Nite Cap 7-24-13 #BATsACT #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

TODAY

Missouri Education Watchdog: Join this #stopcommoncore Telephone Conference Thursday, July 25

Missouri Education Watchdog: Join this #stopcommoncore Telephone Conference Thursday, July 25: Join this #stopcommoncore Telephone Conference Thursday, July 25Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook“Stop Common Core Conference Call"Common Core State Standards in education have garnered a growing degree of attention from all sides of the educational policy field in the last several mon

by mike simpson / 10min 

Growing coalition pushes for new kind of Philly teachers contract | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Growing coalition pushes for new kind of Philly teachers contract | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Growing coalition pushes for new kind of Philly teachers contractby thenotebook on Jul 24 2013 Posted in Latest news="" style="color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on emailCOMMENTS (5)PRINTby Tom MacDonald for NewsWorksA group calling itself the Coali

by mike simpson / 20min 

Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 7-24-13 #soschat #edreform

SPECIAL Mid Day Banana BreakOpposition to bad ideas isn’t ‘defending the status quo’Gary Rubinstein says: It is not fair to label a group of people who include me, Diane Ravitch, Anthony Cody, Katie Osgood, Jersey Jazzman, EduShyster, and so many others as ‘status quo defenders’ just because the changes that we think would improve the education system are not the exact same changes that people who

by mike simpson / 1h 

Diane in the Evening 7-24-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Teacher: Predatory Uses of Data Endanger ChildrenThis teacher blogger takes issue with the opinion article written by Kerrie Dallman, the president of the Colorado Education Association, supporting inBloom, a project of Bill Gates and Rupert Murdoch. She writes: “Aside from your support of inBloom in Colorado and the glaring ethics

by mike simpson / 2h 

Does Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD of PS 154 in the Bronx Believe in Students First? southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Does Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD of PS 154 in the Bronx Believe in Students First? Does Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD. care as much as she claims she does about the students of PS 154, or does she have some nihilistic agenda to rid the school of teachers she does not care for no matter the cost and damage to the students?Now the type of teachers that ar

by mike simpson / 4h 

The Detroit Bankruptcy & K-12 Schooling :: Frederick M. Hess

The Detroit Bankruptcy & K-12 Schooling :: Frederick M. Hess: The Detroit Bankruptcy & K-12 Schoolingby Frederick M. Hess  •  Jul 24, 2013 at 1:44 pmCross-posted from Education WeekSo, while I was en route to Detroit on Thursday, I got word that the city had filed for bankruptcy. It was strange. While the story was all over the airport televisions and the hotel newspapers, I encountered ba

by mike simpson / 4h 

Health Insurance for Children Only

Health Insurance for Children Only: Health Insurance for Children OnlyJuly 11, 2013 by Ed Leave a CommentIn an uncertain world, the right health insurance for children is more than a good idea, but a requirement. And with the costs of quality medical care rising each and every day, dependable coverage is simply a must. After all, children will have to go to the doctor’s more frequently and the rig

by mike simpson / 4h 

Charter School Market Share And Performance

Shanker Blog » Charter School Market Share And Performance: Charter School Market Share And PerformancePosted by Matthew Di Carlo on July 24, 2013One of the (many) factors that might help explain — or at least be associated with — the wide variation in charter schools’ test-based impacts is market share. That is, the proportion of students that charters serve in a given state or district. There ar

by mike simpson / 5h 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Equitable funding for schools

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Equitable funding for schools: Equitable funding for schoolsThe budget is supposed to treat every school fairly, but there are five schools singled out for unfair treatment. The Board should address this unfairness - which clearly violates policy and the strategic plan - when they vote to today to adopt a budget for the coming school year.As always, the annual budg

by mike simpson / 5h 

One Roof, Two Schools | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

One Roof, Two Schools | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: One Roof, Two SchoolsBy American School Counselor Association on July 24, 2013By Kwok-Sze Wong, Ed.D., Executive Director, American School Counselor Association (ASCA)My daughter, Tori, attended two high schools. Like most of her friends, she was very active. She was in the National Honor Society, the Chinese Honor Societ

by mike simpson / 5h 

7-24-13 Connected Principals | Sharing. Learning. Leading.

Connected Principals | Sharing. Learning. Leading.: It’s called leadership…Let’s be honest with each other for a moment. Let’s take back all the fake smiles and friendly little emails. Let’s tell all the cute puppies to go home and cast aside all the colorful rainbows… Sometimes people just don’t care what you think. They could honestly care less about your opinion and your existence (or lack ther

by mike simpson / 5h 

Wait, What? - Working to educate, persuade and mobilize through "perceptive and acerbic" observations about Connecticut Government and Politics

Wait, What? - Working to educate, persuade and mobilize through "perceptive and acerbic" observations about Connecticut Government and Politics: Bridgeport’s Kenneth Moales Jr. goes off the deep end; passes out flyer attacking CT Post and their lead reporterCategories: Bridgeport CT Post Kenneth Moales Malloy Mayor Bill Finch Paul VallasTags: BridgeportConnecticut PostKenneth Moales Jr.MalloyMayor

by mike simpson / 5h 

Choosing Democracy: Sacramento District Insists on closing public schools

Choosing Democracy: Sacramento District Insists on closing public schools: Sacramento District Insists on closing public schoolsThe  Sacramento City school district is  closing  seven elementary schools, disproportionately hurting students in low-income and predominantly minority neighborhoods.In response, twelve students and their parents filed a civil rights lawsuit, asking a federal court to bl

by mike simpson / 5h 

While under investigation, why hasn’t Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles been placed on paid administrative leave? | Education Blog

While under investigation, why hasn’t Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles been placed on paid administrative leave? | Education Blog: While under investigation, why hasn’t Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles been placed on paid administrative leave?By Matthew Haagmhaag@dallasnews.com9:39 am on July 24, 2013 | Permalink1302Dallas ISD’s Office of Professional Responsibility investigates hundreds o

by mike simpson / 6h 

7-24-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: DFER Hedge Fundie Supports Eliot SpitzerEliot Spitzer is turning into the DFE/education reformie candidate this year. Not only has Eliot Spitzer hired a former Students First p.r. hack to be his campaign spokesman, but one of the head honchos at the hedge fundie-backed Democrats For Education Reform is backing Spitzer for comptroller:Hedge-funder Boykin Curry has sent out an

by mike simpson / 6h 

NYC Public School Parents: FAQ on inBloom Inc.: what is the state and your school district doing?

NYC Public School Parents: FAQ on inBloom Inc.: what is the state and your school district doing?: FAQ on inBloom Inc.: what is the state and your school district doing?A shorter version of this FAQ was published in Schoolbook yesterday; please go leave a comment.  A pdf version of the below you can download  is here.  And please make your voices heard by sending a letter to your school board, you

by mike simpson / 6h 

Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, July 24, 2013

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Fensterwald: Irritation or two aside, charter leaders pleased with new funding systemEducation HeadlinesWednesday, July 24, 2013Belleview Elementary School answers grand juryBelleview School District will review its hiring and job assignment policies at the recommendation of the Tuolumne County Grand Jury, the school board promised Monday in

by mike simpson / 6h 

Common Core academic standards failing the test? - POLITICO.com

Common Core academic standards failing the test? - POLITICO.com: Is Common Core failing the test?

by mike simpson / 6h 

Morning Wink 7-24-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSTODAYStates Move to Protect Teachers from Cyberbullying | NEA TodayStates Move to Protect Teachers from Cyberbullying | NEA Today: States Move to Protect Teachers from CyberbullyingJuly 24, 2013 by twalker  Filed under Featured News, Top StoriesLeave a CommentBy Helen YoshidaIn December 2012, the first and only law in the nation that criminalizes cyberbull

by mike simpson / 7h 

States Move to Protect Teachers from Cyberbullying | NEA Today

States Move to Protect Teachers from Cyberbullying | NEA Today: States Move to Protect Teachers from CyberbullyingJuly 24, 2013 by twalker  Filed under Featured News, Top StoriesLeave a CommentBy Helen YoshidaIn December 2012, the first and only law in the nation that criminalizes cyberbullying of teachers by students went into effect in North Carolina. Under the “School Violence Prevention Act of

by mike simpson / 7h 

Hot for teacher? Keep it to yourself. | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

Hot for teacher? Keep it to yourself. | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com:  Get Schooled: Hot for teacher? Keep it to yourself.A judge ruled against a Michigan college student who penned a class journal entry titled "Hot for Teacher" about how sexually attracted he was to his creative writing instructor. After the Detroit area college suspended student Joseph Corlett,  he sued. On Tuesday, U.S. District

by mike simpson / 7h 

Name Games with ESEA Reauthorization | Lily's Blackboard

Name Games with ESEA Reauthorization | Lily's Blackboard: Name Games with ESEA ReauthorizationJul 23rd, 2013 by Lily.Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed another bad bill with a good name.  We all remember the last time.  No Child Left Behind.  Good name.But angelic names always hide their devils in the details, and what we’ve come to know as No Child Left Untested has devastated st

by mike simpson / 7h 

Dream Defenders Announce Their Own Special Session » Dream Defenders

Dream Defenders Announce Their Own Special Session » Dream Defenders: DREAM DEFENDERS ANNOUNCE THEIR OWN SPECIAL SESSIONJuly 23, 2013By DreamDefendersin Uncategorized3 CommentsDREAM DEFENDERS RESPOND TO FLORIDA GOVERNOR’S REFUSAL TO HOLD A “SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION” BY CONVENING OUR OWNToday we marked the one-week anniversary of #TakeoverTuesday of the Florida statehouse by announcing plans to

by mike simpson / 7h 

Promise Programs Offer Hope to Students - Student Loan Ranger

Promise Programs Offer Hope to Students - Student Loan Ranger (usnews.com): Promise Programs Offer Hope to StudentsBy EQUAL JUSTICE WORKSJuly 24, 2013 RSS Feed PrintA group of anonymous donors launched Kalamazoo Promise in 2005 to provide full tuition for public school students in the community.The cost of postsecondary education in America has risen so high it is unaffordable for many to pursue t

by mike simpson / 8h 

Perspective on PARCC’s Price

The Quick and the Ed » Perspective on PARCC’s Price: 024 Jul 2013by Chad AldemanCategories: Accountability and Standards, College and Career Readiness, Data Testing Assessment,Education Finance, K-12 EducationTuesday was a bad news day for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), one of two federally funded consortia creating new assessments aligned to the Commo

by mike simpson / 8h 

A Sociological Eye on Education | Why the NCTQ ratings won’t have much influence, now or later

A Sociological Eye on Education | Why the NCTQ ratings won’t have much influence, now or later: Why the NCTQ ratings won’t have much influence, now or laterHow time flies. It’s been scarcely a month since the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) released its inaugural ratings of teacher-preparation programs across the country. Already, NCTQ is gearing up for next year’s model, envisioning an

by mike simpson / 8h 

7-24-13 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Road Trip Week 2Todd Mertz’s Illinois pension update.By Todd Mertz For the most part, nothing new or significant came out of the three planned Pension Conference Committee meetings. At this time, there are no meetings scheduled. But you can be sure there is work going on behind closed doors. Actuaries

by mike simpson / 8h 

7-24-13 Schools Matter @ The Chalk Face

SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE: No PARCCingHave your heard about the PARCC Asseesments?  The Partnership for Assessment for Readiness for College and Careers is a collection of 22 states that will be producing a series of Common Core aligned exams.  The PARCC Assessments are scheduled to begin in the 2014-15 school year. Promotion for the PARCC consortium has begun just as […]by Chris Cerrone / 3

by mike simpson / 8h 

Pro School Choice Scholar Urges Georgia to Drop Common Core, Too | Scathing Purple Musings

Pro School Choice Scholar Urges Georgia to Drop Common Core, Too | Scathing Purple Musings: Pro School Choice Scholar Urges Georgia to Drop Common Core, TooPosted on July 24, 2013by Bob Sikes      Rate ThisOne of the nation’s most widely read education writers is Maureen Downey of theAtlanta Journal Constitution. In her continued reporting on Georgia’s decision to drop PARCC tests, Downey included

by mike simpson / 9h 

After 70 years as a nonprofit, GED test switching to for-profit venture | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

After 70 years as a nonprofit, GED test switching to for-profit venture | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: After 70 years as a nonprofit, GED test switching to for-profit ventureJed Kim | July 24th, 2013, 6:00amDiane Orson/WNPRDonald Desmond teaches Abdesa Bustina to use a computer at the New Haven Adult and Continuing Education Center. The new GED will be offered only on computer.For more than 70 years,

by mike simpson / 9h 

Jersey Jazzman: NY Daily News: "Lie To Your Wife? Shame! Lie To Cops & Teachers? Meh..."

Jersey Jazzman: NY Daily News: "Lie To Your Wife? Shame! Lie To Cops & Teachers? Meh...": NY Daily News: "Lie To Your Wife? Shame! Lie To Cops & Teachers? Meh..."NY Daily News, July 24, 2013:Anthony Weiner led all New Yorkers to believe that he stopped recklessly, immaturely and compulsively sexting after his resignation from Congress in abject humiliation. Lie.Weiner reinforced the messag

by mike simpson / 9h 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-24-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: A New Film That Celebrates the Success of Public SchoolsIn this essay, Peter Dreier contrasts the films of the corporate reformers with a new film that shows the struggles, challenges, and successes of an American public school. Dreier usefully follows the money behind the corporate-funded films “Waiting for Superman” and “Won’t Ba

by mike simpson / 10h 

Irritation or two aside, charter leaders pleased with new funding system | EdSource Today

Irritation or two aside, charter leaders pleased with new funding system | EdSource Today: Irritation or two aside, charter leaders pleased with new funding systemJuly 24th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By John FensterwaldShare on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on printMore Sharing ServicesStudents at Rocketship Mosaic charter in San Jose discuss a book they’ve been reading. Credit: John Fe

by mike simpson / 10h 

Born to think and learn | Deborah Meier on Education

Born to think and learn | Deborah Meier on Education: Born to think and learnPosted on July 24, 2013 by nicholasmeierDear readers,The NY Times followed up its piece on STEM jobs and the causes of unemployment (see below) with one on testing: “The Trouble With Testing Mania.” (Sunday, July 14, p. 10) The editorial headline is the best thing about it, but it opens a few more doors for us among poten

by mike simpson / 10h 

7-24-13 teacherken at Daily Kos

teacherken at Daily Kos: Thoughts from a Conservative on issues relevant to todayWhen bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle. - Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents, from 1770 All government — indeed, every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue and every prudent act — is founded on compromise and ba

by mike simpson / 10h 

Editorial: Forget the lawyers, focus on the students - Editorials - The Sacramento Bee

Editorial: Forget the lawyers, focus on the students - Editorials - The Sacramento Bee: Editorial: Forget the lawyers, focus on the studentsBy the Editorial BoardPublished: Wednesday, Jul. 24, 2013 - 12:00 am | Page 14ASacramento attorney Mark Merin alleged in closing remarks to a lawsuit, filed on behalf of a dozen students and their parents, that in the transition caused by seven elementary scho

by mike simpson / 10h 

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Rahm's Civic Committee pals pushed Moody's & S&P to lower IL bond rating

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Rahm's Civic Committee pals pushed Moody's & S&P to lower IL bond rating: Rahm's Civic Committee pals pushed Moody's & S&P to lower IL bond ratingRahm Emanuel claims that he's been forced to close schools, demolish school budgets and fire thousands of teachers because the city is broke. Why is the city broke? Rahm says it's because of a pension c

by mike simpson / 10h 

NYC Educator: Only City Teachers Should Be Fired for Nothing, Implies Daily News

NYC Educator: Only City Teachers Should Be Fired for Nothing, Implies Daily News: Only City Teachers Should Be Fired for Nothing, Implies Daily NewsI was pretty surprised to find this story in the Daily News today. Apparently a teacher in Merrick, Long Island appeared shirtless in some stupid reality show, and resigned under pressure from administration. The News appears sympathetic to his cause,

by mike simpson / 10h 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: "Progressive" Ald. Moore, one of Rahm's toadies, now under FBI investigation

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: "Progressive" Ald. Moore, one of Rahm's toadies, now under FBI investigation: "Progressive" Ald. Moore, one of Rahm's toadies, now under FBI investigationMoore (left) has become one of the mayor's boys. Ald. Joe Moore was once considered to be a "progressive" who stood up once in a while, to the Daley machine and owed his allegiance to the people in his community. Bu

by mike simpson / 10h 

Louisiana Educator: School Reform Based on Bad Comparisons

Louisiana Educator: School Reform Based on Bad Comparisons: School Reform Based on Bad ComparisonsLast Sunday CNN aired a one hour show featuring reporter Morgan Spurlock as part of  the Inside Man series where he attempted to compare the U S public education system to the public system in Finland. Spurlock in this report also attempted to investigate why Finnish students have been judged to be th

by mike simpson / 10h 

K-12 News Network | CCSS Tests: KIds Need a Three Year Moratorium From Penalties For Many Good Reasons #TEACH13

K-12 News Network | CCSS Tests: KIds Need a Three Year Moratorium From Penalties For Many Good Reasons #TEACH13: CCSS Tests: KIds Need a Three Year Moratorium From Penalties For Many Good Reasons #TEACH13admin July 24, 2013 Common Core, Curriculum, Ed Tech, Parents, State Education Law, The Testing Industry 0On Monday, July 22, I appeared as a guest of AFT TEACH 2013′s town hall on Common Core Sta

by mike simpson / 10h 

A teacher gets depressed: a real story in comics

A teacher gets depressed: a real story in comics: A teacher gets depressed: a real story in comicsBy Valerie Strauss, Published: July 24 at 4:00 amE-mail the writer1CommentsMoreThe following is a highly unusual post — not only in form but in subject matter. David Lee Finkle, a middle-school teacher in Florida who draws the comic strip “Mr. Fitz” for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, writes and illus

by mike simpson / 10h 

YESTERDAY

Kansas BOE Member: Next Generation Science Standards Development Non-Transparent | Truth in American Education

Kansas BOE Member: Next Generation Science Standards Development Non-Transparent | Truth in American Education: Kansas BOE Member: Next Generation Science Standards Development Non-TransparentFiled in Education at State Level, Next Generation Science Standards by Shane Vander Hart on July 23, 2013 The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Ken Willard, a member of the Kansas State Board of Education,

by mike simpson / 19h 

State rushes first of Local Control money out to schools SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: State rushes first of Local Control money out to schoolsBy Tom ChorneauWednesday, July 24, 2013A total of $26.7 billion is going out from the controller’s office by July 31, which represents the first regular installment for the fiscal year as well as about $2.1 billion for LCFF activities.But with the money, districts are also being warned that adju

by mike simpson / 19h 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: TFA in Washington State: No Surprise to Us

Seattle Schools Community Forum: TFA in Washington State: No Surprise to Us: TFA in Washington State: No Surprise to UsVia Mirmac 1, there is this public disclosure e-mail that is quite telling but of no surprise to anyone who reads this blog.  We asked these questions from the start.  From the e-mail (italics Dr. Ginsberg's, bold mine):1) Whose interests are we serving and, related to this questi

by mike simpson / 19h 

Mothers of Dead Children

Mothers of Dead Children « MomsRising Blog: Mothers of Dead ChildrenPosted July 23rd, 2013 by Valerie YoungMothers are driven to protect their children. It’s innate. When the very laws we live by allow our children to die, with bullets buried in the bodies we birthed and love, our  hearts explode in rage and pain that transforms us and makes of us something distinctly other than that which we were

by mike simpson / 19h 

Nite Cap 7-23-13 #BATsACT #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best: "For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAPTODAYAFT Research is a Call-to-Action: Testing is Out of Hand, Costly. | The Classroom SoothAFT Research is a Call-to-Action: Testing is Out of Hand, Costly. | The Classroom Sooth: AFT Research is a Call-to-Action: Testing is Out of Hand, Costly.Posted on 

by mike simpson / 23h

2nd Banana 7-20-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 7-13-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 7-6-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

2nd Banana 6-29-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

2nd Banana 6-22-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

2nd Banana 6-15-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 6-8-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

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

Nite Cap 7-23-13

Nite Cap 7-22-13

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Nite Cap 7-20-13

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Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-2-13

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-1-13

Missouri Education Watchdog: Join this #stopcommoncore Telephone Conference Thursday, July 25

Missouri Education Watchdog: Join this #stopcommoncore Telephone Conference Thursday, July 25:

Join this #stopcommoncore Telephone Conference Thursday, July 25

“Stop Common Core Conference Call"

Common Core State Standards in education have garnered a growing degree of attention from all sides of the educational policy field in the last several months. New Hampshire was one of the states to adopt this new set of academic standards and is right at the center of this lively debate currently going on in the school halls.

Common Core's advocates say it raises the educational bar. Yet, detractors have indicated that Common Core comes with a number of detrimental trade-offs.

The minds and futures of children merit the careful consideration of all angles and facts to determine the truth and the best course of action.

Interested parties are invited to join an exclusive 90-minute discussion call that will address Common Core State Standards. Respected educational policy experts from several well-known organizations will be on the phone to present valuable information and respond to your questions.

The discussion call will be held on:

• • •

Thursday, July 25 @ 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (last 30 minutes will be a Q&A) 

Call in Number: 530-881-1300 Code: 587258

Experts on the call will include:

• Dr. Sandra Stotsky: Sandra Stotsky was professor of education reform at the University of Arkansas and held the 21st Century Chair in Teacher Quality. She retired in December 2012. She served as Senior Associate Commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education from 1999-2003, where she was in charge of developing or revising all the state’s K-12 standards, teacher licensure tests, and teacher and administrator licensure regulations. She served on the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education from 2006-2010, appointed by Governor Mitt Romney. She served on the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, from 2006-2008, appointed by Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. Most recently she served on theCommon Core Validation Committee, from 2009-2010. She was also editor of NCTE’s premier research journal, Research in the Teaching of English, from 1991 to 1997. She has published extensively in professional journals and written several books.

• Joy Pullman: education research fellow, The Heartland Institute is a research fellow of The Heartland Institute and managing editor of School Reform News, a national monthly publication. In that capacity, she has interviewed and produced podcasts with many of the leading figures in school reform. She previously was the assistant editor for American Magazine at the American Enterprise Institute. She is also the 2013 recipient of a Robert Novak journalism fellowship for in-

depth reporting on Common Core national education standards.

Growing coalition pushes for new kind of Philly teachers contract | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Growing coalition pushes for new kind of Philly teachers contract | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Growing coalition pushes for new kind of Philly teachers contract

by thenotebook on Jul 24 2013 Posted in Latest news

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by Tom MacDonald for NewsWorks

A group calling itself the Coalition for Effective Teaching is calling on the Philadelphia School District and the city teachers' union to think about more than dollars and cents when negotiating the next contract. They're pushing to pick teachers not just based on seniority.

There are four new members to the Coalition for Effective Teaching, including the Urban League and Congreso.

Sharmain Matlock-Turner of the Urban Affairs Coalition says her group joined to send a unified message to both the teachers and the School District.

"The right teacher in the right classroom absolutely matters, putting together a school culture and a school climate, getting everybody on the same page makes a huge difference on whether or not schools will be successful," said Matlock-Turner.

Read the rest of this story at NewsWorks

Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 7-24-13 #soschat #edreform

SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break

Opposition to bad ideas isn’t ‘defending the status quo’

Gary Rubinstein says: It is not fair to label a group of people who include me, Diane Ravitch, Anthony Cody, Katie Osgood, Jersey Jazzman, EduShyster, and so many others as ‘status quo defenders’ just because the changes that we think would improve the education system are not the exact same changes that people who know nothing about schools including Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, Arne Duncan, Wh

by dr.scott.mcleod@g... / 0min 

Teacher: Predatory Uses of Data Endanger Children

This teacher blogger takes issue with the opinion article written by Kerrie Dallman, the president of the Colorado Education Association, supporting inBloom, a project of Bill Gates and Rupert Murdoch. She writes: “Aside from your support of inBloom in Colorado and the glaring ethics and privacy issues the system poses, I have some real problems with your argument that teachers need inBloom as a

by dianerav / 53min 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-24-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: A New Film That Celebrates the Success of Public SchoolsIn this essay, Peter Dreier contrasts the films of the corporate reformers with a new film that shows the struggles, challenges, and successes of an American public school. Dreier usefully follows the money behind the corporate-funded films “Waiting for Superman” and “Won’t Ba

by mike simpson / 2h 

State education officials: We’re sticking with Common Core

As the political debate swirls in some statehouses over the Common Core math and reading standards, most state education officials responsible for implementing the new K-12 standards are confident that their states will stick with the program, according to a survey released Wednesday. Read full article >>    

by Lyndsey Layton / 49min 

“Trusting Teachers Is a Means to Authentic Parent Engagement”

Trusting Teachers Is a Means to Authentic Parent Engagement is an interesting post by Kim Farris-Berg over at Education Week. I’m adding it to The Best Reasons Why Parents Should Be Looked At As Allies & Not Targets Of Blame.

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h 

Google Partners with Publishers to Bring Affordable e-Textbooks to Students

Google has announced it will be partnering with 5 major textbook publishers to bring affordable e-textbooks to its Google Play Store starting in the Fall. Called "Play Textbooks," the announcement should be good news for students who have been pounded by skyrocketing textbook costs. Since 1978, college textbooks have seen an 812 percent rise in price--a rate that far outpaces inflation and tuition

34min mark as read  //  save

Design-a-thon for Early Childhood Education

We've all heard of hack-a-thons, but have you heard of a design-a-thon? Ideaction Corp worked with the First Five Years Fund to put together a successful design-a-thon to address early childhood education. Learn more about what they did and a few lessons they learned along the way!

34min 

Help me become a Climate Leader

I have been selected as one of the few Climate Leaders (as well as the only South African) for the Climate Reality Leadership Corps (see http://climaterealityproject.org/leadership-corps) to attend training from the 30th of July to the 1st of August 2013 in Chicago, U.S.A. http://climaterealityproject.org/2013/07/16/climate-reality-leadership-corps-training-by-al-gore-in-chicago/ The Climate Reali

1h 

HISD bribery trial pushed to December

The trial of a civil lawsuit accusing HISD trustee Larry Marshall, the school district and two contractors of a bribery scheme has been postponed five weeks to Dec. 3. U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison on Wednesday pushed back the trial date after granting a request by HISD for more time to file motions in the  Read More

by Ericka Mellon / 4min 

Obama to Nominate Caroline Kennedy as Ambassador to Japan

President Obama will nominate Caroline Kennedy as the new ambassador to Japan on Wednesday, according to a report from the Associated Press. Kennedy, whose nomination to the post has been anticipated for some time, was a major supporter of Obama during his run for the presidency.  The former first daughter would become the first female ambassador to the country, according to the AP. But she'd be

by Abby Ohlheiser / 28min 

In Central Valley, College Students Spend Summer Vacation in the Fields

By Erika Hernandez, South Kern Sol/New America Media ARVIN, Calif. — This small town in South Kern County is home to many farmworkers, including young college students eager to make some cash during their summer break. And although it may seem strange to those living outside of California’s Central Valley, working in the fields, although physically demanding, can be a gratifying experience for man

by NewsTaco / 33min 

 

Bankruptcy judge blocks labor lawsuits against Detroit

DETROIT (Reuters) – A U.S. bankruptcy court judge on Wednesday suspended lawsuits brought in Michigan state courts that had challenged Detroit’s bankruptcy filing on state constitutional grounds while the judge reviews the city’s petition for protection from creditors. All issues...

by Reuters / 1h 

Inching Toward Equity: What Should Schools Do to Increase Social Mobility?

The great equalizer. It’s what public education is supposed to be. It’s what draws many of us to the field of educational improvement. And it’s what drew me to Core Knowledge. Taking the knowledge and skills that have long been exclusively in the minds of the educational elite and spelling out a grade-by-grade plan for [...]

by Lisa Hansel / 1h 

Quick Hits

A lifelong learner. Ninety-seven-year-old Hal “Grandpa” Lasker was a commercial typographer in his youth, designing and hand-drawing letters to create new fonts for greeting cards to advertising posters. Since retirement, Grandpa’s learned to use his computer to create extraordinary, finely detailed, pixilated paintings. (The Pixel Painter, Vimeo) “Twitterati.” Here is Anthony Jackson’s (in-progre

by Q&E Guestblogger / 2min 

Arrests at Capitol of Solidarity Singers

A little while ago the social media started lighting up with news of arrests at the state capitol.  Solidarity Sing-Along members have been arrested in the Capitol, as the Department of Administration and Capitol Police are flexing their muscles after the recent court ruling that the DOA rules for the capitol are constitutional. We have heard that at least four have been arrested and released, and

by Steve Hanson / 48min 

Remarks by the President on the Economy -- Knox College, Galesburg, IL

Knox College Galesburg, Illinois 12:13 P.M. CDT   THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Galesburg!  (Applause.)  Well, it’s good to be home in Illinois!  (Applause.)  It is good to be back. It’s good to be back.  Thank you.  Thank you so much, everybody. (Applause.)  Thank you.  Everybody, have a seat, have a seat.  Well, it is good to be back.   I want to, first of all, thank Knox College -- (applause) -- I wan

by The White House / 12min 

Diane in the Evening 7-24-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

9-Year-Old Tells Chicago School Board: Stop the Closings!

Asean Johnson, a nine-year-old student in Chicago, read the riot act to the Chicago school board. He told them they should be helping schools, not closing them. He made more sense than any of the grown-ups on the other side of the podium. He had only two minutes, and he used them well: “With tears sliding down his cheeks Johnson told the school board, “You are slashing our education. You’re pullin

by dianerav / 11min 

Protesting Co-Location of Charter School in Los Angeles

One of the worst of the corporate reform policies is co-locating privately-managed charter schools inside public school buildings. It creates fights over space nd resources. It sets parent against parent. One school (the charter) gets preferential treatment. Often, the charter has a rich and powerful board of directors. Co-location–or charter school invasion–creates what some call academic aparthe

by dianerav / 1h 

Teacher: Predatory Uses of Data Endanger Children

This teacher blogger takes issue with the opinion article written by Kerrie Dallman, the president of the Colorado Education Association, supporting inBloom, a project of Bill Gates and Rupert Murdoch. She writes: “Aside from your support of inBloom in Colorado and the glaring ethics and privacy issues the system poses, I have some real problems with your argument that teachers need inBloom as a

by dianerav / 53min 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-24-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: A New Film That Celebrates the Success of Public SchoolsIn this essay, Peter Dreier contrasts the films of the corporate reformers with a new film that shows the struggles, challenges, and successes of an American public school. Dreier usefully follows the money behind the corporate-funded films “Waiting for Superman” and “Won’t Ba

by mike simpson / 2h 

Does Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD of PS 154 in the Bronx Believe in Students First? southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

Does Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD of PS 154 in the Bronx Believe in Students First?

 Does Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD. care as much as she claims she does about the students of PS 154, or does she have some nihilistic agenda to rid the school of teachers she does not care for no matter the cost and damage to the students?

Now the type of teachers that are victims of her nihilistic approach are those that are primarily of color, over the age of 40, due for tenure, make too much money, and possess an independent streak in which they
refuse to sip the laced Kool-Aid Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD serves up.

But The Crack Team has suggested not answer the above concerns on these pages. Rather, it will be you the reader, to decide whether or not Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD had the best interests of the students or the best interests of her agenda at heart.

This past April in the middle of teaching a lesson, a 2nd grade teacher allowed a man into her classroom. This man, unbeknownst to the teacher, was about to serve her with 3020a papers for being incompetent. This teacher received a U rating from Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD in the 2011-2012 

The Detroit Bankruptcy & K-12 Schooling :: Frederick M. Hess

The Detroit Bankruptcy & K-12 Schooling :: Frederick M. Hess:

The Detroit Bankruptcy & K-12 Schooling

by Frederick M. Hess  •  Jul 24, 2013 at 1:44 pm
Cross-posted from Education Week

So, while I was en route to Detroit on Thursday, I got word that the city had filed for bankruptcy. It was strange. While the story was all over the airport televisions and the hotel newspapers, I encountered barely any discussion of it from the folks I met. Anyway, lots one might say about the situation.

After all, in his letter announcing the decision, Governor Snyder noted that Detroiters wait an average of 58 minutes for police to respond (compared with a national average of 11 minutes); that 40% of the city's street lights didn't work in the first quarter of this year; and that roughly 78,000 city structures have been abandoned. If one were inclined, one could pen a treatise on municipal bankruptcy law, underfunded pensions, cost curves in health care obligations, and the missteps and corruption that brought Detroit to this pass. But it's a summer day. I'm betting most of you don't have the patience for any of that, and I'm definitely not prepared to expound on it.

So, we'll set down the tomes and instead just touch on a couple thoughts that struck me in reflecting on the 

The Trouble With Economists

Some of my best friends are education economists. That's right. Economists have added a whole lot to the education discourse in the past decade. They've shed light on dubious assumptions and frequently brought a healthy rigor, one that was too often...

2min 

Shanker Blog » Charter School Market Share And Performance

Shanker Blog » Charter School Market Share And Performance:

Charter School Market Share And Performance

Posted by Matthew Di Carlo on July 24, 2013

One of the (many) factors that might help explain — or at least be associated with — the wide variation in charter schools’ test-based impacts is market share. That is, the proportion of students that charters serve in a given state or district. There are a few reasons why market share might matter.

For example, charter schools compete for limited resources, including private donations and labor (teachers), and fewer competitors means more resources. In addition, there are a handful of models that seem to get fairly consistent results no matter where they operate, and authorizers who are selective and only allow “proven” operators to open up shop might increase quality (at the expense of quantity). There may be a benefit to very slow, selective expansion (and smaller market share is a symptom of that deliberate approach).

One way to get a sense of whether market share might matter is simply to check the association between measured charter performance and coverage. It might therefore be interesting, albeit exceedingly simple, to use the recently-released CREDO analysis, which provides state-level estimates based on a common analytical approach (though different tests, etc.), for this purpose.

Let’s focus on the math results, since they vary more widely than those for reading, and start with the state-level results. The scatterplot below presents CREDO effect estimates by charter coverage.*

This is far from a tight relationship, but there may be a little something in there. There are exceptions, such as Arizona and Colorado, both of which have weak charter impacts but very high market share (which means they might 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Equitable funding for schools

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Equitable funding for schools:

Equitable funding for schools

The budget is supposed to treat every school fairly, but there are five schools singled out for unfair treatment. The Board should address this unfairness - which clearly violates policy and the strategic plan - when they vote to today to adopt a budget for the coming school year.


As always, the annual budget will include allocations for each school. Per Board Policy 6010, School Funding Model, the funding for each school is supposed to:

• Provide the basic staffing for school
• Have a transparent model
• Provide core staffing
• Be based on data
• Account for differences in student characteristics like poverty, 

One Roof, Two Schools | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

One Roof, Two Schools | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:

One Roof, Two Schools

By American School Counselor Association on July 24, 2013

By Kwok-Sze Wong, Ed.D., Executive Director, American School Counselor Association (ASCA)
My daughter, Tori, attended two high schools. Like most of her friends, she was very active. She was in the National Honor Society, the Chinese Honor Society, the marching band, the orchestra, drama productions. She was the class secretary and took Advanced Placement and honors classes. Tori went to a school of engaged, enthusiastic and energetic students.
There is another school, however, existing under the same roof. In this school, students don’t participate in any extracurricular activities. They don’t take a rigorous course load. Students in this school have attendance and disciplinary problems. This is a school of unmotivated, unchallenged and disenfranchised students.
Many students in the second school come from low-income, ethnically and culturally diverse populations. They don’t see themselves in the same world, much less the same school, as their more involved counterparts. The different socioeconomic populations may be physically desegregated, but they were never integrated into one cohesive student body.
Unfortunately, many schools across the country experience this same “one-roof, two-schools”