2nd Banana 6-22-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA 

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST

U.S. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and Distinguished Panel to Address 'Education Solutions 2010' for California and the Nation in Event Streamed Live via the Internet on March 30 at 6:00 p.m. PDT

U.S. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and Distinguished Panel to Address 'Education Solutions 2010' for California and the Nation in Event Streamed Live via the Internet on March 30 at 6:00 p.m. PDT

U.S. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and Distinguished Panel to Address 'Education Solutions 2010' for California and the Nation in Event Streamed Live via the Internet on March 30 at 6:00 p.m. PDT

2nd Banana 6-15-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA 

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-18-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best: 

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

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

25,000 Sign Declaration Calling For A New Direction In Education Policy

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

25,000 Sign Declaration Calling For A New Direction In Education Policy: 25,000 Sign Declaration Calling For A New Direction In Education Policy by Jeff Bryant As a populist wave of discontent with top-down education mandates continues to sweep the country, more than 25,000 concerned citizens have coalesced behind an Education Declaration to Rebuild America. If you haven’t already, show your support for the Declaration here. And be sure to keep up with the progressive movement for public education by subscribing to the EON weekly e-newsletter here. *A Declaration With Broad Support... more »

Can School Reform Hurt Communities? - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Can School Reform Hurt Communities? - NYTimes.com: Can School Reform Hurt Communities? William Widmer for The New York Times Jeri Hilt taught students about copyright law at ReNEW Cultural Arts Academy, a charter school in New Orleans, last week. By SARAH CARRPublished: June 15, 2013 NEW ORLEANS — BEFORE Hurricane Katrina, about 74 percent of this city’s schools were considered “failing,” based mainly on their standardized test scores. By 2012, that figure had dropped to 42 percent, even as the bar for passing was raised. Average ACT scores for the city’s public school students have ... more »

Arne Duncan Expected To Tap Emma Vadehra As New Chief Of Staff

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Arne Duncan Expected To Tap Emma Vadehra As New Chief Of Staff: Arne Duncan Expected To Tap Emma Vadehra As New Chief Of Staff by Joy Resmovits [image: arne duncan emma vadehra] U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will likely soon tap a new chief of staff, sources say. Sources close to the administration, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, told The Huffington Post that Joanne Weiss, Duncan's longtime right-hand woman, will depart the U.S. Education Department this summer, likely in July. She is expected to be replaced by Emma Vadehra, w... more »

First Lady Michelle Obama and Epicurious Announce Winning Recipes in Nationwide “healthy Lunchtime Challenge” | The White House

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

First Lady Michelle Obama and Epicurious Announce Winning Recipes in Nationwide “healthy Lunchtime Challenge” | The White House: First Lady Michelle Obama and Epicurious Announce Winning Recipes in Nationwide “healthy Lunchtime Challenge” by The White House *54 Kids to Attend "State Dinner" at White House on July 9 To Celebrate Nutritious, Delicious Lunchtime Dishes* *Washington, DC – *First Lady Michelle Obama, Epicurious, the Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture today announced the winners of a nationwide recipe challenge to promote healthy lunches as part ... more »

State Superintendent Launches Common Core Summer Program | KHTS Radio

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

State Superintendent Launches Common Core Summer Program | KHTS Radio: State Superintendent Launches Common Core Summer Program Sat, 06/15/2013 - 11:30am | Gabrielle Moreira (news release - California Dept. of Education) State Superintendent Tom Torlakson will hold a press conference Monday in Sacramento to discuss California’s Common Core summer program, which will train teachers on new state-wide standards for math. ------------------------------ Don't miss a thing. Get breaking *Santa Clarita news alerts* delivered right to your inbox. ------------------------------ The confer... more »

Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 6-20-13 #soschat #edreform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 41 minutes ago

*SPECIAL **Mid Day Banana Break* Student Engagement—Essential for Success in School—Is More Complex, Changeable Than Previously Thought by Jonathan Kantrowitz *“Enhancing student engagement has been identified as the key to addressing problems of low achievement, high levels of student misbehavior, alienation, and high dropout rates.” – Pitt professor Ming-Te Wang* A student who shows up on time for school and listens respectfully in class might appear fully engaged to outside observers, including teachers. But other measures of student engagement, including the student’s emotiona... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: View from right field: Smarick wants an end to urban school systems

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: View from right field: Smarick wants an end to urban school systems: View from right field: Smarick wants an end to urban school systems by Mike Klonsky I don't agree.Is there any real difference between calling for an end to "urban school systems" and calling for an end to urban public schools? I don't think so. *Andy Smarick*, who works for right-wing think tanks like the American Enterprise Institute and the Fordham Institute, tweeted me yesterday, saying that I was being unfair to him for equating his call for the destruction of

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-21-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best: 

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

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

Board Members Ask Deasy To Explain Himself - LA School Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago

Board Members Ask Deasy To Explain Himself - LA School Report: Board Members Ask Deasy To Explain Himself from LA School Report by Hillel Aron [image: John Deasy, left, Bennett Kayser, right, at a Jerry Brown-led press conference in May] John Deasy, left, Bennett Kayser, right, at a press conference in May Some members of the School Board have sent Superintendent John Deasy a letter asking him to clarify comments deriding a Board-passed spending resolution and indicating his plans to include a targeted funding resolution that was not passed by the Board. “They can’t stop me from doing... more »

UPDATE Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Juneteenth Mayoral Forum and talk of Seattle Schools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Juneteenth Mayoral Forum and talk of Seattle Schools: Start Time Petition by Charlie Mas There are lots and lots of great reasons for Seattle Public Schools to swap around the start times for school so that elementary school starts earlier and middle and high school starts later. A group called Start School Later Seattle has is looking for a resounding show of support for moving secondary schools to a later start time. They have created a petition. You can express your support for the effort by signing the petition at*: * http://petitions.m... more »

