Big Education Ape: 2nd Banana 5-11-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST

What parents can do during Teacher Appreciation Week May 7-11 « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

What parents can do during Teacher Appreciation Week May 7-11 « Parents Across America: What parents can do during Teacher Appreciation Week May 7-11 by pureparents The SOS March folks are planning nationwide actions during Teacher Appreciation Week (May 7-11) and Teacher Appreciation Day (May 8th). You can upload a flyer with these same suggestions here. Share it around! Please especially note the 12th bullet point… Here’s what they are suggesting: Small cards, well wishes from our students, chocolates or a pencil holder are certainly welcomed by your teachers during Teacher Appr... more »

UPDATE: The problem with Pearson-designed tests + They made him take the test

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

They made him take the test: The problem with Pearson-designed tests that threatens thousands of scores by Valerie Strauss [image: tests]I’ve written about some of the problems with new standardized tests given to students in New York — including mistakes with scoring for gifted and talented programs, concerns about product placement in test questions and badly written questions and possible answers — but here is a piece on a different issue surrounding the exams and the company that designed them, Pearson. This was written by Kathleen Porter-Magee is a Bernard Lee Schwartz Poli... more »

2nd Banana 5-4-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST

The GOP Shift in Education | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

THE GOP SHIFT IN EDUCATION

by Charlotte Williams

In a recent Slate article, Dana Goldstein argues that “Michele Bachmann's growing popularity among the Republican base signals . . . a sea change in the party's education agenda.” I would add the same goes for Rick Perry’s popularity, and for the general abundance of Tea Party affiliated candidates among GOP nomination hopefuls.
Goldstein contrasts the common Republican positions of a decade ago—an era

What Was the Lorax? | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

WHAT WAS THE LORAX?

by obriena

And why was it there?
And why was it lifted and taken somewhere…?
Back in 1971, Dr. Seuss brought us the Lorax, a small orange creature

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-9-13 AM Posts #thankateacher

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

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 »

Mapping billionaires and charter schools | Muckety - See the news

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Mapping billionaires and charter schools | Muckety - See the news: Mapping billionaires and charter schoolsBy Laurie Bennett May 7, 2013 at 11:11am While much of the activism for charter schools occurs at the local and state levels, the money funding the movement is unquestionably national. The map below shows billionaires at the center who have funded school choice efforts. (The map is better viewed in the large version. Here’s a simplified version, that can serve as a starting point.) A typical path for donations is for a wealthy individual, through his company or foundation... more »

Taking Responsibility: Who Signs Off on Learning? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Taking Responsibility: Who Signs Off on Learning? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Taking Responsibility: Who Signs Off on Learning? by Nancy Flanagan In three decades of classroom teaching, I was a participant in hundreds of parent meetings convened because there were concerns about a student's academic performance. These meetings invariably ended by creating an action plan, with everyone present making promises about What Will Happen Next. More often than not, parents and teachers agreed to additional duties: Daily planner checks at home. Weekly written prog... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Are You a Racist? Take the Quiz!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Are You a Racist? Take the Quiz!: Are You a Racist? Take the Quiz! by Duke *Warning: heavy sarcasm ahead. Proceed at your own risk.* In today's complicated world, it's hard to know if you are a racist. For example, you'd be surprised at how many people who actually work with kids in poverty believe that those kids can't learn. Yes, shocking, I know, but rich people have confirmed this, and rich people are so very smart, so... As a public service, I've put together a simple quiz to determine whether or not you are a racist. Get out your #2s! Ready? BEGIN EXAM Pl... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-10-13 #thankateacher #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: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed News Roundup Something to Smile (Ruefully) About

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed News Roundup: Something to Smile (Ruefully) About by Melissa Westbrook Over at Diane Ravitch's blog, she has *more evidence of corporate ed reform crack-up.* I'll just let her tell you: At a panel discussion in New York City, Bridgeport Superintendent Paul Vallas made a startling admission. He said that the efforts to develop a teacher evaluation metric was a huge mess and that no one understands it. He said: “The Bridgeport, Conn. superintendent — who has served stints in Chicago, Philadelphia, and New Orleans and earned a reputation as a turn... more »

Diane Ravitch Joins Group to Monitor Public Schools - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Diane Ravitch Joins Group to Monitor Public Schools - NYTimes.com: Advocacy Group to Monitor Reform Efforts in Public SchoolsBy MOTOKO RICH [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Diane Ravitch, the historian and former assistant education secretary who has become an outspoken critic of those who favor high-stakes testing, tenure reforms and other controversial measures aimed at the public schools, has joined with other education advocates to form a group that will grade and endorse political candidates. The group will be called the Network for Public Education and is... more »

Protesting budget cuts, students march on City Hall | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Protesting budget cuts, students march on City Hall | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Protesting budget cuts, students march on City Hall by thenotebook Popout Two days after hundreds of students from around the city rallied outside School District headquarters protesting budget cuts, hundreds more left school today to march on City Hall. *(Video by NewsWorks)* read more Schools' need for money center of attention in Philadelphia by thenotebook Popout *by Tom MacDonald for NewsWorks* Time is running out on efforts to close the Philadelphia School District's $300 million budge...more »

Thousands prepare for a three-day march against school closings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Chicago Teachers Union | Thousands prepare for a three-day march against school closings: * * *Thousands prepare for a three-day march against school closings as Chicago’s mayor continues his assault on working-class people under the guise of education reform* * * * * *CHICAGO –* As the city braces itself for the largest assault on public education in the country, thousands of parents, students, teachers, clergy, citizens and community leaders are preparing for a “long march” against school closings on May 18, 19 and 20. Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President Karen Lewis said th... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Common Core Testing: Creating New Consumers

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Common Core Testing: Creating New Consumers: Common Core Testing: Creating New Consumers by Melissa Westbrook From the Washington Post's The Answer Sheet, a guest column by an 8th grader, Isaiah Schrader, in New York (he is a gifted student so the essay reads very well). Guess what kids? The new Common Core assessments developed by the mega-uber education group Pearson? Contains brand-names (complete with trademark logos) in test questions. What does Isaiah have to say (bold mine)? *The “busboy” passage in the eighth grade test I took was fi... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-9-13 AM Posts #thankateacher

