Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-14-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best: 

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

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

Ed Notes Online: Common Core: Commentary on NY TImes Sunday Piece from Ohanian and Daily Howler

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago

Ed Notes Online: Common Core: Commentary on NY TImes Sunday Piece from Ohanian and Daily Howler: Common Core: Commentary on NY TImes Sunday Piece from Ohanian and Daily Howler by ed notes online *Our public schools were now being compared to the world’s most famous shipwreck! And by the way: As long as this Standard Story is told, our public school teachers will get blamed for the disaster they have produced. The wreck of the Hesperus will get blamed on them and their infernal unions. * *.....does it make sense to have a uniform set of “standards” for every child in each grade? ... more »

Engage and Motivate with ASCD's Summer Boot Camp Webinar Series — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago

Engage and Motivate with ASCD's Summer Boot Camp Webinar Series — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers] Engage and Motivate with ASCD’s Summer Boot Camp Webinar Series June 14, 2013 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers [image: ASCD Summer Boot Camp] Delve into summer learning with tips and strategies from a few of your favorite ASCD authors. The first session in the ASCD Summer Boot Camp Webinar Series kicks off Thursday, July 18 at 3 p.m., eastern time, and presents a strategic approach to direct vocabulary instruction that helps students master key ... more »

UPDATE: Ralph Martire: “Nobody likes taxes. But everybody should be thankful Illinois increased its income taxes in 2011.” | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Ralph Martire: “Nobody likes taxes. But everybody should be thankful Illinois increased its income taxes in 2011.” | Fred Klonsky: Illinois Governor polling results. by Fred Klonsky [image: ..0321.no] As I suspected, there is great support for the draft movement to have Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability run for Governor against the present choices of Curley, Moe, Shemp and Lisa. It is interesting to me that “Any forgettable Republican” beats all the announced candidates, including the incumbent, Governor Squeezy. “Any forgettable Republican” comes in ... more »

How the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wages war on public schools | Dangerously Irrelevant

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

How the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wages war on public schools | Dangerously Irrelevant: How the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wages war on public schools by dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod) [image: US Chamber 03] Want to know how to wage war against public schools? The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s ongoing campaign provides us some pointers… *1. Decide on a catchy title for your campaign.* How about *Breaking the Monopoly of Mediocrity?* Nice title! Pat yourself on the back! Wait a minute… Does this mean that the U.S. Chamber wants to be mediocre but someone else holds the monopoly o... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-14-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: The Unfairness of the “Parent Trigger” by dianerav I earlier posted about Steve Zimmer’s resolution proposing a change in the Parent Trigger law to permit full information to parents, both pro and con, before taking a vote that might lead to firing the principal, the staff, or privatizing the school. An educator in Los Angeles sent the following explanation as to why this change is necessary. Under the law as it stands, Parent Revolution can advocate to make changes, but educators at the school are under a gag o... more »

A Better Connecticut spends another $697,500 on ads to “Thank Governor Malloy.” - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

A Better Connecticut spends another $697,500 on ads to “Thank Governor Malloy.” - Wait, What?: A Better Connecticut spends another $697,500 on ads to “Thank Governor Malloy.” by jonpelto Forget campaign finance reform. Governor Malloy continues to benefit from record-breaking spending by the Education Reform front called A Better Connecticut. Formed by Jennifer Alexander and Alex Johnston, the present and former CEOs of ConnCAN, A Better Connecticut spent an additional $700,000 on television and other advertising in support of Governor Malloy’s Education Reform Initiatives. A Bet... more »

Exciting New Perspectives on the Scientific Method in Interdisciplinary Learning — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Exciting New Perspectives on the Scientific Method in Interdisciplinary Learning — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Kavita Singh]Exciting New Perspectives on the Scientific Method in Interdisciplinary Learning June 14, 2013 by Kavita Singh There has been some progress in the last few years for interdisciplinary studies. It's a trend still in its infancy, but it is beginning to catch on due to great successes from early adopters. Schools are challenging their students with problems requiring learning from traditionally disparate subjects. What will be the next tech... more »

UPDATE: what McGinn Had to say Seattle Schools Community Forum: Want a "Teacherpreneur" Making Education Policy?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Want a "Teacherpreneur" Making Education Policy?: Center School Award from the City (and what McGinn Had to say) by Melissa Westbrook At the Slog, they covered the mayor's award that The Center School received from the City's Human Services Coalition for student support of the race and social class at Center. What is interesting to me is that Mayor McGinn stood very clearly on the side of the students and didn't mince words (bold theirs). *Because it’s the mayor's award, it was given by Mayor McGinn himself and accompanied by a signed mayoral proc... more »

Loeb Gives More To Charter Schools To Tweak Teachers' Union | FINalternatives

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Loeb Gives More To Charter Schools To Tweak Teachers' Union | FINalternatives: Loeb Gives More To Charter Schools To Tweak Teachers' Union Jun 14 2013 | 10:02am ET *Give 'em Hell Randi AFT President Randi Weingarten.* Two months after cancelling an appearance to avoid tough questions from teachers' union representatives, Third Point's Dan Loeb is responding by opening his checkbook. Loeb said this week that he would give an extra $1 million to a group of charter schools to show his opposition to the American Federation of Teachers, whose plans to question him during a panel in Apr... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee talks about founding StudentsFirst | Bay State Banner | Serving the African American communities of Greater Boston since 1965

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rheetalks about founding StudentsFirst | Bay State Banner | Serving the African American communities of Greater Boston since 1965: [image: The Real I.R.S. Scandal] Michelle Rhee was born on Christmas Day, 1969 in Ann Arbor, Mich. A first-generation Korean-American descended from a long line of educators, she embarked on a career as a teacher in inner-city Baltimore soon after graduating from Cornell University with a B.A. in government. However, her star really started to rise after she earned a master’s degree in public policy at Harvard University... more »

LCFF lemmings poised to leap? | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

LCFF lemmings poised to leap? | EdSource Today: LCFF lemmings poised to leap? - by Eric Premack / commentary by Eric Premack / commentary [image: Eric Premack] Eric Premack The current Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) legislation pending before the Legislature utterly fails to reach any of the key reform goals that Gov. Jerry Brown and his advisers articulated. The bill presents the Legislature and governor with a stark choice. The key goals of LCFF, as articulated by the governor’s astute adviser Mike Kirst and his colleagues in a seminal paper, were as follows: - *Allocate ... more »

Advisory panel would narrow teacher training to focus on age groups SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: Advisory panel would narrow teacher training to focus on age groups California would abandon its long-time practice of issuing credentials that allow teachers to oversee instruction in the widest of grade spans – from pre-kindergarten to adult education – under a proposal pending before the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Currently, multiple subject credential holders are authorized to teach in self-contained settings and single subject credential holders are authorized to teach their subject matter in departmentalized settings of stud... more »

David Chura: The Many Faces of Teacher Activism

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

David Chura: The Many Faces of Teacher Activism: The Many Faces of Teacher Activism Posted: 06/10/2013 5:01 pm *Alice Mercer*[image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch]*Diane Ravitch* When I was recently asked if I thought teachers today needed to be activists I didn't hesitate in my answer. "Being a teacher, almost by definition, means being an activist." That might come as a surprise to those teachers who have never wrote a letter to the editor, marched in a rally, retweeted a Diane Ravitch tweet, or "Occupied" anything but their classrooms. But I'm holding to my belief, ... more »

The Notebook launches education job board | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

The Notebook launches education job board | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: The Notebook launches education job board by thenotebook The *Notebook, *in collaboration with two other education news publications, has introduced a new job board for education jobs in Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. The job board covers a range of opportunities, from teaching positions to counseling and administrative roles to ESL coordinating. A variety of jobs are located in Philadelphia, and other positions can be found in New York, New Jersey, and Colorado. Image: Photo Credits: Thinglass... more »

Common Core Withdrawal Bill Filed in New York Assembly | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Common Core Withdrawal Bill Filed in New York Assembly | Truth in American Education: Common Core Withdrawal Bill Filed in New York Assembly by Shane Vander Hart [image: New York State Capitol] Bill A07994 was filed yesterday in the New York Assembly and then referred to the education committee. This bill will halt the implementation of the Common Core State Standards and Race to the Top in the State of New York if passed. Below is the text of the bill: 2013 Race to the Top & Common Core Withdrawal Bill Draft by Al Graf Lisa Christiansen of Stop Common Core in New York State sent me... more »

Five Essential Schoolwide Conditions for Common Core Achievement | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Five Essential Schoolwide Conditions for Common Core Achievement | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Five Essential Schoolwide Conditions for Common Core Achievement by National Association of Secondary School Principals *By Mel Riddile, Associate Director of High School Services at the National Association of Secondary Principals(NASSP)* Principal leadership matters--perhaps now more than ever before. As much as the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are changing instructional practice in the classroom, we must acknowledge that student learning under CCSS requires... more »

Daily Kos: BREAKING: StudentsFirst & ALEC group exploit Teacher of the Year to promote anti-union agenda

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Daily Kos: BREAKING: StudentsFirst & ALEC group exploit Teacher of the Year to promote anti-union agenda: BREAKING: StudentsFirst & ALEC group exploit Teacher of the Year to promote anti-union agenda byEclectablogFollow *This is offensive* In May of this year, Gary Abud, a science teacher at Grosse Pointe North High School, was chosen as Michigan's 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year by State Superintendent Mike Flanagan. It's an amazing accomplishment for a teacher who has only been at it for six years. Well-respected by both his students and his coworkers, Mr. Abud was a worthy choice. ...more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, June 14, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Fensterwald: State Board handed job of defining rules of new funding system * Education Headlines *Friday, June 14, 2013* Cause of Santa Ana Valley High School blast remains unknownFire and school officials have been unable to investigate the cause of an explosion at Santa Ana Valley High School because the building is too unstable to enter, officials said Wednesday. Natomas Unified trustee on campaign to videotape meetingsTrustee Ryan Herche wants Natomas Unified School Board meetings videotaped. He promised it when he campaig... more »

Why Don't We 'Fix' Poverty While We're at It? - Bridging Differences - Education Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Why Don't We 'Fix' Poverty While We're at It? - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Why Don't We 'Fix' Poverty While We're at It? by Deborah Meier *Deborah Meier concludes her recent discussion with Michael Petrilli today. The two hope to launch a new blog conversation in the fall. Next week, Todd Sutler of the Odyssey Initiative joins Deborah on Bridging Differences.* Dear Michael, Poverty and global warming are alike, as you say, in the sense that both are in large man-made (and women-made). And neither is easy to "fix." Urgent pleas to be more environmentally conscious in one... more »

L.A. Unified philanthropy taps wealthy Angelinos for projects near to superintendent's heart | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

L.A. Unified philanthropy taps wealthy Angelinos for projects near to superintendent's heart | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: L.A. Unified philanthropy taps wealthy Angelinos for projects near to superintendent's heart by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez [image: LA Fund] *Philanthropist Megan Chernin in the Century City offices of the Los Angeles Fund for Public Education.; Credit: Adolfo Guzman-Lopez* The Los Angeles Fund for Public Education was created two years ago to tap wealthy, high profile donors to help the mostly low-income kids in Los Angeles Unified School District. Founded by district Supe... more »

Daily Kos: the importance of June 14

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: the importance of June 14: the importance of June 14 by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) is wrapped in irony. in 1777 the Continental Congress adopted the American Flag. On that same day the United States Army, which would fight under that flag, was official established. In 1916 Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation establishing Flag Day on this day, something affirmed by Act of Congress in 1949. The irony comes from perhaps the most important Supreme Court decision most Americans do not know, issued this date in 1943. That case involved the Pledge of Allegiance. It is West ... more »

6-14-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] #highered needs some consistency in its #MOOC concerns. Please. #AAUP by Chalk Face, PhD We don’t really cover MOOCs here all that much. Perhaps we need to get on it. But I was cued into a post on the Chronicle over the AAUP’s concern with intellectual property rights and MOOCs. I like the AAUP. It’s a relatively strong organization that seems to be the last really supporting academic freedom, […] @educationgadlfy reviews state science standards, but something’s missing #NGSS by Chalk Face, PhD For the record, a “gadfly” is... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-14-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Public Education Is Not Failing, But NCLB and RTTT Are by dianerav Ron Berler has written about his year in a so-called “failing school” in Norwalk, Connecticut. The school has a dedicated staff trying its best to raise the achievement levels of students who enter school far behind. Yet it is a “failing school” because no matter how much progress the students make,the children are still not as “proficient” as those in nearby affluent New Canaan. Berler has a new b... more »

State Board handed job of defining rules of new funding system | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

State Board handed job of defining rules of new funding system | EdSource Today: State Board handed job of defining rules of new funding system ** June 14th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on print More Sharing Services The Legislature will vote today on a bill establishing Gov. Brown’s historic school funding system that punts to the State Board of Education some key decisions on how dollars for disadvantaged students must be spent and accounted for. [image: The language for implementing the Local Control Funding Formu... more »

Ed Notes Online: IS YOUR CHILD’S PROMOTION IN DOUBT? Find out what you can do about it

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: IS YOUR CHILD’S PROMOTION IN DOUBT? Find out what you can do about it: IS YOUR CHILD’S PROMOTION IN DOUBT? Find out what you can do about it by ed notes online *Change the Stakes Provides NYC Parents With Resources on Convoluted DOE Promotion Policy.* *SO AMAZING!!!! Thank you! Thank you! --- NYC parent (and teacher)* As letters of horror rolled in from parents about threats to hold their kids back if they don't go to summer school, the CTS crew took on the immense task of collating lots of invaluable info. It takes a village and Change the Stakes is a VILLAGE. I... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The CPS Way? Really?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The CPS Way? Really?: The CPS Way? Really? by Mike Klonsky *“Here they are coming right back after they claimed they were going to save money [by closing schools] ... and yet they’re saying, ‘Oh by the way we didn’t save any money, now we’re going to have to slash the budget of every school in the system.”* -- CTU's Jackson Potter Chicago principals, including those in charter schools, are still in shock after getting a glimpse of their shrunken school budgets and hearing Board President*Vitale's* instructions to "do more with less." That's the new m... more »

Video of the Day: Investing in schools creates twice as many jobs as military spending | Parents United for Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Video of the Day: Investing in schools creates twice as many jobs as military spending | Parents United for Public Education: Video of the Day: Investing in schools creates twice as many jobs as military spending by parentsunitedphila Popout Say what? UMass economist Bob Pollin argues against “austerity” and heightened militarism, saying that education is by far the better investment. “Spending on education is one of the best ways to create jobs, and it’s maybe the best way insofar as we already have an infrastructure in place called the system of public education at the state leve... more »

Teachers’ letters to Bill Gates

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Teachers’ letters to Bill Gates: Teachers’ letters to Bill Gates By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 14, 2013 at 6:00 amE-mail the writer 4 Comments More [image: (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)] Bill Gates (By Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg) Bill Gates is a central figure in the modern school reform movement, thanks to his willingness to spend billions of his own dollars for projects he likes. He, for example, spent $2 billion in an effort to break up large high schools and create a network of small schools, but he abandoned that when he decided it hadn’t w... more »

NYC Educator: My Secret Identity

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

NYC Educator: My Secret Identity: My Secret Identity by NYC Educator A lot of people ask me, "Hey, NYC Educator, who the hell do you think you are?" That's an interesting question. But it doesn't matter a whole lot who the hell I think I am. It matters more who the hell I am, I suppose. Whether or not I think I am that person is one of those things I'm too tired to contemplate right now. So here's the thing. If you actually want to know who the hell I am, or you'd like to meet me, or Patrick Sullivan, or Leonie Haimson, or Diane Ravitch, you can come to the Skinny Awardsnext Tuesda... more »

Teaching History Then and Now | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Teaching History Then and Now | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Teaching History Then and Now by larrycuban Suppose you could find someone who taught history in three different high schools in two cities between the 1950s through the early 1970s. Suppose further that this person had been trained as an historian and had kept personal records such as a journal, student grade books, scattered lessons, school yearbooks, and student letters from those year of teaching. Suppose even further that this person could reconstruct from those sources and official school ... more »

UPDATE: CPS budget bomb. Students will need to bring their own toilet paper. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

CPS budget bomb. Students will need to bring their own toilet paper. | Fred Klonsky: Tony at the Red Line Tap. by Fred Klonsky [image: 936402_10201374641426596_1712101610_n] “Happy birthday, Klonsky,” said Marty as I sat down at the bar. “Thank you, m’am. I have a taste for a bottle of the *Nankasi* from Eugene Oregon.” “Got some. I like it too.” Tony kept his eyes on the TV. It was showing highlights from the Blackhawk marathon against the Bruins. “Of course *you* didn’t watch,” said Tony. “Of course I didn’t.” “You’re a sad piece of shit, Klonsky. Spending your birthday sitting next... more »

The Educated Reporter: How a St. Louis Story Became a Toronto Education Scandal

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: How a St. Louis Story Became a Toronto Education Scandal: How a St. Louis Story Became a Toronto Education Scandal by Emily Richmond Aisha Sultan, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's parenting columnist, was searching the Nexis digital archive of newspaper articles last week when a troubling pairing caught her eye – her name, and the word “plagiarism.” Clicking on the link to the Toronto Star, Sultan learned she unwittingly had played a not-so-minor role in a major scandal for Canada’s largest school district. And it had all unfolded five months earlier, nearly 80... more »

Deasy and new board member Ratliff laud teacher report - latimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Deasy and new board member Ratliff laud teacher report - latimes.com: Deasy and new board member Ratliff laud teacher report by By Howard Blume Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy on Thursday broadly endorsed proposals from an outside group for attracting and retaining teachers, including more money for those who take on difficult assignments and deliver measurable academic gains. Positive reaction also came from newly elected school board member Monica Ratliff, who is leaving the classroom to join the Board of Education in July. Both were responding to recommendations in two repo... more »

After historic win, much collective work lies ahead | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

After historic win, much collective work lies ahead | EdSource Today: After historic win, much collective work lies ahead - by Ted Lempert by Ted Lempert [image: Picture of Ted Lempert] Ted Lempert California is about to embark on the most comprehensive reform to its school finance system in 40 years, putting local communities in the driver’s seat and making a historic investment of more than $10 billion in high-needs students. The compromise Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) to be voted on by the state Legislature by the June 15 deadline also fairly addresses the earlier “winner... more »

My Anti-Ed Reform in Louisiana, part 2 of??? | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

My Anti-Ed Reform in Louisiana, part 2 of??? | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: My Anti-Ed Reform in Louisiana, part 2 of??? by crazycrawfish But before I get into some of the nitty-gritty details of where I am today as a small part of a grassroots rebellion, it’s important to note that none of this happened in a vacuum. I suppose I was a little like every little state worker bee for the first few years. I believed I was a simple civil servant, but that was ok. I had a job to do, just like everyone else, and we all wanted to work toward a common goal, and help our fellow citizens and our st... more »

Christine Quinn Panders To Educators Through NYC DOE Official Email southbronxschool.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Christine Quinn Panders To Educators Through NYC DOE Official Email by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) *NYC MAYORAL HOPEFUL CHRISTINE QUINN* Christine Quinn, along with city council education chair, Robert Jackson, sent the following through the NYC DOE Outlook email. Sadly, I didn't get it, but a select few did (However, we do believe this was just sent to administrators). Though we here at SBSB are curious. Just how did she get access to Outlook? Only someone more powerful, and much shorter, than God would allow their "heir apparent" such acces... more »

Having A Voice Isn't Free, Either (Inspiring Teacher Voice) - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Having A Voice Isn't Free, Either (Inspiring Teacher Voice) - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson: Having A Voice Isn’t Free, Either (Inspiring Teacher Voice) by Jose Vilson [image: lionroarbw] Today, it was brought to my attention just how costly teacher voice can be. The top-down management style of most schools lends itself to an undemocratic collective of adults and children in the building, all exacerbated by internal and external factors like poverty, personalities, and Charlotte Danielson. Autonomy is in the eye of the beholder, and the beholder is often fresh out of college a... more »

Ed Notes Online: The Worm Turns on Ed Deform in Indiana as the NEW Status Quo Comes Under Attack

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: The Worm Turns on Ed Deform in Indiana as the NEW Status Quo Comes Under Attack: The Worm Turns on Ed Deform in Indiana as the NEW Status Quo Comes Under Attack by ed notes online Indiana’s love affair with so-called school reform is cooling. Serious cracks are showing in the relationship between lawmakers and anti-labor, pro-privatization forces that have fueled the so-called reform with millions in campaign contributions.... Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette For the last decade we have been attacked as status quoers by the deformers, which was so funny given that some... more »

Isn’t it about TIME Chicago jailed a mayor? | Reclaim Reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Isn’t it about TIME Chicago jailed a mayor? | Reclaim Reform: Isn’t it about TIME Chicago jailed a mayor? by kenpreviti Rahm: Chicago Bulls#*t. [image: Rahmaganda] Rahm Emanuel is closing 50 public schools and devastating neighborhoods and the lives of children and their parents. Hi is also giving $100 million of education money to a private Catholic college to build a basketball arena. ( HERE) *Isn’t it about TIME Chicago jailed a mayor?* [image: moneyroll] Hey, Rahm! Dribble this!

My Problem With School Student Voice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Student Voice: My Problem With School by Miranda Hubbard Repost from Huffington Press Education. I have a problem with school and it is not just forcing myself out of bed every morning to go and sit through six hours of boringness. It’s not that I have to get ready just to see people whom I’m not too fond of and it’s also not fighting my way through the hallways like it’s The Hunger Games between every class. My problem with school is that you’re evaluated solely based on your weaknesses instead of your strengths. Albert Einstein said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fi... more »

High-profile spat shows how much at stake in education: Editorial - LA Daily News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

High-profile spat shows how much at stake in education: Editorial - LA Daily News: High-profile spat shows how much at stake in education: Editorial By Los Angeles News Group Posted: 06/12/2013 05:10:20 PM PDT Updated: 06/12/2013 05:11:29 PM PDT [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] The details of the online spat between New York University education professor Diane Ravitch and Parent Revolution executive director Ben Austin aren't very interesting to anyone except an education wonk. The highlights: Ravitch ravaged Austin on her blog; Austin responded with an op... more »

The Whole Child Movement: A Journey Between Two Nations — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

The Whole Child Movement: A Journey Between Two Nations — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Dawn Imada Chan]The Whole Child Movement: A Journey Between Two Nations June 13, 2013 by Dawn Imada Chan I have often been asked about the differences between teaching in the United States and Canada. That's often a difficult question to answer because I now consider both countries "home" and doing so often elicits a predictable follow-up question of which educational system is better. This post is not an attempt to rank one over the other, as educational systems between co... more »

Shame on Congress. Restore Meals on Wheels | Reclaim Reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Shame on Congress. Restore Meals on Wheels | Reclaim Reform: Shame on Congress. Restore Meals on Wheels by kenpreviti Our children, our schools, our seniors, our entire middle class is being attacked and driven downward as America’s multinational mega-corporations and selective foundations receive tax money (incentives, grants, lower levels of taxation, etc.) to grow even larger and more powerful. Shame on Congress! [image: mow2] *Please go to this site to sign a petition to Congress to restore Meals on Wheels.* http://action.ourfuture.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=227

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: 'Wouldn’t it be nice if educational policy were driven by reality instead of snark hunts and iggernance...?/

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: 'Wouldn’t it be nice if educational policy were driven by reality instead of snark hunts and iggernance...?/: 'Wouldn’t it be nice if educational policy were driven by reality instead of snark hunts and iggernance...?/ by Mike Klonsky *I'm re-posting this piece from Maureen Downey's Get Schooled blog. -- M.K.* The Snark syndrome in educational policymaking By Peter Smagorinsky In 1993, Eileen Byrne published "Women and Science: The Snark Syndrome." Snarks have been around for some time, first appearing in 1874 in Lewis Carroll's "The Hunt... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Action Alert: call your Legislators now to protect your child's privacy!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NYC Public School Parents: Action Alert: call your Legislators now to protect your child's privacy!: Action Alert: call your Legislators now to protect your child's privacy! by Leonie Haimson A bill introduced by AM Cathy Nolan, A. 7872, was approved by the NYS Assembly Education Committee yesterday which would allow parents to opt out their children’s personal data from being shared with inBloom Inc. and for-profit vendors. As such, it represents a big step forward in protecting the privacy rights of children. Here is a pdf of an updated fact sheet to post or distribute in your ... more »

Daily Kos: I am excited about my new teaching job

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Daily Kos: I am excited about my new teaching job: I am excited about my new teaching job by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) and i thought I might explain why, after spending some time in the school yesterday, and having been in electronic communication with several teachers today. First let me note this: I do not go on the payroll until mid-August I am already doing work to plan and prepare for what I will teach Just remember that the next time people tell you teachers only work 9 months a year! Half of my students will be in AP US Government and Politics, a course I taught for 7 ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools and the Legislative Stand-Off

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools and the Legislative Stand-Off: Seattle Schools and the Legislative Stand-Off by Melissa Westbrook Updates from Olympia: From Crosscut, an article over what happens if our state doesn't have a budget by July 1. The article susses out what would be considered "legally required activities" which the state would continue to fund. *One question is how the Washington Supreme Court's ruling that the state must improve K-12 education will shield schools from the effects of any shutdown.* ***In a memo to state department heads and electe... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-13-13 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: Lucy Calkins Gathers Feedback on Pearson Exams by dianerav Students in New York recently completed a battery of tests aligned with the Common Core and developed by Pearson. The tests remain secret though some bootleg copies have circulated. They should be released for public review. Although educators were not allowed to disclose the test questions, Lucy Calkins of Teachers College created a website where educators could register comments about the tests. She received over 1,000 comments. Some of them: Many teache... more »

Mother Crusader: Parent Advocacy Group With Ties To K12 Inc. Takes Me On

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Mother Crusader: Parent Advocacy Group With Ties To K12 Inc. Takes Me On: Parent Advocacy Group With Ties To K12 Inc. Takes Me On by darciecima I received a very interesting comment on my most recent post about K12 Inc. It came from Esthere Tolbert, the mom who testified before the Joint Committee on the Public Schools and participated in a demonstration for legislators. Tolbert participated as part of a group called NJPublicSchoolOptions.org. My post pointed out that this group is directly linked to K12 Inc.. It was widely reported that K12 Inc. hired Princeton Public Affairs G... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Lies, spies, and videotape

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Lies, spies, and videotape: Lies, spies, and videotape by Mike Klonsky I guess the Sun-Times saw which way the wind was blowing in the surveillance society -- towards them. Now fascist-minded Rep. Peter King is calling for the jailing and prosecution, not only of whistle-blower Ed Snowden, but of journalists as well. Today's S-T editorial in support of the ACLU suit, is decent. *The American Civil Liberties Union took a step in the right direction Tuesday by filing a lawsuit in federal court. It may be the only way we find out exactly what was going... more »

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