Morning Wink 9-1-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

TODAY

NYC Public School Parents: Mayor's PEP Members, Rogovin & Lewis, Press for Crony Contract

NYC Public School Parents: Mayor's PEP Members, Rogovin & Lewis, Press for Crony Contract: Mayor's PEP Members, Rogovin & Lewis, Press for Crony ContractMayoral members of the Panel for Educational Policy secured the minimum number of votes toapprove a wasteful $4.6 million contract for former Chancellor Joel Klein's firm, Amplify Inc.  The mayoral bloc was lead by Allison Rogovin and Joe

by mike simpson / 41min 

nursery school hysteria - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help

nursery school hysteria - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help: nursery school hysteriaSUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2013 AT 6:14AMHere is the problem. There are many people in a small space who all want passionately, and they want it NOW. Their main source of information is other people in the same boat who have a lot of fear but no accurate information or experience.Here is the result. Unnecessary fe

by mike simpson / 59min 

9-1-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: Daily News Editors - A Bloodthirsty Bunch Of War CriminalsThere doesn't seem to be any bombing campaign, preemptive strike or out-and-out war the very serious men at Mort Zuckerman's Daily News don't like.Yesterday in an editorial on Syria, they wrote the following:The commander-in-chief of the United States of America is asking Congress for approval to punish the Syrian reg

by mike simpson / 1h 

Restore teaching as a respected profession

Restore teaching as a respected profession: Restore teaching as a respected professionBy Lynn Stoddard, Standard-ExaminerFri, 08/30/2013 - 11:43amWhy do half of all teachers leave the profession within the first five years of its starting? When a new teacher is thrown into a room full of 20 to 40 lively youngsters, s/he gets hit in the face with reality and responsibility. As days go by, the burde

by mike simpson / 1h 

Charter schools’ failed promise | The Columbus Dispatch

Charter schools’ failed promise | The Columbus Dispatch: Charter schools’ failed promiseView LargerPublic schoolsPerformance ofschools in Ohio’s “Big 8” urban public-school districts:Scored a D or F in students meeting state standards88%Scored a D or F in four-year high-school graduation rate73% Charter schoolsPerformance of Ohio charter schools:Scored a D or F in students meeting state standards8

by mike simpson / 1h 

Hillsborough officials say charter schools walk fine line between fees and donations | Tampa Bay Times

Hillsborough officials say charter schools walk fine line between fees and donations | Tampa Bay Times: Hillsborough officials say charter schools walk fine line between fees and donationsMarlene Sokol, Times Staff WriterSaturday, August 31, 2013 7:02pmFacebook2EmailShare5Print  0SKIP O'ROURKE | TimesTrinity School for Children at 2402 W Osborne Ave. in Tampa is one of several charter schools on t

by mike simpson / 1h 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-1-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: John Wilson: Who Is America’s Most Deceptive Governor?John Wilson, formerly executive director of the NEA, now writes in “Education Week,” where he posed the question above. Which governor ran as a moderate, then revealed himself as an anti-government, anti-teacher, anti-public school extremist as soon as he was elected? Perhaps yo

by mike simpson / 1h 

9-1-13 teacherken at Daily Kos

teacherken at Daily Kos: Who will tell the children?Who will tell the children that we have allowed the water they need to live to be poisoned by fracking? Who will tell the children that the beaches on which we used to loll and get sun-tanned were wiped out by the oceans rising because we would not control carbon emissions? Who will tell the children that they cannot expect a decent job because w

by mike simpson / 1h 

YESTERDAY

As deadline passes, Jordan says progress made, but still no settlement | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

As deadline passes, Jordan says progress made, but still no settlement | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: As deadline passes, Jordan says progress made, but still no settlementby Dale Mezzacappa on Sep 01 2013 Posted in Latest newsNegotiators for the School District and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers reached the midnight deadline without reaching agreement on a new contract.PFT presid

by mike simpson / 8h 

Make a contribution to NPE and receive a personalized copy of Reign of Error by Diane Ravitch ← NPE News Briefs

Make a contribution to NPE and receive a personalized copy of Reign of Error by Diane Ravitch ← NPE News Briefs: Make a contribution to NPE and receive a personalized copy of Reign of Error by Diane Ravitch31 Aug 2013   | ActivismPre-order Reign of Error by September 15th. There is a limited number of special signed copies!The Network for Public Education is pleased to offer our friends an opportu

by mike simpson / 10h 

8-31-13 Ed Notes Online 7th Anniversary

Ed Notes Online: EdNotesOnline Blog 7th Anniversary: Reflections on 15 Years of Ed NotesThe real reason I got to meetings: rice puddingWith Aug. 2006 being the founding month of ednotesonline, I thought it time to reflect after seven years of ednotesonline (4954 posts) and 15 years of Ed Notes, when including the published versions.I was inspired by 3 blogs:NYC Educator who began in spring of 2005

by mike simpson / 15h 

Nite Cap 8-31-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change

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 CAPTODAYYou are a valuable teacher on Labor Day and every day. Let people know it. | Reclaim ReformYou are a valuable teacher on Labor Day and every day. Let people know it. | Reclaim Reform: You are a valuable teacher on Labor Day and every day. Let people k

1 by mike simpson / 16h 

You are a valuable teacher on Labor Day and every day. Let people know it. | Reclaim Reform

You are a valuable teacher on Labor Day and every day. Let people know it. | Reclaim Reform: You are a valuable teacher on Labor Day and every day. Let people know it.Posted on August 31, 2013by Ken PrevitiAs a teacher, you work hard to meet the needs of your students. The teacher bashing propaganda abounds as the Corporate-Industrial Complex pushes their profiteering version of “education reform.

19 by mike simpson / 16h 

Prison-Industrial Complex? Maybe It’s Time For A Schools-Industrial Complex | toteachornototeach

Prison-Industrial Complex? Maybe It’s Time For A Schools-Industrial Complex | toteachornototeach: Prison-Industrial Complex? Maybe It’s Time For A Schools-Industrial Complex by Saki KnafoCalifornia has built 23 prisons since 1980. In the same period, the University of California system has opened one new campus. And although California’s prison population has declined in recent years, the state’s

3 by mike simpson / 16h 

Diane in the Evening 8-31-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Randall Hendee: Why I Disagree with E.D. Hirsch, Jr., about Common CoreRandall Hendee is a English teacher in Illinois. He wrote the following comments about E.D. Hirsch’s views about the Common Core. Hirsch is the founder of the Core Knowledge curriculum and author of several books on the importance of establishing a sequential, s

by mike simpson / 18h 

8-31-13 Saturday Special Corporate Reform School Girls News Breakout

Saturday Special Corporate Reform School Girls News BreakoutTODAYDaily Kos: Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom.Daily Kos: Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom.: Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom.byteacherkenFollow    Email  1 Comments / 1 NewThis is a review of the book of that title by Sylvia Sylv

2 by mike simpson / 20h 

Daily Kos: Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom.

Daily Kos: Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom.: Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom.byteacherkenFollow    Email  1 Comments / 1 NewThis is a review of the book of that title by Sylvia Sylvia Libow & Gary Stager, which first appeared yesterday at Education Review.  As the author of the review I am cross-posting it here because I

by mike simpson / 20h 

A quiz on America’s core curriculum

A quiz on America’s core curriculum: A quiz on America’s core curriculumBy Valerie Strauss, Published: August 31 at 1:30 pmE-mail the writer0CommentsMore(southmont.k12.in.us)How much do you really know about the core curriculum that American students are taught? Exploring this is the following piece — along with a quiz — by Marion Brady, who was a classroom teacher for years, has written history a

by mike simpson / 21h 

Facts and figures about US education as millions of students return to classrooms this fall - The Washington Post

Facts and figures about US education as millions of students return to classrooms this fall - The Washington Post: Facts and figures about US education as millions of students return to classrooms this fall(M. Spencer Green, File/ Associated Press ) - FILE - In this Aug. 26, 2013 file photo safety guard Renee Green high-fives Demari Hill, 5, as she heads to Gresham Elementary School with her paren

by mike simpson / 21h 

Obama says sex education for kindergartners ‘right thing to do’ - BizPac Review

Obama says sex education for kindergartners ‘right thing to do’ - BizPac Review: Obama says sex education for kindergartners ‘right thing to do’August 31, 2013 by Tom Tillison 18 CommentsAs we witness America being “transformed” in today’s progressive era, there’s simply no time for children to enjoy the innocence of childhood.The Chicago Public Schools now mandate that the district’s kindergarten

by mike simpson / 21h 

8-31-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum:  Do You Need to be a Parent to be a Good Teacher?That's a simplistic question - clearly - but part of the discussion of this column at Slate by Sara Mosle.You'll recall that I wrote a thread about an article in the NY Times about the movement of younger teachers in and out of of the classroom, particularly TFA teachers.So Ms. Mosle, a former TFAer (20 years ago), g

by mike simpson / 21h 

Disaster in Philadelphia: Countdown, Day 9: Teachers' union prepared to negotiate through the weekend | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Countdown, Day 9: Teachers' union prepared to negotiate through the weekend | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Countdown, Day 9: Teachers' union prepared to negotiate through the weekendby Paul Socolar on Aug 31 2013 Posted in Countdown to calamity?="" style="color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on emailCOMMENTS (1)PRINTThe Philadelphia Federation of

by mike simpson / 21h 

2nd Banana 8-31-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #RealEdTalk #p2 #1u

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST Hey Did I mention that Diane Ravitch has a new book coming out on September 17?REIGN OF ERROR. An incisive, comprehensive look at today’s American school system that argues against those who claim it is broken and beyond repair; an impassioned but reasoned call to stop the privatization movement that is draining students and funding from

2 by mike simpson / 22h 

How Bureaucrats Are Ruining Education | Alternet

How Bureaucrats Are Ruining Education | Alternet: How Bureaucrats Are Ruining EducationA sobering tale of bureaucracy run amok, to the detriment of schoolchildren.August 19, 2013  |   Last week the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest in the nation, opened its doors to more than 640,000 students for the new school year. The following story is a sobering tale of bureaucracy run a

by mike simpson / 23h 

Morning Wink 8-31-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSTODAYLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-31-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: What in the World Were State Officials Thinking?Howard Schwach taught for more than 25 years, developed test items for the state, and worked on curriculum development for special education

1 by mike simpson / 23h mark as read  //  save

2nd Banana 8-31-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Nite Cap 8-31-13  

Nite Cap 8-30-13

NYC Public School Parents: Mayor's PEP Members, Rogovin & Lewis, Press for Crony Contract

NYC Public School Parents: Mayor's PEP Members, Rogovin & Lewis, Press for Crony Contract:

Mayor's PEP Members, Rogovin & Lewis, Press for Crony Contract

Mayoral members of the Panel for Educational Policy secured the minimum number of votes to
approve a wasteful $4.6 million contract for former Chancellor Joel Klein's firm, Amplify Inc.  The mayoral bloc was lead by Allison Rogovin and Joe Lewis who argued DOE needs to pay Klein to maintain the ARIS student database in 2014 despite the fact that NY State will make its own student data portalavailable this fall.

The contract extends the current maintenance which expires in December 2013 for another twelve months.  Given that it was only August and the state system was to be ready this fall, I moved to delay voting on the contract extension until later October or November.  We could secure additional support only if necessary and for a more limited time period than a full year.  My motion was supported by Queens member Dmytro Fedkowskyj and Bronx member Robert Powell.   Mayoral appointees Rogovin and Lewis argued that the system was simply too valuable to risk not being available to teachers and parents, a fact contradicted by the notoriously low usage statistics for ARIS.  In fact a Comptroller's office audit showed 42% of teachers and administrators never bothered to use it. (see NY Times article)

My second rationale for delaying approval of the contract was the list of adverse findings on the Vendex 

nursery school hysteria - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help

nursery school hysteria - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help:

nursery school hysteria

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2013 AT 6:14AM

Here is the problem. There are many people in a small space who all want passionately, and they want it NOW. Their main source of information is other people in the same boat who have a lot of fear but no accurate information or experience.

Here is the result. Unnecessary fear, misunderstanding, rigidness that creates hysteria, promotes wrong headed decisions and sets up a climate that is unhealthy for the schools, the children and the parents. You are doing it to yourselves, people.

Here is the reality. There are many appropriate and lovely early childhood seats available (enough for everyone evidenced by the range of stand alone private schools with open seats throughout the summer, many of which I list on my newsletter each year). I just can't buy into the myth when every year, I see popular schools, small schools, large schools, new and old that have seats available even into the fall. This is NOT A HIGH STAKES CHOICE. It is playbased inquiry and enrichment. You need to find someplace that is safe, loving and rich in experience (there are multitudes of schools that fill these requirements - hundreds in a few square miles in fact) and after that you will look at 

9-1-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School:

NY Times: Bloomberg Didn't Ask Quinn To Overturn Term Limits, He Told Her To Do It

Front page story in the NY Times tonight that makes Christine Quinn seem powerless and inconsequential in relation to Mayor Bloomberg.The year it unfolded, 2008, brought two political shocks that altered the course of both of their careers. Mr. Bloomberg, after flirting with a presidential candidacy as an independent, realized that the White House would never be his and turned his gaze back to New

by reality-based edu... / 8min 

Dirty Tricks Campaign Waged Against De Blasio

Someone is sending out negative robocalls about de Blasio to members of the press without identifying who's behind the calls: just got a robocall about @NYDNGregSmith story: "bill de blasio sides with rich slumlords" #nyc2013— Azi Paybarah (@Azi) September 2, 2013And:@Azi @NYDNGregSmith Me too: no claim of credit, which violates rules, right?— Michael Barbaro (@mikiebarb) September 2, 2013Here:Gue

by reality-based edu... / 42min 

Before You Vote For Bill Thompson...

...see here and remember that Merryl Tisch is the co-chair of the Thompson campaign.You can also take a look at this, this, this and thisBill Thompson is saying other candidates are ethically-challenged and without vetted plans for their core programs.Actually those are the very real problems with Bill Thompson himself.

by reality-based edu... / 23min 

Christine Quinn Shows What Kind Of Mayor She Would Be

She'd be full of crap, of course!New York mayoral candidate Christine Quinn caught flack from her opponents this week when she appeared at a rally for fast-food workers just a day after accepting a large donation from fast-food mogul Dennis Riese.Riese’s corporation owns 75 francised restaurants in New York, including outposts of KFC, Pizza Hut, Tim Hortons, and T.G.I. Fridays. On Wednesday, Quinn

by reality-based edu... / 37min 

Andrew Cuomo Shuts Down Committee To Save New York PAC So That He Doesn't Have To Reveal His Donors

The NY Times reported yesterday that Andrew Cuomo's PAC, the Committee To Save New York, is shutting down:The Committee to Save New York, a coalition of business leaders that spent millions of dollars supporting the agenda of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and that seemed, overnight, to become the biggest lobbying force in Albany, said on Friday that it was shutting down. “From our perspective, we believe o

by reality-based edu... / 19min

Daily News Editors - A Bloodthirsty Bunch Of War Criminals

There doesn't seem to be any bombing campaign, preemptive strike or out-and-out war the very serious men at Mort Zuckerman's Daily News don't like.Yesterday in an editorial on Syria, they wrote the following:The commander-in-chief of the United States of America is asking Congress for approval to punish the Syrian regime with the military might of the globe’s sole superpower. The Congress must aut

by reality-based edu... / 7min  

8-31-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: Joe Lhota Shows Once Again Why He Will Not Be Mayor Of NYCThe Daily News has a story about two kittens on the B/Q train line who wandered onto the tracks and had to be saved.The subway lines were shut down in order to save the two male kittens.GOP mayoral candidate and former MTA chairman Joe Lhota said the subways should not have been shut down in order to save the kittens:

by mike simpson / 8h 

Restore teaching as a respected profession:

Restore teaching as a respected profession

By Lynn Stoddard, Standard-Examiner

Fri, 08/30/2013 - 11:43am

Why do half of all teachers leave the profession within the first five years of its starting? When a new teacher is thrown into a room full of 20 to 40 lively youngsters, s/he gets hit in the face with reality and responsibility. As days go by, the burden begins to accumulate. Some of the students are there only because they are required to take the class to get credit for graduation. Many of these know how to play the game and get good grades but don’t learn very much. Others are there only to have fun disrupting and calling attention to themselves. The new teacher soon begins to wonder if s/he has chosen the right profession.

Most people don’t realize how difficult it is to teach school. Only a small part of what teachers know and can do is obtained in colleges of education. Most of their competence is a result of years of experience working with children who are totally different from each other — different personalities, different abilities, and different needs. If a teacher survives the first five years, the chances of staying on are much better.

It takes at least 10 years for a teacher to start assimilating the subtle nuances of interacting with a great variety of students and at least another 10 years for one to attain the skills of a master teacher. Then with added love, great teaching becomes extraordinary.

This raises another question: Does experience as a student qualify one as an authority on teaching? Do some legislators and school board members qualify as expert educators by virtue of having attended public schools for thirteen or more years as students?

How can these pseudo educators, with straight faces, make edicts such as this: “We will deny funding to