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Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Morning Wink 9-3-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change


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TODAY

Sallie Mae Lags In Student Debt Relief Amid Ongoing Federal Probes
Sallie Mae Lags In Student Debt Relief Amid Ongoing Federal Probes: Sallie Mae Lags In Student Debt Relief Amid Ongoing Federal ProbesPosted: 09/03/2013 11:06 am EDT  |  Updated: 09/03/2013 11:10 am EDTSallie Mae, the nation's largest servicer of federal student loans, is failing to enroll many of its distressed borrowers into one of the Obama administration's main initiatives for alleviating high
by mike simpson / 1min 
Diane Ravitch: “The problem was the misuse of testing for high-stakes purposes.” | Reclaim Reform
Diane Ravitch: “The problem was the misuse of testing for high-stakes purposes.” | Reclaim Reform: Diane Ravitch: “The problem was the misuse of testing for high-stakes purposes.”Posted on September 3, 2013by Ken PrevitiDiane Ravitch wrote this about high stakes testing: The problem was the misuse of testing for high-stakes purposes, the belief that tests could identify with certainty which studen
by mike simpson / 4min 
9-3-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum Teacher contract details leaked
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Teacher contract details leakedAlthough neither the District nor the teachers' union have released details of the tentative agreement on a new contract, KUOW's education beat reporter, Ann Dornfeld, has a copy of the agreement and reported these elements, each of which is a compromise on the primary areas of disagreement:It's a two-year contract.The pay raise will
by mike simpson / 13min 
9-3-13 Schools Matter @ The Chalk Face
SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE: Diane Ravitch’s Message to Boston Voters via The Indignant TeacherDear Indignant Teacher: Friends in Boston have told me that my message to you has been widely read, which is good, but  also widely misinterpreted. I am writing now to be clear what it means to support public education. It means that public schools should be subject to democratic control. Mayoral con
by mike simpson / 24min 
Philly teachers told their union is still far from a deal | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Philly teachers told their union is still far from a deal | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Are Philly teachers underpaid?by Holly Otterbein for NewsWorks With the Philadelphia School District still reeling from a budget crisis, officials are asking teachers' union members to accept wage cuts ranging from 5 to 13 percent, and to begin paying into their health care premiums. Would that allow t
by mike simpson / 27min 
Rules of Engagement | Bill Ayers
Rules of Engagement | Bill Ayers: Rules of EngagementRule Number One: The US is forbidden to bomb any country that a majority of Americans can’t find on a blank world map.This proposal, if enacted, is guaranteed to dramatically reduce the level of global violence overnight. At this moment 80% of Americans age 18-25 cannot find Israel/Palestine on a map; 80% cannot find Iraq; 40% can’t find England
by mike simpson / 1h 
9-3-13 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.: This morning Philadelphia teachers are working without a contract.  Philly teachers rally in 2011. This morning Philadelphia teachers are working even though their contract expired this weekend. That’s not what I said yesterday. There was a flurry of Facebook reports that the Philly teachers had voted
by mike simpson / 1h 
Blogger: Big Education Ape - All posts
Blogger: Big Education Ape - All posts: Rules of EngagementRule Number One: The US is forbidden to bomb any country that a majority of Americans can’t find on a blank world map.This proposal, if enacted, is guaranteed to dramatically reduce the level of global violence overnight. At this moment 80% of Americans age 18-25 cannot find Israel/Palestine on a map; 80% cannot find Iraq; 40% can’t find E
by mike simpson / 1h 
Is there really a shortage of STEM graduates? If so, why are... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com
Is there really a shortage of STEM graduates? If so, why are... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Is there really a shortage of STEM graduates? If so, why are wages stagnant?  COMMENT(8) 0 2 0 3Previous PostsIs Betty Crocker the wrong recipe for today's students? September 2, 2013Stay with Common Core: "We have it right. Please don't mess it up."August 30, 2013Banning books: Are we still doing that? W
by mike simpson / 1h 
Cutting Physical Education and Recess: Troubling Trends and How You Can Help | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights
Cutting Physical Education and Recess: Troubling Trends and How You Can Help | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Cutting Physical Education and Recess: Troubling Trends and How You Can HelpBy National PTA on September 3, 2013By Erica Lue, Advocacy Coordinator, National PTAS\ince the 2001 passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, many schools have struggled to find ways to meet th
by mike simpson / 2h 
A Research Roundup on Early Education |
A Research Roundup on Early Education |: A Research Roundup on Early EducationSeptember 3, 2013 by Alyssa HaywoodePhoto: Kate Samp for Strategies for ChildrenWhat have we learned – and what else do we need to know?The Institute of Education Sciences (IES), established in 2002 as a research division of the U.S. Department of Education, asks this question in a recent report — “Synthesis of IES Resea
by mike simpson / 2h 
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-3-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Special Education Teacher: As I Begin My Final Year of TeachingArthur Getzel has been a teacher of special education in New York City since 1978. On his blog, he describes his preparations as the school year begins. It is his last year. He goes shopping for supplies and spends $200 of his own money for necessities. He cleans the cl
by mike simpson / 3h 
Elite degrees don’t necessarily earn more, study finds | Hechinger Report
Elite degrees don’t necessarily earn more, study finds | Hechinger Report: Elite degrees don’t necessarily earn more, study findsBy Jon MarcusGraduates of elite colleges and universities don’t necessarily make more money than their counterparts at less well-known schools, according to new research.Using the first-year earnings of graduates of colleges and universities in five states, the study fou
by mike simpson / 3h 
9-3-13 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: You Can Have A Raise, But Only If You Pay For Your Health CareThat's the message from the plutocracy for NYC municipal union workers:A mayor who signs costly contracts would face the politically fraught prospect of raising taxes, budget experts say. Pushing for big concessions risks a continued stalemate, which isn't a palatable alternative for the Democratic candidates—one
by mike simpson / 3h 
9-3-13 Wait What?
Wait What?: 3,400+ visit Wait, What? on busy holiday weekendDespite the fact that many people were away or busy with Labor Day activities, more than 3,400 visitors stopped by Wait, What? to read or weigh in on the latest posts. In case you missed it, weekend posts included; Special Master Adamowski’s Failing Grade in Windham  (Saturday) As if the term “Special Master” wasn’t bad […]The post 3,400+
by mike simpson / 3h 
The Educated Reporter: Chicago Study: Preschool Absences Predict Student Learning Struggles in Later Grades
The Educated Reporter: Chicago Study: Preschool Absences Predict Student Learning Struggles in Later Grades: Chicago Study: Preschool Absences Predict Student Learning Struggles in Later GradesStudents who were chronically absent as preschoolers lagged in academic and social-emotional development, and were five times more likely to be chronically absent in second grade, according to a new study fr
by mike simpson / 3h 
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Obama's Labor Day photo op. Philly teachers may strike.
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Obama's Labor Day photo op. Philly teachers may strike.: Obama's Labor Day photo op. Philly teachers may strike.Obama Labor Day Photo OpIf you Google Obama's Labor Day Speech, the first news articles that come up will be about his intentions to lob missiles into Damascus. His actual Labor Day speech was little more than empty rhetoric and a hard-hat-wearing photo op 
by mike simpson / 3h 
9-3-13 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Special NY Times Section On Science EducationThe New York Times just published a special section on science education called Science Times Special Section: Learning What Works. It seems surprisingly ambitious. Here are just a few of the articles it includes: Sesame Street Widens Its Focus Young Students Against Bad Science
by mike simpson / 3h 
Recapturing How I Taught U.S. History a Half-century Ago: Doing Current Events | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Recapturing How I Taught U.S. History a Half-century Ago: Doing Current Events | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Recapturing How I Taught U.S. History a Half-century Ago: Doing Current EventsMy memory of teaching over a half-century ago is filled with holes. In thinking back to the time when I began teaching at Glenville High School in Cleveland (OH) in 1956 as a 21 year-old n
by mike simpson / 3h 
Common Core Criticized at Defending the American Dream Summit | Truth in American Education
Common Core Criticized at Defending the American Dream Summit | Truth in American Education: Common Core Criticized at Defending the American Dream SummitFiled in Common Core State Standards by Shane Vander Hart on September 3, 2013 • 0 Comments1Americans for Prosperity Foundation held their annual Defending the American Dream Summit in Orlando, FL last Friday and Sunday.  The Common Core State St
by mike simpson / 3h 
Should teachers be parents first?
Should teachers be parents first?: Should teachers be parents first?By Valerie Strauss, Published: September 3 at 7:00 amE-mail the writer0CommentsMore(By Mark Burrier for The Washington Post)Should people who want to be teachers become parents first?The idea is raised in this Slate article by Sara Mosle, who writes that she joined Teach For America some 20 years ago and when she was “single, chil
by mike simpson / 3h 
State Ed Board considers key questions surrounding LCFF regs SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: State Ed Board considers key questions surrounding LCFF regsBy Tom ChorneauTuesday, September 03, 2013This week school administrators anxious over the lack of regulations governing use of more than $2 billion in new state formula funding should get some new insight over how much interim guidance the state board intends to provide.Gov. Jerry Brown and
by mike simpson / 3h 
New (cool) education website | Seattle Education
New (cool) education website | Seattle Education: New (cool) education websiteI’m not saying this new website is cool because I’m a featured writer (yeah right), but it is part of The Progressive Magazine so that in itself gives it creds.To follow is the press release:The Progressive Magazine announces a major new online resource to EXPOSE the behind-the-scenes effort to privatize our public schoo
by mike simpson / 3h 

YESTERDAY

9-2-13 Education News - The New York Times
Education News - The New York Times: The Learning Network Blog: Word of the Day | dourThis word has appeared in 105 New York Times articles in the past year.    by By THE LEARNING N... / 1min mark as read  //  saveMilestones in Science EducationHighlights of science and math education though the years.    18 by By ETHAN HAUSER / 1min Expecting the Best Yields Results in MassachusettsAdopting rigor
by mike simpson / 10h 
Is Betty Crocker the wrong recipe for today's students? | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com
Is Betty Crocker the wrong recipe for today's students? | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Is Betty Crocker the wrong recipe for today's students?   0 0 0 1View Larger AP Photo/Alex BrandonThe Obamas, who are the first presidential family to employ a Food Initiative Coordinator, have been adamant supporters of healthy and sustainable food.Previous PostsStay with Common Core: "We have it right. Please d
by mike simpson / 11h 
What To Do About Back-To-School Stress | toteachornototeach
What To Do About Back-To-School Stress | toteachornototeach: How Our Own Back-to-School Stress Harms Our ChildrenBy Jan BruceIf you’re starting to show the signs of back-to-school stress — giving in to the pressures that come with changing routines and schedules, last-minute shopping, childcare arrangements — perhaps you should take a break and think about how this is affecting your child. Whippin
by mike simpson / 11h 
PS 154 in The Bronx Can Learn From How The Yankees Treated Alex Rodriguez.southbronxschool.com
http://www.southbronxschool.com: PS 154 in The Bronx Can Learn From How The Yankees Treated Alex RodriguezI do not like Alex Rodriguez. Never have, never will. I think Alex has cost the Yankees over the years and feel in no way he carried them in 2009. I would take Scott Brosius or Charlie Hayes any day of A-Rod.Alex is a sneak, a cheat, a liar, and worse, a rat. He dug his own grave. True, he sti
by mike simpson / 11h 
Key issue in teachers' contract dispute: Will old provisions remain in effect? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Key issue in teachers' contract dispute: Will old provisions remain in effect? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Key issue in teachers' contract dispute: Will old provisions remain in effect?by thenotebook on Sep 02 2013 Posted in Latest news="" style="color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on emailCOMMENTS (0)PRINTby Paul Socolar and Dale MezzacappaUn
by mike simpson / 11h 
9-2-13 Jersey Jazzman
Jersey Jazzman: Back To School '13Mrs. Jazzman says that when you have kids, January 1 isn't New Year's Day. No, the real start of the year comes on the first day back to school, which, for this teacher, is this week. We just had our Labor Day tradition: Mrs. Jazzman's ribs, my baked beans, Jazzboys heating up the sauce, the Dutch neighbors and their very good wine... We may have the looming confl
by mike simpson / 11h 
Privatized “Public” Schools: A Vessel Fit for Destruction | Cooperative Catalyst
Privatized “Public” Schools: A Vessel Fit for Destruction | Cooperative Catalyst: Privatized “Public” Schools: A Vessel Fit for DestructionPOSTED BY JABREEL CHISLEY ⋅ SEPTEMBER 2, 2013 ⋅ LEAVE A COMMENTFILED UNDER  EDDEFORMLearning in a state of denial…denying what is readily apparent to those who sit in silence. The old way is not designed for the 21stcentury…but the new way is just as destructiv
by mike simpson / 13h 
9-2-13 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Extremely Positive Review Of Our ESL/ELL BookThe Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language — August, 2013 has just published a very positive review of our book, The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide. Look for it under “Reviews” on the right side of the page. It’s a pretty lengthy review by Grace Christino at the Un
by mike simpson / 13h 
9-2-13 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: On the Democracy Prep Plantation: When Zero Tolerance Becomes Psychological WarfareUPDATED:all the teachers at this charter school are white and from out of state. The school's administrators did manage to get two coaches that are African-American from the New York City area. They are the two in charge of the detention room. Is there something wrong with that picture?.....his teac
by mike simpson / 14h 
Alzheimer’s Confounding Contradictions | Maria Shriver
Alzheimer’s Confounding Contradictions | Maria Shriver: Alzheimer’s Confounding ContradictionsAs an Occupational Therapist, my background in neurology is more extensive than many, but that knowledge didn’t help much when my mother experienced Dementia.I was accustomed to my patients improving, not deteriorating, and following a relatively predictable progression through therapy. Not so much with A
by mike simpson / 14h 
In Pursuit of Passion .. not Carrots or Sticks | Cooperative Catalyst
In Pursuit of Passion .. not Carrots or Sticks | Cooperative Catalyst: In Pursuit of Passion .. not Carrots or SticksPOSTED BY PAMELAMORAN ⋅ SEPTEMBER 2, 2013 ⋅ LEAVE A COMMENTWatching a bit of the US Open last night, I was struck with the question of the source of motivation by athletes to work without cease, endure pain, sustain focus, and intensify commitment to a sport over time even when the
by mike simpson / 14h 
Teachers pack union meeting, say no to pay cuts
Teachers pack union meeting, say no to pay cuts: Teachers pack union meeting, say no to pay cuts  In a sea of red shirts, thousands of Philadelphia teachers filled the Liacouras Center on Temple University’s campus on Labor Day to hear about the very real labor woes affecting their union.Teachers said they were scared, upset and worried about the precarious position of the 136,000-student school
by mike simpson / 15h 
Panel on student testing at Town Hall in Seattle | Seattle Education
Panel on student testing at Town Hall in Seattle | Seattle Education: Panel on student testing at Town Hall in SeattleOn Tuesday September 17th at 7:30 PM there will be a panel discussion on standardized testing at Town Hall in Seattle titled To Test or Not to Test?The panelists will include our very own Wayne Au, PhD who is an Associate Professor at UW Bothell. Dr. Au’s research focuses on educat
by mike simpson / 16h 
California survey shows troubling portrait of children's lives - San Jose Mercury News
California survey shows troubling portrait of children's lives - San Jose Mercury News: California survey shows troubling portrait of children's livesBy Sharon Noguchisnoguchi@mercurynews.comPOSTED:   09/02/2013 01:09:00 PM PDT | UPDATED:   54 MIN. AGO Click photo to enlargeFile photograph: Police officers at Hayward High during a lockdown following a report of an...PALO ALTO -- More than 4 percen
3 by mike simpson / 16h 
Nite Cap 9-2-13 #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 CAPTODAYPeg with Pen: Do Not Go for the GOLD (Teaching Strategies GOLD) for Early Childhood ClassroomsPeg with Pen: Do Not Go for the GOLD (Teaching Strategies GOLD) for Early Childhood Classrooms: Do Not Go for the GOLD (Teaching Strategies GOLD) for Early C
1 by mike simpson / 16h 
Peg with Pen: Do Not Go for the GOLD (Teaching Strategies GOLD) for Early Childhood Classrooms
Peg with Pen: Do Not Go for the GOLD (Teaching Strategies GOLD) for Early Childhood Classrooms: Do Not Go for the GOLD (Teaching Strategies GOLD) for Early Childhood ClassroomsI want to begin by giving everyone a quick background on GOLD. I am simply scraping the tip of the iceberg – it has many additional components to it – but the component that is most used and most touted is the assessment com
by mike simpson / 17h 
Diane in the Evening 9-2-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: More Secret Emails in Indiana about PrivatizationFrom a reader who read the emails gathered by investigative reporter Tom Lobianco of the Associated Press, insights about the back room discussions to impose “reforms” without talking to legislators.   She wrote:   “Todd Huston, Tony Bennett’s Chief of Staff, Indiana Department of Ed
2 by mike simpson / 18h 
New Reality? “You take care of us. We keep everything. Screw you.” | Reclaim Reform
New Reality? “You take care of us. We keep everything. Screw you.” | Reclaim Reform: New Reality? “You take care of us. We keep everything. Screw you.”Posted on September 2, 2013by Ken PrevitiThe social contract is simple. “You take care of us. We take care of you.”The new reality, we are being told, is more American, more rugged individualistic, new and improved, and here to stay. “You take care
by mike simpson / 20h 
U.S. Hispanic Population by County, 1980-2011 | Pew Hispanic Center
U.S. Hispanic Population by County, 1980-2011 | Pew Hispanic Center: U.S. Hispanic Population by County, 1980-2011 Download data on all U.S. countiesRESEARCH PROJECTSPew Research Center for the People & the PressPew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in JournalismPew Research Center’s Internet & American Life ProjectPew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life ProjectPew Research
by mike simpson / 20h 
My Feature In The New Book, Teacherpreneurs - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson
My Feature In The New Book, Teacherpreneurs - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson: My Feature In The New Book, Teacherpreneursby JOSE VILSON on SEPTEMBER 2, 2013Teacherpreneurs, The BookFirst off, happy Labor Day to all. As you can probably tell, I’ve been writing my heart out. I’m surprised by some of the spaces that have asked me to write, too. News on that forthcoming.In the meantime, I wrote a p
3 by mike simpson / 20h 
Diane Ravitch in Seattle with her new book Reign of Error | Seattle Education
Diane Ravitch in Seattle with her new book Reign of Error | Seattle Education: Diane Ravitch in Seattle with her new book Reign of ErrorDiane Ravitch is coming to town on September 26th to discuss her latest book Reign of Error:The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools. I have been asked to review the book and that review will be posted on September 17th. Th
by mike simpson / 20h 
Walking While Black in the ‘White Gaze’ - Online University of the Left
Walking While Black in the ‘White Gaze’ - Online University of the Left: Walking While Black in the ‘White Gaze’Posted by carl4davidsonBy GEORGE YANCY NYT Opinionator, Sept 1, 2012I.“Man, I almost blew you away!”Those were the terrifying words of a white police officer — one of those who policed black bodies in low income areas in North Philadelphia in the late 1970s — who caught sight of me carry
by mike simpson / 20h 
'Education summit' critical of New York's policies planned for Syracuse | syracuse.com
'Education summit' critical of New York's policies planned for Syracuse | syracuse.com: 'Education summit' critical of New York's policies planned for SyracuseMichael Gilbert, a school psychologist at Meachem Elementary in Syracuse, is organizing an "education summit" in Syracuse in October that will cast a critical eye on New York's education policies. (Ellen M. Blalock | eblalock@syracuse.com)Sy
by mike simpson / 21h 
Family role in education sought | The Columbus Dispatch
Family role in education sought | The Columbus Dispatch: Family role in education soughtOnly so much of the work to improve early learning and reform failing schools can play out in boardrooms and classrooms. Living rooms, family advocates know, are another front in the battle.“Children don’t live in silos,” said Carla Thompson, vice president of program strategy for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “
by mike simpson / 21h 
9-2-13 Wait What?
Wait What?: Less time on standardized testing, more attention on bullying and safe school climates!The recent suicide of a Greenwich student is a sad reminder of the failed priorities and lack of leadership coming out of Malloy’s State Department of Education. Connecticut state law required Commissioner Pryor to issue its report on Bullying and Safe School Climate Plans no later than February 2012
by mike simpson / 21h 
Family plans lawsuit against Bassett Unified over teacher’s suicide
Family plans lawsuit against Bassett Unified over teacher’s suicide: Family plans lawsuit against Bassett Unified over teacher’s suicide1/3The family of Jennifer Lenihan plans to file a wrongful death suit against Bassett Unified School District after Lenihan committed suicide while on stress leave from the district. (Courtesy photo, Aug. 2013)By Jason Henry, San Gabriel Valley TribunePOSTED: 09/0
by mike simpson / 22h 
Omissions…. | PWC Education Reform Blog
Omissions…. | PWC Education Reform Blog: Omissions….September 2, 2013 — pwceducationreform The School Board has posed the agenda for the September 4, 2013 school board meeting – the first public meeting of the 2013 – 2014 school year.  The schedule appears to be for a rather boring and uneventful meeting, which is rather surprising considering the unfinished business of last school year and sever
by mike simpson / 22h 
THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: "Expose the Gulen Movement" report
THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: "Expose the Gulen Movement" report: "Expose the Gulen Movement" reportOn Saturday, August 31st, I was one of the speakers at the "Expose the Gulen Movement" protest rally held on a farm in the rural, rolling hills around Saylorsburg, PA. We assembled less than two miles from the compound where Fethullah Gulen lives. Gulen is considered to be one of the two most powerful men
4 by mike simpson / 23h 
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX: IN THE MAILBOXI am a Chicago Public School teacher and the following is a letter I would like to send to our mayor, Mr. Rahm Emanuel.Dear Mayor Emanuel,I would like to cordially invite you to John Marshall Metropolitan High School, one of Chicago's public schools, for the day. More specifically, I would like to invite you to my classroom, which is on
by mike simpson / 23h 
CREDO is not credible, and never has been | Crazy Crawfish's Blog
CREDO is not credible, and never has been | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: CREDO is not credible, and never has beenPosted on September 2, 20130Recently the CREDO institute based in Stanford has published national and state by state comparisons of charter schools that indicated charter schools may perform slightly better than traditional public schools in certain circumstances. Despite the lukewarm conclu
by mike simpson / 23h 
Corporate Charades | Dissident Voice
Corporate Charades | Dissident Voice: Corporate CharadesPart 3 of 3: All the Restby Gary Brumback / September 2nd, 2013The first two essays were about corporations’ pretenses of being ethical and of being socially responsible respectively by having programs bearing those names, all the while their normal corporate behavior is unethical and socially irresponsible. This third and last essay in the s
by mike simpson / 1d mark as read  //  save
Morning Wink 9-2-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSTODAYMike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: LABOR DAY WEEKEND QUOTABLESMike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: LABOR DAY WEEKEND QUOTABLES: LABOR DAY WEEKEND QUOTABLESPres. Obama“I know well that we are weary of war. The American people have the good sense to know we cannot resolve the underlying conflict in Syria with our military.”  -- August 31st SpeechBritish historian
1 by mike simpson / 1d 





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Sallie Mae Lags In Student Debt Relief Amid Ongoing Federal Probes

Sallie Mae Lags In Student Debt Relief Amid Ongoing Federal Probes:

Sallie Mae Lags In Student Debt Relief Amid Ongoing Federal Probes

Posted:   |  Updated: 09/03/2013 11:10 am EDT

Sallie Mae, the nation's largest servicer of federal student loans, is failing to enroll many of its distressed borrowers into one of the Obama administration's main initiatives for alleviating high student debt.
Documents obtained by The Huffington Post and estimates provided by the White House separately suggest that Sallie Mae, or SLM Corp., has enrolled relatively few borrowers into the Income-Based Repayment program. Sallie Mae dominates the now-discontinued Federal Family Education Loan Program, owning between 37 and 40 percent of the outstanding FFELP debt held by the private sector. But its share of FFELP borrowers who are enrolled in IBR is about half that, or 15 to 18 percent.
Officials have cautioned that the government figures cited by HuffPost are just rough estimates, but so far, they are the only available indicator of how Sallie Mae utilizes the loan relief program.
Outstanding federal student debt has nearly doubled since 2007 to $1 trillion, government data show, while the average borrower with federal student loans now carries more than $26,000 in debt -- a 42.7 percent increase since 2007. The IBR program has emerged as President Barack Obama’s signature tool to address this burgeoning crisis.
In May, Obama warned that this debt load “doesn’t just hold back our young graduates. It holds back our entire middle class.” He added that student loan 
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Diane Ravitch: “The problem was the misuse of testing for high-stakes purposes.” | Reclaim Reform

Diane Ravitch: “The problem was the misuse of testing for high-stakes purposes.” | Reclaim Reform:

Diane Ravitch: “The problem was the misuse of testing for high-stakes purposes.”

Posted on September 3, 2013by 
Diane Ravitch wrote this about high stakes testing: The problem was the misuse of testing for high-stakes purposes, the belief that tests could identify with certainty which students should be held back, which teachers and principals should be fired or rewarded, and which schools should be closed – and the idea that these changes would inevitably produce better education. Policy decisions that were momentous for students and educators came down from elected officials who did not understand the limitations of testing. From page 150 in her 2010 book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System.
Much has changed during the last three years. By Ravitch’s own admission, her new book is clearer about the abuses of high-stakes testing. She provides clear suggestions and solutions to these ills.
Go HERE to advance order her new book, Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools which will be released on September 17, 2013.
If possible, go to her presentations during her national tour. (See the bottom of this article or visit her site for more up-to-date inclusions HERE.)
Ravitch book tour
Tests created and slanted to fail 70% of students are destructive and purposeful. Every 
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9-3-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum Teacher contract details leaked

Seattle Schools Community Forum:




SEA Approves Contract
Seattle Schools will open its doors tomorrow to all its schools for our nearly 50,000 students.Welcome back, kids.
8 by Melissa Westbrook / 13min 
STEM K-5 Gets Boost from Delridge Neighborhood Group
The West Seattle Blog is reporting that  Superintendent Bandahas received a letter of support from the North Delridge Neighborhood Council supporting the K-5 STEM program staying at Boren.Co-chairs Parie Hines and Kirsten Smith write, in part:Delridge as a neighborhood has felt the negative effects of having the Boren school used as a transitional and temporary school for many long years. It has b
by Melissa Westbrook / 43min 

SEA Contract: Waiting for the Vote
I'll try to keep you up-to-date as the evening goes on.  I have contacts that I hope will keep me informed.According to the SEA's Facebook page, teachers have already started signing in.
by Melissa Westbrook / 13min 

Math News Updates
 More on what works in math and science from this NY Times article, Guesses and Hype Give Way to Data in Study of Education.  Want to be data-driven?  Use real research.But now, a little-known office in the Education Department is starting to get some real data, using a method that has transformed medicine: the randomized clinical trial, in which groups of subjects are randomly assigned to get eit
by Melissa Westbrook / 52min 
Common Core News Roundup - Are Elected Officials Getting Smarter?
From Ed Week, are lawmakers finally connecting the dots between the Gates Foundation and Common Core?  Do tell.In Michigan, here is what representative Tom McMillin had to say two days ago, in response to testimony from Chester Finn, of the Fordham Institute, which can be counted among the architects of test-driven reform.McMillin points out that Chester Finn's colleague at the Fordham Institute,
by Melissa Westbrook / 1h 

Waiting for Superman Director Newest Doc: TEACH
With CBS, director Davis Guggenheim, will be showing a new two-hour documentary called Teach about four teachers.  (I note that they all look to be under 30 which I find troubling.)  The show will air on Friday, Sept. 6th at 8:00 pm.It is to be a big event with Queen Latifah hosting the show and "will pay tribute to America's teachers."The two-hour program, set to air Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS,
by Melissa Westbrook / 5min 

Tuesday Open Thread
From Seattle Education blog, news of a Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, September 17th at 7:30 pm about standardized testing.  It's called To Test or Not to Test?  It will be a panel discussion with:The panelists will include our very own Wayne Au, PhD who is an Associate Professor at UW Bothell. Dr. Au’s research focuses on educational equity, high-stakes testing, curriculum theory, educational poli
by Melissa Westbrook / 13min

Seattle Education Association Tentative Contract Vote - High Drama?
I've been hearing from different people (and keeping my ear to the ground) and it seems that the vote tonight  on the tentative contract -  at Benaroya Hall at 5 p.m. - may be closer than previously thought.  There was very nearly a tie in the last school rep vote.  This is worrying because even if the contract is approved, having a large number of the teaching corps coming into class feeling defe
by Melissa Westbrook / 14min 

Teacher contract details leaked

Although neither the District nor the teachers' union have released details of the tentative agreement on a new contract, KUOW's education beat reporter, Ann Dornfeld, has a copy of the agreement and reported these elements, each of which is a compromise on the primary areas of disagreement:It's a two-year contract.The pay raise will be 2% in the first year and 2.5% in the second year.Test scores


by Charlie Mas / 0min 






9-2-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed Reform; Surging and Faltering

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed Reform; Surging and Faltering: Ed Reform; Surging and FalteringThe push is on to expand charters, TFA, student data and yet, more and more people (including some legislators) are finally saying, "What is going on here?"A highly acclaimed charter group in NYC were found to be trying to push out a child with disabilities - it was recorded on tape. From the Daily N


by mike simpson / 9h 

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9-3-13 SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE

SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE:


gears




@AACTE: Really? VAM’s for teacher education?
In case you missed it.  The American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education “applauded” the  Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) for “adopting” new standards that will hold teacher education programs accountable for the invalid high stakes test score gains or losses of children even though these scores are really a measure of a child’s […]
by Timothy D. Slekar / 1min 


From Peggy Robertson, I just need to share this. Sorry, kiddo.
Saw this posted, needed to quote it: Hold on to your seats…I think I may win the award for the Greatest Testing Absurdity of the Night!!!! Nashville, TN 7th grade parents were informed that the 7th graders must be able to type 60 WPM in order to finish the new common core tests. And…no worries […]
by Chalk Face, PhD / 23min 








Diane Ravitch’s Message to Boston Voters via The Indignant Teacher

Dear Indignant Teacher: Friends in Boston have told me that my message to you has been widely read, which is good, but  also widely misinterpreted. I am writing now to be clear what it means to support public education. It means that public schools should be subject to democratic control. Mayoral control is a very […]


1 by jillconroy / 23min 





9-2-13 Schools Matter @ The Chalk Face

SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE: Is this TFA and Reality Israel stuff Anti-Semitic? I’m torn.There’s an article going around about a widow donating to TFA to provide some kind of field trip experience to Israel called Reality Israel. Here’s explanation of the trip via TFA’s website. It’s written by journalist Max Blumenthal and is making the rounds in leftist media like Alternet. When I first read


by mike simpson / 9h 


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Philly teachers told their union is still far from a deal | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Philly teachers told their union is still far from a deal | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:





Are Philly teachers underpaid?
by Holly Otterbein for NewsWorks With the Philadelphia School District still reeling from a budget crisis, officials are asking teachers' union members to accept wage cuts ranging from 5 to 13 percent, and to begin paying into their health care premiums. Would that allow the city to compete for teaching talent? Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, has said several ti
by thenotebook / 6min 
Notes from the news, Sept. 3
Key issue in teachers' contract dispute: Will old provisions remain in effect? Notebook Philly teachers told their union is still far from a deal. NewsWorks Phila. teachers, facing first day of school, vote to continue contract talks. Inquirer With contract expired, teachers' union will continue talks. Daily News Still no deal in place between PFT, School District. CBS Philly Are Philly teachers u
by thenotebook / 6min 
Philly teachers told their union is still far from a deal
by Kevin McCorry for NewsWorks There was no strike on Labor Day. Less than 48 hours after the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers' contract expired, union brass met with the rank-and-file at Temple University's Liacouras Center for an update on negotiations with the Philadelphia School District. The closed-door meeting lasted about two hours and was attended by about a third of the PFT's 15,000 me
6 by Paul Socolar / 6min 
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