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
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Alliance for Education Annual Report
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 minutes 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 - 10 minutes 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 - 10 minutes 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 - 10 minutes 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 - 1 hour 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 - 1 hour 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 - 3 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 - 3 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 - 5 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 - 5 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 - 6 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 - 6 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 - 6 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 - 6 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 - 6 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 - 7 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 - 7 hours ago
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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 - 7 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 - 7 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 - 7 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 - 7 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 - 7 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 - 7 hours 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 - 8 hours 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 - 8 hours 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 »
Video: How One School Meets the Challenges of Special Needs Inclusion | NEA Today
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Video: How One School Meets the Challenges of Special Needs Inclusion | NEA Today: Video: How One School Meets the Challenges of Special Needs Inclusion by twalker *By Cindy Long* Navigating high school is tough enough for most American teenagers, but add a wheelchair or a visual impairment or a learning disability to the mix of angst and storming hormones, and finding your place in high school can be downright terrifying. But not at Bainbridge High School in Bainbridge, Georgia. Educators and administrators at Bainbridge agree that everyone benefits when students with disabilities... more »
Fear Factor: Teaching without Training « The Core Knowledge Blog
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Fear Factor: Teaching without Training « The Core Knowledge Blog: Fear Factor: Teaching without Training by Lisa Hansel On Friday, I had the pleasure of listening to Bill Bennett forcefully (and repeatedly) make the case for Core Knowledge and the work of E. D. Hirsch. But the event was bittersweet. Not because of the political differences between Bennett and Hirsch—for me, those only increase the odds that this Hirsch guy is onto something. But because the event was commemorating a *Nation at Risk*, and Bennett’s remarks highlighted the fact that we’ve known how to provide child... more »
May Day 2013: NYC Schedule | OccupyWallSt.org
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
May Day 2013: NYC Schedule | OccupyWallSt.org: May Day 2013: NYC Schedule by OccupyWallSt [image: The 99% Need a Break] Schedule of Events:10:00am - 10:30am: Occu-Evolve Speakout Against Law Day @ NYU 10:30am - 11:00am: Young Workers: March with TWU! @ Bryant Park 11:00am - 2:30pm: Free University @ Copper Union 12:00pm - 2:00pm: Immigrant Worker Justice Tour 12:00pm - 4:00pm: May 1 Coalition Activities @ Union Square 12:00pm - 2:00pm: Occupy to Save the People's Post Office @ Washington Square Park 1:00pm - (?): Anti-Capitalist March @ Tompkins Square 2:30pm - 4:00pm: 99 Pickets Soli... more »
UPDATE: Breaking. Madigan’s nuclear pension bomb passes + pension screwing of Illinois retirees + The in box. “Dear Representative Moylan.” | Fred Klonsky
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
The in box. “Dear Representative Moylan.” | Fred Klonsky: Breaking. Madigan’s nuclear pension bomb passes out of committee on a 9 to 1 vote. by Fred Klonsky 9:45 AM. Construction halted on UNO’s “Madigan High.” Who paid for UNO junkets to Disneyland for “training”? by Fred Klonsky [image: dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls] *Governor “Squeezy” Quinn, UNO’s Juan Rangel, Michael Madigan and “Fast” Eddie Burke at UNO charter groundbreaking in July.* With Speaker Madigan greasing the way, the Illinois state legislature wrote a check for $98 million to Juan Peoria Democratic Party p... more »
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s group stands by anti-gay honoree - Salon.com
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s group stands by anti-gay honoree - Salon.com: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s group stands by anti-gay honoreeStudentsFirst declines to rescind award to John Ragan, fudges timeline of events and deletes laudatory blog postBY KATIE MCDONOUGH In response to a recent report that Michelle Rhee’s controversial nonprofit StudentsFirst named anti-gay Tennessee state Rep. John Ragan “reformer of the year,” the group is standing by him — responding with dubious claims about his record and scrubbing its website of a blog post hailing him for alway... more »
MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-1-13 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] Why She Left Teaching by dianerav From a teacher who gave up: After 13+ years as a successful special education teacher in Los Angeles and then Virginia, I resigned last year. I just felt like I could no longer teach one more year in the current atmosphere that the teaching profession has become. I decided to take at least a year off, but it may be permanent. I know I have helped so many students and families over the years, and the students remained the only ... more »
“College and Career Ready” Contest Begins! – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
“College and Career Ready” Contest Begins! – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: “College and Career Ready” Contest Begins! by Kris Nielsen There it is again! Arne Duncan and John King said it at almost the same time! *“College and career-ready.”* If someone would give me one dollar for every time I hear that phrase come out of some Common Core supporter’s mouth, I could probably leave work an hour early every day. [image: Say it again, John! Again!!] *Say it again, John! Say it AGAIN!!* Arne Duncan, Barack Obama, NY Ed Commish John King, Randi Weingarten, and some lady who jus... more »
Extreme Common Core rhetoric clouds serious debate
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Extreme Common Core rhetoric clouds serious debate: Extreme Common Core rhetoric clouds serious debate Posted by Valerie Strauss on May 1, 2013 at 5:00 am 2 Comments More [image: rhetoric]The Common Core State Standards initiative was started with bipartisan support. But new and often nonsensical criticism from right-wing Republicans is making it seem as if the Core is a partisan issue, and, further, is clouding important and serious-minded criticism about the standards and their implementation. Far right-wing commentators, such as Glenn Beck, are shouting that the Core is essential... more »
The Educated Reporter: School Bullying Prevention Task Force Wants Less Talk, More Action
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: School Bullying Prevention Task Force Wants Less Talk, More Action: School Bullying Prevention Task Force Wants Less Talk, More Action by Emily Richmond When it comes to student bullying, a task force of education researchers wants schools to focus more on addressing the underlying issues contributing to bad behavior and spend less time worrying about how to define it. Spurred by recent school shootings and student suicides, last year the American Educational Research Association decided for the first time to formally address bullying at the K-12 and highe... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: MAY DAY! MAY DAY! -- School closings having a 'domino effect'
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: MAY DAY! MAY DAY! -- School closings having a 'domino effect': MAY DAY! MAY DAY! -- School closings having a 'domino effect' by Mike Klonsky WaldheimAccording to WBEZ reporter *Becky Vevea*, Chicago school closings are "part of much bigger restructuring effort— one that will affect more than 47,000 students and 132 schools." Read this and see if you, or anyone else, can figure out this mess. ****** Hey, it's a beautiful May Day, a great day to visit Waldheim Cemetery and the tomb of the Haymarket martyrs and then head over to Union Park at noon for t... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: What the Missouri Department of Revenue and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Have in Common
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: What the Missouri Department of Revenue and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Have in Common: What the Missouri Department of Revenue and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Have in Common by stlgretchen The Missouri Department of Revenue copied and sent private information on Concealed Carry permit holders to Homeland Security without the knowledge of the permit holder, despite the fact this was against state law. Does this sound a bit like the collection of 61 data points our educational state agency is gathering on stu... more »
Jersey Jazzman: NJDOE Brings Segregation, Attrition, High-Spending to Camden
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: NJDOE Brings Segregation, Attrition, High-Spending to Camden: NJDOE Brings Segregation, Attrition, High-Spending to Camden by Duke NJDOE Commissioner Chris Cerf has made no secret of his wish to bring more charter schools to New Jersey. Less well known is *his desire to bring in national charter management organizations (CMOs) to take over locally-run charters*. This happened before at Paul Robeson Charter in Trenton; now he's bringing a New York CMO into Camden: When Freedom Academy Charter School was put on state probation last year - its charter was in jeopard... more »
No One Defends the Status Quo | InterACT
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
No One Defends the Status Quo | InterACT: No One Defends the Status Quo by David B. Cohen photo by the author [As my friend Bill Ferriter would say, "cranky blogger alert!"] [image: parrot]It’s time to retire the cliché “defend the status quo.” Just. Stop. Now. It’s misleading, insulting, and worst of all… it’s such an overused cliché, which makes for dull writing and dumbed-down debates. We need an intervention to help people who can’t help themselves when it comes to repeating this worn-out phrase. This blog post has been drafted, revised, and held back a number of times. What ... more »
Sequester Cuts Are Dumb, Education Cuts Are Dumber
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Sequester Cuts Are Dumb, Education Cuts Are Dumber: Sequester Cuts Are Dumb, Education Cuts Are Dumber by Jeff Bryant Cuts to government spending like the now-reviled “sequester” are not only “dumb” as my colleague Robert Borosage explained this week. They are literally making us dumber. What’s dumb is to cut money for air traffic controllers and endanger airline passengers and relegate them to long waits for delayed flights. A continuing series Read the full series Tell your member of Congress What’s even dumber is to cut funding to Head Start and other education programs that ens... more »
Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 4-30-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE* *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* More trouble for UNO by Mike Klonsky It keeps getting worse and worse for the UNO charter hustlers. Now that *Gov. Quinn* has turned off the $98 million spigot, the construction company and its workers have walked off the job, demanding to be paid. UNO's shiny new charter school has been stalled in mid-stream. According to the Sun-Times: *Patrick Cermak, the president of general contractor Wight & Co. of Darien, cited unspecified past-due payments in a letter * Please, Keep Writing and Teaching [Kick ... more »
Duncan admits flaws in current standardized testing | EdSource Today
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Duncan admits flaws in current standardized testing | EdSource Today: Duncan admits flaws in current standardized testing - by Jane Meredith Adams by Jane Meredith Adams SAN FRANCISCO – Secretary of Education Arne Duncan acknowledged serious flaws in the standardized tests that currently drive American schools, telling an audience of education researchers on Tuesday that the tests are an inadequate gauge of student and teacher performance. Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Duncan criticized “high-stakes testing where children’s lives ... more »
Bonds would fund for business investment in schools under Steinberg proposal | EdSource Today
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Bonds would fund for business investment in schools under Steinberg proposal | EdSource Today: Bonds would fund for business investment in schools under Steinberg proposal ** April 30th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By Kathryn Baron The leader of the California State Senate says the way to encourage more and stronger bonds between industry and education is through, well, bonds. With California facing a shortage of qualified workers for 21st century jobs, Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg wants to entice businesses to become more involved in job training by asking them t... more »
Teacher Highlights Washington Post Conflict of Interest in Education Arena - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Teacher Highlights Washington Post Conflict of Interest in Education Arena - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Teacher Highlights Washington Post Conflict of Interest in Education Arena by Anthony Cody [image: Kaplan Solutions 2-1.jpg] A teacher who uses the name "chemtchr" has forwarded to me a column she had submitted in October of 2010 to Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews, who indicated he would publish it on his blog. But it never ran. Six months later he wrote her saying "This has become not my story but a business story." He apparently sent it along to a report... more »
Report on how money in best spent to improve learning: MONEY STILL MATTERS by Bonnie Lesley
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Money Matters: MONEY MATTERS[image: Money Matters]INVESTING IN TEXAS CHILDREN AND OUR FUTURE Our Money Matters report aims to show what investing in Texas children can do. In classrooms across the state, schools are failing our children. Our report card on the state's performance shows that student performance is consistently related to the funding of the school they attend. Research confirms the importance of effective teachers, small classes, prekindergarten, interventions, rigorous curriculum, adequate instructional materials and technology. Texas schools educate 10% of our nati... more »
Will Madigan’s pension bomb come to the floor tomorrow, Wednesday? Are the swords drawn? | Fred Klonsky
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Will Madigan’s pension bomb come to the floor tomorrow, Wednesday? Are the swords drawn? | Fred Klonsky: Will Madigan’s pension bomb come to the floor tomorrow, Wednesday? Are the swords drawn? by Fred Klonsky Popout. The *Urgent! Call Now!* emails are piling up in the in boxes. Madigan appears ready to bring his *nuclear option pension bill* to committee and then to the floor of the House. If he has the votes. Senate President Cullerton appears not willing to cooperate. Greg Hinz reports that the each are drawing swords. *Mr. Cullerton’s spokeswoman, Rikeesha Phelon, is out with a s... more »
Promising Whole Child Practices in Arizona — Whole Child Education
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Promising Whole Child Practices in Arizona — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Ember Conley]Promising Whole Child Practices in Arizona April 30, 2013 by Ember Conley Nestled between the Gila River and Ak-Chin Indian Communities 30 miles south of Phoenix, Ariz., the city of Maricopa had a population of 1,060 in 2000, according to U.S. Census Data. In 2010, the population was 43,482. This exponential growth of more than 4,000 percent created new challenges and opportunities, including transitioning a small one-campus school district into a successful medium-sized dis... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Your Daily Debunk
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Your Daily Debunk: Your Daily Debunk by Duke Just kill me: But there’s one set of facts that trumps all the other data: the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), otherwise known as the nation’s report card. The NAEP, which assesses “a representative sampling” of the nation’s fourth-, eighth- and 12th-graders, has four student achievement levels: “advanced” (for “superior performance”), “proficient” (for “solid academic performance”), “basic” (for “partial mastery”) and “below basic” (for below partial mastery). *We need all students to attain th... more »
Common Core Stakes Moratorium Proposed By Unions As National Standards Face Backlash
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Common Core Stakes Moratorium Proposed By Unions As National Standards Face Backlash: Common Core Stakes Moratorium Proposed By Unions As National Standards Face Backlash by Joy Resmovits Dennis Van Roekel, the president of the National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union, came out in favor of a two-year moratorium on adverse consequences for schools and teachers that have been proposed in connection with the Common Core State Standards in an interview with The Huffington Post Tuesday. "If I had a magic wand, I would make a moratorium for two years," he sa... more »
NYC Educator: What Is Social Justice?
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
NYC Educator: What Is Social Justice?: What Is Social Justice? by NYC Educator I think MORE, if it wants to prominently label itself the "Social Justice Caucus," needs to clarify this. Perhaps they already have, and if someone will point out where, I'd be happy to acknowledge it on this page. The name seems to have frightened some people on my pal Chaz's blog, and it's drawn comments suggesting that MORE may take a public position on the Israeli-Palestinian controversy. Personally, I've seen no evidence they have, or will. A problem with that label, in my view, is that it fails to... more »
Diane in the Evening 4-30-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Walton Foundation Gives $8 Million to Rhee’s StudentsFirst by dianerav Indifferent to John Merrow’s investigative reports on the cheating scandal during Michelle Rhee’s tenure as DC Chancellor, the Walton Family Foundation gave her organization $8 million to continue pushing its radical agenda of attacking teachers and promoting privatization of the nation’s public schools. StudentsFirst advocates that test scores should count for 50% of teacher evaluation, although most researchers Don’t You Love the Provide... more »
The deception continues on the parent trigger… | Parents Across America
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
The deception continues on the parent trigger… | Parents Across America: The deception continues on the parent trigger… by pureparents This blog was written last night by PAA founding member Rita Solnet. Today’s news was huge – Rita, PAA and other parents and parent groups in Florida have defeated the parent trigger there. More on that later, But meanwhile, some valuable insight from Rita: Watching the Florida Senate debate the so-called Parent Empowerment bill, is like watching an episode of Truth or Dare. The bill’s sponsor, Senator Kelli Stargel (R)- Lakeland, clumsily danced ... more »
