Latest News and Comment from Education

Show All

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Morning Wink 6-10-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS




LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-10-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: In Kentucky: A School Without Standardized TestsKentucky was the first state to implement the Common Core standards, and the first state to test them. The state has another distinction: It is one of the few states that has no charter schools. Communities in Kentucky are committed to their community public schools–so far. Kentucky h
by mike simpson / 3min 
6-10-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: I Explain The Picture Word Inductive Model In My Latest British Council PostI’ve often written about the Picture Word Inductive Model, my favorite teaching strategy for Beginning English Language Learners. I’ve just published a post at The British Council with a more detailed explanation on how to use it in the classroom. Y
by mike simpson / 8min 
Answer Sheet 6-10-14
Answer Sheet: Why math fills so many of us with dreadIf you are someone who suffered from math anxiety, you may not believe that it does not have to be a permanent condition. That’s what author  Annie Murphy Paul, who concentrates on how we learn and how we can do it better, explains in the following post. Paul is a contributing writer  for Time magazine, writes a weekly […]1 by Valerie Strauss / 
by mike simpson / 10min 
Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"
Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement": “Hayward Unified to help parents attend college”Hayward Unified to help parents attend college is the headline from a Northern California newspaper about an innovative parent engagement effort. Here’s how it begins: Parents and middle school students who want to take college courses will get help from the school district, w
by mike simpson / 12min 
6-10-14 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): Twitter Truth (and The Onion Gets It Again)As I have catalogued on this blog and elsewhere, when it comes to education policy, my home state of South Carolina is A Heaping Stumbling-Bumbling Mess of Ineptitude. And while we have garnered a sort of unwanted but fully warr
by mike simpson / 16min 
6-10-13 Curmudgucation
CURMUDGUCATION: What Do We Do About Bad Teachers?I believe bad teachers exist. I believe that on any given day, in many schools in this country, there's a person standing in a classroom doing a lousy job. I just spent a chunk of bandwidth explaining that I don't believe Find and Fire is the correct policy response to bad teaching. So what do I propose instead?The Heart of the ProblemI'm going to s
by mike simpson / 17min 
6-10-14 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Diane Ravitch Calls For An Investigation Into Bill Gates' Common Core CoupHow did the richest man in America buy himself the public education system?The story about Bill Gates' swift and silent takeover of American education is startling. His role and the role of the U.S. Department of Education in drafting and imposing the Common Core standards on almost every state should
by mike simpson / 19min 
Strict rules have helped boost academic performance in New Orleans, but some schools go too far | Hechinger Report
Strict rules have helped boost academic performance in New Orleans, but some schools go too far | Hechinger Report: Strict rules have helped boost academic performance in New Orleans, but some schools go too farBy Merlin GeorgeSchool was a complete joke to me as a young child. I thought it was just a place where I could come and socialize, play around, eat the free lunch and wander up and down the
by mike simpson / 25min 
Thompson: It's Not Just Teachers Who Need to Make Their Peace with Politics :: Frederick M. Hess
Thompson: It's Not Just Teachers Who Need to Make Their Peace with Politics :: Frederick M. Hess: Thompson: It's Not Just Teachers Who Need to Make Their Peace with Politicsby Frederick M. Hess  •  Jun 10, 2014 at 8:01 amCross-posted from Education Week Print Send RSS ShareI was struck by some of the feedback to last Thursday's post on the whole "why can't pols get out of schooling?" que
by mike simpson / 28min 
Governor Corbett runs from Philadelphia voters – again | Parents United for Public Education
Governor Corbett runs from Philadelphia voters – again | Parents United for Public Education: Governor Corbett runs from Philadelphia voters – againPosted on June 10, 2014 by HELENGYMLeave a comment Helen Gym: “We must convert mass action into political power!” (Photo via Twitter @trayf)In a large rally yesterday, Parents United for Public Education joined with our partners at PCAPS and PA Working
by mike simpson / 35min 
NYC Educator: Fred and Wilma
NYC Educator: Fred and Wilma: Fred and WilmaMy afternoon class is a little crazy. Of course I pride myself on being the craziest person in the room, but there are a few kids who give me a run for my money. For the purposes of this blog I'll call them Fred and Wilma.I usually seat my classes in a horseshoe so as to encourage dialogue. I've moved this class into rows so as to impede it a little. And
by mike simpson / 36min 
Parents offer an earful about the ‘welcoming environment’ :: SI&A Cabinet Report
Parents offer an earful about the ‘welcoming environment’ :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: JUNE 10, 2014Parents offer an earful about the ‘welcoming environment’by Alisha Kirby(Calif.) It isn’t rare to see a parent wandering around their child’s elementary school in search of an office, classroom or auditorium entrance.But parents gathered a
by mike simpson / 38min 
Must Read: How Bill Gates’ Power Drives Education Policy | janresseger
Must Read: How Bill Gates’ Power Drives Education Policy | janresseger: Must Read: How Bill Gates’ Power Drives Education PolicyPosted on June 10, 2014 by janressegerThe Common Core Standards are the culmination of the wave of accountability-based school reform that has swept the country since the A Nation At Risk report in 1983.  Like the other test-and-punish reforms, the Common Core Standards f
by mike simpson / 40min 
K-12 News Network | iPad Watchdog Stuart Magruder’s Re-Appointment: Which Way Will LAUSD Go?
K-12 News Network | iPad Watchdog Stuart Magruder’s Re-Appointment: Which Way Will LAUSD Go?: iPad Watchdog Stuart Magruder’s Re-Appointment: Which Way Will LAUSD Go?admin June 10, 2014The question for many school districts around the country this spring was this: how are they supposed to give computer-based, end-of-year Common Core State Standards (CCSS) tests?For over a year in Los Angeles Unifi
by mike simpson / 46min 

YESTERDAY

Schools Were Getting Much Safer Until 2010, Government Report Says
Schools Were Getting Much Safer Until 2010, Government Report Says: Schools Were Getting Much Safer Until 2010, Government Report SaysPosted: 06/10/2014 12:03 am EDT Updated: 9 minutes agoPresident Barack Obama signs a series of executive orders about the administration's new gun law proposals in January as children who wrote letters to the White House about gun violence, (L-R) Hinna Zeejah, Taeja
by mike simpson / 9h 
Making Learning Relevant | Connected Principals
Making Learning Relevant | Connected Principals: Making Learning Relevantby sleibowitz • June 10, 2014 • 0 CommentsCC licensed image shared by Flickr user Steve HeathWhat is the purpose of K-12 schooling?Think for a moment before coming up with an answer. Consider what you believe truly matters. Is it preparation for college? Preparation for a career? Support in growing to be an individual who is
by mike simpson / 10h 
Why Philly Needs to Persist the Anger Past Protesting | Philly in Focus
Why Philly Needs to Persist the Anger Past Protesting | Philly in Focus:  Why Philly Needs to Persist the Anger Past ProtestingPHILLYACTIVE™ (NEWS THAT GETS PHILLY ACTIVE) The angry protesters shut down the City, but for how long?By Christopher “Flood the Drummer®” Norris6.9.14: Philadelphia – (Politics/Activism): Today’s protest in front of the Urban League of Philadelphia, and later at the Comca
by mike simpson / 10h 
6-9-14 Jersey Jazzman: Unions to Corrupted @GovChristie: "Keep Your Promises"
Jersey Jazzman: Unions to Corrupted @GovChristie: "Keep Your Promises": Unions to Corrupted @GovChristie: "Keep Your Promises"Good:UPDATE, 2:35 p.m.: Six more unions have filed a separate lawsuit against Gov. Chris Christie's pension plan. They are the Communications Workers of America, the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey, the American Federation of Teachers
by mike simpson / 12h 
My response to @NCTQ’s attempt to legitimize bullsh!t—#optout! – @ THE CHALK FACE
My response to @NCTQ’s attempt to legitimize bullsh!t—#optout! – @ THE CHALK FACE: My response to @NCTQ’s attempt to legitimize bullsh!t—#optout!JUNE 9, 2014 BY TIMOTHY D. SLEKAR LEAVE A COMMENTIt’s official.  Anthony Cody just posted on the Education Bloggers Network that NCTQ will host a “media conference call” to release its 2014 Teacher Prep Review.Please understand that I am not in any way up
by mike simpson / 12h 
Teacher Union President: The Right Is Not Going To Be Won Over On Common Core
Teacher Union President: The Right Is Not Going To Be Won Over On Common Core: Jacob FischlerBuzzFeed StaffRandi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Rebecca Cook / ReutersWASHINGTON — Conservatives won’t ever support Common Core on ideological grounds, but hearts and minds are still winnable when it comes to the education standards.At least that’s what Randi Weingart
by mike simpson / 12h 
There Is Probably No “Crisis” In American Education | Paul Bruno
There Is Probably No “Crisis” In American Education | Paul Bruno: There Is Probably No “Crisis” In American EducationBy PAUL BRUNO | Published: JUNE 9, 2014Here is a chart of educational attainment in the United States since 1940:When you look at that chart, do you see a crisis?No? Me neither.How about in these charts of reading and math achievement on the NAEP for 17-year-olds, broken down by rac
by mike simpson / 14h 
