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Monday, March 17, 2014

Morning Wink 3-17-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS




LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-17-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Jack Hassard: Why Bill Gates Defends the Common CoreWe have long known on this site that Bill Gates’  foundation underwrote every aspect of the Common Core standards. Mercedes Schneider has documented nearly $200 million in grants specifically for the writing, evaluation, review, implementation, and advocacy for the Common Core sta
3-17-14 Wait What?
Wait What?: Testimony on the Common Core Bill at last week’s hearingDespite the best efforts of the Malloy administration and Democratic leaders in the General Assembly, the Education Committee conducted a hearing on legislation impacting the he Common Core on March 12, 2014. Connecticut residents provided and submitted incredibly powerful testimony.  Here are just a few of the best examples.  Mor
The Answer Sheet 3-17-14
The Answer Sheet: Are American students grossly unprepared for college?It has become a common refrain from school reformers that a very large percentage of high school graduates must take remedial classes when they get to college. Are they right? Award-winning Prinicipal Carol Burris of South Side High School in New York  looks at this issue in the following post. She has been exposing the […]    
3-17-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Source/Fusion: Likes, Dislikes, Confusion?I noted that at the strategic plan community meeting I attended at Hale, several parents said they (and some teachers) have frustrations with using The Source/Fusion.One reader replied:As an SPS teacher I would love to hear what parents like/dislike about the Source & Fusion. Is it limitations in the tool (and if so
3-17-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: The common core and testing feverSent to the Oregonian, March 19, 2014Brett Bigham suggests that we need more standards and less testing ("Common Core Standards are not insidious: Guest opinion," March 16).  The Common Core,  however, is requiring an astonishing amount of standardized testing, far more than No Child Left Behind (NCLB) required. The new tests include the u
3-17-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida
Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: The Florida Voucher Cap Cost Limit Allows for a Stunning Rise to Almost $1 BillionWhen a Florida superintendent of schools said last week that the expansion of Florida’s voucher program would rise to $1 billion in five years, he knew what he was talking about. From the t
3-17-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Learn English By Reading About Eating Bugs At My Latest NY Times PostLearn about eating bugs, categorizing words, and using online tools to create “word webs” in my latest New York Times post for English Language Learners. It includes a student interactive and teaching ideas. You can see all my previous NY Times posts here.
3-17-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher
http://preaprez.wordpress.com/ | Fred Klonsky: A war on charters?Bill de Blasio ran for mayor of New York with a promise that if he is elected, New York’s charter schools will have to pay their own way. No more free rides at the cost of neighborhood public schools. He got elected. He’s trying to carry out the promise. Weird, right? A politician tries to carry out a campaign promise. Now he’s getti
3-17-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: NPR Whitewashes “Grit” NarrativeNPR Whitewashes “Grit” Narrative. via NPR Whitewashes “Grit” Narrative.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical1 by plthomasedd / 1h Who Is Unprepared? US Students? Or Arne Duncan?While Arne Duncan continues his ugly swipes at students, parents, teachers, and schools, I believe it is time to turn the focus on the accuser. Are U.S. students unprep
3-17-14 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): NPR Whitewashes “Grit” NarrativeAlbeit from different ideologies, NPR and Fox News have something really disturbing in common: Bias masked as, to use the Fox slogan, “fair and balanced.” In fact, the breezy tone of NPR makes its masked bias even more sinister than Fox’s
empathyeducates – The Consciousness Gap in Education – An Equity Imperative
empathyeducates – The Consciousness Gap in Education – An Equity Imperative: The Consciousness Gap in Education – An Equity ImperativeBy Dorinda Carter Andrews | Originally Published at AcademiaEdu. March 10, 2014In this talk, Dorinda Carter Andrews challenges us to consider how gaps in critical consciousness and mindsets for adults and students in schools prevent us from providing equitable schoo
3-17-14 Perdido Street School Week
Perdido Street School: Adivce For De Blasio To Recover From His Early MisstepsI've talked about how de Blasio needs to start getting savvier in his handling of the press and these phony "scandals" that have popped up like "forkgate" (when he ate a slice of pizza with a fork and some in the the press, barely out of middle school, mocked him for days over it) and the UES snow plo
Are schools ready for the new online Common Core tests? | EdSource Today
Are schools ready for the new online Common Core tests? | EdSource Today: Are schools ready for the new online Common Core tests?March 16th, 2014 | Add a Comment | By Kathryn Baron11California is just weeks away from learning whether its test of the test will pass or fail.For nearly 12 weeks, beginning March 25, more than 3 million students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 will take the computer-based
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words – March, 2014 | Live Long and Prosper
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words – March, 2014 | Live Long and Prosper: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words – March, 2014Here are some graphic images from around the net — plus my own 2 cents worth of comments. Click on any image to see the full sized version.What CCSS Really MeansThe Common Core State Standards – Standards we didn’t need, which require that billions of tax dollars are spent on
Walter Dean Myers: When Books Mirror Children’s Lives, Reading Validates Identity | janresseger
Walter Dean Myers: When Books Mirror Children’s Lives, Reading Validates Identity | janresseger: Walter Dean Myers: When Books Mirror Children’s Lives, Reading Validates IdentityPosted on March 17, 2014 by janressegerToday, St. Patrick’s Day,  is a good time to reflect on the ways people can cherish multiple identities—cultural, national, and global.  This issue is fraught with controversy in toda
Teachers union adds three firms to list of DB busters - Pensions & Investments
Teachers union adds three firms to list of DB busters - Pensions & Investments: Teachers union adds three firms to list of DB bustersBY ROB KOZLOWSKI | MARCH 17, 2014COMMENTSENLARGEJesse Nemerofsky/ZUMAPRESS.comAFT President Randi Weingarten calls the list an exercise in disclosure and transparency.The American Federation of Teachers added three firms to its list of money managers and others t
Every Child Matters | Randi Weingarten
Every Child Matters | Randi Weingarten: Every Child Matters New Yorkers don't hold back. They took a strong stand in the last mayoral election on many things, particularly on education: They want a new direction in public schooling, one that helps all kids, not just some, from prekindergarten through college. And that's what they got--a mayor devoted to the educational needs of every child in the
NYC Public School Parents: A St. Patrick's Day Wish for The Democratic Party
NYC Public School Parents: A St. Patrick's Day Wish for The Democratic Party: A St. Patrick's Day Wish for The Democratic PartyAuthor Terry Golway has a new book out about Tammany Hall, the Irish-dominated political machine that ran the Democratic Party and NYC for the better part of a century.  While he doesn't ignore the corruption, he focuses on the machine as a great provider of services, espe
NYC Educator: Why Skedula Still Sucks but Online Grading May Not
NYC Educator: Why Skedula Still Sucks but Online Grading May Not: Why Skedula Still Sucks but Online Grading May NotI'm on a UFT committee to study online grading. Since we're supposed to discuss it, I figured I'd better start doing it. It's something I've thought about, but put off. A lot of my colleagues do it. Many favor other programs. Some use spreadsheets, but most people I know who love it
The List: New Jersey's 'Edubloggers' Talk Policy, Politics -- and Technology - NJ Spotlight
The List: New Jersey's 'Edubloggers' Talk Policy, Politics -- and Technology - NJ Spotlight: THE LIST: NEW JERSEY'S 'EDUBLOGGERS' TALK POLICY, POLITICS -- AND TECHNOLOGYJOHN MOONEY | MARCH 17, 2014Ten of the state's leading education bloggers make every aspect of learning and teaching (and administering) their businessNever short of voices questioning and commenting on education policy and practic
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLESHoboken Board of Education president Leon Gold“We are creating separate but equal school systems." By capping property taxes and fueling charter expansion, Christie “is increasing the segregatory effect of charter schools, while raiding our budget.” -- SalonJohn HagedornUIC Criminology Prof. John HagedornBut the reasons for Ch

YESTERDAY

My Review of Proposed Privacy Legislation for Louisiana | Crazy Crawfish's Blog
My Review of Proposed Privacy Legislation for Louisiana | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: My Review of Proposed Privacy Legislation for LouisianaPosted on March 16, 20140My apologies for not getting to this topic (and many others I’ve neglected) sooner. I may have finally bitten off more than I can effectively chew in things I’ve agreed to do. I have the best of intentions, I promise you, but sometimes my
Gates and Duncan and Their Common Core “Freedom” Charade | deutsch29
Gates and Duncan and Their Common Core “Freedom” Charade | deutsch29: Gates and Duncan and Their Common Core “Freedom” CharadeMarch 16, 2014In his purchased keynote at the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) (I know, huh?), billionaire-with-zero-teaching-experience Bill Gates insisted that the feds are getting the bum rap when it comes to the Common Core State Standards (CCS
Keeping Important Pinky Promises? | Gary Rubinstein's Blog
Keeping Important Pinky Promises? | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: Keeping Important Pinky Promises?On the subway yesterday, I saw this advertisement for KIPP:The claim is that “Our K-12 public schools promise to see each child to and through college.”One problem with this claim is that even in the most generous study possible, KIPP’s own, only a third of students who completed KIPPs middle schools event
3-16-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: Call Your State Senator Tomorrow in TennesseeLocal TV news in Knoxville has typical coverage below of the move by the TN House last week, which voted overwhelmingly to delay implementation of Common Core testing. Note that Mike Edwards, who leads off the "fair and balanced coverage," is the President of Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, a Board of Director member of the Tene
Is High Stakes Testing the Best Way to Improve Educational Performance Badass Teachers Association
Badass Teachers Association:  Is High Stakes Testing the Best Way to Improve Educational Performance Among  Students of Color and Students Living in Poverty?By: Dr. Mark Naison      Since the passage of No Child Left Behind, there has been a concerted effort to reduce gaps in educational  performance  by race and class by promoting regular testing in all grades and subjects and rating schools and
Colorado Parents: Push Back Guide for Bullying During Opt Out/Refusal | United Opt Out National
Colorado Parents: Push Back Guide for Bullying During Opt Out/Refusal | United Opt Out National: COLORADO PARENTS: PUSH BACK GUIDE FOR BULLYING DURING OPT OUT/REFUSAL Colorado parents have received their share of bullying and intimidation tactics during the month of March. We have created this guide specific to the situations they have experienced which include armed security guards meeting them a
A Primer for Engaging Teach For America Supporters | Cloaking Inequity
A Primer for Engaging Teach For America Supporters | Cloaking Inequity: A Primer for Engaging Teach For America SupportersHave you ever found yourself trapped in the insufferable position of having to tolerate a Teach For America true believer relentlessly bombarding you with justifications for Teach For America’s placement atop the corporate org chart of educational excellence?Teach for America i
NYC Public School Parents: Video of our student privacy panel at the NPE conference in Austin last month
NYC Public School Parents: Video of our student privacy panel at the NPE conference in Austin last month: Video of our student privacy panel at the NPE conference in Austin last monthCheck out our Network for Public Education panel presentations on student privacy, held in Austin on February 29, with a short slice of my powerpoint (the rest of it is here), along with some amazing parent advocates
LISTEN: Ed Reform Stories from the perspective of people most directly affected by education policy Full film on Vimeo
LISTEN - Full film on Vimeo: LISTEN - Full filmfrom Ankur Singh PLUS 4 days ago NOT YET RATEDOn TV, we have Bill Gates, Michelle Rhee, Arne Duncan and “Waiting for ‘Superman’” talking about failing schools, low standards, and China, but rarely do they ever talk about students.Who is going to tell the story of public education? Is it going to be the corporate-education reformers who haven’t spent a
Nite Cap 3-16-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #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 CAPCURMUDGUCATION: Another Standards AnniversaryCURMUDGUCATION: Another Standards Anniversary: Another Standards AnniversaryI stumbled upon a government website that has a few things to say in support of the move to develop standards.It opens by poi
CURMUDGUCATION: Another Standards Anniversary
CURMUDGUCATION: Another Standards Anniversary: Another Standards AnniversaryI stumbled upon a government website that has a few things to say in support of the move to develop standards.It opens by pointing out that in airplane piloting and Olympic athletes, we want people who have been trained to the highest standards. Ditto with students.When we do not hold all students to high academic standard
Time for a Little Civil Disobedience | United Opt Out National
Time for a Little Civil Disobedience | United Opt Out National: TIME FOR A LITTLE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE Time for a Little Civil DisobedienceMarch is testing madness month in most areas around the country. Schools have been gearing up with “test pep rallies” and other nonsense trying to encourage motivation to test and redirect student and teacher anxiety away from the grim reality: that this new test
Common Core As “Technologically Necessary”: A Looming Shift In Sales Pitch? | deutsch29
Common Core As “Technologically Necessary”: A Looming Shift In Sales Pitch? | deutsch29: Common Core As “Technologically Necessary”: A Looming Shift In Sales Pitch?March 16, 2014The term Common Core is so negatively charged that Common Core State Standards (CCSS) proponents are trying their hardest to ditch the term– not ditch CCSS– just the term. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee suggested t
"Opting Out" with #JesseHagopian on Vimeo
Opting Out on Vimeo: "Opting Out" with #JesseHagopian on Vimeo Opting Out from Schoolhouse Live on Vimeo.Colorado Dept. of Ed. & Your Child’s Data: The Golden Record | United Opt Out NationalColorado Dept. of Ed. & Your Child’s Data: The Golden Record | United Opt Out National: COLORADO DEPT. OF ED. & YOUR CHILD’S DATA: THE GOLDEN RECORD We bring to you a video featuring Dan
Opt Out Actions State by State with a Parent “Get Tough Guide” | Seattle Education
Opt Out Actions State by State with a Parent “Get Tough Guide” | Seattle Education: Opt Out Actions State by State with a Parent “Get Tough Guide”Drawing by Fred Klonsky, author of the Fred Klonsky blog.Excerpt from the Chicago Teachers Union position paper: Debunking the Myths of Standardized Testing.Corporate reform groups such as Advance Illinois and Stand for Children claim teachers are the ma
3-16-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This WeekMonday, March 17thThe wearing o' the Green.  Happy St. Patrick's Day.To note: signups for public testimony for the School Board meeting start at 8 am this morning. Tuesday, March 18thAudit&Finance Meeting from 4:30-6:30 p.m.  AgendaWednesday, March 19thSchool Board meeting starting at 4:15 p.m.  Agenda.I see a LOT of audit update items
My Brother’s Keeper | Bill Ayers
My Brother’s Keeper | Bill Ayers: My Brother’s KeeperThe announcement was unusually personal and many thought quite heart-felt: at the end of February President Obama introduced a White House initiative he called “My Brother’s Keeper,” designed, the administration claimed, to empower boys and young men of color to meet the challenges and overcome the obstacles to success that they face disproporti
Twitter Storm: Call for Congressional Hearings on Abuses of High-Stakes Testing | I AM AN EDUCATOR
Twitter Storm: Call for Congressional Hearings on Abuses of High-Stakes Testing | I AM AN EDUCATOR: Twitter Storm: Call for Congressional Hearings on Abuses of High-Stakes TestingBy I AM AN EDUCATOR on March 16, 2014I recently had the honor of presenting at the Network for Public Education’s first national conference in Austin, Texas, which brought together many of the people who inspire me most i
Louisiana Educator: Important Student Data Privacy Bills
Louisiana Educator: Important Student Data Privacy Bills: Important Student Data Privacy BillsFour important bills dealing with student data privacy will be considered by the Louisiana House Education Committee this Wednesday, March 19. If your State Representative is a member of the House Education Committee, you may want to send him/her an email expressing your opinion on student privacy. If you
VAMs “Contribute to Student Learning?” |
VAMs “Contribute to Student Learning?” |: VAMs “Contribute to Student Learning?” On Friday, The Florida Times-Union released an Opinion-Editorial (Op-Ed) titled “VAM Data Helps [sic] Contribute to Student Learning.” With curiosity, I thought this might be the first Op-Ed to suggest, hopefully with at least some evidence, that VAM-based data can be used in some type of formative way(s). The author
Marie Corfield: Rally for NJ Public Education Part l: It's the Poverty, Stupid!
Marie Corfield: Rally for NJ Public Education Part l: It's the Poverty, Stupid!: Rally for NJ Public Education Part l: It's the Poverty, Stupid!This is a story about a hospital in an inner city neighborhood that serves a very high population of low-income people of color. Many don’t have the resources to properly care for themselves. Unemployment is high, and many still don’t have health insurance
Video: “Parent Involvement Builds Academic Success” | Engaging Parents In School…
Video: “Parent Involvement Builds Academic Success” | Engaging Parents In School…: Video: “Parent Involvement Builds Academic Success”
Gates and Duncan Seek to Use Trust in Teachers to Promote Common Core - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
Gates and Duncan Seek to Use Trust in Teachers to Promote Common Core - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Gates and Duncan Seek to Use Trust in Teachers to Promote Common CoreBy Anthony Cody on March 16, 2014 12:45 PMThis week, National Board certified teachers gathered in Washington for the National Board's annual Teaching and Learning conference. They were presented with a beguiling v
Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » How Does PISA Put the World at Risk (Part 2): Glorifying Educational Authoritarianism
Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » How Does PISA Put the World at Risk (Part 2): Glorifying Educational Authoritarianism: How Does PISA Put the World at Risk (Part 2): Glorifying Educational Authoritarianism16 MARCH 2014 459 NO COMMENTauthoritarian: of, relating to, or favoring blind submission to authority (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)authoritarianism: principle of blind submis
School voucher bill could triple money for politically... | www.mypalmbeachpost.com
School voucher bill could triple money for politically... | www.mypalmbeachpost.com: School voucher bill could triple money for politically connected groupPosted: 9:00 a.m. Sunday, March 16, 2014Email 0Facebook 0Twitter 0ShareThis NewBY JOHN KENNEDY - PALM BEACH POST CAPITAL BUREAUTALLAHASSEE — A proposal expanding private school vouchers in Florida could pour millions of dollars into a politicall
U.S. Inequality by Region | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!
U.S. Inequality by Region | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: U.S. Inequality by RegionFiled under: Inequality — millerlf @ 10:37 am NY Times 3/16/14Fairfax County, Va., and McDowell County, W.Va., are separated by 350 miles, about a half-day’s drive. Traveling west from Fairfax County, the gated communities and bland architecture of military contractors give way to exurbs, then to farml
Christie’s charter school nightmare: “White flight, and they’re bankrupting us” - Salon.com
Christie’s charter school nightmare: “White flight, and they’re bankrupting us” - Salon.com: Christie’s charter school nightmare: “White flight, and they’re bankrupting us”“We are creating separate but equal school systems,” Hoboken school board president warns SalonChris Christie (Credit: Reuters/Lucas Jackson)While New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie deals with burgeoning scandals surrounding accusat
Christie breaks the law. Again. | Bob Braun's Ledger
Christie breaks the law. Again. | Bob Braun's Ledger: Christie breaks the law. Again.Christie mug shot on the cover of TimeKids get busted for possession of small amounts of marijuana. Motorists are given tickets for burned-out brake lights. Small-time stuff, not even real crimes, but the municipal courts are jammed with it. Now, how about a governor—like, say Chris Christie–who consistently flout
3-16-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Videos Of The WeekIn yet another effort to get at my backlog of resources to share, I recently began this feature to share useful videos. I’ll still periodically highlight certain ones on their own, but the rest will be found on this regular post: Here’s an interesting video with Neil Degrasse Tyson that might, or might not
3-16-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: The Self-Defeating South, Words Not Spoken: Racism as a Scar and CancerThe Self-Defeating South, Words Not Spoken: Racism as a Scar and Cancer. via The Self-Defeating South, Words Not Spoken: Racism as a Scar and Cancer.by plthomasedd / 1min All Week 3-15-14 @ THE CHALK FACE@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: All Week @ THE CHALK FACE Bill Gates Tries to Fashion Teacher Suppor
3-16-14 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): The Self-Defeating South, Words Not Spoken: Racism as a Scar and CancerBorn and raised in a very small rural town in upstate South Carolina, I have lived my entire 53 years in the South. Most of that life has been spent teaching, and a large span of that career was in th
The Answer Sheet 3-16-14
The Answer Sheet: How three teachers are dealing with Common Core in classLove them or hate them, the Common Core State Standards in math and English/Language Arts are being implemented in classrooms in most of the country — in some places better than others. A nonpartisan organization called Young Education Professionals asked a few teachers how they are dealing with the new standards, and their
PCAPS To Launch Election Campaign for the Education Pennsylvania’s Children Deserve | WeArePCAPS
PCAPS To Launch Election Campaign for the Education Pennsylvania’s Children Deserve | WeArePCAPS: PCAPS To Launch Election Campaign for the Education Pennsylvania’s Children DeservePosted on March 16, 2014by wearepcapsOn March 29th the Philadelphia Coalition Advocating for Public Schools will kick off a seven month campaign to make this year’s gubernatorial election about fully funded, quality sch
Morning Wink 3-16-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSRivalry between Mayor de Blasio and Eva Moskowitz stretches beyond charter schools - NY Daily NewsRivalry between Mayor de Blasio and Eva Moskowitz stretches beyond charter schools - NY Daily News: Rivalry between Mayor de Blasio and Eva Moskowitz stretches beyond charter schoolsThe two figures share a heated, political rivalry that goes much deeper than t