Saturday, June 15, 2013

Diane in the Evening 6-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

The Problem with Teacher Evaluation

by dianerav

Michael Weston of Hillsborough County, Florida, explains what is wrong with teacher evaluation:
“Of course we use the Danielson rubric in Hillsborough County Fl, where it forms one of the three pillars of the Gates funded “Empowering Effective Teachers”. The second pillar is value-added, the third is duplicity / deception.
Quite frankly, whether Charlotte is spelled Charlatan, whether her rubric is valuable or trash, whether her resume is padded…..none of this matters to me. What matters is what it is being used for. Teacher evaluation. Not a

Carol Burris Reviews John King’s Evaluation Plan and Finds It Wanting

by dianerav

Principal Carol Bussis of South Side High School in Rockville Center, Long Island, spent her Saturday analyzing State Education Commissioner John King’s Educator Evaluation plan. Here is her review:
“When I took a look at the details of the plan imposed by Commissioner King on NYC, I was taken aback. The first thing I noticed was how low the points in the Effective range in the final 60 (other measures) were. These are the points assigned by the principal according to the rubric. I could not understand how the points in the Effective range could be as low as 45. A teacher could be rated effective in the first component, with a growth score of 9 points, effective in the second component the local measure with a score of 9 points and receive 45 points in the

Do Low-Income Parents Want Charters or Great Public Schools?

by dianerav

Katie Osgood refers obliquely here to the famous John Dewey quote that what the best and wisest parent wants for his children is what we should want for all children:
“Here is the fundamental question: If low-income parents were offered fully-funded neighborhood schools with all kinds of “choice” offered within the schools like arts, music, sports, technology, supplemental services, libraries, world language, special education services, small classes, experienced/stable staff with low-turnover, etc (like

RRatto on Teacher Evaluation

by dianerav

I agree with the following comment by RRatto. If checklists for teacher evaluation were so great, how come they are never used in the nation’s elite private schools? They are a remnant of factory thinking, and unworthy of any profession. Checklists are great for auto mechanics and home builders. They are distinctly non-professional.
RRatto writes:
“anyone who claims they know how to measure a teacher’s effectiveness is f

Alan Singer: Who Is Charlotte Danielson?

by dianerav

Charlotte Danielson is the leading guru of teacher evaluation. Alan Singer asks who she is, what is her background, and why will so many teachers be evaluated by her rubric.

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Newark: The End of Neighborhood Schools by dianerav Newark Superintendent Cami Anderson has proposed the end of neighborhood schools. All district schools and charter schools will be part of a pool. Or something. Reformers don’t like neighborhood schools. They like a free market where everyone chooses and no one has any loyalties. Michigan has boils he’d district lines and schools advertise for students. This is the business approach. Typically, what happens is that... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach?

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach?:

Is College Becoming Out-of-Reach?

by Melissa Westbrook

An article in the Huffington Post about college costs caught my eye.

Over the past three decades, the inflation-adjusted income of the median American family has basically remained stagnant. The same can’t be said of college costs, which have simultaneously surged to almost unrecognizable heights, according to a new report by the left-leaning Center for American Progress.

Costs at private nonprofit four-year colleges have

A New framework for Working and Learning | Lefty Parent

A New framework for Working and Learning | Lefty Parent:

A New framework for Working and Learning

by Cooper Zale

For many of us the rules of engagement at work are changing, from the traditional approach of being told what to do by “bosses”, to a new more egalitarian approach where a team of colleagues and peers collectively decide what to do. Those traditional “bosses” are being replaced by “managers” who are more facilitative than directive, conveying to us the basic business strategy from the company’s leadership team, making sure we have the time and resources to implement that strategy, and being available to assist when we need their assistance. From all my own experience plus hearsay from other “knowledge workers”, I understand that this has become standard practice in most of the work done in business operations today.
Yet given that new reality, our education system, which increasingly promotes itself as the means for developing our young people into new workers for our businesses, is still operating in the traditional model with teachers and principals as “bosses” and very little if any egalitarian process. This is a disconnect that in my opinion is leading to our young people being increasingly debilitated by their school experience rather than developing the skills to

NYC Public School Parents: Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues?

NYC Public School Parents: Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues?:

Last night's parent-led Mayoral forum: how did they do on the hot-button issues?

by Leonie Haimson

The parent-led mayoral forum last night at Murry Bergtraum High School was terrific, with parents asking incisive yes/no questions, investigative reporter Juan Gonzalez doing inspired follow-up as only he knows how, and all the candidates giving thoughtful responses. Below is the livestream video; we will have sharper video uploaded next week, but the audio is quite clear.

The coalition of individuals and groups that put this together, which included Class Size Matters and NYC Kids PAC (the full list is on the flyer) asked some very challenging questions, and developed a scorecard by which the responses of the candidates could be marked off yes or no. Here is a pdf copy of scorecard, with all the questions listed and how each of the candidates responded.
Or you can click on the images to the right and below.

Carrion, Thompson and Liu came late and so didn't have a chance to answer all the questions, so they are marked "L" for those questions. However, at the end of the forum, Juan

DIFFICULT TO FIRE A TEACHER ? A RIDICULOUS MYTH | Teachers Fight Back

DIFFICULT TO FIRE A TEACHER ? A RIDICULOUS MYTH | Teachers Fight Back:

DIFFICULT TO FIRE A TEACHER ? A RIDICULOUS MYTH

by alkleen

The Chicago Public School Administrators are about to fire 420 teachers. More than a third of the teachers have tenure, but they were rated either unsatisfactory or satisfactory. The teachers union contract protects only those teachers with excellent or superior ratings.
Tenured teachers being fired ? Yes, folks, it’s not all that uncommon. The Chicago Teachers Union is one of the most powerful teachers union in the nation, and even their tenured teachers can be fired if not EXCELLENT OR SUPERIOR.
I get so irritated whenever I hear the latest millionaire hedge fund manager explain how we have an education crisis because incompetent teachers can’t be fired. The level of competency among teachers is no different than

UPDATE: Martire for governor. Why not? So far the joke has been on us. | Fred Klonsky

Martire for governor. Why not? So far the joke has been on us. | Fred Klonsky:

Chicago Bull/Bull Connor.

by Fred Klonsky

Martire for governor. Why not? So far the joke has been on us.

by Fred Klonsky

When I posted the idea of drafting the Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability to run for governor the other day the response was swift and positive.
The question that I raise to the leaders of the state’s public employee unions. Why not?
The list of announced and un-announced candidates is pretty depressing, particularly from the viewpoint of working men and women, both in the public and private sectors:
Proven pension bombers.
Millionaire Wall Street investors, bankers and one percenters.

