Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-11-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS



Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 29 minutes ago
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. For-Profit Operator in Ohio Wins Big Increase Best of the Ed Blogs Diane Ravitch June 11, 2013 Relationship Counseling Best of the Ed Blogs Matthew Di Carlo June ... more »

A teachers union embraces reform in New Haven, creating a model for others | Hechinger Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 29 minutes ago
A teachers union embraces reform in New Haven, creating a model for others | Hechinger Report: A teachers union embraces reform in New Haven, creating a model for others by Melissa Bailey [image: Dave Cicarella & Garth Harries. (Photo by Melissa Bailey/New Haven Independent)]NEW HAVEN, Conn. — In the spring of 2011, David Cicarella, the teachers union president here, sat down with a tenured teacher for a difficult discussion. After a warning from his principal the previous November, as well as months of extra support, the teacher had failed to show improvement. The teacher could try... more »

Parents call for boycott to stop closing of Englewood school - Chicago Sun-Times

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 29 minutes ago
Parents call for boycott to stop closing of Englewood school - Chicago Sun-Times: Parents call for boycott to stop closing of Englewood school BY LAUREN FITZPATRICK Education Reporter lfitzpatrick@suntimes.com June 10, 2013 7:12PM Parents call for boycott to stop closing of Englewood schoolAs the school year winds down — for the last time in 48 Chicago Public Schools — some parents at Goodlow Magnet Elementary School are calling for a boycott for the rest of the week. The mothers say they’ve tried everything else to get the district’s attention about why Goodlow, 2040 W. 62nd Stree... more »

How Poverty Is Like Global Warming (& Other Parting Thoughts) - Bridging Differences - Education Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
How Poverty Is Like Global Warming (& Other Parting Thoughts) - Bridging Differences - Education Week: How Poverty Is Like Global Warming (& Other Parting Thoughts) by Deborah Meier *Today marks Michael Petrilli's final blog post with Deborah Meier—at least for now.* Dear Deborah, It's been a real joy to join you in dialogue these past six weeks. I very much appreciate the opportunity and hope we can continue the discussion in other forums in the months ahead. (Well, maybe after a summer break!) Let me use my last correspondence to introduce one new idea and summarize some of the o... more »

6-11-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] Just Acquired: Slide one from a USDE presentation on new accountability program #QUIZM by Chalk Face, PhD Does this slide not look oddly familiar? It must be some kind of really terrible government Powerpoint template. And to think, as a result of this initiative, schools are actually using Powerpoint presentations in real classrooms. All of this money spent on technology and it just gets us Powerpoints on DELL’s. Awful. In any event, […] *6-10-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER* mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 ... more »

A Law To Hold Principals Accountable southbronxschool.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: A Law To Hold Principals Accountable by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) *Shouldn't principals who lie and falsify reality in the name of attempting to ruin a teacher's career be subject to this? * *N.Y. NYC. LAW § 1116 : NY Code - Section 1116: Fraud; neglect of duty; willful violation of law relative to office* a. Any council member or other officer or *employee of the city *who shall willfully violate or evade any provision of law relating tosuch officer's office or employment, * or commit any fraud upon the city,* or conve... more »

Same special interests pay for voucher school research, GOP candidates | Green Bay Press Gazette | greenbaypressgazette.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Same special interests pay for voucher school research, GOP candidates | Green Bay Press Gazette | greenbaypressgazette.com: Same special interests pay for voucher school research, GOP candidates [image: Green Bay schools react to OK on voucher expansion] Green Bay schools react to OK on voucher expansion: Wednesday, June 5: Green Bay school officials share their concerns about a plan approved by the state Joint Finance Committee that would create a statewide private school voucher plan. Gov. Scott Walker and Republican legislators are using research paid for by the same special inte... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-11-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Tucson Stores Student Data on Murdoch’s Other Site by dianerav Columnist David Safier of Tucson keeps close watch on the corporatization of education in Arizona. He recently reported that the Tucson school district is outsourcing student data to a Murdoch owned site called Newark Regains Fiscal Control, But What Does That Mean? by dianerav Newark, New Jersey, has been under state control for 18 years, and many residents have sought a return of local control. Thei... more »

