Big Education Ape: TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 8/22/20 #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #BidenHarris2020 #SAFETYFIRST

Level Up – Life In A Post Pandemic Video Game – Wrench in the Gears

What it would take to end child poverty in America Rep. Barbara Lee on why rebuilding the economy should mean investing in our kids. In 2019, about one in six children in America — 12 million kids nationwide — lived in poverty. That’s a rate about two or three times higher than in peer countries. And that was before the worst economic and public health crisis in modern history. The scale of chil

Can Schools Deliver Services To Students With Disabilities This Fall? : NPR

Level Up – Life In A Post Pandemic Video Game This Saturday August 22, 2020 from 10am to 1pm EST, Joseph Gonzalez and I will host a three-hour program through Incite Seminars exploring what it would mean to live in an augmented reality gamified police state. Capitalism isn’t dying. It has, in fact, jumped into the virtual world. A predatory digital infrastructure of surveillance and value extrac

NYC Educator: De Blasio's Circus

Schools Say They Have To Do Better For Students With Disabilities This Fall For Sarah McLaren, who lives in a suburb of Minneapolis, talking about the spring is painful. Her daughter, a rising fourth-grader, struggles with auditory processing and receives special education services. But McLaren says her daughter had trouble keeping up with teachers on an iPad because the instruction was almost a

How to Assess Digital Literacy for Students (and Educators!) - NEA Today

De Blasio's Circus I've got an inbox full of worry, and I'm as worried as anyone. Full disclosure--I've asked for and received an accommodation to teach from home. I've encouraged everyone I know to do the same. If you have applied and been denied, or ignored, here's a form you can fill out to get help from the UFT. Meanwhile, we're facing de Blasio's plan, which relies heavily on teachers who d

How America's Broken Education System Perpetuates Social Injustice | Dissident Voice

How to Assess Digital Literacy for Students (and Educators!) For years, educators have been buzzing about the importance of “digital literacy.” But what do those words really mean? According to the American Library Association, digital literacy is “the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and te

Carol Burris: For-Profit Charter Aims to Take Control of Entire District in Pennsylvania | Diane Ravitch's blog

How America’s Broken Education System Perpetuates Social Injustice Any conditions that compel the teacher to take note of failures rather than of healthy growth give false standards and result in distortion and perversion. — John Dewey, 1 Academic Fredrik deBoer has written a book, The Cult of Smart: How Our Broken Education System Perpetuates Social Injustice (All Points Books, 2020), that ques

Restorative circles, online wellness rooms and grief training: How schools are preparing for the Covid mental health crisis - The Hechinger Report

Carol Burris: For-Profit Charter Aims to Take Control of Entire District in Pennsylvania Carol Burris writes in Valerie Strauss’s “Answer Sheet” blog about a for-profit charter corporation that about to take over the entire Chester-Upland school district in Pennsylvania. This district is one of the poorest in the state. Burris writes: Chester Community Charter School (CCCS) first opened its door

“Confessions of a School Reformer” (Part 3) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Restorative circles, online wellness rooms and grief training: How schools are preparing for the Covid mental health crisis More students are experiencing anxiety and depression, forcing schools to prioritize mental health needs over academic work The calls started at 6 a.m., and Patrick McCauley was ready, having retreated to the privacy of his garage where he sat waiting for Angelenos to share

Democrats Recognize Essential Role of Public Schools, Whose Needs Trump and DeVos Don’t Bother to Notice | janresseger

“Confessions of a School Reformer” (Part 3) Continuing story of my teaching history at Glenville High School in Cleveland (OH), 1956-1963 Then I got married in 1958. Evenings which I had used for grading homework and preparing lessons and weekends for completing graduate papers were no longer as available as when I was single. Fatigue and the growing awareness that I could have a life outside of

Joe Biden: The Right Man for the Moment | Diane Ravitch's blog

Democrats Recognize Essential Role of Public Schools, Whose Needs Trump and DeVos Don’t Bother to Notice In a refreshing development this week, as Democrats held their convention to nominate Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate for President and Kamala Harris for Vice President, public education was made visible again as an institution of vital importance to American life. For President Donald

Why We Need to Call for “All-Remote” Now | JD2718

Joe Biden: The Right Man for the Moment Joe Biden gave a wonderful speech last night. He was sharp, hopeful, eloquent, compassionate, determined, visionary. If you missed it, watch it now. He was superb. He laid out a vision of a renewed America, united to conquer the virus, rebuild our infrastructure, bring people together, and heal the deep wounds inflicted on us during the past four years. Af

Setting America’s Schools Up To Fail - PopularResistance Org

Why We Need to Call for “All-Remote” Now Mulgrew sounded militant Wednesday. Talked about a strike. Made demands about safety. But the message was wrong. By continuing to fight to open schools safely (which might seem reasonable) the UFT leadership is diverting us. We should be leaning, as hard as we can, on de Blasio to open remotely. Everyone, including de Blasio, notices that the UFT has not

AUG 20

Gene V Glass: Education in Two Worlds: Why Bother Testing in 2021?

Setting America’s Schools Up To Fail - PopularResistance.Org SETTING AMERICA’S SCHOOLS UP TO FAIL Seventeen years ago, against the advice of my parents, I decided to become a public school teacher. Once I did, both my mother and father, educators themselves, warned me that choosing to teach was to invite attacks from those who viewed the profession with derision and contempt. They advised me to s

Special Ed Students at Risk - LA Progressive

Why Bother Testing in 2021? At a recent Education Writers Association seminar, Jim Blew, an assistant to Betsy DeVos at the Department of Education, opined that the Department is inclined not to grant waivers to states seeking exemptions from the federally mandated annual standardized achievement testing. States like Michigan, Georgia, and South Carolina were seeking a one year moratorium. Blew

DID YOU MISS DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG TODAY? A site to discuss better education for all

Special Ed Students at Risk Pieces in a ParentsTogether’s art installation in August at the U.S. Capitol, which showed the anxieties and hopes of children during the pandemic. The picture on the right was created by Ellery, 7, from Cincinnati, while the other was drawn by 6-year-old Coredae Schmidt of Kansas. Images courtesy of ParentsTogether Special Education Students Still Waiting for Help as

Where Is the Bailout for Parents? - The Atlantic

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all DID YOU MISS DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG TODAY? A site to discuss better education for all Grassroots Arkansas: An Open Letter to Superintendent Mike Poore of Little Rock by dianeravitch / 12min Grassroots Arkansas is a coalition of parents and civil rights activists. When reading anything about Arkansas, bear in mind that in the backgrou

Contract Talk: New Research on Teachers Unions – Have You Heard

Bail Out Parents A child allowance is the Easy button for pandemic solutions. If parenting were an industry, America’s moms and dads would all be filing for bankruptcy. First came the closures of schools and child-care programs in the spring, followed by many summer camps and pools never opening, and now a fall during which huge swaths of the country will have all-virtual schooling. Many parents

Audrey Watters: Hack Education: Building Anti-Surveillance Ed-Tech | National Education Policy Center

Contract Talk: New Research on Teachers Unions Teachers unions are the biggest impediments to fixing schools and improving student achievement . That mantra has been at the heart of school reform efforts for more than a decade – but is it true? Education researchers Adam Kirk Edgerton and Mimi Lyon both started their teaching careers at a time of peak hostility to unions (remember Waiting for Su

NYC Educator: Tweed Says Safety First--for Tweedies Anyway

Hack Education: Building Anti-Surveillance Ed-Tech | National Education Policy Center Hack Education: Building Anti-Surveillance Ed-Tech These are the slides and transcript from my conversation this morning with Paul Prinsloo — a webinar sponsored by Contact North Pardon me if I just rant a little. Pardon my language. Pardon my anger and my grief. Or don’t. Let us sit with our anger and our grief

My New Video Series — Essential Math For Kids (And Parents) | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

Tweed Says Safety First--for Tweedies Anyway That's the Deputy Chancellor. He has three air conditioners and an exhaust system in his office. After all, it's Tweed and they do Very Important Stuff in there. I look at this photo and I think about the VIP pigs in Animal Farm who needed to eat the apples because they had to do brain work. They needed to fill in ledgers very, very carefully so they

NewBlackMan (in Exile) TODAY

My New Video Series — Essential Math For Kids (And Parents) Even though most people who read this blog know me as a critic of ed reform, the thing that I spend most of my time thinking about, actually, is how students learn math and what the best ways to teach it is. Depending on how you count it, I’ve been teaching math for at least 23 years. My first year as a professional teacher was in 1991,

A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007

NewBlackMan (in Exile) People of Color Have Been Systemically Excluded from National Parks by Mark Anthony Neal / 13h 'Segregation and other forms of systemic racism have had a lasting effect on who visits these national parks today. According to a 2018 study, less than two percent of National park visitors were Black. James Edward Mills , a freelance journalist and the author of The Adventure G

CHANGE IS AFOOT WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT – Dad Gone Wild

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 “Blended Learning in the Age of COVID-19” by Larry Ferlazzo / 12h Blended Learning in the Age of COVID-19 is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Three educators share how they are adapting the principles of “blended learning” to the COVID-19 environment, including through involvin

Teacher Tom: How Viral Learning Works

CHANGE IS AFOOT WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT “We have more to fear from the opinions of our friends than the bayonets of our enemies.” Politician turned Union General Nathaniel Banks, in plea he couldn’t abandon an untenable position.” ― Shelby Foote, The Civil War, Vol. 1: Fort Sumter to Perryville “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” ― James

CURMUDGUCATION: MI: Teacher Fired Over Political Tweet. If Only There Was A Way Protect Against Such Injustice.

How Viral Learning Works A parent asked me if we could use medical feeding bags, the kind used in hospitals for patients who can't feed themselves. I knew what she was talking about, but had never given them much thought, let alone wanted one for the preschool. My rule of thumb, however, is that if anyone wants to contribute 20 or more of anything we'll take them. She had 30 so I had no choice b

AUG 19

Texas school district's dreadlocks ban "discriminatory," court rules | The Texas Tribune

MI: Teacher Fired Over Political Tweet. If Only There Was A Way Protect Against Such Injustice. Be careful what you wish for. Conservative media made a small summer meal out of the story of Justin Kucera , a 28-year-old social studies teacher/coach at Walled Lake Western High School. The known facts of the story appear to be this: On July 6, Kucera retweeted the Trump classic, "SCHOOLS MUST OPEN

Florida education chief tells districts: Don’t rush to close schools when covid-19 cases appear - The Washington Post

Texas school district's dreadlocks ban discriminatory, federal court rules The decision comes a month after the Barbers Hill Independent School District board of trustees voted to keep the dress code policy, which advocates have deemed racist. A federal judge has prevented a Houston-area school district from enforcing a dress code policy that states that male students must keep their hair ear-le

A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007

Florida education chief tells districts: Don’t rush to close schools when covid-19 cases appear Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and his administration are doubling (or tripling?) down on opening schools during the coronavirus pandemic and keeping them open even when cases of the disease are diagnosed. On a phone call with school district superintendents late last week, Education Commissioner Richa

Los Angeles: Vote for Scott Schmerelson and Patricia Castellanos for LAUSD School Board | Diane Ravitch's blog

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Labor Day Is On September 7th – Here Are Teaching & Learning Resources by Larry Ferlazzo / 4h mohamed_hassan / Pixabay September 7th is Labor Day in The United States. You might be interested in The Best Websites For Learning About Labor Day . A Good Reminder Of “The Progress Principle’s” Value During

South Carolina: The Hoax of School Choice | Diane Ravitch's blog

Los Angeles: Vote for Scott Schmerelson and Patricia Castellanos for LAUSD School Board Control of the Los Angeles Unified School District is up for grabs in the 2020 election. You can be sure that the LAUSD prioritizes public schools by voting for incumbent Scott Schmerelson and newcomer Patricia Castellanos. The issue now is the same issue that has drawn a sharp divide on the school board for

Kamala Harris Has Strongly Supported Public Schools and Cracked Down on Unscrupulous For-Profit Charter Management Companies and For-Profit Colleges | janresseger #BIDEN2020 #BidenHarris2020 #DemConvention2020 #tBATs #DemConvention #MSNBC

South Carolina: The Hoax of School Choice Jen Gibson, who lives in Charleston, writes about how school choice will drain resources from underfunded public schools while not providing access to better schools or better education: Normally this time of year, my son and I are on the hunt for new shoes and the perfect pencil pouch. This year, we are struggling with masks and stocking up on hand sani

CURMUDGUCATION: For Teachers, This Is All Unfortunately Familiar

Kamala Harris Has Strongly Supported Public Schools and Cracked Down on Unscrupulous For-Profit Charter Management Companies and For-Profit Colleges | janresseger Kamala Harris Has Strongly Supported Public Schools and Cracked Down on Unscrupulous For-Profit Charter Management Companies and For-Profit Colleges Senator Kamala Harris, Joe Biden’s choice as the Democratic candidate for vice presiden

Teacher Tom: Building a Learning Machine

For Teachers, This Is All Unfortunately Familiar It didn’t have to be this way. I’m not the first person to make that observation, and I won’t be the last. But it bears repeating. Because, for many regular citizens this school reopening-during-a-pandemic business may seem like a brand new adventure, but for educators, this is a new arrangement of a song they’ve heard many times before. In some a

Teachers Pay for PPE So U.S. Schools Can Reopen - BNN Bloomberg

Building a Learning Machine A five-year-old boy once accused me of being a "bad teacher." He wasn't mad at me. It wasn't intended as an insult. He was grinning as he said it, but he offered it more as a statement of fact than a joke. I've had children tell me that I'm "supposed to be a boy," "you smell stinky," and "you're a big, fat guy." Learning the unvarnished, unblinking "truth" about yours

AUG 18

Jill Biden is finally ready to be first lady. Can she help her husband beat Trump? - The Washington Post

Teachers Pay for PPE So U.S. Schools Can Reopen - BNN Bloomberg Teachers Pay for PPE So U.S. Schools Can Reopen Cleaning supplies and textbooks sit inside an empty classroom at a High School in San Diego, California. Photographer: Bing Guan/Bloomberg , Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- America’s schools have nowhere near the money they need to reopen safely in the pandemic. To bail themselves out, distric

Barbara Madeloni: Virtual Schools Better Than Death Traps - LA Progressive

Jill Biden is finally ready to be first lady. Can she help her husband beat Trump? On the chaotic day that Joe Biden called Sen. Kamala D. Harris to ask whether she’d be his running mate, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s phone rang. As one of four co-chairs on Biden’s vice-presidential selection committee, Garcetti was one of a handful of people on the planet privy to that extensive and secreti

Steven Singer: Schools, Americans and Covid: A Love Letter - LA Progressive

Virtual Schools Better Than Death Traps - LA Progressive Virtual Schools Better Than Death Traps Educators Demand Virtual Schools as ‘Least Bad’ but Safe Option A s the coronavirus continues to spread, teachers and school employees are being handed reopening plans that require them to be in their classrooms at the bell—and they are resisting. The Detroit Federation of Teachers has scheduled a vot

Remote Learning Is a Bad Joke - The Atlantic

Schools, Americans and Covid: A Love Letter - LA Progressive Schools, Americans and Covid: A Love Letter Hey, American Peeps! It’s me! Coronavirus! Technically, the name’s Covid-19, but with you guys, we can cut the formality. I mean after all, once I latched my spiky surface proteins to your nana’s lungs , we were basically family! “YAK! COUGH!” Your classrooms are splattered, your hallways, inf

NYC Educator: Today's DOE: Don't Let Your Right Hand Know What Your Left Hand Do

Remote Learning Is a Bad Joke My kid can’t handle a virtual education, and neither can I. One exciting thing about being alive at this pivotal moment in history is that I’m constantly learning about strong opinions I didn’t previously know I had. Before mid-March 2020, if you’d asked me how I felt about videoconferencing, I’d have shrugged. It’s fine? Now I would have to amend that opinion sligh

Maurice Cunningham: Koch $$ for “National Parents Union” | Diane Ravitch's blog

Today's DOE: Don't Let Your Right Hand Know What Your Left Hand Do These are extraordinary times, and they're rendered more so by the incredible lack of communication from Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza. The chancellor sends us preposterous flowery emails telling us how much he cares, while callously tossing us into a program that neither he nor the mayor has remotely thought out (no pu

“Confessions of a School Reformer” (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Maurice Cunningham: Koch $$ for “National Parents Union” Maurice Cunningham is a dogged researcher into Dark Money and its role in the pursuit of privatizing public education. Cunningham is a political science professor at the University of Massachusetts. Open the link and read in full. In his latest post , he reports that Koch money as well as Walton money, Zuckerberg money, Gates money, and De

Welcome to School Year 2020–21 - CA Dept of Education

“Confessions of a School Reformer” (Part 2) Glenville High School, 1956-1963 My memory of teaching over a half-century ago is filled with holes. In thinking back to the time when I began teaching at Glenville High School in Cleveland (OH), I can remember some events, some students, some teachers, and my first principal but there is much I cannot recall. Slivers of memory remind me of what I did

Charter School Experiment FAILURE Documented Again | tultican

Welcome to School Year 2020–21 - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education) Welcome to School Year 2020–21 Dear Superintendent, Chief Business Official, and Food Service Director: Welcome Back to School On behalf of the entire California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division (NSD) team, I am sending my sincere appreciation and gratitude to each of you as you wrap up your summer meal ser

Mr. G for District 3: Chris Guerrieri's Education Matters: Richard Corcoran thinks he is king of education

Charter School Experiment FAILURE Documented Again By Thomas Ultican 8/17/2020 Marketing and lack of oversight have obscured the failure of the charter school industry. The latest research reported by Carol Burris and her team at the Network for Public Education (NPE) documents the atrocious closure rate among charter schools. The United States Education Department (USED) has invested more than

Silicon Valley and the Surveillance State

Richard Corcoran thinks he is king of education First, Corcoran issues an executive order that flies in the face of the state constitution bullying districts with the threat of losing my money, and now he has told districts before you close a class or a school give him a call so he can decide if it is okay to do so, even giving out his personal number. I want to remind everyone Corcoran is neith

ROUND 3 IS NOW UNDERWAY – Dad Gone Wild

CURMUDGUCATION: Silicon Valley and the Surveillance State Peter Schwartz is an American futurist, innovator, author, and co-founder of the Global Business Network , a corporate strategy firm. He's done sexy things like consult for futury movies, including WarGames (ew), Minority Report, and Sneakers (an under-appreciated gem). He's written an assortment of books; he also wrote the 2004 climate c