Teach for America: What do you mean were not exceptional?! Public Education Justice Alliance of Minnesota(PEJAM)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Public Education Justice Alliance of Minnesota(PEJAM): Teach for America: What do you mean were not exceptional?!: Teach for America: What do you mean were not exceptional?! *What do You Mean We are Not Exceptional?* June 14, 2013 was a dark day for Teach for America-Twin Cities and its neo-liberal backers. It marked the second time in three weeks in Minnesota that TFA was rejected after having demanded that it be treated as the exceptional organization it pretends to be. This photo includes some of Minnesota's most active corporate education reformers and was taken by Beth Hawki... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-21-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

Update: Moales Empire Collapsing, foreclosure to take his state funded childcare sites, churches and apparently his residence. - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Update: Moales Empire Collapsing, foreclosure to take his state funded childcare sites, churches and apparently his residence. - Wait, What?: Right on schedule: Pryor waives certification requirement for Vallas by jonpelto *The story of arrogance, entitlement and deceit continues to play out here in Connecticut.* First Governor Malloy and his administration tried to illegally take over the Bridgeport School System. Although Connecticut’s Supreme Court ruled the action was illegal and ordered the state to return control of Bridgeport Schools back to the people of Bridgeport, Malloy’... more »

UPDATE: Special Needs students at shuttered Trumbull file federal law suit against CPS. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Special Needs students at shuttered Trumbull file federal law suit against CPS. | Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. Rahm’s new board member. by Fred Klonsky [image: rich white person] Click on image to enlarge. The retirement gamble and HB3303. by Fred Klonsky Waiting in the wings while Madigan and Cullerton figure out if they can make a deal on their versions of pension reform are a group of Republican legislators who want to turn our defined benefit pension into a Vegas-style gamble with 401(k)s and 402(b)s and defined contributions. Glen wrote about it: *Don’t be fooled by some... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-21-13 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] NCTQ Report: Time for a Class Action Lawsuit? by dianerav A reader in Wisconsin is outraged. I can’t blame her. Should anyone with a degree be allowed to teach? Is professional education worthless? Scott Walker thinks so. So will others who read the NCTQ report, which graded teacher education with an F without bothering to visit any of the institutions it graded so harshly. This parent writes: Dear Diane, My suggestion is far beyond my ability to assess; here’s my... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 6-20-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE* * * *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* Education Hostage Crisis by teachbad A recent report by one of my favorite local NPR-affiliate reporters, Kavitha Cardoza, made me want to scream. She was reporting on a report about suspension and expulsion rates in Washington DC traditional and public charter school. The gist of it is that 1) students in poor neighborhoods get suspended and expelled more than students in wealthier neighborhoods; and 2) charter schools suspend and expel students at a higher rate than traditional public schools. Other sni... more »

Badass Teachers Association Shows a New Spirit of Defiance - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Badass Teachers Association Shows a New Spirit of Defiance - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Badass Teachers Association Shows a New Spirit of Defiance by Anthony Cody Some teachers finally seem to have had enough, and they are letting the world know it. A closed group on Facebook called the Badass Teachers Association has added more than a thousand members a day since its launch less than a week ago, rapidly approaching the 7000 mark, showing no sign of letting up. Mark Naison, a professor of African American studies at Fordham University in New York, founded the grou... more »

Student Loan Proposal Would Avert Deadline, But Raise Borrowing Costs, Boosting Government Profit

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Student Loan Proposal Would Avert Deadline, But Raise Borrowing Costs, Boosting Government Profit: Student Loan Proposal Would Avert Deadline, But Raise Borrowing Costs, Boosting Government Profit by Joy Resmovits [image: student loan deadline] WASHINGTON -- Student borrowers and their families would pay more to finance college under a proposal pushed by a bipartisan group of senators, increasing the federal government’s profits despite warnings over record student debt levels. The proposal comes as the federal government has been recording mounting profit off the backs of ... more »

Arne Duncan Expected To Tap Emma Vadehra As New Chief Of Staff

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Arne Duncan Expected To Tap Emma Vadehra As New Chief Of Staff: Arne Duncan Expected To Tap Emma Vadehra As New Chief Of Staff by Joy Resmovits [image: arne duncan emma vadehra] U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will likely soon tap a new chief of staff, sources say. Sources close to the administration, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, told The Huffington Post that Joanne Weiss, Duncan's longtime right-hand woman, will depart the U.S. Education Department this summer, likely in July. She is expected to be replaced by Emma Vadehra, w... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-20-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best: 

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

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

Loan companies charge students for services available for free - The Denver Post

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Loan companies charge students for services available for free - The Denver Post: Loan companies charge students for services available for free POSTED: 06/20/2013 08:12:45 AM MDT UPDATED: 06/20/2013 11:36:32 AM MDT ByJohn Hechinger, Bloomberg News In this Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 file picture, students attend graduation ceremonies at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) (Butch Dill) BOSTON — Polly Williams, a single mother who had recently lost her job, was desperate to lower the payments on her $23,000 in student loans. So last June, she called one ... more »

Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 6-20-13 #soschat #edreform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

*SPECIAL **Mid Day Banana Break* Student Engagement—Essential for Success in School—Is More Complex, Changeable Than Previously Thought by Jonathan Kantrowitz *“Enhancing student engagement has been identified as the key to addressing problems of low achievement, high levels of student misbehavior, alienation, and high dropout rates.” – Pitt professor Ming-Te Wang* A student who shows up on time for school and listens respectfully in class might appear fully engaged to outside observers, including teachers. But other measures of student engagement, including the student’s emotiona... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-20-13Diane 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: Did You Ever Expect to Hear Eloquence at a School Board Meeting? by dianerav Steve Zimmer, the school board member who beat back a multi-million dollar campaign to defeat him just a few months ago, spoke to his fellow members of the Los Angeles school board at their meeting yesterday. He talked about the importance of class size. He demolished the claim that teachers want to reduce class size Parent to LAUSD School Board: Please Protect Us with Fairness by dianerav This is testimony delivered by a parent to the Lo... more »

