Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-28-12 #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

Jersey Jazzman: NJ Charter Report Does NOT Compare "Peer" Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago

Jersey Jazzman: NJ Charter Report Does NOT Compare "Peer" Schools: NJ Charter Report Does NOT Compare "Peer" Schools by Duke The NJ charter school report, put out by CREDO and Stanford University, is not a piece of hack junk. *It is, however, sloppy in its use of language.* Take pages 5-6: Compared to the educational gains that charter students would have had in a traditional public school (TPS), the analysis shows that students in New Jerseycharter schools on average make larger learning gains in both reading and mathematics. *At the school level, 30 percent of the charter school... more »

General Assembly rolling over for Rahm Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 39 minutes ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » General Assembly rolling over for Rahm: General Assembly rolling over for Rahm by admin Despite the lack of public support for the move, the state Senate and House have each passed somewhat different versions of Mayor Emanuel’s school sledgehammer bill. It seems that he will be allowed to close as many as 100 schools in 2013 with little time for discussion and no time for adequate planning. Catalyst has a detailed report here about what happened today. Thanks, state elected officials, for being so careful with our children. C... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: School/District News and Events

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 51 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: School/District News and Events: School/District News and Events by Melissa Westbrook - *Holiday poinsettias for sale through Nathan Hale horticulture program * Holiday poinsettias are available for sale through Nathan Hale's horticulture program 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec.1 and 1-5 p.m., Monday, Dec. 3. The school's greenhouse is north of Jane Addams K-8 school at 11051 34th Ave. N.E. Cost is $8.50 per plant or $8 each for 10 or more plants. Contact science and horticulture teacherJessica Torvik if planning to place a large order of... more »

APPR: It's All About the Students — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

APPR: It's All About the Students — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]APPR: It’s All About the Students November 28, 2012 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers [image: American Association of School Librarians] *Post submitted by Paige Jaeger, coordinator for school library services with the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex (N.Y.) Board of Cooperative Educational Services, and Sue Kowalski, president of New York State Library Association's Section of School Librarians, on behalf of whole child partner American Association of School Libraria... more »

School Tech Connect: Don't Forget Sunday

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

School Tech Connect: Don't Forget Sunday: Don't Forget Sunday by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Just a public shout-out to my representative, Kelly Cassidy, for the No vote on the CPS extension. I didn't even check with my senator, Senator Charter School Jones. I think that when you actually sit down with these folks and explain what you think and how you feel (in spite of what David Coleman says), they get it. And if they feel like their job is to represent the people in their district, they act on it. These folks who want just voted for the extension, they're practicing a wei... more »

NYC Educator: Is It the New York Times, or Is It the Onion?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

NYC Educator: Is It the New York Times, or Is It the Onion?: Is It the New York Times, or Is It the Onion? by NYC Educator I don't know what to say anymore when I read the news. Does anyone remember the deal the UFT made with the Gates Foundation? They were going to do some sort of research on value-added, and they would score the teachers, and it would be a big secret. The secret part made sense, since there was no validity whatsoever to the methodology. Why we agreed to it in the first place I can't say. In any case, when the papers demanded the results, Tweed said, oh my gosh, i... more »

Diane in the Evening 11-28-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Judge Halts Voucher Program Temporarily by dianerav A Federal judge in Louisiana put a halt to the state voucher program and the new teacher hiring laws in one parish, saying they was likely to undercut the desegregation program. The State Department of Education will appeal. TFA Commissioner John White believes that choice and privatization matter more than desegregation. Podesta: how to help privatization movement by dianerav John Podesta, who heads the Center for American Progress and headed the 2008 Onama transition team, was a keynote speaker at Jeb ... more »

Student Debt, Delinquencies Skyrocket | FDL News Desk

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Student Debt, Delinquencies Skyrocket | FDL News Desk: Student Debt, Delinquencies Skyrocket by David Dayen The New York Fed released their household credit and debt reportyesterday, and they show increases in student loan debt relative to other forms (mortgage, credit card, auto loan and others). To keep this in perspective, mortgage debt represents 71% of all debt, and student debt represents about 8-9%. So there’s still a wide gulf here, and we shouldn’t jump to call this the “student loan bubble.” The scales of the markets are in no way similar. However, student loan debt is def... more »

