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
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
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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!
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*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
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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
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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 ...
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
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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
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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...
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
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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...
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?
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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
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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
-
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
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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
-
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...
