Thursday, June 20, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-20-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

Germantown High School's final graduation was a celebration, not a funeral | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago

Germantown High School's final graduation was a celebration, not a funeral | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Germantown High School's final graduation was a celebration, not a funeral by thenotebook *by Brian Hickey for NewsWorks* A newly minted Germantown High School graduate, Shyhiem Crump stood outside the New Covenant Church posing for pictures just before noon Wednesday. In his hands was a framed black-and-white graduation photograph of his late father Darnell. Crump conceded that he was both a little nervous before the big day and bummed since he and his classmates represe... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: More problems with N.Y. testing privatization madness. T(est) for Texas

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: More problems with N.Y. testing privatization madness. T(est) for Texas: More problems with N.Y. testing privatization madness. T(est) for Texas by Mike Klonsky Columbia University's Teachers College held two Masters convocations on May 21. During the ceremonies students held up signs that read "I am not a number" and "not a test score." Photo by George JosephFrom today's Daily News *McGraw-Hill will pay overtime to teachers to work nights and weekends to catch up on grading the high school exams after a scanning glitch prevented the educators... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Growth Boundaries Project

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Growth Boundaries Project: Seattle Schools Growth Boundaries Project by Melissa Westbrook I would bookmark this SSCF page as it has a lot of boundary dates/meetings noted. Thanks to reader Kim for alerting me to this page. Tracy Libros told the Board about this last night. She updated the Board on this work including: - Growth Boundaries website - Work Session on this work next Tuesday the 25th from 4:30-6:30 pm.* - They are developing FAQs for this work - the Walk the Boundaries project is being worked on with help from parent v... more »

City Council final session today | Parents United for Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 minutes ago

City Council final session today | Parents United for Public Education: City Council final session today by parentsunitedphila Today is City Council’s last session. It isn’t lost on us that City Council plans to end its year without giving our children a guarantee about school funding. The good news is that the activism of parents and community members on the ground has sent a clear signal all the way to the governor’s office to do more for Philadelphia. The bad news is that they still want to play political games, making all funding conditional on exorbitant givebacks from the teac... more »

“Do you have any idea what your doing to us … our school … even to me?” | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago

“Do you have any idea what your doing to us … our school … even to me?” | Fred Klonsky: “Do you have any idea what your doing to us … our school … even to me?” by Fred Klonsky [image: dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls] *Before walking into Yale Elementary School, an emotional Jaleel Carr, 13 wipes his face, before enter the building on the last day of school – ever – at Yale. Carr will attend Westcott next year. “I’ll miss the school, period,” Carr said. Jessica Koscielniak ~ Sun-Times* Chicago Sun-Times: *Vasquez had no idea how Paula was feeling until she stumbled upon her daught... more »

Schools & What We Mean by Being 'Successful' - Bridging Differences - Education Week

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 minutes ago

Schools & What We Mean by Being 'Successful' - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Schools & What We Mean by Being 'Successful' by Deborah Meier *Today, Deborah Meier files her first blog response to Todd Sutler of the Odyssey Initiative, who joins her on Bridging Differences this week and next.* Dear Todd, I notice that even you and I talk in terms of success, so it makes me wonder: What do we mean by words like "the best" or "successful," whether in personal or organizational terms? Does it assume one has to "stand out" from others or a ranking order of celebrity, power, fame... more »

NEA - Raise Your Hand

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago

NEA - Raise Your Hand: Raise Your Hand for Public Education Empowering Educators to Lead Pin It Join us for a day of innovation, inspiration and invitation! Are you on Facebook? You can RSVP to this event there. Agenda Pre-opening Music Presentation – DJ Spinderella Moderator: Pat Dolan, TURN (Teacher Union Reform Network) *Opening Remarks – NEA President Dennis Van Roekel* *Collaboration to Lead the Profession* Speaker: Dr. Jerry D. Weast, Former Superintendent of Schools, Montgomery County, MD Affiliate Engagement: ISTA ESP’s Leading the Profession with School Safety – Donna Nielse... more »

Education Reform at 20: What Lies Ahead |

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago

Education Reform at 20: What Lies Ahead |: Education Reform at 20: What Lies Ahead June 20, 2013 by Alyssa Haywoode [image: Noah Berger, president Mass Budget; Eileen Rudden, founder, Sankaty Growth Partners; John Jackson, president and CEO, Schott Foundation for Public Education; John Bissell, executive vice president, Greylock Federal Credit Union. Photo: Alyssa Haywoode for Strategies for Children] Noah Berger, president MassBudget; Eileen Rudden, founder, Sankaty Growth Partners; John Jackson, president and CEO, Schott Foundation for Public Education; John Bissell, executive vice... more »

First Lady Michelle Obama and Epicurious Announce Winning Recipes in Nationwide “healthy Lunchtime Challenge” | The White House

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago

First Lady Michelle Obama and Epicurious Announce Winning Recipes in Nationwide “healthy Lunchtime Challenge” | The White House: First Lady Michelle Obama and Epicurious Announce Winning Recipes in Nationwide “healthy Lunchtime Challenge” by The White House *54 Kids to Attend "State Dinner" at White House on July 9 To Celebrate Nutritious, Delicious Lunchtime Dishes* *Washington, DC – *First Lady Michelle Obama, Epicurious, the Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture today announced the winners of a nationwide recipe challenge to promote healthy lunches as part ... more »

Teachers won't give up when it comes to common sense gun laws | Lily's Blackboard

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 30 minutes ago

Teachers won't give up when it comes to common sense gun laws | Lily's Blackboard: Any Gun to Anyone, But We Will Never Give Up by Lily [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] Columbine. Aurora. Newtown. Virginia Tech, We can whisper a litany of locations like a prayer, and without saying anything more than the names of these places, heads will bow and people understand how they are connected. Gabby Giffords greeting voters in an Arizona supermarket parking lot. Patients waiting in a Ft. Hood doctor’s office. Folks standing in a movie to see Batman in Colorado. We don’t ne... more »

Accumulation by Dispossesion | educarenow

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Accumulation by Dispossesion | educarenow: Accumulation by Dispossesion Posted on June 19, 2013 | Leave a comment Kirsten L. Buras has written a scathing indictment of the neoliberal reform agenda in Race, Charter Schools, and Conscious Capitalism: On Spatial Politics of Whiteness as Property (and the Unconscionable Assault on Black New Orleans).. Though it was written 2 years ago (2011), and though it focuses on New Orleans in its Post Katrina reform, this paper outlines what is now going on across the country. It’s an important contribution to naming and recognizing a pattern co... more »

Daily Kos: Badass Teachers Association - teachers fight back

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Daily Kos: Badass Teachers Association - teachers fight back: Badass Teachers Association - teachers fight back by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) [image: Candaloo Gonzalez] Mark Naison is a professor of African-American Studies at Fordham University, and an activist FOR public education and against the "reform" movement. Earlier this week he established a Facebook Group called Badass Teachers Association (and yes, I have joined). News of this has spread like wildfire. Today is the 6th day of the group's existence. It is already over 5,800 members as of 8 AM EDT. It is one more exam... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-20-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Philadelphia: Blame Teachers First Is a Bad Strategy by dianerav Philadelphia, which has been under state control for a dozen years, has a massive deficit. Governor Corbettt imposed draconian budget cuts when he took office. The state’s solution to Philadelphia’s fiscal crisis: strip the schools bare. Lay off thousands of teachers, gut the arts and sports, libraries and guidance counselors. This hurts students. Which suburb would tolerate the gutting if its publi... more »

Connecticut: The Republic of Debt - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Connecticut: The Republic of Debt - Wait, What?: Connecticut: The Republic of Debt by jonpelto The 2013 session of the Connecticut General Assembly ended with the adoption of record amounts of additional state borrowing. They adopted $750 million in state bonds to pay a portion of the cost associated with moving Connecticut to Generally Acceptable Accounting Principles (GAAP). Then there was the $1.6 billion for Malloy’s UConn initiative “to overhaul the state’s flagship university over the next decade,” this coming after the state’s $2.3 billion UConn 2000 program. And then, o... more »

Guess how much we invest in our students | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Guess how much we invest in our students | EdSource Today: Guess how much we invest in our students - by Jeff Camp / commentary by Jeff Camp / commentary [image: Jeff Camp] Jeff Camp In the course of a public K-12 education, how much money will be invested in the average California student? How much does a basic, public K-12 education actually cost? Do you know? Can you guess? I will answer the question in a moment. But first, I want to help you feel as uncomfortable as possible about the fact that you don’t know. Because I bet you don’t, and I think you should. After all, you are ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Oh, No, Thompson

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Oh, No, Thompson: Oh, No, Thompson by ed notes online Another UFT/AFT-devised disaster in the making.....the UFT leadership instead went with the candidate who said Bloomberg did the right thing by screwing teachers out of the 8% pattern. ... You can be sure if Thompson is elected, he will turn his back on teachers and pursue the ed deform policies his co-chair, Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch, and his DFER/charter buddies want him to pursue.... Perdido Street School We predicted this on May 18: 3-card monte scamUFT Tilts to Thompson: Tisch, D'Amato, New Action O... more »

New augmented reality glasses let teachers know when their students are falling behind | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

New augmented reality glasses let teachers know when their students are falling behind | toteachornototeach: New augmented reality glasses let teachers know when their students are falling behind by aristotlethewise *New augmented reality glasses let teachers * *know when their students are falling behind* By Lauren Hockenson For teachers, it can be tough to tell when students are actually absorbing new information. They’re often so focused on the materials and on trying to keep the class alert that they can easily miss body language that suggests that a student is completely lost. ... more »

Bill Schecter: Remembering a Teacher With an Uncommon Core - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Bill Schecter: Remembering a Teacher With an Uncommon Core - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Bill Schecter: Remembering a Teacher With an Uncommon Core by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Bill Schecter.* A Boston-area college recently asked if I would like to blog about the Common Core, the national curriculum standards soon to be implemented in Massachusetts and elsewhere. Supposedly the brainchild of the nation's governors, the Common Core represents the latest approach to reforming our educational system and ensuring equal opportunity for all American children. The goal ... more »

On gunfights in Old Sacramento, school-board lawsuits and Kevin Johnson as Kings salesman - Bites - Opinions - June 20, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Sacramento News & Review - On gunfights in Old Sacramento, school-board lawsuits and Kevin Johnson as Kings salesman - Bites - Opinions - June 20, 2013: On gunfights in Old Sacramento, school-board lawsuits and Kevin Johnson as Kings salesman On shoot-outs in Old Sacramento, school-board legal woes and Kevin Johnson as the Kings' No. 1 salesman *The Sacramento City Unified School District* Board intentionally sacrificed poor neighborhoods and protected affluent ones with its school-closure plan earlier this year. That’s the gist of a *lawsuit* filed by several Sacramento student... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Put school closings behind us? 'NO WAY'! Families occupy classrooms at Lafayette.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Put school closings behind us? 'NO WAY'! Families occupy classrooms at Lafayette.: Put school closings behind us? 'NO WAY'! Families occupy classrooms at Lafayette. by Mike Klonsky Three weeks ago, a well-orchestrated call could be heard, coming from Clark Street and the 5th Floor at City Hall. "“We are putting the past behind us,” *Byrd-Bennett* said. “It is time to turn the page” on school closings. Yesterday, the community resistance movement answered back. As the first wave of schools were being shuttered, with more than 850 CPS teachers and sta... more »

JUNE/JULY 2013 EDUCATOR- California Teachers Association

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

- California Teachers Association: *JUNE/JULY 2013 EDUCATOR* [image: image] View Digital Version EDITOR'S PICKS [image: image]Common Core pilot programs [image: image]What boundaries do you set for yourself with students? [image: image]New budget contains more funding for all districts [image: image]Teacher-written play educates students about date rape INSIDE EDUCATOR - FEATURES - TAKE A STAND - MAKE A DIFFERENCE - ACTION - Features[image: image] Common Core pilot programs Features[image: image] Stop workplace bullying Features[image: image] Perspective... more »

Educators, artists, lawmakers urge more emphasis on the arts - Education - The Sacramento Bee

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Educators, artists, lawmakers urge more emphasis on the arts - Education - The Sacramento Bee: Educators, artists, lawmakers urge more emphasis on the arts By Renee Schoof McClatchy Washington Bureau Published: Wednesday, Jun. 19, 2013 - 7:53 pm [image: Ken Burns] Dennis Van Tine / Abaca Press/MCT Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns supports the humanities Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/06/19/5509624/educators-artists-lawmakers-urge.html#mi_rss=Education#storylink=cpy WASHINGTON -- America needs to invest more in the humanities and social sciences in order to preserve its cu... more »

Jersey Jazzman: An Exchange With Jonah Rockoff

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: An Exchange With Jonah Rockoff: An Exchange With Jonah Rockoff by Duke This is a long post, but I think it's valuable. Let me set it up a bit: Earlier this month, I was given a remarkable piece of audio: testimony by Jonah Rockoff, professor of finance and economics at Columbia University, before the New Jersey State Board of Education. Rockoff's subject was the use of test score data in teacher evaluation, which is obviously a subject near and dear to my heart. I've reposted the audio below if you care to listen. After I posted the audio, I wrote a series of post... more »

"WTU Alerts Teachers About a "Fake Debate Scheduled for McKinley Tech High School." The Washington Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

The Washington Teacher: *"WTU Alerts Teachers About a "Fake Debate Scheduled for McKinley Tech High School." * *WTU Dust-up * Today right before the close of the school day, the WTU President Nathan Saunders had a major meltdown and sent out an email blast to WTU members titled "WTU Alerts Teachers About a "Fake Debate Scheduled for McKinley Tech High School." What caught my attention was that Saunders actually sent the first email from his own WTU email account. Followed by a second email blast minutes later from the WTU Communication Director. Saunders email to union members s... more »

An 18-Year-Old’s Partially Successful Campaign for School Board Student Voice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Student Voice: An 18-Year-Old’s Partially Successful Campaign for School Board by Miranda Hubbard In April 2013, I launched a campaign for a position on the Norwich City School District Board of Education. I just happened to be the youngest candidate for office in the history of my district, city, and county. Unfortunately I did not win; I did, however, receive over a third of the vote in a seven person race for three seats, which I believe is an achievement on its own. Most 18-year-old candidates for school board run on a typical platform (bring a student’s perspective to educat... more »

Sacramento News & Review - Hmong Innovating Politics shakes up Sacramento political establishment - News - Local Stories - June 20, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Sacramento News & Review - Hmong Innovating Politics shakes up Sacramento political establishment - News - Local Stories - June 20, 2013: Hmong Innovating Politics shakes up Sacramento political establishment HIP announced federal injunction filings against the Sacramento City Unified School District last week By Raheem F. Hosseini raheemh@newsreview.com This article was published on 06.20.13. Learn more about Hmong Innovating Politics athttp://hipsacramento.tumblr.com . *Related stories:* Culture shock Sacramento’s gang-prevention efforts may not work on Asian kids. SN&R, 12.15.11...more »

Update Seattle Schools Community Forum: Harsh Words at Seattle Weekly about the Board

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Harsh Words at Seattle Weekly about the Board: Charter Commission Meeting Update by Melissa Westbrook I checked the agenda for tomorrow's Charter Commission meeting and it is truncated because they will be doing interviews for Executive Director in the morning. So there will be nothing of import for the public to see until 12:50 pm when there will be Public Comment. They will then discuss rulemaking and planning, reviewing the proposal for work by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, Chairman report, Staff report, and Conflict of... more »

solidaridad: Speaking even more truth to Parent Revolution plutocrat power

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

solidaridad: Speaking even more truth to Parent Revolution plutocrat power: Speaking even more truth to Parent Revolution plutocrat power by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene First published on @TCFKSM on June 19, 2013 ------------------------------ * * * * * * *"The resolution by board member Steve Zimmer requires the district to independently verify the signatures and how they're gathered by Parent Revolution, the group that helps to organize parents in efforts to take over schools. The district will also increase the amount and types of information available, such as an analysis of fiv... more »

Is Michelle Rhee a Fraud? | Taking Note

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Is Michelle Rhee a Fraud? | Taking Note: Is Michelle Rhee a Fraud? by John Merrow “Thank you for showing the world that Michelle Rhee is a fraud.” The woman who said that to me at a banquet at the Harvard Club last week is known to serious education wonks. “I have been sending your exposé to governors and legislators all over the country,” she added. “In fact, Governor (name withheld by me) told me he was grateful for your one-man crusade against Rhee because she is hurting the teaching profession.” This was a crowded and noisy social event, and so I could correct only one part o... more »

The American School for Indentured Servants | Reclaim Reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

The American School for Indentured Servants | Reclaim Reform: The American School for Indentured Servants by kenpreviti [image: indenture]Corporate pillage and plunder of school children is not limited to testing, charters, etc. in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Remember indentured servants? College age students are being legally indentured. Here are start-up companies that specialize in this. HERE. For those of you Vulture Capitalists and Sadists who enjoy inflicting pain while making an obscene profit, you may invest in Upstart, Pave, CareerConcept or a bunch of other creative e... more »

Opinion poll: teacher leader certification | InterACT

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Opinion poll: teacher leader certification | InterACT: Opinion poll: teacher leader certification by David B. Cohen [image: IMG_1343]In my last blog post, I wrote about the Teacher Leader Certification Academy in Riverside County, California. Their approach to teacher leadership has much in common with the 2012 ACTreport on teacher compensation and career pathways. Our report suggested a statewide approach to teacher leader development and certification, similar to the one currently used in New Mexico. Here’s your chance to register an opinion on this topic. (Prior reading about or ... more »

Video: History of the Common Core | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Video: History of the Common Core | Truth in American Education: Video: History of the Common Core by Shane Vander Hart Here is a great short video on the origins of the Common Core released by FreedomWorks. Popout The post Video: History of the Common Core appeared first on Truth in American Education.

850 Laid Off from Chicago School System, 3,783 in Philly: But $500 Million for Prisons | Politic365

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

850 Laid Off from Chicago School System, 3,783 in Philly: But $500 Million for Prisons | Politic365: *850 Laid Off from Chicago School System, 3,783 in Philly: But $500 Million for Prisons | Politic365* [image: school6] digg *Build a Prison Close a School:* 54 schools closed in Chicago (88% black), 23 closed in Philadelphia (81% black), 26 in New York (60% black). What’s the difference between the Democrats and Republicans again I forgot? Hundreds of teachers and school staff are being laid off in two of the largest cities in the country — both run by Democrats. In Chicago and... more »

Evaluation or agenda? - Emporia Gazette: Opinion

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Evaluation or agenda? - Emporia Gazette: Opinion: Evaluation or agenda? Ken Weaver, Dean of the Teachers College, Emporia State University | 0 comments A current trend in American education is private organizations grading the quality of states’ public education using criteria based on their school-reform agendas. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) publishes its annual “Report Card on American Education.” Similarly, studentsfirst produces its annual “State Policy Report Card.” The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) publishes its annual “State Teacher Policy Yea... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-19-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: G.F. Brandenburg Transcribes Gary’s Wit by dianerav I am still waiting for Gary Rubinstein to post his brilliant and funny speech last night at the Skinny awards in Néw York City. These awards are conferred by Class Size Matters, the city’s leading voice for public education. Fortunately, that great blogger G. F. Brandenburg transcribed Gary’s remarks here. It is, as you will see, a hilarious riff on corporate reform rhetoric. The audience loved it. He hit the target. Blogger Alexander Russo interpreted Gary’s remar... more »

NYC Educator: King Reformy John Makes Yet Another Brilliant Discovery

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

NYC Educator: King Reformy John Makes Yet Another Brilliant Discovery: King Reformy John Makes Yet Another Brilliant Discovery I've got a little better handle on why King Reformy John decreed that city teachers need to hit 15 of 20 to be effective, while the state says it's only 9. A more informed UFT source tells me it has to do with conversion charts. While this sounds kind of nuts, it has to do with hitting a target. For example, if you hit your target, 60%, in King's Park or Gainesville NY, you get 3 points. However, if you hit your target, again 60%, in NYC, you get 13 points.... more »

REVIEW: Teach For America and the Struggle for Urban School Reform, Crawford-Garrett | the becoming radical

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

REVIEW: Teach For America and the Struggle for Urban School Reform, Crawford-Garrett | the becoming radical: REVIEW: Teach For America and the Struggle for Urban School Reform, Crawford-Garrett Posted on June 19, 2013 by plthomasedd In her Chapter 3 for *Becoming and Being a Teacher*, Katherine Crawford-Garrett (University of New Mexico) “trace[d] the experiences of one cohort of first-year TFA corps members teaching in Philadelphia during the 2010-2011 school year at a time when the School District faced intense pressure to reform” (p. 27). This chapter is a examination of several... more »

Republicans' No Child Left Behind Bill Passes House Committee, Moving Away From Bush's Vision

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Republicans' No Child Left Behind Bill Passes House Committee, Moving Away From Bush's Vision: Republicans' No Child Left Behind Bill Passes House Committee, Moving Away From Bush's Vision by Joy Resmovits The House Education and the Workforce Committee on Wednesday passed the Student Success Act, chairman Rep. John Kline's (R-Minn.) rewrite of the No Child Left Behind Act with a 23-16 vote along party lines. "Our students deserve more than a short-term fix," Kline said. "They deserve a better law." Kline's bill goes further than any No Child Left Behind reauthorization... more »

Mother Crusader: Education Bloggers; Filling The Education Journalism Void

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Mother Crusader: Education Bloggers; Filling The Education Journalism Void: Education Bloggers; Filling The Education Journalism Void by darciecima I was fortunate to spend last night in the company of some amazing people, including the incomparable NYC teacher bloggers Gary Rubinstein and Arthur Goldstein, at the Class Size Matters 5th Annual Skinny Awards. If you have not checked out their work, please do. They are both tireless public education advocates, using their blogs to bring attention to issues ignored by the ever dwindling corps of mainstream education reporters. Gary wr... more »

Oregon Save Our Schools: Six Million Dollar Plan (and Counting)...

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Oregon Save Our Schools: Six Million Dollar Plan (and Counting)...: Six Million Dollar Plan (and Counting)... by Oregon SOS [image: Oregon SOS] Times are tough. Money is tight. Teachers are losing jobs. Programs such as music, PE, art, and library are being eliminated. Class sizes are ballooning. Suddenly, you have six million dollars! What would you spend it on? Smaller class sizes? A music, library teacher, or counselor for your school of 500? No, that would be too obvious. Let’s think outside of the box and away from the classroom….miles away. Instead, you th... more »

Throughout Summer: Reflect, Refresh, Recharge — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Throughout Summer: Reflect, Refresh, Recharge — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]Throughout Summer: Reflect, Refresh, Recharge June 19, 2013 by Klea Scharberg Summer for educators is often a time to look back on the past year—and look forward to the coming one. What worked, what didn't, and what will you change? Educating the whole child and planning for comprehensive, sustainable school improvement requires us to be "whole educators" who take the time to recharge, reflect, and reinvigorate. Where should we put our effort? What aspects of a whole chi... more »

25,000 Sign Declaration Calling For A New Direction In Education Policy

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

25,000 Sign Declaration Calling For A New Direction In Education Policy: 25,000 Sign Declaration Calling For A New Direction In Education Policy by Jeff Bryant As a populist wave of discontent with top-down education mandates continues to sweep the country, more than 25,000 concerned citizens have coalesced behind an Education Declaration to Rebuild America. If you haven’t already, show your support for the Declaration here. And be sure to keep up with the progressive movement for public education by subscribing to the EON weekly e-newsletter here. *A Declaration With Broad Support... more »

In New York's Mayoral Race, Who Will the Teachers' Union Endorse? - Dana Goldstein

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

In New York's Mayoral Race, Who Will the Teachers' Union Endorse? - Dana Goldstein: In New York's Mayoral Race, Who Will the Teachers' Union Endorse? by Dana Goldstein This evening, the United Federation of Teachers, the nation's largest teachers' union, will endorse a candidate for mayor of New York City. Most close observers believe the pick will be either Bill Thompson or Bill de Blasio. Thompson is the former city controllor and former head of the now defunct Board of Education, which was abolished when Mike Bloomberg gained mayoral control of the city's schools. In 2009, Thom... more »

CA officials dispute national teacher quality study’s findings SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: CA officials dispute national teacher quality study’s findings A study calling more than three-quarters of the nation’s teacher colleges ‘mediocre at best’ is flawed and fails in its mission to fairly evaluate their quality, according to the chair of California’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing and the state’s superintendent of public instruction. The report, released Tuesday by the non-profit National Council on Teacher Quality, rated 608 institutions using a four-star system and found that 78 percent earned two or fewer stars, “ratings ... more »

The Missionary Position | EduShyster

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

The Missionary Position | EduShyster: The Missionary Position by edushyster2012 *n.* *pl.* *mis·sion·ar·ies* 1. One who is sent on a mission, especially one sent to do religious or charitable work in a territory or foreign country. 2. People from one culture who travel to another culture to share their religious beliefs. 3. One who attempts to persuade or convert others to a particular program, doctrine, or set of principles; a propagandist. 4. Young teachers, often from wealthy communities, who have been dispatched to an urban school system in

The art of reading political polling: Headlines aside, latest poll is VERY bad news for Malloy - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

The art of reading political polling: Headlines aside, latest poll is VERY bad news for Malloy - Wait, What?: The art of reading political polling: Headlines aside, latest poll is VERY bad news for Malloy by jonpelto A quick sweep of this morning’s news headline reveals the following: CT Mirror headline: First 2014 poll shows Malloy trailing Foley by 3 points CT Newsjunkie headline: Poll: Foley Beats Malloy By 3 Points Hartford Courant headline: Latest Poll: GOP’s Tom Foley Leads Gov. Malloy, 43 Percent To 40 Percent All three statements are “true” but none of them accurately repor... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, June 19, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *EdSource: Critical report on teacher preparation programs sparks debate* Education Headlines *Wednesday, June 19, 2013* Principal to oversee Tracy district expansionThe Jefferson Elementary School District in Tracy has selected a new superintendent. The Board of Trustees is expected to approve the hiring of longtime Jefferson Elementary School Principal James Bridges at tonight's meeting. Monterey Peninsula USD budget approvedMonterey Peninsula Unified School District trustees late Monday approved a $58 million spending plan ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Video: Great NYC Bloggers Honored at Class Size Matters Skinny Awards

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Video: Great NYC Bloggers Honored at Class Size Matters Skinny Awards: Video: Great NYC Bloggers Honored at Class Size Matters Skinny Awards *For too many years Americans have had no choice but to suffer with ineffective reporters accountable to nobody .... blogs are the charter schools of the education reporting - minus of course the cheating and embezzlement .... * *Gary Rubinstein at Skinny Awards dinner, June 18, 2013* The huge turnout at last night's 5th annual Skinny Awards dinner for Leonie Haimson's Class Size Matters is an indication of how important the ... more »

Eduwonky » Blog Archive » Are Arne Duncan And Randi Weingarten Running Just As Fast As They Can?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Eduwonky » Blog Archive » Are Arne Duncan And Randi Weingarten Running Just As Fast As They Can?: Are Arne Duncan And Randi Weingarten Running Just As Fast As They Can? It’s starting to look like Tommy James and the Shondells might be the new theme music over at the Department of Education. Federal elementary and secondary education policy, already a barely cohesive mess because of the Administration’s waiver program, just got even more complicated. Yesterday Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced that – if they apply for a waiver from their existing waiver – states can del... more »

Modern School: Are Humans Getting Dumber (or is it Just Journalists and Sociobiologists?)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Modern School: Are Humans Getting Dumber (or is it Just Journalists and Sociobiologists?): Are Humans Getting Dumber (or is it Just Journalists and Sociobiologists?) by Michael Dunn Human intelligence is on the decline, according to the Huffington Post, writing about a recent study suggesting that westerners have lost 14 I.Q. points since the Victorian Era. Study co-author, Dr. Jan te Nijenhuis, professor of work and organizational psychology at the University of Amsterdam, says that because women of higher intelligence tend to have fewer childrenthan do women of lower intelligence... more »

UPDATE: Karen Lewis to the City Club of Chicago: On baseball and budgets. “When I was a kid, I used to dream that one day I’d play right along-side Minnie Minoso or Sandy Koufax.” | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Karen Lewis to the City Club of Chicago: On baseball and budgets. “When I was a kid, I used to dream that one day I’d play right along-side Minnie Minoso or Sandy Koufax.” | Fred Klonsky: Here it goes. Occupy Lafayette. by Fred Klonsky [image: 1000417_566911110014833_1293591656_n] “School occupation in progress at Lafayette Elementary! Parents and students are occupying, and students are blockading doors to prevent the removal of supplies, but they need back up. 2714 W Augusta.” – From Occupy Rogers Park. Occupied’: Protesters blockade Chicago elementary school to protest closing ... more »

Perdido Street School: NYCDOE Loses State Tests, Punishes Students With Summer School

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Perdido Street School: NYCDOE Loses State Tests, Punishes Students With Summer School: NYCDOE Loses State Tests, Punishes Students With Summer School by reality-based educator This is outrageous: A Brooklyn intermediate school flunked an entire eighth-grade class and told the kids they’d have to attend summer school — because bungling education officials lost their state English exams, The Post has learned. Panicked 13- and 14-year-olds at IS 227 in Bensonhurst said their dreams of a fun summer were dashed yesterday when they were handed letters that barred them from attending th... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-19-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] This Is a Great Organization, Good Video by dianerav The National Opportunity to Learn Campaign is funded largely by the Schott Foundation for Public Education. Schott is one of the few national organizations that supports public education, not privatization. This is a good video that it funded. Takes only a minute to watch. NSBA: Dems Support Federal Control of Education by dianerav On a party-line vote, Democrats on the Senate committee reported out a bill that e... more »

6-19-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] The End Might Be Near for Common Core by John Thompson Especially in the last few months, John Merrow has hit some tape-measure home runs. Merrow’s strike outs can be just as amazing. His last whiff, is a doozy. Merrow tried to used some humor and experimental prose to criticize the recent trend where, supposedly, “the arrival of the Common Core apparently means the end of the […] Chief Wonk tells a funny, interesting enough if it wasn’t also milquetoast by Chalk Face, PhD It’s this guy, Rotherham. Bellwether, or what have yo... more »

Louisiana Educator: School Grading System a Farce

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Louisiana Educator: School Grading System a Farce: School Grading System a Farce by Michael Deshotels The school grading system in Louisiana is a farce. It results in the stigmatizing and unfair condemnation of professional educators, the constant uprooting of innocent children from educationally nurturing environments, transfers from one failed charter to another, the use of gifted and talented to boost grades, the shunning of students with disabilities to boost scores and generally all manner of manipulations that have nothing to do with education. There is no way to fix the gra... more »

National Council on Teacher Quality report is deeply flawed | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

National Council on Teacher Quality report is deeply flawed | EdSource Today: National Council on Teacher Quality report is deeply flawed - by Linda Darling-Hammond / commentary by Linda Darling-Hammond / commentary This week, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) issued a report, *NCTQ Teacher Prep Review*. Billed as a consumer’s guide, the report rates teacher preparation programs on a list of criteria ranging from selection and content preparation to coursework and student teaching aimed at the development of teaching skills. While the report appropriately focuses on t... more »

A ‘reform-to-English’ dictionary

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

A ‘reform-to-English’ dictionary: A ‘reform-to-English’ dictionary By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 19, 2013 at 6:00 amE-mail the writer 1 Comments More [image: (Merriam-Webster Inc. )] (Merriam-Webster Inc. ) If it’s sometimes hard to understand the world of school reform, it’s no wonder, given that things don’t always mean what their names or titles suggest. Here by way of explanation is a “reformy-to-English” glossary by Karen McKeegan Fraid, a public school parent and volunteer in Chicago. You can follow her on Twitter @*KarenMFraid. *The following is an edited version of her... more »

2nd Banana 6-15-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 6-8-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 6-1-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Germantown High School's final graduation was a celebration, not a funeral | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Germantown High School's final graduation was a celebration, not a funeral | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Germantown High School's final graduation was a celebration, not a funeral

by thenotebook

by Brian Hickey for NewsWorks
A newly minted Germantown High School graduate, Shyhiem Crump stood outside the New Covenant Church posing for pictures just before noon Wednesday. In his hands was a framed black-and-white graduation photograph of his late father Darnell.
Crump conceded that he was both a little nervous before the big day and bummed since he and his classmates represented the last graduating class in GHS' 99-year history.

Image:

Image Caption:

Soon-to-be graduate Khayriyyah Marie Williams waits behind the scenes minutes before the ceremony starts.

Photo Credits:

Bas Slabbers/NewsWorks

Notes from the news, June 20

by thenotebook

SRC delayed Renaissance conversions and renewed charters for five schools.Notebook
See also: SRC delays handing over 3 schools to charter operators. Inquirer
Corbett eyes $108 million debt for Philly school funding. Daily News
See also: Corbett signals he'll try to help Philly schools. AP
State leaders raise hopes of Phila. school rescue. Inquirer
Will U.S. Rep. Bob Brady help find money for Philly's schools? NewsWorks/Notebook
Corbett speaks out on schools; leaked poll suggests that he take on teachers' union. Notebook
Secret Corbett poll proposing teachers union attack funded by PennCAN. City Paper
Blaming teachers won't fix Philly schools. City Paper
Teachers say fallout of doomsday budget has already begun. City Paper
Counselor: Who will speak out for the Philadelphia schoolchildren? Jewish Exponent
Students lament 'horrible' closing of Bok. Daily News
See also: Closing the doors on Bok’s history. AxisPhilly
B-O-K: Coach found light, life within school. Daily News
Bok High: A football powerhouse. Daily News
Germantown High closure angers, saddens community. Daily News
See also: At Germantown High, a final goodbye. Inquirer
Germantown's final graduation was a celebration, not a funeral. NewsWorks
Wawa enters the cigarette-tax fray in Harrisburg. NewsWorks/Notebook
Nutter: Philadelphia is not building a $400 million prison. NBC10
News summary from Keystone State Education Coalition

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Notes from the news
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Schooling in the Ownership Society: More problems with N.Y. testing privatization madness. T(est) for Texas

Schooling in the Ownership Society: More problems with N.Y. testing privatization madness. T(est) for Texas:

Work out of sequence will create problems

by Charlie Mas

The attendance area boundary work is scheduled out and will end in a motion before the Board introduced in October and approved in November.

There is also work scheduled out for discussion and decision about the re-vision of Advanced Learning and Special Education. The timetable for that work should have it finish up some time around January of 2014.

There is no current timetable set for the Equitable Access Framework. It was supposed to be done by April, but it has hardly been started.

This represents work getting done out of sequence.

In September of 2011 the Board directed the superintendent and staff to deliver the program placement procedure

Seattle Superintendent Performance Evaluation

by Melissa Westbrook

Here's Superintendent Banda's Performance Evaluation. You will see that this is based on a "supermajority" of the Board (I would assume that to be 5 people) with a minority assessment coming at the end of the evaluation.

From the evaluation:
These evaluation criteria focus on five areas:

Hire, Develop and Strengthen Leaders:
Teacher/Principal and Central Staff evaluations; Hire quality leadership to fill vacant positions; professional development
Raising expectations and improving academic performance and opportunities of all students:
narrow achievement gaps, growth for English Language Learners; implementation of Common
Core State Standards;
Building relationships with selected stakeholders to connect them to our schools:
Family engagement, Labor Partners and community based organizations.
Governance Team Priorities and Areas of Continuing Emphasis:
Develop a plan for BEX IV and EP&O levies; a framework and process for collective bargaining; bring professional growth and Evaluation system to scale; develop community outreach

Seattle Schools Growth Boundaries Project

by Melissa Westbrook

I would bookmark this SSCF page as it has a lot of boundary dates/meetings noted.

Thanks to reader Kim for alerting me to this page.

Tracy Libros told the Board about this last night. She updated the Board on this work including:

- Growth Boundaries website
- Work Session on this work next Tuesday the 25th from 4:30-6:30 pm.*
- They are developing FAQs for this work
- the Walk the Boundaries project is being worked on with help from parent volunteers (good for you, Tracy, for reaching out to willing parents)
- They have a consultant working on

City Council final session today | Parents United for Public Education

City Council final session today | Parents United for Public Education:

City Council final session today

by parentsunitedphila

Today is City Council’s last session. It isn’t lost on us that City Council plans to end its year without giving our children a guarantee about school funding. The good news is that the activism of parents and community members on the ground has sent a clear signal all the way to the governor’s office to do more for Philadelphia. The bad news is that they still want to play political games, making all funding conditional on exorbitant givebacks from the teachers’ union. Moreover, we still don’t have a guarantee on essential services and programs – sports, arts, music – even if money is restored.
That’s why parents are showing up today at City Council to send a clear message about funding our schools responsibly and with a guarantee of what we’re getting for our tax dollars. Frankly we don’t trust the District to make the right decisions on prioritizing our children’s needs. And we definitely don’t trust Harrisburg to do anything more than the wretched gamesmanship expressed in their partnership with highly funded lobbying groups who have never had our children’s interest at heart.
Take a moment today and make a phone call to our elected officials. Let them know public schools in Philadelphia matter and that YOU are an education voter. And if you have time, give an hour of your day to support the more than 40 people who are testifying today about why our schools matter.

City Council FINAL Session

Thurs., June 20, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

City Hall, 4th floor

Update “Do you have any idea what your doing to us … our school … even to me?” | Fred Klonsky

“Do you have any idea what your doing to us … our school … even to me?” | Fred Klonsky:

Ten minute drawing. Chicago toilet paper.

by Fred Klonsky

Click on image to enlarge.

Union-hating Republican Rauner is a Democratic pal. Further adventures in Bizarro World.

by Fred Klonsky

Here’s a political prediction.
Millionaire Bruce Rauner will never be governor of Illinois.
Here is why I say that.
Rauner has decided to make his gubernatorial campaign a run against public employee unions. That’s it. That’s his entire platform.

Asked by a reporter if he was saying government unions should be eliminated in Illinois, Rauner said, “We need to modify their power.” Asked how, he said, “I won’t go into it today. We’ve got a detailed plan.”
But he did say, “I think the ability for government workers to decide whether to join a union or not, that’s fair.”
Rauner said public worker pensions negotiated by representatives of unions who give millions of dollars to the campaigns of the politicians granting raises and pensions is a “pay-to-play, conflict-of-interest structure.”
“If that occurred in the private sector, people’d go to jail,” Rauner said. “Employees

“Do you have any idea what your doing to us … our school … even to me?”

by Fred Klonsky

Before walking into Yale Elementary School, an emotional Jaleel Carr, 13 wipes his face, before enter the building on the last day of school – ever – at Yale. Carr will attend Westcott next year. “I’ll miss the school, period,” Carr said. Jessica Koscielniak ~ Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times:

Vasquez had no idea how Paula was feeling until she stumbled upon her daughter’s letter a few weeks ago while cleaning the 6th-grader’s book bag.
“I have one question to ask,” it begins, in Paula’s girlish printing.
“Do you have any idea what your doing to us … our school … even to me? We all have tried and tried everything to keep our school open. How can people like you have no

Pearson’s McGraw-Hill fails the test in NY.

by Fred Klonsky

New York Daily News.

Thousands of high school seniors are panicking that they won’t graduate on time because a city-contracted company bungled the grading process for Regents exams.
City officials vowed to finish grading the exams as quickly as possible. Principals were told Tuesday that if the tests aren’t marked on time, students can still participate in graduation ceremonies but can’t get their diplomas.
“It’s a blunder on so many levels,” said Gregg Lundahl, a government teacher at

We Are One. “No more concessions.”

by Fred Klonsky

[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl9LeRI8YTw&feature=youtube_gdata_player]
Mike Carrigan, President of the Illinois AFL-CIO says that their will be no more concessions by the state’s public employee unions. In meetings with Senate Democrats, the We Are One coalition of public employee unions bargained SB2404.
Many rank-and-file union members (including this one) believed that SB2404 failed to live up to the promise made by union leaders that they would not agree to anything that was not constitutional, failed to bring stability to the pension system and was fair to members.
In Carrigan’s statement, he described SB2404 as a “tremendous concession on the part of our public sector

Schools & What We Mean by Being 'Successful' - Bridging Differences - Education Week

Schools & What We Mean by Being 'Successful' - Bridging Differences - Education Week:

Schools & What We Mean by Being 'Successful'

by Deborah Meier

Today, Deborah Meier files her first blog response to Todd Sutler of the Odyssey Initiative, who joins her on Bridging Differences this week and next.
Dear Todd,
I notice that even you and I talk in terms of success, so it makes me wonder: What do we mean by words like "the best" or "successful," whether in personal or organizational terms? Does it assume one has to "stand out" from others or a ranking order of celebrity, power, fame? Must there be losers? Is this a race?
Sometime in the late 1960s I decided to become more than "a temporary teacher until ..." But first I knew I had to come to terms with my own divided self—the one that wanted to "change the world"—in some grandiose way—and the one that simply wanted to live an interesting and useful life, which didn't depend upon which way the wind was blowing. My parents were, at first, "disappointed." They both changed their minds when they recognized the fascination and satisfaction that I had in the work I did. (My parents died before, in the small world within which I have worked, I became slightly famous! I guess it would have pleased them.)
I recognize in many young people these days something similar, a kind of "neediness" about being special,

UPDATE NEA - Raise Your Hand

NEA - Raise Your Hand:

Raise Your Hand for Public Education

Empowering Educators to Lead

Join us for a day of innovation, inspiration and invitation! Are you on Facebook? You can RSVP to this event there.

Agenda

Pre-opening Music Presentation – DJ Spinderella

Moderator: Pat Dolan, TURN (Teacher Union Reform Network)

Opening Remarks – NEA President Dennis Van Roekel

Collaboration to Lead the Profession

Speaker: Dr. Jerry D. Weast, Former Superintendent of Schools, Montgomery County, MD
Affiliate Engagement: ISTA ESP’s Leading the Profession with School Safety – Donna Nielsen,La Porte Community School Bus Driver, Driver Trainer Team Leader, Safety Team Lead and NEA Board of Director ESP at Large
Audience Participation

Assessment, Common Core and the Future of Education

Speaker: Linda Darling-Hammond, Professor of Education at the Stanford University School of Education
Affiliate Engagement: Empowering Educators to Lead - Jonathan Knapp, President Seattle Education Association
Audience Participation

Leading by Reaching Out to the Community

Speaker: Dr. Valerie Kinloch, Professor of Literacy Studies, Ohio State University
Affiliate Engagement: Bringing Learning to Life - Rhonda Johnson, President Columbus Education Association and Tori Washington, Service-Learning Teacher, Beechcroft High School, Columbus, OH and Beechcroft H.S. studentsRendell Buckhalter, Taryn Lewis-Smith, Chelsey Rodgers, & Christian Scase
Audience Participation

Closing Remarks – NEA Secretary-Treasurer Rebecca Pringle

Click to download the agenda.

2013 Teacher of the Year: Let’s Talk More About How Public Schools Succeed

by twalker

By Edward Graham

In April, Jeff Charbonneau, a chemistry, physics, and engineering teacher at Zillah High School in Zillah, Washington, was formally recognized by President Obama as the 2013 Teacher of the Year in a special ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House.

A 12-year teaching veteran, Charbonneau is a National Board certified teacher, co-president of the Zillah Education Association, and the recipient of numerous awards for his commitment to education. Charbonneau also founded and directs the Zillah High School Robotics Challenge, which he established after collecting over $25,000 in grants and donations from local businesses. Charbonneau has opened up the program to schools throughout Washington State, involving almost 2,000 students across 75 school districts in the last school year.

On June 19, Charbonneau sat down with National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel to answer questions about his own teaching experiences, practices, and the future of public education.

Van Roekel: How have you evolved into the teacher that you are today?

Charbonneau: I’ve shifted from more of a focus on grades to learning, because that’s what it should really be about. I want to know that my students understand the material before they leave my classroom, not that they have ‘x’ number of points in my grade book. Where I teach and where I work is a paradise to me. It’s a place that I want to be, and that’s what I want my classroom to be. I want it to be a place where students know when they enter it that I care about them, and that everyone else in that room cares too.

You say everyday to your students, “Welcome back to another day in paradise.” How do you translate that greeting into practice in the classroom?

When I say that, it’s a recognition to the students that we’re in an air conditioned facility, that you’re sitting in a chair, that you’ve got food in your belly, that you’ve got people around you that support you. Shouldn’t you be excited about that? Shouldn’t you be ready to invest your time to continue making that paradise better? I try to convince my students of their own abilities, of their own expectations, and then use that to the fullest.

Education Reform at 20: What Lies Ahead |

Education Reform at 20: What Lies Ahead |:

Education Reform at 20: What Lies Ahead

June 20, 2013 by Alyssa Haywoode

Noah Berger, president MassBudget; Eileen Rudden, founder, Sankaty Growth Partners; John Jackson, president and CEO, Schott Foundation for Public Education; John Bissell, executive vice president, Greylock Federal Credit Union. Photo: Strategies for Children

“Since the 20-year history of education reform, Massachusetts has emerged as the top ranking state in the nation for overall student performance, but there is still more work to be done to fulfill the promise of a high-quality public education. Future reform efforts should allow for greater differentiation of supports with the end goal of fostering 21^st century skills in all students in the Commonwealth.”

- Representative Alice Peisch, co-chair of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education

It’s time to start a new conversation about education for the children of the commonwealth.

On June 18^th, the 20^th anniversary of the signing of the Education Reform Act of 1993, Strategies for Children began that conversation along with its partners the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) and the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education (MBAE). The three organi

First Lady Michelle Obama and Epicurious Announce Winning Recipes in Nationwide “healthy Lunchtime Challenge” | The White House

First Lady Michelle Obama and Epicurious Announce Winning Recipes in Nationwide “healthy Lunchtime Challenge” | The White House:

First Lady Michelle Obama and Epicurious Announce Winning Recipes in Nationwide “healthy Lunchtime Challenge”

by The White House

54 Kids to Attend "State Dinner" at White House on July 9
To Celebrate Nutritious, Delicious Lunchtime Dishes

Washington, DC – First Lady Michelle Obama, Epicurious, the Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture today announced the winners of a nationwide recipe challenge to promote healthy lunches as part of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative. The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner” will recognize 54 winners, representing all U.S. states, three territories and the District of Columbia, who will attend a Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White House hosted by Mrs. Obama on July 9. The group will join The First Lady for a healthy lunch, featuring a selection of the winning recipes, followed by a visit to the White House kitchen garden.
“Our Kids’ State Dinner is one of my favorite events of the year, and the kid chefs who come from around the country never cease to impress and inspire me with their creativity and ingenuity. I’m counting down the days until the winners join me at the White House to celebrate these healthy and delicious meals that kids everywhere will love,” said First Lady Michelle Obama.
For the second consecutive year, The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner” invited a parent or guardian to work with their child ages 8-12 to create a lunchtime recipe that is healthy, affordable, original and delicious. In support of Let’s Move!, launched by the First Lady to help solve the problem of childhood obesity, each recipe adhered to the guidance that supports USDA’s MyPlate (at ChooseMyPlate.gov) to ensure that the criteria of a healthy meal were met. Entries had to represent each of the food groups, either in one dish or as parts of a lunch meal, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy foods, with fruits and veggies making up roughly half the plate or recipe.
The second Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, originated by Epicurious to promote healthy eating among America’s youth, received more than 1,300 entries featuring wholesome, tasty ingredients, including salmon, black beans and ground turkey. The winners and featured recipes include:

Rowan Bean, 9, (Seward, AK) – “Alaskan Ceviche with Mango”
Kindall Sewell-Murphy, 10, (Selma, AL) – “Kale Broccoli Chicken and Apple Salad”
Emma-Kate Schaefer, 8, (Fayetteville, AR) – “Confetti Spring Rolls - Orange-Cilantro Sauce”
Alexandra Nickle, 10, (Phoenix, AZ) – “Banana's Black Bean Burritos”
Rose Scott, 12, Menlo (Park, CA) – “Pork and Tofu Lettuce Cups”
Nicholas Hornbostel, 8, (Edwards, CO) – “Sushi Salad”
John Breitfelder, 9, (New Canaan, CT) – “Quinoa "Risotto" with Shrimp and Kale”
Braeden Mannering, 9, (Bear, DE) – “Tortilla Bowl Deluxe”
Nicole Medina, 10, (Miami, FL) – “Summer Salmon”
Regan Matthews, 12, (Atlanta, GA) – “Sweet Potato Turkey Sliders”
Eleanor Cowell, 8, (Honolulu, HI) – “Curried Chicken Salad & Taste of the Tropics”
Corrine VanderGaast, 9, (Tipton, IA) – “Stone Curry with Brown Rice”
Adam Wirth, 8, (Boise, ID) – “Veggie Barley Salad with Orange Honey Vinaigrette”
Taddy Pettit, 10, (Oakwood, IL) – “Black Bean Wrap with Jicama - Grilled Corn Salsa”
Lydia Graham, 9, (Carmel, IN) – “Sneaky Chili Surprise”
Olivia Neely, 10, (Lenexa, KS) – “Fun Mini Pizzas with Veggies & Cauliflower Crust”
Regan Strehl, 11, (Lexington, KY) – “Raisin Bran Muffins”
Brynna Robert, 12, (Metairie, LA) – “Sweet and Spicy Stir Fry”
Shefali Singh, 12, (Falmouth, MA) – “Shefali's Scrumptious Spring Rolls”
Emma Scielzo. 10, (Chevy Chase, MD) – “Chicken Masala Wrap”
Noah Koch, 9, (Waterville, ME) – “Vegan Powerhouse Pesto Pasta”
Jacob Hirsch, 8, (West Bloomfield, MI) – “Picky Eater Pita Pizza Pockets”
Kaitlyn Kirchner, 9, (Madelia, MN) – “Garden Stir-Fry”
Henry Oates, 8, (Adrian, MO) – “Confetti Peanut Ginger Party Pasta”
Reed Lindsey, 10, (Booneville, MS) – “Pan Seared Mississippi Catfish on a Bed of River Rice”
Joshua Garrigues, 8, (Bozeman, MT) – “Healthy Vegetable Fried Quinoa”
Vijay Dey, 12, (Chapel Hill, NC) – “Spring Rolls”
Charli McQuillan, 8, (Oxbow, ND) – “Asian Fajitas”
Bence Brown, 9, (Omaha, NE) – “Terrific Tuna Casserole”
Olivia Beauchesne, 12, (Nottingham, NH) – “Liv's Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich”
Goldie Siegel, 8, (Clifton, NJ) – “Hawaiian Turkey Sliders with Mango-Pineapple Salsa”
Louis Teich, 10, (Las Cruces, NM) – “Spinach Frittata”
Isabella Gross, 11, (Henderson, NV) – “Chex Chicken and Bellaberry Smoothie”
Peter Murphy, 8, (Manhasset, NY) – “Super Rescue Soup”
Anisha Patel, 11, (Blacklick, OH) – “Kickin, Colorful, Bell Peppers stuffed with Quinoa”
Ogden Johnson, 10, (Tulsa, OK) – “Taco De Camaron”
Audrey Russell, 10, (Portland, OR) – “Salmon Fried Rice”
Ganesh Selvakumar, 9, (Broomall, PA) – “Lentil Spinach Soup and Mint Chutney”
Samantha Mastrati, 12, (Cranston, RI) – “Italian Garden Salsa with Crunchy Chicken Tenders”
Corbin Jackson, 9, (Mount Pleasant, SC) – “Bring it On, Brussels Sprout Wrap!”
Owen Kerkvliet, 9, (Huron, SD) – “Hidden Veggie Lasagna”
Makenna Hurd, 9, (Mascot, TN) – “Makenna's Bodacious Banana Muffins”
Devanshi Udeshi, 12, (Sugar Land, TX) – “Slam Dunk Veggie Burger”
Cecily Asplund, 10, (Provo, UT) – “Lucky Lettuce Cups”
Campbell Kielb, 8, (Sterling, VA) – “Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps”
Colin Hurliman, 9, (Burlington, VT) – “Champ's Maple BBQ Turkey Burgers”
Amber Kelley, 10, (Woodinville, WA) – “Nummy No-Noodle Lasagna”
Liam Kivirist, 11, (Browntown, WI) – “Wisconsin Solar Oven-Simmered Chili”
Jessica Wolfe, 9, (Shepherdstown, WV) – “Spicy Tofu Lettuce Cups”
Breeze Petty, 11, (Thermopolis, WY) – “Scrumptious Chili with Zucchini Cornbread”
Ingrid Lamberg, 9, (Washington, DC) – “Inga Binga's Salmon Salad”
Genzo Gonzales, 11, (Saipan, MP) – “Kangkong Pomegranate Salad”
Aliana Piñero, 9, (San Juan, PR) – “Yummy Eggplant Lasagna Rolls”
Sakari Clendinen, 8, (St. Thomas, VI) – “Zucchini Pancakes & Passion Fruit Banana Smoothie”

The winners were chosen by a panel of judges that included: Tanya Steel, Epicurious editor-in-chief; Sam Kass, Executive Director of Let’s Move! and Senior Policy Advisor on Nutrition; Dr. Robert C. Post, Associate Executive Director, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, USDA; Susan Winchell, Assistant General Counsel for Ethics, USED; Sam Myers, Jr., White House Liaison, USED; Mike Curtain, CEO of DC Central Kitchen and The Campus Kitchens Project; and two Washington, D.C.-based children who are graduates of Share our Strength’s Cooking Matters program. For a behind the scenes look at this year’s judging, click HERE.
The full list of winners and recipes can be found online at recipechallenge.epicurious.com. Additionally, a free downloadable and printable e-cookbook of the winning recipes, including nutritional analyses and photos, will be available in July at the contest site, epicurious.com, letsmove.gov, USDA.gov, and Ed.gov.
“This year, we received very sophisticated recipe entries from all over the country that featured healthy ingredients like salmon, Greek yogurt, and ground turkey, which made it a delicious challenge to select the finalists,” said Tanya Steel. “Each recipe also included anecdotes explaining the importance of healthy eating. The insight from the kids who entered the challenge demonstrates that today’s youth understands the need to strengthen their bodies and minds with the most wholesome ingredients available. We are, once again, incredibly thankful to Mrs. Obama for joining Epicurious to continue to raise awareness for the importance of healthy eating for future generations.”
“Healthy eating can help spur academic success,” said Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education. “And it’s exciting that our young people have harnessed their creativity to come up with fresh, new recipes that are nutritious and healthy. This competition is just another example of how kids can rise to any occasion—whether inside or outside the classroom—when challenged.”
“The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge makes healthy eating fun and educational, and I am inspired every year by the creative efforts of these kids to create healthy recipes,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “By taking steps today to help our young people adopt healthy eating habits, we’re not just improving their health in the short term – we’re giving them important tools that will last a lifetime.”
The children’s arrivals on July 9 through the East Wing/Booksellers will be pooled press and the First Lady’s remarks at the lunch will be open press. Members of the media interested in covering this event must RSVP toFirstLadyPress@who.eop.gov with their full name, date of birth, social security number, gender, city and state of residence and citizenship by Wednesday, July 3, at noon ET.

Teachers won't give up when it comes to common sense gun laws | Lily's Blackboard

Teachers won't give up when it comes to common sense gun laws | Lily's Blackboard:

Any Gun to Anyone, But We Will Never Give Up

by Lily

Columbine. Aurora. Newtown. Virginia Tech, We can whisper a litany of locations like a prayer, and without saying anything more than the names of these places, heads will bow and people understand how they are connected. Gabby Giffords greeting voters in an Arizona supermarket parking lot. Patients waiting in a Ft. Hood doctor’s office. Folks standing in a movie to see Batman in Colorado. We don’t need to say anything more.

The disconnected becomes tragically connected as one after another we have seen a gruesome and growing play-stop-rewind-repeat-play thriller where easily-obtained, rapid-fire, high-capacity guns connect to the hands of dangerous people whose motive is to kill as many innocent bystanders as possible before dying themselves.

A friend who knew how passionate I was about doing something about senseless, insane gun violence casually said to me, “Well, you gave it a shot (not sure if the pun was intended)

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