tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11127655702952777272024-03-13T02:52:38.766-04:00ProgressED BlogAdvocating for teacher stewardship of green, healthy, and sustainable schools.Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-76395544665950311392017-03-16T13:51:00.000-04:002017-05-02T13:24:21.669-04:00See you on the dance floor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-offset-key="73msd-0-0"><span data-text="true">The title of a recent article by Steven R<span style="font-family: inherit;">osenfeld caught my attention: </span>"</span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://billmoyers.com/story/dont-act-now-fascism-will-doorstep-says-yale-historian/" target="_blank">If We Don’t Act Now, Fascism Will Be on Our Doorstep, Says Yale Historian</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">,</span>" (March 15, 2017)</span><span data-offset-key="73msd-0-0"><span data-text="true">. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-offset-key="73msd-0-0"><span data-text="true">I'm not happy about the fear meme embedded and critiqued in the article, i.e. prepare for the worst. It's as if we're coaxing it into existence.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-offset-key="1j88r-0-0"><span data-text="true">This sentence from Rosenfeld's article also struck me: "Fascism says, disregard the evidence of your senses, disregard observation, embolden deeds that can’t be proven, don’t have faith in God but have faith in leaders, take part in collective myth of an organic national unity and so forth." Manuela Cadelli writes about this phenomenon in her article "<a href="http://www.defenddemocracy.press/president-belgian-magistrates-neoliberalism-form-fascism/" target="_blank">Neoliberalism is a Species of Fascism</a>."</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-offset-key="65pd8-0-0"><span data-text="true">I think the tilt towards fascism started before Drumph, but I really don't want to be right about that. In any case, language, and how we choose to create and experience the world, matters. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-offset-key="65pd8-0-0"><span data-text="true"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-offset-key="4osej-0-0"><span data-text="true">I
remember when Walter Monda<span style="font-family: inherit;">le</span> closed the 1984 (!) Democratic National
Convention by repeatedly <a href="http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/conventions/chicago/facts/famous.speeches/mondale.84.shtml" target="_blank">calling out for Ronald Reagan</a>. He was
supposedly pulling together a fractured party by railing against a
common Republican enemy (i.e. President Ronald Reagan), and all that we heard on TV and radio, and read
in newspapers, and felt in the universe, was a loud and clear invocation
of Ronald Reagan's name. We lost before we started, and I wonder if HRC
et al. did the same thing in 2016.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-offset-key="65pd8-0-0"><span data-text="true">Should we focus on what we want, rather than what we don<span style="font-family: inherit;">'</span>t want? Do we amplif<span style="font-family: inherit;">y</span> democracy or echo dark foreboding? What's the <span style="font-family: inherit;">implication for the world that we want to live in?</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-offset-key="6i1uv-0-0"><span data-text="true">See you on the march, at the grille, or on the dance floor.</span></span></span></span></div>
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Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-12483239504910802172017-03-06T07:54:00.003-05:002017-03-06T07:56:10.677-05:00The Once and Future ED<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Rep.
Thomas Massie (R-KY-4) has proposed that ED be eliminated on Dec 31,
2018: H.R.899 - To terminate the Department of Education (ED; <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/899" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/899</a>)<br />
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If you're gong to contact your Representative about this, please consider promoting another direction for ED's mission (see Option B, below).<br />
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Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-26413348823568770992016-12-10T11:31:00.000-05:002017-05-02T14:37:08.792-04:00re: Teacher observations have been a waste of time and money<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">The US is the wealthiest country on the planet, and </span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Mark Dynarski</span></span> wants to implicate teachers for low test scores.</span></span></h3>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Mark Dynarski </span></span>gets it wrong with teacher evaluation (<a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/teacher-observations-have-been-a-waste-of-time-and-money/">Brookings, Dec. 8, 2016</a>).<br /></span></span><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><b>Mark Dynarski does not understand assessment:</b> "The crucial
question is whether students are learning. To answer that, we need some
measure of learning: a test." <br /><br />Tests do not measure student learning.
Tests measure a student's ability, or choice, to achieve high test scores.</span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"> <br /><br />Alternatively, students benefit from assessments that are designed to help them show what they have learned, from their own perspective. Crafty educators can use data, both qualitative and quantitative, from student-driven assessments to adjust instructional strategies <u>to meet students' needs</u>.<b><br /><br /></b></span></span></li>
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><b>The
author does not understand science:</b> "Teacher evaluation systems need a
stronger scientific basis." <br /><br />Quantitative data from high stakes standardized tests does not constitute "science." Science would consider a systemic, holistic
approach, and then isolate variables. And there are at least as many variables in a classroom as there are students.<br /><br />Individual students are too varied
to prove (or disprove) a teacher's effectiveness. Trends or patterns
within one classroom with 25 students -- or across several classrooms
with 150 students -- in the same year, or over several years, SHOULD vary
based on students' interests and needs, and the extent to which a
teacher is supported by her/his school. <br /><br />There are also too many variables
before, during, and after school to link teacher effectiveness with
"objective" test scores.</span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><br /><br /></span></span></li>
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"> </span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><b>Perhaps the author does
not understand inequity:</b> "We need a more solid research and measurement
foundation about what aspects of teaching improve learning." <br /><br />When children arrive at school well-rested, well-fed, and feeling safe and curious, well-supported teachers can do wonders. Teachers are life-long learners, and we can always enrich our curricular, instructional, and assessment strategies. </span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Fair-enough. </span></span><br /><br />However, students who are proximate to the violence of poverty exhibit enormous amounts of stress that they bring to schools. These students need equity, i.e. unique in-school services that can help them want to do well in school. And it would be really helpful if our society acted to address the upstream source of poverty, i.e. income inequality.<br /></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Data from
The Spirit Level shows that e</span></span>ven wealthy American children also suffer from the fallout of an unhealthy society. <br /><br />Among the wealthiest 23 countries on the
planet, those with the biggest income inequality (i.e. the U.S.) have
the highest rates of depression, mental illness, teen pregnancy,
incarceration rates, drug abuse, obesity, and violence, and <a href="https://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/education">low educational "achievement" rates</a> (see Fig. 1 below). </span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><br /><br />Fig. 1: </span></span>Educational scores are higher in more equal rich countries. - <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><a href="https://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/resources/the-spirit-level">The Spirit Level</a></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhJ1-jielNIeZIfwNj6I8pTcq4ymlf2RtaMziu9reY8wdo8hTEKfiyNWDLrHXrkLJZPkL9fmPhvmXbnleybxOkwyhlhXtvraM32p85iOSxhVqdNf_NR2OHIrrOgmYw3vKY0nzHMkqWbM/s1600/education_0.jpg"><br /><br /><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhJ1-jielNIeZIfwNj6I8pTcq4ymlf2RtaMziu9reY8wdo8hTEKfiyNWDLrHXrkLJZPkL9fmPhvmXbnleybxOkwyhlhXtvraM32p85iOSxhVqdNf_NR2OHIrrOgmYw3vKY0nzHMkqWbM/s400/education_0.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></span></span></li>
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><b>The author does not
understand pedagogy:</b> "We are spending billions to little effect because
we do not know enough about what we are looking for." <br /><br />I know what I am
looking for; I'm sure it varies among colleagues -- and I'm OK with
that. I think that effective teachers:<br />a. cultivate a love of life-long learning</span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"> <br />b. promote critical and creative literacy</span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"> <br />c. foster democratic civic engagement</span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"> <br /><br />If
these outcomes come close to what we are looking for within the
profession, then we should ask teachers to design their own professional
learning plans so that they become more effective at realizing such
aims.<u><br /></u></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">If
students come to school and aren't ready to learn, then we need to
support students and educators by creating and sustaining equitable in-school conditions.<br /></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Focusing on education as a means to
redress poverty will help to a point: but it will not address the
source of inequities, i.e. income inequality. </span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Therefore, </span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">we need to
support students and educators by creating and sustaining equitable out-of-school conditions.</span></span><b> <br /></b></span></span></li>
<li><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><b>The
author has a point:</b> "We need a more solid research and measurement
foundation about what aspects of teaching improve learning." <br /><br /><u>We need
hybrid teaching roles</u> so that more teachers can conduct meaningful
research and advocate for effective systemic strategies that promote
student engagement.</span></span></li>
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Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-13929427722440682912016-12-01T16:44:00.003-05:002016-12-01T22:33:32.294-05:00Here's the Deal: We already know what needs improving.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Education Post's sensational headline reads, "<a href="http://educationpost.org/heres-the-deal-we-cant-help-teachers-improve-if-we-dont-know-what-needs-improving/" target="_blank">Here’s the Deal: We Can’t Help Teachers Improve If We Don’t Know What Needs Improving</a> (11/29/16)." Author Thomas Toch argues that better teacher accountability metrics will lead to—what? Higher test scores? A stronger workforce? <br />
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How about we improve teaching with the aim of a more green, healthy, and sustainable America?<br />