Education Reform at 20: What Lies Ahead |

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Education Reform at 20: What Lies Ahead |: Education Reform at 20: What Lies Ahead June 20, 2013 by Alyssa Haywoode [image: Noah Berger, president Mass Budget; Eileen Rudden, founder, Sankaty Growth Partners; John Jackson, president and CEO, Schott Foundation for Public Education; John Bissell, executive vice president, Greylock Federal Credit Union. Photo: Alyssa Haywoode for Strategies for Children] Noah Berger, president MassBudget; Eileen Rudden, founder, Sankaty Growth Partners; John Jackson, president and CEO, Schott Foundation for Public Education; John Bissell, executive vice... more »

First Lady Michelle Obama and Epicurious Announce Winning Recipes in Nationwide “healthy Lunchtime Challenge” | The White House

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

First Lady Michelle Obama and Epicurious Announce Winning Recipes in Nationwide “healthy Lunchtime Challenge” | The White House: First Lady Michelle Obama and Epicurious Announce Winning Recipes in Nationwide “healthy Lunchtime Challenge” by The White House *54 Kids to Attend "State Dinner" at White House on July 9 To Celebrate Nutritious, Delicious Lunchtime Dishes* *Washington, DC – *First Lady Michelle Obama, Epicurious, the Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture today announced the winners of a nationwide recipe challenge to promote healthy lunches as part ... more »

Daily Kos: Badass Teachers Association - teachers fight back

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: Badass Teachers Association - teachers fight back: Badass Teachers Association - teachers fight back by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) [image: Candaloo Gonzalez] Mark Naison is a professor of African-American Studies at Fordham University, and an activist FOR public education and against the "reform" movement. Earlier this week he established a Facebook Group called Badass Teachers Association (and yes, I have joined). News of this has spread like wildfire. Today is the 6th day of the group's existence. It is already over 5,800 members as of 8 AM EDT. It is one more exam... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-20-13 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] Michigan: How to Destroy Communities by dianerav I was tempted to call this post “the outrage of the day.” It is hard to read it without a sense of blood-boiling rage. It was written by Stacy Erwin Oakes, a Democratic legislator from Saginaw. Governor Rick Snyder wants to eliminate public education. He wants a state where every family shops for an education provider. As this article shows, his latest gambit was an effort to dissolve the state’s school districts. T... more »

Jersey Jazzman: An Exchange With Jonah Rockoff

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: An Exchange With Jonah Rockoff: An Exchange With Jonah Rockoff by Duke This is a long post, but I think it's valuable. Let me set it up a bit: Earlier this month, I was given a remarkable piece of audio: testimony by Jonah Rockoff, professor of finance and economics at Columbia University, before the New Jersey State Board of Education. Rockoff's subject was the use of test score data in teacher evaluation, which is obviously a subject near and dear to my heart. I've reposted the audio below if you care to listen. After I posted the audio, I wrote a series of post... more »

"WTU Alerts Teachers About a "Fake Debate Scheduled for McKinley Tech High School." The Washington Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

The Washington Teacher: *"WTU Alerts Teachers About a "Fake Debate Scheduled for McKinley Tech High School." * *WTU Dust-up * Today right before the close of the school day, the WTU President Nathan Saunders had a major meltdown and sent out an email blast to WTU members titled "WTU Alerts Teachers About a "Fake Debate Scheduled for McKinley Tech High School." What caught my attention was that Saunders actually sent the first email from his own WTU email account. Followed by a second email blast minutes later from the WTU Communication Director. Saunders email to union members s... more »

Sacramento News & Review - Hmong Innovating Politics shakes up Sacramento political establishment - News - Local Stories - June 20, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Sacramento News & Review - Hmong Innovating Politics shakes up Sacramento political establishment - News - Local Stories - June 20, 2013: Hmong Innovating Politics shakes up Sacramento political establishment HIP announced federal injunction filings against the Sacramento City Unified School District last week By Raheem F. Hosseini raheemh@newsreview.com This article was published on 06.20.13. Learn more about Hmong Innovating Politics athttp://hipsacramento.tumblr.com . *Related stories:* Culture shock Sacramento’s gang-prevention efforts may not work on Asian kids. SN&R, 12.15.11...more »

On gunfights in Old Sacramento, school-board lawsuits and Kevin Johnson as Kings salesman - Bites - Opinions - June 20, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Sacramento News & Review - On gunfights in Old Sacramento, school-board lawsuits and Kevin Johnson as Kings salesman - Bites - Opinions - June 20, 2013: On gunfights in Old Sacramento, school-board lawsuits and Kevin Johnson as Kings salesman On shoot-outs in Old Sacramento, school-board legal woes and Kevin Johnson as the Kings' No. 1 salesman *The Sacramento City Unified School District* Board intentionally sacrificed poor neighborhoods and protected affluent ones with its school-closure plan earlier this year. That’s the gist of a *lawsuit* filed by several Sacramento student... more »

