Testing flawed, Charter corruption, Testing dollars, Teacher collaboration, Preparing teachers, Vergara v. CA, Charter ratings, Classroom technology, Pediatrician guidelines, 10-20-30 rule, Speaking tips, On the Art of Teaching, and NEF grant

The HML Post

Greetings!

Welcome to the June 30th edition of the HML POST

The main HML website, click here.

Check out HML's Cornerstone on "FLIPBOARD." (The public schools are the "Cornerstone" of our democracy.)

Educational standardized tests are fundamentally flawed, have no legitimacy by Frank Breslin in the Times of Trenton.

According to Diane Ravitch, America's premiere education historian, the problem with the Common Core standards embodied in standardized testing is that they were written in a way that violates well-established nationally and internationally recognized canons of setting standards and are so fundamentally flawed that these "standards" have no legitimacy whatsoever.

Will Anyone Stop Charter School Corruption? by Jeff Bryant in the Education Opportunity blog

What lawmakers in Washington, DC had been told, of course, was that starting up lots and lots of charter schools was going to create a "marketplace of education," where the problem of "quality" would take care of itself as "bad" charters "go out of business," and the wonderful ones that do such great things for the most unfortunate children get picked up and replicated all over the world.

Better ways to use millions of dollars now spent on testing by Valerie Strauss in the Washington Post

Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent by states and school districts on standardized tests every year, money that could be used for purposes far more helpful in improving student achievement. What are those purposes? Here are some suggestions, from Jim Arnold and Peter Smagorinsky. Jim Arnold recently retired from the superintendent's position of the Pelham City Schools in Georgia and he blogs at drjamesarnold.com. Peter Smagorinsky is Distinguished Research Professor of English Education at the University of Georgia. His essays are archived here.

MAKING SPACE: The Value of Teacher Collaboration by Jennifer Poulos,

Lead Author/Research Director, Rennie Center for Research and Policy.

In recent years, unparalleled levels of national attention have
been paid to the issue of teacher effectiveness.

TALIS 2013 Results An International Perspective on Teaching and Learning by Angel Gurría of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

How can countries prepare teachers to face the diverse challenges in today's schools? The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) helps answer this question by asking teachers and school leaders about their working conditions and the learning environments at their schools. TALIS aims to provide valid, timely and comparable information to help countries review and define policies for developing a high-quality teaching profession. It is an opportunity for teachers and school leaders to provide input into educational policy analysis and development in key areas. This report presents the results of the second cycle of the TALIS survey conducted in 2013.

Vergara v. California: Concerns Beyond Teachers by Audrey Amrein-Beardsley on the Vamboozled Blog

Thanks mainly to Raj Chetty's testimony, corporate school reformers won, or bought, the Vergara v. California case. Now, in consequence, there should be grave concern. California Superior Court's ruling and Chetty's cheerful and gleeful testimony offer insight into the kind of intelligence-without-wisdom that can only lead to hastening the demise of democratic ideals along with the rise of plutocratic ideals and attendant morally and ethically corrupt and corrupting ways of social life legitimized in public law. It is worth spending nearly two hours to watch and listen to Chetty's testimony, so one may disallow oneself ever being able to claim, as some in Germany once claimed, "I didn't know."

Common Core Panelists Rue Politics' Toll on Reform By Christina Breitbeil on the RealClear Post

As Common Core, the set of standards created and adopted by the states and supported by the Obama administration, has become a political pawn, Democrats supportive of the standards find themselves fighting on several fronts.

On their left flank are teachers unions and liberal educators who appreciate the critical thinking the standards encourage, but who also are using the adoption of them as leverage in their fight against teacher evaluations and other accountability measures. Conservatives, meanwhile, increasingly assert that Common Core is a top-down takeover of local education by the federal government and that the standards are actually not voluntary.

U.S. Charter School Ratings Continued To Slip As 2013 Medians Sent Mixed Signals

by Carlotta R

Mills in the Washington Post

The number of charter schools that Standard & Poor's Ratings Services rates has continued to grow since our last report on the sector's median performance ratios. Most of the growth has been in the 'BB' category ('BB+', 'BB', and 'BB-'), as it was in the previous year, and we've downgraded a number of schools to speculative-grade as well. We believe this increase at the lower end of our rating scale reflects the culmination of years of per-pupil funding cuts and the resulting pressure on schools' operations, along with increased competition in some markets. In addition, schools are entering the capital markets and requesting ratings earlier in their life cycles.

Within Reach: 6 Education Trends Driving Classroom Technology by D. Frank Smith in EDTechK-12.

Predicting the future is difficult. But identifying elements of change in education today can provide clues for how things will develop in the near future. The New Media Consortium's annual Horizon Report, now in its sixth year, is set to release its 2014 findings later this summer. A preliminary report from the consortium, released May 20, identifies six trends that are driving technology in today's K-12 schools, including flipped classrooms and the expansion of open learning platforms. The findings are broken down by how soon their impact is expected to be felt in the classroom.

New guidelines from pediatricians: Read to your babies by Amy Joyce in the Washington Post.

You know those well baby visits where your child is weighed, perhaps given a shot or two? Well now, pediatricians will advise you to read to your newborn infant under new guidelines released by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"Reading to children and with children is a very joyous event and a way of fostering a relationship, as well as [helping] language development," said Pamela High, a pediatrician and lead author of the policy statement. "And we don't have to wait until we're getting them ready for school. We can make it part of regular routine."

The 10-20-30 Rule for Presentations by Scott Schwertly on the SlideShare Blog

In all seriousness, Guy Kawasaki's advice and wisdom he has shared abundantly across the interwebs and through his books has changed my life. Specifically, his book, The Art of the Start, helped give me the insight and courage to get my company, Ethos3, off the ground. Back in 2005, Guy introduced to the world his 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint. It was applicable then and it is still just as practical today. So, what is it?

Infographic: Speaking tips from TED Talks, Bill Clinton by Ann Newman on Tech Page One

Whether you're an accountant, a dentist, a therapist or an engineer, you'll probably need to address an audience at some point. And attaining your career goals may depend on how you do.

What does it take to be a great speaker? Why are some speakers captivating and others deadly? It turns out there are quantifiable elements that can help you improve your speaking and presentation skills. One of the greatest speakers of our time, President Bill Clinton, didn't start out that way. He was practically booed off the stage before he honed his skills.

National Education Foundation Offers One Million Scholarships for Online Courses

The National Education Foundation is offering one million tuition grants to the first 1,000,000 teachers, para-professionals or clerical employees who apply for these grants worth approximately $400 each. Contact Art Stellar, Vice-President of the National Education Foundation (828-764-1785 or artstellar@nefuniversity.org )

A Gift: On the Art of Teaching by Horace Mann

In 1840 Mann wrote On the Art of Teaching. Its message has lived on as a timeless and inspiring appeal to educators. Some of members present On the Art of Teaching to new teachers as part of their orientation program. On the inside cover, some write a personal welcome message to the recipient. Other HML members present the book to school board members and parental organizations as a token of appreciation for becoming involved in their schools. The book cover can be designed with the organization's name. For more information, contact the HML (Jack McKay)