It’s a deal: Brown, top lawmakers raise base funding in finance formula | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
It’s a deal: Brown, top lawmakers raise base funding in finance formula | EdSource Today: It’s a deal: Brown, top lawmakers raise base funding in finance formula - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald In a nod to suburban districts that argued they would be shortchanged, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders negotiated a new version of Brown’s plan for school finance reform that will increase the base funding level for all students and lower the extra dollars for some high-needs students. Late Monday, the Joint Legislative Budget Conference Committee, made up of lawmakers fr... more »

UPDATE: Perdido Street School: Washington Post: Firing Teachers Hasn't Turned Around D.C. Schools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Perdido Street School: Washington Post: Firing Teachers Hasn't Turned Around D.C. Schools: Bloomberg Administration Lies About The 911 System Problems by reality-based educator From Juan Gonzalez in the Daily News: An Emergency Medical Service worker whom city officials blame for missing a 911 call that led to a four-minute delay in getting an ambulance to a child hit by an SUV insists no such call ever came over her computer screen. City officials say “human error” by that lone dispatcher, and not glitches in the new 911 dispatch system, slowed the ambulance response after Ariel R... more »

The Washington Teacher: WTU 2013 Election- The Best Kept Secret in Town!!!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The Washington Teacher: WTU 2013 Election- The Best Kept Secret in Town!!!: WTU 2013 Election- The Best Kept Secret in Town!!! by noreply@blogger.com (Candi Peterson) WTU's Secret 2013 Election By Candi Peterson *Vote Davis Slate for WTU* * **Liz Davis /Candi Peterson* *WTU Can Be Better!* The recent Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) 2013 presidential election was the best kept secret in town. The current Teachers' union president, Saunders kept our union elections on the Down Low (D.L.) as possible. Members weren't notified officially of this election and there was not any offici... more »

Daily Kos: Eugene Robinson weighs in on Snowden & the NSA

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Daily Kos: Eugene Robinson weighs in on Snowden & the NSA: Eugene Robinson weighs in on Snowden & the NSA by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) The important thing right now isn’t whether Edward Snowden should be labeled a hero or villain. First, let’s have the debate he sparked over surveillance and privacy. Then we can decide how history should remember him. That's how Robinson begins a column titled Edward Snowden’s NSA leaks show we need a debate.He acknowledges that Snowden is an imperfect messenger, But his message should not be ignored. In case anyone lacks the background of th... more »

Shocker as State Board of Education decides to reverse itself and follow at least one law - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Shocker as State Board of Education decides to reverse itself and follow at least one law - Wait, What?: Shocker as State Board of Education decides to reverse itself and follow at least one law by jonpelto While Stefan Pryor, Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, continues to dismiss his legal obligations as they relate to the certification requirements for Paul Vallas to serve as Bridgeport’s superintendent of schools, the State Board of Education did a 180 degree flip, last week, when they voted to add Bridgeport’s Dunbar Elementary School to Stefan Pryor’s “Commissioner’s Networ... more »

The biggest scandal in America

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The biggest scandal in America: The biggest scandal in America By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 11, 2013 at 4:00 amE-mail the writer 2 Comments More [image: (http://www.empowernetwork.com)] (http://www.empowernetwork.com) To listen to the discourse in Washington, you might think that the worst scandal in America right now is Benghazi or theInternal Revenue Service or the Obama administration’s leak investigations or the now not-so-secret U.S. surveillance programs conducted by the secretive National Security Agency. Or some might choose the frightening state of disrepair into whic... more »

NYC Educator: Rhee: Unionized Teachers Cause Poverty

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
NYC Educator: Rhee: Unionized Teachers Cause Poverty: Rhee: Unionized Teachers Cause Poverty by NYC Educator Michelle Rhee today explained why she and her reformy buds were so reluctant to address the poverty issue. "We really didn't want to say this, because we're very sensitive about hurting the feelings of teachers. We have deep respect for teachers, which is why we want to fire so many of them and make the rest work in non-union charters, where they can either grow quickly or lose their jobs." "Anyway, like everyone, we've been troubled by the fact that all the failing schools ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core Tests, FOIAs and Is This the Education You Want for Your Children?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core Tests, FOIAs and Is This the Education You Want for Your Children?: Common Core Tests, FOIAs and Is This the Education You Want for Your Children? by stlgretchen Reprinted with permission. Parents take note and take action: * Common Core Tests* * How are children are being “Dumbed down”* * By Jessica Chiong* Recently I requested through an FOI (Freedom of Information Act) to have access to see my Children’s “Secured” tests that are not sent home and are adopted t... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Who's muddying the waters and who's minding the schools?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Who's muddying the waters and who's minding the schools?: Who's muddying the waters and who's minding the schools? by Mike Klonsky * **Peter Cunningham* is no educator. He's is a PR guy, and a pretty good one, who flacked for *Arne Duncan*back in Chicago and then followed him to D.C. where Duncan somehow made him an assistant secretary of education. On Monday, the blog of the right-wing Fordham Institute carried Cunningham's polemic ("Muddying up the waters") aimed at Common Core critics* Andrew Hacker *and *Claudia Dreifus*. Hacker is an emeritus pro... more »

Democrats reach compromise on plan to divvy up public school funds | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Democrats reach compromise on plan to divvy up public school funds | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Democrats reach compromise on plan to divvy up public school fundsJulie Small | June 10th, 2013, 7:51pm [image: California Governor Jerry Brown Unveils State Pension Reform Program] Max Whittaker/Getty Images California Governor Jerry Brown and lawmakers get closer on budget. Legislative leaders and Governor Jerry Brown were closing in on a budget deal Monday after reaching a compromise on a new funding formula for public schools. If it holds, state lawmakers should be able to pass a state ... more »

California budget talks set to finish this week after reported deal on K-12 education - LA Daily News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
California budget talks set to finish this week after reported deal on K-12 education - LA Daily News: California budget talks set to finish this week after reported deal on K-12 education By Mike Rosenberg and Sharon Noguchi Staff writers Posted: 06/10/2013 10:57:25 AM PDT Updated: 06/10/2013 05:28:26 PM PDT SACRAMENTO -- With California lawmakers facing a midnight Saturday deadline to pass a spending plan, they reportedly reached a key agreement on the most contentious part of next year's budget: K-12 education. Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic lawmakers have been arguing o... more »

Where is the Bronx District Attorney When You Need Him?.southbronxschool.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Where is the Bronx District Attorney When You Need Him? by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) Lots going on lately. Too much baseball. Time to start opening up here. Lots of information soon to be published here. Scandalous is to say the least. *For example this true story.* *Remember, this shit can't be made up! * I can't name the DOE district that this happened. I can say it is in the Bronx, and it is one of the most dysfunctional districts in that borough. I can't name the superintendent, the two school administrators involved, or the school. B... more »

A Memo on Teacher Voice - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
A Memo on Teacher Voice - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson: A Memo on Teacher Voice by Jose Vilson [image: tightrope walking] Why do people always feel the need to limit the potential of teacher voice? Last year, I expounded on redefining teacher voice, and what that means for true education reform: Popout *Teacher voice* is the collective and individual expression of meaningful, professional opinion based on classroom experience and expertise. What developed shortly thereafter were a plethora of discussions of what that looks like, and how we employ that in different settings. I cam... more »

This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter | Engaging Parents In School…

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter | Engaging Parents In School…: This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter from Engaging Parents In School... by Larry Ferlazzo image credit: gpb.org *By Dana Sirotiak* As in the words of Alice Cooper “Schools Out for Summer”! Well, at least it is very close. As another school year comes to an end, families contemplate what to do with their children over the summer break. If parents are contemplating keeping their children home for the summer, regression becomes a concern. Regression is the loss of learned skills; usually after breaks in instruction once school ... more »

Perdido Street School: Bloomberg Looking To Stick Next Mayor With Multi-Year "Children First" Network Contracts

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Perdido Street School: Bloomberg Looking To Stick Next Mayor With Multi-Year "Children First" Network Contracts: Bloomberg Looking To Stick Next Mayor With Multi-Year "Children First" Network Contracts by reality-based educator The NYCDOE has got charter school creation and space sharing in the pipeline for the next few years. Now it turns out that they're looking to sign multi-year contracts with the Children First networks to force the next mayor to keep Bloomberg's school system structure: Intent on preserving the Bloomberg administration’s education legacy, the Department of... more »

Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools eBook: Diane Ravitch: Kindle Store

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Amazon.com: Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools eBook: Diane Ravitch: Kindle Store: Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools [Kindle Edition]Diane Ravitch (Author) ------------------------------ Print List Price:$27.95Kindle Price:$14.99 includes free wireless delivery via *Amazon Whispernet*You Save:$12.96 (46%)Sold by:Random House Digital, Inc.*This price was set by the publisher* ------------------------------ - Length: 416 pages - Available only on thes... more »

Why Is a Defense Contractor Paying for Sesame Street's Parents-in-Jail Lesson? - J.K. Trotter - The Atlantic Wire

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Why Is a Defense Contractor Paying for Sesame Street's Parents-in-Jail Lesson? - J.K. Trotter - The Atlantic Wire: Why Is a Defense Contractor Paying for Sesame Street's Parents-in-Jail Lesson? by J.K. Trotter J.K. TROTTER6:43 PM ET *Sesame Street *— home of Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and Elmo — rarely incites controversy. But on Sunday the website of the Public Broadcasting Corporation's endlessly influential children's education show uploaded a curious feature called "Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration." The point of the package, which includes printable brochures, st... more »

Recent Q and A with Chicago Students | Bill Ayers

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Recent Q and A with Chicago Students | Bill Ayers: Recent Q and A with Chicago Students by billayers 1. *Is the corporatization of education something new or has it been around for a while?* The struggle for the heart and soul of public education is long-standing and constant. Here we live in a capitalist society where the inevitable conflict between the interests of the majority—or even the 99% —and the wealthy plutocrats is always in play, and where powerful private interests are always angling to make a profit—and succeeding in different ways at different times—off of ... more »

STOP Albany petition circulates via Scarsdale email The Scarsdale Inquirer

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
The Scarsdale Inquirer – Hometown newspaper of Scarsdale, New York 10583: STOP Albany petition circulates via Scarsdale email BY CARRIE GILPIN The Scarsdale Middle School PTA sent an email to middle school parents last week urging them to learn more about the grassroots coalition STOP Albany, an effort to lobby for unfunded mandate relief and for more local control of education and taxes. The email included a link to a petition to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a state legislator (in Scarsdale’s case, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin), and outlined the PTA’s position. The email began circulating amon... more »

When Buzzwords Collide: "High Expectations" and "Differentiation" - Dana Goldstein

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
When Buzzwords Collide: "High Expectations" and "Differentiation" - Dana Goldstein: When Buzzwords Collide: "High Expectations" and "Differentiation" by Dana Goldstein [image: 120611_DX_elementaryschoolartclassEX] "Only the most romantic idealist would argue that all children are born with the same intellectual and academic abilities." Photograph by Ryan Mcvay/Lifesize. In response to today's *Times* piece on in-classroom ability grouping, I blogged over at Slate about the potential tensions between "high expectations" and "differentiation," two of the education world's favorite bu... more »

Learning to Find Your Passion: The Salutatorian Speech of Keaton Wadzinski Student Voice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Student Voice: Learning to Find Your Passion: The Salutatorian Speech of Keaton Wadzinski by Student Voice Staff Writer *Keaton Wadzinski’s Salutatorian Speech Transcript:* Class of 2013, administration, friends, and family: Hi! I have worked for and with this school system for the past 13 years. My job has been to take in information, and process it–to collect dots and occasionally connect them. Even if I didn’t adore every second of my time at school, I have truly loved this community–the extraordinary friends, the loving and caring family, the inspirational teachers along the way... more »

National School Boards Association: ESEA Reauthorization Must Include Flexibility for Local Innovations

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
National School Boards Association: *National School Boards Association: ESEA Reauthorization Must Include Flexibility for Local Innovations* * * * * Alexandria, Va. (June 10, 2013) – The National School Boards Association (NSBA) is asking the U.S. Senate to make changes in its legislation to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), commonly known as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). On Tuesday, June 11, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) will mark-up this bill. NSBA sent a letter to Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Chairman of the HEL... more »

Children and Hedge Fund Profits | Reclaim Reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Children and Hedge Fund Profits | Reclaim Reform: Children and Hedge Fund Profits by kenpreviti Once people realize that their own children are being experimented upon and used for profits, the greed grab will end. The testing craze, the corporate education reform industry, the for-profit and non-profit charter industry, the online educational programing business, etc. will dwindle and either die out or become minuscule. [image: Child and money3] The profit margins are estimated, the marketing planned, and the technologies used to lure parents into believing that purchasable techno... more »

Teacher Action Group launches “Faces of the Layoffs” | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Teacher Action Group launches “Faces of the Layoffs” | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Teacher Action Group launches “Faces of the Layoffs” by thenotebook *by Sonia Giebel* Teacher Action Group (TAG) has introduced a new website, Faces of the Layoffs, to profile recently laid-off Philadelphia School District employees. This action project, designed to “make sure that the public sees just how devastating these layoffs are to our schools,” comes on the heels of the nearly 3,800 layoffs last Friday. Image: read more

The bottom line on student tracking

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
The bottom line on student tracking: The bottom line on student tracking By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 10, 2013 at 4:45 pmE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: groups1]In recent days I have published two pieces on the practice of grouping students by ability in schools,one post against and one post in favor of it. Here is a new piece on the subject in the form of a response to a story in Monday’s New York Times, titled, “Grouping Students by Ability Regains Favor in Classroom.” This post was written by Kevin Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center, housed ... more »

Support All Students to Close the Achievement Gap — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Support All Students to Close the Achievement Gap — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Mary E. Walsh]Support All Students to Close the Achievement Gap June 10, 2013 by Mary E. Walsh [image: City Connects] More than 16 million children in the U.S. live in poverty, which dramatically affects their ability to come to school ready to learn and thrive. The latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics' *The Condition of Education 2013* (PDF) report shows that one in five schools was considered high poverty in 2011, an increase from one in eight schools in ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: NYS Supreme Court rules against NYC DOE and for parents

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: NYS Supreme Court rules against NYC DOE and for parents: NYS Supreme Court rules against NYC DOE and for parents by Leonie Haimson I have given many presentations to parent groups and CECs, pointing out how DOE has been violating the accountability and public input requirements in the Contracts for Excellence law, by refusing to hold borough hearings and only presenting sketchy power points to Community Education Councils long after the $600 million in annual C4E funds have already been spent. Guess what? The Court agreed. See press release below. Than... more »

Harkin, Alexander, and Waivers: Your ESEA Markup Cheat Sheet | NewAmerica.net

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Harkin, Alexander, and Waivers: Your ESEA Markup Cheat Sheet | NewAmerica.net: Harkin, Alexander, and Waivers: Your ESEA Markup Cheat Sheet - *Author(s):* - Anne Hyslop *Published: *June 10, 2013 Tomorrow morning, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will markup theStrengthening America’s Schools Act, the latest ESEA reauthorization proposal from Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA). *Ed Money Watch* and *Early Ed Watch *have already recapped many of the changes proposed to accountability for schools and educators, as well as Title I and early learning programs....more »

Letter to District: For our dedication we are rewarded with this? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Letter to District: For our dedication we are rewarded with this? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Letter to District: For our dedication we are rewarded with this?by thenotebook on Jun 10 2013 Posted in Latest news ="" style="color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on email COMMENTS (0)PRINT *The School District sent out layoff notices to nearly 3,800 employees last week. The following letter, written to the District, comes from Harvey Scribner, a teacher at Crossroads Accelerated Academy who has been teaching in the District for over ... more »

Daily Kos: Please read one paragraph:

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Daily Kos: Please read one paragraph:: Please read one paragraph: by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that everything the government has implied about Awlaki is true: He was essentially a general or leading strategist for al-Qaida, and he got what he deserved. But his momentous passage from suburban Virginia to a Shi'ite militant stronghold in northern Yemen, from American to enemy combatant, illustrates what has gone wrong in the entire misguided "war on terror," which is pretty much everything. Nearly everything we have done in the name of fi... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-10-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: The End of Public Education in Philadelphia? by dianerav Will Bunch, Philadelphia journalist, reports rumors that state officials may be planning to privatize all of Philadelphia. Philadelphia schools tried privatization a decade ago and it didn’t work. But this seems to be the cheapest way to get rid of the Philly problem instead of giving the kids and schools what they need. Common. Core: Skepticism in the New York Times by dianerav Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus wrote an interesting article about the Common ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Video of Saturday's One Voice United Rally for Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Video of Saturday's One Voice United Rally for Public Education: Video of Saturday's One Voice United Rally for Public Education by Leonie Haimson Video below of the Saturday's huge rally, One Voice United in Albany. Highlights: Randi Weingarten at 56 minutes in; Michael Mulgrew at 1:08; student leader Nikhil Goyal at 1: 29. At 1:35, Tom Chapin and Michael Mark perform their great song, "It's Not on the Test," along with a new song they wrote for the occasion, "One Voice." (Tom Chapin went to PS 41 in Greenwich Village and Brooklyn Tech; Mark is on his... more »

CTU President Karen Lewis issues statement on CPS’s new “five-year action plan” Chicago Teachers Union | www.ctunet.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Chicago Teachers Union | www.ctunet.com: *CTU President Karen Lewis issues statement on CPS’s new “five-year action plan”* * * * * *CHICAGO –*Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis released the following statement regarding today’s announcement by the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) on its proposed five-year action plan:**** “Our schools communities do not lack inspiration, they lack revenue. It doesn’t matter what new initiatives CPS concocts from year to year if it has no way to appropriately fund them (i.e., the longer school day). Chicago has to break its addiction to tax... more »

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: It's Your Choice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: It's Your Choice: Board Evaluation Work Session by Melissa Westbrook I am going to attempt to do some live blogging from the Board's Work Session to evaluate their work. I had wonder how this might go and I already see some unfamiliar faces sitting in the Board waiting area (they look like consultants) and the facilitiator, Bob Ness, that the Alliance likes to use. Quite by coincidence (I'm sure), the Alliance released some study they did on "effective" school boards. I only read the executive summary but didn't see anything particularly new or st... more »

NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!!! Join students, parents, Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP) Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
(71) Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP): Dear Parents, Teachers, and Community Members! We are moving FORWARD! We NEED each and every one of you to come out to the press conference and rally to FIGHT to keep our neighborhood schools open. We will file the lawsuit tomorrow, June 11, 2013 in federal court and will hold a press conference and rally in front of the Sacramento Federal Courthouse (501 " I " Street, Sacramento, CA 95814) at 4pm. We NEED to continue to show the School Board Members, the Superintendent, and the Sacramento community that we stand in solidarity in support of ... more »

Why They’ll Be at the June 12 Rally | Edwize

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Why They’ll Be at the June 12 Rally | Edwize: Why They’ll Be at the June 12 Rally Jun. 10, 2013 12:08 pm by W.J. Levay No Comments *Filed under:*Labor City employees including sanitation workers, college professors and teachers say how they contribute to the city and why they will be at the Fair Contracts for All Rally at City Hall Park at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12. “New Yorkers all over need to hear that our unions are united and are fighting together for fair contracts,” says teacher Subrina Cek.

Black community celebrates the legacy of educator and activist Jitu Weusi Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: *Black community celebrates the legacy of educator and activist Jitu Weusi* By *NAYABA ARINDE* Amsterdam News Editor Thursday, June 6, 2013 How did the Black grassroots Nationalist Movement come out to honor Jitu Weusi? With abundance. At a series of events for what activist and professor Sam Anderson called "one of our 1960s Renaissance Men," friends and supporters came from all over the tristate and as far as Philly. "Educator, activist, Brother, Baba, friend, comrade and giant—made his transition into Eternal L... more »

CTC set to weigh in on teacher misconduct bill SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *CTC set to weigh in on teacher misconduct bill* *By Kimberly Beltran* Monday, June 10, 2013 AB 449 by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, would rewrite the rules implementing sanctions against school officials who fail to report changes in an employee’s work status while an allegation of misconduct is pending. This week, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing – which serves as California’s standards board for educator training and professional conduct – will consider the bill and whether to take a position on it. As currently proposed, t... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Back from Portugal. Little has changed.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Back from Portugal. Little has changed.: Back from Portugal. Little has changed. by Mike Klonsky BacahlauWell, vacationing in Portugal was nice but it's always great to be back home, sleeping in my own bed and getting back into the swing of things. Also, getting back to work. summer quarter starts next week and someone's got to pay for all that bacalhau and natas. Glad to see nothing's changed much back home in the past week. Rahm's still the most hated man in town -- even the cops hate him. Two dead and 17 wounded in weekend shootings. Rham will proba... more »

Shanker Blog » Relationship Counseling

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Shanker Blog » Relationship Counseling: Relationship Counseling by Matthew Di Carlo A correlation between two variables measures the strength of the linear relationship between them. Put simply, two variables are positively correlated to the extent that individuals with relatively high or low values on one measure tend to have relatively high or low values on the other, and negatively correlated to the extent that high values on one measure are associated with low values on the other. Correlations are used frequently in the debate about teacher evaluations. For example, researcher... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, June 10, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *A.J. Duffy, still-feisty former teachers union chief, retires* Education Headlines *Monday, June 10, 2013* 'Satellite' lunch program to growThirty-one Fresno Unified elementary schools will soon replace their hot-meal programs with pre-packaged breakfasts and lunches, a plan the district says could save costs. Cafeteria workers argue the plan violates employee contracts. San Juan superintendent seen as bully, reformerGlynn Thompson's defenders say he is a change agent and that some administrators just didn't like that he was shaki... more »

Pawns of Industrialists and Financiers: Anti-Democracy Movement Gripping Education? | Cloaking Inequity

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Pawns of Industrialists and Financiers: Anti-Democracy Movement Gripping Education? | Cloaking Inequity: Pawns of Industrialists and Financiers: Anti-Democracy Movement Gripping Education? [image: trtoonmuck] Cloaking Inequity is back! I am now stateside from a hiatus to attend meetings at the Brazilian Senate in Brasilia. I am addicted to pão de queijo. A few photos from the signing of a new collaborative agreement Brazil and the University of Texas at Austin. Speaking of the Senate… As young children, Americans are inculcated with an admiration of democracy— a “manifest destiny” t... more »

Important LA public education jobs are changing hands | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Important LA public education jobs are changing hands | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Important LA public education jobs are changing hands by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez [image: Los Angeles City Council President Eric] *Public school advocates are waiting to see who Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti will select as his top education advisor. ; Credit: Hector Mata/AFP/Getty Images* There's a game of musical chairs going on in Los Angeles public education, and while the people involved may not be household names, they can play a key role in charting the direction of the L.A. Unified School District. L.A. M... more »

How cookie-cutter school reforms cement class, race divisions

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
How cookie-cutter school reforms cement class, race divisions: How cookie-cutter school reforms cement class, race divisions By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 10, 2013 at 9:00 amE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: ABC cookie cutters and their real-life models. (Kim O'Donnel)] (By Kim O’Donnel) Here is an insightful look at the consequences of corporate-influenced school reform on class and race divisions in this country. It was written byNatalie Hopkinson is a contributing writer to The Washington Post. You can reach her at NHopkinson@hotmail.com. Join her, Allison Brown Consul... more »

R U Career Ready? | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
R U Career Ready? | EduShyster: R U Career Ready? by edushyster2012 *Peering down into the skillz gulch* Once upon a time our public schools prepared kids on both sides of the excellence divide for a place called “the future.” Students from the less excellent ville went on to labor in factories, while their more excellent peers went on to college and then became bosses. But then the factories closed or moved over seas and, save for a handful of hedge-fund managers, the wages of just about everyone became less excellent. Which raises a fiercely urgent question: how should our failing... more »

The fiction of most school mission statements | Dangerously Irrelevant

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
The fiction of most school mission statements | Dangerously Irrelevant: The fiction of most school mission statements by dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod) Over at the PsyBlog, they note that there are only two reasons why we do anything: 1. Because we want to 2. Because someone else wants us to The former is what we term *intrinsic motivation*. The latter is what we call *extrinsic motivation*. Summarizing the work of the famous motivation researchers Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, the PsyBlog folks state that three factors are at the core of intrinsic motivation: ... more »

6-10-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] #Commoncore defenders, own it! It is a curriculum, and that’s that. by Chalk Face, PhD I have no problem with unvarnished assent to the common core. That’s between you and your therapist. But let’s get some things very, very clear. Actually, might I suggest some close reading of all the press, research, and commentary on the subject, because I’m not sure you’d be such a fan? In any event, the […] Bill Gates and the Incubators by Jim Horn I know–it’s a great name for a band, but it is distinctly unmusical and no fun. It’s abou... more »









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