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

The Campaign for College Opportunity :: Working Hard, Left Behind

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

The Campaign for College Opportunity :: Working Hard, Left Behind: Working Hard, Left BehindEducation as a pathway from poverty to prosperity for working Californians *[image: Working_Hard_Left_Behing_thumbnail.jpg]* Working Hard, Left Behind: Education as a pathway from poverty to prosperity is a new report commissioned by The Campaign for College Opportunity, in partnership with the Women’s Foundation of California and Working Poor Families project. The report details the economic state of California’s low-income adults and finds that low educational attainment is the one common... more »

What happens after the tests are over? – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

What happens after the tests are over? – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: What happens after the tests are over? by Chalk Face, PhD [image: spirit]Apparently, “Spirit Week!” Wait, isn’t learning supposed to be fun ALL YEAR ROUND? I guess not. Can we also think of new things to do in schools on these Spirit Days? I remember them as a teacher and an entire grade level wearing the same color really isn’t all that fun. Maybe I’m being too cynical. But I remember Field Days at the end of the year. Classes had to pick a country. I recall teachers practically running down to the o... more »

UPDATE: Jason Richwine is even too racist for his bosses at the wing-nut Heritage Foundation. But not too racist to support Rahm’s school closings. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Jason Richwine is even too racist for his bosses at the wing-nut Heritage Foundation. But not too racist to support Rahm’s school closings. | Fred Klonsky: Jason Richwine is even too racist for his bosses at the wing-nut Heritage Foundation. But not too racist to support Rahm’s school closings. by Fred Klonsky Popout*Jason Richwine of the Heritage Foundation with Michael Klonsky and Jitu Brown last March.* Jason Richwine? *I know that name.* Oh, right. He was involved in a March televised discussion with my brother and Jitu Brown, Chicago schools and community activist. Representing... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-8-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: 8th Grade Student: Why So Much Advertising on Pearson Tests? by dianerav A student in a gifted program wrote this piercing analysis of the state tests he and his classmates just endured. The tests he took had many brand names and registered trademarks. He realized this is product placement. He wrote: “Non-fictional passages in the test I took included an article about robots, where the brands IBM™, Lego®, FIFA® and Mindstorms™ popped up, each explained with a footnote. I cannot speak for all test takers, but I ... more »

#Edchat: Why & How | My Island View

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

#Edchat: Why & How | My Island View: #Edchat: Why & How by tomwhitby Each Sunday afternoon there are five Topic questions posted on a poll to determine which will be selected as that week’s #Edchat Topic. There are two #Edchat discussions each Tuesday on Twitter, so the top two topics selected by the poll become the topics of the chats. The number two choice goes at noon, Eastern Time, and the number one selection goes at 7 PM, Eastern Time. The larger audience is the 7 PM Chat. If you did not know it before, I am the person responsible for making up the #Edchat Topic questions ... more »

Insights on the Faces of Poverty — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Insights on the Faces of Poverty — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]Insights on the Faces of Poverty May 8, 2013 by Klea Scharberg [image: The Faces of Poverty - ASCD Educational Leadership] With so many families facing hardship now, today's "poor kids" don't fit old stereotypes. And taking such actions as they can to make learning and life better for students facing poverty is now a challenge for all teachers. The May 2013 issue of ASCD's *Educational Leadership* araises awareness of the impact of poverty on children today and what might be done to... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, May 8, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Wednesday, May 8, 2013* School district politicking criticizedThe San Diego Unified School District is bound by law to stop using its website to promote political positions, the county grand jury said in a report on Tuesday. TEMECULA: School district proceeds with teacher layoffsThe Temecula Valley Unified School board authorized the layoff of more than 40 teachers at its meeting Tuesday, May 7. But board members and district administrators said they are hopeful many of the teachers will be brought back as p... more »

UPDATE: Downton Billy + Is the School “Reform” Drought Breaking? – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Is the School “Reform” Drought Breaking? – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Sweet 16: What Matters v. What Should Matter in Teacher Qualities by plthomasedd My colleague and social studies educator, George Lipscomb, is offering a May Experience course addressing “What Makes a Great Teacher.” He started the course today with a Sweet 16 of teacher values so I thought this idea may be a great way to ask people to confront priorities regarding what our current high-stakes test-based accountability [...] Downton Billy by freetoteach Since Bill Gates and other billionaire boys ... more »

What teachers really want | Lily's Blackboard

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

What teachers really want | Lily's Blackboard: What teachers REALLY want by Lily [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] What teachers REALLY want May 8th, 2013 by Lily. Welcome to National Teacher Appreciation Week. I looked under my pillow to see if the Tooth Fairy left me something. Nope. Checked the fireplace to see if Santa had been there? Zip. Maybe a piñata filled with sweet surprises? Nada. Ok. Maybe we didn’t ask. You don’t get what you wish for. You’ve got to let people know what you want. We did that. *We asked teachers all over the country what they wanted,* s... more »

UPDATE: Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-8-13 AM Posts #thankateacher

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-8-13 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] Voucher Decision a Blow to Jindal 2016 Campaign by dianerav Good article in the Washington Post about the major decision by Louisiana’s top court to strike down funding of vouchers with public school dollars. More than 700,000 students in the state, only 8,000 have vouchers. Many vouchers used in schools that resolutely refuse to teach modern science, math, or history. Funny place for Jindal to stake his claim. He is determined to find the money some other way, t... more »

Ed Notes Online: Updated: Jennifer Jennings (formerly Eduwonkette) apologizes to Secretary Duncan over the booing at AERA

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Updated: Jennifer Jennings (formerly Eduwonkette) apologizes to Secretary Duncan over the booing at AERA: Updated: Jennifer Jennings (formerly Eduwonkette) apologizes to Secretary Duncan over the booing at AERA by ed notes online I have heard this before; critiques from the people in power or their apologists saying “why can’t you be more civilized.” In my mind, it is similar to a well-equipped army that invades your country, takes over your institutions, and then argues with the natives that their resistance is not “civilized” enough. ... Leonie Haimson Jennife... more »

