Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Morning Wink 1-29-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS




Two Visions of the Federal Role :: Frederick M. Hess
Two Visions of the Federal Role :: Frederick M. Hess: Two Visions of the Federal Roleby Frederick M. Hess  •  Jan 29, 2014 at 9:57 amCross-posted from Education WeekLast night, in the State of the Union, President Obama played it pretty safe when it came to education. He was for more college affordability, higher expectations and performance for K-12, and more pre-K. Not much that anyone is going
by mike simpson / 5min 
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-29-14 Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Breaking News: The Hero Parents of NewarkLast night, the parents of Newark spoke out in unison against the bullying tactics of the Christie administration. As veteran journalist Bob Braun reported, state-appointed superintendent Cami Anderson stormed out of the meeting after a parent accused her of not caring as much about Newark’s
by mike simpson / 13min 
1-29-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: In Case You Have Forgotten Why Common Core Is a Bad IdeaKnoxville, TN, November 2013:by Jim Horn / 2min 1-28-14 Schools MatterSchools Matter: SKrashen: The Common Core: A Disaster for Libraries, A Disaster for Language Arts, a Disaster for American EducationSKrashen: The Common Core: A Disaster for Libraries, A Disaster for Language Arts, a Disaster for American Education: Stephen
by mike simpson / 15min 
1-29-14 Wait What?
Wait What?: In bizarre political ploy: Malloy says Delay Teacher Evaluations; Set up task force on Common CoreWith the 2014 gubernatorial election ten months away, Governor Dannel Malloy held a press conference yesterday that would have made Saturday Night Live or the satirical website, The Onion, proud. Malloy removed his blinders and took out his ear plugs long enough to announce that the unfair
by mike simpson / 17min 
1-29-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida
Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: What It’s Like For States Not Burdened by Common CoreFlorida wisely dropped the legislature’s bad idea to require Algebra II last year only to have its education commissioner tweak Common Core by putting in Calculus standards, a math domain two levels above the course th
by mike simpson / 18min 
1-29-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: ‘Teaching Character Is Not A Program Or Curriculum’‘Teaching Character Is Not A Program Or Curriculum’ is Part Two in my Ed Week Teacher series on teaching character. Here are some excerpts:by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h   1-28-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFLLarry Ferlazzo’s Websites of
by mike simpson / 21min 
1-29-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher
Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: The President on education. Waist deep in the big muddy.“Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, my fellow Americans, today in America, a teacher spent extra time with a student who needed it and did her part to lift America’s graduation rate to its highest levels in more than three deca
by mike simpson / 24min 
1-29-14 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Two State of the Union TweetsBecause I knew there would @#$% like this: Not just how well they can fill in a bubble on a test...wait whose policy was Race to the TOp? #SOTU— Liza Featherstone (@lfeatherz) January 29, 2014I decided this:Couldn't decide - watch the SOTU or paint dry? Decided to go w/ the paint. Drying paint doesn't lie or bull@#$% you...— realitybasededucator
by mike simpson / 27min 
1-29-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD
the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): SOTU 2014: Orwellian Educational Change under Obama ContinuesOrwellian Educational Change under Obama: Crisis Discourse, Utopian Expectations, and Accountability Failures Paul L. Thomas Furman University “It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English langu
by mike simpson / 29min 
How California’s Growing Income Gap Affects Our Schools | California Progress Report
How California’s Growing Income Gap Affects Our Schools | California Progress Report: How California’s Growing Income Gap Affects Our SchoolsPosted on 29 January 2014By Peter MathewsAn American child’s chance of acquiring a quality education depends more on the parents’ income than on almost anything else, including ethnicity.Because property taxes are a key source for K-12 funding, affluent distr
by mike simpson / 40min 
The Shriver Report – The Gender Wage Gap: What To Do If You Think You Aren’t Being Paid Fairly
The Shriver Report – The Gender Wage Gap: What To Do If You Think You Aren’t Being Paid Fairly: The Gender Wage Gap: What To Do If You Think You Aren’t Being Paid FairlyCARA P. LEMIEUX | 01.29.2014Credit: © fotomek – Fotolia.comWe have read the stories and statistics about the gender wage gap, and that despite the many strides women have made in the workforce,women only make 77 cents for every dol
by mike simpson / 45min 
School Choice Undermines Urban School Districts | janresseger
School Choice Undermines Urban School Districts | janresseger: School Choice Undermines Urban School DistrictsPosted on January 29, 2014 by janressegerProponents of school choice have dubbed this week School Choice Week.  In honor of  School Choice Week, Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander, the Secretary of Education under the first George Bush and today the top Republican on the Senate Health, Educ
by mike simpson / 47min 
What Could Be Wrong With ‘School Choice’?
What Could Be Wrong With ‘School Choice’?: What Could Be Wrong With ‘School Choice’?How to Steal Public Schools for Dummies (excerpts) Everyone loves “choice,” right?In a country where in a single year there are more than 100 new choices for what to use to brush your teeth, it stands to reason that maximizing “choice” might be a goal for all kinds of enterprises.With that in mind, this week brough
by mike simpson / 51min 
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Obama calls for even more testing madness
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Obama calls for even more testing madness: Obama calls for even more testing madnessThe maddening Race To The Top continuesNot much for educators to get excited about in last night's speech. It's that time again when Dems give us a slight head-fake to the left-center to keep their base in line. I did like the focus on income inequality and the promise to raise the mi
by mike simpson / 1h 

