Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-1-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

An Activist Teacher, a Struggling School, and the School Closure Movement: A Story from L.A. - Dana Goldstein

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago

An Activist Teacher, a Struggling School, and the School Closure Movement: A Story from L.A. - Dana Goldstein: An Activist Teacher, a Struggling School, and the School Closure Movement: A Story from L.A. by Dana Goldstein On Monday, half the teachers at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles found out they had been dismissed from their jobs as part of a "reconstitution" process. Among them was Alex Caputo-Pearl, who I first met two years ago when I reported on Crenshaw. Caputo-Pearl was a member of the very first class of Teach for America recruits, in 1990. He has spent two decades... more »

Seeds of the Dogmatic Scholar – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago

Seeds of the Dogmatic Scholar – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Seeds of the Dogmatic Scholar by plthomasedd The think tank as a pseudo-scholarly mechanism to promote free market ideology depends on the dogmatic scholar. All aspects of education in the U.S. have been directly and indirectly impacted by the rise of think tank advocacy and dogmatic scholars, even as departments in flagship state universities such as the school choice advocacy coming out of the University of Arkansas’s Department of Education Reform. While the current education reform movement built on corpor... more »

Modern School: California Democratic Party “Rejects” Corporate Reform Agenda

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago

Modern School: California Democratic Party “Rejects” Corporate Reform Agenda: California Democratic Party “Rejects” Corporate Reform Agenda by Michael Dunn Democrats in the California state legislature approved Resolution 13-04.47 last week—also known as “SUPPORTING CALIFORNIA’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND DISPELLING THE CORPORATE “REFORM” AGENDA.” The resolution, sponsored (and probably written) by the California Teachers Association (CTA), California Federation of Teachers (CFT) and the California Faculty Association (CFA), the three largest unions representing teachers and university pr...more »

Video: How One School Meets the Challenges of Special Needs Inclusion | NEA Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 48 minutes ago

Video: How One School Meets the Challenges of Special Needs Inclusion | NEA Today: Video: How One School Meets the Challenges of Special Needs Inclusion by twalker *By Cindy Long* Navigating high school is tough enough for most American teenagers, but add a wheelchair or a visual impairment or a learning disability to the mix of angst and storming hormones, and finding your place in high school can be downright terrifying. But not at Bainbridge High School in Bainbridge, Georgia. Educators and administrators at Bainbridge agree that everyone benefits when students with disabilities... more »

Fear Factor: Teaching without Training « The Core Knowledge Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 56 minutes ago

Fear Factor: Teaching without Training « The Core Knowledge Blog: Fear Factor: Teaching without Training by Lisa Hansel On Friday, I had the pleasure of listening to Bill Bennett forcefully (and repeatedly) make the case for Core Knowledge and the work of E. D. Hirsch. But the event was bittersweet. Not because of the political differences between Bennett and Hirsch—for me, those only increase the odds that this Hirsch guy is onto something. But because the event was commemorating a *Nation at Risk*, and Bennett’s remarks highlighted the fact that we’ve known how to provide child... more »

May Day 2013: NYC Schedule | OccupyWallSt.org

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

May Day 2013: NYC Schedule | OccupyWallSt.org: May Day 2013: NYC Schedule by OccupyWallSt [image: The 99% Need a Break] Schedule of Events:10:00am - 10:30am: Occu-Evolve Speakout Against Law Day @ NYU 10:30am - 11:00am: Young Workers: March with TWU! @ Bryant Park 11:00am - 2:30pm: Free University @ Copper Union 12:00pm - 2:00pm: Immigrant Worker Justice Tour 12:00pm - 4:00pm: May 1 Coalition Activities @ Union Square 12:00pm - 2:00pm: Occupy to Save the People's Post Office @ Washington Square Park 1:00pm - (?): Anti-Capitalist March @ Tompkins Square 2:30pm - 4:00pm: 99 Pickets Soli... more »

UPDATE: Breaking. Madigan’s nuclear pension bomb passes + pension screwing of Illinois retirees + The in box. “Dear Representative Moylan.” | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

The in box. “Dear Representative Moylan.” | Fred Klonsky: Breaking. Madigan’s nuclear pension bomb passes out of committee on a 9 to 1 vote. by Fred Klonsky 9:45 AM. Construction halted on UNO’s “Madigan High.” Who paid for UNO junkets to Disneyland for “training”? by Fred Klonsky [image: dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls] *Governor “Squeezy” Quinn, UNO’s Juan Rangel, Michael Madigan and “Fast” Eddie Burke at UNO charter groundbreaking in July.* With Speaker Madigan greasing the way, the Illinois state legislature wrote a check for $98 million to Juan Peoria Democratic Party p... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s group stands by anti-gay honoree - Salon.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s group stands by anti-gay honoree - Salon.com: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s group stands by anti-gay honoreeStudentsFirst declines to rescind award to John Ragan, fudges timeline of events and deletes laudatory blog postBY KATIE MCDONOUGH In response to a recent report that Michelle Rhee’s controversial nonprofit StudentsFirst named anti-gay Tennessee state Rep. John Ragan “reformer of the year,” the group is standing by him — responding with dubious claims about his record and scrubbing its website of a blog post hailing him for alway... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-1-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] New York’s Evaluation System: Junk Science at Work! by dianerav Arthur Goldstein is a teacher-blogger who terrifies corporate reformers like State Commissioner John King. That is because Goldstein is a career teacher who knows what he is talking about; also, he writes lucidly and has a dry sense of humor. King, on the other hand, taught for two years in a “no excuses” charter school with a high suspension rate (at the same time that he miraculously earned both ... more »

“College and Career Ready” Contest Begins! – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

“College and Career Ready” Contest Begins! – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: “College and Career Ready” Contest Begins! by Kris Nielsen There it is again! Arne Duncan and John King said it at almost the same time! *“College and career-ready.”* If someone would give me one dollar for every time I hear that phrase come out of some Common Core supporter’s mouth, I could probably leave work an hour early every day. [image: Say it again, John! Again!!] *Say it again, John! Say it AGAIN!!* Arne Duncan, Barack Obama, NY Ed Commish John King, Randi Weingarten, and some lady who jus... more »

Extreme Common Core rhetoric clouds serious debate

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Extreme Common Core rhetoric clouds serious debate: Extreme Common Core rhetoric clouds serious debate Posted by Valerie Strauss on May 1, 2013 at 5:00 am 2 Comments More [image: rhetoric]The Common Core State Standards initiative was started with bipartisan support. But new and often nonsensical criticism from right-wing Republicans is making it seem as if the Core is a partisan issue, and, further, is clouding important and serious-minded criticism about the standards and their implementation. Far right-wing commentators, such as Glenn Beck, are shouting that the Core is essential... more »

The Educated Reporter: School Bullying Prevention Task Force Wants Less Talk, More Action

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: School Bullying Prevention Task Force Wants Less Talk, More Action: School Bullying Prevention Task Force Wants Less Talk, More Action by Emily Richmond When it comes to student bullying, a task force of education researchers wants schools to focus more on addressing the underlying issues contributing to bad behavior and spend less time worrying about how to define it. Spurred by recent school shootings and student suicides, last year the American Educational Research Association decided for the first time to formally address bullying at the K-12 and highe... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: MAY DAY! MAY DAY! -- School closings having a 'domino effect'

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: MAY DAY! MAY DAY! -- School closings having a 'domino effect': MAY DAY! MAY DAY! -- School closings having a 'domino effect' by Mike Klonsky WaldheimAccording to WBEZ reporter *Becky Vevea*, Chicago school closings are "part of much bigger restructuring effort— one that will affect more than 47,000 students and 132 schools." Read this and see if you, or anyone else, can figure out this mess. ****** Hey, it's a beautiful May Day, a great day to visit Waldheim Cemetery and the tomb of the Haymarket martyrs and then head over to Union Park at noon for t... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: What the Missouri Department of Revenue and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Have in Common

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: What the Missouri Department of Revenue and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Have in Common: What the Missouri Department of Revenue and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Have in Common by stlgretchen The Missouri Department of Revenue copied and sent private information on Concealed Carry permit holders to Homeland Security without the knowledge of the permit holder, despite the fact this was against state law. Does this sound a bit like the collection of 61 data points our educational state agency is gathering on stu... more »

Jersey Jazzman: NJDOE Brings Segregation, Attrition, High-Spending to Camden

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: NJDOE Brings Segregation, Attrition, High-Spending to Camden: NJDOE Brings Segregation, Attrition, High-Spending to Camden by Duke NJDOE Commissioner Chris Cerf has made no secret of his wish to bring more charter schools to New Jersey. Less well known is *his desire to bring in national charter management organizations (CMOs) to take over locally-run charters*. This happened before at Paul Robeson Charter in Trenton; now he's bringing a New York CMO into Camden: When Freedom Academy Charter School was put on state probation last year - its charter was in jeopard... more »

No One Defends the Status Quo | InterACT

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

No One Defends the Status Quo | InterACT: No One Defends the Status Quo by David B. Cohen photo by the author [As my friend Bill Ferriter would say, "cranky blogger alert!"] [image: parrot]It’s time to retire the cliché “defend the status quo.” Just. Stop. Now. It’s misleading, insulting, and worst of all… it’s such an overused cliché, which makes for dull writing and dumbed-down debates. We need an intervention to help people who can’t help themselves when it comes to repeating this worn-out phrase. This blog post has been drafted, revised, and held back a number of times. What ... more »

Sequester Cuts Are Dumb, Education Cuts Are Dumber

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Sequester Cuts Are Dumb, Education Cuts Are Dumber: Sequester Cuts Are Dumb, Education Cuts Are Dumber by Jeff Bryant Cuts to government spending like the now-reviled “sequester” are not only “dumb” as my colleague Robert Borosage explained this week. They are literally making us dumber. What’s dumb is to cut money for air traffic controllers and endanger airline passengers and relegate them to long waits for delayed flights. A continuing series Read the full series Tell your member of Congress What’s even dumber is to cut funding to Head Start and other education programs that ens... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 4-30-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE* *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* More trouble for UNO by Mike Klonsky It keeps getting worse and worse for the UNO charter hustlers. Now that *Gov. Quinn* has turned off the $98 million spigot, the construction company and its workers have walked off the job, demanding to be paid. UNO's shiny new charter school has been stalled in mid-stream. According to the Sun-Times: *Patrick Cermak, the president of general contractor Wight & Co. of Darien, cited unspecified past-due payments in a letter * Please, Keep Writing and Teaching [Kick ... more »

Duncan admits flaws in current standardized testing | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Duncan admits flaws in current standardized testing | EdSource Today: Duncan admits flaws in current standardized testing - by Jane Meredith Adams by Jane Meredith Adams SAN FRANCISCO – Secretary of Education Arne Duncan acknowledged serious flaws in the standardized tests that currently drive American schools, telling an audience of education researchers on Tuesday that the tests are an inadequate gauge of student and teacher performance. Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Duncan criticized “high-stakes testing where children’s lives ... more »

Bonds would fund for business investment in schools under Steinberg proposal | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Bonds would fund for business investment in schools under Steinberg proposal | EdSource Today: Bonds would fund for business investment in schools under Steinberg proposal ** April 30th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By Kathryn Baron The leader of the California State Senate says the way to encourage more and stronger bonds between industry and education is through, well, bonds. With California facing a shortage of qualified workers for 21st century jobs, Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg wants to entice businesses to become more involved in job training by asking them t... more »

Teacher Highlights Washington Post Conflict of Interest in Education Arena - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Teacher Highlights Washington Post Conflict of Interest in Education Arena - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Teacher Highlights Washington Post Conflict of Interest in Education Arena by Anthony Cody [image: Kaplan Solutions 2-1.jpg] A teacher who uses the name "chemtchr" has forwarded to me a column she had submitted in October of 2010 to Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews, who indicated he would publish it on his blog. But it never ran. Six months later he wrote her saying "This has become not my story but a business story." He apparently sent it along to a report... more »