Is Michelle Rhee a Fraud? | Taking Note

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Is Michelle Rhee a Fraud? | Taking Note: Is Michelle Rhee a Fraud? by John Merrow “Thank you for showing the world that Michelle Rhee is a fraud.” The woman who said that to me at a banquet at the Harvard Club last week is known to serious education wonks. “I have been sending your exposé to governors and legislators all over the country,” she added. “In fact, Governor (name withheld by me) told me he was grateful for your one-man crusade against Rhee because she is hurting the teaching profession.” This was a crowded and noisy social event, and so I could correct only one part o... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-19-13 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: G.F. Brandenburg Transcribes Gary’s Wit by dianerav I am still waiting for Gary Rubinstein to post his brilliant and funny speech last night at the Skinny awards in Néw York City. These awards are conferred by Class Size Matters, the city’s leading voice for public education. Fortunately, that great blogger G. F. Brandenburg transcribed Gary’s remarks here. It is, as you will see, a hilarious riff on corporate reform rhetoric. The audience loved it. He hit the target. Blogger Alexander Russo interpreted Gary’s remar... more »

25,000 Sign Declaration Calling For A New Direction In Education Policy

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

25,000 Sign Declaration Calling For A New Direction In Education Policy: 25,000 Sign Declaration Calling For A New Direction In Education Policy by Jeff Bryant As a populist wave of discontent with top-down education mandates continues to sweep the country, more than 25,000 concerned citizens have coalesced behind an Education Declaration to Rebuild America. If you haven’t already, show your support for the Declaration here. And be sure to keep up with the progressive movement for public education by subscribing to the EON weekly e-newsletter here. *A Declaration With Broad Support... more »

CA officials dispute national teacher quality study’s findings SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: CA officials dispute national teacher quality study’s findings A study calling more than three-quarters of the nation’s teacher colleges ‘mediocre at best’ is flawed and fails in its mission to fairly evaluate their quality, according to the chair of California’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing and the state’s superintendent of public instruction. The report, released Tuesday by the non-profit National Council on Teacher Quality, rated 608 institutions using a four-star system and found that 78 percent earned two or fewer stars, “ratings ... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-19-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

UPDATE: Karen Lewis to the City Club of Chicago: On baseball and budgets. “When I was a kid, I used to dream that one day I’d play right along-side Minnie Minoso or Sandy Koufax.” | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Karen Lewis to the City Club of Chicago: On baseball and budgets. “When I was a kid, I used to dream that one day I’d play right along-side Minnie Minoso or Sandy Koufax.” | Fred Klonsky: Here it goes. Occupy Lafayette. by Fred Klonsky [image: 1000417_566911110014833_1293591656_n] “School occupation in progress at Lafayette Elementary! Parents and students are occupying, and students are blockading doors to prevent the removal of supplies, but they need back up. 2714 W Augusta.” – From Occupy Rogers Park. Occupied’: Protesters blockade Chicago elementary school to protest closing ... more »

Perdido Street School: NYCDOE Loses State Tests, Punishes Students With Summer School

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Perdido Street School: NYCDOE Loses State Tests, Punishes Students With Summer School: NYCDOE Loses State Tests, Punishes Students With Summer School by reality-based educator This is outrageous: A Brooklyn intermediate school flunked an entire eighth-grade class and told the kids they’d have to attend summer school — because bungling education officials lost their state English exams, The Post has learned. Panicked 13- and 14-year-olds at IS 227 in Bensonhurst said their dreams of a fun summer were dashed yesterday when they were handed letters that barred them from attending th... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-19-13 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] This Is a Great Organization, Good Video by dianerav The National Opportunity to Learn Campaign is funded largely by the Schott Foundation for Public Education. Schott is one of the few national organizations that supports public education, not privatization. This is a good video that it funded. Takes only a minute to watch. NSBA: Dems Support Federal Control of Education by dianerav On a party-line vote, Democrats on the Senate committee reported out a bill that e... more »

6-19-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] The End Might Be Near for Common Core by John Thompson Especially in the last few months, John Merrow has hit some tape-measure home runs. Merrow’s strike outs can be just as amazing. His last whiff, is a doozy. Merrow tried to used some humor and experimental prose to criticize the recent trend where, supposedly, “the arrival of the Common Core apparently means the end of the […] Chief Wonk tells a funny, interesting enough if it wasn’t also milquetoast by Chalk Face, PhD It’s this guy, Rotherham. Bellwether, or what have yo... more »

National Council on Teacher Quality report is deeply flawed | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

National Council on Teacher Quality report is deeply flawed | EdSource Today: National Council on Teacher Quality report is deeply flawed - by Linda Darling-Hammond / commentary by Linda Darling-Hammond / commentary This week, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) issued a report, *NCTQ Teacher Prep Review*. Billed as a consumer’s guide, the report rates teacher preparation programs on a list of criteria ranging from selection and content preparation to coursework and student teaching aimed at the development of teaching skills. While the report appropriately focuses on t... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 6-18-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE* * * *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* Review of Khan Academy’s “American History Overview Part 1: Jamestown to Civil War” by ldorazio1 Popout I had not been a huge fan of Khan Academy. Even before I started working with one of its competitors, I generally took a dim view of anyone that though they could do better than a teacher with just a computer and a voice recorder. However, Salman Khan’s little creation, originally meant to help his own cousin in math, has been a founding father of today’s explosion in virtual pedagogy. Practically every... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-18-13 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: Michael Feuer: The Flaws of the NCTQ Report by dianerav Some in the mainstream media have given credence to the report of the Nationsl Council on Teacher Education about teacher preparation. They should have talked to some of the institutions that were graded before venturing an opinion. In this post, Dean Michael Feuer of the George Washington University School of Education explains how far wrong the report was about his school, its programs, and its students. Robert Skeels Attends a pRev Meet and Greet by dia... more »

Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 6-18-13 #soschat #edreform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* Testing reform in the news: June 6-12, 2013 by ed notes online From Fair Test: Many major stories about assessment reform progress this week -- Texas significantly reduces standardized exam mandates; a rally in Albany opposes testing overkill, and major national groups call for a moratorium on Common Core tests. All our weekly newsblasts are posted on the web at http://www.fairtest.org/news/other - this one will be up shortly. Texas Governor Signs Bill Eliminating Two-Thirds of Required High-Stakes Exams http://blog.chron.com/texaspolit... more »

Reflecting on Technology — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Reflecting on Technology — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Chuck Bloch]Reflecting on Technology June 18, 2013 by Chuck Bloch I am a school principal. And I turned 50 recently. I know, it's just a number, but on watershed moments like these I find myself a bit more reflective than normal. Among many things, I have been thinking about how things have changed in my working life. I taught in the classroom for 11 years and have been in administration for 15 years now, and I can honestly say that it has been a great career so far. So many great people to work with and ... more »

AFT - NCTQ’s Review of Teacher Preparation Programs Needs Improvement

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

AFT - A Union of Professionals - NCTQ’s Review of Teacher Preparation Programs Needs Improvement: NCTQ's Review of Teacher Preparation Programs Needs Improvement *AFT's Weingarten: "It's disappointing that for something as important as strengthening teacher preparation programs, NCTQ chose to use the gimmick of a four-star rating system without using professionally accepted standards, visiting any of the institutions or talking with any of the graduates."* *WASHINGTON—*Statement by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on the National Council on Teacher Qualit... more »

CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS, STUDENTS RALLY AT STATE CAPITOL IN SUPPORT OF SUMMER LEARNING FOR NATIONAL SUMMER LEARNING DAY

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Home | Summer Matters: *CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS, STUDENTS RALLY AT STATE CAPITOL IN SUPPORT OF SUMMER LEARNING FOR NATIONAL SUMMER LEARNING DAY* State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, California Legislators, School District Leaders, Students and Civic Leaders Rally for Expanded Access to High Quality Summer Learning Programs at *“Reading Rocks! National Summer Learning Day Read-In @ the California State Capitol”* *Media & VIP Event* *WHAT: H**undreds of California students, educators, parents and school district and civic leaders will take to the steps of the Cali... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Superintendent Says No to Half-Days/Waivers

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Superintendent Says No to Half-Days/Waivers: Washington State Superintendent Says No to Half-Days/Waivers by Melissa Westbrook State Superintendent Randy Dorn throws down on half-days/waivers for school districts, according to a reportfrom KING-5 tv. *Washington State’s school superintendent says he opposes the expansion of half-days on school calendars and wants lawmakers to act next year to give his office the authority to curb them.** “Just because the adults have the problem of not having enough money does not mean we should ta... more »

Kate Walsh, the NCTQ and US World and World Report | Seattle Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Kate Walsh, the NCTQ and US World and World Report | Seattle Education: Kate Walsh, the NCTQ and US World and World Report by seattleducation2011 Reblogged from Seattle Education: On the news wires this week, *U.S. News & World Report and the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) announce today the launch of a landmark survey. The survey will consist of more than 1,000 schools of education across the country. Unprecedented in its scope and comprehensiveness, the project will rate the quality of teacher preparation programs from which more than 200,000 new teachers graduate e... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-18-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

UPDATE: The Madman blinks. + The in box. Pension reform. What is the moral basis for it? | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

The in box. Pension reform. What is the moral basis for it? | Fred Klonsky: The Madman blinks. by Fred Klonsky [image: kent-wallis-lady-jane-grey-queen-for-nine-days-is-beheaded-at-the-tower-of-london-on-charges-of-treason_i-G-17-1753-L5S3D00Z-1] There will be no votes taken on any pension bill tomorrow. Let’s take a second and review what happened leading up to today. In the General Assembly session that ended the end of May, nothing happened. Madigan ordered his House to pass SB1, a pension bomb so punitive to state employees that it would make Alcatraz look like an all-inclusive reso... more »

6-18-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] I’ve visited @NCTQ, we should all be underwhelmed #teacherprep by Chalk Face, PhD Paul Thomas and Jim Horn have already warned us about NCTQ and its thoroughly biased “advocacy.” There are some updated links in there, here’s a few more on the new report specifically: From NPR; NCTQ’s chief hypocrisy; And MSNBC. and the Wall Street Journal. Kind of a mixed bag here. I’m not sure if there’s […] Microsoft No. 1–in Turning Over Data to NSA by Jim Horn You might say that Gates got the ball rolling. From the PRISM slide show rec... more »

U.S. News Releases NCTQ Teacher Prep Ratings - US News and World Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

U.S. News Releases NCTQ Teacher Prep Ratings - US News and World Report: U.S. News Releases NCTQ Teacher Prep Ratings The ratings are part of a larger, independent review of undergraduate and graduate education programs. By KELSEY SHEEHY June 18, 2013 RSS Feed Print [image: New ratings released by U.S. News and NCTQ evaluate programs that train teachers to teach.] New ratings released by U.S. News and NCTQ evaluate programs that train teachers to teach. Teaching was once dubbed "the profession that eats its young" and many educators liken their first few years in the classroom to a h... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Linda Darling-Hammond on the NCTQ Report by dianerav Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University is one of the nation’s leading experts on teacher preparation. This is her commentary on the report released by the National Council on Teacher Quality, which attempts to rate the quality of the nation’s colleges of education by reviewing their catalogues and course syllabi. What Can We Learn about Teacher Education Quality from the NCTQ Report on Teacher Prep? Linda D... more »

Daily Kos: Help Advocate for Children in Virginia!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Daily Kos: Help Advocate for Children in Virginia!: Help Advocate for Children in Virginia! by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Today marks the kickoff of a statewide campaign by Strong Kids, Strong Virginia, which is an effort by Every Child Matters Virginia, the state effort of the Every Child Matters Education Fund. This is a 501(c)(3) effort, which is non-partisan. We are communicating to elected officials of both parties. Perhaps these statistics from the website will help you understand why: There are 1,847,182 children under 18 in Virginia• Children Living in Poverty (2009) - ... more »

LA Unified school board member wants changes to California's Parent Trigger law | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

LA Unified school board member wants changes to California's Parent Trigger law | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: LA Unified school board member wants changes to California's Parent Trigger law from Pass / Fail by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez [image: Cheech Marin at LAUSD on arts ed] *A Los Angeles Unified school board meeting in Oct. 2012.; Credit: Tami Abdollah/KPCC* California’s Parent Trigger law has been used five times to try and overhaul low-performing schools. Three of those were in the L.A. Unified School District. School board member Steve Zimmer has proposed a resolution up for a vote at... more »

Perdido Street School: Bloomberg: UFT Endorsement Is "Kiss Of Death"

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Perdido Street School: Bloomberg: UFT Endorsement Is "Kiss Of Death": Bloomberg: UFT Endorsement Is "Kiss Of Death" by reality-based educator *Opposed to the "Kiss Of Wealth"* He's kinda right about this: *The candidates vying to succeed him can "shill" all they want for the teachers union, but they may very well be wasting their time, Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters today, during a press conference at the education department headquarters near City Hall.* "The last time the U.F.T.'s endorsement got somebody elected was better than two decades ago, O.K.?" said Bloomberg. "I... more »

Parent Revolution Creates a “Truth Site” to Debunk Me | Diane Ravitch's blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Parent Revolution Creates a “Truth Site” to Debunk Me | Diane Ravitch's blog: Parent Revolution Creates a “Truth Site” to Debunk Me by dianerav Parent Revolution, funded with millions of dollars by the Walton Family Foundation, the Gates Foundation, and he Broad Foundation, has decided to create a “truth site.” The story says: “The site’s initial focus will be on attempting to debunk claims made by NYU education historianDiane Ravitch, who earlier this month quasi-apologized for calling Parent Revolution head Ben Austin “loathsome” and on Friday penned another critique of the pare... more »

inBloom, Ed-Fi, Cloud Computing, China, Nazi-Germany and the new Eugenicists | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

inBloom, Ed-Fi, Cloud Computing, China, Nazi-Germany and the new Eugenicists | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: inBloom, Ed-Fi, Cloud Computing, China, Nazi-Germany and the new Eugenicists by crazycrawfish Believe it or not, these concepts and words are all related. inBloom and Ed-Fi are two vendors that use cloud computer to store massive quantities of student data (the Louisiana is currently doing business with.) The information these vendors plan on storing will be used to classify, sort and allocate children by their skills and early proficiencies, much as they do in Communist China. It... more »

Daily Kos: Mayor Rahm Offers Schools Grand Bargain: Teachers or Toilet Paper

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Daily Kos: Mayor Rahm Offers Schools Grand Bargain: Teachers or Toilet Paper: Mayor Rahm Offers Schools Grand Bargain: Teachers or Toilet Paper byTristero 312Follow - - - 6 Comments / 6 New Chicago schools face severe cuts as the district unveils its new "school-based" budget plan which forced Nettlehorst Elementary School in Chicago to empty out all reserves, pink slip two teachers’ aides, and eliminate a school secretary position. Other schools are not as lucky and will be cutting teachers and resources including a commodity missing from many Chicago Schools... more »

Rising to the Occasion: A Call for Students and Teachers Alike Student Voice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Student Voice: Rising to the Occasion: A Call for Students and Teachers Alike by Editor Admin [image: Spencer Dupont]*About the Author: *My name is Spencer Dupont. I’m a 16-year-old junior who’s spent his entire life in the Deep South. I was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, but moved to Lafayette, Lousiana, with my family when I was a young child. I have lived here with my brother and my mother for most of my life. I write poetry in my free time and enjoy writing music, while essays consume a small portion of my free time. My name is Spencer Dupont. I’m a 16-year-old student of the La... more »

Volume 27, Performance Test for New Teachers A Forum on the edTPA- Rethinking Schools Online

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Volume 27, No.4 - Summer 2013 - Rethinking Schools Online: Volume 27, Issue 4 Volume 27, Issue 4 VOLUME 27, ISSUE 4 — SUMMER 2013 Cover Theme:Performance Test for New TeachersA Forum on the edTPA In this special forum, we highlight three perspectives on the edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment), the test for credential candidates now being piloted in teacher education programs around the country. The Role of Performance Assessment in Developing Teaching as a Profession By Linda Darling-Hammond and Maria E. Hyler The edTPA will lead to better teachers and more professional respect. Wron... more »

UPDATE Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Commission-Mtg #3

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Commission-Mtg #3: Spectrum Thread by Melissa Westbrook This was requested as finally some Spectrum parents are understanding that Spectrum is very much on the chopping block. Who knows? As we speak Shauna Heath and Michael Tolley may have already done away with it (it seems they will be creating whatever Advanced Learning will be). If the district had allowed the Advanced Learning Taskforce to continue its work, we might have gotten to Spectrum and ALOs. But maybe that was the point of NOT continuing on. It may be too ... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-17-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best: 

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

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

Common Core Summer Showcase - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Common Core Summer Showcase - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Showcases Teacher Trainings Kicking Off California's Common Core Summer SACRAMENTO—With the state budget setting aside $1.25 billion to implement new standards in California's public schools, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson kicked off California's Common Core Summer with a daylong seminar to help teachers instill deeper learning of mathematics in their students. "For teachers, this is California's Common Core Summer. They've just finished their own school yea... more »

6-17-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] KIPP in Arkansas Gives “Whatever It Takes” New Meaning by Jim Horn Recent conversations with KIPP high school teachers reveals many cracks in KIPP’s Five Pillars. Apparently, KIPP’s Helena, AK high school has interpreted “whatever it takes” to include violating state laws for student transcripts and what can count as course credits. From The Inside Scoop Online: The Arkansas Department of Education has determined that the Helena-West […] PAR NoT PARCC in New Jersey by freetoteach Looking to replace the test driven, evaluatio... more »

NCTQ Ranking of Teacher Prep Programs Gets an F | A "Fuller" Look at Education Issues

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

NCTQ Ranking of Teacher Prep Programs Gets an F | A "Fuller" Look at Education Issues: NCTQ Ranking of Teacher Prep Programs Gets an F by Dr. Ed Fuller *Background* In January, 2011, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) and *U.S. News & World Report* announced their intention to evaluate and rank teacher education programs in the United States. The goal of this study is to review the quality of teacher preparation programs across the U.S., based on NCTQ’s standards for teacher education. This followed a series of reports assessing state-level Teacher Preparation policie... more »

UPDATE Seattle Schools Community Forum: Sweet, sweet irony

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Sweet, sweet irony: Sweet, sweet irony by Charlie Mas A few days ago I wrote about the Board's role and how they are failing to do their job. Today, the Seattle Times writes the same. Funny thing, though, the Times and I have exactly the opposite ideas about what the Board should be doing. The Times claims that "*Time wasted on board dysfunction, including time spent on personality conflicts as well as delayed policy decisions, slows momentum on important improvements.*" Really? Like what? What - exactly - has been delayed due to Board disagre... more »

UPDATE: One of the Best Things PWCS has to Offer | PWC Education Reform Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

One of the Best Things PWCS has to Offer | PWC Education Reform Blog: PWCS Misleading Public about Aquatic Therapy and Special Needs Students by pwceducationreform I want to thank all of the parents of special education students for notifying me about the discrepancy between what PWCS is promising and what they’ll actually deliver regarding aquatic therapy for SPED students. I don’t have any children in SPED programs and don’t understand what things mean to SPED students, like what it means […] School Board Report – June 5, 2013 by pwceducationreform School Board Report for June 5... more »

Education's Attention Deficit Dilemma — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Education's Attention Deficit Dilemma — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Walter McKenzie]Education’s Attention Deficit Dilemma June 17, 2013 by Walter McKenzie In the blogging era everyone can publish their ideas and opinions and grow quite a following doing so; the democratization of information in practice. This proliferating idea exchange is part and parcel of Thomas Friedman's flat earth analogy. Developing one's voice and being heard is a good thing. But it's not enough. If we carry the flat earth metaphor to its logical conclusion, opinions freely rolling acr... more »

UPDATE: The Real Pension Obstructionist: A Letter to a Legislator. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

The Real Pension Obstructionist: A Letter to a Legislator. | Fred Klonsky: Bill Daley’s pension plan. That’s Ty Fahner’s hand up his rear. by Fred Klonsky [image: bunny-white-hand-puppet-blue-ears] Millionaire banker and brother of the recepient of one of the largest public pensions in the state, announced his pension plan today. His lips were moving but it was the voice of the Civic Committee President Ty Fahner that echoed around the state. Pass SB1. Nothing but SB1. Veto anything that isn’t SB1. Attack anyone who claims SB1 is unconstitutional. Which it is. Even though Governor Squ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-17-13 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] How the Bloomberg DOE Kills Schools by dianerav The Bloomberg administration loves small schools. Conversely, it hates large schools, especially large high schools. The city used to have dozens of large high schools, some of which had a storied history. Now few remain. One that was slated to close last year was Long Island City High School, but it was saved by a court order. So the Department of Education is killing it by the usual means, by diverting students ... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-16-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Monica Ratliff Responds to Critics by dianerav Since she upset the heavily-funded favorite in the recent Los Angeles school board runoff, many eyes are on Monica Ratliff. Some of her supporters were concerned when she appeared at an event where the Gates-funded Educators forExcellence presented a report on teacher evaluation. The event was attended by Superintendent John Deasy and NYC Teacher Ratings Will Flunk More Teachers by dianerav The politicians won’t rest until they can fire more teachers. John King is th... more »

State Superintendent Launches Common Core Summer Program | KHTS Radio

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

State Superintendent Launches Common Core Summer Program | KHTS Radio: State Superintendent Launches Common Core Summer Program Sat, 06/15/2013 - 11:30am | Gabrielle Moreira (news release - California Dept. of Education) State Superintendent Tom Torlakson will hold a press conference Monday in Sacramento to discuss California’s Common Core summer program, which will train teachers on new state-wide standards for math. ------------------------------ Don't miss a thing. Get breaking *Santa Clarita news alerts* delivered right to your inbox. ------------------------------ The confer... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-16-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best: 

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

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

Ed Notes Online: Acievement First Concentration Camp Policies Supported by Gates Foundation

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Ed Notes Online: Acievement First Concentration Camp Policies Supported by Gates Foundation: Acievement First Concentration Camp Policies Supported by Gates Foundation by ed notes online Actually, I would describe Achievement First more as a southern plantation circa 1850. But no one should be surprised that the Gates Foundation is based on a southern plantation mentality. I love it that they are so willing to connect themselves to Achievement First which exposes what Gates is all about. Really think about the AF name. "Achievement" before even the welfare of the child. But "achieve... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-16-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

Can School Reform Hurt Communities? - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Can School Reform Hurt Communities? - NYTimes.com: Can School Reform Hurt Communities? William Widmer for The New York Times Jeri Hilt taught students about copyright law at ReNEW Cultural Arts Academy, a charter school in New Orleans, last week. By SARAH CARRPublished: June 15, 2013 NEW ORLEANS — BEFORE Hurricane Katrina, about 74 percent of this city’s schools were considered “failing,” based mainly on their standardized test scores. By 2012, that figure had dropped to 42 percent, even as the bar for passing was raised. Average ACT scores for the city’s public school students have ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-16-13 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: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] My High School Added to the National Register of Historic Buildings by dianerav I don’t know if anyone in the world cares about this except me and a few gray heads in and around Houston. Our high school was just named to the National Register of Historic Buildings. I graduated in 1956. San Jacinto at that time was a racially segregated school, as were all the public schools of Houston. In 1954, after the Brown decision, I asked to meet with the principal, Mr. Bran... more »

Happy Father's Day from the Big Education Ape

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

*Happy Father's Day from the Big Education Ape* * * * *

Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education »

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: S.1117 Reengaging Americans in Serious Education by Uniting Programs Act Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 11 minutes ago A bill to prepare disconnected youth for a competitive future. Bill Introduced: H.R.2234 Diploma and Accreditation Integrity Protection Act Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 11 minutes ago To reduce and prevent the sale and use of fraudulent degrees in order to protect the integrity of valid higher education degrees that are used for Federal employment purposes. Bill Introduc... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-15-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best: 

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

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

Diane in the Evening 6-15-13 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: The Problem with Teacher Evaluation by dianerav Michael Weston of Hillsborough County, Florida, explains what is wrong with teacher evaluation: “Of course we use the Danielson rubric in Hillsborough County Fl, where it forms one of the three pillars of the Gates funded “Empowering Effective Teachers”. The second pillar is value-added, the third is duplicity / deception. Quite frankly, whether Charlotte is spelled Charlatan, whether her rubric is valuable or trash, whether her resume is padded…..none of this matte... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach?: Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach? by Melissa Westbrook An article in the Huffington Post about college costs caught my eye. [image: college costs] Over the past three decades, the inflation-adjusted income of the median American family has basically remained stagnant. The same can’t be said of college costs, which have simultaneously surged to almost unrecognizable heights, according to a new report by the left-leaning Center for American Progress. Costs at private nonprofit four-year colleges have

A New framework for Working and Learning | Lefty Parent

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

A New framework for Working and Learning | Lefty Parent: A New framework for Working and Learning by Cooper Zale [image: Circle of Hands]For many of us the rules of engagement at work are changing, from the traditional approach of being told what to do by “bosses”, to a new more egalitarian approach where a team of colleagues and peers collectively decide what to do. Those traditional “bosses” are being replaced by “managers” who are more facilitative than directive, conveying to us the basic business strategy from the company’s leadership team, making sure we have the time and reso... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NYC Public School Parents: Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues?: Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues? by Leonie Haimson The parent-led mayoral forum last night at Murry Bergtraum High School was terrific, with parents asking incisive yes/no questions, investigative reporter Juan Gonzalez doing inspired follow-up as only he knows how, and all the candidates giving thoughtful responses. Below is the livestream video; we will have sharper video uploaded next week, but the audio is quite clear. Th... more »

Great EXpectations | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Great EXpectations | EduShyster: Great EXpectations by edushyster2012 *Will the heaviest hitter of all lend His support to the civil rights i$$ue of our time?* Reader: there are already plenty of marquee names involved in the crusade to *crush* the achievement gap. But thus far the biggest name of all has yet to weigh in upon the civil rights i$$ue of our time. I am talking, of course, about the Big Guy, the Man Upstairs, Sky Daddy, Him… Thankfully, thanks to the efforts of a former Teacher for America, that may be about to change. Let’s learn more, shall we? Meet the Expectations P... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-15-13 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: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] What Ralph Waldo Emerson Might Say About School Reform Today by dianerav This arrived in my email. It came from a retired school teacher in Nebraska. He said the retired teachers will not sit by and watch the capture of our public schools by corporations. The retires helped to defeat a charter bill in Nebraska. He wrote: Hi Diane Just received the following letter from Ralph Waldo Emerson with a request that I send it to the good people in Newark: The End of Neig... more »

2nd Banana 6-15-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA 

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-15-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

6-15-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] Creating Artificial Student Failure in New York @nysed @nysut by Kris Nielsen New York Teacher (I will post the name when I get permission) posted some pretty shocking information on the UOO Facebook site recently, along with her comments and a letter to Steven Katz, the Director of New York State Assessments. This is blatant. This is wrong. If there was any doubt that New York has […] Accountability for the bottom, immunity at the top, incompetence all around by Chalk Face, PhD Bill Maher’s recent New Rule is somewhat ap... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 6-15-13

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* STATE BOARD OF ED HANDED JOB OF DEFINING RULES OF NEW FUNDING SYSTEM + smf’s 2¢ smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 20 hours ago By John Fensterwald | EdSource Today http://bit.ly/10ipL1R June 14th, 2013 | The Legislature will vote today on a bill establishing Gov. Brown’s historic school funding system that punts to the State Board of Education some key decisions on how dollars for disadvantaged students must be spent and accounted for. The language for implementing the Local... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 6-15-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Education Research Report *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Moral vs. Performance Character Development in Urban Adolescents Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago This study compared the effects of emphasizing moral character development or performance character development at three high-performing, high-poverty urban middle schools. Performance character consists of the qualities that allow individuals to regulate their thoughts and actions in ways that support achievement in a particular endeavor. Moral character consists of the qualities relevant t... more »

All Week 6-15-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] Merrow Is a Jolly Fellow (Not) plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 hour ago I hate even to acknowledge John Merrow’s most recent venture into not having a clue, but his attempt at humor is yet more evidence that the evidence doesn’t matter: The Common Core and the End of the World In Merrow’s evidence-free world, all who question the Mighty Common Core are nothing more than end-of-the-world loonies. […] Report Back from the Trigger Happy Parent Revolution’s “Meet and Greet” with teachers and social justice o... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 6-15-13 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAY

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 6-15-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

Diane Ravitch's blog

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG 

DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG