tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38201891436816373002024-03-13T02:37:15.781-04:00Education Lessons From A Sparkly DistrictA view from the parent side of public education, special education, and advocacy. Keeping quiet is not an option. Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-47936144228977953062017-12-12T19:24:00.000-05:002018-07-03T23:01:18.281-04:00IDEA Is Still The Law Of The Land<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Unless you've been living under a rock, you know the US Department of Education (USDOE) rescinded 72 Dear Colleague and other letters of explanation to state education agencies regarding special education. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Dear Colleague or guidance letters clarify a point in the law. In this case, we're talking about Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Generally, these letters are issued because state education agencies ask for clarification of the law. As advocates, we want this because we don't want local school districts misinterpreting or ignoring the law. Children get hurt when this happens. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">USDOE does, from time to time, "clean house," but as far as I can tell, this many at once is rare. They are removed because new guidance or new regulations replace them. In and of itself, removal is not a bad thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's really difficult to not be skeptical of anything that happens under DeVos' tenure. Her general ignorance of the law, feigned or not, is reason enough to be on guard. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When the department released the original list of rescinded letters, there was no explanation for their deletion. Later, they did release <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/reg/eo13777/eo13777-osers-outdated-guidance-list-reasons-20171020.pdf" target="_blank">another list</a> along with a brief comment about why. By that time, I had been through a good portion of the list and was able to cross-reference what I had already found. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The majority of letters that I could find (not all were listed with a link) were, in fact, outdated. Many had been replaced with either new or updated guidance, or by changes in the law. In the case of letters about how money should be spent, those pertained to fiscal years that are past. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>A couple of things stood out to me. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">First, the guidance letters on transition and vocational training (not IDEA-specific). The federal program related to those letters no longer exists. Further guidance and programs do exist under Office of Disability Employment Policy, which falls under the US Department of Labor. It's clear, the need exists for those kinds of programs in high school, and to age 21. Certainly, NJ could use a much bigger emphasis on trades and vocational training for students with disabilities...and really, students without. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The other issue is the letter about Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) in preschool. The 2012 letter was replaced in January 2017 with a lot of language about "inclusion" before they got to what is essentially a re-hash of the rescinded 2012 letter about what LRE actually means. To me, this letter is confusing and problematic because it promotes "inclusion" and then reminds everyone of LRE, like it's an afterthought.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I know from my own experiences with parents around the state that local districts either don't understand LRE, or use it as an excuse to provide only inclusion settings to all but the most severely disabled. What causes that ignorance, willful or otherwise, is anyone's guess. Mine would be a caustic mix of lack of funding available to districts and administrators doing as little as possible while hoping parents don't know better. Yes. I'm very, very cynical about LRE. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Please keep in mind that any guidance letter that is rescinded and replaced, or not replaced, but regulation is still in effect, <b><i>does not change the compliance requirements of IDEA</i></b>. Those letters are merely further clarification of statute or regulation, usually brought on by a significant level of clarification requests from state agencies. IDEA remains in effect...at least for now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As always, if I have missed something, please let me know in the comments below or via PM. </span><br />
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Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-50978174934207390792017-06-27T18:49:00.000-04:002017-06-27T18:49:13.320-04:00Parents Deserve to Know Who Is Being Appointed to State Board of Ed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I spent a rather surreal day at NJ Senate's Judiciary Committee meeting yesterday. This Committee, headed by Democrat Nick Scaturi, is responsible for approving nominations of judges and members of various pubic boards - everything from Rutgers to the Delaware River Authority - including the NJ State Board of Education (SBOE). The Committee has been "interviewing" and passing nominees on for a full Senate vote. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yesterday was a bit of an eye-opener. Apparently, "interviewing" is a euphemism for thanks for coming to see us, or some version of that, followed by yes votes to move them along for a full Senate vote. To be fair, particularly in the case of the judges, these are people who have worked hard in their careers and are undoubtedly qualified to do the job they've been appointed for, but that's not the point of a public interview. That's in place for all of us, the taxpayers and constituents of this state. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There have been two Judiciary Committee meetings in the last few weeks. Members of Save Our Schools NJ have been there to protest the lack of transparency in the SBOE appointment process. Susan Cauldwell wrote about those two Committee meetings <a href="http://mcorfield.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Why, then, were the SBOE nominees not interviewed? Senator Scutari explained that the Committee doesn't have to. Well, since the Senate decides on how the nominees are handled, "doesn't have to" doesn't cut it. There is little transparency, and frankly, no checks or balances on the NJ Department of Education (NJDOE), so knowing who is being appointed is kinda important. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At this Committee meeting, three of us testified in complaint of the complete lack of transparency in this process. Given that education makes up about one third of New Jersey's budget and the SBOE is gatekeeper of how that money is spent, you'd think these Senators would <i>want</i> to know who the nominees are. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As you watch the video of our testimony, please note a few things: 1. Several Senators, including the Chair, Nick Scutari, walked away; 2. Senator Weinberg, Senate Majority Leader, is interrupted by Senator Scutari and he immediately moves to end her effort to have the nominees appear before the Committee; and 3. None of them appear to have any idea what the full term length of a SBOE member is, nor whether the nominees will only be fulfilling the remaining time on the seats they are being given. It's the latter, thank goodness, but please, is it too much to ask that the Committee members do the most basic of homework before blowing off multiple requests over the last month to have the nominees appear for "interview"? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Why would any Democrat (yes, that includes Senator Sweeney, who at least this time didn't stick around to make sure his boys did what they've apparently been told to do) want to do the bidding of Governor Christie at this last stage of his service when many of these seats have been open for YEARS? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What's the rush? Is this about the Budget? The grandstanding around the State House over the education budget has been going on for months. There appears to be a <a href="http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2017/06/19/school-funding-deal-could-play-havoc-district-planning/403841001/" target="_blank">truce</a> between Assembly Speaker Prieto and Senate President Sweeney. However, I'll remind them both that their deal completely excludes students with disabilities - no change to the census-based funding formula and no extra money for extraordinary aid. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Is this about pushing through the charter school regulations? Both Mark Biedron, former SBOE President, and Joe Fisicaro, SBOE Vice-President, opposed those regulations and appear to have been removed because of that opposition. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As the voting to move the SBOE nominees out of Committee ensued, Senator Bob Smith, also a Democrat, made a comment about the three SBOE nominees on their agenda. First, he thought there were only two nominees (the third was listed on the last page of the agenda which he apparently didn't see or know about), before launching into a rebuke about how the nominees "are not schlubs". Yes. He said that. Watch the video. He said it repeatedly, also noting they all have education-related experience. I</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">n Smith's world, none of the judges should have appeared for "interview" either because they certainly aren't "schlubs."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the case of yesterday's nominees, they did have education-related experience. However, their experience conveys nothing about their opinion on public education issues which are regularly addressed by the State Board of Education. However, the argument we have is about PROCESS not CONTENT. His comments did not address process. Although, content should also concern everyone, and here are a couple of examples why:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I would love to know what Bob Smith thinks about other nominees from the last two Judiciary Committees hearings who also sailed through with no "interview" and included Andy Mulvihill, a returning SBOE member, who is CEO of Crystal Springs Resort Real Estate. He builds/owns golf courses and resorts. No education background at all. His bio on his company's <a href="http://www.crystalspringsbuilders.com/9-why-us/nj-resort-homes-team/crystal-springs-resort-real-estate-ceo" target="_blank">website</a> mentions other associations, but not NJ State Board of Education. I'm not sure that qualifies Mulvihill as a "schlub" in Senator Smith's parlance, but if I were Smith, I'd have a ton of questions about why he's sitting on that board.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Also included in the waving through of nominees was Mary Elizabeth Gazi, Esq., a former colleague of Governor Christie, whose practice is "representation of healthcare professionals in medical malpractice litigation and on products liability and general liability defense." The rest of her bio can be found <a href="https://www.dughihewit.com/our-firm/attorneys/partners/mary-elizabeth-gazi/" target="_blank">here</a>. No education background that I could discern either. So is she a "schlub"? Would it have been worth finding out why Gazi wants to be on the SBOE? I think so. It sounds like she's a successful litigation attorney, but has no experience in public education. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One of yesterday's nominees is a former special education teacher and founded a track team for Special Olympics of NJ. That's all great and I would encourage parents whose children had Mary Beth Berry for a teacher weigh in on their experiences with her. On the one hand, it would be great to have a special education advocate on the Board. There isn't currently anyone with that background serving. However, she has not been in the public sphere, that I can find, advocating for students with disabilities. If I'm wrong about that, please let me know. I would love to know where she stands on many issues related to special education. I can't believe our State Senators aren't even curious enough to ask and what's more, think it's a good idea to berate us for asking them to interview these candidates publicly! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You need a scorecard to keep track of who is on and off the Board. As it stands now, they have 11 of the 13 seats filled. Edie Fulton, so far, has not been removed as her replacement's (Nina Washington) nomination was withdrawn. Angel Cordero's nomination was also withdrawn and replaced with Mary Beth Berry. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As usual, our kids deserve so much better than this. I hope the women of Senate Judiciary Committee continue to ask for public interviews. My thanks especially to Senator Weinberg and Senator Gill for continuing to fight for public education. </span><br />
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<br />Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-32474629420118301532017-06-21T18:45:00.000-04:002017-06-21T18:50:11.594-04:00New Jersey's Insider Special Education Ombudsman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yesterday, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) announced the appointment of an acting Special Education Ombudsman. You can read the press release <a href="https://homeroom5.doe.state.nj.us/broadcasts/2017/JUN/20/16606/NJDOE%20Announces%20Appointment%20of%20Acting%20Special%20Education%20Ombudsman.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. It's taken an impressive ten months to fill this position which was officially announced in August 2016 with an Amended Notice of Vacancy (I wrote about that <a href="https://elfasd.blogspot.com/2016/08/new-jerseys-special-education-ombudsman.html" target="_blank">here</a>), having been signed into law by Governor Christie in January 2016. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When the bill was first introduced in November 2015 by Senator Ruiz to the NJ Senate Education Committee, she did so knowing the Governor would not support a Public Advocate. In other words, there was no support for a truly independent advocate for students with disabilities in the state of New Jersey. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Understanding that many families face significant obstacles to identification, evaluation, classification, and placement/services</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, the Special Education Ombudsman position was created. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">At the time, I plead with the Committee to not create this position if it would only be another roadblock or hurdle for parents and students to navigate. We don't need another office tasked with providing "information" about services. We need someone to enforce the law.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Once the Ombudsman bill was signed into law, I asked to have the position report to somewhere else other than NJDOE. The NJ Department of Justice was floated and ultimately rejected. The position would be in and report to NJDOE. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sen. Ruiz said she expected the person chosen to be objective. Great. Glad to hear it. However, anyone who has spent time as a special ed parent or advocate can attest to the difficulty of securing proper services in this state. It doesn't matter what the demographics of the district are, grossly negligent underfunding has impacted everyone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In the spirit of Senator Ruiz's intention, an independent and objective person, whom did Kimberley Harrington, Commissioner of Education for the State of New Jersey, choose? Dr. Dolores Walther, an investigator with NJDOE's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). While Dr. Walther may be the most competent person on the planet, she is certainly not an independent and objective agent. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'm sure to catch a lot of heat for that opinion, but when districts don't fulfill their responsibilities, and OSEP behaves as an agent for the districts, an ombudsman that is and has been a part of OSEP is not going to be helpful to the people who need a truly independent ombudsman. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Parents and students deserved so much better than this. I certainly hope the next governor will consider a true Public Advocate. </span><br />
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Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-83625237837512595302017-05-23T13:21:00.001-04:002017-05-23T18:11:03.432-04:00Inclusion and What It Means From Our Kids' Point of View<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's that time of year. Graduations. So much possibility. For many high school students it means college, for some it means entering the trades or training programs. For a very few, it means entering transition programs, hopefully, pursuing what they love. This time of year also means graduation from college, and for some, from those transition programs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I have a guest post today. It's from a dear friend whose daughter is an incredibly talented young woman who also happens to have a disability. She's very lucky in her parents, who have tirelessly fought to provide her with support to pursue her passion for music. As she graduates from Berkshire Hills Music Academy (<a href="https://www.berkshirehills.org/" target="_blank">BHMA</a>), she enters into the "cliff" phase of life for people with disabilities. The next fight is to find a place where her talents are not just appreciated, but celebrated. That is no small task. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'll warn you to have a box of tissues handy as you read my friend's post and watch the video of her daughter's speech at graduation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What a day yesterday ...so full of possibility.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Today we are back home, still basking in Julia's accomplishments, but also wondering, how to make it all possible. How to help her fulfill her dream.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After listening to the 15 BHMA graduate's speak about, their struggles, fears and now, their accomplishments....you can only see how important it is, to educate, support, give opportunities and </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">include. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What we were reassured, after hearing them, is that they may be differently abled, but they are surely ABLE.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Keynote speaker was Dan Habib, photojournalist and documentarian (award-winning film <i>Including Samuel</i>). (See his TEDTalk on inclusion <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izkN5vLbnw8" target="_blank">here</a>.)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As father of a disabled child, he spoke from the heart about Inclusion.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">He relayed how he has seen firsthand how his son's presence has brought out the better in those around him and how at the same time his life has been enriched with the interaction.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As a parent of a special needs child, our learning comes every day, with every moment. Although it's no easy road, it's one full of reward, when accomplishment comes. Yet, it's difficult to do it alone. All we want is for our children to have opportunities and acceptance. Not much to ask, you say?... in reality, difficult to achieve.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As our speaker said (and I'm paraphrasing) having these special individuals participate in our communities fully, will makes us all better for it .</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As you will hear firsthand from Julia, to some it may come as a surprise, that our "Happy" girl, who is known, for always having a beautiful smile on her face, at times that smile , was not in her heart.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I ask you all to help us and commit to continuing to together build a stronger caring community with INCLUSION.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here is Julia's speech </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Now take out the tissue box....</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">#inclusion #differentlyabled #danhabib #bhma</span></blockquote>
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Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-37503125348819264092017-05-23T12:16:00.000-04:002017-05-23T13:33:20.675-04:00NJ Parents - The Data System You Haven't Heard Of<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnMmKCn8n0nQMQ_RODwwL9kRjfjOHid5WOhIxk9mP6mMzpPrgVvxtsQvkHEB3sqp23_CPsyHcKSHGpjCon3gYrdcmwSu3S0B8I5ya5vk66Xoq3OEx5E5DtcSLfFK58fTrfRTGepOUETVI/s1600/NJEEDSlogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnMmKCn8n0nQMQ_RODwwL9kRjfjOHid5WOhIxk9mP6mMzpPrgVvxtsQvkHEB3sqp23_CPsyHcKSHGpjCon3gYrdcmwSu3S0B8I5ya5vk66Xoq3OEx5E5DtcSLfFK58fTrfRTGepOUETVI/s320/NJEEDSlogo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Dear NJ Parents,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">NJ's Education to Earnings Data System (<a href="http://njed2earndata.org/" target="_blank">NJEEDS</a>) is here. Never heard of it? Didn't think so. It's a longitudinal database, sometimes referred to as P20W. The aim is to collect data on students, beginning in kindergarten, going through 12th grade. Then tracks through college, if the student stays in-state, and then into the workforce. Once in the workforce, the database keeps track of wages. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">States are creating these databases because the federal government isn't allowed to, although they have been helping fund their creation. At some point, someone will figure out a way to legally link all of the state databases. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Things to consider and hopefully receive answers to...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Foremost, when are parents going to be formally notified by NJDOE, not only about the existence of the database, but <span style="font-size: large;">what <i>exactly</i> is being collected and potentially shared</span>, and in what form? Who is going to assure the accuracy of data shared? Is there a mechanism to correct errors?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Who has ultimate responsibility for the protection of the data? How will parents be notified if breaches occur?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This goes hand in hand with what is being collected - <span style="font-size: large;">protection of data includes not collecting what you don't need.</span> How selective has the process been in deciding what gets collected and who made those decisions?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If discipline data are collected,<span style="font-size: large;"> at what point are that data erased </span>so we don't end up in some dystopian scenario where detentions in middle school somehow interfere with college placement or job attainment?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Can parents choose to not have their kids participate in this?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What is the expiry date on the data - both raw and what are meted out for study?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Will parents, and ultimately the subjects, be notified when their data are released for study? Will they know who is using it and for what purpose? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">With respect for students who don't want to go to college, <span style="font-size: large;">does NJ workforce development see value in the trades</span>? Are they promoting or supporting them? If some distinguishing factor can be identified in the early grades, will those student be supported in their abilities?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Regarding wage outcomes, <span style="font-size: large;">will this data ultimately be used to alter courses or degree program options if wages are deemed "too low"</span>? In California, their version of this system, although far less comprehensive, informs decisions to </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">remove courses or degree programs from the state network of schools. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I understand the value from a workforce development perspective. Obviously, it's a plus to know who is in your potential workforce pipeline. That knowledge can be, and has been, used to entice companies to locate in certain states (MS does this through use of an app. Potential employers can see how many of a particular type of college student, or certified student there are at any given moment.). This may well be of great value to the next governor as they attempt to bring businesses to New Jersey. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The question is, how do we do this while providing the greatest safeguards to the data and the greatest transparency of its use?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The bigger question is, what is the purpose of education, both in the lower grades and at the university level? Is it for job training based on the workplace needs of the day? Or is it to create well-rounded, thinking, citizens who can adapt to any environment? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Back in December, I attended a 2-day seminar: Forum on New Jersey's Education, Higher Education, and Workforce P20W Longitudinal Database System. New Jersey Department of Education, High Education, NJ legislators, and a several states were there to discuss the merits and lessons of P20W systems. I'll write more about that experience in another post. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-21256225010668487192017-04-23T10:32:00.000-04:002017-04-23T10:35:10.255-04:00PARCC Refusals and Doing the Right Thing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrGcVHc9PitT0cuE7IWeYRNn1-FclMOb-Gu6rP_x-wMt6KTiX24MLZLdHUUBZIdHrXBaY3Fc-8afr2xkG6HUebauPyJwIShjyzwV34T0ctcvsw8hAIzRlQI93rkspnTX0xnaRp3Ja1AbP/s1600/DoTheRightThing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrGcVHc9PitT0cuE7IWeYRNn1-FclMOb-Gu6rP_x-wMt6KTiX24MLZLdHUUBZIdHrXBaY3Fc-8afr2xkG6HUebauPyJwIShjyzwV34T0ctcvsw8hAIzRlQI93rkspnTX0xnaRp3Ja1AbP/s320/DoTheRightThing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />Last month, I wrote about some ridiculously punitive actions being taken against students whose parents had refused PARCC and the PARCC practice exercises. You can read about 3rd graders in detention <a href="https://elfasd.blogspot.com/2017/03/parcc-season-brings-desperate-actions.html" target="_blank">here</a>. As it was last year, as soon as the PARCC testing window began, so did the stories of intimidation by administrators to force students to participate in PARCC. Some examples of last year's craziness can be read <a href="https://elfasd.blogspot.com/2016/03/acts-of-desperation-in-name-of-education.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://elfasd.blogspot.com/2016/04/new-jersey-admins-have-lost-it.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But what about districts who treat parents and students with just simple, common decency? Fortunately, those stories are out there too. They tend to be quiet. I certainly cannot blame any administrator for not wanting the punitive NJDOE spotlight on them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here are just a few quotes from parents. I am not naming parents, students, or districts on purpose. Thanks to the parents who came forward to share their experiences. I hope their stories serve as examples to follow for the districts who are not treating students and parents like this. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From Union County:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"I know there are lots of angry posts about treatment by opting out of PARCC, so I'd like to share positive experience... yes I said positive.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We have a 4th grader in the <i>XYZ</i> district and we have opted him out of PARCC testing this coming week. We met no resistance from his teacher and none from his principal. In fact, his teacher provided us the following details so that both my son and I could be prepared for the testing week:</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Exact testing time so that if we wished to bring him to school late we could, but he would be marked tardy for all days late to school (fair enough)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Where he would be while testing would be conducted</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. What he would be doing/allowed to do during the testing time: His teacher has gone the extra mile to give him work sheets and assignments on areas that he has needed a refresher on (not busy work) and reading assignments that are aligned with his reading enrichment teacher. In addition he may bring reading material, word searches crossword puzzles etc to do if he has extra time.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. Pack a snack and a water bottle.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I know this is typically not the norm and I feel that this organization is more on the part of the individual teacher rather than the school administrators, but I appreciate the fact that we were met with zero resistance and so far no unpleasantries from the start of the opt-out process to present. Maybe it's because we discussed this with his teacher first, expressing our concerns about PARCC, then sent an email to both his teacher and principal, and finally the formal written letter as requested by the school.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thank you for letting me share our experience so far..."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From Essex County:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"There are other districts with humane and respectable practices. I live in one. It's important to note that it can be done if the administration is competent, courageous and ethical."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From Somerset County: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"I have a positive experience with teachers, and administration in <i>XYZ</i> district. I sent written request.. it was approved n teacher told me that the school is having a separate room for opt-outs! Superintendent office tried to non-pushy to tell me why I should opt-in but I said no thanks n they said ok."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From Morris County:</span><br />
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"<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Positive experience in XYZ district. Even skipped most of the school form they provided (you're supposed to initial next to various statements (I understand and agree that Parcc is not a high stakes test, etc). Last year I attached a second file explaining why I wouldn't initial them. This year I just left blank and waited to see if they pushed back. Received a confirmation email from our elementary principal for our 3rd grader, and a phone call and email from the Asst Super for our 6th grader. I do think the call was in part to feel me out on how confident I was about refusing (just a hunch), but when she said 'I'm calling in regards to your refusal for Parcc for <i>student name removed</i>', I said 'Okay great, thanks' and then she stumbled over some words and said she was calling just to confirm."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From Cape May County:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Positive experience here as well, in Cape May County. This marks the 3rd year for refusing PARCC (8th, 9th, and 10th grades; both intermediate and high school) and I've had nothing but pleasant experiences. This year, I was actually notified that I could bring my son into school after testing was complete for the day. I enjoyed spending the extra time with him, and driving him into school, for once. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Everything has always been kept hush-hush in our particular school district and I believe it's because they realize the more resistance the school creates, the more students that figure out you can actually refuse PARCC. Unfortunately, the parents in our district aren't well informed, or simply don't care. I'm not sure which, probably a bit of both? But, each year, my son usually 'spills the beans' and has a couple groups of friends asking me how to refuse PARCC. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I just simply direct their parents to the SOS, NJ, website to find the pre formatted refusal letter." </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The link to the Save Our Schools NJ (SOSNJ) information about refusing PARCC can be found <a href="http://www.saveourschoolsnj.org/refusing-parcc-test/" target="_blank">here</a>. In 2015, 233 districts were handling refusals without incident. SOSNJ created a list which can be found on their Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SaveOurSchoolsNJ/posts/904838869549274" target="_blank">here</a>. Delran and Bloomfield Boards of Education were early leaders on this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our kids deserve more like this. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you have a positive story to share, please post in the comments. </span></div>
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<br />Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-90936652224768069022017-04-21T18:46:00.000-04:002017-04-21T18:46:08.108-04:00PARCC Turmoil in NJ - So What Else Is New?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The above picture was taken yesterday at a parents & kids protest of the PARCC exams outside NJ Senator Steve Sweeney's West Deptford office. This colorful bunch gathered to encourage Sen. Sweeney to post <a href="http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2016/Bills/SCR/132_I1.PDF" target="_blank">SCR132</a> to the floor for a vote. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Last month, the Resolution, <a href="http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2016/Bills/ACR/215_I1.PDF" target="_blank">ACR215</a>, passed through the Assembly quickly. Roll call from the vote can been seen <a href="http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillView.asp" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Since the Assembly passing, many people have been pressing Senator Sweeney to Co-Sponsor and bring the Concurrent Resolution to the floor. Senator Teresa Ruiz, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, has also been asked to bring the resolution to her Committee. So far, she has refused. Ironic, no?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A Concurrent Resolution does not require the signature of the governor. If it passes both houses, the resolution goes to the State Board of Education. They then have 30 days to amend their graduation requirements or propose to amend the current NJ State Law.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What does the current State Law actually say about graduation? Conveniently, it's spelled out in the resolutions,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"section 6 of P.L.1979, c.241 (C.18A:7C-6) was amended to provide that the State graduation proficiency test “be administered to all 11th grade pupils and to any 11th or 12th grade pupil who has previously failed to demonstrate mastery of State graduation proficiency standards on said test”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"Beginning in the 1993-1994 school year, the State satisfied the statutory requirement for a graduation proficiency test by administering the High School Proficiency Test, and later its successor the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA), to all 11th grade students in the fall. Any student who did not demonstrate proficiency was retested in the spring and, if necessary, in the fall and spring of the subsequent school year..." If the student doesn't pass HSPA, the Alternative High School Assessment (AHSA) was available to them. There was also a portfolio option.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Got that? The graduation requirement is 11th grade, 12th if necessary, and it's the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA), or AHSA, if necessary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What are the current graduation <a href="http://www.state.nj.us/education/assessment/parents/GradReq.pdf" target="_blank">requirements</a>, approved by the State Board of Education this past summer? (Hint: Not HSPA, given in 11th or 12th grade)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">PARCC English Language Arts 10th grade and Algebra I as an end of year test (meaning 7th, 8th, 9th, or 10th grade). If the student doesn't pass alternative exams (PSAT, SAT, ACT, ASVAB, Accuplacer) are available to them. For Class of 2021, those alternative</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> exams will no longer be available for graduation purposes. The student must pass PARCC ELA 10, Algebra I plus all other PARCC tests available for end of year courses, which includes: </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, ELA 9, ELA 10, and ELA 11. Yes. That's SIX tests over many years.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The takeaway here is the graduation requirements are clearly in direct conflict with NJ State Law. Parents, you should be really angry about this. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you want to read an in-depth post about the law, Sarah Blaine wrote a brilliant post last year about it, and you should absolutely take the time to read it, <a href="https://parentingthecore.com/2016/05/" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Lots of calls, emails, and tweets plus yesterday's rally appear to have pushed Senators Ruiz and Sweeney to send this letter to SBOE President, Mark Biedron and to Kimberley Harrington, Acting Commissioner of NJDOE. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrYfmADny0NsfUVa7AhF__l8crOahAyhW5kMHy0GSWrSC8xSMaPqKwlxXXrS-zM8c4bZCLox6zPieqDWpFZI-Y8FCUWtShTIJrH9o7zAz0DOIY2k1I4JivQ4aLau_KzdbU9Dc_8zND9li/s1600/17990197_1505704016129420_8549010987841796216_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrYfmADny0NsfUVa7AhF__l8crOahAyhW5kMHy0GSWrSC8xSMaPqKwlxXXrS-zM8c4bZCLox6zPieqDWpFZI-Y8FCUWtShTIJrH9o7zAz0DOIY2k1I4JivQ4aLau_KzdbU9Dc_8zND9li/s320/17990197_1505704016129420_8549010987841796216_o.jpg" width="247" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhBNEYcdhlj9gYOHmm5I2V1rtmpajIkUrgBjvDXwksOWH2uaua377yGFSdKB79vWoLCi29X2k-dWHu41pypUVaR5tbzt3zfFhabTqD_il9TI_XAR7QuSkrRPNsts4WSsNkFSHKevC7scl/s1600/17991610_1505704186129403_2738085479199981895_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhBNEYcdhlj9gYOHmm5I2V1rtmpajIkUrgBjvDXwksOWH2uaua377yGFSdKB79vWoLCi29X2k-dWHu41pypUVaR5tbzt3zfFhabTqD_il9TI_XAR7QuSkrRPNsts4WSsNkFSHKevC7scl/s320/17991610_1505704186129403_2738085479199981895_o.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Clearly, Senator Sweeney agrees with SCR132. Why has he dragged this out for weeks? I know I would feel much better about this if he brought it for vote. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now, we have to hope this letter and discussion of the graduation requirements are on the agenda for the next State Board of Ed meeting on May 3rd. There also happens to be open public testimony (aka talk about what you want) that day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Please. I love having company. I know the State Board of Ed would love to meet you and hear from you too. Sign up <a href="https://homeroom5.doe.state.nj.us/events/registration.php?recid=27955" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<br />Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-80940755457858905912017-04-09T20:10:00.001-04:002017-04-09T21:41:44.727-04:00Another Loss for Paterson Students<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFAUFsvGM_a3YwB4fW8upecSMZE_D1VnzYSgc-eqVTKBdFKUx3D_WEHG69EaP44uWdavmfHup1bz3KWWFDQ_dyLuuydGfZIuaseh4RIFbuAgUtZLYV1kPH2tI1p536uc1yVaqnCnMq0G9/s1600/Really.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFAUFsvGM_a3YwB4fW8upecSMZE_D1VnzYSgc-eqVTKBdFKUx3D_WEHG69EaP44uWdavmfHup1bz3KWWFDQ_dyLuuydGfZIuaseh4RIFbuAgUtZLYV1kPH2tI1p536uc1yVaqnCnMq0G9/s1600/Really.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">NorthJersey.com <a href="http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/paterson-press/2017/04/07/paterson-schools-try-online-speech-therapy-sessions/100179050/" target="_blank">reports</a> that online speech therapy is up next for students with disabilities in the Paterson School District. This, after the Education Law Center filed a <a href="http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/paterson-press/2017/03/11/education-law-center-argues-school-district-violates-state-law/99030796/" target="_blank">complaint</a> against the district for not delivering services to students with Individual Education Plans. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Imagine having online services in place of having a therapist in the room with the students in Ridgewood or Princeton or Saddle River. You can't? I can't either. This is the latest hit to some of New Jersey's most vulnerable students. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">53 students in School 18, an elementary school, will be the test subjects for this program. I cannot support using a service that separates the student from a therapist. Students need to have the therapist in the room with them, directly interacting with them, and providing feedback that includes body language. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">How does this work for the student who needs feeding therapy? What about students with intellectual disabilities? What about those who need to be in a group setting for social skills support? I could keep going on, but you get the idea. There are so many basic limitations to having a therapist deliver services through a computer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Why is Paterson not hiring speech therapists? It's not like there's a shortage in New Jersey. Is the practice by many districts of only hiring though agencies (to save money) getting in the way? Does the cancellation of Paterson's contract with Kid Clan prevent them somehow from entering into a contract with a new agency? Why the drop in appropriated funds for special ed in the 2017-18 school year? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Paterson Public Schools is a state controlled district, which makes it particularly galling that the state continues to underfund this district. All students suffer when there aren't sufficient funds to properly manage students' needs. In Paterson, the special ed kids must endure another failure to meet those needs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our kids deserve so much better than this. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-62994799493565053152017-03-08T21:14:00.000-05:002017-03-08T21:14:27.441-05:00PARCC Season Brings Desperate Actions by NJ Administrators. Again. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ptGZD6nqeMNmzA50fk6afFospL89X5OaLiYEXQikU49yilBy6WIwZJdlRODwTQsCmcqnG7dJ3c6JstiFGE7VBFYfYUbhr5k1wogD6IfX3QxgAuwopoRqUtExrhnJHNVMcKAN1iSqTlab/s1600/Test+for+the+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ptGZD6nqeMNmzA50fk6afFospL89X5OaLiYEXQikU49yilBy6WIwZJdlRODwTQsCmcqnG7dJ3c6JstiFGE7VBFYfYUbhr5k1wogD6IfX3QxgAuwopoRqUtExrhnJHNVMcKAN1iSqTlab/s320/Test+for+the+test.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>This time last year, as the NJ Department of Education (NJDOE) was cracking down on districts with high refusal rates, administrators across the state started doing some truly crazy and not well thought out things to students. I wrote two posts about it. You can read those posts <a href="https://elfasd.blogspot.com/2016/03/acts-of-desperation-in-name-of-education.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://elfasd.blogspot.com/2016/04/new-jersey-admins-have-lost-it.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Unfortunately, this year, we are already hearing stories from all over the state. Let me remind everyone this test still has not been validated. It's still hasn't even been run two years in a row. And, the supporting "evidence" of validity NJDOE claims, are not. You can read about that <a href="https://elfasd.blogspot.com/2016/08/nj-state-board-of-ed-ignores-public.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>The story below was brought to my attention by parents who are deeply troubled by their children being used as pawns. Parental word should have been enough. What occurred goes to the very heart of trust. In this case, trust is now lost. Our children deserve so much better than this. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In preparation for administering the PARCC test, many schools are testing their systems to see if it can handle the technology before the actual test. If you have not sent your letter in yet, the Save Our Schools NJ's refusal form <i>(found <a href="http://www.saveourschoolsnj.org/refusing-parcc-test/" target="_blank">here</a>)</i> has been used by parents for the past few years and it clearly states:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"I/we, ______refuse to allow our child(ren), ______, to participate in the following: PARCC Performance-Based Assessments, PARCC End-Of-Year Assessments, (and) Any test-prep activities, computer- or paper-based, associated with or designed to prepare for PARCC assessments". </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There is a growing group of angry parents in Washington Township (Gloucester County). Last year, this school district was first in South Jersey to write a resolution against the PARCC test. Several parents have tried to use the refusal form from the Save Our Schools NJ website and it was rejected by some of the administrators within the district. In its place, the administration has handed out a form the district tried to enforce last year against parents’ wishes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">During the 2015-16 school year, the district asked parents to come in for meetings. If they could not come in, a phone conference was needed and the district supplied the form for parents to sign. Many parents refused to sign the form due to its content. The Board of Education explained their stance at a Spring work session, stating that parents do not need a meeting, do not need a phone conference, and do not need to sign a form. This year it seems all of that is forgotten. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This year, parents have been told the form letter is a directive from Central Administration. Parents have been receiving returned refusal letters along with the school supplied form letter stamped "Do Not Duplicate". The district is also claiming there is a March 1st deadline to refuse. Parents who refused last year are not being asked to come in and talk, but parents who are new to refusing are being asked to come in. All in direct contradiction to last year’s statement from the Board of Education.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A parent reached out to one of our organizers because their child was asked to participate in the practice testing even though the refusal letter was sent in. The letter clearly stated that the child was not to participate in testing the test and was not to log in. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The student had to explain to the teachers that their parents refused PARCC and the practice tests. The teachers explained to the student that it was not counting towards anything. The young student again had to explain to the two teachers this was not what their family wanted. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The school administrator put the student in detention, which is usually reserved for students who are being punished.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Two things are wrong with this; 1. If a parent says no, two adults should not be pressuring the child to go against their parents’ wishes. 2. Why on earth would a child be placed in a punishment room for refusing?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The explanation given to the parent was the school did not put the student in detention to punish - they had to think quickly of a place to put the child before the test.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The school had the refusal already, so being unprepared for the child is a questionable response. Also, refusing children last week were told they were going to be placed in internal/restriction during the testing. That was changed after parents found out. Families were told the students were going to watch a movie in the drama room, but instead the refusing students sorted colored pencils. Does that seem like a good use of class time? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Believe it or not, this parent's child got off easy. Other parents who refused for their children are now furious that their children were not with this student in the restriction room. Why, you ask? This may shock you, but their children were forced to take the test against their parents’ wishes.</span><br />
