Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-18-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky [image: lewsi] It’s a beautiful Chicago Spring morning. The dogwood in the backyard is showing its blossoms. The vine is filling in the lattice. The temperature is expected to hit 80 today. At 8:30 it is already 70. In about an hour Anne and I will head over to Lafayette School on Augusta in West Town. It is one of the 54 schools Rahm has targeted for shutdown in his plan to close a historic number of neighborhood public schools while opening more charters. He wants to spend millions on a new basketball arena for the p... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes 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 5-18-13 * UTLA Member to Leadership: Let’s Support Monica NOW! by dianerav Hi David, Thanks again for writing. I heard and understood what you already told me in e-mails. Is there something new to tell me on the phone? So, there was no quorum at that HOR [House of Representatives] meeting in March. Why wasn’t another meeting scheduled, and the delegates notified regarding how essential their attendance ... more »

May ← 2013 ← NPE News Briefs

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago

May ← 2013 ← NPE News Briefs: *NPE New* 1 2 3 4 5 6 … 70 Next » UTLA Member to Leadership: Let’s SupportMonica NOW! | Diane Ravitch’s blog MAY 18 2013 by a United Teachers Los Angeles member – If Sanchez wins and becomes (as could be expected) Monica Garcia’s and Deasy’s biggest ally on the board, no one will hear excuses from you (UTLA leadership) that you could not change the endorsement. You certainly have not tried very hard to change it, nor to notify ... read more → **Activism · Billionaires · Broad Foundation · Los Angeles · Southwest ·Teacher Issues Chicago Teachers Unio... more »

Grassroots Report: The high price of charters | The Network For Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 30 minutes ago

Grassroots Report: The high price of charters | The Network For Public Education: Grassroots Report: The high price of charters by admin [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] By Deborah Keisch Polin and Tim Scott NORTHAMPTON — Once again, the Northampton public schools are facing a budget crisis. In a series of meetings in April, the mayor discussed a $1.3 million deficit for the city. What is rarely pointed out in budget discussions is that the amount that the school system pays to area charter schools has increased yearly, as more students enroll in those sc... more »

Testing Support for TFA and KIPP: Whose Children Matter? – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 36 minutes ago

Testing Support for TFA and KIPP: Whose Children Matter? – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Testing Support for TFA and KIPP: Whose Children Matter? by plthomasedd Testing Support for TFA and KIPP: Whose Children Matter? During the first years of the Obama administration, Secretary Arne Duncan has risen to the forefront of public debates about education reform, paralleling the growing public nature of that debate that includes the entrepreneur reformers such as Bill Gates and Geoffrey Canada along with a harbinger of things to come with the popularity of the documentary *Wai... more »

NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students! - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 36 minutes ago

NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students! - Wait, What?: NEWS FLASH: Connecticut Charter Schools outperform public schools…in suspending kindergarten students! by jonpelto *Well, we’ve finally found proof that charter schools do outperform their public school counterparts.* *In the percentage of children 6 and under who get suspended from school.* In a stunning story that was posted on the CT Mirror website late today, the CT Mirror’s Jacqueline Rabe examines a new report that revealed that, “at least 1,967 students age 6... more »

Social Media Partially Responsible For Rise in Potentially Suicidal Students « CBS Sacramento

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 36 minutes ago

Social Media Partially Responsible For Rise in Potentially Suicidal Students « CBS Sacramento: Social Media Partially Responsible For Rise in Potentially Suicidal Students DAVIS (CBS13) — A spike in potentially suicidal students in Davis schools has administrators working against social media peer pressure. According to the Davis Joint Unified School District, the number of students being screened for possible suicidal behavior rose from 52 two years ago to 94—an 81 percent increase. Psychotherapist Mark Foster says part of the increase has to do with the rise in social media ... more »

Are school vouchers losing steam?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 49 minutes ago

Are school vouchers losing steam?: Are school vouchers losing steam? By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 18, 2013 at 5:00 amE-mail the writer 2 Comments More [image: vouchers]Vouchers have been at the center of the school choice movement for many reformers, but they may be in trouble. Here making that argument is Abby Rapoport of The American Prospect, where this appeared. By Abby Rapoport When news broke earlier this month that the Louisiana Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s voucher system, which uses public dollars to pay for low-income students to go to private schools, the fig... more »

National Social Study Framework; Teacher Prep; Using Data to Support Teachers | Outside the Cave

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 49 minutes ago

National Social Study Framework; Teacher Prep; Using Data to Support Teachers | Outside the Cave: National Social Study Framework; Teacher Prep; Using Data to Support Teachers by Stephen Lazar I’m catching up on sharing a few things I’ve helped produce recently: First, I wrote a piece for the Shanker Blog this week: Proposed National Civics Framework Shows Great Promise. Please take the time to read and then take action; I believe the C3 Framework is a huge step forward for our field: Simply put, the proposed C3 Framework is brilliant. It is exactly what our nation needs to ens... more »

NYC Educator: Quest for a Union-Friendly Mayor

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 53 minutes ago

NYC Educator: Quest for a Union-Friendly Mayor: Quest for a Union-Friendly Mayor by NYC Educator It's good to see UFT President Michael Mulgrewtalking of mayoral dictatorship. Clearly, with 8 of 13 votes on the PEP, our fake school board, what Bloomberg wants, Bloomberg gets. Of course, this was apparent when mayoral control was established in 2002. At that time, the UFT supported it, perhaps even enabling it. As if that weren't enough, we supported it again in 2009. Now we're contemplating throwing our support to a Democratic mayoral hopeful. That, in itself, is probably a good i... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: SB210 Is Laid Aside

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 53 minutes ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: SB210 Is Laid Aside: SB210 Is Laid Aside by Anngie Today politics prevailed. The interests of the people were laid aside with SB210 allowing a state department to continue ducking the public's questions and the legislature's authority. Our countdown clock continues and will remain at the top of our page awaiting DESE's response to at least *some* of the questions the public has about Common Core. We may never get answers to the conflicting comments we have heard about common core. The National Governor's Association and common core proponents in gen... more »

Louisiana Educator: Public School Haters: Their M. O.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 53 minutes ago

Louisiana Educator: Public School Haters: Their M. O.: Public School Haters: Their M. O. by Michael Deshotels Diane Ravitch recently asked: "What kind of a strategy causes a general to turn his artillery on his own troops?" She was referring I believe to the group of State Superintendents who have named themselves the *Chiefs for Change* to promote the implementation of the most radical parts of today's education reforms in their states. Ravitch was referring to the destructive use of inaccurate VAM systems for evaluating teachers and the promotion of vouchers and charter schoo... more »

The in box. “What a screw job!” | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

The in box. “What a screw job!” | Fred Klonsky: The in box. “What a screw job!” by Fred Klonsky [image: images] Fred, Excellent work Fred! I questioned the same remark but fell asleep before pursuing it. I was at an IFT sponsored healthcare meeting Thursday with reps from TRS and Central Management Services. CMS stated that our total premium for TCHP Is about $1,000.00 per month. currently the state pays half and we pay half. This would make SB 2404 a cost of $12,000 a year Question to the IEA Board of Directors this morning: Did you know about cutting off the subsidy to TRIP? b... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 5-18-13

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* LA TIMES & ED WEEK ON THE MAY REVISE; Capitol Dems, Sacramento Bee and Center for Oral Health weigh-in …+ John Deasy tweets on the wonderfulness thereof smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 2 days ago Read the Governor’s May Revision proposal at www.ebudget.ca.gov. Even with added revenue revised plan for all spending is $1.2 billion less than the one he put forward in January If they can get out the votes, Legislative Democrats theoretically have both a Republican-proof and ... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 5-18-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Education Research Report *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Investigating the Effects of Teacher Characteristics and Student Teaching Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 hour ago Some believe the solution to improving instructional quality in K-12 schools lies in identifying and recruiting certain kinds of individuals to the profession (e.g., academically talented, stronger commitment). Others believe that talented or committed individuals cannot become effective or enduring teachers without adequate preparation. Most prior literature examines either recr... more »

Mural project celebrates spirit of closing school; Half will follow students to William Land | Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Mural project celebrates spirit of closing school; Half will follow students to William Land | Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.: Mural project celebrates spirit of closing school; Half will follow students to William Land The spirit of an elementary school slated for closure next fall was expressed and preserved on Sunday, April 21 when students and staff came together to create a gigantic, multi-part mural under the direction of celebrated artist Milton Bowens. Washington Elementary School, established in 1869, is one of seven under-enrolled elementary schools that the Sacrament... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Breaking: Bonaparte's Retreat -- Karen Lewis and CORE Win Big

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Breaking: Bonaparte's Retreat -- Karen Lewis and CORE Win Big: Breaking: Bonaparte's Retreat -- Karen Lewis and CORE Win Big by Mike Klonsky Friday, May 17th marked another dark day for Emperor Rahm and his patrons.*Karen Lewis* and her CORE Caucus have emerged victorious in a landslide victory (80%) over the Rahm/CPS-backed W*hatsername* Caucus (Sorry but their names still escape me). Lewis and the CTU have been leading the charge against the mayor's massive school closing plan and have organized a 3-Day March of thousands, starting tomorrow. The ... more »

Breaking: Karen Lewis wins with 80% of the vote. A smashing victory. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Breaking: Karen Lewis wins with 80% of the vote. A smashing victory. | Fred Klonsky: Breaking: Karen Lewis wins with 80% of the vote. A smashing victory. by Fred Klonsky From the CTU: *CHICAGO –* National Board Certified Teacher Karen GJ Lewis has retained her position as president of the Chicago Teachers Union, according to unofficial, preliminary results from today’s election, receiving an overwhelming 80 percent of the votes. In addition, the Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE) has also retained the remaining officer positions including Jesse Sharkey as vice president, M... more »

StudentsFirst (again) Distorts Numbers | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

StudentsFirst (again) Distorts Numbers | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: StudentsFirst (again) Distorts Numbers by Gary Rubinstein StudentsFirst has raised tens of millions of dollars on the lie that they, alone, care about students who need to be defended from all the teachers who only care about themselves. The biggest distortion of their numbers is their claim that they have 1.3 million members. Many of these ‘members’ are people who are completely opposed to StudentsFirst’s agenda, but have accidentally signed up by clicking on a button on a form that said something like “Click here ... more »

Kansas Lawmakers Consider Defunding Common Core | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Kansas Lawmakers Consider Defunding Common Core | Truth in American Education: Kansas Lawmakers Consider Defunding Common Core by Shane Vander Hart Taking a page from the Michigan House playbook, Common Core defunding may be coming in Kansas. Via *The Wichita Eagle*: The implementation of new education standards could come to a screeching halt under a proposal floated by Republican lawmakers Thursday. Republican budget negotiators said they’ll consider a move to block any money that would be spent to implement Common Core standards for reading and math or Next Generation Science ...more »

Why I am Running for School Board – by Sue Peters | Seattle Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Why I am Running for School Board – by Sue Peters | Seattle Education: Why I am Running for School Board – by Sue Peters by seattleducation2011 Why I am Running for School Board – by Sue Peters For the past nine years, I have been deeply involved in Seattle’s public schools, as a parent of two, a school volunteer, an education blogger, a member of district task forces and as a local and national public education advocate. I would like to help steer the largest school district in Washington State in a positive direction. I believe that I can serve the Seattle school community even... more »

Celia Oyler and Merryl Tisch. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Celia Oyler and Merryl Tisch. | Fred Klonsky: Celia Oyler and Merryl Tisch. by Fred Klonsky Merryl Tisch is the wealthy chairperson of the New York Board of Regents, which is responsible for most of the educational policies of the State University and public school systems Celia Oyler is a professor of education at Teachers College at Columbia University. We both were graduate students together at the University of Illinois at Chicago. At one time we shared teacher assistant teaching duties of undergraduates. I will admit that I stole most of my class activities from her. She ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Host families needed for foreign exchange students

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Host families needed for foreign exchange students: Two Board Races with Three Candidates Each; Patu Unopposed by Melissa Westbrook It looks like - at 5 pm - that there will be three candidates for the Central region race and three for the Ballard/Magnolia/QA/downtown race. No one filed against Director Patu and so she will retain her seat. *For the Central Region:* Stephan Blanford Olu Thomas LaCrese Green *For Magnolia/QA/downtown/Ballard Region:* Dean McColgan Sue Peters Suzanne Dale Estey This means a real race in the primary so it is important... more »

Transforming Learning and Teaching Through the Pedagogy of Confidence — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Transforming Learning and Teaching Through the Pedagogy of Confidence — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]Transforming Learning and Teaching Through the Pedagogy of Confidence May 17, 2013 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers [image: ASCD Annual Conference and Exhibit Show] *Post written by Jessica DuBois-Maahs, a Medill School of Journalism candidate at Northwestern University concentrating in finance reporting and interactive publishing. Starting this month, she will be a business reporter for MediaTec Publishing in Chicago, Ill.* Yvette Jackson... more »

David Letterman and Teach For America | the gindenburg

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

David Letterman and Teach For America | the gindenburg: David Letterman and Teach For Americaby Andrew Ginden David Letterman is a legendary figure in comedy and television. He recently received the highest honor an American performer can be given at the 35th Annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington D.C. From the Kennedy Center website: *In 1992 he received the Peabody Award for taking “one of TV’s most conventional and least inventive forms…and infusing it with freshness and imagination.” In 1981, he won two Daytime Emmy Awards as writer and host for his first show, a quickly ... more »

Online Forum by Parents Across America – The Parent Trigger from California to Florida – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Online Forum by Parents Across America – The Parent Trigger from California to Florida – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Online Forum by Parents Across America – The Parent Trigger from California to Florida by rdsathene The Parent Trigger from California to FloridaSunday, May 26, 2013 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM (PDT)Online Forum - **Email - **Share - **Tweet - FREEParent Trigger Webinar 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 ... more »

Chicago Schools, 2013: Still Separate, Still Unequal | Diane Ravitch's blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Chicago Schools, 2013: Still Separate, Still Unequal | Diane Ravitch's blog: Chicago Schools, 2013: Still Separate, Still Unequal by dianerav The Chicago Teachers Union issued a report on segregation in the Chicago public schools: *New Report Unravels the Sordid History of Racial Segregation in Chicago Public Schools* *On anniversary of *Brown v. Board of Education*, “Still Separate, Still Unequal” examines continued acceptance of de facto segregation and injustices in district schools*** * * * * * * * * *CHICAGO*—On was is the 59th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmar... more »

Teamster Nation: Corporations using prison labor to grab even more cash

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Teamster Nation: Corporations using prison labor to grab even more cash: Corporations using prison labor to grab even more cash by Teamster Power Big business is always looking for a cheaper way to build a widget. And they have found a disturbing solution right here in the U.S. – prison labor. Inmates at the private Lockhart Texas prison, for example, took over the production of circuit boards used by companies such as IBM and Compaq. Meanwhile, at San Quentin State Prison in California, prisoners are handling work previously done at an assembly plant in Mexico. These practices ar... more »

“An old-style civil rights march.” May 18th, 19th and 20th. Chicago. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

“An old-style civil rights march.” May 18th, 19th and 20th. Chicago. | Fred Klonsky: “An old-style civil rights march.” May 18th, 19th and 20th. Chicago. by Fred Klonsky [image: Untitled] The mayor and Board of Education want to destroy 54 school communities. This will be the largest destruction of schools in U.S. history. We need our neighborhood schools and we should all fight together to save them. Join parents, teachers, students, public school workers, clergy, activists and others in the threeday citywide march across the city. They want to divide us. But this is our city, o... more »

Ed Notes Online: Hypocrisy and Protest Over Merryl Tisch Teachers College Award

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Hypocrisy and Protest Over Merryl Tisch Teachers College Award: Hypocrisy and Protest Over Merryl Tisch Teachers College Award by ed notes online There are activists in the educational community and TC alumni who are debating whether to call for a protest of the Merryl Tisch award at your graduation [May 21]. While there are different opinions on this topic, they are all asking if there will be a protest from the graduating students. They realize that you are entering teaching at a very difficult time and they admire your courage. They are hoping that as beginni... more »

GUEST POST: What the Baltimore Sun Won’t Publish – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

GUEST POST: What the Baltimore Sun Won’t Publish – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: GUEST POST: What the Baltimore Sun Won’t Publish by Chalk Face, PhD The following is a “readers response” I sent to the *Baltimore Sun* in response to a commentary posted in the newspaper. Sadly I have had no reply. I am not holding my breath. Silence and ignorance are tools of the oppressive reform movement. Informed community members are a danger to their efforts. *Lost in Translation: A response to “Six Steps for Post-Alonso School Reform”* In their commentary (May 14th, 2013, p.17) called... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Tying Socio-Economic Status to Test Scores

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Tying Socio-Economic Status to Test Scores: Tying Socio-Economic Status to Test Scores by Anngie In speaking to groups about common core and the data collection that is occurring because of it and simultaneously to it, we often get the question, "What is the government's plan for all that data? What are they going to do with it." USA Today reported on a a new white paper released, the U.S. Department of Education which may partially answer that question. The paper (*Improving the Measurement of Socio-Economic Status for the NAEP*) "proposes classifyi... more »

Education Reform in the New Jim Crow Era

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Education Reform in the New Jim Crow Era: Education Reform in the New Jim Crow EraFriday, 17 May 2013 00:00By P.L. Thomas, Truthout | Op-Ed *[image: OFFICERS SCHOOLS CRIME 7 main]Officer Craig Davis, a former municipal policeman now with the Houston school district force, monitors a hallway at E.L. Furr High School in Houston, March 20, 2013. (Photo: Michael Stravato / The New York Times)There are significant parallels between the war on drugs and market-oriented education reform, and both create an underclass - especially among African American males, according to Thomas, who tra...more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, May 17, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Gov. Brown, lawmakers still apart over details of school funding plan* Education Headlines *Friday, May 17, 2013* Claremont school district board passes recommendation to offer career technical education course despite oppositionThe Claremont Unified School District passed a recommendation Thursday to offer a career technical education course as an optional high school graduation requirement in lieu of visual and performing arts or world language course. Robert P. Taylor named new superintendent of Walnut Valley Unified School D... more »

Hypothetical (or not) exercise on inBloom, data, and student privacy – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Hypothetical (or not) exercise on inBloom, data, and student privacy – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Hypothetical (or not) exercise on inBloom, data, and student privacy by Chalk Face, PhD Here’s a little thought experiment. Big Data advocates like inBloom are proposing to collect about 400 data points on every student in states that contract with this company. That’s a pretty long list. Presented as such, it may seem fairly innocuous. Your child’s school already has this information on file for the most part. All that needs to be done is to compile it from various documen... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's latest catch phrase: 'Balancing equity'

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's latest catch phrase: 'Balancing equity': Rahm's latest catch phrase: 'Balancing equity' by Mike Klonsky 'Some will pay less. Some will not.' That's balance. *"We balance those equities. Do it in a thoughtful and sensitive way...What comes with the office is, you've got to make the tough decisions that balance a lot of different equities and do what's best for the city and everybody involved...Our early retirees--we're giving them a runway until 2017 as we transition people to the health care exchanges that will offer them the opportunity to b... more »

Child mental health experts to speak out on school closings Parents United for Responsible Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Child mental health experts to speak out on school closings: Child mental health experts to speak out on school closings by admin [image: speakout]With the help of the wonderful CReATE members Diane Horwitz and Ann Aviles de Bradley, PURE is putting on a press conference next Tuesday, the day before the May 22 school closings vote, to present the concerns of child mental health experts about the negative impact of school closings on children. Here’s the press alert we just sent out: Press Alert May 17, 2013 *Contact:* - J... more »

Open Letter to Secretary Duncan from PAA Michigan affiliate leader | Parents Across America

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Open Letter to Secretary Duncan from PAA Michigan affiliate leader | Parents Across America: Open Letter to Secretary Duncan from PAA Michigan affiliate leader by pureparents Submitted by Steven Norton, head of Michigan Parents for Schools, 05/07/2013 Sec. Duncan visited two schools in Detroit, one of them an EAA school, and the Perry Child Development Center in Ypsilanti. Our letter points out the conflict between the educational values Sec. Duncan has espoused, and which are the foundation of Perry’s High/Scope model, and the urgent direction of education policy in Michigan. ----... more »

The Malloy/Pryor Education Reform Consultant Full Employment Gravy Train - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

The Malloy/Pryor Education Reform Consultant Full Employment Gravy Train - Wait, What?: The Malloy/Pryor Education Reform Consultant Full Employment Gravy Train by jonpelto While it’s true that Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor, has failed to fill some of the most critically important administrative positions in his agency that actually serve Connecticut’s schools and children, such as a Bureau Chief for the Special Education Division, Pryor’s dedication to retaining corporate education reform consulting companies and corporate education consultants is impressive. ... more »

Lisa Nielsen: The Innovative Educator: Do we have to choose between student voice and teacher voice?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Lisa Nielsen: The Innovative Educator: Do we have to choose between student voice and teacher voice?: Do we have to choose between student voice and teacher voice? by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) ** ** *It turns out my support of student activist Jeff Bliss caused at least one teacher to announce on his blog that he wants to quit Tweeting and blogging. * * Friends bombarded me with the link, accompanied with comments like, “This is great. We don’t need someone like that representing our profession.” Or, “Wow. He must really be threatened by students being heard. I think that... more »

A Little Test for Test Junkies (and Time Traveling with Vonnegut) – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

A Little Test for Test Junkies (and Time Traveling with Vonnegut) – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: A Little Test for Test Junkies (and Time Traveling with Vonnegut) by plthomasedd f you are a proponent of testing, please take the following test: 1) Do you think public education is currently fulfilling its purpose in the U.S.? *[If you answer "No," please continue.]* 2) Did you know that public schools began to depend heavily on testing in the early 2oth century? *[If you answer "Yes," please continue.]* 3) Did you know public schools have focused on high-stakes testing as p... more »

UPDATE: Thousands of Philly students marching down Broad Street now + If tweeting is an art, Weingarten is no Picasso. She’s barely a George W. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

If tweeting is an art, Weingarten is no Picasso. She’s barely a George W. | Fred Klonsky: Thousands of Philly students marching down Broad Street now. by Fred Klonsky [image: 487618_10151579020446740_1563538780_n] Thousands of Philadelphia public school students are marching down Broad Street as I am writing this. *“We are willing to break the stereotypes and expectations of urban youth, and are taking this opportunity to tell the world that urban school districts deserve funding, and it is your responsibility under the Commonwealth Charter to provide us with more than a ‘bare bones... more »

Modern School: Greece Outlaws Teachers Strike

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Modern School: Greece Outlaws Teachers Strike: Greece Outlaws Teachers Strike by Michael Dunn The Greek government has outlawed a teachers strike set to begin on May 17. The government signed a civil mobilization order banning the strike, something that previously had only been used in times of national emergencies, according the WSWS. This is the first time the tactic has been used preemptively before a strike has even started. Workers who violate the order are subject to being fired, arrested and jailed. Since the imposition of austerity in 2008, the Greek government has relied ... more »

Gov. Corbett Taps William Harner as New Education Secretary | PoliticsPA

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Gov. Corbett Taps William Harner as New Education Secretary | PoliticsPA: Gov. Corbett Taps William Harner as New Education Secretary *Written by Kevin Horne, Contributing Writer* * * * Broad Superintendents Academy 2005* [image: william-harner-0eb25d23c4ec5b46] Governor Corbett confirmed yesterday what the Philadelphia Inquirer reported last week — Secretary of Education Ron Tomalis is on his way out. Tomalis will leave his post on May 31 to become Special Adviser to the Governor on Higher Education, per a press release from the governor’s office, making the same salary that he did i... more »

There Is Much to Get Right—or Wrong—About the Common Core | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

There Is Much to Get Right—or Wrong—About the Common Core | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: There Is Much to Get Right—or Wrong—About the Common Core by American Federation of Teachers *By Marla Ucelli-Kashyap, Assistant to the President for Educational Issues, **American Federation of Teachers**(AFT)* Last month, AFT president, Randi Weingarten called for a moratorium on the stakes associated with Common Core-aligned assessments. Let me be clear, the AFT has long been a supporter of higher common standards and expectations for all students, regardless of ZIP co... more »

MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-17-13 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] PBS in Houston: Watch the Faces of the Students by dianerav A reader from Houston suggests that we watch the PBS documentary on Houston’s Apollo program and watch the faces of the students: He writes: To see how many kids react to an overemphasis on testing, watch Dropout Nation. PBS Frontline’s Dropout Nation series featured HISD and its Apollo Program in its September broadcast. While there are some good Rothstein: Advice to Future Teachers by dianerav Ri... more »

Money contines to pours, unevenly, into LA Unified school board race | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Money contines to pours, unevenly, into LA Unified school board race | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Money contines to pours, unevenly, into LA Unified school board race by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez *District 6 School Board Candidate, Antonio Sanchez is a political newcomer who studied urban planning and worked for Antonio Villaraigosa.; Credit: Rebecca Hill/KPCC* As she walked onto a rally in front of the Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters on Tuesday, Monica Ratliff was greeted as a minor celebrity. Hundreds of union workers were applying pressure on the school board to spend... more »

Daily Kos: 59 years ago today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Daily Kos: 59 years ago today: 59 years ago today by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) the Supreme Court of the United States UNANIMOUSLY issued two important decisions about public schools. The better known is Brown v. Board of Education, in which in his opinion Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote to separate them from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone. . . . Segregation of white and colored children in pub... more »

Important endorsements for Monica Ratliff for LAUSD Board of Education – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Important endorsements for Monica Ratliff for LAUSD Board of Education – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Important endorsements for Monica Ratliff for LAUSD Board of Education MAY 17, 2013 BY RDSATHENE LEAVE A COMMENT Professor Diane Ravitch — Monica Ratliff for Los Angeles School Board [image: Professor Diane Ravitch endorses Monica Ratliff for LAUSD]There is a big race in Los Angeles on May 21. It is a run-off that will determine who controls the board. There are two candidates. One–Monica Ratliff–is a working classroom teacher, the other worked on the staff of corporate-fri... more »

Education Research Report: CDC issues first comprehensive report on children’s mental health in the United States

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Education Research Report: CDC issues first comprehensive report on children’s mental health in the United States: CDC issues first comprehensive report on children’s mental health in the United States by Jonathan Kantrowitz Children’s mental disorders affect boys and girls of all ages, ethnic/racial backgrounds, and regions of the United States. Previous studies estimate up to 1 in 5 children have mental disorder and a new CDC MMWR Supplement finds that millions of American children live with depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, Tourette syndrome or a host of ot... more »