Susan's Saturday Special

Ok, so Ohanian sent this out on Thursday. Why quibble? Lotsalinks for weekend perusal. And isn't today the longest day of the year? And I'm registered for a hot yoga class in Times Square with a few thousand people. I just me skip that one and stay home and read Susan's stuff.

A startling thing happened in the grocery store yesterday. I had the four pieces of fruit (at $3.99) a pound that I treat myself to once a year year. Gold dust. The clerk said, "Can I ask you what those are?"

I was so stunned in the moment about having to define apricots that it didn't occur to give one to the clerk. I mean, everyone should taste an apricot once in her life.

Thanks to Eric's good efforts, cartoons are back.

Universal Critical Thinking
http://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=940

Ad in USA Today Trashes Teachers
http://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=939

The other good news is that school is out, the weather is beautiful, and free reading abounds. Kids are finding books at the town library that they WANT to read. And I'm there to shelve the returns. Richard Allington's research shows that kids need access to 15 books of their choice over the summer to keep up their skills. Don't you wonder where kids in poverty are going to find those books? It would be a lot cheaper--and more beneficial--to give them those books than force them to go to summer remediation.

The Jindal item below has a slam on Arne Duncan than you probably won't read anywhere else.

Susan

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
U.S. education secretary criticizes Gov. Bobby Jindal's Common Core turnabout, TV station reports
Danielle Dreilinger
Times Picayune
2014-06-17
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=716

Arne Duncan puts his foot in it, Petrilli attacks him on Twitter. And more.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Over 80 PERCENT Of New York Residents Say Common Core Is A Disastrous Failure
Eric Owens
Daily Caller
2014-06-17
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=715

A poll shows a whopping 82 percent of New York state residents wanting to abandon the Common Core Standards Initiative.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
'Sit and Stare' to Prepare for Democracy?
John Merrow

2014-06-18
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=1176

I take it as a hopeful sign that a mainstream reporter comes close to supporting those who opt out of testing.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Seniority, Tenure and the Vergara Decision
Jack Gerson and Andy Libson

2014-06-18
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=1175

In discussing the Vergara decision, the authors insist that the situation is long past the time when people should be calling for 'calm.'

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
To the editor
Shlomo Groll
Wall Street Journal
2014-06-18
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1690

The Wall Street Journal publishes a letter that takes them to task.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
To the editor
Stephen Krashen
Taiwan News
2014-06-18
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1689

A terrible New York Times article is reprinted in the Taiwan News, and Krashen takes them to task.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
To the editor
Stephen Krashen
The Guardian
2014-06-17
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1688

Good respond to an incredibly awful article.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
To the editor
Joseph Mugivan
New York times
2014-06-06
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1687

The author points out that kids spend a lot of time using grammar workbooks but not much time actually using that grammar in their own writing.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Students of much-touted Success Academy charter school score too low on entrance exam for top city high schools
Juan Gonzalez
New York Daily News
2014-06-18
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1827

Shocking statistics from Harlem Success Academy 1.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
The Internet of very dumb things
Mark Morford
San Francisco Chronicle
2014-06-17
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1826

Morford posits all the app crap as  high-fructose corn syrup of the Internet.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
U.S. Warning New York State on Teacher Evaluations
Leslie  Brodie
Wall Street Journal
2014-06-18
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1825

The US Department of Education is threatening New York State over teacher evaluations. Your tax dollars at work.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Tying high-stakes tests to teachers is harmful
Mark Henry
Houston Chronicle
0000-00-00
http://susanohanian.org/show_yahoo.php?id=857

Here's good news: a superintendent willing to speak truth to power.