Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break 12-29-12 #soschat #edreform

Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break

Pass / Fail : California official says law setting federal education standards is 'null and defunct' | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 minutes ago

Pass / Fail : California official says law setting federal education standards is 'null and defunct' | 89.3 KPCC: California official says law setting federal education standards is 'null and defunct' by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez *Duh!* One of California’s top education officials said the federal No Child Left Behind law is no longer credible or legitimate because too many states have been given a waiver. “They have already disowned the program in terms of the U.S. Department of Education by the secretary already declaring it null and defunct in effect in 33 states," said Michael Kirst... more »

Why Do We Need to Play? (My #rechat Reflection) « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Why Do We Need to Play? (My #rechat Reflection) « Cooperative Catalyst: Why Do We Need to Play? (My #rechat Reflection) by John T. Spencer The kids are in the backyard blowing bubbles. The canister reads Miracle Bubbles and it seems, at first, like hyperbole. Joel pulls out the wand and creates a floating orb. Brenna jumps up and pops the first one in delight. Micah pulls out a wand (a fitting word for the magic that happens) and asks if blowing it slower will make the bubbles bigger or smaller. This leads to a test of small and large bubbles and eventually an impromptu game happens... more »

Keeping and Growing Great Teachers: 12 Lessons - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Keeping and Growing Great Teachers: 12 Lessons - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Keeping and Growing Great Teachers: 12 Lessons by Anthony Cody Last week, Teaching Ahead here featured a discussion focused on "Teaching's Revolving Door." Here are some thoughts, based on my experience working to retain science teachers in a high poverty district. I think it was the Greek philosopher Heraclitus who said "nothing is permanent but change." He seems to have been secretly put in charge of school reform in the US for the past decade. But as research has emerged documenting t... more »

Florida’s “School Grades Remain a Function of Politics, Not Academics” | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Florida’s “School Grades Remain a Function of Politics, Not Academics” | Scathing Purple Musings: Florida’s “School Grades Remain a Function of Politics, Not Academics” by Bob Sikes One can never expect *Palm Beach Post *editorialist Jac Versteeg to hold back in his ire for Florida education policies. This morning was no exception. In his sights were Florida’s school grades: Florida’s high school grades for last year are out, and they show… what? For an alleged accountability system, the state-assigned grades show very little. The state Department of Education warned that parents... more »

Daily Kos: Anniversary

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Daily Kos: Anniversary: Anniversary by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) 27 years ago this date fell on a Sunday. We both attended church services that morning, then afterward separated, not to see one another again until we were both in the church that afternoon for legal and liturgical recognition of a relationship that had begun on a September 21 some 11 years earlier. This evening Leaves on the Current and I will have a quiet celebration. In some ways we are both surprised to be at this point. As is true in many relationships, we have had our ups and downs, some serious. Neither... more »

California's top 2012 political stories | news10.net

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

California's top 2012 political stories | news10.net: California's top 2012 political stories10:00 PM, Dec 28, 2012 | 0 comments - - - - [image: Share] - [image: Email] - [image: Print] - - A *A* A + Written byJohn Myers - FILED UNDER - News When it comes to making a list of big political stories, 2012 offered an embarrassment of riches in the Golden State. Big electoral stakes. Important policy debates. A boatload of cash spent on campaigns large and small. So without further ado, the stories that stand out as the biggest stars of the year. *... more »

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky [image: 43268018-01] We no longer go out for coffee on Saturdays. Necessarily. Retirement has brought change to our world in unexpected ways. We can go to Peets on other less crowded days. Thursdays are good. Fridays seem worse than Saturdays. The other day we were having a conversation about the changing nature of work. It has been an eye opener for me to realize that while I went to work during the day there were so many people who were sitting in coffee shops working on their computers. Or at the gym at 2 in the af... more »

NYC Public School Parents: The real issues behind the looming bus strike by Sara Catalinotto of PIST

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: The real issues behind the looming bus strike by Sara Catalinotto of PIST: The real issues behind the looming bus strike by Sara Catalinotto of PIST by Leonie Haimson *The Chancellor has warned of a possible school bus strike shortly after students return from the Xmas vacation. The issues are not obvious to most parents; here is an explanation by **Sara Catalinotto of Parents to ImproveSchool Transportation [PIST]. She adds:* *1) Next step in bidding on our kids' buses for next year is Thurs. Jan 3 at 1:00 p.m. at 30-30 Thomson Ave, LIC (next door to... more »

“Institutional Arrogance” at the Florida Department of Education | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

“Institutional Arrogance” at the Florida Department of Education | Scathing Purple Musings: “Institutional Arrogance” at the Florida Department of Education by Bob Sikes While the editors of the *Lakeland Ledger *were urging incoming education commissioner Tony Bennett to “have a more inclusive management style,” they took aim at the department he is charged with running: Tallahassee’s frequent, and embarrassing, releases of inaccurate student assessment data, flawed teacher assessment scores, skewed school grades and so on is as much a consequence of the Department of Education’... more »

Come Saturday Morning: I Feel I Must Apologize | Firedoglake

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Come Saturday Morning: I Feel I Must Apologize | Firedoglake: Come Saturday Morning: I Feel I Must Apologize by Phoenix Woman Dear Fellow Firedogs, Gentle Readers, and Other Sane and Sensible Citizens of the Planet Earth: As a resident of Minnesota, I feel I must apologize for the actions of Tony Cornish and Bradlee Dean, especially as they pertain to the recent school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. Tony Cornish is the violence-obsessed Republican state representative from Good Thunder who thinks along with Wayne LaPierre that arming teachers and militarizing schools are good id... more »

Coop Connections and #RECHAT « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Coop Connections and #RECHAT « Cooperative Catalyst: Coop Connections and #RECHAT by Paula White All of us here can speak to someone else here who has made a difference in our lives, I think. That goes for everyone–readers, writers, thinkers, all….This is a great place to share, to learn to think together and grow as catalysts for each other and others not here. John T Spencer is one of those people for me…so much of what he writes is simply astounding and astute…and as he works to rethink education, he involves people in as many ways as he can. Last Saturday I discovered the Twi... more »

Literature and Nonfiction: Common-Core Advocates Strike Back - Curriculum Matters - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Literature and Nonfiction: Common-Core Advocates Strike Back - Curriculum Matters - Education Week: Literature and Nonfiction: Common-Core Advocates Strike Back By Catherine Gewertz on December 28, 2012 1:07 PM As we've told you, a particular slice of the common standards in English/language arts has become pretty flammable lately: the rise of nonfiction reading. Thestandards' expectation that students read more informational text has sparked fear—some would say misinterpretation—that great works of literature will be displaced from classroom instruction. Even though mainstream ne... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-29-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] A Teacher of Latin Writes In Defense of Fiction by dianerav In response to the discussion about the time allotted to fiction and non-fiction in the Common Core standards, a teacher writes: One of the things that really bothers me about this mandate is the devaluing of fiction. Right now we are foolishly engaging in a short-sighted culture of thinking that the only things that matter are “practical” and “measurable”. Hence, the importance of non-f. Yet, in many ways I have learned more about science, math and ... more »

Commentary on “The mass killings in Newtown” « Classroom Struggle

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Commentary on “The mass killings in Newtown” « Classroom Struggle: Commentary on “The mass killings in Newtown” by ClassroomStruggle [image: SIGN the Sandy Hook Elementary School National Sympathy Card | causes.com] *This is a blog post from a former Oakland teacher reflecting on the Newtown massacre and advocating for a different kind of gun control than that commonly echoed in the mainstream media.* *The original post came from http://weknowwhatsup.blogspot.com/2012/12/commentary-on-mass-killings-in-newton.html. * Commentary on “The mass killings in Newtown” by Jack Gerson Some ... more »

5 Tech Companies Set to Impact Higher Ed in 2013 | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

5 Tech Companies Set to Impact Higher Ed in 2013 | toteachornototeach: 5 Tech Companies Set to Impact Higher Ed in 2013 by aristotlethewise 5 Tech Companies Set to Impact Higher Ed in 2013 [image: 2012-12-29-00-15-33-146615920] By Kevin Ducoff It’s a great time to be in the education technology industry: venture capitalists have dropped a whopping $1.37 billion into the industry between the second quarter of 2011 and the second quarter of 2012. That’s a lot of cash, and a lot of opportunities for companies to seriously change the way we do education. There are already plenty of promi... more »

State report: Vallejo school board powers should be restored - Vallejo Times Herald

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

State report: Vallejo school board powers should be restored - Vallejo Times Herald State report: Vallejo school board powers should be restored By Lanz Christian Bañes/*Times-Herald staff writer/* Posted: 12/29/2012 01:07:16 AM PST A key state assessment team has recommended the return of financial management to the Vallejo City Unified School District, paving the way for the restoration of full local governance. The Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team will tell state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson that the district is ready to regain control of its... more »

solidaridad: January Candidate Forum

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

solidaridad: January Candidate Forum: January Candidate Forum January LAUSD District 2 Candidate Forum [image: Robert D. Skeels, a Social Justice Schoolboard Candidate]

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 12-29-12

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* KPFK - Politics or Pedagogy: Recap of Broadcasts about Charter Schools – Today @ 11AM smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 47 minutes ago KPFK 90.7 FM | kpfk.org Politics or pedagogy? EDUCATION REPORT with John Cromshow Saturday, December 29, 2012 11:00 AM Smiley and West w/education issues commentary by John Cromshow (following hosts" introduction) TOPIC: 2012 Broadcasts About Charters GARCETTI URGES EFFORT TO SAVE AVIATION MECHANICS SCHOOL smf at 4LAKids - so... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 12-29-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Socioeconomic risk and oral reading ability in first grade predicts growth of reading and math achievement in Grades 3 through 8 Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago This investigation tested the importance of early academic achievement for later achievement trajectories among 18,011 students grouped by level of socioeconomic risk. Students considered to be at highest risk were those who experienced homelessness or high residential mobility (HHM). HHM students were compared with students... more »

School Tech Connect: The Discovery of the Age

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

School Tech Connect: The Discovery of the Age: The Discovery of the Age by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) You know what? I can't get this bizarre Common Core conversation video posted on TuttleSVC out of my head. Scroll down the post and watch it; it doesn't take long. If you have half a brain, or if you've taught English for more than five minutes, you'll be mesmerized. Basically it's a group of people who appear to have never dealt with a group of actual teenagers talking about something that doesn't exist in nature; that is to say, Tier I words and Tier II words. And then the... more »

Imtiaz Majeed – My Talk With Suli Breaks | Student Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Imtiaz Majeed – My Talk With Suli Breaks | Student Voice: Imtiaz Majeed – My Talk With Suli Breaks by admin [image: 480058_10151160568362869_1697525446_n] I went in not sure what to expect. I came out feeling inspired. This is my talk with Suli Amoako, more commonly known on the Internet as, Suli Breaks. His video “Why I Hate School But Love Education” has recently gone viral with over 1.5 million views. Popout Despite receiving many negative responses both from the YouTube comments and from articles such as this one from Emmeline Zhao, I believe that Suli’s video was quite the in... more »

Representative Nekritz at Aurora forum. Join us. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Representative Nekritz at Aurora forum. Join us. « Fred Klonsky: Representative Nekritz at Aurora forum. Join us. by Fred Klonsky [image: dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls] *State Representative Elaine Nekritz.* I am pleased to have been asked by Northern Illinois Jobs with Justice to sit on a panel at this event. Join us. AURORA – A public forum on the state pension reform dilemma is planned for Wednesday at East Aurora High School.Northern Illinois Jobs with Justice and State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, an Aurora Democrat, will host town hall meeting to discuss current pension reform... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Some thoughts on Common Core and Expectations of Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Some thoughts on Common Core and Expectations of Teachers: Some thoughts on Common Core and Expectations of Teachers by alicemercer I’m attending Common Core training/planning in my district. We’re being told that the district will not be purchasing curriculum, but would like teacher to develop it. There are pluses and minuses to this. One of the things I’m hearing constantly at these meetings, is that *finally* we’ll have standards that will prepare kids for college, as though our current/last set of standards were not aimed at preparin... more »

Jerry offers Representative Cunningham a ride to Springfield. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Jerry offers Representative Cunningham a ride to Springfield. « Fred Klonsky: Jerry offers Representative Cunningham a ride to Springfield. by Fred Klonsky [image: JL sheet music] *Jerry,* *Got the letter you dropped off at my office. Sorry I will not be in Springfield during your trip there next Thursday. However, because of the canceled session days, I do have free time on my schedule and could meet with you at my Chicago office some time next week.* *Obviously, we would be covering issues we have discussed many times before, both in person and on the phone, so maybe another get-... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Newtown Changed Everything by dianerav David Kirp is one of our most perceptive thinkers and writers about education. You will enjoy his new book about a wonderful public school in New Jersey. It is called “Improbable Scholars.” In this *MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-28-12 Diane Ravitch's blog* coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Why the Double Standards? by dianerav Arthur Goldstein, who teaches ESL and English in a Queens, New York, high school, writes ... more »

School Tech Connect: Poverty Plus®

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

School Tech Connect: Poverty Plus®: Poverty Plus® by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I will say this for Kelly Cassidy: she gets back to you. I'm not fully confident that TRS or really anyone else is going to be able to come up with several scenarios about what retirement looks like for career teachers in Illinois under the cash balance proposal---- but she did commit to trying to provide these for me. The only thing that I can determine so far is that people working in public education in the future--- at least in Illinois--- will be full participants in the race to the bottom t... more »

This Is What Teachers Learning to Shoot Guns Look Like - National - The Atlantic Wire

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

This Is What Teachers Learning to Shoot Guns Look Like - National - The Atlantic Wire: This Is What Teachers Learning to Shoot Guns Look Like by Alexander Abad-Santos In Utah, nearly 200 teachers came out to receive free firearm training. In Ohio, a pilot program to teach teachers how to use guns is at capacity. And in Arizona, the attorney general has outlined plan to arm school principals as the less "extreme" option. Even before new legislation is considered on the state or federal level in the wake of the Newtown school shooting, educators across the country are learning how ... more »

Simone Bernstein: Shaking Up America's Education System

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Simone Bernstein: Shaking Up America's Education System: Shaking Up America's Education System Posted: 12/28/2012 12:09 pm At 17 years old, Nikhil Goyal is shaking up America's education system. Goyal is a senior at Syosset High School, a public school in New York. While most high school students focus on athletics, academics and socializing, Goyal aims to transform the American education system. Goyal's book, "One Size Does Not Fit All: A Student's Assessment of School," describes the flaws within America's education system and provides solutions to fix the present challenges. ... more »

Race to the Top Leads Most-Popular-Stories List - Politics K-12 - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Race to the Top Leads Most-Popular-Stories List - Politics K-12 - Education Week: Race to the Top Leads Most-Popular-Stories List by Alyson Klein [image: Politics K-12] Happy New Year! Before you run out and buy that bottle of champagne, check out Politics K-12's most-read stories of 2012. 10) Six More States Get Waivers: Waive goodbye to 2012. NCLB waivers—what they looked like and who got them and when—were a recurring story. 9) Five Issues Facing Arne Duncan: Right after the election, Michele speculated about what still-Secretary Duncan will have to deal with in his second term. ... more »

Ms. Katie's Ramblings: Make No Mistake, Corporate Ed Reform is Hurting Kids

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Ms. Katie's Ramblings: Make No Mistake, Corporate Ed Reform is Hurting Kids: Make No Mistake, Corporate Ed Reform is Hurting Kids by KatieO Corporate Education Reform hurts children. This truth needs to be said a million times over. No longer can we allow reformers to hide behind the* rhetoric* of reform and ignore the* realities*. Words like "poverty is not destiny" "high expectations" "quality school options" and "choice" all mask the very real impact of these reforms. There are consequences to the disruption of school closings, to purposeful disinvestment in neighborhood s... more »

Tony Bennett Talks Out of Both Sides of His Mouth on Common Core | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Tony Bennett Talks Out of Both Sides of His Mouth on Common Core | Scathing Purple Musings: Tony Bennett Talks Out of Both Sides of His Mouth on Common Core by Bob Sikes Indiana education chief Tony Bennett was locked in a tight race to keep his job. Knowing that Common Core Standards was unpopular with many conservative voters, Bennett had this to say about the Obama administration at a Tea Party rally this past summer: “This administration has an insatiable appetite for federal overreach,” explained Indiana Schools Superintendent Tony Bennett at a Tea Party rally regarding th... more »

The Weekly Update: Teachers Speak Up | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The Weekly Update: Teachers Speak Up | Seattle Education: The Weekly Update: Teachers Speak Up by seattleducation2011 The Weekly Update: Teachers Speak Up Posted on December 28, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment *The Weekly Update for the news and views you might have missed.* [image: balloons] This week has been a slower news week than usual for obvious reasons but the internet is burning up with announcements of new Facebook pages sprouting up started by an array of parents and teachers from around the country standing with their teachers and students and against the p... more »

Historic lawsuit by the CTU against the CPS claiming school closings and turnarounds are racist and discriminatory. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Historic lawsuit by the CTU against the CPS claiming school closings and turnarounds are racist and discriminatory. « Fred Klonsky: Historic lawsuit by the CTU against the CPS claiming school closings and turnarounds are racist and discriminatory. by Fred Klonsky The following is a summary of the claim and preliminary statement filed in the UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS EASTERN DIVISION by attorney Robin Potter on behalf of the Chicago Teachers Union and three teachers. SUMMARY OF CLAIM1. This is an action under Title VII of the Civil Rights ... more »

Daily Kos: CAUTION: Behind the Data and School Success

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Daily Kos: CAUTION: Behind the Data and School Success: CAUTION: Behind the Data and School Success byplthomasEdDFollow During her tenure as Secretary of Education (2005-2009), Margaret Spellings announced No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was proving to be a success based on a 7 point gain in NAEP reading scores from 1999-2005. The data evidence referenced by Spellings was factual as framed, but when Gerald Bracey and Stephen Krashen dug beneath that broad claim, Spellings' claim fell apart since the gain occurred entirely between 1999-2002, before any implementation of NCLB had occur... more »

John Legg’s Arm Chair Flippancy on High School Curriculum | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

John Legg’s Arm Chair Flippancy on High School Curriculum | Scathing Purple Musings: John Legg’s Arm Chair Flippancy on High School Curriculum by Bob Sikes Although his degree is in Social Work, Sen. John Legg (R-Port Richey) fancies himself to be an educator by virtue, I assume, for owning a charter school. Feeling frisky from his recent appointment as chairman of the Senate Education Policy Committee, Legg offered this piece of commentary: “If we don’t do something different, we might as well cancel the eleventh and twelfth grades,” he said. “It can’t just be a wasteland of hi... more »

Jersey Jazzman: The Selling Out of Newark's Schools: Part I

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Jersey Jazzman: The Selling Out of Newark's Schools: Part I: The Selling Out of Newark's Schools: Part I by Duke *Don't worry, Oprah - we would never ask you to come to Newark!* If you're really interested in transparency, what better time is there to release secret emails than Christmas Eve? The City of Newark released dozens of emails to The Star-Ledger late on Christmas Eve to comply with a Superior Court order. Among the behind-the-scenes details never disclosed, the emails showed the*Newark philanthropist Ray Chambers wanted to arrange a million-dollar donation, but a top a... more »

Illinois Democratic politicians. The real behavior disorder. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Illinois Democratic politicians. The real behavior disorder. « Fred Klonsky: Illinois Democratic politicians. The real behavior disorder. by Fred Klonsky [image: Rod Blagojevich] I am not one of those who tries to find a relationship between the horrible events at Sandy Hook and every social issue from guns to mental health. In fact, I have great concerns about the resulting fears of those with mental health issues or those with atypical behaviors like Aspergers Syndrome. However, the refusal of Democratic leaders to confront the state’s revenue crisis with a progressive graduated i... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, December 28, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Grants to provide new health center for Hiram Johnson, mobile clinic for San Juan Unified schools Education Headlines *Friday, December 28, 2012* Lake Elsinore Unified nets two more grantsThe Lake Elsinore Unified School District accepted two grants totaling more than $1.2 million at its December governing board meeting. Stanislaus County Office of Education puts $25K down on old auto repair shopThe Stanislaus County Office of Education has put in an exploratory bid for the shuttered Ray Starn Auto Body shop at 10th and E streets... more »