Monday, June 17, 2013

LA Unified school board member wants changes to California's Parent Trigger law | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

LA Unified school board member wants changes to California's Parent Trigger law | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC:

LA Unified school board member wants changes to California's Parent Trigger law

from Pass / Fail by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez
Cheech Marin at LAUSD on arts ed
A Los Angeles Unified school board meeting in Oct. 2012.; Credit: Tami Abdollah/KPCC
California’s Parent Trigger law has been used five times to try and overhaul low-performing schools. Three of those were in the L.A. Unified School District. School board member Steve Zimmer has proposed a resolution up for a vote at Tuesday’s meeting calling for new restrictions.
Under the Parent Trigger law, when a majority of parents sign a petition, those parents get to decide how to restructure a school where test scores fall far below the state average.
Reforms can include removing the principal, asking a charter school company to run it, or other changes.
Board member Steve Zimmer believes the process is flawed.
“I’m concerned that everyone has access to accurate information. I’m concerned that everybody gets to participate in the process," Zimmer said. "I’m concerned that we’re focusing on the schools that objectively need this type of transformation the most.”
His resolution would ask state legislators to change the law and give all parents a say in the transformation method.
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ALEC’s (Non)Disclosure Policy | Uppity Wisconsin

ALEC’s (Non)Disclosure Policy | Uppity Wisconsin:

ALEC’s (Non)Disclosure Policy



 Via Moyers & Company. Laura Macomber, Okapi Productions
Last week, The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) filed suit against Wisconsin State Senator Leah Vukmir for failing to release documents as required under the state’s public records law. CMD alleges that Sen. Vukmir possesses materials pertaining to her involvement with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the controversial organization of which she is a member. Sen. Vukmir has handed over ALEC-related documents in the past, but recently, reports CMD, the senator’s responses to records requests have “dried-up.”
ALEC may have something to do with that.
A little background for the uninitiated: ALEC calls itself a “nonpartisan” public-private partnership of state legislators and corporations, who gather regularly to produce what they term “model legislation” behind closed doors. The goal is for ALEC member legislators to get versions of those model bills passed in their statehouses.
Wisconsin’s state government has thick-roped ties to ALEC. Nearly one-third of its legislators are ALEC members, and versions of ALEC model bills have wended their way through many a legislative session. (Last week, I wrote about Wisconsin’s curiously high ranking in an ALEC “economic outlook” report.) But the state also has a comprehensive open records law, declaring that “all persons are entitled to the greatest possible information regarding the affairs of 
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Perdido Street School: Bloomberg: UFT Endorsement Is "Kiss Of Death"

Perdido Street School: Bloomberg: UFT Endorsement Is "Kiss Of Death":

Bloomberg: UFT Endorsement Is "Kiss Of Death"

by reality-based educator

Opposed to the "Kiss Of Wealth"

He's kinda right about this:

The candidates vying to succeed him can "shill" all they want for the teachers union, but they may very well be wasting their time, Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters today, during a press conference at the education department headquarters near City Hall.

"The last time the U.F.T.'s endorsement got somebody elected was better than two decades ago, O.K.?" said Bloomberg. "It's almost the kiss of death."

Mulgrew responded:

 In a statement, UFT President Michael Mulgrew said, "Dozens of candidates in local and citywide elections have won with UFT backing in recent years, and many are seeking it this year, while 
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New LAUSD board member Monica Ratliff seeks' end to 'business as usual' - LA Daily News

New LAUSD board member Monica Ratliff seeks' end to 'business as usual' - LA Daily News:

New LAUSD board member Monica Ratliff seeks' end to 'business as usual'

by By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer

New LAUSD school board member Monica Ratliff spent more than a decade in the classroom.
Having spent more than a decade teaching in a Los Angeles Unified classroom and chatting with colleagues, Monica Ratliff's perception of the district administration was a hive of bureaucrats toiling away in the downtown monolith known simply as Beaudry.
But after an intense three-day orientation last week at the Beaudry Avenue headquarters, the newest member of the school board said she actually found common ground with the leaders responsible for running the nation's second-largest school district.
"They all lit up as they talked about their work and how proud they are to be with LAUSD and how they want to provide the best support they can for the students," said Ratliff, known for putting her fifth-grade pupils ahead of politics as she ran her underdog campaign for the East San Fernando Valley seat.
"One of my big interests is to reconnect the staff of Beaudry with staff at the school sites. I think that people are coming up with fantastic ideas that aren't being conveyed."
Ratliff said the back-to-back meetings with about 50 district executives included two constructive sessions with Superintendent John Deasy. Ratliff had previously expressed cautious support for Deasy, whose aggressive reforms have put him at odds with United Teachers Los Angeles, as well as
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Parent Revolution Creates a “Truth Site” to Debunk Me | Diane Ravitch's blog

Parent Revolution Creates a “Truth Site” to Debunk Me | Diane Ravitch's blog:

Parent Revolution Creates a “Truth Site” to Debunk Me

by dianerav


Parent Revolution, funded with millions of dollars by the Walton Family Foundation, the Gates Foundation, and he Broad Foundation, has decided to create a “truth site.”
The story says:
“The site’s initial focus will be on attempting to debunk claims made by NYU education historianDiane Ravitch, who earlier this month quasi-apologized for calling Parent Revolution head Ben Austin “loathsome” and on Friday penned another critique of the parent trigger (which as of this
afternoon has already attracted 60+ comments).”
Apparently Ben Austin’s “open letter” to me on Huffington Post didn’t do the job of explaining his views.
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Blixt/My Turn: Say ‘no’ to K12 | The Recorder

Blixt/My Turn: Say ‘no’ to K12 | The Recorder:

Blixt/My Turn: Say ‘no’ to K12

By Wesley Blixt


 Greenfield is selling out its educational legacy to the lowest bidder — a corporation that has established a solidly toxic reputation for profiteering, lying, manipulation, creepy ultra-right-wing politics and looting the public trust.
K12 Inc. is called “The Monsanto of Education.”
Does this seem too harsh? Only in that it may be unfair to Monsanto. K12 has spent three years openly and arrogantly preying on the most damaged, disabled and despairing Massachusetts students and their families, while it has racked up a litany of well-documented charges of lying to parents, teachers, school committees, regulators and investors.
Dig this: Illinois and Maine just passed laws preventing schools from contracting with K12 for the creation of “virtual schools;” Florida charges that K12 hired uncertified teachers. K12 has rarely operated a program that has not been poisoned, fatally or otherwise, by its distortions.
Almost nobody, frankly, wants to deal with K12 Inc. anymore. Almost nobody, it seems, but Greenfield.
Nobody but Greenfield, where school officials have cozied up to K12 since the town’s first flirtation with virtual anything; Nobody but Greenfield, which — on June 25 — is likely to get approval for its Commonwealth Virtual Charter School, to be 
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inBloom, Ed-Fi, Cloud Computing, China, Nazi-Germany and the new Eugenicists | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

inBloom, Ed-Fi, Cloud Computing, China, Nazi-Germany and the new Eugenicists | Crazy Crawfish's Blog:

inBloom, Ed-Fi, Cloud Computing, China, Nazi-Germany and the new Eugenicists

by crazycrawfish


Believe it or not, these concepts and words are all related. inBloom and Ed-Fi are two vendors that use cloud computer to store massive quantities of student data (the Louisiana is currently doing business with.) The information these vendors plan on storing will be used to classify, sort and allocate children by their skills and early proficiencies, much as they do in Communist China. It’s no coincidence that many education reformers point to China as an example of education success and something to emulated, not shunned despite what many Chinese themselves think. Eugenicists advocated the conscious elimination of “inferior” human being from the gene pool and promotion of the superior specimens. Eugenics is generally considered a discredited and bankrupt philosophy and social movement, pioneered by a cousin of Charles Darwin – seeking to apply his relative’s research in what he considered a productive manner, but which most of us would consider abhorrent and unconscionable, except when dressed up in a pretty package or advocated as a social need such as is occurring in China. Perhaps one of the most infamous eugenics campaigns was undertaken by Adolph Hitler. Hitler undertook perhaps the largest eugenics campaign in the history of mankind. Hitler had plans and delusions of creating master Aryan “super-race”
Those humans were targeted who were identified as “life unworthy of life” (German: Lebensunwertes Leben), including but not limited to the criminal, degenerate, dissident, feeble-minded, 
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Daily Kos: Mayor Rahm Offers Schools Grand Bargain: Teachers or Toilet Paper

Daily Kos: Mayor Rahm Offers Schools Grand Bargain: Teachers or Toilet Paper:



Chicago schools face severe cuts as the district unveils its new "school-based" budget plan which forced Nettlehorst Elementary School in Chicago to empty out all reserves, pink slip two teachers’ aides, and eliminate a school secretary position. Other schools are not as lucky and will be cutting teachers and resources including a commodity missing from many Chicago Schools already -- toilet paper.
Here are schools that will see a large reduction in their budgets:
Taft High School— (-) $3 million
Roosevelt High School— (-) $1.1 million
Eberhart Elementary—(-) $1.5 million
Foreman High School—(-) $1.7 million
Gage Park High School—(-) $1 million
Kenwood Academy High School—(-) $1.76 million
In many schools, there are no funds left for janitorial supplies – and this includes toilet paper.
Each school will have to make a choice next year -- teachers or toilet paper?
This Tuesday, Chicago activists will gather toilet paper donations outside of an event where Barbara Byrd-Bennett, our schools chief, is proclaiming the benefits of her five year plan.  What might seem juvenile to some is in fact a perfect metaphor for the disregard of human dignity – the Chicago Public Schools care so little about children that their basic needs are being neglected.
Details, More video, and Images after the jump.
Do you remember embarrassing moments in grade school? Feeling unsure of yourself and wanting to crawl under your desk? Imagine having to walk to the front of your classroom 
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Rising to the Occasion: A Call for Students and Teachers Alike Student Voice

Student Voice:

Rising to the Occasion: A Call for Students and Teachers Alike

by Editor Admin

Spencer Dupont
About the Author: My name is Spencer Dupont. I’m a 16-year-old junior who’s spent his entire life in the Deep South. I was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, but moved to Lafayette, Lousiana, with my family when I was a young child. I have lived here with my brother and my mother for most of my life. I write poetry in my free time and enjoy writing music, while essays consume a small portion of my free time.

My name is Spencer Dupont. I’m a 16-year-old student of the Lafayette Parish School System in Lafayette, Louisiana. I’ve spent a large part of my life attending the public schools here; growing older, I’ve noticed more and more flaws in the educational system. The fault of many of these flaws lies with both teachers and students. I’ve seen both teachers who failed to teach and students who went out of their way not to learn, regardless of the teacher’s efforts. There has to be a collaborative effort to get anything truly accomplished. We have to have teachers that want to teach, and can get students excited enough to learn. We must also, however, have students make the effort to actively engage in the learning environment.
I have had teachers who exhibited exemplary teaching approaches. They treated students with respect, working with student’s varying strengths to help them succeed. Instead of forcing students to listen with the threat of punishment, they worked with the students to help them find the drive within themselves. I have seen teachers like this, and I’ve seen the students who have tried to exploit the trust given by these teachers. In order for faculty to continue to use trust and respect in their method of teaching, students must honor that effort as a 
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Volume 27, Performance Test for New Teachers A Forum on the edTPA- Rethinking Schools Online

Volume 27, No.4 - Summer 2013 - Rethinking Schools Online:

Volume 27, Issue 4

Cover Theme:Performance Test for New TeachersA Forum on the edTPA

In this special forum, we highlight three perspectives on the edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment), the test for credential candidates now being piloted in teacher education programs around the country.

The Role of Performance Assessment in Developing Teaching as a Profession

By Linda Darling-Hammond and Maria E. Hyler
The edTPA will lead to better teachers and more professional respect.

Wrong Answer to the Wrong QuestionWhy we need critical teacher education, not standardization

By Barbara Madeloni and Julie Gorlewski
The edTPA distorts the teacher education process and opens the door to Pearson Inc. reaping more profits and power.

What’s a Nice Test Like You Doing in a Place Like This?EdTPA and corporate education “reform”

By Wayne Au
The dangers to the teaching profession are real, but is edTPA the solution?

Editorial: The Trouble with the Common Core

Rethinking the Day of Silence

By Adriana Murphy
When the Day of Silence doesn't work at a middle school, staff and students look for another way to talk about LGBTQ issues.
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UPDATE Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Commission-Mtg #3

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Commission-Mtg #3:


Spectrum Thread

by Melissa Westbrook
This was requested as finally some Spectrum parents are understanding that Spectrum is very much on the chopping block.  Who knows?  As we speak Shauna Heath and Michael Tolley may have already done away with it (it seems they will be creating whatever Advanced Learning will be).

If the district had allowed the Advanced Learning Taskforce to continue its work, we might have gotten to Spectrum and ALOs.  But maybe that was the point of NOT continuing on.

It may be too late and trying to organize and get any attention in the summer is a big lift.  But I would do it if I cared about Spectrum (no matter what its form at your school). 

Washington State Charter Commission-Mtg #3

by Melissa Westbrook


I am obviously way behind on this thread as the next Charter Commission meeting is this week.

It was held at the Technology Access Foundation headquarters in White Center.  Very nice building and great staff.  One of the Charter Commission members, Trish Millines Dziko, runs TAF and its programs.

Chair Steve Sundquist, in his chairman remarks, stated that the Commission had sent a letter to the Board of Education.  The Commission would like to influence the BOE on the issues of timelines and fee schedules.  It appears they did get what they wanted.

One, there will be a requirement of a letter of intent to apply for a charter.  This is great because it gives everyone 
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Shaun Johnson: It Makes Me Wonder Why All the Amateurs Have Come to Education

Shaun Johnson: It Makes Me Wonder Why All the Amateurs Have Come to Education:

It Makes Me Wonder Why All the Amateurs Have Come to Education

Posted: 06/17/2013 5:27 pm




I'm a little late to this party. I was clued into this 2012 video of a Kennedy Center Honor's performance of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven." I'm not normally sentimental about videos that get passed around. Perhaps the stakes were higher because the late John Bonham's son made a surprise performance on drums. Surviving members of the band, watching from the balcony, were noticeably emotional about the performance. The viewer could not help feeling a little bit of that as well.
The performance itself was unbelievable. Here you had musicians and artists in a moment of perfection, watched by the elder creators of a nearly perfect masterpiece in song that has affected generations, and more to come. I then imagined of all the amateur wannabes who think that sitting in line outside a basketball arena in Wichita for two hours, belting out an awful cover of Whitney Houston, makes them an artist.
Perhaps not for musical legends like Led Zeppelin, but it must be annoying for some established artists to force making nice with new cohorts of winners and runners-up from the innumerable talent shows. Musical bandwidth is also trafficked heavily by once and future reality TV stars who, exploiting new audio technologies, are able to release recordings only slightly better than an inept yodeler with laryngitis.
I must say that this definitely has something to do with education. As an educator myself, it always does, am I right? I don't claim to be the Led Zeppelin, or even the Miley Cyrus, of education, but I think I've earned the title of professional. I wistfully imagine legends 
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NYC Public School Parents: NYSED and Merryl Tisch FOILed for their communications re inBloom Inc.

NYC Public School Parents: NYSED and Merryl Tisch FOILed for their communications re inBloom Inc.:

NYSED and Merryl Tisch FOILed for their communications re inBloom Inc.

by Leonie Haimson

See the Freedom of Information request, just submitted by attorney Norman Siegel on behalf of PS 75 in Manhattan and Community Education Council District 14 in Brooklyn, asking for all the communications between NYSED officials and Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch and the Gates Foundation, inBloom Inc., Wireless Generation and News Corp, about their risky student data sharing scheme.
FOIL Request to NYSED and Merryl Tisch by Raquel Hampton
Posted by at   ShareThis 
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Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-17-13 #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 Looming Excellence Emergency | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
The Looming Excellence Emergency | EduShyster: The Looming Excellence Emergency by edushyster2012 *Will the education reform movement exhaust the word “excellence” before the achievement gap is *crushed*?* Imagine a world without excellence. Experts say that with the education reform movement on schedule to exhaust the superlative as soon as 2016, an excellence-deprived future is a near guarantee. The problem, say excellence experts, is that a vast pool of corporate money has produced an excellence bubble as new groups rush to cash in on the fierce urgency of the moment. Experts say... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-17-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Jan Resseger on Absurdity of Ohio VAM by dianerav This just in from an advocate for children who live in poverty: This week the Cleveland Plain Dealer has a new series, “Grading the Teachers.” It is basically an endorsement of the new Ohio Value Added Measures (VAM) program by which teachers will be rated. Scores are being made available on-line. Ohio’s VAM formula, according to the news account, does not consider the socioeconomic information about the children. Here are the articles thus far in the series: ·... more »

SBE to Fordham: NGSS highly vetted by CA experts SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: SBE to Fordham: NGSS highly vetted by CA experts As one of the State Board's liaisons to the NGSS work, I've been very engaged with the development and review process up until now. In the earlier stages, while NGSS was going through multiple rounds of public review and revisions, CDE had a group of 80 scientists, educators, and business leaders in CA review and comment on those initial drafts. To review the final set of NGSS the CDE commissioned a group of 25 Californians to serve on a Science Expert Panel. These included Bruce Alperts, edi... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Newark's Charters: Perception Is NOT Reality

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Newark's Charters: Perception Is NOT Reality: Newark's Charters: Perception Is NOT Reality by Duke Apparently, the hue and cry in Newark against state control of the schools (coming from the *elected* school advisory board, the *elected* city council, the students, the teachers, and the parents) is getting so loud that State Superintendent Cami Anderson and State Education Commissioner Chris Cerf feel like they have to show at least a little acknowledgment of their critics: Superintendent of Schools Cami Anderson announced an initiative Thursday night intended to ... more »

Common Core Summer Showcase - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Common Core Summer Showcase - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Showcases Teacher Trainings Kicking Off California's Common Core Summer SACRAMENTO—With the state budget setting aside $1.25 billion to implement new standards in California's public schools, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson kicked off California's Common Core Summer with a daylong seminar to help teachers instill deeper learning of mathematics in their students. "For teachers, this is California's Common Core Summer. They've just finished their own school yea... more »

David Coleman Lauds the Use of Student Data | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
David Coleman Lauds the Use of Student Data | Truth in American Education: David Coleman Lauds the Use of Student Data by Shane Vander Hart David Coleman, President of the College Board and “chief architect” of the Common Core State Standards, spoke at the Annual Strategic Data Project (SDP) Beyond the Numbers Convening hosted by the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. The theme was “from the classroom to the boardroom: analytics for strategy and performance.” He lauded the collection and use of student data. The video below is edited for relevant excerpts... more »

Do we want to deal with the Achievement Gap: Then deal with the real problem (by Wendy Lecker) - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Do we want to deal with the Achievement Gap: Then deal with the real problem (by Wendy Lecker) - Wait, What?: Do we want to deal with the Achievement Gap: Then deal with the real problem (by Wendy Lecker) by jonpelto Public school advocate and fellow columnist Wendy Lecker published another “must read” piece over the weekend. This one entitled “Courts repeatedly uphold the right to a quality education,” explains the underlying problem facing public education in our nation and the sad reality that children, parent and our society have had to rely on the courts rather than elected ... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, June 17, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *State Superintendent Launches Common Core Summer Program | KHTS Radio* Education Headlines *Monday, June 17, 2013* Teachers in Upland say cuts hit them unfairlyAs the June 30 deadline to approve a balanced budget looms, Upland Unified School District and its teachers are still in contentious negotiations that have teachers worried about their financial stability. Ontario-Montclair School District teachers reject contract offerThe contract, which OMTA members rejected in the third week of May, called for teachers to work a 15-mi... more »

6-17-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] KIPP in Arkansas Gives “Whatever It Takes” New Meaning by Jim Horn Recent conversations with KIPP high school teachers reveals many cracks in KIPP’s Five Pillars. Apparently, KIPP’s Helena, AK high school has interpreted “whatever it takes” to include violating state laws for student transcripts and what can count as course credits. From The Inside Scoop Online: The Arkansas Department of Education has determined that the Helena-West […] PAR NoT PARCC in New Jersey by freetoteach Looking to replace the test driven, evaluatio... more »

NCTQ Ranking of Teacher Prep Programs Gets an F | A "Fuller" Look at Education Issues

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
NCTQ Ranking of Teacher Prep Programs Gets an F | A "Fuller" Look at Education Issues: NCTQ Ranking of Teacher Prep Programs Gets an F by Dr. Ed Fuller *Background* In January, 2011, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) and *U.S. News & World Report* announced their intention to evaluate and rank teacher education programs in the United States. The goal of this study is to review the quality of teacher preparation programs across the U.S., based on NCTQ’s standards for teacher education. This followed a series of reports assessing state-level Teacher Preparation policie... more »

Shanker Blog » What Should The Results Of New Teacher Evaluations Look Like?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Shanker Blog » What Should The Results Of New Teacher Evaluations Look Like?: What Should The Results Of New Teacher Evaluations Look Like? by Matthew Di Carlo In a previous post, I discussed the initial results from new teacher evaluations in several states, and the fact that states with implausibly large proportions of teachers in the higher categories face a difficult situation – achieving greater differentiation while improving the quality and legitimacy of their systems. I also expressed concern that pre-existing beliefs about the “proper” distribution of teacher ratings — in p... more »

Perdido Street School: 6% Of NYC Teachers Hit With "Ineffective" Rating On Test Scores

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Perdido Street School: 6% Of NYC Teachers Hit With "Ineffective" Rating On Test Scores: 6% Of NYC Teachers Hit With "Ineffective" Rating On Test Scores by reality-based educator Here is the future: Roughly 6 percent of city teachers were deemed ineffective last year based solely on their students’ scores on state math and reading tests, new city data shows. The data stemmed from a trial-run of just one segment of a new teacher evaluation system that will be implemented at public schools here this fall. That segment -- which only looks at state math or reading scores for students... more »

As Poverty Increases, Reformers Cling to the “New Status Quo” | NEA Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
As Poverty Increases, Reformers Cling to the “New Status Quo” | NEA Today: As Poverty Increases, Reformers Cling to the “New Status Quo” by twalker *By Tim Walker* A couple of weeks ago, the *U.S. Department of Education released new data t *hat confirms what every advocate of public education has been trumpeting for years: poverty is a growing scourge on public schools. According to its 2013 *Condition of Education *report, one in five schools in the United States are considered high poverty. Twenty percent of public school students attended these schools in 2011, considerably more t... more »

UPDATE Seattle Schools Community Forum: Sweet, sweet irony

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Sweet, sweet irony: Sweet, sweet irony by Charlie Mas A few days ago I wrote about the Board's role and how they are failing to do their job. Today, the Seattle Times writes the same. Funny thing, though, the Times and I have exactly the opposite ideas about what the Board should be doing. The Times claims that "*Time wasted on board dysfunction, including time spent on personality conflicts as well as delayed policy decisions, slows momentum on important improvements.*" Really? Like what? What - exactly - has been delayed due to Board disagre... more »

COMMON CORE STANDARDS ARE ON THE WAY Sacramento Council PTA

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Sacramento Council PTA: [image: SAC COUNCIL LOGO] COMMON CORE STANDARDS ARE ON THE WAY *Be Informed So That You Will Be Able to Help Your Children, Schools & School District with the Transition* - Get More Information About What They Are - Parents Guide to Student Success-Frequently Asked Questions - Parents Guide to Student SuccessThis guide provides an overview of what your child will learn by the end each year. - Don't Politicize the Common Core State Standards! - Standards Backers Seek Out Support of Parents - Common Core: 7 Recommendations for Effec... more »

The "Robbing Reter to pay Paul" approach to school funding | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The "Robbing Reter to pay Paul" approach to school funding | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: The "Robbing Reter to pay Paul" approach to school funding [image: Getting school funding on track] Getting school funding on track Previous Posts - A teacher to remember and celebrate June 17, 2013 - Teacher fired because dangerous ex husband shows up at school. Protecting kids or punishing her? June 15, 2013 - Technology in schools: Basic drills. Watching videos. June 14, 2013 By Maureen Downey Cuts to school funding at the state level largely go unrecogn... more »

Ed Notes Online: Burris, Kaufman, Eterno etc. Shake the Tree on John King/Mulgrew Pro-Eval

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Burris, Kaufman, Eterno etc. Shake the Tree on John King/Mulgrew Pro-Eval: Burris, Kaufman, Eterno etc. Shake the Tree on John King/Mulgrew Pro-Eval by ed notes online Where is the UFT on this? It looks like they are too busypraising Dr. King's new evaluation system to have noticed any flaws. UFT President Michael Mulgrew said: "The commissioner's plan is professional and fair and is designed to help teachers improve their skills throughout their careers." ... James Eterno, ICE blog, NEW TEACHER RATING MATH: EFFECTIVE ON TESTING + EFFECTIVE ON OBSERVATIONS = INE... more »

UPDATE: One of the Best Things PWCS has to Offer | PWC Education Reform Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
One of the Best Things PWCS has to Offer | PWC Education Reform Blog: PWCS Misleading Public about Aquatic Therapy and Special Needs Students by pwceducationreform I want to thank all of the parents of special education students for notifying me about the discrepancy between what PWCS is promising and what they’ll actually deliver regarding aquatic therapy for SPED students. I don’t have any children in SPED programs and don’t understand what things mean to SPED students, like what it means […] School Board Report – June 5, 2013 by pwceducationreform School Board Report for June 5... more »

John Thompson: Let's Look Before Leaping to Ban Suspensions - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
John Thompson: Let's Look Before Leaping to Ban Suspensions - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: John Thompson: Let's Look Before Leaping to Ban Suspensions by Anthony Cody *Guest post by John Thompson.* NPR's Wade Goodwyn in Why Some Schools Want to Expel Suspensions, reported that Los Angeles schools banned suspensions for "willful defiance of authority." He then left the impression that a single suspension often sets poor children of color down the path to educational failure. Goodwyn asked Daniel Losen of the UCLA Civil Rights Project whether such a suspension could... more »

Education's Attention Deficit Dilemma — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Education's Attention Deficit Dilemma — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Walter McKenzie]Education’s Attention Deficit Dilemma June 17, 2013 by Walter McKenzie In the blogging era everyone can publish their ideas and opinions and grow quite a following doing so; the democratization of information in practice. This proliferating idea exchange is part and parcel of Thomas Friedman's flat earth analogy. Developing one's voice and being heard is a good thing. But it's not enough. If we carry the flat earth metaphor to its logical conclusion, opinions freely rolling acr... more »

UPDATE: The Real Pension Obstructionist: A Letter to a Legislator. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
The Real Pension Obstructionist: A Letter to a Legislator. | Fred Klonsky: Bill Daley’s pension plan. That’s Ty Fahner’s hand up his rear. by Fred Klonsky [image: bunny-white-hand-puppet-blue-ears] Millionaire banker and brother of the recepient of one of the largest public pensions in the state, announced his pension plan today. His lips were moving but it was the voice of the Civic Committee President Ty Fahner that echoed around the state. Pass SB1. Nothing but SB1. Veto anything that isn’t SB1. Attack anyone who claims SB1 is unconstitutional. Which it is. Even though Governor Squ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky * **Jeb Bush:"Immigrants are more fertile, and they love families."* -- NPR * **CTU president Karen Lewis* *“Recently they announced a plan for a ‘quality, 21st century education’. Their 21st century plan looks more like a 19th century plan.”* -- WBEZ *Tom Hayden* *We are edging closer to the neo-conservative dream of total conflagration in the Muslim Middle East. Despite only 11 percent public support for US military intervention in Syria, a reluctant President Barack Obama is being pushed into esc... more »

OpEdNews - Article: Fighting For Our Classrooms, and For the Human Beings Inside Them

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
OpEdNews - Article: Fighting For Our Classrooms, and For the Human Beings Inside Them: Fighting For Our Classrooms, and For the Human Beings Inside Them*By Richard (RJ) Eskow (about the author)* It seems as if the same battle is being fought in every aspect of American society. On one side are the forces of egalitarianism, economic opportunity and self-determination. On the other is a well-funded and entrenched elite bent on hijacking our media, our political process and our institutions for their selfish ends. Sadly, the classrooms of this country haven't been spared. *Means And... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-17-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] How the Bloomberg DOE Kills Schools by dianerav The Bloomberg administration loves small schools. Conversely, it hates large schools, especially large high schools. The city used to have dozens of large high schools, some of which had a storied history. Now few remain. One that was slated to close last year was Long Island City High School, but it was saved by a court order. So the Department of Education is killing it by the usual means, by diverting students ... more »

Linking home and classroom, Oakland bets on community schools | Hechinger Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Linking home and classroom, Oakland bets on community schools | Hechinger Report: Linking home and classroom, Oakland bets on community schools by Trey Bundy Sitting behind his desk at Fremont High School in Oakland, principal Daniel Hurst fiddled with a plastic cigar wrapper he had confiscated from a student. “They take the cigar paper and fill it with weed,” he said. Hurst knows Fremont’s problems well: he joined the school 28 years ago as a teacher. Two years ago, he said, a teacher was robbed at gunpoint before the first bell. “The school gets regularly burglarized,” he added. ... more »

The Washington Teacher: Longer School Day & Longer School Year Up Ahead for DC Public Schools Teachers & Students!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
The Washington Teacher: Longer School Day & Longer School Year Up Ahead for DC Public Schools Teachers & Students!: Longer School Day & Longer School Year Up Ahead for DC Public Schools Teachers & Students! by noreply@blogger.com (Candi Peterson) By Candi Peterson Vote Davis Slate for WTU Liz Davis /Candi Peterson WTU Can Be Better! Earlier in March 2013, DC Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson announced to the Washington Examiner newspaper that she was seeking to implement a *longer school day and a longer school year.* According to a schools spokesperson, DCPS was not ready t... more »

Daily Kos: Freedom of Religion in schools 6/17/1963

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Daily Kos: Freedom of Religion in schools 6/17/1963: Freedom of Religion in schools 6/17/1963 by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) On this day, by an 8-1 vote (Potter Stewart dissenting) the Supreme Court of the United States issued ABINGTON SCHOOL DIST. v. SCHEMPP, 374 U.S. 203. The opinion was written by Justice Tom Clark, who retired from the Court when his son Ramsey was appointed Attorney General of the United States by Lyndon Baines Johnson. Pennsylvania law required the reading of 10 bible verses each morning, along with the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. In schools w... more »

Will competition in education kill our sense of community?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Will competition in education kill our sense of community?: Will competition in education kill our sense of community? By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 17, 2013 at 4:00 amE-mail the writer [image: Sarah Irvine Belson (american.edu)] Sarah Irvine Belson (american.edu) I recently published a post that slammed modern school reform as essentially an urban land reform project, written by Leslie Fenwick, dean of the Howard University School of Education and a professor of education policy, It said in part: The truth can be used to tell a lie. The truth is that black parents’ frustrat... more »

A teacher to remember and celebrate | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
A teacher to remember and celebrate | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: A teacher to remember and celebrate Ashley Muck By Maureen Downey [image: Ashley Muck photo] My former editorial board colleague Joe Geshwiler is retired but writes for the paper at times, including some wonderful obituaries. This obituary by Joe appeared Sunday in the AJC. I wanted to share it because Ashley Muck sounds like an extraordinary woman and teacher. And people ought to know about her. Ms. Muck lived a far too short life, but one full of meaning, commitment and accomplishment. So, if you m... more »

Comparing Wait, What? to CTEducation180…Now that is just going too far… - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Comparing Wait, What? to CTEducation180…Now that is just going too far… - Wait, What?: Comparing Wait, What? to CTEducation180…Now that is just going too far… by jonpelto Call it a Father’s Day perogative, but I’m going to take a moment away from my on-going effort to educate, persuade and mobilize through “perceptive and acerbic” observations about Connecticut Government and Politics. Normally I don’t respond to personal attacks or ill-informed commentaries that are leveled against my own commentaries. Truth be told, I’ve always believed in Voltaire’s famous quote which goes, “I d... more »

The Educated Reporter: Guest Post: Is Third Grade Retention a Help or Hindrance?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: Guest Post: Is Third Grade Retention a Help or Hindrance?: Guest Post: Is Third Grade Retention a Help or Hindrance? by Emily Richmond *We asked some of the journalists attending EWA's 66th National Seminar, held at Stanford University in May, to contribute posts from the sessions. You can find additional content, including video, at EdMedia Commons. Dave Murray of the Grand Rapids Press is today's guest blogger.* Educators are pretty clear that children need to read at grade level by third grade so they can use that skill to learn other subjects. But wha... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Board Retreat and Strategic Planning

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Board Retreat and Strategic Planning: Board Retreat and Strategic Planning by Melissa Westbrook Following up on Charlie's thread to the new (waiting for Board approval) five-year Strategic Plan, here's what I heard from the Board retreat where the Board and senior staff discussed it. For some reason, only the goals are at the communications page on this issue but there are links to the vision/mission/core beliefs from the Intro item on the Board agenda page. To note: that Saturday, June 1st, saw a packed room of staff (most of whom stayed from 10 ... more »

Budget Cuts Reach Bone for Philadelphia Schools - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Budget Cuts Reach Bone for Philadelphia Schools - NYTimes.com: Budget Cuts Reach Bone for Philadelphia Schools Jessica Kourkounis for The New York Times Marielle Casanova, counselor at Andrew Jackson School in Philadelphia, is being laid off along with all the other counselors in the district. More Photos » By TRIP GABRIELPublished: June 16, 2013 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - SINGLE PAGE - REPRINTS PHILADELPHIA — When a second grader came to the Andrew Jackson School too agitated to eat breakfast on Friday, an aide alerted... more »

Last Stand for Children First: It's Time to Reform Father's Day

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Last Stand for Children First: It's Time to Reform Father's Day: It's Time to Reform Father's Day by Last Stand for Children This afternoon, I was shopping at one of those shopping malls, when I noticed an overabundance of "World's Best Dad" t-shirts, mugs, barbecue supplies, and a plethora of other flimflam. Sure, it's easy to say to dad, "You're the best!" but what does that even mean? Without metrics or any kind of objective evaluation, it's merely a platitude. The children of our nation face an uncertain future. Parents have let them fall further and further behind the Chine... more »

Wisdom from a 2012 CM “it doesn’t matter what their scores are” | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Wisdom from a 2012 CM “it doesn’t matter what their scores are” | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: Wisdom from a 2012 CM “it doesn’t matter what their scores are” by Gary Rubinstein Throughout my teaching career, one thing has remained constant: what I’m trying to accomplish. Back in the early 1990s there was no focus on test scores, thankfully. My goal back then, as it is now, was for my students to like math more when they complete my class than they did when they began the class. This is something that is tough to quantify, and it is something that, if I accomplish it, will often, bu... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-16-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Monica Ratliff Responds to Critics by dianerav Since she upset the heavily-funded favorite in the recent Los Angeles school board runoff, many eyes are on Monica Ratliff. Some of her supporters were concerned when she appeared at an event where the Gates-funded Educators forExcellence presented a report on teacher evaluation. The event was attended by Superintendent John Deasy and NYC Teacher Ratings Will Flunk More Teachers by dianerav The politicians won’t rest until they can fire more teachers. John King is th... more »

State Superintendent Launches Common Core Summer Program | KHTS Radio

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
State Superintendent Launches Common Core Summer Program | KHTS Radio: State Superintendent Launches Common Core Summer Program Sat, 06/15/2013 - 11:30am | Gabrielle Moreira (news release - California Dept. of Education) State Superintendent Tom Torlakson will hold a press conference Monday in Sacramento to discuss California’s Common Core summer program, which will train teachers on new state-wide standards for math. ------------------------------ Don't miss a thing. Get breaking *Santa Clarita news alerts* delivered right to your inbox. ------------------------------ The confer... more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: The Rewards of Teaching!:It's Not About the Money, Honey!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: The Rewards of Teaching!:It's Not About the Money, Honey!: The Rewards of Teaching!:It's Not About the Money, Honey! by Lisa M Don't get me wrong. I like getting paid to teach. Now if someone offered to cover the mortgage ... On the last day of school, I walked this group of students out to the buses for the last time. I gave each of them a hug and my words of advice/ mini-motivational speech. The teachers stood and waved goodbye as the buses pulled off. Michael, one of my students, opened his window, and screamed, "Bye Mrs. M!" I laughed beca... more »

Short Notes: What Fathers Watch - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Short Notes: What Fathers Watch - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson: Short Notes: What Fathers Watch by Jose Vilson [image: little_einsteins] A few notes: - Chris Lehmann wants people to get the difference between authoritative and authoritarian. Here’s a primer.[Practical Theory] - John Spencer has five things he never wants to say. Maybe you’ll rethink about the things you say, too. [Education Rethink] - Jeb Bush thinks immigration is a good idea … because immigrants are “more fertile.” *Ay dios mio.* [FOX Latino] - Is the fastest-growing job market in empathy?... more »

Fathers’ Day 2013: Calling dads to be heroes, not minions for a 1% evil | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Fathers’ Day 2013: Calling dads to be heroes, not minions for a 1% evil | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News: Fathers’ Day 2013: Calling dads to be heroes, not minions for a 1% evil By Carl_Herman on June 16, 2013 6:11 pm / no comments [image: slave] Severes Snape – Hero The choice between un-American dicts or American unalienable rights under our Constitution can be made so much easier if the men, whether fathers or not, channeled our love of competition into national and global victory of justice and virtue over “emperor has no clothes” ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Board's Role

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Board's Role: The Board's Role by Charlie Mas I went to Director Martin-Morris's community meeting on Saturday morning and the conversation was really good. It was good, in large part, because we stayed focused on things that Director Martin-Morris could do - we kept the conversation within the boundaries of the Board's role. We didn't ask him and his Board colleagues to make decisions that have been delegated to the superintendent or direct the superintendent in what decisions to make or to overrule decisions that the superintendent had made. ... more »

What do education advocates do on their day off? | Reclaim Reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
What do education advocates do on their day off? | Reclaim Reform: What do education advocates do on their day off? by kenpreviti What do education advocates do on their day off? [image: Sisyphus]The task given Sisyphus by the ancient Greek gods of eternally pushing a massive rock up a hill to have it roll down again and again is precisely what we do. It is what we are supposed to do as true education reformers. It is a pure and good task and is not what it appears to be to most outsiders. (Please note that we are not talking about corporate education reformers who, in spite of what... more »

NYC Educator: Reformy John Doesn't Need Any Stinking Laws

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
NYC Educator: Reformy John Doesn't Need Any Stinking Laws: Reformy John Doesn't Need Any Stinking Laws by NYC Educator One of the great selling points of the education law that mandated junk science, for the UFT, was that we would get to negotiate precisely how the junk science would be used to fire us. So they wouldn't just be firing us, we'd be firing *ourselves*. This is what comes of having that much-coveted "seat at the table." Unfortunately, Mayor Mike was not happy with what his Tweedies negotiated, and therefore it was left to Reformy John King to decree what city teachers ... more »

Perdido Street School: Nearly Half Of G&T Eligible Students Not Offered Program Slots

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Perdido Street School: Nearly Half Of G&T Eligible Students Not Offered Program Slots: Nearly Half Of G&T Eligible Students Not Offered Program Slots by reality-based educator From NY1: Only 54 percent of city students who qualified for spots in gifted and talented programs received offers for this fall, compared to 73 percent who were offered placement last year. The Department Of Education partly attributes the decline to a rise in applications. DOE officials also did not guarantee a seat for every student in his or her own district, saying many families decided against accept... more »

School ignores advice from learning disability experts - Class Struggle - The Washington Post

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
School ignores advice from learning disability experts - Class Struggle - The Washington Post: School ignores advice from learning disability experts By Jay Mathews E-mail the writers Stacie Brockman is the Prince George’s County mother of lively twin 9-year-old boys. Her sons were born two months premature. She has done everything possible to deal with the disabilities that often impede the progress of such children. She took them to the developmental pediatricians at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, one of the top U.S. providers of care for children with learning disa... more »

New Florida law: Teachers can’t be evaluated on students they don’t have

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
New Florida law: Teachers can’t be evaluated on students they don’t have: New Florida law: Teachers can’t be evaluated on students they don’t have By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 16, 2013 at 12:47 pmE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: florida]In the you-can’t-make-up-this-stuff category: Florida just passed a law making it illegal to evaluate teachers on standardized test scores of students they never taught. If you are wondering why such a law would be necessary, here’s why: For two years, many teachers* were* actually being evaluated by the test scores of students they had... more »

A must-watch video

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
A must-watch video: A must-watch video By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 16, 2013 at 11:13 amE-mail the writer 0 Comments More Watch this video and think about the nightmare it is for many kids with disabilities to take standardized tests.

Ed Notes Online: Acievement First Concentration Camp Policies Supported by Gates Foundation

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Ed Notes Online: Acievement First Concentration Camp Policies Supported by Gates Foundation: Acievement First Concentration Camp Policies Supported by Gates Foundation by ed notes online Actually, I would describe Achievement First more as a southern plantation circa 1850. But no one should be surprised that the Gates Foundation is based on a southern plantation mentality. I love it that they are so willing to connect themselves to Achievement First which exposes what Gates is all about. Really think about the AF name. "Achievement" before even the welfare of the child. But "achieve... more »

GOP slams Dems' education proposal as federal power grab - CBS News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
GOP slams Dems' education proposal as federal power grab - CBS News: *GOP slams Dems' education proposal as federal power grab* Republicans and the White House have "major" disagreements on education policy, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said Saturday in the weekly Republican address, including a fresh dispute over the scope of federal involvement in education. But on student loans, he argued, the White House and the GOP actually have a lot in common. The interest rate on federal student loans is set to double on July 1, from 3.4 to 6.8 percent, unless Congress acts to preve... more »

Perdido Street School: NY Post: NYC Prinicpals Rarely Held Accountable

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Perdido Street School: NY Post: NYC Prinicpals Rarely Held Accountable: NY Post: NYC Prinicpals Rarely Held Accountable by reality-based educator Not a surprise to those of us in the system: They dole out discipline to teachers and students, but city school principals rarely get a taste of their own medicine. In the past three years, just two of 14 principals formally accused of misconduct have been fired — and not a single boss in the city’s 1,600 schools was charged with incompetence, officials told The Post. The disciplinary deficiency raises questions when 217 elementary and m... more »

6-16-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] We’re #10, We’re #10 ! by Chris Cerrone Ah yes, the public likes lists. We like to quantify even the unmeasurable and know where we stand. Hence the annual ranking of school districts by a publication in the Buffalo area that no one ever reads, except when it publishes a list of “top school districts”. What a great marketing ploy. And it works. […] *All Week 6-15-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER* [image: gears] *6-15-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER* mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours a... more »

Happy Fathers Day. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Happy Fathers Day. | Fred Klonsky: Happy Fathers Day. by Fred Klonsky [image: Fathers Day]

Can School Reform Hurt Communities? - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Can School Reform Hurt Communities? - NYTimes.com: Can School Reform Hurt Communities? William Widmer for The New York Times Jeri Hilt taught students about copyright law at ReNEW Cultural Arts Academy, a charter school in New Orleans, last week. By SARAH CARRPublished: June 15, 2013 NEW ORLEANS — BEFORE Hurricane Katrina, about 74 percent of this city’s schools were considered “failing,” based mainly on their standardized test scores. By 2012, that figure had dropped to 42 percent, even as the bar for passing was raised. Average ACT scores for the city’s public school students have ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-16-13 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: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] My High School Added to the National Register of Historic Buildings by dianerav I don’t know if anyone in the world cares about this except me and a few gray heads in and around Houston. Our high school was just named to the National Register of Historic Buildings. I graduated in 1956. San Jacinto at that time was a racially segregated school, as were all the public schools of Houston. In 1954, after the Brown decision, I asked to meet with the principal, Mr. Bran... more »









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