Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-14-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

Six Reasons Why Race-and-IQ Scholarship is an Intellectual and Moral Dead End |

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 minutes ago

Six Reasons Why Race-and-IQ Scholarship is an Intellectual and Moral Dead End |: Six Reasons Why Race-and-IQ Scholarship is an Intellectual and Moral Dead End by Angus Johnston In his post today on the Jason Richwine race-and-IQ controversy, Andrew Sullivan begins by acknowledging that Richwine’s recent study of ethnicity and immigration for the Heritage Foundation is worthless as a work of scholarship or public policy . He goes on to acknowledge that Richwine himself has a habit of consorting with white supremacists — his phrase, not mine. So far so good. But Sullivan goes on t... more »

Panel to discuss pushback on high-stakes testing | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 minutes ago

Panel to discuss pushback on high-stakes testing | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Panel to discuss pushback on high-stakes testingby Helen Gym on May 14 2013 Posted in Commentary ="" style="color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on email COMMENTS (0)PRINT A panel on high-stakes testing features prominent speakers Michelle Fine and Stan Karp. High-stakes testing and communities pushing back have been all over the news lately. Just this week, Senate Democratic leaders held a press conference opposing the implementation of Keystone exams,... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: A Good Day for Seattle Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: A Good Day for Seattle Education: A Good Day for Seattle Education by Melissa Westbrook I just got back from a news conference where it was announced that the City of Seattle will be investing $500,000 in arts education in Seattle Public Schools. This will advance the already established partnership between the City and SPS called The Creative Advantage. The goal is one hour of music and one hour of visual arts per week for every single student in SPS by 2020. The investment dollars came from something of a surprising source - admission tax reve... more »

More on Opting Out of SOL Exams in Virginia | PWC Education Reform Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

More on Opting Out of SOL Exams in Virginia | PWC Education Reform Blog: More on Opting Out of SOL Exams in Virginia by pwceducationreform Parents refusing to allow their children to be tested on state exams has been a hot topic of late across the nation. The Washington Post recently ran several stories about the issue focusing on the statutes in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC. One article stated that Students in the DC area can’t opt out state standardized tests. The article quoted Charles Pyle, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Education, as stating, *“all stu... more »

Torlakson Reacts to May Revise - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Torlakson Reacts to May Revise - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Issues Statement on Governor's May Revision SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today issued the following statement after Governor Brown released his May Revision of the 2013-14 state budget: "As a teacher, it's heartening to finally see new resources directed to California's schools after so many years of painful cuts. Californians want our schools back on solid financial ground, and Governor Brown's proposal represents another important step in ... more »

The Real Truth About CPS School Closings- Substance News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

News from James Patrick - Substance News: The Real Truth About CPS School Closings James Patrick - May 14, 2013 Seventy-seven percent of African Americans in Chicago do not approve of CPS's plans to close schools and move children to other schools. CPS a few weeks ago announced 54 school closings, 11 school co-locations (with charter schools), and 6 turnarounds, estimating that approximately 30,000 students would be impacted by these actions. However, this is not true. These school actions will affect 133 schools and 47,500 students in these proposed school actions. There are three... more »

Retirement Heist: Illinois Style | Reclaim Reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Retirement Heist: Illinois Style | Reclaim Reform: Retirement Heist: Illinois Style Posted on May 14, 2013by kenpreviti Retirees and active teachers, along with many other public employees, are being scammed, pillage, ripped-off and betrayed. The script of this cruel Kabuki Theater of Absurd Greed has been performed, word-for-word, many times before. The 2011 nonfiction book by Ellen E. Schultz, Retirement Heist, has been plentifully awarded and updated. [image: Retirement_Heist] Jon Stewart has had Ellen Schultz on as a guest to discuss the book. The New York Times and the Wall Str... more »

Victory in Seattle as Teachers Win Battle in Standardized Test Boycott | Common Dreams

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Victory in Seattle as Teachers Win Battle in Standardized Test Boycott | Common Dreams: Victory in Seattle as Teachers Win Battle in Standardized Test Boycott Controversial test will not be given in high schools next year, but teachers vow to continue until test is removed at all grade levels - Jon Queally, staff writer Seattle teachers who took a strong and public stance by refusing to administer a "flawed" but mandatory standardized test earlier this school year are celebrating a victory after an announcement by the school district saying the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) te... more »

The most important problem facing American children today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

The most important problem facing American children today: The most important problem facing American children today By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 14, 2013 at 2:19 pmE-mail the writer [image: poverty chart]What is the most important problem facing American children today? According to the Academic Pediatric Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is the effects of poverty on the health and well being of young people. But, they concede, there is no sustained focus on childhood poverty, or a unified pediatric voice speaking on the problem, or a comprehensive appr... more »

Breaking the Glass Ceiling of Achievement for Low-Income Students and Students of Color | Education Trust

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Breaking the Glass Ceiling of Achievement for Low-Income Students and Students of Color | Education Trust: Breaking the Glass Ceiling of Achievement for Low-Income Students and Students of Color [image: Printer-friendly version]Printer-friendly version[image: Share this] While gaps between student groups have narrowed over time at the below basic level of performance, gaps at the advanced level have widened. And among higher income groups, gap-widening between white students and students of color is more pronounced. Educators seeking to close gaps must raise the bar for *all* st... more »

Ed Notes Online: NATIONAL TEACHER PETITION: Tell Teachers College to take a stand for REAL teaching and learning! No award for Merryl Tisch!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: NATIONAL TEACHER PETITION: Tell Teachers College to take a stand for REAL teaching and learning! No award for Merryl Tisch!: NATIONAL TEACHER PETITION: Tell Teachers College to take a stand for REAL teaching and learning! No award for Merryl Tisch! by ed notes online In the field of slime that is corporate deform, I put Merryl Tisch pretty high up on the list. That bastion of so-called progressive education, Teachers College, is giving Tisch an award at their graduation ceremony this month. And TC President Susan Fuhrman is quickly closing in. Many people are not h... more »

It’s About the Kids | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

It’s About the Kids | EduShyster: It’s About the Kids by edushyster2012 When a major Wall Street investor and the CEO of a fast growing chain of charter schools get together for a chat, what do you suppose they talk about? Well that’s obvious. They talk about the kids of course, and their shared dream of *crushing* the achievement gap in order to put those kids on a path leading straight to 21st century skills and success. In fact, when an executive from Prudential Financial and the CEO of the UNO Charter Schools in Chicago conversated this spring, the kids were topic #1. Let’s li... more »

Unified Backlash to Education Mandates Grows, Spreads

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Unified Backlash to Education Mandates Grows, Spreads: Unified Backlash to Education Mandates Grows, Spreads ** “It’s always hard to tell for sure exactly when a revolution starts,” wrote John Tierny in *The Atlantic* recently. “I’m not an expert on revolutions,” he continued, “but even I can see that a new one is taking shape in American K-12 public education.” Tierney pointed to a number of signs of the coming “revolution:” - Teachers refusing to give standardized tests, parents opting their kids out of tests, and students boycotting tests. - Legislators reconsidering ... more »

Governor to add $1 billion for schools to adopt common core standards | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Governor to add $1 billion for schools to adopt common core standards | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Governor to add $1 billion for schools to adopt common core standards by Julie Small Governor Jerry Brown's revised budget plan being released Tuesday morning will add an extra $1 billion for K-12 schools to fund districts’ adoption of new common core standards — about $170 per student. The Governor will also propose an extra $240 million for base district funding as part of his funding overhaul. Administration officials revealed the details to the Associated Press on the eve of the b... more »

UPDATE: MAY REVISE Governor Brown Boosts Investment in Schools California State Budget

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

California State Budget: Governor Brown Boosts Investment in Schools, Continues Call for Fiscal Restraint in Revised State Budget 5-14-2013 SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. released a revised and balanced state budget today that strengthens California’s fiscal integrity by investing in California's schools, chipping away billions from the "Wall of Debt" and maintaining a prudent reserve. "This budget builds a solid foundation for California's future by investing in our schools, continuing to pay down our debts and establishing a prudent reserve," said Governor Brown. "Bu... more »

UPDATE: May waiver calendar at SBE includes relief from Open Enrollment SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: * * Revised May budget sweetens base grant, adds flexible $1b for common core Signaling a likely transition to student testing based on the common core standards by spring 2015, Gov. Jerry Brown announced Tuesday a plan to earmark $1 billion of the spring revenue windfall to help schools buy new textbooks, make technology improvements and provide teacher training to implement the new curriculum standards. Brown’s revised May budget – buoyed by close to $4.5 billion in tax collections above estimates made in January –also moves to tamp down pol... more »

North, South, East, West NPE News Briefs are the BEST ← from The Network for Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

NPE News Briefs ← from The Network for Public Education: *NPE News Briefs* * * * * 1 2 3 4 5 6 … 103 Next » The pieces are all starting to come together. ..and the picture ain’t good | Crazy Crawfish’s Blog MAY 14 2013 by Crazy Crawfish – Thanks to Lefty, Dave Lefkowith, John White’s data scam is starting to take on a clearer shape. I just got another document from good ole Lefty from another new vendor called Cambium Education and Sopris Learning. It appears John White is planning to provide all of our student data to yet another inBloom-like vendor ... read more → **Broad Foun... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Senate Bill 210 Voted Unanimously Out of House Education Committee

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Senate Bill 210 Voted Unanimously Out of House Education Committee: Senate Bill 210 Voted Unanimously Out of House Education Committee by Anngie May 13, 2013 The House Education Committee held their hearing on senate bill 210 (Lamping-R). Representative Kurt Bahr led the bill in front of the committee and addressed questions for almost 20 minutes. Bill supporters were given approximately 25 minutes to testify including testimony from Anne Gassel, Gretchen Logue and Jerry Briehan. When called, there was no official opposition to the bill. However, Com... more »

UPDATE: Missouri Common Core Transparency Bill Passes Out of Committee | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Missouri Common Core Transparency Bill Passes Out of Committee | Truth in American Education: Pennsylvania Senate Democrats Urge Slowdown of Common Core by Shane Vander Hart [image: Pennsylvania State Capitol]Via FYI by PLS – this is a subscription based website so I’m sharing quotes given by the Pennsylvania Senate Minority Leader, State Senator Jay Costa (D-Allegheny): Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) said implementation of the Common Core Standards is another example of the Corbett Administration’s “quiet changes” that “lack legislative input.” He compared the roll out of the Commo... more »

FBI wants Lakewood school board's contracts, bills | The Asbury Park Press NJ | app.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FBI wants Lakewood school board's contracts, bills | The Asbury Park Press NJ | app.com: FBI wants Lakewood school board's contracts, billsSubpoena issued for records back to '08 with special-ed provider http://www.app.com/videonetwork/2379705053001/Fury-at-Lakewood-BOE-meeting *LAKEWOOD* — The FBI has issued a subpoena to the Board of Education for contracts, bills and invoices dating back to 2008 with Catapult Learning, Catapult services and Ocean Health Initiatives, the board attorney announced during Monday night’s meeting. Steve Edelstein, attorney for the school board, said ... more »

Next step in closing achievement gap: Moving more students... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Next step in closing achievement gap: Moving more students... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: Next step in closing achievement gap: Moving more students beyond basic [image: Overcoming achievement gap] By Maureen Downey *In a new report on narrowing the achievement gap*, Education Trust concludes, "If we are going to close America’s long-standing gaps in achievement, we need not only to bring up our low-performing low income students and students of color, but also to accelerate our middle and higher performers to even higher levels of achievement." Writing in the fo... more »

Monty Neill: Authentic Assessment as Part of a Testing Reform Campaign - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Monty Neill: Authentic Assessment as Part of a Testing Reform Campaign - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Monty Neill: Authentic Assessment as Part of a Testing Reform Campaign by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Monty Neill.* Part two of a three post series. The U.S. stands alone among economically developed nations in its excessive use of high-stakes standardized testing. While the U.S. mandates testing in grades 3-8 and once in high school, with some states or districts requiring more, other nations range from almost no testing (e.g., Finland and Wales) to testing in abou... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, May 14, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Fensterwald: School funding will be focus, source of contention, of Brown’s revised budget* Education Headlines *Tuesday, May 14, 2013* Fensterwald: School funding will be focus, source of contention, of Brown’s revised budgetDemocrats in the Legislature may find themselves at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on two issues that will factor large when Brown reveals his revised state budget Tuesday: how to spend billions in unanticipated revenue and how to reshape Brown’s sweeping plan for funding K-12 education. Nine San Fernando Valley... more »

In Defense Of (Gulp) Packets. Worksheets, Too. - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

In Defense Of (Gulp) Packets. Worksheets, Too. - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: In Defense Of (Gulp) Packets. Worksheets, Too. by Nancy Flanagan When my son was in high school, his band teacher used "theory packets" as fill-in work for days when he was absent from the classroom or had something other than whole-group instruction on his personal agenda. These packets were the absolute worst kind of make-work: poor copies reproduced (without permission) from an old college-level music theory workbook, disconnected from the learning goals of regular class lesson... more »

GOP to Malloy: No Worries, we don’t want to win… - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

GOP to Malloy: No Worries, we don’t want to win… - Wait, What?: GOP to Malloy: No Worries, we don’t want to win… by jonpelto File this one under the headline; *Connecticut Republicans reiterate dedication to snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory…* Faced with the reality that Governor Malloy has spent the last two years alienating just about everyone and every group that was part of the coalition that put him into the governor’s office, the Republicans could be facing an unprecedented opportunity to beat an incumbent governor. It would take a history buff to recall when that la... more »

Why the kids of the 1% are still better than your kids – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Why the kids of the 1% are still better than your kids – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Why the kids of the 1% are still better than your kids by Chalk Face, PhD Because they can afford to hire “disabled” tour guides to help them jump ahead in lines at Disney. BOOM! From the New York Post. Can We Agree to a New Approach to School Improvement? by John Thompson PBS’s first education TED talk began with the promise that it would not play the blame game. The great presentations that followed raise the question of what could be accomplished if they obeyed that policy, stopped... more »

UPDATE: SB2404. The red coats are coming +The power of no + The in box. “What would stop the state | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

The in box. “What would stop the state from revisiting this in the future?” | Fred Klonsky: SB2404. The red coats are coming. The red coats are coming. by Fred Klonsky [image: prevere_3__magnum] *Graphic: Chicago Reader. From the article: Blogger Fred Klonsky’s Crusade Against Education Reform.* Back in 2011 the Chicago Reader’s Ben Joravsky dubbed me the Paul Revere of the school blogging world. With all due modesty, it was true. As Illinois’ Senate Bill 7 was making its way through the Illinois General Assembly, with the support of both of the state teacher unions’ leadership, I ... more »

Community College Spotlight | California’s rocky path to prosperity

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Community College Spotlight | California’s rocky path to prosperity: California’s rocky path to prosperity by Joanne Jacobs Unless California helps low-income parents learn basic skills, train for jobs and pursue higher education, the state's prosperity is at risk, concludes Working Hard, Left Behind. The Campaign for College Opportunity, the Women’s Foundation of California and Working Poor Families project collaborated on the report. California leads the nation in low-income working adults and in poorly educated adults. More than 1 out of 10 adults over 24 years of age have less... more »

UPDATE: Free School System of the United States + George Washington and the Federal Role In Education | Federal Education Policy History

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

George Washington and the Federal Role In Education | Federal Education Policy History: Francis Adams, The Free School System of the United States (London, 1875) by Kevin R. Kosar [image: Francis Adams The Free School System of the United States 1875 Frontispage]This book carries information on a broad range of aspects of America schools in the mid- and late-19th century. Chapters covers the structure of schooling systems, their cost and revenues therefore, attendance, religion and morals, teachers and their training, and curricula. The author, who served as secretary of the UK’sN... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: *NPE News Briefs* Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. Surprise! Florida High-Stakes Accountability Promotes Gaming the System Best of the Ed Blogs Diane Ravitch May 14, 2013 Canada’s Legend-ary TED Ta... more »

Sol Stern and Joel Klein: Conservatives and the Common Core - WSJ.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Sol Stern and Joel Klein: Conservatives and the Common Core - WSJ.com: Conservatives and the Common CoreThe curriculum standards adopted by 45 states require students to read America's Founding texts. Although the two of us have disagreed about several school-reform issues, we strongly believe that the Common Core State Standards, voluntarily adopted by 45 states, is one of the most promising education initiatives of the past half century. If implemented properly, they can better prepare students for college-level work and to gain the civic knowledge that is essential for democr... more »

Teachers and Principals Can't Do It Alone — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Teachers and Principals Can't Do It Alone — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Melissa Mellor]Teachers and Principals Can’t Do It Alone May 14, 2013 by Melissa Mellor "As long as some children are routinely assigned the least-prepared teachers, attend schools in disrepair, make do with outdated technology and instructional materials, and have limited access to a broad and rich curriculum, our nation is still at risk," writes ASCD Executive Director and CEO Gene R. Carter in his recent column. The Equity and Excellence Commission, charged by Congress with providing a... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Plenty of money for another Rahm boondoggle

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Plenty of money for another Rahm boondoggle: Plenty of money for another Rahm boondoggle by Mike Klonsky Former Westinghouse great, Mark AguirreI still teach at DePaul. I'm also a Chicago high school basketball coach, basketball junkie, and back in the day I was a huge fan of DePaul basketball. I used to go regularly to the matchbox neighborhood arena, Alumni Hall, to watch the legendary *Ray Meyer* coach players he recruited right out of Chicago's Public League, like Westinghouse stars* Mark Aguirre*, *Skip Dillard*, *Bernard Randolph*, King's *Teddy... more »

Modern School: Teen Targeted as Terrorist for Using Facebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Modern School: Teen Targeted as Terrorist for Using Facebook: Teen Targeted as Terrorist for Using Facebook by Michael Dunn ** *“**Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists**,”* —George W. Bush’s address to the American people in preparation for war with Afghanistan, September 20,2001. Cameron D’Ambrosio, a Massachusetts high school student, apparently is not with “us” since he was arrested on “terror” charges last week. The youth faces up to 20 years in prison for making a reference to the Boston Marathon bombings on his Facebook page. He is currently being held on... more »

Am I a Part of the Cure ... or the Disease? - Bridging Differences - Education Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Am I a Part of the Cure ... or the Disease? - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Am I a Part of the Cure ... or the Disease? by Deborah Meier *Michael J. Petrilli posts his second entry in Bridging Differences today.* *"Confusion never stops Closing walls and ticking clocks Gonna come back and take you home I could not stop that you now know, singing* Come out upon my seas Cursed missed opportunities Am I a part of the cure? Or am I part of the disease?" -Coldplay, "Clocks," A Rush of Blood to the Head, 2002 Dear Deborah, I am haunted by the title of your post: "The Testing Obses... more »

Governor Challenged as local politicians support District’s request for more funds - Collaborate Philly

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Governor Challenged as local politicians support District’s request for more funds - Collaborate Philly: GOVERNOR CHALLENGED AS LOCAL POLITICIANS SUPPORT DISTRICT’S REQUEST FOR MORE FUNDS *By Christopher “Flood the Drummer”® Norris* * * *5.10.13*: *Philadelphia– (Politics/Education):* After closing more than 20 schools and issuing countless pink slips, The Philadelphia School District is in critical condition and is desperately pleading for more funds. From the Commonwealth, the District is requesting new funding of $120 Million. Additionally, the cash-strapped District has reques... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-14-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] An Appeal to UTLA: Please Help Monica Ratliff by dianerav Dear UTLA Members: I am writing to urge you to throw your full support behind the candidacy of Monica Ratliff for the Los Angeles school board race. Monica deserves and needs your help. I know you endorsed both her and her opponent. I am calling on you to help your colleague. Her opponent has collected over $2 million from the the same wealthy elites, the billionaires and millionaires who The Obama-Dunc... more »

Fourth-grade creationist science quiz: Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago — False

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Fourth-grade creationist science quiz: Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago — False: Fourth-grade creationist science quiz: Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago — False By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 14, 2013 at 6:00 amE-mail the writer 3 Comments More [image: creationismtest.jpg.CROP.original-original] (See Part 2 below) The following fourth grade science quiz for a unit called “Dinosaurs: Genesis and the Gospel” has been making the rounds on Facebook and elsewhere on the Internet, and it turns out it is real. According to snopes.com, the quiz was given at a private religious ... more »

Louisiana Educator: The Continued Dismantling of Public Education in Louisiana

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: The Continued Dismantling of Public Education in Louisiana: The Continued Dismantling of Public Education in Louisiana by Michael Deshotels One of my friends asked me this question recently: "Mike where do you get all this stuff about Louisiana Education Issues that you write about in your blog?" My answer was: "My only problem is that the haters and deformers of public education are constantly giving me*too much* "c_ _ _" to fire away at in my blog. I can hardly keep up." So I want to take this opportunity to thank the really skilled bloggers such as Tom As... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Think-Tanky Thinking

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Think-Tanky Thinking: Think-Tanky Thinking by Duke Dr. Matthew Ladner is undoubtedly a very smart guy. I'm sure that's why Jeb! Bush's Foundation for Educational Excellence pays him to write blog posts that bolster Jeb!'s preferred policies: *I had the opportunity to discuss A-F school grading with a thoughtful skeptic yesterday*. Sadly my doubting Thomas remained a skeptic at the end of our discussion. I showed him data about the trend for improving grades in Florida, and he produced data to show improving fuzzy labels from his state. I told him that Florida’s pr... more »

Ed Notes Online: Help E4E, No One is Noticing

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Help E4E, No One is Noticing: Help E4E, No One is Noticing by ed notes online I'm beginning to feel sorry for the deformers at e4e. You don't even read much about them in the press. Even Gotham Schools seems to have run out of excuses to promote them. No one seems to be noticing them and poor Jonathan keeps sending out almost daily pleas to please pay them some attention. You see, they have all this stuff to give away and not enough people want their stuff. And think of how the Tweedies do their best to gain entry for e4e into schools. Now they did have the oppo... more »

NYC Educator: Principal Suit and the Chapter Leader

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

NYC Educator: Principal Suit and the Chapter Leader: Principal Suit and the Chapter Leader by NYC Educator Principal Suit was busy, in his office, doing Very Important Work, when his secretary knocked on the door and asked if he could see Susan, the chapter leader. He didn't really want to, but he thought if there was some problem, it might be best to nip it in the bud. So he agreed. "Mr. Suit," she said, "Did you read the observation report that Ms. Sim wrote about Ms. Whitman?" "No, I didn't." "As you know, Ms. Whitman has been teaching for 38 years. She's never gotten a bad ob... more »

Why Everyone Should Oppose Ten Commandments In Public Schools | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Why Everyone Should Oppose Ten Commandments In Public Schools | toteachornototeach: Why Everyone Should Oppose Ten Commandments In Public Schools by aristotlethewise [image: Family-Guy-4ACX30-Moses-Griffin]*Why Everyone Should Oppose Ten Commandments * *In Public Schools — Especially Religious People* by Paul Brandeis Raushenbush Christianity is under attack! The sense of Christian victim-hood has been ramping up in recent months. While conservative Christian intimidation by the rising acceptance of gay marriage has been more in the spotlight, a recent case of Ten Commandments pla... more »

Smarter Balanced Digital Library - Assessment Information (CA Dept of Education)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Smarter Balanced Digital Library - Assessment Information (CA Dept of Education): Smarter Balanced Digital Library The Digital Library is a critical component of the Smarter Balanced system of assessments and will include a variety of resources to improve teaching and learning. ------------------------------ The Digital Library, set to launch in 2014, will provide teachers with an online clearinghouse of classroom-based, formative assessment strategies and practices that enhance day-to-day instruction, including resources to interpret data and reports from the Smarter Balanced s... more »

Oregon Save Our Schools: Portland Public Schools Targets Teachers

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Oregon Save Our Schools: Portland Public Schools Targets Teachers: Portland Public Schools Targets Teachers by Oregon SOS *By Portland Teacher (writing anonymously out of fear of reprisal)* Just months after angry parents, students, and teachers forced Portland Public Schools (PPS) officials to back down from closing several neighborhood schools, PPS has found a new target: teachers. Negotiations between the school district and Portland Association of Teachers (PAT) began this month with such enormous differences between their two proposals, that the local media is already raisi... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 5-13-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE* *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* The pieces are all starting to come together. . .and the picture ain’t good by crazycrawfish Thanks to Lefty, Dave Lefkowith, John White’s data scam is starting to take on a clearer shape. I just got another document from good ole Lefty from another new vendor called Cambium Education and Sopris Learning. It appears John White is planning to provide all of our student data to yet another inBloom-like vendor for DIBLELS data. This one will host quite a bit of data bases on reports they plan to make available... more »

NYC Public School Parents: More on Pearson's incompetence; and a Pearson protest rally on May 23

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: More on Pearson's incompetence; and a Pearson protest rally on May 23: More on Pearson's incompetence; and a Pearson protest rally on May 23 by Leonie Haimson So yes, Pearson made yet more errors in scoring the Gifted and Talented exams; caught again by a NYC parent and announced late on Friday. I was quoted in the Daily News saying given Pearson's perpetual incompetence, DOE should immediately cancel its contract and Walcott said he would "consider" this. (For more on the Pearson errors, seePost, Times, , NY1, SchoolBook, WSJ). This is on top of all ... more »

Gearing Up for ESEA? AASA :: The Leading Edge

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

AASA :: The Leading Edge: Gearing Up for ESEA? Permanent link In follow up to last week's post on the House ESEA hearing and what that might mean for ESEA reauthorization, a few more items: - There is serious momentum, in both the House and Senate, to move ESEA. Both chambers are expected to release their legislative proposals in early June, and to move through committee in the same month. Both chambers are working from the bills they respectively passed out of committee in 2011. The biggest change is that the very fragile bi-partisan support for the Senate ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: What's REALLY Happening In Newark's Schools?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: What's REALLY Happening In Newark's Schools?: What's REALLY Happening In Newark's Schools? by Duke I've already written about Tom Moran's pig-headed view of Newark's charter schools, as demonstrated in his op-ed piece in Sunday's Star-Ledger. Let me address something else from the article: *This council has a long history of crazy behavior*. It pays itself the highest council salaries in the state, and each member is entitled to a free car, as well. One councilman compared the charter school movement to the Tuskegee experiments when black men were secretly infecte... more »

Interstate Reciprocity Plan Expected to Transform U.S. Distance Education - Higher Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Interstate Reciprocity Plan Expected to Transform U.S. Distance Education - Higher Education: Interstate Reciprocity Plan Expected to Transform U.S. Distance Education *Con Academy * *Browse Con Academy library of over 3,100 educational videos...* Last month, the Commission on the Regulation of Postsecondary Distance Education, a nationally prominent group of accreditors, regulators and other higher education and state leaders, unveiled a comprehensive plan detailing how states could simplify and transform the regulation of U.S. distance education. Under the plan outlined in the... more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Teachers, Targets, and Test Scores!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Teachers, Targets, and Test Scores!: Teachers, Targets, and Test Scores! by Lisa M My stomach is in knots and I want to scream. I want to hit something. I look at my students' test scores, the growth they have made,and I am proud of them. I refused to teach to the test, and they still kicked DCAS ! I looked down the AYP column on the all-glorious data chart, and saw that some of my students grew by over 100 points. Only two of my students did not show "growth". Then I look across at the column marked "*Target"*. That's when I wanted to scream and ... more »

Buena Vista School District Officially Closes For Year, Offers 'Skills Camp'

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Buena Vista School District Officially Closes For Year, Offers 'Skills Camp': Buena Vista School District Officially Closes For Year, Offers 'Skills Camp' by Joy Resmovits It's official. For the 400 or so students in Buena Vista, Mich., school is over, even though the academic year isn't supposed to end until the middle of June. Instead, they will likely attend "skills camp." If the school board approves the advancement of students -- despite not finishing out the year -- students will be able to attend "skills camp," a voluntary substitute for school, the district announced M... more »

ADVOCACY PHILANTHROPY AND THE LEVERAGED BUY-OUT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS — PART 1 | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

ADVOCACY PHILANTHROPY AND THE LEVERAGED BUY-OUT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS — PART 1 | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News: ADVOCACY PHILANTHROPY AND THE LEVERAGED BUY-OUT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS — PART 1 by Danny Weil [image: facesofcapitalism] *From: Philosophers for Change:* ( http://philoforchange.wordpress.com/2013/05/14/advocacy-philanthropy-and-the-leveraged-buy-out-of-public-schools-part-1/ ). *May 14, 2013* In a newly released book entitled The Gates Foundation and the Future of US Public Schools, author Kenneth Saltman argues that the entry into e... more »

AFT’s Randi Weingarten supports the pension deal. That’s no surprise. But claiming it fixes the pension system? | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

AFT’s Randi Weingarten supports the pension deal. That’s no surprise. But claiming it fixes the pension system? | Fred Klonsky: AFT’s Randi Weingarten supports the pension deal. That’s no surprise. But claiming it fixes the pension system? by Fred Klonsky [image: photo-14_2] American Federation of Teacher President Randi Weingarten gave her stamp of approval to the awful pension deal worked out between the We Are One coalition and Senate President John Cullerton. *“Instead of focusing on blaming, scapegoating and trying to eviscerate public workers—as is the sport in so many states—... more »

» PSAT for 5-14-13: Sign up for the 3-day march Parents United for Responsible Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 5-14-13: Sign up for the 3-day march: PSAT for 5-14-13: Sign up for the 3-day march by admin [image: psat_logo] Our City, Our Schools, Our Voices, will come together this coming weekend in the final protest push before the May 22 Board meeting where the mass school closing vote will be taken. Here’s what the CTU says about this event: 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... more »

What We Talk About When We Talk About "IQ:" Algebra and School Quality - Dana Goldstein

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

What We Talk About When We Talk About "IQ:" Algebra and School Quality - Dana Goldstein: What We Talk About When We Talk About "IQ:" Algebra and School Quality by Dana Goldstein The now-unemployed Jason Richwine is portraying himself as a numbers-driven policy wonk who has been unfairly pilloried for a nuanced, intellectually sophisticated Harvard dissertation, whose only crime was questioning liberal pieties on race and IQ. Byron York: Richwine and others also pointed to the fact that his ideas were expressed most completely in a dissertation done at Harvard, of all places, under... more »

Letter to a Young Education Reformer | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Letter to a Young Education Reformer | EduShyster: Letter to a Young Education Reformer by edushyster2012 *A young MBA student tells her classmates that “education reform” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.* Many of my classmates in business school assume that education reform is a good thing. Accountability! Improvement! Closing the Achievement gap! Usually they know some Teach for America alums (who are now lawyers), or they’ve watched “Waiting for Superman.” They’ve heard of charter schools (which of course they didn’t attend), and being business-minded, they assume that privat... more »

UPDATE: Can poor children learn? + Common Core Rollback: One Down, 44 to Go – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Common Core Rollback: One Down, 44 to Go – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Student “Takes Aim” at Common Core Math by Kris Nielsen Somebody has had just about enough of the developmentally inappropriate, overbearing, confusing, and time-consuming program that Pearson thinks is going to help him grow into a successful adult. Enjoy this student’s videography: About these ads Tell it on the mountain: - - - - - - - - Data, Data Everywhere by freetoteach Enjoyed Tim and Shaun’s discussion Sunday on InBloom thanks for brining Rachel from CO to ... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-13-13 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: *NPE News Briefs* The Bathroom Crisis at Locke High School in L.A. by dianerav The Green Dot charter chain took over Locke High School in 2008. It received $15 million of mostly private funding to overhaul the school and completely change its culture. But the one challenge that Green Dot has been unable to overcome is to provide a safe, clean place for boys to go to the bathroom. After the stalls were vandalized, the school ripped them out, leaving no privacy. When you read the article, you will note that teachers ... more »

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