Back to School 2016 - Part 2 Pleas e join Internet radio host Dr. James Avington Miller Jr. for part 2 of our special Back To School 2016 War Report. Dr. Miller will be taking a close look at what our college students are facing in 2016. They have been told that college and career is their ultimate goal, but they find themselves facing a life time of debt. Is college the modern-day indentured ser
Two Americas: Racial inequality has persisted since '60s - NonDoc : Two Americas: Racial inequality has persisted since '60s Gold medalist Tommie Smith (podium), silver medalist Peter Norman (left) and bronze medalist John Carlos (rear) infamously protested racial inequality during a ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968. (WikiCommons) M any years after the protests of the Civil Rights Mov
California Students and Teachers Win Major Ethnic Studies Fight | News | teleSUR English : California Students and Teachers Win Major Ethnic Studies Fight The new bill marks a huge achievement for educators across the country fighting for the inclusion of Latino, Black, Native and Asian communities. The state of California approved on Thursday an Ethnic Studies Bill that mandates the creation of
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » The price black students pay… : The price black students pay… Right before school started, edublogger Jersey Jazzman, posted a video of a lesson being taught from Success Academy meant to be used for teacher training. The response from his readers was scathing, as it involved a couple of typical methods of teaching favored by no-excuses charters (but loath
The Purpose of Education - The Crucial Voice of the PeopleThe Crucial Voice of the People : The Purpose of Education In their annual poll of the public’s attitude toward public education, what prompted the well-respected PDK (Phi Delta Kappa) association’s new question about the purpose of education ? And how is it the question asks about the main goal of a public school education while the websi
MY TWO CENTS – My thoughts on public education and other things : MY TWO CENTS – My thoughts on public education and other things Mary Holden: A Teacher Begins Her Blog | Diane Ravitch's blog - http://wp.me/p2odLa-ffF I had planned to start this blog in April of 2015. Having recently attended the 2nd annual Network for Public Education ( NPE ) conference in Chicago, I was really motivated to star
CURMUDGUCATION : Catch up with CURMUDGUCATION John King's Evidence-Based Revisionist History 30 by Peter Greene / 2h The US Department of Education and Secretary of Education John King are out with a one-two punch of silly bureaucratic blather and revisionist history. Friday's PR release carries the pithy title " U.S. Department of Education Releases New Guidance on Using Evidence to Strengt
The Privatized Beaded Necklace “School of the Future” : The Privatized Beaded Necklace “School of the Future” The PBS NOVA “School of the Future” was interesting in that many corporate messages were strung together like an expensive necklace made of plastic beads. Grit, mindset, brain studies, social-emotional learning…you name it…it was there. Showcased individuals gave shout-outs to others in t
Schools Matter: Today's Communique to the Ravitch Forces : Today's Communique to the Ravitch Forces After what seems to me to have been a pretty effective skirmish , the Ravitch forces have climbed out of their tent at their permanent Basecamp, stomping the ground and waving their, um, whatevers. For those Ravitch acolytes who are not too drunk on revenge to read, here's something to ponder, as I
With A Brooklyn Accent: The Middle Class Revolutionaries of Edgecombe Avenue: Presentation at "When Sugar Hill Was Sweet" Conference : The Middle Class Revolutionaries of Edgecombe Avenue: Presentation at "When Sugar Hill Was Sweet" Conference It is an honor to be on this panel with such distinguished scholars and public intellectuals. We are here to celebrate a great history
Did That Edtech Tool Really Cause That Growth? (Mary Jo Madda) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice : Did That Edtech Tool Really Cause That Growth? (Mary Jo Madda) The quality of research on technology use in schools and classrooms leaves much to be desired. Yet academics and vendors crank out studies monthly. And they are often cited to justify using particular programs. How pr
Racism Never Ended – It Just Keeps Evolving | gadflyonthewallblog : Racism Never Ended – It Just Keeps Evolving “One of our founding principles as a nation [is] that Black lives and Black bodies don’t matter; you see that in all our headlines today. This original sin lingers on, that’s why we got to call it sin… Slavery never ended, it just evolved. Mass incarceration is the current evolution of
Did You Know That Charter Schools “Bury Their Dead”? | deutsch29 : Did You Know That Charter Schools “Bury Their Dead”? On September 14, 2016, The New York City Coalition of Community Charter Schools (C3S) posted a piece by co-director, Steve Zimmerman, entitled, “The Summer of Our Discontent.” The piece is a charter school lament; in it Zimmerman states that he is particularly concerned about “c
What Are Chicago Teachers Actually Paid? Crunching The Numbers - Edison Park - DNAinfo Chicago : What Are Chicago Teachers Actually Paid? Crunching The Numbers CHICAGO — Chicago teachers are expected to vote to authorize a strike next week after months of negotiations over teacher pay — and how much teachers will contribute to their pensions — have faltered. The $5.4 billion Chicago Public School
Federal case on charter schools - Editorials - Ohio : Federal case on charter schools The federal Department of Education invited cackling when it awarded Ohio $71 million last fall to expand high-performing charter schools. The grant announcement followed word that a state education official doctored data to make poorly performing charter schools look better. His pencil work coincided with repor
Lawsuit accuses Arizona charter schools of teaching history with religious slant : Lawsuit accuses Arizona charter schools of teaching history with religious slant A lawsuit filed this month against a prominent Valley charter school and the state charter schools board challenges how it incorporates religion in its teaching of history. The lawsuit against Mesa-based Heritage Academy, a publicly fu
Richmond County Daily Journal | Richmond County Schools Superintendent weighs in on charter schools : Richmond County Schools Superintendent weighs in on charter schools HAMLET — Richmond County Schools Superintendent Dr. Cindy Goodman, responding to news of charter school selecting sites in Wadesboro and Monroe, said while some charter schools are successful most of them are failing, yet continu
Children are more than test scores: Who decides : Who decides? Who decides? I hear some educational activists want to be the deciders? Who is authentic? Who is a sell out? Who is weak? Who is pure? Who is a real activist? Who decides?
OSPI Wants Input
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State Superintendent Chris Rykdal is seeking input on two areas.
One:
*Today, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) release...
NONE OF THE ABOVE
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One of the fundamental constitutional rights that in at least theory
clearly distinguishes us from a totalitarian society is having a free
press. It exists...
Teacher Strike in Arizona and Colorado
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This year, fights at state capitols across the country are looking
different than ever before. Educators are tired of the budget cuts to
schools, tired ...
A TIP TO THE LIP
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Growing up in Northeast Pennsylvania I used to read the NY Daily News
religiously. This was at a time when newspaper’s daily columnists ruled the
world. Na...
Delightful New “Hamilton” Video
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As regular readers know, I’m a big fan of Hamilton: An American Musical
(see The Best Teaching/Learning Resources On The Musical, “Hamilton”).
Earlier this...
Many Students Can’t Read A Traditional Clock Face
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The Telegraph reports that British schools are getting rid of analog clocks
because students don't know how to read analog clocks. It is doubtful this
is...
Update on SB 465
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I am pleased to report that Senate Bill 465, which is described in the post
below, has been extensively amended to remove those changes in the student
disc...
"We Need To Take Those Jewels"
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We've made rules in our classroom, together, by consensus, and among the
first agreements we made with one another was, "No taking things from other
pe...
Is MORE Unraveling As It Shifts Left?
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There are some disturbing rumors that the opposition caucus MORE has turned
sharply leftward and has made some long-term members un...
Ella Fitzgerald. Born on this day in 1917.
-
Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
*ELLA FITZGERALD sang jazz in a voice so pure and perfected that it
admitted no pain -- and America loved her for it. ...
Cynthia Nixon for Governor
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She has that unfortunate last name, and she made a remark about union
concessions. This notwithstanding, what's in a name, the remark was a
one-off, and I...
Queen Eva’s Gambit
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In the New York Post today there was a headline that read “Charter school
upsets juggernaut Stuyvesant HS on way to chess crown” It began in dramatic
fashi...
Democrats Need Allegorical Lesson to Grow
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Myself, I am a "left of center libertarian". I believe there is a place for
liberalism, I believe there is a place for government in our lives, I do
believ...
When China Buys Our Data
-
We have worried about what ed tech companies would do with all the data
that they could (and do) collect from students. We have worried about the
creation ...
Meredith Chapman’s Life Cut Short, Rest In Peace
-
It was with extreme sadness when I received a call this morning about the
death of Meredith Chapman. While details are vague, there was a
murder-suicide a...
How we can get the full picture of autism
-
As professionals who believe in children and are committed to unlocking
their potential, we want to make sure all of our students have exactly what
they ne...
It’s NOT Education Reform – It’s School Sabotage
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High stakes testing and school privatization are NOT “Education Reform."
Even if we use the term to criticize the practice, we’re helping them do
their work.
Gangsters’ Moves By TEA in Houston
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So Mike Morath, Texas Education Agency (TEA) commissioner, failed at his
Home Rule attempt in Dallas (See Panning a Charter Takeover of all public
schools)...
Testimony on Improving School Planning and Siting
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Below is the our testimony Class Size Matters gave at the City Council
hearings on tackling school overcrowding by improving the efficiency and
accuracy of...
What White People Need to Understand
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Last night, I listened to David Remnick’s New Yorker podcast interview with
James Comey to hear what he had to say about our 45th President, but what
dis...
Assessing My Writing: A Look Backward
-
A month ago, a colleague wrote to me and asked me to write about my career
as a practitioner/scholar over the past half-century. I accepted. Part of
the re...
an interesting factoid on NRA and Virginia
-
an explanation
I have just returned from a fundraiser for Barbara Kanninen to be reelected
to Arlington County VIrginia school board. it had a special f...
Berta Lives! Support Honduras!
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*Join us in showing our solidarity for Honduras!*
* Music Performance, Friday, April 27, 7PM *
* Film honoring Berta Caceres, Saturday, April 28, 5-7PM *
...
Don't forget about reading
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Sent to the Taipei Times, April 22,2018
I was surprised to discover that the Taiwan Ministry of Education will
prioritize “listening and speaking skills” i...
Why I Am So Dangerous
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When it comes to transforming this country, I am much more dangerous than
George Soros, even the George Soros of Fox News imagination! That George is
tran...
Neo-Confederates, Monuments, and Flags
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By Paul Horton. Although advocacy groups like the United Daughters of the
Confederacy have made statements disavowing any groups that promote hate,
many ...
This Week in Education Organizing - April 20, 2018
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*Books, Not Guns*
Today is another day of protest, as tens of thousands of students and
supporters are expected to walk out of schools and rally for stri...
What Feeds Bias in the Education World?
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I'm not naïve enough to think that schools could turn hearts and minds in a
K-12 generation. But could they do significant good, given the right tools
and ...
2018 Medley #10
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Teacher Activism, Retention-in-Grade, Charters, Testing, First Amendment,
Science TEACHER ACTIVISM The 9 states where teachers have it worst
According to C...
Heartbroken
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She was brilliant in high school. I admired her so much. She traveled to
our not so great school in the Bronx from Manhattan because of our honor
prog...
Featured Author @ Palmdale Book Festival
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Join me for a captivating book signing & storytelling! Get your very own
signed copy of 5 stars Chike the Invincible! and Oma the Faithful
Daughter! ...
Expanding "No Excuses" Models is a Bad Idea
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An organization called The Future of Children came out recently with a
report titled* Charter Schools and the Achievement Gap* by Sarah Cohodes,
an assist...
ELA Assessment: Dear Board of Regents,
-
Dear Members of the Board of Regents,
Thank you for your service as leaders in public education in New York
State. I am writing as a parent of two public ...
PAA joins Google/You Tube FTC complaint
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Today, Parents Across America joined more than 20 civic and children’s
advocacy organizations in filing a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaint
against ...
A maximizing area question
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I gave this question to students as a challenge at the end of a trig unit.
A quadrilateral has perimeter = 60 and a 30º angle. What is the maximum
possible...
Welcome to the walkout, from okeducationmom
-
When I marched for the passage of HB 1017 in 1990, I was hopeful and then
grateful that Governor Henry Bellmon and a bipartisan group of legislators
found ...
Silence Speaks At March For Our Lives
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Listen to Emma’s profound silence. Remember the silence of students
crouched in closets, hiding from the sound of an automatic weapon being
fired in their ...
Scenes for the March For Life in New York
-
And so they came and came by the thousands, flooding Central Park West with
citizens of all ages, all races, all creeds, all who have had enough of
insane ...
A NATION THAT FEARS ITS CHILDREN?
-
Here we are again. The murders caused by the NRA-GOP-Gun manufacturers
corruption have terrorized America for over a generation. Young people do
not see ad...
I’m voting for Chris Kennedy
-
A question was posed to me last night. “At this point, does a vote for
Daniel Biss instead of Chris Kennedy help JB Pritzker?” During the last
presidential...
Amy/Andy and the Orphans
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Willowbrook. Any New Yorker of a certain age shutters at that name–and no,
not because it was Geraldo Rivera who brought it to our attention.
Willowbrook w...
Florina Rodov: The Truth About Charter Schools
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*“[W]hen teachers aren’t unionized, they’re exploited — and when teachers
suffer, so do kids.” — Florina Rodov*
This amazing piece by Florina Rodov on *S...
#NationalSchoolWalkout – Grown Ups Need to Listen
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Student activists, responding to the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman
Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, organized a national walk out to
memoriali...
Letter for BCPS Parents: My Child is Not a Pipeline
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(Image courtesy of Alison McDowell) Dear County Council Members, I am
writing on behalf of concerned BCPS parents regarding the newest rounds of
BCPS polic...
3rd Grade Reading: Who is Failing?
-
Education Trust Midwest has just released its study on third grade reading
and, predictably, the results aren’t great. This study uniquely compares
Michiga...
Opting out of the Dinosaur (end of year test)
-
Today I sent in a second letter to refuse PARCC/CMAS for my son, Luke. The
first email I sent at the beginning of the year was not sufficient as they
requi...
Resurrection
-
I realized it's Lent, but this blog, bless Jesus Christ, can't wait.
Ok, so with that said, I plan to discuss Class Action suits in existence,
as well as w...
Are Our Educators Prepared For Their Students?
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If there is one thing that I am sure of as an educator it is that rapid
change greatly affects both what and how we learn. If there is a second
thing that ...
Who Is Pulling The Muppet Strings?
-
Originally posted on Wrench in the Gears:
Sesame Street is an iconic brand that embodies humor, acceptance, and
humanity. Who doesn’t love a muppet? So, on...
IDEA Is Still The Law Of The Land
-
Unless you've been living under a rock, you know the US Department of
Education (USDOE) rescinded 72 Dear Colleague and other letters of
explanation to s...
Budget Cuts To Kids Are Not Necessary!
-
We’ve been hearing a lot of news from OUSD about how cuts to schools and
kids are necessary. So we’ll need to keep saying the truth… they are not
necessar...
Education Is a Civic Question
-
In their final post to end Bridging Differences' decade-long run, Deborah
Meier and Harry Boyte urge readers to put the energy, talents, wisdom, and
hard w...
This is our Sputnik moment.
-
School’s all across the nation are either starting or about to start a new
academic year. It’s suppose to be an exciting time for students and
teacher. How...
Student of the Month Nightmare
-
*This is something I wrote for a monthly gathering to honor some of the
best students at our school. I figure most teachers will relate:*
I was grading pap...
99 Years of Progress Erased – unless we fight back
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Public healthcare for all? Public education for all? What is being done to
our monetized children regarding their potential healthcare and their
existing e...
You Can Be an Astronaut, but You Can't Be Black
-
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s a question I always
imagined every kindergarten student hearing.
“I want to be a doctor!” declares Sally.
...
Site News: New Home for Education News & Commentary
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Quick! Get over there! The daily education news roundup and education
commentaries that you're probably looking for are now being published over
at The Gra...
An Open Letter to NC Lawmakers
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An Open Letter to NC State Lawmakers and NC State Superintendent Mark
Johnson: I am a NC native, voter, and public school teacher. I am
addressing you all ...
Don't Like Chris Christie? Blame the Democrats.
-
Yesterday Diane Ravitch published a piece in The New Republic, titled Don't
Like Betsy DeVos? Blame the Democrats.
If you care about public education at al...
The Secret to Fixing Schools (My Next Bestseller)
-
The Secret to Fixing Schools (My next bestseller) Prologue I just finished
watching a fascinating documentary on Netflix entitled, “The Secret”. The
film p...
Farewell, Sleep
-
Today is the official last day of my spring break. I've done a scientific
survey: My natural bedtime is 2 AM, and my natural wake up time is 9:41
AM. Tom...
New Local Businesses in Sacramento
-
Starting a new local business in Sacramento is a monumental task, but can
be accomplished with footwork, perseverance and knowledge. One must learn
the loc...
Education Bloggers Daily Highlights 3/2/2017
-
Education Bloggers Daily Highlights 3/1/2017 Education Bloggers Daily
Highlights Courtesy of Big Education Ape A special thank you to education
blogger Mik...
Bad Hair Day
-
It’s winter time. It’s cold — okay, not for anyone outside California and
Florida, but still — I’m wearing hats in the morning. Lovely knitted hats
that I’...
Capturing the Spark
-
It’s been a long time since InterACT was an active education blog, though I
remain quite proud of what we did here. Those of us who wrote blog posts
here h...
Random Musings and Observations. . . .
-
I’ve been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular
readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for
that. Sinc...
WTU Peterson Slate: Not a 1 Woman Dictatorship
-
Candi Peterson & GeLynn Thompson
Candidates for WTU Prez & GVP 2016By Candi Peterson, WTU Gen. Vice President
*Statements or expressions of opinions herein...
MY NEW BLOG
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My new blog will consist of fictitious headlines, meant to be a blend of
humor and satire. I apologize ahead of time if any other satirical site has
simila...
Thank you
-
Dear Readers,
Thank you for visiting *The Perimeter Primate*. This blog is being retired
for the time being. Although I no longer post here, I do still s...
I am Retiring
-
I have some news: I am retiring from the PBS NewsHour and Learning Matters.
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other
conte...
All Aboard the Opt Out Bus
-
The #OptOutBus is currently traveling the country giving away free books to
children! Follow their progress at their Facebook page and donate to their
FR...
Flaws at the Heart of Current Education Reforms
-
Originally posted on Creative by Nature:
“Teaching is an art form rooted in the wise and careful use of educational
research and assessment tools. When gove...