Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 4-23-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

Exploring Moral Development in School - Bridging Differences - Education Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 minutes ago

Exploring Moral Development in School - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Exploring Moral Development in School by Mary-Ellen Phelps Deily *Elliott Witney continues his conversation with Deborah Meier today.* Dear Deb, I wanted to start by saying that I hope everyone you know in the Boston community through your extensive work there is safe and has been able to weather what must have been an emotional storm over the last several days. I can only imagine how challenging last week was for so many people whose lives you've touched directly or indirectly. In addition to this tho... more »

Modern School: We Don’t Need New Standards

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 51 minutes ago

Modern School: We Don’t Need New Standards: We Don’t Need New Standards by Michael Dunn The standard assumption about standards, regardless of politics, is that standards are a necessary and pedagogically important part of education. After all, if we didn’t have standards for each discipline, then teachers could teach whatever they wanted. There would be chaos. There would be no equity. Some kids would get a better education than others. A recent piece in Good Education adds several other supposedly important benefits, such as providing a vision, or a “destination for learning,” a... more »

Grit: Multiple Intelligences and Instructional Technology — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Grit: Multiple Intelligences and Instructional Technology — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Whole Child Virtual Conference]Grit: Multiple Intelligences and Instructional Technology April 23, 2013 by Whole Child Virtual Conference [image: Whole Child Virtual Conference - 2013] *ASCD's third annual Whole Child Virtual Conference is a free, online event that provides a forum and tools for schools and districts working toward sustainability and changing school cultures to serve the whole child. Built on the theme, "Moving from Implementation to Sustainability to Cult... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Oversight Work Session: Teaching and Learning

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Oversight Work Session: Teaching and Learning: Oversight Work Session: Teaching and Learning by Charlie Mas Tomorrow evening the School Board will conduct an oversight work session to review the operation of the District's Teaching and Learning. Finally. This will be the Board's first review of Teaching and Learning EVER. This is one of the final direct consequences of the mismanagement of the District under the Sundquist Board and Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson. It has been a long time coming. After the State Auditor's Office took the District lead... more »

When is Innovation Old News? | My Island View

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

When is Innovation Old News? | My Island View: When is Innovation Old News? by tomwhitby The term “innovation” has been thrown around through the halls of education for several years. Its creation in our education system is a stated goal by our Department of Education. It is a reason, although some would call it a justification, for charter schools being formed. Charter schools were supposed to lead the way to innovation for public education. A problem with innovation however is that we often do not know it when we see it. The whole idea of innovation is that it is something new. ... more »

UPDATE: Cruelty of the Annual Spring Testing Season +Head over to @guardianteach – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Head over to @guardianteach and find out about an “education spring” via @debrakidd – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: The Cruelty of the Annual Spring Testing Season by johnt4853 The spring standardized testing season has begun, and learning has stopped. Or, should I say that learning the skills and knowledge necessary to become a healthy citizen has stopped? Students will continue to learn about the seamy side of adult politics until the testing ordeal peters out in May. Especially for many students in low-income [...] Head over to @guardianteach and find out about an “e... more »

U.S. News Releases 2013 Best High Schools Rankings - US News and World Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

U.S. News Releases 2013 Best High Schools Rankings - US News and World Report: U.S. News Releases 2013 Best High Schools RankingsSeveral public schools made significant gains, shaking up the top 10 in this year’s rankings. By KELSEY SHEEHY April 23, 2013 RSS Feed Print [image: A diverse group of high school students work in a computer lab. The Best High Schools rankings factor in academic performance among blank, Hispanic and low-income students.] The Best High Schools rankings factor in academic performance among black, Hispanic and low-income students. The importance of a strong h... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-23-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] A Great News Source for The Struggle to Save Public Education by dianerav The Network for Public Education has developed an excellent news source of stories from across the nation. Follow it to stay informed. And please consider joining the Network. It is only $20 for membership. Join with your friends and allies as we push back against those who are imposing failed ideas on our children and our schools. Louisianans to Jindal: Enough Is Enough by dianerav Many... more »

Florida Republican Senators Giveth Then Taketh Away Local Control in Parent Trigger Bill | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Florida Republican Senators Giveth Then Taketh Away Local Control in Parent Trigger Bill | Scathing Purple Musings: Florida Republican Senators Giveth Then Taketh Away Local Control in Parent Trigger Bill by Bob Sikes Mush was celebrated in Sen. David Simmons amendment to Parent Trigger which carved out final say on the final choice to local school boards. It was somehow because Commissioner Tony Bennett suggested in a letter that local boards “shouldn’t be left off the hook.” Governor Rick Scott even mentioned Bennett’s involvement this weekend. All that’s been torpedoed by Sen... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Kenyon College

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Kenyon College: Kenyon College by Mike Klonsky I'm at Kenyon College in Ohio, working with Prof. *Peter Rutkoff's* American Students students and reviewing some student final projects. Super-prof Peter's new novel, "Irish Eyes" just came out. It's set in in 60's N.Y. and tells the story of an Irish family living through those wild and radical times. Be sure and pick up a copy. Even out here in beautiful, wooded Gambier, I still am battered by the news of another 15-year-old Chicago student, Cornelius German, shot dead blocks from President Obama hom... more »

Parent trigger: Who’s for it and who’s against it tells the story

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Parent trigger: Who’s for it and who’s against it tells the story: Parent trigger: Who’s for it and who’s against it tells the story Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 23, 2013 at 5:00 am 1 Comments More [image: parent-trigger1]You can learn pretty much everything you need to know about the controversial “parent trigger” legislation now before the Florida Legislature by looking at who is for it and who is against it. Parent trigger legislation is intended to give parents with children at low-performing schools the legal right to petition the state or district for a change in school ... more »

Daily Kos: Guns and terrorism, a double-barreled standard

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Daily Kos: Guns and terrorism, a double-barreled standard: Photos from Andrew Kitzenberg of early Friday Watertown shootout by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Many saw Kitzenberg on TV during the early morning hours. He has posted and explained the photos he took with his I-Phone as the shootout was occurring on the street just outside the house in which he leaves early Friday morning. If you are interested, you can take a look at Boston Bombing Suspect Shootout Pictures. Guns and terrorism, a double-barreled standard by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) The nation demonstrated again ... more »

UPDATE: Pensions: Hearts and minds. + The in box. Rally for pensions | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

The in box. Rally for pensions at Harper College. | Fred Klonsky: Pensions: Hearts and minds. by Fred Klonsky [image: images] *Public support for the Cullerton pension bill is collapsing.* For many teachers that I talk to, the fight over pension rights can be dispiriting. Readers of this blog who are not teachers can understand that for both active and retired teachers the attempt to take away what was promised on top of what appears to be a general atmosphere of teacher-bashing seems to be a case of piling on. Which brings me to yesterday’s Greg Hinz column in Crain’s. Remember tha... more »

When It Comes To Testing, Kids Get Labeled Failures First | The Jose Vilson

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

When It Comes To Testing, Kids Get Labeled Failures First | The Jose Vilson: When It Comes To Testing, Kids Get Labeled Failures First by Jose Vilson In my new co-blog The Collaborateurs, I wrote a little bit about testing and race. Here’s a bit: What’s sometimes missing from this side of the argument is that the effects for students is *much*worse than for teachers. Obviously, the teaching profession has a long way to go before we have the right working conditions and respect from society to make this profession more … professional. On the other hand, a few of the people who r... more »

Martin Burney and PS 154 in the Bronx.southbronxschool.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Martin Burney and PS 154 in the Bronx by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) What was it with that movie, "Sleeping with the Enemy?" Every girl, including my girlfriend at the time, wanted to see that movie. Not the best movie, but definitely creepy, and who can forget Patrick Bergin as Julia Robert's husband Martin Burney? Certainly not the staff of PS 154. Remember Martin? He of the anal retentive, OCD, perfectionist, micro managing, control freak, patronizing, condescending, and smarter (so Martin Burney believed) than everyone else type? One mus... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Cheating Scandal + A Retrospective - Season of the Witch

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

*Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Cheating Scandal * *A Retrospective - Season of the Witch* When I look out my window Many sights to see And when I look in my window So many different people to be That it's strange, so strange You've got to pick up every stitch You've got to pick up every stitch You've got to pick up every stitch Mm, must be the season of the witch Must be the season of the witch, yeah Must be the season of the witch When I look over my shoulder What do you think I see ? Some other cat looking over His shoulder at me And he's strange, sure he's strange You've... more »

Richie Havens, Woodstock legend, dies at 72 - TODAY Entertainment

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Richie Havens, Woodstock legend, dies at 72 - TODAY Entertainment: Richie Havens, Woodstock legend, dies at 72 By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, TODAY Folk singer and guitarist Richie Havens, who opened the 1969 Woodstock music festival with a legendary and lengthy set that helped make him famous, died Monday at age 72. Fin Costello / Redferns file via Getty Images Richie Havens in concert in 1973. His family says Havens died of a heart attack, and that a public memorial will be announced later. A statement on his official website posted before Havens' death says that the singer never fu... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Kari Steeves' letter to the Regents about inBloom

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Kari Steeves' letter to the Regents about inBloom: Kari Steeves' letter to the Regents about inBloom by Leonie Haimson *From:* Kari Steeves *To:* mhtisch@mhtisch.com; RegentCashin@mail.nysed.gov; regentnorwood@mail.nysed.gov; regentcea@mail.nysed.gov; regentyoung@mail.nysed.gov; regentrosa@mail.nysed.gov; regentbendit@mail.nysed.gov; regentjackson@mail.nysed.gov; regenttilles@mail.nysed.gov; regenttallon@mail.nysed.gov; regentphillips@mail.nysed.gov; regentchapey@mail.nysed.gov; regentbottar@mail.nysed.gov; regentdawson@mail.nysed.gov; regentbennett@... more »

Private companies want a share of public education dollars: Chalk It Up | OregonLive.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Private companies want a share of public education dollars: Chalk It Up | OregonLive.com: Private companies want a share of public education dollars: Chalk It Up from Oregon Education by Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian [image: lobbyists.JPG]A gaggle of lobbyists wait outside the House chamber of the Oregon Legislature for the final gavel to fall during the 2011 session.Ross William Hamilton / The Oregonian Education Week, a national news outlet that covers K-12 education, hasa big article out today (mainly behind a paywall) that looks at the many ways for-profit education companies a... more »

This Teacher Supports Common Core, Opposes Tests - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

This Teacher Supports Common Core, Opposes Tests - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: This Teacher Supports Common Core, Opposes Tests by Anthony Cody *New York teacher Katie Lapham shared the following letter with me, which she sent today. I believe it reflects the feelings of many educators caught in the middle between Common Core hopes and testing realities.* New York State Board of Regents and Dr. John B. King, Jr., Commissioner of Education and President of the University of the State of New York New York State Education Department 89 Washington Avenue Albany, New ... more »

California National Green Ribbon Award Winners - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

California National Green Ribbon Award Winners - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Congratulates Four California Schools, One District on Being Named National Green Ribbon Award Winners SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson applauded four California schools and a school district for receiving "Green Ribbon" recognition from the U.S. Department of Education today for promoting environmental awareness on campus while preparing students to succeed in the emerging green economy. The 2013 U.S. Green Ribbon winners are:... more »

NYC Educator: Gotham Schools Defends High-Stakes Testing

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

NYC Educator: Gotham Schools Defends High-Stakes Testing: Gotham Schools Defends High-Stakes Testing by NYC Educator Today, Gotham Schools saw fit to run a "principled" defense of standardized testing. As corporations continue to massively profit off of our children, as Pearson makes preposterous, indefensible and humiliating errors, someone at Gotham decided this was a good time to run this piece. First of all, it's interesting to read the writer's claims: *I have no stake in testing itself, beyond that of a taxpayer and an educator privileged to work with teachers and schools. * ... more »

UPDATE: Our children’s data is up for sale + No Amendment Can Fix Parent Trigger | Parents Across America

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

No Amendment Can Fix Parent Trigger | Parents Across America: Our children’s data is up for sale – Literally! by pureparents UPDATE: Because of protests from parents and his State board of education, John White, the state superintendent of Louisiana, just announced he was pulling all the state’s student data out of inBloom. Louisiana was the only state sharing all its confidential student data statewide except for NY with this controversial corporation called inBloom Inc., and the only other state that we know of that had already begun to send them this sensitive data, which in t... more »

Two brave Mandeville High students fighting John White and BESE for their futures | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Two brave Mandeville High students fighting John White and BESE for their futures | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Two brave Mandeville High students fighting John White and BESE for their futures by crazycrawfish I recently had the privilege of chatting with one of the two brave Mandeville High School students that participated in a BESE meeting about student privacy at the Louisiana Department of Education on Wednesday the 17 th. (I only wish I could have been there myself but was not able to get away at that time.) However I feel like was more than adequately represented by these two ... more »

Illinois PIG: Get Serious | Reclaim Reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Illinois PIG: Get Serious | Reclaim Reform: Illinois PIG: Get Serious from (title unknown) by kenpreviti [image: CT]As Illinois legislators continue their attempts to pillage active and retired teacher pension systems, please keep in mind that the Liberal Democrats led by 28 year Speaker of the House Mike Madigan is following the same program being used by Tea Party Gov. Rick Scott in Florida. Legalized corruption has no party affiliation. A family court judge whose wife is a lobbyist and friend of Rep. Diane Nekritz (D) made a ruling stating that healthcare is not a benefit – or s... more »

UPDATE: Students opting out of PSAE + Threat to special education class size rules Parents United for Responsible Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Threat to special education class size rules: Students opting out of PSAE by admin [image: testingpencils] Some students from Gage Park High School are planning to boycott part of the Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE). About 80 Gage Park students walked out of a NAEP exam earlier this year. NAEP is a national exam used to compare districts and states across the U.S. The students objected to having their time taken up with tests that had no bearing on their studies, at a time when some students didn’t even ... more »

RW group @freedomworks posts tantalizing petition to #stopcommoncore – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

RW group @freedomworks posts tantalizing petition to #stopcommoncore – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: RW group @freedomworks posts tantalizing petition to #stopcommoncore by Chalk Face, PhD Here’s a link to the petition. I’m a grown man with my own perspectives, so let me state that I make no secret of my progressive, social justice-oriented views regarding education. I am supportive of a free and equitable system of public education. But I do oppose the Common Core State Standards. The Freedom Works petition against the CCSS makes the predictable argument: Every person ... more »

UPDATE: Parents Please Do Ask Questions About the Common Core | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Parents Please Do Ask Questions About the Common Core | Truth in American Education: L.A. Times: It Would Be Better to Delay the Common Core by Shane Vander Hart The Los Angeles Times had an interesting op/ed today. A noteworthy excerpt: At the rate the state is going, teachers will end up being trained before the English curriculum is even in place, and instruction would start before the new textbooks are in anyone’s hands. Yet if the school reform movement has its way, teachers will be evaluated in part based on how well their students do on the very different standardized tests... more »

Elaine Weiss: Can We Move Past Market-oriented "Reforms" to Policies That Actually Work?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Elaine Weiss: Can We Move Past Market-oriented "Reforms" to Policies That Actually Work?: Can We Move Past Market-oriented "Reforms" to Policies That Actually Work? For over a decade now, a group of self-proclaimed reformers has argued that, notwithstanding a lack of research-based evidence to support their claims, we should put our trust -- and our public money -- in their policy agenda. School district leaders like Michelle Rhee, Joel Klein, Arne Duncan, and the mayors who backed them, would have us believe that virtually all it takes to close stubborn race- and income-based ... more »

John White and InBloom: It Ain’t Over, Folks | deutsch29

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

John White and InBloom: It Ain’t Over, Folks | deutsch29: John White and InBloom: It Ain’t Over, Folks by deutsch29 On Friday, April 19, I wrote a post regarding John White’s supposedly pulling out of student data storage with the Gates-and-Murdoch-associated nonprofit, InBloom. Since that time, I added an update to my original post, which I will reproduce here for those who might have missed it: *UPDATE 04-20-13:* *Fellow Louisiana blogger crazycrawfish (former LDOE manager of data) has included this information in this post:* *“John White unwittingly sent us a file for yet another... more »

Diane in the Evening 4-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Will Florida Pass Parent Tricker Bill? by dianerav Last year, Florida State Senators failed to pass a parent trigger bill because not a single parent group in the state supported the bill. Parents came from across the state to testify against the legislation. They accurately saw the bill as a transparent effort to trick parents into handing their public school over to a charter corporation. The bill comes up for a vote in the next few days. Jeb Bush and his surrogates are working hard to get the bill What Mi... more »

NPE News Briefs ← from The Network for Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

NPE News Briefs ← from The Network for Public Education: *Greetings!* This is a Special Edition of our newsletter, to announce an exciting new feature: The NPE Newsblog. If you are "in the know" you might have seen an email titled The Pennsylvania Education Crisis Highlights, edited by Ken Derstine. Ken assembles the hottest stories from around the country, and offers a bit of his own analysis on the trends he is observing. It is a great way to capture a sense of everything happening, and he has brought this to our NPE web site. Please visit, and bookmark or subscribe to this p... more »

Start Following Your Dreams, Stop Worrying About What You're 'Supposed To Do' — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Start Following Your Dreams, Stop Worrying About What You're 'Supposed To Do' — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Bill Drayton]Start Following Your Dreams, Stop Worrying About What You’re ‘Supposed To Do’ April 22, 2013 by Bill Drayton In elementary school I could not imagine why I was being tortured by Latin or math, and my perception of soccer was chiefly that of being a crashee. But I loved starting things, especially newspapers. Once I had saved enough to buy a mimeograph machine (the prior technology being typing hard with as many carbon copy sheets as possibl... more »

Marvin Matthew – If You Want Solutions, Invest in Youth Student Voice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Student Voice: Marvin Matthew – If You Want Solutions, Invest in Youth by Editor Admin “Do students have a responsibility to use what they’ve learned in school to address societal plights?” A professor recently posed this question. I struggled to answer. My logic is that if you aren’t teaching us to address, analyze, and solve problems — you can’t expect us to do any of the above. If colleges and universities, or society, are asking students to use what we’ve learned in the classroom to help solve the problems which we all face, then why are they drill, kill, bubble filling us? Ou... more »

Corporate Education Reform Goes to College Despite Flunking Out in the K-12 System

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Corporate Education Reform Goes to College Despite Flunking Out in the K-12 System: Corporate Education Reform Goes to College Despite Flunking Out in the K-12 System by Jim Miller [image: 6671_500611959997407_1321783566_n]*By Jim Miller* Things haven’t been going too well for the corporate education reform forces lately. In Chicago there is great controversy surrounding and parent resistance to school closings as a result of the efforts of over zealous reformers. This shameful turn of events puts yet another black mark on former Obama Administration chief of staff and current Chi... more »

Are Top State Education Officials trying to circumvent Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Law by using personal email accounts? - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Are Top State Education Officials trying to circumvent Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Law by using personal email accounts? - Wait, What?: Are Top State Education Officials trying to circumvent Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Law by using personal email accounts? by jonpelto Yet another source has confirmed that certain high-ranking officials in the State Department of Education are using their personal computers, personal email accounts or texting on their personal phones to conduct state business. Unfortunately from time to time, government officials have tried to ... more »

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: WA State Teacher Named National Teacher of the Year

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: WA State Teacher Named National Teacher of the Year: Debarments by Charlie Mas When a vendor for the District has overbilled the District they can be subject to debarment - the District will refuse to do business with them in future. As a result of the scandal around the Small Works roster program and the state auditor's office investigation into the potential loss of public funds, a number of cases for debarment arose. Here is a district memo summarizing the status of those debarred. You will note that the debarment of the Urban League has expir... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, April 22, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *In L.A. school board race, sky-high spending continues**Endorsements - Monica Ratliff for Board of Education 2013: * Education Headlines *Monday, April 22, 2013* Monterey Peninsula USD's choice for superintendent named in sexual harassment lawsuitMonterey Peninsula Unified School District trustees are confident they picked the right man for the superintendent's job, even though he has been named in a sexual harassment lawsuit. Palm Springs Unified School District harder on black studentsThe Palm Springs Unified School District s... more »

Shanker Blog » The Arcane Rules That Drive Outcomes Under NCLB

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Shanker Blog » The Arcane Rules That Drive Outcomes Under NCLB: The Arcane Rules That Drive Outcomes Under NCLB by Matthew Di Carlo A big part of successful policy making is unyielding attention to detail (an argument that regular readers of this blog hear often). Choices about design and implementation that may seem unimportant can play a substantial role in determining how policies play out in practice. A new paper, co-authored by Elizabeth Davidson, Randall Reback, Jonah Rockoff and Heather Schwartz, and presented at last month’s annual conference of The Association for Educati... more »

UPDATE: 2013 White House Science Fair + School warns students: No test, no sports

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

School warns students: No test, no sports: Obama hosts young inventors at 2013 White House Science Fair by Valerie Strauss Some 100 students from more than 40 states are attending the 2013 White House Science Fair, which began today with President Obama as host. The initiative (you can watch it by clicking on a link below) was designed to highlight … Continue reading → School warns students: No test, no sports by Valerie Strauss [image: Smash the DC CAS] How's this for twisting students' arms to take high-stakes standardized tests? This is an email that Woodrow Wilson High ... more »

All Education Matters: Out of Touch Congressman Tells Homeless, Educated Debtor That He Supports Higher Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

All Education Matters: Out of Touch Congressman Tells Homeless, Educated Debtor That He Supports Higher Education: Out of Touch Congressman Tells Homeless, Educated Debtor That He Supports Higher Education by Cryn Johannsen On March 30th, I wrote a brief post about Tagean Goddard's coverage on mounting defaults. A growing number of economists and policy analysts are finally acknowledging that student loan debt, and the alarming number of people who are defaulting on their loans, is having an adverse affect upon the health of the economy. Indeed, younger people with degrees, who s...more »

"NYSUT on state tests: 'It's time to hold the Commissioner and the Regents accountable'." April 22, 2013. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

"NYSUT on state tests: 'It's time to hold the Commissioner and the Regents accountable'." April 22, 2013. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org: NYSUT on state tests: 'It's time to hold the Commissioner and the Regents accountable' [image: slider_120427_testing_01] *STATEMENT BY NEW YORK STATE UNITED TEACHERS AS STATE STANDARDIZED TESTING RESUMES* "Teachers want nothing more than to nurture in their students a lifelong love of learning. They are dedicated to fostering in young people the deeper learning and skills needed to be successful. New York's teachers believe th... more »

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Exploring Moral Development in School - Bridging Differences - Education Week

Exploring Moral Development in School - Bridging Differences - Education Week:

Exploring Moral Development in School

by Mary-Ellen Phelps Deily

Elliott Witney continues his conversation with Deborah Meier today.
Dear Deb,
I wanted to start by saying that I hope everyone you know in the Boston community through your extensive work there is safe and has been able to weather what must have been an emotional storm over the last several days. I can only imagine how challenging last week was for so many people whose lives you've touched directly or indirectly.

In addition to this thought, I wanted to acknowledge how heartening it has been to hear from readers commending our exchange as an attempt to reach depth about a complex range of topics in civilized discourse.

With that context, I want to push us even deeper. For example, is SLANT— as you've characterized it—"5 Rules for Success?" SLANT should not be contrasted, as you've done, with other techniques schools use to foster social and moral behavior. At the school where I served as principal, we used both SLANT and complex approaches to teaching moral development. After my first couple years teaching, I explicitly referenced it less and less in my own teaching. I was far more focused on how to help 7th and 8th graders both engage in the type of compelling literary analysis required of them in college and develop character strengths that would help them 

Modern School: We Don’t Need New Standards

Modern School: We Don’t Need New Standards:

We Don’t Need New Standards

by Michael Dunn

The standard assumption about standards, regardless of politics, is that standards are a necessary and pedagogically important part of education. After all, if we didn’t have standards for each discipline, then teachers could teach whatever they wanted. There would be chaos. There would be no equity. Some kids would get a better education than others. A recent piece in Good Education adds several other supposedly important benefits, such as providing a vision, or a “destination for learning,” and a “common language” for educators and parents.

Yet isn’t it possible to provide a high quality education without strict adherence to standards? (Many private schools supposedly do this). And are lack of a “common language” and “destination for learning” really key problems in public education?

The article does identify several significant problems with standards (or, more precisely, how we use them). For example, when the standards are tied to high stakes exams—especially 

Grit: Multiple Intelligences and Instructional Technology — Whole Child Education

Grit: Multiple Intelligences and Instructional Technology — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Grit: Multiple Intelligences and Instructional Technology

April 23, 2013 by Whole Child Virtual Conference

ASCD's third annual Whole Child Virtual Conference is a free, online event that provides a forum and tools for schools and districts working toward sustainability and changing school cultures to serve the whole child. Built on the theme, "Moving from Implementation to Sustainability to Culture," the conference will be held May 6–10, with international pre-conference sessions held on Friday, May 3, for Australasian and European audiences. The conference features presentations from renowned speakers, educators, authors, and education experts who have successfully implemented a whole child approach in schools around the world, including ASCD Vision in Action award-winning schools and Whole Child Network schools.

Below, we hear from educators and Whole Child Virtual Conference presenters Walter McKenzie and 

UPDATE: Mayoral Candidates Education Forum Seattle Schools Community Forum: Oversight Work Session: Teaching and Learning

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Oversight Work Session: Teaching and Learning:

Tuesday Open Thread

by Melissa Westbrook

Operations Ctm agenda now available for their meeting on Thursday from 4-6 p.m.  Highlights include "growth boundary update" from Enrollment's Tracy Libros, "resolution that construction projects will not create or aggravate racial imbalance", and a resolution about the "sustainability and design and construction of high performance schools."  This is from President Smith-Blum and I believe she means it for greening of schools, not academic achievement.

A bill passed both chambers of our Legislature yesterday regarding the use of so-called isolation techniques.  From KIRO-tv:

According to state law, schools can isolate students in rooms without parental permission and are not required to notify the parents their child has been disciplined with isolation.

 But lawmakers in Olympia passed a new bill Monday which states:

 "The principal … must verbally inform the student's parent or guardian of the restraint or isolation as soon as 

Mayoral Candidates Education Forum

by Charlie Mas

CPPS, Community and Parents for Public Schools, is hosting a Mayoral candidate forum on Education.

Tuesday, April 30
6:30 - 8:30pm
Garfield High School Commons
400 - 23rd Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122

Candidates who have confirmed their attendance:
Tim Burgess, Bruce Harrell, Kate Martin, Michael McGinn, Ed Murray, Charlie Staadecker, and Peter Steinbrueck

Join these seven candidates running for Mayor of Seattle at the CPPS Mayoral Candidates Forum on Education. 

Oversight Work Session: Teaching and Learning

by Charlie Mas

Tomorrow evening the School Board will conduct an oversight work session to review the operation of the District's Teaching and Learning. Finally. This will be the Board's first review of Teaching and Learning EVER.



This is one of the final direct consequences of the mismanagement of the District under the Sundquist Board and Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson. It has been a long time coming.

After the State Auditor's Office took the District leadership to task for their horrendous performance. In particular, the SAO called out the Board for their total failure to fulfill their statutory duties to oversee management and to enforce policy. The Board members had, until then, specifically denied that they had these duties.

In response, the Board stepped up their effort to revise policy and, in particular, the Board's duties. This led to the development of Board Policy 1005 Responsibilities & Authority of the Board, and Board Policy 1010, Board Oversight of Management.

The latter of these policies calls for Board review of district operations with a review of each department at least 

When is Innovation Old News? | My Island View

When is Innovation Old News? | My Island View:

When is Innovation Old News?

by tomwhitby

The term “innovation” has been thrown around through the halls of education for several years. Its creation in our education system is a stated goal by our Department of Education. It is a reason, although some would call it a justification, for charter schools being formed. Charter schools were supposed to lead the way to innovation for public education. A problem with innovation however is that we often do not know it when we see it.
The whole idea of innovation is that it is something new. The other part of that, which is implied, is that it is also a successful improvement. That may be the piece that prevents recognizing innovation in education. Teachers, when it comes to education, are a conservative group. Change comes slowly, and there is a comfort in holding on to what has worked in the past. This has long been reinforced by the many trends and fads in education that have come and gone. Teachers have been programmed to believe that whatever the change being mandated by the powers that be, it will be gone with the next change of power. “If we wait a little while, this to will pass” becomes the educators’ mindset.
The newness of innovation is probably its greatest obstacle to acceptance. Teachers generally rely on the tried 

UPDATE: Cruelty of the Annual Spring Testing Season +Head over to @guardianteach – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

Head over to @guardianteach and find out about an “education spring” via @debrakidd – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER:

The Overuse of “Overuse”

APRIL 23, 2013 BY ONTOGENYX LEAVE A COMMENT

Eight years when I started Schools Matter, Texas had four high stakes tests that high school students had to pass to get a diploma.  Most recently, they devised plans to add 11 more.  When parents and teachers gagged, the state Legislature began to waver, so that now it looks like they will only add one test, for a total of five instead of 15.

Obviously, some people believe that adding one test instead of 11 represents some kind of moral victory for the foes of high stakes testing.   Even a new phrase has appeared that now acknowledges “the overuse of high stakes testing.”  As if there were some use of high stakes testing that was not an overuse.

FairTest used the phrase in an op-ed recently, and when I asked Monty Neill what he thought would represent a high stakes test that was not overused, he accused me “nitpicking” and offered the drivers’ test as an example.  The email 

Benefits of Mayoral Control of Schools: Not So Much

by ontogenyx

Review from NEPC: BOULDER, CO (April 23, 2013) – A recent Center for American Progress report purports to find that school districts led by city mayors are raising student achievement while improving the districts’ fiscal health. A new review finds some useful information in the report, but says it is too flawed to rely on [...]

The Cruelty of the Annual Spring Testing Season

by johnt4853

The spring standardized testing season has begun, and learning has stopped.  Or, should I say that learning the skills and knowledge necessary to become a healthy citizen has stopped? Students will continue to learn about the seamy side of adult politics until the testing ordeal peters out in May. Especially for many students in low-income [...]

Head over to @guardianteach and find out about an “education spring” via @debrakidd

by Chalk Face, PhD

From the article:

It is time to come together – parents, teachers, curriculum and pedagogical experts, as well as children, to take control of this game. An advisory panel, consisting of cross party representation and grassroots stakeholder representatives needs to look at these suggestions seriously and with an open and positive mindset. Our children are not political footballs and we need to ensure that we innovate with integrity. Let’s not allow a political sandman to throw sand in our eyes. We are forming an education spring and we are asking for one simple thing. Let’s root our profession in evidence not politics. In short, let’s keep our eye on the ball.

U.S. News Releases 2013 Best High Schools Rankings - US News and World Report

U.S. News Releases 2013 Best High Schools Rankings - US News and World Report:

U.S. News Releases 2013 Best High Schools Rankings

Several public schools made significant gains, shaking up the top 10 in this year’s rankings.

By KELSEY SHEEHY

April 23, 2013 RSS Feed Print

The Best High Schools rankings factor in academic performance among black, Hispanic and low-income students.

The importance of a strong high school education cannot be overstated.

Good schools challenge students academically, while giving them ample opportunity to explore their interests. This combination can set teens up to succeed long after graduation. By contrast, subpar schools can leave students struggling to make the transition from high school to college or the workforce.

The 2013 Best High Schools rankings, released today, can help parents wade through the ever expanding options of public high schools. U.S. News collected data on more than 21,000 public high schools from 49 states and the District of Columbia. (Nebraska did not report enough data to be included in the rankings.)

[View the 2013 Best High Schools rankings.]

U.S. News joined forces with the American Institutes for Research, a D.C.-based organization, to evaluate schools on overall student performance on state-mandated assessments, as well as how effectively schools educated their black, Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students. Performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams was then used to determine the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work.

Schools were ranked within each state, as well as on a national stage, so families can see how their public high school stacked up against rivals within the community and across the country. In the national rankings, 500 schools earned gold medals, 1,790 were awarded silver and 2,515 took home bronze.

[See photos of the top 10 public high schools.]

The School for the Talented and Gifted in the Dallas 

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-23-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

Rally for Public Schools in Olympia, Washington, April 27

by dianerav

This just in:
Could you help to encourage educators, parents and community members to attend the rally for Public Education in Olympia, WA. On April 27 at 9:30 a.m., WEA Representative Assembly delegates will stand on the capitol steps in the final hours of the legislative session to make one last stand for our students, our professions and our schools. Please join us!
https://www.facebook.com/events/239545506170761/

The Logo for Common Core?

by dianerav

A reader offers this observation:
“Before teaching, I worked in software development. If our company released a major product revision with no quality assurance testing and no trial beta release, we would be out of business in a week as well as the laughing stock of the industry.
“Common Core is a corporate initiative written from ivory towers. Teachers had little say. The standards are poorly written and suppress innovation and learning. We have no idea if they are effective or relevant. The logo for Common Core should be a picture of lemmings going over a cliff.”

Doe$ Everyone Need Algebra 2?

by dianerav

Jason Stanford wonders why Texas Instruments wants every student to pass Algebra 2 as a graduation requirement. That is the current requirement. And why Texas Instruments feels so keenly about it that it hired high-powered lobbyist Sandy Kress to work the Legislature. Stanford explains why TI is so passionate about this particular subject.
Kress was the architect of No Child Left Behind. He also lobbies for Pearson. He is an outstanding lobbyist. Pearson won a $500 million contract to test kids in Texas even as the state cut funding by more than $5 billion for public schools.
Once you start following the money, it’s hard to stop.

Major Rally in Louisiana Today at 3 PM

by dianerav

Educators in Louisiana will rally today against Bobby Jindal’s radical privatization “reforms.”
******************************
Media writers, reporters, editors, webmasters, bloggers:
TODAY at the Capitol — Unified Education Organizations to Address Jindal Agenda
WHO: Major State Education Organizations representing Louisiana public schools
WHAT: Press conference to announce unified opposition to re-enacting elements of Acts 1 and 2 of the 2012 Session
WHEN: TODAY — Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 3 p.m.
WHERE: Steps of the Louisiana State Capitol — located at 900 N. 3rd Street in Baton Rouge
WHICH Organizations:
Coalition for Louisiana Public Education
Louisiana School Boards Association (LSBA)
Louisiana Association of School Superintendents (LASS)
Louisiana Association of School Executives (LASE)
Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE)
Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT)
An unprecedented alliance of education organizations will hold a joint press conference at 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, to announce their opposition to the re-enactment of elements of Governor Bobby Jindal’s education agenda.
Act 1 and Act 2 of the 2012 Legislative Session have both been declared unconstitutional by district courts.
Instead of working with stakeholders on meaningful, research-based education reform, the governor and his allies seem intent on rehashing the same failed policies that have frustrated educators and school boards around the state.
Leaders of organizations including the Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE), Louisiana Association of School Executives (LASE), Louisiana Association of School Superintendents (LASS), Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT), and Louisiana School Boards Association (LSBA) will announce their unity plans at the press conference.
Look for these contacts today at the Capitol, or call them for more details:
CONTACT: LSBA — Executive Director Scott Richard – (225)769-3191
LASS — President Mike Faulk – (225) 791-0365
LAE — Communications Specialist Ashley Davies – (225) 343-9243 ext. 119.
LFT — Director of Public Relations Les Landon – (225) 923-1037
Coalition for Louisiana Public Education — Founder/Chairman Jack Loup — 985-373-1781
— jackloup@wildblue.net
Thank you for your coverage,
Mary K. Bellisario
Member, Coalition for Louisiana Public Education
bayouduo@bellsouth.net
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A Great News Source for The Struggle to Save Public Education

by dianerav

The Network for Public Education has developed an excellent news source of stories from across the nation.
Follow it to stay informed.
And please consider joining the Network. It is only $20 for membership. Join with your friends and allies as we push back against those who are imposing failed ideas on our children and our schools.

Louisianans to Jindal: Enough Is Enough

by dianerav

Many people in Louisiana are fed up with a Bobby Jindal’s war on the public sector.
A rally is planned for April 30.
For Immediate Release
For more information contact:
Mike Stagg, Forward Louisiana
Phone: 337-962-1680
eMail: mstagg@forwardla.org
Enough Is Enough!
Louisianans to Rally For the Common Good on April 30th
BATON ROUGE — Thousands of Louisianans will gather on the steps of the state Capitol April 30th calling on 

Billionaires vs. Unions: Who Is David? Who Is Goliath?

by dianerav

Leo Casey, a long-time union activist, here reviews a recent report by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute decrying the immense power of teachers’ unions. Michael Petrilli of TBF described the unions as “Goliaths” battling the weak, underfunded “Davids” of the corporate reform movement.
Casey challenges the report and the characterization, pointing out that corporate reformers have deployed vast amounts of money–far greater than the teachers’ unions could ever muster–to destroy the last vestige of teacher 

Children: Get High Scores or Your Teacher Will Be Fired

by dianerav

This is such a powerful post that I hope you will read it in full. It was written by a parent in California.
The testing mania is spinning out of control. It is turning into child abuse. It demoralizes teachers. It offers the fodder to kill schools. It must be reined in. What kind of person would claim credit for such madness?
Start here:
A parent’s vignette of the CST from child-level:
Two minutes late for the appointed retrieval time, I receive a frantic phone call from the middle-schooler. By the 

Cody: Teachers Had No Role in Writing the Common Core Standards

by dianerav

While David Coleman insists that the Common Core standards were written by primarily by teachers, Anthony Cody wrote in 2009 that the standards were drafted by “the secret 60,” only one of whom was a classroom teacher.
The drafting process was done in secret sessions, said Cody, with no input by teachers

David Coleman: Teachers Wrote the Common Core Standards

by dianerav

This is a very interesting story on NPR that pits one education expert against another.
On one side, David Coleman, the acknowledged architect of the Common Core standards. He thinks the standards will make all students ready for college or careers.
On the other, Karl Krawitz, the principal of Shawnee Mission East High School in Kansas. His school sends 98% of its graduates to college. He says his school doesn’t need Common Core.
Coleman: “The most important thing to know is that it was actually teachers who had the most important voice in 

Diane in the Evening 4-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: What Michelle Rhee Told the LA Times About Teacher Evaluation by dianerav Michelle Rhee was recently invited to meet with the Los Angeles Times editorial board. The interview occurred after John Merrow published his bombshellpost about the mysterious memo, the one showing that Rhee was informed about the likelihood of widespread cheating and did nothing about it. Rhee forgot about the cheating memo or didn’t think it important. In the same post on his blog, Merrow said that the public schools were worse off af... more »

Florida Republican Senators Giveth Then Taketh Away Local Control in Parent Trigger Bill | Scathing Purple Musings

Florida Republican Senators Giveth Then Taketh Away Local Control in Parent Trigger Bill | Scathing Purple Musings:

Florida Republican Senators Giveth Then Taketh Away Local Control in Parent Trigger Bill

by Bob Sikes

Mush was celebrated in Sen. David Simmons amendment to Parent Trigger which carved out final say on the final choice to local school boards. It was somehow because Commissioner Tony Bennett suggested in a letter that local boards “shouldn’t be left off the hook.” Governor Rick Scott even mentioned Bennett’s involvement this weekend.
All that’s been torpedoed by Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto’s amendment that she quietly inserted yesterday just it time for today’s Senate Appropriations meeting. Here’s the wording.

Delete lines 255 – 263
4 and insert:
5 board. Pursuant to s. 1008.33, an implementation plan for the
6 adopted turnaround option must be submitted

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Kenyon College

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Kenyon College:

Kenyon College

by Mike Klonsky

I'm at Kenyon College in Ohio, working with Prof. Peter Rutkoff's American Students students and reviewing some student final projects. Super-prof Peter's new novel, "Irish Eyes" just came out. It's set in in 60's  N.Y. and tells the story of an Irish family living through those wild and radical times. Be sure and pick up a copy.

Even out here in beautiful, wooded Gambier, I still am battered by the news of another 15-year-old Chicago student, Cornelius German, shot dead blocks from President Obama home. As usual, the Sun-Times simply repeats police description of German as a "gang banger" and for most readers, it's on to the sports section.

Tell me again, CEO Byrd-Bennett and Chief McCarthy, how you're going to "guarantee the safe passage" of every child walking to their receiving school after you close 54 schools in the black community. I really want to know the plan.