Friday, May 24, 2013

by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)

"This shit can't be made up"-Maimonides AD 1167

We can't believe what is happening at PS 154. Lucy and Ethel have completely ruined the possibility of any education, any order, and any discipline. Worse, and I can't believe this is true, Lucy is the least of the problem. It is all Ethel.

As discussed many times on these pages the discipline, specifically the out of control 5th grade, is not just lacking, but non-existent. It is time that Ethel is held responsible for this.

One main reason for the out of control nature of the 5th grade students is that they know that once they are in anyway disciplined or admonished by any other teacher that the usual refrain from these students is

UPDATE: Parent trigger leader alleges organizers promised parents pay - San Bernardino County Sun

Parent trigger leader alleges organizers promised parents pay - San Bernardino County Sun:

Parent trigger leader alleges organizers promised parents pay

Beau Yarbrough, Staff Writer

Posted: 05/24/2013 05:13:33 PM PDT

ADELANTO -- One of the High Desert parents who used a state law to wrest control of their failing elementary school away from school district hands is alleging that the group that helped organize the effort offered to pay parents to promote the "parent trigger" movement nationwide."According to the financial bylaws, there was supposed to be no financial gain" for working with the Desert Trails Parent Union, recruitment coordinator Joe Morales said Thursday.
The father of two children, including a fifth-grader at Desert Trails Elementary School, he helped lead the effort for local parents to use California's parent trigger laws, which allows parents who gather sufficient signatures to wrest control of their school away from officials and, in this case, turn it over to a Hesperia charter school operator at the end of this school year.
The trouble began last fall, he said, when "Won't Back Down," a film telling a fictional story of a parent trigger effort, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis, was being released. Parent Revolution, the non-profit that helped get California's parent trigger law passed in 2010, and which has helped organize all the parent trigger attempts in the state to date, helped promote the movie and the parent trigger concept in the national media.
"When 'Won't Back Down' came out, (Parent Revolution) claimed they had a group of nine people who would go

Hart, Weingarten, and Polling About Common Core | deutsch29

Hart, Weingarten, and Polling About Common Core | deutsch29:

Hart, Weingarten, and Polling About Common Core

by deutsch29

In March/April 2013, Hart Associates conducted a poll of American Federation of Teachers (AFT) members regarding opinions about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). A finding publicized by AFT President Randi Weingarten is that “75% of AFT teachers polled support CCSS.” I took issue with both the finding itself and the manner in which the finding was reported. One of my criticisms regarded the small sample size: only 800 AFT members were polled.
Both Weingarten and Hart Research Associates responded to my post. Both insist that the sample was of adequate size and “representative of AFT members.”
Nevertheless, if Hart’s and AFT’s goal was to truly discern whether or not teachers support CCSS, their sampling misses the mark. I would like to detail my position in this post.
Opinion polling is a tricky business. Care needs to be taken in obtaining a representative sample. Gallup is an established name in opinion polls, and one of the standards used by Gallup is the stratified random sample. A

San Jose Teachers’ Contract Offers Leadership Pathways | InterACT

San Jose Teachers’ Contract Offers Leadership Pathways | InterACT:

San Jose Teachers’ Contract Offers Leadership Pathways

by David B. Cohen

Promoting Quality Teaching:

New Approaches To Compensation and Career Pathways

Note: in November 2012, Accomplished California Teachers (ACT) released the policy report “Promoting Quality Teaching: New Approaches to Compensation and Career Pathways.” The following post is the second in a series of profiles showing how California teacher leaders are beginning to develop and follow diversified career pathways. California teachers, and our peers around the nation, are looking for opportunities to innovate and lead in our field, but without having to leave the classroom. Our argument is that educational leadership will improve the more its carried out by those still in the classroom, and that students will benefit from having more accomplished educators remaining the in classroom rather than taking on entirely non-teaching positions.
This addition to the California Teacher Leader Profiles series of blog posts summarizes a promising development from San Jose, CA, as reported by John Fensterwald in EdSource Today:

Breaking new ground in California, San Jose Unified has adopted an innovative teacher evaluation process that gives teachers a role in reviewing their peers and greatly revises the current – and some say outmoded – method of measuring teacher success.

The new system would deny automatic raises to unsatisfactory performers and give evaluators the option of adding another year to the probationary period for new teachers – a provision at odds with the state teachers union. Bucking a national trend, the new system will not use standardized test scores as a direct

Jersey Jazzman: NJ Ed Commissioner Cerf is Literally In Charge of Dog S#!^

Jersey Jazzman: NJ Ed Commissioner Cerf is Literally In Charge of Dog S#!^:

NJ Ed Commissioner Cerf is Literally In Charge of Dog S#!^

by Duke

Folks, there are days when I just can't believe what I have to report:

The state education commissioner has overturned the termination of Haddon Township High School’s athletic director, who in May 2012 was caught on camera placing dog feces on his ex-wife’s car in the school parking lot.

Just months before, Alan Carr also lied to school administrators about secretly putting an upsetting newspaper article in his ex-wife’s mailbox, records show.
Carr and his ex-wife, also a teacher at the high school, had divorced shortly before the actions occurred.

An administrative law judge initially ruled in April to revoke Carr’s tenure, saying “his ability to serve as a proper example for students has been severely compromised.” The district school board had contended Carr’s behavior violated its anti-bullying policy and warranted dismissal from his tenured

Data Center: 2012 Base API school scores and rankings - Inside Bay Area

Data Center: 2012 Base API school scores and rankings - Inside Bay Area:

Data Center: 2012 Base API school scores and rankings

Danny Willis, Oakland Tribune

Posted: 05/24/2013 01:42:19 PM PDT

Updated: 05/24/2013 02:31:42 PM PDT

District	School	2012 Base API	Rank	Similar Schools Rank
Santa Clara Unified	Millikin Elementary	998	10	10
Cupertino Union	William Faria Elementary	998	10	10
Cupertino Union	Murdock-Portal Elementary	997	10	10
Fremont Unified	Mission San Jose Elementary	996	10	10
Palo Alto Unified	Herbert Hoover Elementary	995	10	10
Santa Clara County Office of Education	Bullis Charter	994	10	10
Fremont Unified	John Gomes Elementary	990	10	10
Redwood City Elementary	North Star Academy	990	10	10
San Francisco Unified	Chin (John Yehall) Elementary	989	10	10
Hillsborough City Elementary	North Hillsborough	989	10	10
Mountain View Whisman	Independent Study Program	988	10
Cupertino Union	Nelson S. Dilworth Elementary	988	10	10
Evergreen Elementary	Tom Matsumoto Elementary	988	10	10
Fremont Unified	James Leitch Elementary	987	10	10
Cupertino Union	Joaquin Miller Middle	987	10	10
Cupertino Union	Garden Gate Elementary	986	10	9
Fremont Unified	William Hopkins Junior High	986	10	10
Cupertino Union	John F. Kennedy Middle	985	10	10
Cupertino Union	L. P. Collins Elementary	985	10	9
Orinda Union Elementary	Sleepy Hollow Elementary	984	10	10
Los Altos Elementary	Oak Avenue Elementary	983	10	9
Cupertino Union	Sam H. Lawson Middle	983	10	10
Castro Valley Unified	Jensen Ranch Elementary	982	10	9
Los Altos Elementary	Ardis G. Egan Junior High	981	10	10
Los Altos Elementary	Covington Elementary	981	10	9

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of 397

Records 1-25 of 9905

Created with Caspio

Database by Daniel J. Willis

State school API rankings show middle school can be tough, but some excel

By Sharon Noguchi snoguchi@mercurynews.com

Posted: 05/24/2013 11:06:39 AM PDT

Updated: 05/24/2013 04:06:25 PM PDT

Middle school -- where the minds of newly minted teenagers are suddenly hijacked by hormones and stop-and-start growth -- is a challenging level to teach.

And yet at Milpitas Unified's two middle schools defy the trend and have propelled its seventh- and eighth-graders to the top when compared with schools of similar diversity.

As California's Academic Performance Index scores released Friday indicate, even districts with high-scoring elementary schools falter in grades 6, 7 and 8. And while some high-performing schools in the South Bay and Peninsula excel on middle-school standardized tests, more falter. The 1-to-10 rankings that compare schools statewide and with similar schools showed wide variation in area schools. The rankings are based on results of tests taken in spring of 2012.

The school rankings released Friday comparing schools of similar demographics illustrate the middle-school challenge. In the Burlingame, Millbrae, Jefferson in Daly City and Mountain View-Whisman districts, elementary schools average above 5 on the 1-to-10 scale. But their middle schools ranked only a 4.

The drop is even more pronounced in other districts. Campbell Union's 10 elementary schools average 5.1 on their similar school ranking, but its two middle schools rank an average of 1.5. Ravenswood elementary schools, in East

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-24-13 #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

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Billionaire Boys Club couldn't buy L.A. School Board elections

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Billionaire Boys Club couldn't buy L.A. School Board elections: Billionaire Boys Club couldn't buy L.A. School Board elections by Mike Klonsky *"This is a testament to the voters. Voters put their belief in skills and expertise.... It sends the clear message that school board seats are not for sale."* -- *Monica Ratliff. * Fifth-grade teacher *Ratliff *gave the corporate school "reformers" a real kick in the butt this week when her popular, but poorly-funded campaign for school board ended in victory. Her opponent in the race to represent east S... more »

Cooper Union Protesters Living High Life Out of President’s Office - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago

Cooper Union Protesters Living High Life Out of President’s Office - NYTimes.com: Cooper Union Protesters Living High Life Out of President’s Office As embattled encampments go, the president’s office at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is not exactly Zuccotti Park in the fall of 2011. Rather than a warren of improvised shelters with a loud drum circle, the gracious office has open views through seven arched windows, and the only percussion comes from the tapping of laptop keys. On May 8, students moved in to protest the school’s decision to charge undergradu... more »

IEA wants you to support benefit cuts. End of discussion. Comments are closed. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago

IEA wants you to support benefit cuts. End of discussion. Comments are closed. | Fred Klonsky: IEA wants you to support benefit cuts. End of discussion. Comments are closed. by Fred Klonsky [image: Gone Fishing SPOFS013]I got the usual weekly email link to the IEA website featuring the usual Vimeo of IEA head lobbyist, Jim Reed. No matter our differences, Jim and I have always had cordial conversations. I got the notice on my iPad. The iPad layout of the IEA website is different than the one I see on my MacBook. When I got to the bottom of the post, it said *“Comments Are Closed.”* ... more »

Prom for students with special needs promotes access, acceptance for all | OregonLive.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago

Prom for students with special needs promotes access, acceptance for all | OregonLive.com: Prom for students with special needs promotes access, acceptance for all by Nicole Dungca, The Oregonian [image: 2013 Oregon Proms - MESD] Joann Guenther could hardly sleep this week -- she was too busy thinking about her first prom. Guenther's mother, Laura Cross, had helped her prepare for weeks. By Wednesday night, the Multnomah Education Service District student had the sequined pink dress, the new shoes, the freshly highlighted hair. For most high schoolers, prom is an inevitable milestone... more »

The Current Education Policy May Be Hurting Latino Students | NewsTacoNewsTaco

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago

The Current Education Policy May Be Hurting Latino Students | NewsTacoNewsTaco: [image: latino hish school student classroom] By Emily Deruy, ABC News/Univision A group of Latino education experts from across the country urged policymakers in Washington, D.C., this week to take steps to improve education for Hispanic students. The Latino Elected and Appointed Officials National Taskforce on Education was formed several years ago. They wanted to make sure the needs of Latino students and English Language learners were recognized as talks about the reauthorization of the Elementary an... more »

The Politics Behind the Move to Dismantle Wisconsin’s United Council |

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

The Politics Behind the Move to Dismantle Wisconsin’s United Council |: The Politics Behind the Move to Dismantle Wisconsin’s United Council by Angus Johnston Last night brought shocking news for supporters of student involvement in university governance in the United States, as a Republican-controlled budget committee of the Wisconsin state legislature moved — with little debate, and after refusing a stand-alone vote — to eliminate the primary funding stream of the nation’s oldest and most respected statewide student association. The United Council of University of Wisconsin Stud... more »

Healthy Eating: In Fulton Schools, It's All About the Marketing — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Healthy Eating: In Fulton Schools, It's All About the Marketing — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Ruth Taylor]Healthy Eating: In Fulton Schools, It’s All About the Marketing May 24, 2013 by Ruth Taylor The Challenge [image: Placing attractive fruit bowls on the serving line, and prompting students to take one, is one of the many ways Fulton County School Nutrition is encouraging healthier food choices in the lunchroom.] The school nutrition program at Fulton County Schools in Atlanta, Ga., already goes above and beyond U.S. federal nutrition standards, serving 50 ... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-24-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Anthony Cody: Who Supports Mayoral Control? by dianerav Anthony Cody describes the campaign to put mayors in charge of school districts and the reasons behind it. The biggest supporter of mayoral control is Arne Duncan. When mayoral control was up for renewal in Néw York City, he weighed in to support it. He lobbied against any effort to give the mayor’s appointees set terms; he insisted they should serve at the pleasure of the mayor to give his absolute authority over every decision. That allowed the mayor t... more »

Why Chicago's School Closings Are Racist | NewsTacoNewsTaco

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Why Chicago's School Closings Are Racist | NewsTacoNewsTaco: Why Chicago’s School Closings Are Racist by Gozamos [image: school-closings-700x300] By Hector Luis Alamo, Jr., Gozamos This week, hundreds, if not thousands, of angry parents, teachers and their supporters marched on Daley Plaza to voice their opposition to Mayor Emanuel’s planned school closings — currently slated at 54, which would make it the largest school closing in the nation’s history. The rally is the culmination of three days of marching ahead of the Board of Education’s vote. [image: gozamos]That all of the schoo... more »

Layoffs for Connecticut Residents, Retainers for out-of-state consultants: The Malloy-Pryor-Mass Insight Contract - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Layoffs for Connecticut Residents, Retainers for out-of-state consultants: The Malloy-Pryor-Mass Insight Contract - Wait, What?: Layoffs for Connecticut Residents, Retainers for out-of-state consultants: The Malloy-Pryor-Mass Insight Contract by jonpelto Despite a FOI request to do so, the Connecticut State Department of Education has failed to turn over their contract with Mass Insight, an education reform company that was hired to provide services to Connecticut communities struggling to meet the mandates under Governor Malloy’s “Education Reform” law. While more will be known ... more »

Most Screwed Local Public School Districts Update 2009-2011 | School Finance 101

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Most Screwed Local Public School Districts Update 2009-2011 | School Finance 101: Most Screwed Local Public School Districts Update 2009-2011 by schoolfinance101 Here it is – my annual update of America’s most screwed school districts. This time, for stability purposes, I’ve used a 3-year average based on 2009-2011 data (2011 data being released earlier this week). As I’ve explained in my previous posts on this topic (from last year’s post on screwed districts)… It’s important to understand that the value of any given level of education funding, in any given location, is relative. ... more »

Memorial Weekend: "Good Job, Teach!" - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Memorial Weekend: "Good Job, Teach!" - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Memorial Weekend: "Good Job, Teach!" by Nancy Flanagan We live in a time when our former Secretary of State, in a speech I find utterly mind-boggling, declares our public schools a threat to national security. I'm spending this holiday weekend thinking about the real-life influence-as opposed to cheap politicization-- of public schooling and schoolteachers on children's safety, well-being andpatriotism. On Monday morning, I will join the Northport Community Band in a concert at the Northport,... more »

Assembly adds its version of school finance reform to the mix | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Assembly adds its version of school finance reform to the mix | EdSource Today: Assembly adds its version of school finance reform to the mix - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald [image: Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla] Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla The Assembly has produced its own version of Gov. Jerry Brown’s Local Control Funding Formula, further complicating the governor’s goal of passing school finance reform as part of the new state budget by July 1. Taking the form of a one-page set of principlesthat the Assembly Budget Committee’s subcommittee on education finance approved... more »

CA holds solid lead over nation in tech employment, compensation SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: CA holds solid lead over nation in tech employment, compensation *By Tom Chorneau* Friday, May 24, 2013 From the Obama administration down to the local school board, there has perhaps never been a time when so much attention, time and money has been focused on improving student performance in the STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math. A new survey on tech employment nationally illustrates why – not that anyone in California needs convincing. Last year there were nearly six million people employed in technical occupat... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, May 24, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: CTA sides with Brown in debate over restructuring school finance SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: CTA sides with Brown in debate over restructuring school finance *By Tom Chorneau* Thursday, May 23, 2013 In what may prove a decisive development in the looming struggle over rival plans for restructuring of school funding, the California Teachers Association moved Wednesday to give its support to Gov. Jerry Brown’s Local Control Funding Fo... more »

Common Core Fight Holds Up Michigan Education Budget | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Common Core Fight Holds Up Michigan Education Budget | Truth in American Education: Common Core Fight Holds Up Michigan Education Budget by Shane Vander Hart Below is an excerpt from a Michigan Information and Research Service report (subscription-based) last night. A conference committee was originally scheduled to meet at 8:45 a.m. this morning to consider the MDE budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2014. But by the end of the day, Sen. Howard WALKER (R-Traverse City) reported that the meeting has now been pushed back to next week. The reason for the delay, confirmed Rep. Bill ROGERS (R... more »

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Toddler Testing by Timothy D. Slekar Ed. Dept. Launches Competition for Kindergarten Entry Assessments “Kindergarten-entry assessments are designed to measure a child’s “essential domains of school readiness,” which include language and literacy development, cognition and general early knowledge, readiness to learn, physical well-being, and social and emotional development.” @the chalkface is developing the “NON essential domains of school readiness” kindergarten entry […] The new gym class in PA, 112 questions? Really? by Chalk Face, PhD ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: 'I thought these days were behind us' -- Rev. Tyson

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: 'I thought these days were behind us' -- Rev. Tyson: 'I thought these days were behind us' -- Rev. Tyson by Mike Klonsky From North Carolina to the streets of Chicago -- they are not behind us Popout They Canceled Class Today — All The Teachers Got Arrested While Protesting For Voting Rights From the Sun-Times: *A group of parents — backed by the Chicago Teachers Union — wants Judge John Z. Lee to delay the closures for a year while they carry on their fight in court. They say in two class-action lawsuits that black and disabled students will be unf... more »

National Council On Education Standards and Testing, Raising Standards for American Education (1992) | Federal Education Policy History

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

National Council On Education Standards and Testing, Raising Standards for American Education (1992) | Federal Education Policy History: National Council On Education Standards and Testing by Kevin R. Kosar National Council On Education Standards and Testing The National Council on Education Standards and Testing was established by Congress in 1991 (P.L. 102-62; 102 Stat. 305). It may have had the worst acronym for any governmental entity ever—NCEST. The council was created for the purpose of providing “advice on the desirability and feasibility of national standards and testing in ... more »

Ex-judge: Charter-school operator UNO needs ‘robust’ policy against conflicts - Chicago Sun-Times

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Ex-judge: Charter-school operator UNO needs ‘robust’ policy against conflicts - Chicago Sun-Times: Ex-judge: Charter-school operator UNO needs ‘robust’ policy against conflicts By DAN MIHALOPOULOS Staff Reporter dmihalopoulos@suntimes.com May 23, 2013 7:06PM [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] 0 6 Share 13 10 [image: Juan Rangel CEO United Neighborhood Organizati| Brian Jackson~Sun-Times] Juan Rangel, CEO of the United Neighborhood Organization | Brian Jackson~Sun-Times RELATED DOCUMENTS UNO recommendations RELATED STORIES - For insiders, community gr...more »

Keeping Kids Academically Sharp During Summer | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Keeping Kids Academically Sharp During Summer | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Keeping Kids Academically Sharp During Summer by National PTA *By Sherri Wilson, Senior Manager, Family and Community Engagement, **National PTA* It's impossible to overestimate the role that parents can play in their children's education. In addition to being their children's first teachers, parents are also their children's teachers year after year. While a student moves from classroom to classroom, parents and families stay the same. In fact, nobody else knows my children and the ... more »

In American Schools, What is Quality Work?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

In American Schools, What is Quality Work?: In American Schools, What is Quality Work? by Sam For years now, I’ve been asking everybody I meet the same question: “When and where were you when you learned best?” I’ve asked this question because so many of our national school reform efforts are not about learning at all; they’re about *achievement*, which has come to mean something quite apart from the stories people tell when you ask them to recall one of the most powerful experiences of their lives. And here’s the thing: if you stitch everyone’s stories together, a clear pattern em... more »

Modern School: Two-Day UC Strike Unlikely to Sway Bosses

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Modern School: Two-Day UC Strike Unlikely to Sway Bosses: Two-Day UC Strike Unlikely to Sway Bosses by Michael Dunn A strike by nurses and other patient care workers at University of California (UC) hospitals and medical centers entered its second and final day Wednesday, despite efforts by the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to block some employees from participating. UC officials said it would “threaten public health and safety,” the SF Appeal reported this week. The dispute involves over 12,500 employees, who are represented by the American Federation of Stat...more »

Oregon Save Our Schools: URGENT ACTION: INVEST in STUDENTS, NOT BUREAUCRATS!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Oregon Save Our Schools: URGENT ACTION: INVEST in STUDENTS, NOT BUREAUCRATS!: URGENT ACTION: INVEST in STUDENTS, NOT BUREAUCRATS! by Oregon SOS [image: Putting the Public Back in Our Public Schools!] *by Oregon Save Our Schools* Please contact members of the Joint Ways & Means Committee and urge them to say NO to the proposed strategic investments in education of the OEIB and redirect those funds into classrooms! See sample letter and background information below. Contact: Senator Richard Devlin sen.richarddevlin@state.or.us503-986-1719 Representative Peter Buckley rep.peterbuckl... more »

UPDATE: The in box. Risky Business + bond markets are betting on a pension bill + The most loathsome politician in America. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

The most loathsome politician in America. | Fred Klonsky: The in box. Risky Business: Living In Our “Golden Years” Without The Gold. by Fred Klonsky [image: MV5BMTQ4OTUyNzcwN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTQ1NDE3OA@@._V1_SX214_] *It would be nice if all of us ended up living in a retirement world where it was always “Five O’Clock Somewhere” instead of “Zero – Dark -Thirty” everywhere.* * **Jim Keating, DuPage Illinois Retired Teachers Association newsletter* Recently, the IRTA foundation sent out a letter saying that it pays the bills for “retired teachers who devoted their lives to teaching but... more »

UPDATE: Missouri Education Watchdog: Call the Common Core Bullies Out. Just Say No to Standardized Testing.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Call the Common Core Bullies Out. Just Say No to Standardized Testing.: DESE Stifling More Debate About Common Core? by stlgretchen DESE doesn't like answering questions. That was evident in the May 2 statewide meetings that were designed to be "informational" only. DESE representatives were clear to the attendees that answers were not to be forthcoming but could be found within a week on its website. The answers still aren't there and the clock keeps ticking. Has DESE blocked James Shuls of Show-Me Institute for wanting to have an "old-fashioned" d... more »

UPDATE: Federal Civil Rights Complaint Filed Against Bloomberg’s DOE + Schoolcuts: Amazing resources on Chicago schools @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Schoolcuts: Amazing resources on Chicago schools crisis – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Just Say No: “Big egos don’t produce success” by plthomasedd I thought I was about to read yet another news story about Michelle Rhee and DC schools when I saw this headline: Big egos don’t produce success, study finds Instead, I found an article about research addressing students who feel entitled. Yet, I cannot help thinking that the headline from Australian Geographic is a potential […] Federal Civil Rights Complaint Filed Against Bloomberg’s DOE by Jim Horn Could this be the first ... more »

Daily Kos: Not quite sure how to describe the day

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: Not quite sure how to describe the day: Not quite sure how to describe the day by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Yesterday was my 67th birthday, a fact I acknowledged here. Thanks to Social media, the day was full of communications from other wishing me well on the day, some of which I did not see until this morning. The major event of the evening was a wonderful dinner out to which Leaves on the Current took me. The restaurant, on Connecticut Avenue in the Cleveland Park section of DC (across the street from the Uptown Theater), is named Ripples. For some of my gener... more »

MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-24-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Will Obama and Duncan Condemn School Closings in Chicago? by dianerav Chicago Public Schools voted to close down dozens of public schools. As many as 40,000 children are losing their schools, many of who are children with disabilities. The vast majority of the children are African American. Will the President and Secretary of Education speak out against this willful destruction of public schools and Why It Is Hard to Boycott Walmart by dianerav I never want to ... more »

San Jose teachers, board adopt landmark teacher evaluation system | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

San Jose teachers, board adopt landmark teacher evaluation system | EdSource Today: San Jose teachers, board adopt landmark teacher evaluation system - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald Breaking new ground in California, San Jose Unified has adopted an innovative teacher evaluation process that gives teachers a role in reviewing their peers and greatly revises the current – and some say outmoded – method of measuring teacher success. The new system would deny automatic raises to unsatisfactory performers and give evaluators the option of adding another year to the probationa... more »

Ed Notes Online: John Merrow's Growing Relentlessness on Rhee Cheating Scandal Sparks Rhee Scrutiny

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: John Merrow's Growing Relentlessness on Rhee Cheating Scandal Sparks Rhee Scrutiny: John Merrow's Growing Relentlessness on Rhee Cheating Scandal Sparks Rhee Scrutiny by ed notes online John Merrow has been relentless in connecting the dots in the Michelle Rhee cheating scandal. Remember those glowing reports he did on PBS about Rhee (and Vallas in New Orleans?) Don't underestimate how important the move of media people like Merrow away from supporting the deformers will prove to be. Connect these dots to Walcott's almost hysterical response to the mayoral candid... more »

Good Kopp, Bad Kopp | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Good Kopp, Bad Kopp | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: Good Kopp, Bad Kopp by Gary Rubinstein Two months ago I wrote about Wendy Kopp stepping down and two new co-CEOs of TFA taking her place. As the weeks have passed, I’ve been able to get more of sense of who these CEOs are and what their views are. Matt Kramer and Elisa Villanueva-Beard have been carefully chosen to be the faces of TFA. I am beginning to see how they each might embody one of Wendy’s two public personas: There’s Wendy the extreme corporate reformer who pals around with Joel Klein and who refers to TFA critics as ‘hater... more »

The Educated Reporter: Guest Post: Teacher Turnover - Who Stays and Who Leaves

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: Guest Post: Teacher Turnover - Who Stays and Who Leaves: Guest Post: Teacher Turnover - Who Stays and Who Leaves by Emily Richmond *EWA's 66th National Seminar, held at Stanford University, took place earlier this month. We asked some of the journalists attending to contribute posts from the sessions. The majority of the content will soon be available at EdMedia Commons. Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing a few of the posts. Melissa Bailey of the New Haven Independent is today's guest blogger.* When a school loses a high percentage of teachers, w... more »

Wisconsin State Legislature Takes Aim at United Council, Nation’s Oldest Statewide Student Association |

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Wisconsin State Legislature Takes Aim at United Council, Nation’s Oldest Statewide Student Association |: Wisconsin State Legislature Takes Aim at United Council, Nation’s Oldest Statewide Student Association by Angus Johnston Just a few hours ago, a budget committee of the Wisconsin state legislature voted to eliminate students’ right to fund the nation’s oldest and most respected statewide student association, United Council. This could well be the biggest student movement story in the United States this year. United Council, founded in 1960, was the first of the wave of state s... more »

Health reform plans, pricing released in Calif. - Yahoo! News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Health reform plans, pricing released in Calif. - Yahoo! News: Health reform plans, pricing released in Calif.California gets detailed look at impact of health care reforms with insurance plans, pricing[image: Associated Press]By Judy Lin, Associated Press | Associated Press – 2 hrs 38 mins ago - Email - Share - Tweet - - - Print - [image: Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, the state agency running the state's new health exchange, announced the plans and prices that will be offered by private insurers during a news conferenc...

Teacher’s resignation video: ‘Everything I loved about teaching is extinct’

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Teacher’s resignation video: ‘Everything I loved about teaching is extinct’: Teacher’s resignation video: ‘Everything I loved about teaching is extinct’ By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 23, 2013 at 9:35 pmE-mail the writer 1 Comments More [image: i quit]In the video below, veteran teacher Ellie Rubenstein of Highland Park, Ill., resigns after eloquently explaining how teaching has changed over the past 15 years of school reform and why she believes public education is being misdirected. Rubenstein, who teaches fourth grade at the Lincoln School in the North Shore School District 1... more »

Social Inclusion in the Middle Level | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Social Inclusion in the Middle Level | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Social Inclusion in the Middle Level [image: Special Olympics Project UNIFY's picture] By Special Olympics Project UNIFY on May 23, 2013 *This article was originally published by NASSP, which is building a partnership with Project UNIFY and is currently a member of LFA* By Andrea Cahn and Betty Edwards When you see me, I want you to see that we are alike. When you see me, I want you to see that I get nervous sometimes. When you see me, I want you to see a happy dancer. When you see me, I want yo... more »

Elk Grove School district questions governor’s budget proposals

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Elk Grove Citizen : News: School district questions governor’s budget proposals *Governor Brown speaks to a huge audience of the state’s movers and shakers on May 22. Some of his remarks were on his school funding plan.* By Roy Herburger - Citizen Staff Writer Published: Thursday, May 23, 2013 3:01 PM PDT Would it be fair if students in the Sacramento City Unified School District that live on the north side of Calvine Road receive more state funding for each student than neighboring students who live within the Elk Grove school district? This is the discrepancy that many school d... more »

Wow! A tremendous media report about high stakes testing. – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Wow! A tremendous media report about high stakes testing. – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Wow! A tremendous media report about high stakes testing. by Chris Cerrone Western New York has been a hot bed of high-stakes testing resistance this year. This media report from our local CBS affiliate is the most comprehensive look at testing issues and student data sharing I have seen anywhere in the “mainstream media”. Thank you to @RachelKingston4 for the detailed research. Follow the author on twitter @stoptesting15

Dennis Van Roekel: Chicago's Students Deserve Acts of Heroism

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Dennis Van Roekel: Chicago's Students Deserve Acts of Heroism: Chicago's Students Deserve Acts of Heroism Posted: 05/23/2013 2:31 pm For weeks now, teachers, parents and community leaders have been protesting Chicago Public Schools' plan to close 50 schools in what will be the largest single wave of school closures in U.S. history. The media coverage has been dramatic, but what you see in the eyes of educators who are so adamantly opposed to this plan is the same thing you see in the eyes of educators all across this nation -- the innate instinct to protect the children we care a... more »

Don’t miss this Chicago video. Repost widely. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Don’t miss this Chicago video. Repost widely. | Fred Klonsky: Don’t miss this Chicago video. Repost widely. by Fred Klonsky

Chicago: Time to End the Billionaires' Experiments With Mayoral Control? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Chicago: Time to End the Billionaires' Experiments With Mayoral Control? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Chicago: Time to End the Billionaires' Experiments With Mayoral Control? by Anthony Cody Yesterday the Chicago Board of Education voted four to two to move ahead with the largest wave of school closures in history. Mayor Richard M. Daley took control of that city's schools back in 1995, and they have been under mayoral control ever since. In the wake of the hugely unpopular school closures, many are calling this system into question. Meanwhile Mayor Rahm Emanuel... more »

Blue Jersey:: AFT President: "Barbara Buono is us."

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Blue Jersey:: AFT President: "Barbara Buono is us.": AFT President: "Barbara Buono is us." by Rosi Efthim From a membership meeting of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) at Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, with guests senators Shirley Turner, Linda Greenstein and Democratic nominee for governor Sen. Barbara Buono. This is AFT president Donna M. Chiera on how to win New Jersey back from Chris Christie: "This election is about us. This election is about our students and our communities."[snip] "They're going to be throwing money at this man [Christie]. And we can't mat... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-23-13 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: Rahm: No Money for Schools But Millions for…. by dianerav Even as Rahm Emanuel says he has no money for schools, none at all, the cupboard is bare….. He somehow managed to find $55 million to build a private basketball stadium. Now, this is a mayor with priorities! Scott Walker Determined to Privatize Wisconsin Schools by dianerav Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is following the ALEC script: More charters More vouchers Lower standards for entry into teaching Did he ask the voters if they want to get rid of pub... more »

Two LSCs sign on to the National Resolution on High-Stakes Testing! Parents United for Responsible Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Two LSCs sign on to the National Resolution on High-Stakes Testing!: Two LSCs sign on to the National Resolution on High-Stakes Testing! by admin Congratulations to the Kelly HS and the Drummond Montessori Local School Councils for signing on to theNational Resolution on High-Stakes Testing. You can see their sign-on at the bottom below. The Kelly faculty also signed on. The More Than a Score group has been working to include LSCs in the important work of educating parents and others around the problems with high-stakes stan... more »

Reasoning with and Resisting Arne Duncan's Education Reform Agenda: Scribbling Lines in the Sand

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Reasoning with and Resisting Arne Duncan's Education Reform Agenda: Scribbling Lines in the Sand: Reasoning with and Resisting Arne Duncan's Education Reform Agenda: Scribbling Lines in the SandWednesday, 22 May 2013 13:48By Tobey Steeves, SpeakOut | Op-Ed - 2 - font size [image: decrease font size] [image: increase font size] - Print - Email There are times when a line in the sand can shift the course of a life – or of history. At other times a line in the sand may push us towards a common vision – or act as an incitement to trespass. In some instances a lin... more »

NYC Educator: Bill Thompson Is Unacceptable for Working Teachers

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NYC Educator: Bill Thompson Is Unacceptable for Working Teachers: Bill Thompson Is Unacceptable for Working Teachers by NYC Educator It's more than a little depressing to read that AFT President Randi Weingarten has seen fit to endorse Bill Thompson for NYC Mayor. First of all, she's got enormous sway over the UFT. It's possible that UFT could go its own way, but I wouldn't bank on it. More to the point, we've got history with Thompson, and it's not good at all. It's certainly true that UFT worked closely with Thompson before billionaire Bloomberg decided to buy that third term. In... more »

A Film That Can Help Reform School Food Programs « MomsRising Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

A Film That Can Help Reform School Food Programs « MomsRising Blog: A Film That Can Help Reform School Food Programs by Margaret Poindexter *We all know that childhood obesity numbers are staggering. But just how staggering are they? One out of every three kids in the U.S are now classified as overweight or obese! And one of the most astonishing contributors is the food served in many school cafeterias.* What does it take to reform school meals so that they are more nutritious and tasty for our kids, and also more sustainable for our communities? ** Cafeteria Man is a 65-minute doc... more »