Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-12-13 AM Posts #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

Backlash of new education standards is rooted in suspicion of federal government : News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago

Backlash of new education standards is rooted in suspicion of federal government : News: Backlash of new education standards is rooted in suspicion of federal government 8 hours ago • By Elisa Crouch ecrouch@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8119 19 Critics question Common Core education standards at St. Louis County meeting People uncertain of new education standards pack Lindbergh meeting room. Read more Mo. Senate wants hearings on new ed. standards JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri Senate has given first-round approval to legislation requiring the state education department to ... more »

A Superintendent Shortage Is Shaking Up America’s Schools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago

A Superintendent Shortage Is Shaking Up America’s Schools: A Superintendent Shortage Is Shaking Up America’s Schools One of the most misunderstood—and important—jobs in our country is in need of qualified candidates. [image: Baltimore Schools, School Superintendents, Superintendents] Earlier this week, Baltimore City Public Schools made headlines when CEO Andres Alonso tearfully announced his retirement at the end of the school year. Alonso’s tenure at the troubled school district is touted as a true success story within national education reform movement circles. Since his appointm... more »

We read the Tribune so you don’t have to. Representative Lou Lang on treating the Illinois Constitution like yesterday’s newspaper. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago

We read the Tribune so you don’t have to. Representative Lou Lang on treating the Illinois Constitution like yesterday’s newspaper. | Fred Klonsky: We read the Tribune so you don’t have to. Representative Lou Lang on treating the Illinois Constitution like yesterday’s newspaper. by Fred Klonsky By Lou Lang May 12, 2013 It’s about time that the Chicago Tribune’s editorial board stop treating the Illinois Constitution like yesterday’s newspaper. For years the editorial page has loudly bellowed for and against Illinois pension proposals and petulantly insulted and denigrated lawmake... more »

Another name for Ezra Klein’s 501c4 list: Rhee’s StudentsFirst

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago

Another name for Ezra Klein’s 501c4 list: Rhee’s StudentsFirst: Another name for Ezra Klein’s 501c4 list: Rhee’s StudentsFirst by Valerie Strauss My colleague Ezra Klein, the founder of theWonkbook blog, just wrote a post about the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of the tea party. It carried this headline: “The IRS was wrong to target the tea party. They should’ve gone after all 501(c)4s.” These nonprofit organizations are tax-exempt, which, as Klein notes, means that they are subsidized by American tax dollars — but, they don’t have to tell the public where they get thei... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-12-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] *LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 5-11-13 * Please Help the Providence Student Union by dianerav I am re-posting this appeal to help a great group of high school youth. For their valiant, smart, witty efforts to save their schools and future generations from the blight of high-stakes testing, I name them to the honor roll as champions of public education. May they grow and flourish! I am a huge fan of the Providence Student Union. I jus... more »

UPDATE: The World’s Greatest Teacher – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

The World’s Greatest Teacher – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: The World’s Greatest Teacher by Kris Nielsen I’m going to take a short break from my activism to honor the world’s best teacher. Seriously! THE best teacher. In. The. World. [image: And it's not this guy] And it’s NOT this guy When I was 18, I went to a huge graduation commencement ceremony at New Mexico State University’s Pan American Arena to watch the graduating class of 1993 (or was is 1992? I’m starting to get old). I sat too far away to make out the faces under the mortar boards, but I do remember seeing ... more »

Daily Kos: A brief weekly update on Leaves on the Current

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Daily Kos: A brief weekly update on Leaves on the Current: A brief weekly update on Leaves on the Current by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) We are coming to the end of the week not on chemo, and it has been a difficult one. She caught a cold, always a problem when one is in the overall chemo cycle, because of the body's reduced immune system. A cold is less worrisome than a fever - in that case we call the oncologist immediately. But it still had its share of problems. By Tuesday evening she could no longer taste anything. Our hope of course was that this would be a temporary ph... more »

Ed Notes Online: Take the Test

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Ed Notes Online: Take the Test: Take the Test by ed notes online Where the people pushing high stakes testing are themselves challenged to "Take the Test." And as this film from the Providence Student Union shows, they don't do all too well. Popout Take The Test from Providence Student Union on Vimeo.

Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education » - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: H.R.1845 Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act of 2013 Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 9 hours ago To authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to promote the education of pregnant and parenting students. Bill Introduced: H.R.1783 School Food Modernization Act Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 9 hours ago To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to issue loan guarantees for purposes of financing improvements to school lunch facilities, training school food service... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Teacher Implores Other Teachers (and Parents) to Oppose Common Core

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Teacher Implores Other Teachers (and Parents) to Oppose Common Core: Teacher Implores Other Teachers (and Parents) to Oppose Common Core by stlgretchen Teachers are becoming increasingly concerned about Common Core. Here's another teacher speaking out against the federal stimulus funded initiative. From *Peg with Pen: The Greatest Fight of Our Lives: * *************************************** The admissions of error, the requests for moratoriums, the recognition that perhaps testing has gone too far, are running like wildfire in the last few weeks. ... more »

A powerful term in U.S. high schools: DBQ - Class Struggle - The Washington Post

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

A powerful term in U.S. high schools: DBQ - Class Struggle - The Washington Post: A powerful term in U.S. high schools: DBQ By Jay Mathews You may not know what a DBQ is. For most of my life, neither did I. But in the high schools of this region and the rest of the country it has become an important and in some ways fearsome term. It haunts the dreams of 400,000 teenagers who will take the Advanced Placement exam in U.S. history Wednesday. It is part of a massive reform of the AP exam system that controls the schedules of most of the nation’s high schools every May. DBQ is an ac... more »

Canada’s Legend-ary TED Talk Lie | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Canada’s Legend-ary TED Talk Lie | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: Canada’s Legend-ary TED Talk Lie by Gary Rubinstein Geoffrey Canada recently did a TED talk entitled ‘Our failing schools. Enough is enough.’ Canada is the president and CEO of The Harlem Children’s Zone and star of ‘Waiting For Superman.’ Popout The premise of Harlem Children’s Zone is a good one. It serves to provide school and complete wrap-around services (health, mental health, nutrition, etc.) to kids from Harlem beginning at birth and supporting them all the way through college. The program, you might imagine, is... more »

Louisiana Educator: Proposed Changes to Discipline and Bullying Laws

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: Proposed Changes to Discipline and Bullying Laws: Proposed Changes to Discipline and Bullying Laws by Michael Deshotels My post of May 7 on this blog included a short discussion of HB 646 (click on the bill number to see the engrossed version of the bill) and my concerns that the bill may possibly water down the discipline law and may adversely affect the learning environment in classrooms. With those concerns in mind, I approached the author of the bill, Patricia Smith of Baton Rouge, to discuss my concerns. *To her great credit she suggested a prompt meeting*... more »

SB-12404 & 3/4 | Reclaim Reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

SB-12404 & 3/4 | Reclaim Reform: SB-12404 & 3/4 by kenpreviti [image: Killers]The passage of Illinois SB-2404 seems somewhat doubtful. The appeasing union chorus is too loud, the fears of future teacher maiming too small, and the public posturing too meek. In Florida public pensions have been whacked by the Tea Party Sociopath Gov. Rick Scott with the full blessing of the uber-corrupt Republican legislature. Present pensions are crippled and awaiting atrophy, and any possibility of a future pension for active teachers is dead. Present teachers have no tenure laws to protect them fr... more »

LAUSD cracks down on teacher misconduct; 100 fired, 200 resign, 300 'housed' - LA Daily News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

LAUSD cracks down on teacher misconduct; 100 fired, 200 resign, 300 'housed' - LA Daily News: LAUSD cracks down on teacher misconduct; 100 fired, 200 resign, 300 'housed' by By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy is opening the files on cases of misconduct against district teachers. (Hans Gutknecht/L.A. Daily News) THE LAUSD MISCONDUCT FILES - LAUSD cracks down on teacher misconduct; 100 fired, 200 resign, 300 'housed' - The LAUSD misconduct files, teacher by teacher: Dr. John Deasy chronicles 15 months of accusations against educators who were t... more »

NYC Public School Parents: More states fall away from inBloom, though NY remains, and all parents should remain vigilant!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: More states fall away from inBloom, though NY remains, and all parents should remain vigilant!: More states fall away from inBloom, though parents should remain vigilant! by Leonie Haimson Yesterday we learned from the twitter feed of the invaluable Reuters investigative reporter Stephanie Simon that "*there are no plans*" for Delaware, Georgia or Kentucky to share their confidential, personally identifiable student data with the Gates-funded corporation called inBloom Inc. Moreover, Bob Swiggum, Chief Information Officer at the Georgia Department of ... more »

