Morning Wink 3-23-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-23-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Jason Stanford: A Hard Choice in Texas: $100 for a Graphic Calculator or $15 for an App?Jason Stanford is a political journalist in Texas who keeps a close watch on the nexus between money, politics, and education. He is especially interested in how lobbyists shape decisions about where the education money should be spent. In this

by mike simpson / 3min 

Russ on Reading: What Education Reformers Can’t Do (And What They Should)

Russ on Reading: What Education Reformers Can’t Do (And What They Should): What Education Reformers Can’t Do (And What They Should)The corporate education reformers love to tell teachers what they need to do, what they have failed to do and where they need to place their focus. One of their favorite pieces of advice to teachers is that since teachers can’t fix the problems outside of school (such

by mike simpson / 6min 

3-23-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Video: 12 Days to Being Tossed Out By Eva Moskowitz Success CharterInterview with former Success Charter parent exposes shady tactics.Great work by GEM's Darren Marelli.An interview with New York City Parent Karen Sprowal.  Ms. Sprowal tells the story of her kindergarten son's 12 days at Success Academy Charter School. Ms. Sprowal describes how her son was pushed out of the charte

by mike simpson / 9min 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 3-23-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Avoiding the front-runners: UTLA BOARD RECOMMENDS - ¡Not Endorses!- 3 TEACHERS FOR LA UNIFIED SEAT  UTLA board endorses 3 teachers for LA Unified seat, not Omarosa by LA School Report | http://bit.ly/1dn0U3P March 20, 2014 9:37 am  ::  The board of directors of the Los Angeles teachers union, UTLA, voted last night to recommend that the union endorse th

by mike simpson / 13min 

3-23-14 Schools Matter

Schools Matter: Be in Worcester, MA Wednesday Morning to Greet DuncanFrom MassLive:WORCESTER — Hoping to bring more attention to the federal changes in academic standards, protesters will greet U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan with picket signs along Skyline Drive and Belmont Street Wednesday morning.Duncan is scheduled to visit Worcester Technical High School on Wednesdayat 9 a.m. as part

by mike simpson / 16min 

3-23-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: AIR’s Connections to Florida’s “Miserable” VAM ScoresLakeland Ledger columnist Glenn Marston dug deeper into Florida’s new testing contractor: More concerning about AIR’s Florida connections is the miserable teacher-grading program it created for the state, known as the

by mike simpson / 17min 

3-23-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: Of the thousands of slacktivists, we only have 1,756 signatures?I know what you’re going to say: petitions don’t matter. I get it. But I’ve seen one of the most respected authors and activists around, Susan Ohanian, publish a new White House petition to “Direct the Department of Education and Congress to Remove Annual Standardized Testing Mandates of NCLB and RtTT.” Just this mor

by mike simpson / 20min 

3-23-14 With A Brooklyn Accent Go BATs All Week

With A Brooklyn Accent: Is High Stakes Testing the Best Way to Improve Educational Performance Among Students of Color and Students Living in Poverty?     Since the passage of No Child Left Behind, there has been a concerted effort to reduce gaps in educational  performance  by race and class by promoting regular testing in all grades and subjects and rating schools and teachers on the basis those

by mike simpson / 22min 

3-23-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): The Politics of Misinformation in Education ReformAppointed and elected officials related to education have some important characteristics in common. Consider U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and South Carolina Superintendent of Education Mick Zais. Neither have e

by mike simpson / 25min 

3-23-14 EMPATHYEDUCATES! | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD

empathyeducates: Don’t Help Your Kids With Their HomeworkIllustration; By Jean Jullien By Dana Goldstein | Originally Published at The Atlantic. March 19 2014, 9:06 PM ET One of the central tenets of raising kids in America is that parents should be actively involved in their children’s education: meeting with teachers, volunteering at school, helping […]by empathy / 3h 3-22-14 the becoming radica

by mike simpson / 27min 

3-23-13 CURMUDGUCATION Week

CURMUDGUCATION: News from Institute of GrittologyHere at the Institute of Grittology, we're committed to helping monetize the work of our research partners, The Research Institute for the Study of Obvious Conclusions ("Working hard to recycle conventional wisdom as proprietary programing").Our speakers bureau has determined that statements such as "treating children with support and

by mike simpson / 30min 

3-23-14 Perdido Street School Week

Perdido Street School: How Education Reform Is Harming The Health Of ChildrenThere is a horrific story in the NY Post this morning about a rash of suicides involving NYC school children over the last seven weeks: The city’s public schools are in the grip of a suicide epidemic. Ten students have taken their own lives in the past seven weeks, according to remarks made Saturday by Chancellor Carmen F

by mike simpson / 34min 

NYC Educator: On Timeliness and Learning

NYC Educator: On Timeliness and Learning: On Timeliness and LearningI apologize to regular readers of this little blog for not posting as frequently as usual. I'm sure you know I'm a full-time teacher. In addition, I've been running for Executive VP of NYSUT these last few weeks.Last Tuesday, I went to a forum in Manhattan. On Wednesday, there was one in Newburgh. On Thursday, there was another in

by mike simpson / 37min 

solidaridad: Open note to Bill Gaffney of Steve Barr and Bill Gates' Teacher Action Network

solidaridad: Open note to Bill Gaffney of Steve Barr and Bill Gates' Teacher Action Network: Open note to Bill Gaffney of Steve Barr and Bill Gates' Teacher Action NetworkMr. Gaffney:Last time we spoke you were very angry that I had exposed your ties with Bill Gates and Steve Barr's privatization organization. That's understandable, since no public school teacher would want to be associated with w

by mike simpson / 40min 

New Orleans charter schools scramble to teach non-English speakers | Hechinger Report

New Orleans charter schools scramble to teach non-English speakers | Hechinger Report: New Orleans charter schools scramble to teach non-English speakersBy Katy ReckdahlThis story also appeared at:NEW ORLEANS — Every school night, Ramon Leon helps his older son, a third grader at a New Orleans charter school, with his homework. Typically, they speed through the math worksheets. Word problems take

by mike simpson / 45min 

YESTERDAY

Success Academy parent's secret tapes reveal attempt to push out special needs student - NY Daily News

Success Academy parent's secret tapes reveal attempt to push out special needs student - NY Daily News: Success Academy parent's secret tapes reveal attempt to push out special needs studentThe Upper West Side Success Academy charter school has touted itself for not trying to push out kids with special needs or behavior problems, but a parent has audio to the contrary.Call them the charter school

by mike simpson / 10h 

Thinking About Schools: An Open Letter to State Legislators Everywhere

Thinking About Schools: An Open Letter to State Legislators Everywhere: An Open Letter to State Legislators EverywherePublic education is the only form of education where every principle and practice of democracy is enacted by local citizens. Public education is the only form of education that does not exclude children for any reason.Please support the mission, intention, and benefit of public edu

by mike simpson / 11h 

Nite Cap 3-22-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #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 CAPRegister to Vote | Voter Registration Forms | RegistertoVote.org http://bit.ly/1dlx9Aksolidaridad: LAUSD Coalition for School Reform Rogues Gallery Profile: Eli Broadsolidaridad: LAUSD Coalition for School Reform Rogues Gallery Profile: Eli Broad

by mike simpson / 11h 

solidaridad: LAUSD Coalition for School Reform Rogues Gallery Profile: Eli Broad

solidaridad: LAUSD Coalition for School Reform Rogues Gallery Profile: Eli Broad: LAUSD Coalition for School Reform Rogues Gallery Profile: Eli BroadEli Broad (rhymes with toad)An accountant by training, Eli Broad made a killing peddling track homes during the housing bubbles with his firm KB Home. Later he was also the CEO of Sun Life, which he sold to toxic mortgage derivatives powerhouse AIG, I

by mike simpson / 11h 

The Comedy of Errors becomes the Tragedy of Absurdity. | Reclaim Reform

The Comedy of Errors becomes the Tragedy of Absurdity. | Reclaim Reform: The Comedy of Errors becomes the Tragedy of Absurdity.Posted on March 22, 2014by Ken PrevitiI strongly support teachers’ unions – both the NEA and the AFT. Just as strongly, I believe that the Illinois Education Association, IEA/NEA, desperately needs new leadership. Why?Look at the mail I received today, 3/22/14, for the end

by mike simpson / 11h 

Are Texas parents allowed to opt their kids out of STAAR tests? A Waco couple is trying | Dallas Morning News

Are Texas parents allowed to opt their kids out of STAAR tests? A Waco couple is trying | Dallas Morning News: Are Texas parents allowed to opt their kids out of STAAR tests? A Waco couple is tryingBy Jeffrey WeissJWeiss@dallasnews.com5:18 pm on March 22, 2014 | Permalink411701Nationally, there’s a small movement of opt-outers. Parents who are saying they have the legal right to hold their childre

by mike simpson / 14h 

Jeb Bush: Willing to Emotionally Damage Your Child for a Higher Test Score | deutsch29

Jeb Bush: Willing to Emotionally Damage Your Child for a Higher Test Score | deutsch29: Jeb Bush: Willing to Emotionally Damage Your Child for a Higher Test ScoreMarch 22, 2014Former Florida Governor (and likely 2016 presidential hopeful) Jeb Bush made the following comment, recorded in The Miami Herald, on March 21, 2014. It’s Bush’s undeniably callous perspective on attempting to force American

by mike simpson / 16h 

Mark Anthony Neal @ SCMS 2014: Teaching Race & Media in Post-racial/Post-Trayvon America | NewBlackMan (in Exile)

Mark Anthony Neal @ SCMS 2014: Teaching Race & Media in Post-racial/Post-Trayvon America | NewBlackMan (in Exile): Mark Anthony Neal @ SCMS 2014: Teaching Race & Media in Post-racial/Post-Trayvon AmericaSCMStudiesCultural Critic and Professor of Black Popular Culture at Duke University, Mark Anthony Neal speaks about framing the death of Trayvon Martin and any other number of black men and

by mike simpson / 17h 

A Fine Balance - AFT

AFT - A Union of Professionals - A Fine Balance: Related ArticlesOne Piece of the WholeTeacher Evaluation as Part of a Comprehensive System for Teaching and LearningBy Linda Darling-HammondWhen Evaluation Supports a Collective PerspectiveA Glimpse into High-Quality EvaluationCriteria for an Effective Teacher Evaluation SystemSurvey SaysUsing Teacher Feedback to Bolster EvaluationBy Ross Wiener and

by mike simpson / 17h 

3-22-14 Saturday Matinée Special Corporate ED Reform: Something's Fishy! News Breakout

Saturday Matinée Special Corporate ED Reform Something's Fishy! News Breakout StudentsFirst's "likes" on Facebook: Pathetic Popularity Contest - Momma BearsStudentsFirst's "likes" on Facebook: Pathetic Popularity Contest - Momma Bears: StudentsFirst's "likes" on Facebook: Pathetic Popularity Contest03/18/2014 Momma Bears has often wondered about the gullible people wh

by mike simpson / 18h 

NYC Public School Parents: Watch this: Fighting the Cloud...and inBloom

NYC Public School Parents: Watch this: Fighting the Cloud...and inBloom: Watch this: Fighting the Cloud...and inBloomThanks to Nathan Place for making this powerful video, and to Karen Sprowal and Matthew for their courage and persistence...Posted by Leonie Haimson at 3/22/2014 02:49:00 PM 

by mike simpson / 18h 

Nan Rich, Democrat for Florida Governor

Nan Rich: “I see a Florida where all people are treated with respect, where the middle class can grow and prosper, where children reach their full potential, and where seniors enjoy full and vigorous lives. It’s time we aimed for excellence – and settled for nothing less. Join me, and we will make Florida a better place... for all of us!”Site MapHomeAboutJoin Our TeamSign Up for Email UpdatesVolun

by mike simpson / 19h 

Don't let Jeb Bush deceive parents on your network! - The Action Network

Don't let Jeb Bush deceive parents on your network! - The Action Network: Don't let Jeb Bush deceive parents on your network!Kathleen Finch, President, HGTV; Marjorie Kaplan, President, Animal Planet; Anne Sweeney, President, Disney-ABC Television GroupMany American moms and dads look to channels like Animal Planet, HGTV and The Family Channel for trustworthy, family-friendly programming. That’s w

by mike simpson / 21h 

Few Adults Crawl | Deborah Meier on Education

Few Adults Crawl | Deborah Meier on Education: Few Adults CrawlPosted on March 22, 2014 by debmeierSometimes I think maybe we shouldn’t publish anything new and read all the wonderful “old” stuff. Like Few Adults Crawl by Tony Kallet (who died much too young) of Mountain View Center in Colorado. It was published by the North Dakota Study Group in 1995 and is (I think) still available.This is how i

by mike simpson / 21h 

2nd Banana 3-22-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #RealEdTalk #p2

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANARECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST StudentsFirst's "likes" on Facebook: Pathetic Popularity Contest - Momma BearsStudentsFirst's "likes" on Facebook: Pathetic Popularity Contest - Momma Bears: StudentsFirst's "likes" on Facebook: Pathetic Popularity Contest03/18/2014 Momma Bears has often wondered about the gullible people who fall for the Stud

by mike simpson / 21h 

Morning Wink 3-22-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSPolitics, Research, and School Reform: Letting Teens Sleep in | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom PracticePolitics, Research, and School Reform: Letting Teens Sleep in | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Politics, Research, and School Reform: Letting Teens Sleep inTeaching high school students, first period of the school day, sa

by mike simpson / 22h 

2nd Banana 3-22-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

2nd Banana 3-15-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post2nd Banana 3-8-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 3-1-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 2-22-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

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LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-23-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

Just 27% in Rasmussen Poll Think SAT Should Be Major Factor in College Admission

Bad news for the All-New, Revamped SAT: Only 27% in the most recent Rasmussen poll think that the SAT should be a major factor in college admission. Actually, it may be even less than 27%. According to Rasmussen, “…most Americans don’t think the SATs are an accurate reflection of a student’s abilities, nor do they believe they should be a major factor in college admissions. A new Rasmussen Reports

by dianeravitch / 2min 

Peter Greene: Why Standardized Testing Sucks

Peter Greene here explains what most teachers know about standardized testing. It is a monumental waste of time and money. It doesn’t reflect what students were taught or learned. He writes: “Standardized testing is completely inauthentic assessment, and students know that. The young ones may blame themselves, but students of all ages see that there is no connection between the testing and their e

6 by dianeravitch / 16min 

Common Core for Commoners, Not My School!

This is an unintentionally hilarious story about Common Core in Tennessee. Dr. Candace McQueen has been dean of Lipscomb College’s school of education and also the state’s's chief cheerleader for Common Core. However, she was named headmistress of private Lipscomb Academy, and guess what? She will not have the school adopt the Common Core! Go figure.

2 by dianeravitch / 14min

Vivian Connell: The Face of a Hero

On February 11 of this year, I met Vivian Connell. She was on a panel at the North Carolina Emerging Issues Forum moderated by John Merrow. Vivian was one of six people who explained why she left teaching. She described the disrespect in which the current leadership of North Carolina holds teachers and the deterioration of working conditions. She said she decided to go to law school, yet she misse

3 by dianeravitch / 18min hide  //  save

Teacher: When Will We Be Able to Think of Children Again?

This teacher explains: She loves teaching. She loves her students, but she wants the high-stakes testing and the Race to the Top to stop. She knows that her students are set up to fail. It is all so wrong, so mean-spirited, so cruel. This is what she knows: “I am a NYS certified public school teacher teaching 3rd grade in an economically disadvantaged school district in rural upstate New York. I h

11 by dianeravitch / 32min 

Jason Stanford: A Hard Choice in Texas: $100 for a Graphic Calculator or $15 for an App?

Jason Stanford is a political journalist in Texas who keeps a close watch on the nexus between money, politics, and education. He is especially interested in how lobbyists shape decisions about where the education money should be spent. In this post, he sees the usual lobbyists pressing to make more money for their clients: Forcing schools to buy a graphing calculator for every single 8th grader i

by dianeravitch / 10min 

From One Teacher to Another: VAM is Junk Science

After Kafkateach stated that his/her VAM scores were poor because he/she is a teacher of gifted students and have no way to go higher, this response came from Chris in Florida: We’re in this together here in Florida, kafkateach. I am National Board certified, have 2 masters degrees (only 1 is in education), 20+ years of experience, and was named a Teacher of the Year by three different programs in

3 by dianeravitch / 37min 

Mother: My Son Hates School, How Can I Help Him?

This comment came from “Albany Mom”:   I agree with the writer that “if parents do not advocate for their children, who will?” However, I need help knowing how to advocate for my child. Who is going to help? My husband and I have struggled with the demons of Common Core this year, watching our 9 year old son sink into what looks like depression. We can’t afford private school, so I have coerced, o

28 by dianeravitch / 1h 

Students Organize to Resist Destructive “Reforms”

Students have the power to stop the destructive forces that are ruining their education and treating them as data points, not humans who want to learn. They are holding a conference in Los Angeles, where they will discuss strategies to resist school closings, high-stakes testing, data mining, and other current efforts to turn their educational opportunity into an opportunity for entrepreneurs to u

29 by dianeravitch / 2h hide  //  save

Ohio: You Can’t Make This Stuff Up

A reader in Ohio writes:   This is one of the people who is making law on public schools in Ohio: “Powell legislator stirs controversy over views on public schools Two weeks after calling public education “socialism” and saying it should be privatized, state Rep. Andrew Brenner said of those criticizing him with vulgarities: “I’m guessing those people had a public education.” The Powell Republican

38 by dianeravitch / 2h 

Florida Teacher Evaluated on Scores of Students She Never Taught: Junk Science Alert!

Value-added-measurement (VAM) produce ratings that are inaccurate and unstable. In Florida, about half of teachers don’t teach tested subjects, so they are assigned scores based on the scores of their school, meaning they are rated in relation to the scores of students they never taught and subjects they never taught. This Florida teacher explains why she was rated a 23.6583 out of 40, even though

15 by dianeravitch / 3h  

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 3-22-14 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGReader: Brookings Economist Sees CCSS as Entry Point for “Big Data” MachineReader Laura H. Chapman shares this exchange with an economist at the Brookings Institution about the Common Core: I had a brief email exchange with Darrell West of the Brookings about the CCSS. He wants the CCSS to be standardized so that test sco

by mike simpson / 12h 

Russ on Reading: What Education Reformers Can’t Do (And What They Should)

Russ on Reading: What Education Reformers Can’t Do (And What They Should):

What Education Reformers Can’t Do (And What They Should)

The corporate education reformers love to tell teachers what they need to do, what they have failed to do and where they need to place their focus. One of their favorite pieces of advice to teachers is that since teachers can’t fix the problems outside of school (such as poverty), they should focus on what they can do in school, which is improve instruction and learning.

I am all for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning, in fact, I have dedicated my life to it, first as a classroom teacher and later as a teacher leader. I believe that most of us who are in education are dedicated to continuous improvement of practice; that is the very definition of professionalism.

To believe, as we are told by the corporate education reformers, that education is the only or best way to end poverty in this country, is to believe in magical thinking. Poverty is not the fault of lax education and poor educators and it 

3-23-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

Newark Teacher Gives Thanks and Advice to Ravitch

"Here is my advice to teachers who are unfairly rated by the spurious method called 'value added assessment': Sue them."....Diane Ravitch: From One Teacher to Another: VAM is Junk ScienceWhen your union cannot/will not back you up and in fact cooperates with the people looking to kill you, it makes fighting back for most people very difficult. Diane Ravitch never puts herself in a positi

by ed notes online / 23min 

South Bronx School Blogger Joins Opt-Out Movement

For those that want more information, follow NYS Allies for Education for how the "How to Opt Out" primer. It can be done, it should be done! ......I asked [my son] would he feel bad if he didn't take the exams and would the other kids make fun of him. His reaction was that he would not feel bad and that the other kids would want to know where they can sign up to miss the exams. In fact

by ed notes online / 31min 

Video: 12 Days to Being Tossed Out By Eva Moskowitz Success Charter

Interview with former Success Charter parent exposes shady tactics.Great work by GEM's Darren Marelli.An interview with New York City Parent Karen Sprowal.  Ms. Sprowal tells the story of her kindergarten son's 12 days at Success Academy Charter School. Ms. Sprowal describes how her son was pushed out of the charter school and eventually embraced by a neighborhood public school, PS 75.https://vime

by ed notes online / 1h 

3-22-14 Ed Notes Online Week

Ed Notes Online: Ed Notes OnlineSupport Suan Ohanian on White House PetitionPlease don't send me 'excuses.' I've heard them already--from union officers who tell me they have other fish to fry, teachers who insist putting initials on a petition will cost them their jobs, etc. etc.  .. Susan OhanianI hate petitions and think they do little good. But when Susan Ohanian speaks I listen. Here is the l

by mike simpson / 11h 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 3-23-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:

U.S. Schools Plagued By Inequality Alomg Racial Lines, Study Finds

In discipline, access to education and other factors, data on U.S. public schools show patterns of inequality tied to race. By Lalita Clozel, L.A. Times | http://lat.ms/1hb83PZ Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., left, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan discuss results of a new civil rights study on access to education and unfair disciplinary practices in U.S. public schools during a visit to J.O

1 by smf / 30min 

Avoiding the front-runners: UTLA BOARD RECOMMENDS - ¡Not Endorses!- 3 TEACHERS FOR LA UNIFIED SEAT

  UTLA board endorses 3 teachers for LA Unified seat, not Omarosa by LA School Report | http://bit.ly/1dn0U3P March 20, 2014 9:37 am  ::  The board of directors of the Los Angeles teachers union, UTLA, voted last night to recommend that the union endorse three teachers for the vacant District 1 board seat. The special election is June 3. In recommending Sherlett Hendy-Newbill, Rachel Johnson

by smf / 3min 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 3-22-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT  SAY GOODBYE TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Diane Ravitch warns Salon some cities will soon have none  "Why destroy public education so that a handful can boast they have a charter school in addition to their yacht?"   Josh Eidelson interviews Diane Ravitch for Salon |  http://bit.ly/1ewAMkT     Diane Ravitch (Cr

by mike simpson / 12h 

3-23-14 Schools Matter

Schools Matter:

TFA Truth Tour Starts Tomorrow

Teach for America regularly spends more on recruiting than it does on educating the young neophytes who are dumped into the most challenging classrooms after 5 weeks of basic indoctrination.  USAS begins a 15 campus tour tomorrow to get the truth and stop TFA's corporate predators on campus.By Robert Ascherman and Karen LiStarting tomorrow, USAS is launching the next stage in our campaignto fight

by Jim Horn / 14min 

Boycott March 24 Houston Independent School District

by Jim Horn / 3min hide  //  save

All Your Life You Have Lived by Their Rules, and You Don't Have to Anymore--OPT OUT!

Be Divergent!Register for UOO’s annual spring event in Denver, CO, March 28th to 30th

2 by Jim Horn / 1h hide  //  save

Common Core Will Take 24 Years to Show Improvement That Will Fall Way Short of NAEP Results from 1992 to Now

In a research report issued last week by Brookings, researchers found that states with CCSS-like standards have not scored as well as other states on the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP).  Brookings found “states with standards most different from the CCSS . . . gained the most on NAEP (p. 29).  Offering this dismal assessment of prospects for states adopting Common Core, the Br

18 by Jim Horn / 1h 

Be in Worcester, MA Wednesday Morning to Greet Duncan

From MassLive:WORCESTER — Hoping to bring more attention to the federal changes in academic standards, protesters will greet U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan with picket signs along Skyline Drive and Belmont Street Wednesday morning.Duncan is scheduled to visit Worcester Technical High School on Wednesdayat 9 a.m. as part of a two-day tour of Massachusetts schools.The secretary is expected

by Jim Horn / 9min 

3-22-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter:  Schools Matter All WeekDuncan Invites Parents to Conduct Research on Reasons for Racist Practices in SchoolsDuncan sent one of his underlings to the News Hour this evening to express her disgust that 3 and 4 year old students, most of whom are minority children, would be suspended from school.  The young African-American woman from the Duncan's Civil Rights Office leaned forward i

by mike simpson / 12h 

3-23-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education:

AIR’s Connections to Florida’s “Miserable” VAM Scores

Lakeland Ledger columnist Glenn Marston dug deeper into Florida’s new testing contractor: More concerning about AIR’s Florida connections is the miserable teacher-grading program it created for the state, known as the value-added model. The inconclusive teacher evaluations are useless. The Tampa Bay Times reported March 1 that teachers of the year and finalists for teacher of the year in Central F

by Bob Sikes / 21min 

3-22-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida ALL Week

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education:Scathing Purple Musings  Color me purple in Florida ALL WeekJeb Bush Calls Common Core a “Truth Serum”Miami Herald political reporter Marc Caputo was in attendance this week when Jeb Bush spoke to 900 business leaders in Broward county. Bush made these comments on educati

by mike simpson / 11h