Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, local Democratic Party at odds over nonprofits' City Hall presence - Sacramento City News - The Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, local Democratic Party at odds over nonprofits' City Hall presence - Sacramento City News - The Sacramento Bee:

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, local Democratic Party at odds over nonprofits' City Hall presence

By Ryan Lillis
rlillis@sacbee.com

Published: Tuesday, Jul. 31, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 1B

Last Modified: Tuesday, Jul. 31, 2012 - 5:15 pm

He may be a Democrat (or Not). He may have just won re-election. But Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson apparently still has a long way to go to impress the local Democratic Party.

In the latest sign of how fractured that relationship remains, the Democratic Party of Sacramento County has urged city officials to investigate the use of City Hall resources by Johnson's nonprofit organizations.

Party chair Kerri Asbury told City Manager John Shirey in a letter last week that "there appears to be an illegal gift of public funds to nonprofits and/or individuals related to office space at and use of City Hall."

Asbury was referring to the mayor's various nonprofits that handle initiatives ranging from creating a plan for a downtown sports arena to promoting

"Significant barriers to entry" at many Philadelphia charters, says District report | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

"Significant barriers to entry" at many Philadelphia charters, says District report | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

"Significant barriers to entry" at many Philadelphia charters, says District report

by Benjamin Herold

by Benjamin Herold for the Notebook and WHYY/NewsWorks

A School District review found “significant barriers to entry” to numerous city charter schools, according to a draft report obtained by the Notebook/NewsWorks.
In at least one case, an unidentified charter only made its enrollment applications available on only one day per year. Another unnamed charter required applicants to complete an 11-page application, write an essay, respond to 20 short-answer questions, provide three recommendations, be interviewed, and provide records related to their disciplinary history, citizenship and disability status.
“The District does not believe this is a fair system, nor does it help build a robust system of school-choice,” wrote District spokesperson Fernando Gallard in response to questions submitted by the Notebook/NewsWorks.

Featured Title:

District: "Not a fair system"

AUGUST 17TH, LET THE INVASION OF SPRINGFIELD BEGIN « Teachers Fight Back

AUGUST 17TH, LET THE INVASION OF SPRINGFIELD BEGIN « Teachers Fight Back:

AUGUST 17TH, LET THE INVASION OF SPRINGFIELD BEGIN

by alkleen

The governor of Illinois has called for a special session of the General Assembly to be held on August 17th. It’s time for every teacher in Illinois to make plans to be in Springfield on that day. It’s time to hold the largest mass demonstration ever held in Springfield.
Most teachers in Illinois will still not be in the classroom on August 17th. This is the chance to make a statement to the General Assembly about the upcoming “pension reform”. The legislators probably aren’t going to implement pension reform until after the November elections, but now is the time for teachers to make themselves heard. It will be too late in November, and in addition, most teachers are way too busy to make their way to Springfield once the school year is in full swing.
I would suggest every teacher make a large poster for the Springfield rally. The poster should say, “you stole our

The Loss Aversion Contest: You Can Win! « Diane Ravitch's blog

The Loss Aversion Contest: You Can Win! « Diane Ravitch's blog:

The Loss Aversion Contest: You Can Win!

by dianerav

Economist Roland Fryer has been trying for years to find the magic incentive that would produce higher scores.
He tried merit pay, and that didn’t work.
He tried paying students to get higher scores, but that didn’t work.
Now, he has at last found the key:
He and his colleagues have perfected a technique called “loss aversion.”
They give teachers a bonus (say, $4,000) at the beginning of the year. If the scores go up, the teachers keep the

The First Entrant Is A Strong Contender

by dianerav

In the contest to see who can come up with the best form of loss aversion to motivate high test scores, we have a first entrant that looks incredibly strong.
Supposing you say to teachers, get those scores up or we take away your first born.
Don’t you think those scores are going up?
Supposing you said it to doctors?
They would all become dermatologists, and no one would be a surgeon.
What if you say it to economists?
You can bet all their predictions will be very safe.
Can you top this?
True, it didn’t work for pharaoh–the Hebrews packed up and moved out.
But hey, maybe it will work for teachers. Where can they go?

Loss Aversion Contest: First Dropout

by dianerav

This reader warns about the danger of the loss aversion contest:

I would enter, but I’m worried someone would think it was a good idea and make it a law. At least in Louisiana……where I teach!

Supposing we agreed that teachers would produce higher test scores if we cut off their fingers or took their first-born?
How long would it be before a law was passed in Louisiana?
Keep it quiet.

School officials in Fla. try to block Michelle Obama visit

School officials in Fla. try to block Michelle Obama visit:

School officials in Fla. try to block Michelle Obama visit

Some Miami-Dade (Fla.) School Board members are trying to block a visit to a school by first lady Michelle Obama scheduled for today on the grounds that it amounts to a campaign visit,The Miami Herald reports.

CAPTION

By Julie Jacobson, AP

Miami-Dade School Board member Renier Diaz de la Portilla has called for the event at Barbara Goleman Senior High School in Miami Lakes, Fla., to be canceled while board member Carlos Curbelo wants the board attorney to reconsider an opinion that the appearance meets legal requirements, the Herald reports.

Diaz de la Portilla is running for a Florida state House seat as a

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-31-12 #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

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Top 5 Popular Posts of July 2012!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 minutes ago

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Top 5 Popular Posts of July 2012!: Top 5 Popular Posts of July 2012! by Lisa M Jeopardy and Photopeach:Beginning of the Year Activities! I got this idea from the facilitator of a workshop I participated in last week. This is how she started the class, different categories of course, and I thought it was so cool! I asked her for a copy, and then realized I could use the online version of Jeopardy. Of course, you can use whatever Jeopardy you are comfortable with. I really like this one

School Tech Connect: Good Money After Bad

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 minutes ago

School Tech Connect: Good Money After Bad: Good Money After Bad by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) And just what is the Quincy chapter of the AFT going to tell its community about the Common Core Standards? "Dear Community, the state has adopted a fussy new set of academic standards, and we live in the state. The main thing is that there will be more testing, and over time, as the standards grow into other subject matters, the testing will increase dramatically. The federal government is also trying to strong-arm the state into tying teacher What Dog Is This? by noreply@blogger... more »

BREAKING Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson Resigns | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago

BREAKING Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson Resigns | Scathing Purple Musings: BREAKING Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson Resigns by Bob Sikes From Jeff Solochek at *Gradebook*: This just in from the Florida Department of Education: *Tallahassee, Fla., July 31, 2012 – Florida Department of Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson submitted a letter of resignation today to Governor Rick Scott and State Board of Education Chair Kathleen Shanahan.* *Commissioner Robinson has served as head of one of the country’s largest state school systems since August 2011. ...more »

The day Gerber “Graduates” cheetos broke my computer Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » The day Gerber “Graduates” cheetos broke my computer: The day Gerber “Graduates” cheetos broke my computer by admin It all started 12 days ago with this image in the business section of the newspaper. When I saw it, I knew I had to use it on my blog. Figuring out how it related to a timely education reform topic was secondary. Yes, folks, that’s right. Baby cheetos. Gerber calls them “Graduates.” That’s about as far as my thought processes had gotten when my computer decided that it could not process that or anything else, and... more »

Where Teachers Learn « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Where Teachers Learn « Diane Ravitch's blog: Where Teachers Learn by dianerav Diana Senechal is a brilliant writer. She wrote a fascinating book titled “Republic of Noise.” She teaches in the summer at the Dallas Institute of Culture and the Humanities. Who knew that Dallas has a vibrant learning center where teachers read the great books? I did, because I visited a couple of years ago and was blown away by the teachers and their enthusiasm for Shakespeare. This is Diana’s report about this summer’s institute. Every city should have an institute like this one: *Literature as Teach... more »

Why Algebra « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Why Algebra « Deborah Meier on Education: Why Algebra by debmeier Math education is high on the list of both professional and lay “hot” topics. Everyone has an opinion. Andrew Hacker’s critique in Sunday’s New York Times was a pleasure to read, given that I agree with him. But he also managed to base his argument on unassailable facts. For example, only 7% of the job positions in America actually require algebraic knowledge. But 57% of all college entrants fail to finish college largely because they can’t pass algebra! The same goes for high school diplomas. The price they pay ... more »

Why Local School Board Members Pose the Biggest Threat to Florida’s Anointed All-Knowings | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Why Local School Board Members Pose the Biggest Threat to Florida’s Anointed All-Knowings | Scathing Purple Musings: Why Local School Board Members Pose the Biggest Threat to Florida’s Anointed All-Knowings by Bob Sikes Coleen Conklin isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers. A serious advocate for public schools, Conklin raised the possibility of a lawsuit targeting Rick Scott and the legislature in April 2011 for failing to fund education. She even toyed with the idea of taking on powerful state senator John Thrasher this fall but decided to run again for the Flagler County school board... more »

Mother Crusader: Greg Richmond Takes Local Control From Illinois. Next Stop, New Jersey.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Mother Crusader: Greg Richmond Takes Local Control From Illinois. Next Stop, New Jersey.: Greg Richmond Takes Local Control From Illinois. Next Stop, New Jersey. by darciecima [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Greg Richmond, CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, would like you to believe he knows what New Jersey's public school system needs. Don't believe him. Pay particular attention to this section of his NJ Spotlight editorial. *Even as nine new public charter schools prepare to open in September* *to serve families in ... more »

Opinion: Cheating: Just another pathway to success? Youth think so : page all - NorthJersey.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Opinion: Cheating: Just another pathway to success? Youth think so : page all - NorthJersey.com: Opinion: Cheating: Just another pathway to success? Youth think so TUESDAY JULY 31, 2012, 4:55 PM BY VICTOR DORFF THE RECORD PRINT | E-MAIL CHEATING was, is and probably always will be a fact of life. Recently, technology has provided new ways to cheat, but advanced electronics can’t be blamed for our increasing willingness to tolerate it. Once upon a time, being an honorable person included the notion that your word was your bond, and integrity was a crucial eleme... more »

Confessions of a Teaching Fellow « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Confessions of a Teaching Fellow « Diane Ravitch's blog: Confessions of a Teaching Fellow by dianerav This just arrived in my email box. The writer signed her name: *There has been so much debate about educational reform and about Michele Rhee and her Students First organization. I am compelled to describe my experience this past June with the Rhode Island Teaching Fellows Program, a Rhee brainchild. The Teaching Fellows work along the same lines of The New Teacher Project but the Teaching Fellows is an alternative route to teacher certification. The premise is to attract people f... more »

Why won’t the IEA take a position on the pension cost shift? « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Why won’t the IEA take a position on the pension cost shift? « Fred Klonsky: Why won’t the IEA take a position on the pension cost shift? by Fred Klonsky Many IEA members were surprised when they read here that the IEA has taken no position on Governor Quinn and House Speaker Michael Madigan’s pension cost shift. IEA has not yet taken a position on the proposal. On one hand, if implemented, a cost shift could ensure that the employer’s pension contribution, which is currently the state’s and has often been ignored, would actually be paid.On the other, if not done in the right wa... more »

Should Schools Act “in loco parentis?” « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Should Schools Act “in loco parentis?” « Diane Ravitch's blog: Who Is Irreplaceable? by dianerav A new report was released by The New Teacher Project, asserting that our schools were losing the very best teachers. They are the “irreplaceables.” The report got the red treatment, with Secretary Duncan there to salute its findings. And it was funded by three billionaire foundations: Gates, Walton, John and Laura Arnold (big supporters of Michelle Rhee). It seems that schools are losing their “best” teachers (the irreplaceables) and holding on to the ones who should have been fired. Cont... more »

School Tech Connect: Boondoggle

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Boondoggle: Boondoggle by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) The whole thing. We have extended the military-industrial complex into education "accountability," and none of it's worth a single penny. The total cost of what will eventually be known as the Common Core Debacle will be very hard to calculate, in the end. A colleague recently pointed out that his district is spending $65k this year on this contraption, which is pretty much a test-generator with a reporting function, all scientifically "aligned" with the Common Core. Mind you, it's more time test... more »

Onion “Point/Counterpoint” Raises Real Issues « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Onion “Point/Counterpoint” Raises Real Issues « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Onion “Point/Counterpoint” Raises Real Issues by millerlf July 17, 2012 The Onion My Year Volunteering As A Teacher Helped Educate A New Generation Of Underprivileged Kids By Megan Richmond, Volunteer Teacher When I graduated college last year, I was certain I wanted to make a real difference in the world. After 17 years of education, I felt an obligation to share my knowledge and skills with those who needed it most.After this past year, I believe I did just that. Working as a volunteer teac... more »

Indian River SB Member Assails Ed Commish Robinson, Calls for Return of Local Control | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Indian River SB Member Assails Ed Commish Robinson, Calls for Return of Local Control | Scathing Purple Musings: Indian River SB Member Assails Ed Commish Robinson, Calls for Return of Local Control by Bob Sikes Reminding readers that Florida’s education commissioner Gerard Robinson is an “appointed” official, Indian River school board member Claudia Jimenez supported her board’s passage of a Resolution on High-Stakes Testing. She concluded her opinion piece in *TCPalm* this way: The cumbersome and counterproductive emphasis on testing fails its stated goal of using student eval... more »

Why school reform will continue to be so hard | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Why school reform will continue to be so hard | EdSource Today: Why school reform will continue to be so hard ** July 31st, 2012 | Add a Comment | By Peter Schrag Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services [image: Peter Schrag] Peter Schrag Listening to even the best people in California’s school reform discussions doesn’t leave much clarity about the direction our money-starved education system should go or much confidence that things will get perceptibly better any time soon. Many of those good people know what’s needed. It’s just t... more »

Modern School: Obama’s Plan to Improve Science Education by Overworking Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Modern School: Obama’s Plan to Improve Science Education by Overworking Teachers: Obama’s Plan to Improve Science Education by Overworking Teachers by Michael Dunn It is perplexing to many that we continue to have high unemployment and simultaneously have to import foreign workers to fill so many high tech jobs because of the dearth of sufficiently educated domestic workers. There have been numerous attempts to rectify this problem, but they all suffer from similar fallacies such as the myths that our education system is broken or deteriorating or that our teachers are terrible o... more »

Teachers Don't Suck !: I'm Not At All Suprised - How About You?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Teachers Don't Suck !: I'm Not At All Suprised - How About You?: I'm Not At All Suprised - How About You? by Walt S. I read this letter on the Internet and thought my readers might be interested too. For the last couple of years THE BEAST (a.k.a our anger-management disordered Governor) has been going after the NJEA and public school teachers in general. Now one of the new things he has implemented was a brand new evaluation procedure that would evaluate tenured and non-tenured teachers twice to four times a year. The school districts were told that they had to chose one of 4 e... more »

Paul Vallas and Bridgeport’s illegal Board of Education: The law applies to you too. - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Paul Vallas and Bridgeport’s illegal Board of Education: The law applies to you too. - Wait, What?: Paul Vallas and Bridgeport’s illegal Board of Education: The law applies to you too. by jonpelto Bridgeport’s “Education Reformer Extraordinaire” Paul Vallas and the illegal Board of Education have approved hundreds of thousands of dollars for consultants. Paul Vallas and the illegal Board have approved hundreds of thousands of dollars for new software programs. These purchases were done without fulfilling the legal requirements of Bridgeport’s Municipal Code: (Codified through Ord...more »

The Project School debacle | Hoppe

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

The Project School debacle | Hoppe: The Project School debaclePosted by David Hoppe on Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 3:00 PM click to enlarge[image: hoppe2006.jpg] "Meet the new boss," The Who's Pete Townshend once sang. "Same as the old boss." Those lines have been roiling through my head in the days since Mayor Greg Ballard announced he wanted to close The Project School, one of the city's charter schools. The Project School has had more than its share of problems. Of its 311 K-8 students, only 28.9 percent passed the latest round of ISTEP tests — one of the poorest showings of ... more »

Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Did someone say no teacher strike? And what will charter teachers do? « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Did someone say no teacher strike? And what will charter teachers do? « Fred Klonsky: Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Did someone say no teacher strike? And what will charter teachers do? by Fred Klonsky Rahm seems always to be trying to convince himself that there won’t be a teacher strike this coming school year. He thought he had it nailed down with Senate Bill 7. But the 98% strike authorization vote disabused him of that. Then he tried to spin his failure to get the CTU to agree to a longer work day for its members as a meaning there

Missouri Education Watchdog: Once Common Core Standards are Instituted, DC Public School District Won't have to Pay Students to Attend School.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Once Common Core Standards are Instituted, DC Public School District Won't have to Pay Students to Attend School.: Once Common Core Standards are Instituted, DC Public School District Won't have to Pay Students to Attend School. by stlgretchen High stakes testing AND paying to students to attend school will develop that love of learning. Common Core standards and RTTT mandates will entrance students so strongly, they will flock to classrooms and listen intently so they can be assessed every three weeks to see what they've retained. The love of lea... more »

Schools Matter: Scientific American takes an unscientific approach to science education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Schools Matter: Scientific American takes an unscientific approach to science education: Scientific American takes an unscientific approach to science education by skrashen Science Education: The Problem is Poverty, not Lack of High Standards Sent to Scientific American, July 31, 2012 Scientific American thinks that high science standards are the reason some states do better than others on science tests (Can the US get an ‘A’ in Science? August 2012). There is no evidence this is so. The two top states, in science, as mentioned by Scientific American, are Massachusetts and Minnes... more »

PolitiFact Finds Gerard Robinson’s FCAT Claim False | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

PolitiFact Finds Gerard Robinson’s FCAT Claim False | Scathing Purple Musings: PolitiFact Finds Gerard Robinson’s FCAT Claim False by Bob Sikes Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson has made it to the big leagues . * PolitFact* , the *Tampa Bay Times -Miami Herald* project usually reserved for elected officials, decided to weigh in on Robinson’s June 15 whopper: “The FCAT neither drives the curriculum nor narrows the educational experience of Florida students. These assessments average two to three per student per school year and account for less than 1 percent of the instructio... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, July 31, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: California Wine Country Education Headlines *Tuesday, July 31, 2012* San Rafael, Novato schools send food workers back to the kitchenIn an effort to incorporate healthier foods in students' diets, two of Marin's largest school districts are training their food staffs to cook from scratch. 3 districts exceeded sodium levelsIn a story posted earlier this month about new school meal standards, California Watch found 60 percent of cafeteria lunches reviewed by the state in the past five years failed to meet at least one nutritional r... more »

Power Speaks Truth | Edwize

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Power Speaks Truth | Edwize: Power Speaks Truth by Jackie Bennett [image: NYS Education Commissioner John King]Watch the NY1 story » For years, Bloomberg’s high school admission policies have been concentrating the city’s most at-risk students in certain schools. What with complex, market-driven enrollment policies on the one hand (which favor the families best equipped to negotiate the system), and high-stakes accountability systems on the other (which reward schools that teacher fewer at-risk kids), students have been disenfranchised by Bloomberg’s policies. The UFT and others (s... more »

School Tech Connect: The S Word

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

School Tech Connect: The S Word: The S Word by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Nice piece by Linda Lutton on What If... If, God forbid, the mayor doesn't do the right thing and the teachers walk, these charter teachers are going to have stand there and explain to the kids why they're not out there fighting for anything, and why they're trying to turn the teaching profession into a low-paid, voiceless service field.

Daily Kos: When the Obvious Isn’t True: What’s Really Wrong with Teacher Quality and Teacher Education?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: When the Obvious Isn’t True: What’s Really Wrong with Teacher Quality and Teacher Education?: When the Obvious Isn’t True: What’s Really Wrong with Teacher Quality and Teacher Education? byplthomasEdDFollow 9 PERMALINK2 COMMENTS The last decade has included some powerful and harsh narratives about U.S. public education and its teachers: Public schools are failing, particularly in international comparisons; that failure is primarily caused by “bad” teachers and corrupt teachers’ unions; and teacher education, historically weak, does little to help correct the low quali... more »

Putting Your Money Where Your Beliefs Are: Teacher as Politician - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Putting Your Money Where Your Beliefs Are: Teacher as Politician - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Putting Your Money Where Your Beliefs Are: Teacher as Politician by Nancy Flanagan *There is plenty of commentary out there bemoaning teachers' lack of policy awareness and unwillingness to step up and defend their profession in the political sphere. So it's intriguing to meet an educator--a Career and Technical Ed teacher--who's willing to put his beliefs out there and launch a grueling run for a seat in the MI House of Representatives. Meet Dale Rogers: National ... more »

Shanker Blog » Senate's Harkin-Enzi ESEA Plan Is A Step Sideways

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Shanker Blog » Senate's Harkin-Enzi ESEA Plan Is A Step Sideways: Senate’s Harkin-Enzi ESEA Plan Is A Step Sideways by Morgan Polikoff *Our guest authors today are Morgan Polikoff and Andrew McEachin. Morgan is Assistant Professor in the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. Andrew is an Institute of Education Science postdoctoral fellow at the University of Virginia.* By now, it is painfully clear that Congress will not be revising the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) before the November elections. And with the new ESEA waivers, who kn... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Reformy Quote Of the Day

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Reformy Quote Of the Day: Reformy Quote Of the Day by Duke From SOSNJ (in the comments): Asking the National Association of Charter School Authorizers to create our charter school accountability framework is like asking the National Rifle Association to write our gun laws. Yep. ACTING NJDOE Commissioner Cerf hired the cheerleaders to ref the game; and the cheerleaders are buddied up with ALEC, which writes "model" legislation on education (among other things) and gets favored politicians to put before the Legislature. In other words: NACSA is writing the rules, ... more »

The Other Kids Growing Up in the Bronx « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

The Other Kids Growing Up in the Bronx « Diane Ravitch's blog: The Other Kids Growing Up in the Bronx by dianerav Mark D. Naison is a professor at Fordham University, where he teaches African-American studies. He is principal investigator of the Bronx African American history project. He writes a blog, “With a Brooklyn Accent.” This is his latest: *Not Every Bronx Tale Has a Geoffrey Canada Ending* *In his memoir, Fist, Knife Stick Gun, Geoffrey Canada describes growing up on Union Avenue in the Morrisania section of the Bronx as a harrowing experience- a place where bullies terro... more »

Teaching by DVD isn't real school reform | Daily World | dailyworld.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Teaching by DVD isn't real school reform | Daily World | dailyworld.com: Teaching by DVD isn't real school reform Here are excerpts from opinion pieces in Louisiana newspapers: In our hearts, we want to give education reform efforts a chance. But we are not buying the idea that "reform" is taking $1,039,500 out of public education to provide vouchers for 165 children to attend New Living Word School in Ruston, where they will attend school in a church and gym attic and be taught by DVDs. We're also concerned about the use of taxpayer dollars to construct facilities on a church campu... more »

For-profit colleges bilking public, senator says – USATODAY.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

For-profit colleges bilking public, senator says – USATODAY.com: For-profit colleges bilking public, senator says By Ryan Randazzo, The Arizona Republic Updated 35m ago - Comments - - - - - - A senator's examination of for-profit colleges paints them as dropout factories, where billions of dollars are squandered on financial aid and the schools' emphasis is more on attracting students than educating them. - [image: A University of Phoenix billboard is shown in Chandler, Ariz.] By Matt York, AP A University of Phoenix billboard is shown in Cha... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-31-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Best Way to Eliminate Public Education by dianerav *Lance Hill of New Orleans responded to blogger Mike Deshotels, who noted the double standard for charter schools and public schools. Public schools must meet standards, but voucher schools do not? Lance writes:* Mike, excellent post on the contradictions of the Louisiana accountability plan. This isn’t even a policy debate: it’s a debate on simple logic. Imagine a hospital that graded doctors on mortality rates. If a hospital administrator transferred all... more »

'Irreplaceable' Teachers Retained Poorly, TNTP Education Report Finds

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

'Irreplaceable' Teachers Retained Poorly, TNTP Education Report Finds: 'Irreplaceable' Teachers Retained Poorly, TNTP Education Report Finds by Joy Resmovits The high rate of teachers cycling in and out of schools is detrimental to the education profession and worse for students, decades of policy and research asserts. But a new report from an influential advocacy group makes the case for treating teacher turnover differently. The study, called "The Irreplaceables," took several years for TNTP (formerly The New Teacher Project) to produce, and asserted that a high rate of teachers... more »

Louisiana’s pretend voucher ‘accountability’ plan - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Louisiana’s pretend voucher ‘accountability’ plan - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] Louisiana’s pretend voucher ‘accountability’ plan By Valerie Strauss From the you-can’t-make-up-this-stuff department: Louisiana’s governor and schools chief are championing an “accountability” plan for private schools in the state's voucher program that doesn’t hold these schools accountable if they have fewer than 40 voucher students. Yes, as this Reuters story makes clear, a school can allow its 39 voucher students to fail to show basic competency in reading, math, ... more »

NYC Educator: Mayor Bloomberg Redesigns Merit Pay Program

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

NYC Educator: Mayor Bloomberg Redesigns Merit Pay Program: Mayor Bloomberg Redesigns Merit Pay Program by NYC Educator In a stunning turnaround, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced fundamental revisions to his proposed merit pay scheme. "I've been reading the NYC Parents Blog lately," said the Mayor. "It turns out that test scores don't actually determine who is and is not a good teacher, and that none of this stuff is proven. Not only that, but merit pay has been kicking around for a hundred years, and it's never produced any results whatsoever. In fact our trial in NYC didn't w... more »

NJ Spotlight | Cerf Goes His Own Way on Proposed Charter Regulations

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

NJ Spotlight | Cerf Goes His Own Way on Proposed Charter Regulations: Cerf Goes His Own Way on Proposed Charter Regulations With legislation to overhaul law going slow -- for now -- BOE will consider plan to expand state’s role with charter schools print | email | share By John Mooney, July 31, 2012 in Education |1 Comment [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] The Christie administration is moving ahead with new regulations for charter schools, jumping ahead of the Legislature and its plans to take up the issue -- and maybe a whole new law -- in the fall. Rela... more »

Louisiana Educator: Creating More Failing Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: Creating More Failing Schools: Creating More Failing Schools by Michael Deshotels The La State Dept. of Education has been releasing its list of schools rated as failing based on school performance scores for the past school year. See the Advocate story. The list of failing schools has increased over last year solely because the state has raised the passing score from 65 to 75. Purely arbitrary! No reason given except that BESE wanted to raise the bar. Why not simply decree that all students must score above average or their school would be rated as failing? ... more »

Last Stand for Children First: Fear and Bloating in the Motor City

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Last Stand for Children First: Fear and Bloating in the Motor City: Fear and Bloating in the Motor City by Last Stand for Children 30,000 teachers descended on Detroit last weekend and I think I surprised a lot of people by being among them. Why did I decide to go to a city without a single Michelin starred restaurant with these lazy public servants enjoying their luxurious Summer vacations? Because I go where the story is. I have a natural distrust of Randi Weingarten if for no other reason than the Weingarten Rights she won for union employees, but I soon found myself rooting ... more »

The in box. Save Our Schools this weekend in DC. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

The in box. Save Our Schools this weekend in DC. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Save Our Schools this weekend in DC. by Fred Klonsky [image: SOS Save Our Schools] Ten Reasons to Attend The Save Our Schools Convention Aug. 3-5Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, DC Hear author *Jonathan Kozol’s* prescription for *saving public schools* Meet the *next generation* of *student activist leaders* Learn from *Deborah Meier*, the first public school teacher to win a *MacArthur “genius” award* Be briefed by *civil rights lawyers* about the latest initiatives to *protect parents and educ... more »

The 30th Edition Of The ESL/EFL/ELL Blog Carnival Is Up! | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

The 30th Edition Of The ESL/EFL/ELL Blog Carnival Is Up! | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: “What Parents and Educators Want from Assessments” by Larry Ferlazzo What Parents and Educators Want from Assessments is the title of an Edutopia blog post today from Anne O’Brien. It’s about a recent report on assessment, which I’ve previously posted about — see “What Parents & Educators Want from Student Assessments.” Anne makes some very interesting points. It’s worth reading the entire post, but here are a couple of excerpts: *A survey commissioned by the Northwest Evaluation Assoc... more »

Teachers Take A Stand. Will You? | OurFuture.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Teachers Take A Stand. Will You? | OurFuture.org: Teachers Take A Stand. Will You? by Jeff Bryant [image: Randi Weingarten and Louise Rogers] If you've noticed lately the tendency in car commercials to show the vehicle against a background of an empty city street, you can assume it's likely due to the abundance of empty city streets available in the place famous for being home to the major automotive companies -- Detroit. While many of *America's biggest cities* are experiencing large influxes of new residents, *Detroit* stands in stark contrast, losing a staggering 25 percent of... more »

The Gates Foundation Responds: How do we Build the Teaching Profession - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

The Gates Foundation Responds: How do we Build the Teaching Profession - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: The Gates Foundation Responds: How do we Build the Teaching Profession from Living in Dialogue by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Irvin Scott.* This is a response to Anthony Cody's post of a week ago, Dialogue with the Gates Foundation: How do we Build the Teaching Profession. This is also posted at the Gates Foundation's Impatient Optimist blog. [image: IrvinScott2.jpg] Tough, complicated issues like education often don't get the kind of debate they deserve. People who ... more »

OMG Voucher schools include some teaching creationism - SFGate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Voucher schools include some teaching creationism - SFGate: Voucher schools include some teaching creationismMELINDA DESLATTE, Associated PressUpdated 03:41 p.m., Monday, July 30, 2012 0 inShare Comments (1)Larger | SmallerPrintable VersionEmail This Font BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Taxpayer dollars in Louisiana's new voucher program will be paying to send children to schools that teach creationism and reject evolution, promoting a religious doctrine that challenges the lessons central to public school science classrooms. Several religious schools that will be educating taxpayer-subsidi... more »

A Dialogue with the Gates Foundation: How Do We Build the Teaching Profession? | Impatient Optimists

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

A Dialogue with the Gates Foundation: How Do We Build the Teaching Profession? | Impatient Optimists: [image: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation] A Dialogue with the Gates Foundation: How Do We Build the Teaching Profession? ANTHONY CODY , IRVIN SCOTT July 30, 2012 *This post originally appears on **Anthony Cody's blog, Living in Dialogue. It is the first post in a weekly series of posts, over the next five weeks, between teacher Anthony Cody, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Irvin Scott, Deputy Director in the College Ready program.* Two weeks ago I traveled to Seat... more »

OUSD: Changes in the principal’s office - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

OUSD: Changes in the principal’s office - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: OUSD: Changes in the principal’s office Monday, July 30th, 2012 at 4:55 pm in No Comments Here it is, your long-awaited account of who’s in and who’s out of various Oakland schools this year. From this 2012-13 directory, I count 15 new principals — seven at elementary schools, three at middle schools and five at high schools. Did I miss any? This means that about 17 percent of OUSD’s 86 schools will have new leaders. Last year, if you recall, there were 20 new principals for 98 ... more »

Schools Matter: Instead of worrying about applying the standards, we should be resisting them. To do this, we have to work together.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Schools Matter: Instead of worrying about applying the standards, we should be resisting them. To do this, we have to work together.: Instead of worrying about applying the standards, we should be resisting them. To do this, we have to work together. by skrashen The Common Core Standards is a tsunami that will destroy all of us unless it is stopped. It is going to cost billions, bleeding money from where it is badly needed and it will soon impose what can only be described as an astonishing amount of testing. All this is happening under false pretenses. There is no evidence that o... more »

Great. Another Non-Math Person Complaining About Algebra. | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Great. Another Non-Math Person Complaining About Algebra. | The Jose Vilson: Great. Another Non-Math Person Complaining About Algebra. by Jose Holy cow, Andrew Hacker. Shut up! OK, that was a bit harsh. Warranted, but harsh. Say what you want to, but lower your voice a few decibels. Frankly, I didn’t care much for your rhetorical question, but you had to write it in the New York Times, adding a semblance of legitimacy (if not outrage) to your argument against teaching abstract math to kids. The crux of your argument, that we shouldn’t teach algebra except to those of us who want t... more »

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Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, local Democratic Party at odds over nonprofits' City Hall presence

by Benjamin Herold for the Notebook and WHYY/NewsWorks

School officials in Fla. try to block Michelle Obama visit

James Baldwin said it best:

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

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