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And we already know what needs improving.<br />
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Our country needs to improve
family access to safe neighborhoods, healthy housing, meaningful employment, and
balanced nutrition. We need to improve parents' and guardians' access to time and resources so that they can
make sure their children are curious, energetic, well-fed, well-rested, and
learning ready. <br />
<br />
We need to improve student and staff access to green, healthy, and sustainable schools; beautiful schools that conserve energy and <span class="text_exposed_show">water, foster wellness, and advance equity between people, planet, and prosperity are good for students. This will help teachers.<br /> <br /> We need to improve the capacity of educators to collaborate on
curriculum, instruction, assessment, and policy that enriches students'
love of learning, critical and creative thinking, and democratic civic
engagement. </span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> We need to improve supports for educators as they exercise their professional expertise. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">We need to improve teachers' stewardship of the profession. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">We need to improve our civic commitment to </span><span class="text_exposed_show"><span class="text_exposed_show">American values such as democracy, liberty, and justice for all.</span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"></span><span class="text_exposed_show"></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">We need to improve our courage. </span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">This will help teachers.<br /><br />Check out the organizations below.<br /> <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=133415710128820" href="https://www.facebook.com/GreenSchoolsNationalNetwork/">Green Schools National Network</a> <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=217348521622993" href="https://www.facebook.com/EDGreenRibbonSchools/">U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools</a> <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=691193310925813" href="https://www.facebook.com/GreenSchoolyardsAmerica/">Green Schoolyards America</a> <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=309356823468" href="https://www.facebook.com/WomenOfGreen/">Women Of Green</a> <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=285965221416821" href="https://www.facebook.com/Centerforgreenschools/">Center for Green Schools</a><a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=153806214712246" href="https://www.facebook.com/EcoRiseYouth/">EcoRise Youth Innovations</a> <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=114665821861" href="https://www.facebook.com/EcoSchoolsUSA/">Eco-Schools USA</a> <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=103047412975" href="https://www.facebook.com/NEEFusa/">National Environmental Education Foundation</a> <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=49627519583" href="https://www.facebook.com/ShelburneFarms/">Shelburne Farms</a> <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=111998218980" href="https://www.facebook.com/centerforecoliteracy/">Center for Ecoliteracy</a> <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=469788703171248" href="https://www.facebook.com/SDPGreenFutures/">GreenFutures</a> <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=215269391821386" href="https://www.facebook.com/SustDev/">UN Sustainable Development Platform</a> <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=159362154132279" href="https://www.facebook.com/TheNetworkedTeacher/">The Networked Teacher</a> <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=92950765698" href="https://www.facebook.com/SmithMemorialPlayground/">Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse</a> <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=551209338311443" href="https://www.facebook.com/workingeducators/">Caucus of Working Educators</a> <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=492035944198619" href="https://www.facebook.com/BadassTeachersAssociation/">Badass Teachers Association</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/centerforteachingquality/" target="_blank">Center for Teaching Quality</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/teacherpowered/" target="_blank">Teacher Powered Schools</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/252818625098608/" target="_blank">Teach to Lead</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/networkforpubliceducation/" target="_blank">Network for Public Education</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SustainableHappiness/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Sustainable Happiness</a></span><br />
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Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-26436879723762537422016-09-26T10:48:00.000-04:002016-09-26T10:49:28.501-04:00What does a society look like with no racism, sexism, classism...?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I believe that one of the best responses
to economic and social inequity is joy and happiness. After all, what
does a society look with no racism, classism, sexism...?<br />
<br />
I want
to live in prospering, abundant, and democratic society, and I want to
help create it. I am probably best situated to do so when I am coming
from a place of well being. It is our well being that we risk when we
maintain inequitable social and economic structures. And our civility
tow<span class="text_exposed_show">ards our brothers and sisters can become masked if not stunted, as well.</span><br />
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This short video from Matthew Cooke, called <a href="http://matthewcooke.com/2015/08/20/racebaiting-101/" target="_blank">Race Baiting 101</a>, profiles some of the complexity of how the Masters
conjure lateral conflict among the 99%. The video has compelling
arguments and stark images that hopefully affirm how we are connected in
our humanity. So although there is a bit of ugliness in the video, I
think it serves as a good reminder of why I am aligned with the hope of Black Lives Matter, sustainability, feminism, <a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/blacklivesmatter?source=feed_text&story_id=1651735181803882"><span class="_5afx"><span class="_58cl _5afz"></span></span></a> and other movements for a better world.<br />
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I also remind myself that the embrace of well being, as a political
act, is not a form of surrender. To want to be everywhere, all of the
time -- to right every wrong, to confront every injustice -- is to
succumb to the violence. I choose to acknowledge the violence, educate
myself, and focus on what I want, rather than what I don't want.<br />
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In solidarity, and in peace without appeasement.</div>
Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-42018990817331454182016-09-06T11:16:00.000-04:002016-09-07T08:29:42.848-04:00What is a Culture of Sustainabilty?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>By Gamal Sherif</i> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixr7-fnKMUVCJY4YzVqylGuMfwbpWn5KlYCwQKEM7TsyeecwWFhazJ8D30XYWMPnX8BhMGBqn3eC0wbnNeNGD-P34I5wVEbenkh2Nn57HYkQDl6qRWermwwdH4DeFiXfKgZ0hZX1L-s4g/s1600/GreenFutures-Coming-Soon-Summary.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixr7-fnKMUVCJY4YzVqylGuMfwbpWn5KlYCwQKEM7TsyeecwWFhazJ8D30XYWMPnX8BhMGBqn3eC0wbnNeNGD-P34I5wVEbenkh2Nn57HYkQDl6qRWermwwdH4DeFiXfKgZ0hZX1L-s4g/s640/GreenFutures-Coming-Soon-Summary.png" width="256" /></a></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #202020; line-height: 150%; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Everyday,
teachers work hard to foster passion, engagement, and equity into our
schools. What do we need to make this work sustainable? What has to
happen within our schools -- or within ourselves -- so that students and
staff have beautiful environments that conserve energy and water,
foster wellness, and advance social and economic justice?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">On <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_541750936" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">Saturday, October 15, 2016</span></span>,
Francine Locke, the Environmental Director at the School District of
Philadelphia, and I will be hosting a workshop about sustainability at
the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://ProgressEd.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3D19db167ad95ca84485bf761aa%26id%3D6ea7f2a2a8%26e%3D1c614c5ceb&source=gmail&ust=1473268373757000&usg=AFQjCNHGbnn_ZN4JyOQdavVKo9hZZoLsHQ" href="http://progressed.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=19db167ad95ca84485bf761aa&id=6ea7f2a2a8&e=1c614c5ceb" rel="nofollow" style="color: #2baadf; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Global Education Forum</a> in Philadelphia, USA.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #202020; line-height: 150%; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our workshop, entitled <b><i>GreenFutures - Local Action for Global Stewardship</i></b>, will focus on how GreenFutures overlaps with the U.N.'s <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://ProgressEd.us5.list-manage2.com/track/click?u%3D19db167ad95ca84485bf761aa%26id%3D58ebb3d7fd%26e%3D1c614c5ceb&source=gmail&ust=1473268373757000&usg=AFQjCNFCSGqg0aowYSN6SbGBk7l7CtoRnA" href="http://progressed.us5.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=19db167ad95ca84485bf761aa&id=58ebb3d7fd&e=1c614c5ceb" rel="nofollow" style="color: #2baadf; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Sustainable Development Goals</a>
(SDG). As part of our introduction, we're going to ask participants a
series of questions that are designed to cultivate small-group
discussion -- and more questions!</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #202020; line-height: 150%; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of our first questions is: "What is a culture of sustainability?"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Beautiful green schools that engage students and staff do so, not
because of solar panels, farm-to-cafeteria, or clean air and water,
though these certainly do help! It's something else.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">How would you describe a culture of sustainability? Let us know what you think via email, tweet, or the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://ProgressEd.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3D19db167ad95ca84485bf761aa%26id%3D0f6b439b03%26e%3D1c614c5ceb&source=gmail&ust=1473268373757000&usg=AFQjCNHlJhRuPITHRa3NrLGBUWRpYTpyJA" href="http://progressed.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=19db167ad95ca84485bf761aa&id=0f6b439b03&e=1c614c5ceb" style="color: #2baadf; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">ProgressEd blog</a>.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Or just feel it.</span></span></div>
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Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-83459231143602532742016-03-13T16:30:00.002-04:002021-05-17T08:55:19.194-04:00Letter to Bernie Sanders: A green, healthy, and sustainable U.S. for peace in the Middle East<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Dear Bernie,<br />
<br />
I've been thinking about your positions on <a href="https://berniesanders.com/issues/war-and-peace/" target="_blank">war and peace</a>, and I was especially interested in your comments on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As an American with Hebrew and Arab roots, I'd like to make a few suggestions about the best way to advance peace here in the U.S., and in the Middle East.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I think that, as Americans, we have to focus on what we want here in the U.S. as we address inequities around the world. I recommend that we advocate for a green, healthy, and sustainable America. I’ve outlined some general principles below.</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Green: reduce energy consumption and
conserve water. The result is that we reduce greenhouse emissions,
stabilize our climate, and create green jobs. A green economy fosters
interdependence rather than violent competition for resources such as
energy, land and water.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Healthy: provide free health care and
promote effective working conditions. People have a right to be healthy,
and we need to create a culture that values emotional, social and
physical wellness. We need recreation in schools and communities,
contact with nature, experience with the arts and sciences, and a sense
of belonging. Healthy Americans take care of themselves, their families,
and their communities. Healthy Americans also have the time to
influence local and global politics for a just world.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Sustainable: study and advocate for
systemic economic, social and ecological balance. War isn’t good for
children and other people, and it is expensive. War is a result of fear,
desperation and greed. Conflict in the U.S. and in the Middle East
results from an imbalance that positions economy against people and the
planet. Alternatively, sustainability is a road map to a
flourishing world that ensures a high standard of living for all, in the
present and in the future. For more information, read the U.N.’s
<a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs" target="_blank">Sustainable Development Goals</a>.</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Middle East is a beautiful part of
the world that could easily celebrate cultural diversity, honor and
protect indigenous people, and even create abundance through low impact
eco-tourism.<br />
<br />
For Americans, the best way to bring peace to the Middle
East is to focus on a green, healthy and sustainable America as we
promote a culture of peace and joy at home and abroad.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yours,</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Gamal </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">A modified version of this letter was published in <a href="http://www.swarthmorean.com/letters-to-the-editor/" target="_blank"><i>The Swarthmorean</i></a> on Mar. 11, 2016. </span></div>
</div>
Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-11002277026660309552016-02-04T08:23:00.001-05:002016-02-13T05:08:53.400-05:00And what about a "progressive" teacher union movement?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What is the difference between a progressive, liberal and Marxist union? The answer, in part, might have something to do with the emphasis on members' stewardship of the union.<br />
<br />
Thanks to <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=533745093&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A161481270571508%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/xianb8" target="_blank">Xian Franzinger Barrett</a>
and his colleagues at the <a href="http://www.ctunet.com/" target="_blank">Chicago Teachers Union</a> for inspiring the Caucus of Working Educators (WE), a social justice caucus within the Philadelphia
Federation of Teachers (PFT). WE is challenging the Collective
Bargaining Team (CB) for leadership of the PFT. CB has run the PFT since
the 1980s. Ballots go out this week and are due by Feb. 19, 2016.<br />
<br />
In <a href="http://www.workingeducators.org/how_we_will_lead_kelley_collings?recruiter_id=6" target="_blank">this informative 10-min video</a>, Kelley Collings
provides a summary of how WE came together, the importance of union member stewardship, and
the emergence of hope for the schools and the city.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZb74qysHLEz11H089E7xYuTz4SvblFkobhIDwGgeOsjoVP04jSPwM79sFoJ_BPgkIPAzK2GO3dTmBeR0S6yD95p1MdlFNjqvOHtz-Q0ZIpmGJMlQtaKtf-TBqb0KFe4JYLNxb6oF0VA/s320/Kelley.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="PFT's Kelley Collings" width="255" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PFT's Kelley Collings, candidate for VP of Middle Schools</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1010955452&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A161481270571508%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharif.elmekki" target="_blank">Sharif El-Mekki</a>, a principal with Mastery Charter Schools, has worked in Philly since the 1990s, and shared a few comments on what I will call CB's "old school" v. WE's "new school" unionism:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="_5yl5">I'm excited about WE's desire to align with social justice issues that impact communities. They appear to look at the profession as a natural alliance with others who are fighting oppression from various angles. Encouraging.</span> </blockquote>
WE's "new school"
unionism has already had an impact on the PFT, the city, and teacher
leadership. Should WE win the upcoming election, I expect and hope that
they will build on the best of the CB legacy and then continue to
innovate.<br />
<br />
Back to the question of the "progressive" union. The <a href="http://www.turnweb.org/" target="_blank">Teacher Union Reform Network</a> (TURN; ca. 1995) has published a paper called
"Three Frames of Progressive Unionism," which emphasizes:<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>industrial
frame</li>
<li>professional frame, and </li>
<li>social justice frame </li>
</ol>
Although the document has changed over the years (i.e. from 2005 to 2011, v.
5), and is arguably
less "progressive," I've found that the three frames are helpful tools
to understand the sociology of unions. <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=100000325080463&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A161481270571508%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/steve.owens.125" target="_blank">Steve Owens</a> has a lot of knowledge about TURN and may be able to provide more context.<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>For more information on WE, go to <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.workingeducators.org%2F&h=nAQGzbSjuAQG6yXkjxFhmGQz1Whd9fVFyIO4aZKdoVfifYQ&enc=AZM4gHlFWJfsekqe4AZzhzY6gJ5UYzB3dWwuSgEmeUF1Gp3uOiTAV3P-pXaHmMyQ6GGqgK0ZYe8-JxgMd2kyJnx75-_OVSPIXIdWs4R_sOQSpWhlunRI7VHh-JIyc08Y8iGgUKLPAFjQgde5C5KHuNe_UxQ16p0czHi6faPjkXSkuVBvP3Ikpx8TAZahAHyh-Us&s=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.workingeducators.org/</a>.</li>
<li>For more information on CB, go to <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fcollectivebargainingteam.com%2F&h=rAQEy1TsIAQFU5gIBIv3JNG6IEoWokbIu28rpE7cJoP2-9Q&enc=AZPV_3u8FkUvlIQp625rWKuVM3FBcezQbO_3qCzvo5bsvB5Z12jBeqby32GuF7BHDhdfH1B2aFvbqGnMjOykqo0KxR4E8Q2JtDX9ACbIMYn-Vigld6N2VkvrTtoaNktf8V2WNLw_hR_ex0h-qjtxVwZDDPMr79GA5wa7wqeP0BfKnF05rNPlB6kxotBM5MZPgdg&s=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://collectivebargainingteam.com/</a>.</li>
<li>For more information on the Three Frames...: <a href="http://www.mooneyinstitute.org/resources/tools/three-frames-progressive-unionism" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.mooneyinstitute.org/…/three-frames-progressive-u…</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-5945656036453275542015-11-18T21:38:00.001-05:002015-11-19T10:01:57.956-05:00American Education Week and Neoliberal Market Efficiencies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Founded in 1921, <a href="http://www.nea.org/grants/61038.htm" target="_blank">American Education Week</a> was designed to inform "the public of the accomplishments and needs of the public schools and to
secure the cooperation and support of the public in meeting those
needs." 17 years later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed "<span class="displaytext">the teachers and patrons of American schools" about the relationship between democracy and education.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="displaytext">As American Education Week is once more
observed throughout the schools of the United States, opportunity again
is afforded to evaluate the part which our schools play in the
preservation and promotion of democratic life. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="displaytext"><span class="displaytext">Democracy cannot succeed unless those who
express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard
of democracy, therefore, is education (Sep. 27, 1938).</span> </span></blockquote>
Roosevelt's comments, though brief, provide sharp contrast with the writings of Joanne Weiss, who served as President Obama's director of Race to the Top and then Secretary
Duncan's Chief of Staff. Weiss actually sees teachers as passive
recipients of education reform -- to be fed data -- rather than
co-constructors of democratic practices that engage students, families, and
colleagues. From Weiss' <a href="https://hbr.org/2011/03/the-innovation-mismatch-smart.html" target="_blank">Harvard Business Review</a> (HBR) post:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: left;">
It will make
sense for researchers to mine<span class="text_exposed_show"> data to
learn which materials and teaching strategies are effective for which
students – and then feed that information back to students, teachers,
and parents (Mar. 31, 2011).</span></div>
</blockquote>
Weiss' comments reflect the notion that teachers are passive observers within their own profession. She assumes that teachers do not, in fact, do research everyday on what works and what doesn't work for children. And when we place her comments within ED's push for the adoption of common standards across the U.S. via Race to the Top, her framework becomes so much more dangerous. From her <a href="https://hbr.org/2011/03/the-innovation-mismatch-smart.html" target="_blank">HBR</a> post:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The development of common standards and shared assessments radically
alters the market for innovation in curriculum development, professional
development, and formative assessments. Previously, these markets
operated on a state-by-state basis, and often on a district-by-district
basis. But the adoption of common standards and shared assessments means
that education entrepreneurs will enjoy national markets where the best
products can be taken to scale.</blockquote>
Some
may note that Weiss' post was from 2011, and that her views might have
"evolved," in part, due to the good work of ED's diverse, passionate,
and caring colleagues. Yet with such a Machiavellian view of education, I
wonder how Weiss even ended up in ED in the first place.<br />
<br />
I'm not interested in gnarling Weiss' reputation. <br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<br />
I am interested in engaging colleagues in a critique of the
anti-democratic practices that sometimes pass for a "kinder and gentler"
neoliberalism. A neoliberalism that sees children as a revenue stream,
and teachers as an obstacle to market efficiencies. The threat to our
democracy is real, and the saboteurs are in the room.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, nuance is not good enough.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dianeravitch.net/2015/11/17/the-real-rationale-for-common-core-and-why-it-is-failing/" target="_blank">Trackback</a>. </div>
</div>
Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-31116851312161938732015-11-14T14:03:00.002-05:002015-11-15T06:25:36.027-05:00Mapping Sustainability Education (in the U.S.): Process, Engagement, and Democracy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6axX8x401ItaEVKRhD84g79CunP4nLhkl1MpX6_V8aCb9k4oMATfdAckT1Q6OuU48US4G1O7pjj7871i4WFNYGSs15i62e4R97qo_d1kT-cT2BZ3To255yKusS3HS-9wiD8WXJ0RHESw/s1600/Human_Sustainability_Confluence_Diagram22.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6axX8x401ItaEVKRhD84g79CunP4nLhkl1MpX6_V8aCb9k4oMATfdAckT1Q6OuU48US4G1O7pjj7871i4WFNYGSs15i62e4R97qo_d1kT-cT2BZ3To255yKusS3HS-9wiD8WXJ0RHESw/s200/Human_Sustainability_Confluence_Diagram22.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.education4sustainability.org/2012/09/20/lets-talk-sustainability/" target="_blank">Education for Sustainabilty</a> (2012),<br />
from <a href="http://www.nektarinanonprofit.com/p/idea.html" target="_blank">Nektarina Non Profit</a> (internat'l). </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There is an interesting richness to how different groups conceive
of sustainability education in the U.S.. Some call it sustainability intelligence,
or ecoliteracy, or environmental education, or education for sustainability (sometimes abbreviated as either EFS or EfS). <br />
<br />
There is a difference between <i>sustainability</i> and <i>sustainability education</i>. One simple distinction is that the latter is the process in which students study the former. And yet both emphasize the importance of local decision-making and relevance. For example, check out Shelburne Farm's take on the local context:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
The broad nature of these definitions [of sustainability] has allowed groups and individuals to define sustainability on their own terms, to meet their own needs and those of their places. In one way, this is the promise of sustainability: it is not a prescribed endpoint, but a goal or vision that individuals or communities must design themselves and then plan and take actions to realize. Ultimately, the goal of sustainability increases the investment of citizens—including students—in their communities as they work towards creating their desired future (p. 2 in <i>A Guide to Education for Sustainability</i>, 2011).</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
Another salient feature of sustainability education is the engagement with a process rather than compliance with and end-product. Shelburne Farms emphasizes this (above): "...it is not a prescribed endpoint." This process-oriented approach to sustainability can be found in John Dewey's [sometimes wordy] emphasis on aims in education:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
For it assumed that the aim
of education is to enable individuals to continue their education
-- or that the object and reward of learning is continued
capacity for growth.... In our search for aims in
education, we are not concerned, therefore, with finding an end
outside of the educative process to which education is
subordinate. Our whole conception forbids. We are rather
concerned with the contrast which exists when aims belong within
the process in which they operate and when they are set up from
without (p. 100 in <i>Democracy and Education</i>, 1916).</blockquote>
For more information on sustainability education, you can check out <a href="http://www.journalofsustainabilityeducation.org/" target="_blank"><i>The Journal of Sustainability Education</i></a>. And below is a partial listing of several sustainability education groups, their websites, and selected text. </div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Center for Ecoliteracy</b> (<a href="http://www.ecoliteracy.org/" target="_blank">link</a>): <a href="http://www.ecoliteracy.org/sites/default/files/uploads/shared_files/CEL_Big_Ideas_Alignment_K-12.pdf" target="_blank" title="Big Ideas: A New Alignment with Academic Standards">Big Ideas: Linking Food, Culture, Health, and the Environment: A New Alignment with Academic Standards</a> (2014). "Most people engage in the act of eating every day. What we eat and how we grow, process, prepare, and consume food profoundly affect the lives and welfare of humans and other beings, yet our food systems remain a mystery to many people. It is vital that we all understand the linkages between the food we eat, the ways that culture shapes our food choices and behaviors, the relationship between food and our health, and the interconnections between our food systems and the environment."</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education</b> (<a href="http://cloudinstitute.org/" target="_blank">link</a>): <a href="http://cloudinstitute.org/brief-history/" target="_blank">Brief History</a>. "Education for Sustainability was formed out of the recognition that
there is a distinct difference between “education about sustainable
development and education for sustainable development.” The former was
seen to be a theoretical exercise while the latter asked for the
educative process to be used as a tool to achieve sustainability
(McKeown, 2002)."</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Eco-Schools USA</b> (<a href="http://www.nwf.org/Eco-Schools-USA.aspx" target="_blank">link</a>): <a href="http://www.nwf.org/Eco-Schools-USA/Become-an-Eco-School/Education-for-Sustainability.aspx">Education for Sustainability</a>."Because of the urgent need for citizens to understand the concepts of
sustainability, Education for Sustainability (EFS) or Sustainability
Education has become a strong focus worldwide. EFS is a framework that
can be used to engage students in all subjects by using the real-world
context of the complex interconnections between the creation of vibrant
communities, strong economies, and healthy ecosystems, both locally and
globally. Education forms the foundation for building sustainable
communities, and without education we cannot achieve sustainability."</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>EcoRise</b> (<a href="http://ecorise.org/programs-services/school-program/ecorise-curriculum/sustainable-intelligence/" target="_blank">link</a>): <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9lkHbadhy7KbDBtUmF0eGEtUlE/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Sustainability Curriculum Overview</a> (2015)."The Sustainable Intelligence lessons are focused on building the environmental literacy of students and encouraging youth to become thoughtful stewards of the environment and leaders in their communities! Our lessons introduce students to challenges and opportunities surrounding sustainability and engage youth in developing real-world solutions in their communities through design labs, campus eco-audits, and much more. Lessons are available in both English and Spanish...."</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Green Living Project</b> (<a href="http://glpfilms.com/education/curriculum/" target="_blank">link</a>): <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9lkHbadhy7KYnMzODhvM2FTSTA/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Student Connecting to Global Sustainability</a> (nd). "The approach is to embrace the positive and successful stories around global sustainability [and] serve as an effective "the-glass-is-half-full" type [of strategy]. As the future generation, students play a vital role in leading the charge on sustainable living through their schools and communities in an attempt to make a difference locally and globally. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>National Environmental Education Foundation</b> (NEEF; <a href="http://www.neefusa.org/" target="_blank">link</a>): <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9lkHbadhy7KRlM2VUszSHc0OGc/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Environmental Literacy Report</a> (2015)."Although knowledge and understanding are important components of environmental literacy, they are not the whole picture. Research has shown that there is often a disconnect between what people know and what they do. In reality, other factors — how people feel, their environmental experiences, social norms, what their priorities are, their skills, their self-identity, and other factors — come into play when people decide to do something or not."</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>Shelburne Farms</b> (<a href="http://sustainableschoolsproject.org/" target="_blank">link</a>): <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9lkHbadhy7KSzEtWDBFT0ZWRDQ/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">A Guide to Education for Sustainability</a> (2011). "Education for Sustainability is not something new. Aspects of sustainability have been a part of formal<br />education for the past century. Many teachers have been, and continue to be, engaged in EFS or similarly named efforts in the United States and around the world. Schools and programs can relate sustainability to the curriculum through multiple pathways: a school- or program-wide approach; service-learning projects; curricular units; and courses. Just as service learning can provide a needed connection between different subjects and skills, Education for Sustainability creates intrinsic opportunities for students to apply their learning through real work in the school and community." </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>The Center for Green Schools</b> (<a href="http://www.centerforgreenschools.org/" target="_blank">link</a>): <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9lkHbadhy7KUExJaE9lMUxrZlU/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">National Plan for Educating for Sustainability</a> (2014)."EfS was officially “born” as a new field of inquiry in 1992, and thought leaders have been asking what students need to know, to be able to do, and to be like if we are to increase the possibility that humans and other life can flourish on Earth indefinitely. The rich collection of answers and subsequent field work has propelled the movement to a place where, today, elements of EfS exist to some degree in schools across the country and around the world. We don’t yet know the total number of schools that have engaged in any of the EfS approaches such as environmental education, place-based learning, or expeditionary learning; nor do we have a firm grasp on how many have placed a sustainability lens on instructional attributes such as systems thinking, lateral<br />thinking, metacognition, or creativity."</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>US Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development</b> (USP; <a href="http://www.uspartnership.org/view_archive_path/1" target="_blank">link</a>): <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9lkHbadhy7KbDBBTTFiSVhqUHc/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">National Education for Sustainability K-12 Student Learning Standards</a> (2009)."Education for Sustainability or Sustainability Education is a relatively new and evolving field. For the purpose of the USP standards, Education for Sustainability is defined as a combination of content, learning methods, and outcomes that helps students develop a knowledge base about the environment, the economy, and society, in addition to helping them learn skills, perspectives, and values that guide and motivate them to seek sustainable livelihoods, participate in a democratic society, and live in a sustainable manner (McMillan and Higgs, 2003)." </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
Know of any others resources? Send them my way! </div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
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<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
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</div>
Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-64441529189473803002015-11-12T08:44:00.000-05:002015-11-15T11:53:37.985-05:00Neoliberal Education and the Male Gaze<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Over at <a href="http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Curmudgucation</a>, Peter Greene writes about the snazzy misdirection found in reports like The Gates Foundation's <i><a href="http://collegeready.gatesfoundation.org/continued-progress-promising-evidence-on-personalized-learning/" target="_blank">Promising Evidence on Personalized Learning</a></i>. Green concludes that the report isn't worth reading, but he also cautions that somewhere, somebody is using the fancy, color process report to lead people astray.<br />
<br />
TNTP (a.k.a. The New Teacher Project), came out with a similar glossy report
entitled <i><a href="http://tntp.org/publications/view/the-mirage-confronting-the-truth-about-our-quest-for-teacher-development" target="_blank">The Mirage - Confronting the Hard Truth About Our Quest for Teacher Development</a></i>. The report is a fancy screed that hides behind the "path-to-success" cloak. The report isn't worth reading, but I guess we should really be cautious about the spectacle of these media blitzes.<br />
<br />
Below are a few examples of how the report misdirects and obfuscates, and then essentially blames teachers:<br />
<br />
1) I wish the authors were clearer on what "...putting students on the path to success..." means. (p. 5)<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVIZSuxznjlStUKz4nLdx1Gt0cAqhlFz72l-x_LgmPTJ198oTvX7ShmzXTeKUXpqnGfyPP7xoE-11pgASuOpgPh4V48aVFJbWG_SLmXwBoZ18afMvuRuu89epr1Roae7HIH4H2lg8e_A/s1600/kruger_gaze2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVIZSuxznjlStUKz4nLdx1Gt0cAqhlFz72l-x_LgmPTJ198oTvX7ShmzXTeKUXpqnGfyPP7xoE-11pgASuOpgPh4V48aVFJbWG_SLmXwBoZ18afMvuRuu89epr1Roae7HIH4H2lg8e_A/s400/kruger_gaze2.jpg" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your gaze hits the side of my face. Barbara Kruger, 1982.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
2)
I appreciate their finding that "Teacher development appears to be a
highly individualized process, one that has been dramatically
oversimplified." (p. 7) I think this applies to the experiences of our
students, as well.<br />
<br />
Scientifically, there’s no way to honor our student’s
individualism while emphasizing high-stakes standardized tests that
simplify “knowing” and “experiencing” to a series of check-off boxes.
[See the AERA report: <a href="http://www.aera.net/Newsroom/NewsReleasesandStatements/StudyStateValue-AddedPerformanceMeasuresDoNotReflecttheContentorQualityofTeachers%E2%80%99Instruction/tabid/15512/Default.aspx" target="_blank"><i><span id="dnn_noahPAGETITLE1_lblBreadCrumb"><span class="InsidePageHeading">State Value-Added Performance Measures Do Not Reflect the Content or Quality of Teachers’ Instruction</span></span></i></a>, Nov, 2015.]<br />
<br />
3) This is an ad for the
Common Core: "For example, teachers need to demonstrate to their
observers that they are posing meaningful questions to students, which
lead students to critically assess information and rely on evidence to
put forth a point of view." (p. 21) Let's not pretend that this is THE accepted standard for students' engagement with text.<br />
<br />
And who are these observers? This is a
variation of the male gaze.<br />
<br />
4) The recommendation to provide
“<b>rewards and consequences</b> [emphasis added]” for teacher improvement is a symptom of the
problem . From the report: “Changing one’s professional practice
can be difficult and uncomfortable. It often requires teachers to
confront weaknesses, disrupt old routines and learn new skills. Even the
most intrinsically motivated educator may need additional incentives to
start and persist through the improvement process.” (p. 40)<br />
<br />
If we’re
going to grow (growth doesn't have to be painful, unless you’re a fan of
Dweck, apologists or behaviorists), we should ask “Towards what end?”<br />
<br />
5)
The beatings will continue until morale improves. From the report: “Creating meaningful <b>rewards and consequences</b> [emphasis added] can send a clear
message that improvement should be a top priority, and energize teachers
about opportunities to innovate and grow."(p.
40)<br />
<br />
6) This makes no
sense: “Even as districts continue trying to help more teachers improve
on the job, they should also prioritize recruiting teachers who already
have a track record of success and retaining teachers after they
actually become highly effective. In these areas, there are proven
strategies, such as hiring teachers earlier and by mutual consent….” (p.
42) How do teachers who “already have a track record of success” get
hired in the first place?<br />
<br />
And what does "mutual consent" mean? Is this
code for at-will employment, i.e. no unions? I value labor history and
it’s role on creating safe and effective working conditions, so where
are the authors going with this?<br />
<br />
7) When the authors suggest that
teachers’ jobs be “reconstructed,” I wonder if this is a cost-savings
strategy that actually de-skills teachers (p. 42). As for on-ramping new
teachers, I think it would be great to have hybrid teachers who work ½
time with the their classes, and half-time with new, fully-paid teachers
who also work ½ time with the their classes, and 1/2 with their
mentors. (Hey Gates Foundation! Ring me up if you want to talk about a Green Teacher Network led by hybrid teachers and smart education policy. We can do this -- and -- this is an offer, not a request.)<br />
<br />
8) And BOOM! There it is: “Rather, it’s worth exploring
ways to combine the disaggregation of the teacher’s role, as described
above, with alternative models for school design that allow
higher-performing teachers to reach more students.” (p. 43) Is this a recipe for dystopian "personalization," in which computers manage students' learning?<br />
<br />
I love the
idea of efficiencies, but education is a social, people-centered,
labor-intensive endeavor. Sure, I’d like my well-supervised 10th graders to work with gaggles of 6th graders doing field studies, but the ratio should always
honor the development of community, student safety, and well-rounded
learning. Are these the criteria for TNTP's conception of personalization?<br />
<br />
It’s amazing how terms like “blended learning” and
"personalization" can be so easily co-opted by for-profit corporate
interests with little understanding of the human dimensions of learning. How does this happen? How do smart people within the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation get so distracted? </div>
Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-61884827079442714922015-10-21T13:42:00.000-04:002015-10-21T13:53:34.771-04:00The Caucus of WE: Who's listening?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>The merry:</b><br />
"The more, the merrier." This phrase came to me twice now (through email and voice) via the Caucus of Working Educators (WE), over the last two weeks. For those unfamiliar with WE, it is a social justice caucus within the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, the AFT-affiliated union that represents staff within the School District of Philadelphia. WE is also engaged in a <a href="http://www.workingeducators.org/our_listening_campaign_bid_for_union_leadership" target="_blank">listening campaign and bid for union leadership</a>. <br />
<br />
The timing of "the merry" phrase is good, as the WE General Membership meeting is this Thursday, October 22 at 5:30pm @ Temple U: Tuttleman Learning Center, 1809 N. 13th Street, Hall 105, @ 13th & Montgomery. From the WE website:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Save the date for our next WE General Membership Meeting, where we will have updates from our listening campaign and campaign committee-- and lots of conversation on how to keep building the power and membership of our union.</li>
<li>If you are not currently a WE member, you will be asked to join before entering the meeting. (But what are you waiting for? Start getting members-only info and invites by joining today: workingeducators.org/joinus).</li>
</ul>
<b>The anger:</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDst5t64YME_0iRDGUggLw8wUQorh5gB-KLNgkaoH7iGSAdoqrVFYKjMDRikkE2yb4kNTeOMUe3G9itsaAM5HGBQymdU3JTmzg9OeuuoI2AlEnAjZ7w8i2pzjY07a2uBc0rXsfjtchbL8/s1600/northernqueenslandcompass-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDst5t64YME_0iRDGUggLw8wUQorh5gB-KLNgkaoH7iGSAdoqrVFYKjMDRikkE2yb4kNTeOMUe3G9itsaAM5HGBQymdU3JTmzg9OeuuoI2AlEnAjZ7w8i2pzjY07a2uBc0rXsfjtchbL8/s320/northernqueenslandcompass-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 1: One model of the Sustainability Compass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I also received a WE email about the focus on "...anger, hope, and a plan" as a means to transform the Philadelphia education landscape. Anger is understandable, and we should acknowledge, rather than suppress, how we feel. For example, last month I visited a high school on Broad Street, and there were signs over the water fountain that warned, "Do Not Drink." Right next to the water fountain was a for-profit corporate vending machine that sold $1 water bottles. The "Do Not Drink" sign has been there for years. What does this messaging convey to students and staff?<br />
<br />
I was angry, and I acknowledged that. But focusing on anger is no way to sustain teachers, and hope is a deficit model. I am a much better teacher and colleague when I am merry, and when I have conviction.<br />
<br />
<b>The sustainability:</b><br />
When I think about socio-economic equity, curricular innovation, and sustaining teachers, I am reminded of the sustainability compass (see Fig. 1), something that brings it all together for me. We need healthy schools that have social policies that engage students and staff, provide clean air, water, and food, and foster the capacity of school communities to study and advance systemic wellness.<br />
<br />
If we want to advance equity, innovation, and sustainability, we will be more likely to do so through intentional consideration of merriness and anger, and how each influences the decisions we make. Which of the two, merriness or anger, will be more likely to sustain students, staff, and the movement for social justice?<br />
<br />
What should WE focus on?</div>
Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-80048798754483612462015-04-09T11:31:00.000-04:002015-04-09T11:32:57.527-04:00Does VIVA's Idea Exchange implicate teachers?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="il">As an organization committed to advancing "...</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="il">classroom teachers’ participation in important policy decisions...,"</span><a href="http://vivateachers.org/" target="_blank"><span class="il"> VIVA</span> Teachers</a>
has had a nice run, and was even better when Xian
Barrett was advising them. However, their recent invitation to discuss
the Common Core tilts towards teacher bashing. Below is an excerpt from a <a href="http://vivacommoncore.mysocialsphere.com/" target="_blank"><span class="il">VIVA</span></a> invitation to dialogue:</span><br />
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>To ensure that teachers are key players in the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, New Voice Strategies is inviting you to participate in this <span class="il">VIVA</span> Idea Exchange™.<br /><br />Your recommendations will foster the environment necessary to ensure successful implementation of Common Core....</i></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I
am not against academic content standards that engage students and teachers. I am for teacher stewardship of educational reform. However,
the assumption that teachers are "...key players in the implementation
of Common Core..." overwrites, if not co-opts, teacher leadership. To what extent
have teachers been the authors of the Common Core State Standards? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A recent <a href="http://vivateachers.org/2015/01/20/educators-take-lead-common-core/#.VMOd9MZ95NI" target="_blank"><span class="il">VIVA</span> blog post</a> by <a href="http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2012/07/paul-toner-and-turncoats.html" target="_blank">Paul Toner</a> actually passed editorial review while advancing the teacher bashing meme:</span><br />
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>We’re all familiar with the negative stereotypes that paint teachers
unions as only being concerned with salaries and benefits and disavow
being held accountable for student performance.</i></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I am concerned by the phrase "...
being held accountable for student performance." The assumption is that
teachers are, indeed, accountable for student performance. But if children arrive at school stressed out, hungry, or tired, then a teacher's ability to be effective is diminished. According to <a href="http://www.teachingquality.org/content/blogs/renee-moore/read-new-years-same-struggles#comment-41688" target="_blank">Renee Moore</a>, "</span><span style="font-size: small;">The health of the public schools is a primary indicator of the health of an entire community." So if a community is stressed, and children arrive at school stressed, why would anyone implicate teachers? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Teachers love their students. We love them so much that we know we have to advocate for systemic equity and reform so that children arrive at school ready to learn. We could
agree or disagree on the teachers' role in low student achievement. However, there are so many factors that influence
student agency, and I would argue that teachers are only a
small portion of that. And what about <a href="http://progressed.blogspot.com/2010/03/teacher-effectiveness-and-reciprocal.html" target="_blank">reciprocal accountability</a>?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">So what next? Do teachers get more involved in the <a href="http://vivacommoncore.mysocialsphere.com/" target="_blank"><span class="il">VIVA</span> Teachers dialogue</a>?
Do we pick our battles? Do we embrace our own respective organizational
mission (<a href="http://www.teachersleadphilly.org/" target="_blank">Teachers Lead Philly</a>, <a href="http://tagphilly.org/" target="_blank">Teacher Action Group</a>, <a href="http://www.workingeducators.org/wolfpoll?splash=1" target="_blank">Caucus of WE</a>, <a href="http://www.teachingquality.org/" target="_blank">CTQ</a>, <a href="http://www.nbpts.org/who-we-are" target="_blank">NBCT</a>)? Do we focus on what we want rather than what we don't want? Do we enter the discussion as advocates or diplomats?</span></div>
Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-62936380234520628082014-05-22T11:35:00.002-04:002015-09-08T09:12:25.296-04:00A Call for the End of "Parent Trigger"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We've got to stop using the phrase "<a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/05/21/32choice_ep.h33.html" target="_blank">parent tri**er</a>." For those not literate in edu-speak, "parent tri**er" is a process in which parents can call for the closure or transformation of a school if it is not doing well.<br />
<br />
As a society, we've got to eliminate the use of "trigger" in association
with our schools. It evokes violent imagery and sets up parents v.
teachers when the real issue is two-fold:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li> <u>Are children
arriving at school ready to learn?</u> Children need to feel
safe and be well-fed, well-rested -- and curious -- in order to do well in
school. If the answer to this question is "no," then we need to look at the variables that
influence learning readiness. That is a societal issue worthy of a
systemic response. </li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><u>Do schools have the capacity to engage students?</u> In wealthier schools, the answer is yes, but we have to ask to
what end? Are we preparing students for individual achievement or civic
engagement, or both? In our less wealthy schools, we need to develop
the school cultures that foster effective learning and working conditions so that
students make connections between school and society and teachers can do their jobs -- and flourish.</li>
</ul>
Can schools be more effective? Certainly. However, we've got to develop systemic solutions that engage families and unfurl educators' professional stewardship of education. <br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-22045827140301088612014-03-02T12:16:00.000-05:002014-03-02T12:27:26.996-05:00Sustaining a Hybrid Teacher Network<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thanks to Nicole Gillespie, KSTF's CEO, I just finished reading "<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9lkHbadhy7KVXR4NE1kWTBwdGxWVkhvQ211X3MzT2pOa0RJ/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Getting Ideas into Action: Building Networked Improvement Communities in Education</a> (2011). This article advances the idea that [K-12] educational practitioners should also be at the table when educational research -- and policy -- is designed. <br />
<br />
As a busy practitioner, I know I could benefit from succinct access to academic research frameworks. And I KNOW that teacher voices can enrich and ground the often-lofty "Here, try this..." interventions.<br />
<br />
Looking ahead to the elusive "<a href="http://progressed.blogspot.com/2014/01/cultivating-effective-hybrid-teachers.html" target="_blank">Hybrid Teacher Network</a>," teachers need time and support to stay in the classroom (1/2 time), but also have stewardship of the profession (1/2 time). Everything from curriculum, instruction, assessment and policy is on the table, and practicing teachers need to be creating the narrative with community partners.<br />
<br />
How can NNSTOY, NBCT, VIVA Teachers, Hope Street Fellows, TAFNet, a nascent STEM teacher network, and other groups advance and sustain hybrid teacher roles? <br />
<br />
What can we learn about teacher networks that aligns with [inter-]national educational equity and is based on local innovation?</div>
Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-87083960063123470422014-01-18T11:14:00.000-05:002014-01-18T11:14:58.868-05:00What is Effective Teacher Leadership?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I just re-read Carrie R. Leana's "<a href="http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/the_missing_link_in_school_reform" target="_blank">The Missing Link in School Reform</a> (2011)," and I agree that teacher collaboration, described by the author as a form of social capital, is what makes really good teachers become excellent.<br />
<br />
The U.S. Department of Education's <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/publicationtoc.html" target="_blank">Blueprint for Reform</a> (2009) suggests that teacher evaluation include room for multiple measures such as teacher leadership or peer-review (see p. 4).<br />
<br />
I appreciate the flexible, aim-focused tone of the Blueprint. I wonder how the Department could be more explicit about what teacher leadership and peer review actually look like. How can the Department advance incentives, infrastructure or models that develop and sustain the essence of teachers' stewardship of the profession?<br />
<br />
I also wonder about the future of the Blueprint, its intersection with Race to The Top and the reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (aka <a href="http://www.ed.gov/blog/topic/esea-reauthorization/" target="_blank">No Child Left Behind</a>). What can the Department do to foster policy that engages the millions of teachers we already have in our classrooms?</div>
Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-2035747603307536652014-01-18T11:02:00.000-05:002014-01-18T11:14:58.865-05:00Cultivating the Effective Hybrid Teachers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Effective teachers help students develop a love of life-long learning. Do our school systems provide opportunities for teachers to effectively use their wondrous crafts? How can teacher effectiveness be enriched by the hybrid teaching role? </div>
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Essentially, hybrid teachers spend part of their time in the classroom and part of their time in stewardship of the profession. But before we agree this is idea, we have to develop the infrastructure that supports and sustains hybrid teachers. Bruce Taterka and I will be <a href="http://educonphilly.org/conversations/The_Effective_Hybrid_Teacher-Models_that_help_students_flourish" target="_blank">facilitating a conversation</a> about the hybrid teacher at this year's annual EduCon in Philadelphia. </div>
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<b>An abstract of our conversation follows:</b></div>
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<i>In order for K-12 teachers to be more effective, we need opportunities to study the intersection of curriculum, instruction, assessment and policy. For example, as federal agencies call for more teacher research, and states design high-stakes standardized assessments of student growth, teachers need to be more involved with what goes in in schools and districts. One of the challenges we face is that many teachers already work 50 hours a week; where do we find the time we need to lead? Data from the 2013 Measures of Effective Teaching study also shows that teachers also seek opportunities to lead without leaving the classroom.</i></div>
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<b>Experience:</b></div>
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We'd love to hear more about your experiences with hybrid teaching. What experience do you have with hybrid teacher roles? What systems should be in place so that the hybrid teacher roles are effective and sustainable? </div>
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Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-29740742060446919412012-08-28T23:00:00.002-04:002012-08-29T08:57:17.199-04:00How can the Feds enrich public education?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm delighted to be attending a White House briefing on public education. I know there will be a lot of people in the room and if I have an opportunity to make some suggestions, I'll have to be brief and focused.<br />
<br />
Below are three recommendations for what I think we need to do on a federal level. Of course the details matter, yet I thought it would be helpful to set some worthwhile aims.<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Effective school systems should align federal, state and local policy that supports teacher leadership. </li>
<li>Federal policy should ensure that all teachers have effective working conditions. </li>
<li>Most importantly, the federal government should do everything it can to ensure that all children are "school ready." That means that all children should be well-rested, well-fed and healthy. All children should come from safe homes and neighborhoods in which caregivers have time to spend with their children. "School ready" children are curious and eager to learn.</li>
</ul>
If you had a few moments to talk about education with White House officials, what would you like to say? <br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
</div>
Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-88188691068533889902012-08-14T10:08:00.002-04:002012-08-14T10:09:35.347-04:00Building a Better Economy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Once again, the print edition of The New York Times (NYT) included the
"Building a Better Teacher" theme for the Schools For Tomorrow
conference (Jun 25 & Jul 2, 2012; p. A18 & p. A16, respectively). The NYT should consider modifying the
"Building a Better Teacher" theme.<br />
<br />
"Building a Better Teacher"
is an ideologically-loaded theme that 1) advances the notion that
schools are failing because of bad teachers and 2) alienates over 3
million teachers in the US. And not one of the 14 featured guest
speakers is a teacher. <br />
<br />
Of course teachers can get better at
their craft; we are life-long learners. Yet Secretary Duncan estimates
that 10% of California's teachers don't belong in the classroom. Dan
Goldhaber, a research professor with the Center on Reinventing Public
Education, estimates that nationally, the number of unqualified teachers
is closer to 7%. So what are we doing for the other 90-93%?<br />
<br />
If we want teachers to be better at their jobs, we can first cultivate
effective working conditions. Yet the idea of "Building a Better
Teacher" is aligned with the notion of human capital; "If we only had
good teachers, then education would improve." A more worthwhile
approach to supporting education is to consider teachers' working
conditions and their social capital; "If teachers have the support to
collaborate and then influence curriculum, instruction, assessment and
policy, then education will improve." Better working conditions
translates into deeper teacher and student engagement.<br />
<br />
We can
also consider the importance of children's "school readiness." Children
will learn better if they are well-rested and well-fed, feel safe and
are curious. Children's proximity to poverty diminishes their school
readiness. Families in or near poverty are less able to provide the
stability necessary for children's healthy development. This suggests
that we might consider "Building a Better Economy" as one means to
better engage students in their own learning.<br />
<br />
The idea that
print media are failing because of weak journalists is as preposterous
as the idea that public education is failing because we have weak
teachers. What if teachers decided to hold a conference called "Newspapers
for Tomorrow" with "Building a Better Journalist" as a theme? The Guest Speakers would feature everyone BUT journalists.</div>
Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-83270460276759106322012-05-12T15:44:00.001-04:002012-05-13T06:15:30.518-04:00Equitable Funding of Public Education<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Public education is underfunded because of:<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>mis-management</li>
<li>mis-use of our military in countries like Afghanistan</li>
<li>warped emphasis on privatized wealth at the expense of the common good </li>
</ol>
Here are a few examples:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>In 2001, the <a href="http://thenotebook.org/summer-2003/03883/understanding-state-takeover-philadelphias-schools" target="_blank">Philadelphia Public School Notebook</a> reported that the State of Pennsylvania had taken over the Philadelphia School District. How has that oversight helped students and teachers be more engaged? What stability or efficiencies has state oversight provided? Most importantly, what are examples of effective school district organization? How can we help teachers create effective working conditions so that they and their students can flourish?</li>
<li>In 2011, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/cost-of-war-in-afghanistan-will-be-major-factor-in-troop-reduction-talks/2011/05/27/AGR8z2EH_story.html" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> reported that "[t]he U.S. military is on track to spend $113 billion on its operations in Afghanistan this fiscal year, and it is seeking $107 billion for the next." Are there better uses for that money?</li>
<li><a href="http://articles.philly.com/2012-05-04/news/31556852_1_parachute-compensation-executives" target="_blank">The Philadelphia Inquirer</a> recently reported that the outgoing CEO of Sunoco is receiving about $37 million in compensation for liquidating assets. How can we create a sustainable economy that honors labor and fosters a commitment to the social good? Individual excellence is essential, but we are all more effective when we advance social equity along with individual liberty.</li>
</ul>
<em>If the explanations for inequitable funding of public education are accurate (numbers 1, 2 and 3 above), then what are the solutions?</em> Below is my list -- what's yours?<br />
<br />
<b>Federal solutions:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Reauthorize a modified ESEA that acknowledges "college and career readiness" with an emphasize on systemic creation of "school readiness." All children should arrive at school safe, well-fed, well-rested, and curious.</li>
<li>Re-visit the 14th Amendment and the <i>Brown v. Board of Ed.</i> decision with consideration of funding inequities that create a "suspect class." All schools should be able to fund education at equal (if not equitable) levels.</li>
</ul>
<b>State solutions:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Ensure teacher representation on state-wide panels that roll-out RTTT.</li>
<li>Ensure equitable funding of all school districts akin to NJ's <i>Abbott</i> decisions.</li>
</ul>
<b>District solutions:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Create real equitable choice options so that students can attend schools of interest anywhere in the city -- or across District boundaries.</li>
<li>Develop and sustain teacher leadership so that teachers lead the integration of curriculum, instruction, assessment and policy that engages students and teachers.</li>
</ul>
<b>Union solutions:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Integrate the labor frame with professional and social justice frames for an enriched unionism.</li>
<li>Cultivate cohorts of teacher leaders who are connected and can advocate for effective working conditions, participate in teacher-led research, and foster democratic learning environments .</li>
</ul>
<b>Administrative solutions:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Provide operational flexibility for principals to build community partnerships, coach teachers, know students, and build the capacity of learning organizations.</li>
<li>Require extensive support for nurses, social workers, therapists and counselors so that all students with diverse needs are recognized and supported.</li>
</ul>
<b>Teacher solutions:</b><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>View teachers as experts and support the professional development needed so that teachers can effectively lead schools.</li>
<li>Create professional learning communities within and between schools and the community so that teachers are facilitating and modeling the collaboration necessary to life-long learning.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span class="ext"></span></div>Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-83927267931984999532012-05-04T13:33:00.002-04:002012-05-04T13:42:54.702-04:00How much is a teacher worth?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today I read the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer and learned that the outgoing <a href="http://articles.philly.com/2012-05-03/news/31556852_1_parachute-compensation-executives">CEO of Sunoco is receiving about $37 million in compensation for liquidating assets</a> (i.e. shedding at least 175 jobs). <br />
<br />
Of
course we want a robust economy, and I'm sure the SUNOCO CEO has a
skill set that is valued by many. But I wonder if
her skill set is any more complex than those of teachers who make
hundreds of decisions on a daily basis. These decisions affect the
health, engagement and lives of 180,000 children across Philadelphia,
and millions more across the US. <br />
<br />
Teachers are valuable.<br />
<br />
At the
same time, public education has been framed as THE leverage point to
enrich our economy. It has been said that we need college- and
career-ready students who can help the US retain its economic prowess.
Yet I thought the purpose of education was to advance democratic
equity.<br />
<br />
A robust democracy is not at odds with a
sustainable economy.<br />
<br />
We need teacher leadership to ensure that smart policy influences
curriculum, instruction and assessment. We need effective working
conditions so that teachers can flourish. We need teachers to be seen
(and see themselves) as professionals. We need time to study and inform
policy.<br />
<br />
I know that all of us won't always agree on policy -- and that is a good
thing. But I'd like to believe that we see teachers as professionals
who have the experience that is essential to dynamic education systems.
And if we take care of our teachers, we take care of our students and
schools -- and our society.<br />
<br />
How much are teacher worth? </div>Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-26603656890486764502012-05-03T14:47:00.003-04:002012-05-03T14:53:03.807-04:00Teacher Appreciation Week<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Which teachers do you appreciate, and why?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Below is my list of teachers that I appreciate<b>. </b>Thank you for all that you do.</span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 Experienced Teacher -- Josh Block</b>, Science Leadership Academy, Philadelphia School District</span>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Josh has been teaching for about 12
years. Over the last decade, he has led professional development for
colleagues, integrated inquiry-driven history and English curricula, and
coached public school students for the Young Philadelphia Playwrights,
several of whom have had there work performed by college students at Temple
University. Each year, Josh and his students and participate in the <a href="http://www.artintheopenphila.org/" target="_blank"><b>Art in the Open</b> </a>as they explore civic space and urban studies. </span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 Novice/beginning Teacher -- Claire Landau</b>, Independence Charter School</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Claire is an exceptional beginning teacher who sets
up student-centered classrooms where 1st-graders can explore academic
content alongside social/emotional wellness. She wants her charter
school students to be kind and thoughtful, and she is especially adept
at helping her students see themselves as part of a community and part
of the larger world. Claire also runs <a href="http://philasoup.com/" target="_blank"><b>PhilaSoup</b></a> -- so she is successful with her new job as a teacher AND helping
teacher connect with cool academic projects over soup. </span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 Teacher Leader -- Anissa Weinrau</b>b, West Phila High School, Phila School District </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">
Anissa is a teacher leader who serves on the advisory board for the
Philadelphia Student Union. She is also a moving force behind <a href="http://www.tagphilly.org/" target="_blank"><b>TAG Philly</b></a> (Teacher Action Group). Anissa has facilitated professional
development around education and social justice issues, coordinated the
"Inquiry to Action Groups" and co-founded the annual "Education for
Liberation Curriculum Summit." </span></div>
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<b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 College–level teacher -- Carrie R. Lenea</b>, Pitt Business-<b><a href="http://www.business.pitt.edu/chcw/faculty.html" target="_blank">Center for Health and Care Work</a></b> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
Carrie came out with a cutting-edge report on the importance of teachers' social capital in sustaining education reform: <a href="http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/the_missing_link_in_school_reform" target="_blank"><b>The Missing Link in School Reform</b></a>.
This article can serve as a foundation for ED's RESPECT Project as it
emphasizes the importance of teachers' voices in education reform. Coming from the
Pitt School of Business, the report offers a respectable counter-point
to a one-sided economic model of education reform.</span></div>
</div>Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-91917917608743978032012-03-20T21:23:00.007-04:002012-03-20T22:09:07.237-04:00Women in Education<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>Part I:</b><br />
Thanks to Meredith Bagjier, a colleague at ED who compiled a synopsis on the role of <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1046294/Women%20in%20Education%20Facts.doc" target="_blank"><b>women in education</b></a>. One interesting set of statistics:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>2011 study indicates that 24% of [K-12] superintendents are women</li>
<li>Improvement from 1992, when only 13% of superintendents were female</li>
<li>Discrepancy remains: 75% of US school teachers are female</li>
</ul><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"><b>Part II:</b><br />
</span><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"><span class="text_exposed_show">It's no wonder that men are telling teachers what to do in the classroom because the graffiti in the male bathroom stalls on Wall Street has all of the answers.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">America cast<span class="text_exposed_show">s its burdened gaze on the "virginity tests" in Afghanistan or Egypt, but turns a blind eye to the state-sponsored rape of women via transvaginal probes in Texas. No, she did not ask for it.</span></span><br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br />
</span></span><br />
<b>Part III:</b><br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">The level of misogyny is incredible. I saw a commercial the other day that advertised rugged men in the woods, drinking a rugged man's beverage. As if women couldn't be rugged, or nature was a domain to be conquered my manly men.<br />
<br />
</span>Check out Amy Morgenstern's video:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/24409366?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/24409366">BecomingPlant</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user5020932">Amy Morgenstern</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
.</div>Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-30211087653048489632012-02-29T13:04:00.004-05:002012-02-29T13:29:35.169-05:00Steve Owens and The Mindful Teacher...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">My good friend Steve Owens has posted another insightful blog about teacher leadership (see below). If you'd like to check out more of Steve's writing, go to <a href="http://educationworker.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Education Worker</a>.<br />
<br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title">How Do You Spell Respect? </h3><div class="post-header"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPk1AfhTfKjlCV01OxgeBTC3gy3_Uz7nIYkWrGOgPAMXYgbsr6i1TeIswkxEbq47Nrt-NxwYNleiXbd-SMk4R2uDlV4_tnlX07f1XWUhuHws0Rd9cebfqvxCY-EoJ3J0Yf6xfJJs33tyK2/s1600/Mindful+Teacher.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPk1AfhTfKjlCV01OxgeBTC3gy3_Uz7nIYkWrGOgPAMXYgbsr6i1TeIswkxEbq47Nrt-NxwYNleiXbd-SMk4R2uDlV4_tnlX07f1XWUhuHws0Rd9cebfqvxCY-EoJ3J0Yf6xfJJs33tyK2/s320/Mindful+Teacher.png" width="247" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i>Yes, I know this book was published in 2009. And yes, I know that it's 2012. Perhaps this book was ahead of it's time and it's moment is now. </i></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Against a policy backdrop of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2012/02/24/teacher-data-reports-are-released/?hp" target="_blank">reductionist accountability run amok</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Teacher-school-reform/dp/0807750190/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330389403&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><u>The Mindful Teacher</u></a> by Elizabeth MacDonald and <a href="http://www.bc.edu/schools/lsoe/facultystaff/faculty/shirley.html" target="_blank">Dennis Shirley</a> quietly restores a measure of sanity and balance. This book could not have arrived at a better time for educators feeling under siege.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><u>The Mindful Teacher</u> displays profound respect for the teaching profession by throwing into high relief the intellectual and spiritual dimensions of teaching. It is a demanding volume that honors the reader by showing confidence in the intellectual capabilities of educators, drawing on the best of the philosophical traditions of both east and west. The book is more than a philosophical tome, however. It constantly grounds this elevated discourse in concrete examples of improved teaching practice and better student learning, through six moving case studies of urban teachers, displaying teaching as a profession in the finest sense. </div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">MacDonald is a teacher in the Boston Public Schools; Shirley is a respected researcher and academic. Together they pioneered the Mindful Teaching seminars, really a professional learning community (PLC) which is a product of an exemplary school/university partnership. Dennis Shirley is a rare academic who is humble enough to see the correct role for academics in the education enterprise. He sought ways to respectfully support educators. Rather than pushing an agenda on a group of hard pressed urban teachers, he supported a process enabling them organically discover the questions they themselves needed to explore.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">The seminars took place over a four year period and yielded ten clusters of questions specific to participants, but universal in character, and an “eightfold structure” which could be adapted to other PLCs with different circumstances. An example of a question I found particularly telling: “What does it mean to be a teacher leader? How can I help build support networks for teachers in a way that leads to my renewal rather than burnout?”</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">An essential part of the eightfold structure of the seminars is the role of meditation in creating a space in which mindfulness can grow. The concept of mindfulness emerges from the Buddhist tradition, and the concept of mindful teaching is advocated in the book as a means of mitigating alienated teaching, a concept borrowed from Marx. The authors handled the practice of meditation in their seminars in a way that made it accessible and helpful to people from a variety of spiritual traditions.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">The Mindful Teacher concludes with an exploration of dialectical tensions in the profession of teaching. The Seven Synergies are individually necessary and jointly conditions for mindful practice, including concepts such as a caring disposition, professional expertise and collective responsibility. The Triple Tensions acknowledge the existence of polarities in teaching practice: contemplation and action, ethics and power, the individual and collective. The faith the authors show in us, that we can hold these tensions in our minds in what Estelle Jorgensen calls a “both/and” synthesis, demonstrates a profound respect for educators as intellectual and spiritual actors.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">I was a bit troubled near the end of the book when the authors referred to teaching as a vocation. As a labor activist, I fight for professional compensation and working conditions, and worry that teaching as a vocation leads us down the path to martyrdom. But then I realized what <u>The Mindful Teacher</u> had taught me: profession and vocation are just one more tension that can be creatively embraced. I felt both moved and honored.</div></div>Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1112765570295277727.post-65405528972523434312012-01-14T12:12:00.006-05:002012-01-18T18:47:06.810-05:00Mapping Teacher Leadership<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Comments from 60+ teachers when asked, "What does teacher leadership mean to you?" The words "teacher" and "leadership" were removed before the word cloud was created. Check out <b><a href="http://www.wordle.net/" target="_blank">Wordle</a></b> for a fun word cloud tool.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><pre id="embed" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></pre><pre id="embed" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></pre><pre id="embed" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4674822/Teacher_Leadership" title="Wordle: Teacher Leadership"><img alt="Wordle: Teacher Leadership" src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/4674822/Teacher_Leadership" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); padding: 4px;" /></a></pre></div><div style="text-align: left;"><pre id="embed" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></pre></div></td></tr>
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</tbody></table></div></div>Gamal D. Sherifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09875090440052683444noreply@blogger.com1