Saturday, May 21, 2011

Last Week's Best Posts on Big Education Ape » PostRank #stateofemergency #WIUnion #p2 #pfla #1u

Last Week's Best Posts on Big Education Ape » PostRank




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Unrealistic Education Reform Goals: A Business Perspective « InterACT

2011-May-20
Unrealistic Education Reform Goals: A Business Perspective « InterACTUnrealistic Education Reform Goals: A Business Perspectiveby ACT Guest Blog PostsToday’s guest blog post comes from a new teacher and new member of the Accomplished California Teachers network. Dave Reid is about to complete the Stanford Teacher Education Program and become a high school math teacher. He already holds an MBA from Santa Clara University, and comes to teaching from a career in business and technology. This post is excerpted by permission ...
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14 D.C. classrooms investigated for test irregularities - USATODAY.com

2011-May-19
14 D.C. classrooms investigated for test irregularities - USATODAY.com14 D.C. classrooms investigated for test irregularitiesBy Marisol Bello, USA TODAYUpdated 24m ago | 1 | 0ShareReprints PermissionsWashington, D.C., school officials are investigating 14 classrooms for irregularities on standardized tests this year, part of heightened scrutiny after controversy over possible cheating.By Jack Gruber, USA TODAYA probe of testing found a security violation at Noyes Education Campus.EnlargeBy Jack Gruber, USA TODAYA probe of testing found a security violation at Noyes Education Campus.The incidents ...
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Joel Klein’s Bad Faith Argument: The Misuse Of Al Shanker | Edwize

2011-May-19
Joel Klein’s Bad Faith Argument: The Misuse Of Al Shanker | EdwizeJoel Klein’s Bad Faith Argument: The Misuse Of Al ShankerMay. 19, 201111:26 amby Leo Casey No CommentsFiled under:Education(This is the first of two posts on Joel Klein’s essay, The Failure of American Schools, in the June issue of Atlantic Monthly.)Last September, when Joel Klein was still at the helm of the New York City Department of Education, he delivered a luncheon talk for a business roundtable, the Association for ...
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And we promote parent involvement while pulling stunts like this? - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

2011-May-19
And we promote parent involvement while pulling stunts like this? - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.And we promote parent involvement while pulling stunts like this?Talking Both Sides of the Mouth AwardThis just in, as reported by Alexander Russo at This Week in Education -re: NCLB (No Child Left Behind):NCLB: Obama's SuperSecret Special Ed Diversion ProgramWow. A little-noticed provision in the Obama education "blueprint" for NCLB -- inserted at the behest of the Gates Foundation and/or Pearson and ...
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4LAKids - SCHOOL LIBRARIES VITAL FOR STUDENTS

2011-May-19
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: SCHOOL LIBRARIES VITAL FOR STUDENTSSCHOOL LIBRARIES VITAL FOR STUDENTSTHIS EDITORIAL RAN IN WEDNESDAY’S WATERLOO ONTARIO, CANADA REGION RECORD | HTTP://BIT.LY/JZ8FBC ●●smf: Mark Twain said: “First God created idiots, that was for practice. Then he created school boards”. Apparently the phenomenon is international – as is the desire for politicians to become “The Education [Whatever]”.18 May, 2011 - Nothing liberates the mind of a young person more than a good library. For ...
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Considering How One 'Sees' Things - Bridging Differences - Education Week

2011-May-19
Considering How One 'Sees' Things - Bridging Differences - Education WeekConsidering How One 'Sees' Thingsby Deborah MeierDear Diane,I'm writing you while you are probably also writing me, on Sunday the 15th because I get up at 6 a.m. tomorrow to go to a board meeting at the Panasonic Foundation and then must drive five hours to Concord, N.H., where I'll spend a few days at the Upper Valley Educators Institute with Rob Fried. The institute runs a program where would-be ...
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Schools Matter: Montana Just Says No to More Testing Insanity

2011-May-19
Schools Matter: Montana Just Says No to More Testing InsanityMontana Just Says No to More Testing Insanityby Jim HornThe corporate education reformers (both neocon and neolib) had one big goal in mind when they rolled out NCLB under the cynical and manipulative banner of a high quality public education for all children: to use impossible testing targets that most poor children will never meet in order to undercut support for public schools and to create the demand for privatized options ...
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Michelle Rhee and ousted DC union president Parker— A Coalition of the Vanquished

2011-May-19
Michelle Rhee and ousted DC union president Parker— A Coalition of the VanquishedMichelle Rhee and ousted DC union president Parker— A Coalition of the Vanquishedby adminToday, it was announced that ousted DC union President George Parker will join Michelle Rhee as her senior fellow. This shouldn’t be a shocker although one must feel sad for Parker. After all, he was a weak leader, he got the boot, he needed a job. And Rhee has more to gain in this transaction–she ...
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Why Should We Ask the Children? « Cooperative Catalyst

2011-May-19
Why Should We Ask the Children? « Cooperative CatalystWhy Should We Ask the Children?by Pernille RippThis year I took the ultimate risk; I asked my students what they wanted to learn about. The first time I did this, I was met with averted eyes and mumblings. One student even asked me if this was a trick question? After much reassurance, after all, these kids know that adults usually use their words against them, a few dared to raise their hands. ...
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President Obama. Your Democrats are going after teacher pensions in Illinois. « Fred Klonsky's blog

2011-May-18
President Obama. Your Democrats are going after teacher pensions in Illinois. « Fred Klonsky's blogPresident Obama. Your Democrats are going after teacher pensions in Illinois.by Fred KlonskyAs NEA President Dennis Van Roekel prepares to get an endorsement for an Obama run for a second term, the leaders of Obama’s party in Illinois are ready to loot the state’s teacher pension system.Democratic Speaker of the Illinois House Michael Madigan has teamed with GOP leader Tom Cross. Their immediate goal is to ...
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Don’t forget to RSVP! :: Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action

2011-May-18
Don’t forget to RSVP! :: Save Our Schools March and National Call to ActionDon’t forget to RSVP!by TeacherSabrinaJust in case you need a formal invitation, here it is. (We can’t help you decide between the chicken or the fish, but we’re happy to help you choose between top-down education reform and real reform!)We’re just two and a half months away from the main event! As we start making final plans for things like Port-o-Potties, audio/visual equipment, and the like, we ...
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Charter Schools: detriment to thriving school systems - Livingston, NJ Patch

2011-May-18
Charter Schools: Councils Talk Tough - Livingston, NJ PatchCharter Schools: Councils Talk ToughMillburn sends its opposition to NJ Dept. of Ed. Livingston officials urged to take a stand.By Phil Hoops | Email the author | 8:38am0 CommentsView full size Add your photos videos Share Tweet Email PrintStart Following Submit a tipMillburn Mayor Sandy Haimoff is sending a letter to the Commissioner of Education on Wednesday, calling charter schools a detriment to thriving school systems like Millburn’s.“It is my understanding that ...
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Will The Charter School authorized Today, on this list Tomorrow? CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

2011-May-17
Go toCHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALSLet's Count the ScandalsCHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALSSouthwest Learning Center *HEAD OF CHARTERS EARNS $204,000. **Albuquerque** Journal* (NM) 11 Mar 2010 http://www.abqjournal.com/news/metro/112311207866newsmetro03-11-10.htm The head of three charter schools with fewer than 500 students combined earns $204,000, more than any ...Fulton Science Academy Middle School *FULTON** COUNTY SCHOOLS, CHARTER INTERIM COMPLIANCE REPORT, FULTON SCIENCE ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL**, January 2011 *(emphasis added) http://fsamiddle.org/images/stories/interimcompliance.pdf Requested Actions (pp. 2-3) While the school continues a ...Bonita Springs Charter School *FOUR WOMEN SUE BONITA SPRINGS ...
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"Ravitch: Test scores reflect student work, not teacher quality." May 17, 2011. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org

2011-May-17
"Ravitch: Test scores reflect student work, not teacher quality." May 17, 2011. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.orgRavitch: Test scores reflect student work, not teacher qualityNYSUT Communications - May 17, 2011 Diane Ravitch, education historian, author and New York University professor, received an honorary degree from Siena College during its commencement May 15. Here are her remarks:When I ask students and faculty at Siena why they came here, they all gave me the same answer, the same word: community. This ...
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NYC Educator: Teacher Evaluations: Don't Judge the Mayor by Test Scores, but Teachers Are Fair Game

2011-May-17
NYC Educator: Teacher Evaluations: Don't Judge the Mayor by Test Scores, but Teachers Are Fair GameTeacher Evaluations: Don't Judge the Mayor by Test Scores, but Teachers Are Fair Gameby Miss EyreHey, don't blame the Mayor or the Schools Chancellor when state test scores plummet, like they did in 2010. Standards are tougher now than they used to be. If the kids can't cut the new mustard, the thinking goes, it can't possibly be our fault, or so the thinking goes.But ...
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The Single Stupidest Sentence in the Psychology Today Piece on Black Women’s Attractiveness « Student Activism

2011-May-16
The Single Stupidest Sentence in the Psychology Today Piece on Black Women’s Attractiveness « Student ActivismThe Single Stupidest Sentence in the Psychology Today Piece on Black Women’s Attractivenessby Angus JohnstonThe internet is blowing up this morning over Psychology Today’s latest bit of linkbait, a supposedly scholarly analysis that claims to prove that black women are less attractive than other women, and speculates as to why.The whole thing is a pile of crap. Not just because it’s absurdly racist and obnoxious ...
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Book Review: “Hey Shorty” Provides Educators Steps Against Sexual Harassment in Schools « Feminist Teacher

2011-May-16
Book Review: “Hey Shorty” Provides Educators Steps Against Sexual Harassment in Schools « Feminist TeacherBook Review: “Hey Shorty” Provides Educators Steps Against Sexual Harassment in Schoolsby feministteacher(Girls for Gender Equity)Reading Hey Shorty: A Guide to Combating Sexual Harassment and Violence in Public Schools and on the Streets is like drinking vitamin water for activists. An immersion in how-to community organizing, movement building, and feminist activism against sexual harassment, this book is the one we’ve all been waiting for. Written in ...
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THE MAY REVISE: Governor Brown’s revised budget proposal to be broadcast and posted online Monday May 16 @ 11AM

2011-May-15
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: THE MAY REVISE: Governor Brown’s revised budget proposal to be broadcast and posted online Monday May 16 @ 11AMJoint Hearing of the Assembly Education and Health Committees: CALIFORNIA HEALTHY STUDENTS RESEARCH PROJECT Information from the Director of Legislation of the California State PTA – who will testify Thehearing may be televised on The California Channel for people cannot get there.THE MAY REVISE: Governor Brown’s revised budget proposal to be broadcast and ...
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What Matters Most by AFT President Randi Weingarten

2011-May-15
AFT - A Union of Professionals - Investing in a Strong StartWhat Matters Mostby AFT President Randi WeingartenInvesting in a Strong StartNY Times, May 15, 2011If high-quality early childhood education were a stock or commodity, investors would be racing to invest in these programs that routinely yield a high rate of return. Indeed, savvy policymakers and education leaders have invested in “futures,” so to speak, by devoting funds to programs aimed at children between the ages of 3 and 5, ...
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Census: In California, More Empty Houses, More Families "Doubling Up" | California Progress Report

2011-May-15
Census: In California, More Empty Houses, More Families "Doubling Up" | California Progress ReportCensus: In California, More Empty Houses, More Families "Doubling Up"by meganBy Nina MartinNew America MediaThe number of empty houses and rental units in California has jumped over the past decade, according to new Census data released Thursday—another sign of how the Great Recession and housing bust have continued to batter the nation’s largest state.Some 8.1 percent of all housing units in the state were vacant in 2010, ...
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What would make a teacher do that? | Reflections on Teaching

2011-May-15
What would make a teacher do that? | Reflections on TeachingWhat would make a teacher do that?by alicemercer“It’s so sad that teachers have to go this far to get the attention of some lawmakers.”–David Sanchez, President of CTASince I was at the State of Emergency held by CTA all week, I got to know some of the participants in Thursday’s sit-in. I thought I would share the story of one participant, George Sheriden.George went with me to visit Senator Darrell ...
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Big Education 5-15-11 AM Those who can, teach Edition #stateofemergency

2011-May-15
Big Education Ape: Ed News NowBig Education Ape: Ed News Now as shared by 7 people on Coopmike48’s Twitter listNext update in about 10 hoursSee all articlesHEADLINESEDUCATIONPOLITICSSTORIESART ENTERTAINMENTLIVINGBUSINESS#EDU#STATEOFEMERGENCYInteresting Article if You Have Time to Read... proteacher.net - Interesting Article if You Have Time to Read... 05-06-2011, 08:24 AM Moore: Cornering the education market By Michael Moore Created 2011-05-04 22:13 It’s testing time around Georgia, despite widesp...DianeRavitchBig role of test scores in New York teacher evaluations — Joanne Jacobs joannejacobs.com - ...
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Democurmudgeon: Stop the Job killing CEO raises!

2011-May-15
Democurmudgeon: Stop the Job killing CEO raises!Stop the Job killing CEO raises!by DemocurmudgeonNo wonder companies don't have enough to hire new workers. This amazing (again) revelation indicating just how bad things have gotten between the haves and have nots….jsonline: The pay of Wisconsin's top corporate executives rose an average of 27% in 2010, a year when unemployment hovered around 8% and pay to the average worker in the state fell.On average, total compensation for chief executive officers at 57 publicly ...
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Los Alamitos class must present both views of global warming - News - The Orange County Register

2011-May-15
Los Alamitos class must present both views of global warming - News - The Orange County RegisterLos Alamitos class must present both views of global warmingBy ROXANA KOPETMANFOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERLOS ALAMITOS – A new high school advanced placement class that addresses global warming has prompted the school board to start requiring teachers to present opposing views in courses that include controversial topics.Los Alamitos Unified School district trustees unanimously agreed to update the policy on controversial issues at the ...
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Schoolgirls Can Find Protection in Title IX | Womens eNews

2011-May-15
Schoolgirls Can Find Protection in Title IX | Womens eNewsSchoolgirls Can Find Protection in Title IXBy Joanne N. SmithWeNews guest authorSunday, May 15, 2011In this intro from "Hey, Shorty!" Joanne Smith recalls how the rape of an 8-year-old catalyzed the co-authors' work to end violence against girls in public schools. The book offers a manual on applying Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination in education.0Share(WOMENSENEWS)--Anasia, a 7-year-old with a light-brown complexion, slim body, bright, black marble eyes and a vibrant ...
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Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble's Open Letter to Amy Myers

2011-May-15
Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble's Open Letter to Amy MyersCongressman Kimble's Open Letter to Amy Myersby Representative KimbleA letter from a New Jersey high school student to Michele Bachmann challenging her to a debate or test of Constitutional knowledge has received a lot of mileage on the internets recently. The student named Amy Myers shows a tremendous amount of chutzpah as she goes immediately on the offensive. This is her letter:Dear Representative Bachmann,My name is Amy Myers. I am a Cherry ...
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Weblogg-ed » “There are Some People Who Don’t Wait”

2011-May-14
Weblogg-ed » “There are Some People Who Don’t Wait”“There are Some People Who Don’t Wait”by Will RichardsonThis quote from Robert Krulwich of NPR caught my eye yesterday:But there are some people, who don’t wait.I don’t know exactly what going on inside them; but they have this… hunger. It’s almost like an ache.Something inside you says I can’t wait to be asked I just have to jump in and do it.He was talking about beginning journalists, but I couldn’t help thinking ...
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Mathematical Intimidation: Driven by the Data by John Ewing | Seattle Education

2011-May-14
Mathematical Intimidation: Driven by the Data by John Ewing | Seattle EducationMathematical Intimidation: Driven by the Data by John Ewingby seattleducation2011Of course we should hold teachers accountable,but this does not mean we have to pretendthat mathematical models can do something theycannot. Of course we should rid our schools ofincompetent teachers, but value-added models arean exceedingly blunt tool for this purpose. In anycase, we ought to expect more from our teachersthan what value-added attempts to measure.John Ewing, PhD, Mathematician and President ...
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