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Saturday, March 7, 2020

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POSTS THIS WEEK 3/7/20

TODAY

The Truth Behind Go Public Schools Corporate Connections

by Mike Simpson / now
The Truth Behind Go Public Schools Corporate Connections Public education is no stranger to the corporate forces that rule and orchestrate their control and assault on it. It is not only detrimental to the entire system. The corporate forces realize this and of course, they are not stupid. They realize that their procedure of divide and conquer was backfiring at them cohesively. It was breaking
Betsy DeVos’s problem with numbers - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 42min
Betsy DeVos’s problem with numbers Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has a problem with numbers. As in, she sometimes cites numbers that just aren’t accurate. DeVos, of course, is hardly the only government official to cite inaccurate numbers to make a point, but that’s no reason not to point it out when she does — and she did during two appearances in the last week before congressional committees
Education Votes: Featured Headlines Get the latest education news

by Mike Simpson / 51min
Home - Education Votes Education Votes Featured Headlines Get the latest education news Six reasons we must address our nation’s crumbling school buildings by Amanda Menas / 19h By Amanda Menas / Photo: NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia at the Rayburn Building Too many students and educators across the country learn and work in crumbling schools. In California, one teacher reported that students
The Virus that Ate My Field Trip | Teacher in a strange land

by Mike Simpson / 1h
The Virus that Ate My Field Trip For more than a dozen years, I took my 8 th grade bands on an extensive field trip, near the end of the school year. The trips were always out-of-state (or out of the country), involving two or three nights in a hotel, plus a symphony performance, cultural experiences like museums, university-based skills clinics, plays and musicals, a formal, white-tablecloth di
Jennifer C. Berkshire: Trump’s Education Policy Is an Opportunity for Democrats | The Nation

by Mike Simpson / 1h
Trump’s Education Policy Is an Opportunity for Democrats | The Nation Trump’s Education Policy Is an Opportunity for Democrats Republicans are running away from Betsy DeVos’s “education freedom” agenda as fast as they can. So why haven’t Democrats noticed? Keller, Texas —On the same night that President Trump invoked the specter of “failing government schools” in his State of the Union address, T
Protect The Tax-Payer’s Revolution – Los Angeles Education Examiner

by Mike Simpson / 2h
Protect The Tax-Payer’s Revolution Here in L.A., we’ve just finished weighing in on two ballot questions regarding schools funding. Really engaged activists and politicians will argue the initiatives we voted on are unrelated, both the two just addressed and another coming up. But many of us see a set of connected dots in a three-part series: Measure EE [June 2019], Proposition 13 [2020 ], Schoo
Bernie Sanders Would Be the First Jewish President – What That Means to Me | gadflyonthewallblog

by Mike Simpson / 2h
Bernie Sanders Would Be the First Jewish President – What That Means to Me Being Jewish is not something I advertise. Some of my earliest memories are trying to explain to school friends that no, I didn’t kill Jesus – and, yes, I do eat matzo but it isn’t made with baby’s blood – and would they like to come over to my house and play Legos? I’ve been called “yid,” “kike,” “heeb,” even just plain
CURMUDGUCATION: The Complexity of Performance Tasks

by Mike Simpson / 3h
The Complexity of Performance Tasks It's spring musical season here in NW PA, and I am back in a small way playing in the pit orchestra for a production of Seussical being put as a co-op between my old school and a neighboring high school. This is an annual enterprise I was part of for years. I've been doing school and community theater in a variety of capacities for almost forty years now, and
Coronavirus Guidance Update - Letters (CA Dept of Education)

by Mike Simpson / 3h
Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, and Principals: 2019 Novel Coronavirus Guidance Update for Schools and School Districts We understand that some Californians may be concerned about novel coronavirus (COVID-19), as it is a new virus and there are a lot of unknowns. The health risk to the general public in California remains low at this time, however, Califo
Our Right to Resources - Public Advocates

by Mike Simpson / 3h
School Districts are Cheating Students to Fund Law Enforcement Our Right to Resources - Public Advocates We have uncovered rampant and illegal misspending by school districts on law enforcement throughout Southern California. In a report released on March 5, 2020, titled “Our Right to Resources: School Districts are Cheating Students to Fund Law Enforcement,” 56 districts were found to have ille
Going Off the Grid…but First… | The Merrow Report

by Mike Simpson / 3h
Going Off the Grid…but First… Before I go off the grid for ten days to go kayaking in the Sea of Cortez, I am asking a favor. If you believe that students deserve challenging educational opportunities, and if you believe that the most important question an educator can ask is ‘ How Is This Child Intelligent?’ (instead of ‘How smart is this kid?’), then please share these five links with everyone
Catch Up With Newblackman (In Exile)

