Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 11-14-12 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS



High School Dropouts Blame Lack of Parental Support, Teen Pregnancy - High School Notes (usnews.com)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago
High School Dropouts Blame Lack of Parental Support, Teen Pregnancy - High School Notes (usnews.com): High School Dropouts Blame Lack of Parental Support, Teen Pregnancy By KELSEY SHEEHY November 14, 2012 RSS Feed Print [image: Nearly half of high school dropouts surveyed cited disengaged parents and teen pregnancy as reasons they quit.] Nearly half of high school dropouts surveyed cited disengaged parents and teen pregnancy as reasons they quit. A lack of parental support and the challenges of teen pregnancy are among the primary factors driving students to leavehigh school before e... more »

Park Slope rezoning update, and more cents from me - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 minutes ago
Park Slope rezoning update, and more cents from me - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help: Park Slope rezoning update, and more cents from me by joyce I attended the meeting at John Jay last night where the new version of zone lines where announced. As DNA info leaked, the *39 zone changes have been taken off the table*. The 107/10 zone lines remained the same. *The 321 zone has been cropped at 5th Ave.* The PS 39 parents pledged to remain active to help the new St. Thomas building program ramp up their new PTA. There will be meetings, yet to be scheduled, so that rezoned famil... more »

CT Taxpayers invest in “Hot App” company, will the Wait, What? Blog be next? - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 minutes ago
CT Taxpayers invest in “Hot App” company, will the Wait, What? Blog be next? - Wait, What?: CT Taxpayers invest in “Hot App” company, will the Wait, What? Blog be next? by jonpelto An 18-month old company, incorporated in Delaware, with an office in Westport, but its chief financial officer and chief operations officers in California, landed $750,000 in Connecticut taxpayer funding this week, thanks to Connecticut Innovations, a quasi-state agency that works to support the Connecticut economy by investing public funds in private companies. deets, inc., who has had no sales to dat... more »

What is a WISE Conference? « My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 minutes ago
What is a WISE Conference? « My Island View: What is a WISE Conference? by tomwhitby A few weeks ago I received an email invitation to attend an education conference with all expenses paid. This is done to get the conferences noticed in the education community. It is an expense and a necessary element of Public relations. Depending on the quality of the conference, sometimes it pays off, but sometimes it exposes flaws of a conference to the world of connected educators. This is not an uncommon practice, and as a connected educator, I look upon it as an opportunity with each occu... more »

Free Webinar: Critical Strategies for Empowering 21st Century Teachers with Coaching and Capacity Building — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago
Free Webinar: Critical Strategies for Empowering 21st Century Teachers with Coaching and Capacity Building — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]Free Webinar: Critical Strategies for Empowering 21st Century Teachers with Coaching and Capacity Building November 14, 2012 by Klea Scharberg [image: Andrew Miller] Join ASCD Faculty member Andrew Miller for an exciting, free webinar to learn critical strategies for empowering teachers with coaching and capacity building. *Wednesday, November 14, 2012, 3:00 p.m. eastern time* *Register now!* Real change in our... more »

Beaverton parents ask school board to 'please tax me' after seeing the effects of teacher layoffs | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Beaverton parents ask school board to 'please tax me' after seeing the effects of teacher layoffs | OregonLive.com: Beaverton parents ask school board to 'please tax me' after seeing the effects of teacher layoffs by Wendy Owen, The Oregonian Beaverton parent Kevin O'Donnell held up his property tax statement and asked the Beaverton School Board to tax him. O'Donnell said things are looking up now compared tolast November when Beaverton voters said no to a local option levy that would have raised about $14 million for this school year, in which the district laid off nearly 100 ... more »

Modern School: Dysfunctional Do-Gooders

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Modern School: Dysfunctional Do-Gooders: Dysfunctional Do-Gooders by Michael Dunn *“The nonprofit sector, which roots for the underdog, supports tax breaks to the wealthy because charitable deductions help us.”* --Jan Masaoka, CEO of the California Association of Nonprofits (quoted in the Bay Citizen) *Corruption or Rational Response to an Irrational Premise* Non-profit organizations are often the strongest advocates for the neediest Americans, yet they also tend to be strong advocates for tax breaks for the nation’s millionaires. From their perspective, this is not a corruption, ... more »

Is Segregation the New Black? | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Is Segregation the New Black? | EduShyster: Is Segregation the New Black? by edushyster2012 Closing the achievement gap requires any means necessary, even segregating minority students into special schools with all white teaching staffs. Once upon a time there was something terrible in our nation’s schools called segregation. Reader: this separation of students into racial groups was viewed as a terrible scourge. In fact ending segregation in the public schools was viewed as so essential that it became *the civil rights issue of our time*. I only bring up this *awkward* little trip ... more »

ALEC INSPIRED: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee, George Parker Talk Tenure, Report Cards, And Innovation In Teaching | Fast Company

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee, George Parker Talk Tenure, Report Cards, And Innovation In Teaching | Fast Company: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee, George Parker Talk Tenure, Report Cards, And Innovation In Teaching BY LINDSAY HARRISON | NOVEMBER 13, 2012 inShare In a highlight from Fast Company's Innovation Uncensored event in San Francisco, Students First founder Rhee says teachers should be graded, while Washington (D.C.) Teachers Union president Parker says treat teachers' contracts more like those of sports stars. George Parker was indeed uncensored in...more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-14-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Charters Expand Despite Lack of Evidence for Their Success by dianerav Joy Resmovits has a good article at Huffington Post describing the growth of charter school enrollments and the absence of adequate oversight. Currently, about 5 percent of all American students are enrolled in these privately managed schools. In some urban districts, the proportion is much larger. The districts with the greatest number of students in charters are New Orleans, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, and Flint, Michigan. ... more »

Charter Schools Grow Rapidly, Adding 200,000 Students: Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Charter Schools Grow Rapidly, Adding 200,000 Students: Report: Charter Schools Grow Rapidly, Adding 200,000 Students: Report by Joy Resmovits Twenty years after their creation, charter schools constitute the fastest-growing sector of American public education, according to a report released Wednesday. Enrollment in these publicly funded but often privately run institutions rose by more than 200,000 students in the 2011-2012 school year compared to the previous year, the report found. That increasing enrollment has yielded a total of more than 2 million students in charter schools... more »

Daily Kos: In the afterglow (or is it aftermath) of the election

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Daily Kos: In the afterglow (or is it aftermath) of the election: In the afterglow (or is it aftermath) of the election by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Some reflections of a political junkie. 1. Non-partisan redistricting and its effects. The pattern is not completely clear. In Iowa, which went from 5 to 4 seats, the Democrats went from a 3-2 majority to a 2-2 tie in a state Obama won by more than 5%. On the other hand, in AZ, which added a seat, and in which the Governor tried to mess with the results of the non-partisan redistricting effort, the Dems went from 3-5 to an ... more »

The ultimate education reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The ultimate education reform: Problems with D.C. teacher retention report by Valerie Strauss A new report says that the D.C. schools system, operating under reforms instituted by former chancellorMichelle Rhee, is holding onto its best teachers at nearly twice the rate as its lowest performers, though teacher turnover is still too common. But there are issues with the report that raise serious questions about its conclusions. Read full article >> The ultimate education reform Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 14, 2012 at 4:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger T... more »

Math Professor Teaches High School Classes (Darryl Yong) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Math Professor Teaches High School Classes (Darryl Yong) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Math Professor Teaches High School Classes (Darryl Yong) by larrycuban *Darryl Yong is a professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont (CA). For the entire PDF, see rtx121001408pDarry Yong* During the 2009–2010 academic year I did something unusual for a university mathematician on sabbatical: I taught high school mathematics in a large urban school district. This might not be so strange except that my school does not have a teacher preparation program and... more »

General Strike! Historic Transeurope Solidarity Against Austerity | OccupyWallSt.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
General Strike! Historic Transeurope Solidarity Against Austerity | OccupyWallSt.org: General Strike! Historic Transeurope Solidarity Against Austerity by OccupyWallSt [image: Peoples of Europe Rise Up!] *via http://europeanstrike.org [with minor edits -- see below an extensive list of General Strike actions]:* *European Strike: people of Europe, rise up!*On November the 14th, Portugal, Spain and other peoples will engage global strike to say "NO" to austerity measures. Everywhere in Europe, activist social movements are organising themselves to say "STOP" to austerity, "STOP" to th... more »

School Tech Connect: Your Common Core Moment

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Your Common Core Moment: Your Common Core Moment by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) From a discussion they evidently had over in Frankfort, which I formerly thought was in Germany but is actually in Illinois: Grand Prairie Elementary School principal Eileen Nelson explained how the school is making changes in accordance with the new state standards. She said Grand Prairie is encouraging student engagement and transitioning from a knowledge and recall style of teaching to a style focused on application and analysis. For example, the school no longer conducts sp... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Numbers that leave me shock-and-awed

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Numbers that leave me shock-and-awed: Numbers that leave me shock-and-awed by Mike Klonsky I am hardly one to try and quantify everything, particularly teaching/learning. But there are some numbers that I find fascinating if only for purposes of shock and awe. Here are a few: *50.8* -- The percent of votes cast by Washington state voters in support of Initiative 1240. The new law will permit up to 40 privately-run charter schools over the next five years in the state. Votes are still being counted a week after the election which marked the fourth time... more »

UC Irvine Student Government Passes Israel Occupation Divestment Resolution « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
UC Irvine Student Government Passes Israel Occupation Divestment Resolution « Student Activism: UC Irvine Student Government Passes Israel Occupation Divestment Resolution by Angus Johnston The student government at the University of California at Irvine last night voted unanimously to divest itself of investments in companies that support the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, and to urge the UC Irvine administration to do the same. The resolution, titled “Divestment from Companies that Profit from Apartheid,” is the second such policy to be adopted by a UC student government ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Cheating At Chris Christie's Fav Charter School?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Cheating At Chris Christie's Fav Charter School?: Cheating At Chris Christie's Fav Charter School? by Duke Ruh-roh: *Three officials from a Newark charter school under investigation for possible cheating on state tests were found to have breached the security of sixth grade students' tests*, according to a report released today by the State Department of Education. The school, *Robert Treat Academy*, is among the state's oldest and most celebrated charter schools. Founded by Newark political boss Steve Adubato, the school has been praised by members of the state ... more »

Swedish School De-emphasizes Gender Lines - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Swedish School De-emphasizes Gender Lines - NYTimes.com: Stockholm Journal: Swedish School De-emphasizes Gender Lines from NYT > Education by By JOHN TAGLIABUE The Nicolaigarden school in Stockholm tries to free girls and boys from traditional gender roles, starting with replacing “him” or “her” with “friend.” [image: New York Times] STOCKHOLM — At an ocher-color preschool along a lane in Stockholm’s Old Town, the teachers avoid the pronouns “him” and “her,” instead calling their 115 toddlers simply “friends.” Masculine and feminine references are taboo, often replaced by the pro... more »

The Educated Reporter: How Are States Tracking Teacher Training Programs?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: How Are States Tracking Teacher Training Programs?: How Are States Tracking Teacher Training Programs? by Emily Richmond With the election behind us, it’s time to focus on what’s ahead for education policy. One area of particular importance – and expected emphasis for the Obama administration’s second term – is teacher effectiveness. Teachers unions are closely monitoring (and taking part) in the conversation, particularly when it comes to new requirements being adopted by many states which require student test scores to be a factor in evaluating educator j... more »

Castle Crier ONLINE REPORTING FROM CASTLEMONT HIGH IN OAKLAND

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Castle Crier: CASTLE CRIERONLINE REPORTING FROM CASTLEMONT HIGH IN OAKLANDABOUT CONTACT LINKS SPONSOR SUBMIT

Another Oakland student news blog: Castle Crier! - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Another Oakland student news blog: Castle Crier! - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: Another Oakland student news blog: Castle Crier! Tuesday, November 13th, 2012 at 5:05 pm in 1 Comment *High school newspapers, ready to be distributed (not at Castlemont) from elizasizzle’s site at flickr.com/creativecommons.* Student journalism in Oakland has popped up at yet another high school. At Castlemont High, students have launched an online site with a wonderfully old-school newspaper name, the Castle Crier. AP English language students are the publication’s first ... more »

School District Sued For Restricting Book Featuring Lesbian Couple | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
School District Sued For Restricting Book Featuring Lesbian Couple | toteachornototeach: School District Sued For Restricting Book Featuring Lesbian Couple by aristotlethewise *Davis School District In Utah Sued For Restricting* *‘In Our Mothers’ House,’ Book Featuring Lesbian Couple* ** The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Utah filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Davis School District after officials told elementary schools in the district to remove a children’s book about a family with same-sex parents from their libraries. “In Our Mothers’ House” tells the story of ... more »

Finland's educational success story: Less testing, more trusting | Local News | The Seattle Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Finland's educational success story: Less testing, more trusting | Local News | The Seattle Times: Finland's educational success story: Less testing, more trusting Finland has become an educational star by doing the opposite of what's happening in many U.S. schools and school districts. Pasi Sahlberg, an official with Finland's Ministry of Education and Culture, is in Seattle this week to share the story of Finland's success. By Linda Shaw Seattle Times education reporter *Free lecture* *Pasi Sahlberg,* Finland education official and author of "Finnish Lessons," a book about Finl... more »

L.A. school board adopts comprehensive food policy - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
L.A. school board adopts comprehensive food policy - latimes.com: L.A. school board adopts comprehensive food policy In line with its previous commitments to balanced nutrition, the Los Angeles school board voted Tuesday to implement one of the largest and most comprehensive food procurement polices of any school district. The policy calls for using the $100 million the Los Angeles School District spends annually on food as leverage to ensure that food service providers comply with fair workers' rights, provide organic and sustainable farming, and protect animal welfare. "Where an... more »

Jersey Jazzman: B4K Buys Revenge Against An Outspoken Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: B4K Buys Revenge Against An Outspoken Teacher: B4K Buys Revenge Against An Outspoken Teacher by Duke B4K was founded by two hedge fund managers to lobby for the removal of teacher tenure. Its Executive Director,Derrell Bradford, has admitted that he came into the education sphere not because of any deep conviction, but because he needed a job (it's obvious who is being referred to in the linked post). This is the same noble fellow who said (all emphases mine): We can be about pure activism because *we don't have anything to gain from the success of the agenda* other... more »

It’s Looking More Likely That CA Schools May Get Long-Term Monies They Need, But Not For Another Two Years… | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
It’s Looking More Likely That CA Schools May Get Long-Term Monies They Need, But Not For Another Two Years… | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: It’s Looking More Likely That CA Schools May Get Long-Term Monies They Need, But Not For Another Two Years… by Larry Ferlazzo Proposition 30 passed in California last week, and that provides schools the funds required not to cut-back any further. But, as I’ve previously posted, the biggest electoral news in our state is that it appears that the Democrats are gaining a two-thirds supermajority in the state legislature. That surprise c... more »

Khan Academy founder, Salman Khan, talks future of education today at Cal Poly Pomona - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Khan Academy founder, Salman Khan, talks future of education today at Cal Poly Pomona - LA Daily News: Khan Academy founder, Salman Khan, talks future of education today at Cal Poly Pomona By Beau Yarbrough, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin Posted: 11/13/2012 11:07:44 AM PST Updated: 11/13/2012 06:37:16 PM PST ------------------------------ *Related stories:* Salman Khan bio | Salman Khan timeline ------------------------------ POMONA -- Khan Academy founder Salman Khan spoke about reinventing education to about 1,000 people, a crowd which was two-thirds teachers and university stu... more »

UNPROFESSIONAL, CONFRONTATIONAL WORDS « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
UNPROFESSIONAL, CONFRONTATIONAL WORDS « Teachers Fight Back: UNPROFESSIONAL, CONFRONTATIONAL WORDS by alkleen One of my prestigious “Golden Chalk Awards” goes out to the Chicago Teachers’ Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey. The union and other supporters held a protest demonstration in Chicago this past Tuesday. They were protesting the planned closings of Chicago public schools and also the money that was being taken from those schools and being given to charter schools. Jesse Sharkey addressed the protesters and what he said was very unprofessional and confrontational. His wo... more »

The truth simply isn’t important… As Malloy’s budget chief concedes emergency deficit reduction plan is “likely” - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
The truth simply isn’t important… As Malloy’s budget chief concedes emergency deficit reduction plan is “likely” - Wait, What?: The truth simply isn’t important… As Malloy’s budget chief concedes emergency deficit reduction plan is “likely” by jonpelto According to today’s CTMirror article, written by Keith M. Phaneuf and Jacqueline Rabe Thomas. “One day after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy called it ‘premature’ to talk about state budget deficits, his budget chief told reporters that state finances were far enough in the red to “likely” trigger a mandatory deficit-reduction plan.” No Gove... more »

NYC Educator: The Fifteen Commandments

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
NYC Educator: The Fifteen Commandments: The Fifteen Commandments by NYC Educator * by Suddenly ATR * Since Hurricane Sandy hit I've been assigned to the same high school. It's a new school, only in its second year. The principal has Big Plans for this school. He wants it to eventually become a specialized high school, along the lines of Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, or Townsend Harris. This is a school with Very Strict Rules. The AP is a very brusque lady who one morning accused me of being late. I calmly told her I wasn't late, I was sent by her very own payroll secretary to cover a... more »

School Tech Connect: Many Things Are Disturbing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Many Things Are Disturbing: Many Things Are Disturbing by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) What I find disturbing is that this woman is the unelected, self-appointed queen of Illinois education policy. Steans called it “disturbing” that in 10 years, the percent of Illinois students hitting proficiency benchmarks on a national fourth-grade reading test has only moved from 31 percent to 33 percent. On the same national test, only a third of students were proficient in eighth-grade — the same amount as two years ago. This ten year timeframe is pretty much th... more »

Endangered Species: In Defense of Cursive Writing | Technology on GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Endangered Species: In Defense of Cursive Writing | Technology on GOOD: Endangered Species: In Defense of Cursive Writing from GOOD [image: cursive] On the second day of fourth grade, my teacher—Sister Paula—called me up to the front of the class. She had a piece of notebook paper in her hand, which I quickly realized was the homework I'd just turned in—three paragraphs on a topic I can't recall (but I'm sure was quite important at the time.) "Elizabeth Dwyer," she intoned severely, "do you know how to write?" The question confused me because, well, I'd obviously completed the assi... more »

Pass / Fail : L.A. Unified restores cut classroom days and rescinds teacher furloughs for this year | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Pass / Fail : L.A. Unified restores cut classroom days and rescinds teacher furloughs for this year | 89.3 KPCC: L.A. Unified restores cut classroom days and rescinds teacher furloughs for this year by By Adolfo Guzman-Lopez The L.A. Unified school board voted Tuesday to restore five instructional days to the district's calendar and to rescind 10 unpaid days off teachers had agreed to earlier this year. These actions didn't surprise observers. L.A. Unified and ever other district in the state avoided mid-year state funding cuts after last week’s ballot box victory of Proposition... more »

Diverse Charter Schools : Education Next

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Diverse Charter Schools : Education Next: Diverse Charter Schools *Popular, controversial, and a challenge to run successfully* *By Alexander Russo* *Attention Bootlicker ALERT!* * * 0 COMMENTS | PRINT | NO PDF | SHARE WINTER 2013 / VOL. 13, NO. 1 In February 2009, newly elected President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama visited Capital City Public Charter School in northwest Washington, D.C. They were greeted at the front entrance of the school by 5th-grade students and given a brief tour before taking a seat in the library to read *The Moon Over Star* to a group of 2n... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter: This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter by Larry Ferlazzo Guest post by Gwen Pescatore This week’s Parent-Teacher Chat (#ptchat) on Twitter – Creating a Positive Learning Environment at Home & at School Maxine Shaw, Head of Hazelwood School in Surrey, England said in an article for the autumn issue of Attain Magazine, “The very best schools will set children on a journey.” She continues on to say, “…each child sees themselves as an octopus, in a string bag, on a zip wire. As the child travels along the zip wire they will be able... more »

Nominations Open – The 2012 Edublog Awards are here! | The Edublog Awards

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Nominations Open – The 2012 Edublog Awards are here! | The Edublog Awards: *Nominations Open – The 2012 Edublog Awards are here!* November 13, 2012 by Ronnie Burt | 0 comments 3 [image: logo-small] It is that time of year again! The 2012 Edublog Awards are a go! The Edublog Awards is a community based initiative started in 2004 in response to community concerns relating to how schools, districts and educational institutions were *blocking access* of learner and teacher blog sites for educational purposes. The purpose of the Edublog awards is *promote and demonstrate the educationa... more »

NYC Public School Parents: What should be done instead of pushing our kids off the "fiscal cliff"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: What should be done instead of pushing our kids off the "fiscal cliff": What should be done instead of pushing our kids off the "fiscal cliff" by Leonie Haimson I know; the words “fiscal cliff” probably fills you with the same mixture of dread and ennui as it does me. But let’s take a moment and focus on the decisions the President and Congress have to make in the next few weeks to address the yawning deficit. Unless they make the right choices by January 2, huge across-the-board cuts to education and other critical domestic programs will be automatica... more »

Phony school “reform” agenda takes a beating - Salon.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Phony school “reform” agenda takes a beating - Salon.com: Phony school “reform” agenda takes a beatingThe media barely noticed, but voters in three states rejected the profit-driven fraud that is education "reform"BY DAVID SIROTA - - 145 - 54 - - - - more - TOPICS: 2012 ELECTIONS, EDUCATION, EDUCATION REFORM, SCHOOL REFORM, POLITICS NEWS [image: Phony school] (Credit: AP Photo/Ed Andrieski) If your only source of news about American education came from docu-propaganda like “Waiting for Superman,” Hollywood politi-schlock like “Won’t Ba... more »

Family Engagement in Student Learning: A Conversation with Dr. Maria C. Paredes | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Family Engagement in Student Learning: A Conversation with Dr. Maria C. Paredes | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Family Engagement in Student Learning: A Conversation with Dr. Maria C. Paredes by Tarsi Dunlop *Parent and family engagement is a critical component when it comes to ensuring student achievement and success in school. However, traditional models of parent-teacher interaction (for example, conventional parent-teacher conferences) do not necessarily have a substantial effect on student performance. Maria C. Paredes noticed that although parents in ... more »

What's Wrong with Teacher Evaluation and How to Fix It: Observation Equals Evaluation — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
What's Wrong with Teacher Evaluation and How to Fix It: Observation Equals Evaluation — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: James H. Stronge]What’s Wrong with Teacher Evaluation and How to Fix It: Observation Equals Evaluation November 13, 2012 by James H. Stronge So, where do we begin? Teacher evaluation, throughout most of our recent history, has been practiced religiously with the intent—or, at least, hope—that it will improve performance. The assumption underlying much of teacher evaluation practice goes something like this: *Teacher Observation = Teacher Evaluat... more »

CTU protest marches to downtown Hyatt - chicagotribune.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
CTU protest marches to downtown Hyatt - chicagotribune.com: Teachers union marches against school closingsProtesters target board's Penny Pritzker in demonstration at Hyatt hotel By Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah, Chicago Tribune reporter November 13, 2012 As it girds for a battle over school closings, the Chicago Teachers Union is adhering to the strategy it employed during the September strike by framing the fight as one pitting regular Joes from the neighborhood against elitist big-money interests. On Tuesday, school board member Penny Pritzker bore the brunt of the ire of protesters wh... more »

Diane in the Evening 11-13-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Sirota Exposes the Big Lie Technique by dianerav David Sirota, an author and talk-show host, here analyzes the election results and says they exposed the Big Lie of the corporate reform movement. The public is not hankering to privatize their public schools. The corporate leaders and rightwing establishment dropped millions of dollars to push their agenda of LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-13-12 Diane Ravitch's blog coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Testing Toddlers in Lou... more »

Checking-In on the Legacy of Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Teacher Reforms in Washington, D.C. - Dana Goldstein

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Checking-In on the Legacy of Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Teacher Reforms in Washington, D.C. - Dana Goldstein: Checking-In on the Legacy of Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Teacher Reforms in Washington, D.C. by Dana Goldstein A new report from The New Teacher Project, "Keeping Irreplacables in D.C. Public Schools," takes a look at how Michelle Rhee's controversial IMPACT teacher evaluation program has fared since she left the district in 2010. Under IMPACT, teachers are rated according to a number of measures, including multiple annual classroom observations by admi... more »

PSAT for 11-13-12: Tell new/re-elected state legislators to deny 3B’s extension Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 11-13-12: Tell new/re-elected state legislators to deny 3B’s extension: PSAT for 11-13-12: Tell new/re-elected state legislators to deny 3B’s extension by admin First, we want to take a moment to congratulate all of our new and re-elected state senators and representatives. Then we want to remind them why they were elected – to represent*us* in Springfield. So, for today’s Public Schools Action Tuesday, please take a moment to send a message to those senatorsand representatives still in the legislature who will att... more »

Students For Education Reform? Not the Change We Need | Education on GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Students For Education Reform? Not the Change We Need | Education on GOOD: Students For Education Reform? Not the Change We Need from GOOD [image: chair.school] It all began in early August of this year. Stephanie Rivera, a student at Rutgers University and future teacher, published a gutsy, investigative piece uncovering the lunacy behind Students for Education Reform, an organization founded by two Princeton students, Catharine Bellinger and Alexis Morin. I highly suggest you read it yourself, but the commentary struck a profound chord with me for a number of reasons. SFER has r... more »

Team Vallas increases spending on Bridgeport’s 64 principals and assistant principals by 22.4% - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Team Vallas increases spending on Bridgeport’s 64 principals and assistant principals by 22.4% - Wait, What?: Team Vallas increases spending on Bridgeport’s 64 principals and assistant principals by 22.4% by jonpelto According to a new budget document that has been added to the Bridgeport School System’s website, Paul Vallas, and his “Education Reform” efficiency team, have increased spending on Bridgeport’s 64 school principals, assistant principals and management supervisors by $1,696,054 million over the amount spent on these senior school administrators last year. During the 2... more »

Washington to allow charter schools after billionaire-backed initiative squeaks through

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Washington to allow charter schools after billionaire-backed initiative squeaks through: Washington to allow charter schools after billionaire-backed initiative squeaks through Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 13, 2012 at 1:03 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Washington becomes the 42nd state to allow public charter schools to open now that ballot Initiative 1240 has passed, apparently by about 1 percentage point — this after a group of billionaires, including Bill Gates, donated more... more »

What's Ahead for Education in the Lame Duck? - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
What's Ahead for Education in the Lame Duck? - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard: [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] What’s Ahead for Education in the Lame Duck? Nov 13th, 2012 by LilysBlackboard. Join hosts Donna Schwartz Mills (MOMocrats) and Cynthia Liu (K-12 News Network) as they talk with experts on education and try to switch gears from presidential politics to the lame duck session of Congress. What’s the “fiscal showdown,” and what will it mean for federal education dollars beginning January, 2013? Who’ll feel the proposed cuts and what can we do to preven... more »

Part 2: High stakes testing and opting out: The Types of Tests | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Part 2: High stakes testing and opting out: The Types of Tests | Seattle Education: Part 2: High stakes testing and opting out: The Types of Tests Posted on November 13, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment *High Stakes Testing and Opting Out: The Types of Tests * *- Dora Taylor* There are different types of tests that students typically take in a school year. One test the teacher creates and bases it on the information that has been provided in the classroom within a particular span of time. It provides information to the teacher, the parent and the student describing how ... more »

A Liberal Arts Tuition Surcharge at Florida’s Public Colleges? « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
A Liberal Arts Tuition Surcharge at Florida’s Public Colleges? « Student Activism: A Liberal Arts Tuition Surcharge at Florida’s Public Colleges? by Angus Johnston A Florida education task force established by Governor Rick Scott is recommending that students at the state’s public colleges and universities be charged extra for majoring in subjects that the state considers unattractive for employers. Under the proposal, state lawmakers would draw up a list of “high-skill, high-wage, high-demand” undergraduate majors, and tuition in those fields would be frozen for three years. If s... more »

Dear Dennis. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Dear Dennis. « Fred Klonsky: Dear Dennis. by Fred Klonsky Dennis Van Roekel President, National Education Association November 13, 2012 Dear Dennis. Like you, I was pretty pleased with the results of the election on Tuesday. Let me qualify that. *I was mostly pleased. * I have to say, that even apart from the defeat of Romney, this was one of the most broadly based progressive electoral victories in a national election in my memory: Tax support for education in California. Marriage equality in a number of states. The defeat of the Republican Superintendent of Education in red state I... more »

Shanker Blog » Value-Added, For The Record

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Shanker Blog » Value-Added, For The Record: Value-Added, For The Record by Matthew Di Carlo People often ask me for my “bottom line” on using value-added (or other growth model) estimates in teacher evaluations. I’ve written on this topic many times, and while I have in fact given my overall opinion a couple of times, I have avoided expressing it in a strong “yes or no” format. There’s a reason for this, and I thought maybe I would write a short piece and explain myself. My first reaction to the queries about where I stand on value-added is a shot of appreciation that people are i... more »

Gates foundation and ACE go big on MOOC-related grants | Inside Higher Ed

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Gates foundation and ACE go big on MOOC-related grants | Inside Higher Ed: Establishment Opens Door for MOOCs November 13, 2012 - 11:03am By Paul Fain The clearest path to college credit for massive open online courses may soon be through credit recommendations from the American Council of Education (ACE), which announced today that it will work with Coursera to determine whether an initial group of 8-10 MOOCs should be worth credit. The council is also working on a similar arrangement with EdX, a MOOC-provider created by elite universities. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is f... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, November 13, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Surf's Up* Education Headlines *Tuesday, November 13, 2012* Sacramento-area school board races vary widely in voter participationAs ballots continue to be counted, a trend among local school districts appears to be holding – voter participation in school board races varies drastically from one area to another. Elk Grove's Hmong find a voice on their school boardSteve Ly, 38, used a fresh army of 250 volunteers, most of them Hmong Americans between the ages of 16 and 25, to become the first Hmong American to be elected to public ... more »

Oregon TAG education lacking, says report; here are tips and resources for parents | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Oregon TAG education lacking, says report; here are tips and resources for parents | OregonLive.com: Oregon TAG education lacking, says report; here are tips and resources for parentsPublished: Tuesday, November 13, 2012, 8:08 AM Updated: Tuesday, November 13, 2012, 8:08 AM [image: Amy Wang, The Oregonian] By Amy Wang, The Oregonian Follo As of this fall, all 197 Oregon public school districts have put in writing their plans for supporting the state's 40,375 Talented and Gifted students. It's one step toward resolving "The Quiet Crisis in Talented and Gifted Education ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: "We don't need no stinkin' Open Meetings Act..."

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: "We don't need no stinkin' Open Meetings Act...": "We don't need no stinkin' Open Meetings Act..." by Mike Klonsky Public school teachers, students, parents and activists rally against school closings inside the lobby of the Hyatt Hotel on North St. Clair Street in Chicago. -- Chicago Tribune Here's Byrd-Bennett's response to the ongoing protests against the Gates-funded closing of 100 neighborhood schools, replacing them with privately-run charters: *CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett appointed a new “independent commission” to oversee school closings a... more »

Modern School: Sick Leave Abuse—The Latest in Teacher Bashing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Modern School: Sick Leave Abuse—The Latest in Teacher Bashing: Sick Leave Abuse—The Latest in Teacher Bashing by Michael Dunn 36% of teachers nationally were absent more than 10 days during the 2009-10 school year, according to Raegen T. Miller, Associate Director for Education Research at the Center for American Progress. Miller goes on to complain about how teacher absenteeism negatively affects student achievement and costs districts billions of dollars, implying that this is a big problem that needs to be addressed. While this statistic might seem high, it needs to be placed... more »




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