Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-4-12 #DNC2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



James Baldwin said it best: 

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

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP



Commentary: What BCG “Collective Bargaining Reform” would mean for teachers | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago
Commentary: What BCG “Collective Bargaining Reform” would mean for teachers | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Commentary: What BCG “Collective Bargaining Reform” would mean for teachers by Ron Whitehorne on Sep 04 2012 Posted in Blogger commentary - COMMENTS (0)PRINT - EMAIL[image: ""] Tags: - ACTIVISM/ORGANIZING - budget cuts - teacher evaluation - teacher quality - teachers - site selection - Philadelphia Federation of Teachers - School Reform Commission - school closing - teachers' contract Among the recommendations in... more »

What are DFER and Students First afraid of? « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago
What are DFER and Students First afraid of? « Parents Across America: What are DFER and Students First afraid of? by pagrundy For the second day in a row, at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., a handful of moms bearing flyers and large yellow pencils made out of pool noodles were denied admission to an event sponsored and/or featuring the corporate-focused education “reform” groups Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) and Students First, headed by Michelle Rhee. On Tuesday, Carol Sawyer and Pam Grundy, co-chairs of the locally based MecklenburgACTS.org, had sig... more »

Two Moms Terrify DFER and StudentsFirst « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Two Moms Terrify DFER and StudentsFirst « Diane Ravitch's blog: Two Moms Terrify DFER and StudentsFirst by dianerav *What are DFER and Students First afraid of?* Activist moms denied admission to events at the Democratic National Convention Contacts: Pam Grundy, 704-806-0410, shamrockparent@earthlink.net Carol Sawyer, 704-641-2009, carolsawyer1@gmail.com For the second day in a row, at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., a handful of moms bearing flyers and large yellow pencils made out of pool noodles were denied admission to an event sponsored and/or featu... more »

PSAT for 9-4-12: Be, see role models Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 9-4-12: Be, see role models: PSAT for 9-4-12: Be, see role models by admin For this “traditional” first day of school, some teachable moments courtesy of excellent role models: Back in 1989, Chicago became a national model for school reform, thanks in part to the late Don Moore, PURE and many others who helped craft the Chicago School Reform law creating local school councils. Then we became a model for what NOT to do in school reform when the mayor took control of the schools in 1995, hiring a non-educator as CEO of... more »

Absenteeism Affects Student Success — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Absenteeism Affects Student Success — Whole Child Education: [image: Kristen Pekarek]Absenteeism Affects Student Success September 4, 2012 by Kristen Pekarek According to the Get Schooled Foundation, between 5 million and 7 million students are chronically absent, which is the best predictor of whether a student will drop out of school. The foundation's most recently released report, *Skipping to Nowhere: Students Share Their Views About Missing School*, digs deeper into the issue, revealing that most kids skipped school because they were bored. In New York City, where 200,000 of it... more »

School Board Elections: Cornerstone of Democracy | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
School Board Elections: Cornerstone of Democracy | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: School Board Elections: Cornerstone of Democracy by Tarsi Dunlop The Democratic National Convention is currently taking place in Charlotte, North Carolina and the Republican National Convention just wrapped in Tampa last week. It’s a presidential election year and the majority of dialogue, consequently, revolves around the national political scene – from the implications of veep picks and endorsements to super PAC contributions and the influence of political ads. Certainly, insi... more »

How President Obama Could Win the Election « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
How President Obama Could Win the Election « Diane Ravitch's blog: How President Obama Could Win the Election by dianerav By all accounts, the election of 2012 will be close. For educators, the stakes are high. Mitt Romney supports every kind of privatization, from charters to vouchers to full-time online schools, and he has no problem with for-profit schooling. His agenda threatens the survival of that most basic of democratic institutions, the public school. Educators supported President Obama when he ran in 2008. They enthusiastically embraced him as a true change agent, expecti... more »

The IEA’s response to being MIA on Labor Day. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The IEA’s response to being MIA on Labor Day. « Fred Klonsky: The IEA’s response to being MIA on Labor Day. by Fred Klonsky *Photo: Sarah Ji* When retired teacher and IEA member Sig Lisowski emailed IEA President Cinda Klickna and asked her why the IEA was MIA at the huge Labor Day rally in support of Chicago teachers, she responded: *Thank you for your email.**I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. I’m currently out of state at the Democratic Convention, but I understand thousands of IEA members participated in Labor Day events all over the state in the last few days, makin... more »

Teaching with Integrity! « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Teaching with Integrity! « Deborah Meier on Education: Teaching with Integrity! by debmeier I’m re-reading an ancient book–”Surely You’re Joking, Mr Feynman”. Well, its 27 years old and some readers weren’t born yet. None of my grandchildren, in fact. But I didn’t remember it’s wonderful final chapter–on what science vs junk science is. All the data we collect these days re school deform is clearly of the latter variety. But I’m reminded that so is a lot of what my side promotes too. Not everything good, I used to say, has to be labeled science. But Richard Feynman is making a di... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The 'Elephant in the Room' at the DNC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The 'Elephant in the Room' at the DNC: The 'Elephant in the Room' at the DNC by Mike Klonsky Rahm: "Unions are trouble." IEA: "Unions don't want to cause trouble." ( Fred Klonsky) Which side are you on? Which side are you on? This is the question tearing at the very fabric of the Democratic Party as tonight's DNC opens up with Rahm Emanuel at the speaker's podium. *"The threat of a Chicago teachers strike is the elephant in the room at delegation meetings," writeS-T staff reporters Natasha Korecki and Fran Spielman. "Everybody is aware of it and co... more »

Resources By Teachers, For Teachers | Edwize

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Resources By Teachers, For Teachers | Edwize: Resources By Teachers, For Teachers by W.J. Levay [image: sharemylesson]ShareMyLesson.com, a new teaching resource site developed by the AFT and TES Connect, the digital arm of the UK’s long-running *Times Educational Supplement*, was officially launched at the AFT convention this summer. But as teachers and students head back to school here in NYC, it’s a good time to check out what the site has to offer. From the AFT: Developed by teachers, for teachers, Share My Lesson already includes more than 250,000 resources, and that collectio... more »

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan to Visit Sacramento, Calif., as Part of 2012 Cross-Country Back-To-School Bus Tour Promoting Education | U.S. Department of Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan to Visit Sacramento, Calif., as Part of 2012 Cross-Country Back-To-School Bus Tour Promoting Education | U.S. Department of Education: U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan to Visit Sacramento, Calif., as Part of 2012 Cross-Country Back-To-School Bus Tour Promoting Education *“Education Drives America” to Spotlight Education Successes, Engage Communities in Conversations about School Reform, College Affordability, and Link Between Education and Economy* SEPTEMBER 4, 2012 *Contact: * Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov As a part of t... more »

Annual paid teacher leave: Average is 13.6 days for veterans. Fulton gives teachers 20 days. | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Annual paid teacher leave: Average is 13.6 days for veterans. Fulton gives teachers 20 days. | Get Schooled: Annual paid teacher leave: Average is 13.6 days for veterans. Fulton gives teachers 20 days. 3:02 pm September 4, 2012, by Maureen Downey [image: Of Georgia's largest systems, Fulton offers the most teacher leave, according to a new study. (AP Images)] Of Georgia's largest systems, Fulton offers the most teacher leave, according to a new study. (AP Images) The print AJC offered several provocative education stories over the past few days, including one on the paid leave affor... more »

Teaching to the Test in Suburbia | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Teaching to the Test in Suburbia | United Opt Out National: Teaching to the Test in Suburbia by admin *Please read and share the following post by Stefanie **Fuhr**. Stefanie ** Fuhr** has been in the classroom for close to twenty years. She has a Master’s degree in Elementary Education and is a member of the National Writing Project. Stefanie’s concerns about public schools has led Stefanie to become an advocate for public education. She states, “Schools which once supported inquiry and learning have become solely data/number/measurement collectors.” **Staying home to raise her t... more »

Expansion of School Advisory Councils: Popular idea, but devil is in the details | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Expansion of School Advisory Councils: Popular idea, but devil is in the details | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Expansion of School Advisory Councils: Popular idea, but devil is in the detailsby thenotebook on Sep 04 2012 Posted in Latest news - COMMENTS (0)PRINT - EMAIL[image: ""] Tags: - ACTIVISM/ORGANIZING - budget cuts - parent involvement - parent organizing - student activism - School Reform Commission *By Paul Jablow* * * For supporters of extending School Advisory Councils (SAC) to all schools in the District - and there is vir... more »

Shanker Blog » Five Recommendations For Reporting On (Or Just Interpreting) State Test Scores

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Shanker Blog » Five Recommendations For Reporting On (Or Just Interpreting) State Test Scores: Five Recommendations For Reporting On (Or Just Interpreting) State Test Scores by Matthew Di Carlo From my experience, education reporters are smart, knowledgeable, and attentive to detail. That said, the bulk of the stories about testing data – in big cities and suburbs, in this year and in previous years – could be better. Listen, I know it’s unreasonable to expect every reporter and editor to address every little detail when they try to write accessible copy about complicated issues,... more »

Please Post Your Responses on Gates’ Blog « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Please Post Your Responses on Gates’ Blog « Diane Ravitch's blog: Please Post Your Responses on Gates’ Blog by dianerav Earlier today I posted Anthony Cody’s searing critique of the Gates Foundation’s support for profiteering and privatization. (“When Profits Drive Reform”) Cody pulled no punches. He went right into the house of the Emperor to tell him that he has no clothes. His post is now posted on the Gates Foundation’s own blog. They call it “Impatient Optimists.” Please leave your comments on the Gates’ blog so that the foundation staff is sure to read them. They need to hear... more »

New York City Fair Student Funding reform? Not so fair: exclusive analysis - NY Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
New York City Fair Student Funding reform? Not so fair: exclusive analysis - NY Daily News: New York City Fair Student Funding reform? Not so fair: exclusive analysisThe analysis shows that schools opening in the last 3 years — Bloomberg’s ‘pets’ — get more dough than those getting shut down by city.Comments (4)BY RACHEL MONAHAN / NEW YORK DAILY NEWSTUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012, 3:21 AM Facebook 0 Twitter 3 StumbleUpon Tumblr Email Print [image: Shenia Rudolph, with her twins, seventh-grader daughter, Capri Brown, 12 and eighth-grade, son, Coby Brown, 12, who both attend Junior High ... more »

Teachers unions' alliance with Democratic Party frays - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Teachers unions' alliance with Democratic Party frays - latimes.com: Teachers unions' alliance with Democratic Party fraysPublic efforts toward school reform have some Democrats questioning the party's support of guarantees that school districts have made to teachers for decades. - [image: print] - Comments 59 - Email Share - - - [image: Randi Weingarten, American Federation of Teachers] Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, says parent-trigger laws actually gave power to for-profit organizations, not parents and ... more »

Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis speaks to 18,000 supporters on Labor Day | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis speaks to 18,000 supporters on Labor Day | Seattle Education: Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis speaks to 18,000 supporters on Labor Day from Seattle Education 2010 by seattleducation2011 Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis spoke to 18,00 supporters yesterday in Chicago’s Daley Plaza and she did not mince her words. Chicago was the birthplace of education reform as we know it with then CEO of Chicago Public Schools, Arne Duncan, and his failed Renaissance 2010 program to p... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, September 4, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION: Pelosi kicks off roster of speakers to California delegation Education Headlines *Tuesday, September 4, 2012* Local students boost test resultsStatewide, just over half of students -- 51 percent -- scored proficient or advanced in math. In English, 57 percent scored proficient or above. That's up by a percentage point in math and three in English over last year. Chino Valley USD reveals 4 teachers had sex with studentsThree of the four teachers allegedly involved in sexual relationships with students were ... more »

Teacher’s Unions in Tension With Democrats in Charlotte | FDL News Desk

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Teacher’s Unions in Tension With Democrats in Charlotte | FDL News Desk: Teacher’s Unions in Tension With Democrats in Charlotte by David Dayen Teacher in classroom with students (photo: Temari 09 / flickr) The Democratic platform on education includes the passage, “We Democrats honor our nation’s teachers, who do a heroic job for their students every day. If we want high-quality education for all our kids, we must listen to the people who are on the front lines.” However, it’s also perhaps the first education platform plank that tentatively dips its toe in the water of using student... more »

School Tech Connect: Obama, Are You Listening?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Obama, Are You Listening?: Obama, Are You Listening? by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I know I riff on this a lot, but... If I were a certain sitting Democratic president, I would be reaching out to the people who lifted me up. I would be looking in the mirror and asking myself, *Who got me here? What was it that people saw in me that I need to rekindle this time around?* * *This is the great Jitu Brown, speaking at Daley Plaza today. Like I say, if I were a certain someone facing re-election, I wouldn't be hitching my star to bland technocratic chamele... more »

The solution to everything: More Standardized Testing! - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
The solution to everything: More Standardized Testing! - Wait, What?: The solution to everything: A. More Standardized Testing! by jonpelto Public education experts Diane Ravitch and Gary Rubinstein write about a recent letter from 30 plus “education reform” groups to Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. The “education reformer’s” message; standardized test scores should be used to measure the effectiveness of teacher training programs in the United States. No don’t laugh, these people are for real. Here is what they want. Colleges graduate teachers; teachers get hired; the teacher... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: You bet they heard us

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: You bet they heard us: You bet they heard us by Mike Klonsky This morning's front page headline in the Sun-Times print edition reads: DO YOU HEAR US, RAHM? Teachers Show Strength in Numbers, Mayor Cuts DNC Visit Short In this rare case, the headlines told the real story. Yesterday's Labor Day Solidarity Rally in Daley Plaza was a powerful expression of the anger and frustration felt by thousands of Chicago teachers in reaction to the debasement and the disrespect shown them and their profession by Rahm Emanuel's administration. *Tactically, it ... more »

UPDATE “Al Llorens was there.”: Ten minute drawing. Illinois Democrats and IEA bureaucrats. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Ten minute drawing. Illinois Democrats and IEA bureaucrats. « Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. Illinois Democrats and IEA bureaucrats. by Fred Klonsky Click on drawing to enlarge. Chicago’s a union town. It was Labor Day and not a Democratic Party politician in sight. by Fred Klonsky There were 20,000 union members in red gathered in the Loop yesterday for Labor Day. AFSCME, the SEIU, the Fraternal Order of Police and the Chicago Teachers Union. I even saw a guy with a t-shirt from the Sprinkler Fitters Local 281. There were two groups missing in action. I’ve already let my unhapp... more »

Pre-k turns 20: Should it be an equal priority to HOPE? | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Pre-k turns 20: Should it be an equal priority to HOPE? | Get Schooled: Pre-k turns 20: Should it be an equal priority to HOPE? by Maureen Downey [image: Pre-k has waiting lists throughout the state. Does it deserve more funding? (AJC file)]Pre-k has waiting lists throughout the state. Does it deserve more funding? (AJC file) *Bobby Cagle, commissioner of Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning*, met with the AJC a few weeks ago and talked about his first 18 months in the job. “What we do is setting the stage for the future success of the children we ser... more »

Modern School: California’s College Crisis: Nearly Half a Million on Waitlist

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Modern School: California’s College Crisis: Nearly Half a Million on Waitlist: California’s College Crisis: Nearly Half a Million on Waitlist by Michael Dunn Huck/Konopacki Labor CartoonsI hope I will be forgiven for exploiting the word “crisis” after repeatedly criticizing Ed Deformers, politicians and the wealthy for regularly misusing the term. Yet the situation in California’s community colleges seems to warrant such language. After all, the state’s community college system has lost $809 million over the last three years, resulting in mass layoffs, increased fees, the gutting o... more »

The supplies kids really need for school - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
The supplies kids really need for school - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: The supplies kids really need for school By Valerie Strauss *Summer’s over and school’s here. Here’s a smart piece about the things that kids really need to be successful at school. It was written by best-selling author Madeline Levine, whose newest book is “Teach Your Children Well: Parenting for Authentic Success,” and Vicki Abeles, director of the education documentary “Race to Nowhere,” which looks at the pressurized environment in many schools and the consequences when students are over-schedul... more »

What's Good for the Goose… :: Frederick M. Hess

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
What's Good for the Goose… :: Frederick M. Hess: What's Good for the Goose… *by Frederick M. Hess • Sep 4, 2012 at 8:40 am Cross-posted from Education Week* Print Send RSS [image: Share] Share Last night at the convention, the Democrats released their party platform. The plan lauded the Obama administration for its commitment to "working with states and communities so they have the flexibility and resources they need to improve elementary and secondary education in a way that works best for students." The Dems continued with references to more rigorous teacher evaluation, colleg... more »

Is your district breaking special education law? - California Teachers Association

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Is your district breaking special education law? - California Teachers Association: Is your district breaking special education law? By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin [image: image] Carol Siddle with Arabella Estes Imagine seeing programs and services for students with disabilities disappearing to save money, because the district suddenly has a “new way” of doing business. Imagine someone arbitrarily changing a student’s IEP (Individualized Education Program) without notifying members of the IEP team. These disturbing scenes are occurring statewide as districts are using misleading langua... more »

BeyondChron: San Francisco's Alternative Online Daily News » High Performing Charter Schools: Beating The Odds, Or Beating The Test?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
BeyondChron: San Francisco's Alternative Online Daily News » High Performing Charter Schools: Beating The Odds, Or Beating The Test?: High Performing Charter Schools: Beating The Odds, Or Beating The Test? by Rob Levine‚ Sep. 04‚ 2012 [image: Review it on NewsTrust] Campaign for America's Future "Odds-beating charter school." Those words are like animpenetrable shield for those who operate such places. They are also the holy grail of the education reform movement, which is constantly seeking shortcuts to radically increase measures of educational achievement, which these days is ... more »

Five Questions for Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Five Questions for Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee - NYTimes.com: Five Questions for Failed DC Chancellor Michelle RheeBy MICHAEL D. SHEAR CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Michelle A. Rhee, the former schools chancellor in Washington, D.C., is now pushing education reform through her organizationStudents First — and continuing to annoy the teachers’ unions along the way. At the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., Ms. Rhee appeared alongside former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, who sees her — as do many Republicans — as a darling of the school choice movement. But she is also a lifelo... more »

Democratic Platform Hails Common Core, Praises Teachers - Politics K-12 - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Democratic Platform Hails Common Core, Praises Teachers - Politics K-12 - Education Week: Democratic Platform Hails Common Core, Praises Teachers By Andrew Ujifusa on September 4, 2012 8:15 AM *Charlotte, N.C.* * * * * The Democratic Party has released its official platform for 2012, and there's at least one section that might raise eyebrows among education observers. The platform put out Monday states that President Barack Obama and Democrats in general are intent on providing states and communities with the "flexibility and resources" to improve K-12 education. It then goes on to... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-4-12 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] NYC Funds “Pet” Schools, Not Closing Schools by dianerav Five years ago, New York City adopted a new funding formula, with great fanfare. It was called, optimistically, “fair student funding.” However, the New York Daily News released the results of their investigation and discovered that the new schools opened by the Bloomberg administration get full funding, but the struggling schools that the administration wants to close get budget cuts. This is NOT fair funding. This is a conscious effort to cripple t... more »

If My Tone Offends, Blame My Lazy Father | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
If My Tone Offends, Blame My Lazy Father | Dailycensored.com: If My Tone Offends, Blame My Lazy Father by P.L. Thomas In the early 1980s, I was newly married, seeking my first teaching job, and necessarily living in my parents’ home, which also housed my sister, her husband, and child. We were a pretty interesting extended family nestled in the Upstate of rural South Carolina. One night, I was suddenly startled awake by my sister ripping the screened door off its hinges as she shouted for me to wake up. After a blur of jumping out of bed and following her into my parents’ bedroom,... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX: IN THE MAILBOX by Mike Klonsky From Chicago teacher, Andrew Dear friends and neighbors, I write to you because of the possibility that my colleagues and I in the Chicago Teachers Union may go on strike one week from today. I want to share with you why I support this strike, and I hope that you will consider my words as you sort through the media coverage and other perspectives you hear about the regrettable impasse that the Board of Education and the CTU have reached. Please feel free to respond to me, to engage me in conversation person... more »

Lifelong Democrat ready for fight in Charlotte over school reform - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Lifelong Democrat ready for fight in Charlotte over school reform - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] Lifelong Democrat ready for fight in Charlotte over school reform By Valerie Strauss The Democrats are opening their political convention on Tuesday with hopes of rallying the troops for the fall campaign ahead — but on one issue they are getting pushback from activists within the party: school reform. The Obama administration’s school reform policies have been met with (JONATHAN ERNST/REUTERS)increasing opposition in communities across the country over... more »

Daily Kos: "No Excuses" and the Culture of Shame: Why Metrics Don't Matter | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Daily Kos: "No Excuses" and the Culture of Shame: Why Metrics Don't Matter | National Education Policy Center: Daily Kos: "No Excuses" and the Culture of Shame: Why Metrics Don't Matter Share P.L. Thomas September 3, 2012 - Radical Scholarship Blog - Classroom Teaching and Learning - Equity and Social Justice [image: Home] "Wouldn’t it be refreshing to hear someone say that 'eliminating poverty in America is the civil rights issue of our day'? Since poverty is the single most reliable predictor of poor performance in school, poor health, poor attendance, dropping ou... more »

Labor Day Chicago 2012 Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Labor Day Chicago 2012: Labor Day Chicago 2012 by admin A show of support from Chicago business at the end of a day of protest and display of union power. Earlier in the day, an estimated 18,000 union members, parents and others marched in solidarity with the Chicago Teachers’ Union. People are finally raising up against the oppression of mayoral control of schools and the big corporate money that backs it. Parents have had enough, Students have had enough. Teachers have had enough. And – guess what? We now have enough peopl... more »

Pam and Carol’s Excellent “Students First” Adventure « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Pam and Carol’s Excellent “Students First” Adventure « Parents Across America: Pam and Carol’s Excellent “Students First” Adventure by pagrundy The heavies have just emerged from the third-floor movie theater where Michelle Rhee’s “Students First” group is showing the controversial movie “Won’t Back Down.” One stands imposingly tall, big shoulders swelling his dark red shirt. The other is shorter, stockier, clad in bright blue. Both wear black ties. The man in blue seems to be in charge. “You have to leave,” he tells us. This is an awkward moment. Admittedly we’re carrying giant y... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Message to PTA: There are Serious Concerns Regarding Student Privacy. They're More Important than Wrapping Paper Sales.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Message to PTA: There are Serious Concerns Regarding Student Privacy. They're More Important than Wrapping Paper Sales.: Message to PTA: There are Serious Concerns Regarding Student Privacy. They're More Important than Wrapping Paper Sales. by stlgretchen As a public education student, your child has little expectation of privacy and control of gathered personal data to federal agencies. Where's the PTA's outrage? JR Wilson has written an article for parents to read and understand what happens to their child's privacy when they cross the threshold ... more »

NYC TEACHER BRIAN JONES DESCRIBES LAUSD? (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
NYC TEACHER BRIAN JONES DESCRIBES LAUSD? (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com: NYC TEACHER BRIAN JONES DESCRIBES LAUSD? (VIDEO) by Leonard Isenberg [image: Brian Jones.jpg] *(**Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)* *In describing the blatant corruption and targeting of teachers by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) over the last 3 years, people outside of public education- and even many within- have remained incredulous as to the severity of what we have described at perdaily, which remains nowhere to be found i... more »

How did some African-Americans get on wrong side of ed reform? « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
How did some African-Americans get on wrong side of ed reform? « Parents Across America: How did some African-Americans get on wrong side of ed reform? by leoniehaimson *Karran Harper Royal at the SOS conference, August 4, 2012 in Washington DC, discusses how some African-Americans got on the wrong side of education reform.* And how an you tell if you’re on the wrong side of reform: Does the policy shut down open debate? Does it remove the democratic process? Do parents get to elect the charter board? Do the policymakers have to focus on a villain, in this case, teachers and unio... more »

Karen Lewis Speaks to 20,000 Chicago Teachers « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Karen Lewis Speaks to 20,000 Chicago Teachers « Diane Ravitch's blog: Karen Lewis Speaks to 20,000 Chicago Teachers by dianerav On Labor Day, Karen Lewis addressed 20,000 teachers about their struggle with Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Do you know how hard it is to get 20,000 people to turn out for anything? When Karen Lewis met with Rahm Emanuel after his election, he told her that 25% of the children in Chicago would never amount to anything. She was outraged. Karen Lewis is a plain-spoken yet articulate leader of the teachers. She was elected because teachers were sick of the compromises ... more »

An injury to one is an injury to all. But not if you’re the IEA. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
An injury to one is an injury to all. But not if you’re the IEA. « Fred Klonsky: An injury to one is an injury to all. But not if you’re the IEA. by Fred Klonsky Check out this photo by Sarah Ji: Now go to the Illinois Education Association website. Notice anything? There is no mention of the huge Chicago Labor Day rally. In support of who? Right. Teachers. Members of the Chicago Teachers Union. Affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Federation of Teachers. Members of the *We Are One Illinois* coalition, along with the IEA, of public

Jersey Jazzman: Back To School

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Back To School: Back To School by Duke This is the time of year when I throttle back the blog a bit and concentrate on the beginning of the school year. Regular readers know I am a working teacher - not a pundit, or a think tanky-type, or a TFAer who's "staying involved in education," whatever that means. I walk the walk, and the Tuesday after Labor Day is when I lace up the new sneakers and hit the track. So things will cool out here a little - but not too much. After three years, I have a much better sense of the time commitment for putting together a post. So ... more »

Meet the Parents Across America Founders: Karran Harper Royal « Education Talk New Orleans

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Meet the Parents Across America Founders: Karran Harper Royal « Education Talk New Orleans: Meet the Parents Across America Founders: Karran Harper Royal by edutalknola *This profile is part of an ongoing series of portraits of key Parents Across America members.* Karran Harper Royal’s articulate, impassioned advocacy for children has made her a familiar figure in her hometown of New Orleans and a sought-after speaker the national scene. In public meetings, government hearings, conference presentations, radio programs and television broadcasts, she cuts straight through the puffe... more »

Chicago teachers draw a line: What does it mean for K-12 public education? | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Chicago teachers draw a line: What does it mean for K-12 public education? | Dailycensored.com: Chicago teachers draw a line: What does it mean for K-12 public education? by Danny Weil *Analysis: Lee Sustar* ** http://socialistworker.org/2012/08/28/chicago-teachers-draw-a-line August 28, 2012 [image: Chicago teachers rally support in the streets during a mass march in May] CAN THE scrappy band of outsiders that now heads the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) lead the kind of high-stakes fight that most labor unions have ducked? That question looms large–not just for the city’s teachers,... more »






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