Big Education Ape 2nd Banana
Recap of Last Week's Best Post
Shop Til You Drop - Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's June Shopping Spree #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
*Shop Til You Drop * *Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's * *June Shopping Spree* *What did Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Corporate Millions buy? * *Our Public Schools. * *She plans to spend even more in November. * *Don't let Corporate Reformers Buy * * * *Our Public Schools!* * * * * * * * Beware of AstroTurf Ed Reformers * * * *Just Like Michelle Rhee's Students first only BETTER* * * *Astroturf lobbying refers to political organizations or campaigns that appear to be made up of grassroots activists but are actually organized and run by corporate interests seeking to furthe... more »
Schools Matter: Brian Barabe: ACTFL should show more respect for the profession it represents
Schools Matter: Brian Barabe: ACTFL should show more respect for the profession it represents: Brian Barabe: ACTFL should show more respect for the profession it represents by skrashen Brian Barabe comments on ACTFL featuring “Speak the Language,” on SMARTBRIEF. "Speak the Language" appeared in a highly circulated magazine, and promoted heavy grammar study, memorizing vocabulary and forced speech: I am appalled at the damage you have risked doing to, and the low regard you show for, our profession by your link to Eil’s article “Speak the Language” in the Washington Post. First, ... more »
RheeFirst! » Teacher (and victim of StudentsFirst’s Change.org petition scam) to Michelle Rhee– “please don’t count me as one of your supporters”
RheeFirst! » Teacher (and victim of StudentsFirst’s Change.org petition scam) to Michelle Rhee– “please don’t count me as one of your supporters”: Teacher (and victim of StudentsFirst’s Change.org petition scam) to Michelle Rhee– “please don’t count me as one of your supporters” by admin Written by Christal Watts for her blog. Read the entire post here. “*Somehow I accidentally signed Michelle Rhee’s stupid petition on Change.org. This is the e-mail letter I received from her organization today. When I went to the “StudentFirst” facebook page to post a comment, I came to discover ... more »
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, June 13, 2012
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, California] Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Education Headlines *Wednesday, June 13, 2012* Norris superintendent to retireWallace "Wally" McCormick, 12-year superintendent of Norris School District -- one of the highest achieving districts in Kern County -- will retire at the end of July. Thieves steal Linden High cherry cropTo the high school students, the 50 or more cherry trees and their bounty represent effort, diligence and hands-on experience. To thieves, it was an easy mark. Teacher, janitor hav... more »
Oakland Parents and Teachers Are Sitting-in to Keep Neighborhood Schools Open! | Dailycensored.com
Oakland Parents and Teachers Are Sitting-in to Keep Neighborhood Schools Open! | Dailycensored.com: Oakland Parents and Teachers Are Sitting-in to Keep Neighborhood Schools Open! by Danny Weil *“Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail. What you gain at one end you lose at the other. It’s like feeding a dog on his own tail. It won’t fatten the dog.” ~ Mark Twain* *At the end of this school year, the Oakland Unified School District plans to close 5 public elementary schools and hand children’s school buildings over to private charter schools and district admi... more »
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Pays for Survey that said She is Right (I'm Shocked))
Poll finds support for school reform: [image: Corporate Media = Corporate Lies] An educational survey, along with a new report on national high school graduation figures, is bound to have an effect on how residents throughout the commonwealth look at public education — both its funding and academic achievements. The poll, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies on request by StudentsFirst — a nationwide non-partisan, non-profit education reform think-tank founded in 2010 by former Washington, D.C., Education Chancellor Michelle Rhee — netted interesting results from its more than ... more »
Jonah Edelman: “Oops.” « Fred Klonsky
Jonah Edelman: “Oops.” « Fred Klonsky: Jonah Edelman: “Oops.” JUNE 11, 2012 Okay. Salt in the wound. But I can’t help myself. Here is the video of *Stand For Children’s* Jonah Edelman. *“The union cannot strike in Chicago. They will never be able to muster the 75 percent threshold needed to strike.’’*
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Richard Cordray, 6/5/12 | The White House
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Richard Cordray, 6/5/12 | The White House: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Richard Cordray, 6/5/12 by The White House James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 2:35 P.M. EDT MR. CARNEY: We apologize for the delay, but we are glad that you’re here and welcome you as ever to the briefing room for your daily briefing. As I think was advertised, I ha... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: WEA Files Challenge to 1240 Charter Initiative
Seattle Schools Community Forum: WEA Files Challenge to 1240 Charter Initiative: WEA Files Challenge to 1240 Charter Initiative by Melissa Westbrook The Washington Education Association has filed a challenge to the ballot title and summary for 1240, the charter school initiative. A hearing is set for tomorrow morning in Thurston County Superior Court. I don't know that the judge will actually rule on it tomorrow (Friday is the day the judge hears all motions so I don't know if there will be time.) The judge must rule within five days (and undoubtedly will be asked to hurry it as ... more »
Okaloosa County School Board Adopts Resolution Against High-Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings
Okaloosa County School Board Adopts Resolution Against High-Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings: Okaloosa County School Board Adopts Resolution Against High-Stakes Testing by Bob Sikes From Katie Tammen in the *Northwest Florida Daily News*: The two-page resolution highlights some of the issues the board has seen with standardized testing and requests officials not only reevaluate exams such as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test but also the national No Child Left Behind law, which places a lot of emphasis on standardized tests. “This problem is everyone’s fault,” board ... more »
California Files NCLB Waiver - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)
California Files NCLB Waiver - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): California Officially Files Waiver Seeking Relief From 'No Child Left Behind' Mandates SACRAMENTO—Supported by many of California's leading educators and school advocates, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and State Board of Education (SBE) President Michael Kirst today officially submitted California's request to set aside specified requirements of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as ‘No Child Left Behind.' California is requesting that the federal government allow the ... more »
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, June 15, 2012
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Point Reyes National Seashore* Education Headlines *Friday, June 15, 2012* Stockton USD may OK early start for LowderThe school board has scheduled a special meeting for 3 p.m. today that could result in moving up the starting day for incoming Superintendent Steve Lowder to Monday. The contract Lowder signed in April begins July 1. San Gabriel's superintendent pick drops outThe school board announced Tuesday that the candidate it unanimously selected and announced last month to fill the vacant superintendent position has declined t... more »
Geaux Teacher!: CHARTER ACCOUNTABILITY - AN OXYMORON
Geaux Teacher!: CHARTER ACCOUNTABILITY - AN OXYMORON: CHARTER ACCOUNTABILITY - AN OXYMORON by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT) I'm re-posting this blog by Dr. Diane Ravitch because the story is an example of the real-life problem with *TOO MANY *charters. The charter movement - which is simply a movement toward privatization of our public school system - has grown with such zeal and unregulated speed that * AUTONOMY*, touted as one of the major components of charters that allowed them to be "innovative," has become a negative rather than a positive. I have sat throu... more »
Nova High School’s Guatemala Social Justice Program | Seattle Education
Nova High School’s Guatemala Social Justice Program | Seattle Education: Nova High School’s Guatemala Social Justice Program by seattleducation2011 Support Nova High School’s *Guatemala Social Justice Travel Program* Saturday June 16th, 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM 2021 NE 75th St., Seattle In the home of Joe Szwaja, History teacher at Nova and coordinator of this social justice project. The students are asking for donations to help the ex-refugee community that they have linked up with. All donations will be greatly appreciated! • Great food, drink and Guatemalan Crafts • DVD’s and Photos Highl... more »
New 2011 API Reports - Academic Performance Index (CA Dept of Education)
API Reports - Academic Performance Index (CA Dept of Education): API ReportsPrintable state, county, district, and school level reports for the Academic Performance Index (API). ------------------------------ About Updates to Data School Reports - 2011 API school reports District Reports - 2011 API district reports County Reports - 2011 API county reports State Reports - 2011 API state reports About Updates to Data - Reports and data files are based on test results of the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program, the California... more »
Florida School Board Members Enraged at Robinson’s Attempt to Usurp Local Board Control | Scathing Purple Musings
Florida School Board Members Enraged at Robinson’s Attempt to Usurp Local Board Control | Scathing Purple Musings: Florida School Board Members Enraged at Robinson’s Attempt to Usurp Local Board Control by Bob Sikes Wow. More from *State Impact’s John O’C*onnor: Florida school board members say education commissioner Gerard Robinson issued a threat to local control during a lunchtime speech Thursday at the state association meeting in Tampa. Robinson told the Florida School Boards Association members they were free to oppose the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, but they we... more »
Reading, Pennsylvania: Poorest U.S. City Loses Pre-Kindergarten, 170 Teachers
Reading, Pennsylvania: Poorest U.S. City Loses Pre-Kindergarten, 170 Teachers: Reading, Pennsylvania: Poorest U.S. City Loses Pre-Kindergarten, 170 Teachers by Joy Resmovits [image: Joy Resmovits's Profile Picture]Joy Resmovits Joy.resmovits@huffingtonpost.com Eighth-grader Selena Karner lined up in her Reading, Pa., middle school auditorium last week to receive an award for language arts. But during what would normally be a joyous moment for her teachers, educators were crying in the audience. Many were absent. Teachers were less than joyous for the awards ceremony because 11... more »
LAUSD'S BOY - STATE SENATOR ALEX PADILLA AND AB 1530 - Perdaily.com
LAUSD'S BOY - STATE SENATOR ALEX PADILLA AND AB 1530 - Perdaily.com: LAUSD'S BOY - STATE SENATOR ALEX PADILLA AND AB 1530 by Leonard Isenberg [image: Alex Padilla1.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)* *The thesis of Naomi Klein's book The Shock Doctrine is that if you scare people enough they will allow government to trample on their civil rights or the rights of others based on the belief that this will make us safe. The irony is that what the shock doctrine more accurately describes is a world where ... more »
Teaching English at Las Montanas: A “Good” Lesson? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Teaching English at Las Montanas: A “Good” Lesson? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Teaching English at Las Montanas: A “Good” Lesson? by larrycuban Ms. Sandy Demeter sat at her desk in the front of the room as the 27 ninth grade students filed in English 1 before the tardy buzzer sounds. Desks were arranged in clusters of three facing the teacher and whiteboards. Demeter’s laptop sat next to the LCD projector. According to Learning Materials Center records (a.k.a.the library), she often brought her class there to work on projects with their laptops or 25-plu... more »
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Offers Democrats Campaign Money/"Ed Reform" Expertise, They Refuse | K-12 News Network
Michelle Rhee Offers Democrats Campaign Money/"Ed Reform" Expertise, They Refuse | K-12 News Network: Michelle Rhee Offers Democrats Campaign Money/”Ed Reform” Expertise, They Refuse by admin One of the first things Michelle Rhee’s group, StudentsFirstNY, did upon launching in that state was approach Democratic Congressional candidate Hakeem Jeffries (NY-CD8) and offer him a six-figure, unregulated, third party donation to his campaign. They probably thought Jeffries was an easy mark, given the positions he’s taken in the past urging that New York City open itself up to more char... more »
This Week In Education: Thompson: Mike Petrilli's Strangely Combative Truce Proposal
This Week In Education: Thompson: Mike Petrilli's Strangely Combative Truce Proposal: Thompson: Mike Petrilli's Strangely Combative Truce Proposal by john thompson [image: Tlsn2a]@drjohnthompson It is no surprise that Mike Petrilli's otherwise excellent post,How to Push for Reform without Alienating Teachers,included a paragraph with a boilerplate attack on teachers. His short, combative paragraph ends with the misstatement that teachers and our champions want to, "stop measuring teachers’ contributions to student achievement gains." That is the way that political battles are fo... more »
Father of High-Stakes Testing, Paul Vallas, now opposes them Parents United for Responsible Education
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Father of High-Stakes Testing, Paul Vallas, now opposes them: Father of High-Stakes Testing, Paul Vallas, now opposes them by admin Reuters reports that former Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Paul Vallas thinks end-of-year assessments are “not useful” and that it’s “a big mistake” to use them for high-stakes purposes. Well, he needs to apologize to about 125,000 Chicago Public School students who have been flunked because of the high-stakes testing policy he started in 1996 as CPS CEO. And maybe his “education ... more »
NYC Public School Parents: Carol Burris' testimony on the current testing regime
NYC Public School Parents: Carol Burris' testimony on the current testing regime: Carol Burris' testimony on the current testing regime by Leonie Haimson *On Monday, the NYS Senate held hearings on testing. Here is the testimony of Carol Burris, LI principal and one of the co-authors of the principals' letter to Commissioner King.* Dear Senator Flanagan: I would like to thank you for holding a public hearing on the evolution of student assessments. It is vitally important that we think long and hard about the role of assessments, the quality of assessments, the learning we wish t... more »
OMG (literally) Evangelist Luis Palau pokes fun at Mayor Johnson for Marrying Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee
The Modesto Bee | City Beat: Evangelist Luis Palau pokes fun at Mayor Johnson - and gets away with it: Posted on Tue, Jun. 12, 2012 Evangelist Luis Palau pokes fun at Mayor Johnson - and gets away with itCity Beat: Evangelist Luis Palau pokes fun at Mayor Johnson - and gets away with itBy Ryan Lillisrlillis@sacbee.com last updated: June 12, 2012 02:05:58 PM [image: Evangelist Luis Palau addresses members of Bayside Church in Roseville on Sunday. The nationally known religious broadcaster announced that the largest regionwide spiritual revival in nearly two decades would be held ... more »
Schools Matter: Pearson's Anti-Social Use of Social Media
Schools Matter: Pearson's Anti-Social Use of Social Media: Pearson's Anti-Social Use of Social Media by Jim Horn FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE District of Columbia, District of Columbia, United States of America ( Free-Press-Release.com) June 9, 2012 -- Educators, parents, and education activists from around the country cried foul as Pearson, the largest private provider of education-related products and services, blocked educators from voicing their opinion on Pearson’s new website, Parents, Kids, and Testing. The site was part of a campaign created by Pearson to offset its growing wave of... more »
The Educated Reporter: A Troubling Time Capsule: JFK On The State Of Education
The Educated Reporter: A Troubling Time Capsule: JFK On The State Of Education: A Troubling Time Capsule: JFK On The State Of Education by Emily Richmond In his commencement speech at San Diego State College, the President of the United States covered unsurprising territory in describing the challenges facing the nation’s public schools – inequities for minority students, a high dropout rate, and the need for better teacher training. What might be surprising is that the president was John F. Kennedy, and he was addressing the class of 1963. “Our current education programs, much a... more »
New education standards end rote learning, cursive
New education standards end rote learning, cursive: New education standards end rote learning, cursive Jill Tucker Monday, June 11, 2012 ------------------------------ PrintE-mailShareComments (33)Font | Size: ------------------------------ 28 Michael Short / Special to the Chronicle Third-graders practice cursive writing at Encompass Academy in East Oakland. Cursive writing and repetitive learning are not priorities under a new set of national education standards offered to states. IMAGES[image: Third-graders practice cursive writing at Encompass Acade...][image: A student looks at ... more »
Does Common Core Encourage War? | History News Network
Does Common Core Encourage War? | History News Network: Does Common Core Encourage War? - [image: share] - By Alan Singer *6-11-12* Alan Singer is a historian and Professor of Secondary Education at Hofstra University, author of "New York and Slavery: Time to Teach the Truth" (Albany, NY: SUNY Press, 2008), and editor of the New York and Slavery: Complicity and Resistance curriculum that received the 2005 National Council for the Social Studies program of excellence award. At the end of May, the Obama administration granted eight states, including New York, waivers from B... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Trying to follow the policy review project
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Trying to follow the policy review project: Trying to follow the policy review project by Charlie Mas The Seattle School Board has launched a big project to review and update all of their policies. Phase I of this process is complete - they have renumbered the policies to conform to WSSDA conventions, they have added some non-controversial policies that other districts typically have but Seattle was missing, they deleted some non-controversial superfluous policies, and they have done some work to thoughtfully re-write the governance policies (seri... more »
President Obama Honors Outstanding Math and Science Teachers | The White House
President Obama Honors Outstanding Math and Science Teachers | The White House: President Obama Honors Outstanding Math and Science Teachers by The White House WASHINGTON, DC -- President Obama today named 97 mathematics and science teachers as recipients of the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The educators will receive their awards in Washington, DC later this month. The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is awarded annually to outstanding K-12 science and mathematics teachers from across the c... more »
Dissent Magazine - Spring 2012 Issue - Hired Guns on Astrotur...
Dissent Magazine - Spring 2012 Issue - Hired Guns on Astrotur...: Hired Guns on Astroturf: How to Buy and Sell School Reform By Joanne Barkan *For Barkan’s other writing on the self-proclaimed “education reform movement,” clickhere, here, and here.* If you want to change government policy, change the politicians who make it. The implications of this truism have now taken hold in the market-modeled “education reform movement.” As a result, the private funders and nonprofit groups that run the movement have overhauled their strategy. They’ve gone political as never before—like the Na... more »
U.S. Department of Education Previews RTT4
*U.S. Department of Education Previews RTT4* * *
CTU Has Enough Votes for Strike: Sources | NBC Chicago
CTU Has Enough Votes for Strike: Sources | NBC Chicago: CTU Has Enough Votes for Strike: Sources More than 90 percent of teachers give OK to work stoppage, multiples sources tell NBC Chicago By Mary Ann Ahern| Saturday, Jun 9, 2012 | Updated 4:33 AM CDT [image: CTU Has Enough Votes for Strike: Sources] Chicago teachers have shown their solidarity in massive numbers. More than 90 percent of teachers have given the OK for a work stoppage, multiple sources told NBC Chicago. That number is well above the 75 percent needed, by law, to authorize a strike. Chicago Teachers Union spokesm... more »
Stand for Children, Chicago Public Schools and the teachers union | Seattle Education
Stand for Children, Chicago Public Schools and the teachers union | Seattle Education: Stand for Children, Chicago Public Schools and the teachers union by seattleducation2011 *More and more people are beginning to see the correlation between the agenda of Stand for Children and the push for the privatization of our public school systems as is taking place in the state of Washington.* *To follow is an article A Long Time Comin’: Chicago Teachers Strike Authorization Vote Begins Today posted in Gapers Block that brings it together:* By Ramsin Canon Beginning today, over 20,000 Chic... more »
An Urban Teacher's Education: On Teaching and Learning With High School Freshmen
An Urban Teacher's Education: On Teaching and Learning With High School Freshmen: On Teaching and Learning With High School Freshmen by James Boutin This is the first year I've taught freshman since the 2006-2007 school year (my first year teaching), and it's been challenging. My big learning this year has been about how 14-year-olds think and how to create experiences that expand their learning. I'm afraid the older I get, the more difficult it is for me to remember and appreciate what's happening in their heads. When you enter high school for the first time, the experience is a... more »
Daily Kos: Does Tone Matter in the Education Reform Debate?
Daily Kos: Does Tone Matter in the Education Reform Debate?: Does Tone Matter in the Education Reform Debate? from plthomasEdD by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) While shoddy arguments remain the target of freshman composition professors in colleges and universities across the U.S., *ad hominem* attacks, cherry-picking data, strawman arguments, either/or claims, and sweeping generalizations have become the norm in the education reform debate maintaining momentum in both the mainstream and new media. Recently, Ken Libby prompted a Twitter debate concerning the tone of arguments comin...more »
Merit Pay for Teachers? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Bribe! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!
Merit Pay for Teachers? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Bribe! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!: Merit Pay for Teachers? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Bribe! by Oldschoolteach COMING SOON? And you know they would! [image: :)] Merit pay, how realistic is it that our pay could actually be tied to test scores? Very realistic! What is merit pay? *Noun :extra pay awarded to an employee on the basis of merit (especially to school teachers)* What “think tank” thought up this idea, maybe the same one that stated that smaller class size doesn’t matter? I am amazed by what people (non-educators) c... more »
Hudson Reporter - Charter school employees to lose retirement benefits Hoboken JC schools protest possible pension losses
Hudson Reporter - Charter school employees to lose retirement benefits Hoboken JC schools protest possible pension losses: Charter school employees to lose retirement benefits? *Hoboken, JC schools protest possible pension losses* byStephen LaMarca *Reporter Staff Writer* Jun 10, 2012 | 229 views | 0 [image: 0 comments] | 2 [image: 2 recommendations] | [image: email to a friend] | [image: print] [image: The Hoboken Charter School (HCS) passed a resolution opposing the draft IRS regulation.] view slideshow (2 images) Several Hudson County charter schools have joined the effort to oppo... more »
This Teacher Knows How to Game the GRS Bracelet « Diane Ravitch's blog
This Teacher Knows How to Game the GRS Bracelet « Diane Ravitch's blog: This Teacher Knows How to Game the GRS Bracelet by dianerav This teacher sent a comment; he or she has figured it out. If the galvanic response skin bracelet will give teachers a high effectiveness rating when students are excited, there is an easy way to game the system and fool the bracelet: *Can this galvanic contraption distinguish between different types of excitement? Sometimes a beautiful new female student joins my class and the young men are visibly excited–about the girl, but not about my thrilling e... more »