Top Posts This Week 4/20/19 #REDFORED #CTA

Top Posts This Week 4/20/19 

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

CURMUDGUCATION: Melinda Gates Achieves Peak Epic Cluelessness

Um, who are Melinda and Bill Gates trying to kid? - The Washington Post

A Lie All Teachers Should Believe - Teacher Habits

Schools Matter: A charter school story

Badass Teachers Association Blog: DEBACLE: Opt Out 2019

The Los Angeles Times’ History of Putting Kids Last

EssayBot will do your homework. But it won’t get you an A. - Vox

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Finish Those Taxes Edition (4/14)

CURMUDGUCATION: Arne Duncan Makes Me Want To Punch Myself In The Brain

Top Posts This Month 4/20/19 

Breaking News: Donald Trump fired Betsy DeVos this morning on Twitter | Cloaking Inequity

JEFF BRYANT: How charter schools are scamming the US government

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

CURMUDGUCATION: What Did We Learn From DeVos Hearings This Week?

50-State Comparison: K-12 Special Education Funding

Why I was Shaking My Head at Betsy DeVos - Living in Dialogue

Sacramento City Teachers to Strike April 11 - California Educator

The Wisdom and Wit of Diane Ravitch — Garn Press Coming Soon April 2, 2019

Atlanta’s Public School Board Voted for Privatization | tultican

California: An Alert for Supporters of Public Schools! | Diane Ravitch's blog

Posts This Week 4/20/19 

CURMUDGUCATION: Creating More Defective Children PLUS When Local Control Turns Toxic

by Mike Simpson / 1h

CURMUDGUCATION: Creating More Defective Children Creating More Defective Children This has always been a dangerous side effect of educational certainty. If I'm absolutely certain that my program is awesome, my pedagogy is flawless, my materials are on point, and classroom is just generally perfect-- and yet some students are not learning-- well, there's only one possible explanation. The student

Randi Weingarten calls on superintendents: Listen to your teachers | The notebook

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Randi Weingarten calls on superintendents: Listen to your teachers | The notebook Randi Weingarten calls on superintendents: Listen to your teachers "This de-professionalization is killing the soul of teaching," she said. American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten spoke Thursday in Washington, D.C., about how teachers are leaving the profession at record-breaking rates and how the

HEY, AMERICA! Don't just sit there! DO something! | Eclectablog

by Mike Simpson / 1h

HEY, AMERICA! Don't just sit there! DO something! | Eclectablog HEY, AMERICA! Don’t just sit there! DO something! In times like these, it’s… Screw it. There have never been “times like these” in American history. Yes, we’ve had presidents who were incompetent or narcissistic and who surrounded themselves with like-minded, power-hungry sycophants. And we’ve had Congresses that have abdicated their

Andre Perry: Betsy DeVos’s Support for Charters Makes Democratic Charter Supporters Uncomfortable | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Andre Perry: Betsy DeVos’s Support for Charters Makes Democratic Charter Supporters Uncomfortable | Diane Ravitch's blog Andre Perry: Betsy DeVos’s Support for Charters Makes Democratic Charter Supporters Uncomfortable I have said it before and I will say it again. Betsy DeVos is the most effective weapon against corporate reform, because she activates resistance and personifies noblesse oblige.

In Praise of the Unheralded | One Flew East

by Mike Simpson / 2h

In Praise of the Unheralded | One Flew East IN PRAISE OF THE UNHERALDED allen watkin from London, UK [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)] allen watkin from London, UK [CC BY-SA 2.0 ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0 )%5D Too much of what goes on around the teaching profession these days seems designed to undermine the confidence and effectiveness of teache

Repenning Is The Charter Candidate in LAUSD’s Runoff For Board District 5 – redqueeninla

by Mike Simpson / 2h

Repenning Is The Charter Candidate in LAUSD’s Runoff For Board District 5 – redqueeninla Repenning Is The Charter Candidate in LAUSD’s Runoff For Board District 5 Jackie Goldberg is on record , with great, deep, theoretical and experiential evidence, for not being “against charters”. Do listen to her nuanced and knowledgeable explanation here . Given the opportunity to elect someone with such pra

Badass Teachers Association Blog: Threats, bribes, deceit and glitches highlight another testing debacle in New York

by Mike Simpson / 3h

Badass Teachers Association Blog: Threats, bribes, deceit and glitches highlight another testing debacle in New York Threats, bribes, deceit and glitches highlight another testing debacle in New York A version of this article originally appeared at The Progressive In the ongoing national parent revolt against high-stakes standardized testing, New York has had the largest test refusal movement by

THIS WEEK Education Research Report

by Mike Simpson / 3h

Education Research Report THIS WEEK Education Research Report Measuring the E ects of Capital Expenditures on Student and Neighborhood Outcomes by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 22h This study o ffers new evidence on the e ffects of school facilities spending on student and neighborhood outcomes, linking data on new facility openings to administrative student and real estate records in Los Angeles Uni ed

