Dear concerned citizen: Over the past three-plus months, local and state print media have picked up on the value of a dialogue around the future of education in Indianapolis. A slew of commentaries, blogs, and stories from a wide variety of sources including NUVO, the Indianapolis Star and now even the Ft. Wayne Journal-Gazette are providing readers a variety of view points to help them make informed decisions about the future of public education. In particular is the commentary on local education issues from someone outside Marion County by a Ft. Wayne newspaper editor /blogger. Black & Latino Policy Institute/ Parent Power / Education-Community Action Team September 6 “The problem is not parents” Here’s the link to a commentary “The problem is not parents; it's a crisis in democracy” by Councilor Jose Evans published in NUVO’s Perspectives on Education. September 9 “Daring to trust parents” Here’s the link to Indy Star columnist Dan Carpenter on the issues surrounding Local School Council proposal he titled, “Daring to trust parents…” September 12 “Coming to a school near you…” The Ft. Wayne Journal-Gazette editorial writer Karen Francisco published a blog she titled: “Coming to a school near you…” September 13 “Our schools can benefit from self-government” Here’s the link to the Letter to the Editor published in the Star regarding the Local School Council proposal he presented: “Our schools can benefit from self-government” August 22 “A grassroots approach to school reform” NUVO article on the Local School Council Plan In mid-June, NUVO began an on-line forum for written commentaries regarding education called “Perspectives in Education. “ June 14 : Here’s the link to the first Perspectives on Education by community activist Wes Bernard, “What is the purpose of education?” where is argues that education is really all about skillfully drawing out of what is inside the student, establishing and fortifying the students' identity and competence and their place in community and society. June 21: Here’s link to comments by educator Jeffery C. White on urban education reforms around the idea that the cluster of incompetent administrators in IPS warrants significant change right now. June 28: Here’s the link to essay from local writer Doug Martin concerning those who study the corporate school movement realize that "autonomy" is merely a code word for letting charter school leaders do anything they desire to collect a hefty profit. July 5: Here’s the link to teacher Annette Magjuka’s essay on the issue of how we provide free public education for all citizens, so even poor children can compete. But unfortunately, all public education is not equal. July 12: Here’s link to the essay by IPS teacher Mary Noland on how it is terribly frustrating to hear people who are NOT teachers talk about reform, and add to that the term "accountability." August 16: Here’s the link to a commentary from our local NAACP encouraging participation in a new round of talks on education, adhering to the philosophy that "if you are not on the table, you are on the menu." The essay encourages a wide variety of citizens respond to the “What’s possible?” conversations so that solutions to the problems that we did not create should not be left to the politics of power, status, and wealth. June 8: Here’s link to NUVO story on “In the Mind Trust we trust? August 15: Introduction letter to the Local School Council proposal by Jose Evans The Local School Council proposal: www.indy.gov/eGov/Council/Documents/Local%20School%20Councils%20in%20IPS.pdf |
Monday, September 24, 2012
A Timeline of the Battle in Indy
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Election 2012! Glenda Ritz for Superintendent of Public Instruction
On Thursday Indiana gubernatorial candidate John Gregg endorsed Glenda Ritz for Indiana Superintendent for Public Instruction. Speaking at the State Capitol, Gregg introduced Ritz, saying that she "has been at the forefront of the fight here in Indiana to protect public education."
Ritz has been an educator for 33 years, serving as an elementary school teacher, as a library media specialist, on the Board of Directors of the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, and numerous other positions.
Gregg said that "the best ideas don't come from Washington, DC or Indianapolis, and as an educator for 33 years Glenda understands that. This is a women who has understood from day one that the key to Indiana's future is public education."
Ritz said, "When our students go out into the world, whether it be to technical schools, or universities, or to the workplace, they need to know how to think in ways that support them in the changing world that we live know. That kind of thinking cannot be learned by just passing a test."
From KokomoPerspective
Comments?
On Thursday Indiana gubernatorial candidate John Gregg endorsed Glenda Ritz for Indiana Superintendent for Public Instruction. Speaking at the State Capitol, Gregg introduced Ritz, saying that she "has been at the forefront of the fight here in Indiana to protect public education."
Ritz has been an educator for 33 years, serving as an elementary school teacher, as a library media specialist, on the Board of Directors of the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, and numerous other positions.
Gregg said that "the best ideas don't come from Washington, DC or Indianapolis, and as an educator for 33 years Glenda understands that. This is a women who has understood from day one that the key to Indiana's future is public education."
Ritz said, "When our students go out into the world, whether it be to technical schools, or universities, or to the workplace, they need to know how to think in ways that support them in the changing world that we live know. That kind of thinking cannot be learned by just passing a test."
From KokomoPerspective
Comments?
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Who's Really Behind Education Reform?
Julie Underwood on ALEC & Education |
|---|
| Julie Underwood, the Dean of the UW-Madison School of Education, discusses ALEC's school privatization agenda. |
Privatizing Public Education, Higher Ed Policy, and Teachers from ALEC Exposed
- Indiana Rep. Cindy J. Noe (R-87)[17], ALEC Education Task Force Member, spoke on "Enacting a Comprehensive K-12 Education Reform Agenda" at the 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting on August 3, 2011
- Featured speakers have included: Milton Friedman, Newt Gingrich, Dick Cheney, Dan Quayle, George Allen, Jessie Helms, Pete Coors, Governor Mitch Daniels
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
I-READ Petition
Indiana Legislators: Tell the IDOE to Scrap IREAD-3
www.change.org
Why This Is Important
www.change.org
IREAD-3 is a forty-question test that will determine whether public school students in Indiana may advance to fourth grade. It channels education dollars toward redundant assessment, not instruction, and favors retention over remediation; it is therefore a misuse of public funds.
No major decision about a child's future should be made on the basis of a single test score. Retaining students has been shown to increase the risk that they drop out of school and to have a null or negative effect on their academic achievement in the long run.Like other high-stakes standardized tests, IREAD-3 will disproportionately punish low-income children and families. Indiana students' reading skills are already assessed continually by their teachers as well as through ISTEP+ and NWEA or Acuity. Money allocated for this test directly reduces funds available for remediation. Our tax dollars should go to local schools for literacy programs and teachers rather than to assessment overhead and testing companies.
Friday, March 23, 2012
DOE Seeks Public Comment
Educator Standards Public Comment
Posted: Fri, 03/16/2012 - 9:15am Updated: Thu, 03/22/2012 - 9:32am The Indiana Department of Education is seeking public comment in regards to two newly developed sets of standards. These standards are intended to serve in the preparation and assessment of preservice teachers or school counselors. Please note the Exceptional Needs-Mild Intervention Reading Instruction Standards are meant to serve as an addendum to the existing Exceptional Needs-Mild Intervention Standards which may be found HERE. Once you have read the draft standards below, please visit the survey site (link below) to contribute your feedback.
The IDOE will be collecting public comment on these standards between March 23 and April 23, 2012, at the following link: Survey for Public Comment on Educator Standards.
Indiana School Counselor Standards
Indiana Exceptional Needs-Mild Intervention Reading Instruction Standards
If you have further questions, please contact us at eel@doe.in.gov.
Posted: Fri, 03/16/2012 - 9:15am Updated: Thu, 03/22/2012 - 9:32am The Indiana Department of Education is seeking public comment in regards to two newly developed sets of standards. These standards are intended to serve in the preparation and assessment of preservice teachers or school counselors. Please note the Exceptional Needs-Mild Intervention Reading Instruction Standards are meant to serve as an addendum to the existing Exceptional Needs-Mild Intervention Standards which may be found HERE. Once you have read the draft standards below, please visit the survey site (link below) to contribute your feedback.
The IDOE will be collecting public comment on these standards between March 23 and April 23, 2012, at the following link: Survey for Public Comment on Educator Standards.
Indiana School Counselor Standards
Indiana Exceptional Needs-Mild Intervention Reading Instruction Standards
If you have further questions, please contact us at eel@doe.in.gov.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Upcoming Education Events
The next E-CAT of Innovate Indy continuing conversation on education reform in Indianapolis will take place 5:30pm to 7:30pm on Tuesday March 27th at the KI EcoCenter, 159 West 28th Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46208 (Southeast corner of Capital and 28th Street).
On Tuesday March 20th at Christian Theological Seminary, Rev. Dr. Floyd Flake will be making a presentation titled: "Politics, Religion, and the Common Good: The Case of Education Reform”. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged. The public event starts at 5 pm and will run to 7pm. More information can be found here: https://christiantheologicalseminary14608.thankyou4caring.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=387
On Wednesday March 21st at the Central Library, the Educate Indiana Speaker Series, presented by Education Reform Now, will feature Neerav Kingland, Chief Strategy Officer for New Schools for New Orleans , as well as David Harris, CEO of the Mind Trust. Registration is encouraged, but not required according to the Central Library. The event will be held from 6-7:30 pm at the Indianapolis Central Library, located at One Library Square, 40 E. St. Clair St. Indianapolis, IN 46204.
