Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, January 23, 2021

TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 1/23/21 #REDFORED #tbats #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDVACCINE #TOPBANANAHEADLINES #INSURRECTION

 Big Education Ape


TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 1/23/21




TOP POSTS THIS MONTH 1/23/21





POSTS THIS WEEK 1/23/21




Big Education Ape: To Sleep, Perchance To Sue... | Blue Cereal Education - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/to-sleep-perchance-to-sue-blue-cereal.html


Big Education Ape: Cartoons on the “New Normal” | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/cartoons-on-new-normal-larry-cuban-on.html


Big Education Ape: Eight Reasons to Ditch the National Anthem–from a Music Teacher | Teacher in a strange land - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/eight-reasons-to-ditch-national.html


Big Education Ape: The week in coveducation: Stitt continues push for in-person learning - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-week-in-coveducation-stitt.html


Big Education Ape: 7 changes to expect from Biden’s Department of Education led by Miguel Cardona - Education Votes - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/7-changes-to-expect-from-bidens.html




Big Education Ape: Linda Darling-Hammond and Ted Mitchell on President Biden’s plans for education | EdSource - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/linda-darling-hammond-and-ted-mitchell.html


A Wonderful Typo! We Need Common CARE Standards! | Diane Ravitch's blog
A Wonderful Typo! We Need Common CARE Standards! Recently Tom Ultican responded to something I posted on Twitter. His response contained a typo. He meant to write “Common Core Standards,” but mistakenly wrote “Common Care Standards.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our schools had “Common Care Standards,” in which we acknowledged our responsibility to care about students? The standards might read li
Marie Corfield: Implosion! New Jersey's Fitting Trump Sendoff
Implosion! New Jersey's Fitting Trump Sendoff New Jersey's largest newspaper, The Star Ledger , is reporting that Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, is set for implosion on February 17th. After that date, all four of Trump's AC casinos—Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza, Trump World's Fair and Trump Marina—will officially be no more. Trump Plaza one month before it closed. So classy. (Photo | Dan McQuade)
CURMUDGUCATION: FL: Voucher and Privatization Endgame in Sight
FL: Voucher and Privatization Endgame in Sight Florida's legislature is at it again, joining in a national trend of using the pandemic crisis to fuel school voucher initiatives. Manny Diaz, Jr., (R-Hialeah) has spent his career chip chip chipping away at public education in Florida, and yesterday he returned with another bold idea. Florida has allowed choice programs to grow like an unweeded gar
THE LESSON IS, ELECTIONS MATTER – Dad Gone Wild
THE LESSON IS, ELECTIONS MATTER “Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree and no one shall make them afraid.” – Amanda Gorman Elections have consequences – it’s a phrase most of us are familiar with. Currently, it’s a trope on full display in Tennessee where legislators have passed major bills on education and healthcare in the first few weeks of t
National Town Hall on Suspending High Stakes Student Testing | Cloaking Inequity
NATIONAL TOWN HALL ON SUSPENDING HIGH STAKES STUDENT TESTING Register now – National Town Hall on Suspending High Stakes Student Testing on 1/26 at 6 p.m. EST w/ Congressman Jamaal Bowman , Dean Julian Vasquez Heilig , Professor Jack Schneider and many more. MC’d by Bob Schaeffer of FairTest and @ilana4regent – register for free here . See all of Cloaking Inequity posts about high-stakes testing
NYC Public School Parents: Why the DOE should cancel the unfair, unreliable and invalid "gifted" test now and forever & podcast on need to cancel all high-stakes testing this year
Why the DOE should cancel the unfair, unreliable and invalid "gifted" test now and forever & podcast on need to cancel all high-stakes testing this year Please read my piece published today at Gotham Gazette . It explains why the DOE should cancel the "gifted" tests immediately; now and forever. It makes no sense to continue this invalid, unreliable and biased exam, especially in the midst of a
Schools Matter: Gov. Bill Lee to Sacrifice Third Graders to Help Him in 2024
Gov. Bill Lee to Sacrifice Third Graders to Help Him in 2024 Prior to this week, the last time a Tennessee governor brought the General Assembly into Special Session to pass education legislation was January 2010, and it was all about getting more federal money to pay for the schools that state politicians are unwilling to support. Responding to call by Gov. Phil Bredesen (D), the TN legislature
THIS WEEK'S WILDNESS Dad Gone Wild Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it. + TENNESSEE EDUCATION REPORT
TENNESSEE EDUCATION REPORT EDUCATION POLITICS AND POLICY IN THE VOLUNTEER STATE TENNESSEE EDUCATION REPORT I Don’t Even Have a Headline 1K by Andy Spears / 1d So, the General Assembly has passed a bill creating essentially mandatory retention for third grade students who fail to meet certain benchmarks on TNReady tests. Here’s the key text from HB 7004 , that passed overwhelmingly in both chamber
TEACHER TOM THIS WEEK IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Teacher Tom This is the Story of Our Lives 1d What If Children Aren't Idiots Who Must Be Taught to Think 2K 2d Ideas for What to Say Instead of "Be Careful" 1K 3d Making Life Matter 100+ 4d Chaos or Community? 200+ 5d The Magnificence of Humans 95 8d Teacher Tom
SSPI TONY THURMOND: STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
California Department of Education SSPI TONY THURMOND STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION COVID-19: USDA Child Nutrition Response #71 14h Nationwide Waiver of Food Service Management Contract Duration in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) – Extension. 75 Cent Rate Increase Payment Information 14h Pursuant to the 2020 Budget Act,
THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER
NewBlackMan (in Exile) THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) “I Wonder When I Die Will He Give Me Receipts?”: A Review of Marcus J. Moore’s 'The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America' by Mark Anthony Neal / 1d “I Wonder When I Die Will He Give Me Receipts?”: A Review of Marcus J. Moore’s The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America by
THIS WEEK Education Research Report
Education Research Report A Misguided Guide for Implementing Innovation Schools by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 2d The Progressive Policy Institute recently published a “how-to” guide for entities such as charter management companies that seek to develop innovation schools in urban communities. Carrie Sampson of Arizona State University and Sarah Diem of the University of Missouri reviewed The Third Wa
THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007
Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Video: “Accent Expert Gives a Tour of U.S. Accents” by Larry Ferlazzo / now ZIPNON / Pixabay I’m adding this new video from Wired to The Best “Language Maps” : YESTERDAY Saturday’s Must-Read Articles On School Reopenings by Larry Ferlazzo / 10h llorcraft / Pixabay Here are new additions to THE BEST PO

YESTERDAY

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Friday, January 22, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDVACCINE #BEGINAGAINBETTER #PRESIDENTBIDEN #VPHARRIS #46
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Advocates call on state to improve response to vulnerable students - https://wp.me/paQK0g-3Sbl via @CTMirror The Unfinished Business of Flint’s Water Crisis — ProPublica - https://www.propublica.org/article/the-unfinished-business-of-flints-water-crisis#1047062 via @propublica Here’s What Students Think Biden Needs to Do in His First 10
First lady thanks educators through virtual event | Coronavirus | kulr8 com
First lady thanks educators through virtual event | Coronavirus | kulr8.com First lady thanks educators through virtual event WASHINGTON, D.C. - Teachers may feel like they have a partner in the White House with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden who held an educator's virtual event as her first event as first lady. Joined by National Education Association President Becky Pringle and American Federation o
Getting School Finance Indicators Right – School Finance 101
Getting School Finance Indicators Right Our data and reports can be found at: http://schoolfinancedata.org/ A few years back, Mark Weber and I decided (for a variety of reasons) that we needed to regain control over our school finance indicators work. We needed to find competent collaborators who would support our desire to continuously improve the quality and integrity of the indicators and our
That didn’t take long: Biden removes Trump’s ’1776 report’ on U.S. history from White House website - The Washington Post
That didn’t take long: Biden removes Trump’s ‘1776 Report’ on U.S. history from White House website Well, that didn’t take long: A report on U.S. history published by the Trump administration on Monday was removed from the White House website by President Biden a few days later — and he disbanded the new commission that wrote it. “The 1776 Report” was released on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and i
I Don’t Even Have a Headline – Tennessee Education Report
I DON’T EVEN HAVE A HEADLINE S o, the General Assembly has passed a bill creating essentially creating mandatory retention for third grade students who fail to meet certain benchmarks on TNReady tests. Here’s the key text from HB 7004 , that passed overwhelmingly in both chambers: (1) Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, a student in the third grade shall not be promoted to the next grade l
Teacher Tom: This is the Story of Our Lives
This is the Story of Our Lives When I was a boy, my parents tell me, I was obsessed with the family lawn mower, becoming excited whenever dad rolled up his shirtsleeves to tackle the grass. One day, from the backseat of the car, we heard the put-put-put of an unmuffled VW Beetle and I, according to family legend, began to shout excitedly, "Mower! Mower!" This is the story of how our family came
Letter from a Connecticut Teacher to Dr. Cardona: Stop the Spring Tests! | Diane Ravitch's blog
Letter from a Connecticut Teacher to Dr. Cardona: Stop the Spring Tests! Ann Cronin, retired teacher in Connecticut, posted a letter on her blog written by another Connecticut teacher and addressed to Secretary of Education-Designate Miguel Cardona: Jeannette C. Faber writes to tell Dr. Cardona that it is time to end standardized testing, now! Dear Commissioner Cardona: Connecticut is proud that
U.S. Department of Education Announces Biden-Harris Appointees | U.S. Department of Education
U.S. Department of Education Announces Biden-Harris Appointees Contact: Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced senior political appointees who will lead various parts of the agency. These diverse and accomplished individuals will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the agency and work to quickly advance key education pri
Rick Ayers: Never Again Trump? We Had Better Attend to Our Schools | by Rick Ayers | Jan, 2021 | Medium
Never Again Trump? We Had Better Attend to Our Schools | by Rick Ayers | Jan, 2021 | Medium Never Again Trump? We Had Better Attend to Our Schools Now that 45 is gone, or gone-ish, I have been seeing a lot of think pieces about the US social failures that led to the rise of this fascist movement. One critique that comes up often is that our schools have failed, that we have allowed too many milli
NYC Educator: The Mysterious Case of the Missing Students
The Mysterious Case of the Missing Students I was pretty surprised to see a piece about how 2,000 students have not connected at all in NYC. What surprised me most, though, was how low the number turned out to be. To be fair, one of those students happens to be mine. His parents were worried about the virus and sent him back to China. He never bothered to sign out, but was eventually dropped fro
A Spiritual Plea to the Biden Administration: “Every Child Needs a Great School” | January | 2021 | Newsroom | Teachers College, Columbia University
A Spiritual Plea to the Biden Administration: “Every Child Needs a Great School” Growing up in Jesuit schools, José Luis Vilson was instructed to write the letters AMDG, signifying ad majorem Dei gloriam (“for the greater glory of God”) atop all his papers. In a recent opinion piece in National Catholic Reporter , Vilson, a mathematics teacher and Ph.D. student in Teachers College’s program in S
Cancel the Gifted and Talented Test Now, Not Next Year
Cancel the Gifted and Talented Test Now, Not Next Year Last week, Mayor de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carranza announced that they will administer the controversial and problematic test for admissions to “gifted and talented” classes this spring, for perhaps a final year. Then: “We will spend the next year engaging communities around what kind of programming they would like to see that is mor
President Biden’s Proposed Economic Stimulus Plan Would Help Public Schools and Begin to Alleviate Child Poverty | janresseger
President Biden’s Proposed Economic Stimulus Plan Would Help Public Schools and Begin to Alleviate Child Poverty President Joe Biden has proposed a new pandemic relief package, his “American Rescue Plan,” which includes essential support for public education. For the clearest overall summary of Biden’s new COVID-19 relief plan, please read the two page statement from Sharon Parrott , the new pre
ALERT: MISSOURI PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN PERIL! | Diane Ravitch's blog
ALERT: MISSOURI PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN PERIL! If you live in Missouri, get active to stop this dangerous effort to destroy your public schools! Dear Friend, If you love your public schools you need to drop what you are doing and get to work. There is only one intent of Senate Bill 55–to destroy public education in Missouri. It was pushed through the Senate Education Committee early this morning and m
A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007
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/2021/01/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_16.html New BBC Video: “Five simple strategies to sharpen your critical thinking”

JAN 21

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDVACCINE #Inauguration #PRESIDENTBIDEN #VPHARRIS #46
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Biden Announces Executive Actions Meant To Help Reopen Schools https://www.npr.org/sections/president-biden-takes-office/2021/01/21/959162019/biden-announces-executive-actions-meant-to-help-reopen-schools?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social President Biden Will Extend Student Loan Payment Freeze Through Sept
“Pathways to Recovery” Virtual Event - Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)
Strategies to Address Pandemic’s Impact on Student Learning Focus of State Superintendent’s “Pathways to Recovery” Event SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond invites all California educators to join a special live professional development session hosted by the California Department of Education (CDE) on Thursday—an event designed to explore proven strategies for ad
“Teacher Unions and Social Justice”–A New Book To Spur Rebellion From Rethinking Schools, With an Online Book Launch and Discussion January 21 at 6:00 pm – 7:15 pm CST – I AM AN EDUCATOR
“Teacher Unions and Social Justice”–A New Book To Spur Rebellion From Rethinking Schools, With an Online Book Launch and Discussion January 21 at 6:00 pm – 7:15 pm CST Register here today for the book launch event. You can order the book here . Lovers of social justice and education, Iam excited to announce that I have a new book coming out from Rethinking Schools that I co-edited with Michael C
Bishop Dr. William Barber: "We Must Have a Third Reconstruction" | Schott Foundation for Public Education
Bishop Dr. William Barber: "We Must Have a Third Reconstruction" Bishop Dr. William Barber’s homily at the Inaugural Prayer Service this morning was a powerful call to “break the chains of injustice,” to move America toward a Third Reconstruction. He proclaimed love is our salvation—love that must be proven in action. We rejoice in his inspiring words. And in his fierce, movement-building leader
Trump’s 1776 Commission Releases a Literal Whitewash of U.S. History | Diane Ravitch's blog
Trump’s 1776 Commission Releases a Literal Whitewash of U.S. History On the day before the election, Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a “1776 Commission” to rewrite American history. This commission was intended to refute the New York Times’ 1619 Project , which told the story of American history from the view of African Americans. It was also, allegedly, an answer to “critica
EDUCACIÓN NEW YORK TIMES EN ESPAÑOL E INGLÉS - The New York Times
Education - The New York Times EDUCACIÓN NEW YORK TIMES EN ESPAÑOL E INGLÉS La estrategia de un distrito texano para evitar el fracaso escolar 84 by J. David Goodman / 6h Para mejorar el rendimiento académico, un diminuto distrito escolar pidió a sus alumnos que volvieran a clases presenciales. También aumentaron los contagios del virus. La pandemia genera un nuevo estilo de enseñanza: ‘fluido’ 6
Choosing Democracy: SCUSD Ordered. Cease and Desist.
SCUSD Ordered. Cease and Desist. Awards Attorney Fees to SCTA Today (November 2), the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) unanimously upheld a PERB Administrative Law Judge’s (ALJ) decision that ruled that the Sacramento City Unified School District violated the law and must reimburse SCTA’s attorney fees in defending teachers from SCUSD’s illegal actions. You can view the decisi
CURMUDGUCATION: Meet Your Dead Teacher
Meet Your Dead Teacher Well, this was going to happen sooner or later I used to tell my students that I would teach until I died, and then have my body stuffed and mounted with animatronics while old tapes of my teaching played. Turns out that I didn't do that, but it was still a thing someone could do. If you think teaching is the act of pouring Knowledge Stuff from one container into another,
Meet Miguel Cardona, Soon to Be Secretary of Education | Diane Ravitch's blog
Meet Miguel Cardona, Soon to Be Secretary of Education The Connecticut Mirror wrote a revealing in-depth analysis of Secretary-designate Miguel Cardona’s life, career, and education ideas. His meteoric rise has been well documented. He grew up in poverty. He started public school in Meriden, Connecticut, not speaking English. He saw education as his route to a better life. He became a teacher, t
Teacher Tom: What If Children Aren't Idiots Who Must Be Taught to Think
What If Children Aren't Idiots Who Must Be Taught to Think Much of what passes for education, not just in the US, but around the world, starts with the premise that children aren't all that bright, that they are essentially lazy, and that they can't be trusted to know what's best for themselves. Of course, few of us would admit to thinking such thoughts about preschoolers, but there are plenty o
Remodeling the Age Graded School? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Remodeling the Age Graded School? In July 2020, Eric Gordon head of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District released a report that would alter the 170 year-old institution called the age-graded school (see here and here ). The 74 Million website summarized the report July 2, 2020. While there have been previous efforts to alter the age-graded school and such schools exist now (see here , here
NewBlackMan (in Exile) TODAY #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER
NewBlackMan (in Exile) NewBlackMan (in Exile) TODAY Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/this-week-with-newblackman-in-exile-blm_16.html Black Art In America: A Conversation with Soledad O’Brien by Mark Anthony Neal / 15h ' Black Art In America's Monda Raquel Webb interviews award-winning journalist, speaker, author, philanthropist
A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007
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/2021/01/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_16.html Video: Dave Grohl Honors Teachers At Inaugural Concert by Larry Ferlazzo
Education Matters: School Board Chair Andersen says she is devastated about the DCPS deaths, well then how about doing something.
School Board Chair Andersen says she is devastated about the DCPS deaths, well then how about doing something. I had high hopes for Mrs. Andersen, so high I donated 800 dollars to her campaign. A former educator, I thought she would fight for teachers and against the state. Now people are dying, and she may feel devastated, but it is way past time she did something. From WJXT, Board chair Elizab
LUNCH WITH MY PAL SLATSKY – Dad Gone Wild
LUNCH WITH MY PAL SLATSKY “Remember: The rules, like streets, can only take you to known places.” ― Ocean Vuong, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous My buddy Slatsky called me this morning to see if I wanted to grab some lunch. Slat’s family is originally from Chicago, where his grandfather seeped into politics. He’s been here for a couple of years and continually trying to figure out our politics.
CURMUDGUCATION: Oh, That Poem
Oh, That Poem Oh, That Poem I am not a huge fan of pomp; I recognize the need to mark occasions, especially occasions of great change. There's really only one thing I want to carry away from today, and I'm embedding it here so that I can always find it. Amanda Gorman's presentation of her own poem was simply perfect. "There's always light, if only we're brave enough to see it, if only we're brav

JAN 20

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Wednesday, January 20, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDVACCINE #Inauguration #BIDEN #HARRIS #46
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Biden will extend student loan relief through September https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/20/biden-student-loan-relief-september-460664 On Biden’s To-Do List Today Is Rescinding the Racist 1776 Commission https://www.theroot.com/on-biden-s-to-do-list-today-is-rescinding-the-racist-17-1846092086 NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund
NYC Public School Parents: The impact of Covid on NYC schools and class size & critique of DOE's plans for next year
The impact of Covid on NYC schools and class size & critique of DOE's plans for next year My testimony at the City Council hearings on the impact of Covid on education and class size. This exchange already occurred this morning: Of course, they know very well how many students are in classes over 30, but prefer not to answer and have repeatedly delayed releasing any class size data as legally re
Before You Must Go (The Whole Trump of You) | The Jose Vilson
BEFORE YOU MUST GO (THE WHOLE TRUMP OF YOU) By the time this publishes, you’ll officially only have four hours left in your presidency. “Good riddance” isn’t strong enough. For you and your cabal of fascist, racist, sexist, imperialist, homophobic, classist, seditious sycophants, I would wish your souls the agony you’ve bestowed upon the world over multifold. When the substitute teacher across t
Joe Biden Has a Golden Opportunity to Strengthen Public Education | Ed Politics
JOE BIDEN HAS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC EDUCATION In picking Connecticut Commissioner of Education Miguel Cardona to be his nominee for U.S. secretary of education, President-elect Joe Biden appears to have made a Goldilocks choice that pleases just about everyone. People who rarely agree on education policy have praised the decision, including Jeanne Allen, CEO of the Center for
Educators, Social Justice Is About Consistent Action, Not Simply When It's Trending On Social Media - Philly's 7th Ward
EDUCATORS, SOCIAL JUSTICE IS ABOUT CONSISTENT ACTION, NOT SIMPLY WHEN IT’S TRENDING ON SOCIAL MEDIA Since the murder of Trayvon Martin in 2012, activists and stakeholders of the Black community have done the yeoman’s work of highlighting all murders of Black people at the hands of the state (police) and domestic terrorists (vigilante white citizens). Sadly, the murders of Trayvon Martin, Oscar G
Locals – Including NAACP – Oppose Biden’s Pick of Cindy Marten
Locals – Including NAACP – Oppose Biden’s Pick of Cindy Marten Ken Stone over at Times of San Diego published a piece Monday that included critiques and opposition to President-Elect Biden’s choice of San Diego Unified schools chief Cindy Marten for a federal education post. Marten was nominated for a Deputy Secretary of Education post. Locals who are not happy with Biden’s nomination include th
Educators welcome Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and their support for public schools - Education Votes
Educators welcome Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and their support for public schools By Amanda Menas Educators across the country are looking for a new beginning for their students and school communities with the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on January 20. They will be sworn in on the steps of the United States Capitol building, which just weeks ago was attacked by insurrectionists
Think of a Leader. Who did you picture? | Teacher in a strange land
Think of a Leader. Who did you picture? It was a fascinating article in the NY Times , about a management training exercise that directs groups of people to draw a leader. Originally designed to bypass detailed verbal discussion about leadership in groups where multiple languages were spoken, the assignment merely asked participants to sketch their conception of a leader, with as much detail as
Take the Money and Run – Tennessee Education Report
TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN I f school districts don’t do what House Majority Leader William Lamberth wants, he’s going to take their money and run. Seriously. It’s actually pretty much the text of HB7021 . As introduced, the bill says that if districts fail to provide at least 70 days of in-person instruction for students in grades K-8 in the 2020-21 academic year and 180 days in the 2021-22 academi
NYC Educator: No, It's NOT Time To Fully Open School Buildings
No, It's NOT Time To Fully Open School Buildings I'm fairly gobsmacked to see an op-ed from a teacher suggesting otherwise in the NY Post , but everyone's entitled to their opinion. There are some things in this piece, however, that are quite correct. Zoom just is not what we do . I've been personally discouraged, more than I can say, by doing a job other than the one for which I signed up. I te
Teacher Tom: Ideas for What to Say Instead of "Be Careful"
Ideas for What to Say Instead of "Be Careful" The Technology of Speaking With Children So They Can Think , To learn more and to register, click right here. Awhile back , I riffed on what is popularly called "risky play," what author and consultant Arthur Battram argues we should call "challenging play," what I want to re-label "safety play," and what one reader pointed out used to just be called
CURMUDGUCATION: What Donald Trump Means To Me
What Donald Trump Means To Me I have followed Trump's career for decades. As anyone who has been paying attention knows, and as some folks insist on being shocked and surprised to discover on a regular basis, he really is that bad, and has always been that bad. I cannot think of a single human virtue that the man has ever displayed, and he is not even particularly good at many of the human vices
Biden must build a more equitable US education system: To A Greater Glory [National Catholic Reporter] | The Jose Vilson
To A Greater Glory [National Catholic Reporter] | The Jose Vilson TO A GREATER GLORY [NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER] In my latest op-ed, I wrote an article as an open letter to the Biden administration that harkened back to my Jesuit education (Nativity Mission, Xavier High). Here’s a little bit: In this way, I’m asking us to live out our stated values politically and spiritually. If God truly lives
Miguel Cardona, Who Are You? | Real Learning CT
Miguel Cardona, Who Are You? President-elect Joe Biden has nominated Miguel Cardona, the current Connecticut Commissioner of Education, to be the next U.S. Secretary of Education. Anyone he nominated would be better than Trump’s Secretary of Education. But who is Miguel Cardona and what is the vision that he brings to the U.S. Department of Education and to the teaching and learning in all of th

JAN 19

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Tuesday, January 19, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDVACCINE #Inauguration #BIDEN #HARRIS #46
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Free Market Facts And School Choice - https://www.forbes.com/sites/petergreene/2021/01/19/free-market-facts-and-school-choice/?sh=45f219496a9b by @palan57 on @forbes Why Must Teachers Justify Their Right to Life - LA Progressive - https://www.laprogressive.com/?p=359858 The pandemic is speeding up the mass disappearance of men in colleg
School choice lawsuit surge pushes possible high court fight
School choice lawsuit surge pushes possible high court fight Vermont is facing at least its second lawsuit in four months over a voucher program that allows students in communities that don't have schools or are not part of supervisory unions to attend schools of their choice, including approved private institutions. The Vermont system in which certain towns pay tuition for students to attend ot
Teacher Tom: Making Life Matter
Making Life Matter The boy boasted that he knew "everything." "That's pretty cool," I answered. "Everything?" "Everything. Ask me any question." "What is the meaning of life?" Without missing a beat, he replied, "Ichiro." Solid response. The second best answer to that question I've ever heard from a preschooler, second only to the five-year-old who laughed as she dismissed me, "That's silly. It
WTF is Learning Loss? – Tennessee Education Report
WTF IS LEARNING LOSS? Nashville education blogger TC Weber calls bullshit on the latest term meant to provide full employment for the edu-elite. In a post examining legislation Gov. Bill Lee wants in the upcoming special session on education, Weber lays bare the truth behind the bogus term and further exposes the dark side of the bills being considered. Here’s how TC explains the issue: The term
Trump’s ‘patriotic education’ report excuses Founding Fathers for owning slaves and likens progressives to Mussolini - The Washington Post
Trump’s ‘patriotic education’ report excuses Founding Fathers for owning slaves and likens progressives to Mussolini President Trump’s “patriotic education” commission released a report on Martin Luther King Day that equates American progressives with European fascists and says it is “untrue” that the Founding Fathers were hypocrites for enslaving people while calling for equality in the nation’
Five Key Lessons I’ve Learned About Distance Learning This Semester | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...
FIVE KEY LESSONS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT DISTANCE LEARNING THIS SEMESTER I have been regularly documenting what’s been working and what hasn’t been working, along with my fears and concerns for the future. Now that the semester is ending next week, I thought it would be useful – for both readers and for me – to share some practical reflections. Before I do that, however, here are some of my past piec
John Thompson Reviews “A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door”: A Frightening Future Ahead | Diane Ravitch's blog
John Thompson Reviews “A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door”: A Frightening Future Ahead John Thompson, historian and retired teacher in Oklahoma, reviews historian Jack Schneider and journalist Jennifer Berkshire’s A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door . Schneider and Berkshire have collaborated on podcasts called “Have You Heard.” Thompson writes: The first 2/3rds of A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door , by Jac
A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007
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/2021/01/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_16.html Tuesday’s Must-Read Articles On School Reopenings by Larry Ferlazzo / 3h
Andrea Gabor: Now Is the Time to Revive Civics Education and Media Literacy | Diane Ravitch's blog
Andrea Gabor: Now Is the Time to Revive Civics Education and Media Literacy Andrea Gabor argues that the violent storming of Congress is reason to revive civics in schools. Clearly, she writes, many Americans do not understand the norms of a democratic government (including, I would add, Trump and most of the elected representatives of the Republican Party). Last week’s attack on the U.S. Capito
William Franz Public School: A Must-Read for Those Who Think They Know New Orleans | deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's Blog
William Franz Public School: A Must-Read for Those Who Think They Know New Orleans Anyone purporting to understand the challenges of K12 education in New Orleans absent knowledge of the disgraceful, entrenched history of Black oppression and White superiority in the city (and enabled by the layering of racist attitudes at the state level in multiple states) is only interfering with any genuine e
CURMUDGUCATION: The 1776 Commission On Authentic Education
The 1776 Commission On Authentic Education The 1776 Commission released their thing today, and pardon my French, Mom, but holy shit is it bad. You knew it was going to bad. It's really bad. You probably didn't know that Progressivism is on the same Challenges to American Principles list with slavery and fascism. Slavery, by the way, is addressed primarily through a massive whataboutism. 45 pages
Education Matters: DCPS admits there is a sub problem, sort of...
DCPS admits there is a sub problem, sort of... Last summer Superintendent Greene said having subs wasn't a problem and we had 2k ready to go, though almost immediately when the school year began we knew that wasn't true, and the school board admitted it, sort of, when they signed an MOU with the union, to increase teacher sub pay. This MOU proves two things, the district completely disrespects e
QUESTIONABLE ASSERTIONS – Dad Gone Wild
QUESTIONABLE ASSERTIONS “Belief is a virus, and once it gets into you, its first order of business is to preserve itself, and the way it preserves itself is to keep you from having any doubts, and the way it keeps you from doubting is to blind you to the way things really are. Evidence contrary to the belief can be staring you straight in the face, and you won’t see it… True believers just don’t

JAN 18

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Monday, January 18, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDVACCINE #Inauguration #BIDEN #HARRIS #MLKDAY #MLK #MARTINLUTHERKINGJR
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Biden weighs options for education secretary who would face early political pressure in school reopening bid - CNNPolitics - https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/19/politics/joe-biden-education-secretary-decision/index.html Six Important New Resources For Learning About Martin Luther King, Jr. | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... - https://
L.A. schools chief wants to launch California's largest teacher vaccine effort
L.A. schools chief wants to launch California's largest teacher vaccine effort SACRAMENTO — Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner is calling on state and local health officials to immediately allow the district to turn its more than 1,400 schools into Covid-19 vaccination sites, focusing on shots for teachers and school staff in what would become California's biggest education vaccin
Be True to Your School | Teacher in a strange land
Be True to Your School It’s an early Saturday morning coffee-meeting on Zoom. All of us are teacher leaders—what we have in common is awards for our good teaching. What brings us together is a mutual commitment to supporting both public education in our state and the teachers who hold this threatened enterprise together. Some of us have left the classroom after long careers and moved on to new c
CURMUDGUCATION: Donors Choose Monday: Small Things
Donors Choose Monday: Small Things I have been trying to make a regular weekly attempt to give some small support to teachers on Donors Choose, a platform that allows teachers to solicit support for projects in their classroom. Not all schools allow their teachers to participate, and I wish there was a better way to find teachers who deserve a hand, but we work with what we've got. Sometimes the
A Word on the Special Session – Tennessee Education Report
A WORD ON THE SPECIAL SESSION G ov. Bill Lee’s “Not So Special Session” on education starts tomorrow at the Tennessee General Assembly. Former Nashville School Board member Amy Frogge offers some insight into what to expect this week. Here are her thoughts: The Governor has called a special legislative session this week to address three administration bills. Heads up to educators, parents and fr
Whatever Happened to the National Teacher Corps? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Whatever Happened to the National Teacher Corps? What was the NTC and when did it begin? In the mid-1960s, I taught in and later directed a federally-funded teacher training program located in Grimke elementary school, Banneker and Garnet-Patterson Junior High Schools, and Cardozo High School in Washington, D. C. The Cardozo Project in Urban Teaching, as it was then called, prepared returned Pea
MLK warned that colleges could produce ‘close-minded, unscientific, illogical propagandists’ - The Washington Post
MLK: ‘If we are not careful, our colleges will produce … close-minded, unscientific, illogical propagandists’ Here, as I have published in recent years to mark the federal holiday honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., are some of his prophetic writings related to the purpose of education and the U.S. government’s efforts toward educating its citizens. Just read these excerpts: — King attende
Teacher Tom: Chaos or Community?
Chaos or Community? And one day we must ask the question, "Why are there forty million poor people in America?" And when you begin to ask that question, you are raising questions about the economic system, about a broader distribution of wealth. When you ask that question, you begin to question the capitalistic economy. ~MLK What I'm saying to you this morning is that Communism forgets that life
NYC Educator: MLK and Making America Union Again
MLK and Making America Union Again MLK is famous for his life and work, and words of insincere reverence regularly escape the lips of people who'd have opposed him absolutely when he was alive. One thing a lot of people seem to forget about him was that he was passionately pro-union and pro-labor. In fact, at the time of his assassination in Memphis, he happened to be there to support a sanitati
WSJ: Europe Is Closing Down Schools for Fear of COVID Spread | Diane Ravitch's blog
WSJ: Europe Is Closing Down Schools for Fear of COVID Spread Last spring and summer, we read many articles about Europe’s success in keeping its schools open, based on the belief that young children are less likely to get sick with COVID-19 and less likely to spread it. Ruth Bender reports in The Wall Street Journal that European nations are closing their schools because new studies show that ch
Education Matters: Last week there were 172 student cases, 88 staff cases and nothing but crickets from the district.
Last week there were 172 student cases, 88 staff cases and nothing but crickets from the district. Those numbers are beyond scary, and they beg the question, how can effective contact tracing occur? The answer is it can't, and that means more people will get sick and worse. So what is the district doing to improve it? If you guessed nothing you would be correct. When I got COVID, I notified my s
On This Holiday Honoring Dr. King, Consider the Plight of Children Today in Pennsylvania’s Chester Upland School District | janresseger
On This Holiday Honoring Dr. King, Consider the Plight of Children Today in Pennsylvania’s Chester Upland School District Posted on January 18, 2021 by janresseger Today is the holiday set aside for reflection on the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. Peter Greene’s new history of the ruination of Pennsylvania’s Chester Upland Public Schools , published last week in Forbes, ought to be r
Letter from a Teacher to the Incoming Secretary of Education | Real Learning CT
Letter from a Teacher to the Incoming Secretary of Education A highly respected Connecticut teacher has written an open letter to Miquel Cardona, President-elect Biden’s choice for Secretary of Education, and hopes that the letter is the beginning of a state-wide effort to send a petition to Dr. Cardona about improving the teaching and learning in the nation’s schools. Here is that letter: Dear
CURMUDGUCATION: A Really Bad Anti-Public School Analogy
A Really Bad Anti-Public School Analogy You know I love a good analogy. I spent four decades trying to help people understand one thing by connecting it to some other thing. So I love a good analogy. This is not a good analogy. Nick Freitas is an army vet and Virginia politician, who served in the house of delegates before making a couple of unsuccessful runs for the US Congress (both House and
Student: “I Appreciate You Disciplining Me.” | deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's Blog
Student: “I Appreciate You Disciplining Me.” I expect my students to wear a school uniform shirt and an ID. It is my habit to check for these, and my students know so. Of course, that doesn’t mean they always comply. Last week, in one of my classes, I hit on a noncompliance bonanza of sorts. One had no school shirt. A second had no ID. A third had neither school shirt nor ID. So, out come the de
A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007
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/2021/01/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_16.html Must-Read NY Times Column On Miguel Cardona’s Experience As An ELL by Lar

JAN 17

CATCH UP WITH CURMUDGUCATION + ICYMI: Well, Nothing Blew Up This Week Edition (1/17)
CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Well, Nothing Blew Up This Week Edition (1/17) Well, Nothing Blew Up This Week Edition Did we just get through a whole week without anything more than whingings based on the willful misunderstanding of the First Amendment and admittedly horrifying details from last week's insurrection? I feel like maybe we're having the equivalent of when someone screams in your ears and th
THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Sunday, January 17, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDVACCINE #IMPEACHED #TWICE
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Children’s Screen Time Has Soared in the Pandemic, Alarming Parents and Researchers - The New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/16/health/covid-kids-tech-use.html Schools Matter: We Went Undercover at the DC Riots - Vlog #2.5 - Stop the Steal Rally tu... - http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2021/01/we-went-undercover-at-dc-riots-v
Yes, some charter schools do pick their students. It’s not a myth. - The Washington Post
Yes, some charter schools do pick their students. It’s not a myth. This is a rebuttal to a recent column by The Washington Post’s Jay Mathews, who has long written in support of charter schools and who, last month, penned a piece calling it a myth that charter schools can pick and choose students. The issue is part of a long-running national debate on charter schools, which are publicly funded b
Treating public schools like businesses is only making them worse | Salon.com
Treating public schools like businesses is only making them worse Schools have come to resemble businesses, with corporate metrics for measuring success and worse outcomes for kids In the early 2000s, the U.S. adopted a model of education that promised to jumpstart the performance of failing students and hold teachers and administrators accountable. While well-intended, the means they employed w
Biden Announces: Science and Facts Are Back! | Diane Ravitch's blog
Biden Announces: Science and Facts Are Back! After four years of science-denial, Biden is introducing a new era . Science and facts are in again. Truth matters. No alternative facts. Ignorance and stupidity are no longer honored or tolerable. President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. said on Saturday that he was “always going to lead with science and truth” as he announced top science and technology o
NANCY BAILEY: Endgame! Using Covid-19 to Permanently Transform Schooling!
Endgame! Using Covid-19 to Permanently Transform Schooling! Endgame! Using Covid-19 to Permanently Transform Schooling! Funding technology seems unchecked in some places as teachers are driven out of their classrooms due to the virus. The more teachers prematurely retire, the more easily school districts can justify replacing them with technology. And think long term. Teachers have been so mistre
CURMUDGUCATION: Moral Distress and Teaching
Moral Distress and Teaching I've run across this new-to-me term several times in the past few months-- moral distress. It wasn't developed for the teaching profession, but lots of teachers are going to recognize what is being described here. Andrew Jameton gets most of the credit for drawing the moral distress picture , looking at the world of nursing. This piece from the AMA Journal of Ethics l
MLK and “the Guaranteed Income” – radical eyes for equity
MLK and “the Guaranteed Income” “President-elect Joe Biden will seek to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour as part of his relief bill,” reported Alina Selyukh for NPR . Across social media, people began doing calculations of what $15/hour translates into for annual salaries, and here are a couple responses from white Christian conservatives: McChristian, personifying the relationsh
Shawgi Tell: Cyber Charter Schools: Neoliberals Determined to Commodify More Students | Dissident Voice
Cyber Charter Schools: Neoliberals Determined to Commodify More Students | Dissident Voice Cyber Charter Schools: Neoliberals Determined to Commodify More Students The parasitic seizure of social wealth by the rich has intensified in recent years and promises to increase in 2021. While the stock market soars to artificial new heights, the productive sector of the economy continues to steadily dis
Chicago teachers continue to protest in-person classes; parents question status of locked-out teachers - The Washington Post
Chicago teachers continue to protest in-person classes; parents question status of locked-out teachers CHICAGO — Brian Yuhas was one of the teachers who was ordered back into his Chicago classroom on Monday as the nation's third-largest school district began opening campuses for the first time since March. But he didn't go. He wasn't comfortable going back, and besides, his students had chosen a
EdAction in Congress January 17, 2021 - Education Votes
EdAction in Congress January 17, 2021 EdAction in Congress January 17, 2021 - Education Votes Biden Pledges Critical Investments in Public Education to Combat COVID-19 Crisis President-elect Joe Biden unveiled an ambitious plan on Thursday to help the nation emerge from the economic and public health wreckage that has devastated millions of lives across the country. He called on Congress to prov
Education Matters: CDC puts Duval County in Red Zone, DCPS says things are just fine.
CDC puts Duval County in Red Zone, DCPS says things are just fine. The CDC says Florida is in real trouble that we do need to do something quickly. Juxtapose that with DCPS, which is encouraging some and cajoling others to return to the schools. What we are doing is reckless, and DCPS should know better. For a district that has gotten rid of latex and peanuts in some schools and limited field tr
Traitors or Heroes: Ben Franklin | Live Long and Prosper
Traitors or Heroes: Ben Franklin Traitors or Heroes: Ben Franklin Today is birthday number 315 for Benjamin Franklin. He was born in Boston on January 17, 1706. Franklin is the only founding father to have signed all four of the key documents establishing the U.S.: the Declaration of Independence (1776), the Treaty of Alliance with France (1778), the Treaty of Paris establishing peace with Great
The Teacher Trauma of Repeatedly Justifying Your Right To Life During Covid | gadflyonthewallblog
The Teacher Trauma of Repeatedly Justifying Your Right To Life During Covid I am a public school teacher and my life has value. That shouldn’t be controversial. But every few weeks in 2020-21 as the global Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread unabated, I have to go to a staff meeting and justify my right to continue breathing. Administration and the school board want to stop distance learning a
A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007
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/2021/01/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_16.html Muhammad Ali Was Born On This Day In 1942 – Here Are Teaching & Learning
Education with the Biden Team | tultican
Education with the Biden Team By Thomas Ultican 1/16/2021 Joe Biden has garnered wide spread praise for his choice of Miguel Cardona as Secretary of Education; maybe too wide. The co-founder of Bellwether Education, Andrew Rotherham says Cardona is “a Goldilocks on charter schools.” However, Goldilocks was a fairy tale and Rotherham is a well known neoliberal who campaigns for “school choice.” A

JAN 16

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