2nd Banana 6-1-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA 

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST

ILLINOIS TEACHER ELLIE RUBENSTEIN QUITS ELOQUENTLY- SHE NAILS IT (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

ILLINOIS TEACHER ELLIE RUBENSTEIN QUITS ELOQUENTLY- SHE NAILS IT (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com: ILLINOIS TEACHER ELLIE RUBENSTEIN QUITS ELOQUENTLY- SHE NAILS IT (VIDEO) by Leonard Isenberg [image: Ellie Rubenstein.jpg] (Mensaje se repite en Español) *The following post and video was taken directly from the Huffington Post. Let me know if your situation at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) sounds disturbingly the same. At perdaily, we are getting teachers from Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Riverside, Sacramento, and all over the United States telling us the same story a... more »

The GOP Shift in Education | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

THE GOP SHIFT IN EDUCATION

by Charlotte Williams

In a recent Slate article, Dana Goldstein argues that “Michele Bachmann's growing popularity among the Republican base signals . . . a sea change in the party's 

Schools Matter: Oligarchs' Booker T. in KC Resigns, Leaving Big Broadie Shadow

OLIGARCHS' BOOKER T. IN KC RESIGNS, LEAVING BIG BROADIE SHADOW

by Jim Horn

Above: Booker T. Washington and the backers of racist industrial education policies

Loyal Broadie, John Covington (Class of '08), is headed to Michigan to perform more corporate reform-schooler 

2nd Banana 5-25-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA 

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-29-13 AM Posts 

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

How closing schools hurts neighborhoods

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

How closing schools hurts neighborhoods: How closing schools hurts neighborhoods Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 6, 2013 at 6:00 am 0 Comments More [image: (thenotebook.org)] (thenotebook.org) On Thursday, the Philadelphia school district’s governing board, the School Reform Commission, will be voting on the most massive one-time downsizing of the system ever proposed. The district’s recently revised plan, which has encountered widespread community and teacher opposition, calls for closing 29 out of 239 district schools next fall – a step down from the original proposal to shutte... more »

The People's Library: Did You Know? | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

THE PEOPLE'S LIBRARY: DID YOU KNOW?

 

by Tarsi Dunlop

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library. Materials are added at the rate of 10,000 per day and the Copyright Office has a card catalogue with more than45 million card entries. It contains 838 miles of bookshelves and holds a collection of more than 147 million items. The Library is open to the public 

Are Lazy Students the Real Problem in Public Education? - Education - GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Are Lazy Students the Real Problem in Public Education? - Education - GOOD: Are Lazy Students the Real Problem in Public Education? by Liz Dwyer [image: students] Over the past few years teachers have borne the brunt of the blame for the challenges facing the nation's public schools. But in a scathing op-ed in Salt Lake City's *Deseret News*, Teresa Talbot, a veteran of Utah's public schools who's about to enter her 25th year in the classroom, claims "the main problem with our education system today is not what is taught, where it is taught, by whom it is taught or how it is taught... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-30-13 AM Posts

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

The Educated Reporter: Higher Education 101: Dorms, Remediation and Midnight Classes

The Educated Reporter: Higher Education 101: Dorms, Remediation and Midnight Classes

HIGHER EDUCATION 101: DORMS, REMEDIATION AND MIDNIGHT CLASSES

by Emily Richmond

Much of the focus of the nation’s education crisis has been on K-12 schools. But higher education students–and the institutions they attend–are also facing challenges on many fronts. Tuition is up at many public campuses as a result of reduced state funding. Community colleges, which stand to play an enormous role in the nation’s economic recovery as a means of retraining workers, are often vastly overcrowded. At the same time, the relative merit of a bachelor's degree is 

The Biggest Misconceptions About Teachers’ Unions—Debunked

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

The Biggest Misconceptions About Teachers’ Unions—Debunked: The Biggest Misconceptions About Teachers’ Unions—Debunked Douglas Hodum, the president of the Maine Science Teachers’ Association, says many Americans need to rethink how they view teachers’ unions. Teachers’ unions don’t always get the best press. This was especially apparent during the Chicago teachers’ strike last year. (Photo: Getty Images) Unions are professional organizations. They provide services for teachers that cover an incredible gamut of purposes. Yet, despite all the positive work teachers’ unions do for stude... more »

