Some Christmas Tunery
-
Here at the Institute (where the Board of Directors still firmly believe in
Santa Claus), we like our seasonal music, both as consumers and as
producers,...
Greg Olear: Reading Charles Dickens Today
-
Greg Olear writes a blog that is always rewarding to read–full of insight,
experience, knowledge, wisdom. His post below connects the world of Dickens
to t...
Finding Light in Winter by Mary Pipher
-
The mornings are dark, the late afternoons are dusky, and before we finish
making dinner, the daylight is gone. As we approach the darkest days of the
ye...
Last Minute Gift Ideas!
-
We've been bombarded with "last minute" gift idea promotions since at least
mid-November, but now, finally, the last minute is truly upon us. As a
publi...
Cartoons about the Holiday Season
-
Here are some cartoons that got me to smile about this time of year. I hope
they will do the same for you. Happy holidays to all of my readers. Enjoy!
HAIRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAIRY HANUKKAH TOO!
-
*HAIRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAIRY HANUKKAH TOO!*
* The Big Hairy Education Ape Spreads Holiday Cheer! Ah, December! The time
of year when the air tur...
About the Social Security Fairness Act
-
On December 21, 2024, the US Senate passed the Social Security Fairness
Act, otherwise known as HR 82, a bill that restores full Social Security
benefits t...
Apologies to Dan Alicea
-
I want to truly apologize to Daniel Alicea. On November 30, Dan wrote a
blog post about how, despite millions of dollars being available, Mulgrew
refused...
The 2024 NPE “Coal in the Stocking” Awards
-
At NPE, we know who is naughty and nice when it comes to supporting our
public schools and their students.
The post The 2024 NPE “Coal in the Stocking” A...
Big Lies of Education: Grade Retention
-
The Big Lie of grade retention in the US is that it is often hidden within
larger reading legislation and policy, notably since the 2010s: Westall and
Cumm...
Juntos lo haremos
-
En el año que viene, tendremos que tomar decisiones difíciles sobre quienes
queremos ser en cada comunidad y como nación. Ha sido un año muy intenso.
Desde...
WTF, Democratic Caucus?
-
Why is the failure of this current budget bill being blamed on Republicans
when almost every single Democrat voted against it? If only half of the
Dems had...
Peace through Beauty
-
I am and always have been more musical than I have been verbal. I have
always found beauty in sound. Often it can be purely instrumental, such as
playing...
San Diego School Board Election Outcomes
-
By Thomas Ultican 12/17/2024 Before the recent election, I wrote
recommendations for several school board seats in San Diego County. The San
Diego County R...
SPI Supports SB 48 to Keep ICE Off School Campuses
-
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond sponsors Senate Bill 48 to keep
Immigration and Customs Enforcement off of school campuses, protecting
school attendance...
Schrödinger’s Cat
-
Schrödinger’s cat is a famous thought experiment in which the renowned
scientist pondered how a cat in a closed box could be thought of as
simultaneously a...
In Memoriam: Nikki Giovanni
-
The literary and cultural world has lost an irreplaceable voice with the
passing of Nikki Giovanni. As one of the most celebrated poets and
activists of ou...
Education Has Failed and What Can We Do Next?
-
Education has failed to prepare children for the world today. Despite the
increased investment, impactful reforms, hardworking teachers and school
leaders,...
Defining Productivity, Cost, and Efficiency
-
Recycled material here… The central problem with US public schools is often
characterized as an efficiency problem. We spend a lot and don’t get much
for i...
November Parent Engagement Resources
-
Greeting a family in their preferred language is a small gesture that
demonstrates respect and eagerness to connect with parents. Creating a
Welcoming Envi...
Try Substack?
-
Seems like the popular new thing. Here’s my first try – it’s about
yesterday’s UFT Retired Teachers Chapter meeting – first ever not run by
Unity. (Spoiler...
Number 18 — A barely-hanging-on Blogoversary
-
Blogoversary #18 SEPTEMBER 14, 2006 I started this blog while I was still
teaching, in 2006. I had just begun my 31st year as an educator. Just like
in pre...
Student "Growth" Measures Are STILL Biased
-
This caught my attention:
New Jersey school districts may soon be evaluated differently, *with a
greater emphasis on student growth* as compared to stud...
AIN’T IT AWFUL
-
As the terrible feelings of dread and angst spread across the world the
great majority of the American people feel powerless before the onslaught
of those ...
The Sky is Falling, or is it?
-
Well, this is the first anniversary of the introduction of Generative AI in
the form of ChatGPT to the world of education. Before it was a week old,
over o...
Vote NO on the UFT Contract. Here is Why:
-
The best reason to vote no on this contract is this: UFT Unity* lied* to us
in 2018. They misrepresented that contract. It was predicated on deals we
wer...
Metaphors in ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech
-
In this article, we will explore the powerful use of metaphors in Martin
Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” ...
Read more
Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force
-
I prepared testimony for one of two public hearings held by the Chicago
Public Schools Truancy Task Force, a body mandated by state legislation.
The meetin...
There Is A Teacher Shortage.Not.
-
THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. And just to be sure you understand, it’s not
that teachers don’t want to teach. It’s not that there aren’t enough
teachers cer...
Book Banning Turns to Dick and Jane
-
Breaking News: Dateline February 4, 2022 - Parents in Dimwitty, Alabama
have asked the Dimwitty Board of Education to ban the children's primer *Fun
with...
Have You Heard Has a New Website
-
TweetHave You Heard has a new website. Visit us at
www.haveyouheardpodcast.com to find our latest episodes and our entire
archive. And be sure to check out...
Follow me at Substack
-
I've moved. Follow me at Substack
I'm now posting regularly at Substack. You can subscribe for free to my new
Edu/Pol blog at michaelklonsky.substack.com
...
Aspiring Teachers Get New Help Paying For College
-
[image: colorful classroom pattern]
*; Credit: shuoshu/Getty Images*
Cory Turner | NPR
New rules kick in today that will help aspiring teachers pay for c...
Tips Akses Situs Judi Qq Tanpa Perlu Takut Nawala
-
Kegiatan berjudi slot melalui situs judi qq online, sekarang sudah
dilakukan oleh banyak penjudi Indonesia. Tentu, Kamu yang sedang membaca
artikel ini a...
The Threat of Integration
-
I have lived in the same house in the Miracle Mile section of Los Angeles
for over 30 years, where up until now I have had little or no interaction
with th...
We fight for a democracy worthy of us all!
-
The nation stands at a crossroads, said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García
in her final keynote address to the 2020 NEA Representative Assembly and
it’s up...
The Passing Of Chaz 1951-2020 Age 69
-
I am the son of Chaz and like to inform you that he passed away this
afternoon from the COVID virus. My father passed in peace beside his loved
ones. We ar...
The Fight For Our Children
-
*The number of suicides among people ages 10 to 24 nationally increased by
56 percent between 2007 and 2017, according to a new federal report showing
the ...
Read to Self: Just a Kid and a Book.
-
Date: Monday, January 5, 2020 Place: My classroom Student: Mrs.Mims, could
we start doing Read to Self again because I got this great book for
Christmas an...
Keeping Progressive Schools Alive
-
Dear Friends and Colleagues, Happy New Year and a special thanks to those
who respond to past blogs about choice, et al. I always mean to respond to
each c...
Reminiscences
-
I just finished dumping the rest of my lesson plans. I guess I held on to
the calculus ones for so long because I spent so much time working on them
an...
Just Asking for some Teachers I know.
-
Recently Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers stated, We must … recognize that
part of supporting our kids in the classroom means supporting the educators
who t...
Cara Menang Bermain Judi Bola Online
-
Bermain judi bola online tentu saja memiliki kesenangannya tersendiri baik
itu mendapatkan keuntungan maupun ketika menantikan hasil skor pada sebuah
perta...
A Critique of Standards-Based Grading
-
It first happened to me about ten years ago. I was beginning my third year
of teaching in a new school in Washington, DC. Social studies teachers were
si...
My First and Last Visit to Hudson Yards
-
Figuring I did not need to invite any more darkness and vulgarity into my
head than that provided on a daily basis from Trump’s White House, and
after read...
The World According to Michelle Rhee
-
The men behind the curtain fashioning the brave new world of corporate run
education in America! Michelle Rhee is the founder of StudentsFirst, The
New T...
Whose Opinions Matter in Education World?
-
It's hard to identify education heroes and sheroes. And perhaps even harder
to pinpoint just whose work is slanted, paid-for and dishonest.
Blockchain: Life on the Ledger
-
Originally posted on Wrench in the Gears:
I created this video as a follow up to the one I prepared last year on
Social Impact Bonds. It is time to examine...
New Local Businesses in Sacramento
-
Starting a new local business in Sacramento is a monumental task, but can
be accomplished with footwork, perseverance and knowledge. One must learn
the loc...
Lesson Plan: Rhyme and Rhythm in Poetry
-
I’ve started a recent unit on poetry with my class. I’m not a poet, and I’m
not a poetry fan (I don’t hate it, but I’m a prose gal), so this makes it
harde...
The Apotheosis of Betsy DeVos
-
Betsy Devos has drawn few headlines in recent months, and that is a good
thing for the Secretary of Education. Her tenure began with Vice President
Mike P...
Education Is a Civic Question
-
In their final post to end Bridging Differences' decade-long run, Deborah
Meier and Harry Boyte urge readers to put the energy, talents, wisdom, and
hard w...
Site News: New Home for Education News & Commentary
-
Quick! Get over there! The daily education news roundup and education
commentaries that you're probably looking for are now being published over
at The Gra...
Should We Be Grateful?
-
In an odd turn of events, and with little explanation, Michigan Governor
Rick Snyder has decided to return the state’s School Reform Office back to
the Dep...
An Open Letter to NC Lawmakers
-
An Open Letter to NC State Lawmakers and NC State Superintendent Mark
Johnson: I am a NC native, voter, and public school teacher. I am
addressing you all ...
The Secret to Fixing Schools (My Next Bestseller)
-
The Secret to Fixing Schools (My next bestseller) Prologue I just finished
watching a fascinating documentary on Netflix entitled, “The Secret”. The
film p...
Farewell, Sleep
-
Today is the official last day of my spring break. I've done a scientific
survey: My natural bedtime is 2 AM, and my natural wake up time is 9:41
AM. Tom...
REPORT: States With the Best and Worst Schools
-
States With the Best (and Worst)Schools
By *Evan Comen, Michael B. Sauter, Samuel Stebbins and Thomas C. Frohlich*
January 20, 2017- http://247wallst.com
...
Test Refusal = People Power
-
In recent months, social media has been ablaze with talk of regular folk
taking action to resist the Trump agenda. Protests are a daily occurrence,
and ev...
Random Musings and Observations. . . .
-
I’ve been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular
readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for
that. Sinc...
AB 934: A LEGISLATIVE FIX FOR VERGARA?
-
By Michael Stratford | in the Politco Morning Education Report | via email
05/24/2016 10:00 AM EDT :: Two national education groups are backing a
Califor...
MY NEW BLOG
-
My new blog will consist of fictitious headlines, meant to be a blend of
humor and satire. I apologize ahead of time if any other satirical site has
simila...
Thank you
-
Dear Readers,
Thank you for visiting *The Perimeter Primate*. This blog is being retired
for the time being. Although I no longer post here, I do still s...
I am Retiring
-
I have some news: I am retiring from the PBS NewsHour and Learning Matters.
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other
conte...
New Beginnings: Kickstarter and EdWeek Teacher
-
Greetings to InterACT readers one and all! If you’ve been following posts
here recently you might recall that I’m moving my blogging activity to
other loca...
Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School
-
*“With Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School closing, Newark families must
move on.”* The Star-Ledger (NJ), 6/25/2013
NEWARK — Bobby and Troy Shanks saw the...
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has announced that he will unilaterally override the centerpiece requirement of the No Child Left Behind school accountability law, that 100 percent of students be proficient in math and reading by 2014.
Mr. Duncan told reporters that he was acting because Congress had failed to rewrite the Bush-era law, which he called a “slow-motion train wreck.” He is waiving the law’s proficiency requirements for states that have adopted their own testing and accountability programs and are making other strides toward better schools, he said.
The administration’s plan amounts to the most sweeping use of executive authority to rewrite federal education law since Washington expanded its involvement in education in
With efforts to rewrite the No Child Left Behind Act languishing in Congress, President Barack Obama has directed the U.S. Department of Education to grant waivers to states that agree to adopt a prescribed set of education reforms.
Just what those reforms will be—and what freedoms states will gain in return—remain unclear. Those details will be made public in September, Obama administration officials said in a call to reporters.
