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Saturday, January 21, 2017

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/21/17



Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/21/17

Featured Post

Michael Moore calls for mass opposition to Betsy DeVos as pushback against Trump’s education pick grows - The Washington Post





New White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer Statement: Size Matters
by mike simpson / 25min
New White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer to Deliver Statement 12117 ✔ - YouTube : New White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer Statement: Size Matters
Education leaders challenge Trump assertion that students are ‘deprived of all knowledge’ | EdSource
by mike simpson / 1h
Education leaders challenge Trump assertion that students are ‘deprived of all knowledge’ | EdSource : Education leaders challenge Trump assertion that students are 'deprived of all knowledge' In his first remarks on education after being sworn into office, President Donald Trump asserted in his inaugural address Friday that the nation’s education system is “flush with cash” and that its children
Michael Moore calls for mass opposition to Betsy DeVos as pushback against Trump’s education pick grows - The Washington Post
by mike simpson / 4h
Michael Moore calls for mass opposition to Betsy DeVos as pushback against Trump’s education pick grows - The Washington Post : Michael Moore calls for mass opposition to Betsy DeVos as pushback against Trump’s education pick grows Filmmaker Michael Moore told the crowd assembled for the Women’s March on Washington Saturday morning that they should make their top priority opposing the confirmatio
Betsy DeVos Standardized Test - The New Yorker
by mike simpson / 5h
Betsy DeVos Standardized Test - The New Yorker : BETSY DEVOS STANDARDIZED TEST 1. The price of red bell peppers is, I assume, twenty dollars per pepper. Green bell peppers seem like they’re eighteen. If my housekeeper goes to Whole Foods Market and spends an equal amount of money on green and red peppers, what is the ratio of green to red that she will cook later for my extremely rich husband and
Does Betsy DeVos Mean the End of Public Education in America? - WhoWhatWhy
by mike simpson / 5h
Does Betsy DeVos Mean the End of Public Education in America? - WhoWhatWhy : DOES BETSY DEVOS MEAN THE END OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN AMERICA? Just How Out of the Mainstream is Trump’s Chosen Education Secretary? Betsy DeVos, Trump’s pick to head the Department of Education, has long sought to end free public education and replace it with vouchers and for-profit charters — even though 85% of American
Hartford Charters fail to accept and educate Latinos and English Language Learners - Wait What?
by mike simpson / 6h
Hartford Charters fail to accept and educate Latinos and English Language Learners - Wait What? : Hartford Charters fail to accept and educate Latinos and English Language Learners As with Connecticut’s privately owned, but publicly funded, charter schools in Bridgeport, (See Bridgeport Charter Schools Discriminate Against Connecticut Children ), the charter schools in Hartford also refuse to acc
Catch up with CURMUDGUCATION
by mike simpson / 6h
CURMUDGUCATION : Catch up with CURMUDGUCATION Meanwhile In Switzerland... 2 by Peter Greene / 51min While we've been staring into the dark, distorted mirror that is our new American administration, the uber-rich and super-powerful have been gathering for the annual summit in Davos, Switzzerland. And they think the see a world a-comin' that looks very different from the one we're in. The event's o
Democrats reject her, but they helped pave the road to education nominee DeVos - The Washington Post
by mike simpson / 6h
Democrats reject her, but they helped pave the road to education nominee DeVos - The Washington Post : Democrats reject her, but they helped pave the road to education nominee DeVos It wasn’t all that long ago that it would have seemed impossible for anybody who labeled the U.S. public education system a “dead end” to be nominated as U.S. Secretary of Education, much less get support to be confir
DeVos Destruction of Michigan Public Schools Continues
by mike simpson / 7h
Michigan names 38 schools that could close over academics : Michigan names 38 schools that could close over academics The state School Reform Office today released a highly anticipated list of 38 schools targeted for potential closure. The list — which includes 16 schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District — was released months after the office warned that schools showing no academi
Betsy DeVos Won’t Shed Stake in Biofeedback Company, Filings Show - The New York Times
by mike simpson / 7h
Betsy DeVos Won’t Shed Stake in Biofeedback Company, Filings Show - The New York Times : Betsy DeVos Won’t Shed Stake in Biofeedback Company, Filings Show Betsy DeVos, the billionaire school choice advocate selected by President Donald J. Trump to serve as education secretary, is a strong supporter of using biofeedback technology to help children and teenagers enhance their performance in school.
