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Thursday, May 2, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-2-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS



Meet Your PD Needs: The 2013 Whole Child Virtual Conference Is Free and Exclusively Online — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 minutes ago
Meet Your PD Needs: The 2013 Whole Child Virtual Conference Is Free and Exclusively Online — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Whole Child Virtual Conference]Meet Your PD Needs: The 2013 Whole Child Virtual Conference Is Free and Exclusively Online May 2, 2013 by Whole Child Virtual Conference [image: Whole Child Virtual Conference - 2013] As we've said many times across this blog and in ournewsletters and podcasts, we believe that a whole child approach to education is the only approach that prepares young people for long-term educational, civic, and work-life suc... more »

Testing Crashes in Indiana, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Minnesota – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 minutes ago
Testing Crashes in Indiana, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Minnesota – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: The Human Costs of School “Reform” by John Thompson A study by Elaine Weiss and Don Long of the Bolder Broader Approach shows that the corporate school “reform” experiment has claimed to have raised student achievement but that those gains evaporate upon close examination. A previous post, “The Benefits (and Costs) of ‘Reform’ in Three Cities,” discussed their “Market-Oriented Education Reforms’ Rhetoric Trumps Reality,” [...] Testing Crashes in Indiana, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and ... more »

They might vote in the House today. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 minutes ago
They might vote in the House today. | Fred Klonsky: They might vote in the House today. by Fred Klonsky [image: Squeezy] Before I say anything else, call your state rep and tell them to vote no on Madigan’s pension bomb today. You don’t even need to know the bill’s number. The General Assembly changes pension bill numbers more often than they change underwear. They will know what you mean. Except my rep, Toni Berrios. Her offices in Springfield and Chicago don’t answer their phones. Now on with my brilliant analysis. My friends, John Dillon, Glen Brown and I have a bet on the outcome... more »

Mother Crusader: Are Children Being Used As Pawns In The Game Of High Stakes Testing?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 minutes ago
Mother Crusader: Are Children Being Used As Pawns In The Game Of High Stakes Testing?: Are Children Being Used As Pawns In The Game Of High Stakes Testing? by darciecima Today marks the end of NJASK testing for 7th and 8th graders in New Jersey, with 5th and 6th graders in the hot seat next week. NJ parents across the state are opting their children out, and we are working together to find ways to make the experience as smooth as possible for our children. NJ mom Lisa Grieco-Rogers has chosen to have her 6th grade child opt out, but her 4th grade child will take the test. She ex... more »

Teach For America Chews Up, Spits Out Another Ethnic-Studies Major | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 36 minutes ago
Teach For America Chews Up, Spits Out Another Ethnic-Studies Major | The Onion - America's Finest News Source: Teach For America Chews Up, Spits Out Another Ethnic-Studies Major NEWS • Education • Patriotism • Culture • College • Work • ISSUE 46•26 ISSUE 41•07 • Feb 16, 2005 - [image: Facebook]2.8K - [image: Twitter]137 - [image: Google Plus]4 NEW YORK—Teach For America, a national program that recruits recent college graduates to teach in low-income rural and urban communities, has devoured another ethnic-studies major, 24-year-old Andy Cuellen reported Tuesday. Cuellen s... more »

Addressing the Gap Between the Rich and 'Others' - Bridging Differences - Education Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 56 minutes ago
Addressing the Gap Between the Rich and 'Others' - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Addressing the Gap Between the Rich and 'Others' by Deborah Meier *Today marks Deborah Meier's final blog post with educator Elliott Witney. Next week she begins blogging with Michael J. Petrilli, the executive vice president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.* Dear Elliott, Let's do this again a year from now! At the end of this brief exchange where I see much damage done, you are lucky to see hopeful signs. Maybe by next year I'll be more hopeful, too. I see a huge setback for the idea o... more »

Modern School: Supreme Court, Labor Law and the Deskilling of Teaching

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Modern School: Supreme Court, Labor Law and the Deskilling of Teaching: Supreme Court, Labor Law and the Deskilling of Teaching by Michael Dunn The strike is labor's most powerful weapon. It is the most direct and forceful way to pressure employers to cede to workers’ demands. Strikes have become increasingly rare over the past few decades, mostly because of unions’ increasingly dependence on political action (e.g., lobbying, voting as a block, financing campaigns). However, there have been several laws and Supreme Court decisions that have limited when and how strikes could be ... more »

Shanker Blog » ‘A Single Garment Of Destiny’ For American And Bangladeshi Workers

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Shanker Blog » ‘A Single Garment Of Destiny’ For American And Bangladeshi Workers: ‘A Single Garment Of Destiny’ For American And Bangladeshi Workers by Leo Casey “Injustice anywhere,” Martin Luther King famously wrote in his *Letter from a Birmingham Jail*, “is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” Two events last week which might seem worlds apart provide evidence that working people around the globe are indeed tied together in King’s “single garment of destiny.” In Texas, fourteen people died ... more »

Peter D. Rosenstein: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's 15 Minutes Are Over

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Peter D. Rosenstein: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's 15 Minutes Are Over: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's 15 Minutes Are Over Once again, Michelle Rhee demonstrates she has no understanding of the politics of the nation or compassion for LGBT teachers and students. Last week her organization StudentsFirst named John Ragan, a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives as the state's 'Educational Reformer of the Year.' In doing so StudentsFirst talked about Ragan as someone who "stands up for the kids of Tennessee and has been a leading advocate for change". What t... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-2-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] As Reforms Fail, Will Duncan Make Mid-course Correction? by dianerav Norm Scott, retired New York City teacher and inveterate blogger, notes the mid-course corrections of some of the corporate reform cheerleaders. He is especially impressed by John Merrow’s change of views about Rhee. He wonders whether Duncan too will change course, though he doubts that he can do so. Scott, by the way, refers to the present misguided education movement not as corporate reform... more »

Art Transforms “Failing” School in Roxbury MA – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Art Transforms “Failing” School in Roxbury MA – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Art Transforms “Failing” School in Roxbury MA by freetoteach There’s always so much talk about what can we do to replace the high stakes standardized tests. I am so tired of hearing the same old conversation about what might replace this disastrous policy. Yet, once again, a school proves that children can be motivated, inspired and ready to learn by introducing them to the arts. There are so many healthy alternatives to mindless testing but until more school boards, parents and students DEMAND... more »

Ed Notes Online: Dana Goldstein on L.A. Teacher Alex Caputo-Pearl and the Real Deal Behind Closing Schools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Dana Goldstein on L.A. Teacher Alex Caputo-Pearl and the Real Deal Behind Closing Schools: Dana Goldstein on L.A. Teacher Alex Caputo-Pearl and the Real Deal Behind Closing Schools by ed notes online On Monday, half the teachers at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles found out they had been dismissed from their jobs as part of a "conversion" process. Among them was Alex Caputo-Pearl, who I first met two years ago when I reported on Crenshaw. This isn't the first time the district has attempted to remove Caputo-Pearl, an outspoken activist, from Crenshaw. In 2006... more »

Parent Trigger’s Contradictory “Parent Notification” Provison Returns | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Parent Trigger’s Contradictory “Parent Notification” Provison Returns | Scathing Purple Musings: Parent Trigger’s Contradictory “Parent Notification” Provison Returns by Bob Sikes Just hours after Parent Trigger’s defeat on the floor of the Florida Senate, Sen. Anitere Flores inserted one of its more troubling provisions into a charter school bill. Leslie Postal of the *Orlando Sentinel * explains: About 2.5 hours after a tie vote in the Senate killed the controversial “parent trigger” bill Tuesday, Senators amended another education bill to include provisions similar to some of... more »

Senate Education Committee vote was a foregone conclusion; charges of DOE test data fraud was huge political bombshell | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Senate Education Committee vote was a foregone conclusion; charges of DOE test data fraud was huge political bombshell | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Louisiana State Senator Supports Creationism Law Because Of His Experience With Witch Doctor by crazycrawfish Reblogged from CenLamar: [image: Click to visit the original post]*Update: The videos are online. Part One. Part Two.* For the third year in a row, the Louisiana Senate Education Committee deferred a bill to repeal the Louisiana Science Education Act, which allows for the teaching of New Earth Creationism in public school science ... more »

Louisiana Educator: This Bill Will Cut All Public Educator Take Home Pay by 2%

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Louisiana Educator: This Bill Will Cut All Public Educator Take Home Pay by 2%: This Bill Will Cut All Public Educator Take Home Pay by 2% by Michael Deshotels *Important Notice!*I just got this from the LAE legislative contact system. This bill is being heard in the retirement committee today! Please send an email to the members of the retirement committee if you do not want your take home pay to be cut by 2% just to fund excessive benefits approved for someone else by the legislature. This extra assessment is an unfair "tax" on present employees that they will never benefit fro... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Where Did the Common Core Standards Really Come From

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Where Did the Common Core Standards Really Come From: Where Did the Common Core Standards Really Come From by Anngie On April 25th Dr. Sandra Stotsky spoke on an expert panel in Chesterfield Missouri giving the audience a look behind the curtain at the Common Core standards development process. Popout Developed by teachers? Not so much. Based on research? Not really. Will prepare students for college? Not likely. Part 2 is available on the NoMOCommonCore YouTube channel.

Hospitalized 4th grader, hooked up to machines, asked to take standardized test

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Hospitalized 4th grader, hooked up to machines, asked to take standardized test: Hospitalized 4th grader, hooked up to machines, asked to take standardized test Posted by Valerie Strauss on May 2, 2013 at 6:30 am 2 Comments More [image: hospital-bed1]In the you-can’t-make-up-this-stuff category: A fourth grader with severe epilepsy being screened at a hospital for possible brain surgery was lying in bed when a teacher walked in and asked him to take a New York State high-stakes standardized test. Really. According to this story on Channel CBS6 in Albany, Joey Furlong was at the Coh... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: What the "best and wisest" parents want for their own kids...

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: What the "best and wisest" parents want for their own kids...: What the "best and wisest" parents want for their own kids... by Mike Klonsky Karen and Arne Duncan (U.S. DOE photo) Back in 2011, I was taken by this open letter from *Arne Duncan*and his wife *Karen*, to their two children, Claire and Ryan on the opening of the school year. The letter, cross-posted on the DOE's Homeroom blog and Parenting.com, showed the Duncan's as thoughtful and caring parents, deeply concerned about their own children's education, welfare, hopes and dreams for the fut... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Board Meeting Reveals Chaos

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Board Meeting Reveals Chaos: Board Meeting Reveals Chaos by Charlie Mas Three interesting notes from the Board meeting tonight. 1. After a long list of conservationists, architects, and conservationist architects got up to praise the District for proposing a resolution on sustainable building practices, the resolution got put on hold. Directors DeBell and Carr slowed the process and Director Patu called for a work session to discuss it. Director DeBell said that a resolution is not the way to codify the idea and he and Director Carr complained tha... more »

Daily Kos: "Fix the Debt" CEOs Enjoy Taxpayer-Subsidized Pay

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Daily Kos: "Fix the Debt" CEOs Enjoy Taxpayer-Subsidized Pay: "Fix the Debt" CEOs Enjoy Taxpayer-Subsidized Pay by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Two important progressive organizations, the Institute for Policy Studies and the Campaign for America's Future, today jointly released Fix the Debt" CEOs Enjoy Taxpayer-Subsidized Pay. You will at that link find a description of this new report, and link to download the PDF. Fix The Debt was cofounded by Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, and is very proud of its CEO Fiscal Leadership Council. Yet while these CEOs call for call for cuts ... more »

APS cheating scandal: Did they do it for the money? Or the... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
APS cheating scandal: Did they do it for the money? Or the... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: APS cheating scandal: Did they do it for the money? Or the accolades? Was it the prospect of bonuses that drove APS educators to doctor students' scores in state exams? The proceeds from cheating don’t amount to much money for most of the educators now under indictment for their roles in the 2009 CRCT cheating scandal, a scandal first exposed by the AJC. Some bonuses were as little as $750. The average was $2,600, according to the AJC. The annual bonuses for certified staf... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Jay Nixon's Idea of Citizenship. Will He Teach Students it's Permissible to Break the Law?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Jay Nixon's Idea of Citizenship. Will He Teach Students it's Permissible to Break the Law?: Jay Nixon's Idea of Citizenship. Will He Teach Students it's Permissible to Break the Law? by stlgretchen Jay Nixon is having a terrible time lately with his "misstatements" about data being sent to the Federal Government. From thegatewaypundit and *BUSTED… Napolitano Thanked MO Lib Governor for Breaking Law – Passing Private Info to DHS:* The accusations were out there that the Missouri Department of Revenue was sharing private citizens’ information to DHS....more »

Race to the Top Initiative Getting Mixed Reviews on the Road - Higher Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Race to the Top Initiative Getting Mixed Reviews on the Road - Higher Education: *Race to the Top Initiative Getting Mixed Reviews on the Road* *AN FRANCISCO —* Although the Obama administration’s $4 billion Race to the Top initiative to reform public schools continues to weather criticism, there are no plans to suspend or slow down the signature program, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Tuesday. Duncan addressed participants of the annual American Educational Research Association conference. At times, his remarks drew boisterous applause from a standing room-only crowd... more »

NYC Educator: What Can an Opposition Caucus Win?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
NYC Educator: What Can an Opposition Caucus Win?: What Can an Opposition Caucus Win? by NYC Educator A comment from Norm Scott on one of my recent posts has been rattling around in my head lately, and it really bears a little more attention: *34,000 elem school teachers get only 11 Ex bd seats, 11,000 middle school tchrs get 5 EB and 19000 HS teachers get 7 EB seats for a total of 23 out of 101 eb seats. * This means if an opposition caucus were to win all the divisions, high school, middle school, and elementary school, under UFT rules, they'd have less than a quarter of the sea... more »

UPDATE: Grassroots Report: “If They Can Make it Here, They’ll Make it Anywhere” | The Network For Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Grassroots Report: “If They Can Make it Here, They’ll Make it Anywhere” | The Network For Public Education: How Student Leaders Brought Their Peers Together to Fight Against Unjust Reforms – an NPE Webinar by admin On April 30th, NPE hosted Dynamic Student Leaders for a Webinar about organizing. The Network for Public Education continued its series of webinars focused on giving grassroots activists tools and opportunities to connect with others. We heard from student leaders from around the country, who shared their experiences in organizing on their campuses. Stephanie Rivera, one... more »

Duncan says it’s still possible for state to get NCLB waiver | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Duncan says it’s still possible for state to get NCLB waiver | EdSource Today: Duncan says it’s still possible for state to get NCLB waiver - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald California remains interested in receiving a waiver from sanctions under the No Child Left Behind law, and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said Wednesday it remains possible for the state to get one. But, Duncan said in an interview after an event in Sunnyvale, “It’s getting late in the game” to apply for a state waiver to take effect this fall. State officials have had continuing discussions... more »

Are Education Innovators Channeling B.F. Skinner? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Are Education Innovators Channeling B.F. Skinner? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Are Education Innovators Channeling B.F. Skinner? by Anthony Cody Phil McCrae has written a fascinating history of "innovation" in education that should be required reading for everyone, most especially journalists attending this week's Education Writers Association conference at Stanford, where the theme is "Creativity Counts: Innovation in Education and the Media ." As I was reading this account, I clicked on the video the author embedded. This grainy film from 1954 features B.F. Ski... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Overhaul of Public School Testing - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): Key Committee Approves Overhaul of Public School Testing *State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Applauds Move to College, Career Readiness* SACRAMENTO—Legislation sponsored by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson to create a new statewide assessment system using computer-based exams that would measure and promote student progress toward career and college readiness was approved today by the Assembly Education Committee. The Committee approved Assembly Bill 484 (Bonilla), which would limit the us...more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Alliance for Education Annual Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Alliance for Education Annual Report: Alliance for Education Annual Report by Charlie Mas The Alliance for Education has released their annual report for 2012. Let's have a look. First the Alliance notes that graduation rates are way up and that Seattle schools outscored the state averages. Then they say that the same 74% 4-year graduation rate they just crowed about is no good at all, that a (not entirely coincidental) 74% of third graders read at grade level, and that only 67% of seventh graders passed the math MSP. I wonder why they didn't choo... more »

wait listed for kindergarten - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
wait listed for kindergarten - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help: wait listed for kindergarten WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 AT 4:01PM It is that time of year again. The DoE's official list of numbers of waitlisted zoned students is online. Check out the very wise "Ask Judy". Here are a couple things that you need to know.*This is a giant game of musical chairs and it is still early days.* It is definitely not time to panic. There will likely be some movement this week as zoned schools tally the number of zoned students who actually came in to pre-register. Some of those families go... more »

Big win for charter teachers. UNO teachers vote for AFT ACTS. Chicago union doubles in size. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Big win for charter teachers. UNO teachers vote for AFT ACTS. Chicago union doubles in size. | Fred Klonsky: Big win for charter teachers. UNO teachers vote for AFT ACTS. Chicago union doubles in size. by Fred Klonsky [image: 9284irr343e0bh0vtusv]Late this afternoon great news arrived that the over 400 teachers at 13 United Neighborhood charter schools voted to affiliate with AFT Association of Charter Teachers and Staff (ACTS). UNO is one of the largest charter operators in the state. State law forbids charter teachers from operating under the CPS CTU contract, even though Chicago... more »

Daily Kos: Judge Doubles Down On Double Entendres In Strip Club Case

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Daily Kos: Judge Doubles Down On Double Entendres In Strip Club Case: Judge Doubles Down On Double Entendres In Strip Club Case by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Okay, let me explain. My sense of humor starts with puns, as all my former students have learned, to their regret. That includes double entendres. A former student put something about THIS on his Facebook page and tagged me so that I would see it. To start with, the title of the case is "THE CASE OF THE ITSY BITSY TEENY WEENY BIKINI TOP V. THE (MORE) ITSY BITSY TEENY WEENY PASTIE." The judge issuing the ruling is know... more »

Throughout May: The New Poverty — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Throughout May: The New Poverty — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]Throughout May: The New Poverty May 1, 2013 by Klea Scharberg In today's global economic state, many families and children face reduced circumstances. These "poor kids" don't fit the traditional stereotypes—two-thirds live in families in which at least one adult works and the percentage of poor students in many rural districts equals that in inner-city districts. In the U.S., the economic downturn has dramatically changed the landscape, and districts that were previously vibrant are ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Charter Shill and Slimeball Michael Benjamin Joins Corporate attack on Leonie Haimson As People Rise to Her Defense

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Charter Shill and Slimeball Michael Benjamin Joins Corporate attack on Leonie Haimson As People Rise to Her Defense: Charter Shill and Slimeball Michael Benjamin Joins Corporate attack on Leonie Haimson As People Rise to Her Defense by ed notes online *Leonie Has Pissed Off the gods of Corporate Education Reform Celebrate Leonie's accomplishment by visiting her website http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/* What has Leonie done wrong? See below these supporters from Change the Stakes and Leonie's response for her crime of exposing their agenda. What can one... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-1-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Teachers, Staff in UNO Charters Vote to Unionize by dianerav From an AFT press release: CHICAGO—Teachers and staff in the one of city’s largest charter school networks overwhelmingly have chosen the Chicago Alliance of Charter School Teachers and Staff (Chicago ACTS), an affiliate of the 1.5 million-member American Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Federation of Teachers, as their bargaining agent. The decision involves more than 400 teachers and staff in 13 schools operated by the United Neighborhood ... more »

Arne Duncan’s Moment of Truth | Taking Note

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Arne Duncan’s Moment of Truth | Taking Note: Arne Duncan’s Moment of Truth by John Merrow As two powerful forces collide at this moment in educational history, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has an opportunity to make a mid-course correction that could save public education. The first powerful force is the Common Core and the accompanying tests that are being ‘rolled out’ in classrooms around the country. The epidemic of cheating on standardized tests is the other threat that must be understood and addressed. Think of these two forces as mighty rivers, separate until now–but ... more »

Choosing the Right Battles: Remarks and a Conversation | U.S. Department of Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Choosing the Right Battles: Remarks and a Conversation | U.S. Department of Education: Choosing the Right Battles: Remarks and a Conversation *Remarks of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, California* APRIL 30, 2013 *Contact: * Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov I'm going to talk at some length today about some of the current controversies over standardized testing and the purposes of assessment. But I want to preface those remarks by saying how much I value compelling education rese... more »

California DFER to National DFER: Butt Out of Our CORE Waiver - Politics K-12 - Education Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
California DFER to National DFER: Butt Out of Our CORE Waiver - Politics K-12 - Education Week: California DFER to National DFER: Butt Out of Our CORE Waiver By Michele McNeil on May 1, 2013 12:39 PM *What a bunch of fake Asses* Two days ago, eight civil rights and disability groups sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan urging him to reject the "CORE" waiver request for several California districts looking for their own version of flexibility under the No Child Left Behind Act. That list of eight signers included Democrats for Education Reform, which feared that... more »

Why our View of Body is Distorted Student Voice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Student Voice: Why our View of Body is Distorted by Editor Admin Tall, blonde, flawless skin, big eyes and bee-stung lips, and not an ounce of fat in the wrong place — this describes much of society’s idea of beauty. How did this happen when we actually consist of a diverse group of people with a huge range of appearances, each beautiful, unique and special in their own way? Who decided that suddenly having a freckle in the wrong place, or a more curvy shape is bad? And why are these ideas constantly reenforced? We are constantly bombarded with images of “perfectly [Photoshopped]... more »

Feds’ civil rights unit reconsiders focus of disciplinary hearings under IDEA SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *Feds’ civil rights unit reconsiders focus of disciplinary hearings under IDEA* A case involving an autistic sixth-grade Texas student has led to a legal interpretation by the U.S. Department of Education that could shift the focus of disciplinary hearings for students with disabilities and force school districts to prove that a rule violation actually occurred before the pupil is moved to an alternative setting. At issue are requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that schools follow certain procedures when co... more »

Merging Innovation and Accountability: Leading Through School Improvement Planning — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Merging Innovation and Accountability: Leading Through School Improvement Planning — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: William Sterrett]Merging Innovation and Accountability: Leading Through School Improvement Planning May 1, 2013 by William Sterrett Two powerful and seemingly competing themes dominate today's educational landscape: innovation and accountability. Many educational leaders are drawn to the promise and potential of new ideas and technologies, while working in the reality of an age of high-stakes tests. Although some see this as a historical pendulum ... more »

Malloy nails front-runner status in Wait, What? “Quote of the Year” competition - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Malloy nails front-runner status in Wait, What? “Quote of the Year” competition - Wait, What?: Malloy nails front-runner status in Wait, What? “Quote of the Year” competition by jonpelto *“I could do it with state dollars, or I could do it with someone else’s dollars. I thought doing it with somebody else’s dollars made a lot of sense,” * True it is only May 1, 2013, but Governor Malloy has swept into the front-runner position for the Wait, What? “Quote of the Year” competition with his explanation to WTNH Channel 8 news regarding his decision to attend the White House Correspon... more »

Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice (Part II) | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice (Part II) | Truth in American Education: Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice (Part II) by Barry Garelick *This is Part Two of a three part article [Part One] which provides the description of each of the Standards for Mathematical Practice as written in the Common Core math standards. It discusses aspects of each SMP that can be interpreted along conventional or traditional approaches to math teaching and contrasts this with how each one may be implemented under the math reform interpretation.* *SMP 3:* *Construct viable... more »

Walton Foundation giving $8 million to Rhee’s StudentsFirst — plus 2012 donations

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Walton Foundation giving $8 million to Rhee’s StudentsFirst — plus 2012 donations: Walton Foundation giving $8 million to Rhee’s StudentsFirst — plus 2012 donations Posted by Valerie Strauss on May 1, 2013 at 11:07 am [image: walton] The Walton Family Foundation is giving $8 million to Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst to add to the scores of millions of dollars it hands out each year to support the public education reform agenda of Walton family members. The foundation says that in 2012, it handed out more than $158 million in funding for K-12 education reform initiatives focused on... more »

Last Stand for Children First: Girl Arrested for Unauthorized Science

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Last Stand for Children First: Girl Arrested for Unauthorized Science: Girl Arrested for Using Science by Last Stand for Children With all the attention that the Czechoslovakian terrorists in Boston received, it is very easy to forget about the homegrown terrorists that we have to contend with in this very country. Fortunately, police in Florida were on the case. If you're not familiar with Florida, here's a great recap of some of the terrific education reform going on in the sunshine state. At 7 a.m. Monday morning, it was one of those quiet April days that reminds you that F... more »

Researchers: Stop using the word 'bullying' in school

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Researchers: Stop using the word 'bullying' in school: *Researchers: Stop using the word 'bullying' in school* Greg Toppo, USA TODAY1:10 a.m. EDT May 1, 2013 * * [image: Bullying]A man who described himself as a "disgruntled dad" walks in front of the Ector County Independent School District administration building on Dec. 9, 2011, in Odessa, Texas.(Photo: Mark Sterkel, AP) SAN FRANCISCO – Schools that want to do a better job fighting bullying ought to start with one key step, a group of researchers said Tuesday: Stop using the term "bullying." Because it's "being used for everyth... more »

UPDATE: Duncan on testing + What Happened in DC in 2008 – & Does it Still Matter in 2013?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
What Happened in DC in 2008 – & Does it Still Matter in 2013?: Duncan on testing: ‘We can’t throw the baby out with the bathwater’ by Valerie Strauss Here is the text of a speech (as prepared for delivery) that Education Secretary Arne Duncan gave this week to the American Educational Research Association, meeting in San Francisco. Duncan addresses growing criticism of high-stakes standardized tests, among other subjects. … Continue reading → What Happened in DC in 2008 – & Does it Still Matter in 2013? FRIDAY, APRIL 26TH, 2013 AT 2:12 PM If a prominent urban school leader told ... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » CALI Education Headlines Wednesday, May 1, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Duncan admits flaws in current standardized testing | EdSource Today* Education Headlines *Wednesday, May 1, 2013* Five local schools could face closure Siskiyou County Superintendent of Schools Kermith Walters has jumped into the fray to save five local small school districts from becoming defunct as a result of the language in a trailer bill attached to Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed 2013-14 budget. Linden principal files complaintA Linden Unified School District principal filed a Complaint of Discrimination and Retaliation ... more »

Debriefing Parent Trigger’s Defeat in the Florida Senate | Scathing Purple Musings

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Debriefing Parent Trigger’s Defeat in the Florida Senate | Scathing Purple Musings: Debriefing Parent Trigger’s Defeat in the Florida Senate by Bob Sikes *Failed* *Again :)* Perhaps Senator Bill Montford said it best in this quote he gave *Palm Beach Post* reporter Dara Kam: Sen. Bill Montford, a Tallahassee Democrat and former school superintendent, said parents already have the ability to make their voices heard. “The issue is how do we get parents interested in the options already available to them. This bill will not help that,” Montford said. “I hope a year form now…we’ll s... more »

Oregon Save Our Schools: State Testing: Educational Growth Model Defies Logic

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Oregon Save Our Schools: State Testing: Educational Growth Model Defies Logic: State Testing: Educational Growth Model Defies Logic by Oregon SOS --> by Allen Koshewa Education is under attack again. The state has ensured that some schools will once again be labeled failures, thanks to the new categories it has created, its distorted definitions of success, and its continued use of tests to punish rather than to inform instruction. It will come as no surprise to most people that the state is using students’ scores on the OAKS (Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) in r... more »

An Activist Teacher, a Struggling School, and the School Closure Movement: A Story from L.A. - Dana Goldstein

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
An Activist Teacher, a Struggling School, and the School Closure Movement: A Story from L.A. - Dana Goldstein: An Activist Teacher, a Struggling School, and the School Closure Movement: A Story from L.A. by Dana Goldstein On Monday, half the teachers at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles found out they had been dismissed from their jobs as part of a "reconstitution" process. Among them was Alex Caputo-Pearl, who I first met two years ago when I reported on Crenshaw. Caputo-Pearl was a member of the very first class of Teach for America recruits, in 1990. He has spent two decades... more »

UPDATE: open admission from a “scholar.” + Seeds of the Dogmatic Scholar – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seeds of the Dogmatic Scholar – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: @teachingquality, please tell me this is a joke. It has to be. @edushyster? by Chalk Face, PhD Am I missing something? Teacherpreneurs, this sounds like a joke. Is this author serious? Exhibit A: I know what you’re thinking. You want to make an impact beyond your classroom while feeding your creative passions (which probably drove you into teaching in the first place). Thirty years of teaching in a silo might not sustain [...] An open admission from a “scholar.” #highered #AERA13 by Chalk Face, PhD I am not a... more »

Modern School: California Democratic Party “Rejects” Corporate Reform Agenda

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Modern School: California Democratic Party “Rejects” Corporate Reform Agenda: California Democratic Party “Rejects” Corporate Reform Agenda by Michael Dunn Democrats in the California state legislature approved Resolution 13-04.47 last week—also known as “SUPPORTING CALIFORNIA’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND DISPELLING THE CORPORATE “REFORM” AGENDA.” The resolution, sponsored (and probably written) by the California Teachers Association (CTA), California Federation of Teachers (CFT) and the California Faculty Association (CFA), the three largest unions representing teachers and university pr...more »











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