BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-10-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] The Big Five: A Better Way Forward for Education by dianerav Andrew Hargreaves has some ideas about how education can improve and stop demoralizing those who work in schools. First, he looks for the good that Race to the Top may have accomplished. Then he looks at other nations’ experience and finds that those who are most successful are not doing anything that looks like Race to the Top. Hargreaves published two books in 2012: *The Global Fourth Way: The Quest for Educational Excellence*, with Dennis Sh... more »
The in box. Glen Brown on defending our pensions from a legislative siege. « Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
The in box. Glen Brown on defending our pensions from a legislative siege. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Glen Brown on defending our pensions from a legislative siege. by Fred Klonsky *“[Nonetheless, there are those among us who want to abandon] “the fundamental principle that the rules of the game for contracting parties are not to be changed midstream… This is especially hard to comprehend when public employees have diligently and faithfully paid their contributions while their government employers have failed to pay their required share. Indeed, for decades, states have treated ... more »
Time in school: How does the U.S. compare?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Time in school: How does the U.S. compare?: *TIMMS and PIRLS Results: Center for Public Education Available for Interview* * * * **Contact:* Linda Embrey National School Boards Association Office: (703) 838-6737 lembey@nsba.org Researcher Jim Hull, Senior Policy Analyst at the National School Boards Association’s Center for Public Education, is available to discuss results of the international assessments TIMSS and PIRLS that are being released today. Hull has written reports on how the U.S. compares internationally on a variety of measures: - More than a horse race: A guide to... more »
Common Core for Teachers- Education Experts
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
- Education Experts: Common Core for Teachers By *Fawn Johnson* December 10, 2012 | 8:30 a.m. - - - - - 2 The American Federation of Teachers proposed a universal "bar exam" for teachers last week, arguing that the profession deserves to be associated with high standards and the rigorous training needed to meet them. "There's this one universal assessment that would be available for adaptation. ...It would be so aligned with what new teachers need to know and be able to do. Just like the Common Core, many, many states would adopt it," said AFT President Randi W... more »
» STUDY: Rigged ALEC Research “Provides a Recipe for Economic Inequality, Wage Suppression”
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
» STUDY: Rigged ALEC Research “Provides a Recipe for Economic Inequality, Wage Suppression”: STUDY: Rigged ALEC Research “Provides a Recipe for Economic Inequality, Wage Suppression” by Chaz Bolte A new study suggests that proposed American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) policies do more harm to state economies than good. *Selling Snake Oil to the States*, from Good Jobs First and the Iowa Policy Project, shows that states ranked high on ALEC’s annual “Rich States, Poor States” list actually do worse than those ranked low, especially in terms of economic inequality. Claims... more »
Op-Ed: CREDO’s Study of Charter Schools in NJ Leaves Many Unanswered Questions - East Windsor, NJ Patch
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Op-Ed: CREDO’s Study of Charter Schools in NJ Leaves Many Unanswered Questions - East Windsor, NJ Patch: Op-Ed: CREDO’s Study of Charter Schools in NJ Leaves Many Unanswered Questions Julia Sass Rubin, Ph.D., is an associate professor of public policy at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and a member of Save Our Schools NJ. - By NJ Spotlight - Email the author - 5:32 am Email Print Comment Upload Photos and Videos By Julia Sass Rubin, Ph.D. Last week, with much fanfare, a study comparing standardized test scores of New Jersey’s charter... more »
What High School Parents Should Know About Common Core - High School Notes (usnews.com)
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
What High School Parents Should Know About Common Core - High School Notes (usnews.com): *What High School Parents Should Know About Common Core* By KELSEY SHEEHY December 10, 2012 RSS Feed Print [image: The Common Core standards require high school students to collaborate to solve problems.] The Common Core standards require high school students to collaborate to solve problems. When the Common Core State Standards take full effect in 2014, they will impact more than 42 million K-12 students. While some schools and districts are holding information sessions to educate parents on th... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: WHY Can't Students Read "Catcher in the Rye" in School? Meet David Coleman.
