Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-26-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Monday, November 26, 2012

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-26-12 #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

Ed Notes Online: What Happened to Public Education on Election Night?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 minutes ago

Ed Notes Online: What Happened to Public Education on Election Night?: What Happened to Public Education on Election Night? by ed notes online The Always Amazing Joanne Barkan Does it AgainDissent: http://www.dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/what-happened-to-public-education-on-election-night By Joanne Barkan - November 26, 2012 Barack Obama’s K-12 “reform” policies have brought misery to public schools across the country: more standardized testing, faulty evaluations for teachers based on student test scores, more public schools shut down rather than improved, more privately... more »

Wyoming Proves that Common Core is a Federal-Led Initiative | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 35 minutes ago

Wyoming Proves that Common Core is a Federal-Led Initiative | Truth in American Education: Wyoming Proves that Common Core is a Federal-Led Initiative by Shane Vander Hart Common Core State Standards advocates typically make an argument that the development of the Common Core was state-led since it came out of the National Governors Association and Council for Chief State School Officers. They seem to neglect the fact that these are trade organizations not states and that state legislatures were bypassed as different state departments of education or state school boards said yes ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed News Roundup

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 44 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed News Roundup: Ed News Roundup by Melissa Westbrook First up, this is not directly ed related (although peripherally), a letter from a whiter-than-white (his term) Republican who was mightily unhappy with his party this election. (Caution: he minces no words so if you are a delicate reader, do not read this section.) He does speak to some of what ed reformers on the Dem side like to do; namely, name-call and harangue which to my mind, never works. *One of the reasons my family is affluent is that my wife and I have a collective fifteen year... more »

New Federal Report Shows Florida Near Bottom in HS Graduation Rates | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 45 minutes ago

New Federal Report Shows Florida Near Bottom in HS Graduation Rates | Scathing Purple Musings: New Federal Report Shows Florida Near Bottom in HS Graduation Rates by Bob Sikes From Jeff Solocheck in *Gradebook*: The U.S. Department of Education on Monday released its first report on high school graduation rates using common, nationally accepted standards. In past years, states used different formulas for calculating graduation rates, making comparisons difficult. The new federal comparison, from 2010-11, doesn’t paint a pretty picture for Florida. For all students, Florida’s grad... more »

Baltimore Education Buffs, Mark Your Calendars | Re:education in Baltimore

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 47 minutes ago

Baltimore Education Buffs, Mark Your Calendars | Re:education in Baltimore: Baltimore Education Buffs, Mark Your Calendars by Edit Barry Tuesday, November 27, will be a big night for Baltimore City education buffs. *Baltimor**e City Board of School Commissioners – Special Meeting* *6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. 200 E. North Ave., 21202* The Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners will hold a special meeting at district headquarters to unveil the details of its 10-year plan to improve Baltimore City public school buildings. *Author Paul Tough* *7:00 p.m. 212 W. Cold Spring Lane, 21210*Bo... more »

Schools Matter: Ohanian: I wonder why The New York Times gives so much space to the opinion of amateurs without even a nod to professionals in the field.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 48 minutes ago

Schools Matter: Ohanian: I wonder why The New York Times gives so much space to the opinion of amateurs without even a nod to professionals in the field.: Ohanian: I wonder why The New York Times gives so much space to the opinion of amateurs without even a nod to professionals in the field. by skrashen Susan Ohanian responds to Sara Mosle’s What Should Children Read” (http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/22/what-should-children-read/) “I wonder why The New York Times gives so much space to the opinion of amateurs without even a nod to professionals in the field.” Dear ... more »

Schools Matter: A very short open letter to President Obama

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Schools Matter: A very short open letter to President Obama: A very short open letter to President Obama by skrashen A very short open letter to President Obama There is enormous frustration and dissatisfaction among professional educators about current educational policy. Many, especially those in the classroom and closest to the children, feel that current policy, one of closing public schools, encouraging privatization, and imposing more testing than has ever been seen on this planet, is badly misguided and will lead to tragic consequences for our children, damage that will t... more »

College Administrators Remove Crusading Student Government President « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

College Administrators Remove Crusading Student Government President « Student Activism: California Community College Admins Jettison Crusading Student Govt President by Angus Johnston Administrators at a California community college removed the elected student body president from office earlier this year over charges that students and faculty claim were concocted in an effort to silence his criticisms of college fiscal policy. Officials at Moorpark College say that campus cops caught 33-year-old Jon Foote drunk on campus on one occasion and “inciting [his] fellow students into ... more »

Mayor wants to stop the school closing beatings – after this year Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Mayor wants to stop the school closing beatings – after this year: Mayor wants to stop the school closing beatings – after this year by admin At a City Club luncheon today, CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett announced that Mayor Emanuel wants a 5-year school closing moratorium, but only after a massive closing program this year. The Sun-Times reports: Byrd-Bennett said Mayor Rahm Emanuel recognizes that Chicago Public Schools has made “too many piecemeal decisions’’ over the years concerning its school buildings. The result, Byrd-... more »

U.S. Department of Education Announces 61 Applications as Finalists for $400 Million Race to the Top - District Competition | U.S. Department of Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

U.S. Department of Education Announces 61 Applications as Finalists for $400 Million Race to the Top - District Competition | U.S. Department of Education: U.S. Department of Education Announces 61 Applications as Finalists for $400 Million Race to the Top - District Competition NOVEMBER 26, 2012 *Contact: * Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced that 61 applications have been selected as finalists for the Race to the Top-District (RTTT-D) competition. The 2012 RTTT-D program will provide close to $400 million to suppor... more »

Jersey Jazzman: An Open Letter To Randi Weingarten

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: An Open Letter To Randi Weingarten: An Open Letter To Randi Weingarten by Duke Monday, November 26, 2012 Ms. Randi Weingarten President, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO Washington, D.C. Dear Ms. Weingarten: Allow me to start by saying that I am an admirer of your work as an advocate for both public education and America's teachers. While I, like the majority of New Jersey's teachers, am represented by the New Jersey Education Association (a state affiliate of the National Education Association, and, therefore, not affiliated with AFT), I have great r... more »

Leading, led or standing still? Time is running short if we’re going to stop the pension deal. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Leading, led or standing still? Time is running short if we’re going to stop the pension deal. « Fred Klonsky: Leading, led or standing still? Time is running short if we’re going to stop the pension deal. by Fred Klonsky Take out your calendars. Or open it on your iPad. Here is the schedule: The House and Senate are to convene Tuesday through Thursday of this week, and again December 4-6. This is the veto session. But that doesn’t mean they only meet to override Quinn’s veto of passed bills. They might legalize marijuana for medical purposes. More casino gambling. Marriage equality... more »

Diane in the Evening 11-26-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Students Organize to Support Public Education by dianerav Attention!! A group of college students has organized a new organization to support public schools, teachers and unions, to oppose privatization and to demand elimination of high stakes testing. They will work together to strengthen free,open, democratic and equitable public schools. I have signed as a supporter. Please join them. Show your support. Sad News from Louisiana by dianerav On Thanksgiving Day, I posted a tribute to the teachers of the year in Acadia Parish in Louisiana. With Governor Bobby... more »

Drowning as an Educator or Finding the Surface « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Drowning as an Educator or Finding the Surface « Cooperative Catalyst: Drowning as an Educator or Finding the Surface by educatedtodeath Originally and reluctantly posted at educatedtodeath.com Over the past few weeks I’ve struggled with my problem with top down models of education. I attempted to allow the thought “this is for the greater good” into my mind. I tried to hold it in my mind and make it fit. It only made me sick the way the body rejects foreign objects. I’ve labored over the necessity of my concern. Will contemplation of this directly benefit my students? Will it ben... more »

Smarter Balanced TRT Fall 2012 - Assessment Information (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Smarter Balanced TRT Fall 2012 - Assessment Information (CA Dept of Education): Smarter Balanced TRT Fall 2012Technology Readiness Tool (TRT) information for the fall 2012 data collection window. ------------------------------ Several changes have been made to Smarter Balanced Technology Readiness Tool for the fall 2012 data collection. Further details on the new questions and options can be found in the TRT File Import Layouts. The fall 2012 data collection period ends on December 14, 2012. Devices Section - *Operating System* new options: Windows XP SP2, Windows XP SP3, ... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Philly schools have to go begging to Wall Street

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Philly schools have to go begging to Wall Street: Philly schools have to go begging to Wall Street by Mike Klonsky Chief Recovery Officer Thomas Knudsen is resigning. He ran the show in Philly. Former head of former head of Philadelphia Gas Works, his loot-and-burn job was to cut $100 million or more from the school budget while protecting high-paid consultants and execs.According to the Daily News, Philly's school district is "broke" and forced to go begging to Wall Street for a $300 million loan to pay its bills. But this hasn't stopped them fr... more »

Great WBEZ story on parents resisting testing in Chicago Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Great WBEZ story on parents resisting testing in Chicago: Great WBEZ story on parents resisting testing in Chicago by admin Reporter Becky Vevea put together a great story about Chicago parents anger over the excessive testing that’s going on in our schools these days. The written report is here but please take the time to listen to the audio, which is longer but less than 5 minutes total and includes yours truly’s dulcet tones. The parent pressure isn’t letting up, either. Raise Your Hand is holding a testing forum this Thu... more »

NYC Educator: Say It Ain't So, Miss Oh

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

NYC Educator: Say It Ain't So, Miss Oh: Say It Ain't So, Miss Oh by NYC Educator Miss Oh was getting ready to teach her English class when a monitor came to her door with the daily attendance. Included in her little folder. as is often the case, was a stack of papers. Miss Oh dutifully passed out the papers and proceeded to try and figure who was here and who was not. She had learned the hard way, as a new teacher, that administrators take attendance very seriously and was not about to have the same problem twice. "What's this?" she heard, from her generally well-behaved class. "Y... more »

Shanker Blog » A Case Against Assigning Single Ratings To Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Shanker Blog » A Case Against Assigning Single Ratings To Schools: A Case Against Assigning Single Ratings To Schools by Matthew Di Carlo The new breed of school rating systems, some of which are still getting off the ground, will co-exist with federal proficiency targets in many states, and they are (or will be) used for a variety of purposes, including closure, resource allocation and informing parents and the public (see our posts on the systems in IN, FL, OH, CO, NYC).* The approach that most states are using, in part due to the “ESEA flexibility” guidelines set by the U.S. De... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, November 26, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Monday, November 26, 2012* School books give way to tabletsAll over the country, and here in Kern County, thick, heavy textbooks are going by the wayside, replaced by electronic tablets such as iPads. Lodi Unified administrator set to step downArt Hand said he felt like Don Quixote chasing a windmill when he was hired to be Lodi Unified's assistant superintendent of facilities and planning in summer 2006. It was a job he never thought would be there for him, his dream job since he first started as a Tokay Hi... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm stalls on revealing his school kill list (minus drones, we hope)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm stalls on revealing his school kill list (minus drones, we hope): Rahm stalls on revealing his school kill list (minus drones, we hope) by Mike Klonsky Rahm and his hand-picked school board can't afford drone warfare. But they have a *kill list* just the same, when it comes to schools in the city's most under-served neighborhoods. They just aren't showing it. In the face of growing community anger and protests, they've switched to stalling tactics and other tricks to get around Public Act 096-0803 which was supposed to “ensure that school facilit... more »

Charter schools withdraw applications from Portland Public Schools | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Charter schools withdraw applications from Portland Public Schools | OregonLive.com: Charter schools withdraw applications from Portland Public Schools by Nicole Dungca, The Oregonian [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Organizers from two charter schools that had hoped to open their doors this fall in Portland Public Schools have withdrawn their applications. Representatives of READY Public Charter School and RISE Academy pulled their respective proposals after hearing concerns from the school board and district. Organizers from both schools said they woul... more »

Update: Who does Jeb Bush think he’s kidding?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Who does Jeb Bush think he’s kidding?: Who does Jeb Bush think he's kidding? by Valerie Strauss Anybody who follows education policy knows how influential Jeb Bush has been in states well beyond Florida, where, as governor from 1999-2007, he launched school reforms – Former Florida governor Jeb Bush. (By Sue Ogrocki – AP) including standardized test-based accountability for students and schools, the expansion of charter schools and vouchers, and a letter-grade (A-F) rating system for schools that has served as a model around the country. Nowhere has the Bush influence been as str... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: A Primer on Standards Based Grading

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: A Primer on Standards Based Grading: A Primer on Standards Based Grading by Anngie Want to watch a teacher's blood pressure rise right before your eyes? Ask them what they think of Standards Based Grading. This is one of the zombies of education reform. It never really seems to die and keeps coming back to eat your brain. Some schools are trying to adopt it now as it is expected to be used in Common Core Assessments. For those who are unfamiliar with SBG, here are the basics. Numerical ratings are used rather than letter grades/percents. There are fou... more »

Evaluating Teachers on the Hidden Curriculum — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Evaluating Teachers on the Hidden Curriculum — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Paula Mirk]Evaluating Teachers on the Hidden Curriculum November 26, 2012 by Paula Mirk Teachers should be evaluated on the atmosphere they create in their classrooms and the degree of trust they have established with their students. Several findings from the Schools of Integrity and other research literature support examining both classroom culture and teacher-student relationships. *Classroom culture:* The hidden curriculum of a school starts in each individual classroom. Faculty sho... more »

12 questions to ask if you think you want a charter school in Seattle | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

12 questions to ask if you think you want a charter school in Seattle | Seattle Education: 12 questions to ask if you think you want a charter school in Seattle by seattleducation2011 The way that charter schools are promoted by big money, you’d think that all you have to do is snap your fingers, or sign a petition, and voila! a shiny new miracle school will appear. Not so. A charter school might appear but it will probably look very different from what you expected. There are questions that you need to ask yourself, your neighbors, other parents, school staff, school board members... more »

The Aesthetic Dimension of Education and Learning | Education | M.A.Escotet

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

The Aesthetic Dimension of Education and Learning | Education | M.A.Escotet: The Aesthetic Dimension of Education and Learning by Miguel Angel Escotet Science and art, as dimensions of creative thought, are universal in nature and develop to the full in freedom. Science stimulates the cognitive processes of the individual involved and art the emotions, but the cognitive and emotional elements coexist in both. Through science it is possible to experience aesthetic enjoyment, and with art it is possible to develop knowledge unfettered. As a scientist myself, I consider essential f... more »

Ed Notes Online: Rockaway Update: Positively Dystopian

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Rockaway Update: Positively Dystopian: Rockaway Update: Positively Dystopian by ed notes online *But then I saw a light -- one store still standing seemed to be the HQ of Occupy Sandy with a big green sign saying "Global Warming?"* Monday, November 26, 2012 This is mostly cleaned up now Sunday morning I felt I was in the final scene of the original Planet of the Apes (spoiler alert) when Charlton Heston, who thinks he has been on another planet, comes upon a wrecked Statue of Liberty and realizes humanity had destroyed itself. We're a month into post Sandy. I have... more »

Kids and pets – it’s just natural – Pets in the Classroom Grants - Pet Grants, small pets, aquarium equipment

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Pet Grants, small pets, aquarium equipment: Kids and pets – it’s just natural – Pets in the Classroom Grants *Pets in the Classroom Grant Program Sets Goal of Reaching 5 Million Children* *The Pet Care Trust’s Pets in the Classroom grant program has helped more than 15,000 classrooms, with many more classrooms yet to be impacted.* *Bel Air, Maryland* - With more than 500,000 elementary and middle school students having already been given the opportunity to interact with pets on a daily basis in their classroom, the Pet Care Trust board has announced a new goal for its Pets in the ... more »

Educate All Kids Like Sasha and Malia BeyondChron: San Francisco's Alternative Online Daily News »

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

BeyondChron: San Francisco's Alternative Online Daily News » Educate All Kids Like Sasha and Malia: Educate All Kids Like Sasha and Malia by LEONIE HAIMSON‚ Nov. 26‚ 2012 [image: Review it on NewsTrust] Now that Barack Obama has been re-elected president, it’s time that he start making good on the education issues he emphasized during his campaign. While in speeches and in ads the president seized on Romney’s statement that class size doesn’t matter, the truth is that Obama’s Education Secretary Arne Duncan has dismissed the importance of class size nearly as strongly. Worse yet... more »

UPDATE: Keeping high school students in school and preserving school sports…Bridgeport style - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Keeping high school students in school and preserving school sports…Bridgeport style - Wait, What?: UConn’s new $227,500 PR guy – don’t worry taxpayers – parents & students are paying… by jonpelto Last week came the news, via Kathy Megan at the Hartford Courant, “The University of Connecticut has hired a new vice president of communications at an annual salary of $227,500.” Okay, so some people were upset because with 171,000 Connecticut unemployed residents, not to mention the thousands of highly trained public relations professionals who work [...]*(Read more...)* Keeping hig... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-26-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Test Mania Tortures Tots in. New York City by dianerav If you believe, as I do, that standardized testing is now being misused and overused, you will be shocked to read about New York City’s latest plan to ration admission to programs for gifted 4-year-olds. If you wanted to satirize the misuse of testing, you would come up with a plan like the one in NYC. Little children will take a test, be rank ordered, and only those who score 90% or higher are sure to win a coveted seat. Sorry, an 89% won’t make it. Whe... more »

On Cyber Monday the White House Releases New Report on the Impact of Middle-Class Tax Cuts on Retailers and Consumer Spending | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

On Cyber Monday the White House Releases New Report on the Impact of Middle-Class Tax Cuts on Retailers and Consumer Spending | The White House: On Cyber Monday the White House Releases New Report on the Impact of Middle-Class Tax Cuts on Retailers and Consumer Spending by The White House *Report Details Consequences if Congress Fails to Extend Middle-Class Tax Cuts* WASHINGTON, DC – As we move into the holiday shopping season, the White House released a report from the National Economic Council and the Council of Economic Advisers called *The Middle-Class Tax Cuts’ Impact on Con... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky Reaper DroneLicense to Kill *"Creating a legal structure, processes, with oversight checks on how we use unmanned weapons is going to be a challenge for me and my successors for some time to come." *-- President Obama D.C. Chancellor Kaya Henderson *"If we're going to keep a traditional school system, we can't just have schools pop up anywhere and cannibalize schools, right?"* -- WAMU 88.5 News Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel *Chicago's initiatives come straight out of the playbook Barack Obama put f...more »

Homework: An unnecessary evil? … Surprising findings from new research

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Homework: An unnecessary evil? … Surprising findings from new research: Homework: An unnecessary evil? Surprising findings from new research by Valerie Strauss Alfie Kohn writes about what a new homework study really says — and what it doesn’t say. He is the author of 12 books about education and human behavior, including “The Schools Our Children Deserve,” “The Homework Myth,” and “Feel-Bad Education… And Other Contrarian Essays on Children & Schooling.” He lives (actually) in the Boston area and (virtually) at www.alfiekohn.org. By Alfie Kohn A brand-new study on the academi... more »

Teacher Seniority Still a Four-Letter Word to Administration -- 'LIFO' - NJ Spotlight

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Teacher Seniority Still a Four-Letter Word to Administration -- 'LIFO' - NJ Spotlight: Teacher Seniority Still a Four-Letter Word to Administration -- 'LIFO' Last-in, first-out seniority continues to irk Christie and Cerf, administration issues survey on subject print | email | share By John Mooney, November 26, 2012 in Education |Post a Comment For all its celebration of New Jersey’s new teacher tenure law, the Christie administration hasn’t hidden its lament for the one provision it couldn’t change: seniority protection for tenured teachers in the case of layoffs. Related Link... more »

Tom Barnidge: Teaching is hard enough without drugs and guns in class - Inside Bay Area

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Tom Barnidge: Teaching is hard enough without drugs and guns in class - Inside Bay Area: Tom Barnidge: Teaching is hard enough without drugs and guns in class By Tom Barnidge Contra Costa Times Columnist Posted: 11/25/2012 04:36:38 PM PST Updated: 11/25/2012 04:44:18 PM PST If you don't believe these are trying times in public education, you owe it to yourself to sit in on a local district presentation of the California Healthy Kids Survey. The state-funded survey, which asks a battery of questions of fifth-, seventh-, ninth- and 11th-grade students every two years, is describe... more »

Debating For-Profits: Kudos to Parent Revolution :: Frederick M. Hess

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Debating For-Profits: Kudos to Parent Revolution :: Frederick M. Hess: Debating For-Profits: Kudos to Parent Revolution *by Frederick M. Hess • Nov 26, 2012 at 6:24 am Cross-posted from Education Week* Constructive public debate clarifies, illuminates, and, with any luck, educates. Such debate requires disputants to eschew easy banalities like "education is the new civil right" or ad hominem charges that those they disagree with want to "destroy public education." And it becomes damn near impossible when folks throw around phrases like "child-hating fascist" or accuse each other ... more »

Daily Kos: Warren Buffett calls for A Minimum Tax for the Wealthy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Daily Kos: Warren Buffett calls for A Minimum Tax for the Wealthy: Warren Buffett calls for A Minimum Tax for the Wealthy by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) in this *New York Times* op ed I am somewhat pressed for time because of school responsibilities, so I will not go as thoroughly through the piece as I might otherwise. But consider his first two paragraphs: SUPPOSE that an investor you admire and trust comes to you with an investment idea. “This is a good one,” he says enthusiastically. “I’m in it, and I think you should be, too.”Would your reply possibly be this? “Well, it ... more »

SI&A Cabinet Report – Stakes likely go up on teacher evaluations in Obama’s second term

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *Stakes likely go up on teacher evaluations in Obama’s second term* *By Tom Chorneau* Monday, November 26, 2012 Failure to win support of teachers for adoption of a new evaluation system based on test scores, once again doomed several of the state’s largest school districts in the federal Race to the Top competition earlier this month. But as the Obama administration sets course on a second term, the stakes are likely to get a lot higher for states and jurisdictions unable to meet federal demands for more aggressive assessment of educator p...more »

In Turnaround Town, the News is Always Good | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

In Turnaround Town, the News is Always Good | EduShyster: In Turnaround Town, the News is Always Good by edushyster2012 In Turnaround Town, aka Lawrence, MA, the news is always good—or so says the official edu-media plan, which you can savor for yourself below. Reader: today we pay a return visit a place that I like to call simply ‘Turnaround Town.’ Perhaps you know this city by its other name: Lawrence, Massachusetts. When we last dropped in, state officials had just conducted an exhaustive investigation, concluding that the problems of the city’s schools lay in its leaders: bad, w... more »

Ed Notes Online: Another Parent Vents at Teach for America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Another Parent Vents at Teach for America: Another Parent Vents at Teach for America by ed notes online *The organization is disorganized, unresponsive and over promises. The worst part is they throw these kids into situations that they will likely fail .... **If you know someone or if your child is considering this, DON'T let them go. There are other ways to teach and help the school system. Please.* *---Parent of TFAer* A TFA parent left this comment today on a March, 2009 post: A Parent Vents At Teach for America -- My daughter is in Teach For America and n... more »

Mexican Teachers Union Threaten Indefinite Strike in Oaxaca | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Mexican Teachers Union Threaten Indefinite Strike in Oaxaca | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com: Mexican Teachers Union Threaten Indefinite Strike in Oaxaca [image: Mexican Teachers Union Threaten Indefinite Strike in Oaxaca]A section of the SNTE teachers union threatened to call an indefinite strike in all the schools of the southern state of Oaxaca if the regional government does not return to them the centers that it awarded six years ago to another local of the same union. “If the government continues with the stupidity of knocking us around, of letting Local 59 take over, we’re goi... more »

LAUSD: PUNISHMENT WITHOUT CRIME OR DUE PROCESS - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

LAUSD: PUNISHMENT WITHOUT CRIME OR DUE PROCESS - Perdaily.com: LAUSD: PUNISHMENT WITHOUT CRIME OR DUE PROCESS by Leonard Isenberg [image: kafka.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) * * * *(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)* * * *Hundreds of teachers are either being "housed" without work in "rubber rooms," already been forced to resign, or are in a protracted stall process that LAUSD with the present complicity of UTLA drag on for years to starve out falsely charged teachers before they get their day in a neutral forum. I've been waiting f...more »

Fake skills gap. Fake need for training too? : blue cheddar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Fake skills gap. Fake need for training too? : blue cheddar: Fake skills gap. Fake need for training too? by bluecheddar There’s a must-read article over at NYTimes. As part of his exploration into the mysterious American “skills gap” crisis, author Adam Davidson speaks to the CEO of a Milwaukee manufacturer and learns this: “At GenMet, the starting pay is $10 an hour. Those with an associate degree can make $15, which can rise to $18 an hour after several years of good performance. From what I understand, a new shift manager at a nearby McDonald’s can earn around $14 an hour.” T... more »

Lincoln the Leader | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Lincoln the Leader | Connected Principals: Lincoln the Leader by Bill Carozza Taken a few years ago on a family trip to D.C. I have been fascinated by Lincoln since middle school when I became interested in his last days and specifically the controversy surrounding his assassination. (Did you know there’s revisionist historians who believe that his Secretary of War Edwin Stanton was behind his death?) Tonight I went to the movies with my three kids and my wife to see * Lincoln. *Clearly, this movie was a work of art from the use of lighting (not much), to the attention to detail (ye... more »

Diane in the Evening 11-25-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Parent Asks for Your Help Writing a Petition by dianerav A parent in Massachusetts asked for help writing a petition. Can you help? She wrote: “I would like to petition to emphasize that the focus on charter schools is draining money, resources, and motivated students and their families from the traditional public school system. Instead of helping ALL students in public schools, focusing on starting charter schools only helps a small percentage of students in each district. “As a parent who’s worked so hard in my district, I’m very frustrated that the prog... more »

LAUSD English Learners To Move Faster Into Mainstream Classes

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

LAUSD English Learners To Move Faster Into Mainstream Classes: LAUSD English Learners To Move Faster Into Mainstream Classes *Los Angeles Daily News* | By Barbara Jones Posted: 11/25/2012 2:24 pm EST Updated: 11/25/2012 3:26 pm EST [image: Lausd English Learners] Triggered by a federal civil rights investigation, Los Angeles Unified has launched a network of programs designed to more quickly move English learners into mainstream academic classes and help close the achievement gap. The strategies are detailed in the 150-page English-Learner Master Plan, which the district over... more »

Lincoln and arrested development « JD2718

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Lincoln and arrested development « JD2718: Lincoln and arrested development by jd2718 Good movie, Lincoln. Some nice development of his sons’ characters (I spotted the Third Rock kid!). And I’ve usually always liked Sally Field. Not quite Norma Rae, but made Mary Todd Lincoln interesting. And the portrait of Lincoln is rich – story teller, backwoods lawyer, astute politician, caring husband and father – and politically adept at balancing expediency and long term goals, etc, etc. But Spielberg left Lincoln’s political allies and opponents flat. The motivations of Lincoln are easy ... more »