Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The Recruiting of High Scoring Students Award goes to...
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The Recruiting of High Scoring Students Award goes to...: The Recruiting of High Scoring Students Award goes to... by Mike Klonsky Here's one reason for the gap. *To determine the Best High Schools national rankings, schools were first analyzed at the state level in terms of how well students in each school performed on state assessments.* -- U.S. News I find it implausible that *The School for the Talented and Gifted* in Dallas should be named the "top public high school in the country." While I'm sure it's a perfectly good school for those students... more »
Schools Matter: The Garden State is now the Hypochristie State
Schools Matter: The Garden State is now the Hypochristie State: The Garden State is now the Hypochristie State by Judy Rabin *Hyposcrisy: *the practice of professing standards, beliefs, etc., contrary to one's real character or actual behaviour, esp the pretence of virtue and piety *Another gem from Stan Karp and the people at Education Law Center and Rethinking Schools where intelligence, research and facts still live and breathe.* * * *"I began my career as a high school history teacher, and I can honestly say that I never worked harder or felt more rewarded than I did during ... more »
Rethink Teacher Appreciation Week | ED.gov Blog
Rethink Teacher Appreciation Week | ED.gov Blog: Rethink Teacher Appreciation Week Posted on May 8, 2012 by Guest Blogger Great teachers build nations. They inspire, awaken and raise our children’s expectations. They coax imaginations and lead students to discovery. Teachers shape the next generation of decision-makers. While this work is deeply rewarding, teaching is also incredibly hard—as intellectually rigorous as it is emotionally draining. Over the next five to ten years, at least one million teachers will be eligible for retirement, roughly one third of the work force. Scho... more »
The “Great Education Reform” Compromise of 2012 (and the benefit of being Commissioner of Education - Wait, What?
The “Great Education Reform” Compromise of 2012 (and the benefit of being Commissioner of Education - Wait, What?: The “Great Education Reform” Compromise of 2012 (and the benefit of being Commissioner of Education) by jonpelto In the coming days we’ll learn more and more about the obvious and less obvious elements of the “Education Reform” compromise. I’ll point out some of the key provisions in which the “reformers” took a huge hit, despite their claim they did well. After spending upwards toward $2 million dollars lobbying the legislature they have little option but to claim t... more »
Politicians: on teacher appreciation day, keep empty words to yourself! « Parents Across America
Politicians: on teacher appreciation day, keep empty words to yourself! « Parents Across America: *Politicians: on teacher appreciation day, * ** *keep empty words to yourself!* * * *Here is a powerful letter reprinted from today’s Syracuse * *Post-Standard.* This week is the annual celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week. Politicians of every stripe and school superintendents everywhere will write letters and make proclamations stating how much they value the service and dedication of teachers everywhere. All of these words are empty and merely paying lip service to somethi... more »
Schools under heavy stress | Thoughts on Public Education #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT
Schools under heavy stress | Thoughts on Public Education: Schools under heavy stress - by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess A new report out today examines internal and external stresses from budget cuts and economic contractions on the states’ 30 largest school districts. When handled singly, districts have been able to cope with larger classes and even a shorter school year. But combinations of shocks to the system are stretching schools’ ability to serve children who are also facing financial strains at home. “Too often school budget cuts are... more »
School Tech Connect: Diane Says The Word
School Tech Connect: Diane Says The Word: Diane Says The Word by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] And the word is Gulen. Diane Ravitch has pointed out that the nation's largest charter chain is the Gulen movement, which is less of a chain than a network on the DL. Diane says: There are legitimate questions to be raised about public dollars funding schools that are tied to a cleric, as well as questions about a charter chain that has close ties with another nation. Indeed. Good for her for going down this road. I've written ... more »
The Value Of A Stay-At-Home Mom Isn't What You Would Think At All - Business Insider
