Tuesday, December 3, 2013

SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 12-3-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #OECDPISA

Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break

Maybe I'm Just Done.

byShakespeares Sister Follow

So, if you read my last post, you know that I switched schools. The transition has been interesting, though, according to my reviewing administrator, painless compared to the transition of most teachers new to my current urban school.

However, I feel like I’ve hit the proverbial teaching wall…you know, that one that most teachers hit when they decide to leave the profession. Usually this happens within the first five years. This year is my sixth.

So, why am I just now hitting the wall?

American Federation of Teachers President Weingarten on PISA ...
AFT's Weingarten: "The crucial question we face now is whether we have the ... Statement by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on ...

44min

Secretary Of Ed Arne Duncan Displays Arrogant, Bigoted, Anti-Parent Sentiment
by Laurie Rogers Education News | http://bit.ly/1cX0aNb It was we, the people, not we, the white male citizens, nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed this Union. And we formed it, not to give the blessings or liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people—women as well as men.” – Susan B

by smf / 48min

N.Y. Teacher Evaluation Staffer Heads to U.S. Department of Education
Amy McIntosh, who has been working on teacher and leader effectiveness in New York state, will be joining the U.S. Department of Education's office of planning, evaluation, and policy development.

by Alyson Klein / 11min

Duncan Calls for Higher Standards and Expectations Following PISA Results
Secretary Arne Duncan talks with students during today’s event announcing the 2012 PISA results. Do schools in the United States ask enough of students? Based on the results of a major new international report, and conversations surrounding its release today, the answer is no. Every three years, hundreds of thousands of 15-year-olds in more than 65 global economies take the Programme for Internati

by Cameron Brenchley / 15min

In the Shadows of Principals
I admit I was nervous. Principals are busy. It’s almost a cliché that they are unsung heroes who move mountains every day with very little praise and backbreaking hours. So, when it was time for the culminating event of ED Goes Back to School Principal Shadowing, I worried. As a principal myself, on assignment for the year to serve as a bridge between other school leaders and the US Department of

by Guest Blogger / 15min

Top US students fare poorly in international PISA test scores, Shanghai tops the world, Finland slips
NCES Commissioner Jack Buckley’s Briefing Slide on PISA results Conventional wisdom is that top U.S. students fare well compared to their peers across the globe. According to this line of reasoning, the US doesn’t make it on the list of the top 25 countries in math (or top 15 in reading) because America has higher poverty and racial diversity than other countries do, which drags down the national

by Jill Barshay / 14min

Asunto: ¿Has escuchado el consejo de McDonald’s para las vacaciones?
Perturbada. Así es como me sentí después de ver las últimas noticias de vacaciones que estaban saliendo de algunos de los negocios más grandes de nuestro país. Por ejemplo, los reportes de Noticias ABC. McDonald’s le está dando a sus empleados “consejos financieros” como, “Vender algunas de sus posesiones no deseadas en eBay o Craigslist le puede traer un poco de dinero rápido” y “Cántele adiós al

by Elyssa Koidin Sch... / 8min

Oregon's choice for new standardized tests, Smarter Balanced, shines in study comparing 12 tests
The Michigan Department of Education put a dozen potential tests through their paces, checking to see how well they would serve real schools in the high-stakes arena of student testing. The 43-page report concludes Smarter Balanced is the best test package available

by Betsy Hammond | b... / 59min

Unfair labor practice complaint, high school master plans and budget priorities: PPS News
What's the latest on negotiations, high school rebuilds and the budget?

