Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, April 27, 2013

2nd Banana 4-27-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u



BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA 

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST





California Science Center is sued for canceling a film promoting intelligent design -- latimes.com


"California Science Center is sued for canceling a film promoting intelligent design

The American Freedom Alliance says the center bowed to pressure from the Smithsonian. The science center says a news release hadn't been submitted to the museum, violating the contract."

L.A.'s California Science Center will start the new year defending itself in court for canceling a documentary film attacking Charles Darwin's theory of 

Diane in the Evening 4-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Karen Lewis Teaches Torah in Evanston by dianerav Karen Lewis taught a powerful lesson from the Torah at a synagogue in Evanston. This is the rabbi’s account of her moving reading of Numbers, in which she connects the Biblical story to recent events in Chicago. “Her portion, Shelach Lecha (Numbers 13:1-15:41) relates, among other things, the story of the twelve scouts send by by Moses to report on the Promised Land. Ten of them return with words of discouragement – they reported that they saw giants in the land.... more »

Moving Ahead With Common Core - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Moving Ahead With Common Core - NYTimes.com: Moving Ahead With Common Core By THE EDITORIAL BOARD Published: April 20, 2013 Holy... - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - New York City parents are understandably nervous about tough new state tests that were rolled out last week. And some parents whose children have already taken the tests are outraged. They shouldn’t be: the tests, which measure math and English skills, are an essential part of rigorous education reforms known as Common Core that seek to improve rea... more »

An open letter to Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan | The Network For Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
An open letter to Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan | The Network For Public Education: [image: The Network For Public Education -] An open letter to Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan by admin Dear Secretary Duncan: Children gleefully line blocks end to end on a rug measuring its area, two girls huddle over a water table experimenting with liquid capacity, and several students use clay making sculptures as well as refining their small motor skills – this is the picture of a preschool where any of us would want to send our children. As an early childhood educator, I was thrille... more »

UPDATE: Common Core Standards CCSSO Releases C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice (Part I) | Truth in American Education: Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Kills Anti-Common Core Bill by Shane Vander Hart [image: alabama-state-capitol]The Alabama Anti-Common Core bill dies, more accurately was killed by a State Senator who is confused. EdWeek reports: First, the legislative news. The Alabama Senate President Pro Tem, Del Marsh, a Republican, announced that he would not entertain any bills pertaining to the common core for a full Senate vote. That means Senate Bill 403, which passed the Senate Education Committee and... more »

Another great image a la #cpsboycott, racism in chicago – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 45 minutes ago
Another great image a la #cpsboycott, racism in chicago – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Another great image a la #cpsboycott, racism in chicago APRIL 25, 2013 BY CHALK FACE, PHD LEAVE A COMMENT [image: Another great image a la #cpsboycott, racism in chicago] Self-explanatory. Won’t Let You Opt Out? Try All “A” Day by ontogenyx It is heartening to see the testing boycotts in Chicago, Portland, Seattle and elsewhere, and yet there is so much more to do to bring down the high stakes testing that has turned our schools in profit centers for corporations, while killing learning a... more »


RNC Common Core Resolution Indicts Jeb Bush and Florida’s Republican Policy-Makers | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
RNC Common Core Resolution Indicts Jeb Bush and Florida’s Republican Policy-Makers | Scathing Purple Musings: RNC Common Core Resolution Indicts Jeb Bush and Florida’s Republican Policy-Makers by Bob Sikes I find every read of the Republican National Committee’s resolution against Common Core State Standards (CCSS) more stunning than the last. Beyond the “on-size-fits-all” criticism are supporting details so condemning that they cannot be walked back now that they’re out. Let’s take a look at a few: WHEREAS, the NGA and the CCSSO, *received tens of millions of dollars from priva... more »


Richie Havens, Woodstock legend, dies at 72 - TODAY Entertainment

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Richie Havens, Woodstock legend, dies at 72 - TODAY Entertainment: Richie Havens, Woodstock legend, dies at 72 By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, TODAY Folk singer and guitarist Richie Havens, who opened the 1969 Woodstock music festival with a legendary and lengthy set that helped make him famous, died Monday at age 72. Fin Costello / Redferns file via Getty Images Richie Havens in concert in 1973. His family says Havens died of a heart attack, and that a public memorial will be announced later. A statement on his official website posted before Havens' death says that the singer never fu... more »

How closing schools hurts neighborhoods

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
How closing schools hurts neighborhoods: How closing schools hurts neighborhoods Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 6, 2013 at 6:00 am 0 Comments More [image: (thenotebook.org)] (thenotebook.org) On Thursday, the Philadelphia school district’s governing board, the School Reform Commission, will be voting on the most massive one-time downsizing of the system ever proposed. The district’s recently revised plan, which has encountered widespread community and teacher opposition, calls for closing 29 out of 239 district schools next fall – a step down from the original proposal to shutte... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Cheating Scandal + A Retrospective - Season of the Witch

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
*Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Cheating Scandal * *A Retrospective - Season of the Witch* When I look out my window Many sights to see And when I look in my window So many different people to be That it's strange, so strange You've got to pick up every stitch You've got to pick up every stitch You've got to pick up every stitch Mm, must be the season of the witch Must be the season of the witch, yeah Must be the season of the witch When I look over my shoulder What do you think I see ? Some other cat looking over His shoulder at me And he's strange, sure he's strange You've... more »

UPDATE: Parents Please Do Ask Questions About the Common Core | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Parents Please Do Ask Questions About the Common Core | Truth in American Education: L.A. Times: It Would Be Better to Delay the Common Core by Shane Vander Hart The Los Angeles Times had an interesting op/ed today. A noteworthy excerpt: At the rate the state is going, teachers will end up being trained before the English curriculum is even in place, and instruction would start before the new textbooks are in anyone’s hands. Yet if the school reform movement has its way, teachers will be evaluated in part based on how well their students do on the very different standardized tests... more »

Future of schools breakfast program has become a “power struggle” | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Future of schools breakfast program has become a “power struggle” | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Future of schools breakfast program has become a “power struggle” by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez [image: Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy sp] *Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy wants the school board to decide whether to keep Breakfast in the Classroom.; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images* In the latest power struggle in the nation's second-largest school district, Los Angeles Unified Superintendent John Deasy is putting the future of a breakfast program for students up for a school board vote. Brea... more »

NYC Educator: The United Federation of Retired Teachers

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
NYC Educator: The United Federation of Retired Teachers: The United Federation of Retired Teachers by NYC Educator BREAKING--Today I was at 52 Broadway conducting business, and I ran into a particularly loquacious union rep, who shall remain unnamed. We discussed the UFT election, and he confided union leadership's plan for the future. I surreptitiously recorded the whole thing on my iPhone. "As you know, 53% of our voters were retirees. Some people criticize us for that, but the fact is, these are reliable votes for Unity. As we move into our fifth year without a raise in salary, ... more »

