Thursday, February 11, 2021

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Wednesday, February 10, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER #BLACKHISTORYMONTH #RIPKARENLEWIS

THE TOP BANANA
TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES

Chicago Teachers Union OKs Deal To Return To Class, With Vaccines Promised | 89.3 KPCC - https://www.scpr.org/news/2021/02/10/96570/chicago-teachers-union-oks-deal-to-return-to-class/

Council members offer support to three Philadelphia school board nominees - Chalkbeat Philadelphia - https://philadelphia.chalkbeat.org/2021/2/10/22277243/council-members-offer-support-to-three-philadelphia-school-board-nominees on chalkbeat

New Hampshire: Voucher Bill Will Cost $100 Million per Year | Diane Ravitch's blog - https://wp.me/p2odLa-tvl via @dianeravitch

Answer Sheet: Teacher: What’s Missing From Calls for Summer School to Stem ‘Learning Loss’ | National Education Policy Center - https://nepc.colorado.edu/node/10765 on @NEPCtweet

Fauci: Vaccines for Kids as Young as First Graders Could Be Authorized by September https://www.propublica.org/article/fauci-vaccines-kids

After Threatening Strike, Chicago Teachers Set “New Standard” With Safer School Reopening Plan - https://inthesetimes.com/article/chicago-teachers-union-strike-school-reopening-deal #press #feedly

A History of Black Excellence: The Mad King and Black Queen Who Built Black Wall Street (No, Not That One) https://www.theroot.com/a-history-of-black-excellence-the-mad-king-and-black-q-1846242649

The case for outdoor schooling https://www.vox.com/first-person/22276681/pandemic-covid-schools-open-outdoor-schooling

WATCH: Fauci projects 'anybody in any category' will be able to get COVID-19 vaccine by April http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheRawStory/~3/NRdPK0GXvZA/

Inspirational quotes from famous people on the autism spectrum https://bigthink.com/mind-brain/famous-people-with-autism

Faith leaders criticize Fairfax school board for delaying vote on adding four religious holidays to calendar https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/fairfax-schools-religious-holidays/2021/02/10/9ff5bfac-6bb9-11eb-9ead-673168d5b874_story.html

Pricey Los Angeles private school moves ahead of others for teacher vaccinations http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/lanowblog/~3/QBW0hVBH7fM/la-private-school-skips-ahead-teacher-covid-vaccines

3 Teachers On The Push To Return To The Classroom https://www.npr.org/2021/02/11/966564643/teachers-on-the-push-to-return-to-the-classroom

Teachers’ Union Leaders Face a Tough Test Over School Reopening https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/us/teachers-unions-school-reopening.html

Democrats plan $7.6B for remote learning in COVID relief https://www.axios.com/democrats-plan-76b-for-remote-learning-in-covid-package-361eac92-3d85-41fd-9eb1-f959b4a730c7.html?utm_campaign=organic&utm_medium=socialshare&utm_source=twitter

Teachers unions, Democratic lawmakers pressure Biden to waive student loan debt - Washington Times - https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/feb/10/teachers-unions-democratic-lawmakers-pressuring-bi/ on @washtimes

Biden's 100-day plan to reopen schools meets with a messy reality - https://www.kdrv.com/content/news/573771292.html on @publisher_handle

NOLA Public Schools’ COVID-19 tracker upgrade reveals additional cases https://thelensnola.org/2021/02/11/nola-public-schools-covid-19-tracker-upgrade-reveals-additional-cases/

How Chris Christie’s education reforms are still playing out in Camden schools https://politi.co/2Luu1K5

Charter school growth continues to alarm Hillsborough leaders https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2021/02/09/charter-school-growth-continues-to-alarm-hillsborough-leaders/#new_tab

WV GOP lawmakers put school choice bills on their very first committee agendas https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/legislative_session/wv-gop-lawmakers-put-school-choice-bills-on-their-very-first-committee-agendas/article_526f9578-0709-50c0-b827-fcaf812420a0.html

1 in 4 NYC students with disabilities aren’t getting mandated services this school year, new data shows https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2021/2/10/22277334/special-education-coronavirus-nyc via @ChalkbeatNY

Low kindergarten attendance creates first grade problem | CalMatters https://calmatters.org/children-youth/2021/02/low-kindergarten-attendance/

RI Senate approves three-year moratorium on charter schools - https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/education/2021/02/10/state-senate-approves-three-year-moratorium-charter-schools/6703436002/#new_tab via @projo

Bill Would Allow Firing of Striking West Virginia Teachers | Political News | US News - https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2021-02-10/bill-would-allow-firing-of-striking-west-virginia-teachers#new_tab on @USNews

Big Education Ape: Harry T. Moore, Black Educator Hall of Fame Member - Philly's 7th Ward #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER #BLACKHISTORYMONTH - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/02/harry-t-moore-black-educator-hall-of.html

Big Education Ape: Teacher Tom: "You Can't Play" - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/02/teacher-tom-you-cant-play.html

Big Education Ape: David Berliner on the Travesty of Public Funds for Religious Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/02/david-berliner-on-travesty-of-public.html

Big Education Ape: School Ratings, Rankings and Wrongdoing – Have You Heard - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/02/school-ratings-rankings-and-wrongdoing.html

Big Education Ape: Today: First 100 days Summit for Civil Rights | Cloaking Inequity - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/02/today-first-100-days-summit-for-civil.html

Big Education Ape: Will Secretary of Education Cardona Grant Standardized Test Waivers to States? | Ed In The Apple - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/02/will-secretary-of-education-cardona.html

Big Education Ape: Choosing Democracy: antiracismdsa: Defend DACA, TPS, the Immigrant Community - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/02/choosing-democracy-antiracismdsa-defend.html

Big Education Ape: NYC Educator: UFT Delegate Assembly February 10, 2021--Debate Upon Debate - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/02/nyc-educator-uft-delegate-assembly.html

Big Education Ape: CURMUDGUCATION: HI: A Houseless Village - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/02/curmudgucation-hi-houseless-village.html

Big Education Ape: WHY QUIBBLE? – Dad Gone Wild - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/02/why-quibble-dad-gone-wild.html

Big Education Ape: RFA: Learning Communities for School Success Program (CA Dept of Education) - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/02/rfa-learning-communities-for-school.html

Big Education Ape: NewBlackMan (in Exile) TODAY #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER #BLACKHISTORYMONTH - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/02/newblackman-in-exile-today-blm_11.html

Big Education Ape: A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER #BLACKHISTORYMONTH - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/02/a-very-busy-day-larry-ferlazzos_11.html

Big Education Ape: DID YOU MISS DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG TODAY? A site to discuss better education for all #REDFORED #tbats #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER #BLACKHISTORYMONTH #RIPKARENLEWIS - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/02/did-you-miss-diane-ravitchs-blog-today.html

YESTERDAY

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Wednesday, February 10, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER #BLACKHISTORYMONTH #RIPKARENLEWIS

by Mike Simpson / 19h

Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES What’s at Stake in the Fight Over Reopening Schools | The New Yorker - https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/whats-at-stake-in-the-fight-

Big Education Ape

Harry T. Moore, Black Educator Hall of Fame Member - Philly's 7th Ward #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER #BLACKHISTORYMONTH

Harry T. Moore, Black Educator Hall of Fame Member - Philly's 7th Ward

HARRY T. MOORE, BLACK EDUCATOR HALL OF FAME MEMBER

E’ry day this month, the Center for Black Educator Development, in partnership with Phillys7thWard.org, will highlight a Black Educator Hall of Famer.

But, don’t forget, e’ry month is Black History Month…February is just the Blackest.

Today, our featured Black Educator is Harry T. Moore.

Harry T. Moore, like many Black educators in the Hall of Fame, put his life on the line for the equal rights of Black people. Moore was born in Florida on November 18, 1905. Nicknamed “Doc” because of his good grades at Florida Memorial College high school program. At 19, he accepted a teaching job at an all-Black school (Titusville) in Cocoa, Florida, where he met his wife, Harriette Sims.

Moore eventually became the principal of the Titusville school, an all-Black school focused on providing educational justice for their students. In addition to being an educator, Moore was an activist, launching the Brevard County NAACP in 1934 and with the backing of Thurgood Marshall, filed the first lawsuit in the Deep South to equalize the teaching salaries of Black and white CONTINUE READING: Harry T. Moore, Black Educator Hall of Fame Member - Philly's 7th Ward

Teacher Tom: "You Can't Play"

You Can't Play

We were playing with cardboard boxes and cardboard blocks. A group of three-year-olds began to play a game that involved standing in a rough circle around a box while drumming on it together with long blocks. Before long they began to chant which allowed them to find a mutual rhythm. Periodically, they would then all fall down on the ground in a kind of pig pile. After a lull they began their drumming again, repeating the cycle over and over, joyfully.

It was a noisy, full body game that attracted others, both as participants and observers. Before long, we ran out of long blocks. Some children allowed this to be their barrier to entry into the game, so they either moved on or griped while watching the game as an outsider. A few, however, simply picked up shorter blocks and attempted to join in. Unfortunately, the nature of shorter blocks meant that they had to stand closer to the box that was the target of their drumming, placing them in position to be hit and jostled by the longer blocks. Each time this happened, and it began to happen a lot, the child with the shorter block complained, "Hey, you hit me!" which meant the game had to momentarily stop.

Before long, this previously fun game was in a time out as CONTINUE READING: Teacher Tom: "You Can't Play"

David Berliner on the Travesty of Public Funds for Religious Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog

David Berliner on the Travesty of Public Funds for Religious Schools

David Berliner, a distinguished scholar of American education, is writing a long essay about the dangers of public funding for religious schools. Currently numerous red states are considering proposal to expand vouchers and transfer more public funds to religious schools, typically without accountability. Their actions will overturn the historic tradition of separation of church and state. As the Pastors for Texas Children often say, that separation guarantees religious Liberty.

Berliner writes:

Public dollars for support of religious schools costs citizens billions of dollars annually, and ends up supporting some horrible things. A contemporary example of this is the criteria for entrance to the Fayetteville Christian School (FCS) in North Carolina.

The Fayetteville Christian School is recipient, in a recent school year, of $495,966 of public money. They got this in the form of school vouchers that are used by students and their families to pay for the students religious schooling. The entrance requirements for this school, and other religious schools like it, frighten me, though they are clearly acceptable to North Carolinians. From their website, in 2020:¹

“The student and at least one parent with whom the CONTINUE READING: David Berliner on the Travesty of Public Funds for Religious Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog

School Ratings, Rankings and Wrongdoing – Have You Heard

School Ratings, Rankings and Wrongdoing

School ranking season is on us once again, which means that Have You Heard co-host Jack Schneider is in a lather. Episode #106 is devoted to demystifying the “brutal pessimism” of school rankings and ratings, from higher education to K-12. And who better to join us than Akil Bello, Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at FairTest?

Complete transcript of the episode is here. The financial support of listeners like you keeps this podcast going. Subscribe on Patreon or donate on PayPal.

Have You Heard · #106 School Rankings, Ratings, and Wrongdoing

School Ratings, Rankings and Wrongdoing – Have You Heard

Today: First 100 days Summit for Civil Rights | Cloaking Inequity

TODAY: FIRST 100 DAYS SUMMIT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS

We are very pleased that HUD Secretary designate, Marcia L. Fudge will be the featured guest at our First 100 days Summit for Civil Rights this Thursday, February 11, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM Eastern Time. It will be hosted (virtually) by the University of Kentucky School of Education, the University of Minnesota Law School, Case Western Reserve University and Building One America.

Other speakers include Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, United States Congresswoman Barbara Lee, North America’s Building Trades Unions President Sean McGarvey, Biden Education Transition Team leader Linda Darling Hammond, United States Senator Sherrod Brown and others. You can go here for more information, other speakers, and to register.

There is a $10 fee to help cover the costs for the independent not-for-profit.

You must register in advance to participate.

Today: First 100 days Summit for Civil Rights | Cloaking Inequity

Will Secretary of Education Cardona Grant Standardized Test Waivers to States? | Ed In The Apple

Will Secretary of Education Cardona Grant Standardized Test Waivers to States?

Secretary of Education Designee Cardona testified at his Senate Education Committee confirmation hearing (Watch here); committee members have five minutes to ask and receive answers: a preview of Cardona policies? Maybe. One of the first questions was whether he would grant waivers allowing states not to administer standardized grades 3-8 tests. Chalkbeat reports,

Miguel Cardona sent mixed messages… how he would approach federally required standardized testing this year,

“If the conditions under COVID-19 prevent a student from being in school in person, I don’t think we need to be bringing students in just to test them,” But he suggested he still believes testing could be useful this year.

“If we don’t assess where our students are and their level of performance, it’s going to be difficult for us to provide targeted support and resource allocation in the manner that can best support the closing of the gaps that have been exacerbated due to this pandemic,”

Senator Burr followed up by asking whether states should be able to make their own decisions.

Cardona responded: “I feel that states should not only have an opportunity to CONTINUE READING: Will Secretary of Education Cardona Grant Standardized Test Waivers to States? | Ed In The Apple

Choosing Democracy: antiracismdsa: Defend DACA, TPS, the Immigrant Community

Defend DACA, TPS, the Immigrant Community

By Greisa Martinez Rosas, Javier H. Valdes, and Marisa Franco

The first two weeks of Joe Biden’s presidency brought relief to millions of people across the country, including those who fight for immigrant justice. So far, we have seen several immigration actions by the Biden administration—including the restoration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the end of the Muslim Ban, the creation of task force to reunite children with their families, the announcement of a moratorium on deportations, and the introduction of legislation to provide a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented people.

In short, President Biden has started the long process of undoing the damage wrought by the Trump administration and is turning federal immigration policies in a new direction.

President Biden deserves credit for honoring key Day One commitments to our communities. But reversing Trumpism can only be the first step. We don’t want to return to “normal.” We need to build toward a more just future.

We need a presidential administration that is prepared to dismantle cruel and inhumane detention and deportation policies and detention centers and reunite families who have been separated.

The Biden administration needs to keep taking action to dismantle the enforcement system, fundamentally reform the government agencies CONTINUE READING: Choosing Democracy: antiracismdsa: Defend DACA, TPS, the Immigrant Community

NYC Educator: UFT Delegate Assembly February 10, 2021--Debate Upon Debate

UFT Delegate Assembly February 10, 2021--Debate Upon Debate

UFT President Michael Mulgrew--We're more than halfway through this wonderful school year. Hope everyone is safe. Asks for a moment of silence for former CTU President Karen Lewis.

Middle schools--They needed testing capacity. They do not need an agreement with UFT. State approved city plan with 20% testing per building per week. We did not take their word for it. District has money from second stimulus act. We demanded time to get teams up to speed. Over last few weeks they've hired 55 additional testing teams. There are 60K additional tests, but they are now in compliance with state plan.

We are frustrated with vaccines, and scrambling for more, as are hospitals and medical providers. We will get out more info, but city has agreed to specific number of slots every day at city centers for in person DOE employees--elementary, MS, and D75 working in schools. We also have more vaccine for our own program and will do the same.

We want middle schools to have time to get ready. That's why we have two weeks. Staff will have one day to come in and check. We will make sure PPE is in place. If you're going back, protocols, PPE, cleaning and ventilation are important. Testing gives us early warning so we can take proper procedures and shut rooms and schools as needed. Make sure everything is in place. Covid building response teams have done great work.

Around country people are surprised we have teams to do this. Other cities don't have testing capacity and haven't been doing anything for months. Disappointing to see teachers around country fighting for what we already have. Not enough to just say schools are important.

Federal--CDC was supposed to put out new guidelines, but pushed until Friday. You're going to see what we always talk about. Will sound a lot like NYC, but they don't have CONTINUE READING: NYC Educator: UFT Delegate Assembly February 10, 2021--Debate Upon Debate

CURMUDGUCATION: HI: A Houseless Village

HI: A Houseless Village

It started with this tweet:

Reactions were peak tl;dr, with most people not making it past the tweet. But click past to the story, and then on to the contest itself, and you quickly see there' a lot to this.

I'm no expert on Hawaii. My ex-wife lived there for a few years and my sister-in-law and her husband lived on O'ahu for a while. My wife and I visited for about a week. We stayed in a condo near the beach up near the zoo, and is our habit, we took our rental car on some road trips to see the rest of the place. Which on O'ahu, once you get out of city traffic, doesn't take all that long. It's a place of great contrast. Travel up the west side of the island, and you soon arrive at the tip that looks like the end of the world; exposed to the brunt of the ocean, just past the government space-listening station, the road just ends in a patch of lava. Rough paths and an eerie peaceful quiet, not twenty miles away from a roaring metropolis. On the way there, you go past some rough patches of poverty. We would have driven past the community in this story without knowing it. But as I said--no expert, which is something I share with many folks drive-by commenting on this. It's not just homeless kids. It's a whole community.

That community is Pu‘uhonua O Wai‘anae (Refuge of Wai'anae), a community of about 250 houseless people, characterized by resident Twinkle Borge as "Not homeless-- a village without a place."

Hawaii is a tough place to be homeless. On the one hand, the weather is generally on your side, but on the other, local authorities are not. While we were there, an early morning walk would get you free admission to the morning rousting of the homeless along Waikiki. Pu‘uhonua O Wai‘anae's CONTINUE READING: CURMUDGUCATION: HI: A Houseless Village

WHY QUIBBLE? – Dad Gone Wild

WHY QUIBBLE?

“I was naive and thought we could express our feelings to each other- not suppress them and keep holding them back. Well, it was what I felt, and why should I be untrue to myself? I came to believe the importance that if you feel something strong enough then you should say it.”
― George Harrison, I, Me, Mine

On Monday, I listened to Tennessee’s Governor Bill Lee give his State Of The State Speech. Then the next day I read the transcript because surely I didn’t hear what I thought I did. Surely I had missed the context of his words. But alas, I actually did and I did not.

With your indulgence, I’d like to share a recap along with a few excerpts. I invite you to join me on a trip to a parallel universe.

The speech starts off benign enough, with a general thank you to the expected. One line though, and its choice of words, set the tone for more to come. In thanking his advisors he refers to them thus,

They are battle-tested and I am proud of their work and their friendship.

Battle-tested? In a state that is a Republican super-majority, what battles of merit have CONTINUE READING: WHY QUIBBLE? – Dad Gone Wild

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Thursday, February 11, 2021