BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS
White House History Classroom | Picturing the President's House
White House History Classroom | Picturing the President's House: [image: The White House Historical Association / Home] *The White House Historical Association* offers teachers and students this selection of White House images. You will find pictures of presidents, first ladies, and the home and work place of the chief executive for each administration. These low-resolution images are from the digital image collection of the *White House Historical Association*. Watermarked images are copyrighted and permission must be obtained and appropriate fees paid prior to use. Please se... more »
You have got to be kidding! - Wait, What?
You have got to be kidding! - Wait, What?: You have got to be kidding! by jonpelto Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch has hired a 27-year-old political appointee from Newark N.J. to serve as his new “Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Education and Youth Policy.” He will pay the guy $102,000 a year. The new appointee has absolutely no Connecticut experience, at all. There are more than 154,600 Connecticut residents who are unemployed and not one of them was qualified for this job? Compared to last year, more than 4,400 Connecticut residents have lost their jobs in state and local gov... more »
D.C. schools cheating report thin and biased - Class Struggle - The Washington Post
D.C. schools cheating report thin and biased - Class Struggle - The Washington Post: [image: Class Struggle] D.C. schools cheating report thin and biased By Jay Mathews Now we know who did it. D.C. Inspector General Charles J. Willoughby has concluded his 16-month probe of cheating on the D.C. schools’ annual tests by saying that kids, not adults, made the astonishing number of wrong-to-right erasures found on answer sheets. Never mind that testing companies, academic experts and veteran teachers say that students almost never make more than one or two wrong-to-right erasures per... more »
Less Friction. More Traction. - Arlington, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators
Less Friction. More Traction. - Arlington, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators: Less Friction. More Traction. What’s your agenda? Do you know? Do you think you know? How honest are you with yourself? Because if you aren’t honest with yourself, you’re not going to be honest with anyone else. Everyone has their agenda…the things they are looking to accomplish and get out of life. As we interact with each other, we discover where there are commonalities and differences on one another’s agendas. Most of us are aware of at least th... more »
In NYC, Fair Student Funding Is Unfair « Diane Ravitch's blog
In NYC, Fair Student Funding Is Unfair « Diane Ravitch's blog: In NYC, Fair Student Funding Is Unfair by dianerav Not long after corporate reform started in New York City, the Department of Education adopted a formula promoted by conservative think tanks called “fair student funding” or “weighted student funding.” The surface idea was that each child would have the money he or she deserved “strapped to his/her back.” (Sorry for the clumsy effort to be gender neutral.) The real purpose, from the point of view of those on the right, was to enable students to go to charter schools o... more »
School Tech Connect: The Cost Shift Is Stupid
School Tech Connect: The Cost Shift Is Stupid: The Cost Shift Is Stupid by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Gery Chico is insane. That's the good news. The bad news is that he's got a lot of company. This cost-shifting of the pension system is just a dumb idea. Phil Kadner has it right here. Quinn and Chico contend that shifting the pension funding will somehow help those children, but I don’t see any proof of that. There’s no guarantee that if Illinois shifts its cost for teacher pensions to school districts that the state will increase public school funding by a like amount. No... more »
Detroit school reform head to push forward | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com
Detroit school reform head to push forward | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com: Detroit school reform head to push forward [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] *DETROIT* — The leader of the reform district operating 15 Detroit schools said he intends to move forward as planned, despite the Detroit school board's attempts to disband the new system. John Covington, chancellor of the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan, released a statement Friday to assure parents that the school board cannot stop the EAA from operating. "We have receive... more »
School executive fired for cheating on tests receives $245,000 settlement - Portland K-12 | Examiner.com
School executive fired for cheating on tests receives $245,000 settlement - Portland K-12 | Examiner.com: School executive fired for cheating on tests receives $245,000 settlement [image: A charter school executive had set up organized cheating on standardized tests.] RELATED TOPICS - K-12 Education - School Crimes - Charter Schools The Los Angeles Times learned on Friday that a Los Angeles charter school executive who filed a wrongful termination suit won $245,000 in a settlement. The settlement was reached in April and has a confidentiality clause. It was reached... more »
Race To The Top Competition Opens To School Districts For New Grants To Close Achievement Gap
Race To The Top Competition Opens To School Districts For New Grants To Close Achievement Gap: Race To The Top Competition Opens To School Districts For New Grants To Close Achievement Gap [image: Race To The Top] WASHINGTON -- Hoping to build on state-level reforms aimed at closing the education achievement gap, the Education Department opened its Race to the Top competition to school districts on Sunday, inviting the poorest districts across the country to vie for almost $400 million in grants. Following four months of public comment on a draft proposal, the Education Department... more »
Perdido Street School: NY Times Fails To Mention Rhee/KJ Sex Abuse Scandal In Campbell Brown Story
Perdido Street School: NY Times Fails To Mention Rhee/KJ Sex Abuse Scandal In Campbell Brown Story: NY Times Fails To Mention Rhee/KJ Sex Abuse Scandal In Campbell Brown Story The NY Times covered Campbell Brown's assault on teachers unions tonight. They do mention how her husband Dan Senor sits on the board of the New York chapter of Michelle Rhee's group, StudentsFirst. But they fail to mention how Michelle Rhee has been accused of helping a sex abuse case against her husband, former NBA star and current Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, go away when he was running a charter sch... more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-12-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Who Else Is Rolling Over in His Grave? by dianerav A reader, noting the plan to privatize 40% of the schools in Philadelphia, had this to say: *WILLIAM PENN is rolling over in his grave, I’m sure*.It occurred to me that : *John Dewey* must be rolling over in his grave as he sees our national leaders using standardized tests to impose rankings and ratings on students, teachers, principals, and schools, while many abandon the arts to reach their targets. *Horace Mann* must be rolling over in his grave as he se... more »
The No Complaining Rule | Connected Principals
The No Complaining Rule | Connected Principals: The No Complaining Rule August 12, 2012 By jjohnson I’ve read a number of books by Jon Gordon and have never been disappointed. His books are quick reads, but always inspirational with powerful, positive messages. I recently read The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work. Who doesn’t encounter issues of complaining, whether it’s your spouse, a colleague or even yourself? Complaining is very prevalent, however, the negativity it spreads is like cancer. In Gordon’s book, he shares the cost of negativity... more »
Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress
Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: S.3475 Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2012 Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education programs funding - 7 hours ago A bill to increase the participation of historically underrepresented demographic groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and industry. Bill Introduced: S.3474 Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education programs funding - 7 hours ago A bill to provide consumer protection for students. Bill Introduced: S.3478 Un... more »
Pass / Fail : New 'Race to the Top' details officially released; money will go directly to schools | 89.3 KPCC
Pass / Fail : New 'Race to the Top' details officially released; money will go directly to schools | 89.3 KPCC: New 'Race to the Top' details officially released; money will go directly to schools by By Tami Abdollah [image: US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sp] *US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan speaks to the press at the White House in Washington, DC, April 20, 2012. The US Department of Education released the application requirements of the 2012 Race to the Top competition, which will allow districts to apply directly to the federal government for funds rather than via... more »
Paul Ryan in high school: Voted by his senior class as.... - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
Paul Ryan in high school: Voted by his senior class as.... - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] Paul Ryan in high school: Voted by his senior class as.... By Valerie Strauss When Paul Ryan , now 42, was in high school, he won an honorific from his senior class, but it may not have been one he would have chosen. Rep. Paul Ryan (Saul Loeb - AFP/Getty Images)Ryan was popular enough atJoseph A. Craig High School in Janesville, Wis. to have been elected prom king and junior class president, but he was also voted by his senior class in 1988 as “Biggest Brown... more »
Daily Kos: thoughts outside the normal bounds of political discussion
Daily Kos: thoughts outside the normal bounds of political discussion: thoughts outside the normal bounds of political discussion by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) not mine, those of Karen Armstrong, in her book *Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life*. A brief and very partial explanation, for which I apologize. In the past few weeks I have found myself in a different mental and emotional place for reasons that at this point I choose not to disclose. As a result of that, I have been reexamining what really matters to me, how I relate to the world. As part of that, I have been tur... more »
NYC Educator: In Which We Revolutionize Basketball for Arne Duncan
NYC Educator: In Which We Revolutionize Basketball for Arne Duncan: In Which We Revolutionize Basketball for Arne Duncan by NYC Educator Last night, on Twitter, Arne Duncan congratulated the USA Women's Basketball Team for a wonderful performance. But a lot of teachers on Twitter questioned it. For one thing, how do we know they're doing well if there isn't a charter team to ensure healthy competition? And why aren't we doing this right now? Isn't this a crisis that can't wait for solutions? Also, it's important we fire the bottom 10%, so as to ensure we are truly fielding the best... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education News Roundup
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education News Roundup: Education News Roundup by Melissa Westbrook I bookmark many education stories but wait until I have a mass and/or time to post them. First, up worry over teachers labeled "*highly qualified"* teaching Special Ed students. This story comes from the Special Ed section at Ed Week. *Earlier this year, the Senate merely left the door open to extending a provision that allows teachers still working on their certification to be considered "highly qualified"—a designation created by 2001's No Child Left Behind law. The law says t... more »
Founding Mothers!~ « Deborah Meier on Education
Founding Mothers!~ « Deborah Meier on Education: Founding Mothers!~ by debmeier …and others. It’s the title of an old book edited by Alan Sadovnik and Susan Semel on the women who came before us in education (Palgrave, 2002. What a crew! Each chapter is written by a different author, and between them they cover Charlotte Hawkins Brown, Marietta Johnson, Caroline Pratt, Margaret Willis, Margaret Haley, Elsa Flagg Young and many more. Willis was a name I didn’t remember and ended up feeling the closest to. She saw the Ohio University lab school as a place to explore “democracy as a... more »
Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » Common Sense Vs. Common Core: How to Minimize the Damages of the Common Core
Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » Common Sense Vs. Common Core: How to Minimize the Damages of the Common Core: Common Sense Vs. Common Core: How to Minimize the Damages of the Common Core 17 JUNE 2012 14,138 43 COMMENTS The wonder drug has been invented, manufactured, packaged, and shipped. Doctors and nurses are being trained to administer the drug properly. Companies and consultants are offering products and services to help with the proper administering of this wonder drug. A national effort is underway to develop tools to monitor the improvement of the pat... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State PTSA Opposes I-1240
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State PTSA Opposes I-1240: Washington State PTSA Opposes I-1240 by Melissa Westbrook The Washington State PTA met over the last two days and put forth their stands on various issues. From their press release: *Nationally, PTA has conditional support for these independent schools, and the state association has twice backed the concept in the past year. But ultimately the board decided this initiative didn’t meet its criteria for local oversight.* *“This wasn’t a decision about the value of charter schools. This was a decision about whet... more »
Teachers unions blast Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan, calling it 'the most out-of-touch ticket in decades' | MLive.com
Teachers unions blast Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan, calling it 'the most out-of-touch ticket in decades' | MLive.com: Teachers unions blast Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan, calling it 'the most out-of-touch ticket in decades' [image: Aft support.jpg]Dave Murray | MLive.comAmerican Federation of Teachers members loudly supported the Obama-Biden ticket during the vice president's appearance at the AFT convention in Detroit last month. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Teachers union leaders blasted Mitt Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate, saying that tapping the Wisc... more »
KIPP Empower: Programs like Dreambox and Rocketship make online elementary education work. - Slate Magazine
KIPP Empower: Programs like Dreambox and Rocketship make online elementary education work. - Slate Magazine: Kindergarten in the Computer“Online education” for elementary schoolers doesn’t mean kids will sit alone in front of a screen all day. By Katherine Mangu-Ward|Posted Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012, at 6:45 AM ET [image: Kids on computers.] Who says computer-assisted education is an anti-social exercise? Photo by Fiona Watson/iStockphoto. *This article emerges from Future Tense, a partnership of Slate, the New America Foundation, and Arizona State University that examines emerging techn... more »
Ryan Budget Forces Deeper Cuts to Child Tax Credit, Child Care, and Child Welfare | First Focus
House Budget Forces Deeper Cuts to Child Tax Credit, Child Care, and Child Welfare | First Focus: [image: First Focus - Making Childen and Families the Priority] House Budget Forces Deeper Cuts to Child Tax Credit, Child Care, and Child Welfare FACT SHEETS Search resources April 20, 2012 By Megan Curran Download this Resource The House federal fiscal year 2013 budget resolutions requires congressional committees with jurisdiction over critical investments in children to make deep budget cuts. The House Ways and Means Committee passed the required budget "reconciliation" legislation ... more »
Thoughts on Pittsburgh Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog
Thoughts on Pittsburgh Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog: Thoughts on Pittsburgh Schools by dianerav A few things we know about the Pittsburgh public schools. They were led by Broad-trained superintendent Mark Roosevelt. Now they are led by his deputy Linda Lane, also trained by the unaccredited Broad Superintendents Academy. They received a $40 million grant from the Gates Foundation for teacher evaluation. They have a bold plan to close the achievement gap. Scores in 2012 in Pittsburgh dropped for the first time in five years.
Burbank Unified reestablishes hot line for students to report bullying - latimes.com
Burbank Unified reestablishes hot line for students to report bullying - latimes.com: Burbank Unified reestablishes hot line for students to report bullying With more attention being paid to the potentially tragic effects of bullying, particularly online, the Burbank Unified School District has resurrected a hot line for students to report abuse. As students prepare to return from summer break, Tom Steele, director of student services, said he printed 1,000 fliers with the hot line's phone number and email that will hang in every classroom in the district, from kindergarten throu... more »
DOCUMENTS: Charter schools 'will take whatever action is necessary' - troyrecord.com
DOCUMENTS: Charter schools 'will take whatever action is necessary' to protect students - troyrecord.com: DOCUMENTS: Charter schools 'will take whatever action is necessary' [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] By Danielle Sanzone dsanzone@troyrecord.com Twitter.com/DanielleSanzone TROY — While the deadline for the Troy charter schools’ ultimatum given to the Troy City School District has come and gone, charter school officials still state they will take what ever action is necessary to ensure fair treatment from the district, which could mean legal action. F... more »
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Makes Her Mark $ | NBC Southern California
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Makes Her Mark | NBC Southern California: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Makes Her Mark $Former D.C. schools chancellor sets up shop in Sacramento It's been more than a year since the state Assembly passed AB5, a hotly disputed measure meant to change the way California's public schoolteachers are evaluated. It's been in the legislative deep freeze ever since. But the bill, which has raised labor's ire, is being thawed out in the closing weeks of the legislative session. And guess who's wading into the controversy? Michelle Rhee, whose focus... more »
Paul Ryan on education policy: vouchers, for-profit colleges, local control - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
Paul Ryan on education policy: vouchers, for-profit colleges, local control - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] Paul Ryan on education policy: vouchers, for-profit colleges, local control By Valerie Strauss Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)talks a lot about scaling back the reach of the federal government, but back in 2001, he voted in favor of No Child Left Behind, the signature education program of the George W. Bush administration that gave unprecedented power to the U.S. Education Department to tell states and districts what they had to do to get federal fun... more »
School Tech Connect: See You Sunday Night!
School Tech Connect: See You Sunday Night!: See You Sunday Night! by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Just another reminder that it would be great to meet up with all of you at the fundraiser for Delfino Mora's family tomorrow night from 5-8 PM at McKellin's Pub. If you need a ride, let me know. Of course, I'll be on my bike so factor that in. This from Matt Farmer. [image: Story Image] Please join us this Sunday, August 12, from 5-8 p.m. at McKellin's Pub (Touhy & California) in West Rogers Park for a musical benefit for the Delfino Mora family.**** http://www.suntimes.com/news...more »
Did For-Profit Charter Schools Try to Influence Decision on Polk Charter Schools? | Scathing Purple Musings
Did For-Profit Charter Schools Try to Influence Decision on Polk Charter Schools? | Scathing Purple Musings: Did For-Profit Charter Schools Try to Influence Decision on Polk Charter Schools? by Bob Sikes On June 15, Rep. Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland) told Polk county school superintendent Sherrie Nickel that she “didn’t understand why Polk needed it’s own at-risk charter schools.” She also said that she “was worried about the oversight” of the 7 proposed facilities. That a state legislator would insert themself into an issue outside their decision-making, was a curious one. The deci... more »
NEA - Romney Doubles Down on Right Wing Agenda for the Mega-Rich
NEA - Romney Doubles Down on Right Wing Agenda for the Mega-Rich: Romney Doubles Down on Right Wing Agenda for the Mega-Rich WASHINGTON - August 11, 2012 - National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel released the following statement reacting to Gov. Mitt Romney’s selection of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as his Vice Presidential running mate. “For weeks, there’s been speculation about who Gov. Romney would choose to be his running mate and what it would mean. And now we have our answer. By selecting Ryan, Romney has doubled down on his view that opportunity is only for t... more »
Which CEO made $5 million stealing your kid's lunch money?
*ALEC is working to ensure that public education dollars get diverted to private profits. Their approach is working -- for them. Not so much for the students who pay the price in the form of a subpar education and poor performance.*
An un-dynamic duo: Romney announces Ryan as VP pick | NEA Today
An un-dynamic duo: Romney announces Ryan as VP pick | NEA Today: An un-dynamic duo: Romney announces Ryan as VP pick August 11, 2012 by clong Filed under Education Funding, Featured News, NEA, Top Stories,Uncategorized Leave a Comment [image: Email][image: Share] *By Amanda Litvinov* *Batsh*t and Robber* High profile couplings often make one stop and wonder: What do these two see in each other? But there’s little mystery in the case of GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his vice presidential pick, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, which was announced earlier today. The two ha... more »
HOW DUMB DO POLITICIANS THINK WE ARE ? « Teachers Fight Back
HOW DUMB DO POLITICIANS THINK WE ARE ? « Teachers Fight Back: HOW DUMB DO POLITICIANS THINK WE ARE ? by alkleen Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois must think members of public worker unions and teacher unions are complete idiots. The governor is poised to force painful pension reforms on the public union workers and the teachers of Illinois. He is asking for concessions from teachers while not proposing any way that the state could replace some of the stolen pension money. He talks about “shared sacrifice”, and yet only the workers are the ones who are going to have to sacrifice. I’v... more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-11-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Charter Leader, Fired for Cheating, Gets $245,000 Settlement by dianerav The Los Angeles Times reports an amazing story. A leader of a charter chain in Los Angeles was fired after teachers complained that they were ordered to cheat so test scores would rise. The L.A. school board closed the chain of six schools. Shocking: Common Sense in Iowa by dianerav *The Des Moines Register* published an important and wise editorial. It shows that someone in the mainstream press is still thoughtful and wise. It seems t... more »
For Profit Charter School Giant Academica Struggling to Get Students in St.Lucie | Scathing Purple Musings
For Profit Charter School Giant Academica Struggling to Get Students in St.Lucie | Scathing Purple Musings: For Profit Charter School Giant Academica Struggling to Get Students in St.Lucie by Bob Sikes Fernando Zulueta’s Academica doesn’t have any cash shortages, but not all is so rosy. Fresh off its $100,000 contribution to a pro-ed privatization PAC, it has plenty of money left over to float a few grants its new, but struggling franchise in St. Lucie County. Writes Kelly Tyko for *TCPalm*: ……..instead of getting ready for the festivities Friday afternoon, charter school offici... more »
Time to tweet the stars! « Parents Across America
Time to tweet the stars! « Parents Across America: Time to tweet the stars! by pureparents The propaganda campaign for the parent trigger law created by charter school operators and promoted by ALEC is in full swing. The big kick-off event is a concert called “Teachers Rock.” Like the “parent tricker” itself, this concert pretends to honor teachers while promoting a movie, “Won’t Back Down,” that is designed to get a lot of them fired and replaced by Teach for America newbies. The concert will take place this Tuesday, Aug, 14th, at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. CBS will air a ... more »
Dear Teachers Rock performer: Parents United for Responsible Education
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Dear Teachers Rock performer:: Dear Teachers Rock performer: by admin As active parents, we thank you for your support for our public school teachers. We support them, too. But you need to know that the agenda behind the “Teachers Rock” concert and the “Won’t Back Down” movie this concert promotes does not support teachers or our democratic public school system. The WBD movie promotes a parent trigger law created by charter school operators and promoted by ALEC, which wrote the Stand Your Ground law. The real aim is to pri... more »
Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-11-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-4-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post
Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 7-21-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 7-14-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 7-7-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post
Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-30-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-23-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-16-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-9-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-2-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-11-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-10-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-9-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-8-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-7-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-6-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-5-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-4-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-3-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-2-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-31-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-31-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
