Thursday, June 13, 2013

The Educated Reporter: How a St. Louis Story Became a Toronto Education Scandal

The Educated Reporter: How a St. Louis Story Became a Toronto Education Scandal:

How a St. Louis Story Became a Toronto Education Scandal

by Emily Richmond


Aisha Sultan, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's parenting columnist, was searching the Nexis digital archive of newspaper articles last week when a troubling pairing caught her eye – her name, and the word “plagiarism.”

Clicking on the link to the Toronto Star, Sultan learned she unwittingly had played a not-so-minor role in a major scandal for Canada’s largest school district. And it had all unfolded five months earlier, nearly 800 miles away.

Chris Spence, the director of Toronto’s public school system – the Canadian equivalent of an American superintendent –  resigned in disgrace in January after it was determined his opinion piece published by the Star contained material plagiarized from several sources, including the New York Times. Numerous additional 
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Deasy and new board member Ratliff laud teacher report - latimes.com

Deasy and new board member Ratliff laud teacher report - latimes.com:

Deasy and new board member Ratliff laud teacher report

by By Howard Blume


Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy on Thursday broadly endorsed proposals from an outside group for attracting and retaining teachers, including more money for those who take on difficult assignments and deliver measurable academic gains.
Positive reaction also came from newly elected school board member Monica Ratliff, who is leaving the classroom to join the Board of Education in July.
Both were responding to recommendations in two reports developed by a small group of L.A.-area teachers under the guidance of Educators4Excellence, an advocacy group funded by influential national nonprofits including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation.
The group's founding principles include using student standardized test scores as part of a teacher's performance evaluation; the new reports urge the linking of student achievement to tenure decisions and, when necessary, to layoffs.
All told, the reports list a large array of strategies, some of which echo approaches favored by the 
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After historic win, much collective work lies ahead | EdSource Today

After historic win, much collective work lies ahead | EdSource Today:

After historic win, much collective work lies ahead - by Ted Lempert

by Ted Lempert
Picture of Ted Lempert
Ted Lempert

California is about to embark on the most comprehensive reform to its school finance system in 40 years, putting local communities in the driver’s seat and making a historic investment of more than $10 billion in high-needs students. The compromise Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) to be voted on by the state Legislature by the June 15 deadline also fairly addresses the earlier “winners-losers” concern by increasing the base grant and ensuring that all districts receive additional funding.
The new funding formula also benefits all districts by increasing local flexibility. Communities will be able to craft locally determined approaches to how they will educate all students, and develop their own specific services and support for high-needs students. In addition, if a student begins to show poor academic outcomes, educators can now respond quickly to address the situation and get that student the services needed to get back on track. Districts can also look to neighboring regions that are yielding quality results for new ideas and solutions, and tailor them to meet their local needs.
With this flexibility also comes accountability. The public will have more information on how a district is addressing key state and local priorities and how the district is budgeting to meet those expectations. If student outcomes are faltering and greater action is needed, the requirements in 

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My Anti-Ed Reform in Louisiana, part 2 of??? | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

My Anti-Ed Reform in Louisiana, part 2 of??? | Crazy Crawfish's Blog:

My Anti-Ed Reform in Louisiana, part 2 of???

by crazycrawfish


But before I get into some of the nitty-gritty details of where I am today as a small part of a grassroots rebellion, it’s important to note that none of this happened in a vacuum. I suppose I was a little like every little state worker bee for the first few years. I believed I was a simple civil servant, but that was ok. I had a job to do, just like everyone else, and we all wanted to work toward a common goal, and help our fellow citizens and our state. At the Louisiana Department of Education I enjoyed my job, and I despite some political jockeying in the upper echelons of management and the occasional slacker (every agency has one or two, but that’s not something confined to the public sector), I believed most people were bound by the same general common goal: To serve our state, to help our school districts, and to improve the lot of children in whatever role we served.
At first I didn’t really pay attention the difference between classified and unclassified personnel. To me, unclassified personnel were simply folks that had specialized skills, temps with specific projects, or agency 
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Christine Quinn Panders To Educators Through NYC DOE Official Email southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

Christine Quinn Panders To Educators Through NYC DOE Official Email

by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)
NYC MAYORAL HOPEFUL CHRISTINE QUINN
 Christine Quinn, along with city council education chair, Robert Jackson, sent the following through the NYC DOE Outlook email. Sadly, I didn't get it, but a select few did (However, we do believe this was just sent to administrators). Though we here at SBSB are curious. Just how did she get access to Outlook? Only someone more powerful, and much shorter, than God would allow their "heir apparent" such access.

IT'S A TRAP!!!


From: Speaker Christine C. Quinn [speakerquinn@council.nyc.ny.us] Sent: Thu 6/13/2013 5:06 PM
Subject: NYC Council Education Update

Dear New Yorker,

As the 2012-2013 school year draws to a close, we wanted to wish all of our students and their families good luck on their end-of-the-school-year activities.

We also wanted to let you know about some of the recent work that we've been doing here at the City Council to help 
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Having A Voice Isn't Free, Either (Inspiring Teacher Voice) - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson

Having A Voice Isn't Free, Either (Inspiring Teacher Voice) - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson:

Having A Voice Isn’t Free, Either (Inspiring Teacher Voice)

by Jose Vilson

lionroarbw

Today, it was brought to my attention just how costly teacher voice can be.
The top-down management style of most schools lends itself to an undemocratic collective of adults and children in the building, all exacerbated by internal and external factors like poverty, personalities, and Charlotte Danielson. Autonomy is in the eye of the beholder, and the beholder is often fresh out of college and / or hasn’t been in the classroom longer than I have.
That’s why teacher voice is a reform in and of itself. The idea that teachers and students have a say as to the direction of the school runs contrary to what policy tells us over and again, no matter if you’re in a rural town with one elementary, middle, and high school or if you’re an urban teacher trying to dodge the bullets of an ed-deform mayor.
The status quo tells us that teachers should only speak when spoken to, help reform only when it’s close to the 
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Ed Notes Online: The Worm Turns on Ed Deform in Indiana as the NEW Status Quo Comes Under Attack

Ed Notes Online: The Worm Turns on Ed Deform in Indiana as the NEW Status Quo Comes Under Attack:

The Worm Turns on Ed Deform in Indiana as the NEW Status Quo Comes Under Attack

by ed notes online
Indiana’s love affair with so-called school reform is cooling. Serious cracks are showing in the relationship between lawmakers and anti-labor, pro-privatization forces that have fueled the so-called reform with millions in campaign contributions.... Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette 
For the last decade we have been attacked as status quoers by the deformers, which was so funny given that some of  us have been fighting the status quo since the early 70s. Joel Klein couldn't get a sentence out with resorting to the mentioning the old SQ while establishing the new SQ. But given that ed deform has been actively been pushed since Chicago, 1994, the deformers are now the SQ and real reformers have been on the counter attack, with new organizations springing up all over the 
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Isn’t it about TIME Chicago jailed a mayor? | Reclaim Reform

Isn’t it about TIME Chicago jailed a mayor? | Reclaim Reform:

Isn’t it about TIME Chicago jailed a mayor?

by kenpreviti
Rahm: Chicago Bulls#*t.
Rahmaganda
Rahm Emanuel is closing 50 public schools and devastating neighborhoods and the lives of children and their parents. Hi is also giving $100 million of education money to a private Catholic college to build a basketball arena. (HERE)
Isn’t it about TIME Chicago jailed a mayor?
moneyroll
Hey, Rahm! Dribble this!
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My Problem With School Student Voice

Student Voice:

My Problem With School

by Miranda Hubbard


Repost from Huffington Press Education.
I have a problem with school and it is not just forcing myself out of bed every morning to go and sit through six hours of boringness. It’s not that I have to get ready just to see people whom I’m not too fond of and it’s also not fighting my way through the hallways like it’s The Hunger Games between every class. My problem with school is that you’re evaluated solely based on your weaknesses instead of your strengths. Albert Einstein said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” When I first read this quote, I was taken aback; it summed up my school experience so perfectly. Teachers aren’t entirely evil, but it seems as if it is their job to show their students that we don’t understand course material. Why is that?
Think about a test you recently wrote, do you feel as if your knowledge of the subject matter was properly conveyed to your teacher? I feel as if our schools are designed to highlight our weaknesses instead of what we, as students, excel at. Have you ever had an assignment that you know you just won’t excel at? For example, 
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Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-13-13 #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



Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: 'Wouldn’t it be nice if educational policy were driven by reality instead of snark hunts and iggernance...?/

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: 'Wouldn’t it be nice if educational policy were driven by reality instead of snark hunts and iggernance...?/: 'Wouldn’t it be nice if educational policy were driven by reality instead of snark hunts and iggernance...?/ by Mike Klonsky *I'm re-posting this piece from Maureen Downey's Get Schooled blog. -- M.K.* The Snark syndrome in educational policymaking By Peter Smagorinsky In 1993, Eileen Byrne published "Women and Science: The Snark Syndrome." Snarks have been around for some time, first appearing in 1874 in Lewis Carroll's "The Hunt... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Action Alert: call your Legislators now to protect your child's privacy!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Action Alert: call your Legislators now to protect your child's privacy!: Action Alert: call your Legislators now to protect your child's privacy! by Leonie Haimson A bill introduced by AM Cathy Nolan, A. 7872, was approved by the NYS Assembly Education Committee yesterday which would allow parents to opt out their children’s personal data from being shared with inBloom Inc. and for-profit vendors. As such, it represents a big step forward in protecting the privacy rights of children. Here is a pdf of an updated fact sheet to post or distribute in your ... more »

Daily Kos: I am excited about my new teaching job

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Daily Kos: I am excited about my new teaching job: I am excited about my new teaching job by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) and i thought I might explain why, after spending some time in the school yesterday, and having been in electronic communication with several teachers today. First let me note this: I do not go on the payroll until mid-August I am already doing work to plan and prepare for what I will teach Just remember that the next time people tell you teachers only work 9 months a year! Half of my students will be in AP US Government and Politics, a course I taught for 7 ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools and the Legislative Stand-Off

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools and the Legislative Stand-Off: Seattle Schools and the Legislative Stand-Off by Melissa Westbrook Updates from Olympia: From Crosscut, an article over what happens if our state doesn't have a budget by July 1. The article susses out what would be considered "legally required activities" which the state would continue to fund. *One question is how the Washington Supreme Court's ruling that the state must improve K-12 education will shield schools from the effects of any shutdown.* ***In a memo to state department heads and electe... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: New York’s Evaluation Nightmare by dianerav Arthur Goldstein, aka Néw York Educator, describes the vain and convoluted effort to create a teacher evaluation system in Néw York. A pinch of this, a heavy dose of testing, and the computer will tell us which teachers are great and which are the stinkers. *LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-13-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all* mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for al... more »

Mother Crusader: Parent Advocacy Group With Ties To K12 Inc. Takes Me On

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Mother Crusader: Parent Advocacy Group With Ties To K12 Inc. Takes Me On: Parent Advocacy Group With Ties To K12 Inc. Takes Me On by darciecima I received a very interesting comment on my most recent post about K12 Inc. It came from Esthere Tolbert, the mom who testified before the Joint Committee on the Public Schools and participated in a demonstration for legislators. Tolbert participated as part of a group called NJPublicSchoolOptions.org. My post pointed out that this group is directly linked to K12 Inc.. It was widely reported that K12 Inc. hired Princeton Public Affairs G... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Lies, spies, and videotape

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Lies, spies, and videotape: Lies, spies, and videotape by Mike Klonsky I guess the Sun-Times saw which way the wind was blowing in the surveillance society -- towards them. Now fascist-minded Rep. Peter King is calling for the jailing and prosecution, not only of whistle-blower Ed Snowden, but of journalists as well. Today's S-T editorial in support of the ACLU suit, is decent. *The American Civil Liberties Union took a step in the right direction Tuesday by filing a lawsuit in federal court. It may be the only way we find out exactly what was going... more »

Teacher Evaluation Program: Malloy, Pryor and General Assembly slam door on a locally developed plans - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Teacher Evaluation Program: Malloy, Pryor and General Assembly slam door on a locally developed plans - Wait, What?: Teacher Evaluation Program: Malloy, Pryor and General Assembly slam door on a locally developed plans by jonpelto Implementing Connecticut’s new “teacher evaluation program” will be the most costly initiative local boards of education will be facing over the next couple of years. No one dismisses the importance of developing more effective teacher evaluation efforts, but the convoluted and complex system being developed by Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor will h... more »

Shanker Blog » Charter School Authorization And Growth

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Shanker Blog » Charter School Authorization And Growth: Charter School Authorization And Growth by Matthew Di Carlo [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] If you ask a charter school supporter why charter schools tend to exhibit inconsistency in their measured test-based impact, there’s a good chance they’ll talk about authorizing. That is, they will tell you that the quality of authorization laws and practices — the guidelines by which charters are granted, renewed and revoked — drives much and perhaps even most of the variation in the performance of charters r... more »

With the Common Core, the Whole Is More Than the Sum of Its Parts « The Core Knowledge Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
With the Common Core, the Whole Is More Than the Sum of Its Parts « The Core Knowledge Blog: With the Common Core, the Whole Is More Than the Sum of Its Parts by Lisa Hansel [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] In a new *post on Diane Ravitch’s blog, Robert Shepherd* makes many insightful observations about the sad state of reading instruction: Back in 1984, Palinscar and Brown wrote a highly influential paper about something they called “reciprocal learning.” They suggested, in that paper, that teachers conducting reading circles encourage dialogue about texts by ... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, June 13, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Schools are out — Drive safely* Education Headlines *Thursday, June 13, 2013* Schools pull plug on gift-card programCafeteria workers at the San Diego Unified School District will no longer receive gift cards, chocolates and movie passes using money from a program to feed needy children. School districts in wait-and-see modeThis year, districts have set their budgets based on a current funding system that almost certainly is about to be scrapped in favor of a version of Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed Local Control Funding Formula,... more »

Racism Decried in Sacramento School Closings Courthouse News Service

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Courthouse News Service: *Racism Decried in Sacramento School Closings* Courthouse News Service SACRAMENTO (CN) - The Sacramento city school district ignored a report that recommended closing four schools in wealthy white neighborhoods and closed seven schools in poor minority neighborhoods instead, eight families and three PTA groups say in a constitutional complaint in Federal Court. The eight families, with 11 children in school, and PTAs from Joseph Bonnheim Elementary School, Clayton B. Wire Elementary School, and Maple Elementary School sued the Sacramento City Unifie... more »

The Common Core and the End of the World | Taking Note

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The Common Core and the End of the World | Taking Note: The Common Core and the End of the World by John Merrow In case you haven’t been paying attention, the arrival of the Common Core apparently means the end of the world as we know it. Below are some of recent apocalyptic warnings from people on the left and the right (with other earlier doomsday predictions interspersed). My own thoughts are in the final paragraphs. *From Senator Rand Paul (R, KY):* “There are few things more dangerous to our liberty and prosperity than allowing federal bureaucrats and politicians to control our... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] CCSS, the Corporate Profit Black Hole by plthomasedd Unleash the Power!!!!! The power of corporate education reform to generate profit for textbook, program, and testing corporations while childhood poverty in the US skyrockets and children continue to be cheated out of rich educational experiences… Sounds about right: —– I think Education Week accidentally published the cover from an upcoming new young adult science […] Ask and receive: #Commoncore cereal! by Chalk Face, PhD Never too early to get college and career ready! ... more »

Top High Schools With the Most Minority, Disadvantaged Students - Morse Code: Inside the College Rankings (usnews.com)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Top High Schools With the Most Minority, Disadvantaged Students - Morse Code: Inside the College Rankings (usnews.com): Top High Schools With the Most Minority, Disadvantaged Students By ROBERT MORSE June 13, 2013 RSS Feed Print [image: California had more gold medal high schools with high proportions of low-income and minority students enrolled than any other state.] California had more gold medal high schools with high proportions of low-income and minority students enrolled than any other state. There were many gold medal public high schools – which ranked in the top 500 in the U.S... more »

All Things Education: Putting off rich curriculum means putting off reading proficiency

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
All Things Education: Putting off rich curriculum means putting off reading proficiency: Putting off rich curriculum means putting off reading proficiency by Rachel Levy Recently, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell proposed and the General Assembly approved a bill that allows elementary schools to apply for waivers from high-stakes science and social studies testing (aka SOLs) for third graders. So far this testing season, approximately twenty-five public elementary schools have availed themselves of this waiver. The idea is that before struggling readers can learn content they have ... more »

Out of Sync: Many Common Core states have yet to define a Common Core-worthy diploma (At a Glance)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Out of Sync: Many Common Core states have yet to define a Common Core-worthy diploma (At a Glance): Out of Sync: Many Common Core states have yet to define a Common Core-worthy diploma (At a Glance) Forty-five states and the District of Columbia have voluntarily adopted rigorous Common Core State Standards for what their K-12 public school students should know and be able to do in mathematics and English Language Arts. Yet most of these states have yet to take a critical step towards making those standards a reality: they do not require high school graduates to complete the math c... more »

California's new Transitional Kindergarten: a glimpse into universal Pre-K | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
California's new Transitional Kindergarten: a glimpse into universal Pre-K | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: California's new Transitional Kindergarten: a glimpse into universal Pre-K by Deepa Fernandes [image: Transitional Kindergarten] *Transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students line up to sing a song before their parents arrive for a graduation ceremony at Stanley Mosk Elementary School in Winnetka.; Credit: Grant Slater/KPCC* Emma Chavez sat on a mat in her classroom, her face buried in her hands, sobbing. “Why are you crying?” teacher Veronica Azizi asked the five year old? “Be... more »

In declaring war on Common Core, Cobb is also attacking state... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
In declaring war on Common Core, Cobb is also attacking state... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: In declaring war on Common Core, Cobb is also attacking state standards [image: Common Core Alignment Map] This is what I don’t get about Cobb County’s antipathy toward Common Core: Georgia standards are Common Core. There have been several evaluations of how well Common Core aligns with state standards, including a report released just this week. The report, “Out of Sync: Many Common Core States Have Yet to Define a Common Core-worthy Diploma,” found that of the 45 states ... more »

(Extra)Ordinary People

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
(Extra)Ordinary People: (Extra)Ordinary People by Sam There’s an anecdote the Calhoun School’s Steve Nelson likes to share when he speaks to teachers and parents about the purpose of education. “We should think of our children as wildflower seeds in an unmarked package,” he says. “We can’t know what will emerge. All we can do is plant them in fertile soil, give them plenty of water and sunlight, and wait patiently to see the uniqueness of their beauty.” At a time when too many students are still being planted in highly cultivated gardens – trimmed and pruned to resemble each other c... more »

Teaching Career Pathways: Leadership Certification | InterACT

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Teaching Career Pathways: Leadership Certification | InterACT: Teaching Career Pathways: Leadership Certification by David B. Cohen Promoting Quality Teaching: New Approaches To Compensation and Career Pathways [image: Promoting Quality Teaching: New Approaches To Compensation and Career Pathways]*Note: In 2012, Accomplished California Teachers published Quality Teaching in Every Classroom: New Approaches to Compensation and Career Pathways. Our team of teacher leaders from diverse regions and types of schools recommended that California policy makers should pursue means to give tal... more »

Blue State Boeing, Gates, High Tech Dreamland WA — Send Kids to Amazon Warehouses | Dissident Voice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Blue State Boeing, Gates, High Tech Dreamland WA — Send Kids to Amazon Warehouses | Dissident Voice: Blue State Boeing, Gates, High Tech Dreamland WA — Send Kids to Amazon Warehouses by Paul Haeder “Economists study and analyze poverty in their nice offices, have all the statistics, make all the models, and are convinced that they know everything that you can know about poverty. But they don’t understand poverty.” *—*Manfred Max-Neef Way-way too much in the education news for me to crank out one single column. That’s coming up. For now — Just one state gives us a peak into the... more »

UPDATE: Who would you like as Illinois Governor? + The in box. “Karen Lewis is right.” | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
The in box. “Karen Lewis is right.” | Fred Klonsky: Who would you like as Illinois Governor? by Fred Klonsky Take Our Poll The in box. Booze Allen, Boeing and the NSA. by Fred Klonsky Fred, I find it interesting that Sen. Levin found it unacceptable to have the investigation of sexual misconduct charges, in the military, fall outside the military chain of command. And at the same time Sen Durbin, and others, don’t set the same standard for the NSA and national security, 70% of national security monies/duties go to pvt. companies and fall outside the chain of command. In both cases ... more »

Hmmm, Why Don’t I Have Much Confidence In Chicago Superintendent’s Parent Engagement Plan? | Engaging Parents In School…

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Hmmm, Why Don’t I Have Much Confidence In Chicago Superintendent’s Parent Engagement Plan? | Engaging Parents In School…: Hmmm, Why Don’t I Have Much Confidence In Chicago Superintendent’s Parent Engagement Plan? by Larry Ferlazzo Weeks after announcing the largest school closure plan in United States history — one developed with little or no parent input — the CEO of Chicago Public Schools announced a new parent engagement plan. Her plan — to start parent “universities”: *Byrd-Bennett’s action plan promises to launch “Parent Universities” across the city to “help parents understan... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-13-13 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] Writing for the Common Core Tests by dianerav Vicki Cobb, an award-winning author of more than 90 children’s books about science, recently received a requestfrom a test publisher to write for the new Common Core assessments. However, when she saw the guidelines, she wondered if she could do it. Will her voice disappear? Will she be compelled to write the same pap that deadens textbooks? Stay tuned. Pennsylvania: Now We Know the Truth About Cyber Charters by diane... more »

Hey City Council: You’re Supposed to Be Better than Harrisburg | Parents United for Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Hey City Council: You’re Supposed to Be Better than Harrisburg | Parents United for Public Education: Hey City Council: You’re Supposed to Be Better than Harrisburg by rebeccapoyourow [image: City Council-dontletusdown] City Council’s failure to move a liquor-by-the-drink tax yesterday disappointed parents and school supporters all across the city. [image: Rebecca Poyourow]Today over 100 parents, students, and community members packed City Council chambers—in the middle of a workday afternoon—and testified for over three hours to demand movement on the liquor-by-the-dri... more »

We're Not Misinformed; We Know What Common Core Is, & We Reject It. | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
We're Not Misinformed; We Know What Common Core Is, & We Reject It. | Truth in American Education: We’re Not Misinformed; We Know What Common Core Is, & We Reject It. by Christel Swasey [image: common-core]In Utah this year, GOP state delegates passed a resolution that opposed Common Core, by a 65% vote. The National GOP passed a similar resolution. The Michigan legislature passed a bill that defunded Common Core. Indiana legislators passed a year-long time-out bill to pause Common Core. Similar efforts by Republicans and Democrats are growing in North Carolina, Georgia, Missouri,Io... more »

The Snark syndrome in educational policymaking | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
The Snark syndrome in educational policymaking | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: The Snark syndrome in educational policymaking - COMMENT(16) - 3 29 12 48 Related View Larger [image: Arne Duncan photo] Johnny Crawford, jcrawford@ajc.com U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan reads to children at Boyd Elementary School Friday, May 31, 2013. Education Secretary Arne Duncan , Governor Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed also participated in a panel discussion on education. Previous Posts - Should schools offer free breakfast for every student? June 12, 2013 - Can ... more »

Education officials seek team approach to fight chronic absenteeism | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Education officials seek team approach to fight chronic absenteeism | EdSource Today: Education officials seek team approach to fight chronic absenteeism - by Kathryn Baron by Kathryn Baron [image: More than 80 percent of students who are chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade read below grade level after third grade. Source: Applied Survey Research, May 2011] More than 80 percent of students who are chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade read below grade level after third grade. Source: Applied Survey Research, May 2011 Backed by the knowledge that the firs... more »

Why two reform movements — choice and accountability — have fallen short

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Why two reform movements — choice and accountability — have fallen short: Why two reform movements — choice and accountability — have fallen short By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 13, 2013 at 4:00 amE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: arrow]Public education has been rocked over the past two decades by the choice and accountability movements, both launched by reformers in an effort to “fix” failing schools. Why haven’t they worked as well as promised? This post examines this question. It is written by Jack Schneider, an assistant professor of education at the College of the Ho... more »

Bill Gates Discovers Money Cannot Buy Teachers - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Bill Gates Discovers Money Cannot Buy Teachers - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Bill Gates Discovers Money Cannot Buy Teachers by Anthony Cody Sunday's Seattle Times tells us of a strange problem encountered by the richest man in the world. He has discovered that his money is not working its magic in education -- teachers are not for sale. The Gates Foundation has spent the past decade promoting hard hitting education reforms. Organizations they fund have conducted research, lobbied politicians, and advanced policies that have brought us Value Added teacher and princ... more »

What’s that fishy smell…A Bass Pro shop update… - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
What’s that fishy smell…A Bass Pro shop update… - Wait, What?: What’s that fishy smell…A Bass Pro shop update… by jonpelto Less than two months ago, Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch was still calling the plan to open a Bass Pro store in Bridgeport a “deal changer.” In April Finch told residents, “The deal from the state of Connecticut should probably be inked sometime this summer” and added that he was planning for a December 2014 groundbreaking. Finch’s statement continued the odd saga surrounding the Bass Pro effort which began last July when Governor Malloy, Mayor Finch and Bass Pro ... more »

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: The MultiBillionaire Ed Privateers Never Stop Their Pillaging-- Even During the Summer!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: The MultiBillionaire Ed Privateers Never Stop Their Pillaging-- Even During the Summer!: The MultiBillionaire Ed Privateers Never Stop Their Pillaging-- Even During the Summer! by Black Educator

Study: Millennials Prefer Traditional Classrooms Over Online Ones | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Study: Millennials Prefer Traditional Classrooms Over Online Ones | toteachornototeach: Study: Millennials Prefer Traditional Classrooms Over Online Ones by aristotlethewise Study: Millennials Prefer Traditional Classrooms Over Online Ones by Vignesh RamachandranStudents are warming up to virtual education, but according to a new study, they still believe it’s easier to learn in a traditional classroom. Millennial Branding, a Generation Y consulting firm, and online marketplace Internships.com, conducted an online survey in May in which they asked 1,345 college students in the Unite... more »

NYC Educator: The Incredible Disappearing UFT Rep

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
NYC Educator: The Incredible Disappearing UFT Rep: The Incredible Disappearing UFT Rep by NYC Educator In a pivotal career move, a UFT Rep reread Catch 22, and decided his favorite character was Major Major. He immediately determined to emulate him in every way possible. From that moment, the only time he saw members in his office was when he wasn't there. It was much more efficient and convenient. When he *was* there, and people came, they had all sorts of complaints. Principals were crazy, working conditions were awful, they hadn't had a raise in five years, blah, blah, blah. On ... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
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 - Johnathen Duran - in - Politics - 9 hours ago - Mic this!6 - - 117 - - - 16 [image: submit to reddit] 26 [image: 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 In the dark hours of the night, 22 s...more »

Jersey Jazzman: Why Tests Scores CAN'T Evaluate Teachers

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
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 a... more »

LEARNING MATH, LEARNING JUSTICE Rethinking Schools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Rethinking Schools: VOLUME 27, ISSUE 3 [image: Volume 27, Issue 3] SUBSCRIBE ONLINE & SAVESubscribe & Gift Subscriptions *Donate* Back Issues RS E-List Publications Download a Catalog Special Issues *Rethinking Schools Blog* ------------------------------ ------------------------------ ------------------------------ VOLUME 27, ISSUE 3 — SPRING 2013 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 i... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
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 ans... more »

Mother Crusader: Et Tu Anthony Weiner?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
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. ... more »

Vast reforms proposed for teacher credential programs | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Vast reforms proposed for teacher credential programs | EdSource Today: Vast reforms proposed for teacher credential programs - by Kathryn Baron by Kathryn Baron [image: (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... more »

Home Field Advantage | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
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... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
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!

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day 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 - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Save Michigan Public Schools Rally on June 19 by dianerav This just in. Here is the flyer in downloadable form: Education supporters plan huge grassroots rally at Mich Capitol June 19th Grassroots power in action! Please join us on the Capitol lawn beginning at 11:30 am on Wednesday, June 19th. We’re still working on lining up our speakers for the event, but we’ve already confirmed the following superstar advocates for public education: Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (Senate Minority Leader) Sen. Bert Johnson (D-Highland Pa... more »

Great Teaching Transcends Economic Hurdles — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 »








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