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
Arkansas Governor Approves Whole Child Legislation! — Whole Child Education
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago
Arkansas Governor Approves Whole Child Legislation! — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Melissa Mellor]Arkansas Governor Approves Whole Child Legislation! May 6, 2013 by Melissa Mellor Arkansas Governor Michael Beebe signed a new bill into law that promotes a whole child approach to educating the state's children. The legislation (PDF) establishes a Whole Child Whole Community recognition program and aims to measure the comprehensive well-being of children and how well stakeholders are meeting their needs according to the five whole child tenets (healthy, safe, en... more »
Diane in the Evening 5-6-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 32 minutes ago
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Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Will My School Die? by dianerav The teacher who wrote this post reequired anonymity, for obvious reasons: I am writing to tell you about a situation at my school — Shea High in Pawtucket, RI. At the start of last year, both Shea and Tolman High (the only two non-charter public high schools in Pawtucket) were told that they had failed to make AYP as per NCLB and would have to undergo transformation. Note that since RI has accepted RttT, last year was the last possible year that this could have happened. Despit... more »
NYC Educator: Was Cathie Black a Victim of Sexism?
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
NYC Educator: Was Cathie Black a Victim of Sexism?: Was Cathie Black a Victim of Sexism? by NYC Educator With the release of the Cathie Black emails, I'm reading a lot of speculation on how attacks against her were sexist. After all, she is a woman. We didn't know a whole lot more about her at the time of her nomination, other than the fact she had virtually no educational experience, a big plus for Mayor Bloombucks, who apparently met her at the Rich Folks Galas they sipped champagne at. And yet, many spoke of what a brilliant choice it was at the time. Well, hindsight is 20/20, ... more »
Search Delayed for New Memphis Superintendent Until Dirty Work Wrapped Up – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Search Delayed for New Memphis Superintendent Until Dirty Work Wrapped Up – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Search Delayed for New Memphis Superintendent Until Dirty Work Wrapped Up by Jim Horn *Broad Academy Graduates* All the pieces were in place for the installation of Eli Broad’s choice for the new Shelby County/Memphis superintendent when suddenly someone in the office of the search firm, PROACT, called a time out. Over the next few months, there is plenty of dirty work to be done, and no one at PROACT wants their new Broadie tainted by the anti-public and anti-teach... more »
Bridging Campus and Classroom Divides: The Mutual Benefits of Partnerships | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Bridging Campus and Classroom Divides: The Mutual Benefits of Partnerships | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Bridging Campus and Classroom Divides: The Mutual Benefits of Partnerships by American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education *By Sharon P. Robinson, Ed.D., President and CEO of the **American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education** (AACTE)* AACTE's recent report *The Changing Teacher Preparation Profession: A Report From AACTE's Professional Education Data System (PEDS)* tells of the rapidly shifting work of preparing U.S. teachers. The rep... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Rules - Public Input
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Rules - Public Input: Charter Rules - Public Input by Melissa Westbrook *Wall Street ♥ charter schools | Muckety - See the news* Here are the documents that school districts will use regarding charter school applications. One is a letter of instructions. Another is an application (I-V). Still another is a statement of assurances. This one had one thing that I hadn't really seen before - that districts not only have to solicit applications for *new *charter schools but for *conversion* ones as well. To me, any district that says "hey we ... more »
Student Study: An Inquiry on Teacher Strikes – Kush Mukerjee Student Voice
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Student Voice: Student Study: An Inquiry on Teacher Strikes – Kush Mukerjee by Editor Admin *Introducing the Student Study! Student Studies are extended blog posts written by students on a variety of different education related topics, all using a scholarly format. They’re longer pieces, so if you have the time, sit down, give it a read, and appreciate the keen insights of one of today’s students. * In my experience, teacher strikes are ineffective and prolonged. In my senior year of high school, the teachers union had all of the teachers strike against the Board of Education in ... more »
