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
To my friends in California: Vote yes on 34. No Troy Davis in California. « Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 29 minutes ago
To my friends in California: Vote yes on 34. No Troy Davis in California. « Fred Klonsky: To my friends in California: Vote yes on 34. No Troy Davis in California. by Fred Klonsky
SBAC Technology Readiness Tool Spring 2012 Summary - Assessment Information (CA Dept of Education)
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 40 minutes ago
SBAC Technology Readiness Tool Spring 2012 Summary - Assessment Information (CA Dept of Education): SBAC Technology Readiness Tool Spring 2012 Summary A statewide summary of the information collected by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium Technology Readiness Tool for the Spring 2012 data collection window. ------------------------------ The Technology Readiness Tool (TRT) collects school-level information technology information to help the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and member states evaluate the technology at schools as it relates to the Smarter Balanced onl... more »
"Won't Back Down" Film Pushes ALEC Parent Trigger Proposal | PR Watch
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 48 minutes ago
"Won't Back Down" Film Pushes ALEC Parent Trigger Proposal | PR Watch: "Won't Back Down" Film Pushes ALEC Parent Trigger Proposal by Mary Bottari — September 19, 2012 - 10:00am Topics: Banking Projects: ALEC Exposed [image: Share/Save] Share this -- Mary Bottari and Sara Jerving Well-funded advocates of privatizing the nation's education system are employing a new strategy this fall to enlist support for the cause. The emotionally engaging Hollywood film "Won't Back Down" -- set for release September 28 -- portrays so-called "Parent Trigger" laws as an effective mechanism for trans... more »
National education group taps Nashville for special screening of 'parent trigger' film | Nashville City Paper
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
* * National education group taps Nashville for special screening of 'parent trigger' film | Nashville City Paper: *National education group taps Nashville for special screening of 'parent trigger' film* By Joey Garrison [image: Stealing Schools = Won't Back Down (click Picture)] In the way the documentary “Waiting for 'Superman' ” became the critics’ pick for charter school enthusiasts in 2010, education reformers are already turning to “Won’t Back Down” to shed light on a new cause: the “parent trigger” law. And though the film won’t go nationwide until Sept. 28, Nashville is... more »
MIDDLE CLASS STILL ELUDES SOME TEACHERS « Teachers Fight Back
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
MIDDLE CLASS STILL ELUDES SOME TEACHERS « Teachers Fight Back: MIDDLE CLASS STILL ELUDES SOME TEACHERS by alkleen Just saw a news report that gives the income of people in the U.S. who would be considered “middle class”. To be “middle class” in America, you need to fall between the yearly incomes of $39,418 and $118,255. Wow, that’s “middle class”? If that’s the case, we sure have a good deal of teachers who have yet to reach that $39,418 level and are certainly not “middle class”. It’s also safe to assume that most teachers are not anywhere near the top end of the “middle class... more »
Daily Kos: "The Difficult Thirty Percent" Redux: The Equity Gap 2012
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Daily Kos: "The Difficult Thirty Percent" Redux: The Equity Gap 2012: "The Difficult Thirty Percent" Redux: The Equity Gap 2012 by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) Ralph Ellison, celebrated author of *Invisible Man*, spoke in September 1963 at a teachers' conference "...to discuss 'these children,' the difficult thirty percent. We know this very well; it has been hammered out again and again." Ellison was addressing the educational failures of African American children in U.S. public schools, including drop outs. Rejecting the prevalent deficit perspective of his era, Ellison bravely ... more »
Why some of the best universities are giving away their courses | Pacific NW | The Seattle Times
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Why some of the best universities are giving away their courses | Pacific NW | The Seattle Times: Why some of the best universities are giving away their courses Each has answers, but, basically, it comes down to ... By Katherine Long PREV 1 of 7 NEXT [image: The Linden family is really into free online education. Clockwise from top left: Greg Linden; his wife, Corina; son, Jacob, 10; and daughter Tatiana, 9. Jacob is using a calculator to enter data to advance through an introductory physics class offered by Udacity, a collection of free online courses started by a Stanford Unive... more »
Join Lily (virtually speaking) @ NBC Student Town Hall - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Join Lily (virtually speaking) @ NBC Student Town Hall - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard: [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] Join Lily (virtually speaking) @ NBC Student Town Hall Sep 21st, 2012 by Lily. Join Lily at the Education Nation 2012 Student Town Hall where Melissa Harris-Perry hosts students for the first Education Nation at The New York Public Library. You can follow live here on Lily’s Blackboard on Sunday, Sept 23rd at 10:00am (ET) Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Comments? Ideas? Join the conversation here.
Banned in Park Ridge. « Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Banned in Park Ridge. « Fred Klonsky: Banned in Park Ridge. by Fred Klonsky Was it something I said? Earlier today I did a post that mentioned the contract settlement in Park Ridge. That is the district I just retired from and was, for a ten-year period of time, the union president. I noted that it was a contract that was bargained well by the Park Ridge Education Association negotiating team. I pointed out that it contained a modest cost of living adjustment and some gains for teacher voice in curriculum creation. But I also mentioned the District’s huge 40% budget surplus. What do... more »
Violence, Technology, and Education: Putting Accountability in the Right Perspective — Whole Child Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Violence, Technology, and Education: Putting Accountability in the Right Perspective — Whole Child Education: Violence, Technology, and Education: Putting Accountability in the Right Perspective September 21, 2012 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers [image: Tess Pajaron] *Post submitted by Tess Pajaron of Open Colleges, an online course provider based in Australia. She regularly writes about study and work abroad experiences and advocates for education.* Would you believe me if I told you that when the telephone was invented, people didn't believe it would eventually become part of their d... more »
Radical Scholarship: Peter Lang titles win 8 Critics' Choice Book Awards from the American Educational Studies Association
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Radical Scholarship: Peter Lang titles win 8 Critics' Choice Book Awards from the American Educational Studies Association: Peter Lang titles win 8 Critics' Choice Book Awards from the American Educational Studies Association Gorlewski, Julie A. / Porfilio, Brad J. / Gorlewski, David A. (eds.) Using Standards and High-Stakes Testing for Students Exploiting Power with Critical Pedagogy Series: Counterpoints - Volume 425 Year of Publication: 2012 New York, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Frankfurt am Main, Oxford, Wien, 2012. XIV, 271 pp., num. fig. ISBN 978-1-4331-1555-4 pb. (Softcover) ... more »
RheeFirst! » Something funny about Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s TNTP bio
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
RheeFirst! » Something funny about Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s TNTP bio: Something funny about Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s TNTP bio by admin Before she started StudentsFirst, Rhee ran an education consultancy called The New Teacher Project (TNTP). Her bio on the old TNTP website is very interesting. Rhee’s short biography stays pretty much the same from2001 through 2003. And then, this line appears: “Her teaching career started at Harlem Park Community School in Baltimore, MD, where her outstanding success in the classroom earned her acclaim on Good Morning Ame... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Live From the Heartland tomorrow morning
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Live From the Heartland tomorrow morning: Live From the Heartland tomorrow morning by Mike Klonsky JOIN KATY HOGAN AND MICHAEL JAMES FOR THE LIVE FROM THE HEARTLAND SHOW. Sat. 9 am Live at the Heartland Cafe • on air 88.7 • on line www.wluw.org• www.youtube.com/heartlandmedia Saturday, 9/22: Mike KlonskyOur featured guest is Mike Klonsky. Mike is one of the Live from the Heartland Show's regular commentators on education and other important matters. He joins us this Saturday to share information and analysis on the recent Chicago teachers strike.... more »
Videos Reveal Frustration with the Chicago Strike - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Videos Reveal Frustration with the Chicago Strike - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Videos Reveal Frustration with the Chicago Strike by Anthony Cody Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody *This has been the year of the revealing video.* This week we saw that Governor Romney and many of his millionaire donors view almost half the country as parasitic dependents. That famous 47% includes many of our students. Last summer's video of Stand For Children leader Jonah Edelman at a conservative gathering in Aspen revealed how his group had maneuvered to pass a law that they th... more »
David Coleman: “I’m Scared of Rewarding BS” « The Core Knowledge Blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
David Coleman: “I’m Scared of Rewarding BS” « The Core Knowledge Blog: David Coleman: “I’m Scared of Rewarding BS”by Robert Pondiscio *September 21st, 2012* Tags: Checker Finn, Common Core State Standards, Dana Goldstein, David Coleman,Literacy, The Atlantic Posted in Curriculum, Education News | No Comments » Dana Goldstein’s profile of Common Core State Standards architect David Coleman is up at The Atlantic, and it’s a must-read. For better or for worse, she writes, his ideas are transforming American education as we know it. The money quote: “I’m scared of rewarding bullshi... more »
The 6 P’s for Education « My Island View
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
The 6 P’s for Education « My Island View: The 6 P’s for Education by tomwhitby Dell Computer has sponsored four education Think Tanks over the last year, or so, and I have been fortunate to participate in three of them. At each get-together educators, education related organizers, education industry executives, and most recently students, were brought together in an open discussion on the weighty topics of education and education reform. All of the discussions were video-taped, and live-streamed, and even animated on a mural to a viewing audience. The final production was archived... more »
How our love for numbers warps school reform - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
How our love for numbers warps school reform - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: How our love for numbers warps school reform By Valerie Strauss Americans have a love affair with numbers. Here Alfie Kohn, the author of 12 books about education and human behavior, explains why this has become a problem when it comes to school reform. His books include “The Schools Our Children Deserve,” “The Homework Myth,” and “Feel-Bad Education... And Other Contrarian Essays on Children & Schooling.” He lives (actually) in the Boston area and (virtually) at www.alfiekohn.org. This is a slig... more »
Ten minute drawing. Rahm approved this million dollar ad buy. « Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Ten minute drawing. Rahm approved this million dollar ad buy. « Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. Rahm approved this million dollar ad buy. by Fred Klonsky The in box. Thanks from Peet’s Workers Group. by Fred Klonsky *Fred,* *Thank you so much to Fred and all the CPS teachers that came out to support the Peet’s Workers Group on Tuesday. It meant so much that after 9 exhausting days on the front lines you came up to stand in support of the coffee workers!* *- Rae*
NYC Public School Parents: We fought the invasion of PS 15: a real-life "Won't Back Down" story
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: We fought the invasion of PS 15: a real-life "Won't Back Down" story: We fought the invasion of PS 15: a real-life "Won't Back Down" story by Leonie Haimson Lydia Bellahcene and Julie Cavanagh *The following was written by Julie Cavanagh and Lydia Bellahcene, a teacher and a parent at PS 15 in Brooklyn. This is their real-life “Won’t Back Down” story, unlike the Hollywood version featured in the film of the same name that will open nationwide on Sept. 28. You can also check out my review of the movie. If you are a parent or educator and have your own ... more »
E Pluribus...Separation: Deepening Double Segregation for More Students — The Civil Rights Project at UCLA
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
E Pluribus...Separation: Deepening Double Segregation for More Students — The Civil Rights Project at UCLA: E Pluribus...Separation: Deepening Double Segregation for More Students *Authors: Gary Orfield, John Kucsera, Genevieve Siegel-Hawley* Date Published: September 19, 2012 This report suggests a number of specific ways to reverse the trends toward deepening resegregation and educational inequalities. Related Documents - [image: Attached file] Full Report: E Pluribus...Separation - [image: Attached file] Executive Summary: E Pluribus...Separation Ed*itor's Note:* This n... more »
Study: ‘Apartheid’ school segregation deepening in California, Texas and New York | The Raw Story
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Study: ‘Apartheid’ school segregation deepening in California, Texas and New York | The Raw Story: Study: ‘Apartheid’ school segregation deepening in California, Texas and New York from Raw Story by Kay Steiger [image: African American students in a classroom (Shutterstock)] Topics: African American students ♦ school segregation A full 15 percent of African American students and 14 percent of Latino students are attending America’s “apartheid” schools, which have student bodies that are less than 1 percent white, according to a new study by the Civil Rights Project published on ... more »
Other teacher contracts. « Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Other teacher contracts. « Fred Klonsky: Other teacher contracts. from Fred Klonsky's blog by Fred Klonsky This past couple of weeks national attention deservedly was focused on the Chicago Teachers Union battle with Rahm Emanuel over his corporate-backed reform plans and the strike for a fair contract. Meanwhile, teachers in my old school district in the Chicago suburbs of Park Ridge approved a new Collective Bargaining Agreement by 96% of the vote and 98% of the members voting. The school board is expected to approve the Agreement at their regularly scheduled meeting on September... more »
This Week In Education: Media: Are You The West Coast Version Of Joy Resmovits?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
This Week In Education: Media: Are You The West Coast Version Of Joy Resmovits?: Media: Are You The West Coast Version Of Joy Resmovits? [image: image from laschoolreport.com]Launched last month, LA School Report is an independent education news and commentary site focused on the Los Angeles public schools that has been taking the LA education scene by storm. In just the lat few weeks, we've tracked campaign funding and broken news about possible school board candidates. We've helped readers understand the issues and dynamics behind the use of student achievement in teacher evalu... more »
What ‘Won’t Back Down’ Gets Wrong About Parental Involvement in Schools | NEA Today
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
What ‘Won’t Back Down’ Gets Wrong About Parental Involvement in Schools | NEA Today: What ‘Won’t Back Down’ Gets Wrong About Parental Involvement in Schools September 20, 2012 by twalker Filed under Featured News, Top Stories 1 Comment [image: Email][image: Share] *By Tim Walker* In school districts across the nation, parents are collaborating with educators, administrators, teachers unions and other community leaders to improve public education and find sustainable solutions that put children at the center of reform. That’s the reality, but anti-public education activists are bett... more »
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, September 21, 2012
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Shuttle Endeavour goes sightseeing in California Education Headlines *Friday, September 21, 2012* VISTA students scramble to find new schoolsBright and early this morning, Rongwei Huang will head to Stockton Early College Academy, a place that for her, paradoxically, will be both old and new. Hacienda La Puente teachers at impasse with district over salaries, benefitsThe teachers union representing the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District has walked away from the negotiating table and is expected to declare an impasse, uni... more »
Mike Klonsky...: WTTW, Chicago Tonight, September 10, 2012
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Mike Klonsky...: WTTW, Chicago Tonight, September 10, 2012: WTTW, Chicago Tonight, September 10, 2012 SENATE BILL 7 Springfield passed ambitious education reform last year, intending to transform the system and make it harder for unions to strike. One year later, what’s changed? How did Chicago end up with a historic strike on its hands? http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2012/09/10/attempts-education-reform-illinois FOX News didn't reveal its ties to testing companies by Mike Klonsky In 89 segments between September 10 and 16, Fox News reported on the Chicago Teachers Union's strike... more »
“The Difficult Thirty Percent” Redux: The Equity Gap 2012 | Dailycensored.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
“The Difficult Thirty Percent” Redux: The Equity Gap 2012 | Dailycensored.com: “The Difficult Thirty Percent” Redux: The Equity Gap 2012 by P.L. Thomas Ralph Ellison, celebrated author of *Invisible Man*, spoke in September 1963 at a teachers’ conference “…to discuss ‘these children,’ the difficult thirty percent. We know this very well; it has been hammered out again and again.” Ellison was addressing the educational failures of African American children in U.S. public schools, including drop outs. Rejecting the prevalent deficit perspective of his era, Ellison bravely asserted, “... more »
My Search for My Inner Teacher | Edwize
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
My Search for My Inner Teacher | Edwize: My Search for My Inner Teacher by Miss Who? [image: Bathroom pass]You don’t understand, Miss. I’m peeeeeiiiing,” Samantha says on the third day of school. Her request reminds me of Nora, a student from last year. Both Samantha and Nora chose to loudly request to go to the bathroom as they entered the classroom just the day after I explained to my high school students the process for silently asking to go only after the first 10 minutes of class had passed. When Nora tried that move last year, I remember being caught without a proper response... more »
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee today in Atlanta for Steal-your schools conference | Get Schooled
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee today in Atlanta for Steal-your schools conference | Get Schooled: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee today in Atlanta for Steal-your schools conference by Maureen Downey ** Michelle Rhee is in town today for daylong conference that will feature new film "Won't Back Down." Michelle Rhee is in town today to host a screening of the new movie *“Won’t Back Down,”* which is a fictionalized account of a parent takeover of a failing public school via the parent trigger law. (For information on the first real-life application of a trigger law, *go here*.)... more »
Meet the Founders: Julie Woesthoff | Parents Across America
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Meet the Founders: Julie Woesthoff | Parents Across America: Meet the Founders: Julie Woesthoff by pagrundy * Fourth in a series of profiles of PAA founding members.* For PAA co-founder Julie Woesthoff, the high point of the recently concluded Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) strike was the solidarity she saw between teachers, parents, students and community members. “We showed a very powerful united front,” she said. “It was not just teachers, it was the whole community. We all felt that we were speaking out in favor of a better vision of education.” Julie has worked for decades to bri... more »
Louisiana Educator: Chicken Processors Preferred to Teachers
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Louisiana Educator: Chicken Processors Preferred to Teachers: Chicken Processors Preferred to Teachers by Michael Deshotels Why would the state of Louisiana spend millions of taxpayer dollars to keep a chicken processing plant in North Louisiana from closing, yet next year the state will allow local school systems to lose teaching jobs to out of state providers? The reason the Governor and his staff gave for awarding a chicken processing plant a large subsidy a couple of years ago was to protect local jobs from being sent out of state because of the closing of a Louisiana facilit... more »
Pew Report:Characteristics of the 60 cities by Hispanic Population - Hispanically Speaking News
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Pew Report:Characteristics of the 60 cities by Hispanic Population - Hispanically Speaking News: PEW Report: Characteristics of the 60 Largest Metropolitan Areas by Hispanic Population [image: PEW Report: Characteristics of the 60 Largest Metropolitan Areas by Hispanic Population]Nearly half (45%) of the nation’s Hispanic population lives in just 10 metropolitan areas, according to tabulations of the 2010 American Community Survey (ACS) by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center. The Los Angeles-Long Beach, Calif., metropolitan area has the nation’s largest... more »
Social media acts as megaphone and sword in CTU strike
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Social media acts as megaphone and sword in CTU strike: Social media acts as megaphone and sword in CTU strike September 14, 2012 By: Andrew Gill As the Chicago Teachers Union strike drags closer to the one-week mark, it's clear the CPS and CTU have more differences than just at the negotiating table. Take, for instance, how each organization has utilized social media throughout this process. For the CTU Facebook and Twitter are wielded like a battleax, for CPS its more like a billboard. The guy behind the union's social media efforts is Kenzo Shibata. To say he's had a good week ... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: Teachers Asked to Pay For Marketing Proposition S
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Teachers Asked to Pay For Marketing Proposition S: Teachers Asked to Pay For Marketing Proposition S by Anngie For those in St. Louis County, there will be a ballot measure this fall asking for a tax increase for Special School District. Proposition S is seeking a .19 cent/$100K valuation tax increase to pay for SSD services. This would increase the operating levy in St. Louis County to $1.19/$100k and would help SSD continue to provide services to children with autism, maintain competitive salaries and update technology. (See more here) This week SSD... more »
Chicago Teachers Strike Post Mortem: Did the Children Win? - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Chicago Teachers Strike Post Mortem: Did the Children Win? - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.: Chicago Teachers Strike Post Mortem: Did the Children Win? WRITTEN BY RICK COHEN CREATED ON THURSDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2012 13:22 share on emailemailshare on printprintshare on facebookrecommendshare on twittertweet thisshare on linkedinlinked in - google+ - comment [image: CTU] If you were looking for balance in the mainstream press coverage of the Chicago teachers’ strike over the past few weeks, you looked in vain. It was kind of amazing how mu... more »
Data, Data, Data? Dissecting & Debunking NJDOE’s State of the Schools Message « School Finance 101
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Data, Data, Data? Dissecting & Debunking NJDOE’s State of the Schools Message « School Finance 101: Data, Data, Data? Dissecting & Debunking NJDOE’s State of the Schools Message by schoolfinance101 Time again for an NJ State of the Schools Address, as reported HERE in NJ Spotlight (with absolutely no critical question/reporting whatsoever! More or less spoon fed regurgitation). As I’ve written a number of times on this blog, state officials in New Jersey have decided on specific marketing/messaging plan in order to support current policy initiatives. Those policy initiatives invol... more »
“Won’t Back Down” Film Pushes ALEC Parent Trigger Proposal « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
“Won’t Back Down” Film Pushes ALEC Parent Trigger Proposal « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: “Won’t Back Down” Film Pushes ALEC Parent Trigger Proposal by millerlf by Mary Bottari and Sara Jerving — September 19, 2012 PR Watch, Center for Media and Democracy - Projects: ALEC Exposed Well-funded advocates of privatizing the nation’s education system are employing a new strategy this fall to enlist support for the cause. The emotionally engaging Hollywood film “Won’t Back Down” — set for release September 28 — portrays so-called “Parent Trigger” laws as an effective ... more »
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » The 3 Big Lies in the Won’t Back Down movie
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » The 3 Big Lies in the Won’t Back Down movie: The 3 Big Lies in the Won’t Back Down movie by admin I saw the “Won’t Back Down” movie last night. The crowd loved it, and I would have liked it, too, if I hadn’t known why it was produced or been aware of the three big lies at the heart of the movie. After all, it’s just a movie, right? And a successful feel-good movie at that. Not being at all connected to reality (despite the big announcement at the very beginning that it was “inspired by actual events”) shouldn’t matter, right... more »
Back to School Night: Part I | Mr. Teachbad
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Back to School Night: Part I | Mr. Teachbad: Back to School Night: Part I by teachbad It was *Back to School *night at my son’s new middle school on Wednesday. As residents of Washington, DC and people who can afford neither the city’s high-rent zip codes nor private school, the move of our son to middle school has been a source of great anxiety for the better part of two years. When I first started teaching, I taught at our neighborhood DCPS K-8 school. It’s three blocks from my house, but there is no way my son was going there. This is the place where an 11-year... more »
Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-21-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] To Be Poor in America by dianerav Yesterday, I posted an article about growing income inequality in New York City. This morning, I posted an editorial from Bloomberg News claiming that the Census Bureau was overstating the extent of poverty by not counting transfers like food stamps. A reader sent this story, which should remind us that it is no picnic to be poor in America. Let me add a personal note. I am not poor. I have never been poor. But I hope I never reach a point when I stop caring about others ... more »
California leads effort to boost English learner success | EdSource Today
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
California leads effort to boost English learner success | EdSource Today: California leads effort to boost English learner success ** September 21st, 2012 | Add a Comment | By Kathryn Baron Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services Anyone who studied French all through high school and still ended up hiring an avocado* (avocat*) instead of an attorney (*avocat*) understands that learning a foreign language is complicated, and isn’t a strong suit for U.S. schools. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that the same is true when it comes to b... more »
Tutors for kindergarteners (and younger kids too) - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Tutors for kindergarteners (and younger kids too) - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] Tutors for kindergarteners (and younger kids too) By Valerie Strauss How obsessed have schools become in preparing young kids to take tests and achieve in academics? This much: Tutors for kindergarteners — and preschoolers — have become commonplace. (Mark Bugnaski/AP)You might think this is something that would be popular in New York City or Washington D.C. But go to Clay County, Missouri, and you can find plenty of folks willing to help bring kindergarteners who may ... more »
I Pledge Allegiance - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
I Pledge Allegiance - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: I Pledge Allegiance by Nancy Flanagan Back in the 1980s, when my public school district was still considered rural, a conservative, anti-tax school board was elected and set about re-fashioning the core work of the system, stripping away "frills" and returning to their own nostalgic, just-the-basics vision of education. First order of business: a mandate that an American flag be displayed in every room, and all buildings collectively recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of every day. Effective im... more »
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Hedge-funders underwrite Rahm's post-strike ad campaign
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Hedge-funders underwrite Rahm's post-strike ad campaign: Hedge-funders underwrite Rahm's post-strike ad campaign by Mike Klonsky DFER Board member Whitney Tilson is chief of T2 Partners and Tilson Funds . DFER is underwriting Rahm's anti-union ad campaign.After a devastating political defeat at the hands of Karen Lewis and the CTU in last week's teachers strike and with public opinion moving strongly to the teachers's side. the mayor of Chicago has unleashed a mult-million-dollar damage-control ad campaign. From the Chicago Tribune *In a politi... more »
NYC Educator: This Is Why I'm a Teacher
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
NYC Educator: This Is Why I'm a Teacher: This Is Why I'm a Teacher by NYC Educator I was giving placement tests to incoming ESL students, and a young woman came in with her sister, who'd just gotten here. She said she had graduated from our school recently, and asked about one of my young colleagues. I told her I was sorry, she wasn't here, but why not leave a note? I gave her a piece of paper and she began writing, all excited. When my colleague got back, I told here there was a note for her. She pulled it out of her mailbox and looked that the smiley faces on its folded cover, a... more »
Jersey Jazzman: "Won't Back Down" Panels Snub Teachers
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: "Won't Back Down" Panels Snub Teachers: "Won't Back Down" Panels Snub Teachers by Duke [image: Stealing Schools = Won't Back Down (click Picture)] Around the country, there have been a slew of "special screenings" of *Won't Back Down*, the corporate reformers' latest piece of propaganda. As a special treat, StudentsFirst and other reformy organizations have been organizing panels of "experts" to discuss the film. Guess which experts have been excluded? Newark (from the great education student and blogger Stephanie Rivera): *In addition to the movie screening, B4K... more »
Big Education Ape Nite Cap UPDATE 9-20-12 #SOSCHAT #CTUSTRIKE
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE* *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* TSJ's Stephanie Hicks on the CTU Strike: Interview by Kevin Powell by sarah-ji TSJ's own Stephanie Hicks was interviewed on writer and public speaker Kevin Powell's blog regarding the CTU strike. Here is an excerpt: *How do you respond to those who say teachers are asking for too much?* To those who say that teachers are asking for too much, I’d say that the conditions under which teachers teach, and students learn, make a world of difference in the educational process. If teachers aren’t compensated fairly, if they don’t have adequ... more »
Voices: Social justice in teacher evals crosses line | EdNewsColorado
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Voices: Social justice in teacher evals crosses line | EdNewsColorado: Voices: Social justice in teacher evals crosses line by John Peterson *John Peterson, an economics and U.S. history teacher at Denver’s East High School, says “social justice” is too subjective to be used as part of a teacher’s evaluation.* Many public school parents would be upset to see their child’s liberal teacher rewarding students for participating in an Occupy Denver encampment. Others would be incensed to see a conservative teacher push student involvement in a Tea Party rally. [image: Denver Public Schoo... more »
School Tech Connect: Democracy Lurches Forward in Chicago
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Democracy Lurches Forward in Chicago: Democracy Lurches Forward in Chicago by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) [image: Logo] The indefatigable Wendy Katten from Illinois Raise Your Hand is reporting via email that the ballot advisory referendum concerning the elected, representative school board will be on the ballots in 194 precincts, which is almost all of the precincts covered by the CODE coalition. There are something like 2,000 precincts in the city, last time I checked, so we have our work cut out, but this is a terrific result for the first time aroun... more »
NYC Public School Parents: Don't be fooled by "Won't Back Down"!
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Don't be fooled by "Won't Back Down"!: Don't be fooled by "Won't Back Down"! by Leonie Haimson Credit: Center for Media and Democracy *Over the next few weeks, we will be running pieces describing real-life “Won’t Back Down” stories from parents and teachers. If you’d like to share yours, please email us atinfo@classsizematters.org* Last night I attended a screening of the controversial new film, “Won’t Back Down” about a parent and a teacher who take over their “failing” public school. I have written a FAQ about the movie which is posted here. The fil... more »
In the News: Karen Lewis' moment in the spotlight | catalyst-chicago.org
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
In the News: Karen Lewis' moment in the spotlight | catalyst-chicago.org: In the News: Karen Lewis' moment in the spotlight - Share on windycitizenShare on facebookShare on email *By: *Cassandra West / September 20, 2012 *Tags: *Karen Lewis CTU President Karen Lewis has emerged "as a union rock star," the Sun-Times says in introducing an exclusive interview with her. Lewis also joined Amy Goodman on "Democracy Now" to talk about the strike, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and what the strike meant for education reform across the country. "We’ve been micromanaged into doing th... more »
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