Morning Wink 7-28-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

BATs Descend on DOE, Demand Change of Direction

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7-28-14 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.: John Dillon. A Bitter Pill: Illinois Supreme Court’s decision and Chicago corporate media.- John Dillon is a retired teacher, pension activist and blogs at Pension Vocabulary. Bitter Pill is an idiom that arises from usage nearly a century ago or in some lexicons even earlier.  Imagine a time when med

by mike simpson / 25min 

7-28-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"

Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement": “Raising Readers” Is A Scholastic Program For Teachers To Use With Spanish & English-Speaking ParentsRaising Readers is from Scholastic, and it has a lot of free materials — in both English and Spanish — to help promote activities parents can do with their children to encourage reading. To tell you the truth, I’m not su

by mike simpson / 27min 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 7-28-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Suppose they hold a school board election and nobody votes? THE LAUSD BOARD ELECTION MATTERS; VOTERS SHOULD TURN OUT  OP-ED by Jim Newton, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/1pujSor A lone voter fills out his ballot in the June 3 election at the International City Masonic Temple in Long Beach. (Christina House / For The Times) On Aug. 12, voters in Los A

by mike simpson / 29min 

7-28-14 Curmudgucation

CURMUDGUCATION: Seasoned Teachers Not Getting Filthy RichIn other news, scientists anticipate the sun rising in the East tomorrow morning.Okay, this might actually be news to some folks. To listen to the merit-based pay crowd, you would think that we are currently throwing bales of teachers based on years of experience. But an issue brief  released last week by the Center for American Progress sug

by mike simpson / 30min 

7-28-14 Perdido Street School Week

Perdido Street School: NY Post: Cuomo "Paralyzed" And "Humiliated" By Moreland MessFred Dicker in his Monday column:Gov. Cuomo’s reputation has been severely damaged and his chances of running for president destroyed by revelations that he interfered with the Moreland Commission’s efforts to probe political corruption, influential Democrats have told The Post.The Democrats, who

by mike simpson / 30min 

take your yoga off the mat

take your yoga off the mat: take your yoga off the matbyteacherkenFollow    3 Comments / 3 Newand into the city and the rest of your life.We all come to yoga, because we're seeking some sense of peace or increased happiness, whether that be in the body, mind or both. What does yogic philosophy have to say about the place of joy in an integrated life?That is the description of a class each Sunday m

by mike simpson / 35min 

We Need MANY More Teachers than Doctors or Lawyers | Paul Bruno

We Need MANY More Teachers than Doctors or Lawyers | Paul Bruno: We Need MANY More Teachers than Doctors or LawyersBy PAUL BRUNO | Published: JULY 28, 2014It was a little surprising to see the AFT take a stand against the edTPA teacher licensing test given President Randi Weingarten’s support for similar “bar exams” for teachers, and it got me thinking about “professionalizing” teaching in general

by mike simpson / 38min 

Why public education needs teachers unions | EdSource

Why public education needs teachers unions | EdSource: Why public education needs teachers unionsJuly 27, 2014 | By Gary Ravani / commentary | No Comments SHARE THIS ARTICLE“I consider it important, indeed urgently necessary, for intellectual workers to get together, both to protect their own economic status and also, generally speaking, to secure their influence in the political field.” – Charte

by mike simpson / 39min 

Union Leaders Agree – Our Strength Is In Fighting for the Public Good

Union Leaders Agree – Our Strength Is In Fighting for the Public Good: Union Leaders Agree – Our Strength Is In Fighting for the Public GoodJULY 28, 2014 BY K12NN SITE ADMIN LEAVE A COMMENTBy Julie Carson and Matthew Kogan, Teachers, United Teachers Los Angeles (group affiliation added for identification purposes only; this is not an official communication of UTLA)The standing room only crowd at t

by mike simpson / 39min 

Another YOUTUBE Video Wafts from Mountain Air of Aspen: Shows Chris Christie’s Arrogance | janresseger

Another YOUTUBE Video Wafts from Mountain Air of Aspen: Shows Chris Christie’s Arrogance | janresseger: Another YOUTUBE Video Wafts from Mountain Air of Aspen: Shows Chris Christie’s ArrogancePosted on July 28, 2014 by janressegerHere’s a good rule.  If you have political ambitions, don’t go to the Aspen Ideas Festival or the Aspen Institute, get comfortable among friends, get on a panel, and then

by mike simpson / 50min 

NYC Educator: Random Families File Lawsuit Demanding Bazillion Dollar Raise for Teachers

NYC Educator: Random Families File Lawsuit Demanding Bazillion Dollar Raise for Teachers: Random Families File Lawsuit Demanding Bazillion Dollar Raise for TeachersExclusive--Seven families have filed a lawsuit in Albany claiming that their children received an excellent education due to teacher tenure. The parents are claiming that if the teachers had not had job protections they may not have tau

by mike simpson / 1h 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES"I am the decider, and you have nothing to do with it.” -- Christie to Mayor BarakaKristen Crowell“Certainly, it is our opinion that the current leadership is not doing enough to take care of our folks." United Working Families will focus on “finding, recruiting and supporting candidates who are going to be with us.” -- C

by mike simpson / 1h 

YESTERDAY

In Support of Public Education: Examining Privatization, Common Core and High Stakes Testing - UNITED OPT OUT

In Support of Public Education: Examining Privatization, Common Core and High Stakes Testing - UNITED OPT OUT: The Movement to End Corporate Education Reform: In Support of Public Education: Examining Privatization, Common Core and High Stakes TestingBY PEGWPEN · JULY 27, 2014A special thanks to Becky Smith (Opt Out Orlando and SOS) who crafted a large portion of this document, which was shared wi

by mike simpson / 9h 

Teacher group rallies in Washington to protest Common Core, Arne Duncan | NJ.com

Teacher group rallies in Washington to protest Common Core, Arne Duncan | NJ.com: Teacher group rallies in Washington to protest Common Core, Arne DuncanLast fall, Melissa Tomlinson took on Gov. Chris Christie and his educational policies in a heated exchange that received national attention.Tomorrow, Tomlinson and other BATs – short for Badass Teachers – take their campaign to Washington, D.C. fo

by mike simpson / 10h 

Borderland Deaths of Migrants Quietly Reach Crisis Numbers | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

Borderland Deaths of Migrants Quietly Reach Crisis Numbers | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Borderland Deaths of Migrants Quietly Reach Crisis NumbersFiled under: Immigration — millerlf @ 9:08 pm Sunday, 27 July 2014 09:23 By Bethania Palma Markus, TruthoutUndocumented migrants pass a boy between two cars on a moving northbound freight train known as “The Beast,” because of rampant ac

by mike simpson / 11h 

Colonialism, Not Reform: New Orleans Schools Since Katrina • An Interview with Karran Harper Royal

Colonialism, Not Reform: New Orleans Schools Since Katrina • An Interview with Karran Harper Royal: Colonialism, Not ReformNew Orleans Schools Since KatrinaAn Interview with community activist Karran Harper RoyalBY STAN KARP AND JODY SOKOLOWERKarran Harper RoyalBy next fall, New Orleans will have only five public schools—those operated by the Orleans Parish School Board. Everything else will be ch

by mike simpson / 12h 

Ira Shor: Opt Out – The Real Parent Revolution - UNITED OPT OUT: The Movement to End Corporate Education Reform

Ira Shor: Opt Out – The Real Parent Revolution - UNITED OPT OUT: The Movement to End Corporate Education Reform: Ira Shor: Opt Out – The Real Parent RevolutionBY PEGWPEN · JULY 27, 2014First posted at Diane Ravitch‘s blog.Ira Shor is a professor at the City University of New York, where he teaches composition and rhetoric. Shor understands that standardized testing is the foundation on which the e

by mike simpson / 14h 

Nite Cap 7-27-14 #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 CAPStanford’s Shavelson & Boulder’s Domingue on VAMs in Higher Ed |Stanford’s Shavelson & Boulder’s Domingue on VAMs in Higher Ed |: Stanford’s Shavelson & Boulder’s Domingue on VAMs in Higher Ed A few months ago, well over 10,000 educat

by mike simpson / 15h 

Stanford’s Shavelson & Boulder’s Domingue on VAMs in Higher Ed |

Stanford’s Shavelson & Boulder’s Domingue on VAMs in Higher Ed |: Stanford’s Shavelson & Boulder’s Domingue on VAMs in Higher Ed A few months ago, well over 10,000 educational researchers/academics from throughout the world attended the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during which many of the said researchers/academic

by mike simpson / 15h 

Sam Pirozzolo's Hypocrisy Exposed southbronxschool

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Sam Pirozzolo's Hypocrisy ExposedIn light of today's story in the Daily News how Campbell Brown, the Bayou Schicksa, is now joiningthe fray and about to file her own law suit (More to come on this story on these pages this week), we yet again must focus on the comedy stylings of The Crack Team's favorite source of material, Sam Pirozzolo.Yes, this will mark the 7th

by mike simpson / 15h 

Houston school district aiming to recruit North Carolina’s teachers | CharlotteObserver.com

Houston school district aiming to recruit North Carolina’s teachers | CharlotteObserver.com: Houston school district aiming to recruit North Carolina’s teachersBy Megan Cassellamcassella@charlotteobserver.comPosted: Friday, Jul. 25, 2014MORE INFORMATIONNC House OKs charter bill after debate on salary disclosure, gay studentsNorth Carolina teachers struggling with low salaries and repeated pay free

by mike simpson / 16h 

Why I will NOT attend the BAT Rally in D.C. on Monday… | Reclaim Reform

Why I will NOT attend the BAT Rally in D.C. on Monday… | Reclaim Reform: Why I will NOT attend the BAT Rally in D.C. on Monday…Posted on July 27, 2014by Ken PrevitiI want very, very much to attend the Badass Teachers Association rally in Washington D.C. on Monday. I am simply unable to attend; events in my life have gotten in the way. I truly wanted to be at all of the past week’s BAT events.As an

by mike simpson / 16h 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 7-27-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: MOODY’S ASSIGNS Aa2 RATING to LAUSD’s GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS: $138.4 million new debt affected; rating affirmed on outstanding parity and COP debtThe Wall Street Transcript from Moody’s press Release  |  http://bit.ly/1zjrUb3 New York, July 25, 2014  Issue: General Obligation Bonds, Election of 2004, Series J (2014); Rating: Aa2; Sale Amount: $71,435,

by mike simpson / 16h 

Don’t Trust Charters More than a Sweaty Used Car Salesman (A Citizen Research Template) | Cloaking Inequity

Don’t Trust Charters More than a Sweaty Used Car Salesman (A Citizen Research Template) | Cloaking Inequity: Don’t Trust Charters More than a Sweaty Used Car Salesman (A Citizen Research Template)Recently I have noticed a new snare from charter cheerleaders. Their approach is for them to ask you to tell them which charters school you love/like. This is a clever trap. My response is, “Why don’t you

by mike simpson / 16h 

Would You Believe…? | WagTheDog

Would You Believe…? | WagTheDog: Would You Believe…? As data-driven and evidence-based challenges to the efficacy of the untested Common Core State Standards become stronger and louder, it appears CCSS supporters are growing desperate and resorting to Maxwell Smart’s catchphrase and tactic of backpedaling and shifting between unconvincing and unsubstantiated claims.This “Would you believe…?” strat

by mike simpson / 16h 

Firestorm Over Campbell Brown’s Wall-Street Backed Lawsuit Against Teachers

News - Alliance for Quality Education of New York: Firestorm Over Campbell Brown’s Wall-Street Backed Lawsuit Against TeachersParents and Teachers Slam Bogus Lawsuit as Wall St. Front Group, Dismiss Former TV-Anchor as Out-of-Touch and with No Credibility on Education Issues*Parents, teachers and experts available for comment*(New York, NY) – Today, Campbell Brown announced she will file a bogus l

by mike simpson / 18h 

7-27-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Something Horrible Under Every RockPeople frequently ask me "What fuels your activist energy?" and I tell them "Outrage." "But how," they ask,"can you stay outraged for fourteen years?" "I can't." I tell them. "I'm newly outraged every couple days. And you would be too if you watched the District closely. There

by mike simpson / 19h 

Reframing Expertise (The Habitual Line-Stepper) - The Jose Vilson

Reframing Expertise (The Habitual Line-Stepper) - The Jose Vilson: Reframing Expertise (The Habitual Line-Stepper)In my travels this summer, I’m often asked to ponder this idea of expertise, and specifically, how education researchers and those in higher education can help K-12 teachers.Since I entered the teaching profession almost a decade ago, I’ve had this struggle with this idea. From article

by mike simpson / 19h 

7-27-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: The Diane Ravitch Contradiction: Educators Should Rebel, but Be Nice When Addressing Oppressive Union Leaderships....you want the workers to be rebellious, not docile. There is a time for collaboration and a time to stand up and fight... Ravitch on film "Metropolis."  I grow frustrated when union members attack their unions. Of course, they should fight to win democratic

by mike simpson / 20h 

7-27-14 Jersey Jazzman

Jersey Jazzman: @StarLedger Editorials: Consistently Wrong About Newark EducationI reached the end of my rope with the Star-Ledger Editorial Board and its chief, Tom Moran, a long time ago. When it comes to education -- particularly in Newark -- both the paper's unsigned editorials and Moran's columns have displayed massive ignorance. Frankly, I'm tired of having to address their nonsense when it'

by mike simpson / 21h 

Is Progressive Schooling Just Around the Corner? (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Is Progressive Schooling Just Around the Corner? (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Is Progressive Schooling Just Around the Corner? (Part 2)Predicting the future, well, is iffy. Except for an occasional Nate Silver who became famous in calling the 2012 election of Barack Obama, more often than not, predictions of what is around the corner range from goofy to funny. I

by mike simpson / 22h 

You can’t take politics out of education | Missouri Education Watchdog

You can’t take politics out of education | Missouri Education Watchdog: You can’t take politics out of educationTwitter was all abuzz Friday night with common core proponents attempting to stem the tide against the common core state standards initiative. Under the hashtag #ccsstime being led by the Learning First Alliance @LFA, a conversation about how to fix the implementation of Common Core is o

by mike simpson / 22h 

Let education professionals handle teaching standards

Let education professionals handle teaching standards: Let education professionals handle teaching standardsWhat does it say about our society when a few powerful spokesmen are more highly regarded than professional educators and parents in regard to opinions and policies governing education? Concern is growing over a shift in educational decision-making that has left teachers and parents with lit

by mike simpson / 23h 

Morning Wink 7-27-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS7-27-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice GuyWait What?: Wait What? I didn’t leave my political party, my party left meI’m often asked why, considering I’m a life-long Democratic, I am “leaving” the Democratic Party and running as an independent for Governor.  I start by explaining that as hard as it is to run as an ind

by mike simpson / 23h 

2nd Banana 7-26-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 7-19-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

2nd Banana 7-12-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

2nd Banana 7-5-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 6-28-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 6-21-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

Nite Cap 7-27-14

Nite Cap 7-26-14

Nite Cap 7-25-14

Nite Cap 7-24-14

Nite Cap 7-23-14

Nite Cap 7-22-14

Nite Cap 7-21-14 

No Nite Cap 7-20-14

Nite Cap 7-19-14

Fordham Claims ESEA Waivers Are Unconstitutional | Missouri Education Watchdog

Fordham Claims ESEA Waivers Are Unconstitutional | Missouri Education Watchdog:

Fordham Claims ESEA Waivers Are Unconstitutional

inShare

The Thomas B. Fordham Insitute, which claims to be a conservative think tank, has come out withthis post that makes the case for declaring the conditional ESEA waivers granted by the U.S. Department of Education unconstitutional. They take issue with the conditions put on the waivers by Secretary Duncan. Mike Petrilli, the author, said, “He [Duncan] has the right to offer greater flexibility to the states when it comes to the law’s ‘adequate yearly progress’ measures and other parts of its accountability system.  What he has no constitutional right to do is dream up new mandates out of thin air and make flexibility contingent upon their embrace by supplicant states.” I will give credit where it is a due and congratulate Fordham for getting something right. There has been a gross overstepping of authority by the federal government in education and it is time for the states to stand up and call them out on it.

Petrilli points out that, not only has the department put conditions on the waivers, but spelled out exactly how the states will satisfy those conditions.

Let’s follow the example of the D.C. Circuit and examine the clear language of the applicable law. Section 9401 of ESEA plainly states that “the Secretary may waive any statutory or Fordham Claims ESEA Waivers Are Unconstitutional | Missouri Education Watchdog:

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-28-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

Columbia Economist Says Chetty, Friedman, and Rockoff Are Wrong About VAM

Moshe Adler, professor of economics at Columbia University, has emerged as one of the most incisive critics of the work of Raj Chetty, John Friedman, and Jonah Rockoff on Value-added measurement (VAM). In the recent Vergara decision about tenure for teachers in California, the study by Raj Chetty and John Friedman of Harvard and Jonah Rockoff of Columbia played a prominent role. But according to t

by dianeravitch / 6min 

Microsoft Lays Off 18,000 Workers While Seeking Visas for Foreign Worksrs

Unbelievable. Microsoft lays off 18,000 workers while pressing Congress to expand the number of visas for engineers, mathematicians, scientists, and other workers. Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and casino operator Sheldon Adelson wrote an article calling for Congressional action to increase H-1B visas. . Senator Jeff Sessions responded with rage, directed mainly at Gates and at the the tech industry

3 by dianeravitch / 12min

Chicago: School Choice and the Néw Segregation

The Chicago choice system works exactly as every choice system works: It segregates students by ability. “But a new WBEZ analysis shows an unintended consequence of the choice system: students of different achievement levels are being sorted into separate high schools. “WBEZ analyzed incoming test scores for freshmen from the fall of 2012, the most recent year data is available. That year, the di

5 by dianeravitch / 54min hide  //  save

Detroit’s Bold Experiment: 100 Children in a Kindergarten Class

When Governor Rick Snyder created the Educational Achievement Authority for the state’s lowest-performing schools, he promised bold new thinking. One of his bold plans is a kindergarten called the Brenda Scott Academy, which has a kindergarten of 100 students. It is a stretch to call it “new,” because classes of this size sometimes existed a century ago. The lead teacher, a veteran, is 30. Her he

30 by dianeravitch / 1h 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-27-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Why the Election in Georgia MattersBertis Downs is a native of Georgia and a member of the board of the Network for Public Education. He writes: This is the best electoral news in a long time– Georgia Democrat Valarie Wilson won the runoff for state school superintendent, and it wasn’t even close: http://bit.ly/Us7qNi I am proud to

by mike simpson / 8h 

Answer Sheet 7-28-14

Answer Sheet:

50 Virginia college presidents protest Obama’s planned school rating system

Fifty presidents of public and private nonprofit colleges and universities in Virginia have signed a letter (see text below) to Education Secretary Arne Duncan expressing “serious reservations” about the Obama administration’s “misguided” development of a school rating system that could include data such as how much students earn after graduation.  What will be called the […]

by Valerie Strauss / 12min hide  //  save

That kid in class who utterly infuriated me

For two decades Ellie Herman was a writer/producer for television shows including “The Riches,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Chicago Hope” and “Newhart.” Her fiction has appeared in literary journals, among them The Massachusetts Review, The Missouri Review and the O.Henry Awards Collection. In 2007, she decided, “on an impulse,” she wrote, to become an English teacher and […]

by Valerie Strauss / 12min 

‘Education reform’ now a pejorative term to many progressive Democrats

Earlier this year I published a post about how the Democratic Party has been split for years over the issue of corporate school reform. President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan have been Democratic leaders of the dominant reform movement which seeks to transform public schools through standardized-test-based “accountability” and the expansion of charter schools. […]

40 by Valerie Strauss / 5h 

All Week @ The Answer Sheet 7-26-14

The Answer Sheet:All Week @ The Answer SheetChris Christie to mayor: ‘I’m the decider and you have nothing to do with it’New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is consistent — at least when it comes to espousing total  indifference to what Newark residents want for their state-operated public school system. Christie just bragged (see video below) that he told new Newark Mayor Ras Baraka that Baraka’s

by mike simpson / 8h 

7-28-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum:

National PTA Sponsoring Common Core Ads on Facebook

I would guess if you are a PTA member and on Facebook, these PTA-sponsored ads will pop up on your Facebook page.Would be nice if someone had proofread it first. Disappointing that National PTA is going this direction rather than having a real conversation about the issue and parents' concerns.

by Melissa Westbrook / 6min 

Where's the problem?

Over and over again we see that the problem is not inadequate policies or procedures but the absence of any enforcement and the absence of any accountability for those who violate the policies and procedures.And who has the job of enforcing policy and holding staff accountable? The Board.

by Charlie Mas / 41min hide  //  save

Garfield Field Trip Assault: Continuing Questions

1) There is a lengthy account at the Facebook page associated with the family of the student assaulted.  I do have a few questions but I'll wait and see if the family contacts me.  It is fairly well-fleshed out so they were clearly documenting as they went along (a very good thing for all parents to do should any type of school situation arise - document everything).2) I called the Seattle office

by Melissa Westbrook / 41min 

Downtown School; Maybe Something Deeper Happening

There is nothing on the Seattle Schools calendar for this week.  Well, there is one meeting happening and yet strangely, it does not appear on the district calendar.  It's almost as if this meeting is really for one purpose or group.  It's the meeting at the Downtown Library about SPS taking over the Federal Reserve building. (The meeting is at 6 pm in the "Microsoft" auditorium with a w

by Melissa Westbrook / 7h 

7-27-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Something Horrible Under Every RockPeople frequently ask me "What fuels your activist energy?" and I tell them "Outrage." "But how," they ask,"can you stay outraged for fourteen years?" "I can't." I tell them. "I'm newly outraged every couple days. And you would be too if you watched the District closely. There

by mike simpson / 3h