GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

• Philadelphia advocates are trying to drum up support for Cincinnati-ish “community schools.” (Notebook)
• The city’s revamp of vocational schools must balance twin focuses on college and careers. (SchoolBook)
• A national StudentsFirst official says he wants proof from critics of Bloomberg’s school policies. (HuffPo)
• Performance pay is back on legislators’ agenda, after a possibly research-related lull. (Teacher Beat)
• A mom says she’ll vote to pay more taxes for her kids’ schools, but she won’t give her time. (Broad Side)
• Less known than how students sort into schools is how they’re sorted once they’re there. (Shanker)
• Like many states and districts, Washington, D.C., is hoping the Common Core is a cure-all. (Hechinger)
• One D.C. middle school is also trying to overhaul its math instruction with computers. (Greater Greater)
• I talked about our election feature, The Next Education Mayor, on “Road to City Hall” on Thursday. (NY1)

A year after the Department of Education substantially revised its discipline code to favor less punitive responses to student misbehavior, advocates say a new round of revisions misses an opportunity to improve school climate further.

Last year, in sweeping changes, the department reduced penalties for minor misbehavior, introduced some alternatives to suspensions, and eliminated suspensions altogether for the city’s youngest students. The proposed changes to the discipline code for next year are more incremental, highlighting some discipline strategies that could replace suspension and clarifying that in-school discipline should not cause students to miss instructional time.

“We continued this same strong message about progressive discipline and we want to continue to reinforce a range of disciplinary and guidance supports so schools can develop a progressive approach,” said Marge Feinberg, a department spokeswoman. (more…)

As Lamont Sadler moonwalked up to the microphone, his classmates clapped and cheered for their senior class president.

“When I say hee hee, you say ow!” Sadler yelled to the auditorium full of students and teachers who chanted in reply.

The exuberant display was part of Uncommon Charter High School’s “signing day” on Thursday to celebrate the college acceptances that its first graduating class of 28 students nabbed. The students were individually recognized for their achievements, walked across the stage to a song of their choice, and then announced what college they would attend in the fall. While on stage, students also signed a contract that promised they would succeed in and graduate from college.

(more…)

New York City is hoping that more information about which teachers leave city schools will help principals hold on to the best ones.

Starting today, the Department of Education plans to release annual reports about teacher retention that detail — by their performance ratings — which teachers resign, retire, stay on, are fired, or are promoted.

“Having detailed information about teacher performance and retention at their fingertips will better enable our principals to develop staff and retain our best and brightest,” Chancellor Dennis Walcott said in a statement.

The “Smart Retention” reports were inspired by a report released last year by TNTP, a group that advocates for aggressive changes to hiring and firing practices in public schools. The TNTP report, called the “Irreplaceables,” found that weak and strong teachers leave school districts at roughly the same rate and argued that districts could adopt low-cost strategies to hold on to top performers.

The reports cite the TNTP study and show retention and attrition patterns by their growth scores, which the state is calculating for some teachers, and their ratings under the city’s current evaluation system. Principals can also see the “exit paths” for the different categories of teachers, look at how their schools’ patterns have changed over time, and compare what happens at their school to what happens across the city. (more…)

• The state is recruiting seniors at some high schools to pilot McGraw-Hill’s GED-like exam, for pay. (WSJ)
• Anthony Weiner set out support for co-locations and other school policies. (GothamSchools, SchoolBook)
• The UFT has not yet endorsed a mayoral candidate but has given its nod to 13 others. (GothamSchools)
• Students at Brooklyn’s J.H.S. 278 were arrested for releasing pepper spray in the cafeteria. (Daily News)
• As we reported, some principals are protesting state tests by not using scores in admission. (Daily News)
• The Panel for Educational Policy approved the school bus contracts that spurred the bus strike. (NY1)
• Gonzalez: A teacher and students are working to honor slaves buried in a park near their school. (News)
• A Bronx teacher is suing to get her job back after being fired over remarks that a student reported. (Post)
• A Long Island high school is disciplining students who used Facebook to share test answers. (Post)

