Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Big Ed Ape - Morning Wink STRIKE UPDATE DAY #4 9-13 AM Posts #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #soschat



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS


Autotuned Arne Begins Bus Tour Across America | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago
Autotuned Arne Begins Bus Tour Across America | ED.gov Blog: Autotuned Arne Begins Bus Tour Across America by Cameron Brenchley [image: The back-to-school bus in Sacramento]The "Education Drives America" bus arrives in Sacramento. Official Department of Education photo by Joshua Hoover. *Silicon Valley* You might not think that a panel discussion on education technology with the Secretary of Education and the Chairman of the FCC would excite an auditorium of high school students, but at this morning’s kick-off event at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, Calif., the air was ele... more »

Shanker Blog » The Impact Of Race To The Top Is An Open Question (But At Least It's Being Asked)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago
Shanker Blog » The Impact Of Race To The Top Is An Open Question (But At Least It's Being Asked): The Impact Of Race To The Top Is An Open Question (But At Least It’s Being Asked) by Matthew Di Carlo You don’t have to look very far to find very strong opinions about Race to the Top (RTTT), the U.S. Department of Education’s (USED) stimulus-funded state-level grant program (which has recently been joined by a district-level spinoff). There are those who think it is a smashing success, while others assert that it is a dismal failure. The truth, of course, is that these claims, part... more »

Chicago: A battle for the soul of Public Education - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 42 minutes ago
Chicago: A battle for the soul of Public Education - Wait, What?: Chicago: A battle for the soul of Public Education by jonpelto “(Reuters) – Chicago teachers…are taking on not just their combative mayor but a powerful education reform movement that is transforming public schools across the United States.” Stephanie Simon and James Kelleher, of Reuters News Service, have written on excellent news piece about what is really behind the teacher’s strike in Chicago. It should be required reading for those reporting on the strike and for policymakers, who are being called upon to ado... more »

Modern School: The Chicago Strike and the Rebirth (or Death) of Unionism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 46 minutes ago
Modern School: The Chicago Strike and the Rebirth (or Death) of Unionism: The Chicago Strike and the Rebirth (or Death) of Unionism by Michael Dunn The current Chicago teachers strike is the first major teachers strike in years. Indeed, there have been few major strikes in any industry over the past decade, with a general trend of declining job actions and union membership over the past thirty years and a corresponding downward spiral in wages and living conditions. In Michigan, for example, there were 454 teacher strikes between 1967 and 1980 (an average of 35 per year), resulti... more »

This Week In Education: Movies: The School Behind "Won't Back Down"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 56 minutes ago
This Week In Education: Movies: The School Behind "Won't Back Down": Movies: The School Behind "Won't Back Down" by Alexander Russo You might be surprised to find out that "Won't Back Down" -- a screening of which I snuck into the other night -- isn't actually the fictionalized story of Desert Trails, site of the real-life still-unfolding parent trigger attempt outside of Los Angeles. It's actually the fictionalized story of Locke High School, the struggling South Central LA school that in 2008 was wrestled away from the Los Angeles public school system (and the teachers union) a... more »

Schools Matter: Tennessee's K12, Inc. Virtual School Receives Lowest Score Possible and $16,000,000 a Year to Pay for It

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Schools Matter: Tennessee's K12, Inc. Virtual School Receives Lowest Score Possible and $16,000,000 a Year to Pay for It: Tennessee's K12, Inc. Virtual School Receives Lowest Score Possible and $16,000,000 a Year to Pay for It by Jim Horn Last week even TFA lawyer and Commissioner of Education in TN had described the for-profit K-12, Inc.'s Tennessee operation as "unacceptable," which is no surprise to anyone who has followed K-12's checkered history, which began when gambling addict, Bill Bennett, leveraged his influence with the Bushies to cart away $14 million in discretionary f... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Day 4

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Day 4: Day 4 by Mike Klonsky *so join the picket line like mr pickett in his prime, put on ya red shirt like the bulls in 95. hit the streets with a sign that says im fightin for mine IT’S A FORK IN THE ROAD AND U GOTTA CHOOSE A SIDE* -- Rebel Diaz The Tribune reports that an agreement is near and that Vitale has moved some on the teacher evaluation issue. *“We feel like we’re in a pretty good place, we’ve made a lot of progress today,” said Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis. “We spent a lot of time on evaluation. We still have a lot of wor... more »

On Diane and Mission Hill - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
On Diane and Mission Hill - Bridging Differences - Education Week: [image: Bridging Differences] On Diane and Mission Hill by Deborah Meier Dear Diane, I shall miss writing to you—but count on me to respond often to your blogs. And thanks for giving me the idea to do something similar—but not at your rate. That's another amazing thing about you. Of many. But Mary-Ellen, our editor, is looking around for a possible ornery correspondent who might disagree with me on enough stuff to be interesting to all of you and both of us. We might take it month by month ... or, we'll see. ... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-13-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: CTU: Wisconsin Teachers Will Be There on Saturday by dianerav A comment from a reader: *Stay strong. In Madison we’re organizing a couple busloads to come down Saturday and show our solidarity. You came to us when we needed it most; now it’s our turn to come to you. Stay out there and stay strong.* Why the Teacher Bashing? by dianerav This Chicago teacher sees a sinister motive in the avalanche of hostility to teachers. Teachers were always considered admirable even though teaching was not well paid and not very prestigious. But these days, teachers have beco... more »

School Tech Connect: The Road To Ruin

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
School Tech Connect: The Road To Ruin: The Road To Ruin by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Just reprinting one of my favorite things, the Track E Assessment Calendar for Chicago Public Schools. What this is is a visual representation of the road to ruin. It's the color-coded key to a culture of compliance. And this ain't nothin'. Wait 'til every student has to have high-stakes testing in every subject so that every teacher can be fired with bureaucratic efficiency. Here's what you should do today if you're in Rahm's Tea Party political base. Call up the school where the mayor sen... more »

Chicago School Strike is Against Obama “Race To The Top” Agenda of School Privatization and Corporate Education Reform | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Chicago School Strike is Against Obama “Race To The Top” Agenda of School Privatization and Corporate Education Reform | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: [image: Home] Chicago School Strike is Against Obama “Race To The Top” Agenda of School Privatization and Corporate Education Reform by admin by BAR managing editor Bruce A. Dixon - BlackAgendaReport.com *Polls say that most Chicagoans support the striking teachers. Mitt Romney says he supports Rahm Emanuel. But why do so many who say they oppose charters, educational privatization, the drive to demonize teache... more »

How things look to a returning Chicago teacher - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
How things look to a returning Chicago teacher - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: How things look to a returning Chicago teacher By Valerie Strauss With the Chicago teachers strike continuing for a fourth day, it makes sense to hear how things look in the Windy City to an actual Chicago teacher. So here’s a piece by Gregory Michie, a new public school teacher in Chicago and senior research sssociate at the Center for Policy Studies and Social Justice at Concordia University Chicago. His new book, “We Don’t Need Another Hero: Struggle, Hope, and Possibilty in the Age of High-... more »

Modern School: Chicago Teachers Strike Update

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Modern School: Chicago Teachers Strike Update: Chicago Teachers Strike Update by Michael Dunn - Support by parents is still fairly strong. A Chicago Sun Times opinion poll on Monday found that nearly half of parents support the teachers, while only 39% oppose the strike. This could change, of course, particularly if the strike drags on and parents are forced to hire babysitters or stay home from work to care for children. - Custodians plan on joining the strike this week, KOAM TV reported. The more classified (non-credentialed staff) that join the strike, the g... more »

Last Stand for Children First: Chicago Teachers Strike Day 3: Principals and Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Last Stand for Children First: Chicago Teachers Strike Day 3: Principals and Practice: Chicago Teachers Strike Day 3: Principals and Practice by Last Stand for Children The strike has now entered day 3 and it looks like a tough one. Among CTU's outrageous proposals was giving teachers with good evaluations who lost their jobs because their school was turned around or the enrollment dropped first crack at jobs ahead of hiring new teachers. While it may make sense at first glance that in a field where half the people quit in the first 3-5 years to give a nod to proven successful te... more »

Democracy (Not) at Work in Chicago: The Teacher Strike Is Missing Some Important Voices - Education - GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Democracy (Not) at Work in Chicago: The Teacher Strike Is Missing Some Important Voices - Education - GOOD: Democracy (Not) at Work in Chicago: The Teacher Strike Is Missing Some Important Voices by Venus Evans-Winters [image: chitown.tchrs] This week Americans have been watching images and listening intently to reports of the Chicago Public Schools teacher strike. Being the home to President Barack Obama and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel—once regarded as the President’s right hand man—the Windy City's strike has political, economic, education, and teachers union officials watching cl... more »

Who Can Democrats Trust About The Chicago Teachers Strike? | OurFuture.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Who Can Democrats Trust About The Chicago Teachers Strike? | OurFuture.org: Who Can Democrats Trust About The Chicago Teachers Strike? by Jeff Bryant "So much for Democratic harmony," is the way Herold Meyerson chose to start his op-ed in *The Washington Post* analyzing the ramifications of the current Chicago teachers strike on the well being of the Democratic party. His conclusion is that there must be some kind of "win-win solution," but a meaningful compromise has been thwarted because Chicago mayor Rham Emanuel "from the start… had no interest in working with the teachers, and ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Burden of Reformy Proof

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Burden of Reformy Proof: Burden of Reformy Proof by Duke Once again, leave it to Matt DiCarlo to cut through the rhetoric and clearly state the issue: One final note: The truly important point about the “year and a half of learning” argument, just like the ubiquitous “three great teachers in a row can close the achievement gap” talking point, is what they mean for policy (especially since they’re usually used to make policy arguments). They are both stylized ways of saying the same thing, about which there is really very little disagreement – teachers are importan... more »

UTLA: LAUSD's JUDAS GOAT - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
UTLA: LAUSD's JUDAS GOAT - Perdaily.com: UTLA: LAUSD's JUDAS GOAT by Leonard Isenberg [image: Judas goat.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)* *Cattle can be very dangerous if they realize their own power and use it in a concerted effort to be free. This is why slaughterhouses use Judas goats to calm the sheep or other cattle, so that they can be calmly lead to their demise. Much the same technique is used by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and its in-house union United Teachers Los Ange... more »

“Sacramento City Teachers Association declines to participate in Race to the Top “ | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
“Sacramento City Teachers Association declines to participate in Race to the Top “ | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: “Sacramento City Teachers Association declines to participate in Race to the Top “ by Larry Ferlazzo Our teachers’ union local has just decided to not support our Superintendent’s plan to apply for District Race To The Top funds. A diverse committee, including Alice Mercer, Lori Jablonski and myself (I’m just including our three names and links because of our social media activity) met to develop a report and recommendations to our Executive Board, which has... more »

Report Card: Duncan meets with mayors and school superintendents

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Report Card: Duncan meets with mayors and school superintendents: Duncan meets with mayors and school superintendents [image: duncan.JPG]While in Sacramento during a national bus tour, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said the biggest challenge facing public education is complacency and he challenged parents and students to demand more of those in charge. Duncan spoke Wednesday to a group of more than 40 mayors and school superintendents from across the state, who met in Sacramento for a panel discussion on education issues, such as California's No Child Left Behind waiver a... more »

You Can’t Bubble Literacy … A College Freshman Calls Out Standardized Testing for What It Is. « Continuing Change

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
You Can’t Bubble Literacy … A College Freshman Calls Out Standardized Testing for What It Is. « Continuing Change: You Can’t Bubble Literacy … A College Freshman Calls Out Standardized Testing for What It Is. by gatorbonbc *I blog alot. This blog, entitled ”You Can’t Bubble Literacy” was written by a college freshman. No doubt it will be the blog that makes me the most proud. Why? Simple.* *.* *This blog was written by my daughter: * *“Christina Haas and Linda Flower’s Reading Strategies and Construction of Meaning tackles the question: What makes a ‘good’ reader? Their results... more »

Obama’s Education Secretary Far From Neutral When It Comes to Chicago Teachers Strike | The Dissenter

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Obama’s Education Secretary Far From Neutral When It Comes to Chicago Teachers Strike | The Dissenter: Obama’s Education Secretary Far From Neutral When It Comes to Chicago Teachers Strike by Kevin Gosztola Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at Education Commission States Event (Photo by US Department of Education) The Chicago Teachers Union went on strike on September 10. At least twenty-six thousand educators have been taking a stand in the streets, for a fair contract and for reductions in class sizes, the provision of social services for children, a halt to the expansion of cha... more »

School Tech Connect: Bad Ideas Abound

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Bad Ideas Abound: Bad Ideas Abound by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Wtf is the board out in Lake Forest thinking? The teachers are standing firm in opposition to the school board’s demands for a two-tier salary schedule that would require new teachers to teach for 45 years in order to reach top pay. Um, two-tier salary schedules are worth walking out over, and this one in particular just stupid. It's nonsense. Did the Tea Party take over out there? I'm sorry, I meant to ask if the Tea Party underwent a lobotomy and then took People Get What's Happening... more »

Synergizing Entrepreneurship and a Strong Commons | Lefty Parent

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Synergizing Entrepreneurship and a Strong Commons | Lefty Parent: Synergizing Entrepreneurship and a Strong Commons by Cooper Zale As a progressive, I continue to be frustrated with the ideological split in our country’s governing bodies that seems to be preventing them from addressing key issues that will help us move forward as a society. But as not a particularly partisan one, I always try to appreciate the positions and underlying world view of more conservative comrades on the other side of our current dysfunctional divide. So trying to get beyond all this pitched political con... more »

A Petition to reduce the use of Standardized Testing in Connecticut - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
A Petition to reduce the use of Standardized Testing in Connecticut - Wait, What?: A Petition to reduce the use of Standardized Testing in Connecticut by jonpelto It’s a Petition to reduce the use of Standardized Testing in Connecticut This is our opportunity to make a difference. The “education reformers” and their corporate partners are making their push to undermine and destroy public education. Public school teachers are on the picket line in Chicago. The strike is not the traditional battle over fair pay, as much as it is a about a group of courageous teachers, willing to

Schools Matter: How Can Randi and Dennis Support the Chicago Teachers and Continue to Embrace the Policies They Are Rejecting

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Schools Matter: How Can Randi and Dennis Support the Chicago Teachers and Continue to Embrace the Policies They Are Rejecting: How Can Randi and Dennis Support the Chicago Teachers and Continue to Embrace the Policies They Are Rejecting by Jim Horn We all knew sooner or later teachers would wake up and realize they have been sold down the river by the union bosses. That has happened in Chicago, even as Randi and Dennis continue to spin their lies that teachers support the ed deforms that are dismantling public education for the benefit of the ed industry and the social control ol... more »

CHICAGO TEACHERS STRIKE UPDATE 9-12: Diane in the Evening Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Dana Goldstein on the First Teachers’ Union by dianerav Dana Goldstein has written an interesting commentary on the history of teacher unionism. Chicago was the home of the very first teachers’ union, and it was founded by a tough female teacher named Margaret Haley. Haley hated the factory-style schools of the day, objected to rigid standardization, and wanted dignity for the teaching profession. I will quote some of her words on another post. For now, read Dana’s overview of the origins of the teachers’ union in Chicago. I told Dana, by the way, that I To... more »

Dealing with Students Who Bully: Part I (The Essential First Step) — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Dealing with Students Who Bully: Part I (The Essential First Step) — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Bob Sullo]Dealing with Students Who Bully: Part I (The Essential First Step) September 12, 2012 by Bob Sullo Note: Just as I warned about the dangers of identifying kids as "victims" in my last post, I try to avoid calling kids "bullies." So even though it's faster and easier to label a kid as a bully, I prefer to say "a kid who bullied another." It might seem like a subtle difference, but I think it dramatically changes our perception and behavior. After readi... more »

UPDATE: Topinka knows who caused the pension problem. But she is afraid to say how to fix it. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Topinka knows who caused the pension problem. But she is afraid to say how to fix it. « Fred Klonsky: Rebel Diaz. Chicago Teacher. by Fred Klonsky [CHORUS] Homey I was taught by a Chicago teacher! Chicago teacher, Chicago teacher! I learned to read and write from a Chicago teacher, So I’m inspired by the fight from our Chicago teachers! [RODSTARZ VERSE] The teachers are tired, the students dumbfounded, the budgets get cut so classes are overcrowded. Streets full of violence, the blue code of silence so imma keep rhyming til salaries start rising! The unions uprising! takin to the stree... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Tom Moran: Put Up Or Shut Up

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Tom Moran: Put Up Or Shut Up: Tom Moran: Put Up Or Shut Up by Duke *Did I really say all that? Oh, man, I really can act like a jerk...* Tom Moran writes yet another column saying that Chris Christie would be even more awesome if he wasn't so angry all the time. Whatever; the Star-Ledger Op-Ed Editor has been giving the guv career advice since he was sworn in. What really irks me here is that Moran once again ascribes all sorts of bad motives to the teachers union without giving cause: Christie has had many overheated moments like this. But *when he targets the te... more »

NYC Public School Parents: The real issues in the Chicago teachers strike and why they should matter to us here in NYC: Leonie Haimson on CNBC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: The real issues in the Chicago teachers strike and why they should matter to us here in NYC: Leonie Haimson on CNBC: The real issues in the Chicago teachers strike and why they should matter to us here in NYC: Leonie Haimson on CNBC by Leonie Haimson See the video from last night below, in which I stood up for the teachers in Chicago, three against one, on the Kudlow Report on CNBC. I tried to explain why most voters and parents in Chicago support the teachers, and how the strike is about many issues, one of them being class size. In the NY Times yest... more »

Why Rahm Emanuel and The New York Times are wrong about teacher evaluation - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Why Rahm Emanuel and The New York Times are wrong about teacher evaluation - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Why Rahm Emanuel and The New York Times are wrong about teacher evaluation By Valerie Strauss You know things are going very badly for public school teachers when The New York Times editorial board calls a bad teacher evaluation system a “sensible policy change.” The Times ran an editorial on Wednesday that smacked Chicago teachers for striking against a school reform package pushed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a former chief of staff of President Obama. It says in part: ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Latest I'm hearing...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Latest I'm hearing...: Latest I'm hearing... by Mike Klonsky At Clemente High School this morning, teachers manned all 4 corners at Division and Western . I seemed like every car , truck, bus and taxi that went by was honking its horn in support of the strikers. (M. Klonsky pic)Fire Alarm Insiders tell me that Fire Dept. inspectors went to Children First holding centers to do safety checks yesterday. Many of the buildings aren't schools and may not have proper safety requirements for little kids. I'm told that

Is Your Governor A Shill for Corporate Education Reformers? Do you have to fear your Public Schools being Privatized?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Education 50: EDUCATION 50 - States - FAQ - Our Mission *SELECT* A STATE - ALABAMA - ALASKA - ARIZONA - ARKANSAS - CALIFORNIA - COLORADO - CONNECTICUT - DELAWARE - FLORIDA - GEORGIA - HAWAII - IDAHO - ILLINOIS - INDIANA - IOWA - KANSAS - KENTUCKY - LOUISIANA - MAINE - MARYLAND - MASSACHUSETTS - MICHIGAN - MINNESOTA - ... more »

Ed Waivers, Junk Ratings & Misplaced Blame: Jersey Edition « School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Ed Waivers, Junk Ratings & Misplaced Blame: Jersey Edition « School Finance 101: Ed Waivers, Junk Ratings & Misplaced Blame: Jersey Edition by schoolfinance101 I’ve been writing over the past few weeks about NCLB waivers and the schools that are being targeted by states under the waiver program as targets for federally endorsed state intervention. [all of which is built on highly suspect legal/governance assumptions] My concerns here operate at a number of levels. First, the current Federal Administration has again used an “incentive” application process to coerce states to adopt ... more »

RheeFirst! » DC auditor slams Rhee’s deceptive accounting

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
RheeFirst! » DC auditor slams Rhee’s deceptive accounting: DC auditor slams Rhee’s deceptive accounting by admin When Michelle Rhee closed 23 schools in DC, the damage to communities was evident. Rhee justified the closures by citing supposed cost savings, but a recently released investigation by the DC Inspector Generalshows that those savings, like so much of Michelle Rhee’s legacy, have turned out to be illusory. The $9.7 million price tag that Rhee quoted at the time turned into a whopping $40 million. Even on Rhee’s terms, the number should have been $17.7 million, and the ... more »

Corp reform media blaming teachers, touting charters Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Corp reform media blaming teachers, touting charters: Corp reform media blaming teachers, touting charters by admin The corporate reform-backed media is doing its “Education Nation” best to prop up Rahm Emanuel’s union busting efforts, with a lot of help from Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. Parents Across America’s Leonie Haimson was put up against three white male corp reformers on CNBCyesterday. I know, not fair that the men were so overmatched, but one of them still managed to suggest that the parents supporting the CTU are ... more »

Afternoon UPDATE: Chicago Teachers Strike News and Commentary 9-12-12

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
*Morning Chicago Teachers Strike News and Commentary 9-12-12* Chicago teacher: They didn’t think that we were serious by Eric W. Dolan Union delegate Darryl Reed explained Monday that the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) began their strike on Monday to prevent teachers from being unjustly fired. “We’ve been saying all along that the [Chicago Public School system] did not think that we were this strong, did not think that... The Chicago Teachers’ Strike: Two Visions by dianerav This is my analysis of the strike, posted on the website of the New York Review of Books. Debating the ... more »

Chris Hedges on the Chicago teachers’ strike | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Chris Hedges on the Chicago teachers’ strike | Seattle Education: Chris Hedges on the Chicago teachers’ strike by seattleducation2011 From Democracy Now’s program on September 11, 2012: Chris Hedges: Dems Owe Chicago Public Teachers Support For “Most Important Labor Action in Decades” As the Chicago public school teachers’ strike enters its second day, we’re joined by the journalist and author Chris Hedges. “The teacher strike in Chicago is arguably one of the most important labor actions in probably decades,” Hedges says. “If it does not prevail, you can be certain that the temp... more »

Chicago teachers say they’ve been handed an ultimatum | The Raw Story

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Chicago teachers say they’ve been handed an ultimatum | The Raw Story: Chicago teachers say they’ve been handed an ultimatum By David Ferguson Wednesday, September 12, 2012 10:52 EDT [image: Print] Share on facebookShare on redditShare on diggShare on twitterShare on farkShare on stumbleupon0 [image: Chicago teachers strike via Flickr] Topics: chicago board of education ♦ Chicago teachers ♦ Chicago Teachers Union Chicago Teachers’ Union representatives say that school district officials have issued them an ultimatum with regards to their demands, according to ABC News. The strike... more »

» CHART: High School Graduation Rates in “Right-to-Work” States Clearly Lower than States Where Unionism is Welcome

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
» CHART: High School Graduation Rates in “Right-to-Work” States Clearly Lower than States Where Unionism is Welcome: CHART: High School Graduation Rates in “Right-to-Work” States Clearly Lower than States Where Unionism is Welcome by Chaz Bolte An interesting, though dated map is making its way around the web that shows graduation rates across the country versus state “Right-to-Work” status. The graphic likely resurfaced, despite showing information from 2002-2003, because of the Chicago Teachers Union strike and the ongoing assault on public education. Even though the Right-to-... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Autocrat Rahm draws a line in the sand on test-based evaluation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Autocrat Rahm draws a line in the sand on test-based evaluation: Autocrat Rahm draws a line in the sand on test-based evaluation by Mike Klonsky Whitney Young H.S. teachers are hanging tough. So far, the teachers have won overwhelming community support.. Latest polls show 47% support CTU and only 39% for the mayor. (CTU pic)It appears this morning that our autocrat mayor has decided to stonewall the negotiations. While he's moved on compensation issues but he's refusing to even discuss teacher evaluation and the power of principals to hire and f... more »

Schools Matter: PBS-Gates News Hour Features Present Randi-Roy Tag Team Against Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Schools Matter: PBS-Gates News Hour Features Present Randi-Roy Tag Team Against Teachers: PBS-Gates News Hour Features Present Randi-Roy Tag Team Against Teachers by Jim Horn Ever since the PBS News Hour became a subsidiary of the Gates Foundation, their reporting has suffered, both in what they cover and how they cover it. In terms of the street actions going on in Chicago, with parents, children, and teachers raising holy hell to save their schools from corporate takeover, PBS remains a distant observer, preferring to interview a polite PBS affiliate reporter two nites ago, and... more »

The Chicago Strike and the History of American Teachers' Unions - Dana Goldstein

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
The Chicago Strike and the History of American Teachers' Unions - Dana Goldstein: The Chicago Strike and the History of American Teachers' Unions by Dana Goldstein * [image: Haley] Margaret Haley, the "lady labor slugger" of Chicago. She was one of the nation's first teachers' union organizers.* I live in New York, and like almost every national education commentator, I have no idea about the specific details left on the table in the Chicago teachers’ negotiations. Broadly, we know the union leadership resents Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s enthusiasm for non-unionized charter schools and ne... more »

» Chicago Teachers Union Begins Day 3 of Strike to Save the City’s Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
» Chicago Teachers Union Begins Day 3 of Strike to Save the City’s Schools: Chicago Teachers Union Begins Day 3 of Strike to Save the City’s Schools by Steve Cooper For a third straight day, Chicago’s public school teachers (members of the Chicago Teachers Union) will be on strike to protest the direction that Chicago’s school system is headed. The CTU and Mayor Rahm Emanuel are at odds on a handful of issues, leaving 350,000 students unable to attend school. The catch is, however, that even if they were in school, they might not have books, they’d likely be in classrooms of 40 o... more »






Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-8-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-1-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-25-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-18-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig 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 Ed Ape Nite Cap SPECIAL STRIKE EDITION DAY #3 9-12-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap SPECIAL STRIKE EDITION 9-11-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-10-12 #faircontractnow #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-9-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-8-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-7-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-6-12 #DNC2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-5-12 #DNC2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-4-12 #DNC2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-3-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-2-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-31-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-30-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-29-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-28-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-27-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-26-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-25-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-24-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-23-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-22-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-21-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-20-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-19-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #