Monday, May 27, 2013

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-27-13 #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



@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 53 minutes ago
@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: solidaridad: Crenshaw Student Forum – Community Standing up to Deasy’s Racist Reconstitution by rdsathene solidaridad: Crenshaw Student Forum – Community Standing up to Deasy’s Racist Reconstitution. Anyone in the Los Angeles area interested in preserving public education is encouraged to attend and support this event. Filed under: ROBERT D. SKEELS: Schools Matter Tagged: Crenshaw HS, John Deasy, lausd, neoliberalism, privatization, Reconstitution, resistance, Struggle In case you were wondering, apartheid totally apt, #cpsclosings Chalk Fac... more »

Ed Notes Online: Quinn Drops Out of GPS Debate, Does Not Want Debate on Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Ed Notes Online: Quinn Drops Out of GPS Debate, Does Not Want Debate on Education: Quinn Drops Out of GPS Debate, Does Not Want Debate on Education by ed notes online Quinn is sinking so fast she better not move those deck chairs. *New Yorkers for Great Public Schools to Host:* *First Actual Mayoral Debate on Education* *Update: Christine Quinn Drops Out; Her Campaign Says it Does Not Want to do a Debate on Education* *NYU Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South* *Tuesday, May 28 3:30 to 5:00 PM* *Mayoral Candidates will arrive at 3:45 PM;* *Debate will start at 4 PM and end at 5 ... more »

literally redefine | Cooperative Catalyst

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
literally redefine | Cooperative Catalyst: literally redefine by monika hardy [image: i's dotted] Currently, public education is defined/financed/played-out/victimized via 500+ policies per district. If all i’s are dotted and all t’s crossed, according to those policies, the government/powers that be – grant you funding. (That comes from public taxes.) [image: i's not dotted] If all i’s are not dotted and all t’s are not crossed, (a ginormous) part of potential funding/resources are spent on investigation of unmet policies. *So we have inspectors of inspectors and people making instr... more »

Will Teacher Prep Academies Replace Schools of Education? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Will Teacher Prep Academies Replace Schools of Education? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Will Teacher Prep Academies Replace Schools of Education? by Anthony Cody Senator Bennett from the state of Colorado has re-introduced the Growing Excellent Achievement Training Academies for Teachers and Principals (GREAT) Act, a bill to reshape teacher preparation, drastically lowering the standards for those doing this crucial work. The bill boasts support from the New Schools Venture Fund,Democrats for Education Reform, Stand For Children, Teach For America, TNTP, NCTQ and ... more »

In Memoriam: with Purpose for All | Reclaim Reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
In Memoriam: with Purpose for All | Reclaim Reform: In Memoriam: with Purpose for All by kenpreviti [image: Memorial-Day 1]*Memorial Day is dedicated to those who have died in the service of our country. Americans give serious thought to why our honored dead sacrificed their lives.* (There is no room here for the ignorance or distortions that presently are hoisted upon this day. Memorial Day is not the Fourth of July, Veterans Day, Support Our Troops Day, War Movie Day, or the travesty of a Happy Memorial Day Sale of up to 50% off chosen items.) *WHY did they sacrifice their lives?*... more »

Bob Lyons speculates on the week ahead. And so do I. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Bob Lyons speculates on the week ahead. And so do I. | Fred Klonsky: Bob Lyons speculates on the week ahead. And so do I. by Fred Klonsky In the post below my friend Bob Lyons speculates on the week ahead in Springfield. Nobody knows more about the pension situation than Bob. He is a member of the TRS board of trustees and serves us well in that position. But I was struck by his thinking when it comes to the role of the Chicago Teachers Union. *Look for Cullerton on the other hand to attempt to convince the Chicago Teachers Union to accept the same deal as the state union coalition... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-27-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Katie Lapham’s Data Analysis: 26% of Her Time Not Teaching by dianerav In a guest post for Anthony Cody, Katie Lapham calculated that 26% of her school year is spent NOT teaching. Data inquiry, data analysis, professional development, etc. took time away from teaching. If you teach, what proportion of your time is spent not teaching? How much time is devoted to test prep, testing, and data analysis? *LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-27-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all* mike simpson ... more »

Illinois teacher in trouble for advising students about Fifth Amendment before drug-screening survey | The Raw Story

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Illinois teacher in trouble for advising students about Fifth Amendment before drug-screening survey | The Raw Story: Illinois teacher in trouble for advising students about Fifth Amendment before drug-screening survey [image: 'An angry mature teacher holding a wand and gesturing' via Shutterstock] A high school teacher in Batavia, Illinois could be disciplined for informing his students of their Fifth Amendment rights before administering a survey school officials was intended to gauge their emotional needs. The Batavia *Daily Herald* reported on May 25 that social studies instr... more »

To Give Students an Education, Give Them a Voice Student Voice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Student Voice: To Give Students an Education, Give Them a Voice by Editor Admin Repost from Cooperative Catalyst: The role of a teacher is evolving. As industries, technologies, and the needs in the world change, so does our approach to preparing the next generation for their lives ahead of them. In the past, teachers presented information in an organized and systematic manner in order to distribute valuable information to students. Schools were the only place that students could go to learn, because knowledge was completely centralized at the top with the elite professors and res... more »

DUE TO SCHOOL CLOSINGS: Get on the Bus–The Walking School Bus | Education on GOOD

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Get on the Bus–The Walking School Bus | Education on GOOD: Get on the Bus–The Walking School Bus [image: Parents walk their children to school] How bad is the drop-off traffic congestion in front of your kid’s school? If you’re like most parents in America, you’ll agree it’s pretty bad. Cars pulling up to the curb and pulling away, buses idling, parents running late, kids in a hurry to get to class. Kara Sergile, a consultant and mom of two elementary school-age girls in Glendale, CA, had enough of the morning drop-off craziness. In 2009, she decided to do something about it. Workin... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Latest "Chiefs For Change" Fail: Barresi in OK

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Latest "Chiefs For Change" Fail: Barresi in OK: Latest "Chiefs For Change" Fail: Barresi in OK by Duke *Heckuva job, Janet!* * * *Where did I find these people?* Let's check in on the latest of Jeb! Bush's "Chiefs For Change" failures. This time we're heading out west toOklahoma: “I had zero involvement in the process from start to finish personally.” These were the words of Janet Barresi when interviewed about the recent end-of-year “high stakes” tests administered to thousands of students throughout Oklahoma.*These comments would've been understandable and accepta... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » A tale of two cities…

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » A tale of two cities…: A tale of two cities… by alicemercer [image: swiss cheese scarf]All eyes are on Chicago, and the record school closures taking place in that city. But this is a drama being played out in cities across the country, including my own, as “right-sizing”, the Broad way, takes over. By now, many would have (or should have) heard that in Chicago, the projected savings have disappeared (or didn’t exist in the first place), and in the face of massive protests, the mayor has thrown $55M to a classic “Edifice complex “ (my husban... more »

Online college courses: Outsourcing education | The Economist

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Online college courses: Outsourcing education | The Economist: Outsourcing educationMay 27th 2013, 14:44 by W.W. | HOUSTON - - LECTURE halls can seat only so many students, but it's easy enough to broadcast lectures online to tens of thousands. Ventures such as EdX, a non-profit consortium involving a dozen universities, and Coursera, a for-profit business, are now focused on making courses taught by outstanding instructors available to millions of students. Some universities are using these so-called MOOCs, short for "massively open online courses", to supplement their s... more »

