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Friday, May 2, 2014

Nite Cap 5-2-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2



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 CAP




How the Creation of Social Justice Caucuses in Unions Is Revitalizing an Aging Labor Movement | Alternet
How the Creation of Social Justice Caucuses in Unions Is Revitalizing an Aging Labor Movement | Alternet: How the Creation of Social Justice Caucuses in Unions Is Revitalizing an Aging Labor Movement"We are the antithesis of the union thug. We are the people who aren’t out for ourselves, who aren’t only about our jobs. "Photo Credit: Atomazul / Shutterstock.comApril 26, 2014  |   Earlier
by mike simpson / 13min 
Welcome the Class of 2014 « The National Teacher Hall of Fame
Current News « The National Teacher Hall of Fame: Welcome the Class of 2014Posted on March 28, 2014 by admin | Leave a replyWe would like to welcome the newest inductees into the Hall of Fame. These five educators are what we are all about!!!! Congratulations and Welcome! Follow the links next to their names to see local coverage and images of their announcement ceremonies.Jan Alderson is a 45 yea
by mike simpson / 17min 
5-2-14 The Whole Child Blog — Putting the Child into Whole Child: Give Students Voice to Improve Your Practice — Whole Child Education
Putting the Child into Whole Child: Give Students Voice to Improve Your Practice — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGPutting the Child into Whole Child: Give Students Voice to Improve Your PracticeMay 2, 2014 by Eric RussoRecently I was having a discussion with a colleague who is new to the building. This teacher is confident, self-assured, and has decades of experience more than me. We t
by mike simpson / 1h 
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Gated communities for children of privilege
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Gated communities for children of privilege: Gated communities for children of privilegeAld. Pat DowellDowell is not about to use such divisive language. She just wants results. -- Sun-Times reporter Fran SpielmanJulie Woestehoff, executive director of PURE, is a straight shooter. She's quoted in PE&O, letting us know that since CPS leaders vacated the Consent De
by mike simpson / 1h 
Myths of Technology Series: “Don’t Talk To Strangers” | Connected Principals
Myths of Technology Series: “Don’t Talk To Strangers” | Connected Principals: Myths of Technology Series: “Don’t Talk To Strangers”by George Couros • May 2, 2014 • 0 CommentsFor ISTE 2014 in Atlanta, I will be presenting on the “Myths of Technology and Learning”. As I am really thinking about what I will be sharing at the conference, I wanted to write a series of blog posts that will help myself a
by mike simpson / 1h 
Steel Parents Say No to Turning their school over to Charter Company | WeArePCAPS
Steel Parents Say No to Turning their school over to Charter Company | WeArePCAPS: Steel Parents Say No to Turning their school over to Charter CompanyPosted on May 2, 2014by wearepcapsThis was a great victory for the parents, staff and Nicetown community members who value their neighborhood school and don’t want to see it sold off to a charter company. It was also a victory for the movement again
by mike simpson / 1h 
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 5-2-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: PLAN TO USE ‘NEED INDEX’ TO GO BEFORE LAUSD BOARD + far more than 2¢ from a 4LAKids readerby LA School Report | http://bit.ly/Si8Qdl Posted on May 1, 2014 12:17 pm ::  In a surprise move, LA Unified school board will consider a resolution that supports the use of an alternative formula, known as the “Student Need Index,” in deciding how to distribute sc
by mike simpson / 2h 
ACT – The Ultimate Gatekeeper | Missouri Education Watchdog
ACT – The Ultimate Gatekeeper | Missouri Education Watchdog: ACT – The Ultimate GatekeeperinShareAny good business person knows the importance of risk management. A lot of risk management involves shifting liability, for high risk things that must be done, to someone else. A simplistic example is skyscraper window cleaning. The windows must be cleaned, but as building management you don’t want to
by mike simpson / 4h 
NYC Public School Parents: Please join us Tuesday & speak out against new law requiring NYC give charter schools preference for space!
NYC Public School Parents: Please join us Tuesday & speak out against new law requiring NYC give charter schools preference for space!: Please join us Tuesday & speak out against new law requiring NYC give charter schools preference for space!Please distribute to all parents!   Parents and elected officials are holding a press conference Tuesday May 6 at Tweed to speak out against the new
by mike simpson / 5h 
Naison EduNews 5/3/14 - Camp Philos - YouTube
Naison EduNews 5/3/14 - Camp Philos - YouTube: Naison EduNews 5/3/14 - Camp Philos May 4th weekend, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is sponsoring a "Philosophers Camp on Education Reform". Mark Naison, Professor of African American Studies and History at Fordham and co-founder of Badass Teachers Association comments on THE NEWS!
by mike simpson / 5h 
5-2-14 LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD
LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District): Morning Read: LAT endorses Tuck for state public education chiefMarshall Tuck for state superintendent of public instruction Opinion: Torlakson has been an able administrator, and after years as a state legislator, his relationships in Sacramento give him some influence on lawmaking. He deserves praise fo
by mike simpson / 5h 
5-2-14 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: The Contract: Retro Pay is a LIE!From a former colleague who I haven't heard from in years:Retro Pay is a lie!From what I understand of the new UFT Teacher's Contract?? It's crap.There is no Retro Pay!Retro pay is pay for timed served. They want me to work another 4 years to make up that pay. If I retire or leave the system, I get 1% of the "Retro Pay” for 2013.Now what about
by mike simpson / 5h 
5-2-14 Wait What?
Wait What?: Malloy to retired teachers – No really I do respect you, just not that much….Three months ago, in a move to try and “win over” the support of retired teachers, Governor Dannel “Dan” Malloy proposed a targeted tax break designed to benefit those who spent their careers teaching in Connecticut’s public schools. In February, the vote seeking governor explained his support for the partial
by mike simpson / 5h 
5-2-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Friday Open ThreadSPS press release on math adoption.  Next steps:Next, the recommendation goes to the IMC for its approval that the math adoption process was appropriately followed. From there, the Superintendent will review the recommendation, which will then be introduced to the full School Board at its May 21 meeting. The board is scheduled to vote on the math
by mike simpson / 5h 
Imagine IEP’s & IGP’s Everywhere | My Island View
Imagine IEP’s & IGP’s Everywhere | My Island View: Imagine IEP’s & IGP’s EverywhereMay 2, 2014 by tomwhitbyI recently read a number of mission statements from randomly selected schools to see if there was some sort of pattern in what schools view as their mission. One thing that many had in common was a distinction between the learners and the educators. I guess that is fitting in the sens
by mike simpson / 5h 
May 17th Reclaim the Promise! | WeArePCAPS
May 17th Reclaim the Promise! | WeArePCAPS: May 17th Reclaim the Promise!Share this:
by mike simpson / 6h 
Steel parents file grievance against SAC charter vote | Parents United for Public Education
Steel parents file grievance against SAC charter vote | Parents United for Public Education: Steel parents file grievance against SAC charter votePosted on May 2, 2014 by PARENTSUNITEDPHILALeave a commentYesterday almost 200 families voted in the first ever parent vote about whether to turn the last public school in Nicetown over to charter operator, Mastery Charter, which is seeking to complete t
by mike simpson / 6h 
New Kickinthepants Poll 2016 Clinton Bush, Duncan 2016
New Kickinthepants Poll 2016 Clinton Bush, Duncan 2016
by mike simpson / 6h 
Buffalo teachers union claims discrimination at charter schools | Buffalo News, Buffalo Weather | WIVB-TV News 4 Buffalo, NY | WIVB.com
Buffalo teachers union claims discrimination at charter schools | Buffalo News, Buffalo Weather | WIVB-TV News 4 Buffalo, NY | WIVB.com: Buffalo teachers union claims discrimination at charter schoolsBUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – A study conducted by the Buffalo Teachers Federation claims charter schools are discriminating against students with disabilities and ESL students.President Phil Rumore told New
by mike simpson / 7h 
Choosing Kindergarten – Or Not | Taking Note
Choosing Kindergarten – Or Not | Taking Note: Choosing Kindergarten – Or Notby JOHN MERROW on 02. MAY, 2014 in 2014 BLOGS, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATIONWhich of these two kindergarten classes would you want your 5-year-old child or grandchild to be in? Option one is a classic kindergarten classroom, rich with tactile art and full of color, energy and happy noise. Some kids are fingerpainting with inte
by mike simpson / 7h 
5-2-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher
Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Johnny’s Grill.State Representative-elect Will Guzzardi at Johnny’s Grill, now closed. When you’re close to a thing you can’t always see it change until there is that moment. Your kids grow up and suddenly you notice that they are teenagers and then they are gone. When did that happen? I go to the gym
by mike simpson / 7h 
Raise Your Voice, Sing Our Song At The Lake Placid Picket.
RAISE YOUR VOICE, SING OUR SONG AT THE LAKE PLACID PICKET.: VERY IMPORTANT EVENT: COME TO LAKE PLACID ON SUNDAY MAY 4TH TO PROTECT YOUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SING OUT LOUD THIS SONG: (Please turn on captions)WE LIKE OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. FIGHT THE TEST!  
by mike simpson / 8h 
Morning Wink 5-2-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-2-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Thank You, Louis C.K.!!! Just Posted on Huffington PostPlease read my commentary on what Louis C.K. has done to expand the debate about Common Core.   It was just posted on Huffington Post at the
by mike simpson / 8h 
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-2-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Thank You, Louis C.K.!!! Just Posted on Huffington PostPlease read my commentary on what Louis C.K. has done to expand the debate about Common Core.   It was just posted on Huffington Post at the top of the page.   In my view, he has just smashed the carefully crafted narrative that the only critics of Common Core standards and tes
by mike simpson / 8h 
5-2-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: May’s Best Tweets — Part OneEvery month I make a few short lists highlighting my choices of the best resources I through (and learned from) Twitter, but didn’t necessarily include them in posts here on my blog. I’ve already shared in earlier posts several new resources I found on Twitter — and where I gave credit to those f
by mike simpson / 8h 
5-2-14 The Answer Sheet
The Answer Sheet: 6 reasons to reject Common Core K-3 standards — and 6 rules to guide policyThe Common Core State Standards for students in kindergarten through Grade 3 have come under severe criticism by early childhood education experts who say that they are not developmentally appropriate. Even some supporters of the Core initiative, including American Federation of Teachers President Randi We
by mike simpson / 8h 
5-2-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: The Prospect Heights T Party Dumps the TestsTeachers at a New York City high school fired a shot across the bow of the concept of a nationalized education industry Thursday, becoming the first in that state to refuse to administer a standardized test tied to the controversial Common Core national standards.The boycott by teachers at Prospect Heights International School in Brooklyn
by mike simpson / 8h 
5-2-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida
Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: Dr. Rosa Castro Feinberg: With Best Wishes to Valentin: Conflicts Between ESOL and Florida Voucher LawReprinted in its entirety with permission from Dr. Rosa Castro Feinberg In respond to my columns, Julio Fuentes, President & CEO of the Hispanic Council for Reform a
by mike simpson / 8h 
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Biggest laugh of the day -- Vallas fundraising letter
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Biggest laugh of the day -- Vallas fundraising letter: Biggest laugh of the day -- Vallas fundraising letterBiggest laugh yesterday came from opening the mail and finding a campaign fundraising letter from Paul Vallas. He wants me to send a check to his campaign for IL lieutenant governor (he must not read my blog). V says he wants the money to head off Republican bi
by mike simpson / 8h 
5-2-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: Welcome to SC: A Heaping Stumbling-Bumbling Mess of IneptitudeWelcome to SC: A Heaping Stumbling-Bumbling Mess of Ineptitude. via Welcome to SC: A Heaping Stumbling-Bumbling Mess of Ineptitude.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical1 by plthomasedd / 1h 5-1-14 @ The Chalk Face@ THE CHALK FACE: Discussing Research Methodology with the Gates FoundationRick Hess, in “A Small Requ
by mike simpson / 8h 
5-2-14 With A Brooklyn Accent Go BATs
With A Brooklyn Accent: On the Hunt for "Bad Teachers"The percentage of "Bad Teachers" in our public schools is probably no higher than Bad Principals, Bad Superintendents, Bad Commissioners, Bad Politicians, and Bad Philanthropists. Yet people in every walk of life seem obsessed with getting rid of them. This isn't a well thought out policy position. it is more like a form of
by mike simpson / 8h 
5-2-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University)
the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Token Outrage and “Oafish” RacistsThe recent racism controversy over Donald Sterling prompted me to examine more on two Americas and ask, Where Is Outrage for Systemic Racism? To that question, I found a powerful and important response by Ta-Nehisi Coates: This Town Need
by mike simpson / 8h 
5-2-13 Curmudgucation Week
CURMUDGUCATION: Another Plutocrat for USDOEAlyson Klein at EdWeek reports that Robert Gordon has been chosen to serve as assistant secretary for planning, evaluation and policy development at the US DOE.Gordon's previous work credits include the Office of Management and Budget, where he seems to have been a man behind the scenes for the various Fiscal Cliff negotiations. More recently he's been a
by mike simpson / 8h 
5-2-14 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Here's How You Know The UFT Contract Deal Is A Bad One - The NY Post Likes ItOne of the measures of any UFT contract deal is what the neo-liberals at the Daily News and Times and the neo-cons at the Post think about it.If these editorial boards, who never saw a merit pay proposal they didn't like, a teacher they didn't want to fire or a traditional public school they didn't
by mike simpson / 8h 
What Selfies Can Teach us About Education
What Selfies Can Teach us About Education: What Selfies Can Teach us About EducationBut first, let me make a personal reflection.A selfie is an image that serves as a form of external self-expression. This trend may seem jovial to many of an older generation; however, to educators it should verify that students are bursting at the seams to communicate. If many students are excited to express thems
by mike simpson / 8h 
Seven challenges to getting the Common Core right | EdSource Today
Seven challenges to getting the Common Core right | EdSource Today: Seven challenges to getting the Common Core rightMay 1st, 2014 | 1 Comment | By Morgan Polikoff / commentaryMorgan PolikoffThe rollout of the Common Core standards offers California – and most of the nation – an opportunity to address some of the issues that have plagued education reform in the past. Foremost among these issues is
by mike simpson / 8h 
NYC Scraps 3rd Grade Guarantee As Ohio Adopts It–Based on ALEC Model Law | janresseger
NYC Scraps 3rd Grade Guarantee As Ohio Adopts It–Based on ALEC Model Law | janresseger: NYC Scraps 3rd Grade Guarantee As Ohio Adopts It–Based on ALEC Model LawPosted on May 2, 2014 by janressegerOhio’s acting state superintendent of public instruction, Michael Sawyers claims that Ohio’s new 3rd Grade Guarantee will help Ohio’s children.  After all, Governor John Kasich has consistently alleged th
by mike simpson / 8h 
NYC Public School Parents: NYS Assessment blues and statement from NYSAPE on latest exam fiasco & call for John King & Tisch to resign
NYC Public School Parents: NYS Assessment blues and statement from NYSAPE on latest exam fiasco & call for John King & Tisch to resign: NYS Assessment blues and statement from NYSAPE on latest exam fiasco & call for John King & Tisch to resignThanks to Howie Ratem for the below video and song; and NY State Allies for Public Education for their statement below on the latest fiasco f
by mike simpson / 9h 
Teachers For Social Justice: UIC Social Justice Initiative Events
Teachers For Social Justice: UIC Social Justice Initiative Events: UIC Social Justice Initiative EventsMAY 1, 2014 LEAVE A COMMENTFollow us on TwitterFriend us on FacebookUniversity of Illinois-ChicagoUpcoming SJI             Events @UICGreetings,Join us at our Teaching and Learning Freedom event on May 7th at the WBEZ Little Village Bureau. Next week's Eyes on the Prize community dialogue facilit
by mike simpson / 14h 
Teachers For Social Justice: UIC Social Justice Initiative Events
Teachers For Social Justice: UIC Social Justice Initiative Events: UIC Social Justice Initiative EventsMAY 1, 2014 LEAVE A COMMENTFollow us on TwitterFriend us on FacebookUniversity of Illinois-ChicagoUpcoming SJI             Events @UICGreetings,Join us at our Teaching and Learning Freedom event on May 7th at the WBEZ Little Village Bureau. Next week's Eyes on the Prize community dialogue facilit
by mike simpson / 14h 

YESTERDAY

The 2008 Common Core Sales Job: Part One | deutsch29
The 2008 Common Core Sales Job: Part One | deutsch29: The 2008 Common Core Sales Job: Part OneMay 1, 2014In 2008, the National Governors Association (NGA), the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and Achieve, Inc., released a report, Benchmarking for Success: Ensuring U.S. Students Receive a World-class Education.The Gates and GE foundations funded the report.The content of this report
by mike simpson / 18h 
Retroactively Paying It Forward (On The City - UFT Contract) - The Jose Vilson
Retroactively Paying It Forward (On The City - UFT Contract) - The Jose Vilson: Retroactively Paying It Forward (On The City – UFT Contract)by JOSE VILSON on MAY 1, 2014in MR. VILSONMichael Mulgrew, Carmen Farina, and Bill de BlasioIn case it hasn’t already flooded your airwaves already, the De Blasio administration and the United Federation of Teachers reached a tentative agreement to finally get
by mike simpson / 19h 
New Contract! ATR's Thrown Under the Bus! VOTE NO!!! southbronxschool.com
http://www.southbronxschool.com: New Contract! ATR's Thrown Under the Bus! VOTE NO!!!I have always said that I will take respect and dignity over a big pay raise in our new contract. Today we found out we are getting neither.I was with my wife in Valhalla, having just gotten in the car, when the contract announcement came over the radio. I delayed our trip home to tweet and text information that w
by mike simpson / 19h 
5-1-14 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: Change the Stakes Next General Meeting - Friday May 2, 6-8pm - CUNY Grad centerGreetings All, As today marks the first day of the math state test, Change the Stakes begins to move the conversation to "What's next?"  Opt out numbers tripled in NYC and almost 35,000 statewide, parents found support in many schools, some difficulties in other schools, teachers spoke out, pr
by mike simpson / 19h 
Teachers may begin a “Quinn for #5″ Prison Fan Club | Reclaim Reform
Teachers may begin a “Quinn for #5″ Prison Fan Club | Reclaim Reform: Teachers may begin a “Quinn for #5″ Prison Fan ClubPosted on May 1, 2014by Ken PrevitiPat Quinn could be Illinois Governor #5 to be jailed. Teachers may even start a “Quinn for #5″ Fan Club. They would jail him for one set of reasons; federal prosecutors are considering a separate set of reasons.Why? According to federal prosecu
by mike simpson / 22h 
Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force Parents United for Responsible Education
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force: Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task ForceStudent drawing from Wheelock Bebell Haney studyI prepared testimony for one of two public hearings held by the Chicago Public Schools Truancy Task Force, a body mandated by state legislation. The meeting, held in a bank community room on the South Side, attract
by mike simpson / 22h 
Classified School Employees of the Year for 2014 - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)
Classified School Employees of the Year for 2014 - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces California'sClassified School Employees of the Year for 2014SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced the selection of six outstanding classified school employees in recognition of their roles in school operations and student suc
by mike simpson / 22h hide  //  save
Nite Cap 5-1-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
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 CAPNYC Educator: Mr. Mulgrew Writes Me a Letter About the ContractNYC Educator: Mr. Mulgrew Writes Me a Letter About the Contract: Mr. Mulgrew Writes Me a Letter About the ContractThere is an agreement on a new teacher contract between the city and
by mike simpson / 23h 





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How the Creation of Social Justice Caucuses in Unions Is Revitalizing an Aging Labor Movement | Alternet

How the Creation of Social Justice Caucuses in Unions Is Revitalizing an Aging Labor Movement | Alternet:



How the Creation of Social Justice Caucuses in Unions Is Revitalizing an Aging Labor Movement

"We are the antithesis of the union thug. We are the people who aren’t out for ourselves, who aren’t only about our jobs. "

Photo Credit: Atomazul / Shutterstock.com

April 26, 2014  |  
 
Earlier this month at theLabor Notes Conference, rank and file labor leaders announced for the first time the creation of the Network for Social Justice Unionism (NSJU), a new infrastructure that unionists concerned with advancing social justice beyond the workplace hope to use to organize for a shift in the way the labor movement operates.
The NSJU seeks to encourage the creation of social justice caucuses in union locals across the nation and to establish working relationships between those caucuses to be able to support each other’s struggles. Together, these caucuses hope to create an movement inside of organized labor that pushes union leaders across the country to do more to see that union power benefits not just workers themselves, but also the communities that unions are embedded in and rely upon.
Plans for the NSJU have been in the works for over a year, and NSJU members are optimistic that their work will not only be enthusiastically received by workers and social justice activists, but that it could eventually transform and revitalize an aging labor movement. The NSJU effort has its roots in recent struggles for change led by teachers, but seeks to encourage workers of all kinds to commit to lending their knowledge, resources, and influence to other ongoing struggles for justice beyond their workplaces.
NSJU co-founder Michelle Gunderson is a member of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) who How the Creation of Social Justice Caucuses in Unions Is Revitalizing an Aging Labor Movement | Alternet:
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Welcome the Class of 2014 « The National Teacher Hall of Fame

Current News « The National Teacher Hall of Fame:









Welcome the Class of 2014

Posted on March 28, 2014 by  | Leave a reply
We would like to welcome the newest inductees into the Hall of Fame. These five educators are what we are all about!!!! Congratulations and Welcome! Follow the links next to their names to see local coverage and images of their announcement ceremonies.
AldersonJan Alderson is a 45 year educator focusing on Biology, Anatomy and Physiology from Shawnee Mission South High School in Overland Park, Kansas. We welcome you into the National Teachers Hall of Fame!



Couchman
Cynthia Couchman is a 23 year mathematics instructor from Buhler High School, in Buhler, Kansas. We welcome you into the National Teachers Hall of Fame!



Izzo
Marguerite Izzo is a 26 year educator of ELA and Social Studies from Davison Avenue Intermediate School in Lynbrook, New York. We welcome you into the National Teachers Hall of Fame!


Koppelman Gary Koppelman is a 40 year educator of Mathematics, Science and Writing from Blissfield Community Schools in Blissfield, Michigan. We welcome you into National Teachers Hall of Fame!



Palacios
Rebecca Palacios is a 34 year educator of Early Childhood education (retired) in Corpus Christi, TX. We welcome you into the National Teachers Hall of Fame!




“This year was one of the hardest to narrow down to Five.” Said one of the selection committee members. “All of the applications were great.” We would like to congratulate all of our semi-finalist and finalists for their submission and encourage you to try again
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5-2-14 The Whole Child Blog — Putting the Child into Whole Child: Give Students Voice to Improve Your Practice — Whole Child Education

Putting the Child into Whole Child: Give Students Voice to Improve Your Practice — Whole Child Education:







THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Eric Russo

Putting the Child into Whole Child: Give Students Voice to Improve Your Practice

May 2, 2014 by Eric Russo
Recently I was having a discussion with a colleague who is new to the building. This teacher is confident, self-assured, and has decades of experience more than me. We teach the same children, so we meet frequently for RTI and team meetings. This is the type of teacher that takes pride in being "old school," which roughly translates to a no-nonsense, quiet-equals-learning, behavior-should-have-negative-consequences type of environment. It's the model that many of us grew up with. Although I was able to navigate through this system because I was a so-called "good student," many friends were not particularly successful, with the logical assumption that they were "bad students." This model puts the system itself as the driving force for success, which is disempowering both to educators and to the students alike.
Now, the conversation in question did not go smoothly, especially when I insensitively insisted that the teacher "would not be successful" using this old school approach. Realizing that I was working against my goal, I quickly concluded with a final statement that I paraphrased from a Maya Angelou quote: People don't remember what you say; they remember how you made them feel. It is a statement that I share with staff and students, and for me it is at the foundation of the type of teacher I strive to be. It is also at the core of the safeand supported tenets of the whole child approach.
ASCD's Whole Child Initiative offers a framework that does not consider students to be good or bad, but forces educators to consider students' needs. And what better way to find out than to ask the students themselves? Consider these two examples of how student voice and whole child thinking work together to show improvements on both the classroom and the individual level.
Example 1
In the beginning of this school year, the majority of my 8th grade first period reading class was sitting with their heads down. There are two quick assumptions that a teacher can make: One is that the kids don't care about school; the other is that the teacher and/or content actually is that boring. The old school of thought would assume the first, placing the responsibility of learning on the learner. The second is something that many Putting the Child into Whole Child: Give Students Voice to Improve Your Practice — Whole Child Education:


5-1-14 The Whole Child Blog — The Educator's Essentials — Whole Child Education
The Educator's Essentials — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGThe Educator’s EssentialsMay 1, 2014 by Klea ScharbergIn this era of school reform, turnaround, and educational change, it is easy to overlook the basics of why we educate and what we want for our children. Usually when we talk about "getting back to the basics," the conversation is student-focused, if not always stud
by mike simpson / 4min 
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Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Gated communities for children of privilege

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Gated communities for children of privilege:



Gated communities for children of privilege

Ald. Pat Dowell
Dowell is not about to use such divisive language. She just wants results. -- Sun-Times reporter Fran Spielman
Julie Woestehoff, executive director of PURE, is a straight shooter. She's quoted in PE&O, letting us know that since CPS leaders vacated the Consent Decree, the city's selective enrollment schools have been turned into “gated communities for children of privilege,” with soaring white enrollment. Remember, these schools were originally created under the deseg agreement as one way to combat years of racial segregation in city schools.

Tepid Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd) who walks a middle ground in the City Council, won't go that Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Gated communities for children of privilege:
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Myths of Technology Series: “Don’t Talk To Strangers” | Connected Principals

Myths of Technology Series: “Don’t Talk To Strangers” | Connected Principals:



Myths of Technology Series: “Don’t Talk To Strangers”

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For ISTE 2014 in Atlanta, I will be presenting on the “Myths of Technology and Learning”. As I am really thinking about what I will be sharing at the conference, I wanted to write a series of blog posts that will help myself and others “rethink” some of these statements or arguments that you hear in relation to technology in school.  I will be writing a series of blog posts on different myths, and will be posting them on this page.  I hope to generate discussion on these topics to further my own learning in this area and appreciate any comments you have on each idea shared.
As kids, we were continuously told “don’t talk to strangers”, and this generation has been told the same thing.  Times have changed and we have to really rethink this notion.
If you really think about it, everyone you are close with now was a stranger at one point.  Not only does that notion come to play, but as adults, we have to realize that it is much more common for people to meet someone online first.  Online dating has moved away from being “taboo”, it has become the norm.  If you took it even further, many people probably meet friends online first.  My time connecting online, has actually helped me to connect with some of my best friends in the world.  Similar to online dating, many of these friends that I have become closest with have a list of qualities that I was drawn to that I may not have necessarily met if I was only open to “offline” connections.
Kids are also starting to create those environments for themselves as well.  Danah Boyd discusses in her book on “Networked Teens”, how kids are using social media to connect with peers that have similar interests.  One example I have seen was a student in a small community who had a unique interest in gaming, use his Instagram account to connect with other gamers.  None of these people were in his class, and could have lived in different countries, yet they were all people that this student identified with and gave him a sense of belonging.  There are many kids in our schoolsMyths of Technology Series: “Don’t Talk To Strangers” | Connected Principals: 
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Steel Parents Say No to Turning their school over to Charter Company | WeArePCAPS

Steel Parents Say No to Turning their school over to Charter Company | WeArePCAPS:



Steel Parents Say No to Turning their school over to Charter Company

Posted on May 2, 2014by 
IMG_6480This was a great victory for the parents, staff and Nicetown community members who value their neighborhood school and don’t want to see it sold off to a charter company. It was also a victory for the movement against school privatization and austerity in our city. Parents voted for Steel by a better than two to one margin for Steel in spite of a relentless campaign by Mastery than included paid staff canvassing the neighborhood for weeks, the efforts of the Charter School office to prejudice the outcome, and the undeniable reality that Mastery schools are at this point in time better resourced than Philadelphia public schools.
The parents voted the way they did because they value the teachers and administration that have decades of experience and demonstrated commitment to Steel families. It also reflects the continued sentiment of working class families in favor of neighborhood public schools. Most people, if given a choice, favor investing resources in these schools and Steel Parents Say No to Turning their school over to Charter Company | WeArePCAPS:
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4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 5-2-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:







Sb 1174: Senate Panel Moves Bill To Restore Multilingual K-12 Classrooms
by Kimberly Beltran  |  SI&A Cabinet Report :: http://bit.ly/1nRILOP MAY 01, 2014 (Calif.)   ::  A bill that would repeal the core tenets of a 15-year-old ban on the use of bilingual education in the state’s K-12 school system cleared its first legislative hurdle Wednesday – passing out of the Senate Education Committee, where it was lauded as being both necessary and overdue. SB 1174 by Sen.
by smf / 7min 


Ab215: Teacher Dismissal Bill Unanimously Supported By Senate Ed Committee
By Theresa Harrington, Contra Costa Times/San Jose Mercury News  | http://bit.ly/R8TwPg 5/01/2014 7:16:03 PM PDT | SACRAMENTO  ::   The Senate Education Committee has given its unanimous support to AB215 by Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, D-Alamo, which would streamline the teacher discipline and dismissal appeal process. The bill would expedite and prioritize cases of egregious misconduct, those
by smf / 4min 

Allegations+Revelations About Miramonte Child Abuse Continue
Allegations in Miramonte molestation case grow by Howard Blume | LA Times | http://lat.ms/1pXSJAj Former Miramonte Elementary School teacher Mark Berndt, right, appears in L.A. County Superior Court with attorney Manny Medrano last year. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times / November 15, 2013) May 1, 2014, 6:20 p.m.  ::  Previously
by smf / 33min 

PLAN TO USE ‘NEED INDEX’ TO GO BEFORE LAUSD BOARD + far more than 2¢ from a 4LAKids reader

by LA School Report | http://bit.ly/Si8Qdl Posted on May 1, 2014 12:17 pm ::  In a surprise move, LA Unified school board will consider a resolution that supports the use of an alternative formula, known as the “Student Need Index,” in deciding how to distribute school funds throughout the district. LA School Report has learned that Monica Garcia and Board President Richard Vladovic have agreed
by smf / 23min 


4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 5-1-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: DISTRICT 1 CANDIDATES FORUM | Thursday, May 1 | 7:00PM | Hamilton High School2014 Community Town Hall Meeting: LAUSD School Board Candidate Forum A public Q&A about the future of our schools For the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), this is a time of unprecedented changes and challenges. Public debate continues over testing and core curri
by mike simpson / 25min 


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ACT – The Ultimate Gatekeeper | Missouri Education Watchdog

ACT – The Ultimate Gatekeeper | Missouri Education Watchdog:



ACT – The Ultimate Gatekeeper

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windowclearnerAny good business person knows the importance of risk management. A lot of risk management involves shifting liability, for high risk things that must be done, to someone else. A simplistic example is skyscraper window cleaning. The windows must be cleaned, but as building management you don’t want to put your regular cleaning crew out there. Too much risk and not enough training. So naturally you outsource that kind of job to a company that specializes in taking on the risk of hanging off buildings multiple stories in the air to clean windows. Their people are typically faster, specifically trained in the task, do a better job and are highly insured for injury. Businesses look for opportunities to shift that liability where ever they can, including in the human resources department. And lucky for businesses there is someone out there to take on the risk of new hires.
Check out the state Certified Work Ready Communities (CWRC) initiative powered by the ACT® National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC TM). The initiative was launched in December 2011.  Missouri, Oregon and South Carolina were in the first round of participating states. Participants are “leveraging the NCRC to measure and close the skills gap — and building common frameworks that link, align and match their workforce development efforts.”
ACT knows that “making a bad hire can be incredibly expensive, costing you training time and expense, not to mention lost productivity.” They are ready to step in and take on that risk with their special certification program. ACT does this by offering “a suite of assessments and certifications that measure an individual’s foundational workplace skills such as math, reading and locating – skills required for a majority of today’s jobs.”
Makes sense. We all know ACT’s prowess at assessments with its college entrance exams. Those exams, interestingly started out in 1959 as a competitor to the SAT reasoning test and ACT – The Ultimate Gatekeeper | Missouri Education Watchdog:
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NYC Public School Parents: Please join us Tuesday & speak out against new law requiring NYC give charter schools preference for space!

NYC Public School Parents: Please join us Tuesday & speak out against new law requiring NYC give charter schools preference for space!:



Please join us Tuesday & speak out against new law requiring NYC give charter schools preference for space!




Please distribute to all parents!  
 
Parents and elected officials are holding a press conference Tuesday May 6 at Tweed to speak out against the new state law that gives any new and/or expanding charter free space either in our public school buildings or in private space paid for by the city .
 
Meanwhile, many thousands of NYC public school students are sitting in vastly overcrowded schools, subjected to excessive class sizes, in trailers or on waiting lists for their zoned schools, with an underfunded capital plan.  This is one of the worst charter giveaways ever passed into law, and will create even more inequitable conditions in our city going forward. 
 
Meanwhile, Eva Moskowitz charter chain, Success Academy,  raised more than $7.5 million in one night, from Jeb Bush and her Wall St. buddies, while claiming she could not afford to rent her own space.  Instead, the DOE is being forced to rent three parochial schools for her, and pay for renovations to suit her specifications.  Here is yet another shameless ruse in which Success Academy is planning to make big sums off the stock trades of their billionaire supporters.
 
Clearly the charter lobby wants to drain as much resources and space from the public schools in order to destabilize and further overcrowd the system,  or else they would pay for space themselves.
 
A flyer for our press conference is posted here: http://tinyurl.com/qy3mlaf   Please invite your City Council members and other elected officials to attend as well. 
 
Hearings follow the press conference at 10 AM at City Hall on the lack of charter accountability, including their egregious practice of suspending and pushing out large numbers of high need students.
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Naison EduNews 5/3/14 - Camp Philos - YouTube

Naison EduNews 5/3/14 - Camp Philos - YouTube:



Naison EduNews 5/3/14 - Camp Philos 








May 4th weekend, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is sponsoring a "Philosophers Camp on Education Reform". Mark Naison, Professor of African American Studies and History at Fordham and co-founder of Badass Teachers Association comments on THE NEWS!


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