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Monday, April 29, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 4-29-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS



Modern School: Terrorist Teachers Threatened in Mexico

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 38 seconds ago
Modern School: Terrorist Teachers Threatened in Mexico: Terrorist Teachers Threatened in Mexico by Michael Dunn *REALLY "BAD" TEACHERS* The U.S. may have initiated the absurd propagandistic ploy of equating teachers with terrorists back when Bush’s Education Secretary, Reid Lyon, called the National Educators Association a terrorist organization.* *However, the Mexican state has taken it a step further, issuing arrest orders against Minervino Morán and Gonzalo Juárez, leaders of the Guerrero Teachers Union (*Coordinadora Estatal de Trabajadores de la Educación en Guerrero,* CETEG).... more »

Louisiana Educator: Let the People Choose Our Next State Superintendent

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 38 seconds ago
Louisiana Educator: Let the People Choose Our Next State Superintendent: Let the People Choose Our Next State Superintendent by Michael Deshotels I once thought that it made sense to have BESE appoint the State Superintendent. The idea was that BESE could take applications from all over the country and from Louisiana in search of the most qualified candidate. You know, someone who has been properly trained in the field of education and who has devoted many years to his/her craft as a teacher and an administrator. Someone who has dealt first hand with the problems of properly educ... more »

The Principal’s Dilemma as Mock Trial: Ed Law Colleagues Please Provide Your Opinions! | School Finance 101

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 38 seconds ago
The Principal’s Dilemma as Mock Trial: Ed Law Colleagues Please Provide Your Opinions! | School Finance 101: The Principal’s Dilemma as Mock Trial: Ed Law Colleagues Please Provide Your Opinions! by schoolfinance101 The following is a hypothetical case I am using as the culminating activity in Public School Law this semester. *The Dismissal of Principal X* Principal X is principal in a local public middle school in a state that has recently adopted through legislation, articulated with greater precision in state department of education regulations, a new teacher evaluation scheme... more »

Hudson Valley parents to state: Don't share students' data with corporations

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 38 seconds ago
Hudson Valley parents to state: Don't share students' data with corporations: Hudson Valley parents to state: Don't share students' data with corporations Published: April 28, 2013 8:56 AM By MEGHAN E. MURPHY meghan.murphy@cablevision.com [image: Many Hudson Valley parents and educators oppose a]Photo credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr. | Many Hudson Valley parents and educators oppose a New York State Education Department project that they say would give access to student data to private education corporations. (March 27, 2013) Hudson Valley parents and educators are digging in... more »

What we can learn from the rise and fall of Michelle Rhee

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
What we can learn from the rise and fall of Michelle Rhee: What we can learn from the rise and fall of Michelle Rhee by JASON STANFORD on APRIL 17, 2013 At some point, we need to stop believing in miracles, at least in education. While we’re still getting over the RICO indictments handed down in the Atlanta cheating scandal comes the revelation that the success Michelle Rhee achieved as the “no excuses” superintendent of Washington, D.C.’s public schools was the product of massive cheating. Those asking why Rhee isn’t under indictment just like her former colleague in Atlanta are ... more »

Parents United Top 10 questions on the District budget | Parents United for Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Parents United Top 10 questions on the District budget | Parents United for Public Education: Parents United Top 10 questions on the District budget by parentsunitedphila Parents United absolutely supports the District’s request of $60 million from the City, however, we ask City Council to consider the following: - The District must immediate re-do its budget. It is irresponsible for City leaders and city residents to support $60 million in funds when there is no indication of how those funds will be spent. The District chose to zero out essential supports in schools w... more »

Five Questions for Arne Duncan - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Five Questions for Arne Duncan - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Five Questions for Arne Duncan by Anthony Cody On Thursday, May 2nd, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be speaking to a luncheon that is part of theEducation Writers' Association seminar at Stanford University. The event is oversold, so although I am attending the conference, I am not going to be at the luncheon. And since I am only a blogger, rather than a "working reporter," I would not be among those allowed to ask questions of the Secretary of Education in any case. Secretary Duncan will also... more »

Mother Crusader: Why On Earth Does My Daughter Have To Take This Test?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Mother Crusader: Why On Earth Does My Daughter Have To Take This Test?: Why On Earth Does My Daughter Have To Take This Test? by darciecima NJ Opt Out 2013 is underway! Today is day one of NJASK for 7th and 8th grade, and parents across the state are doing what it takes to say NOWAY to the NJASK. Between now and the end of testing season I hope to bring you the stories of opt outers and test refusers across New Jersey. The movement is growing, and each year more parents become engaged in the struggle to take back public education from the private interests that have invaded o... more »

In the belly of the beast. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
In the belly of the beast. | Fred Klonsky: In the belly of the beast. by Fred Klonsky [image: 353375761_belly_of_the_beast_cover_3_answer_9_xlarge]I have already reported that we had our first meeting of the Skokie Chapter of IEA Retired. Although we know that there are over 400 dues-paying members of IEA – R living in the area covered by the Skokie office of IEA, there has been no chapter. It is hard to pin down the reasons for this, but no matter. We have one now. At our first meeting we made plans for Lobby Day on May 15th. There was some discussion about whether we should all go... more »

Day of the Teacher 2013 - California Teachers Association

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Day of the Teacher 2013 - California Teachers Association: *Hover mouse over poster to share.* To download a wallpaper of the California Day of the Teacher poster, select your screen resolution width:1024, 1280, 1600, 1920, 2048. California Teachers: Honoring our past. Guiding the future. On May 8, 2013 we will mark the 31th anniversary of California’s Day of the Teacher. To honor teachers and the 150th anniversary of CTA, we have chosen “*California Teachers: Honoring the Past, Guiding the Future*” as this year’s theme. CTA has been making a positive impact on education for 150 yea... more »

Daily Kos: Monica Ratliff for Los Angeles School Board

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Daily Kos: Monica Ratliff for Los Angeles School Board: Monica Ratliff for Los Angeles School Board by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) *The following is the contents of this blog post by Diane Ravitch, cross-posted here with her permission and encouragement. If you want to stop the corporate takeover of public education, this is a place you can help make a stand* There is a big race in Los Angeles on May 21. It is a run-off that will determine who controls the board. There are two candidates. One–Monica Ratliff–is a working classroom teacher, the other worked on the staff of corpor... more »

