Success Doesn’t Define You. What You Do Next Does.
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Every now and then, a moment arrives that shows you exactly why culture
matters. Last night in Detroit, Western Michigan won the MAC Football
Championship ...
ICYMI: Chorus Edition (12/7)
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The CMO of the Institute (that’s Chief Marital Officer) sings in a
community chorus because, among other reasons, she objectively has a voice
much like tha...
ICYMI: Chorus Edition (12/7)
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The CMO of the Institute (that's Chief Marital Officer) sings in a
community chorus because, among other reasons, she objectively has a voice
much like tha...
In winter weather whoopsie, ODOT caught off guard
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[image: ODOT]ere you late for work last Monday morning? Of course you were,
because the roads were in rough shape, particularly the highways with their
o...
The Company You Keep
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Even though the filing period for the 2026 elections isn't until April,
let's all pay close attention. The candidates lining up to run will tell
you more a...
Power Targeting the Vulnerable
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When cruelty becomes a strategy, the vulnerable suffer. I wrote about how
disabled students and hungry families were used as leverage during the
shutdown...
Chicago Torture Justice Memorial–HELP!!!
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As a member of Chicago Torture Justice Memorial Foundation’s Social Justice
Pollinator Hive (our community of recurring donors), we’ve been busy
working to...
Poem: someone died today
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[Header Photo by Ron Szalata on Unsplash] someone died todayand made my
partner cry i am afraid of dyingbut more afraid of not living not living
like today...
Ten News Items from The Contrarian
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These Top 10 lists will be refreshed weekly and will have their own tab on
the Contrarian homepage. Here’s our first one, followed as usual by my
rund...
A Crucial Lesson I Learned as a Young Teacher
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By the fifth year of teaching at Cleveland’s Glenville High School in the
early 1960s, however, I had learned one of the most important lessons a
teacher c...
Best STEM Materials for Classrooms – 2025 Reviews
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As a classroom teacher with over a decade of experience, I’ve watched STEM
materials evolve from simple blocks to sophisticated learning...
The post Best...
This and That, December 5, 2025
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*Update:*
The Seattle Times has a good profile of *Board President Gina Topp.*
One key item noted in the article is that, coming up at next week's regular
...
Gossiping
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What other people say about me is none of my business.
It's a rationale that pops up for me when I feel judged by others, when I
suspect or know that so...
How the NYPD violates sanctuary city laws.
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Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means for
New York to call itself a sanctuary city — and whether those words still
carry th...
Part II: Charter School Reckoning: Disillusionment
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In Decline, the first part of The National Center for Charter School
Accountability’s three-part report, Charter School Reckoning: Decline,
Disillusionme...
Youth. For Christ? At School?
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I should probably preface what I’m about to say by noting that I
self-identify as a liberal Christian. Without getting too far into the
theological weeds—o...
How Mandami and Democratic Socialists Win -
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Article, published today, explaining recent victories of democratic
socialists and progressives (in NY, Seattle, Buffalo, and elsewhere) and
putting t...
‘An Education’ by Diane Ravitch — My Review
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Fifty years after the publication of her first book, ‘The Great School
Wars’, author and historian Diane Ravtich has released her long awaited
memoirs. In...
Just Finished Diane Ravitch’s New Book
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By Thomas Ultican 11/25/2025 An Education; How I Changed My Mind About
Schools and Almost Everything Else, is highly recommended especially for
the thousan...
It Is Up to Us to Defend Democracy
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Do we have the courage to defeat an authoritarian regime? I believe we do,
if we organize strategically and effectively. There is no time to waste.
Do we...
November’s Parent Engagement Resources
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Be A Learning Hero has lots of research parent engagement with schools. No
Simple Answers for Kids and Screens* (Sara Konrath) After 10 years of
studying f...
Fix the Past or Invent the Future?
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Introduction Order the book from ASCD or Amazon. For years, the pervasive
story of American education was one of decline. In 1995, educational
psychologist...
Donald Trump, The Epstein Files, and “60 Minutes”
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Fans of ‘Sesame Street” will remember this song: “One of these things is
not like the others. One of these things just doesn’t belong. Can you say
which th...
Tuesday’s Close Election: Proposal One
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Zohran won six days ago. That was the election that everyone remembers. But
there was more on the ballot. Proposals 2 – 6 were about New York City (2 –
5 p...
This Is What Democracy Looks Like
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The polls for Prop 50, CA’s ballot initiative that counters MAGA’s illegal
gerry-mandering in Texas, opened Tuesday, November 4, 2025,…
The post This Is ...
Trying to get video cameras for my school
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through Donors Choose.
Here’s the project:
www.donorschoose.org/…
Putting this up because today only there is a 50% match for whatever you
contribute s...
Don’t Follow Advice from Billionaires
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This is by Julian Vasquez Lustig. —————- When billionaires step onto a
stage, release a book, or tweet some glossy piece of wisdom, the world pays
attentio...
Blogoversary #19 — Time to Move on
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Times have changed. I had a nice long run here, but let’s face it, it ended
a while ago. So I’ve moved. I’m not writing much any more, but when I do it
wil...
Il Papa è Morto
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Francis brought a distinct pastoral outlook to his papacy. A simple man, he
lived in a small apartment in the guesthouse. He sought to make the church
acce...
Trump plays Putin’s Playbook
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Recently Aleksander Dugin was interviewed on CNN, last week, and he stated
that he believes Trump is closer ideologically to President Putin than to
Washin...
Mike Shulman the ARISE UFT Judenrat
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I was surprised to learn that Mike Shulman has aligned himself with ARISE.
I previously supported him, advocating that the Castle Doctrine could have
bee...
How Do We Fight Trump?
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Dear Friends, I don’t know when and why it hit me. But I suddenly realized
how serious Trump is about changing the country into something that
horrifies. I...
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...
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 GarcÃa
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...
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.
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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...
Reduced time for testing? Not so fast.
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NYSED and Commish Elia continue to say that the NYS Assessments are of
reasonable length, I completely disagree.
Here is what NYSED states are average expe...
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?
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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
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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)
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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...
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. . . .
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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...
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
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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...
New Beginnings: Kickstarter and EdWeek Teacher
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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...
This is the new Betsy DeVos speech everyone should read - The Washington Post : This is the new Betsy DeVos speech everyone should read Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made news (again) recently when she was booed by students at Bethune-Cookman University, a historically black college in Florida, while she delivered a commencement speech. Students were upset that she had earlier this year called
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's great ideas : Rahm's great ideas Rahm considering taxing "high net-worth individuals". What a concept! Just to prove that I'm not a Rahm hater, I'll give a SmallTalk salute to two things the mayor said this week. The first was meant as a warning to fellow Democrat bigwigs. Stop focusing so much on Trump and start fighting for middle-class and working families
California must save its successful after-school programs | EdSource : California must save its successful after-school programs van Cardona, a 1st-grader at Mountain View Elementary in Los Angeles, arrived at the Regional Spelling Bee excited to take on a new challenge. Despite placing first in his school s pelling bee, Evan’s success had not come easily. In kindergarten, Evan fell behind and fi
DeVos Meets with Home School Lobby | Diane Ravitch's blog : DeVos Meets with Home School Lobby From Politico Education: EDUCATION SECRETARY BETSY DEVOS MEETS WITH HOMESCHOOL ADVOCATES: DeVos spent roughly 45 minutes late Monday afternoon listening to the needs of homeschooling families during a meeting with officials from the Home School Legal Defense Association. William Estrada, director of fed
CURMUDGUCATION: The Takeover Lie : The Takeover Lie One of the techniques in the reformster arsenal has been the school takeover, in which some august body declares a public school a failure, and that school is marked for Takeover. That failure can be certified by specious Big Standardized Test results (yay, PAARC and SBA) or by the more cynical method of refusing to fuly fund a district and then
Different Conversations | Blue Cereal Education : Different Conversati ons “So… why do you think they hate Mexicans so much? Do they really think we’re all bad people, or are they just racists, or…? It was a sincere question from one of my most brilliant girls. She doesn’t yet know all she will, but she sees more than most and asks the most sincere, probing questions. They always grab my interest
Protecting the Public Commons - The Atlantic : Protecting the Public Commons At a moment when institutional distrust is surging, there’s an urgent need to support civics education. The debate about the role technology plays in society is as old as humankind’s ability to use tools and techniques to change our world. The technologies we have in our hands today would be magic to our forefathers, fro
The Privatization Prophets : The Privatization Prophets JENNIFER BERKSHIRE For years, millionaires and religious zealots have teamed up to preach "school choice" in an effort to dismantle public education. During a recent talk to tech investors and “edupreneurs,” Secretary of Education Betsy Devos, the least regarded of all of the rogues and billionaires who compose the Trump cabinet, returned to
Drive to increase charter enrollments triggers massive spending in LA school board race | EdSource : Drive to increase charter enrollments triggers massive spending in LA school board race School board races tend to be sleepy affairs, drawing little attention and even less campaign spending compared to other higher profile races on most local ballots. Not in Los Angeles, which has become the site
Eve Ewing. | Fred Klonsky : Eve Ewing. Eve Ewing with my brother, Michael Klonsky on our Hitting Left with the Klonsky Brothers radio whow and (right) with Chicago playwright Ike Holter (Chicago Magazine photo). I am so glad to see our friend Eve Ewing included in Chicago Magazine’s Who’s Got Next? Of course, we had her first on our weekly radio show, Hitting Left with the Klonsky Brothers, which
L.A. school board candidates tackle questions on tenure, charter growth, graduation rates - LA Times : L.A. school board candidates tackle questions on tenure, charter growth, graduation rates n Tuesday, voters in two regions of Los Angeles will go to the polls in a pivotal school board election. In one contest, school board President Steve Zimmer, 47, is facing challenger Nick Melvoin, a 31-year
Milwaukee's School Voucher Program: Some Black Leaders Are Divided Over Who Benefits : NPR Ed : NPR : Milwaukee's School Voucher Program: Some Black Leaders Are Divided Over Who Benefits Howard Fuller (left) is one of the architects of the voucher program in Milwaukee; Wendell Harris led early opposition to vouchers. LA Johnson/Getty/NPR The Trump administration has made school choice, vouchers i
Sacramento city after-school program shrinks after budget woes | The Sacramento Bee : Two Sacramento districts will hire new after-school providers once city subsidy ends Sacramento Can't Afford Poor Kids But Has The Best Arena In The NBA The free Sacramento after-school program START that Mayor Darrell Steinberg launched 21 years ago will shrink dramatically this fall after two large school dist
Brown v. Board is 63 years old. Was the Supreme Court’s school desegregation ruling a failure? - The Washington Post : Brown v. Board is 63 years old. Was the Supreme Court’s school desegregation ruling a failure? The historic Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education turns 63 years old on Wednesday, May 17, 2017. The decision famously ordered the desegregation of public schools in the
Roosevelt University Study: Rapid Charter Growth Has Cannibalized Chicago Public Schools | janresseger : Roosevelt University Study: Rapid Charter Growth Has Cannibalized Chicago Public Schools A new poll by the Associated Press exposes widespread support for school choice even though most people don’t know much about what it is: “(M)ost Americans know little about charter schools or private scho
National an d Urban NAEP Results: Neighborhood Public Schools 23, Charters 4 – Cloaking Inequity : National and Urban NAEP Results: Neighborhood Public Schools 23, Charters 4 With increased attention and resources given by President Donald Trump and Secretary of Education Betty Devos to charter schools as an alternative to neighborhood public schools , it is crucial to analyze whether or not stud
Russ on Reading: An Onset-Rime Approach to Decoding for Struggling Readers : An Onset-Rime Approach to Decoding for Struggling Readers I had the pleasure of spending some time with a group of dedicated elementary teachers in New Jersey this past week. The focus was on using Running Records as a diagnostic tool. At the end of the presentation, I asked the teachers to each describe a student they w
Donald Trump’s Liberty University Commencement Speech | deutsch29 : Donald Trump’s Liberty University Commencement Speech On May 13, 2017, Donald Trump gave his first commencement speech as president, at the 2017 Liberty University ceremony. At the ceremony, Liberty University President, Jerry Falwell, Jr., presented Trump with an honorary law doctorate. Falwell was Trump’s first choice for US se
Advocates Release Parent Toolkit for Student Privacy | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy : ADVOCATES RELEASE PARENT TOOLKIT FOR STUDENT PRIVACY Learn how to protect your child's sensitive data. Download a copy of the toolkit HERE For more information: Rachael Stickland, (303) 204-1272 rachael@studentprivacymatters.org Josh Golin, (617) 896-9369, josh@commercialfreechildhood.org Tuesday, May 16
Badass Teachers Association: NY Education Commissioner Criticizes Religious School Funding–Then TRIPLES It by Jake Jacobs : NY Education Commissioner Criticizes Religious School Funding–Then TRIPLES It by Jake Jacobs Originally posted at: https://truthagainstthemachine.com/index.php/2017/05/15/ny-education-commissioner-criticizes-religious-school-funding-triples/ New York Education Commissioner M
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Rich People; Could They Please Leave Public Ed Alone? : Rich People; Could They Please Leave Public Ed Alone? Forbes has just come out with its annual list of the wealthiest people in the world. It was a record year for the richest people on earth, as the number of billionaires jumped 13% to 2,043 from 1,810 last year, the first time ever that Forbes has pinned do
NYC Public School Parents: Save the date! Skinny awards, NYSED hearings & what's missing from their school accountability system & more! : Save the date! Skinny awards, NYSED hearings & what's missing from their school accountability system & more! Matters Annual Skinny Award Class Size Dinner will be held Tuesday, June 20 1 – Save the date ! Class Size Matters Annual Skinny Award Dinner will be
The Politics of Retribution : The Politics of Retribution “ A plan for ensuring best and fair practices for charter operators, including results that indicate positive impacts on the achievement gap, inclusion of all students, fair labor practices,