Is the worm turning?

Is the worm turning?:

Is the worm turning?

By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 15, 2013 at 10:30 amE-mail the writer

Comments

Indiana has been one of the most school reform-loving states in recent years — at least, that is, until now. Here is a look at what is happening there, by Karen Francisco, editorial page editor of The Journal Gazette, where this appeared. She has worked there since 2000 and for Indiana newspapers since 1982. She can be reached at 260-461-8206 or by email,kfrancisco@jg.net.

By Karen Francisco

How much does Indiana love school reform? So much that the American Legislative Exchange Council, the corporate-controlled group drafting boilerplate laws for state legislatures across the country, named its education package the “Indiana Education Reform Package.”

So much that a campy “Education Reform Idol” contest conducted by the right-leaning Fordham Institute crowned Indiana the “Reformiest State” for 2011.

So much that the defeat of state schools chief Tony Bennett last November slowed but didn’t stop education measures in the last session of the General Assembly.

But make no mistake: Indiana’s love affair with so-called school reform is cooling. Serious cracks are showing in the relationship between lawmakers and anti-labor, pro-privatization forces that have fueled the so-called reform with millions in campaign contributions.

Some clues:

• Efforts to dilute the authority of Superintendent Glenda Ritz, Bennett’s successor,

Race vs. class in college admissions: A false dichotomy or not?

by Valerie Strauss

The Supreme Court will soon hand down its verdict in a case that challenges racial preferences in admissions at the University of Texas. In this post, Richard D. Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at the nonprofit public policy research organization The … Continue reading →

solidaridad: Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners

solidaridad: Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners:

Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

Because we know that language learning doesn't occur in one year or even in a few months, it's over time.—Becky Palacios, Ph.D.
Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners

Save LAUSD's SRLDP Preschools for English Language Learners

The School Readiness Language Development Program (SRLDP) is an amazingly effective Pre-K program for English Language Leaners. This isn't the first time that Broad and Gates' Superintendent John Deasy has tried to kill the program, it was on his neoliberal chopping block last year along withAdult Education and other vital programs.
This only serves to highlight a key problem with Governor Brown's just passed Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). When your local controller is little more than an incarnate version of the "corporations are people" school of aberrant thought, you will see local control prioritizing profits over people. Deasy has already been diverting Title I and Title III dollars to projects that don't benefit students. LCFF gives Deasy more money, but without the constraints of categorical funding. Money

SKrashen: Why is California spending 1.25 billion to implement the common core?

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

SKrashen: Why is California spending 1.25 billion to impleme...: Why is California spending 1.25 billion to implement the common core? Sent to the Monterey Herald (CA), June 14 ...

@TCFKSM: Report Back from the Trigger Happy Parent Revolution's "Meet and Greet" with teachers and social justice organizers

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

First published on @TCFKSM on June 15, 2013

What troubles me is what you are doing with the millions you raise. You use it to sow dissension, to set parents against parents, parents against teachers, parents against principals. I don’t see this as productive or helpful. Schools function best when there is collaboration among teachers, parents, administrators, and students. Schools have a better chance of success for the children when they have a strong community and culture of respect. — Professor Diane Ravitch

Quick background. The Walton Foundation funded Parent Revolution operatives were handing out flyers to everyone, including me, before the

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky:

Saturday coffee.

by Fred Klonsky

Celebrating Freedom Day, Juneteenth in New Orlean’s Treme. 2011 Photo: Fred Klonsky.
This morning we provide a history lesson while you’re drinking your coffee.
If you are in New Orleans it is possible that your coffee has chicory root in it.
Although coffee with chicory root in it has a long tradition, most historians agree that it’s use in New Orleans coffee became more common as a result of the blockade of the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Coffee beans became scarce.
In other parts of the South corn and nuts were also mixed into what coffee beans were available.
Back in the 70s I developed a taste for coffee with chicory since our best friends Nat and Cisco had moved from New Orleans to Chicago and brought their coffee with them.
That experiment lasted for about six months. Then I discovered Bustello brewed by pouring hot water over

Great EXpectations | EduShyster

Great EXpectations | EduShyster:

Great EXpectations

by edushyster2012

Will the heaviest hitter of all lend His support to the civil rights i$$ue of our time?

Reader: there are already plenty of marquee names involved in the crusade to *crush* the achievement gap. But thus far the biggest name of all has yet to weigh in upon the civil rights i$$ue of our time. I am talking, of course, about the Big Guy, the Man Upstairs, Sky Daddy, Him… Thankfully, thanks to the efforts of a former Teacher for America, that may be about to change. Let’s learn more, shall we?
Meet the Expectations Project, an effort to enlist faith-motivated individuals, leaders, congregations and organizations in developing local and national campaigns that help enact transformational change for low-income public schools. Now this sounds great. And for once I am being completely sincere. Getting churches and their members involved in helping public schools in their communities, from volunteering to training to become

2nd Banana 6-15-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST

NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!!! Join students, parents, Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP) Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

(71) Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP): Dear Parents, Teachers, and Community Members! We are moving FORWARD! We NEED each and every one of you to come out to the press conference and rally to FIGHT to keep our neighborhood schools open. We will file the lawsuit tomorrow, June 11, 2013 in federal court and will hold a press conference and rally in front of the Sacramento Federal Courthouse (501 " I " Street, Sacramento, CA 95814) at 4pm. We NEED to continue to show the School Board Members, the Superintendent, and the Sacramento community that we stand in solidarity in support of ... more »

U.S. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and Distinguished Panel to Address 'Education Solutions 2010' for California and the Nation in Event Streamed Live via the Internet on March 30 at 6:00 p.m. PDT

Daily Kos: Reunion

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Daily Kos: Reunion: Reunion by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) I write this sitting in a small dormitory room at Haverford College, which I entered in 1963, but from which I did not finally graduate until 1973. This weekend is the 45th reunion of my original class. I could, as this is Saturday morning, be writing my usual Saturday morning reflection on teaching. This will serve in its stead, because Haverford College played a significant role in my becoming a teacher, and in how I have always been drawn to my a life of service. This is a reflection on a remarkable group of men wh... more »

The GOP Shift in Education | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

THE GOP SHIFT IN EDUCATION

by Charlotte Williams

In a recent Slate article, Dana Goldstein argues that “Michele Bachmann's growing popularity among the Republican base signals . . . a sea change in the party's

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-12-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

Are Lazy Students the Real Problem in Public Education? - Education - GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Are Lazy Students the Real Problem in Public Education? - Education - GOOD: Are Lazy Students the Real Problem in Public Education? by Liz Dwyer [image: students] Over the past few years teachers have borne the brunt of the blame for the challenges facing the nation's public schools. But in a scathing op-ed in Salt Lake City's *Deseret News*, Teresa Talbot, a veteran of Utah's public schools who's about to enter her 25th year in the classroom, claims "the main problem with our education system today is not what is taught, where it is taught, by whom it is taught or how it is taught... more »

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

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-12-13 #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

Daily Kos: BREAKING: StudentsFirst & ALEC group exploit Teacher of the Year to promote anti-union agenda

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Daily Kos: BREAKING: StudentsFirst & ALEC group exploit Teacher of the Year to promote anti-union agenda: BREAKING: StudentsFirst & ALEC group exploit Teacher of the Year to promote anti-union agenda byEclectablogFollow *This is offensive* In May of this year, Gary Abud, a science teacher at Grosse Pointe North High School, was chosen as Michigan's 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year by State Superintendent Mike Flanagan. It's an amazing accomplishment for a teacher who has only been at it for six years. Well-respected by both his students and his coworkers, Mr. Abud was a worthy choice. ...more »

No Learning Without Feeling - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago

No Learning Without Feeling - NYTimes.com: No Learning Without Feeling Jon Han By CLAIRE NEEDELL HOLLANDERPublished: June 8, 2013 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - SINGLE PAGE - REPRINTS “IT’S sad,” the kid at the far table told me, “but it’s my favorite poem we worked on.” He was talking about “The Weary Blues,” by Langston Hughes, and although his emotional language was rudimentary, his response was authentic. “So we should read literature that makes us sad?” I asked. He laughed. “Well, sadness, Ms. Hollander, is something ... more »

The People's Library: Did You Know? | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

THE PEOPLE'S LIBRARY: DID YOU KNOW?

by Tarsi Dunlop

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library. Materials are added at the rate of 10,000 per day and the Copyright Office has a card catalogue with more than45 million card entries. It contains 838 miles of bookshelves and holds a collection of more than 147 million items. The Library is open to the public

Ed Notes Online: Retired Chapter Leader Slams UFT in Eval Deal, ATRs and Support for RTTT

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Retired Chapter Leader Slams UFT in Eval Deal, ATRs and Support for RTTT: Retired Chapter Leader Slams UFT in Eval Deal, ATRs and Support for RTTT by ed notes online *The UFT claims we should be treated the same as regular teachers but they seem to have abandoned us and are sliding away from all members concerns....I and several others approached Amy, Jose and the other UFT leaders at the one ATR meeting and expressed our desire to contribute to the UFT our unique perspectives and substantiated concerns about violations to our contract. The UFT was not interested ... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-14-13 #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

Engage and Motivate with ASCD's Summer Boot Camp Webinar Series — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago

Engage and Motivate with ASCD's Summer Boot Camp Webinar Series — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers] Engage and Motivate with ASCD’s Summer Boot Camp Webinar Series June 14, 2013 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers [image: ASCD Summer Boot Camp] Delve into summer learning with tips and strategies from a few of your favorite ASCD authors. The first session in the ASCD Summer Boot Camp Webinar Series kicks off Thursday, July 18 at 3 p.m., eastern time, and presents a strategic approach to direct vocabulary instruction that helps students master key

Common Core Withdrawal Bill Filed in New York Assembly | Truth in American Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Common Core Withdrawal Bill Filed in New York Assembly | Truth in American Education: Common Core Withdrawal Bill Filed in New York Assembly by Shane Vander Hart [image: New York State Capitol] Bill A07994 was filed yesterday in the New York Assembly and then referred to the education committee. This bill will halt the implementation of the Common Core State Standards and Race to the Top in the State of New York if passed. Below is the text of the bill: 2013 Race to the Top & Common Core Withdrawal Bill Draft by Al Graf Lisa Christiansen of Stop Common Core in New York State sent me... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-14-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

Daily Kos: BREAKING: StudentsFirst & ALEC group exploit Teacher of the Year to promote anti-union agenda

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-14-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Public Education Is Not Failing, But NCLB and RTTT Are by dianerav Ron Berler has written about his year in a so-called “failing school” in Norwalk, Connecticut. The school has a dedicated staff trying its best to raise the achievement levels of students who enter school far behind. Yet it is a “failing school” because no matter how much progress the students make,the children are still not as “proficient” as those in nearby affluent New Canaan. Berler has a new b... more »

After historic win, much collective work lies ahead | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

After historic win, much collective work lies ahead | EdSource Today: After historic win, much collective work lies ahead - by Ted Lempert by Ted Lempert [image: Picture of Ted Lempert] Ted Lempert California is about to embark on the most comprehensive reform to its school finance system in 40 years, putting local communities in the driver’s seat and making a historic investment of more than $10 billion in high-needs students. The compromise Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) to be voted on by the state Legislature by the June 15 deadline also fairly addresses the earlier “winner... more »

Christine Quinn Panders To Educators Through NYC DOE Official Email southbronxschool.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Christine Quinn Panders To Educators Through NYC DOE Official Email by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) *NYC MAYORAL HOPEFUL CHRISTINE QUINN* Christine Quinn, along with city council education chair, Robert Jackson, sent the following through the NYC DOE Outlook email. Sadly, I didn't get it, but a select few did (However, we do believe this was just sent to administrators). Though we here at SBSB are curious. Just how did she get access to Outlook? Only someone more powerful, and much shorter, than God would allow their "heir apparent" such acces... more »

The Educated Reporter: How a St. Louis Story Became a Toronto Education Scandal

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: How a St. Louis Story Became a Toronto Education Scandal: How a St. Louis Story Became a Toronto Education Scandal by Emily Richmond Aisha Sultan, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's parenting columnist, was searching the Nexis digital archive of newspaper articles last week when a troubling pairing caught her eye – her name, and the word “plagiarism.” Clicking on the link to the Toronto Star, Sultan learned she unwittingly had played a not-so-minor role in a major scandal for Canada’s largest school district. And it had all unfolded five months earlier, nearly 80... more »

Deasy and new board member Ratliff laud teacher report - latimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Deasy and new board member Ratliff laud teacher report - latimes.com: Deasy and new board member Ratliff laud teacher report by By Howard Blume Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy on Thursday broadly endorsed proposals from an outside group for attracting and retaining teachers, including more money for those who take on difficult assignments and deliver measurable academic gains. Positive reaction also came from newly elected school board member Monica Ratliff, who is leaving the classroom to join the Board of Education in July. Both were responding to recommendations in two repo... more »

After historic win, much collective work lies ahead | EdSource Today

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

My Anti-Ed Reform in Louisiana, part 2 of??? | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

My Anti-Ed Reform in Louisiana, part 2 of??? | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: My Anti-Ed Reform in Louisiana, part 2 of??? by crazycrawfish But before I get into some of the nitty-gritty details of where I am today as a small part of a grassroots rebellion, it’s important to note that none of this happened in a vacuum. I suppose I was a little like every little state worker bee for the first few years. I believed I was a simple civil servant, but that was ok. I had a job to do, just like everyone else, and we all wanted to work toward a common goal, and help our fellow citizens and our st... more »

My Problem With School Student Voice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Student Voice: My Problem With School by Miranda Hubbard Repost from Huffington Press Education. I have a problem with school and it is not just forcing myself out of bed every morning to go and sit through six hours of boringness. It’s not that I have to get ready just to see people whom I’m not too fond of and it’s also not fighting my way through the hallways like it’s The Hunger Games between every class. My problem with school is that you’re evaluated solely based on your weaknesses instead of your strengths. Albert Einstein said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fi... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-13-13 #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

Diane in the Evening 6-13-13 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: Lucy Calkins Gathers Feedback on Pearson Exams by dianerav Students in New York recently completed a battery of tests aligned with the Common Core and developed by Pearson. The tests remain secret though some bootleg copies have circulated. They should be released for public review. Although educators were not allowed to disclose the test questions, Lucy Calkins of Teachers College created a website where educators could register comments about the tests. She received over 1,000 comments. Some of them: Many teache... more »

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

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] CCSS, the Corporate Profit Black Hole by plthomasedd Unleash the Power!!!!! The power of corporate education reform to generate profit for textbook, program, and testing corporations while childhood poverty in the US skyrockets and children continue to be cheated out of rich educational experiences… Sounds about right: —– I think Education Week accidentally published the cover from an upcoming new young adult science […] Ask and receive: #Commoncore cereal! by Chalk Face, PhD Never too ea

Out of Sync: Many Common Core states have yet to define a Common Core-worthy diploma (At a Glance)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Out of Sync: Many Common Core states have yet to define a Common Core-worthy diploma (At a Glance): Out of Sync: Many Common Core states have yet to define a Common Core-worthy diploma (At a Glance) Forty-five states and the District of Columbia have voluntarily adopted rigorous Common Core State Standards for what their K-12 public school students should know and be able to do in mathematics and English Language Arts. Yet most of these states have yet to take a critical step towards making those standards a reality: they do not require high school graduates to complete the math c... more »

Blue State Boeing, Gates, High Tech Dreamland WA — Send Kids to Amazon Warehouses | Dissident Voice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Blue State Boeing, Gates, High Tech Dreamland WA — Send Kids to Amazon Warehouses | Dissident Voice: Blue State Boeing, Gates, High Tech Dreamland WA — Send Kids to Amazon Warehouses by Paul Haeder “Economists study and analyze poverty in their nice offices, have all the statistics, make all the models, and are convinced that they know everything that you can know about poverty. But they don’t understand poverty.” *—*Manfred Max-Neef Way-way too much in the education news for me to crank out one single column. That’s coming up. For now — Just one state gives us a peak into the... more »

UPDATE: Who would you like as Illinois Governor? + The in box. “Karen Lewis is right.” | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

The in box. “Karen Lewis is right.” | Fred Klonsky: Who would you like as Illinois Governor? by Fred Klonsky Take Our Poll The in box. Booze Allen, Boeing and the NSA. by Fred Klonsky Fred, I find it interesting that Sen. Levin found it unacceptable to have the investigation of sexual misconduct charges, in the military, fall outside the military chain of command. And at the same time Sen Durbin, and others, don’t set the same standard for the NSA and national security, 70% of national security monies/duties go to pvt. companies and fall outside the chain of command. In both cases ... more »

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

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Writing for the Common Core Tests by dianerav Vicki Cobb, an award-winning author of more than 90 children’s books about science, recently received a requestfrom a test publisher to write for the new Common Core assessments. However, when she saw the guidelines, she wondered if she could do it. Will her voice disappear? Will she be compelled to write the same pap that deadens textbooks? Stay tuned. Pennsylvania: Now We Know the Truth About Cyber Charters by diane... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-12-13 #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

The Color of School Closures | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The Color of School Closures | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity: The Color of School Closures *Posted on: Tuesday April 23rd, 2013* Mass school closings have become a hallmark of today's dominant education policy agenda. But rather than helping students, these closures disrupt whole communities. And as U.S. Department of Education data suggests, the most recent rounds of mass closings in Chicago, New York City and Philadelphia disproportionately hurt Black and low-income students. *What can you do to end these discriminatory and un... more »

