Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Monday, October 1, 2012

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best:

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

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

The Illinois Constitution guarantees our pension but not the funding. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 minutes ago

The Illinois Constitution guarantees our pension but not the funding. « Fred Klonsky: The Illinois Constitution guarantees our pension. But not the funding. by Fred Klonsky In a previous post I said that it was my understanding that while the Illinois Constitution guarantees state employee pensions and guarantees that they may not be *diminished or impaired,* it does not guarantee that the state provide the funding. This is the basis for Democratic State Representative Elaine Nekritz and Governor Pat Quinn to advocate shifting the pension obligation from the state to local units o... more »

Home | Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 57 minutes 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 »

Fund and Games: Inside Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's official schedule - Washington City Paper

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Fund and Games: Inside Michelle Rhee's official schedule - Washington City Paper: Fund and GamesInside Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's official schedule By Mike DeBonis • March 6, 2009 What does a chancellor do all day? Visit schools? Interview principals? Confer with top aides? “Chancel”? D.C. Public Schools chief*Michelle A. Rhee*certainly does all of those things. But in between workaday concerns, Rhee has become part of a vast network of education-oriented charities, think tanks, business interests, and “venture philanthropists.” Her talks with and wooing of this educati... more »

Fund for Teachers Grants Encourage Teachers to Pursue Learning Around the World and Inspire Students Back Home

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Fund for Teachers Grants Encourage Teachers to Pursue Learning Around the World and Inspire Students Back Home: Fund for Teachers Grants Encourage Teachers to Pursue Learning Around the World and Inspire Students Back HomeFund for Teachers’ 2013 grant cycle opens today, offering teachers the opportunity to design and experience their idea of professional development. Individuals receive up to $5,000, teaching teams $10,000, to hone skills and seek new knowledge that directly impacts student learning and personal/professional growth. - [image: Email a friend] [image: Fund for ... more »

"Tired of ALL the Bullsh*t" Barry Commoner Dies at 95 - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Barry Commoner Dies at 95 - NYTimes.com: Scientist, Candidate and Planet Earth’s Lifeguard Chester Higgins Jr./The New York Times *Last Word: Barry Commoner:* Dr. Commoner, an early environmentalist, warned of the dangers of nuclear weapons testing. He was an early champion of recycling, organic food and reducing fossil fuel use. By DANIEL LEWIS Published: October 1, 2012 48 Comments - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - SINGLE PAGE - REPRINTS - Barry Commoner, a founder of modern ecology and one of its most provocative thinkers and ... more »

Schools Matter: Empty of Fact: Rachel Brown's Bellwether Propaganda

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Schools Matter: Empty of Fact: Rachel Brown's Bellwether Propaganda: Empty of Fact: Rachel Brown's Bellwether Propaganda by Storm I asked Doug Martin, my colleague at The Common Errant and a dogged investigator of politico-corporate-educational malfeasance, to help us interpret the misleading graphic presentation offered by Rachel Brown for *The Atlantic*'s Reform Pamphlet. Ms Brown seems to responsible for page 87; I don't think it's appropriate to say she wrote it as it is primarily a presentation of "content" I would compare to what Netflix offers as a selection screen for the ... more »

'Life isn't always fair', Mayor Bloomberg says of NAACP suit that claims blacks and Latinos are shut out of top city high schools - NY Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

'Life isn't always fair', Mayor Bloomberg says of NAACP suit that claims blacks and Latinos are shut out of top city high schools - NY Daily News: 'Life isn't always fair', Mayor Bloomberg says of NAACP suit that claims blacks and Latinos are shut out of top city high schoolsHe insists tough entry test is fair and that if some can afford tutors and some can't, well, too badComments (30)BY TINA MOORE / NEW YORK DAILY NEWSFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2012, 12:22 AM Facebook 128 Twitter 19 StumbleUpon Tumblr Email Print [image: Mayor Mike Bloomberg (c.) announced plans to build the World's T... more »

"Won't Back Down" Might Make Debate - LA School Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

"Won't Back Down" Might Make Debate - LA School Report: “Won’t Back Down” Might Make Debate by Alexander Russo Reviews of the new release “Won’t Back Down” vary widely and tend to conform with pre-existing views on education reform issues. Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal Critics like The Nation’s Dana Goldstein describe it as a mean-spirited caricature of classroom teachers funded by a conservative millionaire who wants to destroy public schools — a 2012 version of ”Waiting For Superman.” Supporters describe it as a heartwarming depiction of parents and teachers getting together ... more »

Diane in the Evening 10-1-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: CTU Votes on Contract Tomorrow by dianerav Members of the Chicago Teachers Union will vote on October 2 whether to ratify the contact negotiated with the city. In the press release about the contract, CTU says these are the gains in the new contract for students and teachers: Should members vote to ratify the contract it will force the Board of Education to: · Hire over 600 additional teachers in Art, Music, Phys Ed and other subjects – helping to make the school day better not just longer. · Maintain limits on class size – pushing back Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s attem... more »

One answer to “Why are there 42 kids in my child’s class?” | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

One answer to “Why are there 42 kids in my child’s class?” | Get Schooled: One answer to “Why are there 42 kids in my child’s class?” by Maureen Downey The AJC had an interesting piece this weekend on the inexact science of predicting school enrollments. I cannot link as the story was limited to AJC subscribers and did not appear online. The gist of the story: Despite reviews of multiple records — census, birth records, housing, dropout and migration — and mathematical formulas, schools can get enrollments wrong. The predictions become even more difficult in a recession when paren... more »

Celebrating teachers who make a difference with Google | Official Google Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Celebrating teachers who make a difference with Google | Official Google Blog: Celebrating teachers who make a difference with Google October 1, 2012 For most of us, there’s at least one teacher whose name we will never forget—that favorite teacher who made a difference in our education, whether they were our first grade art teacher or a professor in college. For me, that teacher was Ms. Taylor, my 8th grade science teacher. Ms. Taylor didn't just foster my love of science—she understood that 8th grade can be a tough time for students as they try to navigate social cliques and p... 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 »

Questionnaire for Occoquan District School Board Candidates « PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Questionnaire for Occoquan District School Board Candidates « PWC Education Reform Blog: Questionnaire for Occoquan District School Board Candidates by pwceducationreform Below is our questionnaire for candidates running to represent Occoquan District citizens on the Prince William County School Board. We have attempted to send the questionnaire to all candidates. If you are a candidate and have not received a questionnaire, please contact us at PWC_ED_REFORM @ Yahoo.com and we’ll send you a questionnaire. We will publish any responses we receive from candidates, as well as any u... more »

Five Biggest Lies About America's Public Schools, Debunked

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Five Biggest Lies About America's Public Schools, Debunked: Five Biggest Lies About America's Public Schools, DebunkedMonday, 01 October 2012 11:33By Kristin Rawls, AlterNet | News Analysis - - font size [image: decrease font size] [image: increase font size] - Print - Email *[image: Students return to Walt Disney Magnet School after the Chicago teacher's union ended a weeklong walkout.]Students return to Walt Disney Magnet School after the Chicago teacher's union ended a weeklong walkout. (Photo: Nathan Weber / The New York Times)Here's the truth behind 5 of the mo... more »

Should We Teach the Five-Paragraph Essay? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Should We Teach the Five-Paragraph Essay? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: [image: Teacher in a Strange Land] Should We Teach the Five-Paragraph Essay? by Nancy Flanagan *Headline:* As Children's Freedom Has Declined, So Has Their Creativity.* Biggest decline? Creative elaboration--expanding on ideas in novel and creative ways. Have we done this to children, with "eminently gradable" assignments? Josh Boldt, who teaches writing at the University of Georgia in Athens, shares his thoughts:* College writing teachers hate the five-paragraph essay. According to *W... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: BEX IV

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: BEX IV: BEX IV by Melissa Westbrook I attended the BEX IV meeting at McClure last Thursday. More on that in a moment. Want to make your voice heard? *Write the BOARD. * Don't write the district, write the Board. They will make the final choice. Let me say that given the push from the Downtown Association, they have heard loud and clear from some of those folks. (And, they have probably heard from the City Council and the Mayor as well.) They need to hear from YOU. *Write them at schoolboard@seattleschools.org.* Now our friends at the Times ... more »

Live Stream: Parents Across America Founding Member to speak at the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association about charter schools in New Orleans | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Live Stream: Parents Across America Founding Member to speak at the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association about charter schools in New Orleans | Seattle Education: Live Stream: Parents Across America Founding Member to speak at the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association about charter schools in New Orleans Posted on October 1, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment As I posted last week, Michael Feinberg of KIPP is in New Zealand trying to sell charter schools to the good people of New Zealand but it doesn’t appear that too many people are buying his sales... more »

John Thompson's Book Review: "VAM in Education" -- Who has the Burden of Proof? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

John Thompson's Book Review: "VAM in Education" -- Who has the Burden of Proof? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: John Thompson's Book Review: "VAM in Education" -- Who has the Burden of Proof? by Anthony Cody *Guest post by John Thompson.* Douglas Harris' Value-Added Measures in Education is a masterpiece. Even in the places where I believe Harris is mistaken, he identifies the core issues involved in using value-added for evaluations. My big complaint is Harris' agnosticism about who carries the burden of proof. I always assumed, and I still believe, that it should ... more »

Michelle “Buy Yourself An Election” Rhee returns to undermine democracy in Connecticut - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Michelle “Buy Yourself An Election” Rhee returns to undermine democracy in Connecticut - Wait, What?: Michelle “Buy Yourself An Election” Rhee returns to undermine democracy in Connecticut by jonpelto Tomorrow, the voters of Windsor and the rest of the 5th Connecticut House District will be returning to the polls to vote in the run-off primary between Democrats Leo Canty, and Brandon McGee. In the first primary, the two democrats tied. Tomorrow’s re-vote will determine who will represent the Democratic Party in the November election. Under Connecticut’s public financing system, n... more »

New York Opt Out Update | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

New York Opt Out Update | United Opt Out National: New York Opt Out Update by admin This post was first shared at Children should not be a number. While much of the information is specific to New York, there are many insights here for all of us. Please read. *After my own experience and discussions with other parents from around New York who opted out last year, here are some suggestions to boycott all mandated high-stakes testing this year:* *Contact your child’s school as soon as possible to inform the administration that your child will not be taking the state exam or any st... 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 »

Evergreen Park and the pension cost shift. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Evergreen Park and the pension cost shift. « Fred Klonsky: Evergreen Park and the pension cost shift. by Fred Klonsky Can I absolutely prove that the proposals by some politicians, mostly Democrats, to shift the pension obligation from the state to local districts has provoked at least one strike and threatens to provoke others. No. But I’ve been at this game long enough to have a strong feeling about it. A reminder about the pension obligation. Things get a little screwy here. So pay attention. And if I mess up the explanation, I always have my friend Glen Brown to straighten me ou... more »

Goose vs. Gander: The double standard for teachers and superintendents - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Goose vs. Gander: The double standard for teachers and superintendents - Wait, What?: Goose vs. Gander: The double standard for teachers and superintendents by jonpelto Last week, Hartford’s Superintendent of Schools, Christina Kishimoto, sent a letter to the Hartford Board of Education (her employer) saying, “I will not engage in political debate with board members…My duty, my sole concern, is for the academic and career success of our Hartford school children and youth.” Meanwhile, rather than take calls from the media, she directed that all calls about the situation be referred... more »

U of Florida Students Divided Over Honoring Segregation-Era President « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

U of Florida Students Divided Over Honoring Segregation-Era President « Student Activism: U of Florida Students Divided Over Honoring Segregation-Era President by Angus Johnston When the student union at the University of Florida was built in 1967, students requested that it be named in honor of outgoing university president J. Wayne Reitz. Today, students are fighting over whether that name should stand. As UF president, Reitz participated in a purge of gay faculty and students that involved the firing and expulsion of dozens of people. During his administration, the university ... more »

WHY NOW ? « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

WHY NOW ? « Teachers Fight Back: WHY NOW ? by alkleen Thirty-five to forty years ago, before there was an “education crisis”, I was teaching in the inner city of Chicago. Teacher unions were never criticized, and teachers were respected and never bashed. Inner city students were dropping out, failing at a great rate, starting school unprepared, and attending the worst schools imaginable. Test scores were low and everyone understood why and no one ever blamed the teachers. All of the teachers in the inner city were screaming about more funding, better schools and longing for any h... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Follow Obama's/Duncan's North Star to Educational Disaster via Common Core

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Follow Obama's/Duncan's North Star to Educational Disaster via Common Core: Follow Obama's/Duncan's North Star to Educational Disaster via Common Core by stlgretchen From a reader via an on line educational group and reprinted with permission: When I received the picture (above), I did not think it appropriate to send to our education network group. I ended up deciding to send it anyway---it is appropriate. No matter where you stand politically, there are some interesting

Community College Spotlight | 19% of families owe on college loans

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Community College Spotlight | 19% of families owe on college loans: 19% of families owe on college loans by Joanne Jacobs Nineteen percent of households owed student loan debt in 2010, more than double the share two decades earlier, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of government data. Forty percent of households headed by someone younger than age 35 owe such debt, also a record high. The debt burden is heaviest for low-income families. The average debtor family owes $26,682 in unpaid college loans, up from $23,349 in 2007. The U.S. Education Department has released two-yea... more »

Shanker Blog » Our Not-So-College-Ready Annual Discussion Of SAT Results

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Shanker Blog » Our Not-So-College-Ready Annual Discussion Of SAT Results: Our Not-So-College-Ready Annual Discussion Of SAT Results by Matthew Di Carlo Every year, around this time, the College Board publicizes its SAT results, and hundreds of newspapers, blogs, and television stations run stories suggesting that trends in the aggregate scores are, by themselves, a meaningful indicator of U.S. school quality. They’re not. Everyone knows that the vast majority of the students who take the SAT in a given year didn’t take the test the previous year – i.e., the data are cross-sectiona... more »

Charter schools amendment: It is “T-SPLOST of education.” | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Charter schools amendment: It is “T-SPLOST of education.” | Get Schooled: Charter schools amendment: It is “T-SPLOST of education.” by Maureen Downey [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] The print AJC ran a pro/con today on the charter schools amendment. The *pro was the essay I posted last week by Virginia Galloway. *Here is the con by local businessman Sean Murphy. (Later today, I will post a piece by two Georgia legislators in support of the amendment, Jan Jones and Alisha Thomas Morgan.) By Sean Murphy: I am a successful metro Atlanta business entreprene... 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 »

Modern School: New SARS-Like Virus Discovered in Arabia as Hajj Approaches

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Modern School: New SARS-Like Virus Discovered in Arabia as Hajj Approaches: New SARS-Like Virus Discovered in Arabia as Hajj Approaches by Michael Dunn Corona Virus, electron micrograph, Wikipedia The most dangerous infectious diseases are those that have both high mortality and morbidity rates—that is, they are both highly infectious and deadly. The most infectious diseases are generally spread easily from person to person through the air (e.g., common cold, influenza) and their proliferation is facilitated by crowded living conditions, as exist in slums and pilgrimages, like the a... more »

Voices: “Reform” group resorts to intimidation | EdNewsColorado

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Voices: “Reform” group resorts to intimidation | EdNewsColorado: Voices: “Reform” group resorts to intimidation Written by Jed Walker on Oct 1st, 2012. | Copyright © EdNewsColorado.org *Dougco parent Jed Walker wants to know why a parent group that supports Dougco’s school board filed an open-records request to get all emails sent by 19 people who question the board.* Recently, supporters of the Douglas County School District Board of Education upped the ante in their battle to support the school board. A group, called Parent Led Reform, requested email records of community members... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: Continues to Bash teachers - Commentary - Charleston Daily Mail - West Virginia News and Sports -

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: Continues to Bash teachers - Commentary - Charleston Daily Mail - West Virginia News and Sports -: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: Continues to Bash teachers I'm a Democrat because I believe in the party's basic principles, particularly the idea that we have to look after one another and stand up for those who need help. I believe in fighting for the civil rights of all Americans, especially children and those facing injustices. That's why I was heartened to see Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel advocating for the rights of kids in his standoff w... more »

A surprising candidate for Florida education chief - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

A surprising candidate for Florida education chief - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] A surprising candidate for Florida education chief By Valerie Strauss Last December I published a post about a school board member in Florida who decided to take one of the standardized tests that students (bigstock)are forced to take. He wasn’t allowed to take the exact test so a similar one was created for him. He took math and reading tests with questions for 10th graders — and flunked. That man is Rick Roach, who is in his fourth four-year term representing Distric... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-1-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Edushyster Does Charter Math by dianerav Edushyster noticed a strange phenomenon. A charter school received a $1.5 million grant to close the achievement gap. Edushyster noticed that its first class had 47 students. But 17 eventually graduated. Then it was explained. This is called success by attrition. It is usually associated with miracle schools, where 100% of the students graduate (of those that make it to senior year). For more on miracle schools, check Gary Rubinstein’s blog. A Remarkable Investigati... more »

Governor signs off on bill ensuring free public education | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Governor signs off on bill ensuring free public education | EdSource Today: Governor signs off on bill ensuring free public education ** October 1st, 2012 | Add a Comment | By Kathryn Baron Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services Gov. Jerry Brown has approved legislation that settles a lawsuit over public schools illegally charging students for educational activities and materials such as textbooks, exams, and field trips. Assemblymember Ricardo Lara (D-South Gate) *AB 1575*, introduced by Assemblymember Ricardo Lara (D-South Gate),... more »

School Tech Connect: Life in Rogers Park

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Life in Rogers Park: Life in Rogers Park by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) For the second time in a calendar year, I've had to faceplant myself onto the floor to avoid gunfire. Last night, it was right outside the house--- the shells were literally scattered across my front yard. I usually count the shots, but last night after about ten, I realized this wasn't a little pistol fight; it sounded more like a combat zone. I live on the first floor, so the chances of stray gunfire making its way into my apartment are pretty significant. It now seems like a terrib... more »

solidaridad: Daily Kos: American Center for School Choice Versus The John Birch Society

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

solidaridad: Daily Kos: American Center for School Choice Versus The John Birch Society: Daily Kos: American Center for School Choice Versus The John Birch Society by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene The so-called "Parent Trigger" is an American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) template law written primarily by right-wingers Bill Lucia of EdVoice and Ben Austin of Green Dot School Corporation. DFER Corporate school privatizer Gloria Romero, who signed her name on that bill that was snuck through the California legislature in a desperate attempt to win Race to the Trough bribe dolla... more »

Two Thumbs Up for Won’t Back Down | Re:education in Baltimore

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Two Thumbs Up for Won’t Back Down | Re:education in Baltimore: Two Thumbs Up for Won’t Back Down by Edit Barry The latest film from Walden Media and 20th Century Fox shows American audiences how to stage a parent revolution. *Won’t Back Down* is a new feature film starring Oscar-nominated actresses Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis as two moms, Jaime and Nona, who take over their F-grade public elementary school. The school has a mathematical problem: Eighty percent of graduates can’t read. It’s personal for Jaime, whose 8-year-old daughter, Malia, is a walking statistic. The film o... more »

NYC Educator: Filling That Last Few Minutes

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

NYC Educator: Filling That Last Few Minutes: Filling That Last Few Minutes by NYC Educator My wife steadfastly refuses to drive on parkways. I'm trying to persuade her otherwise, and I was driving her around giving her instructions. "You know, you turn here, wait for the car, and, umm.... then you get on." My daughter, in the back seat, said, "You know what you sound like? You sound like a teacher who finished the class early and is trying to fill up the last few minutes." "What do you mean?" I asked. "You're improvising," she said. "You have no idea what you're talking about and... more »

Fine Print: State Control of Newark Schools in Court - NJ Spotlight

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Fine Print: State Control of Newark Schools in Court - NJ Spotlight: Fine Print: State Control of Newark Schools in Court Advocates of home rule for Newark schools take their case to Appellate Court print | email | share By John Mooney, October 1, 2012 in Education |Post a Comment ** * * *What it is:* The first legal briefs have been filed in the appeal of the Christie administration’s recent decision to retain control of New Jersey’s largest school district. Appellants contend that the administration manipulated the process that would have started shifting the schools back to local... more »

The Educated Reporter: 'Deferred Action' Program For Immigrant Students Slows Amid Concerns

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: 'Deferred Action' Program For Immigrant Students Slows Amid Concerns: 'Deferred Action' Program For Immigrant Students Slows Amid Concerns by Emily Richmond The Wall St. Journal's Miriam Jordan had an interesting story about a slowdown in applications for President Obama's controversial "deferred action" program for immigrant students. Apparently uncertainty about how much information applicants must share with immigration authorities, as well as concerns about the outcome of the presidential election, is making some people reluctant to apply. The Deferred A... more »

CAN WE THRIVE AS A SOCIETY? WHERE DOES LAUSD FIT IN? - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

CAN WE THRIVE AS A SOCIETY? WHERE DOES LAUSD FIT IN? - Perdaily.com: CAN WE THRIVE AS A SOCIETY? WHERE DOES LAUSD FIT IN? by Leonard Isenberg [image: Thrive.jpg] *(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)* *Writing a blog on the purposeful failing of public education at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and elsewhere in this country tends to make one myopic to what is going on elsewhere in our society and around the world. To remedy this occupational hazard, I suggest you take a *

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky On Sunday afternoon, nearly 1,000 people, practically all of them African American, answered Ed Gardner’s call to rally at 95th and Western to protest the continued lack of black workers on construction sites in Chicago.| Mary Mitchell *They were young and old, teachers and parents, churchgoers and hell-raisers, politicians and their bashers marching alongside the well-to-do and those not doing so well. Protesters converged from both directions on Western — at times spilling out into the street and... 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 »

SI&A Cabinet Report – Court restricts services for disabled students to federal requirements

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: Print this articleCourt restricts services for disabled students to federal requirements *By Lee Funk* Monday, October 01, 2012 Applying a 30-year-old Supreme Court ruling to a California case, a federal district court found that schools do not have to meet the top level when providing services for students with disabilities – only a “basic floor of opportunity.” The decision has far reaching implications for officials throughout this state because so many requirements of California’s education code can easily be interpreted as exceeding t... more »

Teach For America Burned Me Out | The Billfold

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Teach For America Burned Me Out | The Billfold: Teach For America Burned Me Out by Adi ElbazSeptember 26th, 2012 It’s back-to-school season, and for the first time, I am not a part of the melee. At 24 years old, I have no classes to prepare for, no lead pencils to buy. My masters degree is completed, a useless (and enormous) piece of cardstock in a very expensive frame. College is a distant utopian dream. My two years as an inner-city middle-school teacher have been distilled to a line on a resume, a punch line to the black joke that was my early twenties. That thing I did, that on... more »

Corvallis charter schools are window into Oregon system of the independent public schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Corvallis charter schools are window into Oregon system of the independent public schools: Corvallis charter schools are window into Oregon system of the independent public schools - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS - September 30, 2012 - 7:56 pm EDT [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] CORVALLIS, Ore. — A dispute between an Oregon charter school and the local school district offers some insights into the complex and sometimes tense relationship between charter schools and their sponsoring districts. After the Philomath School Board voted to close Kings Valley... 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 »

Louisiana Educator: Outrage!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Louisiana Educator: Outrage!: Outrage! by Michael Deshotels Our state Department of Education keeps finding new ways of insulting the teaching profession in Louisiana. First our Superintendent and Governor claimed that education credentials mean nothing and changed the law so that persons without education certification will be allowed to teach in Louisiana charter schools. Then while public school teachers are being laid off because of loss of state and local funding to voucher schools, the State Superintendent started spending 12 thousand dollars per month to hire an additiona... 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 »

Daily Kos: Segregated South Rises Again

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Daily Kos: Segregated South Rises Again: Segregated South Rises Again byplthomasEdDFollow 2 PERMALINK1 COMMENT A half century seems to be a significant amount of time for change, but Minnijean Brown Trickey's visit to Little Rock Central High School fifty years after the federal government had to monitor her and eight other African American students entering public school shows that much more time is needed. Felicia Lee captured Trickey's experience, documented in the HBO film*Little Rock Central: Fifty Years Later*: "On a recent visit to Central High, Ms. Trickey spoke to a s... more »