Change the Stakes General Meeting, Friday, October 25

PLEASE JOIN US AT OUR MONTHLY OPEN MEETING  Change the Stakes General MeetingFriday, October 255:30 - 7.30 pmWhen:  Fri, October 25, 5:30pm – 7:30pmWhere:  CUNY Graduate Center located on 365 5th Avenue Room 5489. Bring Photo ID for building entry   Agenda for Oct 25:1. Introductions2. Discussion:  How are students experiencing assessment this year? Begin with a report from Dao from Castle Bridge, K-2 testing...

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Readings: Plutocrats, Toddler Testing, Looting Pension Funds

I had these lurking on my browser for sharing. A short selection followed by the link. I haven't read all of them but worth checking out if you have time. I'm back from the Dewey co-loco hearing (Some video tomorrow). Giving up on the World Series and going to bed while listening to Bill Mazur tributes on WFAN (I listened to him every eve at 6 in the 60s  - what a mensch).Looting the Pension Fundshttp://m.rollingstone.com/politics/news/looting-the-pension-funds-20130926 What few people knew at the time was that Raimondo's "tool kit" wasn't...

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12 Years a Slave - Under Bloomberg

A new movie tells the story of a formerly free school system with public input and oversight that is lured into a seamy arrangement by an ego-driven, manipulative billionaire who then enslaves over one million children, over a hundred thousand school employees and a disenfranchised public. His overseers, Merryl Tisch and Eva Moskowitz make the lives of the slaves miserable.After 12 years of servitude, the school system sees the light of freedom at the end of the tunnel by the emergence of a tall savior and even though the tall savior holds on to...

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The Madness Continues: Another Co-Loco Hearing Oct. 23 - JOHN DEWEY HS !!!!!!

I was looking forward to an evening at home Weds night. Guess not. Those good ole boys and girls at Tweedle Dee keep 'em comin' like the Top 40 hits. But hey, no worries. Big Bill will just reverse the PEP rubber stamp on Oct. 30 -- the day before Halloween -- and please join everyone at the PEP - wearing your costume.PLEASE POST AND DISTRIBUTE ! ACT NOWSTOP THE Co-locations IN DISTRICT 21 A PROPOSAL IS NOW UNDER CONSIDERATION TO ALLOWOpening and...

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Change the Stakes: New York City Public School Parents Deserve to be Heard by Education Commissioner John King

NYC’s one million public school students account for a third of the state’s total public school enrollment. Yet not a single forum will be held in New York City.  Change the Stakes calls on state legislators who represent NYC students, their parents and their teachers to demand that the Board of Regents schedule a public forum in each of the five boroughs. .... CTS Another shot at King from our great parent activists at CTS:Unacceptable!  Commissioner King opting out of any NYC forums; Our Parents Deserve to be Heard http://wp.me/p1Tx83-vGSTATEMENT:...

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Video, PS 196 Colocation Hearing: Brian De Vale Castigates DOE Office of Portfolio Planning

Are you proud of yourselves? Is this what you went into education for? To take things away from children? ... I guess if you are black or brown you don't need science labs ...  Brian De Vale comments on Office of Portfolio declaring school science labs in poor communities "a luxury."An enormous turnout with standing room only last night. Lots of video to come. Again an anti-coloco rally and hearing uncovered by the ed press. These are taking place all over the city.What a speech, ranking with Tish James at last week's PEP (PEP Notes - Tish...

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Parents Lead Massive Opt-Out of Kindergarten Tests in Washington Hts (District 6)

“My feeling about testing kids as young as 4 is it’s inhumane,” said PTA co-chairwoman Dao Tran, mother of first-grader Quyen Lamphere, 5. “I can only see it causing stress.”... Rachel Monahan, Daily NewsThe revolt is growing and this story is HUGE, as Diane Ravitch points out below (and a good story from the ed press - though we would love to see a piece analyzing the growth of the opt out movement). Remember - this K test was going to be used...

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