Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break
This Principal Is a Hero of Public Education
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 tracking. It has a strong IB program.
Carol went to the first public hearing of the Cuomo commission, but was not allowed to speak. When the commission held hearings on Long Island, she got her chance. She got a standing ovation.
Please read her testimony.
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 tracking. It has a strong IB program.
Carol went to the first public hearing of the Cuomo commission, but was not allowed to speak. When the commission held hearings on Long Island, she got her chance. She got a standing ovation.
Please read her testimony.
The in box. IEA Communication’s Denise Ward clarifies In The News.
Mr. Klonsky,
It’s my understanding that in a post on your blog yesterday you mentioned In the News, and the omission of IFT President Dan Montgomery’s statement regarding Richard Ingram. I’d like to offer a brief clarification for your reference.
As the administrative assistant in Communications, it is my responsibility to compile news items daily, organize them, then distribute the articles via e-mail. Per your request, I do e-mail those to you. The stories are then formatted and posted on the IEA web site.
I begin the process for In the News the day before it is sent, and complete the email each morning
Please Help a Deserving Candidate
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
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
You need to sit down before you read this. It is so hilarious it may cause you to fall down laughing.
This is a wonderful spoof about Miracle Teachers, Mracle Schools, and Amazing stories of overnight transformation that occur only when the teachers are inexperienced and the journalists don’t dig too deep.
This is a wonderful spoof about Miracle Teachers, Mracle Schools, and Amazing stories of overnight transformation that occur only when the teachers are inexperienced and the journalists don’t dig too deep.
How to Widen the Achievement Gaps
A teacher knows how the achievement gap grows:
My wife and I are both elementary teachers in the same district but at completely different schools. She teaches at a school with over 80% free and reduced lunch whereas my school has 7%. When I ask her about the policies in her school versus the policies we have in my school IN THE SAME SCHOOL DISTRICT, it led me to this conclusion: rich kids get taught, poor kids get tested.
My wife and I are both elementary teachers in the same district but at completely different schools. She teaches at a school with over 80% free and reduced lunch whereas my school has 7%. When I ask her about the policies in her school versus the policies we have in my school IN THE SAME SCHOOL DISTRICT, it led me to this conclusion: rich kids get taught, poor kids get tested.
Barry Commoner, The First Guy I Ever Voted For, Dead at 95
I have been remiss in not writing this sooner. . . .Dr. Barry Commoner, scientist, activist, educator and one of the founders of the modern environmental movement, died on September 30 at his home in Brooklyn. He was 95.
Commoner, raised in New York and educated as a biologist at Columbia and Harvard, spent a lifetime combining his grasp of science with his love of humanity, translating seemingly arcane concepts into basic principles that
Bus tour with teacherken: Checks & Balances and constitutional amendments in St. Paul
This is cross-posted from Education Votes of the National Education Association, for whom I am serving as an embedded blogger aboard the Stop the Greed Agenda Bus Tour of Patriot Majority USAThursday was the penultimate of the several weeks the Stop the Greed Agenda Bus Tour has traveled in the Eastern United States. Our event today was held in front of the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul:
MORE Member Patrick Walsh With More on WBD Movie
Patrick is back at it again with a follow-up to his brilliant review of --- you know, that crappy movie.
Almost a century ago, long before America had produced almost 400 billionaires and political opposition to plutacracy had degenerated into a slick, sick joke, F. Scott Fiztgerald
The Rich Are Different: Why Won’t Back Down Won’t Back Down
October 10, 2012
Almost a century ago, long before America had produced almost 400 billionaires and political opposition to plutacracy had degenerated into a slick, sick joke, F. Scott Fiztgerald
Michelle Rhee Misreads "Shift Among Democrats" On Education
In her recent Washington Post op-ed, Michelle Rhee ruminated over the outcome of the Chicago Teachers Strike and concluded that not only were the Chicago teachers "never about the kids" but also had made a practical, political mistake by not being in step with the rest of the Democratic party.
Her contention seems to be that teachers who use a contract dispute to protest increasingly deteriorating conditions in public schools defy the "shift" among most Democrats who she believes increasingly favor the policies that Chicago Mayor Rham Emanuel wanted to enforce on teachers.
But putting aside Rhee's tenuous arguments about who is really "for the kids" in this dispute, what evidence is
Her contention seems to be that teachers who use a contract dispute to protest increasingly deteriorating conditions in public schools defy the "shift" among most Democrats who she believes increasingly favor the policies that Chicago Mayor Rham Emanuel wanted to enforce on teachers.
But putting aside Rhee's tenuous arguments about who is really "for the kids" in this dispute, what evidence is
Private Schools Feel Common Core Pressure
In an email sent out today by the American Association of Christian Schools called “The Washington Flyer” they highlighted how private schools are being impacted by the Common Core State Standards:
Education Week, the American education news site of record, has been chronicling the Common Core Standard movement since its meteoric rise since 2009. This week, analysts published a comprehensive article which focuses on the effect of the CCS on private schools across the country. The CCS consists of uniform standards in math and English for K-12 curriculum. Since 47
Presidential Proclamation -- National School Lunch Week, 2012
NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH WEEK, 2012
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Our children are the key to America's success in the 21st century, and it is incumbent upon us all to ensure they have the resources they need to reach their greatest potential -- including access to healthy meals at school. During National School Lunch Week, we recognize all those whose dedicated work and care make good
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Our children are the key to America's success in the 21st century, and it is incumbent upon us all to ensure they have the resources they need to reach their greatest potential -- including access to healthy meals at school. During National School Lunch Week, we recognize all those whose dedicated work and care make good
In the News: Elected school bd. to be on ballot
Voters in 35 of Chicago’s 50 wards will vote on changing Chicago’s school board from appointed to elected. The referendum, which is not binding, is the effort of a grassroots coalition unhappy with what they perceive as a board unresponsive to community concerns.
Attempted Assassination in Pakistan
What would drive armed gunmen to open fire on a bus full of schoolgirls, with the express aim of assassinating one talented young teenager? That’s the question on the minds of many people this week, following Tuesday’s attempted assassination of 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai in northwestern Pakistan. A refugee fleeing Taliban violence and oppression in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, Malala had already won a following for her precocious and courageous blog posts, written when she was really just a child, arguing that young women have a right to an education, and indeed, to a life free from discrimination and fear.
She is also a hero to many Pakistanis. In 2011, the Pakistani government awarded her a national peace prize
She is also a hero to many Pakistanis. In 2011, the Pakistani government awarded her a national peace prize
Want to Help Defeat I-1240?
Here are some volunteer opportunities:
Walk a District
Starting Location: Orca K-8, 5215 46th Ave S, Seattle WA 98118 by the playground. We will distribute lists and scripts there. Call 206 853-7594 that day if you have questions.
Saturday the 13th : two shifts: 10:00 a.m.-12:00, 12- 2:00 p.m.
Walk a District
Starting Location: Orca K-8, 5215 46th Ave S, Seattle WA 98118 by the playground. We will distribute lists and scripts there. Call 206 853-7594 that day if you have questions.
Saturday the 13th : two shifts: 10:00 a.m.-12:00, 12- 2:00 p.m.
.
Sun the 14th, one shift: 3:00- 5:00 p.m.
If this doesn't work for you, let us know an area you can doorbell and a package can be put together for you for
Sun the 14th, one shift: 3:00- 5:00 p.m.
If this doesn't work for you, let us know an area you can doorbell and a package can be put together for you for
The Weekly Update: More on New Orleans, another one bites the dust, a Broadie that is, the Seattle School Board will be voting on Initiative 1240, be there, and more news you might have missed
The Weekly Update for the news you might have missed.
First, some business.
Seattle school board to vote on Initiative 1240 resolution
Seattle School Board Director Kay Smith-Blum introduced a resolution against the charter school Initiative 1240 at the Seattle School Board Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday. The Executive Committee agreed to
First, some business.
Seattle School Board Director Kay Smith-Blum introduced a resolution against the charter school Initiative 1240 at the Seattle School Board Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday. The Executive Committee agreed to
TRS response to IFT President’s call for Ingram to resign.
I was sent an email forwarded from TRS board of trustees member Bob Lyons:
To all:
This afternoon Dan Montgomery, president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, emailed a statement to the media calling on Dick Ingram to resign as executive director TRS. The statement
Up early on Saturdays? I’m on WCPT progressive radio tomorrow morning. 820AM at 7AM.
I’ll be talking about the Constitutional Amendment and pension issues with Bill Turck on WCPT, progressive radio in Chicago. But you have to get up at 7AM to hear the show.
THE TRASH HEAP OF CHICAGO SUPERINTENDENTS GROWS TALLER
Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard is out. Yet another reformer who was going to work miracles and “turn around” Chicago schools has been unceremoniously dumped on the trash heap of ex superintendents. Ah, they all come with such noble aims and full of confidence that their system will save all the little boys and girls of Chicago. There were more than a few reasons why I called Jean-Claude, “Mr. Bizzare”, but I won’t mention them; no sense shoveling dirt on the recently departed.
Just once I would like to see a newly appointed superintendent come into town and say, “Don’t expect miracles
Just once I would like to see a newly appointed superintendent come into town and say, “Don’t expect miracles
Commentary: Film perpetuates myths about education
This guest blog comes from Ken Derstine, an award-winning retired teacher who spent 37 years in the Philadelphia School District, and is now a political activist on behalf of public education. The Notebook invites guest blog posts on current topics in Philadelphia education from its readers. Contact us atnotebook@thenotebook.org to make a submission.
by Ken Derstine
On Monday Oct. 8, Helen Gym of Parents United for Public Education and Matthew Brouillette of the Commonwealth Foundation in Harrisburg discussed "parent trigger" laws on WHYY’s Radio Times. Brouillette repeated the familiar but flawed argument currently favored by corporate education reformers: bad teachers, not the conditions that policymakers force teachers to work under, produce “bad schools.”
read more
by Ken Derstine
On Monday Oct. 8, Helen Gym of Parents United for Public Education and Matthew Brouillette of the Commonwealth Foundation in Harrisburg discussed "parent trigger" laws on WHYY’s Radio Times. Brouillette repeated the familiar but flawed argument currently favored by corporate education reformers: bad teachers, not the conditions that policymakers force teachers to work under, produce “bad schools.”
read more
Maryland Question 7 Pits Casino Against Casino In Debate On Education Dollars
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours 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 - 3 hours 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 - 3 hours 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 - 3 hours 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 - 3 hours 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 »
STOP THE GOP FROM HACKING OUR ELECTIONS/COVER LETTER TO ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL/CIVIL RIGHTS/VOTING - DELIVERED with PETITION full text
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
TwitLonger — When you talk too much for Twitter: STOP THE GOP FROM HACKING OUR ELECTIONS/COVER LETTER TO ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL/CIVIL RIGHTS/VOTING - DELIVERED with PETITION full text October 9, 2012 The Honorable Thomas E. Perez Assistant Attorney General The United States Justice Department Civil Rights Division 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20530 Dear Sir: This letter covers a Petition signed by U.S. Citizens from every State in the United.States. They are distraught about the status of elections in the United States. They are appalled at the prevalence of m... more »
Educational summit targeting homeless students to be held tomorrow | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Educational summit targeting homeless students to be held tomorrow | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Educational summit targeting homeless students to be held tomorrowby thenotebook on Oct 10 2012 Posted in Latest news - COMMENTS (0)PRINT - EMAIL[image: ""] Tags: - after-school programs - student rights *By Charlotte Pope* [image: Homeless Family] * * * * More than 5,000 students are reported homeless annually in Philadelphia, and in Pennsylvania, only 40 percent of kids experiencing homelessness graduate from high school, according to the People’s Emerge... more »
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Foreign investment pouring in for charter schools
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Foreign investment pouring in for charter schools: Foreign investment pouring in for charter schools by Mike Klonsky Reuters reports that wealthy individuals from as far away as China, Nigeria, Russia and Australia are spending tens of millions of dollars to build classrooms, libraries, basketball courts and science labs for American charter schools. *In Buffalo, New York, foreign funds paid for the Health Sciences Charter School to renovate a 19th-century orphanage into modern classrooms and computer labs. In Florence, Arizona, overseas investm... more »
Schools Matter: Expressing a Patriotic Core
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Schools Matter: Expressing a Patriotic Core: Expressing a Patriotic Core by Storm The intention of this post is to examine the brief "persuasive," personal narrative (fiction) and promotional piece in*The Atlantic Monthly* titled "How Self-Expression Damaged My Students" by Robert Pondiscio. Of course, it's hardly worth doing as it carries nothing but assertion and anecdote, exactly the sort of thing one ought to be opposed to when discussing how to analyse writing as an informational conveyance with very rigid rules for construction. And as Pondiscio seems only able to compose ... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN TODAY'S MAIL
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN TODAY'S MAIL: IN TODAY'S MAIL by Mike Klonsky Hello all. Please consider coming and bringing students to this event: I've been assisting the 19th Ward Parents in hosting a forum on standardized testing and how to opt-out, to be held at Saint Xavier University, 7-8:30 pm, Friday, November 2. Monty Neill will keynote, and his talk will be followed by a panel including Julie Woestehoff from PURE, Jackson Potter and more. The focus will be on parents' and children's legal rights vis-a-vis school testing. Thanks to CreATers who authored the research b... more »
Bill Gates, other billionaires funding charter effort in Washington state
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Bill Gates, other billionaires funding charter effort in Washington state: Bill Gates, other billionaires funding charter effort in Washington state Posted by Valerie Strauss on October 12, 2012 at 11:25 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Bill Gates (Jeffrey MacMillan/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST) To get an understanding of how America’s wealthiest people are using some of their fortunes to drive school reform, take a look at a list of the contributors to the pro-charter school initiative on the Wash... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: What We Learn Going 100% Digital
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: What We Learn Going 100% Digital: What We Learn Going 100% Digital by Anngie Hewlett Packard began creating computers over forty years ago. They entered the e-reader market almost six years ago and remain a consistent supplier of digital connectivity. Therefore they have great reason to be excited about Arne Duncan's latest comment about digital text books. “Over the next few years, textbooks should be obsolete,” said Duncan in an interview with the Associated Press. He has pledged to do away with printed the books in the coming years in favor of digi... more »
Rephormy Little Liars | EduShyster
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Rephormy Little Liars | EduShyster: Rephormy Little Liars by edushyster2012 *What Joel Klein’s “life story” tells about about Education Reform, Inc.* Low Expectations High Schools, which Joel Klein attended. A teacher rescued Klein from near certain mediocrity and launched him on his life-long crusade—against teachers. So Joel Klein’s father was not an illiterate turd farmer who once tore up the pages of young Joel’s only book and smoked them in his corn cob pipe—what’s the big deal??? When you are literally trying to close the achievement gap with your own bare hands, facts have a t... more »
NYC Public School Parents: Stephen Colbert on medicating kids rather than providing them with the resources -- and smaller classes -- that they need
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Stephen Colbert on medicating kids rather than providing them with the resources -- and smaller classes -- that they need: Stephen Colbert on medicating kids rather than providing them with the resources -- and smaller classes -- that they need by Leonie Haimson On Tuesday, there was a stunning article in the NY Times by Alan Schwarz, showing how many doctors are prescribing amphetamines to children, not because they have ADHD, but to try to counteract the inadequate conditions in their schools: “I don’t have a whole lot of choice,” said Dr. Anderson, a... more »
President of the Board of Regents resigns - Wait, What?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
President of the Board of Regents resigns - Wait, What?: President of the Board of Regents resigns by jonpelto *OUT!*“After taking some time to think about what is in the best interest of our state and this new organization, our colleges and universities, the faculty, staff, presidents and, of course, our students, I have decided to submit my resignation to Board Chairman Lewis J. Robinson this morning,” Robert Kennedy, Outgoing President of the Board [...] Last bipartisan legislative call for a resignation – was about John Rowland. by jonpelto The latest development in the “Regent... more »
RheeFirst! » Campaign for America’s Future: Rhee is Education’s Ann Coulter
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
RheeFirst! » Campaign for America’s Future: Rhee is Education’s Ann Coulter: Campaign for America’s Future: Rhee is Education’s Ann Coulter by admin Written by Jeff Bryant for the Campaign for America’s Future. Read the entire post here. *“Although Rhee heads an organization called Students First, most of what she actually does is to advocate for specific types of legislation, i.e. lobby. In Chicago, Washington DC, New York City, and numerous state capitals, Students First has focused its considerable resources—including many hundreds of thousands in donations to candidates for... more »
Debate on Success of New Orleans Recovery District « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Debate on Success of New Orleans Recovery District « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Debate on Success of New Orleans Recovery District by millerlf *New Orleans Education Reform: Pass or Fail?* By Jill Anderson 04/24/2012 ASKWITHFORUMS Do the numbers on New Orleans schools lie? It depends on who you ask. At a heated Askwith Forum, “New Orleans Education Reform: Pass or Fail?” participants went head-to-head debating issues like academic achievement, special education, teacher firings and unions, and governance. *Time* columnist and EduWonk blogger Andy Rotherham moderated... more »
FCMAT UPDATE » Cali Education Headlines Friday, October 12, 2012
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *California PTA Please Tell Molly Munger to* *Shut the H*ll UP* Education Headlines *Friday, October 12, 2012* Lincoln Unified OKs drug testingLincoln Unified's school board approved a mandatory random drug-testing policy for its athletes and cheerleaders late Wednesday. District could face severe budget cutsThe Murrieta Valley Unified School District is facing a deficit of at least $11 million for next year, and that could rise to $21 million based on the results of the November election, said Stacy Coleman, assistant superinte... more »