Daily Kos: An important book about education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Daily Kos: An important book about education: An important book about education by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) is by Mike Rose of UCLA, and is titled *Back to School: Why Everyone Deserves A Second Chance at Education.* What follows is a cross-posting of this review which went live yesterday. ------------------------ In all our discussions about education policy, too often we do not consider what happens to those students who do not “make it” in K-12 but later in life are prepared to undertake responsibility for their education. After what is listed as the title of his latest ... more »

Daily Kos: StudentsFirst's Tennessee 'reformer of the year' coauthored anti-gay bill

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Daily Kos: StudentsFirst's Tennessee 'reformer of the year' coauthored anti-gay bill: StudentsFirst's Tennessee 'reformer of the year' coauthored anti-gay bill byLaura ClawsonFollowforDaily Kos Labor - - - 9 Comments / 9 New Michelle Rhee's StudentsFirst is putting together quite the record as far as legislators it selects as "reformer of the year." Last year, StudentsFirst came under fire from immigrant groups angry that Georgia state Sen. Chip Rogers, author of severalharshly anti-immigrant bills, including one that would have kept DREAMers out of public sch... more »

SBE Agenda for May 2013 - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education)


SBE Agenda for May 2013

Agenda for the California State Board of Education (SBE) meeting on May 8-9, 2013.




California's 2013 Classified Employees of the Year - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
California's 2013 Classified Employees of the Year - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces California's 2013 Classified School Employees of the Year SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced the selection of six outstanding classified school employees in recognition of their exceptional efforts that contribute hugely to school operations and student success. "The caliber and commitment of these employees are remarkable. They are not only dedicated and motivated workers, but sources of inspiration to ... more »


Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-26-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."


A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP



Diane in the Evening 4-26-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: DFER Defended by Head of the Discovery Institute by dianerav This is indeed an odd turn of events. Bruce Chapman, the head of the Discovery Institute, a Reagan Republican, warns Democrats that they should take care not to offend Democrats for Education Reform because they might become Republicans. The reason for his warning was that the California Democratic Party recently passed a resolution denouncing corporate education reform and specifically singling out DFER and StudentsFirst as fronts for corporations and... more »

A bad idea in D.C. on school reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
A bad idea in D.C. on school reform: A bad idea in D.C. on school reform Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 26, 2013 at 11:00 am [image: David Catania said he is cutting back his outside work due to his new council responsibilities. (Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post)] David Catania (By Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post) My colleague Emma Brown reported in this story that David Catania, the chairman of the D.C. Council’s Education Committee, is using private donations to hire an outside law firm to help him design school-related l... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 4-26-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS





UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, April 26, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Fensterwald: Democrats split on timing, specifics of Brown’s funding formula* Education Headlines *Friday, April 26, 2013* Bullying still hot topic at Summerville HighA months-long discussion about alleged bullying at Summerville High School carried into a board meeting Wednesday, with parents urging trustees to continue addressing the issue. New jobs in Alisal district in disputeDistrict officials have said that the layoff notices issued to 25 classified workers in March were necessary as they attempt to reorganize some depart... more »


MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-26-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Louisiana and Reverse Parent Trigger by dianerav Louisiana educators have joined in unison to endorse a bill to permit parents in failing charter schools to return their school to public control. Two-thirds or more of the Recovery School District charters are graded D or F. This is a bold recognition that charter schools are not a silver bullet. They are most successful when they exclude the neediest children. Hey, folks, could we agree to stop using the term “par... more »


Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 4-25-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE* * * ** *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* Correlation Or Causation? by Larry Ferlazzo Here’s a great comic from xkcd: The Texas Tribune: Considering Free Breakfasts for All Texas Students in Poor Areas by By CHRIS HOOKS Texas legislators are working to expand the free-breakfast program to all schoolchildren in poor areas, not just those from low-income households. Protests by Mexican Teachers Continue to Swell by By KARLA ZABLUDOVSKY Members of the teachers’ union in Guerrero State showed their anger, and in some cases turned violent, ov...more »

Paul Horton: Of Common Core, Conspiracies and Coups d'Etat - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Paul Horton: Of Common Core, Conspiracies and Coups d'Etat - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Paul Horton: Of Common Core, Conspiracies and Coups d'Etat by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Paul Horton.* To those defending the Obama administration's Race To the Top and Common Core Curriculum initiatives, opponents tend to be placed in one very tidy box: "conspiracy theorists." Long a critic of overzealous federal intervention in education, Chester Finn, President of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute that promotes educational excellence and supports the president's education a... more »

Penetrating the Smokescreen | Taking Note

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Penetrating the Smokescreen | Taking Note: Penetrating the Smokescreen by John Merrow A great deal has happened since “Michelle Rhee’s Reign of Error” appeared in this space two weeks ago. - DC Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson testified under oath that she learned of Sandy Sanford’s long-buried memo from my blog this past January. My source recalls being in at least one meeting when Ms. Henderson and then Chancellor Michelle Rhee discussed the memo and its contents. Someone is lying. - The DC City Council held what it called a ‘round table’ that, for the m... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-25-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."


A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP



State cuts off money to UNO charter schools over insider deals - Chicago Sun-Times

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
State cuts off money to UNO charter schools over insider deals - Chicago Sun-Times: State cuts off money to UNO charter schools over insider deals BY DAN MIHALOPOULOS Staff Reporter dmihalopoulos@suntimes.com April 25, 2013 2:02PM 0 0 Share 516 16 [image: From left Gov. PQuinn UNO CEO Juan Rangel House Speaker Michael Madigan Ald. Edward Burke July 2012 groundbreaking Southwest Side] From left, Gov. Pat Quinn, UNO CEO Juan Rangel, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Ald. Edward Burke at the July 2012 groundbreaking on the Southwest Side for the UNO Soccer Academy Charter High School. ...more »

Who Is Today's Principal? — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Who Is Today's Principal? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Daniel W. Smith]Who Is Today’s Principal? April 25, 2013 by Daniel W. Smith The qualities and skills required of today's principals have shifted quite dramatically over the past decade. It was not long ago that principals were expected to "manage" the building and those hiring building principals looked for individuals who were organized and knowledgeable about building operations. The shift has made it very difficult for principals who were appointed under the previous expectations. Those individuals, w... more »

If the union leadership is talking to Cullerton, what’s the deal? | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
If the union leadership is talking to Cullerton, what’s the deal? | Fred Klonsky: If the union leadership is talking to Cullerton, what’s the deal? by Fred Klonsky [image: IMG_4837r1] *Photo credit: IEA. I asked Cinda if she wanted to address the crowd. “If they want me to,” she said.* The rumors have been floating around for about a week. After being excluded from the pension discussion going on in the Illinois General Assembly, word has been circulating that the leadership of the state public employee unions are involved in negotiations. With Cullerton at least. Madigan is a differ... more »

