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Friday, December 7, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 12-7-12 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS


Missouri Education Watchdog: Process vs. Content - Finding The Perfect Balance

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 minutes ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Process vs. Content - Finding The Perfect Balance: Process vs. Content - Finding The Perfect Balance by Anngie I think in the big picture of life, I tend to believe Buddha got it right. Balance is the key or, as Franklin said, all things in moderation. Education, the process of passing present knowledge on to the next generation, is looking for this balance between teaching process and teaching content. The scales had been tipped towards content but, in the name of reform, they are now tipping more heavily toward process with Common Core. In the Americ... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 minutes ago
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. Joel Klein: Shameless Best of the Ed Blogs Jersey Jazzman December 7, 2012 un·der·uti·lize Best of the Ed Blogs Mike Klonsky December 7, 2012 Teacher Evaluation as L... more »

Democracy died in Michigan : blue cheddar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 27 minutes ago
Democracy died in Michigan : blue cheddar: Democracy died in Michigan by bluecheddar Tweet from Representative Barb Byrum: @BarbByrum “What we have today is a declaration of war. War on unions.” Rep Stanley #NoRTWMi “Well I’m not sure exactly what happened to pressure Snyder’s hand into strong-arming right to steal legislation in Lansing yesterday. The word is that he was under threat of primary and he was promised support by DeVos, Norquist, inc., and he folded like a crack house mattress.” - bloggingformichigan.com The drama that unfolded yesterday as Michigan protesters were ar... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, December 7, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 30 minutes ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: Home]15 candidates file to run for LAUSD school board seats Education Headlines *Friday, December 7, 2012* College of the Desert auditor ties questionedCollege of the Desert had questionably close ties to its auditing firm, which it hired for more than 50 years. Still, attendance-counting issues the firm reported to the school went uncorrected for at least six consecutive years. School buses to return to Indio HillsHigh school students living in Indio Hills will once again have buses to take them to and from school, Desert ... more »

Hartford’s Rep. Don Pridemore Named to Chair Assembly Urban Education Committee « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 57 minutes ago
Hartford’s Rep. Don Pridemore Named to Chair Assembly Urban Education Committee « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Hartford’s Rep. Don Pridemore Named to Chair Assembly Urban Education Committee by millerlf The “urban” center of Pridemore’s district is Hartford, a town with 14,000 residents. Following is a posting by Barbara Miner whose blog is *View From the Heartland*. Posted: 06 Dec 2012 *By Barbara J. Miner* This article is cross-posted at the *Milwaukee Journal Sentinel* Purple Wisconsin project. Dark days are ahead in Wisconsin politics. The Republican legislative... more »

Louisiana Educator: BESE Defies Court Decisions

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Louisiana Educator: BESE Defies Court Decisions: BESE Defies Court Decisions by Michael Deshotels Public education was subjected to more insanity this week from the Jindal and the ALEC controlled BESE. BESE, at the request of Superintendent John White, voted to approve 45 Choice Course providers to offer MFP funded private courses in the 2013-14 school year. Tom Aswell writes in the Blog, *Louisiana Voice*, that not only is this action in conflict with the recent State and Federal court decisions outlawing MFP funded vouchers, but several of the BESE members voting for this wind... more »

Courant’s Jon Lender sheds light on Malloy’s PAC - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Courant’s Jon Lender sheds light on Malloy’s PAC - Wait, What?: Courant’s Jon Lender sheds light on Malloy’s PAC by jonpelto For Wait, What readers who were intrigued by yesterday’s blog post entitled, “If money is the “mother’s milk of politics”, Governor Malloy’s cup runneth over,” Jon Lender, the courant’s legendary investigative reporter, has taken an even more detailed look into the recent activities of Governor Malloy’s Political Action Committee…or the political action committee that appears to be connected with Malloy. As noted in my blog yesterday, Governor Malloy, and a n... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
The impact of benefit cuts to legislative districts and the state’s economy. « Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. Don’t f**k with my COLA! by Fred Klonsky [image: santa] The in box. Glen Brown comments on my post: The impact of benefit cuts. by Fred Klonsky *…If legislators can breach contractual obligations through legislation (such as HB 6258), the entire middle class will “pay” the consequences. There will be extensive and devastating economic outcomes for the entire State of Illinois if its public employees are robbed of their earned and constitutionally-guaranteed benefits. T... more »

Pass / Fail : LAUSD schools faces challenge of making arts part of the core curriculum | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Pass / Fail : LAUSD schools faces challenge of making arts part of the core curriculum | 89.3 KPCC: LAUSD schools faces challenge of making arts part of the core curriculum by Tami Abdollah with Ricky O'Bannon [image: Greenway Arts Alliance - 1]*Students dance in the after-school Greenway Arts Alliance program, a magnet program within Fairfax high school. Credit: Mae Ryan/KPCC* Arts advocates and educators are excited that the Los Angeles Unified School District Board voted unanimously in October to make arts a "core subject." But making that desire a reality is complicated. Educat... more »

Forget the $300m Deal! Let’s talk $3.4 billion (or more)! « School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Forget the $300m Deal! Let’s talk $3.4 billion (or more)! « School Finance 101: Forget the $300m Deal! Let’s talk $3.4 billion (or more)! by schoolfinance101 [image: Slide1] Sometime last week or so, Sockpuppets for Ed Reform marched on City Hall in NY demanding that the city and teachers union come to a deal on a teacher evaluation system compliant with the state’s new regulations for such systems, so that the district could receive an approximately $300 million grant payment associated with the implementation of that system. Well, actually, it was more about trying to enrage th... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Eva Destruction: Walcott/Bloomberg Willing to Destroy Kids to Let Success Charter Grow: Eva Destruction: Walcott/Bloomberg Willing to Destroy Kids to Let Success Charter Grow by ed notes online [image: Eva Moskowitz, who runs Success Academy Charter Schools.] *A high school for at-risk kids is facing eviction from its home to make room for a well-connected charter school to expand...the city is planning to create more space in the Brandeis building by moving the Innovation Diploma Plus school to a Washington Heights building that lacks science labs and a gym...Th... more »

The inconvenient truth about education | TBO.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The inconvenient truth about education | TBO.com: The inconvenient truth about education COMMENTARY [image: ED GRADS] By RICK OUTZEN | Florida Voices Published: December 07, 2012 » Comments | Post a Comment Despite what Gov. Rick Scott and his Department of Education may tell you, the Florida public education system isn't very good, especially when it comes to the percentage of students graduating from high school within four years. The U.S. Department of Education recently released data listing state four-year high school graduation rates for the 2010-11 school year — the first y... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-7-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Philadelphia Parents File Ethics Complaint Against Powerful Foundation by dianerav People often ask what can be done to slow down the galloping pace of privatization, which has the enthusiastic support of so many Republican governors and legislatures (see Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida, Indiana, Tennessee, Louisiana), the Obama administration (see Race to the Top), and wealthy foundations (see Gates, Walton, Broad). Philadelphia parents are not sitting back and wailing against the proposed privatizatio... more »

Common core sparks war over words | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Common core sparks war over words | toteachornototeach: Common core sparks war over words by aristotlethewise *Common core sparks war over words* [image: booksonbooks-body] By Lyndsey Layton As states across the country implement broad changes in curriculum from kindergarten through high school, English teachers worry that they will have to replace the dog-eared novels they love with historical documents and nonfiction texts. The Common Core State Standards in English, which have been adopted in 46 states and the District, call for public schools to ramp up nonfiction so that by 12t... more »

American Indian charter school parents speak out - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
American Indian charter school parents speak out - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: American Indian charter school parents speak out Thursday, December 6th, 2012 at 5:28 pm in No Comments *American Indian Model Schools supporters, seen here at an April Oakland school board meeting, before the final state report on the charter organization was published. Photo by D. Ross Cameron.* The fate of the American Indian Model Schools won’t be on Wednesday’s regular Oakland school board meeting agenda, but we can expect a large group of parents and students from ... more »

How one school ‘turnaround’ worked (without firing the teachers)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
How one school ‘turnaround’ worked (without firing the teachers): How one school ‘turnaround’ worked (without firing the teachers) Posted by Valerie Strauss on December 7, 2012 at 6:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » New data released by the Education Department shows that the results of its efforts so far to turn around the country’s lowest-performing schools are mixed. The Obama administration has been pushing its turnaround policy through the School Improvement Grant program, which requi... more »

Opinion: CREDO’s Study of Charter Schools in NJ Leaves Many Unanswered Questions - NJ Spotlight

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Opinion: CREDO’s Study of Charter Schools in NJ Leaves Many Unanswered Questions - NJ Spotlight: Opinion: CREDO’s Study of Charter Schools in NJ Leaves Many Unanswered Questions print | email | share By Julia Sass Rubin, Ph.D., December 7, 2012 in Opinion |3 Comments Last week, with much fanfare, a study comparing standardized test scores of New Jersey’s charter school students to those of their public school peers was released by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO). As a professor of public policy, a supporter of public education, and a parent of a charter scho... more »

State considers shorter service for under-prepared teachers | California Watch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
State considers shorter service for under-prepared teachers | California Watch: State considers shorter service for under-prepared teachers Joanna Lin Matt Kowal/Flickr Under proposals the state's teacher credentialing agency is set to consider today, school districts would need to show on a case-by-case basis that no fully credentialed teachers are available before they resort to less-qualified educators, and under-prepared teachers could serve a maximum of three years instead of five. The Commission on Teacher Credentialing is weighing the changes after expressing concern that un... more »

All Things Education: Sex, Shit 'n Standardized Testing!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
All Things Education: Sex, Shit 'n Standardized Testing!: Sex, Shit 'n Standardized Testing! by Rachel Levy First, there was this: "You get this rage up that we're wasting time testing, and you're making testing shorter and shittier," Coleman said at a Brookings panel Thursday. That's David Coleman, one of the architects of the Common Core English & Language Arts Standards, and president of the College Board. This isn't the first time Coleman has cursed when speaking publicly about education. Several months ago, he reportedly said in another public speaking engagement, “as you g... more »

Recent Books to Read About Schools! Part III « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Recent Books to Read About Schools! Part III « Deborah Meier on Education: Recent Books to Read About Schools! Part III by debmeier On Purpose Before Twenty, by Adam Cox (Four Corners Press). A fascinating and deeply moving account of the author’s unique interviews with boys and young men as part of a two-year study on the subject. His focus is on “life purposes”—or, as he puts it, work. It’s a powerful examination (that applies as well to girls, he suspects) on the impact of disrespecting work, viewing it as “necessary” but unworthy of high ideals. It goes well alongside Mike... more »

People Who Write Open Letters To Obama Actually Want Him To Read Them [EdWeek] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
People Who Write Open Letters To Obama Actually Want Him To Read Them [EdWeek] | The Jose Vilson: People Who Write Open Letters To Obama Actually Want Him To Read Them [EdWeek] by Jose An excerpt from a follow-up post I wrote for Education Week: “What it also means, though, is that your primary supporters feel like they should have a seat at your table from the very beginning when they don’t. At least not consistently. This dynamic matters especially with regard education, where the collective experience of participants and practitioners on the ground matter just as much as those... more »

Lessons: From Katrina: Raising Awareness… Raising FundsSave Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Lessons: From Katrina: Raising Awareness… Raising FundsSave Our Schools: Lessons: From Katrina: Raising Awareness… Raising Funds by Server *Save Our Schools Webinar and Fundraiser* *Lessons: From Katrina: Raising Awareness… Raising Funds* *Louisiana Residents,* Educators Karran Harper Royal, Raynard Sanders *New Jersey and New York Residents,* Educators, Terry Moore and Rosalie Friend *Sunday, December 16, 2012 8:30 PM Eastern Time [ET}* *Please Join Us!* Lessons: From Katrina: Raising Awareness… Raising Funds*[This is Part One of a Two Part Hurricane Sandy Webinar/Fundraiser Series]*... more »

The Fatal Disconnects in Florida’s Education Accountability System and the Emerging Education Industrial Complex | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The Fatal Disconnects in Florida’s Education Accountability System and the Emerging Education Industrial Complex | Scathing Purple Musings: The Fatal Disconnects in Florida’s Education Accountability System and the Emerging Education Industrial Complex by Bob Sikes When Florida’s interim education commissioner Pam Stewart took the stage yesterday before the Senate Subcommittee on Education Appropriations to spin the release of SB 736 teacher evaluation data, her focus was on form and nuance. The only voice coming from the thicket was that of Sen. Bill Montford (D-Tallahassee). This... more »

NYC Educator: All Aboard the Junk Science Express

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
NYC Educator: All Aboard the Junk Science Express: All Aboard the Junk Science Express by NYC Educator It's mind boggling. Everywhere you read, oh no, it's an emergency! NYC can lose 300 million bucks if we don't agree on an evaluation system! The astroturf shills at E4E are rallying! How will the educators for excellent know whether or not they really are excellent if they haven't got a value-added system on which to base their self-styled opinions? Fellow astroturfers Students First NY are putting up wads of corporate cash to push it through. Bloomberg, predictably, blames the un... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Chris Christie: Divisive Hypocrite

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Chris Christie: Divisive Hypocrite: Chris Christie: Divisive Hypocrite by Duke Post-fleece Chris Christie: *The Daily Show with Jon Stewart* Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook *(9:37) When you're trying to narrow people into corner, Jon, and call them names, it makes it much harder to get them to the table and compromise. And that's what we're supposed to be doing. People elected us to get things done, not to bloviate. * Pre-fleece Chris Christie: "Scaring students in the classroom, scaring parents with ... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Friday Thoughts on Data, Assessment & Informed Decision Making in Schools « School Finance 101: Friday Thoughts on Data, Assessment & Informed Decision Making in Schools by schoolfinance101 Some who read this blog might assume that I am totally opposed, in any/all circumstances to using data in schools to guide decision-making. Despite my frequent public cynicism I assure you that I believe that much of the statistical information we collect on and in schools and school systems can provide useful signals regarding what’s working and what’s not, and may provide more ambiguous sign... more »

Ed Notes Online: NY Times on The Wave and Rockaway Film: Together We Will Rebuild

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: NY Times on The Wave and Rockaway Film: Together We Will Rebuild: NY Times on The Wave and Rockaway Film: Together We Will Rebuild by ed notes online The NY Times has been doing some great articles on Rockaway. Today they made me kvell. I was so happy to see the first post storm issue last week. I just hope it survives the storm. City Room: Newspaper Born of a Fire Is Back in Ink After a StormBy VIVIAN YEE [image: The Wave, the weekly newspaper in the Rockaways, has resumed printing after Hurricane Sandy ruined its offices. On Wednesday, Susan Locke, the publisher... more »

Bobby or Brittne? | Taking Note

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Bobby or Brittne? | Taking Note: Bobby or Brittne? by John Merrow When you watch a film, what moves you? What characters stay with you? I have no doubt that, when you watch our upcoming documentary “Rebirth: New Orleans,” (an extended cut trailer is embedded above) you are going to fall in love with some of the people (particularly the kids) in the film. You may find yourself rooting for the young principal of a charter high school, hoping that he will see the light. Or you’ll be crossing your fingers that Daniel, Kady and Colleston, the three young teachers from Teach for Americ... more »

School Tech Connect: We Need Better Democrats

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
School Tech Connect: We Need Better Democrats: We Need Better Democrats by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) How's everyone doing tonight? You know what I don't get? I don't get how Daniel Biss''s cash balance schemeposal doesn't exacerbate the difference between the haves and have-nots among Illinois school districts. Earlier in the year, Biss scolded a completely clueless Tom Cross about the opposite impact of TRS funding and the equalization formula. They're a bit at odds, he was explaining in plaintive tones. Cross was like* *Yeah, you're a smarty, aren't you? * *So, if the ... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
VAM is a SCAM, said SAM I AM … Florida Teachers Chant #StopRTTT « Continuing Change: VAM is a SCAM, said SAM I AM … Florida Teachers Chant #StopRTTT by gatorbonbc *VAM is a SCAM said Sam I Am.**I do not want that VAM is a SCAM, * *I do not want it, says Sam I Am.* *.* *I will not take in lying down, I will NOT be treated like a clown.* *I will not take it sitting in a chair, I will not take it anywhere!* *I will not take that rotten VAM, you can shove it, says Sam-I-Am.* *.* *You can not fool me with your lies, your goal is just to privatize.* *You think that you are oh so slick.* *So t... more »

NAACP seeks to mount shakeup in US education - SFGate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
NAACP seeks to mount shakeup in US education - SFGate: NAACP seeks to mount shakeup in US educationBy SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated PressUpdated 2:52 p.m., Thursday, December 6, 2012 WASHINGTON (AP) — The NAACP is going on the offensive on education, deploying volunteers across the country in its biggest push for a public education overhaul since the nation's classrooms were ordered desegregated in 1954, the civil rights group said Thursday. The volunteers, who have been trained for the past two years, will lobby at the state and county levels for four educational priorities: — Ext... more »

Court overturns ruling giving more space to charter schools - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Court overturns ruling giving more space to charter schools - latimes.com: Court overturns ruling giving more space to charter schools [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Los Angeles school district officials won a key legal battle with charter schools this week, when an appeals court struck down a ruling that could have opened up vast numbers of needed classrooms for charters, while also creating potential hardships for traditional neighborhood schools. The decision means that charter schools will receive space in much the same way as traditional schools: If... more »

LAUSD TO RECONSTITUTE CRENSHAW AND DORSEY HIGH- WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
LAUSD TO RECONSTITUTE CRENSHAW AND DORSEY HIGH- WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH - Perdaily.com: LAUSD TO RECONSTITUTE CRENSHAW AND DORSEY HIGH- WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH by Leonard Isenberg [image: Crenshaw High.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) * * * *Do African Americans and Latinos ever get tired of auditioning for human being status in a fundamentally racist and corrupt Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) non-public education system that clearly has no expectation that their children are educable? It is 58 years after Brown vs. Board of Education and de facto segregated LAUSD non-p... more »

A Progress Report on Teacher Evaluation — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
A Progress Report on Teacher Evaluation — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]A Progress Report on Teacher Evaluation December 6, 2012 by Klea Scharberg In the past three years, 36 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have changed their teacher evaluation policies, mainly to qualify for federal Race to the Top funds or No Child Left Behind waivers. States are drafting, implementing, and using new systems that incorporate measures of student achievement, levels of performance, classroom observations, and performance-based tenure decisions. All these... more »

This Week In Education: Charts: Teacher Pay, Teacher Prestige

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
This Week In Education: Charts: Teacher Pay, Teacher Prestige: Charts: Teacher Pay, Teacher Prestige by Alexander Russo Everyone wants to pay teachers more, but no one's agreed how -- or whether higher pay or tougher qualifications and evaluations come first:[image: image from thelearningcurve.pearson.com] Ratio of average teacher salary at primary, lower and upper secondary levels over the average gross wage, selected countries, 2010 (Pearson)

If you are a public employee, active teacher or retiree in the Chicago north suburbs. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
If you are a public employee, active teacher or retiree in the Chicago north suburbs. « Fred Klonsky: If you are a public employee, active teacher or retiree in the Chicago north suburbs. by Fred Klonsky Pension Rally *Springfield Legislators introduced HB 6258 this week.* *If passed, this legislation will:* - *Increase your Retirement Age* - *Decrease your pay* - *Reduce your Cost of Living Adjustment* Join us in rallying at the Capitol on January 3, 2013. A bus will be leaving from the Church Street side of Golf Mill Shopping Center (near JC Penney)- 239 Golf Mill Cent... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: BEX Work Session

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: BEX Work Session: BEX Work Session by Melissa Westbrook I will say at the outset that there has to be *something* the Board can do to make Work Sessions work better. Staff takes took much time explaining their lengthy presentations. President DeBell said at the beginning the Board should only ask clarifying questions during the presentation and leave big questions for the discussion at the end. As usual, though, they ran out of time as the staff couldn't get to thru the presentation in the time allotted. 9I know staff wants to explain but th... more »

Diane in the Evening 12-6-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Michigan Now Talking about Right-to-Work Legislation by dianerav Michigan was once one of the nation’ s strongest union states. But with the decimation of the automobile industry and the recent takeover of state government by extremely conservative politicians, the union movement is on the defensive. Unions in Michigan tried and failed to pass a constitutional amendment supporting their right to bargain Legal Dictators in Michigan ? by dianerav This is a thought-provoking article in the conservative National Review about Michigan Governor Rick Snyder... more »

If money is the “mother's milk of politics”, Governor Malloy’s cup runneth over - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
If money is the “mother's milk of politics”, Governor Malloy’s cup runneth over - Wait, What?: If money is the “mother’s milk of politics”, Governor Malloy’s cup runneth over by jonpelto *Happy Muthers Day* Later today, movers, shakers, lobbyists, the political elite, and anyone else ready to plunk down $750 a person can have a cocktail with Governor Malloy and a host of “featured guests” including Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Senator-elect Chris Murphy, Congressman John Larson, Congresswoman-elect Elizabeth Esty and Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra... more »

Right-to-work legislation introduced in state House as protesters pack Capitol | Michigan news | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Right-to-work legislation introduced in state House as protesters pack Capitol | Michigan news | Detroit Free Press | freep.com: Right-to-work legislation introduced in state House as protesters pack Capitol 3:49 PM, December 6, 2012 | Comments LANSING -- Right-to-work legislation was introduced in the state House just before 3 p.m., bringing loud protests from Democrats and protesters inside the Capitol building. Backed by shouts from fellow Democrats, House Minority Floor Leader Kate Segal, D-Battle Creek, insisted that the bill be read aloud in its entirety. The House clerk, G... more »

Promise of Things to Come to NYC: Florida botches release of new data on teacher evaluations 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: Promise of Things to Come to NYC: Florida botches release of new data on teacher evaluations By Curtis Krueger, Marlene Sokol, Jeffrey S. Solochek and Danny Valentine, Times Staff Writers *Published Wednesday, December 5, 2012 * ------------------------------ Florida's Department of Education on Wednesday rolled out the results of a sweeping new teacher evaluation system that is designed to be a more accurate, helpful and data-driven measure of how well teachers actually get students to learn. And then, within ... more »

Ethics complaint questions legitimacy of BCG reform plan, school closures | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Ethics complaint questions legitimacy of BCG reform plan, school closures | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Ethics complaint questions legitimacy of BCG reform plan, school closuresby thenotebook on Dec 06 2012 Posted in Latest news ="" title="Facebook_like" href="http://thenotebook.org/blog/125411/closures-loom-ethics-complaint-filed#" style="text-decoration: initial; color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on email COMMENTS (0)EMAILPRINT Photo: Bill Hangley, Jr. J. Whyatt Mondesire, head of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP, explai... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Education Research Report: Among low-income schools, traditional public schools show higher achievement scores than charters: Among low-income schools, traditional public schools show higher achievement scores than charters by Jonathan Kantrowitz The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) recently released Report Cards for a majority of public and charter schools in the state. Public schools comprise 95% (1,772 schools) of the total data set, charter schools comprise 5% (101) of the total. The Report Cards represent a compilation of three years of data intended to prov... more »

Was 'Brown v. Board' a Failure? - Sarah Garland - The Atlantic

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Was 'Brown v. Board' a Failure? - Sarah Garland - The Atlantic: Was 'Brown v. Board' a Failure? *A new study shows a steady but significant return of racial isolation to America's schools.* [image: integrated-top.jpg] Students at Barnard Elementary School in Washington, D.C., one of the first schools to desegregate after *Brown*. (Library of Congress) 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... more »

Parents: We are losing control of our schools - theoaklandpress.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Parents: We are losing control of our schools - theoaklandpress.com: Parents: We are losing control of our schools Published: Thursday, December 06, 2012 By DIANA DILLABER MURRAY Of The Oakland Press diana.dillaber@oakpress.com; Twitter: @DDillybar Click to enlarge Close to 2,000 parents and community members have attended meetings around Oakland County called by education leaders who are critical of legislation being pushed in the lame duck session. Yet another meeting has been added to the series that started last week. A meeting is planned from 7 to 9 p.m. today at Coolidge Interm... more »

NAEP - The results of the national standardized vocabulary tests are in

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
NAEP - Overview: *The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)*is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. Learn more... [image: Vocabulary Results from the 2009 and 2011 NAEP Reading Assessment are here! Learn more about the release and how to view the live webinar.] Join the webinar of the 2011 Vocabulary Report. In the Spotlight *Get NAEP Results!* Now available for download on mobile devices through Apple App Store and Google Play, the NAEP Results app delivers current results, c... more »

Evaluation agreement clears union hurdle; teachers endorse Zimmer - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Evaluation agreement clears union hurdle; teachers endorse Zimmer - latimes.com: Evaluation agreement clears union hurdle; teachers endorse Zimmer The governing body of the Los Angeles teachers union has endorsed a tentative agreement on teacher evaluations that incorporates the results of student standardized test scores. The approval was a key hurdle but rank-and-file members will have the final say when they vote at their schools in January. The Wednesday evening vote took place at the Koreatown headquarters of United Teachers Los Angeles during a meeting of the union’s House ... more »

Vote in the StopBullying.gov Video Challenge! | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Vote in the StopBullying.gov Video Challenge! | ED.gov Blog: Vote in the StopBullying.gov Video Challenge! Posted on December 6, 2012 by Guest Blogger Youth from around the country and those overseas in U.S. Department of Defense schools, aged 13 to 18 years, took our challenge and submitted almost 900 entries for the 2012 StopBullying.gov Video Challenge! [image: Students looking at screen]The Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention have worked our way through all the creative videos and screened them for eligibility based on the challenge rules. We ranked each of the eligible vide... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, December 6, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *So When are you going to fix California's Education Mess, Like a little accountability for the disgusting Charter School Law ?* Education Headlines *Thursday, December 6, 2012* Eureka City Schools, teachers reach tentative contract settlementThe Eureka City Schools and its teachers have agreed on a contract for the 2012-2013 school year, after months of negotiations, Superintendent Fred Van Vleck said Wednesday. Divided Fresno Unified board gives Hanson positive reviewFresno Unified School District trustees gave Superintendent Mic... more »

Dallas ISD climate survey results: Employees say they’re positive about district’s direction | Education Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Dallas ISD climate survey results: Employees say they’re positive about district’s direction | Education Blog: Dallas ISD climate survey results: Employees say they’re positive about district’s direction 8 0 comments (8) By Matthew Haag mhaag@dallasnews.com 4:45 pm on December 3, 2012 | Permalink *Update | 8:30 a.m. Tuesday* Here is the DMN’s story on the climate survey that ran in this morning’s paper. In it, a Stanford University business professor talks about the best practices of conducting such corporate climate surveys and points out some shortcomings of DISD’s survey. Firs... more »

UPDATE: Pensions, Rhode Island and get your butt to Springfield. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Pensions, Rhode Island and get your butt to Springfield. « Fred Klonsky: Pensions, Rhode Island and get your butt to Springfield. by Fred Klonsky [image: 23pension-illo-articleLarge] Once again, Glen does a great job of giving us the facts about the Nekritz bill and the other threats to our pensions. And John explains Cash Balance Plans. If these two guys didn’t already exist, I would have to create them in my basement laboratory. When there are these two bloggers at your disposal, nobody has an excuse for not understanding what is happening to our pensions in the *Bizarro World* o... more »

The Ecole Polytechnique Massacre « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
The Ecole Polytechnique Massacre « Student Activism: The Ecole Polytechnique Massacre by Angus Johnston Twenty-three years ago today 14 women — 13 students and a staff member — were murdered on the campus of the École Polytechnique in Montreal. Their killer, Marc Lepine, targeted female students in an engineering class and claimed to be “fighting feminism.” The fourteen who died were Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie... more »

How Can We Make Schools a Center of Community Life? - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
How Can We Make Schools a Center of Community Life? - Bridging Differences - Education Week: How Can We Make Schools a Center of Community Life? by Deborah Meier Dear Pedro, I love it! Brockton makes a good story, and while I'm a perennial skeptic about schools that beat the odds so convincingly, I'm willing to suspend belief. I hope I can visit there sometime this coming year. What's your sense of the incoming 9th grade? What are their literacy skills at that point? In order to focus on literacy, did the school do less of something else—and if so, what? A good 4th grade grader i... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day 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 »








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