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Advertorials in standardized tests?

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A strange story out of New York

At least a half-dozen companies got an unexpected boost in marketing their brands to New York’s children this week — with free product placement on the state’s English exams.

Teachers and students said yesterday’s multiple-choice section of the eighth-grade tests name-dropped at least a handful of companies or products — including Mug Root Beer, LEGO and that company’s smart robots, Mindstorms.

IBM, the comic book and TV show “Teen Titans” and FIFA — the international soccer federation — were also mentioned in the test booklets, some of them with what educators referred to as out-of-place trademark symbols.

“I’ve been giving this test for eight years and have never seen the test drop trademarked names in passages — let alone note the trademark at the bottom of the page,” said one teacher who administered the exam.

How long before corporate education boosters push for companies to pay for advertising within standardized tests?

State Board of Education

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The Dispatch has an article on the State Board of Education elections that will also take place on November 6th

The state board consists of eight appointees of the governor and 11 elected to four-year terms. Seven are up for election on Tuesday.

Perhaps the most-important work ahead for the board will be to hire the next state superintendent. The office has been vacant since early August, when Stan Heffner resigned after the release of a politically charged ethics probe. The board also must deal with data rigging by school districts, implementation of Ohio’s new third-grade reading guarantee and more-rigorous Common Core curriculum standards, and oversight of the new school-funding formula that Gov. John Kasich plans to unveil next year.

Elections for these offices typically appear quite low down on the ballot, so voters should be mindful to go through their entire ballot. As the Dispatch notes, lot of important issues go through the State Board of Education.

A quick look at some of the pro-public education candidates

Ann E. Jacobs
District 1 (Northwest Ohio)
As an elected member of the State Board, Ann e. Jacobs is an attorney and owner of Jacobs Law Offices, LLC, in Lima. She has worked as a trial attorney for the equal employment Opportunity Commission and as assistant attor- ney general for the Attorney General of Ohio.

Previously, Jacobs served as president, vice president and member of the Shawnee Local School Board, and as a member of the Apollo Jr. Vocation Board. her professional and civic member- ships include the California Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar Association, the Ohio Bar Association, the South Carolina Bar Association; member of the Senior Citizens Board; Board of Trustees member of the YWCA; Board member of Marimor Industries; and elder and deacon of Market Street Presbyterian Church. Jacobs earned her bachelor’s degree from George Washington University and her Ju- ris Doctor from Catholic University.

Richard Javorek
District 5 (exurban Cleveland)
Richard Javorek is a retired teacher living in Chippewa Lake, Ohio. he taught social stud- ies in the Brunswick City School District for over 30 years and was an adjunct faculty member at Bry- ant & Stratton College in Cleveland. he has served as Chair of the Ohio Social Studies Resource Cen- ter and was an advisor to both the Ohio Center for Law Related edu- cation and the Ohio Department of education. Javorek received the Ashland Oil Golden Apple Award and, in 2000, he was named Teacher of the Year at Willetts Middle School. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Baldwin Wallace College and his master’s degree from Kent State University. he is an ordained minister and an Assistant District Commissioner in the Boy Scouts.

Michael L. collins
District 6 (Columbus Metro)
As an elected member of the State Board, Michael L. Collins currently serves as president of Promotions One, Inc., a marketing agency, with ex- perience directing regional events including first Night Columbus, Waterfire Columbus, the Columbus Marathon and the Columbus Race for the Cure. As an educa- tion advocate, Collins has served as a member and president of the Westerville City Schools Board of education; a member of the Westerville City Schools liaisons, business operations, student activities, levy campaigns and long-range planning committees; and chair of the Westerville City Schools Levy Cam- paign. his two collegiate degrees in education have helped him be effective in these roles. he is also ac- tive in the community. His service includes work with the Westerville Chamber of Commerce, Westerville Rotary Club, Westerville Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, and Columbus events Council, Metro Denver health and Wellness Commission and various committees for the Ohio School Boards Association. He has also volunteered as a coach for youth football and wrestling.

James J. collum
District 7 (Northeastern Ohio)
James J. Collum is an Ohio native and a product of strong public schools. After graduating from Glen Oak high School, Collum earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at The University of florida in 1995. he then enrolled at The Ohio State University College of Law and received his Juris Doctor in 1999. Collum has been in private practice since 2000, maintaining his law office in the Belden Village area of Canton. During the past decade, he has dedicated his practice to advocating for individuals and their rights—representing them against large companies in Title VII discrimination cases, unemployment claims, severance negotiation as well as numerous other employment- related cases. he also represents individuals in other types of civil matters, including personal injury, business formation and litigation, real estate and wills and trusts.

Stephanie Dodd
District 9 (Southeastern Ohio)
Stephanie L. Dodd, a native of Zanesville and resident of Licking Township, owns SLD Consulting, a small business that works with candidates, organizations and issue-based groups to achieve maximum fundraising results. Dodd possesses a strong understanding of the need for innovative strategies, the ability to analyze data and the commitment that is essential for success. “The parents, students and taxpayers of the 9th District need a representative who is 100 percent dedicated to improving Ohio’s schools,” Dodd said. As a small business owner, taxpayer and parent, Dodd brings a unique perspective to the State Board of education that will emphasize the role of Ohio’s schools in the state economy.

Todd Book
District 10 (Southern Ohio)
Todd Book is a product of the West Portsmouth Public Schools in Scioto County, Ohio. he graduated from Western Michigan University, magna cum laude, with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He obtained his law degree from the nation’s oldest law school at the College of William and Mary and then returned to Portsmouth to begin his law practice. In 2002, Book was elected to the Ohio house of Representatives, serving four terms before term limits forced him to leave the legislature. While a state representative, Book was known as a hard-working member who focused on policy over politics. He held the positions of assistant minority leader, caucus chair and chairman of the Rules Committee. He was one of the few members that voted against No Child Left Behind. Book is heavily involved with his community and is a member of the Portsmouth Civic forum.

Mary Rose Oakar
District 11 (Cleveland)
As an elected member of the State Board representing District 11, Mary Rose Oakar serves approximately two-thirds of Cuyahoga County. She was elected to her current four-year term in 2008. Oakar served in three legislative bodies. She was a Member of the Cleveland City Council, a 16-year Member of the United States Congress and a Member of the Ohio house of Representatives. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Ursuline College and a master’s degree from John Carroll University. Oakar taught at Lourdes Academy and east high and, from 1968 to 1975, at Cuyahoga Community College. For 6 1⁄2 years, she was president of the American- Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), which describes itself as the largest Arab-American grassroots civil rights organization in the U.S. Active in the community, Oakar is a member of the housing Board for Project Afford, a volunteer at the West Side hunger Center, a member of the Ohio farm Bureau, and a member of the “former Members of U.S. Congress.”

Has the Tide Turned Against ALEC?

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If a children’s book were written about ALEC, the group that bills itself as an association of conservative lawmakers and supporters, it might be called “The Very Greedy Octopus.” It would read like one of those creepy 19th-century fairly tales that most parents would never, ever read to their young ones—it’s just too scary.

For nearly four decades, the American Legislative Exchange Council has been working in the shadowy deep to rewrite the nation’s laws in favor of the wealthiest corporations and CEOs, no matter the loss to working families, communities of color, the environment or public education. One sad chapter in the book would tell how that sneaky, selfish octopus saw a school of fish and thought, “Hey, these schools are everywhere—how can I cash in?”

That’s right: ALEC has made it a top priority to fundamentally change the nation’s public school system, not only to divert taxpayer dollars to money-making ventures, but also to squeeze the life out of the unions that protect educators’ ability to advocate for students. Education-focused ALEC bills are tailored state to state, but many push to:

  • Privatize education through charter schools, voucher programs and tax incentives, obscuring these programs’ true purpose with positive names like “parent choice” and “innovation schools”
  • Clear the way for online (often for-profit) at-home schooling options that benefit corporations, not students
  • Reduce local control of schools by school boards and parents, and increase the influence of the private sector
  • Use “marketplace standards” to evaluate educators and students, which means more standardized testing and reporting
  • Obliterate the unions that help keep our tax dollars working for students and schools

Trampling public education is just part of the story of ALEC—it has lots of other arms out there, and one has a chokehold on voters’ rights. The group’s efforts to disenfranchise those most likely to vote ALEC members out of office through laws meant to confuse and disqualify them on Election Day are well documented.

[readon2 url="http://www.educationvotes.nea.org/2012/04/12/the-story-of-alec-help-us-write-the-ending/"]Continue reading, and find out how you can help loosen ALEC’s grip[/readon2]

ODE subject matter contact info

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The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) has just released this contact information document by subject matter expertise. We thought it might be useful to share with our readers if you;re trying to find the right perosn for the the right topic. Feel free to download it, or just book mark this page.

ODE Contacts by Topic

Reach Out and Read Success

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Some good news!

Central Ohio teachers and education professionals worked together with Nationwide Children's Hospital to collect over 53,000 book and $3,000 for the Reach Out and Read program.

Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud.

Reach Out and Read builds on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop critical early reading skills in children, beginning at 6 months of age. The 3.9 million families served annually by Reach Out and Read read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten better prepared to succeed, with larger vocabularies, stronger language skills, and a six-month developmental edge over their peers.

A BIG thank you and congratulations to everyone who contributed to this book drive.