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
-
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
-
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.
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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
-
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
-
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
-
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?
-
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
-
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
-
*“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...
I sat in a meeting recently where an administrator reiterated the importance of having a “guaranteed and viable curriculum.” He shared this quote: It’s one of those things teachers have heard a thousand times, and we all just nod our heads and say to ourselves that of course schools should know what students ought to learn and kids growing up in Minnesota should know some of the same, big, basic
Lizzie Weakley Financial literacy is something that many teenagers do not have a firm grasp on, and it is something that many parents and teachers overlook the importance of. Young people need to understand the importance of financial literacy so that they are able to properly tend to their money in the future. The following information provides a closer look at three helpful ways to help high sc
Richard Allen Overmyer Children all over the world attend school to gain real-life skills as they prepare for their future. The academic and social skills they acquire will give way to their entrance to the workforce as citizens in society. With a growing trend of more parents working outside the home and increasing demand on highly qualified teachers to comprehensively prepare students for the f
Lara Smith In the world that we live in, we now need to learn foreign languages to broaden our horizons. Not only does it seem cool if you know another language, due to globalization, being bilingual or knowing a foreign language often gives you more opportunities to get better jobs within your own country and abroad. Apart from that, due to a free market, most large scale businesses have collabo
4 Important Ways to Help a Grieving Student A guest post by Meghan Belnap As a teacher, watching over the mental and emotional health of your students can be difficult. Students who face tragedy are often in need of comfort and extra support, but it can often feel as if your options are limited in regards to how to help. 20 percent of all kids will grow up experiencing the death of someone close
Teachers are the Rodney Dangerfields of the work world, constantly complaining that we get no respect. We have to take second jobs to make ends meet. We work extra hours for no extra pay. The teacher wage penalty is at an all-time high . We have less autonomy than we used to in our classrooms. We must endure teacher evaluation schemes that measure our worth using the outcomes of standardized test
By Frankie Wallace For a long time, libraries have served as sanctuaries for many students and teachers. Libraries aren’t being visited as often as they once were , but educators can still benefit from utilizing libraries in their lessons. Additionally, they provide a place of solitude and refuge from the hardships associated with day-to-day school life. Within the rows of books, there are other
Of all the nonsense today’s educators must endure, perhaps the most galling is the mixed messages we regularly receive about how to perform our jobs. Teachers, once upon a time, were essentially independent practitioners, trusted to choose their own topics of study, craft their own lessons, design their own tests (or not give any at all), enforce their own grading policies, and shepherd their stu
A guest post by Lauren Adley Teachers are often overwhelmed by the numerous lessons they have to plan, the piles of marking waiting for them, and the various tasks on their to-do lists. Here are useful time management tips that