Friday, April 26, 2013

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-26-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."


A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP





Parents call CPS primary testing cutback a good, small step Parents United for Responsible Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Parents call CPS primary testing cutback a good, small step: Parents call CPS primary testing cutback a good, small step by admin From More Than a Score [image: MTAS Play-In last week: parents have been demanding an end to standardized testing of primary students] MTAS Play-In last week: parents have been demanding an end to standardized testing of primary students Press release: For immediate Release April 26, 2013 CONTACT: Kirstin Roberts: 312-316-2636 Cassie Cresswell, 716-536-9313 Chicago IL: More Than a Score (MTAS), a co... more »

Our Positive Agenda | The Network For Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 40 minutes ago
Our Positive Agenda | The Network For Public Education: [image: The Network For Public Education -] Our Positive Agenda by admin The Network for Public Education has received a very positive response, and we are building alliances with grassroots groups across the nation. If you know of any who have not signed up, please tell them how to find us. You know what we oppose: High-stakes testing; privatization of public education; mass school closures to save money or to facilitate privatization; demonization of teachers; lowering of standards for the education profession; for-profit m... more »

May Day 2013: Chicago Schedule | OccupyWallSt.org

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 40 minutes ago
May Day 2013: Chicago Schedule | OccupyWallSt.org: May Day 2013: Chicago Schedule by OccupyWallSt [image: Imgur] Schedule of Events10:00 AM: Anti-Capitalist Demo @ City Front Plaza 12:45pm - 2:00pm: Occupy Chicago May Day Solidarity Speak Out @ Union Park, Randolph and Ashland 2:00pm - 4:30pm: International Workers Day March for Immigration Reform @ Union Park, march to Federal Plaza begins 3:00pm 4:30: Rally at Federal Plaza Additional Info: - http://occupychi.org/ - https://www.facebook.com/OccupyChicago [image: Imgur]

Mayor Bill Finch asks - Wait, What? Connecticut’s School Funding Laws Apply to Us? - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Mayor Bill Finch asks - Wait, What? Connecticut’s School Funding Laws Apply to Us? - Wait, What?: Mayor Bill Finch asks – Wait, What? Connecticut’s School Funding Laws Apply to Us? by jonpelto *Connecticut’s Education Cost Sharing:* “Three requirements apply to towns receiving state ECS grants. The first is that they spend their entire ECS grant for education. The second is that they not use an increase in their ECS grant in any year to supplant local funding for education (the nonsupplant requirement). The third is the MBR. The MBR requires towns to budget at least a minimum amo... more »

Heart in the Clouds: Maya Angelou Calls on Educators To Be Somebody's Rainbow — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Heart in the Clouds: Maya Angelou Calls on Educators To Be Somebody's Rainbow — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Laura Varlas]Heart in the Clouds: Maya Angelou Calls on Educators To Be Somebody’s Rainbow April 26, 2013 by Laura Varlas [image: Maya Angelou] In March, Maya Angelou greeted 10,000 ASCD Annual Conference attendees in Chicago, Ill., with a song of hope and gratitude: *"When it looked like the sun wouldn’t shine anymore; God put a rainbow in the cloud."* It's not just that we have rainbows in the sky, but in the clouds themselves, she explained. So that ... more »

What Happened in DC in 2008 – & Does it Still Matter in 2013?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
What Happened in DC in 2008 – & Does it Still Matter in 2013?: What Happened in DC in 2008 – & Does it Still Matter in 2013? by Sam If a prominent urban school leader told you he couldn’t recall being informed that half his city’s schools may have allowed the gross mistreatment of students to occur, would you believe him? And even if you did, would you still want him in charge of your children? Now imagine that the leader in question is not just prominent locally, but nationally as well. Imagine that this individual has appeared on the cover of iconic news magazines and been inter... more »

Diane in the Evening 4-26-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: DFER Defended by Head of the Discovery Institute by dianerav This is indeed an odd turn of events. Bruce Chapman, the head of the Discovery Institute, a Reagan Republican, warns Democrats that they should take care not to offend Democrats for Education Reform because they might become Republicans. The reason for his warning was that the California Democratic Party recently passed a resolution denouncing corporate education reform and specifically singling out DFER and StudentsFirst as fronts for corporations and... more »

Preparing the future worker bees of America

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Preparing the future worker bees of America: Preparing the future worker bees of America By South Side CPS Mom, Tuesday at 5:17 pm [image: Preparing the future worker bees of America] *There's a test at the end of this, so read, click, and watch carefully.* Penny Pritzker is just off the Chicago Board of Ed now, purportedly heading to DC to become Commerce Secretary. She served for the last two years but has long been connected with corporate education reform. She's a huge charter supporter, ushering Stand for Children here and lending her family name to Noble Street's Pritzker Coll...more »

Revealing Thoughts From Former TFA Teacher | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Revealing Thoughts From Former TFA Teacher | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Revealing Thoughts From Former TFA Teacher by millerlf *4/26/13* By Lauren Blair Aronson Unlike most of the people who drop out of Teach For America, as I did, I really like and respect TFA. I think TFA does great and important work—but I also think it can do better. While internally TFA is a model of reflective practice, at times the organization has resisted outside criticism. This is not unreasonable, as much of the criticism leveled against it is less than constructive. But as a not-so-s... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Governor of Louisiana Speaks about the Facts of Science Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. You, Me, and AGT – Part 2 Best of the Ed Blogs Lisa Alva Wood April 26, 2013 Time for Teacher Unions to Hop ... more »

The President's 2014 Budget | First Focus #InvestInKids

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
The President's 2014 Budget | First Focus: [image: In Focus] Obama Budget Delivers for Kids [image: Budget] President Obama recently released his 2014 budget proposal. Our analysis shows that, like his prior budgets, it invests in America’s children. The President’s proposal would reverse cuts to education and other critical “discretionary” budget initiatives, protect children’s health and nutrition, permanently extend anti-poverty improvements to family tax credits, and launch a new initiative to make quality pre-K affordable for every child. Our detailed analysis also compa... more »

A bad idea in D.C. on school reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
A bad idea in D.C. on school reform: A bad idea in D.C. on school reform Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 26, 2013 at 11:00 am [image: David Catania said he is cutting back his outside work due to his new council responsibilities. (Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post)] David Catania (By Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post) My colleague Emma Brown reported in this story that David Catania, the chairman of the D.C. Council’s Education Committee, is using private donations to hire an outside law firm to help him design school-related l... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee, Once More, Fast and Loose with the Truth | California Progress Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee, Once More, Fast and Loose with the Truth | California Progress Report: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee, Once More, Fast and Loose with the Truth by callen *By Joshua Pechthalt* "When will the Teflon wear off?" is a question many have asked about Michelle Rhee, self-proclaimed public school advocate, but in practice, tip of the spear for the school privatization industry. According to the *L.A. Times* last month, Rhee's claim that her children attend public school proved "misleading" at best. This is consistent with her challenged relationsh... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Friday Open Thread

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Friday Open Thread: Friday Open Thread by Melissa Westbrook Seattle edges out Portland as the "most-liked US city" in a national poll. Yay for us. Community Meeting with Director Patu on Saturday from 10-noon at Cafe Vita. Great youth film festival going on, NFFTY (National Film Festival for Talented Youth). *NFFTY occurs each spring in Seattle, Washington and is the premier showcase of the best young directors 22 and younger from around the world. The films of NFFTY represent the voice of this generation, covering all topics and genres, fro... more »

EdSource |  Transforming Public Education What's next for students, teachers and schools?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
EdSource | : Transforming Public EducationWhat's next for students, teachers and schools? California is facing a slate of reforms with the potential to transform the quality of public education in the years to come. The *2013 EdSource symposium, *in partnership with the California State PTA, brings together a rich combination of education leaders, experts, advocates, and practitioners to sort through the thorny issues embedded in upcoming reforms affecting school financing, teacher quality, and measuring student and school performance. *Join Us!* *Saturday May 4, 2013, 10:00a.m.-... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, April 26, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Fensterwald: Democrats split on timing, specifics of Brown’s funding formula* Education Headlines *Friday, April 26, 2013* Bullying still hot topic at Summerville HighA months-long discussion about alleged bullying at Summerville High School carried into a board meeting Wednesday, with parents urging trustees to continue addressing the issue. New jobs in Alisal district in disputeDistrict officials have said that the layoff notices issued to 25 classified workers in March were necessary as they attempt to reorganize some depart... more »