Shanker Blog » How Important Is Undergraduate Teaching In Public R1 Universities? How Important Should It Be?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Shanker Blog » How Important Is Undergraduate Teaching In Public R1 Universities? How Important Should It Be?: How Important Is Undergraduate Teaching In Public R1 Universities? How Important Should It Be? by Ian Robinson *Our guest author today is Ian Robinson, Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and in the Residential College’s interdisciplinary Social Theory and Practice program at the University of Michigan.* I ended my previous post by arguing that (1) if teaching is at least as valuable as research, and (2) nontenure-track (NTT) faculty teach at least as well as tenure-... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-29-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] NYC Mayoral Education Debate, May 2 in Brooklyn by dianerav Want to know where the Democratic primary candidates stand on education? Ask!View this email in your browser *A forum on the future of public education*in NYCwith Democratic primary mayoralcandidatesModerated by*Diane Ravitch* Thursday May 2nd 5:30-7:00 pm PS 29 (425 Henry Street, Brooklyn) What do 800,000+ New Yorkers have in common? We are NYC public school parents. And Parents Ask Questions. Ask You... more »

Dannel’s Spring Break 2013 – The White House Correspondent’s Dinner April, 27 2013 - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Dannel’s Spring Break 2013 – The White House Correspondent’s Dinner April, 27 2013 - Wait, What?: Dannel’s Spring Break 2013 – The White House Correspondent’s Dinner April, 27 2013 by jonpelto *“Malloy’s office issued no press release”* is what the Hartford Courant reported, but our governor flew off to Washington D.C on Friday to join Conan O’Brien, Barbara Streisand, Kevin Spacey and a host of movie stars and media personalities at Saturday night’s White House Correspondent’s Dinner. Or as Justin Bieber puts it in his “hit song” “Party like it is 3012″; *“Show you off, tonight... more »

Fewer, Clearer, Higher – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Fewer, Clearer, Higher – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Fewer, Clearer, Higher APRIL 29, 2013 BY KRIS NIELSEN LEAVE A COMMENT I’m staying up way too late–again–preparing for a lecture series that I will be doing in some communities in eastern New York and Delaware, and I finally gathered all of the ELA standards for Kindergarten. I’m going to paste them here (at the risk of being busted with the fair use policy). As you peruse them, remember the motto that has been thrown around for CCSS: “fewer, clearer, higher.” Focus on the first two words. Oh, by the way, these are f... more »

Serious Problems Remain for Stargel, Trujillo and Rhee on Parent Trigger Petition | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Serious Problems Remain for Stargel, Trujillo and Rhee on Parent Trigger Petition | Scathing Purple Musings: Serious Problems Remain for Stargel, Trujillo and Rhee on Parent Trigger Petition by Bob Sikes As Kelli Stargel take to the Senate floor today to defend her Parent Trigger bill, she will be wondering whether or not it was a good idea to get involved with Michelle Rhee. There were likely to be enough votes and political muscle behind it without having to resort to submitting a fraudulent petition into the debate. But Stargel and House sponsor Carlos Trujillo were getting... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Get Ready For DESE BINGO May 2nd

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Get Ready For DESE BINGO May 2nd: Get Ready For DESE BINGO May 2nd by Anngie *Something a little light hearted for those of you who have been following Common Core for a while and are getting tired of the buzz words.* Here is a BINGO card you can use at the May 2nd meetings hosted by DESE to talk about Common Core. Check off every buzz word or phrase you hear. If you complete a row you are a winner, although there are no real winners with Common Core. Click here for a downloadable pdf of the card. Check back on Friday and let us know which row(s) you... more »

Daily Kos: "the economy is not like an individual family."

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Daily Kos: "the economy is not like an individual family.": "the economy is not like an individual family." by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) As Paul Krugman put it in The Story of Our Time, his Monday *New York Times* column, "may be the most crucial thing to understand" in what he offers in his "refresher" necessary to understand our current economic problems. It is clearly written, very much to the point. It is yet another example of why I wonder when Krugman will get the Pulitzer for commentary he deserves every bit as much as his Nobel Memorial Prize for Economics. He explains... more »

Jersey Jazzman: EXCLUSIVE: Newark Memo Shows Another Cerf Crony Enriched

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: EXCLUSIVE: Newark Memo Shows Another Cerf Crony Enriched: EXCLUSIVE: Newark Memo Shows Another Cerf Crony Enriched by Duke Last week, I blogged about how the state-appointed administration of the Newark Public Schools (NPS) had lost credibility with students, teachers, and even its own "advisory board." Superintendent Cami Anderson, hand picked by Governor Chris Christie and Education Commissioner Cerf, has been taking a lot of knocks over budgeting and a lack of transparency. After this post, I'm afraid things are bound to get worse: *I've just come into possessi... more »

California earns mediocre marks on national study of early childhood education | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
California earns mediocre marks on national study of early childhood education | EdSource Today: California earns mediocre marks on national study of early childhood education - by Lillian Mongeau by Lillian Mongeau [image: girl at water table]Vannesa Carreto, 4, plays at the water table at the Creative Montessori Learning Center in East Palo Alto in March . Credit: Lillian Mongeau, EdSource Today California earned a lackluster rating on state spending, preschool access and program quality for early childhood education for the 2011-12 school year, according to the annual State of ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: What's the no-so-hidden curriculum at Walter Payton College Prep? by Mike Klonsky I know that Payton kids score high on standardized tests. The question is, what are they learning? What's the hidden curriculum? Payton was in the news twice last week. Once for being the school of choice for the rich and powerful within CPS's two-tier system of supposedly public education. The other for its refusal to allow their baseball team to play a game at predominantly-black Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep in Roseland. Don't you love all this *Co... more »

StudentsFirst ‘parent trigger’ petition: Phony signatures?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
StudentsFirst ‘parent trigger’ petition: Phony signatures?: StudentsFirst ‘parent trigger’ petition: Phony signatures? Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 29, 2013 at 6:00 am 1 Comments More [image: petition2]A petition in support of “parent trigger” legislation in Florida spearheaded by StudentsFirst, Michelle Rhee’s education advocacy group, apparently has numerous signatures on it from people who say they didn’t sign it. That’s what the Miami Herald/Times reported in this story after questions were raised about the authenticity of signatures on the petition and reporters sent e-ma... more »

First academic study of controversial LA Unified teacher evaluation program | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
First academic study of controversial LA Unified teacher evaluation program | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: First academic study of controversial LA Unified teacher evaluation program by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez [image: Mercer 6805]*Pilot program using student tests scores to evaluate teacher gets its own good grade in first study.; Credit: Tim Boyle/Getty Images News* An academic study of a teacher evaluation method that looks at how much teachers are able to improve students' test scores gave the pilot program a good grade. But the study comes too late -- the teacher's union and Los Angele... more »

Preschool Funding Reached 'State Of Emergency' In 2012: NIEER Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Preschool Funding Reached 'State Of Emergency' In 2012: NIEER Report: Preschool Funding Reached 'State Of Emergency' In 2012: NIEER Report by Joy Resmovits States are drastically underfunding programs for their youngest learners now more than ever, according to a report released Monday, even as researchers and policymakers increasingly point to pre-school as a ladder to the middle class. Funding per student for state pre-school programs has reached its lowest point in a decade, according to "The State of Preschool 2012," the annual yearbook released by Rutgers University's Nation... more »

Where Is The Middle Ground In The Education Debate

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Where Is The Middle Ground In The Education Debate: Where Is The Middle Ground In The Education Debate By Jeff Bryant | October 13, 2011 By the time that July slips slowly off the calendar, events this month — culminating with an upcoming teacher/parent-organized *march on the nation’s capital* – will have clarified all too well the lay of the land in the debate on the fate of our nation’s public schools. And no, education is not “the new abortion,” as was recently declared in *this article* by Richard Whitmire, author of *The Bee Eater: Michelle Rhee Takes on the Nation’s Worst Sch... more »

The Educated Reporter: State Spending on Preschool Hits 10-Year Low as Policymakers Push for Federal Investment

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: State Spending on Preschool Hits 10-Year Low as Policymakers Push for Federal Investment: State Spending on Preschool Hits 10-Year Low as Policymakers Push for Federal Investment by Emily Richmond Even as President Obama launches a massive push expand preschool opportunities for young children, early childhood education advocates are expressing dismay over a new report that access and funding have hit 10-year lows. The president's plan would expand opportunities for families that don't have the means to pay for private preschool programs but also earn too m... more »

Analysis: Experience in Florida suggests caution with teacher evaluations not a bad idea SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: Analysis: Experience in Florida suggests caution with teacher evaluations not a bad idea *By Tom Chorneau* Monday, April 29, 2013 Last week California lawmakers failed for a second consecutive year to find agreement on a new system for evaluating classroom educators – shooting down in the state Senate what the author called a modest proposal requiring districts to use multiple measurements in performing evaluations at least every three years for veteran personnel. The legislation faced stiff opposition from the state’s powerful teachers u... more »

Moms’ group shakes up status quo on Texas’ testing regimen | www.statesman.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Moms’ group shakes up status quo on Texas’ testing regimen | www.statesman.com: Moms’ group shakes up status quo on Texas’ testing regimen - COMMENT(2) - 3 594 9 617 Related View Larger [image: Moms’ group shakes up status quo on Texas’ testing regimen photo] Rodolfo Gonzalez The leaders of Texans Advocating For Meaningful Student Assessments have sparked a statewide parent movement to curtail standardized testing. By Kate Alexander American-Statesman Staff They were dismissed as moms, overprotective and easily manipulated moms. But those women, determined to protect their ch... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle MAP Protest Goes On (and Goes International)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle MAP Protest Goes On (and Goes International): Seattle MAP Protest Goes On (and Goes International) by Melissa Westbrook There is a press conference tomorrow by the Seattle teachers/staff against MAP testing to announce the boycott for the next round of testing is to grow larger. (They will be announcing new schools joining in.) Their message to the district; Don't Renew the MAP Contract. The MAP contract expires this spring and the call is for the Superintendent to decline to renew the contract with NWEA. From the press release: *Garfi... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: In Advance of the Mayoral Forums

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: In Advance of the Mayoral Forums: In Advance of the Mayoral Forums by Melissa Westbrook The King County Democrats had their endorsement interviews this weekend and have put up the questionaires that each candidate filled out. Very illuminating. To note: - Murray, Martin, Harrell, Steinbrueck all say no to charters (and vouchers) - Burgess and McGinn gave "qualified" answers to charters. Here they are: Burgess *I did not support the charter school campaign last year as I viewed that effort as a distraction from some of the larger is... more »

Changing Membership, Changing Electorate | JD2718

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Changing Membership, Changing Electorate | JD2718: Changing Membership, Changing Electorate by jd2718 This is a time series of charts, showing UFT membership and votes by division for the 2004, 2007, 2010, and 2013 elections. I created the charts from the numbers of ballots mailed and the number of ballots returned, which has been part of the reported election results, including this year. Raw numbers, by division, by year, with turnout percentages are included at the bottom of this post. *Members by Division, by year* *[image: UFT Members by Division by Year]* *Voters by Division, b... more »

Gov. Brown Calls for Redistribution of School Funding :: Fox&Hounds

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Gov. Brown Calls for Redistribution of School Funding :: Fox&Hounds: Gov. Brown Calls for Redistribution of School Funding [image: Katy Grimes] By Katy Grimes Calwatchdog.com news reporter Thursday, April 25th, 2013 [image: http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com] Citing a lack of civil rights and social inequities as what is wrong with California public schools, Gov. Jerry Brown vowed Wednesday at a Capitol press conference to give more money to the K-12 school districts that serve poorer students and English-language learners. Brown said state funding needs to balance social equity and ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Failure to Manage

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Failure to Manage: Failure to Manage by Charlie Mas The core mission of Seattle Public Schools is to educate students. The executives and managers in the District who are most directly responsible for the accomplishment of that mission are: - Superintendent, Jose Banda - Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, Michael Tolley - Executive Director of Curriculum and Instructional Support, Shauna Heath - Executive Directors of Schools, Marni Campbell, Carmela Dellino, Kim Whitworth - Principals I don't know about yo... more »

Chicago Student Boycott: Israel and Malcolm set the record straight – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Chicago Student Boycott: Israel and Malcolm set the record straight – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Chicago Student Boycott: Israel and Malcolm set the record straight by Timothy D. Slekar “Hundreds of Chicago students are taking up the mantle in the fight against the role of standardized tests in public school closures as they walked out of a state exam Wednesday. Their message: “We are over-tested, under-resourced and fed up!” Common Dreams. “The only place that students should be during the school day is in the classroom with their teachers getting the education they ...more »

inBloom. Colorado. May 16th. Be Informed. | United Opt Out National

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
inBloom. Colorado. May 16th. Be Informed. | United Opt Out National: inBloom. Colorado. May 16th. Be Informed. by admin Did you know that Jefferson County Public Schools will share confidential and personal student records with a corporation and store them on a data “cloud” without parental consent? Did you know that this corporation, called inBloom, Inc., intends to share the information with vendors to help them develop and market their “learning products?” The data will include children’s name, address, email, test scores, racial, economic and special education status, and may... more »

Peg with Pen: Open the Door. Speak Loudly.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Peg with Pen: Open the Door. Speak Loudly.: Open the Door. Speak Loudly. by Peggy In light of what has happened to teachers this week who have been fired, disciplined and reprimanded by those who wish to silence us - see here, here, and here - this is my response: Teachers are public intellectuals - this includes being involved in politics and advocating for our students - this is part of our job. The mantra of "shut the door and do what is best for your students" is simply not good enough anymore. We must open the door and speak loudly.

“It’s our democracy, stupid.” | Deborah Meier on Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
“It’s our democracy, stupid.” | Deborah Meier on Education: “It’s our democracy, stupid.” by debmeier Friends, The continued existence of democracy, much less an even stronger one, is what is in a crisis. The “school crisis”, along with many others, is a distraction. Just a symptom of the more serious crisis we face. Schools are simply one of our many institutions that are under attack. The very “idea” of democracy is being undermined over and over again–and its not easy for me to see how we can put humpty-dumpty together again. Because it’s democracy that is the real basis for t... more »

NYC Educator: Unity Loyalty

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
NYC Educator: Unity Loyalty: Unity Loyalty by NYC Educator There's a thread on Gotham Schools that's interesting not so much for its content, that Mulgrew won, but rather for its comment thread. Particularly interesting is the Unity fan, one "Les Vegas." Les has strong opinions about MORE. .*..you were running a slate of unqualified candidates, several with radical practices.* This is a theme that comes up whenever anyone has the temerity to oppose the Unity stranglehold on power. They're unqualified and incapable. I remember Unity calling New Action, "No Action" back in the eig... more »

3 Things That Show Strength, Not Weakness | Connected Principals

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
3 Things That Show Strength, Not Weakness | Connected Principals: 3 Things That Show Strength, Not Weakness by George Couros cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by phalinn As a student, I had a specific notion of what a principal should be and in my head they were similar to the “Wizard of Oz”; a person that hid behind the curtain but had all of the knowledge in the world. I would say that when I became a teacher, that notion carried over. They would always have the answer and be the place where the “buck stops”. Working closely with my last couple of principals though, I sa... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Ouch. These Common Core Meetings Didn't Go So Well for School District Officials

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Ouch. These Common Core Meetings Didn't Go So Well for School District Officials: Ouch. These Common Core Meetings Didn't Go So Well for School District Officials by stlgretchen Concerns about the Common Core adoption and implementation keep surfacing about the lack of transparency in the process and the lack of any pilot studies providing research based documentation of CCSS proponent claims. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent by the states who must adhere to the mandates drawn up by the two private trade organizations, the National Gove... more »

Ed Notes Online: 500 Rally at Tweed to Protest Testing Policy Organized by Change the Stakes, Parent Voices and TOFT

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: 500 Rally at Tweed to Protest Testing Policy Organized by Change the Stakes, Parent Voices and TOFT: 500 Rally at Tweed to Protest Testing Policy Organized by Change the Stakes, Parent Voices and TOFT by ed notes online A Young MOREFriday many of us in MORE attended one of the best rallies we've been part of on the steps of Tweed which were packed with parents, teachers and children protesting high stakes tests with many MORE tee-shirts in the crowd. Change the Stakes has emerged out of a committee set up by GEM 2 years ago and has grown into a powerful parent advo... more »

Colorado Student Activists: Join us May 10th | United Opt Out National

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Colorado Student Activists: Join us May 10th | United Opt Out National: Colorado Student Activists: Join us May 10th by admin Post navigation← Previous COLORADO STUDENT ACTIVISTS: JOIN US MAY 10TH Posted on April 28, 2013 April 28th, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WHAT: Students standing up for our education WHEN: May 10th, 2013 from 1:30 – 5:00pm WHERE: West Steps of the Colorado State Capitol On a student retreat in March, student leaders in Colorado decided that more actions needed to take place to fix our public school system. From there, three student leaders went to Washington D.C... more »

Research on Reforms Our mission is to contribute to the improvement of the New Orleans Public Schools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Research on Reforms: Our mission is to contribute to the improvement of the New Orleans Public Schools by conducting research on reforms, and publishing research findings, so that successful reforms can be replicated, and failing practices can be eliminated. Our organization goals and our mission are founded upon the premise that effective education policies and practices: 1. Promote equal access and quality education for all students, 2. Are research-based and data-driven, and 3. Reflect an understanding of how children learn and how schools become effectiv... more »

Wresting the Public’s Rights: Lawsuits Against White, LDOE et al. | deutsch29

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Wresting the Public’s Rights: Lawsuits Against White, LDOE et al. | deutsch29: Wresting the Public’s Rights: Lawsuits Against White, LDOE et al. by deutsch29 Corporate reform thrusts ahead with little regard for what is legal or even decent. Privatizers are just fine with forcing those whose lives they callously damage to spend both money and time in litigation in order to gain what they were legally entitled to in the first place. I’m sure Eli Broad would be proud. He probably offers *Make the “Non-talented” Waste Their Resources on Needless Litigation* as a course at his (We ... more »

UPDATE: The world has lost a giant Daily Kos: Religious indoctrination in the military is now a serious issue

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Daily Kos: Religious indoctrination in the military is now a serious issue: The world has lost a giant - Janos Starker by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) He was 88. Since 1958 he taught at the Jacobs School of Music at the University of Indiana. He was, simply put, one of the greatest cellists to ever live. I offer that evaluation as one who was himself as an adolescent a very serious cellist and as one who had the opportunity to play in an orchestra behind him. perhaps this will give you a sense of his mastery: Popout He was, according to friends who studied at Indiana, an absolutely s... more »

Diane in the Evening 4-28-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Jeff Bryant: Why There Is No Middle Ground by dianerav Earlier today there was a good exchange on the idea of finding common ground. Robert Shepherd explained why it should happen, and Ira Shor said it would not happen in light of the unreasonable attacks on teachers and public schools. As it happens, Jeff Bryant addressed the same issues two years ago.. He commented today: “Why there is not a middle ground in the education debate: Dayne Sherman: Jindal’s War Against the People of Louisiana by dianerav Dayne S... more »

Pre #commoncore kindergarten and #commoncore kindergarten – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Pre #commoncore kindergarten and #commoncore kindergarten – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Pre #commoncore kindergarten and #commoncore kindergarten by Timothy D. Slekar Thanks to Sara Wottwa for the image collections below. You can read about these images on her blog at http://nocommonsenseeducation.blogspot.com/2013/04/kindergarten-comparison.html . Kindergarten (Pre Common Core) [image: CAM00512-1] Common Core Kindergarten [image: Mikey's Kindergarten Experience] It’s never too early to start getting your five-year olds ready for college and careers! Someone has to ... more »

No Rich Child Left Behind - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
No Rich Child Left Behind - NYTimes.com: No Rich Child Left BehindBy SEAN F. REARDON Here’s a fact that may not surprise you: the children of the rich perform better in school, on average, than children from middle-class or poor families. Students growing up in richer families have better grades and higher standardized test scores, on average, than poorer students; they also have higher rates of participation in extracurricular activities and school leadership positions, higher graduation rates and higher rates of college enrollment and completion. Whether you think it deeply unj... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Important! Attorney handling class action lawsuit vs. NYS exams wants to hear from NYS parents

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Important! Attorney handling class action lawsuit vs. NYS exams wants to hear from NYS parents: Important! Attorney handling class action lawsuit vs. NYS exams wants to hear from NYS parents by Leonie Haimson Van White, the attorney handling the class action lawsuit of parents whose child was punished for opting out of the state exams in the Rochester area, is looking for information from New York state parents, to be sent to him at van.white@thelegalbrief.com. More specifically, he would like to hear from parents if their children opted out of thes... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Seattle Schools This Week by Melissa Westbrook *Monday, April 29th* Special meeting of Audit& Finance. One thing on the agenda - potential RIF presentation by HR head, Paul Apostle. Also, if you wish to speak at the School Board meeting on Wednesday, you can start calling/writing at 8 am on Monday. *Tuesday, April 30th* Charter Commission Meeting in Bellevue from 10 am - 5 p.m. at the Bellevue Arts Museum. Agenda. Open to the public (and people do come and go). They will be having an Executive Session first thing unti... more »

Florida approves online-only public university education - Yahoo! News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Florida approves online-only public university education - Yahoo! News: Florida approves online-only public university educationBy Bill Cotterell | Reuters – Sat, Apr 27, 2013 *Con Academy * *Browse Con Academy library of over 3,100 educational videos...* TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - Public university students in Florida next year will be able to start working toward college degrees without actually going to college, under a law Governor Rick Scott signed on Monday in front of educators and business lobbyists. The state-run University of Florida plans to start a series of onlin... more »

Obama’s big second-term education problem

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Obama’s big second-term education problem: Obama’s big second-term education problem Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 28, 2013 at 12:48 pm 0 Comments More [image: President Obama and Arne Duncan (ed.gov)] President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. (ed.gov) President Obama has a big problem in his second term in terms of education policy: his first term. Obama and his education secretary, Arne Duncan, pushed hard in their first term to have a major impact on changing public schools with a larger-than-ever federal role in school policy issues that affected every single cla... more »

Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court To Bribing New York City Department Of Education Employee In Furtherance Of $2.7 Million Fraud Parent Advocates

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Parent Advocates - ParentAdvocates.org: Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court To Bribing New York City Department Of Education Employee In Furtherance Of $2.7 Million Fraud Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NELSON RUIZ pled guilty today to defrauding the New York City Department of Education (“DOE”) out of approximately $2.7 million and to bribing a DOE employee in furtherance of the fraud scheme. RUIZ pled guilty in Manhattan federal court before U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl. Pree... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Teachers Punished When They Question Authority

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Teachers Punished When They Question Authority: Teachers Punished When They Question Authority by Duke One of the friends of this blog is teacher/blogger @rratto; he's reposted and retweeted me more times than I could count, which I very much appreciate. So this is hardly an unbiased opinion on my part; nevertheless, the story he is telling at his blog is shocking and disturbing: It all began Wednesday evening with the following “tweets”; [image: tweet ccss] My initial tweet was an editorial comment based on a Common Core standard (which includes a similar example ... more »

Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky: Sunday reads. by Fred Klonsky [image: 2013_04_27_CM9] *Photo: Chicagoist.com Friday’s Chicago Critical Mass bike ride in support of keeping all Chicago public schools open. * *Did you watch the game?** ‘‘Grueling,’’ *Hinrich said in summing up the Bulls’ Game 4 victory at the United Center.* ‘‘It was just one of those games that everyone is going to be talking about for a while.’’* *One year moratorium* on virtual charters. *Family wealth* is still the greatest predictor of school success. *Life in Rahm’s Chicago.* Alderman’s sister gets a key post in CP... more »

Connecting test scores to teacher evaluations: Why not? | Dangerously Irrelevant

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Connecting test scores to teacher evaluations: Why not? | Dangerously Irrelevant: Connecting test scores to teacher evaluations: Why not? by dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod) Mike Wiser at The Quad-City Times reported today on the controversy here in Iowa around connecting student test scores to teacher evaluations (aka ‘value-added modeling’ or ‘VAM’). Last week I shared the research and prevailing opinion of scholars supporting why this should not be done. In the article, notes that ‘teacher accountability has to be be part of it, or it’s not reform.’ This is consonant w... more »

Short Notes: Disempowerment Is A Cooperative Act | The Jose Vilson

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Short Notes: Disempowerment Is A Cooperative Act | The Jose Vilson: Short Notes: Disempowerment Is A Cooperative Act by Jose Vilson [image: Sabrina Stevens at TEDxNYED, Brooklyn Tech] Sabrina Stevens at TEDxNYED, Brooklyn Tech A few things: - The Atlantic’s John Tierney joins in the chorus of the annoyed in this essay about the Atlanta / Washington DC cheating scandals and its ramifications for education reform. [The Atlantic] - Michael Doyle makes a clear argument for the village raising the child. [BHS Doyle] - Florida’s investigating K-12 Inc. Hate to use the wo... more »

Rhee, Stargel Got Some ‘Splainin’ to do About Those Parent Trigger Petition Signatures | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Rhee, Stargel Got Some ‘Splainin’ to do About Those Parent Trigger Petition Signatures | Scathing Purple Musings: Rhee, Stargel Got Some ‘Splainin’ to do About Those Parent Trigger Petition Signatures by Bob Sikes Yes, they did: 9 No, they didn’t: 9 (Updates as responses arrive) Kathleen McGrory’s story that appeared in the *Miami Herald *on Friday included revelations that two people on the list of Parent Trigger supporters Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst submitted to Lakeland Senator Kelli Stargel never signed the petition. One confirmed that she did. Scathing Purple Musings... more »

Remarks by The President at The White House Correspondents' Association Dinner | The White House

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Remarks by The President at The White House Correspondents' Association Dinner | The White House: Remarks by The President at The White House Correspondents' Association Dinner by The White House Washington Hilton Hotel, Washington, D.C. 10:14 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you, everybody. (Laughter.) How do you like my new entrance music? (Applause.) Rush Limbaugh warned you about this -- second term, baby. (Laughter and applause.) We’re changing things around here a little bit. (Laughter.) Actually, my advisors were a little worried about the new rap ent... more »

Duncan Protest Planned at AERA – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Duncan Protest Planned at AERA – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Duncan Protest Planned at AERA by Jim Horn For the first time since I can remember some members of the American Educational Research Association (AERA)—the largest association of educators and educational researchers in the world—are taking a public stand at AERA’s annual meeting in San Francisco against the corporatization, standardization and privatization of education. [image: reclaimaera-thumbnail]Sadly, the leadership of AERA has invited Arne Duncan, who represents and supports the technocratic, dehumaniz... more »













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Modern School: Terrorist Teachers Threatened in Mexico

Modern School: Terrorist Teachers Threatened in Mexico:


Terrorist Teachers Threatened in Mexico

by Michael Dunn
REALLY "BAD" TEACHERS

The U.S. may have initiated the absurd propagandistic ploy of equating teachers with terrorists back when Bush’s Education Secretary, Reid Lyon, called the National Educators Association a terrorist organization. However, the Mexican state has taken it a step further, issuing arrest orders against Minervino Morán and Gonzalo Juárez, leaders of the Guerrero Teachers Union (Coordinadora Estatal de Trabajadores de la Educación en Guerrero, CETEG).

The arrest order was issued by Angel Aguirre Rivero, governor of the state of Guerrero, charging the two as instigators of the uprising of teachers who are opposing President Enrique Peña Nieto’s free market reform agenda. Aguirre has accused the two of being “vandals” and “delinquents,” and, more alarmingly, with being connected to the ERPI guerrilla movement, 
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Louisiana Educator: Let the People Choose Our Next State Superintendent

Louisiana Educator: Let the People Choose Our Next State Superintendent:


Let the People Choose Our Next State Superintendent

by Michael Deshotels


I once thought that it made sense to have BESE appoint the State Superintendent. The idea was that BESE could take applications from all over the country and from Louisiana in search of the most qualified candidate. You know, someone who has been properly trained in the field of education and who has devoted many years to his/her craft as a teacher and an administrator. Someone who has dealt first hand with the problems of properly educating the students who come to our schools with all manner of abilities, gifts, and handicaps. It just so happens we have many such professional educators here in Louisiana who could compete very favorably with out of state candidates.

Unfortunately, in recent years it has not worked out that way. BESE has simply waived all the important qualifications for Superintendent in favor of candidates with no training, no experience, and only bogus reformist ideology. First we had the appointment of a lawyer who had no training in education except for his service on BESE, who was appointed Superintendent based on his politics. He was a disaster in my opinion because he put Louisiana on this insane path of excessive standardized testing and systematic misuse of testing to the 
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The Principal’s Dilemma as Mock Trial: Ed Law Colleagues Please Provide Your Opinions! | School Finance 101

The Principal’s Dilemma as Mock Trial: Ed Law Colleagues Please Provide Your Opinions! | School Finance 101:


The Principal’s Dilemma as Mock Trial: Ed Law Colleagues Please Provide Your Opinions!

by schoolfinance101


The following is a hypothetical case I am using as the culminating activity in Public School Law this semester.
The Dismissal of Principal X
Principal X is principal in a local public middle school in a state that has recently adopted through legislation, articulated with greater precision in state department of education regulations, a new teacher evaluation scheme. The teacher evaluation laws and regulations now require that:
  • Any teacher who receives two sequential evaluations less than “satisfactory” shall have his/her tenure status revoked;
  • Teacher evaluations shall consist of 40 to 50% measures of student growth, where the majority shall be based on state provided metrics.
  • By regulatory decree of the State Commissioner of Education, any other measures selected by local district officials for inclusion in evaluations must be proven correlated with state approved and provided measures of student achievement growth.
Further, the state now conditions receipt of “any and all increases to state aid for local public school districts” on full compliance with statutes and regulations pertaining to teacher evaluation.
On September 20th of 2013, Principal X was provided with growth percentile data on her teachers from the prior 
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Hudson Valley parents to state: Don't share students' data with corporations

Hudson Valley parents to state: Don't share students' data with corporations:


Hudson Valley parents to state: Don't share students' data with corporations

Published: April 28, 2013 8:56 AM
By MEGHAN E. MURPHY  meghan.murphy@cablevision.com
Many Hudson Valley parents and educators oppose a
Photo credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr. | Many Hudson Valley parents and educators oppose a New York State Education Department project that they say would give access to student data to private education corporations. (March 27, 2013)
Hudson Valley parents and educators are digging in to oppose a state Education Department project that they say may lead to "data mining" of private information about kids under the guise of improving education in New York's schools.
Parents and school leaders told Newsday that they don't trust the state Education Department to safeguard student information in a data portal slated to be made available to districts this fall. All districts that have signed on to participate in the federal Race to the Top program -- that's 90 percent of those in the state -- are required to participate in the portal.
Parents are skeptical about the potential involvement of private education corporations, which would be given access to the data for use in developing educational tools. To top it off, many parents disagree with the underlying assumption that data analysis is going to make chldren more successful.
The data warehouse would contain student test scores, attendance and disciplinary records and would indicate whether a student is 

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What we can learn from the rise and fall of Michelle Rhee

What we can learn from the rise and fall of Michelle Rhee:


What we can learn from the rise and fall of Michelle Rhee

by JASON STANFORD on APRIL 17, 2013


At some point, we need to stop believing in miracles, at least in education. While we’re still getting over the RICO indictments handed down in the Atlanta cheating scandal comes the revelation that the success Michelle Rhee achieved as the “no excuses” superintendent of Washington, D.C.’s public schools was the product of massive cheating. Those asking why Rhee isn’t under indictment just like her former colleague in Atlanta are missing the bigger question: If she’s an example of its success, is the theory behind market-driven education reform valid?
Rhee attracted a lot of attention before getting the top spot in DC. When Mayor Adrian Fenty appointed her superintendent, she went from managing an educationnon-profit with 120 employees to running a school system with 55,000 students, 11,500 employees and a budget of $200 million. She’d never even been a principal before, and her only classroom experience was Teach for America.
She did not let seem daunted by the stage. She 
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Parents United Top 10 questions on the District budget | Parents United for Public Education

Parents United Top 10 questions on the District budget | Parents United for Public Education:

Parents United Top 10 questions on the District budget

by parentsunitedphila


Parents United absolutely supports the District’s request of $60 million from the City, however, we ask City Council to consider the following:
  • The District must immediate re-do its budget. It is irresponsible for City leaders and city residents to support $60 million in funds when there is no indication of how those funds will be spent. The District chose to zero out essential supports in schools while approving an $11 million contract with Pearson and outsourcing a $15 million cyber school start-up just last week alone. Playing brinksmanship games with mandated essential services and throwing our schools into chaos should not be supported by City Council. The District must submit a new budget with the $180 million to demonstrate how the money will be spent responsibly, and even without the full amount, how the District will guarantee a safe and adequate school environment.
  • A portion of the $60 million must rely on significant contribution increases from the state. While the District has chosen to settle for a mere $120 million, the unified message from city and District leaders must be an incremental reinstatement of the Rendell-era education funding formula. Pennsylvania is one of only three states in the nation without an education funding formula. Without this funding formula, not only has Philadelphia lost more than $300 million in state support, but the level of inequity between Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs has grown dramatically. As of last year, EducationLawCenter reported a $78,000 difference between a Philadelphia classroom and the surrounding cities.
Before we comment on the District’s budget, we want to note that the District released its consolidated budget '
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Five Questions for Arne Duncan - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Five Questions for Arne Duncan - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:


Five Questions for Arne Duncan

by Anthony Cody



On Thursday, May 2nd, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be speaking to a luncheon that is part of theEducation Writers' Association seminar at Stanford University. The event is oversold, so although I am attending the conference, I am not going to be at the luncheon. And since I am only a blogger, rather than a "working reporter," I would not be among those allowed to ask questions of the Secretary of Education in any case.
Secretary Duncan will also be speaking at the American Educational Research Association conference in San Francisco on Tuesday at 3:45 pm. Some educators are organizing a protest of his speech.
There are plenty of questions that ought to be asked, and I offer these, in the hopes that perhaps Secretary Duncan might answer them in his speech, or if not, some working reporter might pose them.

Five Questions for Secretary Duncan:
Question One: We saw a list this week of special requests made by you and your wife on behalf of politically powerful people in Chicago who wished that their children might receive special consideration in gaining admission to elite public schools in that city. How does this sort of exercise of privilege comport with your contention that the quality of education one receives ought not to be affected by one's zip code?
Question Two: You began speaking out about the need for greater test security almost two years ago. In recent months we have seen two very different scenarios play out. In Atlanta, dozens are behind bars for conspiracy to cheat. In Washington, DC, there is ample evidence of wrongdoing, but no thorough investigation has been done. Why has your office not demanded a real investigation? Has Michelle Rhee also received special consideration as a result of her political connections?
Question Three: You have long been a proponent of mayoral control of school districts, and the market-based reforms that most big city mayors have pursued. This has been carried out to the hilt in New York, Washington, DC, and Chicago. A recent report points out that the reforms enacted in these cities have not succeeded. Is it time for a reappraisal of mayoral control, and these market-based reforms?

Question Four: The Department of Education has been encouraging the creation of large data systems to 
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Mother Crusader: Why On Earth Does My Daughter Have To Take This Test?

Mother Crusader: Why On Earth Does My Daughter Have To Take This Test?:


Why On Earth Does My Daughter Have To Take This Test?

by darciecima


NJ Opt Out 2013 is underway!  Today is day one of NJASK for 7th and 8th grade, and parents across the state are doing what it takes to say NOWAY to the NJASK.   

Between now and the end of testing season I hope to bring you the stories of opt outers and test refusers across New Jersey. The movement is growing, and each year more parents become engaged in the struggle to take back public education from the private interests that have invaded our children's classrooms.

My hope is that these stories bring to life both the HOW and the WHY of opt outing out, and how for many students, such as M in today's guest post, the test is not only inappropriate, but educationally unsound.

It's high time parents, teachers and educators stand up to this nonsense.  Here is the brave story of how Julie 
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UPDATE: The in box. + Retired representation. Heading for the NEA RA in Atlanta + In the belly of the beast. | Fred Klonsky

In the belly of the beast. | Fred Klonsky:


The in box. Pension nuclear bomb may come to House floor on Wednesday.

by Fred Klonsky
From We Are One:
The Illinois legislature will return to Springfield on Tuesday, April 30, and will remain in session throughout the month of May.
House Speaker Michael Madigan has indicated that three bills – HB 1165, HB 1166, and HB 1154 — could be packaged together in a new “mega-bill” and voted on by the full House. (The new “mega-bill” has not yet been introduced and could include more than just these three bills.) We are hearing that the Speaker’s “mega-bill” could be unveiled — and even voted out of the House — on Wednesday, May 1. Your phone calls are needed immediately – click here to call your House legislator.
For now, the three bills that may be contained in the “mega-bill” are summarized below. These pension cuts would affect all active and retired public workers, except judges:
  • HB 1165 is opposed by the coalition. It caps cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) at extremely low levels and delays COLAs for five years or until age 67, whichever comes first. The caps alone have the effect of reducing the value of a pension by one-third after twenty years in retirement. HB 1165 was approved by the full House in March and now awaits 


Retired representation. Heading for the NEA RA in Atlanta.

by Fred Klonsky
Popout.
NYC Educator writes a scathing critique of how the ruling Unity Caucus of the New York teachers union stays in power by relying on retired teacher voters. Based on a formula of weighted votes, the Unity Caucus and their electoral partners in the New Action caucus was able to, in part, hold off a challenge by the Movement of Rank-and-File Educators (MORE).
Here in Illinois the situation is quite different. The Illinois Education Association, the state organization to which locals are affiliated, treats retirees like the crazy old grandpa who lives in the attic. We get invited to come down for dinner, but otherwise keep it muzzled, will ya?
Comparing the situation in New York to Illinois is apples and oranges. The UFT bargains contracts. The IEA 


In the belly of the beast.

by Fred Klonsky

353375761_belly_of_the_beast_cover_3_answer_9_xlargeI have already reported that we had our first meeting of the Skokie Chapter of IEA Retired.
Although we know that there are over 400 dues-paying members of IEA – R living in the area covered by the Skokie office of IEA, there has been no chapter.
It is hard to pin down the reasons for this, but no matter. We have one now.
At our first meeting we made plans for Lobby Day on May 15th. There was some discussion about whether we should all go on one bus (we think we could fill one), or go with our old locals and meet up once we get to Springfield.
Which is what we voted to do.
I’m supposed to paint a Skokie IEA Retired banner.
I can do that.
There is a general sense that our chapter has a special responsibility.
A special burden that we carry.
Our area is located right in the belly of the beast.
Our State Senator is
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Day of the Teacher 2013 - California Teachers Association

Day of the Teacher 2013 - California Teachers Association:


Hover mouse over poster to share.
To download a wallpaper of the California Day of the Teacher poster, select your screen resolution width:1024, 1280, 1600, 1920, 2048.

California Teachers: Honoring our past. Guiding the future.


On May 8, 2013 we will mark the 31th anniversary of California’s Day of the Teacher. To honor teachers and the 150th anniversary of CTA, we have chosen “California Teachers: Honoring the Past, Guiding the Future” as this year’s theme.
CTA has been making a positive impact on education for 150 years now. Our victories during that time include the establishment of free public schools for all children, the creation of our higher education system, the passage of significant funding initiatives and bonds to build and renovate schools, due process rights for teachers, class size reduction, and increasing respect for our profession.  In fact, California’s Day of the Teacher arose out of legislation co-sponsored by CTA and the Association of Mexican American Educators in 1982.
We continue to be engaged in and lead the efforts to improve education for all students in this state, now and for the future.

TEACHERS ARE REVERED: A SAMPLE THANK-YOU LETTER

Thank You, Teacher!
Day of the Teacher is a special day for all of us. It’s a day to celebrate our profession the work we do with our students and in our schools. To remind us of the role we play in the lives of others, CTA created a “Thank You Teacher!” project last year - for Day of the Teacher's 30th Anniversary  - in which we asked our members to send in the letters and notes they received from grateful students and parents.  They’re sure to bring a smile on this year’s Day of the Teacher, and beyond.  Here's one example:
Mathieu H. Austin, a member of the Acton-Agua Dulce Teachers Association and a business teacher at Vasquez High School in Lancaster was pleased to find out the impression he made on one former student. Austin writes, “This is the most humbling letter I’ve ever received.”
Dear Mr. Austin,
On Monday I started college. I chose business as my major, not because I expect to be a rich entrepreneur or because I want to rule the stock market. I chose business because the theories and relevance of the field of flowing money and transactions interest me. The relationship between the details of the legal aspects and the general picture of a successful venture is something that I want to learn more about and ultimately apply in my life. I might not always succeed in everything I pursue, but I will be knowledgeable enough to pursue dreams without getting caught in loopholes and (hopefully) debt. You were my favorite teacher, and not just because of my grade. You made sure things weren’t vague, you took an active role in teaching, you graded fairly based on content and not semantics, and you gave me hope for a higher education. I wanted to take the time to thank you for all you’ve taught me, and the way you taught it. I hope many more students of all kinds get as much out of your class as I did. And, I appreciated your sense of humor.    Read more letters from our 30th Anniversary project. 
 For Day of the Teacher this year, post your note about a favorite teacher to our Facebook page.
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