Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 4-29-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

Modern School: Terrorist Teachers Threatened in Mexico

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 38 seconds ago

Modern School: Terrorist Teachers Threatened in Mexico: Terrorist Teachers Threatened in Mexico by Michael Dunn *REALLY "BAD" TEACHERS* The U.S. may have initiated the absurd propagandistic ploy of equating teachers with terrorists back when Bush’s Education Secretary, Reid Lyon, called the National Educators Association a terrorist organization.* *However, the Mexican state has taken it a step further, issuing arrest orders against Minervino Morán and Gonzalo Juárez, leaders of the Guerrero Teachers Union (*Coordinadora Estatal de Trabajadores de la Educación en Guerrero,* CETEG).... more »

Louisiana Educator: Let the People Choose Our Next State Superintendent

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 38 seconds ago

Louisiana Educator: Let the People Choose Our Next State Superintendent: Let the People Choose Our Next State Superintendent by Michael Deshotels I once thought that it made sense to have BESE appoint the State Superintendent. The idea was that BESE could take applications from all over the country and from Louisiana in search of the most qualified candidate. You know, someone who has been properly trained in the field of education and who has devoted many years to his/her craft as a teacher and an administrator. Someone who has dealt first hand with the problems of properly educ... more »

The Principal’s Dilemma as Mock Trial: Ed Law Colleagues Please Provide Your Opinions! | School Finance 101

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 38 seconds ago

The Principal’s Dilemma as Mock Trial: Ed Law Colleagues Please Provide Your Opinions! | School Finance 101: The Principal’s Dilemma as Mock Trial: Ed Law Colleagues Please Provide Your Opinions! by schoolfinance101 The following is a hypothetical case I am using as the culminating activity in Public School Law this semester. *The Dismissal of Principal X* Principal X is principal in a local public middle school in a state that has recently adopted through legislation, articulated with greater precision in state department of education regulations, a new teacher evaluation scheme... more »

Hudson Valley parents to state: Don't share students' data with corporations

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 38 seconds ago

Hudson Valley parents to state: Don't share students' data with corporations: Hudson Valley parents to state: Don't share students' data with corporations Published: April 28, 2013 8:56 AM By MEGHAN E. MURPHY meghan.murphy@cablevision.com [image: Many Hudson Valley parents and educators oppose a]Photo credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr. | Many Hudson Valley parents and educators oppose a New York State Education Department project that they say would give access to student data to private education corporations. (March 27, 2013) Hudson Valley parents and educators are digging in... more »

What we can learn from the rise and fall of Michelle Rhee

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

What we can learn from the rise and fall of Michelle Rhee: What we can learn from the rise and fall of Michelle Rhee by JASON STANFORD on APRIL 17, 2013 At some point, we need to stop believing in miracles, at least in education. While we’re still getting over the RICO indictments handed down in the Atlanta cheating scandal comes the revelation that the success Michelle Rhee achieved as the “no excuses” superintendent of Washington, D.C.’s public schools was the product of massive cheating. Those asking why Rhee isn’t under indictment just like her former colleague in Atlanta are ... more »

Parents United Top 10 questions on the District budget | Parents United for Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Parents United Top 10 questions on the District budget | Parents United for Public Education: Parents United Top 10 questions on the District budget by parentsunitedphila Parents United absolutely supports the District’s request of $60 million from the City, however, we ask City Council to consider the following: - The District must immediate re-do its budget. It is irresponsible for City leaders and city residents to support $60 million in funds when there is no indication of how those funds will be spent. The District chose to zero out essential supports in schools w... more »

Five Questions for Arne Duncan - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Five Questions for Arne Duncan - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Five Questions for Arne Duncan by Anthony Cody On Thursday, May 2nd, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be speaking to a luncheon that is part of theEducation Writers' Association seminar at Stanford University. The event is oversold, so although I am attending the conference, I am not going to be at the luncheon. And since I am only a blogger, rather than a "working reporter," I would not be among those allowed to ask questions of the Secretary of Education in any case. Secretary Duncan will also... more »

Mother Crusader: Why On Earth Does My Daughter Have To Take This Test?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Mother Crusader: Why On Earth Does My Daughter Have To Take This Test?: Why On Earth Does My Daughter Have To Take This Test? by darciecima NJ Opt Out 2013 is underway! Today is day one of NJASK for 7th and 8th grade, and parents across the state are doing what it takes to say NOWAY to the NJASK. Between now and the end of testing season I hope to bring you the stories of opt outers and test refusers across New Jersey. The movement is growing, and each year more parents become engaged in the struggle to take back public education from the private interests that have invaded o... more »

In the belly of the beast. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

In the belly of the beast. | Fred Klonsky: In the belly of the beast. by Fred Klonsky [image: 353375761_belly_of_the_beast_cover_3_answer_9_xlarge]I have already reported that we had our first meeting of the Skokie Chapter of IEA Retired. Although we know that there are over 400 dues-paying members of IEA – R living in the area covered by the Skokie office of IEA, there has been no chapter. It is hard to pin down the reasons for this, but no matter. We have one now. At our first meeting we made plans for Lobby Day on May 15th. There was some discussion about whether we should all go... more »

Day of the Teacher 2013 - California Teachers Association

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Day of the Teacher 2013 - California Teachers Association: *Hover mouse over poster to share.* To download a wallpaper of the California Day of the Teacher poster, select your screen resolution width:1024, 1280, 1600, 1920, 2048. California Teachers: Honoring our past. Guiding the future. On May 8, 2013 we will mark the 31th anniversary of California’s Day of the Teacher. To honor teachers and the 150th anniversary of CTA, we have chosen “*California Teachers: Honoring the Past, Guiding the Future*” as this year’s theme. CTA has been making a positive impact on education for 150 yea... more »

Daily Kos: Monica Ratliff for Los Angeles School Board

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Daily Kos: Monica Ratliff for Los Angeles School Board: Monica Ratliff for Los Angeles School Board by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) *The following is the contents of this blog post by Diane Ravitch, cross-posted here with her permission and encouragement. If you want to stop the corporate takeover of public education, this is a place you can help make a stand* There is a big race in Los Angeles on May 21. It is a run-off that will determine who controls the board. There are two candidates. One–Monica Ratliff–is a working classroom teacher, the other worked on the staff of corpor... more »

Shanker Blog » How Important Is Undergraduate Teaching In Public R1 Universities? How Important Should It Be?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Shanker Blog » How Important Is Undergraduate Teaching In Public R1 Universities? How Important Should It Be?: How Important Is Undergraduate Teaching In Public R1 Universities? How Important Should It Be? by Ian Robinson *Our guest author today is Ian Robinson, Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and in the Residential College’s interdisciplinary Social Theory and Practice program at the University of Michigan.* I ended my previous post by arguing that (1) if teaching is at least as valuable as research, and (2) nontenure-track (NTT) faculty teach at least as well as tenure-... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-29-13 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: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] NYC Mayoral Education Debate, May 2 in Brooklyn by dianerav Want to know where the Democratic primary candidates stand on education? Ask!View this email in your browser *A forum on the future of public education*in NYCwith Democratic primary mayoralcandidatesModerated by*Diane Ravitch* Thursday May 2nd 5:30-7:00 pm PS 29 (425 Henry Street, Brooklyn) What do 800,000+ New Yorkers have in common? We are NYC public school parents. And Parents Ask Questions. Ask You... more »

Dannel’s Spring Break 2013 – The White House Correspondent’s Dinner April, 27 2013 - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Dannel’s Spring Break 2013 – The White House Correspondent’s Dinner April, 27 2013 - Wait, What?: Dannel’s Spring Break 2013 – The White House Correspondent’s Dinner April, 27 2013 by jonpelto *“Malloy’s office issued no press release”* is what the Hartford Courant reported, but our governor flew off to Washington D.C on Friday to join Conan O’Brien, Barbara Streisand, Kevin Spacey and a host of movie stars and media personalities at Saturday night’s White House Correspondent’s Dinner. Or as Justin Bieber puts it in his “hit song” “Party like it is 3012″; *“Show you off, tonight... more »

Fewer, Clearer, Higher – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Fewer, Clearer, Higher – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Fewer, Clearer, Higher APRIL 29, 2013 BY KRIS NIELSEN LEAVE A COMMENT I’m staying up way too late–again–preparing for a lecture series that I will be doing in some communities in eastern New York and Delaware, and I finally gathered all of the ELA standards for Kindergarten. I’m going to paste them here (at the risk of being busted with the fair use policy). As you peruse them, remember the motto that has been thrown around for CCSS: “fewer, clearer, higher.” Focus on the first two words. Oh, by the way, these are f... more »

Serious Problems Remain for Stargel, Trujillo and Rhee on Parent Trigger Petition | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Serious Problems Remain for Stargel, Trujillo and Rhee on Parent Trigger Petition | Scathing Purple Musings: Serious Problems Remain for Stargel, Trujillo and Rhee on Parent Trigger Petition by Bob Sikes As Kelli Stargel take to the Senate floor today to defend her Parent Trigger bill, she will be wondering whether or not it was a good idea to get involved with Michelle Rhee. There were likely to be enough votes and political muscle behind it without having to resort to submitting a fraudulent petition into the debate. But Stargel and House sponsor Carlos Trujillo were getting... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Get Ready For DESE BINGO May 2nd

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Get Ready For DESE BINGO May 2nd: Get Ready For DESE BINGO May 2nd by Anngie *Something a little light hearted for those of you who have been following Common Core for a while and are getting tired of the buzz words.* Here is a BINGO card you can use at the May 2nd meetings hosted by DESE to talk about Common Core. Check off every buzz word or phrase you hear. If you complete a row you are a winner, although there are no real winners with Common Core. Click here for a downloadable pdf of the card. Check back on Friday and let us know which row(s) you... more »

Daily Kos: "the economy is not like an individual family."

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Daily Kos: "the economy is not like an individual family.": "the economy is not like an individual family." by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) As Paul Krugman put it in The Story of Our Time, his Monday *New York Times* column, "may be the most crucial thing to understand" in what he offers in his "refresher" necessary to understand our current economic problems. It is clearly written, very much to the point. It is yet another example of why I wonder when Krugman will get the Pulitzer for commentary he deserves every bit as much as his Nobel Memorial Prize for Economics. He explains... more »

Jersey Jazzman: EXCLUSIVE: Newark Memo Shows Another Cerf Crony Enriched

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: EXCLUSIVE: Newark Memo Shows Another Cerf Crony Enriched: EXCLUSIVE: Newark Memo Shows Another Cerf Crony Enriched by Duke Last week, I blogged about how the state-appointed administration of the Newark Public Schools (NPS) had lost credibility with students, teachers, and even its own "advisory board." Superintendent Cami Anderson, hand picked by Governor Chris Christie and Education Commissioner Cerf, has been taking a lot of knocks over budgeting and a lack of transparency. After this post, I'm afraid things are bound to get worse: *I've just come into possessi... more »

California earns mediocre marks on national study of early childhood education | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

California earns mediocre marks on national study of early childhood education | EdSource Today: California earns mediocre marks on national study of early childhood education - by Lillian Mongeau by Lillian Mongeau [image: girl at water table]Vannesa Carreto, 4, plays at the water table at the Creative Montessori Learning Center in East Palo Alto in March . Credit: Lillian Mongeau, EdSource Today California earned a lackluster rating on state spending, preschool access and program quality for early childhood education for the 2011-12 school year, according to the annual State of ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: What's the no-so-hidden curriculum at Walter Payton College Prep? by Mike Klonsky I know that Payton kids score high on standardized tests. The question is, what are they learning? What's the hidden curriculum? Payton was in the news twice last week. Once for being the school of choice for the rich and powerful within CPS's two-tier system of supposedly public education. The other for its refusal to allow their baseball team to play a game at predominantly-black Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep in Roseland. Don't you love all this *Co... more »

StudentsFirst ‘parent trigger’ petition: Phony signatures?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

StudentsFirst ‘parent trigger’ petition: Phony signatures?: StudentsFirst ‘parent trigger’ petition: Phony signatures? Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 29, 2013 at 6:00 am 1 Comments More [image: petition2]A petition in support of “parent trigger” legislation in Florida spearheaded by StudentsFirst, Michelle Rhee’s education advocacy group, apparently has numerous signatures on it from people who say they didn’t sign it. That’s what the Miami Herald/Times reported in this story after questions were raised about the authenticity of signatures on the petition and reporters sent e-ma... more »