Report on how money in best spent to improve learning: MONEY STILL MATTERS by Bonnie Lesley

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Money Matters: MONEY MATTERS[image: Money Matters]INVESTING IN TEXAS CHILDREN AND OUR FUTURE Our Money Matters report aims to show what investing in Texas children can do. In classrooms across the state, schools are failing our children. Our report card on the state's performance shows that student performance is consistently related to the funding of the school they attend. Research confirms the importance of effective teachers, small classes, prekindergarten, interventions, rigorous curriculum, adequate instructional materials and technology. Texas schools educate 10% of our nati... more »

Will Madigan’s pension bomb come to the floor tomorrow, Wednesday? Are the swords drawn? | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Will Madigan’s pension bomb come to the floor tomorrow, Wednesday? Are the swords drawn? | Fred Klonsky: Will Madigan’s pension bomb come to the floor tomorrow, Wednesday? Are the swords drawn? by Fred Klonsky Popout. The *Urgent! Call Now!* emails are piling up in the in boxes. Madigan appears ready to bring his *nuclear option pension bill* to committee and then to the floor of the House. If he has the votes. Senate President Cullerton appears not willing to cooperate. Greg Hinz reports that the each are drawing swords. *Mr. Cullerton’s spokeswoman, Rikeesha Phelon, is out with a s... more »

Promising Whole Child Practices in Arizona — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Promising Whole Child Practices in Arizona — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Ember Conley]Promising Whole Child Practices in Arizona April 30, 2013 by Ember Conley Nestled between the Gila River and Ak-Chin Indian Communities 30 miles south of Phoenix, Ariz., the city of Maricopa had a population of 1,060 in 2000, according to U.S. Census Data. In 2010, the population was 43,482. This exponential growth of more than 4,000 percent created new challenges and opportunities, including transitioning a small one-campus school district into a successful medium-sized dis... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Your Daily Debunk

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Your Daily Debunk: Your Daily Debunk by Duke Just kill me: But there’s one set of facts that trumps all the other data: the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), otherwise known as the nation’s report card. The NAEP, which assesses “a representative sampling” of the nation’s fourth-, eighth- and 12th-graders, has four student achievement levels: “advanced” (for “superior performance”), “proficient” (for “solid academic performance”), “basic” (for “partial mastery”) and “below basic” (for below partial mastery). *We need all students to attain th... more »

Common Core Stakes Moratorium Proposed By Unions As National Standards Face Backlash

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Common Core Stakes Moratorium Proposed By Unions As National Standards Face Backlash: Common Core Stakes Moratorium Proposed By Unions As National Standards Face Backlash by Joy Resmovits Dennis Van Roekel, the president of the National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union, came out in favor of a two-year moratorium on adverse consequences for schools and teachers that have been proposed in connection with the Common Core State Standards in an interview with The Huffington Post Tuesday. "If I had a magic wand, I would make a moratorium for two years," he sa... more »

NYC Educator: What Is Social Justice?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

NYC Educator: What Is Social Justice?: What Is Social Justice? by NYC Educator I think MORE, if it wants to prominently label itself the "Social Justice Caucus," needs to clarify this. Perhaps they already have, and if someone will point out where, I'd be happy to acknowledge it on this page. The name seems to have frightened some people on my pal Chaz's blog, and it's drawn comments suggesting that MORE may take a public position on the Israeli-Palestinian controversy. Personally, I've seen no evidence they have, or will. A problem with that label, in my view, is that it fails to... more »

Diane in the Evening 4-30-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Walton Foundation Gives $8 Million to Rhee’s StudentsFirst by dianerav Indifferent to John Merrow’s investigative reports on the cheating scandal during Michelle Rhee’s tenure as DC Chancellor, the Walton Family Foundation gave her organization $8 million to continue pushing its radical agenda of attacking teachers and promoting privatization of the nation’s public schools. StudentsFirst advocates that test scores should count for 50% of teacher evaluation, although most researchers Don’t You Love the Provide... more »

