Friday Open Thread
Have you kept up with the steady stream of toddlers either shooting themselves, their sibs or their parents? We need some gun regulations with teeth for people who will not secure their guns (whether at home, in the car or at Walmart).
In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie doesn't like Common Core (where, previously, he did). Oddly, he doesn't want to get rid of the PARCC test that is used there. Someone must be running for President.
Speaking of Pearson (from the Washington Post), they just had to pay a $7.7M fine to NY State because the "nonprofit" arm of their business
had created Common Core products to generate “tens of millions of dollars” for its corporate sister.
“The law on this is clear: non-profit foundations cannot misuse charitable assets to benefit their affiliated for-profit corporations,” Schneiderman said in a statement Thursday.
According to the settlement, Pearson used its nonprofit foundation to develop Common Core products in order to win an endorsement from a “prominent foundation.”
The latter entity is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which helped fund the creation of the Common Core standards and announced in 2011 that it would work with the Pearson Foundation to create reading and math courses aligned with the new standards.
Please join Safe Routes to Schools in creating better walking/biking for Seattle's child, both for school and play. More on this issue from Publicola.
Fun map overlay of countries on top of the continent of Africa. Show the kids.
What's on your mind?
In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie doesn't like Common Core (where, previously, he did). Oddly, he doesn't want to get rid of the PARCC test that is used there. Someone must be running for President.
Speaking of Pearson (from the Washington Post), they just had to pay a $7.7M fine to NY State because the "nonprofit" arm of their business
had created Common Core products to generate “tens of millions of dollars” for its corporate sister.
“The law on this is clear: non-profit foundations cannot misuse charitable assets to benefit their affiliated for-profit corporations,” Schneiderman said in a statement Thursday.
According to the settlement, Pearson used its nonprofit foundation to develop Common Core products in order to win an endorsement from a “prominent foundation.”
The latter entity is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which helped fund the creation of the Common Core standards and announced in 2011 that it would work with the Pearson Foundation to create reading and math courses aligned with the new standards.
Please join Safe Routes to Schools in creating better walking/biking for Seattle's child, both for school and play. More on this issue from Publicola.
Fun map overlay of countries on top of the continent of Africa. Show the kids.
What's on your mind?
Comments
Thanks.
Lin, School of Social Work
I think we have built enough bike lanes, now let's build some things people actually need and will use. SPS and SDOT need to address the problem at Viewlands by completing proper sidewalks, curbs and off street parking. We also need over passes across Greenwood, Holman road and 3rd ave.
Call and remind the Mayor there's more to Seattle than SLU and Ballard.
Nick
Busing in Seattle: A Well-Intentioned Failure
Or maybe this?
Seattle's Ugly Past: Segregation in Our Neighborhoods
Tracing the history of organized intolerance in Seattle.
reader47
Lin
HP
I just don't understand how anyone thinks mixing bikes with cars, trucks and buses works. I would never let my children ride on any of those type of routes.
rocky
http://www.salon.com/2015/06/02/thats_a_big_fault_the_terrifying_9_magnitude_california_earthquake_which_really_terrifies_scientists/
Anyway! I ran across this amusing take-off on the Gilbert and Sullivan ditty, "A Policeman's Lot Is Not A Happy One", but changed to cover the teacher's lot.
I would say the language is definitely NSFW, but delivered in a delightful British accent, so perhaps that mitigates somewhat, eh? Still and all, listen at home or with headphones, I'd say.
Cheers all, and happy weekend, whenever it actually does arrive!
CT
(and yes, even WA/OSPI has sold out to Pearson, and requires teacher candidates [and now in-service teachers] take the NES.)
"Expect state test scores in September
The timing of the state assessment score reports has changed from June to September. These are the score sheets from your student's spring Smarter Balanced tests in reading, writing and math. Last month, the district told families that the score reports would likely be sent home with final report cards in June. Due to unanticipated delays at the state level, the district will now send score reports home in September. Scores also will be posted online to the Source in September.
September is the typical timing for state assessment score reports, but the district had initially anticipated they would be ready earlier. Thank you for your patience as we work with this new assessment system. To learn more, please see our Smarter Balanced web page."
Surprised, anyone?
Now, that Pearson are the gatekeepers for this is a lousy idea, on that we agree. But the portfolio submitted in support of the TPA is a stunning amount of work.
So I am assuming that all the kids will have conferences regarding their low scores with their teachers from the previous year. Or was it with the principal? Wasn't the point of this computerized test that the results would be available quickly so remediation could happen? That was the selling point right? We are getting our money back from Pearson right?
West parent
The NES, however, is a (mostly) multiple choice test, now being used for many of the teacher endorsements and for in-service teachers who have suddenly lost their highly-qualified status for whatever reason (taking a leave, doing a 2 year rotation as an Instructional coach, etc.) because OSPI recently changed how they handle highly-qualified teacher status (yet another idiotic relic of No Child Left Behind) and left a lot of teachers hanging. They must take and pass the NES to prove they are a "highly-qualified teacher". Out of state teachers also have to take the NES if they want to get a job in WA.
The NES has been used as the teacher certification gatekeeper in many states, and lots of litigation around it - Boston, Atlanta, many of the larger urban districts. I've heard rumblings that edTPA may be facing similar challenges soon.
CT
http://dianeravitch.net/2013/06/03/what-is-edtpa-and-why-do-critics-dislike-it/
CT
Excellent Book on the Desegregation of Seattle Schools is "Without A Court Order" by Ann Lagreliius Siqueland
Also "Must We Bus" by Gary Orfield (segregated Schools and National Policy)
Carol
HP
Lin
Joe Wolf- Please keep us updated.
Great school board meeting. Always great to see testimony from the Simmons family. Found Simmons testimony regarding 100% graduation rate within Native community, compelling.
Thank you for the lovely compliments.
Carol, Jim and Justin
I'll have to check which west coast states exempted them, if any, as most of my info is on the east coast states right now.
Pretty sure Wisconsin won't be using it much longer, as any Joe Blow will be able to "teach" there, much like Utah.
But more edTPA fun.
http://dianeravitch.net/2014/05/22/laura-chapman-the-problems-with-edtpa/
CT
Wondering
HP
School Board meeting and Director of Head Start. The board is praising SPS's Head Start program/model. You can watch beginning around minute 17. Will the city attempt to take over this program?
http://www.seattlechannel.org/SPS/?videoid=x55633