Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Meet the California Students Who Stormed the State Capitol to Demand Funding For Their Futures

Meet the California Students Who Stormed the State Capitol to Demand Funding For Their Futures:

Meet the California Students Who Stormed the State Capitol to Demand Funding For Their Futures

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Meet the California Students Who Stormed the State Capitol to Demand Funding For Their Futures
In the dark hours of the night, 22 student-activists from California colleges drove in two vans to be in Sacramento this past Monday morning. At 9 a.m. on June 10th, without permission to be on the premises, they staged an Un-Silent protest from the sidewalk out front of the very hospitable state capitol. Signs in hand, mouths taped shut, they made their voices heard by challenging legislators to support the Governor Brown-supported Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF).
Whereas the current system, rooted in age-old partisan bickering and mired in Proposition 13, has created an education system in which students are out to survive rather than thrive, the LCFF will "increase flexibility and accountability at the local level so those closest to the students can make the decisions, reduce state bureaucracy, and ensure that student needs drive the allocation of resources."
Let's start from the beginning.
I spoke with Ivette Alonso, a student who just finished her junior year at Whittier College, a small "liberal arts college that pushes students to question the world around them." Ivette found her place at Whittier College, and a place in a class with a mouthful of title: The Sociological and 
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Jersey Jazzman: Why Tests Scores CAN'T Evaluate Teachers

Jersey Jazzman: Why Tests Scores CAN'T Evaluate Teachers:

Why Tests Scores CAN'T Evaluate Teachers

by Duke
I'm going to have more to say about Jonah Rockoff's testimony before the New Jersey State Board of Education last week. See here and here for previous posts; Bruce Baker also opines in a must-read post.

But right now, I want to use a specific part Dr. Rockoff's presentation to address a very serious problem with the entire notion of test-based teacher accountability. Keep in mind that Rockoff talks about Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs), but the problem extends to just about any use of Value-Added Modeling (VAM) in teacher evaluation based on test scores. Go to 1:07 in the clip:

Popout
The key element here that distinguishes Student Growth Percentiles from some of the other things that people have used in research is the use of percentiles. It's there in the title, so you'd expect it to have something to do with percentiles. What does that mean? It means that these measures 
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LEARNING MATH, LEARNING JUSTICE Rethinking Schools

Rethinking Schools:



 VOLUME 27, ISSUE 3
 
Volume 27, Issue 3
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COVER THEME: LEARNING MATH, LEARNING JUSTICE

This issue of Rethinking Schools previews our new, expanded, and revised edition of Rethinking Mathematics: Teaching Social Justice by the Numbers. The focus is on teaching math in ways that help students make sense of their world.

Editorial: Just Math

By the editors of Rethinking Schools

Whose Community Is This?
Mathematics of neighborhood displacement

By Eric (Rico) Gutstein
Students use advanced math to study gentrification, displacement, and foreclosure in their neighborhood.

Beyond Marbles
Percent change and social justice

By Flannery Denny
Middle school students analyze a classroom full of social justice issues, armed with their understanding of percent change.
– ALSO FEATURED –

Responding to Tragedy
2nd graders reach out to the Sikh community

By Dale Weiss
When a racist attack kills members of a local Sikh temple, a 2nd-grade teacher involves her students in a journey of connection and solidarity.

Paradise Lost
Introducing students to climate change through story

By Brady Bennon
The film Paradise Lost—about the rising ocean that threatens Kiribati—proves an evocative introduction to a unit on climate change.
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Missouri Education Watchdog: Angry Moms are Rising Up Against Common Core

Missouri Education Watchdog: Angry Moms are Rising Up Against Common Core:

Angry Moms are Rising Up Against Common Core

by stlgretchen


Anne Gassel, co-editor of Missouri Education Watchdog was quoted in USA Today about her opposition to Common Core.  From Include parents in standards debate: Opposing view:

Across America, moms are rising up against the Common Core, national standards for English-language arts and mathematics adopted by 45 states. As Anne Gassel, of Ellisville, Mo., said, "Parents and their legislators were cut out of the loop. Even now we can't get straight answers."

Read more here. 

Anne is correct.  We are still waiting in Missouri for answers from DESE and their statewide May 2 meetings.  Tick tock.  The clock on the site (to the right) keeps ticking away.  The answers to the questions were to be posted within a week of the meetings. 
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Mother Crusader: Et Tu Anthony Weiner?

Mother Crusader: Et Tu Anthony Weiner?:

Et Tu Anthony Weiner?

by darciecima

Yes!You Too!
You Can Get A Visit from the Money Fair,Yeah Team!

Diane Ravitch just posted that Anthony Weiner is already cozying up to the charter folks in his bid for Mayor of New York City, and offering up free space to charters co-located with public schools.

When I read her post I instantly remembered that John Mooney recently reported that Barbara Morgan, "public information officer and state Education Commissioner Chris Cerf’s press secretary," had left the NJDOE to become Weiner's spokeswoman.  

Weiner is apparently quite smitten with Morgan.
Mr. Weiner has been slowly hammering together a campaign team, hiring Barbara Morgan, a former spokesman for the city’s Department of 
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Vast reforms proposed for teacher credential programs | EdSource Today

Vast reforms proposed for teacher credential programs | EdSource Today:

Vast reforms proposed for teacher credential programs - by Kathryn Baron

by Kathryn Baron

(photo by cybrarian)
A number of proposals before a state board would strengthen teacher training.
When California placed a one-year limit on the length of teacher preparation programs back in 1970, there were no personal computers, tablets or smart phones; no online classes or Common Core standards; and not nearly as many English learners in public schools. Recognizing that these graduate programs can’t squeeze an additional 40 years of knowledge and change into a one-year program, a state panel is recommending that the cap be lifted, among a range of other proposed changes intended to modernize and strengthen how teachers are prepared for the classroom.
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing will begin considering 40 reforms Thursday proposed by its Teacher Preparation Advisory Panel, charged with updating the requirements to become a fully credentialed teacher.
“The most pronounced thing that we started looking at on the very first day of meetings was Common Core standards. That really permeated nearly all of the recommendations,” said advisory 

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Home Field Advantage | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

Home Field Advantage | Gary Rubinstein's Blog:

Home Field Advantage

by Gary Rubinstein


In New York State, the high school standardized tests are called ‘The Regents’ exams.  Unlike the state tests for grades 3 through 8, which are graded externally, the Regents have always been scored by the teachers in the school.  After they are graded, the tests would then sent off to Albany where they could be audited if there is suspicion that they have been graded improperly.
At my school we would take all the tests and split up the task among the math teachers, being careful that no teacher grades his or her own class.  The scoring rubric is often very vague and we would have a lot of heated arguments about how many points of partial credit to give for this or that, as we tried to fairly interpret the guidelines.
This year we learned that instead of grading our students in our school, the math teachers would all go to another site where we would the Regents for many schools would be sent and work together with teachers from other schools to grade the Regents centrally.
One reason for this new policy is explained by a recent New York Post article entitled “High schools that didn’t 
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DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: The Teacher Song!

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: The Teacher Song!:

The Teacher Song!

by Lisa M


The Teacher Song!

Today we had to share data creatively.
Any way, at the end of one of the presentations, this video was shown.
I thought it was cute and funny!




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Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-12-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2


James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."


A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP



The Color of School Closures | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 minutes ago
The Color of School Closures | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity: The Color of School Closures *Posted on: Tuesday April 23rd, 2013* Mass school closings have become a hallmark of today's dominant education policy agenda. But rather than helping students, these closures disrupt whole communities. And as U.S. Department of Education data suggests, the most recent rounds of mass closings in Chicago, New York City and Philadelphia disproportionately hurt Black and low-income students. *What can you do to end these discriminatory and un... more »

Diane 6-12-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 minutes ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Faces of the Layoff: Who Got Pink Slips in Philadelphia by dianerav Numbers don’t begin to tell the story. Nearly 4,000 employees of the Philadelphia public school district learned that their jobs had been terminated. The Teacher Action Group of Philadelphia is gathering photos to put a human face on an inhumane decision. Each one has a story. They are real people, not numbers. *LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-12-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all* mike simpson at Big Education Ap... more »

Great Teaching Transcends Economic Hurdles — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 minutes ago
Great Teaching Transcends Economic Hurdles — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]Great Teaching Transcends Economic Hurdles June 12, 2013 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers *Post submitted on behalf of whole child partner American Association of School Librarians by Patty Saidenberg, librarian, George Jackson Academy, New York, N.Y.* I work as a librarian at George Jackson Academy (GJA) in New York, N.Y. Founded in 2002, GJA is an independent, nonsectarian upper elementary and middle school for academically capable boys from low-income and underserv... more »

No Child Left Behind Bill Passes Senate Committee, But No End In Sight For Recasting Bush Law

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 minutes ago
No Child Left Behind Bill Passes Senate Committee, But No End In Sight For Recasting Bush Law: No Child Left Behind Bill Passes Senate Committee, But No End In Sight For Recasting Bush Law by Joy Resmovits A lengthy overhaul of the No Child Left Behind Act passed through a Senate education committee Wednesday, with senators voting 10-12 along party lines. The "Strengthening America's Schools Act" is an over 1,000-page bill authored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who chairs the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee. It rolls back some of the more stringent aspects of the No ...more »