YESTERDAY

The State of the Union Fact Sheet: Opportunity for All | The White House
The State of the Union Fact Sheet: Opportunity for All | The White House: The State of the Union Fact Sheet: Opportunity for AllThe State of the Union Fact Sheet: Opportunity for All can be found HERE and below.Opportunity for All: Key Executive Actions the President Will Take in 2014The President’s top priority remains ensuring middle class Americans feel secure in their jobs, homes and budgets. 
by mike simpson / 9h 
President calls for 'race to the top' for nation's youngest children | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC
President calls for 'race to the top' for nation's youngest children | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: President calls for 'race to the top' for nation's youngest childrenDeepa Fernandes | January 28th, 2014, 9:07pmSLIDESHOW1 of 1Maya Sugarman/KPCCOne-year-old Melanie, and mother Michelle Zamora make faces at each other. The Baldwin Park school district's Early Childhood programs, which use Head Start fu
by mike simpson / 9h 
1-28-14 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: The Fracking Song http://bit.ly/1jHeXm0 Carol Burris Compares Common Core to NY State 2005 Math Standards and GagsWhy is support for the Common Core in New York so quickly sinking into the deep? Some contend that it is because teachers do not have enough materials to teach the Common Core. They argue that if teachers had more preparation and resources, all would be fine.  I disagr
by mike simpson / 9h 
The Forgotten Story of Japanese American Zoot Suiters | Nikkei Chicago
The Forgotten Story of Japanese American Zoot Suiters | Nikkei Chicago: The Forgotten Story of Japanese American Zoot SuitersBy Ellen D. WuSus Kaminaka was a zoot suiter: one of the many young people in 1940s America who embraced a distinctive, working-class urban aesthetic characterized by flamboyant fashions and irreverent comportment. Kaminaka and other hipsters sported pompadours and ducktail
by mike simpson / 10h 
Estimate for Statewide Pre-K in New York Puts Schools Chief in a Tangle - NYTimes.com
Estimate for Statewide Pre-K in New York Puts Schools Chief in a Tangle - NYTimes.com: Estimate for Statewide Pre-K in New York Puts Schools Chief in a TangleNew York State’s top education official was caught in a battle between city and state leaders on Tuesday after he suggested that providing universal access to prekindergarten would cost substantially more than what Gov.Andrew M. Cuomo had pro
by mike simpson / 10h 
Joy Resmovits: Obama Restates Old Education Commitments In 2014 State Of The Union Address
Obama Restates Old Education Commitments In 2014 State Of The Union Address: Obama Restates Old Education Commitments In 2014 State Of The Union AddressPosted: 01/28/2014 9:53 pm EST  |  Updated: 01/28/2014 9:59 pm EST President Barack Obama's 2014 State of the Union address ran short on fresh education policy ideas, unlike in previous years, according to the text of his speech.Instead of announci
by mike simpson / 11h 
United Opt Out March 28th – 30th Spring Action Flier | United Opt Out National
United Opt Out March 28th – 30th Spring Action Flier | United Opt Out National: UNITED OPT OUT MARCH 28TH – 30TH SPRING ACTION FLIERPrint and share widely!Download (PDF, 386KB)
by mike simpson / 11h 
Video and Full Text of President Barack Obama’s 5th State of the Union Speech | The Raw Story
Full Text of President Barack Obama’s 5th State of the Union Speech | The Raw Story: Full Text of President Barack Obama’s 5th State of the Union Speech Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans:Today in America, a teacher spent extra time with a student who needed it, and did her part to lift America’s graduation rate to its highest level in more than three decades
by mike simpson / 11h 
February 2014 ACCS Meeting Agenda - Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (CA Dept of Education)
February 2014 ACCS Meeting Agenda - Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (CA Dept of Education): How to Steal Public Schools for Dummies (excerpts) State of CaliforniaEdmund G. Brown Jr., GovernorCALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION1430 N Street, Suite 5111Sacramento, CA 95814Phone: 916-319-0827Fax: 916-319-0175ACCS Live Meeting WebcastMeeting NoticeAdvisory Commission on Charter SchoolsAn adviso
by mike simpson / 14h 
empathyeducates – Ahead of State of The Union, Advocates Wonder Whether Obama Forgot Public Schools
empathyeducates – Ahead of State of The Union, Advocates Wonder Whether Obama Forgot Public Schools: Maybe he has already sent Arne Duncan to MarsAhead of State of The Union, Advocates Wonder Whether Obama Forgot Public SchoolsSecretary of Education Arne Duncan rides the bus with Columbus Elementary students to the Mexico-U.S. border in Columbus, N.M. on Sept. 10, 2013. | The Washington Post via G
by mike simpson / 14h 
solidaridad: Seventh Annual Anti-racist Anti-bias Teaching Conference
solidaridad: Seventh Annual Anti-racist Anti-bias Teaching Conference: Seventh Annual Anti-racist Anti-bias Teaching ConferenceHosted at The Indian Community School  (http://www.ics-milw.org)10405W. St. Martens RoadFranklin, WisconsinSaturday, May 3, 20148:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m.Conference Sponsors:  UW-Milwaukee School of Education, National-Louis University, YMCA Southeast Wisconsin, Plowshare Center,
by mike simpson / 14h 
Nite Cap 1-28-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #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 CAPHow “School Choice” Has Failed Louisiana (Especially New Orleans) Parents | deutsch29How “School Choice” Has Failed Louisiana (Especially New Orleans) Parents | deutsch29: How “School Choice” Has Failed Louisiana (Especially New Orleans) ParentsJ
by mike simpson / 15h 
How “School Choice” Has Failed Louisiana (Especially New Orleans) Parents | deutsch29
How “School Choice” Has Failed Louisiana (Especially New Orleans) Parents | deutsch29: How “School Choice” Has Failed Louisiana (Especially New Orleans) ParentsJanuary 28, 2014Advocates of the privatization of American public education have proclaimed the week of January 26, 2014, as “school choice week.” As such, they are celebrating the creation of their own lucrative bureaucracy, one that is an
by mike simpson / 16h 
Schools to Watch for 2014 - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)
Schools to Watch for 2014 - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Congratulates California's 2014 "Schools to Watch—Taking Center Stage" Model Middle SchoolsSACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that 11 high-performing California middle schools have been newly designated as model middle grades schools in the 2013
by mike simpson / 16h 
Some Noble charter school students are “turning to suicide as a way out” Parents United for Responsible Education
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Some Noble charter school students are “turning to suicide as a way out”: Some Noble charter school students are “turning to suicide as a way out”Katie Osgood at the BOE meeting. Substance photo by George SchmidtAt the January Board of Education meeting, teacher Katie Osgood called out the Noble charter school network for its extreme discip
by mike simpson / 16h 
SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 1-28-14 #RealEdTalk #edreform
Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana BreakRich Kids of Northern VirginiaIts’ that time of year, when the feds, state, and local government’s prepare their budgets for the coming fiscal year.  Each year we hear different claims about the relative wealth and tax burden borne by residents in our jurisdictions, with the statistic cited generally the one that supports the argument of whomever is asking f
by mike simpson / 18h 
1-27-14 The Whole Child Blog - ED Pulse Poll Results: Will a Longer School Day and Year Better Prepare Students for Success? — Whole Child Education
ED Pulse Poll Results: Will a Longer School Day and Year Better Prepare Students for Success? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGED Pulse Poll Results: Will a Longer School Day and Year Better Prepare Students for Success?January 28, 2014 by Kit Harris, ASCD ResearchASCD continually seeks to provide solutions to the challenges that face educators of all levels. A recentASCD SmartBrief ED
by mike simpson / 18h 
Send Arne Duncan to Mars!: A State of the Union wish list for liberals - Salon.com
Send Arne Duncan to Mars!: A State of the Union wish list for liberals - Salon.com: Send Arne Duncan to Mars!: A State of the Union wish list for liberalsWe asked left-of-center groups what they hope to hear in the president's speech tonight. Here are the best repliesPresident Obama’s address tonight will be closely watched by advocates on a wide range of issues, including some progressives who’ve
by mike simpson / 18h 
How to Steal Public Schools for Dummies (excerpts)
How to Steal Public Schools for Dummies (excerpts)Learn how to "Encourage" your local and state representative withlow upfront investments Learn Astroturf lobbyingto Beat Taxes and the IRSJust Like Michelle Rhee's Students first only BETTERAstroturf lobbying refers to political organizations or campaigns that appear to be made up of grassroots activists but are actually organized and run
by mike simpson / 19h 
1-28-14 LA School Report - USC Rossier offers new program for LA Unified charter teachers - LA School Report
USC Rossier offers new program for LA Unified charter teachers - LA School Report: USC Rossier offers new program for LA Unified charter teachersThe debate over what makes a good teacher can be, at best subjective and at worst litigious. (See Vergara v California, which got underway yesterday.) But USC’s Rossier School of Education may have cracked the code and is now partnering with Los Angeles U
by mike simpson / 20h 
GO RANDI: National teachers union leader joins protest of Newark school makeover | NJ.com
National teachers union leader joins protest of Newark school makeover | NJ.com: National teachers union leader joins protest of Newark school makeoverNEWARK — American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten returns to Newark tonight to join community members, parents and teachers to protest Superintendent Cami Anderson’s reorganization plan for the city’s schools.The protest will coinc
by mike simpson / 21h 
Morning Wink 1-28-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-28-14 Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all #EDCHAT #P2Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Houston Learned from Los Angeles What NOT to Do with TechnologyThe Los Angeles iPad program has become a national lesson in what NOT to do. Other districts, watching the slow-motion di
by mike simpson / 22h 



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Two Visions of the Federal Role :: Frederick M. Hess

Two Visions of the Federal Role :: Frederick M. Hess:



Two Visions of the Federal Role

by Frederick M. Hess  •  Jan 29, 2014 at 9:57 am
Cross-posted from Education Week


Last night, in the State of the Union, President Obama played it pretty safe when it came to education. He was for more college affordability, higher expectations and performance for K-12, and more pre-K. Not much that anyone is going to object to. Even his oblique reference to "more challenging curriculums" was pretty darn discreet, so much so that I was a little surprised to see analysis so immediately flag it as a veiled reference to the Common Core.

Obama's remarks highlighted two essential truths. First, even today, there is a surprising depth of agreement on the broad strokes of what we want in schooling. I've never met a "reformer" who wanted schooling to be just about reading and math scores, or a skeptic who didn't concede that we need to do something to ensure that a given kid isn't perpetually stuck in a dead-end classroom in a lousy school. I know no reformer who believes that teacher evaluation systems will "fix" education, or any skeptic who won't concede that we need better teacher evaluation. Heck, I don't know any conservatives who are opposed to "high-quality" pre-K--though I know many (including me) who are skeptical that a massive infusion of cash will amount to more than an ineffectual, bureaucratic mess. All the important disagreements are really about how to do these things, what we can do well, and who ought to do it.
That brings us to the second truth--which is that, even among those who broadly agree on the goals, there are big disagreements about how to get there. President Obama last night celebrated Race to the Top, credited the federal government with helping prod states to "raise expectations and performance," said the federal government would help with high school redesign and with partnering high schools with colleges, and again called for federal efforts to spur the expansion of pre-K.
In all of this, Obama has embraced the legacy of the Bush administration. Building on what Mike Petrilli and I once labeled the "Washington consensus," the Obama administration has aggressively upsized the notion that the feds need to police the states when it comes to schooling. The Bush innovation was the belief that the feds needed to require states to adopt tests, transparency, disaggregation, and particular remedies f
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LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-29-14 Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all #EDCHAT #P2

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



Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch




Dennis Van Roekel Supports Colorado Lawsuit
NEA President Dennis Van Roekel strongly supported the legal action of the Colorado Education Association against SB 191, one of the worst bills of its kind in the nation. It was written in 2010 by State Senator Michael Johnston, ex-TFA. Fully 50% of teachers’ evaluations are tied to test scores. I was in Denver the day the law passed in the Senate. Johnston and I were supposed to have a lunch de
2 by dianeravitch / 18min 

Deasy: Poverty Has No Causal Role in Low Performance
Los Angeles Superintendent John Deasy testified in the trial of the lawsuit claiming that teacher tenure violates the civil rights of students. The plaintiffs in the Vergara lawsuit want to eliminate due process so it is easier to fire teachers if their students have low test scores. Most researchers acknowledge that family income and educAtionplay a larger role in student test scores than teach
12 by dianeravitch / 1h 

Teacher: Tenure Protects Against False Accusations
From a reader: I guess the thing about tenure is this: Most critics say it protects bad teachers. In essence it is just the opposite. It protects good, excellent teachers from “helicopter parents” and personality conflicts with administrators. Say you are a clerk in a store, and a customer accuses you of being dishonest In your dealings with them. The accusation is not at all true. Do you think yo
2 by dianeravitch / 20min 

Providence Student Union: The Guinea Pigs Protest!
The creative Providence Student Union is staging another brilliant protest against high-stakes testing. It’s their lives! PRESS RELEASE CONTACT: Aaron Regunberg | Aaron@ProvidenceStudentUnion.org | (847) 809-6039 “GUINEA PIGS” PROTEST EXPERIMENTATION AT STATE HOUSE – STUDENTS, DRESSED AS LAB ANIMALS, DEMONSTRATE AGAINST HIGH-STAKES TESTING Providence, Rhode Island – January 29, 2014 – High schoo
by dianeravitch / 11min

Indiana: Legislative Committee Wants to Ban Testing for Voucher Schools
Phyllis Bush of the Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education sent word that it is -16 degrees in Fort Wayne, Indiana. But the legislature never rests, she says: “At 1:30 the Senate Education Committee will be discussing taking away the Statewide testing requirements for voucher schools. Anything for keeping the playing field level….just in case you are a glutton for punishment, here is the l
1 by dianeravitch / 6min 

Does Tenure Violate the Civil Rights of Students?
What a ridiculous claim! In a court case in California, a bevy or flock or pride of teacher-bashing organizations argue that teacher tenure violates the civil rights of students. The bevy says that bad teachers hurt students and tenure protects bad teachers. Maybe next they will sue to eliminate tenure in higher education so everyone is an adjunct. In higher education, tenure is a guarantee of a
1 by dianeravitch / 9min

The Illogic of the Néw York Times on Accountability
A few days ago, the Néw York Times published a bizarre and illogical editorial. It went like this: black and Hispanic students are very ill-prepared for college. However, the Bloomberg administration accountability program was a great success, and–except for the simplistic and failed A-F system. So, if so few students were succeeding, why is the accountability program indispensable? I posed this q
1 by dianeravitch / 14min 

Breaking News: The Hero Parents of Newark
Last night, the parents of Newark spoke out in unison against the bullying tactics of the Christie administration. As veteran journalist Bob Braun reported, state-appointed superintendent Cami Anderson stormed out of the meeting after a parent accused her of not caring as much about Newark’s children as she does about her own. The parents of Newark are fighting together against not only state co
57 by dianeravitch / 32min hide  //  save
New Jersey: Law Aims to Curb School Closings
David Sciarta of the Education Law Center in Néw Jersey wrote this description of a legislative tidal that would slow or stop school closings in state-controlled districts such as Newark. The key change is that schools may not be closed without the approval of the local board. Sciarra writes: NJ Parents Push New Bill to Regulate School Closings The wave of school closings continues to sweep acros
10 by dianeravitch / 1h 
NH Teachers Take CC Test, Find Serious Flaws
Here is a question: Answer in five sentences or less. Who decided all the students of the U.S. should be tested online? Another question: Who benefits? What can we do about it? Opt out. Teachers in Nashua, Néw Hampshire, took an early version of the online Common Core test, Smarter Balanced Assessment, and encountered multiple problems. “NASHUA – If there was any question about how well the state
21 by dianeravitch / 2h 
21st Century Child Abuse
Recently I was listening to a classical music station and heard a beautiful piece of music. The announcer said when it ended that Mozart composed it at the age of 9. I couldn’t help thinking, “but what were his test scores?” When I watched the chorus of the Celia Cruz High School sing the National Anthem at Mayor de Blasio’s inauguration, I had the same thought. It is becoming a habit. When I see
23 by dianeravitch / 3h  
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-28-14 Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Houston Learned from Los Angeles What NOT to Do with TechnologyThe Los Angeles iPad program has become a national lesson in what NOT to do. Other districts, watching the slow-motion disaster in L.A., are taking heed and planning their purchases and implementation of technology with greater care than was exercised in the nation’s se
by mike simpson / 6h 




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1-29-14 Schools Matter

Schools Matter:








A "New Master Idea" for a Religious and Militaristic Society
It became clear last night that the national nod to income inequality has conservatives and neoliberals on the search for new educational interventions that promise to bring an end to the effects of poverty without spending any money to end poverty.  David Brooks, with his kinder and gentler form of fascist educational eugenics in mind, limply chastised the President following his SOTU speech last
by Jim Horn / 17min 


In Case You Have Forgotten Why Common Core Is a Bad Idea
Knoxville, TN, November 2013:
by Jim Horn / 2min 





1-28-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: SKrashen: The Common Core: A Disaster for Libraries, A Disaster for Language Arts, a Disaster for American EducationSKrashen: The Common Core: A Disaster for Libraries, A Disaster for Language Arts, a Disaster for American Education: Stephen Krashen Knowledge Quest 42(3): 37-45 (2014). There never has been a need for the common core and there is no evidence ...by Robert D. Skeels .
by mike simpson / 6h 
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1-29-14 Wait What?

Wait What?:







Malloy dishes students, parents and teachers in political maneuver
Earlier today, Governor Malloy had the opportunity to make a meaningful statement about whether he was willing to make a real commitment to Connecticut’s students, parents, teachers and our public schools. Instead he decided to stick with Commissioner Stefan Pryor and the education reform initiatives that are undermining Connecticut public schools. For more than two […]The post Malloy dishes stude
15 by jonpelto / 1h 

In bizarre political ploy: Malloy says Delay Teacher Evaluations; Set up task force on Common Core

With the 2014 gubernatorial election ten months away, Governor Dannel Malloy held a press conference yesterday that would have made Saturday Night Live or the satirical website, The Onion, proud. Malloy removed his blinders and took out his ear plugs long enough to announce that the unfair teacher evaluation system should be delayed until after […]The post In bizarre political ploy: Malloy says De
7 by jonpelto / 41min 




1-28-14 Wait What?
Wait What?: Commissioner Pryor and entourage are the biggest threat to Malloy’s Re-election…Considering Governor Dannel Malloy won the last gubernatorial election with less than 50% of the 1.2 million votes cast and his margin of victory was only 6,404 votes, virtually anything could cost him his re-election dreams. But forget the Republicans and their propensity to snatch defeat from the jaws of
by mike simpson / 6h 


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1-29-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education:







So, Will Florida Use Tony Bennett’s Tests?
Maybe. Jeff Solochek reports that Tony Bennett’s new employer ACT Aspire has launched a website to get Florida to bite on their tests: With negotiations to become Florida’s test provider getting under way, ACT Aspire has taken the unusual step of launching a website to explain its benefits to Floridians. ACT Aspire is one of five companies hoping win the state’s lucrative contract for new standard
by Bob Sikes / 1min 

Common Core Tests “Jargon-Ridden Demagoguery” From “Testing Hacks and Their Rich Supporters”
So says history professor Terrance Moore in a two-part piece on Common Core tests that appeared in influential conservative website Townhall.com. Here’s the whole paragraph which Moore wrote after unraveling a few Common Core test close-read text questions: So what have we learned through this examination? The first lesson is that all the promises of “college and career readiness” are empty slogan
by Bob Sikes / 6min 


What It’s Like For States Not Burdened by Common Core

Florida wisely dropped the legislature’s bad idea to require Algebra II last year only to have its education commissioner tweak Common Core by putting in Calculus standards, a math domain two levels above the course the state bagged the year before. Only in a state where education policy is dominated by a former governor’s foundations and the political might of the Chamber of Commerce would such a
by Bob Sikes / 1h 


1-28-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida
Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: Florida Republican Lawmakers Devotion to STEM Conflicts With Their School Choice ObsessionThe nation’s supposed need for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) professionals drives much republican education policymaking in Florida. Governor Rick Scott turned a
by mike simpson / 6h 




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