Saturday, June 22, 2013

by Melissa Westbrook

Thank you to Lauren McGuire, her Board and all those who serve on PTA Boards. It's a busy and sometimes tough job so thank you for your time and efforts. Lauren is a kind, calm and dedicated person (and is also a good sport).

Her letter to members:

Dear Seattle PTA and PTSA Members,

Summer is here! I hope you all find time to spend with your kids and enjoy some recreational time. Before I sign off as Seattle Council PTSA President, I'd like to thank the current SCPTSA Board for their dedication.

Ann Weber -- Vice President and Acting NW Area Director
Dianne Casper -- Treasurer
Andrea Bown -- Secretary
Linnea Fichter -- Legislative Chair
Daphne Dejanikus and Leanne Hawkins -- Enrichment and Reflections Co-Chairs
Sebrena Burr and Carlina Brown-Banks -- SE Area Directors
Monica Mace -- Northeast Area Director
Katherine Schomer -- Central Area Director
Leda Goncharoff -- Interim eNews Editor
Sharon Rodgers -- Seattle Council PTSA's Service Delivery Team rep for Region 6

I'd like to offer a special thanks to Betsy Hudson who led the SCPTSA Building Use Committee. In the beginning of the year, SPS was charging rent to PTAs and their activity providers for before and after school

Ed Notes Online: Leonie: Mayoral Candidate Pledges on hot-button ed issues - Thompson Finishes Last

Ed Notes Online: Leonie: Mayoral Candidate Pledges on hot-button ed issues - Thompson Finishes Last:

Leonie: Mayoral Candidate Pledges on hot-button ed issues - Thompson Finishes Last

by ed notes online

Another right on post from Leonie Haimson:

UPDATED: Here are scanned copies of the signed pledges of each of the candidates, responding whether they would support each one of our demands. If the next mayor is one of these individuals, you can be sure we will hold them to their promises! Sal Albanese (D), Adolpho Carrion Jr (I), Bill de Blasio (D),Anthony Gronowicz (G), John Liu (D), Erick Salgado (D), Bill Thompson (D)

Previous post from June 14: The parent-led mayoral forum last night at Murry Bergtraum High School was terrific, with parents asking incisive yes/no questions, investigative reporter Juan Gonzalez doing inspired follow-up as only he knows how, and all the candidates giving thoughtful responses. Below is the livestream video; we will have sharper video uploaded next week, but the audio is quite clear.

The coalition of individuals and groups that put this together, which included Class Size Matters and NYC Kids PAC (the full list is on the flyer) asked some very challenging questions, and developed a scorecard by which

Diane in the Evening 6-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

Will Kevin Huffman Cut His Own Pay?

by dianerav

When Kevin Huffman was sworn in as state commissioner in Tennessee, he was offered a salary of $200,000 a year, 11% more than his predecessor.
Granted that he believes experience and degrees are worthless, wouldn’t an else yak sense of fairness compel him to cut his salary, having cut salaries of teachers across the state? After all, a teacher with a masters and a doctorate and 20 years experience will make less than $60,000.
Who provides greater value?

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Hey, Commissioner Huffman: Read This by dianerav A teacher in Tennessee reacts to the state board’s decision to reduce her future pay for investing in an advanced degree: After teaching in East TN for 20 years as a special educator, I decided to get my Ph.D. because I wanted to learn more about teaching reading. I am in the final stages of my dissertation and am sick at the thought that I This Teacher Chose to Be Arrested by dianerav Do you want to know what it ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 6-22-13

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG
DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG

6-22-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER:

Who’s Building the “Army of Teachers”

by Kris Nielsen

The National Center for Teacher Quality is a bogus organization, since it comes to us from a non-scientific point of view and tons of people who know next to nothing about teaching. When an agenda and a bunch of policy ideas are predetermined, and the studies comes later, you know something’s going on. But the […]

End slacktivism in education

by Chalk Face, PhD

I modeled this image off of a very poignant UNICEF campaign, that “liking” Facebook pages and groups, while important initially, fails to do anything of real substance. There is indeed a lot of this same bluster in education. Maybe we need to end slacktivism in education as well. Facebook likes won’t end high-stakes testing. They […]

All Week 6-22-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] Good friend “Teacher Nicole” from WI explains common in #commoncore Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 20 hours ago Here’s her post on CCSS, as an actual educator for ELL/ESL students. We’ve interviewed her on At the Chalk Face, I need to dig those up. Look back here later. She’s great. Tagged: at the chalk face, common core, nicole, WI education activists gather, talk, strategize: reclaim the conversation Barbara Madeloni at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 21 hours ago On May 4, 2013 a group of ed... more »

Koch Brothers Exposed

Koch Brothers Exposed

Documentary detailing the crimes of the Koch brothers and the hijacking of US politics.

Indiana suing firm over standardized-testing problems

Indiana suing firm over standardized-testing problems:

Indiana suing firm over standardized-testing problems

By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 22, 2013 at 1:13 pmE-mail the writer

Comments

(By Sarah Garland)

The state of Indiana is suing CTB/McGraw-Hill following problems last month when students were taking standardized tests online. Nearly 80,000 students were affected when their computers froze during the testing, the results of which are used to evaluate teachers and schools.

Indiana was one of several states that reported numerous problems with online disruptions during the administration of standardized tests this past spring. Technical glitches in states including Oklahoma, Minnesota and Kentucky were so severe that officials suspended testing in some places, students cried and educators worried about how scores would be affected. Indiana appears to be the first state to sue a testing company over these problems.

Here’s the release from the Indiana Department of Education:

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Education announced preliminary damages that it will seek from CTB McGraw-Hill related to ISTEP+ interruptions experienced by schools throughout the state this spring. These amounts are not final, and may well grow as results are reviewed by a third party and additional

New documentary sheds light on U.S. ‘juvenile lifers’ | The Raw Story

New documentary sheds light on U.S. ‘juvenile lifers’ | The Raw Story:

New documentary sheds light on U.S. ‘juvenile lifers’

By Agence France-Presse
Saturday, June 22, 2013 12:57 EDT

Jacob Ind got the idea of killing his mother and stepfather, at the tender age of 15, from a friend who came over to his Colorado house one day and remarked how his mom was such a “bitch”.

Torey Adamcik and Brian Draper, both 16 at the time, took inspiration from the Wes Craven horror movie “Scream” when they stabbed and killed their high school classmate Cassie Jo Stoddart in small-town Idaho in 2006.

And film-maker Joshua Rofe was prompted to make a documentary about them and other American juvenile offenders sentenced to life imprisonment without parole when he met a judge from Florida at a friend’s birthday party.

“He was clearly conflicted” about putting a 15-year-old killer of a taxi driver behind bars forever, said Rofe, whose disturbing film “Lost for Life” premieres Saturday at the American Film Institute’s AFI Docs festival.

“The girl that he sentenced to life without parole had the same name as his daughter. She was about the same age, and he said he often wondered if there was a better option,” he told AFP.

“That was it. Right there, I knew I wanted to make a film about that.”

The US Supreme Court ruled in June 2012 that mandatory life without parole for a minor convicted of murder — the law in 29 states at the time — was a form of “cruel and unusual

Perdido Street School: The ELA Regents Exam: Set Up By The Regents And The NYSED To Fail Both Students And Teachers

Perdido Street School: The ELA Regents Exam: Set Up By The Regents And The NYSED To Fail Both Students And Teachers:

The ELA Regents Exam: Set Up By The Regents And The NYSED To Fail Both Students And Teachers

by reality-based educator

There are two good pieces on the brutal scoring chart that the NYSED and Regents are using for the 2013 June ELA Regents exam.

Gotham Schools covered the story yesterday:

Bronx Center for Science and Math Assistant Principal Stephen Seltzer sent a letter to State Education Commissioner John King expressing frustration about the new conversion chart that has made it more difficult for students to pass the English Regents exam.

Seltzer writes that “the rubrics and conversion charts must be aligned and consistent, and both should be made available when teachers are preparing students, not at the time of the exam.”

In the letter, sent Thursday, Seltzer writes that there is a four-point difference in the June 2011 and

The NY Times Got The Regents Test Grading System They Wanted

by reality-based educator

Back in August 2011, the editorial board of the NY Times decried the Regents grading system that had teachers grading tests in their own schools and called for a vaunted new system.

Here is that editorial in full:

There Has to Be a Better Way to Grade Tests
A task force appointed by the New York State education commissioner, John King Jr., is to report next month on ways to improve the integrity of the state’s educational testing system. New York has thus far escaped cheating scandals like the one that exploded in Atlanta. But troubling new developments have shown weaknesses in New York’s testing system that need to be fixed.

The annual standardized tests given in the lower grades and the Regents examination that high school students must pass to graduate now play a crucial role in decisions about how schools are

Who Is Polakow-Suransky Kidding?

by reality-based educator

Michael Mulgrew outside of Stuyvesant High School, one of the Regents grading sites, today:

“Who was the genius who decided that it was a good idea to take all the tests that the children take and put them in trucks and send them to Connecticut to get scanned into systems so they can send them back here?” Mulgrew asked.

That's a very good question.

Why, it was the geniuses at

PD planning | Connected Principals

PD planning | Connected Principals:

PD planning

by Amber Teamann

This was cross posted from Technically yours, Teamann.
Had the privilege of meeting Brian Pete and Robin Fogarty at ASCD in FL a few years ago. Their session on training was probably one of the best I’d ever been too! If you haven’t ever heard of them, they have two books that I highly recommend. From Staffroom to Classroom, I & II. They give you a number of ways to conduct training with your staff that the teachers can then turn around and use in the classroom. It serves a dual purpose…giving the adults the opportunity to get up and moving, which increases their retention, and also provides strategies that they can use in their classroom with minimal fuss and effort. A win win!

I used a couple in the #ignite13 this week and thought giving my top three would serve as a great reminder for

Jersey Jazzman: The Rhee-Energence of Rhee

Jersey Jazzman: The Rhee-Energence of Rhee:

The Rhee-Energence of Rhee

by Duke

Does it seem to you that Michelle Rhee has been keeping a low profile lately? After the abysmal failure of her book (in spite of a dream publicity tour), the stunning revaluations about her role in the Washington, D.C.cheating scandal, and StudentsFirsts's endorsement of an anti-gay crusader, Rhee hasn't made much of a peep these last few weeks.

Well, it turns out she's like this brood of cicadas we've got here in Jersey: just give her a little time, and she's sure to pop up somewhere...

The annual Charter School Conference is the only statewide gathering of the entire Texas charter school community. More than 1,300 charter school advocates including teachers, administrators, board members, policy makers, and vendors will gather for training, networking, and sharing best practices for charter effectiveness and compliance.

Plan for your team to attend:
The Texas Charter School Conference will be held in Fort Worth on December 11-13, 2013. In lieu of one day of student instruction, send your staff to the Texas Charter Schools

I'll get you my pretty! And your little dog, too!

Hogwarts University for Education Reform | EduShyster

Hogwarts University for Education Reform | EduShyster:

Hogwarts University for Education Reform

by edushyster2012

What if there was a way to combine the two fiercest urgencies of today: college preparation and reforming our failed and failing public schools? Reader: I’ve got some great news. Pack up the beer pong table and the Mötley Crüe poster—we’re headed to college. Welcome to50CAN University, the college for people who want to put other people on a path to college.
Meet the faculty
The most important part of any higher education experience is the drinking games and the casual sex the faculty, and you won’t believe the superstars who have signed on to be 50CAN University professors. Let’s meet them, shall we?

Who knew that Sojourner Truth would turn out to be as passionate about ending teacher tenure as she was about abolishing slavery? Or that Clara Lemlich, who organized a massive strike of lady garment workers in New York, has returned just in time to denounce the female-dominated teachers unions? Of course it is no surprise to learn that the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, who once shamed the Argentine military dictatorship for the disappearance of their children, are now denouncing seniority-based layoffs. You can learn more about all of the

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-22-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky [image: extralarge] Reading the reports of a million demonstrators in streets of Brazillian cities this past week, it is hard not to think of my own city. Protesters chanted, *“When your son is ill, take him to the stadium.”* And, *“Any good teacher is worth more than Neymar,”* in reference to the Brazillian soccer star. And my favorite. *“The people, united, are a gigantic bunch of dudes.”* Money on sports stadiums instead of schools? Wait. Are we talking abou

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

“those teachers are failures” | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

“those teachers are failures” | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: “those teachers are failures” by Gary Rubinstein It is nearly July which means that it is the time of year, again, where I offer my unsolicited, and generally unwanted, analysis of some of the blog entries by the newest cohort of TFA corps members. I generally take a lot of criticism for doing this, even from people who regularly read my blog. Mainly this is because people don’t understand my intentions or because they don’t believe that my intentions are what I say they are. So, for the record: I am not trying to pass jud... more »

Condensing high school to three years | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Condensing high school to three years | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: Condensing high school to three years View Larger [image: Grads] Should we give high school students easier routes to graduate in three years? Previous Posts - Common Core, common politics: Can someone throw a bucket of water on Cobb board? June 21, 2013 - New president for Fort Valley State University June 21, 2013 - Federal guidelines on school safety: Don't arm educators June 20, 2013 By Maureen Downey While few teens graduate high school in three years -- around 3 percent... more »

Privacy Advocates Take Heed! | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Privacy Advocates Take Heed! | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Privacy Advocates Take Heed! by crazycrawfish Recently I (as well as a dozen or so student and parent activists) testified at the June 18th Louisiana BESE meeting about our concerns related to the inBloom data sharing and selling project Superintendent John White secretly entered into on behalf of all Louisiana citizens. Our spot came up 4 hours late, and without an outcry from one of our tireless privacy advocates named Debbie Sachs would have been pushed back another 3 hours or postponed to another day (when most of us would ... more »

Daily Kos: A different kind of Saturday Morning reflection

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Daily Kos: A different kind of Saturday Morning reflection: A different kind of Saturday Morning reflection by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) it involves school, but not from the perspective of the teacher. As I write this, I sit in the lobby of the Courtyard Marriott in Rye, NY. This is one of the hotels for the event I am attending this weekend, the 50th Reunion of the class of 1963, Mamaroneck (NY) High School. There are others staying here, some are staying with families or friends (a number of our classmates still live in the area). Last night we had a dinner, with a DJ, and ... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 6-22-13

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* A thru G: LAUSD STUDYING NEW CURRICULUM PLANS + smf’s 2¢ smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 14 hours ago By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer, LA Daily News | Pasadena Star-News http://bit.ly/16mWxxx 06/20/2013 06:03:21 PM PDT Los Angeles Unified's incoming freshmen class will be the first that will have to pass a rigorous college-prep curriculum with a "C" in order to get a diploma, which has district officials scrambling to identify and replicate successful programs that can g... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 6-22-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Education Research Report *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Effectiveness of Cognitive Tutor Algebra I at Scale Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 21 hours ago This article examines the effectiveness of a technology-based algebra curriculum in a wide variety of middle schools and high schools in seven states. Participating schools were matched into similar pairs and randomly assigned to either continue with the current algebra curriculum for two years or to adopt Cognitive Tutor Algebra I (CTAI), which uses a personalized, mastery-learning, blended-learning ... more »

All Week 6-22-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

On the scene for the last day of Germantown High School's life (1914-2013) | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

On the scene for the last day of Germantown High School's life (1914-2013) | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: On the scene for the last day of Germantown High School's life (1914-2013) by thenotebook on Jun 21 2013 Posted in Latest news Photo: Bas Slabbers/NewsWorks Many teachers donned "GTown '13" T-shirts; it was a way to show pride in the staff, students, leadership and the community. *by Aaron Moselle and Brian Hickey for NewsWorks* Jenia Jolley stood on the shoulder of East High Street and snapped a second photo of Germantown High School. The first was taken earlier in the mor... more »

LAUSD: THE WAR ON ART OR THE ART OF WAR ON PUBLIC EDUCATION? - Perdaily.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

LAUSD: THE WAR ON ART OR THE ART OF WAR ON PUBLIC EDUCATION? - Perdaily.com: LAUSD: THE WAR ON ART OR THE ART OF WAR ON PUBLIC EDUCATION? by Leonard Isenberg [image: The Art of War.jpg] (Mensaje se repite en Español) * * *Recently, I received the following query as to why I thought with the passage of Proposition 30, art programs have not been restored. Let me know if you agree or disagree with my answer and analysis of this question. * * "Lenny, do you think that the Arts have a legal remedy, since they have been picked on to a far greater extent, and Arts programs are not being re... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Letters to the Sun-Times

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Letters to the Sun-Times: Letters to the Sun-Times by Mike Klonsky Steven L. Kispetik, Portage Park *CPS closings devastating for my son * *Thank you so very much, Chicago Public Schools, for erasing all the progress my son has made with his behavioral/emotional disorders while at Near North Special Education School, which will be closed next week. The anxiety of the closing has caused him to revert to several of his old destructive and disobedient ways.** **Prior to the announcement of the school closing, he was doing the best he has ever done, with ... more »

Board Members Ask Deasy To Explain Himself - LA School Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Board Members Ask Deasy To Explain Himself - LA School Report: Board Members Ask Deasy To Explain Himself from LA School Report by Hillel Aron [image: John Deasy, left, Bennett Kayser, right, at a Jerry Brown-led press conference in May] John Deasy, left, Bennett Kayser, right, at a press conference in May Some members of the School Board have sent Superintendent John Deasy a letter asking him to clarify comments deriding a Board-passed spending resolution and indicating his plans to include a targeted funding resolution that was not passed by the Board. “They can’t stop me from doing... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-21-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Today is the Day! 5 Million Page Views on This Blog by dianerav Today, the blog recorded 5 million page views! The blog started April 24, 2012. That’s about 14 months ago. Wow. As you know, the blog has no advertisements, no funding, and no staff. Just me. I plan to keep it that way. Thank you for making the blog a place where everyone who cares about improving education, defending childhood, respecting the dignity of the education profession, and supporting public education has a safe place to converse. Thank y... more »

Attracting the Best and Brightest to Teaching

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Attracting the Best and Brightest to Teaching: Attracting the Best and Brightest to Teaching by Richard Long Quick: List the most important jobs in America. Odds are “teacher” made that list. According to a Harris Interactive Poll, teachers ranked among the five most prestigious jobs in America. That is why Lee Iacocca, former president and CEO of Chrysler said, “In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest ... more »

NYC Educator: Ms. Tisch and the Brilliant Innovation

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

NYC Educator: Ms. Tisch and the Brilliant Innovation: Ms. Tisch and the Brilliant Innovation by NYC Educator Thank goodness we have Meryl Tisch making policy for us. In the old days, we would have students taking Regents exams, and kids would give the exams to their teachers. Then, the teachers would grade them. This was a terrible system. First of all, no technology was involved. Secondly, no corporations made money from this. And worst of all, every single teacher in the world is a lying, worthless, conniving. self-serving fraud who cares about nothing but appearance. Because of ... more »

National PTA installing first African American male president

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

National PTA installing first African American male president: National PTA installing first African American male president By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 21, 2013 at 1:10 pmE-mail the writer [image: Otha Thornton (PTA)] Otha Thornton (PTA) The National PTA is installing its first African American male and a veteran of the Iraq war as its president this weekend. Otha Thornton, a senior operations analyst with General Dynamics in Fort Stewart, Ga., and a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, will become the leader of the National Parent Teacher Association after years of being in... more »

The ‘neovoucher strategy’ (and why it didn’t work in New Hampshire)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

The ‘neovoucher strategy’ (and why it didn’t work in New Hampshire): The ‘neovoucher strategy’ (and why it didn’t work in New Hampshire) By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 21, 2013 at 12:15 pmE-mail the writer [image: tax]“Neovouchers” is the term that Kevin Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, has given to private school tax credit programs. Earlier this week, a judge in New Hampshire ruled that the part of tax-credit program that allows public money to be used for religious school education violates the... more »

Teachers' union ad rips Corbett for building prison amid schools crisis | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Teachers' union ad rips Corbett for building prison amid schools crisis | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Teachers' union ad rips Corbett for building prison amid schools crisis by thenotebook Popout *by Sonia Giebel* Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has been airing a radio ad criticizing Gov. Corbett and his fellow politicians for building a $400 million prison – complete with air-conditioned cells, classrooms, and a librarian – at a time when Philadelphia's schools are being cut to the bone. read more

UPDATE Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Juneteenth Mayoral Forum and talk of Seattle Schools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Juneteenth Mayoral Forum and talk of Seattle Schools: Start Time Petition by Charlie Mas There are lots and lots of great reasons for Seattle Public Schools to swap around the start times for school so that elementary school starts earlier and middle and high school starts later. A group called Start School Later Seattle has is looking for a resounding show of support for moving secondary schools to a later start time. They have created a petition. You can express your support for the effort by signing the petition at*: * http://petitions.m... more »

NAESP's 92nd Annual Convention & Exposition 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

NAESP's 92nd Annual Convention & Exposition 2013: L HOME > This summer, join some of the smartest thinkers in elementary school education and stay ahead of the dynamic changes taking place at the national level. With more than 100 sessions to choose from, this is where you’ll find engaging speakers and like-minded colleagues eager to share solutions on areas such as: - Teacher recruitment and retention - Integration of the new Common Core Standards - Leading school change and improving student learning - Running the best possible building – from the cafeteria to the park... more »

When Students Own the "Why" — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

When Students Own the "Why" — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg] When Students Own the “Why” June 21, 2013 by Klea Scharberg This clip presents several ways teachers have structured learning around big ideas and conceptual patterns so that students can connect to a compelling "why," or reason for doing something. Students design the criteria for assignments and take roles and responsibilities within each assignment to see it to its completion. Students or teachers can identify a real-world problem to work on, and technology can provide new avenues for... more »

Common Core, common politics: Can someone throw a bucket of... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Common Core, common politics: Can someone throw a bucket of... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: Common Core, common politics: Can someone throw a bucket of water on Cobb board? View Larger [image: Georgia math standards align fully with Common Core] Georgia math standards align fully with Common Core Previous Posts - Federal guidelines on school safety: Don't arm educators June 20, 2013 - Now Gingrey wants schools to teach kids how to be gender appropriate? June 19, 2013 - School sacks 12-year-old girl's football dream. Bad call? June 19, 2013 By Ma... more »

Thinking About Schools: Graduation Gift - An Insurance Policy

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Thinking About Schools: Graduation Gift - An Insurance Policy: Graduation Gift - An Insurance Policy They say – you know – the infamous “they” say that most people won’t remember a graduation speech a few days or weeks after hearing it. “Sorry” (to the speakers behind me on the stage). As for me, that is perfectly ok if you don’t remember this speech because I expect there will be a time when you will in the future. You see, in about ten or twenty years, when you are filming a compelling but controversial documentary – arguing a case in front of the Supreme Court – saving a li... more »

6-21-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] Good friend “Teacher Nicole” from WI explains common in #commoncore by Chalk Face, PhD Here’s her post on CCSS, as an actual educator for ELL/ESL students. We’ve interviewed her on At the Chalk Face, I need to dig those up. Look back here later. She’s great. education activists gather, talk, strategize: reclaim the conversation by Barbara Madeloni On May 4, 2013 a group of educators, parents, students, and community activists gathered at Barnard College to share their experiences within the assault on public education, draw c... more »

Teach for America: What do you mean were not exceptional?! Public Education Justice Alliance of Minnesota(PEJAM)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Public Education Justice Alliance of Minnesota(PEJAM): Teach for America: What do you mean were not exceptional?!: Teach for America: What do you mean were not exceptional?! *What do You Mean We are Not Exceptional?* June 14, 2013 was a dark day for Teach for America-Twin Cities and its neo-liberal backers. It marked the second time in three weeks in Minnesota that TFA was rejected after having demanded that it be treated as the exceptional organization it pretends to be. This photo includes some of Minnesota's most active corporate education reformers and was taken by Beth Hawki... more »

UPDATE FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, June 21, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Fensterwald: Duncan grants relief to some schools facing two sets of standardized tests next year* Education Headlines *Friday, June 21, 2013* Upland school district, employees to discuss health plan cutsNegotiations will continue Thursday between the Upland Unified School District and its classified employees, who are protesting proposed increases to their health care contributions. Lodi Unified School District denies conflict of interestA consulting firm that employs the spouse of Lodi Unified School District’s top business ... more »

Update: Moales Empire Collapsing, foreclosure to take his state funded childcare sites, churches and apparently his residence. - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Update: Moales Empire Collapsing, foreclosure to take his state funded childcare sites, churches and apparently his residence. - Wait, What?: Right on schedule: Pryor waives certification requirement for Vallas by jonpelto *The story of arrogance, entitlement and deceit continues to play out here in Connecticut.* First Governor Malloy and his administration tried to illegally take over the Bridgeport School System. Although Connecticut’s Supreme Court ruled the action was illegal and ordered the state to return control of Bridgeport Schools back to the people of Bridgeport, Malloy’... more »

We Party Patriots » Poverty, Once Relegated to Cities, Now Plaguing Suburban U.S.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

We Party Patriots » Poverty, Once Relegated to Cities, Now Plaguing Suburban U.S.: Poverty, Once Relegated to Cities, Now Plaguing Suburban U.S. by Chaz Bolte [image: Pittsburgh, PA]Pittsburgh, PA In post-World War II America, the sprawling suburbs made possible by full employment, good wages, and an abundance of automobiles were a symbol of prosperity. Large supermarkets, shopping malls and public parks were a sign of American success that few foresaw fading. But now, as the economy struggles to return to pre-recession standards, the suburbs are becoming poorer. In their recent... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The new 'CPS Way' smells like the old 'CPS Way'

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The new 'CPS Way' smells like the old 'CPS Way': The new 'CPS Way' smells like the old 'CPS Way' Last week, as she was closing dozens of neighborhood schools and slashing school budgets at the rest, *Byrd-Bennett* rolled out the new-and-improved CPS 5-year plan and a new mantra, now called The *CPS Way. *It comes neatly packaged, complete with slick brochures and videos. But a little scratch-and-sniff reveals that the new "CPS Way" is the old *CPS Way*. Quick, call in the IG to clean up this mess and get Liar-In-Chief *Becky Carroll *for damage cont... more »

A Declaration To Reset The Education Debate

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

A Declaration To Reset The Education Debate: A Declaration To Reset The Education Debate by Isaiah J. Poole You may have seen stories about the poor quality of Washington, D.C.’s public schools. You probably have also heard about how Michelle Rhee was brought from near-obscurity to take over the city’s schools, overnight becoming a national symbol of dramatic education “reform.” What you may not have heard is that after years of high-stakes testing and mass teacher firings along with school closings and reorganizations by Rhee and her successor and protégé, Kaya Henderson, many D.C.... more »

UPDATE: Special Needs students at shuttered Trumbull file federal law suit against CPS. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Special Needs students at shuttered Trumbull file federal law suit against CPS. | Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. Rahm’s new board member. by Fred Klonsky [image: rich white person] Click on image to enlarge. The retirement gamble and HB3303. by Fred Klonsky Waiting in the wings while Madigan and Cullerton figure out if they can make a deal on their versions of pension reform are a group of Republican legislators who want to turn our defined benefit pension into a Vegas-style gamble with 401(k)s and 402(b)s and defined contributions. Glen wrote about it: *Don’t be fooled by some... more »

Shanker Blog » What Some Call Delay Is At Times Just Good Policy Making

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Shanker Blog » What Some Call Delay Is At Times Just Good Policy Making: What Some Call Delay Is At Times Just Good Policy Making by Matthew Di Carlo U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently announced that states will be given the option to postpone using the results of their new teacher evaluations for high-stakes decisions during the phase-in of the new Common Core-aligned assessments. The reaction from some advocates was swift condemnation – calling the decision little more than a “delay” and a “victory for the status quo.” We hear these kinds of arguments frequently in ... more »

Live from Netroots Nation: Building a Movement to Prevent Gun Violence | Lily's Blackboard

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Live from Netroots Nation: Building a Movement to Prevent Gun Violence | Lily's Blackboard: Live from Netroots Nation: Building a Movement to Prevent Gun Violence by LilysBlackboard [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] Join NEA´s vice president, Lily Eskelsen García as she addresses issues of safety in our schools as part of the national debate around gun violence, and the politics of gun control. Watch the Livestream live here at 12PM Eastern Time. freespeechtv on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

Daily Kos: NCTQ Fails US, World

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Daily Kos: NCTQ Fails US, World: NCTQ Fails US, World byplthomasEdDFollow - Some things are simply too complicated for public public consumption. Rankings are one such example. By their nature, rankings often send messages that are deeply distorted, but we persist in creating rankings where none are justified. Education has a long and ugly relationship with rankings, making a mess even messier (if that is possible). Two aspects of the perpetual education debate are worth noting for their complexity: (1) The eternal claim that schools need to be reformed (see Deleuze),... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-21-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] NCTQ Report: Time for a Class Action Lawsuit? by dianerav A reader in Wisconsin is outraged. I can’t blame her. Should anyone with a degree be allowed to teach? Is professional education worthless? Scott Walker thinks so. So will others who read the NCTQ report, which graded teacher education with an F without bothering to visit any of the institutions it graded so harshly. This parent writes: Dear Diane, My suggestion is far beyond my ability to assess; here’s my... more »

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Saturday, June 22, 2013

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New documentary sheds light on U.S. ‘juvenile lifers’

There Has to Be a Better Way to Grade Tests

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