September 28, 2007

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Providers Are Voting

Filed under: Labor by Steve Perez @ 6:18 pm

The ballots are out and already 9,000 home child care providers have voted in a union election to join the UFT. Following up on the excitement of the get-out-the-vote rally at the start of the month, phonebankers have been making calls reminding providers to vote before the election ends on Oct. 18.


(more…)

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Teacher News of the Day

Filed under: Roundup by Steve Perez @ 3:53 pm

Diane Ravitch isn’t impressed by the 2007 NAEP scores.

New rules for green schools.

New Global Positioning Systems for school buses.

Meet Williamson Evers, George Bush’s nominee to be assistant secretary of education for planning, evaluation and policy development.

And presidential candidate Fred Thompson talks about No Child Left Behind.

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What Gets Tested Becomes What’s Important

Filed under: Education by Steve Perez @ 1:11 pm

I can’t tell if Eduwonk asking “Does anyone seriously argue that children are not more than a test score?” is

  1. a. Willfully missing the point.
  2. b. More evidence that education policy wonks would be well served to try their hand at teaching for a few years.

Look, if you’re going to argue that kids and schools should be judged based on test scores, get money based on test scores, and get punished when their test scores aren’t high enough, then what’s the message you’re sending about kids and test scores? (Hint: it’s not that you value their ability to write poetry.) (more…)

September 27, 2007

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Teacher News of the Day

Filed under: Roundup by Steve Perez @ 3:53 pm

“Childrens do learn.” Who said it? Answer here.

More on spinning NAEP to justify NCLB (hat tip to Mike Klonsky).

The NEA calls a federal mandate requiring individual merit pay in NCLB a “deal breaker.”  The AFT explains further.

Students weigh in on Opportunity NYC.

Meet Steven Kaye, a science teacher in Brooklyn.

What’s your experience with the city’s math coaches?

September 26, 2007

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Making the Regents Fun

Filed under: New Teacher Diaries by MsB @ 6:41 pm

[Editor’s note: MsB is the pseudonym for a third-year high school English teacher in Brooklyn.]

“I’m bringing sexy back.” - Justin Timberlake

“How can we re-state, explain, and take a position on this quote?” That’s the question I find myself asking my Junior English class. I think, “Is this really happening? Am I really getting them to analyze the lyrics of this pop prince? Will this actually help them understand how to write a regents essay?”

The regents make me crazy. I find myself jumping through hoops to get my students motivated and engaged in regents prep lessons. Here are a few ideas I came up with to make this test prep experience less painful. (more…)

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Teacher News of the Day

Filed under: Education Roundup by Steve Perez @ 6:06 pm

Initial analysis of the 2007 NAEP numbers is starting to come out . . .

. . . so is the spin . . .

. . . as well as calls for a closer look at state tests.

Congressional support for individual merit pay is growing.

A look at online tutoring . . .

. . . and the help Queens middle schools are getting from the Middle School Initiative.

Stuyvesant High students want a better relationship with their new principal.

George Bush, in town yesterday, praised Chancellor Klein and Mayor Bloomberg.

How heavy are the backpacks in your school?

And the UAW reached a tentative agreement with GM. More here and here.

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Union Busting Redux

Filed under: Labor by Leo Casey @ 12:18 pm

In In These Times, Art Levine recounts his recent experience at a seminar for Union-Busting Confidential.

Edwize readers may find the name of the legal firm providing union-busting advice — Jackson, Lewis — familiar. Back in November 2005, we attended incognito a similar seminar for “union prevention” in New York State charter schools, and wrote about it here. Jackson, Lewis and its Atlantic Legal Foundation organized the day and provided the legal counsel, and Rod Paige of the “NEA is a terrorist organization” fame provided the luncheon talk. Previously, the New York Charter School Association — also in attendance at the seminar — had introduced Jackson, Lewis and the Atlantic Legal Foundation to the New York charter world through a workshop at its annual convention.

Amazingly enough, there are still a blogger or two who claims that NYCSA is not controlled by right wing, dyed in the wool anti-union ideologues, despite its relationship with Jackson, Lewis and its financial support from far right foundations.

September 25, 2007

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The auditor scratches her head

Filed under: Education by Maisie @ 4:23 pm

This morning’s NAEP scores for 4th and 8th grade reading and math just tangled the picture as far as New York State’s achievement tests are concerned.

NAEP is the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the achievement tests that are widely viewed as the best indicators available of student achievement across the 50 states. This morning the 2007 results were announced and compared to 2005, the last time these tests were given.

The NAEP results call into question just how valid the New York State tests are. Well, you can’t compare scores directly on these two tests. The scales of the NAEP tests (0-500) and our own state standardized achievement tests (200-800) are different, and how the feds and the state set proficiency levels also differs. BUT the direction of the results should be roughly the same. That was not the case at all. (more…)

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Class Size and the IBO Report

Filed under: Class Size Education Funding by Randi Weingarten @ 4:08 pm

[Editor’s note: The Independent Budget Office released a report (pdf) that found a relatively small drop in class sizes despite declining enrollment and nearly $200 million in state and federal funds dedicated to reducing class size.]

It is disturbing to learn that the Independent Budget Office’s analysis shows that fully 61% of New York City’s public school kindergarten to third-grade classrooms exceeded the state’s early grade class size standard of 20 students per class last year. That target is part and parcel of the early grade class size reduction initiatives approved by the state 10 years ago and was based on what many researchers and educational experts consider best for effectively teaching children. There is universal agreement on class size reduction in the early grades; the question is why is it not happening for all the city’s students in kindergarten through third grade and how do we make it happen? (more…)

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Teacher News of the Day

Filed under: Roundup by Steve Perez @ 3:29 pm

The 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress has been released. Report here, expect a look at the numbers and what they mean soon.

Class sizes are marginally lower . . .

. . . and so is student enrollment.

Brooklyn middle schools are getting help from the Middle School Initiative.

Remember Shaquan Vaughn? He may have found a school to attend.

PBS is airing “A Concert Honoring the Teachers of America” on Oct. 4.

Chancellor Klein is meeting with George Bush.

Nancy Close, an East Islip health teacher, weighs in on No Child Left Behind. You should too.

More on the UAW strike.

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