Thursday, May 30, 2013

Stop the lies being told by organizations such as Parent Revolution
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
5:30pm-7:30pm
Haddon Avenue Elementary School
10115 Haddon Avenue,
Pacoima, CA 91331

Our community our decision: Rally in the Valley by Robert D. Skeels

Guest Speakers: Parents from Adelanto Desert Trails Elementary. Principal & Teachers from Weigand Elementary. Parents from Haddon Avenue Elementary.
Hosted by Valley Parents Association "Advocates for Safer, College and Career ready schools for our children"

Our community our decision, get involved.
Find out what is happening in our schools.
Stop the lies! hear the truth.
Stop the lies being told by organizations such as Parent Revolution. Hear the truth from people who have been affected.
Stop dividing our community.
Outside organizations GET OUT of our SCHOOLS!!
Save our schools!!!
Parents, Teachers, Community Members united for Education. Together we can build GREAT schools without the influence of outside organizations

All Education Matters: What is the most outrageous thing a student loan debt collector has said to you?

All Education Matters: What is the most outrageous thing a student loan debt collector has said to you?:

What is the most outrageous thing a student loan debt collector has said to you?

by Cryn Johannsen

When I first began speaking to members of the indentured educated class, I was outraged by the things that debt collectors said to them on the phone. So many awful, awful things were said, just to try and squeeze money out of people who made it clear to these loan sharks that they were struggling and simply unable to pay them the amount they were demanding. As many of us are aware, these are the precariat pitted against the precariat, making them a very ruthless bunch.

One woman told me that a debt collector said to her, "Wow, looking at how high your student loans are, you'd be better off finding a rich husband."

On that note, what is the most outrageous thing a debt collector has said to you? What sort of threats have you received?

"Sure, sweetie! I'll just marry a MAN to pay off my loans. That's a SWELL idea!"

Divestiture: They vote with their feet, Catherine Ferguson Academy (CFA) Students & Supporters Walk Out to Demand a Real Education, Not Fake Education on the Cheap | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News

Divestiture: They vote with their feet, Catherine Ferguson Academy (CFA) Students & Supporters Walk Out to Demand a Real Education, Not Fake Education on the Cheap | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News:

Divestiture: They vote with their feet, Catherine Ferguson Academy (CFA) Students & Supporters Walk Out to Demand a Real Education, Not Fake Education on the Cheap

by Danny Weil

In the past I have written extensively on Detroit schools and especially the Catherine Ferguson Academy (CFA) (google Detroit Schools, Dailycensored.com).

Well, Detroit once again is leading a process of needed divestment from the ravages of privatization. And, By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) is once again leading the pack with suppo

rt from community leaders, parents and students.

TODAY: Thursday May 30, 2013 10:30AM in front of Catherine Ferguson Academy, 2750 Selden Detroit MI

Contact: Monica Smith 313-585-3637

Catherine Ferguson Academy (CFA) students are outraged at the blatant attempt of school administration and CNN to pass off a virtually nonexistent academic curriculum as a “Thinking School”.

Rather than participating in the cover-up photo opportunities happening at CFA today, students and their supporters are walking out in protest of this cover up and are demanding a return to actual academic

Assembly Approves Overhaul of School Testing - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

Assembly Approves Overhaul of School Testing - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education):

Assembly Approves Overhaul of Public School Testing

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Applauds Move to College, Career Readiness

SACRAMENTO—Legislation sponsored by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson to create a new statewide assessment system using computer-based exams that would measure and promote student progress toward career and college readiness was approved today by the state Assembly.

Assembly Bill 484 (Bonilla) would limit the use of outdated Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) system tests for the 2013-14 school year and begin statewide use of new assessments aligned to California's Common Core State Standards in 2014-15.

"I'm gratified that the Assembly agrees that California's students deserve new assessments that gauge their knowledge of the real-world skills that open the door to success in a career and in college," Torlakson said. "These new assessments will ask students to reason through complex problems and think in-depth, giving teachers new insights and new tools to improve learning."

Torlakson's proposal would retain assessments required to meet federal mandates or those administered under the Early Assessment Program, as the state moves to put in place tests developed by the Smarter Balanced consortium. California serves as one of the governing states in the consortium.

AB 484 would establish the California Measurement of Academic Performance and Progress for the 21st Century (CALMAPP21), including the use of the Smarter Balanced assessments, to replace the existing STAR program.

The legislation is based on Torlakson's recommendations contained in his

Recommendations for Transitioning California to a Future Assessment System (PDF; 3MB) released in January to guide the process of reauthorizing and revamping California's statewide assessment system, which currently sunsets on July 1, 2014.

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Ed Notes Online: DOE Allows Charter Schools to Set Up Stealth Pre-K programs to Further Undermine Public Schools

Ed Notes Online: DOE Allows Charter Schools to Set Up Stealth Pre-K programs to Further Undermine Public Schools:

DOE Allows Charter Schools to Set Up Stealth Pre-K programs to Further Undermine Public Schools

by ed notes online

DOE is approving over 400,000 thousand dollars to PAVE for their pre-k program. They are getting about 30,000 less than PS 15 does for Pre-K, but we run 4 classes and PAVE will run 3..... Public school administrators all over this city must fight or beg for every resource they bring to their schools, while charter school operators clearly have people in high places simply making things happen for them, regardless of laws, procedure, or decency.... Teacher at PS 15K

The criminals at Tweed are at it again. And where is the UFT on these blatant thefts of kids out of public schools? The charter lobby push to get their mitts on pre-k is getting intense. If they can steal these kids right off then they capture the early creaming crowd.

From my very first day of teaching we learned that the kids who registered for pre-k ended up being the top performing kids in our school for the rest of the time they were there. They made up the "one" class while the

The “BIG IDEAS BOX" — Whole Child Education

The “BIG IDEAS BOX" — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

The “BIG IDEAS BOX”

May 30, 2013 by Fred Zilian

When teaching history, it is very easy to get caught up and lost in all the details of a particular lesson. Especially drawn to political, diplomatic, and military history, I have found myself spending far too much time in my Western Civilization courses on the fine points of the diplomatic maneuverings of the Congress of Vienna or of the tactical skill of Hannibal during the Second Punic War. To ensure that my students have the big picture:

At the outset of the course, I ensure that they understand the critical overarching themes and questions of the course;
At the start of each lesson, I indicate which of these are present in the day's lesson; and finally,
I require each student to have a "BIG IDEAS BOX."

At the beginning of all my history courses, I present my overarching themes including the types of history that we shall be studying such as political, economic, social, cultural, military, technological, religious, and intellectual history. In addition to these themes, I also indicate that we shall be using our author's (Jackson Spielvogel) expanded definition of "civilization" in which he specifies the six themes that all civilizations tend to share: urban focus, a distinct religious structure, new political and military structures, a new social structure, the development of writing, and new forms of significant artistic and intellectual activity.

Second, I introduce the two overarching questions which a critical mind should have at the ready, no matter what type of history, no matter what level of history: the "WHY" Question and the "SO WHAT?" question. The first helps us to plunge deeper in the historical matter beyond the who, what, where, and when to deeper levels of causal analysis, an important skill for all students of history to develop. I have found the more the students understand causality, the more interesting they find history. The second question forces us to

NYC Educator: Getting Ready for Reformy John King's Plan

NYC Educator: Getting Ready for Reformy John King's Plan:

Getting Ready for Reformy John King's Plan

by NYC Educator

The administrators in my building are hard at work figuring out just what the hell they are going to tell us at PD next week. They're looking at Danielson, and figuring out how we can meet whatever requirements the DOE has told them Danielson demands.

Now the geniuses at the DOE, because they know everything about teaching and learning, have determined that observations should take only 15 minutes. Therefore, if Danielson demands kids turn and talk, you'd better have a lesson plan that allows them to do so in any 15-minute segment of your lesson. In fact, allow is not the proper word. You'd better compel them.

UFT says a lesson should be an entire lesson, rather than a 15-minute drive-by. I agree, particularly during a year when we're going to be judged by a system with no more reliability than voodoo. I fully expect Reformy John to agree with Bloomberg, no matter how stupid his ideas are, because Bloomberg's ideas will be more reformy than those of the UFT. So I guess my kids had better be asking questions, using the proper degrees of knowledge and whatnot, or I'll be selling pencils on the corner pretty soon.

This will be a tough feat for me, as I English to people who mostly don't speak it. In fact, because most of my

Hart, Weingarten, and Power Point Deception | deutsch29

Hart, Weingarten, and Power Point Deception | deutsch29:

Hart, Weingarten, and Power Point Deception

by deutsch29

Randi Weingarten really wants to promote the illusion that teachers have bought into the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). She hired Hart Research Associates to conduct a survey of AFT membership regarding perceptions about CCSS, and Hart did so March 27 – 30, 2013. Weingarten has used this survey as a platform to proclaim that “75% of AFT teachers surveyed support the Common Core.” But it is a lie, and I can prove it using a single Power Point slide composed by Hart for AFT and promoted by AFT and comparing that slide to the actual survey question.
I have written about other issues related to the Hart/AFT survey, but the gross manipulation of the survey result I will show in this post trumps all.

Proper Reporting of Survey Results

The National Council on Public Polls (NCPP) was established in 1969 to “set the highest professional standards for public opinion pollsters.” Its membership includes 27 polling organizations, including ABC News, Annenberg

How to File a Freedom of Information Request | The Network For Public Education

How to File a Freedom of Information Request | The Network For Public Education:

How to File a Freedom of Information Request

by admin

By Jonathan Pelto (www.jonathanpelto.com)

When it comes to standing up to the education reform industry and their allies in state and local government, one of the most powerful tools for edu-bloggers and advocacy journalists is to utilize state-level freedom of information laws. Freedom of Information requests, or FOIAs, give us the power to see into the dark places.
While opponents to open government and honesty are hard at work trying to water-down sunshine laws across the country, most states still have relatively good laws on the books that ensure that citizens have the right to obtain public records. Here are some tips to help get you started. If you’d like more information, or need help filing a request, feel free to contact me at jonpelto@gmail.com.
What’s the best way to get started?
Although laws differ from state to state, start with your state’s Freedom of Information office, FOI laws generally

Jersey Jazzman: Rick Hess Just Makes Stuff Up

Jersey Jazzman: Rick Hess Just Makes Stuff Up:

Rick Hess Just Makes Stuff Up

by Duke

Rick Hess (artist's conception)

How do you rise to the top of the eduwonky world? Make stuff up.

Look at Rick Hess: since returning from his "hiatus," he's posted ten times on his blog. The posts include:

- A made up interview with an "insincere reformer," lamely attempting to mock the critics of corporate reform.

- A made up Twitter exchange between several known voices in the reform debate; none of the quotes appear to be verbatim.

- A made up conference call transcript between the Chiefs For Change.

Oh, and Rick also posits that John Merrow is secretly in love with Michelle Rhee, which explains why Merrow is

Principal removal and REAL parent empowerment | Parents Across America

Principal removal and REAL parent empowerment | Parents Across America:

Principal removal and REAL parent empowerment

by pureparents

Last week, a Parent Revolution-backed petition drive collected enough signatures to force out the well-respected principal of Weigand Avenue Elementary School in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. According to the article, 21 out of 22 teachers at the school have asked for transfers in protest.

That’s parent empowerment?

We’re sceptical, in part because of the many deceptive tactics used by the well-funded Parent Revolution astroturfers – most recently exposed here for paying their so-called parent activists to promote the disastrous “Won’t Back Down” movie and to go around the U.S. testifying about the parent trigger. We also know that parents have little or no voice in the running of charter schools, which is the form of “reform” Parent Revolution prefers.

For contrast, let’s take a look at how Chicago’s local school council (LSC) model addresses the need for strong principal leadership. PAA supports the LSC as a model for effective parent empowerment – see our position paper, The Empowerment Parents Want: The LSC Model for School Reform.

Local School Councils (LSCs) were created by the Chicago School Reform law of 1988 in response to frustration with the lack of progress and accountability in Chicago’s public schools. LSCs are duly-elected bodies at nearly every Chicago Public Schools (CPS) elementary, middle and high school. Unlike other

Diane in the Evening 5-30-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

Where Is the Support for Our Children?

by dianerav

This teacher describes how the testing mania–the evil spawn of No Child Left Behind–has consumed his school without changing the odds against the students. They are still behind and certain to remain far behind.
He writes:
I teach fourth grade in a Philadelphia public school. Though the school has made AYP for the past two years, most of the students are not performing at grade level in math or reading. So, at this school, like most urban schools, the standardized tests have become our god, informing every aspect of our teaching.

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-30-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] NC Teacher: How Our Legislature Is Driving Bad Policy by dianerav Could things get worse in North Carolina? Here, a teacher describes the bills that are moving towards passage, all of which will undermine public schools and transfer public funds to private corporations. Why Is Philadelphia in Crisis? by dianerav Philadelphia is once again facing catastrophic budget cuts that threaten to gut public education. Who is killing Philadelphia’s schools, asks journalist... more »

Louisiana Education Superintendent John White denies allegations of high school test score cover-up | NOLA.com

Louisiana Education Superintendent John White denies allegations of high school test score cover-up | NOLA.com:

Louisiana Education Superintendent John White addresses inflated test scores before Senate panel

Lauren McGaughy, NOLA.com | The Times Picayune By Lauren McGaughy, NOLA.com | The Times Picayune
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on May 30, 2013 at 12:57 PM, updated May 30, 2013 at 1:43 PM

Louisiana's top education official on Thursday denied allegations that his department intentionally inflated high school test scores and then covered up that inflation, after a high school teacher lobbed accusations during a Senate committee meeting earlier this month.

"There wasn't any intent to cover anything up," State Superintendent of Education John White told the Senate Committee on Education Thursday morning.

White was responding to accusations by a high school band and math teacher from Caldwell Parish, Herb Bassett, who said during a May 1 committee meeting that the Department of Education improperly inflated high school exit numbers and end of course test scores and then concealed it.

The accusations were extensively documented on LouisianaVoice, a blog operated by former Capitol News Service head Tom Aswell, and thoroughly discussed in the halls of the Capitol.

Bassett, who had been charged by his school principal to look into his students' test scores and how to improve them, said his research "revealed deceit, distortion, manipulation of scores and data

The Dramatic Retreat from Funding Equity in New Jersey: Evidence from the Census Fiscal Survey | School Finance 101

The Dramatic Retreat from Funding Equity in New Jersey: Evidence from the Census Fiscal Survey | School Finance 101:

The Dramatic Retreat from Funding Equity in New Jersey: Evidence from the Census Fiscal Survey

by schoolfinance101

I have explained in numerous previous posts how New Jersey is among those states that operates a reasonably progressive state school finance system, that New Jersey, throughout the 1990s and early 2000s put the effort into disrupting the relationship between local community income and school spending. And, during that period, New Jersey’s low income students appear to have experienced some gains, at least when compared with other demographically similar states. Massachusetts, like New Jersey, also improved the progressiveness of its state school funding system over the same period, but Connecticut not so much. Here are some figures from a previous post:
Figure 1. Disrupting the relationship between income and school spending 1990 to 2004

Figure 2. NAEP Gains of Children qualified for

Dems’ supermajority doesn’t preclude real differences on budget with Brown SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources:

Dems’ supermajority doesn’t preclude real differences on budget with Brown

Even as a key state Senate committee engaged last week in a thorough rebuke of Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan for restructuring school finance, panel chair Mark Leno noted that legislative leaders probably still agree with 96 percent of what the governor has proposed.

The observation would seem out of context to developments in recent days as lawmakers in both houses adopted confrontational spending plans that will add billions in spending beyond what Brown has said he would support – and would also tinker with programs that the governor has already warned will provoke the “battle of their lives.”

While it might seem unlikely that Democrats, who control both houses, as well as the governor’s office won’t be able to sort out a compromise before the June 15 deadline, some observe that the divide among allies is real and the politics complicated.

“Just because there’s a Democratic supermajority – it doesn’t mean all Democrats agree,” said Barbara O’Connor, emeritus professor of communications at California State University, Sacramento and a long-time student of California politics.

“It is a battle over priorities,” she said. “The governor wants to see a conservative fiscal budget that will ensure forward growth – something I don’t think any Democrat in the Legislature would disagree with. The question is, how do you

Study looks at teacher evaluations in ‘untested’ early grades

So far 20 states and the District of Columbia have requirements that student learning play a role in the evaluation of teacher performance. Setting aside the many problems and uncertainties of the mandates, a new study out this month focuses attention on how an evaluation system can be applied to grades not included in statewide testing programs.

ALLEGED:Latino Students Discriminated Against in Louisiana Schools | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com

ALLEGED:Latino Students Discriminated Against in Louisiana Schools | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com:

ALLEGED: Latino Students Discriminated Against in Louisiana Head Start Programs

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLU) and other civil rights organizations are alleging head start centers in the Jefferson Parish in Louisiana are discriminating against Latino families.
Apparently only Latino families are being asked to provide proof of citizenship to enroll in the federally funded pre-school program states a complaint filed by the SPLU. The government program does not have a citizenship requirement it simply requires proof of residence, income and proof of child’s age.
SPLU is representing several Latino families that were denied the opportunity to apply to their local Head Start program and/or “were discouraged” from applying because they lacked citizenship papers. Furthermore the complain alleges: “Head Start personnel refused to accept the applications of these families without proof of Louisiana photo IDs, despite the fact that they provided proof of Jefferson Parish residency by way of utility bills.”
This is the second time that Jefferson Parish’s treatment of Latinos getting national attention. Last year the

The importance of dissent and resistance - Wait, What?

The importance of dissent and resistance - Wait, What?:

The importance of dissent and resistance

by jonpelto

Carmen Lopez, the retired Connecticut judge, life-long Bridgeport resident and leading voice in opposition to the on-going attempt to destroy public education in Connecticut has written a “must read” column in the Connecticut Post.

It is an elegant and moving explanation about why we are fighting so hard against the likes of Malloy, Finch, Pryor and Vallas.

In fact, it is right up there with two profound quotes that I keep on my desk:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” –Mahatma Gandhi

And from Judge Lopez, a piece that is equally powerful, profound and worth keeping on

Latest grades for state charters: Proverbial mixed bag | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

Latest grades for state charters: Proverbial mixed bag | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com:

Get Schooled: Latest grades for state charters: Proverbial mixed bag

Walter Jones of Morris News has an interesting story on the charter schools approved by the state Charter Schools Commission.

Walter Jones of Morris News has an interesting story on the charter schools approved by the state Charter Schools Commission.

Please keep in mind that these schools represent only a fraction of the state's charter schools, most of which are approved by local boards of education. This story is about the handful of charter schools that were turned down by local school boards and appealed to the state commission, which has the power -- recently restored by a constitutional amendment -- to overrule local denials and approve and fund charter schools

Here is an excerpt of his story in the Augusta Chronicle: (Please read full story before commenting.)

Roughly one out of every three schools chartered by the state scored better in Georgia’s new ranking than the districts those schools are located in, the State Charter Schools Commission learned Wednesday. That also means that two out of every three scored worse. One school matched the score of its home district.

The commission’s executive director Bonnie Holliday

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-30-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, May 30, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 minutes ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Thursday, May 30, 2013* In California, incarcerated students fall through gaps in special education laws California and federal laws allow students with disabilities to receive special education until age 22. But the laws are vague enough that deciding who should provide that education is unclear. Budget forecast to benefit Ventura schools After years of cuts, Ventura schools face a fiscal future with improved fortunes. Conejo Valley school board accepts $10.1 million bid for Kelley Road property The Cone... more »

Moving Beyond the Textbook: Closing the Book on the Textbook-Dependent Classroom — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago

Moving Beyond the Textbook: Closing the Book on the Textbook-Dependent Classroom — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Rich McKinney]Moving Beyond the Textbook: Closing the Book on the Textbook-Dependent Classroom May 30, 2013 by Rich McKinney A few weeks ago I was watching as my daughters were working through drills during their weekly tennis lessons. I observed a group of elementary kids dutifully take their places, hit the ball, and then move to the next station. It was simple, efficient, and monotonous. Though they were learning the basics of tennis, the kids sim... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Where's the outrage over Kirk's jail-'em-all' plan?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 minutes ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Where's the outrage over Kirk's jail-'em-all' plan?: Where's the outrage over Kirk's jail-'em-all' plan? by Mike Klonsky Sens. Durbin & Kirk proposing the jailing of 18,000 more black men. (Sun-Times) Thanks to Congressman *Bobby Rush* for using plain talk to discredit *Sen. Mark Kirk's* latest plan to imprison 18,000 more young black men in Chicago. Rush called it "Kirk’s ‘white boy’ gang plan." As usual, the Sun-Times comments section is filled with racist remarks and obscenities aimed at our heroic congressman. No one, it seems, is outraged over t... more »

The toll high-stakes tests take on non-traditional learners (and their teachers)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago

The toll high-stakes tests take on non-traditional learners (and their teachers): The toll high-stakes tests take on non-traditional learners (and their teachers) By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 30, 2013 at 11:00 amE-mail the writer [image: sols]Bobbi Snow is the co-founder of The Community Public Charter School, an arts-infused, literacy-focused school for non-traditional learners in Charlottesville, Va., open to all Albemarle County middle school students. Snow wrote the following piece while recently proctoring Virginia’s high-stakes Standards of Learning exams, whic... more »

Jesse Hagopian’s new website: I AM AN EDUCATOR | Seattle Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago

Jesse Hagopian’s new website: I AM AN EDUCATOR | Seattle Education: Jesse Hagopian’s new website: I AM AN EDUCATOR by seattleducation2011 Jesse Hagopian’s new website: I AM AN EDUCATOR [image: iamaneducator_photo] I AM AN EDUCATOR is a new website dedicated defending the humanity of the educator and a vision of education that contributes to creating a socially just society. [image: iamaman2] On February 1, 1968, two Memphis garbage collectors, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were crushed to death by a malfunctioning garbage truck. Outraged by the city’s response–in what was a... more »

Warning to Chicago about threat to student privacy Parents United for Responsible Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Warning to Chicago about threat to student privacy: Warning to Chicago about threat to student privacy by admin [image: Telescope 2]From NYC’s Leonie Haimson: Dear Karen Lewis and other Chicago friends and allies (among the SOS folks): Thank you for fighting so valiantly to preserve public education in Chicago. We are all with you in spirit. I wanted to alert you to yet another real threat to your schools. Yesterday, Stephanie Simon of Reuters revealed that at least four states have pulled out of the data mining Gates-funded op... more »

Understanding the Chiefs for Change on Common Core Accountability "Hiatus" :: Frederick M. Hess

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 27 minutes ago

Understanding the Chiefs for Change on Common Core Accountability "Hiatus" :: Frederick M. Hess: Understanding the Chiefs for Change on Understanding the Chiefs for Change on Common Core Accountability "Hiatus" On Tuesday, CCSSO waded into the Common Core "hiatus" discussion, issuing a thoughtful paper which argued that states should proceed with sensible flexibility and called on Secretary Duncan to exercise restraint when interpreting promises coerced by ED... Accountability "Hiatus" On Tuesday, CCSSO waded into the Common Core "hiatus" discussion, issuing a thoughtful paper wh... more »

Daily Kos: Exit Exams Have Failed Students, Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Daily Kos: Exit Exams Have Failed Students, Education: Exit Exams Have Failed Students, Education by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) As the first decade of the twenty-first century drew to an end, Frederick Douglass High School (Maryland) stood as a contradiction of social history, education and racial promise, the claimed failures of public schools, and the essential flaws in high-stakes accountability. Focusing on Douglass High, documentarians Alan and Susan Raymond detail the realities of both day-to-day schooling in a high-poverty, majority-minority public schools and the uninte... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: What is going on with special education?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: What is going on with special education?: What is going on with special education? by stlgretchen Something is happening with special education. Seemingly random reports are coming in, from parents with children who receive special services from school, showing that those services are changing. Is this part of a bigger picture? In one district they are consolidating IEP's for third and fourth graders because they are switching to a "standardized" IEP report. Even teachers are unclear where this "standardized" report form is coming from. In another d... more »

Follow-up: Title I Funding DOES NOT Make Rich States Richer! | School Finance 101

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Follow-up: Title I Funding DOES NOT Make Rich States Richer! | School Finance 101: Follow-up: Title I Funding DOES NOT Make Rich States Richer! by schoolfinance101 [image: Slide3] In one of my earliest posts, I took on a myth created and shared by many DC Think Tanks that the Title I funding formula inappropriately favors “rich states” and school districts in urban areas. This myth has its origins in a handful of policy papers and poorly constructed analyses, some of which eventually made into print – albeit in law review journals that tend to be light on reviewing quantitative ev... more »

UPDATE: Rebranding Rahm. + “Good morning Senator Martinez. Vote no.” | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

“Good morning Senator Martinez. Vote no.” | Fred Klonsky: Rebranding Rahm. by Fred Klonsky [image: rebranding] *“It is a new beginning. We are putting the past behind us, it is time to turn the page,”* said CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett. Hmmmm. Not so fast. With at least three federal court challenges to the largest school closing in American history, the past is still the present and the future. The communities, the parents, the students and the teachers are not quite ready to turn the page yet. That’s what is happening in the courts. There is also what is happening in the streets. Ch... more »

Can Schools Overcome Poverty and Racism? - Bridging Differences - Education Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Can Schools Overcome Poverty and Racism? - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Can Schools Overcome Poverty and Racism? by Deborah Meier Dear Michael, I just recently wrote a blog column for my website (deborahmeier.com) about the problem I have with data—the "facts." Still, I'm not an atheist about data, just an agnostic, including data in the form of graphs. Graphs can correlate, but they cannot tell us what poverty does to people. My interpretation of the data leads me to suggest that "my" reforms are better than "yours." (I've spent too many years in the schoolyard!) So, fi... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-30-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Louisiana Believes Course Choice Providers Should Defraud the State | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Louisiana Believes Course Choice Providers Should Defraud the State | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Louisiana Believes Course Choice Providers Should Defraud the State by crazycrawfish [image: Actual FastPath recruit] It’s become increasingly clear that Louisiana believes that a certain amount of fraud, waste, and graft is a good thing, and a lot of any of these things is a whole lot better! From the outset, Course Choice (ala carte online courses children can take to supplement their educational diets paid for by tax payers) has been fraught with what most states would consider scandalou... more »

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: From “Surplussed” to “Excessed:” Dumped Memphis Teachers Go to Court by Jim Horn With the blessing of Bill Gates and State Commissioner, Kevin (formerly Mister Michelle Rhee) Huffman, principals across Memphis and Shelby County are illegally dumping hundreds of tenured teachers in favor of TFA, TeachPlus, and TeachMemphis corporate missionaries, who are hired to instill in Memphis’ impoverished children the corporate psychology that can be summed up as “you can […] Enough of the “I am a white person and I refuse to acknowledge the opportun... more »

The biggest irony in Chicago’s mass closing of schools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

The biggest irony in Chicago’s mass closing of schools: The biggest irony in Chicago’s mass closing of schools By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 30, 2013 at 5:00 amE-mail the writer 2 Comments More [image: President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. (ed.gov)] President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. (ed.gov) There’s some deep irony in this: In 2002, Arne Duncan, then the head of the Chicago public schools system, announced that he was closing three elementary schools because they had been failing students for years. It was the start of a strategy of closing down s... more »

solidaridad: @TCFKSM: Alexander Russo's vicious attack on Weigand Elementary School Teachers

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

solidaridad: @TCFKSM: Alexander Russo's vicious attack on Weigand Elementary School Teachers: @TCFKSM: Alexander Russo's vicious attack on Weigand Elementary School Teachers by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene First published on @TCFKSM on May 29, 2013 ------------------------------ Photo courtesy of Alexander Russo's vicious attack on LAUSD's Weigand Elementary School teachers should be noted by everyone. In a piece where he gleefully sides with AEI's Hess' smear on the distinguished Professor Ravitch, he also decides to take aim at the hardworking women and men teaching at the schoo... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Revelations

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Revelations: Revelations by Charlie Mas Much was revealed at the Growth Boundaries presentation this afternoon. Here is just a short list: There will be new service delivery models for Special Education: Resource, Access, Behaior, Contained, and Distinct. We don't know what these mean or how they will work, and the whole thing is subject to the collective bargaining process, but it looks like radical change. There will be a new delivery model for APP. The District isn't saying what it will be or how it will work. They won't even offer the pretens... more »

Kimble's Corner: Meeting Michele Bachmann for the First Time

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Kimble's Corner: Meeting Michele Bachmann for the First Time: Meeting Michele Bachmann for the First Time by Representative Kimble *[The Following is excerpted from Profiles in Courageousness. If you enjoy this blog, you're going to want to pick up your copy today.]* * * At this point, I was feeling toxic. Nobody wanted to talk to me and I just wanted a giant hole to swallow me up. What had I gotten myself into? My only friend was in the other party and his play in the NFL gave me absolutely no confidence in our relationship. When the moment finally came for us to take a shor... more »

The in box. Urgent call from We Are One on new pension threat. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

The in box. Urgent call from We Are One on new pension threat. | Fred Klonsky: The in box. Urgent call from We Are One on new pension threat. by Fred Klonsky Friends, Our coalition has heard credible reports that pension-slashing bills could move in the Senate tomorrow. Senate Bill 1 – or pieces of it, like House Bill 1165 – could be up for a Senate vote on Thursday, May 30, or Friday, May 31. Both bills have already passed the House. If either bill clears the Senate, it will go to the Governor Pat Quinn’s desk, where he is very likely to sign either measure. The legislature is ent... more »

Last Stand for Children First: Our Report from the Mackinac Island Conference.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Last Stand for Children First: Our Report from the Mackinac Island Conference.: Our Report from the Mackinac Island Conference. by Last Stand for Children Hello and a sunny welcome from beautiful Mackinac Island, Michigan where the beautiful people of the education reform set have all penciled in this beautiful island made famous by Esther Williams in the movie Grand Hotel, for their Spring getaways. It's Mackinac Island Conference Week and if there's one thing on the menu besides*Chianti *Chef Keith Shockling's Semolina Dusted Lake Huron Whitefish, it's education reform. Where el... more »

The Washington Teacher: Pink Slipping DCs Teachers

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

The Washington Teacher: Pink Slipping DCs Teachers: Pink Slipping DCs Teachers by noreply@blogger.com (Candi Peterson) By Candi Peterson *Vote Davis Slate for WTU* * *Liz Davis /Candi Peterson The WTU Can Be Better! One by one, Cardozo Senior High School teachers and school staff were called down to the Principal's office today to receive pink slips. Just a week ago, DC's Cardozo High School staff were notified that 100% of our staff would be reconstituted and required to reapply for our jobs, with the exception of the school's principal. Later on in the same week, 90 staff members... more »

Sallie Mae Plans To Split into Two Separate Companies - Higher Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Sallie Mae Plans To Split into Two Separate Companies - Higher Education: Sallie Mae Plans To Split into Two Separate Companies by cmaadmin *NEWARK, Del. —* Sallie Mae plans to split into two separate, publicly traded companies. The student loan giant also named John Remondi as its CEO. Sallie Mae, formally named SLM Corp., said Wednesday that the two separate companies, an education loan management business and a consumer banking business, would help unlock value and boost its long-term growth potential. The education loan management business would include the company’s portfolios ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Bad Advice Needs Own Thread

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Bad Advice Needs Own Thread: Bad Advice Needs Own Thread by Melissa Westbrook A reader asked this: *I have a bright 4th grader in the Carnation area - we are considering some other options for her for next year, yes even at this late date. Where should I start looking? * Me, going on my old school way of thinking, told this parent that he/she didn't have many options. Not true (after talking with Tracy Libros in Enrollment). So, to correct: - coming in at a later grade there CAN be spaces open that might not be at kindergarten. So check what y... more »

The readiness to do social experiments on the education of children – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

The readiness to do social experiments on the education of children – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: The readiness to do social experiments on the education of children by Activism in paradise - Voices from down under Reposted from Scoop NZ.by Gordon Campbell *T*he school closures in Christchurch really are a perfect storm – the most stressed community in New Zealand is being led by the most accident prone Minister in the Key government, into a social experiment on its youngest and most vulnerable, in the least available time. Nothing could possibly go wrong with that scena... more »

Wait, What? The Last Push for the May 2013 Fundraising Program - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Wait, What? The Last Push for the May 2013 Fundraising Program - Wait, What?: Wait, What? The Last Push for the May 2013 Fundraising Program by jonpelto Friends, A huge thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and generous during the May 2013 Wait, What? fundraising effort. We’ve reached the last days of the campaign and have nearly reached our goal. If you haven’t donated, but wish to help strengthen Wait, What? and the role of advocacy and investigative journalism in Connecticut — now is the time to give. With your help and support we’ll continue our effort to “to educa... more »

LAUSD submits amended application for No Child Left Behind waiver - LA Daily News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

LAUSD submits amended application for No Child Left Behind waiver - LA Daily News: LAUSD submits amended application for No Child Left Behind waiver by By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer In response to concerns raised by federal regulators, Los Angeles Unified and eight other school districts have filed an amended application for a waiver from a federal law requiring that all students be proficient in English and math by 2014. The coalition dubbed the California Office to Reform Education is seeking an exemption from key academic provisions of the No Child Left Behind law, which has ... more »

CCSS Garbage – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

CCSS Garbage – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: CCSS Garbage by Chris Cerrone [image: photo(1)] This Second Grade math workbook produced by McGraw-Hill is a total piece of garbage that my children’s school has purchased to “align” with the Common Core here in New York State. *Is this corporate produced workbook the result of a rush to market because of the lightspeed push to force the Common Core on classrooms across the Empire State? * For those outside of New York, our state used Common Core aligned State Assessments this spring even though most teachers have had little tr... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-29-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Voting Machines, Old and New by dianerav This is off-topic, since it is not about education. But, hey, it’s my blog and I am allowed now and then to think about other topics. I just read in the *New York Times* that New York City is planning to ditch its new electronic voting machines and go back to using the old lever-operated machines, first invented in 1890. The city has already spent $95 million on the electronic machines, and some critics said that it was wrong to revert to the old technology. The old ma... more »

Deepest Learning: Reading to Write & Writing to Learn « The Core Knowledge Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Deepest Learning: Reading to Write & Writing to Learn « The Core Knowledge Blog: Deepest Learning: Reading to Write & Writing to Learn by Lisa Hansel Where in Queens, NY, can you find second graders comparing the Olympics in ancient Greece with our modern games—and using that discussion as an opportunity to review the use of past and present verbs? Or third graders preparing travel guides on the Amazon, Orinoco, Nile, and Yellow rivers? What about essays by fourth graders on the Chinese painter and calligrapher Zhao Mengfu, small groups of fifth graders discussing the assassinatio... more »

Modern School: Latest Federal Data Confirm: College NOT Road to Prosperity

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Modern School: Latest Federal Data Confirm: College NOT Road to Prosperity: Latest Federal Data Confirm: College NOT Road to Prosperity by Michael Dunn College educated people do have higher incomes and lower unemployment rates, on average, than those who have not been to college. However, the goal of achieving prosperity by obtaining a college education is becoming less attainable and secure than ever before, primarily because of staggering levels of student debt and a stagnant labor market offering mostly low wage jobs in the service sector, but also because of growing competitio... more »

Developing Active Readers Student Voice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Student Voice: Developing Active Readers by Editor Admin *Repost from Edutopia by Rebecca Alber. With the end of the university year already here and with the high school year’s end rapidly approaching, what better topic to discuss than summer reading plans? * Adults forget all that they do while reading. We are predicting, making connections, contextualizing, critiquing, and already plotting how we might use any new insights or information. Yep, we do all that when we read. As teachers, we need to train students in each of these skills, and begin to do so early on. I was recently ... more »

Jeb Bush Talks Education At Mackinac, Pushes Michigan's Questionable Charter School Sector

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Jeb Bush Talks Education At Mackinac, Pushes Michigan's Questionable Charter School Sector: Jeb Bush Talks Education At Mackinac, Pushes Michigan's Questionable Charter School Sector by Joy Resmovits MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. -- Jeb Bush praised charter schools and slammed traditional public schools and teachers unions in a speech here Wednesday, saying that public education “dumbs down standards to make adults look better," a phrase often used by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "We must expand [school] choice," said Bush, delivering a keynote speech at the annual Mackinac... more »

State high court is skeptical of nurses' stance on school duties - latimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

State high court is skeptical of nurses' stance on school duties - latimes.com: State high court is skeptical of nurses' stance on school duties by By Maura Dolan [image: California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye] SAN FRANCISCO -- The California Supreme Court appeared skeptical Wednesday of arguments that only licensed nurses may administer insulin injections and other medications to schoolchildren. During a hearing, several justices on the state high court questioned whether such requirements made sense. The California Nurses Assn. has argued that state law requires licensed nu... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Math Curriculum Update

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Math Curriculum Update: Math Curriculum Update by Melissa Westbrook From the Seattle Math Coalition: FYI, the district has changed their math adoption plan based on budget concerns. The proposed K-8 adoption which was supposed to be in classrooms in Fall of 2014 is now only a K-5 adoption, with 6-8 to be delayed for another year! This files in the face of common sense: 1) CMP2 is a train wreck for families without stellar teachers or family/tutor support 2) Despite a goal of a 7-year adoption cycle, the CMP2 materials are already at year ... more »

Horse Hockey | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Horse Hockey | EduShyster: Horse Hockey by edushyster2012 *An exclusive Michigan gathering attracts some high-profile education reformers—and more than a few flies.* Horse Hockey is defined as: 1. Horse excrement, horseshit. 2. (slang, euphemistic) False or deceitful statements; lies; exaggerations; nonsense. (a euphemism for*horseshit*) 3. A tall tale so extravagant as to be unbelievable 4. An expression of disbelief or disgust Welcome to beautiful Mackinac Island. Home to the annual Mackinac Policy Conference, this exclusive enclave is currently swarming with more t... more »

Jersey Jazzman: US Census Bureau: Most Charters Not "Public " Schools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: US Census Bureau: Most Charters Not "Public " Schools: US Census Bureau: Most Charters Not "Public " Schools by Duke *NOT a public school.* * * It's official: according to the US Census Bureau, most charter schools are not "public": Charter Schools The data in this report include only those charter schools established and administratively controlled by another government entity (e.g., universities, cities, counties, or public school systems). The data for these “public charter schools” are collected as separate, individual units, or are included with the data for t... more »

Smarter Balanced Practice Tests - Assessment Information (CA Dept of Education)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Smarter Balanced Practice Tests - Assessment Information (CA Dept of Education): Smarter Balanced Practice Tests ------------------------------ The Smarter Balanced Practice Tests are now available for grades 3 through 8 and grade 11 in English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics. The Practice Tests provide a preview of the Smarter Balanced assessments, but do not reflect the full range of content that students may encounter on the actual assessments. As such, *the practice tests should not be used to guide instructional decisions about students*. Scoring keys are expected to be av... more »

Ed Notes Online: Video - Mayoral Debate on Education: The Winner is ..... Moderator Zakiyah Ansari

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Video - Mayoral Debate on Education: The Winner is ..... Moderator Zakiyah Ansari: Video - Mayoral Debate on Education: The Winner is ..... Moderator Zakiyah Ansari by ed notes online Republished with full video coverage: No one was more impressive than Zakiyah who dominated the debate with her no-nonsense take charge approach. I guess many of the candidates did not know much about her but every single one of them took notice. Zakiayah for mayor. The press corps was massive due to Weiner -- a major victory for NY-GPS in getting him to show -- did they have to guara...more »

NYC Educator: An Encouraging Word

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

NYC Educator: An Encouraging Word: An Encouraging Word by NYC Educator I've been attending meetings and talking to people from UFT for some time now. Often, they say things like no city union has a contract. Of course, that's hard to argue with, being that it's absolutely true. But what I rarely hear is that UFT was ignored not only in this round of pattern bargaining, but in the last as well. I've brought that up to vacant stares, and while no one contradicted me, no one seems to comment on it one way or another either. This piece in the Daily News is all about the taxpayers, and ... more »

Education By The Numbers | The number of high poverty schools increases by about 60 percent

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Education By The Numbers | The number of high poverty schools increases by about 60 percent: The number of high poverty schools increases by about 60 percent Poverty is getting so concentrated in America that one out of five public schools was classified as as a “high poverty” school in 2011 by the U.S. Department of Education. To win this unwelcome designation, 75 percent or more of an elementary, middle or high school’s students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch. About a decade earlier, in 2000, only one in eight public schools was deemed to be high poverty. That’s about... more »

First Focus | Early Education Focus

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Home | First Focus | Early Education Focus: [image: Early Ed Focus] Early Education in FocusWe're pleased to introduce the first issue of our new early education newsletter, *Early Education in Focus*. If you would like to continue receiving the periodic newsletter, please sign-up here. What's the Plan?President Obama included a plan for widely available high quality pre-K in his budget request, adding his ideas on expanding access and improving quality of pre-K to the existing proposals already in Congress. Our analysiscompares the pre-K portion of the President’s plan to Sena... more »

First Lady Michelle Obama Reflects on the Responsibility of the African American Communal to Educate Others | ED.gov Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

First Lady Michelle Obama Reflects on the Responsibility of the African American Communal to Educate Others | ED.gov Blog: First Lady Michelle Obama Reflects on the Responsibility of the African American Communal to Educate Others Posted on May 29, 2013 by Guest Blogger Recently, First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a passionate speech to 600 graduates and several thousand supporters at the historically black, Bowie State University (BSU) commencement ceremony, in Maryland. After being awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law from BSU, Mrs. Obama spoke to the graduates about their perse... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Florida School Board Confirms They Have Ok'd Iris Scan Without Parental Permission

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Florida School Board Confirms They Have Ok'd Iris Scan Without Parental Permission: Florida School Board Confirms They Have Ok'd Iris Scan Without Parental Permission by Anngie What would you do if you found out your school scanned your child's iris for the all critical purpose of enabling your child not to have to "carry an identification card?" Parents in Florida are answering that question today. A mother in Florida posted last week on Facebook that she thought her third grader had been scanned at school, but she could get no confirmation of that, ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Student Privacy Issues - No to inBloom

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Student Privacy Issues - No to inBloom: Student Privacy Issues - No to inBloom by Melissa Westbrook This article from Reuters really does a good job of explaining the issues around student data and privacy. (I had seen this but a reader also alerted me to it; thanks). I keep getting asked, "What to do?" I'll have a list of things you CAN and SHOULD do. Our district can say no to a lot of this. In a nutshell: ** *A $100 million database set up to store extensive records on millions of public school students has stumbled badly since its launch... more »

Disparities in education can crush aspirations in heart of Silicon Valley | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Disparities in education can crush aspirations in heart of Silicon Valley | EdSource Today: Disparities in education can crush aspirations in heart of Silicon Valley - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald Sunnyvale, in the heart of Silicon Valley, is home to such high-tech fixtures as Yahoo!, Juniper Networks, AMD and Applied Micro, plus aerospace/defense operations of Lockheed Martin and Honeywell. Yet few Latinos who grow up in their shadow are qualified to work for those companies. [image: The participation and proficiency rates for Algebra I for Latinos in Sunnyvale, in the... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Graduation rates up in Chicago -- Great, if true

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Graduation rates up in Chicago -- Great, if true: Graduation rates up in Chicago -- Great, if true by Mike Klonsky If it's true, I'm elated to hear that graduation rates have improved in Chicago. It's a tribute to the hard-working CPS teachers, principals and parents, who are currently being debased by the administration and in the media. It also indicates that public schools are not "failing" after all. *Chicago Public Schools announced Saturday that more than 60 percent of their 2007-2008 freshmen graduated last year, calling it a history-making rec... more »

Defining a Positive School Climate and Measuring the Impact — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Defining a Positive School Climate and Measuring the Impact — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Emily Buchanan]Defining a Positive School Climate and Measuring the Impact May 29, 2013 by Emily Buchanan Last month (April 2013), the National School Climate Center and Fordham University concluded that "sustained positive school climate is associated with positive child and youth development, effective risk-prevention and health-promotion efforts, student learning and academic achievement, increased student graduation rates, and teacher retention." Having gained increa... more »

CORE districts hoping for July NCLB waiver approval SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *CORE districts hoping for July NCLB waiver approval* *By Kimberly Beltran* Wednesday, May 29, 2013 A group of California districts seeking relief from federal mandates under the No Child Left Behind Act have proposed implementing its new system for school improvement this fall, assuming its updated application is approved by July, officials said Tuesday. Included in the California Office to Reform Education’s – or CORE’s – proposal is a new school accountability formula that would, in essence, replace existing state and federal performance s... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Commissioner King sued in state court for ignoring public participation requirements in C4E law

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Commissioner King sued in state court for ignoring public participation requirements in C4E law: Commissioner King sued in state court for ignoring public participation requirements in C4E law by Leonie Haimson *As we have made clear in our presentations to Community Education Councils and other parent and community groups, the State Education Department and the NYC Department of Education are equally guilty in ignoring the Contracts for Excellence (C4E) law passed in 2007, which requires public participation and accountability in the development of the... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, May 29, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Fensterwald: Nine districts resubmit ‘stronger’ application for NCLB waiver * Education Headlines *Wednesday, May 29, 2013* Stockton USD fills No. 2 postFor the first time in more than six years, Stockton Unified has a deputy superintendent, a clear second-in-command in the event of an unexpected void at the top of the district's management ladder. Helene Galen donates $1.5 million for Rancho Mirage High School theaterThe Palm Springs Unified School District will rename the new Rancho Mirage High School theater after accepting ... more »

School system may override charter's hiring picks - The Frederick News-Post : Schools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

School system may override charter's hiring picks - The Frederick News-Post : Schools: School system may override charter's hiring picks [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Posted: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 2:00 am By Rachel S. Karas News-Post Staff | 35 comments Frederick County Public Schools officials may force a new charter school to hire teachers of the county's choosing instead of the school's preferred candidates, according to the school's president. Rather than let the Frederick Classical Charter School offer jobs to nine candidates who had passed a s... more »

No new taxes and other fairytales - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

No new taxes and other fairytales - Wait, What?: No new taxes and other fairytales by jonpelto Late word is that Governor Malloy and Legislative Democrats have reached a budget “deal,” as the 2013 session of the Connecticut General Assembly heads toward its closing date next week. Putting aside the controversy surrounding Connecticut’s faulty spending cap, the one claim that is being spun, above and beyond all others, is that the budget contains no new taxes. Or, as Governor Malloy put it yesterday, “The bottom line is we will not increase taxes or create any new taxes. The budget ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Yesterday's mayoral debate with Weiner making his first appearance

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NYC Public School Parents: Yesterday's mayoral debate with Weiner making his first appearance: Yesterday's mayoral debate with Weiner making his first appearance by Leonie Haimson *The Weiner scrum (Credit: @NYDNLemire)* Despite the Anthony Weiner press hysteria, (it was his first appearance at a mayoral debate;Michael Powell of NYTimes tweeted "Cluster idiocy of press on full display at Weiner a thon educational debate") yesterday’s education forum hosted by New Yorkers for Great Public Schools was very interesting. Zakiyah Ansari did a great job moderating, and there were ver... more »

Michelle Newsum: Tracking Our Way to Wider Achievement Gaps - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Michelle Newsum: Tracking Our Way to Wider Achievement Gaps - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Michelle Newsum: Tracking Our Way to Wider Achievement Gaps by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Michelle Newsum.* * * * * Under the fear created by NCLB/RTTT, large scale ability group tracking has made its way back into schools. Because tracking is commonly considered odious, and the research does not support it, no one calls it that. It is now given cuter or more palatable names like 'Walk to Read' or 'Intervention Time' even 'Flexible Grouping.' (Although some schools have flexi... more »

An Open Letter to the Architects of the Common Core | Taking Note

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

An Open Letter to the Architects of the Common Core | Taking Note: An Open Letter to the Architects of the Common Core by John Merrow Dear Architects of the Common Core, How do you propose to test the skills and capabilities learned by the 8th graders at King Middle School in Portland, Maine? If you missed our recent NewsHour piece, you may watch it here. In just 11:38, correspondent John Tulenko and producer David Wald brilliantly capture how a 4-month ‘deeper learning’ project changed the lives of Liva Pierce, Emma Schwartz, Nat Youngrin and other young students. John made fou... more »