Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 3-21 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 3-20 #soschat #EDReform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 1 hour ago

Schools Matter: The Big LieBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-21 minutes agoSchools Matter: The Big Lie: The Big LiebyJudy RabinHere we go again.A new report,part of the shock and awe campaign being waged against public education, teacher unions and anyone who can still think critically and ask questions, is being brought to us by Condoleezza Rice and Joel Klein. The nation's security is at risk if the nation's public schools don't improve. Excuse me while I throw up.With education ... more »

My review of ‘Class Warfare’ in the Journal of School Choice | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

My review of ‘Class Warfare’ in the Journal of School Choice | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: My review of ‘Class Warfare’ in the Journal of School ChoicebyGary RubinsteinThis is a preprint of an article whose final and definitive form has been published in theJournal of School Choice© 2012 Taylor Francis Group, LLC; theJournal of School Choiceis available online at:http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15582159.2012.650106Class Warfare: Inside the Fight to Fix America’s Schools, by Steven Brill. (Simon and Schuster, 2011; 496 pp.;978-1-4516-1199-1, $28.00 hardback.)In Defense Of The ...more »

Modern School: Illiterate Braggart to Take Over 15 Detroit Public Schools

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Modern School: Illiterate Braggart to Take Over 15 Detroit Public Schools: Illiterate Braggart to Take Over 15 Detroit Public SchoolsbyMichael DunnYes, I realize this is a rather bombastic headline, but it was hard to resist. Consider the following public statement by John Covington, Chancellor of the Education Achievement Authority, the agency that will be taking over 15 low performing Detroit Public Schools. In response to the agency’s plan to lengthen the school year he was quoted in theDetroit Newssaying:"I don't ... more »

Welcome to helpbarbaraweeks.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Welcome to helpbarbaraweeks.com: Barbara Weeks works in the cafeteria at Pony Express Elementary School in Sacramento, California. Barbara just returned from an extended leave of absence on which she was caring for her cancer-stricken mother. She and her daughter live with her mother. A few days ago the house burned down, killing her mother. Because there was a reverse mortgage on the house, Barbara is left with nothing. When Barbara returned to the fire scene to try to scavenge any ... more »

David Halperin: Leaked Memo Reveals That House GOP Leaders "Directed" For-Profit College Lobbying Strategy

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

David Halperin: Leaked Memo Reveals That House GOP Leaders "Directed" For-Profit College Lobbying Strategy: David HalperinSenior Fellow, United Republic / Republic ReportGET UPDATES FROM DAVID HALPERINLike3Leaked Memo Reveals That House GOP Leaders "Directed" For-Profit College Lobbying StrategyFor-profit colleges like ITT, DeVry, Kaplan, and the Art Institutes -- sometimes called subprime schools because they leave many students deep in debt while taking billions of dollars from taxpayers -- continue an expensive lobbying push to influence Congress and avoid accountability. Republi... more »

Diane Ravitch: the promise and perils of online teaching | Educating Ourselves

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Diane Ravitch: the promise and perils of online teaching | Educating Ourselves:Diane Ravitch: the promise and perils of online teachingByMary McConnell,Monday, March 19, 2012 at 6:02 pmMSTDiane Ravitch used to be my favorite educational historian (her 2000 bookLeft Backis still probably the best single account of a century of school reform run amok.) In recent years she’s undergone a conversion to the status quo, which disappoints me. If you want to know why, here’s a link to my review of ... more »

RheeFirst! » Once again, Michelle Rhee-form fails in DC– Her Middle School Muddle

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

RheeFirst! » Once again, Michelle Rhee-form fails in DC– Her Middle School Muddle: Once again, Michelle Rhee-form fails in DC– Her Middle School MuddlebyadminWritten by Ken Arche for Greater Greater Washington. Read theentire article here.“Former Chancellor Michelle Rhee created many of the PS-8 schools in 2008-2009 in response to parental opposition to school closings. By adding middle school grades to existing elementary schools, the new PS-8 schools were intended to reduce the impact of school closings on Ward 5 parents… ... more »

U.S. Education Reform and National Security - Council on Foreign Relations

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

U.S. Education Reform and National Security - Council on Foreign RelationsU.S. Education Reform and National SecurityChairs:Joel I. Klein, News Corporation andCondoleezza Rice, Stanford UniversityDirector:Julia Levy, Culture CraverDownload NowOrder Print EditionOverviewThe United States' failure to educate its students leaves them unprepared to compete and threatens the country's ability to thrive in a global economy and maintain its leadership role, finds a new Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)–sponsored Independent Task Force report on U.S. Education Reform and National Security.... more »

Itchy Triggers

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Itchy Triggers: Itchy TriggersbySamShould parents who are unhappy with their local school have the power to replace the entire staff, turn it into a charter school, or shut it down completely – even if just 51% of the school’s families agree?It’s an enticing, polarizing proposal – the so-called“parent trigger.”It’s also now a law in four states, and the subject of debate in scores of others. But is it a good idea? In the end, will parent-trigger laws help parents more ... more »

Geaux Teacher!: HOUSE DEBATE SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Geaux Teacher!: HOUSE DEBATE SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY!: HOUSE DEBATE SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY!bynoreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT)This post came from Mike Deshotel's blog - the link is on this page and his posts will provide more information about the RED CARD INITIATIVE. I am working on a page that will allow you to watch the live cast of the proceedings and to comment for our legislators at the same time. Stay Tuned for Follow The Bill Louisiana.Tuesday, March 20, 2012Jindal Bills ... more »

Schools Matter: The Big Lie

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Schools Matter: The Big Lie: The Big LiebyJudy RabinHere we go again.A new report,part of the shock and awe campaign being waged against public education, teacher unions and anyone who can still think critically and ask questions, is being brought to us by Condoleezza Rice and Joel Klein. The nation's security is at risk if the nation's public schools don't improve. Excuse me while I throw up.With education budgets being slashed to the bone across the country: more money being ... more »

Doubts About High-Stakes Tests and Their Effect on Teachers – SchoolBook

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Doubts About High-Stakes Tests and Their Effect on Teachers – SchoolBook: Doubts About High-Stakes Tests and Their Effect on TeachersbyAnna M. PhillipsThe chief academic officer of New York City’s public schools said on Monday night that principals were not alone in being concerned about the state’s new teacher evaluation system: He also has qualms.At a panel discussion on high-stakes testing held at the Brooklyn Secondary School for Collaborative Studies, Shael Polakow-Suransky, the chief academic officer for the city’s Education Department, ... more »

I was ordered by my President to assassinate Arne Duncan! | Dissident Voice

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

On Orders of the President | Dissident Voice: On Orders of the PresidentbyMyles HoenigI was ordered by my President to assassinate Arne Duncan! It has been a state secret, up until now.I can’t give any details of the exchange (for my house with my wife and my pets might be droned), but President Obama communicated to me directly that his presidency is in danger because even to most Americans, it’s becoming obvious that his treacherous plans to dumb down our ... more »

The specter of the orange shirt. « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

The specter of the orange shirt. « Fred Klonsky: The specter of the orange shirt.byFred KlonskyBack in 2010 I was standing at the microphone at the IEA RA waiting for Executive Director Audrey Soglin to finish her report on PERA, the law that ties teacher evaluations to student growth scores on tests never designed for teacher evaluation.The IEA was instrumental in writing the PERA law, which later became the basis for Senate Bill 7.You know the story: I stood at ... more »

S.2194: American Dream Accounts Act of 2012 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

S.2194: American Dream Accounts Act of 2012 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: S.2194- American Dream Accounts Act of 2012A bill to award grants in order to establish longitudinal personal college readiness and savings online platforms for low-income students.view all titles (2)OverviewActions VotesNews(0) Blogs(4)Comments(0)Bill's ViewsToday:8Past Seven Days:39All-Time:39IntroducedSenatePassesHousePassesPresidentSigns03/14/12Official Bill TextComment on about 17 PagesSponsorSenatorChris CoonsD-DEView Co-Sponsors (2)CommitteesSenate Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsRelated Issue A... more »

School Reform's Establishment Turn - WSJ.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Review Outlook: School Reform's Establishment Turn - WSJ.com: School Reform's Establishment TurnThe Council on Foreign Relations endorses choice and competition.The Council on Foreign Relations is the clubhouse of America's establishment, a land of pinstripe suits and typically polite, status-quo thinking. Yet today CFR will publish a report that examines the national-security impact of America's broken education system—and prescribes school choice as a primary antidote. Do you believe in miracles?American schools have several national-security duties, the report notes. First is edu...more »

Trayvon Martin’s girlfriend recalls final conversation before shooting | The Raw Story

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Trayvon Martin’s girlfriend recalls final conversation before shooting | The Raw Story: Trayvon Martin’s girlfriend recalls final conversation before shootingBy Andrew JonesTuesday, March 20, 2012 9:25 EDTTopics:doj♦George Zimmerman♦Trayvon MartinTrayvon Martin’s girlfriend toldABC Newslate Monday night her final phone conversation with him before he was shot dead by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman.The girl, whose parents requested not to make her name public, was questioned by the Martin family’s attorney Benjamin Crump and described that her boyfriend was cornered by... more »

Modern School: Pacifica Hires Union-Busting Law Firm

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Modern School: Pacifica Hires Union-Busting Law Firm: Pacifica Hires Union-Busting Law FirmbyMichael DunnImage from Flickr, byRochelle, Just Rochelle)The liberal Pacifica Foundation (parent of lefty radio stations like KPFA, in Berkeley, WBAI, in New York, and KPFK, in Los Angeles) has hired Jackson Lewis, a notorious anti-union law firm, according toCal Labor Fed. The law firm, which the AFL-CIO has called “America’s number one union-buster,” advises bosses how to obstruct their employees from forming unions and how to undermine existing unions. ... more »

DoJ, FBI Announce Probe in Trayvon Martin Case | FDL News Desk

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

DoJ, FBI Announce Probe in Trayvon Martin Case | FDL News Desk: DoJ, FBI Announce Probe in Trayvon Martin CaseBy:David DayenTuesday March 20, 2012 6:00 amTweetThe Justice Department and the FBI, responding to a growing display of outrage, willopen an investigationinto the killing of Trayvon Martin, a 17 year-old African-American killed in a gated community in Sanford, Florida by a neighborhood watch captain.Thestory of Martin’s deathslowly but persistently reached the public consciousness in the three weeks since the incident on ... more »

Confirmed: Alan Hays Voted NO on Parent Trigger Because Haridopolis Blocked His Worker’s Comp Bill | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Confirmed: Alan Hays Voted NO on Parent Trigger Because Haridopolis Blocked His Worker’s Comp Bill | Scathing Purple Musings: Confirmed: Alan Hays Voted NO on Parent Trigger Because Haridopolis Blocked His Worker’s Comp BillbyBob SikesWritesJim Turner inSunshine State News:The failure of a single bill to reach the Senate floor —a controversial onethat Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty claimed would lower workers’ compensation costs for businesses — doomed the “parent trigger” for school choice in the final days of the 2012 session.Sen. ... more »

Our Children, Our Future and an EXCELLENT DEAL FOR CA CHARTER SCHOOLS #SOSCHAT

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 1 day ago

Our Children, Our Future 2012 // Welcome: UR CHILDREN, OUR FUTUREShareOur Children, Our Future willgive Sacramento Charter High, Sacramento, 95817$1,013,7542013-2014$1,763,4742017-2018$2,385,6952023-2024Source MethodologyFind aOur Children, Our Future will raise billions in new, dedicated funding each year to invest in our children, with funds tending to increase over time. These numbers reflect a snapshot of how much new funding a school or district will get in the first full year of OCOF implementation (2013-14), the fifth year of OCOF implementation (2017-18), and the ...more »

NYC Public School Parents: Aggressive marketing by charter schools, soliciting applicants

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 1 day ago

NYC Public School Parents: Aggressive marketing by charter schools, soliciting applicants: Aggressive marketing by charter schools, soliciting applicantsbyLeonie HaimsonThe Bloomberg administration and the charter school operators always claim that in the rapid proliferation of charter schools across the city, they are merely responding to parent “demand” but this ignores the aggressive recruiting methods they use to build up their “waiting lists.” Eva Moskowitz has hired paid recruiters to “poach” students for her Success Academy charters, as in the video below, ... more »

Modern School: Helping SPED Students by Increasing Their Class Sizes?

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 1 day ago

Modern School: Helping SPED Students by Increasing Their Class Sizes?: Helping SPED Students by Increasing Their Class Sizes?byMichael DunnFull Inclusion or Full Immersion? (Image from Flickr, byGui Seiz)One of the latest trends in Special Education is “Full Inclusion.” The idea is that all students benefit from being in the “least restrictive” environment. Special day classes (SDC)—where many special needs students were traditionally exposed to much of their curriculum—segregated them from the general student population and relied on special education (SPED) ... more »

Mulgrew spells conditions for backing college loan forgiveness | GothamSchools

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 1 day ago

Mulgrew spells conditions for backing college loan forgiveness | GothamSchools: Mulgrew spells conditions for backing college loan forgivenessbyPhilissa CramerThe UFT would consider supporting Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to pay back the loans of top college graduates who become city teachers — but only under certain conditions.In a letter to Chancellor Dennis Walcott today, UFT President Michael Mulgrew spelled out what it would take for him to support a loan forgiveness program of the type Bloomberg proposed in January duringhis State of ... more »