Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts #ows #edreform

School Tech Connect: Not Actuarially Sound

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Not Actuarially Sound:Not Actuarially Soundby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)Even if you've already called, call again. And get your Republican colleagues to call, too. They're the ones who could have some influence on their peeps.There's been a lot of great coverage about the sudden amendment to SB512, and really, it comes down to this: SB512 ain't ready for prime time. In other words, it's just the sort of thing that would pass. You gotta call.The bill increases the employer contribution ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts #ows #edreform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Being Too Pretty, Not Pretty Enough Mark Girls as Targets for Sexual Harassment in School « Student ActivismBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-5 minutes agoBeing Too Pretty, Not Pretty Enough Mark Girls as Targets for Sexual Harassment in School « Student Activism:Being Too Pretty, Not Pretty Enough Mark Girls as Targets for Sexual Harassment in Schoolby Angus JohnstonThere’s lots of important stuff in the AAUW’s new report on sexual harassment in American high schools and middle schools, but I ... more »

#Occupy The Highway: The 99% March to Washington | OccupyWallSt.org #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Occupy The Highway: The 99% March to Washington | OccupyWallSt.org:Occupy The Highway: The 99% March to WashingtonPosted 2 hours ago on Nov. 7, 2011, 5:30 p.m. EST by OccupyWallStOn November 3rd, the Congressional Deficit Reduction Super-Committee will meet to decide on whether or not to keep Obama's extension to the Bush tax-cuts - which only benefit the richest 1% of Americans in any kind of significant way. Luckily, a group of OWS'ers are embarking on a two-week march from Liberty ... more »

Missouri’s Top Educator Tells Imagine Charter Schools to Close; Could it Happen in Florida? | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Missouri’s Top Educator Tells Imagine Charter Schools to Close; Could it Happen in Florida? | Scathing Purple Musings:Missouri’s Top Educator Tells Imagine Charter Schools to Close; Could it Happen in Florida?by Bob SikesThere’s more trouble for Dennis Bakke, the CEO of Imagine Schools. Missouri’s Commissioner of Education told Imagine’s state sponsor that the low performing and financially strapped schools should close. In response to a letter from Missouri Baptist University, Chris Nicastro wrote:“We do not view it as the intent ... more »

Daily Kos: Finding Freedom in Handcuffs

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Daily Kos: Finding Freedom in Handcuffs:Finding Freedom in Handcuffsby rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)is an absolute must read from Chris Hedges, written in the aftermath of his having been arrested at Occupy Wall Street. It was originally published today at Truthdig, and can be read here at Common Dreams.I have few words of my own to add. And I find it difficult to excerpt, it is so superbly written.To persuade you to read it, and pass it on, consider this, his opening paragraph: ... more »

Being Too Pretty, Not Pretty Enough Mark Girls as Targets for Sexual Harassment in School « Student Activism

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Being Too Pretty, Not Pretty Enough Mark Girls as Targets for Sexual Harassment in School « Student Activism:Being Too Pretty, Not Pretty Enough Mark Girls as Targets for Sexual Harassment in Schoolby Angus JohnstonThere’s lots of important stuff in the AAUW’s new report on sexual harassment in American high schools and middle schools, but I do want to highlight one small finding that hasn’t yet drawn much attention.The study asked students to identify which kinds of kids were at highest ... more »

Growing Resentment Toward Vouchers by State School Board Members « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Growing Resentment Toward Vouchers by State School Board Members « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!:Growing Resentment Toward Vouchers by State School Board Membersby millerlfLegislators Challenged on VouchersWisconsin School Board Members Dislike Private School Choiceby: Terrence Falk | Monday 11/7/2011When the chairs of the Wisconsin senate and assembly education committees spoke before a state school board conference, they knew they were going to get tough questions.Senator Luther Olsen (R-Ripon) and Representative Steve Kestell (R-Elkhart Lake) limited their remarks to... more »

ASCD Inservice: Casey―and ASCD―at Bat for Well-Rounded Ed. Policy

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

ASCD Inservice: Casey―and ASCD―at Bat for Well-Rounded Ed. Policy:Casey―and ASCD―at Bat for Well-Rounded Ed. Policyby David Griffith, ASCD Public Policy DirectorThe No Child Left Behind Act's (NCLB) narrow focus on student achievement in English language arts and mathematics has been a point of contention since the law's enactment, and has become especially problematic in more recent years with the increased interest in college, career, and citizenship-ready students.That is why educators were so disappointed that the original Harkin-Enzi ESEA reauthorization bill ... more »

California Teachers of the Year for 2012 - Year 2011 (CA Dept of Education)

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

California Teachers of the Year for 2012 - Year 2011 (CA Dept of Education):State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson AnnouncesCalifornia's Five Teachers of the YearSelects Burbank Teacher as Nominee to National CompetitionSACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today officially announced the selection of California's five 2012 Teachers of the Year."This honor is afforded to teachers who have demonstrated a special ability to connect with their students, a zest for the classroom, a genuine passion for an occupation that ... more »

Race to the Top is a Race Off a Cliff | Seattle Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Race to the Top is a Race Off a Cliff | Seattle Education:Race to the Top is a Race Off a Cliffby seattleducation2011Thank goodness that our state didn’t go aggressively after the Race to the Top bribe although we had our own state PTA pushing for it along with the corporate backed Stand for Children and the League of Education Voters.Now states that bought into the scam, whether they received the RTTT money or not, are stuck with an evaluation ... more »

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

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

NCLB Waivers are not Worthy Reforms in California - Living in Dialogue - Education Week TeacherBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-25 minutes agoNCLB Waivers are not Worthy Reforms in California - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:NCLB Waivers are not Worthy Reforms in Californiaby Anthony CodyA slightly abbreviated version of this post ran as an op-ed column in yesterday's Sacramento Bee.No Child Left Behind has put the schools of California in a vise. Next year, the vast majority ... more »

Public Policy Blogger: Inevitable consequences of too much standardization and testing in our public schools

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Public Policy Blogger: Inevitable consequences of too much standardization and testing in our public schools:Inevitable consequences of too much standardization and testing in our public schoolsby Anne GeigerThis is my story and I'm stickin' to it. Criticism of education reform shaped more and more by standardized test scores. Yes, a narrowed focus on standardization and testing is an easier path for politicians and pundit to measure the "return on investment" in our public classrooms. They can boil down "performance" of ... more »

OWSnews.org #OWS #OccupyWallStreet

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

OWSnews.org:Roger Waters: The Tide Is Turning (#OccupyWallStreet Music Video)admin at OWSnews.org - 50 minutes agoEditor’s Note: Thank you for this Roger, much respect! Roger Waters on #OccupyWallStreet The Tide Is Turning: #OWS Music VideoFinding Freedom in HandcuffsChris Hedges at OWSnews.org - 50 minutes agoCross-posted from TruthDig Faces appeared to me moments before the New York City police arrested us Thursday in front of Goldman Sachs. They were not the faces of the smug Goldman Sachs employees, who peered at us ... more »

All Things Education: Will Flat NAEP Reading Scores Mean More Flat Reading Instruction?

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

All Things Education: Will Flat NAEP Reading Scores Mean More Flat Reading Instruction?:Will Flat NAEP Reading Scores Mean More Flat Reading Instruction?by Rachel LevyAt first I was annoyed with Matthew Di Carlo of the Shanker Blog for criticizing people for things they hadn't yet said. Speaking of the NAEP, he predicted, "People on all 'sides' will interpret the results favorably no matter how they turn out." But, he was right.The results in my state of Virginia, were reported in The ... more »

Grumpy Educators: Florida: Bringing Parent Activism Out of the Shadows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Grumpy Educators: Florida: Bringing Parent Activism Out of the Shadows:Florida: Bringing Parent Activism Out of the Shadowsby SandraIn Brevard County, Florida, parents are fighting to keep the public schools in their communities open as the School Board looks for cost savings by closing schools that are considered too under capacity and moving the students to schools considered with room but not in the "under capacity" definition. These closures have nothing to do with the performance of the schools, teachers, or ... more »