Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 12-22-12 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

The National Center for Fair & Open Testing | FairTest

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

The National Center for Fair & Open Testing | FairTest: The National Center for Fair & Open Testing [image: Home] The *National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) *works to end the misuses and flaws of standardized testing and to ensure that evaluation of students, teachers and schools is fair, open, valid and educationally beneficial. Learn more about us and our mission. Spotlight What a Year! Dear Friend: Thanks to your activism, 2012 has been a great year for the growing national assessment reform movement. Now, FairTest needs your continued help to* build greater moment... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-22-12 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] Secret Document Leaked: Chicago Plans to Close Nearly 100 Schools by dianerav The Chicago Tribune obtained a copy of a secret document describing the plan of Chicago Public Schools to close 95 schools, mostly in minority neighborhoods. The plan was dated September 10. This represents a dramatic elimination of public schools in Chicago. The city says it will slow down charter growth, at least this year, but there can be little doubt that the school closings will create a growing pool of displaced students ... more »

Daily Kos: Safety in schools is about more than guns

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Daily Kos: Safety in schools is about more than guns: Safety in schools is about more than guns by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) [image: SIGN the Sandy Hook Elementary School National Sympathy Card | causes.com] Given the events 8 days ago we rightly have a concern for the issue of safety in schools, and certainly I have written my share of posts on the issue of guns and schools recently. Safety is about far more than guns, however. And for this week's Saturday meditation on teaching I would like to reflect about the broader issue I tell my students when I first meet them that I... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Closing Schools: NOT a White People Thing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Jersey Jazzman: Closing Schools: NOT a White People Thing: Closing Schools: NOT a White People Thing by Duke It appears the racist, segregationist school policies we find here in Jersey aren't confined only to our state. Chicago, for example, looks to be a national leader in disenfranchising people of color: An internal Chicago Public Schools document obtained by the Tribune shows for the first time that the Emanuel administration has weighed how many elementary and high schools to close in which neighborhoods and how to manage the public fallout. Labeled a "working draft," the S... more »

Package for Dr. Jones | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Package for Dr. Jones | toteachornototeach: Package for Dr. Jones by aristotlethewise *Package for Dr. Jones [image: tumblr_maghgtN3r71qgmv4ao1_500]*The University of Chicago received this mysterious package last week with no clues as to how it arrived in the school’s mail bag. Like all good things, the mysterious journal addressed to Indiana Jones that arrived at the University of Chicago last week came from the internet – eBay to be exact. And how it found its way to the university is a tale that ought to be told with a cinema map and an animated moving read line. [image: Package1... more »

Feds deny state a No Child Left Behind waiver | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Feds deny state a No Child Left Behind waiver | EdSource Today: Feds deny state a No Child Left Behind waiver ** December 21st, 2012 | Add a Comment | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services The formal letter from Washington hasn’t arrived, but the verdict has: The federal Department of Education has turned down California’s application for a waiver from the No Child Left Behind law. [image: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson] State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson “It is d... more »

Ed Notes Online: What Were We Thinking? - Norm in The Wave

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Ed Notes Online: What Were We Thinking? - Norm in The Wave: What Were We Thinking? - Norm in The Wave by ed notes online [image: Norman Scott] Published in print edition Friday, December 21, 2012, www.rockawave.com By Norm Scott Here’s hoping everyone is recovering as best they can. I’m so glad The Wave has come through this. Seeing it out again is a clear sign we are moving towards the new normal. Monday morning, October 29, at 10:30, I posted a piece on my blog about the education evaluation negotiations and the January deadline imposed by Cuomo and how it might tie into a UFT ... more »

Weekly Address: The President and First Lady Extend a Holiday Greeting and Thank our Troops for their Service | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Weekly Address: The President and First Lady Extend a Holiday Greeting and Thank our Troops for their Service | The White House: Weekly Address: The President and First Lady Extend a Holiday Greeting and Thank our Troops for their ServiceIn this week’s address, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, and thank our brave troops and their families for their service. The President and First Lady ask the American people to visit JoiningForces.gov to find ways to honor and support our veterans and military families, and say that we... more »

Charter Schools USA Got $6 Million More Than They Should Have During Tony Bennett’s Indiana Tenure | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Charter Schools USA Got $6 Million More Than They Should Have During Tony Bennett’s Indiana Tenure | Scathing Purple Musings: Charter Schools USA Got $6 Million More Than They Should Have During Tony Bennett’s Indiana Tenure by Bob Sikes From reporter Dan Goldblatt of *Indiana Public News*: A Marion County judge has decided that the Indiana State Board of Education misappropriated several million dollars of funding to charter schools. The money was being withheld from Indianapolis Public Schools. When private companies took over four Indianapolis Public Schools to become charters... more »

Marchers take their case to SRC - Philly.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Marchers take their case to SRC - Philly.com: Marchers take their case to SRC [image: About 100 protesters found themselves temporarily locked out of the School District building after marching from City Hall. (CHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer)]*About 100 protesters found themselves temporarily locked out of the School District… (CHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer )* A shouting and chanting crowd of hundreds told officials Thursday night exactly what they thought of a Philadelphia School District plan to close 37 schools and change grades and shut programs at dozens more. "SOS! Sav... more »

Parents get CPS to put plans for military school in my neighborhood back on the shelf. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Parents get CPS to put plans for military school in my neighborhood back on the shelf. « Fred Klonsky: Parents get CPS to put plans for military school in my neighborhood back on the shelf. by Fred Klonsky [image: image640x480] Last week I posted the story of Ames Middle School and the community’s fight to keep it as a neighborhood school. Local political boss Alderman Roberto Maldonado wanted to turn it into a military school. Ames was created 15 years ago as a result of community pressure to relieve over-crowding in other Logan Square schools. And while the numbers of students a... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs 12-22-12 | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center 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. The Year in Research on Market-Based Education Reform: 2012 Edition Best of the Ed Blogs Matthew Di Carlo De... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 12-22-12

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* SEN. BOXER PROPOSES DEPLOYING NATIONAL GUARD AT SCHOOLS smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 22 hours ago By Richard Simon, LA Times | http://lat.ms/Tc1AMQ Sen. Barbara Boxer presents legislation to strengthen school safety on Capitol Hill. (Michael Reynolds / EPA / December 19, 2012) December 19, 2012, 10:23 a.m. :: WASHINGTON — Federal funds would be made available to deploy National Guard troops at schools under legislation introduced Wednesday by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-C... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 12-22-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 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 - 16 hours 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 student... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 12-21-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* California still awash in guns despite pioneering gun regulations - by Louis Freedberg by Louis Freedberg Despite being ranked ahead of every other state on gun controls, California still faces enormous challenges in how to reduce gun violence as a result of the millions of weapons already in circulation in the state and the complexity of laws intended to regulate them. These are the stark figures: Since 1991, close to 9 million guns were sold legally in California alone. Only about 1 percent of... On Guns, America Stands Out by rss... more »

Daily Kos: Already a school with teachers with guns

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Daily Kos: Already a school with teachers with guns: Already a school with teachers with guns by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) in Harrold TX, as reported in this piece from the National School Board Association, there are already teachers and other employees concealed carrying at the community's sole school. The rationalization is as follows: According to the Associated Press (AP) as reported in the Times-Picayune, in the community’s lone school in Harrold, Texas, some of the teachers are carrying concealed weapons. In remote Harrold, the nearest sheriff’s office is 30 minutes... more »

Mother Crusader: Stand Your PLAYGROUND? HELL NO! Keep The NRA AWAY From Our Kids!!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Mother Crusader: Stand Your PLAYGROUND? HELL NO! Keep The NRA AWAY From Our Kids!! Stand Your PLAYGROUND? HELL NO! Keep The NRA AWAY From Our Kids!! by darciecima I haven't commented on the heartbreaking events in Newtown because I have been, well, heartbroken. I have twin six year olds, the same grade as the beautiful babies that were killed, and I haven't been able to so much as think about this without bawling. Writing about it has simply been out of the question. But yesterday, in the car line waiting to pick up my girls from school - where an armed police officer has been ... more »

Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting Agenda January 9 and 10, 2013 - CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Agenda January 9 and 10, 2013 - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education): Agenda January 9 and 10, 2013Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting agenda. ------------------------------ Advisory Commission on Special Education Members Kristin Wright, Chair Diane Fazzi, Vice Chair Feda Almaliti Janice Brown Maureen Burness Kenneth Denman Morena de Grimaldi Betty Karnette Tomislav Peraic Gina Plate Naomi Rainey Mariano Sanz Barbara Schulman Jaclyn Vincent Student Members Matthew Stacy Timothy Higgins Legislative Members Carol Liu, Senate Joan Buchanan, Assembly Sta... more »

Los Angeles nonprofit receives $30 million from U.S. Department of Education - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Los Angeles nonprofit receives $30 million from U.S. Department of Education - latimes.com: Los Angeles nonprofit receives $30 million from U.S. Department of Education A Los Angeles-area nonprofit that provides education services to low-income families and poverty-stricken communities received a $30-million grant from the U.S. Department of Education on Friday. The Youth Policy Institute is one of seven agencies in the nation to be awarded a Promise Neighborhood grant, implemented in 2010 by President Obama, and will receive $6 million every year for five years. The grant will b... more »

Daily Kos: On the issue of arming people in schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Daily Kos: On the issue of arming people in schools: On the issue of arming people in schools by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) *crossposted from Blue Virginia* [image: BUSHMASTER AR-15] I oppose putting more guns into schools A policeman with a sidearm will be no match for someone with the AR-15 Bushmaster shown above. I do not want to turn our schools into armed camps. I wrote a version of this as a comment in an on-line discussion about Terry McAuliffe's proposal to place armed policemen in every school in the Commonwealth. Since then we have had a parallel proposal from Wayne La... more »

Michelle Obama’s advice on talking to young people about Newtown

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Michelle Obama’s advice on talking to young people about Newtown: Michelle Obama’s advice on talking to young people about Newtown Posted by Valerie Strauss on December 21, 2012 at 4:45 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Here is an open letter released today from First Lady Michelle Obama with ideas for teachers and parents on discussing the tragedy in Newtown with children and young people. Dear parents, Like every American, Barack and I are absolutely heartbroken about the unspeakable traged... more »

The NRA, Newtown, and Columbine « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

The NRA, Newtown, and Columbine « Student Activism: The NRA, Newtown, and Columbine by Angus Johnston Today’s press conference by NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre has been greeted with a storm of derision and outrage from across the political spectrum. Even moderates and conservatives were appalled — New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s comment that the speech reflected a “paranoid, dystopian vision” of America was distinctive more for its phrasing than its sentiment. One of the most ridiculed elements of LaPierre’s appearance was his call for a national volunteer force of armed guar... more »

Moulding Young Minds through the militarization of education: US Public Schools Preaching the Virtues of War On Iran

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Moulding Young Minds through the militarization of education: US Public Schools Preaching the Virtues of War On Iran: Moulding Young Minds through the militarization of education: US Public Schools Preaching the Virtues of War On Iran by Danny Weil Moulding Young Minds: US Public Schools Preaching the Virtues of War On Iran Patrick Henningsen 21st Century Wire Dec 18, 2012 What exactly are we teaching your children? I remember my history lessons in school. Among many things, I can recall Normandy, Patton’s march through France and the Battle of the Bulge, Korea, Vietnam and how ab... more »

School Tech Connect: Labor Ruling On Chicago Gulen School

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Labor Ruling On Chicago Gulen School: Labor Ruling On Chicago Gulen School by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) NLRB just ruled on the Chicago Math and Science Academy--- the Gulen charter in Rogers Park that doesn't want to be subject to the IELRB. In other words, they want to be a private employer, even though they're a public school. It's a complex ruling, and I've posted it below, but I think the union won.. You read it and tell me if I'm wrong. I have to get to a train.

Jersey Jazzman: Campbell Brown: Queen of the Pearl Clutchers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Campbell Brown: Queen of the Pearl Clutchers: Campbell Brown: Queen of the Pearl Clutchers by Duke The Reformy Ladies Sewing Circle and Pearl Clutching Society is apparently auditioning new members. Who better to join than the queen of teachers union bashers, Campbell Brown? For example, the unions’ newest patron saint, education writer Diane Ravitch, wrote a post titled “The Hero Teachers of Newtown.” Just three days after the shooting, *Ravitch described the teachers’ bravery not in individual terms*, but by linking it to their union membership. *The implicatio... more »

An Urgent Message from Teaching Tolerance

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

An Urgent Message from Teaching Tolerance: An Urgent Message from Teaching Tolerance by Server December 16, 2012 Dear Friend of Teaching Tolerance, When the news about the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School broke on Friday, we quickly issued someadvice for teachers heading back to school on Monday. Sadly, we had that advice ready. In the wake of last summer’s shootings at the movie theater in Aurora, Colo. and at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wis., we had decided to write a magazine article exploring ways teachers could help students cope in the aftermath of violence. We kne... more »

Arm Teachers? « My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Arm Teachers? « My Island View: Arm Teachers? by tomwhitby I hate the fact that this country has been thrown into this discussion the way that it has. The events leading to this discussion were costly and horrific. As I have stated before we need to discuss the facts and not propaganda or demagogy. We should also examine the facts without emotion which, in light of events and the victims, seems an impossible task. Educators have now been thrust into the discussion as a result of so many schools being victimized. There is also a consideration by some to arm teachers. In a recent ... more »

NYC Educator: Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

NYC Educator: Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!: Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy! by NYC Educator I opened my DOE email today to see the message below. You can imagine how thrilled I must have been. It's very gratifying to know that I'm among the few, the proud, the elite, selected by my principal to grade the papers of abject strangers. It will be really exciting for me to contribute to the grades of kids I've never met, and likely never will. Oddly, this message, though full of praise, neglects to mention the real reason I'm being shipped off to Bayside High School---I cannot be trusted to grade... more »

Current US Public Education Kills Creativity Video Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: *Current US Public Education Kills Creativity Video* * The Business Model of Public Education has no use for youthful creativity since it pursuesmore and more profits to help the 1% maintain and increase their wealth as they maintain the US masses' pursuit of ignoramousness... becoming real life "Dumb and Dumber" characters that do the gruntwork and bidding of the rich and superrich.* Popout

Common Core’s One Goal: To Create Common People | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Common Core’s One Goal: To Create Common People | Truth in American Education: Common Core’s One Goal: To Create Common People by Shane Vander Hart This is from a teacher in Indiana, Kris Nielsen, who was an avid supporter of the Common Core State Standards, he did a presentation on the Common Core for parents to ease their concerns. Now he apologizes for that and says they should be concerned: First, I want to offer you my apologies. It wasn’t long after my presentation that I had a crushing realization that the entire thing (minus the hands-on stuff) was completely misguided... more »

Karen Lewis Keeps the Haters at Bay - The ITT List

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Karen Lewis Keeps the Haters at Bay - The ITT List: Karen Lewis Keeps the Haters at BayBY SARAH COBARRUBIAS CTU president Karen Lewis chimed in to chide TFA vice president David Rosenberg for his Twitter attack against education historian Diane Ravitch. (Chicago Teachers Union / Flickr / Creative Commons.) On Monday, education historian Diane Ravitch posted some thoughts on her blog concerning the heroism of the teachers of Sandy Hook Elementary, noting that they were unionized. Some, such as David Rosenberg, vice president of Teach for America, were incensed by the piece, but Chica... more »

Who is leading us over what cliff? « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Who is leading us over what cliff? « Deborah Meier on Education: Who is leading us over what cliff? by debmeier Ask any true blue/red revolutionary–left or right–and they’ll tell you that the trick is to act fast and furiously when you have a chance (there may be a short window before the opposition recoups). That mens moving fast on changes that are hard to undo. Who would of dreamed, even a decade ago, that so many public schools could be closed and so many charters could be fitted into existing public buildings, and that the contracts signed between teachers and management cou... more »

Ed Notes Online: Same Old PEP Except When PS 138 Principal Gives Tweed and Eva Tongue-Lashing Over Co-loco

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Same Old PEP Except When PS 138 Principal Gives Tweed and Eva Tongue-Lashing Over Co-loco: Same Old PEP Except When PS 138 Principal Gives Tweed and Eva Tongue-Lashing Over Co-loco by ed notes online *"Now you want to take my school and say Success Academy will give them choice when the choice is PS 138 ... I am a choice too."* There wasn't much different at the PEP yesterday other than a somewhat rare event -- the outrage of the principal of a school *(PS 138) *that has a good rep but us in an increasingly gentrifying zone and thus became a target for an Eva inv... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Hey Wayne - You are Disingenious, Wrong and an Idiot

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Hey Wayne - You are Disingenious, Wrong and an Idiot: Hey Wayne - You are Disingenious, Wrong and an Idiot by Melissa Westbrook I rarely call people names here. Not useful and there are better ways to say you disagree with people in their professional lives. But head of NRA, Wayne LaPierre - an idiot. Here's what he is saying in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shootings: - *"How can we possibly even guess how many, given our nation's refusal to create an active national database of the mentally ill?"* Wayne, your group d... more »

Obama calls Idaho teacher's cellphone, asks her to help with math goals | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Obama calls Idaho teacher's cellphone, asks her to help with math goals | OregonLive.com: Obama calls Idaho teacher's cellphone, asks her to help with math goals by The Associated Press IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — President Barack Obama has asked a high school math teacher in eastern Idaho to help with the math segment of the new national Common Core education standards. Skyline High School instructor Julie Nawrocki tells the Post Register that she at first didn't recognize the president's voice when he called her Wednesday on her cellphone to make the request. Nawrocki will head to Park... more »

Diane in the Evening 12-21-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: The Baltimore Sun Joins the Honor Roll by dianerav So many news media have thoughtlessly or knowingly jumped on the bandwagon of corporate reform that it comes as a shock to encounter one saying simple truths. Te *Baltimore Sun* wrote, in response to the massacre of innocent children and educators in Newtown, that it’s time to stop the vilification of our nation’s teachers and principals. Today the *Sun* joins our honor roll of Merican education for writing in support of our nation’s educators in this time of sadness. They wrote (read the link for the ful... more »

Two Head Start reports find problems and some hope | HechingerEd Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Two Head Start reports find problems and some hope | HechingerEd Blog: Two Head Start reports find problems and some hope The benefits children reap from Head Start, the preschool program for low-income families, disappear almost completely by third grade. While social support for children in the program is high, academic supports are low. Nearly all of children in the program live near the poverty line, more than half do not live with their fathers, and a third have a parent who is unemployed. These are the findings from two separate reports released Friday by the Administration f... more »

Wait, What? They took that money too? - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Wait, What? They took that money too? - Wait, What?: Wait, What? They took that money too? by jonpelto It was created in 2007 as a way to fund education technology programs in Connecticut public schools and help develop public oriented local and state cable programming. Its short-form name was the State Account for Community Access and Educational Technology. In fact, its official title was the *“public, educational and governmental programming and education technology investment account*.” The account and its programs are funded by one of the taxes on your cable bill, and each ... more »

Playing Politics in Woodbridge « PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Playing Politics in Woodbridge « PWC Education Reform Blog: Playing Politics in Woodbridge by pwceducationreform As most of the you know, Denita Ramirez, who long served the residents of Woodbridge on the PWC School Board, resigned from the school board in November. Shortly after she announced her resignation PWCS issued a press release stating that the election to replace Denita would be sometime in the Spring of 2013. This struck me and several others as odd, so I contacted Mr James Fagan, the school division counsel, to understand why the election would be in the Spring and ... more »

UPDATE: Illinois pensions. Alice Through the Looking Glass. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Illinois pensions. Alice Through the Looking Glass. « Fred Klonsky: Illinois pensions. Alice Through the Looking Glass. by Fred Klonsky [image: alice2] I listened to Representative Kelly Cassidy on the Live from the Heartland radio show last Saturday morning (WLUW 88.76FM). While I have no doubt that Cassidy considers herself a progressive Democrat and demonstrates that by her support for many progressive issues, she is simply on the wrong side of the pension issue. And what is truly weird about it is how self-proclaimed progressive Democrats in Illinois act as mirror opposites The... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, December 21, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Friday, December 21, 2012* State dings Coast Unified School District over plan for English learnersThe California Department of Education has upheld a parent’s claim that the Coast Unified School District hasn’t met all the legal requirements for providing a framework in which parents of English learner students can meet and confer. Parents seek charter school in Orange UnifiedThe Orange Unified School District's Board of Education will hear the case for a new charter school next month from a group of parent... more »

SI&A Cabinet Report – Ed Secretary Duncan proposes new accountability rules on grant money

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *Ed Secretary Duncan proposes new accountability rules on grant money* *By Tom Chorneau* Friday, December 21, 2012 In an effort to tighten up performance benchmarks that schools, districts and states may have to reach in exchange for federal funds, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has proposed a new rule that would increase accountability while also giving grant recipients some new flexibility in meeting the mandates. The proposed rule, released this week for a 28-day public comment period, would be included in Part 75 of the Education ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Lisa Donlan Comments on Tweed Inability to Manage Schools: Is it Centralized Mayoral Control?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Ed Notes Online: Lisa Donlan Comments on Tweed Inability to Manage Schools: Is it Centralized Mayoral Control?: Lisa Donlan Comments on Tweed Inability to Manage Schools: Is it Centralized Mayoral Control? by ed notes online *No checks, no balances, no levers of power except for the mayor, his chancellor and the principals. The next Mayor had better tread carefully- the public school system is land mined w/ a dozen years of structural changes contradictory and uneven bad policy, and even worse implementation. --- Parent activist Lisa Donlan* Leonie posted this link: UFT calls of... more »

Will a Florida Superintendent of Schools Stand Up Against Testing? | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Will a Florida Superintendent of Schools Stand Up Against Testing? | Scathing Purple Musings: Will a Florida Superintendent of Schools Stand Up Against Testing? by Bob Sikes Ann Doss Helms reports in the *Charlotte Observer*: The barrage of new state tests being rolled out this year is “an egregious waste of taxpayer dollars” that won’t help kids, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Superintendent Heath Morrison said Thursday. He joins a band of superintendents across the country fighting the push to use student testing to rate teachers and schools. Earlier this month, the superintendent in Mo... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day 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. The Year in Research on Market-Based Education Reform: 2012 Edition Best of the Ed Blogs Matthew Di Carlo December 21, 2012 Race to the Top Results are In: 16 Winner... more »

Sandy Hook Sympathy Card

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Sandy Hook Sympathy Card: [image: SIGN the Sandy Hook Elementary School National Sympathy Card | causes.com] SIGN THE SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NATIONAL SYMPATHY CARD (click picture)

Winter Solstice 2012: Myths and facts about the shortest day of the year - Capital Weather Gang - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Winter Solstice 2012: Myths and facts about the shortest day of the year - Capital Weather Gang - The Washington Post: Winter Solstice 2012: Myths and facts about the shortest day of the year By Justin Grieser Sunrise and sunset times in major world cities on the winter solstice. Locations in the Northern Hemisphere see their shortest daylight period of the year. Click here to explore sunrise and sunset times in other cities. (Justin Grieser) The world won’t end on December 21, but the 2012 winter solstice is still on the astronomical calendar. On *Friday at 6:12 a.m. (EST)*, Earth... more »

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-22-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-15-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-8-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-1-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-24-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-17-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-10-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-3-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-27-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-20-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-13-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-6-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 12-22-12 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2