Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 3-29 #soschat #EDReform

Commenters in a Silly Tizzy Over Testing Topic Ban – SchoolBook

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Commenters in a Silly Tizzy Over Testing Topic Ban – SchoolBook: Commenters in a Silly Tizzy Over Testing Topic BanByMARY ANN GIORDANOWith all that there is to be outraged about when it comes to public education and the fate of American children, the Internet is having a silly fit about a clause in a request for proposals sent out by the New York City Department of Education, listing 50 topics it wants the companies that make student tests to avoid.The ... more »

Education Research Report: CDC estimates 1 in 88 children (11.3 per 1,000) has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Education Research Report: CDC estimates 1 in 88 children (11.3 per 1,000) has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD): CDC estimates 1 in 88 children (11.3 per 1,000) has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)byJonathan KantrowitzΩComplete reportThis marks a 23% increase since the last report in 2009 and a 78% increase since CDC's first report in 2007. Some of the increase is due to the way children are identified, diagnosed and served in their local communities, ... more »

California Distinguished Schools for 2012 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

California Distinguished Schools for 2012 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces2012 California Distinguished SchoolsSACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that 387 exemplary California public elementary schools were named 2012 California Distinguished Schools for their innovative education programs that encourage students to learn and help close the achievement gap."The schools we are recognizing today demonstrate the incredible commitment of California's teachers, administrators, and school emplo... more »

This Week In Education: Ideas: Please Stop Talking About Banning Private School

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

This Week In Education: Ideas: Please Stop Talking About Banning Private School: Ideas: Please Stop Talking About Banning Private SchoolbyAlexander RussoIt's become somewhat popular among reformy types over the past couple of years to float the idea of "banning" private school and making everyone go to a public school. (Counter-reformers have their favorite stories, too, but we'll save those for another time.)Warren Buffet, Joel Klein, Michelle Rhee, Steve Barr, and most recentlyJason Kamrasare those I've seen or read deliver a ... more »

Why colleges (and Latinos) need Latino student organizations

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Why colleges (and Latinos) need Latino student organizations: Why colleges (and Latinos) need Latino student organizations03/29/2012ByCristopher RubioLeave a Comment “Your community needs you,” said the stranger I’d just met at a party my freshman year. As a kid that had come to college from a part of the country where almost everyone was Latino, I was initially apprehensive about joining a culturally based organization.A part of me knew she was right, but another part of me wanted to branch out ... more »

Student Loans For Kindergarten, High School On The Rise

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Student Loans For Kindergarten, High School On The Rise: Student Loans For Kindergarten, High School On The RiseThe Huffington Post| By Loren Berlin|Posted: 03/29/2012 10:51 am Updated: 03/29/2012 10:57 amAs if thestudent loan debt burdenwasn'ttroubling enough, some parents are saying, "Bring on the debt!"... even though their kids haven't even learned to read.That's right: cash-strapped parents who want to send their young ones to private schools are taking out loans to pay for grade school,according to SmartMoney. And demand is ...more »

STRIKE BEGINS ! « Teachers Fight Back

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

STRIKE BEGINS ! « Teachers Fight Back: STRIKE BEGINS !byalkleenHere we go! The Rockford teachers’ strike is officially under way. Late night negotiations failed to reach any settlement. The television news last night showed the Rockford teachers holding a candlelight vigil outside of the negotiation headquarters. Several teachers were interviewed and they expressed how determined they were to get a fair contract. Now we need parents, community leaders and union supporters to put pressure on the Board to reach a ... more »

District responds to commissioners questions on school closings | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

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District responds to commissioners questions on school closings | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: District responds to commissioners questions on school closingsbyBenjamin HeroldJust hours before tonight’s long-awaited vote on the proposedclosure of nine schools, the District has released awealthofinformationabout each of its recommendations.Adetailed spreadsheetprojects that closing all nine schools would save the District just over $8 million for next school year. The two most hotly contested closures, E.M. Stanton Elementary in South Philadelphia and Sheppard Elementary in W... more »

America's rich/poor education gap | The Education Front Blog | dallasnews.com

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America's rich/poor education gap | The Education Front Blog | dallasnews.com: America's rich/poor education gapbyWilliam McKenzie/ Editorial ColumnistThe premise of Charles Murray's new book,Coming Apart, is that the upper- middle class and lower-middle class are becoming more distinct culturally as well as economically. He focuses his research primarily on white America because he contends the unhealthy gaps in our society are fueled primarily by class, not race.A new Stanford University study offers one additional evidence about the gap being increasingly ... more »

Flipping the Script on Turnarounds: Why not Retain Teachers instead of Reject Them? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

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Flipping the Script on Turnarounds: Why not Retain Teachers instead of Reject Them? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Anthony CodyAnthony Cody spent 24 years working in Oakland schools, 18 of them as a science teacher at a high needs middle school. He is National Board certified, and now leads workshops with teachers focused on Project Based Learning. With education at a crossroads, he invites you to join him in a dialogue on education reform and teaching for ... more »

From Corporate Watchdogs to Corporate Reformers | Dissident Voice

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From Corporate Watchdogs to Corporate Reformers | Dissident Voice: From Corporate Watchdogs to Corporate ReformersbyGary BrumbackCorporate America along with its three pawns, the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of our government, are slowly driving our nation to ruination. The signs of the rot and ruin are everywhere, not just from sea to shining sea across our land but on foreign land as well. Corporate America and its pawns for self-serving purposes are directly responsible for murderous imperialism on foreign land, ... more »

Will OUSD back off its high school reforms? - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

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

Will OUSD back off its high school reforms? - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: Will OUSD back off its high school reforms?By Katy MurphyWednesday, March 28th, 2012 at 2:58 pm inhigh schools,school reform,teachers.9 P.M. UPDATE:So far, Gallo has not made the below motion on the TSAs. His focus has been on supporting Lazear Elementary School’s charter school conversion.UPDATE:OUSD board member Noel Gallo has confirmed that he might introduce a motion tonight to direct Superintendent Tony ... more »

Too many tests give education system a fail mark | thetelegraph.com.au

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Too many tests give education system a fail mark | thetelegraph.com.au: Too many tests give education system a fail markBruce McDougallThe Daily TelegraphMarch 30, 201212:00AMIncrease Text SizeDecrease Text SizePrintEmailShare0SATURATION testing is seriously undermining the quality of primary school education and should be stopped immediately, parents and educators claimed yesterday.Thousands of kids are subjected to trial exams every week in the lead up to the compulsory Naplan tests, as well as exams for opportunity classes or selective high schools, and coaching ... more »

Schools Matter: Diane Ravitch and the Pattern in the Rug

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Schools Matter: Diane Ravitch and the Pattern in the Rug: Diane Ravitch and the Pattern in the RugbyJim HornOn June 5, 2012 FairTest will honor Diane Ravitch with the Deborah W. Meier Hero in Education Award at theJulia Richman Educational Complex, 317 East 67th St., New York City. If Ravitch's longtime nemesis, Gerald Bracey, were alive today, I think he would applaud this choice--or at least not protest it. For even though she helped to sew the rug whose emerged ... more »

Pioneered in California, publishing teacher “effectiveness” rankings draws more criticism | EdSource Extra!

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Pioneered in California, publishing teacher “effectiveness” rankings draws more criticism | EdSource Extra!: Pioneered in California, publishing teacher “effectiveness” rankings draws more criticismMarch 28th, 2012 |1 CommentByLouis Freedberg~ EdSource ExtraPhoto by 'cybrarian77'The release last month of “value-added” rankings of New York City teachers based on student test scores, a practice pioneered by theLos Angeles Timesin the summer of 2010, has once again raised pointed questions about whether the rankings of individual teachers should be published by the media.The practice t... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter School Drumbeat Continues at the Times

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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter School Drumbeat Continues at the Times: Charter School Drumbeat Continues at the TimesbyCharlie MasThe Times never runs out of space for people to advocate for charter schools."If voters favor charter schools, why can't state lawmakers?" by Robert Enlow and Jonathan Bechtle.Robert Enlow is president and CEO of the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, the legacy foundation of Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman headquartered in Indianapolis. Jonathan Bechtle is CEO of the Freedom Foundation, a free-market think ... more »

RheeFirst! » Michelle Rhee & ALEC: joined at birth

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RheeFirst! » Michelle Rhee ALEC: joined at birth: Michelle Rhee ALEC: joined at birthWritten by Karoli for Crooks and Liars. Read theentire post here.“Let’s have a look at the parallels between Michelle Rhee’s priorities and ALEC’s.ALEC and Rhee supportteacher evaluationsin which fifty percent of the total score is comprised ofstudent test scores, the implementation of “mutual consent” transfer policies, and the weakening of teacher tenure (Rhee calls for its elimination);ALECand Rhee supportParent Trigger legislation;ALECand Rhee backalternativesto traditional teacher certification... more »

Opting Out of High Stakes Testing | Seattle Education

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Opting Out of High Stakes Testing | Seattle Education: Opting Out of High Stakes Testingbyseattleducation2011With the teacher evaluation legislation that just passed in Olympia that was pushed by LEV and Co., there will be more standardized testing and therefore more teaching to the test which narrows the curriculum and distills what we view as “education” down to test preparation.There was an evaluation system that had passed through the state legislature last year which was a four tiered process. OSPI and ... more »

Geaux Teacher!: LOUISIANA STUDENT OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

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Geaux Teacher!: LOUISIANA STUDENT OF THE YEAR FINALISTS: LOUISIANA STUDENT OF THE YEAR FINALISTSbynoreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT)CONGRATULATIONS TO ARDEN WELLSFONTAINEBLEAU HIGH SCHOOL SENIORST. TAMMANY PARISH PUBLIC SCHOOLEach year Louisiana recognizes extraordinary students through the Student of the Year awards program, and today the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) released the names of the 18 regional finalists who will compete for the state title. The 18 regional finalists include one 5th grade, 8th grade, and 12th grade student from six ... more »

900 Posts, Because the Last 100 Didn’t Make It Easy | The Jose Vilson

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 21 hours ago

900 Posts, Because the Last 100 Didn’t Make It Easy | The Jose Vilson: 900 Posts, Because the Last 100 Didn’t Make It EasybyJoseLadies and gents, I’ve arrived at my 900th post.I should dedicate this one to the fact that George Zimmerman, Trayvon Miller’s murderer, was caughtunbloodied and unbruised on videoduring his trip to the Sanford Police Department with police, dispelling his account almost assuredly. I could also dedicated to the lesser known Shaima Al-Awadi, a mother of four waswho ... more »