Big Education Ape

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

John Oliver, Samantha Bee, Trevor Noah Talk Education - The Atlantic

John Oliver, Samantha Bee, Trevor Noah Talk Education - The Atlantic:

How Comedy Became Education's Best Critque

Late-night hosts including John Oliver and Samantha Bee devoted air time to school-related issues this year, pushing the topics into mainstream conversation.

This is the second installment in our series examining the intersections of education and entertainment in 2016. Read a previous entry on a documentary, and check back for future pieces on a play, animated movies, and television.

It’s no secret that politics has been especially central to late-night comedy over the past year or so. Some would argue that shows—from The Daily Show to Full Frontal With Samantha Bee—have served as more robust sources of political news than traditional broadcast news. According to a recent analysis by Tyndall Report, since the beginning of 2016, ABC’s World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News devoted just 32 minutes to coverage of policy issues.

“What we’re witnessing, actually, is a movement in these longer-form satire programs in the direction of exploring in-depth, complicated policy issues,” said Dannagal Young, an associate professor of communication at the University of Delaware’s Center for Political Communication. “I think what humor offers that’s particularly useful is the ability to reframe complex policies in really clear, simple, accessible terms.”

One of the themes that saw a notably prominent presence in late-night comedy in 2016 was education. Trevor Noah interviewed the professor Sara Goldrick-Rab about Paying the Price, her new book about the financial strain of higher education in the U.S., on The Daily Show. Samantha Bee looked at how schools are responding to fears about mass shootings. John Oliver was particularly keen on talking about education issues on his HBO show Last Week Tonight, devoting two segments to them in 2016, one on school segregation and another on charter schools. The latter was so controversial that the Washington-based Center for Education Reform, a pro-charter nonprofit, offered a $10,000 prize to the charter school that created the best rebuttal to Oliver’s tirade; Natomas Charter School in Sacramento, California, won.John Oliver, Samantha Bee, Trevor Noah Talk Education - The Atlantic:

A Teacher on Teaching: Carl Paladino: Worst School Board Member of the Year

A Teacher on Teaching: Carl Paladino: Worst School Board Member of the Year:

Carl Paladino: Worst School Board Member of the Year

December started well for Carl Paladino. A member of the Buffalo, New York school board, co-chair of Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign in the state, Paladino met with the president-elect and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, just before Christmas. He told reporters afterward that the question of “whether he would be interested and/or willing to serve in the administration in some capacity did come up.” By December 21 the presents at the Paladino home were all nicely wrapped and snug under the tree.

We might even guess there was a “Make America Great Again” hat for Mrs. P. and “Jail Hillary” t-shirts for all the grand kids.

That same day the Buffalo News reported on Paladino’s formal request, during a school board meeting, that once President Trump took office his picture might be placed prominently in every city school.

“Other board members responded to Paladino’s request,” the News continued, “by noting it is at the discretion of principals to decide what they display in their schools. ‘I think this is problematic,’ said board member Theresa Harris-Tigg. ‘Now we are going to mandate, and force something, when it has been their prerogative.’”

“‘Why do we care?’ Paladino responded. ‘Why do we care what their prerogative is?’”

In the end, a compromise was reached, with board members agreeing to put up posters of all former and current U. S. presidents in the schools. Sadly, there was no mention whether or not Paladino would have liked to see Mr. Obama’s picture crossed out.

We don’t know if he was satisfied with the decision. We do know, two days later, he was up to his knees in feces of his own creation. Trouble began brewing when Artvoice, a local weekly, asked city leaders toanswer four questions.

For current purposes only the first two matter:

1. What would you most like to happen in 2017?

2. What would you like to see go away in 2017?

Most city leaders responded in predictable fashion. Sue Marfino, a businesswoman, answered #1: “A return to shopping in communities and at brick & mortar stores.”

Jeff Mucciarelli, co-owner of 31 Club, offered up a wish with which almost everyone in the world might A Teacher on Teaching: Carl Paladino: Worst School Board Member of the Year:

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Looking Ahead (Nationally) - Part One

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Looking Ahead (Nationally) - Part One:

Looking Ahead (Nationally) - Part One

Image result for Looking Ahead (Nationally

You'll notice I didn't say "looking forward" because honestly, I don't see much hope for public education for all students in this country, state and city. Let's start with nationally.

Trump won the Electoral College and is therefore elected president. However, that win is clearly not a mandate when you consider that he received nearly 63 million votes to Hillary Clinton's nearly 66 million votes. Add into her votes the ballots cast for Gary Johnson, Jill Stein, and others and you get to about 74 million people who voted against Trump.

He has not even been sworn in and already there are many warning signs. His background and actions tell us three important things.

1) He is not qualified to do the job, seemingly doesn't want to do the job full-time (he seems to think he only needs to be in Washington, D.C. four days a week and was never a great businessman but really, a good self-promoter. Read this Newsweek article for more (and add Native Americans to the list of people he has insulted.)

2) It is amusing in a sad kind of way to see all these people - from Gates to Paul Ryan to many Christian groups - fall into line thinking that, well, he got elected and he's their guy.

There is no person on this planet who knows what he will do or say at any given time. No one.

Now I believe there are people who know how to manipulate him to get what they want but he has proven to be mercurial, petty and with a shallow knowledge of issues. So good luck to all those who believe he will support their issues except for big business, of course.

3) He has no sense of humor and, like, George W. Bush, has a decided lack of intellectual curiosity. If someone cannot laugh at themselves, it's not a good thing. (There's something to wonder out loud Seattle Schools Community Forum: Looking Ahead (Nationally) - Part One:

Slideshow: When deportation fears keep kids out of preschool: a Florida case study | 89.3 KPCC

Slideshow: When deportation fears keep kids out of preschool: a Florida case study | 89.3 KPCC:

When deportation fears keep kids out of preschool: a Florida case study

Image result for When deportation fears keep kids out of preschool: a Florida case study

For a 16 year-old, Armando Bautista knows a lot about cucumbers.

As a small child he helped his parents, both migrant farmworkers in the U.S. illegally, plant and pick cucumbers in vast fields from Michigan to Florida. The high schooler now has his hopes set on being a mechanic. But these days he spends his time worrying about his parents and how his little sister’s preschool attendance is putting his family in jeopardy.

"My parents don’t have papers and I worry about them every day before they go to work," he said. "They could get stopped by the police and they could get deported and, like, who would take care of my brothers and sisters?"

Bautista’s parents have picked strawberries, blueberries, cucumbers and just about every U.S. grown crop over the last two decades in farms around the country. They move, children and all, as crop seasons change. They always spend winters in Florida.

For children of migrant farmworker families, life can be tough. Older kids are enrolled in local public schools, and may change schools multiple times in a year. But children under 5 were often taken by parents to the farms, running alongside as they worked. This was not only dangerous, it was far from a stimulating early childhood experience.

In 1969 Congress recognized those challenges and created a special branch of the Head Start program specifically to serve the children of farmworkers. In South Florida, the Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA) has run head start centers for children of farmworkers since 1981. It’s one of these very centers that the youngest Bautista child attends.

And over the last few months, 16-year-old Armando has conducted a daily risk assessment of whether the benefits of his little sister’s early education outweigh the risk of his dad simply driving her to and from preschool.

"I say she should go to school so she can learn," Bautista said. "But at the same time it's worrying because my parents could get stopped while just taking [her] to preschool."

It’s a situation that many farmworker families find themselves in, said Lourdes Villanueva, director of programs for RCMA. In fact, for the first time in its history, RCMA is struggling to fill its head start classrooms. This year the program has a gulf of unfilled seats, 43 percent in fact.

At its 25 centers across South Florida, RCMA has capacity to serve 1,700 children under 5. In early December they had filled just 974 seats. "Never before had we been Slideshow: When deportation fears keep kids out of preschool: a Florida case study | 89.3 KPCC:

Monday, December 26, 2016

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 12/26/16

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 12/26/16

Featured Post

Will we see you at our 2017 conference? - Network For Public Education

Jersey Jazzman: "Kingdom Gain" Through School Vouchers: It's Already Working

by mike simpson / 8min

Jersey Jazzman: "Kingdom Gain" Through School Vouchers: It's Already Working : "Kingdom Gain" Through School Vouchers: It's Already Working Why do our new Secretary of Education and her husband support school vouchers? Back in 2001, they were quite candid about it : The billionaire philanthropist whom Donald Trump has tapped to lead the Education Department once compared her work in education ref

Democratic Schooling | Deborah Meier on Education

by mike simpson / 5min

Democratic Schooling | Deborah Meier on Education : Democratic Schooling I have argued in speech and writing for years that democracy is not “natural.” Although it is well within our human capacities it is not our “default” position. To demonstrate this would take longer than this blog/web allows. But I think there are good solid reasons why as a specie we retreat to authoritarian solutions so of

How Indiana’s school voucher program soared, and what it says about education in the Trump era - The Washington Post

by mike simpson / 19min

How Indiana’s school voucher program soared, and what it says about education in the Trump era - The Washington Post : How Indiana’s school voucher program soared, and what it says about education in the Trump era Indiana lawmakers originally promoted the state’s school voucher program as a way to make good on America’s promise of equal opportunity, offering children from poor and lower-middle-cl

Trump ally who wished death on Obama is a school board member, and calls for his removal are growing - The Washington Post

by mike simpson / 4h

Trump ally who wished death on Obama is a school board member, and calls for his removal are growing - The Washington Post : Trump ally who wished death on Obama is a school board member, and calls for his removal are growing The co-chairman of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in New York, who wished death on President Obama in 2017, is a member of the Buffalo Board of Education — but that co

Schooling in the Ownership Society: New for-profit ed management company won't pull Ohio charters out of the muck.

by mike simpson / 4h

Schooling in the Ownership Society: New for-profit ed management company won't pull Ohio charters out of the muck. : New for-profit ed management company won't pull Ohio charters out of the muck. Few states rely so heavily on for-profit management companies as does Ohio. Lately, corporate reformers at the Cambridge Education Group, have formed a new charter school network in to try and clean up t

Will we see you at our 2017 conference? - Network For Public Education

by mike simpson / 4h

Will we see you at our 2017 conference? - Network For Public Education : Will we see you at our 2017 conference? We are now planning for our 2017 conference on October 14 and 15 at the Marriott in Oakland, California. We need your help to determine our facility needs. Please answer a short, three question survey today. You will find the survey here . Please also participate in our Stop Betsy DeVo

How Hedge Funds Will Profit from School Privatization | The Huffington Post

by mike simpson / 7h

How Hedge Funds Will Profit from School Privatization | The Huffington Post : How Hedge Funds Will Profit from School Privatization In the News: A number of news items in recent weeks show how powerful money-brokers work inside and outside the law in their war on public education in the United States. (1) In the State of Washington , a State Supreme Court Judge up for reelection sided with a 6-to

Crass Edupolitics, Failed Mainstream Media in South Carolina | the becoming radical

by mike simpson / 8h

Crass Edupolitics, Failed Mainstream Media in South Carolina | the becoming radical : Crass Edupolitics, Failed Mainstream Media in South Carolina An Op-Ed in The State and Paul Bower’s Charter school advocates shifting gears in South Carolina ( The Post and Courier ) inadvertently reveal the same message: South Carolina remains mired in crass edupolitics. StudentsFirst and 50CAN have become Sout

'The Bad Kids' Showcases Schools for At-Risk Students - The Atlantic

by mike simpson / 9h

'The Bad Kids' Showcases Schools for At-Risk Students - The Atlantic : Where the 'Bad Kids' Go to School A 2016 documentary magnifies an often ignored part of the education world. This is the first installment in our series examining the intersections of education and entertainment in 2016. Check back for more entries on late-night comedy, a play, animated movies , and television . The directors

Native American Education: What Will It Take To Fix The 'Epitome Of Broken'? : NPR Ed : NPR

by mike simpson / 9h

Native American Education: What Will It Take To Fix The 'Epitome Of Broken'? : NPR Ed : NPR : Native American Education: What Will It Take To Fix The 'Epitome Of Broken'? Navajo students at Crystal Boarding School in New Mexico sing traditional songs in class. Carrie Jung/KJZZ High up in the mountains of the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, Delphine Gatewood teaches special education at the Crystal B

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Christmas Digestion Edition + Catch up with CURMUDGUCATION

by mike simpson / 9h

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Christmas Digestion Edition : ICYMI: Christmas Digestion Edition Yes, it's Christmas day, but I am a creature of habit, so for those of you who, for whatever reason, have some time on your hands, here's this week's list of read-worthy writing. Have an excellent day! When It Comes to Charter Schools, Facts Matter Wendy Lecker's interview with Robert Cotto, Jr. about some of

BATs - Listening to Members & Taking Action in 2017 - Badass Teachers Association

by mike simpson / 9h

Badass Teachers Association : BATs - Listening to Members & Taking Action in 2017 BATs began on June 13, 2014 as a Facebook group. Within months this Facebook group evolved into an organization that brought forth the powerful voices of teachers, parents, and many other in support of public education and social justice. Two years ago BATs became a non-profit 501c4 and in so solidified our mission

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

by mike simpson / 9h

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES : WEEKEND QUOTABLES "Just as the three wise men did on that night, this Christmas heralds a time to celebrate the good news of a new King." -- RNC Chairman Reince Priebus Thom Hartman With so-called “unregulated free markets,” the rich become super-rich, while grinding poverty spreads among working people like a heroin epidemic. This further polari

California grants will help secretaries, cafeteria workers become teachers | 89.3 KPCC

by mike simpson / 9h

California grants will help secretaries, cafeteria workers become teachers | 89.3 KPCC : California grants will help secretaries, cafeteria workers become teachers The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing has announced $20 million in grants to help 1,000 classified school workers across the state get their teaching credentials. "When this grant opportunity came up it was pretty much a n

Russ on Reading: The Least of Russ on Reading 2016

by mike simpson / 9h

Russ on Reading: The Least of Russ on Reading 2016 : The Least of Russ on Reading 2016 This is my third annual publication of posts that, for one reason or another, attracted little attention the first time around. It has been a year of gratifying growth in this blog; a year filled with the excitement of the publication of my book, A Parent's Guide to Public Education in the 21st Century, and a y

Truthout: “The Great Unwinding of Public Education: DeVos and Detroit” | deutsch29

by mike simpson / 10h

Truthout: “The Great Unwinding of Public Education: DeVos and Detroit” | deutsch29 : Truthout: “The Great Unwinding of Public Education: DeVos and Detroit” Michigan billionaire Betsy DeVos is President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for US secretary of education. America would do well to learn all it can about her and about the DeVos influence in the privatization of public education in Michigan, p

YESTERDAY

Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Children - Living in Dialogue

by mike simpson / 1d

Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Children - Living in Dialogue : Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Children By Michelle Strater Gunderson. When I was a small and my world was safe, I would wake up on Christmas morning and there would always be an orange at the bottom of my stocking – a “store bought orange” as my mother would say. Because, you see, on our family farm it was always a source of pr

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah! Or Whatever. | Diane Ravitch's blog

by mike simpson / 1d

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah! Or Whatever. | Diane Ravitch's blog : Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah! Enjoy the day. Play with your children or grandchildren, your nieces and nephews. For some, this is a lonely time of year. Think about helping those who have no family. Invite friends over if they are alone. Go to a homeless shelter, a church, a synagogue or anywhere they are serving a meal

Rage | the becoming radical

by mike simpson / 1d

Rage | the becoming radical : Rage Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. “Do not go gentle into that good night,” Dylan Thomas More than 27 years ago, when I was 28 and my daughter, only three months old, a drunk driven hit me while I was cycling with a friend. The impact broke my ankle bone, leading to a lo

Throw back Christmas. | Fred Klonsky

by mike simpson / 1d

Throw back Christmas. | Fred Klonsky : Throw back Christmas. Back before the Illinois Supreme Court had yet to confirm our contractual and constitutional right to our retirement pension – and the state public employee union leaders backed a Democratic Party plan to cut our cost of living benefit (COLA) – I drew what I knew what Santa would say. Happy holidays. My blog postings will be on an irreg

CURMUDGUCATION: For Your Christmas Listening

by mike simpson / 1d

CURMUDGUCATION: For Your Christmas Listening : For Your Christmas Listening Here's hoping today is a great day for you and yours. For your listening pleasure, here's an assortment of traditional and not-so-traditional holiday music. May today be an excellent day!

Of Santa, Soccer, and Savior: Wishing Readers a Merry Christmas 2016 | deutsch29

by mike simpson / 1d

Of Santa, Soccer, and Savior: Wishing Readers a Merry Christmas 2016 | deutsch29 : Of Santa, Soccer, and Savior: Wishing Readers a Merry Christmas 2016 For my 2016 Christmas post, I feature two entries from the Ligonier Ministries blog. The posts concern two real individuals: Santa Claus and Jesus Christ. Both entries are written by president of Reformation Bible College Dr. Stephen J. Nichols. I

SKrashen: Bill Nye, The Science Guy shouldn't believe everything he reads about the Common Core.

by mike simpson / 1d

SKrashen: Bill Nye, The Science Guy shouldn't believe everything he reads about the Common Core. : Bill Nye, The Science Guy shouldn't believe everything he reads about the Common Core. Stephen Krashen http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=6623§ion=Article On Big Think, Bill Nye (The Science Guy) advises us to "use your critical thinking skills. Evaluate evidence. Don't believe every

Happy Holidays from the Big Education Ape 2016

by mike simpson / 1d

Happy Holidays from the Big Education Ape 2016 From My Family to Yours

DEC 24

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 12/24/16

by mike simpson / 2d

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 12/24/16 Featured Post How is Carl Paladino Still on the Buffalo School Board? -Badass Teachers Association Educational leadership this year didn't come from Oregon's leaders in education