Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-6-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

National Teacher Day, May 7, 2013

Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Alonso Announces Retirement | Re:education in Baltimore

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago

Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Alonso Announces Retirement | Re:education in Baltimore: Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Alonso Announces Retirement by Edit Barry From my inbox: Monday, May 6, 2013 Dear City Schools Partners and Friends, I am writing to you today to let you know that at the end of the current school year, I will retire and leave Baltimore City Public Schools and this great city to return to my home in New Jersey to care for my aging parents and begin an academic position at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. It has not been an easy decision, because wh... more »

Celebrating and Listening to Our Nation’s Teachers | ED.gov Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago

Celebrating and Listening to Our Nation’s Teachers | ED.gov Blog: Celebrating and Listening to Our Nation’s Teachers by Arne Duncan So many of America’s teachers are amazing. Each day, they take on the extraordinary responsibility and highly complex work of moving all students forward. As I visit schools across the country and talk with teachers at the U.S. Department of Education, they astound me continually with what they accomplish every day. Not only are teachers some of the smartest, most compassionate people I know, but they do work that few of us could accomplish on our bes... more »

Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week | NEA Today #thankateacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

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

The “Madigan 62″. Illinois House members who voted to violate the Illinois Constitution. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

The “Madigan 62″. Illinois House members who voted to violate the Illinois Constitution. | Fred Klonsky: The “Madigan 62″. Illinois House members who voted to violate the Illinois Constitution. by Fred Klonsky Here are the names of the “Madigan 62.” House members who voted to violate the Illinois Constitutions pension protection clause. Edward J. Acevedo Bills Committees 2 D Luis Arroyo Bills Committees 3 D Patricia R. Bellock Bills Committees 47 R Maria Antonia Berrios Bills Committees 39 D John E. Bradley Bills Committees 117 D Daniel J. Burke Bills Committees 1 D Kelly Burke Bill... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

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

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

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

Monday on the Whole Child Virtual Conference — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

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

End NJ Tax Subsidies for High Stakes Testing “Monster” Pearson – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

End NJ Tax Subsidies for High Stakes Testing “Monster” Pearson – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: End NJ Tax Subsidies for High Stakes Testing “Monster” Pearson by freetoteach *Pearson, Inc: Bad tax subsidies for bad education policies.* *End NJ Tax Subsidies for High Stakes Testing Giant Pearson, Inc.* *TUESDAY, May 14TH, 12:00PM* *Hoboken River Ferry, 1401 Frank Sinatra Drive, Hoboken NJ* • End corporate welfare and fund our public schools! • Protest tax subsidy ‘payoffs for layoffs’ to test publishing giant Pearson! *Governor Christie gave Pearson Education, Inc. an $80 mi... more »

Wall Street ♥ charter schools | Muckety - See the news

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

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

DeKalb marches to own tune: Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

DeKalb marches to own tune: Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: DeKalb marches to own tune: Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to court we go By Maureen Downey The AJC has a story that will not surprise faithful DeKalb Schools watchers: The DeKalb County School District has spent more on lawyers than comparable Atlanta school systems for years, and is on track to spend even more. Cultures develop in any institution, and DeKalb seems to have developed one in which going to court to resolve issues is a way of life. Once a court fight starts,... more »

National Teacher Day, May 7, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

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

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-6-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] How the “Rich Boyz” of School Reform Struck Out in Boston by dianerav EduShyster here tells the heartwarming story of how DFER tried to elect one of their own in Boston (white, privileged, no experience or knowledge of public schools necessary) and lost. If you recall, the California Democratic Party called out DFER as a front for Republican and corporate interests. Here are the key paragraphs of the resolution: “Whereas, the political action committee, entitle... more »

Louisiana Educator: The Course Choice Cancer

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

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

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

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

They made him take the test

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

They made him take the test: They made him take the test Posted by Valerie Strauss on May 6, 2013 at 4:00 am 3 Comments More [image: cfnews13.com/c] cfnews13.com Nobody stopped it. Nobody in Florida with the power to do so stopped the state from forcing a 9-year-old boy named Michael, who was born with a brain stem but not a complete brain, from taking an alternative version of the standardized Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. He is blind and he can’t talk, nor can he understand basic information, but, yes, Michael had to “take” the test. I wrote about Michael recently when ... more »

UPDATE: Just as basketball doesn’t define who I am, neither does being gay.Daily Kos: "The Chutzpah Caucus"

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Daily Kos: Krugman writes about "The Chutzpah Caucus": "Just as basketball doesn’t define who I am, neither does being gay." by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) That is just one line from Griner Is Part of Mission to Help All Live in Truth, a *New York Times* op ed by the two-time Naismith Trophy winner that i urge people to read. She begins by praising Jason Collins for his recent statement, expresses a hope that it will indicate our approaching a new era when people accept and celebrate one another’s differences. I think that’s what makes life beautiful: everyone is different and we... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky Roberts was told to "blow up" and "dismantle" Detroit schools*Roy Roberts, Emergency Manager of Detroit Public Schools * *According to a Detroit Free Press article, he also revealed that when he first entered his job in 2011, he was told to "blow up the district and dismantle it." --*Huffpost Detroit *Dana Goldstein* * If smaller, themed schools are better for kids -- and there is significant evidence they are -- the question then becomes, how can districts transition to such a system without lea... more »

Student's-Eye View of NJ's Statewide Tests - NJ Spotlight

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Student's-Eye View of NJ's Statewide Tests - NJ Spotlight: Student's-Eye View of NJ's Statewide Tests When your kids sit down to one of NJ's state tests, what do they need to know? For all the talk these days about the value of New Jersey’s state tests for judging schools and teachers, here’s your chance to judge for yourself. Related Links NJ ASK Grades 3-5 Parent, Student & Teacher Information Guide For the next five days, as students across the state take the NJ ASK elementary school tests, NJ Spotlight will run sample questions from the exams to give you a view into what the sta... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

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

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

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

Common core drives revision of English learner assessments too

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

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

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

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

Seattle Schools Community Forum: In Which Michael Tolley Reveals The Plan to Dismantle Advanced Learning

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: In Which Michael Tolley Reveals The Plan to Dismantle Advanced Learning: In Which Michael Tolley Reveals The Plan to Dismantle Advanced Learning by Charlie Mas At the regular Board Legislative Meeting on Wednesday, May 1 there was a discussion of the proposed policy 2190, Highly Capable Services. You can watch the video here. Jump to 87:55 of part two for the start of the conversation. First you will hear Shauna Heath speak carefully so that she does not equate Highly Capable Services with APP. At first, I attributed this to Ms Heath's distinctive... more »

Legislature moves to protect career tech SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: Legislature moves to protect career tech *By Kimberly Beltran* Monday, May 06, 2013 When Gov. Jerry Brown unveiled his new education spending plan as part of his January budget, Christine Hoffman, who oversees one of the largest career preparation programs in California, knew she – and arguably, the rest of the state – had a problem. The governor’s budget would consolidate myriad education funds into one giant pool of money to be redistributed to districts, removing restrictions on cash previously allocated for specific programs and wiping... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

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

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

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

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

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

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

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

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

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

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

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

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

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

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

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

‘I dare you to do better’ — Obama’s Ohio State commencement speech

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

‘I dare you to do better’ — Obama’s Ohio State commencement speech: ‘I dare you to do better’ — Obama’s Ohio State commencement speech Posted by Valerie Strauss on May 5, 2013 at 4:10 pm 0 Comments More [image: (By Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty Images)] (By Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty Images) Here is the text of the commencement address that President Obama gave on Sunday at The Ohio State University (as prepared for delivery by the White House): Hello, Buckeyes! Thank you Dr. Gee, the Board of Trustees, Congresswoman Beatty, Mayor Coleman, and all of you who make up The Ohio State University f... more »

The consistently wrong path to better schools by Wendy Lecker - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

The consistently wrong path to better schools by Wendy Lecker - Wait, What?: The consistently wrong path to better schools by Wendy Lecker by jonpelto Wendy Lecker, the pro-public education advocate and fellow columnist hits it out of the park; again, with a new commentary piece in Stamford Advocate entitled “The consistently wrong path to better Schools. Improving education achievement in our major cities must be a top priority for all of Connecticut’s citizens. Access to higher quality public schools is a fundamental American right, and is even guaranteed by Connecticut’s Cons... more »

Beneath the Surface: More Public School Dismantling in SC – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Beneath the Surface: More Public School Dismantling in SC – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Beneath the Surface: More Public School Dismantling in SC by plthomasedd My home state of South Carolina is a poster child of disfunction, a self-loathing mutt of myopic bible-thumping, state-rights’ libertarianism mated with historical and systemic poverty born out of racism and the lingering burden of slavery. SC voted for Newt Gingrich in the 2012 Republican presidential primaries and now stands as the home of former-governor turned Appalachian-trail-hiking pro-family Mark Sanfor... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » My Trip to #CaDem13 (the California Democratic Party Convention)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » My Trip to #CaDem13 (the California Democratic Party Convention): My Trip to #CaDem13 (the California Democratic Party Convention) by alicemercer A few weeks back, the California State Democratic Convention came to Sacramento, and I was there. Although I was not able to win a seat as a delegate, I helped out at the CTA (California Teachers Association) booth and got a non-voting pass. During my booth time, I talked to a political consultant from the Southland. He bemoaned the unwillingness of teachers to engage in direct political campaign... more »

Ed Notes Online: Stop the Machine: Put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels...

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Stop the Machine: Put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels...: Stop the Machine: Put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels... by ed notes online “There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part! You can't even passively take part! And you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels…upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop! And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, t... more »

Not guilty pleas entered in Atlanta cheating case - Yahoo! News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Not guilty pleas entered in Atlanta cheating case - Yahoo! News: Not guilty pleas entered in Atlanta cheating case[image: Associated Press] By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY | Associated Press – Fri, May 3, 2013 [image: Former Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Beverly Hall, right, waits for motions at a Fulton County Superior Court hearing for several dozen Atlanta Public Schools educators facing charges alleging a conspiracy of cheating on the CRCT standardized tests in Atlanta, Friday, May 3, 2013. (AP Photo/David Tulis)] ATLANTA (AP) — A not guilty plea was entered Friday on behalf... more »

Rumpelstiltskin as Policy | Deborah Meier on Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Rumpelstiltskin as Policy | Deborah Meier on Education: Rumpelstiltskin as Policy by debmeier There she was–ordered by the King to turn straw into gold within 24 hours…as I recall. Terrified she agreed to give up her first born child to Rumpelstiltskin in return for his promise to do so. But, when the time came she recognized that she couldn’t go through with it… So she cheated and discovered his name–and was free at last. Now children are neither straw nor gold (see previous blog) but the deal we’re making with the devil bears similar risks–inch by inch the day of Rumpelstiltski... more »

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

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

Paris Is For Lovers (Of Excellence) | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Paris Is For Lovers (Of Excellence) | EduShyster: Paris Is For Lovers (Of Excellence) by edushyster2012 * * *Bonjour tout le monde!* EduShyster has just returned from an exciting (and excellent) adventure in Paris. But what was I doing there, inquiring minds want to know? Like your own grand dame, the unstoppable Madam Wendy Kopp, I find that one continent is simply no longerenough to contain my ambition (or excellence). *C’est une blague!* (This is a joke!) I was really in Paris to celebrate the official international celebration of non-excellence: May Day. My excellent adventure ... more »

Go Public Project GO PUBLIC: A Day in the Life of PUSD

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Home « Go Public Project: Sparking A Dialogue Four of the GO PUBLIC shorts were screened at the High Falls Film Festival followed by a panel discussion with education experts from the area. […] read more » One Year Later… On May 8, 2012 we filmed! On May 8, 2013 we celebrate! GO PUBLIC: A Day in the Life of an American School District May […] read more » WATCH GO PUBLIC GO PUBLIC Voices Hear about PUSD from those who are living the experience of public education every day. read more » Meet the team. It takes 50 directors to shoot 50 films in a single day. Meet some of the talen... more »

Many Closets, One Fear: How Not to Be Seen | the becoming radical

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Many Closets, One Fear: How Not to Be Seen | the becoming radical: Many Closets, One Fear: How Not to Be Seen Posted on May 5, 2013 by plthomasedd This starts with caveats and clarifications so please be patient. I am white, male, and heterosexual—by the coincidences of my birth, many of my defining characteristics place me in the norm of my culture and combine to bestow upon me through no merit on my part a great deal of privilege. Below, then, I am making no claim that the closets I have suffered and that others suffer share some sort of ultimate *equivalence* even though they sha... more »

States Fighting Back Map Update | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

States Fighting Back Map Update | Truth in American Education: States Fighting Back Map Update by chascherrie Here is an updated map. North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have been added. You can download the map by clicking on the down arrow at the bottom of the document. You can get a download link and embed code by clicking the share this file envelope just to the left of the down arrow. *Retaining Constitutionally Guaranteed Liberty and State Sovereignty Rejecting the Common Core State Standards* The Pending Rejection states are so marked as a result of serious discussion... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: They come and they go

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: They come and they go: They come and they go by Mike Klonsky Catalyst follows the comings and goings of the cogs in Chicago's corporate reform wheel. The latest to catch my eye is *Oliver Sicat,* who leaves CPS to become the CEO and president of Edvocate, the charter management organization overseeing USC Hydrid High School in Los Angeles. SicatSicat was the founder of University of Illinois at Chicago College Prep, a campus of the Noble Street Charters Schools. USC Hybrid High, now in its first year, is a charter school authorized by the Los An... more »

UPDATE: A worry weekend + Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky: A worry weekend. by Fred Klonsky Last week Madigan got what he wanted. 62 Illinois House Representatives voted for his amended Senate Bill 1 which would gut public employee pensions. It would cut cost of living increases, raise the age when COLAs would be applicable, cap pensionable earnings and increase worker contributions to the pension system. All unconstitutional in the opinion of many. Including me. 51 voted no. 2 voted present. Present? “How do you feel about the constitutionality and morality of cutting pensions to those who contributed to the s... more »

UFT elections: another look at New Action and MORE votes | JD2718

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

UFT elections: another look at New Action and MORE votes | JD2718: UFT elections: another look at New Action and MORE votes by jd2718 We’ve already seen that votes flipped to New Action from ICE/TJC in 2010, and back to MORE in 2013. But has the overall non-Unity vote changed? I’m hardly the first to draw this conclusion. It has changed, but not much. Let’s start with the raw numbers: YearELEMMS/JHS/ISHigh SchoolFunctionalRetireesNACI/T/MNACI/T/MNACI/T/MNAC I/T/MNACI/T/M20045561,2393114227001,4175129901,55887220075621,337273444521 1,5245481,0321,6161,06120109787034212487741,3691,175708... more »

NYC Educator: Letter to File

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

NYC Educator: Letter to File: Letter to File by NYC Educator Dear Ms. Teacher: On May 1st, I met with you and UFT Chapter Leader Sleepy McBraindead in my office. We discussed your failure to give the required anti-bullying instruction on your class. You admitted openly flaunting a direct order from me to teach anti-bullying. You claimed that anti-bullying lessons were implicit in your instruction of *To Kill a Mockingbird*. I directly instructed you not to teach this novel, and to focus more on Common Core non-fiction pieces. I suggested the excellent *The History of Cement* and ... more »

Rich Parents Love Small Class Sizes - Dana Goldstein

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Rich Parents Love Small Class Sizes - Dana Goldstein: Rich Parents Love Small Class Sizes by Dana Goldstein In the Sunday *Times*, Sara Mosle suggests that the way to square the circle on the class size debate--while working within current budget limitations--is to guarantee smaller classes for poor children only, while setting up pilot projects to test the thesis of Bill Gates, Arne Duncan, Mike Bloomberg, and Mitt Romney: That excellent teachers might be willing to take on 3-5 more students per class for a moderate pay raise, say $5,000 or $10,000, and that the result would be ... more »

Dallas Achieves leaders say Superintendent Mike Miles’ actions ‘pose serious risks’ to Dallas ISD | Education Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Dallas Achieves leaders say Superintendent Mike Miles’ actions ‘pose serious risks’ to Dallas ISD | Education Blog: Dallas Achieves leaders say Superintendent Mike Miles’ actions ‘pose serious risks’ to Dallas ISD by Tawnell Hobbs Reporter Rudy Bush reports on Dallas Achieves leaders who say that Superintendent Mike Miles’ actions ‘pose serious risk’ to Dallas ISD. A three-page letter by the Dallas Achieves Commission was sent last night by co-chairs Arcilia Acosta, Pettis Norman and J. McDonald Williams. The commission was formed under former Superintendent Michael Hinojosa to r... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

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

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Issue: Education Issue's Views - Today:18 - Past Seven Days:196 - All-Time:56,889 Most Recent Has Become Law Back to All IssuesView Hot Bills By Issues AreaSee Bills for Previous Sessions Latest Bills - H.R.1802 - Sandra Day O'Connor Civic Learning Act of 2013 To authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to promote civic learning and engagement, and for other purposes. Introduced Apr 26, 2013133 Views - S.Res.126 A resolution recognizing the teachers of the United States for their contr... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

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

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