has
the right to design a performance review system that relies on student
scores without union approval.
The union has pledged to resist. "Any evaluation system that purports to
reduce the complexity of teaching to a score (as if our work could be
rated the way the Health Department rates restaurant cleanliness) is a
step toward deprofessionalization," union president Warren Fletcher
wrote in a letter to members last month.
But the market forces pushing schools to change are getting stronger. And teachers can't outrun them.
They are cascading down from the top, through the federal "Race to the
Top" initiative, which is dangling billions of dollars in grants before
states that use the academic growth of students to help gauge the
effectiveness of teachers.
And they are bubbling up from the bottom, as families unhappy with
inflexible, struggling district-run schools vote with their feet and
move to public non-union charters.
State funding follows the child. Mass defections can lead to budget
cuts, which lead to teacher layoffs, which give the district and union
even more to fight about:
If market forces trim teaching staffs, is seniority really the best way to decide who winds up in the unemployment line?
::
The Chicago strike has upped the ante. Now it ought to spark a dialogue:
How do we find a way to measure good teaching, reward it, spread it through the ranks?
Teachers I spoke with this week say that is their goal, as well. But the
insistence on test-score-driven assessments feels like a witch hunt to
them.
"It's a move to marginalize the teacher in the whole education process,"
said Wayne Johnson, who was president of United Teachers Los Angeles
when the union won big raises and clout on campus with a nine-day strike
in 1989.
A lot has changed since then. "Now teachers unions seem to be in the cross hairs," he said.
I understand why teachers feel threatened by the prospect of number-crunchers weighing in on what they do in classrooms.
Too often, for too long, in Los Angeles, we've haven't given teachers
enough opportunities or credit. Successful schools are considered the
handiwork of strong principals, not teachers. Failing campuses are
punished by wholesale transfers or handed off to charter programs.
So it's no wonder that teachers aren't buying the line, "We're only here to help you."
But when we can't even agree to explore what makes a teacher effective,
all that union talk about "differentiated support for teachers at
varying points in their careers" sounds like so much prattle to the
public.
It's time for district leaders to listen — and for teachers to talk
about something more than how hard it is to teach urban kids, with their
academic shortcomings and chaotic lives.
Yes, children do better when their parents value education or speak
English; when they don't have to navigate gang territory or worry about
being bullied on campus; when they don't have to skip school to baby-sit
or drop out to get a job; when they're not hungry or sleepy or angry or
scared or so far behind that they simply tune out in class.
Those are things that make it tough for teachers in the classroom. But
there are good schools in this district where disadvantaged children
still manage to excel. And testing and evaluation — of students and
teachers — are a big part of what makes those schools work well.
Reams of research tell us that a good teacher is the single most important factor in whether a child does well in school.
Old-school bargaining has to adapt to reflect respect not just for teachers, but for the potential of students.
And we have to recognize that, because teachers are so important, it
ought to be non-negotiable that every child deserves a good one.
BROKE IS BROKE
Themes in the News by UCLA IDEA, Week of Sept. 17-21, 2012 | http://bit.ly/UoaAv3
09-21-2012 :: A Google search for the expression “broke is broke”
turns up 31,000 hits. Broadly speaking, and without presuming a fair
item analysis, that phrase describes many California schools. Set aside
the analyses, ideology, flow charts, blame and disquisitions on the
economy—some school districts are just plain out of money. What don’t
Californians understand about “broke”?
Earlier this year, the California Department of Education warned that
one in three public school students—roughly 2 million—goes to school in a
financially strapped district. It would only be a matter of time before
the districts could not meet their financial obligations—pay their
bills and salaries—or educate their students.
That time has arrived for Inglewood Unified School District. On Friday,
Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill to loan the nearly bankrupt district $55
million and install a state-appointed administrator to handle all future
decision-making. Inglewood Unified has become the ninth district in
California's history to lose its local autonomy. The five-member elected
board will now serve in an advisory capacity (Daily Breeze, KPCC, Wave
Newspapers).