Steve Perry Talks to White People | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Steve Perry Talks to White People | EduShyster: Steve Perry Talks to White People by edushyster2012 Dr. Steve Perry, America’s “most wanted educator” thrilled Minneapolis by “bringing it” and “raising the roof.” This week found America’s “most wanted educator” venturing to perhaps the whitest place in America: Minneapolis. There, Dr. Steve Perry delighted the crowd with his unique brand of high-octane, high-expectations roof raising, including referring to teacher unions as “roaches.” In this special guest post, an embittered veteran teacher weighs in on what she and her low-achiev... more »

UPDATE: Common Core Standards CCSSO Releases C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice (Part I) | Truth in American Education: Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Kills Anti-Common Core Bill by Shane Vander Hart [image: alabama-state-capitol]The Alabama Anti-Common Core bill dies, more accurately was killed by a State Senator who is confused. EdWeek reports: First, the legislative news. The Alabama Senate President Pro Tem, Del Marsh, a Republican, announced that he would not entertain any bills pertaining to the common core for a full Senate vote. That means Senate Bill 403, which passed the Senate Education Committee and... more »

UPDATE: What Do We Spend Our Education Dollars On? Seattle Schools Community Forum: NAEP Scores - Pretty Darn Good

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: NAEP Scores in Economics - Pretty Darn Good: 80 Students Won't Graduate Due to Math Test by Charlie Mas Linda Shaw of the Seattle Times reported today that there are 80 high school seniors who can't graduate because they didn't pass the two state End Of Course math tests. School principals wanted superintendent Banda to seek a waiver for the students but the superintendent Banda will not. Statewide there are over 3,000 students in a similar situation. What Do We Spend Our Education Dollars On? by Melissa Westbrook Apparently there is some confusion... more »

Another great image a la #cpsboycott, racism in chicago – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Another great image a la #cpsboycott, racism in chicago – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Another great image a la #cpsboycott, racism in chicago APRIL 25, 2013 BY CHALK FACE, PHD LEAVE A COMMENT [image: Another great image a la #cpsboycott, racism in chicago] Self-explanatory. Won’t Let You Opt Out? Try All “A” Day by ontogenyx It is heartening to see the testing boycotts in Chicago, Portland, Seattle and elsewhere, and yet there is so much more to do to bring down the high stakes testing that has turned our schools in profit centers for corporations, while killing learning a... more »

U.S. Department of Education Releases Blueprint to Elevate and Transform the Teaching Profession, Calls Educators to Action | U.S. Department of Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
U.S. Department of Education Releases Blueprint to Elevate and Transform the Teaching Profession, Calls Educators to Action | U.S. Department of Education: U.S. Department of Education Releases Blueprint to Elevate and Transform the Teaching Profession, Calls Educators to Action APRIL 25, 2013 *Contact: * Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov Today the U.S. Department of Education (ED) will release the Obama Administration's blueprint for elevating and transforming the teaching profession, also known as the Blueprint for RESPECT (Recognizing Educational Success, Profess... more »

Shanker Blog » Can The Common Core Standards Reverse The “Rising Tide Of Mediocrity”?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Shanker Blog » Can The Common Core Standards Reverse The “Rising Tide Of Mediocrity”?: Can The Common Core Standards Reverse The “Rising Tide Of Mediocrity”? by Lisa Hansel *Our guest author today is Lisa Hansel, communications director for the Core Knowledge Foundation. Previously, she was the editor of *American Educator*, the magazine published by the American Federation of Teachers.* Spring 2013 marks the 30th anniversary of two landmark publications. One, an essay by E. D. Hirsch, Jr., in *The American Scholar* titled “Cultural Literacy,” sparked a small but steadily growing ... more »

Education Group Casts Doubt on Value of Michelle Rhee's School Reforms: DCist

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Education Group Casts Doubt on Value of Michelle Rhee's School Reforms: DCist: Education Group Casts Doubt on Value of Michelle Rhee's School Reforms [image: 2011_0421_rheebroom.jpg]The conventional wisdom is that former D.C. Schools Chancellor and current national education reformer Michelle Rhee brought much-needed positive change to the D.C. public school system during her tenure, firing ineffective teachers, closing under-performing schools and more aggressively pushing students and teachers to perform better. But a new report from an education advocacy group says much the oppo... more »

MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-25-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Good News! Excellent Results on NAEP Economics Test by dianerav The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) just released the results of its Economics test for high school seniors. Only 18% of students ranked “below basic,” which surely included high numbers of students who are English language learners and have serious disabilities. 82% are basic or above. A remarkable 43% of students ranked “proficient” or above. Proficient is excellent performance. ... more »


Schooling in the Ownership Society: The city that works

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: The city that works: The city that works by Mike Klonsky RaunerBack in the early '70s, Chicago earned the nickname, *the city that works*. Then, like now, the phrase always required the addendum, *works for whom*? The same question might also be asked about the city's public schools. Under mayoral control, Chicago has been reconstructing a two-tier system of public schools: selective enrollment schools for top scoring students and those with well-connected parents, and under-resourced neighborhood schools for the majority. Today that notion was ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Bloomberg's education legacy in The Nation

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Bloomberg's education legacy in The Nation: Bloomberg's education legacy in The Nation by Leonie Haimson Diane Ravitch and I have an article in this week's The Nation about Michael Bloomberg's damaging legacy for our schools; and how his policies widened inequities rather than narrowed them. Here is the introduction: In 2008, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his schools chancellor at the time, Joel Klein, testified before Congress that their policies had led to a substantial narrowing of the racial achievement gap, meaning the gap in test scores between white ... more »


Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-24-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."


A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP


Brown fights back, responds to critics of his funding formula | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Brown fights back, responds to critics of his funding formula | EdSource Today: ' Brown fights back, responds to critics of his funding formula - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald Gov. Jerry Brown emphatically vowed Wednesday “to fight with everything I have and whatever we have to bring to bear” for passage this year of his school finance reform, as proposed. Back from a trip to China and re-engaged on a priority issue, Brown spoke at a news conference a day after Senate Democrats announced they would propose a bill that would delay action on the governor’s Local Control ... more »

State sued for lacks of services to students learning English - latimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
State sued for lacks of services to students learning English - latimes.com: State sued for lack of services to students learning English by By Howard Blume [image: Mark Rosenbaum]Mark Rosenbaum, chief counsel of the ACLU of Southern California, which is suing California over lack of services to students who are not fluent in English. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press / May 30, 2012) The state education department has ignored its obligation to make sure that thousands of students learning English receive adequate and legally required assistance, according to a lawsuit filed W... more »

Students in D.C. region can’t formally ‘opt out’ of standardized tests

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Students in D.C. region can’t formally ‘opt out’ of standardized tests: Students in D.C. region can’t formally ‘opt out’ of standardized tests Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 24, 2013 at 3:51 pm 5 Comments More [image: test]Though parents in some other states are formally “opting out” of high-stakes standardized tests and keeping their children at home on test days, officials in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia say it is not permitted in their jurisdictions. A movement by parents to opt out of standardized tests and keep their children home on test day — without penalty fo... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Citizens of WHAT World? Charter's recruiting tactics and leaked documents

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Citizens of WHAT World? Charter's recruiting tactics and leaked documents: Citizens of WHAT World? Recruiting tactics and leaked documents by Leonie Haimson ** *For more on this issue, see the DNA article here.* Williamsburg and Greenpoint parents have been fighting what we see as a real threat to re-segregate public schools in our neighborhood through Citizens of the World Charter Schools (CWC), a Los Angeles-based chain of schools imposed upon District 14 as well as District 17 in Crown Heights. *CWC's Core parent group = "Predominantly white"* From ... more »

McMillin Amendment Halts Common Core in Michigan | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
McMillin Amendment Halts Common Core in Michigan | Truth in American Education: McMillin Amendment Halts Common Core in Michigan by Shane Vander Hart [image: michigan-state-capitol] Breaking…. big move in the Michigan House of Representatives! The Michigan House today approved the Department of Education budget (HB4328) on a 59-51 vote with an amendment which does not allow them to implement Common Core State Standards or “Smarter Balanced Assessments”. The amendment was sponsored by State Rep. Tom McMillin, the amendment is similar to House Bill 4276 which is currently before t...more »

Diane in the Evening 4-24-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Mayor Bloomberg Tries Again to Buy the Los Angeles School Board by dianerav NYC Mayor Bloomberg just dropped $350,000 into the campaign to beat Monica Ratliff in a runoff for the LA school board. A few weeks ago, Bloomberg gave $1million to the coalition of billionaires, who assembled a $4 million war chest, mostly to defeat Steve Zimmer. Bloomberg’s million was enhanced by fat gifts from Rupert Murdoch, Michelle Rhee, Eli Broad, and the John Thompson: Who Will the Billionaires Kick Down Next? by dianerav Vetera... more »

‘Lunch Lady’ Author: Let’s Celebrate School Lunch Superheroes on May 3 | NEA Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
‘Lunch Lady’ Author: Let’s Celebrate School Lunch Superheroes on May 3 | NEA Today: ‘Lunch Lady’ Author: Let’s Celebrate School Lunch Superheroes on May 3 April 24, 2013 by twalker Filed under Education Support Professionals, Featured News, Top Stories Leave a Comment [image: Email][image: Share] *By John Rosales* After publishing his first book, *Good Night, Monkey Boy*, author and illustrator *Jarrett Krosoczka*returned to his old elementary school in Worcester, Massachusetts to talk to students about writing, illustrating, and publishing books. While walking the halls at Gates L... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 4-24-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS



Jersey Jazzman: Newark Says "Enough!"

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Newark Says "Enough!": Newark Says "Enough!" by Duke Ruh-roh: *The Newark Schools Advisory Commission this evening issued a unanimous no-confidence vote in the leadership of Schools Superintendent Cami Anderson.* The vote was 9-0. The board earlier this month rejected the budget Anderson submitted, and tonight reiterated its assessment that Anderson has not fostered a relationship with board members. The board again complained about what it cited as Anderson's lack of transparency regarding her

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 4-23-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE* *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* Resolve by Jose Vilson *[image: dark-classroom]* This morning, after a few sips of my coffee and getting ready for class, a cold sweat developed in the palms of my hand. I rubbed my hands a few times before I put the marker to the whiteboard, hoping the few examples of problems I do today serve less as a lesson and more as a fine tuning. Pacing the room 30 minutes before class made my feet ache, but I didn’t realize it until a few hours after, when my first three periods of class would be done. Besides... more »

Democratic Senators propose alternative to Brown’s local control formula | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Democratic Senators propose alternative to Brown’s local control formula | EdSource Today: Democratic Senators propose alternative to Brown’s local control formula - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald Democratic leaders of the state Senate want to delay Gov. Jerry Brown’s sweeping plan for changing how schools are funded by a year and will recommend significant changes to it in a bill that they will reveal on Thursday. In a news release Tuesday, Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg and chairs of the Senate Budget and Education Committees stated they agree with t... more »

Students Give Back to Local Elementary School University of Minnesota Morris

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
University of Minnesota Morris | News & Events | Students Give Back to Local Elementary School: Students Give Back to Local Elementary School Posted by Cassie Hall '13, Brookings, South Dakota on Tuesday, Apr. 23, 2013 On April 13, more than 30 volunteers from the University of Minnesota, Morris gathered at St. Mary’s School to complete an “Outreach to Teach” project. Students from the Education Minnesota Student Program (EMSP) chapter and the Studio Art Discipline renovated the school’s teacher’s lounge and painted a mural in a small tunnel connecting the school to Assumption Cat... more »


Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-23-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."


A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP




Too Bad For You (and your Child) if You Picked one of these CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: *Got Choice? Ubetcha! **Celebrating School Choice * *National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) Group: 1 in 5 charter schools not doing well enough to stay open* A group that oversees more than half of the nation's 5,600 charter schools said as many as *one in five U.S. charter schools should be shut down because of ** poor academic performance. * *http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2019784379_charterschools29.html* *CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS WEBSITE* CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS Texas charter school proposals (content copied) The Perime... more »

A Double Whammy for New York Students – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
A Double Whammy for New York Students – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: A Double Whammy for New York Students by Chris Cerrone Students in New York State are halfway through the testing madness that has taken away much of their recent instruction time. When you add in test review and preparation, our children have lost so many educational opportunities. Sadly, even after the assessments are over the harm continues. As students await their math exams that will eat up 270 minutes this week, many of their teachers have disappeared. What happened to our teachers? Some teachers ... more »

Remarks by the President at Teacher of the Year Event | The White House

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Remarks by the President at Teacher of the Year Event | The White House: Remarks by the President at Teacher of the Year Event Rose Garden 2:10 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Well, hello, everybody. Please have a seat. I am thrilled to welcome our state and national teachers of the year to the White House this afternoon. People who know me know I’ve just got a soft spot for teachers, partly -- my sister is a teacher, my mom was a teacher for a while. And if there’s one thing we can’t say enough to our nation’s educators, it is "thank you." So today, we’ve got a chance to do that -- ... more »

Diane in the Evening 4-23-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Be Wary of This Website by dianerav About once a week, I receive emails from an organization I do not know. It contains beautiful graphics claiming to rate different aspects of education. Usually I delete without opening, but this one caught my eye because it said it was rating the states. The email says: “Hi Diane, “Ever wonder how your state working to create a better education system? Please take a look at this infographic based on data from the State of Education: State Policy Report Card 2013. Feel free t... more »

UPDATE: Florida Law in Conflict with Common Core?+ Smarter Balanced and PARCC Will Wither Away? | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
A Prediction That Smarter Balanced and PARCC Will Wither Away? | Truth in American Education: New Florida Law in Conflict with Common Core? by Shane Vander Hart [image: rick-scott]Governor Rick Scott (R-FL) This is interesting… Algebra 2 will become an optional course for high school students pursuing a standard diploma under legislation Republican Gov. Rick Scott signed today. Advocates say this and other changes to Florida graduation requirements (only adopted in 2010) aim to give students more flexibility as they prepare for various career paths. But the action seems to raise ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Change the Stakes RALLY Friday, 4PM: CLEANING UP the MESS of HIGH STAKES TESTING

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Change the Stakes RALLY Friday, 4PM: CLEANING UP the MESS of HIGH STAKES TESTING: Change the Stakes RALLY Friday, 4PM: CLEANING UP the MESS of HIGH STAKES TESTING by ed notes online MORE teachers will be joining with Change the Stakes parents this Friday at 4PM. Following this event some MOREs and ICEers will be going out to dinner for informal election return analysis. Note the editorial pages and cartoons of the papers are jumping on parent opt-outers as coddling their kids. Just shows you how threatening this movement is to ed deformers. * Whether or not your... more »

Class Sizes, Slogans, and Leadership | PWC Education Reform Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Class Sizes, Slogans, and Leadership | PWC Education Reform Blog: Class Sizes, Slogans, and Leadership by pwceducationreform As this budget season comes to a close, one unfinished issue stands high above the rest – too large classes in Prince William County Schools. Over the past several years, as the economy crashed and has struggled to come back to life, PWCS has slowly been increasing class sizes to save money. Last year class sizes were pushed to the state’s legal maximum. The net effect is that classes in PWCS are the largest in the state by a significant margin. Many parent... more »

A coalition for effective teaching that didn't consult teachers? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
A coalition for effective teaching that didn't consult teachers? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: A coalition for effective teaching that didn't consult teachers? by Timothy Boyle The School District of Philadelphia needs all the help it can get, so I’m happy to see a number of local nonprofits band together to offer their advice. The member groups of the recently launched Coalition for Effective Teaching are calling for reforms to the teachers' contract. As I looked over their list of recommendations, I saw a mix of ideas, some already happening and some that would be help... more »

Bill Gates’ $5 Billion Education Plan: Let’s Put Cameras Classrooms

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Bill Gates’ $5 Billion Education Plan: Let’s Put Cameras Classrooms: Bill Gates’ $5 Billion Plan: Let’s Put a Camera in Every Classroom The hope is to evaluate teachers more effectively, and provide them with useful feedback. [image: Bill Gates, gates foundation, teacher evaluations, education reform] *(Just a Reminder that Pot was Legalized in Washington State! )* The way public school teachers are evaluated is complicated—and highly controversial among educators. In fact, two out of three teachers feel that the methods don't accurately capture what they do in their classrooms, acco... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 4-23-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS





UPDATE: Mayoral Candidates Education Forum Seattle Schools Community Forum: Oversight Work Session: Teaching and Learning

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Oversight Work Session: Teaching and Learning: Tuesday Open Thread by Melissa Westbrook Operations Ctm agenda now available for their meeting on Thursday from 4-6 p.m. Highlights include "growth boundary update" from Enrollment's Tracy Libros, *"resolution that construction projects will not create or aggravate racial imbalance",* and a resolution about the *"sustainability and design and construction of high performance schools." * This is from President Smith-Blum and I believe she means it for greening of schools, not academic achievement. A ... more »

When is Innovation Old News? | My Island View

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
When is Innovation Old News? | My Island View: When is Innovation Old News? by tomwhitby The term “innovation” has been thrown around through the halls of education for several years. Its creation in our education system is a stated goal by our Department of Education. It is a reason, although some would call it a justification, for charter schools being formed. Charter schools were supposed to lead the way to innovation for public education. A problem with innovation however is that we often do not know it when we see it. The whole idea of innovation is that it is something new. ... more »

UPDATE: Cruelty of the Annual Spring Testing Season +Head over to @guardianteach – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Head over to @guardianteach and find out about an “education spring” via @debrakidd – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Benefits of Mayoral Control of Schools: Not So Much by ontogenyx Review from NEPC: BOULDER, CO (April 23, 2013) – A recent Center for American Progress report purports to find that school districts led by city mayors are raising student achievement while improving the districts’ fiscal health. A new review finds some useful information in the report, but says it is too flawed to rely on [...] The Cruelty of the Annual Spring Testing Season by johnt4853 The s... more »


MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-23-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Rally for Public Schools in Olympia, Washington, April 27 by dianerav This just in: Could you help to encourage educators, parents and community members to attend the rally for Public Education in Olympia, WA. On April 27 at 9:30 a.m., WEA Representative Assembly delegates will stand on the capitol steps in the final hours of the legislative session to make one last stand for our students, our professions and our schools. Please join us! https://www.facebook.com... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Cheating Scandal + A Retrospective - Season of the Witch

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
*Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Cheating Scandal * *A Retrospective - Season of the Witch* When I look out my window Many sights to see And when I look in my window So many different people to be That it's strange, so strange You've got to pick up every stitch You've got to pick up every stitch You've got to pick up every stitch Mm, must be the season of the witch Must be the season of the witch, yeah Must be the season of the witch When I look over my shoulder What do you think I see ? Some other cat looking over His shoulder at me And he's strange, sure he's strange You've... more »

Richie Havens, Woodstock legend, dies at 72 - TODAY Entertainment

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Richie Havens, Woodstock legend, dies at 72 - TODAY Entertainment: Richie Havens, Woodstock legend, dies at 72 By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, TODAY Folk singer and guitarist Richie Havens, who opened the 1969 Woodstock music festival with a legendary and lengthy set that helped make him famous, died Monday at age 72. Fin Costello / Redferns file via Getty Images Richie Havens in concert in 1973. His family says Havens died of a heart attack, and that a public memorial will be announced later. A statement on his official website posted before Havens' death says that the singer never fu... more »

Private companies want a share of public education dollars: Chalk It Up | OregonLive.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Private companies want a share of public education dollars: Chalk It Up | OregonLive.com: Private companies want a share of public education dollars: Chalk It Up from Oregon Education by Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian [image: lobbyists.JPG]A gaggle of lobbyists wait outside the House chamber of the Oregon Legislature for the final gavel to fall during the 2011 session.Ross William Hamilton / The Oregonian Education Week, a national news outlet that covers K-12 education, hasa big article out today (mainly behind a paywall) that looks at the many ways for-profit education companies a... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-22-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."


A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP



UPDATE: Students opting out of PSAE + Threat to special education class size rules Parents United for Responsible Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Threat to special education class size rules: Students opting out of PSAE by admin [image: testingpencils] Some students from Gage Park High School are planning to boycott part of the Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE). About 80 Gage Park students walked out of a NAEP exam earlier this year. NAEP is a national exam used to compare districts and states across the U.S. The students objected to having their time taken up with tests that had no bearing on their studies, at a time when some students didn’t even ... more »

UPDATE: Parents Please Do Ask Questions About the Common Core | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Parents Please Do Ask Questions About the Common Core | Truth in American Education: L.A. Times: It Would Be Better to Delay the Common Core by Shane Vander Hart The Los Angeles Times had an interesting op/ed today. A noteworthy excerpt: At the rate the state is going, teachers will end up being trained before the English curriculum is even in place, and instruction would start before the new textbooks are in anyone’s hands. Yet if the school reform movement has its way, teachers will be evaluated in part based on how well their students do on the very different standardized tests... more »


Seattle Schools Community Forum: WA State Teacher Named National Teacher of the Year

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: WA State Teacher Named National Teacher of the Year: WA State Teacher Named National Teacher of the Year by Melissa Westbrook I knew it. Today *Jeff Charbonneau was named as the national teacher of the year* by the Council of Chief State School Officers. According to their website: *A science teacher from Zillah High School who helped transform his small school into a place where nearly every student graduates with some college credit was named as national teacher of the year.* *Zillah Principal Mike Torres said last week that Charbonneau, 35, h... more »

Start Following Your Dreams, Stop Worrying About What You're 'Supposed To Do' — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Start Following Your Dreams, Stop Worrying About What You're 'Supposed To Do' — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Bill Drayton]Start Following Your Dreams, Stop Worrying About What You’re ‘Supposed To Do’ April 22, 2013 by Bill Drayton In elementary school I could not imagine why I was being tortured by Latin or math, and my perception of soccer was chiefly that of being a crashee. But I loved starting things, especially newspapers. Once I had saved enough to buy a mimeograph machine (the prior technology being typing hard with as many carbon copy sheets as possibl... more »


Corporate Education Reform Goes to College Despite Flunking Out in the K-12 System

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Corporate Education Reform Goes to College Despite Flunking Out in the K-12 System: Corporate Education Reform Goes to College Despite Flunking Out in the K-12 System by Jim Miller [image: 6671_500611959997407_1321783566_n]*By Jim Miller* Things haven’t been going too well for the corporate education reform forces lately. In Chicago there is great controversy surrounding and parent resistance to school closings as a result of the efforts of over zealous reformers. This shameful turn of events puts yet another black mark on former Obama Administration chief of staff and current Chi... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 4-22-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS




UPDATE: 2013 White House Science Fair + School warns students: No test, no sports

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
School warns students: No test, no sports: Obama hosts young inventors at 2013 White House Science Fair by Valerie Strauss Some 100 students from more than 40 states are attending the 2013 White House Science Fair, which began today with President Obama as host. The initiative (you can watch it by clicking on a link below) was designed to highlight … Continue reading → School warns students: No test, no sports by Valerie Strauss [image: Smash the DC CAS] How's this for twisting students' arms to take high-stakes standardized tests? This is an email that Woodrow Wilson High ... more »


"NYSUT on state tests: 'It's time to hold the Commissioner and the Regents accountable'." April 22, 2013. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
"NYSUT on state tests: 'It's time to hold the Commissioner and the Regents accountable'." April 22, 2013. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org: NYSUT on state tests: 'It's time to hold the Commissioner and the Regents accountable' [image: slider_120427_testing_01] *STATEMENT BY NEW YORK STATE UNITED TEACHERS AS STATE STANDARDIZED TESTING RESUMES* "Teachers want nothing more than to nurture in their students a lifelong love of learning. They are dedicated to fostering in young people the deeper learning and skills needed to be successful. New York's teachers believe th... more »

UPDATE: Official first day of our partnership with Schools Matter – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Official first day of our partnership with Schools Matter – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: RAND Part II: “We’re peer reviewed.” by Timothy D. Slekar Yesterday I posted this blog in response to a RAND “opinion” piece that was published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. This morning while looking at my personal Facebook site I found this from RAND: All of RAND’s published research is peer-reviewed. Following is a selection of peer-reviewed studies concerning accountability in education. http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201000146.html http://www.rand.org/pubs/... more »

UPDATE: Why I’m not voting for Karen Lewis and CORE + Retired teacher to the Tribune: “You persist in cruel, one-note tirades .” | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Retired teacher to the Tribune: “You persist in cruel, one-note tirades against the long-honored state contract with teachers.” | Fred Klonsky: Congresswoman Schakowsky “is not going to talk on the record” about public employee pensions. by Fred Klonsky [image: jan] I have been puzzled of late by the silence of Chicago north side and north suburban Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky on the issue of the state’s public employee pensions, including teacher pensions. Many of these employees live in her congressional district, of course. Democrat Schakowsky has made much of her defense of Soci... more »


LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Nine of the Ten Richest in US Are Attacking Unions by dianerav Leo Casey explains here that there really is “class warfare” in the U.S. today. It is not the 1% that is attacking unions and working Americans. It is the 1% of the 1%. Nine of the ten richest Americans–all billionaires–are united in opposition to rights for working people. They don’t want working people to have an assured pension. They don’t want teachers to have any job security. They want to roll ba... more »

Ed Notes Online: Josmar Trujillo: Why My Son is Not Taking the State Tests

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Josmar Trujillo: Why My Son is Not Taking the State Tests: Josmar Trujillo: Why My Son is Not Taking the State Tests by ed notes online One of the strongest motivating factors for our decision was how politicized and pressurized the environment around testing has become.... Josmar Trujillo I met Josmar, who was co-PTA president a year ago when the DOE wanted to close Peninsula Prep and even though I have a strong position opposing charters, it is still not easy closing down a school. So I wrote a column about the sleazy crew at Tweed and the games they play with... more »


State probes Burbank third grade cheating report | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
State probes Burbank third grade cheating report | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: State probes Burbank third grade cheating report [image: Mercer 15534]*A third grade teacher at McKinley Elementary is on leave after a student reported receiving help with answers on the state's STAR exams.; Credit: Rogers Herr Middle School* Burbank school officials say a third-grade teacher has been put on leave after a student reported a got help with answers on state standardized tests. The Los Angeles Times reported Sunday that Burbank Unified Superintendent Jan Britz announced the investigation at a b... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-21-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP



Short Notes: Pearson Makes Money, Whether You Like It Or Not | The Jose Vilson

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Short Notes: Pearson Makes Money, Whether You Like It Or Not | The Jose Vilson: Short Notes: Pearson Makes Money, Whether You Like It Or Not by Jose Vilson [image: Chris Rock as Rufus in Dogma on Ideas] Chris Rock as Rufus in *Dogma* on Ideas A few notes: - William J. Reese lets the world know that none of this testing business is new. Good read. [New York Times] - Pearson apologized for errors on the gifted and talented test. They get a stern warning, and get to sit in the corner for millions of dollars. (Commentary mine.) [GothamSchools] - I was asked to write w... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ravitch Blogs about WA State PTA and McDonald's Connection

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ravitch Blogs about WA State PTA and McDonald's Connection: Ravitch Blogs about WA State PTA and McDonald's Connection by Melissa Westbrook Over at Diane Ravitch's blog, there was a discussion about the national PTA and links to the Gates Foundation (and maybe that is why the PTA showed Waiting for Superman" at their national convention in 2011.) Turns out that the National PTA received a grant in Feb. 2013 from the GE Foundation to further the PTA efforts for Common Core. Here's what the national PTA president had to say: *"As the largest child... more »

Moving Ahead With Common Core - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Moving Ahead With Common Core - NYTimes.com: Moving Ahead With Common Core By THE EDITORIAL BOARD Published: April 20, 2013 Holy... - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - New York City parents are understandably nervous about tough new state tests that were rolled out last week. And some parents whose children have already taken the tests are outraged. They shouldn’t be: the tests, which measure math and English skills, are an essential part of rigorous education reforms known as Common Core that seek to improve rea... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 4-21-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS




Atlanta school districts put tests on lockdown | www.myajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Atlanta school districts put tests on lockdown | www.myajc.com: Atlanta school districts put tests on lockdownPosted: 12:00 a.m. Sunday, April 21, 2013 BY MARK NIESSE - THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION Atlanta schools’ standardized tests are treated like prison inmates: held in double-locked rooms, protected by a chain of custody and watched by video surveillance. After investigations showing widespread cheating on Atlanta’s annual tests in 2009, school districts across the metro area have strengthened safeguards against tampering with students’ answers. Atlanta students in grades ... more »

Duncan spells out education agenda to Congress

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Duncan spells out education agenda to Congress: Duncan spells out education agenda to Congress Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 21, 2013 at 12:00 pm 0 Comments More Education Secretary Arne Duncan Education Secretary Arne Duncan detailed his upcoming education agenda in testimony last week before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Other Related Agencies. Here’s what he said, according to the Education Department website: Good morning Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee. I’m pleased to be here today to talk with y... more »

Did Parent Revolution Bribe and Blackmail Undocumented Immigrants in California Parent Trigger Fight? | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Did Parent Revolution Bribe and Blackmail Undocumented Immigrants in California Parent Trigger Fight? | Scathing Purple Musings: Did Parent Revolution Bribe and Blackmail Undocumented Immigrants in California Parent Trigger Fight? by Bob Sikes With Florida republican senators obliged to pass Parent Trigger this session to serve Jeb Bush’s political interests, it’s crucial to remind Floridians what those senators have to ignore. With House sponsor Carlos Trujillo affirming that controversial charter school advocacy group Parent Revolution can operate in a Parent Trigger effort i... more »

Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky: Sunday reads. by Fred Klonsky [image: IMG_0291 2] *Photo: Fred Klonsky. Saturday’s all-day Congressional hearing on school closings. Alderman Fioretti testifies before Congressmen Rush and Davis. Historic Quinn Chapel.* *If the Koch brothers bought the Chicago Tribune*, would you notice any difference? They should save their money since they’re getting pretty much what they want from the Trib now for free. *I like the Brooklyn Nets and all.* But as a Bull’s fan I head to turn this disaster off after three quarters. *The Jazzman shows* how John Merrow re... more »

UPDATE: cats, quilts, and healing - an update on Leaves on the Current Daily Kos: Fears of a new generation

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Daily Kos: Fears of a new generation: cats, quilts, and healing - an update on Leaves on the Current by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) As we come to the end of another week free from chemotherapy, we now know the pattern. The beginning of the week was rough - Monday night the last of the chemo cycle, Tuesday and Wednesday morning were difficult. But as the week went on Leaves felt stronger. During the week we got sandwiches from our favorite The Italian Store in Lyon Village. We also stopped by District Taco since one evening she had a craving for their products. Given her healt... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Something Is Very Wrong With Merryl Tisch

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Something Is Very Wrong With Merryl Tisch: Something Is Very Wrong With Merryl Tisch by Duke Am I the only one who finds this sort of behavior borderline sociopathic? Rockville Centre on Long Island had an unusually high number of students who skipped the exam, Superintendent Bill Johnson said. Mr. Johnson said 338 of the district's 1,650 third- through eighth-graders didn't take the test. Mr. Johnson said he thought there were "serious problems" with the test, in large part because teachers are just beginning to learn the approach required under the new benchmark... more »

The basic business principles school reformers ignore

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
The basic business principles school reformers ignore: The basic business principles school reformers ignore Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 21, 2013 at 10:10 am 0 Comments More [image: common core]School reformers have for years taken a business approach to changing schools, meaning that they believe that running public schools like businesses would improve student achievement. It hasn’t worked. Here, Robert D. Shepherdexplains the mistakes the reformers have made in applying business principles. He is a writer and editor who has produced, over a 30-year career, more than 100 te... more »

RNC Common Core Resolution Indicts Jeb Bush and Florida’s Republican Policy-Makers | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
RNC Common Core Resolution Indicts Jeb Bush and Florida’s Republican Policy-Makers | Scathing Purple Musings: RNC Common Core Resolution Indicts Jeb Bush and Florida’s Republican Policy-Makers by Bob Sikes I find every read of the Republican National Committee’s resolution against Common Core State Standards (CCSS) more stunning than the last. Beyond the “on-size-fits-all” criticism are supporting details so condemning that they cannot be walked back now that they’re out. Let’s take a look at a few: WHEREAS, the NGA and the CCSSO, *received tens of millions of dollars from priva... more »

MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-21-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Shocker: The PTA and McDonald’s? by dianerav A report from Melissa Westbrook, parent activist in Washington State: “Here in Washington State, our state PTA is joining with…McDonald’s. We are supposed to believe that because McDonald’s now has apple slices that all their food is good for kids. They are even allowing the McDonald’s Director of Nutrition to speak at the state convention. One other interesting thing is that several of our Seattle schools PTAs are wei... more »

Framing the School Technology Dream | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Framing the School Technology Dream | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Framing the School Technology Dream by larrycuban *I wrote the following commentary for Education Week. It appeared on April 17, 2013. The printed ads appear in a slideshow. See below.* For more than a century, educational technology ads have glistened with hope. Newly invented devices from the typewriter to film projectors, from the overhead projector to instructional television, from the Apple IIe to the iPad, have painted pictures of engaged students who will learn more, faster, and bette... more »

Ed Notes Online: 6 Insulting Things NYSED Keeps Repeating/ Growing the Resistance

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: 6 Insulting Things NYSED Keeps Repeating/ Growing the Resistance: 6 Insulting Things NYSED Keeps Repeating/ Growing the Resistance by ed notes online NYState, John King, Merryl Tisch and their band of merry deformers are taking a beating in the blogging world while the simpering mainstream press remains -- well, simpering. As does the UFT. Here are some of our local guys taking a few shots: NYC Educator: Authentic AssessmentsRBE: John King Takes His "Tour Of Fear" To Suburban Districts Below this great piece by Kris Nielsen @TheChalkFace are some comments from ... more »

WHAT TO DO WITH THE MONKEYS RUNNING LAUSD AND UTLA - Perdaily.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
WHAT TO DO WITH THE MONKEYS RUNNING LAUSD AND UTLA - Perdaily.com: WHAT TO DO WITH THE MONKEYS RUNNING LAUSD AND UTLA by Leonard Isenberg [image: LAUSD Board.jpg] (Mensaje se repite en Español) * * *If you start with a cage containing five monkeys and inside the cage, hang a banana on a string from the top and then you place a set of stairs under the banana, before long a monkey will go to the stairs and climb toward the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, you spray all the other monkeys with cold water. After a while another monkey makes an attempt with same results.. all th... more »

An Open Letter | California Father

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
An Open Letter | California Father: [image: California Father] An Open Letter *by California Father on April 20, 2013 · Leave a Comment* Dear Editors: I am writing in response to your recent article about McKinley Elementary School, where a teacher was recently accused of giving answers to a student while administering the California Standards Test. Our son, a McKinley student, is not in the third grade class where the alleged cheating took place. He did not take the test at all because we decided to opt him out of testing, which is a parental right the California Education Co... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Wall Street Journal to Teachers: Stop Standing Up For Yourselves!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Wall Street Journal to Teachers: Stop Standing Up For Yourselves!: Wall Street Journal to Teachers: Stop Standing Up For Yourselves! by Duke How dare Randi Weingarten insist that teachers' money not be used to screw them out of their own jobs! Public pension funds are frantically chasing higher yields to reduce their roughly $3 trillion in unfunded liabilities. But don't tell that to *Randi Weingarten, the teachers union el supremo, who is trying to strong-arm pension trustees not to invest in hedge funds or private-equity funds that support education reform*. Th... more »

GED high school equivalency test to get major overhaul, become more difficult - The Washington Post

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
GED high school equivalency test to get major overhaul, become more difficult - The Washington Post: GED high school equivalency test to get major overhaul, become more difficult by Michael Alison Chandler, Amanda Voisard By Michael Alison Chandler and Amanda Voisard, Saturday, April 20, 5:11 PM Hundreds of thousands of high school dropouts hoping to earn an equivalency diploma will have to pass a more challenging GED test that is being designed to improve the prospects of low-skilled workers in a high-tech economy. The largest overhaul in the exam’s 70-year history follows growi... more »

An open letter to Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan | The Network For Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
An open letter to Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan | The Network For Public Education: [image: The Network For Public Education -] An open letter to Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan by admin Dear Secretary Duncan: Children gleefully line blocks end to end on a rug measuring its area, two girls huddle over a water table experimenting with liquid capacity, and several students use clay making sculptures as well as refining their small motor skills – this is the picture of a preschool where any of us would want to send our children. As an early childhood educator, I was thrille... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-20-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP




Jersey Jazzman: John Merrow Rewrites History

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Jersey Jazzman: John Merrow Rewrites History: John Merrow Rewrites History by Duke John Merrow, education reporter for PBS (and funded, in part, by the Gates Foundation), has done some extraordinary work lately in uncovering the burgeoning cheating scandal in Washington, D.C. Merrow's reporting now calls into question the entire legacy of former Chancellor and current Queen of Reforminess, Michelle Rhee. Ironic, as Merrow is as responsible as anyone for catapulting Rhee into the national spotlight. I can only assume that Merrow is now suffering a small attack of conscience, won... more »

Report from congressional town hall meeting on school closings Parents United for Responsible Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Report from congressional town hall meeting on school closings: Report from congressional town hall meeting on school closings by admin [image: Congressmen Bobby Rush and Danny Davis host school closing forum]Congressmen Bobby Rush and Danny Davis host school closing forum Great hearing today at the historic Quinn Chapel in Chicago. You can read my live tweets from the forum here. Many important points were made, much nauseating rhetoric from CPS staff. My presentation is below, but in addition I had to address the comment of... more »

Detroit police accused of 'kidnapping' homeless people, leaving them outside city limits — RT USA

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Detroit police accused of 'kidnapping' homeless people, leaving them outside city limits — RT USA: Detroit police accused of 'kidnapping' homeless people, leaving them outside city limits Get short URL Published time: April 19, 2013 02:28 Edited time: April 20, 2013 11:16 [image: A homeless man covers himself from the cold while walking down a sidewalk February 24, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. (J.D. Pooley/Getty Images/AFP)] A homeless man covers himself from the cold while walking down a sidewalk February 24, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. (J.D. Pooley/Getty Images/AFP) Share on Tumblr T... more »


Smoking Gun: Further Evidence that Corporations are Taking Over Public Education for Fun and Profit

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
*Smoking Gun: Further Evidence that Corporations are Taking Over Public Education **for Fun and Profit* * * THE MASTER PLAN FOR OBAMA EDUCATION REFORMS by LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH Here it is in one neat package: the Obama reform program, drafted by the Broad Foundation and published in April 2009. Please review the names of those who participated in drafting the plan. Many will be familiar to you. Here you will find the agenda for Race to the Top, which was revealed to the public three months later. These are the people and these are the policies that forged a strong link between No ... more »

Has John White lied to BESE and the State of Louisiana, or is inBloom lying? | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Has John White lied to BESE and the State of Louisiana, or is inBloom lying? | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Has John White lied to BESE and the State of Louisiana, or is inBloom lying? by crazycrawfish Regular readers of this bog may be aware that I am fighting the unlawful sharing of private student data to unsupervised private unaccountable vendors. I’ve even started a petition to support this effort. Friday morning I got some good news, or at least I thought I had. John White seemed to come to his senses and agreed to withdraw the student data he supplied to inBloom. InBloom is a pr... more »


New standardized tests feature plugs for commercial products

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
New standardized tests feature plugs for commercial products: New standardized tests feature plugs for commercial products Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 20, 2013 at 10:53 am 1 Comments More [image: test]Talk about corporate-based school reform. New high-stakes standardized tests aligned with the Common Core State Standards are featuring plugs for commercial products. And the companies didn’t have to pay a penny. Yes, New York state students who this past week took Pearson-designed exams were just treated to plugs for LEGO, Mug Root Beer and more products from at least half a do... more »

Rhee Backpedals on Tests and Why it Matters in Florida | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Rhee Backpedals on Tests and Why it Matters in Florida | Scathing Purple Musings: Rhee Backpedals on Tests and Why it Matters in Florida by Bob Sikes Karin Klein writes this from a stunning interview Michelle Rhee had with editorial board of the *Los Angeles Times*: One of the things we ask of teachers — but just one thing — is to raise those scores. So they have some place in the evaluation. But how much? Easy. Get some good evidence and base the decisions on that, not on guessing. The quality of education is at stake, as well as people’s livelihoods. Much to my surprise, at a... more »

Teachers Don't Suck !: Another One Bites The Dust

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Teachers Don't Suck !: Another One Bites The Dust: Another One Bites The Dust by Walt S, Popout Politicians,"educrats" and cooperations will say and do whatever it takes to privatize public education. If you want to see how "privatization" improves public institutions take a look at "prison privatization"!! More stuff by Walt at: www.wsautter.com

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-20-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Being a Reformer Means Excuses Are OK for You, Not Students by dianerav Here is teacher Arthur Goldstein, at his sardonic best, explaining why reformers never make mistakes and if they do, it is not their fault. Clueless Bill Gates, Redux by dianerav In the year that I have had this blog, I have never posted the same article twice. I posted this one yesterday, and I am posting it again, to draw attention to some curious statements made by Bill Gates in the cou... more »


2nd Banana 4-20-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 


BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA
 

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST