Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-27-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-27-12 #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

Technology in the Classroom: Friend or Foe? | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 minutes ago

Technology in the Classroom: Friend or Foe? | toteachornototeach: Technology in the Classroom: Friend or Foe? by aristotlethewise *Technology in the Classroom: Friend or Foe?* by James Rosenberg The proliferation of technology has transformed modern society on many levels. In the classroom, technology is changing the way children learn, educators teach and how teachers and students communicate with one another. While technology provides greater access to information and new ways for students to learn, it can become a crutch hindering creative problem solving and cognitive developm... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Also, in the "Could This Happen under 1240?" Category

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Also, in the "Could This Happen under 1240?" Category: Also, in the "Could This Happen under 1240?" Category by Melissa Westbrook [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] Readers pointed out this news story - *a charter school in Sacramento, just 6 weeks into the school year, closed its doors to 400 students.* Just like that. The story comes from CBS Sacramento. The CEO claims there are "safety" issues in a building that Placer County said can only hold 75 but had 400. But the County also said that it didn't tell the CEO to shut down "not wantin... more »

A Message To Our Mayor From Connecticut: “don’t come into my house and mess with my right to vote!” | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

A Message To Our Mayor From Connecticut: “don’t come into my house and mess with my right to vote!” | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: A Message To Our Mayor From Connecticut: “don’t come into my house and mess with my right to vote!” by Larry Ferlazzo Thanks to Diane Ravitch, I just learned that our Mayor, Kevin Johnson, who has thankfully failed in having much influence in our city’s schools, is now telling other cities that they should give up their right to vote for a school board and leave it in the hands of their mayor. He went to Bridgeport, Connecticut last week to... more »

Diane in the Evening 10-27-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: From One Pro Basketball Player to Another: LINK FIXED! by dianerav Kevin Johnson, who was a basketball star but is now the Mayor of Sacramento (and the husband of Michelle Rhee), recently visited Bridgeport, Connecticut, to urge its citizens to support a mayoral takeover of the public schools. He asked them to end the practice of electing their local school board. This is a big goal of privatizers, as it will remove an obstacle to closing more public schools and turning them over to charter operators. John Bagley wrote an opinion piece answering Kevin Jo... more »

Supt. Joshua Starr’s view of MCPS’s ‘seven keys to college readiness’

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Supt. Joshua Starr’s view of MCPS’s ‘seven keys to college readiness’: Supt. Joshua Starr’s view of MCPS’s ‘seven keys to college readiness’ Posted by Valerie Strauss on October 27, 2012 at 4:37 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » I asked Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Joshua Starr for his view of the school system’s “Seven Keys to College Readiness” in response to a post calling for these “keys” to be abandoned. The keys, on the school district’s Web site, are a suggested “pathwa... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: K-8s (and does $1M a year extra at South Shore help?)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: K-8s (and does $1M a year extra at South Shore help?): K-8s (and does $1M a year extra at South Shore help?) by Melissa Westbrook South Shore PreK-8 came up as a topic during a discussion over conversion charters. I, like many, believe it would be a target (a willing one) for a conversion takeover. I suspect you could get the parents or teachers to agree and I'm sure LEV, who now directs the foundation money that South Shore gets, would also be agreeable. That leaves the community and the district that may not like the idea of losing a $73M bui... more »

UPDATE: Jersey Jazzman: Local Control of Schools: It's a White People Thing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Local Control of Schools: It's a White People Thing: Local Control of Schools: It's a White People Thing by Duke *Banned Halloween Costumes* Longtime readers know I've been chronicling the sordid tale of Perth Amboy's schools for the past year. Superintendent Janine Caffrey, the Queen of Tenure, has been waging a public war through the press with her school board. For her part, Caffrey has leveled ethics charges against members of the board. All this has taken place against a backdrop of corporate reforminess and a nasty mayoral election. As I've said all along: I... more »

VAAP | California Father

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

VAAP | California Father: VAAP by California Father *I recently received this thoughtful comment bin response to a blog entry I wrote a while back about alternative assessment for kids with IEPs. Thank you, Karen. I think your take is spot on!* I wrote a letter that appeared in our local newspaper. Free Lance Star. I thought it might interest you. As a teacher I wanted parents to be aware of this new process and how it might impact their children. Here is a copy. October 8, 2012 To whom it may concern: I am a National Board Certified Special Education teacher in Spotsylvania Coun... more »

Online University of the Left – Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Online University of the Left – Education: ONLINE UNIVERSITY OF THE LEFT Changing Our Thinking, Changing Opinion, Changing the World Education Pushing back the veil of ignorance hindering humanity and it grasp of its environment--natural, social, political, spiritual--is a goal of educators and teachers from ancient times to the present. Here is where we present the various methods of learning, how schools are best organized, and what kind of values and skills we want to pass on to a younger generation. *Marxism and the Philosophy of Education* 16 Video Lectures by Stephen Hicks,... more »

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky Last Tuesday was Anne and my 36th wedding anniversary. We went to a meeting for an elected school board. We felt that was important but not quite celebratory. So last night Mike and Susan joined us for dinner at a French restaurant on Halsted Street. The chef greeted us with a large laugh and a girth to match. *“Are you happy?”* he asked. *“I’ll tell you after we eat,”*I said with a grin and he laughed again. The food and the wine was wonderful and we all left very happy. I love French food. Once, in Paris Anne and... more »

Noam Chomsky | California Father

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Noam Chomsky | California Father: [image: California Father] Noam Chomsky by California Father Hi, folks. Back after a long silence, awakened a few days ago by a thoughtful response to one of my posts. Anyway, a new hero of mine: Noam Chomsky. Enjoy! *NOAM CHOMSKY:* When I was thinking about these remarks, I had two topics in mind, couldn’t decide between them—actually pretty obvious ones. One topic is, what are the most important issues that we face? The second topic is, what issues are not being treated seriously—or at all—in the quadrennial frenzy now underway called an elec... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Star-Ledger Calls Teachers "Liars"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Star-Ledger Calls Teachers "Liars": Star-Ledger Calls Teachers "Liars" by Duke *Twinkle twinkle little star, what you say is what you are* You won't often see big-city newspapers use the word "liar" in their editorials. It's an explosive word that speaks directly to the subject's motivations. Unless it's well-documented, it opens up the newspaper to charges of libel. So when Newark's newspaper, the *Star-Ledger,* says that a group is "spreading outright lies," I have to wonder who would cause Op-Ed Page Editor Tom Moran to make such a serious allegation. Ah, of co... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: Communities Need Parent Trigger Laws | Debate Club | US News Opinion

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: Communities Need Parent Trigger Laws | Debate Club | US News Opinion: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: Communities Need Parent Trigger Laws 77 140 By MICHELLE RHEE , CEO at StudentsFirst October 26, 2012 About Michelle Rhee: *She will eat your brain first and then give you a parent trigger* Parents of children at Desert Trails Elementary School in Adelanto, Calif., didn't decide to seek an overhaul of the school using the state's 2010 parent-trigger law lightly, or with little thought. They sought changes on numerous occasions, giving admini... more »

Camden Education Association president's feisty letter against renaissance schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Camden Education Association president's feisty letter against renaissance schools: Camden Education Association president's feisty letter against renaissance schools In anticipation of Monday’s school board meeting (if it happens), the Camden Education Association president put out a feisty letter asking all members to show up and speak out against any more privately run and publicly funded schools in the city. As I mentioned in my article in today’s Inquirer, officials involved with the KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy proposal, which was rejected in September by the Camden Board o... more »

Teachers For Social Justice: Urgent Action: ERSB Advisory Referendum on Ballots

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Teachers For Social Justice: Urgent Action: ERSB Advisory Referendum on Ballots: Urgent Action: ERSB Advisory Referendum on Ballots by sarah-ji The advisory referendum for an Elected Representative School Board is on the ballot in 327 precincts around the city. Vote Yes! - Go to this list to see if your precinct is one of them or view a sample ballot for your precinct based on street address here. You may have to go to the end of the ballot to find the referendum. Vote Yes! - Tell your friends and neighbors! Download and post this flyer/palm card . - Let voters kn... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-27-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Do We All Love Teachers? by dianerav This is an excellent article, written by NYC charter school teacher Allison LaFave. It was prompted by Bob Schieffer’s off-hand remark during the last Presidential debate that “We all love teachers.” Do we all love teachers? Why don’t we trust them to manage their classrooms? Why must they be evaluated by Charter Closes, Kids Abandoned by dianerav A charter school in Sacramento abruptly closed its doors, locked out the students, and called it quits. The charter operator sa... more »

Daily Kos: The MLK Imperative in an Era of "No Excuses"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Daily Kos: The MLK Imperative in an Era of "No Excuses": The MLK Imperative in an Era of "No Excuses" by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) My father was a hard-ass, €”a Southern version of the Red Forman-type made popular in *That 70's Show*. I grew up, then, in a "no excuses" environment rooted in the 1950s work ethic my father personified. [1] Mine was a working-class background: My paternal grandfather (for whom I was named) ran the small-town gas station where I grew up, and my maternal grandfather worked in the yarn mills in the hills of North Carolina. Way before the "no excuses... more »

Uncle Mike and the DOE Celebrate Failure.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Uncle Mike and the DOE Celebrate Failure by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) We all read about it this week in the Daily News. Ninety percent of high school students in five Bronx neighborhoods are not college or career ready when they live the wonderful world of the NYCDOE that Uncle Mike has created for them. But, in "swanky Tribeca," 79% of high school students are college and career ready. We all know the reasons for this disparity, no reason to go into it here on these pages. Only a dead person or an insane person would not understand such ... more »

Another Blow to the Teacher-Quality-Trumps-Poverty Meme | Re:education in Baltimore

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Another Blow to the Teacher-Quality-Trumps-Poverty Meme | Re:education in Baltimore: Another Blow to the Teacher-Quality-Trumps-Poverty Meme by Edit Barry Two weeks ago, *The American Prospect* published an article that used Joel Klein’s life story as a counter-argument to his proposition that teacher quality is the most important determinant of educational outcomes. A study released this week by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University also packs a punch. “Is Demography Still Destiny: Neighborhood Demographics and Public High School Students’ Readiness for Col... more »

Daily Kos: Saturday morning in a swing state

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Daily Kos: Saturday morning in a swing state: Saturday morning in a swing state by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) I live in the People's Republic of Arlington County, in Northern Virginia. We are near the middle as far as size of the swing states, trailing FL, OH and NC but larger than WI, CO, NV, IA and NH. We also have a highly competitive race for the Senate seat being vacated by Jim Webb, with the contest between Tim Kaine and George Allen. While I am not seeing as many political ads as Jed Lewison tracked in Columbus OH last night (he was tweeting about more than 40 consecuti... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The CREDO alternative?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The CREDO alternative?: The CREDO alternative? by Mike Klonsky Funny. I continually get mailings from a company called CREDO Mobile asking me to switch from AT&T over to their company, which claims to be politically progressive. CREDO (formerly known as Working Assets), claims to contribute heavily to groups like Planned Parenthood, United for a Fair Economy, Earthjustice and the ACLU. Credo Mobile is basically a re-seller, wholesaling bandwidth from Sprint and then repackage it as their own. I have no love from AT&T and would gladly dump them for a v... more »

Schools Matter: "Is Demography Still Destiny?" - Annenberg Institute for School Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Schools Matter: "Is Demography Still Destiny?" - Annenberg Institute for School Reform: "Is Demography Still Destiny?" - Annenberg Institute for School Reform by P. L. Thomas "Is Demography Still Destiny?" - Annenberg Institute for School Reform From opening summary: "Yet a new study by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University indicates that the college readiness of New York City high school graduates is still very highly correlated with the neighborhood they come from. In particular, the racial composition and average income of a student’s home neighborhood a... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: A Better Approach to Bullying?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: A Better Approach to Bullying?: A Better Approach to Bullying? by Anngie The nature of a bureaucracy is to develop policies to address problems. Policies are a standardized set of rules and consequences that can be applied to various situations that generally mean less actual consideration of the facts by the individuals authorized to apply the consequences. Policies are seen as an efficient way to move forward and get past a broad spectrum of problems the system may experience. Because they are broad in scope and purposely disregard specific details,... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 10-27-12

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit* PROPOSITION 38 TRIES TO TURN A TAX LIABILITY INTO AN ASSET smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 17 minutes ago By Jon Healey, la tIMES oPINION la | http://lat.ms/UQLl9G October 25, 2012, 8:05 a.m. :: Backers of Proposition 38 caught considerable heat from Gov. Jerry Brown and other Democrats for airing a commercial earlier this month that attacked Brown's rival tax initiative, Proposition 30. Now the pro-38 campaign has a pair of new ads that offer no direct criticism of... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 10-27-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Autism early intervention found to normalize brain activity in children as young as 18 months Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 17 hours ago An intensive early intervention therapy that is effective for improving cognition and language skills among very young children with autism also normalizes their brain activity, decreases their autism symptoms and improves their social skills, a nationwide study has found. The researchers said the study is the first to demonstrate that an autism early inter... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 10-27-12 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 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.] ““Won’t Back Down” Continues to Plummet” Larry Ferlazzo at Engaging Parents In School... - 10 hours ago Diane Ravitch reports that “Won’t Back Down,” the parent trigger-pushing film, is now officially a box office flop. Read the details at “Won’t Back Down” Continues to Plummet. I’m adding this info to The Best Posts & Articles On Parent Trigger Movie “Won’t Back Down.” “Tapping Community... more »

Schools Matter: Corporate Education's Anti-Democratic Effects

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Schools Matter: Corporate Education's Anti-Democratic Effects: Corporate Education's Anti-Democratic Effects by Jim Horn From the NEPC at the University of Colorado, Boulder: BOULDER, CO October 16, 2012 – “Local control” has been a bedrock principle of public schooling in America since its earliest days, but a new report concludes the concept “has all but disappeared” in discussions of education policy. The report, *Democracy Left Behind: How Recent Education Reforms Undermine Local School Governance and Democratic Education*, by Kenneth Howe and David Meens of the University of... more »

School Tech Connect: Because You Love Maps, Too

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Because You Love Maps, Too: ' Because You Love Maps, Too by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I've been missing out on so many events lately---- I missed the presentation of this fabulous fusion table map, which shows the precincts that get to vote on the elected ed school board question here in Chicago. Click around on it---zoom in, zoom out. I may be mistaken but I believe this map was created by none other than Will Guzzardi. If you've ever tried to figure out precinct boundaries from the maps available online, you'll appreciate how cool this map truly is.... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee and the Union Scam, Election Edition - Esquire

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee and the Union Scam, Election Edition - Esquire: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee and the Union Scam, Election Edition By Charles P. Pierce at 10:52AM *The state of Michigan has* put what I think is the country's most intriguing referendum question on its ballot this year. The state, which has been the subject of the gentle ministrations of Republican Governor Rick Snyder and his cronies for the past few years, is asking its citizens to decide whether the ability of workers to bargain collectively should be enshrined as a right in the state's co... more »

Engaging Parents In School… » California PTA Sets Back Parent Engagement Efforts In State

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Engaging Parents In School… » California PTA Sets Back Parent Engagement Efforts In State: California PTA Sets Back Parent Engagement Efforts In State by Larry Ferlazzo California PTA Each day, as a teacher and as a strong proponent of parent engagement in word and deed, I find myself more amazed by the actions being taken by the California PTA this election season. I don’t think I’m overstating it to suggest that their efforts this year will be used as a case study in political organizing and in political science classes for years to come — in how *not* to become politically en... more »

SBE Agenda for November 2012 - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

SBE Agenda for November 2012 - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education): SBE Agenda for November 2012Agenda for the California State Board of Education (SBE) meeting on November 7-8, 2012. ------------------------------ *Tom Torlakson* State Board Members Michael W. Kirst, President Trish Williams, Vice President Carl Cohn Bruce Holaday Aida Molina James C. Ramos Patricia A. Rucker Ilene W. Straus Josephine Kao, Student Member *Vacancy Vacancy* Secretary & Executive Officer Hon. Tom Torlakson Executive Director Susan K. Burr Schedule of Meeting Location *Wednesday, Novembe... more »

Sacramento Press / Feds should get on board with Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Sacramento Press / Feds should get on board with Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project: Feds should get on board with Parent/Teacher Home Visit Projectby Jonathan Raymond, published on *October 26, 2012* at *3:41 PM* Storyline: Sacramento City Unified School District [image: RSS Feed] Community Tags jonathan raymond parents sacramento city unified school district scusd teachers During his recent bus tour across America, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan met with a group of mayors and superintendents in Sacramento and noted during comments that they (USDOE) had "dropped the ball"... more »

Facts About the No Child Left Behind Waivers | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Facts About the No Child Left Behind Waivers | Truth in American Education: Facts About the No Child Left Behind Waivers by Shane Vander Hart [image: NCLB]Jane Robbins, a Senior Fellow for American Principles Projectprovided some facts that you should know about the No Child Left Behind waivers. States apply for these in order, they say, to free themselves from Federal guidelines and standards under NCLB. What they’re really doing is substituting federal control with more federal control. Pretty soon states will probably be asking for waivers for the waivers. - In September 201... more »

The horrific and dangerous 60 policies that the Republicans voted for in the last 600 days | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The horrific and dangerous 60 policies that the Republicans voted for in the last 600 days | Seattle Education: The horrific and dangerous 60 policies that the Republicans voted for in the last 600 days by seattleducation2011 I usually stay on course providing information and views on education but this information was so horrific that I had to share it. These votes affect all of us, our families, our children and of course, education. This information was provided by the US House of Representatives Democratic Caucus and are: 60 votes on final passage, amendments, and motions to re... more »