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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Morning Wink 8-20-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS


ODAY

Tune in for the Crazy Crawfish Radio Hour! | Crazy Crawfish's Blog
Tune in for the Crazy Crawfish Radio Hour! | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Tune in for the Crazy Crawfish Radio Hour!Posted on August 20, 20130 This Monday August 26th at 10:00 am (Central) tune into WBOK, The New Orleans Imperative.   You can listen online : http://www.wbok1230am.com/ or 1230AM radio. Possible topics include the inBloom data piracy scandal and John White’s SSN leaks, St Helena’s fight w
by mike simpson / 4min 
8-20-13 Wait What? Malloy/Pryor’s new “Turnaround Director” violated Connecticut law by failing to get proper teacher certification
Wait What?: Malloy/Pryor’s new “Turnaround Director” violated Connecticut law by failing to get proper teacher certificationIn what can only be described as a classic move of incredible arrogance, Governor Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor, has named a non-certified individual to head up Malloy and Pryor’s pet project; the Department of Education’s “Turnaround Office” which has resp
by mike simpson / 7min 
National Strike! August 29th | OccupyWallSt.org
National Strike! August 29th | OccupyWallSt.org: National Strike! August 29thPosted 1 hour ago on Aug. 20, 2013, 9:52 a.m. EST by OccupyWallStTags: labor, strike, fast food workersvia LowPayIsNotOK.org:Thousands of workers are going on a national strike on August 29 to demand better pay and better treatment. Low-wage jobs are the fastest growing jobs in the nation and they need to pay more so that
3 by mike simpson / 13min 
U.S. News & World Report Twitter Chat: Children and the Affordable Care Act | First Focus #KidCare
Home | First Focus: U.S. News & World Report Twitter Chat: Children and the Affordable Care ActPlease join U.S. News & World Report, First Focus, the Urban Institute, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute for a live Twitter chat about what the Affordable Care Act will mean for children and their famil
by mike simpson / 20min 
Why America Should Care About Philadelphia’s Children
Why America Should Care About Philadelphia’s Children: Why America Should Care About Philadelphia’s Children“A Public School System From Hell”Philadelphia, the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Constitution was written, and the site of the oldest residential street in the United States, has become the site where the nation’s drift away from its founding ideals is most
by mike simpson / 22min 
Pinterest and Reddit Launch Initiatives for Teachers NEA Today
NEA Today: Retired Educators Help Disadvantaged Students Become Equipped to LearnBy Helen Yoshida As schools reopen their doors across the country, many students will go home after the first day with a list of  school supplies they will need for the year.  This can be difficult for economically-disadvantaged students because their families may not be able to afford the necessary items on the list.
by mike simpson / 1h 
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Have we really made CPS and wing of City Hall?
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Have we really made CPS and wing of City Hall?: Have we really made CPS and wing of City Hall?It's like a bad dream...A foul-mouthed megalomaniac is given autocratic control over the schools in the nation's third largest city. He doesn't particularly care for public education and certainly wouldn't send his own children to a public school -- especially to one that ha
by mike simpson / 1h 
Conflicting ideas about how to rate teacher prep programs | HechingerEd Blog
Conflicting ideas about how to rate teacher prep programs | HechingerEd Blog: Conflicting ideas about how to rate teacher prep programsAfter winning a hard-fought battle against the teachers union to impose a new teacher evaluation system, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has turned to evaluating the training programs that produce the city’s teachers.The New York City Department of Education
by mike simpson / 1h 
Negro Mayor Hushes as Overseer Tom Puts a Whipping on Philly’s Youngsters
Negro Mayor Hushes as Overseer Tom Puts a Whipping on Philly’s Youngsters: Negro Mayor Hushes as Overseer Tom Puts a Whipping on Philly’s YoungstersB.R.O TALK: BLACK NEWS IN PERSPECTIVE Petition Urges Negro Mayor to Stand Up to Gov. Corbett and Fight for Philadelphia!On May 10th 2013, Mayor Michael A. Nutter was joined by Superintendent Dr. Hite and the Philadelphia State Delegation, as he announc
by mike simpson / 2h 
Is the Dream of Education for All Already Over? | LinkedIn
Is the Dream of Education for All Already Over? | LinkedIn: Is the Dream of Education for All Already Over?inShareOne Laptop per Child (OLPC), a non-profit organisation which was set up to bring education to the world's poorest children, has impressed and inspired me with its original mission and approach for the last few years. Very recently, however, they have changed their strategy by launching
by mike simpson / 2h 
Louisiana Educator: Jindal Anti-teacher Law Ruled Unconstitutional . . . Again
Louisiana Educator: Jindal Anti-teacher Law Ruled Unconstitutional . . . Again: Jindal Anti-teacher Law Ruled Unconstitutional . . . AgainDistrict Judge Ben Jones has ruled that Governor Jindal's Act 1 of 2012 violates a teacher's constitutional rights in two important ways according to the Monroe News Star account.My congratulations to the Louisiana Association of Educators and LAE attorney Brian
by mike simpson / 2h 
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-20-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Philadelphia: Shame on Governor Corbett!The public schools of Philadelphia are being slowly, surely strangled by Governor Tom Corbett and the Legislature of Pennsylvania. Or, maybe, not so slowly. The state has a constitutional responsibility to maintain a public school system in every district but the state leaders don’t believe i
by mike simpson / 2h 
8-20-13 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: MORE Weekly Update: Come to our summer series on building an active UFT chapter in your school... come to our Summer Series event on August 22nd at Local 138,and our newly redesigned website at morecaucusnyc.org View this email in your browser Weekly Update #64 August 23, 2013 Share Tweet Forward to Friend Join MORE Today MARCH ON WASHINGTONRealize the DreamSat, 8/24 COMMITTEES:Hi
by mike simpson / 2h 
8-20-13 Schools Matter @ The Chalk Face
SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE: “Honesty is such a lonely word…”: Jeb Bush Lacks CredibilityIt is becoming a disturbing refrain in my head whenever I visit Twitter: Where’s the media? Jeb Bush offers a string of claims, no relevant evidence, and the all-too-usual glossing over of real educational problems in “Toward a Better Education System: A set of bold, proven reforms is the key to raising st
by mike simpson / 2h 
8-20-13 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Needing To Quantify EverythingDiane Ravitch:The other day, I was involved in an extended online discussion about proficiency and accountability with about 50 people, mostly inside the Beltway. These are big names, people who make decisions that control your child’s life in school. I got more and more exasperated as the various think tank experts waxed on about how and why pa
by mike simpson / 3h 
Tony Bennett Resignation Splits Education Insiders: Poll
Tony Bennett Resignation Splits Education Insiders: Poll: Tony Bennett Resignation Splits Education Insiders: PollPosted: 08/20/2013 8:15 am EDTOnly 50 percent of education "insiders" surveyed think that Tony Bennett, Florida's former Republican education commissioner, should have resigned after initial reports of a grade-changing scandal.The survey respondents didn't split along party lines eithe
by mike simpson / 3h 
The Educated Reporter: Proceed With Caution: Using Polling Data in Education Reporting
The Educated Reporter: Proceed With Caution: Using Polling Data in Education Reporting: Proceed With Caution: Using Polling Data in Education ReportingOn Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 9 a.m. EDT, I’ll be chatting live with Bill Bushaw, executive director of Phi Delta Kappa, about the new Gallup poll findings. You can use this link to ask questions in advance of the conversation. The annual PDK/Gallup educ
by mike simpson / 3h 
Student test scores now linked to teachers’ licenses
Student test scores now linked to teachers’ licenses: Student test scores now linked to teachers’ licensesBy Valerie Strauss, Published: August 20 at 6:00 amE-mail the writer0CommentsMoreWe should have seen this coming.School reformers who love using student standardized test scores as the chief accountability measure in education have found yet a new way to use them against teachers.It’s not enou
by mike simpson / 3h 
NYC Educator: Krugman Becomes a Duncan Dittohead
NYC Educator: Krugman Becomes a Duncan Dittohead: Krugman Becomes a Duncan Dittohead It's pretty suspicious that, on the eve of Diane Ravitch's book release, the dunces are in confederacy against her, and for Common Core. It's particularly egregious to find said dunces at the NY Times day after day.I've long admired NY Times columnist Paul Krugman. During the insanity and excesses of GW's reign, h
by mike simpson / 3h 

YESTERDAY

Top of Our List | First Focus
Top of Our List | First Focus: The Minimum Wage: A Children’s IssueAugust 19, 2013by Kevin Curran, First FocusAs the American economy continues to recover, there are many proposed changes that are supposed to better the nation. One recent proposal that warrants further discussion is raising the federal minimum wage. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour and was last raised in 2009. T
3 by mike simpson / 15h 
Nite Cap 8-19-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change
James Baldwin said it best: "For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAPTODAYGarcetti picks up mantle from Villaraigosa, appoints education deputy | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCCGarcetti picks up mantle from Villaraigosa, appoints education deputy | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Garcetti picks up mantle from Villaraigosa, appoints educat
1 by mike simpson / 16h 
Garcetti picks up mantle from Villaraigosa, appoints education deputy | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC
Garcetti picks up mantle from Villaraigosa, appoints education deputy | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Garcetti picks up mantle from Villaraigosa, appoints education deputyAdolfo Guzman-Lopez | August 19th, 2013, 2:25pmL0s Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti plans to appoint veteran school district administrator Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana as his new education deputy, KPCC has learned.The arrangement came to l
by mike simpson / 16h 
The Burdens of Working-Class Youth - Online University of the Left
The Burdens of Working-Class Youth - Online University of the Left: The Burdens of Working-Class YouthPosted by carl4davidson Tim Foley for The ChronicleBy Jennifer M. SilvaThe Chronicle of Higher EducationBrandon, a 34-year-old black man from Richmond, Va., labels himself "a cautionary tale." Growing up in the shadow of a university where both his parents worked in maintenance, he was told from a
by mike simpson / 17h 
In South Florida, AFT President Weingarten targets Bush, Bennett - Schools - MiamiHerald.com #CHEATS4CHANGE
In South Florida, AFT President Weingarten targets Bush, Bennett - Schools - MiamiHerald.com: In South Florida, AFT President Weingarten targets Bush, Bennett BY DAVID SMILEYDSMILEY@MIAMIHERALD.COMWith the architects of Florida’s education system on the defensive, the fiery leader of the country’s second-largest teachers union launched another round of attacks on former governor Jeb Bush and the s
9 by mike simpson / 17h 
Diane Ravitch’s new book was preemptively attacked. Wow! | Reclaim Reform
Diane Ravitch’s new book was preemptively attacked. Wow! | Reclaim Reform: Diane Ravitch’s new book was preemptively attacked. Wow!Posted on August 19, 2013by Ken PrevitiPeter Cunningham, a professional spin-doctor, today attacked Diane Ravitch and her yet to be published book, The Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools. Wow! she must have
by mike simpson / 17h 
Back to School Campaign — Coming Soon Student Voice
Student Voice: Back to School Campaign — Coming Soon With the Digital Backpack’s Launch just a few days away, Student Voice wanted to take the time to explain “why” — Why does the Digital Backpack matter?This is why.The easiest way to support Student Voice is to personally share the Digital Backpack with your friends, colleagues, and community. Share it, talk about it, and find us on Twitter, Fa
by mike simpson / 18h 
L.A. TIMES SANDY BANKS - REPORTER OR SHILL FOR LAUSD, BROAD & GATES, AND THE PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC EDUCATION? YOU DECIDE - Perdaily.com
L.A. TIMES SANDY BANKS - REPORTER OR SHILL FOR LAUSD, BROAD & GATES, AND THE PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC EDUCATION? YOU DECIDE - Perdaily.com: L.A. TIMES SANDY BANKS - REPORTER OR SHILL FOR LAUSD, BROAD & GATES, AND THE PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC EDUCATION? YOU DECIDE(Mensaje se repite en Español)Sandy Banks of the Los Angeles Times is too smart to mistakenly continue to concoct one-sided feel go
by mike simpson / 18h 
Petrilli’s Desperate Attempt To Save Democracy Prep’s Reputation | Gary Rubinstein's Blog
Petrilli’s Desperate Attempt To Save Democracy Prep’s Reputation | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: Petrilli’s Desperate Attempt To Save Democracy Prep’s ReputationThe hardest thing about trying to have an intellectual debate with ‘reformers’ is every time they start to lose, they try to change the rules.First they say “poverty doesn’t matter” and when it becomes clear that it does, they start saying “Well
by mike simpson / 18h 
8-19-13 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.
Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Rahm Emanuel. Worst. Mayor. Ever.  Catching crabs with the grand kids on Block Island, Rhode Island. Jesus Christ, Rahm. Can’t I leave Chicago for a God-damn week without you screwing things up even more? I’m writing this sitting on a bench behind the Block Island library. It’s the only place in town
by mike simpson / 19h 
Diane in the Evening 8-19-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Chile: Vouchers and InequalityPlease read the series of blog posts by Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig of the University of Texas on the subject of Chile, vouchers, social segregation, and inequality.by dianerav / 12min  LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-19-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog |
by mike simpson / 19h 
If The Corleone Family Were Involved In Education Deform...southbronxschool.com
http://www.southbronxschool.com: If The Corleone Family Were Involved In Education Deform...So here I am on Saturday on I-81 driving north just outside of Binghamton on my way to Skaneateles. My wife is on her iPhone doing whatever as is my son. I am left alone to listen to flip between the Sirius channels.One can do a lot of pondering in such a situation. I did. I pondered, or was it wondered, or
by mike simpson / 20h 
NYC Public School Parents: An Evening with Diane Ravitch on Sept. 11; RSVP now!
NYC Public School Parents: An Evening with Diane Ravitch on Sept. 11; RSVP now!: An Evening with Diane Ravitch on Sept. 11; RSVP now!RSVP at http://reignoferror-eorg.eventbrite.com/ Here is a flyer.New Yorkers for Great Public Schools andClass Size MattersInvite You To:An evening with education historian and activistDIANERAVITCHOn the release of her new book, “Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Priva
1 by mike simpson / 21h 
What we know about schools — but choose to ignore
What we know about schools — but choose to ignore: What we know about schools — but choose to ignoreBy Valerie Strauss, Published: August 19 at 1:30 pmE-mail the writerHere’s an important piece on school reform by P.L. Thomas, an associate professor of education at Furman University in South Carolina. He edited the 2013 book “Becoming and Being a Teacher,” and wrote the 2012 book, “Ignoring Povert
by mike simpson / 21h 
Feds offer new guide on IDEA and mediation + Lawmakers move to protect educational rights of troubled teens SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: Feds offer new guide on IDEA and mediationBy Tom ChorneauMonday, August 19, 2013With special education’s status as the most litigated component of the public school system, the U.S. Department of Education has released updated guidance on mediation, dispute resolution and due process procedures.As part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education A
3 by mike simpson / 21h 
Teachers Learn by Doing, Too | InterACT
Teachers Learn by Doing, Too | InterACT: Teachers Learn by Doing, TooAUGUST 19, 2013tags: Center X, engineering, guest posts, NGSS, professional development, science, UCLAby ACT Guest Blog PostsToday’s ACT guest blog post was written by Jane Ching Fung, an ACT member and teacher from Los Angeles.  Jane is a Milken Award winning teacher and has served in various leadership capacities for organizati
by mike simpson / 22h 
What We Know Now (and How It Doesn’t Matter) | the becoming radical
What We Know Now (and How It Doesn’t Matter) | the becoming radical: What We Know Now (and How It Doesn’t Matter)Posted on August 19, 2013 by plthomaseddRandy Olson’s Flock of Dodos (2006) explores the evolution and Intelligent Design (ID) debate that represents the newest attack on teaching evolution in U.S. public schools. The documentary is engaging, enlightening, and nearly too fair considerin
by mike simpson / 22h 
Wellford Wilms: How Kafkaesque Bureaucrats Are Ruining Education - Truthdig
Wellford Wilms: How Kafkaesque Bureaucrats Are Ruining Education - Truthdig: How Kafkaesque Bureaucrats Are Ruining Education EMAIL     PRINT     SHARESHARE ON REDDITPosted on Aug 19, 2013ShutterstockBy Wellford WilmsLast week the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest in the nation, opened its doors to more than 640,000 students for the new school year. The following story is a s
by mike simpson / 22h 
8-19-13 The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education
The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education: Teacher Walkthroughs Focusing on Student LearningAlthough there is great value in observing peers teaching, for some classroom walkthroughs, teachers strictly focus their observations on student learning. This focus perfectly aligns with the second tenet of ASCD's Whole Child Initiative, "Each student learns in an environment that is physically and emo
by mike simpson / 23h 
8-19-13 Jersey Jazzman
Jersey Jazzman: NJ Teacher Evaluations: Countdown to "Operation Hindenburg"We are at around t-minus two to three weeks, depending on your district, until the launch of New Jersey's new teacher evaluation system, code name: "Operation Hindenburg." Unfortunately, just like the fabled zeppelin, this entire thing could be avoided if the people in charge would just stop and think for a minute: Superint
by mike simpson / 23h 
Cali Education News Monday, August 19, 2013
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: NYC Educator: Arne Duncan Sics His Flying Monkeys on Diane Ravitch Monday, August 19, 2013Enrollment up in many Marin schools this year"We're seeing increased enrollment in many districts," Marin County Superintendent of Schools Mary Jane Burke said. "Mill Valley has 200 more kids. San Rafael has an increase in numbers. We are lucky to get mo
by mike simpson / 23h 
“Indescribably insane”: A public school system from hell - Salon.com
“Indescribably insane”: A public school system from hell - Salon.com: “Indescribably insane”: A public school system from hellPennsylvania's right-wing governor drains public schools of basic funds -- and the sickening details will shock youBY AARON KASEPennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett(Credit: Associated Press)Want to see a public school system in its death throes? Look no further than Philadelphia.
2 by mike simpson / 1d mark as read  //  save
Morning Wink 8-19-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSTODAY8-19-13 Wait What?Wait What?: Failing our obligation on school integrationIn a recent commentary piece written for the Stamford Advocate and other Connecticut newspapers owned by Hearst Media, Wendy Lecker, the outspoken school advocate wrote about our nation and state’s failure to truly deal with racial isolation in our public schools. Wendy Lecker’s
1 by mike simpson / 1d 