Student Voice | Uniting Student Voices Worldwide | Empowering Grassroots Student Activism

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Student Voice | Uniting Student Voices Worldwide | Empowering Grassroots Student Activism: Education Across Oceans: One Student’s Fight for Education from Her Home City to Her Homeland by Student Voice Staff Writer Living in the western world, students are not always aware of the changes that are occurring in education internationally. With students that come from other parts of the globe, such as Katebah Alolefi from Yemen, education is just as important a topic as it is for many American-born students. Katebah, an American resident since 2003, was born in Yemen, a nation with o... more »

California Bill to Prevent Child Abuse in Schools Passes Assembly (AB 349) - eNewsChannels News Magazine

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

California Bill to Prevent Child Abuse in Schools Passes Assembly (AB 349) - eNewsChannels News Magazine: California Bill to Prevent Child Abuse in Schools Passes Assembly (AB 349) by California Newswire on Thu, 30 May 2013 [image: Calif. Assemblyman Mike Gatto]SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Today, the California State Assembly took action to prevent child abuse in our schools and track those accused of crimes against children, by passing AB 349 with a bipartisan vote of 71-0. The bill creates a landmark, statewide, information system to help prevent repeat offenders fro... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: My Conversation with Glenn Beck on Data Retrieval. Just Remember The Wizard of Oz.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: My Conversation with Glenn Beck on Data Retrieval. Just Remember The Wizard of Oz.: My Conversation with Glenn Beck on Data Retrieval. Just Remember The Wizard of Oz. AFT Statement on Privacy and Security Concerns about inBloom and Other Data Collection Efforts AFT - A Union of Professionals AFT - A Union of Professionals - AFT Statement on Privacy and Security Concerns about inBloom and Other Data Collection Efforts: AFT Statement on Privacy and Security Concerns about inBloom and Other Data Collection Efforts Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShar... more »

Fact Sheet: President Obama Fights to Keep Interest Rates from Doubling | The White House

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Fact Sheet: President Obama Fights to Keep Interest Rates from Doubling | The White House: Fact Sheet: President Obama Fights to Keep Interest Rates from Doubling by The White House *“Helping more of our young people afford college should be at the forefront of American’s agenda. It shouldn’t be a Democratic or a Republican issue.”* *--President Barack Obama, University of Colorado-Boulder, April 24, 2012.* Last year the President worked with Republicans and Democrats in Congress to secure a one-year extension to keep the student loan interest rate from doubling to 6.8 percent. A... more »

Bill requires more disclosure from charter schools - San Jose Mercury News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Bill requires more disclosure from charter schools - San Jose Mercury News: Bill requires more disclosure from charter schools The Associated Press Posted: 05/30/2013 07:23:00 PM PDT Updated: 05/30/2013 07:23:00 PM PDT [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] SACRAMENTO, Calif.—California charter schools would be subject to the same open meeting laws and disclosure requirements as school boards and local governments under a bill passed by the Assembly. Lawmakers passed AB913 by Democratic Assemblyman Ed Chau of Monterey Park on Thursday. The bill now moves to ... more »

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Governor Chris Christie and Ed Commissioner Cerf Leaving NJ’s Children Behind by freetoteach Funding for New Jersey’s public schools is falling behind and leaving lots of children left behind. After more than a decade of NCLB which was supposed to close the achievement gap, yeah right, Chris Christie and President Obama’s love fest this past week in boosting the tv ratings on the Jersey Shore, is little comfort […] Parents Opt Out . . . of Student Eye Scanning by Jim Horn In the state that spawned Chiefs for Change (and Folding Cash), the ... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee, Jeb Bush warn Michigan legislators against abandoning Common Core standards | MLive.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Jeb Bush warn Michigan legislators against abandoning Common Core standards | MLive.com: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee, Jeb Bush warn Michigan legislators against abandoning Common Core standards Source: [b]MLive.com[/b] LANSING -- As keynote speakers Michelle Rhee and Jeb Bush endorsed the National Common Core State Standards for education at this week's Mackinac Policy Conference, Gov. Rick Snyder called the controversy over the standards "something we need to work through." Rhee, the former chancellor of District of Columbia schools and he... more »

Another “Big Lie” from Achievement First: “100 percent college acceptance rate.” - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Another “Big Lie” from Achievement First: “100 percent college acceptance rate.” - Wait, What?: Another “Big Lie” from Achievement First: “100 percent college acceptance rate.” by jonpelto In a story entitled *Amistad Sends 30 To College, “Loses” 23, *the New Haven Independent highlights what Wait, What? readers have known for a while; when the charter school management company, Achievement First Inc. claims that they achieve a “100 percent college acceptance rate,” it should not be considered a “statement of fact.” Achievement First, of course, being the charter school management... more »

Obama Student Loan Speech Signals Renewed Battle With Republicans Over Interest Rates

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Obama Student Loan Speech Signals Renewed Battle With Republicans Over Interest Rates: Obama Student Loan Speech Signals Renewed Battle With Republicans Over Interest Rates by Joy Resmovits [image: Obama Student Loans]President Barack Obama will deliver a speech Friday urging Congress to pass legislation that would prevent student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1. (Photo by Zbigniew Bzdak-Pool/Getty Images) WASHINGTON -- Even before President Barack Obama personally joins the debate over student loan interest rates on Friday, Republican lawmakers and higher-education p... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-30-13 

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

Louisiana Education Superintendent John White denies allegations of high school test score cover-up | NOLA.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Louisiana Education Superintendent John White denies allegations of high school test score cover-up | NOLA.com: Louisiana Education Superintendent John White addresses inflated test scores before Senate panel Lauren McGaughy, NOLA.com | The Times Picayune By Lauren McGaughy, NOLA.com | The Times Picayune Email the author | Follow on Twitter on May 30, 2013 at 12:57 PM, updated May 30, 2013 at 1:43 PM [image: State Superintendent John White] Louisiana's top education official on Thursday denied allegations that his department intentionally inflated high school test scores and then ... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-30-13 AM Posts

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

UPDATE: Rebranding Rahm. + “Good morning Senator Martinez. Vote no.” | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

“Good morning Senator Martinez. Vote no.” | Fred Klonsky: Guess who’s coming to dinner? “The problem is not these white babies up north. They’re not the problem. They deserve a world-class education, but so do our babies.” by Fred Klonsky [image: pritzker-protest-0530] *Parents and students from three South Side schools slated to close gather outside Pritzker Elementary School in Wicker Park, after trying to enroll there, but being told the school has a * Rebranding Rahm. by Fred Klonsky [image: rebranding] *“It is a new beginning. We are putting the past behind us, it is time to tu... more »

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER 5-30-13

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: From “Surplussed” to “Excessed:” Dumped Memphis Teachers Go to Court by Jim Horn With the blessing of Bill Gates and State Commissioner, Kevin (formerly Mister Michelle Rhee) Huffman, principals across Memphis and Shelby County are illegally dumping hundreds of tenured teachers in favor of TFA, TeachPlus, and TeachMemphis corporate missionaries, who are hired to instill in Memphis’ impoverished children the corporate psychology that can be summed up as “you can […] Enough of the “I am a white person and I refuse to acknowledge the opportun... more »

The biggest irony in Chicago’s mass closing of schools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

The biggest irony in Chicago’s mass closing of schools: The biggest irony in Chicago’s mass closing of schools By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 30, 2013 at 5:00 amE-mail the writer 2 Comments More [image: President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. (ed.gov)] President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. (ed.gov) There’s some deep irony in this: In 2002, Arne Duncan, then the head of the Chicago public schools system, announced that he was closing three elementary schools because they had been failing students for years. It was the start of a strategy of closing down s... more »

solidaridad: @TCFKSM: Alexander Russo's vicious attack on Weigand Elementary School Teachers

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

solidaridad: @TCFKSM: Alexander Russo's vicious attack on Weigand Elementary School Teachers: @TCFKSM: Alexander Russo's vicious attack on Weigand Elementary School Teachers by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene First published on @TCFKSM on May 29, 2013 ------------------------------ Photo courtesy of Alexander Russo's vicious attack on LAUSD's Weigand Elementary School teachers should be noted by everyone. In a piece where he gleefully sides with AEI's Hess' smear on the distinguished Professor Ravitch, he also decides to take aim at the hardworking women and men teaching at the schoo... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-29-13

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

UPDATE: Washington State Charter Schools - the Beat Goes On Seattle Schools Community Forum: Math Curriculum Update

