THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDVACCINE #CHANGEGONNACOME #BIDEN

 Big Education Ape

THE TOP BANANA
TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES 

If Teachers Get the Vaccine Quickly, Can Students Get Back to School? - The New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/15/us/teachers-vaccine-school.html

Black Student Expelled After Mother Complains About 'Fences' - The New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/15/us/providence-day-school-fences-.html

Schools Will Close in Germany as Cases Surge - The New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/14/us/german-school-close-coronavirus-lockdown.html

Less than a third of NYC schools offering five days a week of in-person learning: de Blasio - New York Daily News - https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/ny-schools-full-time-in-person-learning-numbers-20201214-xx3pubjy5jfuvec2ayqorupvua-story.html via @nydailynews

Virtually monitoring progress and collecting information during remote education for students with disabilities | NJ Spotlight News - https://www.njspotlight.com/2020/12/virtually-monitoring-progress-and-collecting-information-during-remote-education-for-students-with-disabilities/ via @njspotlight

More Northern Virginia school systems revert to online-only learning https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/virginia-schools-online-learning-fairfax/2020/12/14/59cf689c-3e1f-11eb-8bc0-ae155bee4aff_story.html?tid=ss_tw

Education Research Report: Expansions to Pell Grant Eligibility for Short Occupational Training Programs - http://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/2020/12/expansions-to-pell-grant-eligibility.html

BREAKING: Rutherford County Schools Moving to Distance Learning – Tennessee Education Report - http://tnedreport.com/?p=5034 via @TNEdReport

Potential Education Secretary Nominee Attacked by Antiunion Group - https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2020/12/14/potential-education-secretary-nominee-attacked-antiunion-group

Washington Teachers Partnering to Tutor Elementary D.C. Students | Black Star News - https://www.blackstarnews.com/node/19371

The Election is Over, Time for a Marshall Plan and Educational Reparations for Black People. But, The Plans Must Be White-Proof. - Philly's 7th Ward - https://wp.me/p7sbg2-uS

Dixie State University in Utah Says It’s in Need of a Name Change https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/15/us/dixie-state-name-change.html

CPS hiring 2,000 new workers — no Chicago residency required — to help reopen schools - Chicago Sun-Times - https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2020/12/14/22170561/cps-reopen-schools-public-in-person-learning-teaching-jobs-help-wanted-hire-listing-substitute#new_tab

Stressed by too much screen time, these Philly high school students staged a protest - https://fusion.inquirer.com/education/philadelphia-school-district-screen-time-protest-kensington-capa-20201214.html#new_tab

Fairfax Co. Public Schools plans to respond to uptick in failing grades with new grading policies | WTOP - https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2020/12/fairfax-county-public-schools-plan-to-respond-to-uptick-in-failing-grades/#new_tab

Schools Work to Speed Up Internet in Rural Homes for Remote Learning - WSJ - https://www.wsj.com/articles/schools-work-to-speed-up-internet-in-rural-homes-for-remote-learning-11608037202?mod=searchresults_pos2&page=1#new_tab by @juliejargon on @WSJ

Abraham Lincoln was once a hero. In some S.F. education circles, he’s now a bad guy - SFChronicle.com - https://www.sfchronicle.com/local-politics/article/Abraham-Lincoln-was-once-a-hero-In-some-S-F-15798744.php#new_tab on @sfchronicle

During COVID-19 pandemic, Salt Lake City elementary students failed fall classes at triple last year’s rate - https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2020/12/13/during-covid-pandemic/#new_tab by https://www.facebook.com/saltlaketribune on @sltrib

NYC teachers, parents sue to stop COVID testing over DNA fears - https://wp.me/pb3Qpq-18zao by @nypmetro on @nypost

Covid is having a devastating impact on children — and the vaccine won't fix everything - https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/covid-having-devastating-impact-children-vaccine-won-t-fix-everything-n1251172#new_tab by NBCNews on @NBCNews

The push-and-pull drama over school reopenings reaches fever pitch in L.A. and Orange counties - https://news.yahoo.com/push-pull-drama-over-school-133036277.html#new_tab on @YahooNews

‘A very isolating experience:’ First-year teachers seek support through unprecedented year - Chalkbeat Chicago - https://chicago.chalkbeat.org/2020/12/15/22175480/illinois-first-year-teachers-school-unprecedented-year-covid-19#new_tab on chalkbeat

Long Beach schools push back reopening to March, citing rise in COVID-19 cases http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/lanowblog/~3/m00AsTlXAP4/long-beach-schools-reopening-march

Say it ain’t snow! De Blasio declares no more snow days for city school kids https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/ny-nyc-schools-covid-snow-days-20201215-pl4piqn35fg2jg2y5oh2kd6ole-story.html#ed=rss_www.nydailynews.com/arcio/rss/category/new-york/education/

Paul Peterson: “No, Al Shanker Did Not Invent the Charter School” | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / now

Paul Peterson: “No, Al Shanker Did Not Invent the Charter School” This is a fascinating article written by Paul Peterson of Harvard University about the origin of the charter school idea. Many people credit the idea to Al Shanker and Ray Budde of the University of Massachusetts, but Peterson sets them straight. Peterson is the foremost proponent of school choice, charters and vouchers, in the ac

Richard Carranza, Austin Beutner and Janice Jackson | We need a Marshall Plan for our schools. And we need it now. - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 7min

Opinion | We need a Marshall Plan for our schools. And we need it now. - The Washington Post We need a Marshall Plan for our schools. And we need it now Richard Carranza, Austin Beutner and Janice Jackson are superintendents of the nation’s three largest school districts, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, respectively. President-elect Joe Biden has described the crisis in public schools caused b

MEGAN PRATHER: Grandparents raising students face extra challenges during COVID-19 - NONDOC

by Mike Simpson / 7min

Grandparents raising students face extra challenges during COVID-19 Grandparents raising students face extra challenges during COVID-19 Linda Chambers has had guardianship over her two grandchildren for the past four years. There were new things to learn, like getting the hang of school schedules and navigating programs through the Department of Human Services. But the biggest adjustment came thi

The Lower Realities of Higher Education – radical eyes for equity

by Mike Simpson / 7min

The Lower Realities of Higher Education I posted a fairly tame Tweet about the Wall Street Journal ‘s recent Op-Ed attacking Jill Biden using “Dr.” and editorial doubling-down on negative responses to the Op-Ed (none of which I will link here): The Tweet attracted conservatives with ten’s of followers, most of them misreading the Tweet and many of them attacking me for being an academic/professo

NewBlackMan (in Exile) TODAY #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER

by Mike Simpson / 7min

NewBlackMan (in Exile) NewBlackMan (in Exile) TODAY Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) - https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/12/this-week-with-newblackman-in-exile_12.html “You’re Minor, We’re Major”: Halfway Books Reimagines Hip-Hop Journalism by Tyler Bunzey by Mark Anthony Neal / 12h | @t_bunzey | NewBlackMan (in Exile) From ’71 ‘til, hip-hop has tried to ignore con

DID YOU MISS DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG TODAY? A site to discuss better education for all

by Mike Simpson / 7min

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all Big Education Ape: KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all - https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/12/keep-up-catch-up-with-diane-ravitchs.html Three Big-City Superintendents: We Need a Marshall Plan for Our Schools: Now! 32 by dianeravitch / 3h This article by the superintendents

Dr. Evil versus Lily and the teacher unions. – Fred Klonsky

by Mike Simpson / 1h

DR. EVIL VERSUS LILY AND THE TEACHER UNIONS We’re still waiting to hear from the Biden administration as to their pick for Education Secretary. The delay could reflect the debate within the Democratic Party between the corporate education reformers like Democrats for Education Reform and the large teacher unions like the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association. For

Students accused of truancy when they didn’t turn in their work

by Mike Simpson / 1h

They didn’t turn in their work for remote school. Their parents were threatened with courts and fines After their kids experienced tech glitches or turned off cameras during online learning, these families were accused of truancy and received legal threats Hayden, 12, had been having panic attacks about school even before a letter arrived at his home last month, threatening legal action for his

Classrooms of the Future? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Classrooms of the Future? Technological fantasies of the future school have been around for decades. Here’s one from 1910. Note all of the information going into students’ heads comes from textbooks fed into a wood chipper. Or another from 1963 cartoon called “The Jetsons.” Or this one in 1982 predicting that the future school will be monopolized by the then dominant company Atari. And then “Mee

Teacher Tom: What if Being Good at Things Wasn't the Point of Doing Them?

by Mike Simpson / 1h

What if Being Good at Things Wasn't the Point of Doing Them? Our daughter played on a middle school soccer team in a league that didn't believe in keeping score. The kids, of course, simply kept score themselves, always knowing in the end who had won and who had lost. They knew that not keeping score wasn't part of the real world and they mocked the charade. That said, her team was not very good

NYC Educator: Another Letter from the Chancellor

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Another Letter from the Chancellor Dear Colleagues, As we approach the end of the calendar year, I am reflecting back on some of the events of 2020. We have confronted uncertainty and pain together, working as a community dedicated in service to our city’s children. Because their safety is paramount, we took a principled stand and vowed to close schools as soon as the positivity rate reached 3%.

NYC Public School Parents: Patrick Sullivan on the DOE's acquisition of Reliant bus company: Why the PEP should vote no.

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Patrick Sullivan on the DOE's acquisition of Reliant bus company: Why the PEP should vote no. Patrick Sullivan, a former member of the Panel for Educational Policy, sent this to current members in opposition to the DOE acquisition of Reliant bus company. For more on this issue, see Sue Edelman's article yesterday in the New York Post and the editorial today. The PEP is voting on this contract to

Mike Klonsky's Blog: Epstein's poke at Dr. Jill Biden backfires.

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Epstein's poke at Dr. Jill Biden backfires. Whatever the purpose of Joseph Epstein's WSJ screed ... it surely failed. I think his poke at Dr. Jill Biden for professionally using 'DR.' in front of her name had less to do with educational leadership titles and Dr. Biden's personal achievements (which are notable) and more with discrediting the Biden/Harris election victory. The best honorific for

THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT – Dad Gone Wild

by Mike Simpson / 1h

THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT “As far as Kiva could tell, whenever selfish humans encountered a wrenching, life-altering crisis, they embarked on a journey of five distinct stages: Denial. Denial. Denial. Fucking Denial. Oh, shit everything is terrible grab what you can and run.” ― John Scalzi, The Last Emperox This past weekend, riding in the car with my 10-year old son, I was regaling him with

A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/12/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_12.html A Beginning List Of Resources For Teaching About Racist Mascots by Larry

YESTERDAY

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #CHANGEGONNACOME #BIDEN

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES They Didn't Turn In Their Work For Remote School. Their Parents Were Threatened With Court And Fines. | HuffPost - 

 Big Education Ape

Paul Peterson: “No, Al Shanker Did Not Invent the Charter School” | Diane Ravitch's blog

Paul Peterson: “No, Al Shanker Did Not Invent the Charter School” | Diane Ravitch's blog

Paul Peterson: “No, Al Shanker Did Not Invent the Charter School”

This is a fascinating article written by Paul Peterson of Harvard University about the origin of the charter school idea.

Many people credit the idea to Al Shanker and Ray Budde of the University of Massachusetts, but Peterson sets them straight.

Peterson is the foremost proponent of school choice, charters and vouchers, in the academic world. He has trained many of the other prominent academics who support school choice, such as Jay Greene and Patrick Wolf, both at the University of Arkansas’ Department of Educational Reform (sic).

Peterson writes about the original proposals by Budde and Shanker but then notes that their ideas were fundamentally transformed by Minnesota reformers Ted Kolderie and Joe Nathan. Budde and Shanker wanted the charters to be district-controlled and friendly to unions.

Peterson writes:

Even though it is fashionable enough to credit Shanker for jump-starting the charter movement that even the Wall Street Journal is joining in, there is only a glimmer of truth to that urban legend. In actuality, Shanker did more to CONTINUE READING: Paul Peterson: “No, Al Shanker Did Not Invent the Charter School” | Diane Ravitch's blog 

Richard Carranza, Austin Beutner and Janice Jackson | We need a Marshall Plan for our schools. And we need it now. - The Washington Post

Opinion | We need a Marshall Plan for our schools. And we need it now. - The Washington Post

We need a Marshall Plan for our schools. And we need it now

Richard Carranza, Austin Beutner and Janice Jackson are superintendents of the nation’s three largest school districts, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, respectively.

President-elect Joe Biden has described the crisis in public schools caused by the pandemic as a “national emergency.” As the superintendents of the nation’s three largest public school districts — New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — every day we grapple with the challenges that worry not just the president-elect but also the students and families we serve. Our schools, like thousands more across the nation, need help from the federal government, and we need it now.

The challenges school communities face aren’t for lack of effort by principals, teachers, staff, parents and students. Among our three districts, more than 2 million students and hundreds of thousands of educators have worked to transform teaching and learning from the inside out. We’ve seen teachers tackle long division from their kitchens and students debate the Constitution in Spanish from their living rooms.

But the fact is that for many — if not most — children, online and even hybrid education pales in comparison to what’s possible in a classroom led by a great teacher. Too many children are falling behind, threatening not just their individual futures but also America’s global competitiveness.

In Los Angeles Unified, where almost 80 percent of students live in poverty and 82 percent are Latino and African American, Ds and Fs by high school students have increased about 15 percent compared with last year. Meanwhile, reading proficiency in elementary grades has fallen 10 percent. In Illinois, students have lost more than a year of math progress. In New York City, 82 percent of students are children of color, largely from communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the virus, suffering tremendous loss and trauma that accompanies kids into the classroom. Across the country, math performance on standardized tests lags the prior year by 5 to 10 percentile points.

Full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic

It’s time to treat the dire situation facing public school students with the same federal mobilization we have come to expect for other national emergencies, such as floods, wildfires and hurricanes. A major, coordinated nationwide effort — imagine a Marshall Plan for schools — is needed to return children to public schools quickly in the safest way possible. CONTINUE READING: Opinion | We need a Marshall Plan for our schools. And we need it now. - The Washington Post

MEGAN PRATHER: Grandparents raising students face extra challenges during COVID-19 - NONDOC

Grandparents raising students face extra challenges during COVID-19

Grandparents raising students face extra challenges during COVID-19

Linda Chambers has had guardianship over her two grandchildren for the past four years. There were new things to learn, like getting the hang of school schedules and navigating programs through the Department of Human Services.

But the biggest adjustment came this year, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and she found herself facing hurdles she could never have anticipated.

“This year has just been crazy,” Chambers said. “It’s obviously a mess. You want them to go to school and have the experience, but you also want to be safe.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has added a new layer of difficulty for all families, but grandparents taking care of children have faced some particular challenges. Helping students in a virtual school environment has been a problem for some. And sending children to school to potentially bring the virus home is especially risky when the primary caregiver is elderly. These families also have to consider some difficult topics, such as what would happen if the guardian becomes ill with COVID-19.

‘There’s nowhere to send these boys if they get sick’

Chambers has a grandson who graduated from Epic Charter Schools last year and a CONTINUE READING: Grandparents raising students face extra challenges during COVID-19

The Lower Realities of Higher Education – radical eyes for equity

The Lower Realities of Higher Education – radical eyes for equity

The Lower Realities of Higher Education

I posted a fairly tame Tweet about the Wall Street Journal‘s recent Op-Ed attacking Jill Biden using “Dr.” and editorial doubling-down on negative responses to the Op-Ed (none of which I will link here):

The Tweet attracted conservatives with ten’s of followers, most of them misreading the Tweet and many of them attacking me for being an academic/professor (the typical snarky references to Marx, etc.) as well as being in the field of education (my university affiliation and doctorate, an EdD, are part of my Twitter bio and handle—although several Twits thought they were outing me in some way for these public facts).

While I am enormously privileged, I share with Jill Biden the paradox of holding a doctorate in an often marginalized field, education; when I attained my EdD in the mid-1990s, it was still a much lesser degree than a PhD—and remains well down the hierarchy of academic credentials since education is often CONTINUE READING: The Lower Realities of Higher Education – radical eyes for equity

Dr. Evil versus Lily and the teacher unions. – Fred Klonsky

Dr. Evil versus Lily and the teacher unions. – Fred Klonsky

DR. EVIL VERSUS LILY AND THE TEACHER UNIONS

We’re still waiting to hear from the Biden administration as to their pick for Education Secretary.

The delay could reflect the debate within the Democratic Party between the corporate education reformers like Democrats for Education Reform and the large teacher unions like the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association.

Former NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia has frequently been mentioned for the job.

Whoever gets the job has their work cut out for them in rolling back the four years of Betsy DeVos’ attack on public education.

Leading the charge on a pro-public school, pro-teacher union education secretary is CONTINUE READING: Dr. Evil versus Lily and the teacher unions. – Fred Klonsky