Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-8-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u



BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA 

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST




The Texas Miracle, The Florida Miracle, and Rush | Andrew Tobias

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
The Texas Miracle, The Florida Miracle, and Rush | Andrew Tobias: The Texas Miracle, The Florida Miracle, and Rush *by A.T. on JULY 14, 2003* You saw the front page of Friday’s *Times*? The Texas education miracle touted during the 2000 campaign appears now to have been slightly less miraculous. An audit of 16Houston schools for the school year 2000-2001 recommended reclassifying 14 of them from ‘best’ to . . . well . . . there’s no easy way to put a good face on this . . . ‘worst.’ It seems that – for example – one school that had reported no drop-outs for the year had . .... more »

Schools Matter: Where Comparisons Between the Movie "Lincoln" and Education Reform Go Haywire

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Schools Matter: Where Comparisons Between the Movie "Lincoln" and Education Reform Go Haywire: Where Comparisons Between the Movie "Lincoln" and Education Reform Go Haywire by Jim Horn I was at a meeting last evening where three panelists and a moderator had some things to say on the subject of "Is Education for Democracy At Risk?" It was sponsored by Citizens for Public Schools in Boston and held at the Brookline Public Library. With such a topic on the agenda, I was eager to see if there was any movement toward action in the "talk-and-compromise" groups that participated, wh... more »

Tom Friedman’s Misguided Man Crush on Arne Duncan | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Tom Friedman’s Misguided Man Crush on Arne Duncan | Scathing Purple Musings: Tom Friedman’s Misguided Man Crush on Arne Duncan by Bob Sikes *Secretary Of Education Forced To Take Up Stripping To Put Nation Through School | The Onion - America's Finest News Source* Educator and writer John Thompson proved to be prophetic in a* Huffington Post* piece last month when he wrote this: Education beat writers demonstrate the same excellence as other journalists. The problem is Op Ed columnists and other writers who seem to know no more about schools than what they hear at cocktail parti... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Reformy Maniac Ben Chavis Update

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Reformy Maniac Ben Chavis Update: Reformy Maniac Ben Chavis Update by Duke School privatizers like Whitney Tilson absolutely love "reformers" like Ben Chavis (no, not *that* Ben Chavis, *this*Ben Chavis). They love the bluster and the bravado. They love the wild profanity and the vague homophobia ("*You should be wearing a dress!*"). They love the telegenic swag when guys like Chavis start spewing incoherent nonsense about how the biggest problem in American education is teachers unions. Well, Whitney, you told us "*I LIKE this guy!*"; what does that say about y... more »


National History Teacher of the Year | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
National History Teacher of the Year | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: *JOSHUA BILL OF WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS RECEIVES* *2012 NATIONAL HISTORY TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD* *-PRESENTED BY CAROLINE KENNEDY-* New York, NY (December 4, 2012)—Joshua Bill, a teacher at Waukegan High School in Waukegan, Illinois, has been named the 2012 National History Teacher of the Year, announced the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History today. The award, co-sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, HISTORY® and Preserve America, carries a $10,000 prize. Mr... more »

Jersey Jazzman: George Carlin on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: George Carlin on Education: George Carlin on Education by Duke Every once in a while, I put up this clip of George Carlin, because it remains the best critique of the American education debate I think we have. Popout *They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying -- lobbying to get what they want. Well, we know what they want -- they want MORE for themselves and less for everybody else. But I'll tell you what they don't want. They DON'T want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They *

UPDATE: What’s happening in Michigan + The impact of benefit cuts to legislative districts and the state’s economy. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
The impact of benefit cuts to legislative districts and the state’s economy. « Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. Don’t f**k with my COLA! by Fred Klonsky [image: santa] The in box. Glen Brown comments on my post: The impact of benefit cuts. by Fred Klonsky *…If legislators can breach contractual obligations through legislation (such as HB 6258), the entire middle class will “pay” the consequences. There will be extensive and devastating economic outcomes for the entire State of Illinois if its public employees are robbed of their earned and constitutionally-guaranteed benefits. T... more »

RheeFirst! » The synergy between StudentsFirst and News Corp’s education privatization

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
RheeFirst! » The synergy between StudentsFirst and News Corp’s education privatization: The synergy between StudentsFirst and News Corp’s education privatization Joel Klein is a busy guy. When he isn’t putting the ole rubber stamp on documents at StudentsFirst board meetings, or advising Rupert Murdoch on how to handle the investigation into phone hacking at News Corp., Joel Klein is running Rupert Murdoch’s education privatization arm. A recent presentation by Klein shows how seamlessly you can go from StudentsFirst talking points (pages 7 through 9) to explaining how much of ... more »


State appointed administrator of Inglewood school district steps down

Kent Taylor, the state administrator in charge of the financially troubled Inglewood School District, resigned from the position Friday after the Department of Education learned of a tentative agreement he made with the local teachers union without approval from the 



Board Members Aim to ‘Cuff Supt? - LA School Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Board Members Aim to ‘Cuff Supt? - LA School Report: Board Members Aim to ‘Cuff Supt? by Samantha Oltman Board Member Richard Vladovic A controversial item on the LAUSD School Board agenda this week proposes drastically limiting LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy’s ability to seek funding for the district by applying for public or private grants. The resolution, initiated by School Board Members Richard Vladovic, Bennett Kayser, and Marguerite LaMotte, aims to give the school board veto power over grant applications made by the school superintendent in amounts over $750,000. According ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Preckwinkle: 'Rahm the emperor has no clothes'

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Preckwinkle: 'Rahm the emperor has no clothes': Preckwinkle: 'Rahm the emperor has no clothes' by Mike Klonsky Cook County Board President *Toni Preckwinkle* stuck her boot right up Rahm's rear end yesterday in a speech to the Union League Club. Of course Preckwinkle was simply saying what everyone in this city already knows about “miserable" state of public education under mayoral control and Rahm's failure to do anything meaningful about the alarming rise in gun violence in the city. *“Clearly this mayor and this police chief [Supt. Garry McCarthy... more »

Should High Schoolers Be Required to Read Executive Order 13423? | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Should High Schoolers Be Required to Read Executive Order 13423? | Truth in American Education: Should High Schoolers Be Required to Read Executive Order 13423? by Shane Vander Hart Ezra Klein asks this at WashPo’s Wonkblog: *Top story: Are we getting smart on education policy?* *Common core standards become a lightning rod.* ”The Common Core State Standards in English, which have been adopted in 46 states and the District, call for public schools to ramp up nonfiction so that by 12th grade students will be reading mostly ‘informational text’ instead of fictional literature. But... more »

Diane in the Evening 12-7-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: A Radical Right-Wing Idea: The A La Carte School by dianerav Stephanie Simon of Reuters continues to be the most industrious investigative education journalist in the nation. Here she reveals the outline of the free-market model of school, where students learn what they want, where they want, when they want, and pay for it with taxpayer dollars. She calls it “a la carte” schooling. It eliminates public schools as we have known them. It opens the door to private, for-profit vendors and anyone My Conversation with Tavis Smiley and Cornel West by dianerav I h... more »

Penn State Admin’s Open Letter Re: Mexican Costume Flap | NewsTaco

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Penn State Admin’s Open Letter Re: Mexican Costume Flap | NewsTaco: Penn State Admin’s Open Letter Re: Mexican Costume Flap by NewsTaco By Latino Rebels The following is an open letter published by Penn State’s administration on the university’s official site in response to the Chi Omega Mexican costume controversy: An open letter to the Penn State community Thursday, December 6, 2012 To the Penn State Community: In recent weeks and particularly in the past few days, it has become clear that some Penn State students celebrated Halloween in costumes and in a manner that offended other... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. Joel Klein: Shameless Best of the Ed Blogs Jersey Jazzman December 7, 2012 un·der·uti·lize Best of the Ed Blogs Mike Klonsky December 7, 2012 Teacher Evaluation as L... more »

UPDATE: What’s happening in Michigan + The impact of benefit cuts to legislative districts and the state’s economy. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
The impact of benefit cuts to legislative districts and the state’s economy. « Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. Don’t f**k with my COLA! by Fred Klonsky [image: santa] The in box. Glen Brown comments on my post: The impact of benefit cuts. by Fred Klonsky *…If legislators can breach contractual obligations through legislation (such as HB 6258), the entire middle class will “pay” the consequences. There will be extensive and devastating economic outcomes for the entire State of Illinois if its public employees are robbed of their earned and constitutionally-guaranteed benefits. T... more »

Ed Notes Online: Eva Destruction: Walcott/Bloomberg Willing to Destroy Kids to Let Success Charter Grow

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Eva Destruction: Walcott/Bloomberg Willing to Destroy Kids to Let Success Charter Grow: Eva Destruction: Walcott/Bloomberg Willing to Destroy Kids to Let Success Charter Grow by ed notes online [image: Eva Moskowitz, who runs Success Academy Charter Schools.] *A high school for at-risk kids is facing eviction from its home to make room for a well-connected charter school to expand...the city is planning to create more space in the Brandeis building by moving the Innovation Diploma Plus school to a Washington Heights building that lacks science labs and a gym...Th... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-7-12 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] What the CREDO Study of NJ Charters Really Said by dianerav Julia Sass Rubin, a professor of public policy in New Jersey, took a close look at the CREDO study of charter schools and made a startling discovery: the press release misrepresents the findings of the study. It recognized the dramatic demographic differences between the students in public schools and in charter schools (“the traditional public schools it looked at served four and a half times as many students with Limited English Proficiency and... more »

Friday Thoughts on Data, Assessment & Informed Decision Making in Schools « School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Friday Thoughts on Data, Assessment & Informed Decision Making in Schools « School Finance 101: Friday Thoughts on Data, Assessment & Informed Decision Making in Schools by schoolfinance101 Some who read this blog might assume that I am totally opposed, in any/all circumstances to using data in schools to guide decision-making. Despite my frequent public cynicism I assure you that I believe that much of the statistical information we collect on and in schools and school systems can provide useful signals regarding what’s working and what’s not, and may provide more ambiguous sign... more »

VAM is a SCAM, said SAM I AM … Florida Teachers Chant #StopRTTT « Continuing Change

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
VAM is a SCAM, said SAM I AM … Florida Teachers Chant #StopRTTT « Continuing Change: VAM is a SCAM, said SAM I AM … Florida Teachers Chant #StopRTTT by gatorbonbc *VAM is a SCAM said Sam I Am.**I do not want that VAM is a SCAM, * *I do not want it, says Sam I Am.* *.* *I will not take in lying down, I will NOT be treated like a clown.* *I will not take it sitting in a chair, I will not take it anywhere!* *I will not take that rotten VAM, you can shove it, says Sam-I-Am.* *.* *You can not fool me with your lies, your goal is just to privatize.* *You think that you are oh so slick.* *So t... more »

NAACP seeks to mount shakeup in US education - SFGate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
NAACP seeks to mount shakeup in US education - SFGate: NAACP seeks to mount shakeup in US educationBy SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated PressUpdated 2:52 p.m., Thursday, December 6, 2012 WASHINGTON (AP) — The NAACP is going on the offensive on education, deploying volunteers across the country in its biggest push for a public education overhaul since the nation's classrooms were ordered desegregated in 1954, the civil rights group said Thursday. The volunteers, who have been trained for the past two years, will lobby at the state and county levels for four educational priorities: — Ext... more »

A Progress Report on Teacher Evaluation — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
A Progress Report on Teacher Evaluation — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]A Progress Report on Teacher Evaluation December 6, 2012 by Klea Scharberg In the past three years, 36 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have changed their teacher evaluation policies, mainly to qualify for federal Race to the Top funds or No Child Left Behind waivers. States are drafting, implementing, and using new systems that incorporate measures of student achievement, levels of performance, classroom observations, and performance-based tenure decisions. All these... more »

Education Research Report: Among low-income schools, traditional public schools show higher achievement scores than charters

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Education Research Report: Among low-income schools, traditional public schools show higher achievement scores than charters: Among low-income schools, traditional public schools show higher achievement scores than charters by Jonathan Kantrowitz The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) recently released Report Cards for a majority of public and charter schools in the state. Public schools comprise 95% (1,772 schools) of the total data set, charter schools comprise 5% (101) of the total. The Report Cards represent a compilation of three years of data intended to prov... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, December 6, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *So When are you going to fix California's Education Mess, Like a little accountability for the disgusting Charter School Law ?* Education Headlines *Thursday, December 6, 2012* Eureka City Schools, teachers reach tentative contract settlementThe Eureka City Schools and its teachers have agreed on a contract for the 2012-2013 school year, after months of negotiations, Superintendent Fred Van Vleck said Wednesday. Divided Fresno Unified board gives Hanson positive reviewFresno Unified School District trustees gave Superintendent Mic... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: "The Morality Test" and PPRA. Question: Is it Moral for a School to Circumvent Federal Regulations?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: "The Morality Test" and PPRA. Question: Is it Moral for a School to Circumvent Federal Regulations?: "The Morality Test" and PPRA. Question: Is it Moral for a School to Circumvent Federal Regulations? by stlgretchen And should parents have knowledge of their student's required participation in research about morals? * * I received a call from an Illinois parent regarding a test her 16 year child was required to take in a Language Arts class. It was entitled "The Morality Test" and can be found online. The student did not want to take the test as the... more »

An Open Letter to Superintendent Randy Dorn Regarding Initiative 1240 | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
An Open Letter to Superintendent Randy Dorn Regarding Initiative 1240 | Seattle Education: An Open Letter to Superintendent Randy Dorn Regarding Initiative 1240 Posted on December 6, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment [image: PAA] Dec. 5, 2012 To Superintendent Dorn: Parents Across America of Washington State, the local chapters of the national organization dedicated to the preservation of public education, has concluded that Initiative 1240 is in violation of the Washington State Constitution on multiple counts. We therefore urge the Office of Superintendent of Public Ins... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-6-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Michelle Rhee Advising Governor Kasich in Ohio about Funding by dianerav This Ohio blogger reports that Michelle Rhee is now advising the anti-public school administration of Governor John Kasich and the Republican legislature about how to fund education. Given the predisposition of the leadership in Ohio, the outcome is predictable and it won’t be good for public education. Ohio has a flourishing landscape of charters and a growing voucher program. The charter landscape is very profitable for certain big-time... more »

SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: WalMart Schools and Kevin Johnson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: WalMart Schools and Kevin Johnson: WalMart Schools and Kevin Johnson by Duane Campbell *WalMart schools in Sacramento* A fine by the California Fair Political Practices Committee (FFPC) against Mayor Kevin Johnson revealed that the Mayor has received $500,000 dollars from the Walton Family – the owners of WalMart- for his advocacy through the organization StandUP. The money did not go to the public schools but to advocacy for specific positions. Mayor Johnson has a number of well known positions on “school reform” starting with his initial role ... more »

Florida VAM – The Scarlett Equation … Our Symbol of Shame. « Continuing Change

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Florida VAM – The Scarlett Equation … Our Symbol of Shame. « Continuing Change: Florida VAM – The Scarlett Equation … Our Symbol of Shame. by gatorbonbc Back in the old days, we just wore a ‘Scarlett A’. Nowadays, they are more transformative. We wear a whole equation. After nearly 25 years of teaching in the state of Florida, here is the Value Added Model equation that, as determined by Florida’s Race to the Top, will determine my contract. y¬_ti=X_i β+∑_(r=1)^L▒〖y_(t-r,i) Îł_(t-r) 〗+∑_(q=1)^Q▒〖Z_qi θ_q 〗+e_i Florida VAM – Our Symbol of Shame.[image: Image]. Happy Holidays, eh?

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Half of Michigan’s African Americans Lose Self-Government by dianerav Eclectablog daily digest UPDATED: Are over half of Mich African Americans about to be under the control of an Emergency Financial Mgr UPDATED: Are over half of Mich African Americans about to be under the control of an Emergency Financial Mgr? Posted: 05 Dec 2012 11:23 AM PST Look out, Detroit! It’s coming right for ya! The Detroit Free Press is reporting this afternoon that an Emergency Financial Manager is being called *LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-5-12 Diane Ravitch's blog* coopmike48... more »

Schools Matter: Tale of Two Schools' Statistical Tricks

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Schools Matter: Tale of Two Schools' Statistical Tricks: Tale of Two Schools' Statistical Tricks by John Thompson NPR’s Scott Simon interviewed Brad Wolverton who asks the perennial question for college athletes who are struggling in class, “Need three credits to play ball?” "Call Western Oklahoma" describes the online learning program at this isolated college. Before his expose, athletes across the nation would get themselves into academic trouble and say, “'Oh, I'm going to go take a Western Oklahoma.'" As a result of Wolverton’s article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, th... more »

The in box. Glen Brown’s latest on HB 6258. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
The in box. Glen Brown’s latest on HB 6258. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Glen Brown’s latest on HB 6258. by Fred Klonsky From Glen Brown’s blog: House Bill 6258 Reforms for Tier 1 Members (public employees hired before 2011) · Cost-of-living adjustments apply only to the first $25,000 of the employees’ pension · That limit is reduced to the first $20,000 for employees eligible for Social Security · COLAs are delayed until the employee turns 67 or five years after retirement, whichever comes first · *This applies to all employees and retirees who are cu... more »

Child Poverty Will Remain High, Analysis Predicts | First Focus

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Child Poverty Will Remain High, Analysis Predicts | First Focus: [image: First Focus - Making Childen and Families the Priority] Child Poverty Will Remain High, Analysis Predicts PRESS RELEASE *December 4, 2012* *Contact:* Ed Walz (202) 657-0685 (office) Washington — A new report released today predicts 2012 national and state child poverty rates 10 months before the U.S. Census Bureau’s official measure, expected in September 2013. The new First Focus analysis, written by Urban Institute researchers Julia Isaacs and Olivia Healy, finds early signs of improvement, though the nation’s... more »

RheeFirst! » The synergy between StudentsFirst and News Corp’s education privatization

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
RheeFirst! » The synergy between StudentsFirst and News Corp’s education privatization: The synergy between StudentsFirst and News Corp’s education privatization Joel Klein is a busy guy. When he isn’t putting the ole rubber stamp on documents at StudentsFirst board meetings, or advising Rupert Murdoch on how to handle the investigation into phone hacking at News Corp., Joel Klein is running Rupert Murdoch’s education privatization arm. A recent presentation by Klein shows how seamlessly you can go from StudentsFirst talking points (pages 7 through 9) to explaining how much of ... more »

UPDATE: Bizarro World Democrat Nekritz’s latest pension killer. She takes pride in her anti-union positions. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Bizarro World Democrat Nekritz’s latest pension killer. She takes pride in her anti-union positions. « Fred Klonsky Here are the bill’s sponsors. by Fred Klonsky [image: Angry-people] Here are the sponsors of HB6258 which would destroy pensions for active and retired teachers. If you know one or more of them (and I know some of you do!) call them and express your profound displeasure. Rep. Elaine Nekritz - Daniel Biss - David Harris - Chris Nybo, Kelly Burke, Kelly M. Cassidy, William Cunningham, Robyn Gabel, Ann Williams, Linda Chapa LaVia , William Davis, Sara Feigenholtz, Jehan A. ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-5-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] What Do U.S. Schools Spend on Testing? by dianerav Brookings researcher Matthew Chingos estimates the annual cost of testing as $1.7 billion, but Anthony Cody says that is a very low estimate. Since Texas alone pays $100 million every year to Pearson, it does sound like an underestimate, since the cost of the tests doesn’t really cover all the costs of assessment (and accountability). Nor does it cover the cost of lost creativity, lost instructional time, and diversion of attention from more important W... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Corporate "Reformers" Make Teaching a Temp Job

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Corporate "Reformers" Make Teaching a Temp Job: Corporate "Reformers" Make Teaching a Temp Job by Duke Boy, isn't this corporate "reform" stuff great? It's turning teaching into a totally awesome, highly coveted job! Right? Kate Renkosiak (pictured) started work this fall as a new science teacher at Wexler/Grant, a K-8 “turnaround” school in Dixwell. She landed the job through Teach For America (TFA), a leading national not-for-profit that lures talented young people into urban classrooms on a mission to narrow the racial achievement gap. Kate Renkosiak replaced ... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 12-4-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Explicating the CREDO Report on NJ Charter Schools by Jim Horn Bruce Baker is on it here and here. Just one of his numerous and effective charts: Great Reading Part II by debmeier Here’s book number two. Trusting Teachers With School Success: What Happens When Teachers Call the Shots, by Kim Farris-Berg, Edward Dirkswager, with Amy Junge. (Rowan and Litlefield) The authors describe the how-tos at ten schools they view as operating collectively, run by teachers. They take up key practices, one by one and describe different ways th... more »

Oakland Unified to score … everyone - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Oakland Unified to score … everyone - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: Oakland Unified to score … everyone By Katy Murphy Tuesday, December 4th, 2012 at 11:42 am in Uncategorized. [image: matrix 2] The above matrix of nine elementary and six middle schools — which underwent a pilot School Quality Review process last school year — is just a sample of the kinds of targets and scoring systems being put in place in Oakland Unified. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, the OUSD board holds a special meeting to discuss this and other parts of its “Balanced Scorecard,” which s... more »

NYC Public School Parents: What we talk about when we talk about the Common Core

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: What we talk about when we talk about the Common Core: What we talk about when we talk about the Common Core by Leonie Haimson Several publications have recently picked up on the controversy over the way in which the Common Core standards prescribe 50% “informational text” for assigned reading in grades K-5 and 70% thereafter. We have written about this silly and damaging quota ever since we heard about it last year: here, hereand here. Now the critique has gone main stream; in recent days, it has been written up in Time magazine, the Washington Post, ... more »

Diane in the Evening 12-4-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Philadelphia Parents Take a Stand for Public Control of Public Education by dianerav *Contact:* Helen Gym, Parents United for Public Education: 215-808-1400 Jerry Mondesire, Philadelphia Branch NAACP: 215-848-7864 Michael Churchill, Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia: 267-546-1318 *Press Conference: Private dollars vs. Public Interest* *Parents/NAACP to file Ethics Board complaint* *on Foundation and Boston Consulting Group* *Wed., Dec. 5, 2012* *1:30 p.m. 1515 Arch Street* *18th floor* Parents United for Public Education, the Philadelphia Home and Sc... more »

Renewing Culture Through a New Mindset — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Renewing Culture Through a New Mindset — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Celina Brennan and Ann Ottmar]Renewing Culture Through a New Mindset December 4, 2012 by Celina Brennan and Ann Ottmar An effective school culture is established by the work we do together on a daily basis, with values determined through a synergistic process. Our culture defines us and our ability to positively impact students and their learning. So, how do we truly shift our school cultures toward positive changes that align with supporting the whole child? And how do we develop a collecti... more »

National History Teacher of the Year | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
National History Teacher of the Year | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: *JOSHUA BILL OF WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS RECEIVES* *2012 NATIONAL HISTORY TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD* *-PRESENTED BY CAROLINE KENNEDY-* New York, NY (December 4, 2012)—Joshua Bill, a teacher at Waukegan High School in Waukegan, Illinois, has been named the 2012 National History Teacher of the Year, announced the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History today. The award, co-sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, HISTORY® and Preserve America, carries a $10,000 prize. Mr... more »

Des Moines Education Association: The Number of Children in Poverty Continues to Rise, When Will We Act?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Des Moines Education Association: The Number of Children in Poverty Continues to Rise, When Will We Act?: The Number of Children in Poverty Continues to Rise, When Will We Act? by Andrew Rasmussen According to the latest information reported in the Des Moines Register, the number of children in poverty across the state of Iowa has risen to 16.2%, which is up from 10.8% in 2000. That is a 50.5% change in a decade, which outpaces the national increase, which stood at a 33.3% increase. It gets even worse when you consider that most experts agree that for a family to truly be able to ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: "2012: An Educational Odyssey" and HALene the Computer

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: "2012: An Educational Odyssey" and HALene the Computer: "2012: An Educational Odyssey" and HALene the Computer by stlgretchen Welcome to your new reality. View this clip on a practice test to see how children will taking assessments from Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) via computers. NWEA is described as: Putting kids first, since 1977 We are a not-for-profit dedicated to helping kids live their dreams. Data is our tool -- gathered through our assessments, validated by research and brought to life by our 4,000 partners -- with our professiona... more »

Schools Matter: Defending bilingual education (again) in the Dallas Morning News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Schools Matter: Defending bilingual education (again) in the Dallas Morning News: Defending bilingual education (again) in the Dallas Morning News by skrashen Research supports bilingual education (Bilingual education is better than immersion) Published in the Dallas Morning News, December 1, 2012. Re: L. Wooley, “An argument against increased school funding,” November 26 Contrary to Lynn Wooley’s statements, evidence for bilingual education is strong. Wooley says scores “shot up” in Oceanside after bilingual education was dismantled in California in 1998. But scores for all stu... more »

U.S. Senate Youth Program Delegates Selected - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
U.S. Senate Youth Program Delegates Selected - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Selects High School Students for 2013 U.S. Senate Youth Program SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced the selection of two remarkable California high school students as delegates, along with two alternates, to the highly competitive United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). Josephine Kao of Roseville (Placer County), a student at Mira Loma High School in the San Juan Unified School District, andDeeksha Goyal of Redlands ... more »

Education Research Report Tuesday 12-4-12

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Education Research Report: Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Math Assessment Accommodations for English Language Learners Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 11 minutes ago WestEd's Regional Educational Laboratory West (REL West) examined the effect of linguistic modification on middle school students' ability to show what they know and can do on mathematics assessments. Linguistic modification involves reducing the complexity of the English used in a test in ways that support clarity without simplifying or significantly altering ... more »

UPDATE: Remembering Fred. « Fred Klonsky + Don’t mess with my TRS-S-S-S-S-S-S

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Remembering Fred. « Fred Klonsky: Remembering Fred. by Fred Klonsky [image: 02HAMPTON_600] On December 4th, 1969 Chicago Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton was killed in his bed by the Chicago police under the direction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Cook County States Attorney Edward Hanrahan. While no official was ever charged or convicted of the crime, the families of Hampton and Mark Clark, also murdered in the same incident, filed a civil suit and won a $1.85 Million settlement from the City of Chicago. Ten minute drawing. Don’t mess with my TRS-S-S-S-S-S-S... more »

UPDATE: Teachers Struggles Around the World Modern School: Michigan's Education Coup Attempt

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Modern School: Michigan's Education Coup Attempt: Teachers Struggles Around the World by Michael Dunn Croatia has been cutting its spending in order to close its deficit and improve its credit rating as it prepares to enter the European Union. It has been doing this by slashing public services like education and healthcare. In response, teachers and nurses have been striking against government plans to cut their pay. 70% of Croatia’s education workforce took part in a strike last Thursday, according to the Teacher Solidarity website. In the German state of Saxony, teachers have ... more »

Schools Matter: Where Comparisons Between the Movie "Lincoln" and Education Reform Go Haywire

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Schools Matter: Where Comparisons Between the Movie "Lincoln" and Education Reform Go Haywire: Where Comparisons Between the Movie "Lincoln" and Education Reform Go Haywire by Jim Horn I was at a meeting last evening where three panelists and a moderator had some things to say on the subject of "Is Education for Democracy At Risk?" It was sponsored by Citizens for Public Schools in Boston and held at the Brookline Public Library. With such a topic on the agenda, I was eager to see if there was any movement toward action in the "talk-and-compromise" groups that participated, wh... more »

The Educated Reporter: Common Core State Standards: Confusion Reigns Over What Students Should Read

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: Common Core State Standards: Confusion Reigns Over What Students Should Read: Common Core State Standards: Confusion Reigns Over What Students Should Read by Emily Richmond The Washington Post's Lyndsey Layton has a thoughtful -- and fresh -- take on the implementation of theCommon Core State Standards, detailing how educators seem to be misinterpreting the new requirement that non-fiction texts eventually make up 70 percent of a student's classroom reading. This is a wrinkle I haven't yet seen reported, and it certainly raises a lot of questions. Here's a c... more »

Working Within Constraints to Transform Schools - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Working Within Constraints to Transform Schools - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Working Within Constraints to Transform Schools by Pedro Noguera Dear Deborah, Instead of responding to your interpretation of my assumptions, which were inaccurate (I don't think the two sides in the debate over school reform have similar ends in mind), let me spell out what I mean by the importance of providing schools with guidance on how to work through the constraints that they face. Public schools, especially those that serve a disproportionate percentage of low-income students of colo... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-4-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Will Public Schools in Michigan Survive? by dianerav The ideologues who have always wanted to privatize public education are now running the state of Michigan. In the past, we called them right-wing extremists; now they are called “reformers.” They plan to dissolve all district boundaries and to push through funding changes to disestablish public schools. Governor Rick Snyder has a catchy phrase for eliminating public education: any time, any place, any way, any pace. Or, here’s the money, spend it where yo... more »

UPDATE: A Florida charter school scandal gets worse Common Core reading pros and cons - A warning ed policymakers should heed

In the you-can't-make-up-this-stuff category: Do you remember the case of the charter school in central Florida that gave its founding principal a $519,453 payout in taxpayer money when it was forced to close because of academic failure? Well, it turns out, the school also paid more than $460,000 over five years to her husband, who resigned from its board in 2008 about the same time he was charged with soliciting prostitutes while serving as a sheriff's commander. Really.
Read full article >>

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 12-3-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Great Reading by debmeier I’d like a moratorium on publishing any more good books—so I could catch up. Even if restricted to books on current educational dilemmas from my viewpoint, I can’t catch up. So over the next week I plan to share four books I’ve been eading about schools and reform, and one “booklet”. . There are at least a dozen others that I probably also should read—and will soon. In no particular order, I’ll start with: Mrs. Cook: Teacher of the Year, “Unsatisfactory” by dianerav I published a post with a photo of a te... more »

AFT Report on Teacher Preparation Recommends Bar-Like Exam And Demonstration of Teaching Competency

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
AFT - A Union of Professionals - AFT Report on Teacher Preparation Recommends Bar-Like Exam And Demonstration of Teaching Competency: AFT Report on Teacher Preparation Recommends Bar-Like Exam And Demonstration of Teaching Competency [image: AFT - American Federation of Teachers] *AFT's Weingarten: "It's time to do away with a common rite of passage into the teaching profession—whereby newly minted teachers are tossed the keys to their classrooms, expected to figure things out, and left to see if they and their students sink or swim. This is unfair to both students and their teac... more »

Diane in the Evening 12-3-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Mrs. Cook: Teacher of the Year, “Unsatisfactory” by dianerav I published a post with a photo of a teacher who was named Teacher of the Year by her colleagues but found “unsatisfactory” or “ineffective” by the value-added methods of her state. I knew her name–Mrs. Cook–but nothing more. How to Speak Out Against Race to the Top by dianerav Parents and teachers have organized a telephone campaign to register their objections to the Race to the Top program, which has led to more testing and more school closings and more disruptions for students and teachers.... more »

Emory walkout tomorrow: Taking a stand for lost programs | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Emory walkout tomorrow: Taking a stand for lost programs | Get Schooled: Emory walkout tomorrow: Taking a stand for lost programs by Maureen Downey I am not sure how many Emory students will heed the call for a walkout tomorrow to protest university cuts to liberal arts programs. But I applaud students for taking a stand on the direction and focus of their university. *In September, Emory announced that it intends to phase* out the journalism program, department of visual arts, division of educational studies and department of physical education. The university will also suspend ad... more »

Teacher Evaluation and the Whole Child — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Teacher Evaluation and the Whole Child — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Thomas R. Hoerr]Teacher Evaluation and the Whole Child December 3, 2012 by Thomas R. Hoerr We measure what we value. This is true in how we spend our time, where we focus our efforts, and how we evaluate our teachers. Believing that educators must embrace the whole child—we must be sure that a child is healthy, safe, supported, engaged, and challenged—then how should that have an impact on our approach to teacher evaluation? Don't misunderstand me: academic skills are terribly important, and... more »

Introducing the Edu$hyters of the week and they all hail from the great state of Michigan | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Introducing the Edu$hyters of the week and they all hail from the great state of Michigan | Seattle Education: Introducing the Edu$hyters of the week and they all hail from the great state of Michigan Posted on December 3, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment *The Edu $hyster ring in Michigan* [image: rick snyder1] Utica Community Schools, as the second largest district in Michigan, has always been a leader in education. Students have always had a high rate of success. In comparison to districts across the nation, Utica has always been financially healthy. Utica has bee... more »

Ed Notes Online: E4E Roundup: Giddey-up Doggie

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: E4E Roundup: Giddey-up Doggie: E4E Roundup: Giddey-up Doggie by ed notes online *DFER and Gates and Whitney better ask for their money back as E4E could barely muster much of a group at their first rally. The best line from Evan Stone: we lost a few to lesson planning.* Well how much fun did the crew we helped organize for the E4E rally have yesterday? Given we did this ad hoc in 24 hours our turnout which included such luminaries as Fiorillo, Bloggers Raging Horse and South Bronx School, members of MORE and Change the Stakes, I think we had more real teachers t... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Help us shape the next Mayor's education agenda on Dec.11!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Help us shape the next Mayor's education agenda on Dec.11!: Help us shape the next Mayor's education agenda on Dec.11! by Leonie Haimson *On December 11th we want to hear from parents, teachers and concerned citizens about what **you** **think the policies of the next mayor should be.* *Shaping the Next Administration’s Education Agenda* Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 5:30 pmNYU Pless Hall, 82 Washington Sq. East,3rd Floor Lounge Co-Sponsored by Class Size Matters, A+ Coalition, NYC Kids PAC and Change the Stakes Space is limited, please sign up now by ... more »

Teacher Sabrina gives ALEC a reality check | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Teacher Sabrina gives ALEC a reality check | Seattle Education: Teacher Sabrina gives ALEC a reality check Posted on December 3, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment From Teacher Sabrina: On November 30, 2012, I had the rare and deeply disturbing experience of witnessing part of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Education Task Force meeting: a closed-door policy-shaping session open only to the state legislators who help to pass them, the corporate lobbyists who pay big money to shape and sponsor them– and scrappy activists like me, who are no longer willing to ce...more »

Online Classes Mean No Dorm, Gym or Debt - Bloomberg

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Online Classes Mean No Dorm, Gym or Debt - Bloomberg: Online Classes Mean No Dorm, Gym or Debt By Jeb Bush & Randy Best Dec 2, 2012 3:30 PM PT - Facebook Share - Tweet - LinkedIn - Google +1 - 82 COMMENTS - - Print - QUEUE Q Numerous articles and commentaries from inside and outside of academia are raising the alarm that American public higher education faces an unprecedented financial crisis. For years, state legislatures have been disinvesting in public colleges and universities, leaving campus administrators to struggle with how to make do with les... more »

@TeacherSabrina: Teacher crashes, rebukes secret ALEC meeting on education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Teamster Nation: Teacher crashes, rebukes secret ALEC meeting on education: Teacher crashes, rebukes secret ALEC meeting on education by Teamster Power Popout Public school teacher Sabrina Stevens opened a can of whoop-ass told off corporate lobbyists and lawmakers meeting secretly on Friday to discuss bills to eradicate public education. Turning public schools over to corporations is just one of the many ways ALEC (the corporate dating service for state lawmakers) tries to lower our standard of living. Other favorites include union busting, strengthening monopolies and weakening ... more »

Daily Kos: The Ignored Lessons of Education Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Daily Kos: The Ignored Lessons of Education Reform: The Ignored Lessons of Education Reform byplthomasEdDFollow Michael Petrilli’s charge that the recent elections confirm “[t]eachers unions remain the Goliath to the school reformers’ David” is neither a brave claim to make in a paper serving a right-to-work area of the U.S., nor an accurate portrayal of the lessons of the elections or the balance of power in education reform. [1] Let’s begin with a question that challenges Petrilli’s initial claim: If teachers unions are the primary or one of the primary forces at the root of the... more »

UPDATE: Cooper Union Day of Action Today « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Cooper Union Day of Action Today « Student Activism: Cooper Union Students Launch Occupation for Free Tuition by Angus Johnston As I mentioned this morning, today is a day of action at Cooper Union, one of New York City’s oldest and most esteemed colleges. Cooper Union has been tuition-free for 110 years, but this fall the administration started charging for Masters programs, and students fear undergrads are likely next. Today’s announced activities included a teach-in, demonstrations, and an evening colloquium, but late this morning activists launched another tactic — barricading ... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-3-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Rick Hess: Why Does Tom Friedman Have a Crush on Arne Duncan? by dianerav In another smart column, Rick Hess dissects Thomas Friedman’s fawning praise for Arne Duncan. What puzzles me is why so many knowledgeable commentators continue to speak of Duncan’s great success in Chicago. I get confused about whether it was Paul Vallas or Arne who “saved” Chicago. Despite a string of saviors, Chicago remains un-saved. In this column, Hess has it both ways, simultaneously praising Arne’s run in Chicago and pulling ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: George Carlin on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: George Carlin on Education: George Carlin on Education by Duke Every once in a while, I put up this clip of George Carlin, because it remains the best critique of the American education debate I think we have. Popout *They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying -- lobbying to get what they want. Well, we know what they want -- they want MORE for themselves and less for everybody else. But I'll tell you what they don't want. They DON'T want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They *

E4E's Eric Cartman Goes Silent on The Crack Team of SBSB.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: E4E's Eric Cartman Goes Silent on The Crack Team of SBSB by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) The Crack Team at SBSB would like to thank the gracious hosts of Educators4Excellence for the comedy and the coffee and Dunkin' Munchkins that were generously given at today's youth rally at City Hall park in support of the new evaluation system that is being advocated. As we know, 40% of a teacher's evaluation will be based on tests. Twenty percent on normal standardized tests and the other 20% on God knows what. Sadly, that first 20% will be using the c... more »

Introduction to Students United for Public EducationSave Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Introduction to Students United for Public EducationSave Our Schools: Introduction to Students United for Public Education by Server Students United for Public Education*Originally posted November 26, 2012* It’s finally here. It’s time we share this initiative widely. Students United for Public Education Ever since the fantastic work students at University of Wisconsin-Madison did a few months back, I was fortunately connected to so many like-minded students. Since then, an initiative has been under construction. There has been a significant amount of criticizing, discussing, and de... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Nowack departure from Penn Fund raises deeper question

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Nowack departure from Penn Fund raises deeper question: Nowack departure from Penn Fund raises deeper question by Mike Klonsky Helen GymAs I reported last week, *Jeremy Nowak *is out as president of the William Penn Foundation. But *Helen Gym*, from the ed activist group Parents United for Public Education in Philadelphia, writes that in light of his abrupt departure, deeper questions emerge about the role the foundation played under his tenure. *On a national level, a number of public education observers and public interest advocates have raise... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: What Do You Think of This?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What Do You Think of This?: What Do You Think of This? by Melissa Westbrook *WASHINGTON STATE PTA PARTNERS WITH MCDONALDS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY EATING FOR KIDS* I just don't get it but apparently, the Washington State PTA has entered into a partnership with....McDonalds. *WASHINGTON STATE PTA PARTNERS WITH MCDONALDS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY EATING FOR KIDS* * Washington State PTA and the Washington-based owner/operators of McDonald’s franchises have entered into a partnership agreement for the purpose of promoting healthy eating by kids. There are approxi... more »

Short Notes: Hip-Hop Didn’t Fail America | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Short Notes: Hip-Hop Didn’t Fail America | The Jose Vilson: Short Notes: Hip-Hop Didn’t Fail America by JOSE on DECEMBER 2, 2012 Jon Stewart Keeping It Real *Before I proceed, dozens of people from various school districts have told me that my site is blocked on their school computers. In the event that it is, you can always get my articles via e-mail by signing up on the right-hand side of this blog or by subscribing via RSS for my savvy readers, also on the right-hand side. They can block my site’s URL, but they can’t block your e-mails or your RSS reader.* ** *About Me* *My name... more »

Gov. Mitch Daniels claims teachers used illegal tactics to defeat GOP state education chief Tony Bennett | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Gov. Mitch Daniels claims teachers used illegal tactics to defeat GOP state education chief Tony Bennett | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com: Gov. Mitch Daniels claims teachers used illegal tactics to defeat GOP state education chief Tony Bennett WASHINGTON -- Republican frustration over the election defeat of Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett boiled over into the public this week with Gov. Mitch Daniels claiming at an education reform conference here that teachers used illegal and improper methods to oust Bennett. "If you're a fan of anything-goes politics, it was... more »

Tom Friedman’s Misguided Man Crush on Arne Duncan | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Tom Friedman’s Misguided Man Crush on Arne Duncan | Scathing Purple Musings: Tom Friedman’s Misguided Man Crush on Arne Duncan by Bob Sikes *Secretary Of Education Forced To Take Up Stripping To Put Nation Through School | The Onion - America's Finest News Source* Educator and writer John Thompson proved to be prophetic in a* Huffington Post* piece last month when he wrote this: Education beat writers demonstrate the same excellence as other journalists. The problem is Op Ed columnists and other writers who seem to know no more about schools than what they hear at cocktail parti... more »

Henry A. Giroux: War On Youth | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Henry A. Giroux: War On Youth | Seattle Education: Henry A. Giroux: War On Youth by seattleducation2011 Something to think about this wintry day. *The critically acclaimed public intellectual Henry A. Giroux discusses the state sponsored assault being waged against young people across the globe, especially in the United States. For Giroux, what is no longer a hidden order of politics is that American society is at war with its children, and that the use of such violence against young people is a disturbing index of a society in the midst of a deep moral and political crisis. Only a... more »

Ed Notes Online: E4E Astroturf Rally Today to Pressure UFT to Cave on Ed Evaluation and Not Go Over the Ed Deform Cliff

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: E4E Astroturf Rally Today to Pressure UFT to Cave on Ed Evaluation and Not Go Over the Ed Deform Cliff: E4E Astroturf Rally Today to Pressure UFT to Cave on Ed Evaluation and Not Go Over the Ed Deform Cliff by ed notes online *I just got a call from E4E begging me to come…they said it’s their first rally." * I got this yesterday as one of those "thousands" of supporters E4E claims. Let's see how many come today. They only got 150 to come see Walcott the other day even with the offer of free drinks and snacks. And those included some of our pals who are being caref... more »

Psychiatrists drop Asperger’s syndrome and gender identity disorder from new diagnosis manual | The Raw Story

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Psychiatrists drop Asperger’s syndrome and gender identity disorder from new diagnosis manual | The Raw Story: Psychiatrists drop Asperger’s syndrome and gender identity disorder from new diagnosis manual [image: Human brain image via Shutterstock] Asperger’s syndrome is to be dropped from the psychiatrists’ Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders, the American publication that is one of the most influential references for the profession around the world. The term “Asperger’s disorder” will not appear in the DSM-5, the latest revision of the manual, and instea... more »

Charter Schools USA Lands Third Multi-Million Dollar Loan Since 2010 | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Charter Schools USA Lands Third Multi-Million Dollar Loan Since 2010 | Scathing Purple Musings: Charter Schools USA Lands Third Multi-Million Dollar Loan Since 2010 by Bob Sikes From *MELODIKA.net:* Ziegler, a specialty investment banking firm, is pleased to announce the successful closing of a $59,320,000 Series 2012 Bond issue for Renaissance Charter School, Inc. (Renaissance). This 2012 financing is the third for the borrower which includes a Series 2011 $89,235,000 issue and a Series 2010 $68,200,000 issue. Renaissance) is a Florida 501(c)(3) that holds charters for 20 operat... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-2-12 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] Crybaby in Indiana by dianerav At Jeb Bush’s bipartisan conference on the privatization movement, outgoing Indiana Governor Mitch Danielscomplained that teachers used illegal tactics to defeat State Superintendent Tony Bennett. He claimed, with no evidence, that teachers campaigned for Glenda Ritz using school emails and facilities. Bennett, of course, was the hero of the privatization movement. Jeb Bush made him the chairman of his “Chiefs for Change,” a group of state superintendents devoted to high-stak... more »

An Urban Teacher's Education: On Choice in Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
An Urban Teacher's Education: On Choice in Education: On Choice in Education by James Boutin You know what I'm really tired of doing? Thinking of ways to market my school. You know what would probably make me a happier, more effective teacher? More time to think about my instruction and students' work with colleagues. Last month the small school I teach at was told that we need something of a new direction. The way it was presented? We have a "choice." We can begin offering AP courses, IB courses, or something else called College in the High School - which encompasses a series o... more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Who Doesn't Love Shopping? Adding and Subtracting Large Numbers!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Who Doesn't Love Shopping? Adding and Subtracting Large Numbers!: Who Doesn't Love Shopping? Adding and Subtracting Large Numbers! by Lisa M * **Adding and Subtracting Large Numbers* Hmmmm...How can I make adding and subtracting large numbers fun? What do I love almost as much as new technology? Shopping of course! And my students loved it as well! * **A Document, Computer, and a Calculator* I told my students I was giving them $10,000 to spend on the students in our school. They could buy them anything they wanted. I gave them a blank shopping ... more »

The Black and White of Education in Chicago's Public SchoolsSave Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
The Black and White of Education in Chicago's Public SchoolsSave Our Schools: The Black and White of Education in Chicago’s Public Schools by Server The Black and White of Education in Chicago’s Public SchoolsThe Black and White of Education in Chicago’s Public Schools In a new report being issued today, the Chicago Teachers Union in unambiguous terms makes a racial claim, contending that white businessmen and charter operators are gaining from what it calls “the chaos of (public) school closings” and “the dishonesty of underutilization.” Executive Summary: The Black and White of Ed... more »

Check Out What We’ve Been Doing In Class…. | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Check Out What We’ve Been Doing In Class…. | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: Check Out What We’ve Been Doing In Class…. by Larry Ferlazzo You might, or might not, want to check out our ESL class’ blog and what we’ve been doing recently. One is a project on culture from our Geography class, which includes a fun Animoto slideshow. Another has student videos where they converted their problem-solution essays into dialogues. If you find those interesting/useful, you could explore our other class blogs, too: - Class Blog: Intermediate ELD - Class Blog: Ninth Grade English ... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Cheating Students in D.C. with Phony Credentials by dianerav http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324352004578131361948093492.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEFTTopOpinion - [image: The Wall Street Journal] - CROSS COUNTRY - November 30, 2012, 6:35 p.m. ET How Washington, D.C., Schools Cheat Their Students Twice*Kids who fail their courses go to phony Credit Recovery classes. No wonder so many high-school graduates are at or near a fifth-grade level.* * * Nikhil Goyal Flunks Obama’s Education Policies by dianerav Nikhil Goyal is a high school stude... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Youth Voices Against Violence Contest

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Youth Voices Against Violence Contest: Youth Voices Against Violence Contest by Melissa Westbrook From Puget Sound-Off: *CALL FOR AUDIO ENTRIES!*** *Calling all journalists, poets, rappers, writers, actors and activists!* Our audio contest is in full swing, but we still need to hear from YOU! So, we are extending our deadline and accepting submissions through the *end of the year*. Take advantage of holiday breaks and lend your voice to our campaign for youth violence prevention. *Silence is not the answer*. Puget SoundOff and Tabu are inviting ... more »

Ed Schools – The Sequel: Rise of the Intellectually Dead « School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Ed Schools – The Sequel: Rise of the Intellectually Dead « School Finance 101: Ed Schools – The Sequel: Rise of the Intellectually Dead by schoolfinance101 *Warning: The following post contains the elitist musings of an ivory tower professor who has only professed at major research universities, who attended a selective liberal arts college & received his doctorate from an Ivy league institution (well… a branch of one… Teachers College at Columbia).* A while back, I wrote a post on “ed schools” the point of which was to show the shift in production of degrees that had occurred be... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 11-30-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* My Best Posts Over The Years — Volume Two by Larry Ferlazzo I’ve been writing this blog for six or seven years. I thought readers might find it useful for me to dig back in the “archives” and highlight my choices for some of the best posts that appeared during that time. The first list in this series, My Best Posts Over The Years — Volume One, focused on the year 2007 and included a fair amount of still-useful material (at least in my opinion). Here in Volume Two I’ll identify the best of 2008: I began an *eighty* (no, that’s not a typ... more »