Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 4-28 #SOSchat #p2 #edreform

M1: Golden Gate Shutdown Called Off « occupy california

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

M1: Golden Gate Shutdown Called Off « occupy california: M1: Golden Gate Shutdown CalledOffBy*fromOccupyTheBridge:Throughout the planning of Occupy the Bridge we have taken leadership and guidance from the workers directly involved in this struggle. It has recently come to our attention that the Golden Gate Bridge Labor Coalition would like to redirect all efforts towards supporting May Day strike actions and picket lines. Our goal has always been to support and empower the workers on the bridge and we are ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: America's Global Educational Reform: When the Rule of Law is Ignored and Privatization Overtakes Education.

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: America's Global Educational Reform: When the Rule of Law is Ignored and Privatization Overtakes Education.: America's Global Educational Reform: When the Rule of Law is Ignored and Privatization Overtakes Education.bystlgretchenWhy don't we just go ahead and abolish Legislatures? They have lawmaking abilities and duties, but these laws don't make any difference when governmental agencies decide to enact mandates via regulatory authority or ignore existing laws.We've seen it here in Missouri when Federal grants are given for educational ... more »

Fred Klonsky All Week Long - Pointing Out the ILL In Illinois Ed Reform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Fred Klonsky: The in box. The criminal behavior is not limited to Illinois.Fred KlonskyatFred Klonsky-12 minutes agoGood for you, Fred. Today’s attacks against teachers, their unions, and their pensions is emblematic of the disdain the elite have for those they see as beneath them. In many ways, teachers, police officers, fire fighters, and others in public service are today’s serfs for the lords of the 1%, and those they hold sway [...]Old school.Fred KlonskyatFred Klonsky-21 minutes agoThe Staple Singers.Saturday coffee.Fred ... more »

Saturday coffee + Old school. « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee.byFred KlonskyRetired teacher Ken Previti leaves these cards around to show the impact of teacher pensions on the Illinois economy.The transition from active to retired teacher has been an eye opener for me.I don’t think that Quinn, Madigan, Cross and Fahner get who they’re dealing with.The movement of retired teachers and other state employees who only have their state pensions to live on is big and getting bigger.People are angry.And they are organized.This is ... more »

A defeatist plan to restructure Philadelphia public schools - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

A defeatist plan to restructure Philadelphia public schools - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: A defeatist plan to restructure Philadelphia public schoolsByValerie Strauss Philadelphia school “recovery” officials have announced a radical restructuring plan that calls for:* closing 40 low-performing, underutilized schools in 2013 and a total of 64 more by 2017* organizing “achievement networks” of about 25 schools that would be run by outsiders who bid for management contracts* increasing the number of charter schools, which now educate ... more »

If it’s not valid, reliability doesn’t matter so much! More on VAM-ing & SGP-ing Teacher Dismissal « School Finance 101

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

If it’s not valid, reliability doesn’t matter so much! More on VAM-ing SGP-ing Teacher Dismissal « School Finance 101: If it’s not valid, reliability doesn’t matter so much! More on VAM-ing SGP-ing Teacher Dismissalbyschoolfinance101 This post includes a few more preliminary musings regarding the use of value-added measures and student growth percentiles for teacher evaluation, specifically for making high-stakes decisions, and especially in those cases where new statutes and regulations mandate rigid use/heavy emphasis on these measures, as I discussed ... more »

Disposable Teachers | Dissident Voice

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Disposable Teachers | Dissident Voice: Disposable TeachersbyPaul HaederIt’s the equal pay for equal work thing, stupid. Union strong and proud. (Bumper sticker on 1972 VW Rabbit, Vancouver, Canada).Sure, that might be the mantra for the New Faculty Majority, but in a large sense, the fight to normalize the work, pay and benefits of part-time/contingent/temporary/migratory/irregular/at-will/auxiliary faculty, AKA “freeway fliers,” is one centered on dismantling the two-tiered system of inequitable pay and punitive treatment between tenure track faculty and non-tenure track faculty.At... more »

The Innovative Educator: The Hottest Posts That Everyone is Talking About This Week on The Innovative Educator!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

The Innovative Educator: The Hottest Posts That Everyone is Talking About This Week on The Innovative Educator!: The Hottest Posts That Everyone is Talking About This Week on The Innovative Educator!bynoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen)Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog this week. Below you’ll see the top weekly posts along with the number of pageviews. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you. If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired, share it ... more »