Pussyhat Project
by mike simpson / 7h
PUSSYHAT PROJECT : PUSSYHAT PROJECT The Women's March on Washington D.C. is happening January 21, 2017! The Pussyhat Project launched Thanksgiving weekend! As of now, we have 4 days to knit , crochet , and sew 1.17 million pink pussyhats. Join the movement! Please check out The PDF to get the whole picture of what we're about. We'll be updating this website with more content SOON. Artwork by Auro
“This American carnage”: Trumplandia and the Ultimate Rise of “Careless People” | radical eyes for equity
by mike simpson / 7h
“This American carnage”: Trumplandia and the Ultimate Rise of “Careless People” | radical eyes for equity : “This American carnage”: Trumplandia and the Ultimate Rise of “Careless People” Do an Internet search for “carnage” now and the first matches are from Trump’s inauguration speech, in which he invoked “[t]his American carnage” to launch into his standard use of false claims to speak to his m
Sacramento City Unified schools chief Jose Banda will leave office at the end of the school year | The Sacramento Bee
by mike simpson / 8h
Sacramento City Unified schools chief Jose Banda will leave office at the end of the school year | The Sacramento Bee : Sacramento city schools chief to depart this summer after three years on the job Sacramento City Unified School District Superintendent José Banda said Friday he is open to other education jobs, including another superintendency, after he leaves his post this summer. Banda, 60,
Bill Maher floored by ‘nincompoop’ Betsy DeVos: ‘She had a month to bone up and she couldn’t even do that’
by mike simpson / 8h
Bill Maher floored by ‘nincompoop’ Betsy DeVos: ‘She had a month to bone up and she couldn’t even do that’ : Bill Maher floored by ‘nincompoop’ Betsy DeVos: ‘She had a month to bone up and she couldn’t even do that’ Bill Maher admitted that he didn’t know the Department of Education was a recent department in the president’s cabinet and he isn’t sure if it needs to be there. “It’s only been aroun
Diane Ravitch Notes from Inauguration Day | A site to discuss better education for all
by mike simpson / 8h
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all : Diane Ravitch Notes from Inauguration Day Peter Greene Confesses: Trump is Right: I am Flush with Cash and I Don’t Teach Anything! 6 by dianeravitch / 38min Peter Greene admits that Trump called him out. Peter is rolling in dough because he is a teacher. He has a maid and a butler and a Lexus and a BMW. His school is flush with c
Makersspace: Making Protest Posters! - SF Public School MomSF Public School Mom
by mike simpson / 8h
Makersspace: Making Protest Posters! - SF Public School MomSF Public School Mom : Makersspace: Making Protest Posters! I have to admit. I’m not usually a marching type of gal. Not that I’ve got anything against marching. I’m just not really into crowds usually. (To be honest, when I’m in a large boisterous group, you could say I’m a people person that hates people.) I don’t enjoy seeing marching
for the love of learning: You Say you want this, so why are you doing that...Redux
by mike simpson / 8h
for the love of learning: You Say you want this, so why are you doing that...Redux : You Say you want this, so why are you doing that...Redux It is with mixed emotions that I write on Joe’s blog today. His wife Tamara has asked me to do this, and I feel ready just after a year of losing my best friend. Joe Bower will always have a profound impact on my life, just like he has on many people he cam
Trump says our schools are “Flush with Cash!?” They’re Falling Apart! | gadflyonthewallblog
by mike simpson / 8h
Trump says our schools are “Flush with Cash!?” They’re Falling Apart! | gadflyonthewallblog : Trump says our schools are “Flush with Cash!?” They’re Falling Apart! Donald Trump lies. If you haven’t learned that yet, America, you’ve got four more cringe-inducing years to do so. Even in his inaugural address , he couldn’t help but let loose a whooper about US public schools. “Americans want great s
CURMUDGUCATION: Confessions of a Trumpistan Teacher
by mike simpson / 9h
CURMUDGUCATION: Confessions of a Trumpistan Teacher : Confessions of a Trumpistan Teacher Look, give me just a few minutes. I need to tell someone. Well, I screwed up. Understand, I was on edge. Maria didn't get our cups of espresso out on the veranda until a full minute after she had served the toast, and the toast was already cold. Do you know how hard it is to spread the butter when the toast

YESTERDAY

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/20/17
by mike simpson / 23h
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/20/17 Featured Post No Struggle, No Progress — 50+ Organizations Working to Defend and Improve Public Education Seattle Schools Community Forum: Student Walkouts on 

Top Posts This Week


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New White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer Statement: Size Matters

New White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer to Deliver Statement 12117 ✔ - YouTube:

New White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer Statement:  Size Matters








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Education leaders challenge Trump assertion that students are ‘deprived of all knowledge’ | EdSource

Education leaders challenge Trump assertion that students are ‘deprived of all knowledge’ | EdSource:

Education leaders challenge Trump assertion that students are 'deprived of all knowledge'



 In his first remarks on education after being sworn into office, President Donald Trump asserted in his inaugural address Friday that the nation’s education system is “flush with cash” and that its children are being “deprived of all knowledge.”
Not deprived of some knowledge, or even most knowledge. But deprived of all knowledge.
It is impossible to dismiss what he said as a misstatement, or that it was an off-the-cuff comment made in the heat of a campaign speech. Inaugural addresses are written for posterity, and every word is mulled over, reviewed and approved by speechwriters and advisers. Trump also used a teleprompter, and read his speech flawlessly.
Education leaders in California interviewed by EdSource reacted strongly to Trump’s assertions, which they said were unfounded.


“Just like his nominee for secretary of education Betsy DeVos, our new president has confirmed in his inaugural remarks that he, too, knows nothing about public education in America,” said Carl Cohn, executive director of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, a new state agency charged with assisting California schools to improve, and a former superintendent at Long Beach Unified and San Diego Unified.
David Plank, executive director of Policy Analysis for California Education, a joint project of UC Berkeley, Stanford University and the University of California, said that Trump’s remarks were consist with GOP education platforms.
“He is is simply restating something that many in his party have been saying for 30 years,” said Plank.  “You can draw a straight line from the claim Education leaders challenge Trump assertion that students are ‘deprived of all knowledge’ | EdSource:

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Michael Moore calls for mass opposition to Betsy DeVos as pushback against Trump’s education pick grows - The Washington Post

Michael Moore calls for mass opposition to Betsy DeVos as pushback against Trump’s education pick grows - The Washington Post:

Michael Moore calls for mass opposition to Betsy DeVos as pushback against Trump’s education pick grows

Filmmaker Michael Moore told the crowd assembled for the Women’s March on Washington Saturday morning that they should make their top priority opposing the confirmation of President Trump’s nominee to run the Education Department, Betsy DeVos.
“On Monday, call (202) 225-3121. Call your representative and your two Senators, and number one we do not accept Betty DeVos as our secretary of education,” Moore said. “That’s day one. Make it part of your daily routine.”
[See live coverage of the Women’s March on Washington]
After a highly contentious Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday, during which she displayed a lack of understanding of basic education issues, DeVos is facing growing opposition to her nomination as President Trump’s education secretary — including from groups that largely support the same issues she does. And now she will have to wait longer than expected for the Senate education committee to decide on her confirmation: Shortly after her ethics review was made public Friday, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), moved the vote back one week amid calls from Democrats for more time to vet her.
[Six astonishing things Betsy DeVos said — and refused to say — at her confirmation hearing]
Opposition to DeVos’s nomination has been growing since her Jan. 17 Senate committee confirmation hearing, where, under tough questioning, she raised concerns among Democrats with her answers about special education funding, guns in schools, and her position on whether to continue the department’s aggressive stance against sexual assault. A handful of petitions have been gathering a mountain of signatures against her confirmation, including one by the Michael Moore calls for mass opposition to Betsy DeVos as pushback against Trump’s education pick grows - The Washington Post:

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Betsy DeVos Standardized Test - The New Yorker

Betsy DeVos Standardized Test - The New Yorker:

BETSY DEVOS STANDARDIZED TEST



1. The price of red bell peppers is, I assume, twenty dollars per pepper. Green bell peppers seem like they’re eighteen. If my housekeeper goes to Whole Foods Market and spends an equal amount of money on green and red peppers, what is the ratio of green to red that she will cook later for my extremely rich husband and me?


(a) 1:1

(b) 3:4

(c) 10:9

(d) 20:18

Answer: (d). My family deserves a lot of bell peppers.



2. Let’s say you have a 3.4 G.P.A. at Trump University during your first semester of enrollment. In order to receive the 4.0 Golden Real-Estate Plaque instead of a diploma, you must pay for at least seven more semesters. What does your average G.P.A. need to be to warrant this great honor?

(a) 3.4

 (b) 3.5

 (c) 3.6

 (d) None of the above

Answer: (d). This is impossible, unless you are offering to pay for a few extra semesters, in which case this will be very possible.



3. Your current school, P.S. 132, is receiving ten per cent of its funding from the federal government. If I want to shut it down and turn it into a private school, I will personally save money.


(a) True

 (b) False

Answer: (a). The taxpayer, who both President Trump and I definitely are, will no longer have to pay for your sad education.



4. Should the scores from this test later be used to determine your proficiency or your growth?

(a) Proficiency

 (b) Growth

 (c) Yes

Answer: (c)?



5. If you accrue thirty thousand dollars in student loans attending your local university, then pursue a career that doesn’t pay seven figures, like, immediately, how much money will you eventually have to pay a debt collector—let’s call it Not DeVos Corporation—after adding, oh, I don’t know, fifty per cent to the balance?


(a) My friends have Pell Grants

 (b) forty-five thousand dollars

 (c) What is a Pell Grant?

 (d) ??

Answer: (b). But please answer (a) and (c) for extra credit.



6. A local high-school principal has with him a grizzly bear, a bag of beans, and a gun. He must use a boat to cross the river beside his home, but the boat can only hold him and one of the other items. How can he cross the river and transport what he needs?

(a) He can take the bag of beans first.

 (b) He can take the gun first.

 (c) He can take the bear first.

 (d) He can shoot the bear, like he is supposed to, according to his job description, and then take the beans home and leave the gun at school. (He doesn’t need to bring the bear carcass home.)

Answer: (d). Confidently, (d).

Betsy DeVos Standardized Test - The New Yorker:

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Does Betsy DeVos Mean the End of Public Education in America? - WhoWhatWhy

Does Betsy DeVos Mean the End of Public Education in America? - WhoWhatWhy:

DOES BETSY DEVOS MEAN THE END OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN AMERICA?
Just How Out of the Mainstream is Trump’s Chosen Education Secretary?

Betsy DeVos, Trump’s pick to head the Department of Education, has long sought to end free public education and replace it with vouchers and for-profit charters — even though 85% of American kids attend public schools.
She and her family have spent a considerable amount of their $5 billion fortune trying to spread God’s kingdom in their Michigan schools and have created the largest voucher system for religious schools.
Separation of church and state in education is not something that DeVos believes in.
Diane Ravitch, Ph.D., a former Assistant Secretary of Education and long-time education historian, author and professor, points out in this week’s podcast that DeVos is so far out of the mainstream that even charter groups, like the Massachusetts Charter Movement, are opposing her nomination.
Dr. Ravitch tells host Jeff Schechtman that while DeVos can do considerable damage to our nation’s education system as well as staff and teacher morale, she won’t be able to do much about Trump’s long-time whipping post of Common Core.
A set of national standards evolved during the Obama administration, Common Core is directed by the individual states. It’s now beyond the control of the Department of Education.
All this upheaval comes at a time when technological and social disruption puts more pressure on the importance of a broad-based public education for the next generation.
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Hartford Charters fail to accept and educate Latinos and English Language Learners - Wait What?

Hartford Charters fail to accept and educate Latinos and English Language Learners - Wait What?:

Hartford Charters fail to accept and educate Latinos and English Language Learners



As with Connecticut’s privately owned, but publicly funded, charter schools in Bridgeport, (See Bridgeport Charter Schools Discriminate Against Connecticut Children), the charter schools in Hartford also refuse to accept and educate students who require help learning the English language and those who need special education services.
Connecticut charter schools already collect more than $100 million in scarce public funds from the state of Connecticut, diverting money away from the real public schools that do fulfil their responsibility to accept and educate all students.
Instead of meeting their obligation to their communities, charter schools discriminate against children in need – all in an attempt to boost their test scores.
The following chart highlights how Hartford’s charter schools are failing the capital city’s children,
Hartford% English Language Learners% Special Education
Hartford Public Schools18%16%
Jumoke Charter School0%6%
Achievement First Inc. – Hartford6%9%

Also, just as with the charter schools in Bridgeport, charter schools institute unfair and discriminatory discipline policies designed to force out children who require additional services and attention.
For example,
Achievement First Inc. – Hartford suspends English Language Learners 66% more than Hartford public schools.
Achievement First Inc. – Hartford suspends special education students 83% more than Hartford public schools.
Hartford Charters fail to accept and educate Latinos and English Language Learners - Wait What?:

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