Big Education Ape: Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 4-16 #SOSchat #p2 #edreform

Millions in stimulus funding went to failed charter schools | Bucyrus Telegraph Forum | bucyrustelegraphforum.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 29 minutes ago

Millions in stimulus funding went to failed charter schools | Bucyrus Telegraph Forum | bucyrustelegraphforum.com: Millions in stimulus funding went to failed charter schoolsDAYTON (AP) -- More than $4.8 million in federal stimulus money went to Ohio charter schools that have closed, and millions more went to charter schools accused of mishandling hundreds of thousands of dollars, a newspaper reported Sunday.In Dayton, much of the more than $200,000 that went to two schools that were later shut down, New City ... more »

Shanker Blog » Becoming A 21st Century Learner

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Shanker Blog » Becoming A 21st Century Learner: Becoming A 21st Century LearnerbyEsther QuinteroThink about something you have always wanted to learn or accomplish but never did, such as a speaking a foreign language or learning how to play an instrument. Now think about what stopped you. There’s probably a variety of factors but chances are those factors have little to do with technology.Electronic devices are becoming cheaper, easier to use, and more intuitive. Much of the world’s knowledge is ... more »

FCMAT » California Education Headlines

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FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis Management Assistance Team: Layoff uncertainties roil San Juan UnifiedMore than 200 San Juan Unified School District teachers, counselors and other certificated employees on Friday snacked, read books, drank coffee, and checked smartphones and iPads while they attended a hearing on their potential layoffs.Expert sees conflict in consultant's ties to Sacramento City superintendentAn ethics expert says Sacramento City Unified School District consultant Don Katzir's involvement in the evaluation of Superintendent Jonathan Raymond is a conflict of interest.Program ... more »

In Case You Missed It: City won’t have State support for “turnarounds” by PEP vote; IBO says more high-needs students mean lower school ratings « EdVox

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In Case You Missed It: City won’t have State support for “turnarounds” by PEP vote; IBO says more high-needs students mean lower school ratings « EdVox: In Case You Missed It: City won’t have State support for “turnarounds” by PEP vote; IBO says more high-needs students mean lower school ratingsbyedvoxnyHere on EdVox we’re excited to bring you the latest news about education issues and policies affecting our communities. It can be hard to keep up with all of the events ... more »

Bully: Go to the Movies. Save a Life « MomsRising Blog

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 29 minutes ago

Bully: Go to the Movies. Save a Life « MomsRising Blog: Bully: Go to the Movies. Save a LifebyLily Eskelsen You need to go to see the movieBully.You need to fill up the minivan, the truck, the car, the bus, walk, run, andjust go to see the movieBully.You need to take your kids and your grand-kids and your nieces and nephews. You need to take the church groups and the Little League team and the chess club and the Gay-Straight ... more »

Converting Schools: Charter Effect on District Schools | TheLedger.com

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Converting Schools: Charter Effect on District Schools | TheLedger.com: Converting Schools: Charter Effect on District SchoolsBy JESSE L. JACKSONPublished: Monday, April 16, 2012 at 1:48 a.m.Last Modified: Monday, April 16, 2012 at 1:48 a.m.Part 3 of 3This final part in the series "Converting Schools" addresses several of the more contentious issues that exist between charter schools and public school districts.A common argument among many charter school opponents is that the schools take money away from regular public schools. A charter ... more »

Guest view: Are test scores true measures of good teachers? | SouthCoastToday.com

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Guest view: Are test scores true measures of good teachers? | SouthCoastToday.com: Guest view: Are test scores true measures of good teachers?Text Size:A|A|APrint this ArticleEmail this ArticleShareThisByPAULA PARNAGIANPaula Parnagian lives in Revere. She is past president of Citizens for Public Schools.April 16, 2012 12:00 AMPOPULAR TODAYStudent loans — The debt bomb that keeps on tickingWareham goes after derelict propertiesSusan G. Komen for the Cure still hobbling after political misstepOrpheum Theatre celebrates 100th birthdayTitanic survivor lived in Westport Point many years ... more »

Schools Matter: From Occupy the DOE: Teach-In Continues with Shor and Naison

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Schools Matter: From Occupy the DOE: Teach-In Continues with Shor and Naison: From Occupy the DOE: Teach-In Continues with Shor and NaisonbyJim Horncalifatheron livestream.com.Broadcast Live Free1:30 p.m. – Mark Naison and Ira Shor: The Occupy Movement and the Struggle to Save Public Education in the United StatesMark and Ira will discuss the intense attack on public education while connecting it to larger policy campaigns in a class war underway in America. Further discussion will focus on the banning of Paulo ...more »

This Week In Education: Bruno: Bad District/Union Relations Lead to Bad Policy

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This Week In Education: Bruno: Bad District/Union Relations Lead to Bad Policy: Bruno: Bad District/Union Relations Lead to Bad PolicybyPaul BrunoThe controversydu jourin the Oakland Unified School District is a plan to replace all of the standard teaching positions at three struggling high schools with "teacher-on-special-assignment" (TSA) positions. Katy Murphyreports:Superintendent Tony Smith is requiring all teachers at those schools to apply for a new teacher-on-special assignment position if they want to remain on those campuses next year. In exchange for ... more »

solidaridad: United Adult Students Meeting, April 21, 2012

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solidaridad: United Adult Students Meeting, April 21, 2012: United Adult Students Meeting, April 21, 201220120421 United Adult Students MeetingPosted byRobert D. Skeels * rdsatheneat01:23Labels:adult education,budget cuts,LAUSD,neoliberalism,resistance,social justice,UAS¡No La Quieren Mónica García!byRobert D. Skeels * rdsathene"When she needed us, to get to the position she's in, we were there for her. Now that we need her, she isn't helping us. We don't want Monica Garcia to keep her position...She is affecting the needs of our communities, our children and our families." ... more »

solidaridad: ¡No La Quieren Mónica García!

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solidaridad: ¡No La Quieren Mónica García!: ¡No La Quieren Mónica García!byRobert D. Skeels * rdsathene"When she needed us, to get to the position she's in, we were there for her. Now that we need her, she isn't helping us. We don't want Monica Garcia to keep her position...She is affecting the needs of our communities, our children and our families." — Enoe Terra (Parent andAdult Student)PopoutLearn More and Get Involvedhttp://RecallMonicaGarcia.comtwitterfacebookUnited Adult Students Meeting, April 21, 2012byRobert D. Skeels * rdsathene20120421 ... more »

ALEC Senators in the State of Washington and a Response from Senator Devlin | Seattle Education

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ALEC Senators in the State of Washington and a Response from Senator Devlin | Seattle Education: ALEC Senators in the State of Washington and a Response from Senator Devlinbyseattleducation2011So far Mars, Inc., the Arizona Public Service Company (Arizona’s largest electric utility), Kraft, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Intuit, and(almost) the Gates Foundationhave parted ways withALEC.Even a legislator in Missouri publicly cut ties with ALEC. To follow is his statement:The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is not the innocuous, bipartisan organization it ... more »

Sacramento-area schools review racial imbalance of student suspensions - Education - The Sacramento Bee

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Sacramento-area schools review racial imbalance of student suspensions - Education - The Sacramento Bee: Sacramento-area schools review racial imbalance of student suspensionsShareByDiana Lambertand Phillip Reesedlambert@sacbee.comPublished: Monday, Apr. 16, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 1ALast Modified: Monday, Apr. 16, 2012 - 12:23 amBlack students attending Folsom Cordova Unified schools were nearly five times as likely to be suspended as white students in the 2009-10 school year.Sacramento City Unified, Natomas Unified, Twin Rivers Unified and Elk Grove Unified all suspended black ... more »

NYC Educator: That Wacky Funster from New Jersey

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NYC Educator: That Wacky Funster from New Jersey: That Wacky Funster from New JerseybyNYC EducatorGovernor Chris Christie, though not a teacher by trade, has real class. You can tell, because he's brought hisALEC-inspiredwar on teachersstraight to the classroom. It's one thing to attack teachers. That's pretty common, and has become pretty much as standard as no. 2 pencils. However, His Governorship has taken things a step further:"There’s a lot of really great teachers in the state," said Christie. "But their ... more »

Beware the Education–Industrial Complex | LA Progressive

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Beware the Education–Industrial Complex | LA Progressive: Beware the Education–Industrial ComplexByAlan SingerSometimes we can learn lessons from history–if we are paying attention.In January 1961, as he completed his second and final term as President of the United States, Dwight Eisenhowergave a farewell address to the nation. It was a remarkable and prescient speech in many ways, especially given that Eisenhower was a West Point graduate, a retired five-star general, a military hero in command of all Allied troops in Western ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Our no-bid, win-win, Rahmadier

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Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Our no-bid, win-win, Rahmadier: Our no-bid, win-win, RahmadierbyMike KlonskyMarc Boucher, from left, Bombardier vice president of operations; CTA President Forrest Claypool; and Mayor Rahm Emanuel check out a new rail car in November. The cars were later taken out of service because of defects.(Heather Charles, Chicago Tribune/November8, 2011)When I was in D.C., an old Chicago friend asked me whatRahm Emanuelwas up to back in Chi-Town. It took

Life in Rahm’s Chicago. $300 million no-bid contracts. « Fred Klonsky

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Life in Rahm’s Chicago. $300 million no-bid contracts. « Fred Klonsky: Life in Rahm’s Chicago. $300 million no-bid contracts.byFred KlonskyRahm takes us for a ride.A hint on what Chicago’s mayor has in mind with his grand infrastructure rebuilding scheme can be found today in aTribune story.Shortly after taking office Rahm had secret talks with a company called Bombardier Transportation.The talks over the public-private partnership continued for 10 months, “in

Rick Scott and Gerard Robinson’s Transparent Attempt to Promote Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings

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Rick Scott and Gerard Robinson’s Transparent Attempt to Promote Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings: Rick Scott and Gerard Robinson’s Transparent Attempt to Promote Charter SchoolsbyBob SikesJanuary’s news that school districtswould be ranked by FCAT datamakes sense now doesn’t it? Ricks Scott and Gerard Robinson knew they could skew the numbers to make their charter schools look good.From Robinson oflast week’srelease of data which purports to demonstrate thesuperiority of charter schools:“This report clearly demonstrates that charter schools are a viable ... more »

HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED... ONCE YOU'VE BEEN MARKED FOR ELIMINATION - Perdaily.com

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HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED... ONCE YOU'VE BEEN MARKED FOR ELIMINATION by Mark Hemphill (¿Cómo se juega el juego ... Vez que haya sido marcados para la eliminación por Mark Hemphill) - Perdaily.com: HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED... ONCE YOU'VE BEEN MARKED FOR ELIMINATION by Mark Hemphill (¿Cómo se juega el juego ... Vez que haya sido marcados para la eliminación por Mark Hemphill)byLeonard Isenberg(Mensaje se repite en Español)(For a national view of public education reform see the end of ... more »

New York City’s Tutoring Industry Grows With Competition for Admissions - NYTimes.com

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New York City’s Tutoring Industry Grows With Competition for Admissions - NYTimes.com: Fight for Middle School Spots Enriches Tutoring FirmsChang W. Lee/The New York TimesLeft to right, Chloe Luk, Nicholas Lui, the teacher Paola Higuera and Harry Swanson at a prep course at Bright Kids NYC.By ANNA M. PHILLIPSPublished: April 15, 2012RECOMMENDTWITTERLINKEDINSIGN IN TO E-MAILPRINTREPRINTSSHAREAs their parents sat anxiously in a waiting room, five children were sharpening their test-taking skills in a tutoring center in TriBeCa, underlining words that might ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 4-15 #soschat #EDReform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

Exposing ALEC: How Conservative-Backed State Laws Are All Connected - Nancy Scola - Politics - The AtlanticBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-1 hour agoExposing ALEC: How Conservative-Backed State Laws Are All Connected - Nancy Scola - Politics - The Atlantic: Exposing ALEC: How Conservative-Backed State Laws Are All ConnectedAPR 14 2012, 8:00 AM ET110A shadowy organization uses corporate contributions to sell prepackaged conservative bills -- such as Florida's Stand Your Ground statute -- to legislatures across the country.ReutersThe recent ... more »

Student “Learning Styles” Theory Is Bunk (Daniel Willingham) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

Student “Learning Styles” Theory Is Bunk (Daniel Willingham) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Student “Learning Styles” Theory Is Bunk (Daniel Willingham)bylarrycubanU-Va. cognitive scientistDaniel Willingham, author of “Why Don’t Students Like School?.” This post appeared September 14, 2009.Since the publication of HowardGardner‘Frames of Mindin the early 1980s in which he pointed out the many ways that children and adults learn, popularization of “multiple intelligences” in the early 1990s has fused multiple intelligences with teaching to different “learning ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Going Green in BEX IV

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 19 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Going Green in BEX IV: Going Green in BEX IVbyMelissa WestbrookThe needs for BEX IV are considerable and complex. But we have to hope that, moving forward, the district does give a thought and an ear to more green building and sustainable buildings. If we are spending so much on buildings, there should be thought to how to build more cheaply and create buildings that will have lower operating costs.This is going on in districts in ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Being Clear on the Real Issues around the Lowell Investigation

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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Being Clear on the Real Issues around the Lowell Investigation: Being Clear on the Real Issues around the Lowell InvestigationbyMelissa WestbrookI just wanted to make a couple of things clear on this issue and then move on. I'm going to rely on the words from the Times'articleof March 23, 2012 by Brian Rosenthal to make several points abundantly clear.It is a very dangerous thing to have people in authority who have legal responsibilities then look away ... more »

Okay Michelle Rhee – So you are the CEO of StudentsFirst BUT a lobbyist for GNEPSA?

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 19 hours ago

Wait, What?: Okay Michelle Rhee – So you are the CEO of StudentsFirst BUT a lobbyist for GNEPSA?jonpeltoEducation,Ethics,Malloy,Michelle Rhee,StudentsFirstEducation Reform,Malloy,Michelle Rhee,StudentsFirst7 CommentsPerhaps in Michelle Rhee’s world our Connecticut laws are “more of what you call guidelines than actual rules.”Wait, What? readers now know that despite the plethora of Connecticut laws requiring honest and public disclosure when it comes to lobbying state officials, Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst organization failed to file any of the appropriate Connecticut forms or rep... more »

Sneaky Michelle Rhee What’s a GNESPA? More Bait N Switch - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 19 hours ago

What’s a GNESPA? - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News: Jonathan KantrowitzPolitical activist, health nutAbout Jonathan KantrowitzWhat’s a GNESPA?April 15, 2012 at 4:17 pm byJonathan KantrowitzAs Jon Pelto details,here,it is a registered lobbyist in Connecticut.But if it legally exists at all, it is clearly a cover front for Michelle Rhee’s StudentFirst.In fact if you go to GNESPA’s website:www.GNEPSA.orgthe fiction is so transparent that you find yourself transported immediately to StudentFirst’s Connecticut website.and on that website you will find the following TV ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: NYC Teacher supports parents opting their children out of standardized testing and wishes she could as well!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 19 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: NYC Teacher s