TNTP Reports, NFL Events, Bully, Edujobs

4 Replies to “TNTP Reports, NFL Events, Bully, Edujobs”

1. John White:

   And one writer simply stated, “Poverty is a significant factor affecting academic scores,” leaving it at that — as if that absolves us of any responsibility to educate the child.

   Classical propaganda John White.
   The MO of the professional education reform class.
   Michelle Rhee/Johnson uses it on a regular basis, after lying about her students’ test scores got her to where she is today (lying that NTNP’s Tim Daly tried to rationalise).

   But it gets to the core of the matter.
   “Education”, according to the professional education reform class, occurs only when the poor kids score well on a test.

   Contrast with this from the NYT (and, not Michael Winerip):

   Mike Tolkin, the newly appointed head coach of the United States men’s national rugby team, steps in front of his audience and begins speaking.

   But there is no talk of drop goals or scrums. Rather, he deftly explains inverted syntax and figurative language. The topic is Shakespeare’s 18th sonnet, the one that begins, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day.” And the audience is a class of seniors at a Jesuit school in Manhattan, where Tolkin has spent more than 20 years as an English teacher.

2. Article link:
   http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/23/sports/new-us-rugby-coach-is-a-teacher-first.html?ref=education

3. From yesterday at the Supreme Court:
   In discussion with Solicitor General Verrilli, Justice Alito (who certainly sees the law as unconstitutional) brought up the possibility of a similar situation in education.
   “Let’s say Congress says this to the States: We have got great news for you; we know your expenditures on education are a huge financial burden, so we are going to take that completely off your shoulders; we are going to impose a special Federal education tax which will raise exactly the same amount of money as all of the States now spend on education; and then we are going to give you a grant that is equal to what you spent on education last year.
   Now, this is a great offer and we think you will take it, but of course, if you take it, it’s going to have some conditions because we are going to set rules on teacher tenure, on collective bargaining, on curriculum, on textbooks, class size, school calendar and many other things. So take it or leave it.”

4. No recent mention of Parent Trigger in Eduwonk.
   So, here’s the update:
   Embattled school gets new improvement plan, position

   ADELANTO • The legal battle may still be playing out in court, but the “Parent Trigger” push to overhaul Desert Trails Elementary School has already led to the creation of a school improvement plan and a new position to help carry it out.

   The Adelanto School District Board of Trustees has voted to hire a new intervention teacher devoted full time to Desert Trails, the school on Bellflower Street propelled into the national spotlight this year.

   A parent-led group sought to force major reforms at Desert Trails through California’s Parent Empowerment Act, which requires a petition with parent signatures representing more than 50 percent of students. Though more than 20 states now have similar so-called Parent Trigger legislation, the Adelanto petition drive has the potential to be the first in the nation to successfully invoke it.

   The outcome is now in the hands of a Victorville judge, following heated controversy over tactics used by an opposition campaign and whether the district could accept signature retractions from “misinformed” parents.

   In the meantime, Principal David Mobley invited parents from both sides of the debate to brainstorm ideas for a new Desert Trails Program Improvement Plan. A team comprised of Mobley, a parent, teachers from each grade level and a special education representative decided on a plan that focuses on boosting achievement in literacy.

   On the 2010-11 state exams, 34 percent of Desert Trails students tested proficient or above in language arts — 20 percentage points below the state average. Students did slightly better in math, with 44 percent testing proficient or above compared to 50 percent hitting those marks statewide.

   “Our math scores are higher than our reading scores,” Mobley said, “and you hit the point that they may be able to do the computation but if they can’t comprehend the story problem then it doesn’t do any good.”

   To execute the improvement plan, the school is hiring the Success for All Foundation, which will help train teachers in effective literacy lesson plans and offer 20 days of coaching during the school year. Among one of the major changes planned for next year: dividing students into groups by skill level — not age — for daily reading and writing lessons in 90-minute blocks. After six weeks, students will be evaluated and regrouped by skill level.

   It doesn’t say if the school will get the full-time librarian and the full-time counselor that the parents want. Maybe Parent Revolution will provide those two positions with their own money.
   Maybe a fund could be set-up.