Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, May 23, 2021

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Sunday, May 23, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #edchat #K12 #learning #edleadership #edtech #engchat #literacy #edreform #TEACHTRUTH

 Big Education Ape



THE TOP BANANA
TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES 

Schools Are Dropping Mask Requirements, But A New CDC Study Suggests They Shouldn't https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/05/21/97907/schools-are-dropping-mask-requirements-but-a-new-c/ via @kpcc

‘Should kids get vaccinated?’: Philadelphia students ask questions about COVID-19 vaccine during town hall  https://philadelphia.chalkbeat.org/2021/5/21/22448434/should-kids-get-vaccine-philadelphia-students-ask-questions-about-covid-19-vaccine-during-town-hall via @ChalkbeatPHL

Union boss Randi Weingarten mocked after declaring teachers, who spent months at home, are 'tired' https://www.foxnews.com/us/union-boss-mocked-after-declaring-teachers-who-spent-months-at-home-are-tired #FoxNews

When stalking is part of the "college experience" https://www.salon.com/2021/05/22/when-stalking-is-part-of-the-college-experience/

Texas Senate Passes Anti-Critical Race Theory in Schools Bill That Waters American History Down With White Tears https://www.theroot.com/texas-senate-passes-anti-critical-race-theory-in-school-1846948068

Operation Outbreak: Simulating a pandemic while living it https://hechingerreport.org/operation-outbreak-simulating-a-pandemic-while-living-it/

How Teachers Are Reacting To Utah's Lifted Mask Mandates https://www.npr.org/2021/05/23/999563057/how-teachers-are-reacting-to-utahs-lifted-mask-mandates

Yearbook Photos of Girls Were Altered to Hide More of Their Chests https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/23/us/yearbook-photos-st-johns-girls-altering.html

South Carolina school cop handcuffed a 10-year-old special needs girl: report http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheRawStory/~3/j9EsKcu8IbM/

San Mateo-Foster City picks new school chief https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/san-mateo-foster-city-picks-new-school-chief/article_be7d35de-baad-11eb-87f3-434758e8bb35.html

Vaccines' success could undercut Biden's multibillion-dollar school testing plans https://www.politico.com/news/2021/05/23/covid-vaccine-testing-schools-490213


Big Education Ape: CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: And Now I'm Older Edition (5/23) - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/05/curmudgucation-icymi-and-now-im-older.html


Big Education Ape: Shawgi Tell: Charter School Promoters’ War on Consciousness | Dissident Voice - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/05/shawgi-tell-charter-school-promoters.html


Big Education Ape: Bill Phillis: Why Do Ohio Republicans Hate Public Schools? | Diane Ravitch's blog - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/05/bill-phillis-why-do-ohio-republicans.html


Big Education Ape: Ed Notes Online: Final Call for Monday Noon press conference: Do Not Privatize Our Medicare - and some reason why - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/05/ed-notes-online-final-call-for-monday.html


Big Education Ape: EdAction in Congress May 23, 2021 - Education Votes - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/05/edaction-in-congress-may-23-2021.html


Big Education Ape: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” – Grumpy Old Teacher - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/05/i-have-nothing-to-offer-but-blood-toil.html




Indoctrinate this, part 2: Would DeSantis and Latvala fire me for teaching this lesson on the state-mandated 1920 Ocoee pogrom standard? - Public Enemy Number 1
Indoctrinate this, part 2: Would DeSantis and Latvala fire me for teaching this lesson on the state-mandated 1920 Ocoee pogrom standard? A case study in the performative stupidity of your state government and its fake, impotent, embarrassing outrage at real history. Part 1: The voices of the Great Migration laugh at Richard Corcoran — A grifter who can't make finalist in a university president s
Why Our Many Big Plans to Raise Educational Standards Will Never Work (Jay Mathews) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Why Our Many Big Plans to Raise Educational Standards Will Never Work (Jay Mathews) Jay Mathews is a veteran journalist for The Washington Post who has covered education for more than three decades. He has written books on Jaime Escalante, a Los Angeles high school math teacher and KIPP charter schools. This article appeared in the Post April 17, 2021. As one of our most celebrated education ref
Top 6 Administrative Failures of the Pandemic Classroom | gadflyonthewallblog
Top 6 Administrative Failures of the Pandemic Classroom This school year has been a failure in so many ways. But don’t get me wrong. I’m not going to sit here and point fingers. The Covid-19 pandemic has tested the public school system like never before. Teachers, administrators and school directors have been under tremendous pressure and I believe most really tried their best in good faith to m
Results from Parent Action Conference 2021: How do parents, educators & students want $8B in additional funds to be spent? | Class Size Matters
| A clearinghouse for information on class size & the proven benefits of smaller classes Results from Parent Action Conference 2021: How do parents, educators & students want $8B in additional funds to be spent? On Sat. May 22, 2021, we had a great Parent Action Conference, co-sponsored with NYC Kids PAC and Teens Take Charge, to brainstorm on how parents, educators and students would like the $
CHOICES, IT’S ALL ABOUT CHOICES. – Dad Gone Wild
CHOICES, IT’S ALL ABOUT CHOICES “I volunteer because it makes me look helpful, and it gives me first dibs on the refreshments.” ― Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club For all intents and purposes, the school year all over but the shouting. Grades have been turned in. Graduations scheduled. Library books returned. By mid-week next week, most districts will be closing the books on the 2020/2021

YESTERDAY

TOP POSTS THIS WEEK Saturday, May 22, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #openonlywhensafe #edchat #K12 #learning #edleadership #edtech #engchat #literacy #edreform #TEACHTRUTH
Big Education Ape TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 5/22/21 Biden promised to end federal funding of for-profit charter schools. A new report explains how they operate. - The Washington Post New report provides reality check on virtual schools - The Washington Post THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Monday, May 17, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #edchat #K12 #learning #edleadership #edtech #engchat #literacy #

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Saturday, May 22, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #edchat #K12 #learning #edleadership #edtech #engchat #literacy #edreform #TEACHTRUTH
Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Vaccinate Our Kids - https://wp.me/p5gGh3-jUE Texas GOP Passes Bill To Stop Teachers From Talking About Racism | HuffPost - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/texas-republicans-ban-teachers-racism_n_609a96c8e4b063dccea1a3ef on @HuffPostPol Challenging Students . . . And How to Have More of Them (#) - Alfie Kohn - https://www.alfiekohn.org/?

 Big Education Ape

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: And Now I'm Older Edition (5/23)

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: And Now I'm Older Edition (5/23)



And Now I'm Older Edition

What a week here at the Institute. But now it's time to get back to reading, and we've got a fine selection of pieces this week. I'll remind you that you can also keep up on the current writing about public e3d by following the Network for Public Education's Blog of Blogs. Hop on over, put your email in the little box, and get a daily dose of quality education writing. Now on to this week's list.

How Biden's cash paid for Florida GOP's pet education projects.

Well, taxpayer money, actually. But no matter what you call it, the Florida GOP are enjoying using it to paper over one of their secrets--their anti-public education policies are running a huge deficit.

Texas GOP gags teachers

It's the most draconian of the anti-anti-racism laws. Way to go, Texas.

The K-12 Culture Wars

Jack Schneider and Jennifer Berkshire go on a little tour to hot spots around the country for some chilling reminders about how all this current conservative culture onslaught of schools is experienced in an up close and personal way by actual teachers.

Judge: Betsy DeVos cannot quash deposition

The indispensable Mercedes Schneider has the results of the DeVosian attempt to avoid having to do one of her least favorite things-- explain herself to the little people. The fallout from her refusal to provide relief to defrauded students continues.

Dartmouth blindsides med students with shaky cheating "evidence"

A Mercedes Schneider two-fer this week, as we get a look once again at how poorly those anti-cheating surveillance systems actually work.

A scholarly masterpiece: William Franz Public School

Thomas Ultican provides a review of an important book about how one school was hit by the New Orleans reformster movement.

Idaho teacher who stopped 6th-grad school shooter says she hugged girl after disarming her

Only a teacher can really grasp the many threads running through this People magazine tale of the Idaho teacher who stopped a school shooter (without using a gun). 

Southeast PA superintendents call for charter funding reform

Dale Mezzacappa is at Chalkbeat with a story of PA districts coming out in support of Gov. Wolf's proposal to pay charter schools an amount that actually makes sense.

Taking the math SAT when you've forgotten math

A few weeks ago, John Warner tried taking the verbal portion of the SAT. Now he's gone back to take a whack at the math. Interesting insights into everybody's favorite exam.

Education without controversy? What's the point?

As states try to clamp down on teacher freedom and universities look at axing the classics, Andrea Gabor is at Bloomberg explaining why art and literature (and arguing) are important in education.

65 years after "Brown v. Board," where are all the black educators?

At EdWeek, Madeline Wil looks at one of the important questions of education--where are the Black teachers, and how did we get to this place?

Play-based learning isn't free play and may be connected to online learning

Nancy Bailey, ever vigilant about language, points out that "play-based" isn't quite the same as actual play.

The Value of Preschool

Oh, Florida. Accountabaloney lays out how the dependably dim Florida legislature is screwing up preschool. (Spoiler alert: more testing).

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: And Now I'm Older Edition (5/23)


Wisconsin Cyber Charter Cited By ACLU For Blocking LGBTQ Group - https://www.forbes.com/sites/petergreene/2021/05/21/wisconsin-cyber-charter-sued-by-aclu-for-blocking-lgbtq-group/?sh=4efece7773f8 by @palan57 on @forbes

Pennsylvania Charter Schools Are Comfortably Flush. Will It Last? - https://www.forbes.com/sites/petergreene/2021/05/20/pennsylvania-charter-schools-are-comfortably-flush-will-it-last/?sh=677ee1296eb5 by @palan57 on @forbes




GOP Election Preview: Our Children Were Robbed
I live in Northwester Pennsylvania, and this is Trump country. We've got a GOP controlled legislature and a Democratic governor, and a great deal of contentiousness stemming from that situation. And in the recent primary election, voters passed a constitutional amendment that de-powered the governor in the case of, say, a massive pandemic and gave emergency powers to the legislature instead. Thou
19 Rules for Life (2021 Edition)
I first posted this list when I turned 60, and have made it an annual tradition to get it out on my birthday and re-examine it, edit it, and remind myself why I thought such things in the first place. I will keep my original observation-- that this list does not represent any particular signs of wisdom on my part, because I discovered these rules much in the same way that a dim cow discovers an e
MO: Longtime Charter Sponsor Leaves the Biz (And Parents)
The University of Central Missouri has been sponsoring charter schools since 1999 , serving as the major sponsor of charters in Kansas City (in Missouri, the rule used to be that only St. Louis and Kansas City could house charter schools). St. Louis schools have been a mess , with both public and charter schools having their share of legislatively-inflicted woes. And some legislators have continu
PA: One District (Mostly) For Sale
Chester Upland is a district that has struggled with issues and money and racism for decades; they are the history of every problem facing public education in the last century, right up to and including the gutting of a public education system by privatizing charter operators . Poorer and Blacker than all surrounding districts, they have suffered through one damn thing after another. Chester Upla
PA: The Special Ed Funding Triple Whammy
Are you ready for the best explainer yet for the screwed-up state of Pennsylvania's charter funding when it comes to special ed students? Here at the Institute, we're fans of the work of Research for Action . The Philly based research group is meticulously independent and well-conceived and executed. We're previously looked at their work on test-based (poverty-punishing) assessment , the failure
Covid and the Good Guys
If @rweingarten , the unions, & every leader/expert who kept schools closed this year want any hope of re-gaining the support of angry parents, it's best to acknowledge their mistakes and apologize for the damage done rather than pretend they've been the good guys all along. — Elisabeth Weinberg (@misselisabeths) May 15, 2021 You can set this Twitter comment next to a quote from Rep. Virginia Fox
ICYMI: Grandchild Edition (5/16)
No, I don't have a new one. But my newest grandchild is in town, so I get to see him for the first time in a year. A photo of his extreme cuteness to follow, but you'll have to scroll past this list of reading material from the week. How College Became a Ruthless Competition Divorced From Learning In the Atlantic, Daniel Markowits has written a piece that will repeatedly having you yell "Yeah!" a