Saturday, August 13, 2011

Ohanian Links - Aug. 9, 2011

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Murdoch: Replace Teachers With Computers Yes, he really said it:
Jersey Jazzman
blog
2011-08-07
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=9739

Here's a teacher manifesto --given  under the declaration of Rupert Murdoch that he has a way to cut number of teachers  in half.

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Professors Cede Grading Power to Outsiders—Even Computers
Jeffrey R. Young
Chronicle of Higher Education
2011-08-07
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=9738

The best way to eliminate grade inflation is to take professors out of the grading process: Replace them with professional evaluators who never meet the students, and who don't worry that students will punish harsh grades with poor reviews. Or so some say.

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Journalist Kicked Out of ALEC Conference, Threatened With Arrest
Eric Carlson
Truthout
2011-08-05
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=9737

 I admit it: I enjoy any bashing of ALEC.

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Donors Urged School Ouster
Shelly Banjo
Wall Street Journal
2011-08-05
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=9736

 Here's another example of the hedge-fund version of the Midas Touch: Everything they touch eliminates the public voice.

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Reverence in Classroom Teaching
Jim Garrison & A. G. Rud

2011-08-09
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=959

The authors state that their goal in this article and those to follow is to restore reverence to its rightful place in the ordinary daily activities of teachers in relation to administrators, students, and parents in school and in the community.


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To the editor
Nancy Carlsson-Paige
Boston Globe
2011-08-04
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1382

One can hope newspaper decision-makers might feel some shame over this.

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Dear Governor Martinez and Secretary of Education-Designate Skandera,
Francesca Blueher
Governor's  and Secretary Education offices
2011-08-03
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1381

Here is an on-the-mark letter from an Albuquerque teacher with a very long history with the school district. I'm not talking age here; I'm talking family heritage. This is the kind of person Albuquerque policy makers should be talking to. What are the chances that they will?

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Secretive Corporate-Legislative ALEC Meets to Rewrite State Laws
Amy Goodman
Democracy Now!
2011-08-06
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1031

Another in a series of reports on ALEC, the folks who secretly draft pro-corporate legislation.

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Why states should refuse Duncan’s NCLB waivers
Monty Neill
Washington Post Answer Sheet
2011-08-09
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1030

As introduction, I provide info on what heads of education committees are doing. I wish states would follow Monty Neill's advice and call Duncan's bluff.

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Segregation: New studies show Philly has nation's most separate and unequal schools, neighborhoods. Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Detroit close behind
Posted by Daniel Denvir
Naked City
2011-08-04
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1029

Research shows that the problem is segregation and cannot be solved by pathologizing non-white schools and the people (say, teachers) who work there.

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The Decade of Lost Children
Charles M. Blow
New York Times
2011-08-06
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1028

The NY Times actually let readers comment on this strong column. Reader comments are even stronger, and some of them get it.

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Matt Damon, Diane Ravitch, and scapegoating teachers
Lois Weiner
New
2011-08-06
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1027

Let's move forward. We need to start talking about why this is happening. Teachers need to understand that they are part of the larger corporate assault on workers--and they need to know why.

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MEDIA WATCH: All you need to 'close the achievement gap' are a bunch of upper middle class white boys and girls, a few weeks of TFA 'Boot Camp', and lots of belief... Teach for America gets plugs from
Robin Robinson, with comment by George Schmidt
Fox News and Substance
2011-08-04
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=0

The Chicago Public Schools dump at least 2,300 teachers while hiring 400 new Teach for America recruits.

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Life is Good: Playmakers
Life is Good
Project Joy
0000-00-00
http://susanohanian.org/show_yahoo.php?id=684

Watch this short film about the importance of play. Pass it on.

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Kindergarten teacher details ‘lunacy’ of standardized tests for kids
Nancy Creech
Washington Post Answer Sheet
2011-07-05
http://susanohanian.org/show_research.php?id=429

A kindergarten teacher reports on the 27,575 pieces of assessment data produced by her students she is required to record.

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Letter to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
Carol Corbett Burris and Kevin G. Welner
letter
0000-00-00
http://susanohanian.org/show_research.php?id=428

 The letter was invited by Secretary Duncan during a phone conversation with Dr. Burris. It offers concrete guiding principles for evaluation of educators and suggestions for a way forward.


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Wheels finally falling off 'No Child Left Behind'
Jim Broadway
State School News Service
2011-08-09
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_atrocities.php?id=4176

It was launched like a jumbo jet with no landing gear.

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Shoreham family rallies for education in D.C.
Ian Trombulak
Addison Independent
2011-08-08
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_atrocities.php?id=4175

A Vermont family of educators talk with a reporter about why SOS was important.

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Breaking News! Kids Set to Firebomb Teachers in Tennessee!
Anthony Dallmann-Jones
NAREN News
2011-08-01
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_atrocities.php?id=4174

Tennessee kids have figured out that under the Gates assessment plan, they can firebomb teachers they don't like.

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