Big Education Ape: Jun 13, 2014

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

Districts protesting closed-door deal restricting control over their budgets | EdSource Today

Districts protesting closed-door deal restricting control over their budgets | EdSource Today: Districts protesting closed-door deal restricting control over their budgetsJune 13th, 2014 | Add a Comment | By John FensterwaldOrganizations representing school districts and superintendents are trying to stop a last-minute effort to limit the size of their budget reserves, which they’re characterizing

by mike simpson / 2min

Head of American Federation of Teachers weighs in on Pittsburgh teacher ratings - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Head of American Federation of Teachers weighs in on Pittsburgh teacher ratings - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Head of American Federation of Teachers weighs in on Pittsburgh teacher ratingsJune 13, 2014 4:41 PM American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten today weighed in on the release of Pittsburgh Public Schools teacher ratings that show 96.9 percent of classroom teachers are profici

by mike simpson / 8min

empathyeducates – The Case for Banning Laptops in the Classroom

empathyeducates – The Case for Banning Laptops in the Classroom: The Case for Banning Laptops in the ClassroomBy Dan Rockmore | Originally Published at The New Yorker. June 6, 2014A colleague of mine in the department of computer science at Dartmouth recently sent an e-mail to all of us on the faculty. The subject line read: “Ban computers in the classroom?” The note that followed was one sentence

by mike simpson / 10min

NYC Educator: The Amazing Disappearing Mr. Astorino

NYC Educator: The Amazing Disappearing Mr. Astorino: The Amazing Disappearing Mr. AstorinoA few months ago, I went to an anti-testing demonstration at Comsewogue High School. One of the speakers was gubernatorial hopeful Rob Astorino. Astorino spoke forcefully against Common Core, to the overwhelming approval of the crowd. Cuomo was awful. He was dancing around the truth. He supported this awful t

by mike simpson / 1h

Why Arne Duncan needs to listen to Bill and Melinda | Lily's Blackboard

Why Arne Duncan needs to listen to Bill and Melinda | Lily's Blackboard: Why Arne Duncan needs to listen to Bill and MelindaJun 13th, 2014 by Lily.I do not hate the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. I know it might seem strange to have to make that statement, but such are the times we live in. I’ve just had too many arguments with too many friends who, when I ask specifically why they are ups

by mike simpson / 1h

The Tenure/LIFO Court Decision | Taking Note

The Tenure/LIFO Court Decision | Taking Note: The Tenure/LIFO Court Decisionby JOHN MERROW on 13. JUN, 2014 in 2014 BLOGS“Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t!!!”I wasn’t present when AFT President Randi Weingarten and NEA President Dennis van Roekel heard about “Vergara vs California,” but it’s easy to imagine them uttering an expletive (or two or three).Understand, I’m not talking about their reaction to the judge’

by mike simpson / 2h

Letter to Education Secretary Duncan on the Vergara decision AFT - A Union of Professionals -

AFT - A Union of Professionals - Letter to Education Secretary Duncan on the Vergara decision: Letter to U.S. Education Secretary Duncan on the Vergara decisionJune 12, 2014Secretary Arne DuncanU.S. Department of Education400 Maryland Ave. S.W.Washington, DC 20202Dear Secretary Duncan:This week, we needed your leadership; to demonstrate that teacher and student interests are aligned; that we must

by mike simpson / 2h

LATE Morning Wink 6-13-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTSSorry for the Late MORNING WINK still having feedly issues6-13-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy #MalloyrespondWait What?: Wait What? #Malloyrespond “I don’t need to respond to what Jonathan says,” Malloy told reporters.Governor Dannel “Dan” Malloy is absolutely correct. He doesn’t need to respond to what I say.

by mike simpson / 2h

Hold the presses! The Gates Foundation Wants You To Boycott High-Stakes Tests | Seattle Education

