The CTU Strike: One Year Later

One year ago yesterday the Chicago Teachers Union went on strike over many of the same issues that teachers across the United States are facing.

Here is CTU President Karen Lewis talking about why they fought…

Happy Second Day!

A few good reads from around the web…

School Finance 101’s Bruce Baker with “On Death Penalties for Schools and Misplaced Outrage

Ravitch discusses “Why Hedge Fund Managers are So Interested in School Reform

Kris Nielsen reviews Davis Guggenheim’s TEACH, that aired Friday evening at 6:00 pm on CBS (My apologies… Sue Niver gave me the heads up on it but I didn’t have a chance to link to it before it was shown!).  Nielsen says it delivered the “same tired infomercial”

EduShyster discusses how Chicago is planning to continue closing more public schools and then significantly expanding their number of charter schools.  Then they will staff those charter schools with temp workers Teach for America “teachers”.  The Badass Teachers Association’s Mark Naisson calls it an “a declaration of war on teachers, students, and hard pressed neighborhoods, and a throwback to the ugly years before the Great Depression when union busting was the American Way.”

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Weekend Links

Enjoy the great article about Philly’s teachers and why they deserve a fair contract.

A few links for your reading pleasure before classes start on Monday morning…

The best article I have read all week (and why you should be following what’s happening in Philly).

Cuomo wants to double down on failing schools and take dramatic action.  (We know what that means).

Ravitch with Why Hedge Fund Managers Are So Interested in School Reform… she touches on the public school hating Democrats for Education Reform and Barack Obama

A group of activists wants the CTU’s Karen Lewis to run for mayor against the public school hating Rahm Emanuel in 2015.

AQE’s response to Cuomo’s “death penalty” comment.

WaPo’s Valerie Strauss with Seven Facts You Should Know About the Common Core.

A brand new site to help follow the war on public ed: Public School Shakedown

Dr. Rella’s Opening Day Presentation

In case you want to share it with friends or other teachers who had to sit through analyzing test results today, here is Dr. Rella’s Opening Day Presentation in all it’s glory…