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Saturday, June 15, 2013

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-15-13 #thankateacher #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 CAP



Diane in the Evening 6-15-13 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: Alan Singer: Who Is Charlotte Danielson? by dianerav Charlotte Danielson is the leading guru of teacher evaluation. Alan Singer asks who she is, what is her background, and why will so many teachers be evaluated by her rubric. *LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all* mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Newark: The End of ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach?: Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach? by Melissa Westbrook An article in the Huffington Post about college costs caught my eye. [image: college costs] Over the past three decades, the inflation-adjusted income of the median American family has basically remained stagnant. The same can’t be said of college costs, which have simultaneously surged to almost unrecognizable heights, according to a new report by the left-leaning Center for American Progress. Costs at private nonprofit four-year colleges have

A New framework for Working and Learning | Lefty Parent

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
A New framework for Working and Learning | Lefty Parent: A New framework for Working and Learning by Cooper Zale [image: Circle of Hands]For many of us the rules of engagement at work are changing, from the traditional approach of being told what to do by “bosses”, to a new more egalitarian approach where a team of colleagues and peers collectively decide what to do. Those traditional “bosses” are being replaced by “managers” who are more facilitative than directive, conveying to us the basic business strategy from the company’s leadership team, making sure we have the time and reso... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues?: Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues? by Leonie Haimson The parent-led mayoral forum last night at Murry Bergtraum High School was terrific, with parents asking incisive yes/no questions, investigative reporter Juan Gonzalez doing inspired follow-up as only he knows how, and all the candidates giving thoughtful responses. Below is the livestream video; we will have sharper video uploaded next week, but the audio is quite clear. Th... more »

DIFFICULT TO FIRE A TEACHER ? A RIDICULOUS MYTH | Teachers Fight Back

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
DIFFICULT TO FIRE A TEACHER ? A RIDICULOUS MYTH | Teachers Fight Back: DIFFICULT TO FIRE A TEACHER ? A RIDICULOUS MYTH by alkleen The Chicago Public School Administrators are about to fire 420 teachers. More than a third of the teachers have tenure, but they were rated either unsatisfactory or satisfactory. The teachers union contract protects only those teachers with excellent or superior ratings. Tenured teachers being fired ? Yes, folks, it’s not all that uncommon. The Chicago Teachers Union is one of the most powerful teachers union in the nation, and even their tenured teac... more »

UPDATE: Martire for governor. Why not? So far the joke has been on us. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Martire for governor. Why not? So far the joke has been on us. | Fred Klonsky: Chicago Bull/Bull Connor. by Fred Klonsky [image: Chicago Bull-Bull Connor] Martire for governor. Why not? So far the joke has been on us. by Fred Klonsky [image: Ralph Martire] When I posted the idea of drafting the Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability to run for governor the other day the response was swift and positive. The question that I raise to the leaders of the state’s public employee unions. *Why not?* The list of announced and un-announced candidates is pretty dep... more »

Is the worm turning?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Is the worm turning?: Is the worm turning? By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 15, 2013 at 10:30 amE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: indiana]Indiana has been one of the most school reform-loving states in recent years — at least, that is, until now. Here is a look at what is happening there, by Karen Francisco, editorial page editor of The Journal Gazette, where this appeared. She has worked there since 2000 and for Indiana newspapers since 1982. She can be reached at 260-461-8206 or by email,kfrancisco@jg.net. By Karen Francisco How much does Indiana love school reform? So m... more »

solidaridad: Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
solidaridad: Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners: Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene *Because we know that language learning doesn't occur in one year or even in a few months, it's over time.—Becky Palacios, Ph.D.* [image: Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners]The School Readiness Language Development Program (SRLDP) is an amazingly effective Pre-K program for English Language Leaners. This isn't the first time that Broad and Gates' Superintendent John Deasy has tried to kill the pro... more »

