Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-1-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-1-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Shame on TIME for Supporting Rahm’s School Closures by dianerav TIME magazine put Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on its cover and praised him as a new kind of “pragmatic” Democrat, the kind that busts unions, ignores parents, and cultivates the approval of the business community. That is certainly a ne kind of Democrat. For a critique of TIME’s fawning coverage, read the article by Peter Hart of FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting). This is my favorite part of... more »

6-1-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 minutes ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Weigand ES Community protest the trigger happy Parent Revolution astroturf reactionaries by rdsathene * Robert D. Skeels First published on solidaridad on June 1, 2013 “This further substantiates our claim that by not openly demanding wealth redistribution, reparations, or justice for exploited workers, white social justice non-profits function as brokers for the wealthy.” — Tiffany Lethabo King and Ewuare Osyande (The Revolution Will Not Be Funded, 82) Great footage by LArepresents of […] Noam Chomsky, Howard Gardner, and Bruno della Chie... more »

Mother Crusader: Could YOUR District Lose Real Funds To K12 Inc.'s Virtual Charter?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago

Mother Crusader: Could YOUR District Lose Real Funds To K12 Inc.'s Virtual Charter?: Could YOUR District Lose Real Funds To K12 Inc.'s Virtual Charter? by darciecima Well folks, it's getting close to that time of year again, when almighty Education Commissioner Chris Cerf decides which charters get to play in the big leagues and which need to sit back down on the bench for another year. One that was benched last year but is hoping to come up to the plate in September is K12 Inc.'s New Jersey Virtual Academy Charter School (NJVACS). K12 Inc. CEO Ron Packard celebrates the company’s ... more »

Kids Bullied in Elem. School More Likely to Self-Injure as Teens | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 minutes ago

Kids Bullied in Elem. School More Likely to Self-Injure as Teens | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com: Kids Bullied in Elementary School More Likely to Self-Injure as Teens [image: Kids Bullied in Elementary School More Likely to Self-Injure as Teens] *There are no harmless forms of bullying, study warns.* Children who are bullied in elementary school are almost five times more likely to engage in self-harm by the time they are teenagers, according to a new study. Based on their findings, the British researchers behind the study concluded that no form of bullying—from name-calling to ph... more »

solidaridad: Weigand ES Community protest the trigger happy Parent Revolution astroturf reactionaries

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago

solidaridad: Weigand ES Community protest the trigger happy Parent Revolution astroturf reactionaries: Weigand ES Community protest the trigger happy Parent Revolution astroturf reactionaries by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene *"This further substantiates our claim that by not openly demanding wealth redistribution, reparations, or justice for exploited workers, white social justice non-profits function as brokers for the wealthy." — Tiffany Lethabo King and Ewuare Osyande (The Revolution Will Not Be Funded, 82)* PopoutGreat footage by LArepresents of the community protesting the astro... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Advanced Learning Survey

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 30 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Advanced Learning Survey: Advanced Learning Survey by Charlie Mas Shauna Heath, the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, has posted a survey about the character traits we look for in our next Manager of the Highly Capable Services and Advanced Learning Programs. Please do let her know. The survey is one page with these five rather open-ended questions: 1. *What qualities do you think are the most important to have in a Program Manager of Highly Capable Services and Advanced Learning Programs? * 2. *What do you think has b... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum Week in Review 6-1-13

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 32 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Advanced Learning Survey Charlie Mas at Seattle Schools Community Forum - 7 minutes ago Shauna Heath, the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, has posted a survey about the character traits we look for in our next Manager of the Highly Capable Services and Advanced Learning Programs. Please do let her know. The survey is one page with these five rather open-ended questions: 1. *What qualities do you think are the most important to have in a Program Manager of Highly Capable Services and Advanced Learning Programs? * 2. *What do you thi... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: 'Illinois is open for business...' No revenue for pensions. Millions for new basketball stadium.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 37 minutes ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: 'Illinois is open for business...' No revenue for pensions. Millions for new basketball stadium.: 'Illinois is open for business...' No revenue for pensions. Millions for new basketball stadium. by Mike Klonsky *“Today, with this bill, Illinois is open for business,” said state Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields), the chief Senate sponsor.of the $173 million DePaul basketball arena bill. * With the failure last night, to pass a bill that would have given Chicago Public Schools another pension holiday, the IL State Legislature ended it Spring ... more »

NYC Educator: Principal Sappenbottom and Priorities

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 37 minutes ago

NYC Educator: Principal Sappenbottom and Priorities: Principal Sappenbottom and Priorities by NYC Educator * by Curious Teacher* It's June. There are graduating seniors who won't graduate, there are Regents exams, makeup labs, and the usual end-of-year chaos. During this time the Principal should be busy, busy, busy doing Very Important Work. But Principal Sappenbottom is Not That Kind of Principal who worries about those things. Students have no idea who she is, and that's the way she likes it, thank you very much. One day Principal Sappenbottom decided to get up out of her air co... more »

Online Instruction for K-12 (Part 1) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 40 minutes ago

Online Instruction for K-12 (Part 1) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Online Instruction for K-12 (Part 1) by larrycuban For those familiar with past efforts to install new technologies in schools, the many claims for online instruction transforming traditional teaching and learning in K-12 public schools either cause snickers for their hyperbole or strike a flat note in their credibility. Consider the following answer Clayton Christensen author of *Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Transform the Way the World Learns* gave to an interviewer’s... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 6-1-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 50 minutes ago

Education Research Report *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * The Impact of a Classroom-Based Guidance Program on Student Performance in Community College Math Classes Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 5 minutes ago Passing through remedial and required math classes poses a significant barrier to success for many community college students. This study uses random assignment to investigate the impact of a “light-touch” intervention, where an individual visited math classes a few times during the semester, for a few minutes each time, to inform students about a... more »

All Week 6-1-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Weigand ES Community protest the trigger happy Parent Revolution astroturf reactionaries rdsathene * Robert D. Skeels at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 4 hours ago First published on solidaridad on June 1, 2013 “This further substantiates our claim that by not openly demanding wealth redistribution, reparations, or justice for exploited workers, white social justice non-profits function as brokers for the wealthy.” — Tiffany Lethabo King and Ewuare Osyande (The Revolution Will Not Be Funded, 82) Great footage by LArepresents of […] N... more »

Watts teachers urge public notice for parent trigger campaigns - latimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Watts teachers urge public notice for parent trigger campaigns - latimes.com: Watts teachers urge public notice for parent trigger campaigns by By Teresa Watanabe [image: Parent Trigger] A rally to support Irma Cobian, principal of Weigand Avenue Elementary School, who was recently ousted under the parent trigger law, provoked confrontation between her supporters and opponents.(May 30, 2013) By Teresa Watanabe May 31, 2013, 7:45 p.m. Teachers at an embattled Watts campus where the principal was recently ousted under the state parent trigger law are pledging to join forces with oth...more »

LAUSD board offers conflicting options for spending new revenue - LA Daily News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

LAUSD board offers conflicting options for spending new revenue - LA Daily News: LAUSD board offers conflicting options for spending new revenue by By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer LAUSD board offers conflicting options for spending new revenue By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer Posted: 05/31/2013 07:56:14 PM PDT Updated: 05/31/2013 08:07:13 PM PDT With millions in Proposition 30 dollars trickling in and more revenue promised under Gov. Jerry Brown's school-funding plan, Los Angeles Unified board members are jump-starting the debate over the best way to rebuild a school district de... more »

Chicago pension holiday fails in House. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Chicago pension holiday fails in House. | Fred Klonsky: Chicago pension holiday fails in House. by Fred Klonsky SB1920 failed to pass the House this afternoon. The agreement to let the Chicago underfund the Chicago Teacher’s Fund collapsed. Jesse Sharkey, Vice President of the CTU issued the following statement. *Legislative session ends. Senate Bill 1920 House Amendment 2 failed. CPS “budget crisis” looming.* 1. For now, no cuts to pension benefits have passed the legislature. We may see a special session this summer where they will try again. 2. CPS has a $600 million pension paymen... more »

Teacher Oral History Project is Launched! | United Opt Out National

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Teacher Oral History Project is Launched! | United Opt Out National: Teacher Oral History Project is Launched! by admin United Opt Out National is launching a Teacher Oral History Project and we will serve as the national digital repository for the oral histories collected. Dr. Mark Naison, a Liberator for United Opt Out National, is the lead for this project. Mark Naison can be reached at mnaison@aol.com and naison@fordham.edu. Join the conversation on our Teacher Oral History Project Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/teacheroralhistoryproject/. *Teacher Oral Histo... more »

Moore: Profit motive behind Common Core Standards | savannahnow.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Moore: Profit motive behind Common Core Standards | savannahnow.com: Moore: Profit motive behind Common Core Standards Posted: May 30, 2013 - 9:19pm | Updated: May 31, 2013 - 12:11am The rhetorical war on the Common Core Standards Initiative is heating up and Georgia’s participation is in the balance. To stave off mutiny within his party over implementation of CCSI, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has weighed in with his support for CCSI, and — more importantly — affirmed that the standards are not federal intrusion into education. He is only partially correct. The CCSI is an outcome of ... more »

Education Reform: Why Michelle Rhee Is Wrong About Everything – Deadline Detroit

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Education Reform: Why Michelle Rhee Is Wrong About Everything – Deadline Detroit: Education Reform: Why Michelle Rhee Is Wrong About Everything [image: Columnist_tn_wattrick-small] Jeff Wattrickjeff@deadlinedetroit.com May 30th, 2013, 12:52 PM Back when I was a igh school senior in 1995, I fulfilled an elective requirement with a BASIC-programming course. We spent about 45 minutes every day writing rudimentary and basically pointless computer programs. I think I escaped with a C-. I was bored to tears by the assignments and couldn’t quite master BASIC in the manner expected. So inst... more »

Women Educators and Philosophers: A Crowdsourced Celebration | Women on GOOD

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Women Educators and Philosophers: A Crowdsourced Celebration | Women on GOOD: [image: Crop?image_url=http%3a%2f%2fs3.amazonaws.com%2fproduction.calumet.good.is%2fbookmarks%2fphotos%2f000%2f226%2f690%2foriginal%2fscreen_shot_2013-05-31_at_4.32.09_pm] Women Educators and Philosophers: A Crowdsourced Celebration The majority of teachers in this country are women, their impact on the history of education is vast, but only a few are covered in textbooks on education or talked about among the major thinkers in the history of education. Their wisdom, experience and action research in and ou... 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 »

AFT Statement on Privacy and Security Concerns about inBloom and Other Data Collection Efforts AFT - A Union of Professionals

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

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 *Washington*—Statement of AFT President Randi Weingarten on the growing privacy and security concerns regarding inBloom's database and other data collection efforts by parents, teachers and others. The AFT has sent the funders of inBloom a letter requesting clarification on many of these concerns. "Any potential inBloom has to improve and personalize learning i... more »

Teachers' higher calling - The Denver Post

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Teachers' higher calling - The Denver Post: Teachers' higher calling POSTED: 05/31/2013 12:01:00 AM MDT *By Greg Dobbs* Jennifer Doan, a teacher at Plaza Towers elementary school, is pulled out from under tornado debris at the school in Moore, Okla., on May 20, 2013. Greg Dobbs says teachers like Doan are heroes. (AP Photo Sue Ogrocki) ( | ) We all too often forget who the real heroes are. Even when we see them right before our eyes in places like Moore, Okla., and Newtown, Conn. We see them, but somehow don't call them what they are: heroes. Probably because they're just common f... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-31-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Leading National Groups Support Common Core But Insist on Better Implementation by dianerav A joint statement by the American Association of School Administrators, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National School Boards Association, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals expressed support for the Common Core standards, but called for more time to prepare teachers, students, and schools for the new standards. Their polling showed growing concern about lack of reso... more »

In the News: Privatization promotes inequality: Panel | catalyst-chicago.org

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

In the News: Privatization promotes inequality: Panel | catalyst-chicago.org: In the News: Privatization promotes inequality: Panel - are on windycitizenShare on facebookShare on ema*By: *Cassandra West / May 31, 2013 *Tags: *school closings The ongoing push for charter schools across the Chicago Public School district may infringe upon the fundamental human right to equal opportunity for education, according to a group of panelists who discussed privatization and education at the University of Chicago Wednesday night, Progress Illinois reports. *SEEKING ANOTHER OPTION:* ... more »

Does Anyone Care? | Diane Ravitch’s blog ← NPE News Briefs

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Does Anyone Care? | Diane Ravitch’s blog ← NPE News Briefs: 1 2 3 4 5 6 … 162 Next » With fifth-grade test now revealed, New York’s tougher new reading exams set students up to fail, critics warn | Susan Ohanian Speaks Out MAY 31 2013 by Corinne Lestch and Ben Chapman; posted by Susan Ohanian – If you think you’re smarter than a fifth-grader, consider yourself lucky you don’t have to take this exam. A concerned educator leaked the Daily News a copy of a new, more challenging state reading exam for fifth-graders, and it’s as much of a doozy ... read more → **Common Core · New York · N... more »

Protesters fight to save Philly schools from 'doomsday' budget | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Protesters fight to save Philly schools from 'doomsday' budget | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Protesters fight to save Philly schools from 'doomsday' budgetby thenotebook on May 31 2013 Posted in Latest news ="" style="color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on email COMMENTS (1)PRINT *by Mark McHugh* Hundreds of public education supporters gathered outside Philadelphia's School District headquarters Thursday afternoon to protest the proposed bare-bones budget that the School Reform Commission voted to pass later that night. The ensuin... more »

Obama Poses Student Loan Challenge To Republicans

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Obama Poses Student Loan Challenge To Republicans: Obama Poses Student Loan Challenge To Republicans by Joy Resmovits [image: Obama Student Loans] WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama on Friday stepped into the hyper-partisan fight over student debt, warning about the economic dangers posed by rising debt burdens and urging Congress to pass legislation to prevent interest rates on some loans from doubling as a hard deadline looms on July 1. His speech comes against a backdrop of rising tuition, increasing debt burdens, record relative interest rates on federal student loans and gr... more »

Will the slowdown on Common Core in some states lead to a wider retreat? | HechingerEd Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Will the slowdown on Common Core in some states lead to a wider retreat? | HechingerEd Blog: Will the slowdown on Common Core in some states lead to a wider retreat? by Sarah Garland Much to the frustration of many education reformers, another state could retreat from the Common Core State Standards, which have been adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia. A bill was introduced in Michigan this week that would end funding for the standards, meant to increase rigor in English and math classrooms across the nation so that students are more prepared for college, and the test... more »

Take Action: Support Effective Professional Development and Evaluation — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Take Action: Support Effective Professional Development and Evaluation — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]Take Action: Support Effective Professional Development and Evaluation May 31, 2013 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers The Effective Teaching and Leading Act (S. 1063) was recently introduced by United States Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and we need your help in getting your Senators to support it! The bill would help ensure that teachers and principals are effectively trained, mentored, developed, and evaluated through proven, team-based profe... more »

And yet another Education Reform Group targets Connecticut - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

And yet another Education Reform Group targets Connecticut - Wait, What?: And yet another Education Reform Group targets Connecticut by jonpelto Governor Malloy, Commissioner Pryor, Paul Vallas, Steven Adamowski and Connecticut’s other “education reform” advocates must be jumping for joy thanks to the news that yet another national education reform group has announced that they are targeting the Connecticut market place for their activities. Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is known as one of the most anti-union, anti-teacher “education reform” advocacy groups in the country ... more »

Senate version of school funding restructuring moves to Assembly SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *Senate version of school funding restructuring moves to Assembly* *By Tom Chorneau* Friday, May 31, 2013 The state Senate Thursday set the stage for a confrontation with Gov. Jerry Brown by moving an alternative to his school funding plan on a bipartisan vote of 30 to six. SB 69 would enact many of the same goals contained in Brown’s Local Control Funding Formula except that it would increase the base grant given to all districts and broadens the pot of additional money aimed at educationally disadvantaged students. (A link below provides a ... 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 »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, May 31, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991]*Bill requires more disclosure from charter schools* Education Headlines *Friday, May 31, 2013* Ramona district, teachers settle their differencesThe Ramona Unified School District and teachers union have reached a tentative agreement that could put an end to nearly two years of labor strife. Brand: Sweetwater ways 'didnâ€™t seem right'Sweetwater Union High School District Superintendent Ed Brand told a criminal grand jury that the way the district operated in 2011, when h... more »

The way out of the black poverty cycle

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

The way out of the black poverty cycle: The way out of the black poverty cycle By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 31, 2013 at 11:00 amE-mail the writer [image: poverty cycle]It is often argued that the low education achievement levels of African-Americans and Hispanics are caused by poverty. Looking at this premise is writer and researcher Michael Holzman, a consultant to the Schott Foundation for Public Education and the author most recently of “The Black Poverty Cycle and How to End It.” By Michael Holzman W. E. B. Du Bois ended his account of the establishment of schooling for Afr... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Glenn Beck On Common Core

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Glenn Beck On Common Core: Glenn Beck On Common Core by Anngie Yesterday, The Blaze TV brought together experts from across the country to discuss Common Core. The thirty people assembled in his audience included legislators, citizen activists, grassroots groups, messaging experts and historical experts like MEW editor Gretchen Logue. You can watch the episode on Roku with a Blaze subscription or on-line here on a free trial if you are not a subscriber. The show focused on the data collection, public private partnership and the lack of local control fo... more »

John Thompson: A Bad Week for Anti-Union Education Reformers - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

John Thompson: A Bad Week for Anti-Union Education Reformers - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: John Thompson: A Bad Week for Anti-Union Education Reformers by Anthony Cody *Guest post by John Thompson.* I first recoiled at Arthur Levine's tired old vision of schools in his Education Week Commentary "The Plight of Teachers' Unions." Levine seemed to argue that resistance against high-stakes testing is doomed. He seemed to believe that the future belongs to a new generation of standards-driven schooling. He implied that unions, for instance, were on the wrong side of h... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-31-13 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] Kids Are Never Too Young to Learn to Make Money by dianerav EduShyster reports here about a charter school in Utah where the goal of schooling is commerce. Starting in kindergarten, the curriculum is all about buying and selling: “HighMark administrators are quick to point out that the school is not a pint-sized business school. Instead, key business concepts and principles are integrated into every aspect of the K-8 charter. For example, “a student wanting to bec... more »

Louisiana Educator: Four Senators Block Evaluation Changes

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Louisiana Educator: Four Senators Block Evaluation Changes: Four Senators Block Evaluation Changes by Michael Deshotels The vote for HB 160 in the House Education Committee was unanimous and the vote on the House floor was 102 to 0. But yesterday the vote in the Senate Education Committee was 4 to 3 to kill the bill. It was obvious that LABI and the Jindal forces had done a simple math calculation and found that they needed only four votes to kill HB 160 and to move forward with fully implementation of the new Act 54 teacher evaluation system despite all of the flaws and potentia... more »

Finding the Middle Ground on Bullying | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Finding the Middle Ground on Bullying | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Finding the Middle Ground on Bullying by National School Boards Association *By Francisco M. Negrón, Jr., General Counsel/Associate Executive Director of the **National School Boards Association** (NSBA)* The one common thread from the many perspectives on school bullying is that advocates on all sides care deeply about kids. TheNational School Boards Association (NSBA) is determined to protect students' Constitutional rights and their rights to an education in a safe school environment. But ... more »

Students spend year studying Dracula but are tested on Frankenstein instead | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Students spend year studying Dracula but are tested on Frankenstein instead | toteachornototeach: Students spend year studying Dracula but are tested on Frankenstein instead by aristotlethewise *Fangs for nothing! Students spend a year studying Dracula only to find out they should have been reading Frankenstein two weeks before A-level exam* By John Stevens For almost the whole academic year, students at a sixth-form college pored over Bram Stoker’s classic horror story Dracula. Then two weeks before their A-level English exam, they discovered that they should have been learning Fran... more »

The June Fight Over Student Loans

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The June Fight Over Student Loans: The June Fight Over Student Loans by Dave Johnson Today (Friday) President Obama will join college students at a White House event launching a new push to keep student loan rates from doubling in July. Among the various plans offered Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s plan is the most affordable for students, while the Repubican plan tries to “make money” off of students using fluctuating “market rates.” *Student Loan Rates Set To Double* Student loan rates for more than 7.4 million students with federal “Stafford loans” are scheduled to double July 1 from 3.... more »

Alaska is Bringing Common Core Through the Back Door | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Alaska is Bringing Common Core Through the Back Door | Truth in American Education: Alaska is Bringing Common Core Through the Back Door by Shane Vander Hart [image: Alaska-State-Flag]After former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin said no to the Race to the Top money it looks like Alaska may end up with the Common Core State Standards anyway. A reader emailed me to let me know that The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development recently announced that they have joined the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium after adopting new standards. Below is their press release from April ... 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 »

Jeb Bush’s disdain for public education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Jeb Bush’s disdain for public education: Jeb Bush’s disdain for public education By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 31, 2013 at 5:00 amE-mail the writer 7 Comments More [image: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush-AP Photo/El Nuevo Herald, Hector Gabino] Jeb Bush (AP Photo/El Nuevo Herald, Hector Gabino) It’s always useful to know where people are coming from, so we can thank former Florida governor Jeb Bush for making it so easy to understand where he stands on public education. He has nothing but disdain for it. If you think ... more »