Nite Cap 6-9-14 #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 CAPMarie Corfield: Asm. Ciattarelli to NJs 1%: Keep Calm and Count Your MoneyMarie Corfield: Asm. Ciattarelli to NJs 1%: Keep Calm and Count Your Money: Asm. Ciattarelli to NJs 1%: Keep Calm and Count Your MoneyI'm sure the taxpayers of New Jersey's
by mike simpson / 15h 
Marie Corfield: Asm. Ciattarelli to NJs 1%: Keep Calm and Count Your Money
Marie Corfield: Asm. Ciattarelli to NJs 1%: Keep Calm and Count Your Money: Asm. Ciattarelli to NJs 1%: Keep Calm and Count Your MoneyI'm sure the taxpayers of New Jersey's 16th legislative district will rest comfortably tonight knowing that their Assemblyman, Republican Jack Ciattarelli, is looking out for their financial well being. I ran against Ciattarelli in 2011 and 2013, so I was particular
by mike simpson / 15h 
solidaridad: Robert D. Skeels featured in the UCLA Daily Bruin 2014 Graduation Issue and Radio
solidaridad: Robert D. Skeels featured in the UCLA Daily Bruin 2014 Graduation Issue and Radio: Robert D. Skeels featured in the UCLA Daily Bruin 2014 Graduation Issue and RadioStories of older students enrich UCLA’s Class of 2014By Kathleen McGovernTwo of the oldest undergraduate students in UCLA’s Class of 2014 share their stories:Robert Skeels, 48, is one of the oldest returning undergraduate s
by mike simpson / 15h 
How to Buy a Governor for Fun and Profit: first, control the public education systems – testing, teachers, charters and all | Reclaim Reform
How to Buy a Governor for Fun and Profit: first, control the public education systems – testing, teachers, charters and all | Reclaim Reform: How to Buy a Governor for Fun and Profit: first, control the public education systems – testing, teachers, charters and allPosted on June 9, 2014by Ken PrevitiThis legalized corruption-as-government is happening in state after state, but Illinois prefers the
by mike simpson / 16h 
7 Reasons Why Documentation Is Still A Good Leadership Tool | Connected Principals
7 Reasons Why Documentation Is Still A Good Leadership Tool | Connected Principals: 7 Reasons Why Documentation Is Still A Good Leadership Toolby William Parker • June 9, 2014 • 0 CommentsThis week I have spent a lot of time with to-do lists as well as pulling together with my team members to coordinate important end-of-school-year activities.If you are leading a school, organization, or a team, y
by mike simpson / 17h 
Maria Shriver | Powered by Inspiration – For Architects of Change
Maria Shriver | Powered by Inspiration – For Architects of Change: MAKERS: Maria Shriver – Raising Modern Daughters and Sons [Video]Maria discusses how she taught her children to embrace all aspects of their strength and sensitivity.    …by msAdmin / 0min MAKERS: Maria Shriver – Smart Family Issues [Video]Maria discusses the myth of “having it all” when most of America’s women are just getting by.
by mike simpson / 17h 
A Great Divide: The Election Fight for California’s Schools | MyFDL
A Great Divide: The Election Fight for California’s Schools | MyFDL: A Great Divide: The Election Fight for California’s SchoolsBy: Gary Cohn Thursday March 6, 2014 11:25 amAn election campaign now being fought almost completely out of public view could radically alter the way California’s school children are taught. If Marshall Tuck unseats incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torla
by mike simpson / 17h 
6-9-14 The Whole Child Blog — Join the Summer Learning Movement! — Whole Child Education
Join the Summer Learning Movement! — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGJoin the Summer Learning Movement!June 9, 2014 by Kristen PekarekThe summer learning movement, as promoted by whole child partnerNational Summer Learning Association (NSLA), is part of a whole child education as it takes into account a child's education and overall well-being all year long, including the summer months.
by mike simpson / 18h 
for the love of learning: I'm a teacher. I never saw this coming.
for the love of learning: I'm a teacher. I never saw this coming.: I'm a teacher. I never saw this coming.This was written by Jim Watson who is a teacher in British Columbia. Watson blogs here. This post was originally found here. by Jim WatsonBefore I started teaching in my own classroom in the fall of 1987, I would sneak into the quiet, empty school daily, starting in early August just to get a
by mike simpson / 20h 
6-9-14 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): LAUSD board inching closer to final 2014-15 spending planThe pressure is on for LA Unified schools chief John Deasy and the board of education to work out the details of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and the Local  Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), the most sweeping overhaul in how California
by mike simpson / 21h 
Is All This Student Data Changing the Way Teachers Teach? | MindShift
Is All This Student Data Changing the Way Teachers Teach? | MindShift: Is All This Student Data Changing the Way Teachers Teach?Francesca Segrè | June 2, 2014 | 7 CommentsPrintinShare52Email PostChristy Novack works with students in her Burlingame, Calif. classroom. Francesca Segre/MindShiftWith so much access to student data these days, teachers are experimenting with different tactics, and figur
by mike simpson / 21h 
6-9-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy
Wait What?:   Wait What? Time for Connecticut to dump the Common CoreConnecticut has wasted enough time and money on the unnecessary and wasteful diversion called the Common Core and its associated Common Core testing scheme. It is time for Connecticut to scrap the Common Core and re-direct scarce resources to ensuring that all of Connecticut’s public school students get the education they need to
by mike simpson / 22h 
Shanker Blog » A Few More Points About Charter Schools And Extended Time
Shanker Blog » A Few More Points About Charter Schools And Extended Time: A Few More Points About Charter Schools And Extended TimePosted by Matthew Di Carlo on June 9, 2014A few weeks ago, I wrote a post that made a fairly simple point about the practice of expressing estimated charter effects on test scores as “days of additional learning”: Among the handful of states, districts, and multi-site
by mike simpson / 22h 
6-9-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Math Adoption DocumentsMore documents at Scribed from Julian A.  They include info on 2015 Math in Focus and several school math waivers.  Scroll to the bottom to access other documents. by Melissa Westbrook / 24min 6-8-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum WeekSeattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools' Math Adoption: What's Happening at Your School?A reader su
by mike simpson / 22h 
6-9-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: Reporter Visits NOLA Charter Cult Where Parents Filed Civil Rights ComplaintA clip from the story, followed by part of my email to the reporter, Andrew Vanacore:. . . . Its campuses have never been outwardly impressive. Its first, Sci Academy, opened in 2008 in a set of trailers near what used to be Abramson High School. The group began a phased takeover of Carver High School, in t
by mike simpson / 22h 
Paul Thomas: The Problem Isn't Just Common Core, but the Entire Reform Agenda - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
Paul Thomas: The Problem Isn't Just Common Core, but the Entire Reform Agenda - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Paul Thomas: The Problem Isn't Just Common Core, but the Entire Reform AgendaBy Anthony Cody on June 9, 2014 10:17 AMGuest post by Paul Thomas.Before the Common Core debate reached the fevered public debates of the past year, I took a stand against standards-based reform rep
by mike simpson / 22h 
Lab Rats | EduShyster
Lab Rats | EduShyster: Lab RatsWelcome to New Orleans—America’s urban education laboratoryDo you dream of being part of our nation’s greatest experiment in urban education? I know I do—which I why I was thrilled to be the recipient of a recent Google ad inviting me toTeach, Live and Love New Orleans. Welcome to NOLA, reader, where you’ll find plenty of *that je ne sais quoi, that elan, that bon te
by mike simpson / 22h 
Bill Gates Insists that His Common Core Philanthropy is Not For Any Self-Interest | Missouri Education Watchdog
Bill Gates Insists that His Common Core Philanthropy is Not For Any Self-Interest | Missouri Education Watchdog: Bill Gates Insists that His Common Core Philanthropy is Not For Any Self-InterestinShareBill Gates insists in a Washington Post article that his philanthropy is not for any personal gain.  Maybe it’s for the destruction of a representative government?  That’s how the Common Core State S
by mike simpson / 22h 
About Failing Leadership and Unfair Portrayals | PWC Education Reform Blog
About Failing Leadership and Unfair Portrayals | PWC Education Reform Blog: About Failing Leadership and Unfair PortrayalsJune 9, 2014 — pwceducationreformOver the last several days the social media world in PWC has been up in arms over accusations that school division leadership is failing our schools and that characterizations of our schools as failing are unfair.  On one hand you have Justin Wi
by mike simpson / 22h 
Time for Congress to Investigate Bill Gates’ Role in Common Core | Common Dreams
Time for Congress to Investigate Bill Gates’ Role in Common Core | Common Dreams: Time for Congress to Investigate Bill Gates’ Role in Common Coreby Diane RavitchBillionaire founder of Microsoft Bill Gates. (Credit: World Economic Forum / Flickr Creative Commons)A new Washington Post story by Lyndsey Layton about how Bill Gates’ funded the Common Core revolution is startling. His role and the role
by mike simpson / 23h 
Morning Wink 6-9-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS6-9-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdDthe becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Listening to a Teacher from a “No Excuses” Charter SchoolValerie Strauss has raised a key problem with the education reform movement in the U.S.
by mike simpson / 23h 





Posted by at