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Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Day Posts 4-10 #edreform #soschat


George Zimmerman Emerges, Endorses Campus Vandalism « Student Activism

George Zimmerman Emerges, Endorses Campus Vandalism « Student Activism: George Zimmerman Emerges, Endorses Campus VandalismbyAngus JohnstonUtterly bizarre, yet somehow unsurprising.George Zimmerman, the self-proclaimed neighborhood watch leader who shot Trayvon Martin, has made his first public comments since the killing, ona websitehe’s created “to provide an avenue to thank my supporters personally” and solicit funds for legal and living expenses.One page of that website isa photo album“dedicated to persons whom have displayed their support of Justice forall.” At the time of ...more »

Educators Issue VAM Report for Secretary Duncan - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Educators Issue VAM Report for Secretary Duncan - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Educators Issue VAM Report for Secretary DuncanbyAnthony CodyGuest post by Educators for Shared Accountability.A new group, Educators for Shared Accountability (ESA), has issued the first-ever Value-Added Measurement (VAM) evaluation of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Secretary Duncan was rated "ineffective," based on four indicators.The United States Department of Education had adiscretionary budget of $68.3 billion in fiscal year 2011. This amount was up from $64.1 ... more »

The inevitable dark side of ‘school choice’ - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

The inevitable dark side of ‘school choice’ - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: The inevitable dark side of ‘school choice’byValerie StraussThis waswritten by Ann Geiger, who served on the Orange County School Board in Orlando, Fl., from 2004-2008. A native of Virginia, she lives in Arlington and blogs atwww.publicpolicyblogger.com, where this appeared.By Ann GeigerAt first glance,Ross Douthat’s recent column on religionseems unrelated to the reshaping of public education in the United States, but bear with me. Mr. Douthat ... more »

Rethinking the Department of Education | Seattle Education

Rethinking the Department of Education | Seattle Education: Rethinking the Department of Educationbyseattleducation2011I was challenged last weekend to come up with an idea on how to improve government and I immediately considered the area of education. To follow was my recommendation.The Department of Education was established by President Carter in 1979 and the first Secretary of Education, Shirley Hufstedler, was an attorney and judge. Since then we have had eight Secretaries of Education and only three of those eight individuals ... more »

Report: Funding cuts are eroding the quality of the nation's subsidized preschools - Inside Bay Area

Report: Funding cuts are eroding the quality of the nation's subsidized preschools - Inside Bay Area: Report: Funding cuts are eroding the quality of the nation's subsidized preschoolsByKaty MurphyOakland TribunePosted: 04/09/2012 09:09:23 PM PDTDespite $127 million in federal stimulus funds, state spending for pre-kindergarten programs dropped by almost $60 million in 2010-11, according to the annual State of Preschool report published by the National Institute for Early Education Research. From 2001 to 2011, spending per child declined by about $700 ... more »

Early Education Faces 'Crisis' As Funding Plummets, Report Says

Early Education Faces 'Crisis' As Funding Plummets, Report Says: Early Education Faces 'Crisis' As Funding Plummets, Report SaysbyJoy ResmovitsBefore Diamande Montague started preschool, she was the kind of kid who clung to her mother's skirt. When she and her mom went outside and other kids gravitated to each other, she'd hover close to mom. If they were in a doctor's office with a play area and the other kids were helping themselves to books and blocks, Diamande wouldnâ�™t join them.Besides ... more »

Scott Signs Another Expansion of the Voucher Program; Meanwhile a Zephyrhills Private School is Investigated for McCay Abuse | Scathing Purple Musings

Scott Signs Another Expansion of the Voucher Program; Meanwhile a Zephyrhills Private School is Investigated for McCay Abuse | Scathing Purple Musings: Scott Signs Another Expansion of the Voucher Program; Meanwhile a Zephyrhills Private School is Investigated for McCay AbusebyBob SikesThetax credit scholarshipthat Rick Scott expanded this week is different from the McCay Scholarship plan, but both are taxpayer-funded programs which take money away from public schools. Florida’s policy-makers emerged unscathed fromlast summers’ revelations of wide-spread abuse of the McCay ...more »

Jersey Jazzman: What Research?!

Jersey Jazzman: What Research?!: What Research?!byDukeThis is amazing; Tom Moran of theStar-Ledgerdid it again!Tenure reform, the most important part of this package, is facing stubborn opposition. Democrats won’t kill it outright, but they may weaken it enough to justify a veto by Christie.Research shows that children suffer lasting damage when they have a bad teacher for even one or two years.In urban districts, where more kids are struggling to begin with, the damage is magnified. [emphasis mine]Not even a high ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Sad Tale of Education Reform that Just Creates More Centralized Control

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Sad Tale of Education Reform that Just Creates More Centralized Control: The Sad Tale of Education Reform that Just Creates More Centralized ControlbystlgretchenI've been in contact with a fellow traveler on the education reform road and he's sent me a couple of items worth reading.The first follows up onwhy your vote does count,as evidenced in Missouri's recent school board elections and razor thin margins for candidates in many townships. He writes with some dismay, about correspondence ... more »

Duncan Democracy? Algiers Charter Schools Association | NOLA.com

3 new board members join Algiers Charter Schools Association | NOLA.com: 3 new board members join Algiers Charter Schools AssociationPublished: Monday, June 28, 2010, 8:45 PM Updated:Tuesday, June 29, 2010, 12:18 AMTheAlgiers Charter Schools Association's board of trustees experienced a changing of the guard last week, withthree members departingand three newcomers taking their places.Susan Poag, The Times-PicayuneStudents from McDonogh 32 Elementary Charter School in Algiers check out a chicken during Agriculture Day in May.Board members Elsie Rose, Donna St. Louis ... more »

ILLINOIS RETIRED TEACHERS AND PUBLIC PERCEPTION « Teachers Fight Back

ILLINOIS RETIRED TEACHERS AND PUBLIC PERCEPTION « Teachers Fight Back: ILLINOIS RETIRED TEACHERS AND PUBLIC PERCEPTIONbyalkleenThe Chicago Tribune, certain business leaders, anti union forces, and groups like ‘Illinois is Broke”, have done an amazing job at convincing the public that retired teachers and other retired public employees are bankrupting the State of Illinois by getting incredibly lucrative pensions.I recently had three instances where I was with a group of people who were discussing political issues. These people didn’t know I ... more »

Yo El Jefe - Both of Obama's HEAT Jerseys were in the wash - Hispanically Speaking News

Castro Pokes Fun at Obama's Plan to Wear "Cuban Garment" to Summit - Hispanically Speaking News: Fidel Castro Pokes Fun at President Obama’s Plan to Wear Cuba’s “Official Garment” to SummitPublished at 7:25 pm EST, April 9, 2012Photo: Fidel Castro Pokes Fun at President Obama's Plan to Wear Cuba's "Official Shirt" to SummitClick Here to Enlarge PhotoFidel Castro is poking fun at U.S. President Barack Obama’s plans to sport a guayabera - a tropical shirt that is Cuba’s official garment ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: School closing hearings at John Ericsson JHS and Grover Cleveland HS

NYC Public School Parents: School closing hearings at John Ericsson JHS and Grover Cleveland HS: School closing hearings at John Ericsson JHS and Grover Cleveland HSbyLeonie HaimsonThe following is by Pat Dobosz, a teacher and a graduate of John Ericson MS 126:On Wednesday, April 4 we attended the closing hearing at John Ericsson MS 126 in Brooklyn. This was a "restart" school that is now becoming a "turnaround" school. This euphemism means it will close, lose 50% of its staff ... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week 26: Over the hump…

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week 26: Over the hump…: Week 26: Over the hump…byalicemercerThis has been a hard “Spring” in some ways, but easier in others. One part of the “hard” has been the fact that I’m in one of the few local districts that still does a Spring Break aligned with Easter, and this year, that wasn’t until last week. Both students and adults were more than ready for a “time out” by the time that ... more »

Pension Call Tuesday: May 2nd bus to Springfield. « Fred Klonsky

Pension Call Tuesday: May 2nd bus to Springfield. « Fred Klonsky: Pension Call Tuesday: May 2nd bus to Springfield.byFred KlonskyOur Park Ridge Education Association is getting ready to head for Springfield on May 2nd. Current plans are to leave Des Plaines around 8AM.This does not replace back home lobby efforts. It is in addition to it. Messages to General Assembly members can be sent fromhere.We have a noon appointment with Park Ridge Senator Dan Kotowski to discuss pension issues on ... more »

My Teacher Doesn’t Let Us Talk « City School Stories

My Teacher Doesn’t Let Us Talk « City School Stories: My Teacher Doesn’t Let Us TalkbyfmurphyTeacher StoriesJoy of Teaching, April 9, 2012I often work with students in small groups providing strategies for improving reading. One of the activities I ask students to complete is a word sort that directs student focus on word features to improve decoding skills. Part of this activity involves students working together to decide how a group of words can be sorted. They must reach a ... more »

The Common Core Will Reduce Reading and Writing To Chore Status | Truth in American Education

The Common Core Will Reduce Reading and Writing To Chore Status | Truth in American Education: The Common Core Will Reduce Reading and Writing To Chore StatusbyShane Vander HartMary Grabar who is teaches English at Emory Universitygave a very pointed critique atRoll Callof the literature standards for high school students within the Common Core. She started off with a great analogy (something we learn to appreciate when reading good literature):How good a player would Arne Duncan, former basketball pro and ... more »

Some Thoughts On Bullying | Connected Principals

Some Thoughts On Bullying | Connected Principals: Some Thoughts On BullyingbyPatrick LarkinCross-posted on the Burlington High School Principal’s BlogThere’s no doubt that the release of the documentaryBullywill lead to some deeper discussion on bullying and what we can do to reduce the number of incidences of bullying in our schools and communities. Discovery News posted a great article on the topic last week titledWhy Do People Bully?and I think that this a question that we miss sometimes after hearing the ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 4-9 #SOSchat #p2 #edreform

QA: Schools Services of California chief on education financing issues - Education - The Sacramento BeeBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-4 minutes agoQA: Schools Services of California chief on education financing issues - Education - The Sacramento Bee: QA: Schools Services of California chief on education financing issuesbydlambert@sacbee.com (Diana Lambert)Hundreds of school administrators and finance officers will crowd into conference rooms around the state in May to hear School Services of California staff explain what the state budget revisions ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: The testing obsession, and how it is destroying my Kindergarten child

NYC Public School Parents: The testing obsession, and how it is destroying my Kindergarten child: The testing obsession, and how it is destroying my Kindergarten childbyLeonie HaimsonThis parent prefers to remain anonymous. But so many of usparents share her concerns about how the DOE’s obsession with testing threatensto undermine our children’s confidence and spirit.My 5 year old boy attends kindergarten in a high performing schoolin a high performing district, and it is destroying him. He's such a happychild and in ... more »

Schools Matter: Don't Miss This One: Stephen Krashen at Occupy the DOE

Schools Matter: Don't Miss This One: Stephen Krashen at Occupy the DOE: Don't Miss This One: Stephen Krashen at Occupy the DOEStephen Krashen is the funniest, most entertaining, and most knowledgeable educator/researcher that the University of Southern California can brag about. If you have not heard Stephen make his case, brew up a cup of tea and check this out.Watchlive streaming videofromcalifatherat livestream.comPosted byJim Hornat7:07 PM

The 2012 Race to the Top Fund Continues Investments in Statewide Systems of High Quality Early Education Programs | U.S. Department of Education

The 2012 Race to the Top Fund Continues Investments in Statewide Systems of High Quality Early Education Programs | U.S. Department of Education: The 2012 Race to the Top Fund Continues Investments in Statewide Systems of High Quality Early Education ProgramsColorado, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon and Wisconsin are eligible for a share of $133 millionAPRIL 9, 2012Contact:Press Office, (202) 401-1576,press@ed.govMark Weber, HHS, (202) 690-6343The U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today that $133 ... more »

Protect Nutrition Programs in the Upcoming Farm Bill - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News

Protect Nutrition Programs in the Upcoming Farm Bill - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News: Jonathan KantrowitzPolitical activist, health nutAbout Jonathan KantrowitzProtect Nutrition Programs in the Upcoming Farm BillApril 9, 2012 at 4:07 pm byJonathan KantrowitzOver 90 national and regional hunger relief, public health, faith-based and other advocacy organizations sent a letter to Congress today urging the Senate and House Agriculture Committees to strengthen and protect nutrition programs in the 2012 Farm Bill. The letter is being sent as the Senate ... more »