Latest News and Comment from Education

Friday, June 21, 2013

On the scene for the last day of Germantown High School's life (1914-2013) | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

On the scene for the last day of Germantown High School's life (1914-2013) | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

On the scene for the last day of Germantown High School's life (1914-2013)

by thenotebook on Jun 21 2013 Posted in Latest news
Photo: Bas Slabbers/NewsWorks
Many teachers donned "GTown '13" T-shirts; it was a way to show pride in the staff, students, leadership and the community.
by Aaron Moselle and Brian Hickey for NewsWorks
Jenia Jolley stood on the shoulder of East High Street and snapped a second photo of Germantown High School.
The first was taken earlier in the morning with her husband, Terrence Furtick, inside the gym of their soon-to-be-closed alma mater.
It's where the couple first met.
"I was in 10th [grade] and he was graduating," said Jolley Friday, the final day of classes at GHS.
The tender moment was as much about rekindling the past as it was about preserving it for the future.
Standing steps away from Jolley was her young daughter. She and Furtick brought her along for a brief family history lesson they hope will stay with her for years to come.
"It's sad that they're closing, but at least she's old enough to see where we started," said Jolley before heading off to work.
Germantown High is one of 23 schools and seven high schools closing due to the Philadelphia School District's budget cuts this year.
A number of GHS underclassmen trickled in and out of the 99-year-old building Friday morning for final goodbyes of their own. 

Read the rest of this story at NewsWorks

LAUSD: THE WAR ON ART OR THE ART OF WAR ON PUBLIC EDUCATION? - Perdaily.com

LAUSD: THE WAR ON ART OR THE ART OF WAR ON PUBLIC EDUCATION? - Perdaily.com:

LAUSD: THE WAR ON ART OR THE ART OF WAR ON PUBLIC EDUCATION?

The Art of War.jpg
(Mensaje se repite en Español)

Recently, I received the following query as to why I thought with the passage of Proposition 30, art programs have not been restored. Let me know if you agree or disagree with my answer and analysis of this question. 

 "Lenny, do you think that the Arts have a legal remedy, since they have been picked on to a far greater extent, and Arts programs are not being restored.  The new funding was supposed to restore programs, but the board did not use the money for this. Arts programs are still cut. Any suggestions?  Thanks." 

Two possible answers:

1. Arts are not core academic subjects like English, Math, Social Studies, and Science 

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-21-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2


James Baldwin said it best: 

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


A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP



Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Letters to the Sun-Times

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Letters to the Sun-Times: Letters to the Sun-Times by Mike Klonsky Steven L. Kispetik, Portage Park *CPS closings devastating for my son * *Thank you so very much, Chicago Public Schools, for erasing all the progress my son has made with his behavioral/emotional disorders while at Near North Special Education School, which will be closed next week. The anxiety of the closing has caused him to revert to several of his old destructive and disobedient ways.** **Prior to the announcement of the school closing, he was doing the best he has ever done, with ... more »

Board Members Ask Deasy To Explain Himself - LA School Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago
Board Members Ask Deasy To Explain Himself - LA School Report: Board Members Ask Deasy To Explain Himself from LA School Report by Hillel Aron [image: John Deasy, left, Bennett Kayser, right, at a Jerry Brown-led press conference in May] John Deasy, left, Bennett Kayser, right, at a press conference in May Some members of the School Board have sent Superintendent John Deasy a letter asking him to clarify comments deriding a Board-passed spending resolution and indicating his plans to include a targeted funding resolution that was not passed by the Board. “They can’t stop me from doing... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-21-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 40 minutes ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Today is the Day! 5 Million Page Views on This Blog by dianerav Today, the blog recorded 5 million page views! The blog started April 24, 2012. That’s about 14 months ago. Wow. As you know, the blog has no advertisements, no funding, and no staff. Just me. I plan to keep it that way. Thank you for making the blog a place where everyone who cares about improving education, defending childhood, respecting the dignity of the education profession, and supporting public education has a safe place to converse. Thank y... more »

Attracting the Best and Brightest to Teaching

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Attracting the Best and Brightest to Teaching: Attracting the Best and Brightest to Teaching by Richard Long Quick: List the most important jobs in America. Odds are “teacher” made that list. According to a Harris Interactive Poll, teachers ranked among the five most prestigious jobs in America. That is why Lee Iacocca, former president and CEO of Chrysler said, “In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest ... more »

NYC Educator: Ms. Tisch and the Brilliant Innovation

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
NYC Educator: Ms. Tisch and the Brilliant Innovation: Ms. Tisch and the Brilliant Innovation by NYC Educator Thank goodness we have Meryl Tisch making policy for us. In the old days, we would have students taking Regents exams, and kids would give the exams to their teachers. Then, the teachers would grade them. This was a terrible system. First of all, no technology was involved. Secondly, no corporations made money from this. And worst of all, every single teacher in the world is a lying, worthless, conniving. self-serving fraud who cares about nothing but appearance. Because of ... more »

National PTA installing first African American male president

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
National PTA installing first African American male president: National PTA installing first African American male president By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 21, 2013 at 1:10 pmE-mail the writer [image: Otha Thornton (PTA)] Otha Thornton (PTA) The National PTA is installing its first African American male and a veteran of the Iraq war as its president this weekend. Otha Thornton, a senior operations analyst with General Dynamics in Fort Stewart, Ga., and a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, will become the leader of the National Parent Teacher Association after years of being in... more »

The ‘neovoucher strategy’ (and why it didn’t work in New Hampshire)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
The ‘neovoucher strategy’ (and why it didn’t work in New Hampshire): The ‘neovoucher strategy’ (and why it didn’t work in New Hampshire) By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 21, 2013 at 12:15 pmE-mail the writer [image: tax]“Neovouchers” is the term that Kevin Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, has given to private school tax credit programs. Earlier this week, a judge in New Hampshire ruled that the part of tax-credit program that allows public money to be used for religious school education violates the... more »

Teachers' union ad rips Corbett for building prison amid schools crisis | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Teachers' union ad rips Corbett for building prison amid schools crisis | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Teachers' union ad rips Corbett for building prison amid schools crisis by thenotebook Popout *by Sonia Giebel* Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has been airing a radio ad criticizing Gov. Corbett and his fellow politicians for building a $400 million prison – complete with air-conditioned cells, classrooms, and a librarian – at a time when Philadelphia's schools are being cut to the bone. read more

UPDATE Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Juneteenth Mayoral Forum and talk of Seattle Schools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Juneteenth Mayoral Forum and talk of Seattle Schools: Start Time Petition by Charlie Mas There are lots and lots of great reasons for Seattle Public Schools to swap around the start times for school so that elementary school starts earlier and middle and high school starts later. A group called Start School Later Seattle has is looking for a resounding show of support for moving secondary schools to a later start time. They have created a petition. You can express your support for the effort by signing the petition at*: * http://petitions.m... more »

NAESP's 92nd Annual Convention & Exposition 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
NAESP's 92nd Annual Convention & Exposition 2013: L HOME > This summer, join some of the smartest thinkers in elementary school education and stay ahead of the dynamic changes taking place at the national level. With more than 100 sessions to choose from, this is where you’ll find engaging speakers and like-minded colleagues eager to share solutions on areas such as: - Teacher recruitment and retention - Integration of the new Common Core Standards - Leading school change and improving student learning - Running the best possible building – from the cafeteria to the park... more »

When Students Own the "Why" — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
When Students Own the "Why" — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg] When Students Own the “Why” June 21, 2013 by Klea Scharberg This clip presents several ways teachers have structured learning around big ideas and conceptual patterns so that students can connect to a compelling "why," or reason for doing something. Students design the criteria for assignments and take roles and responsibilities within each assignment to see it to its completion. Students or teachers can identify a real-world problem to work on, and technology can provide new avenues for... more »

Common Core, common politics: Can someone throw a bucket of... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Common Core, common politics: Can someone throw a bucket of... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Get Schooled: Common Core, common politics: Can someone throw a bucket of water on Cobb board? View Larger [image: Georgia math standards align fully with Common Core] Georgia math standards align fully with Common Core Previous Posts - Federal guidelines on school safety: Don't arm educators June 20, 2013 - Now Gingrey wants schools to teach kids how to be gender appropriate? June 19, 2013 - School sacks 12-year-old girl's football dream. Bad call? June 19, 2013 By Ma... more »

Thinking About Schools: Graduation Gift - An Insurance Policy

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Thinking About Schools: Graduation Gift - An Insurance Policy: Graduation Gift - An Insurance Policy They say – you know – the infamous “they” say that most people won’t remember a graduation speech a few days or weeks after hearing it. “Sorry” (to the speakers behind me on the stage). As for me, that is perfectly ok if you don’t remember this speech because I expect there will be a time when you will in the future. You see, in about ten or twenty years, when you are filming a compelling but controversial documentary – arguing a case in front of the Supreme Court – saving a li... more »

6-21-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] Good friend “Teacher Nicole” from WI explains common in #commoncore by Chalk Face, PhD Here’s her post on CCSS, as an actual educator for ELL/ESL students. We’ve interviewed her on At the Chalk Face, I need to dig those up. Look back here later. She’s great. education activists gather, talk, strategize: reclaim the conversation by Barbara Madeloni On May 4, 2013 a group of educators, parents, students, and community activists gathered at Barnard College to share their experiences within the assault on public education, draw c... more »

Teach for America: What do you mean were not exceptional?! Public Education Justice Alliance of Minnesota(PEJAM)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Public Education Justice Alliance of Minnesota(PEJAM): Teach for America: What do you mean were not exceptional?!: Teach for America: What do you mean were not exceptional?! *What do You Mean We are Not Exceptional?* June 14, 2013 was a dark day for Teach for America-Twin Cities and its neo-liberal backers. It marked the second time in three weeks in Minnesota that TFA was rejected after having demanded that it be treated as the exceptional organization it pretends to be. This photo includes some of Minnesota's most active corporate education reformers and was taken by Beth Hawki... more »

UPDATE FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, June 21, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Fensterwald: Duncan grants relief to some schools facing two sets of standardized tests next year* Education Headlines *Friday, June 21, 2013* Upland school district, employees to discuss health plan cutsNegotiations will continue Thursday between the Upland Unified School District and its classified employees, who are protesting proposed increases to their health care contributions. Lodi Unified School District denies conflict of interestA consulting firm that employs the spouse of Lodi Unified School District’s top business ... more »

Update: Moales Empire Collapsing, foreclosure to take his state funded childcare sites, churches and apparently his residence. - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Update: Moales Empire Collapsing, foreclosure to take his state funded childcare sites, churches and apparently his residence. - Wait, What?: Right on schedule: Pryor waives certification requirement for Vallas by jonpelto *The story of arrogance, entitlement and deceit continues to play out here in Connecticut.* First Governor Malloy and his administration tried to illegally take over the Bridgeport School System. Although Connecticut’s Supreme Court ruled the action was illegal and ordered the state to return control of Bridgeport Schools back to the people of Bridgeport, Malloy’... more »

We Party Patriots » Poverty, Once Relegated to Cities, Now Plaguing Suburban U.S.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
We Party Patriots » Poverty, Once Relegated to Cities, Now Plaguing Suburban U.S.: Poverty, Once Relegated to Cities, Now Plaguing Suburban U.S. by Chaz Bolte [image: Pittsburgh, PA]Pittsburgh, PA In post-World War II America, the sprawling suburbs made possible by full employment, good wages, and an abundance of automobiles were a symbol of prosperity. Large supermarkets, shopping malls and public parks were a sign of American success that few foresaw fading. But now, as the economy struggles to return to pre-recession standards, the suburbs are becoming poorer. In their recent... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The new 'CPS Way' smells like the old 'CPS Way'

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The new 'CPS Way' smells like the old 'CPS Way': The new 'CPS Way' smells like the old 'CPS Way' Last week, as she was closing dozens of neighborhood schools and slashing school budgets at the rest, *Byrd-Bennett* rolled out the new-and-improved CPS 5-year plan and a new mantra, now called The *CPS Way. *It comes neatly packaged, complete with slick brochures and videos. But a little scratch-and-sniff reveals that the new "CPS Way" is the old *CPS Way*. Quick, call in the IG to clean up this mess and get Liar-In-Chief *Becky Carroll *for damage cont... more »

A Declaration To Reset The Education Debate

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
A Declaration To Reset The Education Debate: A Declaration To Reset The Education Debate by Isaiah J. Poole You may have seen stories about the poor quality of Washington, D.C.’s public schools. You probably have also heard about how Michelle Rhee was brought from near-obscurity to take over the city’s schools, overnight becoming a national symbol of dramatic education “reform.” What you may not have heard is that after years of high-stakes testing and mass teacher firings along with school closings and reorganizations by Rhee and her successor and protĂ©gĂ©, Kaya Henderson, many D.C.... more »

UPDATE: Special Needs students at shuttered Trumbull file federal law suit against CPS. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Special Needs students at shuttered Trumbull file federal law suit against CPS. | Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. Rahm’s new board member. by Fred Klonsky [image: rich white person] Click on image to enlarge. The retirement gamble and HB3303. by Fred Klonsky Waiting in the wings while Madigan and Cullerton figure out if they can make a deal on their versions of pension reform are a group of Republican legislators who want to turn our defined benefit pension into a Vegas-style gamble with 401(k)s and 402(b)s and defined contributions. Glen wrote about it: *Don’t be fooled by some... more »

Shanker Blog » What Some Call Delay Is At Times Just Good Policy Making

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Shanker Blog » What Some Call Delay Is At Times Just Good Policy Making: What Some Call Delay Is At Times Just Good Policy Making by Matthew Di Carlo U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently announced that states will be given the option to postpone using the results of their new teacher evaluations for high-stakes decisions during the phase-in of the new Common Core-aligned assessments. The reaction from some advocates was swift condemnation – calling the decision little more than a “delay” and a “victory for the status quo.” We hear these kinds of arguments frequently in ... more »

Live from Netroots Nation: Building a Movement to Prevent Gun Violence | Lily's Blackboard

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Live from Netroots Nation: Building a Movement to Prevent Gun Violence | Lily's Blackboard: Live from Netroots Nation: Building a Movement to Prevent Gun Violence by LilysBlackboard [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] Join NEA´s vice president, Lily Eskelsen GarcĂ­a as she addresses issues of safety in our schools as part of the national debate around gun violence, and the politics of gun control. Watch the Livestream live here at 12PM Eastern Time. freespeechtv on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

Daily Kos: NCTQ Fails US, World

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Daily Kos: NCTQ Fails US, World: NCTQ Fails US, World byplthomasEdDFollow - Some things are simply too complicated for public public consumption. Rankings are one such example. By their nature, rankings often send messages that are deeply distorted, but we persist in creating rankings where none are justified. Education has a long and ugly relationship with rankings, making a mess even messier (if that is possible). Two aspects of the perpetual education debate are worth noting for their complexity: (1) The eternal claim that schools need to be reformed (see Deleuze),... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-21-13 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] NCTQ Report: Time for a Class Action Lawsuit? by dianerav A reader in Wisconsin is outraged. I can’t blame her. Should anyone with a degree be allowed to teach? Is professional education worthless? Scott Walker thinks so. So will others who read the NCTQ report, which graded teacher education with an F without bothering to visit any of the institutions it graded so harshly. This parent writes: Dear Diane, My suggestion is far beyond my ability to assess; here’s my... more »

After passage of school finance plan, focus shifts to implementation | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
After passage of school finance plan, focus shifts to implementation | EdSource Today: After passage of school finance plan, focus shifts to implementation - by Louis Freedberg by Louis Freedberg Less than a week after the state Legislature approved a sweeping school finance reform plan that will funnel additional funds to low-income students and English learners, the state’s finance chief says school districts will have to spend the extra funds in a way “that shows improved outcomes” among their students. Ana Matosantos, the director of the Department of Finance, was speaking dur... more »

iPads in Los Angeles and TCO | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
iPads in Los Angeles and TCO | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: iPads in Los Angeles and TCO by larrycuban One of the downsides of raising questions about the classroom effectiveness of new technologies is when a school district buys tablets and laptops, journalists call to ask for my view of the purchases. That happened yesterday when the Board of Education for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)–the second largest school system in the nation–approved a $30 million contract with Apple Inc. to buy iPads for every student in 47 schools in the first pha... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 6-20-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE* * * *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* Education Hostage Crisis by teachbad A recent report by one of my favorite local NPR-affiliate reporters, Kavitha Cardoza, made me want to scream. She was reporting on a report about suspension and expulsion rates in Washington DC traditional and public charter school. The gist of it is that 1) students in poor neighborhoods get suspended and expelled more than students in wealthier neighborhoods; and 2) charter schools suspend and expel students at a higher rate than traditional public schools. Other sni... more »

Student Loan Proposal Would Avert Deadline, But Raise Borrowing Costs, Boosting Government Profit

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Student Loan Proposal Would Avert Deadline, But Raise Borrowing Costs, Boosting Government Profit: Student Loan Proposal Would Avert Deadline, But Raise Borrowing Costs, Boosting Government Profit by Joy Resmovits [image: student loan deadline] WASHINGTON -- Student borrowers and their families would pay more to finance college under a proposal pushed by a bipartisan group of senators, increasing the federal government’s profits despite warnings over record student debt levels. The proposal comes as the federal government has been recording mounting profit off the backs of ... more »

Invisibility and People Of Color in Education Reform - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Invisibility and People Of Color in Education Reform - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson: Invisibility and People Of Color in Education Reform by Jose Vilson [image: Mad, The Invisible Man] Mad, The Invisible Man Whenever people ask me where I stand on education reform, I ask them where I should start. Obviously, issues of equity and access rank at the top of my list of ideas I love to emphasize, but I can also get into curriculum and teacher quality if / when we need to have that debate. I don’t always agree with some of my colleagues on things, but we generally agree that schools... more »

Daily Kos: My style and philosophy of teaching

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Daily Kos: My style and philosophy of teaching: My style and philosophy of teaching by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) I have been going through the accumulations of 18 years of teaching and 67 years of life, purging what can be discarded and occasionally discovering things that I had forgotten. I still had all my papers, notes, tests, etc. as back as taking AP US Government 50 years ago. I encountered a paper written at the conclusion of my Methods of Teaching course, written in December of 1994, just before I began my student teaching. I reread it and realized that much of what I... more »

Badass Teachers Association Shows a New Spirit of Defiance - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Badass Teachers Association Shows a New Spirit of Defiance - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Badass Teachers Association Shows a New Spirit of Defiance by Anthony Cody Some teachers finally seem to have had enough, and they are letting the world know it. A closed group on Facebook called the Badass Teachers Association has added more than a thousand members a day since its launch less than a week ago, rapidly approaching the 7000 mark, showing no sign of letting up. Mark Naison, a professor of African American studies at Fordham University in New York, founded the grou... more »

Moales Empire Collapsing, Moales’ state funded childcare sites being foreclosed on - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Moales Empire Collapsing, Moales’ state funded childcare sites being foreclosed on - Wait, What?: Moales Empire Collapsing, Moales’ state funded childcare sites being foreclosed on by jonpelto Reverend Kenneth Moales Jr., the bullying, flamboyant chairman of the Bridgeport Board of Education and former campaign treasurer for Mayor Bill Finch, is finally facing the music as he and his church are being served with foreclosure papers on all of his church’s properties, including the buildings that house the taxpayer-funded day-care centers owned and operated by his mother and sister.... more »

Arne Duncan Expected To Tap Emma Vadehra As New Chief Of Staff

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Arne Duncan Expected To Tap Emma Vadehra As New Chief Of Staff: Arne Duncan Expected To Tap Emma Vadehra As New Chief Of Staff by Joy Resmovits [image: arne duncan emma vadehra] U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will likely soon tap a new chief of staff, sources say. Sources close to the administration, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, told The Huffington Post that Joanne Weiss, Duncan's longtime right-hand woman, will depart the U.S. Education Department this summer, likely in July. She is expected to be replaced by Emma Vadehra, w... more »

Loan companies charge students for services available for free - The Denver Post

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Loan companies charge students for services available for free - The Denver Post: Loan companies charge students for services available for free POSTED: 06/20/2013 08:12:45 AM MDT UPDATED: 06/20/2013 11:36:32 AM MDT ByJohn Hechinger, Bloomberg News In this Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 file picture, students attend graduation ceremonies at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) (Butch Dill) BOSTON — Polly Williams, a single mother who had recently lost her job, was desperate to lower the payments on her $23,000 in student loans. So last June, she called one ... more »

Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 6-20-13 #soschat #edreform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
*SPECIAL **Mid Day Banana Break* Student Engagement—Essential for Success in School—Is More Complex, Changeable Than Previously Thought by Jonathan Kantrowitz *“Enhancing student engagement has been identified as the key to addressing problems of low achievement, high levels of student misbehavior, alienation, and high dropout rates.” – Pitt professor Ming-Te Wang* A student who shows up on time for school and listens respectfully in class might appear fully engaged to outside observers, including teachers. But other measures of student engagement, including the student’s emotiona... more »

New Federal Registry for Educational Excellence (FREE) Site Features Open Data and Mobile-Friendly Design | ED.gov Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
New Federal Registry for Educational Excellence (FREE) Site Features Open Data and Mobile-Friendly Design | ED.gov Blog: New Federal Registry for Educational Excellence (FREE) Site Features Open Data and Mobile-Friendly Design Posted on June 20, 2013 by Jill James [image: FREE] Visit the new Federal Registry for Educational Excellence (FREE) Homepage! We are excited to announce that a beta version of FREE’s new website will launch tonight! The new version of the Federal Registry for Educational Excellence (FREE) is powered by the Learning Registry, an open database for sharing digital... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-20-13Diane 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: Did You Ever Expect to Hear Eloquence at a School Board Meeting? by dianerav Steve Zimmer, the school board member who beat back a multi-million dollar campaign to defeat him just a few months ago, spoke to his fellow members of the Los Angeles school board at their meeting yesterday. He talked about the importance of class size. He demolished the claim that teachers want to reduce class size Parent to LAUSD School Board: Please Protect Us with Fairness by dianerav This is testimony delivered by a parent to the Lo... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's great longer-school-day hoax. Charging students $500 for extra classes.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's great longer-school-day hoax. Charging students $500 for extra classes.: Rahm's great longer-school-day hoax. Charging students $500 for extra classes. by Mike Klonsky (Fred Klonsky toon)The hoax began with a mega-political campaign which tried unsuccessfully to convince CPS parents and teachers that the magic bullet in school reform was more seat time for students. When hardly any schools bought into this bogus, baseless notion, the mayor imposed his will on schools, as usual, from the top down. It was Karen Lewis and the CTU who, without oppo... more »

Roger Dickinson California State Senate, District 6

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Roger Dickinson, California State Senate: MEET ROGER Assemblymember Roger Dickinson represents the 7th Assembly District, centered in the city of Sacramento and the surrounding areas. Roger has been a dedicated public servant for over four decades, representing California as a consumer protection advocate, educator and Supervisor. A strong advocate for youth, the environment and job creation, Roger has been at the forefront of reform in California. He believes in working together to create lasting solutions. With a history of bipartisan corporation, he won't sacrifice his pri... more »