Sunday, May 19, 2013

by Fred Klonsky

Photo: Chicago Teachers Union.

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

Just as K-12 online learning hits tipping point, evaluation program threatened

Driven in part by the coming implementation of common core curriculum standards, California schools have never been more engaged in online learning programs – especially at the high school level – according to draft results of a new statewide survey.

But in a move rife with paradox, Gov. Jerry Brown last week reaffirmed his plan to eliminate funding for a key statewide program dedicated to the intersection of both common core and online learning.

His revised May budget would give schools $1 billion to help implement the common core curriculum – some of which would have to be spent evaluating how well commercial online courses fit the new standards in math and English language arts, the very function of the California Learning Resource Network whose funding is threatened.

The network, established under the auspices of the state department of education in 1999, would lose its dedicated funding and perhaps its mission, too, under Brown’s school finance restructuring plan.

Charged with providing schools, teachers and parents objective analysis of the academic rigor of commercial online

Brown ignores LAO warning, stands pat with distributing $1b in Prop. 39 funds

Three months ago the typically reserved nonpartisan Legislative Analyst used especially robust language in calling into question a plan from Gov. Jerry Brown to use new corporate tax revenue to improve energy efficiency at K-12 schools and community colleges.

Corporate Education Reform Industry spends nearly $4.7 million on Connecticut lobbying, little of it telling the truth. - Wait, What?

Corporate Education Reform Industry spends nearly $4.7 million on Connecticut lobbying, little of it telling the truth. - Wait, What?:

Corporate Education Reform Industry spends nearly $4.7 million on Connecticut lobbying, little of it telling the truth.

by jonpelto

Moore tells Maher: ‘The real problem with the IRS is that they let General Electric not pay any taxes’ | The Raw Story http://bit.ly/10G8Y6m

Pro-public education commentator Wendy Lecker has written another “must read” piece, this time pointing out the fact that corporate education reformers are either unwilling or unable to tell the truth as the spin their political stories to try and convince elected officials and the public to support their “education reform” agenda.

Lecker, like many of us, has heard the latest round of ads that side-step the truth in a politically self-righteous attempt to convince us that we can improve out public education system by handing it over to private corporations and charter schools.

This new $1.5 million advertising campaign by a front organization called, ironically enough, A Better Connecticut, is just one more step in the most expensive lobbying effort in Connecticut history.

Here are the latest numbers;

To date, since Governor Malloy took office, the corporate education reform industry has spent at least $4,650,721.54 on

NYC Public School Parents: My twitter interchange with Murdoch about Amplify's losses, and a NYC parent responds to Amplify's sales pitch

NYC Public School Parents: My twitter interchange with Murdoch about Amplify's losses, and a NYC parent responds to Amplify's sales pitch:

My twitter interchange with Murdoch about Amplify's losses, and a NYC parent responds to Amplify's sales pitch

by Leonie Haimson

There is bad news from Amplify, the NewsCorp subsidiary owned by Rupert Murdoch and run by Joel Klein. NPR ran a good story about the company earlier in the year. It appears that Klein is running the business into the ground, just as he did our schools when he was Chancellor at the Department of Education.

According to one press account, Amplify lost $80 million this year alone, despite the substantial funding (at least $44 million) it received from the Gates Foundation to build the data mining operation called inBloom Inc. Actually, according to a presentation Joel Klein gave in December about NewsCorp's bid to capture a largershare of what he described as the $673 billion US education market, through online learning, Amplify's tablets and the new Common Core standards, Klein predicted a loss of $180 million in FY 2013, which he called"disciplined investment."

On a recent earnings call, NewsCorp COO Chase Carey discussed the split that will happen this summer between the profitable parts of the company, like the cable channels and the movie studio, and the weaker

A Thin Line Beyond Silence and Voice | Cooperative Catalyst

A Thin Line Beyond Silence and Voice | Cooperative Catalyst:

A Thin Line Beyond Silence and Voice

by charles kouns

A few days ago, David Loitz, Imagining Learning’s Seed Steward, posted a rough cut of a new film he is making about the Voices of the young people (and some of the adults) who have been involved in Listening Sessions. In watching it, in listening to those familiar faces and voices that I met just once during the 3 hours that we were together, I was moved to tears. Since then, I have been asking myself what those tears were about and then tonight, an answer came.

My intuitive voice within said, “For most of our young people, there is a very thin space between their inner light and the dimming of it.”

Perhaps more than ever – in watching that wonderful film – I realized that today the greatest gift we can give our young people is to create a larger space between their inner light and the dimming of it. Not just a larger space, but the largest space our hearts can possibly conceive.

This, to me, is why the transformation of education is so important. There is no greater gift we can give our future generations, than to co-create – with our young people today, a learning journey that turns their light into a bonfire. As I watched that film and saw the glowing light in their eyes, as they spoke about their visions for changing education and about the empowerment they felt, I got, at an even deeper level, the power of listening as a way to begin.

Asking young people to step into a circle of trust and authenticity and share their inner wisdom, a wisdom they often don’t know they actually have sometimes, is a

Teachers, parents, activists march on to save Chicago schools on chopping block - Chicago Sun-Times

Teachers, parents, activists march on to save Chicago schools on chopping block - Chicago Sun-Times:

Teachers, parents, activists march on to save Chicago schools on chopping block

BY MATT MCKINNEY SUN-TIMES MEDIA May 19, 2013 5:01PM

Walking against all Chicago Public School closings marchers walk down South UniStreet Dewey Elementary School Sunday May 19 2013. |

Walking against all Chicago Public School closings, marchers walk down South Union Street to Dewey Elementary School, Sunday May 19, 2013. | Jessica Koscielniak ~ Sun-Times

Updated: May 19, 2013 7:21PM

Dozens of Chicago teachers, parents and students marched for the second consecutive day Sunday on the South and West Sides as they protested the proposed closing of 54 local public chools.

At Dewey Elementary School, 5415 S. Union, a group of students played basketball as the crowd approached with a megaphone.

“Whose schools? Our schools,” the crowd chanted from across the playground.

Though not facing closure, Dewey is on the list of “turnaround schools,” which means its teachers and administrators could be replaced if approved by the Chicago Board of Education.

The board will decide the fate of 54 schools on Wednesday.

Matthew Johnson, 40, of Englewood, has two sons who attend Dewey.

“We need to get our teachers standing up and staying engaged with our students,” he said. “That’s the only way to [fix this.]”

Zenitra Hodges, 23, of West Englewood, studies psychology at Kentucky State University

Cinda Klickna’s Response: 30 Pieces of Silver CHALLENGE | Reclaim Reform

Cinda Klickna’s Response: 30 Pieces of Silver CHALLENGE | Reclaim Reform:

Cinda Klickna’s Response: 30 Pieces of Silver CHALLENGE

by kenpreviti

I have been reading and rereading our IEA president’s email response to my last blog, “Betrayal. Deception, Investigation, Robocalls: SB2404.” The future of our Illinois pensions hinge on this. Perhaps George Orwell could decipher it for me, but he’s still dead.

Therefore, I personally offer a “30 Pieces of Silver CHALLENGE” to anyone in the world who can translate, decipher, or otherwise explicate Cinda’s words from the double-speak babble of Babel that attempts to make Senate President Cullerton’s Amendment 002 of SB2404 into a gift from the politico gods to the little people.
* Why 30 pieces of silver for Cinda’s re-explanation? Somehow, it seems appropriate.
* The 30 pieces of silver will be dimes for this particular challenge. Why? My pension is being reduced and diminished, and so is yours.
* The challenge ends whenever, and all decisions along with allocation of fiduciary awards will be top secret in the spirit of total non-disclosure.

Now, on to the serious, for us, stuff.
Cinda’s email is as follows.
There have been questions raised about language amended into SB 2404, the Cullerton-Coalition legislation.
This amendment was not a surprise to the members of the labor coalition. The coalition

Daily Kos: Sometimes the sign are unmistakable

Daily Kos: Sometimes the sign are unmistakable:

Sometimes the sign are unmistakable

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

Let's see
in the past few days two of my former students did very well at the Intel ISEF.
One of my former students today sang at the Morehouse graduation where the President gave the commencement address, and he proudly shared on Facebook the program which listed him as a junior Phi Beta Kappan.
Other of my students mark completion of high school or college or medical school on their Facebook pages and I find myself interacting with them.
Another of my former students shared with me the writing he sends to his friends, telling me

I will include you on my small distro list of the missives that I write while I am deployed. I appreciate everything that you have taught me and look foward to your insight.

Another emailed me to tell me about the new teaching job he expects to be doing.One who is briefly in town before returning to Cambridge to graduate from Harvard Law wants to get together to

Online Forum: The Parent Trigger from California to Florida | Seattle Education

Online Forum: The Parent Trigger from California to Florida | Seattle Education:

Online Forum: The Parent Trigger from California to Florida

by seattleducation2011

The Parent Trigger from California to Florida

Sunday, May 26, 2013 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM Pacific Time

We will be hearing from Lori Yuan, a parent in Adelanto who fought the Parent Trigger at her school, and Parents Across America Founding Member Rita Solnet who, along with other organizations, defeated the Parent Trigger bill in the Florida State Senate on March 9, 2013.

To reserve your ticket, go to eventbrite.

This event is free.

For more on the Parent Trigger, listen to:

“Won’t Back Down”: Corporate Education Reform and the Rhetoric of Fiction

The Buck Starts Here | EduShyster

The Buck Starts Here | EduShyster:

The Buck Starts Here

by edushyster2012

A Utah charter school is growing the next generation of capitalists

Like you I was forced to learn many things at school that I have absolutely no use for in the 21st century—like speling for example. And I literaly cannot count the number of times that I have not had to use math. That’s why I was so excited to learn about a boldly innovative new school in Utah which is teaching kids to be makers, not takers. Students as young as kindergarten are learning vital 21st century capitalist tools like sales and marketing, and they can even prepare for the exciting world of work that awaits them by working at the school store.

All aboard the choice mobile
It’s time for another “free ride” in the choice mobile, dear reader. Today our destination is suburban Salt Lake City, home to the new Highmark Charter School, where the entrepreneurial spirit is being fostered even as I type. Unlike traditional union-stifled public schools which equip choiceless young consumers with nothing but excuses and mediocrity, Highmark is incubating the next generation of young learners to become tomorrow’s earners.

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-19-13 #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

The Triumph of Progressivism: Graduation 2013 and 1968

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 43 seconds ago

The Triumph of Progressivism: Graduation 2013 and 1968: The Triumph of Progressivism: Graduation 2013 and 1968Sunday, 19 May 2013 12:13By Robert Reich, Robert Reich's Blog | Op-Ed - 36 - font size [image: decrease font size] [image: increase font size] - Print - Email Many of you soon-to-be college graduates are determined to make the world a better place. Some of you are choosing careers in public service or joining nonprofits or volunteering in your communities. But many of you are cynical about politics. You see the system as inherently corrupt. You doubt rea... more »

Damn pension bloggers. If they don’t ask no questions they won’t hear no lies. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 43 seconds ago

Damn pension bloggers. If they don’t ask no questions they won’t hear no lies. | Fred Klonsky: Damn pension bloggers. If they don’t ask no questions they won’t hear no lies. by Fred Klonsky [image: lmad-curtain]Read the entire post on John Dillon’s blog: Bloggers, curse them for their interloping, later find a last minute amendment by Cullerton and others (Steans?) to force a full payment on the healthcare option, and NO guarantee that healthcare from the state (TRIP) will be provided at all. The blasted bloggers also suggest that my payment for healthcare from the state may com... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Another controversial co-location proposal: hearing Monday on charter school taking space from Harlem adult learning center

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 43 seconds ago

NYC Public School Parents: Another controversial co-location proposal: hearing Monday on charter school taking space from Harlem adult learning center: Another controversial co-location proposal: hearing Monday on charter school taking space from Harlem adult learning center by Leonie Haimson [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] *Most of the reports of damage from charter co-locations in NYC relates to how they take valuable space from existing K12 public schools. Here is an account of how the city's determination to allow a charter school to expand within p... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-19-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Bloomberg’s Advice: Skip College, Be a Plumber by dianerav Now this is an interesting idea that needs to be deconstructed. Mayor Bloomberg, reputedly worth $20 Billion,suggests that some young people should skip college and be a plumber. On one hand, that’s good advice for young people who are not interested in going to college. Many, even some who should go to college, can’t afford to go because the cost is so prohibitive. In recent years, the states have shifted the costs to students and made college unaffor... more »

Obama at Morehouse: Use your power for a purpose | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Obama at Morehouse: Use your power for a purpose | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: Obama at Morehouse: Use your power for a purpose Here are some passages from President Barack Obama’s commencement address today at Morehouse College. *Link here *for the full speech, which is worth sharing with your students and your children: View Larger [image: President Obama at Morehouse] Speaking today at the Morehouse commencement, President Obama told graduates that a "unique sense of purpose" has always infused the historic campus. Previous Posts - New spin on the dog at... more »

Why I am Running for School Board – by Sue Peters | Parents Across America

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Why I am Running for School Board – by Sue Peters | Parents Across America: Why I am Running for School Board – by Sue Peters by DoraTaylor *By PAA Founding Member Sue Peters:* For the past nine years, I have been deeply involved in Seattle’s public schools, as a parent of two, a school volunteer, an education blogger, a member of district task forces and as a local and national public education advocate. I would like to help steer the largest school district in Washington State in a positive direction. I believe that I can serve the Seattle school community even better as a repre... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Letter to King & Regents about inBloom Inc. from CM Robert Jackson, Class Size Matters, Learning Disabilities Association, AQE and CEJ

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Letter to King & Regents about inBloom Inc. from CM Robert Jackson, Class Size Matters, Learning Disabilities Association, AQE and CEJ: Letter to King & Regents about inBloom Inc. from CM Robert Jackson, Class Size Matters, Learning Disabilities Association, AQE and CEJ by Leonie Haimson See the letter sent to Commissioner King and the Regents last week from Council Member Robert Jackson, chair of the NYC Council Education Committee, Class Size Matters, the Learning Disabilities Association of NY, Alliance for Quality Education, and Coalition for Educ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Seattle Schools This Week by Melissa Westbrook *Wednesday, May 22nd* Exit Conference for Financial and Single Federal Audit, 4-4:30 p.m. in the JSCEE auditorium. This is just an official reporting of an audit that happens regularly. Oversight Work Session:Teaching&Learning (Part 2) from 4:30-6:30 pm. Will all be revealed? Stay tuned. Work Session: Race&Equity Professional Development, 6:15-7:45 pm. *Thursday, May 23rd* Executive Session: Superintendent evaluation *Friday, May 24th* What? No school so you get a 4-day... more »

solidaridad: Follow the money and you will see the LAUSD School Board's priorities...

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

solidaridad: Follow the money and you will see the LAUSD School Board's priorities...: Follow the money and you will see the LAUSD School Board's priorities... by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene This image and introduction are courtesy of my favorite Social Justice Educator. Nothing like a Superintendent and School Board that place profits before pupils! *Please share with others. Don't let Monica Garcia and friends fool people into thinking they are ending the school to prison pipeline when they don't spend money on the classroom and Health and Human Services. Nothing helps end crimi... more »

UPDATE: Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky: The in box. From IRTA’s Gary Elman. by Fred Klonsky Sent: Sun, May 19, 2013 6:52 am Subject: Fwd: An IEA explanation of the “language amended into SB 2404″ I am forwarding this to you because you had asked various questions about the pension reform bill. As you know, IRTA remains steadfastly opposed to any diminishment of your pensions and benefits. We are prepared to fight those in court. Apparently IEA and IFT are not. They support the legislation. I wish they were as loyal to their members as they are to the We Are One coalition. IRTA would like to ... more »

IRS Targeting, the Atlanta Cheating Scandal and the Bush-Rhee High-Stakes Test Model | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

IRS Targeting, the Atlanta Cheating Scandal and the Bush-Rhee High-Stakes Test Model | Scathing Purple Musings: IRS Targeting, the Atlanta Cheating Scandal and the Bush-Rhee High-Stakes Test Model by Bob Sikes Imagine for a minute that the opposite is true and that the United States abruptly switched from a flat tax to the federal tax code we have now? Frightening huh? Yet this is essentially what the nation’s two top education policy-makers in Jeb Bush and Michelle Rhee have imposed on our schools. In the name of “accountability,” the two have succeeded in making the results of ... more »

The in box. “It’s Klonsky and the pension bloggers’ fault.” | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

The in box. “It’s Klonsky and the pension bloggers’ fault.” | Fred Klonsky: The in box. “It’s Klonsky and the pension bloggers’ fault.” by Fred Klonsky The flurry of E-mail, accusations and “misrepresentations” concerning SB 2404 and TRIP (retired teacher insurance) since Friday Night — 5-17 — has been amazing. I was a supporter of SB2404 at Friday, May 17 at 5PM and I’m still a supporter of SB2404 on Sunday morning 5-19. There have been a number of charges, accusations, and “misrepresentations” subtly begun by the IRTA leadership and fanned, *spread and promoted by the “Pensio... more »

AFTERNOON UPDATE: Assessment Time? – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Assessment Time? – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Pearson history text mimics art history textbook in same controversy by Chalk Face, PhD [image: Image]Remember that story from September where an art school was charging $180 for an art history text with no artwork? Yeah, that one. It’s published by Pearson. From Brent Ashley: There is no discount on the $180 price for an ART textbook that has NO PICTURES. Devoid of pictures. Bereft of art. If I am going to have to pay $180 for an art history book that is of no resale value to next year’s students, it had damn well better be... more »

FDR's Economic Bill of Rights

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

FDR's Economic Bill of Rights “The Economic Bill of Rights” [edit] Excerpt from President Roosevelt's January 11, 1944 message to the Congress of the United States on the State of the Union:[2] “It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people—whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth—is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, ... more »

Are school vouchers losing steam?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Are school vouchers losing steam?: Are school vouchers losing steam? By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 18, 2013 at 5:00 amE-mail the writer 5 Comments More [image: vouchers]Vouchers have been at the center of the school choice movement for many reformers, but they may be in trouble. Here making that argument is Abby Rapoport of The American Prospect, where this appeared. By Abby Rapoport When news broke earlier this month that the Louisiana Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s voucher system, which uses public dollars to pay for low-income students to go to private schools, the fig... more »

MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-19-13 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] *LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 5-18-13 * * * A Gift for You This Sunday by dianerav Last Sunday, I published a beautiful poem by Cavafy. In reply, Will Fitzhugh (founder of “The Concord Review,” which publishes history papers by high school students) sent this one to me. He probably did not know that this is one of my favorite poems, and it has special meaning for me. When I graduated from San Jacinto High School in Houston in 1956, ... more »

Waiting for Superman to Tell the Truth? (Don’t Hold Your Breath) – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Waiting for Superman to Tell the Truth? (Don’t Hold Your Breath) – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Waiting for Superman to Tell the Truth? (Don’t Hold Your Breath) by plthomasedd The least accountable among us are those at the top making grand statements (unverified, unchallenged) used to call for the accountable of everyone else. I invite you to read carefully Canada’s Legend-ary TED Talk Lie by Gary Rubinstein to understand how corrosive the “miracle” school narrative is when it is combined with the cult of personality (Canada as Superman, Rhee as the Tiger Mom, Duncan... more »

How to take a test: 1956 short film

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

How to take a test: 1956 short film: How to take a test: 1956 short film By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 19, 2013 at 4:00 amE-mail the writer 1 Comments More A blast from the past: a 1956 short film with tips on the right and wrong way to take a test. See what’s changed and what hasn’t. Obama (Michelle), Colbert, Clinton (Bill), Biden, etc: The best 2013 commencement speeches (so far) by Valerie Strauss Leave it to Stephen Colbert to find a way to make Thomas Jefferson funny. That’s what he did when he was speaking to graduates at the University of Virginia — but he wasn’t the on... more »

Ed Notes Online: Whining Walcott in Blatant Misuse of Position Subjects 2000 Administrators to Political Harrangue

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Whining Walcott in Blatant Misuse of Position Subjects 2000 Administrators to Political Harrangue: Whining Walcott in Blatant Misuse of Position Subjects 2000 Administrators to Political Harrangue by ed notes online Mr. Walcott’s speech seemed intended to be a rallying cry before a friendly crowd, but the response was muted. While his calls for preserving the authority of principals and eradicating nepotism were met with applause, some principals seemed uninterested in his message... *NY Times on Walcott speech at May 18 principal conference * Many principal... more »

Compare and contrast. Cinda tries to explain. John Dillon responds and translates. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Compare and contrast. Cinda tries to explain. John Dillon responds and translates. | Fred Klonsky: Compare and contrast. Cinda tries to explain. John Dillon responds and translates. by Fred Klonsky From IEA President Cinda Klickna on SB2404: “There have been questions raised about language amended into SB 2404, the Cullerton-Coalition legislation. This amendment was not a surprise to the members of the labor coalition. The coalition remains committed to the passage of SB 2404. The amendment clarifies the law with regard to retiree access to health insurance through the State. *“... more »

Transform Education? Challenge the Governance Model! | Lefty Parent

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Transform Education? Challenge the Governance Model! | Lefty Parent: Transform Education? Challenge the Governance Model! by Cooper Zale [image: EDUCRATS_AT_WORK_small]I recently read Michele McNeil’s piece in Education Week, “Rifts Deepen Over Direction of Ed. Policy in U.S.”, and was heartened by what I read. The piece begins with this overview… In statehouses and cities across the country, battles are raging over the direction of education policy—from the standards that will shape what students learn to how test results will be used to judge a teacher’s performance. Students and... more »

LAUSD board race to be decided by East Valley voters - LA Daily News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

LAUSD board race to be decided by East Valley voters - LA Daily News: LAUSD board race to be decided by East Valley voters By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer Posted: 05/18/2013 08:20:42 PM PDT Updated: 05/18/2013 08:23:24 PM PDT ** [image: IMG-mmr-12-12b.jpg] *Monica Ratliff - Fifth Grade Teacher - Attorney* ** ** *Click here Go to Monica Ratliff's Website* Spending has topped $1.8 million in the race to fill the remaining open seat on the Los Angeles Unified school board, with East San Fernando Valley voters deciding how the transformation of the nation's second-largest school d... more »

Alberta to overhaul standardized testing, emphasize creativity | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Alberta to overhaul standardized testing, emphasize creativity | toteachornototeach: Alberta to overhaul standardized testing, emphasize creativity by aristotlethewise *Alberta to overhaul standardized testing, emphasize creativity* Alberta is phasing out its benchmark province-wide achievement tests for students in favor of what it says are more comprehensive computer-based exams. Education Minister Jeff Johnson says the new approach will better assess a student’s creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving – not just test for core knowledge in numeracy and literacy. “It’s mu... more »

Steve Perry’s Dissertation: Heavy on Lit Review, Slight on Scholarship | deutsch29

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Steve Perry’s Dissertation: Heavy on Lit Review, Slight on Scholarship | deutsch29: Steve Perry’s Dissertation: Heavy on Lit Review, Slight on Scholarship by deutsch29 As a classroom teacher, a real teacher– real in the sense of both my credentials and my experience– I am tired of those outside of the classroom catapulting themselves into positions of quick fame in order to comment on the state of the classroom– a place either completely unfamiliar to them firsthand or of only token familiarity. Such is the motivation for my writing many of my posts, and it is my motivation here ... more »

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: S.954 Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education programs funding - 0 seconds ago An original bill to reauthorize agricultural programs through 2018. Bill Introduced: S.918 American Dream Accounts Act of 2013 Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education programs funding - 0 seconds ago A bill to award grants in order to establish longitudinal personal college readiness and savings online platforms for low-income students. Bill Introduced: H.R.1893 Keeping All Students Sa... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The District's Commitment to Stated Values

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The District's Commitment to Stated Values: The District's Commitment to Stated Values by Charlie Mas Seattle Public Schools has a set of stated values. Among these are transparency and engagement. To what extent, however, has the District leadership adhered to those stated values? Not so well. Think about the various initiatives underway. Are any of them being conducted in a transparent and engaged manner? I don't think so,. *Strategic Plan* - The District got some vague input from an advisory committee of about 60 people - you can only get vagu... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Video of Mayoral forum, moderated by Diane Ravitch; and will Bill Thompson ask Merryl Tisch to stop the sharing of students' personal data with inBloom?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Video of Mayoral forum, moderated by Diane Ravitch; and will Bill Thompson ask Merryl Tisch to stop the sharing of students' personal data with inBloom?: Video of Mayoral forum, moderated by Diane Ravitch; and will Bill Thompson ask Merryl Tisch to stop the sharing of students' personal data with inBloom? by Leonie Haimson Here is video from the May 2 mayoral forum in Brooklyn, moderated by Diane Ravitch and sponsored by . Candidates included John Liu, Bill Thompson, Bill de Blasio, and Sal Albanese. Bill Thompson, candidate for MayorParent Voices It ... more »

#Blended Learning is cheap learning, isn’t it? #edtech – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

#Blended Learning is cheap learning, isn’t it? #edtech – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: #Blended Learning is cheap learning, isn’t it? #edtech by Chalk Face, PhD [image: #Blended Learning is cheap learning, isn't it? #edtech] This isn’t a reaction to anything in particular, but when I do happen to glance at something about “Blended learning,” I always feel like advocates want to get the same learning for half the price. Technology in this instance means to replace certain more expensive teaching functions with videos and other nonsense. When the private schools get blended ... more »

Fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published | The Raw Story

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published | The Raw Story: * * *Fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published* [image: Human brain image via Shutterstock] Some people diagnosed with Asperger’s are unhappy about the coming change. Carol Povey, director of the National Autistic Society‘s Centre for Autism, said: “The term Asperger Syndrome is a core part of their identity for many people and they understandably feel anxious about moves to remove the term. The changes won’t prevent people from continuing to use ... more »

Blue Jersey:: NJ Education News Round-Up, 5/18/13

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Blue Jersey:: NJ Education News Round-Up, 5/18/13: NJ Education News Round-Up, 5/18/13 by Jersey Jazzman Here's this week education news for the Garden State:*- Christie Christie: A Gigantic Fraud* Chris Christie told teachers, cops, firefighters, and other public employees that he was "saving" our pensions.What a crock: More important, however, is that no one in the press seems to be interested - in this election year - in getting Christie's plan on the record, once and for all, to come up with the $5.5 billion a year he's going to need starting in 2018 to fund the pensions.Let... more »

Update on parent trigger | Parents Across America

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Update on parent trigger | Parents Across America: Update on parent trigger by pureparents The parent trigger is a hot issue in many states now. It started in California, launched by the organization Parent Revolution, a fake-grassroots operation founded by charter-school mogul Steve Barr and funded by the likes of Gates, Walton et al. Here’s a summary of the current parent trigger landscape in California and a brief history of the previous parent triggers, put together from California sources who have followed the issue. Parent Revolution currently has two or three parent trigger... more »

Katie Lapham: Data Shows Not Enough Teaching - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Katie Lapham: Data Shows Not Enough Teaching - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Katie Lapham: Data Shows Not Enough Teaching by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Katie Lapham* As all U.S. teachers in public education know, in today's schools there exists a huge emphasis on data collection and analysis. Schools have formed data inquiry and teacher inquiry teams, and three-hole punching print-outs of students' test scores consumes many a prep period. I did some of my own data analysis to determine how many school days will be non-teaching for me this year. It does not include ... more »

UPDATE: something still wrong Daily Kos: If you want to understand the real challenges of education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Daily Kos: If you want to understand the real challenges of education: something still wrong with our medical system by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) is the way prescriptions are handled. No, I am not talking about Medicare Part D and the donut hole, or the ban against negotiation of prices or of reimportation, all of which are important issues. I am talking about the tilting of the playing field against independent pharmacies. This is from personal experience, twice in recent months, first with my wife and then with me. Under her federal employee health insurance we have full cover... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-18-13 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: Teacher in L.A.: Please, Colleagues, Work for Monica Ratliff by dianerav For reasons I don’t understand, the UTLA endorsed both Monica Ratliff, a teacher, and her opponent Antonio Sanchez. Sanchez has almost $4 million from the billionaires. Monica has raised $42,000. A music teacher in Los Angeles wrote this appeal; *Dear Teachers,* *I am sending this to a few LAUSD teacher e-mail addresses that I have. I do not have many, so please forward to others.* *There is a totally crucial school board race on this Tuesday... more »

My Discussion with Matt Barnum Part 3 | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

My Discussion with Matt Barnum Part 3 | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: My Discussion with Matt Barnum Part 3 by Gary Rubinstein Dear Gary, I’ve often heard teachers complain about the latest reform “fad.” It’s understandable insofar as veteran teachers have been around for many rounds of “reform,” only to see each and every one swept abashedly into a locked closet in the back of the class (right next to where I surreptitiously put those pre-tests I never got around to grading). I think there’s a lot of truth to that, and I suspect that you agree. Where we’d probably part ways is the take... more »

Betrayal, Deception, Investigation, Robocalls: SB2404 | Reclaim Reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Betrayal, Deception, Investigation, Robocalls: SB2404 | Reclaim Reform: Betrayal, Deception, Investigation, Robocalls: SB2404 by kenpreviti [image: robocall2] John Cullerton, Democratic Senate President, wrote Amendment 002 to his own “shared sacrifice compromise” pension bill, SB2404, on May 8. Two past-presidents and the present president of IEA have endorsed the bill while IEA robocalled and emailed all active teachers to support SB2404. WHY? SB2404 GIVES US A CHOICE OF PAYING 100% OF AN UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT AND EVERCHANGING COST INCREASES FOR WHATEVER IS CHARGED FOR HEALTHCARE – OR... more »

UPDATE: NY 3rd Graders Under Investigation – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

UPDATE: NY 3rd Graders Under Investigation – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: UPDATE: NY 3rd Graders Under Investigation by Kris Nielsen According the local paper in Albany, New York, the teacher of the students has been put on administrative leave and the investigation continues. http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/School-s-exams-under-scrutiny-4527051.php If the Test Security Unit decide that cheating took place, the teacher could be charged with a misdemeanor. Let me repeat that: a *misdemeanor*. I want to know more. The state should be talking. My friend, Michael Lam... more »

UPDATE: What Cinda Klickna doesn’t say + Chicago’s West Side says no to closing schools. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Chicago’s West Side says no to closing schools. | Fred Klonsky: Compare and contrast. Under SB2404 will health care be a vested contractual right? by Fred Klonsky What the IEA says about SB2404: *“Access to State-provided healthcare/insurance is currently not guaranteed by the constitution. If SB 2404 is passed, State-provided healthcare would become a vested and enforceable contractual right, a status it does not have today.”* What John Cullerton says about SB2404: *The vested and enforceable contractual right to a program of health benefits is NOT offered as, and * What Cinda ... more »

Ed Notes Online: UFT Tilts to Thompson: Tisch, D'Amato, New Action Overjoyed, de Blasio branded as"Left" While SEIU Endorses him

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Ed Notes Online: UFT Tilts to Thompson: Tisch, D'Amato, New Action Overjoyed, de Blasio branded as"Left" While SEIU Endorses him: UFT Tilts to Thompson: Tisch, D'Amato, New Action Overjoyed, de Blasio branded as"Left" While SEIU Endorses him by ed notes online 3-card monte scam*This [1199/SEIU de Blasio] endorsement is a direct slap to Thompson. The African American candidate getting all those rich white people to support him politically and financially doesn't get 1199's endorsement because those members know who Thompson will represent if he is elected mayor. ... Reality Base... more »

Suspension - California Teachers Association

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Suspension - California Teachers Association: Rethinking suspension By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin [image: image] Aaron Harkey discusses classroom behavior with Marssy Are student suspensions hurting academic achievement? Some CTA members are helping kids stay in school by finding alternatives to suspension while keeping safety as the first priority. “Zero tolerance” policies emphasizing suspending or expelling unruly students became widespread in the 1990s as schools responded to fears of violence, weapons and drug use. California schools issued 778,084 suspensions and expulsions in 2009-... more »

UPDATE: Jersey Jazzman: Latest "Chiefs For Change" Fail: Bowen in ME

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Jersey Jazzman: Latest "Chiefs For Change" Fail: Bowen in ME: Latest "Chiefs For Change" Fail: Bowen in ME #2 by Duke I just posted about Maine "Chief For Change," Steven Bowen, and how he's had to back off on plans - written by his patron, Jeb! Bush - to fast-track for-profit virtual charter schools into the state. Before we move on to another state and another CFC Fail, however, let's take a moment to enjoy the twisted logic of Commissioner Bowen: Second, the Press Herald seems to feel that the new A-F grading system suffers from a fatal flaw because it does not discriminate betw... more »

Teacher’s Special Education Program MOVEs Kids Ahead - Journeys - Davis, CA Patch

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Teacher’s Special Education Program MOVEs Kids Ahead - Journeys - Davis, CA Patch: Teacher’s Special Education Program MOVEs Kids Ahead Gloria Osorio encourages her students to reach beyond their apparent limits. Sponsored by Grape-Nuts. Posted by Lauren Gibbs (Editor), May 18, 2013 at 07:02 am ** Comment ** ** Recommend ** ** - - - *Article written by **Katharine Blossom Lowrie* In 1971, Gloria Osorio began working as an assistant at Charles Leroy Lowman Special Education Center, a school for the disabled in North Hollywood. Inspired by the students at the school,... more »

Fiery Chicago teachers union president reelected

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Fiery Chicago teachers union president reelected: Fiery Chicago teachers union president reelected By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 18, 2013 at 11:02 amE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: CT CT-MET-KAREN-LEWIS-A_CTMAIN 0911 SR]Karen Lewis, the fiery leader of the Chicago Teachers Union who led a strike last year and became a nationally known anti-school reform figure, has been elected to another three-year term as president. Today she will leadthe first of three days of protests against Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to close 54 public schools. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that... more »