Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-18-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

It’s Time For the PWC BOCS to Lead | PWC Education Reform Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

It’s Time For the PWC BOCS to Lead | PWC Education Reform Blog: It’s Time For the PWC BOCS to Lead by pwceducationreform In 2006 voters authorized Prince William County to issue $11 million in bonds to make improvements to park facilities in the county. Among the improvements residents wanted was an expansion of the swimming lanes at the Chinn Center. The expansion never happened, nor did any of the other promised improvements. The county reportedly issued the bonds in 2011, though no one I’ve asked seems to have any clue what the bonds were actually used for. We’re 7 years pas... more »

The Central Hypocrisy of the NCTQ Teacher Prep Institution Ratings | School Finance 101

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

The Central Hypocrisy of the NCTQ Teacher Prep Institution Ratings | School Finance 101: The Central Hypocrisy of the NCTQ Teacher Prep Institution Ratings by schoolfinance101 [image: NCTQ] I’ve already written about this topic in the past. But, given that NCTQ has just come out with their *really, really big *new ratings of teacher preparation institutions… with their primary objective of declaring teacher prep by traditional colleges and universities in the U.S. a massive failure, I figured I should once again revisit why the NCTQ ratings are, in general, methodologically inept &... more »

The in box. Pension reform. What is the moral basis for it? | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

The in box. Pension reform. What is the moral basis for it? | Fred Klonsky: The in box. Pension reform. What is the moral basis for it? by Fred Klonsky The authoritative Springfield observer Jim Broadway. Prediction: Neither Madigan nor Cullerton will budge. No pension reform bill will be passed and sent to Quinn’s desk. (Did you hear he said he thinks he may have been “put on this Earth” to solve the pension crisis? Wondered what the reason could have been.) *What moral basis?* To say, as I have, that Madigan’s plan (or anyone’s plan) “lacks a moral basis” needs to be explained. A... more »

Minority Kids With Autism Less Likely to Use Specialty Services: Study - US News and World Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Minority Kids With Autism Less Likely to Use Specialty Services: Study - US News and World Report: Minority Kids With Autism Less Likely to Use Specialty Services: StudyCompared to white children, black and Hispanic patients may be missing out on certain types of careJune 17, 2013 RSS Feed Print *By Maureen Salamon* *HealthDay Reporter* MONDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) -- Black and Hispanic children with autism are markedly less likely than children from white families to receive specialty care for complications tied to the disorder, a new study finds. Researchers from Massachusetts ...more »

Modern School: Nanny State Gone Wild—More Stupid Rules to Make School More Unpleasant

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Modern School: Nanny State Gone Wild—More Stupid Rules to Make School More Unpleasant: Nanny State Gone Wild—More Stupid Rules to Make School More Unpleasant by Michael Dunn Image from Flickr, by KazVorpal Last week, in her column “The Answer Sheet,” Valerie Straus listed “eight weird things schools banned this year.” Some of the bans were absurd overreactions to freak accidents that were unlikely to ever occur again and that could be averted much more simply through greater caution by students and teachers. For example, frilly socks were banned at Kingshold Primary School in Glouc... more »

The Common Core Loses This Teacher's Support - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

The Common Core Loses This Teacher's Support - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: The Common Core Loses This Teacher's Support by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Katie Lapham.* *In April I carried a guest post written by New York City elementary teacher Katie Lapham, expressing support for the Common Core standards, but opposing the tests attached to them. Since then, Ms. Lapham has shifted her views. She explains:* When I first learned about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) two or so years ago, I didn't question their implementation. I've always preferred designing my... more »

NEA Provides Educators with Guidance on Preventing Workplace Bullying | NEA Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

NEA Provides Educators with Guidance on Preventing Workplace Bullying | NEA Today: NEA Provides Educators with Guidance on Preventing Workplace Bullying by twalker *By Cindy Long* Kim Werner’s former principal was identified by her union as the most abusive principal in the district. “He has been targeting educators for fifteen years,” she says. “He lies. He coerces. He intimidates. He screams and uses profanities.” And he’s still a principal, while Werner is now an Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Trainer. After a year and a half of constant abuse, Werner took medical leave and ... more »

6-18-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] Microsoft No. 1–in Turning Over Data to NSA by Jim Horn You might say that Gates got the ball rolling. From the PRISM slide show recently exposed (click to enlarge): [image: prism-slide-5] 6-17-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] KIPP in Arkansas Gives “Whatever It Takes” New Meaning by Jim Horn Recent conversations with KIPP high school teachers reveals many cracks in KIPP’s Five Pillars. Apparently, KIPP’s Helen... more »

U.S. News Releases NCTQ Teacher Prep Ratings - US News and World Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

U.S. News Releases NCTQ Teacher Prep Ratings - US News and World Report: U.S. News Releases NCTQ Teacher Prep Ratings The ratings are part of a larger, independent review of undergraduate and graduate education programs. By KELSEY SHEEHY June 18, 2013 RSS Feed Print [image: New ratings released by U.S. News and NCTQ evaluate programs that train teachers to teach.] New ratings released by U.S. News and NCTQ evaluate programs that train teachers to teach. Teaching was once dubbed "the profession that eats its young" and many educators liken their first few years in the classroom to a h... more »

Show Me the MOU! | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Show Me the MOU! | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Show Me the MOU! by crazycrawfish Today, June 18th 2013, John White and BESE are meeting to try and persuade the public of the need for participating with external Cloud Based vendors like Ed-Fi and inBloom. At the last BESE meeting (several months ago) White promised to released a copy of the MOU/agreement between LDOE and inBloom. To date John White has not released this document, even in response to several Freedom of Information Act requests filed by Tom Aswell at Louisiana Voice and BESE member Lottie Beebe. Demand to see that MOU (M... more »

There Are Good Schools Out There - Bridging Differences - Education Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

There Are Good Schools Out There - Bridging Differences - Education Week: There Are Good Schools Out There by Deborah Meier *Today, Todd Sutler of the Odyssey Initiative joins Deborah Meier for a two-week blogging engagement.* Dear Debbie, It is an honor to be invited to correspond with you here. I have enjoyed reading your blog for years, and I am lucky to now have you as a friend and adviser to The Odyssey Initiative, an organization I founded with Michelle Healy and Brooke Peters last year. When we set off to research some of America's best schools, it never crossed our minds that... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] How Pennsylvania Betrayed Its Schools by dianerav This commentary was written by a retired superintendent of schools. Pennsylvania’s Tragic Betrayal of its Public Schools By Joseph Batory, Former Superintendent of Schools, Upper Darby School District, Drexel Hill, PA With regard to the inadequate funding of Philadelphia Public Schools, the city’s politicians have been and continue to lacking in political courage and moral fiber. Far too many of them are much too se... more »

Teacher Preparation Program Rankings Make U.S. News Debut

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Teacher Preparation Program Rankings Make U.S. News Debut: Teacher Preparation Program Rankings Make U.S. News Debut by Joy Resmovits [image: Teacher Preparation Program Rankings] Kate Walsh wants to bust up the teacher preparation market. That's why on Tuesday her group, the National Center for Teaching Quality, is releasing its first ranking of teacher preparation programs on the U.S. News & World Report website. The nearly across-the-board extremely low scores pull back the curtain on "an industry of mediocrity," according to a report released in conjunction with the rankings. ... more »

Daily Kos: Help Advocate for Children in Virginia!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Daily Kos: Help Advocate for Children in Virginia!: Help Advocate for Children in Virginia! by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Today marks the kickoff of a statewide campaign by Strong Kids, Strong Virginia, which is an effort by Every Child Matters Virginia, the state effort of the Every Child Matters Education Fund. This is a 501(c)(3) effort, which is non-partisan. We are communicating to elected officials of both parties. Perhaps these statistics from the website will help you understand why: There are 1,847,182 children under 18 in Virginia• Children Living in Poverty (2009) - ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Riding Lessons

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Riding Lessons: Riding Lessons by Mike Klonsky Eh? What's that, sonny...? Funny thing happened in first day of summer session. My students went around the table and introduced themselves and said the usual about what they do; where they teach; goals and passions. One student says, "I give writing lessons out in Oswego." My interest is perked. I ask, at what school do you teach writing? Student responds: "No not writing -- RIDING LESSONS." She's taking a few needed ed courses to become a certified riding instructor. Lots of friends and colleagues ga... more »

The Common Core’s fundamental trouble

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

The Common Core’s fundamental trouble: The Common Core’s fundamental trouble By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 18, 2013 at 6:30 amE-mail the writer 1 Comments More [image: common]There’s a lot being said and written about the Common Core State Standards these days, not all of it accurate. Here’s a smart piece about the initiative by the editors ofRethinking Schools, a nonprofit organization that publishes a magazine of the same name that balances classroom practice and educational theory, while also addressing key policy issues. Writers include teachers, parents and researchers, Y... more »

NYC Educator: No Excuses

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

NYC Educator: No Excuses: No Excuses by NYC Educator Naturally, I was shocked and stunned to discover the high school graduation rate had fallen under Mayor Michael Bloomberg. After all, we are the reformiest place on earth, and UFT teachers now have a new evaluation system despite not having had a raise in almost five years or a contract in almost four. Mayor Bloomberg boasted about having the toughest evaluation system, bar none, and not having had to give a goshdarn penny to acquire it. It's a given that anyone would admire a man that reformy. And yet, the reformier things get, ... more »

On Teaching (Elliot Eisner) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

On Teaching (Elliot Eisner) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: On Teaching (Elliot Eisner) by larrycuban *Too few policymakers have ever taught in public schools. Even fewer can articulate what it is about teaching young children, youth, and adults that binds teachers and students together and makes the experience of learning memorable, satisfying, and long-lasting. A non-policymaker I know well has expressed that bond between teacher and student in a fluent and thoughtful way. If only policy elites would create and sustain the conditions that further the conn... more »

Camouflaging the Vietnam War: How Textbooks Continue to Keep the Pentagon Papers Secret | Politics on GOOD

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Camouflaging the Vietnam War: How Textbooks Continue to Keep the Pentagon Papers Secret | Politics on GOOD: Camouflaging the Vietnam War: How Textbooks Continue to Keep the Pentagon Papers Secret [image: pentagon.papers] In the Academy Award-winning documentary *Hearts and Minds*, Daniel Ellsberg, who secretly copied and then released the Pentagon Papers, offers a catalog of presidential lying about the U.S. role in Vietnam. Truman lied. Eisenhower lied. Kennedy lied. Johnson "lied and lied and lied." Nixon lied. Ellsberg concludes: "The American public was lied to month by month ... more »

Arne Duncan Calls Slow School Internet 'Morally Unacceptable' - US News and World Report