The Walking Wounded | Seattle Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
The Walking Wounded | Seattle Education: The Walking Wounded by seattleducation2011 [image: body_of_war_] On this day when we are to remember all who have fought and died in the wars that the United States has participated in, let’s also remember the walking wounded, those who are still among us but are now just shadows of what they once were, vital, young men and women who know suffer in ways that we cannot imagine and yet receive little to no support from our government. When the war in Iraq first began, I started to hear stories about the families left behind who h... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Dr. Steve Perry: The Final Debunk

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Dr. Steve Perry: The Final Debunk: Dr. Steve Perry: The Final Debunk by Duke America's favorite teachers union basher, Dr. Steve Perry, has been making a lot of noise lately. The former CNN commentator and current magnet school principal is a reformy crowd favorite, mostly for his ability to bash teachers and their unions: Note: after the event, our local teachers union published a letter stating, “Dr. Steve Perry, a magnet school principal from Connecticut, and noted anti-union activist, spent the evening abrasively trashing teachers and our unions. *He went as f... more »

UPDATE: What Obama said back then about standardized tests

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
What Obama said back then about standardized tests: What Obama said back then about standardized tests by Valerie Strauss [image: Then Sen. Barack Obama at Mapleton Expeditionary School for the Arts in Thornton, Colo., on May 28, 2008, for a campaign stop. (AP | Chris Carlson)] Then-Sen. Barack Obama speaks at a May 2008 campaign stop at Mapleton Expeditionary School for the Arts in Thornton, Colo. (Photo by Chris Carlson/AP) “The tests our children take should support learning, not just accounting.” That’s what then-Sen. Barack Obamasaid back in May 2008 when he was running for pr... more »

Daily Kos: Memorial Day from the perspective of a non-combat veteran

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Daily Kos: Memorial Day from the perspective of a non-combat veteran: Memorial Day from the perspective of a non-combat veteran by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) In June of 1965, having decided to drop out of college, I walked into the recruiting booth in Times Square. By the time I walked out 45 minutes later I had signed papers to enlist in the Marine Corps, without telling my father. I was 19 years old. In those days there were only two legal actions that an adolescent could do without parental information - give blood, and enlist in the military. Remember, this is a time wh... more »

The origins of Memorial Day. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
The origins of Memorial Day. | Fred Klonsky: The origins of Memorial Day. by Fred Klonsky PopoutSemi-officially Memorial Day starts the summer season. And honors those who have died in too many wars. I’m not a pacifist. Still, I know that there have been way too many stupid wars, including this country’s past 50 years of military adventures. But the idea of a Memorial Day dates back to 1866, in the aftermath of a war of liberation: The Civil War. A post on the website of the Congressional Black Caucus reminded me: *Standard history tells us that Memorial Day was officially proclaimed o... more »

What’s in Texas' $500 Million Testing Contract with Pearson? | KUT News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
What’s in Texas' $500 Million Testing Contract with Pearson? | KUT News: What's in Texas' $500 Million Testing Contract with Pearson? Enlarge image Credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/40964293@N07/4728093020/ By any measure, Texas’ contract with standardized testing company Pearson is gigantic. The state’s latest agreement covers five years of testing (2010-2015), and costs nearly half a billion dollars. For about $90 million per year, the State of Texas receives a battery of tests, and the top-to-bottom services those tests require. By the time a current student in Texas public sch... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Stop Common Core Argument: There is no one "common" path or yellow brick road to educational excellence.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: The Stop Common Core Argument: There is no one "common" path or yellow brick road to educational excellence.: The Stop Common Core Argument: There is no one "common" path or yellow brick road to educational excellence. by stlgretchen CCSS proponents would have you to believe the standards will create an educational utopia and nudge us to a better place. Let's look at the facts. They may lead to a wizard who promises a lot but in reality, it's just rhetoric. Follow the educational reform yellow brick road! We now have standards that will make our ki... more »

Modern School: Charges Dropped and Free Trip to Space Camp for Kayla Wilmot

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Modern School: Charges Dropped and Free Trip to Space Camp for Kayla Wilmot: Charges Dropped and Free Trip to Space Camp for Kayla Wilmot by Michael Dunn 16-year-old Kiera Wilmot was recently arrested and charged as an adult with two charges for a science experiment that went a tiny bit awry (see *Zero Tolerance for Science, or Common Sense*). Thanks to the public outcry, all charges have been dropped. However, it gets even better: former NASA engineer Homer Hickam is sending Kiera and her twin sister Kayla to space camp, according to Good Education. Hickam, who had served as Spac... more »

SKrashen: The end of the teaching profession?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
SKrashen: The end of the teaching profession?: The end of the teaching profession? "No matter how *cynical** *you get, it is impossible to keep up." - *Lily Tomlin*. Anthony Cody has posted an interesting (and chilling) vision of the future of education, predicting that by 2018 all teaching will be strictly controlled, with frequent testing, classes monitored and taped for regular inspection, and teacher evaluation based, among other things, on value-added analyses of student test scores, and videos evaluated by outsiders. http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in dialogue/2013/... more »

I don’t know anything about them, but they suck! Reformy thoughts on Ed Schools | School Finance 101

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
I don’t know anything about them, but they suck! Reformy thoughts on Ed Schools | School Finance 101: I don’t know anything about them, but they suck! Reformy thoughts on Ed Schools by schoolfinance101 It all started here, when Ben Riley of NSVF suggested that comments from Finnish Ed Guru Pasi Sahlberg (hero of the anti-reformers) regarding teacher preparation in Finland (and elsewhere) meant that the U.S. really needed to start shutting down teacher preparation programs. - *Benjamin Riley* ‏@*benjaminjriley* 1hDon’t look now, but I think Finnish edu-guru @*pasi_sahlberg*... more »

NYC Educator: It Will Be a Reformy September

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
NYC Educator: It Will Be a Reformy September: It Will Be a Reformy September by NYC Educator Next year, there will be a new evaluation system in place. No one knows precisely what it will be like since Reformy John of Albany has not made up his mind yet. We do know, however, that teachers will be judged by value-added methods. We have heard a number of arguments from the union as to why this is a good idea. 1. *Principals have too much power under the current system*. It's true that, via observations and whatever else makes principals decide, they can pretty much singlehandedly say... more »

Ending Exit Exams a Start, But Not Enough | the becoming radical

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Ending Exit Exams a Start, But Not Enough | the becoming radical: Ending Exit Exams a Start, But Not Enough Posted on May 27, 2013 by plthomasedd As the first decade of the twenty-first century drew to an end, Frederick Douglass High School (Maryland) stood as a contradiction of social history, education and racial promise, the claimed failures of public schools, and the essential flaws in high-stakes accountability. Focusing on Douglass High, documentarians Alan and Susan Raymond detail the realities of both day-to-day schooling in a high-poverty, majority-minority public schools an... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-27-13 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] Bridgeport Parents Respond to Charter CEO Attack by dianerav Bridgeport parent leaders responded forcefully to an attack on their schools by Jennifer Alexander, the leader of ConnCAN. Alexander claimed that charters in Connecticut outperform public schools and that 65,000 students are trapped in failing public schools. She certainly knows the corporate reform script. The parent leaders wrote: “As Bridgeport public school parents and elected parent leaders, we find ... more »

Get Off the Pot – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Get Off the Pot – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Get Off the Pot by antiqueteacher60 Something has been nagging in my brain for a while now. It was a comment left on one of my posts about being tired that said “Shit or get off the pot.” When the comment was posted, my mouse hovered over the “unapprove” button, but then I thought to myself that the comment, while I may have found it rude, could perhaps lead to some discourse and understanding. That comment didn’t. But yesterday, Tim Slekar posted http://atthechalkface.com/2013/05/26/the-bird-is-the-word/. Tim said what I ... more »

Daily Kos: Krugman on "The Obamacare Shock"

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Daily Kos: Krugman on "The Obamacare Shock": Krugman on "The Obamacare Shock" by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) notes the Republican hope that when the Affordable Care Act goes into effect people will be so shocked it will give their side a political advantage, In his *New York Times* column he lays out his premise with news many here already know; his second paragraph reads No doubt there will be problems, as there are with any large new government initiative, and in this case, we have the added complication that many Republican governors and legislators are doing all they can t... more »

Study: “Human Intelligence is on the Decline” | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Study: “Human Intelligence is on the Decline” | toteachornototeach: Study: “Human Intelligence is on the Decline” by aristotlethewise *Research Shows Idiots Are On The Rise, Intelligence On The Decline* by Daniel Doherty Yah don’t say. Setting aside the fact that literacy rates are generally higher today than they were, say, a hundred years ago, can there be any doubt that people are becoming increasingly less intelligent? A new study merely “suggests” human intelligence is in free fall, but I don’t think it takes a social scientist or dedicated academic to reach that conclusion. Do ... more »

NPE Webinar: Uncovering the Truth About Education Reform – June 4, 2013 | The Network For Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
NPE Webinar: Uncovering the Truth About Education Reform – June 4, 2013 | The Network For Public Education: NPE WEBINAR: UNCOVERING THE TRUTH ABOUT EDUCATION REFORM – JUNE 4, 2013 *Learn from the Experts: Mercedes Schneider and Michael Corwin* **Are you frustrated when corruption goes on and nobody even seems to notice? Do you want to learn how to uncover the truth about what is happening to our schools? We are presenting a special webinar where two outstanding experts will share tips and techniques. *Michael Corwin,* a licensed investigator with twenty-five years of case preparati... more »

Is teaching a special career, or a job like any other? | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Is teaching a special career, or a job like any other? | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: Is teaching a special career, or a job like any other? [image: Teaching: A calling or a job? photo] Peter Smagorinsky of the University of Georgia is a frequent contributor to the Get Schooled blog. He gives us a lot to think about this Memorial Day. On a personal note, thanks to our women and men in uniform, past and present, and a special shoutout to my son-in-law, 1st Lt. Lane Pratt, an Army Ranger now serving in Afghanistan. Now, back to the business at hand: teaching. By Peter Sm... more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: No Money for Schools..But Money for Pearson?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: No Money for Schools..But Money for Pearson?: No Money for Schools..But Money for Pearson? by Lisa M The content of this article, "Schools Add to Test Load, Just to Test Questions",. How our students are being used as guinea pigs to field test future tests. But then, this jumped out at me,* " **The (NY)state currently has a five-year, $32 million contract with Pearson, a testing company."* * *What the...? Are you serious? *A 5 year, $32 million contract? Let's see, that's $6.4 million a year*! That can't be right. The state doesn't have any m... more »

Teachers quietly serve as first responders to poverty - Philly.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Teachers quietly serve as first responders to poverty - Philly.com: Teachers quietly serve as first responders to poverty [image: Collingswood High's Dennis Gaughan with Saizon Sanders, whom he has given food and clothes. Sanders returnsthe favor, teaching dance moves.]Collingswood High's Dennis Gaughan with Saizon Sanders, whom he has given food and clothes. Sanders returnsthe favor, teaching dance moves. (APRIL SAUL / Staff Photographer) By Alfred Lubrano, Inquirer Staff WriterPOSTED: May 26, 2013 At Roxborough High School in Philadelphia, teachers and staff use a school washer a... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky "I believe this was when I was telling the press I was embarrassed as a Jewish woman to have a Jewish mayor experimenting on black children after listening to a bunch of board members say that black parents don't know how to raise their children." -- Wendy Katten, RYHOklahoma teacher, Jennifer Simonds *"The children were asking why a train was coming through the school.The next thing we knew, the entire roof of the building was torn off and we were being pelted with all this stuff. I laid myself ov... more »

Diabetes in California schools: Legal battle over insulin shots goes before state's high court - San Jose Mercury News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Diabetes in California schools: Legal battle over insulin shots goes before state's high court - San Jose Mercury News: Diabetes in California schools: Legal battle over insulin shots goes before state's high court By Howard Mintz hmintz@mercurynews.com Posted: 05/24/2013 04:48:44 PM PDT Updated: 05/26/2013 09:58:21 AM PDT Barbara Wright, an Albany resident with a diabetic son, has been one of the lucky parents. From elementary school to high school, she has been able to count on a teacher, administrator or someone else to help her son Jonathan Mahmoud with his insulin shots wh... more »

The Educated Reporter: In Case You Missed It: Students, Teachers Push Back Against Testing

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: In Case You Missed It: Students, Teachers Push Back Against Testing: In Case You Missed It: Students, Teachers Push Back Against Testing by Emily Richmond *I'm traveling overseas this week, and while I'm gone I thought I would share a recent post that you might have missed the first time around. Given that the rising tide of pushback against standardized testing shows no signs of dissipating, it seemed appropriate to revisit this post from March: * While it's become a common refrain for students, teachers and parents to complain that too much time is spent ... more »

All Lives Have Equal Value, Right Bill and Melinda? – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
All Lives Have Equal Value, Right Bill and Melinda? – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: All Lives Have Equal Value, Right Bill and Melinda? by Kris Nielsen A letter from Susan DuFresne: Dear Bill and Melinda Gates, Yes, I include Melinda in this letter, because as I understand it, Melinda is very involved in the Gates Foundation’s ideas and policies on public education. Your influence has won you the Notorious PhD’s aka Mark Naison’s poll: Most Influential Corporate Reformer title. As a result, you will be getting more than one letter from me as we have so much to talk about. ... more »

Teaching Our Children to Fear Dissenters: South Dakota Schools Edition | Firedoglake

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Teaching Our Children to Fear Dissenters: South Dakota Schools Edition | Firedoglake: Teaching Our Children to Fear Dissenters: South Dakota Schools Edition by Phoenix Woman On Tuesday, May 14, a series of emergency preparedness drills were held in schools in at least five South Dakota school districts: While the drill actually commenced at 12:30 p.m., things began early when a bus driver reported a suspicious SUV with several people following during his morning route. Next, a letter handed to a student at the Elementary School over the lunch hour is turned in to Principal. The lett... more »

My Discussion with Matt Barnum Part 4 | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
My Discussion with Matt Barnum Part 4 | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: My Discussion with Matt Barnum Part 4 by Gary Rubinstein Gary, If you’re not finding any thoughtful reform writing, then you’re not looking hard enough. Read Michael Petrilli and the Fordham Institute’s stuff, particularly Education Next; read some of the Dropout Nation, which includes important discussion of school discipline; read Rick Hess or Jay Green. Not of course that all these writers fit neatly into the ‘reform’ box – and I think that’s a good thing. I certainly agree with you that TFA can be far too simplist... more »

All Education Matters: AirForce Times: Many Vets Charged Out-of-State Tuition, Driving Them Into Debt

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
All Education Matters: AirForce Times: Many Vets Charged Out-of-State Tuition, Driving Them Into Debt: AirForce Times: Many Vets Charged Out-of-State Tuition, Driving Them Into Debt by Cryn Johannsen During a time in which service members face continued battles abroad, while most Americans falsely presume that the war, for instance, in Afghanistan is winding down, they are facing another hurdle at home - according to a* recent article*, published in the *AirForce Times *by Rick Maze, many public colleges and universities charge student veterans out-of-state tuition. However, the ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Privacy Issues and Your Child's Future

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Privacy Issues and Your Child's Future: Privacy Issues and Your Child's Future by Melissa Westbrook I have a two-fold purpose to this thread. One is to continue to provide food for thought about what your child's generation faces in terms of privacy. Yes, I know, just as many say "advertising is all around them so who cares if it's in their test materials", I'm sure there are those of you who will shrug. Whether we like it, think it's just the wave of the future or what, the fact is that things are going to be different for our children. Two is t... more »

solidaridad: @TCFKSM: Jason Stanford rightly states "Time to Stop Waiting for Superman"

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
solidaridad: @TCFKSM: Jason Stanford rightly states "Time to Stop Waiting for Superman": @TCFKSM: Jason Stanford rightly states "Time to Stop Waiting for Superman" by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene First published on @TCFKSM on May 26, 2013 ------------------------------ *"According to Whitmire, Rhee and Fenty should have paid heed to the "fears" of African Americans, but not because there were any actual race issues during Rhee's tenure. Racism in DC is all done now--all that racism and "experimentation" is history and happened 1960s and 1970s. According to Whitmire, black people in D... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-26-13 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: Duncan: In Chicago, I Cut Testing by 50% by dianerav Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy at a meeting with students in Hartford, Connecticut. The main topic was school security, but at one point a student asked what could be done to cut back on excessive testing. This was the exchange: “Student Justin Vega said he feels as if all the time and money spent on standardized testing has compromised Jersey Jazzman Shows the Love for the Indomitable Karen Lewis by dianerav Jerse... more »

Prince William father learns how to opt out of standardized test - The Washington Post

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Prince William father learns how to opt out of standardized test - The Washington Post: Prince William father learns how to opt out of standardized test Courtesy of Greg Barlow - Austin Barlow (from Left), Karen Barlow, Greg Barlow and Christian Barlow, during a recent trip to the Outer Banks. By Michael Alison Chandler, Sunday, May 26, 2:47 PM E-mail the writer Greg Barlow did not want his fourth-grade son to take the Standards of Learning math test, but he did not know what would happen if he refused. Would his son get a failing grade? Would it go on his permanent record? Barlow re... more »

Ten minute drawing. Dennis Van Roekel on “safe passage routes.” | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Ten minute drawing. Dennis Van Roekel on “safe passage routes.” | Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. Dennis Van Roekel on “safe passage routes.” by Fred Klonsky [image: DVR] Click on image to enlarge.

How we could fix public education, and why it won’t happen | PWC Education Reform Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
How we could fix public education, and why it won’t happen | PWC Education Reform Blog: How we could fix public education, and why it won’t happen by pwceducationreform How we could fix public education, and why it won’t happenMay 26, 2013 — pwceducationreform *This week, I saw a donation stand for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). The stand was located between the in and out doors of a grocery store, and the older veteran standing there must have felt chilled. I gave him a donation, and on the way out, I offered to get him a cup of coffee. He looked like he wanted one, but he... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Comptroller John Lui's letter to the Commissioner and Regents about inBloom

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
NYC Public School Parents: Comptroller John Lui's letter to the Commissioner and Regents about inBloom: Comptroller John Lui's letter to the Commissioner and Regents about inBloom On May 21st, Comptroller John Lui sent a letter to Commissioner John King and the NY Board of Regents urging King to halt NYSED's plan to share personally-identifiable student data with inBloom, Inc. Lui's letter comes just weeks after 4 of the 9 states participating in inBloom are planning to pull out of the project due to privacy concerns. See the letter below along with a press clip covering the news. ... more »

With inBloom, the student as data stream - Opinion - The Boston Globe

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
With inBloom, the student as data stream - Opinion - The Boston Globe: First-grader, or cloud-based data stream? By Joanna Weiss WE HAVE nearly a month of school left, but the end-of-year activities are already piling up: field days and fairs, concerts and art shows, ways to placate fidgety kids who know they’ll be leaving their classrooms soon. And it’s worth considering the kinds of classrooms many of them will leave: state-of-the-art, digitized. In my daughter’s elementary school, the chalkboards have disappeared, replaced by smartboards with digital bells and whistles, plus lapt... more »













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