Latest News and Comment from Education

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 3-21 #soschat #EDReform


Confessions of a Partially Proficient Parent: The Bully Project | EdNews Parent

Confessions of a Partially Proficient Parent: The Bully Project | EdNews Parent: Editor’s blog: Why the film “Bully” should be rated PGbyJulie PoppenEvery day in third grade, a boy in class would glare at me whenever the teacher wasn’t looking. He’d punching one fist into the palm of his other hand. My stomach would clench up.He was warning me about the playground abuse that was sure to follow. He was the ringleader, but he got a group of boys to ... more »

Unlike Florida, Georgia Did Not Mandate Online Learning | Scathing Purple Musings

Unlike Florida, Georgia Did Not Mandate Online Learning | Scathing Purple Musings: Unlike Florida, Georgia Did Not Mandate Online LearningbyBob SikesAnOrlando Sentinelstory earlier this week reported that 11 percent of Florida students do not have home internet access. The Florida Association of Instructional Materials Association says the number is much higher at a staggering 33 percent. None of these realities kept Florida legislators – with the encouragement of Jeb Bush – from mandating that every Florida student must take one ... more »

Gov. Christine Gregoire livid - Charter schools a point of contention in Olympia - KCPQ

Charter schools a point of contention in Olympia - KCPQ: Charter schools a point of contention in OlympiaBudget fight could hinge on debate over charter schoolsComments0Share0TopicsParties and MovementsCharter SchoolsSchoolsSee more topics »C.R. DouglasQ13 FOX News Political Analyst6:51 p.m. PDT,March 20, 2012OLYMPIA—When it comes to improving public education,Republicansgenerally call for reforms andDemocratsgenerally call for more money. This means charter schools, which are basically a reform, are more often something that Republicans push.However, more and more Democrats, increa... more »

MORE RHEE-FINANCE? "Dallas Kids First" But are they Standing? | Dallas ISD Blog | dallasnews.com

There's yet another PAC getting ready to endorse Dallas ISD school board candidate. But who's putting "Dallas Kids First"? | Dallas ISD Blog | dallasnews.com: There's yet another PAC getting ready to endorse Dallas ISD school board candidate. But who's putting "Dallas Kids First"?ByRobert Wilonskyrwilonsky@dallasnews.com|Bio1:52 PM on Wed., Mar. 21, 2012 |PermalinkThe video you see above was posted yesterday by Dallas Kids First,which bills itselfas "a non-partisan group of concerned citizens and parents that believes every kid in Dallas deserves ... more »

Bad news for Rahm from my Logan Square. « Fred Klonsky

Bad news for Rahm from my Logan Square. « Fred Klonsky: Bad news for Rahm from my Logan Square.byFred KlonskyIn extremely local and personal election news.It is hard to see how Rahm can claim much in my neighborhood. His last minute letter to voters backing Toni Berrios did her as much good as her lawn signs that litter the boulevard this morning and fill the public garbage cans but appeared on few actual lawns.Thery’re still counting votes in one precinct ... more »

Do You Have A Trayvon Martin In Your Class? | The Jose Vilson

Do You Have A Trayvon Martin In Your Class? | The Jose Vilson: Do You Have A Trayvon Martin In Your Class?byJoseExcerpt:The first step always starts with a teacher’s current crop of kids. The one question I always ask myself when students walk in is, “What do I see?” Then, “What do I think I see?” I’m laying down some of my general assumptions for me to probe, then trying to understand why I feel that way. Sometimes, these assumptions ... more »

Daily Kos: Successful School?: More than Data, No Miracles

Daily Kos: Successful School?: More than Data, No Miracles: Successful School?: More than Data, No MiraclesbyplthomasEdDFollowShareNewPERMALINK1COMMENTWellford Academy of Science and Technologysits in the western edge of rural Spartanburg County in the piedmont of South Carolina. This elementary school is easy to miss by car in the nexus of a web of small country roads, but once inside, anyone would know within minutes that this is an inviting and successful school.You don't need data, and you don't need anyone to christen ... more »

Gates/Scholastic Teacher Survey Challenges Assumptions About Test-Based Reform - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Gates/Scholastic Teacher Survey Challenges Assumptions About Test-Based Reform - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Gates/Scholastic Teacher Survey Challenges Assumptions About Test-Based ReformbyAnthony CodyFollow me onTwitter at @AnthonyCodyThebig headline from the recent Gates/Scholastic surveyof teachers is that only 28% of teachers see standardized tests as an essential or important gauge of student assessment, and only 26% say they are accurate as a reflection of student knowledge. Another question reveals part of the reason this may be so - only ... more »

Opponent of Bobby Jindal education proposals draws political fire | NOLA.com

Opponent of Bobby Jindal education proposals draws political fire | NOLA.com: Opponent of Bobby Jindal education proposals draws political firePublished: Tuesday, March 20, 2012, 10:15 PM Updated:Wednesday, March 21, 2012, 6:31 AMByBill Barrow, The Times-PicayuneHouse Minority Leader John Bel Edwards, who along with teacher unions has emerged as the top foil in Gov.Bobby Jindal'spushto restructure primary and secondary educationin Louisiana, is drawing political fire. Edwards, D-Amite, told his colleagues in a House floor speech Tuesday that he has received a ... more »

PURE » Trying again today to vote CPS school closing moratorium out of committee

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Trying again today to vote CPS school closing moratorium out of committee: Trying again today to vote CPS school closing moratorium out of committeebyadminJim Broadway gives us a heads-up on today’s 4 pm Senate Education Committee meeting. Pleasemake another call to the committee membersthis morning in support ofSB 3239, the school closing moratorium bill. This bill would prevent CPS from closing any schools until the end of the 2013-14 school year ... more »

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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 »