• Former school leaders from Queens argue that not all students need academic diplomas. (Indypendent)
• Middle and high school robotics students are helping to fuel the city’s startup culture. (Epoch Times)
• Merryl Tisch, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, and big funders were at Success Academy’s gala. (Bloomberg)
• A projection of the drops that could be seen in proficiency rates on this year’s tests. (GS Community)
• As usual, U.S. leads the world in bachelor degrees, but the margin is shrinking. (Hechinger Report)
• A veteran teacher recalls that Bill Thompson has not always been a friend to the UFT. (NYC Educator)
• A longtime education activist, “both praised and vilified,” passed away this week. (Ed Notes Online)
• A cancer-ridden teacher was busted for dealing meth, sort of like TV’s Walter White. (Post)

Anthony Weiner’s views on education policy became a little clearer on his first full day on the campaign trail, when he told WNYC’s Brian Lehrer that he supports letting charter schools use space in public school buildings.

The issue puts him at odds with several of his Democratic competitors for mayor, who have said they would impose a moratorium on the space-sharing arrangements. Co-location has induced tension in many school buildings, but it has also allowed the city’s charter school sector to thrive, and whether to continue the practice is a major decision facing the next mayor.

In fact, on the issue of school choice, Weiner suggested that his support extends well beyond the public school system. He proposed helping non-public schools — he cited cash-strapped Catholic schools in particular — with publicly funded support that they are already entitled to, including technology, health care and security. He first floated the idea in his 2009 policy book “Keys to the City,” which he re-released last month.

(more…)

The United Federation of Teachers might not have endorsed a mayoral candidate yet, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been busy picking politicians to support. The union has endorsed candidates in more than 40 local and citywide races, too.

The UFT endorsed 13 City Council candidates in their Democratic primary races at its Delegate Assembly meeting Wednesday night. Seven of them are running for seats whose current occupants cannot run again because of term limits. The union plans to endorse candidates for all 19 open council seats.

The union endorsed state Assemblywoman Inez Barron in the primary for the 42nd district, an East New York seat that has been filled by her husband Charles for the last 12 years. It’s support that Charles Barron could not secure last year while running against Hakeem Jeffries in a Democratic primary for Congress. In that race, the UFT opted not to endorse either candidate.

The UFT is also supporting one of its own in the 47th district primary, which encompasses several southern Brooklyn neighborhoods. Mark Treyger, a civics teacher and union delegate from New Utrecht High School, officially got the union’s support on Wednesday evening. (more…)

After hearing candidates pitch ideas to teachers at union-run forums across the city over the past few weeks, members apparently heard enough. They voted to scratch plans to open up Wednesday’s union-wide Delegate Assembly meeting to comments. The meeting instead adjourned after UFT political director Paul Egan explained what laid ahead in the final stretch as the union prepared to make an endorsement.

The workload includes a lot more vetting, with viability as a crucial quality, Egan explained, according to several people who attended last night’s meeting at 52 Broadway. Over the next four weeks, Egan said his team of political consultants, which includes the firm Red Horse Strategies, will analyze fundraising and expenditures, who’s advising and consulting for the candidates, and lots of poll data.

There’s one more task, too. The union said it plans to meet with and interview Anthony Weiner, who formally announced his candidacy on Wednesday.

As usual, the Delegate Assembly meeting was closed to the press. But afterward, many delegates were eager to talk about their opportunity to play a role in the outcome of a monumental election. (more…)

• A Queens 12-year-old committed suicide, citing bullying by I.S. 109 peers as a cause for distress. (Post)
• Chicago’s school board voted to close 49 schools, the most in a single year. (Tribune, Sun-Times, Times)
• City teachers discussed the mayoral candidates at the teachers union’s monthly meeting. (SchoolBook)
• As the UFT endorsement nears, former chief Randi Weingarten backs Bill Thompson. (GothamSchools)
• The latest entrant to the mayoral race, Anthony Weiner, has a spare education record. (GothamSchools)
• An appeals court backed the city’s firing of a teacher who offered good grades for support. (Daily News)
• The heads of City Year New York cite growing up in the Bronx as reasons they lead well. (Daily News)
• Community colleges are getting less federal funding, even as they enroll more students. (Times)
• Boston charter schools have higher test scores but lower graduation rates, a new study funds. (Globe)t
• Leaders in upstate districts where voters rejected school budgets say taxpayers are tired. (Times-Union)
• D.C. is requiring all teachers at two struggling schools to reapply for their jobs. (Washington Post)