by Nicole Dungca | n... / 59min

Testimony regarding Race to the Top funds for Seattle and student privacy
The following is testimony that I will be giving at the Seattle School Board meeting on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 regarding the approval of Race to the Top funding that is to be approved by the school board. Good evening. As many districts around the country have discovered, Race to the Top money comes with […]

by seattleducation20... / 0min

Malloy can’t contain himself, uses speech to criticize lobbying effort by teachers and education unions…
As readers are aware, Governor Dannel Malloy traveled to Washington D.C. yesterday to speak to the right-wing, neoconservative American Enterprise Institute. His speech was entitled, “School reform dos and don’ts: Lessons from Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy.” As originally proposed, Malloy’s “education reform” initiative was the most anti-teacher, anti-union education reform legislation propo

by jonpelto / 3min

Quick Hits
Fitting in. Students at Syracuse University may find themselves closer than ever to their new chancellor. Kent Syverud, the university’s chancellor-designate, will be staying in a campus dorm for a few weeks while settling into the university. (CNY Central) A teaching toy. A new bear that goes beyond the typical duties of any other teddy bear will teach children responsibility. Jerry the Bear was

by Gabriella Berman / 1:05 PM UTC-8

Fourth UC Santa Barbara Student Diagnosed with Meningitis
REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz A fourth University of California - Santa Barbara student was diagnosed with meningococcal disease on Tuesday, prompting the school to suspend some social gatherings to prevent an outbreak. And no, this is not just an excuse for UC Santa Barbara to start a war on fun. According to the Associated Press, one of the students diagnosed lost his feet to the disease: His famil

by Danielle Wiener-B... / 1min

How ‘Limited Government’ Is Burying a Generation in Debt
How ‘Limited Government’ Is Burying a Generation in Debt (via Moyers & Company) The cost of tuition in this country has increased at an almost unbelievable pace over the past generation – twice as fast than as the costs of health care. According to an analysis by Bloomberg News, over the past 35 years, the cost of a college education…

by Joshua Holland / 10min

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Sandra Stotsky Responds to My Common Core-Achieve Post | deutsch29
Sandra Stotsky Responds to My Common Core-Achieve Post | deutsch29: Sandra Stotsky Responds to My Common Core-Achieve PostDecember 3, 2013On December 2, 2013, I wrote a post about the role of the governor- and business-run nonprofit, Achieve, Inc., in the creation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). In my post I also discuss Achieve connections to (now designated) “founding partner” of Student Achievement Partners, Sue Pimentel, and I refer to the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) for English Language Arts (ELA) and math– the supposed “anchors” of CCSS.My Achieve post includ

2h

PSAT for 12-3-13: Ponder truth stories in your heart Parents United for Responsible Education
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 12-3-13: Ponder truth stories in your heart: PSAT for 12-3-13: Ponder truth stories in your heartLast night I attended a meeting where truth was told to power in a way that was simply stunning, and a bad outcome we thought was inevitable turned into something potentially very good.This was not a PURE-related meeting, so I won’t share the details. But it was the kind of experience I have had from time to time in the course of my work, and I know many of you have had them, too. It’s a transcendent experience of the power of good

2h

empathyeducates – Exposed: The Billionaire-Backed Group Strong-Arming Parents into Destroying Their Kids’ Public Schools
empathyeducates – Exposed: The Billionaire-Backed Group Strong-Arming Parents into Destroying Their Kids’ Public Schools: Exposed: The Billionaire-Backed Group Strong-Arming Parents into Destroying Their Kids’ Public SchoolsPhoto Credit: Brad Jonas — NSFWPublished on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org) | Originally Published in Not Safe for Work Corporation (1) April 26, 2013/ By Yasha Levine (2) | This article first appeared at Not Safe for Work Corporation (3).As you read please consider how you have contributed to The Billionaire-Backed Parent Revolution. Where do you shop? How do you spend

2h

TODAY

How to get stinking rich in the education industry - Momma Bears
How to get stinking rich in the education industry - Momma Bears: How to get stinking rich in the education industry12/03/20130 Comments Times are tough, but that doesn't mean you can't make a buck in education right now. No qualifications or experience? No problem! In fact, it is actually works better if you have zero classroom experience (so you won't have any compassion for the hardworking te

by mike simpson / 3h

A child’s non-commutative model of multiplication | JD2718
A child’s non-commutative model of multiplication | JD2718: A child’s non-commutative model of multiplicationDECEMBER 3, 2013 AM31 11:52 AMtags: math circle, multiplicationI was playing math with a niece and nephew a few weeks ago. Really, just playing games. And challenges.We played who can get to 12 (by adding 1s or 2s). I wasn’t going for a rule, but my niece was close, so we (sister-in-law hel

by mike simpson / 3h

4LAKids - PISA Scores: The failure of ®eform, testing, or keeping score?” U.S. STUDENTS AVERAGE AROUND AVERAGE …AGAIN
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: PISA Scores: The failure of ®eform, testing, or keeping score?” U.S. STUDENTS AVERAGE AROUND AVERAGE …AGAIN: PISA Scores: The failure of ®eform, testing, or keeping score?” U.S. STUDENTS AVERAGE AROUND AVERAGE …AGAIN“A decade of top-down, test-based schooling created by No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top — focused on hyper-testing students, sancti

by mike simpson / 3h

Probe Reveals Corrupt Dems Teaming Up With Michelle Rhee, School Privatizers in CA
We Party Patriots » Probe Reveals Corrupt Dems Teaming Up With Michelle Rhee, School Privatizers in CA: Probe Reveals Corrupt Dems Teaming Up With Michelle Rhee, School Privatizers in CA   A California probe of State Sen. Ron Calderon is providing insight into a political system rife with education corruption and cronyism where political favors are being exchanged at the expense of students. Repo

by mike simpson / 4h

Free as in speech. Free as in beer. Free as in Huey. Free as in lunch. Free as in bird. Free as in love. |
Free as in speech. Free as in beer. Free as in Huey. Free as in lunch. Free as in bird. Free as in love. |: Free as in speech. Free as in beer. Free as in Huey. Free as in lunch. Free as in bird. Free as in love.December 3, 2013 in StudentsI’d like to say a little more about what I meant last week when I wrote in defense of the principle of free public higher education.And I’d like to say it in th

by mike simpson / 4h

12-3-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Tuesday Open ThreadFor once, I am actually looking forward to going down to the JSCEE. Not that I hate it but it's usually for some lengthy meeting. Nope, today I get to see the installation of some new Board members. It is very nice to see some family member standing proudly next to the new Board member. It's a warm, fuzzy feeling and a brief shining moment, t

by mike simpson / 4h

Graph of the Day: My contribution to PISA Palooza | School Finance 101
Graph of the Day: My contribution to PISA Palooza | School Finance 101: Graph of the Day: My contribution to PISA PaloozaPosted on December 3, 20131       Rate ThisWith today’s release of PISA data it is once again time for wild punditry, mass condemnation of U.S. public schools and a renewed sense of urgency to ram through ill-conceived, destructive policies that will make our school system even

by mike simpson / 4h

What Do the 2012 PISA Scores Tell Us About U.S. Schools? | NEA Today
What Do the 2012 PISA Scores Tell Us About U.S. Schools? | NEA Today: What Do the 2012 PISA Scores Tell Us About U.S. Schools?December 3, 2013 by twalker  Filed under Featured News, Top StoriesLeave a CommentBy Tim WalkerThe 2012 results for the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) were released on Tuesday and the standing of U.S. studentschanged little since the last time the test

by mike simpson / 4h

Morning Wink 12-3-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSmark as readMike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Taking NamesMike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Taking Names: Taking NamesRetirees put sellout Rep. Mussman up against the wallCarol Marin on Chicago Tonight: "It's like WWIII down there [in Springfield] in terms of phones ringing off the hook."Ralph Martirie, with some support from IFT Pres. Dan Montgomery,

by mike simpson / 4h

Sandra Stotsky Responds to My Common Core-Achieve Post | deutsch29

Sandra Stotsky Responds to My Common Core-Achieve Post | deutsch29:

Sandra Stotsky Responds to My Common Core-Achieve Post

December 3, 2013

On December 2, 2013, I wrote a post about the role of the governor- and business-run nonprofit, Achieve, Inc., in the creation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). In my post I also discuss Achieve connections to (now designated) “founding partner” of Student Achievement Partners, Sue Pimentel, and I refer to the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) for English Language Arts (ELA) and math– the supposed “anchors” of CCSS.

My Achieve post includes much information that has received little publicity on the manufacture of CCSS.

CCSS ELA Validation Committee member Sandra Stotsky read my post and and added the following information in the comments. Since this additional information has also received next to no publicity, I wish to post Stotsky’s comment as its own post, for all to easily read.

Stotsky writes:

Deutsch29 has produced an excellent piece of work. Let me add a few more details and areas for further inquiry. First, during 2007-2008, Sue Pimentel and I worked together in producing the TX 2008 ELA standards. At the time, she was working under a contract for Barbara Davidson of StandardsWork, the organization that held the contract with the TX BoE (as I understood it). I received a consulting fee from StandardsWork (I no longer recall for how much) for working with Sue, who had insisted she could not do the job without my help. I had been part of the ELA advisory committee working on Achieve’s high school exit standards for ELA in 2003-2004.

PSAT for 12-3-13: Ponder truth stories in your heart Parents United for Responsible Education

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 12-3-13: Ponder truth stories in your heart:

PSAT for 12-3-13: Ponder truth stories in your heart

Last night I attended a meeting where truth was told to power in a way that was simply stunning, and a bad outcome we thought was inevitable turned into something potentially very good.
This was not a PURE-related meeting, so I won’t share the details. But it was the kind of experience I have had from time to time in the course of my work, and I know many of you have had them, too. It’s a transcendent experience of the power of good people speaking their truth against the expectation of privileged elites. To quote from the Christmas story, these are experiences to “ponder in your heart.”
My first such experience happened nearly 25 years ago at the very first meeting of our neighborhood school’s very first local school council. A group of us who were not among the privileged elite of the school community had been elected. From the beginning, we asserted our truths. We set the tone by moving the meeting table down close to the public instead of sitting above them on a stage. We refused to rubber-stamp budget transfers we had not seen. During the year, we united to stop the practice of diverting funds to a tracked magnet program at the expense of bilingual programs and the (mostly African-American) children consigned to the non-magnet programs. When the principal’s contract was up, we carried out a careful, fair process in the face of internal faculty coercion, threats to LSC members’ jobs, and even one quite credible death

- See more at: http://pureparents.org/?p=21025#sthash.wnSuaZmn.dpuf

empathyeducates – Exposed: The Billionaire-Backed Group Strong-Arming Parents into Destroying Their Kids’ Public Schools

empathyeducates – Exposed: The Billionaire-Backed Group Strong-Arming Parents into Destroying Their Kids’ Public Schools:

Exposed: The Billionaire-Backed Group Strong-Arming Parents into Destroying Their Kids’ Public Schools

Photo Credit: Brad Jonas — NSFW

Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org) | Originally Published in Not Safe for Work Corporation (1) April 26, 2013/ By Yasha Levine (2) | This article first appeared at Not Safe for Work Corporation (3).

As you read please consider how you have contributed to The Billionaire-Backed Parent Revolution. Where do you shop? How do you spend your meager monies? Buying “inexpensive” wares at WalMart and purchasing Microsoft products is costly. We all pay for the loss of public education.

Walton Family Foundation Invests More Than $432 Million in 2012

Gates Foundation Partners College-Ready Education

When I traveled to the desert city of Victorville in Southern California this January, I little expected that the neighboring town of Adelanto would become ground zero for a fight between billionaires on one side, and poor, vulnerable minority parents and children on the other.

I first heard about the fight through the local right-wing paper, the Victorville Daily Press, which gleefully announced on its front page that a local school, Desert Trails Elementary, had just made history as the first school in the nation to be privatized under California’s new “parent trigger” law. The paper described the takeover as “promising a fresh start to the failing elementary school,” and claimed it had received widespread support from parents.

The national press gushed in similarly glowing terms. The LA Weekly described the Adelanto privatization as an “historic moment for the education-reform movement picking up steam across the nation.” The New York Times dutifully compared the takeover of Desert Trails to “Won’t Back Down.” An “issues” movie starring Face of Indie Maggie Gyllenhaal, “Won’t Back Down” promotes the parent-trigger law as a panacea for America’s

How to get stinking rich in the education industry - Momma Bears

How to get stinking rich in the education industry - Momma Bears:

How to get stinking rich in the education industry

12/03/2013

0 Comments

Times are tough, but that doesn't mean you can't make a buck in education right now. No qualifications or experience? No problem! In fact, it is actually works better if you have zero classroom experience (so you won't have any compassion for the hardworking teachers and innocent students you'll be profiting from).

You could pay $1,395 to attend a workshop (like this one) to learn how to get rich in the education industry, but Momma Bears already did the homework and figured it all out. And Momma Bears is all about sharing knowledge with other concerned folks. So, save your money and read about the easy 10-step program to getting rich with other people's money through America's public school system...

10 steps to hitting the jackpot in education:

Step #1:  Start a consulting business or organization. It doesn't really matter if it is profit or non-profit. Non-profit organizations will seem more trustworthy and innocent to the public (but don't worry, that doesn't mean you won't get a nice paycheck.)

Step #2:  Create a catchy name for your organization. Acronyms work especially well. Don't forget a logo. You cannot go wrong with an apple logo, they are very much in style right now.

Step #3:  Make a website with pretty pie charts and lots of catchy buzz-words like these:

achievement gap
data driven benchmarks

A child’s non-commutative model of multiplication | JD2718

A child’s non-commutative model of multiplication | JD2718:

A child’s non-commutative model of multiplication

DECEMBER 3, 2013 AM31 11:52 AM

tags: math circle, multiplication

I was playing math with a niece and nephew a few weeks ago. Really, just playing games. And challenges.

We played who can get to 12 (by adding 1s or 2s). I wasn’t going for a rule, but my niece was close, so we (sister-in-law helped) got her to discover that 9 was a good number. And so was 3. And my nephew (younger) wasn’t going to discover it, but once his sister announced it, he kind of sort of followed.

We played puppies and kittens (game I learned from Sue Van Hattum. Adopt as many puppies as you like. Or as many kittens. Or an equal number of each. And – here’s a twist – whoever adopts the last furry animal loses). The two kids played with each other (I watched), and while the girl discovered some strategy, it was not a complete solution, and the two seemed to enjoy it.

I broke out some wonderful dice that my games mentor gifted me. Blue dice have the numbers 5 – 10 on the sides. Red dice have 0 – 5. 2cm, wood. I gave my niece one red, and I rolled one blue, and we saw who got higher. I won two or three rounds before she called me on it. Then I gave her two red dice, and him one blue one, and they rolled against each other, sum of the red against the blue. And then I gave her five red dice, and him 2 blue dice, and they both had some quick adding to do. They played for almost fifteen minutes, and needed to be stopped. Completely engaged. (And no, not a fair game. I didn’t calculate the probability, but the expected value favored the younger child. Intentionally, to help maintain interest).

I pulled out some graph paper (1/2 inch) and some crayons. Here I didn’t involve my nephew (I asked him to draw me something), but I drew a rectangle for my niece, 4×3, horizontally oriented. I counted the boxes (12) and the lines on the outside (14). I asked her if she could make another 12 box rectangle. She copied mine. I asked her if she could make a different 12 box rectangle. She drew a 2 unit high rectangle, and counted, and closed it at 6 wide. I asked her

4LAKids - PISA Scores: The failure of ®eform, testing, or keeping score?” U.S. STUDENTS AVERAGE AROUND AVERAGE …AGAIN

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: PISA Scores: The failure of ®eform, testing, or keeping score?” U.S. STUDENTS AVERAGE AROUND AVERAGE …AGAIN:

PISA Scores: The failure of ®eform, testing, or keeping score?” U.S. STUDENTS AVERAGE AROUND AVERAGE …AGAIN

“A decade of top-down, test-based schooling created by No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top — focused on hyper-testing students, sanctioning teachers and closing schools — has failed to improve the quality of American public education.”
- Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers

U.S. students lag around average on international science, math and reading test

BY LYNDSEY LAYTON, THE WASHINGTON POST, HTTP://WAPO.ST/1ESHK2Q

December 2 | Updated: Tuesday, December 3, 2:00 AM :: Scores in math, reading and science posted by 15-year-olds in the United States were flat while their counterparts elsewhere — particularly in Shanghai, Singapore and other Asian provinces or countries — soared ahead, according to results of a well-regarded international exam released Tuesday.
While U.S. teenagers scored slightly above average in reading, their scores were average in science and below average in math, compared to 64 other countries and economies that participated in the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, which was administered last fall. That pattern has not changed much since PISA was first administered in 2000.
“Our scores are stagnant. We’re not seeing any improvement for our 15-year-olds,” said Jack Buckley, commissioner at the National Center for Education Statistics, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education. “But our ranking is flipping because a lot of these other countries are improving.”
The test scores offer fresh evidence for those who argue that the United States is losing ground to competitors in the global market and others who say a decade’s worth of school reform has done little to improve educational outcomes.
“While the intentions may have been good, a decade of top-down, test-based schooling created by No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top — focused on hyper-testing students, sanctioning teachers and closing schools — has failed to improve the quality of American public education,” Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said in a statement. The AFT released a video on Monday in which it implored the public not to blame teachers, the unions, parents or students for poor PISA results.

Graphic: How U.S. students compare internationally

The students from the United States posted mostly average scores compared to a selection of top performers from the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment, a study comparing math, reading and science proficiency of 15-year-olds from 65 countries and economies.
How U.S. students compare internationally

We Party Patriots » Probe Reveals Corrupt Dems Teaming Up With Michelle Rhee, School Privatizers in CA

We Party Patriots » Probe Reveals Corrupt Dems Teaming Up With Michelle Rhee, School Privatizers in CA:

Probe Reveals Corrupt Dems Teaming Up With Michelle Rhee, School Privatizers in CA

A California probe of State Sen. Ron Calderon is providing insight into a political system rife with education corruption and cronyism where political favors are being exchanged at the expense of students. Reports suggest pro-corporate education interests have made headway in the Democratic party through corrupt Senators like Calderon and StudentsFirst leader Michelle Rhee’s husband, Democratic Mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson.

Seth Sandronsky has the story:

Al Jazeera America’s Oct. 31 unveiling of an FBI affidavit that alleges Sen. Calderon’s multiple alleged wrongdoings includes his brother Thomas Calderon’s meeting with star education reformer Michelle Rhee’s lobbyists. Her StudentsFirst group operates from a national headquarters in Sacramento.

The affidavit alleges that StudentsFirst lobbyists met with Sen. Calderon’s brother on Feb. 20. On Feb. 21, Sen. Calderon introduced a teacher-reform measure, Senate Bill 441 that Rhee’s group supports.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, Rhee’s husband and never a classroom teacher, backed Sen. Calderon’s SB 441, which failed to pass out of committee. The mayor’s education non-profit, Stand Up for Great Schools, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that accepts hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Walton Family Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the big-box retailer, also supported SB 441, which teacher unions opposed.
As Trevor Aaronson of Al Jazeera America reports: “Ronald Calderon’s push for the education bill came after Rhee’s organization provided critical financial support to the political campaign of his nephew Ian Calderon. In May 2012, state records show, StudentsFirst funneled $378,196 through a political action

Free as in speech. Free as in beer. Free as in Huey. Free as in lunch. Free as in bird. Free as in love. |

Free as in speech. Free as in beer. Free as in Huey. Free as in lunch. Free as in bird. Free as in love. |:

Free as in speech. Free as in beer. Free as in Huey. Free as in lunch. Free as in bird. Free as in love.

December 3, 2013 in Students

Tee shirt: "Free. As in speech. As in beer. As in Huey. As in lunch. As in bird. As in love. Education for all."

I’d like to say a little more about what I meant last week when I wrote in defense of the principle of free public higher education.

And I’d like to say it in the form of a series of annotations to a joke tee shirt.

A few months back I tweeted that education should be free as in speech, free as in beer, and free as in Huey. A couple of days later I expanded on the sentiment:

Free as in speech. Free as in beer. Free as in Huey. Free as in love. Free as in bird. No MOOCs, is what I’m saying.

Folks seemed to like that, and when I noodled around with the idea in an airport bar a while later, the idea of making it a tee shirt was born. (The shirts are currently on sale as a fundraiser for this site. The sale ends tomorrow, on the evening of Wednesday, December 4.)

But what, exactly, does the shirt mean? Turns out that’s a little complicated. Let’s break it down.

Free as in speech.

The speech/beer/Huey tweet that started the whole thing was a riff on a phrase coined by activist Richard Stallman to describe the Free Software movement: “Think free as in free speech, not free beer.” What Stallman meant was that free software is a matter of, as he put it, “liberty, not price” — that the goal of the movement is to create software that can be shared, modified, and adapted, rather than just software you don’t have to pay for.

When I say that education should be free as in speech and free as in beer, I’m saying that I embrace the liberty goals expressed in the first half of

12-3-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum:

One Girl at a Time

From City Living Seattle, a great listing of empowerment programs for girls. Many types, many locations - good stuff. (Thank you to reader Carolyn.)

by Melissa Westbrook / 16min

Tuesday Open Thread

For once, I am actually looking forward to going down to the JSCEE. Not that I hate it but it's usually for some lengthy meeting. Nope, today I get to see the installation of some new Board members. It is very nice to see some family member standing proudly next to the new Board member. It's a warm, fuzzy feeling and a brief shining moment, the Board stands as one (even if it's just for a phot

by Melissa Westbrook / 24min hide // save

PISA Results

Today is PISA day (no, not the leaning tower although, having lived there, it's great). That's the day when the results of the international test (the Program of International Student Assessment) are announced. (It's given every three years to 15-year olds around the globe and where we get our hair-pulling upset over US students versus students in other countries). The Answer Sheet has the U.S.

by Melissa Westbrook / 32min

12-2-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is There Such a Thing as "Casual Sexism"? I've been noticing many more articles about sexism and the Web. I'm going to try to string some of these articles together in this thread to raise the issue of why more women and girls aren't in computer science AND why girls may not play as many video games (it might have something to do with the reception at on

by mike simpson / 13h

Graph of the Day: My contribution to PISA Palooza | School Finance 101

Graph of the Day: My contribution to PISA Palooza | School Finance 101:

Graph of the Day: My contribution to PISA Palooza

Posted on December 3, 2013

Rate This

With today’s release of PISA data it is once again time for wild punditry, mass condemnation of U.S. public schools and a renewed sense of urgency to ram through ill-conceived, destructive policies that will make our school system even more different from those breaking the curve on PISA.

With that out of the way, here’s my little graphic contribution to what has become affectionately known to edu-pundit class as PISA-Palooza. Yep… it’s the ol’ poverty as an excuse graph – well, really it’s just the ol’ poverty in the aggregate just so happens to be pretty strongly associated with test scores in the aggregate – graph… but that’s nowhere near as catchy.

PISA Data: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014024_tables.pdf

(table M4)

OECD Relative Poverty: Source: Provisional data from OECD Income distribution and poverty database (www.oecd.org/els/social/inequality).

Yep – that’s right… relative poverty – or the share of children in families below 50% of median income – is reasonably strongly associated with Math Literacy PISA scores. And this isn’t even a particularly good measure of actual economic deprivation. Rather, it’s the measure commonly used by OECD and readily available. Nonetheless, at the national aggregate, it serves as a pretty strong correlate of national average performance on PISA.

What our little graph tells us – albeit not really that meaningful – is that if we account (albeit poorly) for child poverty, the U.S. is actually beating the odds. Way to go? (but for that really high

What Do the 2012 PISA Scores Tell Us About U.S. Schools? | NEA Today

What Do the 2012 PISA Scores Tell Us About U.S. Schools? | NEA Today:

What Do the 2012 PISA Scores Tell Us About U.S. Schools?

December 3, 2013 by twalker
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