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: WHY Can't Students Read "Catcher in the Rye" in School? Meet David Coleman.: WHY Can't Students Read "Catcher in the Rye" in School? Meet David Coleman. by stlgretchen The only item David Coleman requires now is a crown. The big news in education last week was the reduction of fiction reading in schools thanks to Common Core State standards. Many writers bemoaned the fact that *Catcher in the Rye* was being pulled from the approved list of literature by the centralized education system present in the United States. So much for local control. Under re... more »
The Education Advocates' Battle Cry: "Let's Push the Kids Off the Fiscal Cliff!" :: Frederick M. Hess
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
The Education Advocates' Battle Cry: "Let's Push the Kids Off the Fiscal Cliff!" :: Frederick M. Hess: The Education Advocates' Battle Cry: "Let's Push the Kids Off the Fiscal Cliff!" *by Frederick M. Hess • Dec 10, 2012 at 6:22 am * Look, let's keep this simple. As a nation, we're spending vast sums we don't have. In every year of President Obama's first term, we borrowed more than a $1 trillion. Today, the federal debt stands at $16.4 trillion (we spend $220 billion a year just paying interest on the debt.) If we extend the Bush tax cuts, once again prolong unfunded "patches"... more »
DeKalb parents gird for battle tonight: Redistricting redux | Get Schooled
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
DeKalb parents gird for battle tonight: Redistricting redux | Get Schooled: DeKalb parents gird for battle tonight: Redistricting redux by Maureen Downey The DeKalb Board of Education votes tonight on a *controversial draft five-year facilities plan* from Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson. *You can read the AJC story about today’s 6 p.m. meeting here*. The story quotes a parent from Midway Elementary School who was shocked that her south DeKalb school is slated to close in the plan. And the story talks about unhappy parents at Evansdale Elementary in north DeKalb whose children shift... more »
New Jersey charter schools: What’s real and not real
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
New Jersey charter schools: What’s real and not real: New Jersey charter schools: What’s real and not real Posted by Valerie Strauss on December 10, 2012 at 5:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] A new report on charter schools in New Jersey was hailed as proof that charters in the state on average produce better standardized test scores than traditional public schools. Which would be fine, if that’s what the report really said. It tur... more »
Can an SB 736 Compromise Be Found in Los Angeles? | Scathing Purple Musings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Can an SB 736 Compromise Be Found in Los Angeles? | Scathing Purple Musings: Can an SB 736 Compromise Be Found in Los Angeles? by Bob Sikes From the *Los Angeles Times*: The recent groundbreaking agreement over evaluations for educators in the Los Angeles school district is a major victory for the teachers union because it limits the use of a controversial — but increasingly widespread — measurement of teacher effectiveness. The tentative pact puts the nation’s second-largest school system at odds with a national trend to gauge the effect of teachers on student achievement by us...more »
Darling-Hammond elected new chair of Credentialing Commission | EdSource Today
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Darling-Hammond elected new chair of Credentialing Commission | EdSource Today: Darling-Hammond elected new chair of Credentialing Commission ** December 10th, 2012 | Add a Comment | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services Linda Darling-Hammond The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing has elected Linda Darling-Hammond as its chair, placing one of the nation’s foremost authorities on education in a position to shape the state’s policies affecting the recruitment and training of teachers and principals ... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky Sen. Jacqueline Collins *"I voted against restoring Tamms' funding, and I urge the governor to proceed in closing this troubled and controversial facility, transferring its inmates to other prisons and respecting their human rights through responsible correctional practices." --* Chicago Reporter Chicago teacher Michael Doyle *“I’m a teacher. I’m a parent. So I understand this game. When I hear this word utilization, I’ve never heard that word used before in education.”* -- Sun-Times Kelly Hi... more »
Daily Kos: Today is International Human Rights Day
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Daily Kos: Today is International Human Rights Day: Today is International Human Rights Day by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) because on this date in 1948, at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The history is well covered in this Wikipedia article, so I will not recapitulate it. This page at the UN website provides the text and other information, including the history and the drafters. As Americans, it is worth our remembering that the chair of the committee that did the drafting was Eleanor Roosevelt. As ... more »
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Chicago's version of 'choice'
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Chicago's version of 'choice': Chicago's version of 'choice' by Mike Klonsky Excelon CEO John Rowe, former COMED CEO Frank Clark, Senator Dick Durbin, and Senate Pres. John J. Cullerton, celebrate the grand opening of Excelon Gymnasium on the campus of Rowe-Clark charter school. A CPS-promoted school fair featuring "some of Chicago's great public school options, including charter schools," advertised almost no traditional schools -- but still found space for dozens of charter schools with the district's lowest ranking. -- Gapers Block To Rahm's... more »
LAUSD: LET'S MAKE UP THE RULES AS WE GO ALONG TARGETING TEACHERS - Perdaily.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
LAUSD: LET'S MAKE UP THE RULES AS WE GO ALONG TARGETING TEACHERS - Perdaily.com: LAUSD: LET'S MAKE UP THE RULES AS WE GO ALONG TARGETING TEACHERS by Leonard Isenberg [image: No to Bullying.jpg] (Mensaje se repite en Español) Any parent or teacher can tell you that if you fail to timely, reasonably, and proportionally discipline a child, they will continue to act in an anti-social and disruptive manner that precludes the calm environment where learning and growth can take place. By logical extension, if people become adults without have learned how to respect others and the legal s... more »
Ed Notes Online: The Worm is Turning: Ravitch with Smiley and West
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: The Worm is Turning: Ravitch with Smiley and West: The Worm is Turning: Ravitch with Smiley and West by ed notes online [image: diane-ravitch] Must listen radio where 2 leading Black commentators spend a half hour with Diane. I remember Tavis Smiley maybe a year ago praising aspects of ed deform. They talk about Chicago, Karen Lewis, the money to be made and the whitening of the teaching staff. Tavis Smiley and Cornell West Radio show: Cornell West to Diane Ravitch: “What force for good you’ve been in struggle for children of all colors” Diane: “I’m happy to be... more »
One Teacher's Perspective: Dressing Up and Dressing Down Teachers
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
One Teacher's Perspective: Dressing Up and Dressing Down Teachers: Dressing Up and Dressing Down Teachers by Imagine Wisconsin *Much ado has been made about a proposed teacher dress code for my school district as non-teacher leaders formulate a new employee handbook to replace the expiring teacher contract. A few weeks ago, school leaders unveiled a three-page draft of a proposed dress code for school employees to replace the current one-line (“wear appropriate dress”) policy. The proposed draft has been met with some push back from educators. The push back has been met with some p... more »
Keep Families Together - Moms Rising Blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
MomsRising Blog: Embracing Our American Values: A MomsRising Blog Carnival on Protecting Family Unity, Strengthening Communities and Ensuring a Thriving Economy with the Contributions of Immigrants Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner at MomsRising Blog - 1 minute ago As we commemorate today’s anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, MomsRising is pleased to launch a blog carnival to further the national dialogue on the urgent need for making our immigration system humane and workable. With the participation of over 30 voices, ranging fro... more »
Blog | Student Voice | Connecting the Leaders of Tomorrow by Giving them a Voice Today
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Blog | Student Voice | Connecting the Leaders of Tomorrow by Giving them a Voice Today: THE EDUBLOG Awards – Vote for Stuvoice.org as Best New Blog admin at Student Voice - 7 hours ago Please show your support for Student Voice by voting for us as the “Best New Blog 2012″ in the EduBlog Awards. Voting is open until 11:59 PM US Eastern Standard Time on Sunday, December the 9th! Step 1: Go to http://edublogawards.com/vote-here/ Step 2: Select “New Blog” in the drop down menu Step 3: Scroll down [...] Resolution for Youth Voices Reaches the Senate admin at Student Voice - 3 days ago O... more »
An Argument For Teacher Tenure | toteachornototeach
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
An Argument For Teacher Tenure | toteachornototeach: An Argument For Teacher Tenure by aristotlethewise *An Argument For Teacher Tenure* [image: resumejpg-6dc43b007e2ba02d] by Randy Turner In about a month the 2013 legislative session will be upon us and the attacks on teacher tenure will begin anew. One of the enduring myths propagated by the so-called reformers is that there are thousands upon thousands of bad teachers in this country who cannot be fired because they have been given tenure and their jobs are being protected at the expense of brilliant young teachers who could have ... more »
The Educated Reporter: Word on the Beat No. 3: Differentiated Instruction
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: Word on the Beat No. 3: Differentiated Instruction: Word on the Beat No. 3: Differentiated Instruction by Emily Richmond [image: a]http://plaidcircuitry.com/gt/index.html *Each week, The Educated Reporter will feature a buzzword or phrase that You Need To Know (yes, this designation is highly subjective but we're giving it a shot). Send your Word on the Beat suggestions to erichmond@ewa.org.* *Word on the Beat*: Differentiated instruction. *What it means*: Differentiated instruction is when a teacher adjusts the content, instructional process, and even the ... more »
'No-Excuses' Charters Grapple with Attrition – SchoolBook
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
'No-Excuses' Charters Grapple with Attrition – SchoolBook: * * *'No-Excuses' Charters Grapple with Attrition* [image: Students at Democracy Prep Harlem Middle School must remain silent when they transition from one classroom to the next, or they could lose points that can spent on rewards.] Beth Fertig Students at Democracy Prep Harlem Middle School must remain silent when they transition from one classroom to the next, or they could lose points that can spent on rewards. Dec. 9, 2012, 10:22 p.m. By *BETH FERTIG* At Democracy Prep Harlem Middle School, a sixth grade math teacher sta... more »
The Conversation: Diane Ravitch | Smiley & West
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
The Conversation: Diane Ravitch | Smiley & West: The Conversation: Diane Ravitch [image: diane-ravitch] Former U.S. Assistant Education Secretary Diane Ravitch tells Smiley and West why she is now a fierce opponent of privatization within public education. Diane Ravitch’s Official BlogDiane Ravitch’s Official WebsitePost a comment
What went wrong with this quiz? « JD2718
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
What went wrong with this quiz? « JD2718: What went wrong with this quiz? by jd2718 I have been doing math with kids for a while. Sixteen years paid. And more before that. Why did this system of linear equations take kids more than triple the time I anticipated? Writing good questions for the classroom, designing homework, making tests and quizzes. And when I offer a question, I expect a response. Sometimes I set up a mistake, prepared to talk about it. Sometimes I introduce a small twist, to take something that is easy for the kids, and make it challenging. I chose problems to... more »
What's the Point of Being "Smarter" Than a 5th Grader? DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: What's the Point of Being "Smarter" Than a 5th Grader?: What's the Point of Being "Smarter" Than a 5th Grader? by Lisa M I used to play the game, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?", on my Iphone. But than I realized that I really didn't have enough hours in the day to play the game, and quickly gave it up. However, I do know how it works. And if you provide me with any device that can grant me access to the Internet, than I can defiantly state that, "Yes, I am smarter than a 5th grader!" And therein lies my point. If to be smarter means that ... more »
Once again, TRS Executive Director Richard Ingram says we need sacrifice. What he doesn’t say? Teachers already have. « Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Once again, TRS Executive Director Richard Ingram says we need sacrifice. What he doesn’t say? Teachers already have. « Fred Klonsky: Once again, TRS Executive Director Richard Ingram says we need sacrifice. What he doesn’t say? Teachers already have. by Fred Klonsky Teacher Retirement System’s Richard Ingram pens a commentary in the Trib calling on sacrifice to make TRS solvent. Sacrifice by whom? He only hints at what he thinks is the answer. But by refusing to say, one must assume he is doing what all politicians do when they call for sacrifice. Sometimes they say “shared sacrif... more »
Unions and Industry Responsibility « Deborah Meier on Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Unions and Industry Responsibility « Deborah Meier on Education: Unions and Industry Responsibility by debmeier A thought. Why do we assume that teacher’s unions have a responsibility for the state of eduction? As one who is a believer in unions as a force for social good that seems like an odd question. Of course they have a responsibility! On the other hand do we hold the policemen’s union responsible for the state of crime in America? Or the mineworkers union for the problems caused by coal? Surely their voice on these matters has special interest given the work their memb... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Week of December 10-15
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Week of December 10-15: Seattle Schools Week of December 10-15 by Melissa Westbrook Very busy week. *Monday, December 10th* Curriculum & Instruction Policy Committee Meeting from 4-6 p.m. Agenda Some interesting issues but there is not enough detail to know what they are specifically going to cover. Work Session on Weighted Staffing Standards from 6-7:30 p.m. Agenda *Tuesday, December 11th * Work Session on Creative Approach Schools from 5-6:30 p.m. Agenda Special Ed Advocacy & Advisory Council Meeting from 6:30-9:00 p.m., R...more »
Short Notes: We Are Powerful Beyond Measure | The Jose Vilson
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Short Notes: We Are Powerful Beyond Measure | The Jose Vilson: Short Notes: We Are Powerful Beyond Measure by Jose Michael Jackson asks Manny Pacquiao If He’s OK A few notes: - I’ll be writing lots on the Future of Teaching blog. Here’s my first offering of the week, a congratulatory note for Dr. John Holland. [Future of Teaching] - We need you to take action. If you’re against the continuing proliferation of testing, please sign. Thank you! [AFT] - What does it mean to be an authentic leader? This also works for anyone looking for authenticity in their
Missouri Education Watchdog: The International Child Defined in 1973. Is This the Reason for the Increased Push for Universal Preschool?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: The International Child Defined in 1973. Is This the Reason for the Increased Push for Universal Preschool?: The International Child Defined in 1973. Is This the Reason for the Increased Push for Universal Preschool? by stlgretchen Preparing Kids: Creating an International Child instead of an American Citizen. Get them while they're young. I picked up the comment below from another thread. This is a good tie-in with our post from yesterday. The agenda for education is unmistakable. We just didn't pay attention before and there was no mechanism (nat... more »
How the Kochs bought Michigan lawmakers
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Teamster Nation: How the Kochs bought Michigan lawmakers: How the Kochs bought Michigan lawmakers by Teamster Power Actually, the Benedict Arnold Koch brothers aren't the only un-American billionaires to buy radical Republicans in Michigan. Ponzi scheme Amway heir Dick DeVos spent big to get himself the right to lower workers' wages by $1,500 a year. Let's be clear: Gov. Rick Snyder and the Republicans railroading the right-to-work-for-less bill through the Legislature know it's bad for workers. They know it will lower wages and increase poverty. And they know most people know th... more »
Diane in the Evening 12-9-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Texas State Board Member: Too Much Testing! by dianerav Thomas Ratliff was elected to the Texas State Board of Education in 2010. A Republican, he has emerged as one of the most eloquent and powerful voices for public education in the state. In this article, explains; Testing in Texas is out of control. But wait: here is Sandy Kress, architect of the reviled NCLB, insisting that every child in Texas has the right to be tested with super frequency. Testing is the very foundation, it seems, of the state’s economy. without it, where would Texas be? Kress is n... more »
Student loan debt driven by corporate mafia
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Student loan debt driven by corporate mafia: Student loan debt driven by corporate mafia by Danny Weil Remember when the mortgage industry and the banks touted home ownership and the “ownership society” as a ticket to the American Dream? It turned out to be a one way ticket to the American Scheme. The mafia banksters who run the student loan financialization scheme are no different. Now Obama is touting his 20/20 educational program. If you have not heard of it do not be surprised. You won’t find it on MSNBC where the Nation magazine seems to have found a home for its rising s... more »
10 Ways to Deal with a Hard Year « Cooperative Catalyst
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
10 Ways to Deal with a Hard Year « Cooperative Catalyst: 10 Ways to Deal with a Hard Year by John T. Spencer I am having a difficult year. It’s hard for me to admit that, because I don’t want to be “that teacher” who complains about the kids and who blames the administration and who acts as if the universe owes him a unicorn and a mountain of peppermint fudge. I worry that in admitting just how hard it is, it will come across as blaming the students. However, for a variety of reasons, it has been hard. I yelled at my class a few times this week. I got impatient with them often. Par... more »
The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky: The Sunday Mail. by Fred Klonsky [image: 155455_4955560814757_1556775098_n] *No snow yet. Chicago has never gone snowless this late in the season.* *An art student at Cooper Union uses the people’s mic*. Repeat this out loud and have the person next to you repeat what you said. And so on. You know the drill. *Are teachers and public schools a threat to national security?* Diane Ravitch responds to the absurd claims of Joel Klein and Condi Rice. *Phil Kadner explains* why it is the working class suburbs that will get screwed by Madigan’s pension oblig... more »
Engaging Parents In School… » This week’s #PTchat – Longer School Days
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Engaging Parents In School… » This week’s #PTchat – Longer School Days: This week’s #PTchat – Longer School Days by Larry Ferlazzo Guest Post by Joe Mazza You may have heard the news that 5 states have approved adding 300 hours to school days in an effort to close achievement gaps and re-imagine the school day. Below is a video from @CNNschools which Sam Chaltain ( @SamChaltain) talks about impacts on both sides from these changes to the school day. This week, Melissa Taylor (@MelissaWrites) from Parenting Magazine ( @Parenting) will join us to dig deeper on this topic. Melissa is an... more »
Louisiana Educator: Cyber School Waste
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Louisiana Educator: Cyber School Waste: Cyber School Waste by Michael Deshotels Pennsylvania auditors are waking up to the fact that cyber charter schools are spending millions of taxpayer dollars on advertising just to attract students to their inferior on-line courses. The auditors point out that such schools are receiving much too generous state funding. The same is true in Louisiana where our two virtual charters receive 90% of regular MFP funding. It costs much less to operate cyber schools than brick and mortar schools because the provider avoids building construction, maint... more »
Schools Matter: Reduction: No Other Truths
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Schools Matter: Reduction: No Other Truths: Reduction: No Other Truths by Storm 1. Words are provisional. Ideas, as expressed, are words and so provisional. Prometheanism fails; so does relativism. All control is illusion. 2. Still, we concretize our parochial thinking. The sand is stone to us on one side; stone is sand upon the other. 3. They are lying. Some of us are good. Some of us care about you. But some of us turn into they and vice versa. 4. One morning Josef K woke to discover someone had been telling lies about him. 5. Nationalism is a murdering identity. Som... more »
Why the List of Failed Indiana Superintendent Tony Bennett’s Financial Backers Should Be Important to Floridians | Scathing Purple Musings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Why the List of Failed Indiana Superintendent Tony Bennett’s Financial Backers Should Be Important to Floridians | Scathing Purple Musings: Why the List of Failed Indiana Superintendent Tony Bennett’s Financial Backers Should Be Important to Floridians by Bob Sikes It’s rare that an elected public servant moves to the same position as an appointed one as former Indiana Superintendent of Public Education, Tony Bennett seeks to do in Florida. Bennett’s hasty, last-minute entry as a candidate for Florida Education Commissioner didn’t allow for proper vetting by state media. But Be... more »
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Jordan High School: AFTER GENERATIONS OF FAILURE, A SCHOOL AND ITS STUDENTS HEAD FOR SUCCESS + smf’s 2¢
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Jordan High School: AFTER GENERATIONS OF FAILURE, A SCHOOL AND ITS STUDENTS HEAD FOR SUCCESS + smf’s 2¢: Jordan High School: AFTER GENERATIONS OF FAILURE, A SCHOOL AND ITS STUDENTS HEAD FOR SUCCESS + smf’s 2¢ *Jordan has made big strides in academic performance. There is more to achieve, but its progress is plain to see.* [image: clip_image001] BY SANDY BANKS, LA TIMES | HTTP://LAT.MS/TSPAH3 [image: LOS ANGELES-CA-DECEMBER 7, 2012: Students Devin Perkins, left, and Esmeralda Diaz are photographed at Jordan High School in Los Angeles o... more »
USDA to allow more meat, grains in school lunches - Yahoo! News
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
USDA to allow more meat, grains in school lunches - Yahoo! News: USDA to allow more meat, grains in school lunchesBy By MARY CLARE JALONICK | Associated Press – 18 hrs ago - [image: FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2012, file photo, side salads await the students of Eastside Elementary School in Clinton, Miss. The Agriculture Department is responding to criticism over new school lunch rules by allowing kids to eat more grains and meat in the lunchroom. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a letter to members of Congress Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, that the department will... more »
Classic literature to be dropped from high schools in favor of 'informational texts' | The Daily Caller
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Classic literature to be dropped from high schools in favor of 'informational texts' | The Daily Caller: *Classic literature to be dropped from high schools in favor of ‘informational texts* If you really want to hear about it, new educational standards now approved in 46 out of 50 states mandate that nonfiction books constitute at least 70 per cent of the texts high-school students read. As a result, The Telegraph reports, literature classics such as The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee are about to be replaced by insulation manuals and ... more »
How do reformers “see the whole elephant?” « Cooperative Catalyst
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
How do reformers “see the whole elephant?” « Cooperative Catalyst: How do reformers “see the whole elephant?” by onewheeljoe About 5 years ago, my school district brought in a reading expert. This was a *real* expert who had studied the reading process as her life’s work, some 40 years in schools and in a university laboratory setting. This expert has a list of book titles to her credit. Seeking help to design our Response To Intervention (RTI) processes for struggling readers, our district leadership contracted her to closely with teachers and instructional coaches. In her first... more »
Florida School Superintendent: SB 736 Teacher Evaluations “Inconsistent, Unfair, Unscientific” | Scathing Purple Musings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Florida School Superintendent: SB 736 Teacher Evaluations “Inconsistent, Unfair, Unscientific” | Scathing Purple Musings: Florida School Superintendent: SB 736 Teacher Evaluations “Inconsistent, Unfair, Unscientific” by Bob Sikes *So What...It's only Money* Just 8 months ago, two retiring Florida superintendents of schools warned that the of SB 736 are “unworkable and may be the tipping point” in Florida’s education accountability system. Bill Vogel (Seminole) and Ron Blocker (Orange) spoke with *Orlando Sentinel *reporter Dave Weber. Florida’s runaway school accountability syste... more »
Failed Indiana Superintendent Tony Bennett’s Plan to Degrade and Cheapen the Education Profession | Scathing Purple Musings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Failed Indiana Superintendent Tony Bennett’s Plan to Degrade and Cheapen the Education Profession | Scathing Purple Musings: Failed Indiana Superintendent Tony Bennett’s Plan to Degrade and Cheapen the Education Profession by Bob Sikes In two days, recently ousted Indiana education boss Tony Bennett will sit down for an interview with members of the state board of education at the Tampa Airport Marriott. He’ll find kindred spirits on the board as with the exception of one, all were appointed by either former governor Jeb Bush or current governor Ricks Scott. The loan exception, ... more »
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Is CREDO really part of the charter in-crowd? You bet.
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Is CREDO really part of the charter in-crowd? You bet.: Is CREDO really part of the charter in-crowd? You bet. by Mike Klonsky Chris Cerf claimed CREDO wasn't part of the charter bandwagon. He lied. The CREDO study in 2009 found that nationally only 17% of charter schools were outperforming their public counterparts. This, even though CREDO is a group connected with the right-wing, pro-charter Hoover Institute and funded by the likes of Walton and Pearson. Problem is that facts, as they say, are stubborn fellows. What followed the study was an ... more »
Response: Teaching Writing by Respecting Student Ideas - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Response: Teaching Writing by Respecting Student Ideas - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher: Response: Teaching Writing by Respecting Student Ideas By Larry Ferlazzo on December 9, 2012 10:09 PM ** *(Note: This is the fifth and final post in a series on teaching writing. You can see Part One here, Part Two here, Part Three here and Part Four here )* Katie Ciresi asked: *What advice can you give to help teachers be more effective in helping students become better writers?* This series is a companion to last year's five posts on Helping Our Students Become Bett... more »
Charter schools with failing grades still featured at quality schools fair
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Charter schools with failing grades still featured at quality schools fair: Charter schools with failing grades still featured at quality schools fairOne-third of schools featured at New Schools Expo 6.0, mostly charters, are low achievers. December 8, 2012 By: Linda Lutton (WBEZ/Linda Lutton) Teachers, principals and other staff plug charter schools at the New Schools Expo in 2010. This year, one-third of schools being featured at the expo have been rated "Performance Level 3" by the district, the lowest grade possible. A high-profile Chicago schools fair today is supposed to show ... more »
'Normalistas' fight changes in Mexican education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
'Normalistas' fight changes in Mexican education: 'Normalistas' fight changes in Mexican education David Agren, Special for USA TODAYShare 0Comments The students have demonstrated against eliminating the practice of allowing retiring teachers to sell their jobs to the highest bidder. [image: Mexico protest] (Photo: David Agren, Special for USA TODAY) STORY HIGHLIGHTS - The students have protested the teaching of English and computer skills to rural children 8:11AM EST December 9. 2012 - MORELIA, Mexico — College student Eduardo Díaz considers his participation in protests t... more »
MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-9-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Is It Possible to Drink Cereal Crumbs? by dianerav Veteran teacher Arthur Goldstein of New York City analyzes the age-old question: Is it possible to drink cereal crumbs? He offers a video demonstration and asks us to consider the meaning of this experiment: If it is possible, what are the implications for American education? If it is not, will anyone know? And who will take this idea and run with it? Mayor Bloomberg: Beware of Junk Science! by dianerav New York City’s Department of Education (meaning, Mayor ... more »
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