Monday, June 3, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-3-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS



Special Education Reform: Let the Dialogue Begin | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 minutes ago
Special Education Reform: Let the Dialogue Begin | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Special Education Reform: Let the Dialogue Begin by American Association of School Administrators *By Daniel A. Domenech, Executive Director, American Association of School Administrators (AASA)* AASA has released a set of proposals intended to offer an alternative to the current, federally-mandated due process system by which parents and school personnel handle disputes about special education services. The due process system as it exists today is expensive, unwieldy and inequitab... more »

Why My Family is Boycotting the Tests – SchoolBook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 minutes ago
Why My Family is Boycotting the Tests – SchoolBook: Why My Family is Boycotting the Tests by Jinnie Spiegler There is nothing quite like that feeling when something theoretical turns personal. My husband and I both work in education. He is a high school English teacher and I work for an education non-profit group. Over the past few years, we have become increasingly concerned about the state of education, particularly the impact of high-stakes testing on schools. But when I had to face this issue as a parent, my concern shifted from sadness to anger and, finally, to a resolution to... more »

We Party Patriots » Blog Archive » ALEC Aims to Destroy Local School Boards, Turn Education Into a Corporate, For-Profit Wasteland

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 57 minutes ago
We Party Patriots » Blog Archive » ALEC Aims to Destroy Local School Boards, Turn Education Into a Corporate, For-Profit Wasteland: ALEC Aims to Destroy Local School Boards, Turn Education Into a Corporate, For-Profit Wasteland by Chaz Bolte [image: img.php] ALEC is spreading its pro-corporate, pro-privatization agenda into the education space with greater abandon than before. ALEC-style “education reform” includes a push for the complete removal of school boards which would effectively block public input from decisions about schools. The Voters Legislative Transparency Project re... more »

NCLB Reauthorization: Here We Go Again :: Frederick M. Hess

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
NCLB Reauthorization: Here We Go Again :: Frederick M. Hess: NCLB Reauthorization: Here We Go Again *by Frederick M. Hess • Jun 3, 2013 at 9:18 am* *Cross-posted from Education Week* Word has it that the Democrats on the Senate HELP Committee will be bringing forth their proposal for NCLB/ESEA reauthorization this week. Thus we'll return to a favorite Beltway edu-pastime: discussing whether reauthorization will pass, whether there will be a bipartisan bill, and what might change. The bottom line: There will be no reauthorization in 2013 or 2014. There will be no bipartisan Sena... more »

The Testing Bullies. The blog post they tried to stop. Circulate widely. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
The Testing Bullies. The blog post they tried to stop. Circulate widely. | Fred Klonsky: The Testing Bullies. The blog post they tried to stop. Circulate widely. by Fred Klonsky Read the back story of the blog post they tried to stop in Valerie Strauss’ column in the Washington Post. Calling Out the Testing Bullies By Peter DeWitt on May 29, 2013 6:18 AM *Today’s guest blog is written by New York Times Best Selling children’s author and outstanding school presenter, Phil Bildner. Phil is a former N.Y.C. middle school teacher.* In a recent article, Joyce Murdoch Fieldke, compared h... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Welcome to the Classroom of 2021

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Welcome to the Classroom of 2021: Welcome to the Classroom of 2021 by Anngie After reading this article about tablets in school I couldn’t help but picture the classroom of the future and wonder whether teachers have tried this exercise for themselves. *Welcome to the classroom of 2021* The teacher has loaded the common cartridge for the morning. All the students are sitting at their desks where the new pressure sensitive chairs read how they are sitting and adjust the digital material on the white board to try to keep their attention as long as possi... more »

States Spending The Least On Education: 24/7 Wall St.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
States Spending The Least On Education: 24/7 Wall St.: States Spending The Least On Education: 24/7 Wall St. *24/7 Wall St.* | Posted: 06/02/2013 4:25 pm EDT [image: Share on Google+] [image: States Education Spending] *From 24/7 Wall St.:* In 2011, for the first time in decades, the amount the nation’s schools spent per student fell. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest release on education spending, the nation’s schools spent $10,560 per student in 2011, down from $10,600 per student in 2010. In most states, however, spending increased. Based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s l... more »

Anti-Bullying Groups Banned at 'Nightmare' Bronx Schools - Claremont - DNAinfo.com New York

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Anti-Bullying Groups Banned at 'Nightmare' Bronx Schools - Claremont - DNAinfo.com New York: Anti-Bullying Groups Banned at 'Nightmare' Bronx Schools The building at 1600 Webster Ave. in the Claremont section of The Bronx includes two middle schools, I.S. 313 and 339. P... ** View Full Caption DNAinfo/Patrick Wall CLAREMONT — Johanna Torrez dashes through two miles of traffic most afternoons, rushing to get her daughter from I.S. 313 before other students have the chance to target her. “I have to race to pick her up so they don’t bully her,” Torrez said recently as she hurried her s... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-3-13 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] Anthony Cody: Is the Tea Party Right About Common Core? by dianerav There is a surprising overlap between the views of the Tea Party and those of some in the left towards the Common Core. In Indiana, Democrats and Tea Party activists combined to defeat far-right State Superintendent Tony Bennett and elect educator Glenda Ritz. Democrats opposed his support for privatization and his haughty treatment of teachers: Tea Party activists opposed him for his zealous supp... more »

6-3-13 THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Check out our new episode with Jesse Hagopian by Chalk Face, PhD You can listen here, great discussion, and a great call from a Portland area teacher. Good food for thought. At the same time Jesse and supporters are boycotting the MAP, and winning concessions, they are developing an alternative assessment structure based on their values as the actual educators. They are creating an assessment vacuum, so […] Here I am, enjoying my coffee, and… by Chalk Face, PhD I have my local Fox 5 affiliate on in the background for noise, not really sure w... more »

Ways Teachers Can Bring 21st Century Skills Into High Schools - High School Notes (usnews.com)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Ways Teachers Can Bring 21st Century Skills Into High Schools - High School Notes (usnews.com): Ways Teachers Can Bring 21st Century Skills Into High Schools By KELSEY SHEEHY June 3, 2013 RSS Feed Print [image: Incorporate online tools such as Google Hangout and Skype to encourage collaboration and connect to experts around the world.] Incorporate online tools such as Google Hangout and Skype to encourage collaboration and connect to experts around the world. Lessons taught in high schools often skimp on 21st century skills such as collaboration and real-world problem solving, accordi... more »

Q&A: Lessons for California from New Jersey’s ‘Improbable Scholars’ | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Q&A: Lessons for California from New Jersey’s ‘Improbable Scholars’ | EdSource Today: Q&A: Lessons for California from New Jersey’s ‘Improbable Scholars’ - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald [image: Kirp wrote his latest book after spending a year observing schools in Union City, N.J.] Kirp wrote his latest book after spending a year observing schools in Union City, N.J. Students in Union City, N.J., get twice the funding of students in California. They attend two years of full-day kindergarten. Recent immigrants to this country are taught initially in their native language.... more »

Daily Kos: Krugman says "The Geezers Are All Right"

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Daily Kos: Krugman says "The Geezers Are All Right": Krugman says "The Geezers Are All Right" by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) by which he means that the threat to the economic future of the United States supposedly posed by Social Security and Medicare is diminishing - for a variety of reasons - at least to the point where we should stop obsessing about that and focus on the real economic needs of our nation, which of course means the creation of jobs. In this *New York Times* column, he begins with the CBO projections for deficits and debt which clearly show improvement, noting t... more »

Why K-12 online learning isn’t really revolutionizing teaching

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Why K-12 online learning isn’t really revolutionizing teaching: Why K-12 online learning isn’t really revolutionizing teaching By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 3, 2013 at 6:00 amE-mail the writer 2 Comments More [image: (By Shamus Ian Fatzinger/ Fairfax County Times)] (By Shamus Ian Fatzinger/ Fairfax County Times) Online learning is our present and our future, or so many school reformers and entrepreneurs say. Here in the first of a few pieces on the subject is Larry Cuban,a high school social studies teacher for 14 years, a district superintendent (seven years in Arlington, VA), a... more »

NYC Educator: Contract Update--King Reformy John Will Impose a UFT Contract Next Saturday at 4 PM

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
NYC Educator: Contract Update--King Reformy John Will Impose a UFT Contract Next Saturday at 4 PM: Contract Update--King Reformy John Will Impose a UFT Contract Next Saturday at 4 PM by NYC Educator After almost five years, the UFT and DOE have decided they cannot come to an agreement on a contract. Governor Andrew Cuomo has grown tired of this impasse, and has decided that if this is not resolved, he will need to cut $250 million from the budget of NYC schools. StudentsFirstNY stated, "This is a disgrace. How can those greasy teachers hurt our children like that? They should simpl... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky Sen. Mark Kirk wants mass arrests of 18,000 young black Chicagoans he labels as GDs. *Chicago Magazine's Whet Moser* *I saw a headline the other day in which Mark Kirk proposed to arrest literally every single Gangster Disciple in Chicago. That's an estimated 18,000 people, the equivalent of arresting every man, woman, and child in East Garfield Park or Kenwood. An entire Chicago community's worth of people. It's putting it mildly to say this idea is not entirely thought-out: * *Thomson has 1,600 c... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Seattle Schools This Week by Melissa Westbrook *Tuesday, June 4th* The Board will be evaluating the Superintendent in an Executive Session. I would think that he would get a pretty favorable evaluation given that he has filled some key posts. As well, at yesterday's Board retreat, various people were thanking others. Director Carr said, about Banda's efforts on the Strategic Plan, that she appreciated his collaborative attitude as compared to the previous SP which she labeled "top-down." *Wednesday, June 5th* Board Mee... more »

Political Science 101: Today’s Lesson: Some politicians lie… - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Political Science 101: Today’s Lesson: Some politicians lie… - Wait, What?: Political Science 101: Today’s Lesson: Some politicians lie… by jonpelto Last week, the Secretary of Education for the United States of America, Arne Duncan, joined by Governor Dannel P. Malloy, held at a “town hall meeting” at one of Hartford’s magnet schools. In response to a question from a high school student in attendance, Duncan taught the students an extremely valuable lesson…some politicians lie. In fact, in an attempt to “bond” with the students, Duncan lied through his teeth. In this case, America... more »

solidaridad: @TCFKSM: More on Parent Revolution triggerman Ben Austin's gunning down of a well regarded LAUSD principal

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
solidaridad: @TCFKSM: More on Parent Revolution triggerman Ben Austin's gunning down of a well regarded LAUSD principal: @TCFKSM: More on Parent Revolution triggerman Ben Austin's gunning down of a well regarded LAUSD principal by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene First published on @TCFKSM on June 2, 2013 ------------------------------ *"The 'parent trigger' by definition is a hostile act. It creates division and conflict. It sets parents against parents. It sets parents against teachers. It sets parents against administrators. It is a "trigger" and triggers kill." —Professor Diane Ravit... more »

Is texting in school a right? Can we make school and cell... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Is texting in school a right? Can we make school and cell... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: Is texting in school a right? Can we make school and cell phones compatible? [image: Texting in school] Texting in school Previous Posts - Atlanta International School: Sale makes sense for us and APS June 2, 2013 - Is APS selling one of its most valuable assets, site of Atlanta International School? June 2, 2013 - To be or not to be a drama major in this economy: Chancellor and drama major disagree June 1, 2013 By Maureen Downey A teacher sent me an in... more »

The Educated Reporter: Governors, State Superintendents Focusing on Third Graders' Reading Skills

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: Governors, State Superintendents Focusing on Third Graders' Reading Skills: Governors, State Superintendents Focusing on Third Graders' Reading Skills by Emily Richmond Students who aren't proficient readers early on are more likely to struggle later, and the third grade has developed into a critical signpost of a child's academic future. Research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation found third graders whose literacy skills fell short were four times more likely to drop out of school down the line. To further conversation on the issue, Washington Post Live wi... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week 34: The Ides of Open House

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week 34: The Ides of Open House: Week 34: The Ides of Open House by alicemercer [image: 34] I can’t believe how little of the school year is left. That’s probably a good thing [image: ;-)] . Right now, life is all about preparing for the Science Fair/Open House which will be midway through next week. Project vs. Project-based – what I’ve learned…In the past, I’ve done projects (with assigned topics) but my co-workers wanted to a do a science fair, where the kids picked their own topics. We had them formulate questions about a topic, and then f... more »

Last Stand for Children First: Last Stand for Children Founder Myron Miner Survives Mackinac Conference Tragedy

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Last Stand for Children First: Last Stand for Children Founder Myron Miner Survives Mackinac Conference Tragedy: Last Stand for Children Founder Myron Miner Survives Mackinac Conference by Last Stand for Children Tragedy struck the Mackinac Policy Conference when in their zealous to improve the efficiency of Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel, inadvertently made the hotel staff walk off the job. Mackinac, which is the Indian word for "Slaughter Island" soon found the peaceful conference guests facing off in tribes. While there was apparently

Stand in Solidarity with Mexican Teachers! | Classroom Struggle

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Stand in Solidarity with Mexican Teachers! | Classroom Struggle: Stand in Solidarity with Mexican Teachers! by ClassroomStruggle *Stand in Solidarity with* *Mexican Teachers!*** Teachers throughout Mexico – from Oaxaca, Guerrero, to Mexico City – have been hitting the streets in opposition to a set of “reforms” imposed by the Mexican government, under the leadership of newly elected president Enrique Pena-Nieto. These “reforms” include: increasing the amount of standardized tests, decrease in the power of the teacher’s union (SNTE) in controlling hiring practices, provide more p... more »

Oregon Save Our Schools: A Parent Questions Common Core in Oregon

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Oregon Save Our Schools: A Parent Questions Common Core in Oregon: A Parent Questions Common Core in Oregon by Oregon SOS [image: Oregon SOS] *A bit of background:* *Common Core State Standards, an unproven set of curricular standards has been adopted for use in most states across our country to include Oregon WITHOUT public input. As part of receiving the NCLB Waiver, Oregon used CCSS as their set of standards which would prove to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan that we were agreeing to use "career and college ready standards" in our plan to get the waiver. What hasn't been ... more »

Asian-American Students Face Unique Challenges When It Comes to Affirmative Action - Higher Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Asian-American Students Face Unique Challenges When It Comes to Affirmative Action - Higher Education: Asian-American Students Face Unique Challenges When It Comes to Affirmative Action by cmaadmin [image: Irwin Tang] Irwin Tang, an Austin, Texas-based psychotherapist, says he believes that some of the nation’s elite institutions of higher learning have unofficial quotas that cap the admission of students of Asian descent. Irwin Tang, an Austin, Texas-based psychotherapist, says he believes that some of the nation’s elite institutions of higher learning have unofficial quotas that ... more »

Why Some Schools Want To Expel Suspensions : NPR

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Why Some Schools Want To Expel Suspensions : NPR: Why Some Schools Want To Expel Suspensions by NPR STAFF June 02, 2013 5:36 PM http://www.youthfutures.com/report/kids_matter_2008/4/3/ The effectiveness of school suspensions is up for debate. California is the most recent battleground, but a pattern of uneven application and negative outcomes is apparent across the country. California students were suspended more than 700,000 times over the 2011-2012 school year,according to state data. One school district decided it was getting ridiculous. In May, the board for the Los Angeles Unifi... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-2-13 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: *IN HER OWN WORDS* L.A. Times: Parent Trigger=Parent Trap by dianerav The Los Angeles Times is not at all pleased with the way the so-called “parent trigger” is working out. Theeditorial board wants a more open, transparent process. The editorial does not point out that only one organization has pushed the idea that parents should seize control of a public institution. “Parent Revolution”–funded by billionaires–wrote the law, sends paid community organizers to gather parent signatures, and litigates to push its goa... more »

Library for All | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Library for All | toteachornototeach: Library for All by aristotlethewise From Chalkboard to the Cloud: Library for All Puts the World in a Child’s Hands Imagine you’re a 9-year-old girl attending a makeshift school in Haiti, and a well-meaning church group or charity drops off boxes of donated books for you and your classmates to read. This is a generous gesture, but the books are in English. You speak French Creole and are just learning to read and write, using one chalkboard shared by 50 students. The stacks of donated books become stools for the school’s youngest pupils, and yo... more »

Daily Kos: thoughts after a college reunion

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Daily Kos: thoughts after a college reunion: thoughts after a college reunion by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) I spent from Friday afternoon through midmorning today on the campuses of Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges for the 40th reunion of my 3rd and final class at Haverford. I joined the class as a 25 year old junior, and thus did not get to know quite as many people through the normal freshman bonding process. Similarly for our sister class at Bryn Mawr (in those days Haverford was still officially single sex), I had met relatively few of them - those that lived on the Haver... more »

Weekend reading: New York City’s complete evaluation plans | GothamSchools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Weekend reading: New York City’s complete evaluation plans | GothamSchools: Weekend reading: New York City’s complete evaluation plansby Philissa Cramer, at 12:19 pm If you’ve finished the Sunday crossword puzzle, it might be time to turn your attention to the full version of New York City’s teacher and principal evaluation plans. The plans, which State Education Commissioner announced on Saturday, were posted to the State Education Department’s website just after midnight. Through 240 pages, King details his responses to proposals set out by the city Department of Education and the... more »

Ed Notes Online: Evaluation Deal: The Enemy, King/Bloomberg/etc or UFT/AFT/NYSUT Leadership?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Evaluation Deal: The Enemy, King/Bloomberg/etc or UFT/AFT/NYSUT Leadership?: Evaluation Deal: The Enemy, King/Bloomberg/etc or UFT/AFT/NYSUT Leadership? by ed notes online *Despite the awful and fairy-dust based evaluation system, despite the fact that not one UFT member was allowed a vote on it, we have been almost five years without a raise and missed the 8% pattern raise the rest of our union brothers and sisters got. I have no problem telling the emperor how I feel about that.... NYC Educator on the June 12 rally* * * *Bloomberg is irrelevant. The real emperors ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Can the Left and the Right Find Enough Common Ground to Work Against Common Core?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Can the Left and the Right Find Enough Common Ground to Work Against Common Core?: Can the Left and the Right Find Enough Common Ground to Work Against Common Core? by stlgretchen An thought provoking article by Anthony Cody asking *Is the Tea Party Right About the Common Core? *appeared in Education Week: * * Yesterday's Washington Post carried a banner story about growing Tea Party opposition to the Common Core. We learn that across the country, Tea Party activists have been organizing around opposition to the Common Core, and have succeeded in bl... more »

NYC Public School Parents: John King's decision on teacher evaluation: voodoo or wake-up call for "bad" teachers?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: John King's decision on teacher evaluation: voodoo or wake-up call for "bad" teachers?: John King's decision on teacher evaluation: voodoo or wake-up call for "bad" teachers? by Leonie Haimson Lots of news and commentary this morning on Commissioner John King’s From the front page of today's NY Postdecision on a new NYC teacher evaluation system. Here's the one I like best: Jersey Jazzman'sExclusive! First look at NY Student surveys for Teacher evaluation (based on the the fact that starting in 3rd grade, the results of student surveys will be part of ... more »

Common Core: Assessing the real level of support

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Common Core: Assessing the real level of support: Common Core: Assessing the real level of support By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 2, 2013 at 12:30 pmE-mail the writer 1 Comments More [image: common core]Does “the great majority” of Americans really support the Common Core? How do we know? Here’s a piece on the subject from P.L. Thomas, an associate professor of education at Furman University in South Carolina. He edited the 2013 book “Becoming and Being a Teacher,” and wrote the 2012 book, “Ignoring Poverty in the U.S.: The Corporate Takeover of Public Education.” This was publi... more »

Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky: Sunday reads. by Fred Klonsky [image: NYSED005] *EXCLUSIVE! First Look at NY Student Surveys for Teacher Evaluation! ** Photo: Jersey Jazzman**“Today, educators would do well to remember the lesson* of the power of fusing civil rights movements with

UPDATE: Great News from Seattle Schools Seattle Schools Community Forum: State sets deadline for Seattle Special Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: State sets deadline for Seattle Special Education: Great News from Seattle Schools by Melissa Westbrook From SPS: - Officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced that two Seattle Public Schools students – Tara N. Conley, The Center School; and Derek B. Gasaway, Garfield High School – are among the winners for college-sponsored scholarships. - South Lake High School teacher Web Hutchins received the state’s top honor for civic education - the Civic Educator of the Year award. Hutchins was nominated for the... more »

The story of an ‘offending’ blog post

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
The story of an ‘offending’ blog post: The story of an ‘offending’ blog post By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 2, 2013 at 10:30 amE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: (Associated Press photo)] (Associated Press photo) Here is a new piece from award-winning Principal Carol Burris of South Side High School in New York. Burris was namedNew York’s 2013 High School Principal of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York and the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and in 2010, tapped as the 2010 New York State Outstanding Educator by the School A... more »

Rahm Emanuel, there’s a good reason people are mad at you — MSNBC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Rahm Emanuel, there’s a good reason people are mad at you — MSNBC: Rahm Emanuel, there’s a good reason people are mad at you Melissa Harris-Perry, @mharrisperry 12:46 PM on 06/01/2013 Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy The photo of this week’s *Time* magazine cover guy is accompanied by a question that I can only assume is rhetorical. Because the answer to the question about Chicago’s mayor–why are people mad at him?–should be readily apparent to anyone following recent headlines about the 50 Chicago schools slated to be closed. It’s certainl... more »

Education group to get more oversight - StamfordAdvocate

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Education group to get more oversight - StamfordAdvocate: Education group to get more oversightKen DixonPublished 8:56 pm, Saturday, June 1, 2013 [image: A little-known organization that was used by the state education commissioner Stefan Pryo to circumvent state bidding requirements last year would have several new layers of oversight and transparency under legislation that awaits action in the House. New State Department of Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor speaks at a news conference to announce his appointment the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Conn., Wednesday, Se... more »

Firing Day at a Charter School | Seattle Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Firing Day at a Charter School | Seattle Education: Firing Day at a Charter School An image of Dany Edwards. Art by Sean Flaherty, who was also fired from this charter school on June 1, 2011. I just quit my job as a teacher in an urban charter school. Even though I still don’t have another job and I support myself entirely, it is the best decision I ever made. It is especially liberating this week while my colleagues – and after five incredibly stressful years on the education front lines, my truly beloved friends – wait for the June 1 ax to fall. Every June 1, the exhausted teacher... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Should Police Departments Offer Iris Scans for Children?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Should Police Departments Offer Iris Scans for Children?: Should Police Departments Offer Iris Scans for Children? by stlgretchen Mexico launches national ID cards for children From *Granby police offer iris scans under child identification program sponsored by Hampshire County Sheriff's department:* Over the next couple of months, parents will be able to have their children's irises scanned under a child identification program sponsored by the Hampshire County Sheriff's Department. Police Chief Alan P. Wishart Jr. said consent forms to participate in t... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-2-13 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] Google and the Death of Privacy by dianerav There is good reason to be worried about the effort by the federal Department of Education to create a massive database. Doing so is part of Race to the Top. There is reason to be concerned about inBloom, the project funded by Gates and managed by Rupert Murdoch. Sharp Increase in Homeless Kids in NYC by dianerav Yoav Gonen and Frank Rosario in the New York Post report a spike in the number of homeless students in the Ne... more »

Ed Notes Online: Mr. Merrow, how about reconsidering your adulation of RSD in New Orleans?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Ed Notes Online: Mr. Merrow, how about reconsidering your adulation of RSD in New Orleans?: Mr. Merrow, how about reconsidering your adulation of RSD in New Orleans? by ed notes online *It is a sham, just as Rhee is a sham..... deutsch29* John Merrow has done a mea culpa on Michelle Rhee and took particular aim at the Washington Post's coddling of that Cheatn' Rhee. Does Washington have an ‘Atlanta-style’ situation? In some respects, yes. There are four striking similarities: Irregularities at a majority of schools in both cities; a secret report buried by the school administrati... more »

6-2-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: NY Columnist Worries About Global Warming from School Air Conditioners as State Prepares to Punish Teachers in Hot Classrooms by Jim Horn Opinionator Sara Mosle learned both teaching and politics from Teach for America, and now she is a favorite at the NYTimes to express the positivized neoliberal edu-position without having to think about it. Sara wonders in her latest column if children in air conditioned classrooms have an advantage over children who must swelter in school […] Asking a Better CCSS Support Question by plthomasedd As a fo... more »

Louisiana Educator: Help Stop Vouchers and Course Choice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Louisiana Educator: Help Stop Vouchers and Course Choice: Help Stop Vouchers and Course Choice by Michael Deshotels Now that the legislature is winding down, most of the remaining decisions will be in establishing budget priorities. Governor Jindal has been successful so far in expanding the funding for a very poorly designed and executed voucher system. The final budget will be negotiated in the next few days to find a compormise between the House and Senate versions of the budget. The Senate approved budget includes funding for an expanded voucher program even though there is n... more »




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