Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 2-8 AM Posts #edreform #ows

SHOCKER! State Rules in Favor of Charter Schools USA and its Well-Connected CEO

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

SHOCKER! State Rules in Favor of Charter Schools USA and its Well-Connected CEO Over the Orange County School Board | Scathing Purple Musings:SHOCKER! State Rules in Favor of Charter Schools USA and its Well-Connected CEO Over the Orange County School Boardby Bob Sikes You really didn’t think a state commission stocked with hand-picked political appointees would rule againstCharter Schools USA CEO Jonathan Hage? You know that guy who was on Rick Scott’s education transition team? And the same guy who’s ... more »

On the beating of a former student of mine by the NYPD… « Outside the Cave

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

On the beating of a former student of mine by the NYPD… « Outside the Cave:On the beating of a former student of mine by the NYPD…by Stephen LazarIf you’re in New York, you’ve undoubtedly heard by now about two cases of police brutality in the Bronx in the past couple weeks. In one incident, an 18 year old was shot while unarmed in his home. The other, is captured in the video below:PopoutThe young man that was savagely beaten ... more »

Modern School: Jerry Brown: Friend to Teachers Dumb Enough to Believe It

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Modern School: Jerry Brown: Friend to Teachers Dumb Enough to Believe It:Jerry Brown: Friend to Teachers Dumb Enough to Believe Itby Michael DunnDespite ample evidence to the contrary, Jerry Brown continues to be called a friend of labor. This is probably because big unions like the California Teachers Association invested so much money into his campaign for governor that they can’t afford to criticize him out of fear that he won’t pay them back in kind (as if this were ... more »

The Story of PS161: The Crown School & How to Fail/Fix NYC Public Schools « EdVox

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

The Story of PS161: The Crown School How to Fail/Fix NYC Public Schools « EdVox:The Story of PS161: The Crown School How to Fail/Fix NYC Public Schoolsby edvoxnyby Fred Baptiste, PTA Vice-President of PS 161As a parent of children at PS 161 – The Crown School, a resident of Crown Heights, and a taxpayer, I am strongly against the proposal to truncate of the 6-8th grades at the Crown School and the policy of school closures in general, because it ... more »

Teacher pensions and the two plans. « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Teacher pensions and the two plans. « Fred Klonsky:Teacher pensions and the two plans.by Fred KlonskyThe last session of the General Assembly there was just one plan for screwing teachers. That was Senate Bill 512. It was the brainchild of the Civic Committee, which is headed by millionaire corporate lawyer Ty Fahner. The plan was pushed by GOP House Leader Tom Cross and the Chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party who is also Speaker of the House, Michael Madigan. He ... more »

Hechinger Report | Q&A with Deborah Gist: Involving teachers in evaluation policy

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Hechinger Report | QA with Deborah Gist: Involving teachers in evaluation policy:QA with Deborah Gist: Involving teachers in evaluation policyby Nick PandolfoDeborah Gist (Photo by Frank Curran)Deborah Gist, Rhode Island’s Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, has implemented some major reforms since assuming her role in 2009. She has raised the score required to pass teacher-certification tests and allowed a superintendent to fire all of the teachers at a school that was resisting reforms. Perhaps most notably, she has overseen ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Afternoon Posts 2-7 #ows #edreform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Secretary of Education Calls for Comprehensive Reform | News | The Harvard CrimsonBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-4 minutes agoSecretary of Education Calls for Comprehensive Reform | News | The Harvard Crimson:Secretary of Education Calls for Comprehensive ReformBy ELIZABETH S. AURITT, CRIMSON STAFF WRITERPublished: Tuesday, February 07, 2012COMMENTEMAILPRINT During a speech at the Graduate School of Education on Monday, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne S. Duncan ’86 said that schools should not limit the scope of their focus and ... more »

Detroit To Parents: Time To Get Involved in Education : NPR

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Detroit To Parents: Time To Get Involved in Education : NPR:Detroit To Parents: Time To Get Involved in Educationby LARRY ABRAMSON In Detroit, officials say they are trying everything they can to revive the city's public school system, from replacing dilapidated buildings to hiring new school leaders. Detroit Public Schools is also focusing on a neglected piece of the education equation: parents.The effort to involve parents in public education in Detroit focuses on a lot of little things, like "the ... more »

An essay on what our children need | Seattle Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

An essay on what our children need | Seattle Education:An essay on what our children needby seattleducation2011“When will the conversation shift away from non-issues like choice, competition, bad teachers, and test scores, to finally focus on the kinds of reform that would actually make a difference in these kids’ lives?”I am re-posting an excerpt of an essay written by Katie Osgood who is a special education teacher working in a psychiatric hospital in Chicago. The original post is on Anthony ... more »

SCHOOL FUNDING – WHEN WILL WE GET CREATIVE ? « Teachers Fight Back

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

SCHOOL FUNDING – WHEN WILL WE GET CREATIVE ? « Teachers Fight Back:SCHOOL FUNDING – WHEN WILL WE GET CREATIVE ?by alkleenShame on our politicians, parents, community leaders, business leaders, teacher unions, school administrators and everyone else for being so brain-dead when it comes to public school funding. We clearly must find an alternative to the way schools are funded today and have been since the children of cavemen started going to school. There must be alternative streams of revenue ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Back-and-Forth on KUOW

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Back-and-Forth on KUOW:Charter Back-and-Forth on KUOWby Melissa WestbrookThe last couple of days have seen interviews with Senator Rodney Tom (one of the sponsors of the charter bill) and Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos (who chairs the House Education committee). I note that the Tom interview was longer than the Tomiko Santos interview and it would have been nice to allow the Representative equal time.Senator Tom certainly had a lot to say including:"It's another option" - again, ... more »

Four charters schools in the Wilmington area can bring profits - WECT TV6 - WECT.com - Wilmington, NC news and weather -

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

Four charters schools in the Wilmington area can bring profits - WECT TV6 - WECT.com - Wilmington, NC news and weather -:Charter schools can bring big profitsPosted: Feb 06, 2012 11:13 AM PSTUpdated: Feb 06, 2012 7:55 PM PSTBy: Ann McAdams - email Now that the cap has been lifted, dozens of applications to start new charter schools have been submitted. While there is still a profit to be made, charter schools operate on a significantly smaller budget than their ... more »

Schools Matter: Evolution (?) of Arne Duncan's position on the use of standardized tests for teacher evaluation

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

Schools Matter: Evolution (?) of Arne Duncan's position on the use of standardized tests for teacher evaluation:Evolution (?) of Arne Duncan's position on the use of standardized tests for teacher evaluationby skrashenArne Duncan’s position on the use of value-added test scores seems to have changed in the last two years. In August, 2010, he seems to be saying that test score gains are a measure of teacher effectiveness. In May, 2011, he seems to want to use value-added measures as ... more »

Diane Ravitch: Do politicians know anything at all about schools and education? Anything?

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

Do politicians know anything at all about schools and education? Anything?:Do politicians know anything at all about schools and education? Anything?ASK THIS | February 07, 2012Diane Ravitch poses a dozen piercing questions on education and school policy. Some of them turn conventional thinking on its ear, and each could be a starting point for reporting on elections, from the presidency on down to local school boards. Twitter FaceBookBuzz Email ShareThisBy Diane Ravitchgardendr@gmail.com1. Both Republican candidates and President Obama are enamored ... more »

Obama proposes money for math, science education | Reuters

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Obama proposes money for math, science education | Reuters:Obama proposes money for math, science educationWASHINGTON | Tue Feb 7, 2012 10:58am EST(Reuters) - President Barack Obama will seek $80 million in new funding for a program to boost science and math education in U.S. schools, the White House said on Tuesday.Obama, who is running for re-election in November at a time when the economy is voters' top concern, has sought to emphasize math and science education as one of the ... more »

Appeals Court Strikes Down Prop. 8 - The Bay Citizen

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Appeals Court Strikes Down Prop. 8 - The Bay Citizen:Appeals Court Strikes Down Prop. 8Judges rule 2-1 against the ban on same-sex marriages; appeal expectedTEXT SIZE A A ABy BAY CITIZEN STAFF on February 7, 2012 - 10:07 a.m. PSTstart discussionJustin Sullivan/Getty ImagesAn opponent of Proposition 8 holds a gay pride flag outside San Francisco City Hall to celebrate U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling to overturn Prop. 8 on Aug. 4, 2010A federal court ruled Tuesday that California's voter-approved ... more »

$1.5 Billion Wasted in One Year Alone « PWC Education Reform Blog

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

$1.5 Billion Wasted in One Year Alone « PWC Education Reform Blog:$1.5 Billion Wasted in One Year AloneFebruary 7, 2012 — pwceducationreformIs it possible to waste $1.5 billion in one year? If you work in public education, apparently it is. In fact, if you work in public education you can waste $1.5 billion in one year, and then demand more money the next year because the $1.5 billion wasn’t enough. And yes, billion, with a B.Where was this money wasted? ... more »

Productivity Agenda Yes! But based on real research & rigorous analysis! « School Finance 101

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

Productivity Agenda Yes! But based on real research rigorous analysis! « School Finance 101:Productivity Agenda Yes! But based on real research rigorous analysis!by schoolfinance101Pau Hill and Marguerite Roza’s response to my recent report – with Kevin Welner – and series of blog posts seems to offer as its central argument that we’re simply a curmudgeons, offering lots of complaints about the rigor of their arguments and their suggestions for improving schooling productivity and efficiency, but providing no creative or immediately ... more »

Secretary of Education Calls for Comprehensive Reform | News | The Harvard Crimson

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

Secretary of Education Calls for Comprehensive Reform | News | The Harvard Crimson:Secretary of Education Calls for Comprehensive ReformBy ELIZABETH S. AURITT, CRIMSON STAFF WRITERPublished: Tuesday, February 07, 2012COMMENTEMAILPRINT During a speech at the Graduate School of Education on Monday, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne S. Duncan ’86 said that schools should not limit the scope of their focus and support to a child’s life within the classroom.“Educators should be attacking both in-school and out-of-school problems,” said Duncan to an ... more »

Who's in charge here? A look at the companies behind charter schools | MLive.com #edchat

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

Who's in charge here? A look at the companies behind charter schools | MLive.com:Who's in charge here? A look at the companies behind charter schoolsPublished: Tuesday, February 07, 2012, 5:00 AM By Blake Thorne | bthorne1@mlive.com GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan — Your local charter school is most likely not really locally operated.Most are for-profit companies based in far-off locales, operating behind-the-scenes and calling the shots on everything from teacher pay to school policy to pencil purchases.View full sizeHere's a look at ... more »