See what your school is missing - Join me for a day of robotics TODAY, March 14, 2015 - At the Javits Convention Center

Really, if your school doesn't have an NYCFIRST robotics program going on you need to see this.

At 6PM Friday night - HS kids still at it

Today is the big day and I head out at 6AM. I got home at 9PM last night from helping get ready for the 80 teams coming from all over the city and from public, private, charter, parochial and home schooled teams for the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) NYC championship tournament for kids aged 9-14. 

In FIRST LEGO League (FLL®) the children will design, build and program an autonomous robot (using the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® robot set) to score points on a thematic playing surface, as well as conduct a project research and create innovative solutions to a problem, all while being guided by the FLL Core Values. The FLL Challenge this year is called World Class - Learning Unleashed.

The Pits: Where the 80 teams hang out

In the morning the kids - we have 80 teams with about 10 kids on a team -- present their research projects to a team of judges, show how they designed their robot to another team of judges and demonstrate their level of teamwork - and core values to a third set. While waiting they spend the morning doing practice runs - and modifying their software and robot designs for the afternoon game competition where they get to run their robots in 3 rounds - roughly once an hour.

Like my flannel shirt? That's where to find me

I'll be managing the team pit area - when I'm not sneaking out for a snack in the volunteer canteen- so come on down and hang out.

But there is so much more in this 3 day event -- we are only here for today.

During the morning, the little kids 6-9 - will demonstrate the Junior FIRST LEGO League projects.

For children ages 6-9, Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL®) captures young children's curiosity and directs it toward discovering the wonders of science and technology.

Children get to design and build a challenge-related model using LEGO® components, create a Show Me Poster and practice presentation skills, explore challenges facing today's scientists, discover real-world math and science, and engage in team activities guided by Jr.FLL Core Values. The theme this year is called Think Tank - Redefining Learning.


 FRC

Check out the high school field

And going on all day and Sunday too is the big kids - the varsity.
I was there last night and the kids were still working out at 7PM. Backstage in the pit area is a wonder - you need to wear safety glasses which they loan you -- I got to see an old pal, Steve Raile from Staten Island Tech who retired this past June but can't stay away.

The varsity Sport for the MindTM, FRC combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology for high school students between the age of 14-18.

Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of 25 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team "brand," hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors.  It’s as close to "real-world engineering" as a student can get. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team. The FRC Robot is limited to

 28" x 42" x 78" in size and a maximum weight of 120 lbs
The FRC Challenge this year is called Recycle Rush.


There is room in the stands for you to watch these 6 robots - 3 vs 3 go at it - and these kids drive the robots - not autonomous mode except for the beginning.

And there is even more. The lower level - and cheaper - middle and high school tournament - FTC - has already taken place but there is a demo field set up just outside our pit area -- their tasks are described:
FTC is designed for students in grades 7-12 to compete head to head, using a sports model.

The robot kit is reusable from year-to-year and is programmed using a variety of languages. Teams, including coaches, mentors and volunteers, are required to develop strategy and build robots based on sound engineering principles.
The FTC Robot is limited to 18" x 18" x 18" in size, and the competition field is 12' x 12'.
This year's FTC Challenge is called Cascade Effect


Well, that's it for a busy day. If you stop by and see me sleeping on the table, give me a nudge.

Video: Rally at Cuomo's Office by Brooklyn District 15 Teachers and Parents - March 11, 2015

Some MORE chapter leaders in District 15 joined other CLs in the district to formulate a plan that would take protests beyond one school - most schools did these anyway the next day. The organizing concept is to help create links between neighborhood schools that over time can become a political force. The UFT district leadership saw the potential and jumped in to support it. But the key here is that the organizing force came out of parents and teachers working from the school level, not from UFT implementation from above. And the concept of the mext day school protests came from people like Leonie Haimson, not the UFT. If the union finally gets that this is the way to go that is a good thing. If it ends after some deal with Cuomo then it's back to the way things were. But press reports that the UFT organized all these protests is only 50% correct.

I know some people in MORE and beyond are rolling their eyes -- and did not take part in the protests because they felt this was UFT manipulation. But the younger MORE's, some featured in this video saw this as an opportunity to reach out to their school community and to link up with other schools, an essential organizing effort over the long run. For them this doesn't end the day a deal with Cuomo is signed. Now if people in the other 45 or so districts did the same we might be on to something.

I got there about 45 minutes in and was astounded that they got so many people to go to midtown after school for this rally. And kudos to the crew at PS 261 in Boerum Hill which brought out a massive contingent which you can see gathered at the end of the video.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnRWwt5_iYQ

Norm in The Wave this week: Opt-out, robotics, running for chapter leader Plus Rockway Theatre Co.

Published Friday, March 13, 2015, www.rockawave.com.

Useful Information – Or Not
By Norm Scott

Someone told me they actually understood my last column – for once. I wish I can remember what it was about. So for this week I have accumulated a batch of useful information – or not.

