Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Daily Kos: School District Tells Gay Man He Can't Speak At Graduation

Daily Kos: School District Tells Gay Man He Can't Speak At Graduation:


School District Tells Gay Man He Can't Speak At Graduation

LITTLE ROCK, AR-- The graduate of a northeast Arkansas School has been uninvited to speak at Sloan-Hendrix High School's graduation this year.Bryant Huddleston feels because he is a gay man that Superintendent Mitch Walton told him he couldn't speak, because two school board members felt there were concerns for the community.
That is the lead from this story from the local Fox News station  His younger sister is one of the graduates.  His father, a retired state trooper, is President of the School Board.  The Superintendent decided to put the invitation to a vote, then told the father he could not vote,  the vote ended in a 2-2 tie and the invitation was rescinded.The page to which I link contains the letter Bryant Huddleston sent to the Superintendent.  You need to read it.    Here are the final three paragraphs of that letter:
Finally, I heard someone say that progress comes from those who are willing to walk a mile in someone else's shoes. We are currently fighting against inequality in our country. It's a fight--by the way--which we will ultimately win. Your decision to ban me from speaking solely because I'm gay is not unlike the arguments white men made years ago, to not allow black children to share the same school house halls with white children. It's the same thing, Mr. Walton, it's called discrimination. And, in closing, in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt:"...Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world."
Today, by your actions, that small place is in a small town called Imboden, where decisions are made around a small table, surrounded by five men and a School Superintendent. So, next time you're faced with an important decision, I hope you take time to think twice, have a proper dialogue, and most importantly choose to be on the right side of history.

Special report: Born in hope, Newark charter school now embroiled in controversy | NJ.com

Special report: Born in hope, Newark charter school now embroiled in controversy | NJ.com:


Special report: Born in hope, Newark charter school now embroiled in controversy

bey4.JPG
In this file photo, Fredrica Bey proudly shows onlookers a mansion on 53 Lincoln Park in Newark that her community group, Women in Support of the Million Man March, later purchased and made its headquarters. The building also became the home of Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School, a city school state education officials have been threatening to shut down for more than a year. (Star-Ledger file photo)

Democratic Leaders: Dedicated to alienating the Democratic Base - Wait, What?

Democratic Leaders: Dedicated to alienating the Democratic Base - Wait, What?:


Democratic Leaders: Dedicated to alienating the Democratic Base

Official UOO Opt Out/Refusal Survey | United Opt Out National

Official UOO Opt Out/Refusal Survey | United Opt Out National:


Official UOO Opt Out/Refusal Survey

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-4-13 #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


. . .In the Name of the Children | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 minutes ago
. . .In the Name of the Children | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: . . .In the Name of the Children by crazycrawfish I’ve been getting regular reports on progress and events taking place in the local and national arena in relation to the illegal student data sharing situation. One of the things that have been revealed recently in other states is that the costs associated with this inBloom project could become astronomical both from a direct annual fee based cost as well as from liability issues that will be created. The State of New York, the only other state as far along as Louisiana in... more »

Amen or not again? Students and teachers leave class for... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 minutes ago
Amen or not again? Students and teachers leave class for... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: Amen or not again? Students and teachers leave class for three-hour prayer revival By Maureen Downey Not sure if V for Vendetta has followed us to the new blog, but this is a story that will interest V. And puzzle most of us. On Wednesday, a three-hour prayer revival occurred at Lumpkin County High School, drawing 50 students who left class to attend. According to the news coverage, the event began when one student sought out the weightlifting coach for guidance about questi... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 minutes ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX: IN THE MAILBOX by Mike Klonsky SCHOOL CLOSINGS AND STUDENT'S' MENTAL HEALTH May 3, 2013 Dear Friends, We are writing to people with expertise in child development or mental health (social workers, counselors, psychologists) to ask for help in educating CPS and Chicago leaders about the likely negative impact of school closings on the social and emotional well-being of students affected. As you are no doubt aware, the Chicago Public Schools is planning to close over 54 schools this year. The closings and consolidations will affect ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Norm in The Wave: Opt Out Movement Grows

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 minutes ago
Ed Notes Online: Norm in The Wave: Opt Out Movement Grows: Norm in The Wave: Opt Out Movement Grows by ed notes online *School Scope* * * *Opt Out Movement Grows* By Norm Scott Published May 3, 2013 http://www.rockawave.com/news/2013-05-03/Columnists/School_Scope.html [image: Norm blogs at ednotesonline.org] “My child vomited on your high stakes test,” is one of my favorite buttons. With two weeks of testing ending on April 26th, parent grassroots groups “Change the Stakes” and “Time Out from Testing” led a large after school protest of 500 on the steps of the Tweed headquarters...more »

Philadelphia Renovating Apartments to Lure Teachers - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Philadelphia Renovating Apartments to Lure Teachers - NYTimes.com: With an Old Factory, Philadelphia Is Hoping to Draw New Teachers Mark Makela for The New York Times Two buildings in Philadelphia that will contain apartments and offices intended to house mostly teachers and nonprofit educational organizations began their life as the Quaker City Dye Works in 1875. By JON HURDLEPublished: May 4, 2013 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - PHILADELPHIA — A Victorian-era dye factory is taking on a new role to help this ci... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-4-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: High-Stakes Testing of Students in Special Education by dianerav Louise Marr sent this from her book: **********£******* “Every spring, the Philadelphia public school students take the standardized tests, or PSSAs. (Starting in 2013, the district has switched to a different test called the Keystone Exams.) These tests are a huge part of how schools are evaluated and rated. It is from these scores that Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) is determined. There is a big push to prepare the eleventh graders for the tests fr... more »

REBIRTH: New Orleans »

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
REBIRTH: New Orleans »: *REBIRTH: New Orleans* *by Learning Matters* - HOME - THE FILM - THE FILMMAKERS - VIDEO - SCREENINGS - PRESS/REVIEWS - RESOURCES - SUPPORTERS *REBIRTH: New Orleans *is a documentary film following the transformation of New Orleans’ public school system after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. In the aftermath of the 2005 storm, Louisiana chose a radical approach: it took over New Orleans schools and decided not to rebuild the old system. Instead, New Orleans would rely on charter schools, public schools run by private operato... more »

The Washington Teacher: It's Official - I'm Running in the WTU elections!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
The Washington Teacher: It's Official - I'm Running in the WTU elections!: It's Official - I'm Running in the WTU elections! Written By Candi Peterson"Together We Are Better!" Liz Davis/Candi Peterson * * *Good afternoon to all of you. It's official on April 30, 2013- I declared my candidacy for Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) General Vice President again. This time, I am running on the**Elizabeth Davis (known as Liz) slate* *. It's an opportunity for a new start, for new beginnings- a time to take stock of where we've been, where we stand and how much needs to be done for DC teach... more »

Daily Kos: GRAPHIC Police video -Offered without further comment

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Daily Kos: GRAPHIC Police video -Offered without further comment: Offered without comment by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) simply watch. It will take more than a minute until you see why I posted this. Then it will be absolutely clear. *WARNING: THE VIDEO IS GRAPHIC AND SHOULD NOT BE SHOWN TO THOSE EASILY SHOCKED, including children* * * * * * * * * * * for commentary you can go here

Niall Ferguson Didn’t Even Get Keynes’ Sex Life Right |

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Niall Ferguson Didn’t Even Get Keynes’ Sex Life Right |: Niall Ferguson Didn’t Even Get Keynes’ Sex Life Right by Angus Johnston It was reported yesterday that Harvard historian Niall Ferguson, asked at a recent conference about the economic theories of John Maynard Keynes, claimed that Keynes’ theories were self-centered and short-sightedbecause he was gay: “Ferguson asked the audience how many children Keynes had. He explained that Keynes had none because he was a homosexual and was married to a ballerina, with whom he likely talked of “poetry” rather than procreated.” It has be... more »

It's a Little Late for a Political Discussion? | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
It's a Little Late for a Political Discussion? | Truth in American Education: It’s a Little Late for a Political Discussion? by Shane Vander Hart The Cherokee County School Board in Georgia recently had a discussion about whether or not to have a citizen committee study the Common Core State Standards – both the pros and cons. It was quickly shot down by the Board Chair and Superintendent (does this guy even have a vote? He shouldn't.). *The Cherokee Tribune* reports: Board Chair Janet Read and Superintendent Dr. Frank Petruzielo opposed the idea. Read reminded Marlow of the b... more »

School canceled for ‘great weather’

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
School canceled for ‘great weather’: School canceled for ‘great weather’ Posted by Valerie Strauss on May 4, 2013 at 11:00 am 0 Comments More [image: wea]School is canceled for bad weather all the time, but for great weather? Bob Sampson, the principal of Bellingham Christian School in the metropolitan area of Seattle is quoted by Seattle’s KOMO as saying that the cancellation Friday was a reward for students who hadn’t had a single snow day all year and that it was a move toward promoting a positive school culture. School was closed when the temperature went above 63 degrees and... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Michael Milken treating schools like junk bonds

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Michael Milken treating schools like junk bonds: Michael Milken treating schools like junk bonds by Mike Klonsky Good post at *Modern School* blog, describing the great K12Inc. public school heist engineered by indicted racketeer and securities fraud purveyor, *Michael Milken*. Despite K12’s lack of success in terms of improving student achievement, the company has been a cash cow for Milken and his fellow investors. According to MS: *Milken, as you may recall, was indicted on 98 counts of racketeering and securities fraud in 1989 as a result... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Equitable Access to Spectrum Denied

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Equitable Access to Spectrum Denied: Equitable Access to Spectrum Denied by Charlie Mas Are you genuinely concerned about equitable access to programs? Take a look at the enrollment and wait list report, and you may notice the number of students wait listed for access to Spectrum. These students have been denied access to the program due to an element in the student assignment process. Unlike before, there are no seats in these buildings reserved for Spectrum students. Before they can gain access to the Spectrum program within the school, they hav... more »

Testing resistance: What LSCs can do Parents United for Responsible Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Testing resistance: What LSCs can do: Testing resistance: What LSCs can do by admin [image: MTASlogo] *What Local School Councils can do to challenge* *the misuse and overuse of standardized tests* *Learn more about standardized testing.* - Check out the More Than a Score web site for resources to share with your school’s parents, teachers and community. Share the MTAS fact sheets, “What Parents Need to Know about High-Stakes Testing,” in English and Spanish. - Download user-friendly fact sheets about a wide ra... more »

Modern School: The Convict Who Stole Public Education—Milken’s Online Learning Cash Cow

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Modern School: The Convict Who Stole Public Education—Milken’s Online Learning Cash Cow: The Convict Who Stole Public Education—Milken’s Online Learning Cash Cow Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons We hear plenty about the billionaire boys club that has taken control over much of the education reform debate, the unholy triumvirate of Bill Gates, Eli Broad and the Walton Family Foundation. However, they are just the tip of the iceberg. The rogue’s gallery of Ed Deformers who are buying up charter schools, capitalizing on NCLB, bashing teachers and generally destroying public education as... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-4-13 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] Teacher: No One Escapes High-Stakes Testing, Not Even My Child by dianerav This teacher was accustomed to teaching poor minority kids how to pass the tests. She was really good at it. But she was shocked to discover that her own children’s school–in an affluent neighborhood in Brooklyn–had succumbed to the same pressures. Testing, as she realized, had found her and her children. There was no escape. She concluded: “As I reflect on why I was (am?) so shocked that t... more »

Ed Notes Online: Stop Pearson Child Abuse: Get Ready to Rumble - er - Opt Out -- of June Field Tests

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Stop Pearson Child Abuse: Get Ready to Rumble - er - Opt Out -- of June Field Tests: Stop Pearson Child Abuse: Get Ready to Rumble - er - Opt Out -- of June Field Tests by ed notes online *1,391 NYC schools with June Stand-Alone FT assignments* Thanks to Fred Smith for getting this material together. What are field tests? They are tests given in June to use our kids as guinea pigs for future tests. So kids and teachers are made to go through useless testing for the purpose of Pearson profit -- PPP. Fred points out that the kids and teachers know full well these... more »

Cobb sets back Common Core and possibly state | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Cobb sets back Common Core and possibly state | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: Cobb sets back Common Core and possibly state By Maureen Downey When the National Governor’s Association, led by then-Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, and the Council of Chief State School Officers developed a framework of academic standards to raise student performance in math and language arts, they stressed that the effort was state-driven and not in any way a national curriculum, hence the Common Core *State* Standards. They did so to prevent the standards from being politicized. It didn’t work... more »

Daily Kos: Wondering about my personal future

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Daily Kos: Wondering about my personal future: Wondering about my personal future by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) As my wife Leaves on the Current continues on her journey of recovery from her blood cancer, i have been able to begin exploring going back to work. In the process of exploring various job opportunities, both within and without the walls of a school classroom, I have been trying to sort out what matters to me, how I want to use what productive time and energy I may have left to me as I approach my 67th birthday. Knowing that within less than two months I will atten... more »

Common Core: The Snickers Bar of Education – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Common Core: The Snickers Bar of Education – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Cute kids book available for free download: The Story of a Piece of Paper by Chalk Face, PhD Interesting, via Fragmentalist. Filed under: CHALK FACE: General News & Commentary Tagged: fragmentalist, free childrens story, story of a piece of paper Common Core: The Snickers Bar of Education by Kris Nielsen Diane Ravitch, not too long ago, wrote a blog post about her stance regarding the Common Core State Standards, basically suggesting that she could not support them because of their lack of eviden... more »

Schools and farms: learning to become partners Page 1 of 2 | UTSanDiego.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Schools and farms: learning to become partners Page 1 of 2 | UTSanDiego.com: *Schools and farms: learning to become partners* [image: Kitchen manager Juan Zamorano prepares salads for lunch on Friday at Gompers Preparatory Academy in San Diego, California. He works for the San Diego Unified School District, the county's biggest buyer of regionally sourced produce. / photo by Eduardo Contreras * U-T]*Kitchen manager Juan Zamorano prepares salads for lunch on Friday at Gompers Preparatory Academy in San Diego, California. He works for the San Diego Unified School District, the county... more »

UPDATE Wouldn't be "Nudged" Missouri Education Watchdog: Video of Lindbergh DESE Common Core Meeting. Crowd Refuses to be Delphied.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Video of Lindbergh DESE Common Core Meeting. Crowd Refuses to be Delphied.: Van Harvey Notes Citizens Wouldn't be "Nudged" at the Lindbergh DESE Common Core Meeting. No Choice Architects Allowed to Present the Grand Plan. by stlgretchen Van Harvey's perspective on the Common Core attempted Delphi meeting at Lindbergh School District was spot on. From* If Govt is reckless with money that's not theirs, just imagine how they'll treat your human capital (aka:children) - Common Core State Standards:* * ******************************************** *After at... more »

Louisiana Educator: The Course Choice Cancer

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Louisiana Educator: The Course Choice Cancer: The Course Choice Cancer by Michael Deshotels The campaign is already starting up. There will be millions devoted to marketing alone. Despite the court decision finding Course Choice unconstitutional, Jindal and White have given the green light to for-profit companies to go right ahead with marketing. These are millions that will be taken from Louisiana taxpayers and possibly from the scarce MFP dollars that were once dedicated by the voters and going to our legitimate public schools systems. Check out the following links to ads on Cr... more »

Rebirth: New Orleans -- Documentary Poses a Moral Dilemma - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Rebirth: New Orleans -- Documentary Poses a Moral Dilemma - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Rebirth: New Orleans -- Documentary Poses a Moral Dilemma by Anthony Cody Thursday night I had a chance to watch John Merrow's new documentary, Rebirth: New Orleans, with an audience at the Education Writers Association seminar at Stanford. The film will soon be available on Netflix. Merrow has done a creditable job in capturing the core elements of the transformation of this district. He does us all a disservice, however, when he concludes the film by declaring this experiment... more »

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky [image: ls1] When I first met Anne, she lived in an apartment in Roseland on Chicago’s far south side. She made coffee in a Chemex. To keep it warm she poured a couple of inches of water in an old skillet that had no handle anymore. She turned the flame on low and placed the Chemex in the water. Low tech, but perfect. Our coffees of choice were Bustello – Cuban and Puerto Rican style coffee in the yellow can – or Stewarts, which was pretty high-end in those days and was produced locally out of a factory near Cicero ... more »

Kent State

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
*Kent State Survivors Seek New Probe Of 1970 Shootings* [image: Kent_state_massacre] Kent State, 40 years on: the shredding of constitutional liberty still goes on | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago Kent State, 40 years on: the shredding of constitutional liberty still goes on | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk: Kent State, 40 years on: the shredding of constitutional liberty still goes on To this day, military repression permeates the US. But as history has shown, resistance will always follow - - Share****47 - - - Comments (91) - Willi... more »

Kent State: May 4, 1970 |

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Kent State: May 4, 1970 |: Kent State: May 4, 1970 by Angus Johnston *An excerpt from my dissertation:* President Nixon revealed the US invasion of Cambodia on April 30, 1970, in a televised speech. At a news conference the next day National Student Association president Charles Palmer, flanked by ten collegiate student body presidents, denounced the invasion and Nixon’s “odious disregard of the constitution” and called for his impeachment. The nation’s first student strikes in response to the invasion had already been called by the time Palmer spoke, and by Monday walkouts had be... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 5-4-13

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* The Madness, unending: FIVE-YEAR-OLD KILLS TWO YEAR-OLD-SISTER WITH RIFLE MARKETED FOR KIDs smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 day ago Kentucky boy, 5, accidentally shoots to death 2-year-old sister By Michael Muskal, LA Times | http://lat.ms/157LCuu May 1, 2013, 9:25 a.m. :: A 2-year-old Kentucky girl was accidentally killed by her 5-year-old brother who fired a rifle he had been given as a gift, officials said Wednesday. Cumberland County Coroner Gary L. White said an... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 5-4-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Education Research Report* * *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Treating preschoolers with ADHD: 90 percent of pediatric specialists not following clinical guidelines Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 48 minutes ago *Some prescribe medication too soon; others not even as a second-line treatment* A recent study by pediatricians from the Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York examined to what extent pediatric physicians adhere to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) clinical guidelines regarding pharmacotherapy in treating young patients with Attention ... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 5-3-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE* *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* *Kent State Survivors Seek New Probe Of 1970 Shootings* [image: Kent_state_massacre] Kent State, 40 years on: the shredding of constitutional liberty still goes on | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago Kent State, 40 years on: the shredding of constitutional liberty still goes on | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk: Kent State, 40 years on: the shredding of constitutional liberty still goes on To this day, military repression permeates the US. But as history has ... more »

One Teacher's Perspective: Wisconsin's Private School Vouchers Prove Wasteful

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
One Teacher's Perspective: Wisconsin's Private School Vouchers Prove Wasteful: Wisconsin's Private School Vouchers Prove Wasteful by Imagine Wisconsin *John Forester, Director of Government Relations for the School Administrators Alliance (SAA), shares in this blog posting more sound reasoning opposing Wisconsin Governor Walker's private school voucher plan.* Many observers have called Governor Walker’s proposal to expand private school vouchers bad education policy. I agree. But, today, I would like to address voucher expansion from the perspective of fiscal policy. If voucher ad... more »

Lakeridge High goes unranked in national top schools list because test scores were too high | OregonLive.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Lakeridge High goes unranked in national top schools list because test scores were too high | OregonLive.com: Lakeridge High goes unranked in national top schools list because test scores were too high by Victoria Edwards, The Oregonian First Lake Oswego schools officials struggled to understand why Lakeridge High School wasn't ranked in U.S. News and World Report's annual list of the country's top high schools. Now they're struggling to explain the answer: Students scored too well on state tests. "We've been doing the best we can to explain what happened here, but it takes a lit... more »

Are We Being Ripped Off? | PWC Education Reform Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Are We Being Ripped Off? | PWC Education Reform Blog: Are We Being Ripped Off? by pwceducationreform As of July 1, 2012, PWCS had almost $760 million in bonds outstanding. To date I have never seen anything that accounts for what those bonds are used for. I’ve been trying to track the bonds PWCS has “issued” in the past two years, and I can’t find about $20 million. I have no clue what the bond money was used for, and on one I’ve asked does either. I hope you find that as shocking as I do. I’ve been harping about the need to account for the bonds PWCS “issues” for some time... more »

Why I'm not opting my kids out of standardized tests

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Why I'm not opting my kids out of standardized tests: Why I'm not opting my kids out of standardized tests [image: Robert Niles] By Robert Niles Published: April 17, 2013 at 3:02 PM (MST) Some parents around the country are pulling their kids out of federally-mandated standardized tests this spring. They're hoping that by taking an individual stand against high-stakes testing, they can help change the system.[image: Students testing. Photo via Wikimedia Commons]But opting out of testing is the wrong choice. By taking individual stands against testing, parents are *reinforcing* the c... more »

NYC Public School Parents: The Cathie Black Fiasco: Lessons for Confronting Entrenched Power

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
NYC Public School Parents: The Cathie Black Fiasco: Lessons for Confronting Entrenched Power: The Cathie Black Fiasco: Lessons for Confronting Entrenched Power from NYC Public School Parents by Leonie Haimson *She's BA-A-A-ACK!* *Just Visiting* Nearly 3 years have passed since that quiet afternoon in November 2010 when I glanced at my phone to see the newsflash: *SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR JOEL KLEIN STEPPING DOWN. BLOOMBERG TO APPOINT CATHLEEN P. BLACK, HEARST MAGAZINE, AS REPLACEMENT* The news is always presented so matter-of-factly, so unemotionally. The effect is predictable and com...more »

NYC Educator: The SBO--Make Them an Offer They Can Easily Refuse

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
NYC Educator: The SBO--Make Them an Offer They Can Easily Refuse: The SBO--Make Them an Offer They Can Easily Refuse by NYC Educator Last week, Ms. Teacher went to work, and noticed there was a ballot box in the check-in room. She had no idea there was going to be a vote, and neither did any of her colleagues. But there it was, and she was handed a ballot. There was an SBO, a proposal to increase the school day, already six hours and fifty minutes, by 37 minutes Monday to Thursday. Ms. Teacher saw nothing about getting paid for the extra time. Then she heard some of her colleagues... more »

Recognizing Exemplary Schools - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Recognizing Exemplary Schools - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Establishes Two New Areas for Recognizing Exemplary Schools SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today recognized 19 public schools, which are also 2013 Distinguished Schools, with two new state Exemplary Program Awards for their successful and innovative efforts to promote either the arts or physical activity and nutrition. 'If we want our students to succeed inside and outside the classroom, they need an education that takes the ‘whole child' into ... more »

Pedagogy vs. Andragog | My Island View

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Pedagogy vs. Andragog | My Island View: Pedagogy vs. Andragog by tomwhitby Over this last year I have been fortunate to have been sent to many education conferences on behalf of SmartBrief in pursuit of content and guest bloggers for *SmartBlog on Education*. It is a dream job for a retired educator and an education blogger. The intent is to always keep the educator’s voice on SmartBlog authentic and relevant. In that capacity, I have attended and conducted a multitude of workshops on various education topics. Since I am no longer in the classroom, and have no need to apply what... more »

Meet the 2013 National Teacher Hall of Fame Inductees | NEA Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Meet the 2013 National Teacher Hall of Fame Inductees | NEA Today: Meet the 2013 National Teacher Hall of Fame Inductees by twalker *By Helen Yoshida* On June 14th, five teachers hailing from Maryland, Missouri, Texas and Oklahoma will be inducted into the National Teacher Hall of Fame (NTHF). These members of the Class of 2013 were guests at the Department of Education on Friday, where they met with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to discuss educational issues they face in their schools. Following the meeting they were honored at the National Education Association headqua... more »