Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 6-7-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Nite Cap UPDATE

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

CORPORATE ED REFORM

My experience at a #TFAListen event

by Gary Rubinstein

TFA has two new co-CEO’s, Elisa Villanueva-Beard and Matt Kramer.  Since they have started a few months ago, they have been going on a ‘listening’ tour around the country.  Based on Tweets I had read about the tour and also from a montage video I had seen, the tone of the meetings could best be described as ‘chipper.’  To me this meant that either there was an effort to get a pro-TFA audience, or that TFA was just choosing to share the least contentious parts of these tour stops.
Popout
In a recent post I had written about the two new co-CEOs of TFA, I had mentioned that if I were invited to an event on their TFA listening tour, I’d go, even if it was some sort of mass invite instead of a personal invitation.
Well, a few days ago I did receive an email that Matt and Elisa want to meet with some alumni from the 1990s 

I think Charles Blow gets it right again

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

in a piece titled Of Slippery Slopes.  Even though he assumes others are

tracking, or could track, everything I do in an increasing virtual reality.

 That he assumes it does not mean he agrees with it:  it is just that because something CAN be done

eventually will be done, for good or ill, because information is power and human beings bend toward power the way weeds bend toward the sun.

He is thus not surprised about the news that has exploded starting with the NSA and the Verizon data gathering. 

June 10, 2013

Education Department to Host High School Culinary Students’ Competition for Healthy School Lunch

The U.S. Department of Education will host the national finals for eight teams of high school culinary students who are competing in the preparation of healthy, tasty and creative school lunches on Monday, June 10, at the department’s headquarters building in Washington, D.C.

Public Relations Group Launches Scholarship Program for Hispanic Undergrads

The Hispanic Public Relations Association’s New York Chapter announced the creation of the HPRA-NY Scholarship Program to assist New York area students of Hispanic descent (origin) achieve their educational goals. The program recognizes outstanding undergraduate academic achievement and community service among students who are pursuing a career in public relations and related communications fields. The announcement was made today by HPRA-NY President Andy Checo at the organization’s “Inside the Mind” event in New York City. A recent analysis conducted by The Pew Hispanic Center revealed that nearly 69 percent of 2012 high school Hispanics enrolled in college compared to 67 percent of their counterparts. While these numbers are promising, the analysis also uncovered a disparity in the number of Hispanics enrolling full-time in four-year colleges and universities. The HPRA-NY scholarship will be awarded to a qualified 

TeacherCast.net

TeacherCast.net: A Place for Teachers to Help Other Teachers

Karen Lewis on Ben Austin’s Letter

by dianerav

A comment on Ben Austin’s open letter to me:
“Why would Ben Austin insert his own and his brother’s story in an open letter to you? And just for good measure, the annoying phrase, “…kids trapped in failing schools…” I am so sick of this refrain because it sounds like the rich and powerful really care. The parent tricker law is an outrage as are so many of these ALEC-induced mandates that are driving the joy out of teaching and learning.
“Here’s how we fix the schools. Go to the private schools where the elite send their children and watch what their 

My Reply to Ben Austin’s Open Letter to Me | Diane Ravitch's blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

My Reply to Ben Austin’s Open Letter to Me | Diane Ravitch's blog: My Reply to Ben Austin’s Open Letter to Me by dianerav [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Earlier today, Ben Austin wrote an open letter to me on Huffington Post. He expressed dismay about my characterization of him and his group Parent Revolution. Read his letter here. Here is my reply. Dear Ben Austin, Thank you for your invitation to engage in dialogue in your letter posted on Huffington Post. You probably know that I have been writing a daily blog for the past fourteen months and during that ti... more »

Bill Introduced: H.R.2173 Effective Teaching and Leading Act

To improve teacher quality, and for other purposes.

Bill Introduced: H.R.2170 Foreign Language Education Partnership Program Act

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a partnership program in foreign languages.

This is not a school: Parents United statement on district layoffs

by parentsunitedphila

[Update: The District has actually issued 3,783 layoffs, over 20% of its total staff.]

Over 3,000 layoffs.  Aides, secretaries, nurses, librarians, art and music teachers, classroom teachers, assistant principals, counselors—people who have worked in our children’s schools for years, keeping schools running smoothly and keeping our kids safe, teaching them to read music, administering medication, guiding them through applying to high school and college, and helping them acquire research skills.

Parents are appalled at this action, which will hurt everyone in our city in many ways.  When 3,000 people lose their jobs, the economic and personal consequences borne by those individuals and their families are not only 

My Reply to Ben Austin’s Open Letter to Me | Diane Ravitch's blog

My Reply to Ben Austin’s Open Letter to Me | Diane Ravitch's blog:

My Reply to Ben Austin’s Open Letter to Me

by dianerav

Earlier today, Ben Austin wrote an open letter to me on Huffington Post. He expressed dismay about my characterization of him and his group Parent Revolution. Read his letter here. Here is my reply.
Dear Ben Austin,
Thank you for your invitation to engage in dialogue in your letter posted on Huffington Post.
You probably know that I have been writing a daily blog for the past fourteen months and during that time, I have written over 4,000 posts. I can’t remember any time when I have lost my temper other than when I wrote about your successful effort to oust an elementary school principal in Los Angeles named Irma Cobian.
I apologize for calling you “loathsome,” though I do think your campaign against a hardworking, dedicated principal working in an inner-city school was indeed loathsome. And it was wrong of me to say that there was a special place in hell reserved for anyone “who administers and funds this revolting organization that destroys schools and fine educators like Irma Cobian.”
As I said, I lost my temper, and I have to explain why.
I don’t like bullies. When I saw this woman targeted by your powerful organization, it looked like bullying. Your organization is funded by many millions of dollars from the Walton Family Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. You have a politically powerful organization, and you used your power to single out this one woman and get her fired.
Your organization sent in paid staff to collect signatures from parents. The teachers in the school were not permitted to express their opinion to parents about your efforts to fire their principal. When you succeeded in getting her fired, 21 of the 22 teachers on staff requested a transfer. That suggests that Cobian has the loyalty of her staff and is a good leader.
Who is this woman that you ousted?
All I know about her is what I read in this article in the Los Angeles Times.
It said: “More than two decades ago, Cobian walked away from a high-powered law firm to teach. The daughter of Mexican immigrants, she said she was inspired by a newspaper article about the low high school graduation rates of Latinos and wanted to make a difference.
“Her passion for social justice led her to Watts in 2009.”
Irma Cobain is now in her fourth year as principal of the school, and you decided that her time was up.
What did her teachers say about her?
“Third-grade teacher Kate Lewis said Irma Cobian is the best principal she’s had in nine years at Weigand Avenue Elementary School in Watts.
“Joseph Shamel called Cobian a “godsend” who has used her mastery of special education to show him how to craft effective learning plans for his students.”
“Fourth-grade teacher Hector Hernandez said Cobian is the first principal he’s had who frequently pops into classrooms to model good teaching herself. Recently, he said, she demonstrated how to teach about different literary genres by engaging students in lively exercises using characters from the “Avengers” comic book and film.”
When Cobian arrived at the Weigand Avenue Elementary school four years ago, she found a school with low test scores, low parent involvement, and divisiveness over a dual-language program. “All the students come from low-income families, more than half are not fluent in English and a quarter turn over every year,” the Los Angeles Times story said.
Cobian decided to focus on improving literacy and raising morale. She certainly won over the faculty.
The day after Cobian learned about the vote removing her, she went to a second-grade classroom to give prizes to children who had read 25 books this year. She cheered those who met the goal and encouraged those who were trying. But she could not hide her sadness.
“I need happiness today,” Cobian told the bright-eyed students. “What do I do when I’m sad?”
“Come here!” the students sang out.
For a moment, her sadness gave way to smiles. But later, she said: “I am crushed.”
Ben, how did you feel when you read that? I felt sad. I felt this was a caring and dedicated person who had been singled out unfairly.
Ben, I hope you noticed in the article that Dr. John Deasy, the superintendent of schools in Los Angeles, praised the plan that Cobian and her staff developed for improving the school. He called it a “well-organized program for accelerated student achievement.” He thanked Cobian for her commitment and hard work.” But you decided she should be fired.
Ironically, the parent who worked with you to fire Cobian said she preferred Weigand to her own neighborhood school where she had concerns about bullying. Even stranger, the parents at Cobian’s school voted to endorse her plan. Your parent spokesperson said she did not like the plan because it focused on reading and writing, but she told the reporter from the Los Angeles Times that she actually never read the plan.
I understand from your letter, Ben, that you somehow feel you are a victim because of what I wrote about you. But, Ben, you are not a victim. Irma Cobian is the victim here. She lost her job because of your campaign to get rid of her. She is the one who was humiliated and suffered loss of income and loss of reputation. You didn’t. You still have your organization, your staff, and the millions that the big foundations have given you.
I am sorry you had a tough childhood. We all have our stories about growing up. I am one of eight children. My father was a high-school dropout. My mother immigrated from Bessarabia and was very proud of her high school diploma from the Houston public schools. She was proud that she learned to speak English “like a real American.” My parents were grateful for the free public schools of Houston, where I too graduated from high school. We had our share of problems and setbacks but I won’t go on about myself or my siblings because my story and yours are really beside the point. What troubles me is what you are doing with the millions you raise. You use it to sow dissension, to set parents against parents, parents against teachers, parents against principals. I don’t see this as productive or helpful. Schools function best when there is collaboration among teachers, parents, administrators, and students. Schools have a better chance of success for the children when they have a strong community and culture of respect.
Your “parent trigger” destroys school communities. True to its name, the “trigger” blasts them apart. It causes deep wounds. It decimates the spirit of respect and comity that is necessary to build a strong community. Frankly, after the school shootings of recent years, your use of the metaphor of a “parent trigger” is itself offensive. We need fewer triggers pointed at schools and educators. Please find a different metaphor, one that does suggest violence and bloodshed.
It must be very frustrating to you and your funders that–three years after passage of the “parent trigger” law– you can’t point to a single success story. I am aware that you persuaded the parents at the Desert Trails Elementary School in Adelanto, California, to turn their public school over to a privately operated charter. I recall that when parents at the school tried to remove their signatures from your petition, your organization went to court and won a ruling that they were not allowed to rescind their signatures. Ultimately only 53 parents in a school of more than 600 children chose the charter operator. Since the charter has not yet opened, it is too soon to call that battle a success for Parent Revolution. Only the year before, the Adelanto Charter Academy lost its charterbecause the operators were accused of financial self-dealing.
But, Ben, let me assure you that I bear you no personal ill will. I just don’t approve of what you are doing. I think it is wrong to organize parents to seize control of their public school so they can fire the staff or privatize it. If the principal is doing a bad job, it is Dr. Deasy’s job to remove her or him. I assume that veteran principals and teachers get some kind of due process, where charges are filed and there is a hearing. If Cobain was as incompetent as you say, why didn’t Dr. Deasy bring her up on charges and replace her?
I also have a problem with the idea that parents can sign a petition and hand their public school off to a private charter corporation. The school doesn’t belong to the parents whose children are enrolled this year. It belongs to the public whose taxes built it and maintains it. As the L.A. Times story pointed out, one-quarter of the children at Weigand Avenue Elementary School are gone every year. The parents who sign a petition this year may not even be parents in the school next year. Why should they have the power to privatize the school? Should the patrons of a public library have the power to sign a petition and privatize the management? Should the people using a public park have the right to take a vote and turn the park over to private management?
We both care about children. I care passionately about improving education for all children. I assume you do as well. You think that your organized raids on public schools and professionals will lead to improvement. I disagree. Schools need adequate resources to succeed. They also need experienced professionals, a climate of caring, and stability. I don’t see anything in the “trigger” concept that creates the conditions necessary for improvement. Our teachers and principals are already working under too much stress, given that schools have become targets for federal mandates and endless reforms.
I suggest that educators need respect and thanks for their daily work on behalf of children. If they do a bad job, the leadership of the school system is responsible to take action. What educators don’t need is to have a super-rich, super-powerful organization threatening to pull the trigger on their career and their good name.
Ben, thanks for the open letter and the chance to engage in dialogue. If you don’t mind, I want to apologize to Irma Cobain on your behalf. She was doing her best. She built a strong staff that believes in her. She wrote a turnaround plan that Dr. Deasy liked and the parents approved. Ms. Cobain, if you read this, I hope you can forgive Ben. Maybe next time, he will think twice, get better information, and consider the consequences before he decides to take down another principal.
Diane Ravitch

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-7-13 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] Wendy Kopp Hails Philadelphia’s “Progress” As District Suffers Draconian Cuts by dianerav Why did Wendy Kopp hail Philadelphia’s “progress” on the same day that the state-run School Reform Commission slashed the city’s public school budget to the bone, eliminating librarians, arts programs, athletics, and counselors, stripping bare an impoverished district? Maybe she was confused. Or misinformed. Or maybe she meant it. Kopp quickly apologized but Philadelphia journa... more »

Do I need to stop the car and come back there? - Wait, What?

Do I need to stop the car and come back there? - Wait, What?:

Do I need to stop the car and come back there?

by jonpelto

Let’s just say it wasn’t one of Connecticut Legislature’s finest moments.

As two news stories today make pretty clear, a “he said/he said” situation has put $127 million in early childhood funding in jeopardy.

The CT Mirror’s article is entitled Childcare providers worry their money held hostage by politics, while CTNewsjunkie’ s story is called Did Early Childhood Bill Fall Victim To Sunday Bow Hunting?

Here’s the PROBLEM (as reported by CTMirror):    

“The state budget shifts $127 million in funding from various state agencies into a new Office of Early Childhood Education… But the office was never statutorily created because the bill that did so was never approved by the state House of Representatives or Senate.”

According to the CT Mirror, “Early childcare providers are concerned the money they 

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress 6-7-13

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress:

Bill Introduced: H.R.2170 Foreign Language Education Partnership Program Act

Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 25 minutes ago

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a partnership program in foreign languages.

Bill Introduced: H.R.2173 Effective Teaching and Leading Act

Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 25 minutes ago

To improve teacher quality, and for other purposes.

Bill Introduced: H.R.2184 Working to Encourage Community Action and Responsibility in Education Act

Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 2 days ago

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to foster community involvement, and for other purposes.

Ed Notes Online: Parents Present Pearson With $38 Million Invoice for Use of Child Labor for Field Tests

Ed Notes Online: Parents Present Pearson With $38 Million Invoice for Use of Child Labor for Field Tests:

Parents Present Pearson With $38 Million Invoice for Use of Child Labor for Field Tests

by ed notes online

Press Contacts:

Kemala Karmen                                                                    Janine Sopp

Tel. 917-807-9969                                                               Tel. 917-541-6062

optout@parentvoicesny.org                                                            janinesopp@gmail.com

For Immediate Release

Parents Create Invoice to Showcase the True Cost of NYSED/Pearson’s “Stand-Alone” June Field Tests:
$37, 991, 452

“The State Education Department Should Be COLLECTING from Pearson, Not Handing Out Our Tax Dollars for Tests of Dubious Value!”

New York City –Concerned parents, who wonder why it should be assumed that their children would serve as uncompensated research subjects in a commercial R & D product development process, have drawn up a bill, payable to the people of New York State, for the creator of the stand-alone field tests, Pearson LLC.

To arrive at a “Balance Due” of $37,991,452, parents calculated the value of their children’s free labor, including the opportunity costs of lost instructional time and resources, and added these to the real costs to schools of administering the June tests. They unveiled the invoice at a press conference held in front of Tweed Courthouse on the morning of June 6th. At that time, they also announced that at least 37 New York City schools had parents opt their children out of the tests; on Long Island, more than 30 schools saw test refusals. Organizers were also aware of resistance at 4 schools in the Westchester and Hudson regions. [List of schools at end of this document.]

The design for the invoice, which originally enumerated only the services provided to Pearson by one child, emerged in the lead-up to 2012’s parent-coordinated campaign against the tests.  It encapsulated the resentment parents felt; their children were being inducted into a study without their parents’ informed consent, and without any direct benefit to the students or their schools. “If Pearson wants to use my daughter to ‘field test’ during the school day,” opined Brooklyn parent Johanna Henry, “they will have to pay us, and they need to get in touch with me in order to negotiate a fair price.  I will use the money to provide my child an enjoyable and relevant learning experience.’”

This year, as parents continue to fight the field tests, the invoice has been expanded to reflect that NYSED gives away to for-profit Pearson the services of 434,000 3^rd through 8^thgraders (a number derived, in part, by assuming average class size). These services would be worth $32,550,000 (if child labor were legal), an amount roughly equal to the sum ($32,136,276) that New York State has contracted to pay Pearson for 5 years of test development. Moreover, the State essentially donates to Pearson the salaries of the teachers ($1,541,250) and assistant principals ($753,519)who coordinate and administer the tests.*

Former DOE analyst Fred Smith, who provided technical assistance with the invoice to parents from grassroots groups Change the Stakes and ParentVoicesNY, was alarmed. “Usually corporations and foundations make charitable contributions or donations

to public institutions or to support public works,” said Smith.  “Here, SED has arranged it so that we, the client or end-users are giving away time, money and opportunity to the benefit of a private company.”

The invoice also includes a line for taxes that the state could be collecting from Pearson for its unreimbursed expenses. The tax bill alone comes in at more than $3 million, a scenario that especially rankles during a time when schools are being asked to do more with less. “Our schools are being cut to the bone, but city and state education officials always manage to find staggeringly large sums of money for all these tests and test prep materials,” claimed Sharmeela Mediratta, a Queens parent whose daughter did not take the field test.

Organizations who contributed to our list of 2013 field test opt outs include: Change the Stakes, ParentVoicesNY, Restore Education Funding – Nyack/Valley Cottage, Time Out From Testing, Long Island Opt Out (list in formation)

# # #

Schools Where Parents are Participating in the Field Test Boycott

This list is growing, as not all schools have administered tests yet and we are not in touch with all schools where opt outs are happening. At this point there are 37 in NYC and at least 34+ outside of the city. (Long Island submitted the names of districts rather than individual schools, of which 30+ saw opt outs)

Schools in New York City

  East Village Community School

Neighborhood School

Earth School

  PS 40/Augustus Saint-Gaudens

Ella Baker School

Institute for Collaborative Education

  PS 75/Emily Dickinson

 PS 87/William Sherman

  Central Park East I

  PS 173

  3 schools in District 3 who wish to remain anonymous

  PS 8

PS 9 - Teunis G Bergen

 PS 11 -Purvis J Behan

PS 132 - The Conselyea School

PS 257 - John F Hylan

PS 15 - Patrick F Daly

PS 29 - John M Harrigan

PS 39 - Henry Bristow

PS 58 - The Carroll School

MS 88 - Peter Rouget

PS 107 - John W Kimball

The Brooklyn New School

PS 154 - Magnet School for Science and Technology

PS 230 - Doris L Cohen

PS 261 - Philip Livingston

PS 295 - Studio School of Arts and Culture

PS 321 - William Penn

The Children's School

 New Voices Middle School

 MS 447 - The Math and Science Exploratory School
 MS 448 - Brooklyn School for Collaborative Studies
 PS 139 - Rego Park

 JHS 157 - Stephen A Halsey

 PS 122 - Mamie Fay

Outside New York City

Lenape Elementary, New Paltz, NY

New Paltz Middle School

Nyack Middle School

Upper Nyack Elementary School

Long Island Schools or Districts:

North Merrick

East Meadow

Bayport Blue Point

Middle Country

Hauppauge

Miller Place

Valley Stream Central High District 1

East Meadow

Seaford

Riverhead

Lynbrook

Northport

Bellmore Merrick

Mt. Sinai

East Islip

Sachem Samoset Brentwood UFSD

Middle Country

# # #

** Anatomy of a Giveaway

Invoice to Pearson:

Figuring that half a day will be devoted to the field tests and administrative logistics:

For half an AP's daily salary = $753,519.  That's 3,614 x $208.50.

For half a Teacher's daily salary = $1,541,250.  That's 12,330 x $125.00.

ABC Coverage: http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/video?id=9129701

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-7-13 #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

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Finally - What Might Happen with NCLB

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Finally - What Might Happen with NCLB: Finally - What Might Happen with NCLB by Melissa Westbrook Ed Week has a great chart showing the different ideas in Congress around NCLB. I'll have to sit down, read it and ponder it but it would be something of a game changer. I look forward to more dissection from the experts. I'd love to hear what teachers think. (One peeve: so once again, Director Martin-Morris, after seeing a packed house during the School Board testimony and listening to impassioned speakers on Special Ed, the Center School issue, e... more »

One Voice United Rally | NYSUT.org

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago

One Voice United Rally | NYSUT.org: [image: one voice united] We encourage NYSUT members, parents, students and community activists to come to Albany on June 8 to speak with one voice to fight for the future of public education. LEARN MORE. - About the Rally [image: support public education] Everything you need to know about fighting for the future of public education June 8 in Albany. Learn More - VIDEO: Why We Rally [image: one voice united video testimonials] Watch these video testimonials to find out why these educators and parents will be in Alba... more »

Gray sends D.C. Council a proposal to give chartering authority to schools chancellor - The Washington Post

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago

Gray sends D.C. Council a proposal to give chartering authority to schools chancellor - The Washington Post: Gray sends D.C. Council a proposal to give chartering authority to schools chancellor [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] It’s official: Mayor Vincent C. Gray on Friday transmitted legislation to the D.C. Council that would give Chancellor Kaya Henderson the authority to approve new charter schools. Gray (D) announced his intention to seek chartering authority for Henderson during his weekly radio address Sunday, and the bill has been under legal revi... more »

NPE Stories: Michelle Strater Gunderson on standardized testing | The Network For Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago

NPE Stories: Michelle Strater Gunderson on standardized testing | The Network For Public Education: NPE Stories: Michelle Strater Gunderson on standardized testing by admin I remember watching my fourth grade students at Goudy Elementary (Uptown, Chicago) take the state reading test the year my twin daughters were also in fourth grade. I knew that Kate and Sarah were going to score off the charts on this test. Were my daughters brilliant? No — they were middle class, spoke English at home, were read to constantly, self-confident, well fed, and loved. Here’s what was on the Illinoi... more »

NCLB Bills: A Side-By-Side Comparison - Politics K-12 - Education Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

NCLB Bills: A Side-By-Side Comparison - Politics K-12 - Education Week: NCLB Bills: A Side-By-Side Comparison By Alyson Klein on June 7, 2013 4:33 PM Can't keep the three bills put out in Congress this week on the long-stalled reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act straight? Here's your cheat sheet: *Senate* *Senate* *House* *Category* Democrat Republican Republican *Accountability* Maintains the NCLB law's testing schedule, and states that have federal waivers could stick with those plans. States that don't already have federal waivers would have to come up wi... more »

Uncovering the Truth About Education Reform | The Network For Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Uncovering the Truth About Education Reform | The Network For Public Education: Uncovering the Truth About Education Reform by admin Webinar Available This week, the Network for Public Education held our latest webinar, featuring two experts on finding out the truth about education reform. We heard from statistician and teacher Mercedes Schneider from Louisiana, and private investigator Michael Corwin of New Mexico. Mercedes shared how we can critically analyze the often flawed “research” being used to justify education reform. Michael described the nuts and bolts of getting info... more »

Delivering on the Promise of Technology to Accelerate Educational Improvements | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Delivering on the Promise of Technology to Accelerate Educational Improvements | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Delivering on the Promise of Technology to Accelerate Educational Improvements by International Society for Technology in Education *Editor's note: This post was scheduled to go up today long before we knew of yesterday's announcement of President Obama's ConnectEd initiative, which calls on the FCC to leverage the E-Rate program to have 99 percent of students connected to the internet through high-speed broadband and high-speed wireless within 5 year... more »

Ben Austin: A Kids First Dialogue: Open Letter to Dr. Diane Ravitch

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Ben Austin: A Kids First Dialogue: Open Letter to Dr. Diane Ravitch: A Kids First Dialogue: Open Letter to Dr. Diane Ravitch*Stand ON Children First: New AstroTurf from Teacher in the Box* *Dear Professor Diane Ravitch:* Parents, educators, and education advocates have a lot in common when it comes to a kids-first first agenda. But we can never seize that common ground if those with whom we disagree are deemed to be "evil" and sentenced to Hell, as you did last week in your nowinfamous blog post. If we can't start from that basic premise, then we are no more mature than the children... more »

Three Common Factors in High-Poverty, High-Performing Schools — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Three Common Factors in High-Poverty, High-Performing Schools — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]Three Common Factors in High-Poverty, High-Performing Schools June 7, 2013 by Klea Scharberg ASCD authors William Parrett and Kathleen Budge frame some of the factors found in high-performing, high-poverty schools. In these schools, community members are engaged in shifting the culture to one of possibility by acknowledging positive change, teachers are making instructional adjustments to meet the challenges of complex texts, and all are focused on rela... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Jonah Rockoff Testifies at NJBOE: Part I

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Jonah Rockoff Testifies at NJBOE: Part I: Jonah Rockoff Testifies at NJBOE: Part I by Duke I've been given a remarkable piece of audio that I think has to be shared widely. Jonah Rockoff, a professor of finance and economics, testified at the New Jersey State Board of Education this past Wednesday on the topic of teacher evaluation. There is no arguing with Dr. Rockoff's academic qualifications or intellect; still, it speaks volumes about where we are in our education debate that an economics professor is brought before the NJBOE as an expert in education policy. ... more »

UPDATE: The Real Truth About the Common Core State Standards | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

The Real Truth About the Common Core State Standards | Truth in American Education: “State-Led” Common Core Primarily Had Only Five Writers by Shane Vander Hart Joy Pullmann at School Reform News wrote an excellent piece that helps to further demonstrate that the Common Core State Standards were not state-led. While there were many people who served on various committees and work groups all of the feedback was filtered by only five people. After giving a brief history of what led to the development of the Common Core, Pullman writes: By July 1, 2009, NGA and CCSSO had formed more ... more »

Meanwhile, Is Special Master Adamowski trying to destroy Windham’s School System? - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Meanwhile, Is Special Master Adamowski trying to destroy Windham’s School System? - Wait, What?: Meanwhile, Is Special Master Adamowski trying to destroy Windham’s School System? by jonpelto Windham Connecticut has about 3,400 public school students, of which about 62 percent are Latino. In total, 7 in 10 Windham public school students are minority. More than 75 percent of the students come from families that qualify for free or reduced priced lunches. One in four aren’t fluent in English and nearly 40 percent go home to households where English is not the primary language. In... more »

NEA Director Appointed to Suburban D.C. School Board - Teacher Beat - Education Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

NEA Director Appointed to Suburban D.C. School Board - Teacher Beat - Education Week: NEA Director Appointed to Suburban D.C. School Board by Stephen Sawchuk The Prince George's County public schools, a 124,000-student district that abuts the District of Columbia, has a new school board chairman familiar to the national education scene: He's Segun Eubanks, the director of teacher quality for the 3 million-member National Education Association. Mr. Eubanks has two children in the Maryland district. He'll keep his NEA job while chairing the board; the position began June 1. [image: Seg... more »

Arne Duncan To Launch 'High School Redesign' Competition

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Arne Duncan To Launch 'High School Redesign' Competition: Arne Duncan To Launch 'High School Redesign' Competition by Joy Resmovits In his 2013 State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama promised to bring America's high schools into the future. "I'm announcing a new challenge to redesign America's high schools so they better equip graduates for the demands of a high-tech economy," Obama said at the time. "We'll reward schools that develop new partnerships with colleges and employers, and create classes that focus on science, technology, engineering, and math –- the skills ... more »

The Woman Upstairs and the Pedagogy of Love - Dana Goldstein

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

The Woman Upstairs and the Pedagogy of Love - Dana Goldstein: The Woman Upstairs and the Pedagogy of Love by Dana Goldstein [image: Screen Shot 2013-06-07 at 11.36.40 AM]Like, I think, a lot of women readers, I have lately been discomfited by Nora Eldridge, the protagonist of Claire Messud’s *The Woman Upstairs. *Nora is pushing 40, single, and childless. She has several close friends, throws fun birthday parties, and makes “serious” art in her spare bedroom. She is also a devoted caretaker of her elderly relatives, and quite good, even excellent, at her elementary school teaching j... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Now That Data Mining is on the Public's Radar....

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Now That Data Mining is on the Public's Radar....: Now That Data Mining is on the Public's Radar.... by stlgretchen ...let's revisit a MEW column on student data mining first published on December 28, 2011 via Emmett McGroarty and Jane Robbins of American Principles Project. From *The Department of Education Just Won The Data Jackpot:* *Emmett McGroarty, executive director of the Preserve Innocence Initiative of the American Principles Project and Jane Robbins, a senior fellow with the APP, wrote a great opinion piece that was featured in today's New Y... more »

StudentsFirst rescinds Ragan's 'Reformer of the Year' recognition » Knoxville News Sentinel

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

StudentsFirst rescinds Ragan's 'Reformer of the Year' recognition » Knoxville News Sentinel: StudentsFirst rescinds Ragan's 'Reformer of the Year' recognition [image: State Rep. John D. Ragan, R-Oak Ridge] State Rep. John D. Ragan, R-Oak Ridge NASHVILLE — Responding to an online petition drive launched by an 11-year-old Oak Ridge boy, StudentsFirst has rescinded its designation of state Rep. John Ragan as a ‘reformer of the year” because he sponsored a so-called “the don’t say gay bill.” “His introduction of ill-conceived and harmful legislation including HB 1332 — which would have c... more »

Closing the Broadband Gap for Students and Teachers | ED.gov Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Closing the Broadband Gap for Students and Teachers | ED.gov Blog: Closing the Broadband Gap for Students and Teachers by Richard Culatta [image: President Barack Obama views student projects created on laptops during a tour at Mooresville Middle School in Mooresville, N.C., June 6, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)] President Barack Obama views student projects created on laptops during a tour at Mooresville Middle School in Mooresville, N.C., June 6, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) Yesterday, President Obama and Secretary Duncan launched the Connect... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, June 7, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Friday, June 7, 2013* MORENO VALLEY: Residents challenge school board member’s appointmentA petition was filed to remove the Moreno Valley school board member appointed to replace Mike Rios. Residents are seeking to void the appointment of Gary Baugh and force an election. They have about 2,000 signatures and believe they need about 1,500. Deputy Mayor Joan Sullivan named CEO of Partnership for LA ShoolsJoan Sullivan, the education deputy to outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, has been named CEO of the 2... more »

Five People Wrote 'State-Led' Common Core | Heartlander Magazine

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Five People Wrote 'State-Led' Common Core | Heartlander Magazine: Five People Wrote 'State-Led' Common Core June 7, 2013 JOY PULLMANNJoy Pullmann (jpullmann@heartland.org) is a research fellow of The Heartland Institute and managing... (read full bio) EMAIL Audio Lindsey Burke: NCLB Waivers, Virginia, and the Common Core - play - 00:00 17:10 Download as .mp3 Share on linkedin - [image: Print]Print - [image: Email]Email *Editor’s Note: This article is the second of three. **Read the first here** .* Many education leaders continue to insist the process for creating nationa... more »

How Do We Judge Success in a Democracy? - Bridging Differences - Education Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

How Do We Judge Success in a Democracy? - Bridging Differences - Education Week: How Do We Judge Success in a Democracy? by Deborah Meier Dear Michael, I just wrote and discarded a 3,000-plus-word response to your queries. But I'll post it later on mydeborahmeier.com blog. There's just too much to say! I essentially repeated my argument about why parents are not the problem; it's the *conditions* under which they have to raise their children, the obstacles they must overcome to cope with daily crises that are the problem—mostly related to poverty and racism. I repeated my reasons f... more »

Daily Kos: Innovation Schools Nothing New

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: Innovation Schools Nothing New: Innovation Schools Nothing New by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) Emma Brown in *The Washington Post* offers an important window into school reform occurring (*ad infinitum*) in Washington DC: D.C. Council member David A. Catania plans to announce wide-ranging legislation Tuesday that could substantially reshape the city’s public education system, as he seeks to increase funding to educate poor children, give more power to principals, change the city’s school lottery system and end social promotion of children who are performing below grad... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-7-13 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] Wendy Kopp Hails Philadelphia’s “Progress” As District Suffers Draconian Cuts by dianerav Why did Wendy Kopp hail Philadelphia’s “progress” on the same day that the state-run School Reform Commission slashed the city’s public school budget to the bone, eliminating librarians, arts programs, athletics, and counselors, stripping bare an impoverished district? Maybe she was confused. Or misinformed. Or maybe she meant it. Kopp quickly apologized but Philadelphia journa... more »

The 2013 Louisiana Legislative Session: What Did We Gain? | deutsch29

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

The 2013 Louisiana Legislative Session: What Did We Gain? | deutsch29: The 2013 Louisiana Legislative Session: What Did We Gain? by deutsch29 The 2013 Louisiana legislative session ended this evening (Thursday, June 6th). It was not the surprise attack of 2012, a time when both House and Senate majorities seemed bent upon unquestioningly bowing to Jindal in his efforts to blindside traditional public education. To my knowledge, there was no locking teachers out of the Capitol this year or demanding that teachers who wished to testify openly declare that they were choosing to be a... more »

Funding reform worries potential ‘loser’ schools within ‘winning’ districts | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Funding reform worries potential ‘loser’ schools within ‘winning’ districts | EdSource Today: Funding reform worries potential ‘loser’ schools within ‘winning’ districts - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald Until now, the greatest tension over Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed school finance reform has been largely among districts: a political tussle between unhappy suburban and optimistic urban school factions over how new education dollars should be divvied up. But signs of discord in Los Angeles Unified indicate that the same battles over money may eventually play out among “... more »

Daily Kos: Does the Constitution still exist except on paper?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: Does the Constitution still exist except on paper?: Does the Constitution still exist except on paper? by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Please tell me under what provision of the Constitution the government is entitled to have a secret interpretation of a public law. While in theory ignorance of the law is not considered an excuse for its violation, that presumes that the law itself is known. if the interpretation of the law is not available to all, how then can anyone know what the law is? There may truly be scary things in the world. But it is far scary to think that o... more »

6-7-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] CPS enrollment figures unreliable, so we should probably rethink this whole school funding scheme, no? by Chalk Face, PhD The Chicago Tribune is reporting today that the enrollment proportion offered by CPS to tout progress of the massive closure plan is, well, bunk. Bottom line: Chicago Public Schools touted a smooth start to the school closing process this week by announcing that 78 percent of students at schools being shut down have been enrolled […] The One Type of Data That is Off Limits (For Now) by Kris Nielsen Health ... more »

solidaridad: @TCFKSM: Say that again Mr. Kayser! LAUSD should have more public meetings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

solidaridad: @TCFKSM: Say that again Mr. Kayser! LAUSD should have more public meetings: @TCFKSM: Say that again Mr. Kayser! LAUSD should have more public meetings by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene First published on @TCFKSM on June 6, 2013 ------------------------------ *"As it is, the meetings are held downtown in the middle of the day when most parents, students and employees cannot participate. Ultimately this behavior pattern leads to decisions made in a vacuum, isolation from reality and the rubberstamping of pre-determined outcomes."—Bennett Kayser* [image: Those who can, TEACH. ... more »

The Corporate Takeover of Public Education | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

The Corporate Takeover of Public Education | toteachornototeach: The Corporate Takeover of Public Education by aristotlethewise *The Corporate Takeover of Public Education* by Diann Woodard Independent research in recent months has documented that the nation’s wealthiest philanthropic foundations are steering funding away from public school systems, attended by 90 percent of American students, and toward “challengers” to public education, especially charter schools. Education Week recently reported that at the start of the decade, less than a quarter of K-12 giving from top foundatio... more »

Legislation being considered that would subject charter schools to disclosure laws SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *Legislation being considered that would subject charter schools to disclosure laws* *By Kimberly Beltran* Friday, June 07, 2013 Charter schools would be subject to the same open meeting and disclosure laws as traditional public schools and other local government agencies under a bill now pending in the California Senate. AB 913, authored by Assemblyman Ed Chau, D-Monterey Park, and sponsored by the California School Boards Association and the California Teachers Association, passed in the Assembly last month and now awaits action in the Sen... more »

NYC Educator: Principal Sappenbottom Runs a PD Session

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

NYC Educator: Principal Sappenbottom Runs a PD Session: Principal Sappenbottom Runs a PD Session by NYC Educator *by Curious Teacher* Today was the last professional development day of the year. The teachers were promised that from 8-8:30 "breakfast would be served." Some teachers were naive enough to think that this actually meant coffee, bagels, donuts, maybe some juice. It had been that way in most every other school. So teachers strolled into school today and found that to Principal Sappenbottom, "breakfast" meant few boxes of bagels which were gone within 5 minutes. Forget ... more »

Louisiana Educator: Legislative Session Earns a D-

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: Legislative Session Earns a D-: Legislative Session Earns a D- by Michael Deshotels The new state budget approved in the last hours of the legislative session, includes a small, apparently permanent pay raise for public school teachers and a significant expansion of the school voucher program. The salary supplement originally proposed by the Senate would have been a one time salary supplement and would have added additional burdens on local school systems to fund related costs such as retirement contributions without adequate state funding. The compromise budge... more »

Does Online Instruction Work? (Part 3) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Does Online Instruction Work? (Part 3) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Does Online Instruction Work? (Part 3) by larrycuban Here is the fundamental question that public policymakers (e.g., federal and state officials, local school board members and superintendents) have to answer when making decisions that involve children and youth compelled to attend public school. Such a question, however, about the effectiveness of online instruction in raising student’s academic achievement and producing other desirable outcomes such as increased attendance, higher gra... more »

Governor Brown, Add SB69's Revisions To Your Local Control Funding Formula | K-12 News Network

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Governor Brown, Add SB69's Revisions To Your Local Control Funding Formula | K-12 News Network: Governor Brown, Add SB69′s Revisions To Your Local Control Funding Formula by admin We have a historic opportunity: for the second time this school year, public education supporters in California can boost funding back to pre-Great Recession 2007-2008 levels and begin to get us out of the basement among all fifty states when it comes to state per pupil funding. We need to let Governor Brown know he must flex and alter his version of Local Control Funding Formula to reflect SB69′s impro... more »

UPDATE:Tribune is an apologist for UNO corruption. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Tribune is an apologist for UNO corruption. | Fred Klonsky: The in box. “I don’t have a lot of confidence in CPS’s ability to take care of the living children that are being affected by these closures and I don’t have much more confidence that they can take care of the historical artifacts either frankly.” by Fred Klonsky These (other WPA murals) are at Kohn, Wentworth, Lafayette, and West Pullman as well. And maybe Stewart too? There are WPA ones at Kohn, Wentworth, and West Pullman–they are federal property, and CPS either needs to display them or give them back to the federal g... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The end of Europe?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The end of Europe?: The end of Europe? by Mike Klonsky Cabo Da Roca, the end of EuropeThat's the ominous name given to the wild, rocky coast on the westernmost end of Portugal. On another level, lots of folks here are talking about the *end of Europe*. While I don't believe that the end is in sight, the standard of living here is in free-fall and millions of people are truly suffering under imposed austerity and are ready for change. Educators are a big part of the protest movement and lots of debate is taking place over the role of schooling in Portu... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 6-6-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE* * * *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* Ingraham's PTA vs PTO Vote (Fleshed Out) by Melissa Westbrook I've gotten way behind on threads and I did want to flesh out the discussion leading to Ingraham High School's decision to leave PTA and have a Parent Teacher Organization. By my count, there were about 60+ people at the meeting. It was a regular PTA meeting so they did their business meeting first. (They did their Golden Acorn awards and I really love hearing these stories about such hard-working and positive people.) The PTA President, Keik... more »

Engaging Parents In School…

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Engaging Parents In School…: “Parents Taking Assertive Stance in Children’s Education” Larry Ferlazzo at Engaging Parents In School... - 29 minutes ago Parents Taking Assertive Stance in Children’s Education is a useful compilation of tweets, articles and videos on various recent examples of “parent activism.” It’s worth a look…. What’s Missing In “Stand For Children” Article On Parent Engagement? Only The Most Important Thing…. Larry Ferlazzo at Engaging Parents In School... - 29 minutes ago The Hechinger Report just published an article by the leaders of the “school reform” group ... more »

No year’s delay: Deal likely on school finance reform, Steinberg says | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

No year’s delay: Deal likely on school finance reform, Steinberg says | EdSource Today: No year’s delay: Deal likely on school finance reform, Steinberg says - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald *OMG THE MONEY FAIRY MUST BE BACK IN SACRAMENTO!!!* The Senate has dropped its call for a year’s delay in implementing Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan for sweeping K-12 finance reform, making it likely a deal over Brown’s Local Control Funding Formula will be struck in the next few days, Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg said Thursday. Steinberg made the prediction during a public lun... more »

Santa Clara Unified: Administrators, principals flee turbulent school district - Inside Bay Area

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Santa Clara Unified: Administrators, principals flee turbulent school district - Inside Bay Area: Santa Clara Unified: Administrators, principals flee turbulent school district By Sharon Noguchi snoguchi@mercurynews.com Posted: 06/06/2013 11:11:39 AM PDT Updated: 06/06/2013 04:16:58 PM PDT SANTA CLARA -- Since a power shift in November, the Santa Clara Unified School Board has been accused of micromanaging, chiding and intimidating employees, usurping their roles and making abrupt decisions that muddled school operations. Now, as the school year ends Friday, more than one-fifth ... more »

Praises Obama's E-rate and Technology Plan - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Praises Obama's E-rate and Technology Plan - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Praises President Obama's Plan to Overhaul Federal Program to Help Schools Buy Technology SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent Tom Torlakson today hailed President Obama's call to give more schools broadband Internet access and wireless network capacity. Torlakson has long called for modernizing the federal Schools and Libraries Program, more commonly known as E-rate, a surcharge on telephone bills that provides discounts to assist schools and libraries to obtain affordable t... more »

Common Core supporters back moratorium on new tests’ high stakes

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Common Core supporters back moratorium on new tests’ high stakes: Common Core supporters back moratorium on new tests’ high stakes By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 6, 2013 at 5:21 pmE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: commoncore]A coalition of education organizations and unions that support the Common Core State Standards issued an open letter on Thursday backing a moratorium of at least one year on the high stakes associated with new standardized tests being given to students that are aligned with the Core. The letter was issued by the Learning First Alliance, whose me... more »

A Call for a Transition Period in Common Core Implementation | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

A Call for a Transition Period in Common Core Implementation | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: A Call for a Transition Period in Common Core Implementation by Cheryl S. Williams The Learning First Alliance has sent an open letter to education stakeholders recommending a transition period in Common Core implementation. Fifteen of our member organizations joined together to suggest that for at least one year after the original deadline, the results from assessments of the Common Core State Standards be used only to guide instruction and attention to curriculum d... more »

Diann Woodard: The Corporate Takeover of Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diann Woodard: The Corporate Takeover of Public Education: The Corporate Takeover of Public Education Independent research in recent months has documented that the nation's wealthiest philanthropic foundations are steering funding away from public school systems, attended by 90 percent of American students, and toward "challengers" to public education, especially charter schools. *Education Week* recently reported that at the start of the decade, less than a quarter of K-12 giving from top foundations was given to groups supporting charter schools and privatization, about $90 milli... more »

Education reform is made of teachers.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Education reform is made of teachers.: Education Reform Is Made of Teachers By Matthew Yglesias | Posted Thursday, June 6, 2013, at 2:11 PM [image: Share on Facebook] 5 21 [image: Social worker Juliana Stevenson, Kipp Infinity Elementary School Co-Principal Stephanie Adams, Kelly Meyer, Co-Principal Lindsay Fry, teacher Perri Lawrie attend the American Heart Association Teaching Gardens Planting in Harlem on May 12, 2012, in New York City.] Social worker Juliana Stevenson, Kipp Infinity Elementary School Co-Principal Stephanie Adams, Kelly Meyer, Co-Principal Lindsay Fry, teacher ... more »

UConn Becomes “Mail Order” Degree School for the “Special Elite” (Part I) - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

UConn Becomes “Mail Order” Degree School for the “Special Elite” (Part I) - Wait, What?: UConn Becomes “Mail Order” Degree School for the “Special Elite” (Part I) by jonpelto Did you pay to go to UConn? Are you still paying? You aren’t alone. This year there are 17,528 undergraduates at the Storrs campus with another 4,773 undergraduates at regional campuses. Then add in the 7,955 graduate and professional degree students. The total cost of tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate is just over $22,500 a year. The cost for an out of state student is just over $40,000. A g... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-6-13 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* A Suggestion for the President by dianerav A reader (Mom/Speducator) has an idea for President Obama. Instead of going to Mooresville, North Carolina, to talk up the high-tech classroom, she says, how about this: “Shouldn’t he have instead traveled to Chicago to offer support to the thousands of families whose lives will be in upheaval in a matter of months.” Iowa’s “Sweeping” School Reform Bill by dianerav Governor Terry Branstad pushed through school reform in Iowa that is supposedly sweeping, b... more »

A public thanks to Commissioner Joseph Dworetzky | Parents United for Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

A public thanks to Commissioner Joseph Dworetzky | Parents United for Public Education: A public thanks to Commissioner Joseph Dworetzky Posted on June 6, 2013 by PARENTSUNITEDPHILALeave a comment [image: Image] Commissioner Joseph Dworetzky (used with permission) *The SRC’s vote May 30th stripped away any pretense that next year’s budget has a child-centered, education-focused mission. Gone from the budget are core educational responsibilities from schools which are already bare bones: the arts, guidance counselors, books & supplies, librarians, sports, and extracurricular activiti...more »

Louisiana legislator invokes witch doctor to defend creationist law

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Louisiana legislator invokes witch doctor to defend creationist law: Louisiana legislator invokes witch doctor to defend creationist law By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 6, 2013 at 2:43 pmE-mail the writer [image: Louisiana Sen. Elbert Guillory (http://senate.la.gov/guillory/)] Louisiana Sen. Elbert Guillory (senate.la.gov) In the you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up category: A Louisiana state senator defended the Louisiana Science Education Act — a 2008 law that allows creationism to be taught in public school science classrooms through materials that ostensibly “critique” evolution — by ... more »

What Does It Take to Stop Common Core? Defund It. | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

What Does It Take to Stop Common Core? Defund It. | Truth in American Education: What Does It Take to Stop Common Core? Defund It. by Shane Vander Hart Michael McShane of American Enterprise Institute wrote a guest post at the Washington Post’s education blog, Answer Sheet. He asked, is it really that easy to block the Common Core State Standards? He was responding to the Michigan Legislature pausing funding for the Common Core. To try and stop the Common Core, (Tom) McMillin introduced, along with several other lawmakers,HB 4276, which specifically states, “The state board mod... more »

2nd Banana 6-1-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

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