Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-18-13 #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


Diane in the Evening 6-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: The New BTA Association: Are You One? by dianerav I received the following communication and think it will appeal to some readers of this blog. Your move. Dr. Ravitch – Dr. Mark Naison began a Facebook page as a “joke” a few weeks ago of Teachers he felt were “badasses” in fighting corporate reform. He invited me to join right away [image: :)] I did. When I joined we had 70 Badass Teachers. We did a recruiting day beginning on Sunday as a joke for Badass Teacher of the Month. We conducted the recruitin... more »

Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 6-18-13 #soschat #edreform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago
*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* Testing reform in the news: June 6-12, 2013 by ed notes online From Fair Test: Many major stories about assessment reform progress this week -- Texas significantly reduces standardized exam mandates; a rally in Albany opposes testing overkill, and major national groups call for a moratorium on Common Core tests. All our weekly newsblasts are posted on the web at http://www.fairtest.org/news/other - this one will be up shortly. Texas Governor Signs Bill Eliminating Two-Thirds of Required High-Stakes Exams http://blog.chron.com/texaspolit... more »

Reflecting on Technology — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago
Reflecting on Technology — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Chuck Bloch]Reflecting on Technology June 18, 2013 by Chuck Bloch I am a school principal. And I turned 50 recently. I know, it's just a number, but on watershed moments like these I find myself a bit more reflective than normal. Among many things, I have been thinking about how things have changed in my working life. I taught in the classroom for 11 years and have been in administration for 15 years now, and I can honestly say that it has been a great career so far. So many great people to work with and ... more »

AFT - NCTQ’s Review of Teacher Preparation Programs Needs Improvement

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
AFT - A Union of Professionals - NCTQ’s Review of Teacher Preparation Programs Needs Improvement: NCTQ's Review of Teacher Preparation Programs Needs Improvement *AFT's Weingarten: "It's disappointing that for something as important as strengthening teacher preparation programs, NCTQ chose to use the gimmick of a four-star rating system without using professionally accepted standards, visiting any of the institutions or talking with any of the graduates."* *WASHINGTON—*Statement by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on the National Council on Teacher Qualit... more »

Arne Duncan: Common Core Transition Will Give States More Time To Make Evaluations Count

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Arne Duncan: Common Core Transition Will Give States More Time To Make Evaluations Count: Arne Duncan: Common Core Transition Will Give States More Time To Make Evaluations Count by Joy Resmovits [image: Arne Duncan Common Core] In what some see as a tacit recognition of the Obama administration's overreach into nitty-gritty management of America's schools, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will give states a reprieve from certain aspects of teacher evaluations' consequences and the new wave of testing tied to the Common Core. Duncan said Tuesday that he will allow the firs... more »

Don’t just test … Don’t just teach #BeABadAss | Continuing Change

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Don’t just test … Don’t just teach #BeABadAss | Continuing Change: Don’t just test … Don’t just teach #BeABadAss by gatorbonbc Popout Back in 67, the year I was born, there were some bad ass young folks speaking up all around the streets of America – this song represented the resistance. Today, those same bad asses are not just kids anymore; they are wiser and stronger. And, they have joined

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Another attack aimed at colleges of education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Another attack aimed at colleges of education: Another attack aimed at colleges of education by Mike Klonsky That great "revolutionary" thinker Arne Duncan, set the stage back in '09, when he discredited all colleges of education, labeling them as "mediocre" and calling for "revolutionary change—not evolutionary tinkering." Now the National Council on Teacher Quality has taken Duncan's cue and has come out with what it's calling "the first comprehensive review" of university-based teacher ed programs, which it labels as "an industry of mediocr... more »

NYC Educator: UFT on Evaluation System

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
NYC Educator: UFT on Evaluation System: UFT on Evaluation System by NYC Educator On Sunday I posted about the new evaluation system, and about how effective ratings started at 9 according to NYS statute, but started at 15 in Reformy John's decree. Today I spoke to a UFT source, who told be this was not accurate, because we start with 13. When I asked what that meant, he said if we reached the target, which was 60%, we would get the 13 points. My source was not able to answer my question---60% of what. My source was also unaware whether this 13-point head start applied to state, loc... more »

Parents United statement on proposed education funds from City Council | Parents United for Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Parents United statement on proposed education funds from City Council | Parents United for Public Education: Parents United statement on proposed education funds from City Council by parentsunitedphila This is a defining moment for public education in the City of Philadelphia. Never has so much been on the line – from thousands of essential jobs for Philadelphians to fundamental educational programs and services. In the past month, thousands of Philadelphians have marched at City Hall and lobbied City Council on behalf of supporting Philadelphia public schools and the children wh...more »

CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS, STUDENTS RALLY AT STATE CAPITOL IN SUPPORT OF SUMMER LEARNING FOR NATIONAL SUMMER LEARNING DAY

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Home | Summer Matters: *CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS, STUDENTS RALLY AT STATE CAPITOL IN SUPPORT OF SUMMER LEARNING FOR NATIONAL SUMMER LEARNING DAY* State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, California Legislators, School District Leaders, Students and Civic Leaders Rally for Expanded Access to High Quality Summer Learning Programs at *“Reading Rocks! National Summer Learning Day Read-In @ the California State Capitol”* *Media & VIP Event* *WHAT: H**undreds of California students, educators, parents and school district and civic leaders will take to the steps of the Cali... more »

Remedial Education: Federal Education Policy - Council on Foreign Relations

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Remedial Education: Federal Education Policy - Council on Foreign Relations: Remedial Education: Federal Education PolicyProgress Report and Scorecard [image: Remedial Education: Federal Education Policy - remedial-education-federal-education-policy] Download Now PublisherCouncil on Foreign Relations Press Release DateJune 2013 26 pages Share 131[image: Share] 96[image: Tweet] Overview The U.S. education system is not as internationally competitive as it used to be; in fact, the United States has slipped ten spots in both high school and college graduation rates over the past three d... more »

New problems with New York’s teacher evaluation plan found

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
New problems with New York’s teacher evaluation plan found: New problems with New York’s teacher evaluation plan found By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 18, 2013 at 1:22 pmE-mail the writer APPR [image: ap]Here’s a new post from award-winning Principal Carol Burris of South Side High School in New York about the state’s controversial new educator evaluation system. Burris has for more than a year chronicled on this blog (she calls it Star Wars here, and other things here and here and here, for example) the implementation of the system, which ignores research by using student stan... more »

Perdido Street School: How Is This Guy Still Running A School?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Perdido Street School: How Is This Guy Still Running A School?: How Is This Guy Still Running A School? by reality-based educator Just another example of how principals in Bloomberg's NYCDOE can do pretty much anything: New York City investigators are probing a Bible-quoting school principal who sources say threatened to don “a vest like the terrorists” and blow up faculty at his Bronx middle school, the Daily News has learned. Neifi Juan Acosta, 56, made the frightening remark at a post-Hurricane Sandy meeting Nov. 2 at Intermediate School 232, according to several staff members... more »

Common Core Generates Catholic Concerns | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Common Core Generates Catholic Concerns | Truth in American Education: Common Core Generates Catholic Concerns by Shane Vander Hart [image: St. Joseph's Catholic Church and School - Wapakoneta, OH]Charlotte Hays of the *National Catholic Register*had a piece up on how the Common Core State Standards are becoming the cause of concern within Catholic circles. She writes: Catholic schools and dioceses across the country will have to decide whether to adopt the CCSS. Although the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) isn’t endorsing the controversial Common Core State Standard... more »

Debunking the ‘Reform’ Agenda | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Debunking the ‘Reform’ Agenda | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Debunking the ‘Reform’ Agenda by National School Boards Association *By Thomas J. Gentzel, Executive Director, National School Boards Association (NSBA)* No human enterprise is perfect, and we all are capable of improving. That’s especially true when an institution faces continuing challenges and new demands. Such is the case with public education, which has undergone many transformations since it was established -- from its early agrarian roots, through the Industrial Revolution, two world wars, th... more »

Stripping schools to the bone | SocialistWorker.org

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Stripping schools to the bone | SocialistWorker.org: Stripping schools to the bone Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is ready for the next stage in his cruel war on public education--and students and teachers will pay the price, writes Lee Sustar. June 18, 2013 [image: Students protest Emanuel's plan to close dozens of Chicago elementary schools (Sarah-ji)]Students protest Emanuel's plan to close dozens of Chicago elementary schools (Sarah-ji) AFTER CLAIMING that closing 50 elementary schools will improve the quality of public education, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) officials are preparing ... more »

Education reform industry becomes cash cow for former Malloy aide - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Education reform industry becomes cash cow for former Malloy aide - Wait, What?: Education reform industry becomes cash cow for former Malloy aide by jonpelto When Roy Occhiogrosso left his job as Governor Malloy’s $160,000 a- year-advisor and mouth-piece late last year, he re-joined Global Strategy Group, a political consulting firm that had worked on Malloy’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign. And with that move, the education reform industry’s cash started pouring into Occhiogrosso’s company. In just the last few months, Occhiogrosso and Global Strategies Group have signed contracts w... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Superintendent Says No to Half-Days/Waivers

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Superintendent Says No to Half-Days/Waivers: Washington State Superintendent Says No to Half-Days/Waivers by Melissa Westbrook State Superintendent Randy Dorn throws down on half-days/waivers for school districts, according to a reportfrom KING-5 tv. *Washington State’s school superintendent says he opposes the expansion of half-days on school calendars and wants lawmakers to act next year to give his office the authority to curb them.** “Just because the adults have the problem of not having enough money does not mean we should ta... more »

Kate Walsh, the NCTQ and US World and World Report | Seattle Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Kate Walsh, the NCTQ and US World and World Report | Seattle Education: Kate Walsh, the NCTQ and US World and World Report by seattleducation2011 Reblogged from Seattle Education: On the news wires this week, *U.S. News & World Report and the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) announce today the launch of a landmark survey. The survey will consist of more than 1,000 schools of education across the country. Unprecedented in its scope and comprehensiveness, the project will rate the quality of teacher preparation programs from which more than 200,000 new teachers graduate e... more »

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: CTC backs teacher misconduct bill California’s standards board for educator training and professional conduct added its support to legislation that would rewrite the rules implementingsanctions against school officials who fail to report changes in an employee’s work status while an allegation of misconduct is pending. The Commission on Teacher Credentialing backed AB 449 by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, after the author dropped a provision that would have eliminated existing criminal penalties for a principal, teacher, employee or ... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, June 18, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991]Horizon Charter School faces board vote amid complaints Education Headlines *Tuesday, June 18, 2013* Horizon Charter School faces board vote amid complaintsThe fate of Horizon Charter School and its 2,700 students is in the hands of Western Placer Unified's school board after allegations of fiscal mismanagement and complaints from parents. Capo Unified prepares for influx of studentsA new campus serving kindergartners through eighth-graders is likely to be the first schoo... more »

Mother Crusader: Step Right Up For Phase Two Of The New Jersey Charter Circus!!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Mother Crusader: Step Right Up For Phase Two Of The New Jersey Charter Circus!!: Welcome To Phase Two Of The New Jersey Charter Circus!! by darciecima Step right up ladies and gentlemen! The NJDOE announced yesterday which charter applications will move on in the application process! Thirteen have been invited to submit Phase Two applications in July, including the two I wrote about back in April. FOC Pastor McDuffieFormer Assemblyman Gerald Luongo's Creative Visions Charter School and "Friend of Christie" (FOC) Pastor Michael McDuffie's Mathematical Innovation Generates Higher Tec... more »

It’s Time For the PWC BOCS to Lead | PWC Education Reform Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
It’s Time For the PWC BOCS to Lead | PWC Education Reform Blog: It’s Time For the PWC BOCS to Lead by pwceducationreform In 2006 voters authorized Prince William County to issue $11 million in bonds to make improvements to park facilities in the county. Among the improvements residents wanted was an expansion of the swimming lanes at the Chinn Center. The expansion never happened, nor did any of the other promised improvements. The county reportedly issued the bonds in 2011, though no one I’ve asked seems to have any clue what the bonds were actually used for. We’re 7 years pas... more »

The Central Hypocrisy of the NCTQ Teacher Prep Institution Ratings | School Finance 101

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The Central Hypocrisy of the NCTQ Teacher Prep Institution Ratings | School Finance 101: The Central Hypocrisy of the NCTQ Teacher Prep Institution Ratings by schoolfinance101 [image: NCTQ] I’ve already written about this topic in the past. But, given that NCTQ has just come out with their *really, really big *new ratings of teacher preparation institutions… with their primary objective of declaring teacher prep by traditional colleges and universities in the U.S. a massive failure, I figured I should once again revisit why the NCTQ ratings are, in general, methodologically inept &... more »

UPDATE: The Madman blinks. + The in box. Pension reform. What is the moral basis for it? | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The in box. Pension reform. What is the moral basis for it? | Fred Klonsky: The Madman blinks. by Fred Klonsky [image: kent-wallis-lady-jane-grey-queen-for-nine-days-is-beheaded-at-the-tower-of-london-on-charges-of-treason_i-G-17-1753-L5S3D00Z-1] There will be no votes taken on any pension bill tomorrow. Let’s take a second and review what happened leading up to today. In the General Assembly session that ended the end of May, nothing happened. Madigan ordered his House to pass SB1, a pension bomb so punitive to state employees that it would make Alcatraz look like an all-inclusive reso... more »

Minority Kids With Autism Less Likely to Use Specialty Services: Study - US News and World Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Minority Kids With Autism Less Likely to Use Specialty Services: Study - US News and World Report: Minority Kids With Autism Less Likely to Use Specialty Services: StudyCompared to white children, black and Hispanic patients may be missing out on certain types of careJune 17, 2013 RSS Feed Print *By Maureen Salamon* *HealthDay Reporter* MONDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) -- Black and Hispanic children with autism are markedly less likely than children from white families to receive specialty care for complications tied to the disorder, a new study finds. Researchers from Massachusetts ...more »

Modern School: Nanny State Gone Wild—More Stupid Rules to Make School More Unpleasant

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Modern School: Nanny State Gone Wild—More Stupid Rules to Make School More Unpleasant: Nanny State Gone Wild—More Stupid Rules to Make School More Unpleasant by Michael Dunn Image from Flickr, by KazVorpal Last week, in her column “The Answer Sheet,” Valerie Straus listed “eight weird things schools banned this year.” Some of the bans were absurd overreactions to freak accidents that were unlikely to ever occur again and that could be averted much more simply through greater caution by students and teachers. For example, frilly socks were banned at Kingshold Primary School in Glouc... more »

The Common Core Loses This Teacher's Support - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The Common Core Loses This Teacher's Support - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: The Common Core Loses This Teacher's Support by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Katie Lapham.* *In April I carried a guest post written by New York City elementary teacher Katie Lapham, expressing support for the Common Core standards, but opposing the tests attached to them. Since then, Ms. Lapham has shifted her views. She explains:* When I first learned about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) two or so years ago, I didn't question their implementation. I've always preferred designing my... more »

NEA Provides Educators with Guidance on Preventing Workplace Bullying | NEA Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
NEA Provides Educators with Guidance on Preventing Workplace Bullying | NEA Today: NEA Provides Educators with Guidance on Preventing Workplace Bullying by twalker *By Cindy Long* Kim Werner’s former principal was identified by her union as the most abusive principal in the district. “He has been targeting educators for fifteen years,” she says. “He lies. He coerces. He intimidates. He screams and uses profanities.” And he’s still a principal, while Werner is now an Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Trainer. After a year and a half of constant abuse, Werner took medical leave and ... more »

6-18-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] I’ve visited @NCTQ, we should all be underwhelmed #teacherprep by Chalk Face, PhD Paul Thomas and Jim Horn have already warned us about NCTQ and its thoroughly biased “advocacy.” There are some updated links in there, here’s a few more on the new report specifically: From NPR; NCTQ’s chief hypocrisy; And MSNBC. and the Wall Street Journal. Kind of a mixed bag here. I’m not sure if there’s […] Microsoft No. 1–in Turning Over Data to NSA by Jim Horn You might say that Gates got the ball rolling. From the PRISM slide show rec... more »

U.S. News Releases NCTQ Teacher Prep Ratings - US News and World Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
U.S. News Releases NCTQ Teacher Prep Ratings - US News and World Report: U.S. News Releases NCTQ Teacher Prep Ratings The ratings are part of a larger, independent review of undergraduate and graduate education programs. By KELSEY SHEEHY June 18, 2013 RSS Feed Print [image: New ratings released by U.S. News and NCTQ evaluate programs that train teachers to teach.] New ratings released by U.S. News and NCTQ evaluate programs that train teachers to teach. Teaching was once dubbed "the profession that eats its young" and many educators liken their first few years in the classroom to a h... more »

Show Me the MOU! | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Show Me the MOU! | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Show Me the MOU! by crazycrawfish Today, June 18th 2013, John White and BESE are meeting to try and persuade the public of the need for participating with external Cloud Based vendors like Ed-Fi and inBloom. At the last BESE meeting (several months ago) White promised to released a copy of the MOU/agreement between LDOE and inBloom. To date John White has not released this document, even in response to several Freedom of Information Act requests filed by Tom Aswell at Louisiana Voice and BESE member Lottie Beebe. Demand to see that MOU (M... more »

There Are Good Schools Out There - Bridging Differences - Education Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
There Are Good Schools Out There - Bridging Differences - Education Week: There Are Good Schools Out There by Deborah Meier *Today, Todd Sutler of the Odyssey Initiative joins Deborah Meier for a two-week blogging engagement.* Dear Debbie, It is an honor to be invited to correspond with you here. I have enjoyed reading your blog for years, and I am lucky to now have you as a friend and adviser to The Odyssey Initiative, an organization I founded with Michelle Healy and Brooke Peters last year. When we set off to research some of America's best schools, it never crossed our minds that... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Linda Darling-Hammond on the NCTQ Report by dianerav Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University is one of the nation’s leading experts on teacher preparation. This is her commentary on the report released by the National Council on Teacher Quality, which attempts to rate the quality of the nation’s colleges of education by reviewing their catalogues and course syllabi. What Can We Learn about Teacher Education Quality from the NCTQ Report on Teacher Prep? Linda D... more »

Teacher Preparation Program Rankings Make U.S. News Debut

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Teacher Preparation Program Rankings Make U.S. News Debut: Teacher Preparation Program Rankings Make U.S. News Debut by Joy Resmovits [image: Teacher Preparation Program Rankings] Kate Walsh wants to bust up the teacher preparation market. That's why on Tuesday her group, the National Center for Teaching Quality, is releasing its first ranking of teacher preparation programs on the U.S. News & World Report website. The nearly across-the-board extremely low scores pull back the curtain on "an industry of mediocrity," according to a report released in conjunction with the rankings. ... more »

Daily Kos: Help Advocate for Children in Virginia!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Daily Kos: Help Advocate for Children in Virginia!: Help Advocate for Children in Virginia! by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Today marks the kickoff of a statewide campaign by Strong Kids, Strong Virginia, which is an effort by Every Child Matters Virginia, the state effort of the Every Child Matters Education Fund. This is a 501(c)(3) effort, which is non-partisan. We are communicating to elected officials of both parties. Perhaps these statistics from the website will help you understand why: There are 1,847,182 children under 18 in Virginia• Children Living in Poverty (2009) - ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Riding Lessons

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Riding Lessons: Riding Lessons by Mike Klonsky Eh? What's that, sonny...? Funny thing happened in first day of summer session. My students went around the table and introduced themselves and said the usual about what they do; where they teach; goals and passions. One student says, "I give writing lessons out in Oswego." My interest is perked. I ask, at what school do you teach writing? Student responds: "No not writing -- RIDING LESSONS." She's taking a few needed ed courses to become a certified riding instructor. Lots of friends and colleagues ga... more »

The Common Core’s fundamental trouble

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
The Common Core’s fundamental trouble: The Common Core’s fundamental trouble By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 18, 2013 at 6:30 amE-mail the writer 1 Comments More [image: common]There’s a lot being said and written about the Common Core State Standards these days, not all of it accurate. Here’s a smart piece about the initiative by the editors ofRethinking Schools, a nonprofit organization that publishes a magazine of the same name that balances classroom practice and educational theory, while also addressing key policy issues. Writers include teachers, parents and researchers, Y... more »

NYC Educator: No Excuses

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
NYC Educator: No Excuses: No Excuses by NYC Educator Naturally, I was shocked and stunned to discover the high school graduation rate had fallen under Mayor Michael Bloomberg. After all, we are the reformiest place on earth, and UFT teachers now have a new evaluation system despite not having had a raise in almost five years or a contract in almost four. Mayor Bloomberg boasted about having the toughest evaluation system, bar none, and not having had to give a goshdarn penny to acquire it. It's a given that anyone would admire a man that reformy. And yet, the reformier things get, ... more »

On Teaching (Elliot Eisner) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
On Teaching (Elliot Eisner) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: On Teaching (Elliot Eisner) by larrycuban *Too few policymakers have ever taught in public schools. Even fewer can articulate what it is about teaching young children, youth, and adults that binds teachers and students together and makes the experience of learning memorable, satisfying, and long-lasting. A non-policymaker I know well has expressed that bond between teacher and student in a fluent and thoughtful way. If only policy elites would create and sustain the conditions that further the conn... more »

Camouflaging the Vietnam War: How Textbooks Continue to Keep the Pentagon Papers Secret | Politics on GOOD

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Camouflaging the Vietnam War: How Textbooks Continue to Keep the Pentagon Papers Secret | Politics on GOOD: Camouflaging the Vietnam War: How Textbooks Continue to Keep the Pentagon Papers Secret [image: pentagon.papers] In the Academy Award-winning documentary *Hearts and Minds*, Daniel Ellsberg, who secretly copied and then released the Pentagon Papers, offers a catalog of presidential lying about the U.S. role in Vietnam. Truman lied. Eisenhower lied. Kennedy lied. Johnson "lied and lied and lied." Nixon lied. Ellsberg concludes: "The American public was lied to month by month ... more »

Arne Duncan Calls Slow School Internet 'Morally Unacceptable' - US News and World Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Arne Duncan Calls Slow School Internet 'Morally Unacceptable' - US News and World Report: Arne Duncan Calls Slow School Internet 'Morally Unacceptable'The Secretary of Education wants school systems to have networks with broadband speeds up to 120 mbps By GREG OTTO [image: (Win McNamee/Getty Images)]Education Secretary Arne Duncan (L) and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (R) read the Dr. Seuss book 'Green Eggs and Ham' to students enrolled in a Head Start program. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan asked cable companies to help boost technology in America's classrooms Wednesday, te... more »

LA Unified school board member wants changes to California's Parent Trigger law | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
LA Unified school board member wants changes to California's Parent Trigger law | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: LA Unified school board member wants changes to California's Parent Trigger law from Pass / Fail by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez [image: Cheech Marin at LAUSD on arts ed] *A Los Angeles Unified school board meeting in Oct. 2012.; Credit: Tami Abdollah/KPCC* California’s Parent Trigger law has been used five times to try and overhaul low-performing schools. Three of those were in the L.A. Unified School District. School board member Steve Zimmer has proposed a resolution up for a vote at... more »

ALEC’s (Non)Disclosure Policy | Uppity Wisconsin

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
ALEC’s (Non)Disclosure Policy | Uppity Wisconsin: ALEC’s (Non)Disclosure Policy Via Moyers & Company. Laura Macomber, Okapi Productions Last week, The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) filed suit against Wisconsin State Senator Leah Vukmir for failing to release documents as required under the state’s public records law. CMD alleges that Sen. Vukmir possesses materials pertaining to her involvement with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the controversial organization of which she is a member. Sen. Vukmir has handed over ALEC-related documents in the past, but re... more »

Perdido Street School: Bloomberg: UFT Endorsement Is "Kiss Of Death"

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Perdido Street School: Bloomberg: UFT Endorsement Is "Kiss Of Death": Bloomberg: UFT Endorsement Is "Kiss Of Death" by reality-based educator *Opposed to the "Kiss Of Wealth"* He's kinda right about this: *The candidates vying to succeed him can "shill" all they want for the teachers union, but they may very well be wasting their time, Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters today, during a press conference at the education department headquarters near City Hall.* "The last time the U.F.T.'s endorsement got somebody elected was better than two decades ago, O.K.?" said Bloomberg. "I... more »

New LAUSD board member Monica Ratliff seeks' end to 'business as usual' - LA Daily News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
New LAUSD board member Monica Ratliff seeks' end to 'business as usual' - LA Daily News: New LAUSD board member Monica Ratliff seeks' end to 'business as usual' by By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer New LAUSD school board member Monica Ratliff spent more than a decade in the classroom. Having spent more than a decade teaching in a Los Angeles Unified classroom and chatting with colleagues, Monica Ratliff's perception of the district administration was a hive of bureaucrats toiling away in the downtown monolith known simply as Beaudry. But after an intense three-day orientation last week... more »

Parent Revolution Creates a “Truth Site” to Debunk Me | Diane Ravitch's blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Parent Revolution Creates a “Truth Site” to Debunk Me | Diane Ravitch's blog: Parent Revolution Creates a “Truth Site” to Debunk Me by dianerav Parent Revolution, funded with millions of dollars by the Walton Family Foundation, the Gates Foundation, and he Broad Foundation, has decided to create a “truth site.” The story says: “The site’s initial focus will be on attempting to debunk claims made by NYU education historianDiane Ravitch, who earlier this month quasi-apologized for calling Parent Revolution head Ben Austin “loathsome” and on Friday penned another critique of the pare... more »

Blixt/My Turn: Say ‘no’ to K12 | The Recorder

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Blixt/My Turn: Say ‘no’ to K12 | The Recorder: Blixt/My Turn: Say ‘no’ to K12 By Wesley Blixt Greenfield is selling out its educational legacy to the lowest bidder — a corporation that has established a solidly toxic reputation for profiteering, lying, manipulation, creepy ultra-right-wing politics and looting the public trust. K12 Inc. is called “The Monsanto of Education.” Does this seem too harsh? Only in that it may be unfair to Monsanto. K12 has spent three years openly and arrogantly preying on the most damaged, disabled and despairing Massachusetts students and their famili... more »

inBloom, Ed-Fi, Cloud Computing, China, Nazi-Germany and the new Eugenicists | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
inBloom, Ed-Fi, Cloud Computing, China, Nazi-Germany and the new Eugenicists | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: inBloom, Ed-Fi, Cloud Computing, China, Nazi-Germany and the new Eugenicists by crazycrawfish Believe it or not, these concepts and words are all related. inBloom and Ed-Fi are two vendors that use cloud computer to store massive quantities of student data (the Louisiana is currently doing business with.) The information these vendors plan on storing will be used to classify, sort and allocate children by their skills and early proficiencies, much as they do in Communist China. It... more »

Daily Kos: Mayor Rahm Offers Schools Grand Bargain: Teachers or Toilet Paper

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Daily Kos: Mayor Rahm Offers Schools Grand Bargain: Teachers or Toilet Paper: Mayor Rahm Offers Schools Grand Bargain: Teachers or Toilet Paper byTristero 312Follow - - - 6 Comments / 6 New Chicago schools face severe cuts as the district unveils its new "school-based" budget plan which forced Nettlehorst Elementary School in Chicago to empty out all reserves, pink slip two teachers’ aides, and eliminate a school secretary position. Other schools are not as lucky and will be cutting teachers and resources including a commodity missing from many Chicago Schools... more »

Rising to the Occasion: A Call for Students and Teachers Alike Student Voice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Student Voice: Rising to the Occasion: A Call for Students and Teachers Alike by Editor Admin [image: Spencer Dupont]*About the Author: *My name is Spencer Dupont. I’m a 16-year-old junior who’s spent his entire life in the Deep South. I was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, but moved to Lafayette, Lousiana, with my family when I was a young child. I have lived here with my brother and my mother for most of my life. I write poetry in my free time and enjoy writing music, while essays consume a small portion of my free time. My name is Spencer Dupont. I’m a 16-year-old student of the La... more »

Volume 27, Performance Test for New Teachers A Forum on the edTPA- Rethinking Schools Online

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Volume 27, No.4 - Summer 2013 - Rethinking Schools Online: Volume 27, Issue 4 Volume 27, Issue 4 VOLUME 27, ISSUE 4 — SUMMER 2013 Cover Theme:Performance Test for New TeachersA Forum on the edTPA In this special forum, we highlight three perspectives on the edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment), the test for credential candidates now being piloted in teacher education programs around the country. The Role of Performance Assessment in Developing Teaching as a Profession By Linda Darling-Hammond and Maria E. Hyler The edTPA will lead to better teachers and more professional respect. Wron... more »

UPDATE Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Commission-Mtg #3

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Commission-Mtg #3: Spectrum Thread by Melissa Westbrook This was requested as finally some Spectrum parents are understanding that Spectrum is very much on the chopping block. Who knows? As we speak Shauna Heath and Michael Tolley may have already done away with it (it seems they will be creating whatever Advanced Learning will be). If the district had allowed the Advanced Learning Taskforce to continue its work, we might have gotten to Spectrum and ALOs. But maybe that was the point of NOT continuing on. It may be too ... more »

Shaun Johnson: It Makes Me Wonder Why All the Amateurs Have Come to Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Shaun Johnson: It Makes Me Wonder Why All the Amateurs Have Come to Education: It Makes Me Wonder Why All the Amateurs Have Come to Education Posted: 06/17/2013 5:27 pm I'm a little late to this party. I was clued into this 2012 video of a Kennedy Center Honor's performance of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven." I'm not normally sentimental about videos that get passed around. Perhaps the stakes were higher because the late John Bonham's son made a surprise performance on drums. Surviving members of the band, watching from the balcony, were noticeably emotional about the perfor... more »

NYC Public School Parents: NYSED and Merryl Tisch FOILed for their communications re inBloom Inc.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: NYSED and Merryl Tisch FOILed for their communications re inBloom Inc.: NYSED and Merryl Tisch FOILed for their communications re inBloom Inc. by Leonie Haimson See the Freedom of Information request, just submitted by attorney Norman Siegel on behalf of PS 75 in Manhattan and Community Education Council District 14 in Brooklyn, asking for all the communications between NYSED officials and Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch and the Gates Foundation, inBloom Inc., Wireless Generation and News Corp, about their risky student data sharing scheme. FOIL Request t... more »

New Hampshire ‘neovoucher’ program found unconstitutional

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
New Hampshire ‘neovoucher’ program found unconstitutional: New Hampshire ‘neovoucher’ program found unconstitutional By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 17, 2013 at 4:29 pmE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: new hampshire]A judge in New Hampshire ruled Monday that a tuition tax-credit program that allows public money to be used for religious school education violates the state constitution. Three groups — Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union — had challenged the *state’s new Education ...more »

The Looming Excellence Emergency | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
The Looming Excellence Emergency | EduShyster: The Looming Excellence Emergency by edushyster2012 *Will the education reform movement exhaust the word “excellence” before the achievement gap is *crushed*?* Imagine a world without excellence. Experts say that with the education reform movement on schedule to exhaust the superlative as soon as 2016, an excellence-deprived future is a near guarantee. The problem, say excellence experts, is that a vast pool of corporate money has produced an excellence bubble as new groups rush to cash in on the fierce urgency of the moment. Experts say... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-17-13 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: Jan Resseger on Absurdity of Ohio VAM by dianerav This just in from an advocate for children who live in poverty: This week the Cleveland Plain Dealer has a new series, “Grading the Teachers.” It is basically an endorsement of the new Ohio Value Added Measures (VAM) program by which teachers will be rated. Scores are being made available on-line. Ohio’s VAM formula, according to the news account, does not consider the socioeconomic information about the children. Here are the articles thus far in the series: ·... more »

SBE to Fordham: NGSS highly vetted by CA experts SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: SBE to Fordham: NGSS highly vetted by CA experts As one of the State Board's liaisons to the NGSS work, I've been very engaged with the development and review process up until now. In the earlier stages, while NGSS was going through multiple rounds of public review and revisions, CDE had a group of 80 scientists, educators, and business leaders in CA review and comment on those initial drafts. To review the final set of NGSS the CDE commissioned a group of 25 Californians to serve on a Science Expert Panel. These included Bruce Alperts, edi... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Newark's Charters: Perception Is NOT Reality

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Jersey Jazzman: Newark's Charters: Perception Is NOT Reality: Newark's Charters: Perception Is NOT Reality by Duke Apparently, the hue and cry in Newark against state control of the schools (coming from the *elected* school advisory board, the *elected* city council, the students, the teachers, and the parents) is getting so loud that State Superintendent Cami Anderson and State Education Commissioner Chris Cerf feel like they have to show at least a little acknowledgment of their critics: Superintendent of Schools Cami Anderson announced an initiative Thursday night intended to ... more »











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