Monday, December 21, 2020

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDVACCINE #CHANGEGONNACOME #BIDEN #edsec

THE TOP BANANA
TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES

A COVID-related illness is sickening a growing number of children in California http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/lanowblog/~3/q0FYjPE6WI4/covid-related-misc-illness-california-children

Congress Poised To Simplify FAFSA, And Help People In Prison Go To College | 89.3 KPCC - https://www.scpr.org/news/2020/12/20/95809/congress-poised-to-simplify-fafsa-and-help-people/

Pandemic Causes Child Welfare Crisis https://www.laprogressive.com/pandemic-causes-child-welfare-crisis/

Is There a Doctor in the House? - LA Progressive - https://www.laprogressive.com/?p=357454

Breaking down the $900B stimulus package and $1.4T omnibus bill - POLITICO - https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/20/details-stimulus-package-omnibus-bill-449499

Congress clinches deal to restore Pell grants for prisoners 26 years after ban - POLITICO - https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/20/congress-pell-grant-prisoners-449364

The Lost Year: Marriage, kids, 2 jobs, maskless customers, and #BlackLivesMatter in the rural South https://www.vox.com/22175217/front-desk-job-maskless-lost-year-anna

95 Percent of Representatives Have a Degree. Look Where That’s Got Us. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/21/opinion/politicians-college-degrees.html #uncategorized #feedly

Five Federal Institutions with Free Education Materials - ED.gov Blog - https://blog.ed.gov/?p=29519

Teachers union ‘concerned and disappointed’ by plans to reopen St. Paul elementary schools – Twin Cities - https://wp.me/p79gJ9-fRqe on @pioneerpress

Former gang member is named Missouri's Teacher of the Year - CNN - https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/12/us/former-gang-member-teacher-trnd/index.html#new_tab

Low-income children wait months for USDA food aid to replace school meals - POLITICO - https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/20/usda-pandemic-ebt-food-aid-448558#new_tab

Chicago high school teachers say they’ve seen an increase in the number of students taking jobs, sometimes at the cost of their education. https://www.wbez.org/stories/to-help-their-families-during-the-pandemic-chicago-teens-are-skipping-class-to-work/ba108579-4fc9-4dcb-b9fc-9ffc82e08c2e?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Web-Share

Trump appoints 1776 Commission members in last-minute bid to advance 'patriotic education' - POLITICO - https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/18/trump-1776-commission-appointments-448229#new_tab

Biden weighs options for education secretary who would face early political pressure in school reopening bid - CNNPolitics - https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/19/politics/joe-biden-education-secretary-decision/index.html#new_tab

Students aren’t showing up for virtual learning. ‘Are they well cared for? Are they safe?’ - https://www.inquirer.com/education/nj-education-attendance-schools-virtual-attendance-skipping-camden-pandemic-coronavirus-20201221.html#new_tab via @PhillyInquirer

Without special education services, thousands of families are in limbo - https://hechingerreport.org/?p=75572 via @hechingerreport

London Breed and parents rage after SFUSD again delays school openings https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/San-Francisco-schools-reopening-date-delayed-COVID-15814857.php#new_tab?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral

Guilford County Schools Superintendent Sharon Contreras among finalists for education secretary https://www.wnct.com/news/education/guilford-county-schools-superintendent-sharon-contreras-among-finalists-for-education-secretary/

Number of students enrolled in vocational degrees dropping - https://hechingerreport.org/?p=76083 by @jillbarshay on @hechingerreport

Will New Federal Funding Shower Money on Private Schools? | Diane Ravitch's blog - https://wp.me/p2odLa-sQY via @dianeravitch

What the Congressional Deal Means for Education | Diane Ravitch's blog - https://wp.me/p2odLa-sRh via @dianeravitch

Brian Stelter: Rightwing Media Are Promoting Dangerous Radicalization | Diane Ravitch's blog - https://wp.me/p2odLa-sRs via @dianeravitch

Stress, Bullying Among Parents' Concerns During Pandemic: Survey | Across America, US Patch - https://patch.com/us/across-america/stress-bullying-among-parents-concerns-during-pandemic-survey?google_editors_picks=true

L.A. Unified will not reopen campuses when the spring semester starts Jan. 11 http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/lanowblog/~3/G8TLDhPO_Sw/covid-19-surge-keep-lausd-closed-january

Salt Lake City schools reach deal with Utah lawmakers on teacher bonuses - https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2020/12/18/salt-lake-city-schools/#new_tab by https://www.facebook.com/SchottHappens/ on @sltrib

Nancy Bailey’s Education Website: How Has School Privatization Contributed to Mental Illness in Students Before and During Covid-19? | National Education Policy Center - https://nepc.colorado.edu/node/10679 on @NEPCtweet

Cartoons on Zooming for Work and School | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / now

Cartoons on Zooming for Work and School Most readers of this blog Zoom for work, birthdays, anniversaries, and sadly, for funerals in these surreal pandemic times. Then there are the millions of students who received instruction on Zoom from preschoolers to high school seniors. Many of those Zoomers, maybe all, are Zoomed out. Not only Zoom but other devices and software stretch the limits of pa

WATCH VIDEO: Fauci puts priority on getting teachers vaccinated and a return to in-person classes | EdSource

by Mike Simpson / now

Fauci puts priority on getting teachers vaccinated and a return to in-person classes | EdSource Fauci puts priority on getting teachers vaccinated and a return to in-person classes CSU Chancellor Tim White hosts virtual Q&A event with Dr. Anthony Fauci hen Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, takes on his new role as President-elect Biden’s chief medical adviser, one of

Online proctoring services pose privacy concerns for remote learning - Vox

by Mike Simpson / now

How teachers [sic] are sacrificing student privacy to stop cheating Surveillance software for remote learning is drawing criticism from privacy advocates and lawmakers. As the fall semester began at the University of Nevada, Reno, psychology professor Mark Lescroart faced an increasingly common dilemma for teachers: How to prevent his newly remote students from cheating on the quizzes and exams

Teacher Tom: The Technology of Speaking With Children So They Can Think

by Mike Simpson / now

The Technology of Speaking With Children So They Can Think It was in one of Tom Drummond's classes more than 20 years ago that I first heard about the "technology" of speaking with children so they could think. Tom was explaining the ultimate ineffectiveness of "directive" statements. You know the kind -- "Sit over here," "Stand there," "Pick that up" -- the sorts of adult communications with wh

John Thompson on Ta-Nehisi Coates and Bruce Springsteen | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / now

John Thompson on Ta-Nehisi Coates and Bruce Springsteen John Thompson, historian and retired teacher in Oklahoma, shares ideas about teaching in difficult times. My high school and GED students always loved wrestling with the ideas presented by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Bruce Springsteen. I’m sure they would now agree that America needs both – Coates’ Between the World and Me , centered around Coates

Just an EdD from a State University – radical eyes for equity

by Mike Simpson / now

Just an EdD from a State University Several years ago I was on a panel for a public forum held on my university’s campus. At the Q&A ending the panel talk, a colleague from another discipline asked a detailed question grounded in their discipline. I watched their face and eyes as I navigated not only the arcane and somewhat navel-gazing elements of the question (we academics love to hold forth w

Christmas Past | Teacher in a strange land

by Mike Simpson / now

Christmas Past If you watched Stephen Colbert’s show-length interview with Joe and Jill Biden last week, you heard Joe, acting like the nation’s corny but well-meaning grandpa, describing his annual habit of spreading fake snow, made with Ivory Snow flakes , on the branches of the family Christmas tree. Joe really got into it, adding a lot of detail about placement of single strands of tinsel, a

What the Congressional Deal Means for Education | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / now

What the Congressional Deal Means for Education Phyllis W. Jordan of Future-Ed, a D.C. think tank, explains here what the latest Congressional agreement on COVID aid means for education and compares it to last spring’s CARES Act as well as to the HEROES Act passed in May by the House of Representatives. The agreement does not include any aid for cities or states. President-Elect Joe Biden has pl

2020 Review: The Year That Changed Everything | Exceptional Delaware

by Mike Simpson / now

2020 Review: The Year That Changed Everything Christmas is in a few days which means the end of the year is fast approaching. 2020 was one for the record books. Between Covid-19, the election, and all that came before, between, and after, it was a year no one will ever forget. Personally I went through so many changes, at such a rapid pace, that I’m still absorbing it all. The entire year was fi

Louisiana Educator: Science vs Superstition and Stupid Politics

by Mike Simpson / now

Science vs Superstition and Stupid Politics More than 40 years ago the brilliant musician Stevie Wonder released an interesting and highly relevant song called: "Superstition". Part of the lyrics to the song are as follows: When you believe in things That you don't understand, Then you suffer, Superstition ain't the way Stevie Wonder's song is amazingly relevant today when people refuse to wear

A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007

by Mike Simpson / now

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/2020/12/this-week-in-

HAPPY SOLSTICE EVERYONE: WINTER SOLSTICE 2020 PLUS BONUS CHRISTMAS STAR | The Old Farmer's Almanac

by Mike Simpson / 13h

Winter Solstice 2020: When Is the First Day of Winter? What Is the Winter Solstice? | The Old Farmer's Almanac WINTER SOLSTICE 2020: THE FIRST DAY OF WINTER CELEBRATE THE WINTER SOLSTICE WITH FACTS, FOLKLORE, AND MORE The winter solstice happens on Monday, December 21, 2020 . This is the astronomical first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest day of the year. What happens at

CATCH UP WITH CURMUDGUCATION + ICYMI: Santa's Almost Here (12/20)

by Mike Simpson / 22h

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Santa's Almost Here (12/20) Santa's Almost Here And the Board of Directors has just about figured out this Christmas thing and twigged onto the notion that presents are coming (but why not right now). I am going to try not to think constantly about all the family and children and grandchildren that I am not seeing this week, because that sucks. In the meantime, here's some

Kelsey Sends Grinchy Voucher Christmas Card – Tennessee Education Report

by Mike Simpson / 22h

KELSEY SENDS GRINCHY VOUCHER CHRISTMAS CARD Tennessee’s “Mr. Voucher” State Senator Brian Kelsey sent Christmas greeting cards with a grinchy message about his non-stop work to privatize Tennessee’s public schools. Apparently, even the “Season of Giving” is one where Kelsey spends his time thinking about how to send taxpayer money to public school privatizers. Here’s that fun card: Of course, pu

Arizona Charters Hit Jackpot with Federal Paycheck Protection Program | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 22h

Arizona Charters Hit Jackpot with Federal Paycheck Protection Program The federal CARES Act included the Paycheck Protection Program to help struggling small businesses and nonprofits survive the pandemic. Lobbyists for the charter industry slipped in a provision enabling charter schools to apply for PPP funding, even though they experienced no financial losses. Charter schools got a share of th

CURMUDGUCATION: Pennsylvania's Teacher Problem

by Mike Simpson / 22h

Pennsylvania's Teacher Problem We already know that the teaching profession is primarily composed of white women (average age 43). But sometimes, when you break data down in particular ways, it becomes even more striking. Research for Action is a Philly-based group that has done some great work over the years, and they've done some research about the TOC/SOC balance in PA that are featured both

Los Angeles: Billionaire-funded Group Complains about Remote Learning Pact | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 22h

Los Angeles: Billionaire-funded Group Complains about Remote Learning Pact In Los Angeles, the UTLA reached an agreement with the LAUSD and superintendent to extend remote learning as COVID surges and every ICU bed is filled in the city. The billionaire-funded “Parent Revolution” complained (billionaires are parents although they have no children in LA public schools). https://www.latimes.com/ca

NANCY BAILEY: The Attack on Dr. Jill Biden is Cloaked Hatred of Teachers and Public Education

by Mike Simpson / 22h

The Attack on Dr. Jill Biden is Cloaked Hatred of Teachers and Public Education The Attack on Dr. Jill Biden is Cloaked Hatred of Teachers and Public Education Much has been written about the offensiveness of the Wall Street Journal’s Epstein opinion piece on Dr. Jill Biden. It lacks respect for Dr. Biden, a veteran teacher, deeply committed to her profession and community college students, but i

Personal Reflections On My 2020 Professional Experiences | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

by Mike Simpson / 22h

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON MY 2020 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES I thought some readers might find it interesting, and I thought it would be a useful reflection exercise for me, if I reflected on my work around education over the past twelve months AND my hopes and concerns for 2021 (those 2021 thoughts will appear in a future post) I’ve already done a more “big picture” review in my annual Washington P

Missouri Grants First Charter Outside Two Biggest Districts | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 22h

Missouri Grants First Charter Outside Two Biggest Districts Up until now, the only districts with charters in Missouri were St. Louis and Kansas City, the state’s two biggest districts. But the state board just granted a charter for a new school in the Normandy district, one of the state’s poorest and lowest performing. The state board of education approved the charter with six votes in favor, o

Democracy and Education | tultican

by Mike Simpson / 22h

Democracy and Education By Thomas Ultican 12/19/2020 Democracy and free universal public education are foundational American ideologies. They have engendered world renowned success for our experiment in government “by the people” . Two new books – Schoolhouse Burning by Derek Black and A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door by Jack Schneider and Jennifer Berkshire – demonstrate that these principles whi

Gingerbread houses and teacher unions. – Fred Klonsky

by Mike Simpson / 22h

GINGERBREAD HOUSES AND TEACHER UNIONS When I see gingerbread houses this time of year I think about the teacher two doors down the hall who made making them an assignment each year as homework. I imagine it was mostly done by parents – moms most likely. But they were great and festive. And a shared family thing. They filled the library display case. Pretzel log roofs. Jellies in the windows. Can

Will Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) Change the Political Power Structure in New York City? Should We Use RCV in State and Congressional Elections? | Ed In The Apple

by Mike Simpson / 22h

Will Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) Change the Political Power Structure in New York City? Should We Use RCV in State and Congressional Elections? The ballots in New York City elections commonly ask voters to vote on “ballot proposals” as well as candidates, in 2019, an off year, no one was running for citywide or state office, the ballot contained four proposals , one of the proposals changed the m

A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007

by Mike Simpson / 22h

DEC 19

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

by Mike Simpson / 1d

Big Education Ape TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 12/19/20 ‘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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Monday, December 21, 2020