by Mike Simpson / 4h
NewBlackMan (in Exile) James McBride's Advice For New Writers: 'A Simple Story Is The Best Story by Mark Anthony Neal / 5d "In the real world, villains too often succeed and heroes, too often die," says writer James McBride — and that's one of the great things about being novelist. "In novels you can move matters around ... you get to show the best side of people. You get to show redemption, and
THIS WEEK Education Research Report

by Mike Simpson / 4h
Education Research Report Changes in Student-Teacher Developmental Relationships andl Students’ Motivation by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 21h Student-teacher relationships that improve over time may help slow or prevent declines in student motivation. In a diverse sample of 1,274 middle and high school students from three schools, this mixed-methods study found that those who improved in developmental
This Week With Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007

by Mike Simpson / 4h
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 More Tools & Resources To Help With Online Learning If Schools Are Closed by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h geralt / Pixabay Here are new additions to The Best Advice On Teaching K-12 Online (If We Have To
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 Slaying Goliath The Passionate Resistance to Privatization and the Fight to Save America's Public Schools CLICK HERE TO Order NOW Tom Ultican Loved This Book, and He Thinks You Will Too by dianeravitch / 56min Tom Ultican loved Katherine Stewart’

YESTERDAY

Oakland school board votes $18.8 million in cuts, up to 100 layoffs; hears pleas to cut police force | EdSource

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Oakland school board votes $18.8 million in cuts, up to 100 layoffs; hears pleas to cut police force The board wants a September report on how cutting police would impact safety for students and staff. he Oakland School District is prepared to cut its workforce by up to 100 workers starting July 1 and may consider eliminating its police force in the future. Both issues came before the school boa
Superintendents Are Bracing for AB 5’s Impact in Schools - Voice of San Diego

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Superintendents Are Bracing for AB 5’s Impact in Schools School superintendents are the latest to wonder how the new law could affect their business model. Some local districts employ workers ranging from coaches to arts instructors to nurses on a contract basis. Industries across the state are scrambling to understand how they will be affected by AB 5, the new state law limiting the use of inde
What Should Schools Do To Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Illnesses? - NEA Today

by Mike Simpson / 1d
What Should Schools Do To Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Illnesses? Schools should review and continue to implement comprehensive cleaning and infection control plans (ICP). ICPs present a clear protocol for routine cleaning, sanitizing, and targeted disinfecting, including steps to take in the event of an infectious disease outbreak. Custodial and maintenance staff should
As coronavirus spreads, there’s a big shortage of school nurses - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 1d
As coronavirus spreads, there’s a big shortage of school nurses The Sacramento City Unified School District recently sent a newsletter to families about the novel coronavirus that is spreading around the world — it’s already in Sacramento — to explain the measures the school system is taking to protect students, teachers and others. The first point of action was this: “School Nurses are advising
Why Didn’t Elizabeth Warren Make It to the End? | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Why Didn’t Elizabeth Warren Make It to the End? Paul Waldman of the Washington Post chalks it up to sexism, although it’s possible that there was not enough space for two progressives in the race. I met Senator Warren about five years ago and we spent half an hour talking. She listened, which is rare. I thought she was the smartest elected official I had ever met. https://www.washingtonpost.com/
How Can We Improve Equity in America’s K-12 Education System? - LA Progressive

by Mike Simpson / 1d
How Can We Improve Equity in America’s K-12 Education System? - LA Progressive How Can We Improve Equity in America’s K-12 Education System? Racial and socioeconomic disparities continue to create challenges for educators across America. You can almost guess the test scores of a school by its zip code. As income inequality continues to soar, what can administrators and teachers do to increase equ
Schools Alone Cannot Save Children from Economic Inequality. Public Policy Must Assist Families in Deep Poverty | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Schools Alone Cannot Save Children from Economic Inequality. Public Policy Must Assist Families in Deep Poverty Public policy can ameliorate child poverty without being revolutionary. However, programs need to be redesigned and targeted to alleviate instability, privation and misery for the more than 2 million children living in America’s poorest families. Child poverty overall was reduced in th
Best Teacher Activists Candidates For OEA Elections

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Best Teacher Activists Candidates For OEA Elections There are many active teachers who work tremendously to improve the overall public education system across United States of America. So, in this article, you will meet all the famous teacher activists candidates who we think are eligible for OEA elections: Vote for Perry Bellow – Handleman for the OEA Secretary She is a teacher for the 5th year
Final Office Hours* | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Final Office Hours* By the end of June, I have to move out of my office in Cubberley. I retired from the Graduate School of Education in 2001 and since then GSE has allotted offices in one of the two education buildings on campus to retired professors who, like myself, are located in Cubberley (named after a long-tenured dean and benefactor). I see occasional students, use the library located on
Indiana Set to End Test Scores as a Mandatory Part of Teacher Evaluations | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Indiana Set to End Test Scores as a Mandatory Part of Teacher Evaluations The idea of using student test scores to measure teachers is ridiculous. Testing companies know as much; that is why no testing company dares advertise its standardized tests as suitable for measuring anything other than the aptitude or achievement of the individual completing the test. Even so, the life blood of so-called
CURMUDGUCATION: Schneider's Indispensable Guide To Research

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Schneider's Indispensable Guide To Research I call her the indispensable Mercedes Schneider. When I entered the blogosphere, hers was one of the first names I learned, because I kept coming back to her blog to get the information that wasn't anywhere else. I have (I hear) a reputation for cranking out a lot of writing, but Schneider posts almost daily, writes books, and carries a full time teach
Amazing hearings on Friday & next steps to help us achieve smaller classes for NYC kids | Class Size Matters

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Amazing hearings on Friday & next steps to help us achieve smaller classes for NYC kids The class size hearings at City Hall on Friday were so overcrowded that it was standing room only. Sadly, many people weren’t allowed in the room, and many left before speaking. Among those educators, parents, students and advocates who managed to speak, many gave tremendously stirring testimony about how muc

MAR 05

CURMUDGUCATION: New Book Argues Christian Right Worships Power

by Mike Simpson / 1d
New Book Argues Christian Right Worships Power Katherine Stewart is an author and journalist who specializes in issues surrounding te separation of church and state. She has a new book coming out-- The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism , and a recent interview at Salon captures some of the highlights. It's always interesting to see what happens when someone wh
LA school board early results show win for union opposed to charters - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 2d
Good news likely for union opposing charters in L.A. school board vote This is an update to a story I posted last weekend about crucial school board races in Los Angeles, the country’s second-largest school district. Four of the seven seats on the Board of Education of the Los Angeles Unified School District were on Tuesday’s ballot. The key issue in the races: charter schools — and whether vote
It's Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... A VERY BUSY DAY | The latest news and resources in education since 2007

by Mike Simpson / 2d
Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 It's Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... A VERY BUSY DAY The latest news and resources in education since 2007 TIME Features “100 Women Of The Year” by Larry Ferlazzo / 6h tiburi / Pixabay TIME Magazine has published a new feature called 100 Women of the Year . It includes articles about, and image
CLASS SIZE MATTERS THE TESTIMONY BINGE-WATCH - NYC Public School Parents

by Mike Simpson / 2d
NYC Public School Parents CLASS SIZE MATTERS THE TESTIMONY BINGE-WATCH Curtis D. Young on how large classes contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline by Leonie Haimson / 21h Curtis D. Young, a member of CB12 Youth and Education Committee and the Executive Director of a juvenile justice nonprofit, testifies at the Class Size Hearings on Feb. 28 about how large classes in NYC schools contribute t
On Super Tuesday, the LA Teachers’ Strike Paid Off Again

by Mike Simpson / 2d
On Super Tuesday, the LA Teachers’ Strike Paid Off Again Last January’s Los Angeles teachers’ strike saw some 30,000 educators walk out of the classroom in the nation’s second-largest school district and return six days later with a new contract. The teachers fought not only for wage increases but broadened their demands to include schooling conditions for the district’s more than 500,000 studen
The National Reading Panel: Still Misrepresented After All These Years | Live Long and Prosper

by Mike Simpson / 2d
The National Reading Panel: Still Misrepresented After All These Years THE “READING WARS” AND THE NATIONAL READING PANEL Jay Matthews is a long-time education writer for the Washington Post. Matthews has written about education for years though he has no training or experience in education other than as a student ( BA in government, Harvard University, MA in East Asian regional studies ). To be
Keith E. Benson: What Reformers Are Really Doing in Camden and Other Urban Districts | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 2d
Keith E. Benson: What Reformers Are Really Doing in Camden and Other Urban Districts Keith E. Benson is president of the Camden (New Jersey) Education Association. In his view, the underlying goal of the charter industry is gentrification , and he worries about its long-term implications for his community and its families. He writes: Admittedly [my] fight for Camden’s public schools is personal.
Dewey Academy in Danger of Displacement: Gentrification and the Oakland Unified School District

by Mike Simpson / 2d
Dewey Academy in Danger of Displacement: Gentrification and the Oakland Unified School District The Gentrification of Oakland Unified School District & The Precarious Position of Dewey Academy Gentrification is a long-standing process that targets the lower waged group to displace, dislocate, and disperse in favor of the higher income community. Gentrification has been a reality in the bay area
The Blame Game: 100 Years of Teacher Bashing – Have You Heard

by Mike Simpson / 2d
The Blame Game: 100 Years of Teacher Bashing Blaming teachers for the woes of US public schools and beyond is as old a pastime as public education itself. Historian Diana D’Amico Pawlewicz takes us through 100 years of teacher blaming and the love-hate relationship the US has with its teachers. You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! You’ll want to pre-order her book, Blaming Teachers: Professionalization Pol
Louisiana Educator: Almost Everything Recently Done in the Name of Education Reform Has Backfired

by Mike Simpson / 2d
Almost Everything Recently Done in the Name of Education Reform Has Backfired Here is an article informing us that the reduction of recess time so that children could spend more time being drilled for the almighty standardized tests has actually resulted in lower test performance! How can that be? Why isn't constant drilling on test taking skills at the expense of recess, PE, art, music, vocatio
The Politics of Capitalism in Trumplandia – radical eyes for equity

by Mike Simpson / 2d
The Politics of Capitalism in Trumplandia In the idealism of youth, I came to believe deeply in the power of education to transform not only individuals ( as it had done for me ) but also society. More than a decade before I discovered my intellectual home, critical pedagogy, I was compelled by John Dewey’s philosophy of education, democracy, and their relationship . This idealism was tinted wit
Election Analysis: Mixed Results and There’s a Lot of Work Ahead – Los Angeles Education Examiner

by Mike Simpson / 2d
Election Analysis: Mixed Results and There’s a Lot of Work Ahead As the election results rolled in last night, much of the media focused on the drama in the Democratic Presidential Primary. But a lot happened in local races as well. The battle over whether or not the Los Angeles Unified School Board is controlled by supporters of public education and the UTLA or “school choice” and unfettered ch
CURMUDGUCATION: IN: Child Labor Is Fun

by Mike Simpson / 2d
IN: Child Labor Is Fun Some legislators in Indiana are boldly taking on one of the great problems of their state-- too many restrictions on child labor. The bill intends, among other things, to do away with the requirement for student work permits for teens. Because the fact that a teenager is flunking high school should not stand in his way when it comes to serving as a useful meat widget for e

MAR 04

Curmudgucation On A Roll Today

by Mike Simpson / 3d
CURMUDGUCATION IN: Child Labor Is Fun by Peter Greene / 48min Some legislators in Indiana are boldly taking on one of the great problems of their state-- too many restrictions on child labor. The bill intends, among other things, to do away with the requirement for student work permits for teens. Because the fact that a teenager is flunking high school should not stand in his way when it comes t
Mitchell Robinson: Healthcare: A Love/Hate Story… | Eclectablog

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Healthcare: A Love/Hate Story… | Eclectablog Healthcare: A Love/Hate Story… Amid all the murky and dramatic national conversations about the disaster that is our current healthcare system, one sometimes stumbles upon a moment of potential clarity. This is one of those moments… At a social event the other night, I met a person who worked for a large regional health insurance company. The conversat
5 Reasons Betsy DeVos is Bad for Public Schools - Education Votes

by Mike Simpson / 3d
5 Reasons Betsy DeVos is Bad for Public Schools By Amanda Menas Over the two years since Betsy DeVos was confirmed as President Trump’s secretary of education, she has worked against the best interests of public schools. From proposing funding cuts to promoting privatization to rolling back protections for vulnerable children, she has ignored the voices of educators across the country about what
Education Research Report TODAY: Number of Student Data Breaches, Ransomware Attacks Nearly Triple in Last Year

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Education Research Report: Number of Student Data Breaches, Ransomware Attacks Nearly Triple in Last Year Number of Student Data Breaches, Ransomware Attacks Nearly Triple in Last Year Complete report There was a sharp rise in the frequency of cyber incidents affecting public school districts across the U.S. in 2019, according to new research conducted by the K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center. A
Seattle's highly capable program need to be integrated

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Don’t get rid of gifted and talented programs in the name of integration. Integrate them. Seattle Public Schools is one of several districts looking to dismantle gifted and talented programs as a way to end racial segregation within schools, but will the solution hurt more kids than it helps? The Seattle School Board is taking steps to dismantle a gifted and talented program at one of its middle
2020 L.A. County election results: LAUSD school board - Los Angeles Times

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Results unclear in union-versus-charter contests for L.A. school board In early results Tuesday night, Jackie Goldberg had a comfortable lead in her bid to remain on the Los Angeles Board of Education. Results in two other competitive contests were tighter, following campaigns marked by big spending from outside interests and negative, frequently inaccurate mailers against some of the candidates
Ed Notes Online: WE Caucus makes inroads in Philadelphia Teacher Union Election Against President Jordan but the AFT Machine Still Prevails with big majority

by Mike Simpson / 3d
WE Caucus makes inroads in Philadelphia Teacher Union Election Against President Jordan but the AFT Machine Still Prevails with big majority Longtime teachers’ union president Jerry Jordan will hold on to his leadership post after fending off a challenge from an increasingly vocal and consequential caucus within the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers... Philadelphia Inquirer The trend within te
Mercedes Schneider Has Written a New Book! | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Mercedes Schneider Has Written a New Book! As every reader of this blog knows, Mercedes Schneider is a relentless, dogged, and accurate researcher. She has the skills to dig through IRS reports and other online data that connect the dots and reveal how big money and Dark Money are controlling organizations and elections, thus endangering our democracy. In addition to teaching high school English
CURMUDGUCATION: NWEA Offers More Testing Baloney

by Mike Simpson / 3d
NWEA Offers More Testing Baloney When a system doesn't work, you have a couple of choices-- you can address the problems that are causing failure, or you can insist that the original system is super-duper and start imposing new rules to try to work around the flaws in your original system. Like the latch that doesn't work properly, but instead of fixing the latch, you just teach everybody to lif
John Thompson: How the Billionaire Boys (and Girls) Club Ravaged America’s Public Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 3d
John Thompson: How the Billionaire Boys (and Girls) Club Ravaged America’s Public Schools John Thompson is a historian and a retired teacher in Oklahoma. This article appeared originally in the Oklahoma Observer. How the Billionaire Boys Club Ravaged America’s Public Schools SLAYING GOLIATH The Passionate Resistance To Privatization And The Right to Save America’s Public Schools Diane Ravitch st
Bloomberg Has Years of Experience Trying to Buy Elections. This Time He Isn’t Succeeding. | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Bloomberg Has Years of Experience Trying to Buy Elections. This Time He Isn’t Succeeding. Mike Bloomberg has spent nearly half a billion dollars to try to buy the presidency. But after yesterday—Super Tuesday, when fourteen states voted—it doesn’t look as though he’s going to be able to realize his investment by becoming the candidate of the Democratic Party. I have really just begun to think se
Project-Based Learning, the final chapter | The Merrow Report

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Project-Based Learning, the final chapter At its most basic, education is about ownership. Students are not just studying History or algebra. They are engaged in ‘building a self,’ which is the only company they will have for the rest of their lives. The ‘self’ that each individual student is building (with our help) must include more than test-taking, listening to lectures, and spitting back wh
Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Health Services & School Nursing (CA Dept of Education)

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information and resources regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) and California's response. The California Department of Education is monitoring the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and working closely with agency partners. Local educational agencies (LEAs) are encouraged to follow California Department of Public Health recommendations. LEAs should identify plans for
How does KIPP charter really treat parents? | Cloaking Inequity

by Mike Simpson / 3d
HOW DOES KIPP CHARTER REALLY TREAT PARENTS? A KIPP parent sent me a disturbing story today! I am more and more convinced that we need a national website like Yelp for charter schools, I was thinking we could call it Chelp.com. It would be a website where parents can do to get help when they run into the charter school buzz saws that I have blogged about often here on Cloaking Inequity. This is n
Must see video: Regent Kathy Cashin and City Council Education chair Mark Treyger on the importance of class size | Class Size Matters

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Must see video: Regent Kathy Cashin and City Council Education chair Mark Treyger on the importance of class size See the video of Regent Kathleen Cashin’s observations about class size which she made during the City Council hearings on Feb. 28 about what happened when she lowered class size in the District 23 schools when she was Superintendent. As she puts it, when you reduce class size, the “

MAR 03

Top 10 Reasons School Choice Is No Choice | HuffPost

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Top 10 Reasons School Choice Is No Choice In reality, it’s just a scam to make private schools cheaper for rich people. On the surface of it, school choice sounds like a great idea. Parents will get to shop for schools and pick the one that best suits their children. Oh! Look, Honey! This one has an exceptional music program! That one excels in math and science! The drama program at this one is
Shawgi Tell: Charter School Promoters Celebrate Charter School Failure | Dissident Voice

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Charter School Promoters Celebrate Charter School Failure | Dissident Voice Charter School Promoters Celebrate Charter School Failure Even worse than the persistently high failure rate of brick-and-mortar charter schools is the extraordinary failure rate of cyber charter schools year after year. Even the nature and scope of corruption in these deregulated online schools is more troubling than the
Will Los Angeles School Board Race Be Most Expensive in History? | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Will Los Angeles School Board Race Be Most Expensive in History? The usual charter-friendly billionaires a re pouring money into the Los Angeles school board race in hopes of breaking its pro-public education majority and restoring control to the pro-charter faction. The usual suspects are trying to buy the board. With majority control of Los Angeles Unified’s school board hanging in the balance
What schools and teachers should be doing now about coronavirus, according to the experts - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 4d
What schools and teachers should be doing now about coronavirus, according to the experts What should schools, teachers and everyone else on a campus be doing as the new coronavirus continues spreading around the globe, including in the United States? Most patients confirmed to have covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, have had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms including fev
I Belong to the Toothbrush Party, an Offshoot of the Democratic Party | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 4d
I Belong to the Toothbrush Party, an Offshoot of the Democratic Party As most of the readers of this blog know, I don’t endorse candidates in Democratic primaries. Here is where I stand. I read a comment a few weeks on Twitter where someone wrote that he would vote for a toothbrush over Trump. I agreed. I am a member of the Toothbrush Party. I would vote for my beautiful, loving, compassionate m
Time To Vote – Los Angeles Education Examiner

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Time To Vote SuperCaliforniaisticexpialiTuesday is here; it’s finally here. Please don’t embarrass your country or family and fail to turn out. It seems hard to imagine turnout hasn’t been heavy already given the widespread availability of Vote Centers open now for weeks. It seems that everyone has received a postage-paid absentee ballot whether you asked for one or not. Click here to locate you
Whatever Happened to Interactive Whiteboards? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Whatever Happened to Interactive Whiteboards? You cannot eat one potato chip. You have to have more. Technological innovations hyped to transform teaching and learning are like potato chips. No district, no school just buys one. Laptops, tablets, and Interactive whiteboards (IWB) are typical examples. Consider the history of this high-tech classroom device. Beginning in the United Kingdom in the
La. Superintendent Search: 21 Applicants | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 4d
La. Superintendent Search: 21 Applicants From the Associated Press, as published March 02, 2020, Lafourche Parish Daily Comet : BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)– More than 20 people from across the country have applied to be Louisiana’s next state education superintendent, according to the state’s top school board. The 21 applicants include higher education professionals from schools in Louisiana, Texas an
Los Angeles: Teachers v. Billionaires | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Los Angeles: Teachers v. Billionaires MEDIA ADVISORY March 2, 2020 Contact: Anna Bakalis, 213-305-9654 Los Angeles — The stakes are high in the LAUSD School board race to elect Patricia Castellanos in District 7, Scott Schmerelson in District 3, Jackie Goldberg in District 5 and George McKenna in District 1. As of Monday morning, the California Charter Schools Association PAC and billionaires li
Misreading Academia, and Why Education? – radical eyes for equity

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Misreading Academia, and Why Education? While I was teaching high school English in rural South Carolina, I became close friends with a colleague; I was English Department chair and also taught Advanced Placement, and he was the chair of history and also taught A.P. But the strongest bond we shared was our similar life experiences of having been born, raised, and educated in the Deep South. We c
CURMUDGUCATION: Free Market Winners and Losers

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Free Market Winners and Losers One of the foundational arguments of modern ed reform is that free market forces would make education work better, that having to compete would make public and private schools work harder, smarter, better and create a rising tide of educational awesomeness that would lift all boats. This is unlikely for a variety of reasons, but the biggest problem with the free ma
For Many Educators, Crowdfunding for Basic Resources is a "Way of Life"

by Mike Simpson / 4d
For Many Educators, Crowdfunding for Basic Resources is a “Way of Life” We all know about the lengths educators go to make sure their classrooms are stocked with school supplies for their students. They will not hesitate to spend their own money – to the tune of at least $459 every year and not likely to be reimbursed – to purchase everything from pencils, extra notebooks, rulers, even software

MAR 02

"What will it take to fully resource Safe and Supportive Schools in SFUSD?" - SF PUBLIC SCHOOL MOM

by Mike Simpson / 5d
“What will it take to fully resource Safe and Supportive Schools in SFUSD?” More readers weigh in on Restorative Practices… Since I last reblogged a letter (read it in my last post ) I received in response to my questioning of SFUSD staff about the Safe and Supportive Schools Policy at a recent Board Meeting, I have received even more feedback. I really respect the time, thoughtfulness and coura
Sac City Unified Approves Motion To Lay Off More Than 50 Teachers – CBS Sacramento

by Mike Simpson / 5d
Sac City Unified Approves Motion To Lay Off More Than 50 Teachers SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The Sacramento City Unified School District could soon be laying off dozens of teachers. In a Thursday night meeting, the district approved a motion to lay off 82 full-time equivalent positions. Of those positions on the chopping block, 54 are kindergarten to twelfth-grade teachers. Another 24 of those positio
A Visit with the Mother of the Resistance, Karen Lewis | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 5d
A Visit with the Mother of the Resistance, Karen Lewis Last week, I had a whirlwind visit to Chicago to talk about my new book. Fortunately before my flight to Charleston, West Virginia, I had time in the morning to visit Karen Lewis at an assisted living facility where the care is excellent. Karen is a brilliant charismatic woman who taught science in the Chicago public schools for more than 20
TIME: How Michael Bloomberg Undermines Democracy by Big Spending in Local School Board Races | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 5d
TIME: How Michael Bloomberg Undermines Democracy by Big Spending in Local School Board Races One of the themes of my new book SLAYING GOLIATH is that billionaires are disrupting education by buying control of school districts and states. That, in conjunction with the federal government’s mean-spirited and useless mandate for annual standardized testing (no high-performing nation tests every chil
A (Brief) History Of State Takeover Of OUSD

by Mike Simpson / 5d
A (Brief) History Of State Takeover Of OUSD For years, It is no news for residents of Los Angeles’ Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) being an experimental lab for the reformers of the corporate education system in assaulting public education It was at the peak of its trend in 2003 at a crucial point when the OUSD came under the control of the state of California. It was handed over to Los A
Challenges for America’s Forgotten and Overlooked Rural Public Schools | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 5d
Challenges for America’s Forgotten and Overlooked Rural Public Schools Incompetence and bureaucratic rigidity in Betsy DeVos’s U.S. Department of Education is denying the nation’s poorest rural schools the delivery of federal money these districts have already budgeted for essential services. The NY Times ‘ Erica Green reported last week: “More than 800 schools stand to lose thousands of dollars
The City Fund Spending Prolifically to Privatize Public Education | tultican

by Mike Simpson / 5d
The City Fund Spending Prolifically to Privatize Public Education By Thomas Ultican 3/2/2020 The City Fund has joined the Walton Foundation, the Broad Foundation, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) in the upper echelon of spending to privatize public education. (Gates is in a spending zone of his own.) City Fund grants are of the same magnitude as CZI’s and approximately half the size as t
NYC Public School Parents: Testimonies of four mothers, speaking about how their children have been affected by the unacceptably large classes in city schools

by Mike Simpson / 5d
Testimonies of four mothers, speaking about how their children have been affected by the unacceptably large classes in city schools The testimonies of parents, educators and advocates at the class size hearings at City Hall on Friday were so powerful that I am going to post many of them on this blog. Here is video of the proceedings -- nearly six hours. The hearings would have lasted even longer
My Book, A Practical Guide to Digital Research, Is Now Available! | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 5d
My Book, A Practical Guide to Digital Research, Is Now Available! I just received the news in a congratulatory email from Denny Taylor of Garn Press : My latest book, A Practical Guide to Digital Research: Getting the Facts and Rejecting the Lies , is now available for purchase on Amazon . Garn Press will have the book available for purchase on March 03, 2020. About the book: In A Practical Guid
How does the coronavirus and the stock market correction/dip/slide/plunge impact teachers and education? | Ed In The Apple

by Mike Simpson / 5d
How does the coronavirus and the stock market correction/dip/slide/plunge impact teachers and education? The sudden outbreak of the coronavirus reverberated in the stock market. Over the past week the stock market, as measured by the Dow-Jones has taken a hit, meaning a drop of over three thousand points, more than 10%, a drop reminiscent of the beginning of the 2008 recession. The economies of

MAR 01

Was It Yours??? School Boards And Politicians Endorsed By The Billionaires Of The California Charter Schools Association

by Mike Simpson / 5d
2020 Endorsements – California Charter Schools Association Advocates WAS IT YOURS??? SCHOOL BOARDS AND POLITICIANS ENDORSED BY THE BILLIONAIRES OF THE CALIFORNIA CHARTER SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION Candidate State Assembly District Website Megan Dahle AD01 https://www.votemegandahle.com/ James Gallagher AD03 http://www.gallagherforassembly.com/ Cecilia Aguiar-Curry AD04 https://www.ceciliaforassembly.com
NANCY BAILEY: There’s No “Science of Reading” Without School Libraries and Librarians, A Predictor of Student Success

by Mike Simpson / 6d
There’s No “Science of Reading” Without School Libraries and Librarians, A Predictor of Student Success There’s No “Science of Reading” Without School Libraries and Librarians, A Predictor of Student Success The loss of libraries and qualified librarians in the poorest schools has reached a critical mass. Yet those who promote a Science of Reading (SoR), often supporting online reading programs,
CATCH UP WITH CURMUDGUCATION + ICYMI: Making Up My Mind Edition (3/1)

by Mike Simpson / 6d
CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Making Up My Mind Edition (3/1) Making Up My Mind Edition I've held onto the privilege of not having to make up my mind about the Dem race, but more and more I find myself gravitating to Elizabeth Warren. Not perfect, but none of them are. I like her combination of policy, plan and temperament. And the whole smartness thing. Anyway. I figured you were just dying to know. He
Think school board races are sleepy? Not in Los Angeles, where big bucks and attack ads are flying - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 6d
School board races are ho-hum, right? Not in Los Angeles, where big bucks and attack ads are flying If you think local school board races are sleepy electoral exercises, you have not been paying attention to Los Angeles. A majority of seats on the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Board of Education appear on Tuesday’s primary ballot. Millions of dollars in campaign contributions are flowing
Being The Black Male Educator That Students Wish They Had And Know They Need - Philly's 7th Ward

by Mike Simpson / 6d
BEING THE BLACK MALE EDUCATOR THAT STUDENTS WISH THEY HAD AND KNOW THEY NEED Teaching is one of my greatest gifts. Seeing my mother’s life’s work as a teacher in Dekalb County created my blueprint for what the life of a “game-changer” looks like, and the many influential teachers I experienced during my time in Atlanta Public Schools helped me to nurture my own gifts along the way. I DIDN’T REAL
Here's How Schools Are Preparing To Deal With The Coronavirus | HuffPost

by Mike Simpson / 6d
Here’s How Schools Are Preparing To Deal With The Coronavirus Districts across the country are asking how to prevent both the illness and disruptive school closures. As the U.S. braces for a potential outbreak of the coronavirus, schools are grappling with a problem: How do you maintain a safe place for kids to gather and learn when the very act of gathering could make it unsafe? The illness cau
Black Futures Month – Parenting for Liberation

by Mike Simpson / 6d
Parenting for Liberation Black Futures Month Black Futures Month – Parenting for Liberation https://wp.me/p7fXox-1me via @Parenting4Lib At Parenting for Liberation, we believe that to truly manifest the dreams cast in the past, we must celebrate Black Futures—Black children. We launched our Black Futures campaign with a photoshoot in January inviting Black families to share what liberation looks
EdAction in Congress March 1, 2020 - Education Votes

by Mike Simpson / 6d
EdAction in Congress March 1, 2020 Lawmakers grill DeVos about 2021 budget proposal House appropriators grilled Education Secretary Betsy DeVos at a contentious Feb. 27 hearing. The Trump/DeVos budget proposal for fiscal year 2021, released earlier this month, would slash education funding by $6.1 billion—8.4 percent—compared to the amount Congress provided this year, which included significant
Tennessee: Parents and Advocates Will Hold Press Briefing Against Vouchers | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 6d
Tennessee: Parents and Advocates Will Hold Press Briefing Against Vouchers Last year,Tennessee passed a voucher bill targeting only two urban districts, despite the fact that their legislators opposed it. The controversial bill passed by one vote, and the vote was delayed for last-minute arm twisting. Parents from the affected districts are holding a press briefing tomorrow along with civil tigh
Randi Weingarten: Why I’m Supporting Elizabeth Warren - AFT Voices

by Mike Simpson / 6d
Why I’m Supporting Elizabeth Warren - AFT Voices Why I’m Supporting Elizabeth Warren By Randi Weingarten I get asked a lot by our members and others about which candidate I’m supporting for president. And I often pivot to the stakes in this election, and to a plea for unity for the ultimate Democratic nominee. In this election — clearly, the most important in our lifetime — our voices and our act
Jersey Jazzman: Many U.S. Schools Have No Nursing Coverage; How Will They Handle a Pandemic?

by Mike Simpson / 6d
Many U.S. Schools Have No Nursing Coverage; How Will They Handle a Pandemic? As the coronavirus threat increases in the United States, policymakers are assessing our nation's capacity to handle a pandemic. One of our first lines of defense -- and one I've yet to see discussed -- is our school nursing workforce. Ask anyone who has worked for a while in a school, and they will tell you how valuabl
Mike Rose Reviews SLAYING GOLIATH | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 6d
Mike Rose Reviews SLAYING GOLIATH Mike Rose is a thinker, writer, and scholar whose works I greatly admire. He has the capacity to identify with the lives of those he writes about and to understand their point of view. He tends to align himself with those who live on the margins, not the rich and powerful who enjoy the exercise of power over others, the others who who did not choose to be the su
The Trumpification of the 2020 Election

by Mike Simpson / 6d
The Trumpification of the 2020 Election I guarantee you there’s no problem. I guarantee you. ” – Trump on the size of his “hands” We are quickly approaching the four year anniversary of Trump’s takeover of the Republican party. No, March 3, 2016, was not the day that he secured enough delegates to win the nomination. In fact, it was not clear until the actual vote was taken at the convention tha
Bloomfield Devotes $3.7m Education Dollars Toward Elections, Not Schools – Los Angeles Education Examiner

by Mike Simpson / 6d
Bloomfield Devotes $3.7m Education Dollars Toward Elections, Not Schools It’s been a week since last peek at the LAUSD board election spending. The rate of spending has slowed down a bit since over $1m was anted up by Bill Bloomfield and the California Charter School Association (CCSA, a charter school lobbying and service organization) between Thursday and Friday of one week ago. But the absolu

FEB 29



TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 2/29/20 #REDFORED #tbats

by Mike Simpson / 7d
Big Education Ape TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 2/29/20 ‘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 
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