The Testing Opt-Out movement grows
Not long ago the very idea of opting kids out of the yearly tests was frightening to parents, teachers and especially principals and the higher ups beyond them. But nationwide, parents, seeing the negative impact on kids as young as 7 and 8 of testing, have started pulling their kids from the tests. In NY State, the movement began on Long Island where 30,000 people opted out last year and that tinyurl.com/knmwrk6. A Long Island forum a few days later featuring my friend Jia Lee is at tinyurl.com/mbla2tn.

number is expected to grow this year by leaps and bounds through the growth of opt-out rallies and forums. Here in NYC there is more repression and fear but I have been working with an amazing group of parents from Change the Stakes, which has been in the forefront of the opt-out here in the city. I taped a wonderful forum at a school in Brooklyn which included 2 principals (one from Long Island and one from Brooklyn, a NYC teacher and a parent from the Bronx. Video at

There is somewhat of a war going on, and as often does, race enters into it. The leaders and profiteers of the testing movement, the instrument used to undermine the public school system, have begun a concerted attack on opt-outers as being white, middle class liberals who are soft on their own kids. Some in the black community, where young kids are even more damaged by tests through their sorting and branding mechanism, have fallen for this line. But Change the Stakes and other groups have been making small inroads into these communities with information on how their kids are damaged when they are told they have to prepare for the SATs when they are in grades 1-3 and even kindergarten. Check the CTS web site for more info: https: changethestakes.wordpress.com. And you can order a NYC Opt-Out tee-shirt at www.booster.com/nycoptout . I just ordered mine.

Howie Schwach remembers former District 27 Superintendent Beverly Hall
Hall, who was considered the mastermind behind the massive Atlanta test cheating scandal, died recently. Former Wave editor and columnist Schwach, who preceded me at School Scope, was the reason I began to read the Wave due to his coverage of education issues, wrote about Hall’s history in our district in the early 90s at his web site: www.onrockaway.com/page-16.html. And note that the Atlanta testing scandal is a tip of the iceberg and it is only due to the lack of vigilance and cover-ups that we haven’t seen the same story here in NYC. A good lesson for people who think the testing culture is good for kids and education in general.

Robotics
This weekend I’ll be at the Javits Convention Center all day on Saturday, March 14 for the NYCFIRST Robotics events (admission is FREE). This is my 13th year working with NYCFIRST with the FIRST LEGO League (ages 9-14). I manage the pit area where the 80 teams, many from NYC public and private schools, with some home schooled too, display their research projects and work on programming their robots. In the morning, teams meet with judges to discuss their work and after noon compete on 8x4 game boards with their robots made out of LEGO and programed to complete a bunch of tasks related to this year’s theme as described in this promo: What is the future of learning? FLL teams will find the answers. In the 2014 FLL WORLD CLASS℠ Challenge, over 265,000 children from 80 countries will redesign how we gather knowledge and skills in the 21st century. Teams will teach adults about the ways that kids need and want to learn. Get ready for a whole new class – FLL WORLD CLASS! - See more at: www.firstlegoleague.org/challenge/2014. There is also a 3-day high school tournament (Friday-Sunday), known as FIRST Robotics Challenge (FRC) where teams come from not only the metropolitan area but from other parts of the nation and even the world. Six robots (3 against 3) on a giant field with a complex formula of shifting team alliances – where your former competitors become your allies. And a Junior FLL (ages 6-9) exhibition in the morning.

Hey, bud, are you interested in running for chapter leader at your school?
MORE, the caucus opposing the Mike Mulgrew-led UFT Unity Caucus, is offering workshops and advice. There is one this weekend on Saturday but also MORE reps will meet with candidates to share advice and support. Contact more@morecaucusnyc.org.

Norm blogs daily at ednotesonline.org. You don’t have to wait for Norm’s column to not understand what he writes.

Here is my short piece from last week (Mar. 6) on the RTC teen production of Legally Blonde, Jr.

Memo from the RTC: Legally Blonde is So Good it Should Be Illegal

By Norm Scott

It was opening night at the Rockaway Theatre Company and I expected jitters and a few flubs but saw a perfectly smooth running show as if it were the hundredth performance of “Legally Blonde, Jr., The Musical”. After all, the entire cast is made of up of teens and maybe even a few tweens. Aren’t any of these kids nervous? How come they can remember complex lines while I have to look at the page if I have to remember more than 3 words? How did the sets get changed between scenes without a glitch? How can so many kids (34 of them) sing and dance and perform with such aplomb in front of their parents, families and friends?

Of course they did not do all this by themselves. A few adults from the RTC Teen Workshop, led by Peggy Press, have been working with them since September (when it was actually warm). Such smiles of satisfaction from directors Susan Corning and John Gilleece, the choral and musical directors Jodee Timpone and Richard Louis-Pierre and choreographer Gabrielle Mangano. And oh those looks on the faces of the parents to see their children do so well in a full-fledged Broadway-like production.

There are still a few performances this weekend: Evenings March 6, 7 at 7PM and a matinees Sunday Mar. 8 at 2PM. Call the hotline at 718-374-6400.

Video: Hundreds of Hands Around PS 321k

From filmmaker Michael Elliott.


HANDS AROUND 321 from nLightn Media on Vimeo.
https://vimeo.com/121995871

MORE's Lauren Cohen is co-chapter leader at PS 321.