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007

by Mike Simpson / 3h

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Lists Of Museums Going “Open Source” & Letting Their Collections Be Used For Free by Larry Ferlazzo / 9h TheDigitalArtist / Pixabay More and more museums are going “Open Source” and letting large portions of t

KEEP UP/CATCH UP Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

by Mike Simpson / 3h

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all Indianapolis: The Purpose of School Choice is to Destroy Communities, Which Endangers Us All by dianeravitch / 20min Jim Scheurich is a professor at Indiana University and a public education activist. He writes here about how School Choice is intended to destroy commun

CURMUDGUCATION: KY: DeVos, Bevin, Loving Vouchers, Hating Teachers

by Mike Simpson / 3h

CURMUDGUCATION: KY: DeVos, Bevin, Loving Vouchers, Hating Teachers KY: DeVos, Bevin, Loving Vouchers, Hating Teachers Betsy DeVos took her Education Freedom Voucher Tour to Kentucky, and things went just about as well as you could expect. Secretary of Education DeVos has been crisscrossing the country in an attempt to sell her $5 billion voucher plan . Her latest stop was Kentucky, a state that h

YESTERDAY

The Death of Education in America - LA Progressive

by Mike Simpson / 1d

The Death of Education in America - LA Progressive The Death of Education in America T rump! Mueller! Collusion! I know: who cares about the education of our kids as the redacted Mueller Report dominates the airwaves on CNN, MSNBC, and similar cable “news” networks? I care. I spent fifteen years as a history professor, teaching mostly undergraduates at technically-oriented colleges (the Air Force

Hostile, Divisive Political Climate Ensnaring U.S. Schools - NEA Today

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Hostile, Divisive Political Climate Ensnaring U.S. Schools - NEA Today Hostile, Divisive Political Climate Ensnaring U.S. Schools Political debate in the United States has deteriorated over the past two decades, as reasoned, well-informed dialogue has been eclipsed by hyperpartisanship, name-calling, even paranoia. But can anyone reasonably deny that the political climate today is debased beyond

Charter Schools Choose Parents and Students, Not the Other Way Around | Dissident Voice

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Charter Schools Choose Parents and Students, Not the Other Way Around | Dissident Voice Charter Schools Choose Parents and Students, Not the Other Way Around Charter school supporters never tire of promoting the consumerist free market notion of “choice.” They have always seen society as a dog-eat-dog world in which parents and students are consumers who fend-for-themselves as they shop for a sch

Tell the Charter Task Force: We Need Big Reforms Now - Network For Public Education

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Tell the Charter Task Force: We Need Big Reforms Now - Network For Public Education Tell the Charter Task Force: We Need Big Reforms Now That is the number of charters in California that have gone belly up. There are 601 defunct charter schools and about 1500 active charters in California. That is not a good rate of success. Send your email now and tell the charter task force we need reform. To s

Low Salaries, High Rents, Poor Teaching Conditions Create Widespread Shortage of Qualified Teachers | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Low Salaries, High Rents, Poor Teaching Conditions Create Widespread Shortage of Qualified Teachers | janresseger Low Salaries, High Rents, Poor Teaching Conditions Create Widespread Shortage of Qualified Teachers You’d have to be pretty out of touch to have missed that teachers, who have been striking all year from West Virginia to Kentucky to Oklahoma to California, have been showing us their p

Louisiana Educator: Charter School Operators in Louisiana Do Not Need High School Degree

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Louisiana Educator: Charter School Operators in Louisiana Do Not Need High School Degree Charter School Operators in Louisiana Do Not Need High School Degree Go to the last paragraph of this post to see why the pro-reform news media no longer reports Louisiana's national ranking of school performance This article explains that according to BESE policy, charter school directors do not even need a

Whatever Happened To the Self-Esteem Movement? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Whatever Happened To the Self-Esteem Movement? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice Whatever Happened To the Self-Esteem Movement? For those true believers and wanna-be school reformers enamored with the social-emotional skills that 21st century students must learn if they are to be “successful” in an information-driven economy and social-media-ridden daily life, take a brief loo

Revealing Podcast About Success Academy — Part Two | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Revealing Podcast About Success Academy — Part Two | Gary Rubinstein's Blog Revealing Podcast About Success Academy — Part Two In the first episode of Startup’s seven part podcast about Success academy, they presented the case that most schools in New York City are ‘bad’ and how Success Academy’s unique approach to education levels the playing field. Episode two, The Founder (can be found here )

APR 18

Schools That Hinder Opt Outs Are Participating in Their Own Demise | gadflyonthewallblog

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Schools That Hinder Opt Outs Are Participating in Their Own Demise | gadflyonthewallblog Schools That Hinder Opt Outs Are Participating in Their Own Demise You can’t be a public school and still ignore the will of the people. That’s the problem at too many districts across the country where narrow-minded administrators are waging an all out war on parents opting their children out of standardized

