Latest News and Comment from Education

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-4-12 #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



Elton John - Philadelphia Freedom

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago
*Philadelphia Freedom* *Elton John* *Philadelphia Freedom* *Elton John* I used to be a rolling stone You know if the cause was right I'd leave to find the answer on the road I used to be a heart beating for someone But the times have changed The less I say the more my work gets done `Cause I live and breathe this Philadelphia freedom From the day that I was born I've waved the flag Philadelphia freedom took me knee-high to a man Yeah gave me peace of mind my daddy never had Oh Philadelphia freedom shine on me, I love you Shine a light through the eyes of the ones left behind Shine a... more »

Remarks by the President at Fourth of July Celebration | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 46 minutes ago
Remarks by the President at Fourth of July Celebration | The White House: Remarks by the President at Fourth of July Celebration South Lawn 6:02 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: How’s it going, everybody? (Applause.) Are you hot? It’s supposed to be hot. It’s the fourth of July. Happy Fourth of July, everybody! (Applause.) On behalf of the entire Obama family, welcome to the White House. Now, the last thing anybody wants to do is to ruin a nice backyard barbecue with a long speech, so I’m going to be quick. It is always such an honor for us to spend this holiday with members of our ... more »

An interview with myself on the second to the last day of the NEA RA. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
An interview with myself on the second to the last day of the NEA RA. « Fred Klonsky: An interview with myself on the second to the last day of the NEA RA. by Fred Klonsky Q: How are you holding up? A: I’m tired. These are long days. But I’m out of here after the morning caucus. I’m longing for the 101 degree heat of Chicago instead of the 101 degree heat of DC. Q: Were you surprised that your NBI supporting the Chicago Teachers Union passed so easily? A: Oh, yes. I think I way underestimated how much teachers around the country are following events in Chicago. I think it helped t... more »

VP Biden says Romney planning 'direct assault' on teachers - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
VP Biden says Romney planning 'direct assault' on teachers - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room: VP Biden says Romney planning 'direct assault' on teachers By Justin Sink - 07/03/12 06:27 PM ET The vice president told educators Tuesday that GOP candidate Romney sought to blame them for troubled schools. Vice President Joe Biden told educators Tuesday that they faced a "direct assault" from Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney at the annual meeting of the National Educator's Association in Washington. "I can't think of a candidate for president who's ever made such a direct as... more »

NEA - NEA executive director calls members ‘social justice patriots’

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
NEA - NEA executive director calls members ‘social justice patriots’: NEA executive director calls members ‘social justice patriots’ Stocks tells educators that organized labor is ‘only effective answer’ to corporate greed WASHINGTON - July 04, 2012 - National Education Association Executive Director John Stocks delivered his first address as executive director of the nation’s largest professional organization. Speaking to the nearly 9,000 delegates at NEA’s annual Representative Assembly, Stocks challenged the educators to become “social justice patriots.” Following are S... more »

Video: Arts Education is essential and builds 21st century skills « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Video: Arts Education is essential and builds 21st century skills « Parents Across America: Video: Arts Education is essential and builds 21st century skills by leoniehaimson *Hilary Frambes, a PAA member from Ohio, made this video about the importance of arts education, which is being cut from many schools. Please watch and visit her website for more videos and information.*

A MODEST PROPOSAL TO REPLACE LAUSD'S SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
A MODEST PROPOSAL TO REPLACE LAUSD'S SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY - Perdaily.com: A MODEST PROPOSAL TO REPLACE LAUSD'S SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY by Leonard Isenberg [image: Evelyn O' Connor.jpg] *For those of you who haven't as yet realized the national and international character of the well coordinated attack on public education and more specifically teachers, I would suggest you take 14 minutes and watch Evelyn O' Connor's acceptance speech, when she was recently chosen as teacher of the year in Ireland. What you will find is a highly intelligent and courageous teacher putting it a...more »