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Tune in for the Crazy Crawfish Radio Hour! | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

Tune in for the Crazy Crawfish Radio Hour! | Crazy Crawfish's Blog:

Tune in for the Crazy Crawfish Radio Hour!

Posted on August 20, 2013
0

This Monday August 26th at 10:00 am (Central) tune into WBOK, The New Orleans Imperative.   You can listen online : http://www.wbok1230am.com/ or 1230AM radio. Possible topics include the inBloom data piracy scandal and John White’s SSN leaks, St Helena’s fight with RSD, the latest CREDO report/propaganda, the secret Workforce Commission data collection, or anything else interesting that comes up between now and then. I can hardly wait!


Now is the time on the Crazy Crawfish blog when we do the dance of joy!
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8-20-13 Wait What? Malloy/Pryor’s new “Turnaround Director” violated Connecticut law by failing to get proper teacher certification

Wait What?:









Malloy/Pryor’s new “Turnaround Director” violated Connecticut law by failing to get proper teacher certification
In what can only be described as a classic move of incredible arrogance, Governor Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor, has named a non-certified individual to head up Malloy and Pryor’s pet project; the Department of Education’s “Turnaround Office” which has responsibility for overseeing state support for Connecticut 30 “alliance” districts. Pryor’s choice for the […]The post Malloy/P
6 by jonpelto / 33min 
8-19-13 Wait What?
Wait What?: Failing our obligation on school integrationIn a recent commentary piece written for the Stamford Advocate and other Connecticut newspapers owned by Hearst Media, Wendy Lecker, the outspoken school advocate wrote about our nation and state’s failure to truly deal with racial isolation in our public schools. Wendy Lecker’s observations come almost 50 years to the day that Martin Luther
by mike simpson / 7h 
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National Strike! August 29th | OccupyWallSt.org

National Strike! August 29th | OccupyWallSt.org:

National Strike! August 29th

Posted 1 hour ago on Aug. 20, 2013, 9:52 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Tags: labor, strike, fast food workers
Imgur
Thousands of workers are going on a national strike on August 29 to demand better pay and better treatment. Low-wage jobs are the fastest growing jobs in the nation and they need to pay more so that workers like us can make ends meet. McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, KFC and other corporations are making billions in profits, but they’re paying poverty wages and keeping the entire economy down. We’ve had enough. And we’re not alone.
If you work in a fast food or retail store anywhere in the country, the most effective thing you can do right now is make plans to take to the streets on August 29. Encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to do the same. The more of us who go on strike that day, the louder our message will be that it is not right for companies making billions in profits to pay their workers pennies.
Email us to let us know you’re in – or if you want to talk with a fellow fast food worker who has already gone out on strike. You can reach us at (347) 974-3944 too.
HOW TO GO ON A ONE-DAY STRIKE
15 steps for $15 an hour and the right to form a union
Before you strike for $15:
1 - Talk to coworkers you trust and ask them to join you.
2 - Set the time to meet outside the store on the day of the strike.
3 - Call everyone you know to support you: friends, family, local social justice organizations, pastors, priests, and politicians and ask them to come to your strike line.
4 - Ask at least one of your supporters to walk back into to work with you at your next regularly scheduled shift after the strike.
Day of the strike for $15:
5 - Make signs that say why you are on strike.
6 - Print out and deliver the “Strike” letter to your manager (everyone who is on strike should sign it).
7 - Start your strike! Stand outside your store with your supporters and let people know you all are standing up for $15 an hour and the right to organize a union because low pay is not ok!
8 - Call the local TV station and newspaper and let them know you are on strike at your store.
9 - Call or text family and friends who aren’t there yet to come and support you.
10 - Chant, march, sing and let everyone who is on strike explain why they are there.
11 - Ask supporters to come with you when you and your coworkers return to work.
12 - Post pictures of your strike on Facebook at Facebook.com/LowPayIsNotOK and tweet them to @lowpayisnotok with the hashtag #strikefor15
After the strike for $15:
13 - Meet up with your supporter who is walking with you to work.
14 - Go back to work at your next regularly scheduled shift with your head held high.
15 - Tell your coworkers how it felt to stand up for $15 an hour and the right to form union with thousands of other workers across the country! Sign them up at LowPayIsNotOK.org.

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U.S. News & World Report Twitter Chat: Children and the Affordable Care Act | First Focus #KidCare

Home | First Focus:

In Focus



U.S. News & World Report Twitter Chat: Children and the Affordable Care Act

Please join U.S. News & World Report, First Focus, the Urban Institute, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute for a live Twitter chat about what the Affordable Care Act will mean for children and their families. The conversation leads up to the expansion of the U.S. News & World Report consumer search tool Best Health Insurance Plans 2013-2014 this fall, around the launch of state and federal health insurance marketplaces on Oct. 1.

Experts are prepared to discuss the benefits children will receive under the new health law, the costs of care, the impact for children with disabilities, and how to shop for the right plan for your family, among other topics.

Date: Thursday, August 22
Time: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET
Hashtag: #KidCare
Moderator: @USNewsHealth
Experts: @urbaninstitute, @First_Focus, @JoanAlker1 for @GeorgetownCCF,@AmerAcadPeds
 Tweet This: Join @USNewsHealth Thursday, 2p ET for #KidCare tweet chat with @urbaninstitute, @First_Focus, @GeorgetownCCF, @AmerAcadPeds. #Kids #ACA

Connecting Kids to Coverage

Did you know about two-thirds of kids uninsured today are already eligible for CHIP or Medicaid? If not, you're not alone; neither do many of their parents. The good news is the 2009 CHIP extension and improvement law inspired a communications initiative by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reach parents who haven’t heard about CHIP or Medicaid or don’t know they’re eligible.
HHS has produced a content-rich Connecting Kids to Coverage back-to-school toolkit that advocates, educators, coaches, children-serving organizations, health care providers, and anyone who works with kids can use to spread the word. Resources include posters, mailers, and even a video PSA that was among the top 10 most frequently aired PSAs in July. Consider making these resources a part of your fall communications plan. 
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Why America Should Care About Philadelphia’s Children

Why America Should Care About Philadelphia’s Children:


Why America Should Care About Philadelphia’s Children


“A Public School System From Hell”


Philadelphia, the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Constitution was written, and the site of the oldest residential street in the United States, has become the site where the nation’s drift away from its founding ideals is most acutely obvious.
A recent op-ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer described the situation of the city’s public schools as a “slow train wreck.” The district faced “a $304 million hole in the amount of money that’s needed to open safe schools.” A “rescue package” offered by the state was woefully inadequate. Recently, the city borrowed $50 million just to open the schools on time. And a big showdown between teachers and school administrators is expected later this month.
“This should be a big national story,” the op-ed writer concluded,”arguably as big as what happened in Detroit. At the end of the day, Detroit’s bankruptcy was something that happened on a piece of paper. What’s happening here is real kids and real schools.”
Indeed, what’s happening in the City of Brotherly Love should be a national story, which is why to get the narrative straight.
“A Public School System From Hell”
Writing at Salon.com, Aaron Kase explained how the state of Pennsylvania, led by its conservative governor Tom Corbett, has been intent on turning the city’s school district into “a public school system from hell.”
Three factors – budget cuts to the city’s neighborhood schools, the city’s


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Pinterest and Reddit Launch Initiatives for Teachers NEA Today

NEA Today:

National Education Association Convention, San Francisco, 1911


Retired Educators Help Disadvantaged Students Become Equipped to Learn
By Helen Yoshida As schools reopen their doors across the country, many students will go home after the first day with a list of  school supplies they will need for the year.  This can be difficult for economically-disadvantaged students because their families may not be able to afford the necessary items on the list. In Montgomery County, MD, a special project has been relieving many families of
by twalker / 23min mark as read  //  save
From Texting to Plagiarism, How to Stop High-Tech Cheating
high-tech cheating has been characterized variously as a trend, an epidemic, and a plague. But it might be something even worse: a paradigm shift. More students than ever are using information technology in ways that break the rules of academic integrity, and a shocking number of them don’t seem to think they’re doing anything wrong. Source: T.H.E. Journal Related posts: High Stakes Testing: Who’s
by twalker / 23min 
Pinterest and Reddit Launch Initiatives for Teachers
Two popular user-driven websites have launched campaigns aimed at getting teachers needed resources. Pinterest, the virtual pinboarding website that has already proven a hit with teachers, announced its new teacher “hub” last week. Meanwhile, the social news site Reddit announced its second (and hopefully annual) redditgifts for the Teachers exchange, in which teachers request supplies for their c
by twalker / 23min 
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Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Have we really made CPS and wing of City Hall?

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Have we really made CPS and wing of City Hall?:

Have we really made CPS and wing of City Hall?


It's like a bad dream...

A foul-mouthed megalomaniac is given autocratic control over the schools in the nation's third largest city. He doesn't particularly care for public education and certainly wouldn't send his own children to a public school -- especially to one that had implemented his own version of school reform. "Reforms" like diverting public school funds to privately-run charter schools, the longer school day with fewer teachers, bare-bones budgets, over-sized classrooms, no libraries, banned books, and with less art and music are for THOSE kids, not for the Emanuel's. He and his wealthy patrons are sworn enemies of public employee unions andhe's fond of dropping F-bombs on the African-American woman president of the CTU.

The demolition of La Casita
This is a mayor who, like his predecessor, wants to privatize orsell-off all things public, including the schools and their programs, while in the process, eroding public decision-making and collective bargaining rights.

What he can't sell, he closes, even if it means violating the civil rights 
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Conflicting ideas about how to rate teacher prep programs | HechingerEd Blog

Conflicting ideas about how to rate teacher prep programs | HechingerEd Blog:

Conflicting ideas about how to rate teacher prep programs

After winning a hard-fought battle against the teachers union to impose a new teacher evaluation system, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has turned to evaluating the training programs that produce the city’s teachers.
The New York City Department of Education recently released what it dubs as “the nation’s first ever district level Teacher Preparation Program Reports” comparing how well a dozen of the state’s public and private institutions train teacher-candidates. But the findings are, at times, incongruous with those of national teacher preparation ratings released in June.
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Those ratings, by the nonprofit advocacy group National Council on Teacher Quality, which has been a vocal critic of teacher preparation programs, were based heavily on education school curriculum and selectivity. The New York City reports focused primarily on the training program’s graduates, including measures such as the percentage of graduates who work in high-needs schools licensed in high-demand areas like science and special education and the percentage that have received tenure. It also evaluates the training programs on how well the teachers they produce scored on the city’s new evaluation system, which is based partly on standardized test scores.
Adelphi University is an example of the discrepancies between the two rating systems – and evidence of the conflict in the field over how best to judge whether teacher education programs are training teachers effectively.
Adelphi’s graduate elementary education program received one out of four stars from NCTQ. Its 
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Negro Mayor Hushes as Overseer Tom Puts a Whipping on Philly’s Youngsters

Negro Mayor Hushes as Overseer Tom Puts a Whipping on Philly’s Youngsters:

Negro Mayor Hushes as Overseer Tom Puts a Whipping on Philly’s Youngsters

B.R.O TALK: BLACK NEWS IN PERSPECTIVE Petition Urges Negro Mayor to Stand Up to Gov. Corbett and Fight for Philadelphia!

On May 10th 2013, Mayor Michael A. Nutter was joined by Superintendent Dr. Hite and the Philadelphia State Delegation, as he announces "I'm committed to working together to solve the problems of the Philadelphia School District. (Photo Credit: C. Norris - ©2013)
On May 10th 2013, Mayor Michael A. Nutter was joined by Superintendent Dr. Hite and the Philadelphia State Delegation, as he announces “I’m committed to working together to solve the problems of the Philadelphia School District. (Photo Credit: C. Norris – ©2013)

Negro Mayor Hushes as Overseer Tom Puts a Whipping on Philly’s Youngsters 
Petition Urges Negro Mayor to Stand Up to Gov. Corbett and Fight for Philadelphia!

By Christopher “Flood the Drummer”® Norris

8.19.13: Philadelphia – (Education/Politics): Seeing so many blackfaces in leadership roles in Philadelphia I was certain that a few, if not all, were trained to be the “spook who sat by the door.” Imagine my disappointment when I realized they were trained instead to be the “spook who opens the door.”
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Is the Dream of Education for All Already Over? | LinkedIn

Is the Dream of Education for All Already Over? | LinkedIn:

Is the Dream of Education for All Already Over?

One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a non-profit organisation which was set up to bring education to the world's poorest children, has impressed and inspired me with its original mission and approach for the last few years. Very recently, however, they have changed their strategy by launching a mass market kids tablet for Western countries. Does that mean the dream ofbringing education and as such a realistic opportunity for a better life to everyone in developing countries is over?
The Vision of Nicholas Negroponte
OLPC was launched by Nicholas Negroponte, the founder and Chairman Emeritus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab and younger brother of former United States Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, technology enthusiast and author of the best seller Being Digital (which eventually became the manifesto of the Internet Age). In 2005 Negroponte unveiled the concept of a $100 laptop computer, The Children's Machine, designed for students in the developing world (later the price increased to around US$200). The project was originally funded by member organizations such as eBay, Google, AMD, Red Hat, etc. In 2006 the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) announced it would back the laptop.
The organization has since distributed 2.5 million of its specially designed XO laptops to children in 60 countries. Although far behind its original target, it is still a pretty good figure. The laptops are sold to governments, to be distributed through the ministries of education with the goal of distributing "one laptop per child". They are given to students, similar to school uniforms and ultimately remain the property of the child. The operating system and software is localized to the languages of the participating countries.
Criticism from the Beginning
The OLPC project has received criticism both specific to its mission and criticism that is typical of many such systems, such as support, ease-of-use, security, content-filtering and privacy issues. In some countries the project has been bashed for its high prices, cultural 
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Louisiana Educator: Jindal Anti-teacher Law Ruled Unconstitutional . . . Again

Louisiana Educator: Jindal Anti-teacher Law Ruled Unconstitutional . . . Again:

Jindal Anti-teacher Law Ruled Unconstitutional . . . Again



District Judge Ben Jones has ruled that Governor Jindal's Act 1 of 2012 violates a teacher's constitutional rights in two important ways according to the Monroe News Star account.

My congratulations to the Louisiana Association of Educators and LAE attorney Brian Blackwell for this important victory for teachers. Much credit should go to Judge Jones who refused to allow a teacher tenure hearing to be held in a "Knagaroo Court". Act 1 had set up a new procedure for teacher tenure hearings where two of the three hearing officers were to be selected by the school system superintendent and the school principal. These of course would be the persons that had already decided to dismiss the teacher. The judge said it would be "dumb" to consider this a fair hearing.

In addition, Judge Jones ruled that a provision in Act 1 that would have limited judicial review of a tenured teacher's dismissal was in violation of a teacher's property rights under the US Constitution. This decision along with an earlier decision ruling Act 1 unconstitutional shows that our state judges believe that the teaching profession should get much more respect than was afforded to them by the Governor and the Legislature.

Jindal has now spent millions of our tax dollars on private lawyers defending the ill conceived ALEC legislation that was designed to 
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