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BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, June 7, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 33 minutes ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Friday, June 7, 2013* MORENO VALLEY: Residents challenge school board member’s appointmentA petition was filed to remove the Moreno Valley school board member appointed to replace Mike Rios. Residents are seeking to void the appointment of Gary Baugh and force an election. They have about 2,000 signatures and believe they need about 1,500. Deputy Mayor Joan Sullivan named CEO of Partnership for LA ShoolsJoan Sullivan, the education deputy to outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, has been named CEO of the 2... more »

Five People Wrote 'State-Led' Common Core | Heartlander Magazine

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 38 minutes ago

Five People Wrote 'State-Led' Common Core | Heartlander Magazine: Five People Wrote 'State-Led' Common Core June 7, 2013 JOY PULLMANNJoy Pullmann (jpullmann@heartland.org) is a research fellow of The Heartland Institute and managing... (read full bio) EMAIL Audio Lindsey Burke: NCLB Waivers, Virginia, and the Common Core - play - 00:00 17:10 Download as .mp3 Share on linkedin - [image: Print]Print - [image: Email]Email *Editor’s Note: This article is the second of three. **Read the first here** .* Many education leaders continue to insist the process for creating nationa... more »

How Do We Judge Success in a Democracy? - Bridging Differences - Education Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 44 minutes ago

How Do We Judge Success in a Democracy? - Bridging Differences - Education Week: How Do We Judge Success in a Democracy? by Deborah Meier Dear Michael, I just wrote and discarded a 3,000-plus-word response to your queries. But I'll post it later on mydeborahmeier.com blog. There's just too much to say! I essentially repeated my argument about why parents are not the problem; it's the *conditions* under which they have to raise their children, the obstacles they must overcome to cope with daily crises that are the problem—mostly related to poverty and racism. I repeated my reasons f... more »

Daily Kos: Innovation Schools Nothing New

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Daily Kos: Innovation Schools Nothing New: Innovation Schools Nothing New by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) Emma Brown in *The Washington Post* offers an important window into school reform occurring (*ad infinitum*) in Washington DC: D.C. Council member David A. Catania plans to announce wide-ranging legislation Tuesday that could substantially reshape the city’s public education system, as he seeks to increase funding to educate poor children, give more power to principals, change the city’s school lottery system and end social promotion of children who are performing below grad... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-7-13 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] Schneider: Phony Accountability for Louisiana Charters by dianerav Mercedes Schneider asked the state auditor for reviews of charter schools. Her exchange and the information she received show how little accountability exists. The original rationale for charters some 20+ years ago was that they would get relief from regulations in return for accountability for results. That was before anyone understood that charter supporters would use political muscle and campaig... more »

The 2013 Louisiana Legislative Session: What Did We Gain? | deutsch29

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

The 2013 Louisiana Legislative Session: What Did We Gain? | deutsch29: The 2013 Louisiana Legislative Session: What Did We Gain? by deutsch29 The 2013 Louisiana legislative session ended this evening (Thursday, June 6th). It was not the surprise attack of 2012, a time when both House and Senate majorities seemed bent upon unquestioningly bowing to Jindal in his efforts to blindside traditional public education. To my knowledge, there was no locking teachers out of the Capitol this year or demanding that teachers who wished to testify openly declare that they were choosing to be a... more »

Funding reform worries potential ‘loser’ schools within ‘winning’ districts | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Funding reform worries potential ‘loser’ schools within ‘winning’ districts | EdSource Today: Funding reform worries potential ‘loser’ schools within ‘winning’ districts - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald Until now, the greatest tension over Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed school finance reform has been largely among districts: a political tussle between unhappy suburban and optimistic urban school factions over how new education dollars should be divvied up. But signs of discord in Los Angeles Unified indicate that the same battles over money may eventually play out among “... more »

Daily Kos: Does the Constitution still exist except on paper?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Daily Kos: Does the Constitution still exist except on paper?: Does the Constitution still exist except on paper? by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Please tell me under what provision of the Constitution the government is entitled to have a secret interpretation of a public law. While in theory ignorance of the law is not considered an excuse for its violation, that presumes that the law itself is known. if the interpretation of the law is not available to all, how then can anyone know what the law is? There may truly be scary things in the world. But it is far scary to think that o... more »

6-7-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] Broad’s Girl Friday in RI, Deb Gist, Looking for the Duncan Bump by Jim Horn If there is an education official in Rhode Island who has earned an Arne Duncan endorsement, it would have to be Deborah Gist (Broad Class of 2008). Her ability to ignore those pestering parents, those vomiting children, those weeping teachers, and those angry grandparents has earned Ms. Gist a place among the giants of corporate […] Say that again Mr. Kayser! LAUSD should have more public meetings by rdsathene * Robert D. Skeels “As it is, the meetin... more »

solidaridad: @TCFKSM: Say that again Mr. Kayser! LAUSD should have more public meetings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

solidaridad: @TCFKSM: Say that again Mr. Kayser! LAUSD should have more public meetings: @TCFKSM: Say that again Mr. Kayser! LAUSD should have more public meetings by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene First published on @TCFKSM on June 6, 2013 ------------------------------ *"As it is, the meetings are held downtown in the middle of the day when most parents, students and employees cannot participate. Ultimately this behavior pattern leads to decisions made in a vacuum, isolation from reality and the rubberstamping of pre-determined outcomes."—Bennett Kayser* [image: Those who can, TEACH. ... more »

The Corporate Takeover of Public Education | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

The Corporate Takeover of Public Education | toteachornototeach: The Corporate Takeover of Public Education by aristotlethewise *The Corporate Takeover of Public Education* by Diann Woodard Independent research in recent months has documented that the nation’s wealthiest philanthropic foundations are steering funding away from public school systems, attended by 90 percent of American students, and toward “challengers” to public education, especially charter schools. Education Week recently reported that at the start of the decade, less than a quarter of K-12 giving from top foundatio... more »

Legislation being considered that would subject charter schools to disclosure laws SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *Legislation being considered that would subject charter schools to disclosure laws* *By Kimberly Beltran* Friday, June 07, 2013 Charter schools would be subject to the same open meeting and disclosure laws as traditional public schools and other local government agencies under a bill now pending in the California Senate. AB 913, authored by Assemblyman Ed Chau, D-Monterey Park, and sponsored by the California School Boards Association and the California Teachers Association, passed in the Assembly last month and now awaits action in the Sen... more »

NYC Educator: Principal Sappenbottom Runs a PD Session

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

NYC Educator: Principal Sappenbottom Runs a PD Session: Principal Sappenbottom Runs a PD Session by NYC Educator *by Curious Teacher* Today was the last professional development day of the year. The teachers were promised that from 8-8:30 "breakfast would be served." Some teachers were naive enough to think that this actually meant coffee, bagels, donuts, maybe some juice. It had been that way in most every other school. So teachers strolled into school today and found that to Principal Sappenbottom, "breakfast" meant few boxes of bagels which were gone within 5 minutes. Forget ... more »

Louisiana Educator: Legislative Session Earns a D-

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: Legislative Session Earns a D-: Legislative Session Earns a D- by Michael Deshotels The new state budget approved in the last hours of the legislative session, includes a small, apparently permanent pay raise for public school teachers and a significant expansion of the school voucher program. The salary supplement originally proposed by the Senate would have been a one time salary supplement and would have added additional burdens on local school systems to fund related costs such as retirement contributions without adequate state funding. The compromise budge... more »

Does Online Instruction Work? (Part 3) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Does Online Instruction Work? (Part 3) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Does Online Instruction Work? (Part 3) by larrycuban Here is the fundamental question that public policymakers (e.g., federal and state officials, local school board members and superintendents) have to answer when making decisions that involve children and youth compelled to attend public school. Such a question, however, about the effectiveness of online instruction in raising student’s academic achievement and producing other desirable outcomes such as increased attendance, higher gra... more »

Governor Brown, Add SB69's Revisions To Your Local Control Funding Formula | K-12 News Network

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Governor Brown, Add SB69's Revisions To Your Local Control Funding Formula | K-12 News Network: Governor Brown, Add SB69′s Revisions To Your Local Control Funding Formula by admin We have a historic opportunity: for the second time this school year, public education supporters in California can boost funding back to pre-Great Recession 2007-2008 levels and begin to get us out of the basement among all fifty states when it comes to state per pupil funding. We need to let Governor Brown know he must flex and alter his version of Local Control Funding Formula to reflect SB69′s impro... more »

UPDATE:Tribune is an apologist for UNO corruption. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Tribune is an apologist for UNO corruption. | Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. Rahm owns it. by Fred Klonsky [image: Rahm owns it] Click on image to enlarge. “I am encouraged to see so many parents from closing schools already choosing to early enroll their children in their new school,” schools chief Barbara Byrd-Bennett said in the release. Not. by Fred Klonsky Have 78% of students from CPS schools that have been shuttered really enroll in their assigned receiving school? That’s what CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett said. That is what Liar-in-Chief, CPS press flack Becky Carroll. However... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The end of Europe?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The end of Europe?: The end of Europe? by Mike Klonsky Cabo Da Roca, the end of EuropeThat's the ominous name given to the wild, rocky coast on the westernmost end of Portugal. On another level, lots of folks here are talking about the *end of Europe*. While I don't believe that the end is in sight, the standard of living here is in free-fall and millions of people are truly suffering under imposed austerity and are ready for change. Educators are a big part of the protest movement and lots of debate is taking place over the role of schooling in Portu... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE* * * *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* Ingraham's PTA vs PTO Vote (Fleshed Out) by Melissa Westbrook I've gotten way behind on threads and I did want to flesh out the discussion leading to Ingraham High School's decision to leave PTA and have a Parent Teacher Organization. By my count, there were about 60+ people at the meeting. It was a regular PTA meeting so they did their business meeting first. (They did their Golden Acorn awards and I really love hearing these stories about such hard-working and positive people.) The PTA President, Keik... more »

Engaging Parents In School…

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Engaging Parents In School…: “Parents Taking Assertive Stance in Children’s Education” Larry Ferlazzo at Engaging Parents In School... - 29 minutes ago Parents Taking Assertive Stance in Children’s Education is a useful compilation of tweets, articles and videos on various recent examples of “parent activism.” It’s worth a look…. What’s Missing In “Stand For Children” Article On Parent Engagement? Only The Most Important Thing…. Larry Ferlazzo at Engaging Parents In School... - 29 minutes ago The Hechinger Report just published an article by the leaders of the “school reform” group ... more »

No year’s delay: Deal likely on school finance reform, Steinberg says | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

No year’s delay: Deal likely on school finance reform, Steinberg says | EdSource Today: No year’s delay: Deal likely on school finance reform, Steinberg says - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald *OMG THE MONEY FAIRY MUST BE BACK IN SACRAMENTO!!!* The Senate has dropped its call for a year’s delay in implementing Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan for sweeping K-12 finance reform, making it likely a deal over Brown’s Local Control Funding Formula will be struck in the next few days, Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg said Thursday. Steinberg made the prediction during a public lun... more »

Santa Clara Unified: Administrators, principals flee turbulent school district - Inside Bay Area

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Santa Clara Unified: Administrators, principals flee turbulent school district - Inside Bay Area: Santa Clara Unified: Administrators, principals flee turbulent school district By Sharon Noguchi snoguchi@mercurynews.com Posted: 06/06/2013 11:11:39 AM PDT Updated: 06/06/2013 04:16:58 PM PDT SANTA CLARA -- Since a power shift in November, the Santa Clara Unified School Board has been accused of micromanaging, chiding and intimidating employees, usurping their roles and making abrupt decisions that muddled school operations. Now, as the school year ends Friday, more than one-fifth ... more »

Praises Obama's E-rate and Technology Plan - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Praises Obama's E-rate and Technology Plan - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Praises President Obama's Plan to Overhaul Federal Program to Help Schools Buy Technology SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent Tom Torlakson today hailed President Obama's call to give more schools broadband Internet access and wireless network capacity. Torlakson has long called for modernizing the federal Schools and Libraries Program, more commonly known as E-rate, a surcharge on telephone bills that provides discounts to assist schools and libraries to obtain affordable t... more »

Common Core supporters back moratorium on new tests’ high stakes

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Common Core supporters back moratorium on new tests’ high stakes: Common Core supporters back moratorium on new tests’ high stakes By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 6, 2013 at 5:21 pmE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: commoncore]A coalition of education organizations and unions that support the Common Core State Standards issued an open letter on Thursday backing a moratorium of at least one year on the high stakes associated with new standardized tests being given to students that are aligned with the Core. The letter was issued by the Learning First Alliance, whose me... more »

A Call for a Transition Period in Common Core Implementation | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

A Call for a Transition Period in Common Core Implementation | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: A Call for a Transition Period in Common Core Implementation by Cheryl S. Williams The Learning First Alliance has sent an open letter to education stakeholders recommending a transition period in Common Core implementation. Fifteen of our member organizations joined together to suggest that for at least one year after the original deadline, the results from assessments of the Common Core State Standards be used only to guide instruction and attention to curriculum d... more »

Diann Woodard: The Corporate Takeover of Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Diann Woodard: The Corporate Takeover of Public Education: The Corporate Takeover of Public Education Independent research in recent months has documented that the nation's wealthiest philanthropic foundations are steering funding away from public school systems, attended by 90 percent of American students, and toward "challengers" to public education, especially charter schools. *Education Week* recently reported that at the start of the decade, less than a quarter of K-12 giving from top foundations was given to groups supporting charter schools and privatization, about $90 milli... more »

Education reform is made of teachers.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Education reform is made of teachers.: Education Reform Is Made of Teachers By Matthew Yglesias | Posted Thursday, June 6, 2013, at 2:11 PM [image: Share on Facebook] 5 21 [image: Social worker Juliana Stevenson, Kipp Infinity Elementary School Co-Principal Stephanie Adams, Kelly Meyer, Co-Principal Lindsay Fry, teacher Perri Lawrie attend the American Heart Association Teaching Gardens Planting in Harlem on May 12, 2012, in New York City.] Social worker Juliana Stevenson, Kipp Infinity Elementary School Co-Principal Stephanie Adams, Kelly Meyer, Co-Principal Lindsay Fry, teacher ... more »

UConn Becomes “Mail Order” Degree School for the “Special Elite” (Part I) - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

UConn Becomes “Mail Order” Degree School for the “Special Elite” (Part I) - Wait, What?: UConn Becomes “Mail Order” Degree School for the “Special Elite” (Part I) by jonpelto Did you pay to go to UConn? Are you still paying? You aren’t alone. This year there are 17,528 undergraduates at the Storrs campus with another 4,773 undergraduates at regional campuses. Then add in the 7,955 graduate and professional degree students. The total cost of tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate is just over $22,500 a year. The cost for an out of state student is just over $40,000. A g... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: *IN HER OWN WORDS* A Suggestion for the President by dianerav A reader (Mom/Speducator) has an idea for President Obama. Instead of going to Mooresville, North Carolina, to talk up the high-tech classroom, she says, how about this: “Shouldn’t he have instead traveled to Chicago to offer support to the thousands of families whose lives will be in upheaval in a matter of months.” Iowa’s “Sweeping” School Reform Bill by dianerav Governor Terry Branstad pushed through school reform in Iowa that is supposedly sweeping, b... more »

A public thanks to Commissioner Joseph Dworetzky | Parents United for Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

A public thanks to Commissioner Joseph Dworetzky | Parents United for Public Education: A public thanks to Commissioner Joseph Dworetzky Posted on June 6, 2013 by PARENTSUNITEDPHILALeave a comment [image: Image] Commissioner Joseph Dworetzky (used with permission) *The SRC’s vote May 30th stripped away any pretense that next year’s budget has a child-centered, education-focused mission. Gone from the budget are core educational responsibilities from schools which are already bare bones: the arts, guidance counselors, books & supplies, librarians, sports, and extracurricular activiti...more »

Louisiana legislator invokes witch doctor to defend creationist law

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Louisiana legislator invokes witch doctor to defend creationist law: Louisiana legislator invokes witch doctor to defend creationist law By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 6, 2013 at 2:43 pmE-mail the writer [image: Louisiana Sen. Elbert Guillory (http://senate.la.gov/guillory/)] Louisiana Sen. Elbert Guillory (senate.la.gov) In the you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up category: A Louisiana state senator defended the Louisiana Science Education Act — a 2008 law that allows creationism to be taught in public school science classrooms through materials that ostensibly “critique” evolution — by ... more »

What Does It Take to Stop Common Core? Defund It. | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

What Does It Take to Stop Common Core? Defund It. | Truth in American Education: What Does It Take to Stop Common Core? Defund It. by Shane Vander Hart Michael McShane of American Enterprise Institute wrote a guest post at the Washington Post’s education blog, Answer Sheet. He asked, is it really that easy to block the Common Core State Standards? He was responding to the Michigan Legislature pausing funding for the Common Core. To try and stop the Common Core, (Tom) McMillin introduced, along with several other lawmakers,HB 4276, which specifically states, “The state board mod... more »

Escaping the Closed Circle of High School Reform — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Escaping the Closed Circle of High School Reform — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]Escaping the Closed Circle of High School Reform June 6, 2013 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers *Post written by Robert Halpern, director of the doctoral program and chair of the research council at the Erikson Institute in Chicago* A recent documentary, "180 Days: A Year Inside an American High School," perfectly captures the lack of imagination of current high school reform efforts in the United States. In this documentary the beleaguered principal and staff o... more »

NSBA Urges U.S. Senate to Rethink Title I Provision in New ESEA Bill

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

NSBA Urges U.S. Senate to Rethink Title I Provision in New ESEA Bill: *National School Boards Association Urges U.S. Senate to Rethink Title I Provision in New ESEA Bill ***** * * * * Alexandria, Va. (June 6, 2013) – The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has issued a report calling on the U.S. Senate to reconsider a provision in its new Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization bill that seeks to ensure school districts give equitable support to students in high-poverty schools. The ESEA legislation would change the current method for determining how s... more »

Obama to Seek More Internet Aid for Schools and Libraries - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Obama to Seek More Internet Aid for Schools and Libraries - NYTimes.com: Obama to Seek More Internet Aid for Schools and LibrariesBy EDWARD WYATTPublished: June 6, 2013 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS WASHINGTON — President Obama is expected on Thursday to call on the Federal Communications Commission to expand its program to provide discounted high-speed Internet service to schools and libraries, even if it means increasing the fees that are tacked on to consumers’ monthly phone bills. At an event at a school in Mo... more »

Better Mental Health = More Successful Students — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Better Mental Health = More Successful Students — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Kristen Pekarek]Better Mental Health = More Successful Students June 6, 2013 by Kristen Pekarek According to current statistics, fewer than 10 percent of children who identify as needing mental health services get them within three months of the recommendation. This is a startling statistic that proves our mental health system for children is as fragile as the at-risk youth it is intended to serve. The good news is that a new national conversation is happening around the importance o... more »

Monica Ratliff: The Woman Who May Change L.A. - - News - Los Angeles - LA Weekly

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Monica Ratliff: The Woman Who May Change L.A. - - News - Los Angeles - LA Weekly: Monica Ratliff: The Woman Who May Change L.A.John Deasy is the most admired school superintendent in city history. But this fifth-grade teacher isn't impressed A A AComments (1)By Hillel Aron Thursday, Jun 6 2013 With Wendy Greuel soon out as controller and just one woman left on the 15-person L.A. City Council, unknown fifth-grade teacher Monica Ratliff suddenly may be the most powerful woman in Los Angeles. ILLUSTRATION BY FRED HARPER Related Content - Los Angeles Voter Guide May 21, 2013: Mayor, ... more »

Common Core Meets The Education Spring

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Common Core Meets The Education Spring: Common Core Meets The Education Spring by Jeff Bryant With the 59th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education rapidly receding, it’s important to remember that the original purpose of federal intervention in local education was to guarantee access and equity. Any Southerner on the front lines of that effort can attest to what that intervention produced in terms of progress for the least-served children of the American community. Today, that whole notion has gotten turned on its head as federal intervention for the sake of access and equity ... more »

UPDATE: No Child Left Behind Debate, Student Loan Rancor Signal End Of Bipartisanship In Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

No Child Left Behind Debate, Student Loan Rancor Signal End Of Bipartisanship In Education: NCLB Bills Proliferate As Lamar Alexander, John Kline Introduce Education Measures by Joy Resmovits [image: Nclb Bills] After Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee,introduced his overhaul of the No Child Left Behind Act on Tuesday, Republicans have started to get in on the action. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), a former Secretary of Education and the committee's ranking member, andRep. John Kline (R-Minn.), who chairs the House Educa... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Are These Common Core Aligned Reading Materials Appropriate for 3rd Graders for Content and Message?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Are These Common Core Aligned Reading Materials Appropriate for 3rd Graders for Content and Message?: Are These Common Core Aligned Reading Materiasl Appropriate for 3rd Graders for Content and Message? by stlgretchen *Illustrations from the book “The Librarian of Basra,” among the graphic war texts approved for New York third-graders.* This may be old news to some of you as it is dated March 2013. From nypost.com and *New York approves war-oriented reading textbooks for third-grade classrooms:* Tales of war, bombs and abduction — coming to a third-grad... more »

Field tests’ start comes with a hoax letter and anti-testing protest | GothamSchools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Field tests’ start comes with a hoax letter and anti-testing protest | GothamSchools: Field tests’ start comes with a hoax letter and anti-testing protest by Anika Anand At least one city principal was duped by a fake letter that made it look like the State Education Department wants schools to make sure parents know they can opt out field testing. [image: field test cover letter]After Sandra D’Avilar, the principal of P.S. 9 in Prospect Heights, distributed the letter last week, parents of almost every student who was supposed to take this month’s field test responded saying that ... more »

UPDATE: There will be no friend of unions in the governor’s mansion. No matter who wins. And will Toni Run? | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

There will be no friend of unions in the governor’s mansion. No matter who wins. And will Toni Run? | Fred Klonsky: Parents get a win at Trumball. The future of the WPA murals remains a question. by Fred Klonsky [image: extralarge] Late this afternoon, after a flood of media attention, CPS announced that they would agree to Trumball parents’ requests to delay the removal of the two WPA lunettes that are over the doors in front of the auditorium until after the end of the school year. Parents expressed concern that the student’s graduation ceremonies would be made even more difficult... more »

Eduwonk » Blog Archive » Margaret Spellings: Back In The Heart Of Texas

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Eduwonk » Blog Archive » Margaret Spellings: Back In The Heart Of Texas: Margaret Spellings: Back In The Heart Of Texas by arotherham Just announced from Texas: Former White House Domestic Policy Advisor and U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings is leaving her consulting firm and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where she leads the education work, and heading back to Texas to become President of the George W. Bush Insitute.* From this morning’s press release: “Spellings will oversee all aspects of Bush Foundation activities, including leadership of the George W. Bush Institu... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, June 6, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *6-6-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER* Education Headlines *Thursday, June 6, 2013* Monterey Peninsula USD approves dual language charter school for SeasideOn Monday, trustees with the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District unanimously approved expanding the dual language program from K-5 to K-8 and begin the process to move all grades to Marshall West and create a dual language charter beginning in 2014. Freedman: It’s about time! Reforming due process in Special EducationIn the long saga of education reform, with all... more »

UPDATE:Seattle Schools Community Forum: Someone Blinked (Big Surprise, It's the Dems)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Someone Blinked (Big Surprise, It's the Dems): Someone Blinked (Big Surprise, It's the Dems) by Melissa Westbrook Unbelievable. Much those I wanted ALL our state legislators to get the budget done before the end of the Special Session next week, I did NOT want the Dems to give to the Reps and sure enough, they did. And guess who is going to suffer? Public schools. From Publicola: *"At some point we had to make a move," state house finance chair Rep. Reuven Carlyle (D-36, Queen Anne) said today, explaining the compromise budget offer the state ... more »

Shanker Blog » Unreliable Sources: Education Revenue During The Recession

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Shanker Blog » Unreliable Sources: Education Revenue During The Recession: Unreliable Sources: Education Revenue During The Recession by Matthew Di Carlo For the better part of the past century, U.S. public education revenue has come predominantly from state and local sources, with the federal government contributing only a relatively small share. For most of this time, local revenue (primarily property taxes) comprised the largest proportion, but this began to shift gradually during the 1970s, to the point where state funds constituted a slightly larger share of overall revenue. A... more »

Education in Your Backyard — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Education in Your Backyard — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Walter McKenzie]Education in Your Backyard May 28, 2013 by Walter McKenzie [image: ASCD Annual Conference and Exhibit Show] As a director of Constituent Services at ASCD, I work with the best and the brightest educators leading our affiliates around the world. It is a sincere honor and privilege. And this time of year, as affiliate boards begin meeting, reflecting, and planning, I have the opportunity to work with them virtually and face-to-face and support them in their important work. Representing ASCD... more »

Find College Scholarships for First-in-the-Family Students - The Scholarship Coach (usnews.com)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Find College Scholarships for First-in-the-Family Students - The Scholarship Coach (usnews.com): Find College Scholarships for First-in-the-Family Students By SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA June 6, 2013 RSS Feed Print [image: There are scholarships and financial aid resources available to help first-generation college students pay for school.] There are scholarships and financial aid resources available to help first-generation college students pay for school. The decision to go to college is a major step for anyone. But there's one group of students for whom the experience can be especially mea... more »

Michelle Rhee’s group finally drops anti-gay honoree - Salon.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Michelle Rhee’s group finally drops anti-gay honoree - Salon.com: Michelle Rhee’s group finally drops anti-gay honoreeAn 11-year-old's petition pushed StudentsFirst to denounce "Don't Say Gay" bill sponsor Tenn. state Rep. John Ragan VIDEOBY KATIE MCDONOUGH After more than a month of mounting pressure from gay rights and education groups, it was an appeal from an 11-year-old activist that finally got Michelle Rhee’s education nonprofit StudentsFirst to drop Tennessee state Rep. John Ragan and rescind his “Reformer of the Year” designation. As Salon previously reported, Ragan was the... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] How Do We Go from “the Anti-Education Era” to Meaningful Learning for All? by John Thompson James Paul Gee’s The Anti-Education Era is full of analyses of how humans learn that should inform the practice of all types of educators. Previous posts, here and here, describe his powerful indictments of test-driven schooling, as well as his subtle explanations of where “reformers” and other educators have gone wrong. This post will focus […] ELA or Math support classes, fun for everyone! by Chalk Face, PhD If you’re not necessarily... more »

All Things Education: When the Common Core is old wine in new bottles

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

All Things Education: When the Common Core is old wine in new bottles: When the Common Core is old wine in new bottles by Rachel Levy I have been enjoying *Education Week*'s series about the Common Core Standards in action. The second article depicts classroom practice in a DCPS middle school Language Arts classroom. I found this post especially intriguing--I felt like a fly on the wall reading it. This is what impresses me: First of all, it does seem like the teacher has a certain amount of freedom--not much of the what (the curriculum), or the how is being dictated. It does see... more »

All Things Education: When the Common Core is old wine in new bottles

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Justice for Our Neighborhood Schools - Press Conference & Rally

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Justice for Our Neighborhood Schools - Press Conference & Rally: NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!!! We are moving FORWARD with the lawsuit to stop the school closures in the Sacramento City Unified School District! Join students, parents, Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP), the South Sac cmty and Civil Rights Attorney Mark Merin next TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2013 AT 4PM at the SACRAMENTO FEDERAL COURTHOUSE (501 " I " Street, Sacramento, CA 95814) as we file our lawsuit and stand united against SCUSD's intentional discrimination and violation of our cmty civil rights!!! This press conference and ral... more »