My photo of Lauren at the Dist 15 rally at Cuomo's office captures what she is all about -

You will notice that for the people at PS 321, testing is the big issue. Not so much for the UFT message.

Mark Naison reports: More than 700 parents and children surrounded PS 321 in Brooklyn to protest Cuomo's education policies, only one of more than 100 schools in NYC which had such protests.

PS 20 and Arts and Letters (Fort Greene) Pics and Press Release on today's rallyPS 20

PS 20K and Arts and Letters

 
This is the first of a batch of incoming reports from some of the schools. Chalkbeat undercounts these protests by saying hundreds instead of thousands that would easily match and surpass the charter shills. Just look at the numbers from one building. But more on that issue later.

Hi, I thought you might like to see photos, speaker list, and the press release from this morning's action involving hundreds of families stretching around our schools today by two co-located schools Arts & Letters and PS 20 in Ft. Greene today among the 60+ schools that are participating in this action today: #protectourschools.

Please see below for link to professional photos you have permission to use to document today's Hands Around Our Schools event available with attribution to photographer Julie Hassett Sutton ( Julie at juliehassettsutton.com ): 

http://goo.gl/yK8iss

Speakers from PS 20 & Arts and Letters co-located public schools human chain & rally today:

PS 20 PTA President Vascilla Caldeira

Arts & Letters PTA co-President Ayanna Behin

Arts & Letters Teacher John Allgood

Letitia James, Public Advocate NYC

Joseph Yanis, legislative director Assembly Member Walter T Mosley

Ptahra Jeppe, chief of staff Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon

Jim Vogel, representative Senator Montgomery

Press Statement:

Contacts: Marnie Brady 202-492-4719 cell  // Vascilla Caldeira: 347-706-5621 cell

Hundreds of Parents and Teachers from Co-located Schools Unite in Citywide Action to Stop Cuomo’s Education Proposals:

Hands-Around Our Schools to Protect Public Education

#protectourschools

On the morning of Thursday, March 12^th the communities of two co-located public schools, P.S. 20 and Arts & Letters (A&L) in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn, along with Public Advocate of the City of New York Letitia James and representatives from offices of Assembly Member Walter T. Mosley, Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon and New York State SEnator Montgomery, created a human chain hundreds of people and families long around their school building with a united message to stop Gov. Cuomo’s education plans. Parents said the governor’s proposals will harm their children’s education, and cause unilateral damage to the public schools families have worked so hard to support.

Parents and teachers oppose what they call the governor’s “hostage tactics,” holding back $2.2 billion in court-mandated funds owed to NYS public schools while imposing detrimental policy changes into the April 1 budget. These changes include basing 50% of teacher evaluations on state test results, and the diversion of public education resources into private hands. Parents are taking action with social media, and emergency meetings with state representatives.

One A&L parent, Kimberly Bliss, who is took off work on March 11^th to join other public school parents in Albany, explains: “Our governor is bullying our teachers and our schools with high stakes tests that have been proven to be ineffective. So we are giving a lesson to our children in how to stop a bully: we are joining hands to protect our beloved schools from Cuomo's dangerous "reforms". We stand united with our teachers to protect quality education based on inquiry, innovation, problem-solving, collaboration and community. We demand our state assembly members fully commit to voting no on Cuomo’s proposals.”

P.S. 20 PTA President Vascilla Caldeira states: “We stand hand in hand as schools because we are determined to be the change we want to see. Parents & teachers demand fiscal equity for the common core to be implemented successfully. We're standing for the kinds of authentic evaluations that will uplift the teachers who commit their skills and time to make our children life-ready. Testing makes our kids into clones instead of the creative people they are meant to be."

Opal Morrison, a P.S. 20 teacher, opposes Cuomo’s evaluation plans to replace much of the observations carried out by principals with outside evaluators: “Outside consultants coming in who have no idea who our students are is not helpful or fair. As a special education teacher, I spend my before school, lunch, & after school time supporting my students. Test scores & outside evaluators can’t capture my students’ struggles and achievements. It’s just disrespectful, not only to us teachers but to our children.”

Arts & Letters teacher John Allgood is also concerned about the increasing focus on state tests: “High stakes standardized tests necessarily narrow the curriculum so that children learn less. These tests do not give teachers any substantive information about what students know and need to learn.”

Parents throughout NYS are considering refusing state standardized tests scheduled for April. Last year, 3^rd grade parents at Arts & Letters prevented the use of the state test results for teacher evaluation purposes through a mass opt-out. For more information about additional citywide actions, contact Maria Bautista at the Alliance for Quality Education:212-328-9217  ##

Brooklyn District 15 Teachers and Parents Rally at Cuomo's Manhattan Office

I stopped by and was pleasantly surprised to see hundreds of people organized by one district yesterday afternoon (Weds March 11). I'm proud to say that a number of MORE chapter leaders and supporters played a major role in this but also that the UFT did their part in a good spirit of working together on this project.

Video to follow later tonight. District 15, the home of the NYC opt-out movement (along with District 6 in upper Manhattan) had a different focus than the standard UFT line, with testing and common core having equal weight to the Cuomo budget, which is the UFT line. But there was room for all positions at this rally -- and that is important - the UFT did not/could not take sole control of the message.

Today of course there are rallies at many schools in the city - an idea hatched by Leonie Haimson and picked up by the UFT. In some principals are cooperating. In others principals are giving teachers problems. And this is the point in District 15 -- many principals support these rallies and that does make a difference. A teacher doesn't have to think they are putting their job on the line.

In my previous post on City-as school rally, the principal is helping lead it.

MORE's Lauren Cohen, Co-chapter leader, PS 321K

PS 24 was in the house

Massive contingent from PS 261K, MORE's Melissa Torres, CL

Today: City-As-School Teachers, Students march from school to Washington Sq. park

From MORE's John Antush:
March and Rally with us against Cuomo.
Speak out in Wash Square Park.
Even one person from a school is significant.
We have a permit for the park until 5pm and a Sound permit.
We can use this rally to build solidarity in our schools. 

Yesterday District 15 teachers had a large turnout at Cuomo's Manhattan office - amazing from one district in Brooklyn.

Today this promises to be a biggie. MORE activists have been playing a big role in organizing these events. I attribute this to the empowerment people get from being part of an activist oriented group like MORE. They don't just talk about it or observe --- and

For Immediate Release

             Contact: Maria Krajewski

          Cell: 917-763-8837

      Email: maria.krajewski@gmail.com

      Social Media: #wearecityas #protectourschools #allkidsneed

MARCH 12, 2015

PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL PROTEST AND

MARCH TO WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK.

TEACHERS  SPEAK OUT AGAINST HIGH STAKES TESTING &  CUOMO’S DISASTROUS EDUCATION AGENDA

Press Conference:  

3:40 pm – City-As-School

16 Clarkson St. New York, N.Y. Front Steps

4:00 pm – March to Washington Square Park

4:15 pm – Speak out and rally with schools from across the city

                        at Garibaldi Plaza in Washington Square Park

School community members from City-As-School will speak out against high stakes testing and Cuomo’s disastrous education agenda. City-As is an alternative public high school in the West Village in New York City that promotes hands-on learning experiences through their widely-acclaimed program, where students spend part of the week in internships and part of the week in classes. They complete a portfolio of papers and projects instead of taking tests.

Educators, alumni, and members of the school community will hold a press conference at City-As-School to show solidarity in their fight against Governor Cuomo’s proposed education agenda that extorts funding, undermines teaching, harms students and destroys school communities.

        

The effort is one of many across the city and the state as part of the Protect Our Schools Day of Action. People from school communities from around Manhattan will converge on Washington Square Park for this rally to fight for their right to be treated, not as statistics, but as human beings.

              “Governor Cuomo’s agenda will do irreparable harm to the teacher student relationship, the development of authentic pedagogy that promotes innovation and critical thinking, and promoting a democratic and transparent process for constructing education policy.”   - Marcus McArthur, a Special Education and Social Studies teacher at City-As

“City-As gave me a unique opportunity to learn in an engaging way. This will be lost if we overemphasize testing.”   Sarah Quinter, an alumni and artist and educator.

Manhattan Institute Shill Creates Myth on Charter school push-outs

When I saw this on Chalk Beat I laughed out loud

CHARTER SCHOOL MYTH

Low-performing students are just as likely to leave a charter school as a traditional district school, according to Marcus Winters, the author of a new Manhattan Institute report exploring charter school attrition rates.

• NY Daily News

You mean THE UNBIASED Manhattan Institute? With this DN headline?

The charter school attrition myth: Low-performing students leave charter schools and traditional district schools at equal rates

Here is the question Winters (and Chalkbeat) don't seem to want to touch. If low-performing students leave charters and public schools at equal rates where do both these groups of students end up?

Public schools of course. So the sum total is a rise in public schools of low-performing students pushed out of charters.

I would like to see Chalkbeat stop tossing up every single piece of propaganda without pointing out such obvious facts.

PS 20K - Hands-Around Our Schools to Protect Public Education, March 12

Hi, I thought you would be interested in this event Thursday morning at 8:20am. Co-located schools in Brooklyn are joining together against Cuomo's ed. proposals. Public Advocate Tish James will be at this event along with several state Assembly Member representatives.

Contacts:

Marnie Brady 202-492-4719 cell 

Vascilla Caldeira: 347-706-5621 cell

Co-located Schools Unite in Citywide Action to Stop Cuomo’s Education Proposals:

Hands-Around Our Schools to Protect Public Education

Who:                 Parents, teachers, Assembly Members

What:                Human Chain to Oppose Cuomo’s Education Policies

Where:              P.S. 20 and Arts & Letters NYC public schools

225 Adelphi Street, Brooklyn NY 11205 (Ft. Greene)

When:                Thursday, March 12, 2015 / 8:20am

On the morning of Thursday, March 12^th the communities of two co-located schools, P.S. 20 and Arts & Letters in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn, along with invited elected officials, will create a human chain around their school building with a united message to stop Gov. Cuomo’s education plans. Parents say the governor’s proposals will harm their children’s education, and cause unilateral damage to the public schools families have worked so hard to support.

Parents and teachers oppose what they call the governor’s “hostage tactics,” holding back $2.2 billion in court-mandated funds owed to NYS public schools while imposing detrimental policy changes into the April 1 budget. These changes include basing 50% of teacher evaluations on state test results, and the diversion of public education resources into private hands. Parents are taking action with social media, and emergency meetings with state representatives.

One A&L parent, Kimberly Bliss, who is taking off work on March 11^th to join other public school parents in Albany, explains: “Our governor is bullying our teachers and our schools with high stakes tests that have been proven to be ineffective. So we are giving a lesson to our children in how to stop a bully: we are joining hands to protect our beloved schools from Cuomo's dangerous "reforms". We stand united with our teachers to protect quality education based on inquiry, innovation, problem-solving, collaboration and community. We demand our state assembly members, including Walter T. Mosley, stop Cuomo’s proposals.”

P.S. 20 PTA President Vascilla Caldeira states: “We stand hand in hand as schools because we are determined to be the change we want to see. Parents & teachers demand fiscal equity for the common core to be implemented successfully. We're standing for the kinds of authentic evaluations that will uplift the teachers who commit their skills and time to make our children life-ready. Testing makes our kids into clones instead of the creative people they are meant to be."

Opal Morrison, a P.S. 20 teacher, opposes Cuomo’s evaluation plans: “Outside consultants coming in who have no idea who our students are is not helpful or fair. As a special education teacher, I spend my before school, lunch, & after school time supporting my students. Test scores & outside evaluators can’t capture my students’ struggles and achievements. It’s just disrespectful, not only to us teachers but to our children.”

Arts & Letters teacher John Allgood is also concerned about the increasing focus on state tests: “High stakes standardized tests necessarily narrow the curriculum so that children learn less. These tests do not give teachers any substantive information about what students know and need to learn.”

Parents throughout NYS are considering refusing state standardized tests scheduled for April. Last year, 3^rd grade parents at Arts & Letters prevented the use of the state test results for teacher evaluation purposes through a mass opt-out. For more information about additional citywide actions, contact Maria Bautista at the Alliance for Quality Education: 212-328-9217  ##

Susan O Comes Packing

A midweek treasure trove from Susan, an original refusenik.

My hope is that one day soon, this will be the mantra of teachers as well as students:
http://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=1000

Refuse
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_cartoons.php?id=1077

Another cartoon:
http://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=999

I'm so ticked that I didn't get a copy of the book for which I wrote a chapter that I'm posting the chapter here. In it I take on academics, the press in general and the NY Times in particular. As you will see if you read it, people who write chapters to accommodate the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation receive $30,000 and up. Yes, for one chapter.

http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=1207

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Why some students are refusing to take the Common Core test
John Merrow with Ohanian comment
PBS NewsHour
2015-03-11
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=790

This NewsHour segment moderated by John Merrow featuring New Jersey OptOuts is worth watching. I provide transcript here.

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5 Crappy things about the PARCC
Julie Vassilatos
ChicagoNow
2015-03-06
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=787

Read this and ask yourself why any parent--or teacher--would inflict Common Core testing on children they care about.



And for whose well-being they accept responsibility.

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Digital Learning Companies Falling Short of Student Privacy Pledge
Natasha Singer with Ohanian comment
New York Times
2015-03-06
http://susanohanian.org/data.php?id=582

Cambium's data security called into question. If a child I cared about came home with an assignment to do anything associated with Cambium products, I'd worry a whole lot in addition to data security.
 
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When a Public Intellectual Speaks Out But No One Hears Her, Does She Exist?
Susan Ohanian

2015-03-08
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=1207

This is a book chapter in which I take on the press and assorted academics.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
To the editor
Bruce Chadwick
New York Times
0000-00-00
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1751

The New York Times publishes some criticism of standardized testing.

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Hedge fund executives give 'til it hurts to politicians, especially Cuomo, to get more charter schools
Juan Gonzalez
New York Daily News
2015-03-11
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1933

Here's documentation of Andrew Cuomo's big bucks ties to charter school lobbyists.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Stop Spying on Wikipedia Users
Jimmy Wales and Lila Tretikov
New York Times
2015-03-10
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1932

Wikipedia is filing a lawsuit against the National Security Agency to protect the rights of the 500 million people who use Wikipedia every month.
______________________________

_________________
Announce mailing list
Announce@susanohanian.org
http://susanohanian.org/mailman/listinfo/announce

 

Edushyster: Let Them Eat Charters - or - Will Massachusetts reduce its public school system to crumbs?

I love eating crumbs from the wisdom of the Shyster. Top Mass. law firms are suddenly concerned over civil rights and are suing to lift the Mass. charter cap -- THE civil rights issue of our time. Edushyster dives into the case. A few delicious and crumby excerpts:

Old bucks 4 new schools No doubt you have many questions about the pro bono-ists’ civil-rights-based challenge to the state’s cap on the number of charter schools. Such as *from whence does the expression white shoe law firm come?* As always, I am happy to shed light. You see the phrase derives from *white bucks,* laced suede or buckskin shoes with a red sole, long popular in the sorts of Ivy League colleges that our pro bono-ists no doubt attended. What? You want to know how it is that civil rights can be used to argue for more charter schools, when, according to a growing body of case law, students in charter schools don’t actually have civil rights? Or how, in the course of four decades, *civil rights* could go from a fierce battle over desegregating schools and diversifying the teaching force to the fresh new right of students to attend more segregated schools and be taught by young, mostly white teachers? Or why our pro bono-ists seem so charmingly ill-informed, not just about the state’s charter schools, but about all of the schools that are publicly attended? All mere trifles, reader.

...droves of students from across the city testify about the appalling conditions of their schools. Like expired milk in the cafeteria, four students sharing a single text book, bathrooms that don’t work, computer labs that still run Windows 98, and 400 students sharing a single guidance councilor. The most powerful testimony came from students who talked about the *plague of failing* in the Boston schools, and described the deterioriation of their own schools after being relocated into *failing* spaces. *Why are schools in Newton so much nicer than our schools?* asked a parent who testified, quoting a question put to them by her own child. 

Good question, Boston Public Schools student. 

In fact, if I’m not mistaken, you have just asked what we might call a *civil rights* question. 

Anyone know where these kids can find a lawyer—or three?

A Civil Rights Issue of Our Time: Newark Principal Sam Garrison Threats and Intimidation Force Basketball Players to Take PARCC Test

Bob Braun's Ledger

IS THIS BULLYING? The boys' basketball team at the Camden Street School apologized to the principal, Sam Garrison, for refusing to take the PARCC test. The children agreed to take the test. They said they apologized so they could continue to play their first game on Saturday, so Garrison would stop questioning their friends, and so the team would get funding next year. The crisis teacher is still asking students where they got their opt-out letters and the students have been asked to write letters.
Does anyone out there care about what is going on? Don't forget--this is state run district so it is the state's agents who are doing this. Save Our Schools? Where are you? ACLU-where are you? Mayor Ras Baraka--you said you would support those who opted out--and so where are you?

Do Ed Deformers Disparage Black Kids' Achievement by Suppressing News of Rise in Scores?

Only The Howler knows: THE CALIBER OF OUR OWN PROFESSORS: Pampered, privileged, overpaid, poor?

Black and Hispanic students are scoring much higher on the NAEP, the widely-praised, constantly-cited “gold standard” of domestic testing! But very few people have ever heard these important, encouraging facts.

In a nation scripted by corporate elites, it seems to be against the law to let the public hear this.

For whatever reason, our upper-end journalists seem committed to keeping these score gains under wraps. In a truly appalling display, our pampered, privileged, overpaid professors play along with this practice. We’ve discussed this topic many times at this site. To state the obvious, we liberals simply don’t seem to care about this important topic.

We don’t seem to like or admire our nation’s superlative black kids. We’re happy to keep running our black kids down—except when one of these kids gets shot, in which case we start stampeding around and inventing facts, our way of pretending to care.

 Read full piece.

District 15 (Brooklyn) teachers rally at Cuomo's Manhattan office Wed, March 11 at 4:30

Come on down and scream bloody murder at this crook.

This Wednesday, 4:30pm, 3rd ave. between 40th and 41st. It was organized by chapter leaders from several D15 schools, with the approval of UFT leadership. Please feel free to share!

I'm going in to get some footage. This will not be large but great for venting.

Principal Sam Garrison threatens Newark Opt-Out students with cancelled basketball season

Bob Braun's Ledger

BREAKING--In Newark, Camden Street School students whose parents signed PARCC opt out forms have been called in by the principal Sam Garrison and asked who gave them the forms. The students were told the school's 8th grade basketball season might be canceled. Teachers, apparently, were blamed, but the forms were readily available on the office counter.

Farina Declares War on Teachers, While Protecting Psycho Principals, While the UFT Diddles

Farina new program to wipe out teachers

Updated:  Funny how Capital's so-called education reporters don't think to ask Farina about the scores of awful principals and wasn't she giving them license to kill the teachers in those schools?
I'm pushing for MORE to provide some workshops to assist people in dealing with this paper trail. I will also use Ed Notes to post info. What a shame that the tiny group of people in MORE feel they have to pick up the ball dropped by the union on so many issues.

THE FARINA METHOD FOR PURGING THE D.O.E. OF BAD TEACHERS—Capital’s Eliza Shapiro: “Carmen Fariña has been talking a lot about bad teachers recently. The chancellor, who defined her first year on the job as a mission to restore ‘joy’ and ‘respect’ to the classroom, has, of late, been encouraging hundreds of city principals to identify and get rid of their weakest teachers. In an interview with Capital last week, Fariña said asking principals to weed out their weakest teachers has been her “first statement when I get into any school visit...I repeat it over and over again." Removing ineffective teachers has been one of the Department of Education’s most intractable problems, and decades of mayors and chancellors have advanced their own reforms on how to get it done with the looming presence of the United Federation of Teachers.
“In a series of interviews and principals’ conferences over the last few weeks, Fariña has been promoting her own tried and true method for getting rid of bad teachers: relentless monitoring of problem teachers, rounds of conversations convincing teachers that they are in the wrong profession. The desired result: settling either on inventive alternatives for teachers willing to be cajoled, or forcing out the ones who aren't. ‘There is an opportunity to leave gracefully or not so gracefully,’ Fariña said. According to Fariña, and to well-documented Upper East folklore, that method was effective at P.S. 6, the Manhattan school Fariña ran in the 1990s, which has long been considered one of the city’s best public schools. Now, she’s telling principals it can work for the city’s roughly 1,799 other public schools, too.” http://bit.ly/1E6YaAQ