State Sen. Roderick Wright, D-Inglewood, said of this turn of events:
"This loan will close a painful chapter in the Inglewood Unified School
District's recent history and allow staff to get back to the business of
educating the next generation of community leaders" (Los Angeles
Times).
Wright drafted the bill after Inglewood’s attempts to balance its budget
included layoffs, furloughs and, most recently, two days before the
bill was signed, a 15-percent pay cut for employees, which the unions
are fighting in court (KPCC).
A mix of revenue shortfalls, fiscal mismanagement and broad public
awareness of deficient learning opportunities in Inglewood Unified have
pushed the district to this point. When parents could find or afford
alternatives to their children attending district schools, they grabbed
those chances. Many turned to charter schools that have opened in recent
years, leaving the local neighborhood schools with less state funding
for remaining students. While it may be possible for a district system
to adjust to falling enrollment over a period of years, in the short
run, reduced revenue cannot cover costs fixed by ongoing salary
agreements and service contracts.
Charters still only serve a minority of Inglewood’s students, but they
now enroll enough students to tip the fiscal balance, and that helps to
put the public system in jeopardy. Declining enrollment is not new to
the 12,000-student district. "The district has struggled for years and
people didn't talk about it," said Inglewood community member Kokayi
Jitahidi. "Now we have to start from the ground up, come together—even
with the limited resources—and rebuild a district that can actually be
sustainable and successful" (Wave Newspaper).
Districts everywhere, but especially in urban neighborhoods with large
populations of students of color and low-income families, are faced with
the pressure of losing students to charter expansion. Charters are
publically funded schools, but they often have budget options that are
not available to schools in the public system. For example, it is well
documented that some charters discourage enrollment of high-cost
students, like those in special education, and they may have greater
access to revenue sources from non-profit foundations.
Charters are not responsible for school district insolvency—they are
neither the cause of nor the solution to a much greater school-funding
mess. It’s likely that by decently funding public schools, charters
would not have quite the same appeal as an escape route from the public
system, and the experimentation and innovation originally envisioned as
the purpose for charters would be more widespread. That is, a
better-resourced and more vibrant public system would free up charters
to be a more powerful force for creativity and improvement.
Public schools need adequate, predictable, fair and rational public
funding for the long term. And they need passage of the November tax
initiative for the short term. Californians can engage themselves with
discussions of privatization, charterization, de-unionization and
value-added accountability, but their first job is to pay the bills for
public education.
iPads for all?: WHY 21st CENTURY EDUCATION IS NOT JUST ABOUT TECHNOLOGY
By Seth Rosenblatt, Ed Source Today | http://bit.ly/RI0gfG
September 20th, 2012 :: Our district, like many others, has been
having lots of conversations about “21st Century Education” and what it
means for us. There are many books and articles written on the subject,
but I think the big picture tends to get lost in the discussion,
particularly at the local level. When one speaks of “21st Century
Learning,” many people just assume it means adding iPads or other
technology into the classroom. It’s much more than that, and actually
speaks to a complete rethinking of the very structure of schooling.
These conversations sometimes generate controversy as well. I’ve
witnessed educators (and school board members) instinctively go on the
defensive because any talk about changing public schools appears to be
an attack on what they have committed their life to and reminds them of
the continual onslaught of attacks from “reformers” who often
oversimplify problems and/or know very little about how public education
works. So although I am a staunch defender of public education (and so
many of our hard-working teachers, administrators, and other staff who
do amazing work every day), I can also realize we have inherited a
system that no longer applies to our current era. 21st Century
Education, viewed very broadly, is critical because it is based upon a
permanent change in the context of teaching and learning.
For 19th century public schools, there was a very logical reason why
they were designed the way they were – there were few alternatives in
how one could organize students, teachers, facilities, and resources in
an orderly way. But today, almost all of those former constraints no
longer exist. What has changed? Here’s just a sample:
A networked infrastructure: All human enterprises are connected by
series of information networks that allow both the creation of content
and the sharing of content at unprecedented levels. Also, the “social
construct” has changed the way we create and nurture relationships among
individuals as well as share information.
The flattening world: Traditional barriers among countries – both
literal and conceptual – have broken down. Information travels freely
and near instantaneously to all corners of the globe, and citizens
around the world can participate in the political process like never
before.
Digital (& diverse) generation: Children today were born into a
world where digital access to information was the norm. For these
“Millennials,” it is not considered “technology,” but rather the normal
way of interacting with the world.
Facts are free: How do you educate children in a world where the sum
of human knowledge is available instantaneously, for free, at their
fingertips? Adults and children alike just “Google it” when they want to
discover the population of a country or learn about some world event.
The real challenge has shifted to understanding, analyzing, and using
information.
The primacy of mobile computing: The tremendous advancement in
information technology has allowed us to hold a device in our hand as
powerful as most computers, allowing it to be a primary information
resource for most citizens. We have been freed up from “place” as a
requirement for learning and sharing.
So although technology advancements catalyzed the above changes, just
adding more technology into a 19th century classroom doesn’t make it a
21st century learning experience. We must understand the implications of
our new context, including (a) the impact on both the content of our
curriculum and the process of teaching and learning, (b) the design of
the physical environment both inside and outside of “school,” (c) the
human resource model to best leverage talent, and (d) the structure of
the school day, school year, and the “categorization” of children. If we
ignore these trends or their implications, we risk making public
schooling less and less relevant for our children.
If we were to start over and design a public school system from scratch,
would we have physical structures that have a single hallway with a
series of equally sized “classrooms” with a single teacher assigned to
single room and a few dozen students? Would we use time, rather than
achievement, as the constant in our formula? Would we be likely to let
all kids out for the summer to tend the fields? Or would we leverage all
of the worldwide resources available to us to enhance learning? Would
not the roles of our “educators” be much more varied? We must rethink
all of the former “walls” that no longer exist.
Of course this is easier said than done. It’s hard to actually start
over. Some schools, including both traditional and charter schools, are
experimenting with some of these changes, but the real question is how
do we create the policy and economic infrastructure to allow school
districts to design an educational experience that will serve children
growing up in the modern era? In many ways this task is daunting because
the implications are so far-reaching. This task will certainly take
time, but public education’s transformation appears inevitable. The
question is how to best approach it and create a rational and effective
transformation. Public school advocates can recognize that many of our
schools are doing amazing things with the resources and structure they
have inherited, but also admit that we must open everything up to
potential change.
- Seth Rosenblatt is the president of the Governing Board of the San
Carlos School District, currently in his second term. He also serves as
the president of the San Mateo County School Boards Association and sits
on the Executive Committee of the Joint Venture Silicon Valley
Sustainable Schools Task Force. He has two children in San Carlos public
schools. He writes frequently on issues in public education, in
regional and national publications as well as on his own blog. In his
business career, Seth has more than 20 years of experience in media and
technology, including executive positions in both start-up companies and
large enterprises. Seth currently operates his own consulting firm for
technology companies focused on strategy, marketing, and business
development. Seth holds a B.A. in Economics from Dartmouth College and
an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
HIGHLIGHTS, LOWLIGHTS & THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T
FIT: The Rest (but not necessarily the best) of the Stories from Other
Sources
ARE WE ASKING TOO MUCH FROM OUR TEACHERS?: Op-Ed in the New York Times By Alex Kotlowitz | http://nyti.ms/UG2Sj1 ... http://bit.ly/SlU8zf
3 LAUSD EDUCATORS AMONG LOS ANGELES COUNTY TEACHERS OF THE YEAR: Top School Teachers Selected for 2012-13: SOURC... http://bit.ly/PNeKg2
BACKERS SAY BILLS SIGNED BY BROWN WILL REDUCE SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS: Advocates aiming to reform school discipline p... http://bit.ly/ShuHia
FORMER MIRAMONTE STUDENT ALLEGEDLY BEATEN AT NEW SCHOOL: -- Howard Blume, LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/NIkLMB ... http://bit.ly/OOFBWz
STATE ALLOCATION BOARD CHANGES RULES ON APPLYING FOR SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND MATCH OVER DISTRICT OBJECTIONS: ….... http://bit.ly/VnvZXK
SKEPTICAL UNIONS POSE CHALLENGE TO DISTRICT’S RACE TO THE TOP: By John Fensterwald | Ed Source Today | http://bi... http://bit.ly/UAUJMK
What if the political extortion fails? CALFORNIA SCHOOL CUT WARNING LOOKS REAL: By Dan Walters, Sacramento Be... http://bit.ly/RI6q55
CONSTITUTION DAY 2012/ENDEAVOUR’S LAST FLIGHT: smf for 4LAKidsNews Friday 21 September 2012 :: My friend Sophi... http://bit.ly/Tf4i67
THE MILLION DOLLAR TEACHER: Should Teachers Be Allowed to Sell Their Lesson Plans?: A Georgia kindergarten teach... http://bit.ly/OMphpn
REGULATORS URGED TO CRACK DOWN ON DONATIONS TO BOND MEASURES: Leading bond underwriters gave $1.8 million over t... http://bit.ly/UlhkOL
“iPads for all?”: WHY 21st CENTURY EDUCATION IS NOT JUST ABOUT TECHNOLOGY: By Seth Rosenblatt, Ed Source Today |... http://bit.ly/Sec0f6
AGING, POLLUTING SCHOOL BUSES REMAIN ON CALIFORNIA ROADS: BY KENDALL TAGGART California Watch from The Bakersfie... http://bit.ly/Uxafcr
Field Poll/Tax Increase Initiatives: GOV. BROWN’S TAX MEASURE TEETERS AS UNDECIDED VOTERS GROW: By David Siders,... http://bit.ly/PGq5yd
TELFAIR ELEMENTARY TEACHER SENTENCED IN SEX ABUSE CASE: Paul Chapel III sentenced to 25 years in connection with ... http://bit.ly/Vib3RO
GOVERNOR VETOES AB18: Bill would create school finance task force: http://bit.ly/Vib0Wf
STATE WANTS ASSURANCE SCHOOL DISTRICTS UNDERSTAND FACILITY MONEY NO LONGER GUARANTEED: + smf’s 2¢ $40 billion ... http://bit.ly/T8KYXX
Ravitch: CHICAGO TEACHER STRIKE ENDS: by Diane Ravitch | Diane Ravitch's blog
http://bit.ly/Sa8DWL
CALIFORNIA POISED TO SPOTLIGHT ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS STALLED IN SCHOOLS: By Lesli A. Maxwell, Education Week... http://bit.ly/PDdmwe
"Won't Back Down": HOLLYWOOD FILM PUSHES FLAWED CORPORATE EDUCATION AGENDA, pushes so-called "parent trigger" la... http://bit.ly/T8cHbk
CAL STATE ADMINISTRATORS ACCUSED OF CROSSING LINE IN PROP. 30 ADVOCACY: By Adolfo Guzman-Lopez | Pass / Fail : 8... http://bit.ly/UsGedI
COMMUNITY COLLEGES NAME ACTING CHANCELLOR: -- Carla Rivera | LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/R2fRKf September 1... http://bit.ly/UgNfzK
