Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Trump's bikers on security. A 'wall of meat' or load of B.S.? : Trump's bikers on security. A 'wall of meat' or load of B.S.? DT is counting on a right-wing biker battalion to pull security duty at his inauguration. He imagines a horde of thousands of "Bikers for Trump" are rolling into D.C. at this very moment, to save him from what he imagines as an assault from t
The DeVos Hearing, In Their Own Words : NPR Ed : NPR : The DeVos Hearing, In Their Own Words After Betsy DeVos' Senate confirmation hearing yesterday — all three hours and change — we know a little more about Donald Trump's pick to be the next education secretary. Appearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, DeVos faced questions on a range of issues, from private
Betsy DeVos' Secretary of Education Hearing Was an Insult to Democracy : The Betsy DeVos Hearing Was an Insult to Democracy Who are the real grizzlies? WASHINGTON, D.C.—It was not a hearing. It was the mere burlesque of a hearing, rendered meaningless by a preposterously accelerated process that rendered all questioning perfunctory and that left all cheap evasions hanging in the air of the commit
WATCH LIVE: President Obama holds final press conference | PBS NewsHour : WATCH LIVE: President Obama holds final press conference Watch President Barack Obama’s final press conference at 2:15 p.m. EST Wednesday. President Barack Obama will conduct today the final press conference of his presidency, scheduled for 2:15 p.m. EST. He is expected to address questions about his decision to commute the
Betsy DeVos Must Not Be Confirmed | DCGEducator: Doing The Right Thing : Betsy DeVos Must Not Be Confirmed Bernard Keller Dave Greene Warren Buffet said, “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” This statement has powerful implications because it clearly speaks against the “only today matters” philosophy making the rounds in education today. Today, t
Brave New Films Video: Protect Public Education by Stopping Betsy DeVos From Becoming Next U.S. Secretary of Education | Alternet : Brave New Films Video: Protect Public Education by Stopping Betsy DeVos From Becoming Next U.S. Secretary of Education "You lured me in with the promise of a high-quality education and you lied." Trump’s nomination of Betsy DeVos for education secretary is a threat t
SPECIAL: The Morning After Betsy DeVos' Confirmation Hearing #BetsyDeVos #DeVosHearing #dumpdevos DeVos says she won’t force private school voucher plan on states | EdSource by mike simpson / 34min DeVos says she won’t force private school voucher plan on states | EdSource : DeVos says she won't force private school voucher plan on states At a contentious confirmation hearing that mostly broke al
You're Never to Young for Social Justice - SF Public School MomSF Public School Mom : You’re Never to Young for Social Justice You’re never to young for social justice. With the Presidential Inauguration Week coming up (aka. a week of protests) this is a great opportunity to model our values with our kids of standing up and speaking up for what’s right. I’ve put together these resources to share
DeVos says she won’t force private school voucher plan on states | EdSource : DeVos says she won't force private school voucher plan on states At a contentious confirmation hearing that mostly broke along party lines, Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be secretary of education, said she wouldn’t try to force states to adopt private school voucher programs along the lines of t
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all : Is Trump's Pick for Education Secretary an Enemy of Public Schools? DeVos: Schools May Need Guns to Protect Against Grizzly Bears 2 by dianeravitch / 17min Betsy DeVos was questioned about whether she would maintain gun-free zones around schools. She said that should be left to states . She was questioned by Senator Chris Murphy
Calaveras News - Breaking News for Calaveras County & Beyond!- The Pine Tree .net : CTA & NEA Presidents To Join LA Educators Declaring That Schools Are Safe Havens For All Students In National Event Burlingame, CA...In a sign of rising resistance to federal threats to public schools, California educators will join with parents, students, labor and civic leaders and communities on Thursday in cal
Answer Sheet - The Washington Post : Answer Sheet Valerie Strauss covers Betsy DeVos’s confirmation hearing Six astonishing things Betsy DeVos said — and refused to say — at her confirmation hearing 4K by Valerie Strauss / 9h At her contentious confirmation hearing as Donald Trump’s nominee to be education secretary on Tuesday, Betsy DeVos was asked a question by Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) about a
WATCH: Al Franken destroys Education appointee Betsy DeVos over her support for gay conversion therapy : WATCH: Al Franken destroys Education appointee Betsy DeVos over her support for gay conversion therapy Mi nnesota Sen. Al Franken (D) left no doubt which way he will be voting for President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to head the Department of Education, hammering appointee Betsy DeVos for her