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Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-70595445886550520162017-02-16T15:58:00.000-05:002017-02-16T18:25:55.314-05:00The End of Special Education Part VI: AZ Parents, Heads Up! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2vEiKb-bMEeO22rvGAJHNSYqTgD7lv-Io6RkiGpo9PuoGHHpBu_K5PDYxIpgVDiWMnelpOIC2_3rsYuCFmFG1A7eXERj1zf3px_lSaacvKbCALbbx0Avb2Xqq-hwibxM8DkrG7K9iAzX/s1600/idea.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2vEiKb-bMEeO22rvGAJHNSYqTgD7lv-Io6RkiGpo9PuoGHHpBu_K5PDYxIpgVDiWMnelpOIC2_3rsYuCFmFG1A7eXERj1zf3px_lSaacvKbCALbbx0Avb2Xqq-hwibxM8DkrG7K9iAzX/s1600/idea.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are generally too many stupid education and special education stories these days to comment on them all, but this one is worthy of everyone's attention. My "The End of Special Education" series has gained a lot of attention since Betsy DeVos' confirmation hearing, so I'm taking it up again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Arizona lawmakers want to do away with specially certified teachers for students with disabilities. You can read the article from the Phoenix New Times <a href="http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/do-special-ed-students-need-special-teachers-not-according-to-arizonas-sb-1317-9081180" target="_blank">here</a>. You can read the full text of the Arizona Senate Bill 1317 <a href="http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/53leg/1R/bills/SB1317S.htm" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-indent: 48px;">The offending language, changing the law to allow non-special education certified teachers is:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "letter"; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px; text-transform: uppercase;"><b>INCLUDES INSTRUCTION THAT IS DELIVERED BY ANY PERSON WHO IS CERTIFICATED PURSUANT TO SECTION 15‑203 AND WHO IS DETERMINED BY A PUPIL'S INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM TEAM TO BE AN APPROPRIATE PROVIDER BASED ON THE PUPIL'S INDIVIDUALIZED NEEDS.</b></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Arizona lawmakers are giddy over this, however, IDEA (y'know, that pesky disabilities in education civil rights law the SecEd never heard of) clearly states that a teacher must be specially certified to teach students with disabilities. The federal law states (emphasis mine):</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">SEC. 612. [20 U.S.C. 1412] STATE ELIGIBILITY. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(a) (14) PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS.— </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">C) QUALIFICATIONS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">.—The qualifications described in subparagraph (A) </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">shall ensure that each person employed as a special edu</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">cation teacher in the State who teaches elementary school, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">middle school, or secondary school— </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(i) <span style="font-size: large;"><b>has obtained</b></span></span><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> full State certification as a special </span></b><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">education teacher</span></b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>(including participating in an alter</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">nate route to certification as a special educator, if such </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">alternate route meets minimum requirements de</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">scribed in section 2005.56(a)(2)(ii) of title 34, Code of </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Federal Regulations, as such section was in effect on </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">November 28, 2008), or </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">passed the State special edu</b><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">cation teacher licensing examination, and holds a li</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">cense to teach in the State as a special education </span></b><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">teacher</b></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, except with respect to any teacher teaching in </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">a public charter school who shall meet the requirem</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ents set forth in the State’s public charter school </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">law; </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(ii) has not had special education certification or </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">licensure requirements waived on an emergency, tem</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">porary, or provisional basis; and </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(iii) holds at least a bachelor’s degree..</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(D) POLICY</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">.—In implementing this section, a State </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">shall adopt a policy that includes a requirement that<b> <span style="font-size: large;">local </span></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">educational agencies in the State take measurable steps to </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">recruit, hire, train, and retain personnel who meet the ap</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">plicable requirements described in this paragraph to pro</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">vide special education and related services under this part </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to children with disabilities. </span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I have no idea what in particular prompted AZ lawmakers to come up with this garbage, other than the usual reformy nonsense that regularly comes out of that state. Clearly, the wellbeing of students with disabilities is not anywhere on their list of priorities. This ranks up there with New Jersey's misguided attempt to lower the requirements of teachers and administrators who work in charter schools. Having teachers who do not know how to specifically address the needs of students with disabilities is no less than an attack on those students' civil rights. I hope parents and teachers push back hard on this. The children of Arizona deserve no less.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">BTW, it's handy to have a copy of the law because you never know when</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> the US Department of Education will have "technical" difficulties with only that particular education law's website for a couple of weeks. (To find a mostly complete mirror of the site from 2015 go </span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150809204901/http://idea.ed.gov/" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">.) </span></div>
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Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-66285047552254797752017-01-09T09:10:00.000-05:002017-01-09T09:10:57.554-05:00Follow Up To Who Is Voting On New Jersey's New Charter Regulations? <div class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Last Sunday, I published a blog <a href="https://elfasd.blogspot.com/2017/01/who-is-voting-on-new-jerseys-new.html" target="_blank">post</a> about NJ State Board of Education (NJBOE) member, Peter Simon, and his family's philanthropic foundation, the William E. Simon Foundation. If it had not been for the New York Times piece, which mentioned his brother as a possible candidate for the Vatican Ambassadorship, I probably would never have taken the time to look closely at a Board member. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I had decided to bring it up during public testimony at Wednesday's NJSBOE meeting. It was one of the rare days when testimony is permitted to be on any topic. I found out late Tuesday that Simon had stepped down from the Board. No one knew why. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Wednesday morning, at the beginning of the NJSBOE meeting, Board President, Mark Biedron, announced that Peter Simon had stepped down. No reason was given. Biedron also said there had been discussion on "social media" about Simon's family's foundation and donations made to charters, and that Simon had abstained from voting. Biedron added, if Simon had remained on the Board, he would have abstained from voting on the new proposed charter regulations. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Obviously, I was very glad to hear that, as were other people in attendance. Although, why mention it all? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The day was filled with a lot of charter-related testimony, both for and against. As people representing entities who had received money from the Foundation spoke, I could't help but wonder if it would have mattered if Simon abstained. He still might have been tasked with listening to public testimony (not all board members do) and, presumably, providing some feedback to those who weren't there to hear testimony firsthand. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is not an indictment of Peter Simon. It's an honest question of how reasonable it is to presume the ability of anyone to separate their personal ties from their ability to perform due diligence for the public, with the public's interests foremost in mind. It also demonstrates the need to have transparency at all times. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A couple of months ago, Mark Biedron introduced the new charter regulations with a nod to how hard the Department of Education (NJDOE) had worked on them <i>with</i> charter schools groups. I can't find meeting minutes from those meetings. They aren't posted anywhere that I can find. If someone has them, or can point me to them, I'd like to see who was in the room and what was discussed. There aren't that many charter players in New Jersey, so it's easy to guess who might have been in those meetings, and two of the biggest ones received money from the Simon Foundation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's important to note Biedron made no mention of engaging anyone in the communities who are currently affected by the tremendous drain on public school funding that occurs wherever charter schools operate. Undoubtedly, those folks would have had a lot to say about the impact of making it easier for charter schools to expand. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This all leads to a much bigger issue and that is how people come to be seated on the NJ State Board of Education. From the NJDOE <a href="http://www.state.nj.us/education/sboe/" target="_blank">website</a>:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The New Jersey State Board of Education has 13 members who are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the New Jersey State Senate. These members serve without compensation for six-year terms. By law, at least three members of the State Board must be women, and no two members may be appointed from the same county. <i>(Please note: we are currently down 5 members)</i></span><i> </i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">Since the governor also appoints the Commissioner of Education it's easy to see how this becomes a stacked deck really quickly. We happen to currently have a governor who is not interested in public education. He has spent his entire tenure slamming public schools and public school teachers while also shorting his own school funding formula by about $7 billion and calling public schools "failure factories." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">In theory, the State Board of Education should serve as "checks and balances" for anyone who is governor. They should be there for all students in the state and free from outside interests. The question is, Do we have that? Maybe even, Is that possible given how those positions are chosen? These are questions our next governor is going to have deal with. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">Here is the original testimony I prepared for last Wednesday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I wanted to spend my time today talking about alternative assessments for ESSA accountability purposes. However, I recently came across what appears to be a conflict of interest related to one of the State Board of Education members. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I find myself in the unenviable position of having to point it out and to ask that they recuse themselves from voting on anything related to charter schools, including the new proposed charter regulations. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Board member is Peter Simon. He is Co-Chair of his family’s philanthropic foundation, the William E. Simon Foundation. The Foundation’s website has listings of grants made in 2014, 2015, and 2016. The 2015 and 2016 listing links are not working, but the 2014 links are. The 2014 listings on the Foundation website are not complete. The Foundation’s 990, publicly available on GuideStar, has the full list of grants made that year.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are roughly $3.3 million in grants made to charter schools, charter associations, and groups who lobby for so-called school choice. Of those grants, three in particular, stand out: New Jersey Charter Schools Association, JerseyCAN, and the Association of American Educators who have a partnership with New Jersey Charter Schools Association. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The reason they stand out is because New Jersey Charter Schools Association and JerseyCAN actively lobby this Board for expansion of charter schools, and currently, for the new proposed charter regulations. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This appears to be a conflict of interest. I ask that Mr. Simon remove himself from any and all voting regarding the fate of charter schools or the charter industry. </span></blockquote>
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Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-59132769160640699052017-01-01T15:14:00.000-05:002017-01-01T15:14:03.541-05:00Who Is Voting On New Jersey's New Charter Regulations?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The issue of conflict of interest has been coming up a lot lately. Just before the holiday weekend, a friend pointed out one of the choices for Ambassador to the Vatican, William E. Simon, Jr., is the brother of one of the members, J. Peter Simon, of the NJ State Board of Education (NJSBOE). The New York Times wrote about the possibilities of ambassadorship <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/21/us/donald-trump-ambassadors.html?_r=0" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Curious, I decided to take a closer look at Peter Simon. He is, after all, helping to steer public education in New Jersey. Are there affiliations that make his seat on the SBOE problematic? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It turns out, yes, maybe there are. You decide.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Peter's late father, William E. Simon, former US Treasury Secretary, served under President Nixon, beginning in 1974, through President Ford's administration, resigning in 1977. He is also the founder, along with his sons, of William E. Simon and Sons, LLC, a private equity firm which specializes in technology, information technology, education, and manufacturing. Peter is currently Co-Chairman of the Firm along with his brother, Bill. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">Bill, Sr. and his wife, Carol, created The William E. Simon Foundation in 1967. Their seven children all serve on the Board of Directors. Peter and Bill, Jr. are Co-Chairmen. According to the Foundation's <a href="http://www.wesimonfoundation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=143" target="_blank">website</a>...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>"The charitable philosophy that guided him (Bill, Sr.) in establishing Foundation’s purposes drew heavily on the thoughts expressed more than a century ago by Andrew Carnegie in The Gospel Of Wealth, where he wrote, “In bestowing charity, the main consideration should be to help those who will help themselves; to provide part of the means by which those who desire to improve may do so; to give those who desire to rise the aids by which they may rise; to assist, but rarely or never to do all.” Helping those in need to realize the full promise of their own talent and drive is a large mission, but Mr. Simon was not a man to do things in a small way, and he always recognized the art of the possible."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the 1990's the Foundation reviewed its giving practices and created a more formalized process for their grants. Presumably this was done to further the Vision Statement of the Foundation...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>[T]o help inner-city youth and families gain access to education and community-based services that promote their independence, personal success, and full participation in America’s free, democratic society.</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Their Mission Statement, in part, continues...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>[S]upports programs that are intended to strengthen the free enterprise system and the moral and spiritual values on which it rests: individual freedom, initiative, thrift, self-discipline, and faith in God... the Foundation’s primary aim is to provide inner-city youth with environments, opportunities, and encouragement to develop the personal values and skills that will enable them to become independent, contributing members of society. The Foundation achieves this goal through its support of direct services and public policy research...In its direct service portfolio, the Foundation focuses primarily on two geographical areas: Jersey City and the South Bronx.</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sounds good so far, right? Let's take a look at their grant recipients. Their website has the recipient lists from 2014, 2015, and 2016. Guidestar provides 990's from 2014, back to 2012, before hitting their paywall. Many of the grants are to religiously affiliated groups, Catholic charities, Boy Scouts, Boy and Girls Clubs of America, Catholic schools, etc. All are in keeping with Bill, Sr.'s deep Catholic faith. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are also grants to charter schools, charter associations, and other education reform groups. That's where things get a bit sticky as we are heading into the first NJSBOE meeting of 2017. The second hearing is on the agenda for the new proposed charter school regulations. I wrote a piece in November about the public testimony taken at NJSBOE on the new regulations. You can read about that <a href="http://elfasd.blogspot.com/2016/11/it-was-very-long-day-part-1-2-3.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The proposed <a href="http://assets.njspotlight.com/assets/16/1003/2034" target="_blank">changes</a> include: </span><br />
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<li>Permit a weighted lottery for charter school enrollment;</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Establish an expedited renewal process for high-performing charters;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Permit single-purpose charter schools;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ease the way for charter schools to secure facilities and capital funding;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Establish a pilot program for charter-specific teacher, administrator, and school business administrator certifications;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Streamline procedures around budgetary controls and fund monitoring; and</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Enact other regulatory changes.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bottom line for charter schools in New Jersey: No local control at all. Charters are approved by the NJ Commissioner of Education, not by the people living in the community affected. Charters are paid for directly out of the local district's public education school budget. Charters can expand without any local authorization or regard for the impact on the local public schools. Charter school operators do not have to disclose how public money is spent. Charter schools are not required to have elected school boards. Charter schools do not educate the same demographics as public schools, and as a result, are highly segregated. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Keep these points in mind as you read through where the Foundation money goes. Ask yourself if Peter Simon should recuse himself from voting on the new charter regulations. In 2014, he oversaw the distribution of about $3.3 million to charter schools, associations, and organizations which support charter schools and school choice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I chose the 2014 year because the Foundation's website has a list of those donations along with the correct attributions, and GuideStar has the 2014 <a href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2014/136/217/2014-136217788-0bfdf4db-F.pdf" target="_blank">990 filing</a> available for anyone to see. I cross-referenced the website with 990 filing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>From the Foundation's <a href="http://www.wesimonfoundation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=17&Itemid=131" target="_blank">website</a>: 2014</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Association of American Educators Foundation:</b> $100,000 for program support, including New Jersey. On their website, they claim to be an alternative to teachers unions. They have a page dedicated to responding to statements from the NEA. And, they have a page dedicated to New Jersey. The regional director's bio says she has taught in the classroom, been a college advisor, and been an education sales rep for a "major publishing company." That New Jersey page also has an announcement for their new partnership with the New Jersey Charter Schools Association. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Brilla College Preparatory Charter School:</b> $50,000 for technology and equipment to support a blended learning program.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Center for Education Reform: </b>$2,500 for program support. Among the education issues CER supports are school choice and charter schools. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Charter School Growth Fund:</b> $500,000 (paid $250,000) for "</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Fund II support to grow high quality charter networks". "</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As a national nonprofit (CSGF), we make multi-year, philanthropic investments in talented education entrepreneurs building networks of great charter schools, and we provide them with support as they grow." In 2005, they created the National Fund for the purpose of "accelerating the growth of the nation's best charter schools." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Children's Aid College Prep Charter School:</b> $25,000 for </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Support for Life Coaches in the 2014-15 school year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Common Sense Institute of New Jersey:</b> $2,500 for "Who's Leaving NJ And Why" Report</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Educators 4 Excellence:</b> $30,000 for "</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Program Support for New York programs. E4E is reform movement group for teachers and is heavily funded by the Gates and Broad Foundations."