Andy Spears on Vouchers
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In Tennessee, A Warning on VouchersAs lawmakers prepare to vote on voucher
scam, some final words
by Andy Spears
Tennessee lawmakers are slated to tak...
Jim Acosta Signs Off at CNN
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CNN doesn’t want to make Trump angry. Trump doesn’t like Jim Acosta. CNN
moved him to a late-night slot, where fewer viewers would see him. Jim
Acosta resi...
BLM at School Week of Action Events–Register Today!
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The 2025 Back Lives Matter at School Week of Action is almost here, and we
have a powerful week of events lined up to celebrate and center Blackness
in edu...
What We Can Do about Authoritarianism
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*1. Protect the decent and hardworking members of your communities who are
undocumented or whose parents are undocumented.*
This is an urgent moral ca...
January Parent Engagement Resources
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Participation in School Activities by Spanish- and English-speaking Parents
of Enrolled Students: 1999–2019 Improve family communication with active
listen...
Summer Food Program Applications Are Now Open
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State Superintendent Tony Thurmond announces Summer Food Service Program
applications available on February 18; Applications are due by May 15.
NECESSARY, BUT HARDLY SUFFICIENT
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Banning cellphones in public schools seems to finally be happening in lots
of states and school districts, but, unfortunately, the numbers are
slippery. On...
PA: AI Cyber Charter Rejected--Hard
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The Texas business couple who wanted to launch a Pennsylvania cyber charter
that used 2 hours of AI in place of more hours with actual teachers has
been de...
Second Breakfast: 12 Years and 60 Minutes Later
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Second Breakfast: 12 Years and 60 Minutes Later
This will be the last Friday you'll receive a *Second Breakfast* newsletter
in 2024. I'm not writing my us...
School Board Glaze Amid Heartbreak
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“Virtue was vanity dressed up and waiting for applause.” ― Richard
Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North I try to produce a new Dad
Gone Wild piece...
Racing Heart, Sweaty Palms, Tense Muscles
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I once knew a two-year-old who was terrified of pinecones. In nearly every
other circumstance, he was a bold, confident child, but when he spied a
pinec...
Blog Powering Down For a Bit
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Signing off for a short period of time for personal time in Seattle (yes, I
see it might snow Saturday night, fun).
Sadly, I won't be able to attend the ...
FCMAT Attacks Weed Elementary
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By Thomas Ultican 1/28/2025 In 1992, California inaugurated the Fiscal
Crisis Management Assist Team (FCMAT) in the aftermath of the Richmond
School Distri...
Burn! (as That 70s Show Used to Say)
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As we move into the third (or is it fourth) decade of school degradation
and the end goal comes in sight, the charter wars have transmogrified into
the vou...
Who ARE These People?
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For most of my adult life (other than a brief but wonderful stint in the
People’s Republic of Ann Arbor), I’ve been the proverbial blue dot on a red
backgr...
Our Friend Ali arrested in Switzerland
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The Electronic Intifada’s executive director Ali Abunimah was deported by
Switzerland on Monday after spending two nights in jail. Abunimah was
detained ah...
Who is the new CEO of Teach For America?
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From 1990 until 2013, the CEO of TFA was the founder, Wendy Kopp. Under her
leadership the program grew from a small organization that struggled to
make pa...
64
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[Header Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash] Regret More than a decade ago,
close to one of the most celebrated birthdays, turning 50, I was ghosted.
Althou...
The Madness
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I recently watched The Madness on Netflix, and it offered a fascinating
exploration of the intersection of power, money, and technology—one that is
DEEPLY ...
The Orange Turd feeds the racists
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The Orange Turd has been feeding red meat to the millions of angry racists
for the past 8 years. He has succeeded in hoodwinking these sad souls into
placi...
Retiree Advocate Town Hall: The ARISE Campaign
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I am excited to be working on a UFT election campaign through Retiree
Advocate. Our first event is a Town Hall this Sunday at 7:30. Please
register if you ...
Site Index - Updated December 31, 2024
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When I was teaching,
I got tired of hearing how bad American educators were.
*My Promise *
WHEN I STARTED BLOGGING IN 2011, I said I planned to speak ...
Perhaps this is a meaningless ramble
-
but I am choosing to reflect on a number of disparate topics that are
currently on my mind. Perhaps I should start by explaining that I have been
at leas...
The 2024 NPE “Coal in the Stocking” Awards
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At NPE, we know who is naughty and nice when it comes to supporting our
public schools and their students.
The post The 2024 NPE “Coal in the Stocking” A...
Juntos lo haremos
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En el año que viene, tendremos que tomar decisiones difíciles sobre quienes
queremos ser en cada comunidad y como nación. Ha sido un año muy intenso.
Desde...
WTF, Democratic Caucus?
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Why is the failure of this current budget bill being blamed on Republicans
when almost every single Democrat voted against it? If only half of the
Dems had...
Education Has Failed and What Can We Do Next?
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Education has failed to prepare children for the world today. Despite the
increased investment, impactful reforms, hardworking teachers and school
leaders,...
Defining Productivity, Cost, and Efficiency
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Recycled material here… The central problem with US public schools is often
characterized as an efficiency problem. We spend a lot and don’t get much
for i...
Number 18 — A barely-hanging-on Blogoversary
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Blogoversary #18 SEPTEMBER 14, 2006 I started this blog while I was still
teaching, in 2006. I had just begun my 31st year as an educator. Just like
in pre...
Student "Growth" Measures Are STILL Biased
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This caught my attention:
New Jersey school districts may soon be evaluated differently, *with a
greater emphasis on student growth* as compared to stud...
AIN’T IT AWFUL
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As the terrible feelings of dread and angst spread across the world the
great majority of the American people feel powerless before the onslaught
of those ...
Vote NO on the UFT Contract. Here is Why:
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The best reason to vote no on this contract is this: UFT Unity* lied* to us
in 2018. They misrepresented that contract. It was predicated on deals we
wer...
Metaphors in ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech
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In this article, we will explore the powerful use of metaphors in Martin
Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” ...
Read more
Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force
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I prepared testimony for one of two public hearings held by the Chicago
Public Schools Truancy Task Force, a body mandated by state legislation.
The meetin...
There Is A Teacher Shortage.Not.
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THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. And just to be sure you understand, it’s not
that teachers don’t want to teach. It’s not that there aren’t enough
teachers cer...
Book Banning Turns to Dick and Jane
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Breaking News: Dateline February 4, 2022 - Parents in Dimwitty, Alabama
have asked the Dimwitty Board of Education to ban the children's primer *Fun
with...
Have You Heard Has a New Website
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TweetHave You Heard has a new website. Visit us at
www.haveyouheardpodcast.com to find our latest episodes and our entire
archive. And be sure to check out...
Follow me at Substack
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I've moved. Follow me at Substack
I'm now posting regularly at Substack. You can subscribe for free to my new
Edu/Pol blog at michaelklonsky.substack.com
...
Aspiring Teachers Get New Help Paying For College
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[image: colorful classroom pattern]
*; Credit: shuoshu/Getty Images*
Cory Turner | NPR
New rules kick in today that will help aspiring teachers pay for c...
Tips Akses Situs Judi Qq Tanpa Perlu Takut Nawala
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Kegiatan berjudi slot melalui situs judi qq online, sekarang sudah
dilakukan oleh banyak penjudi Indonesia. Tentu, Kamu yang sedang membaca
artikel ini a...
The Threat of Integration
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I have lived in the same house in the Miracle Mile section of Los Angeles
for over 30 years, where up until now I have had little or no interaction
with th...
We fight for a democracy worthy of us all!
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The nation stands at a crossroads, said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García
in her final keynote address to the 2020 NEA Representative Assembly and
it’s up...
The Passing Of Chaz 1951-2020 Age 69
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I am the son of Chaz and like to inform you that he passed away this
afternoon from the COVID virus. My father passed in peace beside his loved
ones. We ar...
The Fight For Our Children
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*The number of suicides among people ages 10 to 24 nationally increased by
56 percent between 2007 and 2017, according to a new federal report showing
the ...
Read to Self: Just a Kid and a Book.
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Date: Monday, January 5, 2020 Place: My classroom Student: Mrs.Mims, could
we start doing Read to Self again because I got this great book for
Christmas an...
Keeping Progressive Schools Alive
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Dear Friends and Colleagues, Happy New Year and a special thanks to those
who respond to past blogs about choice, et al. I always mean to respond to
each c...
Reminiscences
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I just finished dumping the rest of my lesson plans. I guess I held on to
the calculus ones for so long because I spent so much time working on them
an...
Just Asking for some Teachers I know.
-
Recently Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers stated, We must … recognize that
part of supporting our kids in the classroom means supporting the educators
who t...
Cara Menang Bermain Judi Bola Online
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Bermain judi bola online tentu saja memiliki kesenangannya tersendiri baik
itu mendapatkan keuntungan maupun ketika menantikan hasil skor pada sebuah
perta...
A Critique of Standards-Based Grading
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It first happened to me about ten years ago. I was beginning my third year
of teaching in a new school in Washington, DC. Social studies teachers were
si...
My First and Last Visit to Hudson Yards
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Figuring I did not need to invite any more darkness and vulgarity into my
head than that provided on a daily basis from Trump’s White House, and
after read...
The World According to Michelle Rhee
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The men behind the curtain fashioning the brave new world of corporate run
education in America! Michelle Rhee is the founder of StudentsFirst, The
New T...
Whose Opinions Matter in Education World?
-
It's hard to identify education heroes and sheroes. And perhaps even harder
to pinpoint just whose work is slanted, paid-for and dishonest.
Blockchain: Life on the Ledger
-
Originally posted on Wrench in the Gears:
I created this video as a follow up to the one I prepared last year on
Social Impact Bonds. It is time to examine...
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...
Lesson Plan: Rhyme and Rhythm in Poetry
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I’ve started a recent unit on poetry with my class. I’m not a poet, and I’m
not a poetry fan (I don’t hate it, but I’m a prose gal), so this makes it
harde...
The Apotheosis of Betsy DeVos
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Betsy Devos has drawn few headlines in recent months, and that is a good
thing for the Secretary of Education. Her tenure began with Vice President
Mike P...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
REPORT: States With the Best and Worst Schools
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States With the Best (and Worst)Schools
By *Evan Comen, Michael B. Sauter, Samuel Stebbins and Thomas C. Frohlich*
January 20, 2017- http://247wallst.com
...
Test Refusal = People Power
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In recent months, social media has been ablaze with talk of regular folk
taking action to resist the Trump agenda. Protests are a daily occurrence,
and ev...
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...
AB 934: A LEGISLATIVE FIX FOR VERGARA?
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By Michael Stratford | in the Politco Morning Education Report | via email
05/24/2016 10:00 AM EDT :: Two national education groups are backing a
Califor...
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...
New Beginnings: Kickstarter and EdWeek Teacher
-
Greetings to InterACT readers one and all! If you’ve been following posts
here recently you might recall that I’m moving my blogging activity to
other loca...
Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School
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*“With Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School closing, Newark families must
move on.”* The Star-Ledger (NJ), 6/25/2013
NEWARK — Bobby and Troy Shanks saw the...
How Trump's budget cuts will affect class size nationwide - Network For Public Education : How Trump’s budget cuts will affect class size nationwide Though much has been written about President Trump’s proposed budget cuts, little has been said about how his largest proposed cut to public schools, the total elimination of $2.4 billion in Title IIA funds , would likely increase class size across t
A Day to Cheer for Students and Books - NEA Today : A Day to Cheer for Students and Books Educators promote literacy year-round but the celebrations bloom in spring with NEA’s Read Across America , National Poetry Month , School Library Month , and next week, El Día de los Niños, El Día de los Libros. “Children’s Day, Book Day” is a year-long commitment to celebrating all children and to motivati
Let’s Hear It For Black Girls! | gadflyonthewallblog : Let’s Hear It For Black Girls! “Sisters are more than the sum of their relative disadvantages: they are active agents who craft meaning out of their circumstances and do so in complicated and diverse ways.” -Melissa Harris-Perry, Sister Citizen (2011) Let’s hear it for black girls! They are beautiful, bold, irrepressible and – above all – so
The Birth of Fake News: Portrait of the Movement Did you ever wonder how Fake News gets it start? The Corporate Education Reform Vanity Press produces a "research" report that touts the so called blessings of Privatization. The Report is then published as gospel on various Fake News websites like The 74, then it is repeated by other Fake News sites Like the Choice Media, LA Schools Report, etc. B
CURMUDGUCATION: Leaders, Character, and Policy : Leaders, Character, and Policy Many of us spend huge amounts of time discussing and debating education policy. But where the synthetic rubber meets the recycled asphalt, policy is not the most important thing. In every school, in every district, what really matters is the character of the leadership. In the same way that workers do not quit workpla
Gene V Glass: Education in Two Worlds: Is Your Job Robot-Proof? : Is Your Job Robot-Proof? It doesn’t take much observation of the typical high school curriculum to see that most of what is being taught is a vestige of a long past era. Geometry was essential to the ancient Egyptians, but not to modern Americans. Spelling, handwriting, and even writing itself have little to do with contemporary co
Largest Charter School Chain in LA Raises Millions in Dark Money to Fight Union Drive, State Auditor Finds | Alternet : Largest Charter School Chain in LA Raises Millions in Dark Money to Fight Union Drive, State Auditor Finds Nearly $1 million in cash, $2.2 million in legal work. The extraordinary lengths that Los Angeles’ largest charter school chain will go to defeat a union drive were reveale
A CT School Adequacy Study will inform a rational and constitutional education finance program - Wait What? : A CT School Adequacy Study will inform a rational and constitutional education finance program The Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education (CCJEF) explains why the Connecticut General Assembly should approve legislation requiring a CT School Adequacy Study rather than adopt a fault
Placemaking crucial to success of Innovation District - NonDoc : Placemaking crucial to success of Innovation District A report on Oklahoma City’s Innovation District released Tuesday by the Brookings Institute and Project for Public Spaces presents a doable vision the for northeast OKC effort. (Full report available here .) The authors conclude: Oklahoma City is poised to organize itself to be a
Putting public schools in the national spotlight | American Federation of Teachers : Putting public schools in the national spotlight It was a chance for one small Midwest city to showcase the great work going on inside its public schools, and Van Wert, Ohio, made the most of it. The April 20 school visits hosted by Van Wert, a northwest Ohio community of roughly 11,000, for AFT President Randi W
George Takei's 'Allegiance' is headed to Los Angeles : GEORGE TAKEI'S 'ALLEGIANCE' IS HEADED TO LOS ANGELES Allegiance is coming to Los Angeles next year. East West Players and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center will present the Los Angeles premiere of the Broadway musical Allegiance , with performances at JACCC's Aratani Theatre in Little Tokyo. from February 21 to April 1, 2018
Science teachers to join march to oppose what they see as threat to quality education | EdSource : Science teachers to join march to oppose what they see as threat to quality education undreds of California science teachers – and plenty of their students, as well – will take to the streets Saturday to defend funding for science research and programs and education, which they say are increasingly
Indiana hasn’t really improved the schools it has taken over. Now, the state could start taking over entire districts | Chalkbeat : Indiana hasn’t really improved the schools it has taken over. Now, the state could start taking over entire districts An effort to solve debt crises in Gary and Muncie could end with Indiana lawmakers having the power to take over school districts, even if they aren’
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all : Feisty Friday Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all Gary Rubinstein: The Oops Factor at Bill Gates’ Favorite School in Colorado 1 by dianeravitch / 32min The trouble with hailing a school as a model is that you can’t predict what might happen next year. This has never stopped Bill Gates! In 2012, he visi
California bill that critics say could cripple charter schools back in the spotlight | EdSource : California bill that critics say could cripple charter schools back in the spotlight A bill that would have allowed only school districts to approve new charter petitions is very much alive despite being shelved Monday by its sponsor. The bill known as Senate Bill 808 got a burst of support Tuesday f
Finding Teachable Moments In The March For Science : NPR Ed : NPR : Educators On A Hot Topic: Global Warming 101 Organizers of Saturday's nationwide March for Science have some pretty lofty goals: supporting science "as a pillar of human freedom and prosperity." Promoting "evidence-based policies in the public interest." Oh, and don't forget highlighting "the very real role that science plays in
Ohio Town’s Schools Hope to Be ‘More Than a Line Item’ in the Federal Budget - The New York Times : Ohio Town’s Schools Hope to Be ‘More Than a Line Item’ in the Federal Budget VAN WERT, Ohio — Ken Amstutz’s phone did not stop buzzing long enough for him to think about what could happen in 24 hours. He was fielding questions from public officials and the national news media, keeping tabs on plann
CURMUDGUCATION: The Attack on Charter Schools : The Attack on Charter Schools Nashville Charter School parents complain that they are under attack and disrespected . Charter advocates have long panel discussions about how to fight back against the attacks on charters and choice. Every 9-12 months, a new website is launched because reformy fans of charter and choice believe that they are under att
14 Devious Claims to Destroy Special Education : 14 Devious Claims to Destroy Special Education Around the country, state education chiefs, local school superintendents, and school boards are eliminating special education services. There’s an effort to get rid of special education. Sometimes this is done through language that sounds appealing. Who doesn’t want a quality education for all children
Two Wise Articles about High School Graduation Requirements | janresseger : Two Wise Articles about High School Graduation Requirements This week brought two fine commentaries on today’s punitive high school graduation requirements. Stan Karp , an educator, demonstrates widespread flawed assumptions about the need for high school exit exams. And, in a stunning commentary, the Rev. Jesse Jackson e
With A Brooklyn Accent: My Appearance on "The O'Reilly Factor" : My Appearance on "The O'Reilly Factor" Now that Bill O'Reilly is off the air, I think it is time I provide an account of my appearance on the "O'Reilly Factor," since the tape of the episode I appeared on is nowhere to be found Ten years ago, I received a call inviting me to appear on "The O'Reilly Factor." The occasion was a contro
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Regional Superintendents Send White Paper to Legislature : Regional Superintendents Send White Paper to Legislature A letter of interest called "An Educational Funding Position Paper Submitted by the Superintendents of the NW Educational Service District 189 Region" was send to the Governor, State Superintendent Rykdal, and members of the Washington State Legislat
Badass Teachers Association: Call This The Empty Chair by Patte Carter-Hevia : Call This The Empty Chair by Patte Carter-Hevia Today I attended a National Education Association Listening Tour stop. Dinner and then a keynote speaker and then a panel discussion. The theme was "How do we create the public schools that our children deserve?” The keynote speaker was a business owner and author. He tol
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 4/20/17 Featured Post Oh Brother Betsy DeVos 's Blackwater Brother Erik Prince acted as Trump envoy in Russian meetings: report | MSNBC Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: TOMORROW'S SHOW by mike simpson / 8min Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: TOMORROW'S SHOW : TOMORROW'S SHOW Eve Ewing (top) and Sarah Chambers. Tomorrow on Hitting Left, our in-studio guest wil