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

Scum bags. « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Scum bags. « Fred Klonsky:Scum bags.by Fred KlonskyI received some interesting reactions to my post on pension abuse.This week the Illinois legislature, facing billions of dollars in unpaid pension obligations, took a bold stand and made it illegal in the future for someone to collect from the Teacher Retirement Fund based on earnings they would have received if they left the clasroom to work for a teachers union.That was how they responded to their failure to meet their obligations.GOP Illinois ... more »

Blue Jersey:: Hey, Gov. Christie, are these kids drug mules too?

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Blue Jersey:: Hey, Gov. Christie, are these kids drug mules too?:Hey, Gov. Christie, are these kids drug mules too?by Rosi EfthimYellow school buses were stacked up and down West State Street as far as the eye could see. Looks like NJ Spotlight called it right, predicting that the vast majority at today's pro-voucher rally at the State House steps were Catholic school students bused in for the day.I wonder. Do you think our pro-voucher, Catholic school parent Governor thinks these ... more »

Support PURE! » Stop the churn – give schools back to the community

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Stop the churn – give schools back to the community:Stop the churn – give schools back to the communityby adminChurn rate (sometimes called attrition rate), in its broadest sense, is a measure of the number of individuals or items moving into or out of a collective over a specific period of time…. The phrase is based on the English verb “churn”, meaning ‘to agitate or produce violent motion’. (Wikipedia)It’s great for ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Ellen McHugh: nothing dark but the intent of the DOE

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

NYC Public School Parents: Ellen McHugh: nothing dark but the intent of the DOE:Ellen McHugh: nothing dark but the intent of the DOEby Leonie HaimsonHere is Ellen McHugh's account of the controversial Cobble Hill charter co-location hearing, more description and video of which is here. Ellen is head of Parent to Parent - NYS, and a member of the Citywide Council for Special Education:Another hearing another show. (with apologies to Cole Porter).Outside it really was a dark and rainy night ... more »

Eight Questions: On Teaching « Bill Ayers

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Eight Questions: On Teaching « Bill Ayers:Eight Questions: On Teachingby billayers1. What words of advice would you give a teacher who is struggling to incorporate reflective writing practices into his or her pedagogy? Recognize that aesthetics is at the heart of teaching—strive for beauty and something pleasing and lovely in your work—and remember that the opposite of aesthetic is anesthetic. Anesthetics put us to sleep, but an educated person is always striving to open her eyes, to pay attention, to ... more »

Arne on Teacher Salaries and Standardized Tests | ED.gov Blog

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Arne on Teacher Salaries and Standardized Tests | ED.gov Blog:Arne on Teacher Salaries and Standardized TestsPosted on December 1, 2011 by Cameron BrenchleyArne sat down recently to respond to a couple of questions he received on his Facebook page. Kenny commented on how teacher salaries make it difficult to stay in the teaching profession. Duncan noted that low salaries are a real challenge. “I’m out very publically saying that I think teachers need to make a heck of a lot ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Noah Gotbaum on the Mayor's defamation of our teachers

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

NYC Public School Parents: Noah Gotbaum on the Mayor's defamation of our teachers:Noah Gotbaum on the Mayor's defamation of our teachersby Leonie HaimsonThe Mayor's statement that teachers represent the "bottom 20%" of our society is so outrageous, so disdainful and so demonizing of teachers and the teaching profession as to merit a defamation suit. And the policies which have been generated by these beliefs so destructive and demoralizing to those teachers, to our children, to our schools and to our ... more »

Schools Matter: Insanity: Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Schools Matter: Insanity: Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results:Insanity: Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Resultsby Jim HornThat was Einstein's definition. In this commentary from Ed Week, Kevin Welner considers how long it might take the same reform repeated for decades to become the status quo:HOW MANY DECADES BEFORE "REFORM" BECOMES "STATUS QUO"?Education Week Commentary -- December 1, 2011By Kevin G. WelnerPause for a moment and warily inhale the ... more »

Jay Matthews of the Washington Post: Five reasons for profit colleges will survive | Dailycensored.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Jay Matthews of the Washington Post: Five reasons for profit colleges will survive | Dailycensored.com:Jay Matthews of the Washington Post: Five reasons for profit colleges will surviveWritten by Danny WeilBusiness, EducationDec 1, 20110diggShareOn November 27th, 2011 ‘education’ writer, Jay Matthews of the Washington Post, wrote a defense of for-profit colleges. One can only infer that his bosses, CEO Donny Graham and his sister Lally commanded Matthews to write the piece. This is how the paper works: journalists are tightly watched ... more »

U.S. Education Department Finds Salary Gap in Poor Schools - NYTimes.com #edreform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

U.S. Education Department Finds Salary Gap in Poor Schools - NYTimes.com:Districts Pay Less in Poor Schools, Report SaysBy SAM DILLONPublished: November 30, 2011RECOMMENDTWITTERLINKEDINE-MAILPRINTREPRINTSSHAREEducation experts have long argued that a basic inequity in American schooling is that students in poor neighborhoods are frequently taught by low-paid rookie teachers who move on as they gain experience and rise up the salary scale.A new Web venture featuring news, data and conversation about schools in New York City.Join us on Facebook »Follow us on ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Fred Smith on David Abrams' resignation: No Mas!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Fred Smith on David Abrams' resignation: No Mas!:Fred Smith on David Abrams' resignation: No Mas!by Leonie HaimsonFred Smith is a former senior analyst for the NYC Board of Education and an expert on testing. Here he comments on the sudden resignation of David Abrams, who led the NY State Education Dept. testing office into one preposterous blunder after another over many years, the most serious of which was test score inflation -- but my favorite was ... more »

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

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

School Overhaul Plan A Boon to Private Groups - Chicago News CooperativeBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-12 minutes agoSchool Overhaul Plan A Boon to Private Groups - Chicago News Cooperative:School Overhaul Plan A Boon to Private Groupsby REBECCA VEVEADespite rumors that Chicago Public Schools officials planned to close a record number of schools this year, just four will be shuttered and four others will be phased out or share space with charter schools.Of the eight schools, seven will foster ... more »

Occupy L.A.: Nearly 300 protesters still in jail face $5,000 bail - latimes.com #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Occupy L.A.: Nearly 300 protesters still in jail face $5,000 bail - latimes.com:Occupy L.A.: Nearly 300 protesters still in jail face $5,000 bailThe National Lawyers Guild is calling for nearly 300 Occupy L.A. protesters arrested early Wednesday to be released from jail. The majority of the 292 protesters were taken into custody for failing leave a City Hall park after police issued a dispersal order early Wednesday, city officials said. A smaller number also were cited for resisting arrest.All are ...more »

Robert Reich (The Rebirth of Social Darwinism)

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Robert Reich (The Rebirth of Social Darwinism):The Rebirth of Social DarwinismWEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2011What kind of society, exactly, do modern Republicans want? I’ve been listening to Republican candidates in an effort to discern an overall philosophy, a broadly-shared vision, an ideal picture of America.They say they want a smaller government but that can’t be it. Most seek a larger national defense and more muscular homeland security. Almost all want to widen the government’s powers of search and surveillance inside the ... more »

SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: War Times analyzes Occupy Movement #ows

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SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: War Times analyzes Occupy Movement:War Times analyzes Occupy Movementby Duane Campbell(excerpts)Occupy has changed thecountry. People are fighting back. And the developments arehappening faster than anyone could have guessed even a few months ago. TheOccupy movement has gone from a few dozen in Zuccotti park in New York tothousands of participants in hundreds of cities. Across the countryoccupations have become pitched battles between the people’s movement andmunicipal police forces. The speed with which this unfolded, the degree of ... more »