Big Education Ape

Sunday, June 2, 2013

by Melissa Westbrook

Tuesday, June 4th
The Board will be evaluating the Superintendent in an Executive Session. I would think that he would get a pretty favorable evaluation given that he has filled some key posts. As well, at yesterday's Board retreat, various people were thanking others. Director Carr said, about Banda's efforts on the Strategic Plan, that she appreciated his collaborative attitude as compared to the previous SP which she labeled "top-down."

Wednesday, June 5th
Board Meeting, starting at 4:15 pm. Agenda.
I regret to inform you that, once again, the school calendar for next year has been pulled off the agenda by the Superintendent. I would assume this is about the teachers contract but this is now getting very late for next year's calendar.

Cleveland High School will name its library after a teacher who taught there for 25 years, Edward Landon, and was beloved by students.
The district is getting a grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation ($600k) to be used at Denny Middle and Aki Kurose Middle over three years to support a tiered intervention program, Diplomas Now. What is a bit odd here is that the granted started - according to the letter from the Allen Foundation - last December but the Action report says it hasn't.
Change in Board policy 6550, around internal audits. The biggest action here appears to be giving staff more time to draft a corrective plan and the carry it out.
The Introduction of a new contract with NWEA who brings us the MAP. The contract, for almost $470k would be for one year as the Taskforce recommended this as new assessments are coming for Common Core.

Saturday, June 9th
Community meeting with Director Carr from 8:30-10:00 am at Bethany Community Church.

Political Science 101: Today’s Lesson: Some politicians lie… - Wait, What?

Political Science 101: Today’s Lesson: Some politicians lie… - Wait, What?:

Political Science 101: Today’s Lesson: Some politicians lie…

by jonpelto

Last week, the Secretary of Education for the United States of America, Arne Duncan, joined by Governor Dannel P. Malloy, held at a “town hall meeting” at one of Hartford’s magnet schools.

In response to a question from a high school student in attendance, Duncan taught the students an extremely valuable lesson…some politicians lie. In fact, in an attempt to “bond” with the students, Duncan lied through his teeth.

In this case, America’s Patron Saint of Standardized Testing claimed that when he was the CEO of the Chicago School System he cut the amount of standardized testing by

solidaridad: @TCFKSM: More on Parent Revolution triggerman Ben Austin's gunning down of a well regarded LAUSD principal

solidaridad: @TCFKSM: More on Parent Revolution triggerman Ben Austin's gunning down of a well regarded LAUSD principal:

@TCFKSM: More on Parent Revolution triggerman Ben Austin's gunning down of a well regarded LAUSD principal

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

First published on @TCFKSM on June 2, 2013

"The 'parent trigger' by definition is a hostile act. It creates division and conflict. It sets parents against parents. It sets parents against teachers. It sets parents against administrators. It is a "trigger" and triggers kill." —Professor Diane Ravitch
Ben Austin and Shirley Ford of ALEC's Parent Revolution

Ben Austin and Shirley Ford of ALEC's Parent Revolution

Parent Revolution, the well funded neoliberal operatives in charge of achieving reactionary Andy Smarick's dream of replacing public schools with a privatized system, has been experiencing a little blow back from their recent corporate drive by. In addition to the news of protests against the Weigand trigger pull and another Tea Party group joining forces with Parent Revolution, there has been some interesting criticisms from expected, and unexpected venues.
Even the biggest privatization cheerleaders—the Los Angeles

SKrashen: Common core's claims are false

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

SKrashen: Common core's claims are false: Stephen Krashen PUBLISHED IN THE CINCINNATI INQUIRER, SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013 http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20...

Is texting in school a right? Can we make school and cell... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

Is texting in school a right? Can we make school and cell... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com:

Get Schooled: Is texting in school a right? Can we make school and cell phones compatible?

Texting in school

Atlanta International School: Sale makes sense for us and APS
June 2, 2013
Is APS selling one of its most valuable assets, site of Atlanta International School?
June 2, 2013
To be or not to be a drama major in this economy: Chancellor and drama major disagree
June 1, 2013

By Maureen Downey

A teacher sent me an interesting note about smartphones in classrooms. It was timely because I had a recent conversation with a friend about her teen's new smartphone.

I remarked a few months ago that her daughter differed from most teenage girls who always seem to be looking downward -- at their phones, their computers or their iPads. Her daughter was always looking outward at the world around her, full of interest and questions.

Her mother lamented a few weeks ago that her daughter now had a smartphone and was spending a lot of time looking down at the screen. (She and her friends had a deep attachment to a funny photo sharing program.) Mother and daughter weren

Get Schooled: Atlanta International School: Sale makes sense for us and APS

On Sunday, I shared a letter from an APS parent concerned about the district selling the former North Fulton High School site in Buckhead to the Atlanta International School, which has been renting the building and land since 1995. The sale would help APS plug a $61 million budget ...

The Educated Reporter: Governors, State Superintendents Focusing on Third Graders' Reading Skills

The Educated Reporter: Governors, State Superintendents Focusing on Third Graders' Reading Skills:

Governors, State Superintendents Focusing on Third Graders' Reading Skills

by Emily Richmond

Students who aren't proficient readers early on are more likely to struggle later, and the third grade has developed into a critical signpost of a child's academic future. Research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation found third graders whose literacy skills fell short were four times more likely to drop out of school down the line.

To further conversation on the issue, Washington Post Live will host a forum Tuesday with three governors and six state education chiefs who will discuss plans for focusing on the third-grade literacy benchmark. Co-sponsored by the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, the event will be live-streamed at 9 a.m. Eastern time. (You find more information here.)

Tuesday's participants include Delaware Gov. Jack Markell; Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant; and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez. Also participating are state school superintendents from Georgia, Maryland, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Martinez - along with lawmakers in at least three other states -- wants to hold back students who aren't proficient readers by the end of the third grade. That's an approach that's gained popularity in recent years amidcontroversy over its effectiveness. Arizona, Oklahoma and Indiana have since passed legislation holding back

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week 34: The Ides of Open House

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week 34: The Ides of Open House:

Week 34: The Ides of Open House

by alicemercer

I can’t believe how little of the school year is left. That’s probably a good thing ;-)

.
Right now, life is all about preparing for the Science Fair/Open House which will be midway through next week.

Project vs. Project-based – what I’ve learned…

In the past, I’ve done projects (with assigned topics) but my co-workers wanted to a do a science fair, where the kids picked their own topics. We had them formulate questions about a topic, and then form a hypothesis. One of the things I like about this group of kids is that they are great at moving beyond re-call type reports into inquiry-based projects. This was a small one, but they did a good job with it (I’ll post some examples later), and easily transitioned from “Hey, I want to mix Mentos and Diet Coke!”, to “Hmm, what could make it shoot up higher? What variables could I change that might effect the reaction?”
I’ve contributed to two pieces by Larry Ferlazzo recently, and they share some of what I’m doing to get through

Last Stand for Children First: Last Stand for Children Founder Myron Miner Survives Mackinac Conference Tragedy

Last Stand for Children First: Last Stand for Children Founder Myron Miner Survives Mackinac Conference Tragedy:

Last Stand for Children Founder Myron Miner Survives Mackinac Conference

by Last Stand for Children

Tragedy struck the Mackinac Policy Conference when in their zealous to improve the efficiency of Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel, inadvertently made the hotel staff walk off the job. Mackinac, which is the Indian word for "Slaughter Island" soon found the peaceful conference guests facing off in tribes. While there was apparently

Stand in Solidarity with Mexican Teachers! | Classroom Struggle

Stand in Solidarity with Mexican Teachers! | Classroom Struggle:

Stand in Solidarity with Mexican Teachers!

by ClassroomStruggle

Stand in Solidarity with

Mexican Teachers!

Teachers throughout Mexico – from Oaxaca, Guerrero, to Mexico City – have been hitting the streets in opposition to a set of “reforms” imposed by the Mexican government, under the leadership of newly elected president Enrique Pena-Nieto.

These “reforms” include: increasing the amount of standardized tests, decrease in the power of the teacher’s union (SNTE) in controlling hiring practices, provide more power for administrators and bosses throughout the Mexican public education system, and an attempt by the government to force more of the costs of schools on to parents through a measure promoting decentralized budgeting under the guise of “school autonomy.”

These are the same “reforms” that we’re facing here in the US – from No Child Left Behind to Race to the Top. We need to learn from our counterparts in Mexico, and support their efforts.

Let’s gather together at the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco, this Wednesday June 5th, to educate ourselves and take on simple tasks we can take to support the teachers in Mexico fighting for quality education for students, parents, and teachers. We will have informational flyers and sign making materials.

Come through!

Wednesday, June 5th @ 5pm

532 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94105

Oregon Save Our Schools: A Parent Questions Common Core in Oregon

Oregon Save Our Schools: A Parent Questions Common Core in Oregon:

A Parent Questions Common Core in Oregon

by Oregon SOS

A bit of background:

Common Core State Standards, an unproven set of curricular standards has been adopted for use in most states across our country to include Oregon WITHOUT public input. As part of receiving the NCLB Waiver, Oregon used CCSS as their set of standards which would prove to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan that we were agreeing to use "career and college ready standards" in our plan to get the waiver. What hasn't been discussed or analyzed is the cost of implementing these standards--not only in money, but also in time.

At a time when school budgets are still being squeezed so that students are getting lost in large class sizes, schools are losing important programs, and districts are cutting school days to make ends meet, one has to wonder if this is the best decision right now for our kids. As a result, many educators and parents, are starting to question not only the necessity of these standards, but also the effects they will have on our public education

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-2-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

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 CAP

Asian-American Students Face Unique Challenges When It Comes to Affirmative Action - Higher Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago

Asian-American Students Face Unique Challenges When It Comes to Affirmative Action - Higher Education: Asian-American Students Face Unique Challenges When It Comes to Affirmative Action by cmaadmin [image: Irwin Tang] Irwin Tang, an Austin, Texas-based psychotherapist, says he believes that some of the nation’s elite institutions of higher learning have unofficial quotas that cap the admission of students of Asian descent. Irwin Tang, an Austin, Texas-based psychotherapist, says he believes that some of the nation’s elite institutions of higher learning have unofficial quotas that ... more »

Why Some Schools Want To Expel Suspensions : NPR

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 37 minutes ago

Why Some Schools Want To Expel Suspensions : NPR: Why Some Schools Want To Expel Suspensions by NPR STAFF June 02, 2013 5:36 PM http://www.youthfutures.com/report/kids_matter_2008/4/3/ The effectiveness of school suspensions is up for debate. California is the most recent battleground, but a pattern of uneven application and negative outcomes is apparent across the country. California students were suspended more than 700,000 times over the 2011-2012 school year,according to state data. One school district decided it was getting ridiculous. In May, the board for the Los Angeles Unifi... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-2-13 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: *IN HER OWN WORDS* L.A. Times: Parent Trigger=Parent Trap by dianerav The Los Angeles Times is not at all pleased with the way the so-called “parent trigger” is working out. Theeditorial board wants a more open, transparent process. The editorial does not point out that only one organization has pushed the idea that parents should seize control of a public institution. “Parent Revolution”–funded by billionaires–wrote the law, sends paid community organizers to gather parent signatures, and litigates to push its goa... more »

Library for All | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Library for All | toteachornototeach: Library for All by aristotlethewise From Chalkboard to the Cloud: Library for All Puts the World in a Child’s Hands Imagine you’re a 9-year-old girl attending a makeshift school in Haiti, and a well-meaning church group or charity drops off boxes of donated books for you and your classmates to read. This is a generous gesture, but the books are in English. You speak French Creole and are just learning to read and write, using one chalkboard shared by 50 students. The stacks of donated books become stools for the school’s youngest pupils, and yo... more »

Daily Kos: thoughts after a college reunion

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Daily Kos: thoughts after a college reunion: thoughts after a college reunion by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) I spent from Friday afternoon through midmorning today on the campuses of Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges for the 40th reunion of my 3rd and final class at Haverford. I joined the class as a 25 year old junior, and thus did not get to know quite as many people through the normal freshman bonding process. Similarly for our sister class at Bryn Mawr (in those days Haverford was still officially single sex), I had met relatively few of them - those that lived on the Haver... more »

Weekend reading: New York City’s complete evaluation plans | GothamSchools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Weekend reading: New York City’s complete evaluation plans | GothamSchools: Weekend reading: New York City’s complete evaluation plansby Philissa Cramer, at 12:19 pm If you’ve finished the Sunday crossword puzzle, it might be time to turn your attention to the full version of New York City’s teacher and principal evaluation plans. The plans, which State Education Commissioner announced on Saturday, were posted to the State Education Department’s website just after midnight. Through 240 pages, King details his responses to proposals set out by the city Department of Education and the... more »

Ed Notes Online: Evaluation Deal: The Enemy, King/Bloomberg/etc or UFT/AFT/NYSUT Leadership?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Evaluation Deal: The Enemy, King/Bloomberg/etc or UFT/AFT/NYSUT Leadership?: Evaluation Deal: The Enemy, King/Bloomberg/etc or UFT/AFT/NYSUT Leadership? by ed notes online *Despite the awful and fairy-dust based evaluation system, despite the fact that not one UFT member was allowed a vote on it, we have been almost five years without a raise and missed the 8% pattern raise the rest of our union brothers and sisters got. I have no problem telling the emperor how I feel about that.... NYC Educator on the June 12 rally* * * *Bloomberg is irrelevant. The real emperors ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Can the Left and the Right Find Enough Common Ground to Work Against Common Core?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Can the Left and the Right Find Enough Common Ground to Work Against Common Core?: Can the Left and the Right Find Enough Common Ground to Work Against Common Core? by stlgretchen An thought provoking article by Anthony Cody asking *Is the Tea Party Right About the Common Core? *appeared in Education Week: * * Yesterday's Washington Post carried a banner story about growing Tea Party opposition to the Common Core. We learn that across the country, Tea Party activists have been organizing around opposition to the Common Core, and have succeeded in bl... more »

NYC Public School Parents: John King's decision on teacher evaluation: voodoo or wake-up call for "bad" teachers?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: John King's decision on teacher evaluation: voodoo or wake-up call for "bad" teachers?: John King's decision on teacher evaluation: voodoo or wake-up call for "bad" teachers? by Leonie Haimson Lots of news and commentary this morning on Commissioner John King’s From the front page of today's NY Postdecision on a new NYC teacher evaluation system. Here's the one I like best: Jersey Jazzman'sExclusive! First look at NY Student surveys for Teacher evaluation (based on the the fact that starting in 3rd grade, the results of student surveys will be part of ... more »

Common Core: Assessing the real level of support

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Common Core: Assessing the real level of support: Common Core: Assessing the real level of support By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 2, 2013 at 12:30 pmE-mail the writer 1 Comments More [image: common core]Does “the great majority” of Americans really support the Common Core? How do we know? Here’s a piece on the subject from P.L. Thomas, an associate professor of education at Furman University in South Carolina. He edited the 2013 book “Becoming and Being a Teacher,” and wrote the 2012 book, “Ignoring Poverty in the U.S.: The Corporate Takeover of Public Education.” This was publi... more »

Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky: Sunday reads. by Fred Klonsky [image: NYSED005] *EXCLUSIVE! First Look at NY Student Surveys for Teacher Evaluation! ** Photo: Jersey Jazzman**“Today, educators would do well to remember the lesson* of the power of fusing civil rights movements with

UPDATE: Great News from Seattle Schools Seattle Schools Community Forum: State sets deadline for Seattle Special Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: State sets deadline for Seattle Special Education: Great News from Seattle Schools by Melissa Westbrook From SPS: - Officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced that two Seattle Public Schools students – Tara N. Conley, The Center School; and Derek B. Gasaway, Garfield High School – are among the winners for college-sponsored scholarships. - South Lake High School teacher Web Hutchins received the state’s top honor for civic education - the Civic Educator of the Year award. Hutchins was nominated for the... more »

The story of an ‘offending’ blog post

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

The story of an ‘offending’ blog post: The story of an ‘offending’ blog post By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 2, 2013 at 10:30 amE-mail the writer 0 Comments More [image: (Associated Press photo)] (Associated Press photo) Here is a new piece from award-winning Principal Carol Burris of South Side High School in New York. Burris was namedNew York’s 2013 High School Principal of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York and the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and in 2010, tapped as the 2010 New York State Outstanding Educator by the School A... more »

Rahm Emanuel, there’s a good reason people are mad at you — MSNBC

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Rahm Emanuel, there’s a good reason people are mad at you — MSNBC: Rahm Emanuel, there’s a good reason people are mad at you Melissa Harris-Perry, @mharrisperry 12:46 PM on 06/01/2013 Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy The photo of this week’s *Time* magazine cover guy is accompanied by a question that I can only assume is rhetorical. Because the answer to the question about Chicago’s mayor–why are people mad at him?–should be readily apparent to anyone following recent headlines about the 50 Chicago schools slated to be closed. It’s certainl... more »

Education group to get more oversight - StamfordAdvocate

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Education group to get more oversight - StamfordAdvocate: Education group to get more oversightKen DixonPublished 8:56 pm, Saturday, June 1, 2013 [image: A little-known organization that was used by the state education commissioner Stefan Pryo to circumvent state bidding requirements last year would have several new layers of oversight and transparency under legislation that awaits action in the House. New State Department of Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor speaks at a news conference to announce his appointment the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Conn., Wednesday, Se... more »

Firing Day at a Charter School | Seattle Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Firing Day at a Charter School | Seattle Education: Firing Day at a Charter School An image of Dany Edwards. Art by Sean Flaherty, who was also fired from this charter school on June 1, 2011. I just quit my job as a teacher in an urban charter school. Even though I still don’t have another job and I support myself entirely, it is the best decision I ever made. It is especially liberating this week while my colleagues – and after five incredibly stressful years on the education front lines, my truly beloved friends – wait for the June 1 ax to fall. Every June 1, the exhausted teacher... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Should Police Departments Offer Iris Scans for Children?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Should Police Departments Offer Iris Scans for Children?: Should Police Departments Offer Iris Scans for Children? by stlgretchen Mexico launches national ID cards for children From *Granby police offer iris scans under child identification program sponsored by Hampshire County Sheriff's department:* Over the next couple of months, parents will be able to have their children's irises scanned under a child identification program sponsored by the Hampshire County Sheriff's Department. Police Chief Alan P. Wishart Jr. said consent forms to participate in t... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-2-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Google and the Death of Privacy by dianerav There is good reason to be worried about the effort by the federal Department of Education to create a massive database. Doing so is part of Race to the Top. There is reason to be concerned about inBloom, the project funded by Gates and managed by Rupert Murdoch. Sharp Increase in Homeless Kids in NYC by dianerav Yoav Gonen and Frank Rosario in the New York Post report a spike in the number of homeless students in the Ne... more »

Ed Notes Online: Mr. Merrow, how about reconsidering your adulation of RSD in New Orleans?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Mr. Merrow, how about reconsidering your adulation of RSD in New Orleans?: Mr. Merrow, how about reconsidering your adulation of RSD in New Orleans? by ed notes online *It is a sham, just as Rhee is a sham..... deutsch29* John Merrow has done a mea culpa on Michelle Rhee and took particular aim at the Washington Post's coddling of that Cheatn' Rhee. Does Washington have an ‘Atlanta-style’ situation? In some respects, yes. There are four striking similarities: Irregularities at a majority of schools in both cities; a secret report buried by the school administrati... more »

6-2-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: NY Columnist Worries About Global Warming from School Air Conditioners as State Prepares to Punish Teachers in Hot Classrooms by Jim Horn Opinionator Sara Mosle learned both teaching and politics from Teach for America, and now she is a favorite at the NYTimes to express the positivized neoliberal edu-position without having to think about it. Sara wonders in her latest column if children in air conditioned classrooms have an advantage over children who must swelter in school […] Asking a Better CCSS Support Question by plthomasedd As a fo... more »

Louisiana Educator: Help Stop Vouchers and Course Choice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: Help Stop Vouchers and Course Choice: Help Stop Vouchers and Course Choice by Michael Deshotels Now that the legislature is winding down, most of the remaining decisions will be in establishing budget priorities. Governor Jindal has been successful so far in expanding the funding for a very poorly designed and executed voucher system. The final budget will be negotiated in the next few days to find a compormise between the House and Senate versions of the budget. The Senate approved budget includes funding for an expanded voucher program even though there is n... more »

Lisa Nielsen: The Innovative Educator: How connected is your school? Take this quiz to find out.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Lisa Nielsen: The Innovative Educator: How connected is your school? Take this quiz to find out.: How connected is your school? Take this quiz to find out. by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) In our Web 2.0 world, schools can communicate, connect, interact and engage like never before. As we leave 2013 behind and move into the 2014 school year it is time to think about how we will replace the one-way communication of the backpack note home with a truly interactive and connected experience for the school community. This quiz will help you take a look at where you are so you can ... more »

Students Last: Baby-faced Blackmailers

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Students Last: Baby-faced Blackmailers: Baby-faced Blackmailers by Students Last NYC's youngest criminals major in reading, writing and extortion*New York -* Sometime on Thursday several elementary school students, who thought they were going on a field trip, were instead ushered into a police van and then taken to the local precinct. Their crime? The gang of eight-year-olds allegedly tried to shakedown their teachers. At a press conference held by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. Friday morning, prosecutors shared some information about the suspects in the plot to extor... more »

Name That Legislature to Win a Grand Prize | Reclaim Reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Name That Legislature to Win a Grand Prize | Reclaim Reform: Name That Legislature to Win a Grand Prize by kenpreviti [image: Furlanetto] Below is a direct quotation. *Name the legislature being referred to for a Grand Prize!* “Whatever direction you look, you only see private interest, corruption, bribery. It’s really depressing. Most of the opera companies are struggling, severely struggling, and in the short term I do not foresee a positive future for any of them – or for music and art in general. The political class built there in this decade, the first thing that all of these ge... more »

Jersey Jazzman: EXCLUSIVE! First Look at NY Student Surveys for Teacher Evaluation!

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: EXCLUSIVE! First Look at NY Student Surveys for Teacher Evaluation!: EXCLUSIVE! First Look at NY Student Surveys for Teacher Evaluation! by Duke Today, details of New York State's new teacher evaluation system were released: The state also said New York City *students in third through 12th grades should have a say in their teachers' ratings. Starting in the 2014-15 school year, student surveys will count for 5% of a teachers' grade in New York City,* the state said. Only one other school district in New York state, Syracuse, is currently using student surveys. The U... more »

Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education »

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: H.R.2155 American Dream Accounts Act of 2013 Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 10 minutes ago To award grants in order to establish longitudinal personal college readiness and savings online platforms for low-income students. Bill Introduced: H.R.2108 Foster Youth Higher Education Opportunities Act Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 10 minutes ago To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide information to foster youth on their potential eligibility for Federal student aid. Bill Introduc... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-1-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: G.F. Brandenburg Deconstructs Rhee by dianerav In this post, blogger and former math teacher G.F. Brandenburg dissects a speech by Michelle Rhee. What he finds especially amazing is that Rhee doesn’t acknowledge her own role as chancellor of the D. C. Schools as she rid into the flaws of public education. He notes that the achievement gap grew during her time in office. Why Other Nations Fear Race to the Top by dianerav A reader writes about his experience at an international conference: *Last May I had the privi... more »

Commissioner Pryor to Bridgeport Parents: DROP DEAD - Wait, What?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Commissioner Pryor to Bridgeport Parents: DROP DEAD - Wait, What?: Commissioner Pryor to Bridgeport Parents: DROP DEAD by jonpelto Back when it was Dan Malloy, instead of Dannel, the candidate running for governor said that increasing parental involvement in schools, especially through the utilization of Connecticut’s school governance councils was a high priority. In fact, candidate Dan Malloy even said he’d take the concept of school governance councils statewide, instead of just requiring them in poorer school districts. When Governor Malloy pushed through his “education reform”... more »

Ed Notes Online: Video: Since You Asked, Mr. Walcott

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Video: Since You Asked, Mr. Walcott: Video: Since You Asked, Mr. Walcott by ed notes online Excess'd - A Teacher Without a Room comes up with another in a series of videos this time spoofing Walcott's appearance at the principal's conference (Whining Walcott Misuses Public Funds and Public Space) two weeks ago. Popout

NYC Educator: Highlights of Reformy John's New Decree

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

NYC Educator: Highlights of Reformy John's New Decree: Highlights of Reformy John's New Decree by NYC Educator For third grade and above, 5% of your rating will come from students. Surveys will be piloted next year and will count the following year. While observations and whatever will count as 60% this year, they will be reduced to 55% the following year. So think twice before confiscating that cell phone, contacting parents, or demanding that homework assignment. A majority of the 55 or 60% must be based on observations from administrators. 20% to be determined at school level. Co... more »

Jersey Jazzman: DFER's Misleading and Innumerate "Research"

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: DFER's Misleading and Innumerate "Research": DFER's Misleading and Innumerate "Research" by Duke Bruce Baker has sort of cornered the market on critiquing stupid education policy graphs, so I feel like maybe I need to pay him a royalty or something when I say this: *Democrats For Education Reform has produced quite possibly the year's dumbest education policy graph.* Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes (p.4): Let's go right to the text of the policy brief this comes from, written by Mac LeBuhn, and see if we can figure out what the young gentleman is trying to sa... more »

State releases outline of evaluation system it’s imposing on NYC | GothamSchools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

State releases outline of evaluation system it’s imposing on NYC | GothamSchools: State releases outline of evaluation system it’s imposing on NYCby Philissa Cramer, at 5:29 pm;; Student surveys, observation options for teachers, and a role for educators at each school are part of the city’s new teacher evaluation system, which State Education Commissioner John King is imposing today. The plan appears to contain some elements that will please each of the Department of Education and the United Federation of Teachers, which were not able to agree on a system by a January deadline. Th... more »

Student loans: The financialized economy of indentured servitude | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Student loans: The financialized economy of indentured servitude | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News: Student loans: The financialized economy of indentured servitude by Danny Weil [image: chomskeydebt] Get ready students! Your college student loans are due to double on July 2013! The cost of higher education is spiraling and with it the cost of student loans, one of the biggest Wall Street rackets currently in existence. Both the Obama administration and the Republicans are seeking “market solutions” they say will staunch the bleeding ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: video: Diane Ravitch vs. Michelle Rhee

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NYC Public School Parents: video: Diane Ravitch vs. Michelle Rhee: Warning to parents and CECs considering DOE's proposals to dezone your district schools by Leonie Haimson At the end of the school year and towards the end of the Bloomberg reign, DoE has been hurriedlyHazel Dukes of the NAACP, who spoke up against dezoning District 5proposing to dezone Districts 4, 5, 6 (twice), 7 (unzoned into two large preference zones this year), 12, 13, 14, 16, 17 and 23 (unzoned for MS this year). In order to achieve this, theCommunity Education Councils in these districts have to approve.... more »

NPE Webinar: Uncovering the Truth About Education Reform – June 4, 2013 | The Network For Public Education ← NPE News Briefs

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NPE Webinar: Uncovering the Truth About Education Reform – June 4, 2013 | The Network For Public Education ← NPE News Briefs: *NPE News Briefs* NPE Webinar: Uncovering the Truth About Education Reform – June 4, 2013 | The Network For Public Education by NPE News Briefs Learn from the Experts: Mercedes Schneider and Michael Corwin Are you frustrated when corruption goes on and nobody even seems to notice? Do you want to learn how to uncover the truth about what is happening to our schools? We are presenting a special webinar where two outstanding experts will share tips and ... more »

Homeschool Academy Launched to Teach Science From Biblical Worldview | toteachornototeach

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Homeschool Academy Launched to Teach Science From Biblical Worldview | toteachornototeach: Homeschool Academy Launched to Teach Science From Biblical Worldview by aristotlethewise *Innovative New Home-school Academy* *Launched to Teach Science From Biblical Worldview* By Garrett Haley *DAYTON, Tenn.* – In 1925, a historic court case forever changed the way many Americans view science and religion. Today, nearly 90 years later, two professors are launching a new Christian science organization less than a mile from where that momentous trial unfolded all those many years ago. In the ea... more »

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky [image: davidgoliath] The sun rose over a partly cloudy Illinois this morning and teachers still had their pensions intact. The attempt to allow Chicago to short their obligation to the teacher pension fund failed in spite of the attempts by both Madigan and Cullerton to pass a bill allowing another so-called *pension holiday. * That would be a holiday for the political hucksters. Not the teachers. Illinois public employees keep their constitutionally guaranteed benefits. What a David and Goliath battle that was. On the ... more »