Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-13-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-13-12 #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

Diane in the Evening 10-13-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 minutes ago

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

Testing resistance heating up in Chicago Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 minutes ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Testing resistance heating up in Chicago: Testing resistance heating up in Chicago by admin FairTest’s Monty Neill, the undisputed leader of the national testing resistance movement, will be in Chicago on Friday, November 2, for a citywide strategy session on fighting Chicago’s standardized testing insanity, and a public forum on testing issues at 7 pm at Xavier University. Anti-testing fever has been heating up ever since the CTU strike, where the issue of excessive and unfair testing and test-based “accountability” as forc... more »

How Can One Teacher be Both the Best and the Worst? A Letter to President Obama - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 minutes ago

How Can One Teacher be Both the Best and the Worst? A Letter to President Obama - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: How Can One Teacher be Both the Best and the Worst? A Letter to President Obama by Anthony Cody Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody I have volunteered to help Diane Ravitch collect and organize letters for the Campaign for our Public Schools, which will culminate on Thursday, October 17. All the letters collected by then will be sent to the White House and to the Department of Education. Instructions on how to send a letter are at the bottom of this post... more »

North Atlanta drama continues. Parents now alarmed over teacher resignation. | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

North Atlanta drama continues. Parents now alarmed over teacher resignation. | Get Schooled: North Atlanta drama continues. Parents now alarmed over teacher resignation. by Maureen Downey I am getting copied on emails between parents at North Atlanta High School and APS, and it doesn’t sound like detente has been reached over the purge of the school’s leadership team a week ago. I am also getting calls now on the resignation of an English/journalism teacher whose hiring created tensions between principal Mark MyGrant and APS, although it remains unclear why. The resignation of Amy ... more »

School Tech Connect: Relentless Spin

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Relentless Spin: Relentless Spin by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Interesting. I covered Brizard’s tenure extensively. He engaged in gross misrepresentations of data and sometimes outright lied. He made promises he didn’t keep. He did one thing while saying another. But I was the only one holding him accountable. The business and political establishment loved the guy. The rest of the media in Rochester, particularly the *Democrat and Chronicle,* did not question the superintendent. (Around the country, the media has been slow to challenge the

On Both Sides of the Border, Teachers Fight Corporatization | MyFDL

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

On Both Sides of the Border, Teachers Fight Corporatization | MyFDL: On Both Sides of the Border, Teachers Fight Corporatization by Michelle Chen The Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación has been fighting for greater respect for Mexican teachers, often against the country's teachers union itself. (Saúl Arroyo Morales / CNTE) Last month, the success of the Chicago teachers’ strike forced the mainstream media to present a rare picture of public school teachers: as organized, defiant and victorious. But prior to the Chicago teachers winning a major deal, there was no s... more »

Karran Royal Thanks You–and Me « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Karran Royal Thanks You–and Me « Diane Ravitch's blog: *http://karran4kids.com/ * Karran Royal Thanks You–and Me by dianerav Yesterday I urged you to send donations to help Karran Harper Royal in her campaign to win a seat on the New Orleans school board. Karran faces an uphill battle against the leader of the charter sector in New Orleans, who has received $110,000 from the supporters of privatization. I sent her $100 via Paypal. Others sent whatever they could: $5, $10, $20, $50, or more. If 1,000 people who read this post each sent Karran $10, we could match the campaign fund of th... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education News Roundup

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education News Roundup: Education News Roundup by Melissa Westbrook Well, look who's opting out of standardized tests? Parents in NYC. It's detailed here from the NY Times. *Ms. Chajet is one of a small but growing number of parent activists in New York City opposed to the system’s emphasis on high-stakes testing. Many of them took part in a boycott of the field tests in June, when parents at 47 public elementary and middle schools of the 1,029 tested had their children sit them out. In their eyes, it was a win-win situation: Children who skip... more »

Karran For Kids | Karran Harper Royal OPSB District 3

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Karran For Kids | Karran Harper Royal OPSB District 3: Karran Harper Royal kickoffs school board campaign By Mason Harrison Longtime education advocate Karran Harper Royal officially kicked off her campaign Thursday evening for the Orleans Parish School Board’s District 3 seat that encompasses parts of Gentilly, Mid-City, Lakeview and the City Park area. During a kick-off event at the Community Book Center, Harper Royal fashioned her campaign a movement to “redefine reform” in the Orleans Parish school system as the debate over how to best overhaul schools in the area continues. H... more »

Engaging Parents In School… » All Of My “Best” Lists On Parent Engagement

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Engaging Parents In School… » All Of My “Best” Lists On Parent Engagement: All Of My “Best” Lists On Parent Engagement by Larry Ferlazzo I thought readers might find it helpful for me to again post links to all my “The Best” lists related to parent engagement: The Best Ideas On How Parents Can Help Their Kids Succeed Academically “The Best Research Available On Parent Engagement” The Best Reasons Why Parents Should Be Looked At As Allies & Not Targets Of Blame The Best Overviews Of Parent Engagement My Best Posts, Articles & Interviews On Parent Engagement The Best Resources On Parent...more »

US charter schools: Investment magnet for visa-needy foreigners? - CSMonitor.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

US charter schools: Investment magnet for visa-needy foreigners? - CSMonitor.com: US charter schools: Investment magnet for visa-needy foreigners? Cash-starved charter schools meet cash-flush Chinese, Pakistani, and other foreigners looking for US investments that will get them a visa. By Stephanie Simon, Reuters / October 12, 2012 - Charter school supporters protest budget cuts, 4,500 rally for Ohio Public Charter Schools at the State Capitol in Columbus, May 13, 2009. PRNewsFoto/My School, My Choice Enlarge [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] It's been ... more »

El Paso Rattled by Scandal of ‘Disappeared’ Students - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

El Paso Rattled by Scandal of ‘Disappeared’ Students - NYTimes.com: El Paso Schools Are Rattled by Scandal of Students Who ‘Disappeared’ at Test TimeBy MANNY FERNANDEZPublished: October 13, 2012 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - SINGLE PAGE - REPRINTS - EL PASO — It sounded at first like a familiar story: school administrators, seeking to meet state and federal standards, fraudulently raised students’ scores on crucial exams. Enlarge This Image Juan Carlos Llorca/Associated Press Roger Avalos, a former El Paso student, with his mot... more »

Why yes Virginia, things can always get worse: Board of Regents Hire Phil Austin - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Why yes Virginia, things can always get worse: Board of Regents Hire Phil Austin - Wait, What?: Why yes Virginia, things can always get worse: Board of Regents Hire Phil Austin by jonpelto When I read the Courant news update, I started to laugh….but it soon turned into hysterical howling; The Courant wrote; “At an emergency meeting Friday afternoon, the board of regents sought to restore its image and some order, voting to hire former University of Connecticut President Philip E. Austin on an interim basis and appointing a committee to research the issues that led to Kennedy’s res... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-13-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: *LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-13-12 Diane Ravitch's blog* A State Board Member Joins the Honor Roll by dianerav Carolyn Hill ran for a seat on the Louisiana state education board as a reformer. But after she assumed office, she realized that “reform” was intended to privatize the public schools, not improve them. For having the wisdom and courage to see beyond the rhetoric; for speaking out and acting on behalf of children and educators, Carolyn Hill joins our honor roll as a hero of public education. Commentary: In Louisiana, trickery is disguised as school r... more »

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky Ten minute drawing. Elected school board. by Fred Klonsky Click on drawing to enlarge. *John Dillon discusses Executive Director Richard Ingram. Is Ingram a victim of Stockholm Syndrome?* We are one hour earlier here across the Lake. So my radio interview on WCPT (“Chicago’s Progressive Talk”) that was scheduled for 7AM was 8AM for me. Shower. Made some coffee I took care of Ulysses. Let him out for his morning piss. Fed him. I had to delay his morning walk until after the radio show. I was only on for less tha... more »

Schools Matter: The Meducation Letters

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Schools Matter: The Meducation Letters: The Meducation Letters by skrashen Both letters published in the NY Times about “meducation” (Stephen Colbert’s term) missed the point: Here is a little of the original article, the two letters that were published, and the three that were not published: The article (introduction only): By ALAN SCHWARZ CANTON, Ga. — When Dr. Michael Anderson hears about his low-income patients struggling in elementary school, he usually gives them a taste of some powerful medicine: Adderall. The pills boost focus and impulse control in children with attenti... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Do You Understand the Math Your Children are Learning?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Do You Understand the Math Your Children are Learning?: Do You Understand the Math Your Children are Learning? by stlgretchen How can a student "think like a mathematician" if the student doesn't understand mathematical facts? Barry Garelick writes in The Atlantic about math reform and the need for a revolution in how it's taught in public education classrooms. From *It's Not Just Writing: Math Needs a Revolution, Too:* I first became aware of it (mathematics education) over 10 years ago when I saw what passed for math instruction in my daughter's sec... more »

Bullied Teen Commits Suicide, Leaves Behind Heartbreaking Video | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Bullied Teen Commits Suicide, Leaves Behind Heartbreaking Video | toteachornototeach: Bullied Teen Commits Suicide, Leaves Behind Heartbreaking Video by aristotlethewise *Bullied Teen Commits Suicide, Leaves Behind Heartbreaking Video* A Canadian teen who posted a video to YouTube detailing her heart-wrenching story of being mercilessly bullied took her own life Wednesday night. Amanda Todd’s body was discovered in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, where she lived. She would have turned 16 next month. Police are investigating the teen’s death. Todd uploaded the nearly nine-minute vi... more »

Best Practices Make Purrfect | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Best Practices Make Purrfect | EduShyster: Best Practices Make Purrfect by edushyster2012 Charter schools and kittens are both purrfect and have many best practices which they can be encouraged to share with the appropriate material incentives. The subject of today’s EduShyster lesson is best practices. Which means that if you are a traditional, “low-expectations” teacher, this subject will hold no interest for you. (I happen to have it on excellent authority that your 600 page iron clad union contracts expressly ban best practices from school grounds). I invite you to check back i... more »

Ed Notes Online: MORE/CTS/Parent Voices Members Featured in NY Times Article on Testing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: MORE/CTS/Parent Voices Members Featured in NY Times Article on Testing: MORE/CTS/Parent Voices Members Featured in NY Times Article on Testing by ed notes online *“I want my school to use tests to help instruction, to help find out if kids don’t know fractions,” she said. “I don’t want my child to feel like her score will decide if her teacher has a job or not. -- NY Times article* Excellent NYT article on growing opt-out movement here in NYC where two groups, Change the Stakes (an outgrowth of GEM's testing committee that has taken on a life of its own) and Paren... more »

Seminal Myths of Public School “Reform” | The G Bitch Spot

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Seminal Myths of Public School “Reform” | The G Bitch Spot: Seminal Myths of Public School “Reform” by G Bitch Why education reform may be doomed. Salon, 10/13/12. Some of my teachers were superb, some not so, but with backgrounds like ours, Klein and I would probably have succeeded no matter what shortcomings our schools might have had. The major one, that neither race nor class nor disability “matter” if the teacher is “of high quality,” is anti-reality. Race matters. It only seems to “not matter” to those who ignore the privilege of whiteness, a privilege that may give you a ... more »

Can Superintendents Raise Test Scores? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Can Superintendents Raise Test Scores? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Can Superintendents Raise Test Scores? by larrycuban *John Deasy, who was appointed superintendent of the 672,000-student Los Angeles district in January, will be evaluated … on improvement in the graduation rate, student proficiency and attendance. But he also has the opportunity to earn up to $30,000 in bonuses if the district sees an 8 or more percentage point increase in 3rd-grade scores on the state’s reading test, the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced in 9th-gr... more »

It’s True: The FBI Urged Martin Luther King to Commit Suicide « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

It’s True: The FBI Urged Martin Luther King to Commit Suicide « Student Activism: It’s True: The FBI Urged Martin Luther King to Commit Suicide by Angus Johnston Earlier this morning, the UberFacts Twitter account posted the following tweet: A letter was discovered in which the FBI urged Martin Luther King to commit suicide. — UberFacts (@UberFacts) October 13, 2012 I learned about it a little while later because of a weird spike in my traffic — though the story is well documented and has appeared in a number of scholarly works it’s not particularly well known, and a post that I ... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 10-13-12

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit* CHICAGO SCHOOLS CHIEF STEPS DOWN AFTER 17 MONTHS THAT ENDED WITH TEACHER STRIKE smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 10 hours ago ALSO SEE: Another Broadie Fails+Falls: BRIZARD OUT IN CHICAGO |http://bit.ly/WYNePM By STEVEN YACCINO, New York Times |http://nyti.ms/RE8xms October 13, 2012 | CHICAGO:: Just three weeks after a teacher strike here that kept 350,000 children from their classrooms, the head of the city’s public schools system has chosen to step down, Mayor ... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 10-13-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * The Marshmallow Study revisited Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago * Delaying gratification depends as much on nurture as on nature* For the past four decades, the "marshmallow test" has served as a classic experimental measure of children's self-control: will a preschooler eat one of the fluffy white confections now or hold out for two later? Now a new study demonstrates that being able to delay gratification is influenced as much by the environment as by innate ability. Children who ex... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 10-13-12 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL *Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day* [image: Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers To Classroom Problems.] Sacramento Bee Calls On CA PTA To Contain Molly Munger Larry Ferlazzo at Engaging Parents In School... - 1 day ago The campaign to fund or, in Molly Munger’s case, de-fund public education in California continues. Here are some excerpts from today’s Sacramento Bee’s editorial: The California PTA and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson are the most prominent supporters of ... more »

4 Ways We Can Connect With Parents | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

4 Ways We Can Connect With Parents | Connected Principals: 4 Ways We Can Connect With Parents by George Couros cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by familymwr Recently I was asked about the idea of using specialized software to connect with parents so that they can login, see all of their child’s grades, marks, assignments, homework, and a ton of other information. Although I believe that these systems are designed to help make our systems transparent and ensure that we connect with kids, are they really effective for learning and improving our relationships with parents? If ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Homework: Training For Blind Obedience

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Homework: Training For Blind Obedience: Homework: Training For Blind Obedience by Duke *Auguste Renoir: total slacker.* Leave it to the French to put homework into proper perspective: French President Francois Hollande has been making good on a slew of campaign promises since taking office—like this, and this, and this—and now he's making headlines as he turns to education. The reason? He pledged this week to ban homework, reports France24. "Work should be done at school, rather than at home,” he said, adding that students who don't get much help from their paren... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

*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 »

Maryland Question 7 Pits Casino Against Casino In Debate On Education Dollars

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Maryland Question 7 Pits Casino Against Casino In Debate On Education Dollars: Maryland Question 7 Pits Casino Against Casino In Debate On Education Dollars by Joy Resmovits NEW YORK -- In the latest chapter of the Maryland gambling fights, it's casino vs. casino. A group called "Get the Facts Vote No on 7" will air an advertisement on television this weekend that argues against Question 7, Gov. Martin O'Malley's (D) ballot initiative that would allow table games at Maryland casinos and enable the creation of a new casino in Prince George's County. The ad joins a deluge of othe... more »

Ghost in the Machine | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Ghost in the Machine | Truth in American Education: Ghost in the Machine by Jenni White And this, my friends, is how it’s done. This is how Progressives/Liberals have changed America right in front of our faces – right before our very eyes. Recently, EdWeek ran this article, “National Service Can ignite School Turnaround Efforts”. “Oh, this sounds great!” you think as you begin to read. After all, what in the world could possibly be bad about “turning around” schools? We all know they are in horrible shape! Yes, yes, sending workers from the community out into the community t... more »

Louisiana Educator: Letter to the President

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Louisiana Educator: Letter to the President: Letter to the President by Michael Deshotels *To my readers:* *The following is a letter I am sending on behalf of myself and many Louisiana teachers to president Obama as part of a campaign sponsored by Diane Ravitch from her blog and Anthony Cody of the blogLiving in Dialog. I am urging any educator who would like to write a letter to the President to do so by sending a copy to Anthony Cody at the email address ** anthony_cody@hotmail.com**. Please send it before the deadline of October 17 so it can be included in the package to be ... more »

How Many is Too Many? « PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

How Many is Too Many? « PWC Education Reform Blog: How Many is Too Many? by pwceducationreform How Many is Too Many?October 12, 2012 — pwceducationreform [image: Image courtesy of LIFE magazine & Joe Munro.] Image courtesy of LIFE magazine & Joe Munro. No, this picture is not a PWCS classroom, but for many parents and teachers, the image isn’t far off. Many parents and teachers were shocked this year by the number of students in their children’s classrooms. Apparently PWCS planning was also surprised as some schools started the year with insufficient desks and chairs, and many scho... more »

Malala: One Courageous Voice We All Need to Listen to - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Malala: One Courageous Voice We All Need to Listen to - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard: [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] Malala: One Courageous Voice We All Need to Listen to Oct 12th, 2012 by Lily. Malala Yousafzal is fourteen years old and lies unconscious in a hospital room with a bullet wound to her head. Taliban militants targeted this beautiful, delicate little girl for death. They stopped her school bus filled with giggling girls on their way to class in Pakistan. They boarded the bus and demanded her by name. Someone pointed her out, and a man shot ... more »