"This is the best thing my union has ever done for me" - Lily's Blackboard : "This is the best thing my union has ever done for me" One of our core values is ensuring that every student has a caring, committed, qualified teacher. That means educators must have the resources and support to be the very best they can be. National Board Certification , a voluntary, advanced teaching credential, is an
BREAKING NEWS - Having lied about her education background – Linda McMahon is now a Trump appointee - Wait What? : BREAKING NEWS – Having lied about her education background – Linda McMahon is now a Trump appointee President-Elect Donald Trump has announced that World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon will head the Small Business Administration. McMahon is well known in Connecticut,
Charters, Blackwater, justifying cruelty to children: Future schools in Trumpland | : Charters, Blackwater, justifying cruelty to children: Future schools in Trumpland How can you be in charge of a Newark charter school and mess up a venerable name like Paul Robeson? Was “Miss” Gray’s shadow-self acting out and halfway, in her mind, to Robberson? Now that’s a Freudian name-drop. I found this lett
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Dems leave teacher unions hanging on DeVos : Dems leave teacher unions hanging on DeVos IEA graphic. Hillary has her picture on milk cartons since she went missing after election day. SNL even picked up on it. Seems like the entire old-guard leadership must be out in the Chappaqua woods with her, especially when it comes to resisting the Trump juggernaut. Most notab
Tackling the challenge of precarious labor | American Federation of Teachers : Tackling the challenge of precarious labor Precarious labor is shifting the landscape of the working world, with an increasing number of unstable (often part-time) jobs, low pay and exploitative working conditions. At a daylong Washington, D.C., conference on Dec. 5, labor leaders, policy experts and academics—includin
Charter school advocate will head Ohio's charter school office | cleveland.com : Charter school advocate will head Ohio's charter school office COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio Department of Education has hired charter school advocate RaShaun Holliman, the head of the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools , to lead its charter school office. He started Monday in the position once held by Joni Hoffman
Badass Teachers Association : Shawna Mott-Wright: The precarious finances of an Oklahoma classroom teacher By: Shawna Mott-Wright Originally published here http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/opinionfeatured/shawna-mott-wright-the-precarious-finances-of-an-oklahoma-classroom/article_993c04a4-b158-57bd-81e9-ca086191ab98.html The holiday season traditionally marks the start of a time to celebrate the
CURMUDGUCATION: What Do The Tests Measure? : What Do The Tests Measure? Christopher Tienken (Seton Hall) has solved a mystery. Along with Anthony Colella (Seton Hall), Christian Angelillo (Boonton Township SD), Meredith Fox (Nanuet Union SD), Kevin McCahill (George W. Miller Elementary) and Adam Wolfe (Peoria Unified SD), Tienken has once again answered the question -- what do the Big Standardize
Take the TWO TOUR Pledge! – Cloaking Inequity : Take the TWO TOUR Pledge! I received this interesting letter about the Two Tour pledge from a Cloaking Inequity reader. The Two Tour Pledge Now that the presidential election is over and a new secretary of education has been named, it appears that school segregation will only continue down its ugly path – unless… Unless we CHOOSE otherwise. Unless w
Privatize, Monetize, Weaponize: How the DeVos family devoured Michigan’s schools | Eclectablog : Privatize, Monetize, Weaponize: How the DeVos family devoured Michigan’s schools NOTE: This post is a companion piece to this week’s episode of The Sit and Spin Room podcast . Click HERE or scroll to the bottom of the post to listen to the podcast or find it wherever you get your podcasts by searching
Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » Did the Shift from Paper to Computer Bring Down East Asia’s (China’s) PISA Performance? : Did the Shift from Paper to Computer Bring Down East Asia’s (China’s) PISA Performance? I was surprised by China’s 2015 PISA performance, particularly in reading. I was confident that even the expansion beyond Shanghai would not cause a significant decli
The big burden of charter school oversight | EdSource : The big burden of charter school oversight With the California Charter Schools Association’s goal of serving a million students – a nearly 75 percent increase – within six years, charter school growth is raising the stakes for effective monitoring. But there’s a sharp contrast in charter oversight capacity between California’s largest distri