The deception continues on the parent trigger… | Parents Across America

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

The deception continues on the parent trigger… | Parents Across America: The deception continues on the parent trigger… by pureparents This blog was written last night by PAA founding member Rita Solnet. Today’s news was huge – Rita, PAA and other parents and parent groups in Florida have defeated the parent trigger there. More on that later, But meanwhile, some valuable insight from Rita: Watching the Florida Senate debate the so-called Parent Empowerment bill, is like watching an episode of Truth or Dare. The bill’s sponsor, Senator Kelli Stargel (R)- Lakeland, clumsily danced ... more »

PSAT for 4-30-13, Part 1: Stop shopping at Walmart!!! Parents United for Responsible Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 4-30-13, Part 1: Stop shopping at Walmart!!!: PSAT for 4-30-13, Part 1: Stop shopping at Walmart!!! by admin Why would anyone who cares about public schools shop at Walmart? Really, folks. It’s your money. And when you shop at WalMart, your money goes to support: - *more charter schools:* $3.8 million in Chicago alone including $230,000 for UNO charter schools. - *more school closings:* $500,000 to pay for Chicago’s sham “public engagement” school closing hearings.[image: WalMartFrown] - *more astrotu... more »

It's All About the Leadership — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

It's All About the Leadership — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Kay Wejrowski]It’s All About the Leadership April 30, 2013 by Kay Wejrowski Recently, I dropped off more than one hundred certificates for our principal, Mat McRae, to sign for winners in our high school's March Into Reading challenge. For the contest, students could draw or paint a new cover for their favorite book; create a book out of metal, wood, clay, or the medium of their choice; or create a graphic design that promotes reading. When all the entries were in, we had nearly three hundred project... more »

May Day 2013: LA Schedule | OccupyWallSt.org

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

May Day 2013: LA Schedule | OccupyWallSt.org: May Day 2013: LA Schedule Posted 1 hour ago on April 30, 2013, 1:07 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt Tags: los angeles, may day [image: #MayDay] Schedule of Events:12:00pm: Long Beach Revolutionaries : Back in Actions @ Pershing Square 2:00pm: Occupy LA Meet @ Pershing Square 2:30pm: March to Olympic and Figueroa 3:00pm: Join with Occupy Fights Foreclosures to SHUT DOWN Wells Fargo 4:00pm: Join the SCIC march @ Broadway & Olympic to march for FULL legalization for all! 7:30pm OLA General Assembly @ Pershing Square Neighboring Occupations are also h... more »

UPDATE: Moales, Jr.’s financial empire collapsing? +Funny, I thought you said Malloy’s E and E Protection Comm was on an NU - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Funny, I thought you said Malloy’s Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner was on an NU - Wall Street Conference Call - Wait, What?: Is Bridgeport Board of Education Chairman Kenneth Moales, Jr.’s financial empire collapsing? by jonpelto *“I have the financial means to give my children the best. Why would I not give my children the best? … The best for my sons is at Fairfield Country Day,” said Moales, adding that he has 400 children from his church, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, in the public school because he doesn’t have the means to send them all to private school... more »

FairTest to honor Jonathan Kozol with Deborah W. Meier Hero in Education Award | FairTest

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

FairTest to honor Jonathan Kozol with Deborah W. Meier Hero in Education Award | FairTest: FairTest to honor Jonathan Kozol with Deborah W. Meier Hero in Education Award Submitted by fairtest on March 8, 2013 - 1:36pm - about us - k-12 - news - other - university - whats new *Date and Time:* Thursday May 9, 2013; 6:00 – 8:30 pm *Place:* Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts (please visit http://www.multiculturalartscenter.org for directions) In the passion of the civil rights movement of the1960s, Jonathan Kozol gave up... more »

UPDATE: PSAT for 4-30-13, Part 2: Sign this student’s petition! + School closings “another trauma,” say child mental health professionals Support PURE!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » School closings “another trauma,” say child mental health professionals: PSAT for 4-30-13, Part 2: Sign this student’s petition! by admin [image: psat_logo]He has asked twice, very nicely, and he is right on target: Stop tying teacher evaluation to test scores! He’s Aaron Shafer, a senior at Miami University of Ohio, and his petition says, “Standardized tests are not a sound or fair way to evaluate teachers. The higher the stakes we give these tests, the more we will see test prep and test cheating, which goes against the po... more »

Two more schools join the Seattle MAP test boycott and USDOE study on the MAP test gives it a failing grade | Seattle Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Two more schools join the Seattle MAP test boycott and USDOE study on the MAP test gives it a failing grade | Seattle Education: Two more schools join the Seattle MAP test boycott and USDOE study on the MAP test gives it a failing grade by seattleducation2011 …and the Washington Education Association Assembly has voted to support the boycott. [image: ScrpThMAPCttnwea] Ingraham High School and Thornton Creek Elementary have joined the MAP test boycott which brings the number of schools opting out of the MAP test to seven. 30 teachers at Roosevelt High School have also joined ... more »

UPDATE: RFA: TUPE County Technical Assistance & Leadership Funds (CA Dept of Education)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

RFA: TUPE County Technical Assistance & Leadership Funds (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Winner of the 2013 Grazer Outstanding Achievement in Learning Award SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that the 2013 Grazer Outstanding Achievement in Learning (GOAL) award will be presented to the CHIME Institute's Schwarzenegger Community School, a K-8 public charter school in Woodland Hills. "We have a responsibility to provide all of our students in California with the education, support, and tools necessary...more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, April 30, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: California and other states in white haven't submitted a waiver application responding to federal requirements. The 34 states in blue have waivers; the states in green have applications under review.]*Fensterwald: Advocacy groups urge rejection of NCLB waiver for California districts* Education Headlines *Tuesday, April 30, 2013* New middle school to open in Carmel Valley in 2015In about two years, San Dieguito Union High School District officials plan to have a new middle school in Carmel Valley that will help reduce the... more »

UPDATE: Consumed by Advocacy in the Marketplace of Mendacity – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Consumed by Advocacy in the Marketplace of Mendacity – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Colorado Observer and Sunana Batra (@cold666pack) Censor Comments supportive of Teacher Brian White by Timothy D. Slekar Do you remember Brian White? You know…the teacher from Colorado that decided to fight back against corporate education reform. The teacher who spoke these words at his local school board meeting: Good evening. My name is Brian White. I’m a parent of two young children currently enrolled in Douglas County schools, a taxpayer, involved community [...] The Benefits (and... more »

New national goals set for teaching professionSI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *New national goals set for teaching profession* *By Tom Chorneau* Wednesday, May 01, 2013 A blueprint for improving the teaching profession nationally calls for more emphasis on quality preparation programs, higher standards for entry into the profession and better compensation for both classroom educators and school administrators. Released by the U.S. Department of Education, the report represents collaboration between federal officials and a number of private school organizations including Council of Chief State School Officers, American ... more »

UPDATE: Luetkemeyer Letter Goes To Duncan + Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core to Teach Preschoolers/Kindergartners "Executive Function Skills"

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core to Teach Preschoolers/Kindergartners "Executive Function Skills": Luetkemeyer Letter Goes To Duncan With 34 Signatures by Anngie Congressman Luetkemeyer of Missouri District Three submitted his letter to US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan expressing concern over the U.S. Department of Education’s decision to circumvent Congress with major changes to education and student privacy policies. An excerpt reads: “Since the ESEA’s expiration, the Department of Education has moved forward with education policy reform without Congressional input....more »

Modern School: California, Poorest/Richest State in the Nation

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Modern School: California, Poorest/Richest State in the Nation: California, Poorest/Richest State in the Nation by Michael Dunn California currently has more than 600,000 millionaires and 85 billionaires in the Forbes 400 list, far more than any other state in the nation. At the same time, California is now the poorest state in the nation, with the highest percentage of residents living at or below the poverty level. According to the Census Bureau, 23.5% (8.7 million Californians) are living in poverty. Florida is number 2 at 19.5%. These numbers reflect a revision in how the C... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Postcard from the World's Fair in Pairs -- Circa 1899 A Futuristic Image of Learning "At School in the Year 2000' Image Source via Wikimedia Commons 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. Rebirth of th... more »