Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Morning Wink 5-21-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS




LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-21-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Paul Jones: A Hero Superintendent in TexasEvery once in a while a superintendent tells the parents in his district what is in his heart, not the bureaucratic blather that usually comes out automatically. Paul Jones is the superintendent of the Paris Independent School District in Texas. He posted a letter to the parents in his dist
by mike simpson / 0min 
5-21-14 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.: Even Eric Zorn admits Lisa Madigan’s police powers argument is nonsense. Though he still drinks Civic Committee Kool-Aid.Responding to the suits by the IEA, IRTA, IFT and others representing teachers and public employees, Attorney General Lisa Madigan admitted that pension theft violates the pension p
by mike simpson / 3min 
5-21-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"
Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement": Potentially Useful Fundraising IdeasSchool Fundraisers That Broke the Mold—and the Bank shares some potentially useful fundraising ideas that parents might be interested in trying-out. Thanks to Alexander Russo for the tip.2 by Larry Ferlazzo / 4h5-19-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement&qu
by mike simpson / 5min 
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 5-21-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: “If you don’t like the criticism, fire the critic!”: SCHOOL BOARD BLOCKS APPOINTEE CRITICAL OF iPADSPosted on  LA School Report by Vanessa Romo | http://bit.ly/1sU4iVd May 20, 2014 4:00 pm  ::  What is normally a routine, no-questions-asked formality for the LA Unified School Board hit a snag today. Board Member Tamar Galatzan opposed the reappointment
by mike simpson / 8min 
5-21-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: Why Did Cory Booker and Mark Zuckerberg Ignore Newark’s Families?Dale Russakoff’s New Yorker profile “Schooled” is a wonderful account of Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million investment in Newark school reform, and how and why it failed. It implicitly asks what did the founder of Facebook, and other elites, not know about school improvement and if they will develop an interest in why t
by mike simpson / 9min 
5-21-14 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): RECOMMENDED: Vonnegut’s Graduation Speeches and DrawingsSmall and unexpected resurrections of a kind help lighten the weight of the inevitable consequence of aging, those losses of people and things that you know must happen but you regret nonetheless. One such loss for
by mike simpson / 11min 
5-21-14 Curmudgucation Week
CURMUDGUCATION: EWA Holds Common Core Pep RallyThe Education Writer's Association has carried lots of water for the pro-test, pro-corporate, pro-Core, anti-public ed crowd, so there's no real surprise when it was time for a discussion about the state of CCSS, their convention panel of "experts" includes six CCSS shills and one actual voice for public education.Monday's panel included Den
by mike simpson / 13min 
5-21-14 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Third Party Candidate Makes Cuomo/Astorino Race As Close As 13 PointsNo wonder Cuomo and his henchmen are trying to talk WFP leaders into endorsing him and not, say, Howie Hawkins (or putting some other third party candidate on their ballot line):ALBANY— Gov. Cuomo’s huge lead over Republican challenger Rob Astorino would drop to 13 percentage points if the Working Families
by mike simpson / 15min 
5-21-14 Wait What?
Wait What?: Wait What? The latest on the 2014 governor’s raceFrom NPR’s Where We Live: Jonathan Pelto to Set Up Exploratory Committee For Governor’s Race Listen to podcast here: http://wnpr.org/post/jonathan-pelto-looks-shake-race-governor Former state legislator Jonathan Pelto has been criticizing Governor Dannel Malloy for years. Recently he said he’d consider shaking up this year’s race for Con
by mike simpson / 19min 
5-21-14 The Answer Sheet
The Answer Sheet: Chicago principal publicly slams Mayor Emanuel and says he is ‘insulting’ educatorsA scathing letter (see below) by a Chicago school principal charging  Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his administration with ignoring and disrespecting teachers and principals has sparked a discussion in the city about school reform and how it is being implemented. The principal is Troy A. LaRaviere of Bla
by mike simpson / 21min 
5-21-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Around The Web In ESL/EFL/ELL — Gold Mine Included!I’ve started a somewhat regular feature where I share a few posts and resources from around the Web related to ESL/EFL or to language in general that have caught my attention: I’m starting off with a goldmine. Check out this tweet and go the link — you won’t regret it: Stan
by mike simpson / 23min 
Cursive Writing and Coding (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Cursive Writing and Coding (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Cursive Writing and Coding (Part 2)Here is a recent “Letter to the Editor” in the New York Times.In the 21st century, every student should learn to program, for three reasons. Computational thinking is an essential capability for just about everyone. Programming is an incredibly useful skill: fields from ant
by mike simpson / 30min 
Tennessee’s Education Commissioner Gives “Inspiring” TEDxNashville Talk |
Tennessee’s Education Commissioner Gives “Inspiring” TEDxNashville Talk |: Tennessee’s Education Commissioner Gives “Inspiring” TEDxNashville Talk The purpose of TED talks are, and since their inception in 1984 have been, to share “ideas worth spreading, “in the most innovative and engaging” of ways. It seems that somebody in the state of Tennessee hijacked this idea, however, and put the Tennesse
by mike simpson / 32min 
Unequal Opportunity the Norm: Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey | janresseger
Unequal Opportunity the Norm: Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey | janresseger: Unequal Opportunity the Norm: Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New JerseyPosted on May 21, 2014 by janressegerIn my favorite passage from Linda Darling-Hammond’s book, The Flat World and Education, she wonders, “what we might accomplish as a nation if we could finally set aside what appears to be our de fact
by mike simpson / 39min 
Cami wanted disruption–and, last night, she got it | Bob Braun's Ledger
Cami wanted disruption–and, last night, she got it | Bob Braun's Ledger: Cami wanted disruption–and, last night, she got itMembers of the Newark Students Union inside the lobby of school headquartersNewark’s school superintendent belongs to that tribe of self-proclaimed and irresponsible school reformers who contend public schools must be “disrupted” before they can be improved–and she has done so
by mike simpson / 51min 
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Chicago, a year after the closings
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Chicago, a year after the closings: Chicago, a year after the closings“School closings have done nothing to improve the education of CPS students, nor have they saved money, but the same policies that led to massive closures continue to be implemented.” -- CTU ReportTwo major reports came out of Chicago this week. The first from the CTU, finds that despite promises,
by mike simpson / 52min 
solidaridad: Tomorrow Markham MS Community to Protest PLAS Policies started under Marshall Tuck
solidaridad: Tomorrow Markham MS Community to Protest PLAS Policies started under Marshall Tuck: Tomorrow Markham MS Community to Protest PLAS Policies started under Marshall TuckMarkham PLAS Protest Marshall Tuck Policies Press Conference Flyer
by mike simpson / 55min 
NYC Educator: The UFT and Learned Helplessness
NYC Educator: The UFT and Learned Helplessness: The UFT and Learned HelplessnessA colleague of mine told me yesterday about an experiment in which dogs were shocked when they tried to leave their cages. After a while, their cages were left open and the dogs didn't leave anymore. She said it was called "learned helplessness." It sounds like a fair description of the 83% of our colleagues
by mike simpson / 1h 
Lawmaker: Time to restore support for school nurses :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet
Lawmaker: Time to restore support for school nurses :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: MAY 21, 2014Lawmaker: Time to restore support for school nursesby Kimberly Beltran(Calif.) A student with a severely fractured arm would be lucky in this state to have access to a school nurse who could provide proper intervention and care.So would a student
by mike simpson / 1h 

YESTERDAY

MULGREW DROPS THE ATR BALL AGAIN!! VOTE NO ON THE CONTRACT!! southbronxschool.com
http://www.southbronxschool.com: MULGREW DROPS THE ATR BALL AGAIN!! VOTE NO ON THE CONTRACT!!I did what I was supposed to do yesterday. I got home about 4:30 ignored my wife and son and went into the office to watch UFT & Friends on the computer.I made sure that all three modes, Twitter, email, and the phone, were working so that I might share what was on my mind.Yes, I truly thought of making
by mike simpson / 9h 
Nite Cap 5-20-14 #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 CAP5-20-14 Perdido Street SchoolPerdido Street School: De Blasio Looks To Create Job Training Programs That WorkDe Blasio says many of the jobs programs from the past (i.e., Bloomberg's) didn't work:The city is spending half a billion a year to plac
by mike simpson / 15h 
5-20-14 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: De Blasio Looks To Create Job Training Programs That WorkDe Blasio says many of the jobs programs from the past (i.e., Bloomberg's) didn't work:The city is spending half a billion a year to place out-of-work New Yorkers in low-wage jobs - and it's time to stop, Mayor de Blasio said on Tuesday. De Blasio, speaking at a thriving manufacturing hub in Brooklyn, announced plans t
by mike simpson / 16h 
Smarter Balanced Contractor Suffers Data Breach | Truth in American Education
Smarter Balanced Contractor Suffers Data Breach | Truth in American Education: Smarter Balanced Contractor Suffers Data BreachFiled in Privacy/SLDS by Shane Vander Hart on May 20, 2014 • 0 Comments2861Education Week reports that the American Institute for Research suffered a data breach earlier this month:After one of the organization’s servers was hacked, the sensitive personal information of as
by mike simpson / 16h 
Recap of the #Brownat60 National Week of Action | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity
Recap of the #Brownat60 National Week of Action | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity: Recap of the #Brownat60 National Week of ActionPosted on: Tuesday May 20th, 2014Now THAT is what you call a National Week of Action!Recap, pictures and video from #Brownat60 nationwide eventsand how you can stay involved!This past Saturday was the 60th anniversary
by mike simpson / 17h 
New CTU report analyzes massive public school closings on one-year anniversary
Chicago Teachers Union | Press Releases: New CTU report analyzes massive public school closings on one-year anniversary“Twelve Months Later: The Impact of School Closings in Chicago” examines myriad of CPS’s Broken PromisesCHICAGO—The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) released today a report on the state of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) one year after the Board of Education (BOE) voted to close 49 eleme
by mike simpson / 17h 
empathyeducates – High School Dropout Rate Depends on Mentorship, Study Finds
empathyeducates – High School Dropout Rate Depends on Mentorship, Study Finds: High School Dropout Rate Depends on Mentorship, Study FindsPhotograph; Luis Mateo and Kasandra Vega, who both left high school without a degree, are involved in the culinary program of the United Teen Equality Center, in Lowell, Mass. | Evan Richman / For NBC NEWSFrom the moment Luis E. Mateo started high school in Lowe
by mike simpson / 17h 
Re-segregation & the 60th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Ed. (Part 1) | Parents Across America
Re-segregation & the 60th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Ed. (Part 1) | Parents Across America: Re-segregation & the 60th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Ed. (Part 1)Politicians are ignoring research, allowing re-segregation, and supporting charter schools over public. As I posted here, economist, Milton Friedman developed the concept of school choice in 1955, a year after desegregation
by mike simpson / 18h 
10 Ways to Gather Letters for Congressional #TESTHearingsNow The Network For Public Education
The Network For Public Education | 10 Ways to Gather Letters for Congressional #TESTHearingsNow: 10 Ways to Gather Letters for Congressional #TESTHearingsNowMay 20, 2014 Testing / Opting Out, UncategorizedAs the school year starts to wind down, instead of talking about all the great things they’ve learned most students are still in the middle of testing, testing, and more testing.  So what can you
by mike simpson / 18h 
Paris ISD superintendent explains his startling STAAR letter | Dallas Morning News
Paris ISD superintendent explains his startling STAAR letter | Dallas Morning News: Paris ISD superintendent explains his startling STAAR letterBy Jeffrey WeissJWeiss@dallasnews.com1:31 pm on May 20, 2014 | Permalink240A couple of days ago, I posted about Paul Jones, the superintendent of Paris ISD and the remarkably blunt letter he sent to parents about the upcoming release of STAAR data. It’s fa
by mike simpson / 19h 
Pearson Allows Me to Quote 400 Board-meeting Words | deutsch29
Pearson Allows Me to Quote 400 Board-meeting Words | deutsch29: Pearson Allows Me to Quote 400 Board-meeting WordsMay 20, 2014At the American Enterprise Institute in March 2014, billionaire Bill Gates explained why the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are necessary above and beyond individual state standards that might be better:You get more free market competition. Scale is good for free market
by mike simpson / 19h 
Schooling in the Ownership Society: A handful of Common Core text/testing publishers buying up everything in sight
Schooling in the Ownership Society: A handful of Common Core text/testing publishers buying up everything in sight: A handful of Common Core text/testing publishers buying up everything in sightCaptive audience marketing to kids on Channel 1 Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt just acquired Channel One and Curiosityville. HMH is one of the biggest text/testing publishers cashing in on the boomi
by mike simpson / 20h 
Russ on Reading: Creative Stability: A Better Plan for Public Schools
Russ on Reading: Creative Stability: A Better Plan for Public Schools: Creative Stability: A Better Plan for Public SchoolsEducation reformers love the concept of "creative disruption." Applying a business model to public education, they argue that the way to improve schools is through disrupting the system by closing under-performing schools, firing under-performing teachers and introdu
by mike simpson / 20h 
NYC Public School Parents: Our letter to the Chancellor about class size, and what she said in response last night
NYC Public School Parents: Our letter to the Chancellor about class size, and what she said in response last night: Our letter to the Chancellor about class size, and what she said in response last nightLast night, at the District 2 Town Hall meeting with Chancellor Farina, I read aloud excerpts from a letter co-signed by 15 Community Education and Citywide Council presidents, including several me
by mike simpson / 20h 
5-20-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum Week
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Spectrum is DeadA reader sent in this letter - from View Ridge's principal, Terri Skjei - and frankly, it's all I need to believe that Spectrum is dead. But the letter also makes me wonder about this slow death. What is the point? A few thoughts on the contents:1) quite calm and thoughtful, almost the epitome of "we want your input" except that there real
by mike simpson / 21h 
La. Superintendent John White Requires Districts to Embargo LEAP Summary Public Reports | Crazy Crawfish's Blog
La. Superintendent John White Requires Districts to Embargo LEAP Summary Public Reports | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: La. Superintendent John White Requires Districts to Embargo LEAP Summary Public Reportscrazycrawfish:There is more to these stories than I first suspected. I have confirmed some information through my sources and have a few new interesting tidbits to reveal. Originally posted on deutsch
by mike simpson / 21h 
5-20-14 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): Commentary: It’s not the outsiders to blame, it’s the systemThis commentary is written in response to Ellie Herman’s commentary last week, asking why policy makers don’t listen more to teachers. By Larry Sand Why aren’t we listening? Well, in fact we are. There are organizations whose members include curr
by mike simpson / 21h 
Blacks and whites still largely attend separate schools in Sacramento - Data Center - The Sacramento Bee
Blacks and whites still largely attend separate schools in Sacramento - Data Center - The Sacramento Bee: Blacks and whites still largely attend separate schools in SacramentoBy Phillip Reesepreese@sacbee.comPublished: Monday, May. 19, 2014 - 2:28 pmLast Modified: Tuesday, May. 20, 2014 - 7:59 amThis past weekend marked the 60th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision by the U.S.
by mike simpson / 22h 
Why Hedge Funds Love Charter Schools | Alan Singer
Why Hedge Funds Love Charter Schools | Alan Singer: Why Hedge Funds Love Charter SchoolsIn April I posted, The Dishonorable Andrew Cuomo Meets the Hedge Fund / Charter School Zombies. In an online comment, Huffington Super User William Occam challenged me to provide "evidence that any of the individuals you have publicly shamed in this essay stand to financially gain from their support."
by mike simpson / 23h 
5-20-14 The Whole Child Blog — ED Pulse Poll Results: What's the Best Part About Being a Teacher?
ED Pulse Poll Results: What's the Best Part About Being a Teacher? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGED Pulse Poll Results: What’s the Best Part About Being a Teacher?May 20, 2014 by Kit Harris, ASCD ResearchIn honor of Teacher Appreciation Week earlier this month and ASCD's ongoing efforts to celebrate, support, and recognize teachers, a recent ASCD SmartBrief ED Pulse poll asked educa
by mike simpson / 23h 
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 5-20-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Opinion: CA SHOULD DELAY COMMON CORE TESTS FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARSBy Doug McRae / commentary in EdSource | http://bit.ly/1mSyNed May 19th, 2014 | ::  Since June 2011 when California joined the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, the target date for implementation of computer-adaptive Common Core tests has been spring 2015. With that date now fast appro
by mike simpson / 23h 
Finally, The Corporate Press Is Exposing Duncan and Gates
Finally, The Corporate Press Is Exposing Duncan and Gates: Finally, The Corporate Press Is Exposing Duncan and Gatesby EDWARDBERGER on MAY 20, 2014A cultural lag. For many years education leaders have been pointing out the flaws in this top-down, mean-spirited, child and teacher damaging, ideological, and harmful nonsense laid on our schools. The USDOE has given access to the top levels of our edu
by mike simpson / 23h 
Connecticut Teachers Push Back on Common Core, Endorse Call for Congressional Hearings - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
Connecticut Teachers Push Back on Common Core, Endorse Call for Congressional Hearings - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Connecticut Teachers Push Back on Common Core, Endorse Call for Congressional HearingsBy Anthony Cody on May 19, 2014 7:10 AMTen days ago, Michelle Gunderson offered us an explanation of the process by which members of the Chicago Teachers Union approved a resolutio
by mike simpson / 23h 
Thoughts From a Sit-In - Bridging Differences - Education Week
Thoughts From a Sit-In - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Thoughts From a Sit-InBy Guest Blogger on May 20, 2014 10:29 AMAuthor and advocate Mike Klonsky again writes to Deborah Meier today. The two are currently co-blogging on Bridging Differences."Sixty years later, 'separate and unequal' is still alive ... privatizing our school systems results in increased segregation, not improved
by mike simpson / 23h 
Inside a Florida School District's Same-Sex Classes: Perfume for Girls, Electronics for Boys | Mother Jones
Inside a Florida School District's Same-Sex Classes: Perfume for Girls, Electronics for Boys | Mother Jones: Inside a Florida School District's Same-Sex Classes: Perfume for Girls, Electronics for BoysThanks to a new state law, the ACLU is worried that other schools will emulate the program in Hillsborough County.—By Dana Liebelson| Tue May 20, 2014 6:00 AM EDT20William Vanderson/WikimediaA few ge
by mike simpson / 23h 
Morning Wink 5-20-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-20-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: North Carolina Teacher Takes Senator Curtis to TaskThis letter came from Stuart Egan, one of North Carolina’s National Board Certified Teachers. The state has more NBCTs than any other, and almo
by mike simpson / 1d 





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