First academic study of controversial LA Unified teacher evaluation program | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

First academic study of controversial LA Unified teacher evaluation program | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: First academic study of controversial LA Unified teacher evaluation program by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez [image: Mercer 6805]*Pilot program using student tests scores to evaluate teacher gets its own good grade in first study.; Credit: Tim Boyle/Getty Images News* An academic study of a teacher evaluation method that looks at how much teachers are able to improve students' test scores gave the pilot program a good grade. But the study comes too late -- the teacher's union and Los Angele... more »

Preschool Funding Reached 'State Of Emergency' In 2012: NIEER Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Preschool Funding Reached 'State Of Emergency' In 2012: NIEER Report: Preschool Funding Reached 'State Of Emergency' In 2012: NIEER Report by Joy Resmovits States are drastically underfunding programs for their youngest learners now more than ever, according to a report released Monday, even as researchers and policymakers increasingly point to pre-school as a ladder to the middle class. Funding per student for state pre-school programs has reached its lowest point in a decade, according to "The State of Preschool 2012," the annual yearbook released by Rutgers University's Nation... more »

Where Is The Middle Ground In The Education Debate

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Where Is The Middle Ground In The Education Debate: Where Is The Middle Ground In The Education Debate By Jeff Bryant | October 13, 2011 By the time that July slips slowly off the calendar, events this month — culminating with an upcoming teacher/parent-organized *march on the nation’s capital* – will have clarified all too well the lay of the land in the debate on the fate of our nation’s public schools. And no, education is not “the new abortion,” as was recently declared in *this article* by Richard Whitmire, author of *The Bee Eater: Michelle Rhee Takes on the Nation’s Worst Sch... more »

The Educated Reporter: State Spending on Preschool Hits 10-Year Low as Policymakers Push for Federal Investment

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: State Spending on Preschool Hits 10-Year Low as Policymakers Push for Federal Investment: State Spending on Preschool Hits 10-Year Low as Policymakers Push for Federal Investment by Emily Richmond Even as President Obama launches a massive push expand preschool opportunities for young children, early childhood education advocates are expressing dismay over a new report that access and funding have hit 10-year lows. The president's plan would expand opportunities for families that don't have the means to pay for private preschool programs but also earn too m... more »

Analysis: Experience in Florida suggests caution with teacher evaluations not a bad idea SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: Analysis: Experience in Florida suggests caution with teacher evaluations not a bad idea *By Tom Chorneau* Monday, April 29, 2013 Last week California lawmakers failed for a second consecutive year to find agreement on a new system for evaluating classroom educators – shooting down in the state Senate what the author called a modest proposal requiring districts to use multiple measurements in performing evaluations at least every three years for veteran personnel. The legislation faced stiff opposition from the state’s powerful teachers u... more »

Moms’ group shakes up status quo on Texas’ testing regimen | www.statesman.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Moms’ group shakes up status quo on Texas’ testing regimen | www.statesman.com: Moms’ group shakes up status quo on Texas’ testing regimen - COMMENT(2) - 3 594 9 617 Related View Larger [image: Moms’ group shakes up status quo on Texas’ testing regimen photo] Rodolfo Gonzalez The leaders of Texans Advocating For Meaningful Student Assessments have sparked a statewide parent movement to curtail standardized testing. By Kate Alexander American-Statesman Staff They were dismissed as moms, overprotective and easily manipulated moms. But those women, determined to protect their ch... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle MAP Protest Goes On (and Goes International)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle MAP Protest Goes On (and Goes International): Seattle MAP Protest Goes On (and Goes International) by Melissa Westbrook There is a press conference tomorrow by the Seattle teachers/staff against MAP testing to announce the boycott for the next round of testing is to grow larger. (They will be announcing new schools joining in.) Their message to the district; Don't Renew the MAP Contract. The MAP contract expires this spring and the call is for the Superintendent to decline to renew the contract with NWEA. From the press release: *Garfi... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: In Advance of the Mayoral Forums

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: In Advance of the Mayoral Forums: In Advance of the Mayoral Forums by Melissa Westbrook The King County Democrats had their endorsement interviews this weekend and have put up the questionaires that each candidate filled out. Very illuminating. To note: - Murray, Martin, Harrell, Steinbrueck all say no to charters (and vouchers) - Burgess and McGinn gave "qualified" answers to charters. Here they are: Burgess *I did not support the charter school campaign last year as I viewed that effort as a distraction from some of the larger is... more »

Changing Membership, Changing Electorate | JD2718

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Changing Membership, Changing Electorate | JD2718: Changing Membership, Changing Electorate by jd2718 This is a time series of charts, showing UFT membership and votes by division for the 2004, 2007, 2010, and 2013 elections. I created the charts from the numbers of ballots mailed and the number of ballots returned, which has been part of the reported election results, including this year. Raw numbers, by division, by year, with turnout percentages are included at the bottom of this post. *Members by Division, by year* *[image: UFT Members by Division by Year]* *Voters by Division, b... more »

Gov. Brown Calls for Redistribution of School Funding :: Fox&Hounds

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Gov. Brown Calls for Redistribution of School Funding :: Fox&Hounds: Gov. Brown Calls for Redistribution of School Funding [image: Katy Grimes] By Katy Grimes Calwatchdog.com news reporter Thursday, April 25th, 2013 [image: http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com] Citing a lack of civil rights and social inequities as what is wrong with California public schools, Gov. Jerry Brown vowed Wednesday at a Capitol press conference to give more money to the K-12 school districts that serve poorer students and English-language learners. Brown said state funding needs to balance social equity and ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Failure to Manage

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Failure to Manage: Failure to Manage by Charlie Mas The core mission of Seattle Public Schools is to educate students. The executives and managers in the District who are most directly responsible for the accomplishment of that mission are: - Superintendent, Jose Banda - Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, Michael Tolley - Executive Director of Curriculum and Instructional Support, Shauna Heath - Executive Directors of Schools, Marni Campbell, Carmela Dellino, Kim Whitworth - Principals I don't know about yo... more »

Chicago Student Boycott: Israel and Malcolm set the record straight – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Chicago Student Boycott: Israel and Malcolm set the record straight – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Chicago Student Boycott: Israel and Malcolm set the record straight by Timothy D. Slekar “Hundreds of Chicago students are taking up the mantle in the fight against the role of standardized tests in public school closures as they walked out of a state exam Wednesday. Their message: “We are over-tested, under-resourced and fed up!” Common Dreams. “The only place that students should be during the school day is in the classroom with their teachers getting the education they ...more »

inBloom. Colorado. May 16th. Be Informed. | United Opt Out National

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

inBloom. Colorado. May 16th. Be Informed. | United Opt Out National: inBloom. Colorado. May 16th. Be Informed. by admin Did you know that Jefferson County Public Schools will share confidential and personal student records with a corporation and store them on a data “cloud” without parental consent? Did you know that this corporation, called inBloom, Inc., intends to share the information with vendors to help them develop and market their “learning products?” The data will include children’s name, address, email, test scores, racial, economic and special education status, and may... more »

Peg with Pen: Open the Door. Speak Loudly.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Peg with Pen: Open the Door. Speak Loudly.: Open the Door. Speak Loudly. by Peggy In light of what has happened to teachers this week who have been fired, disciplined and reprimanded by those who wish to silence us - see here, here, and here - this is my response: Teachers are public intellectuals - this includes being involved in politics and advocating for our students - this is part of our job. The mantra of "shut the door and do what is best for your students" is simply not good enough anymore. We must open the door and speak loudly.

“It’s our democracy, stupid.” | Deborah Meier on Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

“It’s our democracy, stupid.” | Deborah Meier on Education: “It’s our democracy, stupid.” by debmeier Friends, The continued existence of democracy, much less an even stronger one, is what is in a crisis. The “school crisis”, along with many others, is a distraction. Just a symptom of the more serious crisis we face. Schools are simply one of our many institutions that are under attack. The very “idea” of democracy is being undermined over and over again–and its not easy for me to see how we can put humpty-dumpty together again. Because it’s democracy that is the real basis for t... more »

NYC Educator: Unity Loyalty

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

NYC Educator: Unity Loyalty: Unity Loyalty by NYC Educator There's a thread on Gotham Schools that's interesting not so much for its content, that Mulgrew won, but rather for its comment thread. Particularly interesting is the Unity fan, one "Les Vegas." Les has strong opinions about MORE. .*..you were running a slate of unqualified candidates, several with radical practices.* This is a theme that comes up whenever anyone has the temerity to oppose the Unity stranglehold on power. They're unqualified and incapable. I remember Unity calling New Action, "No Action" back in the eig... more »

3 Things That Show Strength, Not Weakness | Connected Principals

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

3 Things That Show Strength, Not Weakness | Connected Principals: 3 Things That Show Strength, Not Weakness by George Couros cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by phalinn As a student, I had a specific notion of what a principal should be and in my head they were similar to the “Wizard of Oz”; a person that hid behind the curtain but had all of the knowledge in the world. I would say that when I became a teacher, that notion carried over. They would always have the answer and be the place where the “buck stops”. Working closely with my last couple of principals though, I sa... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Ouch. These Common Core Meetings Didn't Go So Well for School District Officials

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Ouch. These Common Core Meetings Didn't Go So Well for School District Officials: Ouch. These Common Core Meetings Didn't Go So Well for School District Officials by stlgretchen Concerns about the Common Core adoption and implementation keep surfacing about the lack of transparency in the process and the lack of any pilot studies providing research based documentation of CCSS proponent claims. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent by the states who must adhere to the mandates drawn up by the two private trade organizations, the National Gove... more »

Ed Notes Online: 500 Rally at Tweed to Protest Testing Policy Organized by Change the Stakes, Parent Voices and TOFT

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: 500 Rally at Tweed to Protest Testing Policy Organized by Change the Stakes, Parent Voices and TOFT: 500 Rally at Tweed to Protest Testing Policy Organized by Change the Stakes, Parent Voices and TOFT by ed notes online A Young MOREFriday many of us in MORE attended one of the best rallies we've been part of on the steps of Tweed which were packed with parents, teachers and children protesting high stakes tests with many MORE tee-shirts in the crowd. Change the Stakes has emerged out of a committee set up by GEM 2 years ago and has grown into a powerful parent advo... more »

Colorado Student Activists: Join us May 10th | United Opt Out National

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Colorado Student Activists: Join us May 10th | United Opt Out National: Colorado Student Activists: Join us May 10th by admin Post navigation← Previous COLORADO STUDENT ACTIVISTS: JOIN US MAY 10TH Posted on April 28, 2013 April 28th, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WHAT: Students standing up for our education WHEN: May 10th, 2013 from 1:30 – 5:00pm WHERE: West Steps of the Colorado State Capitol On a student retreat in March, student leaders in Colorado decided that more actions needed to take place to fix our public school system. From there, three student leaders went to Washington D.C... more »

Research on Reforms Our mission is to contribute to the improvement of the New Orleans Public Schools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Research on Reforms: Our mission is to contribute to the improvement of the New Orleans Public Schools by conducting research on reforms, and publishing research findings, so that successful reforms can be replicated, and failing practices can be eliminated. Our organization goals and our mission are founded upon the premise that effective education policies and practices: 1. Promote equal access and quality education for all students, 2. Are research-based and data-driven, and 3. Reflect an understanding of how children learn and how schools become effectiv... more »

Wresting the Public’s Rights: Lawsuits Against White, LDOE et al. | deutsch29

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Wresting the Public’s Rights: Lawsuits Against White, LDOE et al. | deutsch29: Wresting the Public’s Rights: Lawsuits Against White, LDOE et al. by deutsch29 Corporate reform thrusts ahead with little regard for what is legal or even decent. Privatizers are just fine with forcing those whose lives they callously damage to spend both money and time in litigation in order to gain what they were legally entitled to in the first place. I’m sure Eli Broad would be proud. He probably offers *Make the “Non-talented” Waste Their Resources on Needless Litigation* as a course at his (We ... more »

UPDATE: The world has lost a giant Daily Kos: Religious indoctrination in the military is now a serious issue

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Daily Kos: Religious indoctrination in the military is now a serious issue: The world has lost a giant - Janos Starker by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) He was 88. Since 1958 he taught at the Jacobs School of Music at the University of Indiana. He was, simply put, one of the greatest cellists to ever live. I offer that evaluation as one who was himself as an adolescent a very serious cellist and as one who had the opportunity to play in an orchestra behind him. perhaps this will give you a sense of his mastery: Popout He was, according to friends who studied at Indiana, an absolutely s... more »

