CA Parent Power

This week is the beginning of a new era of parent engagement to improve public schools across California with the launch of @CAParentPower (formerly OpenSchoolsCA). Our mission has expanded beyond school reopening but we will continue to build upon this movement 1/

I know it sounds mundane but maybe the best thing you can do to install strong, healthy learning routines in your classroom is to plan your directions in advance & just maybe practice them a few times: "When I say go--but not before I say go--you will have 30 seconds to jot down your first thoughts about the data set on the board. Please be sure to work silently. Afterwards I'll ask a few of you to share your thoughts. Pencils ready? Go!"

In December I recorded this podcast on dyslexia. I think it went well and am eager to share this. I'd love to know what you think! podbean.com/ew/pb-snmqs-1a… @dyslexia @SchoolsCubedLLC @AngieHanlin

Yes it does. Check (the CMF) Ch. 12, Lines 78-88, @mathillustrated. "A particularly damaging assessment practice to avoid is the use of timed tests to assess speed of mathematical fact retention, as such tests have been found to prompt mathematics anxiety (Engle, 2002).”

“SFUSD criss-crossed the country trumpeting a success which did not exist.” Then its watered-down high school math approach spread across the country. SFUSD parent Maya Keshavan: “I have no idea why the 2017 Board of Education just accepted all this without asking questions. I pestered them too but if they weren’t ignoring me they were busy telling me I was a pushy mom.” @rastokke @savemathnow @jaravis

In Sacramento today to advocate for upholding rigorous math standards before the Assembly Education Committee. Follow along on savemath.net. Stay tuned. #LegalizeMath

My testimony. Follow us at savemath.net #LegalizeMath

We need to legalize math in California Today the anti-math education bureaucrats are trying to force the UC system to water down math standards to accept fake data science courses that don’t teach algebra We interviewed @minilek, CS division chair @ Berkeley to get the low down

Much respect for this California teacher's honest thread about California interest groups needing to stop their powerful advocacy that's undermining kids' Right to Read @CalTog @WeAreCTA

Californians are playing Whack a Mole against Data Science courses that replace rigorous high schools math with lesser options. At least we might see some headway in literacy this year:

Ai yi yi. The same day that California advances a bill to build stronger reading foundations… Advocates speak out about bills designed to water down math expectations.

Many schools rely on an organization called EdReports when deciding which reading programs to purchase. But there's a problem with that.

The Oakland teachers’ union has the nerve to pretend it prioritizes the needs of children, but it feels like they are constantly looking for excuses to shut down schools.

New from me: I sat down with @ehanford to talk everything that's happened since Sold a Story, all the new laws and the criticism, and her takeaways. "If there's something that children need to know, I think we should commit as a society to teaching it." edutopia.org/article/how-a-…

If school systems prioritized what works and examined the evidence of and conditions for success, they could avoid the senseless fumbles. Not just tutoring, and not just Detroit. But it's good to hear board members asking questions about effectiveness.

Sometimes it feels like the adults (parents, journalists) are having more of a problem with the idea of limiting cell phones than the kids.

S.F. schools forced by state into painful cuts after falling short in fixing budget woes sfchronicle.com/bayarea/articl… via @sfchronicle

We always said: Fixing our budget will be hard, not fixing it will be harder. SFUSD chose the latter and now CA steps in and makes the calls.

“Cell phones and digital media have caused pre-teens and teens to disconnect from the real world, have increased mental health challenges, and have caused significant disruption in the important daily learning opportunities in their classrooms” — @VA_Supt