Friday, October 7, 2011

U.S. Gov\'t Goes to Federal Court to Block Alabama Immigration Law - Hispanically Speaking News:JUST IN: U.S. Gov’t Goes to Federal Court to Block Alabama Immigration Law from Going into EffectToday, the U.S. Justice Department has asked the Federal Appeals Court to block Alabama from enforcing its immigration law. The H.B. 56 law is considered the toughest and most invasive immigration law of its kind in the nation. The new law now requires public schools to inquire as to the ... more »

WEAVE Needs Your Help to Save SART

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 23 minutes ago

WEAVE Needs Your Help to Save SART:Please demonstrate your commitment to the safety of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault by making a donation.One year ago, WEAVE faced an unfathomable situation when Sacramento County eliminated all of its funding for the Sexual Assault Response Team program. Without that critical support we feared that victims of sexual assault would not receive the support and advocacy they need in the harrowing hours after reporting a sexual assault. We reached out to ... more »

One Urban District with a Bad Habit - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 23 minutes ago

One Urban District with a Bad Habit - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:One Urban District with a Bad HabitBy Anthony Cody on February 16, 2009 11:03 AM | 3 Comments | No RecommendationsOakland is addicted to low-cost beginning teachers.Ten years ago, the Oakland schools had a big problem. Every summer 400 teaching positions would open up, but only one hundred teachers would be found who were willing to accept jobs in Oakland at the salary offered. When fall ... more »

Teachers’ union bankrolls NAACP bash - NYPOST.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 23 minutes ago

Teachers’ union bankrolls NAACP bash - NYPOST.com:NAACP taking heat as UFT chips in 25GBy CARL CAMPANILELast Updated: 12:27 AM, October 7, 2011Posted: 12:27 AM, October 7, 2011More PrintIt’s the teacher’s pet.The city teachers union is helping bankroll the costs of the New York NAACP’s 75th-anniversary conference beginning today.The United Federation of Teachers is listed as one of the top three financial sponsors for the three-day Diamond Jubilee celebration at the Westin Times Square Hotel and Conference Center.The UFT contributed $25,000, ... more »

Students to protest charter school in Providence - Boston.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 23 minutes ago

Students to protest charter school in Providence - Boston.com:Students to protest charter school in ProvidenceOctober 7, 2011E-mail|Print|Comments (0)Text size – +PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Students opposed to an Achievement First charter school in Providence are set to hold a rally at the state Department of Education.Tweet Be the first to Tweet this!ShareThisHigh school students who are part of a group called Providence Student Labor Action Project will gather outside the department's headquarters Friday afternoon to protest the opening of a charter run by ... more »

PROTEST CHANCELLOR WALCOTT DURING HIS SPEECH Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

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Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública:THE PRESIDENT OF LOCAL 372 UNION MEMBERS PROTEST CHANCELLOR WALCOTT DURING HIS SPEECHThis morning, to protest DOE's decision to layoff 701 school support workers, Local 372 President, Santos Crespo, Jr. and union members stood up and turned their backs to Chancellor Dennis Walcott during his speech, to demonstrate their solidarity with those who will be laid off tomorrow. Chancellor Walcott spoke at an event that honored DOE workers with over 20 years of ... more »

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Seattle Times Op-Ed on "Teacher Quality"

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Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Seattle Times Op-Ed on "Teacher Quality":Seattle Times Op-Ed on "Teacher Quality"by Charlie MasOnce again the Seattle Times ventures an opinion on public education, Refocusing the Teacher-Quality Debate. Once again the Times acts as the mouthpiece for Education Reform in the least thoughtful way.The Times writes in support of changes in teacher education to replace much of the current regulation of those programs with, you guessed it, improvements in student test scores.The Department of Education proposes ... more »

Debt collectors with government contracts paid penalties - NorthJersey.com

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Debt collectors with government contracts paid penalties - NorthJersey.com:Debt collectors with government contracts paid penaltiesFRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011BY DAVID ESPOASSOCIATED PRESSASSOCIATED PRESSPRINT | E-MAILWASHINGTON — Two private debt collection companies that work for the Education Department paid more than $4 million combined in civil penalties in the past year after another federal agency accused them of using abusive language with consumers, making illegal threats and committing other violations of the law.One of the firms, West Asset Management Inc., agreed in ...more »

Denying the Facts: Investing in Computers and Higher Test Scores | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

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Denying the Facts: Investing in Computers and Higher Test Scores | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:Denying the Facts: Investing in Computers and Higher Test Scoresby larrycubanFive years ago, with little evidence that teacher and student use of computers in classroom lessons would raise test scores, Kyrene (AZ) school district voters authorized $33 million in technology expenditures. Since then Kyrene administrators and teachers have offered enthusiastic endorsements, teachers and students have used the technology, and, here is the ... more »

Last Stand for Children First: 1 in 4 Students Are in the Bottom Quartile in Reading

Last Stand for Children First: 1 in 4 Students Are in the Bottom Quartile in Reading:

1 in 4 Students Are in the Bottom Quartile in Reading

by Last Stand for Children

School is in session. But what kind of schools are we sending our kids to?

Every morning as we send our eager fourth graders off to school, ready to learn with their backpacks and lunch boxes, we are entrusting them to an education system that accepts the fact that nearly 25% of them are reading in the bottom quartile on standardized tests.

Let me repeat again in bold for added emphasis: One in four U.S. fourth graders are reading in the bottom quartile. This is not okay.

At Last Stand for Children First, it's our goal to make sure every child in America has a great teacher in every

4LAKids - LAUSD CLASS SIZES PUT ON TRIAL BY TEACHERS UNION

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: LAUSD CLASS SIZES PUT ON TRIAL BY TEACHERS UNION:

LAUSD CLASS SIZES PUT ON TRIAL BY TEACHERS UNION

GRACIE ZHENG |STAFF REPORTER – NEON TOMMY/THE ONLINE PUBLICATION OF THE ANNENBERG SCHOOL FOR COMMUNICATION & JOURNALISM | HTTP://BIT.LY/Q90PGJ

UTLA Secretary speaks at mock trial (Gracie Zheng)>>

October 6, 2011 - The union that represents Los Angeles' public school teachers held a mock trial Thursday to blame the school district for allowing excessive class sizes, which the union said has led to falling class attendance, less time for personal instruction and fewer resources for students.

"Order in the court!" David Lyell, the secretary of the United Teachers Los Angeles, shouted as he acted as the prosecutor and hammered a fake judge's mallet on the podium top, kicking off the "trial" outside Manual Arts High School in South LA.
"This is a civil rights issue," he said. "We need real reform, not the kind espoused by

Sacramento Press / Occupy Sacramento continues after 20 protesters arrested

Sacramento Press / Occupy Sacramento continues after 20 protesters arrested:

Occupy Sacramento continues after 20 protesters arrested

by Brandon Darnell

Authorities said 20 protesters were arrested at about 12:45 a.m. Friday when they refused to leave Cesar Chavez Plaza, the site of the Occupy Sacramento demonstration.

Both police and protesters described the arrests as peaceful.

“They went without any problems or issues,” said Sgt. Andrew Pettit, spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department. “They were booked for failure to disperse after a lawful order.”

Anthony Bondi, a spokesman for Occupy Sacramento, agreed.

“It was completely violence-free,” he said Friday afternoon. “The protesters laid down and chose to be arrested.”

Despite what some protesters said they think was an overbearing police presence, Pettit said units

Presidential Proclamation--National School Lunch Week | The White House

Presidential Proclamation--National School Lunch Week | The White House:

Presidential Proclamation--National School Lunch Week

by The White House

Release Time:

For Immediate Release

NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH WEEK, 2011

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Children are America's greatest treasure, and ensuring their health is one of our most important duties as parents, families, and community members. Our children's continued ability to learn in the classroom, grow up healthy, and reach their full potential will depend on what we do now to secure their future. The National School Lunch Program has been a central part of our Nation's commitment to healthy children since its inception in 1946, improving the nutrition of generations of children with affordable, nutritious meals at school. It now serves tens of millions of children every day.

Despite our successes, too many American children go without proper nutrition. One third of children in our country are overweight or obese, and without a major change, one third of children born in the year 2000 will develop Type 2 diabetes during their lifetime. Schools are central to improving child health, as children who eat both school breakfast and lunch may consume more than half their daily calories at school.

The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 has brought historic reform to school meal programs. The law takes new steps to address childhood obesity by setting nutritional standards for foods sold in schools, updating requirements for school wellness policies, and providing more nutritional information to parents. It also works to eliminate hunger during the school day by increasing the number of eligible children enrolled in school meal programs and removing barriers to school meals for children most in need.

First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative has worked with schools nationwide to create healthy opportunities for children. This year, we exceeded our goal of doubling the number of schools that meet the HealthierUS School Challenge. We have also engaged child care providers in adopting healthier practices, and this year 1.7 million Americans achieved the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award.

To advance our goals even further, Let's Move! has collaborated with individuals and organizations across our Nation to bring over 800 salad bars to schools, providing thousands of children with greater access to fruits and vegetables. School nutrition professionals, chefs, students, parents, and communities have also used their talents to develop nutritious foods for schools through the Recipes for Healthy Kids competition and the Chefs Move to Schools initiative.

Good nutrition at school is an investment in our children's futures. During National School Lunch Week, we thank the food program administrators, educators, parents, and communities who provide for our Nation's sons and daughters, and we recommit to ensuring all our children have the healthy food they need to grow and succeed.

The Congress, by joint resolution of October 9, 1962 (Public Law 87 780), as amended, has designated the week beginning on the second Sunday in October each year as "National School Lunch Week," and has requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this week.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of October 9 through October 15, 2011, as National School Lunch Week. I call upon all Americans to join the dedicated individuals who administer the National School Lunch Program in appropriate activities that support the health and well being of our Nation's children.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

#occupyedu: challenge schools to change « Cooperative Catalyst

#occupyedu: challenge schools to change « Cooperative Catalyst:

#occupyedu: challenge schools to change

by Chad Sansing

Relate & create

A simple truth lurks behind our schools: we built them to keep our kids apart.

But we can do better.

Join #occupyedu to share the countless, unique ways you challenge the status quo in public education.

Children, parents, educators, community members – all are invited. We cannot re-imagine or recapture schools without the stakeholders they serve.

Every child deserves a personally meaningful education and a community of learning that includes, involves, and

How One CATO Economist Shows Why Testing’s Primary Triumvirate are Wrong | Scathing Purple Musings

How One CATO Economist Shows Why Testing’s Primary Triumvirate are Wrong | Scathing Purple Musings:

How One CATO Economist Shows Why Testing’s Primary Triumvirate are Wrong

by Bob Sikes

From StateImpact, comes this link to an opinion piece by Cato Institute economist Arnold Kling who believes “test scores are not the right metric for evaluating teachers.” Writes Kling:

Pay-for-performance supporters in K-12 education argue that good teachers should receive higher pay than mediocre teachers, while poor teachers should be dismissed.
Opponents of pay-for-performance argue that test scores do a poor job of measuring teacher quality, and that the incentive to “teach to the test” will have adverse consequences.
I agree with both of these points of view. I believe good teachers should be rewarded, and I also believe test scores are not the right metric for evaluating teachers.
Using test scores as the determinant of teacher pay misses what economist Friedrich

Big Education Ape: 10-7-11 PM OCCUPY TOGETHER http://occupywallst.org/ #OCCUPYWALLSTREET

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#OccupyChicago. Monday, 4PM. « Fred Klonsky's blog

preaprez.wordpress.com - #occupywallstreet comes to the Heartland. Hundreds have set up camp opposite the Chicago Board of Trade for several weeks. On Columbus Day, Monday, October 10th they will be joined by thousands mor...

fklonsky

Virgin Mary On A Grilled Cheese And Other Miracles

garyrubinstein.teachforus.org - Somewhere, Woodword and Bernstein are weeping. I entered the fight against the ‘reformers’ back in February after hearing Duncan claim that a school in Chicago got dramatic results by shutting down...

DianeRavitch

High black unemployment widespread across nation’s metropolitan areas

epi.org - Download print-friendly PDF Press release Share this article:Even before the recession, many Midwestern African American communities were in economic distress, with high African American unemploy...

DianeRavitch

As School Layoffs Loom, City Points Finger at Union Chief, Who Points Right Back

nytimes.com - With more than 700 school aides facing their last day at work on Friday barring a last-minute deal, the Bloomberg administration is blaming the school aides’ powerful labor union, District Council ...

DianeRavitch

The School Closing Follies, by Marc Epstein

nycatr.blogspot.com - Marc Epstein, also known as the Ronin Teacher, sent us this article about school closings. We all know that school closings harm teachers by forcing them into the Absent Teacher Reserve (ATR). Her...

DianeRavitch

Paradoxes of the Finland Phenomenon

joebower.org - Have you noticed there's a lot of hullabaloo about Finland's education system lately? I've been paying attention to what the Finns have been doing for a couple years now, but it is only recently t...

DianeRavitch

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Federal K-12 Arts Ed Funding on the Chopping Block Again

artsjournal.com - For those who have followed Dewey21C, hopefully you’ve noticed that I have been silent since the end of July. A month off from work followed that last post, and as we’re blowing through September, ...

DianeRavitch

City unveils algorithm that will assign ATR’s to new weekly spots

gothamschools.org - The Department of Education is preparing for the high volume of new assignments it will have to make starting Tuesday, as Absent Teacher Reserve teachers are shifted to a new school every single w...

leoniehaimson

Four School Workers, Facing Uncertainty – SchoolBook

nytimes.com - Oct. 7, 2011, 12:15 a.m. The ring of the last school bell on Friday could be heralding the beginning of unemployment and uncertainty for more than 700 employees in 347 city schools — school aides, ...

leoniehaimson

SocietySee all

Marching in King’s Shadow

nytimes.com - Cambridge, Mass. IF you recognized the name of only one of the two greats who succumbed to cancer on Wednesday, that’s perhaps because the work of the Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth, who di...

mikeklonsky

Wall Street protest grows as unions swell ranks

old.news.yahoo.com - NEW YORK (Reuters) – Thousands of anti-Wall Street demonstrators converged on New York's financial district on Wednesday, their ranks swelled by nurses, transit workers and other union members join...

mikeklonsky

Derrick Bell, Law Professor and Racial Advocate, Dies at 80

nytimes.com - Derrick Bell, a legal scholar who worked to expose the persistence of racism in America through his books and articles and his provocative career moves — he gave up a Harvard Law School professorsh...

fklonsky

PoliticsSee all

Cantor Decries ’Growing Mobs’ as Wall Street Protests Spread

businessweek.com - October 07, 2011, 12:52 PM EDT By Holly Rosenkrantz Oct. 7 (Bloomberg) -- The Occupy Wall Street protesters came to Washington, where they were compared favorably to the Tea Party by Vice President...

leoniehaimson

Confronting the Malefactors

nytimes.com - There’s something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear, but we may, at long last, be seeing the rise of a popular movement that, unlike the Tea Party, is angry at the right people. ...

leoniehaimson

Obama, Biden Incite Wall Street Protests

newsmax.com - President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are under increasing attack for egging on the burgeoning Occupy Wall Street protest that has spread to cities across the country. Senior Sen. Orr...

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StoriesSee all

One Urban District with a Bad Habit - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - One Urban District with a Bad Habit - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:One Urban District with a Bad HabitBy Anthony Cody on February 16, 2009 11:03 AM | 3 Comments | No RecommendationsO...

coopmike48

This is What Democracy Looks Like! |

bluecheddar.net - I recently spent some time at #OccupyChicago with my good friend Allyson. Occupy Chicago is at the heart of the financial district in Chicago and is located at the corner of Jackson and LaSalle, wh...

coopmike48

Occupy Wall Street: Surrounding the Bull

dissidentvoice.org - Hundreds of cops, some on horsebacks, are now protecting Wall Street 24 hours a day. At Bowling Green Park, they have also blocked access to the Merryll Lynch bull. To be warmed by the methane gas ...

coopmike48

Art & EntertainmentSee all

Founder of Dead Poets Society visits bards' graves

boston.com - FREEPORT, Maine—The founder of the Dead Poets Society of America traveled to Massachusetts on Friday to visit graves and other sites associated with Jack Kerouac and five other famous poets in his ...

coopmike48

music video: "sf city retrospect" by rocky rivera

blog.angryasianman.com - San Franciscooooooo! Check out the music video for "SF City Retrospect" by Rocky Rivera, presented by Just Bombin Films and Beatrock Music. She teams up with another San Francisco-based emcee, Davi...

coopmike48

Should Fox Share Profits with the Cast of 'The Simpsons?'

forbes.com - How could you cancel such an adorable family? Maybe The Simpsons should go quietly into the good night, its golden years long since passed, but it doesn’t look like the cast of the long-running ani...

coopmike48

BusinessSee all

Demonstrations on Wall Street Risk Harm to City’s Economy, Bloomberg Says

bloomberg.com - Demonstrators protesting bank bailouts and calling for increased regulation of Wall Street may harm New York City’s economy, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. “What they’re trying to do is take the job...

leoniehaimson

U.S. Adds 103,000 Jobs; Rate Holds Steady at 9.1%

nytimes.com - As an increasing number of economists have warned in recent weeks of a double dip back into recession, employers added 103,000 jobs in September, staving off the bleakest forecasts for now. ...

fklonsky

Debt collectors with government contracts paid penalties - NorthJersey.com

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Debt collectors with government contracts paid penalties - NorthJersey.com:Debt collectors with government contracts paid penaltiesFRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011BY DAVID ESPOASSOCIATED PRESSASSOCIATED PRE...

coopmike48

#occupywallstreetSee all

Wall Street protest grows as unions swell ranks

mikeklonsky

Occupy Pittsburgh event set Oct. 15

bizjournals.com - Paul J. Gough Web Producer - Pittsburgh Business Times EmailOccupy Pittsburgh, the grassroots effort inspired by but separate from the massive Wall Street demonstrations, are planning their first b...

mikeklonsky

#OccupyWallStreet – The Big March

wepartypatriots.com - Oct 2011 7 Despite the blogosphere’s inclination to blast the pepper spray and baton videos as far and wide as they can possibly be streamed, Wednesday’s solidarity march on Wall Street was, in act...

coopmike48

#occupychicagoSee all

#OccupyChicago. Monday, 4PM. « Fred Klonsky's blog

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - #OccupyChicago. Monday, 4PM. « Fred Klonsky's blog:3:25 PM (24 minutes ago)#OccupyChicago. Monday, 4PM.by Fred Klonsky#occupywallstreet comes to the Heartland.Hundreds have set up camp opposite the...

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Friday, October 7, 2011

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top late nite Posts

LAUSD CLASS SIZES PUT ON TRIAL BY TEACHERS UNION

GRACIE ZHENG |STAFF REPORTER – NEON TOMMY/THE ONLINE PUBLICATION OF THE ANNENBERG SCHOOL FOR COMMUNICATION & JOURNALISM | HTTP://BIT.LY/Q90PGJ

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