DEASY PRESENTS A VISION TO GET TABLETS INTO THE HANDS OF EVERY LAUSD STUDENT: by Galatzan Gazette Staff | http:/... http://bit.ly/UqB81A
RESIDUE OF ONCE-PROMISING FINANCE REFORM BILL IN BROWN’S HANDS: By John Fensterwald | Ed Source Today | http://b... http://bit.ly/UjVKIS
NCLB+RTTT: Two stories, eight letters, no vowels: Texas adopts CA’s strategy on NCLB waiver, prompting new risk ... http://bit.ly/RnoKQX
¿HOW ARE TEACHERS IN FINLAND EVALUATED?: by Diane Ravitch/Diane Ravitch’s blog | http://bit.ly/U8BSK0 & Amanda... http://bit.ly/RnkEIE
¿WHO IS VICTIMIZING CHICAGO’S KIDS?: Joanne Barkan – Dissent Magazine | http://bit.ly/V8gfI2 September 14, 2012... http://bit.ly/S26OuX
L.A. COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT BOARD CONTINUES TO PLAY FAST+LOOSE WITH VAN DE KAMPS COLLEGE CAMPUS IN NORTHEAST... http://bit.ly/PDqmjZ
VOLUNTEERS CREATE AN OASIS AT TELFAIR ELEMENTARY IN PACOIMA: By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer, LA Daily News | htt... http://bit.ly/UjiKaS
IN U.S., PRIVATE SCHOOLS GET TOP MARKS FOR EDUCATING CHILDREN: by Jeffrey M. Jones, http://Gallup.com – POLITI... http://bit.ly/U4O3aJ
John Dewey High School: THE UGLY FACE OF ®EFORM IN NEW YORK CITY: by Diane Ravitch in Diane Ravitch's blog | htt... http://bit.ly/Ox18D7
KOREAN STUDENTS, PARENTS DO THEIR PRE-COLLEGE HOMEWORK: An Ivy League school? Or one in the UC system? Thousands... http://bit.ly/UeCBYP
CHARTERS BALK AT NEW PRE-KINDERGARTEN LAW: By Christina Hoag The Associated Press FROM the daily journal | http:... http://bit.ly/V3CI8X
Headline: MARRIAGE OF MICHELTORENA AND CHILDREN OF THE WORLD CHARTER SCHOOL SET FOR SEPT. 5TH: By Colin Stutz, L... http://bit.ly/Pr0Pfg
TEACHER’S STRIKE IN CHICAGO NOT OVER: RANK+FILE BALK AT “GOOD CONTRACT”, MAYOR EMANUEL TO SUE: Teachers Union i... http://bit.ly/PqVipc
EVENTS: Coming up next week...
*Dates and times subject to change. ________________________________________
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:
http://www.laschools.org/bond/
Phone: 213-241-5183
____________________________________________________
• LAUSD FACILITIES COMMUNITY OUTREACH CALENDAR:
http://www.laschools.org/happenings/
Phone: 213-241.8700
What can YOU do?
• E-mail, call or write your school board member:
Tamar.Galatzan@lausd.net • 213-241-6386
Monica.Garcia@lausd.net • 213-241-6180
Bennett.Kayser@lausd.net • 213-241-5555
Marguerite.LaMotte@lausd.net • 213-241-6382
Nury.Martinez@lausd.net • 213-241-6388
Richard.Vladovic@lausd.net • 213-241-6385
Steve.Zimmer@lausd.net • 213-241-6387
...or your city councilperson, mayor, the governor, member of congress,
senator - or the president. Tell them what you really think! • Find
your state legislator based on your home address. Just go to: http://bit.ly/dqFdq2 • There are 26 mayors and five county supervisors representing jurisdictions within LAUSD, the mayor of LA can be reached at mayor@lacity.org • 213.978.0600
• Call or e-mail Governor Brown: 213-897-0322 e-mail: http://www.govmail.ca.gov/
• Open the dialogue. Write a letter to the editor. Circulate these
thoughts. Talk to the principal and teachers at your local school.
• Speak with your friends, neighbors and coworkers. Stay on top of education issues. Don't take my word for it!
• Get involved at your neighborhood school. Join your PTA. Serve on a School Site Council. Be there for a child.
• If you are eligible to become a citizen, BECOME ONE.
• If you a a citizen, REGISTER TO VOTE.
• If you are registered, VOTE LIKE THE FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. THEY DO!.
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