Diane in the Evening 4-28-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Jeff Bryant: Why There Is No Middle Ground by dianerav Earlier today there was a good exchange on the idea of finding common ground. Robert Shepherd explained why it should happen, and Ira Shor said it would not happen in light of the unreasonable attacks on teachers and public schools. As it happens, Jeff Bryant addressed the same issues two years ago.. He commented today: “Why there is not a middle ground in the education debate: Dayne Sherman: Jindal’s War Against the People of Louisiana by dianerav Dayne S... more »

Pre #commoncore kindergarten and #commoncore kindergarten – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Pre #commoncore kindergarten and #commoncore kindergarten – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Pre #commoncore kindergarten and #commoncore kindergarten by Timothy D. Slekar Thanks to Sara Wottwa for the image collections below. You can read about these images on her blog at http://nocommonsenseeducation.blogspot.com/2013/04/kindergarten-comparison.html . Kindergarten (Pre Common Core) [image: CAM00512-1] Common Core Kindergarten [image: Mikey's Kindergarten Experience] It’s never too early to start getting your five-year olds ready for college and careers! Someone has to ... more »

No Rich Child Left Behind - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

No Rich Child Left Behind - NYTimes.com: No Rich Child Left BehindBy SEAN F. REARDON Here’s a fact that may not surprise you: the children of the rich perform better in school, on average, than children from middle-class or poor families. Students growing up in richer families have better grades and higher standardized test scores, on average, than poorer students; they also have higher rates of participation in extracurricular activities and school leadership positions, higher graduation rates and higher rates of college enrollment and completion. Whether you think it deeply unj... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Important! Attorney handling class action lawsuit vs. NYS exams wants to hear from NYS parents

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Important! Attorney handling class action lawsuit vs. NYS exams wants to hear from NYS parents: Important! Attorney handling class action lawsuit vs. NYS exams wants to hear from NYS parents by Leonie Haimson Van White, the attorney handling the class action lawsuit of parents whose child was punished for opting out of the state exams in the Rochester area, is looking for information from New York state parents, to be sent to him at van.white@thelegalbrief.com. More specifically, he would like to hear from parents if their children opted out of thes... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Seattle Schools This Week by Melissa Westbrook *Monday, April 29th* Special meeting of Audit& Finance. One thing on the agenda - potential RIF presentation by HR head, Paul Apostle. Also, if you wish to speak at the School Board meeting on Wednesday, you can start calling/writing at 8 am on Monday. *Tuesday, April 30th* Charter Commission Meeting in Bellevue from 10 am - 5 p.m. at the Bellevue Arts Museum. Agenda. Open to the public (and people do come and go). They will be having an Executive Session first thing unti... more »

Florida approves online-only public university education - Yahoo! News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Florida approves online-only public university education - Yahoo! News: Florida approves online-only public university educationBy Bill Cotterell | Reuters – Sat, Apr 27, 2013 *Con Academy * *Browse Con Academy library of over 3,100 educational videos...* TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - Public university students in Florida next year will be able to start working toward college degrees without actually going to college, under a law Governor Rick Scott signed on Monday in front of educators and business lobbyists. The state-run University of Florida plans to start a series of onlin... more »

Obama’s big second-term education problem

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Obama’s big second-term education problem: Obama’s big second-term education problem Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 28, 2013 at 12:48 pm 0 Comments More [image: President Obama and Arne Duncan (ed.gov)] President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. (ed.gov) President Obama has a big problem in his second term in terms of education policy: his first term. Obama and his education secretary, Arne Duncan, pushed hard in their first term to have a major impact on changing public schools with a larger-than-ever federal role in school policy issues that affected every single cla... more »

Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court To Bribing New York City Department Of Education Employee In Furtherance Of $2.7 Million Fraud Parent Advocates

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Parent Advocates - ParentAdvocates.org: Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court To Bribing New York City Department Of Education Employee In Furtherance Of $2.7 Million Fraud Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NELSON RUIZ pled guilty today to defrauding the New York City Department of Education (“DOE”) out of approximately $2.7 million and to bribing a DOE employee in furtherance of the fraud scheme. RUIZ pled guilty in Manhattan federal court before U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl. Pree... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Teachers Punished When They Question Authority

