tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3558981476041565552024-02-19T02:42:45.307-08:00What's the big idea?Welcome to the racing world of my inner mind. As a mother, teacher, and advocate for all children, my mind swirls with the issues we are faced with today. This blog welcomes you to ponder and wonder with me as we think about the ideas that matter...the big ideas.Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-48018368849623388502021-11-30T17:34:00.000-08:002021-11-30T17:34:46.801-08:00Too Many Cooks in the Stakeholder Kitchen?<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qNcGVPhX9pZoB23viti-gV5EZWYiqlK5sYZ7eL_oYNg_Lth1SJnXwd8cCWgqnZ4UrPpNKnhKB2d_uG-bU6GgM-VSCcn5amSXSVmRfYg1MN-nPOKz5JefctcRI9u04MjQSX6-wsRCpnQ/s278/Screen+Shot+2021-11-28+at+10.05.32+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="278" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qNcGVPhX9pZoB23viti-gV5EZWYiqlK5sYZ7eL_oYNg_Lth1SJnXwd8cCWgqnZ4UrPpNKnhKB2d_uG-bU6GgM-VSCcn5amSXSVmRfYg1MN-nPOKz5JefctcRI9u04MjQSX6-wsRCpnQ/w406-h253/Screen+Shot+2021-11-28+at+10.05.32+AM.png" width="406" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The concept of parent voice in public education has always been built into the structure of local control. Residents in each community vote for their school board members, who in turn represent their constituents with the best interest of the children in mind. Yet some things have changed in our public schools and one red flag is the word "stakeholders". </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwE4k6jA23QYPzVfnwpfAaDyz2DdkqvgdiYqtZGMywDiPr7mm41SQfy6rmnjhgWkk-vgekAt3y0JOoGnSEe8wvtJwMcoEF6UHHfrMwDgMkm5yyhdz5J1Clv88OLGMt6DKYnk-lI3-N_yM/s730/Screen+Shot+2021-11-28+at+8.44.18+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="730" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwE4k6jA23QYPzVfnwpfAaDyz2DdkqvgdiYqtZGMywDiPr7mm41SQfy6rmnjhgWkk-vgekAt3y0JOoGnSEe8wvtJwMcoEF6UHHfrMwDgMkm5yyhdz5J1Clv88OLGMt6DKYnk-lI3-N_yM/w429-h231/Screen+Shot+2021-11-28+at+8.44.18+AM.png" width="429" /></a></div><br /><p>Before those who believe in "education reform" laser focused on the "<a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/venture-capitalists-are-poised-disrupt-everything-about-education-market/">untapped market</a>" of education, we didn't hear the term stakeholder applied to education. It is a business term, why would we? And yet, here we are. </p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXtg8vVUEwJ3HrhGCJBP4UCpPPEjr9PdL32umjgHtmzC92v4oLc1SgEI7HCjFjuRmryg2JU20frIFXMtV78ZqVGIwON5rtIl1gr13L5X__r0Vx32isgEDlICex3-SZH7hvgap1_BEQ5s/s983/Screen+Shot+2021-11-28+at+8.58.11+AM.png"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="983" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXtg8vVUEwJ3HrhGCJBP4UCpPPEjr9PdL32umjgHtmzC92v4oLc1SgEI7HCjFjuRmryg2JU20frIFXMtV78ZqVGIwON5rtIl1gr13L5X__r0Vx32isgEDlICex3-SZH7hvgap1_BEQ5s/w458-h229/Screen+Shot+2021-11-28+at+8.58.11+AM.png" width="458" /></a></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The screenshot from the <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/venture-capitalists-are-poised-disrupt-everything-about-education-market/" target="_blank">article</a> above is from 2014. <br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p> Why would parents and community members give up their full role as the
stakeholders in their schools to partners, such as businesses, corporations and politicians? Why would parents and community members give them any say at all? In
<a href="https://www.cheltenham.org/strategicplan" target="_blank">this</a> strategic plan example, it explicitly states
that, "... key partnerships are essential to building a strong community
presence, and that these partnerships should be strategic in nature and
align with the district’s goals." Doesn't each community already have a strong community presence? Our public schools serve existing communities - the people who live there and their children. It sure sounds like some will benefit
from these partnerships, and it is doubtful that it will be the
children.</p><p>Across the country, consulting firms have been hired to "assist" in the writing of strategic plans. It used to be that district administrators worked along side teachers to use their combined expertise to develop each school district's strategic plan, but those days are long gone. We never needed consultants to guide us before. And why do so many strategic plans sound so similar and aligned? Are the consulting firms simply giving the illusion of "stakeholder voice"? Are they guiding the direction of these plans with the outcome in mind? If so, why? Aside from creating more ways to get our public school tax dollars into the pockets of business people, it is a way to standardize strategic plans and open the door even wider for more profiteering in the name of educating our children. Take a look at your school district's strategic plan. </p><p>Do you see any of the buzz words below? Check out this <a href="https://www.amazon.com/EdSpeak-Doubletalk-Glossary-Hypocrisy-Schooling/dp/0807763284" target="_blank">book of ed reform jargon</a> for even more.<br /></p><p>Community/business school partnerships, Parental collaboration, Student voice, 21st century learners, strategic pathways, student driven schools, redefining success (elimination of grades), bold statements, transformation ideas, skills-based, students navigate their own learning, growth mindset, core competencies, school district brand, SMART goals, human capital (see my post on human capital <a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2015/10/people-are-not-human-capital.html">here</a>.)<br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjws0h4j22y7WpR9uvlKJGcQsgdlk_8fJVJKAQbmak2t6E7HLihrRqluKjkDBqp9HXQ05X2ORlevHOTbFvqTi2IfFGVG-4OVKUZem1uF-lEbcIgMJgOrP49VNCSOK9xmrtgnl2yLjmhNVk/s685/Screen+Shot+2021-11-28+at+9.41.18+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="685" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjws0h4j22y7WpR9uvlKJGcQsgdlk_8fJVJKAQbmak2t6E7HLihrRqluKjkDBqp9HXQ05X2ORlevHOTbFvqTi2IfFGVG-4OVKUZem1uF-lEbcIgMJgOrP49VNCSOK9xmrtgnl2yLjmhNVk/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-11-28+at+9.41.18+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>Click <a href="https://www.cheltenham.org/strategicplan">here</a> to read a strategic plan that serves as a solid example. Note that they are measuring pretty much everything in the strategic plan. The measurement for partnerships is having lots of 'em, and apparently how many "resources" are raised.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaxa8vfvXMNv0CODDenZExSLD3E83fGcHPjhUFukc0V6f7WOqZKyhn1ngqUrt2m5yr3KgGFICvkyw702KJ5IxVyT4kJZn2DkTnM3viXO09fDO26TxbCVTo7Ss4haFMSD0yUGMZheYeI0/s1120/Screen+Shot+2021-11-28+at+9.27.34+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="1120" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaxa8vfvXMNv0CODDenZExSLD3E83fGcHPjhUFukc0V6f7WOqZKyhn1ngqUrt2m5yr3KgGFICvkyw702KJ5IxVyT4kJZn2DkTnM3viXO09fDO26TxbCVTo7Ss4haFMSD0yUGMZheYeI0/w481-h212/Screen+Shot+2021-11-28+at+9.27.34+AM.png" width="481" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Another concern parents should be aware of is the quest to "differentiate for all students".</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyR0qV6T-4RhsQdoeQCrxqm8gBb4pAiP5cY1bCaTO75IMj0NW160KvSFzeG8RA03d7DCMhksqKknQpXbj3YhX1vz5YDipaSrpk_5qvqbBVsw77RLGVFMuP0IbQOg8F1iKyejiuWRe1X1s/s836/Screen+Shot+2021-11-28+at+9.45.46+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="836" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyR0qV6T-4RhsQdoeQCrxqm8gBb4pAiP5cY1bCaTO75IMj0NW160KvSFzeG8RA03d7DCMhksqKknQpXbj3YhX1vz5YDipaSrpk_5qvqbBVsw77RLGVFMuP0IbQOg8F1iKyejiuWRe1X1s/w640-h160/Screen+Shot+2021-11-28+at+9.45.46+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Differentiation is a vital and important part of the strategies teachers use to meet the needs of learners. There has been a push in recent years to chip away at or even attempt to eliminate gifted education programs due to their lack of diversity. It is true that there is a large under representation of Black and Brown students, and sometimes girls of all races are few and far between. That said, the tests used to identify giftedness are often criticized over their racial bias. How about we address the way we determine/measure giftedness and not throw away the baby with the bath water. Differentiation is also extremely important for students with learning differences. States address these needs through special education and IEPs that require teachers to make accommodations and/or modifications so special education students can access the curriculum. Many school districts have allowed special education needs to be left unmet, as law firms make the decisions that were once the purview of administration. Could it be that the lawyers and corporate-minded leaders don't know what is best for children?<br /></p><p>Do you trust the corporate model to put the learning needs of children over profit? Differentiating for all students could very well be left to <a href="https://vce.usc.edu/volume-3-issue-2/the-ethics-of-machine-learning-and-discrimination/" target="_blank">algorithms, often known to be as discriminatory</a>, if not more than than systems themselves. </p><p>To protect our children we need to look beyond the 21st century jargon and sleek strategic plans. This isn't about politics, this isn't about liberals or conservatives, this is about our children. In order to protect our children and their public schools, we all need to come together and open our eyes wide. We are well on our way to being fully manipulated by jargon, sleek strategic plans, and corporate marketing techniques. Many of us don't even see it happening right under our noses. And it certainly stinks.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj277w1MT2n7WFxFRUJqFt62AdfWPXgGlKOVnIZlg6nl_nOyonWAunbbG7grVgEBLsewtW_Piw6JPikeYlnsoVDP0VdnVY_PInYn3TRsqlO3IDTKZNrT7ggHq1Uk_y4fHzQaXWeoxWK5FY/s318/Screen+Shot+2021-11-28+at+10.02.49+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="318" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj277w1MT2n7WFxFRUJqFt62AdfWPXgGlKOVnIZlg6nl_nOyonWAunbbG7grVgEBLsewtW_Piw6JPikeYlnsoVDP0VdnVY_PInYn3TRsqlO3IDTKZNrT7ggHq1Uk_y4fHzQaXWeoxWK5FY/s0/Screen+Shot+2021-11-28+at+10.02.49+AM.png" width="318" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-10122094515035467692021-04-21T09:29:00.005-07:002021-04-21T10:41:30.855-07:00Learning Loss is a Marketing Scheme<p> When the entire country is focused on the same "problems" in education, it is time to question why. Forbe's contributor, and retired PA teacher, Peter Greene, covers the latest nonsense in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/petergreene/2021/03/09/learning-loss-is-just-educational-halitosis/?sh=238056f55e8c" target="_blank">this article</a>, where he creatively states that " 'Learning loss' is educational halitosis."</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNzIR9Dhh6EOOPXLBYLerYZqTxA6O8DJOMlAihmaKElZHleuzFFfHjwkwG4tKrlYoXBzvBsGrBSDbB6yVa_1G293Vq3og19qKGUxuzGmpykvjZODTxMLfjkNuL3zuldz-_3uJHzvrEk0/s642/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.14.07+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNzIR9Dhh6EOOPXLBYLerYZqTxA6O8DJOMlAihmaKElZHleuzFFfHjwkwG4tKrlYoXBzvBsGrBSDbB6yVa_1G293Vq3og19qKGUxuzGmpykvjZODTxMLfjkNuL3zuldz-_3uJHzvrEk0/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.14.07+PM.png" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKM3ahacm-nNpNnBM2Nd_SvpjREafH2gAMbHejVhZgbbwiYdCYRMG5CVp3O1rJACIo_HvD6CDWnmFXDODX8YIQmtxqU1n9ZTAt53A3D8Zsc_B9yETdJEi2-xyPwTjnJ4HgYNLSaZbP-aU/s517/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.15.04+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="517" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKM3ahacm-nNpNnBM2Nd_SvpjREafH2gAMbHejVhZgbbwiYdCYRMG5CVp3O1rJACIo_HvD6CDWnmFXDODX8YIQmtxqU1n9ZTAt53A3D8Zsc_B9yETdJEi2-xyPwTjnJ4HgYNLSaZbP-aU/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.15.04+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Remember the fear mongering first branded as "The COVID Slide"?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgZYGatzm6y1L3XYqJUwPNoqECqTId3AP96vrQKTxF5By8YquTB1H8fgb8j7mbqQyvfQ0IGh7T563lfxlBgBlRAtcHbhHNIs4w-DVrVwErUFjtqhmx8aKQTq25Q7ebD0YaQqjikwCBl0/s543/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.16.03+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="543" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgZYGatzm6y1L3XYqJUwPNoqECqTId3AP96vrQKTxF5By8YquTB1H8fgb8j7mbqQyvfQ0IGh7T563lfxlBgBlRAtcHbhHNIs4w-DVrVwErUFjtqhmx8aKQTq25Q7ebD0YaQqjikwCBl0/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.16.03+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4R200L_3FEXzLwQk450dXa8XDgHFSzJW7IFTUTJ-8TInAN8P4WpNwiJNc1qckZM3xCFGn-Wqtp_LNjE0KtTDKHyMJnrhv99TW1D8C8LzVeMYDOTPBrOHwkyxdYQyufG1xasAbeFP0z0/s535/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.17.13+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="187" data-original-width="535" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4R200L_3FEXzLwQk450dXa8XDgHFSzJW7IFTUTJ-8TInAN8P4WpNwiJNc1qckZM3xCFGn-Wqtp_LNjE0KtTDKHyMJnrhv99TW1D8C8LzVeMYDOTPBrOHwkyxdYQyufG1xasAbeFP0z0/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.17.13+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLo2MjVyTRBNXwS3zqJ-CDv-6KyXCr8MABchc-mo7MBZk3AeevdrD08mP09MT6J8tmrQaXePiVXkD0t0KvPcWyL5tQEzKMIh5h7imkKhFGZj_EvDgsZff6GEl79OhbHZhN_t6cXBhlPsA/s540/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.17.55+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLo2MjVyTRBNXwS3zqJ-CDv-6KyXCr8MABchc-mo7MBZk3AeevdrD08mP09MT6J8tmrQaXePiVXkD0t0KvPcWyL5tQEzKMIh5h7imkKhFGZj_EvDgsZff6GEl79OhbHZhN_t6cXBhlPsA/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.17.55+PM.png" width="320" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBMoq-sXwWfYE1BkIdp2qyLoBje8J6bzG_lOayOPrwbaZgpLRVZ9mtO2boDu3mzLC8Y4eP-WwkdAFwqIMfVQY8r9WXvH6TrXQBdtQsROuRU3zR4SEp1ksTtU8AYj5dcaxrrM2Nqc-hkY/s403/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.19.02+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="403" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBMoq-sXwWfYE1BkIdp2qyLoBje8J6bzG_lOayOPrwbaZgpLRVZ9mtO2boDu3mzLC8Y4eP-WwkdAFwqIMfVQY8r9WXvH6TrXQBdtQsROuRU3zR4SEp1ksTtU8AYj5dcaxrrM2Nqc-hkY/w231-h135/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.19.02+PM.png" width="231" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCA3xmXrzzILPYZww5D5ZgpRh2eO_Vo6-QB_zDESi7gQMXmHinH-liFJlMLoAaGrq07U0tcgsOECNktL8gIyATWKoDk3QsH6Ju-w2QR5x61ZBfDaRP1Zw56cx8RjN99790UtpGk14hnWI/s530/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.19.48+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCA3xmXrzzILPYZww5D5ZgpRh2eO_Vo6-QB_zDESi7gQMXmHinH-liFJlMLoAaGrq07U0tcgsOECNktL8gIyATWKoDk3QsH6Ju-w2QR5x61ZBfDaRP1Zw56cx8RjN99790UtpGk14hnWI/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.19.48+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAwbdrCMpiedik4-_Cy36-KhFZh87LIghyjy6T5A5FDrzjJ5x-U-WNlcxsKIBL_YISGkfJeu8p9Aako-OR23LLuOmFQh0FryJ40nlTzlibxQ9IR_v81EVpYIUeypZCB2K6_celfZly5M/s583/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.20.32+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="531" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAwbdrCMpiedik4-_Cy36-KhFZh87LIghyjy6T5A5FDrzjJ5x-U-WNlcxsKIBL_YISGkfJeu8p9Aako-OR23LLuOmFQh0FryJ40nlTzlibxQ9IR_v81EVpYIUeypZCB2K6_celfZly5M/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.20.32+PM.png" /></a></div><p>Parents, and even many teachers and administrators are unaware of the politics and marketing currently in play across the US and the globe. <i><u>I invite you to ask me any questions you may have and I will do my best to find you accurate and honest answers. Danielle Arnold-Schwartz, daschwartz24@comcast.net</u></i></p><p>Read the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/petergreene/2021/03/09/learning-loss-is-just-educational-halitosis/?sh=238056f55e8c" target="_blank">entire article.</a> See what you think. Make sure your school district isn't drinking the Listerine.</p><p>Read <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnewing/2021/12/28/the-ridiculousness-of-learning-loss/?sh=1adeb6d27c32" target="_blank">t</a><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnewing/2021/12/28/the-ridiculousness-of-learning-loss/?sh=1adeb6d27c32" target="_blank">his article</a> from Forbes as well, titled, <i>The Ridiculousness of Learning Loss</i>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgam-9yoxlBpSr1lraU539YXvnTGy36wc8bhc0yQgUpoggOaS_2Snbwt7vm0R8QLkwH9-haL0S5cyA6U-V-2H4yh5cp-YkD295HpaEfOGvCvRp1wJ4xrHG16e2RXhbNosE4tgXMgpdrITY/s649/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.26.49+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="543" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgam-9yoxlBpSr1lraU539YXvnTGy36wc8bhc0yQgUpoggOaS_2Snbwt7vm0R8QLkwH9-haL0S5cyA6U-V-2H4yh5cp-YkD295HpaEfOGvCvRp1wJ4xrHG16e2RXhbNosE4tgXMgpdrITY/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-04-21+at+12.26.49+PM.png" /></a></div><p><a href=" https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/03/10/what-learning-loss-really-means/?fbclid=IwAR3wD81SZWPzO7KKBy0ddQ7B9qlYuYIL_Om5mK0rHxoJ9Y2UzGQWsFgVilQ" target="_blank">Here</a> is a Washington Post piece on this topic.<br />And one more good perspective from a reading teacher can be found <a href="https://russonreading.blogspot.com/2021/04/my-learning-loss-formula-read-write.html" target="_blank">here</a>. <br /></p><p>Stay focused on the real issues in your school district that matter. Don't let the marketing "educate" you.<br /></p><h1 class="fs-headline speakable-headline font-base font-size"><br /></h1>Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-48912540803024419232021-03-02T13:36:00.007-08:002021-03-02T16:13:20.600-08:00 Teach for America Is Not What You May Think<br /><br /><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSw3CJHt5RZpOnU0EXVfpGq2g58JieQy3YJ0KC2lG8AbNJeiRjOC7qqKptyX0TUixRSOPkBBL_7V373TbFIlSmou3jOW7xyKnnNDk3xnLmp_zmUYO5hje37Rd8dY2YekahIA0KgrX19To/s173/Screen+Shot+2021-03-02+at+2.06.19+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="108" data-original-width="173" height="85" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSw3CJHt5RZpOnU0EXVfpGq2g58JieQy3YJ0KC2lG8AbNJeiRjOC7qqKptyX0TUixRSOPkBBL_7V373TbFIlSmou3jOW7xyKnnNDk3xnLmp_zmUYO5hje37Rd8dY2YekahIA0KgrX19To/w137-h85/Screen+Shot+2021-03-02+at+2.06.19+PM.png" width="137" /></a></div><p></p><p>Teach for America (TFA) is not what you may think. From the start they have taken advantage of the neoliberal belief that one can "do good" and profit. This belief is held by conservatives and moderate, Democrat politicians and a number of members of the Democrat party. Neoliberals are moderates/centrists, which can be a good thing. But in the case of profiting off of public school tax dollars, neoliberals differ greatly from progressive Democrats.</p><p>Since Ronald Regan, every president has been in favor of public school privatization. This includes TFA, and other neoliberal business ventures. President Obama made it even worse for our public schools than President Bush. So far it appears that President Biden is sticking to politics as usual, as he supports high stakes standardized tests during a raging pandemic, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haGLsCBPWKA" target="_blank">even when he said he wouldn't.</a></p><p>Teach for America has an outstanding marketing department and lots of money to fund it. They have been criticized for many things, including the loss of certified teachers of color from the urban districts whom they charge finder fees to for each fresh, young, elite college grad they place in their schools for two short years. The doe-eyed college grads get five weeks of training and are sent into extremely difficult conditions which require racial sensitivity and all kinds training. <a href="https://www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/about-us/newsroom/walton-family-foundation-to-invest-50-million-in-teach-for-america" target="_blank">TFA gets huge donations from philanthropies </a>which have privatization goals. </p><p>There are numerous books on this topic, but the one I recommend below is the best I have read because by learning the history of America's capitalistic and unequal efforts on the backs of Black children, you can see the connections to today. Using poor, Black and Brown communities to profit by cheating children out of a good education is nothing new. Since Brown v. Board of Ed., whites have used "helping " communities of color for personal profit. In essence, we now have defacto segregation in many of our cities due to
the proliferation of charter schools, which have less accountability & different rules
than authentic public schools, thanks to neoliberal beliefs regarding
public education.</p><p>As someone with a BBA in marketing and a MS in Education, it has always been clear to me that business and public education don't mix. <br /></p><p>I recommend the book below if you want to read about TFA by the author who coined the term, <i><b>segronomics</b></i>. </p><p>" (Dr. Rooks) explains how 19th century Reconstruction-era policies led to the
creation of separate, segregated and unequal systems of schooling — in
which black children from poor families got inferior educations. And,
coining the term “segrenomics,” she links that era to today, when
companies and individuals are profiting handsomely from segregated and
inequitable education." <br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJge-2b8RfWts5e39f6Vxuhr2JuZvp9wm7KNR8VnIl-C9EaL6R2Xu2iv16pyW1vEStPQnAdIp4WAX9TZANV58EIeYZgi7B3Xuh_chJYjlLjilXu9kpqZAJ92ayT44PZlMHyxAuS1YW55c/s338/Screen+Shot+2021-03-02+at+1.23.45+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="217" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJge-2b8RfWts5e39f6Vxuhr2JuZvp9wm7KNR8VnIl-C9EaL6R2Xu2iv16pyW1vEStPQnAdIp4WAX9TZANV58EIeYZgi7B3Xuh_chJYjlLjilXu9kpqZAJ92ayT44PZlMHyxAuS1YW55c/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-03-02+at+1.23.45+PM.png" /></a></div><br />Check out the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cutting-School-Privatization-Segregation-Education/dp/162097598X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">here</a>.<p></p><p>"A comprehensive, compelling account of what's truly at stake in the relentless push to deregulate and privatize, <i>Cutting School</i> is a cri de coeur for all of us to resist educational apartheid in America." <br /></p><p>"Rooks's incisive critique breaks down the fraught landscape of
"segrenomics," showing how experimental solutions to the so-called
achievement gaps―including charters, vouchers, and cyber schools―rely
on, profit from, and ultimately exacerbate disturbingly high levels of
racial and economic segregation under the guise of providing equal
opportunity." And she covers TFA.</p><p>"Public schools are among America's greatest achievements in modern
history, yet from the earliest days of tax-supported education―today a
sector with an estimated budget of over half a billion dollars―there
have been intractable tensions tied to race and poverty. Now, in an era
characterized by levels of school segregation the country has not seen
since the mid-twentieth century, cultural critic and American studies
professor Noliwe Rooks provides a trenchant analysis of our separate and
unequal schools and argues that profiting from our nation's failure to
provide a high-quality education to all children has become a very big
business." <br /></p><p><b>Below please find articles, opinion pieces, and interviews from many sources that can explain why Teach for America is no friend of public education.</b></p><p><b><u><b>Articles, opinion pieces, and interviews </b></u><br /></b></p><p><span data-qa="headline-opinion-text">Big trouble at Teach For America?</span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/03/22/teach-for-americas-diversity-paradox/ " target="_blank"><b> </b>https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/03/22/teach-for-americas-diversity-paradox/ </a></p><p>Is Teach For America’s training problematic?<a href="https://cloakinginequity.com/2019/05/01/is-teach-for-americas-training-problematic-even-racist/"> https://cloakinginequity.com/2019/05/01/is-teach-for-americas-training-problematic-even-racist/</a></p><div id="topBar">
</div>
<div id="articleTitle"><p style="text-align: left;">Teach For America’s paradoxical diversity initiative: Race, policy, and Black teacher displacement in urban schools<a href="https://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/2100" target="_blank"> https://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/2100</a></p><p style="text-align: left;">An Open Letter to New Teach For America Recruits<a href="https://rethinkingschools.org/articles/an-open-letter-to-new-teach-for-america-recruits/" target="_blank"> https://rethinkingschools.org/articles/an-open-letter-to-new-teach-for-america-recruits/ </a><br /></p><p>I Quit Teach for America<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/09/i-quit-teach-for-america/279724/" target="_blank"> https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/09/i-quit-teach-for-america/279724/ </a></p><p>How Teach for America Evolved Into an Arm of the Charter School Movement<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/how-teach-for-america-evolved-into-an-arm-of-the-charter-school-movement" target="_blank"> https://www.propublica.org/article/how-teach-for-america-evolved-into-an-arm-of-the-charter-school-movement </a><br /></p></div><p>Is America’s Most Controversial Education Group Changing Its Ways?<a href="Is America’s Most Controversial Education Group Changing Its Ways?" target="_blank"> https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/02/teach-america-most-divisive-education-reform-group/ </a></p><p>What Went Wrong With Teach For America<a href="https://progressive.org/public-school-shakedown/went-wrong-teach-america/" target="_blank"> https://progressive.org/public-school-shakedown/went-wrong-teach-america/</a></p><p>30 Years of Teach For America Shows How Reform Movements Can Become Co-Opted<a href="https://truthout.org/articles/30-years-of-teach-for-america-shows-how-reform-movements-can-become-co-opted/" target="_blank"> https://truthout.org/articles/30-years-of-teach-for-america-shows-how-reform-movements-can-become-co-opted/ </a><br /></p><p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;">Don't Teach For America, teach for real<a href="https://www.columbiaspectator.com/opinion/2016/10/12/dont-teach-america-teach-real/" target="_blank"> https://www.columbiaspectator.com/opinion/2016/10/12/dont-teach-america-teach-real/</a></p><p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;">Taking on TFA<a href="https://www.jacobinmag.com/2015/10/tfa-wendy-kopp-corporate-education-reform-new-orleans/ " target="_blank"> https://www.jacobinmag.com/2015/10/tfa-wendy-kopp-corporate-education-reform-new-orleans/ </a></p><p itemprop="headline" style="text-align: left;">The True Cost of Teach For America's Impact on Urban Schools <a href="https://prospect.org/civil-rights/true-cost-teach-america-s-impact-urban-schools/">https://prospect.org/civil-rights/true-cost-teach-america-s-impact-urban-schools/</a></p><p itemprop="headline" style="text-align: left;">Bernie Sanders Stood Up to Teach for America When Congress Wouldn’t<a href="https://theintercept.com/2019/10/16/bernie-sanders-teach-for-america/" target="_blank"> https://theintercept.com/2019/10/16/bernie-sanders-teach-for-america/ </a></p><p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;">Students Should be Wary of Teach for America <a href="https://dailytrojan.com/2019/10/06/students-should-be-wary-of-teach-for-america/" target="_blank">https://dailytrojan.com/2019/10/06/students-should-be-wary-of-teach-for-america/</a></p><p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;">Interview with Noliwe Rooks on segregation <a href="https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/smith-rooks">https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/smith-rooks</a></p>
<p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;">Professor Noliwe Rooks Discusses Her New
Book ‘Cutting School: Privatization, Segregation, and the End of Public
Education’ – EXTENDED INTERVIEW <a href="https://www.risingupwithsonali.com/2019/03/13/professor-noliwe-rooks-discusses-her-new-book-cutting-school-privatization-segregation-and-the-end-of-public-education-extended-interview/">https://www.risingupwithsonali.com/2019/03/13/professor-noliwe-rooks-discusses-her-new-book-cutting-school-privatization-segregation-and-the-end-of-public-education-extended-interview/</a></p><p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;">Interviews of former Assistant Secretary of Education, Diane Ravitch <a href="https://dianeravitch.com/interviews/" target="_blank">https://dianeravitch.com/interviews/ </a><br /></p><p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;"> This episode of Last Week Tonight did a really good job of explaining why the charter school business isn't all it's cracked up to be: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_htSPGAY7I">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_htSPGAY7I</a><br /></p> <p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;"> </p><p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;"><u><b> MORE BOOKS:</b></u></p><p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;"><span class="a-size-extra-large" id="productTitle">
Slaying Goliath: The Passionate Resistance to Privatization and the Fight to Save America's Public Schools</span> <a href="https://tinyurl.com/jtyykaw5">https://tinyurl.com/jtyykaw5</a></p><p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;"><span class="a-size-extra-large" id="productTitle">Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools</span><a href="https://tinyurl.com/4aj8yctp" target="_blank"> https://tinyurl.com/4aj8yctp </a></p><p class="a-spacing-none a-text-normal" id="title" style="text-align: left;"><span class="a-size-extra-large" id="productTitle">
A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door: The Dismantling of Public Education and the Future of School <a href="https://tinyurl.com/we639j63">https://tinyurl.com/we639j63</a><br /></span></p><p class="a-spacing-none a-text-normal" id="title" style="text-align: left;"><span class="a-size-extra-large" id="productTitle">
Addicted to Reform: A 12-Step Program to Rescue Public Education <a href="https://tinyurl.com/96vdckyb">https://tinyurl.com/96vdckyb</a><br /></span></p><p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;"> School House Burning:<a href="https://tinyurl.com/485jz3a7"> https://tinyurl.com/485jz3a</a></p><p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;"><span class="a-size-extra-large" id="productTitle">The Swindle of Innovative Educational Finance: </span><a href="https://tinyurl.com/w43jbkby" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/w43jbkby </a><br /></p><p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeittphhCX96e-M5_bHCYSGD3sYoliLlouLLsEQBx10l2sgg5fnmS2bhwT2sde71sjRrDEDjM6m_YMMtXCCq5ji3IUuL0oOSwyezuSGgH6CrI3xYSiCSIIdSQSQO6NwZCHaZFO-Flw6JQ/s206/Screen+Shot+2021-03-02+at+4.22.44+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="206" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeittphhCX96e-M5_bHCYSGD3sYoliLlouLLsEQBx10l2sgg5fnmS2bhwT2sde71sjRrDEDjM6m_YMMtXCCq5ji3IUuL0oOSwyezuSGgH6CrI3xYSiCSIIdSQSQO6NwZCHaZFO-Flw6JQ/w265-h208/Screen+Shot+2021-03-02+at+4.22.44+PM.png" width="265" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;">The issues related to corporate education reform are complex, financial, and political. You must read and educate yourself to know when you are being misled. I am happy to answer any questions you may have. If I don't know the answer, I will try to find it. daschwartz24@comcast.net<br /></p><p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-28965228385669384722020-12-30T09:48:00.015-08:002021-01-02T06:45:18.357-08:00Are your Local Schools Being Transformed into Community Schools? And Why it Matters.<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5J0BQrKunM2vgiYUb4sbcrd00wWZ8rHbHrdPBe_i8YHUuFBd1quStbBkjw7e0NOg-d4Ewn4SCnZdx58iO__-suqPXfBueaaOwpgPdvW_WzLiPq5CoisSim1fG-JyYOp5hU9qSfnvrBI/s646/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+9.07.25+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="646" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5J0BQrKunM2vgiYUb4sbcrd00wWZ8rHbHrdPBe_i8YHUuFBd1quStbBkjw7e0NOg-d4Ewn4SCnZdx58iO__-suqPXfBueaaOwpgPdvW_WzLiPq5CoisSim1fG-JyYOp5hU9qSfnvrBI/w417-h331/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+9.07.25+AM.png" width="417" /></a></div><p></p><p>There is so much <a href="https://nancyebailey.com/2018/12/01/vocabulary-used-to-sell-technology-to-teachers-and-parents/" target="_blank">jargon in education </a>today, and it would serve every parent, school board member, and tax payer to recognize it and see it for the red flag that it is. One must first understand the part of the Obama administration's Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) about <a href="https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/event/community-schools-evidence-based-strategy-essa-school-improvement" target="_blank">community schools</a>. ESSA was passed into law in 2015, and was touted as the remedy to the Bush administration's, No Child Left Behind. What many of us didn't know is that there is a plan in motion to reduce local control over our schools, add multiple "stakeholders" to the leadership table, and do so in order to create venture capital investment opportunities with eyes on our public education tax dollars. I wish I were kidding.</p><p>Ask yourself if there are any venture capitalists or people in that field on your school board? Are there people involved with charter schools? With sustainable communities? With community schools? Is race being used disingenuously to promote policies that would set up a community school model in your school district? Not sure? Check out this page of talking points, called the<a href="http://www.communityschools.org/results/overview.aspx" target="_blank"> Community Schools Messaging Guide- Making the Case</a>. Note<b> </b>that this is the policy and advocacy page.<b> </b></p><p><u><b>The question that gives it all away: <a href="http://www.communityschools.org/aboutschools/faqs.aspx#FAQ7" target="_blank">How are community schools funded</a>?</b></u></p><p>Read below and please notice the blue highlighted section. Note the outside funding by many possible stakeholders, but especially take note of foundations, corporations, and individuals for funding sources.</p><p>Thought #1: Why would a school district that is well-funded give away local control and invite so many stakeholders to the table in decision making?</p><p>Thought #2: Why can't our federal/state/local government fairly fund school districts so that public/private and philanthropic partnerships don't have to be imposed on any school district anywhere? </p><p>Thought #3: Why is it acceptable that investors are profiting off the backs of the most vulnerable and underserved?<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrI-5p96swk0gyezLWLTevS_YOdTpHMEuiNQp7IVRajA1-JuKO8hiitaBv6XRNqwTd00_NYU3AhZWWg1PeYh01pXJq97xjq9RRiOvRy27w4Ih6QQtmjGjq_dcpgClvNi0DTP9LLbIQWKY/s733/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+10.26.22+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="733" height="619" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrI-5p96swk0gyezLWLTevS_YOdTpHMEuiNQp7IVRajA1-JuKO8hiitaBv6XRNqwTd00_NYU3AhZWWg1PeYh01pXJq97xjq9RRiOvRy27w4Ih6QQtmjGjq_dcpgClvNi0DTP9LLbIQWKY/w640-h619/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+10.26.22+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>This new venture requires a roll out of community schools, which previously seemed to focus on low-income and urban school districts. Well, lucky suburban folks, you are part of the pie now, too.<br /></p><p>One giveaway is the outcomes-based focus on measuring growth in our schools on things like benchmark tests. Those outcomes are exactly what Wall Street and private venture capitalists need to invest in feel-good deals "helping our most vulnerable" where they really can't loose. </p><p><a href="https://naeducation.org/our-members/gloria-ladson-billings/" target="_blank"> Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings</a>, <span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc">is the author of the critically acclaimed books,
The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children,
Crossing over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse
Classrooms, and Beyond the Big House: African American Educators on
Teacher Education.</span></span></p><p><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc">And it seems she is aware and tired of certain groups pushing their own agenda in the name of Black children. Read her latest Black & Smart blog post <a href="https://blackandsmart.wordpress.com/2020/12/22/stop-using-black-children-as-an-excuse-to-open-your-schools/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></p><p><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0LI00wPNBuEIRsfwnrHt-xJwskRniklfpz_ZMcolV8moe5OK-ken2Di9aCYdwe7Plo8GIVrUAM1__KRDZVOsK4hpNnOAkQtl97nxGq00T1D7rc8E67Q-yzP0X_R7A4RWJwmESOU9Wcs/s1265/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+9.57.47+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="1265" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0LI00wPNBuEIRsfwnrHt-xJwskRniklfpz_ZMcolV8moe5OK-ken2Di9aCYdwe7Plo8GIVrUAM1__KRDZVOsK4hpNnOAkQtl97nxGq00T1D7rc8E67Q-yzP0X_R7A4RWJwmESOU9Wcs/w486-h255/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+9.57.47+AM.png" width="486" /></a></div>Last summer in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was shocked to learn of the push to reopen schools in person. I couldn't wrap my mind around the concept, and felt betrayed on behalf of every teacher, staff member, and family who didn't think it was safe enough. I kept asking myself why they would take these risks? It wasn't exactly a local decision, as I noticed the same jargon and decisions being made in school districts across the country. It was a well coordinated and organized effort guided by playbooks like <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/back-to-school-a-framework-for-remote-and-hybrid-learning-amid-covid-19" target="_blank">this one. </a><p></p><p><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc">Community schools are planned to become the "heart" of communities and will be open 24/7, all of the time. <a href="http://www.communityschools.org/multimedia/community_schools_messaging.aspx" target="_blank">Check out this web page</a> on the messaging/talking points, which directly explain how your future community school will provide doctors, nurses, healthcare, food, shelter, and more. They even offer an "elevator speech".<br /></span></span></p><p><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc">It is no accident that so many school districts have decided to ignore the dangers of a global pandemic that has run amuck in our country. This is their first step in putting our schools at the "center" of the community.<br /></span></span></p><p><span class="ILfuVd"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMVfoEF1ptkLLNvwTJYFzFLl-abiLAIUukUbt4D4kSw7x59RmLRcqXuvJMBrl_aBpCR_VoYldYOFqJ3W2LZWdbRWuge6Cp73ejZTNZOklV5mkRGA3r4iLkblwjNj2uvzsydyxWjtn1LE/s774/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+10.38.13+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="740" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMVfoEF1ptkLLNvwTJYFzFLl-abiLAIUukUbt4D4kSw7x59RmLRcqXuvJMBrl_aBpCR_VoYldYOFqJ3W2LZWdbRWuge6Cp73ejZTNZOklV5mkRGA3r4iLkblwjNj2uvzsydyxWjtn1LE/w612-h640/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+10.38.13+AM.png" width="612" /></a></div><span class="hgKElc"><br /></span><p></p><p><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc">Take a glance at the screen shot below. Again, Black children are being used in <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/back-to-school-a-framework-for-remote-and-hybrid-learning-amid-covid-19" target="_blank">marketing material</a>. It appears that the reader is supposed to think that opening schools in person is important for helping our society's "most vulnerable". <br /> </span></span></p><p><span class="ILfuVd"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWcxeHfCilI6wH7UaY2wHLoGZ32YZ1qraMFKvmUQ0YKh2LBxtpCpx3zcO116yKN6AjygNnGsx3rNQsGWHVebRmrNk5iKXWhyphenhyphenR5t_Pp1OpCxwdP4pRjz-XDCNp26htQGVlwsqsorCFPyQ/s1400/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+10.10.50+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="1400" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWcxeHfCilI6wH7UaY2wHLoGZ32YZ1qraMFKvmUQ0YKh2LBxtpCpx3zcO116yKN6AjygNnGsx3rNQsGWHVebRmrNk5iKXWhyphenhyphenR5t_Pp1OpCxwdP4pRjz-XDCNp26htQGVlwsqsorCFPyQ/w640-h317/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+10.10.50+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><h4><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc"></span></span></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="hgKElc"></span></span></h4><p class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Have you ever noticed how many "gaps" there seem to be these days? All
the better to set up easy bets for the profiteers of Wall Street. Now we
see claims of "learning gaps" or "learning loss" due to COVID-19, and <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/covid-19-and-learning-loss-disparities-grow-and-students-need-help" target="_blank">the push for tutors has arrived</a>. Any time our schools collect data there is a
growing chance that it will be used for social impact bond investing.
Investors can consider themselves philanthropists, make easy money, and
delude themselves that they are helping out "neediest and most
vulnerable students".</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span> <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTlbhyRmQ8N7vaiseBhf-siUaJkvXph4kiEe0daVvG9fBAzn5uLKB9hnc55T8AuGNRXwmevxFhOSP0oMOPbPOjvsuZZkE0Y_8qftGS46xsC_pPXdp3IHw7oE8vD4yWVJcIwXa4jz0QKg/s1391/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+9.27.14+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="1391" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTlbhyRmQ8N7vaiseBhf-siUaJkvXph4kiEe0daVvG9fBAzn5uLKB9hnc55T8AuGNRXwmevxFhOSP0oMOPbPOjvsuZZkE0Y_8qftGS46xsC_pPXdp3IHw7oE8vD4yWVJcIwXa4jz0QKg/w410-h193/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+9.27.14+AM.png" width="410" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.centreforpublicimpact.org/case-study/social-impact-bonds-early-childhood-education-utah/" target="_blank">Click here for source.</a><br /></div><br /> <p></p><p>Consider the following example: The Utah High Quality Preschool Program. “Preschool can close this
achievement gap so that all kids, regardless of their circumstances,
have the same chance to succeed.”</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahgkrAGNNnbkILRQ1DDpIrGgLNyNGrNwCMhKx_mtBEgY5lOmvHftlL9iRSnXig4gbZ86kQFVgVc5kgpzgPQphlHuYOA1RIiyeU7GoO9JZFYGXjwR0OiFmmoMHOt6ajellopTLYuw4v5g/s644/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+9.33.38+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="644" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahgkrAGNNnbkILRQ1DDpIrGgLNyNGrNwCMhKx_mtBEgY5lOmvHftlL9iRSnXig4gbZ86kQFVgVc5kgpzgPQphlHuYOA1RIiyeU7GoO9JZFYGXjwR0OiFmmoMHOt6ajellopTLYuw4v5g/w487-h146/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+9.33.38+AM.png" width="487" /></a></div><p></p><p> Note the foundations often involved here, as they partner with firms like Goldman Sachs. This is<a href="https://evpa.eu.com/about-us/what-is-venture-philanthropy#definition" target="_blank"> venture philathropy</a> at it's core. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTX3kPbJ43Ugkl1XRWB_fOLXWkafBaQzYH097HtipxbPGswzY9FDaUaAGNjnP87HfWHqMPBIMOL4YZEjQodRjCpQmMa-YvrQROFMi5SSpX4LPa_9pd9WcPeXR8WWoe4hmu5PeCLzyXcw/s676/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+9.36.55+AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTX3kPbJ43Ugkl1XRWB_fOLXWkafBaQzYH097HtipxbPGswzY9FDaUaAGNjnP87HfWHqMPBIMOL4YZEjQodRjCpQmMa-YvrQROFMi5SSpX4LPa_9pd9WcPeXR8WWoe4hmu5PeCLzyXcw/s676/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+9.36.55+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">͢͢<img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="527" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTX3kPbJ43Ugkl1XRWB_fOLXWkafBaQzYH097HtipxbPGswzY9FDaUaAGNjnP87HfWHqMPBIMOL4YZEjQodRjCpQmMa-YvrQROFMi5SSpX4LPa_9pd9WcPeXR8WWoe4hmu5PeCLzyXcw/w341-h438/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+9.36.55+AM.png" width="341" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdYJ8b8TRWygrwG1GKFXGNV3HiflyyJOFz_lR1ZPoX83oQBdDdBMSK1N_PIAjsciBCzQzrloKe5_bsN32N_t8gp5DcYk5J3PIwYblgiEJKou8NuaB_EYQSC_1pM9kChv-EV46G_JniF8/s654/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+11.28.37+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="654" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdYJ8b8TRWygrwG1GKFXGNV3HiflyyJOFz_lR1ZPoX83oQBdDdBMSK1N_PIAjsciBCzQzrloKe5_bsN32N_t8gp5DcYk5J3PIwYblgiEJKou8NuaB_EYQSC_1pM9kChv-EV46G_JniF8/w640-h482/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+11.28.37+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><a href="https://www.centreforpublicimpact.org/case-study/social-impact-bonds-early-childhood-education-utah/" target="_blank"> Source here.</a></div><div><br /></div></div>Is the question really, "How can schools save money by reducing the number of children in special education?" Perhaps a more student centered question is, "Are our special education students getting the supports and strategies they need in our system?" Perhaps looking at the number of lawsuits and settlements in a district is a better measure of if the district is meeting special education student needs. If the district is doing right by it's students, there shouldn't be many lawsuits or settlements.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">Notice how the focus of investments uses minorities and groups like people with disabilities to profit off of? Historically, Wall Street and venture capitalists haven't shown much interest in helping the most vulnerable groups in our society. They suddenly seem to care so much.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazqkfYjzfpqGImQJbtFAxer9GuAztK2b2VYNtRk-g31vmwS03Rbg8cgZE2T-hsKYmZR2JaHmpMNIiQqz8fFqeyuMHCcZJm-Xx-P2xR7vtMbxqzG-kOHoUCK-oJJUt03oHmmylffucIpY/s832/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+9.16.42+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="832" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazqkfYjzfpqGImQJbtFAxer9GuAztK2b2VYNtRk-g31vmwS03Rbg8cgZE2T-hsKYmZR2JaHmpMNIiQqz8fFqeyuMHCcZJm-Xx-P2xR7vtMbxqzG-kOHoUCK-oJJUt03oHmmylffucIpY/w640-h196/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+9.16.42+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.communityschools.org/policy_advocacy/esea_reauthorization.aspx" target="_blank">Source here.<br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> Last thought of the day... Did you notice the top docs from CHOP making their rounds last fall, and telling us it was safe to re-open schools during this pandemic? They are involved with<a href="https://policylab.chop.edu/about-us" target="_blank"> the policy lab at CHOP</a>. Policy = politics. <a href="https://www.chop.edu/news/chop-researchers-find-elevated-biomarker-related-blood-vessel-damage-all-children-sars-cov-2" target="_blank">I have been wondering why no one has paid attention to the fact that CHOP researchers found an elevated biomarker related to blood vessel damage in ALL children who have had COVID-19? </a>They found this in EVERY SINGLE child who had COVID-19.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Should we be comfortable with this shift? Will we ever trust a system that puts a business model before children and school staff's health and safety? And just think of all the school, medical, and mental health data that this system will have access to, and what they will do with it.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QlXY4U_tkCmAIo9ZczAm8MOLbrBvi_1KbmJkW2WwSZ-F2V1wQD4LkLrscn5elmFg2YbUcwC0G-gaEi7BShUJS1ecOrZ123tdsHyQDVu8zU0dbVoaaL6MK0IEVbDnfyoWOrr_TQxDv44/s911/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+11.02.13+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="911" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QlXY4U_tkCmAIo9ZczAm8MOLbrBvi_1KbmJkW2WwSZ-F2V1wQD4LkLrscn5elmFg2YbUcwC0G-gaEi7BShUJS1ecOrZ123tdsHyQDVu8zU0dbVoaaL6MK0IEVbDnfyoWOrr_TQxDv44/w400-h271/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+11.02.13+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><p>If they are transforming our school districts without being forthright about it, how can we ever trust these community leaders?<br /></p></div>Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-92084600218963251692020-12-20T09:28:00.006-08:002022-08-25T09:32:30.433-07:00What Could Be Bad about Community Schools?<p>Dear Parents, Guardians, Tax Payers, Teachers and School Staff,<br /></p><p>I am sharing some resources here to consider as the media reports the end of the Obama-era, bipartisan love affair with high stakes standardized testing and charter schools. What could be even more profitable for investors who know nothing about educating children? As we await the decision of the Biden administration's pick for Secretary of Education, we need to familiarize ourselves with the concept of Community Schools. Odds are they are coming to a school district near you. Maybe even yours, even if you live in the suburbs.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxJYxuUWbxjhtvHXzIHb9_m4KO6UgiV48q5kLYs9spgwe4rdepkDSup3QoZ2UIQM4uXJl-RvRK8FhQg9aWxgWnOcgu73OtOVTmbnGgz8AcKxuXZHNSybklTxlepXwtHGAqus927qpT48/s1416/Screen+Shot+2020-12-20+at+10.44.40+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="1416" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxJYxuUWbxjhtvHXzIHb9_m4KO6UgiV48q5kLYs9spgwe4rdepkDSup3QoZ2UIQM4uXJl-RvRK8FhQg9aWxgWnOcgu73OtOVTmbnGgz8AcKxuXZHNSybklTxlepXwtHGAqus927qpT48/w392-h187/Screen+Shot+2020-12-20+at+10.44.40+AM.png" width="392" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="background-color: white;">What are Community Schools? What are social impact bonds? What do they have to do with education in my community?</span></span></p><p><u><b>Reading list of resources that answer those questions:</b></u></p><p>Supporters of Community Schools always seem to mention the good, but not the Wall Street/venture capitalist connections... or the way that the quality of education of our children has been impacted by the push to make everything measurable... or the fact that <a href="https://seattleducation.com/2015/12/31/what-everyone-else-knows-about-your-child/" target="_blank">weakened HIPPA & FERPA laws</a> have made family and student data privacy extremely accessible to outsiders (known as <a href="https://kappanonline.org/stosich-bae-engaging-diverse-stakeholders-strengthen-policy/" target="_blank">stakeholders</a>).<u><b><br /></b></u></p><p><u><b>The National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers seem to love the concept of Community Schools, but most members have never heard of them.</b></u></p><p><a href="https://www.nea.org/student-success/smart-just-policies/community-schools" target="_blank">NEA & Community Schools</a></p><p><a href="https://www.aft.org/education/publications/community-schools" target="_blank">AFT & Community Schools</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2020/12/18/open-letter-to-the-incoming-biden-administration-on-next-generation-community-schools/" target="_blank">Brookings Institution</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.phila.gov/programs/community-schools/" target="_blank">Philadelphia School District & Community Schools</a></p><p><a href="http://www.communityschools.org/aboutschools/what_is_a_community_school.aspx" target="_blank">Coalition for Community Schools</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-12/reports/2018/08/22/454977/building-community-schools-systems/" target="_blank">The Center for American Progress</a> </p><p><a href="full equality for all" target="_blank">Using "full equality for all" to sound progressive...</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.pghschools.org/communityschools" target="_blank">Pittsburgh Community Schools</a> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItMy1ARXiXyOIowTQYtA7FLyq6185sq-_2_Q2DwYuv8MxJcFMMbppLXwXC0wm-yC8ywejez8xY5Zw3I5INA2URGdj7Squh3bvmpgq5oigW4KWLBdcjYZsDMv7TBS6qq6-RvmQIsB3gnk/s663/Screen+Shot+2020-12-20+at+12.23.50+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="663" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItMy1ARXiXyOIowTQYtA7FLyq6185sq-_2_Q2DwYuv8MxJcFMMbppLXwXC0wm-yC8ywejez8xY5Zw3I5INA2URGdj7Squh3bvmpgq5oigW4KWLBdcjYZsDMv7TBS6qq6-RvmQIsB3gnk/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-12-20+at+12.23.50+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You best believe all of these things will be measured and gambled on by venture capitalists.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><a href=" https://www.unitedwayerie.org/our-impact/student-success/community-schools/" target="_blank">The United Way: Community Schools represent a strategy, not a program. </a><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Watch the video below to see an example of a partial explanation of Community Schools. Private partnerships are briefly mentioned, with no explanations of how social impact bond investing works and how it's insatiable hunger for data effects the education of our kids.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nLt-FC3awuo" width="320" youtube-src-id="nLt-FC3awuo"></iframe></div><br /> <br /><p></p><p class="ArticleHeader_hed__3CykF" style="text-align: left;"><u><b>CASE STUDY BY PA TEACHER BLOGGER & FORBES CONTRIBUTOR, PETER GREENE: </b></u><u><b></b></u></p><p class="ArticleHeader_hed__3CykF" style="text-align: left;"><u><b><a href="http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2015/11/social-impact-bonds-for-dummies.html" target="_blank">Social Impact Bonds for Dummies </a></b></u><b>- Read this and ask yourself if market-driven "solutions" for public education are ethical? </b> <u><b><br /></b></u></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><b><u>Who funds Community Schools and is it ethical?</u></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmNjkWVP-KkWatLmHfxnieLXcet8g30vFb8DxO3gFypw2HGHULaTyykySzJM03mboh-HB73EKqEWtvukLt2xw49r8HKJ4BSslcIJQUvtSCNtmsO4_-QxWpUzy_HVQYDBB7zbeq_lLS-I/s1100/Screen+Shot+2020-12-20+at+11.59.10+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1100" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmNjkWVP-KkWatLmHfxnieLXcet8g30vFb8DxO3gFypw2HGHULaTyykySzJM03mboh-HB73EKqEWtvukLt2xw49r8HKJ4BSslcIJQUvtSCNtmsO4_-QxWpUzy_HVQYDBB7zbeq_lLS-I/w403-h229/Screen+Shot+2020-12-20+at+11.59.10+AM.png" width="403" /></a></div><br /> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/02/28/next-wave-wall-streetification-education-public-services-america/" target="_blank">No surprise, there’s more to this funding than meets the eye</a><p></p><p><a href="https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_downside_of_social_impact_bonds" target="_blank">The Downside of Social Impact Bonds</a> <br /></p><p><a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2017/01/dont-be-fooled-by-anytime-anywhere.html" target="_blank">I was surprised to re-read this 2017 post of mine that mentions the hybrid model of teaching, long before COVID-19. It's all about data mining, not really helping children.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09502386.2015.1017137?src=recsys&journalCode=rcus20" target="_blank">Bonded Life: Technologies of racial finance from slave insurance to philanthrocapital:</a> </p><p><a href="https://seattleducation.com/2017/10/03/social-impact-bonds-a-primer/" target="_blank">Social Impact Bonds Are About Greed, Not Good</a> </p><p><a href="https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2016/09/23/social-impact-bonds-pay-for-success-yet-another-form-of-privatization/" target="_blank">Social Impact Bonds (Pay for Success): Yet Another Privatization Scam</a> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpUV_JoNRWG6h-nFR8caidEYKKci9g4B9fmwn2fADbzOXclgvEf8dDrGDVLirKx34hMJ-TbWrAVBFq5IoNW2MXEMYZlBr3JIAtSAS6EBUw8hIPq539MdfpIeq10nB0tJlrN8rl3WbEu4/s641/Screen+Shot+2020-12-20+at+12.03.43+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="641" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpUV_JoNRWG6h-nFR8caidEYKKci9g4B9fmwn2fADbzOXclgvEf8dDrGDVLirKx34hMJ-TbWrAVBFq5IoNW2MXEMYZlBr3JIAtSAS6EBUw8hIPq539MdfpIeq10nB0tJlrN8rl3WbEu4/w392-h241/Screen+Shot+2020-12-20+at+12.03.43+PM.png" width="392" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://seattleducation.com/2015/12/31/what-everyone-else-knows-about-your-child/" target="_blank">What everyone else knows about your child</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://socialfinance.org/social-impact-bonds/" target="_blank">Social impact bonds are unique public-private partnerships that fund effective social services through performance-based contracts.</a></p><p><a href="https://policyandpoliticsblog.com/2018/03/21/profiting-from-pain-social-impact-bonds-and-social-policy/" target="_blank">Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) are a social policy tool that claims to solve complex policy problems, such as homelessness, unemployment, and recidivism, through the scientific methods of financial modelling.</a> </p><p><br /></p><p>If you are a teacher, chances are you have been asked to write measurable objectives. You have been entering benchmark data into websites multiple times a year. Chances are you have been asked to focus on outcomes. Bet you have had to write SMART goals (<i> SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant,
and Time-bound. </i>Perfect goals for social impact bond investing.<i>)</i> It is more than likely that your district's strategic plan is connected to the concept of sustainable communities and Community Schools. There is so much jargon involved with this "shift" in public education that there are now dictionaries to help you smell the danger before you step in it. Maybe <a href="https://www.amazon.com/EdSpeak-Doubletalk-Glossary-Hypocrisy-Schooling-ebook/dp/B0843G8473" target="_blank">buy some copies</a> for your local school board. And please share this post with them, too.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODp_0owrm-r76-OSCDBe0La0_5dAQwOE0EkvVeJcR5U5iE2l1XghYPkscGVktGs7lUQ8eUzkJVmxVlHnDv7PU7xNG-ImAnNpA2rqX5MJkcVbgIQBR-rot2JpuQgMbzeDZwgFXeoZgxxk/s490/Screen+Shot+2020-12-20+at+12.12.39+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="337" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODp_0owrm-r76-OSCDBe0La0_5dAQwOE0EkvVeJcR5U5iE2l1XghYPkscGVktGs7lUQ8eUzkJVmxVlHnDv7PU7xNG-ImAnNpA2rqX5MJkcVbgIQBR-rot2JpuQgMbzeDZwgFXeoZgxxk/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-12-20+at+12.12.39+PM.png" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-86091929128154798432020-11-15T12:16:00.002-08:002020-11-16T15:25:41.446-08:00Our Public Schools: A Hostile Corporate-Style Takeover<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxePb4c1-7hu5gdqMQfB3Qyv2oj6sijo0XVxICbaE5TO5oWUWE4A-N6kVzG02IvxxhTVVnHSZ__FxvswLXlYN0KF6Isc9qAM_peRUufDXpmKQz3X2fauQPgyDsIIpkCOGR9mAO-kfdiIE/s758/Screen+Shot+2020-11-15+at+12.31.24+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="745" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxePb4c1-7hu5gdqMQfB3Qyv2oj6sijo0XVxICbaE5TO5oWUWE4A-N6kVzG02IvxxhTVVnHSZ__FxvswLXlYN0KF6Isc9qAM_peRUufDXpmKQz3X2fauQPgyDsIIpkCOGR9mAO-kfdiIE/w391-h396/Screen+Shot+2020-11-15+at+12.31.24+PM.png" width="391" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">After earning a BBA in marketing, it didn't take long for me to leave the field and use my knowledge of psychology to do something more meaningful to me than get consumers to want more stuff. I went back to college to become a certified teacher and started teaching public school in 1994. I have seen many changes over the years. In <a href="https://nancyebailey.com/2020/11/15/business-terms-used-to-privatize-public-schools/" target="_blank">this</a> post by retired teacher, blogger, and author, Nancy Bailey, the infiltration of business thinking is set out before us on a silver tray to be observed and hopefully, to be heeded. Perhaps you still think the infiltration and destruction of public schools can't happen in your community. However, you are likely wrong and are almost certainly late to the party. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Every school district seems to be doing nearly identical things these days, from strategic plans to COVID-19 hybrid plans. Have you noticed the standardization of public school districts in your area? Many locally-elected school boards seem to be guided by misinformation and standardization (benchmarks, state tests, Pearson product assessments). If school boards willingly standardize and align their districts to be like others, do we still truly have local control?</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOEpDILs4dbJf1MUzpGNWs8OOxp2n_n3Yfaj-NE_qMns3N3dOuuaie5pRfcE9deSbZZ9wq7NvP9DYrJNTzdcI0P1Yl0ssMbKmqp2N2_dbKOvy2CmWj8-C9XAR8-a1x7IiFXl0WdueIrI/s540/Screen+Shot+2020-11-15+at+3.02.11+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOEpDILs4dbJf1MUzpGNWs8OOxp2n_n3Yfaj-NE_qMns3N3dOuuaie5pRfcE9deSbZZ9wq7NvP9DYrJNTzdcI0P1Yl0ssMbKmqp2N2_dbKOvy2CmWj8-C9XAR8-a1x7IiFXl0WdueIrI/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-11-15+at+3.02.11+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Following are the buzzwords Bailey features in her post, based on an article from <i>Phi Delta Kappan’s </i>October issue, called <a href="https://kappanonline.org/magazine-issue/school-for-sale/" target="_blank"><b>School for Sale.</b></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>1. Accountability<br /></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b>2. Alignment</b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b><b>3. Benchmarks</b></b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b><b><b>4. Best Practice</b></b></b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b><b><b><b>5. Brand</b></b></b></b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b><b><b><b><b> 6. CEO (Chief Executive Officer) </b></b></b></b></b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b><b><b><b><b><b>7. Customers</b></b></b></b></b></b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b>8. Data-Driven</b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b>9. Disruption</b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b>10. Entrepreneurs</b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b>11. Next-Gen</b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b>12. Partnerships</b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b>13. Portfolio</b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b>14. Stakeholder</b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><b>Read how each term is defined <a href="https://nancyebailey.com/2020/11/15/business-terms-used-to-privatize-public-schools/" target="_blank">here</a>. <br /></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">From our cities to the suburbs to our rural public schools, we are well into the purposeful, hostile, corporate-style take over of our public schools. Are many families less satisfied with the experiences in their schools with these administrative, top heavy business models? Are families feeling duped by endless "surveys" that are meant to give the illusion of "stakeholder" voice? Are many families being left with children scarred from the trauma of not having their learning needs met? Does your district put more energy/money into lawyers, PR and their website than truly helping children? Does your school district refer to the <i>children</i> they serve or do they refer to the <i>students</i> they serve? How easily the word <i>students</i> replaces the reminder that we are serving (<i>other people's) children, </i>and takes it out of the school vernacular. </p><p style="text-align: left;">It is the institutional memories of the seasoned professional and support staff who have dedicated their lives to the children in your community who are the memory keepers of the way things once worked better for kids. They are the ones who welcome the changes long overdue, as well. Ask the school staff what they think. They have likely been serving your community longer than any current administrator ever will. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b><b><b><b> </b></b></b></b></b>Time is running out for your school district, and everyone else's, too. And you should know, the push to privatize public schools is bipartisan. If parents don't learn what is going on and speak out, it is very likely that your grand-kids will never experience genuine public education. They will have to end up in a public-private partnership school, AKA a charter school. As this happens, the jargon and over testing runs wild in place of the creativity, critical thinking, and creating that could have been.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Don't let the marketing fool you.<b><b><b><b><b><br /></b></b></b></b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b><b><b><b> </b></b></b></b></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><b><b><b><b> </b> </b> </b> </b> </b> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-16818190276181657592020-07-15T10:14:00.001-07:002020-07-15T10:14:32.432-07:00Hell Yes, We Are Worried – #NotSafe To Reopen Schools in PersonI am scared for the children of America and their families. I am also scared for school staff and their families.<br />
If your child or parents or aunt or uncle or grandparents or friend or teacher or principal or neighbor dies due to reopening in person, would you still support it? Are we really prepared for the pain and suffering of reopening in person? Think about the effect these deaths have on the children left behind. If you agree, please share this on social media. For the kid's sake.<br />
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The following screen shots are all from the twitter feed of <span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Cleavon Gilman, MD</span></span><br />
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<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-4qtqp9 r-ip8ujx r-sjv1od r-zw8f10 r-bnwqim r-h9hxbl" dir="auto"></span></span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">@Cleavon_MD</span></div>
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<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Arizona ER Doc| Iraq War Vet | EMRA </span><span class="r-18u37iz"><a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1n1174f r-1loqt21 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" data-focusable="true" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%2345under45&src=hashtag_click" role="link">#45under45</a></span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">| on the </span><span class="r-18u37iz"><a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1n1174f r-1loqt21 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" data-focusable="true" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Covid&src=hashtag_click" role="link">#Covid</a></span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> pandemic frontlines x 2; NYC to AZ| Fighting COVID 24/7 | Never Forget HCWs </span><div class="css-1dbjc4n r-xoduu5">
<span class="r-18u37iz"><a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1n1174f r-1loqt21 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" data-focusable="true" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/CTZebra" role="link">@CTZebra</a></span></div>
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<span class="r-18u37iz">We need to know their stories and faces and listen to science. This hurts, but read each one. These poor kids... sigh.</span></div>
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Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-40684183157949872882020-07-13T12:06:00.003-07:002020-07-13T12:06:30.296-07:00WHO Expert Says No Normalcy Until Summer 2022. So now what?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been sensing that maybe the American public is being kept in the dark about certain things regarding this pandemic. I'm not sure this is it, but this sure stopped me in my tracks.<br />
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The <span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Director of the WHO </span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Center on Public Health & Human Rights believes we will not have a semblance of normalcy until summer 2022. I wasn't expecting that. He reminds us all that, "</span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Mother nature has unleashed a major force that we don't fully understand."</span></div>
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<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Why isn't this in the news? How do we live until this pandemic is a thing of the past? </span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">What do we do about educating children? </span>One thing I do know for sure is this: We cannot send children, teachers, and school staff into building and classrooms while not knowing what the experts know. </span></div>
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<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">I have never been a fan of cyber learning in lieu of in person learning. However, a global pandemic is the perfect time to give it a go. Ed Tech companies can play an important part in improving the online experience for our children. Nothing can be more important with COVID-19 at each of our doorsteps. We must be ethical and rely on science as we try to help our communities stay healthy and alive. </span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">When the </span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Director of the WHO</span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> Center on Public Health & Human Rights, who happens to also be a </span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Chaired Prof. of Global Health Law at Georgetown Law, tells us that summer of 2022 is his best estimate of when our lives may resemble anything considered normal, we should listen to him.</span></span></div>
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<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Yes, the economy matters. That said, let's put our minds together and figure out how to carry on as this pandemic waxes and wanes over the next couple of years. </span></span></div>
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<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">You know who needs a voice in this conversation? Teachers. </span></span></div>
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I agree with the tweet above from Chicago teacher, Dave Stieber. We can't rely on wishful thinking, and we certainly cannot trust the Secretary of Education. Please trust the teachers. When we enter the classroom we know we are in loco parentis. We should be protecting your kids the way we would protect our own.</div>
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When children enter the school building, we assume custody of students and, at the same time, the students
are deprived of the protection of their parents. <a href="https://usedulaw.com/345-in-loco-parentis.html">In effect, the schools act in place of the parent or instead of the parent—in loco parentis. </a></div>
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We want to keep your children & your family as safe as possible, just like we do with our own. Let's stop attacking one another on social media and help each other figure out how to improve online learning until it is safe to return to school in person. We can do this.</div>
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<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> Published here first:<a href="https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-07-13-please-listen-to-teachers-it-s-not-safe-to-go-back-to-school-yet"> https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-07-13-please-listen-to-teachers-it-s-not-safe-to-go-back-to-school-yet</a></span></div>
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Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-67776043287742854892020-07-06T08:29:00.000-07:002020-07-07T17:03:20.052-07:00Open Letter to America from a Teacher - in loco parentis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Teachers miss being in the classroom with the children more than you can imagine. We want to get back to teaching in person. Many of us have kids at home while we work too, and we agree, it is brutal. However, a lot of us have had it with our voices being kept out of important decisions that directly affect us, and our students. We are not the nation's babysitters. We are not the babysitters for the economy. We are not in the business of child care. Our unions have not amplified our voices or advocated for our health. And we are speaking up.<br />
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If you don't already know it, let me assure you that most teachers are rule followers. They aim to please their employers, and if something is good for children, we will often do it for free. We buy school supplies, snacks for kids who are hungry, and sometimes we take a bullet for your kids. That said, the corporate model of education has put us in the back of the proverbial bus. We are #NotSafe.<br />
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One of the big controversies right now is the <a href="https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/commpeds/catch/Pages/Our-Supporters.aspx">American Academy of Pediatrics</a> push to reopen schools in person. Like so many things today, groups we trust are often not what they appear. Why should we take advice from a group who lists Pfizer as their top supporter? If there are any others, they weren't listed. Why should big pharma have voice under the guise of the AAP?<br />
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Interestingly, doctor's offices are being very strict about how many people they see, and many are having patients wait in their cars until their turn. What's good for the goose doesn't seem to be good for the gander.<br />
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In addition, we are still learning about COVID-19 and children. While people post and tweet about how safe they believe children are, we just aren't sure. The YMCA shared this on <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/ymca-campers-covid-cases-rise/cfhbF8MTSHgUxN52DBIkaO/">their website</a> on 7/4/20:</div>
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The debate isn't just k-12 either. Colleges and Universities have to ask themselves some big, ethical questions, like should they return to sports as usual, even as professional sports will have teams play without fans?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmVlXNoB7PFQPZn_oAniTx_lTtdVsF9T1C050ygcoKiECaeEyM7J1ZVa3ujx9-xQFT-kHB3wm2kNX5vBsk61mN2_fsNb89gpinzlZXHHUm5GZ8A4cxhoLKgRUZ5A9ka81IojJaux6QkU/s1600/College+sports.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="597" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmVlXNoB7PFQPZn_oAniTx_lTtdVsF9T1C050ygcoKiECaeEyM7J1ZVa3ujx9-xQFT-kHB3wm2kNX5vBsk61mN2_fsNb89gpinzlZXHHUm5GZ8A4cxhoLKgRUZ5A9ka81IojJaux6QkU/s400/College+sports.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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In <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/colleges-that-reopen-are-making-a-big-mistake/611485/">this</a> piece in <i>The Atlantic, </i>a college president shares, "During the present health crisis, administrators at colleges and
universities should harbor no illusions. In the absence of a vaccine or
much more widespread testing, our institutions are the perfect
environment for the continued spread of COVID-19."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJoBHryCAOLSNHO-NVHKtdfa7xuvhm4i-KNUeKfFgmcvGWHllGv01JwDj-xo5a4j6ee-Y_RhxMS00vFMxRc5GQZDET4zZ3Hnt4Do3gbkFGEnTR2KJiSIUDWD57W1zGbTNGsR3Z1ogLBI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+8.50.02+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="1121" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJoBHryCAOLSNHO-NVHKtdfa7xuvhm4i-KNUeKfFgmcvGWHllGv01JwDj-xo5a4j6ee-Y_RhxMS00vFMxRc5GQZDET4zZ3Hnt4Do3gbkFGEnTR2KJiSIUDWD57W1zGbTNGsR3Z1ogLBI/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+8.50.02+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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The President of the <a href="https://fas.org/expert/ali-nouri/"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Federation of American Scientists</span></a><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">, Dr. Ali Nouri, tweeted the following visual & video of micro-droplets from ONE cough:</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbZ8p7Hv1e-Fi8Pv5OUrDm-zKGcD3KWqmZDFFDgZCSAZOWp8oWRPJE2eEWbd43Mgp9-UXLAldCcmuwEMcQnUJyA1gBn0k1dm0243RqdwWRW87n6myQsviVR_jhBDlW0stkXIIu9H0aNQ/s1600/One+cough.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="589" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbZ8p7Hv1e-Fi8Pv5OUrDm-zKGcD3KWqmZDFFDgZCSAZOWp8oWRPJE2eEWbd43Mgp9-UXLAldCcmuwEMcQnUJyA1gBn0k1dm0243RqdwWRW87n6myQsviVR_jhBDlW0stkXIIu9H0aNQ/s320/One+cough.png" width="263" /></a></div>
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<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> </span></span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-18u37iz r-1q142lx r-1qd0xha r-1b6yd1w r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"></span> </div>
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Watch the video <a href="https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/video/9999604/">HERE</a>. </div>
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Wearing masks helps limit micro-droplet emissions, but we are working with children and teens. </div>
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This TikTok imagines just the tip of the iceberg of what teachers will have to deal with regarding masks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfa7Pwkm60rQcCqRnnVkCUH1v3TDYKdWSKo2_ATYxQs9NyhZNURU75eGLHhtrWKHBNb4pJmKevaHZRR1ahYT9GcHZCgb8ODsYa6u9eXtFJBtleZflZf5KpdWogYDLyMA6mPFQIiRbV7i8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+5.05.47+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfa7Pwkm60rQcCqRnnVkCUH1v3TDYKdWSKo2_ATYxQs9NyhZNURU75eGLHhtrWKHBNb4pJmKevaHZRR1ahYT9GcHZCgb8ODsYa6u9eXtFJBtleZflZf5KpdWogYDLyMA6mPFQIiRbV7i8/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+5.05.47+PM.png" width="285" /></a></div>
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Click <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@kyle_jenkins03/video/6845641690099846405">HERE</a> to watch.</div>
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Another important point to consider is when states use wording for reopening guidelines, such as, "to the extent possible." It is a safety loophole. Read about one community's vocal push back <a href="https://www.gazettenet.com/Amherst-Pelham-school-officials-raise-concerns-with-state-guidelines-34991198">here</a>.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9wosTBmm2w9vTmuSN8fUfLNY3F4CJ38T_G-EcU5ORPhCn8Tnbq3Jo-w7gU9oWIh7YShx4jVL026uBRKkdhOyb0CANqgA2Bvn105CrbLoUCJR8Lhg8s2a0MgjrlECAign2Gff5SspDYI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+5.10.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="571" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9wosTBmm2w9vTmuSN8fUfLNY3F4CJ38T_G-EcU5ORPhCn8Tnbq3Jo-w7gU9oWIh7YShx4jVL026uBRKkdhOyb0CANqgA2Bvn105CrbLoUCJR8Lhg8s2a0MgjrlECAign2Gff5SspDYI/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+5.10.12+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See more classroom design thoughts at t<a href="https://who-cester.blogspot.com/2020/07/dese-room-diagrams.html">his blog</a>.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDn3ZdCBkvshR27n_QNfnPwsObvU8stZsgZlfhdZbz17vD4WeWuTsLrEoyhI7jqRgB7PQ910o8qD9uuH10WKPtEUd2PIqqT1ReRFqzJTOpaTw53SJ-YyAACesRpTmZb_32W_5cOL-JDJ0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-07-06+at+9.49.47+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="691" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDn3ZdCBkvshR27n_QNfnPwsObvU8stZsgZlfhdZbz17vD4WeWuTsLrEoyhI7jqRgB7PQ910o8qD9uuH10WKPtEUd2PIqqT1ReRFqzJTOpaTw53SJ-YyAACesRpTmZb_32W_5cOL-JDJ0/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-07-06+at+9.49.47+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Some people are pushing to reopen schools in person, due to to the "learning gap" from the digital divide. Instead of lighting a fire under cable corporations and tech billionaires to provide free internet and devices to all schools/children in need, they are pushing Black and Brown children into school buildings where they will be even more likely to bring the virus home to elderly family members and those with pre-existing health conditions, such as diabetes & heart conditions. Communities of color already are burdened by disproportionate numbers of COVD-19 cases. Read more <a href="https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/covid-19s-assault-black-and-brown-communities">here</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0Cqwr5YftdUwC95B31X4zY3WBJrt35VTarweDFgTbUg9NvQrjCsbyafEwH4hJ_K7QGbUQT7ozA_9H6bIifq0AzGaJ6kv1ng8vBiD2zVfSDQGfwv_2azdgN901r7xsJ9HEnQOYClsovQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+9.43.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1394" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0Cqwr5YftdUwC95B31X4zY3WBJrt35VTarweDFgTbUg9NvQrjCsbyafEwH4hJ_K7QGbUQT7ozA_9H6bIifq0AzGaJ6kv1ng8vBiD2zVfSDQGfwv_2azdgN901r7xsJ9HEnQOYClsovQ/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+9.43.11+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Teachers miss our students & our classrooms. There is something magical that happens between students and teachers within those four walls. However, school staff, teachers, children, and their family's health must come first. Our Federal government has failed us during this global pandemic, and as those charged <a href="https://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/in+loco+parentis">in loco parentis</a>, it is our ethical duty to say returning to school in person is #NotSafe.</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="ILfuVd NA6bn"><span class="e24Kjd"><br /> </span></span></span></div>
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Below are more voices to consider on this life or death issue.</h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Steven Singer:/<a href="https://gadflyonthewallblog.com/2020/06/30/trapped-on-a-runaway-train-to-a-public-school-disaster/">https://gadflyonthewallblog.com/2020/06/30/trapped-on-a-runaway-train-to-a-public-school-disaster/</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rHP-51RzoI_qIefQjrQFluqG4vpi8w2f7oklHv-ioXG7UYp9SmDx8GStqvlNjyp-s8Qu1dumCnp4reOIHjVfVImC84m2DT_5xVYYMq3xyjqGUUpRXs6oEVm6u5Zd4ruRJe8N7u_c5a0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+5.36.01+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="589" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rHP-51RzoI_qIefQjrQFluqG4vpi8w2f7oklHv-ioXG7UYp9SmDx8GStqvlNjyp-s8Qu1dumCnp4reOIHjVfVImC84m2DT_5xVYYMq3xyjqGUUpRXs6oEVm6u5Zd4ruRJe8N7u_c5a0/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+5.36.01+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Peter Greene: </div>
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<a href="http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2020/06/to-everyone-who-was-never-classroom.html">http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2020/06/to-everyone-who-was-never-classroom.html</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoLxypyg1GjqrLPANZW1uoA3OAcK9EsD_pfiqE19Pi-keohAlDAUcaphB5jSDHWhZSHlFOTBxKXbUqG5qSqFYTcM6KFD2whGgdyaDyyiPqYu6r-ERPZr2dfCc2EJG4WscnQD-oENp1_M/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+6.56.14+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="586" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoLxypyg1GjqrLPANZW1uoA3OAcK9EsD_pfiqE19Pi-keohAlDAUcaphB5jSDHWhZSHlFOTBxKXbUqG5qSqFYTcM6KFD2whGgdyaDyyiPqYu6r-ERPZr2dfCc2EJG4WscnQD-oENp1_M/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+6.56.14+PM.png" width="348" /></a></div>
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Nancy E. Bailey: </div>
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<a href="https://nancyebailey.com/2020/06/28/22-reasons-why-schools-should-not-reopen-in-the-fall/">https://nancyebailey.com/2020/06/28/22-reasons-why-schools-should-not-reopen-in-the-fall/</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDPRK_D9hTWZEeKDZTI-gJXANSZK1v8x5KMKQBpjfWt3xtGBwF5YMy0e5HtfKcyqkiynwI8rNqYXz5TYBoOTFAvZCSgkTTD-nUQXdLd-fldr2kDitIYygrnEBCslMQpd69RN1hjmAA68/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+6.58.29+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="575" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDPRK_D9hTWZEeKDZTI-gJXANSZK1v8x5KMKQBpjfWt3xtGBwF5YMy0e5HtfKcyqkiynwI8rNqYXz5TYBoOTFAvZCSgkTTD-nUQXdLd-fldr2kDitIYygrnEBCslMQpd69RN1hjmAA68/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+6.58.29+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thomas Ultican: </div>
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<a href="https://tultican.com/2020/06/21/reopening-schools-and-debunking-demagoguery/">https://tultican.com/2020/06/21/reopening-schools-and-debunking-demagoguery/</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtohLL1nFIy_CVR1P7OBhWFhajdXAssBJ9JzNi_UlJxBxzKRZ1AXtNC8n-3ftFreZ6F_cE64Vb8VWKJVjc5ERngC4314DydxAShR0Nk1jdcD8enY3XIjciJT404GJWlzPoxH1rjLAAZM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+7.02.03+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="580" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtohLL1nFIy_CVR1P7OBhWFhajdXAssBJ9JzNi_UlJxBxzKRZ1AXtNC8n-3ftFreZ6F_cE64Vb8VWKJVjc5ERngC4314DydxAShR0Nk1jdcD8enY3XIjciJT404GJWlzPoxH1rjLAAZM/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+7.02.03+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mitchell Robinson:</div>
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<a href="https://www.eclectablog.com/2020/07/lets-talk-about-reopening-schools.html">https://www.eclectablog.com/2020/07/lets-talk-about-reopening-schools.html</a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfah28K4YtG3xJ675-sGFcSscwGjZcugn4rhqeCNXcHIgkwlo1Bvc0BwYWDRWI5EQpl3D2cItqzZZltLeXUMDNGxSvWg_0UIw1VyIrbqtMf5Q6ASbL80agyFAYe4ys2ZtkRF_LZz2dwQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+7.04.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="784" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfah28K4YtG3xJ675-sGFcSscwGjZcugn4rhqeCNXcHIgkwlo1Bvc0BwYWDRWI5EQpl3D2cItqzZZltLeXUMDNGxSvWg_0UIw1VyIrbqtMf5Q6ASbL80agyFAYe4ys2ZtkRF_LZz2dwQ/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-07-05+at+7.04.34+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Neil Demause :</div>
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<a href="https://wordsanddeedsblog.com/what-the-corporate-media-isnt-telling-you-about-reopening-risks/">https://wordsanddeedsblog.com/what-the-corporate-media-isnt-telling-you-about-reopening-risks/</a> </div>
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Mark Weber:</div>
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<a href="http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/2020/04/how-schools-work-practical-guide-for.html">http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/2020/04/how-schools-work-practical-guide-for.html</a> </div>
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Mercedes Schneider:</div>
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<a href="https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2020/06/25/parents-need-to-go-to-work-does-not-stop-covid-at-the-school-door/">https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2020/06/25/parents-need-to-go-to-work-does-not-stop-covid-at-the-school-door/</a> </div>
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In the News:</div>
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<a href="https://briefly.co.za/69617-775-schools-hit-by-covid-19-1169-teachers-523-students-infected.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=ps">https://briefly.co.za/69617-775-schools-hit-by-covid-19-1169-teachers-523-students-infected.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=ps</a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-effects/scientists-just-beginning-to-understand-the-many-health-problems-caused-by-covid-19-idUSKBN23X1BZ">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-effects/scientists-just-beginning-to-understand-the-many-health-problems-caused-by-covid-19-idUSKBN23X1BZ</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/06/03/868507524/israel-orders-schools-to-close-when-covid-19-cases-are-discovered">https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/06/03/868507524/israel-orders-schools-to-close-when-covid-19-cases-are-discovered</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/29/asia/south-korea-coronavirus-shuts-down-again-intl/index.html">https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/29/asia/south-korea-coronavirus-shuts-down-again-intl/index.html</a> <br />
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<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-university-of-washington-frat-houses-outbreak/">https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-university-of-washington-frat-houses-outbreak/</a> </div>
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<span class="r-18u37iz"><a href="https://amp.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article243892967.html?__twitter_impression=true">https://amp.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article243892967.html?__twitter_impression=true</a> </span></div>
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Tweets from Dr. Judy Melinik, <span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Forensic pathologist, columnist</span><span class="r-18u37iz">@medpagetoday & author, on reopening schools in person:</span></div>
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And I will leave you with this very realistic question, because it is going to happen...</div>
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Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-48632418764231739442020-01-26T07:19:00.001-08:002020-01-26T07:20:46.417-08:00Why I Broke Up with Bill Gates<br />
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Back in the 1990’s we all routed for the young dot-comers
whose ideas were revolutionary and seemed badass and exciting. What was not to
love about an Ivy League dropout who changed the world from his garage? <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/197526">Entrepreneur</a> reports
that, “<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In just 25
years, he built a two-man operation into a multibillion-dollar colossus and
made himself the richest man in the world somewhere along the way. Yet he
accomplished this feat not by inventing new technology, but by taking existing
technology, adapting it to a specific market, and then dominating that market
through innovative promotion and cunning business savvy.” And when Gates
brought that cunning business approach to education, well, that is where my
disillusion began.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
dangerous thing about being a tech expert is the possibility of crossing the
line of your area of expertise. I imagine Bill Gates means well, but can he
really improve education (Nope, read </span><a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2019/11/24/mercedes-schneider-after-multiple-failures-why-doesnt-the-gates-foundation-leave-k-12-schools-alone/"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">this</span></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/10/19/bill-gates-has-another-plan-for-k-12-public-education-the-others-didnt-go-so-well/"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">this</span></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, and </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/06/09/ravitch-time-for-congress-to-investigate-bill-gates-role-in-common-core/"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">this</span></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">)? </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-melinda-gates-foundation-education-initiative-failure-2018-6"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Business Insider</span></a><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> reports that Gates and his
foundation failed at the following:</span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A seven-year education initiative funded by the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation centered on improving teacher effectiveness didn't work,
according to a new report from RAND.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The initiative, called the Intensive Partnerships for Effective
Teaching, didn't improve student graduation rates or schools' ability to
retain effective teachers.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></li>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/06/02/gates-foundation-chief-admits-common-core-mistakes/"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Washington Post</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> adds:</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">…In the fall of 2014, he gave a nearly hour-long
interview at Harvard University in which he said, “It would be great if our
education stuff worked, but that we won’t know for probably a decade.” They
wouldn’t know for a decade? The foundation was essentially using its vast
resources to experiment in education — and when it found that one experiment
didn’t work, it went on to another.</span></i></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(The Gates
Foundation) … keeps jumping into education projects and driving education
policy — whether or not it makes sense to educators — simply because it
seems like it makes sense to the foundation. Inevitably, it doesn’t work
out as planned, and we hear somebody from the foundation confessing the
work was harder than they thought.</span></i></li>
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</span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/06/02/gates-foundation-chief-admits-common-core-mistakes/"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This Washington Post</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> article, “</span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gates Foundation failures
show philanthropists shouldn’t be setting America’s public school agenda”,
makes some powerful points:</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Gates foundation has actually been at the “oops” stage before. It entered the
education reform world nearly 20 years ago with what the foundation has said
was a $650 million investment to break up large failing high schools into small
schools, on the theory that small schools worked better than large ones. The
foundation, however, did not approach the task in a way that some educators
said was important, and after nine years of pushing the project, Bill Gates, in
his 2009 annual foundation letter, said it hadn’t worked and it was time to
move on to new K-12 education issues.</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then
the foundation poured several hundred million dollars to develop, implement and
promote the Common Core State Standards, as well as hundreds of millions more
in creating and implementing educator assessment systems that incorporated
student standardized test scores into individual teacher’s evaluations. That
assessment experts said using student test scores as part of a teacher’s
evaluation wasn’t reliable or valid wasn’t an issue for the foundation — until,
apparently, it was. In 2013, Gates, after bankrolling a rush to evaluate
teachers by standardized test scores, decided that it wasn’t going as he had
planned.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So
what is an innovative ed tech developer to do? It is time to go #EthicalEdTech.
As a teacher, my concerns may be different from what non-teachers imagine. Not
only do I want my students to enjoy learning, but I want to ensure that the
learning is high-level, and does not use or share my students data at the
expense of student privacy. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
seems to me that up to this point, schools and ed tech companies have been
relying on parents being unaware of student data collection/sales and the
low-level learning of common core alignment. Getting rich off the ignorant
bliss of parents is unethical and parents are catching on. Consider this from </span><a href="https://www.studentprivacymatters.org/letter-from-23-organizations-to-the-ftc-about-strengthening-rather-than-weakening-coppa/"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Parent
Coalition for Student Privacy</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:</span><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">As parents, educators, and advocates, we believe that
the expansion of digital technologies in schools, especially those that collect
data directly from children, serve neither their instructional needs nor their
emotional and social well-being.</span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">We also
believe that these practices seriously risk children’s privacy, given the
increased number of breaches reported by schools and districts throughout the
country. Since COPPA was passed in 1998, the use of technology has expanded in
schools with insufficient oversight and inadequate security protections. The
number of breaches and attacks by criminal hackers has increased, so that now
schools are the second-largest victims of ransomware. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_ftnref1"></a><a href="https://www.studentprivacymatters.org/#_ftn1"><span style="mso-bookmark: _ftnref1;"><sup>[1]</sup></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _ftnref1;"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _ftnref1;"></span> We are also concerned about the potential
monetization of this personal data for marketing and advertising purposes.</span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Can #EthicalEdTech re-imagine technology in
schools? Here are some ideas for my ed tech friends to ponder as you dream up
your next big ideas:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">1. Dump the Common Core State Standards as
the </span><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/common-core-standards_b_5346907"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">low-level learning data tags</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> that they are. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">2. Design technology that requires students
to engage in face-to-face interactions with classmates as they interact with
technology. Make it fun and embrace that children are wired for human
interaction. Reduce isolated screen time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">3. Look to developmental psychology for age-appropriateness
of topics and activities. Honor the humanity in each child and create
open-ended experiences with no right or wrong answer. Make kids think, dream,
and imagine!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">4. Earn the trust of teachers and parents by
protecting student privacy and data. If data is the new gold, what can you
create that is #EthicalEdTech and will go platinum?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">5. Learn more about the many questionable
ways student data is being collected and used by the industry and the
government. This well-researched blog explains the matrix they want our kids
in, and it must be stopped. Want to really understand the big picture? Learn </span><a href="https://wrenchinthegears.com/2018/09/15/montessori-inc-pre-k-predictive-profiling-for-power-and-profit/"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">here</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">. Read
through the blog at your own pace, but read it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">As we look to the next big thing in ed tech
we must do better. It will not be the misleading and cunning marketers who make
the world a better place. It is up to the new generation of ed tech dreamers to
make the much needed course correction in the field. Don’t go for the money made
by manipulation and data mining of the world’s children. I am dumping Gates and
replacing him with the lessons of my first children’s hero, Mr. Rogers; </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">“</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It's not the
honors and the prizes and the fancy outsides of life which ultimately nourish
our souls. It's the knowing that we can be trusted, that we never have to fear
the truth, that the bedrock of our very being is good stuff.” </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejuuhs-Wj7L0Up3IhA31akGLRWIk7QYeqNvHBxuMa4DQb_9PMsWsaeeHcqSuAc6bNQB_71__DhBNH2yxXs6NcYY7yIL_I3yClQwkMu4qAQTSlemyskPTgnWJJoXStLXqqwguD99ENAco/s1600/sullivan_1-0117191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhejuuhs-Wj7L0Up3IhA31akGLRWIk7QYeqNvHBxuMa4DQb_9PMsWsaeeHcqSuAc6bNQB_71__DhBNH2yxXs6NcYY7yIL_I3yClQwkMu4qAQTSlemyskPTgnWJJoXStLXqqwguD99ENAco/s320/sullivan_1-0117191.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mr. Rogers would be be fighting for #EthicalEdTech, no doubt about it.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}</style>Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-54393929749740093372019-01-27T06:46:00.000-08:002019-01-27T10:42:02.688-08:00This is the lead expert witness in the Wolk case against LMSD?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDQEu4g2gJGUmhi97btGsmEUr6DuCEGYtz1nJR-Usn8jCt4xNbLujP_e8CNv4s82QH6oVkVy4OWI2plhdG5uB42tnfntyzKAtBaJ7XEHKtgp9mqn-FIamYg4y2LdjJXJMyQi3A9QuE3k/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-01-23+at+8.31.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDQEu4g2gJGUmhi97btGsmEUr6DuCEGYtz1nJR-Usn8jCt4xNbLujP_e8CNv4s82QH6oVkVy4OWI2plhdG5uB42tnfntyzKAtBaJ7XEHKtgp9mqn-FIamYg4y2LdjJXJMyQi3A9QuE3k/s320/Screen+Shot+2019-01-23+at+8.31.34+PM.png" width="320" /></a> </div>
<br />
<a href="http://chescotimes.com/?p=12364">This</a> 2015 op ed is written by Michael T. Rock. At that time he was a Unionville–Chadds Ford School Board Director. He is a Samuel and Etta Wexler Professor of Economic History at Bryn Mawr College. </div>
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<br />
He seems like a pretty <a href="http://www.unionvilletimes.com/?p=33325" target="_blank">decent human</a><a href="http://www.unionvilletimes.com/?p=33325" target="_blank"> being</a>, too.<br />
<br />
Professor Rock states the following:<br />
<br />
<i>Jeff’s and his colleague Keith Knauss’ political action committee aims
to promote what they called efficient education. When I first joined the
Board Keith encouraged me to visit their website Efficient Education.
What I found there was alarming—the use of shoddy statistical work and
cherry picking of the academic literature to suit their ideological
predispositions. As a practicing research economist I was appalled. To
make matters worse, Jeff’s political action colleague said at a recent
Board meeting that he’d like to see the UCFSD create a KIPP charter
school. Except for the Hellrung/Knauss ideological predispositions, I
can’t see how this makes any sense. Sad to say, I’m led to conclude that
Jeff not only carries his political predispositions into his role as a
school board member, now he is parlaying his political action work into a
local school board election outside his region where it has no place. </i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The author of this letter has confirmed that the "colleague" who wanted to bring a Kipp Charter School to the UCFSD was none other than Keith Knauss, the lead <i>expert</i> witness in the Wolk vs. LMSD case.</span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Is this what he wants in Lower Merion? Is he using<i> "</i></span><i>... shoddy statistical work and
cherry picking of the academic literature to suit... ideological
predispositions"?</i><i> </i></h3>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOAwTYmKrHA_EHeKGSSo8c6f5jQ-GEDsHpGKpjLroc4S9gzDYVPZKMihuDLrnt_UQ0YcwjCC_W-Vg87wCLoB8JcvRQSCWiq6IVqfNjWw5iwW1Fi07-MUos3EKgctgdFUx3msK328MDNg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-01-23+at+8.18.30+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="696" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOAwTYmKrHA_EHeKGSSo8c6f5jQ-GEDsHpGKpjLroc4S9gzDYVPZKMihuDLrnt_UQ0YcwjCC_W-Vg87wCLoB8JcvRQSCWiq6IVqfNjWw5iwW1Fi07-MUos3EKgctgdFUx3msK328MDNg/s320/Screen+Shot+2019-01-23+at+8.18.30+PM.png" width="287" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
See it yourself in The Times of Chester County <a href="http://chescotimes.com/?p=12364">here.</a></div>
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Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-452670450512633432018-03-01T18:31:00.000-08:002018-03-02T04:03:18.708-08:00State Tests Still Stink. Want to know why?<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9FKnIGHljRY50QKd5MToZw0Pxk5AToF48TngKN7ZttuWN1Q94v6UY250Ajr_Hpd_nQbYpcS1fErebk_tSp5wx0IPcJ4y2cUqD6R9JHsOSeTaQfj6wxxeBvyjSp4Xj96RMrQ4ZYZ0YF-8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-03-01+at+8.29.46+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9FKnIGHljRY50QKd5MToZw0Pxk5AToF48TngKN7ZttuWN1Q94v6UY250Ajr_Hpd_nQbYpcS1fErebk_tSp5wx0IPcJ4y2cUqD6R9JHsOSeTaQfj6wxxeBvyjSp4Xj96RMrQ4ZYZ0YF-8/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-03-01+at+8.29.46+PM.png" width="335" /></a> </div>
If you have or know children between grades 4 and 8, chances are they are being taught something called, Text Dependent Analysis (TDAs) in their English/Language Arts classes. Ask the kids what they think about them... this is a public education issue across America.<br />
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In the government's quest to privatize public education (think charter schools), and to provide vouchers (think a drop in the bucket of private school tuition), the shell game of your state's standardized test is getting worse than ever. Contrary to what so many people think, state standardized tests are designed to fail our children, so politicians can claim public schools are "failing" America's children.<br />
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The thing is, our public schools are not failing. Yes, public schools have room to grow, but rest assured that the quality of public education would greatly improve if politicians left teaching to the experts.<br />
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The amount of test prep in our schools is shameful. Teachers from around the country and our region are frustrated and demoralized at the lack of autonomy. The time to curl up with a self-selected book is gone, history and science take a back seat as non-tested subjects. Math has so much reading & writing in it that students who are strong at mathematics, but have launguage-based learning differences are struggling. The arts have been cut in public schools to create a market for charter schools with the very themes of the cut arts. Self-serving politicians are using our children as pawns in their efforts to kill our public schools. <br />
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Since President Regan's "Nation at Risk" report (<span class="_Tgc _s8w"> The Imperative for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Nation_at_Risk" target="_blank">Educational Reform</a> is the <b>1983</b> report of American President Ronald Reagan's National Commission on Excellence in Education.), the media has run with propaganda-filled sound bites about "failing public schools". So many of us remained unconcerned because we were in "high achieving" suburban school districts, and could imagine that the urban schools really needed some change. However, the focus is on suburban school now, as our cities and rural areas are infiltrated with charter schools and cyber charters, and the wealthy suburbs are where the big tax dollars are. In fact, even our best suburban public schools are already losing more of our tax dollars to cyber charters than you would believe.</span><br />
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<span class="_Tgc _s8w"></span>It is easy for both neo-liberals (like President Obama and Hillary Clinton) and Republicans (like Jeb Bush and President Trump) to think that what our public schools need is for business people to profit off of them. Getting our tax dollars into private pockets is the end game here. This is happening each time a parent decides to send their child (and a huge chunk of their tax dollars) to a charter school. Many religious school & private school parents are hoping that vouchers will help take a few grand off of their tuition, with little thought to how vouchers will kill their neighborhood schools. What happened to Americans wanting a well-educated society? When did we start only caring about our own children?<br />
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So how will the political opportunists "prove" your local schools are "failing"? By changing the state tests year after year, and purposely designing the tests to prove former Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan right. Infamously, <b>"<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2013/11/16/arne-duncan-white-surburban-moms-upset-that-common-core-shows-their-kids-arent-brilliant/?utm_term=.aa4fed20c9c4" target="_blank">U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan</a> told a group of state school superintendents... that he found it “fascinating” that some of the
opposition to the Common Core State Standards has come from <u>“white
suburban moms who — all of a sudden — their child isn’t as brilliant as
they thought they were, and their school isn’t quite as good as they
thought they were.”</u></b> Wow. Duncan refers to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in the video. Among other things, the CCSS (which are called the PA Core State Standards in Pennsylvania), are data tags. They standardize what test makers, technology companies, and book/workbook publishers, include in their products. They were designed for easier profits, not what is best for children. <br />
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And here is how they try to "prove" that our kids aren't smart.<br />
In the English/Language Arts section of the state tests, there is more than one possible answer on multiple choice questions, the once separate reading and writing sections are now confusingly combined & long, and an uninspiring text dependent analysis (TDA) section has been added. There are a number of parents whose kids usually do well on standardized tests, and those parents are noticing the low scores of their kids on TDAs. I doubt they think their children suddenly got dumber. It is time for parents to acknowledge that these state tests are poor measures of what their kids know, and the quality of our schools.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ue5aKGnHEg1nKDMcQTufWl4qsQP-4uYxCdZU9_8aiMTVW2rLvE41szUl8hlnecCZdVaVnGVSS4Q_gkm8QiCSSpB_0FfUZTx0WKoeRHdGqTgq1uH8G8ZGToa7fbSVI3iBcYGEY09hGqY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-03-01+at+8.54.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="792" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ue5aKGnHEg1nKDMcQTufWl4qsQP-4uYxCdZU9_8aiMTVW2rLvE41szUl8hlnecCZdVaVnGVSS4Q_gkm8QiCSSpB_0FfUZTx0WKoeRHdGqTgq1uH8G8ZGToa7fbSVI3iBcYGEY09hGqY/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-03-01+at+8.54.40+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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David Coleman, president of the <a href="https://patch.com/new-jersey/newbrunswick/bp--the-college-board-a-very-profitable-nonprofit" target="_blank">very profitable, non-profit</a>, College Board (and one of the authors of the ELA Common Core State Standards) claims that he supported TDA-type questions because, "...as you grow up in this world, you realize that people don't really give a shit about what you feel or what you think..." He wants kids to simply quote large passages of text to answer TDA questions. The more kids quote, the happier the scorer (human or computer). It sure makes <a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2013/11/is_robo-grading_driving_the_de.html" target="_blank">robo scoring</a> easier when a text can be entered and the more the algorithm recognizes, the higher the score.<br />
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If you are interested in the issues within the math section of the PSSA, read <a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/04/math-teacher-explains-pssa-math-doesnt.html" target="_blank">this guest post</a> by exceptional Lower Merion teacher, Katy Morris.</div>
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No Child Left Behind was an awful law, which was replaced by the awful Every Student Succeeds Act, and our children are the ones losing out. With business and politics at the helm of education, our kids are being short changed. Have your kids take the state tests or don't. That is up to you, but no matter what your child scores, don't be too proud... or too upset. The tests are lousy, but your public schools aren't.</div>
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Demand less test prep, and a return to a full curriculum, passion for the arts, hands-on projects, reading books (made of paper!), more time for science, social studies, creative writing, drama, fiction novels, physical education, recess, developing a love of learning, and please demand that teachers have autonomy returned to their classrooms. Standardization was great for Model T Fords –</div>
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Not so much for young humans.</div>
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Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-53670061125645861762018-02-08T18:22:00.000-08:002018-02-08T18:22:52.385-08:00Eagles Fans know What works in Education - Superbowl Champs Edition.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6SptLx_lr5U7V4EdjFHHm8RZVMczWGqYAeMxZne0uWB44cAq0RsKhf5x_T7iV7D_exxvh16BAn0540BDeA1K_AXaROde9hp2wPcYSHRiPSRl9ZvN1f8Am7Bjic_seeAXmukbTvlOOL9M/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-02-08+at+8.55.14+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="823" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6SptLx_lr5U7V4EdjFHHm8RZVMczWGqYAeMxZne0uWB44cAq0RsKhf5x_T7iV7D_exxvh16BAn0540BDeA1K_AXaROde9hp2wPcYSHRiPSRl9ZvN1f8Am7Bjic_seeAXmukbTvlOOL9M/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-02-08+at+8.55.14+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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My dear friend and fellow public education activist, Alison McDowell, decided not only to celebrate the Eagles winning the Superbowl, but to speak with fellow Philadelphians about their schools. I was amazed with how aware people are about the true ways to improve education for kids.<br />
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Lower Merion & all suburban school districts, pay close attention. What we see happening in Philadelphia is part of the plan of Betsy DeVos and other education reformers who want to kill ALL of public education. We are not immune to ideas like this.<br />
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Alison is a serious advocate for public ed, and I know no one whose research digs deeper than hers. In <a href="https://wrenchinthegears.com/2018/02/08/philly-education-street-talk-at-the-eagles-super-bowl-celebration-parade/" target="_blank">this</a> blog post, she outs the current SRC's plans to spend big bucks on a low quality, one-size-fits-all, phony, "personalized learning" Pearson program. She writes, "Given the outgoing School Reform Commission’s plans to vote to spend
almost $20 million dollars next week on corporate computer-based
curriculum and data management by Pearson, the celebratory Eagles Super
Bowl parade seemed like a perfect time to go out and ask Philadelphians
how they would use the money instead. It’s time we started listening to
the voice of the people. It was a great experience that made me so
appreciate the wonderful human connections that are possible in our
city. If you want to build a movement, education is critical and it can
happen many places, including the streets. After watching this video I
encourage you to share it with others who value human teachers over data
and algorithms."<br />
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Watch this 6 minute video, and see how the people get it right!<br />
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<u>Here is a sample of where the wise people of Philadelphia think the $20 million </u></div>
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<u>would be better spent:</u></div>
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-Teacher salaries</div>
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-Books</div>
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-Reducing class sizes</div>
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-Sports</div>
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-Music</div>
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-The Arts</div>
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-Outdoor playground equiptment</div>
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-Field trips</div>
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-School supplies</div>
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- Building matenience</div>
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-New Books</div>
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-NO ON-LINE DATA COLLECTION</div>
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-Opening more schools</div>
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-Neighborhood schools, not charter schools</div>
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-Guidance counselors</div>
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-Supporting special needs students</div>
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-Stop the focus on just math and reading/Stop standardized testing/No testing</div>
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-Bring back creative thinking</div>
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-Limit time on computers</div>
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-After school clubs</div>
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-Access to paper books</div>
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-Stop test prep and teaching to the test</div>
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The gentleman in the red sweatshirt said something I have often thought, "Human evolution was not meant to end up sitting at a computer terminal."</div>
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Check out <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/04/technology/early-facebook-google-employees-fight-tech.html?ref=oembed" target="_blank">this</a> NYT article about some of the early pioneers of the tech industry, who have banded together to earn about the dangers of tech addiction.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDncQeJX8qfT9VcHNfKJwgobckjSRAK9e9mK9UBCFWmSKQRKieVVY65nKu9XzN8mGzumhe2kZCi1F8WS-31Xl7otbjbXr3EjTDAtMlFVnFup0KeThzPtsRTtYC_8wWNwTYlAzugWwlULs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-02-08+at+9.12.35+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDncQeJX8qfT9VcHNfKJwgobckjSRAK9e9mK9UBCFWmSKQRKieVVY65nKu9XzN8mGzumhe2kZCi1F8WS-31Xl7otbjbXr3EjTDAtMlFVnFup0KeThzPtsRTtYC_8wWNwTYlAzugWwlULs/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-02-08+at+9.12.35+PM.png" width="332" /></a></div>
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First they came for the cities, then the rural districts... beware suburbs – we are next.<br />
<br />Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-62371059908263625632018-01-01T10:50:00.000-08:002018-01-02T07:43:59.271-08:00Happy 2018: Demands for our schools<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkSaHYUkDXwSax4OuvPKWSq9dcSMCrQ9cCe1Y4lAkRTAl_yjoJzBXezBN3_ScYU9DnWugoBKjaB-CZJcPOyP6GPaLUgydMHZ_xCsT1fI1Hhg6znNBfU_76nq93yRoN0t-AxmbXFexjo8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-01+at+12.10.50+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="800" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkSaHYUkDXwSax4OuvPKWSq9dcSMCrQ9cCe1Y4lAkRTAl_yjoJzBXezBN3_ScYU9DnWugoBKjaB-CZJcPOyP6GPaLUgydMHZ_xCsT1fI1Hhg6znNBfU_76nq93yRoN0t-AxmbXFexjo8/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-01-01+at+12.10.50+PM.png" width="400" /> </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Hope you enjoy the new look of the blog!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As much as marketers of education are trying to convince us that learning for the 21st century must include "personalized" learning on devices that use algorithms, instead of smaller classes with highly educated human teachers, we know that is untrue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Want to know the real "best practices" and educational philosophies? Here are just a few examples from <a href="http://dewey.pragmatism.org/creed.htm" target="_blank">John Dewey's Pedagogic creed</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Does your school district have a pedagogic creed? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Maybe it is time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZvBVG0VRxcutwnzwTncEvLev097kWiZdRvuDwBMJam98Kq0R4JOUAQE65IiYECJjrEn3DZYkOvL_SlqUlCQfoV6dOnLypWEzYL3Rg_GYOOaH_zMxtcciZ6AsBV8UJUuTCbrmaFuoUnY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-01+at+12.23.07+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="756" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZvBVG0VRxcutwnzwTncEvLev097kWiZdRvuDwBMJam98Kq0R4JOUAQE65IiYECJjrEn3DZYkOvL_SlqUlCQfoV6dOnLypWEzYL3Rg_GYOOaH_zMxtcciZ6AsBV8UJUuTCbrmaFuoUnY/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-01-01+at+12.23.07+PM.png" width="400" /> </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">1. <b>Dewey:</b> " I believe that this
educational process has two sides - one psychological and one sociological;
and that neither can be subordinated to the other or neglected without evil
results following..." </span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>My 2018 interpretation:</b> Learning is a person-to-person experience. If we limit human interaction in schools, which we are slowly doing, it will hurt our children. Screen time must be limited in our schools.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">2. <b>Dewey: </b>" To prepare him for the future life means
to give him command of himself... If we eliminate the social factor from the child we
are left only with an abstraction; if we eliminate the individual factor
from society, we are left only with an inert and lifeless mass."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>My 2018 interpretation:</b> We must make sure our schools meet the needs of our children without technology replacing face-to-face time with peers and teachers. Teachers must be allowed and encouraged to foster a love of learning in each child as an individual, using their professional judgement.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">3. <b>Dewey: </b>" I believe that
education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for
future living."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>My 2018 interpretation:</b> No one knows what the jobs of the future will be. We shouldn't allow the whims of tech giants to guide education. Google conducted a study and found out the LEAST important skills needed for the future are STEM skills. Read the MOST important skills <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/12/20/the-surprising-thing-google-learned-about-its-employees-and-what-it-means-for-todays-students/?utm_term=.6d932d06895b" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">4. <b>Dewey:</b>" I believe that the
school must represent present life - life as real and vital to the child as
that which he carries on in the home, in the neighborhood, or on the
play-ground."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>My 2018 interpretation:</b> Humans develop and learn best from each other. Let the children PLAY, EXPERIMENT, AND DO PROJECTS face-to-face, not virtually.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPlrbNZ9xIvLO27-AQNxZFnGLWBmzfqSmJ3DIxpajG5SXCAibDrSZE3cVGMF3mS-g0zgaZuODyAkV_U3GNlpWs_BOFKlrqPwjRrO5L4cKZOG67lX6M1Vufgq2jYZswxlPyquonwLSC68/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-01+at+1.21.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="877" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPlrbNZ9xIvLO27-AQNxZFnGLWBmzfqSmJ3DIxpajG5SXCAibDrSZE3cVGMF3mS-g0zgaZuODyAkV_U3GNlpWs_BOFKlrqPwjRrO5L4cKZOG67lX6M1Vufgq2jYZswxlPyquonwLSC68/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-01-01+at+1.21.11+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">5. <b>Dewey:</b> " I believe that
education which does not occur through forms of life, forms that are worth
living for their own sake, is always a poor substitute for the genuine
reality and tends to cramp and to deaden."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>My 2018 interpretation:</b> Schools must provide real world experiences, including real-life field trips, plays, art, music, cooking classes, sewing classes, wood shop, metal shop, subject-based projects, etc. Use technology, but as a tool of the human mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">GENUINE REALITY ALWAYS BEATS VIRTUAL REALITY. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">6. <b>Dewey: </b>" I believe that the
school, as an institution, should simplify existing social life; should
reduce it, as it were, to an embryonic form. Existing life is so complex
that the child cannot be brought into contact with it without either
confusion or distraction; he is either overwhelmed by multiplicity of
activities which are going on, so that he loses his own power of orderly
reaction, or he is so stimulated by these various activities that his powers
are prematurely called into play and he becomes either unduly specialized or
else disintegrated."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>My 2018 interpretation:</b> Especially in today's world of screens, children MUST experience a simplified microcosm of our world, so they can develop the very skills Google found most important in their <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/12/20/the-surprising-thing-google-learned-about-its-employees-and-what-it-means-for-todays-students/?utm_term=.6d932d06895b" target="_blank">2013 study.</a> Schools must teach about the balance of face-to-face time vs. screen time. Schools cannot and should not control screen time at home, but they should in school.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">7. <b>Dewey: </b>" </span><span style="font-size: small;">I believe that much
of present education fails because it neglects this fundamental principle of
the school as a form of community life. It conceives the school as a place
where certain information is to be given, where certain lessons are to be
learned, or where certain habits are to be formed. <i>The value of these is
conceived as lying largely in the remote future; the child must do these
things for the sake of something else he is to do; they are mere
preparation. As a result they do not become a part of the life experience of
the child and so are not truly educative.</i>"</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRuf7DyzWJMHAf-3uz0_1LLGc6paeABsqQ3FzzYkVcBvsH64CF7HQWdi9D2D5e-BVpz09-Xo7DiAKOI7UoNwCBWgxK4rFZOKfLilL0PF90_7hfPDwuJjQUAHCTAaRBhpK8IZP53NcZH44/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-01+at+1.39.41+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="522" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRuf7DyzWJMHAf-3uz0_1LLGc6paeABsqQ3FzzYkVcBvsH64CF7HQWdi9D2D5e-BVpz09-Xo7DiAKOI7UoNwCBWgxK4rFZOKfLilL0PF90_7hfPDwuJjQUAHCTAaRBhpK8IZP53NcZH44/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-01-01+at+1.39.41+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>My 2018 interpretation: TOTALLY AGREE. </b>We must return to practicing and valuing creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, experimenting, and building. Focusing on a remote future robs our children of learning to love learning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">8. <b>Dewey: </b>"</span><span style="font-size: small;"> I believe that we
violate the child's nature and render difficult the best ethical results, by
introducing the child too abruptly to a number of special studies, of
reading, writing, geography, etc., out of relation to this social life."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>My 2018 interpretation: </b> We must focus on more than simply skills. Learning isn't a micro-experience. It is about the whole, the big picture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">9. <b>Dewey: </b>"</span><span style="font-size: small;"> I believe that to
set up any end outside of education, as furnishing its goal and standard, is
to deprive the educational process of much of its meaning and tends to make
us rely upon false and external stimuli in dealing with the child. "</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>My 2018 interpretation: </b>Life and learning are one in the same. We have an ethical obligation to demand our children are present in actual reality. Learning shouldn't be sets of modules that a child has to get through. I can imagine how Dewey would react to "personalized" learning – the most false and external stimuli education has ever seen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">10. <b>Dewey: "</b></span> I believe that
the active side precedes the passive in the development of the child nature;
that expression comes before conscious impression; that the muscular
development precedes the sensory; that movements come before conscious
sensations; I believe that consciousness is essentially motor or impulsive;
that conscious states tend to project themselves in action. <i>I believe that the
neglect of this principle is the cause of a large part of the waste of time
and strength in school work. The child is thrown into a passive, receptive
or absorbing attitude. The conditions are such that he is not permitted to
follow the law of his nature; the result is friction and waste.</i>"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJh2e9DaSm-BVduL4jIdP0O6g6AH4fcRJPS7O7qBKapaQtSjhKK831EufxVHJ76FTcSBEEV6MRUqyXnL6CYAekLysMHBq9kzKcYSqIc169Q0vVY1RdhyMh2w_YtVXjQ1G0YZtquPXBl4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-01+at+1.24.56+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="350" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJh2e9DaSm-BVduL4jIdP0O6g6AH4fcRJPS7O7qBKapaQtSjhKK831EufxVHJ76FTcSBEEV6MRUqyXnL6CYAekLysMHBq9kzKcYSqIc169Q0vVY1RdhyMh2w_YtVXjQ1G0YZtquPXBl4/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-01-01+at+1.24.56+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>My 2018 interpretation: </b>We must demand a return to developmental psychology. Learning is an active, not passive, experience. We must utilizes all of children's senses and motor skills as they learn in grades k-12.<br />
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<b>And for the teachers out there, this is what your administrators should value. You deserve the utmost respect when you are doing right by our children.</b><br />
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<b>Dewey: "</b><b> </b>I believe it is the
business of every one interested in education to insist upon the school as
the primary and most effective instrument of social progress and reform in
order that society may be awakened to realize what the school stands for,
and aroused to the necessity of endowing the educator with sufficient
equipment properly to perform his task."<br />
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"I believe that
education thus conceived marks the most perfect and intimate union of
science and art conceivable in human experience."<br />
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"I believe that the
art of thus giving shape to human powers and adapting them to social
service, is the supreme art; one calling into its service the best of
artists; that no insight, sympathy, tact, executive power is too great for
such service."<br />
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"I believe that with
the growth of psychological science, giving added insight into individual
structure and laws of growth; and with growth of social science, adding to
our knowledge of the right organization of individuals, all scientific
resources can be utilized for the purposes of education."<br />
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"I believe that when
science and art thus join hands the most commanding motive for human action
will be reached; the most genuine springs of human conduct aroused and the
best service that human nature is capable of guaranteed."<br />
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"I believe, finally,
that the teacher is engaged, not simply in the training of individuals, but
in the formation of the proper social life."<br />
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<b>"I believe that every
teacher should realize the dignity of his calling; that he is a social
servant set apart for the maintenance of proper social order and the
securing of the right social growth."</b><br />
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<b>Yes, thank you, teachers. Do not let the soulless initiatives of these times make you doubt yourself. #TeachRight, #ChildrenBefore$, #HumanTeachersOverVirtual</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiJ6TJCQ8_d3Zudj5911M7IF3xzCUg8O67BV5u9VxYbepPwZ3wnnhDN99B6pdfl_9oQVak-_3ImMSd1gRyuuE2HjtPJusNOH1DekQw09x2J1zl65gixklIpszCO3nF7-m1ymiE8OCiEw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-01+at+1.29.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="477" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiJ6TJCQ8_d3Zudj5911M7IF3xzCUg8O67BV5u9VxYbepPwZ3wnnhDN99B6pdfl_9oQVak-_3ImMSd1gRyuuE2HjtPJusNOH1DekQw09x2J1zl65gixklIpszCO3nF7-m1ymiE8OCiEw/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-01-01+at+1.29.10+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-89242030856233467702017-10-21T07:26:00.000-07:002017-10-21T07:26:25.149-07:00Must See Documentary, Nov. 2nd<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Please join us at this important film screening in Bryn Mawr on 11/2. Share it on social media and help us fight for our public schools. We need your help to educate our community about the dangers of school choice and vouchers. Our wonderful public schools cannot survive without us speaking out and fighting back.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Even if your children are grown, think about your grandkids or future grandchildren! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">JOIN US AND LEARN.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Expert panel following film:<br />At least one State Representitive<br />Avi Arent-Wolfman, WHYY Reporter<br />Kyle Boyer, TESD 6th grade social studies teacher<br />Danielle Arnold-Schwartz, LMSD Teacher & Villanova University Teacher of Courage & Conscience</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbawyKfR30j9lmcCis2NuZlK8FyMhotmj-lOq5-6WjTm08QltcvX7-ZeXFGAfIVciCXVlzA7bRYE3S44bO9yhk20G6rHl3jmAsPlXHJJmssU6Q3mCTJSeu71VDrQWf5NNOvvF_sqvQi0/s1600/Backpack+small+square.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbawyKfR30j9lmcCis2NuZlK8FyMhotmj-lOq5-6WjTm08QltcvX7-ZeXFGAfIVciCXVlzA7bRYE3S44bO9yhk20G6rHl3jmAsPlXHJJmssU6Q3mCTJSeu71VDrQWf5NNOvvF_sqvQi0/s400/Backpack+small+square.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/10/28/matt-damon-explains-why-he-made-this-surprising-new-film/?utm_term=.a97c0311bc1d" target="_blank">With actor and activist Matt Damon narrating, “Backpack” tells a scary but important story about corporate school reform policies that critics say are aimed at destroying the U.S. public education system, the country’s most important civic institution</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While many
Americans have heard of charter schools, which are publicly funded but
privately operated, often by for-profit companies, and school
“vouchers,” which use public money to pay tuition for private schools,
they may not understand their central place in the broader corporate
reform movement. That movement, which also includes policies such as
standardized test-based “accountability” systems, thrived under the
administrations of presidents George W. Bush, a Republican, and then
Barack Obama, a Democrat. But there are both Republicans and Democrats
who oppose corporate reform as well."</span>Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-17849040824027745902017-02-04T08:17:00.000-08:002017-02-04T08:17:23.499-08:00Does Goldman Sachs care about your kids or $$$?What an easy question, right?<br />
You have to worry when the first sentence in their push for educational technology is this:<br />
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<i>"With the level of investment in education technology now ten times what
it was a decade ago, technological innovation is poised to change
virtually every aspect of how students learn, at every age, at every
level." </i>(Scroll down to watch their 2 minute video.)<br />
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TRANSLATION: Invest in ed tech so we can make money and we don't care if it kills the joy of learning and financially stresses schools from kindergarten through college. <br />
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<i> </i><br />
<i>"Victor Hu, global head of Education Technology and Services in
the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs, explains three ways
technology is altering the traditional model of classroom education.
With more sophisticated technology entering the classroom, teachers and
students will soon collaborate in ways never before anticipated, while
enabling earlier intervention for struggling students and reducing
dropout rates."</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANs5Vn8KRqiEz2PdKBHAeqDKs_T_JsM5eDjF5Y1aQcIceQA8_NsXVZLI8OoO-vniLfxjI5aof8Ux2OW5xeSmr_jr-3iwfCNfbgjBzHenjrVELBjypq2e-4AqBflTmagAehTRisz-PNBY/s1600/skinnerbox_popsci.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANs5Vn8KRqiEz2PdKBHAeqDKs_T_JsM5eDjF5Y1aQcIceQA8_NsXVZLI8OoO-vniLfxjI5aof8Ux2OW5xeSmr_jr-3iwfCNfbgjBzHenjrVELBjypq2e-4AqBflTmagAehTRisz-PNBY/s320/skinnerbox_popsci.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
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TRANSLATION: We have hired amazing marketing firms to spin exaggerated claims about the value of ed tech in our schools, while implying that kids sitting at screens and plugging away is not "traditional". <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTH3ob1IRFo" target="_blank">BF Skinner thought of it in 1954 with his "Teaching Machine".</a> Looks like an innovative way for children to learn, no?<br />
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Mr. Hu has an impressive education, as found on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-hu-849648" target="_blank">Linkedin</a>, but none of it is in the education field. In fact, his top three skills are listed as mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and private equity. Venture capital is number four. I would certainly ask him investment advice, but he might be one of the last people I'd ask about how to educate our nation's youth.<br />
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Watch this 2 minute video from<a href="http://www.goldmansachs.com/our-thinking/pages/tech-transforming-the-classroom.html" target="_blank"> Goldman Sachs </a>and think about the real reasons ed tech and "personalized learning" are being pumped into our children's schools. I wrote about this previously <a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/07/parents-weve-been-duped.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/03/essa-kids-get-more-tech-less-teachers.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/07/high-tech-takeover-of-our-schools.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and<a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/07/if-i-wanted-to-send-my-kids-to-cyber.html" target="_blank"> here</a>.<br />
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Anyone who really cares about our nation and the education of our children should be pushing back against the misuse of technology in our schools. Technology can be wonderful, but it should be the servant, not the master.<br />
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Question everything or our kids will pay the price.<br />
Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-41465255041918379862017-01-16T12:10:00.001-08:002017-01-16T12:10:49.151-08:00Got 1:1 devices at your child's school?You know the good side of it. Now read below to learn the rest.<br />
<br />
<br />
This is about so much more than normalizing computers teaching our kids instead of human teachers... but it is about that, too. In <a href="https://wrenchinthegears.com/2017/01/16/how-did-the-department-of-defense-end-up-in-my-childs-classroom/" target="_blank">another spot on post</a> by education activist, Alison McDowell, she explains that the big problems start with de-humanizing education, but then it gets creepier.<br />
<br />
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Take<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB0CwcvUszo" target="_blank"> 10 minutes to watch this stranger than fiction, but true video </a>summarizing how the Department of Defense, lots of corporations, and Bill Gates are unnervingly involved with education.<br />
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Problem #1:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Data-driven, standards-based tactics have been intentionally employed to
regiment the very human process of teaching and learning. During ADL’s
<u>first decade, the imperative was to get technology and Internet into
schools. Once that infrastructure was in place, they could concentrate
on restructuring the curriculum making screen-based education central
and pushing the teacher into a secondary role on the sidelines</u>."</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9kmPp1kUc2gvxWD2w4fuzr2WtkDEa51DeOPvr7iPPZgtkGRtCOlXXsb1HqrIOQEMvOStsnSdsy_l_jFftf4WAdIIY9XfpVwVznae8X6Y04WmkvF26jySd63VJzERHRGg4yjekG6apUw/s1600/original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9kmPp1kUc2gvxWD2w4fuzr2WtkDEa51DeOPvr7iPPZgtkGRtCOlXXsb1HqrIOQEMvOStsnSdsy_l_jFftf4WAdIIY9XfpVwVznae8X6Y04WmkvF26jySd63VJzERHRGg4yjekG6apUw/s400/original.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dreambox, Achieve 3000, and other "personalized learning" systems do not get students to love learning.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Problem #2:<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"
<span>The Learning Registry is another
important piece of the puzzle. It was created in 2011 as a partnership between
the US Department of Education and once again the Department of Defense. It is
an open source distribution network of learning resources that holds meta data
and para data. It is important to understand that learning objects can be
tagged in many ways, including adding tags for a variety of standards. For
that reason <u>even if we get rid of Common Core State Standards, it wouldn’t
necessarily make a dent in slowing down the rollout of
adaptive, digital curriculum</u>."</span></span></span><style>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>"<u>The devices in our children’s
classrooms are largely there because a specific set of government policies have
prioritized technology over human educators for the past fifteen years. These
devices are watching us as much as we are watching them.</u> And we should be aware
that many of the programs in use are direct outgrowths of work done by the
Department of Defense in partnership with private sector interests and
institutions of higher education. Technology can be used for good, but not if
it is given an unconditional pass in our classrooms."</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our kids are pawns in a big $ grab.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWigU14IDB8Kw28y5xPp28Oh2W6qzccBpZz7rnTRWZlYt5cMNwGVW-vLgSOkNSaZBotc1E3TEEI1Ead3TpgqPQLRXVFX-AFcW2Z1Wu8R3FTG1j-_6i7OvnbdAWF2xYVjmj8M2vJ7I8dX0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-01-16+at+2.55.22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWigU14IDB8Kw28y5xPp28Oh2W6qzccBpZz7rnTRWZlYt5cMNwGVW-vLgSOkNSaZBotc1E3TEEI1Ead3TpgqPQLRXVFX-AFcW2Z1Wu8R3FTG1j-_6i7OvnbdAWF2xYVjmj8M2vJ7I8dX0/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-01-16+at+2.55.22+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Creepy, unethical, and bi-partisan.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Watch the video. Share the facts.</span></span></div>
Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-56306561152102082712017-01-08T06:10:00.000-08:002017-01-08T19:08:26.061-08:00Don't be fooled by "Anytime, Anywhere Learning"<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A brilliant activist friend of mine, Alison McDowell, created this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N54qNTeBOek&t=7s" target="_blank">4 minute, must-see video</a>. She has been putting the <i>attack on public education</i> puzzle pieces together and it is clear to me that she is spot on. After watching this short video, check your school district's strategic plan and website. Do you see many of the terms & jargon mentioned in the video? I bet you do.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/N54qNTeBOek/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N54qNTeBOek?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Concerned? Here are some next steps:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1. Recognize the danger.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. Educate yourself and others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3. Ask questions publicly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4. Opt out of data collection.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">5. Organize resistance to automated teaching and virtual schooling... and badging.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Learn more <a href="https://wrenchinthegears.com/" target="_blank">here at Alison's blog</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The push for conditioning and compliance will continue as we finalize
the transition to an education system where surveillance is branded as
data-driven “personalization” and devices monitor our children’s
classrooms continuously. It’s difficult to organize and fight such a
nebulous foe... I hope to convey the reality of
the reformers’ true end game- a future of automated teaching, virtual
schooling, and community-based badging programs where workforce skills
trump knowledge and critical thinking in the human capital game. A
future where parents and students must cobble together dozens of
credentialed online and offline educational opportunities for their
e-portfolios, feebly attempting to pay for them from meager virtual
wallets/Educational Savings accounts."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Orwellian? Yes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Science fiction? Sadly not. </span>Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-90048153655550906582017-01-07T08:39:00.000-08:002017-01-07T08:43:25.567-08:00"I Can’t Answer Standardized Test Questions About My Own Poems."<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the debate regarding high stakes standardized testing, a poet whose work has appeared in the Texas state tests shared a shocking revelation. She stated, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/standardized-tests-are-so-bad-i-cant-answer-these_us_586d5517e4b0c3539e80c341" target="_blank">"<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="entry-eyebrow entry-eyebrow--blog"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> I Can’t Answer These Texas Standardized Test Questions About My Own Poems."</span></span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Perhaps you are tired of the discussions about standardized testing, or perhaps your child hasn't yet been subjected to the joys of your state tests. You may wonder why this even matters. If you have been keeping an eye on the President-elect's cabinet choices you have surely noted that <a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2017/01/05/questions-for-billionaire-betsy-devos-on-her-confirmation-hearings-on-january-11/" target="_blank">the nominee for our next Secretary of Education</a> wants to put an end to our locally controlled public schools. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The standardized tests of the past 20 years or so are not the same as the ones many parents (like myself) took when we were in school. Today's tests are high stakes for many reasons, including using test scores to "prove" schools are "failing". One can turn to our urban schools to see how test scores are used to close schools and offer the illusion of "choice" through charter schools... <a href="http://www.phillytrib.com/news/fight-to-save-neighborhood-schools-intensifies/article_4090ef23-f921-59d7-b475-b2a0b88a45d3.html" target="_blank">even when parents/tax payers don't want their school handed over to a charter school chain</a>.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">What will people who want to get their hands on suburban tax dollars do to to fulfill their goals? Step one has been to continue to make the state standardized tests more confusing, longer, and absolutely mentally draining on the kids. I have written about this <a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/04/math-teacher-explains-pssa-math-doesnt.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2015/09/make-2016-year-you-preview-pssa.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">And if the test companies can't write enough poorly written test questions to get suburban district scores down, there are sure to be other attacks on our locally controlled public schools...<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <a href="https://savelmsd.com/" target="_blank">like this one</a>.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Consider previewing your child's state tests this year. In Pennsylvania you simply need to set up an appointment with the school and you can see the entire litany of tests that will suck up weeks of instructional time.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you decide to opt your kids out, <a href="https://optoutofstandardizedtests.wikispaces.com/Pennsylvania+PA#Welcome%20Pennsylvania!-OPT%20OUT%20INFORMATION" target="_blank">here is a helpful site</a>. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Parents can only make our voices heard in one way that can be measured and reported. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">To show politicians that we want to keep our public schools locally controlled, opt out.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">And if you want to know what is being planned when they phase out high stakes tests, <a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2015/07/stealth-testing.html" target="_blank">read this post on stealth testing</a>. Your kids are already dipping their toes in the pool of the misleadingly named "personalized learning" through sites like Achieve 3000, Dream Box, Khan Academy and others. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">It is time for parents to tell our elected officials that we demand a voice in our children's public education.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span>
Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-33811873875989147892016-10-22T16:01:00.000-07:002017-01-06T15:45:38.047-08:00The Fight for Lower Merion Schools: A Must Read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What will motivate you to take action against those who are seeking to lower the quality of public education for our children? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Huge class sizes? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A push for low quality, cheap online learning? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Loss of real estate value on your home? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ethics and morals that insist that ALL children deserve a first class education? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All of the above?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No matter who you are or if you have children in our public schools, the quality of education impacts not only our community, but our society as a whole. Please consider signing the petition below, which will get you on a mailing list for LM Fight for First Class Public Education. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you haven<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">'t yet </span></span>signed <a href="http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/lets-stand-up-for-our.fb47?mailing_id=35321&source=s.icn.em.cr&%3Br_by=16404537&r_by=2728574" target="_blank">the petition</a>, please do.</div>
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We thank you in advance for your efforts to save our schools.</div>
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<u><b>Parents Across America:</b></u> </div>
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<a href="http://parentsacrossamerica.org/what-we-believe-2/">http://parentsacrossamerica.org/what-we-believe-2/</a></div>
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A MUST READ ON THE DANGERS OF ED TECH:</div>
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<a href="http://parentsacrossamerica.org/children-risk-paa-reports-detailing-dangers-edtech/">http://parentsacrossamerica.org/children-risk-paa-reports-detailing-dangers-edtech/</a> </div>
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<b><u>NAACP against charter schools:</u></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.naacp.org/latest/statement-regarding-naacps-resolution-moratorium-charter-schools/">http://www.naacp.org/latest/statement-regarding-naacps-resolution-moratorium-charter-schools/</a></div>
<a href="http://naacp.3cdn.net/ec6459eda5247ea257_d1m6bxsf6.pdf">http://naacp.3cdn.net/ec6459eda5247ea257_d1m6bxsf6.pdf</a><br />
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<u><b>Posts by Danielle Arnold-Schwartz, LMSD Parent, Blogger, Villanova University Teacher of Courage & Conscience Award Recipient & LMSD Teacher:</b></u> <br />
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LOCAL
CONTROL & JOHN OLIVER VIDEO ON CHARTER SCHOOLS:
<a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/09/lower-merion-are-public-schools-and.html">http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/09/lower-merion-are-public-schools-and.html</a><br />
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ON-LINE
LEARNING FOR MIDDLE CLASS AND LOW INCOME CHILDREN:
<a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/07/if-i-wanted-to-send-my-kids-to-cyber.html">http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/07/if-i-wanted-to-send-my-kids-to-cyber.html</a><br />
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UNDERSTAND
THE TRUTH ABOUT TEACHER & POLITICIAN PENSIONS:
<a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/05/tenure-and-pensions-myths-v-facts.html">http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/05/tenure-and-pensions-myths-v-facts.html</a><br />
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<u><b>CORRUPT POLITICIANS & THE ATTACK ON PUBLIC EDUCATION:</b></u></div>
<a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2015/07/where-do-all-these-innovative-ideas.html">http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2015/07/where-do-all-these-innovative-ideas.html</a><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1291115667"><br /></a>
<a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2015/07/coming-after-suburban-schools.html">http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2015/07/coming-after-suburban-schools.html</a><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1291115667"><br /></a>
<a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2014/09/google-microsoft-alec-things-that-may.html">http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2014/09/google-microsoft-alec-things-that-may.html</a><br />
<br />
<u><b>SEE THIS EYE-OPENING POST WITH LINKS TO THE GROUPS SCHEMING TO STEAL OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS:</b></u><br />
<a href="https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/category/alec/">https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/category/alec/</a><br />
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<br />Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-64155113099357186462016-09-06T15:00:00.000-07:002016-09-06T15:00:14.162-07:00Lower Merion: Are Public Schools and Elected School Boards Obsolete?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here in Lower Merion, PA, heads are spinning from the Lower Merion School District's loss of a lawsuit brought by </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="st">Arthur Alan Wolk. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some people are appreciative of Mr. Wolk's questioning the transparency of the tax situation, but many of us are concerned about a much larger issue – the protection and preservation of local school board control and the quality of education for our children. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Is it a coincidence that <span class="st">Mr. Wolk stated to a reporter that,</span> "He wants district administrators removed from office... and plans
to launch a 'Dump the Lower Merion School Directors' movement to run a
slate of independent candidates"?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It is still too early in the game to know for sure, but threatening local control through aggressive and hostile attacks—well, that is just what corporate education reformers do. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6bRkw3XbaHvbMSCn3ksSjclHrNlKyLgMZyFRh-nq6C0J0-OLNTXpP6mwRIqijaj7DPPl3f87CV5oHPr9Dojz90MlpyCbPv8xixh9ihJSlZlQPIOfJiggq9fHppWMEA1gOjhFSkATuKY/s1600/ac9585a9dfb1448cb087e3771249d106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6bRkw3XbaHvbMSCn3ksSjclHrNlKyLgMZyFRh-nq6C0J0-OLNTXpP6mwRIqijaj7DPPl3f87CV5oHPr9Dojz90MlpyCbPv8xixh9ihJSlZlQPIOfJiggq9fHppWMEA1gOjhFSkATuKY/s320/ac9585a9dfb1448cb087e3771249d106.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In <a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2016/09/06/finn-manno-and-wright-public-schools-and-elected-boards-are-obsolete/" target="_blank">this post </a>by former Assistant Secretary of Education, Diane Ravitch, the big issues are brought to light about the aggressive movement by charter school investors & the politicians they support to end local school board control. There is no reason, other than personal financial gain, that these non-education experts are sticking their noses into the education of America's children. Just because people went to school does not make them experts in education. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>The only obstacle to charter schools in Lower Merion is a school board that does not want them. If we lose local control, we are ushering in charter schools and the demise of LMSD. For every student a district loses to a charter school, a large percentage of their spending per student leaves with them. This is what has destroyed nearly every district that has allowed them. As we have seen in Philadelphia, Chicago, New Orleans, LA, and around the country, charter schools are no friends of public education or the families they serve.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Read below:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Chester Finn, Jr., Bruno Manno, and Brandon L. Wright <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/charter-schools-are-reinventing-local-control-in-education-1473115997" target="_blank">declare in the Wall Street Journal </a>that public schools and elected school
boards are dying a slow death and being replaced by charter schools. All
three are associated with right wing think tanks (Thomas B. Fordham
Institute and the Walton Family Foundation).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u>Bear in mind that some 50 million children attend public schools, and
fewer than 3 million attend charter schools.</u> <u>Bear in mind also that
voters have never voted to replace public schools with privately managed
charter schools.</u> Americans have never been asked whether they want to
pay their taxes to private corporations to run schools that can choose
their students. The charter movement has flourished because of massive
investments by billionaires like Gates, Broad, and Walton, political
support by right wing groups like <a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2015/07/coming-after-suburban-schools.html" target="_blank">ALEC</a>, right wing governors, and the
unfortunate support of the Obama administration. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Public education, open to all, has for many years been considered an
essential democratic institution and a basic cause of the great
economic, social, and cultural success of our nation. <u>Finn & friends
hope for and celebrate its demise. They tacitly acknowledge that
charter schools don’t get higher scores than public schools. They note
that some charter operators are frauds. What they don’t admit is that
they welcome the hyper-segregation of American society. One of the
reasons our society functions as well as it does is because public
schools bring children from different backgrounds together, across lines
of race, religion, class, gender, and ethnicity.</u> It doesn’t happen
enough, but the authors don’t care if it happens at all. They welcome
the return of segregation as a step forward, not as a retrenchment from our
ideals. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><u><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Similarly, they see no value in democracy. Elected school boards are a
fundamental exercise of democracy. They are established in state
constitutions. Yet the authors would wish them away and replace them
with privatization. </span></u><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><u><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This article and the book it is based on comes at a time when the
privatization movement is staggering. Charters were just recently
criticized by the NAACP and the Movement for Black Lives, a collection
of 50 organizations. Charter scandals are breaking into the mainstream
media, most recently with the admission by an online charter founder in
Pennsylvania that he stole $8 million from the school. And the CREDO
study finding that students in online charters learn close to nothing.
And then there was the John Oliver program on the shoddy and corrupt
practices of charters that close overnight and charters that steal and
cheat taxpayers. And there was the Washington State and NLRB decisions
that charters are not public schools."</span></u><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/l_htSPGAY7I/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l_htSPGAY7I?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Watch this John Oliver segment and be prepared to learn.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"When the charter movement began, Finn and Manno wrote about the
promise of charter schools: in return for public money, they would be
held accountable for better results at lower costs.<u> Now we know that
charters are not held accountable, do not produce better results unless
they cherry pick students, and do not cost less</u>." </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Respected education blogger and teacher, Mercedes Schnieder, responds to the <i>Wall Street Journal </i>piece <a href="https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2016/09/06/chester-finn-tries-to-sell-charter-expansion-without-mentioning-hedge-funder-and-billionaire-cash/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Diane Ravitch <a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2016/09/06/mercedes-schneider-responds-to-checker-finns-paran-to-charter-schools/" target="_blank">reports</a>, "[Schnieder] says there is no mass movement to charter schools. Instead, there
is a movement bought and paid for by billionaires, millionaires, and
others who have embraced free-market ideology."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Finn et al. are just a part of the well-financed corporate ed reform
mass of think tanks, billionaires and hedge funders trying to foist
reforms onto the American public in the name of a “quiet revolution."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sure, watch the district's spending. Absolutely, ask for transparency. But don't sleep at the wheel for a second on the issue of local school board control. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-47434397171175184382016-09-05T06:51:00.000-07:002018-05-15T16:32:00.753-07:00Lower Merion, wake up or forever hold your peace.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNx6fnAeiMJ8gxO5Q4O1A-m9LN6-8cEaygrI79Ipp0VZWmZ29dZEvLuVNOkGUtNdum5eNM-RRBNAUWZjlSSjOddNvfmJxEBM5348_ryVuRNH1JSgbfMN5D2ZfujS3kcFGA1R5cca154fY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-09-05+at+9.23.45+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNx6fnAeiMJ8gxO5Q4O1A-m9LN6-8cEaygrI79Ipp0VZWmZ29dZEvLuVNOkGUtNdum5eNM-RRBNAUWZjlSSjOddNvfmJxEBM5348_ryVuRNH1JSgbfMN5D2ZfujS3kcFGA1R5cca154fY/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-09-05+at+9.23.45+AM.png" width="393" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Make no mistake, the
lawsuit against the Lower Merion School District is not by a lone, selfless
attorney who wants to save tax payers a few bucks. This is as clear as can be
in <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160902_Lower_Merion_school_tax_hike_brought_down_by_aviation_lawyer.html" target="_blank">this</a></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial";">Philly.com fluff piece
about Arthur Allen Wolk and his new puppy. I love puppies, too, but his sweet
puppy can't distract me from Mr. Wolk's actual goal, which seems to be to strip
local control from Lower Merion tax payers. Here we go again. It is the same
old story they used in Philadelphia, Camden, and many of America's other cities. <a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2016/05/27/brookline-mass-meets-corporate-reform/" target="_blank">And it happened to this wealthy, suburban school district in Brookline, Massachusetts</a>, </span></span><style>
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-</style><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">which is a lot like Lower
Merion. Once the corporate education reformers are on our school board, all
bets are off.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When education entrepreneurs (edupreneurs) want to
make money off of our tax dollars, they find a way to belittle and discredit
the officials, w<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">hom</span> tax payers elected. Below, Mr. Wolk is clear about his
agenda.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> "In the interview, Wolk called Copeland's
letter 'inflammatory' and 'wrong,' and the district 'arrogant.' That was an
opening salvo.<u><i> He wants district administrators removed from office, he said,
and plans to launch a 'Dump the Lower Merion School Directors' movement to run
a slate of independent candidates.</i></u></span></span></div>
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--</style><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wrote about the sharks
that are circling Lower Merion's school tax dollars
<a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/05/lmsd-target-for-charter-schools.html" target="_blank">here</a> back in May. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
the Philly.com piece, it is clear that Mr. Wolk's family is not invested in our
community’s schools. With all due respect, if he does not want to pay the
district’s school taxes, he can certainly afford to move somewhere else.</span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The article states that, "Wolk's two children
did not attend Lower Merion schools; they graduated from Cheltenham High School
and Abington Friends School. But 'he's got a large house and pays lots of
taxes,' said Knauss, adding that he thinks Wolk viewed the suit as a 'civic
service. 'Wolk said he thought it was 'worthy.' The median refund of $1,400
that Smyth said taxpayers might eventually receive is kibble compared with what
he said he spent out-of-pocket on the case."</span></span></span></div>
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-</style><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Should
Lower Merion tax payers be grateful that Mr. Wolk is spending out-of-pocket to
undo a democratic process? School boards are elected the old-fashioned way. The
people who show up and vote make their voices heard. I respectfully suggest
that Mr. Wolk put his money towards a campaign to get residents out to vote,
instead of trying to buy his preferred school board.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-size: small;">Those of us who closely</span><span style="color: red;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">follow what is known as corporate education reform
find the kind of attacks we are seeing in Lower Merion as cliché, except for
the fact that this horrific treatment has been reserved for our cities... until now. </span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/03/14/netflixs-reed-hastings-has-a-big-idea-kill-elected-school-boards/" target="_blank">this</a> Washington Post article, <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">you can see how a
businessman with his own agenda wants to get rid of locally elected school
boards (so unoriginal, folks). Netflix's very own CEO</span>, </span><u>Reed Hastings spoke at a
charter school conference to</u><u>" ...advocate for the end of locally elected
school boards. </u>Hastings said the 'fundamental problem' with school districts is
that they 'don't get to control their boards.' He suggested that the
democratically elected school boards are the problem with public education and
they should be replaced by privately held corporations." Hastings is developing his own ideas for how public school children, our children, should be educated... and it will make him even richer. But first he has to get rid of those inconvenient local school boards who would reject his generic, low quality edu-business models.</span></span></div>
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</style><span style="font-size: small;">As Lower Merion residents
are trying to put the pieces of this puzzle together, I predict it won't take
long before we connect the dots and realize that this attack on local control
is really all about opening the education market to investors who want to
profit off of our spending per student. After all, this is one of the few
bipartisan ideas where so many politicians fill their glasses and toast
together. Read more </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/08/school-vouchers-digital-learning-to.html" target="_blank">here </a>and <a href="https://dianeravitch.net/2016/03/29/education-in-crisis-the-threat-of-privatization-around-the-world/" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am a LMSD parent and teacher. I am a tax payer. I
hold a BBA in <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">M</span>arketing and a Masters in Education.<a href="https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/media/pressreleases/2016/0527.html" target="_blank"> I am an activist who stands up for children and who supports public education and private education. I do not support public private partnerships, also known as charter schools.</a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am a recipient of Villanova University's Teacher of Courage and Conscience
Award. I try my best to live with integrity and to educate my community about
the corporate attack on our schools and the unethical (yet mostly legal) ways
local control is stolen from communities in the attempt to pocket public school
tax dollars.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lower Merion and all suburban school districts, it is
time to wake up. We are in the thick of it and it all happened while we were
asleep. Maybe Kathy Boccella is trying to warn us when <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160902_Lower_Merion_school_tax_hike_brought_down_by_aviation_lawyer.html" target="_blank">she writes</a>, "As
Boo, the golden retriever, said in the book Wolk wrote about her: 'Dad has been
home with me after work every day and wrestles with me every chance he gets. He
always wins even when I try to bite him.'"</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><u><i>He always wins, which in
this case would mean that the children of Lower Merion School District would be the losers.</i></u></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Speak up now or forever hold your peace.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/lets-stand-up-for-our.fb47?mailing_id=35321&source=s.icn.em.cr&%3Br_by=16404537&r_by=2728574" target="_blank">Sign this petition </a>to show your support for
Lower Merion and public education, in general. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>
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Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-15995692968016677312016-08-20T15:08:00.000-07:002016-08-21T05:29:45.054-07:00School Vouchers & Digital Learning to destroy Suburban School Districts<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For over two decades the focus of corporate education reform has been on urban schools.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">However, recently the powers that be have come out of the closet and are openly admitting that they are coming after suburban schools. Our schools.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SV-mkCyggdmdMWHx6PNv8v-w8v1SIBrqkngaH00qOJCqa156rXwHBTkmvxZ2EkXo8DlnMq6_z-S0AFDOQYyj7D1qOdcdMD81JfFdTeDYcjfygVTzXPwhLGGRlD423Woddb9Z_sgmAF8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-08-20+at+9.22.29+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SV-mkCyggdmdMWHx6PNv8v-w8v1SIBrqkngaH00qOJCqa156rXwHBTkmvxZ2EkXo8DlnMq6_z-S0AFDOQYyj7D1qOdcdMD81JfFdTeDYcjfygVTzXPwhLGGRlD423Woddb9Z_sgmAF8/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-08-20+at+9.22.29+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>"
With vouchers gaining momentum nationwide, the American Legislative Exchange Council (<a href="http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed" target="_blank">ALEC</a>), )... has decided to drop the pretense
that vouchers have anything to do with social and racial equity, and is
now pushing vouchers for the middle class—a project which, if pursued
enough in numbers, will progressively erode the public school system and
increase the segregation of students based on race and economic
standing."<br />
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<a href="https://www.alec.org/wp-content/uploads/2015-06-23-Final-EDUC-35-Day-Mailing.pdf" target="_blank">The agenda</a> for the "...ALEC meeting includes a presentation entitled:
“Problems in Suburbia: Why Middle-Class Students <u><i><b>Need School Choice, Digital Learning</b></i></u> and Better Options.”
