“Evaluation for Success, Not in Excess”

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Testing…Testing…Testing…

A Conference on the impact of standardized evaluation on education in the Americas
The Research Network of the Initiative for Democratic Education in the Americas (IDEA), identifies standardized testing of students and productivity-based evaluation of teachers as areas of serious concern for the education community from Canada to Argentina.

Important studies on the theme have been carried out in many countries, but it is necessary to enrich this work through the development of a regional understanding of the repercussions these neoliberal policies have on teachers’ working conditions and professional autonomy, and on students’ rights to access public education at all levels and to define their role in society as fully participating socio-cultural historical subjects.

As part of IDEA’s hemispheric “Evaluation for Success, Not in Excess” campaign, the Network is organizing “Testing, Testing, Testing…,” a conference on standardized evaluation to take place in Mexico City, Mexico February 19 – 21, 2009.

The event is an opportunity to share research and experiences regarding standardized testing, and to participate in the collective construction of knowledge that will enrich international strategies to resist neoliberal evaluation and develop alternative evaluation processes.

The IDEA Network in invites researchers working for, or allied with, education organizations, and other education activists working for democratic public education to participate in the “Testing, Testing, Testing…” conference to share their concrete experiences as educational actors. Contact the IDEA Network at sstewart@idea-network.ca for conference registration forms and other information.
Download a conference registration form here: ideas/admin/UserFiles/File/REGIFORM_-_evaluation_-_Eng.doc

Wayne’s Favorite Albums of 2008

It was a superb year for music listening and adding a Sonos system transformed listening habits at our place. Having access to on-demand streaming of millions of tracks from Napster as well as hundreds of radio stations made it easy to listen to just about anything we wanted to hear—from 70’s schlock pop to opera. And we now have our dinner party game of pass the Sonos controller to choose the next tune we’ll listen to.

I loved reading reviews of new releases in the Tuesday paper and, without leaving my chair, queuing up the cds on Napster/Sonos, which lead to many purchase (and not-to-purchase) decisions.

I thought that my cd buying ways might be reigned in with access to Napster, but it actually had the opposite effect as I purchased about 50 more cds this year than last. Although, an eMusic subscription fueled many downloads of independent releases. Take a look at what I did pick up this year, here.)

No doubt the largest portion of my listening was devoted to Soma FM’s Groove Salad channel (“A nicely chilled plate of ambient beats and grooves”), which was the soundtrack to just about every evening.

Continuing a tradition, here’s a list of my favorite (purchased) albums from the past year. As usual, I have way more than a Top Ten list.

[BTW, you can get a 27 track iMix of my favorite tracks from the albums below on iTunes, “E. Wayne’s Favs of 2008”.]

Wayne’s Top Ten of 2008

  1. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
  2. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Dig Lazarus Dig!
  3. B.B. King – One Kind Favor
  4. Ryan Adams – Cardinology
  5. Boston Spaceships – Brown Submarine
  6. Alejandro Escovedo – Real Animal
  7. Shelby Lynne – Just a Little Lovin’
  8. Randy Newman – Harps and Angels
  9. The Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely
  10. Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs

Best of the Rest (New Music) 2008

R.E.M. – Accelerate
JJ Grey & Mofro – Orange Blossoms
Howard Tate – Blue Day
The Baseball Project – Volume 1 Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails
Robert Pollard – Is Off to Business
Rodney Crowell – Sex and Gasoline
Jim White – Transnormal Skiperoo
Al Green – Lay It Down
Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree
Susan Tedeschi – Back to the River
Buddy Guy – Skin Deep
Billy Bragg – Mr Love & Justice
Black Mountain – In the Future
Ray Davies – Working Man’s Cafe
Calexico – Carried by Dust
Lindsey Buckingham – Gift of Screws
Theivery Corporation – Radio Retaliation
Nada Surf – Lucky
Chris Walla – Field Manual
Los Lonely Boys – Forgiven


Favorite Reissues of 2008
Titan! – It’s All Pop
Bobby Womack – The Best of Bobby Womack – The Soul Years
Nick Lowe – Jesus of Cool (Bonus Tracks)
Mott the Hoople – Old Records Never Die: The Mott the Hoople/Ian Hunter Anthology
Dennis Wilson – Pacific Ocean Blue
Ry Cooder – The UFO Has Landed
Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs – Rare and Unreleased 1989-2006

It’s time to restart the Rouge Forum News; it’s time for our 13th edition!

It’s time to restart the Rouge Forum News; it’s time for our 13th edition!

The economy continues its descent. Runaway capitalism slides off its rails. The results of deregulation rear their hyrdra-like head(s). The Bush tax cuts illustrate what applying leeches to a patient who is bleeding to death must feel like. The numbers can no longer be faked, massaged, or hidden. CEOs are given a free pass while blue collar workers must fight (sit-in, resist, etc.) for their lives. And, the blowing embers of neoliberalism might (finally) begin to flicker away. Needless to say, we are faced with a financial crisis we have not seen for some time. Few groups/publications have had the courage to maintain their voice, keeping the critique of capitalism in the forefront of the struggle (even when the markets would suggest otherwise).

Alongside folks at the Monthly Review, the International Socialist Review, and a few alternative news sites, educators in the Rouge Forum have also continued to keep their voices strong, consistently providing links between runaway capital, the rabid and rapid standardization of curriculum, the co-optation of our unions, the militarization of our youth, and the creep of irrationalism in our schools.

The Rouge Forum has been attempting to spearhead a mass movement of conscious educators, parents, and students toward connecting reason with power. Despite the overwhelming power of the opposition, the Rouge Forum, like only a few others, has chosen to continue to struggle–by meeting, by writing, by organizing, by sharing the struggle. Toward this end, and in order to try to make better sense of how we arrived at this economic moment, the Rouge Forum is reinstating the RF News in 2009.

We’d like our first edition back (our 13th overall) to focus on the financial crisis: histories, analyses, commentaries on the economic state of the union/world.

We are interested in work from academics, parents, teachers, and students: teachers at all levels, students in ANY grade, parents of children of any age.

Something small, something big, something serious. We want to publish YOUR story in our next issue. It is the stories we get from people like you that make the RF News what it is. If you have a story to share, but would like to protect your identity, use a pen name. Pen names are welcome!

We NEED Art! Songs! Poems! Editorial cartoons! Links to online videos or other material! Perhaps you are better at expressing yourself with art or poetry. Send it in!

We are looking for narratives as well as research and the interplay between research and practice which focus on our current economic meltdown. If you have a story to tell, some research to share, a book to review, we’d love to see it (and share it).

We publish material from k-12 students, parents, teachers, academics, and community people struggling for equality and democracy in schools — writing (intended to inform/educate, or stories from your classroom, etc.), art, cartoons, photos, poetry. You can submit material for the RF News via email (text attachment, if possible) to our Rouge Forum community organizer, Adam Renner: arenner@bellarmine.edu. PLEASE SUBMIT BY FEBRUARY 15, 2009.

Rouge Forum Update

Happy Happy and Merry Merry!

There are hopeful signs for the year ahead.

Greece (thanks to our friend VK): http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/12/2008_greek_riots.html
(Similar actions took place in France at the same time. In Greece, workers seized their union offices, arguing the offices belong to the workers, not the union bosses).

The New School: http://www.newschoolinexile.com/

Chicago: http://www.rabble.ca/rabbletv/program-guide/best-net/workers-republic-scenes-successful-factory-occupation

The Rouge Forum Conference in May:http://www.rougeforumconference.org/ (send your proposals) http://www.rougeforumconference.org/

The Rouge Forum Blogspot: http://therougeforum.blogspot.com/

The Rouge Forum News (send your articles, poems, art, cartoons, and good ideas to Adam Renner at arenner@bellarmine.edu

The New Improved Shoe Game for snow-ins: http://www.aksalser.com/game.htm

For those with longer memories, three more of the Grenada 17, jailed in a 17th century prison since 1983 for crimes they did not commit, were released last week, leaving seven in jail today: http://www.counterpunch.org/gibson06052004.html

Thanks to Wayne, Amber, Adam, VK, Beau, Erin, Gil G, Patrick, Susan O and H, Joe L, Steve, Curry, Perry, Sandy, David H–both–Sally, Sharon A., Mary and Paul, Tally A, Dana, Katie and Greg, Karen K, David S, Bill, MrJ, George S, Donavan, Tommie and Bob, Glenn R, Michael, Kevin, Tony, Marc, Sherry, Mandy, Kim, Matthew, Zoe, Linda, Jim and Gordon, Llona, Lisa, Bertell, Joe B, and C., VP, Nancy, Mike A, Kino, Stephanie, Bonnie, Ann D-H, Chris, Candace, Norma, and to all those who helped build a class conscious social movement for freedom and equality.

We are saddened to note the death of a friend, Joe Kincheloe (1950-2008).

Down the banks and
Up the Rebels!

All the best,

r

Arundhati Roy on Turkey Pardoning

Arundhati Roy writes of the “Turkey Pardoning” system of racism:

The best allegory for New Racism is the tradition of ‘turkey pardoning’ in the United States. Every year since 1947, the National Turkey Federation has presented the US President with a turkey for Thanksgiving. Every year, in a show of ceremonial magnanimitym the President spares that particular bird (and eats another one). After receiving the presidential pardon, the Chosen One is sent to Frying Pan Park in Virginia to live out its natural life. The rest of the 50 million turkeys raised for Thanksgiving are slaughtered and eaten on Thanksgiving Day. ConAgra Foods, the company that has won the Presidential Turkey contract, says it trains the lucky birds to be sociable, to interact with dignitaries, school children and the press. (Soon they’ll even speak English!)

That’s how New Racism in the corporate era works. A few carefully bred turkeys–the local elites of various countries, a community of wealthy immigrants, investment bankers, the occasional Colin Powell or Condoleeza Rice, some singers, some writers (like myself)–are given absolution and a pass to Frying Pan Park. The remaining millions lose their jobs, are evicted from their homes, have their water and electricity connections cut, and die of AIDS. Basically they’re for the pot. But the Fortunate Fowls in Frying Pan Park are doing just fine. Some of them even work for the IMF and the WTO–so who can accuse those organizations of being anti-turkey? Some serve as board members on the Turkey Choosing Committee–so who can say that turkeys are against thanksgiving? They participate in it! Who can say the poor are anti corporate globalization? There’s a stampede to get into Frying Pan Park. So what if most perish on the way?

Tennessee Takes First Annual ‘Turkey at the Top’ Award

Marc Bousquet thinks the biggest turkey in higher ed is U of Tennessee’s Charlie Manning and he makes a good case for him. Bousquet understands what it’s like to work at the U of Louisville, but he never had to work in the same building with Robert Felner, the former UofL education dean now under federal indictment…

In my book Felner’s the biggest turkey in higher ed…ever.

HowTheUniversityWorks.com: Tennessee Takes First Annual ‘Turkey at the Top’ Award

Turkey at the top is always intensely competitive. This year’s contenders included first runner-up Robert Felner, the U of Louisville dean indicted for conspiracy to commit fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion in what the feds allege are repeated acts of embezzlement of grant monies amounting to over $2 million. Not content with these escapades, Felner racked up 31 grievances and complaints in his 5 years at the “U of L” but was consistently backed against the faculty by upper administration, especially Provost Shirley Willihnganz and President James Ramsey, who spent extravagantly on lawyers and consultants to prop up his administration despite what numerous accounts (including this one and others that I’ve privately confirmed) termed an “onslaught” of complaints from faculty, staff and students alleging “unsavory behavior, ranging from sexual harassment to workplace intimidation.” This pair continued the authoritarian regime of wall-to-wall administrative solidarity and secrecy established by their high-living predecessors, former provost Carol Garrison and former president John Shumaker—later found sharing lavish hotel rooms and limousines at public expense, while jetting to trysts in the University of Tennessee’s private plane.

But every year only one can win. This year’s award goes to the chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents, Charlie Manning, for his new business model for higher ed in his Appalachian state. Over the past couple of decades, the great state of Tennessee has burned millions of education dollars on executive compensation, sports facilities, and miles of orange carpet—while leading the country in squeezing its faculty.

Rouge Forum Update

Dear Friends,

The call for proposals for the Rouge Forum Conference, “Education, Empire, Economy & Ethics at a Crossroads,
May 14-17, 2009, at Eastern Michigan University, is linked here: http://www.rougeforumconference.org/. Proposals are due February 1.

In addition, following on our recent Rouge Forum Steering Committee decisions, here is a note from our Curricula Committee Coordinator, Doug Selwyn:

“Even in these dark and educationally repressive, testing driven times, there are educators doing extraordinary work in helping their students to understand what is really going on in their world, and helping them to come into the knowledge and power that enables them to act. The Rouge Forum invites you to share what you are doing so the rest of us can learn from you, on behalf of our students. We are asking for your most successful and useful lessons, units, methodologies, resources, and anything else that might help us to be more effective in our efforts to help our students to truly understand why things are the way they are, and to develop the knowledge, skills, and strategies for acting effectively to bring change.

We will do three things with what you send us. First, we will share some of the lessons, via Rich’s updates, on a monthly basis. Second, we will be organizing them into what we hope we will become a published anthology. Third, we will make all of the materials available, on line, at some site to be determined.

Also send a wish list of topics, issues, and themes you want to get ideas, resources, and lessons about, which might encourage a more focused response to this call.

We know that we are largely on our own when we work to carry out real education with our kids. It’s not going to come from those in power (who want to stay there), from textbook companies (who want their profits), or from the majority of your colleagues. It’s up to us. Send your lessons, ideas, resources, and “wish list” to Doug Selwyn (doug.selwyn@plattsburgh.edu).
http://richgibson.com/educationcurricular.html

With 1.2 million people losing jobs this year so far and what are likely to be massive education cuts on the near horizon, we need to project what impact Obama will have on schools and society. He promises tax cuts, massive spending projects, and wider warfare in Afghanistan. We know our union leaders are unprepared. Indeed, the AFT leadership promises to support Obama’s plans to expand merit pay. Which way for education activists, and others?

The debate is framed well in three responses that detail radical and liberal approaches for the near future. Here is one by Steve Strauss and one posted by Susan Ohanian on her website: “Optimism and Obamagogue”.

And another, “The Third Clinton Administration,” by Ralph Nader .

Thanks to Adam and Gina, Greg and Katy, Amber, Joe(s), Bill (s), Wayne, Perry, Marc, Preston, Shelly, Tally, Candace, Tommie and Bob, Craig, Doug, Bonnie, Kathy K, Henry, Joshua, Weird Eric and Dirty Edd, Suzanne, VP, PM, Dave H, Glenn, Anil, and Ravi.

All the best, r