Betsy DeVos and the twilight of public education : Betsy DeVos and the twilight of public education In Detroit, parents of school-age children have plenty of choices, thanks to the nation's largest urban network of charter schools. What remains in short supply is quality. In Brightmoor, the only high school left is Detroit Community Schools, a charter boasting more than a decade of abysmal test s
National universities plead to Trump on behalf of DACA, but… | Fred Klonsky : National universities plead to Trump on behalf of DACA, but… Luis Gomez, a 21-year-old senior at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Following up on the previous post. While the University of Illinois has turned a deaf ear to faculty, student and alumni calls for undocumented student sanctuary, Muriel A. Howard, the p
For students worried about Trump, Los Angeles school district opens hotline, support sites - The Washington Post : For students worried about Trump, Los Angeles school district opens hotline, support sites The Los Angeles Unified School District — the nation’s second largest public school system — is about 75 percent Latino. That helps explain why a month after Donald Trump won the presidential e
Schools Matter: Sister Betsy Will Be Puppet of Walton Clan : Sister Betsy Will Be Puppet of Walton Clan The Detroit Free Press has a scathing assessment of Sister Betsy Devos's involvement in education matters (see below). What is missing in this and other discussions of Sister Betsy's ranking of ideological devotion over educational quality is the DeVos link to the Walton clan . If Sister Betsy
Bruce Baker: How Do Charter Schools Affect Public Schools in Urban Districts | Diane Ravitch's blog : Bruce Baker: How Do Charter Schools Affect Public Schools in Urban Districts Bruce Baker is a professor of education at the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers ; his area of specialization is school finance and the economics of education. This new paper is a major analysis of the effects of c
Education Law Prof Blog : What Betsy DeVos Does Not Know About Public Schools and Probably Assumes About Private Ones Yesterday, Alyson Klein, pointed out that Betsy DeVos, the nominee for Secretary of Education, would be the first person to head the department in its more than 35-year history who hasn't either attended public schools or sent her own children to them. . . . And DeVos, a school ch
CURMUDGUCATION: ESSA Won't Spur "Best Practices" : ESSA Won't Spur "Best Practices" Eric Kalenze, Director of Education Solutions at the Search Institute , is guest-blogging at Rick Hess's EdWeek spot this week. His interest leans towards questions of research and best practices and how any of those things ever hope to line up with actual classrooms. Today he's asking one particularly interesting
Michigan Commentators Fill in the Gaps about Michigan’s Betsy DeVos | janresseger : Michigan Commentators Fill in the Gaps about Michigan’s Betsy DeVos When someone like Betsy DeVos, who has been active for years in Michigan state politics emerges on the national stage, it is worth paying careful attention to what Michigan insiders have to say. DeVos is President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter School Updates : Washington State Charter School Updates With the Growth Boundaries, 20-Minutes added to the school day, changes to the Student Assignment Plan, Cedar Park, etc, I have found nary the time to write about charter schools in Washington State. But finally, here it is. Washington State Charter School Commission Today, the Commi
'We need to get moving': LAUSD's King urges school board to approve retooled 3-year plan | 89.3 KPCC : 'We need to get moving': LAUSD's King urges school board to approve retooled 3-year plan After months of back-and-forth, Los Angeles Unified school board members finally appear poised to sign off on superintendent Michelle King's strategic plan, a crucial visioning document school district leade
Interview with Betsy DeVos, the Reformer | Excellence in Philanthropy | The Philanthropy Roundtable : Interview with Betsy DeVos, the Reformer For years now, she has been at the forefront of the educational-reform movement . Interview from Spring 2013 issue of Philanthropy magazine Betsy DeVos is a reformer. At Calvin College, the young Elisabeth Prince undertook her vocation, becoming involved w
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 12/6/16 Featured Post Another Education Blog Sells Out - Big Education Ape for Sale! It’s time to restructure the US Department of Education | Seattle Education by mike simpson / 5min It’s
NJ Third Grader Scores Perfect on PARCC
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New Jersey public school student, Alexica Perez, achieved a perfect score
on the seven-day-long PARCC test that she took in her third grade year at
Max Leu...
No Nekritz, No Burke, please
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Fred KlonskyIt seems nobody is quite sure why *Lisa Madigan *has suddenly
decided to step down from her attorney general post. It's especially
bewildering...
