FOOL ME TWICE...LAUSD board OKs agreement giving all schools freedom of charters -- but with accountability - LA Daily News
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago
LAUSD board OKs agreement giving all schools freedom of charters -- but with accountability - LA Daily News: LAUSD board OKs agreement giving all schools freedom of charters -- but with accountabilityDaily NewsPosted:12/19/2011 04:21:00 PM PSTUpdated:12/19/2011 04:21:33 PM PSTThe Los Angeles Unified Board of Education unanimously approved Monday a landmark agreement that gives the district's individual campuses the freedom of charters, but also holds them accountable for how well students perform.The board endorsed the deal during a special meeting Monday. ... more »
Yong Zhao » The Difference between a $10,000 Education and a $10 Education #EDreform
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago
Yong Zhao » Blog Archive » The Difference between a $10,000 Education and a $10 Education: The Difference between a $10,000 Education and a $10 EducationbyYongZhaoAmanda Ripley recently picked on DianeRavitch over the issue of how much poverty matters in educational achievement,accusingRavitchof distorting the reality. By playing withthe PISA data, Ripleytries to prove that poverty should not be considered a big problem or excuse for the poor quality of American education.That was what I thought at first, then upon reading ... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What to Do about the Superintendent Situation?
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Seattle Schools Community Forum: What to Do about the Superintendent Situation?: What to Do about the Superintendent Situation?byMelissa WestbrookSo I have been hearing a lot of different things over the last couple of days. We are truly in a unique and difficult situation. But there are two things I would like input on from all of you (between now and the end of next week).First, there seems to be some hope that Dr. Enfield wants to be wooed. Many out ... more »
Peg with Pen: Indianapolis: The New Feeding Ground for Corporate Education Reformers
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Peg with Pen: Indianapolis: The New Feeding Ground for Corporate Education Reformers: Indianapolis: The New Feeding Ground for Corporate Education ReformersbyPeggyIndianapolis, Indiana, home of the Hoosiers, is getting ready for the fight of a lifetime. The Crossroads of America will need us to rally and support them as a corporate education takeover makes its way into their public schools.Mind Trustis preparing to overhaul the Indianapolis Public Schools using strategies similar to those used inNew Orleansand New York. Mind Trust proudlystates, ... more »
A Closer Look at Charter Practices | Edwize
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A Closer Look at Charter Practices | Edwize: A Closer Look at Charter PracticesbyChristina CollinsWill Dobbie and Roland Fryer’snew study of 35 New York City charter schoolsattempts to find a preliminary answer to the question of how different practices within charters are correlated with student progress on math and ELA tests. In general, this study’s premise and methods represent a promising shift away from just looking at test scores to measure school quality; it acknowledges variations between charters and gets ... more »
Teachers For Social Justice: Call President Obama to Veto Indefinite Detentions Without a Trial
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Teachers For Social Justice: Call President Obama to Veto Indefinite Detentions Without a Trial: Call President Obama to Veto Indefinite Detentions Without a Trialbysarah-ji(This post is taken from an urgent call to action email sent byMuslim Peace Coalition USA.)The President has neither vetoed the NDAA bill nor he has signed it yet. Which means there is still opportunity to ask him to veto it.The NDAA bill passed by Congress contains some of the most dangerous provisions we’ve ever seen: it ... more »
In Case You Missed It: Poorer Districts Could Get More Money; Success Network Gets Its Cobble Hill School; Just 1-in-3 NYers Think Walcott Gets It, Period « EdVox
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In Case You Missed It: Poorer Districts Could Get More Money; Success Network Gets Its Cobble Hill School; Just 1-in-3 NYers Think Walcott Gets It, Period « EdVox: In Case You Missed It: Poorer Districts Could Get More Money; Success Network Gets Its Cobble Hill School; Just 1-in-3 NYers Think Walcott Gets It, PeriodbyedvoxnyHere on EdVox we’re excited to bring you the latest news about education issues and policies affecting our communities. It can be hard to keep up with ... more »
Support PURE! » Parents! Need help with special education problems?
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Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Parents! Need help with special education problems?: Parents! Need help with special education problems?byadminPURE’s Wanda Hopkins has been a special education advocate for over 10 years. Her knowledge is so deep that she is often asked if she is a lawyer (although she is always clear who she is and what her role is!)Wanda goes above and beyond to help special education students and their families. Sheis the expert you want
Temper Tantrum on Capitol Hill
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 hours ago
aflcio.org - America's Union Movement: I just got a message from our Government Affairs director, Bill Samuel, telling me about a temper tantrum on Capitol Hill.It’s flat-out heartless for lawmakers to go home and enjoy the holidays, while their political posturing causes millions of families across America to suffer anxiety and heartbreak. But House Speaker John Boehner is threatening to do just that.He says he’ll block unemployment aid and raise taxes on working families—even though 89 senators from both sides ... more »
Reconnecting McDowell: A New Paradigm For Education Reform
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Reconnecting McDowell: A New Paradigm For Education Reform: Reconnecting McDowell: A New Paradigm For Education ReformbyKAROLIonDECEMBER 19, 2011Reconnecting McDowell, in the words ofAFT President Randi Weingarten, means that “neither demography nor geography should determine destiny.” That’s a tall order. One look at the geography of McDowell County might daunt anyone but the bravest of souls. ThisWashington Post photo essaytells the story well. On Friday, I was driven to Welch, the county seat. Roads
Your Nominees for the World’s Most Transformational Learning Environments
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 hours ago
Your Nominees for the World’s Most Transformational Learning Environments: Your Nominees for the World’s Most Transformational Learning EnvironmentsbySamI know most of us have already checked out for the year, but I wanted to share the nominees I’ve received so far in my ongoing search for the world’s most transformational learning environments.Over the past few weeks, I’ve received recommendations either via Twitter or posted comments on this blog and/orHuffington Post.I’ve done my best to capture every recommendation I’ve received. If I ... more »
School Tech Connect: Out With The Old!
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School Tech Connect: Out With The Old!: Out With The Old!bynoreply@blogger.com (Tim)I'm shocked,shockedthat an archdiocese would be involved insomething nefarious. However, it looks like over in Joliet they were trying to usher in the new by pushing out the old. It's illegal.Mind you, what the archdiocese was doing is pretty much the same basic idea that is at the heart of modern public ed reform. Professional teaching is becoming a temporary occupation, for your young resume-builders.
Me and Bank of America. « Fred Klonsky
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Me and Bank of America. « Fred Klonsky: Me and Bank of America.byFred KlonskyI did it!This morning Bank of America stock price dropped to $5 a share. It’s what they callthe danger zone.A month or so ago I decided I would support the movement to pull my money out of Bank of America and put it in a credit union.The big-ticket item was my mortgage. I started action to move it. It’s not a huge amount of money from the ... more »
Transition to Common Core Publication - Year 2011 (CA Dept of Education)
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Transition to Common Core Publication - Year 2011 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Unveils New Publicationto Help Schools Transition to Common Core State StandardsSACRAMENTO—With California schools preparing to move to the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) that will redefine what students learn, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today the publication of a new book to help teachers and administrators make the transition.The new hard-copy publication,A Look at Kindergarten Through Grade Six in ... more »
Why Rank Schools? « InterACT
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Why Rank Schools? « InterACT: Why Rank Schools?byDavid B. CohenThe following post was written for a feature called“Yes, but…”– part of the array of offerings atThoughts on Public Education. John Fensterwald asked how California should measure school quality if not with the narrow, testing-based Academic Performance Index (API). I was one of five respondents, along with state Senator Darrell Steinberg, former State Superintendent for Public Instruction Bill Honig, and education policy experts Fred Jones and Jeff Camp. Pleaseclick hereto see ... more »
City, nonprofits at odds over legal liability at 14 restart schools | GothamSchools
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City, nonprofits at odds over legal liability at 14 restart schools | GothamSchools: City, nonprofits at odds over legal liability at 14 restart schoolsbyGeoff DeckerA dispute over who would take the fall if something goes wrong inside struggling schools is delaying a federally funded turnaround effort that had already gotten off to aslow start.As part of its application to secure school improvement grants, thecity agreed to hand over operations to independent education organizations at 14 of its lowest-performing schoolsthrough a ... more »
Schools Matter: Proposed legislation I would support
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Schools Matter: Proposed legislation I would support: Proposed legislation I would supportbyskrashenSubmitted to Language Magazine, Dec. 2011 in response to the question: “For 2012, we would like you to tell us which one piece of proposed legislation you would like to see enacted in 2012 and why.”S. KrashenThere is no proposed legislation in language education I would like to see enacted.This includes legislation that imposes standards. We are told we need them because our educational system is “broken,” as shown ... more »
LA schools look to teachers to lead reform efforts - San Jose Mercury News
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LA schools look to teachers to lead reform efforts - San Jose Mercury News: LA schools look to teachers to lead reform effortsBy CHRISTINA HOAG Associated PressPosted:12/18/2011 08:02:13 AM PSTUpdated:12/18/2011 08:31:54 AM PSTLOS ANGELES—Three years ago, the nation's second largest school district made a stunning admission—it was failing thousands of kids and invited charter organizations to take over low-performing and brand-new schools.The bold move that was hailed by school reformers nationwide but despised by unionized teachers didn't last long.Los Angeles ... more »
New York City Student Testing Over the Past Decade - NYTimes.com #edreform
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New York City Student Testing Over the Past Decade - NYTimes.com: 10 Years of State Exams With Results That Never Need QuestioningByMICHAEL WINERIPPublished: December 18, 2011RECOMMENDTWITTERLINKEDINCOMMENTSE-MAILPRINTREPRINTSSHAREIn the last decade, we have emerged from the Education Stone Age. No longer must we rely on primitive tools like teachers and principals to assess children’s academic progress. Thanks to the best education minds in Washington, Albany and Lower Manhattan, we now have finely calibrated state tests aligned with the highest academic standards. What ... more »
Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts #edreform
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 18 hours ago
The Longer School Day in Chicago Part II: What Should it Look Like? | The Classroom SoothBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-31 minutes agoThe Longer School Day in Chicago Part II: What Should it Look Like? | The Classroom Sooth: The Longer School Day in Chicago Part II: What Should it Look Like?byclassroomsoothI havepreviously arguedthat reforming education by just adding time onto the school day amounts to good talking points for the newspapers, but bad planning, and won’t necessarily ... more »