Saturday, December 12, 2020

POSTS THIS WEEK 12/12/20

My Suggestion for Holiday Gifts | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 41min

My Suggestion for Holiday Gifts I always have this problem in early December: What shall I give to the children in my life? This year I did something I have wanted to do for a long time. I got a gift catalog from Heifer.com and I ordered animals that will be given to a family that needs them to have a better life. I purchased a sheep ($120) on behalf of one child and a goat on behalf of another.

NYC Educator: School Leaders Who Never Learn Believe Students Can't Either

by Mike Simpson / 41min

School Leaders Who Never Learn Believe Students Can't Either It's hard to overstate the lack of vision and foresight of Mayor Bill de Blasio and Chancellor Richard Carranza, but they continue to trip all over themselves day after day. The mayor just finished announcing that the one-third of students who signed up for in person learning, at least those in lower grades, might be able to attend fiv

Florida: Leader of Closed Charter School Indicted for Embezzlement | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 41min

Florida: Leader of Closed Charter School Indicted for Embezzlement The leader of Paramount Charter School in Broward County, now closed, was indicted for theft of federal funds. The school opened in 2015, promising to provide an education that would meet “the highest academic and personal standards.” Didn’t happen, say parents. After compiling a terrible academic record, the school closed in 201

CURMUDGUCATION: Schools Are Still Not Like Ubers

by Mike Simpson / 41min

Schools Are Still Not Like Ubers Betsy DeVos (who will soon not be a humble servant in the education secretary's office, but will instead be a very rich lady who wants to dismantle public education) likes to compare her vision of education to the same kind of disruption offered by outfits like Uber, a comparison that many folks like to make . I've written before about what a lousy comparison tha

Education Matters: I will be voting no on the new contract and if you are a teacher in DCPS so should you

by Mike Simpson / 2h

I will be voting no on the new contract and if you are a teacher in DCPS so should you You know a contract offer is bad when even people voting for it admit it. Over and over again, I have heard, yeah, it's not good, but what are we going to do. I will tell you what you should do, say no. Say no to the disrespect, say no to the shoddy offer, that robs Peter to pay Paul, say no to the threats, ju

2019-20 Data on Use of Restraints on Students + 2019-20 High School Graduation and Dropout Rates - Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education)

by Mike Simpson / 2h

2019-20 Data on Use of Restraints on Students - Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education) California Department of Education Releases 2019-20 Data on Use of Restraints and Seclusions on Students 2019-20 High School Graduation and Dropout Rates - Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education) - https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr20/yr20rel101.asp SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Education (CDE) today released data on

Going to UFT Meetings | JD2718

by Mike Simpson / 2h

Going to UFT Meetings There are people with perfect attendance and that’s not me, but I do like going to union meetings, and my attendance is pretty good. There are four different kinds of United Federation of Teachers meetings I attend. And all of them have changed during the pandemic. DR Meetings At my DR’s meetings we have a small group. It’s possible to have real discussion. And when I have

FRIDAY NEWS DROP – Dad Gone Wild

by Mike Simpson / 2h

FRIDAY NEWS DROP “I believe that managing is like holding a dove in your hand. If you hold it too tightly, you kill it, but if you hold it too loosely, you lose it.” ― Tommy Lasorda In 1994 Major League Baseball went on strike . Like many fans, I was disappointed, angry, and frustrated. The games resumed in the Spring of 1995, but not without damage done to the preception of the game. Many fans

Saturday, November 28, 2020 THIS WEEK'S WILDNESS Dad Gone Wild Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it.

by Mike Simpson / 2h

Dad Gone Wild – Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it. THIS WEEK'S WILDNESS Dad Gone Wild Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it. FRIDAY NEW DROP by TC Weber / 18h “I believe that managing is like holding a dove in your hand. If you hold it too tightly, you kill it, but if you hold it too loosely, you lose it.” ― Tommy Lasorda In 1994 Major League Baseball went on strike . Like many fans, I was disa

TEACHER TOM THIS WEEK IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

by Mike Simpson / 2h

Teacher Tom Worrying About Using the Words of Diagnosis 500+ 23h Sucking the Joy From Their Lives 2K 2d Getting on the Same Bandwagon 400+ 3d It's the Thinking 200+ 4d Learning Rules Vs. Intellectual Development and Understanding 500+ 5d False Beliefs 200+ 8d Teacher Tom

SSPI THURMOND: STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

by Mike Simpson / 2h

California Department of Education SSPI THURMOND STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 2019-20 Data on Use of Restraints on Students 15h California Department of Education releases 2019-20 data on use of restraints and seclusions on students. 2019-20 High School Graduation and Dropout Rates 16h California Department of Education releases 2019-20 high school graduation and dr

THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE)

by Mike Simpson / 2h

NewBlackMan (in Exile) South Africa After the Rainbow: A Conversation with Anne-Maria Makhulu by Mark Anthony Neal / 14h 'When professor Anne-Maria Makhulu returned to South Africa to start her research in the late 1990's, the South African Truth & Reconciliation Commission was just beginning to start it's work. She says that while the newly established transparency was important for understandi

THIS WEEK Education Research Report

by Mike Simpson / 2h

Education Research Report COVID-19 and learning loss by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 19h The COVID-19 pandemic has both illuminated and magnified the persistent disparities between different races and income groups in the United States. In education, attention has largely focused on the achievement gap, which is widening because of the pandemic. But to address the achievement gap, schools must focus on

THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007

by Mike Simpson / 2h

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 New Site Shares The Stories Of Thousands Who Were Enslaved by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h Enslaved is an amazing site allow people to learn the stories of hundreds of thousands of people who had been enslaved. You can research names, read short narrative stories , and a lot more at the site. A Smithsonian Mag

KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY

by Mike Simpson / 2h

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all Florida: Leader of Closed Charter School Indicted for Embezzlement by dianeravitch / 20min The leader of Paramount Charter School in Broward County, now closed, was indicted for theft of federal funds. The school opened in 2015, promising to prov

YESTERDAY

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #CHANGEGONNACOME #BIDEN

by Mike Simpson / 21h

Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Education Research Report: Study: Teacher performance measures may penalize black educators - http://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/ Panel Discussion Focuses on Small Businesses and Education Amid COVID-19 - Higher Education - https://diverseeducation.com/?p=198994 When will teachers be vaccinated? It depends on where you live - A

Grades Tarnish Teaching as well as Learning – radical eyes for equity

by Mike Simpson / 21h

Grades Tarnish Teaching as well as Learning Recently on social media, a professor asked if others used rubrics with graduate students. Since rejecting rubrics has been a central component of my career-long efforts to de-grade and de-test teaching and learning, I chimed in. My posts in the comments explaining why I don’t use rubrics were significant outliers because the thread of comments was ove

Fewer Kindergartners Could Signal Big Educational, Financial Troubles For Sacramento City Schools - capradio.org

by Mike Simpson / 21h

Fewer Kindergartners Could Signal Big Educational, Financial Troubles For Sacramento City Schools Ann Crisp says her family tried doing “Zoom-school” for their 5-year-old son Lennon earlier this year, but it just didn’t work. She works at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so she set her son up in front of a computer next to her desk to make sure he paid attention during class. But her son h

To Joe Biden: Save America’s Children from “Poisonous Pedagogy” | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 21h

To Joe Biden: Save America’s Children from “Poisonous Pedagogy” Peter Handel writes at Truthout that President-Elect Biden must change education policy if he wants to heal the nation. By his choice for Secretary of Education, Biden must acknowledge the damage done to America’s children by the high-stakes testing regime of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top. Bush’s law and Obama’s program w

Right Wing Disinformation Targets San Diego Schools

by Mike Simpson / 21h

Right Wing Disinformation Targets San Diego Schools An error filled online posting, devoid of context, with misleading assumptions has led to death threats and vile messages aimed at staff in the San Diego Unified School District, according to Board of Education Vice President Barrera. Efforts to create awareness of racism as a systemic rather than an individual problem have stoked indignation i

Shawgi Tell: Charter Schools Bully Teachers | Dissident Voice

by Mike Simpson / 21h

Charter Schools Bully Teachers | Dissident Voice Charter Schools Bully Teachers It is no accident that fewer than three percent of the nation’s roughly 7,300 charter schools are operated by teachers and that 90% of charter schools do not have a teachers union. So much for the narrative that charter schools started nearly 30 years ago to empower teachers. Some states even allow charter schools to

Will States Require Children Get a Coronavirus Vaccination to Return to School? | The Report | US News

by Mike Simpson / 21h

No Vaccine, No School? School and public health officials weigh what it will take to reopen schools and some say requiring a coronavirus vaccine may be just a matter of time. WITH THE FOOD AND DRUG Administration poised to approve the first coronavirus vaccine for use in the U.S. – the start of a major national effort to blunt the spread of a pandemic that’s taken the lives of nearly 300,000 Ame

NewBlackMan (in Exile) TODAY #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER

by Mike Simpson / 21h

NewBlackMan (in Exile) NewBlackMan (in Exile) TODAY Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/12/this-week-with-newblackman-in-exile.html Stopping the Exploitation of Prisoners and Their Families Requires More Comprehensive Solutions by Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. by Mark Anthony Neal / 1h Credit: Bryan Thomas | @DrBenChavis | special to NewB

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

by Mike Simpson / 21h

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/12/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos.html Another Study Points Out That SEL Is Not A Cure-All by Larry Ferlazzo / 4h S

CURMUDGUCATION: OH: Ed Disruptors Want Their Big Test

by Mike Simpson / 1d

OH: Ed Disruptors Want Their Big Test F Aaron Churchill, the Fordham Institution's Ohio research director, popped up in the Columbus Dispatch today as a "guest columnist." It's worth noting that his job is "aimed at strengthening education policy in Ohio," which is of course not the same thing as improving education and certainly not the same thing as supporting public education. Churchill's pre

Teacher Tom: Worrying About Using the Words of Diagnosis

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Worrying About Using the Words of Diagnosis Several years ago, the mother of one of my students became convinced that her son, a smart, quirky five-year-old, was autistic. Having known him for three years, she asked me what I thought. I told her that I had known many children on the autism spectrum over the years, but that I wasn't qualified to make a diagnosis. When she pressed me, I told her t

Will President Biden Support Public School Teachers and Abandon Awful Obama-Duncan and Trump-DeVos Education Agendas? | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Will President Biden Support Public School Teachers and Abandon Awful Obama-Duncan and Trump-DeVos Education Agendas? There is widespread anxiety about President Elect Joseph Biden’s choice of a Secretary of Education and his public school policy priorities. Yes, we are bidding farewell to Betsy DeVos, which certainly must be celebrated, but something much more consequential may be happening. Tw

Liability, Thy Name Is Google Meet | deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's Blog

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Liability, Thy Name Is Google Meet In order to educate students in quarantine, our school district is now using the video conferencing tool, Google Meet , which is part of the Google Classroom portfolio of online education products. Google Meet has been billed as “a game changer.” Indeed. The idea of viewing the interior of my students’ homes while teaching them using Google Meet immediately bri

CURMUDGUCATION: Mrs. Gates Still Doesn't Get It, Still.

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Mrs. Gates Still Doesn't Get It, Still Last week the New York Times decided to offer one more glowing portrait of Melinda Gates , unintentionally underlining the work of rich folk critic Anand Giridharadas and explaining, again, that she doesn't get the problem of Gates riches in education. She opens with an Emerson quote from her valedictory high school graduation speech about success being the

DEC 10

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #CHANGEGONNACOME #BIDEN

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES The End of Public Schools Would Mean the End of the Common Good - https://jacobinmag.com/2020/12/public-schools-privatization-wolf-schoolhouse-door-review#new_tab Colleges share lessons learned about the coronavirus pandemic during the fall semester - The Washington Post - https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/colleges-fall-sem

Countering Anti-Semitism in Education to End Hate - Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education)

by Mike Simpson / 1d

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and Experts Discuss Approaches to Countering Anti-Semitism in Education to End Hate Virtual Classroom Series SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today joined leaders from the Museum of Tolerance in a virtual classroom session on countering anti-Semitism, part of the ongoing Education to End Hate initiative designed to explore and

Norms, Ethics and Civility. Plus Education. | Teacher in a strange land

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Norms, Ethics and Civility. Plus Education. Early in 2016, when it became apparent that Donald Trump would be the Republican nominee for president, the question emerged: just what percentage of the population actually endorsed his brand of brash white nationalism? It always felt impossible that more than a small sliver of the country would honestly embrace (not just tolerate) his behaviors and p

Jeff Bryant in The Progressive: Derek Black: We Need Public Schools Now More than Ever + WORSE THAN BETSY DEVOS | Ed Politics

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Jeff Bryant in The Progressive: Derek Black: We Need Public Schools Now More than Ever | Ed Politics JEFF BRYANT IN THE PROGRESSIVE: DEREK BLACK: WE NEED PUBLIC SCHOOLS NOW MORE THAN EVER After such a polarizing election, as the nation grapples with how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and its financial fallout, many people wonder what can bring us together. In his new book, Schoolhouse Burn

We are 'scared, frustrated, and anxious'; Weingarten says this Yale course can help educators

by Mike Simpson / 2d

We are 'scared, frustrated, and anxious'; Weingarten says this Yale course can help educators NEW HAVEN — The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence has created an online course designed to aid educators battling the anxiety and stress of teaching during the pandemic and, in turn, students. The course came after a recent YCEI survey “of over 2,500 educators nationwide found that their top emotio

Ventilation is the key to helping students, staff and families stay safe - SF PUBLIC SCHOOL MOM

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Ventilation is the key to helping students, staff and families stay safe Thoughts on SFUSD’s Return Safely to School Together Plan Last night district staff shared a plan for bringing students back to schools for in-person learning. Click the following links to see the proposed plan and presentation . (When the conversation becomes available via SFGovTV I will post it as well below.) Click the i

Teacher Tom: Sucking the Joy From Their Lives

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Sucking the Joy From Their Lives I was sitting on a bench near a playground merry-go-round watching our three and four-year-olds play. A pair of boys decided they wanted a spin. They mounted the apparatus, then one of them turned to me, "Teacher Tom, you push us." I answered, "Sorry, I'm busy sitting here. You'll have to find someone else." As the first boy tried pleading with me, the second sai

Suspend High-Stakes Testing for Spring 2021! Add Your Name! | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Suspend High-Stakes Testing for Spring 2021! Add Your Name! FAIRTest and other assessment reform allies call on the new Biden administration to suspend high-stakes standardized testing this spring. Please add your name to their petition! Open the link to add your name to this petition. To: U.S. Secretary of Education and state education policymakers From: [Your Name] We call on the U.S. Departme

