Last Week's Best Posts on Big Education Ape » PostRank
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2012-Apr-6
Portland parents raise a record $3 million to hire teachers, support schools | OregonLive.com: Portland parents raise a record $3 million to hire teachers, support schoolsPublished: Friday, April 06, 2012, 5:39 PM Updated:Friday, April 06, 2012, 5:47 PMByBetsy Hammond, The OregonianFollow4ShareEmailPrintParents and other volunteers fundraised a record $3 million to help bolsterPortland Public Schoolsnext year, primarily to add teachers and other staff,the Portland Public Schools Foundationreported Friday.That represented a 10 percent increase from just two years earlier and is more ...
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2012-Apr-6
Big Education Ape: PARENTS CAN!:Big Education Ape:PARENTSCAN!Published byCoopmike48– 6 news spotters todayNext update in about 12 hoursSee all articlesHEADLINESEDUCATIONSOCIETYPOLITICSHEALTHBUSINESSCRIME#SOSCHAT#CPSOakland charter school head Ben Chavis rips auditsfgate.com- Carlos Avila Gonzalez / SFC Ben Chavis Ben Chavis is a controversial figure who has preached the merits of hard work and intense discipline in pursuit of academic excellence since taking over the A...DianeRavitchPress Release of the New Coalition for Louisiana Public Educationgeauxteacher.com- For immediate releaseNew Public Education Coalition WorkingTo Make Louisiana First in ...
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2012-Apr-5
Schools Matter: No Unnecessary Testing in Medicine and in Education: No Unnecessary Testing in Medicine and in EducationbyskrashenSent to the Seattle Times, April 5, 2012Nine medical societies have identified a list of tests and procedures that are unnecessary, that cause needless anxiety, and that cost billions that could be spent on helpful medical care (“Common medical procedures you may not need,” April 4),A similar action needs to be taken in education: The US Department of Education is promoting the most ...
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2012-Apr-5
CHICAGO TRIBUNE, YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLE « Teachers Fight Back: CHICAGO TRIBUNE, YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLEbyalkleenYesterday, the Tribune ran an editorial about the revelation that the Teachers’ Retirement System of Illinois is terribly underfunded and in serious danger of insolvency in the near future.One particular section of the editorial stated the following: “Teachers and other unionized public workers need to ask labor leaders why they didn’t object when legislators and governors repeatedly failed to make full payments into the pension system.”What? Tribune, ...
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2012-Apr-5
NOT So Important to Swing State Voters in November: Vouchers, School Choice and Merit Pay | Scathing Purple Musings:NOT So Important to Swing State Voters in November: Vouchers, School Choice and Merit PaybyBob SikesA fascinating survey from the College Board is getting significant play from the education media.Joy Resmovitsreported yesterday of the survey’s interesting focus on what swing state voters weresaying about education policy. So didEducation Weekreporter Alyson Klein who offered this:Voters don’t necessarily place a priority on the issues ...
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2012-Apr-5
House Budget Committee Proposal Jeopardizes Billions in Children's Funding | First Focus: House Budget Committee Proposal Jeopardizes Billions in Children's FundingFACT SHEETSSearch resourcesMarch 26, 2012ByJared SolomonDownload this ResourceRelated press release:House Budget Would Cost Children Billions, New Analysis ShowsOn March 29, 2012, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a FY 2013 House Budget Resolution authored by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI). This fact sheet looks at how this budget resolution affects America's Children. While the House Budget Committee has ...
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2012-Apr-5
Schools Matter: No Unnecessary Testing in Medicine and in Education: No Unnecessary Testing in Medicine and in EducationbyskrashenSent to the Seattle Times, April 5, 2012Nine medical societies have identified a list of tests and procedures that are unnecessary, that cause needless anxiety, and that cost billions that could be spent on helpful medical care (“Common medical procedures you may not need,” April 4),A similar action needs to be taken in education: The US Department of Education is promoting the most ...
Hide8.5
2012-Apr-5
CHICAGO TRIBUNE, YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLE « Teachers Fight Back: CHICAGO TRIBUNE, YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLEbyalkleenYesterday, the Tribune ran an editorial about the revelation that the Teachers’ Retirement System of Illinois is terribly underfunded and in serious danger of insolvency in the near future.One particular section of the editorial stated the following: “Teachers and other unionized public workers need to ask labor leaders why they didn’t object when legislators and governors repeatedly failed to make full payments into the pension system.”What? Tribune, ...
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2012-Apr-4
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Hmm, that’s one way to look at it…: Hmm, that’s one way to look at it…“All too often, supporters and opponents of charter schools claim that bad charter schools don’t close,” said Jeanne Allen, president of The Center for Education Reform. “The truth is charter schools that don’t measure up are closing at a rate of 15 percent. Regrettably, the same can’t be said for traditional public schools.”– from Charter School Closure Rate ...
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2012-Apr-4
Democurmudgeon: K12 Inc. Virtual Charter Schools sued for "deceptive recruiting" and passing students with poor or nonexistent performance.": K12 Inc. Virtual Charter Schools sued for "deceptive recruiting" and passing students with poor or nonexistent performance."Scott Walker wants to expand virtual and vouchersschools, both parallel educational systems that under perform and undermine public schools. This shocking lawsuit against the biggest virtual school, K12, exposes what I've been saying all along; for profit schools are after the money and will destroy public ...
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2012-Apr-4
Who Are These People So Concerned With Education Reform? - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News: Jonathan KantrowitzPolitical activist, health nutAbout Jonathan KantrowitzWho Are These People So Concerned With Education Reform?April 4, 2012 at 10:43 pm byJonathan KantrowitzLet’s start withConnCAN,Here’s their Board Of Directors:Board of DirectorsBrian Olson, ChairCo-Founder, Viking Global InvestorsChairman, Civic BuildersAndy BoasPrincipal, Carl Marks Management, LLCDirector, Bridgeport Public Education FundSarah GreenhillFormer Vice President of Finance, Ultimate Software GroupWill HeinsFormer Senior VP, Greenwich Capital MarketsFormer Member, Stamford Board of RepresentativesJohn
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2012-Apr-4
Portland went too far in requiring high school teachers to work harder, must pay them $1.5 million, limit their student loads | OregonLive.com: Portland went too far in requiring high school teachers to work harder, must pay them $1.5 million, limit their student loadsPublished: Wednesday, April 04, 2012, 2:12 PM Updated:Wednesday, April 04, 2012, 2:18 PMView full sizeThe OregonianPortland high schools created huge study halls, like this one at Benson High, to try to give teachers some relief from large ...
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2012-Apr-4
The Newsroom’s View of Education Reform : Education Next: The Newsroom’s View of Education ReformSurprise! The press paints a distorted pictureByMichael Petrilli0 COMMENTS|PRINT|NO PDF|SHARESUMMER 2012 / VOL. 12, NO. 3Imagine that you’re a casual follower of the education policy debate. You read the major national outlets—theNew York Times,Wall Street Journal,Washington Post, andUSA Today—and you might come across national Associated Press (AP) stories in your local paper or online news aggregator, too. What would be your view of American education, circa ...
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2012-Apr-4
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Geoffrey Canada declares war on teacher unions: Geoffrey Canada declares war on teacher unionsbyMike KlonskyRhee Canada lead the war on teacher unions.“Folks are genuinely looking for opportunities to make peace and not war,” Mr. Canada said. “And I think that’s terrific. But someone has to make war.”-- Geoffrey Canada Canada's war declaration comes at the end of aTimes storyannouncing the formation of a well-financed and politically connected alliance aimed at nothing less than smashing teacher ...
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2012-Apr-4
Teacher-Prep Rulemaking: Is Consensus in Jeopardy? - Teacher Beat - Education WeekBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-2 hours agoTeacher-Prep Rulemaking: Is Consensus in Jeopardy? - Teacher Beat - Education Week: Teacher-Prep Rulemaking: Is Consensus in Jeopardy?byStephen SawchukThe panelists charged with rewriting federal teacher-preparation rules faced a grueling day today during which major tension points emerged with little resolution, all of which served to call into question whether they will be able to reach consensus by Thursday.You don't have to ...
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2012-Apr-3
Billionaire-financed Astroturf Group Coming to N Carolina « Parents Across America: Billionaire-financed Astroturf Group Coming to N CarolinabypagrundyPAA affiliate Mecklenburg ACTS just learned that the astroturf “Campaign for Achievement Now” has targeted our state for its next legislative drive.According to the website, the Campaign plans to spend more than $700,000 in our state to advance its charter and testing-focused agenda in 2012 alone, most of it apparently financed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This is in addition to ...
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2012-Apr-3
The Dreamer, The Believer [The Race Man Cometh] | The Jose Vilson: The Dreamer, The Believer [The Race Man Cometh]byJoseThis is what I getfor reading comments on CNN blogs. Or anywhere else but my blog anyways.The trolls spew racism all over a post that’s simply meant to help progress the conversation about race, not get us stuck in the same epitaphs of indifference and conservatism. For once, I’d like to see people who normally settle upon their asses when it ...
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2012-Apr-3
This is why we don’t want charter schools: Lousiana proposed bill allows discrimination | Seattle EducationBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-35 minutes agoThis is why we don’t want charter schools: Lousiana proposed bill allows discrimination | Seattle Education: This is why we don’t want charter schools: Lousiana proposed bill allows discriminationbyseattleducation2011Our state budget has not been resolved and the governor has called for our legislators to return to Olympia tomorrow to come to an agreement on the budget. This ...
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2012-Apr-3
Computer Science Transitions From Elective to Requirement - US News and World Report: Computer Science Transitions From Elective to RequirementThe digital age is here to stay, so some colleges are updating mandatory general education courses.ByKELSEY SHEEHYApril 3, 2012RSS FeedPrintCommentTweetinShareRelated Articles10 Most Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State StudentsU.S. News Ranks Top Online Degree ProgramsTech Trumps Football at South Texas High SchoolSome say digital literacy should be required for undergraduates. iSTOCKPHOTOEarning acollege degreeoften involves completing a list of general education requirements. Aimed ...
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2012-Apr-2
CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: New Heights AcademyThe Perimeter PrimateatCHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS-9 minutes ago*“Fired exec: Charter-school chief fudged books.” *New York Post (NY), 3/21/2012 The founder of one of the city’s largest charters schools falsified financial records and okayed illegal construction work while serving as its principal, according to a whistleblower suit filed by a former school exec. Stacy Winitt, executive director of the New Heights Academy in upper Manhattan, allegedly justified her shady practices by claiming her school was “too small ...
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2012-Apr-2
Parents Across America: Austin Independent School District Battles On for Charter IDEA In-District against the Will of Parents and the CommunityLorie BarzanoatParents Across America-15 hours agoBy Lorie Barzano Co-Chair of CoalitionSAUS (Strengthen Austin Urban Schools) A parent led group representing inner-city public schools working to ensure accessible, quality Public Education for all children and healthy, thriving Public Schools in Austin’s urban core In a special meeting on December 19, 2011, over the loud, repeated protests of thousands of parents and ...
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2012-Apr-2
Mississippi Charter schools a bad idea » Archive » Meridian Star: Mississippi Charter schools a bad ideaDiane RavitchSpecial to the StarJACKSON — Mississippi is on the brink of passing legislation to permit privately-managed charter schools to open. This is a bad idea. Charter schools have been in existence for twenty years, and grand claims are made for them, but don’t believe the hype.I live in New York City, where our mayor has opened over 100 charter schools. As they expand, ...
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2012-Apr-2
» 12 Red States Responsible for Over 70% of U.S. Public Sector Job Losses in 2011: 12 Red States Responsible for Over 70% of U.S. Public Sector Job Losses in 2011This may not exactly be breaking news, but numbers suggest that the ultraconservative state legislators pushing backwards legislation such as voter suppression arethe same folks cutting public sector jobs at an alarming rate. The states that succumbed to the Tea Party takeover of 2010 have seen drastic job losses in ...
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2012-Apr-2
Jersey Jazzman: Funding, Schunding!: Funding, Schunding!byDukeIt's hard to think of an article that could get more stuff wrong than this one from theConnecticut Council for Education Reform:Today, we are taking a look at an argument frequently made in opposition to education reform: namely, that Connecticut’s achievement gap - which is the largest in the nation - is due to poverty, and therefore, the education system, and the adults within it, cannot be held responsible for providing a high-quality education toallstudents.While ...
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2012-Apr-2
Mishandled finances not uncommon in charter schools | The Columbus Dispatch: Mishandled finances not uncommon in charter schoolsByJennifer Smith RichardsThe Columbus DispatchMonday April 2, 2012 6:56 AMComments: 1ShareThisSpend first, ask permission later, and don’t bother with receipts.The loose financial systems at some of Ohio’s charter schools have led to questionable spending in recent years. Some schools hired treasurers with spotty track records; others hired qualified treasurers but disregarded their advice when they insisted on better checks and balances.The recent case ...
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2012-Apr-2
Local News | School officials stand by test scores despite paper's findings | Seattle Times Newspaper: School officials stand by test scores despite paper's findingsSchool officials stand by test scores despite paper's findingsAn investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has identified about 200 school districts, including four in Washington state, that recently reported test-score gains the article describes as extremely improbable.ByBrian M. RosenthalSeattle Times education reporterRELATEDThe Atlanta-Journal Constitution investigationWashington state scoresThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution analyzed test scores in school districts across the ...
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2012-Apr-2
Rockford teachers end strike and overwhelmingly approve settlement. « Fred Klonsky: Rockford teachers end strike and overwhelmingly approve settlement.byFred KlonskyWhile I was visiting back east with my family in Brooklyn there camethe newsof a settlement in nearby Rockford.“Teachers were thrilled to be going back to the classroom, but I’ll tell you, they
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2012-Apr-2
What's the Most Highly Educated City in America? - Education - GOOD: What's the Most Highly Educated City in America?byLiz DwyerWhilerecord numbersof adults over the age of 25 have college degrees, we know we need more people to access higher education so that they're prepared for thejobs of the future. The Lumina Foundation, which focuses on boosting the number of students enrolling and graduating from college, has set a big goal of 60 percent of adults having at least an ...
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2012-Apr-2
NYC Educator: Bloomberg Feigns Generosity: Bloomberg Feigns GenerositybyNYC EducatorA story inGotham Schoolspoints out that Mayor4Life Bloomberg, in his infinite wisdom, has decreedthat "Turnaround Schools" will not, in fact, have to replace at least 50% of staff. In fact, the federal model on which this is supposedly based states schools would "rehire no more than 50% of existing staff."However, article 18D of the UFT Teacher Contract, to which the city is a signatory, states that "at least fifty percent of the ...
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2012-Apr-1
Shanker Blog » Measuring Journalist Quality: Measuring Journalist QualitybyMatthew Di CarloJournalists play an essential role in our society. They are charged with informing the public, a vital function in a representative democracy. Yet, year after year, large pockets of the electorate remain poorly-informed on both foreign and domestic affairs. For a long time, commentators have blamed any number of different culprits for this problem, including poverty, education, increasing work hours and the rapid proliferation of entertainment media.There is no doubt ...
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2012-Mar-31
This Week's Answers from Valerie Strauss at The Answer SheetBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-1 hour agoThe Answer Sheet - A School Survival Guide for parents (and everyone else). - The Washington Post: ‘A statement of our just grievances’Valerie StraussatThe Answer Sheet-5 minutes agoThis speech was delivered at a recent Save Texas Schools rally in Austin by John Kuhn, superintendent of the Perrin-Whitt Consolidated Independent School District. There is something of a revolt against standardized testing occurring in Texas, ...