Links and Lessons for K-12 Schools and Hospitals (Jeff Bowen) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Links and Lessons for K-12 Schools and Hospitals (Jeff Bowen) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Links and Lessons for K-12 Schools and Hospitals (Jeff Bowen) by larrycuban *Dr. Jeffrey Bowen has served as superintendent of the Yorkshire Pioneer Central School District in western New York, research director for the New York State School Boards Association, and supervisor of on-the-job training in an Air Force hospital. He is a founding member and vice president of the Healthy Community Alliance in Gowanda, New York. * Since 2000, hospital bills have increased... more »

Students march on District headquarters, protesting doomsday budget | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Students march on District headquarters, protesting doomsday budget | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Students march on District headquarters, protesting doomsday budget by thenotebook *by Holly Otterbein for NewsWorks* Philadelphia School District students are furious that they may have to endure even more cuts after they've already lost several nurses, central office staff members and a beloved annual musical at the High School for Creative And Performing Arts. A group of roughly 250 students marched to the District's headquarters at 440 N. Broad St., where they held their ow... more »

Mapping billionaires and charter schools | Muckety - See the news

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-7-13 #thankateacher

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

Our First Endorsement: Monica Ratliff, a Teacher, for Los Angeles School Board | The Network For Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Our First Endorsement: Monica Ratliff, a Teacher, for Los Angeles School Board | The Network For Public Education: Our First Endorsement: Monica Ratliff, a Teacher, for Los Angeles School Board by admin [image: NPEbadge2]The Board of Directors of NPE has voted to endorse Monica Ratliff in her runoff election for Los Angeles school board. The election will happen on May 21st. We asked both Ratliff and her opponent, Antonio Sanchez, to complete a detailed candidate questionnaire. Monica Ratliff’s responses revealed someone who is a working 5th grade teacher, well acquainted with the ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Commission - Meeting Two

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Commission - Meeting Two: Washington State Charter Commission - Meeting Two by Melissa Westbrook The second Charter Commission meeting took place on April 30th at the Bellevue Art Museum where Commission member Larry Wright is the Executive Director. (I'm going to review the meeting in two threads as it was a long meeting.) Here are the two presentations from speakers. One was Robin Lake from CRPE (I missed that) and William Haft of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (a group looking to make some m... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-7-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | #thankateacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: *#thankateacher* Bruce Baker Teaches Civics to Jeanne Allen by dianerav Bruce Baker of Rutgers is one of my favorite education analysts. He is adept at sorting through claims and demanding evidence. In this post, he gives Jeanne Allen a civics lesson. Jeanne Allen founded the Center for Education Reforn twenty years ago to advocate for charters and vouchers, anything but public schools. She was formerly the education personat the Heritage Foundation. The media often call her for quotes, thinking that the center i... more »

Daily Kos: Rain, retirement and reflection

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Daily Kos: Rain, retirement and reflection: Rain, retirement and reflection by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) It has been a moist day in Arlington. The rain, usually gentle began as I exited my stay at Starbucks with my hands full of drink and beverage for my spouse. With nothing fixed on my schedule until 5 PM, I had the flexibility of time available to those of us retired, perhaps not looking too hard for our next employment opportunity. I had perused my normal Tuesday reading, saw nothing on which I felt inclined to comment. Today is the birthday of both Brahms & Tschaikovsk... more »

CORPORATE PARTY Salutes Day of the Teacher and Plans to Sue

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Democrats for Education Reform: [image: Beware of AstroTurf Ed Reformers]*Wall Street Loves National Charter Schools Week (Big Profits)* Day of the Teacher, a year for LawsuitsTeaching profession at a crossroads in California MCT ILLUSTRATION (From OC Register, May 6th, 2013) By Gloria Romero California on May 8 observes the Day of the Teacher. Created 31 years ago at the behest of then-Sen. Joseph Montoya (a Democrat who, a few years later, was convicted of seven felony counts of racketeering, extortion and money laundering) the largely ceremonial event was intended to honor the... more »

UPDATE: Michigan Governor Snyder Supports the Common Core | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Michigan Governor Snyder Supports the Common Core | Truth in American Education: Michigan Governor Snyder Supports the Common Core by Shane Vander Hart Governor Rick Snyder (R-MI) came out in favor of the Common Core State Standards at a town hall meeting with Education Secretary Arne Duncan in Detroit yesterday. AP reports: Some Republicans and conservatives want to remove Michigan schools from the set of national educational standards and testing for K-12 students. But the Republican governor said Monday Common Core is a “good thing” and the state should “stand up for it.” Sny... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Teacher Speaks Out Against Common Core

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Teacher Speaks Out Against Common Core: Teacher Speaks Out Against Common Core by stlgretchen A teacher speaks out against Common Core: *One goal for all is not likely to be an equitable system. We should push back against the Common Core imposition with teacher professional development, socio-culturally responsive curricula, and project-, performance-, and portfolio-based assessments work at the most local level.* Like many teachers right now, I have a Common Core app on my iPad. Reading through the newly refined learning standards for K-12 student... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: [image: NEA Cover Photo for Facebook]NATIONAL TEACHER DAY, MAY 7, 2013 Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. On the Need for Unions and Seniority Best of the Ed Blogs David B. Cohen May 7, 2013 About ... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, May 7, 2013 #thankateacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Tuesday, May 7, 2013* Peer groups coming to two campuses Once the programs take effect at the schools in the coming weeks, students rather than adults will be making disciplinary decisions regarding peers who have committed offenses such as repeatedly cursing in class, being defiant toward teachers or tagging school property. Celebrities join S.F. schools' meditation The event at Burton High School celebrated the sixth year of the district's Quiet Time program, which uses transcendental meditation technique...more »

Mayor Finch and Bridgeport say… But we don’t want to spend our money on education… - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Mayor Finch and Bridgeport say… But we don’t want to spend our money on education… - Wait, What?: Mayor Finch and Bridgeport say… But we don’t want to spend our money on education… by jonpelto [image: Former NBA All-Star and current Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson talks about education and student achievement Saturday, April 7, 2012 during a discussion hosted by Mayor Bill Finch at Jettie S. Tisdale School in Bridgeport, Conn. Johnson initiated many efforts in Sacramento to improve student achievement and came to Connecticut to share his ideas on education reform. Photo: Autumn Dr... more »

