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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Nite Cap 8-20-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change


James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."


A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP


TODAY

KEITH HERRON: New Initiatives Address the Plight of Students of Color
KEITH HERRON: New Initiatives Address the Plight of Students of Color: KEITH HERRON: New Initiatives Address the Plight of Students of ColorAugust 20, 2013 by Observer Staff Leave a CommentinShareOPINION – The plight of today’s low graduation rates among males of color is a serious matter.In the state of California, less than 68 percent of Hispanic students who start high school graduate on time.
3 by mike simpson / 25min 
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Diane Ravitch is Coming
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Diane Ravitch is Coming: Diane Ravitch is ComingWith her new book (Reign of Error) on September 26, 2013.  Her talk will be at Kane Hall (Red Square on the UW campus) in Room 130 from 7-8:30 p.m.  Free and open to the public. REIGN OF ERROR. An incisive, comprehensive look at today’s American school system that argues against those who claim it is broken and beyond
by mike simpson / 29min 
PSAT for 8-20-13: Don’t buy school supplies at WalMart Parents United for Responsible Education
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 8-20-13: Don’t buy school supplies at WalMart: PSAT for 8-20-13: Don’t buy school supplies at WalMartPublic Schools Action Tuesday is usually about something you can/should do to support public education. Today it’s about something you shouldn’t do.DON’T BUY SCHOOL SUPPLIES AT WALMART!It’s that time of year when everyone is stockin
by mike simpson / 35min 
Diane in the Evening 8-20-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Who Is Held Accountable in North Carolina?A teacher explains what accountability means in North Carolina: I argue that the validity of these test scores and results are dismal because the test itself does NOT hold students accountable (at least in my state of NC). The entire basis of the test is invalid before the students even too
by mike simpson / 2h 
Ain't No Rocky Mountain High Enough — Whole Child Education
Ain't No Rocky Mountain High Enough — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGAin’t No Rocky Mountain High EnoughAugust 20, 2013 by Kevin ScottAs a classroom teacher, it was easy to take the time to reflect in the summer. Even though I often did curriculum work, taught summer school, or other education related jobs between the end of June and late August, I also spent a good deal of down time w
by mike simpson / 2h 
Young Involved Philadelphia to host discussion on schools crisis | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Young Involved Philadelphia to host discussion on schools crisis | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Young Involved Philadelphia to host discussion on schools crisisby thenotebook on Aug 20 2013 Posted in Events="" style="color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on emailCOMMENTS (0)PRINTEarlier this summer, Young Involved Philadelphia, an incubator of civi
by mike simpson / 2h 
8-20-13 Jersey Jazzman
Jersey Jazzman: Teacher Pensions: The Stupid Keeps On Comin'Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!!! As the Philadelphia School District scrambles to come up with enough cash to open for students in September, a new report suggests the city’s school funding crisis is on par with municipal issues in Detroit, Chicago and elsewhere.  At the heart of it all: pensions.  Payments to retired teachers and public emp
by mike simpson / 3h 
The Underachievement School District | Gary Rubinstein's Blog
The Underachievement School District | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: The Underachievement School DistrictIf you’re a parent, a student, or a teacher, the last thing you want to hear is that the state you live in has been commended by Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, as a ‘reform’ leader.  This has been occurring recently in the state of Tennessee.The state education commissioner of Tennessee is form
by mike simpson / 3h 
8-20-13 Truth in American Education
Truth in American Education: This Wave is Coming to Kill Common CoreVia the Tampa Bay Times – “Common Core curriculum standards spark political firestorm”An excerpt:That wasn’t always the case. When the initiative launched in 2009, lawmakers from both parties, teachers unions, parent groups and business associations supported it. They made the argument that national standards would raise the bar f
by mike simpson / 5h 
Proficiency Rates And Achievement Gaps
Shanker Blog » Proficiency Rates And Achievement Gaps: Proficiency Rates And Achievement GapsPosted by Matthew Di Carlo on August 20, 2013The change in New York State tests, as well as their results, has inevitably resulted in a lot of discussion of how achievement gaps have changed over the past decade or so (and what they look like using the new tests). In many cases, the gaps, and trends in the
by mike simpson / 5h 
8-20-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Superintendent To Meet with Native American ParentsI understand that the Superintendent is scheduled to have a long meeting today with Native American parents and leaders.  I'm sure it will be a compelling discussion and I hope he listens.Like all of U.S. history with Native Americans, the Seattle Schools' history doesn't have a whole lot to hold its head up about.
by mike simpson / 5h 
8-20-13 Missouri Education Watchdog
Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core Graphic Seen in School. Unattainable Goals and Free Stuff.I've heard from many parents who are horrified at what they have seen and heard on the first day of school.  This was seen on the first day of school somewhere in the United States (the teacher's face was cropped to protect her identity): Sounds like utopia.  Let's examine this teacher's graphic: All
by mike simpson / 5h 
Christina Hoff Sommers: School Has Become Hostile to Boys | TIME.com
Christina Hoff Sommers: School Has Become Hostile to Boys | TIME.com: School Has Become Too Hostile to BoysAnd efforts to re-engineer the young-male imagination are doomed to failBy Christina Hoff Sommers @chsommersAug. 19, 2013 As school begins in the coming weeks, parents of boys should ask themselves a question: Is my son really welcome? A flurry of incidents last spring suggests that the answe
by mike simpson / 5h 
Federal grants support counseling, STEM in California schools + Brown vetoes career tech certification bill SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources:  Print this articleFederal grants support counseling, STEM in California schoolsBy Kimberly BeltranTuesday, August 20, 2013Eleven California districts are among 35 from across the country receiving grants under a $12.3 million U.S. Department of Education program designed to support or expand counseling services in elementary schools.Three other Cali
by mike simpson / 7h 
Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, August 20, 2013
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: New national standards pump extra $113 million into LA UnifiedLAUSD teachers want more time to plan for new curriculumCommon Core Tests are Not Good for Children or Other Living Things - Living in Dialogue - Education Week TeacherEducation HeadlinesTuesday, August 20, 2013New national standards pump extra $113 million into LA UnifiedThe Los A
by mike simpson / 7h 
Morning Wink 8-20-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSODAYTune in for the Crazy Crawfish Radio Hour! | Crazy Crawfish's BlogTune in for the Crazy Crawfish Radio Hour! | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Tune in for the Crazy Crawfish Radio Hour!Posted on August 20, 20130 This Monday August 26th at 10:00 am (Central) tune into WBOK, The New Orleans Imperative.   You can listen online : http://www.wbok1230am.com/ or 1230A
1 by mike simpson / 7h 
Tune in for the Crazy Crawfish Radio Hour! | Crazy Crawfish's Blog
Tune in for the Crazy Crawfish Radio Hour! | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Tune in for the Crazy Crawfish Radio Hour!Posted on August 20, 20130 This Monday August 26th at 10:00 am (Central) tune into WBOK, The New Orleans Imperative.   You can listen online : http://www.wbok1230am.com/ or 1230AM radio. Possible topics include the inBloom data piracy scandal and John White’s SSN leaks, St Helena’s fight w
by mike simpson / 7h 
8-20-13 Wait What? Malloy/Pryor’s new “Turnaround Director” violated Connecticut law by failing to get proper teacher certification
Wait What?: Malloy/Pryor’s new “Turnaround Director” violated Connecticut law by failing to get proper teacher certificationIn what can only be described as a classic move of incredible arrogance, Governor Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor, has named a non-certified individual to head up Malloy and Pryor’s pet project; the Department of Education’s “Turnaround Office” which has resp
by mike simpson / 7h 
National Strike! August 29th | OccupyWallSt.org
National Strike! August 29th | OccupyWallSt.org: National Strike! August 29thPosted 1 hour ago on Aug. 20, 2013, 9:52 a.m. EST by OccupyWallStTags: labor, strike, fast food workersvia LowPayIsNotOK.org:Thousands of workers are going on a national strike on August 29 to demand better pay and better treatment. Low-wage jobs are the fastest growing jobs in the nation and they need to pay more so that
3 by mike simpson / 7h 
U.S. News & World Report Twitter Chat: Children and the Affordable Care Act | First Focus #KidCare
Home | First Focus: U.S. News & World Report Twitter Chat: Children and the Affordable Care ActPlease join U.S. News & World Report, First Focus, the Urban Institute, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute for a live Twitter chat about what the Affordable Care Act will mean for children and their famil
by mike simpson / 7h 
Why America Should Care About Philadelphia’s Children
Why America Should Care About Philadelphia’s Children: Why America Should Care About Philadelphia’s Children“A Public School System From Hell”Philadelphia, the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Constitution was written, and the site of the oldest residential street in the United States, has become the site where the nation’s drift away from its founding ideals is most
by mike simpson / 7h 
Pinterest and Reddit Launch Initiatives for Teachers NEA Today
NEA Today: Retired Educators Help Disadvantaged Students Become Equipped to LearnBy Helen Yoshida As schools reopen their doors across the country, many students will go home after the first day with a list of  school supplies they will need for the year.  This can be difficult for economically-disadvantaged students because their families may not be able to afford the necessary items on the list.
by mike simpson / 8h 
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Have we really made CPS and wing of City Hall?
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Have we really made CPS and wing of City Hall?: Have we really made CPS and wing of City Hall?It's like a bad dream...A foul-mouthed megalomaniac is given autocratic control over the schools in the nation's third largest city. He doesn't particularly care for public education and certainly wouldn't send his own children to a public school -- especially to one that ha
by mike simpson / 8h 
Conflicting ideas about how to rate teacher prep programs | HechingerEd Blog
Conflicting ideas about how to rate teacher prep programs | HechingerEd Blog: Conflicting ideas about how to rate teacher prep programsAfter winning a hard-fought battle against the teachers union to impose a new teacher evaluation system, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has turned to evaluating the training programs that produce the city’s teachers.The New York City Department of Education
by mike simpson / 8h 
Negro Mayor Hushes as Overseer Tom Puts a Whipping on Philly’s Youngsters
Negro Mayor Hushes as Overseer Tom Puts a Whipping on Philly’s Youngsters: Negro Mayor Hushes as Overseer Tom Puts a Whipping on Philly’s YoungstersB.R.O TALK: BLACK NEWS IN PERSPECTIVE Petition Urges Negro Mayor to Stand Up to Gov. Corbett and Fight for Philadelphia!On May 10th 2013, Mayor Michael A. Nutter was joined by Superintendent Dr. Hite and the Philadelphia State Delegation, as he announc
3 by mike simpson / 9h 
Is the Dream of Education for All Already Over? | LinkedIn
Is the Dream of Education for All Already Over? | LinkedIn: Is the Dream of Education for All Already Over?inShareOne Laptop per Child (OLPC), a non-profit organisation which was set up to bring education to the world's poorest children, has impressed and inspired me with its original mission and approach for the last few years. Very recently, however, they have changed their strategy by launching
by mike simpson / 9h 
Louisiana Educator: Jindal Anti-teacher Law Ruled Unconstitutional . . . Again
Louisiana Educator: Jindal Anti-teacher Law Ruled Unconstitutional . . . Again: Jindal Anti-teacher Law Ruled Unconstitutional . . . AgainDistrict Judge Ben Jones has ruled that Governor Jindal's Act 1 of 2012 violates a teacher's constitutional rights in two important ways according to the Monroe News Star account.My congratulations to the Louisiana Association of Educators and LAE attorney Brian
by mike simpson / 9h 
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-20-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Philadelphia: Shame on Governor Corbett!The public schools of Philadelphia are being slowly, surely strangled by Governor Tom Corbett and the Legislature of Pennsylvania. Or, maybe, not so slowly. The state has a constitutional responsibility to maintain a public school system in every district but the state leaders don’t believe i
by mike simpson / 10h 
8-20-13 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: MORE Weekly Update: Come to our summer series on building an active UFT chapter in your school... come to our Summer Series event on August 22nd at Local 138,and our newly redesigned website at morecaucusnyc.org View this email in your browser Weekly Update #64 August 23, 2013 Share Tweet Forward to Friend Join MORE Today MARCH ON WASHINGTONRealize the DreamSat, 8/24 COMMITTEES:Hi
by mike simpson / 10h 
8-20-13 Schools Matter @ The Chalk Face
SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE: “Honesty is such a lonely word…”: Jeb Bush Lacks CredibilityIt is becoming a disturbing refrain in my head whenever I visit Twitter: Where’s the media? Jeb Bush offers a string of claims, no relevant evidence, and the all-too-usual glossing over of real educational problems in “Toward a Better Education System: A set of bold, proven reforms is the key to raising st
by mike simpson / 10h 
8-20-13 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Needing To Quantify EverythingDiane Ravitch:The other day, I was involved in an extended online discussion about proficiency and accountability with about 50 people, mostly inside the Beltway. These are big names, people who make decisions that control your child’s life in school. I got more and more exasperated as the various think tank experts waxed on about how and why pa
by mike simpson / 10h 
Tony Bennett Resignation Splits Education Insiders: Poll
Tony Bennett Resignation Splits Education Insiders: Poll: Tony Bennett Resignation Splits Education Insiders: PollPosted: 08/20/2013 8:15 am EDTOnly 50 percent of education "insiders" surveyed think that Tony Bennett, Florida's former Republican education commissioner, should have resigned after initial reports of a grade-changing scandal.The survey respondents didn't split along party lines eithe
by mike simpson / 10h 
The Educated Reporter: Proceed With Caution: Using Polling Data in Education Reporting
The Educated Reporter: Proceed With Caution: Using Polling Data in Education Reporting: Proceed With Caution: Using Polling Data in Education ReportingOn Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 9 a.m. EDT, I’ll be chatting live with Bill Bushaw, executive director of Phi Delta Kappa, about the new Gallup poll findings. You can use this link to ask questions in advance of the conversation. The annual PDK/Gallup educ
by mike simpson / 10h 
Student test scores now linked to teachers’ licenses
Student test scores now linked to teachers’ licenses: Student test scores now linked to teachers’ licensesBy Valerie Strauss, Published: August 20 at 6:00 amE-mail the writer0CommentsMoreWe should have seen this coming.School reformers who love using student standardized test scores as the chief accountability measure in education have found yet a new way to use them against teachers.It’s not enou
by mike simpson / 10h 
NYC Educator: Krugman Becomes a Duncan Dittohead
NYC Educator: Krugman Becomes a Duncan Dittohead: Krugman Becomes a Duncan Dittohead It's pretty suspicious that, on the eve of Diane Ravitch's book release, the dunces are in confederacy against her, and for Common Core. It's particularly egregious to find said dunces at the NY Times day after day.I've long admired NY Times columnist Paul Krugman. During the insanity and excesses of GW's reign, h
by mike simpson / 10h 

