Saturday, January 2, 2021

POSTS THIS WEEK 1/2/21

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVIDVACCINE #newyear #BestOf2020

by Mike Simpson / now

Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Education Matters: School Board members in line for huge raises - https://jaxkidsmatter.blogspot.com/2021/01/school-board-members-in-line-for-huge.html Why Students Should Learn To Use Tech Tools http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2021/01/why-students-should-learn-to-use-tech.html 4 signs that food pantries improve the diets of low-inco

From IQ tests and sperm banks to "The Queen’s Gambit": a history of gifted children | Salon.com

by Mike Simpson / now

From IQ tests and sperm banks to "The Queen’s Gambit": a history of gifted children While identifying gifted children has helped some receive needed attention, it has sent us down a dangerous path I n Netflix hit "The Queen's Gambit," we see young orphan Beth Harmon discover her talent for competitive chess. During a game played in the orphanage basement, Harmon's chess tutor, the janitor, tells

Steve Hinnefeld: Indiana Legislators Preparing to Expand Failed Voucher Program | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / now

Indiana Legislators Preparing to Expand Failed Voucher Program Steve Hinnefeld warns that Republican legislators in Indiana are laying the groundwork to expand the state’s failed voucher program. The research on

Nevada: Charter Schools Cashed in on PPP Money | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Nevada: Charter Schools Cashed in on PPP Money Last spring, you may recall, the CARES Act included $13.2 billion for public and charter schools. In addition, $660 billion was allocated to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small businesses and nonprofits that were struggling to survive due to the pandemic. Public schools were not allowed to apply for PPP. However, many charter schools lea

NYC Educator: Today in PTA (Pass Them All)

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Today in PTA (Pass Them All) Yesterday, I got a prescient comment from SC Math Teacher, and I'll repost it here. The first part is a quote from me, but he comes to an inescapable conclusion directly afterward: “The last I heard, the DOE was holding individual teachers responsible this year for NX students. That means that next semester we could be burdened with not only our regular caseload, but

El Paso Teacher, 35, Dies of COVID-19 | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 1h

El Paso Teacher, 35, Dies of COVID-19 Zelene Blancas, who taught in the public schools of El Paso, died of COVID-19 . She was 35. She taught first grade, and she emphasized kindness. Her 2018 video of her children saying goodbye with a hug at the end of each day was viewed more than 22 million times. Blancas tested positive for coronavirus October 20 and days later, she was hospitalized, her bro

States: Ask Biden Administration to Waive Spring 2021 Testing | deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's Blog

by Mike Simpson / 1h

States: Ask Biden Administration to Waive Spring 2021 Testing This is a school year fraught with quarantine disruption, turnstile attendance, distancing and sanitizing burdens, and spotty internet capabilities. The very idea that most schools and districts could somehow pull off federally-mandated standardized testing in the spring of 2021 and that the testing outcome would evidence anything oth

Private schools pull students away from public schools - Axios

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Private schools pull students away from public schools Private institutions are attracting wealthy families who are frustrated with public schools' flip-flopping on remote and in-person learning. Why it matters: The trend is weakening public schools, which will lose funding as they lose students, and deepening the divide between how rich and poor kids are educated. What's happening: In districts

Mike Klonsky's Blog: Big changes needed if we are to control the global pandemic and open schools here.

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Big changes needed if we are to control the global pandemic and open schools here As we head into the new year, I'm thinking like everyone else, good riddance to Trump and 2020. I've had the words to the old Merle Haggard song, If We Make It Through December , buzzing through my brain. But by yesterday afternoon, I've had reset my expectations to... if we make it through the '20s... NBC reports

Saturday, December 26, 2020 THIS WEEK'S WILDNESS Dad Gone Wild Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it. + TENNESSEE EDUCATION REPORT

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Dad Gone Wild – Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it. THIS WEEK'S WILDNESS Dad Gone Wild Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it . A 360 DEGREE VIEW by TC Weber / 1d “Investigations, meditations, careers, relationships were much the same, he mused. They failed because no one thought to ask the right question.” ― Eliot Pattison, The Skull Mantra It’s taken 364 days to get here, but we have arrived. T

TEACHER TOM THIS WEEK IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Teacher Tom Reflections on This First Day of 2021 93 23h An Education That Emerges From Those Things That Most Affect Us 200+ 1d They Say There are No Stupid Questions. I Beg to Differ. 1K 3d I Know the Secret to Making Your Dreams Come True 100+ 4d Life Itself 2K 5d This Cursed and Blessed Year 81 9d Teacher Tom

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

by Mike Simpson / 1h

California Department of Education SSPI TONY THURMOND STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION USDA Foods List and Material Price Report 2021–22 8d The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently published the USDA Foods Available List and the USDA Foods Processor Material Prices for School Year (SY) 2021–22. COVID-19 Guidance Web Page: Updates to FAQs 10d California Departm

THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER

by Mike Simpson / 1h

NewBlackMan (in Exile) THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) Food Writer On The Future Of Black-Owned Restaurants In The Bay Area by Mark Anthony Neal / 9h 'NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Justin Phillips , a food writer for the San Francisco Chronicle , about the potential demise of many Black-owned restaurants in the Bay Area.' Viola Davis: The 60 Minutes Interview by Mark Anthony Neal / 9h ' Vio

THIS WEEK Education Research Report

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Education Research Report Computer simulation to the identification of symptoms in children with ADHD by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 2d The introduction of computer simulation to the identification of symptoms in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has potential to provide an additional objective tool to gauge the presence and severity of behavioral problems, Ohio State Unive

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

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 I Created My Own News Aggregator With AllTop – You Can Use Mine Or Create Your Own by Larry Ferlazzo / 9h AllTop has been around awhile. It’s a “news aggregator” – it identifies a number of topics and then creates pages on them with updated stories from different sites specializing in those topics. Th

KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all #REDFORED #tbats #COVIDVACCINE #newyear #BestOf2020

by Mike Simpson / 1h

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 Peter Greene: Democrats Need a Major Restart for Education by dianeravitch / 50min You know the old line, “Failure is not an option.” Well, we have federal education policy built on the idea that failure doesn’t matter. Failure is not only an opt

YESTERDAY

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVIDVACCINE #newyear #BestOf2020

by Mike Simpson / 19h

Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES All Twenty-Eight Annual Education-Related “Best” Lists! | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... - https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/?p=114477 on @Larryferlazzo Welcome 2021! Go Away, 2020! | Diane Ravitch's blog - https://wp.me/p2odLa-sYJ via @dianeravitch Will Republican Senators and House member “Objections” Prevent the Election of

Education Matters: DCPS is full steam ahead while other school districts play it cautious.

by Mike Simpson / 19h

DCPS is full steam ahead while other school districts play it cautious Duval County has been averaging a thousand cases a day. Our positivity rate is close to ten percent. The new even more, contagious strain of COVID has been found in Florida, and we are undoubtedly going to get a holiday bump in cases, so what does DCPS do? Nothing, as more districts take their students and staff safety seriou

A teacher’s deepest concerns going into 2021: students who disappeared, covid-19 myopia and six more - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 22h

A teacher’s deepest fears about 2021: Students who disappeared, covid-19 myopia and six more Longtime educator Larry Ferlazzo has been a frequent writer on this blog for a decade — and now he is back with his list of the things that most concern him about schooling going into 2021. Ferlazzo teaches English and social studies at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento. He has written or edited 1

2021 Student Podcast Challenge Opens For Grades 5-12 : NPR

by Mike Simpson / 22h

NPR's Student Podcast Challenge Opens For Middle And High School Students It's that time of year! New semester, new assignments, new Student Podcast Challenge. Yep, NPR's Student Podcast Challenge is back for its third year, and it opens today, Jan 1. We know you have stories to tell and we at NPR are excited to listen. Tell us about your life, or something you're passionate about — like tater t

Fred Smith: The Night Before New Year’s | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 22h

Fred Smith: The Night Before New Year’s Fred Smith, assessment expert (retired from the New York City Board of Education) and part-time poet, published this poem today in the New York Daily News. The night before New Year’s : A Message from Your President! By FRED SMITH NEW YORK DAILY NEWS – DEC 31, 2020 ‘Tis the eve of the new year and in his White House Sits a lame duck-tailed bad man with uns

2020 Taught Us to be Ambidextrous. | Schott Foundation for Public Education

by Mike Simpson / 22h

2020 Taught Us to be Ambidextrous. As the year ends, we are looking back at the many challenges and the fierce organizing — and equally fierce love — that our partners brought to meet them. In the early days of March, educators in St. Paul were on strike: not just for better wages, but for more special education support, smaller class sizes, bilingual teachers’ aides and mental health teams in e

Education Matters: A sad but true fact is DCPS can't be trusted

by Mike Simpson / 22h

A sad but true fact is DCPS can't be trusted 2020 was a difficult year, I had COVID fatigue, then got Covid, election fatigue which is sadly ongoing, and the realization my employer doesn't care about me, my colleagues, or my students. Nothing DCPS says can be trusted. In the last month, the media has reported how DCPS cooking the books about discipline and COVID, or you know two of the last thi

Teacher Tom: Reflections on This First Day of 2021

by Mike Simpson / 22h

Reflections on This First Day of 2021 When our daughter was little and frightening news of the world got to her, I would try to put things in perspective: "Most people, most of the time are having a fine day." That this has been true throughout all of history, even when great tragedy is unfolding in one part of it. (And indeed when is it not?) Maybe it's not a great day, although someone is also

Please Support the Network for Public Education! | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 22h

Please Support the Network for Public Education! As a new year begins, and as a new administration prepares to take charge of the U.S. government, our fight to support and improve public education goes on. The Network for Public Education is and will continue to be the single largest voluntary group advocating on behalf of public schools. We had humble beginnings, starting with a bank account of

Another set of New Year’s Resolutions | Live Long and Prosper

by Mike Simpson / 22h

Another set of New Year’s Resolutions The New Year is a time for reflection and planning. Many people enjoy reading top ten lists from the past year as well as making New Year’s Resolutions. Last year I suggested some New Year’s Resolutions for teachers. This year I have a few more to suggest…only this year they’re resolutions for legislators and education policymakers ( and even billionaires wh

Grassroots Education Network- December 2020 Newsletter - Network For Public Education

by Mike Simpson / 22h

Grassroots Education Network- December 2020 Newsletter The NPE Grassroots Education Network is a network of 160 grassroots organizations nationwide who have joined together to preserve, promote, improve, and strengthen our public schools. If you know of a group that would like to join this powerful network, please go here to sign on. If you have any questions about the NPE Grassroots Education N

The Lives That Chose Us (2020 Year-In-Review) | The Jose Vilson

by Mike Simpson / 22h

THE LIVES THAT CHOSE US (2020 YEAR-IN-REVIEW) In mid-September, I was knee-deep in a few readings, one for each class I had taken this fall. The readings ranged from dead white men (think Durkheim, Marx, et. al.) to the history of education, all so compelling that, for a time, I could isolate the words on the page from the specter of death, fascism, and impending doom. A global pandemic laid was

Schools Matter: The Good News and the Bad News on Miguel Cardona

by Mike Simpson / 22h

The Good News and the Bad News on Miguel Cardona First the good news. Cardona's has deep experience as a teacher, school administrator, and state education commissioner. He understands public school culture, and he understands the challenges of growing up short on privilege. Cardona will be the first Secretary of Education to understand the kinds of school environments and programs that allow En

CURMUDGUCATION: Another Round Of Teacher Bashing

by Mike Simpson / 22h

Another Round Of Teacher Bashing Remember back in the spring (approximately ten years ago in 2020 time), when teachers were hailed as heroes for their tenacity and adaptability? Actually, if you're teacher, what you probably remember is hearing that for what often comes next. And sure enough, here we are. The attitude bubbles up in lots of outlets, sometimes snide and subvocalized, and sometimes

A 360 DEGREE VIEW – Dad Gone Wild

by Mike Simpson / 22h

A 360 DEGREE VIEW “Investigations, meditations, careers, relationships were much the same, he mused. They failed because no one thought to ask the right question.” ― Eliot Pattison, The Skull Mantra It’s taken 364 days to get here, but we have arrived. Today officially marks the last day of a year that certainly ranks among the most challenging. It’s been a year that few would have predicted 365

DEC 31 2020

2020 TOP 10 MOST POPULAR POSTS OF THE YEAR + THE TOP 8 MOST POPULAR " THIS WEEK POSTS" OF 2020 #REDFORED #tbats #newyear #BestOf2020

by Mike Simpson / 1d

TOP 10 MOST POPULAR POSTS OF THE YEAR Big Education Ape: ‘Slaying Goliath’: Diane Ravitch argues in new book that public education advocates have beat back efforts to privatize schools - The Washington Post - https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/01/slaying-goliath-diane-ravitch-argues-in.html Big Education Ape: The real story of New Orleans and its charter schools - The Washington Post - htt

Thursday, December 31, 2020 THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVIDVACCINE #BIDEN #edsecMiguelCardona

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES A teacher’s deepest concerns going into 2021: students who disappeared, covid-19 myopia and six more - The Washington Post - https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/12/31/teachers-deepest-fears-about-2021-students-who-disappeared-covid-19-myopia-six-more/ Choosing Democracy: Governor Newsom California COVID-19 Update: Schools- Dec

Calls growing for Biden to do what DeVos did: Let states skip annual standardized tests this spring - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Calls are growing for Biden to do what DeVos did: Let states skip annual standardized tests this spring There are growing calls from across the political spectrum for the federal government to allow states to skip giving students federally mandated standardized tests in spring 2021 — but the man that President-elect Joe Biden tapped to be education secretary has indicated support for giving them

Vouchers and Market-Driven Schools in Sweden (Sara Hjelm) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Vouchers and Market-Driven Schools in Sweden (Sara Hjelm) Sara Hjelm is a reader of this blog. She wrote to me about the state of Swedish schools a few weeks ago and her deeply-felt concerns about the reforms now occurring in her country. As a retired teacher she sees the blending of school choice and vouchers as a reform strategy that, in her opinion, harms the nation’s schools. Usually, I do n

Newsom offers $2 billion plan to bring back in-person instruction in elementary grades | EdSource

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Newsom offers $2 billion plan to bring back in-person instruction in elementary grades G ov. Gavin Newsom presented a $2 billion proposal for financial incentives Wednesday to prod school districts to bring back elementary school students for in-person instruction, starting in mid-February. School districts would receive extra funding — from $450 to about $700 per student — if they agreed to a t

Teacher Tom: An Education That Emerges From Those Things That Most Affect Us

by Mike Simpson / 1d

An Education That Emerges From Those Things That Most Affect Us In 1675, French rationalist philosopher Nicholas Malebranche wrote, "The mind does not pay equal attention to everything it perceives. For it applies itself infinitely more to those things that affect it, that modify it, and that penetrate it, than to those that are present to it but do not affect it." I don't know if this insight w

Celebrating Kwanzaa: Day Six Gives Us Kuumba, Creativity

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Creativity and Craftsmanship: Celebrating Kuumba, the Sixth Night of Kwanzaa Black-owned businesses breathe creativity. The sixth day of Kwanzaa, Kuumba, represents creativity and is a time for celebrating the radical Blackness that comes from multiple countries and cultures across different platforms. The following Black-owned businesses show their creative instincts in their hand-made and hand

Website Created by Gates Foundation Leaves Open Personal Data of Hundreds of Thousands of Students | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Website Created by Gates Foundation Leaves Open Personal Data of Hundreds of Thousands of Students The Financial Times reported a major data breach of personally identifiable student data on a website funded by the Gates Foundation. Bill Gates, as we know, is a data aficionado. Several years ago, he created an ill-fated project called InBloom with the intent of gathering the personal data of mil

Choosing Democracy: Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Ethnic Studies Curriculum SBE At its November 18–19, 2020, meeting, the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) recommended the revised draft Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum to the State Board of Education (SBE) following a 45-day public comment period. The IQC incorporated edits, including those recommended by the California Department of Education (CDE), that str

Rick Hess Interviews Betsy DeVos As She Heads for the Exit | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Rick Hess Interviews Betsy DeVos As She Heads for the Exit Rick Hess conducts an “exit interview” with Betsy DeVos, which was published at Education Week. Rick is a fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, which is funded in part by DeVos. DeVos came to Washington to destroy public education, and she failed. She bitterly dismisses the “entrenched interests” and bureaucrats who f

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

by Mike Simpson / 1d

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- My Most Popular Tweets Of The Month by Larry Ferlazzo / 4h PhotoMIX-Company / Pixabay I us

St. Louis Public Education Theft Accelerates | tultican

by Mike Simpson / 2d

St. Louis Public Education Theft Accelerates By Thomas Ultican 12/30/2020 A proposal to close 11 more public schools in St. Louis came before the school board on December 15. Based on Superintendent Kelvin Adams’ recommendation the final decision was postponed until January. It is not clear why Adams pulled back his own recommendation, but it is clear that public education in St. Louis is being

THE MOST READ DAD GONE WILD PIECE FROM 2020 – Dad Gone Wild

by Mike Simpson / 2d

THE MOST READ DAD GONE WILD PIECE FROM 2020 As we approach the end of a tumultuous year, things are starting to kick forth in the education world. Yesterday, Governor Lee announce a special session of the General Assembly to focus on education issues. The five areas to be considered are teacher salaries, accountability, BEP, learning loss, and literacy. I’ll dive deeper into the special session,

New York State is currently a rising COVID outlier in the United States | JD2718

by Mike Simpson / 2d

New York State is currently a rising COVID outlier in the United States COVID-19 case rates rose across the country this fall. And, in most cases, those rates peaked. In some states the peak was in mid-November. In others it was late November In others it was early December. In others it was mid-December. But in New York State the case rate continues to rise. Right before Thanksgiving Andrew Cuo

DEC 30 2020

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVIDVACCINE #BIDEN #edsecMiguelCardona

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Are schools safe? A growing body of evidence suggests that, with the right measures, they contribute little to virus spread. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/school-coronavirus-spread/2020/12/29/bbfac9d8-3697-11eb-a997-1f4c53d2a747_story.html?tid=ss_tw Joe Louis Clark, Beloved High School Principal Portrayed by Morgan Free

NANCY BAILEY: Amplify and iReady Claim Kindergarten and First Grade “Reading Loss” to Profit From the Pandemic

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Amplify and iReady Claim Kindergarten and First Grade “Reading Loss” to Profit From the Pandemic Amplify and iReady Claim Kindergarten and First Grade “Reading Loss” to Profit From the Pandemic Are kindergartners falling behind in reading due to the pandemic? Amplify and iReady want us to think so. But kindergarten teachers should not be forcing children to learn to read during the pandemic. They

Newsom pushes California school reopening plan that could begin in February

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Newsom pushes California school reopening plan that could begin in February SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $2 billion push Wednesday to reopen California elementary schools for the youngest students in February, offering incentives and testing to school districts that resume classroom instruction. Most of California's 6 million public school students have been learning remotely since

NYC Public School Parents: Letter to NY State Commissioner: please allow Hasidic youths to have a chance at a better education

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Letter to NY State Commissioner: please allow Hasidic youths to have a chance at a better education This moving letter, reprinted with the permission of its author who asked for his name to be removed, was sent to NY Commissioner of Education Betty Rosa and top NYSED officials. It was sent shortly after he had participated in a online group discussion of volunteers, solicited to give feedback on

Teachers and students face COVID winter break challenges - Los Angeles Times

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Facing a spike in Fs, winter break isn’t a vacation for many teachers and students During her winter break, English teacher Keara Williams has hit the phone, making call after call determinedly trying to make contact with her students and their parents. She needs to reach 28 students, including 11 seniors, who received an “incomplete” grade at the end of the fall semester. She tells them they wi

Trump Executive Order on Private School Vouchers Denounced as 'Last-Ditch Effort to Claim Victory' in War on Public Education | Common Dreams News

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Trump Executive Order on Private School Vouchers Denounced as 'Last-Ditch Effort to Claim Victory' in War on Public Education "Trump fought against funding for public education for months, then does this as he begrudgingly signs [the] Covid relief bill." Public education champions are denouncing President Donald Trump's new executive order that enables states to use funds from a federal block gr

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- Here’s Info On “Public Domain Day” by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h geralt / Pixabay This is from Du

Bill Lee’s Not So Special Session – Tennessee Education Report

by Mike Simpson / 3d

BILL LEE’S NOT SO SPECIAL SESSION S o, Gov. Bill Lee has decided to call a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly to address education issues he’s largely ignored during his time as governor. While Lee has eagerly pursued a privatization agenda , he’s left teachers and public schools behind. Now, he wants to make it seem like he’s doing something. This is, after all, the same Governor

Steve Nelson: Farewell to the Worst Secretary of Education Ever! | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Farewell to the Worst Secretary of Education Ever! Steve Nelson was head of school at the Calhoun School. He is now in retirement. He writes frequently about the need for child-centered education. “RESIST!” Bernie Sanders? AOC? Malcom X? Saul Alinsky? No, this was Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s plea to Education Department staffers as she ends her term in office. As reported in The Hill, she

Teacher Tom: They Say There are No Stupid Questions. I Beg to Differ.

by Mike Simpson / 3d

They Say There are No Stupid Questions. I Beg to Differ. They say there's no such thing as a stupid question, but I beg to differ. We hear stupid questions almost every time adults and young children are together. For instance, a child is painting at an easel, exploring color, shape, and motion, experimenting with brushes, paper, and paint. There is an adult watching over her shoulder who points

Robert D. Skeels: Outgoing Administration Admits Charters are not Public Schools

by Mike Simpson / 3d

solidaridad: Outgoing Administration Admits Charters are not Public Schools Outgoing Administration Admits Charters are not Public Schools The latest executive order by troglodyte Trump tacitly admits that charter schools are *NOT* public schools. We all knew that, but it's nice when the vile privatizers tell on themselves. * While it is good to see DeVos and Trump on the way out, there's little

Trump’s School Choice Executive Order: A Big Nothing | deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's Blog

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Trump’s School Choice Executive Order: A Big Nothing On December 28, 2020, President Donald Trump issued this executive order to purportedly allow federal Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funds to be used to finance “emergency learning scholarships” (school vouchers) “to disadvantaged families for use by any child without access to in-person learning” This executive order will go nowhere. F

CURMUDGUCATION: Schools And Social Capital

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Schools And Social Capital I'm in the middle of reading Robert Putnam's new book ( The Upswin g ) which has gotten me to thinking about his previous work, Our Kids . What has struck me in particular about the latter is his writing about social capital and the children of this country. The definition of social capital is, in general, a little fuzzy. Putnam's, as put forth in Bowling Alone, anothe

Parents of Disabled Students: Do NOT Grant College Board Unlimited Access to Your Child’s Sensitive Information | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy

by Mike Simpson / 3d

PARENTS OF DISABLED STUDENTS: DO NOT GRANT COLLEGE BOARD UNLIMITED ACCESS TO YOUR CHILD’S SENSITIVE INFORMATION We recently received a query from a Chicago parent whose child has a disability, and was seeking an accommodation when taking a College Board test. Her child’s high school asked her to sign a SSD Accommodation Consent form allowing her school to disclose her child’s disability records,

glen brown: When Children Return to School by Teresa Thayer Snyder

by Mike Simpson / 3d

When Children Return to School by Teresa Thayer Snyder Dear Friends and Colleagues: I am writing today about the children of this pandemic. After a lifetime of working among the young, I feel compelled to address the concerns that are being expressed by so many of my peers about the deficits the children will demonstrate when they finally return to school. My goodness, what a disconcerting thing

DEC 29 2020

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVIDVACCINE #BIDEN #edsecMiguelCardona

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Schools Face A Massive Challenge To Make Up For Learning Lost During The Pandemic https://www.scpr.org/news/2020/12/28/95901/schools-face-a-massive-challenge-to-make-up-for-le/ via @kpcc The Night Before Wounded Knee https://billmoyers.com/story/the-night-before-wounded-knee/ Student Debt Pushes to the Front of Biden’s Agenda https://bi

The Most Important Education Articles (By Me) That You Probably Missed in 2020 | gadflyonthewallblog

by Mike Simpson / 3d

The Most Important Education Articles (By Me) That You Probably Missed in 2020 There were so many explosive stories in 2020. From the never ending antics of our clown President to the Coronavirus to the continuing rise of White Supremacy, it seemed you couldn’t go more than a few days without some ridiculous headline assaulting your senses. As a result, there were a lot of worthy, important arti

Stop Trashing Joe Biden’s Cabinet Picks | Teacher in a strange land

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Stop Trashing Joe Biden’s Cabinet Picks Especially his choice for Secretary of Education—but lay off the nit-picky nastiness around the others, too. Yes, YOU might have chosen others. Your favorite candidate may have been left behind. But much of Cabinet-choosing is inside baseball, beyond the ken of Joe Citizen. Stop bellyaching. Biden’s selections all seem pretty experienced, professional and

Pandemic Relief and the Georgia Elections by Ben Jealous | NewBlackMan (in Exile)

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Pandemic Relief and the Georgia Elections by Ben Jealous by Ben Jealous | @BenJealous | special to NewBlackMan (in Exile) Fair warning: this isn’t a traditional Christmas-week column. If we think of clarity as a kind of gift, though, we can be grateful that the effort to pass a much-needed COVID-19 relief bill in the waning days of this Congress makes one thing crystal clear: hurting families an

AND NOW FOR THE SECOND MOST READ PIECE OF THE YEAR… – Dad Gone Wild

by Mike Simpson / 3d

AND NOW FOR THE SECOND MOST READ PIECE OF THE YEAR… The second most-read article of 2020 comes from September and focuses on the Schwinigans at the Tennessee Department of Education. The Department has been a constant source of bad practices and ineptitude since Ms. Schwinn arrived from Texas, where he ran herd over a number of controversies, just like in Delaware, and California. Remember those

Whatever Happened To the Edison Schools? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Whatever Happened To the Edison Schools? Beginning in the 1980s, researchers, policymakers, and business leaders identified what they called “good” or “effective” schools where mostly minority and poor children attended.. These “good” schools scored high on standardized tests, graduated high percentages of their students, with most getting admitted to college. These policymakers and school leade

NYC Educator: Teacher Evaluation Will Show Whether Biden Is Friend or Foe

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Teacher Evaluation Will Show Whether Biden Is Friend or Foe For a while, I was wondering why we would even bother negotiating an observation system with the city. I mean, here we are, all of us, doing a job none of us had trained for or even conceived. How can our supervisors come in and determine exactly how much we suck at these jobs? For one thing, they've never attempted them themselves. I m

Audio: A Quiet And 'Unsettling' Pandemic Toll: Students Who've Fallen Off The Grid | 89.3 KPCC

by Mike Simpson / 3d

A Quiet And 'Unsettling' Pandemic Toll: Students Who've Fallen Off The Grid For American families and their children, school is more than just a building. It's a social life and a community, an athletic center and a place to get meals that aren't available at home. The pandemic has disrupted — and continues to disrupt — the lives of U.S. students in profound ways. Many kids haven't set foot in t

What Joe Biden Said About Charter Schools During the Campaign | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 3d

What Joe Biden Said About Charter Schools During the Campaign Joe Biden was very clear about his position on privately managed charter schools during the campaign. In this video, he was asked by Lily Eskelsen Garcia what he would do about charter schools, and his position was clear: Charter schools should not be funded at the expense of public schools. No federal funds for privately funded chart

Teacher Tom: I Know the Secret to Making Your Dreams Come True

by Mike Simpson / 3d

I Know the Secret to Making Your Dreams Come True I know the secret to making your dreams come true. In an essay written for New Philosopher magazine (content not available online), Oliver Burkman discusses what's called Littlewood's Law, named for a British mathematician by the name of John Edensor Littlewood: Let's suppose . . . that you're awake and active in the world -- as opposed to sleepi

Trump Issues Order for Back-Door Vouchers | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Trump Issues Order for Back-Door Vouchers Someone wrote an executive order, dated December 28, and signed Donald Trump’s name to it, declaring that the emergency conditions created by the COVID make it vital to use federal funds for vouchers. Don’t waste a minute! Scoop up federal funds and put your child in a substandard voucher school! We know that Trump didn’t write the executive order becaus

Please give so we can continue our work for smaller classes & student privacy in 2021 | Class Size Matters

by Mike Simpson / 3d

| A clearinghouse for information on class size & the proven benefits of smaller classes Please give so we can continue our work for smaller classes & student privacy in 2021 Dear Friends — 2020 was a difficult year for Class Size Matters as it was for many non-profits. If you support our mission of smaller classes, so that all students no matter what their background can receive the help and fe

CURMUDGUCATION: Trump Issues School Vouchers Via Executive Order

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Trump Issues School Vouchers Via Executive Order Today the White House (if Donald Trump wrote this thing, then I'm the Queen of Rumania) issued an executive order "expanding educational opportunity school choice" to create "Emergency Learning Scholarships for Students." It instructs the Secretary of Health and Human Services ( that would be Alex Azar ) to use funds from the Community Services Bl

Education Research Report TODAY

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Education Research Report Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK Education Research Report - https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/12/this-week-education-research-report_26.html Head Start generated large increases in adult human capital and economic self-sufficiency by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 1d This paper evaluates the long-run effects of Head Start using large-scale, restricted 2000-2018 Census-ACS d

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_26.html Video: “Eating Breakfast To Go Around The World” by Larry Ferlazzo / 13h

DGW’s THIRD MOST READ ARTICLE OF THE YEAR – Dad Gone Wild

by Mike Simpson / 4d

DGW’s THIRD MOST READ ARTICLE OF THE YEAR As we close out a year that has rocked so many lives, in so many ways, I’d like to spend the last days of the year reprinting the three most widely read pieces from the last year. One a day. Sometimes looking back provides context and opens our our eyes to perceiving the events of today through a fresh lens. The number 3 most read column comes from May a

glen brown: Of course, teachers are considering quitting because of the pandemic

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Of course, teachers are considering quitting because of the pandemic "The coronavirus pandemic has put significant pressure on America’s teachers. Some have been asked to weigh risks to their personal health and teach in person . Some have been asked to teach from behind computer screens and perfect distance learning . Many have been asked to do both . These pressures are taking a toll on teache

NYC Public School Parents: Please give so we can continue our work for education equity, smaller classes & student privacy in 2021

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Please give so we can continue our work for education equity, smaller classes & student privacy in 2021 And a recap of a difficult, extraordinary year... Dear friend --- 2020 was a difficult year for Class Size Matters as it was for many non-profits. If you support our mission of smaller classes, so that all students no matter what their background can receive the help and feedback from teachers

A counting problem, and a real problem with counting | JD2718

by Mike Simpson / 4d

A counting problem, and a real problem with counting How many ways can we give eleven identical candies to four children? it is obviously possible (necessary) for some to get more than others, and there is not even a guarantee that each child gets something. That’s equivalent to asking how many solutions there are to: (including 0 in the natural numbers). Now, you could give all eleven to the ol

DEC 28 2020

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVIDVACCINE #BIDEN #edsecMiguelCardona

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Martin Henry Freeman, First Black College President in the US, Honored With Sculpture in Vermont https://www.theroot.com/martin-henry-freeman-first-black-college-president-in-1845953447?utm_medium=sharefromsite&utm_source=theroot_twitter via @TheRoot Connecticut: A Teacher Remembers Cardona | Diane Ravitch's blog - https://wp.me/p2odLa-

Collective Work and Responsibility–7 Gifts For Wellness On The Third Night Of Kwanzaa

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Collective Work and Responsibility–7 Gifts For Wellness On The Third Night Of Kwanzaa Ujima, the celebration of the third night of Kwanzaa, we look towards how we can incorporate collective work and responsibility into our lives. It is imperative that we continue to take care of ourselves and others as this year comes to a close and find a way to do it as an individual and as a group. Wellness c

CURMUDGUCATION: Democrats Need A New Theory Of Action

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Democrats Need A New Theory Of Action For four years, Democrats have had a fairly simple theory of action when it came to education. Something along the lines of "Good lord, a crazy lady just came into our china shop riding a bull, waving around a flamethrower, and dragging a shark with a head-mounted laser beam; we have to stop her from destroying the place (while pretending that we have a bull

The Cons of Learning Pods - The New York Times

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Learning Pods Show Their Cracks It turns out that organizing and operating an independent one-room schoolhouse from your backyard is … a lot of work . This past summer, Emily Brady thought she had solved the puzzle of remote learning. Rather than send her 5-year-old to virtual kindergarten, she would set up a Spanish immersion forest school for a few children, hire a teacher and run the idyllic

Connecticut: A Teacher Remembers Cardona | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Connecticut: A Teacher Remembers Cardona A music teacher in Meriden, Connecticut, wrote this comment about Miguel Cardona on Facebook. The teacher is a BAT. Jake Jacobs, executive director of the BATS, circulated this post. I can tell you this much–he was my principal and evaluator for one year, during a low point in my career. Of the nine principals (and couple dozen assistants) I have worked u

Miguel Cardona Accepts Biden Nomination | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Miguel Cardona Accepts Biden Nomination On December 23, Connecticut Commissioner of Education Miguel Cardona spoke, accepting President-Elect Joe Biden’s nomination to serve as Secretary of Education: He said: Mr. President-elect, Madam Vice President-elect — thank you for this opportunity to serve. I know just how challenging this year has been for students, for educators, and for parents. I’ve

Here’s How Much Your School District Will Receive From The New Stimulus Package | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

by Mike Simpson / 5d

HERE’S HOW MUCH YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL RECEIVE FROM THE NEW STIMULUS PACKAGE You may be wondering how much your district will be receiving from the $900 billion stimulus package that was finally signed by President Trump yesterday. In very rough and general terms, it will be $1,000 per student. However, if you want to get a more specific amount – again, such a slightly less rough total, accor

Teacher Tom: Life Itself

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Life Itself They tell us that our schools will fully re-open sometime during the coming year. This is good news for some of the kids and bad for others. For most, it will be a mixed bag. Most will be thrilled to be back again amongst their peers, to play together, to touch one another, to wrestle and pretend and bicker and create together. Likewise, most, in the strange, unexpected freedom the p

Learning Pods: Quite the Lesson for Adults | deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's Blog

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Learning Pods: Quite the Lesson for Adults As the time approached for the 2020-21 school year to begin, I remember reading about parents of means turning to “learning pods” as an option for creating a sort of one-room schoolhouse experience for a small group of children. Also referred to as “pandemic pods,” the idea is to provide a means for social interaction and face-to-face instruction to sup

Who is Miguel Cardona? [Why was he nominated for Secretary of Education?] | Ed In The Apple

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Who is Miguel Cardona? [Why was he nominated for Secretary of Education?] For sports fans a highly anticipated event is the draft: the commissioner walks to the podium and announces, “In the 2020 draft the Biden Team selects, [hesitates] Miguel Cardona” – who? For weeks speculation circulated among the self-styled educational intelligentsia, would Biden nominate Linda Darling-Hammond, the leader

DEC 27 2020

CATCH UP WITH CURMUDGUCATION + ICYMI: Christmas Recovery Edition (12/27)

by Mike Simpson / 5d

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Christmas Recovery Edition (12/27) Christmas Recovery Edition We're getting there, and by "there" I mean into whatever future we're about to build in the new year. In the meantime, here's this week's reading list. The Attack on Dr. Jill Biden Is Cloaked Hatred of Teachers and Public Ed While folks have been compiling lists if bad Wall Street Journal takes in 2020, the Epste

Why Joe Biden's stutter is a gift to America | Salon.com

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Why Joe Biden's stutter is a gift to America A president who thinks before he talks? Bring it on In the clip, Donald Trump is standing before a throng of his worshippers, musing about character and how it is shaped by circumstances. "Can you imagine if that happened to me?" he asks, throwing out a hypothetical. "Man, would I be a bad guy . I would be the meanest man in history ." It is February

Wendy Lecker: Two Books That Demonstrate Why Public Education Matters | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Wendy Lecker: Two Books That Demonstrate Why Public Education Matters Wendy Lecker is a civil rights attorney who writes frequently for the Stamford Advocate. In this column, she reviews two important books: One shows how deeply embedded public schools are in our democratic ideology, the other describes that coordinated assault on the very concept of public schooling. The first is low professor

Outrunning the Pandemic – Racing Through Gadfly’s Top 10 Stories of 2020 | gadflyonthewallblog

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Racing Through Gadfly’s Top 10 Stories of 2020 On most weekends back in the 1980s, you’d probably find me at TILT, the mall’s crowded video game arcade. When I was about 12 – around ’86 or so – one of my favorite games was “Outrun” by Sega. Ever play it? In a cherry red Ferrari convertible with the wind blowing through my virtual hair, I’d race through various summer style environments from beac

Peter Greene: Phooey to Resuming the Big Standardized Tests | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Peter Greene: Phooey to Resuming the Big Standardized Tests The “reform” lobby, never content without testing and data, has argued in a host of opinion pieces that children really need to be tested this spring. The reformers believe that school is unthinkable and teachers won’t know what to do without annual standardized testing. They have completely imbibed the Texas Miracle That Wasn’t, the “m

My Goals For 2021 | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

by Mike Simpson / 6d

MY GOALS FOR 2021 Yesterday, I shared Eight Teaching Concerns I Have Going Into 2021 . I thought it would be a good reflective exercise for me to follow that post with one sharing my goals for the next year, and thought that at least a few readers might find them interesting. 1. Of course, one major goal is that the eight concerns I listed yesterday get prevented, or at least are substantially a

DEC 26 2020

TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 12/26/20 #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #TOPBANANAHEADLINES #edsec

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Big Education Ape TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 12/26/20 ‘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

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