James Baldwin said it best:
"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."
A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP
Introduction to Students United for Public EducationSave Our Schools
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago
Introduction to Students United for Public EducationSave Our Schools: Introduction to Students United for Public Education by Server Students United for Public Education*Originally posted November 26, 2012* It’s finally here. It’s time we share this initiative widely. Students United for Public Education Ever since the fantastic work students at University of Wisconsin-Madison did a few months back, I was fortunately connected to so many like-minded students. Since then, an initiative has been under construction. There has been a significant amount of criticizing, discussing, and de... more »
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Nowack departure from Penn Fund raises deeper question
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Nowack departure from Penn Fund raises deeper question: Nowack departure from Penn Fund raises deeper question by Mike Klonsky Helen GymAs I reported last week, *Jeremy Nowak *is out as president of the William Penn Foundation. But *Helen Gym*, from the ed activist group Parents United for Public Education in Philadelphia, writes that in light of his abrupt departure, deeper questions emerge about the role the foundation played under his tenure. *On a national level, a number of public education observers and public interest advocates have raise... more »
Ed Notes Online: Change the Stakes Invites You to a Conversation with Bill Ayers, Tues. Dec. 4, 5:30
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Ed Notes Online: Change the Stakes Invites You to a Conversation with Bill Ayers, Tues. Dec. 4, 5:30: Change the Stakes Invites You to a Conversation with Bill Ayers, Tues. Dec. 4, 5:30 by ed notes online I love pal'n around with Bill Ayers. Over the past few years seeing him at NYCORE events has impressed me. There was a time when I was not a fan not because of his politics but because I heard from George Schmidt he supported some of the early tenets of ed deform (who knows, maybe because of his politics). But so did Ravitch, et al and we don't hold political grudges. You know ... more »
The Shocking Details of a Mississippi School-to-Prison Pipeline Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: *The Shocking Details of a Mississippi School-to-Prison Pipeline* ** *by Julianne Hing* Monday, November 26 2012 *NOTE:* *This is about Mississippi's role in the school-to-prison pipeline economic and social policy. We know that in New York City, there are tens of thousands of young Black, Latino along with increasing numbers of young Asian men and women that are being driven out of school and into prison because of the racist public education system's structural criminalization of youth of color.* Cedrico Green ca... more »
Algebra For All Yields Failure for Many - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Algebra For All Yields Failure for Many - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Algebra For All Yields Failure for Many by Anthony Cody The San Francisco Chronicle shared news Friday from a new report from the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning that raises questions about the wisdom of placing all students in Algebra in the 8th grade: California students who fail algebra and repeat the course are pretty much doomed to fail again, a vicious cycle that wastes limited resources and precious learning time, according to a report released Friday. Just over a third... more »
The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky: The Sunday Mail. by Fred Klonsky [image: 222465_10151469787544129_1630384099_n] After two weeks on the road, I’m back to my normal blogging schedule. Anne and I drove to Brooklyn to spend Thanksgiving with our New York family. We dropped off some school supplies at PS 90 in Coney Island. It was hit hard by Hurrican Sandy. The supplies were donated by my old colleagues at Carpenter Elementary School in Park Ridge Illinois. Then this past week was spent on the beach and by the pool in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The life of a retired school teacher can get c... more »
LAUSD: YOU CAN'T LEGISLATE MORALITY- BUT YOU CAN TEACH IT - Perdaily.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
LAUSD: YOU CAN'T LEGISLATE MORALITY- BUT YOU CAN TEACH IT - Perdaily.com: LAUSD: YOU CAN'T LEGISLATE MORALITY- BUT YOU CAN TEACH IT by Leonard Isenberg [image: ethics law morality.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) * * * *(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)* * * *A rigorous public education is not a luxury. Rather it is an absolute necessity for any society that has pretensions of being a democracy in something more than just rhetoric. With the more affluent and predominantly White population having escaped to the suburbs or private school... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What Do You Think of This?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What Do You Think of This?: What Do You Think of This? by Melissa Westbrook *WASHINGTON STATE PTA PARTNERS WITH MCDONALDS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY EATING FOR KIDS* I just don't get it but apparently, the Washington State PTA has entered into a partnership with....McDonalds. *WASHINGTON STATE PTA PARTNERS WITH MCDONALDS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY EATING FOR KIDS* * Washington State PTA and the Washington-based owner/operators of McDonald’s franchises have entered into a partnership agreement for the purpose of promoting healthy eating by kids. There are approxi... more »
