Monday, June 3, 2013

by Melissa Westbrook

From My Northwest, a report of three (apparent) attempts to abduct a child in three different areas in the Puget Sound Region (including outside of two schools including Coe Elementary). Talk to your children about strangers and what to do if they are approached. From the story:

The National Child Prevention Council offers these tips for talking with kids about stranger danger:

You should also talk to your children about how they should handle dangerous situations. One way is to teach them "No, Go, Yell, Tell."

If in a dangerous situations, kids should say no, run away, yell as loud as they can, and tell a trusted adult what happened right away.

It's good to practice this in different situations so that your children will feel confident in knowing know what to do. Here are a few possible scenarios:

-A nice-looking stranger approaches your child in the park and asks for help finding the stranger's lost dog.
-A woman who lives in your neighborhood but that the child has never spoken to invites your child into her house for a snack.
-A stranger asks if your child wants a ride home from school.
-Your child thinks he or she is being followed.
-An adult your child knows says or does something that makes him or her feel bad or uncomfortable.
-While your child is walking home from a friend's house, a car pulls over and a stranger asks for directions.

In addition to teaching children how to recognize and handle dangerous situations and strangers, there are a few more things parents can do to help their children stay safe and avoid dangerous situations.

Know where your children are at all times. Make it a rule that your children must ask permission or check in with you before going anywhere.

Teach children to trust their instincts. Explain that if they ever feel scared or uncomfortable, they should get away as fast as they can and tell an adult.

Teach your children to be assertive. Make sure they know that it's okay to say no to an adult and to run away from adults in dangerous situations.

I would echo that "teach your children to trust their instincts." One of the best books about protecting your children is by noted security expert, Gavin deBecker, and his book, "Protecting the Gift." We have this tendency to socialize our children (especially girls) to be "nice" and it's worth remembering we have gut instincts for a reason.

The Illegal Trojan Horse In King’s Teacher Evaluation Plan | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

The Illegal Trojan Horse In King’s Teacher Evaluation Plan | Gary Rubinstein's Blog:

The Illegal Trojan Horse In King’s Teacher Evaluation Plan

by Gary Rubinstein

The state education commissioner of New York, John King, recently imposed a teacher evaluation system on New York City after years of disagreement between the city and the teacher’s union.
The evaluation system will consist of three components: 55 points for principal observations, 40 points for test scores, and 5 points for student surveys. Much of this was inevitable as last year the state legislator updated education law 3012-c, which dictated the components and weights of the test scores and ‘other measures’ which now include principal and student ratings. The whole idea of ‘multiple measures’ is that teachers won’t be unfairly punished for struggling in one category if they make up for it with success in the other categories. And the most important and reliable measures, therefore, get the most weight, in this case, the principal evaluation.
Reading the 240 page report issued, there were two mentions of a very unusual provision, which has been noticed by several bloggers:
On page 37 it says:

Don’t let that American Flag in the corner of the room confuse you. - Wait, What?

Don’t let that American Flag in the corner of the room confuse you. - Wait, What?:

Don’t let that American Flag in the corner of the room confuse you.

by jonpelto

As this update is being posted to Wait, What? the Bridgeport Board of Education’s “Board Policy Committee” is meeting in Bridgeport. The five member committee is made up of three Democrats loyal to Mayor Finch and his political operation and two members of more independent minded, one a Democrat and the other a member of the Working Families Party.

Any action taken tonight by the Board Policy Committee must be confirmed by the full Board of Education before it takes effect.

At first glance, tonight’s Board Policy agenda looked relatively innocent that was until one took a closer look at the wording of Agenda Item #2. The Agenda Item is entitled; “Rule Change to Close Debate”

Board Policy Agenda:

Approval of April 29, 2013 Minute

New data shows school “reformers” are full of it - Salon.com

New data shows school “reformers” are full of it - Salon.com:

New data shows school “reformers” are full of it

Poor schools underperform largely because of economic forces, not because teachers have it too easy

BY DAVID SIROTA

Michelle Rhee(Credit: Â© Hyungwon Kang / Reuters)

In the great American debate over education, the education and technology corporations, bankrolled politicians and activist-profiteers who collectively comprise the so-called “reform” movement base their arguments on one central premise: that America should expect public schools to produce world-class academic achievement regardless of the negative forces bearing down on a school’s particular students. In recent days, though, the faults in that premise are being exposed by unavoidable reality.

Before getting to the big news, let’s review the dominant fairy tale: As embodied by New York City’s major education announcement this weekend, the “reform” fantasy pretends that a lack of teacher “accountability” is the major education problem and somehow wholly writes family economics out of the story (amazingly, this fantasy persists even in a place like the Big Apple where economic inequality is particularly crushing). That key — and deliberate — omission serves myriad political interests.

For education, technology and charter school companies and the Wall Streeters who back them, it lets them cite troubled public schools to argue that the current public education system is flawed, and to then argue that education can be improved if taxpayer money is funneled away from the public school system’s priorities (hiring teachers, training teachers, reducing class size, etc.) and into the private sector (replacing teachers with computers, replacing public schools with privately run charter schools, etc.). Likewise, for conservative politicians and activist-profiteers

Oath of Office OR Looney Tunes? | Reclaim Reform

Oath of Office OR Looney Tunes? | Reclaim Reform:

Oath of Office OR Looney Tunes?

by kenpreviti

What Oath of Office must be made by every state legislator?
“I do solemnly swear (affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of …. to the best of my ability.”
(Source: Illinois Constitution.)
That’s it. Nice. Simple. Direct.
What’s not to know? “… will support the Constitution.”
Well, a bunch of Democratic and Republican politicos couldn’t do it. Who? See HERE. (Thanks to Glen Brown.)

A bunch of elected office holders being paid to do what they took an oath to do went even further than that. They spoke and put in writing in their newsletters that they knew that Senate Bill Number One (SB1) was unconstitutional. Many openly and vociferously promised active

Daily Kos: Rep. Carolyn McCarthy has lung cancer - with small personal update

Daily Kos: Rep. Carolyn McCarthy has lung cancer - with small personal update:

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy has lung cancer - with small personal update

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

as you can read in this NY Times story.
She is a dear friend, and I found out earlier today in an exchange of emails on another topic. Some of her House colleagues knew, because she was not a secretive person. She had discussed this earlier with political colleagues. The announcement was made several hours ago.
She says her doctors are quite hopeful about the prognosis. She is getting superb treatment.
She is a good person, and has in my opinion been a very good Representative, although I acknowledge we have some disagreements on issues.
I am holding her in the light.
I do not want to lose her - and that has nothing to do with her political service. We are close friends.
Peace.
Update - Carolyn McCarthy is on the House Committee that oversees education, which is how we came together. We have talked about education, we have talked about guns - her husband was killed and her son seriously injured by the Long Island RR gunman - we have talked about unions, we have talked about many issues. She advised me against going work on the Hill, but encouraged me to stay involved - from the outside. She has been a dear friend to both my wife and myself. This has been very hard for both of us, and as people at the National Democratic Club began to learn the news they were devastated. I do ask that if you pray you include her in your prayers.
Thanks

A Note On Teacher Evaluations [A Memo For Sanity] - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson

A Note On Teacher Evaluations [A Memo For Sanity] - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson:

A Note On Teacher Evaluations [A Memo For Sanity]

by Jose Vilson

UFT Prez Michael Mulgrew, NYS Education Commissioner John King, and NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo

Remember a few years ago when I told you that trying to create equations for the intangibles is calamitous forany profession, especially education? If think tanks prognosticate that the 21st century needs ideals like collaboration and transparency, then we’re doing a poor job of exemplifying that in schools.
On Saturday, for example, Commissioner John King released New York State’s mandated teacher – and principal – evaluation system because the United Federation of Teachers and NYC Department of Education couldn’t come to an agreement on their own. (N.B.: Mayor Mike Bloomberg came at the last minute and put a stop to the almost-finished negotiations, but that’s another story completely.) In his press release, King waxes poetic about students, saying “they’ve waited too long” for these reports to come out, an empty statement since

LA Unified school board considers two plans for Brown's proposed boost in school funding | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

LA Unified school board considers two plans for Brown's proposed boost in school funding | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC:

LA Unified school board considers two plans for Brown's proposed boost in school funding

by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez

Monica Ratliff's fifth grade classroom at San Pedro Street Elementary.; Credit: Rebecca Hill/KPCC
Board members at L.A. Unified will hold talks Tuesday morning about how to use funding increases expected from Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed student funding overhaul.
Board members have written up two proposals.
The first includes a long list of uses for the expected funds: Hire more teachers to reduce class size, rehire counselors, librarians, and campus maintenance workers. The proposal lists current L.A. Unified class sizes:
• Grade K-3 = 24 students to 1 teacher
• Grades 4-6 = 30 students to 1 teacher
• Grades7-8 = 30 or more students to 1 teacher
• Grades 9-12 = 30 or more students to 1 teacher
The proposal would also direct the superintendent to draw up a three-year strategy to raise employee wages.

Reform of California’s complex school finance system likely | EdSource Today

Reform of California’s complex school finance system likely | EdSource Today:

Reform of California’s complex school finance system likely - by Louis Freedberg

by Louis Freedberg

Louis Freedberg

Less than a year after convincing voters to approve a multi-billion dollar tax increase for the state’s schools, Gov. Jerry Brown is on the verge of accomplishing a task that few California governors have dared to take on, let alone accomplish: reforming a school finance system that researchers andeducation advocates alike have for years labelled as inequitable, irrational and excessively complex.

Recognizing that it costs more to educate children with greater needs, Brown’s plan would funnel one in five education dollars to school districts based on the number of low-income students, English learners and foster children enrolled there.

The plan would affect millions of students. One in five students – 1.2 million – are classified as English learners, and almost half – close to 3 million students – are from sufficiently low-income backgrounds to qualify for free- or reduced-priced meals.

Victory for Brown – partial or complete – now seems inevitable, according to Sacramento insiders

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-3-13 #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

Life in Rahm’s Chicago. I retired a year ago. I turn 65 in two weeks. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago

Life in Rahm’s Chicago. I retired a year ago. I turn 65 in two weeks. | Fred Klonsky: Life in Rahm’s Chicago. I retired a year ago. I turn 65 in two weeks. by Fred Klonsky [image: 727_10201239583460941_1879980649_n] *Outside the shiny headquarters were about 100 CTA employees protesting layoffs by CTA boss Forrest Claypool.* “What do you do with your time,” I am often asked. In the old days time was money. Now money is time. I have been working on the goal of living as well and spending less. So I will spend time (which I have more of) to save some (which we have less of). Take the ann... more »

Former DISD chief of staff Jerome Oberlton federally indicted for deal in Atlanta Public Schools | Education Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 47 minutes ago

Former DISD chief of staff Jerome Oberlton federally indicted for deal in Atlanta Public Schools | Education Blog: Former DISD chief of staff Jerome Oberlton federally indicted for deal in Atlanta Public Schools by Matthew Haag Former Dallas ISD chief of staff Jerome Oberlton was indicted Monday by a federal grand jury, accused of receiving at least $60,000 in kickbacks connected to a contract awarded by Atlanta Public Schools. Oberlton resigned as … [visit site to read more]

Another boondoggle in the making: At a cost of more than $12 million to CT Taxpayers - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Another boondoggle in the making: At a cost of more than $12 million to CT Taxpayers - Wait, What?: Another boondoggle in the making: At a cost of more than $12 million to CT Taxpayers by jonpelto On Wednesday, June 5, 2013 the Connecticut’s State Board of Education is scheduled to vote on a proposed new charter school for Windham, Connecticut called The Path Academy. The Path Academy is a project of Our Piece of the Pie, a Hartford-based “youth development agency” that seeks to “help young people access and attain a mix of the educational, employment, and personal skills that co... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-3-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Rally in L.A. For Reduced Class Size! by dianerav A reader in Los Angeles welcomes all who care about improving public education: Parents from all across Los Angeles are Mobilizing!!!! Please gather tomorrow, Tuesday June 4 at 8:30 am out front of LAUSD central offices on Beaudry street downtown. Lend your voice to a collective choir that demands to be heard. We are Students, Parents and Angelenos for Real Classroom Support: SPARCS. We must ignite the SPARCS of this truth in front of our elected school board: KID... more »

Administration Honors U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools and District Sustainability Awardees; Launches Facilities Best Practices Tour | U.S. Department of Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Administration Honors U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools and District Sustainability Awardees; Launches Facilities Best Practices Tour | U.S. Department of Education: Administration Honors U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools and District Sustainability Awardees; Launches Facilities Best Practices Tour JUNE 3, 2013 *Contact: * Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov White House CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley, EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe, and Deputy Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Janey Thornton joined U.S. Secretary of Edu... more »

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Illinois still in student data mining program

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Illinois still in student data mining program: Illinois still in student data mining program by admin [image: spybloom] Yesterday the Tribune printed a Reuters story about the InBloom (formerly Wireless Generation) program funded by Bill Gates that is currently collecting student confidential records it plans to share with private software companies. In Bloom says it cannot guarantee the safety of this data. The story reported that several states or districts which InBloom claimed were past of “Phase 1″ of their project have... more »

Ed Notes Online: Thompson Pans Evaluations as Critiques (other than UFT) Roll in

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Thompson Pans Evaluations as Critiques (other than UFT) Roll in: Thompson Pans Evaluations as Critiques (other than UFT) Roll in by ed notes online *Fleisher reports that Tisch and Thompson didn't speak before he released his comments criticizing the new plan.... WSJ* *So this morning the City’s Gates-trained drones are hard at work developing new tests for Auto Mechanics, Special Ed, Art, Drama, Newspaper, PhysEd, and the rest. By the way, you can forget any help to kill this plan from Randi’s boy, Mulgrew, at UFT. He has already sent out a letter to dues-pay... more »

Community schools bring services under one roof | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Community schools bring services under one roof | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Community schools bring services under one roofAdvocates here are educating the public about the concept, which has taken off in other cities.by Dale Mezzacappa ="" style="color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on email COMMENTS (1)PRINT Photo: The Children's Aid Society New York’s Children’s Aid Society has developed community schools that house dental clinics and a variety of other services. The idea of community schools, long discussed in Philadelphia but... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education and Strange Bedfellow: Common Core is Wrong

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education and Strange Bedfellow: Common Core is Wrong: Center School Saga Continues On by Melissa Westbrook I had heard about this but had no real info but our friends over at The Stranger have written this: (bold theirs) *Rumor has it that the Seattle School District is punishing the high school teacher at the center of a controversy earlier this year—concerning his award-winning race and social justice class—by transferring him to another school.* *Greenberg heard from the district this weekend—after chaperoning prom on Saturday night—that he'll... more »

Education Policy via Litigation | InterACT

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Education Policy via Litigation | InterACT: Education Policy via Litigation by David B. Cohen [image: Hoover Tower] photo: Jawed Karim (commons.wikimedia.org) Education is a highly politicized aspect of society, affecting the lives of millions and requiring hundreds of billions of dollars per year. The politics of education policy may be unavoidable, but there are reform strategies that bypass politicians and voters. Try a lawsuit. In a couple of prior blog posts, I’ve praised the efforts to improve public education by seeking legal remedies; specifically, I’ve written about *Lobato... more »

NYC Public School Parents: AFT statement on inBloom and new video critique out of the UK

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: AFT statement on inBloom and new video critique out of the UK: AFT statement on inBloom and new video critique out of the UK by Leonie Haimson On Friday, in an official statement, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, expressed her concerns about inBloom Inc., and how inBloom needs to address the growing public distrust of its credibility and security protection: "Any potential inBloom has to improve and personalize learning is being overshadowed by a growing lack of public trust in its early communications and operations... more »

Peg with Pen: Let’s get real about #optout @John_Merrow

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Peg with Pen: Let’s get real about #optout @John_Merrow: Let’s get real about #optout @John_Merrow by Peggy To understand this post it might be helpful to read Tim Slekar’s post here – to follow the discussion that ensued after John Merrow said “to hell with the tests.” His comment encouraged me to think that perhaps we had a reporter who was ready to tell the citizens of our country that a simple way to halt the harm to our public schools and begin to preserve and improve our public schools with the support of REAL educators, students, and citizens of our community was – to simpl... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Seattle Times and their Mood Swing Editorials

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Seattle Times and their Mood Swing Editorials: The Seattle Times and their Mood Swing Editorials by Melissa Westbrook The Times has two editorials from this weekend that leave a lot to be desired. One is about forced teacher placement at schools. We get a story trotted out about what, yes, sounds like a terrible teacher. The parents in one classroom at West Woodland kept their kids home for some number of days in 2011 because of her. But what the editorial lacks is what happened from there. What did the district do? Did the principal real... more »

The IRS Has More Than Its Rotten Image to Fix | Wall St. Cheat Sheet

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

The IRS Has More Than Its Rotten Image to Fix | Wall St. Cheat Sheet: The IRS Has More Than Its Rotten Image to Fix By Ed Dolan | More Articles June 02, 2013 President Obama is shocked and angered that the IRS targeted certain conservative organizations for special scrutiny when they applied for 501-c(4) tax exemptions as “social welfare” organizations. Republicans are just as shocked. The whole Washington political establishment is shocked, just shocked, that anyone, let alone the IRS, would try to stem the flow of political money that pours through this gaping loophole in the fe... more »

Long-neglected law on teacher evaluations rises to forefront | Hechinger Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Long-neglected law on teacher evaluations rises to forefront | Hechinger Report: Long-neglected law on teacher evaluations rises to forefront by Ashly McGlone LOS ANGELES – The road to an agreement on teacher evaluations has been a long and costly one that is not yet finished. But recent litigation has put the Los Angeles Unified School District on a fast track. The spotlight on teacher evaluations widened last June when Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Chalfant ruled that the district was violating California’s longstanding teacher evaluation law, the Stull Act, by not... more »

Third graders will now officially assess NYC teachers

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Third graders will now officially assess NYC teachers: Third graders will now officially assess NYC teachers By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 3, 2013 at 10:51 amE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: quality]There are several questionable elements to the new teacher evaluation system just imposed on New York City schools by state education Commissioner John King, but the one that jumps out for sheer nitwittedness is this: Students starting in third grade will now have a say in the official assessment of their teachers. Yes, what third- (and fourth and fifth and sixth etc.) grade... more »

Native American student denied high school diploma for wearing tribal feather | The Raw Story

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Native American student denied high school diploma for wearing tribal feather | The Raw Story: Native American student denied high school diploma for wearing tribal feather by Arturo Garcia [image: Alabama high school student denied graduation after wearing tribal feather] Topics: Chelsey Ramer ♦ Escambia Academy High School ♦ high school diploma A high school graduate in Alabama is being denied her diploma after being fined $1,000 for wearing a feather reflecting her Native American heritage. “I don’t think it’s fair at all,” 17-year-old Chelsey Ramer told WPMI-TV. “I feel like its... more »

Record charter school closings in Broward County lead to calls for more scrutiny - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Record charter school closings in Broward County lead to calls for more scrutiny - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com: Record charter school closings prompt calls for more accountability [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] By Karen Yi, Sun Sentinel 4:37 p.m. EDT, June 1, 2013 When Next Generation Charter School in Lauderdale Lakes abruptly closed its doors in April, the Broward School district was left scrambling to find classrooms for the 160 students that suddenly had no place to learn. "They did not inform us of their intent to close," said Jody Perry, director o... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, June 3, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Watts teachers urge public notice for parent trigger campaigns* Education Headlines *Monday, June 3, 2013* Palm Springs Unified School District must borrow to build, but risks maxing outThe Palm Springs Unified School District will pursue a bond of up to $107 million to finish construction projects at local campuses, but the school board must still decide to prioritize savings or flexibility. Advocates fear Gov. Jerry Brown's school funding plan could hurt small programsAdvocates warn that the California School Age Families Educat... more »

Lesson for Our Leaders: The Best Defense is a Good Offense - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Lesson for Our Leaders: The Best Defense is a Good Offense - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Lesson for Our Leaders: The Best Defense is a Good Offense by Anthony Cody Educators and our representatives have been on the defensive for so long, many of us have forgotten one of the lessons of the great strategist Sun Tzu - the best defense is a good offense. No Child Left Behind was a frontal assault on the teaching profession. We were accused of "the soft bigotry of low expectations. One Bush era secretary of education even called a teacher union a "terrorist organizatio... more »

Special Education Reform: Let the Dialogue Begin | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Special Education Reform: Let the Dialogue Begin | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Special Education Reform: Let the Dialogue Begin by American Association of School Administrators *By Daniel A. Domenech, Executive Director, American Association of School Administrators (AASA)* AASA has released a set of proposals intended to offer an alternative to the current, federally-mandated due process system by which parents and school personnel handle disputes about special education services. The due process system as it exists today is expensive, unwieldy and inequitab... more »

Why My Family is Boycotting the Tests – SchoolBook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Why My Family is Boycotting the Tests – SchoolBook: Why My Family is Boycotting the Tests by Jinnie Spiegler There is nothing quite like that feeling when something theoretical turns personal. My husband and I both work in education. He is a high school English teacher and I work for an education non-profit group. Over the past few years, we have become increasingly concerned about the state of education, particularly the impact of high-stakes testing on schools. But when I had to face this issue as a parent, my concern shifted from sadness to anger and, finally, to a resolution to... more »

We Party Patriots » Blog Archive » ALEC Aims to Destroy Local School Boards, Turn Education Into a Corporate, For-Profit Wasteland

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

We Party Patriots » Blog Archive » ALEC Aims to Destroy Local School Boards, Turn Education Into a Corporate, For-Profit Wasteland: ALEC Aims to Destroy Local School Boards, Turn Education Into a Corporate, For-Profit Wasteland by Chaz Bolte [image: img.php] ALEC is spreading its pro-corporate, pro-privatization agenda into the education space with greater abandon than before. ALEC-style “education reform” includes a push for the complete removal of school boards which would effectively block public input from decisions about schools. The Voters Legislative Transparency Project re... more »

NCLB Reauthorization: Here We Go Again :: Frederick M. Hess

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

NCLB Reauthorization: Here We Go Again :: Frederick M. Hess: NCLB Reauthorization: Here We Go Again *by Frederick M. Hess • Jun 3, 2013 at 9:18 am* *Cross-posted from Education Week* Word has it that the Democrats on the Senate HELP Committee will be bringing forth their proposal for NCLB/ESEA reauthorization this week. Thus we'll return to a favorite Beltway edu-pastime: discussing whether reauthorization will pass, whether there will be a bipartisan bill, and what might change. The bottom line: There will be no reauthorization in 2013 or 2014. There will be no bipartisan Sena... more »

The Testing Bullies. The blog post they tried to stop. Circulate widely. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

The Testing Bullies. The blog post they tried to stop. Circulate widely. | Fred Klonsky: The Testing Bullies. The blog post they tried to stop. Circulate widely. by Fred Klonsky Read the back story of the blog post they tried to stop in Valerie Strauss’ column in the Washington Post. Calling Out the Testing Bullies By Peter DeWitt on May 29, 2013 6:18 AM *Today’s guest blog is written by New York Times Best Selling children’s author and outstanding school presenter, Phil Bildner. Phil is a former N.Y.C. middle school teacher.* In a recent article, Joyce Murdoch Fieldke, compared h... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Welcome to the Classroom of 2021

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Welcome to the Classroom of 2021: Welcome to the Classroom of 2021 by Anngie After reading this article about tablets in school I couldn’t help but picture the classroom of the future and wonder whether teachers have tried this exercise for themselves. *Welcome to the classroom of 2021* The teacher has loaded the common cartridge for the morning. All the students are sitting at their desks where the new pressure sensitive chairs read how they are sitting and adjust the digital material on the white board to try to keep their attention as long as possi... more »

States Spending The Least On Education: 24/7 Wall St.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

States Spending The Least On Education: 24/7 Wall St.: States Spending The Least On Education: 24/7 Wall St. *24/7 Wall St.* | Posted: 06/02/2013 4:25 pm EDT [image: Share on Google+] [image: States Education Spending] *From 24/7 Wall St.:* In 2011, for the first time in decades, the amount the nation’s schools spent per student fell. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest release on education spending, the nation’s schools spent $10,560 per student in 2011, down from $10,600 per student in 2010. In most states, however, spending increased. Based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s l... more »

Anti-Bullying Groups Banned at 'Nightmare' Bronx Schools - Claremont - DNAinfo.com New York

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Anti-Bullying Groups Banned at 'Nightmare' Bronx Schools - Claremont - DNAinfo.com New York: Anti-Bullying Groups Banned at 'Nightmare' Bronx Schools The building at 1600 Webster Ave. in the Claremont section of The Bronx includes two middle schools, I.S. 313 and 339. P... ** View Full Caption DNAinfo/Patrick Wall CLAREMONT — Johanna Torrez dashes through two miles of traffic most afternoons, rushing to get her daughter from I.S. 313 before other students have the chance to target her. “I have to race to pick her up so they don’t bully her,” Torrez said recently as she hurried her s... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-3-13 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] How Corporate Reformers Defeated Democracy in Idaho by dianerav This reader explains how the Legislature had taken steps to circumvent the will of the electorate. Last November, voters decisively repealed the three laws that were promoted by State Superintendent Tom Luna. The reader writes: “I live in Idaho. The legislature has had public hearings since 2011s introduction of Students Come First. Tom Luna is our Superintendent of Public Instruction. He was an advis... more »

6-3-13 THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Let’s get real about #optout @John_Merrow by peggyrobertson To understand this post it might be helpful to read Tim Slekar’s post here – to follow the discussion that ensued after John Merrow said “to hell with the tests.” His comment encouraged me to think that perhaps we had a reporter who was ready to tell the citizens of our country that a simple […] What John Merrow didn’t post. by peggyrobertson To understand this post it might be helpful to read Tim Slekar’s post here – to follow the discussion that ensued after John Merrow said “to h... more »

Ways Teachers Can Bring 21st Century Skills Into High Schools - High School Notes (usnews.com)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Ways Teachers Can Bring 21st Century Skills Into High Schools - High School Notes (usnews.com): Ways Teachers Can Bring 21st Century Skills Into High Schools By KELSEY SHEEHY June 3, 2013 RSS Feed Print [image: Incorporate online tools such as Google Hangout and Skype to encourage collaboration and connect to experts around the world.] Incorporate online tools such as Google Hangout and Skype to encourage collaboration and connect to experts around the world. Lessons taught in high schools often skimp on 21st century skills such as collaboration and real-world problem solving, accordi... more »

Q&A: Lessons for California from New Jersey’s ‘Improbable Scholars’ | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Q&A: Lessons for California from New Jersey’s ‘Improbable Scholars’ | EdSource Today: Q&A: Lessons for California from New Jersey’s ‘Improbable Scholars’ - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald [image: Kirp wrote his latest book after spending a year observing schools in Union City, N.J.] Kirp wrote his latest book after spending a year observing schools in Union City, N.J. Students in Union City, N.J., get twice the funding of students in California. They attend two years of full-day kindergarten. Recent immigrants to this country are taught initially in their native language.... more »

Daily Kos: Krugman says "The Geezers Are All Right"

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: Krugman says "The Geezers Are All Right": Krugman says "The Geezers Are All Right" by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) by which he means that the threat to the economic future of the United States supposedly posed by Social Security and Medicare is diminishing - for a variety of reasons - at least to the point where we should stop obsessing about that and focus on the real economic needs of our nation, which of course means the creation of jobs. In this *New York Times* column, he begins with the CBO projections for deficits and debt which clearly show improvement, noting t... more »

Why K-12 online learning isn’t really revolutionizing teaching

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Why K-12 online learning isn’t really revolutionizing teaching: Why K-12 online learning isn’t really revolutionizing teaching By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 3, 2013 at 6:00 amE-mail the writer 2 Comments More [image: (By Shamus Ian Fatzinger/ Fairfax County Times)] (By Shamus Ian Fatzinger/ Fairfax County Times) Online learning is our present and our future, or so many school reformers and entrepreneurs say. Here in the first of a few pieces on the subject is Larry Cuban,a high school social studies teacher for 14 years, a district superintendent (seven years in Arlington, VA), a... more »

NYC Educator: Contract Update--King Reformy John Will Impose a UFT Contract Next Saturday at 4 PM

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

NYC Educator: Contract Update--King Reformy John Will Impose a UFT Contract Next Saturday at 4 PM: Contract Update--King Reformy John Will Impose a UFT Contract Next Saturday at 4 PM by NYC Educator After almost five years, the UFT and DOE have decided they cannot come to an agreement on a contract. Governor Andrew Cuomo has grown tired of this impasse, and has decided that if this is not resolved, he will need to cut $250 million from the budget of NYC schools. StudentsFirstNY stated, "This is a disgrace. How can those greasy teachers hurt our children like that? They should simpl... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky Sen. Mark Kirk wants mass arrests of 18,000 young black Chicagoans he labels as GDs. *Chicago Magazine's Whet Moser* *I saw a headline the other day in which Mark Kirk proposed to arrest literally every single Gangster Disciple in Chicago. That's an estimated 18,000 people, the equivalent of arresting every man, woman, and child in East Garfield Park or Kenwood. An entire Chicago community's worth of people. It's putting it mildly to say this idea is not entirely thought-out: * *Thomson has 1,600 c... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Seattle Schools This Week by Melissa Westbrook *Tuesday, June 4th* The Board will be evaluating the Superintendent in an Executive Session. I would think that he would get a pretty favorable evaluation given that he has filled some key posts. As well, at yesterday's Board retreat, various people were thanking others. Director Carr said, about Banda's efforts on the Strategic Plan, that she appreciated his collaborative attitude as compared to the previous SP which she labeled "top-down." *Wednesday, June 5th* Board Mee... more »

Political Science 101: Today’s Lesson: Some politicians lie… - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Political Science 101: Today’s Lesson: Some politicians lie… - Wait, What?: Political Science 101: Today’s Lesson: Some politicians lie… by jonpelto Last week, the Secretary of Education for the United States of America, Arne Duncan, joined by Governor Dannel P. Malloy, held at a “town hall meeting” at one of Hartford’s magnet schools. In response to a question from a high school student in attendance, Duncan taught the students an extremely valuable lesson…some politicians lie. In fact, in an attempt to “bond” with the students, Duncan lied through his teeth. In this case, America... more »

solidaridad: @TCFKSM: More on Parent Revolution triggerman Ben Austin's gunning down of a well regarded LAUSD principal

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

solidaridad: @TCFKSM: More on Parent Revolution triggerman Ben Austin's gunning down of a well regarded LAUSD principal: @TCFKSM: More on Parent Revolution triggerman Ben Austin's gunning down of a well regarded LAUSD principal by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene First published on @TCFKSM on June 2, 2013 ------------------------------ *"The 'parent trigger' by definition is a hostile act. It creates division and conflict. It sets parents against parents. It sets parents against teachers. It sets parents against administrators. It is a "trigger" and triggers kill." —Professor Diane Ravit... more »

Is texting in school a right? Can we make school and cell... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Is texting in school a right? Can we make school and cell... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: Is texting in school a right? Can we make school and cell phones compatible? [image: Texting in school] Texting in school Previous Posts - Atlanta International School: Sale makes sense for us and APS June 2, 2013 - Is APS selling one of its most valuable assets, site of Atlanta International School? June 2, 2013 - To be or not to be a drama major in this economy: Chancellor and drama major disagree June 1, 2013 By Maureen Downey A teacher sent me an in... more »

The Educated Reporter: Governors, State Superintendents Focusing on Third Graders' Reading Skills

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: Governors, State Superintendents Focusing on Third Graders' Reading Skills: Governors, State Superintendents Focusing on Third Graders' Reading Skills by Emily Richmond Students who aren't proficient readers early on are more likely to struggle later, and the third grade has developed into a critical signpost of a child's academic future. Research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation found third graders whose literacy skills fell short were four times more likely to drop out of school down the line. To further conversation on the issue, Washington Post Live wi... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week 34: The Ides of Open House

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week 34: The Ides of Open House: Week 34: The Ides of Open House by alicemercer [image: 34] I can’t believe how little of the school year is left. That’s probably a good thing [image: ;-)] . Right now, life is all about preparing for the Science Fair/Open House which will be midway through next week. Project vs. Project-based – what I’ve learned…In the past, I’ve done projects (with assigned topics) but my co-workers wanted to a do a science fair, where the kids picked their own topics. We had them formulate questions about a topic, and then f... more »

Last Stand for Children First: Last Stand for Children Founder Myron Miner Survives Mackinac Conference Tragedy

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Last Stand for Children First: Last Stand for Children Founder Myron Miner Survives Mackinac Conference Tragedy: Last Stand for Children Founder Myron Miner Survives Mackinac Conference by Last Stand for Children Tragedy struck the Mackinac Policy Conference when in their zealous to improve the efficiency of Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel, inadvertently made the hotel staff walk off the job. Mackinac, which is the Indian word for "Slaughter Island" soon found the peaceful conference guests facing off in tribes. While there was apparently

Stand in Solidarity with Mexican Teachers! | Classroom Struggle

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Stand in Solidarity with Mexican Teachers! | Classroom Struggle: Stand in Solidarity with Mexican Teachers! by ClassroomStruggle *Stand in Solidarity with* *Mexican Teachers!*** Teachers throughout Mexico – from Oaxaca, Guerrero, to Mexico City – have been hitting the streets in opposition to a set of “reforms” imposed by the Mexican government, under the leadership of newly elected president Enrique Pena-Nieto. These “reforms” include: increasing the amount of standardized tests, decrease in the power of the teacher’s union (SNTE) in controlling hiring practices, provide more p... more »

Oregon Save Our Schools: A Parent Questions Common Core in Oregon

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Oregon Save Our Schools: A Parent Questions Common Core in Oregon: A Parent Questions Common Core in Oregon by Oregon SOS [image: Oregon SOS] *A bit of background:* *Common Core State Standards, an unproven set of curricular standards has been adopted for use in most states across our country to include Oregon WITHOUT public input. As part of receiving the NCLB Waiver, Oregon used CCSS as their set of standards which would prove to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan that we were agreeing to use "career and college ready standards" in our plan to get the waiver. What hasn't been ... more »

Asian-American Students Face Unique Challenges When It Comes to Affirmative Action - Higher Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Asian-American Students Face Unique Challenges When It Comes to Affirmative Action - Higher Education: Asian-American Students Face Unique Challenges When It Comes to Affirmative Action by cmaadmin [image: Irwin Tang] Irwin Tang, an Austin, Texas-based psychotherapist, says he believes that some of the nation’s elite institutions of higher learning have unofficial quotas that cap the admission of students of Asian descent. Irwin Tang, an Austin, Texas-based psychotherapist, says he believes that some of the nation’s elite institutions of higher learning have unofficial quotas that ... more »

Why Some Schools Want To Expel Suspensions : NPR

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Why Some Schools Want To Expel Suspensions : NPR: Why Some Schools Want To Expel Suspensions by NPR STAFF June 02, 2013 5:36 PM http://www.youthfutures.com/report/kids_matter_2008/4/3/ The effectiveness of school suspensions is up for debate. California is the most recent battleground, but a pattern of uneven application and negative outcomes is apparent across the country. California students were suspended more than 700,000 times over the 2011-2012 school year,according to state data. One school district decided it was getting ridiculous. In May, the board for the Los Angeles Unifi... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-2-13 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: *IN HER OWN WORDS* L.A. Times: Parent Trigger=Parent Trap by dianerav The Los Angeles Times is not at all pleased with the way the so-called “parent trigger” is working out. Theeditorial board wants a more open, transparent process. The editorial does not point out that only one organization has pushed the idea that parents should seize control of a public institution. “Parent Revolution”–funded by billionaires–wrote the law, sends paid community organizers to gather parent signatures, and litigates to push its goa... more »

Library for All | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Library for All | toteachornototeach: Library for All by aristotlethewise From Chalkboard to the Cloud: Library for All Puts the World in a Child’s Hands Imagine you’re a 9-year-old girl attending a makeshift school in Haiti, and a well-meaning church group or charity drops off boxes of donated books for you and your classmates to read. This is a generous gesture, but the books are in English. You speak French Creole and are just learning to read and write, using one chalkboard shared by 50 students. The stacks of donated books become stools for the school’s youngest pupils, and yo... more »

Daily Kos: thoughts after a college reunion

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Daily Kos: thoughts after a college reunion: thoughts after a college reunion by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) I spent from Friday afternoon through midmorning today on the campuses of Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges for the 40th reunion of my 3rd and final class at Haverford. I joined the class as a 25 year old junior, and thus did not get to know quite as many people through the normal freshman bonding process. Similarly for our sister class at Bryn Mawr (in those days Haverford was still officially single sex), I had met relatively few of them - those that lived on the Haver... more »

Weekend reading: New York City’s complete evaluation plans | GothamSchools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Weekend reading: New York City’s complete evaluation plans | GothamSchools: Weekend reading: New York City’s complete evaluation plansby Philissa Cramer, at 12:19 pm If you’ve finished the Sunday crossword puzzle, it might be time to turn your attention to the full version of New York City’s teacher and principal evaluation plans. The plans, which State Education Commissioner announced on Saturday, were posted to the State Education Department’s website just after midnight. Through 240 pages, King details his responses to proposals set out by the city Department of Education and the... more »

Ed Notes Online: Evaluation Deal: The Enemy, King/Bloomberg/etc or UFT/AFT/NYSUT Leadership?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Ed Notes Online: Evaluation Deal: The Enemy, King/Bloomberg/etc or UFT/AFT/NYSUT Leadership?: Evaluation Deal: The Enemy, King/Bloomberg/etc or UFT/AFT/NYSUT Leadership? by ed notes online *Despite the awful and fairy-dust based evaluation system, despite the fact that not one UFT member was allowed a vote on it, we have been almost five years without a raise and missed the 8% pattern raise the rest of our union brothers and sisters got. I have no problem telling the emperor how I feel about that.... NYC Educator on the June 12 rally* * * *Bloomberg is irrelevant. The real emperors ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Can the Left and the Right Find Enough Common Ground to Work Against Common Core?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Can the Left and the Right Find Enough Common Ground to Work Against Common Core?: Can the Left and the Right Find Enough Common Ground to Work Against Common Core? by stlgretchen An thought provoking article by Anthony Cody asking *Is the Tea Party Right About the Common Core? *appeared in Education Week: * * Yesterday's Washington Post carried a banner story about growing Tea Party opposition to the Common Core. We learn that across the country, Tea Party activists have been organizing around opposition to the Common Core, and have succeeded in bl... more »

NYC Public School Parents: John King's decision on teacher evaluation: voodoo or wake-up call for "bad" teachers?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NYC Public School Parents: John King's decision on teacher evaluation: voodoo or wake-up call for "bad" teachers?: John King's decision on teacher evaluation: voodoo or wake-up call for "bad" teachers? by Leonie Haimson Lots of news and commentary this morning on Commissioner John King’s From the front page of today's NY Postdecision on a new NYC teacher evaluation system. Here's the one I like best: Jersey Jazzman'sExclusive! First look at NY Student surveys for Teacher evaluation (based on the the fact that starting in 3rd grade, the results of student surveys will be part of ... more »

Common Core: Assessing the real level of support

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Common Core: Assessing the real level of support: Common Core: Assessing the real level of support By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 2, 2013 at 12:30 pmE-mail the writer 1 Comments More [image: common core]Does “the great majority” of Americans really support the Common Core? How do we know? Here’s a piece on the subject from P.L. Thomas, an associate professor of education at Furman University in South Carolina. He edited the 2013 book “Becoming and Being a Teacher,” and wrote the 2012 book, “Ignoring Poverty in the U.S.: The Corporate Takeover of Public Education.” This was publi... more »