Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-6-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u



BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA 

Recap of Last Week's Best Post 



Inglewood Administrator Appointed - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Inglewood Administrator Appointed - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Appoints Inglewood High Alumnus as State Administrator for Inglewood Unified School District INGLEWOOD—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today appointed Kent Taylor—himself a graduate of Inglewood High School—as State Administrator over the financially troubled Inglewood Unified School District. "My top priority is to keep Inglewood's schools open and serving its students, while returning the district to fiscal solvency, and ultimately, local control," To... more »

Fresh off “pineapple” episode, state identifies math exam errors | GothamSchools

Fresh off “pineapple” episode, state identifies math exam errors | GothamSchools
Two of the state math exams that students are set to start taking on Wednesday have errors, the State Education Department advised principals today.
On the fourth-grade exam, one question has two correct answers, the department warned. The eighth-grade test contains one question with no correct answer at all.
The admission comes on top of the embarrassing revelation that the state’s eighth-grade reading test included a revised and seemingly nonsensical literary passage whose moral was “pineapples don’t wear sleeves.” Together, 



Seattle Schools Community Forum: Board Retreat - Board Priorities

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Board Retreat - Board Priorities: Board Retreat - Board Priorities by Charlie Mas The Board held their fall retreat on September 22. Here are the minutes. It includes both the worst and the best thing I think I have ever read about Seattle Schools leadership. The minutes are a bit hard to follow because they make reference to documents, such as a survey and a gantt chart, which are not included in the minutes. Even without the complete set of reference materials, the meanings come through very clearly. The meeting started with some chat about how t... more »

Daily Kos: Bus tour with teacherken: Going after the “Greed Agenda”

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Daily Kos: Bus tour with teacherken: Going after the “Greed Agenda”: Bus tour with teacherken: Going after the “Greed Agenda” by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) *I am currently in Columbus OH, where I am participating in Patriot Majority's Bus trip to Stop the Greed Agenda against the Koch Brothers. I was hired to do this by the National Education Association, and will be posting at least once a day at their Education Votes website. I will crosspost PART of those posts here, as I am doing this morning, and provide a link back to their site, since they are paying for my blogging. ... more »

OK Dead White Guys, You Can Come Out Now « The Core Knowledge Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
OK Dead White Guys, You Can Come Out Now « The Core Knowledge Blog: OK Dead White Guys, You Can Come Out Nowby Robert Pondiscio *October 5th, 2012* * * * * Tags: Common Core State Standards, literature, Mark Bauerlein Posted in Core Knowledge, Curriculum, Education Practice | No Comments » With the advent of Common Core State Standards, English class may be safe once more for Dead White Males. In an op-ed in the New York Daily News, Mark Bauerlein points out CCSS’s requirement that students should be able to “demonstrate knowledge of 18th-, 19th- and early-20th-century foundational... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Testing madness, stress driving good teachers out of public schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Testing madness, stress driving good teachers out of public schools: Testing madness, stress driving good teachers out of public schools by Mike Klonsky There's an excellent piece in yesterday's Texas Trib (NYT), "Strain for Teachers Runs Deeper Than Budget Cuts," which gets to the heart of the matter for my pre-service, college of ed students. It's not just massive ed budget cuts, nor the inequities in funding that are driving the best and the brightest away from teaching in urban public schools -- although that helps. *Ms. Peterson taught for 10 y... more »

Must See TV « PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Must See TV « PWC Education Reform Blog: Must See TV by pwceducationreform School Board Report for October 3, 2012 Meeting In case you were otherwise occupied, last night the PWC School Board had a meeting and it was rather interesting. If you only want to watch the exciting parts, you can fast forward to the last 15 minutes for the board member comments. As an administrative note, we are scrambling to catch up on our work and will be issuing reports on the school board meetings on September 5 and 19 as soon as possible. We understand those meetings were long, but highly ente... more »

What Obama’s debate performance says about his education policy - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
What Obama’s debate performance says about his education policy - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: What Obama’s debate performance says about his education policy By Valerie Strauss In the wake of President Obama’s lackluster performance in his first debate with Mitt Romney, commentators have suggested that part of the president’s problem was that during his time in the White House, he (like (Craig F. Walker/AP)other presidents before him) has rarely been challenged. People don’t interrupt him, tell him he is being obtuse and that he is dead wrong. So what does this have to d... more »

Strong Schools for a Strong Economy Tour - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Strong Schools for a Strong Economy Tour - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Leads 'Strong Schools for a Strong Economy' Tour SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson launched a month-long statewide tour today highlighting innovative career technical programs that help prepare students for jobs in the 21st-century economy. Partnering with California School Boards Association (CSBA) President Jill Wynns along with teachers, parents, administrators, and school employees, Torlakson said the "Strong Schools for a Strong Economy" ef... more »

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Parent testing opt-out meeting tomorrow

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Parent testing opt-out meeting tomorrow: Parent testing opt-out meeting tomorrow by admin This meeting started out as a small parent meeting for Drummond school and is not being advertised it as a huge event, but there is so much interest in this topic that I just want people to be aware that it is happening. Meanwhile, several parent groups are working on a larger testing forum for later in the fall. PSAT for 9-2-12: How to boycott hedge funder “reformers”? by admin Have been spending some time thinking about how to call f... more 

The State of Education | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
The State of Education | ED.gov Blog: The State of Education Posted on October 3, 2012 by Cameron Brenchley [image: Arne_Press_Club] Secretary Duncan spoke on the state of education at the National Press Club. Official Department of Education photo by Joshua Hoover. “States and districts, schools and communities are driving more change than ever before,” Secretary Arne Duncan told reporters during a speech at the National Press Club yesterday. “Educators at every level are being more and more creative — pairing good schools with struggling schools, creating smaller, more manageable ... more »

Chinese funding Florida charter schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Chinese funding Florida charter schools: *Chinese funding Florida charter schools* By Meisha Perrin [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991]中國的融資佛羅里達州特許學校 Investment money is pouring into Florida from wealthy Chinese who find that Florida has exactly what they are looking for — and what they need to secure US green cards. Chinese investors are taking advantage of the EB-5 investment visa program, the so-called "green card via red carpet," by putting millions into Florida's charter schools and an aquaculture farm in Central Florida. Under the EB-5 pr... more »

UPDATE: Q and A. Getting the word out about Constitutional Amendment 49. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Q and A. Getting the word out about Constitutional Amendment 49. « Fred Klonsky: Q and A. Getting the word out about Constitutional Amendment 49. by Fred Klonsky * Fred,* *I would be interested in contacting via mail, the union members in this state who will be affected by the amendment on the ballot in November to inform them on how a “yes” vote will negatively (a mild word) affect their pensions forever. I am willing to donate time and money to getting the word out. Is this necessary, or has everyone concerned been informed?* *- Ann* *Ann,* *I applaud your enthusiasm and willin... more »

Skype - The Big Blog - NASA and Seven Other Organizations Join Skype in the Classroom to Take Kids on New Educational Adventures

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Skype - The Big Blog - NASA and Seven Other Organizations Join Skype in the Classroom to Take Kids on New Educational Adventures: NASA and Seven Other Organizations Join Skype in the Classroom to Take Kids on New Educational Adventures When I was a kid, I had some very big dreams. My imagination would run wild with all the possibilities of answering the question, "What do I want to be when I grow up?" On any given day, I would have given you wildly different answers: I wanted to be a firefighter, an astronaut, a ship captain, a writer, amongst many, many others. One of the reason... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-3-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Beware the Reorientation Room! by dianerav What kind of a school has a “reorientation room?” What kind of a school has a “Dean of School Culture?” What kind of a school has large numbers of uncertified teachers? Would you send your own child there? What kind of school is this? Read the link. Unfair to Kozol? by dianerav An admirer of Jonathan Kozol faults the *Washington Post* for asking Wendy Kopp to review his latest book. Wendy likes to say that we don’t need to fix poverty,just “fix” schools with more ... more »

The Charter School Achievement First - Hartford and their “Reorientation Room” - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
The Charter School Achievement First - Hartford and their “Reorientation Room” - Wait, What? The Charter School Achievement First – Hartford and their “Reorientation Room” by jonpelto According to a recent Hartford Courant story about Achievement First –Hartford’s newly opened high school, “Rolling one’s eyes at a teacher will get a freshman sent to the school’s Reorientation Room, where Dean of School Culture Peter Uwalaka said “’they get the extra culture they need.’” The Achievement First Family Handbook goes into far more detail about the school’s discipline policy. Having spok... more »

Public School State of Mind

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Published on Sep 24, 2012 by xtrand3 This music video is dedicated to public school employees across America who work hard every day to make a difference in the lives of our children. Please send this to everyone you know in their honor. (Expand for Lyrics) There are many ways that schools across America celebrate public education. This music video is an upbeat and creative way the Blue Valley School District chose to highlight its dedicated staff and hard-working students. The Public School State of Mind sings the praises of the educational journey from elementary to middle and th... more »

Nigeria Campus Massacre May Be Linked To Student Union Election « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Nigeria Campus Massacre May Be Linked To Student Union Election « Student Activism: Nigeria Campus Massacre May Be Linked To Student Union Election by Angus Johnston As many as forty people were killed early Tuesday morning in a student hostel adjoining Federal Polytechnic Mubi, a college in northeastern Nigeria, and authorities are trying to piece together why. Initial suspician centered on Boko Hiram, a violent Islamist group whose name literally means “western education is forbidden.” But given the nature of the killings and the reported targets, officials now believe that the ... more »

Veto pits charter school autonomy against affordable meals | California Watch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Veto pits charter school autonomy against affordable meals | California Watch: Veto pits charter school autonomy against affordable meals Joanna Lin DC Central Kitchen/Flickr Arguing that he did not want to "erode the independence and flexibility" of charter schools, Gov. Jerry Brown last weekend vetoed legislation that would have required charters to provide low-income students free or reduced-price meals. Brown's veto message [PDF] of AB 1594, authored by Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-Alhambra, pits student nutrition against charter school autonomy – issues that supporters said should ... more »

School Tech Connect: Put This In A Time Capsule

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 minutes ago
School Tech Connect: Put This In A Time Capsule: Put This In A Time Capsule by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) *Unfortunately Tim you are probably right but I bet he doesn't have to wait for one of these babies!* With all due respect to the great scholar and activist and utterly fearless woman receiving the award, I'm just going to predict that the presenter will someday present a similar award to Arne Dun


Local School Wellness Policy - Healthy Eating & Nutrition Education (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Local School Wellness Policy - Healthy Eating & Nutrition Education (CA Dept of Education): Local School Wellness PolicyInformation and resources on the Local School Wellness Policy, Section 204 of the Child Nutrition and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act of 2004 and the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. ------------------------------ Child Nutrition and Women, Infants and Children’s Reauthorization Act of 2004The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 mandated that all local educational agencies participating in a federal meal reimbursemen... more »

Hybrids of History Teaching | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Hybrids of History Teaching | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Hybrids of History Teaching by larrycuban Why do most history teachers (past and present) use teacher-directed ways of teaching with a small minority diverging from their colleagues? One answer looks at how external testing, state academic standards, federal accountability regulations, teacher certification, and the unofficial national curriculum of Advanced Placement influence what teachers present. These largely unnoticed structures in the policy landscape set the boundaries within which teachers ... more »

Bullying Resources, Education 

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Bullying Resources, Education : - [image: KCRA-KCRA.com] KCRA 3 to air one-hour bullying special Bullying, it’s not a one size fits all problem and there are no easy solutions. But it’s a problem that can no longer be ignored. [image: Yoursphere Logo] Cyberbullying: 5 Steps to combating, documenting While starting a new school year can be exciting and fun, it can also be tough for children of any age -- dealing with new teachers and new students, and continuing the friendships (and rivalries) that they formed during the previous year. But these days it... more »

Diane Ravitch Talks School Reform, the Chicago Strike, and the "Testing Vampire"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Diane Ravitch Talks School Reform, the Chicago Strike, and the "Testing Vampire": *Diane Ravitch Talks School Reform, the Chicago Strike, and the "Testing Vampire"* ABBY RAPOPORT OCTOBER 1, 2012 Diane Ravitch is famous for two things: championing the education reform movement, then leading the opposition to it. The movement, which broadly supports an agenda that emphasizes student assessment (a.k.a. testing) and school choice (a.k.a. charter schools), has come to dominate American education policy. For the most part, both Democrats and Republicans now push to make school syst... more »

NYC Educator: ATR Spotlight on Movies

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
NYC Educator: ATR Spotlight on Movies: ATR Spotlight on Movies by NYC Educator *By special guest film reviewer Suddenly ATR* In light of the recent Chicago Teacher Union strike and the film Won't Back Down, I recently re-watched a movie that showed many of the problems of the Chicago public school education system but didn't manage to demonize anyone. What movie was this? None other than the classic documentary "Hoop Dreams." Hoop Dreams was released in 1994 but it feels like it could have been shot today. I won't bore anyone with the details of the movie, since it is so well-kno... more »


Big Education Ape Nite Cap UPDATE 10-1-12 #SOSCHAT #CTUSTRIKE

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE* *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Poor Boxoffice for Anti-Union Film by dianerav The film “Won’t Back Down,” which publicizes the idea that parents should seize control of their public school and turn it over to a charter operator, has been heavily promoted. The movie was shown at both national political conventions by Michelle Rhee; it had a glamorous opening in New York City and extensive publicity as part of NBC’s Education Nation, and full-page ads in major newspapers, as well as expensive ads on network television. But opening weekend for WBD was a disaster. Acc... more »

Last Stand for Children First: Won't Back Down: Time for Accountability Now

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Last Stand for Children First: Won't Back Down: Time for Accountability Now: Won't Back Down: Time for Accountability Now by Last Stand for Children The movie Won't Back Down makes a compelling case for accountability in our public schools. If schools aren't doing their job, why not turn the school over to a private company? It might be harsh, but schools exist for children after all. Don't we have a right to demand the best from our teachers? In Illinois, teachers who receive two unsatisfactory evaluations within a 7 year period can have their teaching certificate pulled. T... more »

President Obama to Establish César E. Chávez National Monument | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
President Obama to Establish César E. Chávez National Monument | The White House: President Obama to Establish César E. Chávez National Monument On October 8th, 2012, President Obama will travel to Keene, California to announce the establishment of the César E. Chávez National Monument. Years in the making, the monument – which will be designated under the Antiquities Act – will be established on the property known as Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz (Our Lady Queen of Peace), or La Paz. The La Paz property is recognized worldwide for its historic link to civil rights icon César E... more »

Students Last: Charter School Miracle?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Students Last: Charter School Miracle?: Charter School Miracle? by Students Last Some in the charter school business are praying for a miracle*Newark New Jersey - *Cory Booker, mayor of Newark, New Jersey, filed a petition with the Catholic Church urging that charter schools be deemed "miracles." "Charter schools are a blessing from God. The work they do is truly extraordinary," said an enthusiastic Booker on the steps of the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart. The petition is an unusual one for the mayor. "Well, I've been kissing their asses for so long, this was just the next... more »

Home | Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Home | Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg: [image: Senator Darrell Steinberg]OCTOBER 2012 E-NEWSLETTER Dear Neighbor: Summer is officially over, and the change in season brings with it positive changes for Californians. Most notably, I have brought about reform to California's accountability system for public schools with my SB 1458 signed by the Governor last week. This measure improves the Academic Performance Index (API) by relying less on standardized bubble test scores and more on other important factors such as graduation rates, and student readiness for higher ed... more »

solidaridad: Schools Matter: Kopp's shameless self-promotion in the guise of a Kozol book review

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
solidaridad: Schools Matter: Kopp's shameless self-promotion in the guise of a Kozol book review: Schools Matter: Kopp's shameless self-promotion in the guise of a Kozol book review Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene at solidaridad - 1 hour ago *"Ms. Kopp's husband, Richard Barth, was an Edison executive before taking over as CEO of KIPP's national foundation, where he has sought to decertify its New York City unions." — Jesse James Alred* [image: Separate is never equal: TFA, KIPP, and corporate charter schools are the new Jim Crow.]One thing I'll concede to the corporate education refo... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, October 1, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Arnold Schwarzenegger 'Total Recall' memoir Education Headlines *Monday, October 1, 2012* Lucia Mar instructors reach deal on training programMembers of the Lucia Mar Unified Teachers Association have overwhelmingly approved changes to a training and evaluation program that was put in place at seven schools in the South County district in 2011. Garvey school board members give superintendent raise, contract extensionThe Garvey School board by a 3-2 vote Thursday approved a salary increase and contract extension for Superintendent... more »

Presidential Proclamation -- Child Health Day, 2012 | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Presidential Proclamation -- Child Health Day, 2012 | The White House: Presidential Proclamation -- Child Health Day, 2012 CHILD HEALTH DAY, 2012 - - - - - - - BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION As a Nation, we share an obligation to ensure the health and well-being of our children. The youth of today will shape America's tomorrow, and on Child Health Day, we rededicate ourselves to providing our next generation with access to the quality health care and clean environment that will nurture their future success. My Administration has made the health of our... more »

Daily Kos: Paul Krugman asks if the election will be honored

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Daily Kos: Paul Krugman asks if the election will be honored: Paul Krugman asks if the election will be honored by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) and no, in The Real Referendum, his Monday column for *The New York Times*, the Nobel Laureate is not raising a question of the election being stolen. He operates from an assumption that the election is not, as the Republicans had expected, a referendum on the President where he would be found wanting. Instead he sees it like this: Voters are, in effect, being asked to deliver a verdict on the legacy of the New Deal and the Great Socie... more »


Jersey Jazzman: Jonny Alter's Head Pops Off

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Jonny Alter's Head Pops Off: Jonny Alter's Head Pops Off I missed this clip at last weekends's Education Nation from MSNBC. It's well worth watching, if only for the entertainment value of seeing pundit Jonathan Alter lose his cool when someone who knows what the hell their talking about calls him out: Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy The best part is when Alter says, "No offense." Yeah, sure: why would Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig take offense at having his peer-reviewed study be called "cherry-picking" and "bogus" on n... more »


Up w/ Chris Hayes: Conservative media moguls fund film pushing parent trigger laws

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Up w/ Chris Hayes: Conservative media moguls fund film pushing parent trigger laws: Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy






SignOn.org - I'm a lifelong Democrat, and Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee doesn't speak for me!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
SignOn.org - I'm a lifelong Democrat, and Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee doesn't speak for me!: I'm a lifelong Democrat, and Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee doesn't speak for me! By Matt Farmer (Contact) To be delivered to: Michelle Rhee Michelle Rhee, your recent op-ed in The Washington Post shows that you are tremendously out of step with Democrats who believe in equity and justice. Please stop trying to speak for us. Chicago's teachers, like teachers across this country, work hard to promote equal opportunity for all children, regardless of their background. Yet for too... more »

How Our Principal Thinks Using Test Scores To Evaluate Teachers Will Hurt Students — What Are Your Thoughts? | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
How Our Principal Thinks Using Test Scores To Evaluate Teachers Will Hurt Students — What Are Your Thoughts? | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: How Our Principal Thinks Using Test Scores To Evaluate Teachers Will Hurt Students — What Are Your Thoughts? Earlier today, I posted about New York Principal Carol Burris’ great article on how using test scores to evaluate hurts students. I sent it to our school’s principal, Ted Appel (who has shared his thoughts on educational policy in previous posts here) to get his reaction. He liked it a lot, and shared these ideas on other ways ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Critics and audiences agree: "Won't Back Down" a tremendous flop

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
NYC Public School Parents: Critics and audiences agree: "Won't Back Down" a tremendous flop: Critics and audiences agree: "Won't Back Down" a tremendous flop by Leonie Haimson The reviews are out, the box office returns have been counted and it's clear that the pro-charter propaganda film "Won't Back Down" is a huge critical and commercial flop. All the advance screenings sponsored by astroturf corp reform groups and the film's distributor, Rupert Murdoch, the big push by CBS and Walmart, the promotion by NBC's Education Nation, the multi-million dollar advertising campaign finan... more »

Bullied Michigan teen shines as homecoming princess - CNN.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Bullied Michigan teen shines as homecoming princess - CNN.com: Bullied Michigan teen shines as homecoming princess By *Chris Welch,* CNN updated 10:47 AM EDT, Sat September 29, 2012 [image: Watch this video] Bullied teen shines at homecoming *STORY HIGHLIGHTS* - The teen was thrust into the spotlight after her peers nominated her for homecoming court as a prank - She attended coronation Friday night surrounded by cheering fans - "I'm so happy -- this is so much right now for me," she says *West Branch, Michigan (CNN)* -- Whitney Kropp, the teen thrust into the spotlight a... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Impact Fees

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Impact Fees: Impact Fees by Charlie Mas We have heard school district officials bemoan the fact that the City of Seattle does not collect impact fees (assessments on new development to offset the costs of additional demands on public resources) for schools. They are, as usual, crying crocodile tears. The District is authorized to assess their own impact fees and they simply have not bothered to do it. Per RCW 43.21C.060, school districts can assess impact fees. The WAC regarding the Growth Management Act also clearly allows school districts to req... more »

School Reformers Who Disagree Find Common Ground (John Thompson and Neerav Kingsland) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
School Reformers Who Disagree Find Common Ground (John Thompson and Neerav Kingsland) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: School Reformers Who Disagree Find Common Ground (John Thompson and Neerav Kingsland) by larrycuban *The following post was written by teacher John Thompson of Oklahoma City and Neerav Kingsland, CEO of New Schools for New Orleans. They introduce themselves below. The post was published by Rick Hess, a blogger for Education Week on September 21, 2012.* * *There is much we disagree on – don’t worry we’ll get to that. But in writing this join... more »

Rich, Real World, Performance-Based Learning - Woodbridge, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Rich, Real World, Performance-Based Learning - Woodbridge, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators: Looking Ahead Rich, Real World, Performance-Based Learning Howard Gardner challenged that prevailing definition of intelligence with one concise description of what it means to be smart: “the ability to find and solve problems and create products of value in one's own culture.” It’s so simple it’s profound! There is no single measurement for intelligence in this definition. There is no “quotient” that can quantify ability or predict ... more »

Education Profiteering; Wall Street's Next Big Thing?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Education Profiteering; Wall Street's Next Big Thing?: Education Profiteering; Wall Street's Next Big Thing? More blog posts from Jeff Faux SUNDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER 2012 07:44 0 Comments The end of the Chicago teachers' strike was but a temporary regional truce in the civil war that plagues the nation's public schools. There is no end in sight, in part because -- as often happens in wartime -- the conflict is increasingly being driven by profiteers. The familiar media narrative tells us that this is a fight over how to improve our schools. On the one side are the self-styled reformers,... more »

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, PART TROIS southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, PART TROIS by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School is a happy place, an innovative place, a place in which the students themselves suffer no consequences and all is joyful. Students, usually the same ones every single day, who don't wish to go to class are coddled and given walks around the school all day long in which to contemplate how to keep from going to class the next day. So what if the wandering student doesn't learn, or even comes fro... more »

Diane in the Evening 9-29-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Wendy Kopp Reviews Jonathan Kozol by dianerav As Edushyster calls it, Wendy is miffed that Jon didn’t mention TFA. Another hilarious article from one of our best satirists. Won’t Back Down: The Hilarious Sequel by dianerav Jersey Jazzman has written a brilliant screenplay that tells what happened after the characters in the movie opened their charter school. This is hilarious! A Teacher Responds to “Won’t Back Down” by dianerav Julie Cavanaugh is a special education teacher at PS 15 in Red Hook, Brooklyn. She was one of the makers of the documentary “The In... more »

Students Last: Stripper Fired For Being A Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Students Last: Stripper Fired For Being A Teacher: Stripper Fired For Being A Teacher by Students Last Teachers rejected: "We have our standards"*Grand Rapids, Michigan *- Stripper Bunny Halter has filed a federal employment discrimination lawsuit against her former employer strip club White Glove, claiming she was fired one year ago due to her previous employment as a teacher. "I know I made some bad choices," Ms. Halter apologized at a press conference organized by her attorney Gloria Allred. "But I've left the education field now and I don't think I should be punished for trying... more »

Jersey Jazzman: More Perth Amboy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: More Perth Amboy: More Perth Amboy by Duke It never ends in Perth Amboy: The large crowd of parents and teachers at Perth Amboy High School erupted in applause when the Perth Amboy Board of Education placed Superintendent Janine Caffrey on administrative leave last Saturday. After an hour-long private session, the Board passed a resolution to not only place Caffrey on leave but also name Assistant Superintendent Vivian Rodriguez as active Superintendent. The board also unanimously voted to not bring Caffrey back as Superintendent once her current deal expires ... more »

Dan Malloy just isn't that into Michelle Rhee - AMERICAblog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Dan Malloy just isn't that into Michelle Rhee - AMERICAblog: Dan Malloy just isn’t that into Michelle Rhee 9/28/2012 4:23pm by Matt Browner Hamlin 4 Comments Print Disgraced former DC schools chief Michelle Rhee is on a quixotic search to pretend she’s a Democrat in good standing, despite her pursuit of taking away workers’ rights and helping Republican governors bust teachers unions. In her Washington Post op-ed on how “real Democrats” support her education prioritization strategy, which reads like a Joe Lieberman op-ed arguing that real Democrats support endless war, Rhee offers ... more »


Engaged Pedagogy « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Engaged Pedagogy « Cooperative Catalyst: Engaged Pedagogy by Paul Freedman There’s one heck of a problem in American education today. There seems to be absolute consensus on this point. After all, student test scores are woeful in comparison to those of other industrialized nations. And the test scores of students of color reveal a gap that exposes a culture of privileging the already privileged, that shows little sign of change. Hands are wringing and policy makers and administrators scramble to increase standards and heighten the stakes of measurable achievement. We must c... more »

Education Radio on “Won’t Back Down” and the Parent Trigger | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Education Radio on “Won’t Back Down” and the Parent Trigger | Seattle Education: Education Radio on “Won’t Back Down” and the Parent Trigger by seattleducation2011 Leonie Haimson Highly recommended. On this program you will hear from *real* parents who are active in education. *“Won’t Back Down”: Corporate Education Reform and the Rhetoric of Fiction* *In the past weeks, we have watched with renewed energy and hope as the teachers, parents, students and community members of Chicago have shown us the power of solidarity. Their resistance to the privatization of public education an... more »

Expired food products being served by Walmart Foundation funded LAUSD Breakfast in the Classroom - Echo Park-Silver-Lake, CA Patch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Expired food products being served by Walmart Foundation funded LAUSD Breakfast in the Classroom - Echo Park-Silver-Lake, CA Patch: Expired food products being served by Walmart Foundation funded LAUSD Breakfast in the Classroom Posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:26 pm Email Print 6 Comments PHOTOS (2) [image: Expired Oatmeal Bars arrive for the day's Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC)] [image: LAUSD officials insist kids with syrup leave classes cleaner] Upload Photos and Videos *"So long as there are children who are coming to school hungry, there will be a need for school b...more »