Diane 6-12-13 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: Save Michigan Public Schools Rally on June 19 by dianerav This just in. Here is the flyer in downloadable form: Education supporters plan huge grassroots rally at Mich Capitol June 19th Grassroots power in action! Please join us on the Capitol lawn beginning at 11:30 am on Wednesday, June 19th. We’re still working on lining up our speakers for the event, but we’ve already confirmed the following superstar advocates for public education: Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (Senate Minority Leader) Sen. Bert Johnson (D-Highland Pa... more »

Summer Learning Day Is a Day of Action! — Whole Child Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Summer Learning Day Is a Day of Action! — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Bob Seidel]Summer Learning Day Is a Day of Action! June 12, 2013 by Bob Seidel Summer Learning Day, June 21, is just around the corner. It is a grassroots movement to spread awareness about the issue of summer learning loss among parents, the public, and policymakers. Hundreds of eventswill take place across the country, celebrating local programs and providing a platform for policy advocacy. The summer learning movement is part of a whole child approach to education. Children live their liv... more »

LCFF accountability calls for smaller API subgroup tracking SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: LCFF accountability calls for smaller API subgroup tracking As a part of the new Local Control Funding Formula tentatively approved by legislative leaders and Gov. Jerry Brown this week, school districts will be required to track and report the academic progress of subgroups of students as small as 30 members. The proposed funding formula, which provides billions of dollars to districts with high concentrations of educationally-disadvantaged students, will also call on districts to meet new accountability mandates aimed at ensuring the addi... more »

UPDATE: Math requirements not aligned with Common Core + An exchange on controversial $100 million student database

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

An exchange on controversial $100 million student database: Study: Math requirements not aligned with Common Core in many states by Valerie Strauss In a new sign that schools are not ready to fully embrace the Common Core State Standards, a report concludes that the large majority of states that have adopted the Core have not adjusted their math high school graduation requirements … Continue reading → An exchange on controversial $100 million student database By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 12, 2013 at 10:55 amE-mail the writer [image: schools]Here is an exchange of letters abo... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-12-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Education Association Rep Council Resolution on Center School Teacher

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Education Association Rep Council Resolution on Center School Teacher: New Procedure for Advisory Committees by Charlie Mas The superintendent has issued new procedures for advisory committees. This new procedure distinguishes between "Advisory and Oversight Committees", "Task Forces and Focus Groups", and "Working Groups, Teams, and Planning Committees". The new procedure offers significantly less transparency than the previous procedure. Just Wondering by Melissa Westbrook Sitting at the Executive Committee Meeting and wondering: - if the ... more »

Fathers on Family Leave Blog Carnival « MomsRising Blog

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Fathers on Family Leave Blog Carnival « MomsRising Blog: Fathers on Family Leave Blog Carnival by Mark Anthony Neal Father’s Day is a great time to reflect on the joys, struggles, challenges and epiphanies that come with fatherhood. I’m honored to introduce this MomsRising.org Blog Carnival that focuses on the early days of fatherhood – Fathers on Family Leave, with revealing stories from dads about their introduction to fatherhood. Like me, there are other fathers for whom the arrival of their children was revelation to the important demands of child care. However, I had the privil... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-12-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] On School Reform, Indiana Newspaper says”The Worm Is Turning” by dianerav The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette points to signs that the corporate reform movement is losing steam. Indiana is an epicenter of school privatization and teacher-bashing, yet even there the movement seems to be lagging. The epic defeat of state superintendent Tony Bennett was one clear indication of public opposition to his reforms. The failure of efforts to strip power away from his successor... more »

Diane in the Evening 6-11-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Edward Snowden: Traitor or Hero? The Larger Issues by dianerav Edward Snowden, as everyone knows by now, is the 29-year-old man who leaked secrets about our government’s surveillance of phone calls and emails. I don’t know if he is a traitor or hero or something else, but I do think that his revelations raise concerns for all of us. As we realize by now, government and private-sector activities are dedicated to the amassing of Big Data that includes everything we do. Government is doing this, its defenders sa... more »

Families sue to stop Sac school closures | News - KCRA Home

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Families sue to stop Sac school closures | News - KCRA Home: By David Bienick Families sue to stop Sac school closuresLawsuit accuses district of discrimination UPDATED 6:49 PM PDT Jun 11, 2013 [image: School Closures] Students board a buses at Washington Elementary School in Sacramento, one of seven schools slated for closure this fall. David Bienick/KCRA VIEW LARGE SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —Parents, students and community activists rallied on the steps of the federal courthouse in Sacramento on Monday after filing lawsuit to try to stop the closure of seven Sacramento elementary s... more »

Bruce Lesley: Immigration Reform: Building Fences With Shadows or Bridges of Hope and Dreams?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Bruce Lesley: Immigration Reform: Building Fences With Shadows or Bridges of Hope and Dreams?: Immigration Reform: Building Fences With Shadows or Bridges of Hope and Dreams? Posted: 06/11/2013 5:00 pm Bruce Lesley President, First Focus & First Focus Campaign for Children The Southwest is a place of great opportunity, enchantment, and grandeur, and yet, also a place of poverty and inequality in the United States. Through its children, it is also a place that will play an expanding and critically important role in either the successes or failures of our nation. In fact, the border ... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-11-13 #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

Rahm Emanuel Tied To Firm Astroturfing Protests Against Chicago Teachers Union | FDL News Desk

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Rahm Emanuel Tied To Firm Astroturfing Protests Against Chicago Teachers Union | FDL News Desk: Rahm Emanuel Tied To Firm Astroturfing Protests Against Chicago Teachers Union by DSWright Popout A consulting firm tied to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been caught paying people to protest the Chicago Teachers Union. The firm, Resolute Consulting, worked on Rahm Emanuel’s 2002 Congressional campaign and is led by long time Emanuel friend Greg Goldner. Goldner along with other interested parties have been involved in smear campaign against the Chicago Teachers Union. *Greg Goldner, ... more »

Lawsuit Against Sac City Unified Filed Today to Prevent School Closures | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Lawsuit Against Sac City Unified Filed Today to Prevent School Closures | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: [image: Home] Lawsuit Against Sac City Unified Filed Today to Prevent School Closures by Kate_Lenox Today there will be a press conference on the Federal Courthouse steps announcing the filing of a lawsuit to prevent the closure of seven schools in the Sacramento City Unified School District. The goal is to obtain a temporary injunction at the hearing which should take place within the next four to five weeks. That will prevent the closures from going forward... more »

Report Card: Students sue to block Sacramento City Unified school closures

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Report Card: Students sue to block Sacramento City Unified school closures: Students sue to block Sacramento City Unified school closures *Updated at 11:50 a.m. with district response.* * * * * A dozen low-income minority students and their parents have filed suit in federal court to block closure of seven elementary schools in the Sacramento City Unified School District. Attorney Mark Merin filed the suit late Monday in U.S. District Court in Sacramento on behalf of the students, their guardians and three parent-teacher associations at closing schools. The suit complains the schools... more »

Charter Schools and The Camel's Nose In The Tent.

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

*Charter Schools and The Camel's Nose In The Tent.* The Camel's Nose In The Tent. One cold night, as an Arab sat in his tent, a camel gently thrust his nose under the flap and looked in. "Master," he said, "let me put my nose in your tent. It's cold and stormy out here." "By all means," said the Arab, "and welcome" as he turned over and went to sleep. A little later the Arab awoke to find that the camel had not only put his nose in the tent but his head and neck also. The camel, who had been turning his head from side to side, said, "I will take but little more room if I place my... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-11-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

UPDATE: Madigan is the skunk at lunch + Five year plans. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Five year plans. | Fred Klonsky: David Brooks on Edward Snowden, David Niven and finger bowls. by Fred Klonsky [image: Brooks_New-popup-v2] *The NY Times’ David Brooks loved William Buckley and his finer bowls.* *I will always remember the column that David Brooks of the NY Times wrote on the death of the creepy right-wing elitist William Buckley.* Brooks swooned over Buckley like a little groupie. *I don’t know if I can communicate the grandeur of his life or how overwhelming it was to be admitted into it. Buckley was not only a giant celebrity, he lived in a manner of the * Madig... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. For-Profit Operator in Ohio Wins Big Increase Best of the Ed Blogs Diane Ravitch June 11, 2013 Relationship Counseling Best of the Ed Blogs Matthew Di Carlo June ... more »

6-11-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] Ban Suspensions as Alternatives Are Implemented by John Thompson I very much respect Daniel Losen and the UCLA Civil Rights Project, so I was taken aback by his statement on NPR regarding the question of whether a single suspension could send a secondary student of color down the pipeline to prison. Losen replied that even one such incident is “associated” with a doubling of […] Do We Need Another Edu-Proclamation, or Do We Need Resistance Strategies to End High Stakes Tests? by Jim Horn Every few weeks it seem that another gr... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-11-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Notes from a Teacher in Syracuse by dianerav A teacher sent this commentary about what’s happening in her city of Syracuse, New York. She writes: “As part of the teacher evaluation in Syracuse, our lovely union negotiated a student survey which would count as 6% of our evaluation. It’s called the Tripod survey, but I don’t know what that means. I’ve attached the directions we were given, which includes the questions for grades K-2. They have 40 questions, and when... more »

UPDATE: Perdido Street School: Washington Post: Firing Teachers Hasn't Turned Around D.C. Schools

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Perdido Street School: Washington Post: Firing Teachers Hasn't Turned Around D.C. Schools: Bloomberg Administration Lies About The 911 System Problems by reality-based educator From Juan Gonzalez in the Daily News: An Emergency Medical Service worker whom city officials blame for missing a 911 call that led to a four-minute delay in getting an ambulance to a child hit by an SUV insists no such call ever came over her computer screen. City officials say “human error” by that lone dispatcher, and not glitches in the new 911 dispatch system, slowed the ambulance response after Ariel R... more »

UPDATE: Declare Your Commitment to the Education Our Children Deserve Daily Kos: Eugene Robinson weighs in on Snowden & the NSA

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Daily Kos: Eugene Robinson weighs in on Snowden & the NSA: Declare Your Commitment to the Education Our Children Deserve by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) There is a new initiative, titled *An Education Declaration to Rebuild America*. For too long, our policymakers have engaged the nation’s schoolchildren in a grand experiment, with frequent testing, incentive programs and top-down mandates that promised much but delivered little. Today, leading academics, policymakers and educators come together to demand an education spring embodied in *An Education Declaration to Rebuild America...more »

Perdido Street School: Bloomberg Looking To Stick Next Mayor With Multi-Year "Children First" Network Contracts

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Perdido Street School: Bloomberg Looking To Stick Next Mayor With Multi-Year "Children First" Network Contracts: Bloomberg Looking To Stick Next Mayor With Multi-Year "Children First" Network Contracts by reality-based educator The NYCDOE has got charter school creation and space sharing in the pipeline for the next few years. Now it turns out that they're looking to sign multi-year contracts with the Children First networks to force the next mayor to keep Bloomberg's school system structure: Intent on preserving the Bloomberg administration’s education legacy, the Department of... more »

STOP Albany petition circulates via Scarsdale email The Scarsdale Inquirer

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

The Scarsdale Inquirer – Hometown newspaper of Scarsdale, New York 10583: STOP Albany petition circulates via Scarsdale email BY CARRIE GILPIN The Scarsdale Middle School PTA sent an email to middle school parents last week urging them to learn more about the grassroots coalition STOP Albany, an effort to lobby for unfunded mandate relief and for more local control of education and taxes. The email included a link to a petition to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a state legislator (in Scarsdale’s case, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin), and outlined the PTA’s position. The email began circulating amon..

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-10-13 #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

Teacher Action Group launches “Faces of the Layoffs” | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Teacher Action Group launches “Faces of the Layoffs” | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Teacher Action Group launches “Faces of the Layoffs” by thenotebook *by Sonia Giebel* Teacher Action Group (TAG) has introduced a new website, Faces of the Layoffs, to profile recently laid-off Philadelphia School District employees. This action project, designed to “make sure that the public sees just how devastating these layoffs are to our schools,” comes on the heels of the nearly 3,800 layoffs last Friday. Image: read more

Harkin, Alexander, and Waivers: Your ESEA Markup Cheat Sheet | NewAmerica.net

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Harkin, Alexander, and Waivers: Your ESEA Markup Cheat Sheet | NewAmerica.net: Harkin, Alexander, and Waivers: Your ESEA Markup Cheat Sheet - *Author(s):* - Anne Hyslop *Published: *June 10, 2013 Tomorrow morning, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will markup theStrengthening America’s Schools Act, the latest ESEA reauthorization proposal from Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA). *Ed Money Watch* and *Early Ed Watch *have already recapped many of the changes proposed to accountability for schools and educators, as well as Title I and early learning programs....more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: It's Your Choice

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: It's Your Choice: It's Your Choice from Seattle Schools Community Forum by Melissa Westbrook Here's what inBloom - the "cloud" student data system that the Gates Foundation is setting up says about students: *Every student is an individual, with unique knowledge, abilities and learning needs. But the technology used in most K-12 schools today can make providing personalized instruction time-consuming and cumbersome for teachers.* ***Meanwhile, states, districts and educators implementing the Common Core State Standards have set new goals for stude... more »

NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!!! Join students, parents, Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP) Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP)

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, June 10, 2013

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *A.J. Duffy, still-feisty former teachers union chief, retires* Education Headlines *Monday, June 10, 2013* 'Satellite' lunch program to growThirty-one Fresno Unified elementary schools will soon replace their hot-meal programs with pre-packaged breakfasts and lunches, a plan the district says could save costs. Cafeteria workers argue the plan violates employee contracts. San Juan superintendent seen as bully, reformerGlynn Thompson's defenders say he is a change agent and that some administrators just didn't like that he was shaki... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-10-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

6-10-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] #Commoncore defenders, own it! It is a curriculum, and that’s that. by Chalk Face, PhD I have no problem with unvarnished assent to the common core. That’s between you and your therapist. But let’s get some things very, very clear. Actually, might I suggest some close reading of all the press, research, and commentary on the subject, because I’m not sure you’d be such a fan? In any event, the […] Bill Gates and the Incubators by Jim Horn I know–it’s a great name for a band, but it is distinctly unmusical and no fun. It’s abou... more »

UPDATE: The in box. Illinois’ spending cuts hurt the state’s economy. | Fred Klonsky

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

The in box. Illinois’ spending cuts hurt the state’s economy. | Fred Klonsky: The in box. Illinois’ spending cuts hurt the state’s economy. by Fred Klonsky From the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. *ANALYSIS OF ILLINOIS FISCAL YEAR 2014 BUDGET* *General Fund Spending Cuts Harm Illinois* Many of the fiscal problems that have plagued Illinois over the last decade remain apparent in the FY2014 General Fund budget the Illinois General Assembly passed. As detailed in the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability’s analysis of the state’s recently enacted FY2014 General Fund bu... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-10-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Breaking News: Texas Governor Signs Bill to Reduce Testing by dianerav In a huge victory for students, parents, educators, and local school boards, Governor Rick Perry signed HB5, a bill that reduces the quantity of state-mandated tests. Up until the last minute, activists were fearful he might veto it. But Perry deferred to the huge public outcry against high-stakes testing. Here is a statement by TAMSA, known popularly as Moms Against Drunk Testing: Dear TAMSA m... more »

UPDATE: Perdido Street School: Using Cory Booker's Hedge Fundie/Charter School Connections Against Him

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Perdido Street School: Using Cory Booker's Hedge Fundie/Charter School Connections Against Him: Using Cory Booker's Hedge Fundie/Charter School Connections Against Him by reality-based educator Buzzfeed has a piece out that says opponents of Newark Mayor Cory Booker have a four-pronged strategy to take him out before the special election to replace Frank Lautenberg's Senate seat from NJ - and one part of that strategy is to hit him on charters and his adversarial relationship with teachers: But one a strategist connected to an opposing campaign said one weak spot in Booker’s cam... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-9-13 #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

Diane in the Evening 6-9-13 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: Seamus McCarville Explains Why He Fights the “Reformers” by dianerav Seamus McCarville knows it would be easier for him if he remained silent when faced with attacks on teachers and public schools. But he remembers the advice his teacher gave him in high school he the class bully went after him: Always leave a mark. No cowering for him. He fights because he wants to be honest with his students. How can he teach them critical thinking if he runs Schneider: Jindal in Hot Water in Legislature by dianerav Mercedes Sc... more »

SCTA Wins Court Case Against Superintendent’s Priority Schools » Sacramento teachers’ union sues to preserve seniority rights in teacher layoffs

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Legal Clips » Sacramento teachers’ union sues to preserve seniority rights in teacher layoffs: SCTA Wins Court Case Against Superintendent’s Priority Schools SCTA has been litigating a claim against the district for illegal rehires at Priority Schools for the 2011/12 School Year. The court agreed that the District can't apply subjective and changed criteria to post-layoff rehiring for its Priority Schools, and shouldn't have hired/rehired whoever the Priority School Principals decided they wanted, based on differing and arbitrary standards. In the ruling (SCTA v. SCUSD), Judge S... more »

America’s Student Loan Racket: Stiffer Debt Bondage Coming | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

America’s Student Loan Racket: Stiffer Debt Bondage Coming | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News: America’s Student Loan Racket: Stiffer Debt Bondage Coming by Stephen Lendman [image: images] by Stephen Lendman For growing numbers of American youths, higher education is increasingly out of reach. High tuition and fees make it unaffordable. So does a disturbing government/corporate partnership. Millions of students need financial aid. They’re exploited for profit. Providers are enriched. Higher education involves debt entrapment. Students gra...more »

Investing in Schools Creates More Than Twice as Many Jobs as Military Spending

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Investing in Schools Creates More Than Twice as Many Jobs as Military Spending: Investing in Schools Creates More Than Twice as Many Jobs as Military Spending Bob Pollin: Education spending is the best job creator - so why are local and state governments firing teachers and closing schools? *- June 9, 13* [image: Investing in Schools Creates More Than Twice as Many Jobs as Military Spending]JAISAL NOOR, TRNN PRODUCER: Welcome to The Real News Network. I'm Jaisal Noor in Baltimore. And welcome to this week's edition of *The PERI Report*. Now joining us is Bob Pollin. He's t... more »

UPDATE: Privacy concerns grow over Gates-funded student database

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Privacy concerns grow over Gates-funded student database: Provocative education tweet of the day by Valerie Strauss I am afraid the White House is pushing high speed Internet to make testing platforms easier. — Wilhelm II (@knightofgood) June 9, 2013 For those who missed it last week, President Obama announced a new initiative to bring broadband and wireless Internet access to nearly all of the nation's public schools and libraries within five years. Click here to read the full text of the speech Obama gave at a West Virginia middle school explaining the new EdConnect program, a... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-9-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

Teachers Letters to Bill Gates | Educators from the US and beyond: please share your teaching stories with Mr. Bill Gates. How have their policies influenced your classroom, your students, your teaching, your schools, and your communities?

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Teachers Letters to Bill Gates | Educators from the US and beyond: please share your teaching stories with Mr. Bill Gates. How have their policies influenced your classroom, your students, your teaching, your schools, and your communities?: TEACHERS LETTERS TO BILL GATES Educators from the US and beyond: please share your teaching stories with Mr. Bill Gates. How have their policies influenced your classroom, your students, your teaching, your schools, and your communities? Would you consider sending your child to a pediatrician who was required to implement tests and procedures man... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-9-13 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] Mississippi Governor: Blame Working Moms for Educational Woes by dianerav The governor of Mississippi said recently that America’s educational troubles started when women joined the workforce. Please, somebody, send him a copy of my new book when it comes out in September. He will be surprised to learn that test scores of federal exams have never been higher and dropout rates have never been lower. Or send me his address and I will send him an autographed copy m... more »

6-9-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] A new one from @mornamcdermott, is it the blue or the red pill? #highered by Chalk Face, PhD Once again, a well-researched and detailed piece from Educational Alchemy. Quick question, and this is for higher ed: why the hell would college syllabi need to be aligned to common core? I thought being college and career ready meant you were, you know, ready for college and we could move on? Whose ridiculous idea is […] Another experiment: #edreform news briefs as WW2 propaganda reels by Chalk Face, PhD As if I don’t have other thing... more »

Gates Foundation looking to make nice with teachers | Education | The Seattle Times

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Gates Foundation looking to make nice with teachers | Education | The Seattle Times: Gates Foundation looking to make nice with teachers Five years into the second phase of its mission to overhaul America’s public schools, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is moving to work more closely with teachers, generating interest but also wariness because of past hostilities. By Linda Shaw Seattle Times education reporter [image: Bill Gates, tempering his views on teachers?] Bill Gates, tempering his views on teachers? MOST POPULAR COMMENTS HIDE / SHOW COMMENTS Of course rating teachers sho... more »

Special Episode of At the Chalk Face w. Sara Wottawa 06/08 by Chalk Face | Blog Talk Radio

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Special Episode of At the Chalk Face w. Sara Wottawa 06/08 by Chalk Face | Blog Talk Radio: Special Episode of At the Chalk Face w. Sara Wottawa [image: Chalk Face] Chalk Face 3 hours ago Listen to internet radio with Chalk Face on BlogTalkRadio - - - - Share On LinkedinLinkedIn - Share On Emailemail - 2 - EMBED 6.8.13: Before we go on a brief hiatus, we're going out with a bang. Parent activist Sara Wottawa is going to join us and tell us all how she keeps it real. Come and get some advice on parent activism, Saturday, 6PM EST. Chat's open, live tweet... more »

No Learning Without Feeling - NYTimes.com

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-8-13 #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

Blue Jersey:: NJ Education News Round-Up, 6/8/13

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Blue Jersey:: NJ Education News Round-Up, 6/8/13: NJ Education News Round-Up, 6/8/13 by Jersey Jazzman Let's get right to it:*Debunking Propaganda on Teacher Evaluation* I have a post over at Jersey Jazzman on how the rhetoric out of NJDOE on teacher evaluation is becoming increasingly like propaganda: ** *Again: I am not going to criticize the motivations of any of the members of EPAC. But this op-ed piece is not helpful: it evades addressing the central concerns with AchieveNJ, and it asks teachers to happily sign on to a system of evaluation that has no support in research. Unl... more »

‘Stop this Madness’: rap video on school reform

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

‘Stop this Madness’: rap video on school reform: ‘Stop this Madness’: rap video on school reform By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 8, 2013 at 1:12 pmE-mail the writer 1 Comments More [image: ssssssssssss] Jeremy Dudley (www.originalrap.com) Teachers in Albany, New York, are rallying today against what the organizers call “the madness” of corporate-influenced school reform that is based on high-stakes standardized tests and that many say has demonized teachers. It is the latest in a series of rallies and protests of one kind or another in a growing backlash nationwid... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-8-13 AM Posts #edreform #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

This Week's Education Research Report 6-8-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Education Research Report *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * New Study Looks at Discrimination African-American Adolescents Face in Schools Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 17 hours ago Nearly 60 years after the Supreme Court outlawed racial segregation in public schools, African-American adolescents of all socioeconomic backgrounds continue to face instances of racial discrimination in the classroom. A new study sheds light on that and points to the need for students of color to rely on personal and cultural assets to succeed academically. The study “Afri... more »

All Week 6-8-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] A Revenue First Agenda: Open Commentary to Triggermen Ben Austin and Bruce William Smith rdsathene * Robert D. Skeels at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 6 hours ago These myths falsely portrayed desegregation’s failures as the product of autonomous individual choice. Meanwhile, these myths obscured inequalities in desegregation. A new, but parallel, kind of mythmaking about choice is underway in today’s charter school efforts. — Ansley T. Erickson Parent Revolution’s executive director, wealthy white Beverly Hills lawyer... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 6-8-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG
DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 6-8-13 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF

LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAY

2nd Banana 6-8-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST