Latest News and Comment from Education

Friday, October 21, 2011

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Day Posts


Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Day Posts


How turnarounds will reshape the system in the coming years | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Where is all this heading? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:Where is all this heading?Activists, educators, and officials weigh in on how turnarounds will reshape the system in the coming years.by Dale MezzacappaPhoto: Benjamin HeroldGratz High School is one of the latest crop of school turnarounds in Philadelphia. Gary Ray (center), a 10th grader, waits outside the school, now known as Mastery-Gratz, on the first day.COMMENTS (0)PRINTEMAILTags:career/tech ed. data Mastery Charter Schools charter schools school improvementstandardized testing Leroy Nunery low-performing schools... more »

Shanker Blog » The Teachers' Union Hypothesis

Shanker Blog » The Teachers' Union Hypothesis:The Teachers’ Union Hypothesisby Matthew Di CarloFor the past couple of months, Steve Brill’s new book has served to step up the eternally-beneath-the-surface hypothesis that teachers’ unions are the primary obstacle to improving educational outcomes in the U.S. The general idea is that unions block “needed reforms,” such as merit pay and other forms of test-based accountability for teachers, and that they “protect bad teachers” from being fired.Teachers’ unions are a convenient target. For ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts“Don’t mess with my TRS!” Call now. 888-412-6570. « Fred Klonsky's blogBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-3 hours ago“Don’t mess with my TRS!” Call now. 888-412-6570. « Fred Klonsky's blog:“Don’t mess with my TRS!” Call now. 888-412-6570.by Fred KlonskyThe lines are now open. Dial 888-412-6570 and follow the prompts. You will be connected with your state senator or representative. Tell them to do the right thing, say NO cutting the modest ... more »

Teachers As Advocates | Connected Principals

Teachers As Advocates | Connected Principals:Teachers As AdvocatesPosted by George Couros on 10/21/11 • Categorized as Best Educational Practices,Leadership EssentialsFrom: http://www.flickr.com/photos/garryknight/5542172347/When talking with a group of teachers last week about the frustration that sometimes comes with not feeling they are respected as professionals in the field of education, I had to sit back and think about this question. We often hear conversations from many that say, “Well when I was in school…”, and we often feel frustrated that many do ... more »

This Week In Education: #ESEA Update: Harkin-Enzi Makes It Out Of Committee

This Week In Education: #ESEA Update: Harkin-Enzi Makes It Out Of Committee:#ESEA Update: Harkin-Enzi Makes It Out Of Committeeby Alexander RussoWow. Late on Thursday Senator Harkin sent out a press release touting the passage of the #ESEA rewrite by the Senate education committee stating that "Tonight is a victory – both for our nation’s children and for bipartisanship." We'll see about that. Meantime, here are some of the early writeups: Senate Panel Approves ESEA Overhaul EdWeek: Harkin hopes to move ... more »

Education | PTA wants state to reconsider charter schools | Seattle Times Newspaper

Education | PTA wants state to reconsider charter schools | Seattle Times Newspaper:PTA wants state to reconsider charter schoolsThe Washington PTA wants charter schools to be a part of the state's education reform agenda, even though the idea has twice been rejected by voters and repeatedly shot down by lawmakers.By Donna Gordon BlankinshipThe Associated PressTop comments Hide / Show commentsThinking of taking classes online? Find an accredited degree program. Look for... (October 20, 2011, by cherylbullock) Read moreRead all 1 ... more »

Grumpy Educators: Parent Across America submits proposals for ESEA reauthorization

Grumpy Educators: Parent Across America submits proposals for ESEA reauthorization:Parent Across America submits proposals for ESEA reauthorizationParents Across America wrote to Senator Harkin, starting the letter this way:Dear Senator Harkin,Your proposed revisions to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act show that you and the HELP Committee have listened to some of the concerns voiced by parents and others about the problems with No Child Left Behind.The letter was followed by a list of proposals Parents Across America wish to see ... more »

Professional Learning Communities Saved My Career « Whole Child Education

The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education:Professional Learning Communities Saved My CareerOctober 20th, 2011 by ASCD Whole Child BloggersPost written by Gwendolyn Todd, a secondary instructional resource teacher in the Charles County (Md.) Public Schools. This post was originally featured in ASCD Express.When I began my teaching career just a decade ago, professors and veteran teachers warned me that teaching is a solitary profession. Although both groups continually taught me strategies to facilitate collaborative learning for my students, they ...more »

UC online instruction pilot sparks excitement, controversy | California Watch

UC online instruction pilot sparks excitement, controversy | California Watch:UC online instruction pilot sparks excitement, controversyby Erica PerezErica PerezJakub Krechowicz/stock.xchngAs a small cadre of University of California faculty prepares to deliver the first online classes in a systemwide experiment, the effort is stirring both excitement and controversy among instructors and administrators.The Online Instruction Pilot Project will launch roughly 20 to 25 online courses at nine campuses beginning in January. Faculty and researchers will evaluate the courses, and if the ... more »

“Don’t mess with my TRS!” Call now. 888-412-6570. « Fred Klonsky's blog

“Don’t mess with my TRS!” Call now. 888-412-6570. « Fred Klonsky's blog:“Don’t mess with my TRS!” Call now. 888-412-6570.by Fred KlonskyThe lines are now open. Dial 888-412-6570 and follow the prompts. You will be connected with your state senator or representative. Tell them to do the right thing, say NO cutting the modest pensions earned by public employees who keep us safe, educate our children, care for the sick and disabled and more.

Jersey Jazzman: False Gods Are Not Appeased By Human Sacrifices

Jersey Jazzman: False Gods Are Not Appeased By Human Sacrifices:False Gods Are Not Appeased By Human Sacrificesby DukeI noticed a few folks today beating up Andrew "Eduwonk" Rotherman on the Twitter machine for his column in this week's Time. Let me quickly recap, and then make a larger point about the ongoing reformy education debate:Predictably, Rotherman first tells us that teacher quality is a serious problem without any real evidence that it is. Yes, there are bad teachers, just like ...more »

A Rag Blog Interview with Bernardine Dohrn « Bill Ayers #ows

A Rag Blog Interview with Bernardine Dohrn « Bill Ayers:A Rag Blog Interview with Bernardine Dohrnby billayers20 October 2011Jonah RaskinBernardine Dohrn. Photo by Thomas Good / Next Left Notes.Who doesn’t have a reaction to the name and the reputation of Bernadine Dohrn? Is there anyone over the age of 60 who doesn’t remember her role at the outrageous Days of Rage demonstrations, her picture on FBI “wanted posters,” or her dramatic surrender to law enforcement officials in Chicago after a ...more »