Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-7-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."

A Big Education Ape Nite Cap



Parent to Pearson: Let My Child Learn

I received the following comment from a parent. There are all too few opportunities for parent voices to be heard.
One such space is the website www.parentvoicesny.org
I am glad to provide the opportunity for this parent to express frustration at the way that standardized testing and data-driven instruction have overtaken teaching and learning.
“As both a parent and an educator, I am keenly attuned to the issue of standardized testing and am absolutely appalled at how it seems to have become the epicenter of instructional decision making. Last week, I learned that a Pearson field test for ELA would be given in my son’s third grade classroom so I contacted the principal to inquire about the protocol for boycotting this test. I was advised to keep my son home from school as the directive from the state was that if the child was present, it was required that he be given the test. The principal advised me that the test would be given first thing in the morning on Wednesday, June 6 and that I could safely assume that it would be done by 10:30 AM at which time I could bring him to school. As per these suggestions, 

Parents Across America in the News

PAA Action News
This is from the Parents Across America Newsletter that is issued every week. If you would like to receive this, e-mail PAAnews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and request a subscription.
Issue # 12
June 7, 2012
Information and action for parents coming together to strengthen our public schools.
More at www.parentsacrossamerica.org.
PAA Action Alert
Help save class size reduction funds!
The US Senate may vote as early as Tuesday next week on  the Obama administration’s proposal to cut more than $600M in Title II funds now used for class size reduction, and to re-allocated this money to competitive grants for “teacher quality” that could be given to organizations like Teach for America, which puts inexperienced 

Pearson and Social Media: Tell Them What You Think

It is our job to disrupt the discourse, change the narrative and tell the world what is really happening to public education and the teaching profession.  We don’t negotiate. Please join our campaign and boycott those who profit off the … MORE

“Did You Ever Grow Anything In The Garden Of Your Mind?” — Great PBS Remix Of Mister Rogers

PBS just released this wonderful remix of Mister Rogers:

Ed Week Publishes Major Report On Latino Students

Education Week has just published a “must-read” series of articles on Latinos’ School Success: A Work in Progress.
Here’s how Lesli A. Maxwell at the Learning The Language blog describes it:
There’s a piece that takes a close look at how the immigration law in Alabama has affected the Mexican immigrant community in and around the small community of Foley, especially the students and the educators at 

Geaux Teacher!: MORE LEGAL PROBLEMS FOR LDOE

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Geaux Teacher!: MORE LEGAL PROBLEMS FOR LDOE: MORE LEGAL PROBLEMS FOR LDOE by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT) Teachers announced today that they have filed a lawsuit through the Louisiana Federation of Teachers against the Department of Education and BESE questioning the constitutionality of the legislative process that gave us HB 976 and HB 974. Another statewide group of teachers issued a press release reminding us that the Louisiana Association of Educators previously filed a lawsuit alleging a miscaluclation in the Minimum Foundation Program funding. It would s... more »

Parents from PAA-CT testify vs. high-stakes testing « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Parents from PAA-CT testify vs. high-stakes testing « Parents Across America: Parents from PAA-CT testify vs. high-stakes testing by wendy lecker Connecticut is currently in the process of developing a new statewide teacher evaluation system. The proposed system originally called for 22.5% of every teacher’s evaluation to be based on standardized tests, despite the overwhelming evidence that basing teacher evaluations on standardized tests is completely unreliable, and despite the fact that currently in Connecticut, not all subjects or grades have standardized tests. Thus, the pr... more »

Calif. Schools Try Out A Gentler Form Of Discipline : NPR

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Calif. Schools Try Out A Gentler Form Of Discipline : NPR: Calif. Schools Try Out A Gentler Form Of Discipline [image: A gavel rests in a makeshift courtroom at Richmond High School in Richmond, Calif. The local school district has cut the number of student suspensions in half in six years by adopting a youth court program and other new discipline methods.] by ROBYN GEE Each school year, more than 700,000 California students — predominantly black and Latino — are suspended or expelled. Robert, a talkative sixth-grader in the city of Richmond, has been suspended three times from his...more »

Geaux Teacher!: Superintendent White DEFAMES TEACHERS!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Geaux Teacher!: Superintendent White DEFAMES TEACHERS!: Superintendent White DEFAMES TEACHERS! by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT) So the Superintendent, in a knee jerk reaction, takes a pot shot at the Louisiana Federation of Teachers upon its filing of a lawsuit on behalf of qualified certified educators that brings into question the constitutionality of legislation that affects not only every child in the state of Louisiana but every citizen. One has to question the legal implications of his making this latest defammatory if not outright libelous attack in its bl... more »

Brandishing pineapples, parents and students target Pearson | GothamSchools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Brandishing pineapples, parents and students target Pearson | GothamSchools: Brandishing pineapples, parents and students target Pearsonby Rose D'souza, at 4:48 pm Parents and children rally against the field testing. Weeks of awareness-raising by groups alarmed by an extra round of state tests this year culminated in a mass protest against the test-maker’s Midtown headquarters today. The parents and children who attended the rally came from some of the 61 elementary and middle schools where anti-testing activists said families were boycotting “field tests” from Pearson, which beg... more »

Last brat. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Last brat. « Fred Klonsky: Last brat. by Fred Klonsky When I changed schools fifteen years ago the two other male teachers in my new building, the custodian and I began a tradition. On the final records day of the year – the day before the last day – a day with no students in the building – we would cook brats for the rest of the staff. Now for you coastal folks, let me explain. Wisconsin bratwurst are made special. First you cook them in beer and onions. Then they go on the grill just long enough to char the outside. Then into a bun (buttered in some parts of the state to the nort... more »

http://www.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Uncle Mike Bloomberg Condones Test Cheating by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) The Crack Team will like to welcome a guest blogger who has decided to share their opinion on the subject of testing, and the requisite cheating, and the future cheating shit storm (we ain't seen nothing yet!), associated with testing. All I can tell you of this person is that I know this person is a person of integrity and extremely, extremely high up in the DOE. I wish I could write as well and as lucid as today's guest blogger has. I agree with the points 100%. Ke... more »

Steve Monaghan Sues Bobby Jindal, Draws Fire From School Reform Folks

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Steve Monaghan Sues Bobby Jindal, Draws Fire From School Reform Folks: Steve Monaghan Sues Bobby Jindal, Draws Fire From School Reform FolksPosted by: MacAoidh on Thursday, June 7, 2012, 14:30[image: courage under fire flame graphic] Tagged with: Bobby Jindal Education Legal system Unions It was a surprise neither that the Louisiana Federation of Teachers would sue the state over the educational reform package passed in the recently-completed legislative session nor that the suit would come within days of that session’s end. So when the LFT launched their latest attack on ... more »

Grassroots or astroturf? Parents, be aware! « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Grassroots or astroturf? Parents, be aware! « Parents Across America: Grassroots or astroturf? Parents, be aware! by pureparents Here’s just one example of the trickery that “reform” groups like Parent Revolution use to promote their school privatization agenda, from PAA-Florida’s Rita Solnet. Shirley Ford, a Parent Revolution organizer, while testifying to the Florida Senate Committee on its proposed “Parent Engagement” (parent trigger) bill, said that Parent Revolution was a grassroots group. Later, under questioning, Ms. Ford was forced to elaborate on her precise role with ... more »

Livestream is ON! ALEC’s Influence on State Legislatures and What We Can Do About It - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Livestream is ON! ALEC’s Influence on State Legislatures and What We Can Do About It - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard: [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] Livestream is ON! ALEC’s Influence on State Legislatures and What We Can Do About It Jun 7th, 2012 by Lily. Whose Law Is It Anyway? ALEC’s Influence on State Legislatures and What We Can Do About It The American Legislative Exchange Council has been behind virtually every major right-wing state law in the past two years, including union-busting, teacher-bashing, voter suppression, attacks on immigrants, privati... more »

The Quinn and Madigan plan will drive teachers into poverty. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
The Quinn and Madigan plan will drive teachers into poverty. « Fred Klonsky: The Quinn and Madigan plan will drive teachers into poverty. by Fred Klonsky [image: Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan] Reports coming out of the meetings in Springfield between Illinois’ top political leaders resembles a falling out among thieves. Senate President John Cullerton, Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno and House Minority Leader Tom Cross want quick action on a bill that would reduce teacher benefits including cost of living adjustments. Cullerton already pushed a bill through the Il... more »

Deconstructing JindalCo’s voucher defense - The Independent Weekly

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Deconstructing JindalCo’s voucher defense - The Independent Weekly: Deconstructing JindalCo’s voucher defense 1 Written by Walter Pierce Thursday, June 07, 2012 Diane Ravitch, a New York University professor, education historian, author and outspoken critic of the recently adopted Louisiana Scholarship Program, otherwise known as the voucher program, blasts state Superintendent John White in her latest blog entry, which was picked up by The Washington Post — an indication that Gov. Bobby Jindal’s “bold” plan for privatizing public education in the Bayou State is getting the critic... more »

Billionaires buy Wisconsin recall election for Scott Walker - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Billionaires buy Wisconsin recall election for Scott Walker - latimes.com: Billionaires buy Wisconsin recall election for Scott Walker - [image: print] - Comments 256 - Email Share - - - [image: Billionaires buy Scott Walker a win in Wisconsin] How billionaires spent their money way back when ... and how they spend it now. (David Horsey /June 6, 2012) Related photos » - ALSO - [image: Top of the Ticket cartoons]Photos: Top of the Ticket cartoons - [image: America's political divide is turning into a chasm]America's political divide is t... more »

Teacher Performance Assessment and Pearson: Just Opt Out | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Teacher Performance Assessment and Pearson: Just Opt Out | United Opt Out National: Teacher Performance Assessment and Pearson: Just Opt Out by admin This week United Opt Out National stands in solidarity with the UMass teacher educators and the sixty-seven student teachers at UMass Amherst School of Education who together chose to boycott the Teacher Performance Assessment field test via Pearson. Barbara Madeloni, lecturer at UMass and one of the teacher educators who joined the boycott, has recently been told that her contract will not be renewed. Today we share an interview wit... more »

JP School Board votes to drop teacher union contracts - New Orleans Local News, Weather, Sports, Investigations

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
JP School Board votes to drop teacher union contracts - New Orleans Local News, Weather, Sports, Investigations: JP School Board votes to drop teacher union contracts *Updated: Jun 06, 2012 8:31 PM PDT* Written by: Natasha Robin - email [image: Angry teachers at the JP School Board meeting]Angry teachers at the JP School Board meeting Jefferson Parish, La. - Teachers who showed up to the Jefferson Parish School Board meeting ended their night in tears. As soon as the vote came down, there was an outburst in the courtyard. Teachers chanted "shame on you" to the school board m... more »

Try parent visits, not parent takeovers of schools - Class Struggle - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Try parent visits, not parent takeovers of schools - Class Struggle - The Washington Post: Try parent visits, not parent takeovers of schools By Jay Mathews A modest program in Missouri — similar to one in the District — has found a way to help parents improve their children’s education. But nobody is paying much attention. Instead, something called the parent trigger, the hottest parent program going, has gotten laws passed in four states even though it has had zero effect on achievement. The Missouri program, the Teacher Home Visit Program or HOME WORKS!, trains and organizes t... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, June 7, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: FCMAT] Education Headlines *Thursday, June 7, 2012* Norris, Taft school bond measures remain close callsRepresentatives behind Kern's two school bond measures are watching closely the results of the roughly 20,000 provisional ballots left to be counted from Tuesday's election. That's because one percentage point -- just a few hundred votes -- means the difference between Norris and Taft City school districts' measures failing or passing. Lucky lottery ticket led outgoing Camarillo superintendent to educationWere it not fo... more »

There Has Never Been a Female Zuckerberg, Jobs, or Gates - Dana Goldstein

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
There Has Never Been a Female Zuckerberg, Jobs, or Gates - Dana Goldstein: There Has Never Been a Female Zuckerberg, Jobs, or Gates by Dana Goldstein One of my personal educational regrets is that I never took a computer programming course. So I really enjoyed reporting this Slate piece on what schools and parents can do to hook girls early on the kind of "computational thinking" that can help them succeed in high-tech careers. Currently, women hold fewer than one-third of American computer science jobs. The effects of this gender gap reach far beyond whether women are building ... more »

No Teach for America in Renton | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
No Teach for America in Renton | Seattle Education: No Teach for America in Renton by seattleducation2011 This is my take on the story. I was involved with this because a friend of mine is a teacher in the Renton School District and I followed it from the time the teachers in Renton, Washington got word that the superintendent was to bring to the board a recommendation to hire Teach for America, Inc. (TFA, Inc.) recruits for the following school year. The teachers received word the Friday before the school board meeting when this proposal would be presented by Superintendent Mary A... more »

WHY PUBLIC OPINION HAS TURNED AGAINST TEACHERS « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
WHY PUBLIC OPINION HAS TURNED AGAINST TEACHERS « Teachers Fight Back: WHY PUBLIC OPINION HAS TURNED AGAINST TEACHERS by alkleen I was listening to a call in radio show yesterday and the topic was Chicago teachers and their current voting whether or not to authorize a strike. The majority of callers were very angry with the teachers and extremely frustrated by the teachers’ demands. That was typical of a fairly recent phenomenon in which public opinion has turned against teachers. I’ve written before about the reasons for this, but I now think I have uncovered the primary reason. I... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Technology in Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Technology in Education: Technology in Education by Anngie Among the many education reform measures is the call for increased technology in the classroom. To most people this means things like more computers and Smart boards. In extreme cases it means iPads for all the kindergarteners. Of course hardware is only one aspect of technology. Software is the driving force for the actual education and there is no shortage of companies vying for that business. In some sense it is the wild west of education, unsettled and barely regulated. It is a field ripe fo... more »

Shanker Blog » The Landmark Case Of Us V. Them

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Shanker Blog » The Landmark Case Of Us V. Them: The Landmark Case Of Us V. Them by Matthew Di Carlo Patrick Riccards, CEO of the education advocacy group ConnCAN, has published a short piece on his personal blog in which he decries the “vicious and fact-free attacks” in education debates. The post lists a bunch of “if/then” statements to illustrate how market-based reform policy positions are attacked on personal grounds, such as, “If one provides philanthropic support to improve public schools, then one must be a profiteer looking to make personal fortunes off public education.” ... more »

Lily in the “Ring of Fire” @ Netroots - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Lily in the “Ring of Fire” @ Netroots - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard: Lily in the “Ring of Fire” @ Netroots Jun 7th, 2012 by LilysBlackboard. Netroots Nation 2012 is here! Check out this quick pic from Providence as Lily talked with Sam Seder from Ring of Fire Radio about the implications of the Wisconsin vote, public education and how corporate interests with “an avalanche of money” are trying to destroy the middle class and the institutions that represent them. Lily pointed out that despite how some progressives are painting the Wisconsin vote as a great loss, they are o... more »

We Cannot Be Deterred « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
We Cannot Be Deterred « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: We Cannot Be Deterred by millerlf *Big Money had a victory and democracy was set back on November 5th. **But how we respond will define our character and our children’s future. This cannot immobilize us or deter us. New battles are looming.* * We Are Not Going Away* Walker’s Republican campaign outspent Barrett’s Democratic campaign by $30.5 million to $4 million — that’s a 7.5 to 1 advantage. Another way of saying this is that of the $34.5 million spent on their campaigns, Walker spent 88% of the money. Walker be... more »

Jeb Bush Praises Obama, Duncan on Education Policy | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Jeb Bush Praises Obama, Duncan on Education Policy | Scathing Purple Musings: Jeb Bush Praises Obama, Duncan on Education Policy by Bob Sikes From *CBS News*: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush sure looks like a politician who is not running for office. In a wide-ranging interview with Charlie Rose for “CBS This Morning,” Bush offered some light praise for President Obama and said he thinks Republicans should be willing to raise revenue to get the deficit down. The brother of the Mr. Obama’s predecessor noted that Mr. Obama had chosen the head of the Chicago public school system, Arne ...more »

Presidential Memorandum--Improving Repayment Options for Federal Student Loan Borrowers | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Presidential Memorandum--Improving Repayment Options for Federal Student Loan Borrowers | The White House: Presidential Memorandum--Improving Repayment Options for Federal Student Loan Borrowers by The White House June 7, 2012 MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY SUBJECT: Improving Repayment Options for Federal Student Loan Borrowers More individuals than ever before are using student loans to finance college. Nearly two-thirds of college graduates borrow to pay for college, with an average debt upon graduation of about $26,300. While a college ... more »

Who Will Take the Blame? « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Who Will Take the Blame? « Diane Ravitch's blog: Who Will Take the Blame? by dianerav I wrote earlier today about clueless policymakers who think they are helping struggling students by raising standards. They believe fervently that the students will try harder and get higher test scores if the passing mark is raised. A reader responded: *A similar policy is being rolled out in LAUSD. The total number of credits needed for graduation have been reduced so that students can retake and retake courses they have failed. However, the stakes are even higher because a “D” is no longe... more »

*Parents in 59 Schools Boycott Field Tests for High-Stakes Exams:* *Fed Up With Over-Testing, Parents Protest at Pearson Headquarters for Child Abuse- Parents say less testing moer teaching | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
*Parents in 59 Schools Boycott Field Tests for High-Stakes Exams:* *Fed Up With Over-Testing, Parents Protest at Pearson Headquarters for Child Abuse- Parents say less testing moer teaching | Dailycensored.com: *Parents in 59 Schools Boycott Field Tests for High-Stakes Exams:* *Fed Up With Over-Testing, Parents Protest at Pearson Headquarters for Child Abuse- Parents say less testing moer teaching by Danny Weil The British corporate child abusers, Pearson Inc., are intent on turning schools into laboratories and labyrynths for testing kids. Stealing childhood is nothing to these... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm: Don't vote. STFU and do what you're told.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm: Don't vote. STFU and do what you're told.: Rahm: Don't vote. STFU and do what you're told. by Mike Klonsky *"What do the mayor and Brizard expect the teachers to do? Shut up and do what they’re told to do? You got it."* -- Walter Jacobson, CBS News Chicago They say, opinions are like rear ends. Everybody's got one. Here lately, it's all about whether or not teachers should take a strike authorization vote, which of course, they are already doing. CTU members are voting before the summer break, not to strike, but to give their union the author... more »

Gulen (Or Not) Charter Schools in the News « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Gulen (Or Not) Charter Schools in the News « Diane Ravitch's blog: Gulen (Or Not) Charter Schools in the News by dianerav Three charter schools in Georgia affiliated with followers of Turkish cleric Fetullah Gulen defaulted on bonds and were subject to public audit. The audit revealed, according to the New York Times, that “the schools improperly granted hundreds of thousands of dollars in contracts to businesses and groups, many of them with ties to the Gulen movement.” The schools used public funds to purchase a variety of goods and services from organizations with ties to scho... more »

The Facts: Poverty Does Matter | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
The Facts: Poverty Does Matter | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: The Facts: Poverty Does Matter by Cheryl S. Williams Shortly after I wrote a blog post in late April about the data showing the effect of poverty on student academic achievement, I received an article from *OnlineUniversities.com* listing and describing the ten poorest high schools in the United States. The data sadly correlates the level of poverty and student achievement in a manner that is in line with the data Stanford University has gathered through years of research around contributing fac... more »

This Week In Education: Thompson: The Gates Foundation's Belated Evolution

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
This Week In Education: Thompson: The Gates Foundation's Belated Evolution: Thompson: The Gates Foundation's Belated Evolution by john thompson [image: 5371034806_8663520ab4]After watching the Melinda Gates interview on the PBS NewsHour, and Diane Ravitch's rebuttal, I better understand how the Gates Foundation, and its allies, have gone wrong. I suspect these reformers would disagree as to whether education as a whole is broken, but certainly schools are failing to undo the legacies of generational poverty and trauma. I don't see how anyone can deny that there has been a systema...more »

Paul Vallas Has Been, And Is Going To Be, Very Busy - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Paul Vallas Has Been, And Is Going To Be, Very Busy - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News: Paul Vallas Has Been, And Is Going To Be, Very Busy by Jonathan Kantrowitz *Vallas Group Debuts Turnaround System with Cambium Learning - Joint Venture Vows ‘No School Turned Away’ -* [image: Nationally known education reform leader, Paul Vallas]Cambium Learning® Group, the nation’s leading educational provider focused primarily on serving the needs of at-risk and special student populations, announced an exclusive partnership with The Vallas Group, Inc. to bring nationally known education... more »

Schools Matter: Lawbreaking and Open Corruption Sewer at NJ DOE

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Schools Matter: Lawbreaking and Open Corruption Sewer at NJ DOE: Lawbreaking and Open Corruption Sewer at NJ DOE by Jim Horn New Jersey state politics has long enjoyed a reputation for corruption, second only to Louisiana, perhaps. Now it would seem that Chris Christie's henchmen like Acting Ed Commish, Chris Cerf, may be able to move Jersey into first place. Cerf's open contempt for state laws governing education policy seems to be his strong suit, although a case could be made that his embedded linkages with the corporate school industry appear even more prominent. Cerf's mos... more »

Overview Schedule for Netroots Nation 2012.| Netroots Nation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Overview Schedule | Netroots Nation: [image: logo] Overview Schedule STREAMING @ NN12 WATCH LIVE! Below is an overview schedule for Netroots Nation 2012. To view the individual panels, trainings and screening sessions, check out our full agenda. Planning your own event? Submit it to be included in AFT’s AFTer Party list. You can also view the list as it comes together. Wednesday, June 6, 2012*8 a.m. to 6 p.m.*Netroots Connect events*Noon to 6 p.m.*Community and Exhibit Hall move-in*2 to 6 p.m.*Registration desk open ------------------------------ Thursday, June 7, 2012*7 a.m. to 7 ... more »

Schools Matter: Will UN Be Able to Close MA Torture School Known as the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Schools Matter: Will UN Be Able to Close MA Torture School Known as the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center?: Will UN Be Able to Close MA Torture School Known as the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center? by Jim Horn This story has to be the greatest of all local shames to any Massachusetts citizen who is not accepting some of the millions in hush money from the torture center known as the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center. At left is a photo of a child wearing the torture device. Here are some of the details of this horrendous procedure of manually shocking students who misbehave: ... more »

California primaries show Democratic divide on education | Reuters

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
California primaries show Democratic divide on education | Reuters: *California primaries show Democratic divide on education* [image: DFER Fake Democrats for Education Privatization (click on Picture)] IT IS A RULE: YOU CAN'T BE AGAINST PEOPLE AND FOR CORPORATIONS AND CALL YOURSELF A DEMOCRAT...EVER! (Reuters) - Democratic candidates backed by teachers unions narrowly lost on Tuesday in two California state assembly primary races that highlighted a bitter split in the Democratic Party over education policy. The most contentious race was in Assembly District 46, a heavily Democr... more »

When Policymakers Are Clueless « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
When Policymakers Are Clueless « Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] When Policymakers Are Clueless by dianerav Over the past decade of mayor control in New York City, the newly established Department of Education has had a free hand to do whatever it wanted with the city’s 1.1 million students, free of any concern about the reaction of parents, teachers, principals, or the public. One reform after another has rolled out of City Hall, after Mayor Bloomberg or Chancellor Klein or someone else got a new idea or had a conversation at a dinner p... more »

The Florida Flip-Flop Undermines Test Credibility - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
The Florida Flip-Flop Undermines Test Credibility - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: The Florida Flip-Flop Undermines Test Credibility by Anthony Cody Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody We are relying on the results of standardized tests for ever more consequential decisions. Students are promoted or held back, teachers are hired or fired, public schools are closed, and soon our schools of education will rated, ranked and have their funding depend on the scores of the students taught by their graduates. Since the tests have so much riding on them, they are getting gr... more »

Travels in Education - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Travels in Education - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Travels in Education by Deborah Meier Dear Diane, When you read this, I'll be in South Africa; maybe already at the university in Bloemfontein. That wonderful evening in your honor will be over. Did you enjoy it? I have done very little research about education in South Africa. Mostly I prepare for trips by reading novels and recalling stories from history—including myths—that I read over the years. Naturally, that led me to traveling mostly in England and Western Europe. Then South America. But in the last decade I've... more »

The Innovative Educator: Parents & Teachers Tell Pearson What They Think About Their Attempt to Demystify Testing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
The Innovative Educator: Parents & Teachers Tell Pearson What They Think About Their Attempt to Demystify Testing: Parents & Teachers Tell Pearson What They Think About Their Attempt to Demystify Testing by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) Upset by what they claimed was misinformation and misperceptions permeated by media coverage, Pearson made a botched attempt to launch a social media campaign (see the *internal memo) to “demystify testing for parents.” * *Pearson employees spent the day censoring comments but as the 9 - 5ers left the office, parents and teachers came on duty t... more »

The ‘Wild Wild West’ of D.C. schools: A charter school parent’s view - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
The ‘Wild Wild West’ of D.C. schools: A charter school parent’s view - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] The ‘Wild Wild West’ of D.C. schools: A charter school parent’s view by Valerie Strauss This *was written by Allison Brown, a former trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section, and a parent. She founded an education consulting firm that works with school districts and schools to focus on federal compliance through equity and collaboration with students, parents, and communities. H... more »

Netroots Nation 2012: Lily, Livestreaming and so much more! - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Netroots Nation 2012: Lily, Livestreaming and so much more! - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard: [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] Netroots Nation 2012: Lily, Livestreaming and so much more! Jun 6th, 2012 by LilysBlackboard. We are back at Netroots Nation! And this year we have more great coverage that you can follow on the blog, conversations you can join and topics where we need your voice to be heard. You can also follow live and join the discussion atEducation Votes. Lily will be part of the opening keynote. [image: lily.eskelsen]Netroots Nation will kick off ... more »

Three Ways of Integrating Technology in Schools | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Three Ways of Integrating Technology in Schools | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Three Ways of Integrating Technology in Schools by larrycuban “There won’t be schools in the future …. I think the computer will blow up the school. That is, the school defined as something where there are classes, teachers running exams, people structured in groups by age, following a curriculum—all of that…. But this will happen only in communities of children who have access to computers on a sufficient scale.” That’s Seymour Papert, cognitive scientist and designer of softwar... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Here Come the Flunkies

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Here Come the Flunkies: Here Come the Flunkies by Duke Well, old Eli did it: for less than half-a-mil, he bought the New Jersey school system. Now all he has to do is fill it with his flunkies: With little discussion in public session, the state Board of Education today accepted donations totalling more than $600,000 from two private foundations. After the Newark-based Education Law Center wrote a letter to the board requesting that they defer accepting the funds, citing the "need for transparency, accountability and public confidence," the board asked the state ... more »

LAUSD'S HUMAN RESOURCES HEAD VIVIAN EKCHIAN IN MY MEMORY - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
LAUSD'S HUMAN RESOURCES HEAD VIVIAN EKCHIAN IN MY MEMORY - Perdaily.com: LAUSD'S HUMAN RESOURCES HEAD VIVIAN EKCHIAN IN MY MEMORY by Leonard Isenberg [image: Vivian Ekchian.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)* *Since the regrettable Miramonte child molestation scandal, the numbers of teachers that the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is targeting, harassing, and summarily removing on bogus charges has exploded as Superintendent John Deasy and others in charge at LAUSD try to use this adminis... more »

School Tech Connect: The Final Analysis

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
School Tech Connect: The Final Analysis: The Final Analysis by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I know you're all waiting for my weigh-in on Wisconsin, so here it is: 1. Rahm's endorsement means nothing to anyone; in fact, it may be a net negative. Rahm is perceived as powerful, and he is powerful, but he does not have the stuff that coattails are made of. His election here in Chicago was achieved with 23% of the registered voters. When people start to see the actual costs of NATO, the actual costs of the new building going up downtown, financed by TIF money and poaching tenant... more »

The Washington Teacher: The Cardozo Experiment: DC Public School Gets Race To The Top Funds

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
The Washington Teacher: The Cardozo Experiment: DC Public School Gets Race To The Top Funds: The Cardozo Experiment: DC Public School Gets Race To The Top Funds by Candi Peterson Written by Candi Peterson So it seems that DC Public Schools will be using Race to The Top (RTTT) Dollars to create more school administrators and educrats which according to the *Urban Dictionary* is an officer, administrator or other bureaucrats in a school district. Similar stories are taking shape around the country as districts race to the top for funds under President Obama's signature 2009 reform ... more »