More info can be found here: http://indychamber.com/ContentFiles/1389/Educate%20IN%20speaker%20series.pdf
And here: http://indfer.org/2012/03/educate-indiana-speakers-series-lessons-learned-from-new-orleans/
We encourage everyone to attend these events. For those who have read the Mind trust plan you can see that they really need our help to transform education in a way that will help our children.
On Tuesday March 20th at Christian Theological Seminary, Rev. Dr. Floyd Flake will be making a presentation titled: "Politics, Religion, and the Common Good: The Case of Education Reform”. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged. The public event starts at 5 pm and will run to 7pm. More information can be found here: https://christiantheologicalseminary14608.thankyou4caring.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=387
On Wednesday March 21st at the Central Library, the Educate Indiana Speaker Series, presented by Education Reform Now, will feature Neerav Kingland, Chief Strategy Officer for New Schools for New Orleans , as well as David Harris, CEO of the Mind Trust. Registration is encouraged, but not required according to the Central Library. The event will be held from 6-7:30 pm at the Indianapolis Central Library, located at One Library Square, 40 E. St. Clair St. Indianapolis, IN 46204.
More info can be found here: http://indychamber.com/ContentFiles/1389/Educate%20IN%20speaker%20series.pdf
And here: http://indfer.org/2012/03/educate-indiana-speakers-series-lessons-learned-from-new-orleans/
We encourage everyone to attend these events. For those who have read the Mind trust plan you can see that they really need our help to transform education in a way that will help our children.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
TX school board resolution vs. high-stakes testing
For your consideration....an important reminder here that public education is still part of a democratic process (at least for now) and that we and are elected officials are responsible. It'd be very interesting to see some discussion here as it relates to Indiana. Have at it!!
Guy Brandenburg writes that here is an excellent resolution that has been passed by Clear Creek School District, a large district near NASA, as well as several other school boards in Texas. It has been called "The shot heard around the county." [see http://galvestondailynews.com/story/298894] Why not around the country? If Texas school boards can pass this resolution, why shouldn't all school boards in the nation adopt similar ones?
From Guy Brandenburg on the EDDRA2 listserve, Tuesday, March 13, 2012. See http://parentsacrossamerica.org/2012/03/clear-creek-tx-school-board-resolution-vs-high-stakes-testing/
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
CLEAR CREEK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
RESOLUTION CONCERNING HIGH STAKES, STANDARDIZED TESTING
OF TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS
STATE OF TEXAS §
COUNTY OF GALVESTON
WHEREAS, the over reliance on standardized, high stakes testing as the only assessment of learning that really matters in the state and federal accountability systems is strangling our public schools and undermining any chance that educators have to transform a traditional system of schooling into a broad range of learning experiences that better prepares our students to live successfully and be competitive on a global stage; and
WHEREAS, we commend Robert Scott, Commissioner of Education, for his concern about the overemphasis on high stakes testing that has become "a perversion of its original intent" and for his continuing support of high standards and local accountability; and
WHEREAS, we believe our state's future prosperity relies on a high-quality education system that prepares students for college and careers, and without such a system Texas' economic competitiveness and ability and to attract new business will falter; and
WHEREAS, the real work of designing more engaging student learning experiences requires changes in the culture and structure of the systems in which teachers and students work; and
WHEREAS, what occurs in our classrooms every day should be student-centered and result in students learning at a deep and meaningful level, as opposed to the superficial level of learning that results from the current over-emphasis on that which can be easily tested by standardized tests; and
WHEREAS, We believe in the tenets set out in Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas (TASA, 2008) and our goal is to transform this district in accordance with those tenets; and
WHEREAS, Our vision is for all students to be engaged in more meaningful learning activities that cultivate their unique individual talents, to provide for student choice in work that is designed to respect how they learn best, and to embrace the concept that students can be both consumers and creators of knowledge; and
WHEREAS, only by developing new capacities and conditions in districts and schools, and the communities in which they are embedded, will we ensure that all learning spaces foster and celebrate innovation, creativity, problem solving, collaboration, communication and critical thinking; and
WHEREAS, these are the very skills that business leaders desire in a rising workforce and the very attitudes that are essential to the survival of our democracy; and
WHEREAS, imposing relentless test preparation and boring memorization of facts to enhance test performance is doing little more than stealing the love of learning from our students and assuring that we fall short of our goals; and
WHEREAS, we do not oppose accountability in public schools and we point with pride to the performance of our students, but believe that the system of the past will not prepare our students to lead in the future and neither will the standardized tests that so dominate their instructional time and block our ability to make progress toward a world-class education system of student-centered schools and future-ready students; therefore be it
RESOLVED that the Clear Creek ISD Board of Trustees calls on the Texas Legislature to reexamine the public school accountability system in Texas and to develop a system that encompasses multiple assessments, reflects greater validity, uses more cost efficient sampling techniques and other external evaluation arrangements, and more accurately reflects what students know, appreciate and can do in terms of the rigorous standards essential to their success, enhances the role of teachers as designers, guides to instruction and leaders, and nurtures the sense of inquiry and love of learning in all students.
