Sunday, June 16, 2013

Fathers’ Day 2013: Calling dads to be heroes, not minions for a 1% evil | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News

Fathers’ Day 2013: Calling dads to be heroes, not minions for a 1% evil | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News:

Fathers’ Day 2013: Calling dads to be heroes, not minions for a 1% evil

By Carl_Herman on June 16, 2013 6:11 pm / no comments

Severes Snape – Hero

The choice between un-American dicts or American unalienable rights under our Constitution can be made so much easier if the men, whether fathers or not, channeled our love of competition into national and global victory of justice and virtue over “emperor has no clothes” obvious crimes of a 1% who wage unlawful wars and economic looting. These evil monsters annually kill in the millions, harm billions, and loot trillions of our dollars.

Real men engage in such a contest, develop appropriate teams, and defeat evil. Dads have the additional motivation of winning their children’s futures from darkness. My favorite definition of evil is a preference for personal material benefits over others’ fundamental well-being.

Importantly, our 1% criminal class is without empathy and never satisfied, even with ~$30 trillion already looted from the 99%’s work and US war-murders of 20-30 million since WW2.

Through popular artistic expression, the millions of American men serving as minions to the criminal 1% class should learn the lesson of

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Board's Role

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Board's Role:

The Board's Role

by Charlie Mas

I went to Director Martin-Morris's community meeting on Saturday morning and the conversation was really good. It was good, in large part, because we stayed focused on things that Director Martin-Morris could do - we kept the conversation within the boundaries of the Board's role. We didn't ask him and his Board colleagues to make decisions that have been delegated to the superintendent or direct the superintendent in what decisions to make or to overrule decisions that the superintendent had made. But we did ask him to assure that the superintendent's decisions were compliant with policy (and law) and to assure that the superintendent's actions were aligned with the District's stated values. This is the Board's job, and, frankly, they haven't been doing it.

We got started down this path early when I used the word "transparency" and he asked me what I mean by that. These words get tossed around all the time, but they are never defined. We are both convinced that people are not working from a shared understanding of their meaning. I replied that transparency has three elements: 1) Everyone knows what the rules are. 2) Everyone plays by the same rules. 3) The data is publicly available so we can all see - for ourselves - that the rules were followed. He asked for some examples of when the District failed to be transparent. He got them: The old MLK elementary wanted to start a Montessori program and was held to an impossibly high standard - different from the standard set for other schools wanting to start programs. The

Strategic Plan

by Charlie Mas

The revised Strategic Plan for Seattle Public Schools is scheduled for introduction at the Board meeting on June 19 and for a vote at the Board meeting on July 3.

You can read it here.

What do education advocates do on their day off? | Reclaim Reform

What do education advocates do on their day off? | Reclaim Reform:

What do education advocates do on their day off?

by kenpreviti

What do education advocates do on their day off?

The task given Sisyphus by the ancient Greek gods of eternally pushing a massive rock up a hill to have it roll down again and again is precisely what we do. It is what we are supposed to do as true education reformers. It is a pure and good task and is not what it appears to be to most outsiders.
(Please note that we are not talking about corporate education reformers who, in spite of what their highly paid proselytizers claim, are experimenting with and abusing our children for their own personal profit.)
Teachers and other educators have never had the same job or task for more than a day.
The needs of children change from child to child and class to class. What is done to meet those needs continually shifts as society and life advance and decline. Whenever a decline occurs within a student or a

NYC Educator: Reformy John Doesn't Need Any Stinking Laws

NYC Educator: Reformy John Doesn't Need Any Stinking Laws:

Reformy John Doesn't Need Any Stinking Laws

by NYC Educator

One of the great selling points of the education law that mandated junk science, for the UFT, was that we would get to negotiate precisely how the junk science would be used to fire us. So they wouldn't just be firing us, we'd be firing ourselves. This is what comes of having that much-coveted "seat at the table."

Unfortunately, Mayor Mike was not happy with what his Tweedies negotiated, and therefore it was left to Reformy John King to decree what city teachers would have to do in order to be fired. Unfortunately, Reformy John is not remotely objective, despite his much-ballyhooed single year of teaching public school.

That's why, if you look at page 77 of Reformy John's Manifesto, you will note that a city teacher needs 15 of 20 to be regarded as "effective" in both local and state junk science measures. In fact, you need 13 of 20 to

Perdido Street School: Nearly Half Of G&T Eligible Students Not Offered Program Slots

Perdido Street School: Nearly Half Of G&T Eligible Students Not Offered Program Slots:

Nearly Half Of G&T Eligible Students Not Offered Program Slots

by reality-based educator

From NY1:

Only 54 percent of city students who qualified for spots in gifted and talented programs received offers for this fall, compared to 73 percent who were offered placement last year.

The Department Of Education partly attributes the decline to a rise in applications.

DOE officials also did not guarantee a seat for every student in his or her own district, saying many families decided against accepting offers in past years.

Education officials stressed the gifted and talented classes are just one option for students, who also can use other programs at their schools.

The DOE used a new test that was supposed to be more difficult, but more students qualified for

School ignores advice from learning disability experts - Class Struggle - The Washington Post

School ignores advice from learning disability experts - Class Struggle - The Washington Post:

School ignores advice from learning disability experts

By Jay Mathews E-mail the writers

Stacie Brockman is the Prince George’s County mother of lively twin 9-year-old boys. Her sons were born two months premature. She has done everything possible to deal with the disabilities that often impede the progress of such children.

She took them to the developmental pediatricians at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, one of the top U.S. providers of care for children with learning disabilities. They gave the boys many tests. They diagnosed mixed expressive/receptive language disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dysgraphia (a writing disability) and dyslexia (a reading disability).

The doctors told Brockman that her sons need to be in small classes with research-based reading instruction and intensive math and language remediation. As the law requires, administrators at Potomac Landing Elementary School set up an individualized education program (IEP) team, which meets with Brockman.

As sometimes happens, these meetings have not gone well, Brockman said. Learning disability issues appear to be one of the greatest sources of friction between parents and schools. Brockman’s account

New Florida law: Teachers can’t be evaluated on students they don’t have

New Florida law: Teachers can’t be evaluated on students they don’t have:

New Florida law: Teachers can’t be evaluated on students they don’t have

By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 16, 2013 at 12:47 pmE-mail the writer

Comments

In the you-can’t-make-up-this-stuff category: Florida just passed a law making it illegal to evaluate teachers on standardized test scores of students they never taught. If you are wondering why such a law would be necessary, here’s why:

For two years, many teachers were actually being evaluated by the test scores of students they had never even seen much less taught, under a school reform law that included a requirement that Florida teachers be evaluated on student test scores.

In April, seven teachers, along with the National Education Association and the Florida Education Association, filed a lawsuit challenging the system, arguing that it was unfair and violated the Equal Protection and Due Process Clause of the Constitution.

One of the teachers is Kim Cook, a teacher in Alachua, Fla., who, as this post explains, was evaluated at Irby Elementary, a K-2 school where she works and was named Teacher of the Year last December. Forty percent of her evaluation was based on test scores of students at Alachua Elementary, a

A must-watch video

A must-watch video:

A must-watch video

By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 16, 2013 at 11:13 amE-mail the writer

Comments

Watch this video and think about the nightmare it is for many kids with disabilities to take standardized tests.

Ed Notes Online: Acievement First Concentration Camp Policies Supported by Gates Foundation

Ed Notes Online: Acievement First Concentration Camp Policies Supported by Gates Foundation:

Acievement First Concentration Camp Policies Supported by Gates Foundation

by ed notes online

Actually, I would describe Achievement First more as a southern plantation circa 1850. But no one should be surprised that the Gates Foundation is based on a southern plantation mentality. I love it that they are so willing to connect themselves to Achievement First which exposes what Gates is all about. Really think about the AF name. "Achievement" before even the welfare of the child. But "achievement' really means achieving wealth for the gang running the operation.

In the final stages of making our film response to Gates supported "Waiting for Superman' we had the chance to interview former Achievement First parents. Leonie and I expected to do a quick 15 minute interview but instead were riveted for almost 2 hours of horror stories. A few days later I interviewed our pal Khem Irby (who has left us to cause trouble for ed deformers down in North Carolina). We only used a few minutes in the film but you can see all the interviews below. The video we shot was used by activist groups opposing AF in Rhode Island to defeat some of their plans to take over a swath of schools in Providence. (I'm posting links at the bottom of this post -- really watch some of these interviews and get your rage up.)

Pat Dobosz, a Brooklyn pre-k teacher in Williamsburg writes:

Here is an article about this despicable place. We had an AF charter at my school for about four years.

State education board to review Achievement First's discipline policies | The CT Mirror

This article by Sarah Darer really gets into the weeds of the Gates/AF/TFA connection. Oh, and TFA also has that southern pre-Civil War mentality too.

A Window Into Gates Foundation Dystopia
http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/ctnj.php/archives/entry/a_window_into_the_bill_and_melinda_gates_foundation_dystopia/#.UbwIGekKDW4.facebook

by Sarah Darer Littman | Jun 13, 2013

Sarah Darer Littman
In 1948, sociologist Robert K.Merton coined the phrase “Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.” “The self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behavior which

WAGPOPS: Walcott at District 14 Town Hall Monday June 17, 6PM

by ed notes online

Cathie Black once came and got an interesting reception. I will be there to tape the festivities.

Williamsburg and Greenpoint Parents for Our Public Schools (WAGPOPS)

Upset about the cuts to our district school?

COME ON MONDAY, JUNE 17TH, to our TOWN HALL!
Let your voices be heard!

The District 14 Community Education Council
is hosting a Town Hall with Chancellor Dennis Walcott
■
June 17, 2013
6:00 PM-7PM
P.S. 250 George H. Lindsay
108 Montrose Ave, Auditorium
Brooklyn, NY 11206

GOP slams Dems' education proposal as federal power grab - CBS News

GOP slams Dems' education proposal as federal power grab - CBS News:

GOP slams Dems' education proposal as federal power grab

Republicans and the White House have "major" disagreements on education policy, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said Saturday in the weekly Republican address, including a fresh dispute over the scope of federal involvement in education. But on student loans, he argued, the White House and the GOP actually have a lot in common.

The interest rate on federal student loans is set to double on July 1, from 3.4 to 6.8 percent, unless Congress acts to prevent it. The Republican House passed a bill that would peg student loan interest rates to the market, rather than arbitrarily setting the number, an idea Alexander called "fairer to students and fairer to taxpayers."

And although the president has said that House Republicans did not approach the issue "the right way," calling on them to go back to the drawing board, his own proposal on student loans would also peg loan rates to the marketplace, albeit with less variability over the life of the loan.

In his address, Alexander, the top Republican on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) committee and a former secretary of education under former President George H.W. Bush, pledged that Republicans would "work hard" to bridge their differences with the president before the end of the month.

But while "we may be in agreement on student loans, but we have a major disagreement about who should be in charge of our 100,000 public schools that educate 50 million American children," Alexander said. "To put it simply,

Perdido Street School: NY Post: NYC Prinicpals Rarely Held Accountable

Perdido Street School: NY Post: NYC Prinicpals Rarely Held Accountable:

NY Post: NYC Prinicpals Rarely Held Accountable

by reality-based educator

Not a surprise to those of us in the system:

They dole out discipline to teachers and students, but city school principals rarely get a taste of their own medicine.

In the past three years, just two of 14 principals formally accused of misconduct have been fired — and not a single boss in the city’s 1,600 schools was charged with incompetence, officials told The Post.

The disciplinary deficiency raises questions when 217 elementary and middle schools received grades of F, D or consecutive C’s on the city’s latest report cards, and 31 high schools rated D or

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-16-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

Happy Father's Day from the Big Education Ape

Happy Fathers Day. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago

Happy Fathers Day. | Fred Klonsky: Happy Fathers Day. by Fred Klonsky [image: Fathers Day]

Can School Reform Hurt Communities? - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 26 minutes ago

Can School Reform Hurt Communities? - NYTimes.com: Can School Reform Hurt Communities? William Widmer for The New York Times Jeri Hilt taught students about copyright law at ReNEW Cultural Arts Academy, a charter school in New Orleans, last week. By SARAH CARRPublished: June 15, 2013 NEW ORLEANS — BEFORE Hurricane Katrina, about 74 percent of this city’s schools were considered “failing,” based mainly on their standardized test scores. By 2012, that figure had dropped to 42 percent, even as the bar for passing was raised. Average ACT scores for the city’s public school students have ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-16-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Edgar Guest: in Praise of Father by dianerav by Edgar Guest My father knows the proper way The nation should be run; He tells us children every day Just what should now be done. He knows the way to fix the trusts, He has a simple plan; But if the furnace needs repairs, We have to hire a man. My father, in a day or two Could land big thieves in jail; Lewis Carroll on Father William by dianerav There are far better ways to celebrate Father’s Day, but here is one to ... more »

Anti-teacher groups get failing grade from teacher of the year | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Anti-teacher groups get failing grade from teacher of the year | toteachornototeach: Anti-teacher groups get failing grade from teacher of the year by aristotlethewise *Anti-teacher groups get failing grade from teacher of the year* by Laura Clawson Michigan’s teacher of the year has been taken up by StudentsFirst and the Mackinac Center as part of their campaign against teachers unions. But he’s not on board with their corporate education policy agenda, Eclectablog reports. The Koch brothers-funded, ALEC-affiliated Mackinac Center and Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst have been blastin... more »

Daily Kos: Merrow Is a Jolly Fellow (Not)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Daily Kos: Merrow Is a Jolly Fellow (Not): Merrow Is a Jolly Fellow (Not) by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) I hate even to acknowledge John Merrow's most recent venture into not having a clue, but his attempt at humor is yet more evidence that the evidence doesn't matter: The Common Core and the End of the World In Merrow's evidence-free world, all who question the Mighty Common Core are nothing more than end-of-the-world loonies. To investigative journalist Merrow, Rand Paul, Anthony Cody, and Diane Ravitch are of equal credibility (that is, not credible). That's pure and utter lu... more »

The Washington Teacher: Why are DCPS & WTU President Saunders Downplaying the Excessing of 500-600 Teachers?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

The Washington Teacher: Why are DCPS & WTU President Saunders Downplaying the Excessing of 500-600 Teachers?: Why are DCPS & WTU President Saunders Downplaying the Excessing of 500-600 Teachers? by noreply@blogger.com (Candi Peterson) DCPS Excess Teachers & Staff Graveyard *By Candi Peterson* Vote Davis Slate for WTU Liz Davis /Candi Peterson *WTU Can Be Better!* In the years under the *Michelle Rhee and* *Kaya Henderson regime*, we have seen hundreds of teachers regularly excessed at the end of each school year. With the advent of 23 school closings in 2008 and now 15 school closi... more »

Last Day Of School Is Permanent At 7 Sacramento Campuses | KTXL FOX40

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Last Day Of School Is Permanent At 7 Sacramento Campuses | KTXL FOX40: Last Day Of School Is Permanent At 7 Sacramento Campuses - [image: See bio, contact info, and more articles from Lonnie Wong] SACRAMENTO- The last day of the school year at the Sacramento City Unified School District had extra meaning at seven elementary schools. They are being closed for good after the district made a move to move 2,300 students from under-enrolled elementary school campuses. The schools that are closing include Clayton B. Wire, Collis P. Huntington, Fruit Ridge, Jo... more »

Think the Job Performance of the NYC DOE Chief Officer Dennis Walcott Stinks? - ParentAdvocates.org

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Parent Advocates - ParentAdvocates.org: Think the Job Performance of the NYC DOE Chief Officer Dennis Walcott Stinks? * * * *Too bad. No one who works at Tweed (or City Hall, we hear) has a contract and no one is evaluated. That's how Bloomberg works, and how public money is spent. From the desk of Betsy Combier, Editor. Mike Bloomberg *Think the Job Performance of the NYC DOE Chief Officer Dennis Walcott Stinks?* Too bad. No one who works at Tweed (or City Hall, we hear) has a contract and no one is evaluated. That's how Bloomberg works, and how public money is s... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: From the Wall Street Journal: 'The marriage between companies and the state'

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: From the Wall Street Journal: 'The marriage between companies and the state': From the Wall Street Journal: 'The marriage between companies and the state' by Mike Klonsky The June 10th WSJ calls the Snowden affair, "a wake-up call for Booz Allen and us." I'm not sure who the us is here, but they do make some great points. *In the increasingly intimate marriage between companies and the state, Mr. Snowden is emblematic of many things: For business, he signifies the liabilities that companies doing intelligence work for the government have inheri... more »

STANDARDIZED Official Trailer

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

The official trailer for STANDARDIZED, an exposé of the standardized testing industry and how it has undermined public education. *United Opt Out * WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO OPT OUT? *What does it mean to “opt out”?* Opt out means a refusal to “buy into” something-in this case the stranglehold that high stakes testing has on public education. We believe that the quickest, swiftest, and most effective way to end the destruction of HST is for parents, students and teachers to refuse to participate in these mandated high stakes tests. However, we also recognize that this measure is easier s... more »

Happy Father's Day from the Big Education Ape

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

*Happy Father's Day from the Big Education Ape* * * * *

Two commentary pieces – one profound message - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Two commentary pieces – one profound message - Wait, What?: Two commentary pieces – one profound message by jonpelto Here are two commentary pieces that the education-industrial complex is afraid you will read…because they speak the truth. So needless to say, I urge you to read them and pass them on. The first is written by *Wendy Lecker* and appears in the Stamford Advocate and Hearst Media outlets and can be found here: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/default/article/Wendy-Lecker-Courts-repeatedly-uphold-the-right-4601396.php *Courts repeatedly uphold the right to a quality educat... more »

Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education »

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: S.1117 Reengaging Americans in Serious Education by Uniting Programs Act Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 11 minutes ago A bill to prepare disconnected youth for a competitive future. Bill Introduced: H.R.2234 Diploma and Accreditation Integrity Protection Act Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 11 minutes ago To reduce and prevent the sale and use of fraudulent degrees in order to protect the integrity of valid higher education degrees that are used for Federal employment purposes. Bill Introduc... more »

California public records law 'eviscerated' in budget bill, critics charge - ContraCostaTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

California public records law 'eviscerated' in budget bill, critics charge - ContraCostaTimes.com: California public records law 'eviscerated' in budget bill, critics charge By Thomas Peele and Josh Richman Staff writers Posted: 06/15/2013 11:08:50 AM PDT Updated: 06/15/2013 11:08:54 AM PDT Legislation tucked into the state budget bill would "eviscerate" the public's ability to track tax dollars and hold local officials accountable, open government advocates charged Friday. "This is the worst assault on the public's right to know I have seen in my 18 years of doing this," said ... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: The Problem with Teacher Evaluation by dianerav Michael Weston of Hillsborough County, Florida, explains what is wrong with teacher evaluation: “Of course we use the Danielson rubric in Hillsborough County Fl, where it forms one of the three pillars of the Gates funded “Empowering Effective Teachers”. The second pillar is value-added, the third is duplicity / deception. Quite frankly, whether Charlotte is spelled Charlatan, whether her rubric is valuable or trash, whether her resume is padded…..none of this matte... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach?: Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach? by Melissa Westbrook An article in the Huffington Post about college costs caught my eye. [image: college costs] Over the past three decades, the inflation-adjusted income of the median American family has basically remained stagnant. The same can’t be said of college costs, which have simultaneously surged to almost unrecognizable heights, according to a new report by the left-leaning Center for American Progress. Costs at private nonprofit four-year colleges have

A New framework for Working and Learning | Lefty Parent

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

A New framework for Working and Learning | Lefty Parent: A New framework for Working and Learning by Cooper Zale [image: Circle of Hands]For many of us the rules of engagement at work are changing, from the traditional approach of being told what to do by “bosses”, to a new more egalitarian approach where a team of colleagues and peers collectively decide what to do. Those traditional “bosses” are being replaced by “managers” who are more facilitative than directive, conveying to us the basic business strategy from the company’s leadership team, making sure we have the time and reso... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues?: Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues? by Leonie Haimson The parent-led mayoral forum last night at Murry Bergtraum High School was terrific, with parents asking incisive yes/no questions, investigative reporter Juan Gonzalez doing inspired follow-up as only he knows how, and all the candidates giving thoughtful responses. Below is the livestream video; we will have sharper video uploaded next week, but the audio is quite clear. Th... more »

DIFFICULT TO FIRE A TEACHER ? A RIDICULOUS MYTH | Teachers Fight Back

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

DIFFICULT TO FIRE A TEACHER ? A RIDICULOUS MYTH | Teachers Fight Back: DIFFICULT TO FIRE A TEACHER ? A RIDICULOUS MYTH by alkleen The Chicago Public School Administrators are about to fire 420 teachers. More than a third of the teachers have tenure, but they were rated either unsatisfactory or satisfactory. The teachers union contract protects only those teachers with excellent or superior ratings. Tenured teachers being fired ? Yes, folks, it’s not all that uncommon. The Chicago Teachers Union is one of the most powerful teachers union in the nation, and even their tenured teac... more »

UPDATE: Martire for governor. Why not? So far the joke has been on us. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Martire for governor. Why not? So far the joke has been on us. | Fred Klonsky: Chicago Bull/Bull Connor. by Fred Klonsky [image: Chicago Bull-Bull Connor] Martire for governor. Why not? So far the joke has been on us. by Fred Klonsky [image: Ralph Martire] When I posted the idea of drafting the Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability to run for governor the other day the response was swift and positive. The question that I raise to the leaders of the state’s public employee unions. *Why not?* The list of announced and un-announced candidates is pretty dep... more »

Is the worm turning?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Is the worm turning?: Is the worm turning? By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 15, 2013 at 10:30 amE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: indiana]Indiana has been one of the most school reform-loving states in recent years — at least, that is, until now. Here is a look at what is happening there, by Karen Francisco, editorial page editor of The Journal Gazette, where this appeared. She has worked there since 2000 and for Indiana newspapers since 1982. She can be reached at 260-461-8206 or by email,kfrancisco@jg.net. By Karen Francisco How much does Indiana love school reform? So m... more »

solidaridad: Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

solidaridad: Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners: Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene *Because we know that language learning doesn't occur in one year or even in a few months, it's over time.—Becky Palacios, Ph.D.* [image: Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners]The School Readiness Language Development Program (SRLDP) is an amazingly effective Pre-K program for English Language Leaners. This isn't the first time that Broad and Gates' Superintendent John Deasy has tried to kill the pro... more »

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky [image: photo] *Celebrating Freedom Day, Juneteenth in New Orlean’s Treme. 2011 Photo: Fred Klonsky.* This morning we provide a history lesson while you’re drinking your coffee. If you are in New Orleans it is possible that your coffee has chicory root in it. Although coffee with chicory root in it has a long tradition, most historians agree that it’s use in New Orleans coffee became more common as a result of the blockade of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Coffee beans became scarce. In other parts of the South ... more »

Great EXpectations | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Great EXpectations | EduShyster: Great EXpectations by edushyster2012 *Will the heaviest hitter of all lend His support to the civil rights i$$ue of our time?* Reader: there are already plenty of marquee names involved in the crusade to *crush* the achievement gap. But thus far the biggest name of all has yet to weigh in upon the civil rights i$$ue of our time. I am talking, of course, about the Big Guy, the Man Upstairs, Sky Daddy, Him… Thankfully, thanks to the efforts of a former Teacher for America, that may be about to change. Let’s learn more, shall we? Meet the Expectations P... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] What Ralph Waldo Emerson Might Say About School Reform Today by dianerav This arrived in my email. It came from a retired school teacher in Nebraska. He said the retired teachers will not sit by and watch the capture of our public schools by corporations. The retires helped to defeat a charter bill in Nebraska. He wrote: Hi Diane Just received the following letter from Ralph Waldo Emerson with a request that I send it to the good people in Newark: The End of Neig... more »

Peg with Pen: Do Not Shake Hands with #commoncore

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Peg with Pen: Do Not Shake Hands with #commoncore: Do Not Shake Hands with #commoncore by Peggy Some days it is terribly overwhelming to read the comments of despair and desperation from parents who are trying to figure out how to help their children who are suffering from severe anxiety after being told they will be retained due to failing the state test. Many of these children must take the test multiple times and must attend summer school - even when they have passing grades on their report cards. It is because of this that I have no tolerance for any sort of compromise to the ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Zombies in Central Park Plus Some Carpentry

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Ed Notes Online: Zombies in Central Park Plus Some Carpentry: Zombies in Central Park Plus Some Carpentry by ed notes online The Zombies, our favorite group -- we went to London twice to see them, plus numerous viewings here in NYC -- are doing a 6PM free -- yes free -- concert in Central Park today and we are heading in for a (not-free) 4PM session with lead singer Collin Blunstone (who looks at us as stalkers) and Ron Argent. A fact you need to know from Wikki: Their 1968 album, Odessey and Oracle, comprising twelve songs by the group's principal songwriters, Argent and Chris Wh... more »

Fighting for Our Classrooms, and for the Human Beings Inside Them | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Fighting for Our Classrooms, and for the Human Beings Inside Them | toteachornototeach: Fighting for Our Classrooms, and for the Human Beings Inside Them by aristotlethewise [image: gty_kotter_watn_3_mr_120815_ssh]*Fighting for Our Classrooms, and for the Human Beings Inside Them* by Richard (RJ) Eskow It seems as if same battle is being fought in every aspect of American society. On one side are the forces of egalitarianism, economic opportunity, and self-determination. On the other is a well-funded and entrenched elite bent on hijacking our media, our political process, and our in... more »

Daily Kos: three paragraphs worth reading

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Daily Kos: three paragraphs worth reading: three paragraphs worth reading by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) occur at the end of This Isn’t How to Stop Hacking, today NY Times column by Joe Nocera, written from Wuhan China where he is on a trip for Western journalists rganized by the China-United States Exchange Foundation, and written in the context of the presence of Snowden in Hong Kong and the remarks he has made. They are the final 3 paragraphs of the column. I offer them without further comment in this diary, although I will make a few remarks in the tip jar. I don’t know wheth... more »

6-15-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] #edweek finds Nirvana. by Timothy D. Slekar A new piece of propaganda published by EdWeek and written by Crowe, Allen, and Coble begins with this assertion: Better-prepared teachers and greatly improved teacher-preparation programs are the essential ingredients of stronger academic outcomes for this nation’s K-12 students. It is then followed up with this evidence to support it. ?????????????????? That’s right. Nothing! It […] News Reel No. 2, Senate HELP and #ESEA by Chalk Face, PhD Part two of our series. Creating Artificia... more »

NYC Educator: Financial Genius Mike Bloomberg Grades the English Regents Exam

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NYC Educator: Financial Genius Mike Bloomberg Grades the English Regents Exam: Financial Genius Mike Bloomberg Grades the English Regents Exam by NYC Educator In the old days, English and ESL teachers used to grade the English Regents exam. There would be days set aside for grading, and the teachers would sit and grade. This, however, was a terrible system, because all teachers are assumed to be dishonest, and are also assumed to pass all their own students for no reason whatsoever. In January, a new system was begun. English teachers traveled to grading centers throughout the city... more »

Louisiana Educator: Career Diploma Promoted

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Louisiana Educator: Career Diploma Promoted: Career Diploma Promoted by Michael Deshotels Superintendent White has just launched a major effort to breathe life into the Career Diploma. Why is this necessary when Louisiana is in the middle of implementing the common core curriculum? Why another major initiative? Let's look at the recent history of the high school diploma in Louisiana. Louisiana education leaders have been on a mission to upgrade our high school curriculum for at least ten years now. The revelation by the Board of Regents several years ago that only 23% of our stude... more »

Pritzker – Public School Closings – Charter School Profits – Jail Program Investments – Goldman Sachs – Preschool Program Loans – Secretary of Commerce – Election Financing – ????? | Reclaim Reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Pritzker – Public School Closings – Charter School Profits – Jail Program Investments – Goldman Sachs – Preschool Program Loans – Secretary of Commerce – Election Financing – ????? | Reclaim Reform: [image: Pritzker Penny]Pritzker – Public School Closings – Charter School Profits – Jail Program Investments – Goldman Sachs – Preschool Program Loans – Secretary of Commerce – Election Financing – ????? by kenpreviti Penny Pritzker, Secretary of Commerce nominee and the billionaire Hyatt heiress who helped finance President Obama’s election, is the same person who, while an appointed Ch... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 6-15-13

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* STATE BOARD OF ED HANDED JOB OF DEFINING RULES OF NEW FUNDING SYSTEM + smf’s 2¢ smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 20 hours ago By John Fensterwald | EdSource Today http://bit.ly/10ipL1R June 14th, 2013 | The Legislature will vote today on a bill establishing Gov. Brown’s historic school funding system that punts to the State Board of Education some key decisions on how dollars for disadvantaged students must be spent and accounted for. The language for implementing the Local... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 6-15-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Education Research Report *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Moral vs. Performance Character Development in Urban Adolescents Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago This study compared the effects of emphasizing moral character development or performance character development at three high-performing, high-poverty urban middle schools. Performance character consists of the qualities that allow individuals to regulate their thoughts and actions in ways that support achievement in a particular endeavor. Moral character consists of the qualities relevant t... more »

All Week 6-15-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] Merrow Is a Jolly Fellow (Not) plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 hour ago I hate even to acknowledge John Merrow’s most recent venture into not having a clue, but his attempt at humor is yet more evidence that the evidence doesn’t matter: The Common Core and the End of the World In Merrow’s evidence-free world, all who question the Mighty Common Core are nothing more than end-of-the-world loonies. […] Report Back from the Trigger Happy Parent Revolution’s “Meet and Greet” with teachers and social justice o... more »

Ed Notes Online: Retired Chapter Leader Slams UFT in Eval Deal, ATRs and Support for RTTT

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Ed Notes Online: Retired Chapter Leader Slams UFT in Eval Deal, ATRs and Support for RTTT: Retired Chapter Leader Slams UFT in Eval Deal, ATRs and Support for RTTT by ed notes online *The UFT claims we should be treated the same as regular teachers but they seem to have abandoned us and are sliding away from all members concerns....I and several others approached Amy, Jose and the other UFT leaders at the one ATR meeting and expressed our desire to contribute to the UFT our unique perspectives and substantiated concerns about violations to our contract. The UFT was not interested ... more »

More special-ed kids head to traditional schools - LA Daily News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

More special-ed kids head to traditional schools - LA Daily News: More special-ed kids head to traditional schools By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer Posted: 06/14/2013 07:02:06 PM PDT Updated: 06/14/2013 08:03:44 PM PDT April Muñoz and daughter Ashley take their message to the streets Friday, June 7, 2013 in Reseda, where they urged residents to protest LAUSD s plan to phase out some of its special-education centers. (Dean Musgrove/Staff Photographer) Los Angeles Unified will shift hundreds of disabled students from special-education centers to traditional schools this fall as it ... more »

Merrow's Mockery Misses the Mark on Common Core - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Merrow's Mockery Misses the Mark on Common Core - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Merrow's Mockery Misses the Mark on Common Core by Anthony Cody John Merrow is an intelligent man. But his latest post, The Common Core and the End of the World, is disappointing. First, rather than address the concerns raised by Common Core critics, Merrow compares us all to religious doomsayers like Pope Innocent III ("The world will end in 1284") and Cotton Mather ("Yea verily, the world will end in 1697"). As Merrow should know, critiques of the Common Core by myself and other writer... more »

Daily Kos: excuse my random thoughts on a Friday evening

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Daily Kos: excuse my random thoughts on a Friday evening: excuse my random thoughts on a Friday evening by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Today Leaves on the Current and I traveled to Jefferson County WV where we attended the spring version of the Mountain Heritage Arts and Crafts Fair. We have been going now for 30 years, at least once a year. Some of the craftspeople we most admire no longer come to this fair, but there are others we see regularly - painter Jefferson Stokes, and scrimshaw and jewelry artist Cathy Guss. We own multiple pieces by both, we always stop and chat, ... more »