Wall Street Loves National Charter Schools Week (Big Profits)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools: *Welcome to National Charter Schools Week* Wall Street ♥ charter schools | Muckety - See the news Wall Street ♥ charter schools | Muckety - See the news: Wall Street ♥ charter schoolsBy Laurie Bennett May 5, 2013 at 9:37am [image: Beware of AstroTurf Ed Reformers] Call them cynical, but the widespread involvement of financial firms in the charter school movement raises suspicion among many public school advocates. The map below illustrates just a few entanglements of big league investors in national school-choice organizations. View l... more »

“I Would Prefer Not To”: A Call for Non-Cooperation – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

“I Would Prefer Not To”: A Call for Non-Cooperation – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: “I Would Prefer Not To”: A Call for Non-Cooperation by plthomasedd Writing about a call for a moratorium on implementing and testing Common Core State Standards (CCSS) from union leadership, Anthony Cody ends his blog post with three questions: What do you think? Should we join Randi Weingarten in pushing for one year’s delay in the harsh consequences attached to Common Core assessments? Will this year put the project on sound footing? These questions about CCSS have been joined by two ... more »

Douglas County, CO, we’re worried about you. – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Douglas County, CO, we’re worried about you. – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Douglas County, CO, we’re worried about you. by Chalk Face, PhD [image: Here, we have a Douglas County student climbing into a large cigarette box.] Here, we have a Douglas County student climbing into a large cigarette box. We have many friends in Colorado. Douglas County, a very conservative part of the state, keeps coming up in terms of propagating the worst corporatized education reforms have to offer. We have a document here from the District that discusses Reinventing American Education base... more »

UPDATE: The in box. + Support our union + IFT on the pension deal. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

IFT on the pension deal. | Fred Klonsky: The in box. The pension deal and collective bargaining. by Fred Klonsky In response to a reader comment that compared the *We Are One* coalition’s deal with Cullerton to Neville Chamberlain and appeasement, former IEA President and pension activist (and friend) responded: I disagree with your analogy TOTALLY! NO!!!!! negotiations does not mean appeasement. I negotiated 15 contracts for my local -I never felt like Chamberlain or an “appeaser”!!! Sitting down and talking, working through differences, compromising is a time honored way to settl... more »

Modern School: Child Urged to Take Exam From Hospital Bed

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Modern School: Child Urged to Take Exam From Hospital Bed: Child Urged to Take Exam From Hospital Bed by Michael Dunn Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons In a recent post I pointed out the absurdity of the California Democratic Party’s criticism of the education reform movement because of its commodification of children. As vulgar and impersonal as it may seem to sensitive, liberal ears, in purely economic and political terms students have always been commodified as a consequence of schools’ function in preparing them for their roles as future workers. While the ed reformers have succee... more »

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day! XOXO Walmart | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day! XOXO Walmart | EduShyster: Happy Teacher Appreciation Day! XOXO Walmart by edushyster2012 Imagine that you are possessed of the surname “Walton” and happen to be sitting on mad coin—say a cool $90 billion. How do you celebrate the occasion that is Teacher Appreciation Day? Do you chip in to give the nation’s teachers a raise, knowing they’ve been hard hit by the recession? Do you send them gift cards to Walmart, the store that hath so enrichethed you? If you are a teacher in Massachusetts, the Waltons have an extra special treat in store for you: a f... more »

Obama, defying political base, declares National Charter Schools Week | Strange Bedfellows — Politics News - seattlepi.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Obama, defying political base, declares National Charter Schools Week | Strange Bedfellows — Politics News - seattlepi.com: Obama, defying political base, declares National Charter Schools Week [image: Beware of AstroTurf Ed Reformers (click picture)] President Obama has proclaimed this as “National Charter Schools Week” in the United States, warmly embracing a cause that is anathema to teachers unions as it is in much of the president’s liberal base in this Washington. The president, in praising charter schools, seemed to note the atrophy of the public school system, particularly ... more »

Department Of Education 'Comes Out' On College Aid For Students Of Gay Parents - Forbes

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Department Of Education 'Comes Out' On College Aid For Students Of Gay Parents - Forbes: Department Of Education 'Comes Out' On College Aid For Students Of Gay Parents Comment Now Follow Comments The US Department of Education “came out” last week with changes to its Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that are clearly aimed at the LGBT community. The changes serve more to Students of Gay Parents Can Now List Both Parent's Incomes on the FAFSA College Aid Application; (Mother 1 and Mother 2 or Father 1 and Father 2) recognize this community than to produce results in... more »

MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-7-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | #thankateacher 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: * #thankateacher* Researcher Says Louisiana DOE Hid Data by dianerav Louisiana deserves out attention because it is an extreme example of the corporate reform agenda at work. As Reuters put it, the “reform” agenda targets the very existence of public education. The radical goal of Governor Bobby Jindal is privatization. Wiping out the teaching profession is a strategy to turn teachers into a compliant workforce, unable to challenge the privatization plan. Testifying before the state senate education committee, a re... more »

Torlakson Notes Contribution of Teachers - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Torlakson Notes Contribution of Teachers - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Notes Contribution of Teachers SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson urged Californians to honor teachers during National Teacher Appreciation Week on May 5-11, National Teacher Appreciation Day on May 7, and California Day of the Teacher on May 8. California's Day of the Teacher theme this year is "California Teachers: Honoring our past. Guiding the future." "I believed it when I started my career as an educator, and I'm even more certain ... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-6-13 #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 5-6-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Egg on Faces of Bobby Jindal and John White by dianerav My, how things change in only one year. Last year, Governot Jindal rushed through his legislation to strip teachers of tenure, base 40% of their evaluation on test scores, make all teachers at-will employees, subject to dismissal with one bad rating, and everything else that Jindal and White could dream up to make it hard on teachers. When challenged in court, the law was declared unconstitutional because it covered too Why Carol Burris Is Disappointed b... more »