UNO teachers respond to right-wing Illinois Policy Institute interference. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
UNO teachers respond to right-wing Illinois Policy Institute interference. | Fred Klonsky: UNO teachers respond to right-wing Illinois Policy Institute interference. by Fred Klonsky Paul Kersey of the union-bashing right-wing Illinois Policy Institute has his nose all bent out of shape by the success of the union organizing campaign at charter schools run by the United Neighborhood Organization (UNO). UNO teachers responded to Kersey’s interference in their affairs. *April 24, 2013* *Paul Kersey* *Director of Labor Policy Illinois Policy Institute* *RE: Unwelcome interference* *Dea... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Has UNO's great charter school heist really ended?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Has UNO's great charter school heist really ended?: Has UNO's great charter school heist really ended? by Mike Klonsky Madigan greased the deal FINALLY, the state has cut off money to the UNO charter school hustlers. After countless media exposures and with the IG and possibly federal investigators looking around the $98 million swindle pulled off by *Juan Rangel* and the* d’Escoto brothers*, *Gov. Quinn* finally turned off the money spigot -- at least for now. But Rangel, who co-chaired *Rahm Emanuel's* 2011 mayoral campaign, still has the *so-sue-m... more »

Leaders Must Earn Their Stripes Every Day — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Leaders Must Earn Their Stripes Every Day — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Mark Hyatt]Leaders Must Earn Their Stripes Every Day April 26, 2013 by Mark Hyatt As a former Air Force squadron commander and Vice Commandant of the U.S. Air Force Academy, believe me, I had already been through a lifetime's worth of leadership training when I moved into the civilian sector as a K–12 school superintendent in 2002. Looking back, however, I must admit that the most challenging leadership issues I have ever faced easily occurred in the last decade. In the military, discipli... more »

Daily Kos: April 26, 1937

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Daily Kos: April 26, 1937: April 26, 1937 by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) is a date that should be burned in the soul of every human being. From the standpoint of the Condor Legion of the Luftwaffe, it was an opportunity to test out tactics that would in the vast war to follow in less than 3 years be an essential part of Blitzkrieg - lightening war. It was the deliberate targeting of a civilian population by military air power. It unleashed that as a tactic used by both sides in World War II - think here of firebombings of Hamburg and Dresden to say nothing of the nuclear annihi... more »

Secret log of school requests kept by then CPS chief Arne Duncan’s administration | WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Secret log of school requests kept by then CPS chief Arne Duncan’s administration | WBEZ 91.5 Chicago: Secret [redacted] clout list for Chicago Public SchoolsSecret log kept by Arne Duncan’s administration during 2008. It shows who made requests to get kids into the city’s top schools, and where they sought admission. April 25, 2013 By: Linda Lutton AP/File File: Education Secretary Arne Duncan at a news conference in Chicago, Nov. 13, 2008. Duncan was Chicago Public Schools chief then. WBEZ gained access to a 'secret log' of school requests kept by Duncan’s CPS administration via ... more »

The Coming Revolution in Public Education - John Tierney - The Atlantic

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
The Coming Revolution in Public Education - John Tierney - The Atlantic: The Coming Revolution in Public Education Critics say the standardized test-driven reforms pushed by those like Michelle Rhee may actually be harming students. It's always hard to tell for sure exactly when a revolution starts. Is it when a few discontented people gather in a room to discuss how the ruling regime might be opposed? Is it when first shots are fired? When a critical mass forms and the opposition acquires sufficient weight to have a chance of prevailing? I'm not an expert on revolutions, but even... more »

MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-26-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Louisiana and Reverse Parent Trigger by dianerav Louisiana educators have joined in unison to endorse a bill to permit parents in failing charter schools to return their school to public control. Two-thirds or more of the Recovery School District charters are graded D or F. This is a bold recognition that charter schools are not a silver bullet. They are most successful when they exclude the neediest children. Hey, folks, could we agree to stop using the term “par... more »

Florida Tea Party Leader Leads Opposition to Common Core | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Florida Tea Party Leader Leads Opposition to Common Core | Scathing Purple Musings: Florida Tea Party Leader Leads Opposition to Common Core by Bob Sikes Patricia Sullivan ran for United States House of Representatives under the Tea Party banner in 2010 and has emerged as a key leader in the state’s Tea Party movement. She was in Tallahassee this week and spoke at a rally to oppose Common Core Standards. *StateImpact’*s Gina Jordan has more: Patricia Sullivan home schools her kids and is concerned about the changes home school families may have to make. Students who want to go t... more »

UPDATE: History Repeats Itself + Texas STAAR Guarantees Failure of SpEd Students – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Texas STAAR Guarantees Failure of Special Ed Students – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: History Repeats Itself; First as David Hornbeck, then as “Michelle Rhee” by John Thompson A couple of weeks ago, John Merrow revealed the “smoking gun” memo showing that Michelle Rhee was warned about the extent of possible cheating in the D.C. schools, and that made him a hero to many teachers. Then, Merrow started a controversy by posting “Who Created ‘Michelle Rhee.’” Merrow indicated that Rhee, some corporate reformers, [...] The Manufactured Support of the Marginalized by plthomas... more »

Education Reform through Student Action Student Voice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Student Voice: Education Reform through Student Action by Editor Admin *Students: The largest unrepresented group of people in the United States* I am currently at the end of my freshman year in college at the University of Georgia, and have a serious gripe with the education system that dates back to middle school. Now you can say I am just a disgruntled student who just hates homework, but this is not the case. I, like I believe most of us do, love to learn. I love to expand my horizons and truly unlock my academic potential. Unfortunately that rarely happens in classrooms these... more »

Chicago’s Three Day March for Justice. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Chicago’s Three Day March for Justice. | Fred Klonsky: Chicago’s Three Day March for Justice. by Fred Klonsky [image: 63169_10200532756393045_428173739_n]

Democrats split on timing, specifics of Brown’s funding formula | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Democrats split on timing, specifics of Brown’s funding formula | EdSource Today: Democrats split on timing, specifics of Brown’s funding formula - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald Joan Buchanan, the Democratic chair of the Assembly Education Committee, grilled administration officials at length Wednesday on Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to reform school funding. She wanted, without success, to get them to concede there are flaws and inconsistencies in the plan. [image: Assembly Education Chair Joan Buchanan speaks at the hearing on Wednesday (photo from Cal Channel video).] Asse... more »

UPDATE: The real problem in education: the ‘opportunity gap’ +Why the public should see questions on new standardized tests

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Why the public should see questions on new standardized tests: The real problem in education: the ‘opportunity gap’ by Valerie Strauss Kevin Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder, was in Washington D.C. on Thursday at the National Press Club to launch a campaign grounded in a new book, ”Closing the Opportunity Gap,” that he … Continue reading → Why the public should see questions on new standardized tests Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 26, 2013 at 6:00 am 1 Comments More [image: (www.NYSUT.org)] Sample question (ww... more »

Daily Kos: Eugene Robinson says "Bush’s legacy keeps getting worse"

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Daily Kos: Eugene Robinson says "Bush’s legacy keeps getting worse": Eugene Robinson says "Bush’s legacy keeps getting worse" by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) He open his Friday *Washington Post* column bluntly" In retrospect, George W. Bush’s legacy doesn’t look as bad as it did when he left office. It looks worse. He discusses several items, starting with torture, and a discussion of the Constitution Project Report and the completed but unreleased Senate Intelligence Committee report, criticizes Obama for not appointing a blue ribbon commission to examine the misdeeds of his pr... more »

Jersey Jazzman: In State-Run Newark, The Wheels Fall Off

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: In State-Run Newark, The Wheels Fall Off: In State-Run Newark, The Wheels Fall Off by Duke How little credibility does the state-appointed administration of Newark's schools have with the school system's stakeholders? - Newark's students staged a walk-out to protest cuts to the schools' budget. - The teachers are calling for an external audit of the budget. - The "advisory board" has voted unanimously to express "no confidence" in the state-appointed superintendent, Cami Anderson. Anderson's experience prior to coming to Newark was *not* primarily in schools. Af... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 4-25-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE* * * ** *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* Correlation Or Causation? by Larry Ferlazzo Here’s a great comic from xkcd: The Texas Tribune: Considering Free Breakfasts for All Texas Students in Poor Areas by By CHRIS HOOKS Texas legislators are working to expand the free-breakfast program to all schoolchildren in poor areas, not just those from low-income households. Protests by Mexican Teachers Continue to Swell by By KARLA ZABLUDOVSKY Members of the teachers’ union in Guerrero State showed their anger, and in some cases turned violent, ov...more »

Paul Horton: Of Common Core, Conspiracies and Coups d'Etat - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Paul Horton: Of Common Core, Conspiracies and Coups d'Etat - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Paul Horton: Of Common Core, Conspiracies and Coups d'Etat by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Paul Horton.* To those defending the Obama administration's Race To the Top and Common Core Curriculum initiatives, opponents tend to be placed in one very tidy box: "conspiracy theorists." Long a critic of overzealous federal intervention in education, Chester Finn, President of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute that promotes educational excellence and supports the president's education a... more »

Senate school funding plan includes boost for linked learning SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: Senate school funding plan includes boost for linked learning *Senate school funding plan** PROUDLY SPONSORED BY * Con Academy Browse Con Academy library of over 3,100 educational videos... The Senate version of Gov. Jerry Brown’s school finance restructuring proposal would require district and county administrators to hold public hearings and develop plans detailing how they will use additional state support to improve the performance of educationally disadvantaged students. SB 69, released Thursday, leaves open key financial elements p... more »

Modern School: Give the Kids What the Corporations Want: Downsizing, Vouchers and PROFITS!!!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Modern School: Give the Kids What the Corporations Want: Downsizing, Vouchers and PROFITS!!!: Give the Kids What the Corporations Want: Downsizing, Vouchers and PROFITS!!! by Michael Dunn Michigan’s constitution currently bans providing subsidies to private schools and the public currently opposes vouchers. However, little things like a state constitution and public sentiment are not enough to get in the way of Gov. Rick Snyder’s plan to open his state’s public education system even further to corporate expansion. A gang of 20 has been meeting in secret with business leaders to f... more »

Earth to Rocketship: More on Rocketship’s Fundamental Flaw from Scholastic Administrator | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Earth to Rocketship: More on Rocketship’s Fundamental Flaw from Scholastic Administrator | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Earth to Rocketship: More on Rocketship’s Fundamental Flaw from Scholastic Administrator by millerlf In a January 5, 2013 posting titled “*Rocketship Schools Coming Soon to an Urban Area Near You**” (*see below: article 2) I addressed some major issues concerning Rocketship. Following is an interesting point of view from *Scholastic Administrator*. *A Cautionary Tale: **Rocketship’s learning model works out some major kinks*. By Alexander Russo Sch... more »

Born To Do This Shit [On Personal Legends and Teaching] | The Jose Vilson

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Born To Do This Shit [On Personal Legends and Teaching] | The Jose Vilson: Born To Do This Shit [On Personal Legends and Teaching] by Jose Vilson [image: The Alchemist] The Alchemist “You have 135 minutes left on this test. Are there any questions?” After a quick pause, I said, “You may begin.” As the students got to work on this section of the test, I began to reflect on my life as a teacher, and came to realize that, yes, I was born to be in a classroom, teaching. The set of students in front of me, a gathering of opted-out English Language Learners from different classes including... more »

‘A Nation at Risk’ Turns 30: Where Did It Take Us? | NEA Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
‘A Nation at Risk’ Turns 30: Where Did It Take Us? | NEA Today: ‘A Nation at Risk’ Turns 30: Where Did It Take Us? by twalker *By Edward Graham* On April 26, 1983, President Ronald Reagan stood before the press and television cameras in the State Dining Room at the White House and held up a report titled *A Nation at Risk*. Eighteen months in the making and written by the blue-ribbon members of the National Commission on Excellence in Education at the behest of Secretary of Education Terrel Bell, the report examined the quality of education in the United States—and the findings wer... more »

Nel Nodding to the Rescue | Deborah Meier on Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Nel Nodding to the Rescue | Deborah Meier on Education: Nel Nodding to the Rescue by debmeier Another book! I’ll be writing about this one many many times. It’s title: Education and Democracy in the 2lst Century. The author, Nel Noddings. I’ve highlighted page after page, sentence by sentence. So you really just have to read it from page one to the end. I’m writing now to encourage a discussion about the meat of her argument. We could start by “arguing” over chapters one and two!! I don’t have to rush into print writing a book on the topic–which I keep wanting to do. Instead we h... more »

A year-end report card on school cafeterias: did they make the grade for improved nutrition? - FOX 54 WZDX – Huntsville News, Weather and Sports

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
A year-end report card on school cafeterias: did they make the grade for improved nutrition? - FOX 54 WZDX – Huntsville News, Weather and Sports: A year-end report card on school cafeterias: did they make the grade for improved nutrition? *Posted: Apr 25, 2013 6:35 AM PDT**Updated: Apr 25, 2013 6:35 AM PDT* (BPT) - The 2012-2013 school year brought a new curriculum to school cafeterias across the United States. For most of the country’s 17,000 school districts, it was an accelerated class, requiring the complete revision of school menus, from ingredients to food pairings to recipe... more »

City moving to fire teacher who blogged his “rubber room” days | GothamSchools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
City moving to fire teacher who blogged his “rubber room” days | GothamSchools: City moving to fire teacher who blogged his “rubber room” daysby Anika Anand, at 7:20 pm [image: A screenshot taken Thursday afternoon of a calendar clock on teacher Francesco Portelos's website shows that it's been 365 days since he was in his classroom.] A screenshot taken Thursday afternoon of a calendar clock on teacher Francesco Portelos’s website protectportelos.orgshows that it’s been 365 days since he was in his classroom. On his one-year anniversary today of being pulled from the classroom amid... more »

The Standardization of Subjectivity: Common Core Death | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
The Standardization of Subjectivity: Common Core Death | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News: The Standardization of Subjectivity: Common Core Death by Danny Weil [image: New Common Core Logo] While life is characterized by growth in a structured, functional manner, the necrophilious person loves all that does not grow, all that is mechanical. The necrophilious person is driven by the desire to transform the organic into the inorganic, to approach life mechanically, as if all living persons were things… Memory, rather than experience; havin... more »

Grassroots Report: How Tennessee Parents Stopped Vouchers | The Network For Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Grassroots Report: How Tennessee Parents Stopped Vouchers | The Network For Public Education: [image: The Network For Public Education -] Grassroots Report: How Tennessee Parents Stopped Vouchers by admin Don’t Get Angry. Bake Cookies. In December 2012, we–a small group of active public school parents–sat around a dining room table to discuss how we could combat the education reform bills we anticipated during the upcoming Tennessee state legislative session. We were very aware that we faced an uphill battle because Tennessee has become Ground Zero for education reform over the p... more »

Why Do These Cities Have So Many Charter Schools and Where are They Located? Most Segregated Cities Census Maps - Business Insider

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Most Segregated Cities Census Maps - Business Insider: 21 Maps Of Highly Segregated Cities In America Rebecca Baird-Remba and Gus Lubin | Apr. 25, 2013, 9:32 AM | 270,436 | 22 - - inShare6 - - - Email - More [image: chicago] Flickr/Eric Fischer Racial segregation remains a problem in America, and it's lasting longer than anyone expected. Just how bad things are can be determined through analysis of 2010 Census data. The average black person lives in a neighborhood that is 45 percent black. Without segregation, his neighborhood would be only 13 percent black, acc... more »

What you need: Upcoming hearings & District’s FY2014 budget document | Parents United for Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
What you need: Upcoming hearings & District’s FY2014 budget document | Parents United for Public Education: What you need: Upcoming hearings & District’s FY2014 budget document by parentsunitedphila [image: Image] If you haven’t had a chance to review it , here’s the documents the District has shared regarding the fiscal year 2014 situation. As a reminder, the District will argue this budget before City Council on Monday, April 29. Public testimony will be held at Lincoln High School starting at 6 p.m. Public testimony for City Council continues at 10 a.m. Tues., April 30. Call to ... more »

Penetrating the Smokescreen | Taking Note

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Penetrating the Smokescreen | Taking Note: Penetrating the Smokescreen by John Merrow A great deal has happened since “Michelle Rhee’s Reign of Error” appeared in this space two weeks ago. - DC Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson testified under oath that she learned of Sandy Sanford’s long-buried memo from my blog this past January. My source recalls being in at least one meeting when Ms. Henderson and then Chancellor Michelle Rhee discussed the memo and its contents. Someone is lying. - The DC City Council held what it called a ‘round table’ that, for the m... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Chris Christie: Hypocritical Teacher Basher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Jersey Jazzman: Chris Christie: Hypocritical Teacher Basher: Chris Christie: Hypocritical Teacher Basher by Duke Chris Christie just can't help himself - he *hates* teachers: Gov. Chris Christie blames “special interest” groups on the failure to enact certain school reforms he says are necessary to improving education in New Jersey. The governor told a friendly Bergenfield crowd Tuesday that Garden State students are in need of more hours in the classroom and longer school years in order to stay competitive. Christie blamed special interests with blocking those changes for purel... more »

State cuts off money to UNO charter schools over insider deals - Chicago Sun-Times

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
State cuts off money to UNO charter schools over insider deals - Chicago Sun-Times: State cuts off money to UNO charter schools over insider deals BY DAN MIHALOPOULOS Staff Reporter dmihalopoulos@suntimes.com April 25, 2013 2:02PM 0 0 Share 516 16 [image: From left Gov. PQuinn UNO CEO Juan Rangel House Speaker Michael Madigan Ald. Edward Burke July 2012 groundbreaking Southwest Side] From left, Gov. Pat Quinn, UNO CEO Juan Rangel, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Ald. Edward Burke at the July 2012 groundbreaking on the Southwest Side for the UNO Soccer Academy Charter High School. ...more »

Who Is Today's Principal? — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Who Is Today's Principal? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Daniel W. Smith]Who Is Today’s Principal? April 25, 2013 by Daniel W. Smith The qualities and skills required of today's principals have shifted quite dramatically over the past decade. It was not long ago that principals were expected to "manage" the building and those hiring building principals looked for individuals who were organized and knowledgeable about building operations. The shift has made it very difficult for principals who were appointed under the previous expectations. Those individuals, w... more »

Parents United wins open records case on BCG list of school closings | Parents United for Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Parents United wins open records case on BCG list of school closings | Parents United for Public Education: Parents United wins open records case on BCG list of school closings by parentsunitedphila [image: Image] Parents United for Public Education has won its state Right To Know request to gain public access to the list of 60 schools identified by the Boston Consulting Group for closure and to the firm’s criteria for school closings – a request for information the District has consistently denied to the public. Last spring, the Boston Consulting Group came under intense criticism ... more »

Parents United wins open records request on BCG school closings list | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Parents United wins open records request on BCG school closings list | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Parents United wins open records request on BCG school closings list by Helen Gym Parents United for Public Education has won its state Right To Know request to gain public access to the list of 60 schools identified by the Boston Consulting Group for closure and to the firm’s criteria for school closings -- a request for information the District has consistently denied to the public. Last spring, the Boston Consulting Group came under intense criticism for a controversial ... more »