The Top JLV Posts of 2015 (According To You And Me) | The Jose Vilson

The Top JLV Posts of 2015 (According To You And Me) | The Jose Vilson:

The Top JLV Posts of 2015 (According To You And Me)

According to thousands of you, here are the top ten posts 2015 with a few words from each post. This blog surpassed a million views since inception. Considering I’m doing this without any major sponsorship, publications, or well-regarded co-signs, I’m ecstatic about this and so much more. Without further adieu, here they are:

1. Opting Out Of Everything

“I wanted to listen to the whole commercial, but, instead I hurried up, paid for my groceries, and got the hell out. You guessed it: I opted out.”

1. We’re Wrong [Reflecting on Spring Valley High]

“If I’m the black male educator who’s seeing that and I don’t react, the first words out of my mouth ought to be ‘I was wrong, and I’m sorry.'”

1. I’m Not Racist, But My Kid’s Not Going There [On Segregation]

“The tale of two schools begins and ends with a white school and a black school, and, no matter if the schools are equal by any measure that our society deems credible, one will always be different from the other. Segregation.”

1. Where Have All The Teachers of Color Gone? [With Answers]

“When education reformers of present-day wanted to disrupt their education systems, they competed against each other in their shows of force by shutting down, breaking up, and privatizing The Top JLV Posts of 2015 (According To You And Me) | The Jose Vilson:

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 12/30/15

CORPORATE ED REFORM

SBE Agenda for January 2016 - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education)

SBE Agenda for January 2016 - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education): SBE Agenda for January 2016Agenda for the California State Board of Education (SBE) meeting on January 13-14, 2016.State Board MembersMichael W. Kirst, PresidentIlene W. Straus, Vice PresidentSue BurrBruce HoladayFeliza I. Ortiz-LiconPatricia A. RuckerNiki SandovalTing L. SunTrish WilliamsMichael S. McFarland, Student M

by mike simpson / 0min 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Policy 3208, Sexual Harassment Annual Report

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Policy 3208, Sexual Harassment Annual Report: Policy 3208, Sexual Harassment Annual ReportHere's the latest in a recurring topic.School Board policy 3208, Sexual Harassment, requires an annual report.The Superintendent shall make an annual report to the Board reviewing the use and efficacy of this policy and related procedures. Recommendations for changes to this p

by mike simpson / 15min 

UOO Conference, February 26 – 28, 2016: Transcending Resistance, Igniting Revolution

UNITED OPT OUT: The Movement to End Corporate Education Reform - United Opt Out National UOO Conference, February 26 – 28, 2016: Transcending Resistance, Igniting RevolutionIt is time for revolution. It is time for non-negotiable demands. It is time to reclaim our public schools and demand all for all children. Join us in Philly as we dialogue with an incredible group of revolutionary leaders whoR

by mike simpson / 1h 

Schneider’s ESSA Digest, Part III (Pages 90 – 105) | deutsch29

Schneider’s ESSA Digest, Part III (Pages 90 – 105) | deutsch29: Schneider’s ESSA Digest, Part III (Pages 90 – 105)I am in the process of carefully reading the 1,061-page Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the December 10, 2015, reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), and writing a series of posts that will form a digest of those 1,061 pages.This ESSA digest wi

by mike simpson / 2h 

NYC Public School Parents: Our inBloom email saga Part I: Waiting for John King to respond to the FOIL

NYC Public School Parents: Our inBloom email saga Part I: Waiting for John King to respond to the FOIL: Our inBloom email saga Part I: Waiting for John King to respond to the FOILI have taken  time during this holiday break to finally write up my experiences with my attempt to FOIL communications of the NY State Education Department regarding inBloom Inc.  Below is Part I.  Part II with excerpts f

by mike simpson / 3h 

A letter that shows how big business pushed Common Core - The Washington Post

A letter that shows how big business pushed Common Core - The Washington Post: A letter that shows how big business pushed Common CoreIn recent days, education activists have become incensed with Rex Tillerson, the ExxonMobil chief executive, for remarks he made about public schools that were part of a story about the Common Core State Standards in Fortune magazine.The article, titled “Business Ge

by mike simpson / 3h 

On the Obsession with Outcomes | Save Maine Schools

On the Obsession with Outcomes | Save Maine Schools: On the Obsession with OutcomesAccording to Tom Vander Ark, Summit Public Schools have a “college and career readiness system will track growth trajectory of knowledge, skills, and success habits against college goals, and “students falling short of their planned growth trajectory, on any front, will see a big red warning system.”Let that sink in

by mike simpson / 3h 

A Historian Reflects on Failing at National Board Certification - Living in Dialogue