The Value Of A Stay-At-Home Mom Isn't What You Would Think At All - Business Insider: The Value Of A Stay-At-Home Mom Isn't What You Would Think At All Blaire Briody|May 07, 2012| 3,083|11 - - - - 0 - 0 - - - (Flickr / TillyVanilly) This Mother’s Day, go ahead and tell your mom how much you value her―just don’t try to back it up with numbers. New survey data shows a decline in the economic value of mothers' work. If a stay-at-home mom was ever handed a pink slip, dad would have to hire a nanny, a driver, a cook, a janitor, a p... more »
Common Core Values: Do they Include Authoritarianism? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
Common Core Values: Do they Include Authoritarianism? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Common Core Values: Do they Include Authoritarianism? by Anthony Cody *This week there has been an upsurge of debate over the Common Core (national) Standards. I hope we can tolerate and appreciate different points of view as we work to understand more deeply what these standards are all about, and the ways they may shift teaching, learning and testing in the USA. * *Guest post by Jack Hassard.* Originally posted here. We think that Common Standards and Assessments are the antithe... more »
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, May 8, 2012
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Cali Education Headlines * * * *Tuesday, May 8, 2012* Q & A: How teaching credentials are monitoredThe California Commission on Teacher Credentialing sets professional training standards, reviews applications and disciplines credential holders. Misconduct is handled by the agency's Committee of Credentials, aided by 30 staff members in the agency's Division of Professional Practices. Teaching credentials denied, revoked for 1,475 in stateThese are three of 97 educators from Orange County who either lost teaching credentials or ... more »
Quick! Cut the Bloomberg Privatization Branches! Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública
Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: *Quick! Cut the Bloomberg Privatization Branches!* *Loretta Prisco- Staten Island Education Activist* *Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results… or a**nyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either. * *(Albert Einstein)* Several weeks ago we woke to the sound of loud banging at our vacation home. Heating system? New refrigerator? A fox or coyote trying to get in? No, a robin who seated himself on a branch near the bay window ... more »
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee failed AGAIN!!! Commitment to Public Education Trumps National “Education Reform” Movement in Connecticut - Wait, What?
Commitment to Public Education Trumps National “Education Reform” Movement in Connecticut - Wait, What?: Commitment to Public Education Trumps National “Education Reform” Movement in Connecticut by jonpelto The Connecticut State Senate passed an “education reform” bill early today. The State House will soon follow. As the dust settles over the coming days we’ll explore some of the details and the remaining issues that must still be addressed, but the people who worked so hard to protect Connecticut’s children, schools and educational system from the national privatization effor... more »
The Nation’s Largest Charter Chain « Diane Ravitch's blog
The Nation’s Largest Charter Chain « Diane Ravitch's blog: The Nation’s Largest Charter Chain by dianerav Most people think that KIPP is the nation’s largest charter chain, but that’s not correct. KIPP has 109 schools. The Gulen Movement has 135 charter schools. I mentioned in my last post that the Gulen network is associated with a Turkish imam. One of my Twitter correspondents asked me to explain. I am attaching two links. One is by Sharon Higgins, an independent researcher who has followed the growth of the Gulen Movement’s charters, the other is a page-one article from the Ne... more »
Modern School: Paying to Play: How Financial Institutions Rip Off School Districts
Modern School: Paying to Play: How Financial Institutions Rip Off School Districts: Paying to Play: How Financial Institutions Rip Off School Districts by Michael Dunn Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons The left has criticized attempts to privatize public education for years now, especially since No Child Left Behind took privatization to new heights. (See my own No Capitalist Left Behind andNCLB’s Biggest Winners). During the last 10 years, we’ve seen an escalation in the number of for-profit charter schools. Obama’s Race to the Top required states to transfer billions of tax dollars ... more »
Elegant Article Defending Poetry from the Common Core | Truth in American Education
Elegant Article Defending Poetry from the Common Core | Truth in American Education: Elegant Article Defending Poetry from the Common Core by James Bell Pioneer Institute’s Jamie Gass published an great op-ed on poetry in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette entitled: “Leaves of Memory Going Dark.” April was National Poetry Month and there’s nowhere that designation should have more meaning than in Massachusetts, where John Adams’ 1780 state constitution explicitly instructs future leaders to “cherish the interests of literature.” Every region of Massachusetts has produced great poet... more »
Schools Matter: Harsh High Stakes Testing for NJ High Schools
Schools Matter: Harsh High Stakes Testing for NJ High Schools: Harsh High Stakes Testing for NJ High Schools by Judy Rabin It's difficult to discern real news from fake news these days. But thanks to the great work of *Education Law Center* and Stan Karp, here's some news for NJ high schools: This policy makes sense, spend more money on tests, cause more poor, disadvantaged students to leave high school. Besides making more profits for testing outfits and private or public companies while class sizes are imploding, teacher salaries and benefits are being cut *GO TO * *National Re... more »
So This Is Reform? - Bridging Differences - Education Week
So This Is Reform? - Bridging Differences - Education Week: So This Is Reform? by Diane Ravitch Dear Deborah, A few weeks ago, the state legislature in Louisiana passed Gov. Bobby Jindal's education reform bill. Louisiana now goes to the head of the class as the state with the most advanced reform package in the nation. Surely, the Obama administration must be pleased, along with the governors of New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Maine, Wisconsin, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Unfortunately, "reform" today has become a synonym for dismantling public education and demoralizing tea... more »
Maurice Sendak « Student Activism
Maurice Sendak « Student Activism: Maurice Sendak by Angus Johnston “People say, ‘Oh, Mr. Sendak. I wish I were in touch with my childhood self, like you!’ As if it were all quaint and succulent, like Peter Pan. I say, ‘You *are* in touch, lady — you’re mean to your kids, you treat your husband like shit, you lie, you’re selfish … That *is* your childhood self!’ “In reality, childhood is deep and rich. It’s vital, mysterious, and profound. I remember my own childhood vividly. I knew terrible things. But I knew I mustn’t let adults *know* I knew… “It would scare them.” —Maurice Sen... more »
Big Education Ape: PARENTS CAN!
Big Education Ape: PARENTS CAN!: 'via Blog this'
Daily Kos: Today is Teacher Appreciation Day
Daily Kos: Today is Teacher Appreciation Day: Today is Teacher Appreciation Day by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) the most specific of the days of this week, which is Teacher Appreciation Week. Today is a day when if at all possible you should express appreciation to a teacher. If you have children in school, even a simple note of thanks for what that teacher has done can make a difference, especially in a time when teachers feel very much under attack by some in our society. If you are feeling generous, a gift card - to Starbucks, or a bookstore, or - and this helps with the tea... more »
“Incubators of Innovation?” « Diane Ravitch's blog
“Incubators of Innovation?” « Diane Ravitch's blog: “Incubators of Innovation?” by dianerav [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] To mark National Charter School Week, President Obama issued a proclamation hailing charter schools as “incubators of innovation.” I began wondering what exactly he was thinking about. I wonder if he ever visited the website http://charterschoolscandals.blogspot.com/. I wonder if he knows about the nation’s largest charter chain, the Gulen network, run by associates of a Turkish imam. I wonder if he was thinking about the “no excuses”... more »
U.S. News Ranks Nation's Best High Schools - US News and World Report
U.S. News Ranks Nation's Best High Schools - US News and World Report: U.S. News Ranks Nation's Best High SchoolsThe 2012 edition includes data on nearly 22,000 public schools, 500 of which received gold medals. By LAURA MCMULLEN May 8, 2012 RSS Feed Print [image: U.S. News nationally ranks more than 4,500 high schools.] The Best High Schools identify the top public schools that prepare students for college success. When considering your child's education, it may be hard not to focus on the potential loans needed to pay for college or the outlook of the post-graduation job market. Se... more »
Thoughts on teachers — from Socrates to Lady Gaga - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
Thoughts on teachers — from Socrates to Lady Gaga - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Thoughts on teachers — from Socrates to Lady Gaga by Valerie Strauss Today is National Teacher Day, part of Teacher Appreciation Week, an annual moment to heap praise on teachers in a country that has spent the rest of the past year doing pretty much the opposite. Morale has been plummeted in recent years among most of the approximate 3,232,800 teachers in K-12 public schools, according to recent polls. This is a result in large part of the actions of state legislatures that have passed la... more »
Union Gears Workshops Toward Parent Power – SchoolBook
Union Gears Workshops Toward Parent Power – SchoolBook: Union Gears Workshops Toward Parent Power by Mary Ann Giordano Last week a parent coordinator, Taneesha Crawford, wrote a post for SchoolBook about parent engagement, asking who is paying attention to parent accountability and finding ways to help parents become more involved. “Someone is always talking, measuring, criticizing — but not solving,” she wrote. On Monday, Gotham Schools identified one potential problem solver: the teachers’ union. According to Gotham, the United Federation of Teachers began a series of workshops ...more »
Thinking about Teacher Appreciation Day. « Fred Klonsky
Thinking about Teacher Appreciation Day. « Fred Klonsky: Thinking about Teacher Appreciation Day. by Fred Klonsky Obama has decided to declare this week National Charter School Week. The guy sure knows how to appreciate teachers. I haven’t felt so appreciated since he announced support for firing all the union teachers in Central Falls, Rhode Island. There’s a joke going around Facebook: Arne Duncan supports same-sex marriage if you can find a way to test it. Another joke from professor Mark Naison: Teacher Appreciation Week in the current national climate is like having Deer Appre... more »
Jersey Jazzman: All I Want For Teacher Appreciation Day
Jersey Jazzman: All I Want For Teacher Appreciation Day: All I Want For Teacher Appreciation Day I appreciate the lunch and the cards and the tweets and gifts and all the other little thank yous. I really do; we all do. But you know what I really want today? * * * * * * The Usual Suspects by Duke Last Wednesday, while us teachers were actually in school and, you know, * teaching*, the usual elites were gathering at an "invitation only" event to talk about how they are going to save education from... I dunno, us? Must be, because we weren't invited. But we're so lucky - Alexander Rus... more »
Parent Trigger - California Teachers Association
Parent Trigger - California Teachers Association: PARENT TRIGGER * * * * * * The Adelanto Elementary School District Board of Trustees boldly stood up for students and the rights of all parents in the school community by rejecting an attempt led mainly by a group of outside organizers to shut down an elementary school, replace the entire staff, and create a privately managed charter school. The trustees recognized that Parent Revolution organizers at Desert Trails Elementary School had failed to meet the simple majority threshold required by the state’s so-called “parent trigger”... more »
LAUSD AND THE WHY OF PRIVATIZED PUBLIC EDUCATION (VIDEO #6) - Perdaily.com
LAUSD AND THE WHY OF PRIVATIZED PUBLIC EDUCATION (VIDEO #6) - Perdaily.com: LAUSD AND THE WHY OF PRIVATIZED PUBLIC EDUCATION (VIDEO #6) by Leonard Isenberg [image: Privatization.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) One of the main functions of government has been to educate its population. With ever increasing corporate sovereignty that has gotten to the point where it challenges the supremacy of government, corporations are in an all out fight to privatize public education. The reasons are two-fold: 1.... more »
President proclaims…charter schools | Merianna Neely
President proclaims…charter schools | Merianna Neely: President proclaims…charter schools by Merianna Neely on MAY 8, 2012 in FUTURE OF EDUCATION [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Yesterday, the president spoke on education: Whether created by parents and teachers or community and civic leaders, charter schools serve as incubators of innovation in neighborhoods across our country. These institutions give educators the freedom to cultivate new teaching models and develop creative methods to meet students’ needs. This unique flexibility is matched by strong... more »
NYC Educator: I Sure Do Feel Appreciated
NYC Educator: I Sure Do Feel Appreciated: I Sure Do Feel Appreciated by Miss Eyre Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! I know it's Teacher Appreciation Week because I got this lovely e-mail from State Education Commissioner John B. King, Jr. informing me, among other things, about the great new teacher evaluation systems that are going to be put in place despite the fact that the vast majority of working teachers don't like them. I try not to be paranoid about such things. I tell myself that I work hard, that I have good relationships with my administration, my students, and their f... more »
All Education Matters: Suicidal Debtor Writes Again, "Through my tears, I decided to come back to the blog to see if there was anything new, and I found my story posted."
All Education Matters: Suicidal Debtor Writes Again, "Through my tears, I decided to come back to the blog to see if there was anything new, and I found my story posted.": Suicidal Debtor Writes Again, "Through my tears, I decided to come back to the blog to see if there was anything new, and I found my story posted." by Cryn Johannsen *If you are suicidal, please call: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255* I am really glad that this poster came back and found that their remarks had been turned into a short piece about the student lending crisis. Here is why w... more »
Schools Matter: Schools, Students and Teachers Sold for Scrap
Schools Matter: Schools, Students and Teachers Sold for Scrap: Schools, Students and Teachers Sold for Scrap by Judy Rabin Coming to a school near you, underfunded, overburdened and sold for scrap, if it hasn't already. Camden, New Jersey, across the river from Philadelphia is next -- but not last. Refreshing to see quality journalism is still alive and well. Read full story at the Philadelphia citypaperWho's Killing Philly Public Schools?Underfunded. Overburdened. About to be sold for scrap. *Daniel Denvir* *City Paper* Thomas Knudsen, the man who was temporarily put in... more »
Florida State Board of Education Takes to the Road to Flack for Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings
Florida State Board of Education Takes to the Road to Flack for Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings: Florida State Board of Education Takes to the Road to Flack for Charter Schools by Bob Sikes [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] The *Orlando Sentinel’s *Dave Weber has a snarky take on the state board’s clear favoritism for charter schools. Writes Weber: Florida’s state Board of Education is having a love fest for charters schools this week, with board members fanning out around the state to tell charters what a wonderful job they are doing. But wh... more »
Common Explanations for Change and Stability in Classroom Practice | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Common Explanations for Change and Stability in Classroom Practice | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Common Explanations for Change and Stability in Classroom Practice by larrycuban The list of explanations for why classroom practices, even when counting modest changes teachers made in routine tasks and activities, has remained largely stable over decades is hardly exhaustive or inclusive. It does, however, cover the major ones in the literature on school reform. **What keeps teaching largely stable are teaching traditions dating back centuries that are reinfo... more »
Perth Amboy school board votes again to place superintendent on paid leave | NJ.com
Perth Amboy school board votes again to place superintendent on paid leave | NJ.com: Published: Monday, May 07, 2012, 9:37 PM Updated: Monday, May 07, 2012, 9:54 PM Perth Amboy school board votes again to place superintendent on paid leave [image: Perth Amboy.JPG] [image: Tom Haydon/The Star-Ledger] By Tom Haydon/The Star-Ledger PERTH AMBOY — For the second time in two weeks, the Perth Amboy school board voted tonight to place outspoken Superintendent Janine Caffrey on paid administrative leave, removing her on charges of insubordination and "eviscerating" school district mora... more »
Now That You’re Done, You’re Still Wrong [#IKnowATeacher Series, part 1] | The Jose Vilson
Now That You’re Done, You’re Still Wrong [#IKnowATeacher Series, part 1] | The Jose Vilson: Now That You’re Done, You’re Still Wrong [#IKnowATeacher Series, part 1] by Jose The whole premise of some meetings is to listen to the person speak ad nauseam about the topic of their choice with little regard for others’ opinions. It happens all across America in offices where voice only matters insofar as the first one has first, second, and third say. Words to some serve as a beat down into acquiescence rather than inspiration to act onward. In such meetings, the most powerful person i... more »
Rheevolting: "Stupid in America"? Fox's contribution to National Teacher Appreciation Week - Miami Dade County Education Policy | Examiner.com
"Stupid in America"? Fox's contribution to National Teacher Appreciation Week - Miami Dade County Education Policy | Examiner.com: "Stupid in America"? Fox's contribution to National Teacher Appreciation Week [image: Jennie Smith's photo] Jennie Smith Dade County Education Policy Examiner Today, Monday, May 7, marks the beginning of National Teacher Appreciation Week. And John Stossel, courtesy of Fox, gave us teachers a little token of his appreciation last night. The "report," wanting to make sure no viewers had to draw their own conclusions, was titled "Stupid in America." Wh... more »
Time to edit the Democrats out of DFER » Parents United for Responsible Education
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Time to edit the Democrats out of DFER: Time to edit the Democrats out of DFER by admin While teachers spend every day in school educating our children — against great odds — propaganda flaks like Rebeca Nieves Huffman, new Illinois director of Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), write ugly, extremist op ed pieces like the one the Sun-Times printed last week. It started out this way: “For much of the last year, while parents, community leaders and policy makers have been focused on bringing much-needed improvement to the ... more »