YESTERDAY

Top of Our List | First Focus
Top of Our List | First Focus: The Minimum Wage: A Children’s IssueAugust 19, 2013by Kevin Curran, First FocusAs the American economy continues to recover, there are many proposed changes that are supposed to better the nation. One recent proposal that warrants further discussion is raising the federal minimum wage. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour and was last raised in 2009. T
3 by mike simpson / 22h 
Nite Cap 8-19-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change
James Baldwin said it best: "For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAPTODAYGarcetti picks up mantle from Villaraigosa, appoints education deputy | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCCGarcetti picks up mantle from Villaraigosa, appoints education deputy | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Garcetti picks up mantle from Villaraigosa, appoints educat
1 by mike simpson / 23h 

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KEITH HERRON: New Initiatives Address the Plight of Students of Color

KEITH HERRON: New Initiatives Address the Plight of Students of Color:

KEITH HERRON: New Initiatives Address the Plight of Students of Color

August 20, 2013 by  Leave a Comment
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sac-button-KeithOPINION – The plight of today’s low graduation rates among males of color is a serious matter.
In the state of California, less than 68 percent of Hispanic students who start high school graduate on time. For African Americans less than 59 percent of students who start school graduate on time. Studies also show that 31 percent of these students actually drop out of high school.
The rates in the Sacramento Region are just as alarming. If we were grading Sacramento region schools using their own system, they would receive a grade of “D-” or “F”. In most cases when considering someone for promotion, students who receive D’s and F’s would not be promoted to the next level or some type of intervention would be prescribed. The question then becomes, how should we treat our schools when they have the same passage rates as the students that they fail? Should schools be able to continue to operate if they don’t meet a set standard for graduating students?
Most districts would argue that there are many factors that need to be considered and schools deserve an opportunity to improve themselves. Districts also claim that funding is not adequate 
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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Diane Ravitch is Coming

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Diane Ravitch is Coming:

Diane Ravitch is Coming




With her new book (Reign of Error) on September 26, 2013.  

Her talk will be at Kane Hall (Red Square on the UW campus) in Room 130 from 7-8:30 p.m.  Free and open to the public. 

REIGN OF ERROR. An incisive, comprehensive look at today’s American school system that argues against those who claim it is broken and beyond repair; an impassioned but reasoned call to stop the privatization movement that is draining students and funding from our public schools.

Note: the book comes out on September 17th and is naturally available for pre-order at bookstores and on-line retailers.  Books will be available at the talk and Diane will be signing them from 8:30-9:00 p.m. that evening.   

Diane Ravitch is a historian of education and Research Professor of Education at NYU and Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. 

For more information contact: kenzeich@uw.edu or tepinfo@uw.edu.


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PSAT for 8-20-13: Don’t buy school supplies at WalMart Parents United for Responsible Education

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 8-20-13: Don’t buy school supplies at WalMart:

PSAT for 8-20-13: Don’t buy school supplies at WalMart

psat_logoPublic Schools Action Tuesday is usually about something you can/should do to support public education. Today it’s about something you shouldn’t do.
DON’T BUY SCHOOL SUPPLIES AT WALMART!
It’s that time of year when everyone is stocking up on new notebooks, shiny folders, colorful pencils.
It’s also a time when parents, teachers and students in places like Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington DC are feeling more dread and despair than the excitement that usually accompanies the first day of school, because we can see so how the privatization and austerity moves in these cities are threatening every fundamental of our children’s education.
It’s a time when many are planning strong push-back activities against Rahm Emanuel and other autocrats who are listening only to their rich friends while thumbing their noses at the people who actually use the public schools, at solid education research, and ultimately at the mostly poor, mostly black and brown children whom they claim to love so much.
It’s a terrible time. It’s a time to act locally, but also to think and act globally. We have to do both – these guys have way too much money to spend on their pet strategies, and that money is coming from us.
Much of the blame for the disaster in our nation’s public schools today can be traced to the Walton family’s wealth, which in turn comes from the money people spend in their stores on school supplies and other items. Here’s what some $700 million of the money we spent at WalMart between 2005 and 2010 went to support and promote:
WalMartFrown
  • more charter schools: $3.8 million in Chicago alone  including $230,000 for UNO charter schools.
  • more school closings: $500,000 to pay for Chicago’s sham “public engagement” school closing hearings.
  • more astroturf “parent” groups like Stand for Children (millions) and Parent Revolution ($6.3 million) to push the parent trigger and other corporate reforms.
  • more high-stakes standardized testing: Walton supports teacher bonuses linked to raising test scores.
  • more vouchers for private and religious schools.
  • more Michelle Rhee: despite the recent scandals involving Rhee, WalMart recently raised her allowance to the tune of $8 million.
Doesn’t this year’s WalMart’s Back-to-school campaign slogan, ”More School for your money,” just expose the greed behind their schemes?WalMart
As I’ve said before, it’s not that I think we can bring WalMart to its fiscal knees with a boycott. Bu
- See more at: http://pureparents.org/?p=20827#sthash.RYkYZwEe.dpuf
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Diane in the Evening 8-20-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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




Reader: Did Tony Bennett Follow Michelle Rhee’s Footsteps
A reader, who requested anonymity, posted the following comment: “How closely did Bennett follow in Michelle Rhee’s footsteps.” One of the first things that happened during Rhee’s reign of terror in D.C. was that she announced that there was a multi-million dollar shortfall in the education budget. Shortly thereafter, she fired 241 D.C.P.S teachers, citing the need to make huge budget cuts. After
22 by dianerav / 1h 

Stand on Children Dumps $500,000 into Boston Mayor’s Race
The corporate reform group, Stand on Children, dumped $500,000 into the Boston’s Mayor Race, and selected their candidate, City Councilor John R. Connolly. It is prepared to spend even more, dwarfing the spending of other candidates. This follows the pattern of the infusion of large outside money by corporate reformers in races in Louisiana, Colorado, California, and elsewhere. After reviewing a l
1 by dianerav / 11min 
Lance Hill: Néw Orleans Lags Nation in Job Growth
Lance Hill of Néw Orleans, who has a long history in the civil rights movement, notes that Governor Bobby Jindal has been routing the “comeback” of Néw Orleans, giving credit in part to its privatized schools. Lance points out that Forbes ranks Néw Orleans as 198th of 200 US cities in job growth. No miracle there .
1 by dianerav / 42min 
Give Rhee Credit for Higher Teacher Pay
The Washington Post reports that teachers in DC public schools have higher salaries than teachers in DC charter schools. Charter schools can set their own compensation levels. Some have opted for reduced class size, or other amenities. The higher salaries result from the 2010 contract negotiated by then-Chancellor Michelle Rhee. The Post notes: “The school system’s high salaries came with forme
1 by dianerav / 1h 

Who Is Held Accountable in North Carolina?
A teacher explains what accountability means in North Carolina: I argue that the validity of these test scores and results are dismal because the test itself does NOT hold students accountable (at least in my state of NC). The entire basis of the test is invalid before the students even took the test. The only person that gets any consequence from poor test scores are teachers. No student is held
1 by dianerav / 1h 
Paul Thomas Fact-Checks Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush has developed a narrative that is by now familiar: our schools are failing; the nation is in danger because of our failing schools; competition, high-stakes testing, and accountability will spur innovation and achievement; we need choice, charters, vouchers, merit pay, an end to job security for teachers; tying teacher pay to student test scores. No one in the mainstream media bothers to
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Should the U.S. Government Monitor People Like Me?
I recently learned that the Obama administration “monitored” me. Two years ago, blogger Mike Klonsky tweeted that the U.S. Department of Education had a secret task force to watch me. He was ridiculed by Secretary Duncan’s press secretary in response. But now the Assistant Secretary for Communications acknowledges that he monitored me and others. It’s no secret that I never thought much of the O
34 by dianerav / 1h 
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-20-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Philadelphia: Shame on Governor Corbett!The public schools of Philadelphia are being slowly, surely strangled by Governor Tom Corbett and the Legislature of Pennsylvania. Or, maybe, not so slowly. The state has a constitutional responsibility to maintain a public school system in every district but the state leaders don’t believe i
by mike simpson / 2h


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Ain't No Rocky Mountain High Enough — Whole Child Education

Ain't No Rocky Mountain High Enough — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Kevin Scott

Ain’t No Rocky Mountain High Enough

August 20, 2013 by Kevin Scott






As a classroom teacher, it was easy to take the time to reflect in the summer. Even though I often did curriculum work, taught summer school, or other education related jobs between the end of June and late August, I also spent a good deal of down time with my family to decompress. To be honest, I needed it. Badly. Life as a middle school teacher was a thrill ride that is like no other job I've held and I loved it, yet it wore me down. If you know a middle school teacher or principal, or if you are one, you know what I mean.
My role now is more "steady-eddy" at ASCD, and I love this job, too. But with a 12-month schedule that never has a natural (in other words, mandatory and unpaid) break, I find it a little tougher to free myself completely from work. Last week I was fortunate to get away with my family, which included my wife and two boys, and her cousins who have an elementary-aged son. We headed to Colorado, where they live, and got to see a part of the country we never saw before. You cannot match the energy of three boys between the ages of 8 and 10, especially when cooped in the car with them all day. The fun part about having the boys along for a ride like this is you get to experience a new place together. That's not always the case for us when we go away because oftentimes we've been to that place before (the beach, Disney, family homes, etc.).
As a new adventure, we journeyed through Rocky Mountain National Park. You see, we are east coast kids, where a mountain of 3,000 feet above sea level is big and usually a few hours from where we live. In Colorado, a 3,000 mountain is called a speed bump. It's impossible to describe the adventure and any photo you've seen doesn't do it justice. In a word, it's magnificent.
We decided (via text message from the front seat to the "way back" seat in the SUV) as parents that all 
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