John White Explains It All. . . | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

John White Explains It All. . . | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: John White Explains It All. . . *Posted on May 11, 2013* 0 *I decided to have a sit down with John White and ask him a few questions that I’m sure are on everyone’s mind with all the recent scandals swirling around his DOE. Much to my surprise he agreed to my request. Here is my interview and his responses. I have a feeling many of you don’t believe I really interviewed John White, so I included the responses he made in audio form. Apparently WordPress requires 20 dollars to make this kind of magic possible, so I hope you ... more »

Daily Kos: thoughts on merit pay for teachers

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Daily Kos: thoughts on merit pay for teachers: thoughts on merit pay for teachers by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) or this one *which was written as a comment on this thread at Diane Ravitch's blog.*. The presumption of Merit pay for teachers is that the impact of the teacher can in some fashion be immediately measured, usually by utilizing scores on the atrocious tests upon which we rely way too much. I would remind people of the statement by Henry Adam in his autobiography, *The Education of Henry Adams*, A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. ... more »

Lies, Lies and so on…. | Deborah Meier on Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Lies, Lies and so on…. | Deborah Meier on Education: Lies, Lies and so on…. by debmeier I cant get used to it! Skeptic that I am, the lies astound even me. Thank you Christopher Tienken for providing us with the Gerald Bracey info we always counted on! Everyone–get hold of his article in Kappa Delta Pi Record, current April-June issue, “For the Record: Conclusions from PISA and TIMSS Testing.” Aside from his amazing conclusions (if it’s test scores that make a nation great we’ve already won). Plus he has some interesting little facts about Shanghai and HongKing, as well as how nat... more »

Survey Says: Education Is Key to Strong Communities | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Survey Says: Education Is Key to Strong Communities | toteachornototeach: Survey Says: Education Is Key to Strong Communities by aristotlethewise *Survey Says: Education Is Key to Strong Communities* by Kate Markin Coleman Americans handed their communities a grade earlier this year and the results were mixed. Most communities are earning a passing grade, but no one will be putting their report cards on the fridge. The community “report card” comes from the Y Community Snapshot survey, which asked 1,500 Americans from around the country to rate their communities on 33 attributes th... more »

Dim view on Emanuel eduction policy, Tribune poll finds - chicagotribune.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Dim view on Emanuel eduction policy, Tribune poll finds - chicagotribune.com: Dim view on Emanuel education policy, Tribune poll finds - [image: print] - Email - - 1 - 2 - next - | single page Two thirds of Chicagoans disapprove of Mayor Emanuels handling of the Chicago school system. By Bob Secter and Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune reporters 2:52 a.m. CDT, May 11, 2013 Chicago voters hold a dim view of Rahm Emanuel's stewardship of public education after a tumultuous year that featured a teachers strike and the mayor's push to close many...more »

UPDATE: The Feds Are Making a List; inBloom™ Is Checking It Twice | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

The Feds Are Making a List; inBloom™ Is Checking It Twice | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News: The Feds Are Making a List; inBloom™ Is Checking It Twice by Susan Ohanian On April 30, 2013 the Obama administration announced they’d cut the much-maligned application form for the health insurance exchanges from a 21-page application to three pages for individuals and seven pages for families.(This isn’t counting the 61-page instruction manual for applying online.) The devil is in the details. They now use three application forms and multip... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-11-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: SAT Canceled for South Korea, Due to Cheating by dianerav The latest administration of the SAT has been canceled in South Korea, due to allegations of widespread cheating. The nation is known for its “hyper-competitive academic environment.” Test questions that were on the exam scheduled for May 4 were circulating in test prep centers. Staff members at some test prep centers were detained for questioning. Thousands of students were affected. The article says: “Though academic cheating is a world-wide concern... more »

