Saturday, April 24, 2021

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Saturday, April 24, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #openonlywhensafe #edchat #K12 #learning #edleadership #edtech #engchat #literacy #edreform

THE TOP BANANA
TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES

Why learning isn’t the most important thing kids lost during the pandemic https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/04/23/why-learning-isnt-most-important-thing-kids-lost-during-pandemic/

Philadelphia school board votes not to renew two Black-led charter schools despite outcry from parents https://philadelphia.chalkbeat.org/2021/4/23/22400082/school-board-votes-not-to-renew-two-black-led-charter-schools-despite-outcry-from-parents via @ChalkbeatPHL

Supt. Austin Beutner departs; where are 60,000 missing kindergartners? https://edsource.org/podcast/supt-austin-beutner-departs-where-are-60000-missing-kindergartners

South Dakota High School Cancels 40-Year Tradition of Annual Event That Includes...Wait for It...a 'Slave/Branding Auction' https://www.theroot.com/south-dakota-high-school-cancels-40-year-tradition-of-a-1846749256

Alabama Signs Bill Into Law Allowing Student-Athletes To Be Paid for Their Names, Likeness, and Image https://www.theroot.com/alabama-signs-bill-into-law-allowing-student-athletes-t-1846747588

L.A. school board names Megan Reilly, head of business services, as interim superintendent http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/lanowblog/~3/47t343ZC-jA/l-a-school-board-picks-interim-superintendent-launches-search

Tutor Helps Students Hit Hard By Pandemic, Language Barriers https://www.npr.org/2021/04/24/990430231/tutor-helps-students-hit-hard-by-pandemic-language-barriers

National Spelling Bee Adds New Rules To Help Winners Sting The Competition https://www.npr.org/2021/04/23/990400434/national-spelling-bee-adds-new-rules-to-help-winners-sting-the-competition

Science teacher killed by box truck in East Harlem accident called ‘pillar’ of middle school where she was revered https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/ny-helen-sink-killed-truck-east-harlem-20210423-dv7g3h42g5dmbnruxuetlanfhi-story.html#ed=rss_www.nydailynews.com/arcio/rss/category/new-york/education/

After Using Stimulus Funds for Tech, Some Schools Looking to New Uses https://www.techwire.net/news/after-using-stimulus-funds-for-tech-some-schools-looking-to-new-uses.html

The Skanner News - Wyden, Merkley Co-Sponsor Clean Commute for Kids Act - https://www.theskanner.com/news/newsbriefs/31266-wyden-merkley-co-sponsor-clean-commute-for-kids-act via @TheSkannerNews

Mark James Miller: AHC instructors attend first-ever virtual convention https://santamariatimes.com/opinion/columnists/central-coast-past-present-future/mark-james-miller-ahc-instructors-attend-first-ever-virtual-convention/article_710772e9-afe2-56ab-9413-185aa230a31c.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share via @SantaMariaTimes

DC educators discuss getting hesitant families to choose in-person learning | WTOP - https://wtop.com/dc/2021/04/dc-educators-discuss-getting-hesitant-families-to-choose-in-person-learning/

NEA members urge senators to support the Equality Act https://educationvotes.nea.org/?p=49175#.YIRElTufYwE.twitter via @EdVotes

Teacher Appreciation Week Is May 3rd-7th – Here Are Some Useful Resources | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... - https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/?p=117075 on @Larryferlazzo

Ed Notes Online: UFT Retiree Mocks Retiree Chapter Leadership over presentations (or lack thereof) on coming health care changes - https://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2021/04/uft-retiree-mocks-retiree-chapter.html

Is There a White Supremacy Culture in Schools? | Teacher in a strange land

by Mike Simpson / 3min

Is There a White Supremacy Culture in Schools? I am currently participating in a 21-day ‘Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge.’ I signed up with several local friends, as part of our intention to build tolerance and equity in our mostly-white community. We met for a conversation, this past week, and we were all a little blown away by depth and transformative power of the resources and question

Shawgi Tell: Economic Collapse Continues Uninterrupted | Dissident Voice

by Mike Simpson / 3min

Economic Collapse Continues Uninterrupted | Dissident Voice Economic Collapse Continues Uninterrupted To conceal the economic and social decline that continues to unfold at home and abroad, major newspapers are working overtime to promote happy economic news. Many headlines are irrational and out of touch. They make no sense. Desperation to convince everyone that all is well or all will soon be g

MEGAN PRATHER: Promised Land recap: How the McGirt ruling is affecting legal matters in Oklahoma - NONDOC

by Mike Simpson / 3min

Promised Land recap: How the McGirt ruling is affecting legal matters in Oklahoma Promised Land recap: How the McGirt ruling is affecting legal matters in Oklahoma Since last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma , journalists have been covering the details, legal questions and uncertainties in the wake of the landmark court decision. Complicated and delicate in nature, the aff

The Pursuit of Education: A Story of Homelessness, Perseverance, and the Impact of Caring Educators - ED.gov Blog

by Mike Simpson / 32min

The Pursuit of Education: A Story of Homelessness, Perseverance, and the Impact of Caring Educators By: Jahnee S. I was 8 years old when I first experienced homelessness. Homelessness then became a struggle that my family and I couldn’t escape. I experienced standing in the snow, hoping my family and I had a place to sleep on a church floor; how packed and unsanitary emergency shelters are, as I

Angie Sullivan: Restorative Justice Requires Funding to Help Kids | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 32min

Angie Sullivan: Restorative Justice Requires Funding to Help Kids Angie Sullivan teaches impoverished children in Las Vegas. She believes that restorative justice could help them, but only if it is funded. How do you kill a bill without voting against it? You take something important like restorative justice – which should be wraparound services and not give any funding. Wraparound services make

CURMUDGUCATION: VA: Is This The Path To Math Equity

by Mike Simpson / 1h

VA: Is This The Path To Math Equity Virginia is working on a new "math path," and conservative news outlets have gone off. The initiative itself is loaded with the usual bureaucratic argle bargle, like Through collaboration with other stakeholders across the Commonwealth, the VMPI state task force will make suggestions for institutional changes that will strengthen the alignment between K-12 and

John King is Running for Governor of Maryland (probably not supported by NYS teachers) | Ed In The Apple

by Mike Simpson / 2h

John King is Running for Governor of Maryland (probably not supported by NYS teachers) John King, the former Obama-appointed US Secretary of Education and the highly controversial Commissioner of Education in New York State announced he is running for governor of Maryland ; the current governor, a republican, Larry Hogan, is term-limited. King will be facing a number of others in the democratic

How to Vote on Ballot Measures in Pennsylvania’s 2021 Primary Election | gadflyonthewallblog

by Mike Simpson / 2h

How to Vote on Ballot Measures in Pennsylvania’s 2021 Primary Election Can you feel it? The primary election is just a few weeks away. Voters will decide all kinds of things like who will represent their respective parties for school board, judges, magistrates, county council, etc. However, that’s not all. There also will be four statewide ballot initiatives . All Allegheny County residents will

A CORE PROBLEM – Dad Gone Wild

by Mike Simpson / 2h

A CORE PROBLEM “Our values are the same. We disagree on policy, but we don’t disagree on humanity , we don’t disagree about love and compassion. I think that’s true for all of us — it’s just that we get lost in our fear of what’s different.” Michelle Obama speaking on her friendship with George Bush It’s 9 AM on Friday morning, the second day of TCAP testing for MNPS students, and my fifth grade

THIS WEEK FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

by Mike Simpson / 3h

THIS WEEK FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Secretary Cardona, Senator Manchin, and Senator Murray to Hold Roundtable to Discuss Resources for Students Experiencing Homelessness 1d Tomorrow, April 23, Secretary Cardona will join Senators Joe Manchin (WV) and Patty Murray (WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), for a virtual roundtable with students

Network for Public Education Blog Post of the Day This Week

by Mike Simpson / 3h

Blog Posts Archive - Network For Public Education Network for Public Education Blog Posts of the Day This Week Blog Post of the Day Our NPE Blogs of the Day feature what we think are interesting and important blog posts centered on issues of public education. The views expressed by the bloggers are, of course, entirely their own. To submit links and tips for inclusion, please send an email to npe

THIS WEEK'S WILDNESS Dad Gone Wild Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it

by Mike Simpson / 3h

Dad Gone Wild – Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it. A CORE PROBLEM by TC Weber / 16h “Our values are the same. We disagree on policy, but we don’t disagree on humanity , we don’t disagree about love and compassion. I think that’s true for all of us — it’s just that we get lost in our fear of what’s different.” Michelle Obama speaking on her friendship with George Bush It’s 9 AM on Friday morni

TEACHER TOM THIS WEEK IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION + Teacher Tom: Let's Turn The World Around: Teacher Tom's Play Summit

by Mike Simpson / 3h

Teacher Tom TEACHER TOM THIS WEEK IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION Teacher Tom: Let's Turn The World Around: Teacher Tom's Play Summit We heard it from Mandela, "Turn this world around, For the children" - turn this world around. He's done it once before, and now we hear his call For the children, turn this world around. Turn, turn, turn, Turn this world around For the children, turn this world aroun

SSPI TONY THURMOND: STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

by Mike Simpson / 3h

California Department of Education SSPI TONY THURMOND STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION COVID-19: Child Nutrition Response #83 17h This waiver allows sponsors that successfully participated in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, but did not operate in 2020, due to COVID-19, to operate as experienced sponsors in FY 2021. COVID-19 Response Nati

THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER

by Mike Simpson / 3h

NewBlackMan (in Exile) THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) Stuck in The Studio: Ayanah Moor by Mark Anthony Neal / 24min "On this episode of CCMA Creates: Stuck in the Studio features Ayanah Moor , an artist whose work explores blackness, gender, desire and language. She discusses her recent return to painting, inspirations behind her work and her solo exhibition at the Cleve Carney Museum of A

THIS WEEK Education Research Report

by Mike Simpson / 3h

Education Research Report The Effect of Serving “Breakfast After-the-Bell” Meals on School Absenteeism by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 51min With the rise in the availability of absenteeism data, it is clear that students are missing a staggering amount of school. Policymakers have focused efforts on identifying school programs that might reduce absenteeism. This study examined whether implementing the

THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007

by Mike Simpson / 3h

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Around The Web In ESL/EFL/ELL by Larry Ferlazzo / 7h BiljaST / Pixabay Six years ago I began this regular feature where I share a few posts and resources from around the Web related to ESL/EFL or to language in general that have caught my attention. You might also be interested in THE BEST RESOURCES,

KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all #REDFORED #tbats #CANCELTHETEST

by Mike Simpson / 3h

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all Angie Sullivan: Restorative Justice Requires Funding to Help Kids by dianeravitch / 25min Angie Sullivan teaches impoverished children in Las Vegas. She believes that restorative justice could help them, but only if it is funded. How do you kill

YESTERDAY

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Friday, April 23, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #openonlywhensafe #edchat #K12 #learning #edleadership #edtech #engchat #literacy #edreform

by Mike Simpson / 23h

Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Education Research Report: Rates of Recovery from COVID-19 Impact - http://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/ New York State education department faces questions on some standardized tests | wgrz.com -

Big Education Ape

Is There a White Supremacy Culture in Schools? | Teacher in a strange land

Is There a White Supremacy Culture in Schools?

I am currently participating in a 21-day ‘Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge.’ I signed up with several local friends, as part of our intention to build tolerance and equity in our mostly-white community. We met for a conversation, this past week, and we were all a little blown away by depth and transformative power of the resources and questions in this Challenge. So much to learn.

This is good.

The most striking thing I read is a piece from Day 5 (Confronting Whiteness). I have learned not to presume that I know much of anything about identifying distinctly white-people beliefs and habits.

At this point in my life (closing in on seven decades), I understand that I’ve been unaware (to put it politely), for a long time, of just how white I am, and how that looks and feels to other people. What I can do now is acknowledge, learn and try to do better.

The piece that rocked me is from the Dismantling Racism Workshop. It’s titled THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WHITE SUPREMACY CULTURE.

To my shock and distress, it described, in great detail, every organization and institution I’ve ever worked for, joined or been associated with, all the way back to kindergarten. Including churches, universities, non-profits, musical and social groups—and most especially, K-12 schools.

Here are some of the basic characteristics (click on the link to read full descriptions as well as antidotes): CONTINUE READING: Is There a White Supremacy Culture in Schools? | Teacher in a strange land

Shawgi Tell: Economic Collapse Continues Uninterrupted | Dissident Voice

Economic Collapse Continues Uninterrupted | Dissident Voice

Economic Collapse Continues Uninterrupted

To conceal the economic and social decline that continues to unfold at home and abroad, major newspapers are working overtime to promote happy economic news. Many headlines are irrational and out of touch. They make no sense. Desperation to convince everyone that all is well or all will soon be great is very high. The assault on economic science and coherence is intense. Working in concert, and contrary to the lived experience of millions of people, many newspapers are declaring miraculous “economic growth rates” for country after country. According to the rich and their media, numerous countries are experiencing or are on the cusp of experiencing very strong “come-backs” or “complete recoveries.” Very high rates of annual economic growth, generally not found in any prior period, are being floated regularly. The numbers defy common sense.

In reality, economic and social problems are getting worse nationally and internationally.

“Getting back to the pre-Covid standard will take time,” said Carmen Reinhart, the World Bank’s chief economist. “The aftermath of Covid isn’t going to reverse for a lot of countries. Far from it.” Even this recent statement is misleading because it implies that pre-Covid economic conditions were somehow good or acceptable when things have actually been going downhill for decades. Most economies never really “recovered” from the economic collapse of 2008. Most countries are still running on gas fumes while poverty, unemployment, under-employment, inequality, debt, food insecurity, CONTINUE READING: Economic Collapse Continues Uninterrupted | Dissident Voice

MEGAN PRATHER: Promised Land recap: How the McGirt ruling is affecting legal matters in Oklahoma - NONDOC

Promised Land recap: How the McGirt ruling is affecting legal matters in Oklahoma

Promised Land recap: How the McGirt ruling is affecting legal matters in Oklahoma

Since last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma, journalists have been covering the details, legal questions and uncertainties in the wake of the landmark court decision. Complicated and delicate in nature, the affirmation of Indian Country reservations and ongoing developments constitute an important storyline for the state of Oklahoma and the Muscogee (Creek), Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Seminole nations.

This story is a part of the Oklahoma Media Center’s Promised Land collaborative effort, which shows how the landmark McGirt v. Oklahoma decision will affect both tribal and non-Indigenous residents in the state.

Recently, the Oklahoma Media Center launched a collaborative reporting project called The Promised Land: A Supreme Court decision places Oklahoma at a crossroads.

Newsrooms across the state have committed to share their content regarding issues pertinent to court rulings and their effects on Indigenous and non-tribal residents of Oklahoma.

The following recap features the opening paragraphs of five stories that were published between April 17 and April 23 by Oklahoma reporters. To read more from each story, click on the provided hyperlinks.

The snippets below have been edited lightly for date clarity and to include additional links to relevant information.

Judge rules State of Oklahoma has jurisdiction for former KCA reservation CONTINUE READING: Promised Land recap: How the McGirt ruling is affecting legal matters in Oklahoma

The Pursuit of Education: A Story of Homelessness, Perseverance, and the Impact of Caring Educators - ED.gov Blog

The Pursuit of Education: A Story of Homelessness, Perseverance, and the Impact of Caring Educators

By: Jahnee S.

I was 8 years old when I first experienced homelessness. Homelessness then became a struggle that my family and I couldn’t escape. I experienced standing in the snow, hoping my family and I had a place to sleep on a church floor; how packed and unsanitary emergency shelters are, as I got lice within two days of staying there; how “The Florida Project” brought me flashbacks to the many months my family lived in motels, and how I viewed peers with “the basic necessities” with such envy. Constantly moving and being disappointed led me to become extremely detached and avoid relationships of any kind out of fear of abandonment. Eight years later, at 16 years old, I was still experiencing homelessness. Though homelessness was not new to me, this experience as a 16-year-old was the most difficult because I was on my own without a family.

I began to struggle significantly with depression, and I often felt unloved and unworthy. I remember my mantra echoing in my head, “If everyone I ever loved left me alone, why should I care about my future?” My deteriorating mental health made me question everything about high school and if I would ever be able to walk across that stage. In October 2016, I became truant. I was part of the 87% of teens that experience homelessness and drop out of high school.

I did end up reuniting with my family eventually and we secured temporary housing in a new state, but at that point, the trauma and depression were so deep that my mental health had not changed. I saw no purpose in enrolling back in school because I was so overwhelmed. I had a major decision to make for the following school year – would I go CONTINUE READING: The Pursuit of Education: A Story of Homelessness, Perseverance, and the Impact of Caring Educators - ED.gov Blog

Angie Sullivan: Restorative Justice Requires Funding to Help Kids | Diane Ravitch's blog

Angie Sullivan: Restorative Justice Requires Funding to Help Kids

Angie Sullivan teaches impoverished children in Las Vegas. She believes that restorative justice could help them, but only if it is funded.

How do you kill a bill without voting against it?
You take something important like restorative justice – which should be wraparound services and not give any funding. Wraparound services make a huge difference for students. This program is just buzzwords without the services and supplies. Restorative Justice requires money.
Folks need to talk about the wraparound services part of restorative justice.
364 campuses – one teacher to practice and train others = $29 million.
Double that for the basic need supplies you will need to stock up the pantries. Another $29 million
Many teachers keep snacks, bathroom supplies, deodorant, clothing etc in our classrooms for kids. This forces us to take from our own family money and time to address basic needs of students in our path. Nevada Legislators have zero problem demanding that of us and then everyone can complain because we did not give CONTINUE READING: Angie Sullivan: Restorative Justice Requires Funding to Help Kids | Diane Ravitch's blog

CURMUDGUCATION: VA: Is This The Path To Math Equity

VA: Is This The Path To Math Equity

Virginia is working on a new "math path," and conservative news outlets have gone off.

The initiative itself is loaded with the usual bureaucratic argle bargle, like

Through collaboration with other stakeholders across the Commonwealth, the VMPI state task force will make suggestions for institutional changes that will strengthen the alignment between K-12 and higher education mathematics while ensuring that students are better prepared for college and career success.

The goals include math jargonny ones like "Empower students to be active participants in a quantitative world" and ed-speak ones like "Encourage students to see themselves as knowers and doers of math" and also worthwhile ones like "Improve equity in mathematics learning opportunities."

Fox and Breitbart and the Washington Examiner and a host of other stars in the right wing constellation are upset because, in its current form, the plan eliminates advanced math coursework in the early grades.

The handwringing is calculated to stir the usual audience members. Out of the five goals and CONTINUE READING: CURMUDGUCATION: VA: Is This The Path To Math Equity

John King is Running for Governor of Maryland (probably not supported by NYS teachers) | Ed In The Apple

John King is Running for Governor of Maryland (probably not supported by NYS teachers)

John King, the former Obama-appointed US Secretary of Education and the highly controversial Commissioner of Education in New York State announced he is running for governor of Maryland; the current governor, a republican, Larry Hogan, is term-limited. King will be facing a number of others in the democratic primary..

As some of you are aware, pre-COVID, I traveled to Albany each month and attended the Board of Regents meetings, I tweeted, blogged, wrote memos, sort of a journalist/citizen lobbyist, and I observed and occasionally talked with the commissioner; he is both brilliant and totally dedicated to recasting education, however; you cannot impose change.

The New York State Board of Regent is a seventeen-member policy board elected by a joint meeting of the legislatures, effectively selected by the speaker, the democratic leader of the Assembly; the Board selects the head of the State Department of Education, the Commissioner. For decades the Board was made up primarily of non-educators, usually business leaders with roots in their communities; however, in 2009 the Regents elevated Merryl Tisch, a member of CONTINUE READING: John King is Running for Governor of Maryland (probably not supported by NYS teachers) | Ed In The Apple

How to Vote on Ballot Measures in Pennsylvania’s 2021 Primary Election | gadflyonthewallblog

How to Vote on Ballot Measures in Pennsylvania’s 2021 Primary Election

Can you feel it?

The primary election is just a few weeks away.

Voters will decide all kinds of things like who will represent their respective parties for school board, judges, magistrates, county council, etc.

However, that’s not all.

There also will be four statewide ballot initiatives. All Allegheny County residents will get a fifth. And Pittsburgh residents will get a sixth.

If you’re like me, you don’t want these questions to come as a surprise on May 18 or before (if you’re casting a mail in ballot).

These queries can change the state for better or worse in dramatic ways, yet for some reason, they don’t write these things in the way everyday people talk.

This is lawyer speak. You have to wear a long black robe and put on a white haired wig (called a peruke) just to understand these things.

But don’t get your gavel in a tizzy.

As a public service, I’m going to translate each question and make a suggestion on how you should vote.

QUESTION 1: CONTINUE READING: How to Vote on Ballot Measures in Pennsylvania’s 2021 Primary Election | gadflyonthewallblog

A CORE PROBLEM – Dad Gone Wild

A CORE PROBLEM

“Our values are the same. We disagree on policy, but we don’t disagree on humanity, we don’t disagree about love and compassion. I think that’s true for all of us — it’s just that we get lost in our fear of what’s different.” Michelle Obama speaking on her friendship with George Bush

It’s 9 AM on Friday morning, the second day of TCAP testing for MNPS students, and my fifth grader and sixth-grader are holed up in the TV room watching Fairly Odd Parents on the tube. As I’ve written before, we are a family that has elected to remain remote for the entire school year. A decision based on a desire to establish as much stability as possible. A decision that has been continually validated.

Everyone in our household knows their responsibilities and schedule. Expectations are clear. Earlier in the year, there were some…shall we say…adjustments that needed to be made, but just like in any other year we got there. Both kids received all A’s and high one high B, on their last report card. Wednesday we received a progress report in the mail that showed similar grades.

To be fair, my son has struggled with the drawing part of models in math. He can calculate the problem but has difficulty drawing out the models. His teacher has worked with him and he’s getting it. Like I said, none of it’s perfect, but continually improving.

This week, Schoology went down. I emailed my wife about it and she responded, “Bet they are CONTINUE READING: A CORE PROBLEM – Dad Gone Wild

Saturday, April 24, 2021