There you have it. Inviting the significant core of psycho, racist, vindictive principals to go after any teacher who makes too much noise or don't line up like a lemming loyalist.

Fariña has appointed a D.O.E. official whose primary role is instructing principals on how to properly write letters about certain teachers to keep in their files.

Some principals spend more time talking to DOE legal than running their schools.

Ed Notes readers have seen our exposures of lunatic and biased principals over the years. Believe me, we haven't even scratched the surface. Funny how Capital's so-called education reporters don't think to ask Farina about the scores of awful principals and wasn't she giving them license to kill.

I attended a 3020a hearing of a social worker last week. I hadn't met the respondent before but was quite impressed with her. She is African-American. The Principal is Dominican, as is most of his little crew of loyalists. She says race enters into this. For a decade her work was fine. She is senior and makes big bucks and once fair funding hit the school, she became a target. I watched an hour of testimony from this principal and almost broke out laughing out loud a few times.

From the Peter (South Bronx School blog) Zucker hearings I learned all about how they have to create a paper trail, which his biased principal did very well - but we hope she overplayed her hand.

Related:
Farina brags about getting teachers suspended. 
In a recent ed notes post (They can't take your pension, but they can take your health care plan) we learned that suspended teachers lost their health care. Farina is heartless.

A commenter asked about these 3 items related to the paper trail. Thanks to Michael Fiorillo and Jeff Kaufman for responding.

Progressive Discipline: is the process by which management builds its case against a teacher. It would likely start with a letter to the file, and culminate in a 3020A hearing. Not a political term. Means discipline should follow a path in which the consequences get more severe. So first offenses should be treated more lightly than 3rd offenses.

A Counseling Memo: is an explicitly (ha!) non-disciplinary memorandum given to a teaching, in order to point out areas of improvement the teacher should pursue. A contractual way to write a letter to the file which is used for notice purposes and is removed at the end of the rating year if no further disciplinary action is taken.
NOTE from Bill Linville: I'm pretty sure counseling memos can't be removed for three years, as I've dealt with a couple of those in my school.

A Letter to the File: is (presumably, although it can be laudatory) is a disciplinary letter, and constitutes the first step of Progressive Discipline, and the start of the "paper trail" to establish just cause for dismissal. A first line disciplinary consequence after finding that a teacher has acted inappropriately. Not grievable but can be removed, if requested, 3 years after the incident. Otherwise can be part of further disciplinary action including termination.

Oh, and where is the UFT in all this? Such bad reporting misses the real story - that the union does as little as possible to defend schools from lousy principals - or raise that issue as a counter to the assault on teachers. Some say why? I say -- too cozy with the enemy - the CSA.

Take Linda Hill for instance. We know from just about everyone - people in the school, UFT people, her supervisors even who talked behind the scenes, that she is not competent. And she also scammed the DOE at least twice. But there she still sits. She can negatively affect hundreds of staffers, students and parents.

I'm pushing for MORE to provide some workshops to assist people in
dealing with this paper trail. I will also use Ed Notes to post info. What a shame that the tiny group of people in MORE feel they have to pick up the ball dropped by the union on so many issues.

Today: Defend PS 157K Against Charter Co-loco at Public Hearing

No co-loco at PS 157 - I'm heading over now

Oh, the evil complications in this story. Beginnings With Children almost closed down recently because the Board said it couldn't stay open because they were saddled with a union contract. Now they want to co-locate at PS 157, where a MORE, Pat Dobosz, teaches.

BWC is one of about 20 -- sorry - 19 - UFT contract based charters. BWC used to be a public school and so the UFT was grandfathered in -- so don't count this as a school they actually organized. But special rep Jackie Bennett is on their board and they are being advised behind the scenes on how to "win" over the public for the co-loco. The union is in a quandary -- the yin-yang of trying to
support PS 157 and BWC -- reminds me of the conversation this guy keep having with himself in Lord of The Rings.

I'm heading over there with camera in hand later this afternoon/evening -- the school is in Williamsburg.

PS157
850 Kent Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11205



https://www.facebook.com/events/662632673862863
 
Here is Pat's email urging people to come out and support PS 157.

The Proposed Re-siting and Co-location of Beginning with Children Charter School (84K703) Grades K-5 with P.S./I.S. 157 The Benjamin Franklin Health and Science Academy (14K157) in Building K157 Beginning in the 2015-2016 School Year

Attention NYC teachers. PS 157 needs your help.

We are wondering why this co-location is even being considered when the recommendations to the Blue Book have not been addressed by the DOE as yet.

