Morning Wink 9-10-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-10-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Jersey Jazzman Corrects Pundit Jonathan AlterA few years ago, I “debated” Jonathan Alter on a Denver radio show but soon realized that I had entered a zone where facts were irrelevant because Alter’s mind was made up. He loves charter schools. He thinks testing and accountability are the answer to the deep problems of education. He

by mike simpson / 7:03 AM UTC-7 

9-10-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Norm Does Something Right in Hot YogaAfter 15 years I did something well enough, Anita Ruderman took my photo doing Camel. Actually, now that I look it is not really right, but I'll take it.By this time I've already lost about 5 pounds. Don't worry, they were back a few hours later.1 by ed notes online / 43min hide  //  saveGodspell Opens This Friday in RockawayWith a great cast,

by mike simpson / 3min 

9-10-14 With A Brooklyn Accent: When Teachers Marry Police Officers- Reflections on Race and Neighborhood Culture

With A Brooklyn Accent: When Teachers Marry Police Officers- Reflections on Race and Neighborhood CultureDuring the controversy over the teachers who wore NYPD shirts to work in protest against their unions participation in the Staten Island March mourning the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, numerous commentators noted, correctly, that it is quite common in New York City for teachers to m

by mike simpson / 8min 

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Chicago principals: If you want poor performing, filthy schools, privatize

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Chicago principals: If you want poor performing, filthy schools, privatize: Chicago principals: If you want poor performing, filthy schools, privatizeChicago principals don't think so.If you want schools that dominate the bottom quartile, privatize their management. And if you want dirty, filthy schools, privatize their custodial services. That seems to be what

by mike simpson / 10min 

9-10-14 Jersey Jazzman - @BobBraunsLedger is Right About the Newark Teachers Union & One Newark

Jersey Jazzman: @BobBraunsLedger is Right About the Newark Teachers Union & One NewarkLet me start this piece by reiterating one of the primary missions of this blog: I am pro-teacher and pro-union. I believe this country was better off when we had more union membership, and I believe teachers are better positioned to advocate for themselves and their students when they form unions.I am also s

by mike simpson / 12min 

9-10-14 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.: On a shoestring Teachout gets 35% of the vote in NY. Good morning Rahm.  In yesterday’s New York’s Democratic Party primary election for governor Zephyr Teachout received nearly 35 percent of the vote against the incumbent governor, Andrew Cuomo. For my Illinois friends, Zephyr Teachout was the progre

by mike simpson / 15min 

The Whole Child Blog — Hope, Meaning, and Challenge: The Building Blocks of Motivation

The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education: Hope, Meaning, and Challenge: The Building Blocks of MotivationTeachers know that engaging and inspiring students initially requires building positive relationships and creating relevant learning experiences. Yet other key actions also matter: setting realistic expectations, creating a needs-satisfying classroom, and teaching students to self-evaluate

by mike simpson / 17min 

NYC Educator: The Name Game

NYC Educator: The Name Game: The Name GameOn day one I had mixed results with a young woman who didn't belong in my class. On Friday my supervisor caught up with her and a few others, and had them placed in more appropriate classes. But I'm gonna miss her. One of the big challenges I face as an ESL teacher is learning names. These days, our largest group is from China, and despite years of experie

by mike simpson / 24min 

9-10-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Interactive Map: “100 Years of Unrest”100 Years of Unrest is an interactive map that has: tried to gather information on social unrest throghout last century. Protests, uprisings, rebellions and revolts, civil wars, wars for independence, revolutions were mapped. Mapping events in time has enabled to follow hotspots or temp

by mike simpson / 25min 

Cutting to the core of Jindal’s flip-flop on aligning schools with national standards | The Lens

Cutting to the core of Jindal’s flip-flop on aligning schools with national standards | The Lens: Cutting to the core of Jindal’s flip-flop on aligning schools with national standardsOPINION    By C.W. Cannon, Contributing writer    22 MINS AGO      PRINTDonKeyHotey/flickrGov. Jindal was all for the Common Core — before he was against it.Bobby Jindal came into office hoping to “go down in history

by mike simpson / 27min 

9-10-14 Wait What? - Malloy’s Big Lie on Student Financial Aid

Wait What?: Malloy’s Big Lie on Student Financial AidYesterday, Governor Dannel “Dan” Malloy traveled around the state to brag about his record and plans “to make higher education more affordable.”  Malloy stopped at various colleges and universities to release his “three-point plan to help families afford a higher education.” Malloy’s press statement read; “At a series of events in New Britain, D

1 by mike simpson / 29min 

9-10-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter: Outraged at the coreSent to the Washington Post, September 9, 2014The Post says that progressives are "uncomfortable with the role of the Gates foundation and new tests associated with the (Common Core) standards" ("Common Core 2.0: Common Core by another name," Sept. 10).Uncomfortable? More accurate would be "outraged." Outraged not only at Gates' rol

1 by mike simpson / 33min 

9-10-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: About the radio showJoin Drs. Shaun Johnson and Tim Slekar LIVE Sundays at 6PM EST and Wednesdays at 7PM EST on Blog Talk Radio for progressive, pro-public education talk radio. Call in to speak live with Tim and Shaun during the show, (805) 727-7111. You can also listen to our Monday "Sunday-Replay" at 7PM EST, and re-broadcasts of the archives every Tuesday and Thursd

by mike simpson / 37min 

9-10-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Language Arts: Grading in a Perfect WorldLanguage Arts: Grading in a Perfect World September 2014 See p. 34 for my response1 by plthomasedd / 1h 9-9-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindnessthe becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the

by mike simpson / 39min 

empathyeducates – ‘Chiraq’: Facts and Fictions – How These Affect Our Children

empathyeducates – ‘Chiraq’: Facts and Fictions – How These Affect Our Children: ‘Chiraq’: Facts and Fictions – How These Affect Our ChildrenDuring a memorial service on July 20 in Chicago, Audry Miller mourns granddaughter Shamiya Adams, 11, who was killed by a stray bullet. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Chicago’s ‘murder capital’ rep stretches the truth.By Salim Muwakkil | Originally Publis

1 by mike simpson / 41min 

9-10-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: Cuomo Will Be Governor But He Will No Longer Be KingMatt Stoller on what the primary results mean for Cuomo:Andrew Cuomo will be Governor, but his career is over. Cuomo will win in November. He will govern for another four years, or until he is indicted. But he will not hold another elected office, because he has proven himself a very good machine boss but a very bad candida

by mike simpson / 42min 

The First Step in Student Data Tracking. Your District’s Student Information System. | Missouri Education Watchdog

The First Step in Student Data Tracking. Your District’s Student Information System. | Missouri Education Watchdog: The First Step in Student Data Tracking. Your District’s Student Information System.inShareWe will be writing more in the next few weeks about the data gathering and tracking of children at school, how it is gathered and where it goes for ‘research’.   The first gathering point of st

by mike simpson / 45min 

Franklin Roosevelt on the Role of Government to Protect the Public | janresseger

Franklin Roosevelt on the Role of Government to Protect the Public | janresseger: Franklin Roosevelt on the Role of Government to Protect the PublicPosted on September 10, 2014 by janressegerDuring a recent driving trip across the country, my husband and I sometimes felt we were threading our way across a map of American consumerism: McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Subway, and even Pita Pit. It can be argued

by mike simpson / 47min 

9-10-14 Hemlock on the Rocks

Hemlock on the Rocks: Los Angeles Unified School Districthttp://home.lausd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=178743&type=d&pREC_ID=367410 Los Angeles Unified School District Dr. John E. Deasy's Bio Dr. John E. Deasy is the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second largest school district. In this role, Dr. Deasy leads the thousands of teachers, administr

by mike simpson / 49min 

Lessons of 9/11: Closer to the Heart | WagTheDog

Lessons of 9/11: Closer to the Heart | WagTheDog: Lessons of 9/11: Closer to the HeartSchools should be in the “business” of creating diverse and stimulating learning environments and experiences where a child’s academic, athletic, artistic, social, and emotional skills and desires are free to flourish and thrive.We should prepare our children to be thoughtful, caring, resilient, and responsible l

by mike simpson / 51min 

YESTERDAY

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: A real-estate and hedge-fund concern that happens to have a college attached

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: A real-estate and hedge-fund concern that happens to have a college attached: A real-estate and hedge-fund concern that happens to have a college attachedAnnie Lowrey writes in NY Mag:There's an old line about how the United States government is an insurance conglomerate protected by an army. Harvard is a real-estate and hedge-fund concern that happens to have a coll

by mike simpson / 8h 

PARCC and SBAC States Agree to Deliver Student-level Data to USDOE | deutsch29

PARCC and SBAC States Agree to Deliver Student-level Data to USDOE | deutsch29: PARCC and SBAC States Agree to Deliver Student-level Data to USDOESeptember 9, 2014In September 2010, two assessment consortia “won” federal Race to the Top (RTTT) money for the “design, development, and evaluation of the assessment system” known as Race to the Top Assessment (RTTA): The Smarter Balanced Assessment Con

by mike simpson / 8h 

Does Bill Gates Think Teachers are All Miss Trunchbulls?

Does Bill Gates Think Teachers are All Miss Trunchbulls?: Does Bill Gates Think Teachers are All Miss Trunchbulls?SEPTEMBER 9, 2014 BY NANCY BAILEY LEAVE A COMMENTAt school there’s Miss Trunchbull, two hundred menacing pounds of kid-hating headmistress. Get rid of the Trunchbull and Matilda would be a hero. But that would take a superhuman genius, wouldn’t it?From Matilda by Roald DahlDoes Bill Ga

1 by mike simpson / 8h 

Pedagogy First (A Note on Elizabeth Green's Building A Better Teacher) | The Jose Vilson

Pedagogy First (A Note on Elizabeth Green's Building A Better Teacher) | The Jose Vilson: Pedagogy First (A Note on Elizabeth Green’s Building A Better Teacher) SEPTEMBER 9, 2014 JOSE LEAVE A COMMENT 19  0    0  19  0Every so often, I love reading other folks talk about standards without any current teachers present in their conversation. Even a cursory read of education history in this country sh

1 by mike simpson / 8h 

Our leaders, the kids | Bob Braun's Ledger

Our leaders, the kids | Bob Braun's Ledger: Our leaders, the kidsStudents rally around the statue of Lincoln outside the Essex County CourthouseNewark’s political and organizational leaders will, I know, scoff at this but, right now, the leaders of the struggle against “One Newark” and the privatization of public education are the hundreds of high school students who early this morning marched fro

by mike simpson / 8h 

Foundation still determined to eliminate future pension plans for Oklahoma teachers | Red Dirt Report

Foundation still determined to eliminate future pension plans for Oklahoma teachers | Red Dirt Report: Foundation still determined to eliminate future pension plans for Oklahoma teachersBrett Dickerson / Red Dirt ReportBobby Stem (at the end of the table) leads the conversation while struggling to gain support.BRETT DICKERSON | SEPTEMBER 9, 2014CATEGORY: RED DIRT NEWSOKLAHOMA CITY -- An informal m

1 by mike simpson / 12h 

State Board of Education Appeals - Resources (CA Dept of Education)

State Board of Education Appeals - Resources (CA Dept of Education): State Board of Education AppealsResources for submitting an appeal to the California State Board of Education.If the governing board of a school district denies a petition for the establishment of a charter school, the petitioner may elect to submit the petition for the establishment of a charter school to the county board of edu

by mike simpson / 13h 

Nite Cap 9-9-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT

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 CAP9-8-14 Wait What? - Governor Malloy’s record on state funding for public schoolsWait What?: Governor Malloy’s record on state funding for public schoolsA blog post that highlights the problem (see the Part I) and starts to lay out the solution (s

3 by mike simpson / 14h 

9-8-14 Wait What? - Governor Malloy’s record on state funding for public schools

Wait What?: Governor Malloy’s record on state funding for public schoolsA blog post that highlights the problem (see the Part I) and starts to lay out the solution (see Part II.) PART I:  The problem Malloy’s record on state funding of public schools. Governor Dannel “Dan” Malloy likes to brag that he has increased funding for Connecticut schools.  While he did raise taxes, in part […] The post Go

1 by mike simpson / 14h 

9-9-14 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): Teachers union ups pressure on Deasy over technology, contractTeachers union ups pressure on Deasy over technology, contract President of UTLA, Alex Caputo-Pearl With a new contract on the line, the LA Unified teachers union, UTLA, is stepping up its attack on Superintendent John Deasy, blaming him for pr

1 by mike simpson / 14h 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 9-9-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: CORRECTION: Credit where credit’s dueby smf In last Sunday’s 4LAKids newsletter I wrote: “Congressperson Maxine Waters argued that this moment demonstrates the victory of the Right Thing over Big Money ….and also the triumph of the collective/united “We” over the politics of “I". And, in a ‘Maxine really didn’t say that, did she?’ moment: ‘The fina

by mike simpson / 14h 

9-9-14 With A Brooklyn Accent: What's Wrong With Minneapolis Schools

With A Brooklyn Accent: What's Wrong With Minneapolis SchoolsAs someone who has followed events in Minneapolis Schools for some time, I am not surprised by this author's comments. Well financed School Reformers who see Charter Schools and Teach for America as the path to educational equity have dominated school planning in Minneapolis. But having revolving door teaching staffs largely drawn from o

1 by mike simpson / 14h 

9-9-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Authoritarian v. Authoritative: “With great power comes great responsibility”The Peter Parker/Spider-Man myth—like most in the ever-reshaping and rebooting world of comic book super heroes—has spun a slightly inaccurate but powerful catch-phrase around Peter’s Uncle Ben:

1 by mike simpson / 14h 

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky: Proof that legislators exist who serve the needs of people (pro-education, pro-teacher, pro-senior issues, etc.) | Reclaim Reform

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky: Proof that legislators exist who serve the needs of people (pro-education, pro-teacher, pro-senior issues, etc.) | Reclaim Reform: U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky: Proof that legislators exist who serve the needs of people (pro-education, pro-teacher, pro-senior issues, etc.)Posted on September 9, 2014by Ken PrevitiDuring this period of shock and awe attacks by legislators who s

1 by mike simpson / 14h 

Educational mobility starts to slow in industrialised world, says OECD

Newsroom - OECD: Educational mobility starts to slow in industrialised world, says OECD09/09/2014 - Access to education continues to expand worldwide but the socio-economic divisions between tertiary-educated adults and the rest of society are growing. Governments must do more to ensure that everyone has the same opportunity to a good education early in life, according to a new OECD report.Educati

1 by mike simpson / 14h 

NYU professor Dr. Diane Ravitch | Interviews | Tavis Smiley | PBS

NYU professor Dr. Diane Ravitch | Interviews | Tavis Smiley | PBS: NYU professor Dr. Diane RavitchThe former U.S. assistant secretary of education weighs in on how to reform the American public school system.Education historian and NYU professor Diane Ravitch is a prominent voice in education policy debates. She was appointed to office in the administrations of Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bil

1 by mike simpson / 14h 

New guide to instruction in Common Core for ELs :: SI&A Cabinet Report

New guide to instruction in Common Core for ELs :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: SEPTEMBER 09, 2014New guide to instruction in Common Core for ELsby Alisha Kirby(District of Columbia) English learners will better meet the rigorous outcomes set by the Common Core State Standards if language development and general education teachers work toge

by mike simpson / 15h 

REPA III – Deprofessionalizing Education | Live Long and Prosper

REPA III – Deprofessionalizing Education | Live Long and Prosper: REPA III – Deprofessionalizing EducationON BEING A PROFESSIONALThis weekend Anthony Cody posted the following video on his new blog site…The three minute talk by Visiting Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education at Howard University, Denisha Jones, speaks right to the heart of the matter of allowing (or encouraging) people t

by mike simpson / 15h 

9-9-14 Hemlock on the Rocks

Hemlock on the Rocks: LAUSD Codes of Conduct WITH STUDENTS Explicatedby Rene Diedrich / 3min Ratliff Meets Ratliff in a Rare Look at Educratic Fashion Statements and the Political Trends Predicted for Next SeasonI hope Monica Ratliff is tenacious about the  release of the report on iPad Ethics l she could shed a light in many things if she is thorough and earnest. If  she can usher in true change

by mike simpson / 15h 

Howard Fuller: A civil rights warrior or billionaire’s tool? - The Washington Post

Howard Fuller: A civil rights warrior or billionaire’s tool? - The Washington Post: Howard Fuller: A civil rights warrior or billionaire’s tool?Howard Fuller — seen here in 1970 at the Malcolm X Liberation University, which he founded — has had many roles in a lifetime of struggling for civil rights and to promote education. He has a new book about his life: “No Struggle, No Progress.” (Perry Ayco

1 by mike simpson / 15h 

An F for Arkansas’ Plan to Grade Schools | EduSanity

An F for Arkansas’ Plan to Grade Schools | EduSanity: AN F FOR ARKANSAS’ PLAN TO GRADE SCHOOLSSEPTEMBER 9, 2014 CGOERING  COMMENTSIn one of what is surely many of the education policy issues that has escaped my consciousness and cursor until recently is a plan to rank all schools in the state of Arkansas on an A to F rating system. I thought about this for approximately zero seconds before it rang

1 by mike simpson / 15h 

Pearson Tests v. UT Austin’s Associate Professor Stroup |

Pearson Tests v. UT Austin’s Associate Professor Stroup |: Pearson Tests v. UT Austin’s Associate Professor Stroup Last week Jason Stanford of the Texas Observer wrote an article, titled “Mute the Messenger,” about University of Texas – Austin’s Associate Professor Walter Stroup, who publicly and quite visibly claimed that Texas’ standardized tests as supported by Pearson were flawed, as per their

1 by mike simpson / 15h 

Pearson Tests v. UT Austin’s Associate Professor Stroup |

Pearson Tests v. UT Austin’s Associate Professor Stroup |: Pearson Tests v. UT Austin’s Associate Professor Stroup Last week Jason Stanford of the Texas Observer wrote an article, titled “Mute the Messenger,” about University of Texas – Austin’s Associate Professor Walter Stroup, who publicly and quite visibly claimed that Texas’ standardized tests as supported by Pearson were flawed, as per their

1 by mike simpson / 15h 

When Edu Sharks Attack! | EduShyster

When Edu Sharks Attack! | EduShyster: When Edu Sharks Attack! At the intersection of business and education policy lurk the *sharks*…Reader: have you ever found yourself binge watching Shark Tank and thinking that if anyone has the cure for our failed and failing public school it’s the sharks? Why, just the smoldering gaze of billionaire Mark Cuban is enough to spike achievement rates. And what if

1 by mike simpson / 15h 

Student Voice in a Box: Week 5

Student Voice in a Box: Week 5: Student Voice in a Box: Week 5Setting up a Student Voice Friendly Classroom EnvironmentWhen setting up your classroom to be as conducive to student voices as possible, it’s good to set clear guidelines for what is expected of students and for teachers. Student Voice has put together an example set of guidelines — take a look and adapt these to your classrooms as you

by mike simpson / 15h 

9-9-14 Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Pa. Republicans flog Corbett's Common Core call as politics, not policyWant to boil the blood of some Pennsylvania voters? Utter four words: "Common Core State Standards." For those leery of all things federal, all things Obama, the push to align academic expectations on a consistent, nationwide basis causes heart rates to rise exponentially. This wee

by mike simpson / 15h 

Why do we do what we do? | My Island View

Why do we do what we do? | My Island View: Why do we do what we do?September 9, 2014 by Tom Whitby @tomwhitbyHow much of what we do as educators is done because that’s the way it’s always been done? I imagine that whenever these things, that we do out of a respect for history, were originally executed, there was probably a reason for it. My question is with our society and all of the systems withi

1 by mike simpson / 22h 

America’s Unspoken Education Issue: Black Kids Need Black Teachers Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: America’s Unspoken Education Issue: Black Kids Need Black TeachersA new historical account is just the latest reminder that relying on white teachers to save black students has never been enough.By: Melinda D. AndersonPosted: Sept. 9 2014 - theroot.com “Hiring more white teachers is not the best way to improve education for student

1 by mike simpson / 22h 

9-8-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum Week

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Tuesday Open Thread on WednesdayAck! Melissa usually does this. Sorry I muffed it.Here is your Tuesday open thread just one day late.Did anyone attend the Curriculum and Instruction Policy Committee meeting? Can we get a report? Has anyone seen the draft policy for Advanced Learning?What else is going on?by Charlie Mas / 1min 9-6-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

1 by mike simpson / 23h hide  //  save

Poems By and For Teachers: What Teachers Make (Taylor Mali) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Poems By and For Teachers: What Teachers Make (Taylor Mali) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Poems By and For Teachers: What Teachers Make (Taylor Mali)The following brief resume is taken from Taylor Mali’s website:Mali is a vocal advocate of teachers and the nobility of teaching, having himself spent nine years in the classroom teaching everything from English and history to

1 by mike simpson / 23h 

Morning Wink 9-9-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS9-9-14 Answer SheetAnswer Sheet: Strauss: Michelle Obama’s shout-out to Khan AcademyThe Obama administration keeps expressing its admiration for Khan Academy and its founder, Salman Khan. Last year, Khan, who started the now-famous Web site that offers thousands of free videos for students in a range of subjects, interviewed Education Secretary Arne Duncan

3 by mike simpson / 23h

2nd Banana 9-6-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 8-30-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 8-23-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 8-16-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 8-9-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

Nite Cap 9-9-14

Nite Cap 9-8-14

Nite Cap 9-7-14

Nite Cap 9-6-14

Nite Cap 9-5-14

Nite Cap 9-4-14

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Nite Cap 8-31-14

Nite Cap 8-30-14

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-10-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

Palm Beach County Commission Allots $20 Million for New For-Profit Charter School

The Palm Beach County Commission allocated $20 million to enable a new charter school to borrow money for school construction. Some members of the commission opposed it, but the majority thought it was just another business that needed public funding.   The County Commission voted in favor of allowing Renaissance Charter School at Cypress on Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach to borrow money

3 by dianeravitch / 32min 

A Few Election Results

Andrew Cuomo won with 62% of the vote; Zephyr Teachout received 34%. Teachout had a great showing considering that she was a complete unknown with little name recognition, vastly outspent by Cuomo. Her $200,000 vs his $35 million. And his legal team kept her tied up in court challenging her residency; she won but lost two weeks of campaigning. Cuomo did his best to make Teachout invisible, never d

by dianeravitch / 0min 

Laura H. Chapman on the Common Core Standards

Reader Laura H. Chapman has read the CCSS, unlike many others who support or oppose them. She writes: “Anyone who had READ the CCSS all the way to the footnotes, or looked at the website, and otherwise done due diligence before buying the spin would determine it is a fraud. “Consider this: Between 2000 and 2002, Achieve conducted interviews with prospective employers and higher education officia

35 by dianeravitch / 6h 

Seth Sandronsky on Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson

Journalist Seth Sandronsky noted the progressive rhetoric of Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson when he joined New York City Bill de Blasio at a national task force on turning cities into generators of opportunity. ““The purpose of cities is to lift up residents and build a community and economy that works for everyone,” said Mayor Johnson. “That means having a higher minimum wage, expanding the supp

7 by dianeravitch / 7h 

Special Education: Duncan Sets Unreachable Goals

Beverley Holden Johns, a nationally recognized expert in the field of disabilities, strongly disagrees with Arne Duncan. Duncan wants children with disabilities to be able to perform on the highest level of NAEP tests. She points out that NAEP was not designed for this purpose. Duncan unilaterally changed the requirements of the IDEA act, without Congressional authorization. Having changed NCLB wi

100+ by dianeravitch / 9h 

An Illinois Superintendent Writes about What Matters Most

Superintendent Mark Cross joins the honor roll for his willingness to stand up and be counted on the side of students. Cross sent a letter home to parents in which he criticized high-stakes testing and Common Core. He spoke critically of federal and state initiatives whose purpose is to rank students rather than educate them. Many educators are fearful of saying what Mark Cross said because they

19 by dianeravitch / 9h 

Director of Nashville Schools Wants More Charters

Jesse Register, the Director of Metro Nashville public schools, proposes to close a number of low-performing schools and replace them with charter schools, despite the fact that the state’s all-charter Achievement School District has not outperformed public schools. Parents, community members, and teachers are upset by his lurch to the corporate model. Where is the school board, whose majority sup

42 by dianeravitch / 9h 

Florida Kindergarten Teacher: I Will Not Give the Test

Opt Out Orlando posted the following letter by Susan Bowles, a kindergarten teacher. For her courage and dedication to her students, Susan Bowles joins the honor roll. Her husband wrote this introduction: “I tried to share this post by my wife, Susan, last night. I just found out her privacy settings don’t let others see it. I am very proud of her stance and completely support her, even if it mean

by dianeravitch / 1min 

Jersey Jazzman Corrects Pundit Jonathan Alter

A few years ago, I “debated” Jonathan Alter on a Denver radio show but soon realized that I had entered a zone where facts were irrelevant because Alter’s mind was made up. He loves charter schools. He thinks testing and accountability are the answer to the deep problems of education. He is contemptuous of public schools and the teachers who work in them. He thinks that unions exist to protect fai

by dianeravitch / 0min hide  //  save

Peter Greene: John Oliver Explains Student Debt and Scamming the Public

This is a must-see. Peter Greene here presents and discusses comedian John Oliver on student debt. Most students will leave college with heavy debts; some will spend years trying to pay it off. The arrangement was created by the federal government and state governments, which have steadily decreased their responsibility for subsidizing the cost of higher education, transferring the burden to stud

3 by dianeravitch / 1h 

OECD: Competition Among Schools Not Associated with Higher Scores

A report from the OECD, which sponsors the international assessment PISA, finds that competition among schools for students (“choice”) is not associated with higher math scores but is associated with higher levels of social segregation. “PISA results…show that, on average across countries, school competition is not related to better mathematics performance among students. In systems where almost

12 by dianeravitch / 2h 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-9-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: McKinsey: The Global Powerhouse Behind “Reform”Which is the most powerful player behind the scenes in corporate reform? This article says, without doubt, McKinsey. Where did David Coleman, architect of the Common Core standards, get his start: McKinsey. Which firm pushes the narrative of a “crisis in education”: McKinsey. Which fir

1 by mike simpson / 9h 

9-10-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

LES is MORE

So this is the core of MORE organizing this upcoming year -- forming local groups at the district level that will meet during the week after school. I view these meetings as more important than the MORE monthly meetings where too many people try to outdo each other in telling everyone how anti-racist they are. I go to the monthlies for the post-meeting happy hours. Local Educator Supportby more

1 by ed notes online / 7h 

Norm Does Something Right in Hot Yoga

After 15 years I did something well enough, Anita Ruderman took my photo doing Camel. Actually, now that I look it is not really right, but I'll take it.By this time I've already lost about 5 pounds. Don't worry, they were back a few hours later.

1 by ed notes online / 43min hide  //  save

Godspell Opens This Friday in Rockaway

With a great cast, including many of your NYC teacher colleagues. Also a great set designed by Director (and NYC teacher) Frank Ciaiti. Below the graphic is my recent piece in The Wave which focused on the cast.

1 by ed notes online / 43min 

Tribune poll: Lewis ahead of Emanuel in Chicago mayoral race

Oh, the joy - for now. The hit jobs on Karen by the media will be be intense. But with Rahmbo being such an a-hole there is hope.Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is losing the support of voters, according to a new Chicago Tribune poll.A poll of 800 registered voters found that the mayor’s approval rating has taken a dive.Two years ago it was 52 percent. That didn’t change much last year, but now it’s on

1 by ed notes online / 43min 

9-8-14 Ed Notes Online Week

Ed Notes Online: Chicago Teachers Union and CORE - A Rational Social Justice Union and CaucusJust about every group and grouplet in the USA has hijacked what we are doing in Chicago. We decided NOT to participate in the Ferguson activities, in part because some of our members are spouses of police officers, and the Ferguson activities have become anti-police.... Member, CORE steering committee COR

1 by mike simpson / 8h 

9-10-14 With A Brooklyn Accent: When Teachers Marry Police Officers- Reflections on Race and Neighborhood Culture

With A Brooklyn Accent:

When Teachers Marry Police Officers- Reflections on Race and Neighborhood Culture

During the controversy over the teachers who wore NYPD shirts to work in protest against their unions participation in the Staten Island March mourning the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, numerous commentators noted, correctly, that it is quite common in New York City for teachers to marry police officers. This pattern is particularly common in certain New York Cit...y ethnic neighborhoo

by Mark Naison / 0min 

9-9-14 With A Brooklyn Accent: What's Wrong With Minneapolis Schools

With A Brooklyn Accent: What's Wrong With Minneapolis SchoolsAs someone who has followed events in Minneapolis Schools for some time, I am not surprised by this author's comments. Well financed School Reformers who see Charter Schools and Teach for America as the path to educational equity have dominated school planning in Minneapolis. But having revolving door teaching staffs largely drawn from o

1 by mike simpson / 8min

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Chicago principals: If you want poor performing, filthy schools, privatize

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Chicago principals: If you want poor performing, filthy schools, privatize:

Chicago principals: If you want poor performing, filthy schools, privatize

Chicago principals don't think so.

If you want schools that dominate the bottom quartile, privatize their management. And if you want dirty, filthy schools, privatize their custodial services. That seems to be what Chicago principals are saying.



Ace Catalyst reporter Sara Karp writes:

The $340 million privatization of the district’s custodial services has led to filthier buildings and fewer custodians, while forcing principals to take time away from instruction to make sure that their school is clean. That is the finding from a survey done by AAPPLE, the new activist arm of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association.

The survey follows by a week, a report put together by AAPLE member Troy LaRaviere showing a list of the 45 lowest-performing (test-wise) schools saturated with privately-run charters while the list of top-performing schools has none.

So the question continues to be asked, what is the source of this great love of privatization among school reform leaders and system bureaucrats? I think it's something in the drinking water at Harvard.Schooling in the Ownership Society: Chicago principals: If you want poor performing, filthy schools, privatize:

9-10-14 Jersey Jazzman - @BobBraunsLedger is Right About the Newark Teachers Union & One Newark

Jersey Jazzman:

@BobBraunsLedger is Right About the Newark Teachers Union & One Newark

Let me start this piece by reiterating one of the primary missions of this blog: I am pro-teacher and pro-union. I believe this country was better off when we had more union membership, and I believe teachers are better positioned to advocate for themselves and their students when they form unions.I am also sick and tired of reformy types beating up on teacher unions from a position of ignorance.

68 by Duke / 10h 

9-6-14 Jersey Jazzman NJ Ed News Round-up Jammin' All Week

Jersey Jazzman:Jersey Jazzman Jammin' All WeekA Reply To A Reply from @tomamoranTom,Contrary to your beliefs, no one called you a racist. You know this: you put our other criticisms of you in quotes, but not the one where you allege we call you racist.What we said was that you support One Newark, a racist school reorganization policy. Which it is.You say:Maybe you folks should take a pill, and eng

1 by mike simpson / 8h