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Thursday, December 6, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 12-6-12 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS



WHAT PART OF “COMPROMISE” DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND ? « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago
WHAT PART OF “COMPROMISE” DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND ? « Teachers Fight Back: WHAT PART OF “COMPROMISE” DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND ? by alkleen Just saw an opinion column by an Illinois retired teacher who was offering suggestions for a “pension compromise”. In the column the teacher wrote about a higher retirement age, a lower cost of living adjustment, an increased contribution and a few other suggestions. None of the other suggestions had anything to do with the General Assembly raising money to replace what was taken from the Teachers’ Pension over the years. I’ve seen proposals from ot... more »

Schools Matter: Paul Toner: From TURNcoat to Collaborator

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 38 minutes ago
Schools Matter: Paul Toner: From TURNcoat to Collaborator: Paul Toner: From TURNcoat to Collaborator by Jim Horn collaborate: To cooperate treasonably, as with an enemy occupation force in one's country. Since it became widely known (here, here, and here) that he was a kingpin in the Eli Broad-sponsored Teachers Union Reform Network (TURN), Paul Toner has pivoted and become the chief collaborator with the other wing of the corporate party, this one sponsored by Bill Gates. Toner recently had a piece at a WBUR's site recently advising President Obama to keep on doing what he is ... more »

Gates Foundation and carrion fly into Hartford as part of public education privatization effort - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 55 minutes ago
Gates Foundation and carrion fly into Hartford as part of public education privatization effort - Wait, What?: Gates Foundation and carrion fly into Hartford as part of public education privatization effort by jonpelto The Hartford Business Journal headline read, “$5M for Hartford schools,” while the Hartford Courant claimed, “Hartford Schools To Receive $5 Million From Gates Foundation.” A reasonable person might actually think that Hartford’s schools were getting $5 million. But actually, only about $1.5 million in going to the Hartford Public Schools System! Most of the rest is... more »

Superintendents united: Public education is at a crossroads | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Superintendents united: Public education is at a crossroads | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com: Superintendents united: Public education is at a crossroads [image: SOS Save Our Schools] Education in Michigan is at a crossroads. What’s next? Will we continue to be a public system with the focus on student achievement or will public education become another corporate endeavor focused on profit? They are promoting an ideology based on vouchers, charters, privatization and standardized testing. The bills proposed in this lame-duck legislature are dramatic. It’s ironic t... more »

Restructuring California's Adult Education System

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Restructuring California's Adult Education System: Restructuring California's Adult Education System December 5, 2012 PDF HTML Video [image: Share/Bookmark] A century and a half after the founding of adult education in the state, we find that the system faces a number of major problems and challenges, including: (1) an overly broad mission; (2) lack of clear delineations between adult education and collegiate coursework at community colleges; (3) inconsistent and conflicting state-level policies; (4) widespread lack of coordination among providers; and (5) limited student data, ... more »

Modern School: Bill to Undermine Teacher Due Process Revived in California State Legislature

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Modern School: Bill to Undermine Teacher Due Process Revived in California State Legislature: Bill to Undermine Teacher Due Process Revived in California State Legislature by Michael Dunn California state senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) has reintroduced legislation that is supposed to speed up the dismissal of teachers for gross misconduct, the Los Angeles Timesreported this week. The new legislation, SB 10, will be very similar to a failed bill advanced last year by Padilla. The text of the bill was not available as of Monday. In the wake of LAUSD’s sex abuse scandal (see here,... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: "The Morality Test" and PPRA. Question: Is it Moral for a School to Circumvent Federal Regulations?: "The Morality Test" and PPRA. Question: Is it Moral for a School to Circumvent Federal Regulations? by stlgretchen And should parents have knowledge of their student's required participation in research about morals? * * I received a call from an Illinois parent regarding a test her 16 year child was required to take in a Language Arts class. It was entitled "The Morality Test" and can be found online. The student did not want to take the test as the... more »

At MomsRising, here's what we know: MomsRising Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
MomsRising Blog: [image: Banner Blue Background] A Farmer Navigates Heated Moms’ Meetings About School Lunches Arwen Donahue at MomsRising Blog - 4 minutes ago As a small-scale organic farmer who believes in the grass-roots power of the local food movement, I find Michelle Obama’s food activism inspiring. When I heard about her reforms to public school lunches, of course I thought it was a step in the right direction. Just a step, mind you: ultimately, I’d like to see [...] Building A Kitchen, Building Community Leon Johnson at MomsRising Blog - 4 minutes ago As a child the primary l... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
An Open Letter to Superintendent Randy Dorn Regarding Initiative 1240 | Seattle Education: An Open Letter to Superintendent Randy Dorn Regarding Initiative 1240 Posted on December 6, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment [image: PAA] Dec. 5, 2012 To Superintendent Dorn: Parents Across America of Washington State, the local chapters of the national organization dedicated to the preservation of public education, has concluded that Initiative 1240 is in violation of the Washington State Constitution on multiple counts. We therefore urge the Office of Superintendent of Public Ins... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Charlie Crist Renounces His Support for Vouchers by dianerav Charlie Crist, former governor of Florida, switched from Republican to independent to Democrat. It is rumored that he may run for governor as a Democrat. In an interview recently, he said he was wrong for supporting vouchers. Angry conservatives don’t like Indiana: “One Last Stab at Teachers” by dianerav Karen Francisco is an outstanding writer for the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette in Indiana. For her fearless coverage of the right-wing attack on pub... more »

Education Research Report: Charter Schools Under-Enroll Students With Special Needs, New Review Finds

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Education Research Report: Charter Schools Under-Enroll Students With Special Needs, New Review Finds: Charter Schools Under-Enroll Students With Special Needs, New Review Finds by Jonathan Kantrowitz [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Several recent reports, including one from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, have found that charter schools generally under-enroll special education students when compared to conventional public schools. A new report from the Center on Reinventing Public Education, however, asserts that charter schools’ special edu... more »

Ed Notes Online: My Speech at UFT Exec Bd Urging They Take a Dive Off Edu Cliff and Not Succumb to Cuomo Blackmail - And I Get Sick From the Food as a Reward

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: My Speech at UFT Exec Bd Urging They Take a Dive Off Edu Cliff and Not Succumb to Cuomo Blackmail - And I Get Sick From the Food as a Reward: My Speech at UFT Exec Bd Urging They Take a Dive Off Edu Cliff and Not Succumb to Cuomo Blackmail - And I Get Sick From the Food as a Reward by ed notes online OK. I plead guilty to breaking my own rule -- avoiding UFT Ex bd meetings. But since MORE had a meeting in the neighborhood beforehand on Monday night, I figured I might as well head over for the free dinner. And then I thought I might as well call up and ask for a few... more »

Many math students are flailing, repeating courses without success | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Many math students are flailing, repeating courses without success | EdSource Today: Many math students are flailing, repeating courses without success - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald A big reason California students are pushed to take higher math in high school is to see that they satisfy the admission requirements to a state four-year university. And yet 68 percent of students who haven’t passed one of the required courses, Algebra II, by the end of 11th grade don’t even enroll in math as seniors, giving up on the possibility of applying to a UC or CSU school. That ... more »

SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: WalMart Schools and Kevin Johnson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: WalMart Schools and Kevin Johnson: WalMart Schools and Kevin Johnson by Duane Campbell *WalMart schools in Sacramento* A fine by the California Fair Political Practices Committee (FFPC) against Mayor Kevin Johnson revealed that the Mayor has received $500,000 dollars from the Walton Family – the owners of WalMart- for his advocacy through the organization StandUP. The money did not go to the public schools but to advocacy for specific positions. Mayor Johnson has a number of well known positions on “school reform” starting with his initial role ... more »

Parents groups, NAACP to file ethics complaint over school district consultant - Philly.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Parents groups, NAACP to file ethics complaint over school district consultant - Philly.com: Parents groups, NAACP to file ethics complaint over school district consultant December 05, 2012|By Kristen A. Graham and Jeff Gammage, Inquirer Staff Writers Members of two parent groups and the city's NAACP chapter plan to file a city ethics complaint Wednesday alleging that William Penn Foundation-funded work that a consulting firm did for the Philadelphia School District this year constituted lobbying. For several months, the Boston Consulting Group studied the district's operations. ... more »

Why I Hate School But Love Education | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Why I Hate School But Love Education | toteachornototeach: Why I Hate School But Love Education by aristotlethewise *‘Why I Hate School But Love Education’ Viral Video* *Points To Stupid In America And All The Wrong Questions * [image: 53763__20121203__sulibreaks_loveschool_hateeducation] by Emmeline Zhao English rapper-poet Suli Breaks is out with a video that’s taking the Internet by storm, and young people are loving it. “Why I Hate School But Love Education” has received nearly half a million views since it was posted to YouTube

FDOE Pulls Back SB736 Teacher Data Marking Third Flawed Data Roll Out This Year | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
FDOE Pulls Back SB736 Teacher Data Marking Third Flawed Data Roll Out This Year | Scathing Purple Musings: FDOE Pulls Back SB736 Teacher Data Marking Third Flawed Data Roll Out This Year by Bob Sikes It was there. Then it was gone. Writes Joey Flechas in the *Gainesville Sun* : The Florida Department of Education released statewide data on the new teacher evaluations Wednesday only to pull it back in the afternoon. After officials in Hillsborough County reported problems with the numbers, which contained duplicate records, the DOE took the report off its website to review the rec... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: un·der·uti·lize

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: un·der·uti·lize: un·der·uti·lize by Mike Klonsky *Underutilize* is one of those fabricated words, like *fiscal cliff,* that politicians grab onto when they want to do nasty things to us. According to Mirriam-Webster, the first known use of the term took place in 1951. The dictionary doesn't say where or why the term was used was first used, but I suspect it had to do with somebody taking something away from somebody because they didn't think they were using it enough. 1951Let's see, 1951 -- OK in 1951 U.S. nuclear scientists set off the world's first... more »

Jersey Jazzman: StudentsFirst: Wrong About Newark AND Chicago!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: StudentsFirst: Wrong About Newark AND Chicago!: StudentsFirst: Wrong About Newark AND Chicago! by Duke I knew this would happen: the corporate reformers finally got a union to give in on merit pay bonuses, and now they want to shove them down everyone else's throat: Teachers in Newark just OK’d one of the nation’s most progressive collective-bargaining agreements. It rewards great teaching and treats educators as true professionals, whose effectiveness in the classroom makes a big difference in the futures of their students. It’s the first contract in New Jersey t... more »

Mother Crusader: One Million LIES...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Mother Crusader: One Million LIES...: One Million LIES... by darciecima Headlines were generated nationwide last week when Greg Richmond, President and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) and New Jersey's own Commissioner Cerf teamed up at a press conference in DC to announce the "One Million Lives" campaign. The happy coupleWhat is the One Million Lives Campaign you ask? That is a damn good question. Most of the headlines about the roll out of the campaign seemed to focus on a promise to close underperforming charters. For example, Joy Resmo... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Hiring Mercenaries to Police Schools Teaches Compliance

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Hiring Mercenaries to Police Schools Teaches Compliance: Hiring Mercenaries to Police Schools Teaches Compliance by Duke *Just another study group, learning what it means to be an American...* Because when you use a bunch of armed mercenaries to police public high schools, what could possibly go wrong? At 9 a.m. on the morning of October 31, 2012, students at Vista Grande High School in Casa Grande were settling in to their daily routine when something unusual occurred. Vista Grande High School Principal Tim Hamilton ordered the school -- with a student population ... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Florida VAM – The Scarlett Equation … Our Symbol of Shame. « Continuing Change: Florida VAM – The Scarlett Equation … Our Symbol of Shame. by gatorbonbc Back in the old days, we just wore a ‘Scarlett A’. Nowadays, they are more transformative. We wear a whole equation. After nearly 25 years of teaching in the state of Florida, here is the Value Added Model equation that, as determined by Florida’s Race to the Top, will determine my contract. y¬_ti=X_i β+∑_(r=1)^L▒〖y_(t-r,i) γ_(t-r) 〗+∑_(q=1)^Q▒〖Z_qi θ_q 〗+e_i Florida VAM – Our Symbol of Shame.[image: Image]. Happy Holidays, eh?

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 12-5-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Parents Opposed to Citizens of the World Charter: Hundreds, Parents in Favor: 4 by ed notes online *The NY State Dept. would allow the Hitler Youth Charter to breeze through and not only would they authorize the Ku Klux Klan Charter School for Racial Harmony but they would wash the sheets. -- Norm at charter hearing* I actually made it to the Hearing on the proposed co-location of Citizens of the World Charter School in JHS 126 tonight and it was great seeing so many old pals from District 14 where I spent my entire career. Citize... more »

Discomfort is the Starting Point, Not the End Goal When It Comes To Race [Edutopia] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Discomfort is the Starting Point, Not the End Goal When It Comes To Race [Edutopia] | The Jose Vilson: Discomfort is the Starting Point, Not the End Goal When It Comes To Race [Edutopia] by Jose Tim Howard, Goalkeeper An excerpt from my widely-distributed Edutopia article on race: 1. Discomfort is the Starting Point, Not the End GoalDiscussions about big ideas like race, religion and politics necessitate some discomfort. By discomfort, I mean that people who participate in the discussion have a degree of soul-searching and reassessment about their own perceptions and biases. For ... more »

“All Over the Map: 10 Ways to Teach About Geography” | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
“All Over the Map: 10 Ways to Teach About Geography” | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: “All Over the Map: 10 Ways to Teach About Geography” Larry Ferlazzo at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... - 36 minutes ago The New York Times Learning Network has published an excellent post called All Over the Map: 10 Ways to Teach About Geography. I’m adding it to The Best Websites For Learning & Teaching Geography. The Best Year-End Collections Of Images — 2012 Larry Ferlazzo at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... - 52 minutes ago I’m beginning my annual “The Best…” list highlig...more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Half of Michigan’s African Americans Lose Self-Government by dianerav Eclectablog daily digest UPDATED: Are over half of Mich African Americans about to be under the control of an Emergency Financial Mgr UPDATED: Are over half of Mich African Americans about to be under the control of an Emergency Financial Mgr? Posted: 05 Dec 2012 11:23 AM PST Look out, Detroit! It’s coming right for ya! The Detroit Free Press is reporting this afternoon that an Emergency Financial Manager is being called *LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-5-12 Diane Ravitch's blog* coopmike48... more »

Schools Matter: Tale of Two Schools' Statistical Tricks

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Schools Matter: Tale of Two Schools' Statistical Tricks: Tale of Two Schools' Statistical Tricks by John Thompson NPR’s Scott Simon interviewed Brad Wolverton who asks the perennial question for college athletes who are struggling in class, “Need three credits to play ball?” "Call Western Oklahoma" describes the online learning program at this isolated college. Before his expose, athletes across the nation would get themselves into academic trouble and say, “'Oh, I'm going to go take a Western Oklahoma.'" As a result of Wolverton’s article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, th... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
The in box. Glen Brown’s latest on HB 6258. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Glen Brown’s latest on HB 6258. by Fred Klonsky From Glen Brown’s blog: House Bill 6258 Reforms for Tier 1 Members (public employees hired before 2011) · Cost-of-living adjustments apply only to the first $25,000 of the employees’ pension · That limit is reduced to the first $20,000 for employees eligible for Social Security · COLAs are delayed until the employee turns 67 or five years after retirement, whichever comes first · *This applies to all employees and retirees who are cu... more »

NYC Educator: Where Are We Heading?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
NYC Educator: Where Are We Heading?: Where Are We Heading? by NYC Educator It’s a tough year to be a teacher. People have little faith in us. I know this because this year we’ll no longer be able to grade Regents exams our students take. Apparently, because *know* the kids and *want*them to pass, we can’t be trusted to grade them fairly. That is *bias*. Better to ship the tests off to total strangers who’ve never seen or met them. Clearly they can better judge and interpret their work than those of us who see it every day of our lives. Maybe we should take this to the next stage an... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s husband, Sacramento mayor, fined for ethics violations involving education initiatives

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s husband, Sacramento mayor, fined for ethics violations involving education initiatives: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s husband, Sacramento mayor, fined for ethics violations involving education initiatives Posted by Valerie Strauss on December 5, 2012 at 3:45 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » (Matthew Staver/Bloomberg via Getty ) Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, husband of school reform leader Michelle Rhee, has agreed to to pay a fine of $37,500 for fa... more »

Ed Notes Online: Hearing on the proposed co-location of Citizens of the World Charter School in JHS 126

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Hearing on the proposed co-location of Citizens of the World Charter School in JHS 126: Hearing on the proposed co-location of Citizens of the World Charter School in JHS 126 by ed notes online I'm trying to make this tonight to tape. This is Eva's husband's school. Below is a good report on the Gates charter scam from Leonie. *Hearing on the proposed co-location of Citizens of the World Charter School in JHS 126* *Wednesday, December 5, 2012 6pm - 8pm (5:30 to sign up to speak) * *JHS 126 • 424 Leonard Street• (across from McCarren Park pool)* Join US Congres... more »

Teacher Evaluation as Legal, Political Football « InterACT

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Teacher Evaluation as Legal, Political Football « InterACT: Teacher Evaluation as Legal, Political Football by David B. Cohen [image: sign]photo by the author Los Angeles Unified School District and United Teachers of Los Angeles have reached a tentative agreement on new teacher evaluation practices and policies. The union will take up the agreement in a meeting of its governing body later today, and I expect that there will be some tough questions for the union leadership regarding compromises on the use of student testing results. A legal ruling against the district held that, ... more »

Bush-Rhee-Scott SB 736 a Failure of Unprecedented Proportions | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Bush-Rhee-Scott SB 736 a Failure of Unprecedented Proportions | Scathing Purple Musings: Bush-Rhee-Scott SB 736 a Failure of Unprecedented Proportions by Bob Sikes After alllllll that, alomost 97 perecnt of Florida teachers were rated effective or highly effective under SB 736. Brace for some full frontal cynicism after Jeff Solochek’s post in *Gradebook*: Florida’s new teacher evaluation model is far from popular, with teachers complaining loudly that counting student test scores for half their score is unfair and filled with potential for inaccuracy. The 2011-12 preliminary ev... more »

Teachers Don't Suck !: What Do You Think??

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Teachers Don't Suck !: What Do You Think??: What Do You Think?? by Walt S. I have received comments about my proposal to ask for your ideas regarding educational questions in my future posts. I am including them below and also posing a question as I suggested I would. Here is a prelude to the question. In Jersee (as we like to call it), we have had over the past decadra of educational schemes instituted and imposed by the State. *T**he Renaissance Act* *The Urban Hope Act* *No Child** Left Behind (NCLB)* *The Race to the Top* *The Quality Education Act (QEA)* *Thorough and Efficie... more »

Child Poverty Will Remain High, Analysis Predicts | First Focus

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Child Poverty Will Remain High, Analysis Predicts | First Focus: [image: First Focus - Making Childen and Families the Priority] Child Poverty Will Remain High, Analysis Predicts PRESS RELEASE *December 4, 2012* *Contact:* Ed Walz (202) 657-0685 (office) Washington — A new report released today predicts 2012 national and state child poverty rates 10 months before the U.S. Census Bureau’s official measure, expected in September 2013. The new First Focus analysis, written by Urban Institute researchers Julia Isaacs and Olivia Healy, finds early signs of improvement, though the nation’s... more »

How Many Billions Are We REALLY Spending on Testing? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
How Many Billions Are We REALLY Spending on Testing? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: How Many Billions Are We REALLY Spending on Testing? by Anthony Cody The Brookings Institute released a report last week that purports to calculate the amount of money being spent on standardized tests. The number researcher Matthew Chingos comes up with is $1.7 billion, which, when we consider that we spend more than $600 billion a year on education, does not sound like all that much. However, it turns out that all he is actually counting is the contract cost that states pay direct... more »

No Value in Value Added – SchoolBook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
No Value in Value Added – SchoolBook: No Value in Value Added by Arthur Goldstein *Editor’s Note: In response to a recent SchoolBook post and other media coverage of negotiations for a teacher evaluation deal, SchoolBook received a number of comments from people who felt that value-added metrics were not only detrimental to teachers but they were an unproven methodology. As one blogger asked: “So where is the space to make the point that this evaluation system is controversial? And unproven? Maybe even harmful?” Below we include a critique from teacher and contributor Arthur Golds... more »

End of desegregation offers lessons for current education reformers | Hechinger Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
End of desegregation offers lessons for current education reformers | Hechinger Report: End of desegregation offers lessons for current education reformers by Sarah Garland After half a century, America’s efforts to end segregation seem to be winding down. In the years after *Brown v. Board of Education*, 755 school districts were under desegregation orders. A new Stanford study reports that as of 2009, that number had dropped to as few as 268. (An additional 153 small districts with fewer than 2,000 students weren’t included in the study, and may also still have outstanding desegr... more »

Bogus school closing hearings = no input, no trust Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Bogus school closing hearings = no input, no trust: Bogus school closing hearings = no input, no trust by admin My somewhat inarticulate complaints about the pointless and disrespectful hearings now underway by the CPS- appointed Commission on School Utilization made it into theSun-Times today: Julie Woestehoff of Parents United for Responsible Education blasted CPS for starting hearings of a newly formed School Utilization Committee without indicating which schools were in danger of closure or consolidation. In past years,... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed News Roundup

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed News Roundup: Ed News Roundup by Melissa Westbrook Boy, is there a lot out there. First up, great news for the students receiving Washington Opportunity Scholarships - their check goes up from $1,000 to $5,000. From the Times report: *The scholarship is for Washington residents studying at in-state institutions who are majoring in science, technology, engineering, math — often called STEM — and health-care fields, and who meet an income threshold that's considered low- to middle-income — up to $102,200 for a family of four. Its aim is to enc... more »

Students for a #FreeCooperUnion Occupy To Preserve The Right to Education | OccupyWallSt.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Students for a #FreeCooperUnion Occupy To Preserve The Right to Education | OccupyWallSt.org: Students for a #FreeCooperUnion Occupy To Preserve The Right to Education Posted 33 minutes ago on Dec. 5, 2012, 11:48 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt Tags: austerity, education, nyc, occupation, student activism [image: cooper union building with banner reading Free Education To All] Students have been occupying the Cooper Union clock tower since Monday and 11 students are still locked-down! Today at 2pm come join OWS, All in The Red, US Uncut, and others to show your support for the right to educ... more »

The Disability Treaty Debacle and the Republican Education Agenda - Dana Goldstein

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
The Disability Treaty Debacle and the Republican Education Agenda - Dana Goldstein: On the Disability Treaty Debacle and the Republican Education Agenda by Dana Goldstein Every so often the paranoid rhetoric of the "parental rights" movement surfaces in the Congressional Republican caucus. That's what happened yesterday when 38 senators blocked the United States from adopting the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a treaty largely based on the Americans with Disabilities Act. That celebrated piece of legislation was signed into law by George H.W. Bush in 19... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
RheeFirst! » The synergy between StudentsFirst and News Corp’s education privatization: The synergy between StudentsFirst and News Corp’s education privatization Joel Klein is a busy guy. When he isn’t putting the ole rubber stamp on documents at StudentsFirst board meetings, or advising Rupert Murdoch on how to handle the investigation into phone hacking at News Corp., Joel Klein is running Rupert Murdoch’s education privatization arm. A recent presentation by Klein shows how seamlessly you can go from StudentsFirst talking points (pages 7 through 9) to explaining how much of ... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, December 5, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Classroom yoga topic packs board meeting Education Headlines *Wednesday, December 5, 2012* Classroom yoga topic packs board meetingTrustees in the Encinitas Union School District told a boardroom filled with parents divided over yoga in their schools Tuesday that they hoped they could find some way of satisfying both sides. Long Beach Unified school board votes to close Monroe K-8 in LakewoodMore than 650 James Monroe K-8 School students will have to find a new place to learn. The Long Beach Unified School District Board of Educa... more »

The Big Money Driving Online Higher Education in Florida | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
The Big Money Driving Online Higher Education in Florida | Scathing Purple Musings: The Big Money Driving Online Higher Education in Florida by Bob Sikes Florida House Speaker Rep. Will Weatherford (R-Wesley Chapel) tweeted the following message this morning: I agree with @JebBush: online learning is the future of higher education! I’ll bet he does indeed. Weatherford linked an op-ed penned by former governor Jeb Bush and education executive Randy Best in the *Tampa Bay Times * in which they say this: Numerous articles and commentaries from inside and outside of academia are ra... more »

Pearson blog starts heated debate about $1.7 billion for standardized testing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Pearson blog starts heated debate about $1.7 billion for standardized testing: Pearson blog starts heated debate about $1.7 billion for standardized testing Posted by Valerie Strauss on December 5, 2012 at 10:48 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » A blog post written by a Pearson psychometrician under the headline “Is $1.7 billion a lot or a little to spend on testing?” has sparked a heated online debate about the costs of standardized testing — monetarily and otherwise. The $1.7 billion refers... more »

Teach For Awhile—Then Head Straight to Law School | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Teach For Awhile—Then Head Straight to Law School | EduShyster: Teach For Awhile—Then Head Straight to Law School by edushyster2012 It is annual rite of almost unimaginable cruelty. Thousands of young hopefuls attempting to beat long odds. For the lucky few who win this life lottery, there awaits a coveted seat at a no excuses school known for high expectations and some of the nation’s best teachers. But only a tiny minority will get a shot at a better future. I’m talking, of course, about the huge number of Teach for America alumni who are even now applying to the nation’s top law ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Something Else That Needs To Be On The Table - Apprenticeships

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Something Else That Needs To Be On The Table - Apprenticeships: Something Else That Needs To Be On The Table - Apprenticeships by Anngie College and Career Readiness... college and career readiness. It's the new mantra of education reform. Everything public education does must answer the question of whether it addresses college or career readiness. If you examine what the reformers and the administration are talking about you realize that it is really only about the second goal. They believe college is also about career readiness, just more lucrative ca... more »

Mother Crusader: Silent Protest Against Cerf's Charter Regulations At State Board Of Education Meeting

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Mother Crusader: Silent Protest Against Cerf's Charter Regulations At State Board Of Education Meeting: Silent Protest Against Cerf's Charter Regulations At State Board Of Education Meeting by darciecima Parents say "NO" to charter regulations, "YES" to local controlParents from across the state staged a silent protest this morning at the State Board of Education meeting, where Commissioner Cerf's proposed charter regulations will most likely be adopted. There was significant backlash to the first draft of the regulations, including 40 speakers at a Board of Ed meeting last summ... more »

MOOCs and Pedagogy: Teacher-Centered, Student-Centered, and Hybrids | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
MOOCs and Pedagogy: Teacher-Centered, Student-Centered, and Hybrids | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice MOOCs and Pedagogy: Teacher-Centered, Student-Centered, and Hybrids by larrycuban In writing about all of the hype surrounding MOOCs, I saw this photo entitled “University Classroom of the Future.” From instructional television in the 1950s through updated versions of “distance education, “a professor professing in front of a camera is familiar and surely will dominate many of the newly established platforms (e.g., Coursera, Udacity, edX). Whether it will be the... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Charter school expansion in NYC: common ground or battleground?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
NYC Public School Parents: Charter school expansion in NYC: common ground or battleground? Charter school expansion in NYC: common ground or battleground? by Leonie Haimson Past ads for Eva's charters ((DNAinfo) According to today's New York Times, the Gates Foundation is giving $25 million to seven cities, including NYC, to encourage charter-district “collaboration.” The Gates spokesperson claims, “*It’s pretty clear there is more common ground than battleground*.” Of course, the pro-charter, pro-privatization Gates people would like to convince NY Times readers and the public at... more »







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