California Teachers Association – Blog » Making American a More Perfect Union

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
California Teachers Association – Blog » Making American a More Perfect Union: Making American a More Perfect Union This morning, NEA Executive Director John Stocks gave a moving speech to the NEA RA, lauding the accomplishments of ”social justice patriots” and reminding all of us to demand a more perfect union. Below is an excerpt: Our American DNA is embedded with a profound sense of possibility, an unshakable belief in a better tomorrow, an abiding faith that the American Dream is not only real, but a belief that there are many Americans who are willing to ensure that it’s ... more »

Hite looking to implement, not rethink, plan to overhaul Philly schools | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Hite looking to implement, not rethink, plan to overhaul Philly schools | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Hite looking to implement, not rethink, plan to overhaul Philly schoolsby Benjamin Herold on Jul 03 2012 Posted in Latest news Photo: Bas Slabbers/for NewsWorks New Philadelphia Superintendent William Hite says the School Reform Commission's reform plan has "already left the station." - COMMENTS (0)PRINT - EMAIL[image: ""] Tags: - WHYY/NewsWorks - LEADERSHIP *By Benjamin Herold for the Notebook and WHYY/Newsworks* New Philadelphia Superintendent William... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Superintendent Sinecure

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Superintendent Sinecure: Superintendent Sinecure by Charlie Mas I was speaking with a board director this week about the program placement policy and the director candidly acknowledged that the superintendent violated the policy in 2011 and the board (this was the previous board) allowed it because they saw their role as facilitating the superintendent and not as constrainting her. Enforcing policy would have been a constraint. In 2012 they couldn't enforce the policy because sh had already announced her intention to leave and they had no means of ... more »

USA's top teachers union losing members – USATODAY.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
USA's top teachers union losing members – USATODAY.com: USA's top teachers union losing members By Greg Toppo, USA TODAY *"We may be a little smaller, but we won't be weaker — we'll be stronger," NEA President Dennis Van Roekel said. * The National Education Association (NEA) has lost more than 100,000 members since 2010. By 2014, union projections show, it could lose a cumulative total of about 308,000 full-time teachers and other workers, a 16% drop from 2010. Lost dues will shrink NEA's budget an estimated $65 million, or 18%. NEA calls the membership losses "unprecedented" an... more »

Can we talk? No. I have no access to the data base. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Can we talk? No. I have no access to the data base. « Fred Klonsky: Can we talk? No. I have no access to the data base. by Fred Klonsky Back in March at the IEA RA, I introduced a proposal that directed the state Board of Directors to create an opt-in data base that would allow members who shared legislative districts to contact each other for the purpose of political action and lobbying. The leadership put a $24,000 price tag on it. That killed it. Coming up with a huge dollar amount and attaching it to a rank-and-file proposal is one of the ways in which leadership has sway in de... more »

TEACHER DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
TEACHER DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE « Teachers Fight Back: TEACHER DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE by alkleen I HEREBY DECLARE MY INDEPENDENCE FROM : Worrying about my students’ test scores in terms of my evaluation. I will not play that game. Feeling guilty about my union and or the right to strike. Those are as American as apple pie. Any teacher who does a stupid thing that gets on the news. I am not incompetent, nor are the vast majority of my colleagues. Feeling guilty about my salary, benefits, and or pension. I work my ass off and I deserve to be compensated. Incompetent parents.... more »

Jersey Jazzman: "Unavoidable Costs" Are Avoidable

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: "Unavoidable Costs" Are Avoidable: "Unavoidable Costs" Are Avoidable by Duke Bruce Baker Twitter-points us to a great op-ed about the fiscal disaster taking place in Philadelphia's schools. Read the entire thing to understand that huge inequities are taking place right now in Pennsylvania (a situation Chris Christie aspires to bring to New Jersey). I agree with nearly everything in the op-ed; however, there is one passage I take issue with: *Has the School District been spending more than it was given?* No. The District ran surpluses of about $30 million a year in... more »

The Gates Foundation's Leveraged Philanthropy: Corporate Profit versus Humanity on Three Fronts - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The Gates Foundation's Leveraged Philanthropy: Corporate Profit versus Humanity on Three Fronts - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: The Gates Foundation's Leveraged Philanthropy: Corporate Profit versus Humanity on Three Fronts by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Chemtchr.* Part One of Two. Philanthropy wonk Lucy Bernholz defines the buzzword *leverage* as "the idea that you can use a little money to access a lot of money." It's hard to think of the Gates Foundation's $26 billion leverage effort as "a little money", especially since it's been spread over the globe to gain acces... more »

Biden Calls for an End to the Assault on Educators | NEA Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Biden Calls for an End to the Assault on Educators | NEA Today: Biden Calls for an End to the Assault on Educators July 4, 2012 by twalker Filed under Featured News, Top Stories Leave a Comment [image: Email][image: Share] *By Will Potter* [image: Biden: Romney's assault on teachers] Vice President Joe Biden addressed thousands of educators at the National Education Association’s 150th Annual Meeting on Tuesday, and said that the “full-blown assault” they are experiencing would get much worse under the leadership of Governor Mitt Romney. “My Dad used to say ‘Don’t tell me what you ... more »

4th Of July Someecards To Celebrate Independence Day With Humor (PICTURES)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
4th Of July Someecards To Celebrate Independence Day With Humor (PICTURES): 4th Of July Someecards To Celebrate Independence Day With Humor (PICTURES)

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Issues Raised by Speakers at Board Meeting

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Issues Raised by Speakers at Board Meeting: Issues Raised by Speakers at Board Meeting by Melissa Westbrook Listening to speaker after speaker talk about the Indian Heritage Middle College program, I thought, "Well, add them to the list that includes Special Ed, Nova, and World School." What do these programs have in common? They get moved around as though they were furniture. Each and every one of them deserves a permanent home. I spoke to Sarah Kelly, one of the speakers, and asked her about someone in their community doing a guest post ab... more »

Accused of Sexism! « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Accused of Sexism! « Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Accused of Sexism! by dianerav Former State Senator Gloria Romero of California accused me of being sexist and possibly anti-Latina as well. (Please read the comments that follow the article.) Romero is now an employee of the Wall Street hedge fund managers’ organization Democrats for Education Reform, which advocates for charters and eliminating tenure and seniority. Romero is hurt that I did not give her credit for having invented the Parent Trigger idea (which I call the Parent Tric... more »

Background on Military Naturalization Ceremony at the White House | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Background on Military Naturalization Ceremony at the White House | The White House: Background on Military Naturalization Ceremony at the White House by The White House WASHINGTON, DC - On July 4, 2012, President Obama will deliver remarks at a naturalization ceremony for active duty service members in the East Room of the White House. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas will present the countries of the candidates for naturalization and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano will deliver the oath of allegiance. The audience will be com... more »

Oakland’s Lakeview Elementary, unoccupied - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Oakland’s Lakeview Elementary, unoccupied - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: Oakland’s Lakeview Elementary, unoccupied By Katy Murphy Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012 at 4:28 pm in Uncategorized. [image: Staff Photojournalist] *Lakeview photos by Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group* Lakeview Elementary School was supposed to close at the end of the school year, but families, teachers and local activists who opposed the Oakland school district’s decision to close schools kept it open for two and a half weeks longer. They turned the school on Grand Avenue into a summer p... more »

July 4 quiz: See how much you know - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
July 4 quiz: See how much you know - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] July 4 quiz: See how much you know Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 6 hours ago I wrote and published a quiz for Memorial Day in May that a reader, Houston attorney Stanley P. Santire, didn’t much like. Santire sent me an e-mail saying that the questions didn’t cover important historical issues. (You can look at that quiz by clicking here and see for yourself.) Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpo... more »

What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? | Outside the Cave

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? | Outside the Cave: What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? by Stephen Lazar *I read this every Fourth. You should too. Frederick Douglass captured so much of the essence of America in this speech from 160 years ago. May America still be young:* This celebration also marks the beginning of another year of your national life; and reminds you that the Republic of America is now 76 years old. I am glad, fellow-citizens, that your nation is so young. Seventy-six years, though a good old age for a man, is but a mere speck in the life of a n... more »

Google Wants to Teach You to be a 'Power Searcher' (You Should Let Them) - Education - GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Google Wants to Teach You to be a 'Power Searcher' (You Should Let Them) - Education - GOOD: Google Wants to Teach You to be a 'Power Searcher' (You Should Let Them) by Liz Dwyer [image: power.searcher] Dying to become a master of Google’s search engine? If so, look no further than Power Searching with Google, a new, free class offered by the tech giant starting July 10th. The course promises to teach users "tips, tricks and tactics" that'll help you "find exactly what you’re looking for, when you most need it." Real talk: Even if you don't spend your time dreaming about how to imp... more »

Hank Brown, Mike Rosen to help lead CU-Boulder's search for visiting conservative scholar - The Denver Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Hank Brown, Mike Rosen to help lead CU-Boulder's search for visiting conservative scholar - The Denver Post: Hank Brown, Mike Rosen to help lead CU-Boulder's search for visiting conservative scholar POSTED: 07/03/2012 10:52:41 AM MDT UPDATED: 07/03/2012 05:42:00 PM MDT *By Brittany Anas,*Camera Staff Writer The University of Colorado's Boulder campus -- which long has been perceived as a liberal hotbed -- on Tuesday tapped former CU President Hank Brown and Denver talk-show host Mike Rosen to help lead a nationwide search for a visiting scholar of conservative thought. CU alr... more »

Getting to the core of Oakland Unified School District superintendent - ContraCostaTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Getting to the core of Oakland Unified School District superintendent - ContraCostaTimes.com: Getting to the core of Oakland Unified School District superintendent By Katy Murphy Oakland Tribune Posted: 07/04/2012 12:00:00 AM PDT Click photo to enlarge Oakland Unified School District Superintendent Tony Smith listens to public comments at a board... - - 1 - 2 - » OAKLAND -- As a white man who talks about white privilege and institutional racism, the superintendent of Oakland's school system is not your typical school administrator. In countless public and media appe... more »

Democurmudgeon: Louisiana Voucher School, with no facilities and teachers, is approved to take 315 students.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Democurmudgeon: Louisiana Voucher School, with no facilities and teachers, is approved to take 315 students.: Louisiana Voucher School, with no facilities and teachers, is approved to take 315 students. by Democurmudgeon *Voucher School Meets Profit Target * In addition to the title above, parents are left with a useless voucher. Here's the incredible story: *TownTalk: Emails between Louisiana Education Superintendent John C. White, Gov. Bobby Jindal's spokesman Kyle Plotkin and Jindal policy adviser Stafford Palmieri show White devising a scheme to "muddy up a narrative" and to... more »

Evil Geniuses or Good Simpletons? (Gary Rubinstein) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Evil Geniuses or Good Simpletons? (Gary Rubinstein) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Evil Geniuses or Good Simpletons? (Gary Rubinstein) by larrycuban *Gary Rubinstein was in Teach for America. In his words: “I’m a Houston 1991 alum …. Despite writing two books and teaching for thirteen of the past nineteen years, I’m mostly ignored by TFA though I have a lot of ‘suggestions’ for how they can improve.” This post appeared June 7, 2012.* *He writes about “corporate reformers,” a favorite phrase used by many who oppose the current “no excuses” agenda of test-bas... more »

hctiB G: “repeated injury” | The G Bitch Spot

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
hctiB G: “repeated injury” | The G Bitch Spot: hctiB G: “repeated injury” by G Bitch originally posted July 4, 2011 _______ In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. ——— Recovery School District closures and changes can leave families with whiplash–nola.com/*Times-Pic* You would think only those with the very hardest to educate children have ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Independence Day Thoughts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Independence Day Thoughts: Independence Day Thoughts by Anngie The oppressive heat may quell much of our Independence Day activities this year, but it gives us more time to reflect on the meaning of this holiday. The wave of government intrusion into our individual lives is now close enough that many of us on the beach front can recognize it for the destructive tsunami that it is. Just like those waves, it is both broad and tall in scope, hitting us across a vast expanse of our everyday lives. It will be no less destructive in its slow steady overwhelm... more »

Adam and the future of teacher unions. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Adam and the future of teacher unions. « Fred Klonsky: Adam and the future of teacher unions. by Fred Klonsky Adam is a working Chicago high school teacher. He is also an activist in the Chicago Teachers Union. I first met Adam in the schoolyard of Whittier School in Pilsen when the parents were fighting to keep a field house from being torn down. Whittier was one of the hundreds of Chicago schools without a library and the parents had occupied the field house demanding CEO Brizard and the Mayor turn it into one. Adam was there supporting the parents. In fact, anytime I can drag thi... more »

School's Out For Summer. Let Kids Be Kids - southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: School's Out For Summer. Let Kids Be Kids by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) So it's that time of year. School is out. The students have no more teachers, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks. Camps are open and welcoming campers all over the New York metropolitan area. Of course that doesn't include those students at KIPP and Success Academy, charter schools, or even kids forced into a DOE gulag to make up some flawed exam that are not allowed to have summer fun and are forced to endure summer hour after summer hour in a classroom looki... more »

Supersonic | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Supersonic | The Jose Vilson: Supersonic by Jose I always dreamed I would end up in Seattle somehow. In the early 90s, I fell in love with the idea of going to the Emerald City back when Gary Payton threw lobs to Shawn Kemp for some of the most incredible alley-oops I had ever seen in my life. My infatuation with the green and gold only grew as I started to see pictures of the Space Needle and the Puget Sound. Back when Ken Griffey displayed the most beautiful swing possibly of all time, Nirvana and Pearl Jam already cranked through my headphones, and I had developed a good taste f... more »

Sacramento Press / Organization Wants Schools to take Notice - Seth's Law is in Effect

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Sacramento Press / Organization Wants Schools to take Notice - Seth's Law is in Effect: Organization Wants Schools to take Notice - Seth's Law is in Effect by Ken Pierce Peer-abuse and biased harassment is a problem in the best of schools. Last Sunday, “Seth’s Law” which forces public schools to better enforce existing anti-bullying policies took effect. To those parents whose children were victims of peer abuse-driven bullycide, based on biased harassment, this California law comes too late. However, for those students returning to school in the fall, it will offer them, as well a... more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Don't Get Caught?: What Message Are We Sending Our Kids?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Don't Get Caught?: What Message Are We Sending Our Kids?: Don't Get Caught?: What Message Are We Sending Our Kids? by Lisa M Every Tuesday I read to 3 and 4 year olds at the day care center across the street from my school. As I picked up one of my enthusiastic charges I noticed the phrase on his t-shirt, "Don't Get Caught!" "Don't Get Caught?" I realized he had no idea what it said, so I left it alone. However, as we sat down to read, the phrase on his shirt picked at me. Negative connotations were the only meaning I could derive from that s... more »

Still waiting… « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Still waiting… « Cooperative Catalyst: Still waiting… by caseykcaronna Still Waiting… I am still waiting for that large, sweeping legislation in the house, senate, and presidency in regards to progressive education. It is ironic that I will post something on Facebook in regards to education and get “likes” both from my most conservative and liberal friends. Education is something that internally, I believe many of us understand. We get it emotionally and we are able to connect to that part of learning, that relationship part of learning. However, we are so fearful to take ... more »

Louisiana Gives Us a Taste of Mitt Romney's Education Policy | Mother Jones

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Louisiana Gives Us a Taste of Mitt Romney's Education Policy | Mother Jones: Louisiana Gives Us a Taste of Mitt Romney's Education Policy —By Kevin Drum | Mon Jul. 2, 2012 6:06 PM PDT 127 - - Ed Kilgore has been sounding the alarms over Mitt Romney's education proposals for a couple of months now, and I keep meaning — but somehow forgetting — to link to his posts about this. It's probably all part of my love-hate relationship with education policy in general. But today he's got another post up on the subject, so let's take a look. He's riffing on a TPM piece about the ... more »

Frederick Douglass: “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” – Zinn Education Project

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Frederick Douglass: “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” – Zinn Education Project: Frederick Douglass: “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on printMore Sharing Services Film clip. Frederick Douglass “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” (1851) is read by Danny Glover. From Voices of a People’s History of the United States. Frederick Douglass “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro,” a speech given by Frederick Douglass in Rochester, NY on July 5, 1852, is read by Danny Glover. In this famous speech, Douglass says: “What, to t... more »

JFK...the ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of ...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
[image: abstract blue] *"But the educated citizen knows how much more there is to know. He knows that "knowledge is power," more so today than ever before. He knows that only an educated and informed people will be a free people, that the ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all, and that if we can, as Jefferson put it, "enlighten the people generally ... tyranny and the oppressions of mind and body will vanish, like evil spirits at the dawn of day." And, therefore, the educated citizen has a special obligation to encourage the pursuit of learning, to pro... more »

Biden: Romney’s assault on teachers – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Biden: Romney’s assault on teachers – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs: Biden: Romney's assault on teachers Posted by CNN's Alex Zuckerman [image: Biden: Romney's assault on teachers] *Washington (CNN)* – Vice President Joe Biden said teachers "are under full blown assault" by Mitt Romney and "his allies in Congress" Tuesday. In response, the Romney campaign said the vice president was touting "failed" policies in his remarks. Speaking before a large crowd of educators at the National Education Association 91st representative assembly, Biden blasted Romney for his education... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm lied about Clemente's new IB program

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm lied about Clemente's new IB program: Rahm lied about Clemente's new IB program by Mike Klonsky The joke is on us. While all of us were focused on the firing of at least 22 Clemente teachers last week, over at the Clark St. wing of City Hall, J.C. Brizard and the mayor were figuring out how to pull another fast one on the Humboldt Park community. Rahm's announced plan to turn Clemente High School into a wall-to-wall IB academy turns out to be a hoax. Emanuel had told parents and community leaders that the wall-to-wall schools were an expansion of... more »

Charter schools to return to a ballot near you - Seattle Snohomish County Progressive | Examiner.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Charter schools to return to a ballot near you - Seattle Snohomish County Progressive | Examiner.com: Charter schools to return to a ballot near you [image: Microsoft founder has contributed a million dollars to establish charter schools in Washington State] You can throw your clichĂ©s out the window. Apparently forcharter schools supporters it is not “Three strikes and you’re out.” Neither do they believe, “The third time is the charm.” Indeed, the sponsors of Initiative 1240 are hoping to turn in enough signatures by Friday to put the latest charter school measure before Washi... more »

Detroit Federation of Teachers leaders call imposed contract 'a farce,' hint at potential strike | MLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Detroit Federation of Teachers leaders call imposed contract 'a farce,' hint at potential strike | MLive.com: Detroit Federation of Teachers leaders call imposed contract 'a farce,' hint at potential strikePublished: Tuesday, July 03, 2012, 5:49 PM Updated: Tuesday, July 03, 2012, 5:52 PM [image: Dave Murray | dmurray@mlive.com] By Dave Murray | dmurray@mlive.com Detroit teachers union leaders are dismissing their new imposed contract as “a farce,” saying there was no agreement or even bargaining before the contract was announced. Detroit Federation of Teachers leaders als... more »

Ben Velderman and the end of the NEA. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Ben Velderman and the end of the NEA. « Fred Klonsky: Ben Velderman and the end of the NEA. by Fred Klonsky *The return of Ben Velderman.* Last week it was the crazy group of standardized test critics who jubilantly predicted the death of teacher unions. This week it my old stalker from the right-wing, Ben Velderman of the Education Action Group. You remember Ben. He’s the one who filed a Freedom of Information Act request last year for all my work emails and for my personnel file. Predicting and rooting for the death of teacher unions is nothing new. What’s interesting is the broad ... more »
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-24-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-21-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-20-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
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Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-11-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-10-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-9-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-8-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-7-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-6-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-5-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-4-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-3-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-2-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2