Big Education Ape: Jan 2, 2017

Monday, January 2, 2017

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/2/17

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/2/17

Featured Post

Christian fundamentalist schools put kids ‘at risk’ with exorcisms and marriage grooming: inspectors

CURMUDGUCATION: Test Prep Abroad

by mike simpson / 8min

CURMUDGUCATION: Test Prep Abroad : Test Prep Abroad Because I search for a wide assortment of education-related stuff on line, the cookie-bot dance often brings me strange, new advertisements. Like a link to Scoregetter.com, an test prep outfit in Nungambakka, Chennai, which is on the southwest side of India. Just up the street from Pizza Hut. Right there in the world. Just up the street from Piz

NYC Public School Parents: Two new research summaries on the multiple benefits of class size reduction

by mike simpson / 12min

NYC Public School Parents: Two new research summaries on the multiple benefits of class size reduction : Two new research summaries on the multiple benefits of class size reduction Here are two research summaries on the evidence for the wide-ranging benefits of class size reduction; the first is for use by any teacher, parent or advocate nationally ; the second is meant primarily for residents of

A Teacher on Teaching: Forced to Betray My Mission: What a Real Teacher Fears

by mike simpson / 2h

A Teacher on Teaching: Forced to Betray My Mission: What a Real Teacher Fears : Forced to Betray My Mission: What a Real Teacher Fears If you think high-stakes testing is doing severe damage to U. S. education you are not alone. I know, when I retired in 2008, after thirty-three years in the classroom, it seemed I might be crazy. High-stakes testing was not improving education. In fact, it appear

E. D. Hirsch: “American Teachers Are Being Blamed for Intellectual Failings That Permeate the System Within Which They Must Work.” | Ed In The Apple

by mike simpson / 2h

E. D. Hirsch: “American Teachers Are Being Blamed for Intellectual Failings That Permeate the System Within Which They Must Work.” | Ed In The Apple : E. D. Hirsch: “American Teachers Are Being Blamed for Intellectual Failings That Permeate the System Within Which They Must Work.” Its hard to believe that its been thirty years since the publication of E. D. Hirsch’s Cultural Literacy: What Every

BATs Support Journey for Justice and Network for Public Education Campaigns to Stop Devos - Badass Teachers Association

by mike simpson / 2h

Badass Teachers Association : BATs Support Journey for Justice and Network for Public Education Campaigns to Stop Devos BATs a few weeks ago BATs held a successful social media campaign, call in, petition, and emails to our Senators to tell them to stop Betsy Devos. NPE circulated a successful email campaign that got over 90,000 letters sent to Senators to tell them stop the Devos nomination. We

Betsy DeVos: Jeb Bush’s consolation prize - POLITICO

by mike simpson / 3h

Jeb Bush’s consolation prize - POLITICO : Jeb Bush’s consolation prize There may be a silver lining for Jeb Bush — the elevation of his longtime friend, patron and political ally, Betsy DeVos, as education secretary. There may be a silver lining to the 2016 presidential election for Jeb Bush — the elevation of his longtime friend, patron and political ally, Betsy DeVos, as education secretary. If

Teachers Are Stressed, And That Should Stress Us All : NPR Ed : NPR

by mike simpson / 3h

Teachers Are Stressed, And That Should Stress Us All : NPR Ed : NPR : Teachers Are Stressed, And That Should Stress Us All We all experience stress at work, no matter the job. But for teachers, the work seems to be getting harder and the stress harder to shake. A new report out this month pulls together some stark numbers on this: Forty-six percent of teachers say they feel high daily stress. Tha

State lawmaker calls for ‘timeout’ on approving new charter schools - The Santa Fe New Mexican: Northern New Mexico Education

by mike simpson / 3h

State lawmaker calls for ‘timeout’ on approving new charter schools - The Santa Fe New Mexican: Northern New Mexico Education : State lawmaker calls for ‘timeout’ on approving new charter schools By Robert Nott The New Mexican A New Mexico lawmaker wants the state to stop allowing new charter schools to open for at least two and a half years so officials can evaluate such schools now in operation

Thoughts on Junk Indicators, School Rating Systems & Accountability | School Finance 101

by mike simpson / 3h

Thoughts on Junk Indicators, School Rating Systems & Accountability | School Finance 101 : Thoughts on Junk Indicators, School Rating Systems & Accountability Over the past few years, co-authors Preston Green and Joseph Oluwole and I have written a few articles on the use, misuse and abuse of student growth metrics for evaluating teachers and for imposing employment consequences based on those me

Schools Matter: Understanding KIPP Model Charter Schools: Part 16

by mike simpson / 3h

Schools Matter: Understanding KIPP Model Charter Schools: Part 16 : Understanding KIPP Model Charter Schools: Part 16 Probably the most graphic display of the unchecked KIPP Model in action was played out in a KIPP school in Fresno, CA, where organizational zeal, moral blindness, and an absence of public oversight and accountability combined to create an abusive, inhumane school environment that

Call Your Senators: List of local phone numbers and addresses - Network For Public Education

by mike simpson / 3h

List of local phone numbers and addresses - Network For Public Education : Call Your Senators: List of local phone numbers and addresses Here is a list of Washington and local phone numbers and addresses for US Senators. It is pre-election. We will update as soon we get the new numbers. Click Here to Find Yours

State Board of Education Ignores Governor, Parents And Own Policy | Arizona Daily Independent

by mike simpson / 4h

State Board of Education Ignores Governor, Parents And Own Policy | Arizona Daily Independent : Please Continue Reading: State Board of Education Ignores Governor, Parents And Own Policy | Arizona Daily Independent :

Christian fundamentalist schools put kids ‘at risk’ with exorcisms and marriage grooming: inspectors

by mike simpson / 4h

Christian fundamentalist schools put kids ‘at risk’ with exorcisms and marriage grooming: inspectors : Christian fundamentalist schools put kids ‘at risk’ with exorcisms and marriage grooming: inspectors Several Christian fundamentalist schools have been downgraded in the UK after a government watchdog group followed up on an exclusive report done by The Independent . As the site reported this su

What I Learned During My Break | Diane Ravitch's blog

by mike simpson / 7h

What I Learned During My Break | Diane Ravitch's blog : What I Learned During My Break I announced that I was taking a break from Christmas to New Year’s. I think my break lasted a few hours. I learned that I need to connect with my friends. I learned that my need to communicate was greater than my need for a break. I learned that I need to adjust my schedule so it is not as constrained as it was

CURMUDGUCATION: The Conservative Argument Against DeVos

by mike simpson / 7h

CURMUDGUCATION: The Conservative Argument Against DeVos : The Conservative Argument Against DeVos It's not just progressives who have been up in arms about the nomination of Betsy DeVos to the post of Secretary of Education. The same network of conservative parent activists that raised an effective fuss over Common Core are exceedingly unpleased about the big-money donor and lobbyist being given

Education Lessons From A Sparkly District: Who Is Voting On New Jersey's New Charter Regulations?

by mike simpson / 8h

Education Lessons From A Sparkly District: Who Is Voting On New Jersey's New Charter Regulations? : Who Is Voting On New Jersey's New Charter Regulations? The issue of conflict of interest has been coming up a lot lately. Just before the holiday weekend, a friend pointed out one of the choices for Ambassador to the Vatican, William E. Simon, Jr., is the brother of one of the members, J. Peter Sim

Mississippi children aren’t the only ones struggling to learn to read | SunHerald

by mike simpson / 9h

Mississippi children aren’t the only ones struggling to learn to read | SunHerald : Mississippi children aren’t the only ones struggling to learn to read When Victoria Norman was growing up in Laurel, she didn’t have anyone to help her with her homework. She and her brother were raised by her grandparents, who didn’t do much reading and couldn’t assist with her English lessons. “I wasn’t that goo

School district still recovering from 'reform' - Loveland Reporter-Herald

by mike simpson / 9h

School district still recovering from 'reform' - Loveland Reporter-Herald : School district still recovering from 'reform' The letter, "Extensive reform needed in school district," (Dec. 18) could not be further from the truth. The community, Thompson Board of Education and school district survived the two-year efforts of the conservative reform majority of four and their leader and Board Preside

Need for cash puts charter schools in questionable company - Local - Ohio

by mike simpson / 9h

Need for cash puts charter schools in questionable company - Local - Ohio : Need for cash puts charter schools in questionable company Ohio’s charter schools ... Drawing state dollars from local school districts, charter schools presented a cheaper, market-driven alternative to government-run schools. ■ Ohio law allowed for the first charter schools in 1998. ■ Nearly 40 percent of the 595 charter

The NPE Toolkit: Stop Betsy DeVos - Network For Public Education

by mike simpson / 9h

The NPE Toolkit: Stop Betsy DeVos - Network For Public Education : The NPE Toolkit: Stop Betsy DeVos The more we learn, the more we are certain that Betsy DeVos is bad for public schools and for kids. When De Vos has to choose between quality schools and “the free market,” she chooses “the free market” of privatized choice every time. The best interests of children take a back seat. And we know t

Few women run the nation's school districts. Why? | PBS NewsHour

by mike simpson / 10h

Few women run the nation's school districts. Why? | PBS NewsHour : Few women run the nation’s school districts. Why? Nearly a decade after she was hired as the first woman to run the Council Bluffs, Iowa, school district, Mary Martha Bruckner is often one of the only women in the room. That was the case in October when about two dozen superintendents and finance officers from Iowa’s urban school

YESTERDAY

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/1/17

by mike simpson / 1d

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/1/17 Featured Post Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Stopping the nomination of Betsy DeVos Faith and Hope as we face these extraordinary times - Wait What? by mike simpson / 8min Faith and Hope as we face these extraordinary times - Wait What? : Faith and Hope as we face these extraordinary times Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope wit