Big Education Ape: Big Ed Ape - Morning Wink 10-12-12 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Friday, October 12, 2012

Big Ed Ape - Morning Wink 10-12-12 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-12-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] HOW TO JOIN THE CAMPAIGN FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS by dianerav As a result of many comments on this blog, and in response to a great yearning to raise our voices, many teachers, parents, students, administrators and concerned citizens plan to join together in a mass letter-writing campaign to the President. We want all letters submitted here to this blog or to Anthony Cody no later than October 17. You may write to the White House directly, and the mail address is in the instructions link. But if you do, yo... more »

Is Teacher Quality a Bigger Influence Than Poverty? New Joel Klein Biography Sheds Some Light | Re:education in Baltimore

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago

Is Teacher Quality a Bigger Influence Than Poverty? New Joel Klein Biography Sheds Some Light | Re:education in Baltimore: Is Teacher Quality a Bigger Influence Than Poverty? New Joel Klein Biography Sheds Some Light by Edit Barry New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visit with students at Explore Charter School in Brooklyn, N.Y. By U.S. Department of Education [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Joel Klein may be the mastermind behind the meme that teacher quality, not a student’s socioe... more »

The voters don’t like Quinn and Madigan or Emanuel. All approaching Blago approval levels. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago

The voters don’t like Quinn and Madigan or Emanuel. All approaching Blago approval levels. « Fred Klonsky: The voters don’t like Quinn and Madigan or Emanuel. All approaching Blago approval levels. by Fred Klonsky Democratic Party Chairman and House Speaker Michael Madigan prefers to keep a low public profile. But to know him is not to love him, according to the latest Chicago Tribune polls. He has a 16% approval rating state-wide. That’s about the level of support when Governor Blagojevich was indicted and impeached. Governor Pat Quinn is doing only somewhat better, although he is ... more »

Daily Kos: Lance Armstrong: All-American Bull$#!@

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 minutes ago

Daily Kos: Lance Armstrong: All-American Bull$#!@: Lance Armstrong: All-American Bull$#!@ by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) *DISCLAIMER AND SPOILER:* If you are a Lance Armstrong advocate, please relax and read on. This isn't really about Lance, but it *is* about you, and you, and you, and the good ol' U.S. of A. In August, *The Onion* ran a brilliant faux-news story on the increasingly discredited Tour de France champion:"Lance Armstrong Lets Down Single Person Who Still Believed Him." On October 10, 2012, the USADA released a staggering report on not just Armstrong, but essential... more »

School Tech Connect: Bye Bye, Now

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 minutes ago

School Tech Connect: Bye Bye, Now: Bye Bye, Now by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I never met Mr. Brizard, and it looks like I may never get the chance. However, the revolving door to his office is a symptom of the basic lack of democratic legitimacy in the governance of our public schools. The thing needs to be run by an executive who reports to a fully elected, representative school board. The individuals on that board should be accountable to voters, not to one man who isn't honest about his agenda. All The Young Experts by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) It's the busy seaso... more »

Modern School: Parents Want Kids That Are Clean, Not Smart

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 minutes ago

Modern School: Parents Want Kids That Are Clean, Not Smart: Parents Want Kids That Are Clean, Not Smart by Michael Dunn A recent survey conducted through the Intel Corporation found that parents are more comfortable talking with their kids about drugs than about science and math. Of course this may be due more to their own ignorance or fear of science and math than to a desire to keep their kids ignorant. Indeed, the data suggest this is part of the problem. According to the survey, 53% of parents admit that they have trouble helping their children with math and science homework.... more »

Step Right Up: Build or buy a charter school, get a Green Card… - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago

Step Right Up: Build or buy a charter school, get a Green Card… - Wait, What?: Step Right Up: Build or buy a charter school, get a Green Card… by jonpelto [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Stephanie Simon, of Reuters News, has written extensively about the “education reform” movement, including articles about Connecticut’s new “reform” law. Today, the news is that wealthy individuals from China and other countries are, “spending tens of millions of dollars to build classrooms, libraries, basketball courts and science labs for American charter schools.” Sim... more »

Fisher v Texas Update « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago

Fisher v Texas Update « Student Activism: Fisher v Texas Update by Angus Johnston The transcript of Wednesday’s oral argument was released that afternoon, and it’s fascinating reading. So fascinating, in fact, that I think I’m going to make a project of writing about it next week — a series of posts excerpting and discussing the most interesting exchanges. In the meantime, I wanted to just highlight a couple of things. First, the justices were clearly paying attention to the “standing” issue — the question of whether Abigail Fisher has a case she’s properly situated to bring before... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Brizard was never more than Rahm's front man

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 29 minutes ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Brizard was never more than Rahm's front man: Brizard was never more than Rahm's front man by Mike Klonsky What we all knew months ago is now official. Jean-Claude ("Don't call me a puppet") Brizard is out. Barbara Byrd-Bennett is in. It was all so predictable. *J.C. Brizard* was never anything more than Rahm's front man. Just another of those itinerant, * what-do-you-want-me-to-do-boss*, bureaucrats who moves from job to job every couple of years collecting a fat pay check and a golden parachute. If he's *Arne-Duncan* lucky, he may even be primed fo... more »

Overusing test for special ed students inflates API scores | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 30 minutes ago

Overusing test for special ed students inflates API scores | EdSource Today: Overusing test for special ed students inflates API scores ** October 11th, 2012 | Add a Comment | By Doug McRae Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services [image: Doug McRae] Doug McRae California’s 2012 Academic Performance Index (API) results, released Thursday, in general show small but steady gains similar to the last four years. But a deeper look at the results shows not only inflation contributing to the gains but also a substantial policy shift towar... more »

History Literacy Failing Among American Students | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago

History Literacy Failing Among American Students | toteachornototeach: History Literacy Failing Among American Students by aristotlethewise *History Literacy Failing Among American Students, * *Study Faults Colleges Lack Of Core Subject Requirements* A recent study by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni titled “What Will They Learn?” graded 1,070 colleges and universities on the strength of their general education curriculum — as determined by the number of core subjects outside a major they require students to take in order to graduate. Those seven core subjects include co... more »

Ed Notes Online: Brizard Out: Substance Has the Scoop a Month Ago

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 35 minutes ago

Ed Notes Online: Brizard Out: Substance Has the Scoop a Month Ago: Brizard Out: Substance Has the Scoop a Month Ago by ed notes online *Another Broad Superintendent* John Lawhead is kind enough to remind us: Substance reported that Barbara Byrd Bennett would replace JC Brizard over a month ago in George Schmidt's amusing 'race to the elevator' piece. http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=3573 Eat your heart out Russo, who complained at the time that George had an advantage because he was in the building and able to get the Byrd Bennett photo. Russo of course reports on C... more »

VP Debate: Education Insiders Wait To Hear Whether Paul Ryan Sides With His Own Budget

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 41 minutes ago

VP Debate: Education Insiders Wait To Hear Whether Paul Ryan Sides With His Own Budget: VP Debate: Education Insiders Wait To Hear Whether Paul Ryan Sides With His Own Budget by Joy Resmovits Mitt Romney shocked education insiders during the presidential debate last week when he promised not to cut education spending. Now, they're wondering if education will come up at Thursday night's vice presidential debate, and if so, whether GOP nominee Paul Ryan will reaffirm that promise -- at the risk of contradicting his own budget proposal. Last week, after President Barack Obama press... more »

Emanuel: Brizard stepping down, Byrd-Bennett next CEO | catalyst-chicago.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 44 minutes ago

Emanuel: Brizard stepping down, Byrd-Bennett next CEO | catalyst-chicago.org: Emanuel: Brizard stepping down, Byrd-Bennett next CEO - Share on windycitizenShare on facebookShare on email *By: *The Staff of Catalyst / October 11, 2012 *Tags: *CPS administration *going, going, gone* Just after midnight, Jean-Claude Brizard sent out a statement, confirming that he will leave the helm of Chicago Public Schools. He said he does so with "great sadness." Brizard's departure was the subject of much speculation for several months. That speculation reached a fever pitch in late Aug... more »

Engaging Parents In School… » Sacramento Bee Calls On CA PTA To Contain Molly Munger

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 49 minutes ago

Engaging Parents In School… » Sacramento Bee Calls On CA PTA To Contain Molly Munger: Sacramento Bee Calls On CA PTA To Contain Molly Munger by Larry Ferlazzo The campaign to fund or, in Molly Munger’s case, de-fund public education in California continues. Here are some excerpts from today’s Sacramento Bee’s editorial: *The California PTA and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson are the most prominent supporters of Munger’s Proposition 38. On Wednesday, Torlakson called on Munger to cease the attack. The PTA ought to do the same. If she continues, they ought to con... more »

Sac City Unified Scores High | KTXL FOX40

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 55 minutes ago

Sac City Unified Scores High | KTXL FOX40: Sac City Unified Scores High - [image: See bio, contact info, and more articles from Sabrina Rodriguez] 15 hours ago by Sabrina Rodriguez Reporter - Comments - - SHARE THIS UPDATE - - - The seven priority schools of the Sacramento City Unified School District The academic performance of the Sacramento City Unified School District is up across the board. The news comes from the release of the state’s academic performance index or API, which is obtained from standardized tests students ta... more »

Why the ‘market theory’ of education reform doesn’t work

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 57 minutes ago

Why the ‘market theory’ of education reform doesn’t work: Why the ‘market theory’ of education reform doesn’t work Posted by Valerie Strauss on October 12, 2012 at 8:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Modern education reform is being driven by people who believe that competition, privatization and other elements of a market economy will improve public schools. In this post, Mark Tucker, president of the non-profit National Center on Education and the Economy and an internationally known... more »

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Family Symposium 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Family Symposium 2012: Unfair Labor Practices... Again. by Charlie Mas It seems that Seattle Public Schools is found to have committed unfair labor practices just about every year. When it happens the Board has to read a notice from the Public Employee Relations Commission (PERC) into the record at a board meeting and promise to be good. Then they go ahead and do all of the things they promised to never do again. Well, it happened again. This time at Lawton. The original story is difficult to determine because the school district's narrative keeps ... more »

Report: Affirmative Action Ban in California Is Detrimental to Campus Diversity - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Report: Affirmative Action Ban in California Is Detrimental to Campus Diversity - Hispanically Speaking News: Report: Affirmative Action Ban in California Is Detrimental to Campus Diversity October 11, 2012 | by HS News Staff [image: Report: Affirmative Action Ban in California Is Detrimental to Campus Diversity] Photo: Affirmative Action Click Here to Enlarge Photo The Civil Rights Project published important new data on the way in which California’s ban on affirmative action harms the University of California in comparison to the University of Texas, which still has affirmative a... more »

LAUSD CARPENTER COMMUNITY CHARTER'S WITCHHUNT? - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

LAUSD CARPENTER COMMUNITY CHARTER'S WITCHHUNT? - Perdaily.com: LAUSD CARPENTER COMMUNITY CHARTER'S WITCHHUNT? by Leonard Isenberg [image: finkelstein.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) **We were thrilled when our daughter got Mrs. Kevin Finkelstein, a 20+ year veteran at Carpenter Community Charter. Our kid was thriving...for four weeks, at which point, a boy in her class told his father that Mrs.Finkelstein punched him in the stomach. The majority of us have written the principal and his boss, Jack Ba... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Demand that the DOE be required to continue reporting on class size and trailers!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

NYC Public School Parents: Demand that the DOE be required to continue reporting on class size and trailers!: Demand that the DOE be required to continue reporting on class size and trailers! by Leonie Haimson *NOT* The Report and Advisory Board Review Commission, a body with four mayoral appointees and three City Council members, including Speaker Quinn, and Council Members Brewer and Comrie, will hold a public meeting on October 30, 2012, to vote on whether to eliminate 21 reporting requirements and advisory boards, including the DOE’s legally mandated reporting on class size ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Christie Hates Teachers, Not Just Unions

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Jersey Jazzman: Christie Hates Teachers, Not Just Unions: Christie Hates Teachers, Not Just Unions by Duke This is a zombie lie about Chris Christie that will not die: New Jersey Education Association secretary treasurer Marie Blistan says public schools are the gateway for kids to reach their fullest potential, but Christie, “Has put targets on teachers’ backs. He has made teachers the enemy of the general public. He is also working very hard to separate private and public unions……….He is putting us in a position where we all need to fight for our own memberships and while we’re... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Things Are Getting Interesting

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Things Are Getting Interesting: Things Are Getting Interesting by Melissa Westbrook District updates: *I asked the Board about their stand on I-1240* and received this reply from President DeBell: *A Resolution opposing I-1240 is on next week's agenda for introduction and action. It was recommended unanimously by the Executive Committee to the full Board at yesterday's meeting and will be posted tomorrow. * This follows the Renton School Board's rejection of I-1240 as well. So here how it is lining up against I-1240: Community groups, many ... more »

Who is Distorting the Truth About The Common Core? | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Who is Distorting the Truth About The Common Core? | Truth in American Education: Who is Distorting the Truth About The Common Core? by Shane Vander Hart David Musselwhite, the team leader of the Michigan PTA’s Common Core State Standards Initiative accuses critics of the Common Core State Standards of distorting the truth about the Core in an op/ed published this week. He writes: It isn’t difficult to find naysayers who lump the Common Core into arguments against what they call “corporate education reform.” Common Core critics, in their haste to paint anything related to stand... more »

IEA leadership stands by their silence in the face of membership outrage. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

IEA leadership stands by their silence in the face of membership outrage. « Fred Klonsky: IEA leadership stands by their silence in the face of membership outrage. by Fred Klonsky Late this afternoon the IEA leadership posted the following on Charlie McBarron’s website: *IEA statement on controversy over TRS director’s comments* October 11, 2012 By IEA Communications *Statement from the Illinois Education Association October 11, 2012* *Members and leaders of the Illinois Education Association were disappointed and angered by the comments executive director Ingram made to Crain’s C... more »

Diane in the Evening 10-11-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: HOW TO JOIN THE CAMPAIGN FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS by dianerav As a result of many comments on this blog, and in response to a great yearning to raise our voices, many teachers, parents, students, administrators and concerned citizens plan to join together in a mass letter-writing campaign to the President. We want all letters submitted here to this blog or to Anthony Cody no later than October 17. You may write to the White House directly, and the mail address is in the instructions link. But if you do, you will be required to disclose your identity in ful... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Reform = Disrespect

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Reform = Disrespect: Reform = Disrespect by Duke God bless Mildred C. Crump, Newark Councilwoman and patriot: The Camden Board of Education deserves congratulations for not bowing to pressure and for denying applications to build New Jersey’s first privately owned public schoolsuntil all questions were answered. We recently had a similar opportunity here in Newark, but the results were entirely different. The recommendations of the Advisory Board of Education in Newark were overturned by the state-appointed superintendent, Cami Anderson, supported by Gov. Chris Ch... more »

Is The Common Core Debate About to Go Nuclear? | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Is The Common Core Debate About to Go Nuclear? | Truth in American Education: Is The Common Core Debate About to Go Nuclear? by Shane Vander Hart [image: 250px-Operation_Upshot-Knothole_-_Badger_001]Neal McClusky asks this over at Cato @ Liberty: Proponents of national standards, as I’ve pointed outmany times, have made a concerted effort to avoid attention as they’ve insidiously—and successfully—pushed the so-called Common Core on states. They’ve insisted the effort is “state led,” even though states didn’t create the standards and Washington coerced adoption through Race to the ... more »

My letter in Sojourners Magazine re: real reform Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive »

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » My letter in Sojourners Magazine re: real reform: My letter in Sojourners Magazine re: real reform by admin *Sojourners Magazine* just published a blog comment/letter to the editor I wrote in response to a previous article by Nicole Baker Fulgham, “Beyond ‘Superman,’” which referenced “Waiting for Superman” in recommending that meaningful reform must involve all stakeholders having a stronger, more meaningful voice in school decision-making. Fulgham wrote: “As an African-American woman and a Christian, I have undergone my ow... more »

The Pioneer Spirit | Taking Note

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

The Pioneer Spirit | Taking Note: The Pioneer Spirit by John Merrow John unpacks the ideas of blended learning and the Common Core. Full disclosure: The longer I work as an education reporter, the more skeptical and more bandwagon-adverse I am. And I am in my 38th year on the beat….so read on at your peril.) A clever ad for Xerox a few years ago showed an executive at his desk listening to a succession of pitches from unseen salesmen, all of whom ended their pitch by saying “It’s almost as good as a Xerox.” As the last salesman began his windup, the (by now exasperated) executiv... more »

It’s Charlie’s website. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

It’s Charlie’s website. « Fred Klonsky: It’s Charlie’s website. by Fred Klonsky A couple of years ago I complained to IEA Communications Director Charlie McBarron about the IEA’s website linking to a faux news item attacking the Michigan Education Association. The item was planted by the Mackinac Center, a right-wing anti-union website. McBarron responded with a full-throated defense and counter-attack. He defended the *In the News* feature although he sorta, kinda agreed that they probably, sorta, maybe made a mistake in publishing something attacking our union brothers and sisters... more »

Daily Kos: Bus Tour with teacherken: Ground Zero aka Madison

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Daily Kos: Bus Tour with teacherken: Ground Zero aka Madison: Bus Tour with teacherken: Ground Zero aka Madison by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) *This is cross-posted from Education Votes of the National Education Association, for whom I am serving as an embedded blogger aboard the Stop the Greed Agenda Bus Tour of Patriot Majority USA* I do not mean to offend in using the term Ground Zero, which since 9/11/2001 has assumed a particular meaning. Yet if one considers what happened in Wisconsin when people occupied the Capitol and began the pushback against the Greed Agenda put forth... more »

America's Report Card 2012: Children in the US | First Focus

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

America's Report Card 2012: Children in the US | First Focus: *America's Report Card 2012: Children in the U.S* America's Report Card 2012: Children in the U.S., released yesterday by First Focus and Save the Children, assigns America a lackluster C- for overall child well-being. The launch featured speakers Jennifer Garner, former Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), First Focus President Bruce Lesley, and Senior Vice President of Save the Children's U.S. Programs Mark Shriver. The national report card, released yesterday by First Focus and Save the Children, ass... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: International Day of the Girl

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: International Day of the Girl: International Day of the Girl by Melissa Westbrook Yes, it's a calendar day just for girls. To that end, CNN asked prominent women what they would tell their 15-year old selves. What a huge question. I far like myself better now than at 15. I think that if, at that time, there had been more "you go girl" mentality, I would have been a stronger person. If there had been more sports for girls, I would have been the athlete and not the person cheering on the sidelines. (But I was a feminist even then and never let a... more »

API Growth Report Released for 2012 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

API Growth Report Released for 2012 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): Majority of California's Public Schools Reach Statewide Achievement Target, State Schools Superintendent Tom Torlakson Announces SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent Tom Torlakson announced today that for the first time a majority of California's public schools met or surpassed the statewide target for academic achievement on the 2012 Academic Performance Index (API). Some 53 percent of schools scored at or above the state target of 800, an increase of 4 percentage points over last year, marking a decade of steady ... more »

The money needs to be returned, People need to be fired. - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

The money needs to be returned, People need to be fired. - Wait, What?: The money needs to be returned, People need to be fired. by jonpelto Merging the Connecticut State University and the Community Colleges was a disaster in the making. Search Wait, What? for some of the earlier posts on the subject. Most disappointing of all is that the people who allowed it to happen knew better and yet actively helped push through Malloy’s plan. Now, as a by-product of that mistake, 21 employee of the new Board of Regents have been illegally sharing hundreds of thousands of dollars in pay r... more »

Queensboro Academic Senate Comes Out Swinging « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Queensboro Academic Senate Comes Out Swinging « Student Activism: Queensboro Academic Senate Comes Out Swinging by Angus Johnston Yesterday I wrote a piece about a Tuesday evening meeting of the CUNY Queensboro Community College Academic Senate, but the piece wasn’t quite complete because I didn’t have confirmation of the vote results or final text of the resolutions. Well, I do now, and it’s pretty extraordinary. To recap: A few weeks ago an administrator at QCC threatened to dismantle the college’s English Department and outsource its composition course offerings in retaliation ... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Foreign aid pouring into my Chicago neighborhood

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Foreign aid pouring into my Chicago neighborhood: Foreign aid pouring into my Chicago neighborhood by Mike Klonsky Workmen put finishing touches on our new neighborhood soccer field built with foreign aid. Corporations have found a safe tax haven here in Chicago and the State of Illinois. So much so that teacher retirement funds are being threatened, mental health clinics are being shuttered along with a hundred neighborhood schools, due mainly to lack of revenue. Under Rahm Emanuel's regime, Chicago is being turned into a beggar city which now o... more »

Confronting the Free Marketeers: Will they Plow Through Us? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Confronting the Free Marketeers: Will they Plow Through Us? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Confronting the Free Marketeers: Will they Plow Through Us? by Anthony Cody Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody Yesterday I had the strange experience of waking up to a blog post by someone I had never before encountered claiming he had "kicked my ass six ways to Sunday" - in the headline no less! And stranger still, the post made no explicit reference to my work, and provided no link to anything I had written. I left a fairly mild comment indicating that I was interested i... more »

An “Odd” thought « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

An “Odd” thought « Deborah Meier on Education: An “Odd” thought Posted on October 11, 2012 by debmeier It came to me as I was falling asleep! We’re in a “competition” between charters et al and “regular” urban public schools. Agreed. But the folks in charge of one side in this “competition” are in fact members of the other team–and take no responsibility for improving their team. We have mayors in charge (along with their selected underlings) who are championing the privatization of the public schools they are accountable on the grounds that those schools aren’t fixable. In some ca... more »

Hechinger Report | Pell Grants boost college access for low-income students but money is only half the story

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Hechinger Report | Pell Grants boost college access for low-income students but money is only half the story: Pell Grants boost college access for low-income students but money is only half the story By Arnold Mitchem It’s ironic that just as the U.S. poverty rate rises to its highest level in more than four decades, the Pell Grant program—the most important source of federal aid for low-income students aspiring to a college education—celebrates its 40th anniversary. Arnold Mitchem To be sure, there is good reason to celebrate the Pell Grant’s huge impact on expanding college acces... more »

Herhold: What's behind Molly Munger's attack on Jerry Brown's school funding measure - Inside Bay Area

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Herhold: What's behind Molly Munger's attack on Jerry Brown's school funding measure - Inside Bay Area: Herhold: What's behind Molly Munger's attack on Jerry Brown's school funding measure By Scott Herhold sherhold@mercurynews.com Posted: 10/10/2012 03:59:24 PM PDT Updated: 10/10/2012 03:59:26 PM PDT If adult life is high school writ large, we can recognize Molly Munger. She's the ambitious senior who was left off the debate team or the homecoming court. But instead of accepting her defeat with good grace, she's making sure her nearest rival is rejected as well. The Southern ... more »

Why are we educators having so much trouble mobilizing our voice in ways that are effective? | Dangerously Irrelevant

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Why are we educators having so much trouble mobilizing our voice in ways that are effective? | Dangerously Irrelevant: Why are we educators having so much trouble mobilizing our voice in ways that are effective? OCTOBER 11, 2012 BY SCOTT MCLEOD 0 COMMENTS 0 [image: Silence] *Why are we educators having so much trouble mobilizing our voice in ways that are effective?* Are we afraid to speak up? Are we ineffective when we do speak up? Do we need to do a better job of marketing? Are we not taking these educational and policy changes seriously enough yet? Do we not have a viable and compe... more »

Left out of No Child Left Behind: Teach for America's outsized influence on alternative certification - Education - AEI

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Left out of No Child Left Behind: Teach for America's outsized influence on alternative certification - Education - AEI: Left out of No Child Left Behind: Teach for America's outsized influence on alternative certification Alexander Russo | American Enterprise Institute October 11, 2012 *Licking Boots Again* Left out of No Child Left Behind: Teach for America's outsized influence on alternative certification Download PDF When Kevin Huffman joined Teach for America (TFA) in September 2000 as vice president of development and general counsel, there was no real federal operation in ... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Misreads "Shift Among Democrats" On Education | OurFuture.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Misreads "Shift Among Democrats" On Education | OurFuture.org: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Misreads "Shift Among Democrats" On Education by Jeff Bryant In her recent *Washington Post* op-ed, Michelle Rhee ruminated over the outcome of the recent Chicago Teachers Strike and concluded that not only were the Chicago teachers "never about the kids" but also had made a practical, political mistake by not being in step with the rest of the Democratic party.Her contention seems to be that teachers who use a contract dispute to protest increasing... more »

Anti-Latino Laws Ignite The South | Dissident Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Anti-Latino Laws Ignite The South | Dissident Voice: Anti-Latino Laws Ignite The South by Lamont Lilly / October 11th, 2012 In its original format, Alabama’s Beason-Hammon Act granted school resource officers the right to badger 5th graders on the basis of their immigration status. The state of Alabama, which passed the Beason-Hammon Act (or HB 56) in June of 2011, was the only state in the country requiring public school administrators to verify immigration data for new K-12 students. However, just two months ago in August of this year, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals struck do... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, October 11, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *http://www.yesonprop30.com/* Education Headlines *Thursday, October 11, 2012* Ballot filled with school bond propositionsIt's a sign of the fiscal times: There are 106 public school bond propositions in 33 counties on California's November ballot. Fensterwald: The grit factor - hard to measure, hard to succeed withoutMuch of the debate over how to reform public schools has fixated on improving student achievement by focusing almost exclusively on strengthening academics and students’ cognitive skills. In his important new book, H... more »

Candidate Who Called for Death Penalty for “Rebellious” Children Worked on Child Abuse Cases in Arkansas State Govt « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Candidate Who Called for Death Penalty for “Rebellious” Children Worked on Child Abuse Cases in Arkansas State Govt « Student Activism: Candidate Who Called for Death Penalty for “Rebellious” Children Worked on Child Abuse Cases in Arkansas State Govt by Angus Johnston In the last little while a truly stunning number of Republican officials and candidates have gotten press for making stunningly horrible statements, from the Wisconsin state representative who said “some girls rape easy” to theGeorgia congressman who called the big bang a lie “from the pit of hell” to the Arkansas l... more »

What Joel Klein’s misleading autobiography means for school reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

What Joel Klein’s misleading autobiography means for school reform: What Joel Klein’s misleading autobiography means for school reform Posted by Valerie Strauss on October 11, 2012 at 9:01 am Joel Klein has repeatedly talked about how he grew up in a poor neighborhood and was headed for failure until a high school teacher helped him realize his potential. This story, he says, shows how important teachers really are. But in the important following post, Richard Rothstein, a research associate at the Economic Policy Institute, explains why Klein’s story is misleading — and why that... more »

Will Whole Foods Help or Hurt Pluto's, Jamba Juice & Mikuni? - Davis, CA Patch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Will Whole Foods Help or Hurt Pluto's, Jamba Juice & Mikuni? - Davis, CA Patch: Will Whole Foods Help or Hurt Pluto's, Jamba Juice & Mikuni? Whole Foods will open its doors in less than two weeks. In doing so, it will turn an already-bustling shopping center into an even more popular destination. But will the arrival of Whole Foods result in a bump for surrounding Davis Commons businesses like Pluto's, Jamba Juice and Mikuni, or will it draw customers away from them? (Share your thoughts in the comments below). On one hand, families and students who would not have otherwise passed ... more »

Students protest ouster of principal, staff and teachers by Future is Now Charter Chain backed by Bill Gates | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Students protest ouster of principal, staff and teachers by Future is Now Charter Chain backed by Bill Gates | Dailycensored.com: Students protest ouster of principal, staff and teachers by Future is Now Charter Chain backed by Bill Gates by Danny Weil Students in Detroit walkd out of their schools when Robert Bobb, the lapdog for Elye Broad and his union busting, privatizing crew of superintendent trainers, muscled into Detroit schools thanks to corporate democrat and Governor at the time, Jennifer Granholm. In fact, they even sat in at her office to stop the appointment of anot... more »

Modern School: Shocking News: Free Birth Control Reduces Abortions and Unwanted Pregnancies

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Modern School: Shocking News: Free Birth Control Reduces Abortions and Unwanted Pregnancies: Shocking News: Free Birth Control Reduces Abortions and Unwanted Pregnancies by Michael Dunn Republican Free Birth Control (Image from Flickr, by DonkeyHotey) A large study recently published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology has concluded that free birth control leads to dramatically lower rates of abortions and teen births. The study followed more than 9,000 women in St. Louis, who were provided their choice of contraception at no cost, including birth control pills and IUDs. When pri... more »

School Reform – First Do No Harm | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

School Reform – First Do No Harm | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: School Reform – First Do No Harm by Cheryl S. Williams A new report, *Democratic School Turnarounds: Pursuing Equity and Learning from Evidence,* suggests that government agencies and policy-makers, including the U.S. Department of Education, should rely more on research to guide their efforts in school reform and turnaround strategies. The report, authored by Tina Trujillo at the University of California, Berkeley and Michelle Renee of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown Univer... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The closing and re-segregation of our schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The closing and re-segregation of our schools: The closing and re-segregation of our schools by Mike Klonsky As we move as a society towards total and complete re-segregation in our schools and as colleges and universities becomes less and less accessible to all but the wealthy, the Supremes are about to roll back even more of the gains of the '60s Civil Rights Movement. This week, they are preparing to stamp out the last vestiges of affirmative action at the post-secondary level. Here's the way *Justice Roberts* is framing the case: "How much diver... more »