My heart is with Mexico.
-
To love cities you must love Mexico City. It is the most city of cities.
Today my thoughts are with the people of Mexico City and, of course, all
the peopl...
How You Can Help Small Businesses Thrive
-
Banks are trying to score another victory over hardworking Americans by
refusing to lend to minorities, women, and rural residents who own and run
small bu...
Cartoons and Stories of Students and Lawyers
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For this month, I am combining those often repeated howlers that students
write on tests and say in class with a selection of actual back-and-forths
betwe...
AZ: Leading in Charter Profiteering
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Arizona may be associated with dry desert, but it is a lush, fertile
playground for reformster baloney and charter profiteeringg.
Arizona has been at this ...
Review of John Gennari's "Flavor and Soul"
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With the publication of "Flavor and Soul- Italian America at its African
American Edge,"John Gennari has written an eloquent book about Italian
Americans a...
Catching Up On Delaware Education And Politics
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It’s been a while. At least for me. I haven’t been blogging as much. Like
I’ve said before, sometimes you have to take a break and recharge your
batterie...
Let's Just Let Children Play
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Why are so many of us so afraid to just let children play?
Not long ago, we got out our boxes of Magna-Tiles. These are cool, popular
building toys....
Reformy Chalkbeat Peddles the Moskowitz Book
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A few years ago, I used to write for Chalkbeat, *nee *Gotham Schools. I
wrote a review of Diane Ravitch's book, *The Death and Life of the Great
American ...
The New “Jack”: Trading Justice for Grit
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(Taking a small break between chapters in The Interregnum Mile to bring you
something to consider) Is Restorative Justice being “jacked?” Restorative
Justi...
Be Like Lisa.
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Sixteen years ago, Mark Zuckerberg and I sat across from each other in
Latin class at Phillips Exeter Academy. A few years after Exeter, I began
teaching p...
Please take our 5-minute class size survey!
-
*Welcome back to a new school year! *
Please take our five-minute class size survey to let us know how large your
child’s class size is this year; teachers...
Seeing the Essay Again for the First Time
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Teaching writing, like writing itself, is an arduous journey without any
hope of a destination fairly called “finished.” Both require equal parts
confidenc...
We the people, our Constitution
-
I keep a pocket version of the U.S. Constitution handy, and this year I’ve
found myself thumbing through it on a regular basis. (I wonder why?) More…
On Deaf Ears: My Public Comment to the LAUSD Board
-
On September 12, 2017, the LAUSD School Board was set to take a vote to
approve several charters for five-year renewals, including ICEF Innovation.
However...
Bernardine…
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PLEASE JOIN US! The National Lawyer’s Guild Chicago Annual Celebration
(2017) will honor Bernardine Dohrn with this year’s Arthur Kinoy Award.
Please join ...
A Challenge: We’re All Civics Teachers
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A middle school social studies teacher once commented to me that he had
trouble teaching his curriculum because so many of the students in his
classroom we...
Good-Bye Princess of Madiganistan
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It was not too long ago Lisa Madigan declared a financial emergency and
attacked the state’s public employees and retirees. Madigan and other
self-inter...
The Bottom Line: A Keller-Greene Joint
-
Good teachers are both process and bottom line people. They think about how
to get students to walk away with …
Continue reading →
Newsletter and Action of the Week for 9/14/17
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Thumbnail of the 9/14/17 newsletter (full issue here) Action of the week:
Let’s disrupt DeVos’s “Rethinking Schools” scheme: 1. Send a letter to the
editor...
Education Is a Civic Question
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In their final post to end Bridging Differences' decade-long run, Deborah
Meier and Harry Boyte urge readers to put the energy, talents, wisdom, and
hard w...
Warrant Issued for Abusive Charter Principal
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For each of these felonious criminal abusers apprehended, how many
thousands go unpunished? By the way, the Walton Family Foundation is a
partner in this ...
FAIRTEST is not a footnote
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I am a fan of footnotes, including my own, and probably my favorite
footnote in Addicted to Reform: A 12-Step Program to Rescue Public
Education is #1 for ...