PS 157 had a co-location many years ago which caused problems and we didn't have our JHS at that time. We have a large number of special needs children in the school from Pre-K to 8th grade. We also have a high English Language Learner population. Our small classes help us educate our students with the special attention they need to learn. With this co-location we will not be able to grow as a school community. Our JHS student population was limited because of the adult ed program. Now that they will be leaving, we have the opportunity to bring in more students who have requested our school. This won't happen with a co-location.

Please come to this hearing to show your support and to give your testimony. PS 157 is located at 850 Kent Avenue in Brooklyn.

New Voices Principal Frank Giordano Confuses Parents on opt-out

Giordano in drag

Frank Giordano, Principal of New Voices, sent out an email to parents basically informing them they could not opt out. He has scheduled a parent meeting for March 25th and has stated that no parents are to attempt to opt out until after this meeting. I think Change the Stakes should be present to ensure that parent's rights are protected.... a parent

Check out Change The Stakes resources on opting out. Based on the letter from Frank Giordano below, I think we may have a Pinocchio situation on our hands.

Dear Parents, 
I hope this email finds you well. I would like to take this opportunity to address a hot button issue. I had been holding off sending this email until we were closer to the State Exams, however, in light of the fact that I have already received several emails regarding opting out, I felt the need to send this email now. There is no opting out of any State Exams. These exams are required to be administered by the State Department of Education. While some schools in the city have allowed this to occur, opting out of these exams has not been sanctioned by the NYC DOE nor the Chancellor. I will be holding an evening meeting Wednesday March 25th at 6pm to discuss this topic. I will answer all questions posed and will explain how this was addressed here at New Voices in the past and how we will continue to address this issue. Although I am sympathetic to individual concerns, I am required to operate under the rules and guidelines established by the NYS DOE and NYC DOE. Please understand that I will not accept any requests for opting out of State exams prior to the meeting on March 25, 2015. ... Frank Giordano

Spread the Word: GET YOUR NYC OPT OUT T SHIRTS

Wear these to work and watch the fur fly.

GET YOUR NYC OPT OUT T SHIRTS HERE!

The time is now and this beautiful t-shirt will come in time to promote opt out in NYC.

Go to the link below to order.  Spread the word!

Hello All. I wanted to share with you that you can now buy NYC Opt Out tees. Just use this link 

​​

https://www.booster.com/nycoptout and you can purchase a tee for $15 plus $5 shipping directly to you. This campaign runs for a week only so please spread the word. FYI - once the campaign closes it takes 2 weeks to ship which is why the campaign so short. Buttons have been ordered too and should be here in a week or so.

​Join NYC Opt Out on Facebook and get connected!​

Chapter Elections Workshop - Saturday, March 14, 2015

I hear a lot of bullshit about what MORE is or isn't. This is the real  scut work of organizing. This doesn't mean that people we work with don't join Unity - it happened 3 years ago with some people we worked with. Unity has a lot more to put on the table than MORE does -- but MORE is there to help.

Unfortunately, I have to attend a big weekend robotics tournament at the Javits Center -- and if you aren't going to the MORE event come on down Saturday, especially from around 11AM on to see the events. I'll be in the pit area of the FIRST LEGO League. Last year I ran into Mulgrew in the larger high school pit area - and we talked carpentry. Really, if I had to do it over again, I would be Mulgrew - pre-teaching.

Chapter Elections Workshop

by morecaucusnyc
 

UFT Chapter elections are coming up this spring: Step up and be a leader in your building! Join MORE in making the UFT work for NYC's educators and communities.

If you're interested in running for Chapter Leader or Delegate in your school, or, if you just want to help your union chapter do a better job protecting members’ rights, join us at a Chapter Building Workshop on Saturday, March 14th! YOU DON'T NEED TO HAVE ATTENDED PART I OF THE SERIES

We'll help you make plans to build a stronger, more organized, and more involved UFT chapter in your school.

Spread the word and invite all your teacher friends!

MORE Chapter Building Workshop
Saturday, March 14th, 12:00-3:00pm
CUNY Graduate Center
365 5th Ave at 34th st. NYC room 5409

Free childcare is available, but e-mail more@morecaucusnyc.org to reserve it.

If you are unable to make it, e-mail us (more@morecaucusnyc.org)! We have a team ready to help any one who wants to revitalize our union chapters at the school level.

AGENDA:

12-12:30
Introduction

12:30-1:30
Brainstorming: how to protect our public schools
(facilitated by Change the Stakes)

Organizing against Cuomo in our Chapters
-How to Talk to Parents
-Collaboration and Coordination between schools and the community

1:30-2:30 (choose one)
UFT Chapter Leader Elections
-Nuts & Bolts Follow-Up: Running in Elections
-Campaigning
-Mapping Your School
-Getting Out the Vote

OR

Organizing Without Being a Chapter Leader- mobilizing your chapter to become more active

OR

Teachers Under Attack Breakout- fighting back against the culture of fear

We will be serving pizza and soft drinks during our post workshop meet and mingle from 2:30-3:00pm.

Facebook link here