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky [image: photo] *Celebrating Freedom Day, Juneteenth in New Orlean’s Treme. 2011 Photo: Fred Klonsky.* This morning we provide a history lesson while you’re drinking your coffee. If you are in New Orleans it is possible that your coffee has chicory root in it. Although coffee with chicory root in it has a long tradition, most historians agree that it’s use in New Orleans coffee became more common as a result of the blockade of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Coffee beans became scarce. In other parts of the South ... more »

Great EXpectations | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Great EXpectations | EduShyster: Great EXpectations by edushyster2012 *Will the heaviest hitter of all lend His support to the civil rights i$$ue of our time?* Reader: there are already plenty of marquee names involved in the crusade to *crush* the achievement gap. But thus far the biggest name of all has yet to weigh in upon the civil rights i$$ue of our time. I am talking, of course, about the Big Guy, the Man Upstairs, Sky Daddy, Him… Thankfully, thanks to the efforts of a former Teacher for America, that may be about to change. Let’s learn more, shall we? Meet the Expectations P... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] What Ralph Waldo Emerson Might Say About School Reform Today by dianerav This arrived in my email. It came from a retired school teacher in Nebraska. He said the retired teachers will not sit by and watch the capture of our public schools by corporations. The retires helped to defeat a charter bill in Nebraska. He wrote: Hi Diane Just received the following letter from Ralph Waldo Emerson with a request that I send it to the good people in Newark: The End of Neig... more »

Peg with Pen: Do Not Shake Hands with #commoncore

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Peg with Pen: Do Not Shake Hands with #commoncore: Do Not Shake Hands with #commoncore by Peggy Some days it is terribly overwhelming to read the comments of despair and desperation from parents who are trying to figure out how to help their children who are suffering from severe anxiety after being told they will be retained due to failing the state test. Many of these children must take the test multiple times and must attend summer school - even when they have passing grades on their report cards. It is because of this that I have no tolerance for any sort of compromise to the ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Zombies in Central Park Plus Some Carpentry

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Zombies in Central Park Plus Some Carpentry: Zombies in Central Park Plus Some Carpentry by ed notes online The Zombies, our favorite group -- we went to London twice to see them, plus numerous viewings here in NYC -- are doing a 6PM free -- yes free -- concert in Central Park today and we are heading in for a (not-free) 4PM session with lead singer Collin Blunstone (who looks at us as stalkers) and Ron Argent. A fact you need to know from Wikki: Their 1968 album, Odessey and Oracle, comprising twelve songs by the group's principal songwriters, Argent and Chris Wh... more »

Fighting for Our Classrooms, and for the Human Beings Inside Them | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Fighting for Our Classrooms, and for the Human Beings Inside Them | toteachornototeach: Fighting for Our Classrooms, and for the Human Beings Inside Them by aristotlethewise [image: gty_kotter_watn_3_mr_120815_ssh]*Fighting for Our Classrooms, and for the Human Beings Inside Them* by Richard (RJ) Eskow It seems as if same battle is being fought in every aspect of American society. On one side are the forces of egalitarianism, economic opportunity, and self-determination. On the other is a well-funded and entrenched elite bent on hijacking our media, our political process, and our in... more »

Daily Kos: three paragraphs worth reading

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Daily Kos: three paragraphs worth reading: three paragraphs worth reading by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) occur at the end of This Isn’t How to Stop Hacking, today NY Times column by Joe Nocera, written from Wuhan China where he is on a trip for Western journalists rganized by the China-United States Exchange Foundation, and written in the context of the presence of Snowden in Hong Kong and the remarks he has made. They are the final 3 paragraphs of the column. I offer them without further comment in this diary, although I will make a few remarks in the tip jar. I don’t know wheth... more »

6-15-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] Creating Artificial Student Failure in New York @nysed @nysut by Kris Nielsen New York Teacher (I will post the name when I get permission) posted some pretty shocking information on the UOO Facebook site recently, along with her comments and a letter to Steven Katz, the Director of New York State Assessments. This is blatant. This is wrong. If there was any doubt that New York has […] Accountability for the bottom, immunity at the top, incompetence all around by Chalk Face, PhD Bill Maher’s recent New Rule is somewhat ap... more »

