Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Race matters.
Yesterday I posted a criticism of the Supreme Courts decision in Schuette v Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action. A number of readers commented or emailed me to express their disagreement with the position I took. This is a moment that I am glad to say that I stand with my union leaders – who not only opposed the decision – but earlier filed a legal brief in defense of affirmative action in th
Michigan parents: Parent proposal for school improvement better than state takeover
By Steven Norton, PAA Board of Directors member and head of PAA affiliate Michigan Parents for Schools After a bruising vote in the House, the Michigan Senate is slated to take up the latest version of HB 4369, the state school takeover bill. Most people, including us, have been calling this the “EAA bill,” but that’s a misnomer. The latest version of the bill doesn’t even mention the Education Ac
CALL for Chapter Proposals: Adaptation as Investigations: Critically Rethinking Medium, Genre, and Text
Series: Youth Culture and Pedagogy in the 21st Century William Reynolds and Brad Porfilio, editors Lexington Books Proposed volume title: Adaptation as Investigations: Critically Rethinking Medium, Genre, and Text P. L. Thomas, editor [A]s we put into practice an education that critically provokes the learner’s consciousness, we are necessarily working against myths that deform us. As we confront
Arne Duncan Revokes Washington State's NCLB Waiver
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan yanked Washington state's waiver Thursday, making the Evergreen State the first to lose flexibility from many of the mandates of the outdated No Child Left Behind Act.
Portland school board member offers resolution for 3-year Common Core moratorium
From Deb Mayer, leader of PAA affiliate Oregon Save Our Schools: Oregon Save Our Schools and other interested parties, with PPS school board member Steve Buel at the helm, has put together a resolution calling for a three-year moratorium on CC$$ in Oregon. Here’s the article in today’s Oregonian and the statement from Buel below, followed by the resolution, which Deb suggests could be used as a mo
New report: School info difficult for low-income parents to access
There’s bad news for parents whose kids go to schools in the poorest areas of LA Unified. A new report by a coalition of organizations lead by the United Way found that it’s harder for parents and guardians in low-income neighborhoods to obtain school information, get answers to their questions and access parent resources, than it is for parents in more affluent areas. The study measuring parent e
Two candidates file to seek Galatzan school board seat
Carl Petersen Whether LA Unified board member Tamar Galatzan runs for reelection or not, voters in her District 3 will have two other candidates to consider in the 2015 board election. Carl Petersen, Director of Logistics for a Glendale manufacturing company, and Elizabeth Badger, owner of an auto repair company in Canoga Park, have filed to run, according to the LA City Ethics Commission. Galatza
Teachers Unite Meeting Saturday, noon at Ya-Ya
I can't make the TU meeting due to the MORE meeting (morecaucusnyc General Meeting Sat. 4/26) I am an original TU member. I just don't have the time to get involved deeply in the work they do ... I am more focused right now on the work MORE is doing in the union and the work Change the Stakes is doing on testing. But the work Teachers Unite does is very important. This Saturday they are focusing i
Michelle Obama Speech Plans Changed to Address Topeka Graduation Concerns
The first lady will instead speak at a "Senior Recognition Day."
Common Core Movement Never about Teaching and Learning, Always about Testing
Illustration; Back To School by Adam Zyglis September 3, 2013 By Paul L. Thomas, Ed.D. | Originally Published at The Becoming Radical. April 24, 2014 As of April 24, 2014, I am tired to the core of writing about the Common Core because I know three things: […]
An apology to public school teachers
At the Huffington Post, blogger Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg has a message for public school teachers: We apologize. “We refuse to allow public education to be privatized, perverted by profits, and reduced to endless hours of test preparation,” writes Weill-Greenberg in a post titled “An Open Letter to Public School Teachers: We Apologize.” “We refuse to allow our schools to be judged, opened, closed
Random Quotes, April 2014
Thoughts and ideas from various sources. COURAGE Sometimes the courage needed to stand up to the “reform” nonsense permeating public education is the courage to put one’s livelihood at risk. Traditionally, teachers are well behaved and respect authority. “Reformers” and their legislative minions count on that… Encouraging Courage by Alfie Kohn It takes courage to stand up to absurdity when all
An Oldie But Still Very Relevant Goodie: The First Documented Value-Added “Smack-down”
When I first began researching VAMs, and more specifically the Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) developed by William Sanders in the state of Tennessee (the state we now know as VAM’s “ground zero”), I came across a fabulous online debate (before blogs like this and other social networking sources were really prevalent), that was all about this same system, that was then called the T
Washington Becomes First State To Return To No Child Left Behind
Two years after Washington state largely ditched the No Child Left Behind Act, the much-maligned federal education law will be in full effect there yet again for the coming school year, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said Thursday. Last August, the Education Department placed Washington, Oregon and Kansas -- and later Arizona -- on "high-risk" status for losing their waivers f
Steel parents face daunting decision: Go charter or stay District?
by Bill Hangley Jr. Parents of the Edward T. Steel School face a choice: Stay with the District, or become a charter? For Lamaine Robinson, a Steel graduate and now a high school sophomore at Mastery’s Gratz campus, the answer is clear: The District shouldn’t mess with what he considers success. Image: Image Caption: Union supporters demonstrate in front of Steel, hoping to convince pa
Andrew Cuomo To Preet Bharara: There's Nothing You Can Investigate Me For
Andrew "I Am The Government" Cuomo says Preet Bharara can't investigate his Moreland Commission tampering:Gov. Andrew Cuomo says that any possible interference by his administration into the operations of the recently disbanded Moreland Commission would not be subject to investigation.In an interview Wednesday with the Crain’s editorial board, Mr. Cuomo responded to recent comments by So
Former D.C. charter school leader sentenced to prison for stealing school funds
The former executive director of a D.C. public charter school was sentenced to nine months in prison Thursday after admitting to embezzling $29,000 in school funds, according to U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.’s office. Read full article >>
4-24-14 The Whole Child Blog — The Power of Community Partnerships — Whole Child Education
The Power of Community Partnerships — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGThe Power of Community PartnershipsApril 24, 2014 by Sharon JacobsI must begin this post by stating one fact; I am so very appreciative and do not take for granted the number of hours spent in Washington Montessori School on a daily basis by our volunteers and community partners. We partner with local businesses, agen
White Suprmacy: Alive and Well | Bill Ayers
White Suprmacy: Alive and Well | Bill Ayers: You can read Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent text here.White Suprmacy: Alive and WellThe Supreme Court continued its long backward march yesterday, ruling 6-2 that Michigan could ban race as a factor in college admissions. Affirmative action is alive and well for white people, for the children of wealthy donors and alumni, but dead for people who suf
4-24-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: White Suprmacy: Alive and WellOriginally posted on Bill Ayers:The Supreme Court continued its long backward march yesterday, ruling 6-2 that Michigan could ban race as a factor in college admissions. Affirmative action is alive and well for white people, for the children of wealthy donors and alumni, but dead for people who suffered centuries of slavery, Jim Crow…1 by Michael Pau
School Privatization Is A Hoax, Reformers Aim To Destroy Public Schools | PopularResistance.Org
School Privatization Is A Hoax, Reformers Aim To Destroy Public Schools | PopularResistance.Org: School Privatization Is A Hoax, Reformers Aim To Destroy Public SchoolsOur public schools aren’t in decline. And “reformers” with wild promises don’t care about education — just profitsAs long as anyone can remember, critics have been saying that the schools are in decline. They used to be the best in
SC is Out of Smarter Balanced, Superintendent’s Race Focused on Common Core | Truth in American Education
SC is Out of Smarter Balanced, Superintendent’s Race Focused on Common Core | Truth in American Education: SC is Out of Smarter Balanced, Superintendent’s Race Focused on Common CoreFiled in Common Core Assessments, Education at State Level by Shane Vander Hart on April 24, 2014 • 0 CommentsThis is a little anticlimactic, especially after reporting that the South Carolina Department of Education w
4-24-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Race to Nowhere Showing at Orca K-8FYI, Dear Community Members, We are excited to announce a showing of the groundbreaking film, "Race to Nowhere”. The documentary is a call to action for families, educators, and policy makers to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citize
PAA en Espanol: La Voz de los Padres | Parents Across America
PAA en Espanol: La Voz de los Padres | Parents Across America: PAA en Espanol: La Voz de los Padres(En Inglés)La Voz de los PadresFacsÃmil sobre la Educación10 de abril de 2014Padres se OPONEN al Proyecto de Ley de la Cámara de Representantes HR 10, Éxito y Oportunidades Mediante las Escuelas Charter,” ( Success and Opportunity Through Charter Schools”).La posición de PAA: La organización naci
NYC Public School Parents: 2014 Annual "Skinny" Awards Dinner! Please buy your ticket today!
NYC Public School Parents: 2014 Annual "Skinny" Awards Dinner! Please buy your ticket today!: 2014 Annual "Skinny" Awards Dinner! Please buy your ticket today!On Monday, June 9 we will be holding our annual “Skinny” award dinner, to honor three extraordinary individuals who have given us the real “skinny” about our public schools. Liz Phillips, Principal of PS 321Our honoree
Relationships: Who needs them? | My Island View
Relationships: Who needs them? | My Island View: Relationships: Who needs them?April 24, 2014 by tomwhitbyI have been thinking lately about professional relationships and what role they play in how we learn as professionals, and as people. It would be difficult to learn much in total isolation. We are social beings, so exchanging ideas and opinions is a natural occurrence for us. I think we tend t
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The Schuette Decision -- This generation's Plessy vs. Ferguson
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The Schuette Decision -- This generation's Plessy vs. Ferguson: The Schuette Decision -- This generation's Plessy vs. FergusonJustice Sonia Sotomayor: Affirmative Action ‘Opened Doors in My Life'It's not surprising that the right-wing and conservative ed bloggers in particular, are applauding the Supreme Court's racist Schuette decision. The decision, called "th
4-24-14 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: Litigation over Miramonte results in struggleL.A. Unified battles lawyers over Miramonte disclosures The litigation over sexual misconduct at Miramonte Elementary has resulted in a struggle over which documents should be part of the public record. This includes testimony that a former teache
The left's secret club plans for 2014, 2016 - Kenneth P. Vogel - POLITICO.com
The left's secret club plans for 2014, 2016 - Kenneth P. Vogel - POLITICO.com: The left's secret club plans for 2014, 2016361916 Democracy Alliance conferences are typically kept hush-hush. | AP PhotosBy KENNETH P. VOGEL | 4/24/14 5:00 AM EDTSome of the country’s biggest Democratic donors — including Tom Steyer and Jonathan Soros — are huddling behind closed doors next week in Chicago with union
The “War Report” Radio Show: False Promise of NCLB for Public Education | Cloaking Inequity
The “War Report” Radio Show: False Promise of NCLB for Public Education | Cloaking Inequity: The “War Report” Radio Show: False Promise of NCLB for Public EducationLeave No Child Behind is a moniker appropriated from the military’s “Leave No Man Behind.” Perhaps the moniker belies the mindset of the authors of high-stakes testing and accountability policies, because we are in the middle of a “war”
4-24-14 The Answer Sheet What teachers really want
The Answer Sheet: How, after 60 years, Brown v. Board of Education succeeded — and didn’tThe 60th anniversary of the historic Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling is almost upon us and it’s a good time to take a look at whether it succeeded in its mission: to end segregation in public schools. Here is an important report about what has and has not been accomplished by the case. It […]b
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, April 24, 2014
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Charter of Van Nuys’ CHAMPS in jeopardy over staffer’s $27,000 credit-card misuseFCMAT’s new website is coming soon! We will have a new look and better compatibility with mobile devices, making it easier to access information and resources. Look for our new site starting April 25.Education HeadlinesThursday, April 24, 2014FCMAT provides links
Teachers For Social Justice: Jobs, Celebrations, Events, Publications, and a Caravan to Milwaukee!
Teachers For Social Justice: Jobs, Celebrations, Events, Publications, and a Caravan to Milwaukee!: Jobs, Celebrations, Events, Publications, and a Caravan to Milwaukee!APRIL 24, 2014 LEAVE A COMMENT1. LSC Victory Celebration[download pdf here] 2. Northeast Side Regional School Discipline Summit: Project NiaApril 29 - 5:30 p.m.With the release of new data from the Chicago Public Schools in Februar
Chicago Again Imposes ‘Reconstitution’ As Though It Will Cure School Ills | janresseger
Chicago Again Imposes ‘Reconstitution’ As Though It Will Cure School Ills | janresseger: Chicago Again Imposes ‘Reconstitution’ As Though It Will Cure School IllsPosted on April 24, 2014 by janressegerThe school board in Chicago will turn three more schools over to the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL), its contractor of choice, when the turnaround ax falls this spring. Arne Duncan, the
Choice, Small Schools, and Trade-Offs - Bridging Differences - Education Week
Choice, Small Schools, and Trade-Offs - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Choice, Small Schools, and Trade-OffsBy Deborah Meier on April 24, 2014 10:45 AMToday, Deborah Meier writes to Mike Klonsky, who joined her on the blog this week.Dear Mike,We most often argue about strategy rather than principles. But maybe there's a principle behind our differences in strategy. I've always had a hard t
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 4-24-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: CHARTER OF VAN NUY’S CHAMPS IN JEAPARDY OVER STAFFER’S $27,000 CREDIT-CARD MISUSE + smf’s 2¢By Thomas Himes, San Bernardino Sun | http://bit.ly/1fa4qPp 4/22/14, 1:03 PM PDT | UPDATED: 4/23 :: Charter High School of the Arts officials have 10 days to convince Los Angeles Unified they’ve fixed mismanagement that let a former staffer rack up $27,000 in p
Morning Wink 4-24-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS4-24-14 LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Teacher to David Coleman: Yes, What Children Think and Feel Does MatterVeteran teacher Eileen Riley Hall has some advice for David Coleman, architect of the Common Core standards. Coleman famous
