Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-16-13 #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

Fathers’ Day 2013: Calling dads to be heroes, not minions for a 1% evil | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Fathers’ Day 2013: Calling dads to be heroes, not minions for a 1% evil | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News: Fathers’ Day 2013: Calling dads to be heroes, not minions for a 1% evil By Carl_Herman on June 16, 2013 6:11 pm / no comments [image: slave] Severes Snape – Hero The choice between un-American dicts or American unalienable rights under our Constitution can be made so much easier if the men, whether fathers or not, channeled our love of competition into national and global victory of justice and virtue over “emperor has no clothes” ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Board's Role

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Board's Role: The Board's Role by Charlie Mas I went to Director Martin-Morris's community meeting on Saturday morning and the conversation was really good. It was good, in large part, because we stayed focused on things that Director Martin-Morris could do - we kept the conversation within the boundaries of the Board's role. We didn't ask him and his Board colleagues to make decisions that have been delegated to the superintendent or direct the superintendent in what decisions to make or to overrule decisions that the superintendent had made. ... more »

What do education advocates do on their day off? | Reclaim Reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

What do education advocates do on their day off? | Reclaim Reform: What do education advocates do on their day off? by kenpreviti What do education advocates do on their day off? [image: Sisyphus]The task given Sisyphus by the ancient Greek gods of eternally pushing a massive rock up a hill to have it roll down again and again is precisely what we do. It is what we are supposed to do as true education reformers. It is a pure and good task and is not what it appears to be to most outsiders. (Please note that we are not talking about corporate education reformers who, in spite of what... more »

NYC Educator: Reformy John Doesn't Need Any Stinking Laws

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

NYC Educator: Reformy John Doesn't Need Any Stinking Laws: Reformy John Doesn't Need Any Stinking Laws by NYC Educator One of the great selling points of the education law that mandated junk science, for the UFT, was that we would get to negotiate precisely how the junk science would be used to fire us. So they wouldn't just be firing us, we'd be firing *ourselves*. This is what comes of having that much-coveted "seat at the table." Unfortunately, Mayor Mike was not happy with what his Tweedies negotiated, and therefore it was left to Reformy John King to decree what city teachers ... more »

Perdido Street School: Nearly Half Of G&T Eligible Students Not Offered Program Slots

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Perdido Street School: Nearly Half Of G&T Eligible Students Not Offered Program Slots: Nearly Half Of G&T Eligible Students Not Offered Program Slots by reality-based educator From NY1: Only 54 percent of city students who qualified for spots in gifted and talented programs received offers for this fall, compared to 73 percent who were offered placement last year. The Department Of Education partly attributes the decline to a rise in applications. DOE officials also did not guarantee a seat for every student in his or her own district, saying many families decided against accept... more »

School ignores advice from learning disability experts - Class Struggle - The Washington Post

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

School ignores advice from learning disability experts - Class Struggle - The Washington Post: School ignores advice from learning disability experts By Jay Mathews E-mail the writers Stacie Brockman is the Prince George’s County mother of lively twin 9-year-old boys. Her sons were born two months premature. She has done everything possible to deal with the disabilities that often impede the progress of such children. She took them to the developmental pediatricians at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, one of the top U.S. providers of care for children with learning disa... more »

New Florida law: Teachers can’t be evaluated on students they don’t have

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

New Florida law: Teachers can’t be evaluated on students they don’t have: New Florida law: Teachers can’t be evaluated on students they don’t have By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 16, 2013 at 12:47 pmE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: florida]In the you-can’t-make-up-this-stuff category: Florida just passed a law making it illegal to evaluate teachers on standardized test scores of students they never taught. If you are wondering why such a law would be necessary, here’s why: For two years, many teachers* were* actually being evaluated by the test scores of students they had... more »

A must-watch video

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

A must-watch video: A must-watch video By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 16, 2013 at 11:13 amE-mail the writer 0 Comments More Watch this video and think about the nightmare it is for many kids with disabilities to take standardized tests.

Ed Notes Online: Acievement First Concentration Camp Policies Supported by Gates Foundation

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Acievement First Concentration Camp Policies Supported by Gates Foundation: Acievement First Concentration Camp Policies Supported by Gates Foundation by ed notes online Actually, I would describe Achievement First more as a southern plantation circa 1850. But no one should be surprised that the Gates Foundation is based on a southern plantation mentality. I love it that they are so willing to connect themselves to Achievement First which exposes what Gates is all about. Really think about the AF name. "Achievement" before even the welfare of the child. But "achieve... more »

GOP slams Dems' education proposal as federal power grab - CBS News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

GOP slams Dems' education proposal as federal power grab - CBS News: *GOP slams Dems' education proposal as federal power grab* Republicans and the White House have "major" disagreements on education policy, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said Saturday in the weekly Republican address, including a fresh dispute over the scope of federal involvement in education. But on student loans, he argued, the White House and the GOP actually have a lot in common. The interest rate on federal student loans is set to double on July 1, from 3.4 to 6.8 percent, unless Congress acts to preve... more »

Perdido Street School: NY Post: NYC Prinicpals Rarely Held Accountable

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Perdido Street School: NY Post: NYC Prinicpals Rarely Held Accountable: NY Post: NYC Prinicpals Rarely Held Accountable by reality-based educator Not a surprise to those of us in the system: They dole out discipline to teachers and students, but city school principals rarely get a taste of their own medicine. In the past three years, just two of 14 principals formally accused of misconduct have been fired — and not a single boss in the city’s 1,600 schools was charged with incompetence, officials told The Post. The disciplinary deficiency raises questions when 217 elementary and m... more »

6-16-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] We’re #10, We’re #10 ! by Chris Cerrone Ah yes, the public likes lists. We like to quantify even the unmeasurable and know where we stand. Hence the annual ranking of school districts by a publication in the Buffalo area that no one ever reads, except when it publishes a list of “top school districts”. What a great marketing ploy. And it works. […] *All Week 6-15-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER* [image: gears] *6-15-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER* mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours a... more »

Happy Fathers Day. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Happy Fathers Day. | Fred Klonsky: Happy Fathers Day. by Fred Klonsky [image: Fathers Day]

Can School Reform Hurt Communities? - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Can School Reform Hurt Communities? - NYTimes.com: Can School Reform Hurt Communities? William Widmer for The New York Times Jeri Hilt taught students about copyright law at ReNEW Cultural Arts Academy, a charter school in New Orleans, last week. By SARAH CARRPublished: June 15, 2013 NEW ORLEANS — BEFORE Hurricane Katrina, about 74 percent of this city’s schools were considered “failing,” based mainly on their standardized test scores. By 2012, that figure had dropped to 42 percent, even as the bar for passing was raised. Average ACT scores for the city’s public school students have ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-16-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] My High School Added to the National Register of Historic Buildings by dianerav I don’t know if anyone in the world cares about this except me and a few gray heads in and around Houston. Our high school was just named to the National Register of Historic Buildings. I graduated in 1956. San Jacinto at that time was a racially segregated school, as were all the public schools of Houston. In 1954, after the Brown decision, I asked to meet with the principal, Mr. Bran... more »

Anti-teacher groups get failing grade from teacher of the year | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Anti-teacher groups get failing grade from teacher of the year | toteachornototeach: Anti-teacher groups get failing grade from teacher of the year by aristotlethewise *Anti-teacher groups get failing grade from teacher of the year* by Laura Clawson Michigan’s teacher of the year has been taken up by StudentsFirst and the Mackinac Center as part of their campaign against teachers unions. But he’s not on board with their corporate education policy agenda, Eclectablog reports. The Koch brothers-funded, ALEC-affiliated Mackinac Center and Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst have been blastin... more »

Daily Kos: Merrow Is a Jolly Fellow (Not)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Daily Kos: Merrow Is a Jolly Fellow (Not): Merrow Is a Jolly Fellow (Not) by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) I hate even to acknowledge John Merrow's most recent venture into not having a clue, but his attempt at humor is yet more evidence that the evidence doesn't matter: The Common Core and the End of the World In Merrow's evidence-free world, all who question the Mighty Common Core are nothing more than end-of-the-world loonies. To investigative journalist Merrow, Rand Paul, Anthony Cody, and Diane Ravitch are of equal credibility (that is, not credible). That's pure and utter lu... more »

The Washington Teacher: Why are DCPS & WTU President Saunders Downplaying the Excessing of 500-600 Teachers?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

The Washington Teacher: Why are DCPS & WTU President Saunders Downplaying the Excessing of 500-600 Teachers?: Why are DCPS & WTU President Saunders Downplaying the Excessing of 500-600 Teachers? by noreply@blogger.com (Candi Peterson) DCPS Excess Teachers & Staff Graveyard *By Candi Peterson* Vote Davis Slate for WTU Liz Davis /Candi Peterson *WTU Can Be Better!* In the years under the *Michelle Rhee and* *Kaya Henderson regime*, we have seen hundreds of teachers regularly excessed at the end of each school year. With the advent of 23 school closings in 2008 and now 15 school closi... more »

Last Day Of School Is Permanent At 7 Sacramento Campuses | KTXL FOX40

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Last Day Of School Is Permanent At 7 Sacramento Campuses | KTXL FOX40: Last Day Of School Is Permanent At 7 Sacramento Campuses - [image: See bio, contact info, and more articles from Lonnie Wong] SACRAMENTO- The last day of the school year at the Sacramento City Unified School District had extra meaning at seven elementary schools. They are being closed for good after the district made a move to move 2,300 students from under-enrolled elementary school campuses. The schools that are closing include Clayton B. Wire, Collis P. Huntington, Fruit Ridge, Jo... more »

Think the Job Performance of the NYC DOE Chief Officer Dennis Walcott Stinks? - ParentAdvocates.org

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Parent Advocates - ParentAdvocates.org: Think the Job Performance of the NYC DOE Chief Officer Dennis Walcott Stinks? * * * *Too bad. No one who works at Tweed (or City Hall, we hear) has a contract and no one is evaluated. That's how Bloomberg works, and how public money is spent. From the desk of Betsy Combier, Editor. Mike Bloomberg *Think the Job Performance of the NYC DOE Chief Officer Dennis Walcott Stinks?* Too bad. No one who works at Tweed (or City Hall, we hear) has a contract and no one is evaluated. That's how Bloomberg works, and how public money is s... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: From the Wall Street Journal: 'The marriage between companies and the state'

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: From the Wall Street Journal: 'The marriage between companies and the state': From the Wall Street Journal: 'The marriage between companies and the state' by Mike Klonsky The June 10th WSJ calls the Snowden affair, "a wake-up call for Booz Allen and us." I'm not sure who the us is here, but they do make some great points. *In the increasingly intimate marriage between companies and the state, Mr. Snowden is emblematic of many things: For business, he signifies the liabilities that companies doing intelligence work for the government have inheri... more »

STANDARDIZED Official Trailer

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

The official trailer for STANDARDIZED, an exposé of the standardized testing industry and how it has undermined public education. *United Opt Out * WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO OPT OUT? *What does it mean to “opt out”?* Opt out means a refusal to “buy into” something-in this case the stranglehold that high stakes testing has on public education. We believe that the quickest, swiftest, and most effective way to end the destruction of HST is for parents, students and teachers to refuse to participate in these mandated high stakes tests. However, we also recognize that this measure is easier s... more »

Happy Father's Day from the Big Education Ape

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

*Happy Father's Day from the Big Education Ape* * * * *

Two commentary pieces – one profound message - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Two commentary pieces – one profound message - Wait, What?: Two commentary pieces – one profound message by jonpelto Here are two commentary pieces that the education-industrial complex is afraid you will read…because they speak the truth. So needless to say, I urge you to read them and pass them on. The first is written by *Wendy Lecker* and appears in the Stamford Advocate and Hearst Media outlets and can be found here: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/default/article/Wendy-Lecker-Courts-repeatedly-uphold-the-right-4601396.php *Courts repeatedly uphold the right to a quality educat... more »

Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education »

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: S.1117 Reengaging Americans in Serious Education by Uniting Programs Act Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 11 minutes ago A bill to prepare disconnected youth for a competitive future. Bill Introduced: H.R.2234 Diploma and Accreditation Integrity Protection Act Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 11 minutes ago To reduce and prevent the sale and use of fraudulent degrees in order to protect the integrity of valid higher education degrees that are used for Federal employment purposes. Bill Introduc... more »

California public records law 'eviscerated' in budget bill, critics charge - ContraCostaTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

California public records law 'eviscerated' in budget bill, critics charge - ContraCostaTimes.com: California public records law 'eviscerated' in budget bill, critics charge By Thomas Peele and Josh Richman Staff writers Posted: 06/15/2013 11:08:50 AM PDT Updated: 06/15/2013 11:08:54 AM PDT Legislation tucked into the state budget bill would "eviscerate" the public's ability to track tax dollars and hold local officials accountable, open government advocates charged Friday. "This is the worst assault on the public's right to know I have seen in my 18 years of doing this," said ... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-15-13 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: The Problem with Teacher Evaluation by dianerav Michael Weston of Hillsborough County, Florida, explains what is wrong with teacher evaluation: “Of course we use the Danielson rubric in Hillsborough County Fl, where it forms one of the three pillars of the Gates funded “Empowering Effective Teachers”. The second pillar is value-added, the third is duplicity / deception. Quite frankly, whether Charlotte is spelled Charlatan, whether her rubric is valuable or trash, whether her resume is padded…..none of this matte... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach?: Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach? by Melissa Westbrook An article in the Huffington Post about college costs caught my eye. [image: college costs] Over the past three decades, the inflation-adjusted income of the median American family has basically remained stagnant. The same can’t be said of college costs, which have simultaneously surged to almost unrecognizable heights, according to a new report by the left-leaning Center for American Progress. Costs at private nonprofit four-year colleges have

A New framework for Working and Learning | Lefty Parent

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

A New framework for Working and Learning | Lefty Parent: A New framework for Working and Learning by Cooper Zale [image: Circle of Hands]For many of us the rules of engagement at work are changing, from the traditional approach of being told what to do by “bosses”, to a new more egalitarian approach where a team of colleagues and peers collectively decide what to do. Those traditional “bosses” are being replaced by “managers” who are more facilitative than directive, conveying to us the basic business strategy from the company’s leadership team, making sure we have the time and reso... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NYC Public School Parents: Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues?: Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues? by Leonie Haimson The parent-led mayoral forum last night at Murry Bergtraum High School was terrific, with parents asking incisive yes/no questions, investigative reporter Juan Gonzalez doing inspired follow-up as only he knows how, and all the candidates giving thoughtful responses. Below is the livestream video; we will have sharper video uploaded next week, but the audio is quite clear. Th... more »

DIFFICULT TO FIRE A TEACHER ? A RIDICULOUS MYTH | Teachers Fight Back

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

DIFFICULT TO FIRE A TEACHER ? A RIDICULOUS MYTH | Teachers Fight Back: DIFFICULT TO FIRE A TEACHER ? A RIDICULOUS MYTH by alkleen The Chicago Public School Administrators are about to fire 420 teachers. More than a third of the teachers have tenure, but they were rated either unsatisfactory or satisfactory. The teachers union contract protects only those teachers with excellent or superior ratings. Tenured teachers being fired ? Yes, folks, it’s not all that uncommon. The Chicago Teachers Union is one of the most powerful teachers union in the nation, and even their tenured teac... more »

UPDATE: Martire for governor. Why not? So far the joke has been on us. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Martire for governor. Why not? So far the joke has been on us. | Fred Klonsky: Chicago Bull/Bull Connor. by Fred Klonsky [image: Chicago Bull-Bull Connor] Martire for governor. Why not? So far the joke has been on us. by Fred Klonsky [image: Ralph Martire] When I posted the idea of drafting the Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability to run for governor the other day the response was swift and positive. The question that I raise to the leaders of the state’s public employee unions. *Why not?* The list of announced and un-announced candidates is pretty dep... more »

Is the worm turning?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Is the worm turning?: Is the worm turning? By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 15, 2013 at 10:30 amE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: indiana]Indiana has been one of the most school reform-loving states in recent years — at least, that is, until now. Here is a look at what is happening there, by Karen Francisco, editorial page editor of The Journal Gazette, where this appeared. She has worked there since 2000 and for Indiana newspapers since 1982. She can be reached at 260-461-8206 or by email,kfrancisco@jg.net. By Karen Francisco How much does Indiana love school reform? So m... more »

solidaridad: Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

solidaridad: Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners: Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene *Because we know that language learning doesn't occur in one year or even in a few months, it's over time.—Becky Palacios, Ph.D.* [image: Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners]The School Readiness Language Development Program (SRLDP) is an amazingly effective Pre-K program for English Language Leaners. This isn't the first time that Broad and Gates' Superintendent John Deasy has tried to kill the pro... more »

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky [image: photo] *Celebrating Freedom Day, Juneteenth in New Orlean’s Treme. 2011 Photo: Fred Klonsky.* This morning we provide a history lesson while you’re drinking your coffee. If you are in New Orleans it is possible that your coffee has chicory root in it. Although coffee with chicory root in it has a long tradition, most historians agree that it’s use in New Orleans coffee became more common as a result of the blockade of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Coffee beans became scarce. In other parts of the South ... more »

Great EXpectations | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Great EXpectations | EduShyster: Great EXpectations by edushyster2012 *Will the heaviest hitter of all lend His support to the civil rights i$$ue of our time?* Reader: there are already plenty of marquee names involved in the crusade to *crush* the achievement gap. But thus far the biggest name of all has yet to weigh in upon the civil rights i$$ue of our time. I am talking, of course, about the Big Guy, the Man Upstairs, Sky Daddy, Him… Thankfully, thanks to the efforts of a former Teacher for America, that may be about to change. Let’s learn more, shall we? Meet the Expectations P... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-15-13 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] What Ralph Waldo Emerson Might Say About School Reform Today by dianerav This arrived in my email. It came from a retired school teacher in Nebraska. He said the retired teachers will not sit by and watch the capture of our public schools by corporations. The retires helped to defeat a charter bill in Nebraska. He wrote: Hi Diane Just received the following letter from Ralph Waldo Emerson with a request that I send it to the good people in Newark: The End of Neig... more »

Peg with Pen: Do Not Shake Hands with #commoncore

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Peg with Pen: Do Not Shake Hands with #commoncore: Do Not Shake Hands with #commoncore by Peggy Some days it is terribly overwhelming to read the comments of despair and desperation from parents who are trying to figure out how to help their children who are suffering from severe anxiety after being told they will be retained due to failing the state test. Many of these children must take the test multiple times and must attend summer school - even when they have passing grades on their report cards. It is because of this that I have no tolerance for any sort of compromise to the ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Zombies in Central Park Plus Some Carpentry

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Ed Notes Online: Zombies in Central Park Plus Some Carpentry: Zombies in Central Park Plus Some Carpentry by ed notes online The Zombies, our favorite group -- we went to London twice to see them, plus numerous viewings here in NYC -- are doing a 6PM free -- yes free -- concert in Central Park today and we are heading in for a (not-free) 4PM session with lead singer Collin Blunstone (who looks at us as stalkers) and Ron Argent. A fact you need to know from Wikki: Their 1968 album, Odessey and Oracle, comprising twelve songs by the group's principal songwriters, Argent and Chris Wh... more »

Fighting for Our Classrooms, and for the Human Beings Inside Them | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Fighting for Our Classrooms, and for the Human Beings Inside Them | toteachornototeach: Fighting for Our Classrooms, and for the Human Beings Inside Them by aristotlethewise [image: gty_kotter_watn_3_mr_120815_ssh]*Fighting for Our Classrooms, and for the Human Beings Inside Them* by Richard (RJ) Eskow It seems as if same battle is being fought in every aspect of American society. On one side are the forces of egalitarianism, economic opportunity, and self-determination. On the other is a well-funded and entrenched elite bent on hijacking our media, our political process, and our in... more »