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
4-7-14 Jersey Jazzman Jammin' All Week
Jersey Jazzman: Why Is Michelle Rhee Wrong About Everything?Michelle Rhee is consistently wrong about everything.She was wrong about teaching to the test. She was wrong about her grading of state education policies. She was wrong about truancy. She was wrong about student surveys and VAM. She was wrong about the effectiveness of her "reforms" while leading the Washington, D.C. schools.Mi
4-7-14 Wait What?
Wait What?: NEWS FLASH: Its official – choice means Friendship Charter School or nothingIn a brazen effort to hand over Hartford’s Clark Elementary School to Friendship Charter Schools of Washington D.C. and divert more scarce public funds to another out-of-state charter school management company, a special meeting of the Hartford Board of Education has suddenly been called for tomorrow to approve
4-7-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"
Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement": Video: “Early language and the brain: Smart talk”I’m adding this video from The Economist to The Best Resources For Learning About The “Word Gap”:by Larry Ferlazzo / 26min hide // saveBritish Schools Plan: “parents should get a ‘checklist’ telling them how to raise their children”British schools planning to give parents a
4-7-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: New York’s Secret TestGuest post from Bianca Tanis, New York State Parent and Educator. In recent days the 2014 New York ELA tests have been the subject of much attention. It did not come as a surprise to most educators that the tests were more difficult than last year. After all, NYSED had informed teachers that this year, even 3rd […]by Chris Cerrone / 3min4-6-14 @ The Chalk
4-7-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: Brooklyn Schools Lead the Way “There was inappropriate content, many highly ambiguous questions, and a focus on structure rather than meaning of passages.” Brooklyn schools lead the way. From The NationThere’s a growing nationwide movement opposing these tests as the result of a corporate-driven agenda that has distorted real learning, widened the achievement gap, increased financi
4-7-14 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: Florida to Pay Utah $5.4 Million for Field TestThere’s more fall-out from those new state tests which are being field-tested in Utah. Kristen Moulton in the Salt Lake City Tribune reports: Utah is about to reap an unexpected windfall from the questions it wrote for the n
Puppets have no political party ideology: Rahm Rauner | Reclaim Reform
Puppets have no political party ideology: Rahm Rauner | Reclaim Reform: Puppets have no political party ideology: Rahm RaunerPosted on April 7, 2014by Ken PrevitiWarning: Names were not changed to protect the guilty. Designations of Republican, Democrat, Independent, Tea Party, Green, Socialist, etc. are meaningless when billionaires and multinational corporations alone are being served. Oligarchs
Charter school truths hit the front page Parents United for Responsible Education
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Charter school truths hit the front page: truths hit the front pageToday was not a good day for charter school public relations folks.The Chicago Tribune’s front page carried the above headline (left) on a story that described the discipline policy of the Noble Network of Charter Schools as “extreme,” “stricter than zero tolerance,” and “ou
NYC Public School Parents: District 2 principals fight back! Parents, Rally with your school on Friday morning vs awful State ELA exam
NYC Public School Parents: District 2 principals fight back! Parents, Rally with your school on Friday morning vs awful State ELA exam: District 2 principals fight back! Parents, Rally with your school on Friday morning vs awful State ELA examSee letter from most of the Elementary school principals in Community School District 2 below; D2 takes up a large slice of Manhattan from the southern tip t
Ask Arne: Procuring Privacy | ED.gov Blog
Ask Arne: Procuring Privacy | ED.gov Blog: Ask Arne: Procuring PrivacyWhen I think of privacy a few images pop into my head: a “do not disturb” sign, the settings on my social media accounts, or me locking the bathroom door so that my kids can’t come barging in after me.But the term “privacy” has taken on new meaning in the digital age, and is now accompanied by terms like big data, devices, and
4-7-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher
Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Another day. Another report showing charter schools don’t do much better than neighborhood schools.Former UNO charter chief Juan Rangel and his pal, Rahm Emanuel. Proponents of the corporate school reform agenda believe in at least three sacred truths. Charters and school choice will improve the quali
Just Say No to Charter School Conversions | WeArePCAPS
Just Say No to Charter School Conversions | WeArePCAPS: Just Say No to Charter School ConversionsPosted on April 7, 2014by wearepcapsThe School District, in the midst of a severe budget crunch is spending millions of dollars on converting two more neighborhood schools to charters. Steel Elementary in Nicetown and Munoz Marin Elementary in Kensington were selected, not based on school performance a
“An Act of Conscience”: Teachers at New York’s Earth School boycott Common Core Tests! | I AM AN EDUCATOR
“An Act of Conscience”: Teachers at New York’s Earth School boycott Common Core Tests! | I AM AN EDUCATOR: “An Act of Conscience”: Teachers at New York’s Earth School boycott Common Core Tests!By I AM AN EDUCATOR on April 7, 2014Teachers at the Earth School in NYC who protested in support of the Seattle MAP test boycott in 2013Last spring I was invited to the Earth School in the East Village of Ne
Bill De Blasio Is Actually More Helpful To Charter Schools Than Some Republicans, Report Says
Bill De Blasio Is Actually More Helpful To Charter Schools Than Some Republicans, Report Says: Bill De Blasio Is Actually More Helpful To Charter Schools Than Some Republicans, Report SaysPosted: 04/07/2014 12:00 pm EDT Updated: 04/07/2014 12:59 pm EDTPool via Getty ImagesNEW YORK -- Last fall, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) waged his successful populist campaign in part on reversing his p
Funds for Energy Efficiency Available - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)
Funds for Energy Efficiency Available - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Next Round of Energy Efficiency Funding ApplicationsSACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that local educational agencies (LEAs) that have Proposition 39 planning funds available–about $33 million—for energy efficiency projects can now
Conspiracy Theories: Who Hacked the United Opt Out National Website
Conspiracy Theories: Who Hacked the United Opt Out National WebsiteJust a heads up - our website has been destroyed by hackers. If you are able to view the United Opt Out National website, you are currently viewing a cached site/ghost site. It could disappear at any moment - we don't know how long that will last. We will try to get the 50 state guides uploaded to this FB group over the next few
4-7-14 This Week in 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: Less than 40% of Students are College ReadyCollege-Readiness not keeping up in California Fewer than 4 in 10 California high school students are completing the requirements to be eligible for the state’s public universities, fueling worries of a shortage of college-educated workers when the
Common Core & Data Collection | Truth in American Education
Common Core & Data Collection | Truth in American Education: Common Core & Data CollectionFiled in Privacy/SLDS by Jane Robbins on April 7, 2014 • 0 Comments181A particularly troubling aspect of the Common Core scheme is the emphasis on massive data-collection on students, and the sharing of that data for various purposes essentially unrelated to genuine education. U. S. Secretary of Educa
What If We Had a Test and Nobody Took It? | John Thompson
What If We Had a Test and Nobody Took It? | John Thompson: What If We Had a Test and Nobody Took It?Posted: 04/06/2014 4:16 pm EDT Updated: 04/07/2014 9:59 am EDTIn a rational world, the public school test prep season wouldn't heat up during the winter and the first of April wouldn't signify the beginning of the high-stakes test marathon, and the end of learning during the last quarter of the scho
Karen Magee elected as New York State United Teachers president - Newsday
Karen Magee elected as New York State United Teachers president - Newsday: Karen Magee elected as New York State United Teachers presidentOriginally published: April 6, 2014 10:48 AMUpdated: April 6, 2014 9:23 PMBy EMILY NGO emily.ngo@newsday.comKaren Magee, the newly elected president of New York State United Teachers, addresses NYSUT members during the closing of the 42nd Annual Representative
Morning Wink 4-7-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-7-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Hoover, Alabama: “I Just Want to Teach”I encountered this article on Twitter, and a reader was kind enough to forward it in the comments section. http://ow.ly/vcl92 I Just Want to Teach…..Not
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-7-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Hoover, Alabama: “I Just Want to Teach”I encountered this article on Twitter, and a reader was kind enough to forward it in the comments section. http://ow.ly/vcl92 I Just Want to Teach…..Not Give Useless Tests: The Current Plight of Alabama’s Hoover City School Teachers Part One: Changes in the Elementary Program by Deborah G.
Is the Administration Using ESEA to Increase the Federal Role? | Missouri Education Watchdog
Is the Administration Using ESEA to Increase the Federal Role? | Missouri Education Watchdog: Is the Administration Using ESEA to Increase the Federal Role?inShareOne of the rallying cries of those of us who oppose common core standards has been the fact that the federal government involvement in them has violated three separate federal laws (GEPA, ESEA, NCLB). If we are to be a nation of laws, no
4-7-14 Ed Notes Online Week
Ed Notes Online: Lauren Cohen Stands Up to Bully Tests and Bully Unity SlugsYesterday morning I watched from the audience as Lauren Cohen, a petite young woman from the UFT MORE caucus, got up and addressed the NYSUT Representative Assembly as a candidate. When Lauren mentioned the UFT-Unity Loyalty oath, my 800 brothers and sisters from UFT-Unity tried to drown her voice with loud boos. The moder
E. J. Dionne on "Supreme oligarchy"
E. J. Dionne on "Supreme oligarchy": E. J. Dionne on "Supreme oligarchy"byteacherkenFollow Email 31 Comments / 31 NewAn oligarchy, Webster’s dictionary tells us, is “a form of government in which the ruling power belongs to a few persons.” It’s a shame that the Republican majority on the Supreme Court doesn’t know the difference between an oligarchy and a democratic republi
4-7-14 The Answer Sheet
The Answer Sheet: Common Core test gives students no time to think — teacherTravis Durfee is a teacher at Watkins Glen Middle School in Watkins Glen, New York who is administering Common Core-aligned standardized tests to students that were designed by Pearson, the education company. In the following piece, which he calls “Driving Lessons,” he looks from within the schoolhouse gates at the disconn
4-7-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Math Adoption InfoSeattle Public Schools is choosing new K-5 math textbooks for the upcoming 2014-2015 school year, and you have a voice in the decision.The official selection process is being managed by the Math Adoption Committee, their website is here. They have narrowed the field down to three possibilities:Math in Focus - The Singapore Approach
4-7-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: My Latest NY Times Post Is On Lying As A Language-Learning ActivityHow can lying be a good language-learning activity? See how in my latest New York Times post for English Language Learners. A student interactive and fun teaching ideas are included. You can see all my many previous NY Times posts here.by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 4-7-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: L.A. Unified Supt. Deasy Unveils New Budget ProposalBy Howard Blume, L.A. Times | http://lat.ms/1lL7xPQ 8:04 PM PDT, April 4, 2014 :: Buoyed by rising state funding, the Los Angeles Unified School District's draft budget proposal for the new fiscal year is the healthiest spending plan in years. The general fund would increase from $6.2 billion to $6.8
empathyeducates – Education Election – Parents Empowered
empathyeducates – Education Election – Parents Empowered: Education Election – Parents EmpoweredPhotograph; Steve Johnson, an Amundsen High School Local School Council member, recommends that the council craft a letter opposing CPS budget cuts. | DNAInfo/Patty WestBeginning April 7th parents once again will take action. Some will vote and countless of these will be on the ballot. Those who care ab
4-7-13 Curmudgucation Week
CURMUDGUCATION: What the Hell Happened in Kansas?Late last night, the Kansas legislature stripped Kansas teachers of all major job protections.I suppose you could claim that it wasn't all bad; Kansas ultimately decided NOT to pay parents to home school. But all in all, it was still pretty bad.It was a textbook example of how politics works these days (and also how it is covered; in Pennsylvania I
4-7-14 Perdido Street School Week
Perdido Street School: Weingarten Spins Iannuzzi Defeat As "Message To Cuomo"From Jessica Bakeman at Capital NY:ALBANY—A vote by a state teachers' decision to overhaul its leadership may be a sign of trouble for Governor Andrew Cuomo.New York has already seen two education leaders ousted this year in elections that are rarely contested and typically undramatic.Richard Iannuzzi, a nine-ye
Shanker Blog » New York City: The Mississippi Of The Twenty-First Century?
Shanker Blog » New York City: The Mississippi Of The Twenty-First Century?: New York City: The Mississippi Of The Twenty-First Century?Posted by Leo Casey on April 7, 2014Last month saw the publication of a new report, New York State’s Extreme School Segregation, produced by UCLA’s highly regarded Civil Rights Project. It confirmed what New York educators have suspected for some time: our schools
Jeb Bush, the Common Core, & 2016 :: Frederick M. Hess
Jeb Bush, the Common Core, & 2016 :: Frederick M. Hess: Jeb Bush, the Common Core, & 2016by Frederick M. Hess • Apr 7, 2014 at 9:29 amCross-posted from Education Week Print Send RSS ShareA "Jeb Bush for President" boomlet is heating up, and for good reason. Amidst what's shaping up to be a crowded field of intriguing candidates, he may offer the most impressive package of accom
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Deasy's proposed budget includes 1,200 new staff positionsEducation HeadlinesMonday, April 7, 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.Parent claims in lawsuit that Newport-Mesa teacher harassed daughterAdmini
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLESCaptain Clarion Tweet: "When does that dammed trickle down start, already?"ANON"In theory, there's no difference between theory and practice, but inpractice, there is. " -AnonymousNEW CHARTER STUDY “The results showed that they were virtually identical,” Mazany said of the 2010 study. “I found that surprising be
Russ on Reading: Sacrificing Arts Education at the Altar of Test Prep
Russ on Reading: Sacrificing Arts Education at the Altar of Test Prep: Sacrificing Arts Education at the Altar of Test PrepThe irony smacked me right in the face. Yesterday, my wife and I journeyed to New York City as we often do to see a play. This one was The Heir Apparent, a thoroughly silly and joyous reworking by David Ives of a 1708 French play by Jean-Francois Regnard. And then this morning
It’s a Myth That Charter Schools Take Everybody | janresseger
It’s a Myth That Charter Schools Take Everybody | janresseger: It’s a Myth That Charter Schools Take EverybodyPosted on April 7, 2014 by janressegerNew Issue of Cream and Cherries: CPS: Expulsion rate higher at charter schools - Chicago TribuneOn March 30, Paul Krugman (the Princeton economist and NY Times opinion writer) wrote a column that introduced the concept of a zombie idea — “an idea that
Jason France, a.k.a “The Crazy Crawfish”, formally announces bid to seek Chas Roemer’s district 6 seat on BESE | Crazy Crawfish's Blog
Jason France, a.k.a “The Crazy Crawfish”, formally announces bid to seek Chas Roemer’s district 6 seat on BESE | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Crazy Crawfish's BlogZesty Louisiana Education PoliticsJason France, a.k.a “The Crazy Crawfish”, formally announces bid to seek Chas Roemer’s district 6 seat on BESEPosted on April 7, 20143As I watched events at the capital unfolding over the last month I knew it
Tax money siphoned from GA public schools to anti-gay religious schools, suit claims | The Raw Story
Tax money siphoned from GA public schools to anti-gay religious schools, suit claims | The Raw Story: Tax money siphoned from GA public schools to anti-gay religious schools, suit claimsBy Travis GettysMonday, April 7, 2014 9:06 EDTGeorgia’s tax credit program siphons off much-needed funds from the state’s public schools by allowing taxpayers to donate scholarship money to private religious school
Common Core Standards: A Movie | Seattle Education
Common Core Standards: A Movie | Seattle Education: Common Core Standards: A MovieThis film was produced by Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). According to the website:Home School Legal Defense Association is a nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms. T
LAUSD TARGETS PHENOMENAL TEACHER GREG SCHILLER - Perdaily.com
LAUSD TARGETS PHENOMENAL TEACHER GREG SCHILLER - Perdaily.com: LAUSD TARGETS PHENOMENAL TEACHER GREG SCHILLER(Mensaje se repite en Español)When I was in high school my science teacher had us do an experiment to illustrate that a molecule of water was in fact made up of: two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. We accomplished this experiment by running a small current of electric through wate
Common core or SMARTER Balanced? Maybe it’s neither :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet
Common core or SMARTER Balanced? Maybe it’s neither :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: APRIL 07, 2014Common core or SMARTER Balanced? Maybe it’s neitherby Lee Funk(Calif.) As the state steps back to revise its assessment of the school accountability system with the advent of common core and SMARTER Balanced assessments, there is an opportunity
YESTERDAY
Under new law, school nurses aim to stop rise in vaccination opt-outs | EdSource Today
Under new law, school nurses aim to stop rise in vaccination opt-outs | EdSource Today: Under new law, school nurses aim to stop rise in vaccination opt-outsApril 6th, 2014 | Add a Comment | By Jane Meredith AdamsInterested in vaccination rates at your child’s school? Want to see how vaccination rates vary between charter, private and public schools throughout California? Check out the EdSource va
New Issue of Cream and Cherries: CPS: Expulsion rate higher at charter schools - Chicago Tribune
CPS: Expulsion rate higher at charter schools - Chicago Tribune: CPS: Expulsion rate higher at charter schoolsDisparity sure to become fuel in ongoing education debateFebruary 26, 2014|By Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah and Alex Richards, Tribune reporters 140Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett said she inherited "a really punitive zero-tolerance code of conduct" and that the district
Another Lawsuit in Tennessee |
Another Lawsuit in Tennessee |: Another Lawsuit in Tennessee As per Diane Ravitch’s blog, “The Tennessee Education Association filed a second lawsuit against the use if value-added assessment (called TVAAS in Tennessee), this time including extremist Governor Haslam and ex-TFA state commissioner Huffman in their suit.As per a more detailed post about this lawsuit, “The state’s largest association
Why do the Koch brothers want to end public education?
This film and investigation connects the dots and reveals why the Koch brothers are trying to end public education and how their wealth winds up in the hands of Jim Crow. Watch the video, then call David Koch and tell him to stop funding school resegregation now. His number is 212-319-1100. Discuss at: http://facebook.com/KochBrothers More at: http://KochBrothersExposed.com/education
Sol Stern Thinks Common Core Is About “Rich Curriculum” | deutsch29
Sol Stern Thinks Common Core Is About “Rich Curriculum” | deutsch29: Sol Stern Thinks Common Core Is About “Rich Curriculum”April 6, 2014If one is going to entitle a post, A Sorry Attack on the Common Core, which is what Sol Stern did on March 2, 2014, one should really be certain that one’s logic is flawless.Otherwise, someone might come along and write a post that rips through those weaknesses i
4-6-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: Sol Stern Thinks Common Core Is About “Rich Curriculum”If one is going to entitle a post, A Sorry Attack on the Common Core, which is what Sol Stern did on March 2, 2014, one should really be certain that one’s logic is flawless. Otherwise, someone might come along and write a post that rips through those weaknesses in logic and, well, show just how “sorry” a rebuttal […]1 by deu
The Classroom of the Future: Student Centered or Device Centered? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
The Classroom of the Future: Student Centered or Device Centered? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: The Classroom of the Future: Student Centered or Device Centered?By Anthony Cody on April 6, 2014 7:10 PMA basic question is emerging as our schools are urged to embrace the Common Core and the computer-based learning systems aligned to the standards. Are these digital devices becoming
Nite Cap 4-6-14 #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 CAPAll in the Family | Deborah Meier on EducationAll in the Family | Deborah Meier on Education: All in the FamilyPosted on April 6, 2014 by debmeierDear readers, friends, and all,A story about “All In the Family” caught my eye. (New Yorker, The Gre
