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Sunday, February 5, 2012

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 2-5 AM Posts #edreform #ows


Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 2-4 #edreform #ows

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm lures Hitler's favorite company to ChicagoBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-1 minute agoMike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm lures Hitler's favorite company to Chicago:Rahm lures Hitler's favorite company to Chicagoby Mike KlonskyHere's what they brought with them I heard the mayor boasting the other day about how he had lured the German-based company, ThyssenKrupp to Chicago to set up it's regional headquarters. Rahm claims the move will add about 100 employees to it's payroll. Big ... more »

Corporate Education Reformers Plot Next Steps at Secretive Meeting | Common Dreams

Corporate Education Reformers Plot Next Steps at Secretive Meeting | Common Dreams:Corporate Education Reformers Plot Next Steps at Secretive MeetingALEC Education "Academy" Launches on Island Resortby Dustin BeilkeToday, hundreds of state legislators from across the nation will head out to an "island" resort on the coast of Florida to a unique "education academy" sponsored by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). There will be no students or teachers. Instead, legislators, representatives from right-wing think tanks and for-profit education corporations will ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm lures Hitler's favorite company to Chicago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm lures Hitler's favorite company to Chicago:Rahm lures Hitler's favorite company to Chicagoby Mike KlonskyHere's what they brought with them I heard the mayor boasting the other day about how he had lured the German-based company, ThyssenKrupp to Chicago to set up it's regional headquarters. Rahm claims the move will add about 100 employees to it's payroll. Big wup!“ThyssenKrupp’s decision to locate their North American headquarters in Chicago is a testament to the world-class business environment ...more »

Marvin Gaye - When A Man Loves A Woman

When a man loves a woman, can't keep his mind on nothing elseHe'll change the world, for the good thing he's foundIf she is bad he can't see it, she can do no wrongTurn his back on his bestfriend, if he put her downWhen a man loves a woman, he'll spend his very last dimeTrying to hold on, to what he needsHe give up all his conforts, sleep out in the rainIf she says it's the way, it ought to ... more »

Protesters gathered Saturday outside Dallas ISD board president's house | Dallas ISD Blog | dallasnews.com

Protesters gathered Saturday outside Dallas ISD board president's house | Dallas ISD Blog | dallasnews.com:Protesters gathered Saturday outside Dallas ISD board president's houseby Matthew Haag/ReporterUpset about recent decisions by the Dallas ISD school board, protesters chanted and marched Saturday morning outside one of board president Lew Blackburn's houses. The six demonstrators, led by community activist Joyce Foreman, expressed their displeasure with the board's controversial decision last month to close 11 DISD campuses. But the main purpose of Saturday's protest was ... more »

Schools Matter: Occupy the Unions #ows

Schools Matter: Occupy the Unions:Occupy the Unionsby Judy RabinLois Weiner, a professor at New Jersey City University, has an excellent article in the Winter issue ofNewPolitics titled Teacher Unionism Reborn, Weiner makes a case for occupying the unions.If teachers unions are to continue to exist as a meaningful form of workers’ representation, members need to transform them — and fast. The future of the movement depends on activists realizing that they, not staff or officers on the state and national ... more »

Grumpy Educators: 2012: States Where Parents Oppose Excessive Standardized Testing

Grumpy Educators: 2012: States Where Parents Oppose Excessive Standardized Testing:2012: States Where Parents Oppose Excessive Standardized Testingby Sandra2012: States Where Parents Oppose Excessive Standardized TestingTexas in the news. Parent opposition to excessive testing and teaching to the test continues to grow, and they are not the only ones it seems.The New York Times quotes Robert Scott, the commissioner of the Texas

Student Assessments Facing Stiff Backlash in Texas - NYTimes.com

Student Assessments Facing Stiff Backlash in Texas - NYTimes.com:In Texas, a Backlash Against Student TestingBy MORGAN SMITHPublished: February 4, 2012RECOMMENDTWITTERLINKEDINE-MAILPRINTSINGLE PAGEREPRINTSSHAREWhen Christopher Chamness entered the third grade last year, he began to get stomach aches before school. His mother, Edy, said the fire had gone out of a child who she said had previously gone joyfully to his classes.Expanded coverage of Texas is produced by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit news organization. To join the conversation about this article, go ...more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week 19: New Horizons

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week 19: New Horizons:Week 18: What happens with the sub, stays with the sub…byalicemercerI’m coming back after some time off for a conferences. That combined with time off for an illness earlier in the month, and my kids have had more sub time than I would have liked. I’ve been fortunate to have some really good subs in the classroom (2 regulars), so I’m following the rule of letting them do what they ... more »

Bradenton Herald: Unsavory Prison Politics | Scathing Purple Musings

Bradenton Herald: Unsavory Prison Politics | Scathing Purple Musings:Bradenton Herald: Unsavory Prison Politicsby Bob SikesThe privatization lines have blurred in Florida. Few any longer even bother to dispute the fact that Florida’s republican-dominated legislature is engaged in attempted to privatize the state’s education apparatus via any means possible. The privatization template is currently placed over the state’s prison system. Like on education, republicans don’t seem to mind that their efforts are easily labeled as not being above-board. The editors of ... more »

Teachers Don't Suck ! #edreform #sosmarch

Teachers Don't Suck !:Back to the FutureBack in the “old days” of teaching, the 1960s and 1970s, teachers and the teaching profession fought long and hard to gain bargaining rights and respect. Prior to that time, salary negotiations, employee grievances and teacher rights were unheard of issues.Only by “stand up” tactics was the tide changed. Teacher strikes and the threat of strikes pervaded the state. Teachers stood tall and demanded respect and fair compensation and benefits. Some people went to ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 2-3 #edreform #ows

Support PURE! » My coffee with an SFC creepBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-2 minutes agoParents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » My coffee with an SFC creep:My coffee with an SFC creepby adminYesterday I had coffee (well, more on that later) with a top organizer for Chicago’s astroturf branch of Stand for Children. He had asked to meet in response to my blog about SFC’s recent telephone blitz in Chicago’s West and South sides (using an ... more »

A Parent Story: Supporting Your Neighborhood School | United Opt Out National

A Parent Story: Supporting Your Neighborhood School | United Opt Out National:A Parent Story: Supporting Your Neighborhood Schoolby adminThis post was first shared at Angie Villa Art Education by Angie Villa (Mrs. Dottie).I grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey in the 1970′s. I have many fond memories of walking to and from School #21. My school was called “the castle” because its facade resembled the turrets on a castle. Meeting friends on the playground, marching around the neighborhood in the ... more »

Support PURE! » My coffee with an SFC creep

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » My coffee with an SFC creep:My coffee with an SFC creepby adminYesterday I had coffee (well, more on that later) with a top organizer for Chicago’s astroturf branch of Stand for Children. He had asked to meet in response to my blog about SFC’s recent telephone blitz in Chicago’s West and South sides (using an Oregon phone number, by the way). My post questioned the stated purpose of the calls, which ... more »

Modern School: Tenure Becoming Thing of the Past

Modern School: Tenure Becoming Thing of the Past:Tenure Becoming Thing of the Pastby Michael DunnA recent analysis by the National Council on Teacher Quality indicates that tenure protections are rapidly being eroded nationally, with several states having essentially nullified tenure entirely, according to the AP.The primary way in which tenure is being weakened is by linking evaluations, layoffs and pay to student performance. In 2009, for example, no state required student performance to be a part of tenure decisions. Today, ... more »

Approaching the end of my teaching career and labeled “toxic.” « Fred Klonsky

Approaching the end of my teaching career and labeled “toxic.” « Fred Klonsky:Approaching the end of my teaching career and labeled “toxic.”by Fred KlonskyI didn’t want it to end this way.After nearly 30 years of teaching I will be retiring in June.And I’ve loved doing what I do.I loved it a lot last night. My last school Open House. My room was filled with kids, parents and grandparents coming and going. I just sat by the door of my room ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Why the Washington State Charter Bills are Flawed

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Why the Washington State Charter Bills are Flawed:Why the Washington State Charter Bills are Flawedby Melissa WestbrookSenator Rodney Tom, one of the sponsors of the Senate charter bill, has been sending out a form letter to those who write him and are against his bill. Here is some of what he says and I'm going to answer some of his issues in explaining why this bill is flawed and should not even come up for a ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: High school students tell Mayor Bloomberg why he should not close their schools

NYC Public School Parents: High school students tell Mayor Bloomberg why he should not close their schools:High school students tell Mayor Bloomberg why he should not close their schoolsby Leonie HaimsonNYC high school students from the Schomburg Satellite Academy, Herbert Lehman HS, Samuel Gompers HS, and Legacy HS -- among the 62 schools threatened with closure or truncation -- tell Mayor Bloomberg why he should not close their schools. If you are a student (or parent) at one of the ... more »

Bee exclusive: Former CSBA exec's pension slashed after audit - Sacramento Bee

Bee exclusive: Former CSBA exec's pension slashed after audit - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee:Bee exclusive: Former CSBA exec's pension slashed after auditShareBy Melody Gutierrezmgutierrez@sacbee.comPublished: Friday, Feb. 3, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 1ALast Modified: Friday, Feb. 3, 2012 - 9:59 amThe former executive director of the California School Boards Association who retired amid a financial scandal involving his pay and bonuses will have his pension reduced by 65 percent, the state pension fund said.A California ... more »

Ask Dr. Judy Webinar: What Neuro-logical Emotional Interventions Promote Growth Mindset, Academic, Social, and Emotional Success? « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education

Ask Dr. Judy Webinar: What Neuro-logical Emotional Interventions Promote Growth Mindset, Academic, Social, and Emotional Success? « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education:Ask Dr. Judy Webinar: What Neuro-logical Emotional Interventions Promote Growth Mindset, Academic, Social, and Emotional Success?by Klea ScharbergJoin renowned author, neurologist, and teacher Judy Willis for an exciting free webinar to learn which “neuro logical” strategies encourage information to pass through the brain’s emotional filters to reach the most powerful cognitive control centers in the prefront... more »