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Math Curriculum Update: Math Curriculum Update by Melissa Westbrook From the Seattle Math Coalition: FYI, the district has changed their math adoption plan based on budget concerns. The proposed K-8 adoption which was supposed to be in classrooms in Fall of 2014 is now only a K-5 adoption, with 6-8 to be delayed for another year! This files in the face of common sense: 1) CMP2 is a train wreck for families without stellar teachers or family/tutor support 2) Despite a goal of a 7-year adoption cycle, the CMP2 materials are already at year ... more »

Smarter Balanced Practice Tests - Assessment Information (CA Dept of Education)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Smarter Balanced Practice Tests - Assessment Information (CA Dept of Education): Smarter Balanced Practice Tests ------------------------------ The Smarter Balanced Practice Tests are now available for grades 3 through 8 and grade 11 in English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics. The Practice Tests provide a preview of the Smarter Balanced assessments, but do not reflect the full range of content that students may encounter on the actual assessments. As such, *the practice tests should not be used to guide instructional decisions about students*. Scoring keys are expected to be av... more »

First Focus | Early Education Focus

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Home | First Focus | Early Education Focus: [image: Early Ed Focus] Early Education in FocusWe're pleased to introduce the first issue of our new early education newsletter, *Early Education in Focus*. If you would like to continue receiving the periodic newsletter, please sign-up here. What's the Plan?President Obama included a plan for widely available high quality pre-K in his budget request, adding his ideas on expanding access and improving quality of pre-K to the existing proposals already in Congress. Our analysiscompares the pre-K portion of the President’s plan to Sena... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Florida School Board Confirms They Have Ok'd Iris Scan Without Parental Permission

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Florida School Board Confirms They Have Ok'd Iris Scan Without Parental Permission: Florida School Board Confirms They Have Ok'd Iris Scan Without Parental Permission by Anngie What would you do if you found out your school scanned your child's iris for the all critical purpose of enabling your child not to have to "carry an identification card?" Parents in Florida are answering that question today. A mother in Florida posted last week on Facebook that she thought her third grader had been scanned at school, but she could get no confirmation of that, ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Student Privacy Issues - No to inBloom

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Student Privacy Issues - No to inBloom: Student Privacy Issues - No to inBloom by Melissa Westbrook This article from Reuters really does a good job of explaining the issues around student data and privacy. (I had seen this but a reader also alerted me to it; thanks). I keep getting asked, "What to do?" I'll have a list of things you CAN and SHOULD do. Our district can say no to a lot of this. In a nutshell: ** *A $100 million database set up to store extensive records on millions of public school students has stumbled badly since its launch... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, May 29, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Fensterwald: Nine districts resubmit ‘stronger’ application for NCLB waiver * Education Headlines *Wednesday, May 29, 2013* Stockton USD fills No. 2 postFor the first time in more than six years, Stockton Unified has a deputy superintendent, a clear second-in-command in the event of an unexpected void at the top of the district's management ladder. Helene Galen donates $1.5 million for Rancho Mirage High School theaterThe Palm Springs Unified School District will rename the new Rancho Mirage High School theater after accepting ... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-29-13 AM Posts

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER 5-29-13

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Chiefs for Change or Puppets for Propaganda? by Timothy D. Slekar The “Chiefs for Change” led by Hanna Skandera have put their collective foot down. There will be no stopping, pausing, or breathing when it comes to implementing and shoving high stakes test down the throats of Common Core adoption states. According to Skandera, “Accountability delayed isn’t real accountability.” Why do we care what Hanna Skandera thinks? […] Innovation Like 1954!: The Technology Khan Continues MAY 29, 2013 BY PLTHOMASEDD LEAVE A COMMENT Sal Khan is the twenty-fi... more 

Missouri Education Watchdog: Parent Refuses Permission for Child to take Part in Field Testing for Pearson

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Parent Refuses Permission for Child to take Part in Field Testing for Pearson: Parent Refuses Permission for Child to take Part in Field Testing for Pearson by stlgretchen Another brave parent stands up to the standardized test industry. From buffalo news. com and* ‘Field tests’ raise concerns that school tests are now a corporate product:* A new packet of shrink-wrapped state tests will arrive at hundreds of elementary and middle schools across the region this week. But these 40-minute tests given in early June won’t count for students or teachers. T... more »

