Big Education Ape

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-12-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Education Association Rep Council Resolution on Center School Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Education Association Rep Council Resolution on Center School Teacher: Seattle Education Association Rep Council Resolution on Center School Teacher by Melissa Westbrook From SEA: T*he Seattle EA Rep Council passed the following resolution on Monday, June 10: Whereas, a teacher at the Center School has been served with an administrative transfer for teaching an anti-racist curriculum that the District deemed to be inappropriate, on the basis of the complaint of one parent, and for not 'forbidding' students in his class from organizing in... more »

The push back against Malloy, Pryor, Vallas and Moales grows - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago

The push back against Malloy, Pryor, Vallas and Moales grows - Wait, What?: The push back against Malloy, Pryor, Vallas and Moales grows by jonpelto When it comes to the ongoing attempt to keep education reformer extraordinaire Paul Vallas in place as Bridgeport’s superintendent of schools, Governor Malloy and his commissioner of education, Stefan Pryor, seem oblivious to their legal responsibilities. What makes the situation even more incredible is that Malloy and Pryor are actually flouting the very law they wrote to allow Vallas to slide into the position without the certifica... more »

One Teacher's Perspective: Voucher Schools: Inherently Unequal

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 minutes ago

One Teacher's Perspective: Voucher Schools: Inherently Unequal: Voucher Schools: Inherently Unequal by Imagine Wisconsin *This week's take on the latest school voucher plans in Wisconsin comes from State Senator Tim Cullen.* Last week, I expressed my extreme disappointment when the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee voted along party lines to create a statewide unaccountable school voucher program. Make no mistake – this plan creates two separate school systems in Wisconsin, both paid for by taxpayers. In 1954, late Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Earl Warren said, “Se... more »

Beyond PISA: How the U.S. Ranks Internationally on Five Key Education Issues | NEA Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 minutes ago

Beyond PISA: How the U.S. Ranks Internationally on Five Key Education Issues | NEA Today: Beyond PISA: How the U.S. Ranks Internationally on Five Key Education Issues by twalker *By Kathy Tuck and Tim Walker* When the 2010 Program of International Student Assessment (PISA) results were released two years go, the news media and many politicians held them up as evidence that U.S. students were falling badly behind their counterparts in nations such as Finland, South Korea, Canada and Singapore. The somewhat alarmist coverage obviously didn’t consider relevant data that could provide v... more »

6-12-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 minutes ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] Duncan Embraces of “Personalized Learning” and Company Curricula by Jim Horn As corporate education has made the 10-hour work day the gold standard for the segregated K-8 test camps that behaviorally neuter poor children, a different kind of high school is being promoted that will loose the “career ready” as soon as they can pass the tests required to set them upon a career at WalMart. […] If any doubt remains… by plthomasedd The compromise argument that Common Core is revolutionary, but a high-stakes testing moratorium is ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Candi Peterson on Washington DC Union Election

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Ed Notes Online: Candi Peterson on Washington DC Union Election: Candi Peterson on Washington DC Union Election by ed notes online Liz and CandiI'm not in a position to sort out what is happening in the Washington DC teachers union. I could recount some history but just don't have the heart or strength to rehash it. I do know that Candi's blog played a major role in fighting the wicked witch of the Rhee. Candi and Nathan Saunders were both in LA with us in 2009 and in Chicago in 2011. And then things fell apart. It's just plain sad. See Candi's blog when she announced she was runnin... more »

Fathers on Family Leave Blog Carnival « MomsRising Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Fathers on Family Leave Blog Carnival « MomsRising Blog: Fathers on Family Leave Blog Carnival by Mark Anthony Neal Father’s Day is a great time to reflect on the joys, struggles, challenges and epiphanies that come with fatherhood. I’m honored to introduce this MomsRising.org Blog Carnival that focuses on the early days of fatherhood – Fathers on Family Leave, with revealing stories from dads about their introduction to fatherhood. Like me, there are other fathers for whom the arrival of their children was revelation to the important demands of child care. However, I had the privil... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-12-13 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] Local School Boards Are Under Siege, and So Is Democracy by dianerav David Lentini is a lawyer and school board member in Maine. I am always happy to read his informed comments. In this one, he responds to an earlier post that explained that the radical group ALEC is trying to bypass and extinguish local school boards in their pursuit of privatization. Lentini writes: I’ve been sounding this alarm for a long time now; it’s good to see other, more expert, commentat... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Lamar Alexander Educational Plans Then (1989) and Now (2013). Same or Different?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Lamar Alexander Educational Plans Then (1989) and Now (2013). Same or Different?: Lamar Alexander Educational Plans Then (1989) and Now (2013). Same or Different? by stlgretchen Lamar Alexander's thoughts on revamping No Child Left Behind, 2013 from The Foundry and *No Child Left Behind: Alexander Unveils Rewrite*: Senator Lamar Alexander (R–TN), ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, has just introduced a proposal to “fix” No Child Left Behind (NCLB). While restoring excellence in education will require more than a... more »

Malloy at “conference” in Chicago hanging out with major education reform advocates… - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Malloy at “conference” in Chicago hanging out with major education reform advocates… - Wait, What?: Malloy at “conference” in Chicago hanging out with major education reform advocates… by jonpelto The Hartford Courant headline reads, “Malloy In Chicago Talking Education,” while the CT Mirror headline informs readers that, “Malloy in Chicago to lead NGA education forum.” The CT Mirror explains, “Gov. Dannel P. Malloy will be in Chicago on Monday and Tuesday to help lead an education forum for the National Governors Association.” The Courant’s take on the trip is that, “Malloy will j... more »

Daily Kos: June 12, 1776 - a date all Americans should know

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Daily Kos: June 12, 1776 - a date all Americans should know: June 12, 1776 - a date all Americans should know by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) because on that date, the Virginia Convention, which among other things had directed its delegats to Philadelphia to declare the colonies free of Britain and which had drafted a constitution for what would be the newly independent state, adopted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, largely drafted by George Mason, who later as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention would refuse to sign the document because it lacked a bill of rights pro... more »

Michael Kirst, father of new school funding formula, looks back and at the work ahead | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Michael Kirst, father of new school funding formula, looks back and at the work ahead | EdSource Today: Michael Kirst, father of new school funding formula, looks back and at the work ahead - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald It was the morning after the evening of the last revision, and the father of the Local Control Funding Formula looked upon all that the governor and Legislature had made, and declared, “Hey, not bad.” [image: Michael Kirst] Michael Kirst Michael Kirst is relishing the all-but-certain passage later this week of the comprehensive school funding reform that ... more »

School Discipline Changes Urged In Federal Complaint Against Dallas Truancy System

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

School Discipline Changes Urged In Federal Complaint Against Dallas Truancy System: School Discipline Changes Urged In Federal Complaint Against Dallas Truancy System by Joy Resmovits [image: School Discipline Changes] Ashley Brown, a Dallas high school sophomore, missed four days of school after her grandmother died. Shortly after that, a teacher taking roll missed the short-statured student and accidentally marked Brown absent. Then Brown missed school because she was suspended for an altercation. She missed another day when she was suspended for being late to class, because sh... more »

UPDATE: Can a boy wear eyeshadow and lipstick to middle school? | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Can a boy wear eyeshadow and lipstick to middle school? | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: Can a boy wear eyeshadow and lipstick to middle school? By Maureen Downey Rules related to adolescent dress and appearance can be a minefield for middle and high schools. While the main focus used to be hemlines and necklines, schools today face much more complicated questions on what constitutes a distraction and what constitutes legitimate self-expression. Can boys wear skirts? Can girls have multiple piercings? In this case, the question is whether a boy can show up for school in ... more »

Has Technology Killed Cursive Handwriting? | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Has Technology Killed Cursive Handwriting? | toteachornototeach: Has Technology Killed Cursive Handwriting? by aristotlethewise *Has Technology Killed Cursive Handwriting?* by Vignesh RamachandranThink back to the last time you wrote in cursive — you know, that fancy penmanship you may have learned way back in grade school, complete with elegant loops, curls and flourishes. These days, with our fingers tapping on QWERTY keyboards, Evernote taking the place of sticky notes and tablets replacing paper notebooks, a question arises: Has the rise of technology led to the fall of cursive h... more »

Sign This Declaration For A Positive New Direction For American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Sign This Declaration For A Positive New Direction For American Education: Sign This Declaration For A Positive New Direction For American Education by Jeff Bryant The growing revolution against top-down education mandates based on high-stakes testing and standardization has been building over the months into a widespreadEducation Spring. Every revolution needs a declaration calling for a positive, new way forward. This week, the Education Opportunity Network, the Institute for America’s Future and the Opportunity to Learn campaign released such a declaration. Please sign the Educat... more »

James Meredith asks 21 tough questions about school reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

James Meredith asks 21 tough questions about school reform: James Meredith asks 21 tough questions about school reform By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 12, 2013 at 6:00 amE-mail the writer 0 Comments More *[image: mission]I am delighted to publish the following original piece by civil rights icon James Meredith, whooffers 21 questions every American should ask of their politicians, educators and school reformers.* *In August 1963, Meredith* graduated from the University of Mississippi as its first black graduate after engineering an epic civil rights victory involving the Supreme C... more »

NYC Educator: Bill Gates Colonel Sanders Makes Nice to Teachers Chickens

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

NYC Educator: Bill Gates Colonel Sanders Makes Nice to Teachers Chickens: Bill Gates Colonel Sanders Makes Nice to Teachers Chickens by NYC Educator Colonel Harlan Sanders came back from the dead this morning to announce a major change in policy. Apparently, for some time, his chickens had been unhappy about their living conditions, and he felt that this was having a negative effect on the quality of the image of his brand. "When you buy Kentucky Fried Chicken, you need to know it's a quality product," said the Colonel, after having inspected one of his packing facilities. "It's imp... more »

UPDATE: The in box + A word to readers. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

A word to readers. | Fred Klonsky: Latest adventures in Bizarro World. by Fred Klonsky [image: gam_bizarroworld_490] On Friday I turn 65 years old. I have my Medicare card. My IEA Retired membership card. My reduced fare CTA pass should arrive any day now. Since I have been working with my trainer, Mike, my internal balance is vastly improved. But it is the outside world that feels out of kilter. As I have pointed out, Illinois politics has been and remains a *Bizarro World*. It is where the Republicans vote against diminishing public pensions, but where the leaders of the Democratic... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-11-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Edward Snowden: Traitor or Hero? The Larger Issues by dianerav Edward Snowden, as everyone knows by now, is the 29-year-old man who leaked secrets about our government’s surveillance of phone calls and emails. I don’t know if he is a traitor or hero or something else, but I do think that his revelations raise concerns for all of us. As we realize by now, government and private-sector activities are dedicated to the amassing of Big Data that includes everything we do. Government is doing this, its defenders sa... more »

Families sue to stop Sac school closures | News - KCRA Home

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Families sue to stop Sac school closures | News - KCRA Home: By David Bienick Families sue to stop Sac school closuresLawsuit accuses district of discrimination UPDATED 6:49 PM PDT Jun 11, 2013 [image: School Closures] Students board a buses at Washington Elementary School in Sacramento, one of seven schools slated for closure this fall. David Bienick/KCRA VIEW LARGE SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —Parents, students and community activists rallied on the steps of the federal courthouse in Sacramento on Monday after filing lawsuit to try to stop the closure of seven Sacramento elementary s... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: New Central Region Executive Director Announced

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: New Central Region Executive Director Announced: New Central Region Executive Director Announced by Melissa Westbrook From SPS: Today I’m pleased to announce that Sarah Pritchett, principal of McClure Middle School, has been appointed as the new Executive Director of Schools for the Central Region. Ms. Pritchett will support the principals and schools in the central region of the city with responsibilities that include coaching principals, coordinating professional development for principals and teachers, strengthening our systems for monitoring ... more »

Bruce Lesley: Immigration Reform: Building Fences With Shadows or Bridges of Hope and Dreams?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Bruce Lesley: Immigration Reform: Building Fences With Shadows or Bridges of Hope and Dreams?: Immigration Reform: Building Fences With Shadows or Bridges of Hope and Dreams? Posted: 06/11/2013 5:00 pm Bruce Lesley President, First Focus & First Focus Campaign for Children The Southwest is a place of great opportunity, enchantment, and grandeur, and yet, also a place of poverty and inequality in the United States. Through its children, it is also a place that will play an expanding and critically important role in either the successes or failures of our nation. In fact, the border ... more »

Medgar Evers Assassination 50th Anniversary: 10 Facts

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Medgar Evers Assassination 50th Anniversary: 10 Facts: Medgar Evers' Life and Legacy: 10 FactsThe civil rights icon was murdered 50 years ago, but reminders of his contributions are everywhere. - By: The Root Staff | Posted: June 11, 2013 at 2:40 PM Getty Images (*The Root*) -- On June 12, 1963, Byron De La Beckwith, a member of the White Citizens' Council, shot 37-year-old NAACP Field Secretary Medgar Evers in the back outside of his Jackson, Miss., home, killing him -- and making a legend out of a man who was already a courageous soldier in the fight for civil rights. In... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: HOW CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS FARE IN PROPOSED FUNDING DEAL

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: HOW CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS FARE IN PROPOSED FUNDING DEAL: HOW CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS FARE IN PROPOSED FUNDING DEAL [image: Capitol Alert] DAN SMITH IN SACRAMENTO BEE CAPITOL ALERT - THE LATEST ON CALIFORNIA POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT |HTTP://BIT.LY/12KEP3SJune 10, 2013 - Here is a list of how specific California school districts would fare under a school funding compromise circulating in the Capitol.*LAUSD:* *a lot of noise for a per pupil gain of $364 next year.* [image: image] All Districts

Common Core Common Sense: Why It’s Illiberal and Unconstitutional | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Common Core Common Sense: Why It’s Illiberal and Unconstitutional | Truth in American Education: Common Core Common Sense: Why It’s Illiberal and Unconstitutional by truthed By Dr. Daniel B. Coupland On May 29th, 2009, Arne Duncan, the new Secretary of Education for the Obama Administration, gave a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. In the speech, he said, We want to raise the bar dramatically in terms of high standards. What we have had as a country, I’m convinced, is what we call a race to the bottom. We have 50 different standards, 50 different goal posts. ... more »

Study: real world learning helps online grades; few students complete online courses | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Study: real world learning helps online grades; few students complete online courses | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Study: real world learning helps online grades; few students complete online courses by Jed Kim *Online courses benefit from real world studying.; Credit: José Goulão/Flickr* Students who take online courses perform better when they spend time studying outside the virtual classroom, according to a study by MIT and Harvard researchers. Researchers from MIT and Harvard looked at the performance of students who enrolled in a massive online open course version of a popular cl... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Booz Allen Hamilton helped set Chicago on its path to corporate school 'reform'

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Booz Allen Hamilton helped set Chicago on its path to corporate school 'reform': Booz Allen Hamilton helped set Chicago on its path to corporate school 'reform' by Mike Klonsky If anyone doubts the power of an individual taking the high moral ground when confronting injustice, look no further than *Edward Snowden.* Snowden, by all accounts an ordinary guy working for the powerhouse consulting group Booz Allen Hamilton, reached the point where he could now longer accept his role and the role of this giant corporate entity and his own government in... more »

Rahm Emanuel Tied To Firm Astroturfing Protests Against Chicago Teachers Union | FDL News Desk

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Rahm Emanuel Tied To Firm Astroturfing Protests Against Chicago Teachers Union | FDL News Desk: Rahm Emanuel Tied To Firm Astroturfing Protests Against Chicago Teachers Union by DSWright Popout A consulting firm tied to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been caught paying people to protest the Chicago Teachers Union. The firm, Resolute Consulting, worked on Rahm Emanuel’s 2002 Congressional campaign and is led by long time Emanuel friend Greg Goldner. Goldner along with other interested parties have been involved in smear campaign against the Chicago Teachers Union. *Greg Goldner, ... more »

PSAT for 5-11-13: Sign this Declaration to Rebuild America Parents United for Responsible Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 5-11-13: Sign this Declaration to Rebuild America: PSAT for 5-11-13: Sign this Declaration to Rebuild America by admin [image: psat_logo]I know, there are a lot of petitions and sign-ons these days. Do they do any good? This one seems especially comprehensive and is already signed by a good mix of people and organizations. It demonstrates that the message of true education progressives is becoming clearer and more unified. The full Declaration to Rebuild America is too long to reproduce here, but its main aspects are ... more »

Lawsuit Against Sac City Unified Filed Today to Prevent School Closures | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Lawsuit Against Sac City Unified Filed Today to Prevent School Closures | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: [image: Home] Lawsuit Against Sac City Unified Filed Today to Prevent School Closures by Kate_Lenox Today there will be a press conference on the Federal Courthouse steps announcing the filing of a lawsuit to prevent the closure of seven schools in the Sacramento City Unified School District. The goal is to obtain a temporary injunction at the hearing which should take place within the next four to five weeks. That will prevent the closures from going forward... more »

The Bad Business of Education Reform | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

The Bad Business of Education Reform | EduShyster: The Bad Business of Education Reform by edushyster2012 *An MBA student says that the business-based ideas creeping into education are based on principles that are as outdated as the Model T.*** As someone with an understanding of what current companies consider “good” business practice, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. The “business-based” assumptions and strategies being used to justify much of contemporary education reform are as outdated as the Model T. Which makes me wonder, would these ideas even be taken seriously ...more »

No Child Left Behind Rewrite Hearing Starts With Senators Divided Over Education Policy

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

No Child Left Behind Rewrite Hearing Starts With Senators Divided Over Education Policy: No Child Left Behind Rewrite Hearing Starts With Senators Divided Over Education Policy by Joy Resmovits [image: No Child Left Behind] As the Senate's education committee began hearings on a rewrite of the No Child Left Behind Act Tuesday, partisan divides over the role of the federal government in America's schools quickly revealed themselves as the sticking point. "There is, in some ways, a philosophical difference," said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Lab... more »

Fifty years ago today: George Wallace's misbegotten Stand in... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Fifty years ago today: George Wallace's misbegotten Stand in... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: Fifty years ago today: George Wallace's misbegotten Stand in the Schoolhouse Door View Larger [image: Stand in the Schoolhouse Door] Stand in the Schoolhouse Door Previous Posts - School asks kids to trade toy guns for books, prizes. Good idea? June 11, 2013 - DeKalb's proposed school budget: Are spending priorities in order? June 11, 2013 - Panel with state school chief tonight in Fayette on Common Core June 10, 2013 By Maureen Downey Today marks the 50... more »

Report Card: Students sue to block Sacramento City Unified school closures

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Report Card: Students sue to block Sacramento City Unified school closures: Students sue to block Sacramento City Unified school closures *Updated at 11:50 a.m. with district response.* * * * * A dozen low-income minority students and their parents have filed suit in federal court to block closure of seven elementary schools in the Sacramento City Unified School District. Attorney Mark Merin filed the suit late Monday in U.S. District Court in Sacramento on behalf of the students, their guardians and three parent-teacher associations at closing schools. The suit complains the schools... more »

Latinos are majority in Texas schools, but can the state handle them? | NewsTacoNewsTaco

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Latinos are majority in Texas schools, but can the state handle them? | NewsTacoNewsTaco: Latinos are majority in Texas schools, but can the state handle them? by NewsTaco [image: Classroom] By Tony Castro, Voxxi [image: voxxi]Latinos are now the largest ethnic group in Texas public schools, surpassing non-Hispanic whites in Lone Star State enrollment for the first time in history. The dramatic change, though, has not been without major pressures on the already financially stressed school systems throughout the state, which ranks 48th in per-student spending. Many of those Latino stu... more »

Charter Schools and The Camel's Nose In The Tent.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

*Charter Schools and The Camel's Nose In The Tent.* The Camel's Nose In The Tent. One cold night, as an Arab sat in his tent, a camel gently thrust his nose under the flap and looked in. "Master," he said, "let me put my nose in your tent. It's cold and stormy out here." "By all means," said the Arab, "and welcome" as he turned over and went to sleep. A little later the Arab awoke to find that the camel had not only put his nose in the tent but his head and neck also. The camel, who had been turning his head from side to side, said, "I will take but little more room if I place my... more »

A Republic of Republics: How Common Core Undermines State and Local Autonomy over K-12 Education | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

A Republic of Republics: How Common Core Undermines State and Local Autonomy over K-12 Education | Truth in American Education: A Republic of Republics: How Common Core Undermines State and Local Autonomy over K-12 Education by Shane Vander Hart The Pioneer Institute in cooperation with American Principles Project and Pacific Research Institute released late last month a white paper written by Robert Scott, the former Texas Commissioner of Education. It is entitled “A Republic of Republics: How Common Core Undermines State and Local Autonomy over K-12 Education.” Here is the exe... more »

A new ‘Education Declaration’ for genuine school reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

A new ‘Education Declaration’ for genuine school reform: A new ‘Education Declaration’ for genuine school reform By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 11, 2013 at 11:00 amE-mail the writer [image: schools]A coalition of educators, researchers, parents, activists and elected officials issued what signees are calling an “Education Declaration” on Tuesday that lists seven key principles on which genuine school reform should be guided for the 21st century and starts from the premise that public education is “a public good.” The document offers a progressive approach to school reform that in... more »

Jump in May revenue collections argues against Brown’s austerity budget SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: Jump in May revenue collections argues against Brown’s austerity budget For the first time since the onset of the recession, the monthly revenue report from the state Controller’s office, released Monday, showed collections outpaced budget estimates for all of the state’s major indicators. Total revenues exceeded projections made just a few weeks ago by more than 12 percent, or nearly $800 million, led by income tax collections, which came in almost $600 million, or 20 percent, higher than estimates the Brown administration made as part of i... more »

Surprise: Bridgeport Board of Education votes 5-3 to ask Pryor to waive Paul Vallas’ Certification - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Surprise: Bridgeport Board of Education votes 5-3 to ask Pryor to waive Paul Vallas’ Certification - Wait, What?: Surprise: Bridgeport Board of Education votes 5-3 to ask Pryor to waive Paul Vallas’ Certification by jonpelto Governor Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor, can now officially claim that he has the authority to waive Paul Vallas’ certification requirements following last night’s vote of the Bridgeport Board of Education. With certification purportedly waived, Paul Vallas, the self-described Michael Jordon of Education, can become the only non-certified per... more »

Common Core "As A Scientist" — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Common Core "As A Scientist" — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Nicole D. Nearor]Common Core “As A Scientist” June 11, 2013 by Nicole D. Nearor Although there are no Common Core State Standards that are specifically written for science content, science teachers will be using the fundamental skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking within their science content to help students become college and career ready. One of the focuses of Common Core for English/Language Arts (ELA) is informational text. Interesting enough, as students transition from elementary ... more »

At our annual celebration: Portraits of closed schools | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

At our annual celebration: Portraits of closed schools | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: At our annual celebration: Portraits of closed schoolsby thenotebook on Jun 11 2013 Posted in Latest news Photo: Katrina Ohstrom The auditorium at Charles R. Drew Elementary, which closed last year. Katrina Ohstrom's photos of closed school buildings can be at once dreamy and sobering. Her images of empty classrooms, quiet hallways, and vacant auditoriums once filled with the clamor of hundreds of students depict the stark reality of a District in upheaval while conjuring the cherished st... more »

Adult Learning and Common Core Implementation | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Adult Learning and Common Core Implementation | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Adult Learning and Common Core Implementation by Cheryl S. Williams I recently attended an event showcasing state initiatives that focus on the goal of ensuring all third grade students read on grade level – a lofty and perfectly reasonable goal. The participants in the program included three governors as well as a panel of state superintendents of education. One of the governors kept mentioning that in her state too much attention has been paid to the adults in the system to the d... more »

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Fensterwald: It’s a deal - Brown, top lawmakers raise base funding in finance formula* Education Headlines *Tuesday, June 11, 2013* Some Lucia Mar programs return to studentsTrustees of the South County’s school district have taken steps to restore some programs and positions that were curtailed during the past few years of budget cuts. SUSD assistant near appointmentKirk Nicholas, a Stockton Unified assistant superintendent, is in final negotiations to become the superintendent of Lammersville Unified in Mountain House, Lammer... more »

Anti-Ed Reform History – from my perspective (Part I) | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Anti-Ed Reform History – from my perspective (Part I) | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Anti-Ed Reform History – from my perspective (Part I) by crazycrawfish Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jason France. I am a product of the Louisiana public school system, an LSU graduate, a father of public school children in Louisiana, an erstwhile Louisiana Department of Education employee, and a blogger. While I am sometimes jokingly characterize myself as an intrepid anti-education-reform revolutionary, I am anything but! Until very recently I’ve kept my identity secret; to keep myself, my... more »

Mother Crusader: Beware The Charter School Review Board; My Testimony Before The Assembly Education Committee

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Mother Crusader: Beware The Charter School Review Board; My Testimony Before The Assembly Education Committee: Beware The Charter School Review Board; My Testimony Before The Assembly Education Committee by darciecima [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] John Mooney pulled together a great piece about yesterday's Assembly Education Committee hearing, where Assembly Bill A-4177, Assemblyman Diegnan's rewrite of the Charter School Program Act of 1995, got it's debut. Overall, I think the bill is great. It covers all of the issues that need to be addressed in o... more »

UPDATE: Madigan is the skunk at lunch + Five year plans. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Five year plans. | Fred Klonsky: David Brooks on Edward Snowden, David Niven and finger bowls. by Fred Klonsky [image: Brooks_New-popup-v2] *The NY Times’ David Brooks loved William Buckley and his finer bowls.* *I will always remember the column that David Brooks of the NY Times wrote on the death of the creepy right-wing elitist William Buckley.* Brooks swooned over Buckley like a little groupie. *I don’t know if I can communicate the grandeur of his life or how overwhelming it was to be admitted into it. Buckley was not only a giant celebrity, he lived in a manner of the * Madig... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. For-Profit Operator in Ohio Wins Big Increase Best of the Ed Blogs Diane Ravitch June 11, 2013 Relationship Counseling Best of the Ed Blogs Matthew Di Carlo June ... more »

A teachers union embraces reform in New Haven, creating a model for others | Hechinger Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

A teachers union embraces reform in New Haven, creating a model for others | Hechinger Report: A teachers union embraces reform in New Haven, creating a model for others by Melissa Bailey [image: Dave Cicarella & Garth Harries. (Photo by Melissa Bailey/New Haven Independent)]NEW HAVEN, Conn. — In the spring of 2011, David Cicarella, the teachers union president here, sat down with a tenured teacher for a difficult discussion. After a warning from his principal the previous November, as well as months of extra support, the teacher had failed to show improvement. The teacher could try... more »

Parents call for boycott to stop closing of Englewood school - Chicago Sun-Times

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Parents call for boycott to stop closing of Englewood school - Chicago Sun-Times: Parents call for boycott to stop closing of Englewood school BY LAUREN FITZPATRICK Education Reporter lfitzpatrick@suntimes.com June 10, 2013 7:12PM Parents call for boycott to stop closing of Englewood schoolAs the school year winds down — for the last time in 48 Chicago Public Schools — some parents at Goodlow Magnet Elementary School are calling for a boycott for the rest of the week. The mothers say they’ve tried everything else to get the district’s attention about why Goodlow, 2040 W. 62nd Stree... more »

How Poverty Is Like Global Warming (& Other Parting Thoughts) - Bridging Differences - Education Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

How Poverty Is Like Global Warming (& Other Parting Thoughts) - Bridging Differences - Education Week: How Poverty Is Like Global Warming (& Other Parting Thoughts) by Deborah Meier *Today marks Michael Petrilli's final blog post with Deborah Meier—at least for now.* Dear Deborah, It's been a real joy to join you in dialogue these past six weeks. I very much appreciate the opportunity and hope we can continue the discussion in other forums in the months ahead. (Well, maybe after a summer break!) Let me use my last correspondence to introduce one new idea and summarize some of the o... more »

6-11-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] Ban Suspensions as Alternatives Are Implemented by John Thompson I very much respect Daniel Losen and the UCLA Civil Rights Project, so I was taken aback by his statement on NPR regarding the question of whether a single suspension could send a secondary student of color down the pipeline to prison. Losen replied that even one such incident is “associated” with a doubling of […] Do We Need Another Edu-Proclamation, or Do We Need Resistance Strategies to End High Stakes Tests? by Jim Horn Every few weeks it seem that another gr... more »

A Law To Hold Principals Accountable southbronxschool.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: A Law To Hold Principals Accountable by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) *Shouldn't principals who lie and falsify reality in the name of attempting to ruin a teacher's career be subject to this? * *N.Y. NYC. LAW § 1116 : NY Code - Section 1116: Fraud; neglect of duty; willful violation of law relative to office* a. Any council member or other officer or *employee of the city *who shall willfully violate or evade any provision of law relating tosuch officer's office or employment, * or commit any fraud upon the city,* or conve... more »

Same special interests pay for voucher school research, GOP candidates | Green Bay Press Gazette | greenbaypressgazette.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Same special interests pay for voucher school research, GOP candidates | Green Bay Press Gazette | greenbaypressgazette.com: Same special interests pay for voucher school research, GOP candidates [image: Green Bay schools react to OK on voucher expansion] Green Bay schools react to OK on voucher expansion: Wednesday, June 5: Green Bay school officials share their concerns about a plan approved by the state Joint Finance Committee that would create a statewide private school voucher plan. Gov. Scott Walker and Republican legislators are using research paid for by the same special inte... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-11-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Notes from a Teacher in Syracuse by dianerav A teacher sent this commentary about what’s happening in her city of Syracuse, New York. She writes: “As part of the teacher evaluation in Syracuse, our lovely union negotiated a student survey which would count as 6% of our evaluation. It’s called the Tripod survey, but I don’t know what that means. I’ve attached the directions we were given, which includes the questions for grades K-2. They have 40 questions, and when... more »

2nd Banana 6-1-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 5-25-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 5-18-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 5-11-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

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2nd Banana 4-27-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 4-20-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 4-13-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 4-6-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-11-13

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-10-13

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Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-22-13

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UPDATE: Banda's First Year Reflections Seattle Schools Community Forum: SEA Rep Council Res on Center School Teacher

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Education Association Rep Council Resolution on Center School Teacher:

Banda's First Year Reflections

by Melissa Westbrook

Dear Seattle Public Schools community:

As the 2012-2013 school year draws to a close, I want to thank you all for welcoming me in my first year as your Superintendent. It has been a pleasure to get to know the schools and community and learn about the ideas and concerns each of you have. My conversations with educators, students, families, staff and community members have provided insight for changes and priorities, both for this year and for the future.

Throughout the year we’ve celebrated successes and addressed challenges. The 2,900 students graduating from high school this year are a visible reminder that our primary purpose continues to be ensuring that students graduate prepared for college, career and life.

We are building for the future

Our enrollment continues to increase, with more Seattle families choosing to send their children to Seattl

New Procedure for Advisory Committees

by Charlie Mas

The superintendent has issued new procedures for advisory committees. This new procedure distinguishes between "Advisory and Oversight Committees", "Task Forces and Focus Groups", and "Working Groups, Teams, and Planning Committees". The new procedure offers significantly less transparency than the previous procedure.

Just Wondering

by Melissa Westbrook

Sitting at the Executive Committee Meeting and wondering:

- if the district is a partner in the new Seattle Teacher Residency program and the first year costs are $50k and escalate up to $1M by year 5 (it's part of Strategic Plan for teacher development), why do we need TFA at all? Why complicate things if our district and its partners are creating home-grown talent from outside of schools of education?

- wondering why, if Jane Addams has a planning principal and planning team, Wilson-Pacific doesn't have a team. Apparently Chris Cronas, principal at Wedgwood, is the planning principal for W-P middle school but I haven't heard anything about outreach to parents. That middle school will open at John Marshall for 2014-20115. Should parents with students assigned there get to give input just like JA parents? (Note: just because Mr.

Seattle Education Association Rep Council Resolution on Center School Teacher

by Melissa Westbrook

From SEA:

The Seattle EA Rep Council passed the following resolution on Monday, June 10:

Whereas, a teacher at the Center School has been served with an administrative transfer for teaching an anti-racist curriculum that the District deemed to be inappropriate, on the basis of the complaint of one parent, and for not 'forbidding' students in his class from organizing in his defense; and

Whereas, SPS has unfairly made this a matter of personnel discipline rather than a question of age appropriateness of curriculum with the effect of stifling discussion of this very serious matter, and

Whereas, any other teacher may now be called to account for teaching anything controversial, based on a similar complaint of a single parent, having already sent a chilling effect on teaching around other controversial

The push back against Malloy, Pryor, Vallas and Moales grows - Wait, What?

The push back against Malloy, Pryor, Vallas and Moales grows - Wait, What?:

The push back against Malloy, Pryor, Vallas and Moales grows

by jonpelto

When it comes to the ongoing attempt to keep education reformer extraordinaire Paul Vallas in place as Bridgeport’s superintendent of schools, Governor Malloy and his commissioner of education, Stefan Pryor, seem oblivious to their legal responsibilities. What makes the situation even more incredible is that Malloy and Pryor are actually flouting the very law they wrote to allow Vallas to slide into the position without the certification he would have otherwise needed.

Meanwhile, not only is Board of Education Chairman and Mayor Finch ally, Kenneth Moales, Jr. a willing accomplice in Malloy and Pryor’s scheme, but Moales is engaged in his own anti-democratic efforts by bullying and berating fellow members of the board, as well as pushing for a change in the rules to limit the minority from even being heard.

Yesterday, The Connecticut Post weighed in with a “must read” editorial about the lawsuit challenging the effort to skirt the law to keep Vallas in a job he isn’t qualified to hold

One Teacher's Perspective: Voucher Schools: Inherently Unequal

One Teacher's Perspective: Voucher Schools: Inherently Unequal:

Voucher Schools: Inherently Unequal

by Imagine Wisconsin

This week's take on the latest school voucher plans in Wisconsin comes from State Senator Tim Cullen.

Last week, I expressed my extreme disappointment when the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee voted along party lines to create a statewide unaccountable school voucher program.

Make no mistake – this plan creates two separate school systems in Wisconsin, both paid for by taxpayers.

In 1954, late Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Earl Warren said, “Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” His words hold true today.

While the agreement creates a 500-student cap during the program’s first year and a 1,000-student cap in subsequent years, the cap could be lifted in the future or may be line-item vetoed by the governor. The ultimate goal of voucher supporters is not to open the voucher program to 500 or 1,000 students, but an unrestricted expansion of vouchers.

Beyond PISA: How the U.S. Ranks Internationally on Five Key Education Issues | NEA Today

Beyond PISA: How the U.S. Ranks Internationally on Five Key Education Issues | NEA Today:

Beyond PISA: How the U.S. Ranks Internationally on Five Key Education Issues

by twalker

By Kathy Tuck and Tim Walker

When the 2010 Program of International Student Assessment (PISA) results were released two years go, the news media and many politicians held them up as evidence that U.S. students were falling badly behind their counterparts in nations such as Finland, South Korea, Canada and Singapore. The somewhat alarmist coverage obviously didn’t consider relevant data that could provide valuable context for these scores. For example, little consideration is ever given to the cultural and demographic factors that define school systems in top-performing nations and in the United States. Not doing so paints, at best, an incomplete and distorted picture of how U.S. students actually stack up internationally, and it obscures the real issues that need addressing in our schools.
Recently, researchers at the National Education Association reviewed data from a multitude of sources to assess how the United States compares with high-performing nations in a number of key educational areas: face-to-face instruction time, equity in teacher pay, public perception of teachers, and impact of immigration. What they found was a more complete but more complex portrait, one that goes beyond the international “test factor” to compare specific aspects of education that are shaped by the norms and values of societies and, to a large extent, form the core of education systems. Through such comparisons, a clearer picture emerges of how particular countries that score well on international assessments differ from the United States and other nations.
Below is just a summary of some of the experts’ findings. You can find the complete report with sources here.

6-12-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER:

Improved School Safety Requires a Balanced Approach

by John Thompson

It speaks well of the UCLA Civil Rights Project that in addition to their own research they commissioned scholars from the Consortium of Chicago School Research and equally great institutions to analyze what schools can do to better support students. The Consortium has a long history of placing quantitative and qualitative evidence in a longitudinal […]

Solidarity and My Name: Some Thoughts

by plthomasedd

I have written about this before at this blog: John Proctor, in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, nearly bends to signing a false confession, but then has a moment of clarity and proclaims: “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am […]

Duncan Embraces of “Personalized Learning” and Company Curricula

by Jim Horn

As corporate education has made the 10-hour work day the gold standard for the segregated K-8 test camps that behaviorally neuter poor children, a different kind of high school is being promoted that will loose the “career ready” as soon as they can pass the tests required to set them upon a career at WalMart. […]

If any doubt remains…

by plthomasedd

The compromise argument that Common Core is revolutionary, but a high-stakes testing moratorium is needed appears to be gaining traction. But this is simply a concession to the very real fact that Common Core is destined to benefit only the standards and testing market being created by this Brave New World of Common Core. If […]

6-11-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Candi Peterson on Washington DC Union Election

Ed Notes Online: Candi Peterson on Washington DC Union Election:

Candi Peterson on Washington DC Union Election

by ed notes online

Liz and Candi

I'm not in a position to sort out what is happening in the Washington DC teachers union. I could recount some history but just don't have the heart or strength to rehash it. I do know that Candi's blog played a major role in fighting the wicked witch of the Rhee. Candi and Nathan Saunders were both in LA with us in 2009 and in Chicago in 2011. And then things fell apart. It's just plain sad.

See Candi's blog when she announced she was running.

WTU 2013 Election- The Best Kept Secret in Town?

WTU's Secret 2013 Election

By Candi Peterson

Vote Davis Slate for WTU

Liz Davis /Candi Peterson

WTU Can Be Better!

The recent Washington Teachers' Union 2013 presidential election was the

DFER names Bill Thompson, Christine Quinn and Anthony Weiner as the three most palatable candidates to focus their support around

by ed notes online

Bill de Blasio has “offered the least support for issues of concern to education reform advocates,” perhaps a reference to the public advocate’s public spate with influential charter school leader Eva Moskowitz.... Gotham Schools

Hmmm.. The UFT and DFER both showing love to Bill Thompson.

Fathers on Family Leave Blog Carnival « MomsRising Blog

Fathers on Family Leave Blog Carnival « MomsRising Blog:

Fathers on Family Leave Blog Carnival

by Mark Anthony Neal

Father’s Day is a great time to reflect on the joys, struggles, challenges and epiphanies that come with fatherhood. I’m honored to introduce this MomsRising.org Blog Carnival that focuses on the early days of fatherhood – Fathers on Family Leave, with revealing stories from dads about their introduction to fatherhood.
Like me, there are other fathers for whom the arrival of their children was revelation to the important demands of child care. However, I had the privilege of paid family leave – a privilege that seems to bestowed by chance in this country. Based on data the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 11 % of private firm workers and 16% of state and local government employees have access to any paid family leave at all. Only 40 % of workers have access to unpaid, job-protected leave, but many can’t afford to take time away from work without pay, and far far too many parents struggle with absolutely no job-protected leave, paid or unpaid. To be in this in an even more apparent context, the U.S. remains the only industrialized country without a paid family leave policy.
As you read our stories, you will understand why researchers state that paid family leave can improve breastfeeding rates, increase earnings for women and reduce costs for for recruitment and retraining. Keep the conversation going by leaving comments and sharing the posts.