Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break
New Mexico Law Would Halt Common Core, Require Public Hearings and Investigation into Costs
add New Mexico to her list of 22 where there is unrest regarding Common Core standards. And this time, the source is not from any conservative wing of the Republican party; it is a Democratic legislator, State Senator Linda Lopez, who is leading the charge.
I recently attended one of the largest education conferences in the United States, FETC in Orlando, Florida. The focus of the conference was the use of Technology in Education. The sessions and vendors were for the most part all technology-driven. Education and technology today are often linked together and are the predominant force in education conferences today. Technology provides both educator
Get Schooled: Modern school reform: 'Paying already-wealthy people to fix the problems that they themselves identified'
Education Week offers a searing commentary today by a former Connecticut school principal on today’s education reform efforts. Here is an excerpt of the essay by Ann Evans de Bernard. Please read the full piece at Ed Week before commenting: So what is school reform anyway? If ...
Susan Ohanian.org: Setting Kids Up to Hate Reading: Response to Oregonian
Susan Ohanian Source: Susan Ohanian.org Look at the headline in The Oregonian: Too Many Oregon Students Unready for Kindergarten State Officials Lament.
Susan DuFresne made the appropriate comment on Twitter: What sober person gives standardized tests to a kindergartener? Someone who's never actually met a 5-year-old? The test showed that Oregon kindergartners arrived at school last
At the Chalk Face: What Teach For America Says When It Talks to Itself
Mercedes Schneider Source: At the Chalk Face As I was researching my “Bill Pays to Help Arne” post, I came across a discussion site, Wall Street Oasis, where those hoping to Make It Big on The Street are able to connect in order to solve issues related to their career ambitions. The site has a link for Teach for America (TFA). The link includes a number of revealing 2008-2013 discussi
BLACK RESISTANCE HISTORY- A HALF CENTURY AGO-NEW YORK SCHOOL BOYCOTTS: FEB 3, 1964 and MARCH 16, 1964
BLACK RESISTANCE HISTORY- A HALF CENTURY AGO-NEW YORK SCHOOL BOYCOTTS: FEB 3, 1964 and MARCH 16, 1964The Two Massive Walkouts that Set the Political and Mobilization Tone for the Historic Oceanhill-Brownsville/Two Bridges/IS 201 Struggles for Community Control.In one of the largest demonstrations of the Civil Rights movement, hundreds of thousands of parents, students and civil rights advocates to
by Dana Bennis in Blog
Christmas returns to the stand as the Vergara trial resumes
Troy Christmas, of Oakland Unified Testimony resumes this morning in Vergara v California, with Troy Christmas of the Oakland Unified School District returning to the stand to face cross examination by lawyers for the defendants — the state and its two big teachers unions. Christmas, the Director of Labor Management and Employee Relations for his district, has largely plowed the same ground as LA
Morning Read: Deasy testimony helps both sides in Vergara
Deasy provides fodder for both sides in lawsuit In a groundbreaking trial over teacher job protections, Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy was the early star witness — for both sides. The case, Vergara vs. California, challenges a set of laws that affect how teachers are fired, laid off and granted tenure. LA Times Aggressive pr campaign amplifies courtroom battle The potentially game-changing
Chris Christie, Like All of Us, Will Never Escape High School
From Gov. Christie's Facebook page. (FACEBOOK / THE WIRE) Chris Christie was president of his high school class, played on the baseball team but sat out his senior year, and wants you to know that the guy lobbing the most serious charges against him got in trouble in Social Studies. The Jersey scandal is now all about high school, because all of us are forced to deal with high school forever.
California task force warns of civics education crisis
A view of the US Capitol on January 27, 2014 in Washington.; Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images The California Task Force on K-12 Civic Learning is warning of a crisis in civic participation that starts in the schools. The group has drafted a list of recommended fixes, but to finish the report the group is practicing what it preaches and is asking for civic participation. The task force,
PBS is showing a documentary called Behind Every Promise about the journey, over 13 years, of two African-American boys and their education. I heard about it on NPR and it sounds very good. American Promise spans 13 years as Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson, middle-class African-American parents in Brooklyn, N.Y., turn their cameras on their son, Idris, and his best friend, Seun, who make the
#evaluatethat
Teachers and parents are taking to Twitter, at #evaluatethat, to point out the countless ways in which teachers help their students that cannot be assessed by student standardized test scores or other traditional methods of evaluation. The effort was inspired by Stephanie Lavender Weber, a teacher in Georgia who spent the night with her students […]
TV Shows: Thinking "West Wing" In A "House Of Cards" World
There are lots of lessons reformers might glean from the NYT Sunday Magazine preview of season two of House of Cards -- greatest among them the dangers of imagining they're working in a "West Wing" world where good ideas, research results, and smarts prevail when the reality is much more "House Of Cards" (in which idealism and book smarts matter less than street savvy and knowi
Weekend Reading: Best Education Articles You Probably Missed
Not really excited by any of the day's education news? Take a peek at stories and features that came in over the weekend, when I can't seem to stop looking for good items to share with you: Scott Walker Joins the Common Core Wars | Mother Jones http://ht.ly/tbyhK @timothypmurphy #CCSS Why Some Teachers May Question ‘New’ Education Trends | MindShift http://ht.ly/tbfqp @mindshiftKQED Coming soon
Bruno: "Ineffective" LA Teacher Awarded Tenure & "Teacher Of Year Award"
I don't have much to say about the Vergara v State of California trial, in which students and reformers are suing to end various seniority and tenure protections for teachers. I'm personally skeptical that these teacher protections are so bad for kids that they justify judicial intervention, but I'm no lawyer and am often surprised by what judges and juries decide. Something that caught my eye, ho
Celebrate School Counselors This Week
National School Counseling Week, sponsored by whole child partner the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), is being celebrated this week, February 3–7, to focus public attention on the unique contribution professional school counselors have on students and school systems everywhere. National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping stud
Blogger Yinzercation describes Governor Tom Corbett’s latest proposal as a “Race to the Top” that will benefit the highest-performing, met affluent districts. He learned his lesson from Arne Duncan. Forget about equity. Forget about restoring the draconian cuts he made to the state’s suffering urban districts. Forget about the have-nots. Forget about Philadelphia, whose schools were stripped of ba
Reflections on Digital Learning, Then and Now
As someone who has advocated for the appropriate use of new and emerging technologies for teaching, learning, and district operations in America’s public schools for more than 25 years, the 2014 Digital Learning Day celebration and this opportunity to participate in that celebration give me much to reflect on. In many ways the classroom practices and district operations being showcased engender
| Washington Post (blog) | - |
Is “a pause” the answer? You might think Malloy did this because of the growing opposition to both in his state, but blogger Jonathan Pelto points out here that he did it not because he really believes there is a problem with the school reforms but ...
| Minnesota Daily | - |
Anoka-Hennepin Education Minnesota, the teachers' union representing the district's instructors, motivated teachers to use after-school work as their main reason for fair pay and benefits.
| The Tennessean | - |
ADVERTISEMENT. Out-of-state groups hoping to get school voucher legislation passed this year in the Tennessee General Assembly have already spent lavishly heading into the 2014 election cycle, financial disclosures submitted Friday show.
A little over a year has passed since I left my work in Hollywood and returned home to Boston, in order to pursue my passion of becoming a motivational speaker. In 2013, I gave 33 speeches and traveled a total of 18,226 miles to speaking engagements. As a little person who can’t hide my difference, I’ve been determined to help change the social stigmas placed upon all people with physical differen
'American Promise' Probes Race Issue In NYC Private School
The PBS documentary "American Promise" traces the progress of two African-American students through one of New York City's most elite private schools. Viewers ponder whether the tradeoff of a superior education was worth the psychological and cultural trauma each boy experienced at times.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
An enrollment policy built on shaky ground
The School Reform Commission’s enrollment policies, and the premises on which they are based, are at the heart of its efforts to improve city schools and student achievement. For that reason, they merit careful analysis. For the past several years, the SRC has promoted an increase in "high-performing" or "high-quality" seats with the unstated premise that student performance
New Jersey mom: School ‘bullying’ autistic son by tossing out hot lunch over debt
A New Jersey woman said her 10-year-old son has been repeatedly humiliated by school employees who threw out his hot lunch over unpaid balances on his lunch account. “This to me is a form of bullying,” said Amy Ross, whose son has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism. Ross said staffers have...
Stop Recruiting Kids National Campaign
http://www.srkcampaign.org/Campaign GoalsOur goal is to protect kids from military recruiting. How we treat our young (and other vulnerable populations) is a mark of our level of civilization.A free society is capable of filling its military from the ranks of adults and does not need to take advantage of children or adolescents who are unable to judge the risks of such a life altering decision.The
Forum on for-profit education this Thursday evening at UCLA Hammer Museum
"This is part of the reason they are cutting Adult Education, so they can funnel the students to the for profit industry. Diane Feinstein's husband is a large stock holder in ITT Tech, and former Rep Senator, Olympia Snowe's husband has federal indictments against him for his shady activities as the CEO of the for profit chain, EDMC."—LisaTHE PRIVATIZATION OF EDUCATIONAs for-profit colle
Schools Los Angeles Students Deserve General Assembly Update
Via SLASD email:We had a fantastic speak out at December's General Assembly with energetic conversations and actions. Thanks to all of you who came out and brought people from your school, neighborhood, or organization! The speak out addressed the 5 major areas that have come up over and over again at our General Assemblies and Community forums:1. Criminalization, punishment culture and p
Restore Adult Education Now! Letter Writing Campaign
INCREASED FUNDING IS NEEDED NOW, NOT "SOMEDAY," TO RESTORE OUR PROGRAMSCalifornia funding for Adult Education is expected to increase in 2015. However, there is no additional funding in Governor Brownʼs budget for adult education this year or next. With the passage of Proposition 30 and higher state revenue in general, the current funding levels (a 70% or more reduction to what we used t
“If I was going to write a bill to privatize public schools,” the Senate staffer told our small group, “this is what it would look like.” We were reviewing a new version of a bill to test students attending private schools using state tax dollars. By this sixth version, the bill morphed into something entirely different. The latest version of the bill was crafted behind closed doors; unlike th
Publication Date: Mon, 2014-02-03 On December 9, 2013, parents, students, teachers and community members from over 60 cities across the country participated in the National Day of Action to Reclaim the Promise of Public Education. On December 9, parents, students, teachers and community members from over 60 cities across the country participated in the National Day of Action to Recla
Proponents of charter schools might not have gotten much comfort from Mayor Bill de Blasio's comments on WNYC's Brian Lehrer show Monday.When asked about two lawsuits that are seeking to prevent more than a dozen charter schools from opening in shared public school buildings this fall, the mayor said only that he is still reviewing them. "We're going to look at what we think of the overall si
This is not good news for Pearson, whose stock recently took a tumble. The Chicago Teachers Union is supporting parents who boycott the obsolete ISAT: NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Stephanie Gadlin February 3, 2014
Add Andersongate to Christie's list of misfortunes. Some students were already on the buses. What happens if the parents are not home when the children many of whom have special needs are dropped off? Some teachers traveled over an hour on slippery roads. Security guards were at their posts. Custodians were outside clearing walks. The crossing guard was in position. None of them knew school was cl
State corporate subsidies are double that of pension costs.
Washington Post: It’s easy to cast about for other big pots of money to raid when these kinds of shortfalls arise, and no politician wants to raise taxes. There is, however, another big expense that tends to get overlooked: The tax breaks states already hand out to corporations, on the theory that they won’t stick around without them. In Pennsylvania, they amount to about $3.9 billion per year
Retirees are poor enough to qualify for property tax relief but plenty rich enough to have our pensions cut.
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. Fred, Just noticed on my Cook County tax bill that to qualify for senior freeze, a program for low-income people, the income cut off is $55,000. Isn’t that above the average teacher pension? If a pensioner is living on a pension, his/her income would be considered marginal by these standards. How many more will meet that standard if the 3% revision is upheld?
A City Education: Why Do We Write Off the Things That Matter to Kids?
Through A City Education, City Year corps members share their experiences working as tutors and mentors in schools in hopes of closing the opportunity gap and ending the dropout crisis. Carlos is avoiding my last question. I ask him again, "What is the reciprocal of 5 over 6?" He can’t give me an answer because his mind is clearly somewhere else. I scan the area around us in the schoo
Gallup will survey college graduates’ outcomes
WASHINGTON, DC – In a new attempt to judge the value of a higher education against which any campus can measure itself, the Gallup research organization will poll graduates nationwide about their success and happiness The survey, which will begin this week, will ask 30,000 graduates of four-year universities questions that can help determine whether or not their educations improved their lots in l
2-3-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD
the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Criticizing KIPP CriticsAn early and consistent proponent of Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) charter schools, Jay Matthews has joined a rising group of KIPP advocates directly criticizing KIPP critics, offering two arguments: KIPP charter schools are not abusive or exc
School voucher PACs spend $210K in TN ahead of '14 races | The Tennessean | tennessean.com
School voucher PACs spend $210K in TN ahead of '14 races | The Tennessean | tennessean.com: School voucher PACs spend $210K in TN ahead of '14 racesOut-of-state groups hoping to get school voucher legislation passed this year in the Tennessee General Assembly have already spent lavishly heading into the 2014 election cycle, financial disclosures submitted Friday show.Washington, D.C.-based Tenness
2-3-14 The Whole Child Blog - Celebrate School Counselors This Week — Whole Child Education
Celebrate School Counselors This Week — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGCelebrate School Counselors This WeekFebruary 3, 2014 by Kristen PekarekNational School Counseling Week, sponsored by whole child partner the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), is being celebrated this week, February 3–7, to focus public attention on the unique contribution professional school counselors
2-3-14 LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD
LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District): Christmas returns to the stand as the Vergara trial resumesTroy Christmas, of Oakland Unified Testimony resumes this morning in Vergara v California, with Troy Christmas of the Oakland Unified School District returning to the stand to face cross examination by lawyers for the defendants — the state and it
MN Doesn’t Need a Lesson from Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee - MN2020 Hindsight
MN Doesn’t Need a Lesson from Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee - MN2020 Hindsight: MN Doesn’t Need a Lesson from Failed DC Chancellor Michelle RheeBy Sarah Lahm, Hindsight Community Fellow, February 3, 2014 at 8:25 amInfamous education reform architect Michelle Rhee is coming to town, at the strange behest of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. She will be the keynote speaker at the Chamber’s Feb
Shanker Blog » Democracy’s Champion: Albert Shanker
Shanker Blog » Democracy’s Champion: Albert Shanker: Democracy’s Champion: Albert ShankerPosted by Richard D. Kahlenberg on February 3, 2014Our guest author today is Richard D. Kahlenberg, senior fellow at The Century Foundation, is author of Tough Liberal: Albert Shanker and the Battles Over Schools, Unions, Race, and Democracy (Columbia University Press, 20007). Freedom House recently released t
Cami Anderson must resign! | Bob Braun's Ledger
Cami Anderson must resign! | Bob Braun's Ledger: Cami Anderson must resign!Struggling to get to school at Hawthorne Avenue today–only to find school was closed.Cami Anderson, appointed by Gov. Chris Christie two years ago to run the Newark schools, should resign immediately because she represents a danger to the children and employees of New Jersey’s largest city. More than a week ago, she kept th
Who Is Winning the Common Core War? Citizens Are. | Truth in American Education
Who Is Winning the Common Core War? Citizens Are. | Truth in American Education: Who Is Winning the Common Core War? Citizens Are.Filed in Common Core State Standards by Gretchen Logue on February 3, 2014 • 0 Comments1Anne Gassel and I presented at the Constitutional Coalition Common Core conference this weekend and my speech was about the importance of social media to present the facts (not paid
N.J. State Lawmaker Tries to Bolster Local Control in Troubled Newark District - State EdWatch - Education Week
N.J. State Lawmaker Tries to Bolster Local Control in Troubled Newark District - State EdWatch - Education Week: N.J. State Lawmaker Tries to Bolster Local Control in Troubled Newark DistrictBy Andrew Ujifusa on February 3, 2014 10:38 AMNewark, N.J. schools have a troubled history that stretches back decades, but the battle has only gotten more intense recently. As my colleague, Lesli Maxwell, ove
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, February 3, 2014
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Freedburg: Aggressive public relations campaign amplifies courtroom battle against teacher work rulesEducation HeadlinesMonday, February 3, 2014FCMAT provides links to California K-12 news stories as a service to the industry. However, some stories may not be accessible because of newspapers' subscription policies.Truancy sweep nets just oneP
Top 10 Reasons to Join Teach For America | EduShyster
Top 10 Reasons to Join Teach For America | EduShyster: Top 10 Reasons to Join Teach For America Did you miss the last application deadline for Teach for America? Fret not, young reader—you still have three more weeks before the next and final deadline to join the 2014 corps.By Jay Saper, TFA rejectTFA reject Jay Saper with AFT president Randi Weingarten.1. Teach for America saves taxpayers a fortu
School Choice and Common Core: Mortal Enemies - Yahoo News
School Choice and Common Core: Mortal Enemies - Yahoo News: School Choice and Common Core: Mortal EnemiesMichelle Malkin's column is released once a week. By Michelle MalkinJanuary 31, 2014 3:00 AMThe freedom-enhancing, life-improving power of school choice is more than a theory for me. It's more than a talking points memo or teleprompter speech. Unlike many of the politicians paying lip service t
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 2-3-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: "Berndt swept everybody up into this horror.” – ANOTHER MIRAMONTE CHILD ABUSE CASE EMERGES FROM THE SHADOWSObscured by the publicity surrounding teacher Mark Berndt is the case of Martin Springer, whose criminal trial is set to begin this week. By Alan Zarembo, LA Times | http://lat.ms/1dmhIkt February 2, 2014, 8:32 p.m. :: The 2012 child abuse
Morning Wink 2-3-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-3-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Michigan’s EAA: A Scary Place for Kids with DisabilitiesEclectablog of Michigan continues its invaluable reports on the stste’s disastrous so-called “Educational Achievement Authority.” This one