Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-6-12 #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

School Tech Connect: This Is A Good Feeling

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 minutes ago

School Tech Connect: This Is A Good Feeling: This Is A Good Feeling by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I just saw in my email that my own precinct will get to vote on the advisory referendum on the elected, representative school board. The revised total number of precincts stands at 327. I wasn't sure if we had achieved success in my own precinct until today. It's a good feeling--- a couple evenings walking around with a clipboard and now all my neighbors get to weigh in at the ballot box on whether or not they'd like to have a democratically elected school board, like normal peo... more »

An Urban Teacher's Education: Why I'll Be Voting Against Charter Schools (I-1240) In Washington State

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago

An Urban Teacher's Education: Why I'll Be Voting Against Charter Schools (I-1240) In Washington State: Why I'll Be Voting Against Charter Schools (I-1240) In Washington State by James Boutin [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] This year, like in many previous years, Washington State voters will again have the opportunity to vote for or against legalizing charter schools in our state. Initiative 1240 would allow non-profit (for-profit charter managers would not be permitted) to open eight charter schools per year in WA over the next five years. Before I being to outline my reas... more »

Teachers Don't Suck !: Who Do You Trust? (Or is It "Whom Do You Trust?)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago

Teachers Don't Suck !: Who Do You Trust? (Or is It "Whom Do You Trust?): Who Do You Trust? (Or is It "Whom Do You Trust?) by Walt S. Popout More stuff by Walt at: www.wsautter.com

All Education Matters: Request for Online Support: Young Student Debtor Writes, "[B]eing dead would be a relief compared to a life without hope."

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

All Education Matters: Request for Online Support: Young Student Debtor Writes, "[B]eing dead would be a relief compared to a life without hope.": Request for Online Support: Young Student Debtor Writes, "[B]eing dead would be a relief compared to a life without hope." by Cryn Johannsen **The notes continue to land in my inbox or in the comments section here - so many people, with crushing debt, write to me and express in difficult tones how they have lost hope, how they wish to be dead, and how they see no future. As I said in my article published by the Huffington Post (written ... more »

Daily Kos: WHO knew that carcinogens had their own lobby in Washington?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Daily Kos: WHO knew that carcinogens had their own lobby in Washington?: WHO knew that carcinogens had their own lobby in Washington? by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) The title of this post is the 1st line of The Cancer Lobby, Sunday's *New York Times* column by Nicholas Kristof. He uses the example of formaldehyde, describing our various encounters with it, and reminding us that it causes cancer. He then writes: The chemical industry is working frantically to suppress that scientific consensus — because it fears “public confusion.” Big Chem apparently worries that you might be co... more »

Schools Matter: Writing Instruction Grounding Social Control

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Schools Matter: Writing Instruction Grounding Social Control: Writing Instruction Grounding Social Control by Storm Those of us who have been teachers and/or wannabe authors before everyone was an author (see the note yesterday re: artists)--I know I'm treading on my commoner sensibility here, always a tension in me--remember there is a book by William Zinsser called* On Writing Well*. I'll confess that I own it and yet have never read it. When I was in the classroom I preferred the work of Peter Elbow (*Writing Without Teachers*) for some reason that I can't discover in my copie... more »

Jersey Jazzman: America's Worst Invasive Species: The Wonk

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: America's Worst Invasive Species: The Wonk: America's Worst Invasive Species: The Wonk by Duke Over the last several years, America has seen an inundation of a particularly prolific and invasive species: *the Wonk*. Do not confuse the Wonk with the Scholar. The Scholar digs deep into literature and research; the Wonk merely glides over them, plucking what little it needs to satisfy his own ideological predilections. The Scholar thrives in a particular environment called "peer review"; this is a toxic place for the Wonk, which prefers to forage in a habitat called ... more »

Is the Supreme Court Going to Kill Affirmative Action? | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Is the Supreme Court Going to Kill Affirmative Action? | toteachornototeach: Is the Supreme Court Going to Kill Affirmative Action? by aristotlethewise *Is the Supreme Court Going to Kill Affirmative Action?* By Adam Cohen *A white student was rejected from a college that uses race as a factor in admissions. Her case is now going to the highest court in the land* Last week the Supreme Court took a case that could dramatically scale back or even end affirmative action. In Fisher v. University of Texas, a white woman named Abigail Fisher is suing the University of Texas (UT) for deny... more »

The Underground Parent: Collapse of Education System Will Not Happen

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

The Underground Parent: Collapse of Education System Will Not Happen: Collapse of Education System Will Not Happen Until recently I thought the CCSS implementation and assessments would speed up the collapse of our education system. Now, I don’t think so. A collapse won’t be allowed to happen. Our K-12 system has been discovered as a perpetual lucrative market by investors and corporations. Private corporations, wealthy individuals, foundations, and non-government organizations have worked hard with our government to create and open up this market. If they really provide

Daily Kos: Bus tour with teacherken: A day fighting the Greed Agenda in Ohio

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Daily Kos: Bus tour with teacherken: A day fighting the Greed Agenda in Ohio: Bus tour with teacherken: A day fighting the Greed Agenda in Ohio by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) *I am continuing as an embedded blogger on the "Stop the Greed Agenda Bus Tour" organized by Patriot Majority USA. The National Education Association is paying me to post on their Education Votes website, and have now given me permission to crosspost the entire pieces I do here. I do ask that you follow this link and visit their website, perhaps leaving a comment on the post over there as well*. Thursda... more »

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky I’m nursing a cold. When I first started teaching back in ’84 I would get a cold the first week in October. Catching a cold is totally typical for teachers, or anyone who comes in contact with lots of people. Colds are contagious. It is even more common for me because I was an Art teacher and I saw every kid in the school. No matter how often I washed my hands and no matter how often I had the kids wash *their* hands, all it takes is one uncovered sneeze. I took vitamin C in massive doses. I took zinc. Remember wh... more »

CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS: About that $10 million we’re giving you… - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS: About that $10 million we’re giving you… - Wait, What?: CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS: About that $10 million we’re giving you… by jonpelto Earlier this week, Charter Communications, Inc., “a Fortune 500 company and the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States,” became Governor Malloy’s ‘Next Five’ Corporate Welfare recipients. With revenue of $1.9 billion during the last financial quarter, the company did lose $83 million, but that was an improvement over the same quarter the year before, when Charter lost $107 million. For most of us, not enough reve... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Latest corporate reform buzz words -- 'Portfolio Management'

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Latest corporate reform buzz words -- 'Portfolio Management': Latest corporate reform buzz words -- 'Portfolio Management' by Mike Klonsky *The term “portfolio management” is borrowed from Wall Street, where the idea is to buy winning stocks and sell losers.* -- The Notebook It was originally an idea of early school reformers in New York and other cities, as a way to make innovative inroads into large, bureaucratically run school districts piece by piece. But like so many good reform ideas, the notion of downsizing and decentralizing has been l... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Propaganda, Thy Name Is "Won't Back Down"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Propaganda, Thy Name Is "Won't Back Down": Propaganda, Thy Name Is "Won't Back Down" by Duke Here's what "Won't Back Down" was really all about: Can life, in fact, imitate art? Organizers leading a controversial new school reform movement are doing their darndest to try. Starting this week, the education reform group Parent Revolution kicked off a national 32-city tour with “Won’t Back Down,” the slick new Hollywood movie featuring the hot-button fight around a policy called the parent trigger. Parent Revolution wants to inspire parents to do what Oscar-caliber ac... more »

Investigation Spotlights Corporate Money Behind Virtual Schools | NEA Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Investigation Spotlights Corporate Money Behind Virtual Schools | NEA Today: Investigation Spotlights Corporate Money Behind Virtual Schools October 5, 2012 by twalker Filed under Featured News, Top Stories Leave a Comment [image: Email][image: Share] *By Edward Graham* Studies have shown that virtual schools don’t deliver as good an education as traditional public schools. But that hasn’t stopped privateers from championing for-profit online education, raising serious concerns about how corporate money continues to shape many of the education policies being implemented across the... more »

Corbett's education chief changes PSSA testing rules for charter schools without federal approval - mcall.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Corbett's education chief changes PSSA testing rules for charter schools without federal approval - mcall.com: State changed PSSA testing rules for charter schools without federal approvalRules change appears to have inflated success rate of some charter schools. [image: Ron Tomalis]Pennsylvania Education Secretary Ron Tomalis (DONNA FISHER/THE MORNING CALL) Gov. Tom Corbett's education chief changed the PSSA testing rules in a way that makes it easier for charter schools to meet federal benchmarks than traditional public schools. Education Secretary Ron Tomalis' change, made wit... more »

A Brit in the Bronx: do charter schools really work in the US? | Teacher Network Blog | Guardian Professional

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

A Brit in the Bronx: do charter schools really work in the US? | Teacher Network Blog | Guardian Professional: A Brit in the Bronx: do charter schools really work in the US? Brit-born teacher *Anna Bailey* is working in her third charter school - but she can't make up her mind if longer hours and less rights for teachers really deliver results [image: Box of pencils] Regardless of who is running a school, focusing on just making a profit impacts on available resources. Students at Anna Bailey's school are using crayon stubs as they've run out of pencils. Photograph: Frank Baron for ... more »

Lauri Day Supports Giving Away our Tax Dollars through Vouchers » Clarksville, TN Online

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Lauri Day Supports Giving Away our Tax Dollars through Vouchers » Clarksville, TN Online: Lauri Day Supports Giving Away our Tax Dollars through Vouchers Vouchers Could Subsidize Exclusive Private Schools, Defund Public Schools Serving Working & Middle Class Families Tennessee Democratic Party [image: Election 2012]*Nashville, TN* – Tennessee State House candidate Lauri Day’s support for private school vouchers could break the backbone of the middle class: Tennessee’s public schools. “Lauri Day’s support of private school vouchers amounts to a tax break for wealthy Tennesseans and i... more »

Obama Education Policy Draws Some Skeptics - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Obama Education Policy Draws Some Skeptics - NYTimes.com: Loopholes Seen at Schools in Obama Get-Tough Policy Jessica Koscielniak for The New York Times Freeda Pirillis, a first-grade teacher in Chicago, said educators and students needed more support to meet new goals. By MOTOKO RICHPublished: October 5, 2012 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - With an agenda that Arne Duncan, the secretary of education, has described as a “quiet revolution,” the Obama administration has pushed rigorous new standards for a majority of the na... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: What Do Children and Shrimp Have in Common? Think Mamtek.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: What Do Children and Shrimp Have in Common? Think Mamtek.: What Do Children and Shrimp Have in Common? Think Mamtek. by stlgretchen The Chinese are farming American children and shrimp. Missourians may remember the debacle known as Mamtek, the investment scheme that blew up for Moberly Missouri citizens. Bruce Cole, an American investor from California, swooped into the small rural town and charmed Missouri Department of Development staff and Moberly city officials to invest in his business venture involving significant overseas investments. Chinese i... more »

Diary of a Social Art-tivist Mommy: An excellent article that explains exactly why great teachers are leaving the profession

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Diary of a Social Art-tivist Mommy: An excellent article that explains exactly why great teachers are leaving the profession: An excellent article that explains exactly why great teachers are leaving the profession by ART-tivist Mommy Excellent article in the Texas Tribune about great teachers leaving education . For Some Teachers, Strain Runs Deeper Than Budget Cuts - by *Morgan Smith* - October 5, 2012 When Liz Peterson became an educator 14 years ago, she thought of teaching as a form of social justice. She entered the profession because she wanted to help close the a... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-6-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Eliminating Libraries Is Reform? by dianerav I posted earlier about Romney’s pledge to eliminate federal support for the arts and humanities (PBS and “Big Bird”). A reader from Louisiana–which is the absolute acme of education reform–says that the defunding has already started in that state. Earlier this year, state lawmakers eliminated support for libraries. It was less than $1 million, hardly a crumb on the public table, but it sent a significant message: If you want to read books, buy them yourself. Or r... more »

L.A. schools magnet program has earlier deadlines - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

L.A. schools magnet program has earlier deadlines - latimes.com: L.A. schools magnet program has earlier deadlines The Los Angeles school district’s popular magnet program has a new deadline for applications this year -- Nov. 16 -- because of the early start of the school year. “Everything got moved up a month,” said Felipe Echávarri, a coordinator for Student Integration Services. “We want parents to be aware.” Officials said families will receive automated phone reminders and an alert by postcard, but magnet-program brochures and applications are no longer mailed out. Those ma... more »

APS official response on Bloody Friday at North Atlanta High: APS marches out old leaders, announces new ones without explanation. | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Bloody Friday at North Atlanta High: APS marches out old leaders, announces new ones without explanation. | Get Schooled: APS official response on North Atlanta High leadership purge by Maureen Downey From Stephen J. Alford, Executive Director of Communications, Atlanta Public Schools Thank you for sharing your concerns and views about the recent leadership transition at North Atlanta High School. We have been preparing for new leadership at North Atlanta after learning that our principal planned to retire at the end of last school year. On Monday, Dr. Howard Taylor was approved by... more »

What Your Kids Are Really Doing Online | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

What Your Kids Are Really Doing Online | toteachornototeach: What Your Kids Are Really Doing Online by aristotlethewise *What Your Kids Are Really Doing Online* by Michael Levin The Internet affords children endless opportunities to get into serious trouble, downloading what they shouldn’t download, looking at what they shouldn’t be looking at, and getting ideas about what they shouldn’t be getting ideas about. But the good news is that if your kids are like mine, they may be doing some or all of those things… but there’s another use for the Internet that’s attracting their time a... more »

SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: Economic Crisis cost 300,000 Teachers' jobs

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: Economic Crisis cost 300,000 Teachers' jobs: Economic Crisis cost 300,000 Teachers' jobs by Duane Campbell The 300,000 teacher gap In September, public-sector employment increased by 10,000. However, over the last four years, it has declined by 572,000. With kids heading back to the classroom this fall, it’s worth considering how much of that drop has hit public schools. Around 40 percent of the decline in public sector employment over the last four years was in local government education,

Bill Gates and Me | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Bill Gates and Me | Seattle Education: Bill Gates and Me by seattleducation2011 Someone asked me today while we were waiting to be seated for a filming of a debate regarding I-1240 (more on that later), why everything Bill Gates, or for that matter the Walton’s, fund, I am opposed to. Well, I’m not. I appreciate the money that Bill Gates and his wife spent to create the sculpture park in Seattle that faces the sound. It is a beautiful transition from the water to the low-rise condo’s along that stretch of waterfront. I also appreciate that they helped to fund the construction of t... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 10-6-12

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* SOUTH LA SCHOOLS TEAM UP TO FIGHT RECONSTITUTION smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 23 hours ago By Vanessa Romo, KPCC Pass-Fail | http://bit.ly/PZTTGL “Reconstitution and turn around never works. Only fresh squeezed works-- there is $10 billion in failed turn around work nationally. That would be a lot of new high quality schools at $500k a piece.” - former LAUSD school board president/Charter school champion Caprice Young POLICE PEPPER SPRAY BREAKS UP FIGHT AT NARBO... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 10-6-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* Testing Can Be Useful for Students and Teachers Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 19 hours ago Pop quiz! Tests are good for: (a) Assessing what you’ve learned; (b) (b) Learning new information; (c) (c) a & b; (d) (d) None of the above. The correct answer? According to research from psychological science, it’s both (a) and (b) – while testing can be useful as an assessment tool, the actual process of taking a test can also help us to learn and retain new information over the long term and apply it acro... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 10-6-12 …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.] “Seven Ideas for Meaningful Parent-Teacher Conferences” Larry Ferlazzo at Engaging Parents In School... - 7 hours ago Seven Ideas for Meaningful Parent-Teacher Conferences is an excellent post by Nancy Flanagan over at Education Week Teacher. I’m adding it to The Best Resources On Parent/Teacher Conferences. “5 Educational Resources for Parents and Families” Larry Ferlazzo at Engaging Paren... more »

Instructions for the October 17 Campaign for Our Public Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Instructions for the October 17 Campaign for Our Public Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog: Instructions for the October 17 Campaign for Our Public Schools by dianerav Great news! Anthony Cody, experienced middle school science teacher and fabulous blogger, has offered to coordinate our campaign to write President Obama on October 17. We call it the Campaign for Our Public Schools. Anthony previously ran his own campaign called “Teachers’ Letters to Obama.” He is a champion for teachers, kids, and public education. Our campaign is meant to include everyone who cares about public educat... more »

Helping Students Motivate Themselves | MiddleWeb

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Helping Students Motivate Themselves | MiddleWeb: HelpingStudentsGetMotivatedAMiddleWebBookReview *Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers to Classroom Challenges* *by Larry Ferlazzo* (Eye On Education, 2011 – Learn more) ** *Reviewed by Becky Bair* I was very excited to have the opportunity to read *Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers to Classroom Challenges *by Larry Ferlazzo, a California teacher who writes the blog Classroom Q&A for Education Week. The book confirmed many of the strategies and tools I use in my classroom and emphasized the imp... more »

Mexican Students Protest Labor Law, Seize 33 Vehicles Including Coca-Cola Truck - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Mexican Students Protest Labor Law, Seize 33 Vehicles Including Coca-Cola Truck - Hispanically Speaking News: Mexican Students Protest Labor Law, Seize 33 Vehicles Including Coca-Cola Truck Published at 6:07 pm EST, October 5, 2012 [image: Mexican Students Protest Labor Law, Seize 33 Vehicles Including Coca-Cola Truck] Photo: Coca-Cola truck Click Here to Enlarge Photo Students in the western state of Michoacan seized 15 buses and 18 delivery trucks belonging to firms such as Coca-Cola and baking giant Bimbo as part of protests against a proposed overhaul of Mexican labor law. The b... more »

Pass / Fail : Arts education — or the lack thereof — at LA Unified by the numbers | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Pass / Fail : Arts education — or the lack thereof — at LA Unified by the numbers | 89.3 KPCC: Arts education — or the lack thereof — at LA Unified by the numbers by By Tami Abdollah [image: Graffiti Artist]*L.A. plans to unveil a major initiative to save public arts education. Meanwhile, L.A. Unified's school board is looking at a measure that would make arts a "core subject." Credit: Grant Slater/KPCC* In the last three years, Los Angeles Unified has had to cut nearly $1.5 billion from its annual operating budget, which is now roughly $6 billion. "Arts education is one of the most... more »

A NEW MERIT PAY PROPOSAL « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

A NEW MERIT PAY PROPOSAL « Teachers Fight Back: A NEW MERIT PAY PROPOSAL by alkleen I have a group of workers that should be considered right along with teachers for merit pay. These workers are like teachers in so many ways. They care deeply about the people they cater to. They only have a limited time to work with the people they are responsible for. (Yikes two sentences in a row that end in prepositions). They aren’t in their profession for the money. The people they are helping come with many different types of problems and come from a variety of backgrounds. They are well-r... more »

Sacramento Press / Local Organization hosts Bullying Awareness Conference

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Sacramento Press / Local Organization hosts Bullying Awareness Conference: *Image by: B.R.A.V.E. SocietyBe B.R.A.V.E. – Say Something-Do Something* For many students in the fourteen school districts within Sacramento County and dozens more in outlying areas, attending to school should be, for the most part, happy and memorable. However for thousands of students who fall under an at-risk category for bullying and peer-abuse, attending school can be extremely stressful, mentally and physically abusive, and at times, simply unbearable. There is a difference between peer-conflict and ou... more »

Schools Matter: Who's Afraid of Nell Scharff?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Schools Matter: Who's Afraid of Nell Scharff?: Who's Afraid of Nell Scharff? by Storm Now, if you've read *The Atlantic*'s piece on the "writing revolution" (I'll review this in another post) you may have picked up on the name Nell Scharff, but you may also have just paid her no attention. She is introduced in the piece and identified in this way. Her [New Dorp principal] decision in 2008 to focus on how teachers supported writing inside each classroom was not popular. “Most teachers,” said Nell Scharff, an instructional expert DeAngelis hired, “entered into the process with a s... more »

LAUSD'S BLACK AND LATINO FAMILIES: DOES ENDLESS STRUGGLE WORK FOR YOU? - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

LAUSD'S BLACK AND LATINO FAMILIES: DOES ENDLESS STRUGGLE WORK FOR YOU? - Perdaily.com: LAUSD'S BLACK AND LATINO FAMILIES: DOES ENDLESS STRUGGLE WORK FOR YOU? by Leonard Isenberg [image: Maynard Brown.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)** "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana* *This evening I attended a meeting of predominantly African American parents, students, and Black politicos at the African American Cultural Center. The tone of the evening was set by *