Arne Duncan’s second term?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Arne Duncan’s second term?: Arne Duncan's second term? by Valerie Strauss Why would Education Secretary Arne Duncan not directly address questions put to him about his second-term agenda at Jeb Bush’s school reform summit in Washington D.C. Wednesday? Here are some possible reasons: 1) White House officials don’t want him (or other cabinet members) talking about their policy plans now because they want the focus to remain on budget negotiations with Congress. 2) Duncan doesn’t have a second-term agenda yet. He and Obama’s domestic advisers are still discussing where to put their ... more »

Confusion lingers over handling of cheating probes at charters | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Confusion lingers over handling of cheating probes at charters | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Confusion lingers over handling of cheating probes at charters by thenotebook *This article is an updated version of a story that appears in our print edition.* *By Bill Hangley and Dale Mezzacappa* Walter Palmer knows it sounds odd to ask a school suspected of cheating to investigate itself. And he knows it might raise eyebrows when the state closes that investigation when the school can’t explain its suspicious test results. That’s exactly what happened at the Walter D. Palmer Lea... more »

Schools Matter: New science standards: the rip-off continues

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Schools Matter: New science standards: the rip-off continues: New science standards: the rip-off continues by skrashen Next Generation Science Standards “The second public draft of the Next Generation Science Standards, developed by Achieve, is due for release before the new year.” I posted this comment: To enforce the standards, there must be tests. And as is the case with other common core tests, they will be administered online. And they will be revised, updated, changed every year, old equipment will be replaced with new equipment. This means not only an initial boondoggle for... more »

RheeFirst! » Remember that nutty lawsuit over the GA charter ballot initiative? It was filed by a StudentsFirst lobbyist…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

RheeFirst! » Remember that nutty lawsuit over the GA charter ballot initiative? It was filed by a StudentsFirst lobbyist…: Remember that nutty lawsuit over the GA charter ballot initiative? It was filed by a StudentsFirst lobbyist… by admin You may have heard about the wacky lawsuit filed in October alleging a vast “education empire” conspiracy to defeat the GA education privatization amendment. Don’t worry if you can’t remember it. You probably missed the coverage, given that the suit was quickly thrown out of court. As it turns out, the “education empire” lawsuit was filed by ... more »

Daily Kos: "Value Added" Offers No Value for Education Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Daily Kos: "Value Added" Offers No Value for Education Reform: "Value Added" Offers No Value for Education Reform byplthomasEdDFollow U.S. public education has been mired in a technocratic paradigm—a narrow pursuit of efficiency through metrics-based science—since the early 1900s (Kliebard, 1995; Kincheloe, Steinberg, & Hinchey, 1999). In recent years, the accountability era has shifted deeper into that technocratic hole, adding to school and student accountability based on high-stakes test the use of value added measures (VAM) for identifying teacher quality and reforming teac... more »

Education: A System for Sorting or for Learning? — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Education: A System for Sorting or for Learning? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Sean Slade]Education: A System for Sorting or for Learning? November 28, 2012 by Sean Slade Caught up in the middle of the debates and discussions around educational reform over the past few years lies a fundamental difference in how people view education. Is it a system designed for sorting or is it a system designed for learning? Many of the reforms and innovations that are proposed appear to slot education into the sorting category rather than the learning category. Whether it i... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Tom Friedman to America's Kids: "Suck On This!"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Tom Friedman to America's Kids: "Suck On This!": Tom Friedman to America's Kids: "Suck On This!" by Duke NY Times columnist Tom Friedman has said many stupid things over the years. Many stupid things. I mean, really stupid. Just... stupid. Today, however, I believe he has outdone himself: That said, *my own nominee for secretary of state would be the current education secretary, Arne Duncan*. Yes, yes, I know. Duncan is not seeking the job and is not the least bit likely to be appointed. But I’m nominating him because I think this is an important time to ask th... more »

UPDATE: NYC Public School Parents: Arne Duncan as Secretary of State? Please help us shape the next administration's education agenda!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Please help us shape the next administration's education agenda!: Arne Duncan as Secretary of State? What would he do? by Leonie Haimson Tom Friedman of the New York Times opined that Arne Duncan should be the Secretary of State because he can do to the world what he has done to education. This column provoked much hilarious comment on Twitter last night. Here is a sample: Friedman pushes Arne Duncan for Secy of State Nocera wants Petraeus for Sec Defense; what are they smoking at NYT? nytimes.com/2012/11/28/opi… — leonie haimson (@leoniehaimson) Nove... more »

Open Letter To Chancellor Dennis Walcott and Others on The Idea of Assessment | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Open Letter To Chancellor Dennis Walcott and Others on The Idea of Assessment | The Jose Vilson: Open Letter To Chancellor Dennis Walcott and Others on The Idea of Assessment by Jose Chancellor Dennis Walcott Visits School of the Future To Chancellor Dennis Walcott, David Coleman, Merryl Tisch, and McGraw-Hill Publishers: First, I’ll mention that, since the discussions of the Common Core Learning Standards came to the fore, I’ve had a plethora of chances to immerse myself in the new vision for a quasi-nationalized education paradigm. In NYC, as usual, education policy makers feel... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Reforms No Silver Bullet For Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Reforms No Silver Bullet For Education: Reforms No Silver Bullet For Education by Anngie Reuters reporter Stephanie Simon reviewed Jeb Bush's education reform efforts in Florida and found no silver bullet among them. These reforms; charter schools, literacy requirements for 3rd graders, intense focus on reading, cyber classes, and vouchers, were instituted during his tenure as governor, and did initially show improvements in student scores and graduation rates. But, as they say, time will tell, and time has told the public that these gains were generall... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: A ROAD MAP FOR L.A. UNIFIED …when maybe GPS is needed?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: A ROAD MAP FOR L.A. UNIFIED …when maybe GPS is needed?: A ROAD MAP FOR L.A. UNIFIED …when maybe GPS is needed? A six-year study provides a wealth of information on how to recruit, assign, pay and, when necessary, lay off teachers in ways that help students most.LA TIMES EDITORIAL | HTTP://LAT.MS/10WGUA9November 28, 2012 :: There are big differences in how well Los Angeles' teachers help their students learn, a new study shows — bigger variations than in other districts, where teaching quality appears more even. The study also indica... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, November 28, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: About that “Atmospheric River” thing headed for Sacramento… Education Headlines *Wednesday, November 28, 2012* Sausalito Marin City school sees test scores jump, but it soon may closeBayside Elementary School in the Sausalito Marin City School District, which has long struggled to improve student achievement, is now ranked as a "high performing school," according to the most recent state scores. But the much improved result comes as the district board looks at a plan to close the Sausalito school and merge it with Martin Luther Ki... more »

Chicagoland Researchers and Advocates for Transformative Education (CReATE): Factsheets on Education Issues Facing the 2012-2013 Illinois Legislative Session

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Chicagoland Researchers and Advocates for Transformative Education (CReATE): Factsheets on Education Issues Facing the 2012-2013 Illinois Legislative Session: Factsheets on Education Issues Facing the 2012-2013 Illinois Legislative Session by CReATE Chicago CReATE is a network of over 100 professors from numerous Chicago-area universities who specialize in educational research and who work collectively to conduct, review, and distribute studies in order to promote public learning and dialogue about education issues. Sorting out the rhetoric from the reality, CReATE is pleased to... more »

Education Research Report: Current expenditures per pupil for public education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Education Research Report: Current expenditures per pupil for public education: Current expenditures per pupil for public education by Jonathan Kantrowitz This report presents state-level data on revenues by source and expenditures by function for public elementary and secondary education for school year 2009-10. Current expenditures per pupil for public elementary and secondary education were $10,652 on a national level in FY 10. Adjusting for inflation, per pupil state and local revenues decreased by 1 percent or more in 35 states and increased by 1 percent or more in 9 states... more »

UPDATE: Rahm’s school closing bill passes IL House We Are One sets the dates for Springfield action. More (hopefully) to come. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

We Are One sets the dates for Springfield action. More (hopefully) to come. « Fred Klonsky: Rahm’s school closing bill passes IL House. Senate next. Here the list of who voted for it in the House. by Fred Klonsky SB547 contained an amendment written by Representative Barbara Flynn Currie that gave the Mayor what he wanted. He can now delay providing a the list of schools he plans to close until summer. They were supposed to be published December 1st. Don’t be fooled by the title of the Senate Bill. It is ironically titled *Sanitarium Animals*. It is known as a shell bill. It just si... more »

Shanker Blog » Creating A Valid Process For Using Teacher Value-Added Measures

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Shanker Blog » Creating A Valid Process For Using Teacher Value-Added Measures: Creating A Valid Process For Using Teacher Value-Added Measures by Douglas N. Harris *Our guest author today is Douglas N. Harris, associate professor of economics and University Endowed Chair in Public Education at Tulane University in New Orleans. His latest book, *Value-Added Measures in Education*, provides an excellent, accessible review of the technical and practical issues surrounding these models. * Now that the election is over, the Obama Administration and policymakers nationally can return ... more »

Modern School: UC’s Secret Lover. . . Wall Street . . . Students and Employees Get Screwed

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Modern School: UC’s Secret Lover. . . Wall Street . . . Students and Employees Get Screwed: UC’s Secret Lover. . . Wall Street . . . Students and Employees Get Screwed by Michael Dunn Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons California voters recently approved Proposition 30, which would temporarily raise taxes slightly on the wealthiest state residents while also imposing a regressive sales tax hike on the poorest residents. The measure is expected to help close California’s current $16 billion deficit, but not to restore the tens of billions in revenues that have been slashed over the past ... more »

Pass / Fail : School funding changes debated at educators meeting | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Pass / Fail : School funding changes debated at educators meeting | 89.3 KPCC: School funding changes debated at educators meeting by By Adolfo Guzman-Lopez [image: California Budget]*Educators at a private meeting Tuesday sounded off on an expected proposal to increase state funding to disadvantaged school districts. Conversation focused on Governor Jerry Brown's proposal to redistribute education funding pots known as categoricals among districts with high proportions of kids in poverty and English learners. Credit: Rich Pedroncelli/AP* Educators at a private meeting Tuesday soun... more »

Education Foundation Or Estate Tax Dodge - Remains To Be Seen - Forbes

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Education Foundation Or Estate Tax Dodge - Remains To Be Seen - Forbes: Education Foundation Or Estate Tax Dodge - Remains To Be Seen + Comment now [image: Seal of the United States Internal Revenue Ser...] Seal of the United States Internal Revenue Service. The design is the same as the Treasury seal with an IRS inscription. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Educational Assistance Foundation for The Descendants of Hungarian Immigrants in The Performing Arts, Inc. (EAFDHIPA ?) A couple of times I have made up the names of not-for profits. There is for example Southern Baptists Against Cler... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH Gangnam Style 11-28-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] *Diane Ravitch Gangnam Style* Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab! What You Need to Know About Play by dianerav From a reader who is passionate about child’s play: Let’s talk to Arne about Play Science? We have schools in Asia setting up Play Science Institutes. They know that they need to innovate. The teacher is the one who can identify and scaffold upon the innate talents of the child. No computer program can see, feel, connect and mentor that deeply. Data is not knowledge. Metaphoric ... more »

UPDATE: "Despite these challenges, Governor Malloy is committed to…NO tax increases." - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

"Despite these challenges, Governor Malloy is committed to…NO tax increases." - Wait, What?: Malloy’s Blueprint for this time of economic crisis: A disproportionate cut to public higher education by jonpelto Faced with a $365 million budget deficit in this fiscal year, Governor Malloy and his budget chief, Ben Barnes, released a list of $170 million in cuts today. Their list of cuts is quite a commentary on Malloy’s vision of shared sacrifice and on where cuts can actually be made. After implementing the deepest cuts in Connecticut history to Connecticut’s public colleges and univ... more »

Working for Change in Higher Education: The Abysmal State of Adjunct Teacher Pay | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Working for Change in Higher Education: The Abysmal State of Adjunct Teacher Pay | toteachornototeach: Working for Change in Higher Education: The Abysmal State of Adjunct Teacher Pay by aristotlethewise *Working for Change in Higher Education: The Abysmal State of Adjunct Teacher Pay* By Jeff Nall The recent Chicago teachers’ strike provoked a great deal of thoughtful discussion on the topic of K-12 education and teaching conditions. Important aspects of higher education, however, continue to be overlooked. In particular, the broader public is likely unaware of the unfair and even ... more »

Teachers For Social Justice: 2012 TSJ Curriculum Fair Photos

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Teachers For Social Justice: 2012 TSJ Curriculum Fair Photos: 2012 TSJ Curriculum Fair Photos by sarah-ji Popout (Click on slideshow to see photos from the fair.) Much thanks to all of the exhibitors, workshop presenters, performers, speakers, attendees and wonderful volunteers who helped to make this year's Curriculum Fair successful, and the largest ever with 850-900 people! We hope you had an enjoyable & inspiring time creating this space with us once again, that you are recharged, reconnected, recommitted...and ready. To everyone working for social justice in education, thank y... more »

Charter School Proponents To Announce Major Focus On Shutting Down Failing Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Charter School Proponents To Announce Major Focus On Shutting Down Failing Schools: Charter School Proponents To Announce Major Focus On Shutting Down Failing Schools by Joy Resmovits Charter schools are about to get a reality check. As someone who has observed the breakneck pace of the growing charter school movement up close, Greg Richmond, who leads the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA), is taking a step back. "We didn't start this movement in order to create more failing schools, but that's what we have," Richmond told The Huffington Post. "Hundreds... more »

Charter school amendment debate far from over: Next up in the Georgia Legislature, redefining “public” schools. | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Charter school amendment debate far from over: Next up in the Georgia Legislature, redefining “public” schools. | Get Schooled: Charter school amendment debate far from over: Next up in the Georgia Legislature, redefining “public” schools. by Maureen Downey *I think this is the Death part* Here is a guest column by Lee Raudonis, former executive director of the Georgia Republican Party. He also worked for Paul Coverdell in the Georgia Senate, state GOP and U.S. Peace Corps. A former private school teacher, Raudonis is now a communications consultant and writer whose clients inclu... more »

Nine questions about ’21st Century curriculum’

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Nine questions about ’21st Century curriculum’: Nine questions about '21st Century curriculum' by Valerie Strauss If you have heard the phrase “21st Century curriculum” and wondered exactly what that is,you aren’t alone. Here, veteran educator and curriculum expert Marion Brady explains. Brady, who was a classroom teacher for years, has written history and world culture textbooks (Prentice-Hall), professional books, numerous nationally distributed columns (many are available here), and courses of study. His 2011 book “What’s Worth Learning” asks and answer this question: What kn... more »

“Traditional”: An Unpleasant Word to Reformers | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

“Traditional”: An Unpleasant Word to Reformers | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: “Traditional”: An Unpleasant Word to Reformers by larrycuban I was startled last week when one of my students was presenting her project report to our seminar. She had been examining a “flipped” course that she and 41 other Stanford students were taking along with 40,000 other in this Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). A “flipped” class means that students see professor-made video lectures at home rather than the professor taking up class time to lecture and ask students question... more »

Rural district serves as model for offering healthy meals | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Rural district serves as model for offering healthy meals | EdSource Today: Rural district serves as model for offering healthy meals ** November 28th, 2012 | Add a Comment | By Susan Frey Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services By emphasizing partnerships with community nonprofits and businesses, taking advantage of statewide grants and making good nutrition a financial priority, rural Fort Bragg Unified has continued to provide healthy food and nutrition education to its primarily low-income students, despite budget cuts. [imag... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: More BBB sleight of hand

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: More BBB sleight of hand: More BBB sleight of hand by Mike Klonsky Damn! No sooner had I posted about Byrd-Bennett's school-closing trickery, then she came up with another bit of *Three-Card Monte*. She's really good. BBB's enigma, wrapped in a riddle, surrounded by mystery, goes like this: When is a moratorium not really a moratorium? Answer -- when BBB calls it a *turnaround*, instead of a closing. Sure, you're firing all the school's teachers and replacing them with lower-paid, non-union newbies. Sure you're handing the school over to private chart... more »

Schools Matter: In memory of Harvey Milk: teacher witch-hunts are nothing new

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Schools Matter: In memory of Harvey Milk: teacher witch-hunts are nothing new: In memory of Harvey Milk: teacher witch-hunts are nothing new by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene First published on Robert D. Skeels for School Board on November 27, 2012. ------------------------------ *"Gay people have been slandered nationwide. We've been tarred and we've been brushed with the picture of pornography." — Harvey Milk* [image: Harvey Milk]The current crop of teacher-bashing political opportunists including Michelle Rhee, Ben Austin, Peter C. Cook, Gloria Romero, and Andy Smarick, are nothing ... more »

UPDATE: Schooling in the Ownership Society: What's so "special" about KIPP?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: What's so "special" about KIPP?: Nowak out as Penn Fund chief. 'Differences in approach..." by Mike Klonsky NowakI have posted here several times about the role of the Wm. Penn Foundation and the Boston Consulting Group, two of the main architects of Philly's school privatization plan. Today we learn that Penn Fund power broker *Jeremy Nowak* is out as the foundations' chief exec. The Penn Foundation has already given $1.45 million directly — and helped obtain at least $1.2 million more — to pay the Boston Consulting Group to develop a so-called ... more »

Sabrina Stevens Shupe: The Other Trouble With 'Elites'

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Sabrina Stevens Shupe: The Other Trouble With 'Elites': The Other Trouble With 'Elites' Posted: 01/19/12 12:10 PM ET @TeacherSabrina Wednesday morning, Denver progressive radio host David Sirota had DPS Superintendent (and Boulder, Colo. resident) Tom Boasberg on his show. The segment picked up on a point from Sirota's recent opinion piece, "America's dangerously removed elite": the significance of a high-profile school superintendent who, as neither an educator or a DPS parent, has virtually no stakeholder ties to the school district he runs. Listening to Boasberg's comments, I ... more »

UPDATE: UCI uses force to silence students right to protest.: Prop 30 Won’t Save Us | Occupy UCI!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

November 8th: Prop 30 Won’t Save Us | Occupy UCI!: Student Conduct Charges from Nov. 8th Rally + March by Occupy UCI In response to the previous letter the lawyer sent to the administration (see here: UAW Lawyer’s email to the UCI admin), the Office of Student Conduct has released their first charge against a student-worker that organized and participated in November 8th’s Rally and March against UC privatization. Sure enough the charges are absurd, given that these are the same charges *we* accused the administration of taking against several student activists that same day. (N... more »

The Never-Ending Student Loan for Mothers « MomsRising Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

The Never-Ending Student Loan for Mothers « MomsRising Blog: The Never-Ending Student Loan for Mothers by Valerie Young As we find ourselves in the frenzy of holiday spending and gift giving, you may be surprised to know that the amount of student loan debt across the country actually exceeds the amount of credit card debt. It used to be that borrowing to buy a house or earn a college degree was called “good debt.” But is that still the case, if you can never pay off the loan? What if your ability to pay off the loan is affected by your gender? In other words, simply by being fem... more »

Grades Limit My Learning (Guest Post by Student Justin Strudler) « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Grades Limit My Learning (Guest Post by Student Justin Strudler) « Cooperative Catalyst: Grades Limit My Learning (Guest Post by Student Justin Strudler) by dloitz Is this learning? We all stress ourselves out to memorize the formulas. We all have had that cram night before the final. We all BS homework at the last second so as not to “get a zero”. We all use Spark Notes. We all discuss answers post-test. I started writing my ideas about learning on My Blog. Like many of the people likely reading this post, I am a student, and my interest in education unfortunately comes out of fru... more »

Schools Matter: School to Prison Pipeline in Mississippi

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Schools Matter: School to Prison Pipeline in Mississippi: School to Prison Pipeline in Mississippi by Judy Rabin From Alternet, originally published by Colorlines.com by Julianne Hing The Shocking Details of a Mississippi School-to-Prison Pipeline Wearing the wrong color socks, talking back and being late landed young Cedrico Green in jail. The Justice Department says there are many more students like him *November 27, 2012* | In Meridian, when schools want to discipline children, they do much more than just send them to the principal’s office. They call the police, who sho... more »

My Secretary of State - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

My Secretary of State - NYTimes.com: My Secretary of StateBy THOMAS L. FRIEDMANPublished: November 27, 2012 Comment Mr Friedman could be RIGHT! If there ever was someone who could sell stuff! - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - President Obama is assembling his new national security team, with Senator John Kerry possibly heading for the Pentagon and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice the perceived front-runner to become secretary of state. Kerry is an excellent choice for defense. I don’t know Rice at all, so I have no ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Special Ed PTSA General Meeting This Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Special Ed PTSA General Meeting This Week: Special Ed PTSA General Meeting This Week by Melissa Westbrook Seattle Special Education PTSA General Meeting THIS WEEK! SPECIAL DATE! "Meeting Special Education Student Needs in General Education Classrooms" featuring Dr. Bridget Walker Assistant Professor in Seattle University's Master in Teaching Program *Wednesday, Nov 28, 2012 * 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. John Stanford Center, Room 2700 2445 3rd Ave. S., Seattle 98134 We have a fantastic program for you and for your child's teachers. Please invite them, and your f... more »

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble Gives Up on Food Stamp Challenge

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble Gives Up on Food Stamp Challenge: Congressman Kimble Gives Up on Food Stamp Challenge by Representative Kimble It is with great sorrow that I throw in the towel on the Food Stamp Challenge that I began only a few days ago with such trepidation. I can tell you right now, it is an amazing feat to be able to feed oneself on a meager $31.50 a day. What doomed me in the long run was a miscalculation on my part. I went out to dinner with former Congressman Tom Ensign to discuss a new PAC he wishes to start advocating for candidates with a strong f... more »

Video: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan discusses Dallas ISD | Education Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Video: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan discusses Dallas ISD | Education Blog:

Last Stand for Children First: Chicago Public Schools Want to Do the Right Thing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Last Stand for Children First: Chicago Public Schools Want to Do the Right Thing: Chicago Public Schools Want to Do the Right Thing by Last Stand for Children When I was a child, I had the cutest dog in the world named Milton after University of Chicago economist Milton Friedman. The dog was always happy to see me when I came home from my private tutoring and he always smiled and wagged his tail. Unfortunately, he also drooled and as a result my cousin took an instant dislike to Milton. My cousin used to kick the dog and pull his tail until the dog yelped and I cried. Finally,... more »

Schools Matter: Private Prison Corporation Participates in Public School Drug Raid Plus other Stuff

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Schools Matter: Private Prison Corporation Participates in Public School Drug Raid: Private Prison Corporation Participates in Public School Drug Raid by Jim Horn Vista Grande High School in Case Grande has this the bottom of its lengthy list of violation and procedures on its Discipline Page: * **The administration retains the right and privilege to issue consequences for acts of behavior not specifically stated herein and to alter any consequences, as they consider necessary. Furthermore, the administration reserves the right to amend any provisions in this handbook which they de... more »

NSBA supports Louisiana school boards in voucher case « School Board News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

NSBA supports Louisiana school boards in voucher case « School Board News: *National School Boards Association Supports Voucher Lawsuit Challenging Public Education Funding in Louisiana* * * * * *NSBA President C. Ed Massey to attend the Baton Rouge hearing* Alexandria, Va. (November 27, 2012) – The National School Boards Association (NSBA) is supporting a lawsuit filed by the Louisiana School Boards Association (LSBA), the state’s main teachers’ organizations, and 43 school districts that challenges the constitutionality of Louisiana’s law to provide vouchers to students in low ... more »

Beware of the DPI: District Performance Index: - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Beware of the DPI: District Performance Index: - Wait, What?: Beware of the DPI: District Performance Index: by jonpelto Forget the “Fiscal Cliff,” Governor Malloy and Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor are hell-bent on forcing Connecticut to utilize something called a District Performance Index (DPI) and worse, they want to use it to determine how much education funding each community will receive. To put it bluntly, despite the fact that their concept is completely untested, their solution to education funding and property tax relief is to rely on how well children do on variou... more »

Stand united: an appeal to commenters | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Stand united: an appeal to commenters | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Stand united: an appeal to commentersby Frank Murphy on Nov 27 2012 Posted in Commentary I have been troubled by the negative tone of several comments posted in response to *Notebook* articles over the last few months. Anonymous posters have increasingly engaged in highly critical and often sharply worded personal attacks on individual Philadelphia school district employees and union personnel. Though I can understand the depth of emotion that motivates people to make such remarks I do not support such ... more »

UPDATE: A Challenge for Chris Cerf - Jersey Jazzman: NJ CREDO Report: No Evidence Charter "Success" Can Be Replicated

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Jersey Jazzman: NJ CREDO Report: No Evidence Charter "Success" Can Be Replicated: NJ CREDO Report: No Evidence Charter "Success" Can Be Replicated by Duke [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] A Challenge for Chris Cerf by Duke Here's the statement from NJDOE Commissioner Chris Cerf about today's CREDO charter report (thx Mother Crusader). The money quote: *Key findings from the **report*:**** **· ***School level:* “At the school level, 30 percent of the charter schools have significantly more positive learning gains *than their TPS (traditional public ... more »

UPDATE: Senator Iris Martinez. No deal on a school closing timeline. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Senator Iris Martinez. No deal on a school closing timeline. « Fred Klonsky: *Fred Said Don't Be Fooled* Seasonals. by Fred Klonsky I saw something posted on Facebook today about making holiday ornaments with elementary students. When I went to the site, it was *actually a serious post* about where you could go to get directions for making holiday ornaments. I guess I was hoping for something else. When I first was hired as a K-6 art teacher, I was warned by my boss, *the administrator in charge of Art teachers*, not to make *“seasonals.”* Nothing special for Halloween. No Valentines... more »

Book Review: The Future of Our Schools; Teacher Unions and Social Justice - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Book Review: The Future of Our Schools; Teacher Unions and Social Justice - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Book Review: The Future of Our Schools; Teacher Unions and Social Justice by Anthony Cody Today I am taking time to review an insightful new book, authored by Lois Weiner: The Future of Our Schools; Teachers Unions and Social Justice (2012, Haymarket Books.) This work presents a useful guide to teachers who wish to make the most out of one the most powerful tools we have - our unions.[image: futureofourschools.jpg] In our discussion of how to improve schools, teac... more »

Support Kids not Cuts | Education Votes #edchat

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Kids Not Cuts | Education Votes: Support Kids not Cuts Last updated November 21, 2012 Across the board cuts, scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 2, 2013, are a bad idea and would be devastating to the programs and services ordinary Americans depend on including education,* *transportation, public safety, medical research, and environmental protection. These cuts could also lead to the *loss of* *nearly 80,000 education jobs.* TAKE ACTION › Visit our Kids Not Cuts topic page for all the latest news and ways to get involved in the fight against the looming across the board cuts... more »

UPDATE: Mother Crusader: Cerf's Spin On CREDO Report, The CREDO Study; Dubious Conclusions About New Jersey Charter Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Mother Crusader: The CREDO Study; Dubious Conclusions About New Jersey Charter Schools: Cerf's Spin On CREDO Report by darciecima And here is the shiny NJDOE spin on the CREDO report. More on this later. I'm too spun from trying to unspin the CREDO press release to deal with Cerf's spin right now... * * *Statement by Commissioner Cerf on New Report on New Jersey Charter Schools from **The Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO)*** *For Immediate Release:***** *Contact:* Barbara Morgan Rich Vespucci**** *Date:* November 27, 2012**** 609-292-1... more »

Diane in the EveningDiane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Mississippi Bests Florida by dianerav For years we have heard about the Florida miracle, supposedly the result of Jeb Bush’s tough accountability measures. But whoa! The latest federal data show that Mississippi has a higher graduation rate than Florida. Is there a Mississippi miracle? New Report on New Jersey Charter Schools by dianerav Bruce Baker here analyzes the new CREDO report on charter schools in New Jersey. Charters in Newark outperform district schools, and Baker explains the secrets of their success. Outside of Newark, charters were no differen... more »

KIPP’s special status gets more special

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

KIPP’s special status gets more special: KIPP’s special status gets more special Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 27, 2012 at 11:30 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » There are charter schools, and then there are special charter schools. In this story my colleague Nick Anderson writes about how special the KIPP charter school network has become. Already the recipient of many millions of dollars from private foundations, and a finalist in the Obama administration’s Race to the Top-District ... more »

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