Morning Wink 9-12-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-12-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: How Clueless Can D.C. Bureaucrats Be?Avery Gigliano recently turned 13. She is a world-class pianist who has won international competitions. To play in international competitions, it is necessary to travel. To the D.C. public school system, she is not a champion, she is a truant. I forebear from using the words that come to mind. T

by mike simpson / 8:13 AM UTC-7 

9-12-14 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.: Lunch with the candidates.State Representative Nekritz speaks to retirees. Every election season my chapter of the Illinois Retired Teachers Association invites local candidates for state House and Senate races to speak to our group. Yesterday’s luncheon was the first time we’ve had the opportunity to

by mike simpson / 2min 

Russ on Reading: What Do We Want from Public Schools?

Russ on Reading: What Do We Want from Public Schools?: What Do We Want from Public Schools?Ok students, let’s start today with a quick multiple choice question.Which of the following represents the bestreason for having a highly functioning system of public schools?a)    economic stabilityb)    social stabilityc)    political stabilityd)    joy of the individualYes I know. I hated these “best reas

by mike simpson / 4min 

9-12-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter: The "middle skills" shortage: The common core will make it worseSent to the Wall Street Journal, Sept. 11, 2014"German robots school U.S. workers" (Sept. 10) is the most recent of a series of reports in the Wall Street Journal on the substantial shortage of job applicants with "middle skills," requiring less than a college degree but more than high sch

by mike simpson / 6min 

9-12-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Video: “What Does Scottish Independence Mean?’Scotland will be voting on independence in a few days and, though the narration of this two-minute video from Slate is too fast for English Language Learners, it is the best short explanation of what’s going on that I’ve seen on the issue:9 by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h hide  //  saveA

by mike simpson / 8min 

9-12-14 @ 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 / 10min 

9-12-14 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): High Noon: “Why Everyone (Almost) Is Wrong about Common Core”High Noon at the Upcountry History Museum 2014 Fall Schedule All lectures begin at noon on Wednesdays and last one hour. The Upcountry History Museum/Furman University is located at 540 Buncombe Street in downt

1 by mike simpson / 12min 

9-12-14 Hemlock on the Rocks

Hemlock on the Rocks: Harvey Saferstein: Meet LAUSD Superintendent Deasy's Attorney-- HMMMMMM.../Who pays him ?http://www.mintz.com/professionals/detail/name/harvey-saferstein Harvey Saferstein Harvey is the Managing Member for the firm's Los Angeles office. His practice includes antitrust and intellectual property counseling and litigation, as well as complex commercial and business litigation. W

1 by mike simpson / 14min 

9-12-14 Curmudgucation - Magical CCSS Teachers

CURMUDGUCATION: Magical CCSS TeachersOver at EdWeek, the Teaching Ahead roundtable is having a little debate about the Core's burgeoning image problem. I've made my own entry in the argument (feel free to check it out and like it as a way to register your CCSS love).Tucked in among the various points of view, you'll find this piece by Jessica Keigan. "Abandoning the Common Core Would Be a Dis

1 by mike simpson / 16min 

9-12-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: Anti-Teacher Tenure Lawsuit In New York Starts Off Like A CircusThe Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal:Justice Philip Minardo in Richmond County Supreme Court agreed Thursday to merge two lawsuits seeking to challenge state tenure laws.The state attorney general's office had filed a motion to consolidate the two cases on grounds the issues were so similar, and the United Fede

1 by mike simpson / 18min 

Gov. Christie — ” I don’t care about the community criticism…”; School Opens in Newark | janresseger

Gov. Christie — ” I don’t care about the community criticism…”; School Opens in Newark | janresseger: Gov. Christie — ” I don’t care about the community criticism…”; School Opens in NewarkPosted on September 12, 2014 by janressegerSchool opened in Newark, New Jersey on Thursday, September 4, in the messy, patched together way that major transformations occur.  The question in this case, as Cami An

1 by mike simpson / 20min 

Time to Scale Back School Testing - Lily's Blackboard

Time to Scale Back School Testing - Lily's Blackboard: Time to Scale Back School TestingSeptember 12, 2014 by LilyCategories: Did you see this?, Education, General, TestingTags: learning, New Jersey, TestingDo you remember a teacher or other school employee who made a difference in your life? Perhaps someone who really brought an academic subject to life, or who simply helped you through a difficu

by mike simpson / 23min 

Statement of Pennsylvania Working Families on Council’s Failure to put Local Control on the Ballot | WeArePCAPS

Statement of Pennsylvania Working Families on Council’s Failure to put Local Control on the Ballot | WeArePCAPS: Statement of Pennsylvania Working Families on Council’s Failure to put Local Control on the BallotPosted on September 12, 2014by wearepcapsPhiladelphians Denied the Chance to Vote for Local ControlCoalition demands vote on education charter amendmentFor Immediate ReleaseThursday, Septem

by mike simpson / 26min 

Teacher, Principal, and Superintendent Core Dilemmas That Need to Be Managed | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Teacher, Principal, and Superintendent Core Dilemmas That Need to Be Managed | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Teacher, Principal, and Superintendent Core Dilemmas That Need to Be ManagedI have used the word “dilemma” in earlier posts since superintendents, principals, teachers, and, yes, students face situations that call for difficult choices among conflicting values. So for

by mike simpson / 30min 

Schools Not Prisons: #DoTheMath | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity

Schools Not Prisons: #DoTheMath | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity: Schools Not Prisons: #DoTheMathIn California it costs $62,300 per year to imprison someone, but just $9,100 per year to teach a child. A powerful short video from Californians for Safety and Justice challenges us to "do the math" when it comes to expanding the criminal

by mike simpson / 32min 

Teachers For Social Justice: UWM & City of Milwaukee: End Charter Enrollment Bribes!

Teachers For Social Justice: UWM & City of Milwaukee: End Charter Enrollment Bribes!: UWM & City of Milwaukee: End Charter Enrollment Bribes!SEPTEMBER 12, 2014 LEAVE A COMMENTPlease sign this petition from the Milwaukee Teacher Education Association to end the practice of paying parents and community members to enroll or refer students to privately run charter schools in Wisconsin!Paying p

by mike simpson / 36min 

Bill Gates funds the media then secretly meets with them | Seattle Education

Bill Gates funds the media then secretly meets with them | Seattle Education: Bill Gates funds the media then secretly meets with themThis post was written by Mercedes Schneider and originally posted on Dr. Rich Swier:Billionaire Bill Gates funds the media then secretly meets with them to do what?Billionaire Bill Gates funds the media.This is no surprise to me.What did surprise me is the discovery

by mike simpson / 38min 

New schools chief: Oakland “full of opportunity” | EdSource

New schools chief: Oakland “full of opportunity” | EdSource: New schools chief: Oakland “full of opportunity”September 11, 2014 | By Louis Freedberg and John Fensterwald | No Comments SHARE THIS ARTICLEThe Oakland Unified School District has begun the school year with a new superintendent, Antwan Wilson, at the helm. The 46,000-student district is the 14th-largest in the state. Unlike the distric

by mike simpson / 39min 

The (NY, DC, LA, and CA) Story of Eureka Math | deutsch29

The (NY, DC, LA, and CA) Story of Eureka Math | deutsch29: The (NY, DC, LA, and CA) Story of Eureka MathSeptember 11, 2014In Louisiana, there has been a bit of mystery surrounding the only math curriculum “selected” in March 2014 by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) and promoted as“LSU-developed Eureka Math.”It sure so

by mike simpson / 41min 

YESTERDAY

4 Reminders For A New School Year | Connected Principals

4 Reminders For A New School Year | Connected Principals: 4 Reminders For A New School Yearby William Parker • September 12, 2014 • 0 CommentsWe just welcomed our teachers and students back to school.It was hard work to prepare for all the moving parts that make up master schedules, professional development, and schedule pick-ups.But there is also great satisfaction in having everyone back and kno

1 by mike simpson / 10h 

Aliens Laud Affirmative Action In Texas Social Studies Curriculum (Really) | Cloaking Inequity

Aliens Laud Affirmative Action In Texas Social Studies Curriculum (Really) | Cloaking Inequity: Aliens Laud Affirmative Action In Texas Social Studies Curriculum (Really)I am not lying to you. Yes, Texas textbook designers have found a new way to deride social progress by using aliens as their muse. But first, the peer reviewed academic material. In 2012, the post “Illusion of Inclusion,” Article

1 by mike simpson / 13h 

Attorney for Supt. Deasy asks for L.A. school board emails - LA Times

Attorney for Supt. Deasy asks for L.A. school board emails - LA Times: Attorney for Supt. Deasy asks for L.A. school board emailsAn attorney representing Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy is seeking records that would explore possible links between school board members and technology vendors.The request opens a new front in the fallout over a contract between the L.A. Unified School District an

8 by mike simpson / 13h 

9-11-14 Jersey Jazzman - Under @GovChristie, State Control of Urban Schools Is a Disaster

Jersey Jazzman: Under @GovChristie, State Control of Urban Schools Is a DisasterThe fiscal failures of Chris Christie are well-documented at this point: huge budget woes, no payments to the pension that were required under his own plan, bond ratings in a downward spiral, and the withering of Atlantic City's gaming industry have all occurred on Christie's watch.But we should also take a moment to a

1 by mike simpson / 13h 

3 Images on Leading Change | Connected Principals

3 Images on Leading Change | Connected Principals: 3 Images on Leading Changeby David Truss • September 11, 2014 • 0 CommentsI enjoy using images to share ideas. In a post on my Pair-a-Dimes blog, I shared the ‘Embracing Change’ image, also shared below. As I said in the post:“…we’ need to recognize that: * Change isn’t usually easy.* Change only happens when we create a need.* Change is not a tho

1 by mike simpson / 13h 

Nite Cap 9-11-14 #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 CAPSPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 9-11-14 #edchat #edreformBig Education Ape - Mid Day Banana BreakThe teaching profession is becoming less gray and less green, but more teachers are leaving poor schoolsMuch ink has been devoted to the teaching profes

3 by mike simpson / 16h 

SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 9-11-14 #edchat #edreform

Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana BreakThe teaching profession is becoming less gray and less green, but more teachers are leaving poor schoolsMuch ink has been devoted to the teaching profession’s increasingly gray and green complexion — the profusion of teachers at the two extremes of the age spectrum. There are lots of veteran teachers older than 50. Meanwhile, school systems have hired hundre

3 by mike simpson / 18h 

NEA President Salutes Florida Educators For Focusing on the Whole Child | NEA Today

NEA President Salutes Florida Educators For Focusing on the Whole Child | NEA Today: NEA President Salutes Florida Educators For Focusing on the Whole ChildSeptember 11, 2014 by twalker  Filed under Featured News, Top StoriesBy Brenda ÁlvarezNEA President Lily Eskelsen García traveled to Florida this past week (Sep. 4-5) as part of the Association’s Back-to-School tour, where she visited schools i

7 by mike simpson / 21h 

So There’s A Moratorium. Now What? | Taking Note

So There’s A Moratorium. Now What? | Taking Note: So There’s A Moratorium. Now What?by JOHN MERROW on 11. SEP, 2014 in 2014 BLOGS, COMMON CORE Those seeking a moratorium on using high stakes tests to judge teachers seem to have gotten what they asked for. What happens now?Remember that a “moratorium” is nothing more than ‘a suspension of activity.’  It does not imply any pro-active behavior or a r

1 by mike simpson / 21h 

Embrace The Common Core – IQ2 Debates For the Motion: Carmel Martin, Michael Petrilli Against the Motion: Carol Burris, Frederick Hess

Embrace The Common Core – IQ2 Debates:  Illustration by Thomas JamesTUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2014In K-12 education, there is nothing more controversial than the Common Core State Standards, national academic standards in English and math. Adopted by more than 40 states, they were developed, in part, to address concerns that American students were falling behind their foreign counterparts and graduati

5 by mike simpson / 21h 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Byrd-Bennett promised not to close any more schools. But that doesn't mean she can't militarize them.

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Byrd-Bennett promised not to close any more schools. But that doesn't mean she can't militarize them.: Byrd-Bennett promised not to close any more schools. But that doesn't mean she can't militarize them.Study war no more...?The Sun-Times reports:No teachers teach in this school. No students are enrolled. It has nearly no budget. The principal sits miles away in anot

1 by mike simpson / 22h 

New York Times Ignored Teacher Input on Eva Moskowitz | Daniel Katz, Ph.D.

New York Times Ignored Teacher Input on Eva Moskowitz | Daniel Katz, Ph.D.: New York Times Ignored Teacher Input on Eva MoskowitzThe September 7th New York Times Magazine ran a story by Daniel Bergner called “The Battle for New York Schools: Eva Moskowitz vs. Mayor Bill de Blasio”.  Bergner’s piece reads as an astonishing piece of hagiography to appear in the paper of record, ignoring any substant

1 by mike simpson / 22h 

Louisiana Educator: Higher Student Expectations?

Louisiana Educator: Higher Student Expectations?: Higher Student Expectations?What is an acceptable level of performance for an 8th grade math student? All public school teachers are required to set student learning targets (SLTs) each year for each classroom of students. Where should the passing scores be set and what is an acceptable level of student failure? One good point of reference should b

1 by mike simpson / 22h 

9-11-14 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: LA Unified board enforces email deletion ruleMorning Read: LA Unified board enforces email deletion rule L.A. school board approves contract to destroy emails after a year The Los Angeles Unified School District took steps this week to enforce rules under which emails are deleted after one y

1 by mike simpson / 22h 

9-11-14 Curmudgucation - Forever Less Than, Frederick Douglass, and No Excuses

CURMUDGUCATION: Forever Less Than, Frederick Douglass, and No ExcusesMy esteemed colleague and exceptional citizen journalist over at Edushyster has an interview up that is well worth your time to read.She talks to Joan Goodman, director of the TFA program at U Penn, about the no excuse charters of Philadelphia (among other things, the piece is a reminder that we can not knee-jerkingly sort good g

1 by mike simpson / 22h 

New Testing Makes No Sense | The Crucial Voice of the People

New Testing Makes No Sense | The Crucial Voice of the People: New Testing Makes No Sense Two “Super Supers” came to Idaho to bring us their wisdom. It is always good to listen to the voices of experience; it helps clarify things. It certainly threw light on some issues for me.Dr. David P. Driscoll (MA) and Dr. Eric Smith (FL) were brought to Idaho by the Albertson Foundation, which has been financ

1 by mike simpson / 22h 

Principals’ Perspectives on Value-Added |

Principals’ Perspectives on Value-Added |: Principals’ Perspectives on Value-AddedPrincipals are not using recent teacher evaluation data, including data from value-added assessment systems, student surveys, and other student achievement indicators, to inform decisions about hiring, placements, and professional development, according to findings from a research study recently released by researche

1 by mike simpson / 23h 

Lecker: Our real national standards - StamfordAdvocate

Lecker: Our real national standards - StamfordAdvocate: Lecker: Our real national standardsWe now know that the fiction that the Common Core State Standards are nationally agreed-upon standards that grew from some grassroots movement in the states is manufactured hype. It is now broadly understood that these standards were developed behind closed doors under the direction of two private organizati

1 by mike simpson / 1d 

Morning Wink 9-11-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSWe coddle bad cops, vilify good teachers - Salon.comWe coddle bad cops, vilify good teachers - Salon.com: We coddle bad cops, vilify good teachersWe defer to cops even when they kill, and scapegoat schools for the ills America has given up on. This must changePAUL ROSENBERG Matt Damon as Colin Sullivan in "The Departed" (Credit: Warner Bros. Ente

3 by mike simpson / 1d 

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 9-11-14

Nite Cap 9-10-14

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

Nite Cap 9-3-14

Nite Cap 9-2-14

Nite Cap 9-1-14 

Nite Cap 8-31-14

Nite Cap 8-30-14

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-12-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

NYC Parents Rally on September 18 for Full Funding of Public Schools

Parent! Students! Teachers!Community members! JUST CAN’T WAIT NYC SCHOOLS ARE OWED $2.5 BILLION DOLLARS! New York State has abandoned the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, resulting in devastating classroom cuts every single year. This has meant the loss of arts & music programs, after-school, valuable teachers, guidance counselors, Advanced Placement courses, an increase in class sizes and more. Jo

5 by dianeravitch / 1h 

Bill Bennett Supports Common Core; CATO Scoffs, Hess Dubious

Caitlin Emma has a great story about Bill Bennett’s new-found advocacy for the Common Core standards in the Morning Edition of politico.com: “CONSTERNATION OVER COMMON CORE: The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed [http://on.wsj.com/1qJabHV] this week supporting the Common Core – and it wasn’t long before the author, Reagan administration Education Secretary Bill Bennett, was targeted by critic

6 by dianeravitch / 49min

Laura H. Chapman: The Common Core Standards Are Not Internationally Benchmarked

Laura H. Chapman is a frequent contributor to the blog and a curriculum consultant in the arts. Shortly after releasing the Standards with much publicity about international benchmarking, the CCSSO helped to fund a study that shows the Standards are not, in fact, closely aligned with the standards of nations that score higher on international tests. In mathematics, for example, the nations with t

by dianeravitch / 3min 

Judge Merges Two Competing Vergara-Style Lawsuits in New York, Amidst Rancor

The judge overseeing the anti-tenure lawsuits merged the two that had been filed, over the protests of parent activist Mona David’s of the New York City Parents Union. “Outside the court, Mona Davids, the lead plaintiff in the first case, Davids vs. New York, made it clear that she wasn’t interested in forging a unified effort as she passed out fake $100 bills bearing the grimacing face of Campbe

1 by dianeravitch / 32min 

Would Someone Tell Governor Deal of Georgia the Truth about NOLA?

Governor Nathan Deal of Georgia wants a statewide Recovery School District, just like Louisiana. He wants to be like Bobby Jindal. He wants all the low-performing schools turned into charters, just like Néw Orleans. Won’t someone tell him that most of the charters–excluding those with selective admissions–are rated D or F by the state? Won’t someone tell him that the RSD in Louisiana is one of th

by dianeravitch / 17min 

How Clueless Can D.C. Bureaucrats Be?

Avery Gigliano recently turned 13. She is a world-class pianist who has won international competitions. To play in international competitions, it is necessary to travel. To the D.C. public school system, she is not a champion, she is a truant. I forebear from using the words that come to mind. The D.C. schools should be celebrating her success. Instead, they drove her out of the school system. Gre

1 by dianeravitch / 10min hide  //  save

Researcher: Success Charter Chain Built on Hyperbole

A data analyst who worked for the past several years in the New York City Department of Education wrote the following about Eva Moskowitz’s Success Academy charter chain. Most of the data he cites comes from public records maintained by the city or state education departments. His footnotes are at the bottom of the post. Building a Charter Chain, and a Mayoral Campaign, on Lies Over the past few

10 by dianeravitch / 1h 

FairTest: Anti-Testing Movement Building

Here is the weekly update on the testing front. With so much popular sentiment opposing the testing mania, it is only a matter of time until some rising politicians figure out that this is a movement in search of leadership in the political arena:   The school year is barely underway, but testing resistance and reform actions are already escalating across the nation. In an attempt to slow the mome

10 by dianeravitch / 2h 

Los Angeles: Deasy Seeks Emails of Board Members

In an effort to take the heat off his own troubles, Los Angeles Superintendent John Deasy has hired a lawyer and now seeks access to any of his bosses’ emails that show relationships with tech companies. Deasy had to cancel a contract with Apple and Pearson when two-year-old emails showed that he had been in discussion with them about the plan. Deasy claimed it was about a pilot. Nonetheless, he

8 by dianeravitch / 2h 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-11-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Frank Breslin: A Moral Vision of SchoolingThese days we seem to have forgotten what schools are for. Our national leaders see them only as economic institutions, preparing students for careers and college. Business leaders see them as workplace training. Frank Breslin, a retired high school teacher of German, Latin, and history, ha

1 by mike simpson / 7h