Top Posts This Week 5/25/19 #REDFORED #CTA

Big Education Ape

Top Posts This Week 5/25/19

Why This Teacher Needs Jackie Goldberg on the School Board

CATCH UP WITH CURMUDGUCATION: + ICYMI: Birthday Eve Edition (5/19)

The Resegregation of Baton Rouge Public Schools - The Atlantic

Teaching and Learning in the Age of the Technocrats

Anand Giridharadas on Kara Swisher podcast Recode Decode - Vox

Thank You To The Assembly Members Who Passed AB 1505

enrique baloyra: Bernie calls for charter school moratorium - YouTube

Journey For Justice Had a Busy Day | Diane Ravitch's blog

The Letter from CORE activists. – Fred Klonsky

Jeanne Allen and Her Center for Education Reform (CER) | deutsch29

Top Posts This Month 5/25/19

Why This Teacher Needs Jackie Goldberg on the School Board

CURMUDGUCATION: Another Free Market Lesson

Choosing Democracy: The Schools are Underfunded

THIS WEEK Education Research Report

CATCH UP WITH CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: May Day Edition (5/5)

CURMUDGUCATION: Charter Lessons From Democracy Prep

CATCH UP WITH CURMUDGUCATION: + ICYMI: Birthday Eve Edition (5/19)

CURMUDGUCATION: Obstacles To Building Better Writers

Diane Ravitch’s Education “Wisdom and Wit” is Critical at this Time

NEA - State Charter Statutes

Posts This Week 5/25/19

Who Shows Up For Teachers? Coalition-Building In The Era Of Educator Activism | PopularResistance.Org

by Mike Simpson / 39min

Who Shows Up For Teachers? Coalition-Building In The Era Of Educator Activism | PopularResistance.Org WHO SHOWS UP FOR TEACHERS? COALITION-BUILDING IN THE ERA OF EDUCATOR ACTIVISM The Enemies Of Public Education Are Organizing. It’s Time To Fight Back This is a story of how I lost my glasses. It’s OK—they were rose-colored anyway. Three years ago, I was a high school social studies teacher, conte

In Defense of the SAT Adversity Score - The Atlantic

by Mike Simpson / 50min

In Defense of the SAT Adversity Score - The Atlantic An Imperfect SAT Adversity Score Is Better Than Just Ignoring Adversity The College Board’s simple, straightforward indicator will make schools pay attention to the tough odds some applicants face. Last week, the College Board announced a long-overdue innovation: It will try to put students’ SAT scores in context by providing colleges with an a

State legislative wins bring fresh hope for students and educators + #RedForEd Rallies Step Up Pressure on Lawmakers to Take Action on Funding - Education Votes

by Mike Simpson / 54min

State legislative wins bring fresh hope for students and educators - Education Votes State legislative wins bring fresh hope for students and educators By Amanda Menas and Amanda Litvinov The conversation about public education is changing in statehouses across the country. The assumption that schools must operate in austerity—and that struggling schools should be punished—no longer prevails. Aft

School Funding in Mass: What Does Every Parent Need to Know? + Investing in Safe, Supportive and Police-Free Schools| Schott Foundation for Public Education

by Mike Simpson / 1h

School Funding in Mass: What Does Every Parent Need to Know? | Schott Foundation for Public Education School Funding in Mass: What Does Every Parent Need to Know? Do your schools provide enough resources to students in your community? Do you ever wonder why some schools have more resources than others? How does funding in your school district work? According to a 2015 bipartisan Foundation Budget

Thousands of Charter Schools Perform Poorly | Dissident Voice

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Thousands of Charter Schools Perform Poorly | Dissident Voice Thousands of Charter Schools Perform Poorly “Performance-based accountability” is a hackneyed, Skinnerian, neoliberal buzz-phrase often repeated dogmatically by charter school promoters in order to falsely claim that privately-operated nonprofit and for-profit charter schools are more accountable and higher-performing than public schoo

The 3% teacher salary cap. Can the IEA deliver on its main legislative agenda item? – Fred Klonsky

by Mike Simpson / 1h

The 3% teacher salary cap. Can the IEA deliver on its main legislative agenda item? – Fred Klonsky THE 3% TEACHER SALARY CAP. CAN THE IEA DELIVER ON ITS MAIN LEGISLATIVE AGENDA ITEM? Andy Manar’s bill dropped the repeal of the 3% salary cap. The Illinois Education Association, which claims 130,000 members, has made the repeal of last year’s cap of 3% on pensionable raises its main legislative ite

As results of grade-fixing probe loom, five Kennedy High School administrators are “no longer employees,” board president says | The Lens

by Mike Simpson / 1h

As results of grade-fixing probe loom, five Kennedy High School administrators are “no longer employees,” board president says | The Lens As results of grade-fixing probe loom, five Kennedy High School administrators are “no longer employees,” board president says Weeks after the resignation of New Beginnings Schools Foundation’s CEO amid a grade-inflation investigation, five administrators at Jo

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Looks Like Amplify May Be the Provider of Choice in SPS

by Mike Simpson / 1h

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Looks Like Amplify May Be the Provider of Choice in SPS Looks Like Amplify May Be the Provider of Choice in SPS Sometimes you just can't make this stuff up. I received a new group of public disclosure emails today. They were not in any way related to Amplify and yet, there were two items about Amplify. This was from the Assessment Development Program Manager, Shaw

CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Free To Teach? Who Are These Guys?

by Mike Simpson / 1h

CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Free To Teach? Who Are These Guys? PA: Free To Teach? Who Are These Guys? Once again, it's time for teachers in Pennsylvania to get a nice mass mailed postcard from our friends at Free To Teach, a group dedicated to reminding teachers that they don't have to belong to that stinky union. I took a look at these guys back in 2015 , but as I look at the two postcards they sent to

Pennsylvania: Those Disgraceful, Failing CyberCharters | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 3h

Pennsylvania: Those Disgraceful, Failing CyberCharters | Diane Ravitch's blog Pennsylvania: Those Disgraceful, Failing CyberCharters I recommend that you get on the email list of the Keystone State Education Coalition if you want to know what is happening in Pennsylvania. Lawrence Feinberg posts informative articles about the schools of that state. You can contact him at lawrenceafeinberg@gmail.c

Why Streaming Kids According to Ability Is a Terrible Idea (Oscar Hedstrom) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 3h

Why Streaming Kids According to Ability Is a Terrible Idea (Oscar Hedstrom) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice Why Streaming Kids According to Ability Is a Terrible Idea (Oscar Hedstrom) Oscar Hedstrom is a secondary school teacher in Melbourne, [Australia]. He is interested in creative and critical thinking in education. This appeared in Aeon (no date). Mixed-ability classes b

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

by Mike Simpson / 3h

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 This Week With Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 June 12th Would Be Anne Frank’s 90th Birthday – Here Are Related Teaching & Learning Resources by Larry Ferlazzo / 56min bernswaelz / Pixabay June 12th would be Anne Frank’s 90th birthday. You m

THIS WEEK Education Research Report

by Mike Simpson / 3h

Education Research Report THIS WEEK Education Research Report Engagement in student clubs helps undergraduates find good employment by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 17h IMAGE: Binary logistic regression analysis examining the relationship between different types of undergraduate engagement and self-reported critical thinking skills. view more Credit: I. Shcheglova, Yu. Koreshnikova and O. Parshina. A goo

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

by Mike Simpson / 4h

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all Pennsylvania: Those Disgraceful, Failing CyberCharters by dianeravitch / 51min I recommend that you get on the email list of the Keystone State Education Coalition if you want to know what is happening in Pennsylvania. Lawrence Feinberg posts inf

YESTERDAY

2018 Charter School Credit Ratings for Nine States, with a Focus on California and Michigan | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 15h

2018 Charter School Credit Ratings for Nine States, with a Focus on California and Michigan | deutsch29 2018 Charter School Credit Ratings for Nine States, with a Focus on California and Michigan There are situations in which B is a grade to be avoided. Let us consider some 2018 charter school credit ratings as reported in Standard & Poor’s. First, some background on “rated debt,” compliments of

Thank You To The Assembly Members Who Pass AB 1505

by Mike Simpson / 16h

AB 1505 Passes Thank you to the following Assembly Members who to pass AB 1505, which will ensure all matters related to charter schools’ authorization, renewal and other key decisions be made by the local school communities — those parents, educators and locally-elected school board members who know best the needs of their neighborhood children. Assembly Member Twitter Link/Facebook Asm. Jim Woo

How Could Education Reformers Get it So Wrong? - Living in Dialogue

by Mike Simpson / 19h

How Could Education Reformers Get it So Wrong? - Living in Dialogue How Could Education Reformers Get it So Wrong? A Review of The Wisdom and Wit of Diane Ravitch, Part 2 This is a second post reviewing The Wisdom and Wit of Diane Ravitch . Part one summarized Ravitch’s essays from 2010 , which was the time when corporate reform pivoted from what she called “the Death Star of education,” NCLB, to

The Sanders Education Plan: Five Good Ideas, One Bad Idea, And A Missed Opportunity

by Mike Simpson / 19h

The Sanders Education Plan: Five Good Ideas, One Bad Idea, And A Missed Opportunity The Sanders Education Plan: Five Good Ideas, One Bad Idea, And A Missed Opportunity Bernie Sanders has raised the bar for Presidential candidates by offering a hefty set of planks for an education platform. His Thurgood Marshall Plan for Public Education is the first substantive attempt to address education policy

Dana Goldstein: Sanders’s Education Plan Renews Debate Over Charter Schools and Segregation - The New York Times

by Mike Simpson / 20h

Sanders’s Education Plan Renews Debate Over Charter Schools and Segregation - The New York Times Sanders’s Education Plan Renews Debate Over Charter Schools and Segregation When Senator Bernie Sanders delivered a wide-ranging speech on education Saturday, he became the first major Democratic candidate to propose a detailed plan to racially integrate schools, calling for $1 billion in funding to s

CURMUDGUCATION: Betsy DeVos Lets Down Her Hair

by Mike Simpson / 1d

CURMUDGUCATION: Betsy DeVos Lets Down Her Hair Betsy DeVos Lets Down Her Hair You probably saw the quote from Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos equating US public education with Soviet East Germany. That was a good headline ( and great clickbait ), but it's worth it to go and take a look at the full context of that quote. This will be long, but I can't help it-- I find strolling through the insi

Matt Barnum: Summit Learning Misleads About Percent of Schools That Quit Every Year | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Matt Barnum: Summit Learning Misleads About Percent of Schools That Quit Every Year | Diane Ravitch's blog Matt Barnum: Summit Learning Misleads About Percent of Schools That Quit Every Year Matt Barnum of Chalkbeat reports that the Chan-Zuckerberg tech-based schools called Summit have been underreporting the percent of schools that quit their program every year. After multiple news reports of hi

Is Your School Band Playing this Weekend? Thank a Teacher. | Teacher in a strange land

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Is Your School Band Playing this Weekend? Thank a Teacher. | Teacher in a strange land Is Your School Band Playing this Weekend? Thank a Teacher. I’m not much of a flag waver, really. I always thought that author James Baldwin captured my feelings precisely in Notes of a Native Son when he wrote: I love America more than any other country in the world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on th

Chicago teachers speak on inequality, attacks on public education at downtown rally - World Socialist Web Site

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Chicago teachers speak on inequality, attacks on public education at downtown rally - World Socialist Web Site Chicago teachers speak on inequality, attacks on public education at downtown rally The Chicago Teachers Union held a rally outside the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago Wednesday under the slogan “Standing strong for the schools Chicago’s students deserve.” Teachers have grow

What many black parents think about when teachers are armed in schools - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 1d

What many black parents think about when teachers are armed in schools - The Washington Post What many black parents think about when teachers are armed in schools A new analysis by a gun control advocacy group says there have been more than 65 publicly reported incidents of mishandled guns at schools in the last five years. They include: A teacher’s loaded gun falling from his waistband during a

School Rankings as Racist, Classist Propaganda | radical eyes for equity

by Mike Simpson / 1d

School Rankings as Racist, Classist Propaganda | radical eyes for equity School Rankings as Racist, Classist Propaganda On 20 May 2019, the Charleston Post and Courier offered this: Here’s what it takes for a SC school to be the No. 1 public high school in the US . And here is what is newsworthy: The news was out before the sound of the school announcement system crackled through the halls: Acade

Report: The cost of charter schools for the West Contra Costa Unified School District – In the Public Interest

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Report: The cost of charter schools for the West Contra Costa Unified School District – In the Public Interest Report: The cost of charter schools for the West Contra Costa Unified School District In the Public Interest, in partnership with California’s West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) staff, directly measured the financial impact of charter schools on students who attend the di

Eliminating Worldwide Illiteracy with Electronic Tablets but Without School Teachers? | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Eliminating Worldwide Illiteracy with Electronic Tablets but Without School Teachers? | janresseger Eliminating Worldwide Illiteracy with Electronic Tablets but Without School Teachers? This blog will take a one-week early summer break and come back in June on a new, three-day, Monday-Wednesday-Friday summer schedule. Look for a new post on Monday, June 3. Diane Ravitch made the announcement yest

States’ Math and Reading Performance After the Implementation of School A-F Letter Grade Policies | VAMboozled!

by Mike Simpson / 1d

States’ Math and Reading Performance After the Implementation of School A-F Letter Grade Policies | VAMboozled! States’ Math and Reading Performance After the Implementation of School A-F Letter Grade Policies It’s been a while! Thanks to the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA; see prior posts about ESSA here , here , and here ), the chaos surrounding states’ teacher evaluation syste

CURMUDGUCATION: OH: Union Reps Fired By Turnaround CEO

by Mike Simpson / 1d

CURMUDGUCATION: OH: Union Reps Fired By Turnaround CEO OH: Union Reps Fired By Turnaround CEO Lorain City Schools is one of the three Ohio districts that has been subjected to HB 70, a takeover law that replaces both the school board and the superintendent with a single all-powerful CEO. You can get the background of Lorain's troubles here , and see what has been happening in the fight against HB

Learning from Our Teachers: The Education Strikes of 2018 - Los Angeles Review of Books

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Learning from Our Teachers: The Education Strikes of 2018 - Los Angeles Review of Books Learning from Our Teachers: The Education Strikes of 2018 Red State Revolt By Eric Blanc The Teachers’ Strike Wave and Working-Class Politics Published 04.23.2019 Verso 224 Pages IN SPRING OF 2018, tens of thousands of K–12 educators and support staff in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Arizona went on strike, dem

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Entire Board Must Vote No on the Science Adoption

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Entire Board Must Vote No on the Science Adoption The Entire Board Must Vote No on the Science Adoption You'll note the use of the word "must" in the headline for this post. I have gone from "should" to "must" based on new information I received today via public disclosure documents from the district. I had put in a request weeks ago and received a message tha

LAUSD’s Measure EE Highlights the Need For Charter School Oversight

by Mike Simpson / 1d

LAUSD’s Measure EE Highlights the Need For Charter School Oversight LAUSD’s Measure EE Highlights the Need For Charter School Oversight This is a compromise, but we owe that to our children and the way that we can model compromise as a Board and as a community. Let’s not forget that the disenfranchised here are our students…If you don’t compromise it leads to this retrenchment and cynicism that t

MAY 23

Louisiana’s VAM: Quantitative Bungling on Display | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Louisiana’s VAM: Quantitative Bungling on Display | deutsch29 Louisiana’s VAM: Quantitative Bungling on Display This post is about value-added assessment (VAA), also called value-added modeling (VAM). I saw that Louisiana’s “father of VAM,” LSU psychology professor, George Noell, and others, had recently published a VAM reflection related to VAM usage on Louisiana’s teacher preparation programs (

Education Research Report: Flaws in High-Profile “Gold Standard” Study Used to Market Teach for America

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Education Research Report: Flaws in High-Profile “Gold Standard” Study Used to Market Teach for America Flaws in High-Profile “Gold Standard” Study Used to Market Teach for America Andrew Brantlinger is a former public school math teacher who is now an associate professor at the University of Maryland’s Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership. Earlier in his academic career, he

John Thompson: Holding Diane Ravitch and Corporate School Reformers Accountable - Living in Dialogue

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Holding Diane Ravitch and Corporate School Reformers Accountable - Living in Dialogue Holding Diane Ravitch and Corporate School Reformers Accountable A Review of The Wisdom and Wit of Diane Ravitch: Part 1 By John Thompson. As we wait for Diane Ravitch’s next, comprehensive masterpiece , Slaying Goliath , a new anthology, The Wisdom and Wit of Diane Ravitch , offers a unique opportunity to asses

California teachers, students, officials rally for school funding | The Sacramento Bee

by Mike Simpson / 2d

California teachers, students, officials rally for school funding | The Sacramento Bee ‘Starvation diet’ for schools protested by California teachers, officials, students at Capitol More than 1,000 California teachers, students and school district administrators marched in downtown Sacramento and rallied at the state Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, adding their voices to a statewide advocacy day

Charter school curbs pass Assembly, but drama foretells compromise | CALmatters

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Charter school curbs pass Assembly, but drama foretells compromise | CALmatters Charter school curbs pass Assembly, but drama foretells compromise Legislation that would give local school districts more control over charter-school authorizations narrowly passed the California State Assembly Wednesday in a dramatic vote that served as an initial litmus test for a package of consequential, union-ba

Measure EE Works Like The Corporate Program To “Match Gifts” – redqueeninla

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Measure EE Works Like The Corporate Program To “Match Gifts” – redqueeninla Measure EE Works Like The Corporate Program To “Match Gifts” On June 4, 2019 at the polls, we’ll approve fairly funded Public Education for all by voting YES ON EE . It’s a gift to democracy from the body politic. See here . https://tinyurl.com/howcorporatematchingworks In the meantime large corporations and industrial la

Los Angeles: At First Meeting, Jackie Goldberg Changes Board Dynamics by Challenging Co-Location of Charters | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Los Angeles: At First Meeting, Jackie Goldberg Changes Board Dynamics by Challenging Co-Location of Charters | Diane Ravitch's blog Los Angeles: At First Meeting, Jackie Goldberg Changes Board Dynamics by Challenging Co-Location of Charters Jackie Goldberg was sworn in to her new office as representative for District 5 on the Los Angeles school board, and she hit the ground running. She criticize

If colleges want a diverse campus they need to amend admissions policies

by Mike Simpson / 2d

If colleges want a diverse campus they need to amend admissions policies In higher education, the wand chooses the wizard It’s not Hufflepuff and Slytherin, it’s Harvard and Stanford For those who seek higher education, access to a college is no longer an insurmountable problem. With more than 5,000 colleges and universities dotted across the United States, and the availability of online and dist

The Public Good? Betsy DeVos Doesn’t Get It. | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 2d

The Public Good? Betsy DeVos Doesn’t Get It. | janresseger The Public Good? Betsy DeVos Doesn’t Get It. When she spoke recently at the Education Writers Association , Betsy DeVos, the U.S. Secretary of Education, swallowed whatever humility she has and presumed to redefine the role public education in our society. Betsy loves freedom from government (even though she works for the government), and

Cartoons on Technology at Work, Home, and School | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Cartoons on Technology at Work, Home, and School | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice Cartoons on Technology at Work, Home, and School For this month, I have collected a melange of cartoons about technology use in different venues. Enjoy! MORE CARTOONS: Cartoons on Technology at Work, Home, and School | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Labor Movement Comes Back Big After 'Janus' - NEA Today

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Labor Movement Comes Back Big After 'Janus' - NEA Today Labor Movement Comes Back Big After ‘Janus’ In January, Virginia teacher Nicole Loch attended a #RedForEd rally at the statehouse in Richmond. She arrived on a charter bus sponsored by the Fauquier Education Association (FEA), even though Loch had never joined the union—a decision she had resisted for 11 years.“It was a bus full of other edu

The "X"odus Files: Shortage Denial Syndrome. | BustED Pencils

by Mike Simpson / 2d

The "X"odus Files: Shortage Denial Syndrome. | BustED Pencils The “X”odus Files: Shortage Denial Syndrome. A few weeks ago Peter Greene posted a blog about the fact that there is NO TEACHER SHORTAGE . He even mentioned me as one of the shortage deniers. I sent his post to a host of people—teachers, politicians, government agencies, and anybody else that needed a reminder. I then went on with my d

CREDO’s New Orleans “Learning Gains” a Sleight of Information | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 2d

CREDO’s New Orleans “Learning Gains” a Sleight of Information | deutsch29 CREDO’s New Orleans “Learning Gains” a Sleight of Information According to Emily Langhorne of Forbes, education reformers should “rejoice” because in May 2019, the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) released this summary and accompanying presentation of New Orleans charter school “learning gains.” According t

Is the Adversity Score a Tool for Acknowledging Poverty (as a surrogate for race) in College Admissions or a Tool to Enrich the SAT? | Ed In The Apple

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Is the Adversity Score a Tool for Acknowledging Poverty (as a surrogate for race) in College Admissions or a Tool to Enrich the SAT? | Ed In The Apple Is the Adversity Score a Tool for Acknowledging Poverty (as a surrogate for race) in College Admissions or a Tool to Enrich the SAT? About ten years ago I sat in a room with a group of principals and watched/listened to David Coleman’s “Letter from

Journey For Justice Had a Busy Day | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Journey For Justice Had a Busy Day | Diane Ravitch's blog Journey For Justice Had a Busy Day Don’t believe the right wingers who claim that charter schools are supported by Black and Brown people. Not only did the NAACP, the nation’s most venerable civil rights group, call for a moratorium on charter schools but so did Black Lives Matter. The Journey for Justice Alliance is a true grassroots civi

May Ed Town Hall BUS: Against Charters – Education Town Hall Forum

by Mike Simpson / 2d

May Ed Town Hall BUS: Against Charters – Education Town Hall Forum MAY ED TOWN HALL BUS: AGAINST CHARTERS The next BUS ride covers The Fight Against Charters! First up we have Carol Burris, Executive Director of the Network for Public Education, returning to give an update on how the fight against charters is playing out after the NPE’s release of the report Asleep at the Wheel. For the second ha

MAY 22

Insolvency Avoided, New Budget Is Fixable - Sacramento City Teachers Association

by Mike Simpson / 2d

Insolvency Avoided, New Budget Is Fixable - Sacramento City Teachers Association INSOLVENCY AVOIDED, NEW BUDGET IS FIXABLE The latest budget document circulated by the District at community forums contains two huge developments: The District made a $16 million mistake by undercounting at least 700 students, a mistake that SCTA has been pointing out since January. The District has now doubled its

L.A. Charters Suspend Black and Disabled Students at Higher Rates | Capital & Main

by Mike Simpson / 2d

L.A. Charters Suspend Black and Disabled Students at Higher Rates | Capital & Main GRADING CHARTER SCHOOLS: L.A. Charters Suspend Black and Disabled Students at Higher Rates Los Angeles charters suspended black students at almost three times the rate of traditional schools; students with disabilities were suspended at nearly four times the non-charter school rate. School suspensions are out, rest

CURMUDGUCATION: OH: Do Charters Need The Freedom To Hire Great Teachers?

by Mike Simpson / 2d

CURMUDGUCATION: OH: Do Charters Need The Freedom To Hire Great Teachers? OH: Do Charters Need The Freedom To Hire Great Teachers? If there's one thing that charter school advocates never run out of, it's arguments about why charter schools should get to ignore some of the rules of education. Fordham Institute's blog, Ohio Division, recently ran a piece in this genre, written by Jessica Poiner-- "

SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: Red for Ed. Education Rally at State Capitol

by Mike Simpson / 3d

SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: Red for Ed. Education Rally at State Capitol Red for Ed. Education Rally at State Capitol Together, we will join educators, parents, students, and community members to demand the full funding of our public schools, common-sense charter school accountability, and social & racial justice. Shoulder to shoulder with thousands of educators, students, and community memb

Bernie Sanders’s Education Plan Laments Rise of Charter Schools - The New York Times

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Bernie Sanders’s Education Plan Laments Rise of Charter Schools - The New York Times Bernie Sanders’s Education Plan Laments Rise of Charter Schools Senator Bernie Sanders took aim at charter schools on Saturday, calling for a moratorium on federal funding for the schools in a declaration of his education policy priorities ahead of the 2020 election. In a 10-point plan , Mr. Sanders, one of nearl

The Condition of Education 2019

by Mike Simpson / 3d

The Condition of Education 2019 The Condition of Education 2019 Title: The Condition of Education 2019 Description: The Condition of Education is a congressionally mandated annual report summarizing important developments and trends in education using the latest available data. The 2019 Condition of Education report presents 48 indicators on topics ranging from prekindergarten through postseconda

Goldberg joins L.A. Unified school board, immediately challenges aid to charter schools - Los Angeles Times

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Goldberg joins L.A. Unified school board, immediately challenges aid to charter schools - Los Angeles Times Goldberg joins L.A. Unified school board, immediately challenges aid to charter schools Jackie Goldberg took a seat on the Los Angeles school board Tuesday and immediately signaled change to come, shifting the discussion to whether charter schools were getting unfair advantages over distric

Watch My Interview with Lauren Steiner, Taped Yesterday | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Watch My Interview with Lauren Steiner, Taped Yesterday | Diane Ravitch's blog Watch My Interview with Lauren Steiner, Taped Yesterday Lauren Steiner is an activist who is actively engaged in fighting privatization in California. She has a regular program on Facebook, where she interviews people like me. She interviewed me yesterday about charters, billionaires, neoliberalism, and other issues. T

“High-Quality” Charter Schools Versus “Low-Quality” Charter Schools | Dissident Voice

by Mike Simpson / 3d

“High-Quality” Charter Schools Versus “Low-Quality” Charter Schools | Dissident Voice “High-Quality” Charter Schools Versus “Low-Quality” Charter Schools Another False Dichotomy Distorting Consciousness and Undermining the Human Factor Charter school promoters want the public, especially poor, low-income, and vulnerable minority families who have long been exploited by the rich and their state, t

Anand Giridharadas on Kara Swisher podcast Recode Decode - Vox

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Anand Giridharadas on Kara Swisher podcast Recode Decode - Vox Tech billionaires who donate millions are just “bribing society at large,” Anand Giridharadas says Zuckerberg, Bezos, and Gates shouldn’t have an outsize say in how we run our country, Giridharadas says on the latest episode of Recode Decode. Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and other billionaires have figured out a pretty swe

Betsy DeVos wants to resurrect an old — and failed — model of public education - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Betsy DeVos wants to resurrect an old — and failed — model of public education - The Washington Post Betsy DeVos wants to resurrect an old — and failed — model of public education Government-funded and -run schools evolved from a broader system of public education that could not provide what students needed. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos recently proposed a “new definition” of public education.

Badass Teachers Association Blog: Musings On test Taking by Grumpy Old Teacher

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Badass Teachers Association Blog: Musings On test Taking by Grumpy Old Teacher Musings On test Taking by Grumpy Old Teacher Originally posted at Grumpy Old Teacher It’s that time of year: testing. For GOT, it’s the most boring time as he must watch students work without actually seeing that work, maintain a hawk-like scrutiny of computer screens to make sure students are not exiting the test to l

CURMUDGUCATION: The Writer Who Couldn't Answer Standardized Test Questions About Her Own Work (Again)!

by Mike Simpson / 3d

CURMUDGUCATION: The Writer Who Couldn't Answer Standardized Test Questions About Her Own Work (Again)! The Writer Who Couldn't Answer Standardized Test Questions About Her Own Work (Again)! We are in standardized test season, and all across the country, students are taking the Big Standardized Test by which they, their schools, and their teachers will be judged. How absurd are these tests? Meet S

Charter Schools Undermine the Public Good—in Louisiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Charter Schools Undermine the Public Good—in Louisiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania | janresseger Charter Schools Undermine the Public Good—in Louisiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania This week’s news has brought additional evidence for growing public condemnation of the charter school sector—the abysmal record in Louisiana of the federal Charter Schools Program, along with the operation of charters

Mike Klonsky's Blog: Mayor Lightfoot is sticking with schools CEO Janice Jackson for now. That's a good thing.

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Mike Klonsky's Blog: Mayor Lightfoot is sticking with schools CEO Janice Jackson for now. That's a good thing. Mayor Lightfoot is sticking with schools CEO Janice Jackson for now. That's a good thing. There's hope that CEO Jackson, once liberated from Rahm's self-serving, autocratic rule, will become a real change leader. Even though I've had my issues with CEO Janice Jackson's role as Rahm Emanu

Q: “Did you see the numbers?” A: Yes, I have. | Cloaking Inequity

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Q: “Did you see the numbers?” A: Yes, I have. | Cloaking Inequity Q: “DID YOU SEE THE NUMBERS?” A: YES, I HAVE. Is there a revolt inside the NAACP? Are charters segregated? Do African American have appreciably higher achievement in charters? Tomorrow is statewide strike and a day of action for public education in California. There will likely be more than 2,000 people at the capitol advocating pe

MAY 21

Teach for America and Sister Program, Ensina!: How Recruit Thinking Changes from Before to After | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 3d

Teach for America and Sister Program, Ensina!: How Recruit Thinking Changes from Before to After | deutsch29 Teach for America and Sister Program, Ensina!: How Recruit Thinking Changes from Before to After Rolf Straubhaar is an assistant professor of ed leadership and school improvement at Texas State University. He is also a Teach for America (TFA) alum. Rolf Straubhaar Straubhaar’s research age

Teachers' strikes a new social movement, researcher says | Penn State University

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Teachers' strikes a new social movement, researcher says | Penn State University Teachers' strikes a new social movement, researcher says College of Education researcher immerses herself in teachers unions Leading up to their January 2019 strike, more than 30,000 teachers and staff who are part of the United Teachers Los Angeles union began rallying support months in advance. Leaders are seen her

Re-imagining Migration: Immigration, Schools, and the Census | National Education Policy Center

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Re-imagining Migration: Immigration, Schools, and the Census | National Education Policy Center Re-imagining Migration: Immigration, Schools, and the Census Gathering Census Data in a Climate of Fear A view from school principals In late April, in a tense and closely watched session, President Trump’s Solicitor General, Noel Francisco, appeared before the United States Supreme Court to argue for

Rahm Emanuel: Middle-Class Americans Are Sick of Elite Privilege - The Atlantic

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Middle-Class Americans Are Sick of Elite Privilege - The Atlantic It’s Time to Hold American Elites Accountable for Their Abuses If Democrats want to address simmering middle-class anger, they need to deliver justice. Normally, a scandal centered on how rich parents used bribes to win their children’s admittance into elite colleges wouldn’t play so heavily in the national news. No one much cared

Paid family leave for teachers set for vote in Assembly :: K-12 Daily :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Paid family leave for teachers set for vote in Assembly :: K-12 Daily :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet Paid family leave for teachers set for vote in Assembly (Calif.) Among the more than 1,000 bills that won passage to the Assembly floor last week was one that would require all K-12 schools and community colleges to provide at least six weeks family leave to employee

A Meditation on Stringing Words Together: The National’s “Roman Holiday” | radical eyes for equity

by Mike Simpson / 4d

A Meditation on Stringing Words Together: The National’s “Roman Holiday” | radical eyes for equity A Meditation on Stringing Words Together: The National’s “Roman Holiday” I’m still standing in the same place where you left me standing “I Am Easy to Find,” The National For those of us who love words and fall deeply in love with authors and pop music performers, few things are as exciting as new w

Can NOLA's return to a locally run district curb charter school corruption?

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Can NOLA's return to a locally run district curb charter school corruption? New Orleans finally has control of its own schools, but will all parents really have a say? Can a locally elected school board bring true accountability to the city’s diffuse network of charter schools, or will the corruption and favoritism that plagued the city’s school board before Katrina return, giving an upper hand t

West Virginia’s Teachers Continue #RedforEd Pushback Against Charter Schools and ESA Vouchers | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 4d

West Virginia’s Teachers Continue #RedforEd Pushback Against Charter Schools and ESA Vouchers | janresseger West Virginia’s Teachers Continue #RedforEd Pushback Against Charter Schools and ESA Vouchers Just over a year ago, in late February 2018, school teachers across West Virginia launched the first of a nationwide wave of walkouts and strikes that became #RedforEd. Teachers in every one of Wes

Badass Teachers Association Blog: Bully Targets Need Upstanders!

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Badass Teachers Association Blog: Bully Targets Need Upstanders! Bully Targets Need Upstanders! Much has been written on the subject of workplace bullying, with a lot of it intended to offer advice to those who have been targeted by an abusive colleague or supervisor. This is because many targets are not aware of what workplace bullying is, who the perpetrators might be, and how to deal with it w

MAY 20

Charter Schools Are Quietly Gobbling Up My Public School District | gadflyonthewallblog

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Charter Schools Are Quietly Gobbling Up My Public School District | gadflyonthewallblog Charter Schools Are Quietly Gobbling Up My Public School District I work in a little suburban school district just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that is slowly being destroyed by privatization. Steel Valley Schools have a proud history. We’re located (in part) in Homestead – the home of the historic ste

Trends in Education Philanthropy: Benchmarking 2018-19 | Grantmakers for Education

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Trends in Education Philanthropy: Benchmarking 2018-19 | Grantmakers for Education Trends in Education Philanthropy: Benchmarking 2018-19 GFE_Benchmarking_2018-19.pdf Grantmakers for Education’s 10th anniversary edition of Trends in Education Philanthropy: Benchmarking 2018-19 offers insights on the current and evolving priorities of the education funding community. The survey results make clear

DeVos used personal emails for work in ‘limited’ cases, federal investigators say | PBS NewsHour

by Mike Simpson / 4d

DeVos used personal emails for work in ‘limited’ cases, federal investigators say | PBS NewsHour DeVos used personal emails for work in ‘limited’ cases, federal investigators say An internal Education Department watchdog says Secretary Betsy DeVos has sometimes used personal email accounts for government business and did not always save the messages properly. The agency’s Office of Inspector Gene

Scholarship Opportunity: Are you a Proud #PublicSchoolGrad? | Schott Foundation for Public Education

by Mike Simpson / 4d

Scholarship Opportunity: Are you a Proud #PublicSchoolGrad? | Schott Foundation for Public Education Scholarship Opportunity: Are you a Proud #PublicSchoolGrad? Local public schools and their educators have produced America’s most brilliant artists, scientists, doctors, musicians, lawyers, presidents, and more — people from all walks of life, contributing to society in countless ways. Are you or

CURMUDGUCATION: 19 Rules For Life (2019 edition)

by Mike Simpson / 4d

CURMUDGUCATION: 19 Rules For Life (2019 edition) 19 Rules For Life (2019 edition) I first posted this list when I turned 60, and have revisited it many times. Now that my birthday has reappeared. I thought I'd start the practice of annually revisiting and revising it. I will keep my original observation-- that this list does not represent any particular signs of wisdom on my part, because I disco

Failing Charter Schools and a School Board’s Choice

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Failing Charter Schools and a School Board’s Choice Failing Charter Schools and a School Board’s Choice “Data doesn’t close opportunity gaps. People have to do that, so we now need people to take action.” - Carrie Hahnel, EdTrust-West It is easy to blame a public school for failing to successfully educate a child. Teachers and schools make easy scapegoats in a society that consistently fails at a

The Resegregation of Baton Rouge Public Schools - The Atlantic

by Mike Simpson / 5d

The Resegregation of Baton Rouge Public Schools - The Atlantic The New Secession Residents of the majority-white southeast corner of Baton Rouge want to make their own city, complete with its own schools, breaking away from the majority-black parts of town. T he fight began with little subtlety. White, wealthy parents in the southeastern corner of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, an area known

Meet the 2019 “Black Education Matters Student Activist Award” winners: Youth leaders of an uprising for racial justice! – I AM AN EDUCATOR

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Meet the 2019 “Black Education Matters Student Activist Award” winners: Youth leaders of an uprising for racial justice! – I AM AN EDUCATOR Meet the 2019 “Black Education Matters Student Activist Award” winners: Youth leaders of an uprising for racial justice! At the first NAACP Youth Coalition Racial Justice Conference on Saturday, ethnic studies teacher Jesse Hagopian and Superbowl champion/bes

Proposition 8 and Homophobic Bullying in California | Articles | Pediatrics

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Proposition 8 and Homophobic Bullying in California | Articles | Pediatrics Proposition 8 and Homophobic Bullying in California Abstract BACKGROUND: Bias-based bullying is associated with negative outcomes for youth, but its contextual predictors are largely unknown. Voter referenda that target lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender groups may be 1 contextual factor contributing to homophobic bu

Epic Fail Of Charter Schools In Louisiana | OurFuture.org by People's Action

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Epic Fail Of Charter Schools In Louisiana | OurFuture.org by People's Action Epic Fail Of Charter Schools In Louisiana When Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education under President Barack Obama, said Hurricane Katrina was the “best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans,” he was no doubt referring in part to how the storm and its aftermath led to the spread of charter scho

Teaching and Learning in the Age of the Technocrats

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Teaching and Learning in the Age of the Technocrats Teaching and Learning in the Age of the Technocrats By Sheila Resseger, M.A. I wrote the following words almost exactly four years ago. Since then, many parents did choose to inform themselves, and refused to allow their children to participate in the PARCC/SBAC assessments; the problem with the underlying standards, however, was not addressed.

A Note About the Fifth Year Anniversary of This Is Not A Test | The Jose Vilson

by Mike Simpson / 5d

A Note About the Fifth Year Anniversary of This Is Not A Test | The Jose Vilson A NOTE ABOUT THE FIFTH YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THIS IS NOT A TEST I wrote this book for you. For some of you, it means I wrote this in love. There’s always that first visit to the local bookstore when we scan the education section and don’t see a book that tangentially relates to your qualms and visions. Most of the narra

K-12 Public Education: Front and Center in the 2020 Election | Real Learning CT

by Mike Simpson / 5d

K-12 Public Education: Front and Center in the 2020 Election | Real Learning CT K-12 Public Education: Front and Center in the 2020 Election At last! At last! At last! A candidate for President of the United States has recognized that the bedrock institution of our democracy is in peril, that the same forces of greed and racism that are working to destroy other elements of our society are also ea

The Letter from CORE activists. – Fred Klonsky

by Mike Simpson / 5d

The Letter from CORE activists. – Fred Klonsky THE LETTER FROM CORE ACTIVISTS. We the undersigned are union members, members of CORE, and activists in our schools. Some of us are currently serving on leadership bodies of the CTU and are running for elected positions with the CORE slate. We have decades of combined experience fighting for better schools and a stronger union, and some of us are co-

enrique baloyra: Bernie calls for charter school moratorium - YouTube

by Mike Simpson / 5d

Bernie calls for charter school moratorium - YouTube Yesterday Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders came to with his 10-point education plan. Recalling the civil rights lawyer who successfully argued before the Supreme Court that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional under the XIV Amendment and later went on to become the first Black justice, the “Thurgood Marshall Plan for Public Ed

MAY 19

CATCH UP WITH CURMUDGUCATION: + ICYMI: Birthday Eve Edition (5/19)

by Mike Simpson / 6d

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Birthday Eve Edition (5/19) ICYMI: Birthday Eve Edition Might even eat some cake today just to warm up. You know the drill, folks. Read and share. Read and share. Only you can help amplify voices in the web-o-sphere. A Letter To Journalists About Dark Money A great little primer here from Massachusetts, where dark money tried to make charter schools happen. Curriculum for P

Jersey Jazzman: Stuff Journalists Should Know About Charter Schools

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Jersey Jazzman: Stuff Journalists Should Know About Charter Schools Stuff Journalists Should Know About Charter Schools I can't say I'm surprised, but it looks like Bernie Sanders' latest policy speech on education – where, among other things, he calls for a ban on for-profit charter schools and other charter school reforms -- has generated a lot of fair to poor journalism that purports to explai

Supporting the Arts with Love and Logic - SF PUBLIC SCHOOL MOM

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Supporting the Arts with Love and Logic - SF PUBLIC SCHOOL MOM Supporting the Arts with Love and Logic Okay everyone, we have a problem. It’s been a while since I last posted. Over a year to be exact. As many of you know, I’ve been busy! Last year, I ran a campaign for the San Francisco Unified Board of Education (and WON!) On the campaign trail, I shared my vision of bringing more transparency a

The Teacher as Assessor | Teacher in a strange land

by Mike Simpson / 6d

The Teacher as Assessor | Teacher in a strange land The Teacher as Assessor A little handmade meme has popped up recently in my Facebook feed, shared by Alexandra Penfold, a children’s author and food writer. Interesting, no? Being told—by scientific measurement, no less—that you were minimally proficient at the skill that was your heart’s desire and life goal. And then sailing on to the very won

Flat-lining — Base Wages and the MMSD Budget | AMPS

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Flat-lining — Base Wages and the MMSD Budget | AMPS Flat-lining — Base Wages and the MMSD Budget The Flaming Groovies — Slow Death, live (click to listen/watch) The 2019-20 Madison Metropolitan School District budget has — to this point — been built in such a way that employee spending power (wages adjusted for inflation) will remain flat (except for those who advance via educational or credentia

Pearson’s Plans for 2025: Make Sure You Are Seated When You Read This | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Pearson’s Plans for 2025: Make Sure You Are Seated When You Read This | Diane Ravitch's blog Pearson’s Plans for 2025: Make Sure You Are Seated When You Read This Pearson has plans for the future. Its plans involve students, education, and profits. Pearson, of course, is the British mega-publishing corporation that has an all-encompassing vision of monetizing every aspect of education. Two resear

Pseudo-Socialist Bernie Sanders Finally Opposes Charter Schools | Dissident Voice

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Pseudo-Socialist Bernie Sanders Finally Opposes Charter Schools | Dissident Voice Pseudo-Socialist Bernie Sanders Finally Opposes Charter Schools After wavering and making confusing statements about charter schools three years ago when he was running for President, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who is running for President again, finally came out and issued a broad education plan on May 18, 2019 w

CURMUDGUCATION: Center for Education Reform Doesn't Love Bernie

by Mike Simpson / 6d

CURMUDGUCATION: Center for Education Reform Doesn't Love Bernie Center for Education Reform Doesn't Love Bernie If you have any doubts about the effect of Bernie Sander's education proposals , Jeanne Allen of the Center for Education Reform tossed off a somewhat apoplectic newsletter after Sanders went public. Here's some sample frothing: Sanders’ comments - yelling about transparency (which of c

Jeanne Allen and Her Center for Education Reform (CER) | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Jeanne Allen and Her Center for Education Reform (CER) | deutsch29 Jeanne Allen and Her Center for Education Reform (CER) Jeanne Allen is founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform (CER). I have written about her on occasion, the last time (prior to this post) being in October 2017, when she was upset to discover that a quote of hers was used as the final title for the film, Backpack Full

Mike Klonsky's Blog: Congrats to the victorious CTU CORE Caucus

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Mike Klonsky's Blog: Congrats to the victorious CTU CORE Caucus Congrats to the victorious CTU CORE Caucus As expected, Chicago Teachers Union Pres. Jesse Sharkey and his CORE caucus easily defeated the opposition Members First slate to retain their control of CTU leadership. Now it's on to the contract negotiations which hopefully can be resolved sooner than later. Obviously feeling charged from

MAY 18

Top Posts This Week 5/18/19 #REDFORED #CTA

by Mike Simpson / 6d

Big Education Ape Top Posts This Week 5/18/19 Why This Teacher Needs Jackie Goldberg on the School Board California: A Time for Action!!!! | Diane Ravitch's blog Testing with a Side of *Not Much Else* | deutsch29 NYC