Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break
De Blasio, in Radio Interview, Defends His Position on Charter Schools
By Kate Taylor | Originally Published at The New York Times. March 6, 2014 Battered in the press over his position on charter schools, Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday took to a friendly news outlet to defend himself and argue that his actions were being distorted. […]
Ratliff Is Not The Problem
The new LAUSD district 6 school board (BOE) member, Mónica Ratliff, is being blamed – personally and explicitly and completely unfairly – for at least one school’s pedagogy-free “deployment” of ipads. Following problems earlier this year, ipads were “grounded” at the school site, although the reasons for this decision were never clarified. Several complete and sufficient explanations for this rep
New Online Educator Tools
State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces New Online Tools for Educators.
David Sirota: How Eva Used Kids As Political Pawns
Investigative reporter David Sirota wonders about the legality of Eva Moskowitz closing her charter schools and busing the students to Albany for a political rally. Even stranger is that Governor Cuomo attended and supported her rally. If her schools were public schools, she would have been fired. At once.
Bill proposes delay in using student growth for evaluations
Sen. Mike Johnston is introducing a bill that would allow districts to not use student growth data when evaluating principals and teachers during the 2014-15 school year. The proposal would be a significant – if temporary – change in the evaluation system created by Senate Bill 10-191, the educator evaluation law that the Denver Democrat successfully steered through the legislature four years ago.
Decision on Texas STAAR double-testing eighth grade math likely to have unintended consequences
The set-up for this is a little complicated: All eighth graders are required to take the STAAR math test, required by the federal No Child Left Behind law. And all Algebra I students are required to take the STAAR Algebra I test. The overlap is substantial. The state asked the federal Department of Education for a waiver that would eliminate the need to double test. As of today, the Texas Educati
Superintendent Mike Miles sends memo to DISD employees about home-rule charter initiative
Superintendent Mike Miles sent a memo Thursday to the district’s 19,000 employees about a group’s effort to make Dallas ISD a home-rule charter district. Miles hasn’t endorsed the plan yet but said this week he supports getting more local control, which home-rule districts receive. Dear Dallas ISD Staff, This past weekend, a community group announced its intentions to begin a process that could s
Christian Mitchell. $100,000 from anti-public school group.
Subject: NEWS RELEASE: Rep. Christian Mitchell’s Anti-Public Education Platform Rep. Christian Mitchell feted by right-wing, anti-public education groups while parents, students and teachers fought abusive school closings CHICAGO – While thousands of parents across Chicago were fighting school closing, reports indicate deep ties between Rep. Christian Mitchell (26th District) and groups committed
CalTURN Highlights Labor-Management Success, Challenges
Today and tomorrow I’ll be in Sacramento attending the semi-annual meeting of the California Teacher Union Reform Network – CalTURN. My involvement with CalTURN the past few years has much to do with my optimism about the direction of public education in California. (Disclosure: I’m also on the CalTURN steering committee). This convening brings together union and district leaders from around the s
Quietly, LA Unified gets a voice in place for District 1
Sylvia Rousseau After school board member Marguerite LaMotte died, her district — which stretches from Palms to Central Los Angeles — went without a voice for 89 days. That ended Tuesday, when the Los Angeles Unified School Board hired Sylvia Rousseau as a temporary “liaison” for the community. The appointment approved by unanimous consent after little fanfare and no public debate. Rousseau, who w
On The Senate Rejection of Civil Rights Nominee
By Robert Garcia, founder, The City Project: "Wow. What a tragedy. For the Senate. For the country. For Debo. This how the Senate, and other people with power and resources, view civil rights attorneys. 'Adegbile came under fire for his representation of a convicted killer of a police officer and his leadership tenure at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.' I was an LDF attorney. I helped spring
Nutter budget has some interesting questions to be answered in hearings
by Tom MacDonald for NewsWorks Your browser does not support the audio element. Mayor Nutter presented a $3.8 billion budget proposal to Philadelphia City Council this morning that funds some modest service increases. But the mayor's plans for school funding and selling the city-owned Philadelphia Gas Works will face political obstacles. If there's a perennial budget headache for this mayor, i
Teacher Evaluation Bill in Trouble in Legislature?
That's the chatter from Twitter mostly via Times' reporter, Brian Rosenthal. Hmmm.Inslee deflecting larger Qs on testing. Says this is all about $: "I don't have the luxury...to opine about situations that do not exist. Hearing from several ppl, including finance chair Reuven Carlyle, that the teacher eval bill is having a very hard time in the state House.Wonder why the eval bill is in tro
SKrashen: Do we need the SAT?
SKrashen: Do we need the SAT?:Sent to USA Today, March 6, 2014Not mentioned in the discussion of changes in the SAT ("Sharpen those pencils: The SAT test is getting harder," March 6) is the question of whether we need SAT-type examinations. In two different studies, researchers from UC Berkeley, Harvard and Princeton reported that high school grades were a good predictor of college succe
‘The drive to test, test, and re-test’ leads famous school board member to quit
Rick Roach, who is completing his fifth four-year term representing District 3 on the Board of Education in Orange County, Fla, may well be the most famous local school board member in the country. In 2011, he made national news when he took a test with questions used on standardized tests given to students in Florida and flunked, becoming […]
Community Forum on the CORE Waiver
Please join the Sacramento City Teachers Association, Hmong Innovating Politics, the Black Parallel School Board and the Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education at the Sierra II Community Center's Curtis Hall (24th St. and 4th Ave.) for a forum on the California Office to Reform Education NCLB waiver that includes eight school districts, over a million students, hundreds of schools and dozen
Afternoon Video: MSNBC Segment Lambastes NYC Mayor For Evicting Schools
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy This "Morning Joe" segment feat. Eva Moskovitz keeps showing up on my Facebook timeline, so I guess you should see it. Click here if the video doesn't play. Read NY Mag here on Cuomo/de Blasio politics.
U.S. Secretaries Duncan and Sebelius to Visit Child & Family Network Centers to Discuss President’s Budget Proposal for Early Learning
U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius will visit a Child & Family Network Centers’ (CFNC) site in Alexandria, Va., at 9:10 a.m. on Friday, March 7.
Police End Inglewood High School Walkout Over Spending
Students are upset over a report of a costly retreat for administrators. By Tony Barboza , LA Times | m http://lat.ms/1cyXQBg March 5, 2014, 7:45 p.m. [This post has been updated, as indicated below.] :: Police quashed a demonstration Wednesday at Inglewood High School after hundreds of students attempted to walk out of their classrooms in protest of school administrators, authorities said.
Cuomo lends support to solving charter school space issue with legislation
Families for Excellent Schools is running this full-page ad in the New York Times to support charter schools. Two days after promising to “save charter schools” at a rally in Albany, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today that he is considering a legislative solution for New York City’s charter school space issues. For years, New York City has let many charter schools share space without paying rent in publ
The Internet Is Now the Best Place to Talk About Campus Diversity
A screenshot from the video previewing I, Too, Am Harvard. (I TOO AM HARVARD) I, Too, Am Harvard is a play, a Tumblr, a video, and a hashtag all geared towards raising awareness about the experiences of black students at Harvard University. Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence, a sophomore, interviewed 40 students who identify as black, according to The Washington Post. In the accompanying photo campaig
Community Forum on the CORE Waiver | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education
Community Forum on the CORE Waiver | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: Community Forum on the CORE WaiverPlease join the Sacramento City Teachers Association, Hmong Innovating Politics, the Black Parallel School Board and the Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education atthe Sierra II Community Center's Curtis Hall (24th St. and 4th Ave.)for a forum on the California Office to R
New Online Educator Tools - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)
New Online Educator Tools - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces New Online Tools for EducatorsSACRAMENTO—Educators across California, from those who work with the state's youngest learners to those in high school classrooms, can use several free online professional development tools created by the California Department of Education (CDE), State Superintend
March 5-6 Hahn Occupation Statement | occupy california
March 5-6 Hahn Occupation Statement | occupy california: March 5-6 Hahn Occupation StatementBy *from indybay:This past week has demonstrated that students and workers have tremendous power. We have shown that we have the capacity to pursue collective action and have our demands met. The threat of a five-day strike by AFSCME prompted the UC to concede to their demands, and on Tuesday, the UAW was l
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 3-6-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: 3 stories+an editorial: THE NEW SAT ...from the same wonderful purveyors of ®eform who brought you the Common Core StandardsGone are the essay, the SAT “vocab words” and a focus on literature and writing. Science remains untested. The College Board President admits that high school grades are a better predictor of college success than standardized test
3-6-14 With A Brooklyn Accent Go BATs All Week
With A Brooklyn Accent: Why People Who Are Disillusioned With BATS Won't Make a Complete Break: Why People Who Are Disillusioned With BATS Won't Make a Complete BreakI have been thinking about why so many people who claim to be completely disillusioned with BATS and it leaders won't make a complete break and remain in the main group, or our state groups, while reserving their most bitter attacks a
Russ on Reading: David Coleman’s Coup d’etat
Russ on Reading: David Coleman’s Coup d’etat: David Coleman’s Coup d’etatWho is the most powerful man in public education?In one of the first critiques of the “new” SAT rolled out by College Board President, David Coleman yesterday, Bob Schaeffer, public education director of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest), a nonprofit group dedicated to ending the misuse of standardize
CURMUDGUCATION: TFA One Step Closer To ... Something
CURMUDGUCATION: TFA One Step Closer To ... Something: TFA One Step Closer To ... SomethingOn March 4, TFA Co-CEOs Matt Kramer and Elisa Villanueva delivered a huge one-two punch of speeches to a huge audience of TFA faithful that signaled the possibility of some significant changes for the 24-year-old organization. Those changes to the TFA program appeared in a context that was somewhat less encou
3-6-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum Week
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Updates on People and OrganizationsA couple of readers asked about some people and organizations that they feel have been perhaps too quiet.First is director Sue Peters. I'm not sure exactly what people were expecting from Sue but I think she is doing exactly what she should do as a new director. She's behaving like the new director that she is - i.e. learning r
Insights on Using Assessments Thoughtfully — Whole Child Education
Insights on Using Assessments Thoughtfully — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGInsights on Using Assessments ThoughtfullyMarch 6, 2014 by Klea ScharbergAssessment is about more than numbers. It's about discerning where students are and planning accordingly. The March 2014 issue of Educational Leadership explores the many ways teachers can use assessments to help students learn. Articles i
3-6-14 The Answer Sheet
The Answer Sheet: Grieving mom takes on state education commissioner over testing disabled studentsI recently wrote about a bizarre open letter to teachers that Education Commissioner Pam Stewart released that accused people who want a change in standardized testing requirements for severely disabled students of launching a political attack on the department. Stewart’s missive followed testimony b
3-6-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: Do we need the SAT?Sent to USA TodayNot mentioned in the discussion of changes in the SAT ("Sharpen those pencils: The SAT test is getting harder," March 6) is the question of whether we need SAT-type examinations. In two different studies, researchers from UC Berkeley, Harvard and Princeton reported that high school grades were a good predictor of college success, and th
3-6-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"
Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement": “Most States Lack Opt-Out Policies – But Parents Find A Way”Most States Lack Opt-Out Policies – But Parents Find A Way is a very interesting and useful post by Alexander Russo. The post gives a very good overview of state laws on “opting out” of standardized tests. I’m adding it to The Best Posts On Parents “Opting-Out” Of
Innovation Takes Time | Connected Principals
Innovation Takes Time | Connected Principals: Innovation Takes Timeby Travis McNaughton • March 6, 2014 • 0 CommentsI started this school year by participating in Educator’s Innovation Day. The day was dedicated for educators to work individually or in groups on anything they wanted to work on around the theme of improving education. I spent the day working with Jesse McLean around the idea of wan
Common Core Panel Discussion at the NPE Conference, March 2, 2014 on Vimeo
Common Core Panel Discussion at the NPE Conference, March 2, 2014 on Vimeo: Common Core Panel Discussion at the NPE Conference, March 2, 2014from Schoolhouse Live PRO 16 hours ago NOT YET RATEDSince No Child Left Behind, no national program has met more controversy than the Common Core. In this featured panel, educators will discuss the challenges we face with the Common Core. Should we embrace th
Equipping Florida Parents to Expose Jeb Bush’s Florida Education “Miracle” | deutsch29
Equipping Florida Parents to Expose Jeb Bush’s Florida Education “Miracle” | deutsch29: Equipping Florida Parents to Expose Jeb Bush’s Florida Education “Miracle”March 6, 2014The purpose of this post is to provide a brief summary for Florida parents regarding the failure of the spectrum of so-called education “reforms” introduced and advanced by former Governor Jeb Bush (1999 – 2007).I have writte
3-6-14 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): E4E poses questions, 10 candidates for union chief answerEducators 4 Excellence, a teacher advocacy group comprised of members of the Los Angeles teachers union, UTLA, has developed an interactive election guide focusing on the 10 candidates running for UTLA president. The guide poses four questions and p
Education Research Report: Condition of America’s Public School Facilities: 2012-13
Education Research Report: Condition of America’s Public School Facilities: 2012-13: Condition of America’s Public School Facilities: 2012-13Among schools with permanent buildings, the overall condition of about 24 percent of the permanent buildings was considered less than good. “Condition of America’s Public School Facilities: 2012-13,” a First Look report from the Fast Response Survey System (F
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » If life is a test, the Trib flunks
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » If life is a test, the Trib flunks: If life is a test, the Trib flunksToday’s Chicago Tribune editorial claims their “philosophy” is that “Life is a test.”Wow. That explains a lot about the Tribune, doesn’t it?We have a different take on life, and so do a lot of others. For example:Life is one grand sweet song, so start the music. Ronald Re
The Houston Chronicle, also on the TVAAS in Tennessee |
The Houston Chronicle, also on the TVAAS in Tennessee |: The Houston Chronicle, also on the TVAAS in Tennessee The Houston Chronicle also recently published an article on the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) and what is happening and still ongoing in Tennessee. This is certainly interesting and worth a read, particularly because the Houston Independent School District is using essen
BULLETIN: Rutgers slams NJ’s lack of contractor oversight | Bob Braun's Ledger
BULLETIN: Rutgers slams NJ’s lack of contractor oversight | Bob Braun's Ledger: BULLETIN: Rutgers slams NJ’s lack of contractor oversightOld Queens: Rutgers UniversityA report by researchers at Rutgers University’s Department of Labor Studies and Employment Relations and Department of Public Policy and Administration says the state administration’s “significant neglect” of reviewing the performan
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, March 6, 2014
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Fensterwald: Former superintendent backs tenure, layoff laws as defense opens in ‘Vergara’ lawsuitEducation HeadlinesThursday, March 6, 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.Temple City School Board elects
Morning Wink 3-6-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-6-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Wall Street Journal: Cuomo Poll Numbers TumbleThere is little doubt that Andrew Cuomo will be re-elected, given that he has raised $33 million from New York’s financial titans. But the latest Wal