A Historian Reflects on Failing at National Board Certification - Living in Dialogue: A Historian Reflects on Failing at National Board CertificationBy John Thompson.Even as I tried to distance myself from the computer over the holiday season, edu-politics kept drawing me back. Since my book, A Teacher’s Tale, has been released, I reread the manuscript’s my first draft. Mostly, I did so to revisit

by mike simpson / 6h 

Empower LA – Neighborhood Council Online Election Voter Registration

Empower LA – VRP: Welcome to the 2016 Neighborhood Council Online Election Voter Registration PortalEmpowerLA is excited to announce that in addition to having polling locations on election day, 35 of the 96 Neighborhood Councils in the City of Los Angeles are also piloting Online Voting for their elections, which provides an opportunity for voters to register in advance of the election day and vo

by mike simpson / 6h 

Connecticut ALERT: Malloy/Wyman Administration to punish schools and taxpayers for protecting parental rights - Wait What?

Connecticut ALERT: Malloy/Wyman Administration to punish schools and taxpayers for protecting parental rights - Wait What?: Connecticut ALERT: Malloy/Wyman Administration to punish schools and taxpayers for protecting parental rightsLast spring, in response to the State of Connecticut’s attempt to force students to take the unfair, inappropriate and discriminatory Common Core Smarter Balanced Asse

by mike simpson / 7h 

With A Brooklyn Accent: Are We Becoming What We Have Been Taught to Fear?

With A Brooklyn Accent: Are We Becoming What We Have Been Taught to Fear?: Are We Becoming What We Have Been Taught to Fear?Within the last year, two novels set in Nazi Occupied France- "All the Light We Cannot See" and "The Nightingale"- have become national best sellers. Now, a symbol of teacher resistance in Nazi-Occupied Norway-the Paper Clip- is being adopted by teachers i

by mike simpson / 7h 

A Tale of 2 States: Lessons to Be Learned (Frederick Hess and Sarah DuPre) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

A Tale of 2 States: Lessons to Be Learned (Frederick Hess and Sarah DuPre) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: A Tale of 2 States: Lessons to Be Learned (Frederick Hess and Sarah DuPre)Frederick M. Hess is director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Sarah DuPre is a Research Assistant in Education Policy at American Enterprise InstituteU.S. News an

by mike simpson / 7h 

Why Philanthropy Hurts Rather Than Helps Some of the World's Worst Problems | The Progressive

Why Philanthropy Hurts Rather Than Helps Some of the World's Worst Problems | The Progressive: Why Philanthropy Hurts Rather Than Helps Some of the World's Worst ProblemsIn America today, big time philanthropists are often lauded for helping to even the playing field for those less fortunate. Every week, millionaires flock from TED conferences to "idea festivals" sharing viral new presen

by mike simpson / 7h 

Exploring Cross-State Variations in Resources, Outcomes and Gaps | School Finance 101

Exploring Cross-State Variations in Resources, Outcomes and Gaps | School Finance 101: Exploring Cross-State Variations in Resources, Outcomes and GapsFor the past several years now, the Education Law Center of New Jersey and I have been producing a roughly annual report on the state of school finance systems. As that report has evolved, we have taken advantage of publicly available data to constr

by mike simpson / 7h 

Teaching for Justice & Rebellion | @ THE CHALKFACE

Teaching for Justice & Rebellion | @ THE CHALKFACE: Teaching for Justice & RebellionLet me just say that I agree with most of my more progressive colleagues out there in their calls for teaching with a bend towards social justice, activism, and rebellion.Take this for example: From the Progressive on “Teaching Rebellion.”To wit:Why waste precious class time doing a close read of a technica

by mike simpson / 7h 

Looking back over 2015. | Fred Klonsky

Looking back over 2015. | Fred Klonsky: Looking back over 2015. Some posts from the past year:Before the Illinois Supreme Court ruled in our favor, I started 2015 out by saying if we want to win our pensions we must also fight for peace and justice.The IEA might lose 600 adjunct members from Columbia College. And they did.I was an early supporter of the Progressive Caucus in the Chicago City Counc

by mike simpson / 7h 

CURMUDGUCATION: Why Do the Feds Heart Testing?