<br />
Perhaps more importantly, ALEC's revisions to three of its "model"
voucher bills make clear that it is changing focus from underserved
inner-city schools to middle-class suburbia. The talking points at the
end of the bills state:<br />
<ul>
<li>"Legislators … should keep in mind the financial burden many middle-class families face in paying for private schools."</li>
<li>“The authors believe that all children from low- and middle-income
families should receive public support for their education regardless of
whether they are attending a public or private school."</li>
<li>“The authors do not adjust the amount granted to an ESA [Education
Savings Account] student based upon the student's income because states
do not adjust the public investment for a student attending a
traditional public school or a charter based upon their household
income.”</li>
</ul>
As if to further nail down the point that school vouchers are
not about equity, ALEC also advises legislators against including
language “banning discrimination in hiring.” But if they choose to do
so, they should “take care not to interfere with the ability of
religious institutions to hire individuals who share their religious
beliefs.”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7GdJPfHRJPTUZxctZF-xWWUIep0lM9RTQhRrQuCMejobdq72dpWcjF9MW2aqEqt451Bq6JDFn56Z3fieky2pPFzI-ZtiLHxFqa7tLFFSuX4WGMiJ0vFnSyQLlTRiceaM_824vzQIMxs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-08-20+at+9.56.04+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7GdJPfHRJPTUZxctZF-xWWUIep0lM9RTQhRrQuCMejobdq72dpWcjF9MW2aqEqt451Bq6JDFn56Z3fieky2pPFzI-ZtiLHxFqa7tLFFSuX4WGMiJ0vFnSyQLlTRiceaM_824vzQIMxs/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-08-20+at+9.56.04+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Read more <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2015/07/12869/alec-school-vouchers-are-kids-suburbia" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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In other words, suburban parents and tax payers need to wake up and look across the road to our cities because what has happened there is headed towards us. It will look slightly different in the burbs and will include weaning our kids off of real, brick and mortar schools with real, highly qualified teachers, in caring environments with their peers. Instead they will try to convince us that our tax dollars should go towards the private or parochial school of our "choice", but those tax dollars will barely put a dent in a private or parochial school tuition and they will KILL our public school systems. They will also try to convince us that our children, especially teens, want to sleep later and therefore will benefit from online learning. I wrote a previous post about the push for cyber/virtual schools <a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/07/if-i-wanted-to-send-my-kids-to-cyber.html" target="_blank">here</a>, titled, <i>If I wanted to send my kids to cyber school, I would've.</i><br />
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I can't tell you enough how Isaac Asimov's short story, <i>The Fun They Had</i>, is disturbingly coming to life. <a href="http://visual-memory.co.uk/daniel/funtheyhad.html" target="_blank">Read it and weep</a>. Then start speaking to school board members & school administrators and let them know what you think.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqwT1FFkx9CLXHHz3yTh9hAc5EvlGh8KN1y2oPY5gurFcVQVi5uS4_6SZ2Hi7hDd_BmX0jYWZsU7fHr09rWGFjdCa5cHe-iS6yzXPLGUhVQSMiw6abAUjLmL9KqYN_dOICo-BmYPThwc/s1600/ec4f905fdcf9d117e729eb4b6c86576b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqwT1FFkx9CLXHHz3yTh9hAc5EvlGh8KN1y2oPY5gurFcVQVi5uS4_6SZ2Hi7hDd_BmX0jYWZsU7fHr09rWGFjdCa5cHe-iS6yzXPLGUhVQSMiw6abAUjLmL9KqYN_dOICo-BmYPThwc/s320/ec4f905fdcf9d117e729eb4b6c86576b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Online learning, AKA Open Campus, Virtual Learning & Cyber School </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
if anything, should be a parent decision, NOT a state mandate or school district requirement.</div>
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<br />Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-61172756615693371952016-08-09T14:17:00.000-07:002016-08-10T15:48:55.998-07:00The real reasons for the teacher shortgae may surprise you... or not.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhhC3Ep-KCsEphWJ4px1zRlCNn7Ceic78rmNMGDEhnNqlwFRjstgArrC_AIyTxVIcChE5pdPpyhz9_qLxMjV9__b0Nft1bz_C7qXqAKC8woF3_igXcEU3x81-8n1PS-bnjTcdGUEkP44/s1600/philly_inquirer_masthead1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="48" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhhC3Ep-KCsEphWJ4px1zRlCNn7Ceic78rmNMGDEhnNqlwFRjstgArrC_AIyTxVIcChE5pdPpyhz9_qLxMjV9__b0Nft1bz_C7qXqAKC8woF3_igXcEU3x81-8n1PS-bnjTcdGUEkP44/s320/philly_inquirer_masthead1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was recently contacted by the Philadelphia Inquirer to share my thoughts on why the US is experiencing teacher shortages. In the <a href="http://articles.philly.com/2016-07-25/news/74676292_1_education-dean-higher-education-education-statistics" target="_blank">article</a>, the gist of what I said was reported, but more needs to be added. In addition, there are certain words used to summarize my opinions, which are words I would never use – like rigor. In fact, I blogged <a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2014/03/jargon-big-brother-and-underestimating.html" target="_blank">here</a> that when you hear certain jargon, beware. Rigor is on the list.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The article begins with the following, </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiF48hGanMR50757v5ZltWeXsPOOkoj-ionvuZpyDIFILfOa1niFAycKZEt3h3TDVmPlEMJUKyzLiYERvckWPolEtJu-zoywBqQPSG9kM8NeyPFxFNVpDPrBKmOiK_9NLJREzdWnTzbT0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-08-09+at+3.30.49+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiF48hGanMR50757v5ZltWeXsPOOkoj-ionvuZpyDIFILfOa1niFAycKZEt3h3TDVmPlEMJUKyzLiYERvckWPolEtJu-zoywBqQPSG9kM8NeyPFxFNVpDPrBKmOiK_9NLJREzdWnTzbT0/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-08-09+at+3.30.49+PM.png" width="400" /> </a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz90-XqOet5_7qnlx60rp4X-elZh7SiFVa_kF_eqMpXF5bK6r-KceDNUDVr__TT6EI1kYwDZC4caEVZa01FwtLLJofCgwXcoUJRBivj83Q3H-DcFZZxcl7aUzXVrYJ9vbxkK2K_279MRk/s1600/-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz90-XqOet5_7qnlx60rp4X-elZh7SiFVa_kF_eqMpXF5bK6r-KceDNUDVr__TT6EI1kYwDZC4caEVZa01FwtLLJofCgwXcoUJRBivj83Q3H-DcFZZxcl7aUzXVrYJ9vbxkK2K_279MRk/s320/-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I love teaching with all of my heart.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is my 13 year-old daughter who had wanted to be a teacher since pre-school, and I was thrilled... until things began to change, even in my wonderful school district. It has been difficult to stand by and watch the changes that have slowly been eroding away at my beloved profession. But the changes are real. I want all kids to be able to have happy futures in their chosen fields, and they need degrees that will help them find a career which is intellectually satisfying, ethically responsible, and financially feasible. If your child wants to be a teacher, I do recommend a second major, because many of our elected officials don't know what they are doing.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaC6684-Cz7iYkeJpcNJK3X1rnTWS8SbsZDpoYIQ2ky1nqZtOaV6OJdstQg_b4XY518hTyzeujyJya3e91va6O6laTXSR5xOuF_yVQD48ZkF8uDJiolNycBxJ-2JYDGxM8Bcy85glfqI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-08-09+at+3.31.50+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="71" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaC6684-Cz7iYkeJpcNJK3X1rnTWS8SbsZDpoYIQ2ky1nqZtOaV6OJdstQg_b4XY518hTyzeujyJya3e91va6O6laTXSR5xOuF_yVQD48ZkF8uDJiolNycBxJ-2JYDGxM8Bcy85glfqI/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-08-09+at+3.31.50+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> What I am really warning parents & tax payers about is more than the symptoms listed above. It is a warning to pay attention to your local school district, school board meetings, strategic plan, and to ask questions – before it is too late. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>The teaching profession has been <b>purposely undermined </b>by corporate education reformers</u> (including Teach for America... I am sure that the Teach for America volunteer featured in the article along with me is a fine person, but he never studied education, chose not to be an education major in college, and was not a professional, highly qualified teacher, though he did give it a try. <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/09/i-quit-teach-for-america/279724/" target="_blank">Read legitimate concerns about why NOT to Teach for America here </a>and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/danielkatz/advice-for-my-students-do_b_8840714.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLi5s3Jw4U4hLmbENmud2EoHd22y97BSoh9AiSpG5ierdUbzQOK88grzD8w88agEghiqNzFFC4ySBcHBaQDt2uNWmhxJa5hrC4Hc9ptiZ1LckcNrqe6o_9YOhNQNKh5okIFahf7Ab0VTQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-08-09+at+3.32.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLi5s3Jw4U4hLmbENmud2EoHd22y97BSoh9AiSpG5ierdUbzQOK88grzD8w88agEghiqNzFFC4ySBcHBaQDt2uNWmhxJa5hrC4Hc9ptiZ1LckcNrqe6o_9YOhNQNKh5okIFahf7Ab0VTQ/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-08-09+at+3.32.34+PM.png" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />What I actually said was that I worry my daughter will not find teaching as satisfying as she thinks. Working with my students is still the best, and I find connecting with
parents and families a true pleasure. But the other stuff – the stuff
you will read on <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the</span> list below– that is what frustrates teachers and makes us consider
leaving. Ours is a career in a caring field. We have ethical and moral
standards that are often compromised when we are forced to teach in ways that are questionable and administer high stakes tests that hurt our students and communities. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am often surprised when I discuss the purposeful starving of public schools via budget cuts and the intended results of charter schools, which suck the funds away from local, neighborhood schools. Some people really think that underfunded schools are "failing" because the teachers stink, the parents are indifferent, and the kids don't care. Our urban schools are suffering from skin and bone budgets, but the article predictably omits charter schools and their impact. The charter school industry gives people the illusion of choice, because not every charter school takes every child, like a true public school does. As we are growing closer and closer to the end of of city public schools, I wonder who will take the kids the charters don't want? I worry. Some people think that charter schools are good for kids of color, but <a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/01/naacp-supports-public-schools-not.html" target="_blank">I blogged here about how the NAACP is for public schools, NOT charters</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Testing overkill is a huge symptom of the problem, but parents, grandparents, and all who care about children, must be wary of competency-based education (CBE), which is coming to a school near you soon. CBE involves stealth testing, which I wrote about <a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2016/07/parents-weve-been-duped.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://whatsthebigideaschwartzy.blogspot.com/2015/07/stealth-testing.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Basically, children will be on screens working on isolated skills much of their school day, as data will be collected constantly and we will never know when the high stakes data is being collected. It is sneaky and it doesn't improve the educational experiences of our kids. It just gets rid of the stand alone, weeks of high stakes testing and gives the ILLUSION of the terrible tests going away. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As far as the new PA teacher evaluations, I would never call them "rigorous." I
would call them time wasting, a mile wide and a millimeter deep, and
rather ridiculous. I am happy to share that in all of my years of
teaching I have had excellent evaluations. The most informative of the bunch came
BEFORE corporate ed reform ideas were implemented by our legislators,
who are mostly NOT educated in education. They may mean well, but most have no idea what they are doing. Just because people went to schools
does not make them experts in education. Previous evaluations had
principals sitting in classrooms for entire periods and observing how
teachers not only deliver instruction, but how we handle the inevitable
behavior challenges that occur, how we respond to student questions and
disruptions, and how creative, organized, and engaging our lessons are.
The new evaluation model is a burden on principals and they spend short
amounts of time in our classrooms. The feedback is not detailed and
helpful, as it was before. This is not due to individual principals, but
to the new laborious paperwork in the time sucking new evaluation
process.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In terms of dimming public respect
for teachers, I can honestly report that I see this myself. I work with
the most brilliant, interesting, nutty professor-like science teacher
you would love your kids to have. He originally wanted to work for NASA
with his love of physics and space. Fortunately for every student who
ever sat in his class, he changed his major and followed his heart to
teaching. You can imagine how my jaw dropped when a parent who was a
scientist sat at parent conference night and told him he wasted his
talents teaching... How lucky for this man's child that such a dedicated
and brilliant teacher didn't see it that way. Another colleague I teach
with also came to teaching from an incredibly sophisticated background
in IT, among other things. She is also brilliant and is certified to
teach English, Physics, Math, Spanish, Social Studies, and probably some
other areas I am forgetting. I came to education via a degree in
marketing. At my interview in 1994, I was asked by the assistant
superintendent if I was wasting my business degree. I went on explain
how understanding marketing and psychology makes me a better teacher. I
got the job.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am concerned about the public education system on its current trajectory. Blogger & former teacher, Nancy Bailey, explains perfectly in <a href="http://nancyebailey.com/2016/07/24/the-manufactured-shortage-driving-teachers-out-of-the-classroom/" target="_blank">this post </a> what is really driving teachers out of the classroom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She shares the following list, which I find to be true. Not necessarily all are found where I live, but all are true elsewhere in our state and around the country, just the same.<i> </i></span><br />
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<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Lack
of control.</b> Teachers are
told what and how to teach without being given input. Many schools have
signed on to draconian reforms in structured teaching that ignores the
needs of the developing student. </i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>High-Stakes
Testing.</b> Teachers
understand that high-stakes testing is bad for children. They don’t want
to be a part of it. They also don’t want their teaching judged by it.</i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>A
Limited Curriculum.</b> The curriculum
is too narrow. Many teachers (e.g. art and music) have not been hired for
years.</i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Large
class sizes.</b> The research is
clear that lowering class size especially in k-3rd grade helps students.
So why aren’t they working harder to do this?</i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Non-supportive
school administrators.</b>
This could be the school principal or school district administrators who
look down on teachers and do as they are told by the outside corporate
school reformers. Many of these individuals aren’t even educators!</i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>The
loss of a good library.</b>
Many schools no longer have libraries, and if they do, they are often
inadequate. <a href="http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin178.shtml"><b><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"></span></b><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"> </span></a></i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>The
loss of support staff.</b>
Many school counselors are now relegated to mundane tasks having to do
with testing and data collection instead of helping troubled students. A
good school relies on a variety of support staff—school psychologists,
librarians/media specialists, nurses, school counselors and more.</i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Data
Collection.</b> Teachers who
care about teaching find micromanaging useless school data on a child
maddening.</i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Common
Core State Standards (CCSS).</b>
These un-scientific standards were foisted on all teachers and students
removing a teacher’s decision-making power. Many teachers distrust CCSS.
The Common Core State Standards are such a volatile issue, it was reported
yesterday, that WikiLeaks caught the DNC warning they should not be
mentioned in the campaign–calling CCSS a “political third rail.” (A third
rail is the electrified rail on a subway). </i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Standards
in general. </b>The high
emphasis on standards started with No Child Left Behind, even earlier, and
has done nothing to improve schools.</i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Lousy
school conditions and poor teaching resources. </b></i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Lacking
respect.</b> All of the
above lead to a pervasive disrespect of teachers that lacks
professionalism.</i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Disregard
for poverty and a child’s difficulties outside of school. </b>Teachers are caring individuals.
They recognize problematic outside circumstances that affect how students
learn.</i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Lacking
special education and ELL support for general education teachers.</b></i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Professional
development that is uninspiring. </b></i></span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>
</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>If we want to keep great teachers or attract college students to the field, I think the solutions are fairly simple. Read Nancy Bailey's list above and make things better. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i> </i> </span><br />
<br />
<i> </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I like to think that one of the reasons I was hired was for my imagination and creativity. What I bring to the table cannot be found in a text book or teacher's guide. When micromanaging and alignment start to take away the part of my job that uses my mind & my intellect, it makes me feel dissatisfied. That is just good old psych 101. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Would I leave the business world behind if I knew then what I know now? You bet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I stated in the article, "If it's really in you, you have to teach. Or at least you have to try."<i> </i></span><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKs0hFGzbxvbfaDK9MZ7JrCGNxFxdbfo-sWHMoYvaTjWSDTDA5xFDFBgVbei2gbvZkNdW3_56jXSsYbR42YvkeDvMpH6tdYmfPImle4iV28-3kovsuN3MoeR-N4wViWUa2HT492B3hwg/s1600/LMSD+Nova+Award+Tweet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKs0hFGzbxvbfaDK9MZ7JrCGNxFxdbfo-sWHMoYvaTjWSDTDA5xFDFBgVbei2gbvZkNdW3_56jXSsYbR42YvkeDvMpH6tdYmfPImle4iV28-3kovsuN3MoeR-N4wViWUa2HT492B3hwg/s400/LMSD+Nova+Award+Tweet.png" width="340" /></a></i></div>
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<br />Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355898147604156555.post-52113122512171437262016-07-30T18:24:00.000-07:002016-07-30T20:27:05.943-07:00If I wanted to send my kids to cyber school, I would've.This is a wake up call to all parents. Stop believing the PR and marketing about "21st century learning", "anytime, anywhere learning", and "innovation." Most kids I know are already overly attached and probably addicted to their cell phones and have way too much access to technology.<br />
For this generation, technology is NOT innovative. It is overly accessible & is limiting the way growing minds learn. Like everything, technology is good in moderation.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dianeravitch.com/about-diane/" target="_blank">Diane Ravitch</a> agrees with me.<br />
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We need to take a look at what is going on in states who are ahead of PA in implementing these terrible education reform ideas. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but no matter how wonderful you think your children's schools are, they are slowly but surely leading us down the path of cyber schools for all.<br />
<br />
Even in Pennsylvania our Intermediate Units (and many of our very own superintendents) support the <a href="http://21cccs.org/" target="_blank">21st Century Charter School</a>.<br />
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The thing is, I moved to my school district because I wanted my kids to actually go to their schools and be taught in classrooms by human, professional teachers in brick & motor rooms with their peers. Disrupting systems does not work in education and is downright unethical.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am turning to the beautiful state of Maine, and the implementation of <a href="http://www.themainewire.com/2013/05/rsu-18/" target="_blank">Mass Customized Learning (MCL)</a>.</span> <span style="font-size: small;">MCL is <a href="http://www.learningfirst.org/mass-customized-learning-interview-education-authors-charles-schwahn-and-bea-mcgarvey" target="_blank">defined</a> as, </span>"<span style="font-size: small;">
<i>The
capacity to routinely customize products and services through computer
applications and technologies to meet the specific needs and/or desires of
individuals without adding significantly to the cost of the product or service."</i> </span></span></div>
<br />
Clearly, this is attempt to make it seem like our kids will get more with less money. We all know how that story ends every time.<br />
<br />
What concerns me is that teachers felt the moral and ethical need to speak up, but were too scared for their jobs to share their names. That is sad because teachers are the very people we need to be the canary in the coal mines for our kids. Many teachers want to speak up, but they need to pay their mortgages and feed their families, too. <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://www.themainewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Letters-from-RSU-18-teachers-on-MCL.pdf" target="_blank">It is with much respect that I share the letter the teachers of the RSU 18 School wrote to their school board</a>. But first you need to understand a bit about MCL.<br />
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Mass Customized Learning is selling itself as the panacea to "assembly line learning". I can assure you that in my classroom and the classroom of many other teachers, there isn't an assembly line in sight. Once again, some slick marketing spin has found a negative image to put in the minds of the public in the name of profiting off of children.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAe447P3qhJTfKwCicyrbNDP-x0Xy1b0_05WH3oRJ3JtzaBfP8u3JbVmVXqwPEP9I4aQEOs9zd1BrEMcVgUYS-Ay9mcoY4RQeb5m0F3M4PBHs9Dyxm2Z5j3kjV54cnrjWoJNgKKsUg9U/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-30+at+8.42.55+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAe447P3qhJTfKwCicyrbNDP-x0Xy1b0_05WH3oRJ3JtzaBfP8u3JbVmVXqwPEP9I4aQEOs9zd1BrEMcVgUYS-Ay9mcoY4RQeb5m0F3M4PBHs9Dyxm2Z5j3kjV54cnrjWoJNgKKsUg9U/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-07-30+at+8.42.55+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stop experimenting with our kids.</td></tr>
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Mass Customized Learning reminds me of the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) fad that is already a failure and thing of the past at the university level. <a href="http://www.christenseninstitute.org/move-over-moocs-its-online-competency-time/?gclid=CjwKEAjwoPG8BRCSi5uu6d6N5WcSJABHzD8F8hV-ASGdfcmZiBM7d1zlZMnRUS5GN0v2Um2oNUhF2xoCyLbw_wcB" target="_blank">The infamously disruptive Clayton Christensen Institute has deemed them dead and is now pushing its latest fad – competency based learning</a> online. In other words, investors in MOOCs<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>your time is up. New edupreneurs have a newer idea to get their hands on the money of parents and tax payers. Rest assured that disrupting the k-20 education system constantly may not benefit students, but it sure will fatten up the wallets of those in the education market.</div>
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And public school parents, this is coming our way without a doubt. Listen for jargon (some are actually terms that have been coopted from their original intent) such as "Anywhere, anytime, learning", "21st Century Learning", "Personalized Learning", "Student Centered Learning", "Student voice", "Emphasis on skills", "innovation", "embedded assessments", "flexible and fluid schedules", "Flipped classroom", "Blended Learning", "Online learning", and many more. Look up your school district"s strategic plan and see what you find.</div>
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Back to the Maine Mass Customized Learning crisis. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBF0RUqh_tslS4cmlLsPXzTP2A6tzCCTwAtO03QqbQ7ZSmSnPxmf1WyIfAReQHQrZl3RfRB9XZ4urP7w2CzO8FspgHEQqDAwyIGHB0O_T_nnYVAYmMjqxWOqBlEZ3vHNQ4GCmQv0Ex77E/s1600/41VVbI6tfzL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBF0RUqh_tslS4cmlLsPXzTP2A6tzCCTwAtO03QqbQ7ZSmSnPxmf1WyIfAReQHQrZl3RfRB9XZ4urP7w2CzO8FspgHEQqDAwyIGHB0O_T_nnYVAYmMjqxWOqBlEZ3vHNQ4GCmQv0Ex77E/s320/41VVbI6tfzL.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you want your kids to be guinea pigs in the latest education fad? THIS IS NOT INEVITABLE.</td></tr>
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<br />
<i>Teachers at the Oakland area schools are objecting to a controversial
new teaching system they claim has turned their students into guinea
pigs in a failed educational experiment, but administrators contend that
Mass Customized Learning (MCL) is inevitable.</i><br />
<br />
<i>According to letters obtained by The Maine Wire, there is widespread
dissatisfaction in RSU 18, a school district comprised of eight schools
in China, Belgrade, Oakland and Messalonskee, with the MCL program which
has been implemented over the last four years.</i><br />
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<i>One letter, written by an anonymous group of “concerned, dedicated
teachers from RSU 18,” paints a dark portrait of the emerging conflict
between MCL’s supporters and those who wish to conserve the traditional
system of public education.</i><br />
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<i>“We write to you as members of the RSU 18 faculty who want to express
the feelings of so many who are afraid to speak up,” the group of
educators stated in a May 5 letter to the district’s school board and
several concerned parents. “We must report to you that MCL has shaken
this school system to its very core.”</i><br />
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<i>The teachers wrote the letter anonymously because they fear
administrators in the district would seek retribution if their
opposition to MCL became public. </i><br />
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<i>“We are afraid to voice our opinions,” the teachers wrote. “We know
the repercussions that would occur if we voiced our real feelings to the
administration. We wallow in sadness at the poor educational model that
we are forced to subject the children to. It is the children of this
district that are suffering the most.”</i><br />
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Read <a href="http://www.themainewire.com/2013/05/rsu-18/" target="_blank">this</a> article in <i>The Maine Wire</i> for the full story.</div>
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In this world it can be hard to know who to trust. Are you going to go with the people who spend their days with your kids in their classrooms or put your trust in the profiteers? The choice is yours.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2W9ZGqom8fW1nffj6frnSqzXmNpxVGO8YO8LkR5a4GTcaVWRD45YExmNzohcD5a2yZ20FId2KYWkFC03jTb0MK7kCe6Mn60f8QFI9S6h1qgoigTh5RS_WvX9rWNaRM0y9UG_Ns4aaF8/s1600/LOGO_Canary_in_a_Coal_Mine_V2_1200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2W9ZGqom8fW1nffj6frnSqzXmNpxVGO8YO8LkR5a4GTcaVWRD45YExmNzohcD5a2yZ20FId2KYWkFC03jTb0MK7kCe6Mn60f8QFI9S6h1qgoigTh5RS_WvX9rWNaRM0y9UG_Ns4aaF8/s320/LOGO_Canary_in_a_Coal_Mine_V2_1200.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I say trust the canary in the coal mine.</td></tr>
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<br />Danielle Arnold-Schwartzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14704750163286445791noreply@blogger.com0