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Saturday, December 5, 2020

TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 12/5/20 #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #TOPBANANAHEADLINES

Big Education Ape


TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 12/5/20





TOP POSTS THIS MONTH 12/5/20




 POSTS THIS WEEK 12/5/20



TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 12/5/20 #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #TOPBANANAHEADLINES
Big Education Ape TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 12/5/20 ‘Slaying Goliath’: Diane Ravitch argues in new book that public education advocates have beat back efforts to privatize schools - The Washington Post The real story of New Orleans and its charter schools - The Washington Post The telling things Barack Obama wrote -- and didn’t mention -- about his education policies in new memoir - The Washington Post
Here’s what educators want to see in the next Secretary of Education - Education Votes
Here’s what educators want to see in the next Secretary of Education By Amanda Menas It’s time to say, “Bye, bye, Betsy!” and hello to a new education secretary. As President-elect Joe Biden announces his cabinet picks and senior officials, educators are speaking out about what they want to see in DeVos’ replacement. Betsy DeVos served up a four-year nightmare for students and educators by ignor
Jeff Bryant: School Board Elections Swamped by Outside Money - LA Progressive
School Board Elections Swamped by Outside Money - LA Progressive School Board Elections Swamped by Outside Money Worse Than Betsy DeVos When a Biden victory in the 2020 presidential election became certain, supporters of public education gleefully took to social media to say good riddance to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. DeVos came into office with an agenda to further the privatizatio
The week in coveducation: Stitt removes State Board of Education member
The week in coveducation: Stitt removes State Board of Education member Following the Thanksgiving holiday, there’s a lot to catch up on in the Oklahoma education world, including Epic Charter Schools settling a 2019 legal claim and Gov. Kevin Stitt replacing a State Board of Education member. Catch up on the Oklahoma education news you need with this weekly collection of headlines from reporter
Ex-NYC teacher’s union boss could be Biden’s Education chief
Former NYC teacher's union boss could be named Biden's Education Secretary NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — President-elect Joe Biden’s Cabinet has been taking form in recent days and the Democrat is expected to announce his first round of personnel choice on Tuesday. Biden has already picked Ron Klain as White House Chief of Staff and Janet Yellen as Treaury Secretary . He is also expected to pick Antony
Attacks on Educators | The Crucial Voice of the PeopleThe Crucial Voice of the People
Attacks on Educators Historically, a ttacks on educators were confined to attacks on “liberal” professors. Not any more! Photo Credit: Posted by Gen Z Conservative “As Trump clearly signals an escalated attack on teachers , remember that these right wing groups from Turning Point USA to Campus Watch are not only targeting professors but high school teachers. He has blown his dog whistles, so wat
Teacher Burnout in the Pandemic | Diane Ravitch's blog
Teacher Burnout in the Pandemic The New York Times published an article recently by Natasha Singer–one of the best reporters on education issues in the Times –about the toll that the pandemic is taking on teachers. An extraordinary number say the burden of teaching remote classes and in-person classes is not sustainable. Large numbers of teachers are planning to retire, or have retired. All this
ANATOMY OF A DECISION – Dad Gone Wild
ANATOMY OF A DECISION “Choose not to look, however, at your own peril. The owner of an old house knows that whatever you are ignoring will never go away. Whatever is lurking will fester whether you choose to look or not. Ignorance is no protection from the consequences of inaction. Whate
Education Matters: DCPS needs to let people know where that extra 500k a month is going.
DCPS needs to let people know where that extra 500k a month is going. I was initially against the referendum. I know the district needs money, but a referendum ties its hands with what it could do. A millage increase could be used for anything, including salaries, and as veteran teachers are about to get @*#$ed, we see how important having flexibility would be. I was told by a district official
What I Learned from a High School Student | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
What I Learned from a High School Student Individuals writing about what they learned from former teachers is common. It is uncommon, however, for teachers to write about what they learned from former students. I do not mean those many instances when tech-savvy students helped teachers solve hardware and software problems. I mean the kinds of learning that doesn’t come from only books but from t
UCL Institute of Education: Does Class Size Matter? We’ll Get a Better Answer If We Rethink the Debate | National Education Policy Center
UCL Institute of Education: Does Class Size Matter? We’ll Get a Better Answer If We Rethink the Debate For many teachers, large classes present problems which adversely affect their practice and their pupils’ learning. This is what our surveys show. But researchers and commentators often have a different view. For them the class size debate can be summed up with the question: does class size aff
TEACHER TOM THIS WEEK IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Teacher Tom False Beliefs 100+ 1d The Complete Education 100 2d This is What Real Learning Looks Like 2K 3d "Now Eat Your Food" 500+ 4d Talking to Children About the Pandemic and Everything 400+ 5d How Brains Grow 1K 8d Teacher Tom
SSPI THURMOND: STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
California Department of Education SSPI THURMOND STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION New Off-Site Monitoring Best Practices Fact Sheets 1d California Department of Education Nutrition Services Division is pleased to share eight best practices fact sheets for conducting off-site monitoring of Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Register for the Cali
THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE)
NewBlackMan (in Exile) Conversations in Black Freedom Studies: Resisting Carceral Cities – Police, Prisons, & Punishment in Perspective by Mark Anthony Neal / 10h 'Black people have faced a disproportionate amount of police surveillance, arrests, and incarcerations. Join a conversation about historical perspectives on the rise of prisons and police and resistance to them. The discussion features
THIS WEEK Education Research Report
Education Research Report THIS WEEK Education Research Report Impactful science teaching requires minimum five hours instruction weekly by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 1d Unlike traditional instruction, inquiry-based instruction approaches science learning through sustained real-world projects and hands-on experimentation rather than fact memorization, recall and prescribed experiments. It is considered
THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION 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 Saturday’s Must-Read Articles On School Reopenings by Larry Ferlazzo / 10h geralt / Pixabay Here are new additions to THE BEST POSTS PREDICTING WHAT SCHOOLS WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FALL : 5 Things We’ve Learned About Virtual School In 2020 is from NPR. Reopening Schools Before a Children’s Vaccine is fr
Saturday, November 28, 2020 KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY
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 Teacher Burnout in the Pandemic by dianeravitch / 20min The New York Times published an article recently by Natasha Singer–one of the best reporters on education issues in the Times –about the toll that the pandemic is taking on teachers. An extr

YESTERDAY

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #46
THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES What ‘backlash’ against Black progress really means: A lesson on race from Eddie Glaude’s new book - The Washington Post - https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/12/04/what-backlash-against-black-progress-really-means-lesson-race-eddie-glaudes-new-book/ More than 100,000 NYC students were homeless last year: report - New York Daily News - https://
We Are All Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf | Teacher in a strange land
We Are All Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf I just finished reading A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door: The Dismantling of Public Education and the Future of School , by Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider . Berkshire and Schneider are co-hosts of the podcast Have You Heard , which is the best $2 I spend every month—and, as journalist and historian, both bring interesting perspectives to the ongoing di
CURMUDGUCATION: Does Your School Suffer From Advanced Testivitis
Does Your School Suffer From Advanced Testivitis In some quarters we seem to have cycled back around to the old argument that the Big Standardized Test provides an assortment of necessary data with no actual downside, so let's trot those puppies out here for this already-maimed year. I've spent a bunch of time talking about why the tests provide no actual benefit ( here , here and here , for exa
Ex-teacher’s union boss makes play to be Biden’s Education chief - POLITICO
Ex-teacher’s union boss makes play to be Biden’s Education chief Lily Eskelsen García is courting key Hispanic groups and even GOP senators. The former president of the nation's largest teachers union is working to lock up support from Republican senators and Hispanic leaders in her bid to be picked as Education secretary, according to officials familiar with the talks. Lily Eskelsen García is e
"Bye-bye, Betsy DeVos. You won't be missed," says Sanders to billionaire education secretary | Salon.com
"Bye-bye, Betsy DeVos. You won't be missed," says Sanders to billionaire education secretary Sanders calls DeVos "the worst education secretary in the history of America" as she attacks tuition-free college Sen. Bernie Sanders late Tuesday called Betsy DeVos "the worst education secretary in the history of America" and made abundantly clear that he's not mourning her imminent departure after the
Teacher Tom: False Beliefs
False Beliefs It's not just possible, but likely, that for most of us, most of the time, we possess the necessary intelligence, but are hindered by a false belief. For instance, most physicists have given up on the reality of the existence of space and time, yet we've lived our entire lives convinced that spacetime exists. Indeed, we can't even conceive of it, any more than we can envision a col
Bob Shepherd: The Standardized Testing Hoax | Diane Ravitch's blog
Bob Shepherd: The Standardized Testing Hoax Bob Shepherd, a frequent commenter here, has been a curriculum writer, as assessment developer, a publisher, and a classroom tea her. As frequent readers of this log know, he is also a polymath, with a broad, nearly encyclopedic range of knowledge. In this essential post , he explains why standardized testing is invalid and useless for accountability p
A VERY BUSY DAY 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 Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/11/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_28.html Friday’s Must-Read Articles & Must-Watch Videos On School Closures by Lar
Will the State Senate Punish Ohio’s 1.6 Million Public School Students by Letting School Funding Reform Die? | janresseger
Will the State Senate Punish Ohio’s 1.6 Million Public School Students by Letting School Funding Reform Die? The Ohio House Finance Committee voted unanimously (32-0) on Wednesday to refer Substitute House Bill 305, the proposal for a new Fair School Funding Formula, to the full Ohio House for approval. And late yesterday afternoon, t he Ohio House of Representatives passed the bill by huge marg
5 Things We've Learned About Virtual School In 2020 | 89.3 KPCC
5 Things We've Learned About Virtual School In 2020 Deborah Rosenthal starts her virtual kindergarten class on Zoom every morning with a song — today, it's the Spanish version of, "If You're Happy and You Know It." Her students clap along. There's a greeting from the class mascot (a dragon), yoga, meditation and then some practice with letter sounds: "Oso, oso, O, O, O". Rosenthal teaches Spanis
Jersey Jazzman: New Jersey's School COVID-19 Operating Plans: Still Racially Biased, Still Inadequately Funded For Many Students
New Jersey's School COVID-19 Operating Plans: Still Racially Biased, Still Inadequately Funded For Many Students Earlier this year , I posted about the racial inequities in New Jersey's school reopening plans, which were all affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following that blog post, I used some updated data, refined my analysis a bit, and wrote about it over at the NJPP website . In both of th
Beware of Fake Colleges. Learn to Recognize Them. | deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's Blog
Beware of Fake Colleges. Learn to Recognize Them. My seniors are in the process of considering postsecondary education, and given the proliferation of fraudulent sites purporting to offer postsecondary degrees (and the reality that online education is increasingly attractive during a pandemic), it is important for graduates and their parents to know identifiers of potentially fraudulent or other
Register for the California STEAM Symposium + New Off-Site Monitoring Best Practices Fact Sheets - Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education)
Register for the California STEAM Symposium - Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education) #CASTEAM20 Keynote Speakers and Early Registration Prizes Announced! New Off-Site Monitoring Best Practices Fact Sheets - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education) - https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/newoffsitemonfactsheet.asp REDWOOD CITY—Give yourself the gifts of community, inspiration, and revitalization by joining us at this ye
NYC Educator: What Parents Need Now Are Threats, Says Mayor
What Parents Need Now Are Threats, Says Mayor Given that students can't fail, don't have to hand in work, and are given an extra year to catch up on classes, it's odd to see Mayor de Blasio out there making demands of parents. The mayor is eager to get some of his woefully overcrowded schools open five days a week for the 35% of city students who've opted into live education. So he's saying if y

DEC 03

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #46
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Continuous improvement: Rethink how we measure student progress - https://hechingerreport.org/?p=75771 via @hechingerreport Betsy DeVos 'made a mess of the student loan program': potential Biden pick for education secretary - https://money.yahoo.com/heres-what-bidens-possible-education-secretary-pick-plans-to-do-173505627.html on @Yahoo
Nancy MacLean: How the Koch Network Fosters Disinformation | Diane Ravitch's blog
Nancy MacLean: How the Koch Network Fosters Disinformation If you have not read Duke Professor Nancy MacLean’s Democracy in Chains , you should. I reviewed it for the New York Review of Books here. It describes in great detail how the Koch brothers created an academic foundation for their extremist libertarian views. In this paper, MacLean goes into new detail about the workings of the Koch netw
As COVID-19 Continues, Classroom Learning Gaps Between Haves And Haves-Nots Are Getting Wider | HuffPost
As COVID-19 Continues, Classroom Learning Gaps Between Haves And Haves-Nots Are Getting Wider They attend the same schools and have the same teachers, but some kids have started to fall behind their wealthier classmates. As soon as schools reopened in September, it was apparent that the gaps in her son’s classroom between the haves and the have-nots had grown, says parent Amina Scott. Scott susp
Teacher Tom: The Complete Education
The Complete Education We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character -- that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate. The broad education will, therefore, transmit to one not only the accumulated knowledge of the race but also the accumulated experience of soci
Houston: Why HISD Should Have the Best Teachers in the Nation By Now | Diane Ravitch's blog
Houston: Why HISD Should Have the Best Teachers in the Nation By Now Audrey Amrein Beardsley writes here about Houston’s experience with value-added evaluation of its teachers . The Houston Independent School District (HISD) contracted with William Sanders’ SAS to provide a model to calculate the “value-added” of its teachers from 2007-2017. Teachers objected that the method of calculating their
How a soccer club won a $1.2 million grant to open a charter school from DeVos’s Education Department - The Washington Post
How a soccer club won a $1.2 million grant from DeVos’s Education Department to open a charter school Here’s a new, rather remarkable story about charter school grants recently awarded by the Education Department — including one for more than $1 million that went to a soccer club in Pennsylvania that had no experience running a school. This is one of a number of pieces I have run in recent years
CURMUDGUCATION: Election Polling and the Big Standardized Test
Election Polling and the Big Standardized Test From the Washington Post to the Wall Street Journal to the Atlantic and beyond, writers weeks after the election castigating the pollsters for yet another less-than-stellar year. But education writer Larry Ferlazzo moved on to another question—” Could Polling Errors in the 2020 Election Teach Us Something About The Use Of ‘Data’ In Education. ” He’s
Politics in the Zoom Room – Have You Heard
Politics in the Zoom Room The pandemic pivot to online learning has amped up accusations that teachers are indoctrinating students, as parents “see” what their kids are being taught. We talk to teacher Christina Torres about why politics belongs in the classroom now more than ever. And historian Jon Zimmerman walks us through the long tradition of parents pushing back against classroom content –
LESS TEAM FIDELITY AND MORE TEAM WORK WOULD BE WELCOME – Dad Gone Wild
LESS TEAM FIDELITY AND MORE TEAM WORK WOULD BE WELCOME “I’m stuck on this planet with you. And honestly, I’m glad. I’ve been exposed to a lot of awful people in the last few months, but I’ve met so many more that are amazing, thoughtful, generous, and kind. I honestly believe that is the human condition. And if the Carls are testing us, this final test is the hardest to accomplish. If you pay at
Wednesday, December 2, 2020 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 A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/11/this-week-i

DEC 02

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #46
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Master Plan for Early Learning and Care - Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education) - https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr20/yr20rel97.asp Critics fault California's blueprint for early education - Los Angeles Times - https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-01/california-unveiled-a-blueprint-for-the-future-of-early-education-critics-say-its-
Master Plan for Early Learning and Care - Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education)
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Issues Statement Applauding Release of Master Plan for Early Learning and Care SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond issued the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s release of the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care: California for All Kids , a roadmap for building a more equitable, comprehensive early lea
Nobody Should Be Wasting Time Worrying About When to Administer Standardized Tests | janresseger
Nobody Should Be Wasting Time Worrying About When to Administer Standardized Tests Parents, children, teachers, principals, and school superintendents are living through a time of unknowns. COVID-19 is raging across the states with many public schools operating only online. Some public schools, which have been able to open in person or on hybrid schedules, have subsequently been forced to close
Follow these #EdJustice Superstars | Schott Foundation for Public Education
Follow these #EdJustice Superstars It’s that time of the year again... the Schott Foundation’s third annual list of 10 Education Justice Superstars to follow on social media! Spice up your feed with knowledge and inspiration from these influential and energized advocates. They’re leading the way, pushing racial and gender equity, fair funding, community schools, grassroots organizing and other c
The telling things Barack Obama wrote -- and didn’t mention -- about his education policies in new memoir - The Washington Post
The telling things Barack Obama wrote — and didn’t mention — about his education policies in new memoir In his best-selling new book , “A Promised Land,” Barack Obama writes compellingly about his road to the White House and key moments and policies of his first term as president. There’s the Affordable Care Act. The crisis he inherited in the U.S. financial system and his successful efforts to
Community schools are the schools we need now
To the rescue — The schools we need now are community schools When the coronavirus struck, the community-school model showed how quickly families and schools needing extra resources could be helped W hen America’s schools shut down in mid-March as a result of Covid-19 and transitioned to some form of remote learning, the nation’s community schools responded rapidly. That’s because these schools
NewBlackMan (in Exile) TODAY #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER
NewBlackMan (in Exile) NewBlackMan (in Exile) TODAY Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/11/this-week-with-newblackman-in-exile_28.html Michael Eric Dyson's Book, 'Long Time Coming,' Aims To Help America Reckon With Race by Mark Anthony Neal / 13h 'NPR Morning Edition 's Noel King speaks with author Michael Eric Dyson about his new book
Growing Consensus that Young Children Can Safely Return to School | Diane Ravitch's blog
Growing Consensus that Young Children Can Safely Return to School The New York Times reports that scientists are converging on a consensus that it is safe for young children to return to school. After a summer of uncertainty and fear about how schools across the globe would operate in a pandemic, a consensus has emerged in recent months that is becoming policy in more and more districts: In-pers
The “insidious” Betsy DeVos. But what will the Democrats do about student loan debt? – Fred Klonsky
THE “INSIDIOUS” BETSY DEVOS. BUT WHAT WILL THE DEMOCRATS DO ABOUT STUDENT LOAN DEBT? The insidious Betsy and Dick DeVos. Departing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos blasted student debt forgiveness in what was likely her last major policy speech, calling proposals like free college and the cancellation of student loan debt “truly insidious.” “We’ve heard shrill calls to cancel, to forgive, to make
CURMUDGUCATION: Back On The No-Longer-Trailing Pandemic Education Edge: Digging A Ditch
Back On The No-Longer-Trailing Pandemic Education Edge: Digging A Ditch I've been offering updates from my own small town/rural corner of the universe for just one more data point about how various school districts are dealing with pandemic education. We don't all need to write about New York City schools. My region had a decent shot. In a county of 50,000 people, we had a total of 70 cases at t
Teacher Tom: This is What Real Learning Looks Like
This is What Real Learning Looks Like This is the problem with letting dilettantes, even well-intended dilettantes, lead when it comes to education policy. They don't have the experience to recognize what real learning looks like, and since they tend to come from the world of business, they don't trust mere "employees" (teachers), especially if they belong to a union, so they come up with arbitr
Tuesday, December 1, 2020 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 A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/11/this-week-i
Will the Biden Administration Provide Leadership to Address Long School Funding Crisis? | janresseger
Will the Biden Administration Provide Leadership to Address Long School Funding Crisis? Here in Ohio, during the current lame duck session, legislators are considering a new school funding formula. The Cupp-Patterson Fair School Funding Plan has been in the making for almost two years (See here and here .), but even now as the plan comes to a vote before December 31, the end of the current legis
Whatever Happened to the Winnetka Plan? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Whatever Happened to the Winnetka Plan? When and how did the Winnetka Plan begin and grow to become a nationally known lighthouse for Progressivism? A small wealthy suburb of Chicago in the late-19th and early 20th centuries, Winnteka leaders embraced the ideas of John Dewey and the “New Education,” an off-shoot of the then spreading Progressive movement. As the authors of a history of the Winne
Book Launch Event on 12/2 at 5:00 pm ET for “Black Lives Matter at School: An Uprising for Educational Justice”–Register NOW! – I AM AN EDUCATOR
Book Launch Event on 12/2 at 5:00 pm ET for “Black Lives Matter at School: An Uprising for Educational Justice”–Register Today! – I AM AN EDUCATOR Book Launch Event on 12/2 at 5:00 pm ET for “Black Lives Matter at School: An Uprising for Educational Justice”–Register NOW! Dear readers, I am writing to invite you to the book launch event for the new book I co-edited with Denisha Jones, Black Lives
Third-Grade Punishment Laws – Revisited | Live Long and Prosper
Third-Grade Punishment Laws – Revisited ONE SIZE FITS SOME A post on Diane Ravitch’s blog has raised the topic of grade retention. Laura Chapman: Who Is Behind the “Read by Third Grade or Be Retained” Campaign? There is a national read-by-grade three campaign. The practice of holding students back a grade is not new, but in the olden days it was never based on test scores alone and certainly not

DEC 01

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #46
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES DeSantis says no new lockdowns, mask mandates or any other anti-COVID-19 measure in Florida - Orlando Sentinel - https://www.orlandosentinel.com/politics/os-ne-ron-desantis-kissimmee-news-conference-20201130-liy73dz2hvh2rl6fhj2izx55hu-story.html#new_tab via @orlandosentinel Atlanta schools will allow ‘Spider-Man’ actors inside before st
RANDI WEINGARTEN: A blueprint to safely open schools | TheHill
A blueprint to safely open schools | TheHill A blueprint to safely open schools The United States has the sad distinction of having the most confirmed coronavirus cases and death in the world, which has kept many schools shuttered for instruction in person. Parents and educators know that our children do best at schools, where they can get support, and they worry that the lack of learning in pers
How to Assign Writing When You Don’t Teach Writing – radical eyes for equity
How to Assign Writing When You Don’t Teach Writing Over a decade ago, my university transitioned from an English Department-based composition sequence (often designated as ENG 101 and ENG 102 in many universities) to a first-year seminar format that would be staffed across all departments. This change, of course, meant that many professors with no background or training in how to teach writing w
Joe Biden reportedly to be tough on charter schools
Joe Biden reportedly to be tough on charter schools Charter school advocates may not have an ally in President-elect Joe Biden or his Education Department. “He has been working closely with us over these last few months to listen and understand what the issues are that we are facing in this moment. We know we have a partner,” Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, the na
‘Black Lives Matter at School’ — a new book on anti-racist work in education - The Washington Post
'Black Lives Matter at School’ — a new book on anti-racist work in education To the Black children of the future who will one day all be taught the epic story of how Black people finally got free, and who will grow up knowing that their lives matter at school — and everywhere else. That’s the dedication to a new book, “ Black Lives Matter at School: An Uprising for Educational Justice ,” which s
Andrea Gabor: We Need Civics Education! | Diane Ravitch's blog
Andrea Gabor: We Need Civics Education! Andrea Gabor, the Bloomberg Professor of Business Journalism at Baruch College of the City University of New York, writes here about the importance of civics education , especially in a time when democracy is under attack by a defeated president and the leadership of the Republican Party. Put Civics Back in the Classroom, Right Now Has there ever been a be
KATY MURPHY - California families sue state over distance learning inequities - POLITICO
California families sue state over distance learning inequities California families sue state over distance learning inequities SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Seven families took California to court Monday, accusing the state of failing to ensure "basic educational equality" during a prolonged period of remote learning brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. The plaintiffs say the state isn't providing the eq
A Former Principal, Jamaal Bowman Has A List Of Names For Joe Biden’s Education Secretary | HuffPost
A Former Principal, Jamaal Bowman Has A List Of Names For Joe Biden’s Education Secretary The incoming New York congressman named Randi Weingarten, Dr. Betty Rosa and Freeman Hrabowski as possibilities to head the Department of Education. Before he ousted longtime Democrat Rep. Eliot Engel in a stunning primary win earlier this year, Representative-elect Jamaal Bowman was a public middle school
Teacher Tom: "Now Eat Your Food"
"Now Eat Your Food" The two-year-old said to me, "If you eat this food you can have some ice cream." She placed a plate in front of me on which she had positioned a glob of purple play dough. I said, "What is it?" "It's healthy food." "What kind of healthy food." "You just have to eat it." "I'll need a fork." "I'll get one for you, Teacher Tom." She dug around on the shelf until she found a plas
NAEP 2021 Has Been Canceled. State Tests Should Also Be Canceled. | Diane Ravitch's blog
NAEP 2021 Has Been Canceled. State Tests Should Also Be Canceled. The accountability hawks have decided that NAEP testing must be canceled this spring because of the pandemic, but the burdensome, useless, meaningless annual testing of every single student from grades 3-8 should not be disrupted. Betsy DeVos proposed canceling NAEP, and the director of the National Center for Education Statistics
Waiting for the Secretary of Education. – Fred Klonsky
WAITING FOR THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION. Arne Duncan tweets like he never had the job. It was disturbing to read the Arne Duncan tweet yesterday. Although it was classic Arne, including words like “rigor” and “successful teachers,” without ever having to define what that all means. When Arne was Obama’s Secretary of Education it was all about accountability as a race to the top, measured by test
CURMUDGUCATION: Is This How Post-pandemic Ed Tech Will Be Different
Is This How Post-pandemic Ed Tech Will Be Different Andreesen Horowitz is a silicon valley venture capitalist investment firm looking to strike it rich in the ed tech world. That is more than enough reason to distrust them ( here's just one article laying out how vc firms --particularly tech ones--are wrecking our world). But they want to play in the ed tech sandbox, which is another reason. But
CDFA Seeking Public Comment on Farm to School RFA - USDA Proposed Rule on Meal Flexibilities - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education)
CDFA Seeking Public Comment on Farm to School RFA - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education) CDFA Seeking Public Comment on Farm to School RFA USDA Proposed Rule on Meal Flexibilities - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education) - https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/usdaproposedrulemealflex.asp The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Office of Farm to Fork (F2F) is now seeking public comments regarding t
Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007
A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/11/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_28.html New Data Suggests That Most Students Weren’t Hurt Badly By
Louisiana Educator: Why Distance Learning Will Always be Just a Supplement to Classroom Learning
Why Distance Learning Will Always be Just a Supplement to Classroom Learning The Covid-19 pandemic shutdowns have destroyed a major myth upon which some of the recent attempted reforms to public education are based. The myth is that classroom teachers can be replaced with remote/distance learning. One of the leading promoters of this myth is former Florida governor Jeb Bush. Bush has proposed th
IMPOSSIBLE ENDEAVORS – Dad Gone Wild
IMPOSSIBLE ENDEAVORS “God and the Soldier all men adore, In time of trouble and no more, For when war is over And all thing righted, God is neglected, And the Old Soldier slighted.” ― Jan Morris, Pax Britannica: Climax of an Empire If you are a Metro Nashville Public Schools parent, this week presents quite the quandary – to spend next semester going virtual or send your child back into a school
JENNIFER BERKSHIRE - JACK SCHNEIDER | How Betsy DeVos Has Influenced Education Policy's Future - The New York Times
Opinion | How Betsy DeVos Has Influenced Education Policy's Future - The New York Times Trump’s Longest-Serving Cabinet Official May Start a Revolution Betsy DeVos’s assault on public education has provided a chance for major policy renewal. Measured solely by policy accomplishments, Donald Trump’s longest-serving cabinet official, Betsy DeVos, was a flop in her four years as secretary of educati

NOV 30

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #46
THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Montgomery County parents stage another COVID-19 school-closing protest, this time with a road rally - https://www.inquirer.com/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-covid-montgomery-county-schools-closing-protest-20201129.html#new_tab via @PhillyInquirer Reopening Whiplash in New York City - The New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/30/us/reopening-
Helping Black Students Shine
Helping Black Students Shine by Ernie McCray Lately I’ve been thinking of Black kids, Black students, specifically. Thinking of all the teachable moments out in the universe that I would call on to help them shine if I were in the classroom during these times. And the first thought that came to mind is I would turn them on to what it means to be Black at this very time. We’d talk about what we’d
Reopening Whiplash in New York City - The New York Times
Reopening Whiplash in New York City Schools will reopen as abruptly as they closed — but only for some. Parents, teachers and children had only a few days to get used to the nation’s biggest school district shutting classrooms before Mayor Bill de Blasio announced another plot twist on Sunday: Students in pre-K and elementary school would return to school after all , starting on Dec. 7. But — an
OPINION: What math class and police brutality have in common
What math class and police brutality have in common An obsession with rule-following cuts short Black students’ opportunities Last May, a 15-year-old Black girl in Michigan known only by her middle name, Grace, was put in juvenile detention for not completing her homework. Teens not turning in their homework is hardly an anomaly. Other teens are scolded, lose marks or, at worst, get detention fo
Teaching in the Pandemic: ‘This Is Not Sustainable’ - The New York Times
Teaching in the Pandemic: ‘This Is Not Sustainable’ Teacher burnout could erode instructional quality, stymie working parents and hinder the reopening of the economy. At Farmington Central Junior High in rural Illinois, classes still start at 8 a.m. But that’s about the only part of the school day that has not changed for Caitlyn Clayton, an eighth-grade English teacher tirelessly toggling betwe
Teacher Tom: Talking to Children About the Pandemic and Everything
Talking to Children About the Pandemic and Everything In a recent interview in The New York Times Magazine , children's book author Mo Willems was asked if he had any advice for parents struggling to talk with their children about difficult things, like the pandemic. "Probably the most fundamental insight is that even a good childhood is difficult: You're powerless; the furniture is not made you
Making the Transition from Writing in High School to Writing in College – radical eyes for equity
Making the Transition from Writing in High School to Writing in College Three behaviors have over the course of about 40 years come to constitute a significant percentage of who I am—writing, teaching, and cycling. Of those three, I have received the most formal education in teaching, completing all three of my degrees (BA, MEd, EdD) in education; in many ways, I am self-taught as a writer and a
CURMUDGUCATION: Donors Choose Monday: Expanding the Library
Donors Choose Monday: Expanding the Library This week's project is exactly the sort of thing that shouldn't be on donors choose. Mrs. Gibson is an elementary teacher in South Carolina, and she's looking to expand her classroom library. My students are living in a low income area where literacy is our focus in order to meet the needs they may not be receiving at home. My focus is to bring in book
Grassroots Education Network- November 2020 Newsletter - Network For Public Education
Grassroots Education Network- November 2020 Newsletter The NPE Grassroots Education Network is a network of over 155 grassroots organizations nationwide who have joined together to preserve, promote, improve, and strengthen our public schools. If you know of a group that would like to join this powerful network, please go here to sign on. If you have any questions about the NPE Grassroots Educat
Nobody Should Be Wasting Time Worrying About When to Administer Standardized Tests | janresseger
Nobody Should Be Wasting Time Worrying About When to Administer Standardized Tests Parents, children, teachers, principals, and school superintendents are living through a time of unknowns. COVID-19 is raging across the states with many public schools operating only online. Some public schools, which have been able to open in person or on hybrid schedules, have subsequently been forced to close
Virtual Charter Schools Are Booming, Despite A Checkered Reputation | 89.3 KPCC
Virtual Charter Schools Are Booming, Despite A Checkered Reputation Parent Mandii Brower vividly remembers what it was like when her kids' school in Yukon, Okla., switched to distance learning in the spring: "It was just like, we never learned with our teachers again. They never checked on things again." She says "school" consisted of just a few short daily assignments. "I [couldn't] see my kids
A VERY BUSY DAY 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 Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/11/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_28.html “This Is Not Sustainable”: Important NY Times Article About Teachers’ Str
CURMUDGUCATION: The 2020 Edubook Christmas List
The 2020 Edubook Christmas List Time to go hunting for books for the people on your Christmas list, and I have some recommendations for you if there are people on your list who care about public education (and really, everybody should). Before we start shopping, let me also direct your attention to Bookshop.org , an online vendor set up to benefit local independent booksellers instead of, say, g
In a twist, de Blasio’s latest screw-up is not his worst | JD2718
In a twist, de Blasio’s latest screw-up is not his worst Over the last nine months Bill de Blasio has gotten a lot wrong. Almost every announcement has been late, off-base, and off kilter. He kept schools open when they should have been closed, he canceled break when students and teachers needed it, he announced policies without consulting teachers, families, principals, he came up with half-ass
NYC Educator: The Chancellor Reveals His Re-opening Plan
The Chancellor Reveals His Re-opening Plan Dear Colleagues, I hope you had a restful Thanksgiving holiday this year. You’ll need it, because I’m about to arbitrarily and capriciously change my reopening plan, again, with no consultation whatsoever with your union. This has been an eventful and challenging year on many levels. We’ve managed to double the infection rate in the city. Worse, parents

NOV 29

Reclaiming the Field | The Merrow Report
Reclaiming the Field I know that I interviewed hundreds of future Trump supporters during my 41 years of reporting on public education for PBS and NPR. I’m also pretty sure that I taught some of them in high school 55 years ago. Joey L. is a case in point. Joey was a junior back in 1966 when he was in my English class, so he would be about 70 years old today. Back then most public schools (inclu
CATCH UP WITH CURMUDGUCATION + ICYMI: Long Weekend Edition (11/29)
CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Long Weekend Edition (11/29) Long Weekend Edition (11/29) Thanksgiving was not so bad at our house; the board of directors had a lovely time and I was able to talk to both grown children. So we'll call it a win. In the meantime, people keep writing stuff and I have some of it here for you to read. How a Bad Bill Becomes a Bad Law Sharon Murchie is an English teacher in Mich
CommonWealth Magazine
In-person learning now considered ‘high risk’ by CDC Change in guideline quietly made on agency website THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL and Prevention quietly removed controversial guidelines from its website promoting in-person learning in schools, and instead is now listing it as “high risk. The disputed guidance was composed of documents written by political appointees outside of the agency.
A Week in the Life of a Baltimore School Returning to In-Person Classes (Erica Green) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
A Week in the Life of a Baltimore School Returning to In-Person Classes (Erica Green) New York Times Journalist Erica Green spent a week in a Baltimore school where in-person instruction resumed. It is rare to get such a peek inside a big city district school during the pandemic–nearly all large urban districts are shuttered and rely upon remote instruction. This article appeared November 28, 20
Choosing Democracy: Its Over: Democracy Won !
Its Over: Democracy Won ! We want to thank the many people who helped us avoid a catastrophic coup. It looks like the worst may be over. Monday likely was decisive. Trump was handed another legal slapdown in his effort to disenfranchise millions of confirmed voters with evidence-free claims. Local organizing in Michigan pushed-back against wayward electorates — ending with Michigan officially ce

NOV 28

TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 11/28/20 #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDOUTBREAK #BIDENWINS #46
Big Education Ape TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 11/28/20 ‘Slaying Goliath’: Diane Ravitch argues in new book that public education advocates have beat back efforts to privatize schools - The Washington Post The real story of New Orleans and its charter schools - The Washington Post TOP POSTS THIS 

Big Education Ape