Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, January 28, 2021

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Thursday, January 28, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDVACCINE

 Big Education Ape

THE TOP BANANA
TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES 



Analysis | Republicans assign QAnon supporter to House education committee — and top Democrats blast the move https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/01/27/qanon-supporter-put-on-house-education-committee/?tid=ss_tw

Philadelphia plans hybrid school reopening next month - Chalkbeat Philadelphia - https://philadelphia.chalkbeat.org/2021/1/27/22252506/philadelphia-plans-hybrid-school-reopening-next-month on chalkbeat

Why Didn’t Delaware Get Pandemic EBT Nutrition Benefits For This School Year? | Exceptional Delaware - https://wp.me/p4JboV-5LX via @ExcptlDelaware

Democrats’ plan to fight child poverty: Monthly cash for kids https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/27/democrats-child-tax-credit-463301

'She is going to confront her lies': Parkland parent rips Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2021/01/27/parkland-parent-to-rep-greene-she-is-going-to-confront-her-lies-1360541

L.A.-area elementary schools could reach threshold for reopening in two to three weeks, Ferrer says http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/lanowblog/~3/plEJ94PuBi4/los-angeles-area-schools-could-reach-threshold-for-reopening-in-2-to-3-weeks-ferrer-says

NYC education panel blocks gifted testing contract in stunning rebuke to mayor https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/ny-pep-gifted-testing-contract-vote-20210128-d2izups4yfbfzfgo7aqxwv2izy-story.html#ed=rss_www.nydailynews.com/arcio/rss/category/new-york/education/

NYC’s public school enrollment drops by 43,000 -- 4% decline steepest among younger students https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/ny-enrollment-drop-pandemic-20210127-2y4h5rw5y5fxhfercdwpdbdxja-story.html#ed=rss_www.nydailynews.com/arcio/rss/category/new-york/education/

Schools Can Be Safe, the C.D.C. Says https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/27/us/schools-can-be-safe-the-cdc-says.html

OPINION: Creating a more equitable high school experience means hands-on, hard work and a long-term commitment https://hechingerreport.org/opinion-creating-a-more-equitable-high-school-experience-means-hands-on-hard-work-and-a-long-term-commitment/

In Memorium for those we have lost to COVID-19 - SF PUBLIC SCHOOL MOM - https://wp.me/p4ndvh-2wB by @alimcollins

Chicago Public Schools suspends in-person learning as possible teachers strike looms https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/01/27/chicago-teachers-reopening/?tid=ss_tw

AFT Reacts To Governor’s Plan To Re-Open Schools - https://ladailypost.com/aft-reacts-to-governors-plan-to-re-open-schools/

D.C. Public Schools are set to reopen Monday. What about charter schools? https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/district-charter-schools-reopening/2021/01/27/e4cab1ae-6043-11eb-9061-07abcc1f9229_story.html?tid=ss_tw

Northern Virginia schools begin vaccinating staff, plan tentative return to classrooms https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/northern-virginia-school-reopening-vaccinations/2021/01/27/3f872c72-60c0-11eb-9061-07abcc1f9229_story.html?tid=ss_tw

Texas plans to test for lead in schools’ drinking water for the first time | The Texas Tribune - https://www.texastribune.org/2021/01/28/texas-lead-drinking-water-schools/ by @erinmdouglas23 on @TexasTribune

Florida Teachers Face Setback In Fight For Safe Schools https://popularresistance.org/florida-teachers-face-setback-in-fight-for-safe-schools/

Gauger-Cobbs In Christina School District Completely Closed Due To Covid https://exceptionaldelaware.wordpress.com/2021/01/28/gauger-cobbs-in-christina-school-district-completely-closed-due-to-covid/

NC public schools losing students during COVID-19 pandemic | Charlotte Observer - https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/education/article248744740.html#new_tab on theobserver

CPS calls off in-person classes again Thursday as only 14% of teachers report to schools; Board of Ed president says another strike ‘would be devastating’ - Chicago Tribune - https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-covid-19-cps-possible-teacher-strike-20210128-6qvjgrfye5frvkzy2a5ufizkou-story.html#new_tab via @chicagotribune

Philly plans to reopen some schools in February - WHYY - https://whyy.org/?p=495618

COVID-19 May Energize Push for School Choice in States. Where That Leads Is Unclear - https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/covid-19-may-energize-push-for-school-choice-in-states-where-that-leads-is-unclear/2021/01#new_tab by @andrewujifusa on @educationweek

Union to teachers: Montclair schools taking us to court over refusal to return - https://www.montclairlocal.news/?p=43234 via @montclairlocal

Enrollment in NYC schools is down 4% amid the pandemic - Chalkbeat New York - https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2021/1/27/22252172/nyc-school-enrollment-decline#new_tab on chalkbeat

Few dyslexic students benefiting from an online tool that’s costing Texas millions - https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2021/01/28/few-dyslexic-students-benefiting-from-an-online-tool-thats-costing-texas-millions/#new_tab via @dallasnews

NC school board members clash over how to teach history and whether the US is racist https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article248777855.html

California public schools suffer record enrollment drop | CalMatters - https://calmatters.org/?p=163772 via @CalMatters

NY special ed administrator faked letters to parents, changed docs - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2021/01/28/rochester-ny-admin-changed-special-ed-documents-faked-letters-parents/4273916001/#new_tab via @usatoday

Texas schools need to show efforts in finding missing students to secure millions in funding, some lawmakers say - https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2021/01/27/texas-schools-need-to-show-efforts-in-finding-missing-students-to-secure-millions-in-funding-some-lawmakers-say/#new_tab via @dallasnews

Iowa: Act NOW to Save Your Public Schools! | Diane Ravitch's blog - https://wp.me/p2odLa-tli via @dianeravitch

Shocker: NYC Education Board Rejects Mayor’s Plan to Test 4-Year-Olds for Gifted Program | Diane Ravitch's blog - https://wp.me/p2odLa-tkV via @dianeravitch


Big Education Ape: Iowa: Act NOW to Save Your Public Schools! | Diane Ravitch's blog - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/iowa-act-now-to-save-your-public.html


Big Education Ape: Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona, Connecticut Hedge Funds, and Human Capital – Wrench in the Gears - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/secretary-of-education-dr-miguel.html


Big Education Ape: We Need a Democratic Approach to Reimagining Schools—Asking People, Not Billionaires and Ideologues, What They Want | Ed Politics - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/we-need-democratic-approach-to.html


Big Education Ape: Biden's first big Covid test: Keeping parents of school kids from losing it - POLITICO - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/bidens-first-big-covid-test-keeping.html


Big Education Ape: The Whole Truth About Kids, School, and COVID-19 - The Atlantic - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-whole-truth-about-kids-school-and.html


Big Education Ape: Teacher Tom: The Radical Idea of Treating Children Like People - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/teacher-tom-radical-idea-of-treating.html


Big Education Ape: Farewell to the SAT! We Hope. | Diane Ravitch's blog - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/farewell-to-sat-we-hope-diane-ravitchs.html


Big Education Ape: Reopening a Can of Worms – Have You Heard - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/reopening-can-of-worms-have-you-heard.html


Big Education Ape: THE BURDEN OF PROOF – Dad Gone Wild - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-burden-of-proof-dad-gone-wild.html


Big Education Ape: CURMUDGUCATION: New Horizons in Workplace Surveillance - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/curmudgucation-new-horizons-in.html


Big Education Ape: New Rankings Place UK Education Dean Among Top Education Policy Influencers | UKNow - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/new-rankings-place-uk-education-dean.html


Big Education Ape: A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/a-very-busy-day-larry-ferlazzos_28.html


Big Education Ape: CHECK IT OUT: DIANE ON A ROLL TODAY - Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all #REDFORED #tbats #COVID-19 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #VACCINATETEACHERS - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/01/check-it-out-diane-on-roll-today-diane_28.html



State Senator Dave Lawson Wants Smyrna Superintendent Patrik Williams To Resign | Exceptional Delaware
State Senator Dave Lawson Wants Smyrna Superintendent Patrik Williams To Resign State Senator Dave Lawson is calling for Smyrna Superintendent Patrik Williams to resign. Lawson reached out to the Smyrna Education Association, the Smyrna School District Board of Education, and Delaware Secretary of Education Dr. Susan Bunting asking for their help in getting Williams to resign. He will reportedly

YESTERDAY

 Big Education Ape

Iowa: Act NOW to Save Your Public Schools! | Diane Ravitch's blog

Iowa: Act NOW to Save Your Public Schools! | Diane Ravitch's blog
Iowa: Act NOW to Save Your Public Schools!




Governor Kim Reynolds has proposed legislation to take money away from IOWA public schools and divert it to privately managed schools, vouchers for religious schools, charter schools, and home schooling. She is following in the footsteps of Betsy DeVos, who spent four years trying to eradicate public schools.

If you live in Iowa, contact your legislator and Governor Reynolds! Speak up for your public schools! Resist the privatization of public funds!

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds proposed SSB 1065, (now known as SF 159) which is being fast-tracked through the state Senate.  The vote may be today. This “school choice” bill would:

  • Provide up to $5,200 per student in “state scholarships” for parents to use for private school tuition or homeschooling expenses. 
  • Greatly expand charter schools in the state by allowing applicants to start a charter school by going straight to the state board, bypassing the school district.  No longer would districts be the only decider for charter schools. 

If you love your public schools, you need to drop what you are doing and get to work!

1. Call your state senators NOW and ask them to support public schools by OPPOSING Senate File 159, SSB 1065. Or say, “I oppose the school choice voucher/charter bill.” You can find your Senator and their phone number by going here. Click on their name for their phone number.

2Click here and send an email in opposition to SSB 1065/SF 159  NOW.

3. Share this link with friends and family who live in the state

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/save-iowa-public-schools-oppose/

Don’t wait. Act now. 

Carol Burris Executive Director Network for Public Education

Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona, Connecticut Hedge Funds, and Human Capital – Wrench in the Gears

Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona, Connecticut Hedge Funds, and Human Capital – Wrench in the Gears
Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona, Connecticut Hedge Funds, and Human Capital



Tonight my friend Zakiya Sankara-Jabar of Real Talk With ZSJ invited me to discuss the appointment Dr. Miguel Cardona, former Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning in the Meriden, CT School District, to the position of the US Secretary of Education. We covered a lot of ground including: how pay for success finance was layered into the Every Student Succeeds Act, considerations around community schools, tele-health and data privacy, interoperable data systems, the transition to competency-based education and learning ecosystems, adoption of Open Education Resources, virtual reality, behavior and skills badges tied to lifelong debt, social-emotional learning, and the ethical implications of social impact investing in early childhood education. It was a packed three hours.

For other recent podcasts and interviews visit my Youtube channel here. A playlist of interviews can be accessed here, including two previous interviews Zakiya and I did together here and here.