Saturday, December 17, 2011

The Ghost of Christmas Presents - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher #edreform

The Ghost of Christmas Presents - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:


The Ghost of Christmas Presents

by Nancy Flanagan
In a holiday-themed archetype of legislative overreach, Alabama passed an ethics law earlier this year forbidding K-12 school teachers from accepting expensive presents. Previous legislation set a $100 limit on individual gifts to public workers, but the new law specifies that gifts to teachers be limited to those of nominal value. The stated purpose: to reinforce ethical practices by state employees.
This was such a big deal that the AL Ethics Commission was receiving about 25 calls a day from parents who didn't want to get their children's teachers in trouble. The Ethics Commission released a detailed report, letting parents know that cookies, hand lotion and mugs are OK. What I found interesting was what was forbidden. Four 
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Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts #edreform


Seattle Schools Community Forum: Moving On After Enfield's Announcement

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 minutes ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Moving On After Enfield's Announcement: Moving On After Enfield's AnnouncementbyMelissa WestbrookI saw aninterviewthat Dr. Enfield did with KING-5 news yesterday. She was quite cheerful and said:-Might she leave the door open, if the board were to make her a good offer? “This work is too important and I have too much respect for this community to play games like that, this was a genuine and as I said, much deliberated decision on my part that I ... more »

Saturday coffee + Old school . « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 minutes ago
Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee.byFred KlonskyCairo.We woke to a beautiful snowy morning. We brushed about an inch off the car as we went to getSaturday Coffee.Anne said, “Let’s drive down the boulevard. It’s so pretty.” So instead of taking the shorter route down Fullerton, we headed down Logan as big Lake Effect flakes floated to the road and instantly melted.Last night I heard that the great soul singer, Etta James is near death.This is sad news.It brought back ... more »

Modern School: America Eats Its Young (And Some Of Its Old)

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 minutes ago
Modern School: America Eats Its Young (And Some Of Its Old): America Eats Its Young (And Some Of Its Old)byMichael DunnOne out of every 13 California seniors aged 50 or older is at risk of hunger, according to a recent report the AARP Foundation (American Association of Retired Persons) reviewed in theBay Citizen. However, according to theColumbus Dispatch, a similar number (7.5%) of seniors is at risk of hunger nationally. There has been a 79% increase in elder hunger over ... more »

Some Thoughts on Teaching and Music (Kenneth Bernstein) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 minutes ago
Some Thoughts on Teaching and Music (Kenneth Bernstein) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Some Thoughts on Teaching and Music (Kenneth Bernstein)bylarrycubanFrom his profile as a blogger atDaily Kos:“Kenneth J. Bernstein is now proudly 65 years young, teacher in DC metro area, Quaker liberal – and still passionate about learning with his students.”Some thoughts on teaching which were occasioned by a recent conversation where I was asked if I thought teaching more of an art rather than ... more »

Finally Unmasking a Two-Year Deception: Florida Republicans Never Intended to Fund Merit Pay | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 minutes ago
Finally Unmasking a Two-Year Deception: Florida Republicans Never Intended to Fund Merit Pay | Scathing Purple Musings: Finally Unmasking a Two-Year Deception: Florida Republicans Never Intended to Fund Merit PaybyBob SikesThePalm Beach Post’seditorial page editor, Randy Schultz, has joined the drum lineacross the state in excoriating Florida’srepublican policy-makers on just about every issueoneducation. But Schultzis onto to the fact thatstate republicansnever intended to fund its own merit pay program.Last Monday, though, Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson met with Th... more »

Daily Kos: for me an unusual Saturday morning

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 minutes ago
Daily Kos: for me an unusual Saturday morning: for me an unusual Saturday morningbyrss@dailykos.com (teacherken)I am totally disconnected from my normal tasks - grading papers, planning, doing house work. Went to sleep at around 8 for 3.5 hours, then headed to Union Station to catch a 3:15 AM train to NYC for Netroots New York, where this afternoon I am leading a panel on privatization of education.I dozed for most of the way up, so my biological clock is somewhat ... more »

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

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, EFL: New Year CelebrationsLarry FerlazzoatLarry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...-4 minutes agoI recently updated The Best Sites For Learning About New Year Celebrations. Additional suggestions are always welcome…..The Best “Fun” Sites You Can Use For Learning, Too — 2011Larry FerlazzoatLarry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...-23 hours agoThe websites on this list were not designed with education in mind, but which can easily be used for learning purposes — particularly, ... more »

School Tech Connect: Heather Steans' Corrupt Commission

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Heather Steans' Corrupt Commission: Heather Steans' Corrupt Commissionbynoreply@blogger.com (Tim)Mike Klonsky has more details about thecorrupt charter scambeing operated by the hustlers that have secured an unfettered pipeline to public tax money courtesy of my state senator, Heather Steans.I'm still sick over it. I was going to pour through the records to see if anywhere in the discussion of this commission, it was pointed out that it was going to be funded by the Waltons, but I'm just ... more »

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: A Bronx Student Thanks Mayor Bloomberg For The Education He Has Received

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago
SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: A Bronx Student Thanks Mayor Bloomberg For The Education He Has Received: A Bronx Student Thanks Mayor Bloomberg For The Education He Has Receivedbynoreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)The crack team would like to welcome a guest blogger tonight, a student in the NYC DOE by the name of Throckmorton. Throckmorton plans to share with us how much Uncle Mike has done for his education. So without further adieu, please welcome Throcky.Hi, I would like to thank Bronx Teacher and ...more »

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

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago
Balanced Assessment: Improving Student Achievement and Standardized Test Results « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child EducationBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-32 minutes agoBalanced Assessment: Improving Student Achievement and Standardized Test Results « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education:Balanced Assessment: Improving Student Achievement and Standardized Test ResultsDecember 16th, 2011 by Klea ScharbergAssessing student knowledge, understanding, and skills is something that educators must master to teach properly. Test and quiz results help teachers assess, ...more »

Top Content this Week - The Educator's PLN

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago
Top Content this Week - The Educator's PLN: Top Content this WeekTop ContentRank1To Tweet Or Not To TweetAdded byThomas Whitbyon December 9, 20112Finland - An Inconvenient TruthAdded byandy melloron December 3, 20113Social Media in Education - Teaching Digital Natives.movAdded byThomas Whitbyon October 13, 20114YouTube for Schools: Join the Global Classroom Today!Added byThomas Whitbyon December 12, 20115Traditional teachingAdded byThomas Whitbyon December 7, 20116Chat PagesAdded byThomas Whitbyon August 2, 20117Alfie Kohn on Feel-Bad EducationAdded byAndrew Neuendorfon October 13, ... more »

Letter from Council of Elders to Trinity Church | OccupyWallSt.org

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago
Letter from Council of Elders to Trinity Church | OccupyWallSt.org: Letter from Council of Elders to Trinity ChurchPosted 38 minutes ago on Dec. 16, 2011, 9:43 p.m. EST byOccupyWallStDecember 16, 2011Dear Rev. Dr. James Cooper,We are veterans of the Civil Rights, Women’s, Peace, Environmental, LGBTQ, Immigrant Justice, labor rights and other movements of the last 60 years. Many of us have been or continue to be leaders of religious congregations and organizations, so we are deeply understanding of the need ... more »

“Tiger Moms” Now Usurped by “Wolf Dads”

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago
“Tiger Moms” Now Usurped by “Wolf Dads”: “Tiger Moms” Now Usurped by “Wolf Dads”byCYNTHIAonDECEMBER 17, 2011Corporal punishment is the unspoken dark side of Asian and Asian Pacific American parenting, and if the whirlwind created by Amy Chua’s sardonicTiger Mommemoir wasn’t enough to roil the interwebs, the much less funnyWolf Dadwill.A Chinese writer publishing aprovocative essay in the English-languageDiplomatsays that “Wolf Dads,” or yet another distorted form of sado-masochistic pressuring of kids to be Harvard-ready, has found its latest expression in ... more »

Education angst bared at JBC hearing | EdNewsColorado

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago
Education angst bared at JBC hearing | EdNewsColorado: Education angst bared at JBC hearingbyTodd EngdahlHopes, fears and frustrations about public schools, reform and state finances were at the boiling point Friday during the Joint Budget Committee’s hearing on the Department of Education’s proposed 2012-13 budget.Deputy Education Commissioner Diana Sirko and Commissioner Robert HammondThe hearing was part of the end-of-year routine during which the JBC is briefed by staff analysts on proposed budgets for state agencies and compile questions for department ... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Parent Group Files Lawsuit Charging LAUSD With Misuse of $2.5 Billion in Federal Title I Funds

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Parent Group Files Lawsuit Charging LAUSD With Misuse of $2.5 Billion in Federal Title I Funds: Parent Group Files Lawsuit Charging LAUSD With Misuse of $2.5 Billion in Federal Title I Fundssmfat4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit-22 minutes agopress release FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert A. Brown, Esq. 213-596-5992 Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Parent Group Files Lawsuit Charging LAUSD With Misuse of $2.5 Billion in Federal ... more »

Obama Administration Officials to Hold National Press Call on the Race to Top-Early Learning Challenge | U.S. Department of Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago
Obama Administration Officials to Hold National Press Call on the Race to Top-Early Learning Challenge | U.S. Department of Education: Obama Administration Officials to Hold National Press Call on the Race to Top-Early Learning ChallengeDECEMBER 16, 2011Contact:Press Office, (202) 401-1576,press@ed.govEvent Date 1:December 16, 2011 12:20 pm - 01:20 pmDomestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes will join U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius for a national press call on the Race ... more »

Peg with Pen: A New Year's Resolution. Opt Out of State Testing. January 7th.

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago
Peg with Pen: A New Year's Resolution. Opt Out of State Testing. January 7th.: A New Year's Resolution. Opt Out of State Testing. January 7th.byPeggyUnited Opt Out Nationalhas declared January 7thto beNational Opt Out Day. It is our goal that students, teachers and community members will express their dislike for corporate education reform and will use various means to demonstrate how they plan to OPT OUT.There are many ways to opt out. You can explore these ideas at ourwebsite. Today ... more »

Diverse: Issues In Higher Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago
Higher Education News and Jobs: A Man of Many Parts: Computer Science Professor Juan Gilbert Excels as a MentorLatest articles-24 minutes agoDr. Juan Gilbert is also a researcher, scholar, teacher and entrepreneur in the field of Human-Centered Computing, which is a fairly young discipline that applies computer-based solutions to real-world problems. in NewsInspire Scholarships Help Boost Delaware State's In-State EnrollmentLatest articles-24 minutes agoThis school year, Delaware State’s in-state freshman student enrollment is up 43 percent to 433 from 302, the ... more »

This Day in History 12/16: The Boston Tea Party | Mr. D's Neighborhood

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago
This Day in History 12/16: The Boston Tea Party | Mr. D's Neighborhood: This Day in History 12/16: The Boston Tea Partybyldorazio1Image via WikipediaToday’s story is not about 342 chests of tea dumped into a harbor.It is not about Sons of Liberty, Samuel Adams or John Hancock.It is not about Committees of Correspondence, Mohawks or tarring and feathering.And it sure as hell isn’t about anyAmerican Revolution.Instead, this is about how a seemingly insignificant everyday citizen helped resurrect a central moment ... more »

Teachers For Social Justice: MIC CHECK: Teachers, Parents, Community Take Over Board of Ed Meeting

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago
Teachers For Social Justice: MIC CHECK: Teachers, Parents, Community Take Over Board of Ed Meeting: MIC CHECK: Teachers, Parents, Community Take Over Board of Ed Meetingby sarah atlasOn December 14, parents, teachers, community members, and the CTU Community Board (Coalition of the CTU and community groups, including TSJ), w/ support from Occupy Chicago, shut down the Board of Education meeting. A big shout out to TSJ members who attended the vigil in front the Board on Dec. 13, slept out ... more »
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Daily Kos: I'm not sure how to title this

Daily Kos: I'm not sure how to title this:


I'm not sure how to title this

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)
I am sitting in the waiting area at Penn Station in NYC, waiting for an 11:05 train home, after having boarded one in Union Station at 3:15 this morning for my day trip to Netroots New York, where I was on a panel about education.
I am thinking about New York, a city from which I moved 40 years ago, to which I return perhaps once or twice a year at most.
I'm thinking about what a city can be, sometimes despite its political leadership.
I was born in the city, and for the 1st two years of my life lived in Manhattan, but I grew up in Westchester County.  Still, even duirng those years through high school I knew the city well -  my grandparents lived in the San Remo on Central Park West.  We often came in for concerts and plays, and until I was in junior high school my father worked at the flagship Macy's -  where to get to his office I had to walk through the toy department, 
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Achievement Gap in AISD and IDEA Charter Schools « A "Fuller" Look at Education Issues

Achievement Gap in AISD and IDEA Charter Schools « A "Fuller" Look at Education Issues:


Achievement Gap in AISD and IDEA Charter Schools

by Dr. Ed Fuller
The achievement gap is generally considered to refer to the gap in achievement between two groups of students as measured by test scores. Other measures of the achievement gap include dropout rates, high school completion rates, and college-going rates. Generally, however, the phrase refers to test scores.
One rationale for expanding charter schools is that such schools can help close the achievement gap. For example, the IDEA website claims, ” Closing the achievement gap is no longer a phrase, but a reality at IDEA Public Schools.” Yet, no data is provided that substantiates this claim. In fact, a search of the Texas Charter School Association, IDEA Charter school website, and a general google search for “achievement gap Texas charter schools” and “Texas charter schools closing achievement gap” did not yield a single result of the closing 
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Jersey Jazzman: Accountability For Thee, But Not For Me

Jersey Jazzman: Accountability For Thee, But Not For Me:


Accountability For Thee, But Not For Me

by Duke
Whitney Tilson - Wall Street maven and part-time corporate education reformer - says it's imperative to fire bad teachers, even if good teachers are fired in an inaccurate process:
I don't know this teacher of course – maybe the Impact system did evaluate her unfairly, which raises an important question: no system is perfect – this is why I oppose the death penalty, because I'm not willing to accept even 1 innocent person being executed for every 99 guilty people who are – so what error rate are we willing to accept?  In the case of the ultimate penalty, I won't accept even a 1% error rate, but I'm certainly willing to accept getting rid of 99 horrible teachers, even if I knew that 1 good teacher would be 
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#EDreform I'd Rather Go Blind

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Big Education Ape: 12-17-11 PM Charter-school agency’s funding raises questions #EDition #OWS #1U #EDreform

Big Education Ape: Ed News Now:

Published by Coopmike48 – 6 news spotters today

Charter-school agency’s funding raises questions

wbez.org - A new government agency could boost the number of charter schools in Illinois. But the way the agency is financing itself raises questions.The Illinois State Charter School Commission, created by a...
DianeRavitch

SOAPBOX: Be wary of charter schools

stuff.co.nz - DAN SEARLE REGIONAL CHAIRMAN PPTA & TEACHER AT MBCOPINION:The charter schools controversy reminds us all that the New Zealand Government still blindly follows United States' educational policies, r...
DianeRavitch

for me an unusual Saturday morning

dailykos.com - I am totally disconnected from my normal tasks - grading papers, planning, doing house work.   Went to sleep at around 8 for 3.5 hours, then headed to Union Station to catch a 3:15 AM train to NYC ...
DianeRavitch

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coopmike48 Big Education Ape: Diverse: Issues In Higher Education - goo.gl/319On38 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite
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coopmike48 Big Education Ape: Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts#ows #edreform - goo.gl/RCtyc38 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite
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coopmike48 Big Education Ape: National Education Association announces plan to improve teacher quality | The Washington Ind - goo.gl/oWRUW38 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite
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coopmike48 Big Education Ape: SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: A Bronx Student Thanks Mayor Bloomberg For The Education He Has Received - goo.gl/ACjRE37 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite

EducationSee all

An International Diane Ravitch Moment?

lilysblackboard.org - There is hope on the horizon, my dears. For more than ten long, empty, intellectually dry and dishonest years, we’ve lived under the insanity of No Child Left Untested. (Someone told me not to be s...
DianeRavitch

As Class Size Grows, More Chaotic Classrooms

newamericamedia.org - New America Media/ World Journal,News Report, Richard Lee, Posted: Dec 17, 2011FREMONT, Calif. -- "Guys, I almost can't hear myself," exclaims teacher Jenna Kelly to her large class of third grader...
leoniehaimson

SocietySee all

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Announces Investigation of K12, Inc.

marketwatch.com - NEW YORK, Dec 16, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential securities fraud at K12, Inc. ("K12" or the "Company") /quotes/zig...
mikeklonsky

Suffer the Little Children | NationofChange

nationofchange.org - Newt Gingrich, who recently admitted that his own childhood was comfortable, seems to have a problem with youth — poor youth, that is. Back in 1994, the Gingrich master plan to shrink the welfare r...
mikeklonsky

PoliticsSee all

At a Meeting Spot for Occupiers, Signs Prohibit Signs

cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com - Robert Stolarik for The New York TimesNo signs inside, please:  the atrium at 60 Wall Street.Updated, 1:45 p.m. | Soon after the Occupy Wall Street protesters built an encampment in the financial d...
leoniehaimson

New Clashes in Cairo

nytimes.com - CAIRO — Military police beat up demonstrators challenging military rule here on Friday, as angry protestors hurled Molotov cocktails at the empty Parliament, and hundreds of judges monitoring the p...
fklonsky

Revolt Begins Like Others, but Its End Is Less Certain

nytimes.com - WUKAN, China — Each day begins with a morning rally in the banner-bedecked square, where village leaders address a packed crowd about their seizure of the town and plans for its future. Friday’s se...
fklonsky

Art & EntertainmentSee all

Blog: La universidad no es un juego de azar

vidayfamilia.univision.com - Como padres, hay algo que sí podemos hacer para proteger  el alcance de un programa diseñado especialmente para los jóvenes trabajadores que más lo necesitan. Podemos exigirle a nuestros representa...
coopmike48

Fair Lawn special needs students premiere music video

northjersey.com - FAIR LAWN – Evelyn Marain couldn’t stop crying Friday while watching a music video that showed her daughter, Denise, dancing outside and singing. MITSU YASUKAWA / SPECIAL TO THE RECORD (L to R) Kel...
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WorldSee all

At Least 10 Die in Rare Violence in Kazakhstan

nytimes.com - MOSCOW — At least 10 people were killed on Friday in clashes with the police in Kazakhstan just days after a strike by oil workers shifted its focus to political demands, including the right to for...
fklonsky

BusinessSee all

The Way to Occupy a Bank is to Own One

dissidentvoice.org - The campaign to “move your money” has gotten a groundswell of support. Having greater impact would be to “move our money” — move our local government revenues out of Wall Street banks into our own ...
coopmike48

#owsSee all

At a Meeting Spot for Occupiers, Signs Prohibit Signs

cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com - Robert Stolarik for The New York TimesNo signs inside, please:  the atrium at 60 Wall Street.Updated, 1:45 p.m. | Soon after the Occupy Wall Street protesters built an encampment in the financial d...
leoniehaimson

The Way to Occupy a Bank is to Own One

dissidentvoice.org - The campaign to “move your money” has gotten a groundswell of support. Having greater impact would be to “move our money” — move our local government revenues out of Wall Street banks into our own ...
coopmike48

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