Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Last Week's Best Posts on Big Education Ape & Parents 4 democratic Schools» PostRank

Last Week's Best Posts on Big Education Ape & Parents 4 democratic Schools» PostRank


LAST WEEK'S BEST POSTS ON BIG EDUCATION APE  & PARENTS 4 DEMOCRATIC SCHOOLS» POSTRANK



Schools Matter: Bloomberg Is Not Tone Deaf: He Simply Doesn't Give a Rat's Ass About What the Public Thinks

2010-Nov-20
Schools Matter: Bloomberg Is Not Tone Deaf: He Simply Doesn't Give a Rat's Ass About What the Public ThinksBloomberg Is Not Tone Deaf: He Simply Doesn't Give a Rat's Ass About What the Public Thinksby Jim HornWith the appointment in jeopardy for the Prince's personnel-slashing expert, the only plutocratic thing to do: stack the State panel to make sure there is no wavering on the dreaded waiver vote for Cathy Black. From the NYTimes:New York State’s top education official on ...

Economists want to stop teachers' degree bonuses - Boston.com

2010-Nov-20
Economists want to stop teachers' degree bonuses - Boston.comEconomists want to stop teachers' degree bonusesBy Donna Gordon BlankinshipAssociated Press / November 20, 2010E-mail|Print|Comments (0)Text size – +SEATTLE—Every year, American schools pay more than $8.6 billion in bonuses to teachers with master's degrees, even though the idea that a higher degree makes a teacher more effective has been mostly debunked.Tweet 1 person Tweeted thisYahoo! BuzzShareThisDespite more than a decade of research showing the money has little impact on student achievement, state ...

Natomas school district, teachers at labor impasse - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com

2010-Nov-20
Natomas school district, teachers at labor impasse - Sacramento City News - sacbee.comNatomas school district, teachers at labor impasseShare By Queenie Wongqwong@sacbee.comPublished: Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010 - 10:27 amThe Natomas Teachers Association plan to file opposition papers to bring the school district back to the bargaining table after both failed to reach an agreement this week.The Natomas Unified School District declared an impasse Thursday, which means they'reRead more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/11/20/3200285/natomas-school-district-teachers.html#ixzz15qxd0xfLPOPULAR COMMENTHate to tell you 2 m0rons but if you take a ...

‘We know how to teach black kids’ — Joanne Jacobs

2010-Nov-20
‘We know how to teach black kids’ — Joanne Jacobs‘We know how to teach black kids’by JoanneWe know how to teach black kids – and other disadvantaged students — but we don’t do it, writes John McWhorter in The Root.Starting in 1968, a huge federal study called Project Follow Through compared different methods of teaching at-risk K-3 children: Direct Instruction (DI), a scripted phonics program using repetition and student participation, worked much better than anything else for all students, but ...

New Jersey Senator Introduces Tyler Clementi Campus Harassment Bill « Student Activism

2010-Nov-20
New Jersey Senator Introduces Tyler Clementi Campus Harassment Bill « Student ActivismNew Jersey Senator Introduces Tyler Clementi Campus Harassment BillNovember 20, 2010 in StudentsSenator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) this week introduced the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2010, a proposed federal law that would require American colleges and universities to enact rules against the harassment of their students by students, faculty, or staff. The bill is named for a gay Rutgers student who killed himself this September following a ...

Reader Comment: David Feith: The Radical School Reform Law You’ve Never Heard Of – WSJ.com

2010-Nov-20
Reader Comment: David Feith: The Radical School Reform Law You’ve Never Heard Of – WSJ.comThe people behind Parent Revolution in California long ago dropped even trying to pretend that they’re actually a parent group — the deception was the original intent, but it was so obvious that they just gave that up. Only a moron would still fall for that. I don’t know who David Feith is, but that would be him.And by the way, Feith also either cluelessly believes ...

WA citizens surveyed on education reform

2010-Nov-19
WA citizens surveyed on education reformWA citizens surveyed on education reformTHE ASSOCIATED PRESSOLYMPIA, Wash. -- Gov. Chris Gregoire is asking Washington citizens and educators to go online by Thanksgiving to fill out a survey on education reform.The survey will help state officials prioritize reform efforts.The offices of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State Board of Education and the Professional Educator Standards Board partnered to create a draft plan for reform.The governor says she needs help figuring out how to ...

The Teaching Experience

2010-Nov-19
The Teaching ExperienceThe Teaching Experience“The idea that experience doesn’t matter after five or so years incorrectly implies that test scores are the only relevant outcome.”Good, well-thought-out article which presents a balanced look at the controversy that seems to be dominating education news - what is the value of experience in the classroom? As it turns out, there can be a lot of value.What Diane Ravitch Told KIPP and Teach For AmericaWhat Diane Ravitch Told KIPP and Teach For America: This ...

Commissioner names panel of experts to screen new chancellor | GothamSchools

2010-Nov-19
Commissioner names panel of experts to screen new chancellor | GothamSchoolsCommissioner names panel of experts to screen new chancellorby Anna PhillipsState Education Commissioner David Steiner has named the panel of education experts that will help him decide whether to allow magazine executive Cathie Black to become the next schools chancellor.Without a background in education, Black needs a waiver from the state that will let her bypass the prerequisites: that she have a degree in education and several years of teaching ...

Queens Teacher: Boro Leaders Oppose Choice of DOE Head

2010-Nov-19
Queens Teacher: Boro Leaders Oppose Choice of DOE HeadBoro Leaders Oppose Choice of DOE Headby Queens TeacherElected officials, civics chastize mayor for secrecy in selecting media exec who lacks ed credentialsBy Anna GustafsonQueens legislators and residents criticized Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s choice to replace outgoing city Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, saying Heart Magazines Chairwoman Cathleen Black does not have the right background in education and the process of selecting a leader for the country’s largest school system was not transparent.“Mayor Bloomberg ...

The Answer Sheet - Kohn: What 'ready to learn' really means

2010-Nov-19
The Answer Sheet - Kohn: What 'ready to learn' really meansKohn: What 'ready to learn' really meansThis was written by Alfie Kohn, the author of 12 books about education and human behavior, including "The Schools Our Children Deserve," "The Homework Myth," and the forthcoming "Feel-Bad Education . . . And Other Contrarian Essays on Children Schooling." He lives (actually) in the Boston area and (virtually) at www.alfiekohn. This post appeared on Kohn's Huffington Post page. By Alfie Kohn The phrase ...

University of California Regents Approve Fee Hike, Salary Boosts « Student Activism

2010-Nov-19
University of California Regents Approve Fee Hike, Salary Boosts « Student ActivismUniversity of California Regents Approve Fee Hike, Salary Boostsby Angus JohnstonThe regents of the University of California approved an eight percent hike in undergraduate student fees yesterday, as expected. The tally was 10-5, with student regent Jesse Cheng and California’s Lieutenant Governor among those voting in opposition.Yesterday’s hike is the fourth in three years at the university, and it brings total fees to more than $12,000 — a 224% ...

Fight Back Today! Sproul Plaza at 10am « occupy california

2010-Nov-19
Fight Back Today! Sproul Plaza at 10am « occupy californiaFight Back Today! Sproul Plaza at 10amby *8 % fee hike. Fees are now “tuition.” New executive bonuses and covert raises passed at a closed door session. UCOP is backing an itchy-fingered pig. We all got beaten and pepper sprayed yesterday. CUE/IBT is still without a contract. Operational Excellence is still in full effect. Ethnic studies is on the chopping block once again. 12 % drop in Latin@ admissions and cuts ...

Schools Matter: Learning About KIPP: Lesson 2, Kipp Crusaders

2010-Nov-19
Schools Matter: Learning About KIPP: Lesson 2, Kipp CrusadersLearning About KIPP: Lesson 2, Kipp Crusadersby Jim Horn Number 2 of 3 posts, based on a book chapter published this fall in a volume edited by Dr. Philip Kovacs: The Gates Foundation and the Future of US Public Schools (Routledge Studies in Education and Neoliberalism):. . . . KIPP CrusadersIn an interview posted at the weblog, Open Education, on December 11, 2008, David Socol makes the case that KIPP and TFA 

The Answer Sheet - The sad story of an L.A. school labeled 'failing'

2010-Nov-17
The Answer Sheet - The sad story of an L.A. school labeled 'failing'The sad story of an L.A. school labeled 'failing'This was written by L. Martha Infante, a National Board Certified Social Studies teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District and veteran of 15 years. It first appeared on the Accomplished California Teachers blog. By L. Martha Infante When the public middle school in which I work received news that we had not met our testing target, and in ...

Schools Matter: "Clinically-Based Teacher Preparation"

2010-Nov-16
Schools Matter: "Clinically-Based Teacher Preparation""Clinically-Based Teacher Preparation"by Jim HornIf there is a phrase that you are likely to get as sick of hearing in the next few years as you did "scientifically-based evidence" during the last few, it is likely to be "clinically based teacher preparation." No doubt, too, this new catch phrase will have about as much connection to science as the last one did, which is minimal to none."Clinically-based teacher preparation" represents a new scheme to further weaken ...

UCSC students protest proposed fee hikes - San Jose Mercury News

2010-Nov-16
UCSC students protest proposed fee hikes - San Jose Mercury NewsUCSC students protest proposed fee hikesBy Tovin Lapantlapan@santacruzsentinel.comPosted: 11/16/2010 02:51:23 PM PSTUpdated: 11/16/2010 02:51:33 PM PSTSANTA CRUZ -- About 150 UC Santa Cruz students rallied today to protest a proposed 8 percent fee increase.The noon rally coincided with the beginning of a meeting in San Francisco, where the UC regents are addressing UC President Mark Yudof's proposals for post-employment benefits reform and student fee increases. Graduate students and other staff ...

Fee Hike Protests Around the U of California Today Student Activism

2010-Nov-16
Student ActivismFee Hike Protests Around the U of California TodayNovember 16, 2010 in Students | Leave a commentAs noted earlier, the University of California board of regents will be meeting at UC San Francisco Mission Bay beginning tomorrow to consider yet another massive fee increase. Protests against the move are taking place at several UC campuses today.BerkeleyActivists blocked access to California Hall, Berkeley’s administration building, early this morning. As of nine am California time one entrance was reportedly re-opened.DavisStudents, faculty, ...

NYC Public School Parents: Times says Cathie Black "Spectacle" Out of Control

2010-Nov-15
NYC Public School Parents: Times says Cathie Black "Spectacle" Out of ControlTimes says Cathie Black "Spectacle" Out of Controlby Patrick J. SullivanJavier Hernandez of the NY Times has some devastatingcoverage of the candidacy of Cathie Black for the position of chancellor:Ms. Black has repeatedly declined interviews, allowing other voices to fill the void. Some have called her a second coming of Mr. Klein, often criticized as stubborn. Her harshest detractors have compared her to Sarah Palin for her lack of ...

The Parent Trigger: A franchise opportunity brochure:

2010-Nov-13
The Parent Trigger: A franchise opportunity brochure:David Feith: The Radical School Reform Law You’ve Never Heard Of –WSJ.comFiled under:education— coopmike48 @ 7:43 amEdit ThisDavid Feith: The Radical School Reform Law You’ve Never Heard Of – WSJ.com.With ‘parent trigger,’ families can forcibly change failing schools.

Catalyst Notebook :: In the News: Report card on state’s high school seniors shows only 40% proficient in reading

2010-Nov-19
Catalyst Notebook :: In the News: Report card on state's high school seniors shows only 40% proficient in reading. Catalyst writers and editors share their perspectives, analyses and the news behind the news on improving Chicago area public schools. Our on-the-ground reports will tell you what’s happening in schools and education circles here and elsewhere. [...]

Awards: Imagination Theater Gets CIS Chicago Thanks – District 299: Chicago Public Schools Blog

2010-Nov-19
Awards: Imagination Theater Gets CIS Chicago Thanks District 299: Chicago Public Schools Blog. Awards: Imagination Theater Gets CIS Chicago Thanks by Alexander Russo CICS is everywhere, and apparently Imagination Theater is doing a great job helping them spread the good word: Chicago's Imagination Theater will be receiving the annual Al Ward Spirit of Giving Award [...]

Michelle Obama talks about curbing obesity during Newark visit | NJ.com

2010-Nov-19
Michelle Obama talks about curbing obesity during Newark visit NJ.com. Michelle Obama talks about curbing obesity during Newark visit Published: Friday, November 19, 2010, 9:10 AM     Updated: Friday, November 19, 2010, 9:10 AM Star-Ledger Staff Follow Share this story Story tools EnlargeJohn O'Boyle / The Star-LedgerFirst Lady Michelle Obama and Newark Mayor [...]

Cathleen Black, Trailblazer With Eye on Profitability – NYTimes.com

2010-Nov-18
Cathleen Black, Trailblazer With Eye on Profitability NYTimes.com. A Trailblazer With Her Eye on the Bottom Line Michael Appleton for The New York Times Cathleen P. Black, the mayor’s pick to lead New York schools, waiting for a taxi outside her Park Avenue apartment. Published: November 18, 2010 RECOMMEND TWITTER SIGN IN TO E-MAIL [...]

This Week In Education: Video: Parents Take Bullying Into Their Own Hands (Badly)

2010-Nov-18
This Week In Education: Video: Parents Take Bullying Into Their Own Hands (Badly). Video: Parents Take Bullying Into Their Own Hands (Badly) by Alexander Russo Popout Betty Duvall gave her daughter pepper spray, which she then used on bullies; and James Jones boarded his daughter's school bus, screaming and cursing at her bullies and other ridersSchools [...]

P.E. teachers learning to link nutrition, fitness, teen angst | EdNews Parent

2010-Nov-18
P.E. teachers learning to link nutrition, fitness, teen angst EdNews Parent. P.E. teachers learning to link nutrition, fitness, teen angst by Rebecca Jones Susan Bertelsen, professor of human performance and sports at Metro State College of Denver, is a proponent of P.E. teachers inserting nutrition education into their curriculum. P.E. teachers already do a lot [...]

New Baltimore teaching contract approved – Boston.com

2010-Nov-18
New Baltimore teaching contract approved Boston.com. New Baltimore teaching contract approved November 18, 2010 E-mail Print Comments (0) Text size – + BALTIMORE—Baltimore teachers voted to approve a new contract that links pay increases to student performance. Tweet 1 person Tweeted this Yahoo! BuzzShareThis Members of the Baltimore Teachers Union voted 1,902 to 1,045 on Wednesday [...]

Tell Denver Public Schools: Don’t hate, collaborate! – Sign the Petition | Change.org

2010-Nov-18
Tell Denver Public Schools: Don't hate, collaborate! Sign the Petition Change.org. Tell Denver Public Schools: Don't hate, collaborate! Targeting: Board President Nate Easley, Superintendent Tom Boasberg, and Board of Education Started by: Sabrina Stevens Shupe Show your support for a inclusive, collaborative, and effective school reform process by signing this petition! Denver Public [...]

Remarks by the President in Presenting National Medals of Science and National Medals of Technology and Innovation | The White House

2010-Nov-17
Remarks by the President in Presenting National Medals of Science and National Medals of Technology and Innovation The White House. Remarks by the President in Presenting National Medals of Science and National Medals of Technology and Innovation from White House.gov Press Office Feed by The White House Release Time: For Immediate Release Location: East Room 5:25 [...]

Time For Schools To Stop Damaging Children – Give Me A Break

2010-Nov-17
Time For Schools To Stop Damaging Children Give Me A Break. Time For Schools To Stop Damaging Children Give Me A Break I’m reading Ruth Bettelheim’s “Time for Schools to Stop Damaging Children” in the Huffington Post, and I’m a bit insulted. Dr. Bettelhiem begins by parroting the litany of complaints against schools: [...]

Heavy reliance on test scores for teacher evaluation is misguided | A Statement on Education

2010-Nov-17
Heavy reliance on test scores for teacher evaluation is misguided A Statement on Education. We invite you to add your name to the below statement, initiated by ten prominent education scholars, that urges policymakers to not pursue heavy reliance on test scores for evaluating, rewarding and removing teachers. Links to relevant research on this [...]

This Week In Education: Reform: Ignore Implementation At Your Own Peril

2010-Nov-17
This Week In Education: Reform: Ignore Implementation At Your Own Peril. Reform: Ignore Implementation At Your Own Peril by Alexander Russo I've long lamented the glut of policy and the dearth of implementation at one point I called for a moratorium on new policy so we could figure out whether the policies we already had [...]

New teacher education program headed to 8 states – WSJ.com

2010-Nov-16
New teacher education program headed to 8 states WSJ.com. New teacher education program headed to 8 states Associated Press ALBANY, N.Y. — Eight states are beginning a national pilot program to transform teacher education and preparation to emphasize far more infield, intensive training as is common practice in medical schools. Teaching, like medicine, is [...]

Queens Teacher: Insurance Industry Cares All Right…about Wall Street

2010-Nov-16
Queens Teacher: Insurance Industry Cares All Rightabout Wall Street. Insurance Industry Cares All Rightabout Wall Street by Queens Teacher Popout The insurance industry is just another entity being controlled by the wealthy. Profits