Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, November 5, 2011

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


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


Should legislators meddle in sex education (and other subjects)? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Should legislators meddle in sex education (and other subjects)? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:Should legislators meddle in sex education (and other subjects)?by Valerie StraussWisconsin’s Senate just passed a bill that would force public school teachers who are teaching sex education to promote the benefits of marriage and abstinence as the best way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. And bills have been introduced in both houses of the U.S. Congress that would encourage comprehensive sex ed ... more »

Jeb Bush Dodges Accountability for NAEP Scores | Scathing Purple Musings

Jeb Bush Dodges Accountability for NAEP Scores | Scathing Purple Musings:Jeb Bush Dodges Accountability for NAEP Scoresby Bob SikesSo NOW its about the funding. From Leslie Postal in Sentinel School Zone:Former Gov. Jeb Bush sent out a press release this afternoon lamenting the state’s flat NAEP scores and calling for higher standards to boost performance that had “plateaued.”Bush, head of the Foundation for Florida’s Future, also said money would help.“ And investing in education is also important,” he said in ... more »

Guest Column: Evaluations ignore education factors Schools Matter

Schools Matter:Guest Column: Evaluations ignore education factorsJim Horn Saturday, November 5, 2011 Surely everyone can agree with Mike Edwards' core idea in "Grading teachers vital to education" (Oct. 29) that "every student needs to be well prepared for life and the work force" and that education is a critical factor in every citizen's quality of life. However, almost no one, especially researchers, would agree with Edwards' contention that teachers are the most important factor in a child's education. What the ... more »

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

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts #owsSave Seattle Schools Community Blog: What's Next? School Lunches?Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-14 hours agoSave Seattle Schools Community Blog: What's Next? School Lunches?:What's Next? School Lunches?by Melissa WestbrookThe Seattle Times is reporting that Governor Gregoire is considering cutting K-12 bus transportation. But any squeamishness over student-transportation cuts isn't enough to keep that $220 million idea off her list of ways to potentially deal with budget shortfalls, the latest a ... more »

Defining a teacher’s worth

Defining a teacher’s worth:Defining a teacher’s worthby Mandy ZatynskiA new report this week from the American Enterprise Institute, in conjunction with the Heritage Foundation, sent waves (or perhaps a tsunami?) through the education community after claiming it found teachers to be overpaid – to the tune of 52 percent more than their educated equivalents in the private sector.If that’s the case, I missed out on some money somewhere.I taught ESL for almost three years in Spain in various capacities including ... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, EFL:Native American Heritage Month ResourcesLarry Ferlazzo at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... - 37 minutes agoNovember is Native American Heritage Month in the United States. Though I don’t have a “The Best…” list solely devoted to Native American resources, I do have tons of related materials at The Best Sites For International Day Of The … Continue reading →The Best Ideas On How Parents Can Help Their Kids ... more »

Re:education in Baltimore – Fishbowl Edition | Re:education in Baltimore

Re:education in Baltimore – Fishbowl Edition | Re:education in Baltimore:Re:education in Baltimore – Fishbowl Editionby Edit BarryI wrote a new post for this week based on a selection of articles and op-eds I’d read over the past two. Here are the links:Alonso plans to close schools that are underused, dilapidatedSpecific list hasn’t been finalizedBy Erica L. GreenThe Baltimore SunOctober 14, 2011Why smaller is betterOur view: Consolidating students in fewer buildings makes the best use of the city school system’s limited ... more »

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: What's Next? School Lunches?

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: What's Next? School Lunches?:What's Next? School Lunches?by Melissa WestbrookThe Seattle Times is reporting that Governor Gregoire is considering cutting K-12 bus transportation. But any squeamishness over student-transportation cuts isn't enough to keep that $220 million idea off her list of ways to potentially deal with budget shortfalls, the latest a $2 billion one.Washington would be the first to completely eliminate state dollars for bus service because of the recent recession, said Bob Riley, executive director ... more »

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

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts #owsIn Friday's paper: Area charter schools report low test scores - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register StarBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-3 hours agoIn Friday's paper: Area charter schools report low test scores - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star:In Friday's paper: Area charter schools report low test scoresROCKFORD — Rockford’s charter schools were ranked near the bottom of the heap when local Illinois Standards Achievement Test scores were released ... more »

What We Can Learn From High-Performing Charter Schools: Treat Teachers as Professionals | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

What We Can Learn From High-Performing Charter Schools: Treat Teachers as Professionals | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:What We Can Learn From High-Performing Charter Schools: Treat Teachers as Professionalsby Tarsi DunlopToo often when discussing the challenges public K-12 education faces, sweeping generalizations are made that in addition to being inaccurate, unfairly categorize professional educators and public schools as uniformly unsuccessful or at best inadequate. For instance, there is no proof that charter schools are guaranteed to produce ... more »

Democurmudgeon: Charter School Networks Failing, New Orleans all Charter District Gets low Grades.

Democurmudgeon: Charter School Networks Failing, New Orleans all Charter District Gets low Grades.:Charter School Networks Failing, New Orleans all Charter District Gets low Grades.by DemocurmudgeonSo what’s the point of running parallel school districts when they offer up the same results and problems?This study of larger groups of charter networks, thought to expand successful technics within their systems, did not achieve that goal. Edweek: A new national study on the effectiveness of networks that operate charter schools finds overall that their ... more »

Diary of a Social Art-tivist Mommy: DC Parent Power OPEN Meeting Monday

Diary of a Social Art-tivist Mommy: DC Parent Power OPEN Meeting Monday:DC Parent Power OPEN Meeting Mondayby ART-tivist MommyDC Parent Power Open Meeting InviteYou are invited to an open meeting for “DC Parent Power” to look for common ground for civic engagement around public education in the District.THIS Monday, November 7th, 2011atJuanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Neighborhood Library,Room: SPK Room A,Time: 6:30 PM to 8:30 PMThis is an open gathering of a group of DCPS parents and education advocates joining together ... more »

Transformers Top Ten List

Transformers Top Ten List: Transformers Top Ten Listby NancyFlanaganThis is a blog to tell SOS readers about IDEC 2012 Week. And–the IDEC 2012 Conference in Puerto Rico next March, a celebration of democratic education– education that is human, powerful, relevant and transformative. Right up Save Our Schools’ alley.So–how do you transform public education in a world where data and profit trump human needs?How do you create a climate where education is continuously reinvented–collaboratively and sustainably–in forms that honor our democratic ...more »

NAEP: A flawed benchmark producing the same old story - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

NAEP: A flawed benchmark producing the same old story - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:NAEP: A flawed benchmark producing the same old storyby Valerie StraussThis was written by James Harvey, executive director of the National Superintendents Roundtable. Harvey, who helped write the seminal 1983 report “A Nation at Risk,” is the author or co-author of four books and dozens of articles on education and has been examining the history of NAEP as part of his doctoral studies at ...more »

Board and Mayor agree to stop breaking the law. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Board and Mayor agree to stop breaking the law. « Fred Klonsky's blog:Board and Mayor agree to stop breaking the law.by Fred KlonskyIn an agreement between the Chicago Teachers Union and the Chicago Board which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the 5th floor of City Hall, Rahm Emanuel agreed to stop breaking the law and live by the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Nothing in the agreement stops the CTU from pursuing their complaint with the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board. ... more »

"Tests" for Kindergarteners? - Dana Goldstein

"Tests" for Kindergarteners? - Dana Goldstein:"Tests" for Kindergarteners?I'll be in Mexico from Sunday through Wednesday, so this will be my last post until late next week. In the meantime, check out my new piece at Slate, which examines the best and not-so-great practices in "kindergarten readiness assessment"--yes, the so-called kindergarten "tests" the Obama administration is asking states to develop, and which have dusted up some controversy. Read it!

At the National Association of Multicultural Education conference today

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » At the NAME conference today:At the NAME conference todayby adminThe National Association of Multicultural Education (NAME) has been holding their 21st annual international conference here in Chicago this week. NAME’s mission is toadvance and advocate for equity and social justice through multicultural education.I’ll be on a panel this afternoon with friend and true education reformer Bill Ayers and a bunch of other people, all who have contributed to a (we hope) ... more »