Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-21-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS



Modern School: The Real STEM Crisis

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 minutes ago
Modern School: The Real STEM Crisis: The Real STEM Crisis by Michael Dunn Contrary to the hysteria being whipped up by President Obama, Congressional leaders and the media, there is no shortage of competent Science, Technology, Engineer or math (STEM) graduates. There is, however, a crisis in funding of STEM research—a crisis that is causing record numbers of young scientists to lose funding and their jobs, while preventing many more from obtaining jobs in the first place. Declining research funding at the University of California system, for example, has prompted several UCLA ne... more »

Bad to Good and Good to Great - Bridging Differences - Education Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Bad to Good and Good to Great - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Bad to Good and Good to Great by Deborah Meier *Michael J. Petrilli writes to Deborah Meier once again today.* Dear Deborah, I want to say more about a topic that interests us both: How to create an accountability system that empowers excellent educators to create top-notch schools while ensuring a basic level of quality for everyone. It's a real dilemma, because what might work in a hothouse setting (especially lots of professional autonomy) has tended to disappoint when taken to scale. That's not easy for me t... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: A Clinical Psychologist's Concerns With Student Data Gathering

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: A Clinical Psychologist's Concerns With Student Data Gathering: A Clinical Psychologist's Concerns With Student Data Gathering by Anngie Last week during the House Education Committee hearing on SB210 Representative Margo McNeil asked witness Gretchen Logue what she was so worried about with the data gathering. Specifically she asked, "What is your worst case scenario with the data gathering?" Perhaps this article, written by a clinical psychologist, can offer a perspective on the dangers of gathering individual student data that Rep. McNeil could not... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-21-13 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] Better Links to Uri Treisman’s Talk at NCTM by dianerav From a reader: Diane’s link is to the mobile version, which didn’t work for me. Here’s a YouTube link: Popout and a link to the slides: http://www.nctm.org/conferences/content.aspx?id=36436#equity Tennessee Charters: The Truth Comes Out, with Excuses by dianerav Policymakers and the media in Tennessee thought that charters would outperform public schools. They would “save minority kids from failing publ... more »

Louisiana Educator: The Unlimited Threat of Vouchers and Course Choice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Louisiana Educator: The Unlimited Threat of Vouchers and Course Choice: The Unlimited Threat of Vouchers and Course Choice by Michael Deshotels From yesterday's disastrous Oklahoma tornadoes: *“We had to pull a car out of the hallway that was on top of a teacher. She had three little children under her. Good job teach!”* This is a direct quote from one of the rescue workers about a teacher and her students caught in a school hit by one of the devastating Oklahoma tornadoes yesterday. It brings tears of pride to my eyes every time I read it. Just another example of the spontaneous... more »

It’s time to fix school discipline practices and policies | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
It’s time to fix school discipline practices and policies | EdSource Today: It’s time to fix school discipline practices and policies - by Sarah Omojola / commentary by Sarah Omojola / commentary *Fix School Discipline* All students can learn. That’s a simple but profound starting place for talking about changing school discipline policies. As a former teacher in New Orleans public schools, I am well aware of the difficulty of teaching students who have varying backgrounds, abilities and learning styles in an ever-changing school system, inundated with countless internal and exter... more »

Ed Notes Online: Noon Today: TEACHERS COLLEGE STUDENTS AND FACULTY TO PROTEST AWARD TO MERRYL TISCH, NYS BOARD OF REGENTS CHANCELLOR

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Noon Today: TEACHERS COLLEGE STUDENTS AND FACULTY TO PROTEST AWARD TO MERRYL TISCH, NYS BOARD OF REGENTS CHANCELLOR: Noon Today: TEACHERS COLLEGE STUDENTS AND FACULTY TO PROTEST AWARD TO MERRYL TISCH, NYS BOARD OF REGENTS CHANCELLOR by ed notes online We've been reporting on this for a week as various parents, faculty and student groups have petitions going. But today is the live protest by students, faculty and alumni of TC. The protest is as much against the actions of TC President Susan Fuhrman who is on the board of the Pearson test giant as it is against Tisc... more »

