Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-6-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-6-12 #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

Open Letter; Governors Christie, Cuomo and Mayor BloombergSave Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Open Letter; Governors Christie, Cuomo and Mayor BloombergSave Our Schools: Open Letter; Governors Christie, Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg by Server An Open Letter to Governors Christie, Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg *By Denny Taylor* *Originally Published on November 4, 2012* *Hurricane Sandy; Research Findings on Children and Trauma Support the Halting of Testing in K-12 Public Schools* *Dear Governor Christie, Governor Cuomo, and Mayor Bloomberg,* I write to applaud your rapid response to Hurricane Sandy. You have been decisive in your decision making and tireless in your efforts to care ... more »

A baker’s dozen of races that matter to education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

A baker’s dozen of races that matter to education: A baker’s dozen of races that matter to education Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 6, 2012 at 3:18 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » There’s a lot at stake for public education in the 2012 elections including and well beyond the presidential choice. Seats on state boards of education are being contested in nine states, and there are gubernatorial races in eight states where governors appoint school board members, Education Week reports. A... more »

Teacher Evaluation for Effectiveness — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Teacher Evaluation for Effectiveness — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Megan Wolfe]Teacher Evaluation for Effectiveness November 6, 2012 by Megan Wolfe Teachers know it, parents know it, and even students know it, but there seems to be no consensus across states, districts, and schools about how to measure it and ensure that it is measured fairly. I'm talking about teacher evaluations. Having an effective teacher at the head of the class is the most important in-school factor influencing student learning and teacher evaluation systems are supposed to assess just ... more »

It’s NOT Paranoia « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

It’s NOT Paranoia « Deborah Meier on Education: It’s NOT Paranoia by debmeier When you read this I’ll be enjoying the Coalition of Essential School’s Fall Forum in Providence (8th/9th). By the time I return (Nov 17th) I’ll have been many places where I’ll get feedback on the elections and on teaching this side of the Mississippi–including breakfast with Karen Lewis, president of the Chicago AFT. But will it cure my “paranoia”? Thanks to Ann Cook for reminding me that my “paranoia” about teachers holding a special place in the hearts of the corporate establishment is well-founded.... more »

A letter from one Washingtonian (DC) to his west coast brethren: Reasons for rejecting charter school Initiative 1240 | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

A letter from one Washingtonian (DC) to his west coast brethren: Reasons for rejecting charter school Initiative 1240 | Seattle Education: A letter from one Washingtonian (DC) to his west coast brethren: Reasons for rejecting charter school Initiative 1240 by seattleducation2011 [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] *Charter Expansion (Ballot Initiative I-1240) Will Harm, Not Help, Public School Students in Washington State : Insights from the Other Washington , the Washington (DC) Public Schools* Charter Expansion (Ballot Initiative I-1240) Will Harm, Not Help, Public School St... more »

Education Inc. How private companies are profiting from Texas public schools | The Texas Observer

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Education Inc. | The Texas Observer: Education Inc.How private companies are profiting from Texas public schools. by Abby Rapoport Published on Tuesday, September 6, 2011, at 6:20 CST *IT’S NOT HARD TO IMAGINE* Pearson’s vision of utopia. Pearson is a London-based mega-corporation that owns everything from the *Financial Times* to Penguin Books, and also dominates the business of educating American children. The company promotes its many education-related products on a website that features an idyllic, make-believe town. It’s called Pearsonville, and it looks like the international... more »

"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." - Martin Luther King, Jr. - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." - Martin Luther King, Jr. - Wait, What?: “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. by jonpelto Here is a flyer that the Linda McMahon for U.S. Senate campaign has been handing out in Bridgeport. Of course, the piece is highly misleading. Neither McMahon, nor anyone associated with her campaign, did anything meaningful to support the effort to defeat Mayor Finch’s proposal to do away with Bridgeport’s democratical... more »

UPDATE:Seattle Schools Community Forum: An Interesting Read from an Unlikely (for us) Source

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: An Interesting Read from an Unlikely (for us) Source: "Record Number Complete High School and College" by Melissa Westbrook So goes today's headline in the NY Times. *Although the United States no longer leads the world in educational attainment, record numbers of young Americans are completing high school, going to college and finishing college, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of newly available census data. * *The share of high school graduates in that age group, along with the share of those with some college, have also reached rec... more »

Illinois House GOP Leader Tom Cross is a liar and an ingrate. The IEA leadership played for suckers. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Illinois House GOP Leader Tom Cross is a liar and an ingrate. The IEA leadership played for suckers. « Fred Klonsky: Illinois House GOP Leader Tom Cross is a liar and an ingrate. The IEA leadership are played for suckers. by Fred Klonsky Illinois House GOP Leader Tom Cross writes to the *Chicago Tribune* today: *When it comes to identifying a critical roadblock impeding the efforts of those working to reform Illinois’ budget and addressing our state’s pension crisis, Bruce Rauner’s “Government unions and the downfall of Illinois” (Perspective, Nov. 1) makes a compelling case. Unfo... more »

Occupy Sandy. Give locally. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Occupy Sandy. Give locally. « Fred Klonsky: Occupy Sandy. Give local. by Fred Klonsky *Photo: Jed Brandt.* *Caribbean:*Partners in HealthInternational Medical CorpsCatholic Relief ServicesDirect Relief International Doctors Without Borders *The Northeast:*Blood donationsOccupy Sandy in New JerseyOccupy Sandy in New YorkTunnel to Towers (relief for Staten Island and New Jersey) Bideawee (pet assistance) City HarvestFood Bank for New York City *The Mid-Atlantic:*Food Bank of DelawarePhilabundance (relief in Philadelphia) D.C. Central KitchenFood & Friends

Schools Matter: Koch Boys, Gates, Waltons, and Wall Street Lined Up in Support of Charter Expansion in Georgia and Washington

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Schools Matter: Koch Boys, Gates, Waltons, and Wall Street Lined Up in Support of Charter Expansion in Georgia and Washington: Koch Boys, Gates, Waltons, and Wall Street Lined Up in Support of Charter Expansion in Georgia and Washington by Jim Horn A clip from the NYTimes today: The Georgia initiative, as well as a ballot measure in Washington State that would permit charters there for the first time, is being closely watched across the country. In both states, the measures have attracted financial support from national business leaders and advocacy groups. In Washington, donor... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, November 6, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: Vote for President Obama...Click picture] [image: Parents Can!] DR. AMI BERA | BERA FOR CONGRESS [image: Dr. Ami Bera | Bera for Congress] Making Washington Work Sacramento County needs a bold leader who sees Congress as an opportunity to serve. Like the oath I took to become a Doctor, I take another solemn oath to put people first Education Headlines *Tuesday, November 6, 2012* School numbers continue to shrinkEnrollment at most Tuolumne and Calaveras county school districts has dropped this fall, continuing a 15-year tr... more »

Remarks by the First Lady and the President at Final Campaign Rally -- Des Moines, IA | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Remarks by the First Lady and the President at Final Campaign Rally -- Des Moines, IA | The White House: Remarks by the First Lady and the President at Final Campaign Rally -- Des Moines, IA Intersection of East 4th and East Locust Streets Des Moines, Iowa 9:58 P.M. CST MRS. OBAMA: Thank you, guys. Thanks so much. AUDIENCE: We love Michelle! We love Michelle! MRS. OBAMA: (Laughter.) And I love you. I love you from the bottom of my heart. And I am beyond thrilled to be here with all of you. But we have to give some love up for Bruce Springsteen. I mean, gosh. (Applause.) ... more »

Modern School: Teachers Unions are Failing Kids AND Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Modern School: Teachers Unions are Failing Kids AND Teachers: Teachers Unions are Failing Kids AND Teachers by Michael Dunn Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons Chip Johnson’s recent hit piece in the San Francisco Chronicle, “Oakland Teachers Failed Kids,” accused the Oakland Educators Association (OEA) of putting the interests of teachers above kids and cheating them out of millions in federal Race to the Top (RttT) funds by refusing to accept student test scores (also known as Value Added Measures, or VAM) as a part of teacher evaluations. If Johnson was really interested in better edu... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Jazzman Voters Guide

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Jazzman Voters Guide: Jazzman Voters Guide by Duke The most important race in New Jersey is LD-16 for the Assembly. *Marie Corfield is the clear choice and will give parents and teachers a long-needed voice in the State Assembly.* If you live in this district, I implore you to vote for Marie. In Perth Amboy: I won't say who you should vote for in the school board election. But you should know this: the "Better Schools Now!" slate is being backed by out-of-state interests that want nothing more than to push unaccountable charter schools into your community. If you ... more »

My High School Feminism Students Create Get Out the Vote Video for Young Women « Feminist Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

My High School Feminism Students Create Get Out the Vote Video for Young Women « Feminist Teacher: My High School Feminism Students Create Get Out the Vote Video for Young Women by feministteacher Popout Earlier this fall, my high school feminism students and I created an It’s My Vote video designed to encourage young women to vote in this year’s election. The American Association of University Women’s Action Fundsponsored the campaign and we were featured on their site. As an educator-activist, nothing is more important to me than teaching young people the importance of civic enga... more »