Questions as Invitations, Not Inquisitions
-
When you are a writer, inspiration for your writing can come from all over,
suddenly, unpredictably, sometimes even against your will. Into my in box
this...
Teacher Bathroom Behavior Charges
-
The following comes from the files of, *"You Can't Make This Shit Up!"*
Last month Chaz in a blog post wrote...
*Up until this previous school year the Off...
Much of the Same in Louisiana
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As I wrote into a recent post: “…it seems that the residual effects of the
federal governments’ former [teacher evaluation reform policies and]
efforts are...
Arrogance-Advice to Start the Year
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The look to give those no nothing supervisors and Principals who try to
intimidate. Get the upper hand!
(Photo from Congo House at the Bronx Zoo)
Trump’s War on Science: NYT Editorial
-
New York Times Editorial Board Sept. 9, 2017 The news was hard to digest
until one realized it was part of a much larger and increasingly disturbing
patter...
Trump’s War on Science: NYT Editorial
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New York Times Editorial Board Sept. 9, 2017 The news was hard to digest
until one realized it was part of a much larger and increasingly disturbing
patter...
Two Days Down, Forever To Go
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I burst out laughing. I never thought I’d say that within the first two
days of school. But I did. Not only did I laugh, ...
Read More
The post Two Days...
Surprise! If You Live Under a Rock.
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As the war against our public schools and the profession of teaching drags
on it amazes me that some people still act surprised when politicians
attempt ...
Do Perks for Teachers Compromise Their Integrity?
-
Schools and teachers are the objects of commerce and policy, not
co-creators or idea-generators or genuine partners. We get "gifts" from
business, if we ar...
Bawer on Greenblatt: A Response
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Though I have not read anything he has written this century, Stephen
Greenblatt has had an outsized impact on my academic career. The New
Historicism he sp...
GLSEN Responds as DACA End Imperils LGBTQ Students
-
For media inquiries or to arrange an interview with Eliza Byard, contact:
*Cathy Renna, 917-757-6123, **cathy@targetcue.com*
(New York, NY) September 6, 2...
What Really Makes a "No Excuses" Charter School?
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Once again, Matt Barnum points us to a study showing positive effects from
a "no excuses" charter school. The paper, by Matthew Davis and Blake Heller, take...
My newest books and other news
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Dear friends and colleagues, Catching up on two months since I last wrote!
My book with Emily Gasoi, These Schools Belong To You and Me, from Beacon
Press,...
HURRICANE HARVEY- A GOOD THING?
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The systematic and purposeful dumbing down of American public education
over the last 40 years at places like the Los Angeles Unified School
District (LAUS...
Join tonight’s #oklaed chat: Stereotypes in Schools
-
This conversation is more important than pre-season professional football
or Game of Thrones. Remember, you can record TV. It's a thing. See you at 8
tonight!
CPS buys into the Covey Hustle
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Reposted from Fred Klonsky's Blog
A parent wants to know why an expensive corporate training program is being
implemented at his neighborhood CPS school.
...
This is our Sputnik moment.
-
School’s all across the nation are either starting or about to start a new
academic year. It’s suppose to be an exciting time for students and
teacher. How...
The NAACP Tells It As It Is
-
An English teacher friend of mine was a finalist for Connecticut Teacher of
the Year in the mid 90’s. As one of the culminating steps in the selection
pro...
Literacy East and West of the Anacostia
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We Act Radio broadcasts from east of the Anacostia River in Washington, DC.
A short distance to the east on Good Hope Road is the Anacostia branch of
the p...
The “Bad Kid” Label Sticks: Let’s Remove It!
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Sometimes, ok many times, she could be loud. She rolled her eyes and
twirled her neck. Often. Her behavior was everyone else’s fault, never
hers. But as th...
The "Bad Kid" Label Sticks: Let's Remove It!
-
Sometimes, ok many times, she could be loud. She rolled her eyes and
twirled her neck. Often. Her behavior was everyone else's fault, never
hers. But as th...
Student of the Month Nightmare
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*This is something I wrote for a monthly gathering to honor some of the
best students at our school. I figure most teachers will relate:*
I was grading pap...
99 Years of Progress Erased – unless we fight back
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Public healthcare for all? Public education for all? What is being done to
our monetized children regarding their potential healthcare and their
existing e...
You Can Be an Astronaut, but You Can't Be Black
-
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s a question I always
imagined every kindergarten student hearing.
“I want to be a doctor!” declares Sally.
...
Who’s Afraid of Professional Teachers?
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New York’s charter school sector, apparently. Politico reports that the
charter sector has potentially won a much desired prize: permission to
“certify” th...
Site News: New Home for Education News & Commentary
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Quick! Get over there! The daily education news roundup and education
commentaries that you're probably looking for are now being published over
at The Gra...
THE COUP TO DESTROY THE AMERICAN DREAM
-
Within the core of our freedoms, lie the avenues powerful individuals use
to take away the rights of citizens and the controls of government designed
and e...
Parent/Educator EDU
-
I have long been a guest blogger for Edutopia, which has been both a
challenge and an honor. I have always found it challenging to be
provocative in promot...
Should We Be Grateful?
-
In an odd turn of events, and with little explanation, Michigan Governor
Rick Snyder has decided to return the state’s School Reform Office back to
the Dep...
Support Room 134!
-
*Friends, family, even public education supporters I don't know on social
media are always asking about how they can help given the constant madness
of the...
An Open Letter to NC Lawmakers
-
An Open Letter to NC State Lawmakers and NC State Superintendent Mark
Johnson: I am a NC native, voter, and public school teacher. I am
addressing you all ...
Don't Like Chris Christie? Blame the Democrats.
-
Yesterday Diane Ravitch published a piece in The New Republic, titled Don't
Like Betsy DeVos? Blame the Democrats.
If you care about public education at al...
We Opted Out, Now What?
-
Your family made the decision to "refuse" or opt out of the state
assessments. By taking this action you are standing up for your child's
education. You ...
The Secret to Fixing Schools (My Next Bestseller)
-
The Secret to Fixing Schools (My next bestseller) Prologue I just finished
watching a fascinating documentary on Netflix entitled, “The Secret”. The
film p...
Farewell, Sleep
-
Today is the official last day of my spring break. I've done a scientific
survey: My natural bedtime is 2 AM, and my natural wake up time is 9:41
AM. Tom...
New Local Businesses in Sacramento
-
Starting a new local business in Sacramento is a monumental task, but can
be accomplished with footwork, perseverance and knowledge. One must learn
the loc...
Jewell Elementary & Aurora Public Schools Skirt Law
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Letter sent to Colorado State Board of Education, as well as media,
senators who sponsored bill, Aurora Education Association, Aurora
superintendent office...
Education Bloggers Daily Highlights 3/2/2017
-
Education Bloggers Daily Highlights 3/1/2017 Education Bloggers Daily
Highlights Courtesy of Big Education Ape A special thank you to education
blogger Mik...
Bad Hair Day
-
It’s winter time. It’s cold — okay, not for anyone outside California and
Florida, but still — I’m wearing hats in the morning. Lovely knitted hats
that I’...
Capturing the Spark
-
It’s been a long time since InterACT was an active education blog, though I
remain quite proud of what we did here. Those of us who wrote blog posts
here h...
Random Musings and Observations. . . .
-
I’ve been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular
readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for
that. Sinc...
WTU Peterson Slate: Not a 1 Woman Dictatorship
-
Candi Peterson & GeLynn Thompson
Candidates for WTU Prez & GVP 2016By Candi Peterson, WTU Gen. Vice President
*Statements or expressions of opinions herein...
MY NEW BLOG
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My new blog will consist of fictitious headlines, meant to be a blend of
humor and satire. I apologize ahead of time if any other satirical site has
simila...
Thank you
-
Dear Readers,
Thank you for visiting *The Perimeter Primate*. This blog is being retired
for the time being. Although I no longer post here, I do still s...
I am Retiring
-
I have some news: I am retiring from the PBS NewsHour and Learning Matters.
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other
conte...
All Aboard the Opt Out Bus
-
The #OptOutBus is currently traveling the country giving away free books to
children! Follow their progress at their Facebook page and donate to their
FR...
Flaws at the Heart of Current Education Reforms
-
Originally posted on Creative by Nature:
“Teaching is an art form rooted in the wise and careful use of educational
research and assessment tools. When gove...
