Big Education Ape: Apr 21, 2013

Sunday, April 21, 2013

BREAKING: We have a scanned sample of a “Grade 3 ELA exam” passage with questions – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

BREAKING: We have a scanned sample of a “Grade 3 ELA exam” passage with questions – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER:

BREAKING: We have a scanned sample of a “Grade 3 ELA exam” passage with questions

by Chalk Face, PhD

Interesting. A sample passage with a few questions.* It looks like they’re going to double down on

Educators want concrete data to build new API indicators SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources:

Educators want concrete data to build new API indicators

In the search for a more perfect school accountably system, classroom teachers and district administrators joined school advocates in a call last week for more concrete indicators – like daily attendance, fitness marks and discipline records.

The hearing in Sacramento is one of six that will be held statewide to get input from the field on legislative requirements to include ‘college and career readiness’ components as part of the current high school accountability system.

A commission appointed by the California State Board of Education has grappled with the question since November – but the clear message sent last week suggests that educators are uninterested in pursuing more unstructured measurements and instead want to concentrate on data that is already tracked and recorded with the state.

“Currently there are four data streams already being collected so they could easily be integrated into the scoring system and those are chronic absence, fitness results, graduation rates and suspension/expulsion rates,” said Stacie Cruz, representing the California Center for Civic Participation, a non-profit that works to empower high school students to participate in decision making processes at all levels.

“If chronic absence is indicated on the API scores, that will strongly encourage schools to focus on providing

Brown budget could force closure of state’s smallest, remote schools

Some of California’s most remote public schools fear Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan for restructuring education funding could force them to consolidate or shutdown altogether.

State probes Burbank third grade cheating report | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

State probes Burbank third grade cheating report | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC:

State probes Burbank third grade cheating report

A third grade teacher at McKinley Elementary is on leave after a student reported receiving help with answers on the state's STAR exams.; Credit: Rogers Herr Middle School
Burbank school officials say a third-grade teacher has been put on leave after a student reported a got help with answers on state standardized tests.
The Los Angeles Times reported Sunday that Burbank Unified Superintendent Jan Britz announced the investigation at a board meeting last week.
Britz says the student told the principal at McKinley Elementary that students received help with answers on the

How Matchmaking Technology Can Help Reduce Teacher Turnover | toteachornototeach

How Matchmaking Technology Can Help Reduce Teacher Turnover | toteachornototeach:

How Matchmaking Technology Can Help Reduce Teacher Turnover

by aristotlethewise

How Matchmaking Technology
Can Help Reduce Teacher Turnover

by Cassie Slane
The U.S education system faces a number of challenges, but I think we all can agree that good teachers are the backbone of our education system. Without good teachers, we have nothing. One problem that many schools face is the mass exodus of teachers after only a few years. In fact, 30 percent of new teachers quit before three years and almost 50 percent quit before five years. The biggest reason for leaving? Nope, not pay. It’s a little more complex than that. The biggest reason for leaving was the culture. It was satisfaction with working conditions, which included relationships with colleagues, quality of professional development, quality of the curriculum, building conditions, etc.
The complexities of matching a teacher to a school go beyond the typical three-paragraph description that job boards provide like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com. Schools have different cultures and curricula and

Is Common Core Cutting Edge Education or jsut a dull blade? | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News

Is Common Core Cutting Edge Education or jsut a dull blade? | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News:

Is Common Core cutting-edge education or just use of a dull blade?

by Danny Weil

By John Young

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_23057432/is-common-core-cutting-edge-education-or-just

Posted 4/21/2013

The Denver Post

Jinnie Spiegler, left, mother of Nacala Spiegler-Frederick, right, is worried that the standardized tests third-through-eighth graders will take will be harder than ever before. Educators have issued warnings that math and English tests are aligned to Common Core standards that most schools have not implemented yet. (John Minchillo/AP)

Talk to Melissa Colsman and you know she’s a teacher, even before she tells you she once taught math. The executive director of the Colorado Department of Education’s Teaching and Learning Unit makes a compelling case for what public schools need.

But discourse is one thing. Execution is another — execution, as in blindfolds and firing squads, nooses and scaffolds. That’s where “school accountability” invariably leads despite the loftiest of sentiments.

In physics we have action, reaction. In school reform we have action, overreaction.

Hearing Colsman explain what’s next for Colorado schools would have just about anyone at the buffet line saying, “I’ll have that.” So, too, with the entreaties of players like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Odds and Ends

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Odds and Ends:

Odds and Ends

by Melissa Westbrook

John Rogers Elementary is getting a new principal for school year 2013-2014. Their current principal, Marcia Boyd, is retiring at the end of the current school year.

Sara Mirabueno will be their new principal. She comes from John Hay Elementary where she is currently assistant principal. Ms Mirabueno was also a teacher at several SPS schools.

According to the Montlaker, Montlake Elementary School's nomination has been unanimously approved by the Landmarks Preservation Board. Their designation hearing is in June. It seems that some of the Board expressed "tepid support" so the designation may not come through but it only takes a simple majority vote to win.

A representative from Seattle Schools testified to the board that the District had no formal position on the

Shake the tree. Ballots for NEA RA retired delegate must be in Springfield by this week. | Fred Klonsky

Shake the tree. Ballots for NEA RA retired delegate must be in Springfield by this week. | Fred Klonsky:

Shake the tree. Ballots for NEA RA retired delegate must be in Springfield by this week.

by Fred Klonsky

Modern School: L.A .Teachers Vote No Confidence in Deasy and Their Own Union

Modern School: L.A .Teachers Vote No Confidence in Deasy and Their Own Union:

L.A .Teachers Vote No Confidence in Deasy and Their Own Union

by Michael Dunn

The Los Angeles times reported that LAUSD teachers “overwhelmingly expressed ‘no confidence’ in superintendent John Deasy last Wednesday, the first time such a vote has occurred in the nation's second-largest school system.

It is certainly significant that a majority of LA teachers voted no confidence in their superintendent—and not at all surprising, considering Deasy’s war on teachers. Under his watch, LAUSD has implemented teacher evaluations based on student test scores. There have been numerous charter school conversions, furloughs and layoffs, as well as ongoing budget shortfalls. There have also been abuse scandals in which the

RPNPS Voices: Some Excellent Recent Reading

RPNPS Voices: Some Excellent Recent Reading:

Some Excellent Recent Reading

Two really remarkable essays, in case you missed them.

First, Schools Are The Foundations of Communities, by Professor Timuel D. Black. It's a beautiful piece of writing, about a notion of public education that totally escapes the current administration.

I am old enough to know the story. Once these public assets are given away to private charter school operators, or sold off to condominium developers, that is public space we can’t get back. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. We need only refer to the parking-meter debacle to understand how poor a decision it is to give up control of public assets and public space. The notion that this will somehow be a money-saver (or a money-maker) for the school system is at best an illusion. Is it possible that the real mission of the proposed school closings is to clear out the schools and hand them over to private operators? It appears today that our public schools — the institutions which have transmitted democratic values to our young — are being transferred from the less fortunate to the more fortunate.

Second, a ranging yet completely lucid history called Here's where we've been, Barbara Byrd Bennet, written by Karen Fraid in response to another one of Ms. Byrd Bennett's

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-21-13 #SOSCHAT #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

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Following Up on the Equitable Access Framework Work Session

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Following Up on the Equitable Access Framework Work Session: Following Up on the Equitable Access Framework Work Session by Melissa Westbrook The two items I took away from this Work Session on April 10th were these: - The phrase "differentiating resource allocation" came up prominently. I didn't really hear the Directors call it out but my own notes reflect "uh oh." I say that because the Strategic Plan - in its early stages - seems to lean towards closing the achievement gap rather than supporting ALL students and their learning... more »

Learning the Hard Way: The False Promises of Standardized Tests | MyFDL

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 minutes ago

Learning the Hard Way: The False Promises of Standardized Tests | MyFDL: Learning the Hard Way: The False Promises of Standardized Tests by amerigus [image: scourge-of-testing-web] *Learning the Hard Way by amerigus* My daughter sees a math tutor, a bright young med school student from Pakistan. She told me last weekend my daughter still struggles, but she was shocked to hear that “every single kid” in her class has a math tutor. I was shocked to learn this too, but for another reason. Over a decade ago, the federal government sought to “fix” low-performance in schools, but not by ... more »

One Teacher's Perspective: Restore Pride in Wisconsin Schools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 minutes ago

One Teacher's Perspective: Restore Pride in Wisconsin Schools: Restore Pride in Wisconsin Schools by Imagine Wisconsin *With my teaching schedule, I am unable to attend the public hearings on this year's state budget, so I sent the following letter to Wisconsin state legislators to express my serious concerns about inadequate funding for public schools. * Wisconsin Legislators: As you ponder this season's state budget, you should weigh heavily *this reporting out of Evansville*. This story adds to the mounting accounts of how the recent state cuts to public education are not worki... more »

Test scores under investigation at Burbank school - latimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 42 minutes ago

Test scores under investigation at Burbank school - latimes.com: Test scores under investigation at Burbank school by By Kelly Corrigan A McKinley Elementary teacher has been placed on administrative leave after a third-grade student reported that the teacher helped a class answer questions on state standardized tests this week. Burbank Unified Supt. Jan Britz, who made the announcement during Thursday's school board meeting, added that state officials are investigating the case. Still uncertain of the alleged infraction's full consequences, Britz said state officials could mark th... more »

From the Rick Smith Show, Part I of Live Interviews from Occupy 2.0 – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 42 minutes ago

From the Rick Smith Show, Part I of Live Interviews from Occupy 2.0 – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: From the Rick Smith Show, Part I of Live Interviews from Occupy 2.0 by Chalk Face, PhD APRIL 21, 2013 BY CHALK FACE, PHD LEAVE A COMMENT 11:00 Galen Munroe, Teamsters Press Secretary on why so many Teamsters are setting up picket lines against Republic Services 33:04 Matt Farmer, Chicago Parent on the current wave of community destruction and how Arne Duncan started the process years ago 48:54 Kris Neilson on how we can fight for equitable education outside the classroom 1:02... more »

Short Notes: Pearson Makes Money, Whether You Like It Or Not | The Jose Vilson

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 42 minutes ago

Short Notes: Pearson Makes Money, Whether You Like It Or Not | The Jose Vilson: Short Notes: Pearson Makes Money, Whether You Like It Or Not by Jose Vilson [image: Chris Rock as Rufus in Dogma on Ideas] Chris Rock as Rufus in *Dogma* on Ideas A few notes: - William J. Reese lets the world know that none of this testing business is new. Good read. [New York Times] - Pearson apologized for errors on the gifted and talented test. They get a stern warning, and get to sit in the corner for millions of dollars. (Commentary mine.) [GothamSchools] - I was asked to write w... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ravitch Blogs about WA State PTA and McDonald's Connection

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 42 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ravitch Blogs about WA State PTA and McDonald's Connection: Ravitch Blogs about WA State PTA and McDonald's Connection by Melissa Westbrook Over at Diane Ravitch's blog, there was a discussion about the national PTA and links to the Gates Foundation (and maybe that is why the PTA showed Waiting for Superman" at their national convention in 2011.) Turns out that the National PTA received a grant in Feb. 2013 from the GE Foundation to further the PTA efforts for Common Core. Here's what the national PTA president had to say: *"As the largest child... more »

Moving Ahead With Common Core - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Moving Ahead With Common Core - NYTimes.com: Moving Ahead With Common Core By THE EDITORIAL BOARD Published: April 20, 2013 Holy... - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - New York City parents are understandably nervous about tough new state tests that were rolled out last week. And some parents whose children have already taken the tests are outraged. They shouldn’t be: the tests, which measure math and English skills, are an essential part of rigorous education reforms known as Common Core that seek to improve rea... more »

Students Last: This Test Brought To You By....

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Students Last: This Test Brought To You By....: This Test Brought To You By.... by Students Last McDonalds is just one of many corporations interested in the program *Albany, NY - *Responding to budget cuts, officials at New York State's Education Department unveiled a new program for public schools that has the potential to raise millions of dollars - product placement. At a press conference on Friday inside the newly named "Staples Building," Commissioner of Education Dr. John King was all smiles as he described the novel program. "With a nod to the movie-making industry and the... more »

The Opt Out Update: Protests planned in Chicago and Colorado this week as the Opt Out Movement continues to grow and Louisiana opts out of the Common Core Standards | Seattle Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

The Opt Out Update: Protests planned in Chicago and Colorado this week as the Opt Out Movement continues to grow and Louisiana opts out of the Common Core Standards | Seattle Education: The Opt Out Update: Protests planned in Chicago and Colorado this week as the Opt Out Movement continues to grow and Louisiana opts out of the Common Core Standards by seattleducation2011 [image: opt out5] Bush, Obama focus on standardized testing leads to ‘opt-out’ parents’ movement *A decade into the school accountability movement, pockets of resistance to standardized testing are sprouting up ar... more »

Quality journalism? | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Quality journalism? | Fred Klonsky: Quality journalism? by Fred Klonsky [image: Corporate Media = Corporate Lies] *“Karen Lewis should step down as president of the Chicago Teachers Union.”* – Chicago Tribune’s Eric Zorn *“In any big wrangle about school reform, teachers unions start at a disadvantage: They don’t speak for the children.”* – Eric Zorn *Speaking about the CTU and school closings: ‘As long as we’re playing ‘Let’s Pretend,’ let’s also pretend lobbing accusations of racism is an effective negotiating gambit and a good lever to pull if you want to move public opinion t... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Parents: please send a message to the Regents asking them to withdraw from inBloomtoday!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Parents: please send a message to the Regents asking them to withdraw from inBloomtoday!: Parents: please send a message to the Regents asking them to withdraw from inBloomtoday! by Leonie Haimson Tomorrow, the members of NY Board of Regents are meeting to discuss the state's plan to share highly confidential, personally identifiable student data with a corporation called inBloom Inc., which intends to share it with for-profit vendors without parental notification or consent. On Friday, John White, the State Education Commissioner of Louisiana, announ... more »

What’s up in Digital Media class? | Teaching Between the Lines

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

What’s up in Digital Media class? | Teaching Between the Lines: What’s up in Digital Media class? by Laura I’ve been teaching English language arts for over 20 years, and as much as I love it, I have always wanted to add some variety to my work load by teaching an elective class. I envisioned this class as a break from the deluge of papers and a respite from the pressure of test scores, a place where I could have more fun with my students and let them explore interests outside of the traditional academic subjects. And I was right. Last year my principal asked me to design an el... more »

Rick Scott’s a Sitting Duck on Parent Trigger | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Rick Scott’s a Sitting Duck on Parent Trigger | Scathing Purple Musings: Rick Scott’s a Sitting Duck on Parent Trigger by Bob Sikes Rick Scott has not yet earned the trust of Florida public school teachers and advocates. His increase in funding last year was only a return to the level he cut the year before and his failure to admit as much continues to be a drag on his credibility. Scott’s proposal to raise teacher salaries can only been considered as a cynical political ploy unless it emerges without any legislative merit pay strings attached. Like other republican rock star gov... more »

New Jersey Parent/Teacher Keeps Talking – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

New Jersey Parent/Teacher Keeps Talking – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: New Jersey Parent/Teacher Keeps Talking by Timothy D. Slekar Last night Shaun and I interviewed a parent/teacher from New Jersey about the opt out process and the dilemma faced when engaging in the opt out process while also being a teacher. It’s tricky right? So as a parent I can choose to “opt out,” “refuse,” “boycott” on behalf of my own children. But then if I’m also a public school teacher I have to administer the same tests that I refuse to allow my own children to take. Talk about a philosop... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Seattle Schools This Week by Melissa Westbrook *Wednesday, April 24th* Oversight Work Session - Teaching & Learning, 4-5:30 pm. No agenda yet available. This is a work session where a department walks the Board through their operations and updated them on their current status. This is a hard stop at 5:30 pm as the Board has an Executive Session from 5:30 pm to 6 pm. Work Session:Strategic Plan from 6-7:30 pm. No agenda yet available. Special Education PTSA from 7-9 pm. in Room 2700. * **Thursday, April 25th* Operatio... more »

Jeb Bush Salutes David Coleman and Common Core | Diane Ravitch's blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Jeb Bush Salutes David Coleman and Common Core | Diane Ravitch's blog: Jeb Bush Salutes David Coleman and Common Core by dianerav The Republican Party is divided about the Common Core standards. The Republican National Committee has come out in opposition to the Common Core, calling it “an inappropriate overreach to standardize and control” education. Senator Charles Grassley wants to defund the Common Core. But Jeb Bush is one the loudest cheerleaders for the Common Core. When his sidekick Tony Bennett lost the state superintendent job in Indiana, In part because of Tea Party oppo... more »

Atlanta school districts put tests on lockdown | www.myajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Atlanta school districts put tests on lockdown | www.myajc.com: Atlanta school districts put tests on lockdownPosted: 12:00 a.m. Sunday, April 21, 2013 BY MARK NIESSE - THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION Atlanta schools’ standardized tests are treated like prison inmates: held in double-locked rooms, protected by a chain of custody and watched by video surveillance. After investigations showing widespread cheating on Atlanta’s annual tests in 2009, school districts across the metro area have strengthened safeguards against tampering with students’ answers. Atlanta students in grades ... more »

Duncan spells out education agenda to Congress

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Duncan spells out education agenda to Congress: Duncan spells out education agenda to Congress Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 21, 2013 at 12:00 pm 0 Comments More Education Secretary Arne Duncan Education Secretary Arne Duncan detailed his upcoming education agenda in testimony last week before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Other Related Agencies. Here’s what he said, according to the Education Department website: Good morning Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee. I’m pleased to be here today to talk with y... more »

Did Parent Revolution Bribe and Blackmail Undocumented Immigrants in California Parent Trigger Fight? | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Did Parent Revolution Bribe and Blackmail Undocumented Immigrants in California Parent Trigger Fight? | Scathing Purple Musings: Did Parent Revolution Bribe and Blackmail Undocumented Immigrants in California Parent Trigger Fight? by Bob Sikes With Florida republican senators obliged to pass Parent Trigger this session to serve Jeb Bush’s political interests, it’s crucial to remind Floridians what those senators have to ignore. With House sponsor Carlos Trujillo affirming that controversial charter school advocacy group Parent Revolution can operate in a Parent Trigger effort i... more »

Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky: Sunday reads. by Fred Klonsky [image: IMG_0291 2] *Photo: Fred Klonsky. Saturday’s all-day Congressional hearing on school closings. Alderman Fioretti testifies before Congressmen Rush and Davis. Historic Quinn Chapel.* *If the Koch brothers bought the Chicago Tribune*, would you notice any difference? They should save their money since they’re getting pretty much what they want from the Trib now for free. *I like the Brooklyn Nets and all.* But as a Bull’s fan I head to turn this disaster off after three quarters. *The Jazzman shows* how John Merrow re... more »

UPDATE: cats, quilts, and healing - an update on Leaves on the Current Daily Kos: Fears of a new generation

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Daily Kos: Fears of a new generation: cats, quilts, and healing - an update on Leaves on the Current by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) As we come to the end of another week free from chemotherapy, we now know the pattern. The beginning of the week was rough - Monday night the last of the chemo cycle, Tuesday and Wednesday morning were difficult. But as the week went on Leaves felt stronger. During the week we got sandwiches from our favorite The Italian Store in Lyon Village. We also stopped by District Taco since one evening she had a craving for their products. Given her healt... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Something Is Very Wrong With Merryl Tisch

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Something Is Very Wrong With Merryl Tisch: Something Is Very Wrong With Merryl Tisch by Duke Am I the only one who finds this sort of behavior borderline sociopathic? Rockville Centre on Long Island had an unusually high number of students who skipped the exam, Superintendent Bill Johnson said. Mr. Johnson said 338 of the district's 1,650 third- through eighth-graders didn't take the test. Mr. Johnson said he thought there were "serious problems" with the test, in large part because teachers are just beginning to learn the approach required under the new benchmark... more »

The basic business principles school reformers ignore

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

The basic business principles school reformers ignore: The basic business principles school reformers ignore Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 21, 2013 at 10:10 am 0 Comments More [image: common core]School reformers have for years taken a business approach to changing schools, meaning that they believe that running public schools like businesses would improve student achievement. It hasn’t worked. Here, Robert D. Shepherdexplains the mistakes the reformers have made in applying business principles. He is a writer and editor who has produced, over a 30-year career, more than 100 te... more »

RNC Common Core Resolution Indicts Jeb Bush and Florida’s Republican Policy-Makers | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

RNC Common Core Resolution Indicts Jeb Bush and Florida’s Republican Policy-Makers | Scathing Purple Musings: RNC Common Core Resolution Indicts Jeb Bush and Florida’s Republican Policy-Makers by Bob Sikes I find every read of the Republican National Committee’s resolution against Common Core State Standards (CCSS) more stunning than the last. Beyond the “on-size-fits-all” criticism are supporting details so condemning that they cannot be walked back now that they’re out. Let’s take a look at a few: WHEREAS, the NGA and the CCSSO, *received tens of millions of dollars from priva... more »

NYC Educator: Reformier and Reformier

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

NYC Educator: Reformier and Reformier: Reformier and Reformier by NYC Educator The Daily News is all excited about the advent of the Common Core. Never mind that it has never been tested anywhere, ever. The vital thing is that we implement it immediately. Doubtless the editorial writers, should they ever fall ill, would want to be treated with experimental medicines that have never been tried on anyone, and hope for the best. Because that, in fact, is pretty much what they're advocating for our children, amazingly, as just what they need. The hero of their story is reformy John Ki... more »

Nina Simone: The Ignored, the Silenced Voices of Protest | the becoming radical

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Nina Simone: The Ignored, the Silenced Voices of Protest | the becoming radical: Nina Simone: The Ignored, the Silenced Voices of Protest Posted on April 21, 2013 by plthomasedd As a political and public debate, the state of U.S. public education—and all of the Commons—as well as what education reform is needed overlaps and intersects with debates about whose voice matters and what words and tone are acceptable or appropriate. Powerful and essential discussions about race and racism, about deficit assumptions concerning people in poverty, speak to Arundhati Roy’s “We know of course... more »

Public Schools First NC | Advocating for high-quality public schools for North Carolina.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Public Schools First NC | Advocating for high-quality public schools for North Carolina.: Public education is undergoing a death by 1,000 cuts. It's been happening slowly, surely, over time. For four consecutive years, the state budget for K-12 public education has been cut. We are currently operating under a budget that is *11 percent less than was spent in 2007-08*, despite the fact that student enrollment has grown by approximately 16,000 students. As noted in the Public School Forum of NC's recent school finance study, "If public education were funded at the same percentage o... more »

Canada Beware, Corporate Education Reformers have found Bad Teacher and Failing Schools in Mexico ( it's all the fault of a nasty old teachers union)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Education Reforms in Mexico: Canada Beware, Corporate Education Reformers have found Bad Teacher and Failing Schools in Mexico ( it's all the fault of a nasty old teachers union) Israel Ortega April 21, 2013 at 7:00 am (0) [image: ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images/Newscom] ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images/Newscom Since taking office as Mexico’s newest president, Enrique Pena Nieto has quickly made it a point to anger one of the most influential interest groups responsible for blocking Mexican progress: teachers unions. Predictably (and not unlike in our own country), the teachers u... more »

MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-21-13 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] Shocker: The PTA and McDonald’s? by dianerav A report from Melissa Westbrook, parent activist in Washington State: “Here in Washington State, our state PTA is joining with…McDonald’s. We are supposed to believe that because McDonald’s now has apple slices that all their food is good for kids. They are even allowing the McDonald’s Director of Nutrition to speak at the state convention. One other interesting thing is that several of our Seattle schools PTAs are wei... more »

Framing the School Technology Dream | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Framing the School Technology Dream | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Framing the School Technology Dream by larrycuban *I wrote the following commentary for Education Week. It appeared on April 17, 2013. The printed ads appear in a slideshow. See below.* For more than a century, educational technology ads have glistened with hope. Newly invented devices from the typewriter to film projectors, from the overhead projector to instructional television, from the Apple IIe to the iPad, have painted pictures of engaged students who will learn more, faster, and bette... more »

Ed Notes Online: 6 Insulting Things NYSED Keeps Repeating/ Growing the Resistance

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: 6 Insulting Things NYSED Keeps Repeating/ Growing the Resistance: 6 Insulting Things NYSED Keeps Repeating/ Growing the Resistance by ed notes online NYState, John King, Merryl Tisch and their band of merry deformers are taking a beating in the blogging world while the simpering mainstream press remains -- well, simpering. As does the UFT. Here are some of our local guys taking a few shots: NYC Educator: Authentic AssessmentsRBE: John King Takes His "Tour Of Fear" To Suburban Districts Below this great piece by Kris Nielsen @TheChalkFace are some comments from ... more »

WHAT TO DO WITH THE MONKEYS RUNNING LAUSD AND UTLA - Perdaily.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

WHAT TO DO WITH THE MONKEYS RUNNING LAUSD AND UTLA - Perdaily.com: WHAT TO DO WITH THE MONKEYS RUNNING LAUSD AND UTLA by Leonard Isenberg [image: LAUSD Board.jpg] (Mensaje se repite en Español) * * *If you start with a cage containing five monkeys and inside the cage, hang a banana on a string from the top and then you place a set of stairs under the banana, before long a monkey will go to the stairs and climb toward the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, you spray all the other monkeys with cold water. After a while another monkey makes an attempt with same results.. all th... more »

An Open Letter | California Father

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

An Open Letter | California Father: [image: California Father] An Open Letter *by California Father on April 20, 2013 · Leave a Comment* Dear Editors: I am writing in response to your recent article about McKinley Elementary School, where a teacher was recently accused of giving answers to a student while administering the California Standards Test. Our son, a McKinley student, is not in the third grade class where the alleged cheating took place. He did not take the test at all because we decided to opt him out of testing, which is a parental right the California Education Co... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Wall Street Journal to Teachers: Stop Standing Up For Yourselves!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Wall Street Journal to Teachers: Stop Standing Up For Yourselves!: Wall Street Journal to Teachers: Stop Standing Up For Yourselves! by Duke How dare Randi Weingarten insist that teachers' money not be used to screw them out of their own jobs! Public pension funds are frantically chasing higher yields to reduce their roughly $3 trillion in unfunded liabilities. But don't tell that to *Randi Weingarten, the teachers union el supremo, who is trying to strong-arm pension trustees not to invest in hedge funds or private-equity funds that support education reform*. Th... more »

Bill Introduced Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: H.Res.167 Recognizing the roles and contributions of America's teachers to building and enhancing our Nation's civic, cultural, and economic well-being. Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 1 hour ago Recognizing the roles and contributions of America's teachers to building and enhancing our Nation's civic, cultural, and economic well-being. Bill Introduced: H.R.1529 Student Aid Expansion Act of 2013 Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 1 hour ago To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to exempt ce... more »

Daily Kos: in praise of pootie pads

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Daily Kos: in praise of pootie pads: in praise of pootie pads by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) When Sara R shipped the quilt for Leaves on the Current, which you can see here with Leaves: [image: JJ in quilt] she included as an additional gift a number of Pootie Pads for our four felines. I can assure they are greatly appreciated, as you can see below the fold:

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week 28 and 29: Welcome Ms. Wind!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week 28 and 29: Welcome Ms. Wind!: Week 28 and 29: Welcome Ms. Wind! by alicemercer [image: image] I took the picture above before the start of the day at my school a few weeks back. The fog was lifting off the field, and the air was still. It seemed to capture the moment, and the time of year well. Since then spring, and all the “hell” that goes with it, has broken out. There is no stillness. This week was capped by two-days of extreme wind that had everyone on the edge of madness. If you’re a teacher, I don’t have to explain why a windy da... more »

GED high school equivalency test to get major overhaul, become more difficult - The Washington Post

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

GED high school equivalency test to get major overhaul, become more difficult - The Washington Post: GED high school equivalency test to get major overhaul, become more difficult by Michael Alison Chandler, Amanda Voisard By Michael Alison Chandler and Amanda Voisard, Saturday, April 20, 5:11 PM Hundreds of thousands of high school dropouts hoping to earn an equivalency diploma will have to pass a more challenging GED test that is being designed to improve the prospects of low-skilled workers in a high-tech economy. The largest overhaul in the exam’s 70-year history follows growi... more »

An open letter to Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan | The Network For Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

An open letter to Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan | The Network For Public Education: [image: The Network For Public Education -] An open letter to Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan by admin Dear Secretary Duncan: Children gleefully line blocks end to end on a rug measuring its area, two girls huddle over a water table experimenting with liquid capacity, and several students use clay making sculptures as well as refining their small motor skills – this is the picture of a preschool where any of us would want to send our children. As an early childhood educator, I was thrille... more »

2013 Chicago Student's Boycott To Stop School Closings Under Resourced, ...

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

*2013 Chicago Student's Boycott To Stop School Closings Under Resourced, ... * * * * * * * * * * *

Landru Pervades PS 154 in the Bronx.southbronxschool.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Landru Pervades PS 154 in the Bronx by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) The clarion call came from far and wide. A meeting there was to be. For some, it was a rally, for others it was a march of doom. But this entity that controls PS 154, Landru (OK, I know, another Star Trek reference, but it is so appropriate. For those that don't sleep in their parents basement, click here to learn more), was determined to be heard and and be heard it must. All those who gathered for the meeting sat down amongst the self perceived greatness and perfection of ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: John Merrow Rewrites History

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Jersey Jazzman: John Merrow Rewrites History: John Merrow Rewrites History by Duke John Merrow, education reporter for PBS (and funded, in part, by the Gates Foundation), has done some extraordinary work lately in uncovering the burgeoning cheating scandal in Washington, D.C. Merrow's reporting now calls into question the entire legacy of former Chancellor and current Queen of Reforminess, Michelle Rhee. Ironic, as Merrow is as responsible as anyone for catapulting Rhee into the national spotlight. I can only assume that Merrow is now suffering a small attack of conscience, won... more »

Report from congressional town hall meeting on school closings Parents United for Responsible Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Report from congressional town hall meeting on school closings: Report from congressional town hall meeting on school closings by admin [image: Congressmen Bobby Rush and Danny Davis host school closing forum]Congressmen Bobby Rush and Danny Davis host school closing forum Great hearing today at the historic Quinn Chapel in Chicago. You can read my live tweets from the forum here. Many important points were made, much nauseating rhetoric from CPS staff. My presentation is below, but in addition I had to address the comment of... more »

Detroit police accused of 'kidnapping' homeless people, leaving them outside city limits — RT USA

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Detroit police accused of 'kidnapping' homeless people, leaving them outside city limits — RT USA: Detroit police accused of 'kidnapping' homeless people, leaving them outside city limits Get short URL Published time: April 19, 2013 02:28 Edited time: April 20, 2013 11:16 [image: A homeless man covers himself from the cold while walking down a sidewalk February 24, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. (J.D. Pooley/Getty Images/AFP)] A homeless man covers himself from the cold while walking down a sidewalk February 24, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. (J.D. Pooley/Getty Images/AFP) Share on Tumblr T... more »

The Perils of Economic Thinking about Human Behavior | School Finance 101

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The Perils of Economic Thinking about Human Behavior | School Finance 101: The Perils of Economic Thinking about Human Behavior by schoolfinance101 Behavioral economics is an interesting and potentially useful field of academic inquiry. I don’t doubt that. But, I’m increasingly concerned with what I see as the simple-minded projection of economic thinking onto everyone and anyone else, leading to ridiculous policy recommendations – that amazingly – get taken seriously – at least by the media and punditocracy. See, for example, Roland Fryer’s experiment on *loss aversion** *as a s... more »

Ed Notes Online: State Ed Dept, in Cahoots with Pearson, Forces Field Tests Under Threats

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Ed Notes Online: State Ed Dept, in Cahoots with Pearson, Forces Field Tests Under Threats: State Ed Dept, in Cahoots with Pearson, Forces Field Tests Under Threats by ed notes online *I saw an SED memo last week stating that the field tests were mandatory. This is the first time I have ever seen anything like this from SED. As a former superintendent I always refused to administer field tests and got away with it (albeit with much SED resistance). While they may not have any authority to mandate the tests, they indeed are sending the message to districts that they indeed must adm... more »