Striking a Balance Between Tiger Mom and Empathetic Mom « MomsRising Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Striking a Balance Between Tiger Mom and Empathetic Mom « MomsRising Blog: Honoring the Voices and Influence of the Asian Pacific American Community: A MomsRising Blog Carnival Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month by Mee Moua Asian-Americans are the fastest growing minority in the United States, growing by 46% between the 2000 and 2010 censuses. Also, May marks Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. In celebration of the many contributions of women, mothers and families of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage to the United States, I am pleased to introduce this blog car... more »

UPDATE: Rahm’s fail too? + Life in Rahm’s Chicago. If UNO’s Juan Rangel failed, isn’t he Rahm’s fail too? | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Life in Rahm’s Chicago. If UNO’s Juan Rangel failed, isn’t he Rahm’s fail too? | Fred Klonsky: The clock stops on Friday for Illinois pension reform. It is all a tangled web. by Fred Klonsky [image: 4f69430c3ce92.preview-620]*Illinois Senator Mike Jacobs.* When the Illinois legislative clock stops late on Friday, either something will have happened or nothing will have happened. One thing that has a high probability of *not happening* is the *We Are One*/Cullerton SB2404. *We Are One*, as I have frequently pointed out here, is the coalition of state public employee leaders includin... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-29-13 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] Gary Rubinstein: Watch Kevin Huffman Debate a Straw Man by dianerav Gary Rubinstein came across an article in which Tennessee State Commissioner Kevin Huffman boasted about the merit pay scheme he was proposing and derided the leader of the Memphis teachers’ union for expressing caution about the program. Gary decided to take a closer look at the merit pay program and concluded that the union leader’s concern was well placed. Teachers would receive $2,000 to sign... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 5-28-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE* *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* The Incoherent World of Rick Hess by Duke *Rick Hess (artist's conception)* Oh, my stars and garters! Get the fainting couch: Rick Hess has the vapors! I've been friendly with Diane Ravitch for a long time. Encountering her historical work 20 years ago, I was struck by her hard-hitting, erudite analyses. She invited me to deliver my first featured talk (at Brookings, on my then-forthcoming *Spinning Wheels* book). When I was leaving UVA's Curry School of Education, she was one of the handful of mentors I tur... more »

Alice Mercer: Veteran Teachers Not a Priority in High Priority Schools - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Alice Mercer: Veteran Teachers Not a Priority in High Priority Schools - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Alice Mercer: Veteran Teachers Not a Priority in High Priority Schools by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Alice Mercer.* 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)... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Complaint filed with Office of Civil Rights claims Bloomberg administration widens gap and violates rights of minority students in HS admissions process

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Complaint filed with Office of Civil Rights claims Bloomberg administration widens gap and violates rights of minority students in HS admissions process: Complaint filed with Office of Civil Rights claims Bloomberg administration widens gap and violates rights of minority students in HS admissions process by Leonie Haimson Wendy Lecker of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity/Education Law Center has an excellent piece in , about the complaint just filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on behalf a group of NYC parents and advocacy... more »

'Miracle' L.A. school board triumph: She thought of her students - latimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

'Miracle' L.A. school board triumph: She thought of her students - latimes.com: 'Miracle' L.A. school board triumph: She thought of her students'Fifth-grade teacher' was underdog candidate Monica Ratliff's ballot designation. It resonated with voters, who propelled the 43-year-old to victory over heavily favored Antonio Sanchez. - [image: print] - Comments 21 - Email Share 157 - - 1 - 2 - next - | single page [image: Monica Ratliff] Victorious school board candidate Monica Ratliff. (Los Angeles Times / May 22, 2013) By Teresa ... more »

The Biggest Misconceptions About Teachers’ Unions—Debunked

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

The Biggest Misconceptions About Teachers’ Unions—Debunked: The Biggest Misconceptions About Teachers’ Unions—Debunked Douglas Hodum, the president of the Maine Science Teachers’ Association, says many Americans need to rethink how they view teachers’ unions. Teachers’ unions don’t always get the best press. This was especially apparent during the Chicago teachers’ strike last year. (Photo: Getty Images) Unions are professional organizations. They provide services for teachers that cover an incredible gamut of purposes. Yet, despite all the positive work teachers’ unions do for stude... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-28-13 #thankateacher 

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

Diane in the Evening 5-28-13Diane 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: Florida: Once Again, Test Results Are Over-hyped by dianerav Matthew Di Carlo takes a close look at the latest test scores released in Florida. His bottom line: don’t believe the press release. For one thing, the test specifications have changed, and the scores are not really comparable to prior years. Di Carlo points out: “Accordingly, the technical documentation for the FCAT notes (in bold-faced type) that “caution should be used North Carolina Passes Voucher Bill by dianerav On a vote of 27-21, the North Carolina... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-28-13 AM Posts 

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER 5-28-13

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Oh, before I forget to mention it… by Chalk Face, PhD I found all these great reports that basically prove without a doubt the major contentions of the education reform movement. I’m serious. Here they are, linked below based on each issue. Socioeconomic status does not predict educational outcomes. Competition for per-pupil expenditures improves student and parent satisfaction. Psychic Sylvia Brown predicts: “The Common Core will […] Another taste of test abstention data by Chalk Face, PhD As we continue to sift through the data from the... more »

UPDATE: No on SB1, SB2404, the cost shift and yes to changing the landscape. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

No on SB1, SB2404, the cost shift and yes to changing the landscape. | Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. Underutilized. by Fred Klonsky [image: underutilized] Click on drawing to enlarge. No on SB1, SB2404, the cost shift and yes to changing the landscape. by Fred Klonsky Popout. The regular session of the Illinois General Assembly ends Friday. Reuter’s reports: *The Illinois legislature, which over decades has built up a $100 billion unfunded pension liability, now is a study in gridlock. Speaker of the House Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton each are pushing com... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » The most sensitive cargo…

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » The most sensitive cargo…: The most sensitive cargo… by alicemercer [image: 72] The minister at the church service I attended today share this poem by Naomi Shihab Nye, and it really resonated with me. Here’s a stanza, the poem in it’s entirety can be found at the link below: This man carries the world's most sensitive cargo but he's not marked. Nowhere does his jacket say FRAGILE, HANDLE WITH CARE. - From “Shoulders” by Naomi Shihab Nye http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/23314#sthash.i0Eaf0sF.dpuf Let’s count the many ways that the s... more »

UPDATE: Can a teacher be disciplined/fired for teaching students their rights Daily Kos: you do not have right to vote in Presidential election

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: Even if you vote, you do not have right to vote in Presidential election: Even if you vote, you do not have right to vote in Presidential election by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) *I wrote this as a comment to marktheshark's diary on the Ellison-Pocan proposed constitutional amendment on voting. I thought I would also put it up separately* Even if you have the right to vote you do not under the US Constitution have the right to vote for electors of the President and Vice-President. The state legislature gets to decide how those electors are awarded - remember the bil... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-28-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Pelto: It Is Never Too Soon to Prepare Little Children for College by dianerav Jonathan Pelto here follows up on his report about the high rate of suspensions of children in kindergarten. The clincher is the closing lines, where the regional superintendent of Achievement First explains why so many children are suspended: *“The most telling remark came from Marc Michaelson, who works as the regional superintendent for * Yertle the Turtle and the Common Core by dian... more »

Indiana Legislature Playing Monday Morning Quarterback? | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Indiana Legislature Playing Monday Morning Quarterback? | Truth in American Education: Indiana Legislature Playing Monday Morning Quarterback? by Shane Vander Hart *The Times of Northwest Indiana* wrote an editorial yesterday opining that the Common Core State Standards not be set aside even though the implementation was paused. Indiana has reset the clock on joining the Common Core Standards initiative, with the Legislature overruling the State Board of Education and delaying implementation by at least one year while lawmakers play Monday morning quarterbacks this summer. The Co... more »

School leaders say Oakland’s community school movement will continue, even without Tony Smith | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

School leaders say Oakland’s community school movement will continue, even without Tony Smith | EdSource Today: School leaders say Oakland’s community school movement will continue, even without Tony Smith - by Michelle Maitre by Michelle Maitre [image: Students at Life Academy in Oakland participate in an after school "Futbolistas 4 Life" program. Credit: Roberto Daza. Stills courtesy of the documentary film Futbolistas 4 Life by Daza and Jun Stinson.] Students at Life Academy in Oakland participate in an after school “Futbolistas 4 Life” program. Credit: Roberto Daza. Photo courte... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-27-13 

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 5-27-13

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: CCSS + iPad + Kindergarten = ? by Chris Cerrone Wondering if full day kindergarten children have nap time replaced by tablet time? Follow the author on twitter @stoptesting15 One Step Closer…… from @ the chalk face by peggyrobertson Every time a child takes a high stakes test we are one step closer to the end of public education. Keep that in mind next year – especially if you are a student and/or have a child that doesn’t mind the test – know that the action of taking the test in fact is assisting […] Reconsidering the Khan Academy by plthom... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day 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 »

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 - 1 day 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 »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day 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 »

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 »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-27-13 AM Posts 

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

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 »

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 »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-26-13 #thankateacher 

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

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 47 minutes 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 - 47 minutes ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Why Does a Low-Income School in Tampa Beg for Books? by dianerav Here is a low-income school in Tampa that put out a public appeal for books. It needs $3,000 for books. The superintendent makes $263,000 a year. *LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-26-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all* mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Haimson Rebuts Bloomberg, Walcott b... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-26-13 AM Posts 

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

Thinking About Schools: "... but NOT the federal state" ... - John Dewey

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Thinking About Schools: "... but NOT the federal state" ... - John Dewey: "... but NOT the federal state" ... - John Dewey A little colony, the members of which are probably mostly known to one another in advance, settle in what is almost, or quite, a wilderness. From belief in its benefits and by tradition, chiefly religious, they wish their children to know at least how to read, write, and figure. Families can only rarely provide a tutor; the neighbors over a certain area, in New England an area smaller even than a township, combine in a “school district.” They get a schoolhous... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-26-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Teacher: What Happens in an IDEA Charter High School by dianerav In response to an earlier post about the IDEA charter chain, which won a $29 million Race to the Top grant just months ago, a teacher writes: I taught at an IDEA secondary school during the school year 2011-2012. When I began, one of the phrases scarred in teachers’ and students’ minds is “No Excuses”. I understood this to mean that students should not give any excuses because the teachers equip them ... more »

Why Memorial Day is confused with Veterans Day

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Why Memorial Day is confused with Veterans Day: Award-winning Virginia teacher: ‘I can no longer cooperate’ with testing regime by Valerie Strauss Ron Maggiano is a social studies teacher at West Springfield High School in Fairfax County. In 2005, he won the Disney Teacher Award for innovation and creativity, and in 2006, he won the American Historical Association’s Beveridge Family Teaching Prize … Continue reading → Why Memorial Day is confused with Veterans Day By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 26, 2013 at 5:00 amE-mail the writer 3 Comments More [image: Washington, DC - May,... more »

solidaridad: Cheryl Ortega: Logan St. School Celebrates 125th Birthday

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

solidaridad: Cheryl Ortega: Logan St. School Celebrates 125th Birthday: Cheryl Ortega: Logan St. School Celebrates 125th Birthday by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene [image: Logan Street Elementary School LAUSD] [image: Logan Street Elementary School LAUSD] [image: Logan Street Elementary School LAUSD] Posted by Cheryl Ortega, May 23, 2013 at 10:46 am on Echo Park-Silver Lake Patch *Saturday, June 1, 2013, 10:00 AM* 1711 W, Montana St LA 90026 In 1888 children came to Logan St. School in horse-drawn wagons. In a wooden building on the corner or Montana and Logan St. classes began in the o... more »

ILLINOIS TEACHER ELLIE RUBENSTEIN QUITS ELOQUENTLY- SHE NAILS IT (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

ILLINOIS TEACHER ELLIE RUBENSTEIN QUITS ELOQUENTLY- SHE NAILS IT (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com: ILLINOIS TEACHER ELLIE RUBENSTEIN QUITS ELOQUENTLY- SHE NAILS IT (VIDEO) by Leonard Isenberg [image: Ellie Rubenstein.jpg] (Mensaje se repite en Español) *The following post and video was taken directly from the Huffington Post. Let me know if your situation at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) sounds disturbingly the same. At perdaily, we are getting teachers from Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Riverside, Sacramento, and all over the United States telling us the same story a... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-25-13 

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

solidaridad: UCLA IDEA: Standardized Tests Don't Measure Education Quality

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

solidaridad: UCLA IDEA: Standardized Tests Don't Measure Education Quality: UCLA IDEA: Standardized Tests Don't Measure Education Quality by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene UCLA IDEA is often quite good on issues, even though they represent an only slightly left-of-center viewpoint. UCLA as a whole sometimes does excellent work, like their study on how so-called school choice and charter school industry has brought back Jim Crow with a vengeance. They (namely IDEA) also sometimes works with right-wing groups funded by the Broad Foundation, like ICS. Now that I've returned to UCLA, I k... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-25-13 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: A True Act of Courage and Integrity by dianerav I earlier posted about the 21 teachers who resigned their positions at Weigand Elementary School to protest the ouster of their principal Irma Cobian. That was 21 out of a teaching staff of 22. Not one of them knows if he or she will have a job next year. Theirs was an act of courage and integrity. They Parent Activist Says He Was Offered Money to Promote Trigger Law by dianerav A parent who supported Parent Revolution’s efforts to turn his school into a charter says ... more »

The in box. NEA’s Dennis Van Roekel on Chicago’s school crisis. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The in box. NEA’s Dennis Van Roekel on Chicago’s school crisis. | Fred Klonsky: The in box. NEA’s Dennis Van Roekel on Chicago’s school crisis. by Fred Klonsky NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. For weeks now, teachers, parents and community leaders have been protesting Chicago Public Schools’ plan to close 50 schools in what will be the largest single wave of school closures in U.S. history. The media coverage has been dramatic, but what you see in the eyes of educators who are so adamantly opposed to this plan is the same thing you see in the eyes of educators all across this nati... more »

GRADUATION DECORUM | Teachers Fight Back

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

GRADUATION DECORUM | Teachers Fight Back: GRADUATION DECORUM by alkleen There seems to be a new movement to end all the raucous behavior at school graduations. It seems people might finally be fed up with the hooting and hollering from the audience when names are read. This ridiculous behavior has been going on for years now and rarely has anyone had the nerve to stop the boorish behavior. Just like all other forms of school related discipline, this problem could be handled very simply if school administrators weren’t so afraid to offend anyone, especially parents. Many years ag... more »

Teacher: Walk in My Shoes Before You Criticize | Diane Ravitch's blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Teacher: Walk in My Shoes Before You Criticize | Diane Ravitch's blog: Teacher: Walk in My Shoes Before You Criticize by dianerav Enough! She is responding to Lisa Myer’s “A Teacher’s Letter to America.” By the way, that post went viral. It has been read by more than 30,000 people on this site alone and posted on Facebook more than 10,000 times. Whenever an article appears about schools or teaching, the comments that follow are often rants against both. Whence comes this rage? Why do so many people blame their teachers for whatever ails them? It doesn’t help that Race to the Top... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-25-13 AM Posts 

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

This Week's Education Research Report 5-25-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Education Research Report *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Students Perform Well Regardless of Reading Print or Digital Books Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 hour ago Research by an Indiana State University doctoral student found that students did equally well on a test whether reading from a digital book or a printed one. Jim Johnson, who also is director of instructional and information technology services in the Bayh College of Education, surveyed more than 200 students. Half of the students used an iPad2 to read a textbook chapter while the other ... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 5-18-13 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL *LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAY* *LOOK FOR MY NEW BOOK *[image: Ferlazzo200(1)] "Self-Driven Learning: Teaching Strategies for Student Motivation" will be a sequel to"Helping Students Motivate Themselves" May’s Best Tweets — Part Four Larry Ferlazzo at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... - 1 hour ago Every month I make a few short lists highlighting my choices of the best resources I shared through (and learned from) Twitter, but didn’t necessarily include them in posts here on my blog. I’ve already shared... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 5-25-13 

Diane Ravitch's blog

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG 

DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-25-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] A UTLA Member Speaks Out About His Union’s Hypocrisy by dianerav This comment came from a member of UTLA: “I think we all can celebrate. that Monica Ratliff won that election. The efforts of many UTLA members helped in that effort, and may have played a major role in her election. “It is interesting though, to look at the article at utla.net about Monica’s victory–http://www.utla.net/ratliff “Here is a quote in it from UTLA president Warren Fletcher: “We are overjo... more »

2nd Banana 5-25-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA 

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST