Links - Durango School Talk

Links to More Resources

The world and culture of testing

The Case Against "Tougher Standards" by Alfie Kohn a discussion of motivation, teaching and learning, with references to Kohn's book: "The Schools Our Children Deserve"

The Coalition for Better Education ( CBE) was started by a group of aspiring teachers from the University of Northern Colorado to raise awareness about the costs of CSAP & NCLB and to empower parents and teachers

FairTest works to end the misuses and flaws of standardized testing and to ensure that evaluation of students, teachers and schools is fair, open, valid and educationally beneficial. It is a national project created to support parents, teachers, students and others who are working to end the overuse and misuse of standardized testing in public education and to promote authentic forms of assessment.

Great ideas for transforming education are everywhere - one of our favorites is Edutopia
"The George Lucas Educational Foundation " supplying "Inspiration for Innovative Teaching"

"No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) raises great educational questions. Most of the links below question NCLB's implementation for starters, but more importantly focus on the age old question: "What is an Education For?"

The Coalition of Essential Schools (CES) "...a robust network of schools, centers, organizations, and individuals working together to create and sustain personalized, equitable, and intellectually challenging schools."
Read how CES views high stakes testing regimens that divert scarce resources away from best practices that promote “active engagement and critical thinking and toward test preparation materials and "practice" activities.” Think about what we could have in Durango.

The Vermont Mathematics Initiative The VMI has been designed to train a cadre of elementary teachers to serve as mathematics leaders in their schools, districts, and statewide. The role of school and district administrators in the project is to create a climate in their school or district in which the teacher leader and administration work together to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics. Education World article on VMI

SusanOHanian.org Research That Counts: a nationwide compendium of news, links to research and opinions on NCLB.

9-R District Voice Durango Superintendent Mary F. Barter views CSAPs as "a useful diagnostic tool that informs good teaching and learning." In deference to her position, the 9-R Board in the past declined requests to explore possible negative impacts of NCLB or of the Colorado standardized CSAP regimen. Parents bringing such concerns to the board have been encouraged to contact their elected representatives in Denver or D.C. Durango Activist Bill Bowlby recently did just that. Using our understanding of "local control" we think a local community dialogue would be enlightening. Envisioned as a way to ensure equity, is NCLB turning out to be good for all the children? How would we know? Who would we ask? Is there a consensus among 9-R teachers?

The Federal “No Child Left Behind Act:” What It Costs the States
William J. Mathis recommends replacing the existing law with a better, more workable one and never giving up on “the goal of educating every child , not only in academics but to be contributing members to a democratic society.”

REVOLT AGAINST NCLB SPREADS TO 47 STATES
Read the news release... from NCLB Grassroots

NCLBGrassroots.org a website where you can keep tabs on what teachers, parents, school administrators and local leaders are saying about the implementation of the federal law governing our schools, the No Child Left Behind Act.

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Public Engagement Best Practices
Comprehensive resources 9-R could use to improve communication if it elects to continue Policy Governance model!

Model community education organizations Durango parents can explore or adapt

...It is difficult to describe the work of these organizations [local education funds] succinctly, because they often operate purposefully as “invisible hands,” brokering partnerships among diverse groups, and because their locally adapted work embraces a rich and flexible mix of initiatives." --Elizebeth Useem in From the Margins to the Center of School Reform

Local Education Funds (LEFs) LEF's are community based advocacy organizations called “local education funds ” uniquely poised to engage local citizens with schools. The Public Education Network (PEN) is made up of LEFs, nonprofit organizations that work with, but are independent of, their local school systems. LEF's challenge public school distircts to do a better job of serving low income children and their families.They address the extent to which different sectors of the community – business, parents, educators, state and local officeholders, nonprofits, and others – act in concert around a matter of community-wide import.
Parents 4 Public Schools Parents for Public Schools is a national organization of community-based chapters working in public schools that the 9-R community could join or use as a model.