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Tuesday, June 9, 2015

BustED Pencils' Jed Hopkins: The danger of uncredentialed teachers | BustED Pencils

BustED Pencils' Jed Hopkins: The danger of uncredentialed teachers | BustED Pencils:

BustED Pencils’ Jed Hopkins: The danger of uncredentialed teachers



WhatDoYouLiveUnderARock


In case you’ve been living under a rock you might not know that my great state of Wisconsin—under the fascist like leadership of pseudo-conservatives—is subverting democracy and using the budget process to ram through oligarchic sponsored legislation.  However, the slash and burn approach to anything remotely connected to public education is particularly maddening.
In the post below, my colleague and BustED Pencils co-host—Jed Hopkins—addresses one of the nastier provisions contained in the budget that essentially dismantles the state’s responsibility to “credential” professional teachers.
Consider what the provision in the state budget that would allow individuals without education credentials to teach our children will put into effect. This move, approved by the Joint Finance Committee, is an audacious policy move indeed. But its extremity can only be matched by its foolishness and danger.
Why? Investing in education means investing in something that, for the sake of our children and our children’s children, needs to be done as well as possible. Doing education well is not technically simple, is not a quick study, is not something that can be mastered readily, isn’t simply something driven by hard performance data, is not replaceable by online instruction, and is even much more than a matter of enthusiasm, talent and effort.
We are talking about education, not training. Education is the very thing that can sustain this great country’s future, and that will depend upon teachers who measure up.
And what grounds do we have for claiming this? Look no further than the immense intellectual traditions of educational thinking that this country can rightly be proud of (that barely get the light of day in the common media), traditions of research that challenge us to “think education” and are the envy of less free nations. In this country, we have educators who know how to think education which, unlike the way it is for some 
BustED Pencils' Jed Hopkins: The danger of uncredentialed teachers | BustED Pencils:
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The School-to-Prison Pipeline: Turning Kids into Cash

School-to-Prison Pipelines:

The School-to-Prison Pipeline: Turning Kids into Cash



School-to-Prison Pipelines


For too many children, public school is just a “GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL” card.
Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200.
The institution that should be raising kids to the skies is chaining them to the ground.
School policy at the highest levels is designed to sort and rank students. Some go to the college track. Some go to the industrial track. And even more end up on the prison track.
Why? Because people make money from it.
Think about it. The United States represents only 4.4% of the world population but we house 22% of the world’s prisoners.
We’re the number one jailor!
It’s not that our citizens are out of control. It’s not a rise in violent crime. In fact, the crime rate has decreased to 1970s levels.
But instead someone has found a way to convert prisoners into cash.
Since the 1980s, we’ve been handing over our prison system to private companies to run for a profit.
The number of inmates in privatized prisons has increased by 44% in the last decade alone, according to a 2013 Bloomberg report.
This creates a market. Without a steady stream of prisoners, these institutions would go bankrupt. And corporations such as Corrections Corporation of America and The GEO Group spend tons of cash lobbying our government to ensure just that.
It’s no accident that our national education policy meets the needs of the for-profit prison industry.
Look at the so-called education reforms of the last decade: increasing standardization, efforts to close schools serving poor and minority children, cutting school budgets and narrowing the curriculum. All of these serve to push kids out of school and into the streets where they are more likely to engage in criminal activity and enter the criminal justice system.

Federal education policy – whether it be No Child Left Behind or Race to the Top – continually doubles down on privatization and standardization.

Federal education policy – whether it be No Child Left Behind orRace to the Top – continually doubles down on privatization and standardization. These policies consistently have failed to produce academic gains but are offered as the only possible solution in school reform initiatives.
Question: Why do we keep enacting the same failed policies?
Answer: Because they are not MEANT to succeed. They are meant to fail a certain percentage, race and economic bracket.
If we had effective education procedures that increased academic success, we wouldn’t have enough prisoners to feed our for-profit prisons. Lawmakers would loose valuable lobbying revenue.
Call it what you will – misplaced priorities, profiteering or an outright scam. But the reform-to-profit cycle is advocated, perpetrated and championed by the most prominent figures in the so-called education reform movement.
Take Bill Gates – the monetary force behind Common Core State Standards (CCSS), one of the leading policies in education.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also is an investor in The GEO Group – one of the biggest for-profit prison providers in the country. It’s most recent tax filing (2013) shows a more than $2 million investment.
Nominally a philanthropic organization, the Gates Foundation refuses to admit if it still backs the industry or by how much. Sure Gates underwriting is just a drop in the bucket, but it proves how the organization’s interest is economic and not charitable. It is one of a herd of Trojan horses School-to-Prison Pipelines:
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Student poverty, lack of parental involvement cited as teacher concerns - The Washington Post

Student poverty, lack of parental involvement cited as teacher concerns - The Washington Post:

Student poverty, lack of parental involvement cited as teacher concerns


Student poverty is a major barrier to learning, according to teachers polled in a new national survey of educators released Tuesday.
Lack of parental involvement and overtesting were also identified as big problems, as well as student apathy, according to an online Public Opinion Strategies survey of 700 elementary and secondary teachers across the country.
And while nine out of every 10 teachers said they have spent their own money on school supplies, significant numbers say they also have given help to poor students: 51 percent said they have spent their own money to feed students, 49 percent report helping students get new shoes or clothes and 29 percent have helped them get medical care.
[Read the poll results here ]
Teachers who responded to the poll said they were spending about 20 percent of their time helping students resolve non-academic problems that stem from their lives outside school.
From a Communities in Schools national poll that found most teachers help students in poverty by using their own money to buy important supplies. (Communities In Schools/Communities in Schools)
“Twenty percent is the equivalent of one day a week or four days a month, or, extrapolated out, roughly 2.5 to 3 years out of a child’s 12-year career,” said Dan Fuller, vice president of legislative relations for Communities In Schools, a national nonprofit that commissioned the study. “This is time that teachers are addressing the needs of a few students at the expense of an entire classroom. Clearly poverty is an issue that impacts all students.”
The survey comes at a time when the percentage of public school children living in poverty is rising, and the findings echo other recent teacher surveys about the impact of poverty on classroom learning.
[Teachers of the year say poverty and related stress among kids is a major issue]
More than one out of every five school-age children in the U.S. were living below the federal poverty line in 2013, according to the federal government. That amounted to 10.9 million children — or 21 percent of the total — a six percent increase in the childhood poverty rate since 2000.
[School age poverty rate on the rise ]
The youngest and newest educators — those between 18 and 34 or with less than five years of experience — spend the most time trying to help students solve problems that have nothing to do with classroom instruction, according to the survey.
Communities In Schools works to connect low-income students with social services, health care, mentors, counseling, academic help and other support. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.7 percent.
Asked to name the two biggest problems facing schools where they teach, teachers said overtesting and lack of parental involvement were the greatest challenges. They identified the other challenges, in descending order:
● Students distracted by problems outside of school
● Students disengaged from learning
● Class sizes that are too large
● Weak administrators
● Student poverty
Grouped by race, teachers offered slightly different perceptions. Slightly more than half of white teachers identified overtesting as the biggest problem, Student poverty, lack of parental involvement cited as teacher concerns - The Washington Post:
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41 Years Later… | Taking Note

41 Years Later… | Taking Note:

41 Years Later…






 For nearly all of the 41 years I have been covering public education, the people in charge have been focused on competition, most often with other nations. Of course, educational competitiveness didn’t start when I began reporting in 1974; In 1957 the Soviet space satellite Sputnik got America’s juices flowing and led to the National Defense Education Act. It hasn’t stopped [1]; ever since, most of our leaders have pushed schools, teachers and students to try to outperform the rest of the world.

Think ‘A Nation at Risk [2]’ in 1983, or President George H.W. Bush’s “Education Summit” in 1989 that spawned Goals 2000 and a drive to make us ‘First in the World’ in math and science. [3] IBM’s Chairman Louis V. Gerstner convened two more Education Summits in the years that followed. The Glenn Commission on Math and Science Teaching issued a dire warning at the turn of the century.
The Clinton administration and George W. Bush’s presidency upped the ante, and the Obama administration’s “Race to the Top,” fueled by our fear that we are losing to Finland, South Korea and a host of other nations, has raised the stakes even more.
The people in charge have for years been challenging students and their teachers, asking in effect “How intelligent are you? Prove it by doing better than X and Y and Z.” And many in leadership positions have also been roundly criticizing the system for its perceived failures.
Has our obsession with beating others worked? Is it working now? Have years and years of “education reform” produced the kinds of schools and students that we are proud of?
Well, we are still ‘losing’ to Finland, South Korea, Singapore and a host of other nations; we are falling behind in college graduation rates, and so on. High school graduation rates have climbed, but record numbers of those graduates end up in remedial classes when they get to college. Not a great scorecard, but our leaders seem to 41 Years Later… | Taking Note:
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Self-delusion Reigns: Bobby Jindal and His 2016 Presidential Unreality | deutsch29

Self-delusion Reigns: Bobby Jindal and His 2016 Presidential Unreality | deutsch29:

Self-delusion Reigns: Bobby Jindal and His 2016 Presidential Unreality




On Wednesday, June 24, 2015, Louisiana’s lame-duck governor, Bobby Jindal, plans to announce his run for 2016 President of These United States at 4 p.m. at the Ponchartrain Center in Kenner, Louisiana.
I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Jindal for President is as likely as Obama’s being legally elected for a third consecutive term.
Not going to happen.
In a June 07, 2015, article, Politicus USA writer Jason Easley notes:
Gov. Bobby Jindal is going to be running for President, but his approval rating has sunk so low that President Obama is more popular than the Republican in deep red Louisiana.
While discussing Jindal’s failures in Louisiana, The Washington Postdropped this little nugget of information, “Jindal is now so unpopular in deep-red Louisiana that his approval rating plunged to 32 percent in a recent poll — compared with 42 percent for President Obama, who lost the state by 17 percentage points in 2012.”
In our current era of national geographic political polarization, President Obama is not popular in any of the red states. Being more popular than Obama in Louisiana should be a low hurdle for any Republican, but Bobby Jindal is ten points behind the President in a state that Obama was not competitive in during either of his presidential campaigns.
Bobby Jindal is running for president, but he has struggled for years to be more popular than President Obama. In 2013, Obama was 5 points more popular than Jindal. The margin has doubled in the last two years.Jindal’s popularity has plummeted in direct relation to his attempts to impose the Republican/Koch agenda on his state.
And what is that “Koch” agenda? Easley summarizes as he also captures Jindal’s well-known personal agenda in the process:
In 2013, Gov. Jindal tried to replace the state tax with a higher sales tax, but 
Self-delusion Reigns: Bobby Jindal and His 2016 Presidential Unreality | deutsch29:
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Stealing the Joy of Reading—How Common Core Destroys Reading Pleasure

Stealing the Joy of Reading—How Common Core Destroys Reading Pleasure:

Young woman reading a magic book

Stealing the Joy of Reading—How Common Core Destroys Reading Pleasure

 BY  2 COMMENTS
Who would have believed that it would come to this?
Education Week is having a webinar on new approaches to reading aloud in K-2nd grade (New Strategies for Reading Aloud to K-2 Students, Thurs. June 18, 2-3 p.m ET). The underwriting for the webinar is through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and with Common Core the idea is that you must move away from the “cozy” reading gatherings to “crafting questions that guide children back to the text to build vocabulary, content knowledge, and evidence-based understanding of the text.”
What a complete lack of trust in children! To manipulate this sacrosanct process in honor of Common Core programming is nothing less than heresy!
As a parent and teacher I am here to tell you the most important thing anyone can do with a young child (and even an older one) is read aloud to them. It’s so simple—so pure in its intent and approach! Teachers, parents and librarians have been thrilling children for years by simply reading aloud. Questions flow naturally. It needs no fine tuning!
To make educators and parents feel like they must subscribe to constructing questions, and emphasizing vocabulary and content knowledge as they read, is harmful. To imply you require evidence the child obtained knowledge from the book destroys the sheer beauty of reading for pleasure.
There is a time and place for analyzing text—especially as children get older—but not during story hour. No way!
I would add that even older students, and students with reading disabilities, appreciate being read to with no strings attached. To listen to the words and the stories for enjoyment creates its own special learning. I think it is especially important for Stealing the Joy of Reading—How Common Core Destroys Reading Pleasure:



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How Mayor Kevin Johnson continues using public resources for his private gain - Sacramento News & Review

How Mayor Kevin Johnson continues using public resources for his private gain - Page Burner - June 9, 2015 - Blogs - Sacramento News & Review:

How Mayor Kevin Johnson continues using public resources for his private gain




Bites has been banging pots and pans for a while now about Mayor Kevin Johnson’s use of public resources to advance his many personal and political interests.
K.J.’s network of nonprofits slurp up millions from business interests. These “charitable behests” don’t go to charity; they go to promote Johnson’s political brand, they go to consultants and cronies. Johnson then promotes the policy interests of those big donors. And there’s practically no line dividing the mayor’s office and the private organizations.
The Sacramento media is pretty blasรฉ about K.J. Inc. But not D.C.-based reporter Dave McKenna, who writes for the Gawker site Deadpsin. Read his recent stories, “How Kevin Johnson used public money to his own personal ends,” and “How Kevin Johnson Destroyed Black Mayors Group to Promote His Brand.”
The themes are pretty familiar, but McKenna fills in some important blanks about what our wandering mayor is up to when he’s out there “raising Sacramento’s profile.”
Like using city staff to screw around in the internal politics of the National Basketball Players Association. And having public employees help wage his power struggle for control of the National Conference of Black Mayors.
In 2014, Johnson wanted to be a player in picking a new head for the National Basketball Players Association. He was ultimately rebuffed, but McKenna writes, “The labor for this project came right off the Sacramento municipal payroll,” and included chief of staff Daniel Conway and spokesperson Ben Sosenko.
Bites contacted the mayor’s office for a response; none came. But, as McKenna notes, it’s not like the mayor’s staff hides their involvement in Johnson’s outside projects. Mayoral aide Andre Breaux says on his LinkedIn profile that he “managed project tasks for the Mayor’s role as Chairman of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Executive Director Search Committee.”
The story of Johnson and the Conference of Black Mayors is longer and way more bizarre. K.J. is being sued by former NCBM executive director Vanessa Williams for defamation. 
By all accounts, the organization was a mess, financially mismanaged and deeply in debt when Johnson got himself elected NCBM president in 2013. But some mayors resented Johnson’s tactics and attempt to seize control. For example, a PowerPoint presentation was distributed to the mayor’s City How Mayor Kevin Johnson continues using public resources for his private gain - Page Burner - June 9, 2015 - Blogs - Sacramento News & Review:


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Chris Christie - On K-12 Education in Goffstown, NH - 6-8-2015


Chris Christie - On K-12 Education and Baseball Goffstown, NH - 6-8-2015


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Corinthian Colleges: The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

Leon Panetta Quits Corinthian Colleges Board; Marc Morial Should, Too | David Halperin:
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing
 


morial


On April 30, I published an article criticizing former Obama Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and National Urban League President Marc Morial for joining the board of Corinthian Colleges, one of the most irresponsible and predatory for-profit college businesses. (The Los Angeles Times ran a piece addressing this matter on May 31.)
Corinthian, which operates under the school names Everest, Heald, and Wyotech, is under investigation by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and at least six state Attorneys General. Corinthian has been been accused of falsifying records. Its tuition costs are as high as at top private universities, yet two-thirds of its associates degree students drop out, and three-quarters of its students can't pay back their loans. The company receives about 90 percent of its revenue from taxpayers, and it spent between $5 and $10 million of that money fighting in Washington against minimal standards to hold schools accountable for abuses.
I had questioned how Panetta, with his distinguished record of service, could endorse a business and an industry with a particularly bad record when it comes to recruiting and educating U.S. troops and veterans.
On Monday, Corinthian reported that Panetta has resigned from its board.  Panetta had served on the same board prior to joining the Obama administration. This time, he quit after just eleven weeks of service. In a letter to Corinthian CEO Jack Massimino,  Panetta explained, "I was struggling with a large number of commitments, requests and obligations on my time. Unfortunately, they have demanded a much greater time commitment than I had anticipated and made organizing my life more difficult."
Unfortunately but not surprisingly, Panetta's departure statement excluded any suggestion that he might be on the wrong side of this issue, but instead echoed industry talking points:
I believe in and support the educational role of Corinthian in delivering educational opportunities to those that otherwise would never have a chance to succeed. It is also obvious that the role of Corinthian is going to be continuously challenged legally and administratively because of what appears to be a slanted and misinformed attitude toward this form of educational opportunity.
I guess the slanting and misinforming is coming from people like Mr. Panetta's former boss, Barack Obama, who has warned military service members that some for-profit colleges "aren't interested in helping you.... They are interested in getting the money... trying to swindle and hoodwink you."
Whatever, though -- Panetta quit Corinthian almost as soon as he joined. Whatever his reason, it's good that he no longer stands as a validator for this troubled company, especially when it comes to signaling our troops and vets.
Perhaps it is relevant that Panetta's son, Jim, has announced plans to run for his father's old House seat when the incumbent retires. Jim Panetta, a deputy district attorney, is a decorated Naval officer and a strong advocate for veterans.
Panetta's resignation comes just weeks after Admiral Mike Mullen, former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not appear after being announced as the keynote speaker at the annual convention of the for-profit college trade association APSCU. I had called on Mullen to cancel that appearance, in light of his long-standing commitment to veterans education, although the reasons for his non-appearance weren't disclosed.
Panetta and Morial each received Corinthian stock options at the end of June, 20822 shares each, which were to fully vest at the November 2013 shareholder meeting. Corinthian shares are trading at about $2.50 now, so that haul would be worth about $47,000.  That would be a huge sum for one of the thousands of former Corinthian students who are deep in debt, but it may not have been enough for Panetta to outweigh the reputational burdens of associating with such a troubled institution.
So what about Marc Morial?
Last year, Morial's Urban League accepted $1 million in aid from Corinthian.
The Urban League's mission is " to enable African Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights."  Corinthian's record shows that it accomplishes just the opposite -- it takes students' money and often leaves them deep in debt without giving them real training for a better career.
Fortunately, low-income communities have other strong advocates standing up against the abuses of for-profit colleges. Morial, a former mayor of New Orleans and an inspiring national spokesperson on issues of the day, like the Trayvon Martin case, should stand with these leaders. He should quit the Corinthian board now. If he doesn't, Urban League board members like former U.S. cabinet secretaries Alexis Herman and Rodney Slater should consider the issue.
This article also appears on Republic Report.
Leon Panetta Quits Corinthian Colleges Board; Marc Morial Should, Too | David Halperin:


Corinthian Colleges (COCO) Shareholder Derivative Lawsuit

Corinthian Colleges (COCO) Shareholder Derivative Lawsuit
This is a shareholder derivative action brought against certain officers and directors of Corinthian Colleges (COCO).  The Attorney General for California (AG) has filed an action against Corinthian alleging that the company systematically misrepresented to potential students and investors important metrics associated with its college programs.  Remarkably, Corinthian settled a similar case brought against it in 2007.  It therefore had notice about steps needed to stay in compliance with state and federal laws.  This shareholder derivative action then seeks damages from certain officers and directors for violating their respective duties to shareholders.

Corinthian Sued For Intentional Misrepresentation to Students and Investors

California Atty. Gen. Harris (AG) filed a lawsuit against Corinthian Colleges  and its subsidiaries, accusing Corinthian of false and predatory advertising, securities fraud and intentional misrepresentations to students.California AG explains suit against Corinthian Colleges  Corinthian is one of the world's largest for-profit college businesses.  The AG asserts that the company targeted low-income Californians through "aggressive marketing campaigns" that inaccurately represented job placement rates and school programs, the complaint said. The complaint also accused Corinthian Colleges of unlawfully using military seals in its mailers and on its website in violation of California law.  The company, which also offers job training programs under the names Everest, Heald and WyoTech, is also accused of reporting false work placement rates to investors and accrediting agencies. The AG was harsh in her assessment, stating Corinthian executives devised a "predatory scheme" that is "unconscionable," and was "[d]esigned to rake in profits and mislead investors, they targeted some of our state's most vulnerable people -- including low income, single mothers and veterans returning from combat." 

Not the First Time Corinthian Colleges Faced Government Action Regarding Corinthian's Misrepresentations About Its College Programs

The company has a history of issuing questionable statements about its college programs.  For example, in 2004, following an extensive investigation, the AG brought a civil action against Corinthian alleging systemic misrepresentations of job placement rates.  In July 2007, the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles entered a final judgment in this action.  Among other things, the court permanently enjoined Cointhian from making or causing to be made: (i) any untrue or misleading statement about the employment or salaries that students will or may obtain after enrolling in or completing any of Corinthian's programs; (ii) any statement related to Corinthian's own student's employment or salaries that is not substantiated by the Company's records; or (iii) any statement based on information in Corinthian's records that the Company knew or should know is inaccurate.  Further, Corinthian was required to pay $4.3 million to the Attorney General for distribution to students, and cancel $1.5 million of outstanding credit contract obligations owed to the Company and incurred by students on or after January 1, 2003.COCO stoakc Chart

The Corinthian College Shareholder Lawsuit

Board of Directors have specific duties to shareholders.  This derivative action asserts that certain officers and directors breached those duties for personal gain.  If you are a Corinthian College shareholder, please complete the web form to join our continuing investigation.
 Related Documents: 
 COCOComplaint.pdf


CORINTHIAN COLLEGES INC

 Compensation by Company

 For its 2013 fiscal year, CORINTHIAN COLLEGES INC, listed the following executives on its annual proxy statement to the SEC

 Name and Title
Beth A. Wilson
Executive Vice President
$877,786
Jack D. Massimino
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
$3,017,859
Kenneth S. Ord
Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
$1,031,697
Stan A. Mortensen
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
$787,816
Robert Owen
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
$783,968
http://www1.salary.com/CORINTHIAN-COLLEGES-INC-Executive-Salaries.html

Average Salary for Corinthian Colleges Inc. Employees

Employer: Corinthian Colleges Inc.

[-] Admissions Representative (4)
Salary $29,323 - $50,867  
Total Pay $28,532 - $48,843  
Go to all Admissions Representative salaries »
[+] Student Services Coordinator (3)
$27,740 - $50,578  
[+] Career Services Advisor (2)
$35,652 - $58,759  
[+] Administrative Assistant (2)
$26,017 - $49,991  
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Employer=Corinthian_Colleges_Inc./Salary

A Boon to Big Firms as Corinthian Colleges Goes Bust | The American Lawyer http://bit.ly/1MFEGH3

AACTE in the News https://aacte.org/news-room/aacte-in-the-news/293-corinthian-colleges-names-dr-sharon-p-robinson-to-board-of-directors
Corinthian Colleges Inc. Layoffs - TheLayoff.com http://bit.ly/1MFFf3D

Leon Panetta and Marc Morial Join the Board of Corinthian, For-Profit College With Troubling Record | http://bit.ly/1MFFr2O

 Head of Teachers College Group Sits on Board of Predatory Corinthian Colleges | http://bit.ly/1MFFtrq
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Chicago Teachers Union plans rally amid contract talks - Chicago Tribune

Chicago Teachers Union plans rally amid contract talks - Chicago Tribune:

Chicago Teachers Union plans rally amid contract talks





The Chicago Teachers Union's scheduled rally Tuesday outside the James R. Thompson Center is intended as a public display of power as bargaining teams continue to work on a new contract.

CTU fired up its members with a similar gathering in May 2012, deploying a show of force at the Auditorium Theatre to convey dissatisfaction with protracted contract talks. That demonstration was followed a couple of weeks later when union members voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike.

The scenario isn't likely play out that way this time around, union officials said.

CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey said a strike authorization vote, if one is deemed necessary, won't be taken for months.

"We haven't made any real decisions about it, a lot depends on what happens and the board's willingness to be forthright," Sharkey said Monday. "Hopefully it won't come to all that, but if it does it's not likely to happen until the fall."

According to CTU, the union wants a one-year contract with a 3 percent raise, while the Chicago Board of Education is looking for a three-year deal with an 1 percent raise in the third year.

Chicago Public Schools officials have declined to comment on negotiations.

The union has deployed a new mantra: "CPS: Broke On Purpose," accusing the district of deliberately undermining its finances. The district says it is wrestling with a $1.1 billion deficit weighted with pension payments and wants to save millions of dollars by having teachers pay more into their pension fund.

The district owes a $634 million teacher pension payment at the end of the month, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel has declined to say if the money is available to pay it.

CPS has already opted against offering teachers an additional year on their current contract, avoiding a provision in the deal that would have included a 3 percent pay hike, which a CPS spokesman said would cost $105 million.

CTU filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the district last month, accusing the board of bad-faith bargaining and refusing to engage in mediation toward a new contract.

The union is also asking for limits to class sizes, increases in teacher preparation time, a reduction of paperwork mandates and additional school counselors and nurses.

"We think they're broke on purpose, but it doesn't change the fact that there is some real Chicago Teachers Union plans rally amid contract talks - Chicago Tribune:
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School board to discuss contracts for charter schools

School board to discuss contracts for charter schools:

School board to discuss contracts for charter schools




The operating contracts for two of Lee County's 24 charter schools are up for renewal at Tuesday's Lee County school board meeting. They are Pivot Charter School, which serves middle and high school students in Fort Myers, and The Island School, a K-5 elementary school on Gasparilla Island.
According to board documents, Pivot Charter School is being brought before the board for expedited review because not enough students at the school sat for state assessments, which are used to generate school grades from the Florida Department of Education. As a result, the school has earned an incomplete rating from the state during the past two years of operation.
Pivot was the district's first charter school to blend online instruction with traditional face-to-face instruction time, and it was originally approved by the board in October 2009 for a period of five years.
Jeff McCullers, the liaison to the charter schools in Lee County, stated in an email that Pivot has an "enrollment sufficient to have qualified it for a school grade, and so the failure to earn a grade meant that the school was unable to show that it had met the academic goals that had been agreed on at the time of the last charter."
Schools must have 95 percent of eligible students sit for each of the state's exams in different subject areas in order to earn a grade, McCullers stated. Although the school reported an enrollment of 187 students in December, McCullers stated this number only represents the amount of students who were enrolled in the fall and spring semesters at the same school. Therefore, it doesn't include students who may have transferred into Pivot throughout the school year.
"After taking all of this into account, the school was left with just a few scores too few to calculate a valid grade, so no grade was issued," McCullers stated.
As part of its contract renewal, the school has submitted a corrective action plan "that should result in the school earning a grade next year," McCullers stated.
Among the changes included in the plan are increasing communication to parents and students; creating a partnership with Lutheran Services to offer services to students facing difficulties outside of school that may cause stress or truancy; revising test preparation methods; and replacing staff members, including the executive director, principal and faculty members. The complete plan can be found online.
Attempts to contact Pivot Charter School for comment were unsuccessful.
McCullers stated, "The recommendation before the board right now gives this unique school a second chance at success." If approved Tuesday, the charter contract for Pivot will continue for one year. If the school is able to meet the academic goals School board to discuss contracts for charter schools:
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