CURMUDGUCATION: Why Do the Feds Heart Testing?: Why Do the Feds Heart Testing?It has been a fact of educational life for so long, that we don't take the question out and ask it much any more, but really--Why is there a federal requirement to give students a standardized test?Why has that provision, that requirement, that burden been given the weight of federal regulation? Even as ESSA tore down an

by mike simpson / 7h 

6 Reasons Your Kid Could Have Less Standardized Testing in 2016 - Yahoo News

6 Reasons Your Kid Could Have Less Standardized Testing in 2016 - Yahoo News:6 Reasons Your Kid Could Have Less Standardized Testing in 2016It’s been a rough year for standardized testing—the timed, fill-in-the-bubble-with-a-No. 2-pencil mental gauntlets feared by students, loathed by teachers, and loved by education policy makers, perhaps because they no longer have to take them. Testing started

by mike simpson / 8h 

Too few students taking state exams; Washington could face sanctions | The Seattle Times

Too few students taking state exams; Washington could face sanctions | The Seattle Times: Too few students taking state exams; Washington could face sanctionsA dozen states were asked to address test-participation rates that dipped lower than the required 95 percent.Washington is one of 12 states that could face sanctions if it fails to get more students to take state exams next spring.The U.S. De

by mike simpson / 8h 

How Congress Left Behind Public-School Choice - WSJ

How Congress Left Behind Public-School Choice - WSJ: How Congress Left Behind Public-School ChoiceObama calls the new law a ‘miracle.’ Tell that to students no longer able to transfer from bad schools. When President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act earlier this month, he celebrated the bipartisan support for the legislation—which replaced the No Child Left Behind Act—as a “Christmas mi

by mike simpson / 8h 

New California Law Limits Use of Student Data - US News

New California Law Limits Use of Student Data - US News: New California Law Limits Use of Student DataThe statute bars companies from using student data for advertising.For technology companies in California, ringing in the New Year will mean adjusting to a new privacy law that limits how they can collect and use student data.The data privacy legislation was originally signed into law by Gov. Jerr

by mike simpson / 8h 

States’ Pension Woes Split Democrats and Union Allies - WSJ

States’ Pension Woes Split Democrats and Union Allies - WSJ: States’ Pension Woes Split Democrats and Union AlliesLeft-leaning politicians are increasingly supporting more aggressive revamps of retirement benefits despite opposition from labor officials A $1 trillion U.S. pension gap is dividing two longtime allies: Democrats and unions.Left-leaning politicians from Rhode Island to California are

by mike simpson / 8h 

Know Who's Psyched for Hillary? Teachers Unions. – InsideSources

Know Who's Psyched for Hillary? Teachers Unions. – InsideSources: Know Who’s Psyched for Hillary? Teachers Unions.Lily Eskelsen García is feeling good these days.As president of the country’s largest labor union, the National Education Association, she was overjoyed by this month’s passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act — legislation President Barack Obama signed to end President George W. Bush

by mike simpson / 8h 

Ohio Charter School Report: Ohio tells federal investigators that charter schools are getting better

Ohio tells federal investigators that charter schools are getting better, but evidence isn’t convincing - Break News - Ohio: Ohio tells federal investigators that charter schools are getting better, but evidence isn’t convincingAs the Ohio Department of Education defends itself in a federal investigation of whether it can properly manage charter schools, reports at home raise questions as to wheth

by mike simpson / 8h 

2015 In Review: Lawmakers Reform Charter Schools While Top Education Officials Come Under Fire | WVXU

2015 In Review: Lawmakers Reform Charter Schools While Top Education Officials Come Under Fire | WVXU: 2015 In Review: Lawmakers Reform Charter Schools While Top Education Officials Come Under Fire2015 was the year Ohio lawmakers worked to overhaul the charter school system while a data scrubbing scandal was playing out at the state’s department of education. In January, when the brand-new Speaker

by mike simpson / 9h 

A year of change: The top five education stories of 2015 | EdSource

A year of change: The top five education stories of 2015 | EdSource: A year of change: The top five education stories of 2015 This year brought several changes to public schools in California, beginning with a robust economy that added billions of dollars to boost K-12 per-pupil spending. In a year of multiple developments, EdSource has selected its top five stories of 2015.  As lawmakers in Sacra

by mike simpson / 9h 

5 of the Worst Examples of Biased and Distorted Media Coverage of Education in 2015 | Alternet

