Dozens of principals want to use two unused snow makeup days for Common Core training. (Post)
Schools that use Core Knowledge, such as P.S. 333, confirm a study validating the curriculum. (NY1)
The city is ramping up its anti-truancy campaign with subway ads. (GothamSchools, Post, NY1)
New York posted flat scores on the NAEP science test, meant to compare states. (Daily News, Post)
Nationally, students posted slight gains on the test but still lag in content knowledge. (WSJ, Times)
Two Manhattan schools were evacuated briefly after non-toxic white powder was found. (Daily News)
P.S. 41′s green roof is ready, six years after parents raised the idea of gardening there. (The Villager)
An advocacy group asked the state to investigate Eva Moskowitz’s Success charter network. (Post)
Michael Benjamin: Problems with tests are not new; the new problem is complaining about them. (Post)
The Daily News says city small schools’ spots on a national high school ranking proves their value.
In a letter, the city’s number-two education official disputes a column criticizing progress reports. (Times)
California’s school board is continuing its quest for federal funds without new evaluations. (L.A. Times)
http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/ Norm
Always expect Michael Benjamin to come out on the side of ed deformers on every single issue. Par for the course. One day I have to dig out my video of his shameful performance on the Perkins charter school hearings a few years ago.
Copernicus
Dear Mr. Benjamin,
As a teacher and a legitimate authority on state tests and students’ test taking behavior, the errors you trivialize as embarassing are actually rather dangerous. A well trained student is taught to think and analyze. When this student is in the high pressure moment of taking the state test, and despite their correct analysis and solution of a problem, they are confronted with no correct choice as an answer, the damage to thei psyche and confidence can reflect itself through the remainder of the test. The lower functioning student can be easily misled by an incorrectly stated problem or solution choice. Students trust us to present them with assessments that are accurate and effective evaluations. Pearson violated that trust and is an incompetent source of testing materials.
You know about lack of confidence and incompetence, don’t you Mr. Benjamin. The lethal combination that forced you to become a shill for the Post as opposed to a legitimate journalist?
Hugs and kisses,
A real teacher with a real job.
http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/ Norm
Let me add this to challenge the idiocy of Michael Benjamin’s clueless drivel when he claims “parent” groups opposing testing are fronts for the UFT. I can personally attest and prove with documentation that over the past 15 years I have consistently tried to get the UFT to take a stand against high stakes testing and they have supported it all the way. I even put up a resolution at the Delegate Assembly to discuss the issue in 2001 that they turned down overwhelmingly.
In fact HST was one of the reasons we formed the Independent Community of Educators (ICE) to challenge the union leadership in 2003. And then formed the Grassroots Education Committee (GEM) in 2009 to raise the issue of HST. A committee of GEM called Change the Stakes has attracted parents around the city. Ask anyone connected to the UFT leadership how they feel about GEM and watch their eyes go blank. Our movie takes a strong stand against HST – a movie the UFT leadership is boycotting while other unions around the nation are holding screenings. And now we are forming a new caucus in the UFT, Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE) to again challenge the UFT/Unity Caucus leadership in the 2013 elections partially over their support for rating teachers based on test scores. Benjamin should actually talk to some teachers and see how deep their outrage runs over their own union leadership, which time and again has lined up on the wrong side of the battle.
http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/ Norm
Michael Benjamin is a failed politician who got a zero on his PDA. But by shilling for the ed deformers he is hoping to tap into a funding source to resurrect his failed career.
Mr. Flerporillo
I got an email today informing me how excited the teachers are for the opportunity to have two days of Common Core training.
You guys excited?
Mr. Joshua
Since our careers are going to be on the line due to common core performance via Danielson, I’m all for the training.
Turnaround Teacher
While I normally prefer students to PD anyways, since many of us will not be back at Lehman next year, it is especially important for us to have our last days with our students. I know little instruction happens on the post-regents days, but it is one of the best times of the year to connect with students one last time before summer break, and in the case of those of us at turnaround schools maybe forever.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.