Black History Month Series: A Challenge!SF Public School Mom : Black History Month (BHM) Series #1: A Challenge! In honor of Black History Month , I’m reposting this previous blog. A few years ago, (2015 to be exact!) I challenged myself to write 28 posts highlighting African-American History . I made a dent in my original goal, but one year later I still had a way to go. This year I finally reac
Making things complicated or difficult for the sake of making things complicated or difficult, well, that’s just stupid writes NYC Educator. | Fred Klonsky : Making things complicated or difficult for the sake of making things complicated or difficult, well, that’s just stupid writes NYC Educator. -I stole this post from NYC Educator and I don’t he would mind. I’ve heard from various and sundry a
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Why are Democrats smearing peaceful anti-Trump protests? : Why are Democrats smearing peaceful anti-Trump protests? DeVos protest in D.C. “Nothing about a firm commitment to free expression obliges us open our doors to (much less to provide platforms for) those who incite hatred and violence against refugees, immigrants, and minorities—that is, against our students,
CURMUDGUCATION: Guest Post: Open Letter To Pat Toomey : Guest Post: Open Letter To Pat Toomey Barbara Ferman is a professor at the College of Liberal Arts, Temple University. She's also the Director of the University Community Collaborative. She passed along this letter to share. If you want to make sure Senator Toomey sees it, feel free to help direct it to him. February 13, 2017 An Open Letter
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Gifted Education, Part One : Gifted Education, Part One (You didn't think I'd be able to say everything in one post, did you? Part Two will have me talking about what I hear and saw at various events and what direction I think the district will take.) As I gather up my thoughts from the Work Session on Advanced Learning,the two-day Equity and Gifted Education Summ
How exactly did the Department of Defense end up in my child’s classroom? | Seattle Education : How exactly did the Department of Defense end up in my child’s classroom? You cannot fully understand what is happening with Future Ready school redesign, 1:1 device programs, embedded assessments, gamification, classroom management apps, and the push for students in neighborhood schools to supplement
The Next Big Thing – Have You Heard : The Next Big Thing Barely had Massachusetts voters cast the last *nay* vote on raising the charter cap, aka the Last Big Thing, than the Next Big Thing was sweeping the Bay State. I speak, of course of the zones of empowerment, that suddenly have everyone who is anyone talking. The experiment in school turn around-ing underway in Springfield, headed up by edu
Take Action NOW: Support Arab Students and Families in SFUSD - SF Public School MomSF Public School Mom : Take Action NOW: Support Arab Students and Families in SFUSD Our district says it cares about Arab students. Nonetheless, when it comes to resourcing schools to support them in meeting the needs of students and families… Lately, I’m hearing *crickets*. After the election, Arab students came t
Education Reform Musing | tultican : Education Reform Musing I have done a lot of whining about “corporate education reform” and the “test and punish” theory of education reform and “standards based” top down education. I am in full agreement with the conclusion Kristina Rizga’s reached after her four years’ study of Mission High in San Francisco, “The more time I spent in classrooms, the more I
Hip-hop group: DeVos is bad for the inner cities - CNNPolitics.com : Hip-hop group: Betsy DeVos is bad for the inner cities Washington (CNN) The Black Opera has a message for new Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos: There should be no poor schools. "We've seen what's going on with DeVos right now and what she stands for as far as education is definitely not going to be a positive for the inner cit
Protester arrested outside D.C. school is Afghan refugee - The Washington Post : The man arrested at Friday’s protest of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s visit The man arrested at Friday’s protest of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s visit to a middle school has been identified as a 32-year-old who lives in Northwest Washington and faces charges of assault on a police officer and failure to obey
Teacher plans to shame mayor, SRC, superintendent with I-95 billboard : Teacher plans to shame mayor, SRC, superintendent with I-95 billboard Coming soon to I-95, if a city teacher has anything to say about it: a billboard calling out Mayor Kenney and Philadelphia School District leaders. Donations are streaming in to crowd-fund a giant reminder that Philadelphia teachers have not had a contract
Washington State Lawmakers Attempt to Strip Powers From State Board - State EdWatch - Education Week : Washington State Lawmakers Attempt to Strip Powers From State Board One of the big hurdles to pushing for education change in states is that, oftentimes, it's not exactly clear who's in charge. This has become a big issue as states craft their accountability plans under the Every Student Succeed
Bullying remains a serious problem in Los Angeles schools - LA Times : Bullying remains a serious problem in Los Angeles schools Add fighting bullying to the long list of priorities for which the nation’s second-largest school system has good intentions but sluggish follow-through. One in 5 Los Angeles high school students and 1 in 4 elementary students said they had been bullied last school year
Support Betsy DeVos, shoot yourself in the foot - The Hechinger Report : Support Betsy DeVos, shoot yourself in the foot Education groups aimed at uplifting black students should not be the black face of her agenda There are some things that can get you uninvited to a black family reunion — and tap dancing to the news that Betsy DeVos is the next Secretary of Education is one of them. By the skin
Navigating Choice Reading with High-Stakes Accountability in Mind | radical eyes for equity : Navigating Choice Reading with High-Stakes Accountability in Mind BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: Trumplandia: Unmasking Post-Truth America by NCTE George Orwell Award Winning Author P.L. Thomas - Garn Press - http://wp.me/p3I85u-3NG As long as we have had formal education in the U.S., we have had a fair amount of pu
We #LoveTeaching and quizzes :) - Lily's Blackboard : We #LoveTeaching and quizzes :) These days, who couldn’t use a healthy dose of love? Maybe love isn’t all we need , but it sure would be good to have more of it. Valentine’s Day is about giving and showing love, and it’s also the kickoff for the weeklong #LoveTeaching campaign . The campaign was launched by teachers, and NEA is a proud partner
Happy Valentine’s Day! | Diane Ravitch's blog : Happy Valentine’s Day! Let’s forget the Orange Menace in the zwhite House for the day and think positive thoughts. Hug your friends. Kiss your loved ones. Call those who are far away and tell them you miss them. Give flowers, sniff flowers. Spread joy. I love you all. Even those who are persistently annoying. RESIST by forgetting about HIM for the d
Ed Notes Online: Charters are cancers. There are no good cancers–and charter schools are metastasizing throughout education : Charters are cancers. There are no good cancers–and charter schools are metastasizing throughout education Has the public ed ship sailed? After rigthly declaring charters are cancers, Bob Braun asks a very pertinent question on his blog : Do public school advocates have th
Advocates of disabled students closely watching new ed chief - The Washington Post : Advocates of disabled students closely watching new ed chief Betsy DeVos got off to a rocky start with families of disabled children when she acknowledged being confused by a question at her confirmation hearing about a federal law that has governed special education since 1975. Now that DeVos is on the job at th
Charter schools pose financial risk to municipalities by James Mulholland - Wait What? : Charter schools pose financial risk to municipalities by James Mulholland The charter school industry is proposing a change to Connecticut’s school funding system to require that local communities hand over local funds to subsidize charter schools attended by local students. The “money follows the child” fund
Education Law Prof Blog : Trans Students' Bathroom Rights: Will DeVos & Sessions Follow Candidate Trump's Common Sense? Not Likely by Diane Klein The most challenging part of the school day shouldn't be figuring out where to go to the bathroom - or whether one can safely do so anywhere at all. But thanks to the first act of our new Attorney General, those states that would deprive trans students
In Fine, New Book, Steve Nelson Urges New Education Path that Is Less Dangerous for Children | janresseger : In Fine, New Book, Steve Nelson Urges New Education Path that Is Less Dangerous for Children Steve Nelson’s new book, First Do No Harm: Progressive Education in a Time of Existential Risk , is refreshing in the author’s declaration of privilege as he applies all that he has learned in nine
glen brown: Resistance : Resistance The following is a copy-paste "Resistance Declaration" on Facebook from my good friend and colleague, Ken Previti: “I take ownership of most, if not all, ideals listed here...I have left the piece in its entirety (aside from minor grammatical an d format edits, lol) so all may appreciate it as they discern to be fit: “Republicans have been whining about the mas
US Ed Sec Betsy DeVos’ Letter to State Superintendents Re: ESSA State Plans | deutsch29 : US Ed Sec Betsy DeVos’ Letter to State Superintendents Re: ESSA State Plans On Friday, February 10, 2017, US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos sent to state superintendents a letter regarding the formulation of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plans. In short, she notes that the ESSA guidance composed unde
CURMUDGUCATION: New Congressional Attack on Education : New Congressional Attack on Education You probably already heard about H.R. 899 , a bill elegant in its simplicity. Here's the whole text of the bill: The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2018. Thanks to Rep. Thomas Massie (R) of Kentucky for this little zen koan of legislation. It raises many questions. Will the depar
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 2/13/17 Featured Post What To Make Of Bad News Betsy’s Letter About ESSA To Chief State School Officers – Exceptional Delaware 2017 Badass Teachers Association: Hey there! It’s Amy
Procurement in Child Nutrition Programs
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Federal and state information for the procurement of food service related
goods and services across all federally funded child nutrition programs and
the U...
Curriculum and Instruction Committee Meeting
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The Curriculum and Instruction meeting is tomorrow from 4:30-6:30 pm in the
Board conference room. Agenda here.
First up on the agenda after the basics is...
Who is the Ideal Teaching Candidate?
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You can't test for courage, imagination, humor, patience and the thousand
other essentials that make teachers outstanding. There is no scientific
measure o...
The Secrets to Their "Success"
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"THE" Jose Vilson had a Twitter thread up this past week about an encounter
with a parent whose child is enrolled in one of the Success Academy Charter
Sch...
AZ: Choice's Lie
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Arizona has always been on the forefront of school privatization. Right
now, things are heating up as they follow the path of promoting vouchers
through an...
The People’s School Board?
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Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,
or of the...
Getting Together
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I attended a play-based kindergarten back in 1967. It wasn't called a
"play-based" kindergarten, it was just called "kindergarten." We got
together, pla...
WEEKEND QUOTABLES
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Dick Gregory in Greenwood, Miss, April 2, 1963 after a voter registration
protest.Dick Gregory, R.I.P.
*I waited at the counter of a white restaurant for...
The ATR and the Big Lie
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I've never been an ATR, so I can't speak from experience here. My
experience is limited to being an occasional substitute teacher, not one of
my favorite ...
Blow: "Failing All Tests of the Presidency"
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Charles M. Blow is a powerful writer, who has been on the attack after
Trump since before the election. Thus one might be inclined to ignore
column tit...
Cartoons on Beginning of School Year
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Yep, it is that time when children and youth return to school. This
month’s cartoons celebrate that momentous time celebrated every year by
parents and c...
Who Invented Compehensible Input?
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Stephen Krashen (the author of this paper, not the answer to the question)
International Journal of Language Teaching (in press)
On page 49 of his new b...
CORPORATE GREED- I'M BLACKING YOU OUT!
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What has regrettably become the sole motivation for the use of technology,
when it comes to communicating with customers, is not giving them better
service...
The Interregnum Mile: Chapter Four
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Chapter Four Was going off script the right thing for our community? What
is the future of decolonized zones? Those were the questions scribbled in
faded g...
High Expectations? Yes, But...
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About the time that the No Child Left Behind legislation went into effect
in 2002, then President George W. Bush famously decried the "soft-bigotry
of low...
The Cold Truth About Personalized Learning
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Originally posted on Save Maine Schools:
In just a couple of weeks, my older son will start preschool. Here are a
couple of things, in no particular order,...
MARTIN LUTHER KING SAID:
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“Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and
immoral. It is impractical because it is a …
Continue reading →
antiracismdsa: Memories of Charlottesville
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antiracismdsa: Memories of Charlottesville: Memories of Charlottesville,
Palmer Foley In 2016, things fell apart. The center lost its hold, and the
worst ...
The Cold Truth About Personalized Learning
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In just a couple of weeks, my older son will start preschool. Here are a
couple of things, in no particular order, that I hope he learns while he is
there:...
Back to School Common Core Propaganda Time
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Shane Vander Hart: It is back to school time which means parents will be
subjected to local school propaganda promoting the Common Core State
Standards.
...
On Conditional Bias and Correlation: A Guest Post
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After I posted about “Observational Systems: Correlations with Value-Added
and Bias,” a blog follower, associate professor, and statistician
named Laura Ri...
It’s Come to This: Panhandling For School Supplies
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With a piece of poster board and a few markers, Teresa Danks has raised
more than $30,000 for school supplies. But why should educators have to go
to such ...
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.
...
Headline Says Don’t Protect Worst Teachers
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Another editorial in the San Diego Union attacks teachers and the
California public education system. The author has a personal work history
of harming Cal...
Race Raise Rays Raze
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The tough bond of white supremacy over changing times and reorganized
systems is the thick white glob of Elmer’s glue binding slavery to Jim Crow
and then ...
Were George Washington and Robert E Lee Equivalent?
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Here is an exchange on something called Quora. The question below was
(IMHO) quite stupid, but the answer was excellent. I’m quoting the whole
thing becuas...
CNN: Education is not Uber
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Charter schools, discrimination, education funding, Betsy DeVos and yes
Uber, are some of the topics Lily discussed in this CNN interview. More…
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...
Get inspired by Helen Gym…PAA Week Day 3
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We had a great teleconference earlier today with the amazing Helen Gym, a
founding member of PAA who is now serving as a Philadelphia City
Councilperson. Y...
Cognitive Dissonance and other Random Thoughts
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KUSHNER I’d like to ask Jared Kushner, the grandson of holocaust survivors,
how he handles the cognitive dissonance of a father-in-law who won’t
distance h...
OSPP Pushing At Racine School District
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Commissioner could take over Unified schools if District fails again,
unless amendment passes RICARDO TORRES ricardo.torres@journaltimes.com Aug
10, 2017 ...
OSPP Pushing At Racine School District
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Commissioner could take over Unified schools if District fails again,
unless amendment passes RICARDO TORRES ricardo.torres@journaltimes.com Aug
10, 2017 ...
Education Reform: A Celebration of Ignorance?
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Do these tweets clarify how we arrived at the disaster known as education
reform? Where states must go to the mother (USDOEd) to ask permission on
how bes...
Now Is the Time to Stop It
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In a speech to an American Legion gathering, a lieutenant who had lost his
leg in service spoke against the alt-right. He argued, among other things,
that ...
Ravitch Doubles Down on NAACP Charter Embrace
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Last October the NAACP passed a resolution calling for a moratorium on the
approval of new charter schools. The resolution did nothing for the
millions o...
Touching the Elephant
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You know the old fable about blind men touching different parts of an
elephant to determine its true nature. The guy who feels just the ear draws
one concl...
Five ATR Answers for Chalkbeat
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I stopped reading Chalkbeat a long time ago. Educational propaganda for the
deformists and the ediots of the world.
But Chalkbeat (formerly Gotham Schools)...
Grit by any other name is torture
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Angela Duckworth and her "academic" mentor Martin Seligman helped develop
torture models that the CIA uses in places like Iraq. The very same
elements o...
Free Speech and the University Battleground
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Introduction The university has been a free speech battleground reminiscent
of the 1960’s. Right wing elements are trying to get a foothold in
traditiona...
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...
Beyond Testing
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Dear Friends and Family, I want to let you know that my new book, Beyond
Testing: Seven Assessments of Students and Schools More Effective Than
Standardize...
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...
The Sweeny-Prieto School Aid Proposal: An Analysis
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Source: The Sweeny-Prieto School Aid Proposal: An Analysis Mark Weber
Doctoral Candidate Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey POLICY
BRIEF: Weber_Sw...
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 ...
Class of 2017: When you see a chance…
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The price to pay for never acting on the things you want out of life can be
heavy. You miss opportunities. You wonder what might have been. Regretting
inac...
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 ...
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*Countering Islamophobia in Classrooms and Schools: A Workshop for
Educators*
In the US, fear of terrorism has been used to justify the racial and
relig...
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...
What Works Can Hurt: Side Effects in Education
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This medicine can reduce fever, but it can cause a bleeding stomach. When
you buy a medical product, you are given information about both its effects
and s...
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...