NYC Educator: Financial Genius Mike Bloomberg Grades the English Regents Exam

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
NYC Educator: Financial Genius Mike Bloomberg Grades the English Regents Exam: Financial Genius Mike Bloomberg Grades the English Regents Exam by NYC Educator In the old days, English and ESL teachers used to grade the English Regents exam. There would be days set aside for grading, and the teachers would sit and grade. This, however, was a terrible system, because all teachers are assumed to be dishonest, and are also assumed to pass all their own students for no reason whatsoever. In January, a new system was begun. English teachers traveled to grading centers throughout the city... more »

Louisiana Educator: Career Diploma Promoted

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Louisiana Educator: Career Diploma Promoted: Career Diploma Promoted by Michael Deshotels Superintendent White has just launched a major effort to breathe life into the Career Diploma. Why is this necessary when Louisiana is in the middle of implementing the common core curriculum? Why another major initiative? Let's look at the recent history of the high school diploma in Louisiana. Louisiana education leaders have been on a mission to upgrade our high school curriculum for at least ten years now. The revelation by the Board of Regents several years ago that only 23% of our stude... more »

Pritzker – Public School Closings – Charter School Profits – Jail Program Investments – Goldman Sachs – Preschool Program Loans – Secretary of Commerce – Election Financing – ????? | Reclaim Reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Pritzker – Public School Closings – Charter School Profits – Jail Program Investments – Goldman Sachs – Preschool Program Loans – Secretary of Commerce – Election Financing – ????? | Reclaim Reform: [image: Pritzker Penny]Pritzker – Public School Closings – Charter School Profits – Jail Program Investments – Goldman Sachs – Preschool Program Loans – Secretary of Commerce – Election Financing – ????? by kenpreviti Penny Pritzker, Secretary of Commerce nominee and the billionaire Hyatt heiress who helped finance President Obama’s election, is the same person who, while an appointed Ch... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 6-15-13

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* STATE BOARD OF ED HANDED JOB OF DEFINING RULES OF NEW FUNDING SYSTEM + smf’s 2¢ smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 20 hours ago By John Fensterwald | EdSource Today http://bit.ly/10ipL1R June 14th, 2013 | The Legislature will vote today on a bill establishing Gov. Brown’s historic school funding system that punts to the State Board of Education some key decisions on how dollars for disadvantaged students must be spent and accounted for. The language for implementing the Local... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 6-15-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Education Research Report *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Moral vs. Performance Character Development in Urban Adolescents Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago This study compared the effects of emphasizing moral character development or performance character development at three high-performing, high-poverty urban middle schools. Performance character consists of the qualities that allow individuals to regulate their thoughts and actions in ways that support achievement in a particular endeavor. Moral character consists of the qualities relevant t... more »

All Week 6-15-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] Merrow Is a Jolly Fellow (Not) plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 hour ago I hate even to acknowledge John Merrow’s most recent venture into not having a clue, but his attempt at humor is yet more evidence that the evidence doesn’t matter: The Common Core and the End of the World In Merrow’s evidence-free world, all who question the Mighty Common Core are nothing more than end-of-the-world loonies. […] Report Back from the Trigger Happy Parent Revolution’s “Meet and Greet” with teachers and social justice o... more »

Ed Notes Online: Retired Chapter Leader Slams UFT in Eval Deal, ATRs and Support for RTTT

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Retired Chapter Leader Slams UFT in Eval Deal, ATRs and Support for RTTT: Retired Chapter Leader Slams UFT in Eval Deal, ATRs and Support for RTTT by ed notes online *The UFT claims we should be treated the same as regular teachers but they seem to have abandoned us and are sliding away from all members concerns....I and several others approached Amy, Jose and the other UFT leaders at the one ATR meeting and expressed our desire to contribute to the UFT our unique perspectives and substantiated concerns about violations to our contract. The UFT was not interested ... more »

More special-ed kids head to traditional schools - LA Daily News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
More special-ed kids head to traditional schools - LA Daily News: More special-ed kids head to traditional schools By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer Posted: 06/14/2013 07:02:06 PM PDT Updated: 06/14/2013 08:03:44 PM PDT April Muñoz and daughter Ashley take their message to the streets Friday, June 7, 2013 in Reseda, where they urged residents to protest LAUSD s plan to phase out some of its special-education centers. (Dean Musgrove/Staff Photographer) Los Angeles Unified will shift hundreds of disabled students from special-education centers to traditional schools this fall as it ... more »

Merrow's Mockery Misses the Mark on Common Core - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Merrow's Mockery Misses the Mark on Common Core - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Merrow's Mockery Misses the Mark on Common Core by Anthony Cody John Merrow is an intelligent man. But his latest post, The Common Core and the End of the World, is disappointing. First, rather than address the concerns raised by Common Core critics, Merrow compares us all to religious doomsayers like Pope Innocent III ("The world will end in 1284") and Cotton Mather ("Yea verily, the world will end in 1697"). As Merrow should know, critiques of the Common Core by myself and other writer... more »

Daily Kos: excuse my random thoughts on a Friday evening

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Daily Kos: excuse my random thoughts on a Friday evening: excuse my random thoughts on a Friday evening by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Today Leaves on the Current and I traveled to Jefferson County WV where we attended the spring version of the Mountain Heritage Arts and Crafts Fair. We have been going now for 30 years, at least once a year. Some of the craftspeople we most admire no longer come to this fair, but there are others we see regularly - painter Jefferson Stokes, and scrimshaw and jewelry artist Cathy Guss. We own multiple pieces by both, we always stop and chat, ... more »

Interactive graphic of state budget highlights for education | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Interactive graphic of state budget highlights for education | EdSource Today: Interactive graphic of state budget highlights for education - by John Osborn by John Osborn California 2013-14 Budget Highlights for Education The Legislature on Friday passed a $96.3 billion budget plan for the state that includes a shift in how California funds schools and contains significant funding for education. Gov. Jerry Brown must sign the budget before the start of the fiscal year on July 1. *Click through our interactive graphics for budget highlights. Scroll over graphs for additional informa... more »

Populist Demagoguery or Economic Breakthrough? | Dissident Voice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Populist Demagoguery or Economic Breakthrough? | Dissident Voice: Populist Demagoguery or Economic Breakthrough? from Dissident Voice by Ellen Hodgson Brown On July 1, interest rates will double for millions of students – from 3.4% to 6.8% – unless Congress acts; and the legislative fixes on the table are largely just compromises. Only one proposal promises real relief – Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s “Bank on Students Loan Fairness Act.” This bill has been dismissed out of hand as “shameless populist demagoguery” and “a cheap political gimmick,” but is it? Or could Warren’s outside-the-b... more »

Fordham Institute: Next Generation Science Standards Five Flaws | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Fordham Institute: Next Generation Science Standards Five Flaws | Truth in American Education: Fordham Institute: Next Generation Science Standards Five Flaws by Shane Vander Hart How bad were the Next Generation Science Standards? So bad that the Fordham Institute which loved the Common Core couldn’t give these standard better than a C. A race to mediocrity in which Kanas finished the finish line. Here are five of the “significant flaws” as defined by Fordham: - Much essential content was omitted. - The grade-to-grade progression that was a strength of the NRC Framewor... more »

Ed Notes Online: Common Core: Commentary on NY TImes Sunday Piece from Ohanian and Daily Howler

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Common Core: Commentary on NY TImes Sunday Piece from Ohanian and Daily Howler: Common Core: Commentary on NY TImes Sunday Piece from Ohanian and Daily Howler by ed notes online *Our public schools were now being compared to the world’s most famous shipwreck! And by the way: As long as this Standard Story is told, our public school teachers will get blamed for the disaster they have produced. The wreck of the Hesperus will get blamed on them and their infernal unions. * *.....does it make sense to have a uniform set of “standards” for every child in each grade? ... more »

Engage and Motivate with ASCD's Summer Boot Camp Webinar Series — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Engage and Motivate with ASCD's Summer Boot Camp Webinar Series — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers] Engage and Motivate with ASCD’s Summer Boot Camp Webinar Series June 14, 2013 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers [image: ASCD Summer Boot Camp] Delve into summer learning with tips and strategies from a few of your favorite ASCD authors. The first session in the ASCD Summer Boot Camp Webinar Series kicks off Thursday, July 18 at 3 p.m., eastern time, and presents a strategic approach to direct vocabulary instruction that helps students master key ... more »

UPDATE: Ralph Martire: “Nobody likes taxes. But everybody should be thankful Illinois increased its income taxes in 2011.” | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Ralph Martire: “Nobody likes taxes. But everybody should be thankful Illinois increased its income taxes in 2011.” | Fred Klonsky: Illinois Governor polling results. by Fred Klonsky [image: ..0321.no] As I suspected, there is great support for the draft movement to have Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability run for Governor against the present choices of Curley, Moe, Shemp and Lisa. It is interesting to me that “Any forgettable Republican” beats all the announced candidates, including the incumbent, Governor Squeezy. “Any forgettable Republican” comes in ... more »

How the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wages war on public schools | Dangerously Irrelevant

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
How the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wages war on public schools | Dangerously Irrelevant: How the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wages war on public schools by dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod) [image: US Chamber 03] Want to know how to wage war against public schools? The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s ongoing campaign provides us some pointers… *1. Decide on a catchy title for your campaign.* How about *Breaking the Monopoly of Mediocrity?* Nice title! Pat yourself on the back! Wait a minute… Does this mean that the U.S. Chamber wants to be mediocre but someone else holds the monopoly o... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-14-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: The Unfairness of the “Parent Trigger” by dianerav I earlier posted about Steve Zimmer’s resolution proposing a change in the Parent Trigger law to permit full information to parents, both pro and con, before taking a vote that might lead to firing the principal, the staff, or privatizing the school. An educator in Los Angeles sent the following explanation as to why this change is necessary. Under the law as it stands, Parent Revolution can advocate to make changes, but educators at the school are under a gag o... more »

A Better Connecticut spends another $697,500 on ads to “Thank Governor Malloy.” - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
A Better Connecticut spends another $697,500 on ads to “Thank Governor Malloy.” - Wait, What?: A Better Connecticut spends another $697,500 on ads to “Thank Governor Malloy.” by jonpelto Forget campaign finance reform. Governor Malloy continues to benefit from record-breaking spending by the Education Reform front called A Better Connecticut. Formed by Jennifer Alexander and Alex Johnston, the present and former CEOs of ConnCAN, A Better Connecticut spent an additional $700,000 on television and other advertising in support of Governor Malloy’s Education Reform Initiatives. A Bet... more »

Exciting New Perspectives on the Scientific Method in Interdisciplinary Learning — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Exciting New Perspectives on the Scientific Method in Interdisciplinary Learning — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Kavita Singh]Exciting New Perspectives on the Scientific Method in Interdisciplinary Learning June 14, 2013 by Kavita Singh There has been some progress in the last few years for interdisciplinary studies. It's a trend still in its infancy, but it is beginning to catch on due to great successes from early adopters. Schools are challenging their students with problems requiring learning from traditionally disparate subjects. What will be the next tech... more »

UPDATE: what McGinn Had to say Seattle Schools Community Forum: Want a "Teacherpreneur" Making Education Policy?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Want a "Teacherpreneur" Making Education Policy?: Center School Award from the City (and what McGinn Had to say) by Melissa Westbrook At the Slog, they covered the mayor's award that The Center School received from the City's Human Services Coalition for student support of the race and social class at Center. What is interesting to me is that Mayor McGinn stood very clearly on the side of the students and didn't mince words (bold theirs). *Because it’s the mayor's award, it was given by Mayor McGinn himself and accompanied by a signed mayoral proc... more »









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Diane in the Evening 6-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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






The Problem with Teacher Evaluation

by dianerav
Michael Weston of Hillsborough County, Florida, explains what is wrong with teacher evaluation:
“Of course we use the Danielson rubric in Hillsborough County Fl, where it forms one of the three pillars of the Gates funded “Empowering Effective Teachers”. The second pillar is value-added, the third is duplicity / deception.
Quite frankly, whether Charlotte is spelled Charlatan, whether her rubric is valuable or trash, whether her resume is padded…..none of this matters to me. What matters is what it is being used for. Teacher evaluation. Not a 

Carol Burris Reviews John King’s Evaluation Plan and Finds It Wanting

by dianerav
Principal Carol Bussis of South Side High School in Rockville Center, Long Island, spent her Saturday analyzing State Education Commissioner John King’s Educator Evaluation plan. Here is her review:
“When I took a look at the details of the plan imposed by Commissioner King on NYC, I was taken aback. The first thing I noticed was how low the points in the Effective range in the final 60 (other measures) were. These are the points assigned by the principal according to the rubric. I could not understand how the points in the Effective range could be as low as 45. A teacher could be rated effective in the first component, with a growth score of 9 points, effective in the second component the local measure with a score of 9 points and receive 45 points in the 

Do Low-Income Parents Want Charters or Great Public Schools?

by dianerav
Katie Osgood refers obliquely here to the famous John Dewey quote that what the best and wisest parent wants for his children is what we should want for all children:
“Here is the fundamental question: If low-income parents were offered fully-funded neighborhood schools with all kinds of “choice” offered within the schools like arts, music, sports, technology, supplemental services, libraries, world language, special education services, small classes, experienced/stable staff with low-turnover, etc (like 

RRatto on Teacher Evaluation

by dianerav
I agree with the following comment by RRatto. If checklists for teacher evaluation were so great, how come they are never used in the nation’s elite private schools? They are a remnant of factory thinking, and unworthy of any profession. Checklists are great for auto mechanics and home builders. They are distinctly non-professional.
RRatto writes:
“anyone who claims they know how to measure a teacher’s effectiveness is f

Alan Singer: Who Is Charlotte Danielson?

by dianerav
Charlotte Danielson is the leading guru of teacher evaluation. Alan Singer asks who she is, what is her background, and why will so many teachers be evaluated by her rubric.

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Newark: The End of Neighborhood Schools by dianerav Newark Superintendent Cami Anderson has proposed the end of neighborhood schools. All district schools and charter schools will be part of a pool. Or something. Reformers don’t like neighborhood schools. They like a free market where everyone chooses and no one has any loyalties. Michigan has boils he’d district lines and schools advertise for students. This is the business approach. Typically, what happens is that... more »
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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach?

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach?:

Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach?

by Melissa Westbrook
An article in the Huffington Post about college costs caught my eye.

college costs

Over the past three decades, the inflation-adjusted income of the median American family has basically remained stagnant. The same can’t be said of college costs, which have simultaneously surged to almost unrecognizable heights, according to a new report by the left-leaning Center for American Progress.

Costs at private nonprofit four-year colleges have
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A New framework for Working and Learning | Lefty Parent

A New framework for Working and Learning | Lefty Parent:

A New framework for Working and Learning

by Cooper Zale
Circle of HandsFor many of us the rules of engagement at work are changing, from the traditional approach of being told what to do by “bosses”, to a new more egalitarian approach where a team of colleagues and peers collectively decide what to do. Those traditional “bosses” are being replaced by “managers” who are more facilitative than directive, conveying to us the basic business strategy from the company’s leadership team, making sure we have the time and resources to implement that strategy, and being available to assist when we need their assistance. From all my own experience plus hearsay from other “knowledge workers”, I understand that this has become standard practice in most of the work done in business operations today.
Yet given that new reality, our education system, which increasingly promotes itself as the means for developing our young people into new workers for our businesses, is still operating in the traditional model with teachers and principals as “bosses” and very little if any egalitarian process. This is a disconnect that in my opinion is leading to our young people being increasingly debilitated by their school experience rather than developing the skills to 
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NYC Public School Parents: Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues?

NYC Public School Parents: Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues?:

Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues?

by Leonie Haimson
The parent-led mayoral forum last night at Murry Bergtraum High School was terrific, with parents asking incisive yes/no questions, investigative reporter Juan Gonzalez doing inspired follow-up as only he knows how, and all the candidates giving thoughtful responses.  Below is the livestream video; we will have sharper video uploaded next week, but the audio is quite clear.

The coalition of individuals and groups that put this together, which included Class Size Matters and NYC Kids PAC (the full list is on the flyer)   asked some very challenging questions, and developed a scorecard by which the responses of the candidates could be marked off yes or no.  Here is a pdf copy of scorecard, with all the questions listed and how each of the candidates responded.
Or you can click on the images to the right and below. 

Carrion, Thompson and Liu came late and so didn't have a chance to answer all the questions, so they are marked "L" for those questions.  However, at the end of the forum, Juan 
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DIFFICULT TO FIRE A TEACHER ? A RIDICULOUS MYTH | Teachers Fight Back

DIFFICULT TO FIRE A TEACHER ? A RIDICULOUS MYTH | Teachers Fight Back:

DIFFICULT TO FIRE A TEACHER ? A RIDICULOUS MYTH

by alkleen


The Chicago Public School Administrators are about to fire 420 teachers.  More than a third of the teachers have tenure, but they were rated either unsatisfactory or satisfactory.  The teachers union contract protects only those teachers with excellent or superior ratings.
Tenured teachers being fired ?  Yes, folks, it’s not all that uncommon. The Chicago Teachers Union is one of the most powerful teachers union in the nation, and even their tenured teachers can be fired if not EXCELLENT OR SUPERIOR.
I get so irritated whenever I hear the latest millionaire hedge fund manager explain how we have an education crisis because incompetent teachers can’t be fired.  The level of competency among teachers is no different than 
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UPDATE: Martire for governor. Why not? So far the joke has been on us. | Fred Klonsky

Martire for governor. Why not? So far the joke has been on us. | Fred Klonsky:


Chicago Bull/Bull Connor.

by Fred Klonsky
Chicago Bull-Bull Connor


Martire for governor. Why not? So far the joke has been on us.

by Fred Klonsky
Ralph Martire

When I posted the idea of drafting the Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability to run for governor the other day the response was swift and positive.
The question that I raise to the leaders of the state’s public employee unions. Why not?
The list of announced and un-announced candidates is pretty depressing, particularly from the viewpoint of working men and women, both in the public and private sectors:
Proven pension bombers.
Millionaire Wall Street investors, bankers and one percenters.
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Is the worm turning?

Is the worm turning?:

Is the worm turning?

By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 15, 2013 at 10:30 amE-mail the writer
indianaIndiana has been one of the most school reform-loving states in recent years — at least, that is, until now. Here is a look at what is happening there, by Karen Francisco, editorial page editor of The Journal Gazette, where this appeared. She has worked there since 2000 and for Indiana newspapers since 1982. She can be reached at 260-461-8206 or by email,kfrancisco@jg.net.
By Karen Francisco
How much does Indiana love school reform? So much that the American Legislative Exchange Council, the corporate-controlled group drafting boilerplate laws for state legislatures across the country, named its education package the “Indiana Education Reform Package.”
So much that a campy “Education Reform Idol” contest conducted by the right-leaning Fordham Institute crowned Indiana the “Reformiest State” for 2011.
So much that the defeat of state schools chief Tony Bennett last November slowed but didn’t stop education measures in the last session of the General Assembly.
But make no mistake: Indiana’s love affair with so-called school reform is cooling. Serious cracks are showing in the relationship between lawmakers and anti-labor, pro-privatization forces that have fueled the so-called reform with millions in campaign contributions.
Some clues:
• Efforts to dilute the authority of Superintendent Glenda Ritz, Bennett’s successor, 

Race vs. class in college admissions: A false dichotomy or not?

by Valerie Strauss
The Supreme Court will soon hand down its verdict in a case that challenges racial preferences in admissions at the University of Texas. In this post, Richard D. Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at the nonprofit public policy research organization The … Continue reading →
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solidaridad: Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners

solidaridad: Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners:

Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene
Because we know that language learning doesn't occur in one year or even in a few months, it's over time.—Becky Palacios, Ph.D.
Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language LearnersThe School Readiness Language Development Program (SRLDP) is an amazingly effective Pre-K program for English Language Leaners. This isn't the first time that Broad and Gates' Superintendent John Deasy has tried to kill the program, it was on his neoliberal chopping block last year along withAdult Education and other vital programs.
This only serves to highlight a key problem with Governor Brown's just passed Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). When your local controller is little more than an incarnate version of the "corporations are people" school of aberrant thought, you will see local control prioritizing profits over people. Deasy has already been diverting Title I and Title III dollars to projects that don't benefit students. LCFF gives Deasy more money, but without the constraints of categorical funding. Money

SKrashen: Why is California spending 1.25 billion to implement the common core?

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene
SKrashen: Why is California spending 1.25 billion to impleme...: Why is California spending 1.25 billion to implement the common core? Sent to the Monterey Herald (CA), June 14 ...

@TCFKSM: Report Back from the Trigger Happy Parent Revolution's "Meet and Greet" with teachers and social justice organizers

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene
First published on @TCFKSM on June 15, 2013
What troubles me is what you are doing with the millions you raise. You use it to sow dissension, to set parents against parents, parents against teachers, parents against principals. I don’t see this as productive or helpful. Schools function best when there is collaboration among teachers, parents, administrators, and students. Schools have a better chance of success for the children when they have a strong community and culture of respect. — Professor Diane Ravitch
Shame on the Parent RevolutionQuick background. The Walton Foundation funded Parent Revolution operatives were handing out flyers to everyone, including me, before the 
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Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky:

Saturday coffee.

by Fred Klonsky
photo
Celebrating Freedom Day,  Juneteenth in New Orlean’s Treme. 2011 Photo: Fred Klonsky.
This morning we provide a history lesson while you’re drinking your coffee.
If you are in New Orleans it is possible that your coffee has chicory root in it.
Although coffee with chicory root in it has a long tradition, most historians agree that it’s use in New Orleans coffee became more common as a result of the blockade of the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Coffee beans became scarce.
In other parts of the South corn and nuts were also mixed into what coffee beans were available.
Back in the 70s I developed a taste for coffee with chicory since our best friends Nat and Cisco had moved from New Orleans to Chicago and brought their coffee with them.
That experiment lasted for about six months. Then I discovered Bustello brewed by pouring hot water over 
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Great EXpectations | EduShyster

Great EXpectations | EduShyster:

Great EXpectations

by edushyster2012
Will the heaviest hitter of all lend His support to the civil rights i$$ue of our time?
Reader: there are already plenty of marquee names involved in the crusade to *crush* the achievement gap. But thus far the biggest name of all has yet to weigh in upon the civil rights i$$ue of our time. I am talking, of course, about the Big Guy, the Man Upstairs, Sky Daddy, Him… Thankfully, thanks to the efforts of a former Teacher for America, that may be about to change. Let’s learn more, shall we?
Meet the Expectations Project, an effort to enlist faith-motivated individuals, leaders, congregations and organizations in developing local and national campaigns that help enact transformational change for low-income public schools. Now this sounds great. And for once I am being completely sincere. Getting churches and their members involved in helping public schools in their communities, from volunteering to training to become 
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