PASSED AND APPROVED on this 27 day of February, 2012.
Guy Brandenburg writes that here is an excellent resolution that has been passed by Clear Creek School District, a large district near NASA, as well as several other school boards in Texas. It has been called "The shot heard around the county." [see http://galvestondailynews.com/story/298894] Why not around the country? If Texas school boards can pass this resolution, why shouldn't all school boards in the nation adopt similar ones?
From Guy Brandenburg on the EDDRA2 listserve, Tuesday, March 13, 2012. See http://parentsacrossamerica.org/2012/03/clear-creek-tx-school-board-resolution-vs-high-stakes-testing/
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
CLEAR CREEK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
RESOLUTION CONCERNING HIGH STAKES, STANDARDIZED TESTING
OF TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS
STATE OF TEXAS §
COUNTY OF GALVESTON
WHEREAS, the over reliance on standardized, high stakes testing as the only assessment of learning that really matters in the state and federal accountability systems is strangling our public schools and undermining any chance that educators have to transform a traditional system of schooling into a broad range of learning experiences that better prepares our students to live successfully and be competitive on a global stage; and
WHEREAS, we commend Robert Scott, Commissioner of Education, for his concern about the overemphasis on high stakes testing that has become "a perversion of its original intent" and for his continuing support of high standards and local accountability; and
WHEREAS, we believe our state's future prosperity relies on a high-quality education system that prepares students for college and careers, and without such a system Texas' economic competitiveness and ability and to attract new business will falter; and
WHEREAS, the real work of designing more engaging student learning experiences requires changes in the culture and structure of the systems in which teachers and students work; and
WHEREAS, what occurs in our classrooms every day should be student-centered and result in students learning at a deep and meaningful level, as opposed to the superficial level of learning that results from the current over-emphasis on that which can be easily tested by standardized tests; and
WHEREAS, We believe in the tenets set out in Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas (TASA, 2008) and our goal is to transform this district in accordance with those tenets; and
WHEREAS, Our vision is for all students to be engaged in more meaningful learning activities that cultivate their unique individual talents, to provide for student choice in work that is designed to respect how they learn best, and to embrace the concept that students can be both consumers and creators of knowledge; and
WHEREAS, only by developing new capacities and conditions in districts and schools, and the communities in which they are embedded, will we ensure that all learning spaces foster and celebrate innovation, creativity, problem solving, collaboration, communication and critical thinking; and
WHEREAS, these are the very skills that business leaders desire in a rising workforce and the very attitudes that are essential to the survival of our democracy; and
WHEREAS, imposing relentless test preparation and boring memorization of facts to enhance test performance is doing little more than stealing the love of learning from our students and assuring that we fall short of our goals; and
WHEREAS, we do not oppose accountability in public schools and we point with pride to the performance of our students, but believe that the system of the past will not prepare our students to lead in the future and neither will the standardized tests that so dominate their instructional time and block our ability to make progress toward a world-class education system of student-centered schools and future-ready students; therefore be it
RESOLVED that the Clear Creek ISD Board of Trustees calls on the Texas Legislature to reexamine the public school accountability system in Texas and to develop a system that encompasses multiple assessments, reflects greater validity, uses more cost efficient sampling techniques and other external evaluation arrangements, and more accurately reflects what students know, appreciate and can do in terms of the rigorous standards essential to their success, enhances the role of teachers as designers, guides to instruction and leaders, and nurtures the sense of inquiry and love of learning in all students.
PASSED AND APPROVED on this 27 day of February, 2012.
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