"We want to deliver a very important message: Relief is on the way," said Melody Barnes, the director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. "Low expectations, uneven standards and shifting goals ... those days
With less than two weeks before Wisconsinites go to the polls and possibly vote six Republicans out of the State Senate, the billionaire Koch brothers and their well funded roster of right-wing front groups have poured millions in out of state money into attack ads and voter suppression campaigns. All the while, left-wing labor groups like We Are Wisconsin have
My students know that they can “get away” with turning assignments in late. Although I provide an ideal timeframe for when work should be completed, students know that assignments are due when students are ready to receive feedback.
When I mention this to fellow teachers, the first reaction I get tends to be, “Well how will you teach them to be responsible?”
I can rattle off a diatribe about how assessment is about learning rather than character, but I believe character matters. I believe in teaching the whole student. I want my students developing into responsible, self-directed
ATLANTA — After a summer of scandal, Michele Alford will welcome her new third-grade class on Monday the way she always has: with a test. After her students realize that the school year has begun and their grumbling subsides, she will ask the children, “Where did I go to college?” and “What are my interests?”
“I call it the Teacher Test,” Ms. Alford said last week as she readied Room 111 at Toomer Elementary School. “I do it so that they can ask me questions and
Slowly but surely lawmakers across the country are voting for teacher evaluation systems that consider how students perform on standardized tests. These new laws indicate an increasing trust in standardized tests and statistical models such as VAM to do the hard work of defining a teacher's quality.
On July 27 Jeff Henig, a professor of education and political science at Columbia University, published a guest post on Rick Hess's blog entitled "Policy by Algorithm." In it, Henig notes the utility of data and algorithms to help systems like public education make decisions, but he cautions,
"...the high promise of policy by algorithm mutates into cause for concern when data are thin, algorithms theory-bare and untested, and results tied to laws that enshrine automatic rewards and
Confession: I only just now watched Diane Ravitch's speech at the SOS March. I was already in a cab when she was talking--- wondering whether to head back to the hotel or to the ER for heatstroke.
What a magnificent speech it was! I saw Gary Stager's recording. Go watch the whole thing. I'll wait.
I hate to slice and dice it because it was so beautifully constructed, but I think this one particular fact needs to be pointed out a hundred times a day.
People who read this blog are already aware of the international achievement statistic, but I think the rest of the
Last week, I brought up my opinion that children of color shouldn’t be limited to certain occupations due to the perceived notions of observers. I especially pointed this out to [some] White so-called liberals, because it seems that too many of them believe that their pseudo-liberalism absolves from the critique of their racial bias. Even
A group of executives who represent around 300 of America’s largest corporations has labored in the shadows since the early 1970s to promote free market policies to state legislators.
The cabal met this week in New Orleans’ Mariott hotel and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal was the luncheon speaker at the mid-week gathering.
The influence which the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has demonstrated includes virtual destruction of public employee collective bargaining rights, voter identification requirements that appear to be aimed at restrictive voting, and most
Remember this headline from a press release from TEA? Black-white achievement gap narrows on math NAEP (see http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=5011)
Well, the same researchers that examined the Black-White gap also looked at the Hispanic-White gap. And what did they find? Well, for 4th and 8th grade reading as well as 8th grade math, they pretty much found that nothing really changed. But, as I pointed out in this earlier post (http://fullerlook.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/tx-4th-grade-naep-score/), the Hispanic-white gap actually INCREASED for 4th grade math between 2007 and 2009. Texas was only one of TWO states that had a gap that widened.
This has NEVER happened before in Texas. This is the first time we have ever seen an achievement gap widen.
I wrote this post in January 2011, but I believe it fits for the new school year as well! I think I will post them in my room near my desk as a reminder. Sometimes after a day with some of these kids, you forget your resolutions! Have a wonderful 2011-2012!
I resolve to:
treat all students fairly, regardless of race, gender, age, behavior, parent’s nasty attitude, desire to be educated, or lack of interest in learning
believe that all children can learn, even if I have t
gawker.com - Mike Bloomberg—not only our selfless, dollar-a-year salary mayor, but a massive philanthropist, too. What's not to like? Well, how about the fact that his charitable foundation doesn't want to pay ...
dailykos.com - The Meritocracy Myth, Science, and the Rise of New Gods The history of power, who sits at the top and why, is one of creating leverage for the few at the expense of the many. To achieve that, often...
dailykos.com - As a basic point of logic, any organized entity—a society, a business, a school—has characteristics that are either created or tolerated by those in power controlling that organization. All entitie...
nydailynews.com - Martin Shields/Getty The city dropped a system to flag suspicious standardized test marks in 2002. The city has dropped key controls for detecting cheating on the state's high-stakes standardized t...
ednewscolorado.org - State test results released today show little change in the proficiency of Colorado students on annual exams in reading and science and only slight increases in math and writing. The number of pupi...
washingtonpost.com - --This was written by Lisa Guisbond, a policy analyst for the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, or FairTest, a nonprofit organization that aims to improve standardized testing practices and ...
blogs.denverpost.com - Re: “A neighborhood choice,” July 31 Perspective article. Michael Kiley II is asking the right questions, such as, “[W]hy hasn’t neighborhood school reform received as much attention as charter and...
crainsnewyork.com - August 7, 2011 5:59 a.m. For much of his tenure as mayor, Michael Bloomberg put public school student test scores at the top of his r
mediaite.com - Video With bad economic news surrounding President Obama, Chris Matthews warns that if unemployment stays above 9% Obama will not be able to get re-elected. Dan Rather joined Matthews’ Sunday show ...
nyceducator.com - The Independent reports today that Rupert Murdoch is going ahead with his plans to create a News International-sponsored academy school near his newspaper headquarters in east London despite the ha...
my.firedoglake.com - CNN’s State of the Union featured California’s Democratic Governor, Jerry Brown, the man who was my governor when I entered state service in 1976. He’s no longer Governor Moonbeam. He’s now a mains...
hispanicallyspeakingnews.com - Published at 9:00 am, August 7, 2011 Photo Credits: Rat Poison Fed to Students in Brazil Brazilian authorities are investigating the claims of a school cook who confessed to mixing rat poison with ...
sacbee.com - Catherine Moulton, a former project manager for Walt Disney Imagineering, has volunteered her services to help shape a new science learning center designed to serve Northern California.She joins Mi...
bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Male teachers wary of hugging students - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento BeeMale teachers wary of hugging studentsShare By Melody Gutierrezmgutierrez@sacbee.comPub...
jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com - Yes, he really said it:Last year, News Corp purchased Wireless Generation, a company which makes teaching assistance software, and hired former New York schools Chancellor Joel Klein to head it up....
bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… - The Best Sites For Finding Folktales To Teach “Life Lessons”The Best Sites For Finding Folktales To Teach “Life Lessons”by Larry FerlazzoIn my classroom, and...
preaprez.wordpress.com - Photo credit: hetrickm My sister-in-law writes the Mayor to remind him that there are folks in the city that have no addresses. Cutting services to them is one hell of a way to save money. The Mayo...
bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Jersey Jazzman: Murdoch: Replace Teachers With ComputersMurdoch: Replace Teachers With Computersby DukeYes, he really said it:Last year, News Corp purchased Wireless Generation, a company which mak...
firedoglake.com - Indicative Rating Levels from the Combination of (1) the Political and Economic Profile with (2) the Flexibility and Performance Profile (click to embiggen) Standard & Poor’s downgrade of the US cr...
rosemont.patch.com - Most families have several appliances at home, such as a refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, washer and dryer. While these are somewhat indispensable to many people, there are several appliances t...
bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Newark school had been flagged before for possible cheating on standardized tests | NJ.comNewark school had been flagged before for possible cheating on standardized testsPublished: Sunday, August ...
bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… - The Best Sites For Finding Folktales To Teach “Life Lessons”The Best Sites For Finding Folktales To Teach “Life Lessons”by Larry FerlazzoIn my classroom, and...
washingtonpost.com - The figures, made public last week, show that despite some signs of overall progress, students in schools east of the Anacostia River — who represent nearly a third of the city’s traditional public...
I wrote this post in January 2011, but I believe it fits for the new school year as well! I think I will post them in my room near my desk as a reminder. Sometimes after a day with some of these kids, you forget your resolutions! 
Have a wonderful 2011-2012!
DianeRavitch
leoniehaimson
fklonsky