Randi Weingarten to speak at YUC awards ceremony | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Randi Weingarten to speak at YUC awards ceremony | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Randi Weingarten to speak at YUC awards ceremony by Wendy Harris Youth United for Change will hold its 22nd Annual Award Ceremony and reception on Tuesday, May 7. The theme for this year’s event is “Defending Public Education.” American Federation of Teacher’s President Randi Weingarten will be the keynote speaker. Weingarten, a union leader, has advocated for partnerships with parents and students around reforms that improve public school education nationwide. In March, she joined hundreds of... more »
It’s a d*am shame. (Just a rant about STPP and whatnot) | Cooperative Catalyst
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
It’s a d*am shame. (Just a rant about STPP and whatnot) | Cooperative Catalyst: It’s a d*am shame. (Just a rant about STPP and whatnot) by Jabreel Chisley The United States will criminalize itself off a cliff at the pace it is working to institutionalize this nation’s youth. It makes no sense that over 10 million youth are rotting away in this nation’s jails and prisons when half of them do petty crimes that can be addressed with conflict mediation or restorative justice. It is unfathomable that such depravity can exist, especially when it is wrapped in context with racism and c... more »
Testing creating crisis in student mental health Parents United for Responsible Education
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Testing creating crisis in student mental health: PSAT for 5-7-13: Say no to 36! by admin When it come to class size, research shows that less really is more. [image: psat_logo]Raise Your Hand Illinois came to prominence in the spring of 2010 with their “Say No to 37″ campaign, a protest against CPS plans to balance the budget by raising class size. Now RYH is sponsoring a petition against the Chicago Public Schools space utilization formula used to declare dozens of schools “underutilized” and therefore in danger of closure ... more »
Shanker Blog » About Value-Added And "Junk Science"
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Shanker Blog » About Value-Added And "Junk Science": About Value-Added And “Junk Science” by Matthew Di Carlo One can often hear opponents of value-added referring to these methods as “junk science.” The term is meant to express the argument that value-added is unreliable and/or invalid, and that its scientific “façade” is without merit. Now, I personally am not opposed to using these estimates in evaluations and other personnel policies, but I certainly understand opponents’ skepticism. For one thing, there are some states and districts in which design and implementation has bee... more »
Will a Year's Delay Save the Common Core? A Response to Weingarten's Proposal - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Will a Year's Delay Save the Common Core? A Response to Weingarten's Proposal - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Will a Year's Delay Save the Common Core? A Response to Weingarten's Proposal by Anthony Cody A week ago, Randi Weingarten gave a speech expressing some strong views on the Common Core. Her plea is that leaders across the country give schools a one year reprieve before the harsh consequences attached to new assessments linked to the Common Core begin to take effect. She also shared the results of a poll that shows that most teachers WANT the standards to s... more »
Mother Crusader: My 52 Views on High-Stakes Tests
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Mother Crusader: My 52 Views on High-Stakes Tests: My 52 Views on High-Stakes Tests by darciecima *WE ARE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, AMERICA!!!!* Today marks the second week of NJASK testing here in New Jersey. Grades 5 and 6 began testing this morning, and make-ups are being conducted for 7th and 8th graders that weren't tested last week. Last week parents were told that if they insisted on opting out their child's test would be scored a zero and their child would be placed in remedial classes next year. Reports are coming in today that students are being forced to sit th... more »
The “Dirty Dozen” Ways Charter Schools Influence Student Enrollment - Jonathan Kantrowitz
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
The “Dirty Dozen” Ways Charter Schools Influence Student Enrollment - Jonathan Kantrowitz: A a moratorium on the stakes associated with Common Core assessments? by Jonathan Kantrowitz American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten has called for a moratorium on the stakes associated with Common Core assessments until the standards are properly implemented and field-tested. Weingarten said a moratorium is necessary on the consequences of high-stakes tests to allow for midcourse corrections, as needed, in aligning the standards, curriculum, teacher training, instruction ... more »
UPDATE: PWCS Inflating Construction Costs? + School Board Report – April 3, 2013 | PWC Education Reform Blog
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
School Board Report – April 3, 2013 | PWC Education Reform Blog: Is PWCS Inflating Construction Costs? by pwceducationreform Loudoun County awarded a bid to build their next high school for $64 million. Stafford County awarded a bid to build their next high school for $59 million. PWCS projects that it will cost $100 million, excluding the pool, to build their next high school. The schools will house approximately the same number of students [...] School Board Report – April 3, 2013 by pwceducationreform School Board Report for April 3, 2013. All members were present. *Consen... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Two Events to Note
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Two Events to Note: Two Events to Note by Melissa Westbrook Both events are on Wednesday, May 15th. One is the *Seattle Foundation's Give Big day*, the one-day online event to prod/inspire people to give to one (or more) of 1400 non-profits. It goes from midnight to midnight. Seattle Foundation then gives "*a pro-rated portion of the matching funds. The amount of the "stretch" depends on the size of the stretch pool and how much is raised over the day."* Last year's total? $7.43M. That's big. If you are going to give, make it go farther. ... more »
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, May 6, 2013
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Wall Street ♥ charter schools | Muckety - See the news* Education Headlines *Monday, May 6, 2013* Suspensions drop sharply in Stockton USDThe use of suspensions as a form of discipline is under scrutiny in the state Assembly, and Stockton Unified changed some of its conduct codes in 2011, taking suspensions off the table in many nonviolent situations where a student shows "defiance" to staff. Schools lose $$Tuolumne and Calaveras county schools lost out this spring on more than $1 million in funding for after-school programs. Boa... more »
UPDATE: warped mind of Dr. Dan Paterno + Interview with myself. | Fred Klonsky
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Interview with myself. | Fred Klonsky: Interview with myself. by Fred Klonsky [image: 296388_10150464425422067_1751428610_n] Q: What’s your prediction? A: Miami Heat in four. Q: No. About the pension vote in the Illinois General Assembly. A: I remain convinced that the two chambers will not be able to agree on anything major this session. Unless… Q: Unless what? A: Unless they do. And if they do, it will go to court. Q: Madigan says he has four votes on the court. A: Madigan’s bluffing. Unless… Q: Unless what? A: Unless he’s not. The Illinois Supreme Court is elected and is a supremely... more »
Vallas “no bid” special education software deal in Bridgeport continues to be a disaster - Wait, What?
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Vallas “no bid” special education software deal in Bridgeport continues to be a disaster - Wait, What?: Vallas “no bid” special education software deal in Bridgeport continues to be a disaster by jonpelto It was one of the first non-bid contracts that Bridgeport’s “Superintendent of Schools,” Paul Vallas pushed through. Using a half-baked “sole-source” rationale, Vallas hired a company that he had worked with in Chicago and Philadelphia without using any bidding process. The contract promised Bridgeport a state-of-the-art special education software program “for free,” as long as ... more »
The Opt Out Update: Student Walkout in Denver, New York parents suing the state and much, much more. | Seattle Education
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
The Opt Out Update: Student Walkout in Denver, New York parents suing the state and much, much more. | Seattle Education: The Opt Out Update: Student Walkout in Denver, New York parents suing the state and much, much more. by seattleducation2011 First up, the students speak up. From *Students4OurSchools:* *On May 10th, we the students will be standing up for our education. We advocate for an authentic education where we are evaluated by portfolios, self-directed projects and self-written evaluations. We will also be asking for a passion-driven curriculum. * *We encourage student...more »
Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Alonso Announces Retirement | Re:education in Baltimore
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours 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 »
UPDATE: Honoring Veteran Teachers Inducted into the Hall of Fame + Celebrating Our Nation’s Teachers | ED.gov Blog
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Celebrating and Listening to Our Nation’s Teachers | ED.gov Blog: Honoring Veteran Teachers Inducted into the Hall of Fame Posted on May 6, 2013 by Laurie Calvert Although Teacher Appreciation Week begins today, officials at the Department of Education started celebrating early by honoring the five experienced teachers who were inducted into the National Teacher Hall of Fame last Friday. [image: Teacher Hall of Fame] Secretary Duncan spoke at a ceremony honoring teachers inducted into the National Teacher Hall of Fame last week. The teachers were also invited to ED to talk about edu... more »
Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week | NEA Today #thankateacher
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours 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 »
UPDATE: deal between We Are One and Cullerton? + The “Madigan 62″. Illinois House members who voted to violate the Illinois Constitution. | Fred Klonsky
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
The “Madigan 62″. Illinois House members who voted to violate the Illinois Constitution. | Fred Klonsky: Breaking. Word on the deal between We Are One and Cullerton is coming out. by Fred Klonsky What I am hearing: Cullerton’s plan is his “choice” theory. Two options if we want to keep compounded COLA. 1) No healthcare access. Any salary hikes are non-pensionable OR 2) 3-year COLA freeze and a 2% additional pension contribution. 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 me... more »
Modern School: Zero Tolerance for Science (or Common Sense)
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours 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 - 9 hours 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 - 9 hours 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 »
UPDATE: David Green’s #TFA commentary @nytimes + End NJ Tax Subsidies for “Monster” Pearson – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
End NJ Tax Subsidies for High Stakes Testing “Monster” Pearson – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Friend David Green’s #TFA commentary @nytimes comes at a good time by Chalk Face, PhD I’m starting to feel as if the TFA brand is getting a tad tarnished. It’s not fooling a lot of people anymore, as is apparent from many of the responses Mr. Greene received. When I spoke at the 92Y last month, I was right after Wendy Kopp. She left immediately after her talk, the prima donna that she apparently must be at this point, Blackberry always going off with the next fundraising call. W... more »
Wall Street ♥ charter schools | Muckety - See the news
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 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 »
UPDATE: No more AYP + DeKalb marches to own tune: Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
DeKalb marches to own tune: Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: No more AYP. Here comes College & Career Ready Index. By Maureen Downey The state releases scores for schools next week using the new College & Career Ready Performance Index. We had a primer on the index with DOE on Friday. It's a complex and comprehensive system. It will be interesting to see if parents warm to it. The index awards schools a numerical grade on a 100-point scale. So, schools will be graded 75 or 80 or 95. But behind those grades are loads of data. The ind... more »
National Teacher Day, May 7, 2013
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 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 - 10 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Teachers College to Honor Doyenne of High-Stakes Testing by dianerav Teachers College, Columbia University, will honor Merryl Tisch at its 2013 Convocation. As Chancellor of the New York Board of Regents, Tisch has launched the state’s most demanding regime of high-stakes testing in history. Teachers College specifically congratulates Tisch’s leadership not only in tying test scores to teacher evaluations but in tying test scores to the school of education that... more »
Louisiana Educator: The Course Choice Cancer
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 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 - 11 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 »
UPDATE: The problem with Pearson-designed tests + They made him take the test
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
They made him take the test: The problem with Pearson-designed tests that threatens thousands of scores by Valerie Strauss [image: tests]I’ve written about some of the problems with new standardized tests given to students in New York — including mistakes with scoring for gifted and talented programs, concerns about product placement in test questions and badly written questions and possible answers — but here is a piece on a different issue surrounding the exams and the company that designed them, Pearson. This was written by Kathleen Porter-Magee is a Bernard Lee Schwartz Poli... 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 - 11 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 - 11 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 - 11 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 - 11 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 - 18 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 - 19 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 - 19 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 - 19 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 - 19 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 - 20 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 - 22 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 - 22 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 - 22 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 - 22 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 - 22 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day ago
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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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 »
