Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break
Below is a section of a paper I’ve been working on the past few weeks (which will be presented in Philadelphia in April) Some of the content below is also drawn from: http://www.shankerinstitute.org/images/doesmoneymatter_final.pdf =============== Over the past several decades, many states have pursued substantive changes to their state school finance systems, while others have not. Some reforms h
March 11, 2014
The Answer Sheet: The Myth of Common Core Equity
Carol C. Burris Valerie Strauss Alan A. Aja Source: The Answer Sheet (freepik.com) The Common Core State Standards were originally promoted as a way of raising academic standards for all children around the country. But is the initiative really about equitable outcomes? Here’s a post that takes on that question, by award-winning New York Principal Carol Burris and Alan A. Aja, a
Eight groups have submitted applications to open new D.C. charter schools in fall 2015, according to the D.C. Public Charter School Board, which is responsible for vetting proposals and deciding which merit approval. Read full article >>
Sent to the NY Times, March 11Re: "Can writing be assessed?" March 10.There is no point in testing writing form, i.e. the use of conventional writing style, grammatical accuracy. Research consistently tells us that writing form comes from reading, not from writing and not from study.Writing itself is a powerful tool for solving problems and making yourself smarter. This requires maste
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'What About the Women?' Asks Coursera
COURSERA'S FEMALE STUDENTS: Coursera celebrated International Women's Day (March 8) by sharing insights about its female students, who make up 40% of its users. Among countries, Romania currently has the highest proportion of female students (nearly 50%), followed by Greece and Canada. (The U.S. ran
Texas Education Agency not clear on how much curriculum flex Dallas ISD would have as home-rule district
If you missed it, there’s a group called Support Our Public Schools that wants Dallas ISD to take advantage of a never-used provision in Texas law. The effect would be to turn the entire district into pretty much the legal equivalent of an open-enrollment, multi-campus charter school. Yesterday, I posted about some of the kinds of … [visit site to read more]
For many families choosing high schools, it's either magnet or charter
by Kevin McCorry for NewsWorks Chrislie Dor, a budding poet at age 14, stands like Frost's narrator at a fork in the road. The paths diverge not in a yellow wood, but instead the concrete jungle that is Philadelphia public education. Looking down one bend as far as she can, Chrislie sees the School District's selective-admission magnet high schools. Looking down the other, she sees the city's char
Recent research out of Stanford University by Adriana Weisleder and Anne Fernald reinforces much of what we already know about the importance of talking to young children as a way to help them develop the oral skills and vocabulary necessary to excel in school. Wesleder and Fernald not only provide new insights into our understanding of early language development, but they bring a new term to the
Children who use their hands to gesture during a math lesson gain a deep understanding of the problems they are taught, according to new research from University of Chicago’s Department of Psychology.Previous research has found that gestures can help children learn. This study in particular was designed to answer whether abstract gesture can support generalization beyond a particular problem and w
Sent to the China Daily, March 11 Re: "Language is better learned in casual study, scholars say" March 6Prof. Van Damme's conclusion that language acquisition takes place in informal environments and through active communication is correct, but research supports a deeper generalization, one that gives hope to language education programs: Language is acquired when we understand what we
Were the US Slave Masters Capitalists? The Strong Case Is Made
Water and Soil, Grain and Flesh A Review of Walter Johnson’s ‘River of Dark Dreams.’’ By Robin Einhorn The Nation, Feb 11, 2014 For decades, historians have been attacking the shopworn idea of Northern industrialists as the dominant figures of American capitalism in the first half of the nineteenth century. Resting on a rich array of misconceptions and a few outright lies, this idea has withsto
How billionaire-funded 'ed reform' groups push charters, vouchersBy Valerie StraussMarch 11- washingtonpost.comHow powerful are organizations such as Michelle Rhee's StudentsFirst and other like-minded groups that support charter schools, voucher programs and the weakening of teachers unions.?The Center for Public Integrity, a nonpartisan, nonprofit investigative news organization that works to re
Not All Good Leaders Are Bossy
Recently in the Wall Street Journal, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Girls Scouts CEO Anna Maria Chávez expounded why they think there aren’t more women in leadership roles. Girls, they theorize, are afraid of being seen as an adjective that summons an image of a pouting, tyrannical grade-schooler, crossing her arms and stomping her feet: “bossy.” The two women base their opposition to the label
Obesity in adolescent girls is associated with lower academic attainment levels throughout their teenage years, a new study has shown.The research conducted by the Universities of Strathclyde, Dundee, Georgia and Bristol is the most comprehensive study yet carried out into the association between obesity and academic attainment in adolescence. The results are published in the International Journal
Round-up: Sotomayor draws crowd at UW, teachers' union says waiver loss not a big deal
Justice Sotomayor draws crowd at University of Washington: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor spoke to a packed crowd of 1,200, mostly students, at the UW campus Monday. The appearance was part of a book tour for her 2010 autobiography, "My Beloved World."
Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed a panel to study the state’s botched implementation of the Common Core standards and tests. In its report, the panel recommended that the state halt its relationship with inBloom, the data collection project created by the Gates Foundation and Carnegie Cotporation at a cost of $100 million. It would have collected confidential and personally identifiable data about
Opening college opportunity in Oregon: Gov. John Kitzhaber signs 2 bills to open community college doors
Lawmakers and educators hail the possibility of making community college more affordable and more supportive so that more young Oregonians can earn degrees
Portland Public Schools to reuse Clarendon, replace fields: PPS News
From reusing Clarendon Elementary for an early childhood learners center to redoing the tracks and fields at high schools, a Monday night study session showed a lot will be going on next year in the district. Here's a brief roundup...
Two major stories have come across the wire in the last 24 hours about Common Core. One school district in Massachusetts, Worcester, says that parents can opt out of field testing for the Common Core assessment. (There are two groups creating assessments. One is PARCC and the other is Smarter Balanced; Washington State belongs to the latter.)From MASS Live:Thursday night, the Worcester School Co
Earlier today both Greg Hinz at Craine’s and Rich Miller at CapitolFax reported that Illinois Freedom PAC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Illinois public and private sector unions had withdrawn funding for TV ads or the Dillard campaign. I interpreted this change in spending to a recognition on the part of the union leaders that Dillard was a lost cause. I still do. But there has been some dancing s
Obesity Linked To Lower Grades Among Teen Girls
The reason for the link isn't clear, but researchers say obesity's effect on self-image and self-esteem might be partly to blame.» E-Mail This
Alabama Tea Party leader rails: Common Core teaches children ‘that homosexuality is OK’
The leader of an Alabama Tea Party contingent told state lawmakers on Tuesday that the “Common Core” educational curriculum system was an attempt to undermine Christianity by normalizing homosexuality, Right Wing Watch reported. “We don’t want our children to be taught to be...
3-10-14 The Whole Child Blog — Build School Morale by Attending to the 5 Cs — Whole Child Education
Build School Morale by Attending to the 5 Cs — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGBuild School Morale by Attending to the 5 CsMarch 11, 2014 by David CulberhouseMorale isn't built in isolation ... and neither is it something tangible that we can point to and say, "There it is!" Rather, it is a force that builds and rises out of the ashes of our daily actions and interactions.As e
The Art of Leaking | Taking Note
The Art of Leaking | Taking Note: The Art of Leakingby JOHN MERROW on 11. MAR, 2014 in 2014 BLOGS, CHEATING, CURRENT EVENTSIt’s the nature of organizations and bureaucracies to close ranks, just as it’s in the DNA of reporters to want more and more information. Add to that mix the factors of self-interest and idealism. When reporters pry, officials withhold, and secrets are leaked, the result can
Schooling in the Ownership Society: I can almost hear Bill Gates saying, "What do you mean you don't want our money?"
Schooling in the Ownership Society: I can almost hear Bill Gates saying, "What do you mean you don't want our money?": I can almost hear Bill Gates saying, "What do you mean you don't want our money?"Vicki Phillips, who runs the Gates Foundation’s education division, said her team is “disappointed by Randi’s decision.” -- PoliticoOur big investment in school reform. "hasn'
Drop in Districts in Financial Trouble - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)
Drop in Districts in Financial Trouble - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Reports SignificantDrop in Number of Districts in Financial JeopardySACRAMENTO—A new report shows that the number of California school districts in financial jeopardy has dropped sharply for the second year in a row, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.T
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 3-11-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Striking The Balance In School Budgeting Control Cross & Joftus http://edstrategies.net is a national education consulting firm. The C&J Blog gives partners and associates a way to share insights learned from working with a very diverse set of clients–including small rural districts, large urban districts, states, foundations, and national non
Sacramento News & Review - Candidate Ali Cooper could make Jay Schenirer's re-election a real contest - Bites - Opinions - December 12, 2013
Sacramento News & Review - Candidate Ali Cooper could make Jay Schenirer's re-election a real contest - Bites - Opinions - December 12, 2013: Candidate Ali Cooper could make Jay Schenirer's re-election a real contestThe labor activist is going up against the Sacramento City Council incumbentBy Cosmo Garvin cosmog@newsreview.comFor a while, it looked like Jay Schenirer would get a free ride to
3-11-14 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): Morning Read: Rising truancy draws Capitol attentionRise in elementary school truancy prompts raft of bills Warning that truancy has reached a crisis level in California elementary schools, state Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris and half a dozen lawmakers proposed a raft of bills Monday aimed at keeping kids i
With A Brooklyn Accent: Letter from a Los Angeles English Teacher to his Students:
With A Brooklyn Accent: Letter from a Los Angeles English Teacher to his Students:: Letter from a Los Angeles English Teacher to his Students:A letter to my students of Los Angeles Unified:You have been failed.You have been failed not by the school or your teachers (or their boogeyman union), but by people far removed from the world you inhabit. These people in plush houses and all the creature co
The Smear Campaign Against Mayor Bill de Blasio | Diane Ravitch
The Smear Campaign Against Mayor Bill de Blasio | Diane Ravitch: The Smear Campaign Against Mayor Bill de Blasio Perhaps you have seen the headlines and the television interviews about how New York City's new mayor, Bill de Blasio, is closing charter schools, evicting poor minority children, destroying their dreams for the future, and their chance to escape failing public schools.Almost all the co
3-11-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Tuesday Open ThreadA reader let me know that his/her home got a call from Universal Survey (according to their phone message they do "marketing and political opinion" surveys. The caller said they were doing a survey for SPS. The reader did not continue the call. Anyone else? As well, the APP blog had a comment that one person had not received their s
No Struggle, No Progress — I had a six-minute debate last night with James...
No Struggle, No Progress — I had a six-minute debate last night with James...: No Struggle, No ProgressA blog about politics, education, racism, and more.I had a six-minute debate last night with James Merriman of the New York City Charter School Center on the show, “All In With Chris Hayes”.You can watch the whole thing online here:MSNBC: Battle wages over NYC charter schoolsOf course there are a
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, March 11, 2014
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Gov. Brown again takes aim at testing overload in schools | EdSource TodayEducation HeadlinesTuesday, March 11, 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.Alpine teachers, district 'getting back on track'Healing
Education Research Report: Marketers Are Busy in Schools
Education Research Report: Marketers Are Busy in Schools: Marketers Are Busy in SchoolsSchoolhouse commercialism continues virtually unabated, despite the harm it does, and neither federal nor state lawmakers are moving to further control the practice, according to a new report released today.The pervasiveness of commercialism in education has become so broad, its threat so great, and its reported
Home-rule flexibility for Dallas ISD could mean ignoring some of required Texas state curriculum | Dallas Morning News
Home-rule flexibility for Dallas ISD could mean ignoring some of required Texas state curriculum | Dallas Morning News: Home-rule flexibility for Dallas ISD could mean ignoring some of required Texas state curriculumBy Jeffrey WeissJWeiss@dallasnews.com10:16 am on March 11, 2014 | Permalink110So yesterday, I asked the folks at Support Our Public Schools what kinds of changes might be considered if
Gov. Brown again takes aim at testing overload in schools | EdSource Today
Gov. Brown again takes aim at testing overload in schools | EdSource Today: Gov. Brown again takes aim at testing overload in schoolsMarch 10th, 2014 | Add a Comment | By Louis FreedbergGovernor Brown took aim at excessive testing in the schools – an ongoing theme of his governorship – and warned lawmakers in Sacramento and Washington not to burden teachers with more demands than they are already
CURMUDGUCATION: Bad Threats
CURMUDGUCATION: Bad Threats: Bad ThreatsI'll get you my pretty and your little dog too!It's a lesson from Teacher Basics 101. Don't make a threat if you can't live with the consequences.Do not tell your students that if they don't hand in the homework, you'll fail them for the year. Don't tell your students that everybody runs a four-minute mile or everybody's off the team. And never, ever tell an
3-11-14 Schools Matter All Week
Schools Matter: Breaking News: Diane Ravitch Has Breaking News about RandiActing as Randi Weingarten's unofficial press agent, Diane Ravitch faithfully catalogs Randi's continued bobbing and weaving to preserve her standing with the billionaires who made her, while maintaining her job as President of AFT. Tough task, especially since the teachers who pay Randi's $400,000 salary are fed up with th
Morning Wink 3-11-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-11-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: NC Charter Warned Due to Low EnrollmentsA charter run by politically connected Baker Mitchell was warned that it may have to close due to low enrollment. Mitchell is a close associate of state b