I recommend this as a must-watch video/parody of "Alice's Restaurant:"
                          "APPR in NY State"
It's also an apt way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the events in the original song. (Thanks Arlo!)

It will make you smile...

PS Would love to know who "Howie Ratem" is...reminds me of the Click and Clack Brothers' associates "Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe."

 Thanks to Jonathan Pelto at http://www.jonathanpelto.com for reminding of this great quote:

“Some believe that it is only Great Power that can hold evil in check.
But that is not what I have found.
I have found that it is the small every-day deeds of ordinary folk
that keep the darkness at bay.
Small acts of kindness and love.” – Gandalf

Question of the Day: What's behind Commissioner Elia's repeated calls for feedback on the Common Core State Standards and how is NYSUT responding?

As a New York State classroom teacher, I have been the recipient of numerous letters from Commissioner MaryEllen Elia over the past few months.  She has asked us repeatedly to respond to her survey AIMHighNY, to provide feedback on individual standards from the CCSS.  The increased reminders recently sent, together with suggestions that teachers ask principals for release time to complete the survey(?!) indicate that maybe the SED hasn't heard from as many people as it had hoped.  

But I suspect there is more going on here.  

I have enormous concerns about the true intent of the survey process. My suspicion is it has little to do with gaining real and actionable feedback about standards, but rather, it is aimed at placating the masses and warding off the strong and vocal Opt-out movement.  If real feedback was the goal, the entire format and questioning process would be fundamentally different, and the Commissioner would not have a letter prefacing the survey that says: (her emphasis)

"This is not a referendum on the standards. Only comments tied to a specific standard will be considered...

...The following principles will guide this review:

               * Focus on the standards: The review will focus on the substance of the actual standards themselves.

             * Improve what already exists; don’t start over: The intent is to improve current standards based on public input from parents, educators, administrators, etc. 

I'm also concerned about NYSUT's involvement in the process, unless and until the Commissioner's words are addressed.  The Commissioner is clearly not interested in the fundamental problems inherent in the standards (not the least of which is the engageny curriculum materials that were developed to supposedly help teachers address the standards.)  The Commissioner only wants us to help her rebuild the plane in mid-air, and has defiantly stated she does not want to discuss the merits (insanity?) of building a plane in mid-air to begin with.

The questions being asked are flawed.  The process itself is flawed. 

NYSUT should most definitely not be complicit in this process.




...just another question 

                    from where I teach...