5 of the Worst Examples of Biased and Distorted Media Coverage of Education in 2015 | Alternet: 5 of the Worst Examples of Biased and Distorted Media Coverage of Education in 2015There were some big time fails.2015 was an important year in education policy, with the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the beginning of the 2016 election campaigns, and local fights for teachers and pub

by mike simpson / 9h 

View: Reconsidering Race to the Top

View: Reconsidering Race to the Top: View: Reconsidering Race to the TopA former Regent has some regrets but believes the state board did much important workIn 2000, when my friend, former Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, asked me to stand for election to the state Board of Regents, I was reluctant, because it meant giving up my position as chairman of the board of Westchester Community College. But w

by mike simpson / 9h 

Experts Share Their Outlooks on K-12 Education in an Era of Broken Schools - The Atlantic

Experts Share Their Outlooks on K-12 Education in an Era of Broken Schools - The Atlantic: Can Schools Be Fixed?Experts on K-12 education offer their reasons for optimism and pessimism going forward.It’s been a tumultuous year for America’s schools—one marked by an expanding minority-student population, an increasingly discontent teaching force, a backlash against standardized testing, and shiftin

by mike simpson / 9h 

A Conversation with Dr. Diane Ravitch | netnebraska.org

A Conversation with Dr. Diane Ravitch | netnebraska.org: A CONVERSATION WITH DR. DIANE RAVITCHDr. Diane Ravitch is known as one of our nation’s leading advocates for public education. A renowned professor of education at New York University and former Undersecretary of Education in the George H.W. Bush administration, Ravitch has emerged as a vocal critic of current education strategies. Drawing o

by mike simpson / 9h 

YESTERDAY

Hechinger's top stories of 2015 - The Hechinger Report

Hechinger's top stories of 2015 - The Hechinger Report: Hechinger’s top stories of 2015 ’s been another big year for The Hechinger Report. We unveiled a new website, held a successful crowd funding campaign and published a record-breaking 652 stories.  If you found it hard to keep up with them all, fear not! We chose some must-reads to squeeze in before the ball drops. (And don’t forget to sign up

by mike simpson / 19h 

Feds say too few students took required tests in 148 CT schools | The CT Mirror

Feds say too few students took required tests in 148 CT schools | The CT Mirror: Feds say too few students took required tests in 148 CT schoolsAfter thousands of Connecticut students failed to take required statewide achievement tests last spring, federal officials want to know what Connecticut education leaders are doing to ensure it doesn't happen again."The U.S. Department of Education is

by mike simpson / 22h 

“We do not count within the political process” —Chris Hedges

teacher/poet/musician/watch cat: “We do not count within the political process” —Chris Hedges: “We do not count within the political process” —Chris Hedges “…This truth, emotionally difficult to accept, violates our conception of ourselves as a free, democratic people. It shatters our vision of ourselves as a nation embodying superior virtues and endowed with the responsibility to serve as a beaco

by mike simpson / 22h 

You say you want a revolution

With A Brooklyn Accent: What Is The Paper Clip Revolution?: What Is The Paper Clip Revolution?The paper clip became a symbol of resistance in Nazi Occupied Norway. Thousands of Norwegian teachers who refused to teach the fascist curriculum were sent to prison camps. The resistance of these teachers, as well as over 200,000 parents caused the government to abandon their plan. We as educators have d

by mike simpson / 22h 

The Charter School Business (Racket)

The Charter School Business: The Charter School BusinessAnd how to keep it from being the charter school racket: An interview with Bruce Baker.Rachel M. Cohen is a writing fellow at The American ProspectAP Photo/The Topeka Capital-Journal, Ann WilliamsonTong Athwai, 16, studies during his Intro to Algebra class at the Highland Park Success Academy in Topeka, Kansas. Rutgers University professor Br

by mike simpson / 23h 

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 12/29/15

CORPORATE ED REFORMSeattle Schools Community Forum: Ignite Yourself (or something like that)Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ignite Yourself (or something like that):  Ignite Yourself (or something like that)I normally don't publicize events or Ed Lab stories from the Times.  (We're not fans of each other and I'll leave it at that although I have enjoyed working with a number of ed reporters there

by mike simpson / 1d