Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-1-12 #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

THE WAY WE DO SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT The Whole Child Newsletter - November 1, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 45 minutes ago

The Whole Child Newsletter - November 1, 2012: THE WAY WE DO SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTEvery school has a culture. Some are positive, while others are toxic; many are somewhere in between. A school's culture affects the lives of everyone in the building. Educators working in a positive school culture(PDF) experience collegiality, trust, and tangible support as leaders and peers, creating an environment where there are high expectations, involvement in decision making, and open communication. Students entering a positive school culture feel safe, engaged, and connected and see school as a p... more »

Jane Watson Writes Charters Not NeededSave Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 47 minutes ago

Jane Watson Writes Charters Not NeededSave Our Schools: Jane Watson Writes Charters Not Needed by Server Jane Watson, Save Our Schools Information Coordinator Writes*Charters Are Not Needed.* *As published in the Yakima Herald-Republic Charters not needed* November 1, 2012 To the editor — Thank you for the Oct. 24 article and editorial concerning charter schools. Parents and older students do have a variety of school choices, including private schools, public school, home schooling, computer school, EPIC Headstart, Oakridge Montessori, etc. There is a Migrant Education Center in S... more »

Must See Video: Romney Walking Out of an Interview in Iowa « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 51 minutes ago

Must See Video: Romney Walking Out of an Interview in Iowa « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Must See Video: Romney Walking Out of an Interview in Iowa Filed under: Mitt — millerlf @ 5:21 pm *Observe Romney walking out of a radio interview in Iowa in 2007 because of questions about Mormonism, the Second Coming and abortion.* He apparently did not know he was being videotaped.

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Fairly Unified on the Education Front Against I-1240

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Fairly Unified on the Education Front Against I-1240: Fairly Unified on the Education Front Against I-1240 by Melissa Westbrook [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] The No On I-1240 campaign has released an open letter rejecting I-1240. The people listed represent those from 260 school districts across Washington State. That's nearly 90% of the school districts in the state. “The open letter shows that opposition to I-1240 is not bound by geography or income,” said Michael DeBell, Seattle School Board President. “It’s a bad plan for every stu... more »

Preen for America | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Preen for America | EduShyster: Preen for America by edushyster2012 I dedicate this post to my Premium Club readers who simply aren’t excellent enough to Teach for America. Let’s face it: you and I are never going to be Teach for America material. But while we may not have the goods to join Wendy Kopp’s Kidz we can still experience their freshness and innovation vicariously: by watching the Real Housewives of Miami host a benefit for TFA on Bravo this week. No doubt you are wondering how in the world EduShyster could know such a thing…Reader: I fear that mine is a wasted life of de... more »

IEA offers a deal on right-wing pizza. I wouldn’t order it in a million years. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

IEA offers a deal on right-wing pizza. I wouldn’t order it in a million years. « Fred Klonsky: IEA offers a deal on right-wing pizza. I wouldn’t order it in a million years. by Fred Klonsky *Papa John’s John Schnatter. * I have some friends coming over tonight. It’s a book club. Don’t laugh. All my friends at work predicted I would join a book club when I retired and I swore not. But I did. We get together every couple of months. It’s my pick this time. We were supposed to read Anthony Shadid’s*House of Stone.* Shadid was the New York Times correspondent in the middle east. His re... more »

StudentsFirst PAC donates $500,000 to campaign against union-backed Proposal 2 | MLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

StudentsFirst PAC donates $500,000 to campaign against union-backed Proposal 2 | MLive.com: *StudentsFirst PAC donates $500,000 to campaign against union-backed Proposal 2* * * GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – StudentsFirst.org’s political action committee has donated $500,000 to the campaign against the union-backed Proposal 2, with the organization’s leaders saying they want to preserve school reforms. The proposal, also calledProtect Our Jobs and Protect Working Families, would enshrine collective bargaining in the state constitution, invalidating existing or future state or local laws tha... more »

L.A. Unified applies for grant without teachers union - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

L.A. Unified applies for grant without teachers union - latimes.com: L.A. Unified applies for grant without teachers union [image: LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy during a meeting of the Los Angeles School Board in February. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times] The Los Angeles Unified School District has decided to submit an application for a high-profile federal grant without the participation of the teachers union. Current federal rules for “Race to the Top” grants require a written commitment to the terms by the local teachers union. But United Teachers Los Angeles officials have... more »

Diane in the Evening 11-1-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: In New Orleans, Students Lead the Way by dianerav Several student groups convened an open forum for candidates running for the local school board. This gave students an opportunity to question candidates about where they stand on issues that affect students. Only one candidate did not appear: Sarah Usdin, who confirmed that she would show but did not. Usdin is the ex-TFA executive director of New Schools for New Orleans. She has received more than $110,000 from generous out-of-state donors like Joel Klein, who sells technology for Rupert Murdoch, and asso... more »

School Funding Part II: More Money Doesn’t Mean More Equity | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

School Funding Part II: More Money Doesn’t Mean More Equity | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: School Funding Part II: More Money Doesn’t Mean More Equity by Tarsi Dunlop There are few things as complicated as funding when it comes to our nation’s public schools. But a basic understanding on the part of policy-makers and voters can be a significant contributor to the vitality of public schools and our democratic society. This week, as much of mainstream media zeros in on the Presidential race and key competitive Congressional races, it’s worth remembering that o... more »

Washington State charter school Initiative 1240 and the lack of accountability | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Washington State charter school Initiative 1240 and the lack of accountability | Seattle Education: Washington State charter school Initiative 1240 and the lack of accountability by seattleducation2011 Washington State charter school Initiative 1240 and the lack of accountability [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] Posted on November 1, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment Since 2007, OII ( U. S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement) has handed over $909,000,000 to state education agencies (SEAs) and others (non-SEAs) to open and run char... more »

Ideas for E.L.L.s | 'Gangnam Style,' Emotion Words and More - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Ideas for E.L.L.s | 'Gangnam Style,' Emotion Words and More - NYTimes.com: Ideas for English Language Learners | ‘Gangnam Style,’ ‘Emotion Words’ and MoreBy LARRY FERLAZZO *“Long Division Style,” a parody of PSY’s “Gangnam Style” made by a Brooklyn teacher and her students. Go to related SchoolBook post »* Each month we post a list of ideas for English Language Learners written by teacher and “edublogger” Larry Ferlazzo. Sometimes, like last month’s on thepresidential election, they focus on a timely theme, while others, like this edition, pull from a variety of Times content. The g... more »

‘Just Let Me Teach’ armbands taking off

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

‘Just Let Me Teach’ armbands taking off: ‘Just Let Me Teach’ armbands taking off Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 1, 2012 at 11:49 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » (www.facebook.com/ JustLetMeTeach) Justin Oakley, 35, is a self-described lifelong Hoosier, who has been a teacher for 10 years and is sick and tired of school reformers telling him and his fellow teachers how to do their jobs. Oakley, who has been president of the Martinsville Classroom Teachers Association, had waged a month... more »

Open Letter to Mayor Emanuel and Walgreen’s CEO Greg Wasson on real parent involvement Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Open Letter to Mayor Emanuel and Walgreen’s CEO Greg Wasson on real parent involvement: Open Letter to Mayor Emanuel and Walgreen’s CEO Greg Wasson on real parent involvement by admin *An Open Letter to Mayor Emanuel and Walgreen’s* *on Real Parent Involvement* November 1, 2012 Sent by facsimile Dear Mayor Emanuel and Walgreen’s CEO Greg Wasson: PURE is a Chicago Public School (CPS) parent advocacy organization which has offered exceptional local school council and parent training and support for 25 years. We object to the ... more »

Schools Matter: Earning a Scholarship

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Schools Matter: Earning a Scholarship: Earning a Scholarship by Storm *[The following is excerpted from the first chapter of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. Aside from what is obvious regarding the continuation of this particular social "understanding" of the status of the Black American, I would offer that this is the primary perspective we operate within as members of an hierarchically managed society. The narrator is one who has beheld an incoherence. "All dreamers and sleepwalkers must pay the price, and even the invisible victim is responsible for the fate of all." I sup... more »

Shanker Blog » The Structural Curve In Indiana's New School Grading System

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Shanker Blog » The Structural Curve In Indiana's New School Grading System: The Structural Curve In Indiana’s New School Grading System by Matthew Di Carlo The State of Indiana has receive a great deal of attention for its education reform efforts, and they recently announced the details, as well as the first round of results, of their new “A-F” school grading system. As in many other states, for elementary and middle schools, the grades are based entirely on math and reading test scores. It is probably the most rudimentary scoring system I’ve seen yet – almost painfully so. Such ... more »

THE REAL REASON “CHARTER REFORM” FAILED IN HARRISBURG

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

*THE REAL REASON “CHARTER REFORM”* *FAILED IN HARRISBURG* [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] *(**Harrisburg, PA)--*The failed attempt by proponents of charter schools to force legislation through the House last week resulted in legislation that was so lacking in oversight it raised concerns among far-right Republican members, who eventually joined with Democrats to seriously question and ultimately kill the bill. The so-call reforms didn’t go far enough or reform well enough to convince those who questioned the industry-lobbied bill on both sides of the... more »

Remarks by the President and Governor Christie After Surveying Damage from Hurricane Sandy | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Remarks by the President and Governor Christie After Surveying Damage from Hurricane Sandy | The White House: Remarks by the President and Governor Christie After Surveying Damage from Hurricane Sandy Brigantine Marina Brigantine, New Jersey 4:38 P.M. EDT GOVERNOR CHRISTIE: Good afternoon, everybody. And thank you all for coming today. I want to thank the members who are here as well. And obviously, I want to thank the President. We spent a significant afternoon together surveying the damage up and down the New Jersey coastline; we were on Marine One together to be able to sh... more »

Obama’s second-term promises in education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Obama’s second-term promises in education: Obama’s second-term promises in education by Valerie Strauss Arne Duncan and President Obama (YURI GRIPAS/REUTERS ) Here’s what a brochure put out by President Obama’s campaign says he will focus on in education during his next term, assuming he has one: President Obama’s plan for America’s future: Highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020 so we can compete and win in the 21st Century economy: 1. Cutting tuition growth in half over the next ten years. We can make college more affordable by continuing tax credits to he... more »

Real parent involvement not bought at Walgreen’s (memories of Field School) Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Real parent involvement not bought at Walgreen’s (memories of Field School): Real parent involvement not bought at Walgreen’s (memories of Field School) by admin Parents protest Walgreens' opposition to fair school funding (1993) So, Rahm Emanuel went swimming at his health club recently and got a great idea – give parents a $25 gift card from Walgreen’s and solve the parent involvement problem! (I guess the pool had already given him enough great ideas for solving Chicago’s homicide epidemic.) He took this great idea to my ol... more »

FCMAT » CALI Education Headlines Thursday, November 1, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Thursday, November 1, 2012* Sale of Pacific View Elementary site in Encinitas falls throughA deal to sell the Pacific View Elementary School site to a regional arts group that wanted to create an arts center there has fallen through, after a deadline passed with little progress and group leaders decided not to risk losing their deposit. Online petition supports school yoga programA local yoga enthusiast who runs a website about the practice has started an online petition to try to encourage the Encinitas Uni... more »

Former North Atlanta principal wants hearing to clear his name. Still think this could have been handled better. | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Former North Atlanta principal wants hearing to clear his name. Still think this could have been handled better. | Get Schooled: Former North Atlanta principal wants hearing to clear his name. Still think this could have been handled better. by Maureen Downey *WTF?* Former North Atlanta High principal Mark MyGrant wants to clear his name against what he considers innuendo and character assassination by APS leadership And he has hired education attorney Glenn Delk, fresh off his unsuccessful charter amendment lawsuits against Fulton and Gwinnett, to represent him. According to the... more »

Jersey Jazzman: NJEA Cancels Convention

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: NJEA Cancels Convention: NJEA Cancels Convention by Duke [image: Good News About New Jersey's Public Schools] This really is unprecedented: *For the first time in its 158-year history, the NJEA Convention has been cancelled.* NJEA President Barbara Keshishian announced the decision today, “in light of the natural disaster that has struck New Jersey and Atlantic City in particular. It was a difficult decision, but we believe it was the correct one, considering the statewide impact of this unprecedented storm.” Keshishian also announced that the leadership of NJEA is...more »

Anthony Borrelli owes Carpenter teachers an apology. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Anthony Borrelli owes Carpenter teachers an apology. « Fred Klonsky: Anthony Borrelli owes Carpenter teachers an apology. by Fred Klonsky I’ve written about the wealthy Park Ridge foot doctor Anthony Borrelli before. He is one of two Park Ridge, Illinois school board members who voted no on a 2% raise when the negotiated contract came up for board approval a month ago. The contract was approved and teachers now receive an average $43 a week raise. Although the district is running a 40% budget surplus, the wealthy foot doctor told the press that he thought it was more important to ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Bloomberg Ties Up NYC Just To Torture Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Bloomberg Ties Up NYC Just To Torture Teachers: Bloomberg Ties Up NYC Just To Torture Teachers by Duke El Bloombito* is going to send 1,800 Absent Teacher Reserve members (ATRs) out into the crowded, dangerous, chaotic streets of post-Sandy New York on Friday for no apparent reason other than to torture them: Well my feeling of pointlessness just reached a new high when I heard that schools will remain closed for the remainder of this week for children, but teachers must report to work on Friday. All week I've had an assignment in an unnamed high school, but due t... more »

Ed group discloses donors, including Bloomberg - SFGate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Ed group discloses donors, including Bloomberg - SFGate: Ed group discloses donors, including BloombergJOHN MILLER, Associated Press, TODD DVORAK, Associated PressPublished 4:45 p.m., Wednesday, October 31, 2012 0 inShare Comments (0)Larger | SmallerPrintable VersionEmail This Font BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho nonprofit group forced to disclose the identity of its donors on Wednesday reported collecting more than $640,000 from a short list of contributors that includes New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Albertson's supermarket heir Joe Scott, according to documents filed w...more »

Trust and Its Misuses - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Trust and Its Misuses - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Trust and Its Misuses by Deborah Meier Deborah Meier—visionary teacher and founder of successful small schools in New York City and Boston—and Pedro Noguera—author and director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education—debate issues relevant to schools, teachers, and students. Dear Pedro, Thanks for reminding me that of something I haven't mentioned—why I'm voting for Barack Obama. In part, it's a no-brainer. No matter what issue one addresses. Just consider Ann Romney's recent blithe comments about getting rid... more »

President Obama Talks Child Poverty | First Focus

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

President Obama Talks Child Poverty | First Focus: President Obama Talks Child PovertyBy Bruce Lesley October 19, 2012 *Bruce Lesley is President of First Focus, a bipartisan advocacy organization committed to making children and families a priority in federal policy and budget * One-in-five U.S. kids live in poverty today. Yet candidates for office rarely mention the word "poverty," let alone offer real solutions for our children. That's why I joined a coalition of leading children's advocates in sending President Obama and Governor Romney a letter last month asking how each wou... more »

Schools Matter: Finding 1: OII Did Not Conduct Effective Oversight of Grantees Receiving Charter School Grants

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Schools Matter: Finding 1: OII Did Not Conduct Effective Oversight of Grantees Receiving Charter School Grants: Finding 1: OII Did Not Conduct Effective Oversight of Grantees Receiving Charter School Grants by Jim Horn Late in 2010 near the end of his second term, Gov. Phil Bredesen of TN worked up the courage to suggest shutting down one of Tennessee's unnecessary private prisons run by CCA. When the new governor, Bill Haslam, swept into office with the backing of CCA and ALEC, the plan to shut down the CCA facility in West Tennessee was quickly cancelled, even though Haslam ad... more »

Stealth Islamist Charter Schools Under Investigation | Islam in America Right Side News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Stealth Islamist Charter Schools Under Investigation | Islam in America Right Side News: Stealth Islamist Charter Schools Under Investigation THURSDAY, 01 NOVEMBER 2012 05:41 ARNOLD AHLERT [image: E-mail][image: Print] 210 readings The charter school movement associated with Turkish Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen is under federal investigation. If one believes that the battle for the nation’s soul is occurring, not just in Washington, D.C., but in schools across the nation, the steady advance of Turkish-Gulen Charter Schools may be cause for alarm. Fethullah Gulen is a Turkish Islam... more »

Diane Ravitch cuts check for local school board candidate | NOLA.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Diane Ravitch cuts check for local school board candidate | NOLA.com: Diane Ravitch cuts check for local school board candidate It would be hard to find a more obscure election, overshadowed as it is by city council races, not to mention a multi-billion dollar presidential contest. Yet some of the country's biggest names in education are cutting checks to influence the outcome in the 3rd District of the Orleans Parish School Board. [image: diane-ravitch.jpg]Education historian Diane Ravitch. The latest celebrity contributor: New York University historian Diane Ravitch, the leading cr... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-1-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] The Strange Disappearance of “Won’t Back Down” by dianerav I decided that I had to see “Won’t Back Down.” I had read so many reviews that I felt I knew every line. But I still wanted to see it. Morbid curiosity. But it is not showing anywhere in the New York City metropolitan area. The producer of the movies owns a 12-plex only a few blocks from my home America’s Largest Charter Chain Is…? by dianerav No, it is not KIPP. It is the Gulen charters, a group of nearly 150 charters located in many states and loosel... more »

Daily Kos: Liberty to Lie

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Daily Kos: Liberty to Lie: Liberty to Lie by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) This election may go down in history as the moment when truth and lies lost their honor and stigma, respectively. That is the opening line of Liberty to Lie, this morning's *New York Times column* by Charles Blow. As is usually the case, it is something you should read and pass on.Blow goes on to point out what those paying attention should already know, which is Mitt Romney's " willingness to say anything and everything to win this election." Then after noting his performance in the national polls, run... more »

Student fees will remain a conundrum, even with a new law | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Student fees will remain a conundrum, even with a new law | EdSource Today: Student fees will remain a conundrum, even with a new law - by Seth Rosenblatt by Seth Rosenblatt [image: Seth Rosenblatt] Seth Rosenblatt Administrators and parents alike have long waited for clarity on what fees schools could and could not charge students. With Governor Brown signing legislation that settles a lawsuit over public schools charging students for educational activities and materials, that day has come, right? Think again. Intended to clarify the law around what fees school districts can charg... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm is the master of division

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm is the master of division: Rahm is the master of division by Mike Klonsky *There is no surer way of corrupting the citizens, and to divide the city against itself, than to foment the spirit of faction that may prevail there; for each party will strive by every means of corruption to secure friends and supporters.* -- Niccoló Machiavelli, The Discourses. 1517. Rahm is the master of division. No, I don't mean he could ever teach an elementary level math class. He wouldn't last a day. I mean that everything he does in a school system that he person... more »

Ad concerning schools teaching about gay marriage only half true | Local News | The Seattle Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Ad concerning schools teaching about gay marriage only half true | Local News | The Seattle Times: Ad concerning schools teaching about gay marriage only half true A new television ad by the campaign opposed to same-sex marriage warns Washington voters that if same-sex marriage is legalized in Washington state, schools could teach kids about such unions. *The Claim:* A television ad by opponents of same-sex marriage claims that if Referendum 74 is approved, "same-sex marriage could be taught" in Washington schools. The spot features parents in Massachusetts who say their son's sc... more »

Another big donation to Great Oakland Public Schools PAC - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Another big donation to Great Oakland Public Schools PAC - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: Another big donation to Great Oakland Public Schools PAC Tuesday, October 30th, 2012 at 6:45 pm in 41 Comments » This week’s campaign filings show another major donation to the Great Oakland Public Schools PAC – $49,995 from the California Charter Schools Association. That brings the group’s fundraising total to $184,980 — a staggering amount for local school board races. I wrote about this a couple of weeks ago, when the total was about $123,000. The GO PAC is ... more »

The value of a college degree vs. the debt it takes to earn it

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

The value of a college degree vs. the debt it takes to earn it: The value of a college degree vs. the debt it takes to earn it Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 1, 2012 at 4:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » - Facebook - Twitter - StumbleUpon - Digg - Delicious The cost of a college education and the debt that many students are saddled with when they get out of school are the biggest issues in higher education. Here is a... more »

Save Our Schools; Rebuild the American Dream Through EducationSave Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Save Our Schools; Rebuild the American Dream Through EducationSave Our Schools: Save Our Schools; Rebuild the American Dream Through Education by Server Save Our Schools; Rebuilds the American Dream Through Education*By Betsy L. Angert* Save Our Schools [SOS] is an organization devoted to fair and equitable education for all. We work to preserve and transform public education. We are a venue for active, people-powered, grassroots education innovation. In cyberspace and in communities throughout this country we advance solutions that bring learning back to our children, education ... more »

NYC Educator: An ATR Reports Friday to Help 80,000 Union Brothers and Sisters Accomplish Diddly Squat

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

NYC Educator: An ATR Reports Friday to Help 80,000 Union Brothers and Sisters Accomplish Diddly Squat: An ATR Reports Friday to Help 80,000 Union Brothers and Sisters Accomplish Diddly Squat by NYC Educator *by fabulous and wonderful new ed. blogger Suddenly ATR* One of the hardest parts of being an ATR is the fact that I have to travel to a different place every week. Since I don't have a car, this often means standing at 6 in the morning waiting for my first of three bus transfers. Now, if I had a permanent position the long commute would be worth it, because I'd have my own grou... more »

Thinking about School Reform, Teaching, and “Great” Teachers | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Thinking about School Reform, Teaching, and “Great” Teachers | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Thinking about School Reform, Teaching, and “Great” Teachers by larrycuban *Writing about school reform from a historical perspective can be, well, depressing. So many examples of hype-on-steroids, past and present, of school reform solving community and national problems. So much policy talk, past and present, that overestimates success while underestimating the difficulties of converting words into classroom deeds. But melancholia and teaching a seminar twice a we... more »

Mayor Bloomberg Is a Spiteful Little Man.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Mayor Bloomberg Is a Spiteful Little Man by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) The Crack Team got the phone call today at around 3 PM. We had been monitoring Uncle Mike's news conference yet briefly called away when the Chinese food had arrived. On the other end of the phone was one of SBSB's news stringers. He called to share that the mayor had made a proclamation in concern to the remainder of the week about the schools. The mayor, our stringer reported, had declared that not only were students not to report to school on Thursday and Friday of th... more »

If You Build The Relationship, The Network Will Come [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

If You Build The Relationship, The Network Will Come [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson: If You Build The Relationship, The Network Will Come [Future of Teaching] by Jose An excerpt from my latest at the Future of Teaching: Nowadays, people have little qualms about making friends online and meeting them in person. To wit, the Teaching 2030 team still has strong ties, even though we rarely get to see each other collectively. Part of that came from having a common goal and vision, but another part of it is building the right conditions to assure that everyone *can* come togethe... more »

Portland Public Schools gives up on Race to the Top efforts | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Portland Public Schools gives up on Race to the Top efforts | OregonLive.com: Portland Public Schools gives up on Race to the Top efforts by Nicole Dungca, The Oregonian *Not ONE Drop!* The district in August filed an intent to apply for a Race to the Top grant but has dropped its efforts after officials failed to obtain the union's approval to proceed, an important factor in obtaining the grant. Portland Public Schools has given up its chance to compete for up to $30 million in federal funds after failing to reach an agreement with its union about using test scores in teacher... more »

LAUSD bracing for severe cuts if Prop. 30 loses - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

LAUSD bracing for severe cuts if Prop. 30 loses - LA Daily News: LAUSD bracing for severe cuts if Prop. 30 loses By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer Posted: 10/31/2012 07:00:14 PM PDT Updated: 10/31/2012 07:17:45 PM PDT If voters reject Prop. 30 on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, when they head to the polls, Los Angeles Unified will face severe budget cuts. The district is bracing for the worst. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer) *POSSIBLE FALLOUT* The defeat of Proposition 30 would trigger budget cuts that could force Los Angeles Unified and other school districts to shorten this year's ... more »

Ohio high school students disciplined for pro-LGBT shirts | The Raw Story

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Ohio high school students disciplined for pro-LGBT shirts | The Raw Story: Ohio high school students disciplined for pro-LGBT shirts [image: LGBT flag via AFP] Topics: Celina High School ♦ Celina High School Superintendent Jesse Steiner ♦ Ohio high school Students at an Ohio high school were threatened with suspensions for refusing to remove shirts that contained messages supportive of LGBT individuals, according to HyperVocal. About twenty students wore the shirts to Celina High School after two other students were told to remove shirts that read “Lesbian 1″ and “Lesbian 2.” C... more »

NYCoRE; El Pueblo Unido — A People UnitedSave Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

NYCoRE; El Pueblo Unido — A People UnitedSave Our Schools: NYCoRE; El Pueblo Unido — A People United by Server NYCORE’S 4TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE;*EL PUEBLO UNIDO. THE PEOPLE UNITED* *Location:* Vanguard High School 317 East 67th Street, New York, NY 10065 *Date:* Saturday, March 16, 2013 Conference Overview*Keynote Address* *Karen Lewis*, President of the Chicago’s Teachers Union accompanied by *DJ ULTRAMAN*, Benji Chang, Post-Doctoral Fellow with IUME Teachers College A school should be the center of a community — a place that feeds the minds and hearts of its young people, a place tha... more »

Washington state charter schools advocates raise $10.8 million | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Washington state charter schools advocates raise $10.8 million | OregonLive.com: Washington state charter schools advocates raise $10.8 million [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] The campaign to bring charter schools to Washington has now raised $10.8 million in cash contributions. According to filings posted with the Public Disclosure Commission on Tuesday, those donations to Yes on 1240 includes another $1.5 million from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, which was reported as a pledge in the campaign's previous report. The biggest donor to the campaign is Allen's friend and M... more »

Video: Romney Locks Up 1980s Lying Car Salesman Vote | Mother Jones

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Video: Romney Locks Up 1980s Lying Car Salesman Vote | Mother Jones: Video: Romney Locks Up 1980s Lying Car Salesman Vote —By Adam Weinstein | Wed Oct. 31, 2012 10:36 AM PDT 2 - - Screenshot courtesy of YouTube It's an October surprise—October 1988, maybe: Reagan-era TV pitchman "Joe Isuzu" has endorsed Mitt Romney! In a series of iconic commercials, Joe Isuzuwas the Japanese car company's ballyhooed on-air spokesman through the late '80s, as well-known and zeitgeisty as later ad stars like "the most interesting man in the world" and the "Can you hear me now?" guy. Playe... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Will My Teacher Rating Have a Sandy Variable?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Jersey Jazzman: Will My Teacher Rating Have a Sandy Variable?: Will My Teacher Rating Have a Sandy Variable? by Duke So we're looking at missing at least a week of school where I am. That's a solid five days of test prep learning my students won't have compared to other students who are their "academic peers." Well, if I'm going to be missing out on a merit pay bonus because my score doesn't take this into account, I think I'll have no choice but to sue! So let's find a place in here somewhere: To put in a "Sandy variable." It's Insane Ideas I Have! by Duke Just had a crazy thou... more »

Pass / Fail : Beyond Props 30 & 38: Education ballot measures you need to know about before voting | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Pass / Fail : Beyond Props 30 & 38: Education ballot measures you need to know about before voting | 89.3 KPCC: Beyond Props 30 & 38: Education ballot measures you need to know about before voting by By Vanessa Romo [image: Pennsylvania Voters Take Part In The State's GOP Primary]*Credit: Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Images* This week Gov. Jerry Brown launched a media blitz supporting Proposition 30. If we can glean anything from the commercial breaks between the wall-to-wall coverage of Hurricane Sandy, Molly Munger has also stepped up her TV ad campaign for Prop 38. But a lot of ot... more »