Search Delayed for New Memphis Superintendent Until Dirty Work Wrapped Up – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Search Delayed for New Memphis Superintendent Until Dirty Work Wrapped Up – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Search Delayed for New Memphis Superintendent Until Dirty Work Wrapped Up by Jim Horn *Broad Academy Graduates* All the pieces were in place for the installation of Eli Broad’s choice for the new Shelby County/Memphis superintendent when suddenly someone in the office of the search firm, PROACT, called a time out. Over the next few months, there is plenty of dirty work to be done, and no one at PROACT wants their new Broadie tainted by the anti-public and anti-teach... more »

Randi Weingarten to speak at YUC awards ceremony | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Randi Weingarten to speak at YUC awards ceremony | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Randi Weingarten to speak at YUC awards ceremony by Wendy Harris Youth United for Change will hold its 22nd Annual Award Ceremony and reception on Tuesday, May 7. The theme for this year’s event is “Defending Public Education.” American Federation of Teacher’s President Randi Weingarten will be the keynote speaker. Weingarten, a union leader, has advocated for partnerships with parents and students around reforms that improve public school education nationwide. In March, she joined hundreds of... more »

The “Dirty Dozen” Ways Charter Schools Influence Student Enrollment - Jonathan Kantrowitz

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

The “Dirty Dozen” Ways Charter Schools Influence Student Enrollment - Jonathan Kantrowitz: A a moratorium on the stakes associated with Common Core assessments? by Jonathan Kantrowitz American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten has called for a moratorium on the stakes associated with Common Core assessments until the standards are properly implemented and field-tested. Weingarten said a moratorium is necessary on the consequences of high-stakes tests to allow for midcourse corrections, as needed, in aligning the standards, curriculum, teacher training, instruction ... more »

UPDATE: PWCS Inflating Construction Costs? + School Board Report – April 3, 2013 | PWC Education Reform Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

School Board Report – April 3, 2013 | PWC Education Reform Blog: Is PWCS Inflating Construction Costs? by pwceducationreform Loudoun County awarded a bid to build their next high school for $64 million. Stafford County awarded a bid to build their next high school for $59 million. PWCS projects that it will cost $100 million, excluding the pool, to build their next high school. The schools will house approximately the same number of students [...] School Board Report – April 3, 2013 by pwceducationreform School Board Report for April 3, 2013. All members were present. *Consen... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Two Events to Note

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Two Events to Note: Two Events to Note by Melissa Westbrook Both events are on Wednesday, May 15th. One is the *Seattle Foundation's Give Big day*, the one-day online event to prod/inspire people to give to one (or more) of 1400 non-profits. It goes from midnight to midnight. Seattle Foundation then gives "*a pro-rated portion of the matching funds. The amount of the "stretch" depends on the size of the stretch pool and how much is raised over the day."* Last year's total? $7.43M. That's big. If you are going to give, make it go farther. ... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, May 6, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Wall Street ♥ charter schools | Muckety - See the news* Education Headlines *Monday, May 6, 2013* Suspensions drop sharply in Stockton USDThe use of suspensions as a form of discipline is under scrutiny in the state Assembly, and Stockton Unified changed some of its conduct codes in 2011, taking suspensions off the table in many nonviolent situations where a student shows "defiance" to staff. Schools lose $$Tuolumne and Calaveras county schools lost out this spring on more than $1 million in funding for after-school programs. Boa... more »

Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week | NEA Today #thankateacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week | NEA Today: Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week by twalker *By Anita Merina* It’s *Teacher Appreciation Week *and around the country thousands of communities are taking time out to honor local educators and acknowledge the crucial role our nation’s teachers play in making sure every student receives a quality education. NEA Board members took to Capitol Hill last week to ask members of Congress last Thursday to support and co-sponsor Senate Resolution 126 and House Resolution 167 recognizing National Teacher Appreciation Week and Tuesday, M... more »

UPDATE: deal between We Are One and Cullerton? + The “Madigan 62″. Illinois House members who voted to violate the Illinois Constitution. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

The “Madigan 62″. Illinois House members who voted to violate the Illinois Constitution. | Fred Klonsky: Breaking. Word on the deal between We Are One and Cullerton is coming out. by Fred Klonsky What I am hearing: Cullerton’s plan is his “choice” theory. Two options if we want to keep compounded COLA. 1) No healthcare access. Any salary hikes are non-pensionable OR 2) 3-year COLA freeze and a 2% additional pension contribution. The “Madigan 62″. Illinois House members who voted to violate the Illinois Constitution. by Fred Klonsky Here are the names of the “Madigan 62.” House me... more »

Modern School: Zero Tolerance for Science (or Common Sense)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Modern School: Zero Tolerance for Science (or Common Sense): Zero Tolerance for Science (or Common Sense) by Michael Dunn Do an experiment, get arrested. This is what happened to 16-year old Kiera Wilmot, an African American high school student in Florida. Wilmot was arrested on federal charges for possessing a “weapon on school property and discharging a destructive device,” after mixing household chemicals in a water bottle, which ejected the lid and a small amount of smoke. Nobody was hurt and no property (other than her bottle) was damaged. Her former principal, Ron Prichard... more »

ALEC Assembles "Most Wanted List," And Oklahomans Say "ALEC Is Not OK" | PR Watch

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

ALEC Assembles "Most Wanted List," And Oklahomans Say "ALEC Is Not OK" | PR Watch: ALEC Assembles "Most Wanted List," And Oklahomans Say "ALEC Is Not OK" by Brendan Fischer — May 6, 2013 - 7:44am Topics: Corporations, Democracy, Politics Projects: ALEC Exposed [image: Share/Save] Share this [image: ALEC's Most Wanted] *-- By Brendan Fischer and Nick Surgey --* In anticipation of protests at ALEC's recent meeting in Oklahoma City, state legislators were handed a set oftalking points that read "The American Legislative Exchange Council recognizes the first amendment rights of free... more »

Monday on the Whole Child Virtual Conference — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Monday on the Whole Child Virtual Conference — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Whole Child Virtual Conference]Monday on the Whole Child Virtual Conference May 6, 2013 by Whole Child Virtual Conference We invite you to participate in ASCD's third annual Whole Child Virtual Conference. Entitled "Moving from Implementation to Sustainability to Culture," sessions will offer educators around the globe leadership discussions and strategies to support their work to implement and sustain a whole child approach to education. *A Whole Child Approach: Each Individual and Al... more »

UPDATE: David Green’s #TFA commentary @nytimes + End NJ Tax Subsidies for “Monster” Pearson – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

End NJ Tax Subsidies for High Stakes Testing “Monster” Pearson – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Friend David Green’s #TFA commentary @nytimes comes at a good time by Chalk Face, PhD I’m starting to feel as if the TFA brand is getting a tad tarnished. It’s not fooling a lot of people anymore, as is apparent from many of the responses Mr. Greene received. When I spoke at the 92Y last month, I was right after Wendy Kopp. She left immediately after her talk, the prima donna that she apparently must be at this point, Blackberry always going off with the next fundraising call. W... more »

Wall Street ♥ charter schools | Muckety - See the news

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Wall Street ♥ charter schools | Muckety - See the news: Wall Street ♥ charter schoolsBy Laurie Bennett May 5, 2013 at 9:37am [image: Beware of AstroTurf Ed Reformers] Call them cynical, but the widespread involvement of financial firms in the charter school movement raises suspicion among many public school advocates. The map below illustrates just a few entanglements of big league investors in national school-choice organizations. View large map | View static map | Embed this map | License Muckety technology Many hedge funders and financiers contribute to state-level gr... more »

UPDATE: No more AYP + DeKalb marches to own tune: Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

DeKalb marches to own tune: Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: No more AYP. Here comes College & Career Ready Index. By Maureen Downey The state releases scores for schools next week using the new College & Career Ready Performance Index. We had a primer on the index with DOE on Friday. It's a complex and comprehensive system. It will be interesting to see if parents warm to it. The index awards schools a numerical grade on a 100-point scale. So, schools will be graded 75 or 80 or 95. But behind those grades are loads of data. The ind... more »

National Teacher Day, May 7, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

NEA - National Teacher Day: *National Teacher Day, May 7, 2013* What's New? - *Parents:* Show your support for educators by taking our pledge. - *Teachers:* Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week with Carnegie Corporation and our partners. Upload your photo of inspired teaching and you could win $3,500 for your favorite school! - *Congratulations* to the five outstanding teachers who have been selected for induction into the National Teachers Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2013. Help Us Spread the Word! Join our celebration by updating your social m... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-6-13 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] Teachers College to Honor Doyenne of High-Stakes Testing by dianerav Teachers College, Columbia University, will honor Merryl Tisch at its 2013 Convocation. As Chancellor of the New York Board of Regents, Tisch has launched the state’s most demanding regime of high-stakes testing in history. Teachers College specifically congratulates Tisch’s leadership not only in tying test scores to teacher evaluations but in tying test scores to the school of education that... more »

Louisiana Educator: The Course Choice Cancer

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: The Course Choice Cancer: The Course Choice Cancer by Michael Deshotels [image: buy a degree] The campaign is already starting up. There will be millions devoted to marketing alone. Despite the court decision finding Course Choice unconstitutional, Jindal and White have given the green light to for-profit companies to go right ahead with marketing. These are millions that will be taken from Louisiana taxpayers and possibly from the scarce MFP dollars that were once dedicated by the voters and going to our legitimate public schools systems. Jindal and White's s... more »

Did John White lean on LPB to get reporter terminated? Follow the money to Course Choice and Iberville Parish | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Did John White lean on LPB to get reporter terminated? Follow the money to Course Choice and Iberville Parish | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Did John White lean on LPB to get reporter terminated? Follow the money to Course Choice and Iberville Parish by crazycrawfish Reblogged from Louisiana Voice: Blind, unquestioning loyalty has long been a prerequisite for serving in the administration of Gov. Bobby Jindal. Any administrator, of course, expects his appointees to be loyal, and rightfully so. There’s no argument at any level with that basic principle of employment, whether one works f... more »

UPDATE: The problem with Pearson-designed tests + They made him take the test

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Money Spurs Use of New Technologies in Medical Practice: Schools Also? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Money Spurs Use of New Technologies in Medical Practice: Schools Also? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Money Spurs Use of New Technologies in Medical Practice: Schools Also? by larrycuban Physicians have steadily adopted new technologies from the early 19th century stethoscope to the X-ray decades later to late-20th century computer-tomography scans. Such rapid adoption of new technologies has been (and is) common in medicine. What is uncommon is that medical technology spurred by new ways of funding in the past half-century has come to dominate clinical prac... more »

The Educated Reporter: Guest Post: When Are Middle Schoolers Ready for Algebra?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: Guest Post: When Are Middle Schoolers Ready for Algebra?: Guest Post: When Are Middle Schoolers Ready for Algebra? by Emily Richmond *The American Educational Research Association (AERA) held its annual meeting in San Francisco last week, and I asked The Hechinger Report's Jill Barshay-- and author of the new Education By the Numbers blog -- to share a guest post.* * * In a study of middle-school math education in a California school district, standardized test scores and grades were a much better predictor of whether a student would pass eighth-grade algeb... more »

Common core drives revision of English learner assessments too

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: Common core drives revision of English learner assessments too *By Tom Chorneau* Monday, May 06, 2013 The Legislature begins debate in earnest this month on plans for a major revision of the state’s academic student assessment program – the STAR system. But just down the street from the Capitol, officials at the California Department of Education are developing similar plans to upgrade testing of English learners. Just as adoption of the common core standards in 2010 prompted lawmakers to undertake the revision of the Standardized Testing an... more »

Ed Notes Online: Weapons of Mass Destruction: Bloomberg Robs Public Schools to Pay Charters

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Weapons of Mass Destruction: Bloomberg Robs Public Schools to Pay Charters: Weapons of Mass Destruction: Bloomberg Robs Public Schools to Pay Charters by ed notes online While Bloomberg cuts DYCD funds to vital after-school programs, under the radar he is diverting those SAME funds to charter schools. To me this is OUTRAGEOUS and I haven't been able to find any press about it. For the 2012-2013 school year alone, DYCD gave $2.4 million to charter schools. In the 2010-2011 school year, DYCD gave $2.8 million to charter schools... Lorna Feeney The press will ignore... more »

Douglas County School District: Phys Ed Teachers are WORTH less. – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Douglas County School District: Phys Ed Teachers are WORTH less. – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Douglas County School District: Phys Ed Teachers are WORTH less. by Timothy D. Slekar I thought about this post for a few days. After the last little expose on Douglas County super Dr. Fagen’s letter (blog with comments feature turned off), I thought I was ready to move on. I was wrong. I went back to Dr. Fagen’s post and did some “close” reading and I found something more troubling than plethora of reformy claims—unsubstantiated by any peer-reviewed research. I found a pro... more »

We debuted something new At the Chalk Face today – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

We debuted something new At the Chalk Face today – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: ' We debuted something new At the Chalk Face today from @ the chalk face by Chalk Face, PhD [image: ednext_20101_28_openimage]Well, I have to say, it’s pretty amazing. In addition to have agreat chat with teachers Ralph Ratto and Brian White, we debuted the new “Michelle Rhee” button. We’ve used a term in the past, that these education “reforms” are “faith-based.” That is, they’re not based on any evidence, per se, just some pure ideological drive to prove what cannot ever be proven, solutions ... more »

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble's Press Conference on His Marriage

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble's Press Conference on His Marriage: Congressman Kimble's Press Conference on His Marriage by Representative Kimble I won't start in any particular spot. This particular press conference is the hardest thing I have had to do in at least 3 or 4 years. I guess to begin with, I have always had a love affair...actually that's a bad choice of words. I have always loved Yosemite National Park. It's one of nature's last frontiers and I have long looked forward to someday visiting the park. So all those things I said about Yosemite were true, but th... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: 'Blowing up the system' -- Roberts confesses

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: 'Blowing up the system' -- Roberts confesses: 'Blowing up the system' -- Roberts confesses by Mike Klonsky Roy Roberts was told to "blow up and dismantle" Detroit's school system When Michigan'sTea Party Gov. *Rick Snyder* brought in *Roy Roberts *in May, 2011 *,* to replace the *Robert Bobb/ Barbara Byrd-Bennett *school management team in Detroit, he was told to, “blow up the district and dismantle it.” At least that's what the Detroit Free Press reported in an article that has since been revised and no longer includes such comments. Roberts, a ... more »

A Surprise in Court: A School Board, Thought to Be Obsolete, Still Exists - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

A Surprise in Court: A School Board, Thought to Be Obsolete, Still Exists - NYTimes.com: A Surprise in Court: A School Board, Thought to Be Obsolete, Still ExistsBy SAM ROBERTS On Jan. 9, 2003, Jamie Perez was slashed by two fellow students at Evander Childs High School in the Bronx. He recovered, and his mother, Nancy Torres, sued the City of New York for negligence, claiming lax security. [image: New York Board of Education seal]New York Board of Education seal Her lawyer, Richard J. Katz, might ordinarily have filed suit against the Board of Education, except that a year before t... more »

IS UTLA UNWITTINGLY HELPING LAUSD GET RID OF TEACHERS? - Perdaily.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

IS UTLA UNWITTINGLY HELPING LAUSD GET RID OF TEACHERS? - Perdaily.com: IS UTLA UNWITTINGLY HELPING LAUSD GET RID OF TEACHERS? by Leonard Isenberg [image: Twins.jpg] (Mensaje se repite en Español) * * *On April 26, 2013 the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) sent out a letter to all of the hundreds of teachers who are presently "housed" in LAUSD offices, their homes, or who have been put on protracted administrative leave with no pay or benefits in a process that normally goes on for years until the teacher is starved into accepting a nominal settlement to resign. What this... more »

Chicago teachers. Vote CORE May 17th. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Chicago teachers. Vote CORE May 17th. | Fred Klonsky: Chicago teachers. Vote CORE May 17th. by Fred Klonsky [image: 11955_10200463723888573_876107089_n] *http://www.coreteachers.com/*

Diane in the Evening 5-5-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: How Education Generates Profits for the Canny by dianerav A reader sends this comment: While Business fails in Education, Education is certainly good for Business: 1) Quick Turnaround Teachers are funded by Walton, Dell, Gates…. http://www.teachforamerica.org/support-us/donors 2) Corporate-funded CCSS http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/01/idUS157777+01-Feb-2012+BW20120201 3) Backed by corporate-advertising http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FM_G4Y7SX3g Why Business Models Fail in Education by dianerav A comment on...more »

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Seattle Parks Invites You to Weigh In by Melissa Westbrook From the City of Seattle, Seattle Parks & Recreation (note there are specific meetings targeting teens and immigrant populations): Seattle Parks and Recreation invites the community to help plan the future of Seattle’s parks, programs, community centers and other facilities at one of six upcoming public meetings. Parks is starting an important public conversation to ensure we have a great park system for generations to come. The goal is to gather public input to b... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-5-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

UPDATE: SACBEE's Laurel Rosenhall gives Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee a BIG WET KISS | SanLuisObispo.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

The Buzz: Michelle Rhee's StudentsFirst group under fire from liberal blogs | State | SanLuisObispo.com: The Buzz: Michelle Rhee's StudentsFirst group under fire from liberal blogs *Michelle Rhee* frequently says her*StudentsFirst* lobbying group is a bipartisan organization that backs Democrats and Republicans who support her vision for education: charter schools, vouchers and performance pay for teachers. But its left-leaning critics routinely cast it as Republican, out of step with union values many Democrats hold dear. Last month, California Democrats wouldn't let it have a boot... more »

UPDATE: Bragging about our students + RESPECTing the Best Teachers with Larger Classes – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

RESPECTing the Best Teachers with Larger Classes – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: RESPECTing the Best Teachers with Larger Classes by Jim Horn Sara Mosle, a charter corps member from TFA (Class of 1990), has written a propaganda piece in the NYTimes hailing the latest bad idea by corporate reform schoolers: larger classes for the teachers who do best raising test scores. If you were without mind enough to believe Mosle, this revival of an old idea of industrial-size classes spontaneously coalesced from the collective unconscious of individuals otherwise unrelated and oc... more »

Daily Kos: School District Tells Gay Man He Can't Speak At Graduation

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Daily Kos: School District Tells Gay Man He Can't Speak At Graduation: School District Tells Gay Man He Can't Speak At Graduation by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) LITTLE ROCK, AR-- The graduate of a northeast Arkansas School has been uninvited to speak at Sloan-Hendrix High School's graduation this year.Bryant Huddleston feels because he is a gay man that Superintendent Mitch Walton told him he couldn't speak, because two school board members felt there were concerns for the community. That is the lead from this story from the local Fox News station His younger sister is one of t... more »

Special report: Born in hope, Newark charter school now embroiled in controversy | NJ.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Special report: Born in hope, Newark charter school now embroiled in controversy | NJ.com: Special report: Born in hope, Newark charter school now embroiled in controversy by Jessica Calefati/The Star-Ledger [image: bey4.JPG]In this file photo, Fredrica Bey proudly shows onlookers a mansion on 53 Lincoln Park in Newark that her community group, Women in Support of the Million Man March, later purchased and made its headquarters. The building also became the home of Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School, a city school state education officials have been threatening to shut down for m... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-4-13 #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

.In the Name of the Children | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

. . .In the Name of the Children | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: . . .In the Name of the Children by crazycrawfish I’ve been getting regular reports on progress and events taking place in the local and national arena in relation to the illegal student data sharing situation. One of the things that have been revealed recently in other states is that the costs associated with this inBloom project could become astronomical both from a direct annual fee based cost as well as from liability issues that will be created. The State of New York, the only other state as far along as Louisiana in... more »

Amen or not again? Students and teachers leave class for... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Amen or not again? Students and teachers leave class for... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: Amen or not again? Students and teachers leave class for three-hour prayer revival By Maureen Downey Not sure if V for Vendetta has followed us to the new blog, but this is a story that will interest V. And puzzle most of us. On Wednesday, a three-hour prayer revival occurred at Lumpkin County High School, drawing 50 students who left class to attend. According to the news coverage, the event began when one student sought out the weightlifting coach for guidance about questi... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX: IN THE MAILBOX by Mike Klonsky SCHOOL CLOSINGS AND STUDENT'S' MENTAL HEALTH May 3, 2013 Dear Friends, We are writing to people with expertise in child development or mental health (social workers, counselors, psychologists) to ask for help in educating CPS and Chicago leaders about the likely negative impact of school closings on the social and emotional well-being of students affected. As you are no doubt aware, the Chicago Public Schools is planning to close over 54 schools this year. The closings and consolidations will affect ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Norm in The Wave: Opt Out Movement Grows

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Ed Notes Online: Norm in The Wave: Opt Out Movement Grows: Norm in The Wave: Opt Out Movement Grows by ed notes online *School Scope* * * *Opt Out Movement Grows* By Norm Scott Published May 3, 2013 http://www.rockawave.com/news/2013-05-03/Columnists/School_Scope.html [image: Norm blogs at ednotesonline.org] “My child vomited on your high stakes test,” is one of my favorite buttons. With two weeks of testing ending on April 26th, parent grassroots groups “Change the Stakes” and “Time Out from Testing” led a large after school protest of 500 on the steps of the Tweed headquarters...more »

Philadelphia Renovating Apartments to Lure Teachers - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Philadelphia Renovating Apartments to Lure Teachers - NYTimes.com: With an Old Factory, Philadelphia Is Hoping to Draw New Teachers Mark Makela for The New York Times Two buildings in Philadelphia that will contain apartments and offices intended to house mostly teachers and nonprofit educational organizations began their life as the Quaker City Dye Works in 1875. By JON HURDLEPublished: May 4, 2013 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - PHILADELPHIA — A Victorian-era dye factory is taking on a new role to help this ci... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-4-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: High-Stakes Testing of Students in Special Education by dianerav Louise Marr sent this from her book: **********£******* “Every spring, the Philadelphia public school students take the standardized tests, or PSSAs. (Starting in 2013, the district has switched to a different test called the Keystone Exams.) These tests are a huge part of how schools are evaluated and rated. It is from these scores that Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) is determined. There is a big push to prepare the eleventh graders for the tests fr... more »

2nd Banana 5-4-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-4-13 AM Posts

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-4-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Teacher: No One Escapes High-Stakes Testing, Not Even My Child by dianerav This teacher was accustomed to teaching poor minority kids how to pass the tests. She was really good at it. But she was shocked to discover that her own children’s school–in an affluent neighborhood in Brooklyn–had succumbed to the same pressures. Testing, as she realized, had found her and her children. There was no escape. She concluded: “As I reflect on why I was (am?) so shocked that t... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 5-4-13

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* The Madness, unending: FIVE-YEAR-OLD KILLS TWO YEAR-OLD-SISTER WITH RIFLE MARKETED FOR KIDs smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 day ago Kentucky boy, 5, accidentally shoots to death 2-year-old sister By Michael Muskal, LA Times | http://lat.ms/157LCuu May 1, 2013, 9:25 a.m. :: A 2-year-old Kentucky girl was accidentally killed by her 5-year-old brother who fired a rifle he had been given as a gift, officials said Wednesday. Cumberland County Coroner Gary L. White said an... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 5-4-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Education Research Report* * *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Treating preschoolers with ADHD: 90 percent of pediatric specialists not following clinical guidelines Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 48 minutes ago *Some prescribe medication too soon; others not even as a second-line treatment* A recent study by pediatricians from the Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York examined to what extent pediatric physicians adhere to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) clinical guidelines regarding pharmacotherapy in treating young patients with Attention ... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 5-3-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE* *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* *Kent State Survivors Seek New Probe Of 1970 Shootings* [image: Kent_state_massacre] Kent State, 40 years on: the shredding of constitutional liberty still goes on | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago Kent State, 40 years on: the shredding of constitutional liberty still goes on | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk: Kent State, 40 years on: the shredding of constitutional liberty still goes on To this day, military repression permeates the US. But as history has ... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 5-4-13 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF

LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAY

This Week's Education Research Report 5-4-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch

Saturday, May 11, 2013

2nd Banana 5-11-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-9-13 AM Posts #thankateacher

James Baldwin said it best:

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

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-9-13 AM Posts #thankateacher

James Baldwin said it best:

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

James Baldwin said it best:

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

James Baldwin said it best:

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

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA