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Sunday, March 4, 2012

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Day Posts 3-4 #edreform #soschat


Transformaction - Arlington, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators

Transformaction - Arlington, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators:Looking AheadTransformactionThe world we know is built on transactions. Everything is a matter of give-and-take. We exchange what we have for things we want and need of similar value. Economically speaking, it works. We have learned to assign value to everything, and then conduct transactions based on those values. Living by making transactions works as long as you exist in a closed system. You ... more »

Fathers becoming a driving force in PTA

Fathers becoming a driving force in PTA:Fathers becoming a driving force in PTANew York TimesSunday, March 4, 2012PrintE-mailShareComments (0)Font | Size: 0MORE EDUCATIONS.F. City College chancellor stepping down 03.01.12S.F. schools waive seniority for some in layoffs 03.01.12CSU trustees chairman ousted02.28.12New York --At Public School 11 in Manhattan in New York City, the senior president of the Parent Teacher Association is a vivacious chatterbox who ascended the school's executive board the way many do: forging bonds with parents and teachers, doing ... more »

Sunday links. « Fred Klonsky

Sunday links. « Fred Klonsky:Sunday links.by Fred KlonskyThe correlation of value added scores in NY and the quality of a teacher from year to year? None.Retired math teacher GFBrandenburg’s blog explains why Bill Gates didn’t want the VAM scores made public. They’re total bullshit and blow the cover off of his reform agenda.The VAM scores mean nothing says a highly-rated New York school teacher.We’re almost at 8,000 signatures on retired teacher and former IEA President Bob Haisman’s petition to return ... more »

A Teacher Says “NO!” to Common Core Standards | Seattle Education

A Teacher Says “NO!” to Common Core Standards | Seattle Education:A Teacher Says “NO!” to Common Core Standardsby seattleducation2011I question the motivations of David Coleman, “architect” and lead author of the Common Core, whose video was shown to ICs last year giving a lesson on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”…This past summer, I viewed an entire two-hour tape of Colemen giving a speech to New York state educators about CCSS. Besides how condescending he was ... more »

Diane Ravitch: Reject case for status quo in schools | Shreveporttimes | shreveporttimes.com

Reject case for status quo in schools | Shreveporttimes | shreveporttimes.com:Reject case for status quo in schoolsDiane Ravitch, a former Education Department official in both the Bush and Clinton administrations, spoke this week in Lafayette. Interestingly enough, she spoke to a meeting of the Louisiana School Boards Association.It's interesting because Ravitch speaks with the zeal of a convert on education issues. Once she embraced the structural changes on which much of the left and right agree as ways to improve ... more »

Grumpy Educators: No Unnecessary Tests (NUT) Report: Parent Right to Opt Out Lawsuit Emerges

Grumpy Educators: No Unnecessary Tests (NUT) Report: Parent Right to Opt Out Lawsuit Emerges:No Unnecessary Tests (NUT) Report: Parent Right to Opt Out Lawsuit Emergesby SandraBig News!!! (March 2012)The ACLU is interested in supporting any parents whose children received a penalty/threats for opting out of testing.If you want to participate in the complaint please share the following:your storypermission to join in on the ACLU complaintyour return addressa signature on a hard copySubmit to: Nina Bishop, 3065 Windward Way, Colorado Springs, ... more »

Daily Kos: What’s so bad about American parents, anyway?

Daily Kos: What’s so bad about American parents, anyway?:What’s so bad about American parents, anyway?by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)...the United States is one of only three countries in the world, along with Swaziland and Papua New Guinea, that have no federal paid parental leave policy. After President Richard Nixon vetoed the Comprehensive Childcare Act of 1971, which promised to ensure quality, affordable child care, American parents were left to fend for themselves. In a country that pays its child-care workers less than ... more »

A rare break from testing madness - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

A rare break from testing madness - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:A rare break from testing madnessby Valerie StraussThis was written by Pamela Grundy, a founding member of Mecklenburg Area Coming Together for Schools (Mecklenburg Acts), a grassroots coalition of parents, citizens and organizations working on behalf of Mecklenburg County’s public schools. This first appeared on the website of Parents Across America, an organization that she also co-founded that connects parents and activists from across the country to ... more »

Thousands of Sacramento-area teachers soon to receive pink slips - Sac Moms Club & Family - The Sacramento Bee

Thousands of Sacramento-area teachers soon to receive pink slips - Sac Moms Club Family - The Sacramento Bee:Thousands of Sacramento-area teachers soon to receive pink slipsShareBy Diana Lambertdlambert@sacbee.comPublished: Sunday, Mar. 4, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 1BLast Modified: Sunday, Mar. 4, 2012 - 12:05 amThousands of pink slips will be in the hands of area teachers and other school employees by March 15. The notices warn the holder that they are in jeopardy of being laid off at the ... more »

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

Saturday coffee + Old school. « Fred Klonsky #soschatBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-14 minutes agoSaturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky:Saturday coffee.by Fred KlonskyNo time to sit and savor the coffee this morning. Ulysses had a grooming appointment at 11:00.I don’t want to say what it costs us to get our dog’s hair cut. But Joe charges me $20 for clippers and a straight razor shave with hot towels. Ulysses costs way more.Thursday I had my yearly physical, so I ... more »

Mock Test Concerns from a Teacher (who also opts her own child out of the state test) | United Opt Out National

Mock Test Concerns from a Teacher (who also opts her own child out of the state test) | United Opt Out National:Mock Test Concerns from a Teacher (who also opts her own child out of the state test)by admin(from California)Help! My principal (new to the school) wants us to give the students a mock test to prepare for the CST. It’s supposed to show us which standards students are struggling with. The tests are the released test questions. The 6th ... more »

School Tech Connect: The Week In Books

School Tech Connect: The Week In Books:The Week In Booksby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)I gave away my Kindle tonight. It's a neat tool, but it was actually slowing me down, what with having to make investment decisions on so many books.Within ten minutes, I found these at the big government socialized reading center. It's amazing how certain titles get by you. Life of Pi, for example. How have I not read that one yet? Another one of these titles, The Story of ... more »

You Can Catch More Flies with Honey! Lesson Learned! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!

You Can Catch More Flies with Honey! Lesson Learned! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!:You Can Catch More Flies with Honey! Lesson Learned!by OldschoolteachWe sat in the gymtorium watching the presentation about the Negro Baseball League, and he wouldn’t stop. He sat a few feet away from me and he wouldn’t stop talking, wouldn’t stop leaning on other people, and he wouldn’t stop putting his hands on others. His teacher was absent, and the substitute, well, I guess he ...more »

Digital | The limits of online assessments

Digital | The limits of online assessments:The limits of online assessmentsby Jill BarshayHow tough is it for a math teacher to know if his or her students understand basic math?Tougher than you think, according Marilyn Burns, a veteran math educator and founder of Math Solutions, a unit of Scholastic Inc.She found that an alarming number of middle-school students couldn’t subtract 998 from 1000 in their heads. Instead, they cross out zeroes and subtract digit by digit without really understanding or ... more »

The last I’ll post on teacher data reports | Outside the Cave

The last I’ll post on teacher data reports | Outside the Cave:The last I’ll post on teacher data reportsby Stephen LazarI’m just about ready to move on to writing about more important and pressing topics than the release of teacher data reports, but wanted to share a couple more great pieces that point out flaws in the reports, and their release. What all three of these pieces share — and every piece I’ve read in the New York Times, Daily ... more »

Limbaugh Apology Makes It Obvious He Has No Idea What Sandra Fluke Said « Student Activism

Limbaugh Apology Makes It Obvious He Has No Idea What Sandra Fluke Said « Student Activism:Limbaugh Apology Makes It Obvious He Has No Idea What Sandra Fluke Saidby Angus JohnstonThree days after causing a huge uproar by calling Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke a “slut,” a “prostitute,” and a “feminazi,” Rush Limbaugh has apologized. But his statement makes clear that he has absolutely no idea what Fluke said in her testimony to Democratic members of Congress, or what her arguments ... more »

Money Pours Into Coffers of Heartland Institute, The Propaganda Arm of the Right Wing « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

Money Pours Into Coffers of Heartland Institute, The Propaganda Arm of the Right Wing « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!:Money Pours Into Coffers of Heartland Institute, The Propaganda Arm of the Right Wingby millerlfRight Wing Heartland Institute Moves to Exclusive New OfficesOne South Wacker #2740Chicago, Illinois 60606See map: Google MapsAfter 15 years in offices on South LaSalle Street, Heartland Institute recently moved to an exclusive larger new office on the 27th floor of One South Wacker across the street ...more »

The Atlanta Scandal: Teaching in A Culture of Fear, Intimidation and Retaliation

Commentaries (Susan Ohanian Speaks Out):The Atlanta Scandal: Teaching in A Culture of Fear, Intimidation and Retaliation By Erich Martel Posted: 2011-07-20This essay is from Nonpartisan Education Review, July 2011.NOTE: The massive Special Investigation Into Test Tampering in Atlanta's School Systemreport Atlanta Investigative Report comes in four volumes (pdf):Vol 1Vol 2Vol 3Exhibits to the ReportOhanian Comment: Erich Martel, a Washington, D. C. teacher, draws an important conclusion from what happen in Atlanta: Those who think our public schools can be improved ... more »

Saturday coffee + Old school. « Fred Klonsky #soschat

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky:Saturday coffee.by Fred KlonskyNo time to sit and savor the coffee this morning. Ulysses had a grooming appointment at 11:00.I don’t want to say what it costs us to get our dog’s hair cut. But Joe charges me $20 for clippers and a straight razor shave with hot towels. Ulysses costs way more.Thursday I had my yearly physical, so I took the day off.I stopped by the Logan Square library on my way home to early ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: The Reformy Dr. Steve Perry Show - Part III

Jersey Jazzman: The Reformy Dr. Steve Perry Show - Part III:The Reformy Dr. Steve Perry Show - Part IIIby DukeWhen we last left the very reformy Dr. Steve Perry, he was in the throes of a Twitter spasm, denigrating teachers while extolling his own moral superiority. In Part I and Part II of this series, I took a look at the student population of his school; turns out he has far fewer students in poverty at his magnet school than ... more »

Are charter schools the answer to Americas education woes? msnbc video #soschat

msnbc video: Are charter schools the answer to Americas education woes?Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Why school should be funnier - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Why school should be funnier - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:Why school should be funnierBy Valerie Strauss This was written by Mark Phillips, professor emeritus of secondary education at San Francisco State University. This was written for his blog on Edutopia, and he also publishes a monthly column on education for the Marin Independent Journal.By Mark PhillipsWhen I first began teaching high school I had two students who sat near the front of the room and quietly laughed ... more »

Thoughts on (some) Liberals Homeschooling our Kids | Lefty Parent

Thoughts on (some) Liberals Homeschooling our Kids | Lefty Parent:Thoughts on (some) Liberals Homeschooling our Kidsby Cooper ZaleThe opinion piece, “Liberals, Don’t Homeschool Your Kids: Why teaching children at home violates progressive values”, by Slate magazine contributor Dana Goldstein, touched a nerve with political progressives on Daily KOS who strongly second Goldstein’s call and also others who as strongly disagree. Whatever you think about homeschooling, the piece touches on some fundamental issues about how those of us who believe in ... more »

We Know How to End Bullying in Schools—So Why Don't We Do It? - Education - GOOD

We Know How to End Bullying in Schools—So Why Don't We Do It? - Education - GOOD:We Know How to End Bullying in Schools—So Why Don't We Do It?by Liz DwyerIn the aftermath of Monday's school shooting, students at Ohio's Chardon High School headed back to classyesterday. With three students dead, allegedly at the hands of a troubled classmate, the community is grasping for answers about how such a tragedy could have happened, while parents and teachers nationwide have renewed ... more »

All Education Matters: Addendum: Ben Bernanke's Son Owes $400k In Student Loans

All Education Matters: Addendum: Ben Bernanke's Son Owes $400k In Student Loans:Addendum: Ben Bernanke's Son Owes $400k In Student Loansby Cryn JohannsenYesterday, I wrote a short blog post about Bernanke's indebted son. It was too newsworthy to ignore, so I published a piece over at Loop21 about it, too. Here's a snippet:Even Federal Reserve Chairman son will graduate with student loan debtEven though it is likely that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s son will not have trouble paying off his ... more »

Crisis of Democracy: Virginia Hunger Strike | Dissident Voice

Crisis of Democracy: Virginia Hunger Strike | Dissident Voice:Crisis of Democracy: Virginia Hunger Strikeby Ravi KatariOn March 1, 2012, a hunger strike consisting of 26 students at the University of Virginia came to a close. TheLiving Wage Campaign made an unprecedented decision to initiate a hunger strike to achieve its goals of raising worker wages from the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr to to $13/hr. Though the University has a minimum rate of $10.65, this official rate does not apply ... more »

Why Common Core Standards Will Fail (Jay Mathews and Chester Finn) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Why Common Core Standards Will Fail (Jay Mathews and Chester Finn) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:Why Common Core Standards Will Fail (Jay Mathews and Chester Finn)by larrycubanJay Mathews is the Washington Post senior journalist on education. He writes frequently about school reforms. This article appeared February 23, 2012; Chester Finn writes often for Education Gadfly. He wrote about Common Core on March 1, 2012.Jay Mathews:Virginia, take a bow.While Maryland, 44 other states and the District are ... more »