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Ethical Community Charter School:</b> $50,000 for "S</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">upport for an Architect, a Fundraising Consultant, a Language Arts & Math Consultant, and a Development Officer in the 2014-15 school year." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Families for Excellent Schools:</b> $5,000 as a "token of appreciation" to the CEO who presented at the Jersey City Leadership Forum. FES is a pro-charter school group which organized and mobilizes parents to fight for charter schools and their expansion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Family Life Academy Charter School:</b> $25,000 for a Wellness program. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Foundation for Excellence in Education:</b> $20,000 for program support. This is Jeb Bush's very reformy education group whose board includes Betsy DeVos and Joel Klein. Among the group's "reform agenda" is school choice, CBE, digital learning, and so on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Foundation for Opportunity in Education:</b> $200,000 (paid $100,000) for program support. I couldn't find the website to this group. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Golden Door Charter School:</b> $37,752.00 for "Support for the purchase of Chrome books, laptops which will facilitate new NJ state testing in the 2013-14 school year."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Great Futures Charter High School for the Health Sciences:</b> $209,000 for "Start-up costs and general operating support in the 2014-15 school year."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Harlem RBI:</b> $15,000 for "Program Support for South Bronx site in the 2014-15 school year."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Harvard University:</b> $65,000 for "Support for the education reform journal, EducationNext, in 2014."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Icahn Charter Schools: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>School #1</b> $25,400 for "</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Support for a professional development project for K-2 teachers in the 2014-15 school year." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>School #2</b> $22,500 for "</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Support for a math consultant in the 2014-15 school year." <b>School #6</b> $12,880 for "Support for a professional development project for K-2 teachers in the 2014-15 school year." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>School #7 </b>$12,220 for "</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Support for a professional development project for K-2 teachers in the 2014-15 school year." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Institute for Justice: </b>$25,000 for "</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Support for litigation work on school choice issues in 2014."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>JerseyCAN:</b> $10,000 for program support. This group heavily supports charter schools in New Jersey. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>KIPP Academy Charter School:</b> $100,500 for "</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Support for the implementation of a new ELA program and a new math program."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>National Alliance for Public Charter Schools:</b> $65,000 for "Support for their work to foster a strong charter school sector in order to increase the academic achievement of all students in 2014."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>National Counsel on Teacher Quality:</b> $5,000 for program support. Diane Ravitch has written about NCTQ and this <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/ravitch-what-is-nctq-and-why-you-should-know/2012/05/23/gJQAg7CrlU_blog.html?utm_term=.7a1e19a1462f" target="_blank">piece</a> in the Washington Post is instructive. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation:</b> $30,000 for "Support of its charter school legal defense program, which seeks to prevent compulsory teacher unionization at charter schools nationwide, in 2014."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>New Jersey Charter Schools Association:</b> $25,000 for "</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Support for the communication campaign for this charter school policy and service organization in 2014."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Success Academy Charter Schools: </b>$150,000 for "Support for a parent engagement campaign in the 2013-14 school year."</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">From GuideStar, the 990 filing for 2014:</b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(These are the donations NOT listed on the Foundation's website. The 990 does not provide information about what the grant was used for beyond a simple designation, like "education.")</i><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools:</b> $5,000</span><br />
<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools:</b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> $5,000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Alliance for School Choice:</b> $100,000</span><br />
<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alliance for School Choice: </b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">$5,000</span><br />
<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Children's Scholarship Fund: </b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">$170</span><br />
<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Children's Scholarship Fund: </b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">$250,000</span><br />
<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Children's Scholarship Fund:</b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> $245,845</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Civic Builders: </b>$333,333</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Civic Builders: </b>$100,00</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>EdVestors: </b>$5,000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Family Life Academy Charter School:</b> $5,000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Family Life Academy Charter School:</b> $25,000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Foundation for Opportunity in Education:</b> $100,000 (The Foundation website showed a total grant of $200,000 and $100,000 actually paid. This is the other half of the grant.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Friends of Learning Community Charter School:</b> $97,500</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>KIPP New York Inc.:</b> $250,000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy:</b> $50,000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy: </b>$75,000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Parents Challenge:</b> $1,000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Philadelphia School Partnership:</b> $10,000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Success Academy Charter Schools:</b> $5,000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Success Academy Charter Schools: </b>$250,000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Thomas B. Fordham Institute:</b> $50,000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Willow Creek Foundation: </b>$5,000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation:</b> $25,000</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The 2015 and 2016 Foundation website lists have errors in them. When you click through any of the grantees, the information page shows the same information for every grantee, so we can't see the amount of the grant or what it was for. Unfortunately, GuideStar does not yet have the 990's for those years. Here are the related grantees from the Foundation's website: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>New Jersey Charter Schools Association</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Thomas B. Fordham Institute</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>JerseyCAN</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Family Life Academy Charter School</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Ethical Community Charter School</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Educators4Excellence</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Children's Aid College Prep Charter School </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Association of American Educators Foundation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Foundation for Excellence in Education</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Hyde Leadership Charter School</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Harlem RBI</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Hunts Point Alliance for Children</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Friends of Learning Community Charter School</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Soaring Heights Charter School</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>74 Million</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Brilla College Preparatory Charter School</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>50CAN</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I feel the need to state, unequivocally, I have no issues with people making money. I hope no one is doing an eyeroll just because of his family's history or their ability to make money. The family fortune is not the point of this piece. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">However, when that money is used, philanthropically, to further the privatization of public education, <i>and</i> the person who is overseeing those donations while also serving on a public board which has influence over the course of the industry they significantly support, I think we have a serious conflict of interest where the charter regulations are concerned. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-81641310920399229532016-12-23T21:23:00.000-05:002017-02-27T13:35:10.805-05:00Parents and Teachers, It's Time to Organize<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHslVEPbOERCdwXSV_VdHghSwCOKvBZBP3Zfd0HnXEBifCDWCVFI2rAfDtTvJmuNUIAYoqFOo9dwRq6CtMA7KTqFPvCg-TWp4vhOcPfmb-ediTILJMqYB1_NIzjYSLUlMbeIXQhba_tcbk/s1600/Organize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHslVEPbOERCdwXSV_VdHghSwCOKvBZBP3Zfd0HnXEBifCDWCVFI2rAfDtTvJmuNUIAYoqFOo9dwRq6CtMA7KTqFPvCg-TWp4vhOcPfmb-ediTILJMqYB1_NIzjYSLUlMbeIXQhba_tcbk/s320/Organize.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Last month, at the NJEA Convention, Mark Weber delivered the plenary speech. You can read the whole speech <a href="http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/2016/11/my-speech-at-njea-convention.html" target="_blank">here</a>. He called for teachers to organize. Keep in mind this was before Betsy DeVos' nomination for </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">US Secretary of Education (SecEd) and before Jeff Sessions' nomination for US Attorney General (USAG).</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>"It is not an exaggeration to say that right now, public education hangs in the balance. Teacher workplace rights are in serious jeopardy. The ability of NJEA to protect the future of New Jersey’s outstanding public education system – by any measure, one of the finest in the world, in spite of this state’s recent abdication of its role to fully fund its schools – is under dire threat.</i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>There is only one course to take: we must organize. We must stand strong, we must stand together, and we must refuse to give into desperation. Our families, our colleagues, and our students have always counted on us when they needed us the most – we must not now, nor ever, stop fighting for them or yes, that’s right, for ourselves."</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yes. Please. Teachers, especially those of you teach in sparkly districts, who have the best resources (comparatively), please start speaking up. If you feel like you can't do it in the district in which you teach, then do it in the one in which you live. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you don't already, come to just one State Board of Education meeting on open public testimony days (like the one coming up on January 4th). Or come to just one Assembly or Senate Education Committee meeting when there is a bill that directly affects you or your students. Yes, your state union is there, already speaking up, but I promise, just like with parents, our legislators need to hear directly from you. They do not get that kind of firsthand information from anyone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Participate when your union asks. Make those phone calls. Write those letters. Numbers do matter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To those of you who don't like your union leadership, I urge you to have conversations with them. Tell them what you need from them. Offer to help. Get involved. Hold them accountable. No, you really don't have to agree on everything. If you don't fight back, there won't be a teaching profession. This is not a time to leave it to others. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yes, I know, this paragraph is terribly simplified. This is work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I know. It's difficult. It's also necessary.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Parents, it's not just teachers who need to organize. I know how difficult it is to find the time to participate. I know how difficult it is to put yourself out there and sometimes have to say things that others do not want to hear or acknowledge. I know how easy it is to complain and not actually <i>do</i> anything. I know how easy it is to keep your head down. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Fight that urge to only complain. Fight that urge to say, "Well, it's not directly affecting my children." Fight that urge to leave it to others. Fight that urge to look away when those who are standing up make you uncomfortable or aren't doing what you only imagine you would do. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I know. It's difficult. It's also necessary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Where to start? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Look in the right-hand column of this blog. There is a list of education bloggers; some are parents, some are teachers, some are education scholars. All are advocates, dedicated to public education for <i>all</i> children. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Attend your local and state board of education meetings. Go visit your state and federal representatives. Remember, they work for YOU. It doesn't matter if you belong to a different political party. They weren't elected to serve only constituents from their party. It's not that difficult to get appointments. If you can't do that, write a letter. Make a phone call. All of them have staff who work on the issues that are important to you, including education policy. Ask them what they are doing to protect public education for all students. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's ok if doing these things makes you uncomfortable. There are many of us who do these things all the time. And, the longer we do it, the more connections we make, and the better we get at it. It's ok if your voice shakes. What's most important is that you find your voice and use it. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Edited to add: Jessica Smock wrote a piece for Scary Mommy <i><a href="http://www.scarymommy.com/what-outraged-parents-can-do-to-defend-public-education-after-the-confirmation-of-betsy-devos/" target="_blank">What Outraged Parents Can Do To Defend Public Education After the Confirmation of Betsy Devos</a></i>, referencing this blog post. Many thanks to Jessica. </span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-84197744460595852142016-12-22T21:08:00.000-05:002017-02-07T21:09:56.432-05:00My Favorite Bloggers<div class="item" style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0.25em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">
<ul style="background-color: #441500; color: #ffeedd; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.88px; line-height: 1.2; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: normal;">
<li style="border-top: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Mercedes Schneider's EduBlog</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Big Education Ape</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://bill.from.net/education-blog" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Bill's Education Blog</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://christienken.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Chris Tienken</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://chris.thinnes.me/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Chris.Thinnes.me</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://chroniclesofamoderndad.blogspot.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Chronicles of a Modern Dad</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="https://cloakinginequity.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Cloaking Inequity</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Curmudgucation</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://danielskatz.net/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Daniel Katz, Ph.D.</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="https://www.deyproject.org/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Defending the Early Years</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://dianeravitch.net/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Diane Ravitch</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://haveyouheardblog.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Edushyster</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://fairtest.org/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">FairTest</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="https://garyrubinstein.wordpress.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Gary Rubinstein's Blog</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="https://jamaalabowman.wordpress.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Jamaal Bowman</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://http//jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Jersey Jazzman</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://www.livingindialogue.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Living In Dialogue</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://mcorfield.blogspot.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Marie Corfield</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://http//mothercrusader.blogspot.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Mother Crusader</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://nancyebailey.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Nancy Bailey's Education Website</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://networkforpubliceducation.org/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Network for Public Education</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://parentingthecore.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Parenting the Core</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="httphttp://pushingthependulum.com/://" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Pushing the Pendulum</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://russonreading.blogspot.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Russ On Reading</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://www.saveourschoolsnj.org/" style="color: #ffeecc;">Save Our School New Jersey</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="https://schoolfinance101.wordpress.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">School Finance 101</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="https://teacherbiz.wordpress.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Teacher Biz</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="https://theeducationactivist.wordpress.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">The Education Activist</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://thejosevilson.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">The Jose Vilson</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://unitedoptout.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">United Opt Out</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Valerie Strauss' Answer Sheet</a></li>
<li style="border-top: 1px dashed rgb(153, 136, 119); margin: 0px; padding: 0.35em 0px;"><a href="http://jonathanpelto.com/" style="color: #ff8866; text-decoration: none;">Wait What?</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-8447385427932892962016-11-29T18:31:00.000-05:002017-02-27T13:50:06.608-05:00What Will Happen To Special Education?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyj3ti4_Q5iQPJKK07nAnWsH9QMlzzxylkfkAPDvaySxzsINvJsm4U7TS9pgj2Q0g-qH8FidZuMMx0hpkKap_iuKUFTV1zrbmCmcm2_3lDwjvYy_p4e5teHosUIx4kxMCiax7xXwGh2NFC/s1600/Flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyj3ti4_Q5iQPJKK07nAnWsH9QMlzzxylkfkAPDvaySxzsINvJsm4U7TS9pgj2Q0g-qH8FidZuMMx0hpkKap_iuKUFTV1zrbmCmcm2_3lDwjvYy_p4e5teHosUIx4kxMCiax7xXwGh2NFC/s320/Flowers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yet another reason to be concerned about Jeff Sessions as US Attorney General. Special Education. Back in 2000, when he was an Alabama state senator (formerly the state's attorney general), Sessions made an utterly ignorant, and now potentially dangerous, statement about special education and the federal law which guarantees the rights of students with disabilities, the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). You can read his whole statement <a href="http://www.sessions.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ID=a7977b1d-7e9c-9af9-753e-8f3a8b3b43fb" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's difficult to pull quotes out of the text because the entire statement is so heinous. Yes, students with disabilities have rights. No, those rights, and those exercising those rights are not "<i>a big factor in accelerating the decline in civility and discipline in classrooms all over America.</i>" The disqualifier at the beginning of that paragraph does not excuse the ridiculousness of the statement either. So glad to hear that he didn't want to end IDEA.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sessions quotes parts of letters written to him by teachers who are frustrated by their students and what they described as problems with the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). While I am sure there are teachers who are frustrated by what they see in their schools, to blame students with disabilities for those frustrations is absurd. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sessions does give a nod to the lack of funding associated with IDEA. It has never been fully funded, nor has it come close to the goal of 40% funded. Ever. He should have been railing against a system that purposely defunds, or underfunds, education mandates, no matter whom they directly affect. To blame the students and IDEA is absurd. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As I read through Sessions' statement and the statements by teachers, I saw what, in my opinion, is violation after violation of those students' rights. IDEA is not a permission slip for students to behave badly. It does not prevent "discipline." It does not require students to be mainstreamed with their neurotypical peers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What IDEA does do is requires states, and therefore school districts, to place students in a Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). It requires them to conduct Functional Behavior Analyses, using those results to create Behavior Plans for exactly the scenarios which are described in Sessions' statement. This is not rocket science. This appears to have been completely lost on every one of those teachers and their administrators and Sessions. It also appears to be lost on these people that wrong classroom settings, inappropriate placements, and lack of services contribute to inappropriate behavior - in any setting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Before someone piles on here, yes, there are students, unfortunately, who do act out and have no self-regulation or control. God bless the teachers and paras who teach and assist them. It is a reality. However, it should not be happening in a general education setting. LRE does <b><i>not</i></b> mean a general education, mainstreamed setting. LRE means providing the best environment for that student. It's a simple concept that is grossly misused. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was astonished at the claims that teachers are leaving the profession because of lawsuits brought by special education parents. The statement implies parents are going after teachers. That's not how the law works. It's absurd to state that as though it is fact. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The last story is from a superintendent. He laments not being able to mete out similar discipline to two students who brought weapons to school. One student, with no disability, was given a 1-year suspension. The other student, with a disability and IEP, was placed for 45 days in an alternate school setting before returning to his regular school. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'm twitching as I write this because I cannot believe the rank stupidity of this decades-long educator. IDEA has an entire section dedicated to discipline (<a href="http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,regs,300,E,300%252E530," target="_blank">Sec. 300.530</a>). In fact, there's even a section on weapons. He most certainly could have suspended that student with an IEP for 1-year, just like the first student. His own ignorance of the law made for the inequity. Further, it made his reference to Animal Farm ("All are equal, but some are more equal than others.") even more inappropriate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It also demonstrates that Sessions, as Alabama's former attorney general, either didn't know the law, or he knew and used this sorry excuse of a story to fortify his position that special education is ruining public education and teachers' careers. Shame on them both! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Unbelievably, the superintendent continues with this ditty: "<i>I became a teacher in 1965 and I do not remember hearing of gun shootings prior to 1975 when Congress began telling ten percent of our students you are not responsible.</i>" Gaslighting at its best, folks. When in doubt make an absurd claim, based on nothing, and blame it on the special ed kid. Disgusting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sessions ended his abhorrent statement with this: "<i>I think these teachers make a point. It is a matter we need to give careful consideration to, not overreact, not undermine the great principles of the Disabilities Act Program. But at the same time, we need to say that a child is not allowed to commit crimes, to disrupt classroom, to curse teachers, principals and students, and abuse them and do so with impunity.</i>"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Again, that is not what IDEA actually says. You'd think a state attorney general would know that. What will the enforcement of IDEA look like under a US Attorney General who doesn't know the law? Or, perhaps worse, one who does know the law and ignores it?</span><br />
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Edit to add: Valerie Strauss at The Washington Post republished part of this blog in her column Answer Sheet: <i><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/12/02/sen-sessions-once-linked-special-education-law-to-decline-in-civility-in-classrooms/?utm_term=.c411c2179aa3" target="_blank">Trump’s pick for attorney general once linked special education law to ‘decline in civility’ in classrooms</a>.</i> Thank you to Valerie!Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-27806674225962934182016-11-23T16:59:00.001-05:002016-11-23T17:14:06.671-05:00A Thank You To Teachers. I See You.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I wish parents could see their children's teachers outside of school. We've all been bathed in the "bad teacher" narrative for so long that when someone mentions a "bad teacher" we just do the head nod. Fortunately, for all of us, that narrative is largely false. Before someone sends me hate mail, of course there are people who should be doing something else, just as you find in any workplace. Understand, that "bad teacher" narrative has a specific purpose...but that's for another blog post. I want to talk about teachers today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'm very lucky to know a lot of teachers through my activism. I have very deep respect for them, because not only do they care very deeply about their students and profession, they are also willing to fight like mad to make sure public education is there for everyone's children. That is not just fluff-talk. Some put in long hours researching and writing to educate all of us (some of my favorite teacher-bloggers: <a href="http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mark Weber</a>, <a href="http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Peter Greene</a>, <a href="http://mcorfield.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Marie Corfield</a>, <a href="http://russonreading.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Russ Walsh</a>), some head up volunteer organizations that lift up students, and teachers, and public education (like Marla Kilfoyle, Denisha Jones, Michael Flanagan, and Melissa Tomlinson), some write amicus briefs for the US Supreme Court, and others take the time to do professional development work beyond what their districts provide. They do all of these things on their own time and with their own money. No one is paying them to use their voice for their students and for their profession. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Which brings me to this year's NJEA Convention. I love going and talking with teachers about what they are doing in their classrooms, what they're excited about, what their students are excited about, and what their concerns are. It's also fun to walk the floor and see what the latest and greatest toys, books, tech, and programs are being sold to teachers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Even with the fancy bells and whistles of the tech stuff, the booksellers' booths are always the busiest. Especially the ones who sell books for the lower grades. After grabbing a late lunch with a friend, we noticed a very long line which snaked across a couple of aisles. We asked what they were all standing in line for, expecting it to be a book signing, but it turned out they were waiting for free books for their classrooms. Free books. For your kids. On a day off. The line was at least 200 people long. I want to share with you a few pictures of the line because you should see what your children's teachers do for them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From top to bottom: the beginning of the line, to all the way around, to you can't see the end of the line - which was a couple of aisles over from the start. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of the little chalk board announcing the times of the giveaways. This line was a good 10-15 minutes before the giveaway started. I hope the pictures "speak a thousand words."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So, on the eve of Thanksgiving...thanks to Maddie's teachers. You know who you are, the ones who put in the extra time, who cared enough to learn more about her and the way she learns, who stood up for her and her rights as a student. Thanks for your patience and your resilience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I see you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-22706432918710471072016-11-15T08:31:00.000-05:002016-11-15T14:15:47.302-05:00It Was A Very Long Day, Part 1, 2 & 3<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Part 1: </b>Every month I try to make it to the State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting. While reading the agenda gives an idea of what's going to happen, there is nothing like being there in person to witness the depth of privilege and echo chamber-ness in that room. I want to be very clear about the criticism in this piece. NJDOE has some really great, hard-working people within its ranks and my thoughts on this are not about them. This is about leadership, or rather, the lack thereof. Their willingness to remain well seated in their echo chamber and the arrogance with which pronouncements are made. And, the SBOE and their unwillingness to "dive deep" and ask hard questions and expect good, true responses, and their seemingly endless inability to know the difference between a real answer and a false one. Their job is not to sit there and nod in agreement with statements that are so patently false it would be hilarious if wasn't so damned serious. And yet, that is what we have. The November meeting was no different.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Chris Cerf was in to deliver his annual report on Newark schools. Good news is graduation rates are up. Bad news is he's still the state-appointed superintendent and it's still state-controlled. He made a great show of saying charters and public schools should be working together and no one should be paying attention to what is said on social media. All he wants is for everyone to get along for the sake of the kids. He's not wrong about doing things for the sake of the kids. What and how things get done are the issue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It would also be great if we could also get some acknowledgment that charters don't serve the same demographics and are costing districts, like Newark, a fortune for a parallel and unequal system whose basic management is kept far, far out of the sunshine. There is nothing "public" about charter schools except the money which primarily funds them. Too bad if you don't like that little piece of reality from "social media." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Cerf did manage to give a nod to poverty, and then, unbelievably, continued with qualifications, like new immigrants want to get out of poverty, but people who have experienced multi-generational poverty "resist the ladder" out of poverty. In the context of the conversation, education, it's doubly astonishing when talking about a district that has been under state control for more than 20 years. The lack of state funding, the lack of tax base (remember the poverty thing?), the lack of needed support for those students is because the state has denied it to them. On top of that, charters have been allowed to proliferate. It costs this district millions of dollars to sustain them at the direct cost to every other student in the district. So, education, which is a lot of rungs on that "ladder" has been decimated under state control. And guess what, Chris? When you were NJ's Education Commissioner, you perpetuated that too.<br /><br />Cerf says a ONE Newark survey demonstrated parents actually choose to send their kids to schools well outside of their neighborhood. That it's a "myth" parents actually want a neighborhood school. Yes, I'm putting in a request to see the survey and the results. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So, why throw in that tidbit about ONE Newark? Well, a couple of weeks ago, the Newark BOE voted to get rid of ONE Newark...which, of course, he failed to mention. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Cerf was asked what he thought about PARCC and if NJ should keep it. Of course, he immediately sang its praises. And, really, what could he say? He was selling PARCC to the SBOE and the public when he was Commissioner.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Then it was on to a comprehensive report on PARCC by Pete Shulman. The basics were that scores were up compared to the year before. No mention that half the students who took it "failed." No mention of how many students would not have graduated had the new graduation requirements been in place this year. And, no mention of which version of PARCC they were comparing to. You'd think that an organization who bows to the Data Gods would have pointed that out. We haven't had two years in a row of the same test. What are you comparing?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Continuing, PARCC is the best test for gauging college and career readiness and the standards. Notice that it's now just "the standards" since they changed the name of Common Core State Standards to New Jersey Student Learning Standards. There were no fundamental changes to the standards, they're just hoping you didn't notice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For some reason, they just can't deliver their info on PARCC without a very hard swipe at either NJASK or HSPA. That day, it was both. NJASK and HSPA didn't deliver usable data, they were inferior tests. It's groan-worthy because for a decade, both of these tests were revered. <i>Students have to take them! How would we know how they're doing without them!?</i> Take a look at what a New Jersey dad put together on NJASK <a href="http://media.wix.com/ugd/60a3ee_dbe60bb6ef55488fadb4af13681d9558.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. Funny, sounds a lot like the claims about PARCC. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Finally, the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY) "study" was trotted out as proof of PARCC's validity. *sigh* No, it's not. It's not even a "study." I've covered this before. Twenty-three Teachers of the Year decided, among other things, that the 5th grade PARCC test is more difficult than NJASK was. You can read about it and the other "studies" NJDOE claims validate PARCC <a href="http://elfasd.blogspot.com/2016/08/nj-state-board-of-ed-ignores-public.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The meeting ran so long they never got to the new charter regs - the ones that lower the standards for teachers, administrators, and business administrators working in charter schools. The ones which were developed by/with people in the charter industry. That discussion has been put off until the December meeting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Part 2:</b> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Public testimony on charter schools, interdistrict school choice, student residency, and student transportation. Most testimony was about the new charter regulations. There were employees, a few parents, and teachers from charter schools to provide testimony in favor of the new regs. NJEA, SOSNJ, and a few parents spoke out against them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is a good place to state in the strongest way possible, that it's despicable the way public school parents and advocates are pitted against charter school parents and advocates. I see it at SBOE testimony sessions and at legislative hearings at the State House. It cannot be said enough times, we are not angry with, nor disappointed in, charter school parents. They have simply done what they feel is best for their children, as anyone would. End of story. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The issue is with public policy. Really poor public policy, that has created an environment in which public schools have been systematically resource-starved, and in which a secondary, unequal, parallel system has grown at the direct expense of the public system. That is the issue. Not that you happen to send your child to a charter school.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It was pretty astonishing to hear charter school teacher recruiters asking SBOE to make it easier for people to become teachers and administrators in their schools. That Praxis was making it too difficult for people to become teachers. The irony was completely lost on SBOE, the people making the plea, and many members of the audience. The charter cheerleader stories are always about how much "better" they are than public schools. Yet, here they were, asking the state to lift certification requirements for teachers and administrators. The SBOE will very likely do exactly that. Why does anyone think having a lower level of certification, that will never be accepted in public schools, be ok for charters and their students? How does that fit into the narrative that charters are great. The mind boggles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here is the testimony provided by Save Our Schools New Jersey. It hits on all of the issues with the newly proposed regulations on charter schools.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>TESTIMONY TO THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION<br />ON BEHALF OF SAVE OUR SCHOOLS NJ<br />Presented by Susan Cauldwell<br />November 2, 2016</i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>In her October 5 memo to the State Board, Acting
Commissioner Kim Harrington said the following:<br />“Governor Christie met with charter operators to discuss the
state of public charter schools in New Jersey. During this discussion, many
charter operators explained that New Jersey’s regulatory environment is a major
impediment to growth of the charter sector in the State. During the last several months, the DOE has worked with
charter leaders to develop recommendations to offer school operators increased
autonomy and opportunities for innovation in exchange for accountability for
student outcomes. The proposed changes will ensure charter schools have
increased flexibility, autonomy, and time to innovate and produce strong
educational outcomes for all students. In addition, the changes will
incentivize operators both in-State and out-of-State to invest in New Jersey.”</i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>These words tell you all you need to know about the proposed
charter regulations. The Governor wants them. Period. No analysis, no data,
just the desire of this administration to continue its effort to destroy
traditional public education in urban districts. Adding more charter school
seats in urban areas will only serve to further financially destabilize these
school districts. Every state superintendent who address you, acknowledges the
challenges of balancing a budget with flat state aid and an ever-growing charter
school bill. And the Commissioner is required to consider this is as part of
her decision-making process. </i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>How can the DOE, which wants to collect data on everything
from the aptitude of pre-school students, to the college grades of pre-service
teachers, to the lifetime SGOs and SGPs of teachers propose such changes as
dumbing down teacher and administrator certifications without one shred of data
to support it? It’s simple. The Governor wants it.<br />At last month’s meeting, it was interesting to watch the staff
try to explain why charter school teachers needed less training than
traditional public school teachers. The staff couldn’t answer it; the Acting
Commissioner couldn’t answer it. Deputy Commissioner Pete Shulman had to jump
up from the audience to calm things down. Even more curious is why you, as a
State Board, are not aware the dumbed down charter school teacher certification
already exists. The proposed regulations codify the regulations for teachers
and will add dumbed down qualifications for charter school BAs and heads of
schools. But, none of this matters because the Governor wants it.</i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>In their report last month, staff attempted to justify
pre-ordained code changes with facile charts and graphs that did not make the
case. You, the State Board, have an obligation to ask proper questions such as:<br />1. Why compare state demographics with demographics of
charter schools? Charter school populations should be compared to the home
districts of the students. A comparison like this would show just how much fewer
less poor, less male, less LEP, and less special ed students are enrolled in
charter schools, which the staff obviously wanted to avoid.<br />2. The comparison of test scores showed that charter
students outperformed their district peers, which is no surprise give the
difference in students as noted above. What the staff did not dwell on was
this: charter school average outcomes in state operated districts were worse
than state averages in math and ELA in grades 3 through 8, except for math in
Newark.</i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>The truth is that, on the whole, charter schools, despite
their selective enrollment procedures, and their kill and drill instructional
methods are not living up to their promise of greater educational outcomes.
Given this fact, why should charters be held to lower standards than
traditional public schools? The answer is simple. The Governor wants it.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>As for specific comments on the regulations, Save Our
Schools NJ offers the following:<br />1. The proposed dumbing down of administrator and head of
school certifications merely to attract out of state charter school operators
is troubling. Reports of out of state charter school fraud and waste have made
national headlines. NJ has had few episodes of fraud and waste in charter
schools and we need to keep it that way. In addition, at least 3 out of state
charter chains are successfully operating here already. We do not believe these
changes are warranted.<br />2. We strongly oppose the requirement that school districts
be forced to accept charter school students on their sports teams and in
extra-curricular activities. This matter was considered by the legislature a
couple of years ago and was rejected. In addition, we believe charter schools,
which receive funds for a comprehensive education (which includes
extra-curriculars and athletics) of their students should be required to
provide these activities. At the very least, we believe this decision should
rest with the local school district.<br />3. On the matter of facilities, we do not support
co-locating charters and traditional schools. We also do not support turning
over publicly financed facilities at bargain basement prices to private
entities like charter school management companies.<br />4. Expedited renewals for “high performing charters” is the
wrong approach. The use of standardized test scores as the benchmark supports
canned kill and drill instruction, narrows curriculum in favor of test prep,
encourages the removal of low performing students, and discourages the
enrollment of LEP and special needs students. This proposed change moves
charter schools further away from the notion of a public school.<br />5. The accountability proposals do not go far enough for a
public school. We suggest the following:<br />a. Require that charter schools include all attachments,
memos, and reports associated with charter school board meetings on the
website;<br />b. Require that charter school board meetings take place in
the community where the school is located;<br />c. Require the charter school to post an annual calendar of
board meetings prior to the start of each school year;<br />d. Require that charter school boards include residents of
the community.<br />6. The proposed regulations do not address the ability of
host communities to have a formal role in the decision making process on
whether to permit a charter school. We continue to advocate for either a local
vote by residents or, in the alternative, a vote by the local school board.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Thank you for your consideration. We urge you to do what is