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Teachers Punished When They Question Authority: Teachers Punished When They Question Authority by Duke One of the friends of this blog is teacher/blogger @rratto; he's reposted and retweeted me more times than I could count, which I very much appreciate. So this is hardly an unbiased opinion on my part; nevertheless, the story he is telling at his blog is shocking and disturbing: It all began Wednesday evening with the following “tweets”; [image: tweet ccss] My initial tweet was an editorial comment based on a Common Core standard (which includes a similar example ... more »

Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky: Sunday reads. by Fred Klonsky [image: 2013_04_27_CM9] *Photo: Chicagoist.com Friday’s Chicago Critical Mass bike ride in support of keeping all Chicago public schools open. * *Did you watch the game?** ‘‘Grueling,’’ *Hinrich said in summing up the Bulls’ Game 4 victory at the United Center.* ‘‘It was just one of those games that everyone is going to be talking about for a while.’’* *One year moratorium* on virtual charters. *Family wealth* is still the greatest predictor of school success. *Life in Rahm’s Chicago.* Alderman’s sister gets a key post in CP... more »

Connecting test scores to teacher evaluations: Why not? | Dangerously Irrelevant

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Connecting test scores to teacher evaluations: Why not? | Dangerously Irrelevant: Connecting test scores to teacher evaluations: Why not? by dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod) Mike Wiser at The Quad-City Times reported today on the controversy here in Iowa around connecting student test scores to teacher evaluations (aka ‘value-added modeling’ or ‘VAM’). Last week I shared the research and prevailing opinion of scholars supporting why this should not be done. In the article, notes that ‘teacher accountability has to be be part of it, or it’s not reform.’ This is consonant w... more »

Short Notes: Disempowerment Is A Cooperative Act | The Jose Vilson

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Short Notes: Disempowerment Is A Cooperative Act | The Jose Vilson: Short Notes: Disempowerment Is A Cooperative Act by Jose Vilson [image: Sabrina Stevens at TEDxNYED, Brooklyn Tech] Sabrina Stevens at TEDxNYED, Brooklyn Tech A few things: - The Atlantic’s John Tierney joins in the chorus of the annoyed in this essay about the Atlanta / Washington DC cheating scandals and its ramifications for education reform. [The Atlantic] - Michael Doyle makes a clear argument for the village raising the child. [BHS Doyle] - Florida’s investigating K-12 Inc. Hate to use the wo... more »

Rhee, Stargel Got Some ‘Splainin’ to do About Those Parent Trigger Petition Signatures | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Rhee, Stargel Got Some ‘Splainin’ to do About Those Parent Trigger Petition Signatures | Scathing Purple Musings: Rhee, Stargel Got Some ‘Splainin’ to do About Those Parent Trigger Petition Signatures by Bob Sikes Yes, they did: 9 No, they didn’t: 9 (Updates as responses arrive) Kathleen McGrory’s story that appeared in the *Miami Herald *on Friday included revelations that two people on the list of Parent Trigger supporters Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst submitted to Lakeland Senator Kelli Stargel never signed the petition. One confirmed that she did. Scathing Purple Musings... more »

Remarks by The President at The White House Correspondents' Association Dinner | The White House

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Remarks by The President at The White House Correspondents' Association Dinner | The White House: Remarks by The President at The White House Correspondents' Association Dinner by The White House Washington Hilton Hotel, Washington, D.C. 10:14 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you, everybody. (Laughter.) How do you like my new entrance music? (Applause.) Rush Limbaugh warned you about this -- second term, baby. (Laughter and applause.) We’re changing things around here a little bit. (Laughter.) Actually, my advisors were a little worried about the new rap ent... more »

Duncan Protest Planned at AERA – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Duncan Protest Planned at AERA – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Duncan Protest Planned at AERA by Jim Horn For the first time since I can remember some members of the American Educational Research Association (AERA)—the largest association of educators and educational researchers in the world—are taking a public stand at AERA’s annual meeting in San Francisco against the corporatization, standardization and privatization of education. [image: reclaimaera-thumbnail]Sadly, the leadership of AERA has invited Arne Duncan, who represents and supports the technocratic, dehumaniz... more »

2nd Banana 4-27-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

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