Computer use irrelevant to education outcomes, says US study | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Computer use irrelevant to education outcomes, says US study | toteachornototeach: Computer use irrelevant to education outcomes, says US study by aristotlethewise *Computer use irrelevant to * *education outcomes, says US study* By Richard Chirgwin The accepted wisdom that computers are an indispensable tool of modern education is under challenge in a study conducted for Germany’s Centre for Economic Studies IFO (CESifo). The study, published by the University of California Santa Cruz’s Robert Fairlie and Johnathan Robertson, detected no difference between computer-owning children... more »

Latino students missing school for vacation deserves more scrutiny | NewsTacoNewsTaco

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Latino students missing school for vacation deserves more scrutiny | NewsTacoNewsTaco: Latino students missing school for vacation deserves more scrutiny by Victor Landa [image: students] By Esther J. Cepeda, NBCLatino CHICAGO — It’s that time. If you’re a teacher in a school with a large concentration of Hispanic students, you’re doing end-of-year reviews and preparing for final exams — and you have kids trickling up to you to let you know they won’t be around for them. This also happens at the beginning of the school year and during the holidays as parents take their children out ... more »

Has anybody told Obama about the problems his education policies have caused?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Has anybody told Obama about the problems his education policies have caused?: Has anybody told Obama about the problems his education policies have caused? By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 21, 2013 at 6:00 amE-mail the writer 6 Comments More [image: race]White House officials say they didn’t tell President Obama about an impending IRS scandal, and nobody told him the Justice Department secretly subpoenaedreporters’ phone records, and exactly what he knew when about the Benghazi controversy is unclear. This, then, seems like a good time to ask: How much has the president been told... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Nobody Like Public School Destroyers

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Nobody Like Public School Destroyers: Nobody Like Public School Destroyers by Duke Maybe he thought they were going to lay palms at his feet? No one booed. But the graduates of Millersville University didn't exactly cheer Gov. Tom Corbett either Saturday. In introducing Corbett as the class of 2013's commencement speaker, Michael Warfel, chairman of the Council of Trustees, explained the difficult fiscal conditions the governor has faced, highlighting the state's looming pension crisis. He noted that Corbett has signed two budgets on time. Warfel didn't menti... more »

NYC Educator: Chancellor Walcott Addresses Bullying

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
NYC Educator: Chancellor Walcott Addresses Bullying: Chancellor Walcott Addresses Bullying by NYC Educator Hi. I'm New York City Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott, and I think it's about time we addressed bullying. Personally I've had it with bullying. That's why I'm making 80 thousand teachers give lessons on it. After all, I've made them come back for full school days on June 24th and 25th, after they've given grades and their students have finished all their tests. What better time to tell 34 kids you oppose bullying than right after you've forced them to come back to a hot clas... more »

Special Late Nite Cap EXTRA 5-20-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
*Nite Cap **EXTRA**EXTRA** EXTRA EXTRA **EXTRA* Marching in Chicago: Resisting Rahm Emanuel's Neoliberal SavageryMonday, 20 May 2013 10:16By Henry A. Giroux, Truthout | Op-Ed - 10 - font size [image: decrease font size] [image: increase font size] - Print - Email [image: Protesters march in the Loop March 27, 2013 during a rally to protest the proposed closing of 54 Chicago public schools.]Protesters march in the Loop March 27, 2013 during a rally to protest the proposed closing of 54 Chicago public schools. (Photo: WBEZ/Robin Amer) Across the globe, predatory cap... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 5-20-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE* *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* May budget delays adult ed transfer, long-term funding worries persist Education advocates are applauding Gov. Jerry Brown’s decision to fund a planning period for transitioning administration of California’s adult education program to a regional network of community colleges. But, concerns remain that without dedicated funding in the interim, the system could disintegrate under the proposed K-12 school finance restructuring. UC schools draw record application numbers; UCLA as exclusive as Tufts -- for sta... more »

Honesty In The Time Of Professionalism | The Jose Vilson

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Honesty In The Time Of Professionalism | The Jose Vilson: Honesty In The Time Of Professionalism by Jose Vilson [image: Arne Duncan] Arne Duncan In this economy, everyone’s scared to lose their jobs. Leaders often say they want feedback and honesty, but only if it fits their beliefs about the reality they’ve interpreted. For instance, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently tweeted this: https://twitter.com/arneduncan/status/335406017875677187 I laughed and replied: https://twitter.com/TheJLV/status/335407173771358208 Perhaps he does. Perhaps he believes that the schools his admin... more »

Last Stand for Children First: Serial Trespasser's Arrest Brings Union Election Results into Doubt

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Last Stand for Children First: Serial Trespasser's Arrest Brings Union Election Results into Doubt: Serial Trespasser's Arrest Brings Union Election Results into Doubt by Last Stand for Children Today, the Chicago Police Department was forced to arrest Chicago Teachers Union Financial Secretary Kristine Mayle after she refused to stop interfering with law abiding citizens who wished to use the elevators at Chicago City Hall. Her arrest brings shame not only to Kristine, but to the entire Chicago Teachers Union who recently elected this serial trespasser to another term running... more »

How Michelle Rhee Misled Education Reform | New Republic

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
How Michelle Rhee Misled Education Reform | New Republic: *How Michelle Rhee Misled Education Reform* *A memoir illustrates what's wrong with her brand of school reform* BY NICHOLAS LEMANN - Read Later - Listen - Font Size - Facebook - Twitter The other day I picked up a copy of *The Adventures of Augie March*. I hadn’t remembered that Saul Bellow, writing in the early 1950s, when he was not yet forty, about Chicago in the 1920s, had been in full sympathy with the urban poor, as he definitely was not later in his career. There is a hilarious bit in the early pages ... more »

The Washington Teacher: Cardozo Senior High Teachers Get the Axe!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
The Washington Teacher: Cardozo Senior High Teachers Get the Axe!: Cardozo Senior High Teachers Get the Axe! by noreply@blogger.com (Candi Peterson) *By Candi Peterson* Today, Cardozo Senior High School staff were mandated to attend an end of school emergency meeting in the school auditorium. An important morning and afternoon announcement was made by the schools principal, Dr. Tanya Roane that required all staff to report to the meeting including the schools’ custodians. It felt as though we were being summoned to the guillotine by the principal’s urgent tone and requirement that... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Bloomberg Blows Up the Reformy Argument

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Bloomberg Blows Up the Reformy Argument: Bloomberg Blows Up the Reformy Argument by Duke *Instead of going to college, I should have been a cowboy!* When the mayor of Reformytown admits one of the fundamental arguments of the corporate reformers is wrong,that's news: Some advice from career counselor Mayor Bloomberg: If you are a so-so high school student, steer clear of college — and learn to clear clogged drains. Bloomberg said on his weekly radio show Friday that *going to trade school to become a plumber is a better economic bet for many teenagers than obtain... more »

SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 5-20-13 #soschat #edreform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* Wayne Au: Coring Social Studies within Corporate Education Reform by rdsathene “Teachers could stop #CommonCore tomorrow—if they joined hands and said ‘Hell, No!’ The alternative is loss of profession—and soul.” — Susan Ohanian A local university professor I’m friends with through The Association of Raza Educators (ARE) wrote me yesterday with the following message: Hi Robert, I hope you are well… You might be familiar with […] Seattle Teachers, Students Win Historic Victory Over Standardized Testing After months of protest, teachers, s... more »

Diane in the Evening 5-20-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Providence Students Challenge Commissioner Gist to Debate Issues by dianerav That amazing, pro-active, brilliant Providence Student Union has challenged Rhode Island Commissioner of Education Deborah Gist to a debate about high-stakes testing with them. Will Commissioner Gist agree to debate them? The students thinks it is wrong to use NECAP–the state assessment–as a requirement for graduation. The corporation that created the test agrees with the students that the test was not designed as an exit exam. Gist is ... more »

Will the Data Warehouse Become Every Student and Teacher's "Permanent Record"? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Will the Data Warehouse Become Every Student and Teacher's "Permanent Record"? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Will the Data Warehouse Become Every Student and Teacher's "Permanent Record"? by Anthony Cody When I was in junior high many years ago, I recall teachers warning students that if they did not shape up, their crimes would go into their "permanent record." At the time I really did not know what that meant. It conjured up images of some moment in the future when an earthly version of Saint Peter might unroll some lengthy scroll of misdeeds, for which we wou... more »

Campaign: Door-to-Door With Monica Ratliff - LA School Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Campaign: Door-to-Door With Monica Ratliff - LA School Report: Post navigationCampaign: Door-to-Door With Monica Ratliff Posted on May 20, 2013 by Hillel Aron **Going door-to-door in the Sunland section of the East Valley one evening this past weekend, District 6 School Board candidate *Monica Ratliff*‘s pitch to voters goes something like this: “Hi, my name is Monica Ratliff. I’m a teacher, and I’m running for the Board of Education. Do you have any questions or concerns about the school district?” Most voters are startled by this; it’s unusual for a politician to ask voters for ad... more »

May 20th, 2013: Walcott gets defensive; NYT replies, "[the] complaints [he's belittling] can be heard from teachers and parents in any school in the city." - NY-GPS

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
May 20th, 2013: Walcott gets defensive; NYT replies, "[the] complaints [he's belittling] can be heard from teachers and parents in any school in the city." - NY-GPS: May 20th, 2013: Walcott admits next mayor may "dismantle" Bloomberg's reforms Posted by New Yorkers for Great Public Schools (Ny Gps) 170pc on May 20, 2013 · Flag *NY-GPS To Host Mayoral Debate!* New Yorkers for Great Public Schools invites you to the FIRST DEBATE on education between leading Democratic candidates for Mayor: Bill Thompson, Christine Quinn, Bill DeBlasio and John Liu! *May 28th, 3:30pm at the NYU Kim... more »

The Myth of Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Rebel 6 Ramblings: The Myth of Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee We're seeing the unravelling of the myths that unwittingly placed Michelle Rhee in the national spotlight as "reformer in chief" for public education, myths created initially and largely at the expense of DC school children and their teachers. They were myths promulgated by the media, particularly those catering to the right-wing, anti-public education crowd. In my State of Michigan, Rhee was afforded an unusual platform in front of the legislature as reported by Mlive.com in the following post: Michelle Rhee: Mi... more »

Lesson plans for Texas schools dropped after recurring criticism | Education Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Lesson plans for Texas schools dropped after recurring criticism | Education Blog: Lesson plans for Texas schools dropped after recurring criticism By Terrence Stutz tstutz@dallasnews.com 1:50 pm on May 20, 2013 | Permalink 1 3 0 A series of lesson plans for Texas public schools that has come under criticism from tea party groups and social conservatives will be discontinued after the current school year ends, a state senator announced on Monday. Senate Education Committee Chairman Dan Patrick, R-Houston, said the CSCOPE governing board agreed to remove all lesson plans from their ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Astounding NY Times Editorial Spells Doom for Ed Deform: Was Brent Staples Absent Today?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Astounding NY Times Editorial Spells Doom for Ed Deform: Was Brent Staples Absent Today?: Astounding NY Times Editorial Spells Doom for Ed Deform: Was Brent Staples Absent Today? by ed notes online UPDATED WITH LEONIE's VIEWS: *...while charter schools can be a path to excellence, they can also cause problems. Shoehorning them into existing school buildings over local objections can alienate parents and reinforce among students a harmful sense of being separate and unequal. * *Mr. Bloomberg’s schools chancellor, Dennis Walcott, called the criticism an “unconsc... more »

128 Chicago lawyers agree – opposing schools closings a matter of conscience Parents United for Responsible Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » 128 Chicago lawyers agree – opposing schools closings a matter of conscience: 128 Chicago lawyers agree – opposing schools closings a matter of conscience by admin *M E D I A R E L E A S E* [image: justice] *More than 125 Chicago-area Attorneys Sign “Letter of Conscience” Against Massive Chicago Public School Closings* *Public interest law community expresses outrage, urges more equitable, inclusive and strategic approach* For More Information: Patricia Nix-Hodes (708) 218-2320; Amy Smolensky, (312) 485-0053; Jill Wohl, (773)... more »

UPDATE: What’s wrong with school ‘choice’? Here’s what.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
What’s wrong with school ‘choice’? Here’s what.: What’s wrong with school ‘choice’? Here’s what. By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 20, 2013 at 1:00 pmE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: vouchers]The idea of giving students a choice of where to go school — with public funds — may sound good, but there are problems attached. The following post explains some of them. It was written by David A. Pickler, president of the National School Boards Association and chairman of Tennessee’s Shelby County Board of Education. By David A. Pickler Imagine a state outsourcing the education o... more »

Marchers to deliver “save our schools” petitions to City Hall at 2 p.m.; Rally at Daley Plaza @ 4| www.ctunet.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Chicago Teachers Union | www.ctunet.com: *Marchers to deliver “save our schools” petitions to* *City Hall at 2 p.m.; Rally at Daley Plaza @ 4* [image: Our City. Our Schools. Our Voice.] * * *CHICAGO –* As parents, teachers, students, community leaders, clergy and others complete the three-day march for education justice, a coalition of them will attempt to deliver petitions asking for a one-year moratorium on school closings to the mayor’s office at 121 N. LaSalle, today at 2 p.m. The signatures were gathered during the “Our City. Our Schools. Our Voice,” demonstrations which star... more »

UPDATE: The (Unofficial) End of CSCOPE + Utah Republicans Pass Anti-Common Core Resolution | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Utah Republicans Pass Anti-Common Core Resolution | Truth in American Education: North Carolina Senate Budget Includes Common Core Provision by Shane Vander Hart The North Carolina Senate included a Common Core provision intheir recommended budget released last night. SECTION 9.2.(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 115C-174.11(c), the State Board of Education shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee prior to the purchase and implementation of a new assessment instrument to assess student achievement on the Common Core State Standards, including th... more »

Portland's high dropout rate reveals illusion of success at big high schools (Diplomas denied, Part 1) | OregonLive.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Portland's high dropout rate reveals illusion of success at big high schools (Diplomas denied, Part 1) | OregonLive.com: Portland's high dropout rate reveals illusion of success at big high schools (Diplomas denied, Part 1) by Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian [image: dropgraphic1.jpg] [image: megan-brophy-1]View full sizeJamie Francis/The OregonianMegan Brophy, who dropped out of Portland'™s Cleveland High early in her junior year, is among the 1,300 students in Portland'™s class of 2011 who failed to earn a diploma in four years. As was the case with other dropouts from Portland Pub... more »

Why Bill Cosby thinks Germantown High should close | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Why Bill Cosby thinks Germantown High should close | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Slideshow: Philly students walk out and rally against school budget cuts by thenotebook [View the story "Philadelphia student walkout " on Storify] read more Why Bill Cosby thinks Germantown High should close by thenotebook *by Brian Hickey for NewsWorks* *As the final day of Germantown High School's 99-year history approaches — the Class of '13 will don caps and gowns on June 19 — NewsWorks will present a series of stories including interviews with grads and former students.* To launch the ... more »

Paradigm-a-dox? — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Paradigm-a-dox? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Walter McKenzie]Paradigm-a-dox? May 20, 2013 by Walter McKenzie We're in the midst of an education paradigm shift. Are you on board? How do you know? More importantly, do you know what's driving it? Knowledge? Technology? The institution itself? We may have as many different definitions of the paradigm as we do of the shift. I would argue the true paradigm shift is the move of focus from an individual to a communal orientation to society; a global view. This is a challenge in a culture were rugged individualism is... more »

Commissioner Pryor issues bullying report without recommendations, despite law… - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Commissioner Pryor issues bullying report without recommendations, despite law… - Wait, What?: Commissioner Pryor issues bullying report without recommendations, despite law… by jonpelto *The law required the State Department of Education to issue its report on Safe School Climate Plans in Connecticut no later than February 2012…* Commissioner Pryor issued his report 14 months late, in April 2013, after his failure to follow Connecticut law was reported on here at Wait, What? The law also mandated that the report include recommendations for reducing school bullying and improving s... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, May 20, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Fix School Discipline* *Troubled youths deserve more effective discipline than suspension* Education Headlines *Monday, May 20, 2013* Common Core collaboration among local teachers 'unprecedented'Although Common Core goes into great detail about what students should know when, the state Board of Education hasn't dictated how teachers should teach the new standards, nor has it provided a curriculum or instructional materials. School safety concerns latest issue for Linden UnifiedFour Waverly Elementary School parents have filed un... more »

The MAP has been scraped in Seattle high schools | Seattle Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
The MAP has been scraped in Seattle high schools | Seattle Education: The MAP has been scraped in Seattle high schools by seattleducation2011 [image: cartoon8] From the teachers at Garfield High School: At 2:06 pm on Monday, May 13th, a message from Seattle school superintendent Jose Banda stated: “*High schools may opt out of MAP in 2013-14*.” Banda was referring to the controversial Measure of Academic Progress (MAP), which has been boycotted by teachers in several Seattle high schools since January because of the deep flaws in the test, which is not aligned with the school curri... more »

D.C. charter school would teach all but math and English online | WashingtonExaminer.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
D.C. charter school would teach all but math and English online | WashingtonExaminer.com: D.C. charter school would teach all but math and English online *May 19, 2013 | 9:00 pm * *PROUDLY SPONSORED BY* *Con Academy * *Browse Con Academy library of over 3,100 educational videos...* A controversial computer-based learning model is competing with eight other proposals to be one of the next charter schools approved for the District. The proposed Nexus Academy of DC, run by a subsidiary of publishing giant Pearson, would offer grades 9 through 12 in Ward 2, eventually serving up ... more »

Blue Mass Group | Citizens First: A Call to Create “Charter” Police and Fire Stations, brought to you by Democrats for Public Safety Reform (DFPSR)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Blue Mass Group | Citizens First: A Call to Create “Charter” Police and Fire Stations, brought to you by Democrats for Public Safety Reform (DFPSR): Citizens First: A Call to Create “Charter” Police and Fire Stations, brought to you by Democrats for Public Safety Reform (DFPSR) *columwhyte * | Sat, May 18, 2013 10:52 PM EST The status quo is not working. “Something” has to be done. Generous direct “donations” from the Waltons and Koch Brothers, as well as strong support from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) have helped “Citizens First” realize our goals. Truly, public ... more »

Political savvy vs. education skills in L.A. school board runoff - latimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Political savvy vs. education skills in L.A. school board runoff - latimes.com: Political savvy vs. education skills in L.A. school board runoffAntonio Sanchez, 31, has the former, which has helped him attract big support from labor, while Monica Ratliff, 43, has the latter, making her the favorite of educators. - [image: print] - Comments 12 - Email Share 111 - [image: Ratliff, Sanchez] Monica Ratliff has a background as a legal-aid attorney and teacher in a school that serves mostly students from low-income families. Antonio Sanchez has a backg... more »

UPDATE: low pass rates at even top schools +GOP official: Party should have taken up Common Core but... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
GOP official: Party should have taken up Common Core but... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: GOP official: Party should have taken up Common Core but message was sent: Wrong standards for Georgia By Maureen Downey Judy Craft is a Gwinnett County resident who served on the State Resolutions Committee at the state GOP convention in Athens this past weekend representing the 7th Congressional District. She wrote this piece in response to the failure of the GOP convention to take up a resolution opposing the Common Core State Standards. A standoff on the standards, which ... more »

UPDATE: Some special episodes coming up quickly, LOOK OUT!! + What Karen Lewis’s Reelection Could Mean for the New York Mayor’s Race – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
What Karen Lewis’s Reelection Could Mean for the New York Mayor’s Race – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Some special episodes coming up quickly, LOOK OUT!! @slekar #cpsclosings by Chalk Face, PhD First, today at 5PM EST, we’re going to be joined again by Chicago teacher and activist Josh Marburger live from the Chicago marches and rallies today. Second, we have some urgent business regarding the Common Core. So, for that, we’re going to be joined by Kris Nielsen, tomorrow, May 21st, 8PM EST. To give you a quick preview of what’s ahead, we’re going to have John Merrow on th... more »

Shanker Blog » On Teacher Evaluation: Slow Down And Get It Right

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Shanker Blog » On Teacher Evaluation: Slow Down And Get It Right: On Teacher Evaluation: Slow Down And Get It Right by Morgan S. Polikoff and Matthew Di Carlo *The following is written by Morgan S. Polikoff and Matthew Di Carlo. Morgan is Assistant Professor in the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California.* One of the primary policy levers now being employed in states and districts nationwide is teacher evaluation reform. Well-designed evaluations, which should include measures that capture both teacher practice and student learning, have great potentia... more »

Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance School Summit Wednesday | Re:education in Baltimore

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance School Summit Wednesday | Re:education in Baltimore: Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance School Summit Wednesday by Edit Barry Press Release Are you a parent with a school-aged child looking for ways to make a difference in his or her education? We urge you to join us for the DBFA and Greater Homewood Community Corporation’s Parents for Public Schools Summit, taking place Wednesday, May 22, at 8:30 a.m. at Breath of God Church in Highlandtown. This inaugural summit will focus on equipping parents with strategies to support their public schools. T...more »

UPDATE: SB2404. A pension bill Republicans can love + Rahm wants kids to walk through the “Danger Zone.” | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
BBB doesn’t want students at the Daley Center today, but Rahm wants kids to walk through the “Danger Zone.” | Fred Klonsky: Breaking: Chicago school justice advocates are occupying City Hall. Daley Plaza @ 4PM. by Fred Klonsky [image: 941389_10200936398072739_1741313007_n][image: 981589_3181987005144_1783183598_o] *Photos: John Kugler* SB2404. A pension bill Republicans can love. by Fred Klonsky [image: Chad-Picture]*Illinois House Republican Chad Hays.* Some members of the tiny Illinois Republican Party are telling folks that they love SB2404, the pension bill that came out of neg... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky "Safe passage"? Yale kids will walk past this abandoned and boarded up building at 73rd & Princeton on way to their "receiving" school. | Jessica Koscielniak ~ Sun-TimesRev. Marshall Hatch, in front of Tilton *“That was a cartel, right on the side of the school. . . . This is where the folks know how to find them.” *-- Sun-Times Angelense Jones, a third-grade teacher at Overton Elementary *“You’re not taking them to a better school, to a better environment."* -- Marchers, led by teachers union, ... more »

Aspiring teachers learn from their avatars | Hechinger Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Aspiring teachers learn from their avatars | Hechinger Report: Aspiring teachers learn from their avatars by Sarah Butrymowicz [image: Aspiring teachers learn from their avatars] Lisa Dieker went around the room asking her middle-school students what they did over the weekend. CJ went to see the movie “Here Comes the Boom” with her boyfriend. Ed played in a basketball game and Kevin posted new dance videos to YouTube. “Did you work on any art projects?” Dieker asked Maria, a girl bent over a textbook in the back row. “Yeah,” Maria answered. “And what were you working on?” Dieker sai... more »

Education Lessons From Around the World - High School Notes (usnews.com)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Education Lessons From Around the World - High School Notes (usnews.com): Education Lessons From Around the World By KELSEY SHEEHY May 20, 2013 RSS Feed Print [image: In this picture taken on January 11, 2011 students attend class at the Jing'an Education College Affiliated School in Shanghai.] The top schools in Shanghai collaborate with those that are struggling to help elevate low-performing schools. There are lessons the U.S. can learn from its peers around the world. That was the message delivered by a panel of experts at a discussion hosted by the Center for American Progress la... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee in the poor house? – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee in the poor house? – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee in the poor house? by Timothy D. Slekar I hate it when I do this. I hate when I write about Queen Rhee. She get’s more time than any reform charlatan deserves but she opened her mouth (for how much $) at the Center for Leadership Development and Research at Stanford’s graduate business school and then decided to write about her profound insights into how she manages to *keep up the struggle* while constantly being attacked by ruthless union thugs, n... more »

Parenting education the foundation for healthy families | Health & Fitness | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Parenting education the foundation for healthy families | Health & Fitness | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon Parenting education the foundation for healthy families By Minalee Saks For The Register-Guard PUBLISHED: 12:00 A.M., MAY 20 Parenting education is one of the building blocks of a strong community. In observance of the positive impact of parenting education, Gov. John Kitzhaber signed a proclamation declaring the week of May 19-25 as Oregon Parenting Education Week. This is a good moment to look at the impact of learning to parent effectively: Much data shows that parenti... more »