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Saturday, November 28, 2020

TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 11/28/20 #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #46

 Big Education Ape


TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 11/28/20





TOP POSTS THIS MONTH 11/28/20




POSTS THIS WEEK 11/28/20




TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 11/28/20 #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #46
by Mike Simpson / 2min
Big Education Ape TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 11/28/20 ‘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 Orleans and its charter schools - The Washington Post TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 11/21/20 #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #46 TOP POSTS THIS WEEK
Shawgi Tell: Why Are Embezzlement, Fraud, and Indictments So Rampant in the Charter School Sector? | Dissident Voice
by Mike Simpson / 2min
Why Are Embezzlement, Fraud, and Indictments So Rampant in the Charter School Sector? | Dissident Voice Why Are Embezzlement, Fraud, and Indictments So Rampant in the Charter School Sector? The simple answer is that there are lax standards, poor oversight, and little accountability in the segregated charter school sector. This decades-old set-up is consciously built into many charter school laws,
Dr.Leana S. Wen | Most schools should close and stay closed through winter - The Washington Post
by Mike Simpson / 2min
Opinion | Most schools should close and stay closed through winter - The Washington Post Most schools should close and stay closed through winter In recent weeks, prominent economists , public health experts and commentators have argued that schools shouldn’t be closing because they aren’t major contributors to the surge in covid-19 cases. I disagree. With much of the United States engulfed in ex
CURMUDGUCATION: No, There Really Doesn't Need To Be A Big Spring Test In 2021
by Mike Simpson / 2min
No, There Really Doesn't Need To Be A Big Spring Test In 2021 Many folks fear that schools will not trot out the Big Standardized Tests this spring, that neither the pony nor the dog will be called on to perform. Among those people, you can count Chester E. Finn, Jr., Big Boss Emeritus of the Fordham Institution and former player in the U.S. ed department; nowadays he serves the Hoover Instituti
NYC Educator: I'm Thankful, and We're Lucky
by Mike Simpson / 2min
I'm Thankful, and We're Lucky COVID is a plague, and it strikes at the whole world. People are sick, People are dying. The national government is even more inept than the city government, and that's saying something. It's hard to conceive of a national government that would ignore a plague because they originally saw it affecting only blue states , but given their incredible mendacity, it's easy
Reflections on Teaching » Pandemic Teaching – What’s up?
by Mike Simpson / 2min
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Pandemic Teaching – What’s up? Pandemic Teaching – What’s up? Responding to the call from Pocketful of Primary to answer questions about how teaching during the pandemic is going. Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Pandemic Teaching – What’s up?
Contact Tracing Does NOT Prove Schools Are Safe During a Pandemic | gadflyonthewallblog
by Mike Simpson / 2min
Contact Tracing Does NOT Prove Schools Are Safe During a Pandemic “No close contacts were identified within the school district.” That’s what it says on today’s email from my district reporting that two elementary staff and one student tested positive for COVID-19. That’s what it said on Tuesday’s email about a different elementary staff member testing positive. And the email from last Sunday ab
CURMUDGUCATION: School Marketing Is A Thing-- But Not A Good One
by Mike Simpson / 2min
School Marketing Is A Thing-- But Not A Good One When school choice advocates tout their vision for the future, it has tended to be a picture of parents soberly examining hard data about possible schools in order to select the "best" or "most fitting." But if folks are going to great education like a commodity, then it's going to be sold like toasters or breakfast cereal or panty hose. And that
POST TURKEY DAY BLUES – Dad Gone Wild
by Mike Simpson / 2min
POST TURKEY DAY BLUES “Do not think of knocking out another person’s brains because he differs in opinion from you. It would be as rational to knock yourself on the head because you differ from yourself ten years ago.” ― Horace Mann Another Thanksgiving has passed, and while this ye
THIS WEEK'S WILDNESS Dad Gone Wild Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it.
by Mike Simpson / 3h
Dad Gone Wild – Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it. POST TURKEY DAY BLUES by TC Weber / 18h “Do not think of knocking out another person’s brains because he differs in opinion from you. It would be as rational to knock yourself on the head because you differ from yourself ten years ago.” ― Horace Mann Another Thanksgiving has passed, and while this year was markedly different than past years,
TEACHER TOM THIS WEEK IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
by Mike Simpson / 3h
Teacher Tom How Brains Grow 1K 1d NOV 26 I'm Thankful to Have a Day Like This 81 2d NOV 25 To Know Life Intimately and Lovingly 100+ 3d NOV 24 Something That Always "Works" 2K 4d NOV 23 The Skills That Will Make Tomorrow 100+ 5d NOV 20 Getting Into and Out of Predicaments 63 8d Teacher Tom
Saturday, November 21, 2020 SSPI THURMOND STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
by Mike Simpson / 3h
California Department of Education SSPI THURMOND STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tip Sheet: CACFP Meal Service During COVID-19 3d The California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division has created a new tip sheet to assist Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Operators who are conducting meal service during the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandem
THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE)
by Mike Simpson / 3h
NewBlackMan (in Exile) Kevin Young Reads Angelina Weld Grimké’s poem ‘The Black Finger’ by Mark Anthony Neal / 1d ' Kevin Young , who edited a new anthology of Black poetry, reads Angelina Weld Grimké ’s poem “The Black Finger.” No book of poetry from Angelina Weld Grimké was published during her lifetime, though her poems did appear in newspapers and other publications in the 1920s, which means
THIS WEEK Education Research Report
by Mike Simpson / 3h
Education Research Report Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education: 2020 Supplement by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 4d Complete report Higher education in the United States is more diverse now than at any time in its history. Over the last 20 years alone, the share of undergraduate students who identify as a race other than White has increased from approximately 30 percent to about 45 percent (Espinosa e
THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION 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 Around The Web In ESL/EFL/ELL by Larry Ferlazzo / 8h BiljaST / Pixabay Six years ago I began this regular feature where I share a few posts and resources from around the Web related to ESL/EFL or to language in general that have caught my attention. You might also be interested in THE BEST RESOURCES,
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 / 3h
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 Trump’s Rush to Cripple the Federal Government by dianeravitch / 38min Timothy O’Brien, a biographer of Trump, wrote the following at Bloomberg News: Now that Donald Trump’s administration has allowed Joe Biden’s team to formally begin its transi

YESTERDAY

Schools Struggle To Stay Open As Coronavirus Sidelines Staff | Across America, US Patch
by Mike Simpson / 1d
Schools Struggle To Stay Open As Coronavirus Sidelines Staff Around the country, contact tracing and isolation protocols are sidelining school employees and closing school buildings. COLUMBUS, OH — The infection of a single cafeteria worker was all it took to close classrooms in the small Lowellville school district in northeastern Ohio, forcing at least two weeks of remote learning. Not only di
US Education: 5 Ways Biden Can “De-DeVos” the System - LA Progressive
by Mike Simpson / 1d
US Education: 5 Ways Biden Can “De-DeVos” the System Teachers and other education advocates are feeling giddy at the possibility of moving forward a progressive agenda that the current education secretary, Betsy DeVos, stopped dead in its tracks four years ago. President-elect Joe Biden campaign’s policy director, Stef Feldman, told the Education Writers Association that as president, Biden woul
Teacher Tom: How Brains Grow
by Mike Simpson / 1d
How Brains Grow When our daughter was a preschooler, authority figures informed parents that the human brain was fully formed by around five-years-old. After that, there would be no new brain cells, which was why, they told us, the early years were so important. These were the scientific facts. Just a few days ago, a parent of a preschooler told me that the director of her child’s school told th
A Well-Rounded Education Cannot be Digitized | deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's Blog
by Mike Simpson / 1d
A Well-Rounded Education Cannot be Digitized I am about one-fourth of the way into Jack Schneider’s and Jennifer Berkshire’s A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door: The Dismantling of Public Education and the Future of Public School. As I experience one in three of my students in quarantine related to COVID-19, I am keenly aware of how limited computer-delivered education is absent immediate, in-person,
Selling Edtech when Disguised as Philanthropy | tultican
by Mike Simpson / 1d
Selling Edtech when Disguised as Philanthropy By Thomas Ultican 11/27/2020 “Personalized learning” is being driven by foundations derived from companies that stand to profit by its implementation. Last year, George Mason’s Priscilla Regan and the University of Ottawa’s Valerie Steeves wrote the peer review paper “ Education, privacy, and big data algorithms: Taking the persons out of personalize

NOV 26

Respect for Teaching: One Person’s Tale | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
by Mike Simpson / 2d
Respect for Teaching: One Person’s Tale Most of my adult life I have been a teacher. And on this day of Thanksgiving, I give thanks for the six decades I have been with students. As a teacher, however, I winced whenever someone disrespected what I and others did not only for a living but a calling. Sometimes I did more than wince by responding in words at the moment or wrote about it later. One
Special Report: To reopen or not to reopen – That is the fraught question for U.S. schools | The Mighty 790 KFGO | KFGO
by Mike Simpson / 2d
Special Report: To reopen or not to reopen – That is the fraught question for U.S. schools By Kristina Cooke, Benjamin Lesser and M.B. Pell (Reuters) - After a two-week deluge of calls and messages from parents - and at least one death threat - the school board in Chandler, Arizona, called a special meeting this fall. The board would revisit its decision, prompted by the coronavirus, to temporar
We let school buildings crumble for years - that neglect is locking kids out - Hechinger Report
by Mike Simpson / 2d
We let school buildings crumble for years - that neglect is locking kids out Rundown schools forced more students to go remote Government refused to fund crumbling schools for years. Now the neglect has locked children out of learning. Yvette Alston-Johnson was seething when she got the news. Children in Paterson, New Jersey would not be allowed to go to school in-person this fall, while many of
Teacher Tom: I'm Thankful to Have a Day Like This
by Mike Simpson / 2d
I'm Thankful to Have a Day Like This I have so many things for which to be thankful. At the top of my list is our daughter (who, like many young people, is spending Thanksgiving away from us today) and my wife to whom, as of two days ago, I've now been married for 34 years. I'm also thankful for my mother and father who I won't be seeing in a few hours, along with my brother and sister and their
Happy, Complicated Thanksgiving! | Diane Ravitch's blog
by Mike Simpson / 2d
Happy, Complicated Thanksgiving! This is the first time that any of us has experienced Thanksgiving in the midst of a national pandemic. Many people will heed the advice of doctors and cancel their family get-togethers. Others will gather in small groups, hopefully with masks and social distancing. A strange holiday, as will be Christmas and New Year’s. I want to wish you and your families a Hap
Should COVID vaccinations be required for students? For school staff members? | Ed In The Apple
by Mike Simpson / 2d
Should COVID vaccinations be required for students? For school staff members? On Friday I stood on a COVID testing line for four hours, a lovely day, chatting with my line mates, their bosses had given them time off; they needed a negative COVID test in order to fly somewhere. The test, the nose swab, took minutes and my phone beeped with the results before I was home. (Negative). I’m staying at
SOMETIMES IT’S WHAT YOU DON’T SAY – Dad Gone Wild
by Mike Simpson / 2d
SOMETIMES IT’S WHAT YOU DON’T SAY “The slickest way in the world to lie is to tell the right amount of truth at the right time-and then shut up.” ― Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land Another Tuesday night and another board meeting has left me scratching my head – trying to decipher what I just witnessed. One thing that is becoming more and more clear is that the MNPS’s leadership is
Mike Klonsky's Blog: The first thing Biden promised to do...
by Mike Simpson / 2d
The first thing Biden promised to do... Biden was at a candidates event in Houston with National Education Association members in July 2019 when he said: “First thing, as president of United States — not a joke — first thing I will do is make sure that the secretary of education is not Betsy DeVos. It is a teacher. A teacher. Promise.” -- WaPO Biden's cabinet is filling up fast. So far, once you
CURMUDGUCATION: FL: Big Brother Is Watching Your Child
by Mike Simpson / 2d
FL: Big Brother Is Watching Your Child Eyebrows shot up around the country this week a s the Tampa Bay Times reported on how the Pasco County Sheriff's Office keeps a secret list of "at-risk" kids who could “fall into a life of crime." Creating the list involves the office collecting and factoring a whole bunch of different you-probably-thought-they-were-confidential records, including records f

NOV 25

Defenders of US Public Schools Call on Biden to Ditch Trump's Disastrous Education Policies—and Obama's Too | Common Dreams News
by Mike Simpson / 2d
Defenders of US Public Schools Call on Biden to Ditch Trump's Disastrous Education Policies—and Obama's Too "50.8 million children who attend real public schools need a secretary of education who will be their advocate, not an advocate for privatization." Demanding an end to the failed policies that have dominated the United States for more than two decades, a coalition of public education advoc
Teacher Tom: To Know Life Intimately and Lovingly
by Mike Simpson / 2d
To Know Life Intimately and Lovingly Author and poet Diane Ackerman writes: "(I)t probably doesn't matter if we try too hard, are awkward sometimes, care for one another too deeply, are excessively curious about nature, are too open to experience, and enjoy nonstop expense of the senses in an effort to know life intimately and lovingly." We live in a time of plague, and I don't mean Covid. The v
THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #46
by Mike Simpson / 2d
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Homeless families sue NYC over Wi-Fi installation, demand internet - New York Daily News - https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-homeless-families-shelters-wifi-internet-remote-school-de-blasio-20201124-imulnd36cvfwvhdbvebxthf6yi-story.html#new_tab via @nydailynews Marion County COVID: Parents seeking injunction against school closure
Laura Chapman: Who Is Behind the “Read by Third Grade or Be Retained” Campaign? | Diane Ravitch's blog
by Mike Simpson / 3d
Laura Chapman: Who Is Behind the “Read by Third Grade or Be Retained” Campaign? Laura Chapman recently wrote about the policy of holding third grade students back if they didn’t pass the third grade reading test. One result of this initiative is to raise fourth-grade reading scores on state tests and NAEP. She writes: There is a national read-by-grade three campaign. The practice of holding stud
Coronavirus means free school meals across the U.S. What if that stayed?
by Mike Simpson / 3d
Coronavirus means school food is free across the U.S. What if it stayed that way? Free school meals, the gold standard for child nutrition advocates, may be one good thing to come out of the coronavirus’s effect on the future of education YAKIMA, Wash. — Tracy Renecker has been working almost nonstop since the coronavirus pandemic set in. A kitchen manager with the 16,000-student school district
NANCY BAILEY: 6 Critical Education Issues To Watch At Thanksgiving
by Mike Simpson / 3d
6 Critical Education Issues To Watch At Thanksgiving 6 Critical Education Issues To Watch At Thanksgiving This is a tough Thanksgiving, especially for those who are ill or have lost loved ones. I wish for everyone renewed hope and wellness and that you have family and loved ones to stay in touch with and enjoy. That even if you don’t, you’ll find love and comfort in your lives during these trying
NYC Educator: NY Times--Worst Education Reporting Anywhere
by Mike Simpson / 3d
NY Times--Worst Education Reporting Anywhere I should know not to be surprised when the NY Times runs opinion pieces posing as news stories. It's a hallowed tradition. The first time I noticed it was in the 1980s, when we got the February break that every other school statewide already had. The Times reported that this was detrimental to working parents. How would they take care of the children
CURMUDGUCATION: Donors Choose Belated Monday: Orff and Robots
by Mike Simpson / 3d
Donors Choose Belated Monday Orff and Robots Okay, so I got caught up in the business of holiday stuff and pandemic surge, and I forgot to post Monday. But I am continuing with making a modest weekly contribution to some classroom somewhere in this country. As I've said before, Donors Chose shouldn't be a thing because schools should be fully funded, but in the meantime, individual teachers in i
Los Angeles: Charter School Games the System for More $$$ | Diane Ravitch's blog
by Mike Simpson / 3d
Los Angeles Charter School Games the System for More $$$ Parent advocate Carl J. Peterson writes here about a charter school in Los Angeles that figured out to game the system for more money and space. He writes that “Citizens of the World” collects signatures of parents who are not likely to apply for the school and uses them as expressions of intent to enroll. A Facebook post by Jirusha Lopez,
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/2020/11/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_21.html Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement" - https:/
CHECK IT OUT: DIANE ON A ROLL TODAY - Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
by Mike Simpson / 3d
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all CHECK IT OUT: DIANE ON A ROLL TODAY Big Education Ape: KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/11/keep-up-catch-up-with-diane-ravitchs_21.html SomeDam Poet: Privatize the Planet by dianeravitch / 1h Our blog poet frequently favors with rhyme: P
CURMUDGUCATION: Internet Data Caps Are Coming
by Mike Simpson / 3d
Internet Data Caps Are Coming If you are a Comcast customer in the Northeast US, changes are coming. 2021 will bring caps for home internet customers in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia, and DC, as well as selected slices of North Carolina and Ohio. There are reasons not to freak out. First,
As Louisiana Returns to Phase 2, Superintendents Want Shorter Quarantine | deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's Blog
by Mike Simpson / 3d
As Louisiana Returns to Phase 2, Superintendents Want Shorter Quarantine As Louisiana moves back into a modified Phase 2 due to “the aggressive third surge of COVID-19 across all regions of Louisiana,” several Louisiana school superintendents are calling for “looser quarantine rules” for students who come into contact with individuals testing positive for coronavirus. When Louisiana moved into P
The importance of clean air in classrooms—during the pandemic and beyond - Brookings
by Mike Simpson / 3d
The importance of clean air in classrooms—during the pandemic and beyond The importance of clean air in classrooms—during the pandemic and beyond The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about an increased focus on public health, particularly in school settings. From social distancing to testing regimes, education leaders are making serious changes to ensure that schools are safe for students, staff, an
Voters Have Spoken and They Support Children | First Focus on Children
by Mike Simpson / 3d
Voters Have Spoken and They Support Children | First Focus on Children Voters Have Spoken and They Support Children A 2020 election-eve survey of voters by Lake Research Partners reflects a divided nation on politics but finds American voters bridge that divide in their common support of a better life for children. This vision includes ensuring that the “best interests” of children (81–13 percent
Use of FRPM Data for Funding Purposes 2020–21 - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education)
by Mike Simpson / 3d
2020–21 Requirements for Collecting Free and Reduced-Price Meal Eligibility Data Used to Determine Supplemental and Concentration Grant Funding Tip Sheet: CACFP Meal Service During COVID-19 - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education) - https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/tipsheetcacfpmealserv.asp Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators: 2020–21 Requirements for Collecting Free an
NYC Public School Parents: Gov. Cuomo: please call off the SHSAT, absolutely critical especially during a pandemic.
by Mike Simpson / 3d
Gov. Cuomo: please call off the SHSAT, absolutely critical especially during a pandemic. The letter below was sent to Gov. Cuomo on Monday via his webform ; feel free to send your own thoughts on the matter. November 23, 2020 Dear Governor Cuomo, We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, write to request the issuance of an Executive Order to suspend the Specialized High Schools Admissio

NOV 24

The Have You Heard Graduate Student Research Contest Is Back! – Have You Heard
by Mike Simpson / 3d
The Have You Heard Graduate Student Research Contest Is Back! Are you a graduate student whose research on K-12 or higher education is ready for the podcast limelight? Then we have 30 minutes of prime audio real estate with your name on it. Have You Heard is a biweekly education policy podcast, featuring scholar Jack Schneider and journalist Jennifer Berkshire. Seeking to move past the headlines
What Joe Biden actually promised about replacing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos - The Washington Post
by Mike Simpson / 3d
What Biden actually promised about replacing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos On July 5, 2019, while talking with a crowd of K-12 teachers, Joe Biden promised that he would hire a teacher to replace Betsy DeVos as education secretary. Biden wasn’t the only Democratic presidential candidate to make such a promise. But now that he is the one who is going to be president, there is high interest abou
THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #46
by Mike Simpson / 3d
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Connecticut teachers unions call for all schools to move online-only after Thanksgiving unless coronavirus safety, transparency criteria are met - Hartford Courant - https://www.courant.com/coronavirus/hc-news-coronavirus-teacher-unions-call-for-remote-learning-20201123-zs5b5osjr5dt3ilp6bugvpwsyu-story.html#new_tab via @hartfordcourant
J4J Open Letter to President-Elect Biden | Schott Foundation for Public Education
by Mike Simpson / 4d
J4J Open Letter to President-Elect Biden The Journey for Justice Alliance (J4J), a grassroots education justice organization with dozens of local chapters across the country, highlighted candidate Joe Biden’s pledge to be “the best friend of public education” as they urged the President-Elect to choose a Secretary of Education committed to education justice. J4J’s open letter emphasizes the impo
Teacher Tom: Something That Always "Works"
by Mike Simpson / 4d
Something That Always "Works" A two-year-old was standing at the gate, his fingers through the slats, crying after his mommy who had left. The grandmother of another child was sitting with him. I wanted to go take her place, not because she was doing anything wrong, but it was the first day of a summer session, I imagined she was there to enjoy it with her own grandson, and I see it as a big par
Kevin Welner: The Urgent De-Vos-Ing of the Department of Education | Diane Ravitch's blog
by Mike Simpson / 4d
Kevin Welner: The Urgent De-Vos-Ing of the Department of Education I recently had the pleasure of reading Kevin Welner’s terrific new Onion-like book, “Potential Grizzlies: Making the Nonsense Bearable.” In tweets, I described Kevin as the Stephen Colbert and Groucho Marx of American education. Kevin and I had fun discussing the book on a Zoom sponsored by the Network for Public Education. ( WAT
ANDRE PERRY: Black students: Don’t let white efforts at miseducation deny your legacy
by Mike Simpson / 4d
Black students: Don’t let white efforts at miseducation deny your legacy Dear Black students: Don’t let white efforts at miseducation deny your legacy ‘The upholders of white supremacy have always tried to control us by obstructing our path to the schoolhouse through law, propaganda and duplicity. They are doing it again.’ Dear Black students, The last seven months have presented you with a whirl
What Happened to the School in New Orleans That Was First to Desegregate? | Diane Ravitch's blog
by Mike Simpson / 4d
What Happened to the School in New Orleans That Was First to Desegregate? You may recall the iconic painting of little Ruby Bridges, a first-grader, who was the first African American student to enroll in a previously all-white segregated school in New Orleans. If you don’t, be sure to read this article, which tells what happened to the William Franz Public School. Three scholars–Connie L. Schaf
To Test or Not to Test, That Is the Question | Diane Ravitch's blog
by Mike Simpson / 4d
To Test or Not to Test, That Is the Question Everyone seems to have an opinion about whether the mandated federal tests should be administered this spring. When the pandemic was first acknowledged last March, Betsy DeVos offered waivers to states that wanted to suspend the testing. Although Biden has publicly expressed disdain for standardized testing, there has been no hint of whether he will a
Shawgi Tell: Charter School Promoters Complain About Inability to Pilfer More Public Funds | Dissident Voice
by Mike Simpson / 4d
Charter School Promoters Complain About Inability to Pilfer More Public Funds | Dissident Voice Charter School Promoters Complain About Inability to Pilfer More Public Funds While they have constantly been at it, every now and then charter school advocates self-servingly complain more vociferously than usual about how they are unable to funnel even more public funds from public schools into the h
CURMUDGUCATION: The False God Data Fails Again
by Mike Simpson / 4d
The False God Data Fails Again The dream of the Cult of Data is that for any issue, we simply design an instrument for collecting the data, analyze the Data, and select a solution suggested by the Data. Phrases like "data driven" or "data informed" are used to express the assumption that decisions backed by Data are inherently smarter, better, stronger, and wiser than Those Other Kinds of decisi
NYC Educator: UFT Town Hall November 23, 2020
by Mike Simpson / 4d
UFT Town Hall November 23, 2020 By special guest Mindy Rosier UFT President Michael Mulgrew % PM Thank you for coming on. Thank you for all you are doing. I want to use today to explain what we are dealing with. We have a lot to cover. I really wanted to do this Town Hall this week because it's Thanksgiving. Be safe, follow advice of the medical professionals. You all heard about instances of fa
This Giving Tuesday Support NPE - Network For Public Education
by Mike Simpson / 4d
As giving Tuesday approaches, please give generously to NPE and help us advocate for the public schools that you love. DONATE NOW In 2020, on our shoestring budget, here is some of what we accomplished. Important Investigations and Reports Broken Promises : This report is the first comprehensive examination of charter failure rates from 1999 to 2017. It documents that nearly 1 million schoolchil
WHAT’S A LITTLE LAW BREAKING AMONG FRIENDS? – Dad Gone Wild
by Mike Simpson / 4d
WHAT’S A LITTLE LAW BREAKING AMONG FRIENDS? “The future is called ‘perhaps,’ which is the only possible thing to call the future. And the only important thing is not to allow that to scare you.” ― Tennessee Williams, Orpheus Descending I’ve been struggling this weekend with organizing some thoughts. Thoughts connected through two disparate sources – the release of ACT scores and my reading of Ka
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) https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/11/this-week-with-newblackman-in-exile_21.html Inside the Libertarian Plot to Tear Down Public Education by Mark Anthony Neal / 12h 'Historian Jack Schneider and journalist Jennifer Berkshire explore the right's systematic, decades-long attack on p
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/2020/11/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_21.html All Ed Week Articles Are Freely Available For The Next Two Weeks by Larry

NOV 23

Ten Things I Used to Think | Teacher in a strange land
by Mike Simpson / 4d
Ten Things I Used to Think I Used to Think was a writing and thinking prompt developed for students, part of the work done by Project Zero . Lately, we haven’t been all that interested in what students think , or how their thinking might change, given more information, dialogue and cogitation. Instead, we’ve been interested in raising their test scores by asking them to simply reproduce knowledg
Being White Is a Handout – radical eyes for equity
by Mike Simpson / 4d
Being White Is a Handout My 4.5 year journey as an undergraduate and the first five years teaching high school English were spent mostly in the Reagan era. While this was many decades before terminology such as “fake news” or “post-truth,” I literally lived during those years a painful and now embarrassing conversion from white denial and ignorance (believing in reverse discrimination, for examp
Schools bring mindfulness to the classroom to help kids right now
by Mike Simpson / 4d
Schools bring mindfulness to the classroom to help kids in the Covid-19 crisis Mindfulness in schools is increasingly being used to help students with mental health and academic performance, but research on its effectiveness is not yet conclusive Doug Worthen guided his small class of ninth graders at Middlesex School through an exercise designed to focus their attention. On his screen, he saw t
Two School Districts Had Different Mask Policies. Only One Had a Teacher on a Ventilator. — ProPublica
by Mike Simpson / 4d
Two School Districts Had Different Mask Policies. Only One Had a Teacher on a Ventilator. Eleven states let school districts decide whether students and staff must wear masks. One Georgia middle school where masks were optional became the center of an outbreak. On a balmy August morning in Emanuel County in eastern Georgia, hundreds of children bounded off freshly cleaned school buses and out of
What American teachers are telling their students about what Trump is doing – Raw Story
by Mike Simpson / 4d
What American teachers are telling their students about what Trump is doing Civics is a fundamental part of every American primary school curriculum. Yet there is no living American who has experienced a political moment as polarized as this one, where even teachers cannot speak of Trump or Biden without accusations of impartiality from either direction. Particularly now, as America’s democracy
A New Narrative About The Secretary of Education, Too [Medium] | The Jose Vilson
by Mike Simpson / 4d
A NEW NARRATIVE ABOUT THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, TOO [MEDIUM] For EduColor’s Medium blog, I wrote a bit more about the Secretary of Education using some inspiration from Vanessa Siddle Walker’s The Lost Education of Horace Tate , a must read: “I’ve witnessed how the narrative of public schooling and education writ large has forced parents to run towards alternatives, even when those alternative
Schools and the Economy–Not Yet a Faddish Idea | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
by Mike Simpson / 4d
Schools and the Economy–Not Yet a Faddish Idea Fashions in ideas, like clothes, change with the times. But when they are in fashion, they become the wisdom of the moment. Supply-side economics, embraced by the Republicans during the Reagan presidency, cut taxes and ran up unparalleled deficits. It was group-think wisdom. Sure there were critics but GOP champions called them nail-biting nay-sayer
CURMUDGUCATION: What Is The Actual Purpose of Social and Emotional Learning
by Mike Simpson / 4d
What Is The Actual Purpose of Social and Emotional Learning I'm increasingly convinced that one of the reasons social and emotional learning (SEL) is such a matter of contention in education (and it has been, every time it has been it has been brought up under one guise or another) is that it requires us to look at the places where education bumps up against the really big questions-- what is th
Will President Joseph Biden Lead Us Toward Equity and Opportunity in the Public Schools? | janresseger
by Mike Simpson / 4d
Will President Joseph Biden Lead Us Toward Equity and Opportunity in the Public Schools? Betsy DeVos, the outgoing U.S. Secretary of Education, has been complaining about the public schools again. The public schools are, of course, the schools she is supposed to be supporting through the operation of her federal department. But as a lifelong promoter of vouchers for private and religious schools
Teacher Tom: The Skills That Will Make Tomorrow
by Mike Simpson / 4d
The Skills That Will Make Tomorrow "Let's play Tiger Babies." "I want to be a polar bear baby." "You can't because tiger babies would eat polar bear babies." "That's not true! Polar bear babies eat tiger babies!" "That's not true!" I stepped closer because it was the sort of argument that could escalate, which is always the case when "truth" is at stake. And truth is always at stake when childre
NYC Educator: A Lesson for Those Who'd Vilify Teachers
by Mike Simpson / 4d
A Lesson for Those Who'd Vilify Teachers It's always edifying to get the libertarian point of view, and it's not at all surprising to find it in the pages of the NY Post . Writer Matt Welch sheds copious crocodile tears over how schools are failing poor children. You know who they are. They're the kids UFT teachers wake up every single day to help and serve. Meanwhile libertarians fight to make
Close Connecticut’s Schools Now | Real Learning CT
by Mike Simpson / 4d
Close Connecticut’s Schools Now Stephen Singer, a teacher, calls on Connecticut to close its schools to save the lives of teachers and to keep students and their families safe. Hundreds of teachers have died from Covid-19. More than 1 million children have been diagnosed with the disease. Yet a bipartisan group of seven state Governors said in a joint statement Thursday that in-person schools ar
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/2020/11/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_21.html This Week’s Resources To Support Teachers Coping With School Closures by
TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION NEWS
by Mike Simpson / 4d
TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES West Ada case dredges up debate over whether teacher strikes are legal in Idaho - https://idahoednews.org/IKXBm via @idahoednews Stuck on Mute: Kids in Juvenile Lockups Can’t Be Seen or Heard by Teachers During Remote Learning https://www.thecity.nyc/2020/11/19/21578814/kids-in-juvenile-lockups-cant-be-seen-or-heard-by-teachers-during-remote-learning via @THECITYNY No

NOV 22

CATCH UP WITH CURMUDGUCATION + ICYMI: Here Comes Thanksgiving Edition
by Mike Simpson / 6d
CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Here Comes Thanksgiving Edition Here Comes Thanksgiving Edition Well, the holiday certainly feels heavily weighted this year, doesn't it. Will people get together? Will people die because they couldn't bear not to see Grampa cut the turkey? And how hard will it be for some folks to think of something to be thankful for? Yes, this is going to be a fun week. In the meantime,
EdAction in Congress November 22, 2020 - Education Votes
by Mike Simpson / 6d
EdAction in Congress November 22, 2020 McConnell confirms more judges, refuses to act on COVID-19 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) continues to focus on confirming conservative judges even as COVID-19 reaches new heights—nearly 12 million cases and a quarter-million deaths—and the expiration of previously enacted relief looms. Measures that expire at year’s end include the suspensio
A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007
by Mike Simpson / 6d
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/2020/11/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_21.html Excellent Guide To Having Conversations Includes A Lot Of Wisdom For Teac
Justin Parmenter: Don’t Blame Educators Who Get COVID | Diane Ravitch's blog
by Mike Simpson / 6d
Justin Parmenter: Don’t Blame Educators Who Get COVID Justin Parmenter, an NBCT teacher in North Carolina, published this article in the Charlotte Observer. As COVID-19 rates skyrocket in North Carolina and more educators lose their lives to the virus, an unmistakable trend is starting to emerge: school districts falling all over themselves to claim the infected employee didn’t get the virus at
Burbank: Parents and District Debate Banning Books | Diane Ravitch's blog
by Mike Simpson / 6d
Burbank: Parents and District Debate Banning Books The school district of Burbank, California, is embroiled in a bitter debate about book banning. The books in questions are about racism , and black parents are complaining that the books are racist. Among the books that parents want removed are: Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , one of the most censored books in American literatu
Mercedes Schneider Reviews Douglas Harris’s Book About New Orleans | Diane Ravitch's blog
by Mike Simpson / 6d
Mercedes Schneider Reviews Douglas Harris’s Book About New Orleans Mercedes Schneider reviewed Douglas Harris’s book Charter City in Commonweal . As a teacher in Louisiana and a close observer of the politics of education, Schneider is well positioned to assess the claims on behalf of the all-charter NewOrleans district. Harris is a respected economist who heads the Education Research Alliance a
NANCY BAILEY: A Role That Needs More Attention and Support: The Principalship
by Mike Simpson / 6d
A Role That Needs More Attention and Support: The Principalship A Role That Needs More Attention and Support: The Principalship By Paul Bonner Not too long ago, I walked up to a register in a grocery store. The clerk noticed that I had a school district ID and asked, “Are you a teacher?” I replied, “I’m a principal.” She looked at me, smiled, and said sincerely, “I never knew what my principal di
We Need Pro-Public Education Leadership in the Department of Education
by Mike Simpson / 6d
We Need Pro-Public Education Leadership in the Department of Education Let's make sure that Joe Biden chooses a public education advocate for the next Secretary of Education. We need a leader who rejects corporate reforms, high-stakes testing and school privatization. It is time to rebuild our public schools. Send your letter to the Biden team today. Use our letter or create your own. We Need Pr
CURMUDGUCATION: Another Rich Guy Wants To Fix Education
by Mike Simpson / 6d
Another Rich Guy Wants To Fix Education Joel Greenblatt is a hedge fund guy from NYC who, like many hedge fund guys, has it All Figured Out and occasionally writes books to share his insights with rest of us. Of course, that includes education. It was Greenblatt and fellow Rich Guy John Petry who recruited Eva Moskowitz to take their little charter school, Harlem Success Academy, and turn it int
A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door Virtual Book Chat Tickets, Wed, Dec 9, 2020 at 3:00 PM | Eventbrite
by Mike Simpson / 6d
A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door Virtual Book Chat Virtual Book Discussion Date And Time Wed, December 9, 2020 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM PST Add to Calendar Location Online Event About this Event In A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Doo r, education historian Jack Schneider and journalist Jennifer Berkshire trace the war on public education to its origins, offering the deep backstory necessary to understand the
President-Elect Biden: Keep Your Promises! | Diane Ravitch's blog
by Mike Simpson / 6d
President-Elect Biden: Keep Your Promises! During the campaign, Joe Biden made clear commitments to support community public schools. He promised transparency and accountability for privately managed charter schools, as well as a ban on federal funding for charters operated for profit. He also unequivocally took a stand against standardized testing in a public meeting with hundreds of educators

NOV 21

TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 11/21/20 #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #46
by Mike Simpson / 6d
Big Education Ape TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 11/21/20 ‘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 Orleans and its charter schools - The Washington Post TOP POSTS THIS 

 Big Education Ape

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