High School Progress Reports Weigh In — At 305 Excel Columns! | Edwize
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
High School Progress Reports Weigh In — At 305 Excel Columns! | Edwize: High School Progress Reports Weigh In — At 305 Excel Columns! by Maisie McAdoo High School Progress Reports, which the Department of Education released on Nov. 26, have yet another new way to measure schools: the college and career readiness index, which now counts for 10 percent of a school’s grade. As if the 2011 reports, at 205 columns of Excel data per school was not enough, the 2012 reports arrived on a 305-column spreadsheet, boasting 39 new columns of college and career readiness data points. That doesn’t... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: How State and Local Government Subsidies Hurt Public Education by Melissa Westbrook Thanks to Goldy over at The Stranger Slog for the alert to the three-part series at the NY Times about the $80B a year in subsidies states give to businesses. From his piece: *The Times has also included a handy little interactive database that allows you to explore these incentive programs state by state. For example, Washington State taxpayers spend $2.35 billion a year on incentive programs. That's roughly 15 cents per state budget dol... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: How Valuable/Viable Are SBAC's Recent Testing Decisions?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: How Valuable/Viable Are SBAC's Recent Testing Decisions?: How Valuable/Viable Are SBAC's Recent Testing Decisions? by stlgretchen Clueless on the true purpose of education and testing. SBAC at work? An educator recently sent me an email reacting to a recent Ed Week article about Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortia's test development quandaries. She has given me permission to reprint her remarks and the highlighted statements are from the Ed Week article. ************************************************************************* * Attached is an a... more »
NYC Educator: I Do Not Like this V A M, I Do Not Like it, Sam I Am
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
NYC Educator: I Do Not Like this V A M, I Do Not Like it, Sam I Am: I Do Not Like this V A M, I Do Not Like it, Sam I Am by NYC Educator I'm not much for conspiracy theories. Yet I read that the new Common Coremay lower test scores, and see the mad rush for the UFT to adopt a junk science evaluation system, and I wonder whether or not it's sheer coincidence. It's pretty clear to me, when corporate astroturf groups like Students First NY and E4E (and whatever else they're calling themselves this week) push the new system, that it won't benefit anyone but those looking to privatize e... more »
Please Write to Your Delgates and School Board Members « PWC Education Reform Blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Please Write to Your Delgates and School Board Members « PWC Education Reform Blog: Please Write to Your Delgates and School Board Members by pwceducationreform Tell them that students should be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide without calculators BEFORE they’re forced into Algebra or higher level courses. Heck, tell them to order the VA DOE to stop pushing calculators in our elementary school children. Tell your Delegates that you support HB 469. Tell your school board members not to oppose it. Delegate Dave Albo proposed HB 469 last year. The bill would prohibi... more »
How education data gets spun
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
How education data gets spun: How education data gets spun Posted by Valerie Strauss on December 2, 2012 at 1:15 pm As Mark Twain noted “Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable.” In this piece we learn how two different narratives have been spun from statistics on high school graduation rates and charter schools. It was written by Bob Sikes, author of the Scathing Purple Musings blog. A former New York Mets assistant athletic director — including for the fabled 1986 World Series champions — he now teaches high school in Florida. By Bob Sikes It should come as no surp... more »
My Best Posts Over The Years — Volume Four | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
My Best Posts Over The Years — Volume Four | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: My Best Posts Over The Years — Volume Four by Larry Ferlazzo I'm Larry Ferlazzo and here you will catch me talking about websites that will help you teach ELL, ESL and EFL! I’ve been writing this blog for six or seven years. I thought readers might find it useful for me to dig back in the “archives” and highlight my choices for some of the best posts that appeared during that time. The first list in this series, My Best Posts Over The Years — Volume One, focused on the year 2007 and included a f... more »
Short Notes: Hip-Hop Didn’t Fail America | The Jose Vilson
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Short Notes: Hip-Hop Didn’t Fail America | The Jose Vilson: Short Notes: Hip-Hop Didn’t Fail America by JOSE on DECEMBER 2, 2012 Jon Stewart Keeping It Real *Before I proceed, dozens of people from various school districts have told me that my site is blocked on their school computers. In the event that it is, you can always get my articles via e-mail by signing up on the right-hand side of this blog or by subscribing via RSS for my savvy readers, also on the right-hand side. They can block my site’s URL, but they can’t block your e-mails or your RSS reader.* ** *About Me* *My name... more »
One Size Fits All? | Connected Principals
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
One Size Fits All? | Connected Principals: One Size Fits All? by Sean Grainger flickr image via cameronparkins *Cross posted from KARE Givers @* seangrainger.com My school (formerly a sixth to eighth grade middle school,) is now an inquiry-focused, sciences and technology kindergarten to eighth grade school… elements that when put together can also be called my dream job. The school is in its third year of this paradigm shift toward a custom-built K-8 inquiry, sciences and technology context. We believe that our new school context creates an optimal environment to perpetuate the le... more »
Daily Kos: The CCSS Stampede: Trampling Why, What, How We Teach
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Daily Kos: The CCSS Stampede: Trampling Why, What, How We Teach: The CCSS Stampede: Trampling Why, What, How We Teach byplthomasEdDFollow Officially yesterday, everyone I know even casually has now shared with me a video of Sir Ken Robinson or some very similar TED video. The sharing always includes, either directly or implicitly, the suggestion that the ideas in these videos have sprung fully formed from Robinson or others as if *no one in education has ever uttered them* (or even thought about them for more than a second). Concurrent with those experiences, I have found that expr... more »
Gov. Mitch Daniels claims teachers used illegal tactics to defeat GOP state education chief Tony Bennett | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Gov. Mitch Daniels claims teachers used illegal tactics to defeat GOP state education chief Tony Bennett | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com: Gov. Mitch Daniels claims teachers used illegal tactics to defeat GOP state education chief Tony Bennett WASHINGTON -- Republican frustration over the election defeat of Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett boiled over into the public this week with Gov. Mitch Daniels claiming at an education reform conference here that teachers used illegal and improper methods to oust Bennett. "If you're a fan of anything-goes politics, it was... more »
Tom Friedman’s Misguided Man Crush on Arne Duncan | Scathing Purple Musings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Tom Friedman’s Misguided Man Crush on Arne Duncan | Scathing Purple Musings: Tom Friedman’s Misguided Man Crush on Arne Duncan by Bob Sikes *Secretary Of Education Forced To Take Up Stripping To Put Nation Through School | The Onion - America's Finest News Source* Educator and writer John Thompson proved to be prophetic in a* Huffington Post* piece last month when he wrote this: Education beat writers demonstrate the same excellence as other journalists. The problem is Op Ed columnists and other writers who seem to know no more about schools than what they hear at cocktail parti... more »
Henry A. Giroux: War On Youth | Seattle Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Henry A. Giroux: War On Youth | Seattle Education: Henry A. Giroux: War On Youth by seattleducation2011 Something to think about this wintry day. *The critically acclaimed public intellectual Henry A. Giroux discusses the state sponsored assault being waged against young people across the globe, especially in the United States. For Giroux, what is no longer a hidden order of politics is that American society is at war with its children, and that the use of such violence against young people is a disturbing index of a society in the midst of a deep moral and political crisis. Only a... more »
Ed Notes Online: E4E Astroturf Rally Today to Pressure UFT to Cave on Ed Evaluation and Not Go Over the Ed Deform Cliff
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: E4E Astroturf Rally Today to Pressure UFT to Cave on Ed Evaluation and Not Go Over the Ed Deform Cliff: E4E Astroturf Rally Today to Pressure UFT to Cave on Ed Evaluation and Not Go Over the Ed Deform Cliff by ed notes online *I just got a call from E4E begging me to come…they said it’s their first rally." * I got this yesterday as one of those "thousands" of supporters E4E claims. Let's see how many come today. They only got 150 to come see Walcott the other day even with the offer of free drinks and snacks. And those included some of our pals who are being caref... more »
The Dilemma of Higher Education Facing Latinos | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
The Dilemma of Higher Education Facing Latinos | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com: The Dilemma of Higher Education Facing Latinos [image: The Dilemma of Higher Education Facing Latinos]By Victor Escalante, NewsTaco One of the questions Latinos face in our time is the pursuit of higher education. The only reason this is an issue is due to the high cost of obtaining a degree and the prospects of finding employment with it. The high unemployment and underemployment scale has many re-evaluating conventional wisdom. The definitive answer on this one is, “it depends.” Recently on a long and ... more »
Psychiatrists drop Asperger’s syndrome and gender identity disorder from new diagnosis manual | The Raw Story
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Psychiatrists drop Asperger’s syndrome and gender identity disorder from new diagnosis manual | The Raw Story: Psychiatrists drop Asperger’s syndrome and gender identity disorder from new diagnosis manual [image: Human brain image via Shutterstock] Asperger’s syndrome is to be dropped from the psychiatrists’ Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders, the American publication that is one of the most influential references for the profession around the world. The term “Asperger’s disorder” will not appear in the DSM-5, the latest revision of the manual, and instea... more »
Action for the Week of December 2, 2012: Give the Gift of Opt Out | United Opt Out National
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Action for the Week of December 2, 2012: Give the Gift of Opt Out | United Opt Out National: Action for the Week of December 2, 2012: Give the Gift of Opt Out by admin *Have you begun your holiday shopping? Start by sharing the Opt Out Toolkit. It’s free and it’s the gift that just keeps giving as we take back our public school system. It is also a great way to get prepared for National Opt Out Day on January 7th, 2013. Begin to think about how you plan to organize in your community on January 7th as we launch a new year, more determined than ever to take back our teaching profess... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Charter Schools: Normalizing Segregation?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Charter Schools: Normalizing Segregation?: Charter Schools: Normalizing Segregation? by Duke The debate about charter schools really boils down to one question: *can "successful" charters be replicated?* * *If a "successful" charter is "successful" because it spends more money, or offers extensive tutoring and personalized learning, or incorporates wrap-around services, then it's replicable. If, however, the charter is "successful" because of peer effect - *because it serves fewer kids in deep poverty, or fewer kids who don't speak English at home, or fewer kids with... more »
Charter Schools USA Lands Third Multi-Million Dollar Loan Since 2010 | Scathing Purple Musings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Charter Schools USA Lands Third Multi-Million Dollar Loan Since 2010 | Scathing Purple Musings: Charter Schools USA Lands Third Multi-Million Dollar Loan Since 2010 by Bob Sikes From *MELODIKA.net:* Ziegler, a specialty investment banking firm, is pleased to announce the successful closing of a $59,320,000 Series 2012 Bond issue for Renaissance Charter School, Inc. (Renaissance). This 2012 financing is the third for the borrower which includes a Series 2011 $89,235,000 issue and a Series 2010 $68,200,000 issue. Renaissance) is a Florida 501(c)(3) that holds charters for 20 operat... more »
Peg with Pen: Jefferson City Public Schools and the RTTT Grant
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Peg with Pen: Jefferson City Public Schools and the RTTT Grant: Jefferson City Public Schools and the RTTT Grant by Peggy My response to Jefferson City Public School's status as a finalist in the RTTT district grant competition. As a graduate of Jefferson City High School and an education activist who has been following the destruction of Race to the Top policies, I can tell you right now that accepting this Race to the Top money is the death of real learning and real teaching for the children of Jefferson City. All of the Race to the Top policies are tied to high stakes testin... more »
Public education’s new quick fix - Salon.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Public education’s new quick fix - Salon.com: Public education’s new quick fixStarry-eyed reformers have found yet another panacea for saving our school system: parent-trigger lawsBY ABBY RAPOPORT, THE AMERICAN PROSPECT This article originally appeared on The American Prospect. [image: The American Prospect]When her dyslexic second-grader landed in a failing public elementary school in Pittsburgh, single mother Jamie Fitzpatrick spotted trouble right away. Her daughter’s teacher spent class time shopping online for clothes while the kids bullied one another. Though other teache... more »
A dagger aimed at the heart of public education | Commentary | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
A dagger aimed at the heart of public education | Commentary | Detroit Free Press | freep.com: A dagger aimed at the heart of public education [image: Rob Glass] ( *Editor's note: * *The following is excerpted from "an urgent call to action" the superintendent of Bloomfield Hills Schools dispatched to parents and residents in his public school district this week.*) A package of bills designed to corporatize and dismantle public education is being hastily pushed through this current lame-duck legislative session. If we do not take immediate action, I believe great damage will be do... more »
Public education creates a public | Charter schools drain public resources | greatfallstribune.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Public education creates a public | Great Falls Tribune | greatfallstribune.com: Public education creates a publicCharter schools drain public resources with no benefit [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] - FILED UNDER - Opinion - Great Falls This week my husband and some two dozen other men will observe a tradition they inaugurated decades ago. They’ll gather at a local watering hole to break in the holiday season. Their professions range from medicine, education, the law and the arts to retail, finance, railroading, and beer distribution. The... more »
Ed Burger – Inspired by Math #12 « Wild About Math!
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Ed Burger – Inspired by Math #12 « Wild About Math!: Ed Burger – Inspired by Math #12 by Sol Here's a really fun interview with a Math professor who is engaging, smart, and has won a ton of awards. If you've ever wondered how we as teachers, parents, students, and life long learners could make a difference in a subject like Math that's been so much sucked of its life, listen to this podcast and read the short book, The Five Elements of Effective Thinking. Popout About Ed BurgerEdward B. Burger is a professor at Williams College, an educational and business consultant, and a former v... more »
MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-2-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Crybaby in Indiana by dianerav At Jeb Bush’s bipartisan conference on the privatization movement, outgoing Indiana Governor Mitch Danielscomplained that teachers used illegal tactics to defeat State Superintendent Tony Bennett. He claimed, with no evidence, that teachers campaigned for Glenda Ritz using school emails and facilities. Bennett, of course, was the hero of the privatization movement. Jeb Bush made him the chairman of his “Chiefs for Change,” a group of state superintendents devoted to high-stak... more »
Ed Notes Online: Randi Bar Exam Proposal Raises a Bar to People of Color
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Randi Bar Exam Proposal Raises a Bar to People of Color: Randi Bar Exam Proposal Raises a Bar to People of Color by ed notes online Weingarten continues her history of joining the "it must be the teachers' fault" parade with this proposal. Randi is so desperate to come up with an idea, any idea, that she can try to sell showing she is a willing participant in deform. Actually fighting back like the Chicago Teachers Union is not in her DNA. *Very smart, and insidious, of Weingarten: she's selling it as a way to blunt TFA. Is there any question that "the best and ... more »
Education Report: American Indian charter schools respond to violation notice - Inside Bay Area
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Education Report: American Indian charter schools respond to violation notice - Inside Bay Area: Education Report: American Indian charter schools respond to violation notice By Katy Murphy Oakland Tribune Posted: 12/02/2012 12:00:00 AM PST This is a sampling of The Education Report, Katy Murphy's Oakland schools blog. Read more atIBABuzz.com/education. Follow her at Twitter.com/katymurphy. Nov. 29: Thirteen binders of material from the American Indian Model Schools charter school organization were delivered to the Oakland Unified School District offices this week in response ... more »
Ed Notes Online: Carol Burris With a Lesson for E4E and the UFT
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Carol Burris With a Lesson for E4E and the UFT: Carol Burris With a Lesson for E4E and the UFT by ed notes online Remember when Leo Casey led the UFT/AFT assault on principals like Carol Burris, one principal I would come out of retirement to work for (see my one-on-one interview with her from May 2012) for eviscerating the ed eval deal the union made with the State Ed Department? Here is a great piece I missed during the Sandy recovery. I put together a leaflet with this article for a handout at the E4E rally at City Hall park today at 2PM. I will follow up with m... more »
Daily Kos: Thoughts on the Virginia governor's race
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Daily Kos: Thoughts on the Virginia governor's race: Thought on the Virginia governor's race by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) originally posted on kindler's diary yesterday as a comment. Several people requested that I post it as its own diary, so here it is, in slightly modified form. Let me speak as a Virginian since 1982 which also makes me a carpetbagger, and as someone who knows the author of this diary, and all of the major dems mentioned in the piece by kindler and in the comments on that thread. 1. Jim Webb - is NOT going to run for governor. He had his reasons not to r... more »
Florida’s Dysfunctional Charter School Laws On Display in Orlando Scandal | Scathing Purple Musings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Florida’s Dysfunctional Charter School Laws On Display in Orlando Scandal | Scathing Purple Musings: Florida’s Dysfunctional Charter School Laws On Display in Orlando Scandal by Bob Sikes *Orlando Sentinel *(login required) reporter Lauren Roth has this: The failed Orange County charter school that gave its principal a payout of $519,000 in taxpayer dollars after closing in June also paid her husband more than $460,000 during a five-year period, audits show. The payments to Steven A. Young, which averaged more than $80,000 a year, were for performing “certain management services,” a... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charters and Levys
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charters and Levys: Charters and Levys by Charlie Mas A lot of folks have said that, following the approval of the recent charter school initiative, they will not vote to approve any more school levies. What right do charters have to local levy funds? Specifically, what right could future charter schools have to the upcoming levies in Seattle Public Schools? Four parts of Section 222, Funding, of I-1240 refer to levy money: (5) For charter schools authorized by a school district board of directors, allocations to a charter school that are incl... more »
Pencils Down? French Plan Would End Homework : NPR
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Pencils Down? French Plan Would End Homework : NPR: Pencils Down? French Plan Would End Homework by ELEANOR BEARDSLEY [image: As part of an effort to overhaul education in France, President Francois Hollande is proposing the elimination of homework.] EnlargeFred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images As part of an effort to overhaul education in France, President Francois Hollande is proposing the elimination of homework. December 2, 2012 In the name of equality, the French government has proposed doing away with homework in elementary and junior high school. French President Francois Hollande ar... more »
Schools, Degrees, and Jobs | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Schools, Degrees, and Jobs | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Schools, Degrees, and Jobs by larrycuban Three facts caught my eye in the past few days: *In California, 260,000 college graduates under the age of 30 are working in low-paying jobs that have historically gone to high school graduates and dropouts such as food services, retail sales, and clerical work. *In the past three years 35 to 60 college graduates have enrolled in Hostos Community College (Bronx, New York City) to train for careers in Information Technology (IT), nursing, and medical technician... more »
An Urban Teacher's Education: On Choice in Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
An Urban Teacher's Education: On Choice in Education: On Choice in Education by James Boutin You know what I'm really tired of doing? Thinking of ways to market my school. You know what would probably make me a happier, more effective teacher? More time to think about my instruction and students' work with colleagues. Last month the small school I teach at was told that we need something of a new direction. The way it was presented? We have a "choice." We can begin offering AP courses, IB courses, or something else called College in the High School - which encompasses a series o... more »
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Who Doesn't Love Shopping? Adding and Subtracting Large Numbers!
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Who Doesn't Love Shopping? Adding and Subtracting Large Numbers!: Who Doesn't Love Shopping? Adding and Subtracting Large Numbers! by Lisa M * **Adding and Subtracting Large Numbers* Hmmmm...How can I make adding and subtracting large numbers fun? What do I love almost as much as new technology? Shopping of course! And my students loved it as well! * **A Document, Computer, and a Calculator* I told my students I was giving them $10,000 to spend on the students in our school. They could buy them anything they wanted. I gave them a blank shopping ... more »
The Black and White of Education in Chicago's Public SchoolsSave Our Schools
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
The Black and White of Education in Chicago's Public SchoolsSave Our Schools: The Black and White of Education in Chicago’s Public Schools by Server The Black and White of Education in Chicago’s Public SchoolsThe Black and White of Education in Chicago’s Public Schools In a new report being issued today, the Chicago Teachers Union in unambiguous terms makes a racial claim, contending that white businessmen and charter operators are gaining from what it calls “the chaos of (public) school closings” and “the dishonesty of underutilization.” Executive Summary: The Black and White of Ed... more »
Teachers Don't Suck !: The Past, The Present and The Future of Teaching
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Teachers Don't Suck !: The Past, The Present and The Future of Teaching: The Past, The Present and The Future of Teaching by Walt S. A teenager was brought into the Principal's office to be disciplined. The Principal spoke. "Your teacher has told me you are ignorant and apathetic. What do you have to say for yourself?" The teenager thought for a moment and then replied. "I don't know what that means and I don't care!" Do today's teachers exhibit the same mentality? Are they ignorant of how much effort was required of the their predecessors so as to enable them to enjoy the benefits... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Atrios Nails It: Teachers Are Sick Of Being Dumped On
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Atrios Nails It: Teachers Are Sick Of Being Dumped On: Atrios Nails It: Teachers Are Sick Of Being Dumped On by Duke Leave it to the Godfather of Snark to encapsulate what 3.3 million of us are thinking: Elsewhere in the article someone discusses the family's commitment to public service. Argh. This isn't about Romney, just this conceit that being a member of Congress, or a governor, or the fucking president, is about "public service." *There are public servants, like the teachers everybody dumps on these days, but people with high paying cushy jobs which virtuall... more »
this week's angriest posts Angry Asian Man @angryasianman Stay Angry. angryasianman.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
this week's angriest posts: *this week's angriest posts* Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed. racist idiots watch *red dawn*, tweet about it this dorm mate has hmong "problems" ucla's vietnamese student union vandalized bill o'reilly offers his expert opinion on "gangnam style" one guy's quest for rejection, a crazy donut order, and an awesome krispy kreme employee dollar store gets a big black friday surprise "gangnam style" is the most viewed video of all time man faces trial in racist attack man loses finger in racist knife attack live action remake of *gr... more »
Check Out What We’ve Been Doing In Class…. | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Check Out What We’ve Been Doing In Class…. | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: Check Out What We’ve Been Doing In Class…. by Larry Ferlazzo You might, or might not, want to check out our ESL class’ blog and what we’ve been doing recently. One is a project on culture from our Geography class, which includes a fun Animoto slideshow. Another has student videos where they converted their problem-solution essays into dialogues. If you find those interesting/useful, you could explore our other class blogs, too: - Class Blog: Intermediate ELD - Class Blog: Ninth Grade English ... more »
Schools Matter: Money, Test Prep, Money,Exams,Money
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Schools Matter: Money, Test Prep, Money,Exams,Money: Money, Test Prep, Money,Exams,Money by Judy Rabin Guest Post: Robert Rendo Nationally Board Certified Teacher, New York Public education has long become a billion dollar industry, according to a report put out way back in 2007 by Thomas Meldon, professor in the Benerd School of Education at the University of the Pacific in California, and editor of Teacher Education Quarterly, and Bruce A. Jones, professor and director of the David C. Anchin Center at the University of South Florida. In their fact finding, they state that comp... more »
Diane in the Evening 12-1-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Cheating Students in D.C. with Phony Credentials by dianerav http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324352004578131361948093492.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEFTTopOpinion - [image: The Wall Street Journal] - CROSS COUNTRY - November 30, 2012, 6:35 p.m. ET How Washington, D.C., Schools Cheat Their Students Twice*Kids who fail their courses go to phony Credit Recovery classes. No wonder so many high-school graduates are at or near a fifth-grade level.* * * Nikhil Goyal Flunks Obama’s Education Policies by dianerav Nikhil Goyal is a high school stude... more »
Hunger Strike for Education.southbronxschool.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Hunger Strike for Education by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) How have we gotten to this point? How have we gotten to be on the precipice of the death of education in the United States of America? There is plenty of blame to go around. But, we need to look inward. There are two things that are hurting us as educators that need to be fixed before we can reverse the course education has taken. The culture of teaching and apathy. But there is a solution. I'm not going to get too much into the culture and the apathy. I really don't want to paint w... more »
NYC Public School Parents: The ever-expanding rationales and rhetoric of the privateers
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
NYC Public School Parents: The ever-expanding rationales and rhetoric of the privateers: The ever-expanding rationales and rhetoric of the privateers by Leonie Haimson In NYC and elsewhere, the charter school lobby initially explained their rationale as providing more “options” to students at schools in low-performing districts. Then they began justifying them by saying they would create more “diversity” in mixed or gentrifying areas, and also argued that they create more options for middle class parents who are potentially shut out of their zoned schools because of overcrowdin... more »
What ‘Presence’ Are You Giving This Holiday? | Connected Principals
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
What ‘Presence’ Are You Giving This Holiday? | Connected Principals: What ‘Presence’ Are You Giving This Holiday? by rmcallister cc licensed BY flickr photo shared by Robo Android Today was one of our monthly administrative meetings for all principals in the district. It started off with some training on the SLDS (Student Longitudinal Data System) that is in operation in the state. The training was designed as an overview of the functionality of SLDS. Due to the length of the training, we were promised lunch and time to chat with colleagues. I have to say, that was when the real me... more »
Has the Florida Department of Education Become a Propaganda Arm of the Education Reform Movement? | Scathing Purple Musings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Has the Florida Department of Education Become a Propaganda Arm of the Education Reform Movement? | Scathing Purple Musings: Has the Florida Department of Education Become a Propaganda Arm of the Education Reform Movement? by Bob Sikes It should come as no surprise to anyone that the hacks at the Florida Department of Education would quickly respond to a U.S. Department of Education report which found Florida graduation rates to be, well, abysmal. It took four days. Lets compare the two reports. On Monday, Gradebook’s Jeff Solocheck wrote this of the federal report: The new fe... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Youth Voices Against Violence Contest
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Youth Voices Against Violence Contest: Youth Voices Against Violence Contest by Melissa Westbrook From Puget Sound-Off: *CALL FOR AUDIO ENTRIES!*** *Calling all journalists, poets, rappers, writers, actors and activists!* Our audio contest is in full swing, but we still need to hear from YOU! So, we are extending our deadline and accepting submissions through the *end of the year*. Take advantage of holiday breaks and lend your voice to our campaign for youth violence prevention. *Silence is not the answer*. Puget SoundOff and Tabu are inviting ... more »
Jersey Jazzman: How Do Voucher Cheerleaders Keep Their Heads From Exploding?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Jersey Jazzman: How Do Voucher Cheerleaders Keep Their Heads From Exploding?: How Do Voucher Cheerleaders Keep Their Heads From Exploding? by Duke Leonie Haimson Twitter-points us to this gem about the trial in Louisiana that eventually determined school vouchers were unconstitutional: The second day of the state district court trial to determine if Louisiana’s School Choice Act (Act 2) is constitutional began with the plaintiffs calling Beth Scioneaux to the witness stand, Scioneaux, who has worked for the Louisiana Department of Education for 19 years, is currently the deput... more »
Ed Schools – The Sequel: Rise of the Intellectually Dead « School Finance 101
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Ed Schools – The Sequel: Rise of the Intellectually Dead « School Finance 101: Ed Schools – The Sequel: Rise of the Intellectually Dead by schoolfinance101 *Warning: The following post contains the elitist musings of an ivory tower professor who has only professed at major research universities, who attended a selective liberal arts college & received his doctorate from an Ivy league institution (well… a branch of one… Teachers College at Columbia).* A while back, I wrote a post on “ed schools” the point of which was to show the shift in production of degrees that had occurred be... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Reformy Maniac Ben Chavis Update
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Jersey Jazzman: Reformy Maniac Ben Chavis Update: Reformy Maniac Ben Chavis Update by Duke School privatizers like Whitney Tilson absolutely love "reformers" like Ben Chavis (no, not *that* Ben Chavis, *this*Ben Chavis). They love the bluster and the bravado. They love the wild profanity and the vague homophobia ("*You should be wearing a dress!*"). They love the telegenic swag when guys like Chavis start spewing incoherent nonsense about how the biggest problem in American education is teachers unions. Well, Whitney, you told us "*I LIKE this guy!*"; what does that say about y... more »
How $tudent$ 4 Education Reform Jumped the Shark | EduShyster
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
How $tudent$ 4 Education Reform Jumped the Shark | EduShyster: How $tudent$ 4 Education Reform Jumped the Shark by edushyster2012 RALLY SWAG—SFER activists from Columbia and NYU wore hats summing up their demand that city’s teachers hurry up already and agree to be evaluated on the basis of their students’ test scores. *The crowd may not have been much, but as rallies go, this one was a big deal. Impassioned young people, bundled against the New York cold, risking everything for a cause they believe in, one that, if their voices are heard, could transform the lives of millions of p... more »
Rob Glass, Michigan Superintendent, Asks Parents To Oppose 'Ideologically-Driven' Education Bills
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Rob Glass, Michigan Superintendent, Asks Parents To Oppose 'Ideologically-Driven' Education Bills: Rob Glass, Michigan Superintendent, Asks Parents To Oppose 'Ideologically-Driven' Education Bills **Posted: 11/30/2012 4:37 pm EST Updated: 11/30/2012 5:38 pm EST The superintendent of a tony Metro Detroit suburb posted an alert on his official school website, warning parents about "a package of bills designed to corporatize and dismantle public education" that are now being considered by the state legislature during its current lame-duck session. Bloomfield Hills School Superinten... more »
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