Hold the presses! The Gates Foundation Wants You To Boycott High-Stakes Tests | Seattle Education: Hold the presses! The Gates Foundation Wants You To Boycott High-Stakes TestsThis article was originally posted on I am an Educator by Jesse Hagopian.I’m as shocked as you are about this…or should I be?The Gates Foundation agrees with those who’ve decided that assessment results should not be taken i

by mike simpson / 2h

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 6-13-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Lausd To Pay $5 Million In Telfair Child Abuse CaseLAUSD to pay $5 million in Telfair Elementary teacher molestation case By Thomas Himes, Los Angeles Daily News | http://bit.ly/1l8tdpi 6/11/14, 12:25 PM PDT :: Los Angeles Unified School District officials agreed to a $5 million payout to settle a lawsuit brought on behalf of two 11-year-old students

by mike simpson / 2h

Common Core Sparks Flood of Legislation

Common Core Sparks Flood of Legislation: Common Core Sparks Flood of Legislation By Adrienne Lu, Staff WriterMary Natali teaches her first grade class at George Buck Elementary School in Indianapolis. Indiana was the first state in the country to revoke the Common Core math and English standards, leaving teachers reeling from years of change. (AP) Follow on TwitterStephen Colbert mockedit. Comedi

by mike simpson / 2h

6-13-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida ALL Week

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: On Florida’s School Grade Pause and It’s Polticized Board of EducationThe editors of the Tampa Bay Times preface their support for a pause in applying school grades in Florida by reminded readers that the existing scheme is already discredited. And while it’s extremely u

by mike simpson / 2h

Panning A Charter Takeover of ALL public Schools | Cloaking Inequity

Panning A Charter Takeover of ALL public Schools | Cloaking Inequity: Panning A Charter Takeover of ALL public SchoolsThe attempted charter takeover of the nation’s 14th-largest district is underway. Wealthy backers of the hostile takeover attempt have gathered enough signatures to force the anti-democratic maneuver onto the the November ballot. I first discussed the attempted takeover of Dallas i

by mike simpson / 2h

Tyranny of the Majority Threatens Protection of Educational Opportunity in Ohio | janresseger

Tyranny of the Majority Threatens Protection of Educational Opportunity in Ohio | janresseger: Tyranny of the Majority Threatens Protection of Educational Opportunity in OhioPosted on June 13, 2014 by janressegerThere is one old joke told and retold about school finance lawsuits. I’ve heard it for twenty-five years as keynote speakers begin their remarks. It isn’t very funny, but I suppose it wo

by mike simpson / 2h

6-13-14 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.: A message to retiring teachers at the end of the school year.Some members of our Skokie Organization of Retired Educators (SORE) IEA Retired making a call on our local state representative. This is the last day of school in Park Ridge, where I once taught. I retired two years ago. I want to send out a

by mike simpson / 2h

6-13-14 With A Brooklyn Accent:: Love Letter to the BATS- On the First Anniversary of the Badass Teachers Association

With A Brooklyn Accent: Love Letter to the BATS- On the First Anniversary of the Badass Teachers Association I have been enraged by what has been happening to teachers and public education for at least 7 years. My involvement began in 2007 with school grading and school closings in the Bronx, which drove the history projects I was doing out of the public schools, and victimized many of the grea

by mike simpson / 2h

6-13-14 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): South Carolina Officially VamboozledIf anyone is wondering why the “bad” teacher crisis remains central to what political leaders want the public to hear, South Carolina offers a heaping dose of why: Political leaders are enormously incompetent and need us all to remain

by mike simpson / 2h

Answer Sheet 6-13-14

Answer Sheet: It’s Friday the 13th. Keep your paraskevidekatriaphobia in check.If you suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia, otherwise known as paraskevidekatriaphobia, today isn’t a great day for you. It’s Friday the 13th, and the phobia is all about a blinding fear of this day — however irrational it may seem. (But you can take heart; it’s the last Friday on the 13th day of any month in 2014, al

by mike simpson / 2h

6-13-14 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): New online course helps parents brush up on education policyVia Edsource | By John Fensterwald A joke around Sacramento is that it takes a Ph.D. in Proposition 98 to understand how California schools are funded and governed. The truth is that agood short course is probably all that’s needed for the basics

1 by mike simpson / 2h

6-13-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Why MORE? Vergara Tenure Decision, Eva Charter Expansion, UFT/AFT Tepid ResponsesIt will take an army to defeat ed deform. The UFT actually has a potential army through its large (but shrinking, and due to shrink more) membership (108,000 contract vote ballots were sent out to working UFT members) but wants to keep it defanged because an army with teeth may turn on the leadership.

by mike simpson / 2h

6-13-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Compare and Contrast How Vergara Decision is ViewedAn ad in USA Today by yet ANOTHER group. As Diane Ravitch notes,Funny the ad doesn’t mention that the highest performing states in the U.S. on the NAEP are Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Connecticut, all of which have strong unions.Or that the states at the bottom of the NAEP ratings do not have strong unions (or,

by mike simpson / 2h

6-13-14 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 Best Posts On New Research Studies In 2014 – So FarI write many posts about recent research studies and how they can relate practically to the classroom. In fact, I post a regular feature called Research Studies of the Week. In addition, I write individual posts about studies I feel are particularly relevant to my work a

by mike simpson / 2h

6-13-14 Curmudgucation

CURMUDGUCATION: Directory of Anti-Teacher TrollsIt may or may not be a good idea to attempt reading all the pieces responding to the Vergara decision, but it's definitely a mistake to read the comments section for any of them.If there is any group that has been emboldened by the California court's fact-free finding against teacher job protections, it has been the legion of anti-teacher trolls. Fro

by mike simpson / 2h

6-13-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: Quid Pro Cuomo Raises Millions From Real Estate Interests And Other Donors Through Campaign Finance LoopholeHere's your champion of public campaign finance, Working Families Party:When he ran for office four years ago, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo pledged to close a loophole in the state's campaign finance regulations allowing corporations and individuals to pour unlimited

by mike simpson / 2h

NYC Public School Parents: Please attend class size hearings starting next week and make your voices heard!

NYC Public School Parents: Please attend class size hearings starting next week and make your voices heard!: Please attend class size hearings starting next week and make your voices heard!As the result of a lawsuit, DOE is holding borough hearings starting next week on their use of $531 million in annual Contract for Excellence state funds. A flyer you can post in your school is here. Places and

by mike simpson / 2h

Residents are crowded out of college by out-of-state and foreign students | Hechinger Report

Residents are crowded out of college by out-of-state and foreign students | Hechinger Report: Residents are crowded out of college by out-of-state and foreign studentsUniversities concede the trend is largely about moneyBy Timothy PrattThis story also appeared at:In her 18 years as a counselor at California high schools, Kirsten Barnes has seen hundreds of seniors apply for college. But few were a

by mike simpson / 2h

Protest the Gates Foundation’s takeover of public schools | Seattle Education

Protest the Gates Foundation’s takeover of public schools | Seattle Education: Protest the Gates Foundation’s takeover of public schoolsAnnouncement issued by local teachers:Protest the Gates FoundationRally at Westlake Park(401 Pine St, Seattle)March to Gates Foundation(440 5th Ave N, Seattle)June 26th at 5:00 PMOur schools are under attack from the mega rich who seek to reduce education to stand

by mike simpson / 2h

6-13-14 The Whole Child Blog — Gaming in the Classroom Can Be an Epic Win — Whole Child Education

Gaming in the Classroom Can Be an Epic Win — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGGaming in the Classroom Can Be an Epic WinJune 13, 2014 by ASCD Whole Child BloggersPost written by Mikaela Dwyer, a journalism student at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester. She considers herself a human rights activist and spends her time volunteering on campus and with various local nonprofits.

by mike simpson / 3h

6-13-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy #Malloyrespond

Wait What?: Wait What? #Malloyrespond “I don’t need to respond to what Jonathan says,” Malloy told reporters.Governor Dannel “Dan” Malloy is absolutely correct. He doesn’t need to respond to what I say. In fact, as is his style, Malloy doesn’t need to respond to what anyone says…at least not until the voters have had their say in November. But that said, when it comes Malloy’s anti-teacher, anti-

by mike simpson / 8h

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-13-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Virginia Court Declares State Takeovers UnconstitutionalA Circuit Court judge in Virginia declared unconstitutional a law that created a state takeover board for low-performing schools. Wonder if this was ALEC legislation? According to a release from the National School,Boards Association: “A Circuit Court judge has struck down a s

by mike simpson / 8h

6-13-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: South Carolina Officially VamboozledSouth Carolina Officially Vamboozled. via South Carolina Officially Vamboozled.by plthomasedd / 6min hide // saveA few thoughts on #Vergara and InequalityWhy don’t the billionaires encourage parents to sue because of large class size creating inequality? Why don’t the billionaires encourage parents to sue because of a lack of school nurses

by mike simpson / 8h

State should not be forcing districts to spend down their budget reserves | EdSource Today

State should not be forcing districts to spend down their budget reserves | EdSource Today: State should not be forcing districts to spend down their budget reservesJune 12th, 2014 | Add a Comment | By Vernon Billy and Wes Smith / commentaryShare on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailShare on pinterest_shareMore Sharing Services6Vernon BillyThe governor and Legislature are preparing to approve

by mike simpson / 8h

The Common Core Chess Game | Truth in American Education

The Common Core Chess Game | Truth in American Education: The Common Core Chess GameFiled in Common Core State Standards by Shane Vander Hart on June 13, 2014 • 0 Comments72The following guest article was written by Dennis Ian who is a member of Stop Common Core in New York State.By Denis IanLet’s play chess … because that’s exactly what the Gates and the Common Core pushers are doing.They’re on t

by mike simpson / 8h

Kids v. Politics | Parents United for Public Education

Kids v. Politics | Parents United for Public Education: Kids v. PoliticsPosted on June 13, 2014 by HELENGYMLeave a comment(This piece was cross-posted at the Public School Notebook) Yesterday, City Council proved once again that Philadelphia’s school children are second to politicking. Instead of following through on its promise to guarantee the District at least $50 million, a promise it made las

by mike simpson / 8h

YESTERDAY

California Ruling on Teacher Tenure Is Not Whole Picture - NYTimes.com

California Ruling on Teacher Tenure Is Not Whole Picture - NYTimes.com: Taking on Teacher Tenure BackfiresCalifornia Ruling on Teacher Tenure Is Not Whole PictureBERKELEY, Calif. — IN his decision on Tuesday to strike down California’s teacher-tenure system, Judge Rolf M. Treu of Los Angeles Superior Court ruled that laws protecting teachers from dismissal violated the state’s constitutional commi

by mike simpson / 18h

Vergara Case Lost in Los Angeles |

Vergara Case Lost in Los Angeles |: Vergara Case Lost in Los Angeles A few months ago, I wrote a few posts about the “Vergara v. California” case happening in Los Angeles, California, as well as posts about the testimonies of Thomas Kane(Economics Professor from Harvard University), David Berliner (Regents Professor Emeritus from Arizona State), Linda Darling-Hammond (Professor from Stanford), and

by mike simpson / 18h

Darth Mona Davids? southbronxschool com

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Darth Mona Davids?I believe in loyalty. I can be very loyal to a friend, someone I know, my colleagues, teachers ingeneral. And for those that have stuck out there necks for me, who have taken their time to listen to me, to cheer me up, to let me vent, they have every right to expect loyalty from me and if I disagree with them to be man enough to say what is own my

by mike simpson / 19h

Billionaire’s foundation may aid HISD in teacher eval suit - K-12 Zone

Billionaire’s foundation may aid HISD in teacher eval suit - K-12 Zone: Billionaire’s foundation may aid HISD in teacher eval suitPosted on June 12, 2014 | By Ericka MellonPRINT0An equation involved in HISD’s teacher evaluation system is displayed in May next to Andy Dewey, an officer of the Houston Federation of Teachers who is suing HISD over its evaluation methods. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicl

by mike simpson / 21h

Ed Roundup for 6-12-14 - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)

Ed Roundup for 6-12-14 - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education): Education Roundup for Week Ending June 12, 2014SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Education (CDE) today issued this week's roundup of education-related announcements of public interest.CDE Deputy Superintendent Joining Rocklin School DistrictCDE District, School & Innovation Branch Deputy Superintendent Deb Sigman has accepted a n

by mike simpson / 21h hide // save

Dyett High Protesters Rip Alderman, Mayor, CPS - Downtown - DNAinfo.com Chicago

Dyett High Protesters Rip Alderman, Mayor, CPS - Downtown - DNAinfo.com Chicago: Dyett High Protesters Rip Alderman, Mayor, CPSBy Ted Cox on June 9, 2014 2:54pm @tedcoxchicagoDyett High School valedictorian Parrish Brown accused CPS of "destabilization" in not providing basic resources.View Full CaptionDNAinfo/Ted CoxCITY HALL — Dyett High School parents, students and community leadersre

by mike simpson / 22h

Nite Cap 6-12-14 #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 CAPMcEducation | educarenowMcEducation | educarenow: McEducationPosted on June 12, 2014 | Leave a comment“There is an assumption that western education, western knowledge, is something that is superior…there is an idea that we have evolved to a high

by mike simpson / 23h