Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, April 3, 2021

TOP POSTS THIS WEEK Saturday, April 3, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #openonlywhensafe #edchat #K12 #learning #edleadership #edtech #engchat #literacy #edreform

 Big Education Ape


TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 4/3/21






TOP POSTS THIS MONTH 4/3/21





POSTS THIS WEEK 4/3/21





THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Saturday, April 3, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #openonlywhensafe #edchat #K12 #learning #edleadership #edtech #engchat #literacy #edreform
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Randi Weingarten on Opening Schools Safely | The New Yorker - https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/randi-weingarten-on-opening-schools-safely Biden To Review Executive Authority To Cancel Student Debt https://popularresistance.org/biden-to-review-executive-authority-to-cancel-student-debt/ Trial date set for landmark school funding ca
The Villains of Education | Teacher in a strange land
The Villains of Education Back in the early days of internet bulletin boards and discussion platforms, there was a seminal piece on forming virtual communities that was passed around by educators interested in using technology to do more than record grades and attendance. Its author (Howard Rheingold, maybe?) posited a working theory of how virtual communities evolve, and the kinds of connection
Gayle Greene: The Country Moves Forward, the Schools Remain Mired in the Past | Diane Ravitch's blog
Gayle Greene: The Country Moves Forward, the Schools Remain Mired in the Past Gayle Green is a professor emeritus at Scripps College. In this post, she rages about the stupidity of the Biden testing mandate. In other areas of American life, we learn from our mistakes and move forward. But our policymakers are stuck in the past, so in love with failed ideas that they can’t let go of them. She wri
How Teachers Taught: A Look in the Rear-View Mirror | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
How Teachers Taught: A Look in the Rear-View Mirror Much present and past policy making to make better classroom lessons is anchored deeply in myth and memory. Both morph into one another as policymakers (aka “reformers), many of whom are parents, connect their children’s tales of what occurs in classrooms filled with iPads and Chromebooks to memories of what went on in their elementary and seco
CURMUDGUCATION: Charters Circumventing Democracy
Charters Circumventing Democracy In some states, charter schools have faced a particularly intractable obstacle--local elected school boards. That's because in some states, a charter cannot open without the authorization of the local elected school board. This means the local board is deciding if they would like to have the taxpayers foot the bill for opening a new school in the district, which
What Exactly Does "A Return To Normal" Mean To Black Children? - Philly's 7th Ward
WHAT EXACTLY DOES “A RETURN TO NORMAL” MEAN TO BLACK CHILDREN? Certainly, the masses of Americans are ready to return to “normal.” By normal I mean a return to engaging in all the activities and indulgences of life. An unavoidable truth is that for “normal” to return – activities that serve one or both functions of generating income and/or entertaining – young people must return to school. The C
Brookings Study: How D.C. School Choice Intensifies Segregation | Diane Ravitch's blog
Brookings Study: How D.C. School Choice Intensifies Segregation The Brookings Institution published a study of the D.C. school system , which is almost evenly divided between public schools and charter schools. It was written by three scholars: Vanessa Williamson, Brookings Institution; Jackson Gode, Brookings Institution; and Hao Sun, Gallaudet University. The title of their study is “We All Wa
CURMUDGUCATION: Parents Defending Education: Astroturf Goes Hard Right
Parents Defending Education: Astroturf Goes Hard Right Parents Defending Education has just popped onto the education policy landscape, and they have staked out their spot in the new battle to inculcate children with the Proper American Values. They would like to sell themselves as a grassroots organization; there is no particular reason to believe that's true, and I'm going to refer you to this
NANCY BAILEY: President Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Should Include Teachers! Here’s Why
President Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Should Include Teachers! Here’s Why President Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Should Include Teachers! Here’s Why It’s good that President Biden is focusing on updating school buildings in his infrastructure plan. But there’s another crisis his administration should address. America needs a national movement to get well-prepared teachers into our public school cl
Robert Skeels Beats Charter Industry in Court—Twice | Diane Ravitch's blog
Robert Skeels Beats Charter Industry in Court—Twice Robert Skeels was a public education advocate in Los Angeles who decided to become a lawyer to fight the powerful corporate charter industry. After receiving his BA in classical civilizations at UCLA, Skeels spent years as an activist, inspired by Paulo Freire, then earned his law degree in 2019. This is the only instance to my knowledge where
CURMUDGUCATION: Vouchers Are About Abandoning Public Education, Not Freeing Parents
Vouchers Are About Abandoning Public Education, Not Freeing Parents As the GOP mounts a multi-state initiative to implement vouchers or super-voucher education savings accounts in many states across the country, it's becoming increasingly clear that we've been looking at the voucher movement through the wrong lens (which is to day, the lens that voucheristas have promoted). Vouchers are not abou
Parents Defending Education: Prefab “Grassroots” | deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's Blog
Parents Defending Education: Prefab “Grassroots” On March 30, 2021, a new ed-reform kid on the top-down block, Parents Defending Education, introduced itself to the public on Twitter as follows: “Launch today.” That sounds very new– and very odd because this org purports to do the nonsensical– “build a grassroots army of parents.” Grassroots is not “built” from the top down. But a new ed-reform
April 2021 ACCS Meeting Agenda - Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (CA Dept of Education)
April 2021 ACCS Meeting Agenda Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) April 13, 2021, meeting notice of agenda items and attachments. Important Notice Please note, the April Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) meeting will be held as a teleconference; Room 1101 (board room) will be closed to the public. Please see ACCS Meeting Logistics section below for options to view and part
YOU CAN’T PRACTICE MAGIC WITHOUT MAGICIANS – Dad Gone Wild
YOU CAN’T PRACTICE MAGIC WITHOUT MAGICIANS “While his school was closed due to an outbreak of plague in 1666–67, twenty-five-year-old Isaac Newton showed his professor, Isaac Barrow, what research he was conducting in his spare time. Barrow immediately gave up his job as a professor and became a student of Newton. What a noble gesture. What ethical behavior. When was the last time you heard of a
THIS WEEK FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
THIS WEEK FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Secretary Cardona Kicks Off “Help is Here” School Reopening Tour with Visits to Schools in Boston, Massachusetts and Laurel, Delaware 3d On Tuesday and Wednesday, March 30-31, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will kick off the “Help is Here” School Reopening Tour, where he will visit schools in Boston, Massachusetts and Laurel, Delaware. The vis
Network for Public Education Blog Post of the Day This Week
Blog Posts Archive - Network For Public Education Network for Public Education Blog Posts of the Day This Week Blog Post of the Day Our NPE Blogs of the Day feature what we think are interesting and important blog posts centered on issues of public education. The views expressed by the bloggers are, of course, entirely their own. To submit links and tips for inclusion, please send an email to npe
THIS WEEK'S WILDNESS Dad Gone Wild Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it
Dad Gone Wild – Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it. YOU CAN’T PRACTICE MAGIC WITHOUT MAGICIANS by TC Weber / 19h “While his school was closed due to an outbreak of plague in 1666–67, twenty-five-year-old Isaac Newton showed his professor, Isaac Barrow, what research he was conducting in his spare time. Barrow immediately gave up his job as a professor and became a student of Newton. What a nob
TENNESSEE EDUCATION REPORT
TENNESSEE EDUCATION REPORT EDUCATION POLITICS AND POLICY IN THE VOLUNTEER STATE Penny’s Power Grab by Andy Spears / 21h Legislation that would give Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn broad authority to fire a school system’s superintendent and remove the school board is advancing in the Tennessee General Assembly. Chalkbeat has more : A bill outlining reasons the state may take over a local
TEACHER TOM THIS WEEK IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Teacher Tom The Hallmark of a Master Player 1d Paying It Forward 200+ 1d Human Thought is More Magnificent Than That 100+ 2d When Young Children Lie 400+ 4d The Pursuit of Happiness 300+ 4d Setting Ourselves, and Others, Free 300+ 7d Teacher Tom
SSPI TONY THURMOND: STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
California Department of Education SSPI TONY THURMOND STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) Meeting Agenda for April 13, 2021 18h Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) April 13, 2021, meeting notice of agenda items and attachments. Income Eligibility Scales for School Year 2021–22 4d Information regarding the addition of
THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER
NewBlackMan (in Exile) THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) A Blueprint for Bail Reform by Mark Anthony Neal / 43min " Duke University School of Law professor and Wilson Center Director Brandon Garrett and Sandra Guerra Thompson , professor of law and director of the Criminal Justice Institute at the University of Houston Law Center, discuss their work as independent monitors for a landmark bail
THIS WEEK Education Research Report
Education Research Report Evaluating the Head Start Program for Disadvantaged Children by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 21h Low-income children who participated in Head Start were 2.7 percent more likely to finish high school, 8.5 percent more likely to enroll in college, and 39 percent more likely to finish college. The Head Start program increases high school and college graduation rates and participa
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 Most Popular Posts Of The Week by Larry Ferlazzo / 44min I’m making a change in the content of the regular feature. In addition to sharing the top five posts that have received the most “hits” in the preceding seven days (though they may have originally been published on an earlier date), I will also
KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all #REDFORED #tbats #CANCELTHETEST
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 Robert Skeels Beats Charter Industry in Court—Twice by dianeravitch / 24min Robert Skeels was a public education advocate in Los Angeles who decided to become a lawyer to fight the powerful corporate charter industry. After receiving his BA in cl

YESTERDAY

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Friday, April 2, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #openonlywhensafe #edchat #K12 #learning #edleadership #edtech #engchat #literacy #edreform
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES John Merrow: The “Learning Loss” Pandemic and Its Cures | Diane Ravitch's blog - https://wp.me/p2odLa-tZI via @dianeravitch Daniel Laske, a ‘Social Justice Warrior,’ Dies at 21 - The New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/01/obituaries/daniel-laske-dead-coronavirus.html on @nytimes Workplace Fairness: Joe Biden Has a Golden Op
A New Children’s Fund – Reducing Student Inequality Through Allegheny County Council | gadflyonthewallblog
A New Children’s Fund – Reducing Student Inequality Through Allegheny County Council Public schools are not funded fairly. Every child does not receive equitable resources or even close to what they need. The state and federal government provide some funding, but they leave it up to each neighborhood to take the brunt of the burden. So the majority of funding comes from local tax revenues – rich
Penny’s Power Grab – Tennessee Education Report
PENNY’S POWER GRAB L egislation that would give Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn broad authority to fire a school system’s superintendent and remove the school board is advancing in the Tennessee General Assembly. Chalkbeat has more : A bill outlining reasons the state may take over a local school district cleared its first legislative hurdle Tuesday. Rep. Scott Cepicky, a Republican from
JEFF BRYANT: Biden Promised to End Standardized Testing in Schools—It Was Never Going to Be Easy | Ed Politics
Biden Promised to End Standardized Testing in Schools—It Was Never Going to Be Easy | Ed Politics BIDEN PROMISED TO END STANDARDIZED TESTING IN SCHOOLS—IT WAS NEVER GOING TO BE EASY Barely a month after President Biden was inaugurated, educators and public school advocates reeled in dismay when his administration announced it would enforce the federal government’s mandate for annual standardized
Rhode Island: Teachers Demand End to State Takeover of Providence Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog
Rhode Island: Teachers Demand End to State Takeover of Providence Schools Rhode Island is a mess. Two years ago, the state took control of the Providence public schools. The Governor, Gina Raymond, is a former hedge funder and not a friend of public schools. She loves charter schools and welcomed them to her state. She is now Biden’s Commerce Secretary and has been succeeded by her Lieutenant Go
CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Charters Argue To Keep Money They're Not Owed
PA: Charters Argue To Keep Money They're Not Owed Governor Tom Wolf is once again trying to address Pennsylvania's lousy charter funding rules , but right-sizing charter funding would cut into charter profiteering, and so, the pushback is under way. A full package of the current talking points turned up in The Daily Signal , a right-wing website. This piece of commentary comes from Amber Norther
My Kids’ School Closed Again. So I Started Calling Experts. — ProPublica
My Kids’ School Closed Again. So I Started Calling Experts. Many New York City public schools have been repeatedly closed because of two positive COVID-19 tests, even without evidence of in-school spread. Experts call it “crazy.” And it’s driving me nuts. Here is the minute I finally lost it: Sunday, March 21, at 9:34 p.m. That’s when my wife and I got an email saying our kids’ New York City pub
San Diego: Cindy Marten Is a Great Education Leader | Diane Ravitch's blog
San Diego: Cindy Marten Is a Great Education Leader San Diego Superintendent Cindy Marten was tapped by the Biden administration to be Deputy Secretary of Education, the #2 job in the Department of Education. The corporate reform lobby was not happy with this choice, and they began making insidious charges that she was uniquely unqualified and didn’t care about equity. All of this was nonsense,
A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #openonlywhensafe
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 THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/03/this-week-in-education-larry-f
Teacher Tom: The Hallmark of a Master Player
The Hallmark of a Master Playe r The girls were playing a game that involved being in the playhouse with periodic forays to the top of the concrete slide. "I'm sick!" "No, I'm sick too!" "Me too." They were huddled together, five of them. They had been playing together for the better part of an hour. "You can't be sick!" "Yes, I can be sick!" " I'm sick!" "We're all sick!" "Everybody can't be si
Does Education Secretary Cardona Recognize the Two Huge Problems with High-Stakes Testing? | janresseger
Does Education Secretary Cardona Recognize the Two Huge Problems with High-Stakes Testing? Education Secretary Miguel Cardona insists that federally mandated standardized testing will go on as usual in this COVID-19 dominated year. While his decision feels particularly impractical, intrusive, complicated and disruptive in the midst of COVID-19, the decision is of much deeper concern for two reas
CURMUDGUCATION: RI: Another Dumb Bill For Protecting White Folks
RI: Another Dumb Bill For Protecting White Folks Three Rhode Island representatives have proposed a bill to protect students in the state from what the legislators imagine, I suppose, what critical race theory or any of those other nasty anti-racist programs might be. The three legislators are: Rep. Patricia Morgan, who has also proposed that mail-in balloting be "tightened up," that the house c
Grassroots Education Network- March 2021 Newsletter - Network For Public Education
Grassroots Education Network- March 2021 Newsletter The NPE Grassroots Education Network is a network of over 165 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 Education
Huge cash influx pouring into Kansas City school board races | The Kansas City Star
‘Never seen this kind of money’: Big spending raises concern in KC school board races A newly formed nonprofit has already pumped thousands of dollars into two contested races for the Kansas City Public Schools board, raising suspicions about the group and the candidates vying for seats in Tuesday’s election. Blaque KC, short for Black Leaders Advancing Quality Urban Education, has spent $65,298

APR 01

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Thursday, April 1, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #openonlywhensafe #edchat #K12 #learning #edleadership #edtech #engchat #literacy #edreform
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Some school districts to only give standardized tests to students whose parents request it - https://westchester.news12.com/some-school-districts-to-only-give-standardized-tests-to-students-whose-parents-request-it High school students cry foul after teachers use 'BS propaganda' videos from far-right Prager U to teach classes https://ww
Oklahoma: A Sick Joke on the Public | Diane Ravitch's blog
Oklahoma: A Sick Joke on the Public You may recall that the Oklahoma State Board of Education recently voted 4-3 to allow charter schools to share in local tax revenues , over the opposition of State Commissioner Joy Hofmeister, who said that the decision might violate state law. You may also recall that the virtual charter school in Oklahoma called EPIC has been embroiled in scandal after scand
Kevin Welner: Parents Thrilled with Return of Testing! | Diane Ravitch's blog
Kevin Welner: Parents Thrilled with Return of Testing! Kevin Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center and professor of education at the University of Colorado in Boulder, writes here about the “testing pods” created by enthusiastic parents. Welner recently published a book of satirical essays called Potential Grizzlies. Parents Rush to Form “Testing Pods” Throughout the nation, a
There Can Be No Equity without Community and Empathy – radical eyes for equity
There Can Be No Equity without Community and Empathy [D]espite overwhelmingly good intentions, most of what passes for intercultural education practice, particularly in the US, accentuates rather than undermines existing social and political hierarchies. PAUL GORSKI, GOOD INTENTIONS ARE NOT ENOUGH: A DECOLONIZING INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION A split second of awareness kept me from stepping into my a
LOLGOP: The entire GOP is fixated on kids’ genitalia | Eclectablog
The entire GOP is fixated on kids’ genitalia | Eclectablog The entire GOP is fixated on kids’ genitalia It’s not just Matt Gaetz The GOP’s failure when it comes to Covid-19 — which is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, according to a Lancet commission — is even more unforgivable when you realize how effective and focused Republicans can be when it comes to something they care about,
School Violence In U.S. Thwarted When Others Speak Up: Report | Across America, US Patch
School Violence In U.S. Thwarted When Others Speak Up: Report Early intervention not only stopped dozens of school shootings. It also kept 100 kids from becoming killers. Averting Targeted School Violence (pdf) The Final Report and Findings of the Safe School Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School Attacks in the United States (271K .pdf) Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Ma
Need some advice about a tattoo | Cloaking Inequity
NEED SOME ADVICE ABOUT A TATTOO I need some advice today. I made a bad decision to get a tattoo when I lived in Houston back in 1999. How much would it cost to get my large @walmart tattoo removed? Need some advice about a tattoo | Cloaking Inequity
Jeb Crow, pt. 5: Reformers, you long ago stopped being the good guys -- if you ever were. Will you join us now? - Public Enemy Number 1
Jeb Crow, pt. 5: Reformers, you long ago stopped being the good guys -- if you ever were. Will you join us now? Help us end Big Test/Jeb Crow. We could create equity together by rebuilding the capacity you've helped bad people destroy. You may have to swallow some pride; but what's most important to you? Part 1: Florida's voucher segregation factories imitate pre-Brown American education - only
The “Learning Loss” Pandemic | The Merrow Report
The “Learning Loss” Pandemic “Learning Loss” has grown to pandemic proportions, devastating the lives of millions of young people, particularly here in the United States. Worse yet, “Learning Loss” is mutating, and today an astounding 16 different and uniquely challenging manifestations have been identified. To save their students, our teachers will need to acquire a specific skill set that will
Teacher Tom: Paying It Forward
Paying It Forward One five-year-old boy frequently brought a toy from home to school with him: a truck, an action figure, a play set of some sort. His father cautioned his son each morning while dropping him off, "It might get lost." "It might get broken." He would offer, "I can take it with me. I'll keep it in the car so you can have it as soon as school is over." But the boy resisted. He wante
Are Social Studies Teachers Politically Biased? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Are Social Studies Teachers Politically Biased? A journalist I have known for decades and have great respect for recently asked me a question that required me to think, click on a bunch of websites, and re-read the work of a popular historian who died in 2010. The Washington Post ‘s Jay Mathews has written about education for nearly a half-century.* He emailed me the following question:** Hi Lar
My series of videos about school math finally complete! | Gary Rubinstein's Blog
My series of videos about school math finally complete! Though I am most likely known to those who read my blog as a miracle school debunker, a TFA watchdog, or a education research number cruncher, the thing that I do most with my time is do math, think about teaching math, and teach math. Sometimes an ed reform twitter troll will accuse me of just being a nay sayer who has nothing positive to
Texas: Senate Education Committee Guts Local Control of Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog
Texas: Senate Education Committee Guts Local Control of Schools The Texas Senate Education Committee bowed to the wishes of the powerful charter lobby and granted sole power to the State Commissioner (appointed by the Governor) to approve charter schools. His decisions can be vetoed only by a supermajority of the State Board of Education. The State Commissioner of Education is Mike Morath. He is
NYC Public School Parents: Latest Talk out of School podcast with Jasmine Gripper of AQE and MS principal Michael Perlberg
Latest Talk out of School podcast with Jasmine Gripper of AQE and MS principal Michael Perlberg Check out the latest #TalkoutofSchool with AQE's Jasmine Gripper on what state budget deal is looking like for NYC & MS principal Michael Perlberg on challenges faced by his school this year & what students should be offered next year to help them recover & reconnect. Resources: New Class Size Matters
Alfie Kohn: Dewey, Piaget, and Frosted Mini Wheats | National Education Policy Center
Alfie Kohn: Dewey, Piaget, and Frosted Mini Wheats In case you are not familiar with the cereal called Shredded Wheat, it is basically hay. Many of us who are members of the species Homo sapiens , rather than, say, Equus ferus , do not find hay appetizing, even when it is pressed into small packets and sold in a brightly colored box. This may explain why, in 1969, Kellogg’s introduced a variant
(PDF) In School for After School: The Relationship Between Extracurricular Participation and School Engagement | Karlyn Gorski - Academia edu
(PDF) In School for After School: The Relationship Between Extracurricular Participation and School Engagement | Karlyn Gorski - Academia.edu In School for After School: The Relationship Between Extracurricular Participation and School Engagement In School for After School: The Relationship Between Extracurricular Participation and School Engagement Sociological Forum, 2021 Karlyn Gorski This pap
ANDRE M. PERRY: Standardized tests aren’t the problem, it’s how we use them - Brookings
Standardized tests aren’t the problem, it’s how we use them Standardized tests aren’t the problem, it’s how we use them Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is refusing to back down on a federal requirement that states must administer standardized tests this year, although a letter to state leaders from the Department of Education last month said that states will have flexibility on how to apply re

MAR 31

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Wednesday, March 31, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #openonlywhensafe #edchat #K12 #learning #edleadership #edtech #engchat #literacy #edreform
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES If In-Person Schooling Is Essential, Wen Says Teachers Should Be Vaccinated https://www.iowapublicradio.org/2021-03-30/if-in-person-schooling-is-essential-wen-says-teachers-should-be-vaccinated Pennsylvania educators demand an end to Facebook censorship and dangerous in-person learning https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/03/31/penn-m3
Jersey Jazzman: COVID and "Learning Loss": Test Scores Should Not Be Our Immediate Concern
COVID and "Learning Loss": Test Scores Should Not Be Our Immediate Concern I'll get back to Lakewood in a bit, but I want to take a minute and talk about a new report out yesterday from JerseyCAN and others about learning loss and COVID-19. Regular readers know I've had my issues with JerseyCAN over the years: too many times, their analyses have missed the mark, often because of a lack of unders
Angie Sullivan: Nevada Gives Tax Breaks for Business, Shortchanges Kids | Diane Ravitch's blog
Angie Sullivan: Nevada Gives Tax Breaks for Business, Shortchanges Kids Angie Sullivan is a teacher in a Title 1 elementary school in Las Vegas, a city with free-flowing funds for casinos and entertainment but underfunded schools. She frequently writes members of the legislature about their distorted priorities. Angie writes: Remember when the world mocked us because Nevada gave away the family
In the wake of man bringing live bombs, zip gun to Sac elementary school, major leap announced in campus protection tech • Sacramento News & Review
In the wake of man bringing live bombs, zip gun to Sac elementary school, major leap announced in campus protection tech Authorities are being tight-lipped about what might have motivated Gustavo Aguilar, the 57-year-old man arrested last week for allegedly bringing two improvised, working bombs and a loaded homemade gun to Ethel Baker Elementary School in South Sacramento. Meanwhile, on the glo
Please Complete This Survey on Opting Out of Standardized Testing | Diane Ravitch's blog
Please Complete This Survey on Opting Out of Standardized Testing Researchers at Teachers College, Columbia University, are conducting a survey on opting out of standardized tests. You can help them by completing their survey. I am writing to ask for your help in promoting the 2021 National Survey on Opting Out. Thanks again for all your feedback and help with our research project. Over the past
Teacher Tom: Human Thought is More Magnificent Than That
Human Thought is More Magnificent Than That If learning is, as Eleanor Duckworth defines it, "the having of wonderful ideas," one can legitimately wonder what a child is thinking about when they are not having ideas. Certainly, some of their mental energy is expended upon thinking about the questions and problems, that will ultimately lead to those wonderful ideas. But I was once a child (and wh
OKLAHOMA: 'It's a damn mess': Fiscal impact, future of charter school funding resolution unclear - NONDOC
'It's a damn mess': Fiscal impact, future of charter school funding resolution unclear ‘It’s a damn mess’: Fiscal impact, future of charter school funding resolution unclear Uncertainty surrounding the State Board of Education’s 4-3 vote last week on a resolution stating that public charter schools should receive the same funding as traditional public schools can be summed up by Oklahoma Superint
CURMUDGUCATION: AZ: What Teacher Layoffs Look Like In An Anti-Teacher State
AZ: What Teacher Layoffs Look Like In An Anti-Teacher State Carie Caruso conferenced with her supervisor and was told she was a highly effective teacher. The next day, in an online meeting, she was told that she was out of a job . 47 other teachers were part of that meeting. Angela Philpot had 23 years of experience, but this week she was one of the 150 teachers laid off by Gilbert Public School
How Students Pay for Corporate Tax Abatements | Diane Ravitch's blog
How Students Pay for Corporate Tax Abatements Good Jobs First entered the national scene when it produced documentation that the CARES Act was being used to funnel billions of dollars to private schools and charter schools . The charter schools were double-dipping, first taking money allotted to public schools, then getting millions more from the Paycheck Protection Program, which excluded publi
We Need a Massive National Campaign to Protest School Privatization | janresseger
We Need a Massive National Campaign to Protest School Privatization Fighting the privatization of public education feels like an overwhelming challenge. Partly, because all kinds of vouchers (plain old vouchers, tuition tax credits, and education savings accounts) are set up and funded by state legislatures, and charter schools are also set up and controlled (and too frequently poorly regulated)
How would you recommend spending the billions of American Rescue Act dollars? Everyone seems to have ideas(s). | Ed In The Apple
How would you recommend spending the billions of American Rescue Act dollars? Everyone seems to have ideas(s). New York City will be deciding how to spend billions of education dollars within the next few months, and, everybody has ideas. The interim chancellor (the term used for superintendent in New York City) immediately suggested summer school, as did many others (including the new law). The
The Adequacy of School District Spending in the U.S. – School Finance 101
The Adequacy of School District Spending in the U.S. New Project at School Finance Indicators Database With Matt Di Carlo & Mark Weber Full research brief Press release Dataset Data visualization It’s fairly common knowledge that U.S. school districts vary widely in terms of funding. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, in an ideal school funding system, we would expect to see differ
John Thompson: Public Education Under Fire In Oklahoma - Network For Public Education
John Thompson: Public Education Under Fire In Oklahoma The moves against public education in Oklahoma have come thick and fast, but John Thompson is here to break down this week’s worth of assaults, from an unprecedented (and probably illegal) money grab, to public officials mocking public schools on line. In the last week, alone, Diane Ravitch and the Network for Public Education reported on ef
Today's Education Research Report - Kumon or Montessori? - 50-State Comparison: Private School Choice - Cardiorespiratory fitness improves grades
Education Research Report Today's Education Research Report Cardiorespiratory fitness improves grades at school by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 15h Research News Recent studies indicate a link between children's cardiorespiratory fitness and their school performance: the more athletic they are, the better their marks in the main subjects - French and mathematics. Similarly, cardiorespiratory fitness is

MAR 30

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Tuesday, March 30, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #openonlywhensafe #edchat #K12 #learning #edleadership #edtech #engchat #literacy #edreform
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES A Conversation With The Chancellor Webinar Registration - Zoom - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iZElATUxSFeG5o37Mo5-Sg WV governor approves what advocates say is the nation’s broadest nonpublic school vouchers program | Legislative Session | wvgazettemail.com - https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/legislative_session/wv-gover
Shawgi Tell: Charter Schools: “Choice” Is Not An Argument | Dissident Voice
Charter Schools: “Choice” Is Not An Argument | Dissident Voice Charter Schools: “Choice” Is Not An Argument Advocates of privately-operated non-profit and for-profit charter schools have long ignored serious criticisms of charter schools in a variety of ways. They have always believed, for example, that simply repeating worn-out phrases like “charter schools provide choice” will automatically cau
Ed Notes Online: Take me home, West Virginia - How will Red for Ed respond as Extreme Voucher Law passed to decimate Public Ed?
Take me home, West Virginia - How will Red for Ed respond as Extreme Voucher Law passed to decimate Public Ed? I see some of my colleagues salivating over the state teacher strike in West Virginia . Don't hold you breath here in NY. Maybe when the conditions of teachers ... Ed Notes, 2018 - March 29, 2021 There was much hope here in Mudville about a trigger of militancy in NYC - but I pointed ou
Opting Out of TNReady – Tennessee Education Report
OPTING OUT OF TNREADY Y es, you can opt your child out of this year’s TNReady test. This is true in spite of misleading guidance offered to school districts by the Tennessee Department of Education. Fortunately, the advocates over at Save our Schools PAC offer some key insight into just how to accomplish this. Here’s a quick rundown: There are only eight states that allow you to opt your child o
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/2021/03/this-week-with-newblackman-in-exile-blm_27.html Remembering Nawal El Saadawi, Egyptian Trailblazer and Feminist Advocate by Mark Anthony Neal / 15h " Weekend Edition Saturday 's Scott Simon speaks to Egyptian-American author Mona El-Tahawy abou
MUST WATCH VIDEO: President of the American Federation of Teachers on schools reopening - CBS News
President of the American Federation of Teachers on schools reopening - CBS News President of the American Federation of Teachers on schools reopening Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers union, joins Nikki Battiste on CBSN to discuss how school reopening efforts are going so far. President of the American Federation of Teachers on schools reopening - CBS News
'Boogers down': Biden’s bid to reopen schools may hinge on ‘pooled’ testing - POLITICO
'Boogers down': Biden’s bid to reopen schools may hinge on ‘pooled’ testing The process is meant to limit the spread of a potential outbreak while minimizing the costs of the frequent large-scale testing needed to keep the disease in check. A growing number of the nation’s school districts are experimenting with a Covid-19 testing regime they hope will get millions of children back into their cl
A QUESTIONABLE OFFENSE – Dad Gone Wild
A QUESTIONABLE OFFENSE “The human being must always be central, not the products and objects of his skill and energy.” ― Bernard Wolfe, Limbo It was about 8:30 last night, I was getting ready for the nightly family dog walk. The phone buzzed indicating an incoming text. Curious I picked up the phone to see who was texting. Gini Walker. Interesting, I hadn’t communicated with her for over a year.
Joel Westheimer: Three Essential Lessons That COVID Taught Us About Education | Diane Ravitch's blog
Joel Westheimer: Three Essential Lessons That COVID Taught Us About Education Joel Westheimer is a professor of education at the University of Ottawa. He wrote this article for The Ottawa Citizen and shared it with me. This is a good time for me to mention that I strongly believe in content. In the mid-1980s, I was involved with a large committee that wrote the California K-12 History-Social Stu
Teacher Tom: When Young Children Lie
When Young Children Lie The average person admits to telling 1.65 lies per day according to one study done on the subject, although even the researchers confess that since they, by necessity, had to rely on self-reporting, people were probably lying toward the low end. Of course, it could also be that we all define things differently: some may consider nothing but outright falsehoods to be lying
Unlearning to Write – radical eyes for equity
Unlearning to Write In my foundations of education course, we discussed the role of evidence and research in education , highlighting the problem with experimental/quasi-experimental research and its use in the so-called real world of day-to-day teaching. I always use medicine as an analogy—such as the recently development of the Covid-19 vaccine. What I hope to accomplish is to offer students a
A Bold Idea for Testing: Opt-In | Diane Ravitch's blog
A Bold Idea for Testing: Opt-In The Ossining, New York, school district has a creative response to the federal mandate to administer tests at a time when children’s lives have been disrupted by the pandemic. The superintendent has asked parents to write a letter asking for their child to be tested, that is, to “opt in” to testing. Gary Stern of the Lower Hudson news (Lohud) reports : At a time w
A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #openonlywhensafe
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 THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/03/this-week-in-education-larry-f
Choosing Democracy: Cesar Chavez Day - Organize
Choosing Democracy: Cesar Chavez Day _ Organize Cesar Chavez Day - Organize Cesar Chavez Day Cesar Chavez Day is a state holiday in California – one of eight states to recognize the date, and one of the few holidays in the nation dedicated to a labor leader. Sacramento and dozens of cities, counties and labor federations will celebrate the life of Cesar Chavez on March 31. On March 26, U.S. Secre
Major victory over a corporate charter school chain and their trade association – Los Angeles Education Examiner
Major victory over a corporate charter school chain and their trade association Original post at Robert’s page on Medium . On Tuesday, March 23, 2021, I got my second big win in court against a charter school corporation. It was also a major victory over their California Charter Schools Association (“CCSA”) trade association, which tried to use the case to carve out immunity to the California Pu
Why I Support Public Education | tultican
Why I Support Public Education By Thomas Ultican 3/29/2021 The original cause for my supporting public education was that my rancher father married a school teacher. Growing up in southern Idaho, I learned many philosophical and theoretical reasons for supporting the establishment and maintenance of public schools from my mother. However, it was from watching mom and her dedicated colleagues in

MAR 29

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Monday, March 29, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #openonlywhensafe #edchat #K12 #learning #edleadership #edtech #engchat #literacy #edreform
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Education Department Announces Relief for Student Loan Borrowers with Total and Permanent Disabilities During the COVID-19 Emergency | U.S. Department of Education - https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/education-department-announces-relief-student-loan-borrowers-total-and-permanent-disabilities-during-covid-19-emergency COVID-19 Lock
The History of the Future of Education (Audrey Watters) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
The History of the Future of Education (Audrey Watters) From Audrey Watters’s self-description : I am an education writer, an independent scholar, a serial dropout, a rabble-rouser, and ed-tech’s Cassandra. “It’s a long story,” I often say. You can catch snippets of it, if you pay attention. I’ve got a CV if you care about such formalities. And I wrote an FAQ if that helps. I love science fictio
Teacher Tom: The Pursuit of Happiness
The Pursuit of Happiness I've asked thousands of parents the question, "What are your goals for your child?" It's something a lot of us ask at the beginning of a school years or when we are first getting to know a family. Far and away, the top answers have been some version of, "I just want my child to be happy," or "I just want my child to love learning." These are the answers I expect, especia