Minnesota: The Money Behind the Effort to Rewrite the State Constitution’s Education Clause | Diane Ravitch's blogMinnesota: The Money Behind the Effort to Rewrite the State Constitution’s Education Clause In late April, I posted an article by Minnesota blogger and public school advocate Rob Levine about a sneaky effort by elites in the state to rewrite the state constitutional clause on education to protect and encourage segregated charter schools. This new post digs deeper into the machinations and motiva
The K-12 Culture Wars – Have You HeardThe K-12 Culture Wars The public school culture wars are raging more intensely than at any time since the Reagan era. Fueled by intense political polarization and the continued fallout from pandemic school closures, the culture wars now threaten public education. Special guests: New Hampshire teacher Misty Crompton, Iowa teacher Nick Covington, Missouri teacher Jessica Piper and New York City te
CURMUDGUCATION: 19 Rules for Life (2021 Edition)19 Rules for Life (2021 Edition) I first posted this list when I turned 60, and have made it an annual tradition to get it out on my birthday and re-examine it, edit it, and remind myself why I thought such things in the first place. I will keep my original observation-- that this list does not represent any particular signs of wisdom on my part, because I discovered these rules much in the same
Preschool through Third Grade (P-3) Alignment - Grade Spans (CA Dept of Education)Preschool through Third Grade (P-3) Alignment CDE seeks to elevate the role of high-quality, inclusive and multilingual preschool, strong early intervention services, and P-3 alignment in ensuring the future of California’s children . The California Department of Education (CDE) is committed to interrupting and counteracting inequities, racism, and bias and also closing opportunity gaps to ensur
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Broadview-Thomson K-8 School Encampment: Hubris and Inaction May Mean TroubleBroadview-Thomson K-8 School Encampment: Hubris and Inaction May Mean Trouble Editor’s note: I apologize for the wonkiness of the look of this story. In the time I stepped away from blogging, I think Blogger changed some formatting and I’m struggling to understand it. As most of you know, the district reopened schools and three schools had homeless encampments on or nearby their campuses. The di
FL Dept of Ed Commissioner said he fired a teacher for #BlackLivesMatter #CRT #ISUPPORTAMY | Cloaking InequityFL DEPT OF ED COMMISSIONER SAID HE FIRED A TEACHER FOR #BLACKLIVESMATTER #CRT #ISUPPORTAMY You should know this is happening: Richard Corcoran, the Florida Dept of Education Commissioner , said he fired a teacher for #BlackLivesMatter Here is what the Florida Times-Union said about the situation A Duval County teacher who hung a Black Lives Matter flag in her classroom says she heard she was fir
A Memo from the Superintendent | The Merrow ReportA Memo from the Superintendent To: Our teachers and other educators From: Your Superintendent May 18, 2021 As a lifelong public educator, I pride myself for having learned from the greatest educators in the history of civilization: John Dewey, Maria Montessori, Aristotle, Jean Piaget, Plato, and Sam Hinkie . For this particular testing season, I suggest that we rely on the wisdom of Sam Hinkie.
Activists Mobilize for Waivers and Opt Outs as Biden Mandates Tests - Rethinking SchoolsActivists Mobilize for Waivers and Opt Outs as Biden Mandates Tests O ne month after taking office, the Biden administration faced its first major education policy test. It failed miserably. Despite a campaign promise to end standardized testing in public schools ( See “Biden’s Broken Promise: Time to Opt Out!” by Denisha Jones ), on Feb. 22 administration officials declared it would not grant “
“Chasing Childhood” Explores Crucial Life Skills Learned in Free Play“Chasing Childhood” Explores Crucial Life Skills Learned in Free Play CHASING CHILDHOOD Chasing Childhood is a feature documentary exploring the unintended consequences of overparenting. What if all this well-intended hovering, fear and over-scheduling has backfired? The film takes us to three communities that are trying to shift culture to create room for play and independence with the hope of
THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Wednesday, May 19, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #edchat #K12 #learning #edleadership #edtech #engchat #literacy #edreform #TEACHTRUTHBig Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Helping students cope with the pandemic - https://www.koat.com/article/helping-students-cope-with-the-pandemic/36459023# on @koat7news Six in 10 Parents Plan to Vaccinate All of Their Children and Large Majority of Parents Would Feel Safer Sending Kids to School if Most Other Children Were Vaccinated - https://www.prnewswire.com/news-re
A parent’s plea – Educate LouisianaA parent’s plea. – Educate Louisiana A Parent’s Plea When I first decided to advocate for education policy, it was my hope that I could educate the public (parents, teachers, students, etc.) about education policy, and how it affects them. There has been instances when my writings drilled down to specific school districts, but I have always tried to address issues by providing specific statutes a
NewBlackMan (in Exile) TODAY #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTERNewBlackMan (in Exile) NewBlackMan (in Exile) TODAY Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/05/this-week-with-newblackman-in-exile-blm_15.html What Is Activism? Carl Hancock Rux Talks With Lara Downes by Mark Anthony Neal / 14h 'The poet and playwright Carl Hancock Rux wrestles with the idea of being an activist in America today in its v
A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 #tBATsLarry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/05/this-week-in-education-larry-f
Teacher Tom: We Will Win When We LoveWe Will Win When We Love Psychologist Carl Jung wrote, "Where love rules there is not a will to power; and where power predominates, there love is lacking." This, I think, is an important thing upon which modern educators in general, and early childhood educators in particular, could stand to meditate. I strive to place love at the center of my practice, as I know is true of most of my colleague
Jeff Bryant: The Story of a School That Beat Back a State Takeover and Thrived | Diane Ravitch's blogJeff Bryant: The Story of a School That Beat Back a State Takeover and Thrived Jeff Bryant reports here on the inspiring example of a so-called “failing school” in North Carolina that not only succeeded in blocking a state takeover, but then heightened community collaboration to turn the school into a community school. North Carolina passed a state takeover plan based on Tennessee’s failed Achie
What Does Educational Equity Mean? | janresseger #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTERWhat Does Educational Equity Mean? | janresseger What Does Educational Equity Mean? Monday, May 17, 2021, marked the 67th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education , which banned racially segregated schools and unequal access to education. Over more than two decades, NAACP attorneys Charles Hamilton Houston and Thurgood Marshall built up a series of court prece
Malcolm X (May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) – radical eyes for equityMalcolm X (May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) Malcolm X (May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) – radical eyes for equity
Dartmouth Blindsides Med Students with Shaky Cheating *Evidence* | deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's BlogDartmouth Blindsides Med Students with Shaky Cheating *Evidence* One of my concerns in teaching senior English is that students will cheat on major assignments. The increasing usage of online technology in my classroom has done little to quell this concern. In my case, I had reason to suspect that an adult completed an online test for one of my students, who then possibly shared those results wi
A Scholarly Masterpiece: William Frantz Public School | tulticanA Scholarly Masterpiece: William Frantz Public School By Thomas Ultican 4/18/2021 My wonderful friend from New Orleans, Mercedes Schneider, said of this meticulously researched book, “Intense, captivating, and horrible in its reality, William Frantz Public School is a story overdue for the telling – a must read for those seeking to understand New Orleans’ history and the lingering impact of Whit
Education Matters: Greene and the district don't deny Corcoran had teacher removed from the classroomGreene and the district don't deny Corcoran had teacher removed from the classroom Where not a lawyer, it seems to me Amy Donofrio is going to own the district as she sues it into oblivion. Corcoran tells the Times Union he had Greene remove her from the classroom. While the district sticks with her, she is under investigation (for what) story. I spoke with a school board member on Sunday, and t
