Two critical education issues for the Connecticut legislature By Anne Manusky - Wait What? : Two critical education issues for the Connecticut legislature By Anne Manusky Education advocate Anne Manusky weighs in in two extremely important issues that the Connecticut General Assembly should address this legislative session. Her commentary piece originally appeared in the CT Mirror. You can read a
Big Worries About Betsy DeVos - The New York Times : Big Worries About Betsy DeVos Lilli Carré The director of the Office of Government Ethics, the nonpartisan agency charged with vetting the financial disclosures of cabinet nominees for potential conflicts of interest, sent an extraordinary letter to Senate Democratic leaders late last week. Never in the four-decade history of the agency, he wro
CURMUDGUCATION: Should Devos Make This Argument for Choice? : Should Devos Make This Argument for Choice? Rick Hess (American Enterprise Institute) is using the occasion of the DeVos nomination to make some points about choice as a reform strategy. This is fair-- all of us in the education debates are both agitated about the nomination and aware that, for at least these fifteen minutes, American
On Writing Workshop, Cognitive Overload, and Creative Writing | radical eyes for equity : On Writing Workshop, Cognitive Overload, and Creative Writing “The cause for my wrath is not new or single,” wrote Lou LaBrant in 1931 , targeting how too often the project method engaged students in activities other than literacy. This sharp critique by LaBrant has always resonated with me because even thou
The Myth of “Failed” School Reform, (Part 1) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice : The Myth of “Failed” School Reform, (Part 1) Were the “Open Space” schools of the 1960s and 1970s a reform failure?. Instead of self-contained, four-walled classrooms of about 900 square feet holding one teacher and 25 students that opened up into long hallways, school boards hired architects to d
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Following the Bouncing Money Ball at Seattle Schools : Following the Bouncing Money Ball at Seattle Schools Most of my readers know by now that I am very interested in capital issues and funding. I care for two reasons. One, every single student deserves a clean, well-maintained, safe building to call "my school." It would be great if the technology is up-to-date
Donald Trump Is "an Existential Threat to Public Schools" | Mother Jones : Donald Trump Is "an Existential Threat to Public Schools" How teachers' unions are fighting his education secretary pick, Betsy DeVos. On the day President-elect Donald Trump announced Michigan billionaire philanthropist Betsy DeVos as his pick for education secretary, the heads of the country's two largest teachers unions
Schools Matter: Lamar Alexander Assures Diane Supporters about DeVos : Lamar Alexander Assures Diane Supporters about DeVos When Diane Ravitch wanted her flock to be herded into supporting the federal charter school expansion legislation known as ESSA, she called upon Lamar Alexander's office to offer a nine-part spin session (see below) designed to mislead, obfuscate, and soothe any remaining sk
GOP megadonor wants Trump to start praising school choice | Washington Examiner : GOP megadonor wants Trump to start praising school choice Republican megadonor Betsy DeVos seems to want Donald Trump to start talking about school choice before she'll support him. Trump has yet to mention school choice much on the campaign trail, although he has said education needs to be done at the state and loc
Schools Matter: Who is Cambridge Education? : Who is Cambridge Education? On September 15, 2016, the Philadelphia School Reform Commission approved a $200,000 contract with Cambridge Education for investigation of the cash-strapped Philadelphia School District that stated: RESOLVED, that the School Reform Commission authorizes the School District of Philadelphia, through its Superintendent or his
Betsy DeVoucher - Living in Dialogue : Betsy DeVoucher I found this great animation by Ryan Sluggett on the web. Hopefully, with Betsy DeVos’ confirmation hearing postponed a week, new disclosures will save us from this nightmare scenario. –Vincent Betsy DeVoucher - Living in Dialogue :
Positive School Cultures Thrive When Support Staff Included : Positive School Cultures Thrive When Support Staff Included The whole village concept for improving schools stresses the importance of all school employees working together to help students succeed – everyone from principals, custodians and bus drivers to teachers, nurses, administrators, security and food service workers. The objectiv
Betsy DeVos, Trump’s Education Pick, Plays Hardball With Her Wealth - The New York Times : Betsy DeVos, Trump’s Education Pick, Plays Hardball With Her Wealth After Tom Casperson, a Republican state senator from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, began running for Congress in 2016, he assumed the family of Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald J. Trump ’s nominee to be education secretary, would not oppos
Marie Corfield: The First Week of the 115th Congress : The First Week of the 115th Congress NJ Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman posted this on Facebook yesterday (all emphasis mine): The week in review: Trump fires all Ambassadors and Special Envoys, ordering them out by inauguration day. House brings back the Holman rule allowing them to reduce an individual civil service, SES position, or po
Sen. Patty Murray seeks update on ethics review for Trump’s education pick, Betsy DeVos - The Washington Post : Sen. Patty Murray seeks update on ethics review for Trump’s education pick, Betsy DeVos A key Democratic senator is seeking more information about the status of a required ethics review for Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for education secretary. The Office of Govern
NAACP | NAACP Task Force to Hold Memphis Hearing on Education Quality : NAACP TASK FORCE TO HOLD MEMPHIS HEARING ON EDUCATION QUALITY Jan. 10 Discussion between Public and Charter Education Advocates will include Charter Impacts on Underfunded School Districts MEMPHIS, TN – A new NAACP task force studying education quality will be taking input from advocates, teachers, parents, and policy experts
Mitt Romney Speaks Up for Governance by Plutocrats | janresseger : Mitt Romney Speaks Up for Governance by Plutocrats Mitt Romney had a preposterous op-ed in the Washington Post over the weekend. He suggests that Betsy DeVos, a billionaire, is ideally qualified to be U.S. Secretary of Education because she is so rich she doesn’t stand to benefit from any kind of future employment in a public scho
Do Connecticut’s privately-managed charter schools outperform local public school districts? (By Robert Cotto Jr.) - Wait What? : Do Connecticut’s privately-managed charter schools outperform local public school districts? (By Robert Cotto Jr.) Despite the political rhetoric coming out of ConnCAN and other charter school industry front groups, Trinity’s Robert Cotto reveals that Connecticut’s cha
Opposition grows over Senate confirmation of Betsy DeVos, Trump’s education nominee - The Washington Post : Opposition grows over Senate confirmation of Betsy DeVos, Trump’s education nominee DeVos Hearing 1/11: UPDATED Senate HELP Committee Members. Call today. - Network For Public Education Public education was not much of an issue during the 2016 presidential campaign — but it sure is now as o
The Long Shadow of John Deasy : The Long Shadow of John Deasy Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it ” – George Santayana It has been more than two years since LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy was forced to resign in disgrace. Unfortunately, the legacy that he has left for the District’s students echoes into the present day. After spending at least $189 million on the “ disa
US Ed Sec Nominee Betsy DeVos Has More Firsthand Experience Selecting Carpet Swatches | deutsch29 : US Ed Sec Nominee Betsy DeVos Has More Firsthand Experience Selecting Carpet Swatches DeVos engrossed with carpet. On January 09, 2017, founder of the Center for Education Reform (CER), Jeanne Allen , issued a press release stating (warning: worn-out phrase coming), “But charter schools are public
Senate postpones confirmation hearing for Betsy DeVos, Trump’s education pick - The Washington Post : Senate postpones confirmation hearing for Betsy DeVos, Trump’s education pick The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions has postponed the confirmation hearing for Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for education secretary. DeVos’s hearing, originally scheduled
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/9/17 Featured Post Meryl Streep gives shout-out to public schools during her Golden Globes anti-Trump speech - The Washington Post School Privatization Turns Business Into Predator and
Latest poll: Chicago on the wrong track
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This, from Capitol Fax...
* Normington, Petts & Associates poll, taken Sept. 11-13 of 500 registered
Chicago voters with a margin of error of plus or minus...
Most Popular Posts Of The Month
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As regular readers know, at the end of each week I share the five most
popular posts from the previous seven days. I thought people might find it
interes...
Seattle Schools This Week
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*Tuesday, September 26th*
Board Work Session: BEX V Planning, 4:30-6:30 pm, JSCEE, Agenda
I will be attending and taking notes.
*Wednesday, September 27th*...
My Country, ‘Tis of Thee I Sing…
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Today I heard an instrumental version of “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” playing
in the background of a public place where I was seated working on my
computer. ...
For us it could literally be life or death
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Imagine if the Republicans were able to pass Graham-Cassidy or some
iteration thereof.
It would allow states to have much higher fees for pre-existing co...
MONDAY MORNING BLUES
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I’m rarely glad to see a Monday morning arrive, but after this weekend I’m
willing to make an exception. Over the weekend two stories took center
stage. S...
AP Confirms What We Already Knew
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The Associated Press last week confirmed what we already knew most of the
Common Core "repeals" states have done have been a complete sham.
The post AP C...
Shock Treatment
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Yikes!
This story is from back in May, but it's still alarming right now. Philip
Perry at Big Think reports that DARPA is financing research on ways to
"e...
Student teaching success = Taching career success
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Preparing, recruiting, and retaining high-quality teachers into the
profession has been a concern of policy makers and practitioners for some
time. Teache...
Football Unites Against Trump
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President Donald Trump has done something no one else could do until now.
He has united the National Football League, and much of the nation, around
the Na...
Ultimate Life Skills
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I played a lot of organized sports as a boy, mostly baseball, but I was
also on football, basketball and soccer teams as well. I played eagerly,
naggin...
Big Picture Learning Off Limits
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Reposted with permission from Wrench in the Gears. In December 2016, the
School District of Philadelphia signed onto a $23 million contract with Big
Pictu...
On historical accuracy in movies
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Here is an interesting answer in the forum Quora about how accurately (or
not) Hollywood movies about WW2 tend to be. (Disclosure: I have close
relatives w...
Should 5th Graders Be Studying the KKK?
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Will difficult student conversations go awry and get muddled? All the time.
But that's the precise reason why we ought to be holding them now, with our
you...
Rules? Where we’re going we don’t need rules.
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This is much ado about nothing” – Attorney Mark Werksman According to the
Felony Complaint against Refugio (Ref) Rodriguez, he and his cousin
allegedly con...
How They Silence Us: An ABC Primer – UPDATED!
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**Curiously, if you shared this blog on Facebook last night, the link no
longer works. Instead you get this message: (And yes I know I need to plug
my phon...
The Very Seriously Humorless Education of Students
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I am a junior in college during the early 1980s, sitting attentively in Dr.
Richard Predmore’s upper-level English course; I am an English education
major,...
DOLORES - A Film Worth Seeing
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A great film. A tribute to a great organizer !
SACRAMENTO SCREENING
DOLORES | 1 hour 38 minutes
FRIDAY, SEP 22- THURSDAY, SEP 28
The Tower Theatre
Imperial Dreams/ Human Nightmares
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The notorious CIA heavy, Edward Lansdale, spoke clearly and honestly in
regard to the US war against Vietnam “There is only one means of defeating
an insur...
Another Critical Scholar Banned by Diane
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It's not often that the unofficial matriarch of anti-ed reform gets called
out for her support of the corporate education forces that she would,
otherwise,...
WE MUST COME OUT AND VOTE.
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Dear fellow Westchester Democrats and moderate Republicans seeking to oust
Rob Astorino. (With help from today’s NY Times) and vote …
Continue reading →
Skipping The Classes I Don’t Need
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Whenever folks hear code words like ” … regardless of zip code …” they act
upon it in multiple ways. Some want to create educational ...
Read More
The p...
I Taught At The XQ Houston Super School
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On September 8th Steve Jobs’ widow, Laurene Powell-Jobs, purchased a prime
time commercial free hour on the four major TV networks to broadcast
something c...
Scott Shine says teachers don't need raises.
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Are you $#^ing kidding me? #$%^& #$%@ on a stick What is wrong with this
$%#& *&%@!!!!
Deep breaths, deep breaths. Also symbols above only replaced the wor...
Confederate public school names do harm
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This past May, some colleagues and I published an article in the *Journal
of Cases in Educational Leadership* (JCEL) about a high school in Virginia
(it's ...
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...
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...
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
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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
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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...
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
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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...
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...
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 ...
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
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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,...
Join tonight’s #oklaed chat: Stereotypes in Schools
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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.
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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
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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!
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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...
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
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“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
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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
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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?
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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!
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*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
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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.
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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?
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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)
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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. . . .
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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...
