BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA
Recap of Last Week's Best Post
The 6 P’s for Education « My Island View
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 »
Es el momento - Educacion, Becas, Universidades, Aprendizaje
WOWSER: Court ruling: Fulton can post info on charter amendment | Get Schooled
Court ruling: Fulton can post info on charter amendment | Get Schooled: Court ruling: Fulton can post info on charter amendment 6:41 pm October 10, 2012, by Maureen Downey [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] A Fulton County Superior Court judge ruled today that Fulton County Schools can provide information on the charter school amendment on its web site. Attorney and longtime vouchers advocate Glenn Delk maintained that the Fulton County district’s Q&A amounted to lobbying against the amendment. But Judge Wendy Shoob disagreed, calling the Q&A simply informati... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Things Are Getting Interesting
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 »
Investigation under way on K12 virtual school used in Northeast Florida districts | Jacksonville.com Mobile Edition
Investigation under way on K12 virtual school used in Northeast Florida districts | Jacksonville.com Mobile Edition: Investigation under way on K12 virtual school used in Northeast Florida districts By Trevor Aaronson & John O'Connor & Kate Howard Perry Student-teacher ratios at K12, the nation’s largest online educator, are nearly twice as high as Florida’s state-run virtual school, according to internal company documents obtained by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting and StateImpact Florida. A high school teacher working for K12 may have as many as 275 students, comp... more »
Diane in the Evening 10-12-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: This Principal Is a Hero of Public Education by dianerav No one has been more active in opposing untested evaluation methods than high school principal Carol Burris. Burris was a key figure in organizing New York principals to oppose the state’s test-based evaluation system, which has never been validated or worked anywhere. Burris has written articles frequently. She is tireless. I visited her school, South Side High School in Rockville Center, Long Island. It is an excellent and beloved community school that serves all the children of the community. it has no... more »
Big Education Ape - SPECIAL TGIF Mid Day Banana Break 10-12-12 #soschat #edreform
*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* Please Help a Deserving Candidate by dianerav A reader asked the other day if there was anything he could do for me. The answer is yes. Please send a contribution to Karran Harper Royal of New Orleans, a parent leader who is running for school board. I met Karran in New York City a year ago, and she explained what a farce “choice” is in Nola. “There’s one choice they deny every parent,” she said, “and that’s the choice to send your child to a neighborhood public Edushyster Unmasks the Miracle Rephormers by dianerav You need to sit down b... more »
Bill Gates, other billionaires funding charter effort in Washington state
Bill Gates, other billionaires funding charter effort in Washington state: Bill Gates, other billionaires funding charter effort in Washington state Posted by Valerie Strauss on October 12, 2012 at 11:25 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Bill Gates (Jeffrey MacMillan/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST) To get an understanding of how America’s wealthiest people are using some of their fortunes to drive school reform, take a look at a list of the contributors to the pro-charter school initiative on the Wash... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: What We Learn Going 100% Digital
Missouri Education Watchdog: What We Learn Going 100% Digital: What We Learn Going 100% Digital by Anngie Hewlett Packard began creating computers over forty years ago. They entered the e-reader market almost six years ago and remain a consistent supplier of digital connectivity. Therefore they have great reason to be excited about Arne Duncan's latest comment about digital text books. “Over the next few years, textbooks should be obsolete,” said Duncan in an interview with the Associated Press. He has pledged to do away with printed the books in the coming years in favor of digi... more »
RheeFirst! » Campaign for America’s Future: Rhee is Education’s Ann Coulter
RheeFirst! » Campaign for America’s Future: Rhee is Education’s Ann Coulter: Campaign for America’s Future: Rhee is Education’s Ann Coulter by admin Written by Jeff Bryant for the Campaign for America’s Future. Read the entire post here. *“Although Rhee heads an organization called Students First, most of what she actually does is to advocate for specific types of legislation, i.e. lobby. In Chicago, Washington DC, New York City, and numerous state capitals, Students First has focused its considerable resources—including many hundreds of thousands in donations to candidates for... more »
Sac City Unified Scores High | KTXL FOX40
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
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 »
Who is Distorting the Truth About The Common Core? | Truth in American Education
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 »
Daily Kos: Bus Tour with teacherken: Ground Zero aka Madison
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
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
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)
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 »
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 - 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 »
America’s Report Card 2012 C-Minus | toteachornototeach
America’s Report Card 2012 C-Minus | toteachornototeach: America’s Report Card 2012 C-Minus by aristotlethewise *‘America’s Report Card 2012′ Gives U.S. A C-Minus On* *Ensuring Educational Opportunities, Providing For Children* A joint report by Save the Children and First Focus has awarded the U.S. a C-minus overall grade when it comes to providing for and ensuring educational opportunities for the nation’s children. “America’s Report Card 2012: Children in the U.S.” is the first in an annual report card series of evaluations commissioned by former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and cu... more »
Engaging Parents In School… » Molly Munger Initiates “Murder-Suicide” Pact To Devastate CA Schools
Engaging Parents In School… » Molly Munger Initiates “Murder-Suicide” Pact To Devastate CA Schools: Molly Munger Initiates “Murder-Suicide” Pact To Devastate CA Schools by Larry Ferlazzo Here in California, billionaire Molly Munger began running ads, apparently with the California PTA’s support, supporting her doomed-to-fail initiative and attacking the Governor and teacher-supported initiative that actually has a chance to win and providing monies to public schools. You can read all about it at today’s post at Ed Source, Munger-funded “compare and contrast” ad criticizes Prop. 30.... more »
Pass / Fail : Compton Superintendent responds to student walkout | 89.3 KPCC
Pass / Fail : Compton Superintendent responds to student walkout | 89.3 KPCC: Compton Superintendent responds to student walkout by By Vanessa Romo *Credit: University of the Pacific/Flickr* District officials didn’t have much to say after Tuesday’s student-led protest during which approximately 70 students walked out of class and marched several blocks from Compton High School to district headquarters. On Wednesday Superintendent Darin Brawley released the following statement encouraging “stakeholders” to LAUSD arts funding cut 76% in five years by By Tami Abdollah [image: arts e... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Guest blogger Susan Klonsky's response to Wendy Kopp
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Guest blogger Susan Klonsky's response to Wendy Kopp: Guest blogger Susan Klonsky's response to Wendy Kopp by Mike Klonsky *Guest blogger Susan Klonsky responds to Wendy Kopp's critical review of Jonathan Kozol's latest book, Fire in the Ashes. Kopp is founder and chief executive of Teach for America. * Wendy Kopp derides Kozol's Fire In the Ashes for not being the book she wanted him to write, and for not "being more current" nor embracing the world view that she champions. She implies that Kozol's exposures of "savage inequalities" embedded thro... more »
Diane in the Evening 10-10-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
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 full. ... more »
John Lennon fans gather at his Hollywood star on 72nd birthday - latimes.com
John Lennon fans gather at his Hollywood star on 72nd birthday - latimes.com: John Lennon fans gather at his Hollywood star on 72nd birthday [image: John Lennon star] Every year, John Lennon's fans gather at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to mark his birthday and the day he was killed. Somehow, they say, it makes them feel closer to him. Had he lived, Lennon would have turned 72 on Tuesday. He was shot to death by Mark David Chapman eight years before he got his star — which is on Vine Street, outside Capitol Records. On Tuesday evening, about 50 people showed up at his star.... more »
The right-wing anti-union Illinois Policy Institute plays the Chicago press like a cheap piano. « Fred Klonsky
The right-wing anti-union Illinois Policy Institute plays the Chicago press like a cheap piano. « Fred Klonsky: The right-wing anti-union Illinois Policy Institute plays the Chicago press like a cheap piano. by Fred Klonsky *IPI CEO John Tillman. President of Golf Illinois and go-to guy for Chicago reporters.* The Illinois Policy Institute is a right-wing anti-union front group for the Illinois Republican Party Tea Party branch, parading as a think tank. During the Chicago teachers strike you couldn’t turn on your television without seeing the guy who owns IPI, CEO John Tillman on ... more »
Bullying Resources, Education
Bullying Resources, Education : - [image: Tharon Trujillo] Bullying in my words: Sparked by friend's suicide, teen tackles cause Tharon Trujillo used to exchange Facebook messages with a friend, and the two typically responded to one another fairly quickly. [image: Cole Zick] Bullying in my words: Former jock details regrets, growth looking back on HS When Cole Zick was in high school, things started out pretty rough. [image: Assistant Principal Bruce Kinseth] Bullying in my words: Assistant principal combats the YouTube effect When a fight breaks out... more »
UPDATE: Fisher v Texas Oral Argument Today « Student Activism
Fisher v Texas Oral Argument Today « Student Activism: Fisher v Texas Oral Argument Today by Angus Johnston For an hour this morning, starting at eleven o’clock Eastern Time, the US Supreme Court will interrogate lawyers representing the state of Texas, the federal government, and a young woman who recently graduated from Louisiana State University. That woman, Abigail Noel Fisher, is suing the University of Texas in an attempt to recoup a $50 application fee and a $50 housing deposit that she forfeited when she was denied admission to UT several years ago. It’s a weird case, and... more »
Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-10-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
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, you wil... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Charter Operators Are Buying Our Politicians
Jersey Jazzman: Charter Operators Are Buying Our Politicians: Charter Operators Are Buying Our Politicians by Duke If there's anyone still out there trying to make the case that charter schools really are public schools, answer me this: why are so many politicians trying to exempt charters from the same oversight provisions as publics? [all emphases mine] A controversial proposal that would deny public access to records of private managers of charter schools has surfaced again in the Pennsylvania legislature after it was rebuffed during the summer. Disagreement over the proposed ... more »
New Online Waiver System - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)
New Online Waiver System - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): *State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces New Web Tool to Save Schools Time and Money*Waiver Request System, SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced the California Department of Education's (CDE) Waiver Office has created a new Web tool that allows local school administrators to submit state waiver applications online. "This move to online waiver applications will save paper, save money, and save time, both for local school districts and the state," Torlakson said. "It's on... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Joel Klein On the Fainting Couch
Jersey Jazzman: Joel Klein On the Fainting Couch: Joel Klein On the Fainting Couch by Duke The EduShyster is fast becoming one of the real reform movement's all-stars. Here, he skewers corporate edu-vulture Joel Klein: What’s that haters, you’re still not buying it? You think that Mr. Klein is nothing more than a glorified snake oil salesmen peddling techno gimmickry to schools in order to sop up tax payer money? Jeez, go easy on the brother, haters! It turns out Mr. Klein doesn’t think much of you either: The critique that really ignites a response in me, however, is the idea ... more »
Initiative 1240: Don’t be charter fooled, the song | Seattle Education
Initiative 1240: Don’t be charter fooled, the song | Seattle Education: Initiative 1240: Don’t be charter fooled, the song Posted on October 9, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment For more videos, go to Educationrumination. [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)]http://www.no1240.org/
School Quality Snapshot - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)
School Quality Snapshot - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Introduces School Quality Snapshot *New Online Accountability Tool Provides Transparency for Parents and Public * **SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today unveiled California's School Quality Snapshot (PDF; Posted 09-Oct-2012), a new online accountability tool that puts school test scores, class size, fitness levels, and graduation rates for all 10,000 public schools statewide at the fingertips of parents and the public. "Until now, parents had to scan mor... more »
Can Adderall Fix Bad Schools? - Technology - The Atlantic Wire
Can Adderall Fix Bad Schools? - Technology - The Atlantic Wire: Can Adderall Fix Bad Schools? by Rebecca Greenfield Here's a modest proposal: Let's dose up kids stuck in low-income schools with Adderall, even if they don't have A.D.H.D, to compensate for the advantages enjoyed by kids in richer schools. That's what Dr. Michael Anderson, an Atlanta pediatrician who calls himself a "social justice thinker" has started doing, reports *The New York Times*'s Alan Schwartz. "I don’t have a whole lot of choice," Dr. Anderson told Schwartz. "We’ve decided as a society that it’s too expens... more »
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, October 9, 2012
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Deasy warns that looming budget cuts threaten classroom gains http://www.yesonprop30.com/ Education Headlines *Tuesday, October 9, 2012* Boy brings gun to schoolA single, accidental gunshot rang out in a south Stockton seventh-grade classroom Monday morning, wounding no one but resulting in the arrests of two boys, ages 11 and 12, Stockton Unified Police Chief Jim West said. Administrator was criticized for yelling, beratingThe administrator suing San Diego Unified School District to undo her pending demotion was repeatedly criti... more »
Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-9-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Write Your Letter to President Obama Today by dianerav Readers of this blog know that we are collecting letters to send to President Obama by October 17. Please join us in opposing high-stakes testing and privatization. We call this action the Campaign for Our Public Schools. Instructions on where to send your email are here. Lets begin now to make our voices heard. Hats Off to Tacoma! by dianerav I asked readers to tell me about good school districts that manage to offer a good education despite the testin... more »
Zimmer Unveils Softer Charter Plan - LA School Report
Zimmer Unveils Softer Charter Plan - LA School Report: Post navigationZimmer Unveils Softer Charter Plan Posted on October 8, 2012 by Hillel Aron Late Monday afternoon, LAUSD board member Steve Zimmer announced an updated, much-softened charter school oversight proposal. It replaces the previous moratorium on new charter schools with a request for charters to “*voluntarily delay requesting action on new charter applications” *until a new oversight scheme can be developed. **The new version also asks the
CODE Chicago - Communities Organized for Democracy in Education
CODE Chicago - Communities Organized for Democracy in Education: How can you help win an Elected Representative School Board? [image: Logo] The CPS Board—appointed by the mayor— is not accountable to the people it is supposed to serve. *The Board is failing our children. * Vote *YES* on the advisory referendum for an *Elected Representative School Board* for CPS on *November 6th*. The Illinois legislature must change to law to allow Chicagoans the same right the residents of every other city and town in the state enjoy... the right to elect the people who run Chicago's pu... more »
LAUSD AND THE EXPLOSION OF GANGS - Perdaily.com
LAUSD AND THE EXPLOSION OF GANGS - Perdaily.com: LAUSD AND THE EXPLOSION OF GANGS by Leonard Isenberg [image: gang.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) *Real power in people comes from education that must exist to insure every student reaches their subjective potential. In the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), where there has not even been a good faith attempt to educate poor and minority students for generations - if ever - most administrators, teachers, students, and parents have long ago l... more »
AP: Jay-Z Signs Math Educator Jovan Miles to Roc Nation | The Jose Vilson
AP: Jay-Z Signs Math Educator Jovan Miles to Roc Nation | The Jose Vilson: AP: Jay-Z Signs Math Educator Jovan Miles to Roc Nation by Jose Math Educator Jovan Miles *Somewhere in the future …* For the casual music fans, it’s easy to see why one might get confused looking at the initial Roc Nation artists. Jay-Z. J-Cole. Jay Electronica. The trifecta of J’s (and Willow Smith) have had their share of success either from the underground circuit to the international stage (in varying degrees). Yet, none of them have what the latest “J” has: the attention of classrooms for a whole city.... more »
Des Moines Education Association: DMEA Statement on the Use of Student Growth Data for Teacher Evaluation
Des Moines Education Association: DMEA Statement on the Use of Student Growth Data for Teacher Evaluation: DMEA Statement on the Use of Student Growth Data for Teacher Evaluation by Andrew Rasmussen The DMEA believes that the appropriate place for use of student growth data is in the formative evaluation stage. During the formative stage, teachers can utilize student growth data that they find most relevant to their curriculum to give them feedback on what might be working and areas in need of improvement. This places the focus on using student growth data to strengthen a teacher... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Why Wouldn't Mitt Talk to the Kids?
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Why Wouldn't Mitt Talk to the Kids?: Why Wouldn't Mitt Talk to the Kids? by Melissa Westbrook [image: Obama for America 2012 (click picture)] Over at The Stranger Slog, they had a headline, "Mitt Romney Hates Children." Please, I know he loves children but the issue is, why *not* go to the Nickelodeon tv special on the election? Here's what Obama's campaign said: *In a release, the network says Mitt Romney declined to participate after numerous attempts. The program will include file sound bites of Romney addressing the subjects.* *The preside... more »
Things educators could say but don’t
Things educators could say but don’t: Things educators could say but don’t Posted by Valerie Strauss on October 8, 2012 at 5:02 pm With reform policies based more on hope than data, you might think educators would speak up more than do. Why don’t they? Here’s some thoughts about why most stay quiet, from Robert Bligh, former general counsel of the Nebraska Association of School Boards. Blight’s research interest involves the efficacy of the school reform efforts promoted by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act since its original adoption in 1965. He served as assistant pr... more »
Remarks by the President at the Dedication of the Cesar Chavez National Monument, Keene, CA | The White House
Remarks by the President at the Dedication of the Cesar Chavez National Monument, Keene, CA | The White House: Remarks by the President at the Dedication of the Cesar Chavez National Monument, Keene, CAPresident Barack Obama walks with Cesar Chavez's widow, Helen F. Chavez Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/10/08/3022092/president-obama-at-cesar-chavez.html#storylink=cpy La Paz, Chavez National Monument Keene, California 11:50 A.M. PDT THE PRESIDENT: Good morning! Buenos dias! (Applause.) Si, se puede! (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you so much. AUDIENCE: Four mor... more »
Phil Ochs’ Secret Anonymous Racist Kid Record « Student Activism
Phil Ochs’ Secret Anonymous Racist Kid Record « Student Activism: Phil Ochs’ Secret Anonymous Racist Kid Record by Angus Johnston Folk singer Phil Ochs’ first album was 1964′s All the News that’s Fit to Sing. Only it wasn’t. Sometime in the next few months we’re going to sail unknowing past the 50th anniversary of the recording of Ochs’ real first album, a record he appeared on anonymously and kept secret until his death. Released in 1963 — nobody knows when in 1963 — under the name of a non-existent band called The Campers, “Camp Favorites” was a cheap quickie album of kids’ camp ... more »
Education Week: Two Suitors Bid to Transform 'Parent-Trigger' School
Education Week: Two Suitors Bid to Transform 'Parent-Trigger' School: Two Suitors Bid to Transform 'Parent-Trigger' School [image: Principal David Mobley, left, is handed 465 signatures earlier this year from parents of students at Desert Trails Elementary School in Adelanto, Calif., where families used the state's 2010] Principal David Mobley, left, is handed 465 signatures earlier this year from parents of students at Desert Trails Elementary School in Adelanto, Calif., where families used the state's 2010 "parent trigger" law to petition to convert the academically struggling sch... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: Do CCSSI and RTTT Mandates Ensure Educational Exellence..or is it Something Else that the Government Hasn't Yet Mandated?
Missouri Education Watchdog: Do CCSSI and RTTT Mandates Ensure Educational Exellence..or is it Something Else that the Government Hasn't Yet Mandated?: Do CCSSI and RTTT Mandates Ensure Educational Exellence..or is it Something Else that the Government Hasn't Yet Mandated? by stlgretchen Are government mandates the answers to educational success? "Boys Hope Girls Hope" is a program in St. Louis and other cities designed to help at risk students. The St. Louis Post Dispatch recently ran an article explaining how the privately funded program works and the enormous commitment needed...more »
How Gloria Romero Became the Face of Proposition 32 – Hot Ideas for a Cold Economy – The Frying Pan
How Gloria Romero Became the Face of Proposition 32 – Hot Ideas for a Cold Economy – The Frying Pan: How Gloria Romero Became the Face of Proposition 32 by Matthew Fleischer on October 5, 2012 “Money is the mother’s milk of politics,” Gloria Romero tells me on the phone. “It’s flowing to both sides. Government isn’t about drawing lines. It’s not about saying you’re on that side and you can’t come over.” Her voice is friendly, somewhat placid, but it’s clear Romero is not thrilled with having to answer questions about her political alliance with the Koch brothers and other wealth... more »
Daily Kos: Bus tour with teacherken: Education in Pennsylvania
Daily Kos: Bus tour with teacherken: Education in Pennsylvania: Bus tour with teacherken: Education in Pennsylvania by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) *This is crossposted from Education Votes, a website of the NEA, for whom I am serving as an embedded blogger on the Stop the Greed Agenda Bus Tour. I ask that you also follow that link and Like the post* I will be discussing how the Greed Agenda and related things are affecting public education in Pennsylvania, but allow me to share some photos of our Sunday. There was nothing scheduled for today, but somehow we managed to find two wa... more »
Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-8-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] A Draft of a Parent’s Letter to President Obama by dianerav A parent in California drafted a letter to President Obama. This could serve as a template for other parents. Some parents worry about the negative effects of high-stakes testing on their children. Others are upset that their community is being torn apart by battles with charter operators. Others are upset by class size or budget cuts. Please send us your email by October 17. Here are the instructions. Write your views and join our campaign to collect... more »
The Educated Reporter: Columbus Day: Different Viewpoints on `Discovering' America
The Educated Reporter: Columbus Day: Different Viewpoints on `Discovering' America: Columbus Day: Different Viewpoints on `Discovering' America by Emily Richmond Growing up, my early education about Christopher Columbus didn’t drill much deeper than a sanitized version of the journeys of the *Nina*, the *Pinta* and the *Santa Maria*. That perspective changed when a member of a New England American Indian tribe visited my eighth-grade history class. He described the devastating impact on his ancestors and subsequent generations following being “discovered” by European explorers. A... more »
Attention all PTAs: Action for the Week of 10/7/2012 | United Opt Out National
Attention all PTAs: Action for the Week of 10/7/2012 | United Opt Out National: Attention all PTAs: Action for the Week of 10/7/2012 by admin *The Niagara Region PTA in New York has written a resolution opposing high-stakes testing and calls for a moratorium on the 3-8 testing program. The following documents should be shared with all PTAs across the nation. United Opt Out National suggests adding the following – if the testing is NOT suspended, the PTA should recommend all parents opt their children out of the state test. Make this go viral. Well done Niagara Region PTA. Libe... more »
Creating the Conditions: Student Discipline | Connected Principals
Creating the Conditions: Student Discipline | Connected Principals: Creating the Conditions: Student Discipline by Chris Wejr *“The proper question is not, ‘How can people motivate others?’ but rather, ‘How can people create the conditions within which others will motivate themselves?’ ” — Edward Deci* In the past number of years we have gone through a very positive and significant transition at our school. Through the work of the staff (current and previous), we have moved from a punish and reward mentality to one that is focused on creating the conditions for students to learn t... more »
School Tech Connect: Let's Hang Out In Rogers Next Sunday
School Tech Connect: Let's Hang Out In Rogers Next Sunday: Let's Hang Out In Rogers Next Sunday by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) If you happen to be one my neighbors up here in the hub of the city, and by that, I mean Rogers Park, and you want to come talk about the negative impact of charter schools on the neighborhood, then by all means get out your calendar. *Sunday, October 14, 2012* *3 PM * *Community Meeting in Rogers Park * *Topic: No More Charters In Rogers Park!* * * Rogers Park now has UNO sitting in St. Scholastica's old building, which I have no doubt was a highly ... more »
Big Education Spenders Interactive | USC News21
Big Education Spenders Interactive | USC News21: An estimated $4 billion of philanthropic money is spent on education each year in the United States. A large percentage of that pool comes from the pockets of reformers Bill Gates, Eli Broad and the Walton family. According to their 990 tax forms, these philanthropists spent over $500 million in 2009 on the promotion of education reform practices in school districts nationwide. CLICK EACH STACK FOR MORE Deep-Pocket Reformers: The Shadow Secretaries of EducationBy Catherine Cloutier *In advancing some interests, foundations hav... more »
Capitol Alert: Good Golly Miss Molly Munger calls Jerry Brown's ads 'utterly deceptive,' plans to be even more deceptive
Capitol Alert: Molly Munger calls Jerry Brown's ads 'utterly deceptive,' plans to *be even more deceptive* Molly Munger calls Jerry Brown's ads 'utterly deceptive,' plans to be even more deceptive Molly Munger 'utterly deceptive' Accusing Gov. *Jerry Brown* of running "utterly deceptive" ads in his campaign to raise taxes, *Molly Munger* said on a Los Angeles TV show this morning that her own tax campaign will air television ads making a "distinction" between her measure and Brown's. Munger, the chief proponent of Proposition 38, said on NBC 4's "News Conference" that a series of ... more »
Teacher’s Coffee Spiked With Butt-Enhancing Drug | toteachornototeach
Teacher’s Coffee Spiked With Butt-Enhancing Drug | toteachornototeach: Teacher’s Coffee Spiked With Butt-Enhancing Drug by aristotlethewise *Ellen Vick, North Carolina Teacher, Says Student* *Spiked Her Coffee With Butt-Enhancing Drug * A North Carolina teacher says her student “spiked her coffee with butt-enhancing pills.” According to WBTV, 61-year-old Ellen Vick, a teacher at Independence High School in Charlotte, N.C., told police Monday that a student put a “butt-enhancing” drug in her coffee during class. Investigators say the drug was “GluteBoost,” a supplement that claims to ... more »
Diane in the Evening 10-7-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT OCTOBER 17 CAMPAIGN FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS! « DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGShared byDiane Ravitch *dianeravitch.net* - I will write about this every single day from now until October 17. Please write your thoughts about what needs to change in federal education policy and send a letter to President Obama by that da... Testing Runs Amok in Oklahoma by dianerav Florida pioneered the use of school grades. New York City followed. Now other states and districts are jumping aboard. The latest to adopt school grades is Oklahoma. The superintendents... more »
Investigation under way on K12 virtual school used in Northeast Florida districts | Jacksonville.com Mobile Edition
Investigation under way on K12 virtual school used in Northeast Florida districts | Jacksonville.com Mobile Edition: Investigation under way on K12 virtual school used in Northeast Florida districts By Trevor Aaronson & John O'Connor & Kate Howard Perry Student-teacher ratios at K12, the nation’s largest online educator, are nearly twice as high as Florida’s state-run virtual school, according to internal company documents obtained by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting and StateImpact Florida. A high school teacher working for K12 may have as many as 275 students, comp... more »
The New Minimalism - Woodbridge, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators
The New Minimalism - Woodbridge, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators: Looking Ahead The New Minimalism Over the past year, in my work with ASCD affiliates, we have been exploring ways to revolutionize the ways we serve their affiliate members. Why? The writing is on the wall that today’s educators have different needs and expectations. It’s difficult to get out of the classroom to attend conferences, and when educators can get away for professional development they want to be actively engaged in acquiring meaning and building ... more »
Labor's Edge Blog : “Stop the Greed Agenda” Bus Tour Exposes Koch Brothers’ Link to Prop 32
Labor's Edge Blog : “Stop the Greed Agenda” Bus Tour Exposes Koch Brothers’ Link to Prop 32: “Stop the Greed Agenda” Bus Tour Exposes Koch Brothers’ Link to Prop 32 *By Danielle Tipton, California Labor Federation* The notorious right-wing ideologues David and Charles Koch are some of the biggest spenders in American politics, dropping millions upon millions to buy elections and influence politicians all across the country. So why would they suddenly throw $4 million into Prop 32, a proposition that claims to “stop special interest money” from flooding politics? Simple -- because th... more »
Daily Kos: Faux Education Reform or Improved Education
Daily Kos: Faux Education Reform or Improved Education: Faux Education Reform or Improved Education bytulticanFollow Two years ago, I had the opportunity to share my thoughts about education policy with Congresswomen, Susan Davis (Democrat CA-53). Like many high government office holders, Davis got her start in the 1980’s as a member of the local school board. I immediately launched into my heartfelt belief that standardized testing was destroying public education and leading to the privatizing of public schools. She almost immediately asked me what I find a peculiar and telling qu... more »
Back to School Night: Part II | Mr. Teachbad
Back to School Night: Part II | Mr. Teachbad: Back to School Night: Part II by teachbad In Back to School Night: Part I, I sketched out differences between two schools. *School #1* is a public charter school, has pretty poor facilities, test scores are high, parent engagement is high, and the teachers appear to have a relatively high degree of freedom in the classroom and seem to be happy. *School #2* is a regular public school, has amazing facilities, test scores are low, parent engagement is low, and the teachers are strictly regimented and mostly unhap... more »
The in box. Jon Bauman, former TRS Director comments. « Fred Klonsky
The in box. Jon Bauman, former TRS Director comments. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Jon Bauman, former TRS Director comments. by Fred Klonsky *Fred,* *At the outset, I would like to send my thanks and compliments to you on a very informative and thought-provoking blog. I recently stumbled across your site via Capitol Fax.* *The wise man that tought me about PR and “messaging” often said “Short statements convey powerful messages.” For example, TRS’ Statement of Purpose-Retirement Security for Illinois Educators. Short, to the point, and words to live by for all TRS staff.* *I’m loath... more »
An Urban Teacher's Education: Why I'll Be Voting Against Charter Schools (I-1240) In Washington State
An Urban Teacher's Education: Why I'll Be Voting Against Charter Schools (I-1240) In Washington State: Why I'll Be Voting Against Charter Schools (I-1240) In Washington State by James Boutin [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] This year, like in many previous years, Washington State voters will again have the opportunity to vote for or against legalizing charter schools in our state. Initiative 1240 would allow non-profit (for-profit charter managers would not be permitted) to open eight charter schools per year in WA over the next five years. Before I being to outline my reas... more »
All Education Matters: Request for Online Support: Young Student Debtor Writes, "[B]eing dead would be a relief compared to a life without hope."
All Education Matters: Request for Online Support: Young Student Debtor Writes, "[B]eing dead would be a relief compared to a life without hope.": Request for Online Support: Young Student Debtor Writes, "[B]eing dead would be a relief compared to a life without hope." by Cryn Johannsen **The notes continue to land in my inbox or in the comments section here - so many people, with crushing debt, write to me and express in difficult tones how they have lost hope, how they wish to be dead, and how they see no future. As I said in my article published by the Huffington Post (written ... more »
APS official response on Bloody Friday at North Atlanta High: APS marches out old leaders, announces new ones without explanation. | Get Schooled
Bloody Friday at North Atlanta High: APS marches out old leaders, announces new ones without explanation. | Get Schooled: APS official response on North Atlanta High leadership purge by Maureen Downey From Stephen J. Alford, Executive Director of Communications, Atlanta Public Schools Thank you for sharing your concerns and views about the recent leadership transition at North Atlanta High School. We have been preparing for new leadership at North Atlanta after learning that our principal planned to retire at the end of last school year. On Monday, Dr. Howard Taylor was approved by... more »