ALEC Legislators up for re-election in Washington State | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

ALEC Legislators up for re-election in Washington State | Seattle Education: ALEC Legislators up for re-election in Washington State by seattleducation2011 From the Color of Change: *Washington State ALEC legislators who are up for re-election.* U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings (R-4) U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-3) U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-5) – Rep. Jan Angel (R-26) Rep. Mike Armstrong (R-12) Rep. Kevin Parker (R-6) Rep. Charles R. Ross (R-14) Rep. Joe Schmick (R-9) Rep. Matt Shea (R-4) – Sen. Randi Becker (R-2) Sen. Don Benton (R-17) Sen. Michael Carrell (R-28) Sen. Brian Hatfi... more »

Is Test Mania Killing Interest in Science Teaching? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Is Test Mania Killing Interest in Science Teaching? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Is Test Mania Killing Interest in Science Teaching? by Anthony Cody Last week I got some disturbing news from a science educator in Kansas. John Richard Schrock is a biologist who works at Emporia State University in Kansas, preparing science teachers. In September he wrote about a visit from Secretary of Education Arne Duncan,and shared this graph, with the following caption: [image: KSBio.jpg] *The number of new licenses awarded by Kansas State Department of Education KSDE to biolog... more »

Obama and The Boss in Madison, Wisconsin : blue cheddar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Obama and The Boss in Madison, Wisconsin : blue cheddar: Obama and The Boss in Madison, Wisconsin November 6, 2012 By bluecheddar [image: Share] Image from brucespringsteen.net * What Bruce Springsteen said in Madison:* “Let me begin with a shout out to all of our neighbors in the Northeast who are reeling from Hurricane Sandy and its immense impact. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. So, it’s good to be here with you today–and it will be great to feel the power of your votes and voices tomorrow. I’m here today for Wisconsin, America, and for President Obama. For the last 30 ye... more »

What's at Stake in This Election - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

What's at Stake in This Election - Bridging Differences - Education Week: What's at Stake in This Election by Pedro Noguera Hi Deb, I'm glad you followed up about the election, and I was impressed to hear how much you are doing to get the vote out. I've been involved too in some local and regional races. It's hard for me to think about anything else these days. So much is at stake today, and I'm worried that Barack Obama may suffer from a loss of enthusiasm at the polls. Mitt Romney has done an amazing job at re-creating himself during this campaign. He went from a "severe right"... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-6-12 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] Destructive Reforms Fail by dianerav Teacher/poet Glen Brown points out what is obvious to educators yet utterly unknown to our nation’s leaders: The privatization movement (aka “reform”) is failing. It demoralizes teachers. It punishes children who don’t give the answers the test makers want. It is wrong. It is antagonistic to good education. It is failing, failing, failing. It has no constructive ideas. Only carrots and sticks. District Reform: No Sit-Downs by dianerav Teachers in Magnesia, Texas, were in ... more »

The tangled webs of private influence on public school reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

The tangled webs of private influence on public school reform: The tangled webs of private influence on public school reform Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 6, 2012 at 5:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Last February, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit organization called In the Public Interest, submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for private emails and other files from Indiana school superintendent Tony Bennett and the Indiana Department of Education in an effort to track t... more »

UPDATE: Jersey Jazzman: Yet Another TFA Alum Puffs Up Her Resume

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Yet Another TFA Alum Puffs Up Her Resume: Yet Another TFA Alum Puffs Up Her Resume by Duke It's a fine TFA alumni tradition started by none other than Michelle Rhee: Sell yourself as a teaching genius by gussying up your two or three years in the classroom with statistics showing your "success." Rhee used to make this dramatic claim: "*Over a two-year period, moved students scoring on average at the 13th percentile on national standardized tests to 90 percent of students scoring at the 90th percentile or higher.*" Unfortunately for this modern day saint, G.F. Bra... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Agency Based Education - The Ultimate Local Control

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Agency Based Education - The Ultimate Local Control: Agency Based Education - The Ultimate Local Control by Anngie Today as we go to the polls to exercise our right to vote, most of us feel a sense of accomplishment. This is the time we can stop complaining about government and actually do something about it. We tend to feel better when we are proactive and do something. In the world of politics we can either vote for someone who believes as we do, or spend time after they're elected trying to convince them that our point of view is best. Then we must ... more »

