Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-22-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Monday, October 22, 2012

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-22-12 #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

Big Education Ape - Late Day Banana Break 10-22-12 #lynndebate #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 58 minutes ago

*Big Education Ape - Late Day Banana Break* More Special Ed Coverage by Melissa Westbrook KUOW also has a report on Special Education in SPS. It is heartbreaking and, to me, confusing. Confusing because in the first story, about a little boy named Ryder, it labels him as being on the "autism spectrum." It states he received services in preschool and yet, he can't get them in SPS? If he has a diagnosis, then he should be receiving services. Then there is another child in the story, Tenzin, who also has autism and yet he can't get something simple like instructions in a written... more »

2012 Digital Slate Card #lynndebate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

2012 Digital Slate Card: *Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama* * VOTE FOR:* * * *Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama* [image: save image]

Daily Kos: Armstrong's Invisible Hand: The Strong Arm of Corporate Sponsors

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Daily Kos: Armstrong's Invisible Hand: The Strong Arm of Corporate Sponsors: Armstrong's Invisible Hand: The Strong Arm of Corporate Sponsors by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) Professional cycling is a sport rich in tradition. One such tradition is personified by Bernard Hinault, known with equal parts respect and disdain as le Patron (the boss of the peloton). On the road, during races, veteran and successful team leaders have often taken over control of entire races. That command of the event included many strong personalities, such as Lance Armstrong. The recent fall from grac... more »

ED Mailbag: Arne Answers Your Questions | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

ED Mailbag: Arne Answers Your Questions | ED.gov Blog: ED Mailbag: Arne Answers Your Questions Posted on October 22, 2012 by Cameron Brenchley Secretary Arne Duncan sat down recently to answer questions he received from social media, email and regular mail. Duncan responded to Dillon’s question about the future of charter schools, saying that “good charter schools are part of the solution, bad charter schools are part of the problem.” Arne noted that there needs to be more successful coordination between charters and school districts. ED recently announced new grants to help fost... more »

State Sen. Jason Carter on charter schools amendment: Shifts power from local elected officials to state bureaucrats | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

State Sen. Jason Carter on charter schools amendment: Shifts power from local elected officials to state bureaucrats | Get Schooled: State Sen. Jason Carter on charter schools amendment: Shifts power from local elected officials to state bureaucrats by Maureen Downey [image: State Sen. Jason Carter opposes the charter schools amendment and says language is meant to deceive.]State Sen. Jason Carter opposes the charter schools amendment and says language is meant to deceive. Earlier today, we heard from a Republican state senator from DeKalb on the charter schools amendment on the Nov... more »

Five reasons why Chicago should have an elected School Board | catalyst-chicago.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Five reasons why Chicago should have an elected School Board | catalyst-chicago.org: Five reasons why Chicago should have an elected School Board Our hope is that the democratic process will lead us to increased civic engagement and greater opportunities for input on how best to run our schools from parents, students, voters and taxpayers. *By: *Valerie F. Leonard / October 22, 2012 - Valerie F. Leonard The Chicago Board of Education has been appointed by the mayor since its inception in 1872. The Board of Education currently has seven members who serve staggered terms. The ... more »

Policy Memo on Washington State Initiative 1240 | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Policy Memo on Washington State Initiative 1240 | Seattle Education: Policy Memo on Washington State Initiative 1240 by seattleducation2011 By Wayne Au *Dr. Wayne Au is an Assistant Professor of education at the University of Washington, Bothell, and he is an editor for Rethinking Schools, a magazine focused on issues of educational justice. He is a product of Seattle Public Schools (Garfield Class of ’90), and he earned his BA and MIT from The Evergreen State College. He also taught in Seattle Public Schools (including teaching at a program for drop outs) and in the Berkeley Unifie... more »

Diane in the Evening 10-22-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: The Referendum in Bridgeport, Connecticut by dianerav Bridgeport will be voting on whether the mayor should control the schools. Mayoral control is high on the agenda of the privatization movement, because it allows one official to close public schools and hand them over to private corporations without paying attention to public opinion. Often there are hearings, but members of the public are limited to two minutes, and no one listens to them anyway. The mayor’s appointed board does whatever he wants them to do. It is not as if mayoral control has a grea... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Name That...World's Largest Diameter Tunneling Machine

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Name That...World's Largest Diameter Tunneling Machine: Name That...World's Largest Diameter Tunneling Machine by Melissa Westbrook This would be the one to create the tunnel for State Route 99 downtown. So funny but yes, a contest for kids so tell yours to have at it. From DOT: *Here’s a riddle for the kids of Washington state: What do you call the record-breaking, dirt-chomping, future-changing machine that will begin tunneling beneath downtown Seattle next summer? Answer: You tell us. The Washington State Department of Transportation kicked... more »

Teaching as a Profession | The IDEA Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Teaching as a Profession | The IDEA Blog: Teaching as a Profession Posted by Dana Bennis in on Oct 22, 2012 - 12:08 PM In a column in yesterday's NY Times, Tom Friedman praises the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top program as having raised the level of the teaching profession. In Friedman's words, Race to the Top gave funding to states that met the expectations of the DOE, including developing: ...systems for teacher and principal evaluation and support, as well as systems to reward great teachers, learn from their best practices and move out those at the bottom — ... more »

New Orleans offers lessons for Philadelphia’s ‘portfolio’ | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

New Orleans offers lessons for Philadelphia’s ‘portfolio’ | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: New Orleans offers lessons for Philadelphia’s ‘portfolio’by Katie McCabe Photo: Dale Mezzacappa *A classroom in the now-demolished Abramson High School in New Orleans in May 2006, eight months after Katrina hit. A charter school now operates on the site.* - COMMENTS (2)PRINT - EMAIL[image: ""] As the Philadelphia School District continues its shift toward portfolio management for its public schools, it makes sense to look at another city at the forefront of this movement: New ... more »

CTA’s big push, winning hearts and minds, one voter at a time | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

CTA’s big push, winning hearts and minds, one voter at a time | EdSource Today: CTA’s big push, winning hearts and minds, one voter at a time ** October 22nd, 2012 | 1 Comment | By John Fensterwald and Kathryn Baron Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services Instead of meeting in Los Angeles, as they usually do this time of year, the 800 state council delegates of the California Teachers Association, along with hundreds of others, mobilized over the weekend in their local districts, making phone calls and house calls urging voters to... more »

With political money, charter schools try to wield influence in Tallahassee | Politics | Bradenton Herald

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

With political money, charter schools try to wield influence in Tallahassee | Politics | Bradenton Herald: With political money, charter schools try to wield influence in Tallahassee * * Tallahassee -- In the looming battle for public education dollars, Jon Hage has launched a preemptive strike. His school management company, Charter Schools USA, has doled out more than $205,000 in contributions to political candidates and organizations this election cycle, state records show. That’s more than triple what the Fort Lauderdale-based company spent on political campaigns in 2010, and se... more »

The World is . . . a Sisyphean Hill of Policy Smackdowns?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

The World is . . . a Sisyphean Hill of Policy Smackdowns?: The World is . . . a Sisyphean Hill of Policy Smackdowns? by Sam **As a former teacher with a MBA, I read a lot of “business books.” And of the titles I’ve read over the past few years, none have characterized the future of public education more presciently than Thomas Friedman’s *The World is Flat*. You can imagine my surprise, then, when I read an Op-Ed in this weekend’s *New York Times* in which Friedman abandons the nascent non-hierarchical plains of the twenty-first century for the familiar twentieth-century terrain ... more »

Connecting More Dots Between Propositions 30, 32, and 38

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Connecting More Dots Between Propositions 30, 32, and 38: Connecting More Dots Between Propositions 30, 32, and 38 by JIM MILLER on OCTOBER 22, 2012 · 0 COMMENTS in CALIFORNIA, CIVIL RIGHTS, ECONOMY, ELECTION, HISTORY, LABOR, UNDER THE PERFECT SUN The Munger Muddle, Democrats for Education Reform, Obama, and the Koch Brothers et al Weave a Tangled Web that Might Just Kill Our Children’s Future (if we let it) In a recent column, I outlined the connections between the advocates and funders of Proposition 32 and opponents of Proposition 30, noting the central role of Proposition 38 bac... more »

CFPB Report on Student Loan Servicing Shows Same Predatory Tactics as Mortgage Servicing | FDL News Desk

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

CFPB Report on Student Loan Servicing Shows Same Predatory Tactics as Mortgage Servicing | FDL News Desk: CFPB Report on Student Loan Servicing Shows Same Predatory Tactics as Mortgage Servicing by David Dayen (photo: Kyle James / wikimedia) The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released an eye-opening report on student lending late last week that got me thinking about a simple truth I think I had overlooked previously. I’ve documented for well over a year the extent to which mortgage servicers make their profits almost entirely through ripping off their customers, adding

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Times and I-1240

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Times and I-1240: Seattle Times and I-1240 by Charlie Mas [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)]*http://www.no1240.org/* Okay. We get it. The Seattle Times endorses initiative 1240. Boy, do they ever. They have run a string of editorials in support of it and they have hosted two live chat events for it. This latest stunt should not have surprised me, but it did. The Times editorial board invited folks to send a tweet about I-1240 to their twitter account @seatimesopinion with the hashtag #I1240. I sent a few. I'm sure other folks sent som... more »

Lawmakers seek to end N.J. takeover of schools : page all - NorthJersey.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Lawmakers seek to end N.J. takeover of schools : page all - NorthJersey.com: Lawmakers seek to end N.J. takeover of schools SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2012 BY NICK CLUNN STAFF WRITER Paterson would gain control of its public school system for the first time in 21 years under legislation introduced by Democrats that also would limit future state takeovers to five years, lawmakers announced Friday. "It's time for the state to admit that the prolonged takeover of a local school district is a failed experiment, and it's time to return the school districts that have languished under state c... more »

Why Rahm Does Not Care About the Kids in Chicago | K-12 News Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Why Rahm Does Not Care About the Kids in Chicago | K-12 News Network: Why Rahm Does Not Care About the Kids in Chicago by David Chicago leads the country in the number of murders of any major city. Our mayor continues to ignore this fact and go ahead with funding and building new parks that cost $55 million downtown and a new river walk downtown that costs $100 million. My students on the South Side of the city live in one of the most violent and low income neighborhoods. Our mayor claims he cares about the kids, but his actions prove otherwise. How can he invest millions of dollar... more »

SI&A Cabinet Report – Panel questions cost, performance of online programs

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *Panel questions cost, performance of online programs* *By Tom Chorneau* Monday, October 22, 2012 A bipartisan, Texas-based education advocacy group cautions that the benefits of online early are hard to evaluate both in terms of student performance and savings to the state. In a new policy paper, Raise Your Hand Texas, warned that online learning has “not been validated as a reliable and effective way to educate students on a full-time, widespread basis.” The organization, which includes on its board a variety of private and public sector rep... more »

Food Allergies: What School Employees Need to Know | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Food Allergies: What School Employees Need to Know | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Food Allergies: What School Employees Need to Know by NEA Health Information Network *By Nora L. Howley, Manager of Programs, NEA Health Information Network** * *The fourth-grade class at Shadyside Elementary is having a birthday party. Selena just ate a cookie brought into the class by parent of one of her classmates. All of a sudden she notices a rash and gives on her arms. She begins to feel short of breath, so she lets Pam the Paraeducator know that something is wrong * Nex... more »

Russell Means, Indian activist, actor, dies at 72 - TwinCities.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Russell Means, Indian activist, actor, dies at 72 - TwinCities.com: Russell Means, Indian activist, actor, dies at 72 By Dirk Lammers Associated Press Posted: 10/22/2012 12:01:00 AM CDT Updated: 10/22/2012 10:26:12 AM CDT Russell Means, a former American Indian Movement activist who helped lead the 1973 uprising at Wounded Knee, reveled in stirring up attention and appeared in several Hollywood films, has died. He was 72. Means died early Monday at his ranch in Porcupine, S.D., Oglala Sioux Tribe spokeswoman Donna Salomon said. Means, a Wanblee native who grew up in the San Fran... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, October 22, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Monday, October 22, 2012* Rowland Unified voters to decide on $158.8 million bond measureThe Rowland Unified School District is hoping voters in November will approve Measure R, a $158.8 million school bond that would fund a performing arts center at Rowland High School and replace portable classrooms at Oswalt Academy, a technology school. Schools look to boost use of computers, other gadgets without breaking the budgetInexpensive tablets, the rise of smart phones and the development of online textbooks and... more »

Is Thomas Friedman a Low-Performing Columnist? | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Is Thomas Friedman a Low-Performing Columnist? | EduShyster: Is Thomas Friedman a Low-Performing Columnist? by edushyster2012 *New York Times* columnist Thomas Friedman looks glum after learning that claims he made about Race to the Top have been widely and repeatedly debunked. *New York Times* columnist Thomas Friedman knows that in these days of economic uncertainty there is only one sure fire way to ensure prosperity: marry a friggin bazillionaire attend college and hope to be able to land a job that pays enough to cover your mountain of student debt. If you somehow missed Mr. Fr... more »

The Campaign for Our Public Schools. CNN reports. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

The Campaign for Our Public Schools. CNN reports. « Fred Klonsky: The Campaign for Our Public Schools. CNN reports. by Fred Klonsky *President Obama’s Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and his policies were the target of many of the letters.* About a month ago education historian and public school’s activist Diane Ravitch called on us to write President Obama on October 17th with our concerns about the direction federal education policy has taken during his administration. 400 people responded. CNN reports: Earlier this month, Education Secretary Arne Duncan delivered his state of... more »

Shanker Blog » The Data-Driven Education Movement

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Shanker Blog » The Data-Driven Education Movement: The Data-Driven Education Movement by Esther Quintero In the education community, many proclaim themselves to be “completely data-driven.” Data Driven Decision Making (DDDM) has been a buzz phrase for a while now, and continues to be a badge many wear with pride. And yet, every time I hear it, I cringe. Let me explain. During my first year in graduate school, I was taught that excessive attention to quantitative data*impedes* – rather than aids – in-depth understanding of social phenomena. In other words, explanations cannot simp...more »

Life in Rahm’s Chicago. It’s working? What’s working? « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Life in Rahm’s Chicago. It’s working? What’s working? « Fred Klonsky: Life in Rahm’s Chicago. It’s working? What’s working? by Fred Klonsky *Rahm and top cop Garry McCarthy.* On Thursday, Chicago’s sad excuse for a mayor held another one of his press conferences to announce his crime fighting strategy was working. Friday through Sunday seven people were murdered and 21 were shot. Typical of what Rahm calls *working.* Two men were killed and a woman was injured after they were shot Sunday evening in the Burnside neighborhood, police said. The trio were part of a bloody weekend in which... more »

The War of Women on Federal Control of Local Schools Being Waged in Maryland and Missouri. Missouri Education Watchdog:

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: The War of Women on Federal Control of Local Schools Being Waged in Maryland and Missouri.: The War of Women on Federal Control of Local Schools Being Waged in Maryland and Missouri. by stlgretchen Education Reformers and Washington DC take over your local schools and students' education. You bet it's a war women and men must fight. Two women, one in Maryland and the other in Missouri, are extremely concerned about what's happening in public education. One is sounding the alarm about Common Core, the other about Race to the Top and her district plan... more »

Presidential Debate @ Lynn University Tip Sheet #lynndebate Debate 2012 at Lynn University

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Debate 2012 at Lynn University: [image: Lynn University Tip Sheet] *Media Contact:* Laura Stephens, lstephens@lynn.edu, 561-237-7967 or 561-289-0159 (m) *Oct. 22, 2012* *Campus Events* *Day-long debate events planned on campus * *The campus will take on a red, white and blue hue; Events not open to the public * *Oct. 22-23* To celebrate the final presidential debate at Lynn University, the campus has scheduled several media events. See the full list below. *Monday, Oct. 22* *10:30 a.m. – Student ticket holders, stand-ins and faculty experts available for interviwe* - Meet in Perp... more »

Face the Facts: Limited-English Students Test Public Schools | NewsTaco

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Face the Facts: Limited-English Students Test Public Schools | NewsTaco: Face the Facts: Limited-English Students Test Public Schools by Victor Landa By Raisa Camargo, Voxxi Limited-English students are a growing part of America’s classrooms making it more diverse, but America’s teachers have some catching up to do. Limited-English students outnumbering teachers An estimated 10 percent of all public school students are English as a Second Language Learners (ESL), meaning they have limited English proficiency. But less than one percent of public school teachers are ESL instructors, ac... more »

A teacher weighs his role in fueling a closure policy he detests | GothamSchools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

A teacher weighs his role in fueling a closure policy he detests | GothamSchools: A teacher weighs his role in fueling a closure policy he detests by Philissa Cramer Mayor Bloomberg announces the city's new schools in April. Often, educators who help start new schools occupy classrooms vacated as another school closes. It’s a dilemma that thousands of city educators have faced in the last decade: Should they work in a new school, knowing that its existence was made possible by another school’s closure? When high school social studies teacher (and teachers union activist) Stephen La... more »

The Second Year - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

The Second Year - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: The Second Year by Nancy Flanagan Every now and then, someone plants a useful insight in your brain, a bit of truth with great utility, something you can use as a lens for multiple questions. Last week, gathered with a group of IDEA organizers launching a new round of projects and initiatives, Arnie Langberg played a role you almost never find in education reform these days: wise elder. Langberg, most frequently associated with the free school movement, has done many things in his life as an educator, including... more »

Ed Notes Online: Teachers Unite: Undemocratic System of Mayoral Control Hurts NYC Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Teachers Unite: Undemocratic System of Mayoral Control Hurts NYC Schools: Teachers Unite: Undemocratic System of Mayoral Control Hurts NYC Schools by ed notes online *My suggestion is radical: put the choice of principal at the school level. They serve at the pleasure of the parents and teachers. In parts of Europe they actually elect their principals. That actually was a plank in the early history of the UFT some people tell me. *--- Norm at Ed Notes. I love to quote myself. Great work from Sally Lee and the crew at Teachers Unite. I am proud to have been on the... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Goldman Sachs exec exposes rip-off of Teacher Retirement Fund

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Goldman Sachs exec exposes rip-off of Teacher Retirement Fund: Goldman Sachs exec exposes rip-off of Teacher Retirement Fund by Mike Klonsky Wall St. (N.Y. Times)Greg Smith's book, "Why I Left Goldman Sachs," is being released Monday. It's a window into the culture of Wall Street and a company that routinely ripped-off clients, including teacher retirement funds. Smith was so disgusted with his firm, Goldman Sachs, that he quit via an open letter in the New York Times in which he says: *"It makes me ill how callously people talk about ripping th... more »

Modern School: LAUSD Lays Down Hammer on Evaluations

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Modern School: LAUSD Lays Down Hammer on Evaluations: LAUSD Lays Down Hammer on Evaluations by Michael Dunn Image from Flickr by r8r Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has filed a declaration of impasse, according to the Daily News, after failed negotiations with United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) over a new teacher evaluation system based on student test scores. LAUSD is under court order to revise its evaluation system by December 4. However, Superior Court Judge James Chalfant has mandated that the district negotiate with the union over the new system. UTLA President... more »

Likely Romney Policy on DREAMers is Causing Trouble Already « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Likely Romney Policy on DREAMers is Causing Trouble Already « Student Activism: Likely Romney Policy on DREAMers is Causing Trouble Already by Angus Johnston Many undocumented immigrants eligible for a reprieve from deportation under the Obama administration’s DREAM Act-inspired policy shift are choosing not to apply because of fears of their applications being used against them if Mitt Romney wins the presidency. In June President Obama announced that he would be establishing a process by which those young people who would be eligible for permanent residency and eventual citizens... more »

TheDartmouth.com: Lewis leads Chicago Teachers Union

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

TheDartmouth.com: Lewis leads Chicago Teachers Union: Lewis leads Chicago Teachers Union [image: Chicago Teachers’ Union President Karen Lewis ’74 has been at the center of recent education reform battles, leading the recent Chicago teachers’ strike.] Chicago Teachers’ Union President Karen Lewis ’74 has been at the center of recent education reform battles, leading the recent Chicago teachers’ strike. COURTESY OF CHICAGO MAGAZINE By Ashley Ulrich, The Dartmouth Staff Published on Monday, October 22, 2012 - Print - Report an Error - Share Former Chicago public school chemi... more »

Education reform leader backs plan to appoint Bridgeport Board of Ed - Connecticut Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Education reform leader backs plan to appoint Bridgeport Board of Ed - Connecticut Post: Education reform leader backs plan to appoint Bridgeport Board of EdBill CummingsUpdated 11:26 p.m., Sunday, October 21, 2012 *Ed Reform's Corporate Cash Kids* BRIDGEPORT -- A national leader in education reform Sunday offered his support for the city's plan to replace the elected Board of Education with a new board appointed by the mayor. "This is not about giving up your vote," said Sacramento, Calif., Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA All-Star and chairman of U.S Conference of Mayors Educat... more »

Letter-writing campaign shows frustration with Obama education policies – Schools of Thought - CNN.com Blogs

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Letter-writing campaign shows frustration with Obama education policies – Schools of Thought - CNN.com Blogs: Letter-writing campaign shows frustration with Obama education policies by *Donna Krache,* CNN *(CNN)* Earlier this month, Education Secretary Arne Duncan delivered his state of education speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., which was part self-review of his department’s goals and achievements and part campaign speech for his boss, President Obama. But not all educators are ardent supporters of the president’s policies, and they are letting him know. At ab... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-22-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Just Another Nonsensical Policy in Florida by dianerav A reader responded to an earlier post about Florida’s decision to set different academic goals for children of different races: “As a Florida teacher since 1997, I have watched our state board enact bone-headed policies that make no sense, but of all of them, the race-based variable learning goals has to be most useless and inane, not to mention anti-education and unworkable. There are so many questions about the way these standards will be applied I wo... more »

Where Parent Revolution Lost Me :: Frederick M. Hess

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Where Parent Revolution Lost Me :: Frederick M. Hess: Where Parent Revolution Lost Me *by Frederick M. Hess • Oct 22, 2012 at 6:23 am Cross-posted from Education Week* Hidy all, I'm back. Want to thank Heather, Bill, and Sarah for some terrific posts. We're about to head into heavy pre-election mode, but there was one particular development while I was gone that I feel compelled to address. I've been skeptical but sympathetic on the parent trigger. But the parent trigger crowd pretty much lost me when Parent Revolution's National Communications Director David Phelps sent out a cr... more »

College Board: Rise in students in AP classes accompanied by rise in performance | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

College Board: Rise in students in AP classes accompanied by rise in performance | Get Schooled: College Board: Rise in students in AP classes accompanied by rise in performance by Maureen Downey Earlier this month, I linked to a* controversial essay in the Atlantic by a former college professor and high school teacher* criticizing Advanced Placement courses. I introduced the issue by noting that there’s a push under way in Georgia to get more high schools students into AP classes. There is also a debate over whether students fare better taking AP classes at their high schools o... more »

How Teach For America became powerful

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

How Teach For America became powerful: How Teach For America became powerful Posted by Valerie Strauss on October 22, 2012 at 4:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Teach For America is a big part of the school reform world yet many people don’t understand how it came to become the “next big thing” in U.S. education. Here is an excerpt from a book called “Excellence For All: How a New Breed of Reformers Is Transforming America’s Public Schools,” by Jack Schneider. This part of the book explai... more »

Daily Kos: The Campaign for our Public Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Daily Kos: The Campaign for our Public Schools: The Campaign for our Public Schools by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) consists of 378 Letters to President Obama From educators, parents, students and citizens. It was organized and promoted by Diane Ravitch with the assistance of Anthony Cody (who coordinated the Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action in 2011, having previously organized a national Teachers Letters to President Obama effort). It begins with a letter by Ravitch, from which I quote the following: Public school educators are demoralized these days. Many wo... more »

Louisiana Educator: Can VAM be Fixed?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: Can VAM be Fixed?: Can VAM be Fixed? by Michael Deshotels Superintendent John White believes he has a solution to the problem of teachers in top rated schools receiving an “ineffective” because of the VAM portion of the new teacher evaluation system. It was discovered recently that some high performing students in exclusive magnet schools sometimes experience a lull or slowdown in their academic gains caused by factors outside the control of the teacher. Even though such students are normally high performers, in some cases a classroom of high performers may per... more »

FUSE’s silence on Initiative 1240 is deafening | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

FUSE’s silence on Initiative 1240 is deafening | Seattle Education: FUSE’s silence on Initiative 1240 is deafening by seattleducation2011 FUSE, an organization that describes itself as *“the state’s largest progressive organization – people creating change online, on the ground, and on issues that matter”,* has gone silent on Initiative 1240. According to their website: “Fuse is bringing Washington residents together to support progressive causes and leaders. We envision a world where people power our government and the common good drives our public policy. Our mission is to build a... more »

Where are Obama and Romney on the Dropout Crisis and School Funding? | Education on GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Where are Obama and Romney on the Dropout Crisis and School Funding? | Education on GOOD: Where are Obama and Romney on the Dropout Crisis and School Funding? [image: studying.student] When it comes to education, neither President Obama's nor Governor Romney's campaign has started a real dialogue about the failure of America's K-12 schools—or the grassroots initiatives working to combat the crisis. However, a recent panel at the University of Southern California, "No Policy Left Behind? K-12 Education in the 2012 Campaign," tackled two of the biggest issues the candidates should be... more »

Signs of hope on the road to doom | Jerry Large | The Seattle Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Signs of hope on the road to doom | Jerry Large | The Seattle Times: Signs of hope on the road to doom Policy-driven by data and results could overcome the usual politics. *Jerry Large* *Seattle Times staff columnist* A lot of problems that seem unending do have solutions. You may not hear about them in a political debate, but they exist. Washington state is brimming with ideas that could make the future better than the present. No, I'm not on happy drugs. If anything, I'm probably more likely than you to think we're speeding down the highway toward doom. Living immersed in the news... more »

Diane in the Evening 10-21-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Thomas Friedman Needs Your Help by dianerav I am assuming Thomas Friedman knows a lot about foreign affairs, which is what he mostly writes about. He certainly knows very little about America’s public schools. I wonder when was the last time he stepped into a school or talked to a real teacher. My guess: it has been many years. Maybe he went to a public school. His article in Sunday’s New York Times demonstrates that he is not only out of touch, but woefully misinformed. Everything he knows about Race to the Top he learned not by any research or school visit... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Parents, do you know where your child's data is? My interesting but not reassuring afternoon with the Gates Foundation's Shared Learning Collaborative

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Parents, do you know where your child's data is? My interesting but not reassuring afternoon with the Gates Foundation's Shared Learning Collaborative: Parents, do you know where your child's data is? My interesting but not reassuring afternoon with the Gates Foundation's Shared Learning Collaborative by Leonie Haimson Yesterday, I spent several hours at the Shared Learning Collaborative “camp” held in midtown, where the Gates Foundation people invited teachers and developers to brainstorm new “learning apps” to take advantage of all the confidential st... more »

Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter: This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter by Larry Ferlazzo Guest post by Joe Mazza Image credit: http://www.educationfuture.infoThis Wednesday night at 9PM EDT/6PM PST, we’ll be talking politics and the future of U.S. Education on #PTchat (Parent-Teacher Chat). Nikhil Goyal (@nikhilgoya_l), a 17 year-old student and author of One Size Does Not Fit All: A Student’s Assessment of School will answer questions and offer ideas during our chat according to his lens as a student attending today’s schools. During the chat, we’ll discuss ... more »

Short Notes: Inspire The Next, Recognize The Present | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Short Notes: Inspire The Next, Recognize The Present | The Jose Vilson: Short Notes: Inspire The Next, Recognize The Present by Jose Malala Yousafzai A few notes: - Relando Thompkins interviews a few of us for his People Who Inspire Me series. Read our dialogue. [Relando Thompkins] - Facing History wants you to nominate teachers who’ve inspired you to speak out against injustice. More details here. [GOOD Magazine] - NYC Educator demonstrates the value of a New York (presidential) vote. We can be honest, right? [NYC Educator]

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Seattle Schools This Week by Melissa Westbrook [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] *Tuesday, October 22nd* Road Map to College : College Application Event from 2:30-8:00 p.m. at Franklin High School *Wednesday, October 23rd* Public Comment on SPS Levies - BEX IV and Operations from 4-5 p.m. at JSCEE This is a legally mandated public hearing the district must have for all levies. Unfortunately, they don't say how long the speaking period is but I suspect it is about 2 minutes. I recall that President DeBell said they ... more »