UPDATE: May 13th Hearing for Indiana Governor Mike Pence Signs Common Core Pause Legislation | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Indiana Governor Mike Pence Signs Common Core Pause Legislation | Truth in American Education: May 13th Hearing for Missouri Common Core Pause Bill by Shane Vander Hart [image: missouri-state-capitol] Via American Principles in Action: We would like to encourage residents of Missouri to attend the legislative hearing on Education, in particular bill SB 210 this coming Monday, May 13th from 12:00p – 2:00p in hearing room 6 in the Missouri State Capitol building. This bill is similar to the one that was just signed into law in Indiana today. It would require the Missouri Department ... more »

Peg with Pen: The Greatest Fight of Our Lives

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Peg with Pen: The Greatest Fight of Our Lives: The Greatest Fight of Our Lives by Peggy The admissions of error, the requests for moratoriums, the recognition that perhaps testing has gone too far, are running like wildfire in the last few weeks. We have Randi calling for a moratorium. Bill Gates admitting that maybe testing tied to teacher evaluation is out of control. Arne wants us to recognize testing mistakes as learning opportunities. And they attempt to appease the public by finding testing companies who can do it better. They continue to push messages that keep the pub... more »

Michelle Rhee’s Pattern of Deceptive Marketing | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Michelle Rhee’s Pattern of Deceptive Marketing | Scathing Purple Musings: Michelle Rhee’s Pattern of Deceptive Marketing by Bob Sikes Just day’s after *PBS* reporter John Merrow blew the door off Michelle Rhee’s cover-up of widespread cheatingthat occurred on her DC watch, she looked for a like-minded crowd of education reform partisans for comfort and affirmation. What better place than the republican caucus of the Florida legislature? Reeling from opposition to their test-based accountability regime, charter school fetish and sudden friendly fire on common core, Rhee’s advise w... more »

UPDATE: Corporate Colonizers, Behavioral Sterilization, and Charter Schools: The Final Solution for Urban Public Schools – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Corporate Colonizers, Behavioral Sterilization, and Charter Schools: The Final Solution for Urban Public Schools – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: More Pearson Errors in Another NYC Friday News Dump by Jim Horn Three Friday afternoons ago, Bloomberg testocrats belatedly reported that parents had discovered new examples of Pearson’s shoddy test scoring that affected thousands of kids trying get through the racist and classist tests that the City uses to choose the “gifted.” And yesterday, Chancellor Walcott announced another batch of errors by Pearson. ”Deeply embarras... more »

The Weekly Update: Parent Trigger’s epic fail, parents protest collection of student data, another charter school scam (wow, what a surprise!) and some good news. | Seattle Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

The Weekly Update: Parent Trigger’s epic fail, parents protest collection of student data, another charter school scam (wow, what a surprise!) and some good news. | Seattle Education: The Weekly Update: Parent Trigger’s epic fail, parents protest collection of student data, another charter school scam (wow, what a surprise!) and some good news. by seattleducation2011 First up: *Incomes of the wealthy have increased by 28% and yet 24% of our children live in poverty.* 24% of our children are living in poverty. That’s 1 in 5 children which is 17M+ children who are not adequately ... more »

Fitch Downgrades Sacramento City Unified School District, CA's GOs to 'A+'; Outlook Stable | Fort Mill Times - Fort Mill, SC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Fitch Downgrades Sacramento City Unified School District, CA's GOs to 'A+'; Outlook Stable | Fort Mill Times - Fort Mill, SC: Fitch Downgrades Sacramento City Unified School District, CA's GOs to 'A+'; Outlook Stable NEW YORK -- Fitch Ratings downgrades the following Sacramento City Unified School District, California (the district) ratings: --$313.7 million general obligation bonds (GOs) to 'A+' from 'AA-'; --$33.5 million certificates of participation (COPs) to 'A' from 'A+'. The Rating Outlook is revised to Stable from Negative. SECURITY The GOs are secured by an unlimited ad v... more »

Empathy and Education:: Malnutrition, Poverty, and Intellectual Development

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Empathy and Education:: Malnutrition, Poverty, and Intellectual Development: Malnutrition, Poverty, and Intellectual Development[image: Listen to this article. Powered by Odiogo.com] by: Don Quixote*Fri May 10, 2013 at 18:19:47 PM CDT*Malnutrition, Poverty, and Intellectual Development The times have changed. Poverty is less prominent in the news. President Johnson's Great Society Plan is a thing of the past. The War On Poverty that brought into being the Elementary and Secondary Education Act has long since evolved. In 1994 we Improved America's Schools. In 202, we Left No ... more »

What a REAL Paradigm Shift in Education Would Look Like | Alternet

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

What a REAL Paradigm Shift in Education Would Look Like | Alternet: What a REAL Paradigm Shift in Education Would Look Like Exploring the deep, fundamental flaws at the backbone of our "core curriculum." Photo Credit: Nenov Brothers Photography | Shutterstock.com *February 14, 2013 * | I envy Thomas Paine’s way with language. I’ve been searching for years for words that would have the impact of those he penned in his 1776 pamphlet, “The Crisis.” Admittedly, “These are the times that try men’s souls,” and the words that followed, weren’t a howling success. Only about a third of the... more »

A major school reformer’s ‘Nixon goes to China’ moment

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

A major school reformer’s ‘Nixon goes to China’ moment: A major school reformer’s ‘Nixon goes to China’ moment By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 11, 2013 at 11:33 amE-mail reporter 0 Comments More A discussion on school reform in New York took a surprising turn this week when Paul Vallas, a pioneer of the current era of school reform, said, “We’re losing the communications game because we don’t have a good message to communicate.” That’s something for Vallas, who is now superintendent of the public schools in Bridgeport, Conn., (earning $234,000 a year, according to this article). ... more »

UPDATE: Missouri Education Watchdog: The Federal Government's Fingerprints are All Over the Common Core State Standards

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Federal Government's Fingerprints are All Over the Common Core State Standards: DESE's Facebook Postings, change.org petition and the Use of its Official E-Mail List for Political Purposes by stlgretchen Check out the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Facebook recent postings: Sign the petition to support the Common Core State Standards in Missouri! http://www.change.org/petitions/state-of-missouri-support-the-common-core-state-standards-2 State of Missouri: Support the Common Core State Standards www.change.org We, the undersigned,... more »

Blue Jersey:: Education News Round-Up, 5/11/13

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Blue Jersey:: Education News Round-Up, 5/11/13: Education News Round-Up, 5/11/13 by Jersey Jazzman Sorry about last week folks: I was sequestered in my studio trying to meet a deadline. Let's get back to it:*- A New Voice on NJ Education Policy* A group of education policy scholars, led by Bruce Baker of Rutgers, has put together a new resource for state-wide education policy: the New Jersey Policy Forum. Wonks will want to bookmark this, as I'm sure there will be any number of new briefs challenging the orthodoxies of Christie's education policies, starting with... *- The Many P... more »

UPDATE: Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky: The in box. IEA leadership cheerleaders. Bzzzzzzzzrrtttttttttttttttttfpt!!!!!! by Fred Klonsky [image: clrpic] Fred, Bzzzzzzzzrrtttttttttttttttttfpt!!!!!! Bob Haisman, Ken Swanson, and the whole IEA Cheerleading Squad emphasize that SB2404 is the best of all possible worlds because the elected Illinois Supreme Court members are – in realpolitik terms – in the pockets of party bosses. Therefore, the Illinois Supremes would never declare SB1 as unconstitutional – never, cannot happen. Now cheerleader Tully tells us that we little people will be safe b... more »

UPDATE: Catching Up on TED Education Week + #StuVoice Chat 5/13 Student Voice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Student Voice: Catching Up on TED Education Week by Editor Admin [image: TEDED_logo] Education Week at TED has just come to close, but it’s not too late to be a part of the action. With the support of WNET, PBS, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, TED has put on an Education Week, a great collection of talks hosted by John Legend. This week featured talks from a wide variety of speakers, from a chemist to a psychologist, and from Bill Gates to Sir Ken Robinson. Catch up on all the video content and thentweet us back about what you think (@Stu_Voice). #StuVoice Chat 5/13... more »

Hispanic high school graduates pass whites in college enrollment rate

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Hispanic high school graduates pass whites in college enrollment rate: Hispanic high school graduates pass whites in college enrollment rate By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 11, 2013 at 9:31 amE-mail reporter 0 Comments More [image: hispanic]It just so happens that in the same week that a co-author of a Heritage Foundation immigration study resigned for suggestingthat Hispanics have lower IQs than whites, the Pew Research Hispanic Center releaseda new analysis showing that Hispanic high school graduates have passed whites in the rate of college enrollment. In a report by Richard Fr... more »

MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-11-13 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: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] The Factory Collapse in Bangladesh by dianerav When I read about the tragedy in Bangladesh, where hundreds of garment workers died when the building collapsed, it reminded me of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Working at NYU, I frequently walked past the building where over 100 immigrant girls perished in a factory fire. The doors were locked. They could not escape. They could jump from the 12th floor or perish in the fire. Events like these gave birth to the labo... more »

If Bill Gates had no money, who would listen to him about education reform? – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

If Bill Gates had no money, who would listen to him about education reform? – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: If Bill Gates had no money, who would listen to him about education reform? by plthomasedd In 2013, again, U.S. political leaders and the public appear disgusted with a public education system, but this sentiment has been with us since the Committee of Ten declared education inadequate in the 1890s. We must, then, come to terms with two facts: (1) We must drop Utopian claims about education because education is not the *sole key* to overcoming social failures, but... more »

Women in Community Colleges Executive Summary : AAUW: Empowering Women Since 1881

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Women in Community Colleges Executive Summary : AAUW: Empowering Women Since 1881: *Women in Community Colleges*Executive Summary Download PDF — 2 MB More than ever before, women are relying on community colleges for higher education and workforce preparation. This report recommends policies and practices to help women succeed in community colleges. In particular, we find that child care is a critical issue for student mothers. Women also need more support for pursuing opportunities in STEM and other male-dominated fields. With increased attention and improved outreach to women ...more »

Opposing Common Core: Education decisions best made locally | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Opposing Common Core: Education decisions best made locally | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: Opposing Common Core: Education decisions best made locally By Maureen Downey *Last night, I posted a pro Common Core piece by Republican Sen. Fran Millar *of Dunwoody. Here is a piece in opposition by GOP Sen. William Ligon of Brunswick. The Republicans are meeting this weekend in Athens where there will be a push for a resolution calling for Georgia to repeal the Common Core. Millar is expected to challenge the resolution. Ligon serves as Chairman of the State and Local Gove... more »

Jersey Jazzman: No One Trusts Jeb!'s "Chiefs For Change"

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Jersey Jazzman: No One Trusts Jeb!'s "Chiefs For Change": No One Trusts Jeb!'s "Chiefs For Change" by Duke *Believe it or not, we called him "the smart one"!* "Chiefs For Change" is a reformy group of state-level education leaders supported by Jeb! Bush*, the former Florida governor and current industry shill. They are pushing an agenda of test-based teacher evaluation, "revamped" school report cards, and charter expansion. *So how is the awesome leadership of the "Chiefs" being received by local school districts, educators, and elected officials?* [all emphases mine] Hanna Ska... more »

State Ordering Girls’ Locker Rooms Open To Boys | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

State Ordering Girls’ Locker Rooms Open To Boys | toteachornototeach: State Ordering Girls’ Locker Rooms Open To Boys by aristotlethewise *State Ordering Girls’ * *Locker Rooms Open To Boys* by Drew Zahn The California State Assembly passed a bill Thursday mandating schools permit boys to play on girls’ athletic teams and utilize the ladies’ locker room if they gender identify as girls – or vice-versa for girls identifying as boys. The bill’s author, openly homosexual San Francisco Democrat Tom Ammiano, has been an activist for lesbian, “gay,” bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, i... more »

150 years of the California Teachers Association: Opinion - LA Daily News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

150 years of the California Teachers Association: Opinion - LA Daily News: 150 years of the California Teachers Association: Opinion By Dean E. Vogel Posted: 05/09/2013 02:31:22 PM PDT Updated: 05/09/2013 02:40:06 PM PDT *CTA's 150th Anniversary - California Teachers Association* mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago CTA's 150th Anniversary - California Teachers Association: CTA MARKS A MILESTONE [image: image] ** SES·QUI·CEN·TEN·NI·AL: *adjective*1.* marking the completion of a period of 150 years. **noun *2.* a 150th anniversary or its celebration.* 150 YEARS OF ADVOC... more »

2nd Banana 5-11-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

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

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

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

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

2nd Banana 4-6-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-11-13 #thankateacher 

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-10-13 #thankateacher

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-9-13 #thankateacher

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-8-13 #thankateacher

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-7-13

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Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-3-13

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-2-13

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-1-13

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-30-13 

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