SomeDAM Poet: Education Needs Variation, Not Standardization | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 2d

SomeDAM Poet: Education Needs Variation, Not Standardization Those who seek to apply business thinking on education make a huge error. SomeDAM Poet, a regular commenter, cites the work of the brilliant education scholar Yong Zhao, who has consistently argued that progress and creativity relies on diversity, not standardization. This is, for example, a fundamental flaw of the Common Core, which c

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

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/12/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos.html The Smithsonian’s “24 Hours In A Time Of Change” Seems Like A Great Opportun

NANCY BAILEY: McKinsey & Company Uses Falling Behind Talk to Ramp Up School Toughness

by Mike Simpson / 2d

McKinsey & Company Uses Falling Behind Talk to Ramp Up School Toughness McKinsey & Company Uses Falling Behind Talk to Ramp Up School Toughness For years McKinsey & Company has had a premier seat at the school reform table for the U.S., England, and worldwide, despite faulty reporting. Because of Covid-19, plans are being put in place to get tougher on students to make up for lost learning time.

Does the Pandemic Help Us Make Education More Equitable? (Pasi Sahlberg) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Does the Pandemic Help Us Make Education More Equitable? (Pasi Sahlberg) “Pasi Sahlberg is a Finnish educator who has worked as a schoolteacher, teacher-educator, researcher, and policy advisor in Finland and has studied education systems and advised education leaders around the world..” I have excerpted Sahlberg’s description of how Finland’s and Australia’s schools responded to the Covid-19 pa

THE GLASS JUST MIGHT BE HALF FULL – Dad Gone Wild

by Mike Simpson / 2d

THE GLASS JUST MIGHT BE HALF FULL “There are two ways to be fooled One to believe what isn’t true The other is to refuse to believe what is true.” Soren Kierkegaard The battle between those who believe that school buildings should be open and those who believe they are unsafe under current circumstances shows no sign of abatement. In fact just the opposite, as opposing sides cling tighter to the

New Grants and Training to Address Learning Gaps - Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education)

by Mike Simpson / 2d

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces Additional Educator Trainings and Grants to Address Equity and Learning Gaps SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced Tuesday that the California Department of Education (CDE) is launching additional virtual educator trainings and mini-grants designed to accelerate ongoing efforts to address equity gaps, strengthen

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Researcher Says Law Hiding Fiscal Effects of ‘Tax-Credit Vouchers’ from Public View Undermines Valid Analysis | National Education Policy Center

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Researcher Says Law Hiding Fiscal Effects of ‘Tax-Credit Vouchers’ from Public View Undermines Valid Analysis Earlier this week, two Kennesaw State University economists wrote about their study that suggests the private school tax credit program saves Georgia money. Today, another researcher questions their conclusions and their analysis, saying they relied on flawe

DEC 09

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #CHANGEGONNACOME #BIDEN

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Are Covid cases spreading in DC schools? - The Washington Post - https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-released-data-showing-outbreaks-in-schools-it-did-not-show-that-cases-spread-in-classrooms/2020/12/08/763bc456-398a-11eb-98c4-25dc9f4987e8_story.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=wp_local-education Maryla

CURMUDGUCATION: More Important Than Biden's Ed Secretary Pick

by Mike Simpson / 3d

More Important Than Biden's Ed Secretary Pick There are plenty of reasons to focus attention and concern on President-elect Joe Biden’s choice for Secretary of Education. After all, VP Biden was part of the administration that gave us Arne Duncan as secretary, a choice universally panned by teachers. Public education advocates are hoping that Biden will give us a career educator with the leaders

A teacher’s list of the worst and best education news of 2020 - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 3d

The positively worst and best education news of 2020 — as viewed by a teacher It has been an annual tradition on The Answer Sheet for veteran teacher Larry Ferlazzo to assess what he sees as the best and worst education news of the year and then make predictions about the coming year. Here is his installment on the news of 2020 (and his predictions for 2021 will be coming soon). Ferlazzo teaches

Jeff Bryant: What Is Worse Than DeVos? | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Jeff Bryant: What Is Worse Than DeVos? Jeff Bryant writes that while we were all celebrating the pending departure of Betsy DeVos, the usual suspects were buying control of local school board elections . We are all aware of her efforts to direct federal funding to private schools and charter schools. But, he warns, we should pay attention to the “threat to democratically governed schools that pr

Lauren Hadi Joins the Schott Foundation as Senior Vice President of Advancement | Schott Foundation for Public Education

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Lauren Hadi Joins the Schott Foundation as Senior Vice President of Advancement New York, NY – The Schott Foundation for Public Education is pleased to announce that Lauren Hadi has joined our team as Senior Vice President of Advancement. In this role, Lauren will guide the Foundation’s work with our philanthropic partners to channel more resources to the education justice movement and our grass

TODAY'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Education Research Report What are schools doing to feed students during COVID-19-related closures? by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 17h As schools across the United States are grappling with remote and hybrid learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior , published by Elsevier, investigates the initial responses of child nutrition administrative

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

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/12/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos.html Video & A Whole Lot More: Google Releases “The Year In Search” by Larry Ferl

Oakland School Board Election: Money Can’t Buy Everything | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Oakland School Board Election: Money Can’t Buy Everything Ken Rice was an elected member of the Oakland Unified School District from 1997-2000. That was before the billionaire disrupters decided to take control of Oakland and turn it into their own petri dish for “reform” (i.e., privatization). Rice wrote the following description of the recent school board election, in which grassroots organiza

NYC Educator: Mayor Bozo Ready to Lower Standards Yet Again

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Mayor Bozo Ready to Lower Standards Yet Again If you're a teacher, you constantly hear talks of standards. The standardized test is the Bible, the Holy Grail, and the Ten Commandments all rolled into one. If your student gets 64 on the NY State English Regents, she is unfit to graduate. However, her classmate who gets a 65 is college and career ready. That's because this instrument is so precise

Listen to this – 2020 #5 | Live Long and Prosper

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Listen to this – 2020 #5 SCHOOLS AS A COMMON GOOD The End of Public Schools Would Mean the End of the Common Good What is the purpose of public education? Is it a “factory for human capital” or a place to raise citizens in a democracy? The “business model” of education supported by many “reformers,” focuses on churning out workers from the public schools. The idea that public education is a Comm

Teacher Tom: Getting on the Same Bandwagon

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Getting on the Same Bandwagon There are few more gratifying things than when the experts tell you something you already know. For instance, throughout my teaching career, I've always said that the first step with every child is getting on the same bandwagon, by which I mean, essentially, to befriend them. Once we're on the same bandwagon, once they know I like them and I know that they like me,

Why the New “Fair School Funding Plan” Matters for One Ohio School District: Will the Ohio Senate Let It Die? | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Why the New “Fair School Funding Plan” Matters for One Ohio School District: Will the Ohio Senate Let It Die? In Ohio, the state senate is refusing even to consider a new school funding plan, developed over a period of several years to replace the old school funding system that has become progressively unworkable over the past decade . Last Thursday, the Ohio House of Representatives passed the

DUANE CAMPBELL Choosing Democracy: Teachers’ Strikes -Conditions for Success

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Choosing Democracy: Teachers’ Strikes -Conditions for Success Teachers’ Strikes -Conditions for Success Teachers’ Strikes -Conditions for Success At the center of the recent teacher insurgency is one particular form of direct action—the strike. The strike occupies a distinctive place in the popular consciousness of teachers and working people more generally, primarily because of its extraordinary

Education Matters: As problems mount DCPS sits on 70 million dollars

by Mike Simpson / 3d

As problems mount DCPS sits on 70 million dollars Veteran teachers are about to take a pay cut, our contact tracing is a joke, and thousands of sub-jobs have gone unfilled, all while the district sits on way more money than it is statutorily required to do so. I have been told they are saving the money for a rainy day. Well, friends, if they look outside, they would be able to that it is pouring

DEC 08

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #CHANGEGONNACOME #BIDEN

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Epic Charter Schools board approves more corrective actions - https://nondoc.com/?p=20443 by @https://twitter.com/MeganPrather405 on @nondocmedia As more Biden administration picks roll in, the future U.S. Secretary of Education remains a mystery | Florida Phoenix - https://www.floridaphoenix.com/p/197806 via @flphoenixnews Issa Rae and

Teacher Tom: It's the Thinking

by Mike Simpson / 4d

It's the Thinking Nearly twenty years ago, there was a two-year-old in my class named Melissa who would regularly hit the other kids. Not when she was mad or when she wanted something they had, but only when they cried. The moment she heard a classmate cry, she made a beeline for them, then proceeded to methodically pummel them about the head and shoulders, which of course made things worse. She

Hispanic caucus backs former teacher’s union chief for Education secretary - POLITICO

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Hispanic caucus backs former teacher’s union chief for Education secretary Latino lawmakers sent a letter to the Biden transition team Monday night urging the president-elect to nominate Lily Eskelsen García. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is lobbying President-elect Joe Biden to nominate Lily Eskelsen García for Education secretary, substantially boosting the pack of supporters who are stump

Lessons From Pandemic Teaching | Blue Cereal Education

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Lessons From Pandemic Teaching We’ll soon hit a full year of trying to figure out how public education works (or doesn’t) during a pandemic. Some of the experience gained may be specific to 2020 – the social and political dynamics of which have not been even remotely encouraging (see what I did there?). I’d respectfully suggest, however, that many of the “lessons” learned along the way apply to

Teachers Who Make a Difference | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Teachers Who Make a Difference A few years back, Mike Rose’s wrote a post about his high school English teacher. It was a beautiful piece that captures the ineffable moment 40 years earlier that Rose was ready–he did not know it, of course, at the time–to dig deeper into literature and the pushing and prodding he got from Jack McFarland, his young English teacher. McFarland’s teaching, Rose said

Choosing Democracy: No More Children Locked in Cages- Separated from Their Families

by Mike Simpson / 4d

No More Children Locked in Cages- Separated from Their Families WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden has picked California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to be his health secretary, putting a defender of the Affordable Care Act in a leading role to oversee his administration’s coronavirus response. Separately, Biden picked a Harvard infectious disease expert, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, to he

“Coal Miner’s Daughter” Hawks Digital Learning | tultican

by Mike Simpson / 4d

“Coal Miner’s Daughter” Hawks Digital Learning By Thomas Ultican 12/8/2020 The last Democrat and first woman to serve as Governor of North Carolina, Bev Perdue, has become one of the nation’s leading advocates for digital learning. She presents herself as a simple country girl from a poor family, but doesn’t mention that her coalminer father became a rich mine owner by the time she was in colleg

Education Matters: Is DCPS hoarding money?

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Is DCPS hoarding money? Is DCPS hoarding err saving cash? I was told they were and have since asked the district how much of their budget they are keeping in reserves. It's my opinion it shouldn't be more than one dollar over the statutory minimum. DCPS has needs that are going unmet. I was told they were doing so in case the commissioner decided not to release funds for distance learning studen

NYC Educator: UFT Executive Board December 7, 2020--School in the Times of COVID 19

by Mike Simpson / 4d

UFT Executive Board December 7, 2020--School in the Times of COVID 19 UFT President Michael Mulgrew --Asks for moment of silence for Barbara Schiller, who passed today. Says schools ran smoothly today. City is allowed to change plan as long as they adhere to test rules. Says testing will keep us extremely safe. Closed 1400 schools based on monthly testing, not weekly. Schools said large majority

PSST…THERE’S A PANDEMIC GOING ON. – Dad Gone Wild

by Mike Simpson / 4d

PSST…THERE’S A PANDEMIC GOING ON. “I believe in kindness. Also in mischief.” ― Mary Oliver It’s been my experience that when dealing with the unpleasant – be it debt, employment dissatisfaction, marriage infidelity, health risks, or school shortcomings – we often default to a strategy akin to sticking our fingers in our ears and making loud noises in hopes that if we don’t acknowledge the issue,

How a soccer club won a $1.2 million grant from DeVos’s Education Department to open a charter school - Network For Public Education

by Mike Simpson / 4d

How a soccer club won a $1.2 million grant from DeVos’s Education Department to open a charter school By Carol Burris In late September 2020, amid the covid-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education awarded nearly $6 million to five organizations to open new charter schools. One of the five awardees was “The All Football Club, Lancaster Lions Corporation,” located in Lancaster, Pa. The club

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

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/12/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos.html Excellent Visualizations About How People Spend Their Time In Countries Thro

DEC 07

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #46

by Mike Simpson / 4d

THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES CPS will reopen next month even if only a fraction of students opt in — and most teachers will be required to return, CEO says - Chicago Sun-Times - https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2020/12/3/22150924/cps-public-school-reopen-in-person-covid-19-remote-janice-jackson#new_tab AG: Scholarship can go to religious schools - https://oklahoman.com/article

Dangerous COVID-19 surge leads to hard shutdown of L.A. public schools

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Dangerous COVID-19 surge leads to hard shutdown of L.A. public schools Los Angeles campuses will shut down completely beginning Thursday for all in-person tutoring and special services, as prospects for fully reopening the nation's second-largest school district recede further into 2021 amid a dangerous coronavirus surge, Supt. Austin Beutner announced Monday. The move immediately affects some 4

ANDRE PERRY: The next education secretary must know about much more than education

by Mike Simpson / 4d

The next education secretary must know about much more than education The next education secretary must know about much more than education Our schools are in crisis. We need Biden to tell us who our new secretary of education will be ASAP In the days after President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, you didn’t have to be inside the beltway to hear whispers of names being floated for cabinet positions —

Teacher Tom: Learning Rules Vs. Intellectual Development and Understanding

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Learning Rules Vs. Intellectual Development and Understanding I've had the opportunity, through this blog and in person, to talk to hundreds of thousands of educators and parents about how our version of progressive, play-based preschool education works. I've shared about creating interesting, safe-enough environments in which children are free to follow their own curiosity, to ask and answer th

Stunningly Oblivious | JD2718

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Stunningly Oblivious On Thursday, November 19, all school buildings (NYC public schools) were closed. Today, December 7, New York City elementary schools buildings are reopening. This is not because the situation has gotten better. It has gotten worse. Much worse. There is a huge wave of COVID moving across the United States. The case rate in NYC was 3% when buildings closed. The case rate today

Wishes from a New York City teacher who happens to be my daughter. – Fred Klonsky

by Mike Simpson / 4d

WISHES FROM A NEW YORK CITY TEACHER WHO HAPPENS TO BE MY DAUGHTER. On my mind are all the NYC elementary school teachers going into classrooms today with only window ventilation on a 35 degree day. I hope you don’t have yet another schedule. I hope if you are also teaching remote students those classes don’t have 50 students in them to balance out the less than 10 you see today. Despite everythi

How to Return to Campus Safely: Test, Then Test Again - The New York Times

by Mike Simpson / 4d

How to Return to Campus Safely: Test, Then Test Again Some colleges are using lessons from the fall to bring back more students in spring This is the Coronavirus Schools Briefing, a guide to the seismic changes in U.S. education that are taking place during the pandemic. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. The fall semester has been hell for most colleges — canceled classes, dorm

NANCY BAILEY: How Has School Privatization Contributed to Mental Illness in Students Before and During Covid-19?

by Mike Simpson / 4d

How Has School Privatization Contributed to Mental Illness in Students Before and During Covid-19? How Has School Privatization Contributed to Mental Illness in Students Before and During Covid-19? Mental illness in children existed before Covid-19. How many students are struggling with it during the pandemic? How did school privatization contribute to this phenomenon? Before Covid-19 A 2018 surv

CURMUDGUCATION: Donors Choose Monday: Mice

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Donors Choose Monday: Mice I donate locally when I can identify a need, and for a few weeks I've also been donating to teachers across the country on Donors Choose, because it makes me feel slightly less helpless in these crazy days. I've been blogging about it here to encourage you--if you can--to offer some help to someone. Maybe you know of worthy causes or programs local to you. But if you'r

US Export: Failing Schools | Live Long and Prosper

by Mike Simpson / 4d

US Export: Failing Schools Again with the phrase failing schools ! This time it’s in Australia where the New South Wales (NSW) state government has announced that it will intervene in public schools that don’t meet “performance standards.” Here’s a tweet from Pasi Sahlberg who has been working in Australia for the past few years… I’ll give you one guess what the “performance standards” are. Yes,

NewBlackMan (in Exile) TODAY #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER

by Mike Simpson / 4d

NewBlackMan (in Exile) NewBlackMan (in Exile) TODAY Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/12/this-week-with-newblackman-in-exile.html Artist Titus Kaphar on Depicting Loss and Finding Purpose by Mark Anthony Neal / 14h 'One of the country's hottest artists, Titus Kaphar has long tackled under-representation of minorities in Western art t

Who Is Doing the Work in the Teaching/Learning Dynamic? – radical eyes for equity

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Who Is Doing the Work in the Teaching/Learning Dynamic? The end of a course often challenges my fundamental beliefs as a teacher. Once again, in the final days of my courses when students are allowed and encouraged to revise their major essays as often as possible, I have returned several without responding because the resubmitted essays are mostly the same as the last draft I marked or the stud

CURMUDGUCATION: Distance Learning and Compliance Culture

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Distance Learning and Compliance Culture Compliance culture in the classroom has always, always been a problem. This is the teacher who demands compliance, in fact, grades on compliance. Most folks have a story about That Teacher--the one who wouldn't accept a paper because it was ten minutes late, or who took off a letter grade because the paper had the "wrong" heading on it. For some people, c

Actions Last Week Extend the Student Loan Debt Cliff and Protect DACA | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Actions Last Week Extend the Student Loan Debt Cliff and Protect DACA There is a lot to worry about right now—an unhinged President who has given up governing, a divided Congress, a raging pandemic, and, so far at least, Congressional failure to pass an economic relief bill as the COVID-19 recession intensifies. Two developments last week should, however, be seen as hopeful. Both will protect vu

Lily Eskelsen Garcia Pursues US Ed Sec Post | deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's Blog

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Lily Eskelsen Garcia Pursues US Ed Sec Post As the December 04, 2020, Politico reports , former National Education Association (NEA) president, Lily Eskelsen Garcia, is seriously pursuing President-elect Biden’s nod for next US secretary of education. Eskelsen Garcia earned her BS in elementary education in 1980 and her MEd in instructional technology in 1985, both from the University of Utah. S

DEC 06

CATCH UP WITH CURMUDGUCATION + ICYMI: So It's Really December Edition (12/6)

by Mike Simpson / 5d

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: So It's Really December Edition (12/6) So It's Really December Edition Still trying to take care of all the places the cold gets into our house, because apparently the season is serious about things. Still counting down to the magical day when I can go many days at a time without asking, "Well, what has the President done today?" But there are still some good things to read

CURMUDGUCATION: The Jingle Bells Effect And The Canon

by Mike Simpson / 5d

The Jingle Bells Effect And The Canon So, if you need a little something to jumpkick you into the season, here's a playlist challenge for you. Yes, that's roughly 76 minutes of various versions of "Jingle Bells," carefully selected, curated and ordered for your listening pleasure. "Jingle Bells" is a curious song to become a Christmas standard, mostly because it has nothing to do with Christmas

EdAction in Congress December 6, 2020 - Education Votes

by Mike Simpson / 5d

EdAction in Congress December 6, 2020 Democratic leaders push for bipartisan COVID-19 compromise Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) are working toward a bipartisan compromise to address the rampant spread of COVID-19 that is preventing the safe reopening of our schools and our society. The effort took on new urgency earlier this week, as Congress tr

America's children are facing a mental health crisis that no one is talking about | Salon.com

by Mike Simpson / 5d

America's children are facing a mental health crisis that no one is talking about Mental health-related hospital visits for children are way up, as kids’ lives are disrupted by the pandemic With a third wave of COVID-19 infections sweeping the United States and widespread infection around the world, some schools are grappling with how to stay open safely , while others remain shuttered with remo

ANDY SPEARS: Grace – Tennessee Education Report

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Grace – Tennessee Education Report GRACE In response to the responses she received to this post about poverty, school funding, and teacher pay in light of the realities laid bare by COVID-19, MNEA President Amanda Kail posted a follow-up. Here’s what she has to say: What a hard and heavy year. In the fierceness of all the rage and bitterness, I will do my part. I will apologize. If you are a pare

Oklahoma: Governor Stitt Appoints Home-Schooling Anti-Masker to State Board of Education | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Oklahoma: Governor Stitt Appoints Home-Schooling Anti-Masker to State Board of Education Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt kicked his own appointee off the State Board of Education who made the terrible error of trying to claw back millions from a for-profit charter school and supported a mask mandate in all public schools. Gov. Kevin Stitt abruptly replaced one of his own appointees to the Oklahoma

More students got F’s in first term of school year - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 5d

More students than ever got F’s in first term of 2020-21 school year — but are A-F grades fair in a pandemic? Students’ grades for the first period of the 2020-21 academic year are being recorded and we are seeing stories from around the country about an unprecedented rise in F’s. Is anybody surprised? Millions of kids are living through the most disruptive school year of their lives because of

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

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/12/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos.html Sunday’s Must-Read Articles On School Reopenings by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h tors

Tennessee: Why Do Failed Reforms Survive, Only to Fail Again? | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Tennessee: Why Do Failed Reforms Survive, Only to Fail Again? In 2012, Tennessee created the “Achievement School District” (ASD) and promised that it would catapult the state’s lowest performing schools into high-performing schools. So confident were state leaders that they hired Chris Barbic, who ran a celebrated charter chain in Houston, and he was confident that the state’s weakest schools co

NYC Educator: Sense, Nonsense, and de Blasio's DOE

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Sense, Nonsense, and de Blasio's DOE Things are at a new level now, yet agaon. Every time you think the DOE has outdone itself, it does something else to show you that the last thing was nothing. The NY Post reports that UFT members who don't consent to testing will be removed from payroll . That would be surprising if it weren't for the fact that this was agreed to back in September. While peop

Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Scheider: What Betsy DeVos Accomplished | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Scheider: What Betsy DeVos Accomplished Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider have written a valuable new book called A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door: The Dismantling of Public Education and the Future of School. They recently published an opinion article in The New York Times in which they demonstrate the role of Betsy DeVos in the “school reform” movement. They point

My Remote Teaching Tips Videos | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

by Mike Simpson / 6d

My Remote Teaching Tips Videos Maybe the only advantage to teaching remotely is that you can fart anytime you want. Compared to live teaching, remote teaching introduces so many new challenges. I think the biggest challenge is that teachers don’t get to leverage a personal connection with their students. Hearing a pep talk from a teacher in a small square on your screen just doesn’t have the sam

Choosing Democracy: New NEA Leader Fighting Trump

by Mike Simpson / 6d

New Teachers Union Leader Fighting Trump, School Reopening Battles As president, Becky Pringle said her mission is to “lead a movement to reclaim public education as a common good.” She wants to transform the system into one that is racially and socially just and equitable. Becky Pringle, who became president of the National Education Association in September, speaks at a human rights rally duri

Paul Horton: Interrogating European Exceptionalism: The Scientific Revolution - Living in Dialogue

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Interrogating European Exceptionalism: The Scientific Revolution - Living in Dialogue Interrogating European Exceptionalism: The Scientific Revolution By Paul Horton. In the introduction to his widely used introductory text, The Scientific Revolution , Steven Shapin, a professor of the History of Science at Harvard, caused quite a stir in mid 1990s academic and public circles when he provocativel

For Teachers, “Silence of Our Friends” May be Worst Part of Pandemic | gadflyonthewallblog

by Mike Simpson / 6d

For Teachers, “Silence of Our Friends” May be Worst Part of Pandemic “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” -Martin Luther King Jr Teachers want a safe place to work. But in 2020 that is too much to ask. As the global COVID-19 pandemic rages out of control throughout most parts of the United States, teachers all across the country want to be

DEC 05

TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 12/5/20 #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #TOPBANANAHEADLINES

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Big Education Ape TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 12/5/20 ‘Slaying Goliath’: Diane Ravitch argues in new book that public education advocates have beat back efforts to privatize schools - The Washington Post The real story of New

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