best for NJs school children.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I left the testimony session early to get up to New York City. Which brings me to...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Part 3:</b> A few weeks ago, I ran into Dr. Lauren Wells. She asked me to come see her speak as a counter-point to Dr. Chester "Checker" Finn at Hunter College. Finn has recently released a book on the 25-year history of charter schools and their future. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Lauren and I arrived at the same time. Upon entering the building we were introduced to Dr. David Steiner, former New York State Commissioner of Education, who was moderating the discussion. Lauren had Dr. Finn's book in her hand and Steiner asked if she had read it. The question may have just slipped out, but what an incredibly stupid thing to ask the person who is there for express purpose of providing comment on it. Of course she read the book. I confess to being touchy about this, it was a long day, and stupidity was king. But, really? Dr. Wells is a professor of education at American University in Washington DC. She is also the former Chief Education Officer for the City of Newark. Why would he think she hadn't read the book? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The venue was Franklin Delano Roosevelt's former home on E. 65th Street, and having arrived early, we were allowed to wait in FDR's library. It is not a large room, but rather cozy. It's easy to imagine FDR spending quiet time in this room. It also felt a little like a calm before a storm. Here is a picture of Lauren going over her notes before the discussion. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveY-Nf493ZA0d8WQYlfmqfvBr0PBAwrJjuerro31INitrSr-7oPga5i_7lmsq3iX-neB_rmTyA24sLhTFnfOE5DMqvUPKgujehGYEXmdxy_nabnLayyXAAgJHz0yuT-qx4Gd2uzks2miD/s1600/LW+at+FDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveY-Nf493ZA0d8WQYlfmqfvBr0PBAwrJjuerro31INitrSr-7oPga5i_7lmsq3iX-neB_rmTyA24sLhTFnfOE5DMqvUPKgujehGYEXmdxy_nabnLayyXAAgJHz0yuT-qx4Gd2uzks2miD/s320/LW+at+FDR.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The discussion began with Steiner introducing Wells and Finn, and providing a brief history on charter schools. Finn further expanded on the history of charter schools and noted there is no right way to charter. He believes deeply in "choice" and that we have a duty to provide that choice even at the expense of others. He does not have a problem with cherry picking (although, of course, he doesn't call it that), nor with students being counseled out, nor with excluding certain students, like those with disabilities. He does not have a problem with educating a few at the expense of all others. It sounds very much like The Talented Tenth. Finn believes it is a moral obligation to educate that small number. He seems to believe those students would not get an education without the "choice" to bail out of public education. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Personally, I found his conviction and stance to be closer to a savior complex, than to that of a person dedicated to education. It is far easier to educate the easiest students than it is to provide a great education to every student. I believe it is every child's right to have that great education. Finn appears to believe that only a select few have that right. It's interesting, but not surprising, since he had a rather exclusive education himself. Although, I doubt very much that Exeter's curriculum and practice look anything like what he thinks is a superior education for city kids. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To be clear, the definition of "doing better than" and "great education" is actually just high standardized test scores. Of course, curriculum and practice that has the sole purpose of raising test scores, actually does do that. But is that education? Or is that training? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Wells chose not to speak about charter schools directly. Instead, she discussed the need to educate all students. This wasn't just a fluffy statement. She spoke about meeting students where they are. Igniting curiosity. Recognizing that every student has gifts and they deserve an environment and highly qualified teachers to explore those gifts. In short, Wells talked about what every parent wants for their child, regardless of socio-economic status, classification, and zip code. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The discussion then turned to Q&A. The NAACP moratorium on charter schools came up. Needless to say, Wells and Finn, and Steiner (who, oddly, had a lot to say in his role as "moderator"), had differing views. Wells was very clear in her support of the moratorium and why - deepening of segregation, student populations that don't look like the districts they operate in, funding that is stripped from the local school district to pay for charter schools, harsh discipline practices, high attrition rates, no backfill, co-locations of charter schools inside public schools, and so on. All of which distort "success." Needless to say, Finn does not have issues with most of this. He does not support the idea of "no-excuses," but everything else is fine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Let's be clear about what Finn extols - a separate and unequal system that lays waste to the supporting public infrastructure in order to get higher test scores. All else be damned. While there are "mom and pop" charters out there who are doing innovative work, the majority of what we have here in New Jersey and New York does not look like that. The rest of country is filled with charter schools we know nothing about. Mark Weber, aka Jersey Jazzman, has written about what we don't know. Read <a href="http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/2016/07/who-is-running-americas-charter-schools.html" target="_blank">here</a>. The point is a moratorium and research is needed so we know exactly what public money is being spent on, and frankly, if it's worth it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You can read the full text of the moratorium <a href="https://cloakinginequity.com/2016/07/29/breaking-news-naacp-calls-for-national-moratorium-on-charters/" target="_blank">here</a>. And a statement from Cornell Brooks, president and CEO of the NAACP <a href="http://www.ebony.com/news-views/naacp-cornell-brooks-charter-schools#.WBSHUuved2V.twitter" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">One of the most difficult things to witness that evening was how Wells was treated. While she spoke, Finn did not look at her. He was visibly agitated by her comments, looking at the back of his hand, looking at the ceiling, frowning, sighing. I am not one who jumps to be offended, but I was wondering what bothered him more; the fact that's she's a woman, or that she's Black. Maybe it was both. Keep in mind, she was <i>invited</i> to be in this space to offer a counter opinion to a rosy view on charter schools. She was respectful. She did not make wild claims. And, her doctorate in education is worth just much as his. His behavior was more like a petulant 5-year-old than a 70-something scholar. Next time you want an echo chamber, don't bother to invite anyone else to speak.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It was a long day. It was also very clear there is a lot of work to be done. It won't end until every child in the US has the opportunity of a great education regardless of the zip code they live in. </span><br />
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Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-89903544412824927482016-09-12T18:39:00.000-04:002016-09-12T18:39:06.124-04:00What A Difference A Year Makes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQOxbvFHfbXyGj1ffJl555q8PcOVLoGqrkBRr22iBdbJLtR-fbAEUDMnjeOPtCS9dxsaRE8jCMqkcinv7eYJyzXvmjKqeYDzBAx4MQkqQ9iouQN5fZKHAwPfs4YOFhUczXmX2Vx0fvvbw/s1600/14341496_2098168447074474_224501071_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQOxbvFHfbXyGj1ffJl555q8PcOVLoGqrkBRr22iBdbJLtR-fbAEUDMnjeOPtCS9dxsaRE8jCMqkcinv7eYJyzXvmjKqeYDzBAx4MQkqQ9iouQN5fZKHAwPfs4YOFhUczXmX2Vx0fvvbw/s320/14341496_2098168447074474_224501071_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A year ago, I wrote about a student's 8th grade class schedule in a Newark middle school. You can read that post <a href="https://elfasd.blogspot.com/2015/09/this-is-8th-grade-in-newark.html" target="_blank">here</a>. It was also later picked up by Valerie Strauss at the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/09/12/an-eighth-grade-boys-outrageous-class-schedule/" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>. The Newark schedule was in stark contrast to what schedules look like in suburban and wealthier districts throughout the state.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This was his 8th grade schedule:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pzw0y1cH0IAV5T1bN-4rDmxr12TSSTYyfBveb6uQg_mQ1PgvCuCcMo3hfU2qKrXtlaEiA2dtUeZYIcjXj9GdYwU0DX9qXfHLUQ_oOqsLlQwhCN06j3kNfwCqnWQjpkq-Gz1rxDzk_lTg/s1600/Newark+Grade+8+Schedule.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pzw0y1cH0IAV5T1bN-4rDmxr12TSSTYyfBveb6uQg_mQ1PgvCuCcMo3hfU2qKrXtlaEiA2dtUeZYIcjXj9GdYwU0DX9qXfHLUQ_oOqsLlQwhCN06j3kNfwCqnWQjpkq-Gz1rxDzk_lTg/s320/Newark+Grade+8+Schedule.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The parents, both from multi-generational Newark families, and their son, struggled with the lack of variety within the school day. I would characterize that schedule as oppressive. How can children thrive on a day that looks like that? I know lots of people will think (and feel free to rail against me for suggesting otherwise) there's nothing wrong with a monotonous day filled with English language arts and math. That art, gym, chorus, music, languages, etc. are for those who "deserve" it and not for students who live in a place where high test scores are the only thing keeping their local schools open. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">At the end of last school year, the parents made the very tough decision to leave their city, their home, behind and head for the Jersey shore. Yes, they were fortunate to be able to afford to do so. Not everyone is in that position.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What their son experienced in 8th grade was enough for them to say no more. They wanted him to have history and language every day. They didn't want him to have double and triple periods of any class. They wanted him to have gym more than twice a week. They wanted him to have access to electives. No more, frankly, than what any parent wants for their child. Why did they have to move to get it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here is his schedule this year:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsM-HNg_bBAj-EKiTBE1GfDz8rXHBRQ4PpEJD-tmWFTQDGGQiHM8nya9ima7ZVYVUUkYHf0y6Use6cMLNGa3xCJEmtEcV_Rh2h2nL0lHsOp7Od0MFHN2MOpUiJjbx-shws0LTCcWCc3Svq/s1600/NJ+shore+town+school+schedule.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsM-HNg_bBAj-EKiTBE1GfDz8rXHBRQ4PpEJD-tmWFTQDGGQiHM8nya9ima7ZVYVUUkYHf0y6Use6cMLNGa3xCJEmtEcV_Rh2h2nL0lHsOp7Od0MFHN2MOpUiJjbx-shws0LTCcWCc3Svq/s320/NJ+shore+town+school+schedule.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So, why does Newark have such a narrowly focused curriculum? They are still under state control after more than 20 years. As I've said, any current problems in that district lay squarely on the shoulders of the state. It's disgraceful that all the state provides is a bare minimum of classes, clearly aimed at achieving nothing more than maybe higher standardized test scores. Is this really what the NJ Department of Education believes is a "high quality" education? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'd love to know what Kimberley Harrington, the soon to be crowned Acting Commissioner of Education, will do to make sure the children of Newark (and every other state controlled district) receive an enriched curriculum these parents had to move elsewhere to get. </span><br />
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<br />Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-38490147474700964532016-08-28T17:17:00.001-04:002016-08-28T17:17:28.716-04:00New Jersey's Special Education Ombudsman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQITiHPlhVtqSTveL8Xt-WZbGd_N_7TjXDfcqsdqITAwd19x-fPSYXMCNVhPXzh41A386nQWtuAjjopvXkQm_nVG7U2TtzqrCqXYhv7VRQUvg-wtOauABuEIulEXPZVUQAjzVszccTvI25/s1600/Ombudsman+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQITiHPlhVtqSTveL8Xt-WZbGd_N_7TjXDfcqsdqITAwd19x-fPSYXMCNVhPXzh41A386nQWtuAjjopvXkQm_nVG7U2TtzqrCqXYhv7VRQUvg-wtOauABuEIulEXPZVUQAjzVszccTvI25/s320/Ombudsman+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On August 2nd, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) released an Amended Notice of Vacancy for the new position of an Education Program Development Specialist 3 (Ombudsman). You can read the details <a href="http://www.nj.gov/education/genfo/16047.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. This is a position State Senator Ruiz, Chair of the State Senate Education Committee, had actually wanted to be a Public Advocate. In the world of New Jersey politics, however, that desire got turned into a much watered down Ombudsman position within NJDOE. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When Senator Ruiz introduced <a href="http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2014/Bills/S0500/451_S2.HTM" target="_blank">bill</a> S451 which created the position, well over a year ago, I happened to be at the Committee meeting. I was uncharacteristically unprepared, but provided testimony anyway. I told the Committee, parents and students don't need another hoop to jump through. We have a difficult enough time securing classification and services without having yet another obstacle. If the Senator was serious about this position being autonomous, with the actual power to effectively provide help, then great, we need the help. If she couldn't deliver a truly autonomous position, then we don't need it. Senator Ruiz said her hope for the position also encompassed the ability to bring together, or at least help parents identify, the help of other New Jersey agencies, like NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities. The bill passed through the Senate and Assembly and on January 19, 2016, the Governor signed it into law. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Following its passing, I reached out to Senator Ruiz's office hoping to find a reporting line that was not inside NJDOE. It was suggested the position be housed in NJDOE, but reporting to the NJ Department of Justice. It certainly sounded like the most reasonable way to keep the position from becoming an internal NJDOE position. It was a way to maintain a certain level of autonomy. The idea, apparently, went into a black hole and seven months later we have an Education Program Development Specialist reporting directly into NJDOE. *sigh*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now, instead of having an advocate for parents and students, we have another staffer at NJDOE. Their job? From the official description:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Under general direction of a manager in the Office of Special Education Programs, the Ombudsman supervises
the design, production, and delivery of curricula, training, program improvement, and related education services
to education agencies to ensure achievement of mandated goals and to meet existing and emerging needs;
performs mandated regulatory functions; performs professional work with minimal supervision in monitoring
and evaluation of education programs in school districts statewide. </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Got that? The Ombudsman works for Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) within NJDOE and for an unspecified manager. They are doing all kinds of work that has nothing to do with supporting parents and students in their quest for classification and services, as a public advocate would have. The description goes on:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Ombudsman may be responsible for the
provision of information and communication strategies to parents, students, educators and interested members of
the public regarding the special education process, supports, evaluations and services according to State and
federal laws and regulations governing special education in a pleasant, positive and efficient manner; performs
work of a professional nature in a confidential manner with utmost fidelity; does other related duties.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Got that? This person will tell you what the special ed regs are. Seriously? Isn't that what OSEP already does? Isn't that what SPAN and virtually every other disability-related group in the state already do? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We know what the regs say. We just don't have anyone willing to enforce them! Not OSEP, not OCR. What we need is an actual Public Advocate. As with everything related to education in this state, it looks like we will be waiting a long time (read: when we get a new Governor) before we get that position. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-28201853929687281972016-08-24T22:07:00.000-04:002016-09-20T13:15:15.289-04:00Yes, Social Impact Bonds. Again. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've written about Social Impact Bonds, aka, Pay for Success (PFS) before. You can read those blog posts </span><a href="http://elfasd.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-end-of-special-education-part-iv.html" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://elfasd.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-end-of-special-education-part-v.html" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, and </span><a href="http://elfasd.blogspot.com/2016/02/pay-for-success-coming-to-new-jersey.html" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. I provided testimony on Pay for Success to the US Department of Education (USDOE) in Washington DC at the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) hearings. That testimony you can find </span><a href="http://elfasd.blogspot.com/2016/01/julie-goes-to-washington-with-jamy.html" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This past Friday, August 19th, USDOE <a href="http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-announces-new-pay-success-grant-competition-preschool" target="_blank">announced</a> a Preschool Pay For Success grant competition. Instead of, y'know, actually funding a preschool initiative, USDOE has set aside $2.8 million dollars to go to "7 to 14 grantees" who will have the great privilege of conducting feasibility studies, not on the effectiveness of high quality preschool (we already know that works), but on the effectiveness of PFS. States will have to go out and find partners and then use the USDOE money to fund studies...studies which one really hopes states would have done on their own anyway. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">"The ultimate aim of the pilot is to improve early learning outcomes through a future high-quality Pay for Success project by providing grants for feasibility studies. However, the pilot does not fund the implementation of preschool services. <b>Preschool programs that are the focus of these feasibility studies must be inclusive of children with disabilities and the Pilot will also establish safeguards to protect the rights of children with disabilities to ensure that they receive the services they need.</b>" <span style="font-size: x-small;">(emphasis mine)</span></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Who knows? Maybe they were listening to me last January. I'm very interested to see what those "safeguards" are beyond what the law already prescribes, because that shouldn't be ignored under <i>any</i> circumstances. Right? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To backtrack for a second, there are Preschool Development Grants (and Expansion Grants) available through USDOE. In 2014, several states, including New Jersey, received those grants. Here's a <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/pdgfactsheet81115.pdf" target="_blank">brochure</a> from the program. You'll notice that "high quality" programs are necessary for receiving the 2-year grant. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Now, take a look at the program description for <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/programs/pfs/index.html" target="_blank">Pay For Success</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b>"This pilot does not limit feasibility studies to programs that meet the definition of “high-quality” preschool used by the Preschool Development Grants (PDG) program in its 2014 grant competition</b> in order to allow the PFS demonstrations to demonstrate high-quality in different ways, including through the impacts that the pilots are able to achieve. In this way, such projects could further develop the evidence-base of programs that are demonstrated to be effective." <span style="font-size: x-small;">(emphasis mine)</span></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">*Sigh* Let's understand that statement for a moment. USDOE recognizes that "high quality" preschool programs are necessary and work. They are trying to find a way to help out their friends in the banking sector by attempting to justify the use of Pay For Success programs while also desiring successful outcomes for students. They want to demonstrate the cheaper-for-the-taxpayer-to-achieve-great-results-ness of PFS, but the studies USDOE will be paying for do NOT need to include "high quality" preschool programs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Surely there's a really good reason for that, I am, though, currently at a complete loss of what that might be. Anyone from USDOE is free to shoot me an email at any time. Or, maybe Mike Hynes can ask John King when he finally is granted an audience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'll simply say, Pay For Success is a terrible idea. In this context, our children's education is at stake. There has been a specific narrative from those pushing these programs. It's unconscionable that Pay For Success is sitting in the middle of a federal education law. I'm not alone in that thinking. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yesterday, Kenneth Saltman published an <a href="http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/08/23/wall-streets-latest-public-sector-rip-off-five-myths-about-pay-for-success/" target="_blank">article</a> called "Wall Street's Latest Public Sector Ripoff: Five Myths About Pay For Success" and it's a doozy. Please take the time to read it. I'll give you a teaser on Saltman's reason for the existence of PFS programs:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Banks love Pay for Success because they can profit massively from it and invest money with high returns at a time of a glut of capital and historically low interest rates. Politicians (especially rightist democrats) love Pay for Success because they can claim to be expanding public services without raising taxes or issuing bonds and will only have the public pay for “what works.” Elite universities and corporate philanthropies love Pay for Success because they support “innovation” and share an ethos that only the prime beneficiaries of the current economy, the rich, can save the poor."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In the context of preschool and how PFS has been used to theoretically lower the rate of special education classification of children entering kindergarten, I could not agree more (and I said as much, months ago) with this: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Who is authorized to develop the metrics, what is their expertise, what are their interests, and how do they assess the rules they set in place?; To whom are those legislating the accountability measurements accountable? The scientism of metrics obscures these kinds of questions. Accountability should be a part of educational projects but not through restricted metrics that conceal the broader politics informing the project. Rather, accountability should be in a form in which knowledge is comprehended in relation to how subjectivity is formed through broader social forces and in ways in which learning can form the basis for collective action to expand egalitarian and just social relations."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If your state is entertaining using Social Impact Bonds/Pay For Success to pay for preschool, please, I beg you, have those conversations with your legislators. Know exactly who is determining the criteria for success and how the money will be paid back and to whom. </span><br />
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Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-57436339680358845352016-08-05T12:17:00.001-04:002023-04-05T19:58:06.182-04:00NJ State Board of Ed Ignores Public Testimony<div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">If the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) and the New Jersey State Board of Ed (NJSBOE) are not listening to the public, who are they listening to? What is their reaction to all of our testimony? NJDOE provided responses to testimony when they released the August 3rd <a href="http://www.nj.gov/cgi-bin/education/sboe/sboe.pl?y=2016&m=August&t=public" target="_blank">agenda</a> and this is what stood out for me.</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">In some cases they simply disagreed and said so. In other cases, they had some interesting citations to back up their claims related to validity. And, for the special education-related comments, clarification of just who is in control of the graduation requirements for students</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"> with IEPs.</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">One comment, in particular, stuck out (besides the ones that were aimed at me) because the testimony belonged to Dr. Eric Milou, a Rowan University professor, recipient of the Max Sobel Outstanding Mathematics Educator Award, former president of Association of Mathematics Teachers of New Jersey </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">(AMTNJ)</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"> and the </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">National Council of Teachers of Mathematics</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">. This is exactly the kind of education professional this board should have been listening to, but this is their response:</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">40.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>COMMENT: The commenter stated there is no evidence the PARCC assessment is an improvement over previous standardized tests, raises student performance, provides useful diagnostic information, or indicates career or college readiness. The commenter also stated only rigorous curriculum, instruction, and the use of formative assessments will have a significant impact on student educational success. (99)</span></blockquote>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">RESPONSE: Several studies (e.g., National Network of State Teachers of the Year, 2015; Massachusetts Executive Office of Education, 2015; Center for American Progress, 2016; Fordham/Human Resources Research Organization, 2016; American Institutes for Research, 2016) have supported PARCC as an accurate measure of college and career readiness and endorsed PARCC as an improvement over previous assessments.</span></blockquote>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Dr. Milou got right to the heart of what's wrong with standardized tests in general and what's wrong with PARCC specifically. It doesn't actually provide the information that's being claimed. As we pour millions of tax dollars into a highly flawed testing system, shouldn't it, at the very least, do what NJDOE claims? Shouldn't someone, somewhere, define what college and career ready means?</span></div>
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Also relevant is how you go about determining validity and whom you choose to document those claims. Isn't that what we're allegedly trying to help our kids navigate? Knowing who is behind the research supporting your arguments, so you understand and account for undo influence? That's really important stuff, right?</div>
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Well, in this case, NJDOE is relying on information from sources that I would consider to be questionable because of where their funding comes from. I'm not going to tip-toe around that because when the same very deep pockets are quietly funding organizations that people trust, we all need to know where those organizations are coming from. I want data, information, opinions, from places where a particular and singular influence can be accounted for. In this case, NJDOE is clearly very happy with anything funded by the Gates Foundation. An entity with a very singular focus on the privatization of US public schools, on Common Core State Standards, and on the associated testing, like PARCC. Nothing the Gates Foundation does or supports is friendly to PUBLIC education. </div>
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Let's look at who NJDOE and NJSBOE are listening to:</div>
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<b>National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY)</b> From the Gates Foundation website: in 2015, NNSTOY was awarded a $1,000,000 grant "to improve student learning across the nation by defining, sharing and advocating for effective teaching practices and policies." </div>
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NJDOE didn't bother to name any of the studies to which they refer, but I'll presume they are talking about "The Right Trajectory" <a href="http://www.nnstoy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/NNSTOY-The-Right-Trajectory-Final1.pdf" target="_blank">study</a> released earlier this year. Twenty-three Teachers of the Year took a look at PARCC, SBAC, NJASK, NECAP, DCAS, and ISAT at the 5th grade level. They applied Webb's DOK, along with other tools of assessing the level of challenge in each of the tests. The problem is, given how the questions were asked, they didn't appear to actually apply what they found. It reads more like an opinion questionnaire - which would be fine if you weren't trotting it out as evidence of validity. The study does not demonstrate PARCC as "an accurate measure of college and career readiness."</blockquote>
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I was not familiar with this particular study and it's interesting to see what these teachers thought of the construct of these tests and, possibly, their usefulness. That said, there is nothing in the study that speaks to the validity of using PARCC to assess college and career readiness as a high school exit exam. I would argue the simple fact that they only looked a 5th grade, and they specifically left out consideration of students with disabilities, means the scope of the study doesn't include anything that supports college and career ready at the high school level. The study's conclusion is that PARCC is more challenging than NJASK. Ok. I'm good with that. NJASK was never written as "deep skills and knowledge" test, so I wouldn't expect them to find it was. </blockquote>
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<b>Center for American Progress (CAP)</b> is a heavily Gates Foundation-funded entity. From the Gates Foundation website: Since 2008, up to June 2016, they have been awarded $8,998,810 for everything from "to support Common Core implementation" to "enhance degree completion for low-income young adults through the publishing of new policy papers, stakeholder engagement, and media outreach" to "continue researching, understanding and promoting better human capital policies to benefit all public school students and to tackle the implications of developing education reforms". </div>
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I have no idea which study NJDOE refers to in their response. CAP has many "reports" on their website, but nothing that either compares PARCC to anything or demonstrates value in a high school exit exam. If anyone knows or has the study, please send it to me.</blockquote>
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<b>Fordham/Human Resources Research Organization</b> (Thomas B. Fordham Institute and HUMRO). This was an interesting way to cite two different studies that worked in parallel. The studies looked at PARCC, 2014 MCAS, ACT Aspire, and SBAC. From the HUMRO <a href="https://www.humrro.org/corpsite/sites/default/files/HQAP_HumRRO_High_School_Study_Final%20Report.pdf" target="_blank">study</a> summary, "A parallel study was conducted by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute (hereafter referred
to as Fordham), which implemented the [The National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment] <b>Center’s methodology for grades 5 and 8</b> <b>summative
mathematics and ELA/literacy assessments</b>. Taken together, HumRRO and Fordham were first
to implement the Center’s evaluation methodology. HumRRO and Fordham conducted their
studies separately; however, the two organizations communicated often about the evaluation
methodology and collaborated on the steps to implement it." </div>
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HumRRO also acknowledges who made their study possible: "This important work was possible from funding by the High Quality Assessment Project (HQAP), which supports state-based advocacy, communications, and policy work to help ensure successful transitions to new assessments that measure K–12 college- and career readiness standards. HQAP’s work is funded by a coalition of national foundations, including the <b>Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation</b>, the Lumina Foundation, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Helmsley Trust." </blockquote>
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I haven't poked into just how much money that is, but Thomas B. Fordham Institute has been awarded $5,214,650 between 2006 and 2015, "to support the activities of an emerging network of state level education advocacy organizations in support of a convening around strategic issues" and "for general operating support" and "to track state progress towards implementation of standards and to understand how what students read changes in response to the standards." </blockquote>
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Interesting to note the Fordham study looked at grades 5-8. Arguably, that has nothing to do with the validity of a high school exit exam for either math or English.</blockquote>
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And, the HumRRO study looked at PARCC's PBA and EOY. New Jersey doesn't use their PBA (only the first year, after which they dropped it) and the EOY, starting this year, was allegedly some combo of the PBA and EOY. So what exactly has NJDOE extracted from a study that doesn't talk about PARCC in the form it actually uses?</blockquote>
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<b>American Institutes for Research (AIR) </b>is also Gates Foundation-funded, although they are primarily focused on post-secondary education. Since 2009 they have been awarded $9,296,140 in grants. Since NJDOE didn't bother to name which AIR study they were referring to, I'll guess that it's the National Benchmarks for State Achievement Standards 2016 <a href="http://www.air.org/sites/default/files/downloads/report/National-Benchmarks-State-Achievement-Standards-February-2016_rev.pdf" target="_blank">study</a>. The purpose was to look at the quality of college and career ready standards in the test using grades 4 and 8.</div>
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From their "key findings," the standards for PARCC ELA are equivalent to NAEP "basic" and PARCC math is equivalent to NAEP "proficient." </blockquote>
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Go to page 19 of the study and read the list of "caveats." My favorites? </blockquote>
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"Second, in some states, some of the grade 8 mathematics students took an end-of-course test,
such as Algebra 1. In this benchmarking study, this factor could have had the effect of making
the state grade 8 mathematics standards appear higher." </blockquote>
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"This should not be interpreted to mean that NAEP’s Proficient levels in grades 4 and 8 are the gold standards for deciding whether our students are on track to be ready for college. No evidence has been presented by NAEP that
the proficient standard in grades 4 and 8 predicts college success." </blockquote>
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"Fifth, this report does not, in any way, address or evaluate the quality of the CCSS. The CCSS are content standards, while this report deals only with achievement standards. Content standards represent the curriculum that teachers should teach, and the scope and sequence of what students should learn in school. Achievement standards are cut-scores on the state test that represent performance expectations." <a href="https://elfasd.blogspot.com/2016/01/new-jerseys-former-standards-are-better.html" target="_blank">Here's</a> what Drs. Tienken, Sforza, and Kim found on the "quality" of CCSS. </blockquote>
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Again, grades 4 and 8 were used, not any of the high school grades. There is nothing to support the validity of college and career ready at high school level or as an exit exam. </blockquote>
<b>Massachusetts Executive Office of Education (MEOE)</b> They are, presumably referring to the Mathematica <a href="http://www.mass.gov/edu/docs/eoe/comparison-mcas-parcc.pdf" target="_blank">study</a> done last year, comparing MCAS and PARCC for MEOE. Why they didn't just say that, I have no idea. At this point, I have no idea why NJDOE does anything. Anyway, I saved this one for last because I've written about it and provided testimony that is contrary to how NJDOE has framed this study in their support of PARCC. You can read my whole piece <a href="https://elfasd.blogspot.com/2016/05/to-nj-state-boe-i-cant-believe-we-still.html" target="_blank">here</a>, but I will just share these two particular points in this post:</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
1. From “key findings” on page ix of the report, “Both the MCAS and PARCC predict college readiness. Scores on the assessments explain about 5 to 18 percent of the variation in first-year college grades…” What does this mean exactly? It means that<b> 82 to 95 percent CANNOT be explained by the results of the PARCC test. </b></blockquote>
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2. Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado, former Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the state of New Jersey, Director of its Educational Assessment program, a design consultant for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and for six states, had this to say about the Mathematica report in a Washington Post article on 27 May 2016, “A tour through the literature shows that predictive validity coefficients are quite low in general and commonly run in the 0.30’s. <b>One conclusion is that the PARCC is just about as good as any other test — which is the report’s finding in regard to the MCAS. On the contrary, the more correct conclusion is that standardized tests can predict scores on other standardized tests (which this report confirms) but it cannot validly predict college readiness at any meaningful level.</b>” </blockquote>
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You could probably write a book about how much these studies do NOT support using PARCC as a college and career high school exit exam. I think NJDOE and NJSBOE need a lesson in how to read studies like these and how to properly draw conclusions from them. </div>
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I will say, again, that having public ed policy so constrained by standardization is nothing but lazy. It does not serve our children. It does not serve our society. I am furious that we all have to wait in hope of a Governor who will have much higher expectations of public education in New Jersey. And who understands that test scores are incredibly limited in their usefulness. Our kids deserve nothing less.</div>
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Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-2948629709492816262016-08-03T18:38:00.000-04:002016-08-06T21:49:17.756-04:00NJ State Board of Ed Fails. Again.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzm-gJ8HVq0hWsenQ31T23mjDE18G9LOvxtSz-xSF0UiJ6oOKBwr6YN9YONww_WpErIPfNyS1MVkCR46AjVmH9ZWbG3UzAVfefP2YhK4845rR8rtEW40T1TNJY_10Eqx-R3__rGvipvEN9/s1600/13627222_10209677892285859_7945429204339267877_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzm-gJ8HVq0hWsenQ31T23mjDE18G9LOvxtSz-xSF0UiJ6oOKBwr6YN9YONww_WpErIPfNyS1MVkCR46AjVmH9ZWbG3UzAVfefP2YhK4845rR8rtEW40T1TNJY_10Eqx-R3__rGvipvEN9/s320/13627222_10209677892285859_7945429204339267877_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Photo credit: Jesse Turner</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />In a business as usual move, the NJ State Board of Education (NJSBOE) voted this morning to use the PARCC exam, or, rather, multiple exams, as New Jersey's official requirement for graduation beginning with the class of 2020-21. A move that has been fiercely contested for a couple of years by parents, students, teachers, and local school boards. The vote was Yes (6): Mark B., Joe F., Andrew M., Jack F., Arcelio A., and Dorothy S. Abstained (1): Edithe F. Absent: 3 members.</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It should be noted, and probably screamed from the mountaintops, that high school exit exams are NOT a requirement of the old federal education law, No Child Left Behind, nor are they a requirement of the new federal education law, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'm sorry to say the vote was completely unsurprising. When NJSBOE released the <a href="http://www.nj.gov/cgi-bin/education/sboe/sboe.pl?y=2016&m=August&t=public" target="_blank">agenda</a> for today's meeting, they included the New Jersey Department of Education's (NJDOE) response to testimony on Standards and Assessments (item C) since April 6th.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There were 194 individual testimonies provided from students, parents, teachers, university professors, and local board of ed members. NJDOE responded to 96 comments (synopses), and with very few exceptions, disregarded the public's testimony. The overwhelming majority of testimony was against using PARCC as a graduation requirement and, in the end, was ignored. (more on that in <a href="http://elfasd.blogspot.com/2016/08/nj-state-board-of-ed-ignores-public.html" target="_blank">another post</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Save Our Schools New Jersey, a grassroots, statewide parent organization, submitted a petition against the use of PARCC as a graduation requirement with 6,000 signatures. They were ignored.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On May 14, 2016, 88% of school boards at the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) Delegate Assembly adopted a <a href="http://www.njsba.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/da-resolution1.pdf" target="_blank">resolution</a> stating there should be multiple pathways to graduation. They were ignored.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">27 individual school boards adopted resolutions asking the state NOT to make PARCC the only exit exam. You can find most of them compiled <a href="http://tiny.cosi.net/index.php/Public:Boards_of_Education:_Statements_and_Resolutions#Resolutions_Passed" target="_blank">here</a>. Highland Park, Hopewell Valley, Bloomfield, Washington Township (Gloucester), Clifton, East Windsor, Paterson, Middlesex Regional Educational Services, Princeton, Collingswood, Bridgewater Raritan, Livingston, East Brunswick, Wall Township, Montclair, Bordentown, Ocean Township (Monmouth), Linden, Palmyra, Bernards Township, Marlboro, West Windsor-Plainsboro, Watchung Hills Regional High School, Cranford, Montville, Teaneck, and Monroe (Middlesex County). </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">They were ignored.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If any of this sounds familiar, it should. Earlier this year, with yet more testimony against PARCC, the public was ignored. I wrote about that <a href="https://elfasd.blogspot.com/2016/04/new-jersey-state-board-of-education.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Going back further, NJDOE assembled a Study Commission on Assessments in late 2014. There were over 200 public testimonies taken at three different hearings around the state in the early half of 2015. The final report has been removed from the NJDOE website. I'll post it when I get my hands on a copy. Again, the point is, the overwhelming majority of stakeholders said, "No." They were ignored also. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The pattern is really clear. The public has little to no influence over what happens inside NJDOE. While they regularly pat themselves on the back for acquiring stakeholder input, they appear incapable of processing and utilizing information from outside their walls. They operate in a dangerously closed echo chamber and it shows, not only in the quality of their own work, but in their blatant disregard for what is actually happening inside our schools. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is hardly the end of this fight. However, it is also clear that playing nice and pretending their calls for public input is genuine, is a farce. Personally, I will be at every call for public input that is made available to us, because I refuse to be silent. I refuse to give them an opportunity to say, "But no one objected." The reason I refuse is because there is nothing less than the future of our public education system, and by extension, our </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">democracy, at stake. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The next NJSBOE meeting is on September 7th. There will open public testimony on that date. Probably would be a good idea to let them know just how awful you think this decision is. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I leave you with Save Our Schools New Jersey's statement on today's vote to make proficiency on PARCC 10th grade ELA and Algebra 1 exams a requirement for graduation, for the class of 2021 and beyond.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Despite unified opposition from parents, school board members, and teachers, the State Board of Education has chosen to endorse a graduation requirement so inappropriately difficult that it would fail 60% of New Jersey students.</span></i></blockquote>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As the Education Law Center and ACLU NJ noted, these new regulations also violate New Jersey laws and our state constitution.</span></i></div>
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<i><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Save Our Schools NJ's 31,000 members will be working to ensure that New Jersey's next governor:</span></i></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Eliminates the high school graduation standardized testing requirement, which hurts students and does not improve educational outcomes. Only 15 states still have this requirement.</span></i></div>
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<i><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- Reforms the process for selecting New Jersey State Board of Education members, so that they are accountable to the people of New Jersey rather than to the Governor who appointed them."</span></i></i></div>
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Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-24073152922368187112016-07-16T10:51:00.000-04:002016-10-06T19:39:08.780-04:00We Must Choose To Do Better<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUxXtM7MCsC-gaScQ-0ekr2OAx9FXmnL5wKp1YfGMH2fPM2htUoSanmbOtGlU_Er2vWVZYHL8RmqwpVghoSCVn65UatPNOIyUzl5dkhyphenhyphenIcdSi5nOd9otFQ73_R-oceoh-2yxBRKsaBwkQ/s1600/Rev+Barber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUxXtM7MCsC-gaScQ-0ekr2OAx9FXmnL5wKp1YfGMH2fPM2htUoSanmbOtGlU_Er2vWVZYHL8RmqwpVghoSCVn65UatPNOIyUzl5dkhyphenhyphenIcdSi5nOd9otFQ73_R-oceoh-2yxBRKsaBwkQ/s320/Rev+Barber.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Last weekend I attended the Save Our Schools' Peoples March in Washington DC. Teachers, parents, public education activists, and civil rights activists from all over the country were on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, on a hot and humid day, to tell the country that we have had enough. I brought my family with me. What better place to have my 17-year-old daughter see, live, participate in a living democracy? What better place to hear, firsthand, people like Jitu Brown and Reverend Barber speak? What better place for her to understand that when your government is not working, when the systems meant lift up all of us - especially public education - are not, then it is not only your right, her right, to speak up, it is also our duty to do so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It is not radical to speak up. As a country, we've forgotten this. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The quote above is from Rev. Barber's speech. I wanted to run up and hug him when he said it. It's the reason why I brought my daughter, had her volunteer as an info officer, and had her march with us to the Ellipse. Our children must see us trying. I don't ever want to be that person, have her ever be that person, who saw wrong, complained about it, and then did nothing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Silence is not an option. </span><br />
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<br />Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-35005763529244656252016-05-31T23:01:00.000-04:002016-05-31T23:12:48.555-04:00To: NJ State BOE: I Can't Believe We Still Have to Protest This Crap<div class="MsoNormal tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CSUugCWuqY6bQzcTQbCHam1WhNu9NgmDbDRjn_dE9i3RwyOEpvDXC7OVFTL55RXFtPFs-gyMpnN-9jXhY0YnMtTprZLVC8pg0HacPpB8FxXFotpDPUgKCBHszk6I8ZC1lGkQZhzCl5nc/s1600/AyxXvQ3CMAIdvCd.jpg-large.sm_a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CSUugCWuqY6bQzcTQbCHam1WhNu9NgmDbDRjn_dE9i3RwyOEpvDXC7OVFTL55RXFtPFs-gyMpnN-9jXhY0YnMtTprZLVC8pg0HacPpB8FxXFotpDPUgKCBHszk6I8ZC1lGkQZhzCl5nc/s320/AyxXvQ3CMAIdvCd.jpg-large.sm_a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; line-height: 17.12px;">Tomorrow, the New Jersey State of Education is taking its last public testimony on the use of PARCC as the graduation requirement. It took a long time to decide what to write about. What more can possibly be said that has not already been said by me and many, many others? A friend joked that he would simply state, "Please refer to my previous few testimonies" and then icily stare them down for the rest of the allotted speaking time. I was thinking along those lines, but this came out instead. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">1 June 2016</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">New Jersey State Board of Education </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">Testimony on PARCC for graduation requirement: I can’t believe we still have to protest this crap.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; line-height: 17.12px;">The title of this testimony is not meant to be disrespectful to this Board, merely a demonstration of my frustration with having to continually appear before this Board and provide testimony that will only fall on deaf ears. Whether that testimony is heartfelt, stemming from personal experiences that none of you currently sitting on this Board would have any first-hand knowledge of, because (1) you don’t have children in public school, and/or (2) you aren’t the parent of a student with a disability. There is barely a hint of recognition on your part that you are missing a great deal by not listening to and engaging with the actual stakeholders in this mess, namely, parents and their children. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">It also hasn’t mattered when testimony has been presented with hard facts and figures. Unbelievably, there appears to be no curiosity at all about why there is so much pushback on Common Core and PARCC testing. This isn’t just some little hiccup. This is a monumental policy failure that will impact schools, teachers, and students, actual people, for a very long time. Your response? Do more of the same. It is remarkably lazy policy.</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">So here it is. PARCC is a failure. All of that time and money for a failure. Last October, Mathematica released the results of a <a href="https://www.mathematica-mpr.com/our-publications-and-findings/publications/predictive-validity-of-mcas-and-parcc-comparing-10th-grade-mcas-tests-to-parcc-integrated-math-ii" target="_blank">study</a> comparing PARCC to MCAS, the Massachusetts state standardized test, and their predictive validity for college and career readiness. This is highly relevant since you are about to make PARCC the gatekeeper for a high school diploma in this state. The education policy that you endorse is only about that insipidly narrow focus on the yet undefined term “college and career ready” as determined by a score on PARCC.</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">The Mathematica study looked at Grade 10 Math II, Algebra II, and ELA. (Let me remind you here, that Drs. Tienken, Kim, and Sforza took a look at that grade in a study and found the Common Core Standards to be well below the former NJ standards. See my testimony from 10 February 2016. <i>note: I wrote about it <a href="https://elfasd.blogspot.com/2016/01/new-jerseys-former-standards-are-better.html" target="_blank">here</a></i>.) The result, from “key findings” on page ix of the report, “Both the MCAS and PARCC predict college readiness. Scores on the assessments explain about 5 to 18 percent of the variation in first-year college grades…” What does this mean exactly? It means that 82 to 95 percent CANNOT be explained by the results of the PARCC test. So how can that possibly, validly, predict “college and career readiness”??? Answer: It can’t. It doesn’t. </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado, former Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the state of New Jersey, Director of its Educational Assessment program, a design consultant for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and for six states, had this to say about the Mathematica report in a Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/05/27/alice-in-parccland-does-validity-study-really-prove-the-common-core-test-is-valid/" target="_blank">article</a> on 27 May 2016, “A tour through the literature shows that <a href="http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/midatlantic/pdf/rel_2007017.pdf" target="_blank">predictive validity coefficients</a> are quite low in general and commonly run in the 0.30’s. One conclusion is that the PARCC is just about as good as any other test — which is the report’s finding in regard to the MCAS. <b>On the contrary, the more correct conclusion is that standardized tests can predict scores on other standardized tests (which this report confirms) but it cannot validly predict college readiness at any meaningful level.</b>” </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">He also said, “<b>With such low predictability, you have huge numbers of false positives and false negatives. When connected to consequences, these misses have a human price. This goes further than being a validity question. It misleads young adults, wastes resources and misjudges schools. It’s not just a technical issue, it is a moral question. Until proven to be valid for the intended purpose, using these tests in a high stakes context should not be done.</b>”</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">The response to Dr. Mathis, from the creators of the Mathematica study, “Mr. Mathis is also correct that <b>the correlations are low enough that many students (and parents, and colleges) would overestimate or underestimate their true college readiness</b>—if they relied only on the test score to make the judgment. Fortunately, students have lots of other information available to inform their judgments alongside the test scores (most importantly, their high school grades). <b>We wouldn’t recommend that anyone rely exclusively on the test score for high-stakes decisions.</b>”</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">So, why would this Board consider, even for minute, further wasting time and tax-payer money on PARCC? Let alone use such a faulty measure as an obstacle for the students in this state? It is your obligation to the public to not allow PARCC to be used as a graduation requirement. </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">Thanks, <a href="http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mike Simpson</a>, for the picture.</span></span></div>
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Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3820189143681637300.post-55055899827595207722016-05-14T21:06:00.000-04:002017-01-25T09:13:37.735-05:00Top Secret: "The PARCC Test: Exposed" (edited and updated)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDaqyfkKdoG-Iit7tZYX86emxIv7rOCLIDGPirKQ7Ov5EWVIn_KpbvRg2KOX6YMdKB3vthV4x7hIdjVF5F8OeFvuajjgovR6kUjYlXVw1J80Yt4Rdm9sPw1y11S7vh-53oDd46a8Oqjc0/s1600/Top+Secret.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDaqyfkKdoG-Iit7tZYX86emxIv7rOCLIDGPirKQ7Ov5EWVIn_KpbvRg2KOX6YMdKB3vthV4x7hIdjVF5F8OeFvuajjgovR6kUjYlXVw1J80Yt4Rdm9sPw1y11S7vh-53oDd46a8Oqjc0/s320/Top+Secret.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>The original publish date of this piece was 14 May 2016. It was removed on 16 May 2016 because it contained three partial questions from the then current PARCC test. A Columbia University professor had been sent PARCC questions by a horrified k-12 teacher and decided to share them in a blog post, which I republished below.<br /><br />At the time, Blogger simply returned the published post to "Draft" and I decided to not repost. My Tweets were also removed from Twitter. Twitter did inform me of the decision to remove the Tweets, but I never heard a word from Google or Blogger - just the removal of the post. Later, a friend sent me this <a href="https://www.lumendatabase.org/notices/12262586" target="_blank">link</a> and this <a href="https://www.lumendatabase.org/notices/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&sort_by=date_received%20desc&principal_name=Parcc%20Inc.&principal_name-require-all=true" target="_blank">link</a> to Lumen, which does have some explanation. I still take issue with the decision because I believe the fair use doctrine of copyright law applies to the publishing of the partial test questions. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Today (23 January 2017), I received this via email (with no specific information about what needs to be removed from the post) and decided to republish, per Blogger, removing the "offending content" (the PARCC questions). The email also provides no explanation for the reason why I received this email today. </i></span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Blogger has been notified, according to the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), that certain content in your blog is alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others. As a result, we have reset the post(s) to "draft" status. (If we did not do so, we would be subject to a claim of copyright infringement, regardless of its merits. The URL(s) of the allegedly infringing post(s) may be found at the end of this message.) This means your post - and any images, links or other content - is not gone. You may edit the post to remove the offending content and republish, at which point the post in question will be visible to your readers again.</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">A bit of background: the DMCA is a United States copyright law that provides guidelines for online service provider liability in case of copyright infringement. If you believe you have the rights to post the content at issue here, you can file a counter-claim. In order to file a counter-claim, please see https://support.google.com/legal/contact/lr_counternotice?product=blogger.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The notice that we received, with any personally identifying information removed, will be posted online by a service called Lumen at https://www.lumendatabase.org. We do this in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). You can search for the DMCA notice associated with the removal of your content by going to the Lumen page, and entering in the URL of the blog post that was removed.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">If it is brought to our attention that you have republished the post without removing the content/link in question, then we will delete your post and count it as a violation on your account. Repeated violations to our Terms of Service may result in further remedial action taken against your Blogger account including deleting your blog and/or terminating your account. DMCA notices concerning content on your blog may also result in action taken against any associated AdSense accounts. If you have legal questions about this notification, you should retain your own legal counsel.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Sincerely,</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The Blogger Team</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Affected URLs: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">http://elfasd.blogspot.com/2016/05/top-secret-parcc-test-exposed.html</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>The original post about what is so wrong with the PARCC questions, and why the Columbia professor was so astonished at the absurdity of the test questions, is still noteworthy and, I think, valuable. I have noted where text has been removed. </i><br /><br /><br />Leonie Haimson is asking bloggers to post the original blog post, The PARCC Test: Exposed. The redacted version can be found <a href="https://celiaoyler.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/the-parcc-test-exposed/" target="_blank">here</a>. PARCC has been removing posts on Twitter and auto-flagging posts of the blog on Facebook. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As you read this, consider the absurdity of Pearson, PARCC, or any organization trying to keep secret the items on a test which is given to
millions of students nationwide. Consider the awful quality of the test questions - what are we paying for? Then, think about all those written responses scored by a computer. Does this sound like something we should be paying millions of dollars for? </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 24.0pt;">The PARCC Test: Exposed</span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The author of this blog posting is a
public school teacher who will remain anonymous.</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I will not reveal my district or my
role due to the intense legal ramifications for exercising my Constitutional
First Amendment rights in a public forum. I was compelled to sign a security
form that stated I would not be “Revealing or discussing passages or test items
with anyone, including students and school staff, through verbal exchange,
email, social media, or any other form of communication” as this would be
considered a “Security Breach.” In response to this demand, I can only ask—whom
are we protecting?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">There are layers of not-so-subtle
issues that need to be aired as a result of national and state testing policies
that are dominating children’s lives in America. As any well prepared educator
knows, curriculum planning and teaching requires knowing how you will assess
your students and planning backwards from that knowledge. If teachers are
unable to examine and discuss the summative assessment for their students, how
can they plan their instruction? Yet, that very question assumes that this test
is something worth planning for. The fact is that schools that try to plan
their curriculum exclusively to prepare students for this test are ignoring the
body of educational research that tells us how children learn, and how to
create developmentally appropriate activities to engage students in the act of
learning. This article will attempt to provide evidence for these claims as a
snapshot of what is happening as a result of current policies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The
PARCC test is developmentally inappropriate</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In order to discuss the claim that
the PARCC test is “developmentally inappropriate,” examine three of the most
recent PARCC 4th grade items.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A book leveling system, designed by
Fountas and Pinnell, was made “more rigorous” in order to match the Common Core
State Standards. These newly updated benchmarks state that 4th Graders should
be reading at a Level S by the end of the year in order to be considered reading
“on grade level.” [Celia’s note: I do not endorse leveling books or readers,
nor do I think it appropriate that all 9 year olds should be reading a Level S
book to be thought of as making good progress.]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The PARCC, which is supposedly a
test of the Common Core State Standards, appears to have taken liberties with
regard to grade level texts. For example, on the Spring 2016 PARCC for 4th
Graders, students were expected to read an excerpt from Shark Life: True
Stories about Sharks and the Sea by Peter Benchley and Karen Wojtyla. According
to Scholastic, this text is at an interest level for Grades 9-12, and at a 7th
Grade reading level. The Lexile measure is 1020L, which is most often found in
texts that are written for middle school, and according to<a href="http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/guidedreading/leveling_chart.htm" target="_blank"> </a></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/guidedreading/leveling_chart.htm" target="_blank">Scholastic’s own conversion chart</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> would be equivalent to a 6th grade benchmark around W, X,
or Y (using the same Fountas and Pinnell scale).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Even by the reform movement’s own
standards, according to<a href="https://lexile.com/using-lexile/lexile-measures-and-the-ccssi/text-complexity-grade-bands-and-lexile-ranges/" target="_blank"> </a></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://lexile.com/using-lexile/lexile-measures-and-the-ccssi/text-complexity-grade-bands-and-lexile-ranges/" target="_blank">MetaMetrics’ reference material on TextComplexity Grade Bands and Lexile Bands</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">,
the newly CCSS aligned “Stretch” lexile level of 1020 falls in the 6-8 grade
range. This begs the question, what is the purpose of standardizing text
complexity bands if testing companies do not have to adhere to them? Also, what
is the purpose of a standardized test that surpasses agreed-upon lexile levels?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, right out of the gate, 4th
graders are being asked to read and respond to texts that are two grade levels
above the recommended benchmark. After they struggle through difficult texts
with advanced vocabulary and nuanced sentence structures, they then have to
answer multiple choice questions that are, by design, intended to distract
students with answers that appear to be correct except for some technicality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally, students must synthesize
two or three of these advanced texts and compose an original essay. The ELA
portion of the PARCC takes three days, and each day includes a new essay prompt
based on multiple texts. These are the prompts from the 2016 Spring PARCC exam
for 4th Graders along with my analysis of why these prompts do not reflect the
true intention of the Common Core State Standards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">ELA
4th Grade Prompt [Deleted per DMCA]</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The above prompt probably attempts
to assess the Common Core standard RL.4.5: <i>“Explain major differences
between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems
(e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings,
descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a
text.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">However, the Common Core State
Standards for writing do not require students to write essays comparing the
text structures of different genres. The Grade 4 CCSS for writing about reading
demand that students write about characters, settings, and events in
literature, or that they write about how authors support their points in
informational texts. Nowhere in the standards are students asked to write
comparative essays on the structures of writing. The reading standards ask
students to “explain” structural elements, but not in writing. There is a huge
developmental leap between explaining something and writing an analytical essay
about it. [Celia’s note: The entire enterprise of analyzing text structures in
elementary school – a 1940’s and 50’s college English approach called “New
Criticism” — is ridiculous for 9 year olds anyway.]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The
PARCC does not assess what it attempts to assess<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">ELA
4th Grade Prompt [Deleted per DMCA]</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It would be a stretch to say that
this question assesses CCSS W.4.9.B: <i>“Explain how an author uses
reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In fact, this prompt assesses a
student’s ability to research a topic across sources and write a research-based
essay that synthesizes facts from both articles. Even <i>CCSS W.4.7, “Conduct
research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different
aspects of a topic,”</i> does not demand that students compile information from
different sources to create an essay. The closest the standards come to
demanding this sort of work is in the reading standards; CCSS RI.4.9 says: <i>“Integrate
information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about
the subject knowledgeably.”</i> Fine. One could argue that this PARCC prompt
assesses CCSS RI.4.9.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">However, the fact that the texts
presented for students to “use” for the essay are at a middle school reading
level automatically disqualifies this essay prompt from being able to assess
what it attempts to assess. (It is like trying to assess children’s math
computational skills by embedding them in a word problem with words that the
child cannot read.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">ELA
4th Grade Prompt [Deleted per DMCA]</span></b></div>
<ol start="25" type="1">
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nowhere, and I mean nowhere in the
Common Core State Standards is there a demand for students to read a narrative
and then use the details from that text to write a new story based on a prompt.
That is a new pseudo-genre called “Prose Constructed Response” by the PARCC
creators, and it is 100% not aligned to the CCSS. Not to mention, why are 4th
Graders being asked to write about trying out for the junior high track team?
This demand defies their experiences and asks them to imagine a scenario that
is well beyond their scope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Clearly, these questions are poorly
designed assessments of 4th graders CCSS learning. (We are setting aside the
disagreements we have with those standards in the first place, and simply
assessing the PARCC on its utility for measuring what it was intended to
measure.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rather than debate the CCSS we
instead want to expose the tragic reality of the countless public schools
organizing their entire instruction around trying to raise students’ PARCC
scores.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Without naming any names, I can tell
you that schools are disregarding research-proven methods of literacy learning.
The “wisdom” coming “down the pipeline” is that children need to be exposed to more
complex texts because that is what PARCC demands of them. So children are being
denied independent and guided reading time with texts of high interest and
potential access and instead are handed texts that are much too hard
(frustration level) all year long without ever being given the chance to grow
as readers in their Zone of Proximal Development (pardon my reference to those
pesky educational researchers like Vygotsky.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So not only are students who are
reading “on grade level” going to be frustrated by these so-called “complex
texts,” but newcomers to the U.S. and English Language Learners and any student
reading below the proficiency line will never learn the foundational skills
they need, will never know the enjoyment of reading and writing from intrinsic
motivation, and will, sadly, be denied the opportunity to become a critical
reader and writer of media. Critical literacies are foundational for active
participation in a democracy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We can look carefully at one sample
to examine the health of the entire system– such as testing a drop of water to
assess the ocean. So too, we can use these three PARCC prompts to glimpse how
the high stakes accountability system has deformed teaching and warped learning
in many public schools across the United States.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In this sample, the system is
pathetically failing a generation of children who deserve better, and when they
are adults, they may not have the skills needed to engage as citizens and
problem-solvers. So it is up to us, those of us who remember a better way and
can imagine a way out, to make the case for stopping standardized tests like
PARCC from corrupting the educational opportunities of so many of our children.</span></div>
Julie Borsthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15205661029847875010noreply@blogger.com0