Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 32 seconds ago
teacher/poet/musician glen brown: Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension OffsetThe Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) “was enacted as part of the 1983 Social Security Refinancing Act, designed to shore up the financing of the Social Security Trust Fund. That Act was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan” (Mass Retirees).“The Windfall Elimination Provision primarily affects [a public employee who has] earned a pension in any job where [he or she] did not pay Social Security taxes and also worked in other ... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Sunday Music Blogging
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Jersey Jazzman: Sunday Music Blogging: Sunday Music BloggingbyDukeIn an effort to not be such a snarky old bastard all the time, let's try to do a little music blogging every Sunday, shall we?I'm just finishing a big band piece for a high school. A lot of times, when I write something, I think, "I want to do this piece I like, but recomposed my way." Like about 10,000 artists have said, "Good composers borrow; great composers steal."I may not be ... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Lawsuit over Creative Approach Schools Needs Help
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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Lawsuit over Creative Approach Schools Needs Help: Lawsuit over Creative Approach Schools Needs HelpbyMelissa WestbrookDistrict watchdog Chris Jackins came forward at a recent Board meeting to say that he believed (and a lawyer looking at the RCW concurred) that the MOU between the district and the SEA is illegal.He has found a number of appellants to sign onto a lawsuit to challenge the legality of the MOU.But, that lawsuit needs money to start down this road. ... more »
Be Like Me: Just Write Five Different Blog Starters and Don’t Hit Publish | The Jose Vilson
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Be Like Me: Just Write Five Different Blog Starters and Don’t Hit Publish | The Jose Vilson: Be Like Me: Just Write Five Different Blog Starters and Don’t Hit PublishbyJoseSometime after Monday, I thought I’d have the hang of this blogging thing again. I was fairly confident that I could crank out some really good topics for my blog, and possibly a few tweets related to these extensive pieces. I would carve out my usual 8pm to 10pm schedule for ... more »
Georgia Charter School Decision Could Set National Precedent | Fox News
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Georgia Charter School Decision Could Set National Precedent | Fox News: Georgia charter school decision could set national precedentByElizabeth PrannPublished March 11, 2012| FoxNews.comPrintEmailShareCommentsinShare8The Georgia Legislature is hotly debating a bill that would allow the state to cover the costs of charter schools even if local school boards reject them, setting up a case that could set national precedent on educational reform.The legislation to amend the state constitution would allow the Peach State to create its own parallel K-12 system ... more »
Georgia Charter School Decision Could Set National Precedent | Fox News
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 32 seconds ago
Georgia Charter School Decision Could Set National Precedent | Fox News: Georgia charter school decision could set national precedentByElizabeth PrannPublished March 11, 2012| FoxNews.comPrintEmailShareCommentsinShare8The Georgia Legislature is hotly debating a bill that would allow the state to cover the costs of charter schools even if local school boards reject them, setting up a case that could set national precedent on educational reform.The legislation to amend the state constitution would allow the Peach State to create its own parallel K-12 system ... more »
Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 3-11 #SOSchat #p2 #edreform
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6 Ways to Get Ready for the May 1st GENERAL STRIKE | OccupyWallSt.org #soschat #owsBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-8 minutes ago6 Ways to Get Ready for the May 1st GENERAL STRIKE | OccupyWallSt.org: 6 Ways to Get Ready for the May 1st GENERAL STRIKEPosted 5 hours ago on March 11, 2012, 7:57 a.m. EST byOccupyWallStYesterday, 60,000 marched on Madison to mark the one-year anniversary of the passage of Governor Scott Walker's drastic dismantling of collective bargaining rights for ... more »
School Tech Connect: On Vouchers and Charters in Illinois
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School Tech Connect: On Vouchers and Charters in IllinoisOn Vouchers and Charters in Illinoisbynoreply@blogger.com (Tim)It's so difficult to pin down state legislators on the issues I care about before an election. I hear a lot about things that on are my stove but not on the front burners.Fortunately, there's IVI-IPO.As I mentioned today on the Twitters, I saw a mailing today here in the 14th Legislative District of the great state of Illinois. It pointed out that one of the ... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Preuss School/UCSD - Not the Charter You Might Think
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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Preuss School/UCSD - Not the Charter You Might Think: Preuss School/UCSD - Not the Charter You Might ThinkbyMelissa WestbrookI was in San Diego recently and took the opportunity to visit a charter school. I may have my own opinions on charter schools but it is always valuable to keep gathering information and insights.Preuss/UCSD, a 6-12 school, sits on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. Their building is on land donated by the University ... more »
NYC Public School Parents: Come to Lobby day; parents must have a voice when it comes to school closings & co-locations!
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NYC Public School Parents: Come to Lobby day; parents must have a voice when it comes to school closings co-locations!: Come to Lobby day; parents must have a voice when it comes to school closings co-locations!byLeonie HaimsonLast week, the Chancellor's Parent Advisory Council, along with Class Size Matters, endorsed four legislative proposals:On the state budget, to eliminate the Governor's proposed $250 million in competitive grants and re-allocate those funds so thatNYC schools receive more of their fair share;Restore thedistrict structure ... more »
What is Underground Education? The How’s, Why’s, and What-Nots #education #SOSchat #revolution « Cooperative Catalyst
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What is Underground Education? The How’s, Why’s, and What-Nots #education #SOSchat #revolution « Cooperative Catalyst: What is Underground Education? The How’s, Why’s, and What-Nots #education #SOSchat#revolutionPOSTED BYEDUCATEDTODEATH⋅MARCH 11, 2012 ⋅LEAVE A COMMENTFILED UNDEREDUCATION,LEARNING,REVOLUTION,TEACHING,UNDERGROUNDOriginally posted ateducatedtodeath.com.@educatedtodeathUnderground Education is revolutionary, but does not aim to teach or incite external revolution; rather, it aims to nudge minds awake. Underground education begins the moment you see something that needs ... more »
Charter Schools USA's John Hage: Infecting Jeb Ed at Every Level In Indy
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Charter Schools USA's John Hage: Infecting Jeb Ed at Every Level In Indy: Corporate Foxes in the IN DOE Henhouse: The Chain School Gospel of Jeb Bush, John Hage and WalMartBush Bag Man John HageBush Bag Man John HageWhen the Indiana Charter School Board recentlyapprovedtwo new Charter Schools USA schools to open in Indianapolis, the corporate school honeymoon was on. The East Indianapolis Charter Academy and the South Indianapolis Charter Academy, Charter Schools USA claimed, would be “feeder schools” for ... more »
Last Stand for Children First: Getting Parent Voices Heard in Education Debate
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Last Stand for Children First: Getting Parent Voices Heard in Education Debate: Getting Parent Voices Heard in Education DebatebyLast Stand for ChildrenOne of the biggest challenges of the education reform movement is to get parent voices heard. Parents are important stakeholders in the discussion about how to improve education, but too often their voices are suppressed by the adults in the system. Partnering with education reformers is one of the very best ways for parents to get their voices heard. ... more »
PUBLIC WORKER PENSIONS – THE SOURCE OF ALL TROUBLE « Teachers Fight Back
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PUBLIC WORKER PENSIONS – THE SOURCE OF ALL TROUBLE « Teachers Fight Back: PUBLIC WORKER PENSIONS – THE SOURCE OF ALL TROUBLEbyalkleenI was surprised to see a Chicago Tribune editorial that was calling for a solution to the incredibly large caseloads of workers at the Department of Children and Family services. The editorial made a lot of sense, supported the workers, expressed how important the problem was, and seemed like a sincere effort to right a terrible wrong. Then I ... more »
Unschooling in the Art of Social Transformation | Lefty Parent
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Unschooling in the Art of Social Transformation | Lefty Parent: Unschooling in the Art of Social TransformationMarch 11th, 2012 at 13:48It is my continuing effort to promote the concept of “unschooling”, the mostly unsung method of human development that often gets short shrift compared to more formal modes and venues for education. Wikipedia defines “unschooling” as a term coined in the 1970s by radical educator John Holt, representing…A range of educational philosophies and practices centered on allowing children to learn ...more »
“You Can’t Learn if You Don’t Play…” « Cooperative Catalyst
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“You Can’t Learn if You Don’t Play…” « Cooperative Catalyst: “You Can’t Learn if You Don’t Play…”bypamelamoranTheNew Republicarticle, “Why Children Must Play: what the US can learn from Finland about ed reform,” captures a critical difference between attitudes in the United States and Finland about using play to power up learning. Samuel Abrams defines a key difference in how we approach education – a focus on children at work as learning in the United States vs. seeing the nature of ... more »
Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Ken Griffin speaks. State employee pensions, the Koch brothers, education and being Rahm’s Pal. « Fred Klonsky
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Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Ken Griffin speaks. State employee pensions, the Koch brothers, education and being Rahm’s Pal. « Fred Klonsky: Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Ken Griffin speaks. State employee pensions, the Koch brothers, education and being Rahm’s Pal.byFred KlonskyIn a rare interview, Ken Griffin, who the Tribune describes as a billionaire investor,founder and chief executive of Chicago-based hedge fund Citadel, arguably is this city’s only Wall Street titan,came clean with the Trib. He is a major funder of right-wing ... more »
Schools Matter: Protect children from the effects of poverty: Response to Paul Peterson
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Schools Matter: Protect children from the effects of poverty: Response to Paul Peterson: Protect children from the effects of poverty: Response to Paul PetersonbyskrashenProtect children from the effects of povertySent to the New York Daily News, March 11, 2012Paul Peterson says we should “Fix public schools before child poverty,” (March 11), arguing that low parental income is the not cause of low school performance. But Peterson agrees with the massive research showing that factors associated with poverty are related to ... more »
6 Ways to Get Ready for the May 1st GENERAL STRIKE | OccupyWallSt.org #soschat #ows
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago
6 Ways to Get Ready for the May 1st GENERAL STRIKE | OccupyWallSt.org: 6 Ways to Get Ready for the May 1st GENERAL STRIKEPosted 5 hours ago on March 11, 2012, 7:57 a.m. EST byOccupyWallStYesterday, 60,000 marched on Madison to mark the one-year anniversary of the passage of Governor Scott Walker's drastic dismantling of collective bargaining rights for public employees. Last year, Walker's attacks on labor rights sparked massive protests that saw hundreds of thousands occupy the Wisconsin capital building. ...more »
Robbing kindergartners of play in the name of reform - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago
Robbing kindergartners of play in the name of reform - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Robbing kindergartners of play in the name of reformbyValerie StraussByValerie StraussThere is no end to the bad ideas advanced in the name of school reform. Here’s one that will ensure that kids learn to hate school even earlier than usual: In Hartford, Conn., the superintendent of schools wants to extend the school year for some kindergartners to 11 months of the year.And these ...more »
Hechinger Report | Wisconsin moving toward portfolio-based assessment for teacher-candidates
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Hechinger Report | Wisconsin moving toward portfolio-based assessment for teacher-candidates: Wisconsin moving toward portfolio-based assessment for teacher-candidatesbyErin RichardsMILWAUKEE — Before he could start student teaching in January at Sennette Middle School in nearby Madison, Andrew Johnson had to pass a multiple-choice test.The 23-year-old wants to teach high-school science, so the exam he took tested his knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics. He had to know the basic properties of an atom and the difference between oxidation and combustion reaction.But this ... more »
Oakland's painful school closure era might be over sooner than expected - ContraCostaTimes.com
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago
Oakland's painful school closure era might be over sooner than expected - ContraCostaTimes.com: Oakland's painful school closure era might be over sooner than expectedByKaty MurphyOakland TribunePosted: 03/11/2012 12:00:00 AM PSTUpdated: 03/11/2012 05:06:35 AM PDTClick photo to enlargeOakland School District Superintendent Tony Smith speaks during an Oakland Unified School...OAKLAND -- Residents bracing for a second wave of school closures, wondering if their neighborhood school will still exist in 2013, should heed this news: Round 2 has been canceled.The downsizing plan announced ... more »
Despite Scott’s $1 Billion Increase, Local School Boards Still Facing Cuts | Scathing Purple Musings
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago
Despite Scott’s $1 Billion Increase, Local School Boards Still Facing Cuts | Scathing Purple Musings: Despite Scott’s $1 Billion Increase, Local School Boards Still Facing CutsbyBob SikesFrom Leslie Postal in theOrlando Sentinel:Scott demanded more money for public schools this year, and the Legislature agreed. But the increase lawmakers approved won’t lead to bigger budgets for local districts this year.Per-student funding will go up an average of $150. But last year, lawmakers slashed an average of $585 for each student. Making ... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Tom Moran, I'm Begging: Answer These Questions About Tenure
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Jersey Jazzman: Tom Moran, I'm Begging: Answer These Questions About Tenure: Tom Moran, I'm Begging: Answer These Questions About TenurebyDukeFirst of all, I don't ever want to hear theStar-LedgerEditorial Board complain about money the NJEA spends on advertising; not aftertoday's anti-tenure editorial. Granting averyoccasional space to the union to run an op-ed in rebuttal is hardly equivalent to many, many pieces theLedgerhas written in support of policies to abolish tenure as we know it. The NJEA has every right - ... more »
Union. « Fred Klonsky
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Union. « Fred Klonsky: Union.MARCH 11, 2012
Hechinger Report | Indiana overhauls how it evaluates teachers
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Hechinger Report | Indiana overhauls how it evaluates teachers: Indiana overhauls how it evaluates teachersbyScott ElliottINDIANAPOLIS—Reform: There is perhaps no idea more embraced in education circles nationally—and especially here.Indiana is in the midst of a massive education reform effort that includes the creation of vouchers, increasing the number of charter schools and adopting a new system to hold schools accountable. For the first time, that includes taking control of failing schools away from districts.It could be argued, however, that no ... more »
Guest blog: Jerry Mulvihill on educational reformers. « Fred Klonsky
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Guest blog: Jerry Mulvihill on educational reformers. « Fred Klonsky: Guest blog: Jerry Mulvihill on educational reformers.byFred KlonskyJerry Mulvihill, a colleague of mine in Park Ridge, wrote the following op-ed piece for the Southtown Star.“(Mr. Mulvihill), when you come up with a plan to decrease salaries and spending in wasteful and ineffective (school) districts and shift resources to the efficient and effective districts, you may gain some credibility. Until then, you’re acting like no more than a union shill.” — ... more »
Defeats of Prison Privatization and Parent Trigger Prompts FL Chamber of Commerce to Target Rebel GOP Senators | Scathing Purple Musings
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Defeats of Prison Privatization and Parent Trigger Prompts FL Chamber of Commerce to Target Rebel GOP Senators | Scathing Purple Musings: Defeats of Prison Privatization and Parent Trigger Prompts FL Chamber of Commerce to Target Rebel GOP SenatorsbyBob SikesYesterday’sOrlando Sentinelpieceby Tallahassee bureau chief Aaron Deslatte delved into the Florida Chamber of Commerce’sinfluence and it’s displeasure with the republican rebels in the senate who didn’t go along with them on prison privatization and parent trigger.It was a rare defeat for the ... more »
CTC Whistle Blower Attorney Kathleen Carroll's Disturbing View of the Future of Public Education (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com
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CTC Whistle Blower Attorney Kathleen Carroll's Disturbing View of the Future of Public Education (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com: CTC Whistle Blower Attorney Kathleen Carroll's Disturbing View of the Future of Public Education (VIDEO)byLeonard IsenbergWhat follows is a 17 minute overview given by California Teacher Credentialing whistle blower Attorney Kathleen Carroll that lays out the master plan for the privatization of public education at LAUSD, California, and throughout the United States. It is my belief that a functioning democracy that vests power ... more »