Video Math Revolution!

Salman Khan is using the web to teach math and science to millions.

The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing a world-class education to anyone, anywhere. The free website allows visitors to browse 2000 instructional videos by topic. Khan's videos are simple, straight-forward and fun, and if you don't get something -- just rewind.

Obama Keeps Focus on Education & Technology

This week, President Obama took his case for investing in education and innovation out west, where he toured Intel's semiconductor manufacturing facility and met with student scientists.

"We can't win the future if we lose the race to educate our children," the President said in a speech. "In today's economy, the quality of nation's education is one of the biggest predictors of a nation's success. It is what will determine whether the American Dream survives."

Insulted by Natalie Munroe

Natalie Munroe, a teacher at Central Bucks East High School in Doylestown, Pa., was suspended last week after posting profanity-laced rants online which called her students "out of control" and "disengaged, lazy whiners."

"I don't think I did anything wrong," Monroe told ABC news.

The school's superintendent told reporters the comments were "very egregious" and "certainly could result in termination." The 30-year-old, who started teaching in 2006, began blogging in 2009 using the name "Natalie M." Although she did not identify students or staff by name, her photo appeared on the website.

• "I'm being a renegade right now, living on the edge and, um, blogging AT work."
• "I'm in the process of entering grades, and also need to enter comments for the grades. . . . I used to put a lot of time and effort into the comments because I felt it was a great way to communicate the students' efforts. Then it got to be a complete pain in the %$$, just one more thing standing between me and being done with the report cards."
• “whiny simpering grade-grubbers with an unrealisti­cally high perception of own ability level.”
• "A complete and utter jerk in all ways. Although academically ok, your child has no other redeeming qualities."
• "Asked too many questions and took too long to ask them."
• "One of the most annoying students I've had the displeasur­e of being locked in a room with for an extended time."
• "dresses like a streetwalker"
• "frightfully dim"
• "Rude, beligerent (SP), argumentative %$#$.”

Teachers' personal beliefs shape their professional practice. That's where the concept of a "self-fulf­illing prophecy" comes into play.

Here this teacher was -- going to work every day -- looking for "lazy" students and "out of control" behavior so she could keep her blog going. She was, consciously or unconsciou­sly, creating the bad behavior she was complaining about.

Munroe had only been teaching for a few years when she started openly blogging about how dim-witted and worthless the children were. Clearly, she entered the profession with these horrifying attitudes. Of course the children rebelled and misbehaved. Amazingly, it never crossed this adult's mind that she was responsible -- not the "worthless" children.

This teacher -- and many, many others just like her -- are completely unaware of the research which shows that a teacher's belief that a student will succeed plays a critical role in student achievement.

"The students are rude and dim-witted" she rudely announced in a blog with her own picture and first name attached. Well that wasn't very smart, was it teacher?

"The trash company is hiring" she notes about her students -- so why doesn't Natalie Munroe opt out of the suspension with pay and go put in an application?

Invisible Students

"When those who have the power to name and to socially construct reality choose not to see you or hear you ... when someone with the authority of a teacher, say, describes the world and you are not in it, there is a moment of psychic disequilibrium, as if you looked in the mirror and saw nothing. It takes some strength of soul -- and not just individual strength, but collective understanding -- to resist this void, this non-being, into which you are thrust, and to stand up, demanding to be seen and heard."

-- Adrienne Rich

Minnesota's New Math

Minnesota ranked fifth in student funding in 1970 but now sits at 36th in a recent school quality national report.

"We've been slipping for a while," said Brenda Cassellius, the new education commissioner. "I don't think that's what Minnesotans want."

Education funding makes up nearly half of the state budget that is facing a $6 billion projected shortfall.

The following is from a Jan 27, Star-Tribune article headlined:

Money Woes Test School Quality

"We're at a time now where there are no more escape hatches," said Brad Lundell, director of Schools for Equity in Education. SEE, a group of 58 districts, is threatening to sue the state if funding inequities aren't fixed this year.

Minnesota's system survived a legal challenge nearly 20 years ago during easier budgetary times. But that 1993 state Supreme Court ruling also said that every student has a fundamental right to equal education. But how is that possible when the money's dried up?

The answer to that question will directly affect the state's more than 830,000 students and 52,000 teachers.

A new cast of political players will decide the issue. Gov. Mark Dayton taught school 40 years ago and has vowed to stand between the ax and education funding. But the Republican takeover makes the Legislature less beholden to the once-powerful 70,000-member teachers' union, which historically endorses DFLers.

Barbara Washington -- UTP Appontment!

Barbara Washington was recently appointed interim Executive Director of the Urban Teacher Program in the Metropolitan State University College of Professional Studies.

Barbara is an excellent professor and highly qualified for the position. She holds a B.A. in elementary education from Concordia and an M.A. in educational administration from the U of M. She is a UTP steering committee founding member and continues to serve Metro State as a community faculty member and student teacher supervisor.

According to MSU's Catalyst, Ms. Washington will hold the post for a fixed term of one year. Among her many other duties, Barbara will be responsible for leading the UTP toward its mission: increasing the number of teachers of color in urban schools. 

The UTP is extremely lucky to now have the guidance of 

Barbara Washington, Executive Director!