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Arne Duncan Calls Slow School Internet 'Morally Unacceptable' - US News and World Report: Arne Duncan Calls Slow School Internet 'Morally Unacceptable'The Secretary of Education wants school systems to have networks with broadband speeds up to 120 mbps By GREG OTTO [image: (Win McNamee/Getty Images)]Education Secretary Arne Duncan (L) and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (R) read the Dr. Seuss book 'Green Eggs and Ham' to students enrolled in a Head Start program. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan asked cable companies to help boost technology in America's classrooms Wednesday, te... more »

LA Unified school board member wants changes to California's Parent Trigger law | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

LA Unified school board member wants changes to California's Parent Trigger law | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: LA Unified school board member wants changes to California's Parent Trigger law from Pass / Fail by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez [image: Cheech Marin at LAUSD on arts ed] *A Los Angeles Unified school board meeting in Oct. 2012.; Credit: Tami Abdollah/KPCC* California’s Parent Trigger law has been used five times to try and overhaul low-performing schools. Three of those were in the L.A. Unified School District. School board member Steve Zimmer has proposed a resolution up for a vote at... more »

ALEC’s (Non)Disclosure Policy | Uppity Wisconsin

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

ALEC’s (Non)Disclosure Policy | Uppity Wisconsin: ALEC’s (Non)Disclosure Policy Via Moyers & Company. Laura Macomber, Okapi Productions Last week, The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) filed suit against Wisconsin State Senator Leah Vukmir for failing to release documents as required under the state’s public records law. CMD alleges that Sen. Vukmir possesses materials pertaining to her involvement with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the controversial organization of which she is a member. Sen. Vukmir has handed over ALEC-related documents in the past, but re... more »

Perdido Street School: Bloomberg: UFT Endorsement Is "Kiss Of Death"

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Perdido Street School: Bloomberg: UFT Endorsement Is "Kiss Of Death": Bloomberg: UFT Endorsement Is "Kiss Of Death" by reality-based educator *Opposed to the "Kiss Of Wealth"* He's kinda right about this: *The candidates vying to succeed him can "shill" all they want for the teachers union, but they may very well be wasting their time, Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters today, during a press conference at the education department headquarters near City Hall.* "The last time the U.F.T.'s endorsement got somebody elected was better than two decades ago, O.K.?" said Bloomberg. "I... more »

New LAUSD board member Monica Ratliff seeks' end to 'business as usual' - LA Daily News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

New LAUSD board member Monica Ratliff seeks' end to 'business as usual' - LA Daily News: New LAUSD board member Monica Ratliff seeks' end to 'business as usual' by By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer New LAUSD school board member Monica Ratliff spent more than a decade in the classroom. Having spent more than a decade teaching in a Los Angeles Unified classroom and chatting with colleagues, Monica Ratliff's perception of the district administration was a hive of bureaucrats toiling away in the downtown monolith known simply as Beaudry. But after an intense three-day orientation last week... more »

Parent Revolution Creates a “Truth Site” to Debunk Me | Diane Ravitch's blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Parent Revolution Creates a “Truth Site” to Debunk Me | Diane Ravitch's blog: Parent Revolution Creates a “Truth Site” to Debunk Me by dianerav Parent Revolution, funded with millions of dollars by the Walton Family Foundation, the Gates Foundation, and he Broad Foundation, has decided to create a “truth site.” The story says: “The site’s initial focus will be on attempting to debunk claims made by NYU education historianDiane Ravitch, who earlier this month quasi-apologized for calling Parent Revolution head Ben Austin “loathsome” and on Friday penned another critique of the pare... more »

Blixt/My Turn: Say ‘no’ to K12 | The Recorder

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Blixt/My Turn: Say ‘no’ to K12 | The Recorder: Blixt/My Turn: Say ‘no’ to K12 By Wesley Blixt Greenfield is selling out its educational legacy to the lowest bidder — a corporation that has established a solidly toxic reputation for profiteering, lying, manipulation, creepy ultra-right-wing politics and looting the public trust. K12 Inc. is called “The Monsanto of Education.” Does this seem too harsh? Only in that it may be unfair to Monsanto. K12 has spent three years openly and arrogantly preying on the most damaged, disabled and despairing Massachusetts students and their famili... more »

inBloom, Ed-Fi, Cloud Computing, China, Nazi-Germany and the new Eugenicists | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

inBloom, Ed-Fi, Cloud Computing, China, Nazi-Germany and the new Eugenicists | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: inBloom, Ed-Fi, Cloud Computing, China, Nazi-Germany and the new Eugenicists by crazycrawfish Believe it or not, these concepts and words are all related. inBloom and Ed-Fi are two vendors that use cloud computer to store massive quantities of student data (the Louisiana is currently doing business with.) The information these vendors plan on storing will be used to classify, sort and allocate children by their skills and early proficiencies, much as they do in Communist China. It... more »

Daily Kos: Mayor Rahm Offers Schools Grand Bargain: Teachers or Toilet Paper

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Daily Kos: Mayor Rahm Offers Schools Grand Bargain: Teachers or Toilet Paper: Mayor Rahm Offers Schools Grand Bargain: Teachers or Toilet Paper byTristero 312Follow - - - 6 Comments / 6 New Chicago schools face severe cuts as the district unveils its new "school-based" budget plan which forced Nettlehorst Elementary School in Chicago to empty out all reserves, pink slip two teachers’ aides, and eliminate a school secretary position. Other schools are not as lucky and will be cutting teachers and resources including a commodity missing from many Chicago Schools... more »

Rising to the Occasion: A Call for Students and Teachers Alike Student Voice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Student Voice: Rising to the Occasion: A Call for Students and Teachers Alike by Editor Admin [image: Spencer Dupont]*About the Author: *My name is Spencer Dupont. I’m a 16-year-old junior who’s spent his entire life in the Deep South. I was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, but moved to Lafayette, Lousiana, with my family when I was a young child. I have lived here with my brother and my mother for most of my life. I write poetry in my free time and enjoy writing music, while essays consume a small portion of my free time. My name is Spencer Dupont. I’m a 16-year-old student of the La... more »

Volume 27, Performance Test for New Teachers A Forum on the edTPA- Rethinking Schools Online

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Volume 27, No.4 - Summer 2013 - Rethinking Schools Online: Volume 27, Issue 4 Volume 27, Issue 4 VOLUME 27, ISSUE 4 — SUMMER 2013 Cover Theme:Performance Test for New TeachersA Forum on the edTPA In this special forum, we highlight three perspectives on the edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment), the test for credential candidates now being piloted in teacher education programs around the country. The Role of Performance Assessment in Developing Teaching as a Profession By Linda Darling-Hammond and Maria E. Hyler The edTPA will lead to better teachers and more professional respect. Wron... more »

UPDATE Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Commission-Mtg #3

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Commission-Mtg #3: Spectrum Thread by Melissa Westbrook This was requested as finally some Spectrum parents are understanding that Spectrum is very much on the chopping block. Who knows? As we speak Shauna Heath and Michael Tolley may have already done away with it (it seems they will be creating whatever Advanced Learning will be). If the district had allowed the Advanced Learning Taskforce to continue its work, we might have gotten to Spectrum and ALOs. But maybe that was the point of NOT continuing on. It may be too ... more »

Shaun Johnson: It Makes Me Wonder Why All the Amateurs Have Come to Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Shaun Johnson: It Makes Me Wonder Why All the Amateurs Have Come to Education: It Makes Me Wonder Why All the Amateurs Have Come to Education Posted: 06/17/2013 5:27 pm I'm a little late to this party. I was clued into this 2012 video of a Kennedy Center Honor's performance of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven." I'm not normally sentimental about videos that get passed around. Perhaps the stakes were higher because the late John Bonham's son made a surprise performance on drums. Surviving members of the band, watching from the balcony, were noticeably emotional about the perfor... more »

NYC Public School Parents: NYSED and Merryl Tisch FOILed for their communications re inBloom Inc.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: NYSED and Merryl Tisch FOILed for their communications re inBloom Inc.: NYSED and Merryl Tisch FOILed for their communications re inBloom Inc. by Leonie Haimson See the Freedom of Information request, just submitted by attorney Norman Siegel on behalf of PS 75 in Manhattan and Community Education Council District 14 in Brooklyn, asking for all the communications between NYSED officials and Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch and the Gates Foundation, inBloom Inc., Wireless Generation and News Corp, about their risky student data sharing scheme. FOIL Request t... more »

New Hampshire ‘neovoucher’ program found unconstitutional

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

New Hampshire ‘neovoucher’ program found unconstitutional: New Hampshire ‘neovoucher’ program found unconstitutional By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 17, 2013 at 4:29 pmE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: new hampshire]A judge in New Hampshire ruled Monday that a tuition tax-credit program that allows public money to be used for religious school education violates the state constitution. Three groups — Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union — had challenged the *state’s new Education ...more »

The Looming Excellence Emergency | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

The Looming Excellence Emergency | EduShyster: The Looming Excellence Emergency by edushyster2012 *Will the education reform movement exhaust the word “excellence” before the achievement gap is *crushed*?* Imagine a world without excellence. Experts say that with the education reform movement on schedule to exhaust the superlative as soon as 2016, an excellence-deprived future is a near guarantee. The problem, say excellence experts, is that a vast pool of corporate money has produced an excellence bubble as new groups rush to cash in on the fierce urgency of the moment. Experts say... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-17-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Jan Resseger on Absurdity of Ohio VAM by dianerav This just in from an advocate for children who live in poverty: This week the Cleveland Plain Dealer has a new series, “Grading the Teachers.” It is basically an endorsement of the new Ohio Value Added Measures (VAM) program by which teachers will be rated. Scores are being made available on-line. Ohio’s VAM formula, according to the news account, does not consider the socioeconomic information about the children. Here are the articles thus far in the series: ·... more »

SBE to Fordham: NGSS highly vetted by CA experts SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: SBE to Fordham: NGSS highly vetted by CA experts As one of the State Board's liaisons to the NGSS work, I've been very engaged with the development and review process up until now. In the earlier stages, while NGSS was going through multiple rounds of public review and revisions, CDE had a group of 80 scientists, educators, and business leaders in CA review and comment on those initial drafts. To review the final set of NGSS the CDE commissioned a group of 25 Californians to serve on a Science Expert Panel. These included Bruce Alperts, edi... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Newark's Charters: Perception Is NOT Reality

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Newark's Charters: Perception Is NOT Reality: Newark's Charters: Perception Is NOT Reality by Duke Apparently, the hue and cry in Newark against state control of the schools (coming from the *elected* school advisory board, the *elected* city council, the students, the teachers, and the parents) is getting so loud that State Superintendent Cami Anderson and State Education Commissioner Chris Cerf feel like they have to show at least a little acknowledgment of their critics: Superintendent of Schools Cami Anderson announced an initiative Thursday night intended to ... more »

Common Core Summer Showcase - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Common Core Summer Showcase - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Showcases Teacher Trainings Kicking Off California's Common Core Summer SACRAMENTO—With the state budget setting aside $1.25 billion to implement new standards in California's public schools, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson kicked off California's Common Core Summer with a daylong seminar to help teachers instill deeper learning of mathematics in their students. "For teachers, this is California's Common Core Summer. They've just finished their own school yea... more »

David Coleman Lauds the Use of Student Data | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

David Coleman Lauds the Use of Student Data | Truth in American Education: David Coleman Lauds the Use of Student Data by Shane Vander Hart David Coleman, President of the College Board and “chief architect” of the Common Core State Standards, spoke at the Annual Strategic Data Project (SDP) Beyond the Numbers Convening hosted by the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. The theme was “from the classroom to the boardroom: analytics for strategy and performance.” He lauded the collection and use of student data. The video below is edited for relevant excerpts... more »

Do we want to deal with the Achievement Gap: Then deal with the real problem (by Wendy Lecker) - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Do we want to deal with the Achievement Gap: Then deal with the real problem (by Wendy Lecker) - Wait, What?: Do we want to deal with the Achievement Gap: Then deal with the real problem (by Wendy Lecker) by jonpelto Public school advocate and fellow columnist Wendy Lecker published another “must read” piece over the weekend. This one entitled “Courts repeatedly uphold the right to a quality education,” explains the underlying problem facing public education in our nation and the sad reality that children, parent and our society have had to rely on the courts rather than elected ... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, June 17, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *State Superintendent Launches Common Core Summer Program | KHTS Radio* Education Headlines *Monday, June 17, 2013* Teachers in Upland say cuts hit them unfairlyAs the June 30 deadline to approve a balanced budget looms, Upland Unified School District and its teachers are still in contentious negotiations that have teachers worried about their financial stability. Ontario-Montclair School District teachers reject contract offerThe contract, which OMTA members rejected in the third week of May, called for teachers to work a 15-mi... more »

6-17-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] It makes me wonder why all the amateurs have come to education by Chalk Face, PhD As promised, my latest at Huff Post Politics. Tagged: amateurs, education reform, huffington post politics KIPP in Arkansas Gives “Whatever It Takes” New Meaning by Jim Horn Recent conversations with KIPP high school teachers reveals many cracks in KIPP’s Five Pillars. Apparently, KIPP’s Helena, AK high school has interpreted “whatever it takes” to include violating state laws for student transcripts and what can count as course credits. From T... more »

NCTQ Ranking of Teacher Prep Programs Gets an F | A "Fuller" Look at Education Issues

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NCTQ Ranking of Teacher Prep Programs Gets an F | A "Fuller" Look at Education Issues: NCTQ Ranking of Teacher Prep Programs Gets an F by Dr. Ed Fuller *Background* In January, 2011, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) and *U.S. News & World Report* announced their intention to evaluate and rank teacher education programs in the United States. The goal of this study is to review the quality of teacher preparation programs across the U.S., based on NCTQ’s standards for teacher education. This followed a series of reports assessing state-level Teacher Preparation policie... more »

Shanker Blog » What Should The Results Of New Teacher Evaluations Look Like?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Shanker Blog » What Should The Results Of New Teacher Evaluations Look Like?: What Should The Results Of New Teacher Evaluations Look Like? by Matthew Di Carlo In a previous post, I discussed the initial results from new teacher evaluations in several states, and the fact that states with implausibly large proportions of teachers in the higher categories face a difficult situation – achieving greater differentiation while improving the quality and legitimacy of their systems. I also expressed concern that pre-existing beliefs about the “proper” distribution of teacher ratings — in p... more »

Perdido Street School: 6% Of NYC Teachers Hit With "Ineffective" Rating On Test Scores

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Perdido Street School: 6% Of NYC Teachers Hit With "Ineffective" Rating On Test Scores: 6% Of NYC Teachers Hit With "Ineffective" Rating On Test Scores by reality-based educator Here is the future: Roughly 6 percent of city teachers were deemed ineffective last year based solely on their students’ scores on state math and reading tests, new city data shows. The data stemmed from a trial-run of just one segment of a new teacher evaluation system that will be implemented at public schools here this fall. That segment -- which only looks at state math or reading scores for students... more »

As Poverty Increases, Reformers Cling to the “New Status Quo” | NEA Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

As Poverty Increases, Reformers Cling to the “New Status Quo” | NEA Today: As Poverty Increases, Reformers Cling to the “New Status Quo” by twalker *By Tim Walker* A couple of weeks ago, the *U.S. Department of Education released new data t *hat confirms what every advocate of public education has been trumpeting for years: poverty is a growing scourge on public schools. According to its 2013 *Condition of Education *report, one in five schools in the United States are considered high poverty. Twenty percent of public school students attended these schools in 2011, considerably more t... more »

UPDATE Seattle Schools Community Forum: Sweet, sweet irony

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Sweet, sweet irony: Sweet, sweet irony by Charlie Mas A few days ago I wrote about the Board's role and how they are failing to do their job. Today, the Seattle Times writes the same. Funny thing, though, the Times and I have exactly the opposite ideas about what the Board should be doing. The Times claims that "*Time wasted on board dysfunction, including time spent on personality conflicts as well as delayed policy decisions, slows momentum on important improvements.*" Really? Like what? What - exactly - has been delayed due to Board disagre... more »

COMMON CORE STANDARDS ARE ON THE WAY Sacramento Council PTA

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Sacramento Council PTA: [image: SAC COUNCIL LOGO] COMMON CORE STANDARDS ARE ON THE WAY *Be Informed So That You Will Be Able to Help Your Children, Schools & School District with the Transition* - Get More Information About What They Are - Parents Guide to Student Success-Frequently Asked Questions - Parents Guide to Student SuccessThis guide provides an overview of what your child will learn by the end each year. - Don't Politicize the Common Core State Standards! - Standards Backers Seek Out Support of Parents - Common Core: 7 Recommendations for Effec... more »

2nd Banana 6-15-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

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Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-17-13

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SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources:

CTC backs teacher misconduct bill

California’s standards board for educator training and professional conduct added its support to legislation that would rewrite the rules implementingsanctions against school officials who fail to report changes in an employee’s work status while an allegation of misconduct is pending.

The Commission on Teacher Credentialing backed AB 449 by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, after the author dropped a provision that would have eliminated existing criminal penalties for a principal, teacher, employee or school officer who fails to make required reports to the state.

The bill specifies that failure to make this report constitutes unprofessional conduct and could subject the school administrator to adverse action by the commission, as well as criminal penalties of between $500 and $1,000. In addition, AB 449 makes it clear that a change in employment status due to unsatisfactory performance or a reduction in workforce is not an allegation of misconduct for review by the CTC.

According to an Assembly analysis of the bill, the author believes that “existing law does not grant the CTC clear authority to investigate or hold a superintendent accountable for failure to make a report when a school district takes employment action against a credential holder as a result of an allegation of misconduct,” creating reporting delays 

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, June 18, 2013

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

Horizon Charter School faces board vote amid complaints

Education Headlines

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Horizon Charter School faces board vote amid complaints

The fate of Horizon Charter School and its 2,700 students is in the hands of Western Placer Unified's school board after allegations of fiscal mismanagement and complaints from parents.

Capo Unified prepares for influx of students

A new campus serving kindergartners through eighth-graders is likely to be the first school built by the Capistrano Unified School District to accommodate students growing up in Rancho Mission Viejo, a large housing development under construction east of Ladera Ranch and San Juan Capistrano.

Whole set of South County transcripts

U-T Watchdog has been covering the release of grand jury transcripts in the South County corruption case brought by District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis involving more than 200 charges against 15 officials and contractors at two school districts and one community college. We're posting all the transcripts below, and we've used optical scans to make them searchable.

Adult ed classes return to Sweetwater

Teachers and students in the Sweetwater Union High School District applauded during a board meeting Monday as Superintendent Ed Brand revealed a recommendation to reinstate adult education cuts.

LA Unified school board member wants changes to California's Parent Trigger law

California’s Parent Trigger law has been used five times to try and overhaul low-performing schools. Three of those were in the L.A. Unified School District. School board member Steve Zimmer has proposed a resolution up for a vote at Tuesday’s meeting calling for new restrictions.

New LAUSD board member Monica Ratliff seeks' end to 'business as usual'

Having spent more than a decade teaching in a Los Angeles Unified classroom and chatting with colleagues, Monica Ratliff's perception of the district administration was a hive of bureaucrats toiling away in the downtown monolith known simply as Beaudry. But after an intense three-day orientation last week at the Beaudry Avenue headquarters, the newest member of the school board said she actually foun

New teacher training study decries California universities

A new front is opening in the education wars as a report released Tuesday derides California's teacher training schools as among the worst in a nation full of substandard programs.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Small schools anticipate funding cuts

As the Legislature prepares to pass Gov. Jerry Brown's state budget, educators in five of Siskiyou County's small schools are anticipating a significant loss of funding, and the fate of these institutions remains unknown.

Teachers in Upland say cuts hit them unfairly

As the June 30 deadline to approve a balanced budget looms, Upland Unified School District and its teachers are still in contentious negotiations that have teachers worried about their financial stability.

Ontario-Montclair School District teachers reject contract offer

The contract, which OMTA members rejected in the third week of May, called for teachers to work a 15-minute-longer workday in return for a 2 percent pay hike.

Mother Crusader: Step Right Up For Phase Two Of The New Jersey Charter Circus!!

Mother Crusader: Step Right Up For Phase Two Of The New Jersey Charter Circus!!:

Welcome To Phase Two Of The New Jersey Charter Circus!!

by darciecima

Step right up ladies and gentlemen!

The NJDOE announced yesterday which charter applications will move on in the application process! Thirteen have been invited to submit Phase Two applications in July, including the two I wrote about back in April.

FOC Pastor McDuffie

Former Assemblyman Gerald Luongo's Creative Visions Charter School and "Friend of Christie" (FOC) Pastor Michael McDuffie's Mathematical Innovation Generates Higher Technology (MIGHT) Leadership Charter School (ten bucks to ANYONE that can help me make sense of that word salad name!) have both been tapped.

It's no big secret that if you have connections in this state, you are almost guaranteed a charter. To hell with the traditional public schools! New Jersey needs innovation, and charters need autonomy to be innovative. But never fear, if a charter misuses that autonomy tofleece taxpayers and fail children, it will be shut down.

Whew. I know I feel much better, don't you?

And even if the NJDOE is out of control at least we still have a handful of legislators willing to stand up for traditional public schools. You know, the ones that serve ALL kids.

Here's a snippet from the Joint Committee on the Public Schools, when the Commissioner came before them to 

It’s Time For the PWC BOCS to Lead | PWC Education Reform Blog

It’s Time For the PWC BOCS to Lead | PWC Education Reform Blog:

It’s Time For the PWC BOCS to Lead

by pwceducationreform

In 2006 voters authorized Prince William County to issue $11 million in bonds to make improvements to park facilities in the county.  Among the improvements residents wanted was an expansion of the swimming lanes at the Chinn Center.  The expansion never happened, nor did any of the other promised improvements.  The county reportedly issued the bonds in 2011, though no one I’ve asked seems to have any clue what the bonds were actually used for.

We’re 7 years past 2006 and our indoor swimming facilities are even more inadequate than they were then.  School age children routinely swim at 4:30 in the morning to get practice in before school starts.  Swimming lessons fill up within days of being announced.  Pool space in the evening for recreation is next to impossible to find.  Clubs and swim teams have to put 6 – 8 swimmers or more in a lane at a time for practice because the lanes simply aren’t available.

We needed additional swimming facilities in 2006 and we need them even more now.  Unfortunately the county’s plan for filling that need is to do nothing.  Not one Supervisor has adding additional swimming facilities on their list of priorities.  Not a single one.

As the recession has drug on longer than anyone expected, funding for our schools hasn’t increased enough to provide for school operations.  To balance the budget the school division has cut programs and increased class sizes to the state maximum.  PWCS has the largest class sizes in the state.  My son’s math class has 35 students in it with one teacher.  Many classrooms have 38 – 40 students in them with one teacher.  The state recommends one compliance officer per 1,000 special 

The Central Hypocrisy of the NCTQ Teacher Prep Institution Ratings | School Finance 101

The Central Hypocrisy of the NCTQ Teacher Prep Institution Ratings | School Finance 101:

The Central Hypocrisy of the NCTQ Teacher Prep Institution Ratings

by schoolfinance101

I’ve already written about this topic in the past.
But, given that NCTQ has just come out with their really, really big new ratings of teacher preparation institutions… with their primary objective of declaring teacher prep by traditional colleges and universities in the U.S. a massive failure, I figured I should once again revisit why the NCTQ ratings are, in general, methodologically inept & vacuous and more specifically wholly inconsistent with NCTQ’s own primary emphasis that teacher quality and qualifications matter perhaps more than anything else in schools and classrooms.
The debate among scholars and practitioners in education as to whether a good teacher is more important than a good curriculum, or vice versa, is never-ending. Most of us who are engaged in this debate lean one way or the other. Disclosure – I lean in favor of the “good teacher” perspective.  Those with labor economics background or interests tend to lean toward the good teacher importance, and perhaps those with more traditional “education” training lean toward the importance of curriculum.  I’m grossly oversimplifying here (perhaps opening a can of worms that need not be opened). Clearly, both matter.
I would argue that NCTQ has historically leaned toward the idea that the “good teacher” trumps all – but for their 

UPDATE: The Madman blinks. + The in box. Pension reform. What is the moral basis for it? | Fred Klonsky

The in box. Pension reform. What is the moral basis for it? | Fred Klonsky:

Children and hedge fund profits.

by Fred Klonsky

Diane Ravitch wisely chose to feature Ken Previti’s blog post on turning children into profit centers.
Ken, Illinois retiree now living in Florida, is a member of our unofficial Constitution Bloggers Association.

Once people realize that their own children are being experimented upon and used for profits, the greed grab will end. The testing craze, the corporate education reform industry, the for-profit and non-profit charter industry, the online educational programing business, etc. will dwindle and either die out or become minuscule.
The profit margins are estimated, the marketing planned, and the technologies used to lure parents 

Representative Ives’ HB3303. Again with turning our pension into a 401(k)?

by Fred Klonsky

Between now and July when the General Assembly again meets to go after public employee pensions, Representative Jeanne Ives will be pushing her HB3303. It is another Republican attempt to turn our defined benefit pension into a Vegas-style gamble.
Last week, Constitution Blogger Association member Glen Brown took on this foolishness.

Don’t be fooled by some Illinois politicians’ saccharine prevarications about stabilizing the public 

The Madman blinks.

by Fred Klonsky

There will be no votes taken on any pension bill tomorrow.
Let’s take a second and review what happened leading up to today.
In the General Assembly session that ended the end of May, nothing happened.
Madigan ordered his House to pass SB1, a pension bomb so punitive to state employees that it would make Alcatraz look like an all-inclusive resort.
Meanwhile We Are One, the coalition of public employee unions, worked out a deal with Senate President Cullerton. It still put the total burden of the continuing pension liability on the employees. However, Cullerton 

The in box. Pension reform. What is the moral basis for it?

by Fred Klonsky

The authoritative Springfield observer Jim Broadway.

Prediction: Neither Madigan nor Cullerton will budge. No pension reform bill will be passed and sent to Quinn’s desk. (Did you hear he said he thinks he may have been “put on this Earth” to solve the pension crisis? Wondered what the reason could have been.)
What moral basis? To say, as I have, that Madigan’s plan (or anyone’s plan) “lacks a moral basis” needs to be explained.
A college professor long ago rephrased for me Socrates’ admonition that “an unexamined life is not worth living.” That seems a bit harsh, he said. But he held firmly to assertion that “an unexamined belief is not worth holding.” I found that persuasive.
So I examine my beliefs and therefore hold few of them. Opinions? Oh, I’m full of opinions as anyone can tell you. But opinions can change as new information arrives. Beliefs rarely change. They just get more deeply embedded. People will fight for their beliefs, will die in a clash with those 

Not even toilet paper for schools. Rahm’s bread and circuses instead.

by Fred Klonsky

A hundred thousand protest in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 
I was on a field trip to the Loop when word came that Sao Paulo, not Chicago, would get the 2016 Olympics.
Thousands gathered in Daley Plaza in front of City Hall to hear the announcement.
Sao Paulo lost. They were given the Olympics.
As I looked at the pictures of thousands of protesters in a half a dozen Brazilian cities protesting government austerity, inflation and money going to build fancy arenas, I thought to myself, that might have been Chicago.

Minority Kids With Autism Less Likely to Use Specialty Services: Study - US News and World Report

Minority Kids With Autism Less Likely to Use Specialty Services: Study - US News and World Report:

Minority Kids With Autism Less Likely to Use Specialty Services: Study

Compared to white children, black and Hispanic patients may be missing out on certain types of care

June 17, 2013 RSS Feed Print

By Maureen Salamon
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) -- Black and Hispanic children with autism are markedly less likely than children from white families to receive specialty care for complications tied to the disorder, a new study finds.

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in Boston found that the rates at which minority children accessed specialists such as gastroenterologists, neurologists and psychiatrists, as well as the tests these specialists use, ran well below those of white children.

"I was surprised not by the trends, but by how significant they were," said study author Dr. Sarabeth Broder-Fingert, a fellow in the department of pediatrics at MassGeneral and Harvard Medical School. "Based on my own clinical experience and some of the literature that exists on this, I thought we'd probably see some differences between white and non-white children in getting specialty care . . . but some of these differences were really large, especially gastrointestinal services."

The study is published online June 17 in the journal Pediatrics.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in 50 school-age children has been diagnosed with an autism 

Modern School: Nanny State Gone Wild—More Stupid Rules to Make School More Unpleasant

Modern School: Nanny State Gone Wild—More Stupid Rules to Make School More Unpleasant:

Nanny State Gone Wild—More Stupid Rules to Make School More Unpleasant

by Michael Dunn

Image from Flickr, by KazVorpal

Last week, in her column “The Answer Sheet,” Valerie Straus listed “eight weird things schools banned this year.” Some of the bans were absurd overreactions to freak accidents that were unlikely to ever occur again and that could be averted much more simply through greater caution by students and teachers. For example, frilly socks were banned at Kingshold Primary School in Gloucester, England, after a child tripped over her dangles and fell, according to the Independent. In another bizarre example, Castle View School in Essex, England, prohibited triangular flapjacks (in England, flapjacks are hard cookies, not pancakes) after one was tossed and hit a student in the eye, the independentreported. To “solve” this dangerous problem, school officials are now requiring that flapjacks be square—apparently these officials had flunked geometry class or missed the lesson in which they were taught that squares have more sharp corners than triangles.

Other bans stemmed from the hysteria over bullying, (here andhere), and are equally misguided. The Eagle-Tribune wrote that the Wyndham School District in New Hampshire, for example, has banned dodge ball and other “human target” games as a way to reduce bullying. Yet bullying (as well as run of the mill teasing, 

The Common Core Loses This Teacher's Support - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

The Common Core Loses This Teacher's Support - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

The Common Core Loses This Teacher's Support

by Anthony Cody

Guest post by Katie Lapham.
In April I carried a guest post written by New York City elementary teacher Katie Lapham, expressing support for the Common Core standards, but opposing the tests attached to them. Since then, Ms. Lapham has shifted her views. She explains:
When I first learned about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) two or so years ago, I didn't question their implementation. I've always preferred designing my own lessons and was sold on the idea that the standards were mostly a guide; we were free to choose our own curriculum.
Since writing to Dr. John King, head of New York State's Education Department, about the excessive CCSS state assessments administered in April, I have spent countless hours educating myself on education reform and Race to the Top polices. I now feel duped. CCSS are much more than a set of learning objectives. By attaching them to government initiatives such as high-stakes testing and teacher evaluation plans, the standards are being used as an instrument to standardize and control public education in the US. Teachers and schools feel increasingly micromanaged, which is insulting and demoralizing. We have less autonomy and choice, and my own personalized instruction is being threatened. Below are the main reasons why I, a teacher and parent, 

NEA Provides Educators with Guidance on Preventing Workplace Bullying | NEA Today

NEA Provides Educators with Guidance on Preventing Workplace Bullying | NEA Today:

NEA Provides Educators with Guidance on Preventing Workplace Bullying

by twalker

By Cindy Long
Kim Werner’s former principal was identified by her union as the most abusive principal in the district.
“He has been targeting educators for fifteen years,” she says. “He lies. He coerces.  He intimidates.  He screams and uses profanities.”
And he’s still a principal, while Werner is now an Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Trainer.
After a year and a half of constant abuse, Werner took medical leave and reported her principal. She was covered by the district’s Bullying and Harassment policy, and while on leave, requested public records about complaints filed by other educators at her school.
“I soon discovered the horror other educators had experienced under his leadership,” Werner says. “I was shocked and sick inside.  These were simply people who spoke up and addressed his intimidation tactics. They suffered greatly–both professionally and emotionally.”
Bullying leadership is often based upon fear, Werner says, and because bullying principals are scared they