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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-22 AM Posts #soschat #edreform


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS


A “State Dinner” Just For Kids | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 35 minutes ago
A “State Dinner” Just For Kids | ED.gov Blog: A “State Dinner” Just For Kids by Guest Blogger *Cross-posted from the Let’s Move! Blog* [image: Let's Move Logo] Calling all kid chefs: The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge invites parents of kids ages 8-12 to submit an original recipe for a lunch that is nutritious and delicious. All entrants have the chance to win a trip to Washington D.C. and the opportunity to be invited to attend a Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White House in August, where a selection of the winning healthy recipes will be served. Let’s Move! is teaming up with Epicurious... more »

Shanker Blog » Herding FCATs

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 38 minutes ago
Shanker Blog » Herding FCATs: Herding FCATs by Matthew Di Carlo About a week ago, Florida officials went into crisis mode after revealing that the proficiency rate on the state’s writing test (FCAT) dropped from 81 percent to 27 percent among fourth graders, with similarly large drops in the other two grades in which the test is administered (eighth and tenth). The panic was almost immediate. For one thing, performance on the writing FCAT is counted in the state’s school and district ratings. Many schools would end up with lower grades and could therefore face punitive measures. U... more »

Modern School: New Astroturf Group Calls Tenure, Seniority Unconstitutional

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 45 minutes ago
Modern School: New Astroturf Group Calls Tenure, Seniority Unconstitutional: New Astroturf Group Calls Tenure, Seniority Unconstitutional by Michael Dunn Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons A right-wing astroturf group, Students Matter, has escalated the war on California’s teachers with a lawsuit seeking to overturn five state laws related to teacher tenure, seniority and the dismissal process. The law suit, which was filed on May 14 in Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of eight students, argued that "A handful of outdated laws passed by the California Legislature are prevent... more »

Bill Gates — Close, But Not Quite, on Teacher Evaluations

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 48 minutes ago
Bill Gates — Close, But Not Quite, on Teacher Evaluations: Bill Gates — Close, But Not Quite, on Teacher Evaluations by Sam There’s an Op-Ed in today’s *New York Times* in which Joe Nocera discusses the Gates Foundation’s ambitious new efforts to crack the code of teacher assessment and evaluation, a valid goal is ever there was one. Piloting a new system in four districts — and providing local leaders with tens of millions of dollars to implement it — the Gates team seems to have recognized the limited value of test scores; in these communities, they comprise only a small part of... more »

"NYSUT activists call for privacy for teachers evaluations." May 21, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 51 minutes ago
"NYSUT activists call for privacy for teachers evaluations." May 21, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org: NYSUT activists call for privacy for teachers evaluations NYSUT Media Relations - May 21, 2012 [image: Cartoon by John Jonik] ALBANY, N.Y. May 21, 2012 - Hundreds of grassroots lobbyists from New York State United Teachers will vigorously press lawmakers Tuesday to enact legislation protecting the privacy rights of teachers by shielding their evaluations from exploitation by the public and news media. "This is an opportunity for legislators and the Governor... more »

A Standardized Composition Test « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
A Standardized Composition Test « Cooperative Catalyst: A Standardized Composition Test by Brent Snavely We know bubble sheets are unrelated to “real life”. I think we made the “education thing” up by constructing much nonsense about the written word being the supreme method of sharing ideas and information. I think we have forgotten that sharing experiences and doing things together are matters that (1) allow us to learn and (2) make us human. I began asking a question of Paramedic and EMT students (HS grads/GED) to kick-start discussions about medical-legal issues. I ask them to wr...more »

Philadelphia and the privatization of a school system | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Philadelphia and the privatization of a school system | Seattle Education: Philadelphia and the privatization of a school system by seattleducation2011 We first made note of what was going on within the Philadelphia school system last year with the post Who Will Run Philadelphia’s Schools? Bill Gates? Then in the Weekly Update : The Philadelphia horror story this month, I described how the schools in Philadelphia were to be privatized by closing neighborhood schools and populating the urban landscape with charter chains. This wringing of hands over the economy and finding that enou... more »

Wall Street's Investment in School Reform - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Wall Street's Investment in School Reform - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Wall Street's Investment in School Reform by Diane Ravitch Dear Deborah, You and I used to have lively debates about standards, curriculum, pedagogy, and a lot of other matters where we disagreed. Now those debates seem antique compared with the current uncertainty about the future of public education. The question today is whether a democratic society needs public schools subject to democratic governance. Why not turn public dollars over to private corporations to run schools as they see fit? Isn... more »

Stop the Campaign Against Public Schools! « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Stop the Campaign Against Public Schools! « Diane Ravitch's blog: Stop the Campaign Against Public Schools! by dianerav My review of the Council on Foreign Relations’ report on US public schools as a “grave threat to national security” is now available online. http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/jun/07/do-our-public-schools-threaten-national-security/?page=1 I hope it is widely read. I urge everyone who reads it to send it to their friends and colleagues. The report I reviewed was written by a task force chaired by Joel Klein and Condaleeza Rice. I believe the report is pa... more »

NYC Educator: The Pressure Mounts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
NYC Educator: The Pressure Mounts: The Pressure Mounts by Miss Eyre If I'm counting right (and, this late in the school year, that is a very big "if"), there are 14 school days until the English Regents. And, at this stage of the game, it's very hard to get hung up on the love of literature when the paragraphs we've been working on writing all year long are still a struggle for some of my students. I freely admit that I'm not handling this well. I'm taking it personally, practically as an affront to me, that my kids don't seem 100% ready this close to the test. I'm comparing my... more »

CSBA: Vote for both tax plans | Thoughts on Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
CSBA: Vote for both tax plans | Thoughts on Public Education: CSBA: Vote for both tax plans - by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess [image: SOS Save Our Schools] The state PTA backs the tax initiative financed by civil rights attorney Molly Munger; the California Teachers Association and the Association of California School Administrators endorsed the governor’s initiative. This week, the California School Boards Association decided to support both. On Sunday, at the urging of CSBA’s board of directors, school board members in the Delegate Assembl... more »

Daily Kos: A personal perspective on education statistics in Florida

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Daily Kos: A personal perspective on education statistics in Florida: A personal perspective on education statistics in Florida by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) My good friend, Rita Solnet, is is a Florida co-founder of Parent Across America, has given me permission to cross-post a piece she just did. I strongly recommend you read her story. Everything below this point is Rita's words. Please read and pass on to others. Thanks ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Statistically Speaking, Florida -- I Don't Be... more »

Unneeded Charters « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Unneeded Charters « Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Unneeded Charters by dianerav Stories like this one from Nashville (http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120509/NEWS04/305090116), or this one from Los Altos, California (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-15/taxpayers-billed-for-millionaires-kids-at-charter-school.html) remind me how far the charter idea has strayed from its origins. Parents in Nashville are fighting the Great Hearts charter because they know it is targeting children who are affluent and white; they know that it wil... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Anatomy of a big high school

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Anatomy of a big high school: Anatomy of a big high school by Mike Klonsky Chicago's great architectural critic *Lee Bey *writes for WBEZ public radio, about his alma mater, Chicago Vocational High School ("School of architecture: A look at sprawling Chicago Vocational.") The massive, 72-year-old school, located at 2100 E. 87th St., is not only the city's second largest high school building (only Lane Tech is bigger), but is Chicago's best large-scale example of Art Moderne architecture. The 27-acre school, formerly known as Chicago Vocational High S... more »

A NATO Question for Mayor Emanuel and President Obama from My Students. | The Classroom Sooth

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
A NATO Question for Mayor Emanuel and President Obama from My Students. | The Classroom Sooth: A NATO Question for Mayor Emanuel and President Obama from My Students. Posted on May 22, 2012 | Leave a comment My freshmen world studies class today did a quick media study of the NATO experience in Chicago, particularly looking at these photos from the Chicago Tribune, and came to the conclusion that perhaps the NATO summits shouldn’t be held in a major urban area. “If people new the protesters were going to be violent, why not just hold the meeting elsewhere?” Profoundly simple qu... more »

What Jeb Bush Has Wrought | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
What Jeb Bush Has Wrought | Scathing Purple Musings: What Jeb Bush Has Wrought by Bob Sikes News yesterday that influential members of congress were calling on the Florida Board of Education to reconsider the grade changes as they affect english-langauge learners. From Jeff Solochek in Gradebook: The Florida Board of Education’s decisions to change the state school grading system to count the proficiency levels of students still learning English has drawn criticism from some of the state’s top Hispanic politicians. U.S. Rep. Iliana Ros-Lehtinen, state Sen. Rene Garcia and state ... more »

State plans big changes to testing, instruction | UTSanDiego.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
State plans big changes to testing, instruction | UTSanDiego.com: State plans big changes to testing, instruction‘Common core standards’ stress critical thinking skills, rapid feedback from tests By Michael Gardner Monday, May 21, 2012 SACRAMENTO — California has embarked on a course to fundamentally reshape how every student is taught and tested. These new “common core standards” for grades K-12 go into effect in fall 2014 for English Language Arts and math. Revisions to the curriculum and assessments for other subjects, such as science and history, will follow in later years. “It’...more »

Federal judge won't hear parents advocacy group's suit over Title I funds - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Federal judge won't hear parents advocacy group's suit over Title I funds - LA Daily News: Federal judge won't hear parents advocacy group's suit over Title I funds By Barbara Jones Staff Writer Posted: 05/21/2012 09:38:55 PM PDT Updated: 05/21/2012 09:42:10 PM PDT A federal judge refused Monday to take jurisdiction of a lawsuit filed by a parents advocacy group, which claims that Los Angeles Unified illegally suspended its operation and seized control of federal money set aside for its use. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Margaret Morrow involves a suit filed in December by... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Is David Coleman Doing the Humpty Dumpty?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Is David Coleman Doing the Humpty Dumpty?: Is David Coleman Doing the Humpty Dumpty? by stlgretchen Is the Common Core fairy tale being exposed as just that? David Coleman, chief architect of the Common Core standards and newly named head of the College Board, is being questioned on not only his motives in crafting the standards and financial gain realized from his participation in their implementation, but also on his understanding of historical documents and the basis of the standards themselves. Jim Stergios posted an article, "The Wrong Lesson o... more »

Pension Call Tuesday. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Pension Call Tuesday. « Fred Klonsky: Pension Call Tuesday. by Fred Klonsky From Todd Mertz. *What: *Rally at Rep. Tom Cross’ Office *When:* This Wednesday, May 23rd 4:00-6:00 p.m. *Where: *540 W. Lockport St. Suite 204 Plainfield, IL 60544 *Why: *Cross has been teachers’ worst enemy. Cross told me personally in Springfield that Ty Fahner and the Civic Committee were involved in writing the horrendous SB512 which eventually did not have the needed support, but may resurface in a similar form anytime. He is working hard to throw teachers under the bus while protecting his wealth... more »

U.S. School Districts Can Enter ‘Race to Top’ Competition - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
U.S. School Districts Can Enter ‘Race to Top’ Competition - NYTimes.com: District Grant Contest UnveiledBy RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑAPublished: May 22, 2012 School districts will be able to submit proposals for innovative educational programs this year to compete for federal grants of up to $25 million under a new national contest, part of the three-year-oldRace to the Top program. Rules for the competition were to be announced on Tuesday by the Department of Education. Doug Mills/The New York Times Education Secretary Arne Duncan wants to bring learning “into the 21st century.” [image: Sc... more »

Is the Seattle School Board dysfunctional? U.S. Chamber of Commerce thinks so | Local News | The Seattle Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Is the Seattle School Board dysfunctional? U.S. Chamber of Commerce thinks so | Local News | The Seattle Times: Is the Seattle School Board dysfunctional? U.S. Chamber of Commerce thinks so *Top Corporations Aid U.S. Chamber of Commerce Campaign - NYTimes.com * According to a report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Seattle School Board suffers from churn and conflict, a poor relationship with the superintendent and what one unnamed observer called "micromanagement on steroids." Officials here dispute the findings. By Brian M. Rosenthal Seattle Times education reporter RELATE... more »

I Don’t Write For Your F**king Approval [Channeling Kobe Bryant] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
I Don’t Write For Your F**king Approval [Channeling Kobe Bryant] | The Jose Vilson: I Don’t Write For Your F**king Approval [Channeling Kobe Bryant] by Jose *Here is another recent interview with Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski and yours truly. The piece never made it into Yahoo!, but he e-mailed it to me anyways.* The scene here is the usual: arguments abound about the future of education, the rank and file teachers jump into their political slots for the election year, millionaires and billionaires covertly endorse the candidates malleable enough to shift their well intentioned... more »

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