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
Parent Trigger Hits “Local Control” Roadblock in Florida Senate | Scathing Purple Musings
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 minutes ago
Parent Trigger Hits “Local Control” Roadblock in Florida Senate | Scathing Purple Musings: Parent Trigger Hits “Local Control” Roadblock in Florida Senate by Bob Sikes From Kathleen McGrory of the *Times/Herald*: As expected, Sen. *Kelli Stargel*‘s parent trigger bill won the support of the Senate appropriations panel Tuesday — and is now headed to the Senate floor. There was, however, one plot twist. At a previous committee stop, Sen. *David Simmons* added language that would give school districts the final say in determining how to improve a struggling school. (That is, they cou... more »
Too Bad For You (and your Child) if You Picked one of these CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 minutes 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 »
Resume Enhancement 101: The President Elsa Nunez story - Wait, What?
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 minutes ago
Resume Enhancement 101: The President Elsa Nunez story - Wait, What?: Resume Enhancement 101: The President Elsa Nunez story by jonpelto When Governor Rell nominated World Wrestling CEO Linda McMahon for a position on the State Board of Education, McMahon claimed that she had a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. Thanks to some investigative work, I learned that the degree was really in French. More recently, Wait, What? readers will recall that an aide to Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch listed himself on a national website that he served as Bridgeport’s Deputy Mayor for Education despite... 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 »
Improving Schools: Principal Leadership — Whole Child Education
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Improving Schools: Principal Leadership — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Sean Slade]Improving Schools: Principal Leadership April 23, 2013 by Sean Slade The role of the prinicpal is many things to many people. Maybe we need a name change? - *Principal*? This adds weight to the role of key decisionmaker. - *Head teacher* or *headmaster*? It certainly echoes the need for the "head" of the school to be an overseer of instruction. - *CEO*? Some would agree, but are our schools mini-businesses? Or rather do we want them to be? Add variations of these t... more »
PSAT for 4-23-13: Support the student PSAE test boycott Parents United for Responsible Education
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 4-23-13: Support the student PSAE test boycott: PSAT for 4-23-13: Support the student PSAE test boycott by admin [image: psat_logo]Tomorrow, CPS high school students organized by Chicago Students Organizing to Save Our Schools and VOYCE will boycott the second day of the state high school exam, the Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE). The first testing day includes the ACT test, which many students need for college applications. The students are asserting their right to make up the second day test during a state-s... 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 »
The Quick and the Ed » Higher Ed Data Central: Tuition Maps
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The Quick and the Ed » Higher Ed Data Central: Tuition Maps: Higher Ed Data Central: Tuition Maps by Andrew Gillen One of the comments on last week’s post asked for a map of tuition. Below are maps of the enrollment-weighted, average tuition by state for (1) all colleges, (2) four-year colleges, and (3) two-year colleges. There is a lot of interesting information buried in these maps, but three things jumped out at me. First, tuition tends to be highest in the Northeast, particularly at the four-year level, and lowest in the non-coastal West. Second, Wyoming is the only state tha... 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 »
The Weekly Update: The Parent Trigger- “It’s a scam”, the charter school waiting list scam in Chicago and elsewhere, the Common Core Standards dumped by the RNC and more | Seattle Education
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The Weekly Update: The Parent Trigger- “It’s a scam”, the charter school waiting list scam in Chicago and elsewhere, the Common Core Standards dumped by the RNC and more | Seattle Education: The Weekly Update: The Parent Trigger- “It’s a scam”, the charter school waiting list scam in Chicago and elsewhere, the Common Core Standards dumped by the RNC and more by seattleducation2011 [image: poster] First piece of news is that I’ve been published. Yes, it’s a teeny tiny chapter in a book with some heavy hitters but still, I have something to brag about now. The book is definitely wo... more »
Conflict Creates Better Education Results? - San Jose Inside
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Conflict Creates Better Education Results? - San Jose Inside: Conflict Creates Better Education Results?Posted by Joseph DiSalvo on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 Comments (0) [image: image] *Diane Ravitch objects to the infusion of outside, “entrepreneurial” dollars in public education, but local results show competition has had a positive effect.* * * * * The fierce battle for our nation’s schoolchildren is entering a new stage of conflict, and the National School Board Association (NSBA) is reforming itself to take up the fight. Diane Ravitich, a nationally renowned author and keynote ... more »
NYC Educator: Who Chooses Our Choices?
