Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 2-14 #sosmarch #ReclaimingReform

A Teacher Letter to the New York State Dept. of Ed. | United Opt Out National

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

A Teacher Letter to the New York State Dept. of Ed. | United Opt Out National:A Teacher Letter to the New York State Dept. of Ed.by adminTo Whom it May Concern:I firmly oppose any initiative that continues (or expands) the current regime of standardized testing. As an educator, I know that standardized tests are not humane, nor developmentally appropriate.We are currently studying and writing non-fiction in my second grade classroom. It is beautiful to hear students teach all about topics ... more »

PSAT for 2-14-12: Call Brizard again! Plan to come see Monty! Waivers!

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

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 2-14-12: Call Brizard again! Plan to come see Monty! Waivers!:PSAT for 2-14-12: Call Brizard again! Plan to come see Monty! Waivers!by adminFor Public Schools Action Tuesday (PSAT) today,1) Parents 4 Teachers is asking you to help keep the pressure on CPS CEO Brizard about school closings and turnarounds. Call today 773-553-1500. I plan to fax my message to him at 773-553-1501. Some points to mention are below.2) Plan to ... more »

Free Webinar: Designing Learning Activities in a Standards-Based System « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education

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

Free Webinar: Designing Learning Activities in a Standards-Based System « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education:Free Webinar: Designing Learning Activities in a Standards-Based Systemby Klea Scharberg Join Anne R. Reeves, author of Where Great Teaching Begins: Planning for Student Thinking and Learning, for an exciting, free webinar on designing learning activities in a standards-based system.Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 3:00 p.m. eastern timeRegister now!Many teaching practices are “inherited” from previous generations of teachers, but not all of these fit ... more »

Education Research Report: 13 Questions About Education Reform By Diane Ravitch

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

Education Research Report: 13 Questions About Education Reform By Diane Ravitch:13 Questions About Education Reform By Diane Ravitchby Jonathan KantrowitzΩDo politicians know anything at all about schools and education? Anything?as first posted here: Nieman Watchdog (Some links added)By Diane Ravitchgardendr@gmail.com1. Both Republican candidates and President Obama are enamored of charter schools—that is, schools that are privately managed and deregulated. Are you aware that studies consistently show that charter schools don’t get better results than regular public schools? Are you ... more »

Recruiting Focus Group Members - Letters (CA Dept of Education)

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

Recruiting Focus Group Members - Letters (CA Dept of Education):Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:RECRUITING FOCUS GROUP MEMBERS FOR UPDATING THE ENGLISHLANGUAGE ARTS/ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK FORCALIFORNIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE TWELVEThe California Department of Education (CDE) is pleased to announce that it is recruiting members for four focus groups to provide input on the upcoming English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework for California PublicSchools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (... more »

School Tech Connect: Get on the Horn, People

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

School Tech Connect: Get on the Horn, People:Get on the Horn, Peopleby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)It's Virtual Lobby Day. You should get your colleagues to spend five fewer minutes being stressed out over their ten thousand observations or whatever, and shepherd them over to a phone or a computer. They need to do something important.I really like my current representative, although I'm so jittery about going out and campaigning or canvassing. I'd hate to get behind someone who turns out to be ... more »

Occupy V-Day: The Greatest Love Of All | The Jose Vilson

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

Occupy V-Day: The Greatest Love Of All | The Jose Vilson:Occupy V-Day: The Greatest Love Of Allby JoseWhitney HoustonThis is part of the OccupyVDay movement, sponsored by Samhita Mukhopadhyay. I found out about it via Jennifer Pozner and didn’t think I would, but Ms. Houston inspired this. Rest in peace.Until a few years ago, Valentine’s Day worsened everything I knew about love.My first crush was this girl named Barbara in the second grade. Whether it was her low key demeanor, ... more »

VEA Protests Bills Passed by General Assembly « PWC Education Reform Blog

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

VEA Protests Bills Passed by General Assembly « PWC Education Reform Blog:VEA Protests Bills Passed by General AssemblyFebruary 14, 2012 — pwceducationreformThe VEA has sent out a flyer asking teachers to wear black on Friday Feb 17 2012 to protest what they claim is a “lack of commitment to public education and loss of respect accorded teachers by our elected officials.“ (see 2012BlackFridayFlyer).So what terrible, horrible, awful, no good, very bad things has the VA General Assembly done to cause ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Two provocative articles for my students

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Two provocative articles for my students:Two provocative articles for my studentsby Mike Klonsky Waselenchuk’s judgment of the court’s geometry would make even Euclid wonder.I'm giving my Philosophy of Ed students two provocative articles from the New York Times to consider. They have just finished reading John Dewey's Experience and Education and the articles exemplify the fundamental connection between experience and learning.The first is, "A Field Trip to a Strange New Place: Second Grade Visits the Parking ... more »

LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY'S FAIRYTALE (CUENTO DE HADAS LAUSD Superintendente John Deasy) - Perdaily.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY'S FAIRYTALE (CUENTO DE HADAS LAUSD Superintendente John Deasy) - Perdaily.com:LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY'S FAIRYTALE (CUENTO DE HADAS LAUSD Superintendente John Deasy)by Leonard Isenberg(Mensaje se repite en Español)(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)Poor Superintendent John Deasy. He's just trying to do his job and the police wont let him do it. Watch the following video and see if you can spot the contradictions in the statements of truth ... more »

Tell the President What You Know (and He Doesn't) « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Tell the President What You Know (and He Doesn't) « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education:THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGTell the President What You Know (and He Doesn't)February 14th, 2012 by Klea ScharbergYou know it’s crucial to prepare students for long-term success rather than short-term achievement. Yet federal education policies like NCLB promote narrow, stopgap reforms instead of comprehensive support for our nation’s youth.Tell Washington leaders to focus on what really matters—our children’s long-term futures—by creating a President’s Council ... more »

Career Readiness Campaign - Initiatives & Programs (CA Dept of Education)

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Career Readiness Campaign - Initiatives Programs (CA Dept of Education):Career Readiness CampaignThrough his California Career Readiness Initiative, SSPI Tom Torlakson has directed the California Department of Education to proceed with 17 key objectives to support, sustain and strengthen Career and Technical Education (CTE) in the State. His Initiative builds upon goals outlined in "A Blueprint For Great Schools."ObjectivesLaunch Career Readiness Initiative Campaign: On February 14, 2012, State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) Tom Torlakson asked practitioners of Career a... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Teach for America - "The Gift that Just Keeps On Giving"

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Teach for America - "The Gift that Just Keeps On Giving":Teach for America - "The Gift that Just Keeps On Giving"by Melissa WestbrookWell look at this - a Broad superintendent going behind a School Board's back to hire more TFA (as they lay off more real teachers ). This is in Cobb County Georgia. Unbelievably, they are paying $8k per TFA per year (as opposed to SPS's $4k per year and Federal Way's $3k per year).(Thanks ... more »

Mother Crusader: A Tale of Two Residences (And Offices)

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Mother Crusader: A Tale of Two Residences (And Offices):A Tale of Two Residences (And Offices)by darciecimaOK, so no confirmation hearing for Chris Cerf on Thursday. Like Jersey Jazzman, I am a little disappointed. I was getting geared up to testify about the glaring lack of transparency in the NJDOE under Acting Commissioner Cerf, but I guess it will have to wait. I'm sure it will just give me more ammunition if he ever does get a hearing because I'm not ... more »

Republicans are retreating on No Child, too | The Education Front Blog | dallasnews.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Republicans are retreating on No Child, too | The Education Front Blog | dallasnews.com:Republicans are retreating on No Child, tooby William McKenzie/ Editorial ColumnistIn my column today about President Obama's move away from No Child Left Behind, I raised some concerns about what could happen with his revisions. (I also pointed out several positives likely to come from his plan.)But let me be clear; The president isn't the only one walking away from No Child. Congressional Republicans also are in ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Student protests hit Rahm's favorite charter chain

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Student protests hit Rahm's favorite charter chain:Student protests hit Rahm's favorite charter chainby Mike KlonskyJulie Woestehoff, of Parents United for Responsible Education, speaks at a rally and march to call for an end to what they call “appalling” disciplinary policies at some schools. | Brian Jackson~Sun-TimesThe mayor's favorite charter school franchise was the target of a parent and student protest yesterday. An FOIA report obtained by PURE, the Advancement Project civil rights group and a student ...more »

Teachers Don't Suck !: Cooked Up Schemes and Catchy Titles

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Teachers Don't Suck !: Cooked Up Schemes and Catchy Titles:Cooked Up Schemes and Catchy TitlesI got to thinking about all the educational schemes that are constantly cooked up in Trenton, Washington and throughout the U.S. What really impresses me is not the results they yield but the grandiose sounding names that are dreamt up for these fruitless projects. The ability to continuously conjure up such pretentious titles (and of course, the catchy sounding acronyms) is astonishing especially in light of ... more »

Schools Matter: Resistance begins with organizing: Social Justice Schools Conference Report Back

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

Schools Matter: Resistance begins with organizing: Social Justice Schools Conference Report Back:Resistance begins with organizing: Social Justice Schools Conference Report Backby Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene"How do we help students and teachers to stop blaming ourselves and each other and start working together to change the system?" — CEJ Student Activist Photos by Robert D. Skeels, see the entire set.We're beginning to see scattered resistance to the corporate school privatization agenda of the Billionaire Boys Club, ALEC, and Arne Duncan. ... more »

Sac City Unified May Close A.M. Winn After All - Rosemont, CA Patch

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

Sac City Unified May Close A.M. Winn After All - Rosemont, CA Patch:Sac City Unified May Close A.M. Winn After AllElementary school students just east of Rosemont may have to find a new school next year, despite a previous decision by the Sacramento City Unified School District not to close their school.That campus, A.M. Winn Elementary School, is under-enrolled and could save the district $181,000 if closed.Potential budget cuts for the 2012-13 school year are forcing the district to choose ... more »

THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: Learning from Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee #edchat

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: Learning from Rhee:Learning from Rheeby The Perimeter PrimateThis is a guest post by Joanna A. Bujes, an Oakland public school parent and supporter of public education. She has taught at U.C. Berkeley, University of Santa Clara, and SUNY Plattsburgh, and she has been a volunteer teacher and tutor in the Oakland public schools (poetry, drama, math) whenever she could find the time.RHEE'S FRAMING OF THE DEBATE ON EDUCATIONOn the evening of February 7, Michelle Rhee, former chancellor ... more »