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

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

Shanker Blog » A Quick Look At "Best High School" Rankings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago

Shanker Blog » A Quick Look At "Best High School" Rankings: A Quick Look At “Best High School” Rankings by Matthew Di Carlo Every year, a few major media outlets publish high school rankings. Most recently, *Newsweek* (in partnership with *The Daily Beast*) issued its annual list of the “nation’s best high schools.” Their general approach to this task seems quite defensible: To find the high schools that “best prepare students for college.” The rankings are calculated using six measures: graduation rate (25 percent); college acceptance rate (25); AP/IB/AICE tests taken per student... more »

Common-Core Turbulence: Inevitable or Preventable? :: Frederick M. Hess

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago

Common-Core Turbulence: Inevitable or Preventable? :: Frederick M. Hess: Common-Core Turbulence: Inevitable or Preventable? *by Frederick M. Hess • May 10, 2013 at 9:11 am* * * It's been a turbulent few months for the Common Core, raising real questions about its future. Opposition on the right has stretched well beyond the fringe has now been voiced by the Republican National Committee, with several Republican U.S. Senators speaking out in opposition and legislation to withdraw from the Common Core proposed in seven state legislatures. Meanwhile, in a big blow from the left, Rand... more »

The hole in the logic of an argument a truck could drive through. The union leaders who can’t say no. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 35 minutes ago

The hole in the logic of an argument a truck could drive through. The union leaders who can’t say no. | Fred Klonsky: The hole in the logic of an argument a truck could drive through. The union leaders who can’t say no. by Fred Klonsky [image: dana-fradon-i-still-have-my-loophole-but-i-can-t-drive-a-truck-through-it-new-yorker-cartoon] This weekend IEA President Cinda Klickna emailed her best argument to IEA Board of Directors and staff for supporting the We Are One/Cullerton pension cutting bill. *What does this bill give us that we don’t currently have?* *• Contractual enforceable... more »

Daily Kos: Something I think I finally understand

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Daily Kos: Something I think I finally understand: Something I think I finally understand by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) is that those who insist upon merit pay for teachers are themselves primarily motivated by money and have trouble grasping that for many people, while they want to earn a decent income and be able to support themselves and their family, money is not the primary motivation. Among those for whom money is not the primary motivation are many who undertake military careers, those who serve as clergy in many denominations, social workers, those who work in Legal Aid... more »

The Death of “Freedom”: Last Days of a Dying School | Project Wordsworth

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

The Death of “Freedom”: Last Days of a Dying School | Project Wordsworth: If you enjoy this story, we ask that you consider paying for it. Please see the payment section below. The Death of “Freedom”: Last Days of a Dying School By Emmanuel FeltonMAY 9, 2013 ------------------------------ Ifirst visited Freedom Academy High School on a dreary March day. The clouds were hanging low and there was a sprinkling of the last of winter’s snow. Despite the gray day, I felt an unusual air of excitement while ascending the stairs to Freedom’s sixth floor lunchroom. It was Spirit Week. It was N... more »

Finland's Secret Sauce: Its Teachers | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Finland's Secret Sauce: Its Teachers | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Finland's Secret Sauce: Its Teachers by Phi Delta Kappa International *By Joan Richardson, Editor-in-Chief of *Kappan* magazine (**PDK International**)* In the 1980s, educators and policymakers swarmed across Germany to examine its two-tier education system that separated college-bound students from vocational ed students, all in an effort to boost the national economy. In the 1990s, Japan and its unique lesson study model attracted American attention. Along came the 2000s, and Finland has t... more »

Modern School: Looming Strike for Teachers in Ramona, CA

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Modern School: Looming Strike for Teachers in Ramona, CA: Looming Strike for Teachers in Ramona, CA by Michael Dunn Teachers in the Ramona school district in San Diego County have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike. CTA officials say that 99% of the teachers participated in the vote, with 75% voting in favor of a strike. The vote does not mean that a strike will necessarily happen, though. Rather, it is a legal requirement before teachers can actually walk off the job, something their union may ask of them in the near future if negotiations with their district fail. Negot... more »

