Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 4-24 #SOSchat #p2 #edreform


Schools for the corporate era - Colorlines.com - Salon.com

Schools for the corporate era - Colorlines.com - Salon.com: Schools for the corporate eraGov. Jindal has reshaped Louisiana's public education system based on ALEC's blueprintsBYJULIANNE HING,COLORLINES.COM9 more Gov. Bobby Jindal(Credit: AP/Carolyn Kaster)This piece originally appeared onColorlines.com.Gov. Bobby Jindal has remade the Louisiana public schools system with impressive speed over the past legislative session. Last week, he signed into law a suite of landmark reform bills that will likely change the direction of public education in Louisiana forever. But not all ... more »

Yong Zhao » Blog Archive » Mass Localism for Improving America’s Education

Yong Zhao » Blog Archive » Mass Localism for Improving America’s Education: Mass Localism for Improving America’s EducationbyYongZhaoA version of this post is published inKappa Delta Pi Record, 48(1), p. 17-22in Feb. 2012.To build a better education system, America must build on what we have—differentiation, uniqueness, and diversity.It is one of the happy incidents of the federal system that a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without ... more »

LAUSD: SCHOOL DISCIPLINE AS A PREREQUISITE FOR EDUCATION (VIDEO #3) - Perdaily.com

LAUSD: SCHOOL DISCIPLINE AS A PREREQUISITE FOR EDUCATION (VIDEO #3) - Perdaily.com: LAUSD: SCHOOL DISCIPLINE AS A PREREQUISITE FOR EDUCATION (VIDEO #3)byLeonard Isenberg(Mensaje se repite en EspaƱol)(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)The failure to follow LAUSD's own bulletins, the LAUSD/UTLA Collective Bargaining, and state and federal are only part of the reason that LAUSD remains such an unmitigated failure when it comes to educating predominantly minority students that make up the ... more »

Obama honors Burbank educator as National Teacher of the Year - LA Daily News

Obama honors Burbank educator as National Teacher of the Year - LA Daily News: Obama honors Burbank educator as National Teacher of the YearByBarbara Jones, Staff WriterPosted: 04/24/2012 07:52:43 AM PDTUpdated: 04/24/2012 08:15:45 AM PDTPresident Barack Obama congratulates the 2012 National Teacher of the Year, Rebecca Mieliwocki, who teaches at Luther Burbank Middle School in Burbank, Calif., Tuesday, April 24, 2012, during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) (Charles Dharapak)CLICK PHOTO ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH: How stupid items get onto standardized tests « Diane Ravitch's blog

How stupid items get onto standardized tests « Diane Ravitch's blog: How stupid items get onto standardized tests Many people have wondered how the New York State Education Department permitted the nonsensical story about the pineapple and the hare to get onto the state test.This is not the first time a really bad reading passage got onto the test and it won’t be the last.State Commissioner John King was quick to issue a defensive statement saying that people were reading ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Pineapple Rebellion in full swing

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Pineapple Rebellion in full swing: Pineapple Rebellion in full swingbyMike Klonsky Sometimes it happens that way. A single insipid test question has sparked a rebellion and shone a light, not only on current standardized testing practices, but on the whole testing industry and its leading profiteer,Pearson Publishing.TheN.Y. Times reports:Anti-testing activists have taken up the cudgel, saying that the passage and the multiple-choice questions associated with it perfectly illustrate the absurdity of standardized testing. And by Friday ... more »

NEWS FLASH: Malloy Hits New Low As He Misleads Minority Community on Education Reform - Wait, What?

NEWS FLASH: Malloy Hits New Low As He Misleads Minority Community on Education Reform - Wait, What?: NEWS FLASH: Malloy Hits New Low As He Misleads Minority Community on Education ReformOne story in today’sHartford Courantis about Governor Malloy’s visit last night to the Faith Congregational Church where he explained that if the 81 state representatives and 27 or 28 senators from the poorest (and most minority) districts voted for his version of the “Education Reform” bill – it would pass. ... more »

A Sociological Eye on Education | Aaron’s fable

A Sociological Eye on Education | Aaron’s fable: Aaron’s fablePineapple (courtesy of Alvesgaspar)(The fable below will make more sense if you know the following: Last week, New York eighth-graders taking the state’s English Language Arts assessment were subjected to six exam questions based on abizarre and incomprehensible passage featuring a talking pineapple. State Education Commissioner John King Jr.defended the passage, but said that these questions wouldn’t count. Also last week,New York Timescolumnist David Brooks wrote acolumn calling for value-added assessment ... more »

COMMUNITY KILLER? Radical District reorganization, 64 school closings planned | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Radical District reorganization, 64 school closings planned | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Radical District reorganization, 64 school closings plannedbyDale Mezzacappaon Apr 24 2012 Posted inLatest newsCOMMENTS (3)PRINTEMAILTags:District budget INN feedThomas Knudsen Penny Nixon leadership school closingDistrict staff and consultants are recommending asweeping overhaulof how public schools in Philadelphia operate, planning to close 64 schools over the next five years and divvy up those that remain among “achievement networks” led by teams of educators or nonprofit institutio... more »

Now wait, who is that grassroots group Students for Education Reform? - Wait, What?

Now wait, who is that grassroots group Students for Education Reform? - Wait, What?: Now wait, who is that grassroots group Students for Education Reform?byjonpeltoporcupine backs into a cactus -Beware of AstroTurf Ed Reformersporcupine backs into a cactusOn April 19, 2012, 60 college students held a rally at the State Capitol demanding that the Legislature pass Governor Malloy “Education Reform” bill.Students For Education Reform’s Connecticut director claimed that students were coming from a dozen different Connecticut campuses and that the ... more »

PSAT for 4-24-12: Sign the National Resolution on High Stakes Testing

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 4-24-12: Sign the National Resolution on High Stakes Testing: PSAT for 4-24-12: Sign the National Resolution on High Stakes Testingbyadmin Please sign onhere(as individuals and, where appropriate, as organizations such as Local School Councils, etc.) Here’s what and why:Advancement Project – Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund – FairTest – Forum for Education and Democracy – NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund – National Education Association – Parents ... more »

The Innovative Educator: Inform Others of the Harm of Standardized Tests with This Flyer

The Innovative Educator: Inform Others of the Harm of Standardized Tests with This Flyer: Inform Others of the Harm of Standardized Tests with This Flyerbynoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen)We are finally reaching a time when parents are standing up for the rights of their children and opting out of tests. Social media has played a great role in this where parents are able tofind others from their statewho are doing the same thing they are and also discover and share information and ...more »

A new teacher evaluation system being tested at two OUSD schools - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

A new teacher evaluation system being tested at two OUSD schools - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: A new teacher evaluation system being tested at two OUSD schoolsMonday, April 23rd, 2012 at 4:04 pm inteachersNo CommentsDave Orphal, a teacher at Skyline High School in Oakland, will write a series of blog posts for The Education Report about teacher evaluations — including a pilot program that two middle schools are using this year. He serves as ... more »

‘Mr. President, public education in the U.S. is on the wrong track’ - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

‘Mr. President, public education in the U.S. is on the wrong track’ - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: ‘Mr. President, public education in the U.S. is on the wrong track’byValerie StraussThis is the text ofan open letterwritten to President Obama by Mary Broderick, president of the Arlington, Va.,-basedNational Schools Boards Association,a not-for-profit organization representing state associations of school boards and their member districts. The letter, sent earlier this month to the president, asks for a national dialogue about ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Banda Profile

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Banda Profile: Banda ProfilebyMelissa WestbrookThe Times has a goodprofileof the work that superintendent finalist, Jose Banda, has done in Anaheim.Banda was born in Texas, the son of migrant farmworkers who had little formal education. His first language was Spanish.When he was 2, the family moved to California, where he has stayed. His father began picking cotton at a ranch outside Bakersfield and eventually was promoted to supervisor. During breaks and summers, Banda and his six siblings ... more »

Today in DC: Occupy The Justice Department! | OccupyWallSt.org #OWS

Today in DC: Occupy The Justice Department! | OccupyWallSt.org: Today in DC: Occupy The Justice Department!Posted 6 hours ago on April 24, 2012, 1:28 a.m. EST byOccupyWallStToday @ 11AM!950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC -- at the Dept of Justice (DOJ)viaOccupy The Justice Department:On April 24, 2012, Mumia Abu-Jamal’s 58th birthday, we will gather at the Department of Justice in Washington D.C and amplify our formal request that Attorney General Eric Holder meet with a delegation to discuss police corruption ... more »

Chris Hedges: Why the United States Is Destroying Its Education System | Seattle Education

Chris Hedges: Why the United States Is Destroying Its Education System | Seattle Education: Chris Hedges: Why the United States Is Destroying Its Education Systembyseattleducation2011Posted originally on April 11, 2012 ontruthdig.Chris HedgesA nation that destroys its systems of education, degrades its public information, guts its public libraries and turns its airwaves into vehicles for cheap, mindless amusement becomes deaf, dumb and blind. It prizes test scores above critical thinking and literacy. It celebrates rote vocational training and the singular, amoral ... more »

It’s almost too juicy Parents United for Responsible Education

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » It’s almost too juicy: It’s almost too juicybyadminPineapplegate. Just the kind of incredibly stupid, embarrassing testing scandal that President Obama and other candidates need to take seriously as they head into the summer campaign season.Don’t be on the wrong side of the pineapple, folks.I’ll have to admit that it was a lot of fun watching this story roll out with my friend and PAA co-founder Leonie Haimson when we were in ... more »

ED News Worth Reading April 2012

ED News Worth Reading April 2012:ED News Worth Reading April 2012

AIN'T THIS A CRYING SHAME? Beaverton School District may consider fund-raising for teachers | OregonLive.com

Beaverton School District may consider fund-raising for teachers | OregonLive.com: Beaverton School District may consider fund-raising for teachersBeavertonstudents and parents have raised funds for new playground equipment, sports gear, laptop computers and other items, but fund-raising for teachers has never been allowed.That may change as the school district faces the reduction of 344 jobs -- all staff -- next school year. The 39,000-student district has about 3,300 staff.The school board is contemplating the idea, which it has forbidden previously because ... more »