School choice: Sen. Loveless advances 'factually incorrect' ideology - NonDoc : School choice: Sen. Loveless advances ‘factually incorrect’ ideology S tate Sen. Kyle Loveless ( R-OKC ) performed a great service to the voting public by revealing his thought processes on school choice and other issues in a recent commentary for The Oklahoman . Among other things, Loveless wrote that he believes in
CURMUDGUCATION: Meanwhile... : Meanwhile... It has been one of those days. Not bad, but about sixteen hours long, and so I have followed the DeVos hearing via occasional peeks at Twitter, and I'll catch up over the hours ahead in short burst so that my blood pressure does not shoot the nails off the ends of my fingers. But I will confess that as strongly as I believe we should tell our senators r
In Penetrating Analysis, Joanne Barkan Predicts Likely Direction of a DeVos Education Department | janresseger : In Penetrating Analysis, Joanne Barkan Predicts Likely Direction of a DeVos Education Department Joanne Barkan has published another of her remarkably lucid and well-written articles at Dissent , this time a profile of Betsy DeVos. Barkan explicitly predicts how DeVos, if she is confir
Betsy DeVos and the Prince of darkness. | Fred Klonsky : Betsy DeVos and the Prince of darkness. Okay. So the next Secretary of Education doesn’t know what the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is. She thinks schools should have guns in case of Grizzley bears. I have to admit that I found Al Franken’s gotcha on the debate over growth scores and competency a little confusing mysel
CURMUDGUCATION: DeVos Song and Dance : "DeVos Song and Dance" DeVos Song and Dance I am grateful that work kept me from experiencing the DeVos hearing in one long take, like a thousand fingernails being dragged down a twenty-mile chalkboard. So just as I experienced a disjointed hearing, I will share my disjointed thoughts. The Reviews Are In Wait! I'm now famous because why..? And who wants to s
When you ask the wrong questions, you can't possibly get the right answers. (By Ann P. Cronin) - Wait What? : When you ask the wrong questions, you can’t possibly get the right answers. (By Ann P. Cronin) The Mastery Examination Task Force, whose report about student assessment in our public schools is due to come out soon, has asked all the wrong questions. We, therefore, can’t have any confiden
Ignorance and Arrogance – the Defining Characteristics of the Betsy DeVos Hearing | gadflyonthewallblog : Ignorance and Arrogance – the Defining Characteristics of the Betsy DeVos Hearing Betsy DeVos wouldn’t commit to protecting students with special needs. She wouldn’t commit to keeping guns out of school campuses . She wouldn’t commit to holding charter and voucher schools to the same standard
Betsy DeVos Confirmation Hearing and Special Education : Betsy DeVos Confirmation Hearing and Special Education I was asked to write about the Betsy DeVos confirmation hearing and special education. So here is a quick rundown. I was pleasantly surprised at some of the questioning by Democrats. I know education reform is often bi-partisan, but the Dems hit some high notes tonight. I came away with
Six astonishing things Betsy DeVos said — and refused to say — at her confirmation hearing - The Washington Post : Six astonishing things Betsy DeVos said — and refused to say — at her confirmation hearing At her contentious confirmation hearing as Donald Trump’s nominee to be education secretary on Tuesday, Betsy DeVos was asked a question by Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) about an important educatio
Here Are Just Some of the Stunningly Bad Moments From Betsy DeVos' Confirmation Hearing | Mother Jones : Here Are Just Some of the Stunningly Bad Moments From Betsy DeVos' Confirmation Hearing "Do you not want to answer my question?" Betsy DeVos' confirmation hearing to become President-elect Donald Trump's education secretary was originally scheduled for last Wednesday but was ultimately postpon
Betsy DeVos’ Opening Statement at Her Nomination Hearing– and a Question Asked by Bernie Sanders | deutsch29 : Betsy DeVos’ Opening Statement at Her Nomination Hearing– and a Question Asked by Bernie Sanders Below is the text of US ed sec nominee Betsy DeVos’ opening remarks at her January 17, 2017, hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. First, a few obs
Schooling in the Ownership Society: From Davos to DeVos : From Davos to DeVos As the world's super-wealthy and super-powerful gather this week in Davos for the World Economic Forum, the spotlight is once again on the widening chasm of wealth inequality. It's virtually impossible to talk meaningfully about education reform, privatization, charter schools, testing, deseg, etc... without taking the
Schools Matter: If you're in Los Angeles this month, three education items to consider : If you're in Los Angeles this month, three education items to consider These events and announcements are worthy of your consideration. Especially the event featuring Schools Matter 's very own Dr. Stephen Krashen. I would love to attend all of these, but… law school. Student Empowerment - Culture and Languag
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/17/17 Featured Post Betsy DeVos’ Planned Remarks – Smoke and Mirrors. | Daniel Katz, Ph.D. Grading Betsy DeVos’ confirmation day exam | Eclectablog Big Education Ape / by mike
Does Puerto Rico Need “No Excuses” Charter Schools?
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The link in this post will take you to a discussion that took place in
Puerto Rico about the introduction of “no excuses” charter schools. The
government h...
“Out of Joint”: On Ideology and Anxiety
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The time is out of joint. O cursèd spite, That ever I was born to set it
right! Hamlet, Act I, Scene 5, ll. 190-191 My high school English students
in Upst...
Who Will Take the D out of DFER?
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DFER stands for Democrats for Education Reform, a group that has the
distinction of possessing a name in which none of the words are accurate.
The Democrat...
I Stand With Them
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I've never understood how people who believe in democracy can be opposed to
labor unions. Most workplaces are, in fact, small dictatorships set up in
...
Why Teacher Uprisings May Hit Blue States Too
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Surprising results from a new survey of teachers reveal the depth of
“financial strain” classroom professionals face. These include high levels
of college ...
Why Teacher Uprisings May Hit Blue States Too
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Surprising results from a new survey of teachers reveals the depth of
“financial strain” classroom professionals face. These include high levels
of college...
2018 Medley #10
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Teacher Activism, Retention-in-Grade, Charters, Testing, First Amendment,
Science TEACHER ACTIVISM The 9 states where teachers have it worst
According to C...
Educators have no business supporting war
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Damascus after the attack. War is the enemy of education, of children and
families. Education leaders have no business supporting war or encouraging
war-m...
Join Us April 20th
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Communities across the nation will demand that our leaders protect students
and take real action to end gun violence on the National Day of Action
Against ...
An end to Friday night lights
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I don’t get it; will somebody please explain it to me. Jacksonville’s
schools, which mean Jacksonville’s children, are facing 62 million dollars
in cuts, y...
OF EFFICACY AND EQUITY
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I’m looking forward to the day when I write a piece that focuses on the
success of students and fails to mention the inadequacies of adults. Though
it does...
A Rotten Peach Poisoning Atlanta Public Schools
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Sadly, the Atlantic Public Schools (APS) are careening from one destructive
tragedy to the next. On the heels of the great cheating scandal of 2009,
APS hi...
Coalition Calls on Congress to Rewrite FERPA
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American Principles Project and individuals from more than 100
organizations including Education Liberty Watch and Eagle Forum called on
Congress to rewr...
Choice as a Substitute for Adequacy?
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Originally posted on School Finance 101:
Another excerpt from forthcoming work… Much of the expansion of charter
schooling occurred during the recession. T...
Heartbroken
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She was brilliant in high school. I admired her so much. She traveled to
our not so great school in the Bronx from Manhattan because of our honor
prog...
Featured Author @ Palmdale Book Festival
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Join me for a captivating book signing & storytelling! Get your very own
signed copy of 5 stars Chike the Invincible! and Oma the Faithful
Daughter! ...
Terrorism?
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Could somebody explain to me why acts like the unprovoked and senseless
attack by Salman Abidi in 2017 on an audience of predominantly innocent
children wa...
Some thoughts on Trump, Rosenstein, and Mueller
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offered in light of recent events, and the information floating around both
that Trump wants to get rid of Rosenstein and that Rosenstein expects to be
f...
Expanding "No Excuses" Models is a Bad Idea
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An organization called The Future of Children came out recently with a
report titled* Charter Schools and the Achievement Gap* by Sarah Cohodes,
an assist...
ELA Assessment: Dear Board of Regents,
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Dear Members of the Board of Regents,
Thank you for your service as leaders in public education in New York
State. I am writing as a parent of two public ...
Advocating for Schools to City Leaders
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Dr. Robert Moses, civil rights icon and education advocate, joined the
April 12 Education Town Hall, along with long-time DC education advocate
Suzanne Wel...
Suffering Teachers Can't Be Good Teachers
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Teacher walkouts are the ultimate outcome of wringing every drop of energy,
patience and creative juice out of a well-meaning workforce.
PAA joins Google/You Tube FTC complaint
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Today, Parents Across America joined more than 20 civic and children’s
advocacy organizations in filing a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaint
against ...
Helping an ATR
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The following are real words and real life from a current ATR. The
statement below was read to the UFT executive board on March 26, 2018. Her
name has been...
This Week in Education Organizing - April 6, 2018
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*Teacher Uprisings Continue!*
The West Virginia teachers strike was as close to a general strike as we’ve
seen in the U.S. in decades. Their historic and...
A maximizing area question
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I gave this question to students as a challenge at the end of a trig unit.
A quadrilateral has perimeter = 60 and a 30º angle. What is the maximum
possible...
Welcome to the walkout, from okeducationmom
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When I marched for the passage of HB 1017 in 1990, I was hopeful and then
grateful that Governor Henry Bellmon and a bipartisan group of legislators
found ...
Who Survives Success?
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Success Academy opened in 2006 with 156 students — 83 kindergarteners and
73 first graders. Now, eleven years later, they have their first
graduating seni...
Silence Speaks At March For Our Lives
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Listen to Emma’s profound silence. Remember the silence of students
crouched in closets, hiding from the sound of an automatic weapon being
fired in their ...
Jeanette Deutermann: The True Cost of the Tests
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Watch as parent Jeanette Deutermann gets straight to the heart of why so
many parents opt out
The post Jeanette Deutermann: The True Cost of the Tests ap...
Scenes for the March For Life in New York
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And so they came and came by the thousands, flooding Central Park West with
citizens of all ages, all races, all creeds, all who have had enough of
insane ...
A NATION THAT FEARS ITS CHILDREN?
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Here we are again. The murders caused by the NRA-GOP-Gun manufacturers
corruption have terrorized America for over a generation. Young people do
not see ad...
I’m voting for Chris Kennedy
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A question was posed to me last night. “At this point, does a vote for
Daniel Biss instead of Chris Kennedy help JB Pritzker?” During the last
presidential...
Amy/Andy and the Orphans
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Willowbrook. Any New Yorker of a certain age shutters at that name–and no,
not because it was Geraldo Rivera who brought it to our attention.
Willowbrook w...
Florina Rodov: The Truth About Charter Schools
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*“[W]hen teachers aren’t unionized, they’re exploited — and when teachers
suffer, so do kids.” — Florina Rodov*
This amazing piece by Florina Rodov on *S...
#NationalSchoolWalkout – Grown Ups Need to Listen
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Student activists, responding to the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman
Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, organized a national walk out to
memoriali...
Letter for BCPS Parents: My Child is Not a Pipeline
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(Image courtesy of Alison McDowell) Dear County Council Members, I am
writing on behalf of concerned BCPS parents regarding the newest rounds of
BCPS polic...
3rd Grade Reading: Who is Failing?
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Education Trust Midwest has just released its study on third grade reading
and, predictably, the results aren’t great. This study uniquely compares
Michiga...
Opting out of the Dinosaur (end of year test)
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Today I sent in a second letter to refuse PARCC/CMAS for my son, Luke. The
first email I sent at the beginning of the year was not sufficient as they
requi...
Resurrection
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I realized it's Lent, but this blog, bless Jesus Christ, can't wait.
Ok, so with that said, I plan to discuss Class Action suits in existence,
as well as w...
Are Our Educators Prepared For Their Students?
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If there is one thing that I am sure of as an educator it is that rapid
change greatly affects both what and how we learn. If there is a second
thing that ...
2018 TSJ Inquiry to Action Groups (ItAGs)
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We are excited to announce the 2018 TSJ *Inquiry to Action Groups *(ItAGs).
ItAGs gather educators, activists and others to study a topic and
collectively...
Who Is Pulling The Muppet Strings?
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Originally posted on Wrench in the Gears:
Sesame Street is an iconic brand that embodies humor, acceptance, and
humanity. Who doesn’t love a muppet? So, on...
IDEA Is Still The Law Of The Land
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Unless you've been living under a rock, you know the US Department of
Education (USDOE) rescinded 72 Dear Colleague and other letters of
explanation to s...
Budget Cuts To Kids Are Not Necessary!
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We’ve been hearing a lot of news from OUSD about how cuts to schools and
kids are necessary. So we’ll need to keep saying the truth… they are not
necessar...
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...
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...
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.
...
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...
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...
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...
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
-
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...