Peter Cunningham Leaves EdPost CEO Position to… Citizen Stewart(?) | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Peter Cunningham Leaves EdPost CEO Position to… Citizen Stewart(?) | deutsch29 Peter Cunningham Leaves EdPost CEO Position to… Citizen Stewart(?) In 2014, billionaire Eli Broad approached former US ed sec Arne Duncan crony and assistant, Peter Cunningham, to create a multi-million-dollar-funded blog, Education Post . New Orleans-based ed reformer, Christ Stewart (known as Citizen Stewart), was a

CURMUDGUCATION: Why DeVos Doesn't Care About Charter Closings

by Mike Simpson / 2d

CURMUDGUCATION: Why DeVos Doesn't Care About Charter Closings Why DeVos Doesn't Care About Charter Closings During the recent House hearings, Betsy DeVos was confronted with some of the results of the Network for Public Education study of federal dollars going to charters, a huge number of which have closed or never even opened. She was unmoved : Let me first comment on the study you’re referring

School Integration Over Compensatory Education - The Atlantic

by Mike Simpson / 2d

School Integration Over Compensatory Education - The Atlantic Segregation Is Preventable. Congress Just Isn’t Trying. Again and again, federal efforts to promote integration have been whittled down almost to nothing. When the Supreme Court struck down school segregation 65 years ago in Brown v. Board of Education , it overturned the doctrine that separate institutions for black and white people w

Randi Weingarten on the Freedom to Teach | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Randi Weingarten on the Freedom to Teach | Diane Ravitch's blog Randi Weingarten on the Freedom to Teach Randi Weingarten delivered this speech this morning at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The Freedom to Teach Consider what teachers have recently said about why they teach: “I teach because I want to change the world, one child at a time, and to show them to have passion and wonder

How popular are charter schools in California? | The Sacramento Bee

by Mike Simpson / 2d

How popular are charter schools in California? | The Sacramento Bee Charter school growth slowing in Sacramento. What’s driving the statewide trend? After years of vigorous growth, charter school enrollment is showing early signs of decline in Sacramento County just as state lawmakers zero in on ways to limit the industry’s swift expansion in California. New enrollment figures show charter school

What Kids with Low Self-Esteem Say - Teacher Habits

by Mike Simpson / 2d

What Kids with Low Self-Esteem Say - Teacher Habits What Kids with Low Self-Esteem Say A guest article from Chris, publisher of TeachingWoodwork.com When the children in your class look in the mirror, do you think they like what they see? What do they think about the world around them? Do they think they are loved and valued or do they feel judged and inadequate? It is normal for a youngster to l

Read Robert Mueller’s Trump-Russia report: full text - Vox

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Read Robert Mueller’s Trump-Russia report: full text - Vox Read Robert Mueller’s Trump-Russia report: full text Finally. Special counsel Robert Mueller’s long-awaited report on potential collusion between Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russia is finally out — and time will tell if it will either help or hurt the president. Roughly 450 pages, the document is the definitive account o

Video: Watch the premiere of Wyatt Cenac’s HBO show “Problem Areas” for free–and truly understand the new educator uprising in America – I AM AN EDUCATOR

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Video: Watch the premiere of Wyatt Cenac’s HBO show “Problem Areas” for free–and truly understand the new educator uprising in America – I AM AN EDUCATOR Video: Watch the premiere of Wyatt Cenac’s HBO show “Problem Areas” for free–and truly understand the new educator uprising in America School is fundamentally one of the greatest sources of humor. The premise of mainstream schooling is that a lo

Burris and Ravitch: An Open Letter to Betsy DeVos about the Failure of the Federal Charter Schools Program | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Burris and Ravitch: An Open Letter to Betsy DeVos about the Failure of the Federal Charter Schools Program | Diane Ravitch's blog Burris and Ravitch: An Open Letter to Betsy DeVos about the Failure of the Federal Charter Schools Program In this post on Valerie Strauss’s Answer Sheet blog at the Washington Post, Carol Burris and I respond to Betsy DeVos’s putdown of the Network for Public Educatio

Unmaking the Ontario Model: Austerity Comes to Canada – Have You Heard

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Unmaking the Ontario Model: Austerity Comes to Canada – Have You Heard Unmaking the Ontario Model: Austerity Comes to Canada Deep spending cuts and ballooning class sizes are coming to Ontario. Have You Heard talks to parents, students and teachers in Toronto about what controversial changes proposed by the new conservative government will mean for a public education system success story. Hint: n

Melinda Gates and the Blindness of Privilege | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Melinda Gates and the Blindness of Privilege | janresseger Melinda Gates and the Blindness of Privilege Last Sunday, the New York Times Magazine published an interview—David Marchese talking with Melinda Gates—about the enormous power of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for shaping our lives. Marchese asks Ms. Gates directly about the Gates Foundation’s role in driving today’s neoliberal pub

Destroying Public Education in St. Louis | tultican

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Destroying Public Education in St. Louis | tultican Destroying Public Education in St. Louis By T. Ultican 4/18/2019 On April 2 nd , St. Louis city voters picked Adam Layne and Tracee Miller to serve on their seven-member Public School Board. They appear to be the two least likely candidates out of seven to protect public schools . With the state poised to end twelve years of control over the cit

An open letter to Betsy DeVos, from two leading public education advocates - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 2d

An open letter to Betsy DeVos, from two leading public education advocates - The Washington Post An open letter to Betsy DeVos, from two leading public education advocates At a recent hearing on Capitol Hill, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos testified before the House Education Committee and had a brief discussion with Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) about charter schools. Here's how some of it went:

CURMUDGUCATION: The Charter Effect On Teachers

by Mike Simpson / 2d

CURMUDGUCATION: The Charter Effect On Teachers The Charter Effect On Teachers Unions, we have been told, have a deleterious effect on teachers, forcing them to accept lousier deals than they could get in a free market where they each negotiated their own deals. In such a market, schools would compete for teachers, bidding up the salary offers. Teachers could negotiate from a place of strength. No

2019 Medley #8 | Live Long and Prosper

by Mike Simpson / 2d

2019 Medley #8 | Live Long and Prosper 2019 Medley #8 Grade Level, Student Achievement, Society’s Mirror, Teacher Shortages, Charter Accountability, Disenfranchising the Voters CHILDREN DON’T EAT ON GRADE LEVEL When Betsy DeVos “Likes” Your “Research”… This post isn’t about reading, but Mitchell Robinson brings up important information we should remember. Last month, third graders in Indiana took

MetWest Internships (Part 7) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 2d

MetWest Internships (Part 7) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice MetWest Internships (Part 7) The last post described student and teacher participation in twice-weekly internships in Oakland businesses, government agencies including schools, health facilities, and social services. Advisor/Teachers work closely with students in their sites and are responsible for connecting what

APR 17

We’re Having the Wrong Conversation About the Future Of Schools

by Mike Simpson / 2d

We’re Having the Wrong Conversation About the Future Of Schools We’re Having the Wrong Conversation About the Future Of Schools Despite the rhetoric, modern movements to reform schools have had a devastating effect on education As a full-time teacher, I don’t have a lot of time to look up from the dailiness of the job to consider something as nebulous as the “future” of education. When I do, I fe

We've Got Issues: How can you find out more about the issues you care about? | Eclectablog

by Mike Simpson / 3d

We've Got Issues: How can you find out more about the issues you care about? | Eclectablog We’ve Got Issues: How can you find out more about the issues you care about? I’ve got issues. We all do. For me, it’s all about public education. It’s what I’ve dedicated my professional life to, and I have pretty strong feelings about supporting public schools, teachers, and students, and protecting the in

The Los Angeles Times’ History of Putting Kids Last

by Mike Simpson / 3d

The Los Angeles Times’ History of Putting Kids Last The Los Angeles Times’ History of Putting Kids Last Heather Repenning is moderate in her approach, but her lack of experience in education shows; during an interview, she had nothing insightful or original to say about the issues facing L.A. Unified. ” – Los Angeles Times Editorial Board During my first run for the LAUSD School Board, I was inte

Varnett charter school parents eligible for restitution after founders’ convictions - Houston Chronicle

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Varnett charter school parents eligible for restitution after founders’ convictions - Houston Chronicle Varnett charter school parents eligible for restitution after founders’ convictions More than 4,000 parents whose children attended the Houston-based Varnett charter school network between 2007 and 2014 could receive restitution payments totaling more than $600,000 nearly a year after the distr

More affluent neighborhoods are creating their own school districts - Vox

by Mike Simpson / 3d

More affluent neighborhoods are creating their own school districts - Vox More affluent neighborhoods are creating their own school districts The legally sanctioned fencing-out of low-income students of color. In the past two decades, 128 communities have had a simple idea: to make their own school district. For many of them, the underlying purpose was to draw a legal fence between their communit

Shorting pension payments and teacher salary caps. – Fred Klonsky

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Shorting pension payments and teacher salary caps. – Fred Klonsky SHORTING PENSION PAYMENTS AND TEACHER SALARY CAPS Senator Andy Manar. When the Democratic legislature and Bruce Rauner finally agreed on a full year state budget in his third year in office they included a salary cap of 3% on teachers. The cap was hidden in the bill – not by the Republicans and Bruce Rauner – by Democratic Party le

LeBron James’ I Promise Public School Supports Rising Achievement Among Akron, OH’s Poorest Children | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 3d

LeBron James’ I Promise Public School Supports Rising Achievement Among Akron, OH’s Poorest Children | janresseger LeBron James’ I Promise Public School Supports Rising Achievement Among Akron, OH’s Poorest Children LeBron James understands that 90 percent of American children and adolescents are enrolled in public schools. He knows that if you want to support the education of America’s poorest c

Revealing Podcast About Success Academy — Part One | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Revealing Podcast About Success Academy — Part One | Gary Rubinstein's Blog Revealing Podcast About Success Academy — Part One Of all the charter school networks in the country, there is none that is more controversial or more secretive than Success Academy. If ‘success’ is defined as high 3-8 state test scores, then Success Academy has earned its name. But critics charge that this ‘success’ come

Schools Matter: A charter school story

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Schools Matter: A charter school story A charter school story I want to apologize to Schools Matter readers for my infrequent contributions. I thought once I graduated from law school and passed the most difficult bar examination in the country on my first attempt, that I'd have more time to write. Instead, in addition to my long-time day job, I now have an internship once a week at an education

Howard Fuller’s Segregated School Vision: Will the Walton Family Pay for It? | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Howard Fuller’s Segregated School Vision: Will the Walton Family Pay for It? | deutsch29 Howard Fuller’s Segregated School Vision: Will the Walton Family Pay for It? Since 2010, Arizona State University (ASU) and Global Silicon Valley (GSV) have held an annual summit, described on the ASU GSV site as “the industry catalyst for elevating dialogue and driving action around raising learning and care

Um, who are Melinda and Bill Gates trying to kid? - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Um, who are Melinda and Bill Gates trying to kid? - The Washington Post Um, who are Melinda and Bill Gates trying to kid? What are Melinda and Bill Gates talking about? In recent public statements, one or both of them have said things about their powerful role in education philanthropy that strains credulity. Through their Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the two have poured far more money into e

CURMUDGUCATION: Guns Headed For The Classroom

by Mike Simpson / 3d

CURMUDGUCATION: Guns Headed For The Classroom Guns Headed For The Classroom Of all the bad ideas. I know there are folks who believe in their heart of hearts that arming teachers will make schools safer, or that putting armed police in the building will be helpful. But there are so many bad signs. I want to believe that school resource officers can be helpful. Earlier this month, a school shootin

Choosing Democracy: Study Shows California Significantly Underfunds Its Schools

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Choosing Democracy: Study Shows California Significantly Underfunds Its Schools Study Shows California Significantly Underfunds Its Schools The problem of the SCUSD budget crisis is not a problem of teacher health benefits. Rather It is the failure of California School Finance. Present funding, including LCFF is substantially unfair, inadequate, and unequal. The report, “The Adequacy and Fairness

APR 16

What Preschool Isn’t: Waterford UPSTART and Any Other Online Program!

by Mike Simpson / 3d

What Preschool Isn’t: Waterford UPSTART and Any Other Online Program! What Preschool Isn’t: Waterford UPSTART and Any Other Online Program! No one can deny the importance of early learning. We have years of research by developmental psychologists and early childhood education researchers built on findings to help us understand how preschoolers learn. We need to fund adequate preschools so student

CURMUDGUCATION: Melinda Gates Achieves Peak Epic Cluelessness

by Mike Simpson / 4d

CURMUDGUCATION: Melinda Gates Achieves Peak Epic Cluelessness Melinda Gates Achieves Peak Epic Cluelessness Sigh. Melinda Gates seems like a nice lady who means well, but her recent interview at the New York Times Magazine is a master class in how living in a very wealthy bubble can leave you out of touch with the rest of the world and an understanding of your place in it. It starts in the very f

Michigan gave the USA Betsy DeVos. Help us atone for that and make the world a better place. | Eclectablog

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Michigan gave the USA Betsy DeVos. Help us atone for that and make the world a better place. | Eclectablog Michigan gave the USA Betsy DeVos. Help us atone for that and make the world a better place. Michiganders tried. We REALLY did. We TRIED to warn America about Betsy DeVos. We tried to tell the country that she is the epitome of everything that is wrong about the corporatist and dominionist a

A Lie All Teachers Should Believe - Teacher Habits

by Mike Simpson / 4d

A Lie All Teachers Should Believe - Teacher Habits A Lie All Teachers Should Believe What is the most empowering belief a teacher can have? That’s a question I was recently asked. A few answers came quickly to mind: All students can learn. I make a difference. The credit belongs to the man who is in the arena . But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I believe the most empowerin

Oregon Save Our Schools: Save Money, Gain Time, Dump SBAC!

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Oregon Save Our Schools: Save Money, Gain Time, Dump SBAC! Save Money, Gain Time, Dump SBAC! Last week the Oregon Legislature’s Joint Committee on Student Success unveiled its plan to increase funding and improve public education. Oregon Save Our Schools would like to suggest a way that the legislature could s ave a little money and improve education: assess Oregon’s assessment system. The most e

Sac Union contract crisis shows what’s wrong with Sacramento and CA | The Sacramento Bee

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Sac Union contract crisis shows what’s wrong with Sacramento and CA | The Sacramento Bee Do the math: Teachers + health costs + insanity = we all lose Even if you don’t live in the City of Sacramento, or if you don’t have kids in the city public school system on the verge of blowing up, what is happening here affects you too. Why? Because the demolition of a public school system serving more than

Questions for Ann O’Leary: Why Are You Protecting California’s Corrupt, Wasteful Charter Industry? | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Questions for Ann O’Leary: Why Are You Protecting California’s Corrupt, Wasteful Charter Industry? | Diane Ravitch's blog Questions for Ann O’Leary: Why Are You Protecting California’s Corrupt, Wasteful Charter Industry? Ann O’Leary is Chief of Staff to California Governor Gavin Newsom. Previously she was education advisor to Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. She is a lawyer and a very acco

Congress Should Defund the Charter Schools Program and Invest the Money in Title I and IDEA | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Congress Should Defund the Charter Schools Program and Invest the Money in Title I and IDEA | janresseger Congress Should Defund the Charter Schools Program and Invest the Money in Title I and IDEA The Network for Public Education published its scathing report on the federal Charter Schools Program three weeks ago, but as time passes, I continue to reflect on its conclusions. The report, Asleep a

Louisiana Educator: Local School Systems Should be Able to Choose their own Academic Content Standards and Tests

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Louisiana Educator: Local School Systems Should be Able to Choose their own Academic Content Standards and Tests Local School Systems Should be Able to Choose their own Academic Content Standards and Tests This bill, by Senator Milkovich which will be debated in the Senate Education Committee this week, would allow each school system to opt out of the state content standards and accountability te

Study: There’s no evidence that hardening schools to make kids safer from gun violence actually works - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Study: There’s no evidence that hardening schools to make kids safer from gun violence actually works - The Washington Post Study: There’s no evidence that hardening schools to make kids safer from gun violence actually works Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on measures to harden public schools in an attempt to make students safer from gun violence, but a new report says there is n

antiracismdsa: Babies, As Young as 5 Months old, Held at El Paso Tent City

by Mike Simpson / 4d

antiracismdsa: Babies, As Young as 5 Months old, Held at El Paso Tent City Babies, As Young as 5 Months old, Held at El Paso Tent City Gabe Ortiz, Daily Koz Hundreds of people, including infants as young as 5 months old, have been detained in “an emerging tent city” at the El Paso Border Patrol Station in conditions that one visiting legislator has described as filthy and totally unfit for famili

NYC Public School Parents: NYC parents tell the Mayor to stop stalling and stop giving charter schools access to student information

by Mike Simpson / 4d

NYC Public School Parents: NYC parents tell the Mayor to stop stalling and stop giving charter schools access to student information NYC parents tell the Mayor to stop stalling and stop giving charter schools access to student information Video and press release below about our press conference this afternoon. Sorry for the low quality- it was broadcast on twitter live. For immediate release: Apr

APR 15

The Center for American Progress—Not Progressive on Education - Progressive.org

by Mike Simpson / 4d

The Center for American Progress—Not Progressive on Education - Progressive.org The Center for American Progress—Not Progressive on Education O ver the past decade, the left-leaning Center for American Progress has become one of the most relentless voices for the corporate “education reform” movement. Although originally created as a left-leaning think tank to counterbalance groups like the Herit

CURMUDGUCATION: FL: Charter Thievery And The Worst Legislature In The USA

by Mike Simpson / 4d

CURMUDGUCATION: FL: Charter Thievery And The Worst Legislature In The USA FL: Charter Thievery And The Worst Legislature In The USA Imagine. You live on the 300 block of your city, and your neighborhood is starting to look kind of run down, mostly because the city has redirected a ton of your tax dollars to the neighborhood on the 400 block. You try to fight city hall, but that's futile, so inste

EssayBot will do your homework. But it won’t get you an A. - Vox

by Mike Simpson / 5d

EssayBot will do your homework. But it won’t get you an A. - Vox This bot will do your homework for $9.95 a month. Does it actually work? According to one 10th-grade history teacher, it’s unlikely to get you an A. “EssayBot is the highly acclaimed online platform giving essay writing assistance to students and subject authors. As the program has been produced with the most sophisticated tools and

Quilting Resistance: Fabric, Humanity, Serendipity & Cybernetics – Wrench in the Gears

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Quilting Resistance: Fabric, Humanity, Serendipity & Cybernetics – Wrench in the Gears Quilting Resistance: Fabric, Humanity, Serendipity & Cybernetics It’s been a bit quiet on the blog. I continue to research, to map, to watch talks and prop myself up reading books about resistance. A friend told me I needed to take a break and get some perspective-to MAKE something. Eventually, I did. I spent a

Cursive Seemed to Go the Way of Quills and Parchment. Now It’s Coming Back. - The New York Times

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Cursive Seemed to Go the Way of Quills and Parchment. Now It’s Coming Back. - The New York Times Cursive Seemed to Go the Way of Quills and Parchment. Now It’s Coming Back. While cursive has been relegated to nearly extinct tasks like writing thank-you cards and signing checks, rumors of its death may be exaggerated. The Common Core standards seemed to spell the end of the writing style in 2010 w

Asleep at the Wheel: - Network For Public Education

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Asleep at the Wheel: - Network For Public Education Asleep at the Wheel: Download [6.63 MB] Read the Executive Summary This report details the Network for Public Education’s two month examination of the U.S. Department of Education’s Charter Schools Program (CSP). Our investigation found a troubling pattern of insufficient applicant review, contradictions between information provided by applicant

CURMUDGUCATION: Arne Duncan Makes Me Want To Punch Myself In The Brain

by Mike Simpson / 5d

CURMUDGUCATION: Arne Duncan Makes Me Want To Punch Myself In The Brain Arne Duncan Makes Me Want To Punch Myself In The Brain Arne Duncan still has a gift. I'm not talking about his ability to continually get bookings as an education, though that certainly counts as a gift in the sense that he has done nothing to earn it. No, I'm talking about his preternatural ability to raise my blood pressure.

Anthony Cody Dissects Alexander Russo’s Defense of Betsy DeVos | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Anthony Cody Dissects Alexander Russo’s Defense of Betsy DeVos | Diane Ravitch's blog Anthony Cody Dissects Alexander Russo’s Defense of Betsy DeVos Anthony Cody was taken aback when he saw that pundit Alexander Russo was critical of the media for ganging up against Betsy DeVos when she explained at a budget hearing why she was defunding the Special Olympics. Russo seemed to think that the media

Louisiana’s Apex Collegiate Charter School to Close; Website Still Encourages Enrollment | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Louisiana’s Apex Collegiate Charter School to Close; Website Still Encourages Enrollment | deutsch29 Louisiana’s Apex Collegiate Charter School to Close; Website Still Encourages Enrollment On April 10, 2019, Apex Collegiate Academy charter school CEO Eric Lewis told parents that the school would close at the end of the 2018-19 school year. Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Apex Collegiate is on

NEWARK SCHOOL VOTE: Tricks, lies, and videotape |

by Mike Simpson / 5d

NEWARK SCHOOL VOTE: Tricks, lies, and videotape | NEWARK SCHOOL VOTE: Tricks, lies, and videotape All you really need to know about the Newark school board election Tuesday can be found on some videotape clips. The first was recorded at a cocktail reception at the North End Bar April 3, held to raise money for school board member–and candidate for reelection– Tave Padilla. Padilla is running on a

Where We Belong | The Jose Vilson

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Where We Belong | The Jose Vilson Where We Belong When I first attended the annual National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference, it took place in Salt Lake City, Utah. I’d never been to SLC, but the burgers were good, the company was cool, and Malcolm Gladwell was the opening keynote speaker. I was only a few years into teaching, but the carnival of math education aficionados drew me in

Badass Teachers Association Blog: DEBACLE: Opt Out 2019

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Badass Teachers Association Blog: DEBACLE: Opt Out 2019 DEBACLE: Opt Out 2019 The drama now unfolding in New York in response to this year’s testing troubles could foreshadow a national tipping point. In the ongoing national parent revolt against high-stakes standardized testing, New York has had the largest test refusal movement by far, with approximately one in five students refusing each year

Diane Ravitch’s New Book is a Fun and Breezy Romp Through the Maze of School Policy | gadflyonthewallblog

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Diane Ravitch’s New Book is a Fun and Breezy Romp Through the Maze of School Policy | gadflyonthewallblog Diane Ravitch’s New Book is a Fun and Breezy Romp Through the Maze of School Policy Imagine you could talk with Diane Ravitch for 10 to 15 minutes everyday. That’s kind of what reading her new book, “The Wisdom and the Witt of Diane Ravitch” , is like. You’ve probably heard of Ravitch before.

APR 14

Fla. GOP extorting local school boards - YouTube

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Fla. GOP extorting local school boards - YouTube Fla. GOP extorting local school boards Ever since Jeb Bush started peddling his school privatization schemes as governor twenty years ago, Florida Republicans have starved local school districts of funding, blocked them from raising taxes to keep up with rising costs, and siphoned off $billions in capital outlay intended for renovations and new con

LAUSD Board Special Election Candidate Q&A: Jackie Goldberg: LAist

by Mike Simpson / 5d

LAUSD Board Special Election Candidate Q&A: Jackie Goldberg: LAist LAUSD Board Special Election Candidate Q&A: Jackie Goldberg Voters in northeast and southeast Los Angeles will go to the polls on May 14 for a special election to fill an open seat on the L.A. Unified School Board . The race in LAUSD's Board District 5 is taking place on the heels of a historic strike by the district's teachers un

Betsy DeVos and the Koch brothers must be so proud: Michigan teacher salaries down 16% from 2009 | Eclectablog

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Betsy DeVos and the Koch brothers must be so proud: Michigan teacher salaries down 16% from 2009 | Eclectablog Betsy DeVos and the Koch brothers must be so proud: Michigan teacher salaries down 16% from 2009 It’s taken years of concerted effort but, at long last, Betsy DeVos and the Koch brothers can finally claim victory: Teachers in Michigan are now paid less today in both real and corrected-fo

Laura Chapman on the Latest Reformer Inititiative: A Mushroom | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Laura Chapman on the Latest Reformer Inititiative: A Mushroom | Diane Ravitch's blog Laura Chapman on the Latest Reformer Inititiative: A Mushroom Reformer groups and programs and projects pop up so often that I’m tempted to call them mushrooms, although stinkweeds would work too. I met Matt Gandal, described below, when he worked for Checker Finn at the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation. As long as t

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Finish Those Taxes Edition (4/14)

by Mike Simpson / 6d

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Finish Those Taxes Edition (4/14) ICYMI: Finish Those Taxes Edition Personally, mine are already mailed in. My circumstances changed so much this year I have no idea whether I took a bigger hit or not. But regardless of your tax status, here are some pieces from the week for your edification. Take a read, and support these writers by passing on their stuff. Remember-- when

Chaos, Anarchy, and Violence in the Charter School Sector | Dissident Voice

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Chaos, Anarchy, and Violence in the Charter School Sector | Dissident Voice Chaos, Anarchy, and Violence in the Charter School Sector Chaos, anarchy, and violence are inherent features of the free market. 1 Instability, uncertainty, disequilibrium, unevenness, imbalance, volatility, turmoil, impulsiveness, alienation, greed, anxiety, jealousy, risk, irrational behavior, and “animal spirits” are f

Do You Eat at Chick-Fil-A? | Teacher in a strange land

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Do You Eat at Chick-Fil-A? | Teacher in a strange land Do You Eat at Chick-Fil-A? We just finished two cross-country journeys in a Subaru Forester with a large dog. It’s a 4-day/3-night trip, with long, 10-12 hour driving days culminating in overnight stays in mediocre, pet-welcoming LaQuintas. There is little time or opportunity for interesting restaurant meals. All food is in our little cooler,

Fostering Parent-Teacher Relationships - Teacher Habits

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Fostering Parent-Teacher Relationships - Teacher Habits Fostering Parent-Teacher Relationships From notes, calls, and personal meetings to full-blown parent-teacher conferences, there are many different ways that parents can get involved in the education process. While this can often be for the better, it can also cause quite a bit of friction at times. That’s why it’s crucial that educators are

Critics Protest Outrageous Award for Corporation Hawking Online Instruction for Pre-Schoolers | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Critics Protest Outrageous Award for Corporation Hawking Online Instruction for Pre-Schoolers | Diane Ravitch's blog Critics Protest Outrageous Award for Corporation Hawking Online Instruction for Pre-Schoolers The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is outraged that The Audacious Project is honoring the Waterford online preschool program, which will use this platform to expand their efforts

MetWest Internships (Part 6) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 6d

MetWest Internships (Part 6) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice MetWest Internships (Part 6) As in all Big Picture schools, MetWest has structured the academic year to have students search for and enter into two-day a week unpaid internships during school hours. Called Learning Through Internship (LTI), there is a coordinator that oversees the entire program. Michael Cellemme h

If “arming teachers” can’t be insured, is the debate just a cruel charade? | The Edvocate Blog

by Mike Simpson / 6d

If “arming teachers” can’t be insured, is the debate just a cruel charade? | The Edvocate Blog If “arming teachers” can’t be insured, is the debate just a cruel charade? Wake up Florida. We are being gamed again. There’s a good chance that the whole uproar overarming teachers is just an orchestrated distraction. Zero evidence suggests that arming classroom teachers as described in SB 7030/HB 7093

NYC Public School Parents: Come to rally on Monday to protest the Mayor letting charters access student information to help them recruit students

by Mike Simpson / 6d

NYC Public School Parents: Come to rally on Monday to protest the Mayor letting charters access student information to help them recruit students Come to rally on Monday to protest the Mayor letting charters access student information to help them recruit students Please come and show your support and share with others. Don’t let the Mayor chicken out on this important issue because he is more sc

APR 13

Top Posts This Week 4/13/19 #Unite4SACKids #WeAreSCTA #WeAreCTA #strikeready #REDFORED #SCTA #CTA

by Mike Simpson / 7d

Top Posts This Week 4/13/19 Sacramento City Teachers to Strike April 11 - California Educator CURMUDGUCATION: Why Do Teachers Have Such Lousy Parental Leave? ‘A Deal is a Deal’: Sacramento Educators Go on Strike - NEA