Daily Kos: A brief update on Leaves on the Current

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 26 minutes ago
Daily Kos: A brief update on Leaves on the Current: A brief update on Leaves on the Current by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) This afternoon we finally got in to see her neurosurgeon. It started out with a warning that she might have to continue with her brace indefinitely, which was certainly not what we wanted to hear. He did show us her original xrays - it did not take a trained eye to see the damage that had been done to her spine. He watched her walk. We talked about options. For now, the next step will be a contrast MRI of the two key areas of her spine and a set of regular... more »

2013 Summer Meal Service Sites - Food Programs (CA Dept of Education)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 26 minutes ago
2013 Summer Meal Service Sites - Food Programs (CA Dept of Education): 2013 Summer Meal Service Sites Provides parents and referral agencies with a list of locations where children may receive free nutritious meals during school vacation and off-track periods. Please call site contact to confirm participation. This data is current as of June 10, 2013; sites approved after this date may be posted at a later date. Entities wishing to serve meals under the Summer Food Service Program should contact the sponsor listed. Search 1. Use search to find the nearest Summer Meal Service ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Byrd-Bennett's 5-year plan is perfect, except for that fact that ...

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Byrd-Bennett's 5-year plan is perfect, except for that fact that ...: Byrd-Bennett's 5-year plan is perfect, except for that fact that ... by Mike Klonsky ...there really is no plan and BBB probably won't last 5 years. *For the first time since Mayor Rahm Emanuel took over CPS, his CEO laid out an education plan, calling for high academic standards, more focus on parental engagement and greater accountability for the district, including an annual scorecard.* -- Catalyst Ok, but what are the specifics of the plan? The Sun-Timessupports the plan. Here w... more »

NYC Public School Parents: AFT’s Randi Weingarten letter about inBloom to Gates & Carnegie Foundations and their reply

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: AFT’s Randi Weingarten letter about inBloom to Gates & Carnegie Foundations and their reply: AFT’s Randi Weingarten letter about inBloom to Gates & Carnegie Foundations and their reply by Molly Stacey Childress of Gates FoundationOn May 30, 2013, Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers and member of the Technical Advisory Group of the Shared Learning Collaborative, the precursor to inBloom Inc., wrote a letter to Michele Cahill and Stacey Childress, expressing her concern about inBloom’s privacy and security provisions. Cahill ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Two leaked memos showing how desperate corporate reformers are to retain failed status quo policies after the election

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Two leaked memos showing how desperate corporate reformers are to retain failed status quo policies after the election: Two leaked memos showing how desperate corporate reformers are to retain failed status quo policies after the election by Leonie Haimson Two leaked memos show how desperately the corporate reformers in the administration and in the private sector want their policies to be retained after the mayoral election – despite the huge public disgust with the status quo. The first is a memo from the Parthenon group, available at the GothamSchool... more »

Ed Notes Online: Today's Rally: I Ain't Marching Anymore, But I will be Filming

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Today's Rally: I Ain't Marching Anymore, But I will be Filming: Today's Rally: I Ain't Marching Anymore, But I will be Filming by ed notes online So I have mixed feelings about going to a rally to cheer Mulgrew 10 minutes after the giveaway of the contract to John King. I expressed some of these thoughts on the MORE and ICE listserves and there have been some heated discussions. My brain is fried. after an evening of eating and drinking at Peter Luger's last night (Note to Fiorillo -- WHEN ARE WE GOING AGAIN? - And to vegetarian Julie Cavanagh -- why don't you join... more »

Reaction to State Budget - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Reaction to State Budget - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Issues Statement on State Budget SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today offered the following statement regarding the proposed state budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year: "This budget puts California where it belongs: leading the way in the drive to bring the Common Core State Standards to life in our classrooms and prepare students to contribute to our state's future. Dedicating more than $1 billion to training teachers, buying new materials, and investing in ... more »

In Balancing Freedom and Security, A Tale of Two Cities

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
In Balancing Freedom and Security, A Tale of Two Cities: In Balancing Freedom and Security, A Tale of Two Cities by Sam *All this talk of Edward Snowden and the tension between freedom and security has reminded me that back in 2006, as part of a documentary history of First Amendment Rights in America, we included Section 215 of the Patriot Act as one of the book’s 37 primary sources.* *I think what we wrote then has relevance now, but you, dear reader, will have the final word on that point. Enjoy –* Emotions were running high as more than two hundred people crowded into the city ... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: J.P. Morgan: The Portuguese connection

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: J.P. Morgan: The Portuguese connection: J.P. Morgan: The Portuguese connection by Mike Klonsky Marching against austerityI just got back from Portugal where austerity imposed by the IMF and other international creditors is crashing peoples' standard of living and destroying public space, including public education. As usual, the alternative to public space and public decision making is privatization and Portugal is no exception. Guess who's pushing privatization and re-engineering Portuguese society? It's J.P. Morgan, the same investment bankers a... more »

Summer Learning Day Is a Day of Action! — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Summer Learning Day Is a Day of Action! — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Bob Seidel]Summer Learning Day Is a Day of Action! June 12, 2013 by Bob Seidel Summer Learning Day, June 21, is just around the corner. It is a grassroots movement to spread awareness about the issue of summer learning loss among parents, the public, and policymakers. Hundreds of eventswill take place across the country, celebrating local programs and providing a platform for policy advocacy. The summer learning movement is part of a whole child approach to education. Children live their liv... more »

LCFF accountability calls for smaller API subgroup tracking SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: LCFF accountability calls for smaller API subgroup tracking As a part of the new Local Control Funding Formula tentatively approved by legislative leaders and Gov. Jerry Brown this week, school districts will be required to track and report the academic progress of subgroups of students as small as 30 members. The proposed funding formula, which provides billions of dollars to districts with high concentrations of educationally-disadvantaged students, will also call on districts to meet new accountability mandates aimed at ensuring the addi... more »

Great Expectations - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Great Expectations - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Great Expectations by Nancy Flanagan The last time it happened was a little over a year ago. I was coaching a cadre of new teachers, and one of them--a Teach for America "corps member"--and I were talking about the first day of school and the tone she hoped to set in maintaining an orderly classroom. I'm not worried, she said confidently. I have high expectations for them--and I'll make that very clear. Oh, honey, if only it were that easy, I thought. Using "high expectations" as touchstone for building an eff... more »

UPDATE: Math requirements not aligned with Common Core + An exchange on controversial $100 million student database

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
An exchange on controversial $100 million student database: Study: Math requirements not aligned with Common Core in many states by Valerie Strauss In a new sign that schools are not ready to fully embrace the Common Core State Standards, a report concludes that the large majority of states that have adopted the Core have not adjusted their math high school graduation requirements … Continue reading → An exchange on controversial $100 million student database By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 12, 2013 at 10:55 amE-mail the writer [image: schools]Here is an exchange of letters abo... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, June 12, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *No Child Left Behind debate begins in Congress, again* Education Headlines *Wednesday, June 12, 2013* Families sue to block Sac City Unified school closuresA dozen minority students and their parents have filed suit in Sacramento-based federal court in a bid to block the Sacramento City Unified School District from closing seven elementary schools. Twin Rivers board hires superintendent from FresnoThe Twin Rivers Unified school board voted Tuesday night to hire Steve Martinez as its superintendent. Martinez has a three-year cont... more »

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Education Association Rep Council Resolution on Center School Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Education Association Rep Council Resolution on Center School Teacher: New Procedure for Advisory Committees by Charlie Mas The superintendent has issued new procedures for advisory committees. This new procedure distinguishes between "Advisory and Oversight Committees", "Task Forces and Focus Groups", and "Working Groups, Teams, and Planning Committees". The new procedure offers significantly less transparency than the previous procedure. Just Wondering by Melissa Westbrook Sitting at the Executive Committee Meeting and wondering: - if the ... more »

The push back against Malloy, Pryor, Vallas and Moales grows - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The push back against Malloy, Pryor, Vallas and Moales grows - Wait, What?: The push back against Malloy, Pryor, Vallas and Moales grows by jonpelto When it comes to the ongoing attempt to keep education reformer extraordinaire Paul Vallas in place as Bridgeport’s superintendent of schools, Governor Malloy and his commissioner of education, Stefan Pryor, seem oblivious to their legal responsibilities. What makes the situation even more incredible is that Malloy and Pryor are actually flouting the very law they wrote to allow Vallas to slide into the position without the certifica... more »

One Teacher's Perspective: Voucher Schools: Inherently Unequal

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
One Teacher's Perspective: Voucher Schools: Inherently Unequal: Voucher Schools: Inherently Unequal by Imagine Wisconsin *This week's take on the latest school voucher plans in Wisconsin comes from State Senator Tim Cullen.* Last week, I expressed my extreme disappointment when the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee voted along party lines to create a statewide unaccountable school voucher program. Make no mistake – this plan creates two separate school systems in Wisconsin, both paid for by taxpayers. In 1954, late Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Earl Warren said, “Se... more »

Beyond PISA: How the U.S. Ranks Internationally on Five Key Education Issues | NEA Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Beyond PISA: How the U.S. Ranks Internationally on Five Key Education Issues | NEA Today: Beyond PISA: How the U.S. Ranks Internationally on Five Key Education Issues by twalker *By Kathy Tuck and Tim Walker* When the 2010 Program of International Student Assessment (PISA) results were released two years go, the news media and many politicians held them up as evidence that U.S. students were falling badly behind their counterparts in nations such as Finland, South Korea, Canada and Singapore. The somewhat alarmist coverage obviously didn’t consider relevant data that could provide v... more »

6-12-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] Improved School Safety Requires a Balanced Approach by John Thompson It speaks well of the UCLA Civil Rights Project that in addition to their own research they commissioned scholars from the Consortium of Chicago School Research and equally great institutions to analyze what schools can do to better support students. The Consortium has a long history of placing quantitative and qualitative evidence in a longitudinal […] Solidarity and My Name: Some Thoughts by plthomasedd I have written about this before at this blog: John P... more »

Ed Notes Online: Candi Peterson on Washington DC Union Election

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Candi Peterson on Washington DC Union Election: Candi Peterson on Washington DC Union Election by ed notes online Liz and CandiI'm not in a position to sort out what is happening in the Washington DC teachers union. I could recount some history but just don't have the heart or strength to rehash it. I do know that Candi's blog played a major role in fighting the wicked witch of the Rhee. Candi and Nathan Saunders were both in LA with us in 2009 and in Chicago in 2011. And then things fell apart. It's just plain sad. See Candi's blog when she announced she was runnin... more »

Fathers on Family Leave Blog Carnival « MomsRising Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Fathers on Family Leave Blog Carnival « MomsRising Blog: Fathers on Family Leave Blog Carnival by Mark Anthony Neal Father’s Day is a great time to reflect on the joys, struggles, challenges and epiphanies that come with fatherhood. I’m honored to introduce this MomsRising.org Blog Carnival that focuses on the early days of fatherhood – Fathers on Family Leave, with revealing stories from dads about their introduction to fatherhood. Like me, there are other fathers for whom the arrival of their children was revelation to the important demands of child care. However, I had the privil... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-12-13 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] On School Reform, Indiana Newspaper says”The Worm Is Turning” by dianerav The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette points to signs that the corporate reform movement is losing steam. Indiana is an epicenter of school privatization and teacher-bashing, yet even there the movement seems to be lagging. The epic defeat of state superintendent Tony Bennett was one clear indication of public opposition to his reforms. The failure of efforts to strip power away from his successor... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Lamar Alexander Educational Plans Then (1989) and Now (2013). Same or Different?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Lamar Alexander Educational Plans Then (1989) and Now (2013). Same or Different?: Lamar Alexander Educational Plans Then (1989) and Now (2013). Same or Different? by stlgretchen Lamar Alexander's thoughts on revamping No Child Left Behind, 2013 from The Foundry and *No Child Left Behind: Alexander Unveils Rewrite*: Senator Lamar Alexander (R–TN), ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, has just introduced a proposal to “fix” No Child Left Behind (NCLB). While restoring excellence in education will require more than a... more »

UPDATE: Malloy at “conference” in Chicago hanging out with major education reform advocates… - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Malloy at “conference” in Chicago hanging out with major education reform advocates… - Wait, What?: When it comes to our state’s economy, our elected officials are our own worst enemies… by jonpelto With a state-economy ranked 50th in the nation, one would think that Governor Malloy and our elected officials who drop their economic development strategy that relies on corporate welfare to lure hedge fund companies and other corporate giants to move or stay in Connecticut. But in the legislative session that just ended, Malloy and the majority decided to stay the course and, in the p... more »

Daily Kos: June 12, 1776 - a date all Americans should know

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Daily Kos: June 12, 1776 - a date all Americans should know: June 12, 1776 - a date all Americans should know by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) because on that date, the Virginia Convention, which among other things had directed its delegats to Philadelphia to declare the colonies free of Britain and which had drafted a constitution for what would be the newly independent state, adopted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, largely drafted by George Mason, who later as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention would refuse to sign the document because it lacked a bill of rights pro... more »

Michael Kirst, father of new school funding formula, looks back and at the work ahead | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Michael Kirst, father of new school funding formula, looks back and at the work ahead | EdSource Today: Michael Kirst, father of new school funding formula, looks back and at the work ahead - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald It was the morning after the evening of the last revision, and the father of the Local Control Funding Formula looked upon all that the governor and Legislature had made, and declared, “Hey, not bad.” [image: Michael Kirst] Michael Kirst Michael Kirst is relishing the all-but-certain passage later this week of the comprehensive school funding reform that ... more »

School Discipline Changes Urged In Federal Complaint Against Dallas Truancy System

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
School Discipline Changes Urged In Federal Complaint Against Dallas Truancy System: School Discipline Changes Urged In Federal Complaint Against Dallas Truancy System by Joy Resmovits [image: School Discipline Changes] Ashley Brown, a Dallas high school sophomore, missed four days of school after her grandmother died. Shortly after that, a teacher taking roll missed the short-statured student and accidentally marked Brown absent. Then Brown missed school because she was suspended for an altercation. She missed another day when she was suspended for being late to class, because sh... more »

UPDATE: Can a boy wear eyeshadow and lipstick to middle school? | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Can a boy wear eyeshadow and lipstick to middle school? | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: Can a boy wear eyeshadow and lipstick to middle school? By Maureen Downey Rules related to adolescent dress and appearance can be a minefield for middle and high schools. While the main focus used to be hemlines and necklines, schools today face much more complicated questions on what constitutes a distraction and what constitutes legitimate self-expression. Can boys wear skirts? Can girls have multiple piercings? In this case, the question is whether a boy can show up for school in ... more »

Has Technology Killed Cursive Handwriting? | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Has Technology Killed Cursive Handwriting? | toteachornototeach: Has Technology Killed Cursive Handwriting? by aristotlethewise *Has Technology Killed Cursive Handwriting?* by Vignesh RamachandranThink back to the last time you wrote in cursive — you know, that fancy penmanship you may have learned way back in grade school, complete with elegant loops, curls and flourishes. These days, with our fingers tapping on QWERTY keyboards, Evernote taking the place of sticky notes and tablets replacing paper notebooks, a question arises: Has the rise of technology led to the fall of cursive h... more »

Sign This Declaration For A Positive New Direction For American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Sign This Declaration For A Positive New Direction For American Education: Sign This Declaration For A Positive New Direction For American Education by Jeff Bryant The growing revolution against top-down education mandates based on high-stakes testing and standardization has been building over the months into a widespreadEducation Spring. Every revolution needs a declaration calling for a positive, new way forward. This week, the Education Opportunity Network, the Institute for America’s Future and the Opportunity to Learn campaign released such a declaration. Please sign the Educat... more »

UPDATE: James Meredith asks 21 tough questions about school reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
James Meredith asks 21 tough questions about school reform: How to curb cheating in schools by Valerie Strauss In one minute and 44 seconds, Eric Anderman, professor of educational psychology at The Ohio State University, explains in this video why too much focus on testing increases the likelihood that students will cheat. The answer: Focus on learning and … Continue reading → James Meredith asks 21 tough questions about school reform By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 12, 2013 at 6:00 amE-mail the writer 0 Comments More *[image: mission]I am delighted to publish the following ... more »

NYC Educator: Bill Gates Colonel Sanders Makes Nice to Teachers Chickens

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
NYC Educator: Bill Gates Colonel Sanders Makes Nice to Teachers Chickens: Bill Gates Colonel Sanders Makes Nice to Teachers Chickens by NYC Educator Colonel Harlan Sanders came back from the dead this morning to announce a major change in policy. Apparently, for some time, his chickens had been unhappy about their living conditions, and he felt that this was having a negative effect on the quality of the image of his brand. "When you buy Kentucky Fried Chicken, you need to know it's a quality product," said the Colonel, after having inspected one of his packing facilities. "It's imp... more »

UPDATE: The in box + A word to readers. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
A word to readers. | Fred Klonsky: Latest adventures in Bizarro World. by Fred Klonsky [image: gam_bizarroworld_490] On Friday I turn 65 years old. I have my Medicare card. My IEA Retired membership card. My reduced fare CTA pass should arrive any day now. Since I have been working with my trainer, Mike, my internal balance is vastly improved. But it is the outside world that feels out of kilter. As I have pointed out, Illinois politics has been and remains a *Bizarro World*. It is where the Republicans vote against diminishing public pensions, but where the leaders of the Democratic... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-11-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Edward Snowden: Traitor or Hero? The Larger Issues by dianerav Edward Snowden, as everyone knows by now, is the 29-year-old man who leaked secrets about our government’s surveillance of phone calls and emails. I don’t know if he is a traitor or hero or something else, but I do think that his revelations raise concerns for all of us. As we realize by now, government and private-sector activities are dedicated to the amassing of Big Data that includes everything we do. Government is doing this, its defenders sa... more »

Families sue to stop Sac school closures | News - KCRA Home

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Families sue to stop Sac school closures | News - KCRA Home: By David Bienick Families sue to stop Sac school closuresLawsuit accuses district of discrimination UPDATED 6:49 PM PDT Jun 11, 2013 [image: School Closures] Students board a buses at Washington Elementary School in Sacramento, one of seven schools slated for closure this fall. David Bienick/KCRA VIEW LARGE SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —Parents, students and community activists rallied on the steps of the federal courthouse in Sacramento on Monday after filing lawsuit to try to stop the closure of seven Sacramento elementary s... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: New Central Region Executive Director Announced

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: New Central Region Executive Director Announced: New Central Region Executive Director Announced by Melissa Westbrook From SPS: Today I’m pleased to announce that Sarah Pritchett, principal of McClure Middle School, has been appointed as the new Executive Director of Schools for the Central Region. Ms. Pritchett will support the principals and schools in the central region of the city with responsibilities that include coaching principals, coordinating professional development for principals and teachers, strengthening our systems for monitoring ... more »

Bruce Lesley: Immigration Reform: Building Fences With Shadows or Bridges of Hope and Dreams?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Bruce Lesley: Immigration Reform: Building Fences With Shadows or Bridges of Hope and Dreams?: Immigration Reform: Building Fences With Shadows or Bridges of Hope and Dreams? Posted: 06/11/2013 5:00 pm Bruce Lesley President, First Focus & First Focus Campaign for Children The Southwest is a place of great opportunity, enchantment, and grandeur, and yet, also a place of poverty and inequality in the United States. Through its children, it is also a place that will play an expanding and critically important role in either the successes or failures of our nation. In fact, the border ... more »

Medgar Evers Assassination 50th Anniversary: 10 Facts

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Medgar Evers Assassination 50th Anniversary: 10 Facts: Medgar Evers' Life and Legacy: 10 FactsThe civil rights icon was murdered 50 years ago, but reminders of his contributions are everywhere. - By: The Root Staff | Posted: June 11, 2013 at 2:40 PM Getty Images (*The Root*) -- On June 12, 1963, Byron De La Beckwith, a member of the White Citizens' Council, shot 37-year-old NAACP Field Secretary Medgar Evers in the back outside of his Jackson, Miss., home, killing him -- and making a legend out of a man who was already a courageous soldier in the fight for civil rights. In... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: HOW CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS FARE IN PROPOSED FUNDING DEAL

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: HOW CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS FARE IN PROPOSED FUNDING DEAL: HOW CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS FARE IN PROPOSED FUNDING DEAL [image: Capitol Alert] DAN SMITH IN SACRAMENTO BEE CAPITOL ALERT - THE LATEST ON CALIFORNIA POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT |HTTP://BIT.LY/12KEP3SJune 10, 2013 - Here is a list of how specific California school districts would fare under a school funding compromise circulating in the Capitol.*LAUSD:* *a lot of noise for a per pupil gain of $364 next year.* [image: image] All Districts

Common Core Common Sense: Why It’s Illiberal and Unconstitutional | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Common Core Common Sense: Why It’s Illiberal and Unconstitutional | Truth in American Education: Common Core Common Sense: Why It’s Illiberal and Unconstitutional by truthed By Dr. Daniel B. Coupland On May 29th, 2009, Arne Duncan, the new Secretary of Education for the Obama Administration, gave a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. In the speech, he said, We want to raise the bar dramatically in terms of high standards. What we have had as a country, I’m convinced, is what we call a race to the bottom. We have 50 different standards, 50 different goal posts. ... more »

Study: real world learning helps online grades; few students complete online courses | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Study: real world learning helps online grades; few students complete online courses | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Study: real world learning helps online grades; few students complete online courses by Jed Kim *Online courses benefit from real world studying.; Credit: José Goulão/Flickr* Students who take online courses perform better when they spend time studying outside the virtual classroom, according to a study by MIT and Harvard researchers. Researchers from MIT and Harvard looked at the performance of students who enrolled in a massive online open course version of a popular cl... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Booz Allen Hamilton helped set Chicago on its path to corporate school 'reform'

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Booz Allen Hamilton helped set Chicago on its path to corporate school 'reform': Booz Allen Hamilton helped set Chicago on its path to corporate school 'reform' by Mike Klonsky If anyone doubts the power of an individual taking the high moral ground when confronting injustice, look no further than *Edward Snowden.* Snowden, by all accounts an ordinary guy working for the powerhouse consulting group Booz Allen Hamilton, reached the point where he could now longer accept his role and the role of this giant corporate entity and his own government in... more »

Rahm Emanuel Tied To Firm Astroturfing Protests Against Chicago Teachers Union | FDL News Desk

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Rahm Emanuel Tied To Firm Astroturfing Protests Against Chicago Teachers Union | FDL News Desk: Rahm Emanuel Tied To Firm Astroturfing Protests Against Chicago Teachers Union by DSWright Popout A consulting firm tied to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been caught paying people to protest the Chicago Teachers Union. The firm, Resolute Consulting, worked on Rahm Emanuel’s 2002 Congressional campaign and is led by long time Emanuel friend Greg Goldner. Goldner along with other interested parties have been involved in smear campaign against the Chicago Teachers Union. *Greg Goldner, ... more »

PSAT for 5-11-13: Sign this Declaration to Rebuild America Parents United for Responsible Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 5-11-13: Sign this Declaration to Rebuild America: PSAT for 5-11-13: Sign this Declaration to Rebuild America by admin [image: psat_logo]I know, there are a lot of petitions and sign-ons these days. Do they do any good? This one seems especially comprehensive and is already signed by a good mix of people and organizations. It demonstrates that the message of true education progressives is becoming clearer and more unified. The full Declaration to Rebuild America is too long to reproduce here, but its main aspects are ... more »

Lawsuit Against Sac City Unified Filed Today to Prevent School Closures | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Lawsuit Against Sac City Unified Filed Today to Prevent School Closures | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: [image: Home] Lawsuit Against Sac City Unified Filed Today to Prevent School Closures by Kate_Lenox Today there will be a press conference on the Federal Courthouse steps announcing the filing of a lawsuit to prevent the closure of seven schools in the Sacramento City Unified School District. The goal is to obtain a temporary injunction at the hearing which should take place within the next four to five weeks. That will prevent the closures from going forward... more »

The Bad Business of Education Reform | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
The Bad Business of Education Reform | EduShyster: The Bad Business of Education Reform by edushyster2012 *An MBA student says that the business-based ideas creeping into education are based on principles that are as outdated as the Model T.*** As someone with an understanding of what current companies consider “good” business practice, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. The “business-based” assumptions and strategies being used to justify much of contemporary education reform are as outdated as the Model T. Which makes me wonder, would these ideas even be taken seriously ...more »

No Child Left Behind Rewrite Hearing Starts With Senators Divided Over Education Policy

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
No Child Left Behind Rewrite Hearing Starts With Senators Divided Over Education Policy: No Child Left Behind Rewrite Hearing Starts With Senators Divided Over Education Policy by Joy Resmovits [image: No Child Left Behind] As the Senate's education committee began hearings on a rewrite of the No Child Left Behind Act Tuesday, partisan divides over the role of the federal government in America's schools quickly revealed themselves as the sticking point. "There is, in some ways, a philosophical difference," said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Lab... more »

Fifty years ago today: George Wallace's misbegotten Stand in... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Fifty years ago today: George Wallace's misbegotten Stand in... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: Fifty years ago today: George Wallace's misbegotten Stand in the Schoolhouse Door View Larger [image: Stand in the Schoolhouse Door] Stand in the Schoolhouse Door Previous Posts - School asks kids to trade toy guns for books, prizes. Good idea? June 11, 2013 - DeKalb's proposed school budget: Are spending priorities in order? June 11, 2013 - Panel with state school chief tonight in Fayette on Common Core June 10, 2013 By Maureen Downey Today marks the 50... more »

Report Card: Students sue to block Sacramento City Unified school closures

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Report Card: Students sue to block Sacramento City Unified school closures: Students sue to block Sacramento City Unified school closures *Updated at 11:50 a.m. with district response.* * * * * A dozen low-income minority students and their parents have filed suit in federal court to block closure of seven elementary schools in the Sacramento City Unified School District. Attorney Mark Merin filed the suit late Monday in U.S. District Court in Sacramento on behalf of the students, their guardians and three parent-teacher associations at closing schools. The suit complains the schools... more »

Latinos are majority in Texas schools, but can the state handle them? | NewsTacoNewsTaco

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Latinos are majority in Texas schools, but can the state handle them? | NewsTacoNewsTaco: Latinos are majority in Texas schools, but can the state handle them? by NewsTaco [image: Classroom] By Tony Castro, Voxxi [image: voxxi]Latinos are now the largest ethnic group in Texas public schools, surpassing non-Hispanic whites in Lone Star State enrollment for the first time in history. The dramatic change, though, has not been without major pressures on the already financially stressed school systems throughout the state, which ranks 48th in per-student spending. Many of those Latino stu... more »

Charter Schools and The Camel's Nose In The Tent.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
*Charter Schools and The Camel's Nose In The Tent.* The Camel's Nose In The Tent. One cold night, as an Arab sat in his tent, a camel gently thrust his nose under the flap and looked in. "Master," he said, "let me put my nose in your tent. It's cold and stormy out here." "By all means," said the Arab, "and welcome" as he turned over and went to sleep. A little later the Arab awoke to find that the camel had not only put his nose in the tent but his head and neck also. The camel, who had been turning his head from side to side, said, "I will take but little more room if I place my... more »










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