Anniversary of Brown vs/ the Board of Education of Topeka Kansas - Are we there yet?

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Today is the 59th Anniversary of the decision that outlawed the doctrine of "separate but equal" in public school in the United States.  The question remains...how far have we come?  Are school districts across this country truly moving towards equality?  Do largely white suburban communities afford the same educational opportunities as do largely minority inner city schools?  Does every American student in this country grow up with the ability to be whatever he or she wants to be?  Should we use today to celebrate our progress or remind ourselves how much further we still have to go?

For more on inequality in public schools, I highly recommend the following works by Jonathan Kozol.

Available at Amazon.com

Available at Amazon.com

(Reviewed by: Justin Ormsby)  

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Principal fires security guards to hire art teachers -- and transforms elementary school - Katy Tur

(link to article at NBC News)

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One of the principle difficulties in teaching the arts is finding a justification for your subject that is not purely anecdotal.  Sometimes however, anecdotes can be extremely powerful and insightful.  This is a must read for all teachers of the arts.

(Reviewed by: Justin Ormsby)  

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Orchard Gardens K - 8 in Roxburry, MA. 

ROXBURY, Mass. — The community of Roxbury had high hopes for its newest public school back in 2003. There were art studios, a dance room, even a theater equipped with cushy seating.
A pilot school for grades K-8, Orchard Gardens was built on grand expectations.

But the dream of a school founded in the arts, a school that would give back to the community as it bettered its children, never materialized.

Instead, the dance studio was used for storage and the orchestra's instruments were locked up and barely touched.

The school was plagued by violence and disorder from the start, and by 2010 it was rank in the bottom five of all public schools in the state of Massachusetts.

That was when Andrew Bott — the sixth principal in seven years — showed up, and everything started to change.

“We got rid of the security guards,” said Bott, who reinvested all the money used for security infrastructure into the arts.

Goodbye Mr. Conti: the resignation letter

(link to article at Scribd)

Mr. Conti's resignation letter has gone viral and is available in many other locations.  Our publication of this letter is for educational purposes and is not a violation of any copyright.

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Have you ever thought to your self "that's it, I just can't take this job anymore!"  As standardization and high stakes testing run rampant in educational policy, more and more teachers are simply too disheartened and beat up to go on.  Mr. Gerald Conti of the Westhill Central School District was one of those teachers and his resignation letter, which has gone viral, gives great insight into the struggles that teachers now find themselves dealing with.

Teaching used to be a profession for the impassioned, highly motivated professional who loved knowledge and loved children.  Certainly nobody was going to college to pursue education because of the swollen pay checks and inflated public reputation.  Many continue to hold on and make the best of a situation that is deteriorating at an increasingly rapid pace.  But for some, especially those who became teachers because of a true appreciation and passion for the profession, the massive changes in policy and the dwindling lack of faith in educators as professionals has simply taken the joy out of the job.  

Are you a teacher who has left or considered leaving the profession?  What are your reasons? 

Oh, and if you're wondering if losing Mr. Conti was truly a blow to education, browse through his "Rate My Teacher" page and see what his students thought of him

(Reviewed by: Justin Ormsby)  

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Mr. Casey Barduhn, Superintendent
Westhill Central School District
400 Walberta Park Road Syracuse, New York 13219

Dear Mr. Barduhn and Board of Education Members:

It is with the deepest regret that I must retire at the close of this school year, ending my more than twenty-seven years of service at Westhill on June 30, under the provisions of the 2012-15 contract. I assume that I will be eligible for any local or state incentives that may be offered prior to my date of actual retirement and I trust that I may return to the high school at some point as a substitute teacher.

As with Lincoln and Springfield, I have grown from a young to an old man here; my brother died while we were both employed here; my daughter was educated here, and I have been touched by and hope that I have touched hundreds of lives in my time here. I know that I have been fortunate to work with a small core of some of the finest students and educators on the planet.

I came to teaching forty years ago this month and have been lucky enough to work at a small liberal arts college, a major university and this superior secondary school. To me, history has been so very much more than a mere job, it has truly been my life, always driving my travel, guiding all of my reading and even dictating my television and movie viewing. Rarely have I engaged in any of these activities without an eye to my classroom and what I might employ in a lesson, a lecture or a presentation.

Ex-Atlanta superintendat reports to jail in teaching scandal - CNN

(link to article at CNN)

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Many may read the story below and be tempted into a feeling akin to shock.  I am not shocked.  I'm not even relatively surprised.  Over the past 30 years our nation's school systems have faced dramatically increasing pressures to meet the "standard."  The stakes for failure have been dramatic.  The punitive measures for not meeting adequately yearly progress (AYP) as determined by standardized test scores are often intense and can include a complete (government) re-organization of a school district and the termination of many, if not all, of its administrative personnel.  It should seem surprising to no one that, when everything is on the line, some people are going to do whatever it takes to "be" successful. 

It is amazing to me that many policy makers have yet to understand that there is more to education than a single piece of quantitative data.  What of ethics?  Is there value in producing not only "smart" people but also "good" people?  Further more, is it possible that the over emphasis of academic success is actually detrimental to ethical behavior?  I think examples like the one that follows suggests that indeed this high stakes standards movement is responsible for the creation of cheaters, liars, and thieves. 

(Reviewed by: Justin Ormsby)  

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http://www.reporternewspapers.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Hall-speech.jpg

The former superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools was among the educators who surrendered to authorities Tuesday after being indicted by a grand jury in a cheating scandal that rocked the district and drew national attention.

Beverly Hall resigned from her position in 2011 after a state investigation into large, unexplained test score gains in some Atlanta schools. She has denied any role in the cheating scandal.

A Fulton County grand jury last week indicted 35 educators from the district, including principals, teachers and testing coordinators. They were ordered to turn themselves in by Tuesday, District Attorney Paul Howard said.

By 10:00 p.m., 27 of 35 educators had turned themselves in at the Fulton County Jail to face charges including racketeering, theft by taking and making false statements about their roles in an alleged plot to falsify students' standardized tests. Eight of them had been released on bond late Tuesday, the Fulton County Sheriff's office said.

Springfield bus beating sent middle school girl to the hospital - Mary Moloney

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As educators it seems that our chief responsibility would be to educate -- and it is -- but if you believe Maslow to be correct (and I do) then keeping our students safe, especially while they're in our care, must also be our primary responsibility if we expect learning to occur. 

The information presented in this article is admittedly one sided.  The school district did not give an official response about the incident or the actions being taken to prevent future occurrences.  Regardless, this article is representative of a very real problem--violence in schools happens.  

What types of violence have you witnessed or experienced in your school?  To what do you attribute the cause of violence in schools?  What can teachers and other school officials do to prevent violence and keep our kids safe?

(Reviewed by: Justin Ormsby)  

Video:  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfEBrjaHUGg

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Photo: KSPR

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A violent attack on a Springfield school bus put a sixth grade girl in the hospital. The 12-year-old student said another girl broke her nose. Now, the bullied girl is afraid for her life. Her family said they would not rely on the school district for protection.

Being picked on is something that Heavenly Chapman is familiar with.

"It's been going on my whole life with the rumors and everything. But since I started this year and stuff, this is like my worst year," said Chapman.

As a sixth grader at Carver Middle School, Chapman said she's been taunted and humiliated by other students.

"They say that I need Proactive just because of my pimples and everything and they pick on me how big I am," Chapman said softly. "It's just drama."

Teachers Offended by Nixa Lawmaker's Proposed Evaluation Changes - Melissa Stern

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Rep. Kevin Elmer

NIXA, Mo. -- A controversial bill in Jefferson City is angering teachers and administrators in the Ozarks.
If passed, House Bill 631 would require at least 33 percent of a teacher's evaluation be based on student achievement on state tests.

Some kids are great in class, but not fantastic at taking tests. Does that mean it's the teacher's fault? That's the question being asked by educators who say they want the best for their students but also a fair teaching evaluation.

"I think it's about the political game," says Susan Hansche, 2nd grade teacher at JTSD Elementary school. She adds that the bill's sponsors -- Kevin Elmer, of Nixa, and Speaker Tim Jones -- don't have her first-hand view of how students learn.

7 year old suspended for Pop Tart threat!

(link to article at Time)

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As a teacher my NUMBER ONE priority is always the safety of my students.  As the recent incident at Sandy Hook Elementary clearly shows, teachers will sacrifice everything, including their lives, to protect their students.  Those students are the reason we teach.  They are our reason for showing up to work every day.  They mean the world to us!

I applaud nearly any effort to help me keep my students safe.  But sometimes insanity is simply insanity.  Rules must be in place.  Policy must be enforced. But sometimes the letter of the law gets enforced in ways that could not possibly represent the law's intent.  

I know nothing about this student, his past disciplinary issues, or the violence demographics of the school district.  But what I feel that I am comfortable saying is that the world is not a safer place because this pop tart toting gangster was swiftly booted from his classroom.  He's 7.  He's a 2nd grader.  He's going to play games.  If anything...I think I would be prone to applaud his artistic creativity.  

(Reviewed by: Justin Ormsby)  

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Josh Welch was eating a Pop Tart when inspiration struck. “All I was trying to do was turn it into a mountain but, it didn’t look like a mountain really and it turned out to be a gun kinda,” the second grader told local Fox affiliate WBFF. When Josh’s teacher saw that he had eaten his breakfast pastry into the likeness of a weapon, Josh said, “She was pretty mad… and I think I was in big trouble.”

Josh’s father, B.J., was called and school officials reportedly told him that they considered Josh’s actions a threat because he said “bang, bang” while holding the breakfast pastry. The second grader was then suspended for two days. A note was sent home with every child at  Park Elementary School in Baltimore, MD., explaining the incident saying, “A student used food to make an inappropriate gesture.”

“I asked if was any one was hurt, they said no,” B.J. Welch told Baltimore’s Fox affiliate. “I would almost call it insanity. I mean with all the potential issues that could be dealt with at school — real threats, bullies – whatever the issue is. It’s a pastry.”

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/03/04/watch-boy-suspended-from-school-for-making-gun-out-of-a-pop-tart/#ixzz2Mj27TRob

New student data bases scary or revoltionary?

 (link to article at Reuters)

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The tech industry is buzzing with the announcement of a new database that tracks virtually every move students makes.  From grades, to individual strengths and weaknesses, to hobbies and personal interests, the tools are now in place to paint a student's digital portrait with remarkable clarity.  Is this an exciting new frontier which promises minutely detailed individualized instruction, or a "big brother-esque" data mining technique that puts all student's privacy at risk?  Personally, I'm a bit concerned.  As an educator I put a great deal of faith in a teacher's ability to accurately monitor the strengths and weaknesses of his or her students.  It is certainly true that this database provides an opportunity to track those observations in a new and highly refined manner, but what is a teacher to do with this information?  It seems to me as if this type of technology is paving the road for an educational system that plants a student in front of a computer which will deliver them tailor-made lessons.  Yes, this will allow for differentiated instruction at a level never before possible, but at what expense?  I have never been in favor of any educational endeavor which removes the teacher from the  equation.  What of security and privacy?  Is it ethical to share all of this data with a third party company which itself admits that it cannot guarantee the security of the information?  What is the logical end-state of such a system?  Software that captures your intellectual finger print in the same way that google knows where you like to shop and what you like to buy?  Only time will tell I suppose, but I simply can't help put feel a bit of a creepy tingle run up my spine as I envision this future.  

Disagree?  Share your comments here and let's get the discussion started!  

(Reviewed by: Justin Ormsby)  

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(Reuters) - An education technology conference this week in Austin, Texas, will clang with bells and whistles as startups eagerly show off their latest wares.

But the most influential new product may be the least flashy: a $100 million database built to chart the academic paths of public school students from kindergarten through high school.

In operation just three months, the database already holds files on millions of children identified by name, address and sometimes social security number. Learning disabilities are documented, test scores recorded, attendance noted. In some cases, the database tracks student hobbies, career goals, attitudes toward school - even homework completion.

Local education officials retain legal control over their students' information. But federal law allows them to share files in their portion of the database with private companies selling educational products and services.
Entrepreneurs can't wait.

Alabama Teacher Caught Ranting About 'Fat Butt Michelle Obama' and 'Queers'

 (link to article at Times Daily)

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WARNING!  AS THE TITLE INDICATES THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE CONTAINS QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE.

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I think most readers would likely agree that the incident mentioned below was far from appropriate.  But there are some questions to be raised.  How much freedom should teachers have to discuss their personal opinions with their students?  Are these types of class "discussions" beneficial to learning?  What responsibilities come with such freedoms?  (Reviewed by: Justin Ormsby)  

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When Alabama high-school teacher and football coach Bob Grisham went on a rant against "fat butt Michelle Obama" and "queers" in a classroom, little did he know that an unidentified student was recording audio of his remarks.

Grisham is still teaching psychology at Lauderdale County High School in Rogersville, Alabama, but according to Times Daily, schools superintendent Jennifer Grey says the local school board has plans for a meeting within the next two weeks to figure out what to do about his politically incorrect diatribe.
Grisham, head football coach of the school's team that went to the state semifinals this year, has worked at that school since 1991. Apparently, that long career and winning football season gave him a tremendous amount of confidence.

However, teachers who have a tendency to make hateful and homophobic remarks need to remember that most of their students have recording devices in their possession.
As you can hear in the clip above, not only did Grisham unleash a series of intemperate remarks, but he didn't correct any of his students who added additional racist comments in response.
Here's what Grisham said:

Grisham: Like those lunches - you get 600-calorie lunches - you know who's behind that?
Different voice: Michelle Obama
Grisham: Fat butt Michelle Obama
(Giggling in background)
Grisham: And look … look at her. She looks like she weighs 185 or 190. She's overweight.
Different voice: Big fat gorilla
(laughter)
Grisham: I'm serious. Y'all, our country is, is, is going in the wrong direction.
Different voice: It's going straight to hell.
Grisham: You'd better be aware of it. And people running around like, oh it'll get better, it'll get better. No, it ain't gone get no better until things change. I can give you example after example of that, but I don't want to use any local names to give you examples. Things won't get better until there's a change in some areas and stuff. And you know what his platform was? Change. We're gone change. We're all … aw it's OK …. for … and … y'all can get pissed off at me or not. You can go tell the principal, you can call the superintendent and tell her. I don't believe in queers, I don't like queers. I don't … I don't hate them as a person but what they do is wrong, it's an abomination against God. I don't like being around queers.

Is this what passes for education in U.S. schools? While this couldn't be a widespread phenomenon, we have to wonder how often this type of commentary finds its way into classrooms.
[via Times Daily]

What Do Kids Really Learn From Failure? -- Alfie Kohn

 (link to article at Huffington Post)

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I often heard is said that children are too often praised, told they're special, rewarded for mediocrity, and deprived of the virtues gained from making mistakes and learning from them.  But is this true?  Does failure really bring with it an enhancement of character or is this idea simply "common sense" derived from an "when I was your age" philosophy?  Alfie Kohn tackles this very question in the following article which can also be found at the Huffington Post and alfiekohn.com.  What do you think the benefits of failure are?  Leave a comment and let the discussion begin.  (Reviewed by: Justin Ormsby)  

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Education experts have long known that there is more to success -- in school or in life -- than cognitive ability. That recognition got a big boost with science writer Dan Goleman's book Emotional Intelligence in 1996, which emphasized the importance of self-awareness, altruism, personal motivation, empathy, and the ability to love and be loved.

But a funny thing has happened to the message since then. When you hear about the limits of IQ these days, it's usually in the context of a conservative narrative that emphasizes not altruism or empathy but something that sounds suspiciously like the Protestant work ethic. More than smarts, we're told, what kids need to succeed is old-fashioned grit and perseverance, self-discipline and will power. The goal is to make sure they'll be able to resist temptation, override their unconstructive impulses, and put off doing what they enjoy in order to grind through whatever they've been told to do. (I examined this issue in an earlier essay called "Why Self-Discipline is Overrated.")

Closely connected to this sensibility is the proposition that children benefit from plenty of bracing experiences with frustration and failure. Ostensibly this will motivate them to try even harder next time and prepare them for the rigors of the unforgiving Real World. However, it's also said that children don't get enough of these experiences because they're overprotected by well-meaning but clueless adults who hover too close and catch them every time they stumble.

Playtime's over kindergartener's: Standards stressings kids out -- Susan Edelman, New York Post

(link to article at NY Post)

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Sometimes common sense is simply misguided.  We want our kids to be smarter so we need to make them work harder.  Sure, that sounds fantastic, but there comes a point when this type of logic becomes not only nonsensical, but even dangerous.  I would never argue that school just be easy or that it should be all fun and games.  Students go to school to learn.  But if "common core" is really bent on preparing kindergarten students for college and careers then I think we're very quickly losing sight of the "big picture."  When a 5 year old is reduced to tears because academic demands are too stringent we're simply creating new problems, not fixing old ones.  We're creating a generation that is going to hate school.  We're creating an academic tradition that is going to result in diminishing returns.  Frustrated, stressed, over worked 5 year olds will never perform to the top of their potential.    (Reviewed by: Justin Ormsby)  

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Kindergarten has come a long way, baby — too far, some say.

Way beyond the ABCs, crayons and building blocks, the city Department of Education now wants 4- and 5-year-olds to write “informative/explanatory reports” and demonstrate “algebraic thinking.”
Children who barely know how to write the alphabet or add 2 and 2 are expected to write topic sentences and use diagrams to illustrate math equations.

“For the most part, it’s way over their heads,” a Brooklyn teacher said. “It’s too much for them. They’re babies!”

In a kindergarten class in Red Hook, Brooklyn, three children broke down and sobbed on separate days last week, another teacher told The Post.

The Public School Music Educator: Performance as Professional Development - Tara Kizer

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The following article was written by undergraduate music education major Tara Kizer as her final paper for Dr. Eric Sheffield's foundations of education course at Missouri State University.

Although this paper is specifically concerned with music education, Ms. Kizer's perspective on professional development is pertinent to educators in every field.  

Much of a teacher's professional development is focused on various aspects of teaching.  Of what value is the further development of a teacher's content area credentials?  Is a music teacher benefited by continuing to be a practicing musician?  Is instruction in physics best practiced by a practicing physicist?  Should schools be responsible for contributing professional development funds to teachers who wish to continue to practice and develop their craft? (Reviewed by: Justin Ormsby)  

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One of the essential elements of the so-called “American Dream” is our public school system.  And what would this system be without its teachers?  As active and critical educators, we must ask ourselves who this system is really serving.  Public schools currently offer opportunities for teachers across disciplines to further their education in teaching strategies.  This professional development is invaluable to educators and is widely accepted as an appropriate expectation for school districts to provide for and require of their faculty. However, not all disciplines are created equal, and in the case of music education, teaching is only one aspect of the job.  Music professors at the university level give frequent recitals for the community and require their students to attend, a practice that is in most cases missing completely from the pre-college music program.  My research on the history of professional development in music education has lead me to believe that public schools should require, provide, and financially support opportunities for public school music educators to study their instruments and perform for their students.  This practice is vital to enhance the educational experience for both teachers and students and promote an environment conducive to lifelong learning.

Should Students Say the Pledge?

Should students say the Pledge of Allegiance in school?  Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

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5 states to pilot more hours in school.

(link to article at times news) 

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We've all experienced back to school brain damage.  That is, that realization that when students start a new year they've forgotten a great deal of what they were taught the previous year making the first few months an arduous review period.  Fives states are set to pilot a program that adds nearly 300 hours to a students school year (although not necessarily by increasing the number of days attended.)  As teachers, parents, students, and citizens concerned with education, what affect do you thinks this would have if implemented nation wide?  Would student learning and retention be increased?  How would teachers be paid for the extra time?  How would budgets be affected if they had to stretch even further?    (Reviewed by: Justin Ormsby)  

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WASHINGTON -- Open your notebooks and sharpen your pencils. School for thousands of public school students is about to get quite a bit longer.
Five states were to announce Monday that they will add at least 300 hours of learning time to the calendar in some schools starting in 2013. Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Tennessee will take part in the initiative, which is intended to boost student achievement and make U.S. schools more competitive on a global level.

The three-year pilot program will affect almost 20,000 students in 40 schools, with long-term hopes of expanding the program to include additional schools -- especially those that serve low-income communities. Schools, working in concert with districts, parents and teachers, will decide whether to make the school day longer, add more days to the school year or both.

A mix of federal, state and district funds will cover the costs of expanded learning time, with the Ford Foundation and the National Center on Time & Learning also chipping in resources. In Massachusetts, the program builds on the state's existing expanded-learning program. In Connecticut, Gov. Dannel Malloy is hailing it as a natural outgrowth of an education reform law the state passed in May that included about $100 million in new funding, much of it to help the neediest schools.

Teacher uses permanent marker to "brand" students as failures

(link to article at BND.com) 

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It's odd to me that there is any debate about the appropriateness of this action.  Sure, teachers often need to think of new and creative incentives to inspire students to perform, but the idea that an experienced teacher would allow, no, encourage the public humiliation of her struggling students in such a way is revolting.  That she would allow it to be done with permanent marker is almost incomprehensible.  That this action was principal approved is inexcusable.  Defending this action as a "choice" and expecting 4th graders to fully understand the complicated consequences of this type of public shaming is absurd.  After reading this article take a look at Mrs. Larsen's 4th grade class (below - removed)  and decide for yourself how you as a parent might feel if your child came home having been literally branded as a failure.  Mrs. Larsen should consider that 43% of her students not passing their reading goals might be a personal failure of her own and a mark of the quality success as a teacher.  Nevertheless, what is clear to me is that many teachers and administrators are too often concerned with producing acceptable "numbers" and not with those intangibles in education such as dignity, respect, and virtuous actions.  (Reviewed by: Justin Ormsby)  

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DECLO, Idaho — A fourth-grade teacher in southern Idaho is being criticized after having her students use permanent markers to draw on the faces of classmates who failed to meet reading goals.

Some parents and administrators say the punishments given to nine students in Summer Larsen's class were inappropriate and left the children feeling shamed.

Cindy Hurst said recently her 10-year-old son came home from school Nov. 5 with his entire face - including his eyelids - scribbled on with green, red and purple markers.

Split on the issue of spanking, parents wrestle with corporal punishment in schools, at home - Tim Skillern

(link to article at yahoo news)

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One time I got in trouble for making kids do push ups for mistakes/bad behavior.  This type of physical punishment was pretty common in the world of high school band...certainly I've done my share of pushups or lap running.  What made this even more bizarre to me is that the principal made sure to point out that corporal punishment was legal in Missouri.  However, the litigious nature of society had the administration worried and while I was assured that my conduct was within the law, I was also strongly advised to cease and desist immediately.  With this in mind I'm always especially flabbergasted when I hear that students are still getting paddled in schools.  I would have bet money that, in today's society, a 16 year old girl could never be swatted on the butt by a male principal...but...it happened.  What do you think about spanking in schools?  Would you let your daughter be swatted by a male principal?  Would you let her be swatted at all?  Let us know what you think.  (Reviewed by: Justin Ormsby)  

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The way Heidi Drake remembers it, punishment in school never varied.

Caught chewing gum? Swat. Pass a note? Swat. Tardy to class? Swat.

"Mr. K was a legend at my rural Oregon middle school," Drake writes in a piece about parenting and spanking for Yahoo News. "Not because his biology tests were tough or his smiles were rare. It was his paddle we all feared.

"One quick swing, in full view of our snickering classmates. Not behind closed doors, with only other adults present."

Drake, a Sunriver, Ore., mom of two girls, says that's the key difference between her experience and the attention-grabbing corporal punishment doled out recently to high-school sophomore Taylor Santos of Fort Worth, Texas.

Obama's race to the top will not improve education - Diane Ravitch

(link to article at huffingtonpost.com)

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President Obama spoke to the National Urban League this week and defended his "Race to the Top" program, which has become increasingly controversial. Mr. Obama insisted that it was the most important thing he had done in office, and that critics were merely clinging to the status quo.

Mr. Obama was unfazed by the scathing critique of the Race by the nation's leading civil rights organizations, who insisted that access to federal funding should be based on need, not competition.

In search of excellent teaching - NY Times

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The Chicago teachers’ strike was prompted in part by a fierce disagreement over how much student test scores will weigh in a new teacher evaluation system mandated by state law. That teachers’ unions in much of the country now agree that student achievement should count in evaluations at all reflects a major change from the past, when it was often argued that teaching was an “art” that could not be rigorously evaluated or, even more outrageously, that teachers should not be held accountable for student progress.

Chicago teachers to vote on ending strike - Reuters

 (link to article at reuters.com)

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(Reuters) - Chicago Teachers Union leaders began a meeting on Tuesday to decide whether to end a strike that has closed the nation's third-largest school district for more than a week and focused national attention on how to reform failing urban schools.

Some 800 union delegates representing the 29,000 teachers and support staff in Chicago Public Schools are meeting in a second attempt to try to get approval from delegates for a proposed new contract negotiated with Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

The group, which can end the strike with a simple majority, decided on Sunday to continue the walkout for two days so they could review details of the proposed new contract. But there was some optimism about the coming vote from the union.

"My feeling is that we go back to work tomorrow," David Temkin, a school social worker picketing on Tuesday. "I think we've done everything we set out to do. We all want to be back in school and we don't want to lose the parent support."

At 76, Jonathan Kozol Is More Outraged Over Inequality in Education Than Ever - Jonathan Kozol

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"Sorry, I didn't mean to get so angry," author and education activist Jonathan Kozol told a crowd of mostly educators in Los Angeles on Monday night. The teachers, many toting dog-eared copies of Savage Inequalities, Kozol's groundbreaking 1991 text which exposed in heartbreaking detail the education disparities between wealthier, whiter students and poor, minority kids, didn't need the apology. Instead they applauded Kozol, who is on a nationwide lecture tour promoting his 13th tome, Fire in the Ashes, for sustaining his moral outrage over child poverty, racism, and educational inequity for the past 40 years.