Heavy load awaits new Common Core committee | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Heavy load awaits new Common Core committee | EdSource Today: Heavy load awaits new Common Core committee - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald The State Board of Education tomorrow is expected to appoint the 20 educators who will do the heavy lifting over the next 18 months of fleshing out the Common Core English language arts standards. Their document, the curriculum framework, will guide teachers’ instruction by offering examples of best practices, links to useful materials, and suggestions on how to teach critical thinking and good writing. It will also provide tips and ... more »

UPDATE: Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: On the ground in Chicago

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: On the ground in Chicago: On the ground in Chicago by Mike Klonsky *This post was written by guest blogger Bob George. Bob is a member of the National Steering Committee of Save Our Schools (SOS).* A day in the life Over the past several days I had the privilege of being involved in several Chicago education events with Parents, Students, Teachers, CTU and Core members. On Thursday evening, the Black Caucus of CTU sponsored a discussion with CTU President Karen Lewis, on the recent teachers strike, the implications for the community, and what’s next... more »

Reopening Schools in the Aftermath of the StormSave Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Reopening Schools in the Aftermath of the StormSave Our Schools: Reopening Schools in the Aftermath of the Storm by Server Hurricane Sandy; Reopening Schools in the Aftermath of the StormRECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS *By Denny Taylor* *Originally Published on November 3, 2012* Recommendations for Administrators and Teachers Responding to Hurricane SandyHurricane Sandy has created long lasting catastrophic conditions in the North East of the United States. People are making heroic efforts to respond to the emergency. At hospitals in New York City nurses arrived on S...more »

How Many Strikes? or Wither Accountability? #2 | AMPS

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

How Many Strikes? or Wither Accountability? #2 | AMPS: Vote to be heard! by Thomas J. Mertz Digna Lewis, 2004. Click through here for more of this collection: Chis Stamey and Yo la Tengo, “Vote” (click to listen or download) Check the Wisconsin League of Woman Voters for all your voting information, including your rights, your polling place, the candidate answers, referendum information, and same day registration. VOTE TO BE HEARD! Thomas J. Mertz How Many Strikes? or Wither Accountability? #2 by Thomas J. Mertz The Isotopes – “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” (click to listen or downl... more »

Future of Georgia’s Charter Schools on Ballot - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Future of Georgia’s Charter Schools on Ballot - NYTimes.com: Georgia’s Voters Will Decide on Future of Charter Schools [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] ATLANTA — Staff members in the charter school division of the Georgia Department of Education keep notepads in their offices inscribed with a mantra: “Is it best for students? Then do it.” Enlarge This Image Rich Addicks for The New York Times Students at Pataula Charter Academy in Edison, Ga., showed their support for the ballot initiative. But when it comes to charter schools, parents, teachers, education... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter — Home Visits: This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter — Home Visits Posted on November 5, 2012 by Larry Ferlazzo 1 Guest post by Joe Mazza Image credit: media.mlive.com This week’s Parent-Teacher Chat on Twitter focuses on “home visits” made by educators to engage families. Virginia Supt. Dr. Steve Constantino and Iowa PrincipalJimmyCasas will join us as experienced resources for this discussion. When teachers build relationships with the families of the students they teach, those families become powerful advocates in their childre... more »

Win or Lose Bridgeport’s Board Of Education battle, Finch has probably lost the war - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Win or Lose Bridgeport’s Board Of Education battle, Finch has probably lost the war - Wait, What?: Win or Lose Bridgeport’s Board Of Education battle, Finch has probably lost the war by jonpelto While most of the attention will be focused on the vote for President and members of the U.S. Senate, Congress, State Senate and State House of Representatives tomorrow, there will be plenty of eyes cast on what happens with the charter revision referendum in Bridgeport. Mayor Bill Finch, “education reformers” and elite members of the corporate community are spending a record amount to tr... more »

An Urban Teacher's Education: What Voters in Washington State Can Learn from Charter Schools in Washington, DC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

An Urban Teacher's Education: What Voters in Washington State Can Learn from Charter Schools in Washington, DC: [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)][image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] What Voters in Washington State Can Learn from Charter Schools in Washington, DC by James Boutin *The following essay and commentary is from Retired Public School Teacher Erich Martel, of the Washington, DC Public School System.** **His writing previously appeared on this blog here. You can contact Erich with questions or comments at ehmartel@starpower.net*. *Charter Expansi... more »

Common Core and the Mainstream | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Common Core and the Mainstream | Truth in American Education: Common Core and the Mainstream Posted on November 5, 2012 by Shane Vander Hart I guess those of us who are concerned about the Common Core State Standards are part of the fringe… at least according to Scott Elliott writing for the *Indianapolis Star’s* Get on the Bus Blog. He writes: The Common Core has been only a minor issue in the state superintendent race, which has instead been focused on issues like testing and privatization of public education. Bennett’s rival, Democrat Glenda Ritz, has expressed some sympathy f... more »

Schools Matter: Corporate School Boarding Indy Style

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Schools Matter: Corporate School Boarding Indy Style: Corporate School Boarding Indy Style by Storm *Guest Post by Doug Martin, author and contributor at The Common Errant** **Doug Martin is doing the heavy lifting in Indiana--the work our Fourth Estate seems to have been hired to ignore. There is one very bright exception (shining much more so because so isolated in the journalistic sky): Karen Francisco who writes "The Learning Curve" at the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.* It happened in New Orleans, it happened in Denver, it happened in Florida with the Vice President's brothe... more »

Throughout November: Teacher Evaluation — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Throughout November: Teacher Evaluation — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]Throughout November: Teacher Evaluation November 5, 2012 by Klea Scharberg Teacher quality is the most important in-school factor influencing student learning and achievement. Research shows that students with high-performing teachers can progress three times as fast as students with low-performing teachers and each student deserves access to highly effective teachers in every subject. In turn, all teachers deserve a fair and accurate assessment of their skills, how they perf... more »

Daily Kos: The “Naïve Expert” Problem in Market Paradigm and Education Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Daily Kos: The “Naïve Expert” Problem in Market Paradigm and Education Reform: The “Naïve Expert” Problem in Market Paradigm and Education Reform by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) In a letter written to Charles Thompson in 1787, Thomas Jefferson stated: "The moment a person forms a theory, his imagination sees, in every object, only the traits which favor that theory." The dangers inherent in the ideologue may have been central to Jefferson's faith in democracy wedded to his personal and political commitment to the necessity for universal public education. Without a well-informed... more »

My High School Feminism Class Marks International Day of the Girl 2012 « Feminist Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

My High School Feminism Class Marks International Day of the Girl 2012 « Feminist Teacher: My High School Feminism Class Marks International Day of the Girl 2012 by feministteacher Click to view slideshow.The students in my high school feminism class marked this year’s first International Day of the Girl by leading a phenomenal school-wide assembly for their peers. We partnered with 10×10 Educate Girls to learn about the state of girls’ education globally as well as with our partner school in India, the all-girls Shri Shikshayatan Schoolin Kolkata. In addition to sharing informa... more »

Shanker Blog » New Books For The Youngest Victims Of Hurricane Sandy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Shanker Blog » New Books For The Youngest Victims Of Hurricane Sandy: New Books For The Youngest Victims Of Hurricane Sandy by Shanker Institute Staff [image: Help Get New Books to Kids Affected by Hurricane Sandy] Citizens across the United States have been deeply moved by the scenes of devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy. At the Albert Shanker Institute, we offer our condolences to those who have lost loved ones, and to the thousands upon thousands who have lost their homes. Educators and those who care about our public schools can make a special contribution to the recovery e... more »

School Reform, But From Whose Perspective? | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

School Reform, But From Whose Perspective? | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: School Reform, But From Whose Perspective? by Cheryl S. Williams Public K-12 schooling is a popular subject in all forms of media these days, with the majority of coverage highly critical of both the professionals who work within the system and the performance of the students with whom they work. Prominent national leaders from government, corporations, and philanthropic organizations, having positioned themselves as "reformers," hold the bully pulpit in not only proclaiming education ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: You Don't Mess With the Rocketship

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Jersey Jazzman: You Don't Mess With the Rocketship: You Don't Mess With the Rocketship by Duke Yesterday, I detailed how an "obscene" amount of money is coming into the Perth Amboy, NJ school board race. Three of the wealthy Californians who have pumped towns of thousands of dollars into the campaign - Greg Penner, Arthur Rock, and David Goldberg - are also partners in Rocketship Education, a charter school management company. It turns out that Rocketship is *very* aggressively involved in California school board politics: The six-figure spending by independent committees highli... more »

Diane in the Evening 11-5-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: *Don't Forget to Vote For PUBLIC Education* DC Teacher to Washington State Voters by dianerav Erich Martel retired as a much-respected veteran social studies teacher in the DC public schools. He offered this warning to voters on the other side of the continent, in Washington State: From: Erich Martel To: voters in Washington State November 5, 2012 Charter Expansion (Ballot Initiative I-1240) Will Harm, Not Help, Public School Students in Washington State: Insights from the Other Washington, the Washington (DC) Public Schools - Charter schools are private scho... more »