Bill Gates, Jeb Bush, Oprah and Warren Buffett meeting at SC isl - WBTW-TV: News, Weather, and Sports for Florence, SC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Bill Gates, Jeb Bush, Oprah and Warren Buffett meeting at SC isl - WBTW-TV: News, Weather, and Sports for Florence, SC: *Bill Gates, Jeb Bush, Oprah and Warren Buffett meeting at SC island* CHARLESTON, SC - Bill Gates, Chairman of Microsoft and one of the richest people in the world, is spending time in the Lowcountry. WCBD confirmed the American business magnate is at the Sanctuary on Kiawah Island. Suspicion was raised when nearly 20 very expensive jets were seen lined up at the Charleston International Airport on Johns Island. Officials with the Beach Company confirmed to WCBD ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-13-13 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] *LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 5-11-13 * Surprise! Florida High-Stakes Accountability Promotes Gaming the System by dianerav The Federal Reserve Bank of New York released a study of Florida’s accountability system–the one that Jeb Bush brags about–and concludes that the system promotes behavior to game the system. Schools are assigning children to categories where they will not lower the school’s letter grade. Here is a succinct summ... more »

UPDATE: Deal surfaces to give Bridgeport elementary school to Hartford charter school company - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Deal surfaces to give Bridgeport elementary school to Hartford charter school company - Wait, What?: Wait, What? Bridgeport Board of Education scheduled to approve $1 million for Moales Daycare facilities despite foreclosure threat by jonpelto (Written by Jonathan Pelto and Carmen Lopez) In about 100 days, Reverend Kenneth Moales, Jr. and his Cathedral of the Holy Spirit and Prayer Tabernacle Church of Love, Inc. may well be facing the foreclosure and public auction of property owned by Moales’ church, located at 1231-1243 Stratford Avenue. The loss of the church property would me... more »

Adult Ed Students Fight Back! Defending Current Classes and Demanding More | Classroom Struggle

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Adult Ed Students Fight Back! Defending Current Classes and Demanding More | Classroom Struggle: Adult Ed Students Fight Back! Defending Current Classes and Demanding More by ClassroomStruggle *A new update on the growing current struggle to save and rebuild Adult Education in OUSD. At the end are the demands of the students and teachers of Adult Ed and K-12 who are fighting as well as a summary of the reasons to keep Adult Ed fully funded and in OUSD. Also, be sure to come out to the Board meeting on May 22nd. It’s an all out mobilization for the deciding vote! Click either t... more »

You reach more kids when you use the arts to teach | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

You reach more kids when you use the arts to teach | EdSource Today: You reach more kids when you use the arts to teach ** May 12th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By Jon Schwartz Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on print More Sharing Services [image: Jon Schwartz] Jon Schwartz When I tell people I use the performing arts to teach my second grade students, they often ask, “You’re responsible for teaching kids academics. How do you find the time for *that*?” Guess what? For the first 13 years of teaching, I too viewed the performing arts as an unaffordable luxury, if not a... more »

Why video cameras and teacher evaluation do not mix

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Why video cameras and teacher evaluation do not mix: Why video cameras and teacher evaluation do not mix By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 13, 2013 at 4:00 amE-mail reporter 2 Comments More [image: videocam]I wrote a post the other day about Bill Gates’ plan to videotape America’s teachers as part of a teacher evaluation system, an enterprise that he said could cost up to $5 billion, but, he believes, is worth it. Here is veteran educator Anthony Cody to explain why it isn’t. Cody spent 24 years working in Oakland schools, 18 of them as a science teacher at a high needs middle schoo... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky Fired Crenshaw teacher Alex Caputo-Pearl Dana Goldstein *At Crenshaw, a “politically and intellectually challenging” themed school-within-a-school reform was dumped and its leaders dispersed. That’s “discouraging.” *-- Joanne Jacobs blog UNO Lender Steven Levy *“It had to be more than just an appearance” of a conflict, Levy, whose firm bought bonds issued for construction of UNO’s schools, told Rangel during the conference call. “There must have been something else going on for [d’Escoto] to quit... more »

NYC Educator: Observation Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

NYC Educator: Observation Report: Observation Report by NYC Educator Dear Ms. Whitman: On May 9th, I observed your second period ESL class. Your aim was "How Can We Apologize For Our Mistakes?" 21 students were present as the class commenced. You opened the class by asking who had to go to the bathroom, and listed the names of five students on the board. While you were writing the names, the student in front of me took two wet paper towels and threw them at the blackboard, where they stuck, making a very loud "plop" sound. You appeared not to hear this and continued to elicit nam... more »

The Miss for Bliss | My Island View

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

The Miss for Bliss | My Island View: The Miss for Bliss by tomwhitby After watching the Jeff Bliss’s, viral video, as well as the remix of it, created to popularize the event even more, I was almost moved to do a reflective post on the subject. After viewing a number of supportive blog posts for the Bliss position I kind of backed off thinking that I was off base in my position. Then I read* Why the Jeff Bliss story makes me want to quit *by a fellow English teacher*.* The end of the academic year has all teachers stressed out. After giving one’s all for a year, and having it com... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Hazelwood Report on Delphi DESE Meeting May 2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Hazelwood Report on Delphi DESE Meeting May 2: Hazelwood Report on Delphi DESE Meeting May 2 by stlgretchen The Hazelwood Patch had an article from a taxpayer who attended the May 2 DESE meeting on Common Core standards. The writer's narrative is not much different than the other meetings DESE held via the Delphi technique. From Elizabeth O'Fallon in *Is Common Core a Bad Apple?:* At the meeting, a presentation on Common Core was given by Dr. Tim Ricker, the Area Supervisor of DESE for the St. Louis Region. The information that was provided was labe... more »

The Educated Reporter: Guest Post: Arne Duncan's Kick-Off Keynote at EWA's 66th National Seminar

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: Guest Post: Arne Duncan's Kick-Off Keynote at EWA's 66th National Seminar: Guest Post: Arne Duncan's Kick-Off Keynote at EWA's 66th National Seminar by Emily Richmond *EWA's 66th National Seminar, hosted by Stanford University, took place earlier this month. We asked some of the journalists attending to contribute posts from the sessions. Additional content, including videos and podcasts, will soon be available at EdMedia Commons. Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing a few of posts here, including those from the keynote sessions. Joy Resmovits of the Huf... more »

Principal Ron Smolkin Gets Advice From Steve Martin.southbronxschool.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Principal Ron Smolkin Gets Advice From Steve Martin by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) Another, yet a same, principal is in the news today for attempting to destroy a teacher's life and career. The New York Post reported today that Principal Ron Smolkin of Independence High School put fraudulent material in a teacher's file supposedly written by a parent. Recall, this is the same principal that wrote a teacher's co-op board in which a claim of pedophilia was lodged against the teacher and his partner. Too often, in fact, all the time in my opini... more »

NYC Public School Parents: video: Meet Mr. Flowers of inBloom Inc.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: video: Meet Mr. Flowers of inBloom Inc.: video: Meet Mr. Flowers of inBloom Inc. by Leonie Haimson New video on the Gates-funded student data sharing corporation inBloom Inc. One correction. NYC DOE is not paying inBloom $50 million; they are not paying them anything at this point. But starting in 2015, inBloom has said that they will start charging states and districts $2-$5 per student for the use of their "services"; and they are exploring the option of charging vendors for access to this highly confidential, personalized student information as well. ... more »

SI&A Cabinet Report – After Sandy Hook, some legislative fixes fall away – some move ahead

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *After Sandy Hook, some legislative fixes fall away – some move ahead* *By Kimberly Beltran* Monday, May 13, 2013 In the aftermath of the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary, California lawmakers were quick to offer up a number of new ideas aimed at keeping schools and students safe. Four months later, however, some of those ideas have already been set aside and those that remain viable are challenged both by economic restrictions and political realities. A plan to allow teachers to anonymously carry weapons on school grounds, for insta... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Seattle Schools This Week by Melissa Westbrook *Monday, May 13th* Curriculum & Instruction Committee meeting, 4-5:30 p.m. *Tuesday, May 14th* Special Education Advocacy & Advisory Meeting from 6:30-9:30 p.m* *at JSCEE, Room 2700* * *Wednesday, May 15th* Special Education PTSA meeting from 7-9 pm in room 2700.* * School Board Meeting, starting at 4:15 pm. Agenda. This looks to be a fairly easy agenda and the meeting will probably adjourn on time. *Items of Note:* - hey, a "student presentation" by the John Muir 4th grad... more »

I Am Louisiana Course Choice, And I Enroll Without Parental Consent | deutsch29

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

I Am Louisiana Course Choice, And I Enroll Without Parental Consent | deutsch29: I Am Louisiana Course Choice, And I Enroll Without Parental Consent by deutsch29 There’s money to be made in education, and I am here to get mine. I am a Louisiana Course Choice provider. Despite the initial, November 2012 state ruling of unconstitutionality regarding my receiving MFP funding for offering Course Choice, an despite the fact that Jindal and White have no other BESE-approved plan in place for paying me, it is full speed ahead and I am approved. I have access to student data via John Whit... more »

Another Casualty of Reform – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Another Casualty of Reform – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Another Casualty of Reform by Kris Nielsen When I became a statistic of the education reform we have seen grinding the education system down, I felt alone and a little scared. Since then, I have seen a whole lot more like me deciding that the harm and policies are too much. Yet, we all fight on, and we will continue to fight until the system changes. Here’s is another wonderful and professional teacher resigning here in New York. Read it through carefully, and then spread it to all that will listen. When we f... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Video and highlights from yesterday's UFT mayoral forum

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Video and highlights from yesterday's UFT mayoral forum: Video and highlights from yesterday's UFT mayoral forum by Leonie Haimson Below is a video of the mayoral forum at the UFT spring conference yesterday. Some highlights: In response to pointed questions from President Michael Mulgrew and Karen Alford, VP of elementary schools, all the candidates said they would get rid of the school progress reports along with the school grades. They also said they would minimize the influence of high stakes testing, including as a factor in teacher evaluations. ... more »

Villaraigosa-backed school board candidate leads money race - latimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Villaraigosa-backed school board candidate leads money race - latimes.com: Villaraigosa-backed school board candidate leads money raceBy Howard Blume May 12, 2013, 4:31 p.m. The money race among two remaining candidates for the Los Angeles Board of Education is competitive, but outside spending has skewed resources decidedly toward the one backed by L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Antonio Sanchez has collected more than $67,000 in contributions for a May 21 runoff in District 6, which stretches across the east San Fernando Valley. Opponent Monica Ratliff has raised nearly $27,000, ... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Week 32: The beginning of the end…

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week 32: The beginning of the end…: Week 32: The beginning of the end… by alicemercer [image: 32] There’s a quote from Churchill that I love, “It’s not the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning.” Teaching sixth graders in elementary school really feels like the beginning of an end, and now that we are entering the final month of school, it’s that much moreso. Still, it’s not just an ending for the kids, but the start of a new beginning. I’m doing a bit for Larry Ferlazzo’s Ed Week column on the final weeks of school, and this p... more »

Parent Advocates - Pulling the Parent Trigger: The Push to Privatize Public Schools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Parent Advocates - ParentAdvocates.org: Pulling the Parent Trigger: The Push to Privatize Public Schools by Yasha Levine * * * *"The parents told me that a Los Angeles-based group calling itself Parent Revolution organized a local campaign to harass and trick them into signing petitions that they thought were meant for simple school improvements. In fact those petitions turned out to be part of a sophisticated campaign to convert their children’s public school into a privately-run charter — something a majority of parents opposed. At times, locals say, the Parent Revolution volunt... more »

Last Stand for Children First: Happy Teacher Appreciation Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Last Stand for Children First: Happy Teacher Appreciation Week: Happy Teacher Appreciation Week by Last Stand for Children Teachers make such a difference in the lives of so many children. I know this first hand because I was a student in San Diego for nearly a year before coming to work at Last Stand for Children First. In that time, I was a truly and unsung hero and I remember it fondly. I had wanted to do a drive to have parents donate used mugs that we could clean and then present to teachers as our little way of saying thanks, but unfortunately I forgot about Teacher Apprec... more »

Daily Kos: Sharing a time I lied, and I am proud of it

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Daily Kos: Sharing a time I lied, and I am proud of it: Sharing a time I lied, and I am proud of it by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) *deciding to share after reading How a saleman lost a sale* It was very late. I do not know if it was just after 4 AM, when bars closed on Friday nights in NYC in those days, or somewhat earlier, when they closed on Saturday night. That doesn't matter. I had closed out a bar on E. 79th Street and hailed a cab to take me home to Brooklyn Heights. I got in the cab, which in those days had no partitions between driver and passenger(s) in the rear set... more »

Two moms and two (or more) problems regarding #commoncore – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Two moms and two (or more) problems regarding #commoncore – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Two moms and two (or more) problems regarding #commoncore by Chalk Face, PhD Kudos to these education activists receiving some notoriety for their anti-common core views in Indiana. After spending four years in the state for graduate school, I can say I’m somewhat familiar with how that state does things. Although, I have some concerns. First, not necessarily from an ideological standpoint, I on this day of all days take issue with the “Two Moms” thing. Motherhood does not confer exp... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Teacher Tells Missouri What Common Core Really Means. The Post-Dispatch Didn't Cover These Points.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Teacher Tells Missouri What Common Core Really Means. The Post-Dispatch Didn't Cover These Points.: Teacher Tells Missouri What Common Core Really Means. The Post-Dispatch Didn't Cover These Points. by stlgretchen Peg with Pen, the Colorado teacher who implored teachers and parents to oppose Common Core and whose blog we reposted this morning, followed up with an extraordinary article responding to the St. Louis Post Dispatch's article this morning on Common Core. Little did I know when I resposted her original blog, she was a native Missourian and ... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-12-13 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: GERM in Scotland by dianerav A group funded by a rightwing think tank calls itself the “Commission on School Reform” and attacks Scottish public schools. The BBC reports the “findings” of the “commission” as objective research, not advocacy. Sound familiar? A Teacher’s Life by dianerav A teacher writes to explain how life in the classroom differs from his earlier life in another field: I worked in industry for 15 years before switching careers and moving into education. I can honestly say I work harder as ... more »

Students Last: Top Ten Reasons I Joined Teach for America by Kai Merikal

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Students Last: Top Ten Reasons I Joined Teach for America by Kai Merikal: Top Ten Reasons I Joined Teach for America by Kai Merikal by Students Last Kai Merikal, a twenty-two-year-old from Wisconsin, will be teaching fourth graders in Newark, New Jersey beginning in September. Below she shares her reasons for joining Teach for America. 10. I didn't get into law school... yet. 9. I want to be sainted. 8. I believe that if teachers just expect their students to learn, they will. 7. How hard could teaching really be? 6. Because I'm blind to the long-term consequences of m... more »

The Facts: the Phony Crisis | Deborah Meier on Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

The Facts: the Phony Crisis | Deborah Meier on Education: The Facts: the Phony Crisis by debmeier Some of the additional facts regarding international comparisons need to become common knowledge–to back up the previous (below) blog. Also from Tienken article. (Anyone know how you can link into this?) Examples. . 2009 PISA. The US scores were better than 77% above of 65 OED nations. Better than you thought? BUT–and that’s where it gets interesting–Tienken documents why we’re comparing apples to oranges. “Because of (a) selective sampling on the part of some countries, (b) (the effe... more »

Ed Notes Online: “No” to Testing: More and More City Parents Boycott Standardized Tests

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: “No” to Testing: More and More City Parents Boycott Standardized Tests: “No” to Testing: More and More City Parents Boycott Standardized Tests by ed notes online *On April 8th, parents from the Earth School, a progressive school on the Lower East Side, held a meeting to announce the boycott and spread the word to parents at other schools. The meeting was advertised by flyers posted in playgrounds and by word of mouth. News of the boycott trickled out and took hold most firmly in schools that are known for their alternative styles education.* I was going to try t... more »

Peg with Pen: For the Show Me State of Missouri: What They Didn't Show You

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Peg with Pen: For the Show Me State of Missouri: What They Didn't Show You: For the Show Me State of Missouri: What They Didn't Show You by Peggy This is in response to an article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. This article is missing some key information. First and foremost, we must look at the money trail. The common core standards are a cash cow for the corporations who plan to implement new testing, new curriculum, new professional development, and more, in order to adhere to the requirements under Race to the Top, Obama’s education policy. Now, Missouri was not awarded RTTT... more »

Memphis School Fragmentation Plan Shifts Hundreds of Million to Corporate Charters – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Memphis School Fragmentation Plan Shifts Hundreds of Million to Corporate Charters – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Memphis School Fragmentation Plan Shifts Hundreds of Million to Corporate Charters by Jim Horn Just weeks away now from the official beginning of the Memphis/Shelby County schools fragmentation/privatization plan, Memphis citizens continue to be misled by the *Memphis Commercial Appeal*, which does not even mention charter schools when discussing the gaping hole in the merged school budget plan. The closest the local newspaper of record has come so far to a... more »

Student face backlash for seeking removal of Ten Commandments from classrooms | The Raw Story

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Student face backlash for seeking removal of Ten Commandments from classrooms | The Raw Story: Student face backlash for seeking removal of Ten Commandments from classrooms By Eric W. Dolan Sunday, May 12, 2013 13:26 EDT [image: Gage Pulliam image via Facebook] An atheist student in Oklahoma has faced a backlash after contacting the Freedom From Religion Foundation about Ten Commandments displays posted in his high school’s classrooms. Gage Pulliam of Muldrow told Patheos on Saturday that he wanted to remain anonymous, but decided to reveal his identity after other students were... more »

My Mom’s Story | Lefty Parent

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

My Mom’s Story | Lefty Parent: My Mom’s Story by Cooper Zale [image: Jane Grad Pic 2 B&W] In honor of Mother’s Day this is a reposting of the bio I wrote on my mom, Jane Roberts, who died in 2006 at the age of 83. She had a long life with successes and failures, and became a great mentor and at times even comrade to me. During my teenage years in the early 1970s her struggle to recover from her divorce from my dad led me to finally start seeing her as a person like me, and not some iconic parental figure. That realization transformed my life… *Childhood in Dedham, Massachusetts* J... more »

Recording: K12 Inc. struggled to comply with law - Florida - MiamiHerald.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Recording: K12 Inc. struggled to comply with law - Florida - MiamiHerald.com: Recording: K12 Inc. struggled to comply with law BY TREVOR AARONSON AND JOHN O’CONNORFLORIDA CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING/STATEIMPACT FLORIDA The Florida Center for Investigative Reporting and StateImpact Florida have obtained internal emails and a recording of a company meeting that provide new insight into allegations that K12 Inc., the nation’s largest online education company, uses teachers in Florida who do not have all of the required state certifications. Last month, a draft report by th... more »

Five hysterical commencement speeches

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Five hysterical commencement speeches: Five hysterical commencement speeches By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 12, 2013 at 12:36 pmE-mail reporter 0 Comments More [image: cap]Every year commencement speakers drone on and on, usually boring the daylights out of their audience. As the 2013 commencement season gets underway, here are some of the funnier addresses that have withstood the test of time. *Jon Stewart* *College of William & Mary, 2004* Thank you Mr. President, I had forgotten how crushingly dull these ceremonies are. Thank you…. I am honored to be here and to receive this... more »

Mothers Day reads. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Mothers Day reads. | Fred Klonsky: Mothers Day reads. by Fred Klonsky [image: Mom] *Helen Klonsky. 1916-1977.* *Mothers Day* has a radical history. *Working mothers* deserve better. *Cartoonist Chris Ware* on his great New Yorker Mothers Day cover. *Mothers Day* for peace. *Mother Jones.* The most dangerous woman in America.

Jersey Jazzman: Tom Moran's Pig-Headed Ignorance

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Tom Moran's Pig-Headed Ignorance: Tom Moran's Pig-Headed Ignorance by Duke What do you do when someone in a position of influence refuses to see a basic truth over and over again? Like, for instance, the *Star-Ledger's* op-ed page editor Tom Moran, here speaking about Newark's charter schools: The best charter schools have waiting lists that stretch into the thousands. The council wants [Superintendent Cami] Anderson to block any expansions — and even bar the charter schools from even using empty classrooms in district schools. And so we have yet another piece by ... more »

NYC Educator: Principal Suit Deals With His Bad Rating

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

NYC Educator: Principal Suit Deals With His Bad Rating: Principal Suit Deals With His Bad Rating by NYC Educator The faculty had been polled by the DOE, and they overwhelmingly declared they had little confidence in him. How could this happen? Didn't he wear a tie every day? Didn't he observe their classes and tell them every little thing he could find wrong with them? Didn't he make sure they actively engaged in his anti-bullying initiative? There could be only one answer. It was Susan, the UFT Chapter Leader. She had poisoned the staff's minds with her vitriol. Wasn't it her who ... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours 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 - 23 hours 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 - 23 hours 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 - 1 day 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 day 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 * Paul Vallas’ “Nixon-to-China” Moment by dianerav I posted a few days ago about a panel discussion in New York City where Paul Vallas made this startling statement: “We’re losing the communications game because we don’t have a good message to communicate.” He spoke bluntly of the “testing industrial complex.” Here Valerie Strauss briefly reviews Vallas’ role in Chicago, Philadelphia, and New Or... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day 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 day 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 day 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 day 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 day 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 - 1 day 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 »

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 5-12-13Big 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

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-6-13

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-5-13

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-4-13

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 

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-29-13

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-28-13

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-27-13

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-26-13

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-25-13 

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-24-13

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-23-13

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-22-13 

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-21-13

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-20-13

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-19-13 

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-18-13

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-17-13 

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-16-13