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
NYC Educator: Who Chooses Our Choices?: Who Chooses Our Choices? by NYC Educator --> *by special guest blogger Michael Fiorillo* The sadomasochistic ritual known as testing season is upon us, and for some reason that makes me think about Choice and the lack of it. So-called education reformers fervently believe parents should have Choice. By that, they don’t mean parents are members of a community with rights and a voice in the education of their children, but that they are utility-minded consumers in a marketplace, a giant educational supermarket. They’re supposed to be *homo edu... more »
Wrong Lesson From Sandy Hook Shootings
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Wrong Lesson From Sandy Hook Shootings: [image: Education Opportunity Network] News and views for progressive change in education A project of the Institute for America's Future, in partnership with the Opportunity to Learn Campaign JEFF BRYANT, Editor APRIL 23, 2013*SUBSCRIBE* *THIS WEEK:* Feds: Do More To Promote Equity … “Reform” For “Other People’s Children” … New Tests Outpace Lessons … Common Core Standards Attacked By Republicans … Florida Teachers Sue State For Unfair Evaluations TOP STORYWrong Lesson From Sandy Hook ShootingsBy Jeff Bryant “While federal lawmakers hesitated an...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 »
Sheila Resseger: How Testing Impacts a School for the Deaf - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Sheila Resseger: How Testing Impacts a School for the Deaf - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Sheila Resseger: How Testing Impacts a School for the Deaf by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Sheila Resseger.* I recently participated in the inspiring and informative webinar "How to Organize a Grassroots Group" put on by the Network for Public Education and the Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education. I am a retired teacher of the deaf, having retired from the Rhode Island School for the Deaf in the fall of 2011 profoundly dismayed by the unreasonable sanctions placed on... 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 »
Advice to Rookies | Taking Note
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Advice to Rookies | Taking Note: Advice to Rookies by John Merrow “My child/grandchild/sister/brother is joining Teach for America. What should she/he do?” I’ve been asked that question about a half dozen times every year for the past few years by friends, acquaintances or strangers. So how do I respond? First of all, I do not say, “Don’t smile until Christmas,” because that’s just plain stupid. Smiles are good. Nor do I say “Remember that you are their teacher and not their friend,” because that equally stupid cliché implies the roles are incompatible. You are teachers first, of... more »
A-to-F accountability systems thrive, college-career readiness still problematic SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *A-to-F accountability systems thrive, college-career readiness still problematic* *By Tom Chorneau* Tuesday, April 23, 2013 California is not alone when it comes to wrestling with new accountability indicators as evidenced by the struggles of lawmakers and educators in several other states also undertaking reviews – some drawn in the wake of federal waivers from No Child Left Behind mandates. One popular approach this spring appears to be focused on simplifying the system by grading schools just as their students have been for generations us... more »
2013 National Teacher of Year: Public education not in crisis
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
2013 National Teacher of Year: Public education not in crisis: 2013 National Teacher of Year: Public education not in crisis Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 23, 2013 at 6:00 am [image: jeff]The newly named 2013 National Teacher of the Year, who is visiting with President Obama at the White House on Tuesday with other award-winning teachers, is not a big fan of all of Obama’s education policy initiatives and believes that some reformers are mischaracterizing America’s public schools. Jeff Charbonneau, a high school science teacher from Zillah, Washington, was tapped as the 63rd N... more »
Cooper Union Trustees Vote to Impose $19,000 Tuition |
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Cooper Union Trustees Vote to Impose $19,000 Tuition |: Cooper Union Trustees Vote to Impose $19,000 Tuition by Angus Johnston At a public meeting that began just moments ago, Cooper Union board of trustees chair Mark Epstein announced that the prestigious college, which has been tuition-free for undergraduates for well over a century, will begin charging new students annual tuition of more than $19,000 in the fall of 2014. The tuition charge will replace the college’s longstanding automatic 100% scholarships for all students with a new 50% scholarship. Since the college’s offic... 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 »
UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, April 23, 2013
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Tuesday, April 23, 2013* Students will read more nonfiction, but schools won't ignore classics under new standardsStudents from kindergarten through high school will soon be reading more nonfiction — biographies, speeches, even a government publication on insulation — under new national standards that are changing what and how children learn. School budgets looking betterThree local school districts that risked being unable to pay their long-term expenses — Calaveras Unified School District, Sonora Union... more »
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: *Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Cheating Scandal **+ A Retrospective - Season of the Witch* mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 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 th... more »
Exploring Moral Development in School - Bridging Differences - Education Week
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Exploring Moral Development in School - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Exploring Moral Development in School by Mary-Ellen Phelps Deily *Elliott Witney continues his conversation with Deborah Meier today.* Dear Deb, I wanted to start by saying that I hope everyone you know in the Boston community through your extensive work there is safe and has been able to weather what must have been an emotional storm over the last several days. I can only imagine how challenging last week was for so many people whose lives you've touched directly or indirectly. In addition to this tho... more »
Modern School: We Don’t Need New Standards
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Modern School: We Don’t Need New Standards: We Don’t Need New Standards by Michael Dunn The standard assumption about standards, regardless of politics, is that standards are a necessary and pedagogically important part of education. After all, if we didn’t have standards for each discipline, then teachers could teach whatever they wanted. There would be chaos. There would be no equity. Some kids would get a better education than others. A recent piece in Good Education adds several other supposedly important benefits, such as providing a vision, or a “destination for learning,” a... more »
Grit: Multiple Intelligences and Instructional Technology — Whole Child Education
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Grit: Multiple Intelligences and Instructional Technology — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Whole Child Virtual Conference]Grit: Multiple Intelligences and Instructional Technology April 23, 2013 by Whole Child Virtual Conference [image: Whole Child Virtual Conference - 2013] *ASCD's third annual Whole Child Virtual Conference is a free, online event that provides a forum and tools for schools and districts working toward sustainability and changing school cultures to serve the whole child. Built on the theme, "Moving from Implementation to Sustainability to Cult... more »
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 »
U.S. News Releases 2013 Best High Schools Rankings - US News and World Report
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
U.S. News Releases 2013 Best High Schools Rankings - US News and World Report: U.S. News Releases 2013 Best High Schools RankingsSeveral public schools made significant gains, shaking up the top 10 in this year’s rankings. By KELSEY SHEEHY April 23, 2013 RSS Feed Print [image: A diverse group of high school students work in a computer lab. The Best High Schools rankings factor in academic performance among blank, Hispanic and low-income students.] The Best High Schools rankings factor in academic performance among black, Hispanic and low-income students. The importance of a strong h... 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 »
Florida Republican Senators Giveth Then Taketh Away Local Control in Parent Trigger Bill | Scathing Purple Musings
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Florida Republican Senators Giveth Then Taketh Away Local Control in Parent Trigger Bill | Scathing Purple Musings: Florida Republican Senators Giveth Then Taketh Away Local Control in Parent Trigger Bill by Bob Sikes Mush was celebrated in Sen. David Simmons amendment to Parent Trigger which carved out final say on the final choice to local school boards. It was somehow because Commissioner Tony Bennett suggested in a letter that local boards “shouldn’t be left off the hook.” Governor Rick Scott even mentioned Bennett’s involvement this weekend. All that’s been torpedoed by Sen... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Kenyon College
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Kenyon College: Kenyon College by Mike Klonsky I'm at Kenyon College in Ohio, working with Prof. *Peter Rutkoff's* American Students students and reviewing some student final projects. Super-prof Peter's new novel, "Irish Eyes" just came out. It's set in in 60's N.Y. and tells the story of an Irish family living through those wild and radical times. Be sure and pick up a copy. Even out here in beautiful, wooded Gambier, I still am battered by the news of another 15-year-old Chicago student, Cornelius German, shot dead blocks from President Obama hom... more »
Parent trigger: Who’s for it and who’s against it tells the story
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Parent trigger: Who’s for it and who’s against it tells the story: Parent trigger: Who’s for it and who’s against it tells the story Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 23, 2013 at 5:00 am 1 Comments More [image: parent-trigger1]You can learn pretty much everything you need to know about the controversial “parent trigger” legislation now before the Florida Legislature by looking at who is for it and who is against it. Parent trigger legislation is intended to give parents with children at low-performing schools the legal right to petition the state or district for a change in school ... more »
Daily Kos: Guns and terrorism, a double-barreled standard
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Daily Kos: Guns and terrorism, a double-barreled standard: Photos from Andrew Kitzenberg of early Friday Watertown shootout by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Many saw Kitzenberg on TV during the early morning hours. He has posted and explained the photos he took with his I-Phone as the shootout was occurring on the street just outside the house in which he leaves early Friday morning. If you are interested, you can take a look at Boston Bombing Suspect Shootout Pictures. Guns and terrorism, a double-barreled standard by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) The nation demonstrated again ... more »
UPDATE: Pensions: Hearts and minds. + The in box. Rally for pensions | Fred Klonsky
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
The in box. Rally for pensions at Harper College. | Fred Klonsky: Pensions: Hearts and minds. by Fred Klonsky [image: images] *Public support for the Cullerton pension bill is collapsing.* For many teachers that I talk to, the fight over pension rights can be dispiriting. Readers of this blog who are not teachers can understand that for both active and retired teachers the attempt to take away what was promised on top of what appears to be a general atmosphere of teacher-bashing seems to be a case of piling on. Which brings me to yesterday’s Greg Hinz column in Crain’s. Remember tha... more »
When It Comes To Testing, Kids Get Labeled Failures First | The Jose Vilson
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
When It Comes To Testing, Kids Get Labeled Failures First | The Jose Vilson: When It Comes To Testing, Kids Get Labeled Failures First by Jose Vilson In my new co-blog The Collaborateurs, I wrote a little bit about testing and race. Here’s a bit: What’s sometimes missing from this side of the argument is that the effects for students is *much*worse than for teachers. Obviously, the teaching profession has a long way to go before we have the right working conditions and respect from society to make this profession more … professional. On the other hand, a few of the people who r... more »
Martin Burney and PS 154 in the Bronx.southbronxschool.com
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Martin Burney and PS 154 in the Bronx by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) What was it with that movie, "Sleeping with the Enemy?" Every girl, including my girlfriend at the time, wanted to see that movie. Not the best movie, but definitely creepy, and who can forget Patrick Bergin as Julia Robert's husband Martin Burney? Certainly not the staff of PS 154. Remember Martin? He of the anal retentive, OCD, perfectionist, micro managing, control freak, patronizing, condescending, and smarter (so Martin Burney believed) than everyone else type? One mus... 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 »
NYC Public School Parents: Kari Steeves' letter to the Regents about inBloom
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Kari Steeves' letter to the Regents about inBloom: Kari Steeves' letter to the Regents about inBloom by Leonie Haimson *From:* Kari Steeves *To:* mhtisch@mhtisch.com; RegentCashin@mail.nysed.gov; regentnorwood@mail.nysed.gov; regentcea@mail.nysed.gov; regentyoung@mail.nysed.gov; regentrosa@mail.nysed.gov; regentbendit@mail.nysed.gov; regentjackson@mail.nysed.gov; regenttilles@mail.nysed.gov; regenttallon@mail.nysed.gov; regentphillips@mail.nysed.gov; regentchapey@mail.nysed.gov; regentbottar@mail.nysed.gov; regentdawson@mail.nysed.gov; regentbennett@... 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 »
This Teacher Supports Common Core, Opposes Tests - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
This Teacher Supports Common Core, Opposes Tests - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: This Teacher Supports Common Core, Opposes Tests by Anthony Cody *New York teacher Katie Lapham shared the following letter with me, which she sent today. I believe it reflects the feelings of many educators caught in the middle between Common Core hopes and testing realities.* New York State Board of Regents and Dr. John B. King, Jr., Commissioner of Education and President of the University of the State of New York New York State Education Department 89 Washington Avenue Albany, New ... more »
California National Green Ribbon Award Winners - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
California National Green Ribbon Award Winners - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Congratulates Four California Schools, One District on Being Named National Green Ribbon Award Winners SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson applauded four California schools and a school district for receiving "Green Ribbon" recognition from the U.S. Department of Education today for promoting environmental awareness on campus while preparing students to succeed in the emerging green economy. The 2013 U.S. Green Ribbon winners are:... more »
NYC Educator: Gotham Schools Defends High-Stakes Testing
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
NYC Educator: Gotham Schools Defends High-Stakes Testing: Gotham Schools Defends High-Stakes Testing by NYC Educator Today, Gotham Schools saw fit to run a "principled" defense of standardized testing. As corporations continue to massively profit off of our children, as Pearson makes preposterous, indefensible and humiliating errors, someone at Gotham decided this was a good time to run this piece. First of all, it's interesting to read the writer's claims: *I have no stake in testing itself, beyond that of a taxpayer and an educator privileged to work with teachers and schools. * ... more »
UPDATE: Our children’s data is up for sale + No Amendment Can Fix Parent Trigger | Parents Across America
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
No Amendment Can Fix Parent Trigger | Parents Across America: Our children’s data is up for sale – Literally! by pureparents UPDATE: Because of protests from parents and his State board of education, John White, the state superintendent of Louisiana, just announced he was pulling all the state’s student data out of inBloom. Louisiana was the only state sharing all its confidential student data statewide except for NY with this controversial corporation called inBloom Inc., and the only other state that we know of that had already begun to send them this sensitive data, which in t... more »