Rick Scott Robbed Peter to Pay Paul to Get JD Alexander His University | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Rick Scott Robbed Peter to Pay Paul to Get JD Alexander His University | Scathing Purple Musings: Rick Scott Robbed Peter to Pay Paul to Get JD Alexander His UniversitybyBob Sikes USF Poly Tech is in Senator Paula Dockery’shome town. From the start, Dockery knew that JD Alexander’s desire for an independent Poly Tech was a bad idea. But Dockery must be appalled by thecrony capitalismthat deliveredAlexander his little fiefdom, and Rick Scott’s role in the unseemly episode is looking ... more »

The Bizarre Editorial in “The New Republic” against Teacher Tenure « Diane Ravitch's blog

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

The Bizarre Editorial in “The New Republic” against Teacher Tenure « Diane Ravitch's blog: The Bizarre Editorial in “The New Republic” against Teacher TenurebydianeravNow that I have a blog where I can write what I want, when I want, I have the luxury of revisiting some good and bad ideas. In this post, I will revisit a really pernicious idea that appeared about a month ago inThe New Republic. You see, the odd thing about our culture is that it ... more »

On #MayDay: Strike For Education With The Free University! | OccupyWallSt.org

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

On #MayDay: Strike For Education With The Free University! | OccupyWallSt.org: On #MayDay: Strike For Education With The Free University!byOccupyWallStPopoutThe Free Universityis a collective educational experiment that will be held on May 1, 2012, from 10am-3pm. In solidarity with thegeneral strike, the Free University offers a public space for the 99% to disengage from an unequal system and imagine a model for alternative education. Those gathered in Madison Square Park, and those meeting in other spaces in solidarity, will create ... more »

In New Federal Program to Reward Teachers, Flawed Assumptions | Outside the Cave

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

In New Federal Program to Reward Teachers, Flawed Assumptions | Outside the Cave: In New Federal Program to Reward Teachers, Flawed AssumptionsbyStephen LazarI wrote mylatest piece for the New York Timesin response to a focus group on theUS Department of Education’s proposed Project Respectin which I participated last month. Like far too many education policies, in Project Respect I saw some good ideas poorly implemented:Project Respect calls for a three-pronged reform of the teaching profession. It envisions a reorganization of ... more »

Click and post: CST security breach | Thoughts on Public Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Click and post: CST security breach | Thoughts on Public Education: Click and post: CST security breachShareWhat won't they put on Facebook and Twitter?Posted on 4/28/12 • Categorized asStandardized testsByJohn Fensterwald - Educated GuessThe Age ofInstagramis creating headaches for the state Department of Education and ETS, the contractor for the state’s standardized tests. At least 100 students from 34 school districts had posted images on social media of materials from various state tests they took this week, according to Paul ... more »

A Very Pricey Pineapple - NYTimes.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

A Very Pricey Pineapple - NYTimes.com: OP-ED COLUMNISTA Very Pricey PineappleByGAIL COLLINSPublished: April 27, 2012Let’s talk about talking pineapples. Actually (spoiler alert!) I’m going to use the pineapple as a sneaky way to introduce the topic of privatization of public education. I was driven to this. Do you know how difficult it is to get anybody to read about “privatization of education?” It’s hell. A pineapple, on the other hand, is something everybody likes. It’s a symbol of hospitality. Its ... more »

Grumpy Educators: New York: Bringing Parent Opposition and Resistance Out of the Shadows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Grumpy Educators: New York: Bringing Parent Opposition and Resistance Out of the Shadows: New York: Bringing Parent Opposition and Resistance Out of the ShadowsbySandraFrom zero reporting on parent opposition to excessive testing, news stories published in mainstream press are popping up here and there - a good sign.AP Buffalocovered parents opting out in that area:"A small but growing number of local parents are deciding to have their children opt out of the state standardized tests in English and math."The news ... more »

The Answer Sheet - A School Survival Guide for parents (and everyone else). - The Washington Post

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

The Answer Sheet - A School Survival Guide for parents (and everyone else). - The Washington Post: Parent to schools chief: ‘You don’t understand schools’Valerie StraussatThe Answer Sheet-1 hour agoThis was* written by Helen Gym, a founder of Parents United for Public Education, a citywide parent group focused on school budgets and funding to improve achievement and accountability in the public schools. She is a former editor of The Notebook, an independent website about Philadelphia public schools. She is also ... more »

Daily Kos: Saturday morning - preliminary notes from a retreat

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Daily Kos: Saturday morning - preliminary notes from a retreat: Saturday morning - preliminary notes from a retreatbyrss@dailykos.com (teacherken)As I explore what I will do next with my life, after I retire from my current teaching job, I made a promise to several people helping me as I explore - including both my wife and Parker Palmer - that before I decided on any possibility I would make a brief retreat. I had hoped to do it at Pendle Hill, ... more »

“Round-Up” Of Recent Good Articles On School Reform | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

“Round-Up” Of Recent Good Articles On School Reform | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: “Round-Up” Of Recent Good Articles On School ReformLarry FerlazzoatLarry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...-8 hours agoHere are some recent good articles and posts on educational policy issues: Flunking the Test is from The American Journalism review and is a commentary of mainstream media coverage of school issues. A Model Lesson: Finland Shows Us What Equal … Continue reading →The Best Photos Videos Of The Space ... more »

Cheating feared after photos of school tests leaked - latimes.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 14 hours ago

Cheating feared after photos of school tests leaked - latimes.com: Cheating feared after photos of school tests leakedHundreds of photos of standardized tests have begun to appear on student social-networking sites in California, raising concerns about cheating and test security that could create thorny problems for schools and school districts.In the worst-case scenario, the photos could lead to invalidation of test scores for entire schools or prevent the state from using certain tests. For the moment, state officials have warned ... more »

Major Bill Actions in Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 14 hours ago

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: H.R.4628 Interest Rate Reduction ActOpen Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education-14 minutes agoTo extend student loan interest rates for undergraduate Federal Direct Stafford Loans.Bill Introduced: S.2366 A bill to extend student loan interest rates for undergraduate Federal Direct Stafford Loans.Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education-14 minutes agoA bill to extend student loan interest rates for undergraduate Federal Direct Stafford Loans.Bill Introduced: S.2343 Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike ... more »

Appeals, Manifestos, and Statements by Bernardine Dohrn « Bill Ayers

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 14 hours ago

Appeals, Manifestos, and Statements by Bernardine Dohrn « Bill Ayers: Appeals, Manifestos, and Statements by Bernardine DohrnbybillayersThis article is part ofThe Port Huron Statement at 50, a forum on the document that sparked a generation of activism. From the Boston ReviewAs the 1960s dawned, appeals, manifestos, and statements poured from the pens and typewriters of a new generation burning with the need to trumpet a new morning. These writings have in common a wild impatience, a brassiness required to speak ... more »

Rita, Blocker, Vogel criticism: Orange Superintendent Ron Blocker and Seminole Superintendent Bill Vogel criticize Florida's school accountability. - Orlando Sentinel

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 14 hours ago

Blocker, Vogel criticism: Orange Superintendent Ron Blocker and Seminole Superintendent Bill Vogel criticize Florida's school accountability. - Orlando Sentinel: Vogel, Blocker: Florida's school accountability system will failByDave Weber, Orlando Sentinel3:14 p.m. EST, April 27, 2012Comments5Share35Florida's runaway school accountability system is destined to fail and take with it the positive goals it was intended to accomplish, the superintendents of Orange and Seminole county schools agreed Friday.Orange Superintendent Ron Blocker and Bill Vogel, superintendent of Seminole schoo... more »

Modern School: Stand for Children Lynch Mob Wants MA Teachers Blood

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 14 hours ago

Modern School: Stand for Children Lynch Mob Wants MA Teachers Blood: Stand for Children Lynch Mob Wants MA Teachers BloodbyMichael DunnHuck/Konopacki Labor CartoonsRiding the wave of hysteria about our dysfunctional schools and incompetent teachers, Stand for Children (S4C) Massachusetts has acquired enough signatures to get an initiative on the November ballot that would make evaluations more important than seniority in layoff and transfer decisions.S4C says that polls it commissioned in 2011 indicated 85% approval for their initiative,12 Workers are Killed ... more »

Steve Lopez: Cutting schools, cutting opportunities - latimes.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 14 hours ago

Steve Lopez: Cutting schools, cutting opportunities - latimes.com: Steve Lopez: Cutting schools, cutting opportunitiesHundreds of adult education supporters are lining both sides of Van Nuys Boulevard this afternoon at the government center, screaming for the 250,000-student system to be saved and calling for the heads of those who are advocating big cuts or elimination."No Education, No Future," said one man's sign, and while the crowd shouted, "Save our schools," a woman handed me a flier calling for the recall of ... more »

"NYSUT demands end to 'broken' testing structure." April 27, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 14 hours ago

"NYSUT demands end to 'broken' testing structure." April 27, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org: NYSUT demands end to 'broken' testing structureNYSUT Media Relations - April 27, 2012ALBANY, N.Y. April 27, 2012 - Acting decisively to give voice to the pain and frustration that students and teachers are experiencing over state testing, the 600,000-member New York State United Teachers today called for an end to the state's current testing system which it said is harming children and hindering real ... more »