Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break
Quebec Moves Toward Passage of Sweeping Anti-Protest Law « Student Activism
Quebec Moves Toward Passage of Sweeping Anti-Protest Law « Student Activism: Quebec Moves Toward Passage of Sweeping Anti-Protest Law by Angus Johnston Quebec’s legislature, shaken by the province’s ongoing student strike, is now debating passage of an emergency anti-protest law that the chair of the Quebec bar association calls “a breach to the fundamental, constitutional rights” of its citizens. The legislation, known as Bill 78, would mandate an end to the strike, impose extraordinary restrictions on demonstrations and impel local student associations to prevent their members ... more »
Twitter Ties « My Island View
Twitter Ties « My Island View: Twitter Ties by tomwhitby For the “Connected Educator” Twitter can be a mainstay for information and sources. In order to build up a steady flow of information and sources, one need only to establish a list of people to follow on Twitter who put out the tweets, or messages, that contain links, URL’s, to that information or source. In Twitter terms these people are called “Follows”. They are the people one follows. An educator using Twitter for professional reasons would follow educators, since they put out education information. I follow over 1,60... more »
NYC Public School Parents: Crowd-sourcing the up-till-now secret DOE/charter lobby emails
NYC Public School Parents: Crowd-sourcing the up-till-now secret DOE/charter lobby emails: Crowd-sourcing the up-till-now secret DOE/charter lobby emails by Leonie Haimson *Have you ever wondered how what Joel Klein was busy writing on his Blackberry during meetings? * Or how closely he worked with the charter lobby to get the charter cap lifted and on other issues? Now’s your chance to find out. The UFT FOILed emails between DOE and the charter lobbyists and got a large bunch of messages after long delay and obstructionism from DOE. Apparently more emails are coming. Reporte... more »
Weekly Update: A charter school bill dies in Alabama and more testing pushback | Seattle Education
Weekly Update: A charter school bill dies in Alabama and more testing pushback | Seattle Education: Weekly Update: A charter school bill dies in Alabama and more testing pushback by seattleducation2011 *Note: Some extraneous links have mysteriously appeared in this post that I am not able to get rid of. I apologize for this annoyance and am working to rectify this issue.* Alabama, as Washington, does not have charter schools and for several very good reasons. See The Charter School Myths. One of the reasons that Alabama opposes charter schools was stated by a member of the Alabama... more »
Video: “Shock doctrine” used to privatize Philadelphia public schools « Parents Across America
Video: “Shock doctrine” used to privatize Philadelphia public schools « Parents Across America: Video: “Shock doctrine” used to privatize Philadelphia public schools by leoniehaimson Philadelphia parents, students and activists protest the radical restructuring and privatization of their public schools. Helen Gym, Parents Across America member, points out how these proposals are an example of the “shock doctrine” — using the fiscal crisis as an excuse to hand over public goods to private hands, for their own financial gain.
VIDEO: Council Candidate Lucas Frerichs Gets Dunked by Young Davisite - Davis, CA Patch
VIDEO: Council Candidate Gets Dunked by Young Davisite - Davis, CA Patch: VIDEO: Council Candidate Lucas Frerichs Gets Dunked by Young Davisite This kid won't be able to vote for many years. For now, he lets his arm do the talking. - By Justin Cox - Email the author - 10:18 am Many local public figures were invited to participate in a dunk tank at Celebrate Davis! yesterday. Among them were the five city council candidates. While I spent most of the day working the Davis Patch booth, I took a quick stroll around the park to snap some photos. I showed up at the dunk tank j... more »
Schools Matter: Krash Course #9: Accountability: A Quiz
Schools Matter: Krash Course #9: Accountability: A Quiz: Krash Course #9: Accountability: A Quiz by P. L. Thomas Comments posted on my recent piece at The Answer Sheet, "What teachers don’t need (but are getting anyway)," include a typical refrain best confronted by this posting from jdman2: "Doesn't it seem strange that the issue always degenerates into the question of 'accountability' when those that do the questioning will never be held accountable if their --opinion-- is proved wrong?" In fact, another posting, from WashingtonDame, directly accused me of calling for no teach... more »
Engaging Parents In School… » Mayor Bloomberg Insults Parents — Again
Engaging Parents In School… » Mayor Bloomberg Insults Parents — Again: Mayor Bloomberg Insults Parents — Again by Larry Ferlazzo New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is in the news for once again insulting parents (you can read about his multiple previous efforts at New York City Mayor Insults Parents — Again). I learned about Boomberg’s newest comments from blogger Walt Gardner, with whom I usually agree. Not this time, though. Gardner supports the Mayor’s critique of some parents “who don’t care.” Unfortunately, though, I think Gardner misses the main point. Of course some pare... more »
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, May 18, 2012
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Friday, May 18, 2012* Labor negotiations in Rio School District move to fact-findingA yearlong labor dispute in the Rio School District remains unresolved, as officials move into the next stage of impasse, called fact-finding. The Rio teachers' contract expired June 30, 2011. Negotiations began in February 2011, but the district declared impasse soon after. Schools revamp menus ahead of new lunch mandatesUnder new standards by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, schools will have to serve more than twice as ... more »
The IEA declares raising the teacher contribution “not a benefit” and not covered by the constitutional clause? « Fred Klonsky
The IEA declares raising the teacher contribution “not a benefit” and not covered by the constitutional clause? « Fred Klonsky: The IEA declares raising the teacher contribution “not a benefit” and not covered by the constitutional clause? by Fred Klonsky I always worry when IEA leaders claim they are at the table. I worry about being the first course. Reports are that IEA and IFT leaders are involved in pension talks. And the reports aren’t reporting anything that would make a member happy. The IEA leadership said that they would NEVER agree to anything that violated the Illinois ... more »
Schooling in the Ownership Society: ALEC to Ravitch: Why pick on us?
Schooling in the Ownership Society: ALEC to Ravitch: Why pick on us?: ALEC to Ravitch: Why pick on us? by Mike Klonsky In an interesting response to a Diane Ravitch piece in Edweek ("What You Need To Know About ALEC"), Adam Peshek, ALEC's ed director, asks: Why pick on us? Obama agrees with ALEC, claims Peshek, who has nothing but praise for the administration. Peshek has a good point. How about a response, Mr. President or Sec. Duncan. Writes Peshek: *In reality, we are far from alone in this effort. There are dozens of organizations on both sides of the political spectrum that h... more »
S.Res.461: A resolution recognizing the teachers of the United States for their contributions to the development... OpenCongress
S.Res.461: A resolution recognizing the teachers of the United States for their contributions to the development... OpenCongress: S.Res.461 - A resolution recognizing the teachers of the United States for their contributions to the development and progress of our Nation.view all titles (1) - Overview - Actions & Votes - News (1) & Blogs (0) - Comments (0) Bill's Views - Today:20 - Past Seven Days:21 - All-Time:21 Introduced Senate Passed Resolution Passed *05/14/12* *05/14/12* *05/14/12* Official Bill TextComment on about 1 Pages Sponsor Senator Frank Laut... more »
Critical Questions about the Common Core - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
Critical Questions about the Common Core - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Critical Questions about the Common Core by Anthony Cody Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody Educators in the United States are once again headed for a very big trap. We are being seduced by the idea that a common set of standards and assessments to match will deliver equitable outcomes from our schools. This is the siren call that draws us into endless top-down reforms that never work, but never stop promising that the next time, we will get it right, and ALL students will achieve at high le... more »
Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-18 AM Posts #soschat #edreform
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: News from the war zone coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 minutes ago Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: News from the war zone: News from the war zone by Mike Klonsky As I'm getting ready to head downtown to support the nurse's protest rally at Daley Plaza, I'm struck by the front page headline in the Sun-Times. Remember Rahm had promised that the city would be "open for business." That the gathering of the NATO war machine would put Chicago on the world map, make it more of a target destination for tourists and... more »
Shanker Blog » Quality Control In Charter School Research
Shanker Blog » Quality Control In Charter School Research: Quality Control In Charter School Research by Matthew Di Carlo [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] There’s a fairly large body of research showing that charter schools vary widely in test-based performance relative to regular public schools, both by location as well as subgroup. Yet, you’ll often hear people point out that the *highest-quality* evidence suggests otherwise (see here, here and here) – i.e., that there are a handful of studies using experimental methods (randomized controlled trials, o... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: News from the war zone
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: News from the war zone: News from the war zone by Mike Klonsky As I'm getting ready to head downtown to support the nurse's protest rally at Daley Plaza, I'm struck by the front page headline in the Sun-Times. Remember Rahm had promised that the city would be "open for business." That the gathering of the NATO war machine would put Chicago on the world map, make it more of a target destination for tourists and shake loose from our "Al Capone" image. The mayor even went so far as to proclaim NATO as a peace group, and the Summit as the scene of the "C... more »
Glen Ford: Corporate Assault on Public Education
In the space of less than 20 years, the public school privatization movement has emerged from the narrow, right wing fringes to dominate both major political parties. From vouchers to school choice to charter schools, the issue has divided even Black Americans, who were once public education's most fervent supporters. Glen Ford explains how this came about by wealthy individuals buying black politicians and promoting their careers, particularly Corey Booker. Glen Ford is a veteran of more than 40 years in broadcast, print and Internet journalism. A former Washington Bureau Chief a... more »
Modern School: What Kind of Union Asks for 10 Furlough Days?—UTLA Does
Modern School: What Kind of Union Asks for 10 Furlough Days?—UTLA Does: What Kind of Union Asks for 10 Furlough Days?—UTLA Does by Michael Dunn There is no question that Los Angeles Unified School District is facing a serious financial crisis. They are millions of dollars in the hole and trying to recoup that money on the backs of teachers. In a particularly audacious attack, they demanded that United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) accept 20 furlough days next year (see 4LAKids Blog), which amount to the loss of nearly a month’s pay or an 8% pay cut. It is easy to appreciate UTLA’... more »
Cullerton threatens retiree benefits in order to prevent a “flood of retirements.” « Fred Klonsky
Cullerton threatens retiree benefits in order to prevent a “flood of retirements.” « Fred Klonsky: Cullerton threatens retiree benefits in order to prevent a “flood of retirements.” by Fred Klonsky *Democratic Senate President John Cullerton.* If as a retired teacher you think the current pension debate doesn’t impact you an any immediate sense, *think again.* You are so wrong, according to Democratic Senate President John Cullerton. Go to 2:26 of the video. Speaking in this interview on pension reform last Tuesday, Cullerton expresses concern that changes to the
School Tech Connect: Cullerton on Pensions
School Tech Connect: Cullerton on Pensions: Cullerton on Pensions by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Via Glen Brown, via Mike Ellberg: Popout The whole "these people aren't even state employees" fits nicely into the anti-teacher sentiment that's been fanned by Arne Duncan, Jonah Edelman, et al. It's all the rage. The individual sign-up thing is interesting, but I'm still pretty confident that it won't "stand up to constitutional pressure" if it's one of these "sign up and we'll continue to send you checks" type of non-deals.
“Whose School? Our School!” On Pranks, Punishments, and the Campus « Student Activism
“Whose School? Our School!” On Pranks, Punishments, and the Campus « Student Activism: “Whose School? Our School!” On Pranks, Punishments, and the Campus by Angus Johnston On Monday evening a group of six seniors snuck into their Indiana high school. Armed with stationery supplies and a borrowed key, they proceeded to redecorate the place. Nobody was harmed, no actual damage was done. They just slapped up a few thousand Post-Its. The pranksters included the school’s valedictorian, salutatorian, and senior class president. The key came from the mother of one of the students, who w... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: Data Driven Decisions For Control or Cover
Missouri Education Watchdog: Data Driven Decisions For Control or Cover: Data Driven Decisions For Control or Cover by Anngie David Clemens of the National Association of Scholars has a great piece about the new "data driven" culture in education. Like him, I think if I hear one more person tell me that their process is data driven I am going to scream. Data, on it its own, is like the wind for a sailboat. It can be used to move you, but without sophisticated equipment and navigation knowledge it tends to just push you in one random direction. Like the wind, data can be manipulat... more »
L.A. students and teachers display learning beyond tests - latimes.com
L.A. students and teachers display learning beyond tests - latimes.com: L.A. students and teachers display learning beyond tests [image: Eyeballs] About two dozen teachers and their students assembled Thursday after school near downtown to demonstrate academic prowess beyond a standardized test score. Preschoolers from MacArthur Park Primary Center, for instance, had prepared watercolors based on Kandinsky. Dahlia Heights fifth- and sixth-graders demonstrated robotic engineering with Legos. And seventh-graders from Julie Van Winkle’s class at Logan Elementary dissected cow eyeballs.... more »
LACDP Sets the Record Straight in AD 46 and Reasserts Position That Democrats for Education Reform Must Cease Its Disregard for State Law — Los Angeles County Democratic Party
LACDP Sets the Record Straight in AD 46 and Reasserts Position That Democrats for Education Reform Must Cease Its Disregard for State Law — Los Angeles County Democratic Party: LACDP Sets the Record Straight in AD 46 and Reasserts Position That Democrats for Education Reform Must Cease Its Disregard for State Law May 17, 2012 By clarklee Comments (0) [image: DFER Fake Democrats for Education Privatization (click on Picture)] *LOS ANGELES* – Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chair and California Democratic Party Vice Chair Eric C. Bauman released the following statement reaffirm...more »
Daily Kos: "... we do not have a sustainable society"
Daily Kos: "... we do not have a sustainable society": "... we do not have a sustainable society" by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) when too few have too much and too many have too little, we do not have a sustainable society The words are from Bernard Rapoport, known to his friends simply as B. I have been reflecting upon them for the past few days, because of having attended his memorial on Tuesday, about which I wrote yesterday in this post, which I think may be as important as anything I have ever posted here. We are seeing the continued development of an America were too few ... more »
Charters, Ed Coalition at odds over buildings | Thoughts on Public Education
Charters, Ed Coalition at odds over buildings | Thoughts on Public Education: Charters, Ed Coalition at odds over buildings - by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] The Education Coalition, the organization that represents mainstream education groups, announced its opposition Thursday to Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to require a school district to offer charter schools any building that it decides it no longer needs. The proposal is one of several that the governor included in his May budget ... more »
School Tech Connect: What Can You Do?
School Tech Connect: What Can You Do?: What Can You Do? by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) From Bob Haisman: What can you do? You don't have to do all - pick one! or two or three! 1. Keep it up! Send another E-mail. Call again. and again and again! 2. Contact five teachers who might be clueless or uninformed or in denial . Convince them, urge them to send an E-Mail! Help them call their legislators. Help them use the ..... "We Are One" ( http://www.weareoneillinois.org/) automated contact system or the IEA system (WWW.IEANEA.ORG)! Legislative staffs are counting the number of ... more »
The Innovative Educator: What makes a great teacher? - A student says, "This!"
The Innovative Educator: What makes a great teacher? - A student says, "This!": What makes a great teacher? - A student says, "This!" by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) *Guest post by Irene, High School Junior* * My old Language Arts teacher never smiled. She kept the blinds closed to keep the sunlight out. She often professed her raging dislike for the art of writing, yet she droned on class after class on the correct format of an outline. I often entertained thoughts that she was an evil witch who fed upon the souls of children. Therefore, you may imagine that after my expe... more »
hctiB G: Education Is Not a “Business” | The G Bitch Spot
hctiB G: Education Is Not a “Business” | The G Bitch Spot: hctiB G: Education Is Not a “Business” by G Bitch originally posted May 8, 2009 The more time you spend in school, the more you see the influence of business practices. … The corporate bible *Good to Great *sits on the bookshelf of nearly every principal, and a lot of Stephen Covey gets quoted at education conferences (98). Jim Collins, the author of *Good to Great*, published a monograph after learning that so many educators and other social service providers were relying on his book. In *Good to Great and the Social S... more »
- The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
- The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: How standardized tests are affecting public schools by Valerie Strauss Florida’s standardized testing program is being misused and has “severely impacted student learning,” according to a new white paper that says that school districts in the state are required to give as many as 62 tests a year to some students. Read full article >> Why college tuitions are rising: A contrarian view Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 3 hours ago This *was written by Gary C. Fethke, professor and former dean of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at th... more »
Parents Across America: Parent “Choice” is Not Parent “Voice” | Scathing Purple Musings
Parents Across America: Parent “Choice” is Not Parent “Voice” | Scathing Purple Musings: Parents Across America: Parent “Choice” is Not Parent “Voice” by Bob Sikes Influential public school advocacy group Parents Across America weren’t invited to Rep. Duncan Hunter’s House Education and Workforce sub-committee hearing on “Exploring State Success in Expanding Parent and Student Options.” No surprise there. PAA explains why: Yesterday, a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing which was promoted as a discussion on “state efforts to ex... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Jobs for Adults and Teens
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Jobs for Adults and Teens: Jobs for Adults and Teens by Melissa Westbrook From City Year, jobs for adults: It’s an exciting time for City Year Seattle/King County. We are growing, and we are looking for the best talent around to join our team, and we need your help to do so. We are hiring for four different positions: · *Director of Impact,* who will powerfully lead our entire effort and our team in our mission to maximize the number of at-risk kids we bring back on track to graduate. · *Training and Events Senior Manager*, who wi... more »
NYC Educator: Waffles Walcott's Words of Wisdom
NYC Educator: Waffles Walcott's Words of Wisdom: Waffles Walcott's Words of Wisdom by NYC Educator Hi, it's me, your old buddy Dennis "Waffles" Walcott. I've just made a tough statement about teachers, because Mayor Bloomberg thinks the way to support our hard-working staff is to let them know we're working on new ways to fire them, and I agree completely. From now on, get two U-ratings and we'll try to remove you from your job, whether or not your principal thinks it's a good idea. This may be tough, since some of our principals give U-ratings for arbitrary and frivolous reasons, ... more »
Naperville teachers rally. « Fred Klonsky
Naperville teachers rally. « Fred Klonsky: Naperville teachers rally. by Fred Klonsky From the speech by Roger Sanders at the Naperville pension rally Thursday. What needs to be done: First, the Governor needs to get off the corporate welfare wagon, and stop giving millions of dollars in tax breaks to corporations. Second, the General Assembly needs to take a critical look at the state’s tax structure. Third. the General Assembly and the Governor need to get real about spending priorities. Fourth, the General Assembly and Governor need to be serious about reforming the culture of ... more »
Parents sign petition against use of FCAT - Schools - MiamiHerald.com
Parents sign petition against use of FCAT - Schools - MiamiHerald.com: Parents sign petition against use of FCAT The petition, gaining traction in parts of Florida and around the country, urges education administrators to rely less on standardized tests and use other measures to evaluate students, schools and teachers. Related Content - FCAT writing scores plummet WEB VOTEMiami-Dade commissioners have agreed to lift the no-housing restriction outside the Urban Development Boundary. Is this a good idea? Yes No MORE INFORMATION TO LEARN MORE Find the resolution here BY LA... more »
Occupy Chicago NATO/G8 Guide | OccupyWallSt.org
Occupy Chicago NATO/G8 Guide | OccupyWallSt.org: Occupy Chicago NATO/G8 Guide by OccupyWallSt [image: Chicago Spring Map] via Occupy Chicago: To better empower travelers and Chicagoans new to Occupy Chicago, we are releasing the Occupy Chicago NATO/G8 Guide. This guide: -Provides travelers with information they need when coming into Chicago, such as how to find housing and food resources -Provides protestors details on their legal rights, a bank of information on all the actions of Occupy Chicago's Ten Days of Action, points of contact useful to protestors, and more. -Presents inform... more »
Big Education Ape Nite Cap UPDATE 5-17-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
*UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* [image: DFER Fake Democrats for Education Privatization (click on Picture)] Teachers Teach the Test When the Test Tests Teachers by Duke This morning, the Star-Ledger gave me a gift: the perfect reformy op-ed. I say "perfect" because this piece brings together pretty much every ill-informed and poorly conceived argument for using standardized tests as part of a teacher's evaluation into one place. It's like a Rosetta Stone of reforminess. The author, Marcus Winters, is a think-tanky type, but he has some serious credentials. That says to me that this i... more »