Top Posts This Week 4/27/19 #REDFORED #CTA

Big Education Ape

Top Posts This Week 4/27/19 

Former teacher's powerful resignation letter goes viral

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Easter Edition (4/21)

Capitalism Is in Crisis, and Billionaires Know It | Diane Ravitch's blog

Recommendations to reform California's charter school law

Hostile, Divisive Political Climate Ensnaring U.S. Schools - NEA Today

CURMUDGUCATION: KY: DeVos, Bevin, Loving Vouchers, Hating Teachers

California Facing Teacher Shortage | Capital & Main

An ADHD Medical Device Again Raises Questions about Classroom Rigor and the Lack of Recess

Who Should Pay for Public Education? | Teacher in a strange land

Virginia's Rodney Robinson Named 2019 National Teacher of the Year

Top Posts This Month 4/27/19 

Breaking News: Donald Trump fired Betsy DeVos this morning on Twitter | Cloaking Inequity

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

JEFF BRYANT: How charter schools are scamming the US government

CURMUDGUCATION: What Did We Learn From DeVos Hearings This Week?

Why I was Shaking My Head at Betsy DeVos - Living in Dialogue

Sacramento City Teachers to Strike April 11 - California Educator

Hostile, Divisive Political Climate Ensnaring U.S. Schools - NEA Today

CURMUDGUCATION: KY: DeVos, Bevin, Loving Vouchers, Hating Teachers

CURMUDGUCATION: Why Do Teachers Have Such Lousy Parental Leave?

CURMUDGUCATION: Melinda Gates Achieves Peak Epic Cluelessness

Posts This Week 4/27/19 

How is School Choice “Freedom” When Students Lose School Libraries and Librarians?

by Mike Simpson / 32min

How is School Choice “Freedom” When Students Lose School Libraries and Librarians? How is School Choice “Freedom” When Students Lose School Libraries and Librarians? Libraries allow children to ask questions about the world and find the answers. And the wonderful thing is that once a child learns to use a library, the doors to learning are always open. ~Laura Bush What choice and charter advocate

It's not just Michigan: Betsy DeVos and the Koch brothers have immiserated teachers across the entire USA | Eclectablog

by Mike Simpson / 47min

It's not just Michigan: Betsy DeVos and the Koch brothers have immiserated teachers across the entire USA | Eclectablog It’s not just Michigan: Betsy DeVos and the Koch brothers have immiserated teachers across the entire USA A couple of weeks ago, I published an essay titled Betsy DeVos and the Koch brothers must be so proud: Michigan teacher salaries down 16% from 2009 . The title is pretty sel

Students Can't Learn When They're Not Healthy. Here's What Schools Can Do to Help | Schott Foundation for Public Education

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Students Can't Learn When They're Not Healthy. Here's What Schools Can Do to Help | Schott Foundation for Public Education Students Can't Learn When They're Not Healthy. Here's What Schools Can Do to Help The Schott Foundation for Public Education shed further light on the connection between cross-sector supports and educational outcomes in its Loving Cities Index released last year. Schott resea

THIS WEEK Education Research Report

by Mike Simpson / 2h

Education Research Report THIS WEEK Education Research Report State pre-K provision for 3-year-olds lags far behind by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 1d April 26, 2019 Infants and toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary-aged children encompass the field of early childhood education, giving the impression that all children from birth through age 8, fit neatly into one of three categories. But state po

This Week With Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007

by Mike Simpson / 2h

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Just Sent-Out Free Monthly Email Newsletter by Larry Ferlazzo / 56min geralt / Pixabay I’ve just mailed out the April issue of my very simple free monthly email newsletter . It has over 3,000 subscribers, and

KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG | A site to discuss better education for all

by Mike Simpson / 2h

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all Teachers! Please Help Tim Slekar with His Research into the Reasons for the Teacher Shortage! by dianeravitch / 38min Tim Slekar, dean of Edgewood College in Wisconsin and consummate education activist, is writing a book about the teacher shortage and he needs your hel

CURMUDGUCATION: Charter Lessons From Democracy Prep

by Mike Simpson / 2h

CURMUDGUCATION: Charter Lessons From Democracy Prep Charter Lessons From Democracy Prep I was as unimpressed as anyone when education privatization fan Campbell Brown launched the 74 site as a platform for the same old "Charters schools rule, public schools drool" song and dance. But since that launch, and particularly since Brown stepped away from the site, the straight journalism side of the op

Making Schools Business-Like: Google in Classrooms (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 2h

Making Schools Business-Like: Google in Classrooms (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice Making Schools Business-Like: Google in Classrooms (Part 2) Listen to Joanna Petrone, Longfellow Middle School English teacher in Berkeley (CA), describe her use of Google. On a typical day, students start class with a warm-up activity posted on Google Classroom. After we go over thei

'Brown' 65 Years Later: 'We Cannot Walk Away From That Commitment'

by Mike Simpson / 2h

'Brown' 65 Years Later: 'We Cannot Walk Away From That Commitment' ‘Brown’ 65 Years Later: ‘We Cannot Walk Away From That Commitment’ On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court announced its decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education . “Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal,” the Court ruled unanimously, declaring that schools and other institutions violated the equal-protection

Choosing Democracy: The Schools are Underfunded

by Mike Simpson / 3h

Choosing Democracy: The Schools are Underfunded Choosing Democracy: The Schools are Underfunded As you consider the Sacramento City Unified Budget Crisis: Consider the Source. It is the state budget. Tell the legislature. During that semester I taught six separate classes and was responsible for more than 250 students. Despite the pretense that real instruction was taking place, teachers like me

YESTERDAY

The "X"odus Files | BustED Pencils

by Mike Simpson / 21h

The "X"odus Files | BustED Pencils The “X”odus Files It’s time for the teacher shortage myth to be exposed. In the coming weeks you will hear directly from real teachers about the conditions in our nations’ schools and the ridiculous policies that are responsible for a mass exodus—not shortage—of passionate professionals from their classrooms. Since the release of A Nation at Risk in 1983, public

TN Voucher Legislation: Bill Details and Public Reaction | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 21h

TN Voucher Legislation: Bill Details and Public Reaction | deutsch29 TN Voucher Legislation: Bill Details and Public Reaction On April 25, 2019, the Tennessee senate passed an amended version of the school voucher bill that the Tennessee house had passed a day eariler. I could find no article that linked to the actual school voucher legislation passed in the Tennessee house or senate, nor any men

Who Should Pay for Public Education? | Teacher in a strange land

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Who Should Pay for Public Education? | Teacher in a strange land Who Should Pay for Public Education? Short answer: The public. Short rationale: Public education is a public good. When it’s funded by taxes, and oversight is provided via elected boards, there is, at least nominally, a backstop against corruption and egregious inequity, and there is a public mechanism for expressing dissatisfaction

Dana Goldstein: San Francisco Had an Ambitious Plan to Tackle School Segregation. It Made It Worse. - The New York Times

by Mike Simpson / 1d

San Francisco Had an Ambitious Plan to Tackle School Segregation. It Made It Worse. - The New York Times San Francisco Had an Ambitious Plan to Tackle School Segregation. It Made It Worse. SAN FRANCISCO — Like many parents in San Francisco, Melvin Canas and Delfina Ramirez described applying to public kindergarten as a part-time job. They researched schools all over the city for their daughter, C

Oakland: A Must-Read Lexicon of Charter Frauds | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Oakland: A Must-Read Lexicon of Charter Frauds | Diane Ravitch's blog Oakland: A Must-Read Lexicon of Charter Frauds Jane Nylund, a parent activist in Oakland, wrote this incisive overview of charter frauds in her district and submitted it to the Task Force reviewing the California charter law. Please copy and forward to the Task Force at: chartertaskforce@cde.ca.gov She writes: For fifteen years

CURMUDGUCATION: Another Free Market Lesson

by Mike Simpson / 1d

CURMUDGUCATION: Another Free Market Lesson Another Free Market Lesson Even as Florida continues its race to become the first state to completely do away with public education and replace it with a free market free for all, lessons abound in why that's a lousy idea. This frickin ' guy. At Tarbell, Simon Davis-Cohen takes us on a trip to I owa where an ALEC governor privatized Medicaid. Former gove

Let Us March On 'Til Victory Is Won | The Jose Vilson

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Let Us March On 'Til Victory Is Won | The Jose Vilson LET US MARCH ON ‘TIL VICTORY IS WON Even on concrete, my shoes manage to screech at me when I’m chasing down a crosstown bus at 6:45 in the morning. My robust frame belies my uncanny ability to accelerate as the neon green sign flashes from a block away. Upon entering the bus, I’m met with less eyerolls like someone who’s holding up the bus an

Considering School Closures as Philadelphia’s Empty Germantown High School Faces Sheriff’s Sale | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Considering School Closures as Philadelphia’s Empty Germantown High School Faces Sheriff’s Sale | janresseger Considering School Closures as Philadelphia’s Empty Germantown High School Faces Sheriff’s Sale In her profound and provocative book about the community impact of Chicago’s closure of 50 so-called “underutilized” public schools at the end of the 2013 school year, Eve Ewing considers the e

Mike Klonsky's Blog: Peter Cunningham's empty advice to Lori Lightfoot

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Mike Klonsky's Blog: Peter Cunningham's empty advice to Lori Lightfoot Peter Cunningham's empty advice to Lori Lightfoot Peter Cunningham should save his advice to Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot . In fact, after his miserable performance running Bill Daley's disastrous law-and-order campaign for mayor, one would think that he would show some contrition and either disappear for a while or maybe start

What’s the Goal of Education? | My Island View

by Mike Simpson / 1d

What’s the Goal of Education? | My Island View What’s the Goal of Education? As adults we generally learn about things that we need to learn about. Of course we also have an opportunity to learn about things we would like to learn about. We do not have anyone assigning us projects, or books or exams for which to prepare. The exception to that would be the job requirements in a job that we have ch

CURMUDGUCATION: Is AI A Game-Changer For Education (International Edition)?

by Mike Simpson / 1d

CURMUDGUCATION: Is AI A Game-Changer For Education (International Edition)? Is AI A Game-Changer For Education (International Edition)? Sometimes it's informative to see how some of this stuff is playing out in other settings. A post on Entrepreneur India makes the claim that " Artificial Intelligence Can be a Game-Changer for Education, Here are 5 Reasons Why " and its five arguments are, well,

APR 25

Have We Stolen A Generation's Independent Thought?

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Have We Stolen A Generation's Independent Thought? Have We Stolen A Generation's Independent Thought? “Kids these days,” the complaint begins. “They cannot think for themselves.” The complaint has come across my desk three times this week, voiced by someone in the higher education world complaining about the quality of student arriving in their ivy-covered halls. It’s worth noting that the observ

AnthonyCody: If you want to understand education "reform" read this book

by Mike Simpson / 1d

If you want to understand education "reform" read this book AnthonyCody: If you want to understand education "reform" read this book Diane Ravitch is a historian working in the now. She has an understanding of the history of our nation and education system that enables her to place current events in a schema that makes sense. Part of her relevance is that Diane Ravitch is more than a historian. S

Mitchell Robinson: Trump is Running the US Government Like a Charter School | Eclectablog

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Trump is Running the US Government Like a Charter School | Eclectablog Trump is Running the US Government Like a Charter School For those of us following the news, each new day brings a bevy of unbelievable and shocking stories… Reports of Russian election meddling! A national emergency (that’s not a national emergency)! Cabinet secretaries wreaking havoc on the environment, education, and human

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education - Public Policy Institute of California

by Mike Simpson / 1d

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education - Public Policy Institute of California PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education Summary Key findings from the current survey: Most Californians say charter schools are an important option for parents in low-income areas—but many express concern that charters divert funding from traditional public schools. More than half of residents acro

Making Schools Business-Like: The Longest School Reform in U.S. History? (Part 1) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Making Schools Business-Like: The Longest School Reform in U.S. History? (Part 1) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice Making Schools Business-Like: The Longest School Reform in U.S. History? (Part 1) If A Nation at Risk is one book-end of the longest school reform. the other book end has yet to be put in place. Business-influenced school reform continues into the second decade o

Los Angeles: The LA Times Prefers a School Board Member with Neither Experience Nor Knowledge | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Los Angeles: The LA Times Prefers a School Board Member with Neither Experience Nor Knowledge | Diane Ravitch's blog Los Angeles: The LA Times Prefers a School Board Member with Neither Experience Nor Knowledge The Los Angeles Times wrote an editorial endorsing Heather Repenning over Jackie Goldberg for the LAUSD seat in a special election. The editorial admitted that Jackie Goldberg has the expe

20 Years’ Education Reform: School Performance Improvements Fall Short | National Review

by Mike Simpson / 2d

20 Years’ Education Reform: School Performance Improvements Fall Short | National Review After 20 Years of Reform, Are America’s Schools Better Off? On the surface, statistics show significant improvement. But if you dig a bit deeper, the status quo begins to look a lot less desirable. T wenty years ago this spring, George W. Bush announced that he was forming an exploratory committee as a precur

Breaking: Charter moratorium voted out Senate Education Committee | Cloaking Inequity

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Breaking: Charter moratorium voted out Senate Education Committee | Cloaking Inequity BREAKING: CHARTER MORATORIUM VOTED OUT SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE In 2016, I first broke the news about the NAACP calling for a moratorium on charter schools in the post @NAACP calls for national moratorium on charters . The California legislature is begining to heed the civil rights organization’s call as the S

Eva Moskowitz Accused of Violating Student Rights, Wins $10 Million from DeVos, Will Receive an Honorary Degree from Tufts | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Eva Moskowitz Accused of Violating Student Rights, Wins $10 Million from DeVos, Will Receive an Honorary Degree from Tufts | Diane Ravitch's blog Eva Moskowitz Accused of Violating Student Rights, Wins $10 Million from DeVos, Will Receive an Honorary Degree from Tufts As Leonie Haimson explains in this post , it has been a busy few weeks for Eva Moskowitz, founder and CEO of NYC’s controversial S

Lack of Oversight of Federal Charter Schools Program Cheats Taxpayers, Students, Families, and Local Public Schools | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Lack of Oversight of Federal Charter Schools Program Cheats Taxpayers, Students, Families, and Local Public Schools | janresseger Lack of Oversight of Federal Charter Schools Program Cheats Taxpayers, Students, Families, and Local Public Schools The impact of federal investment in the Charter Schools Program has been in the news this month thanks to the Network for Public Education’s stunning new

Smoking gun: FL can’t insure armed teachers from liability | The Edvocate Blog

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Smoking gun: FL can’t insure armed teachers from liability | The Edvocate Blog Smoking gun: FL can’t insure armed teachers from liability With SB 7030/Arming Teachers passing in the Florida Senate as was predicted, the question raised by this blog about whether or not this is insurable remains. Did knowledgeable political insiders deliberately plunge an entire state into a horrific Sophie’s Choic

Badass Teachers Association Blog: Understanding the Need for and the Current Protections of Upstanders

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Badass Teachers Association Blog: Understanding the Need for and the Current Protections of Upstanders Understanding the Need for and the Current Protections of Upstanders If we are ever truly going to achieve the goal of eliminating workplace harassment and bullying from the American workplace, including the bullying of teachers and other K12 employees, there are a number of things that must be

Virginia's Rodney Robinson Named 2019 National Teacher of the Year

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Virginia's Rodney Robinson Named 2019 National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson Named 2019 National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson, a social studies teacher in Richmond, Virginia, was named the 2019 National Teacher of the Year on Wednesday by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) . Robinson, a 19-year veteran of Richmond Public Schools, teaches at Virgie Binford Education Ce

CURMUDGUCATION: Using Cultural Competency To Sell Personalized [sic] Learning

by Mike Simpson / 2d

CURMUDGUCATION: Using Cultural Competency To Sell Personalized [sic] Learning Using Cultural Competency To Sell Personalized [sic] Learning Over at EdTechTimes, a site that for a consulting group that clearly is interested in pushing personalized [sic] learning, I found a podcast by Mariel Cariker entitled " Cultural Competency: Finding Ways To Bring Equity Through Personalized Learning. " (It is

Revealing Podcast About Success Academy — Part IV | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Revealing Podcast About Success Academy — Part IV | Gary Rubinstein's Blog Revealing Podcast About Success Academy — Part IV Part four of Startup’s seven part podcast about Success Academy (found here ) is centered on the ‘Got To Go’ incident where a principal was found to have created a list of students he wanted to oust from his school. This episode explores whether or not the ‘Got To Go’ list

APR 24

UN recommends no screen time for babies, only 1 hour for kids under 5 | PBS NewsHour

by Mike Simpson / 2d

UN recommends no screen time for babies, only 1 hour for kids under 5 | PBS NewsHour UN recommends no screen time for babies, only 1 hour for kids under 5 LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization has issued its first-ever guidance for how much screen time children under 5 should get: not very much, and none at all for those under 1. The U.N. health agency said Wednesday that kids under 5 shoul

Editor's note: Don't get schooled • SN&R Extra

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Editor's note: Don't get schooled • SN&R Extra Editor’s note: Don’t get schooled In the buzz about the Sacramento railyards as the next game-changing development, it’s all about the state-of-the-art medical center, the new county courthouse and, especially, a sparkling soccer stadium. What isn’t talked about as much may also turn out to be crucial to its success—a school. Bill Mueller, executive

Why The Big Standardized Test Is Useless For Teachers

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Why The Big Standardized Test Is Useless For Teachers Why The Big Standardized Test Is Useless For Teachers In schools throughout the country, it is testing season--time for students to take the Big Standardized Test (the PARCC, SBA, or your state's alternative). This ritual first bloomed way back in the days of No Child Left Behind, but after all these years, teachers are mostly unexcited about

The Benefits and Necessity of Interdisciplinary Education - Teacher Habits

by Mike Simpson / 3d

The Benefits and Necessity of Interdisciplinary Education - Teacher Habits The Benefits and Necessity of Interdisciplinary Education By Dennis Wesley Why is interdisciplinary training important? Is it all relevant, let alone necessary, in the context of contemporary education, which is dominated by engineering, the applied sciences, and other disciplines typically associated with good job prospec

Ending Public Funds For Privately-Operated Charter Schools Verses Improving Persistently Deplorable Charter School Transparency and Accountability | Dissident Voice

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Ending Public Funds For Privately-Operated Charter Schools Verses Improving Persistently Deplorable Charter School Transparency and Accountability | Dissident Voice Ending Public Funds For Privately-Operated Charter Schools Verses Improving Persistently Deplorable Charter School Transparency and Accountability One of the ways that even those who skillfully expose and critique endless charter scho

Capitalism Is in Crisis, and Billionaires Know It | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Capitalism Is in Crisis, and Billionaires Know It | Diane Ravitch's blog Capitalism Is in Crisis, and Billionaires Know It This article in the Washington Post examines the alarming increase in inequality as a small number of billionaires take control of the economy and the future. The article does not mention the billionaires’ political efforts to gain control of state and local school boards so

High School Students Stand Up for Press Freedom and Public Education | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 3d

High School Students Stand Up for Press Freedom and Public Education | janresseger High School Students Stand Up for Press Freedom and Public Education A society’s public institutions reflect the strengths and also the faults and sins of the culture they embody. For this reason, America’s public schools that serve over 50 million children in every kind of community will never be perfect. There wi

Louisiana Educator: Louisiana Voucher Students Perform Worse Than Non-Voucher Peers

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Louisiana Educator: Louisiana Voucher Students Perform Worse Than Non-Voucher Peers Louisiana Voucher Students Perform Worse Than Non-Voucher Peers After 4 years of the Louisiana School Voucher Program, Voucher Students Continue to Perform Lower Than They Would Have if They Had Stayed in Their Public Schools The University of Arkansas has been studying the Louisiana Voucher Program, which is offi

glen brown: “More than a Million Teachers Don’t Have Social Security” by Cory Turner

by Mike Simpson / 3d

glen brown: “More than a Million Teachers Don’t Have Social Security” by Cory Turner “More than a Million Teachers Don’t Have Social Security” by Cory Turner “Teachers have staged protests in recent weeks in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Colorado and Arizona. Some are fighting lawmakers who want to scale back their pensions . It's no secret that many states have badly underfunded their teach

School Vouchers in Tennessee: Closer to Becoming an Inadequate Reality | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 3d

School Vouchers in Tennessee: Closer to Becoming an Inadequate Reality | deutsch29 School Vouchers in Tennessee: Closer to Becoming an Inadequate Reality On April 23, 2019, the Tennessee house voted to approve school vouchers (aka “education savings accounts”). The same day, the state senate finance committee had already passed a version of the voucher bill, with the senate finance committee’s ve

An ADHD Medical Device Again Raises Questions about Classroom Rigor and the Lack of Recess

by Mike Simpson / 3d

An ADHD Medical Device Again Raises Questions about Classroom Rigor and the Lack of Recess An ADHD Medical Device Again Raises Questions about Classroom Rigor and the Lack of Recess The American Psychiatric Association (APA) says that 5 percent of American children have ADHD. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) puts the number at more than double the APA’s number. The CDC say

APR 23

Bernie Sanders Has a Better Statement on Education than Before | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Bernie Sanders Has a Better Statement on Education than Before | Diane Ravitch's blog Bernie Sanders Has a Better Statement on Education than Before Bernie Sanders’ website has a better statement on the importance of investing public education and teachers than any other Democratic candidate so far: Today, more than 60 years after the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision ending legal seg

Things Didn’t Go Well When Betsy DeVos Was Confronted With Her Department’s Charter School Fraud

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Things Didn’t Go Well When Betsy DeVos Was Confronted With Her Department’s Charter School Fraud Things Didn’t Go Well When Betsy DeVos Was Confronted With Her Department’s Charter School Fraud One billion awarded by the federal government’s Charter Schools Program (CSP) went to charter schools that never opened or opened for only brief periods During a series of recent congressional hearings in

The Forgotten Disaster of America’s First Standardized Test | gadflyonthewallblog

by Mike Simpson / 3d

The Forgotten Disaster of America’s First Standardized Test | gadflyonthewallblog The Forgotten Disaster of America’s First Standardized Test “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana (1905) The merry-go-round of history continues to spin because the riders forget they are free to get off at any time. But we rarely do it. We keep to our seats and commit t

Badass Teachers Association Blog: Know your Rights – The Workplace Bullying You Face May Indeed be Unlawful Harassment

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Badass Teachers Association Blog: Know your Rights – The Workplace Bullying You Face May Indeed be Unlawful Harassment Know your Rights – The Workplace Bullying You Face May Indeed be Unlawful Harassment In the United States there is no law that protects targets against workplace bullying. While we have seen some state and local laws addressing workplace bullying (i.e. Tennessee and Virginia part

Yes, we know what great teaching looks like — but we have an education system that ‘utterly fails to support it.’ What’s wrong and how to fix it. - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Yes, we know what great teaching looks like — but we have an education system that ‘utterly fails to support it.’ What’s wrong and how to fix it. - The Washington Post Yes, we know what great teaching looks like — but we have an education system that ‘utterly fails to support it.’ What’s wrong and how to fix it. You could be forgiven if you have gotten the impression that we are still trying to f

Former teacher's powerful resignation letter goes viral

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Former teacher's powerful resignation letter goes viral Former teacher shares powerful resignation letter: ‘I won’t be in an abusive relationship with public education’ Elementary school teacher Sariah McCall was in her classroom every morning at 6:45 a.m., taught bell-to-bell classes, attended meetings during her planning period and worked assigned lunch and recess duties with little time to eat

Civil Rights Groups On Opposite Sides Of California Charter School Debate - capradio.org

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Civil Rights Groups On Opposite Sides Of California Charter School Debate - capradio.org Civil Rights Groups On Opposite Sides Of California Charter School Debate Two national civil rights organizations are at odds over a proposal in California to limit the number and increase oversight of charter schools. The National Action Network, an organization founded by Rev. Al Sharpton in the early 1990s

Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2018

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2018 Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2018 Title: Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2018 Description: A joint effort by the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in schools and colleges. This report presents data on crime at school from the perspectives of student

Federal Charter Schools Program Wasted Nearly $36 Million on Ohio Schools That Never Opened or Soon Closed | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Federal Charter Schools Program Wasted Nearly $36 Million on Ohio Schools That Never Opened or Soon Closed | janresseger Federal Charter Schools Program Wasted Nearly $36 Million on Ohio Schools That Never Opened or Soon Closed Several weeks ago the Network for Public Education (NPE) released Asleep at the Wheel , a major report on the lack of accountability and subsequent waste and fraud in the

Cartoons on the School Reform to Boost Student Self-Esteem | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Cartoons on the School Reform to Boost Student Self-Esteem | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice Cartoons on the School Reform to Boost Student Self-Esteem Beginning in the 1980s, a concerted effort by policymakers concerned about U.S. students performing low on international tests involved the idea of how students saw themselves. The thinking was that low self-esteem caused low t

NYC Public School Parents: Success charters and Eva Moskowitz continue to violate children's rights as the US Department of Education rewards them with another ten million dollars

by Mike Simpson / 4d

NYC Public School Parents: Success charters and Eva Moskowitz continue to violate children's rights as the US Department of Education rewards them with another ten million dollars Success charters and Eva Moskowitz continue to violate children's rights as the US Department of Education rewards them with another ten million dollars Today yet another lawsuit was filed against Success Academy charte

McPherson KS students join the rebellion vs Summit and depersonalized learning and win the right to opt out | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy

by Mike Simpson / 4d

McPherson KS students join the rebellion vs Summit and depersonalized learning and win the right to opt out | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy MCPHERSON KS STUDENTS JOIN THE REBELLION VS SUMMIT AND DEPERSONALIZED LEARNING AND WIN THE RIGHT TO OPT OUT Yesterday, in a NY Times front page story , the reporter Nellie Bowles explored the many problems experienced by Kansas students and parents whe

Mystery Machines or Master Teachers: Which Do You Prefer? | One Flew East

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Mystery Machines or Master Teachers: Which Do You Prefer? | One Flew East MYSTERY MACHINES OR MASTER TEACHERS: WHICH DO YOU PREFER? What’s optimal for education, the teacher as adjunct to the machine—or the other way around? Whatever the rest of us might decide, Silicon Valley has answered this question to its own satisfaction—one way for other people’s children, another for its own. While the ki

APR 22

Republican Teachers: Tell legislators to support public education | Live Long and Prosper

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Republican Teachers: Tell legislators to support public education | Live Long and Prosper Republican Teachers: Tell legislators to support public education Indiana’s Republican State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jennifer McCormick, was careful to speak in non-partisan terms when she visited Fort Wayne last week. She didn’t call out one specific party for its anti-public education legisla

Badass Teachers Association Blog: Cower and the World Cowers With You; Stand Up and You Stand Alone

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Badass Teachers Association Blog: Cower and the World Cowers With You; Stand Up and You Stand Alone Cower and the World Cowers With You; Stand Up and You Stand Alone The blog post you are about to read may be painful to digest, but carries some hard truths. Teachers in public schools have been under siege since the 19 83 President Reagan Report, “A Nation At Risk.” This report heralded in an era

Things Didn’t Go Well When Betsy DeVos Was Confronted With Her Department’s Charter School Fraud - LA Progressive

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Things Didn’t Go Well When Betsy DeVos Was Confronted With Her Department’s Charter School Fraud - LA Progressive Things Didn’t Go Well When Betsy DeVos Was Confronted With Her Department’s Charter School Fraud uring a series of recent congressional hearings in Washington, D.C., U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos had to respond to a recent report finding the U.S. Department of Education has

Recommendations to reform California's charter school law

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Recommendations to reform California's charter school law Panel faces tight deadline to recommend reforms of California’s charter school law Task force has until July 1 to come up with solutions Each Thursday a group of educators and representatives of labor unions meets — out of the public eye — for several hours at the California Department of Education building in Sacramento to take on arguabl

Some North Carolina Schools Cancel May 1 Classes as Teachers Set to Protest

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Some North Carolina Schools Cancel May 1 Classes as Teachers Set to Protest Some North Carolina Schools Cancel May 1 Classes as Teachers Set to Protest The four largest school districts in North Carolina canceled their May 1 classes because many of their teachers will be flocking to the state’s capital for a May Day protest. May 1, or May Day, was chosen as the International Workers Day by social

Later school bells, alternative testing: California lawmakers try again on quashed K-12 bills | CALmatters

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Later school bells, alternative testing: California lawmakers try again on quashed K-12 bills | CALmatters Later school bells, alternative testing: California lawmakers try again on quashed K-12 bills California hit the snooze button last year on legislation that would have let middle and high school students sleep in a little longer. The later—and, experts say, healthier—school start time would

Minus 5: How a Culture of Grades Degrades Learning | radical eyes for equity

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Minus 5: How a Culture of Grades Degrades Learning | radical eyes for equity Minus 5: How a Culture of Grades Degrades Learning About midway through my first 18 years in education as a high school English teacher, I had mostly de-graded and de-tested my courses except, of course, for having to comply with mandates such as midterm/final exams and course grades. At some point, my students and I beg

Schools Matter: Kansas Parents Take on Summit Learning

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Schools Matter: Kansas Parents Take on Summit Learning Kansas Parents Take on Summit Learning This is not about education. This is about plans to make education for-profit and to minimize overhead by gradually rendering human teachers -- and brick and mortar schools -- obsolete. --pjc (top comment at New York Times story) Summit Learning, which is a Silicon Valley business scheme to depersonalize

CURMUDGUCATION: Guest Post: The True Cost of College

by Mike Simpson / 5d

CURMUDGUCATION: Guest Post: The True Cost of College Guest Post: The True Cost of College I've known Beth Pfohl for years. She was a top student in my Honors English class, and years before that I cast her as Annie in our community theater production. When she was a senior, I installed her as editor of the yearbook. She's an exceptional human being. Beth is currently finishing up her college educ

Walton-Funded Reformers Stealing Union from Black Parents? | Cloaking Inequity

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Walton-Funded Reformers Stealing Union from Black Parents? | Cloaking Inequity Walton-Funded Reformers Stealing Union from Black Parents? I might be partially to blame for this one. Several years ago I was invited by the National Urban League to serve on a panel about education and school choice. The panelists included Steve Perry and Congresswoman Jahana Hayes. Watch the panel here . I stressed

Oregon Teachers Plan “Day of Action” for May 8th; Four Districts Already to Close That Day | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Oregon Teachers Plan “Day of Action” for May 8th; Four Districts Already to Close That Day | deutsch29 Oregon Teachers Plan “Day of Action” for May 8th; Four Districts Already to Close That Day On April 04, 2019, the Oregon Education Association (OEA) announced a “day of action” scheduled for May 08, 2019: Educators across the state are coming together to advocate for students and fully funding o

Revealing Podcast About Success Academy — Part Three | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Revealing Podcast About Success Academy — Part Three | Gary Rubinstein's Blog Revealing Podcast About Success Academy — Part Three So far, the first two episodes of StartUp’s podcast series about Success Academy has been completely one sided. Fortunately, that begins to change in episode 3 (which can be found here ). To education reformers, grade 3-8 state test scores are the proof that schools i

Progressive Breakfast | OurFuture.org by People's Action

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Progressive Breakfast | OurFuture.org by People's Action Progressive Breakfast Iowa Farmers Need A Green New Deal Nick Schutt I’m a third-generation farmer from Hardin County, Iowa, and here’s why I support the Green New Deal. Factory farms and corporate agribusiness are bad for our planet, bad for our climate, bad for farmers, bad for rural communities, bad for all of all of us! We need a Just T

Seattle Students: Apply today for the 2019 Black Education Matters Student Activist Award – I AM AN EDUCATOR

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Seattle Students: Apply today for the 2019 Black Education Matters Student Activist Award – I AM AN EDUCATOR Seattle Students: Apply today for the 2019 Black Education Matters Student Activist Award It’s time to nominate your favorite Seattle based anti-racist student activist for the Black Education Matters Student Activist Award (BEMSAA). Seattle Public School students (or advocates on their be

APR 21

Beutner is Planning to Terminate the HOMELESS UNIT: Teachers, Parents and Advocates - ACTION ALERT

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Beutner is Planning to Terminate the HOMELESS UNIT: Teachers, Parents and Advocates - ACTION ALERT Teachers, Parents and Advocates, These programs have helped OUR children. PSA Counselors walked with us during the strike, it's our turn to support them because OUR children need them. If we let Beutner terminate these programs he's going to keep destroying LAUSD little by little. PLEASE Email the B

Why the Tests Must Be Kept Secret - Teacher Habits

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Why the Tests Must Be Kept Secret - Teacher Habits Why the Tests Must Be Kept Secret I’ll be giving my third-graders the state test in another week, which means I had to read this year’s testing manual and something called an “Assessment Integrity Guide.” That’s the one that explains how vital it is that the contents of the tests are kept secret. It’s 44 pages of rules, justifications, warnings,

California Facing Teacher Shortage | Capital & Main

by Mike Simpson / 6d

California Facing Teacher Shortage | Capital & Main California Facing Teacher Shortage A new report reveals that last year the state came up short about 8,000 of the 24,000 fully credentialed teachers it needed. California remains in the depths of a qualified teacher shortage crisis, says EdSource , despite an uptick in the teacher preparation pipeline. April findings by the California Commission

Being part of a progressive community has never been more important than it is right now, right here | Eclectablog

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Being part of a progressive community has never been more important than it is right now, right here | Eclectablog Being part of a progressive community has never been more important than it is right now, right here This isn’t just a website. This is a community. Today is the last day of our 2nd Quarter fundraiser for 2019 here at Eclectablog. We try not to do this too often. The fact is, none of

How schools are using restorative justice to remedy racial disparities in discipline | Salon.com

by Mike Simpson / 6d

How schools are using restorative justice to remedy racial disparities in discipline | Salon.com How schools are using restorative justice to remedy racial disparities in discipline Too many schools today are pushing children into pipelines of incarceration and violence instead of liberation N amed a “New Civil Rights Leader of the 21st Century” by the Los Angeles Times and the founding director

Florida: The State That Welcomes Conflicts of Interest | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Florida: The State That Welcomes Conflicts of Interest | Diane Ravitch's blog Florida: The State That Welcomes Conflicts of Interest In most states and in the federal government, conflicts of interest are prohibited and even illegal. But not in Florida! State legislators regularly vote on legislation that enriches themselves and family members, and NO ONE CARES! Conflicts of interest are peachy k

Ed Notes Online: Susan Ohanian - Trump,Trump, Trump: The March of Folly

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Ed Notes Online: Susan Ohanian - Trump,Trump, Trump: The March of Folly Susan Ohanian - Trump,Trump, Trump: The March of Folly One of my favorite people is Susan Ohanian who has been one of the leaders of the movement critical of standardized testing forever -- she is one of the first people who influenced me. But Susan goes far beyond that in terms of advocating for rational education. She has a

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Easter Edition (4/21)

by Mike Simpson / 6d

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Easter Edition (4/21) ICYMI: Easter Edition (4/21) One of my favorite holidays is today, but whether you celebrate or not, here's some reading from the past week to feed your brain. Against Metrics: How measuring performance by numbers backfires . Not directly tied to education (though the subject comes up), this piece takes a look at the problems of people who think number

NYC Educator: Reformy Chalkbeat Pretends to Care About Union

by Mike Simpson / 6d

NYC Educator: Reformy Chalkbeat Pretends to Care About Union Reformy Chalkbeat Pretends to Care About Union Chalkbeat, in an effort to be "fair and balanced," ran a piece on whether unions help or hurt school s . I can't really say whether they do this out of sheer ignorance or a desire to appear less reformy thank they obviously are, but either way it's shallow misleading nonsense. Here are the

Transcending Terrible | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Transcending Terrible | deutsch29 Transcending Terrible April 20, 2019, marks the twentieth anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School. At the time, I was attending the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, one hour away from Columbine, working on my doctorate. On this twentieth anniversary of the Columbine High shootings, I am visiting Colorado. I have discussed with friends the

APR 20

Top Posts This Week 4/20/19 #REDFORED #CTA

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Top Posts This Week 4/20/19 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all CURMUDGUCATION: Melinda Gates Achieves Peak Epic Cluelessness Um, who are Melinda and Bill Gates trying to kid? - The