Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts 1-13 #edreform #ows

School Tech Connect: You Could Do So Much Better With A 401 (k)

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

School Tech Connect: You Could Do So Much Better With A 401 (k):You Could Do So Much Better With A 401 (k)by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)Pensions are a ripoff for teachers!I almost lost track of this "Guide For Legislators" that Ed Sector put online. It's written by this guy, who sounds charming and knowledgeable, and whose involvement in actual teaching rivals Arne Duncan's. Anyway, I mention it because it's really quite a piece of work. Here in Illinois, I'm used to being ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Massive Charter Malfeasance, Jersey Style

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Massive Charter Malfeasance, Jersey Style:Massive Charter Malfeasance, Jersey Styleby DukeIn case you still wonder why so many people in New Jersey have so many doubts about charter schools, here's one more reason, courtesy of the Star-Ledger:Nearly 200 school board members must "immediately vacate their position" after failing to complete a background check mandated under a new state law, a state Department of Education spokesman said today .Under the state law enacted last year, the only one of its ... more »

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble Investigates Islamic Caliphate in South Carolina

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble Investigates Islamic Caliphate in South Carolina:Congressman Kimble Investigates Islamic Caliphate in South Carolinaby Representative KimbleI've been campaigning hard in South Carolina and I have definitely enjoyed the challenge of campaigning to African-Americans for the first time in my career. The number of black Republicans is small, but substantial and I've relied on everything that I learned from Michael Steele to reach out to them with an urban suburban vibe and good conservative values yo digity.I had ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Bloomberg's State of the City address: an administration that has run out of education ideas -- even bad ones

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Bloomberg's State of the City address: an administration that has run out of education ideas -- even bad ones:Bloomberg's State of the City address: an administration that has run out of education ideas -- even bad onesby Leonie HaimsonThe education proposals in Bloomberg’s State of the City address are being described as “ambitious” in the New York Times and GothamSchools. Not surprisingly, I see it differently. First he claimed that “By almost any measure, students are ... more »

ACLU warns Dallas ISD to "tread cautiously" on loosening restrictions to allow graduations in religious facilities | Dallas ISD Blog | dallasnews.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

ACLU warns Dallas ISD to "tread cautiously" on loosening restrictions to allow graduations in religious facilities | Dallas ISD Blog | dallasnews.com:ACLU warns Dallas ISD to "tread cautiously" on loosening restrictions to allow graduations in religious facilitiesby Tawnell Hobbs/ReporterThe American Civil Liberties Union of Texas is demanding that Dallas ISD reconsider a proposal that would no longer restrict graduations at churches and other religious buildings. Dallas school trustees are likely to discuss the proposal at Thursday's board briefing. It is ... more »

Modern School: Gates Right For Once? Of Course Not! #edreform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

Modern School: Gates Right For Once? Of Course Not!:Gates Right For Once? Of Course Not!by Michael DunnA new study released last week by the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation found that rating teachers by watching them teach is possibly the best way to help them improve, the Los Angeles Times reported this week. It also found that observing teachers infrequently (once a year or less) is insufficient, and that the observers, generally school administrators, often don't know what to look for.Huck/Konopacki ... more »

Bush Foundation, Florida Chamber of Commerce Release Simultaneous Spin on State Ranking Drop | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

Bush Foundation, Florida Chamber of Commerce Release Simultaneous Spin on State Ranking Drop | Scathing Purple Musings:Bush Foundation, Florida Chamber of Commerce Release Simultaneous Spin on State Ranking Dropby Bob SikesIf there was any real doubt that Jeb Bush’s faux education foundation and the Florida Chamber of Commerce weren’t in cahoots should be dispelled today by the groups choreographed release of statements in regards toFlorida’s slide in education rankings. The Tampa Bay Times actually found the Chamber to be “cheering.” ... more »

Schools Matter: Nine Years Before Ten Years After

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

Schools Matter: Nine Years Before Ten Years After:Nine Years Before Ten Years Afterby Jim HornI have been deliberately ignoring the 10th painful anniversary of NCLB-S. I appreciate the grisly work of Lisa Guisbond and Monty Neill in unearthing all those dead bodies and in reminding us that those who don't recall the past. . . .I know. I was looking for something else and came across a Bracey's (may he rest in peace) prophetic pieceposted on the Web on January ... more »

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Riverside Church Speech on April 4, 1967 – “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” | Mr. D's Neighborhood

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Riverside Church Speech on April 4, 1967 – “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” | Mr. D's Neighborhood:Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Riverside Church Speech on April 4, 1967 – “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence”by ldorazio1 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the civil rights activist is well-known. Dr. King the anti-war, anti-poverty and class liberation activist is often overlooked.In many classrooms, Dr. King’s legacy is frozen in 1963, with his now ubiquitous ... more »

NYC’s Largest Parent Group Responds to Mayor’s State of the City Address « EdVox

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

NYC’s Largest Parent Group Responds to Mayor’s State of the City Address « EdVox:NYC’s Largest Parent Group Responds to Mayor’s State of the City Addressby edvoxnyPopout(New York, NY – January 12, 2012) – Mayor Bloomberg delivered his State of the City address at Morris High School in the Bronx today, including several thousand words on education. Parent leader Zakiyah Ansari of the Coalition for Educational Justice released the following statement in reaction. “Nearly every student in City public schools today ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts #ows #edreform 1-12

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

The Charlotte Post - For-profit charter schools questionedBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-2 minutes agoThe Charlotte Post - For-profit charter schools questioned:For-profit charter schools questionedWith N.C. cap removed, companies apply for approval Published Thursday, January 12, 2012 7:21 amby Sommer Brokaw The emergence of for-profit charter schools is drawing fire in North Carolina.The Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP sent a letter to the North Carolina State Board of Education last month to block the application for Howard and Lillian Lee Scholars ... more »

The Uncertain Future of Public Schools in Florida | Florida Public Employees

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

The Uncertain Future of Public Schools in Florida | Florida Public Employees:The Uncertain Future of Public Schools in FloridaTopics: Amendment 7, Charter Schools, Ketty Rodríguez, PrivatisacionYour Tax Dollars For Private UseJanuary 11, 2012Translated From Spanish Article Published January 10, 2012By Ketty RodriguezThe public school situation has become more complex and critical in 2012, especially when compared to last year. One only has to look at the laws that have come in to play, as well as the measures voters are ... more »

Why Accountants Should Not Run Schools | OurFuture.org

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

Why Accountants Should Not Run Schools | OurFuture.org:Why Accountants Should Not Run Schoolsby Jeff BryantThere's a reason why accountants traditionally wore green eyeshades. In their "vision-intensive, detail-oriented" work, they were prone to "eyestrain" caused by scrupulous attention to columns and rows of numbers on a ledger. Now, of course, the strain is lessened by the softer glow of a computer screen. But the accountant's job is the same, nevertheless.Historically, in fact, the practice of "accountancy" has not changed a lot ... more »

RheeFirst! » “Michelle Rhee” is to “Data” as “Counterfeiter” is to “Dollar Bill”

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

RheeFirst! » “Michelle Rhee” is to “Data” as “Counterfeiter” is to “Dollar Bill”:“Michelle Rhee” is to “Data” as “Counterfeiter” is to “Dollar Bill”by adminWritten by Guy Brandenburg for his blog. Read the entire post here.“There are very few public figures who have a looser connection with the truth, with facts, and with data, than Michelle Rhee.But she’s coming to DC next week as a featured panel member of something called the Data Quality Campaign, along with Arne Duncan, another educational ... more »

Turner Diaries vs Ron Paul — The Answers Revealed! « Student Activism

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

Turner Diaries vs Ron Paul — The Answers Revealed! « Student Activism:Turner Diaries vs Ron Paul — The Answers Revealed!by Angus JohnstonAbout a week ago I put up a quiz post asking folks to guess whether 25 quotes came from Ron Paul’s newsletters or from the Turner Diaries, a notorious racist novel from the late 1970s.In that original post I said that this:The worldview of the Ron Paul newsletters is the worldview of the late 20th century American rightwing fringe ... more »

Why Is Congress Redlining Our Schools? | The Nation

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

Why Is Congress Redlining Our Schools? | The Nation:Why Is Congress Redlining Our Schools?Linda Darling-Hammond January 10, 2012 | This article appeared in the January 30, 2012 edition of The Nation.Share|||Recommended by 0|Text Size A | A | AEmail|Print|Share|Single Page|Web Letter (0)|Write a Letter|Take Action|Subscribe NowRedlining was the once-common practice in which banks would draw a red line on a map—often along a natural barrier like a highway or river—to designate neighborhoods where they would not invest. Stigmatized and denied ... more »

Schools Matter: McIntyre's Austerity Plan for Cutting $7M Ignores $30M in the Bank

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

Schools Matter: McIntyre's Austerity Plan for Cutting $7M Ignores $30M in the Bank:McIntyre's Austerity Plan for Cutting $7M Ignores $30M in the Bankby Jim HornLast Fall Eli Broad's Tennessee transplant, Supt. James McIntyre, laid out his wish list for slashing teachers and privatizing services in Knoxville, Tennessee Schools, all based on a purported shortfall of $7 million from a $384+ million dollar budget:Facing a looming budget deficit of at least $7 million, Knox County Schools' Superintendent Dr. Jim McIntyre is ... more »

Check it OUT! Parent Organizer -- DPS Schools

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

Parent Organizer -- DPS Schools:Parent Organizer -- DPS SchoolsUpdated: Thursday, 12 Jan 2012, 11:47 AM ESTPublished : Thursday, 12 Jan 2012, 11:47 AM ESTmyFOX Job Shop - Job Title: Parent Organizer -- Reports To: Project Director Position Summary: The Parent Organizer will be responsible for working with allocated DPS schools to ensure there is a strong parent involvement plan to improve student achievement. Performance Responsibilities:Build and maintain relationships with allocated DPS schools’ principals Recruit and maintain relationships with parent leaders ... more »

The Charlotte Post - For-profit charter schools questioned

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 14 hours ago

The Charlotte Post - For-profit charter schools questioned:For-profit charter schools questionedWith N.C. cap removed, companies apply for approval Published Thursday, January 12, 2012 7:21 amby Sommer Brokaw The emergence of for-profit charter schools is drawing fire in North Carolina.The Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP sent a letter to the North Carolina State Board of Education last month to block the application for Howard and Lillian Lee Scholars Charter School, which is on the fast track to open in August. According to its ... more »

Shanker Blog » Beyond Anecdotes: The Evidence About Financial Incentives And Teacher Retention

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 14 hours ago

Shanker Blog » Beyond Anecdotes: The Evidence About Financial Incentives And Teacher Retention:Beyond Anecdotes: The Evidence About Financial Incentives And Teacher Retentionby Eleanor FulbeckOur guest author today is Eleanor Fulbeck, who earned her Ph.D. in education policy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2011, and is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.A couple of weeks ago, an article in the New York Times, written by reporter Sam Dillon, took a look at the new incentive ... more »