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
Lorie Barzano’s testimony in Texas on parent trigger | Parents Across America
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 minutes ago
Lorie Barzano’s testimony in Texas on parent trigger | Parents Across America: Lorie Barzano’s testimony in Texas on parent trigger by pureparents TX House Public Education Committee Hearing Public Testimony of Lorie Barzano Good afternoon/Evening, Committee members, guests. My name is Lorie Barzano, a public school parent, taxpayer and Chair of the Coalition to Strengthen Austin Urban Schools (SAUS), a local affiliate of Parents Across America. We are a parent led group committed to quality, accessible Public Education for all children. As parents, we actively work to support o... more »
BESE President Chas Roemer Knows Nothing. | deutsch29
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 45 minutes ago
BESE President Chas Roemer Knows Nothing. | deutsch29: BESE President Chas Roemer Knows Nothing. by deutsch29 It amazes me how many high-profile reformers know nothing regarding the deceptions occurring during their well-fed tenures. Atlanta Superintendent Beverly Hall supposedly knew nothing of the incredible cheating for which she has recently been indicted. Former DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee is innocent of any involvement in systematic test score erasures in DC’s schools, an issue that simply will not go away. And, though a lesser player than Hall and Rhee, Louisiana BESE Pre...more »
UPDATE: $20 a month Social Security? + The shame of Illinois House Representative | Fred Klonsky
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
The shame of Illinois House Representative Robyn Gabel. | Fred Klonsky: $20 a month Social Security? “I’m stunned.” by Fred Klonsky *Fred,* *I’m concerned when I read the following: “By the way, even though I paid into Social Security for 25 years before I began teaching, my Social Security benefit will be $20 a month.”* *What? How can that possibly be? I’m not questioning your veracity and I’m most definitely in strong agreement with your viewpoints. But I’m incredulous that this could really be accurate.* *How do you work at a job for 25 years and only receive $20 per month in So... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Cerf and NJDOE: In Way Over Their Heads
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Cerf and NJDOE: In Way Over Their Heads: Cerf and NJDOE: In Way Over Their Heads by Duke I'm searching around for a word that best describes my reaction to the latest bit of cant from NJ Education Commissioner Chris Cerf; my best response is "pathetic": After first proposing that scores would amount to 35 percent of a performance evaluation for math and language arts teachers in grades 4-8, *Cerf yesterday said that total would be trimmed to 30 percent for next year*. In addition, he said only the scores of students who had been enrolled with a given teacher 70 pe... more »
The Search for Gold | Deborah Meier on Education
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The Search for Gold | Deborah Meier on Education: The Search for Gold by debmeier Dear friends, Perhaps it’s a good thing that we keep looking for someone, somewhere who has created the utopia we’e dreaming about. In my lifetime I’ve lived through a number of grandiose claims: Russian communism (for some Fascism), various third world utopias, then Cuba, and of course, China. And many in-between. Ditto for schools. We keep reinventing “success” rather than exploring the history of our past successes. Instead we let them die for lack of support whenever a new fad rolls in. Even th... more »
Tweet That: Bush’s Foundation Not Giving Up On Parent Trigger Bill | StateImpact Florida
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Tweet That: Bush’s Foundation Not Giving Up On Parent Trigger Bill | StateImpact Florida: Tweet That: Bush’s Foundation Not Giving Up On Parent Trigger Bill MAY 2, 2013 | 12:47 PMBY GINA JORDAN - Comment - Email - - FOUNDATION FOR FLORIDA'S FUTURE The Foundation for Florida's Future is out with a new video after the defeat of the parent trigger bill. A provision of the bill lives on after it was added to another piece of legislation. The Foundation for Florida’s Future isn’t giving up on the parent trigger bill. They’re asking people to announce their suppo... more »
Diane in the Evening 5-2-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: The Mess That Is Obama’s Education Policy by dianerav Valerie Strauss does an excellent job of deconstructing the disaster of Obama’s education policy. Remember when candidate Obama in 2008 spoke of hope and change. That kicked many educators to believe that NonChild Left Behind would be ended, tossed into the dustbin of history, where it belongs. Sadly, President Obama built his Race to the Tip right on the flawed foundation of NCLB, and made teaching to the test a necessity. As the for-profit charters prolife... more »
Rally Against Common Core in Topeka, KS on May 8th | Truth in American Education
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Rally Against Common Core in Topeka, KS on May 8th | Truth in American Education: Rally Against Common Core in Topeka, KS on May 8th by truthed [image: Kansas-State-Capitol-2] From Kansans Against Common Core: *Kansans Against Common Core Rally in Topeka at the Capitol on May 8th* *with special guest and Common Core expert* *Shane Vander Hart* *From Truth in American Education* *2-4pm on the South Lawn* *We are very happy to have Common Core expert Shane Vander Hart with Truth in American Education joining us and speaking about Common Core.* *Shane Vander Hart* is the Editor-in-Chief o... more »
The New Poverty: Dealing with Economic Change — Whole Child Education
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
The New Poverty: Dealing with Economic Change — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Podcast][image: Whole Child Podcast]The New Poverty: Dealing with Economic Change May 2, 2013 by Whole Child Podcast Download Podcast Now [Right-Click to Save] 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... more »
Religious Right Using After-School Bible Clubs to Undermine Public Education, Says Author | NEA Today
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Religious Right Using After-School Bible Clubs to Undermine Public Education, Says Author | NEA Today: Religious Right Using After-School Bible Clubs to Undermine Public Education, Says Author by twalker *By Tim Walker* For many anti-public education activists, maybe, as the saying goes, “nothing succeeds like failure.” Pushing extremist agendas is often more about undermining, or even dismantling, the institution they claim they want to “reform.” *Journalist Katherine Stewart *sees such a dynamic at work with the Religious Right and its aggressive and increasingly successful cam... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The loyal-to-whom? opposition to CORE
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The loyal-to-whom? opposition to CORE: The loyal-to-whom? opposition to CORE by Mike Klonsky Who is *Tanya Saunders-Wolfe* and why is she using the pages of the anti-union Chicago Tribune to say all these terrible things about *Karen Lewis* and her hard-charging CORE Caucus, currently leading the CTU? Answer: I don't have the faintest idea. The reason I don't is, I'm not a union insider. But I do know that I haven't seen her at any of the dozens of citywide events, hearings or protests against school closings, where Karen Lewis was speaking out and f... more »
Bill Gates’ Damage Control via Student Test Prep Questions? | Seattle Education
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Bill Gates’ Damage Control via Student Test Prep Questions? | Seattle Education: Bill Gates’ Damage Control via Student Test Prep Questions? by seattleducation2011 [image: Gates] In a 3rd grade student workbook for MSP Reading Assessment preparation, which is a Washington State mandated test for grades 3 through 8, a parent found this question: *Directions: Read the selection and answer the questions.* *Bill Gates * *Bill Gates had a dream that changed the world. Born in Seattle, Washington, on October 28, 1955, Bill Gates grew up with his parents and his two sisters. As a te... more »
Deconstructing Disinformation on Student Growth Percentiles & Teacher Evaluation in New Jersey | School Finance 101
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Deconstructing Disinformation on Student Growth Percentiles & Teacher Evaluation in New Jersey | School Finance 101: Deconstructing Disinformation on Student Growth Percentiles & Teacher Evaluation in New Jersey by schoolfinance101 [image: Slide1] CROSS-POSTED FROM: http://njedpolicy.wordpress.com/ Deconstructing Disinformation on Student Growth Percentiles & Teacher Evaluation in New Jersey (Printable Policy Brief): SGP_Disinformation_BakerOluwole *Bruce D. Baker*, Rutgers University, Graduate School of Education *Joseph Oluwole*, Montclair State University * * IntroductionThis br... more »
UPDATE: Malloy Reimburses People Magazine + Connecticut TFA Director wants to open a charter school…in Bridgeport - Wait, What?
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Connecticut TFA Director wants to open a charter school…in Bridgeport - Wait, What?: Wait, What? Malloy Reimburses People Magazine… by jonpelto “To remove a needless distraction when there are far more important public policy issues to deal with, Gov. Malloy has made the decision to personally reimburse People Magazine for the costs of his attendance at the White House Correspondents Dinner. He has written a personal check for $1,234.62,” said his spokesman, Andrew Doba. You have got to be kidding me! *So it was an official visit to Washington, but he will reimburse People Magaz... more »
Chipotle to Support Educators with "Teacher Appreciation Day" on May 7 | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Chipotle to Support Educators with "Teacher Appreciation Day" on May 7 | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com: Chipotle to Support Educators with “Teacher Appreciation Day” on May 7 from Hispanically Speaking News Global Feed [image: Chipotle to Support Educators with “Teacher Appreciation Day” on May 7] *Teachers Receive a Buy-One, Get-One-Free Menu Item Tuesday, May 7* Chipotle is putting teachers at the head of the class this Teacher Appreciation Day with a special “buy-one-get-one-free” promotion. On Tuesday, May 7, 2013, teachers and educators who show a valid school ID identifying ... more »
Bags of urine thrown as White Student Union clashes with May Day protesters | The Raw Story
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Bags of urine thrown as White Student Union clashes with May Day protesters | The Raw Story: Bags of urine thrown as White Student Union clashes with May Day protesters By David Edwards Thursday, May 2, 2013 11:23 EDT [image: White supremacists at May Day protests in Washington, D.C. (YouTube)] Topics: white student union - 2 - - - - - [image: Print Friendly and PDF] - [image: Email this page] Workers rights demonstrators clashed with white supremacists in the so-called White Student Union during Washington, D.C. May Day protests on Wednesday. Accord... more »
UPDATE: FCMAT » CALI Education Headlines Thursday, May 2, 2013
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Duncan says it’s still possible for state to get NCLB waiver | EdSource Today* Education Headlines *Thursday, May 2, 2013* Linden Unified parents address dysfunctionParents of Linden Unified students continued to make emotional pleas Wednesday night that the district Board of Trustees relieve Superintendent Michael Gonzales of his duties, extending what has amounted to months of distrust and angst districtwide. Teachers to vote on contract May 14After working for nearly two years without one, the 700 members of the Salinas Val... more »
Meet Your PD Needs: The 2013 Whole Child Virtual Conference Is Free and Exclusively Online — Whole Child Education
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours 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 - 8 hours 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 »
UPDATE: They might vote in the House today. | Fred Klonsky
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
They might vote in the House today. | Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. John Kerry. by Fred Klonsky [image: Kerry] Click on drawing to enlarge. May Day in Chicago. by Fred Klonsky [image: 472924_10151622497228454_323576889_o] *Photo: Sarah Jane Rhee/loveandstrugglephotos.com.* 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 underw... more »
Mother Crusader: Are Children Being Used As Pawns In The Game Of High Stakes Testing?
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours 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 - 9 hours 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 - 9 hours 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 - 9 hours 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 - 9 hours 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 - 10 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 »
MORNING UPDATE 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 - 10 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Education Entrepreneurs Excited by New K-12 Opportunitities by dianerav Never doubt that the for-profit sector is ready to close a deal. Here is the scenario: The results of Common Core assessments set off a panic, as passing rates on tests fall. Entrepreneurs rush in, selling stuff to schools that have no money. Schools lay off teachers, social workers, librarians, and guidance counselors, increase class sizes, and shutter programs to buy new stuff. Works for eve... more »
Art Transforms “Failing” School in Roxbury MA – @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 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 - 11 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 - 11 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 - 11 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 - 11 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 - 11 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 - 11 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 - 11 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 »
UPDATE: Science and Education Seattle Schools Community Forum: Board Meeting Reveals Chaos
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Board Meeting Reveals Chaos: Science and Education by Melissa Westbrook I ran across some items about science and public education and wanted to share them. An article from the NY Times caught my eye about ADHD and sleep. * For some people — especially children — sleep deprivation does not necessarily cause lethargy; instead they become hyperactive and unfocused. Researchers and reporters are increasingly seeing connections between dysfunctional sleep and what looks like A.D.H.D., but those links are taking a long time to be understood by parents ... more »
UPDATE: Daily Kos: "Fix the Debt" CEOs Enjoy Taxpayer-Subsidized Pay
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Daily Kos: "Fix the Debt" CEOs Enjoy Taxpayer-Subsidized Pay: What if your subway ride was like this? by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Popout A Flash mob from the Copenhagen Philharmonic "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 Simp... more »
APS cheating scandal: Did they do it for the money? Or the... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com
mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 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 - 15 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 - 21 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 - 21 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 - 22 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 - 23 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 - 23 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 day 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 day 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 - 1 day 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 »
