Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-8-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-8-12 #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

Obama Education Policy: Second Term Direction Still Not Clear

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago

Obama Education Policy: Second Term Direction Still Not Clear: Obama Education Policy: Second Term Direction Still Not Clear by Joy Resmovits In Rick Hess's eyes, President Barack Obama has a big choice to make. "The president campaigned with a different face of education reform than what he championed during the first term," Hess, an influential education scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, said in an interview. "I'm curious as to whether what he said on the campaign trail is more reflective of what a second term will be or whether the first term will be reflected in... more »

Kentucky test results offer glimpse into how Common Core assessments will affect Georgia and other states | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 minutes ago

Kentucky test results offer glimpse into how Common Core assessments will affect Georgia and other states | Get Schooled: Kentucky test results offer glimpse into how Common Core assessments will affect Georgia and other states by Maureen Downey Noteworthy scores out of Kentucky, the first state to introduce tests explicitly tied to the Common Core State Standards. Kentucky is part of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, a consortium of 23 states including Georgia that is developing a common set of k-12 assessments in English and math grounded in wh... more »

NYC Public School Parents: The NY Regents approve fourth Gulen charter school

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 minutes ago

NYC Public School Parents: The NY Regents approve fourth Gulen charter school: The NY Regents approve fourth Gulen charter school by Leonie Haimson Fethullah Gulen*The below post was written by Sharon Higgins, who is one of the nation’s top experts on the Gulen chain of charters,which has more than 120 schools in 25 states**. Be sure to follow her excellent blog, Charter School Scandals. Though the Gulen movement runs private schools in many countries, ours is the only country that subsidizes Gulen schools with federal, state and city taxpayer dollars. Meanwhile, Gulen schools ... more »

No Child Should Grow Up Hungry — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago

No Child Should Grow Up Hungry — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]No Child Should Grow Up Hungry November 8, 2012 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers We are proud to welcome Share Our Strength as a whole child partner. Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign aims to end childhood hunger in the United States. It connects kids in need with nutritious food and teaches their families how to cook healthy, affordable meals. The campaign also engages the public to make ending childhood hunger a national priority. *What We Know* - 1 out of 5 (16 ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: 1240 - It Battles On

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: 1240 - It Battles On: 1240 - It Battles On by Melissa Westbrook Over at the No On 1240 Facebook page, I had unofficially said I thought this was done. To understand, nearly all the counties were trending the same as they had since Tuesday night and it did not seem possible to overtake that slight Yes lead. Today, I realized that the Yes on R74 campaign had crunched the numbers (even as their lead had been as slim as the Yes on 1240 lead Tuesday night) and said they won. So, I thought, if Yes on 1240 has all this money, why haven't they crunch... more »

What Was the Question? (A response) « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 minutes ago

What Was the Question? (A response) « Deborah Meier on Education: What Was the Question? (A response) by debmeier The Harvard Business Review has an essay “What Was the Question?” in which Dan Ariely (Prof. of Behavioral Economics at Duke University) says, “The bottom line is that we need to spend more time helping people understand and deal with complexity and less time concocting dumbing-down mechanisms.” OK. But where do we (or Ariely) imagine our citizens might learn how to deal with “complexity”? Especially in arenas in which they have no direct experience or which require ab... more »

More from student making anti-testing film

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 30 minutes ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » More from student making anti-testing film: More from student making anti-testing film by admin Back in September I wrote about Ankur Singh, a student from downstate Illinois who reached out to me and others about a film he wants to make about how students feel about testing. Since then he has created a web site for the film and written a great post about why he feels so strongly about testing and what it is doing to education. Here’s part of his story: *I enrolled in AP English due to my great experience with English the p... more »

PAA’s 2012 Election Roundup | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago

PAA’s 2012 Election Roundup | Parents Across America: PAA’s 2012 Election Roundup by pureparents *2012 Election roundup!* Here’s a review of how education issues fared, from our members across the country. Some good news, some not so good, in no particular order. What happened in your neck of the woods? *Disclaimer: As a not-for-profit organization, PAA does not endorse candidates; any opinions on specific races in the reports below are those of individual members only. * From* Wendy Lecker of Connecticut*: The big news in Connecticut is the defeat of the charter revision in B... more »

NYC Educator: Put a Flower in Your Hair

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 34 minutes ago

NYC Educator: Put a Flower in Your Hair: Put a Flower in Your Hair by NYC Educator *by guest political analyst Suddenly ATR* I grew up in the Reagan/Bush era in a super-duper Republican town. It was/is the sort of town where the first question anyone asked was always "Oh, which church do you attend?" Every year, the lawns were filled with candles during the holiday season. In this bastion of upper-middle-class Republicans, there was one Blue Grinch, and that person was my father. He banned anything that was remotely Christmas-related in our house. "Christian conservative" was the ... more »

Learning the Vernacular: Slang in the Classroom « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 44 minutes ago

Learning the Vernacular: Slang in the Classroom « Cooperative Catalyst: Learning the Vernacular: Slang in the Classroom by rad fag My sixth grade teacher was the only Black male educator in our entire school system when I had him as an eleven year old. In my racially and economically diverse elementary school, virtually all the Black children in each grade were put into his class every year–a fact which as a young student upset me. Once I was placed in his class, however, I immediately saw the profound power and unique value of having a dedicated, veteran teacher who shared my r... more »

California Teachers of the Year for 2013 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 50 minutes ago

California Teachers of the Year for 2013 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Names California Teachers of the Year *Torlakson also nominates Oakland educator for National Teacher of the Year* ** SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today named five exemplary educators as the 2013 California Teachers of the Year. Profiles and contact information for each teacher are attached. "These five wonderful teachers have shown the kind of skill, passion, and dedication that exemplify the very best of the most important, most ... more »

Blue Jersey:: Booker: A Hot Pocket In Every Microwave

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 53 minutes ago

Blue Jersey:: Booker: A Hot Pocket In Every Microwave: Booker: A Hot Pocket In Every Microwave by Jersey Jazzman The Huffington Post reports that Newark Mayor Cory Booker, thanks to his unrelenting tweeting, has secured hundreds of coupons for free Hot Pockets, soon to be distributed to Newark's residents.No, I'm not kidding. As of 5:40 this evening, PSE&G's outage map shows between five and ten thousand Newark customers still without power. No word yet on how these folks will be able to enjoy their delicious, decidedly non-organic snacks without electricity to power their microwave... more »

Is Education Rephorm Phever Hereditary? | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Is Education Rephorm Phever Hereditary? | EduShyster: Is Education Rephorm Phever Hereditary? by edushyster2012 There is growing evidence that rephorm phever may be genetic. Reader: the rich are different from you and me. For starters they REALLY want to bring freshness and innovation to the public schools they didn’t attend—and they have the dough to realize their dream of a world in which every minority child will be taught by a young white teacher traverse the achievement gap with panache. But it turns out that the species known as *homo job creator-us* may be handing down more t... more »

HechingerEd Blog | Controversial new child care attendance system examined in Mississippi

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

HechingerEd Blog | Controversial new child care attendance system examined in Mississippi: Controversial new child care attendance system examined in Mississippi by Jackie Mader **Mississippi parents will have to scan their fingerprints every time they drop off and pick up their children at daycare when a new program goes into effect next year. But childcare providers have been protesting the system for months, saying that it stigmatizes low-income families and may ultimately take away income from already cash-strapped centers. Child care providers in Mississippi say the new attenda... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Obama's Education Policies Will Alienate His Base

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Jersey Jazzman: Obama's Education Policies Will Alienate His Base: Obama's Education Policies Will Alienate His Base by Duke Charles Blow explains how Obama won: President Obama and his formidable campaign machine out-performed the Republicans, holding together a *winning coalition that is the face of America’s tomorrow: young voters, urban voters, racially and ethnically diverse voters and women voters.* According to exit polls, Obama won 60 percent of the 18 to 29 year old vote and 52 percent of the 30-40 vote. He won 69 percent of the vote in big cities and 58 percent of the... more »

Bob Haisman says why retirees should vote for him to be a delegate to the IEA RA. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Bob Haisman says why retirees should vote for him to be a delegate to the IEA RA. « Fred Klonsky: Bob Haisman says why retirees should vote for him to be a delegate to the IEA RA. by Fred Klonsky *Dear Pension Warrior…* I am asking for your VOTE! I’m running to be one of the Retired Delegates to the IEA Representative Assembly in April of 2013. There are 30 IEA-Retired members running for 17 delegate spots (there are 1100 total IEA RA delegates). *I’m number 10 on the ballot. *It is a mail-in Ballot. *YOU MUST BE a member of IEA-R to get a Ballot! *Most people throw the ballot aw... more »

A Teacher's Open Letter to George Lucas: We Need Your Independent Vision - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

A Teacher's Open Letter to George Lucas: We Need Your Independent Vision - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: A Teacher's Open Letter to George Lucas: We Need Your Independent Vision by Anthony Cody Anthony Cody Anthony Cody spent 24 years working in Oakland schools, 18 of them as a science teacher at a high needs middle school. He is National Board certified, and now leads workshops with teachers focused on Project Based Learning. With education at a crossroads, he invites you to join him in a dialogue on education reform and teaching for change and deep learning. For ... more »

Education “Reformers” and “Status Quo”: Timeout!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Education “Reformers” and “Status Quo”: Timeout!: Education “Reformers” and “Status Quo”: Timeout! NOVEMBER 8, 2012 BY M.D. ANDERSON 1 COMMENT Democracy is messy, but this election season at times was downright filthy. The partisan pot-shots and polarization was most prevalent in social media – let he who hasn’t retweeted @LOLGOP cast the first stone – but the campaigns had their moments too. In his victory speech Tuesday night, President Obama called for unity. He challenged us to put the rancor of the 2012 campaign behind us. And in a refrain familiar to those who have witnessed w... more »

UPDATE: Diane in the Evening 11-8-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: What the Elections Meant for Education by dianerav The recent elections contained powerful messages to supporters of public schools and real education: Do not give up hope. When the public is informed, it supports its public schools. It does not want to outsource its public schools to entrepreneurs. Money cannot buy the voters when they are informed about what is at stake. Parents and teachers can win any election, no matter how much money is thrown into it by the privatizers if the See “Brooklyn Castle,” an Inspiring Documentary About Real Kids in a Re... more »

The Quick and the Ed » A Civilian Marshall Plan for Urban Schools?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

The Quick and the Ed » A Civilian Marshall Plan for Urban Schools?: ACivilianMarshallPlanforUrbanSchools? 0 08 Nov 2012 by Peter Cookson Jr. Categories: Accountability and Standards, Improving Schools and School Systems, K-12 Education,Teacher and Principal Quality *We want our kids to grow up in a country where they have access to the best schools and the best teachers.* President Barack Obama Election victory speech November 7, 2012 In his victory speech Tuesday night President Obama reached out to the country to help him make the next four years a time of renewal and reaffirmation... more »

How Obama helped Georgia charter measure win

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

How Obama helped Georgia charter measure win: How Obama helped Georgia charter measure win Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 8, 2012 at 2:00 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - - - - [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Jim Galloway of the Atlanta Constitution Journal explains here how interesting it is that Georgia’s ballot measure to permit the state to create a committee to approve charter schools passed with big support from African Americans — even though black lawmakers and other le... more »

On Party Politics and Education Reform Right Now - Dana Goldstein

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

On Party Politics and Education Reform Right Now - Dana Goldstein: On Party Politics and Education Reform Right Now by Dana Goldstein If you're interested in a detailed policy analysis of what Obama's second term could mean for early childhood and K-12 education, take a look at what my colleagues and I at the New America Foundation are projecting. I just want to say a word here about the larger, political realignment of the parties and various interest groups on school reform. A lot of standards-and-accountability reformers are rending their garments over the loss on Tuesday of T... more »

My View: An open letter to George Lucas – we need your independent vision – Schools of Thought - CNN.com Blogs

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

My View: An open letter to George Lucas – we need your independent vision – Schools of Thought - CNN.com Blogs: My View: An open letter to George Lucas - we need your independent vision [image: Courtesy Anthony Cody]By *Anthony Cody, *Special to CNN *Editor’s note:**Anthony Cody** worked in schools in Oakland, California, for 24 years. He taught middle school science 18 of those years. He lives in Mendocino County, California, and leads workshops for teachers. He writes the Living in Dialogue blog, and you can follow him on Twitter, @AnthonyCody*. *(CNN)* - Dear Mr. Lucas, I have rec... more »

Bad losers in Tuesday’s election

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Bad losers in Tuesday’s election: Bad losers in Tuesdays election by Valerie Strauss Glenda Ritz, newly-elected Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction. No sooner had veteran teacher Glenda Ritz upset Tony Bennett as schools Superintendent of Public Instruction in Indiana’s election by questioning his corporate-based school reform agenda than unhappy Republican state leaders threw down the gauntlet to Ritz and her supporters. Here’s what Gov.-Elect Mike Pence (R) said, according to the Evansville Courier & Press: I want to be very clear: I support the policies and progres... more »

Daily Kos: Why the GOP Will Double Down on a Losing Strategy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Daily Kos: Why the GOP Will Double Down on a Losing Strategy: Why the GOP Will Double Down on a Losing Strategy by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) is the title of this eye-opening piece by Michael Grunwald at *Time* which I strongly urge people to read. Grunwald talked with a number of key Republican insiders, and what they have to say does not indicate that the Republican party has learned that their current path is doomed because both of demography and changing attitudes of young people. As Grunwald notes early in the piece, after mentioning discussions about a possible internal ... more »

Youth help guide Sandy relief effort in Queens Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: November 7, 2012 Youth help guide Sandy relief effort in Queens By Michelle Miller (CBS News) ROCKAWAY, Queens -- We've seen the agony caused by a storm named Sandy -- Homes destroyed; Families left in the dark; Fistfights on gas lines -- but there are always stories about our better nature. Shalaka Cox has been navigating darkened hallways and staircases in Rockaway, Queens, for three days. The 17-year-old is handing out food, water and flashlights to people stranded in their apartments. "There's times when it m... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, November 8, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Thursday, November 8, 2012* Monterey County school officials excited about election resultsExcept for a parcel tax measure in Pacific Grove, school bonds in Monterey County were overwhelmingly approved in Tuesday's election. Marin schools officials cheer passage of Proposition 30Marin schools officials breathed a sigh of relief Wednesday after the passage of Proposition 30, expressing gratitude to Californians for taxing themselves more to help fill a gaping state budget hole. Long Beach's Roosevelt Elemen... more »

Modern School: (Not) Ending Bullying Through Exaggeration and Misinformation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Modern School: (Not) Ending Bullying Through Exaggeration and Misinformation: (Not) Ending Bullying Through Exaggeration and Misinformation by Michael Dunn Mean Girls (Image from Flickr, by Combined Media) First the good news: With the increased media coverage and public attention we’ve seen over the past decade, bullying is on the decline in some parts of the U.S. In California, for example, the school bullying rate has been reduced to one-third that of the rest of the nation. Despite this promising statistic, my colleagues and I were recently informed at an anti-bullying work... more »

Educators and the Election, What's Next? | Lily's Blackboard

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Educators and the Election, What's Next? | Lily's Blackboard: [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] The Election is Over…So Where Do We Go From Here? Nov 8th, 2012 by Lily. I was not neutral in this race. I see the re-election of President Obama as an important way forward for our students, preschool to graduate school. But *the election is not the end. It’s the beginning of some very hard work. * First, *we must pass the Dream Act.* We must show compassion for the undocumented children who were brought here; who were educated here; who have stayed out of trouble and onl... more »

Wishes for Public Education in the Next Four Years… | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Wishes for Public Education in the Next Four Years… | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Wishes for Public Education in the Next Four Years… by Cheryl S. Williams Candidly, and not surprisingly, I’m delighted that Barack Obama was elected to a second term as President of the United States. As someone whose entire professional career has been devoted to public education and life-long learning, I believe that President Obama’s values and priorities are closer to mine than his opponent’s are. Having stated my delight in the President’s re-election, I also want to ... more »

What Next for K-12 Schools Post-Election? - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

What Next for K-12 Schools Post-Election? - Bridging Differences - Education Week: What Next for K-12 Schools Post-Election? by Deborah Meier Deborah Meier—visionary teacher and founder of successful small schools in New York City and Boston—and Pedro Noguera—author and director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education—debate issues relevant to schools, teachers, and students. Dear Pedro, There were two post-election possibilities for me: I'd head off to visit friends and allies in Providence, R.I., and beyond to get some comfort, or to celebrate. But it's not an altogether... more »

UPDATE: The in box. The 87%. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

The in box. The 87%. « Fred Klonsky: California had a good idea. Don’t cut. Tax the rich. by Fred Klonsky *La Super Rica taco stand in Santa Barbara, California.* I grew up in LA. Back in the sixties. In those days, a lot of good ideas came out of California: The Free Speech Movement. The Jefferson Airplane. Fish tacos. It is happening again. One of the wins I didn’t cover in yesterday’s post was the victory of California’s Proposition 30. It was a simple idea. Instead of cutting education funding, California will raise taxes on those earning over a The in box. The 87%. by Fred K... more »

UPDATE: Connecticut has a new Chief Academic Officer: Has experience with testing and bonuses! - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Connecticut has a new Chief Academic Officer: Has experience with testing and bonuses! - Wait, What?: Connecticut has a new Chief Academic Officer: Has experience with testing and bonuses! by jonpelto The Connecticut State Department of Education has a new Chief Academic Officer. Chosen by Commissioner Stefan Pryor, and the State Board of Education of Education, Diana Roberge-Wentzell’s job is to do for Connecticut what she did for Hartford. As Hartford’s Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Roberge-Wentzell helped to set up the absurdly extensive testing system that is used... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-8-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Lest We Forget: The Devastation Caused by Hurricane Sandy by dianerav The national election took center stage this week. But we should not forget the suffering of tho were in the path of Hurricane Sandy. These are graphic photos of the hurricane’s destructive force. Well worth viewing, as many people still lack power, heat, gasoline, and are now homeless. Do what you can to help. Give to the American Red Cross or other agencies that are providing temporary relief. Virtual Insanity by dianerav Florida law... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Educational Reform: It's All George Bush's Fault! Or Right Wing Corporate Greed!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Educational Reform: It's All George Bush's Fault! Or Right Wing Corporate Greed!: Educational Reform: It's All George Bush's Fault! Or Right Wing Corporate Greed! by stlgretchen Does this book have ALEC's name on it or the president's? Who should shoulder the blame for ed reform policies? Rightwing (and other) organizations or Obama? We have four more years of Obama's educational blueprint. Some progressives believe this blueprint is being written by right wing organizations. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has been tagged as right... more »

Daily Kos: No, you cannot have your country back. America is moving forward.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Daily Kos: No, you cannot have your country back. America is moving forward.: No, you cannot have your country back. America is moving forward. by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) That is the first line of Picket Fence Apocalypse, today's *New York Times* column by Charles M. Blow, who in my humble opinion is overdue for his own Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. Read that first line again. It is a rejoinder to the likes of John Sununu and Rush Limbaugh and others of their ilk. Blow follows that line with these two paragraphs: That’s the message voters sent the Republican Party and it... more »

Superintendent man and the meddling mayor - Bites - Opinions - November 8, 2012 - Sacramento News & Review

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Superintendent man and the meddling mayor - Bites - Opinions - November 8, 2012 - Sacramento News & Review: Superintendent man and the meddling mayor The Rhee-Johnsons screw with other people’s school systems, Raymond sets The New York Times straight By Cosmo Garvin cosmog@newsreview.com This article was published on 11.08.12. *Related stories:* Why the secret donors? A local journalist calls for donor transparency with education advocacy. SN&R, 10.11.12. Teachers, Superman and the ‘anti-Michelle Rhee’ Education historian Diane Ravitch says education reformers are killing the ... more »

Obama’s Act II: The issue he can’t ignore

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Obama’s Act II: The issue he can’t ignore: Obama’s Act II: The issue he can’t ignore Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 8, 2012 at 5:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Obama as Harvard law student President Obama now has an opportunity to do something different in regard to education reform in his second term. Here Richard D. Kahlenberg, senior fellow at The Century Foundation, explains how that could look. This appeared on the website of the nonpartisan foundation, which undertakes c... more »

Guest Post: Obama Won, Now What? | Taking Note

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Guest Post: Obama Won, Now What? | Taking Note: Guest Post: Obama Won, Now What? by John Merrow Sam Chaltain joins the blog to offer some insight on the 2012 Presidential election. *Editor’s Note: **This post is not written by John; it’s written by Sam Chaltain, a DC-based writer and education activist. Check it out and see what you think. Feel free to comment as always. John’s writings should return next week in this space.* It’s official. The President has been re-elected. Now what? When it comes to public education, I suggest that we start by recognizing that Race to the Top w... more »

Jeb Bush Suffers Three Defeats at the Hands of Republican Voters | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Jeb Bush Suffers Three Defeats at the Hands of Republican Voters | Scathing Purple Musings: Jeb Bush Suffers Three Defeats at the Hands of Republican Voters by Bob Sikes The election sucked all of the oxygen out of the air for the last three months. And from me, too. But as Romney supporter who awakened yesterday with disappointment, I’ve hope that the totality of the voting across that nation signals that public education was saved. Most notably, the education reform movement’s chief political architect, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, suffered three significant political def... more »

High School Teacher Viciously Bullied, Taunted By Teen Students | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

High School Teacher Viciously Bullied, Taunted By Teen Students | toteachornototeach: High School Teacher Viciously Bullied, Taunted By Teen Students by aristotlethewise Digital Harbor High School Teacher In Maryland Viciously Bullied, Taunted By Teen StudentsPopout Students aren’t just picking on students anymore, as video has surfaced of a teacher being bullied by teens at Digital Harbor High School in Baltimore, Md. The footage appears to be taken on a cell phone camera, and the voices are somewhat inaudible, but the currently unidentified teacher can be heard mentioning “authori...more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: A call for Obama to change course on ed reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: A call for Obama to change course on ed reform: A call for Obama to change course on ed reform by Mike Klonsky Athena on my mind I'm hoping to be able to get to Providence tomorrow for the start of the Coalition of Essential Schools Fall Forum. I'm on a panel with *Deb Meier* and *Xian Barrett*from the CTU about the strike and ongoing struggle for public education in Chicago. But now I hear that Athena is battering the east coast, cancelling lots of flights. Better pack my snow shoes. My pre-travel reading includes an excellent piece, "A call for Pre... more »

School Tech Connect: Dumb Things Said By Real People

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Dumb Things Said By Real People: Dumb Things Said By Real People by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) This is so trivial... but it's been sticking in my craw for a few days. A downstate principal opines: “I think the Common Core standards are going to do a good thing in having our students think about how they’re thinking, rather than regurgitating what comes out of the test books,” said Mable Woolsey Elementary School Principal Tara Bahnks. I realize people find themselves talking to the press and then these phrases simply fly out of their mouths, and I rea... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Molly Munger’s (& PTA’s) Initiative Gets 28% Of CA Vote Larry Ferlazzo at Engaging Parents In School... - 8 hours ago I’ve previously posted my perspective/analysis on what I consider to be a disastrous alliance the California PTA made with billionaire Molly Munger to push a school tax initiative different from California Governor Brown’s Proposition. In that post, I suggested that Prop 38, the Munger/PTA initiative, would be lucky to get 40%. I made a dramatic [...] Report From Last Month’s Parent/Teacher Home ... more »

Engaging Parents In School… » Report From Last Month’s Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project National Conference

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Engaging Parents In School… » Report From Last Month’s Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project National Conference: Report From Last Month’s Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project National Conference by Larry Ferlazzo I’m a big supporter of teachers making home visits (see The Best Resources For Learning About Teacher Home Visits). Though I couldn’t make last month’s national home visit conference in Denver, several other staff and parents from our school did attend. Carrie Rose, Executive Director of the Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project, agreed to write this report on the conference: *I b... more »

Ankur Singh: Who I Am and Why You Should Care | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Ankur Singh: Who I Am and Why You Should Care | United Opt Out National: Ankur Singh: Who I Am and Why You Should Care by admin United Opt Out National is honored to share this post from Ankur Singh, originally shared on his blog at http://listenthefilm.wordpress.com/. Welcome Ankur. *Hello, my name is Ankur Singh and I’m 18 years old and just began my freshman year at the University of Missouri-Columbia majoring in Journalism. I’m making a Documentary film to capture the stories of students and how standardized testing has impacted them. If you’re reading this hopefully you’ll ... more »

New English Language Development Standards - State Approval of Instructional Materials Aligned to Common Core State Standards

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

New English Language Development Standards - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Adoption of New Standards for English Language Development SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today that the State Board of Education formally adopted new English Language Development Standards aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and designed to help English learners build critical knowledge and skills. "These new standards will help California's English learners make academic progress as they also dev... more »

NYC Educator: Act of God? Contract? Forget it, Says Walcott

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NYC Educator: Act of God? Contract? Forget it, Says Walcott: Act of God? Contract? Forget it, Says Walcott by NYC Educator NYC Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott will not let natural disasters deter him from his mission. Kids must sit in school as long and as much as possible. Living through a disastrous hurricane never taught anyone anything, he reasons, and kids must make up the time they'd have spent preparing for standardized tests. After all, the more time they spent in school, the more circles will be correct, and the more likely it will be that his boss, Michael Bloomberg, wi... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Bloomberg -- and corporate reform -- lose big in last night's elections

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NYC Public School Parents: Bloomberg -- and corporate reform -- lose big in last night's elections: Bloomberg -- and corporate reform -- lose big in last night's elections by Leonie Haimson There was plenty of good news in last night’s election in terms of education initiatives, despite huge spending by the SuperPacs, billionaires and astroturf groups to push pro-privatization, free market corporate reform provisions through. Though pro-charter school initiatives in Georgia and Washington won, while outspending the opposition by millions of dollars, the Gates-supported proposit... more »

Gov. John Kitzhaber: Parents, educators need to vote to raise taxes before schools shrink class sizes, add back days | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Gov. John Kitzhaber: Parents, educators need to vote to raise taxes before schools shrink class sizes, add back days | OregonLive.com: Gov. John Kitzhaber: Parents, educators need to vote to raise taxes before schools shrink class sizes, add back days by Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian [image: Kitzhaberschool.JPG]Gov. John Kitzhaber wants schools to deliver better results, but says he can't deliver more money until voters approve tax increases.Faith Cathcart / The Oregonian Gov. John Kitzhaber responded testily Wednesday when he was reminded that parents, educators and students all ... more »