Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-4-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

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

Advanced Placement Access Program - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 minutes ago

Advanced Placement Access Program - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): Advanced Placement Access ProgramTo help underprivileged students participate in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses. ------------------------------ The College Board News Release 45 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10023-6992, Telephone: 212-713-8052, Fax: 212-713-8184, http://www.collegeboard.org [image: External link opens in new window or tab.] For Immediate Release: December 4, 2012 The College Board, Google and DonorsChoose.org Collaborate to Expand Access to AP® STEM courses in 80... more »

Nekritz’s latest pension plan would cost retirees thousands in cost of living adjustments. And that’s just the beginning of the bad stuff. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 minutes ago

Nekritz’s latest pension plan would cost retirees thousands in cost of living adjustments. And that’s just the beginning of the bad stuff. « Fred Klonsky: Nekritz’s latest pension plan would cost retirees thousands in cost of living adjustments. And that’s just the beginning of the bad stuff. by Fred Klonsky Greg Hinz is reporting the latest version of *Squeezy the Pension Killing Cobra* coming from Representative Nekritz. From Crain’s: Specifically, cost-of-living hikes would be limited to the first $25,000-a-year of pensions and would not kick in until age 67 or five years afte... more »

Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Join us at the Flat Classroom Conference in Japan March 8-10, 2013!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 minutes ago

Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Join us at the Flat Classroom Conference in Japan March 8-10, 2013!: Join us at the Flat Classroom Conference in Japan March 8-10, 2013! by coolcatteacher@gmail.com (Victoria A Davis, Cool Cat Teacher) [image: Flat Classroom Conference 2011]Flat Classroom Conference 2011 (Photo credit: ToGa Wanderings)[image: Flat Classroom Conference]Flat Classroom Conference (Photo credit:superkimbo) This is a personal invitation for you to attend the Flat Classroom Conference Japan, to be held at theYokohama International School, March 8-10, 2013. In addition you are invite... more »

Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 12-4-12 #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 56 minutes ago

*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* Sat, Dec 08, 2012 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Education Summit Scroll down to register • Click to download flyer TOGETHER [image: PHOTO: CTU members march bearing signs that say 'Whatever we do we will do together' and '♥ our students'] Teachers,Parents, Students, Communities Can Stopthe Attacks on Public Schools EDUCATION SUMMIT SaturdayDecember 8 10am–3pm Marshall HS 3250 W. Adams - No more school closings - No more charter openings - No more “Turnarounds” - Funding for ALL Schools - Keep Public Schools Public! FEATURING WORKSHOPS O...more »

Diane in the Evening 12-4-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Philadelphia Parents Take a Stand for Public Control of Public Education by dianerav *Contact:* Helen Gym, Parents United for Public Education: 215-808-1400 Jerry Mondesire, Philadelphia Branch NAACP: 215-848-7864 Michael Churchill, Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia: 267-546-1318 *Press Conference: Private dollars vs. Public Interest* *Parents/NAACP to file Ethics Board complaint* *on Foundation and Boston Consulting Group* *Wed., Dec. 5, 2012* *1:30 p.m. 1515 Arch Street* *18th floor* Parents United for Public Education, the Philadelphia Home and Sc... more »

Renewing Culture Through a New Mindset — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Renewing Culture Through a New Mindset — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Celina Brennan and Ann Ottmar]Renewing Culture Through a New Mindset December 4, 2012 by Celina Brennan and Ann Ottmar An effective school culture is established by the work we do together on a daily basis, with values determined through a synergistic process. Our culture defines us and our ability to positively impact students and their learning. So, how do we truly shift our school cultures toward positive changes that align with supporting the whole child? And how do we develop a collecti... more »

National History Teacher of the Year | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

National History Teacher of the Year | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: *JOSHUA BILL OF WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS RECEIVES* *2012 NATIONAL HISTORY TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD* *-PRESENTED BY CAROLINE KENNEDY-* New York, NY (December 4, 2012)—Joshua Bill, a teacher at Waukegan High School in Waukegan, Illinois, has been named the 2012 National History Teacher of the Year, announced the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History today. The award, co-sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, HISTORY® and Preserve America, carries a $10,000 prize. Mr... more »

A 2nd look at the polling numbers: Are Malloy’s re-election chances really in doubt? Yes, yes they are… - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

A 2nd look at the polling numbers: Are Malloy’s re-election chances really in doubt? Yes, yes they are… - Wait, What?: A 2nd look at the polling numbers: Are Malloy’s re-election chances really in doubt? Yes, yes they are… by jonpelto Last week, Republican Tom Foley told CT Newsjunkie Christine Stuart, “I’m planning to run for governor because I’m concerned about our state.” Apparently Foley has been meeting with various newspaper editorial boards to talk about his plans. Two years ago, Candidate Dan Malloy became Governor Dannel Malloy after getting 49.5 percent of the vote to F... more »

Black boys see bleak future at school - SFGate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Black boys see bleak future at school - SFGate: Black boys see bleak future at schoolJill TuckerUpdated 10:30 p.m., Monday, December 3, 2012 1 of 4 VIEW: LARGER | HIDE - [image: Students in a manhood development class at Oakland High School wait for the bell to ring on Nov. 27. The school district has instituted programs to help males of color succeed. Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle / SF] Students in a manhood development class at Oakland High School wait for the bell to ring on Nov. 27. The school district has instituted programs to help males of color suc... more »

Teacher Evaluation and the Whole Child — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Teacher Evaluation and the Whole Child — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Thomas R. Hoerr]Teacher Evaluation and the Whole Child December 3, 2012 by Thomas R. Hoerr We measure what we value. This is true in how we spend our time, where we focus our efforts, and how we evaluate our teachers. Believing that educators must embrace the whole child—we must be sure that a child is healthy, safe, supported, engaged, and challenged—then how should that affect our approach to teacher evaluation? Don't misunderstand me: academic skills are terribly important, and teachers, ... more »

PSAT for 12-4-12: Give a PURE gift! Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 12-4-12: Give a PURE gift!: PSAT for 12-4-12: Give a PURE gift! by admin “They are watchdogs for public education in Chicago, and they are fearless. Every city should have a group like PURE.” *Diane Ravitch, May 26, 2012* PURE believes in promoting good solutions to the real problems of public education along with our diatribes against “reformers” bad ideas like reckless school closure/charter school expansion and misuse and overuse of standardized tests. So, instead of talking about boycotting the bad guys on tod... more »

Des Moines Education Association: The Number of Children in Poverty Continues to Rise, When Will We Act?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Des Moines Education Association: The Number of Children in Poverty Continues to Rise, When Will We Act?: The Number of Children in Poverty Continues to Rise, When Will We Act? by Andrew Rasmussen According to the latest information reported in the Des Moines Register, the number of children in poverty across the state of Iowa has risen to 16.2%, which is up from 10.8% in 2000. That is a 50.5% change in a decade, which outpaces the national increase, which stood at a 33.3% increase. It gets even worse when you consider that most experts agree that for a family to truly be able to ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: "2012: An Educational Odyssey" and HALene the Computer

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: "2012: An Educational Odyssey" and HALene the Computer: "2012: An Educational Odyssey" and HALene the Computer by stlgretchen Welcome to your new reality. View this clip on a practice test to see how children will taking assessments from Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) via computers. NWEA is described as: Putting kids first, since 1977 We are a not-for-profit dedicated to helping kids live their dreams. Data is our tool -- gathered through our assessments, validated by research and brought to life by our 4,000 partners -- with our professiona... more »

Schools Matter: Defending bilingual education (again) in the Dallas Morning News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Schools Matter: Defending bilingual education (again) in the Dallas Morning News: Defending bilingual education (again) in the Dallas Morning News by skrashen Research supports bilingual education (Bilingual education is better than immersion) Published in the Dallas Morning News, December 1, 2012. Re: L. Wooley, “An argument against increased school funding,” November 26 Contrary to Lynn Wooley’s statements, evidence for bilingual education is strong. Wooley says scores “shot up” in Oceanside after bilingual education was dismantled in California in 1998. But scores for all stu... more »

U.S. Senate Youth Program Delegates Selected - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

U.S. Senate Youth Program Delegates Selected - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Selects High School Students for 2013 U.S. Senate Youth Program SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced the selection of two remarkable California high school students as delegates, along with two alternates, to the highly competitive United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). Josephine Kao of Roseville (Placer County), a student at Mira Loma High School in the San Juan Unified School District, andDeeksha Goyal of Redlands ... more »

Education Research Report Tuesday 12-4-12

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Education Research Report: Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Math Assessment Accommodations for English Language Learners Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 11 minutes ago WestEd's Regional Educational Laboratory West (REL West) examined the effect of linguistic modification on middle school students' ability to show what they know and can do on mathematics assessments. Linguistic modification involves reducing the complexity of the English used in a test in ways that support clarity without simplifying or significantly altering ... more »

UPDATE: Remembering Fred. « Fred Klonsky + Don’t mess with my TRS-S-S-S-S-S-S

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Remembering Fred. « Fred Klonsky: Remembering Fred. by Fred Klonsky [image: 02HAMPTON_600] On December 4th, 1969 Chicago Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton was killed in his bed by the Chicago police under the direction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Cook County States Attorney Edward Hanrahan. While no official was ever charged or convicted of the crime, the families of Hampton and Mark Clark, also murdered in the same incident, filed a civil suit and won a $1.85 Million settlement from the City of Chicago. Ten minute drawing. Don’t mess with my TRS-S-S-S-S-S-S... more »

Schools Aren’t Just Supposed to Mass Produce Workers? | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Schools Aren’t Just Supposed to Mass Produce Workers? | Truth in American Education: Schools Aren’t Just Supposed to Mass Produce Workers? by Shane Vander Hart The mantra of advocate of the Common Core and many education reformers has been an emphasis on “career readiness.” Then you have data collection going on in schools to be shared with the Department of Labor and it all begins to seem rather Orwellian. I’m personally concerned that such an emphasis on STEM could lead to a deficiency in other subjects. I know that Suzy majoring in underwater basket weaving isn’t going to pre... more »

Fred Hampton « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Fred Hampton « Student Activism: Fred Hampton by Angus Johnston Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton helped establish the Chicago Panthers as an organization providing community services for the poor and brokered a treaty between the street gangs of the city — all before his twenty-first birthday. Hampton was murdered by police on this date in 1969, shot down in his bed as he slept with his heavily pregnant girlfriend beside him. Here’s Hampton, just weeks before he died, responding to the Days of Rage, a Weatherman riot in his hometown of Chicago. “We believe that the Weatherma... more »

Will Classrooms be "Flipped" to Cut Costs? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Will Classrooms be "Flipped" to Cut Costs? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Will Classrooms be "Flipped" to Cut Costs? by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Rob Powers*. My name is Rob Powers and I am a social studies teacher in Massachusetts. Like all teachers, my effectiveness as an educator has improved dramatically in the first few years of my career. It has been a rigorous but rewarding process. Just as I ask my students to become life-long learners, I am constantly motivated to improve my practice and reach kids in new ways. Two years ago, a Google search changed my... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, December 4, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Weather Forecast* Education Headlines *Tuesday, December 4, 2012* Final days of counting shows Prop. AA winning, Prop EE trailingProposition AA, a $449 million bond proposal in the San Dieguito Union High School District, needed support from 55 percent of voters to pass and appears victorious with 55.52 percent as of Monday. Proposition EE, a $497 million bond proposal in the MiraCosta Community College District, also needed 55 percent but received only 54.83 percent in the Monday update from the Registrar of Voters office Chart... more »

Shanker Blog » Selective Schools In New Orleans

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Shanker Blog » Selective Schools In New Orleans: Selective Schools In New Orleans by Matthew Di Carlo Charter schools in New Orleans, LA (NOLA) receive a great deal of attention, in no small part because they serve a larger proportion of public school students than do charters in any other major U.S. city. Less discussed, however, is the prevalence of NOLA’s “selective schools” (elsewhere, they are sometimes called “exam schools”). These schools maintain criteria for admission and/or retention, based on academic and other qualifications (often grades and/or standardized test scor... more »

Cooper Union Occupation, Day Two « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Cooper Union Occupation, Day Two « Student Activism: Cooper Union Occupation, Day Two by Angus Johnston Cooper Union Foundation Building designed by Frederick A Peterson. Photographed by David Shankbone, July 2007. The student occupation of the eighth floor of the Cooper Union Foundation Building entered its second day this morning, as activists pressing for reaffirmation of the college’s tuition-free structure, governance reforms, and the resignation of the Cooper Union president remained barricaded in a space at the top of the college’s iconic signature structure. As discussed ... more »

UPDATE: Teachers Struggles Around the World Modern School: Michigan's Education Coup Attempt

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Modern School: Michigan's Education Coup Attempt: Teachers Struggles Around the World by Michael Dunn Croatia has been cutting its spending in order to close its deficit and improve its credit rating as it prepares to enter the European Union. It has been doing this by slashing public services like education and healthcare. In response, teachers and nurses have been striking against government plans to cut their pay. 70% of Croatia’s education workforce took part in a strike last Thursday, according to the Teacher Solidarity website. In the German state of Saxony, teachers have ... more »

Schools Matter: Where Comparisons Between the Movie "Lincoln" and Education Reform Go Haywire

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Schools Matter: Where Comparisons Between the Movie "Lincoln" and Education Reform Go Haywire: Where Comparisons Between the Movie "Lincoln" and Education Reform Go Haywire by Jim Horn I was at a meeting last evening where three panelists and a moderator had some things to say on the subject of "Is Education for Democracy At Risk?" It was sponsored by Citizens for Public Schools in Boston and held at the Brookline Public Library. With such a topic on the agenda, I was eager to see if there was any movement toward action in the "talk-and-compromise" groups that participated, wh... more »

Schools Matter: Where Comparisons Between the Movie "Lincoln" and Education Reform Go Haywire

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: Common Core State Standards: Confusion Reigns Over What Students Should Read

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: Common Core State Standards: Confusion Reigns Over What Students Should Read: Common Core State Standards: Confusion Reigns Over What Students Should Read by Emily Richmond The Washington Post's Lyndsey Layton has a thoughtful -- and fresh -- take on the implementation of theCommon Core State Standards, detailing how educators seem to be misinterpreting the new requirement that non-fiction texts eventually make up 70 percent of a student's classroom reading. This is a wrinkle I haven't yet seen reported, and it certainly raises a lot of questions. Here's a c... more »

Working Within Constraints to Transform Schools - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Working Within Constraints to Transform Schools - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Working Within Constraints to Transform Schools by Pedro Noguera Dear Deborah, Instead of responding to your interpretation of my assumptions, which were inaccurate (I don't think the two sides in the debate over school reform have similar ends in mind), let me spell out what I mean by the importance of providing schools with guidance on how to work through the constraints that they face. Public schools, especially those that serve a disproportionate percentage of low-income students of colo... more »

Charter schools are not a solution - Politics - The Detroit News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Charter schools are not a solution - Politics - The Detroit News: Charter schools are not a solution - BY DALE HANSEN - 1 COMMENTS [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Most people would agree that every child should have the opportunity at a high quality education. Unfortunately Republicans have become obsessed with making changes that don’t actually improve educational outcomes. The most recent examples of this obsession are a few bills (HB 6004, HB 5923, and SB 1358) being offered by Michigan Republicans. These bills would establish a statewide... more »

‘Frontline’ will examine Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s D.C. legacy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

‘Frontline’ will examine Michelle Rhee’s D.C. legacy: ‘Frontline’ will examine Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s D.C. legacy Posted by Mike DeBonis on December 3, 2012 at 3:23 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Rhee (Susan Biddle/The Washington Post) “Frontline,” the tremendously fabulous PBS news documentary program, will air an episode next month examining the legacy of former D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. The episode, titled “The Education of Michelle Rhee” and set to air ... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-4-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Will Public Schools in Michigan Survive? by dianerav The ideologues who have always wanted to privatize public education are now running the state of Michigan. In the past, we called them right-wing extremists; now they are called “reformers.” They plan to dissolve all district boundaries and to push through funding changes to disestablish public schools. Governor Rick Snyder has a catchy phrase for eliminating public education: any time, any place, any way, any pace. Or, here’s the money, spend it where yo... more »

Grim Findings On Youth Unemployment, Education | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Grim Findings On Youth Unemployment, Education | toteachornototeach: Grim Findings On Youth Unemployment, Education by aristotlethewise *Kids Count Youth And Work Report: * *Number Of Young Adults Out Of * *School, Work Hits Half-Century High* [image: MK-BQ172_GENJOB_DV_20111106195444]Nearly 6.5 million U.S. teens and young adults are neither in school nor working, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The report warns of a future of chronic unemployment due to a continuing failure to educate and train America’s youth in needed skills. The most recent “Kids C... more »

Lessons from the Lakeview Sit-In « Classroom Struggle

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Lessons from the Lakeview Sit-In « Classroom Struggle: *Here we are almost 6 months on from the Lakeview Sit-In. The school has now been turned into offices and at least one-fifth of the former students of the 5 closed elementary schools have left the district. Many of the ones that have stayed are now being taught in portables. Clearly we did not achieve our major goals, even though now the Administration will think twice about closing more schools. This article tries to capture some of the positives and negatives of the school closure struggle in order to glean lessons for u... more »

Fast track to STEM teaching in state with federal grants | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Fast track to STEM teaching in state with federal grants | EdSource Today: Fast track to STEM teaching in state with federal grants ** December 4th, 2012 | Add a Comment | By Kathryn Baron Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services Five alternative teacher certification programs in California that won millions in federal grants are on track to train nearly 800 math and science teachers and place them in high-poverty, hard-to-staff schools. The California Teacher Corps, which represents more than 70 of the state’s alternative certifica... more »

5 Ways To Use 300 More Instructional Hours In A Year (THIS IS AMERICA!) | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

5 Ways To Use 300 More Instructional Hours In A Year (THIS IS AMERICA!) | The Jose Vilson: 5 Ways To Use 300 More Instructional Hours In A Year (THIS IS AMERICA!) by Jose [image: A Scene Left In The Cutting Room of the Film 300]A Scene Left In The Cutting Room of the Film 300 This morning, I woke up to the news that a pilot program starting in a few states, including Connecticut and New York, would add 300 more instructional hours to the school year starting in 2013. I don’t know about you, but I have yet to see a real study showing a positive correlation between classroom time (t... more »

School Tech Connect: I'm In

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

School Tech Connect: I'm In: I'm In by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I've been off the pension beat for a while, but there's no way I'm missing this *We Are One* event in Springfield. In a better world, we'd all be like Wisconsin, and tens of thousands of people would descend on the capitol. But we're Illinois. People will drive around the parking lot at Woodfield Mall all week before they do something to fight for their future. Still, one can hope. The clarion whisper of the state's teachers' unions might eventually get picked up on ham radio. Word could spread... *There's n... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Duncan's spinning wheel stuck

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Duncan's spinning wheel stuck: Duncan's spinning wheel stuck by Mike Klonsky Cunningham's gone. Hamilton's gone. Who's left at the DOE to hold *Arne Duncan's* hand? Daren Briscoe? Duncan buys in to the Bush modelSomebody needs to step in and help Arne move beyond his rat-a-tat-tat speed rapping and engage in some serious media discussion. After keynoting Jeb Bush's D.C. ed summit, along with a gaggle of other T-Party'ers, privatizers, "parent-trigger" pullers, and charter and voucher pushers like Mitch Daniels, *Condi Rice* and *Rupert Murdoch *fla... more »

7 apply to be Seattle district's first Creative Approach Schools | Local News | The Seattle Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

7 apply to be Seattle district's first Creative Approach Schools | Local News | The Seattle Times: 7 apply to be Seattle district's first Creative Approach Schools Throughout the campaign over this year's charter-school initiative, a number of Seattle's school leaders argued that Seattle didn't need charters to build and nurture innovative teaching. By giving a number of schools new flexibility next fall, they hope to prove it. By Linda Shaw Seattle Times education reporter Throughout the campaign over this year's charter-school initiative, a number of Seattle's education leaders ... more »

UPDATE: Common Core reading pros and cons - A warning ed policymakers should heed

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

A warning ed policymakers should heed: Common Core reading pros and cons by Valerie Strauss My colleague Lyndsey Layton wrote this Washington Post story about confusion at many schools about how to properly implement the Common Core State Standards in English. The trouble surrounds the standards' call for students to read more non-fiction; exactly how much and by when is at issue. Here's a related post about the pros and cons of Common Core standards for reading by a teacher, John T. Spencer, a sixth-grade ELL teacher in an urban, Title One School. He has written five books, incl... more »

300 HOURS « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

300 HOURS « Teachers Fight Back: 300 HOURS by alkleen I saw a news report about several states passing laws that would require 300 more hours of school for each student. That would figure out to be about an extra month of attendance days. Most teachers already are in school from mid August until mid June. If you throw in another 300 hours, that would make most schools virtually year round, at least for the teachers who need to add more prep time at the beginning and end of the school year. I hope the teachers in those situations are going to be adequately compensated and have ... more »

Tony Bennett’s Florida Bid Pits Bush Versus Scott | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Tony Bennett’s Florida Bid Pits Bush Versus Scott | Scathing Purple Musings: Tony Bennett’s Florida Bid Pits Bush Versus Scott by Bob Sikes Just off his defeat at the ballot box in a red state, Tony Bennett waited until the last second to throw his hat in the ring for Florida’s education commissioner post. Why it took so long is anyone’s guess and I won’t be speculating on that here. But Bennett’s entry into the picture will be a showdown between current governor Rick Scott and former governor Jeb Bush. Lets explore why. Rick Scott completely bought into the school reform model th... more »

Democurmudgeon: ALEC's Education Task Force vs Actual Teacher. Teacher Wins.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Democurmudgeon: ALEC's Education Task Force vs Actual Teacher. Teacher Wins.: ALEC's Education Task Force vs Actual Teacher. Teacher Wins. by Democurmudgeon Check out this inside look at ALEC, and the cowards working behind the scenes trying to destroy public education for profit. When they had to confront an actual teacher during policy talks, they had nothing. In fact, they were annoyed by the teachers lack of how their down-the-rabbit hole process works. Diane Ravitch has the story, she's an historian of education and Research Professor of Education at New York University: *Sab...more »

Jersey Jazzman: Triumph Of the Incompetent

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Triumph Of the Incompetent: Triumph Of the Incompetent by Duke New Jersey teacher Marie Corfield, who dared to stand up for teachers and parents, had over $100,000 "dropped on her head" this past fall when she ran for the state Assembly. The dropper was none other than B4K, a super-PAC powered by hedge fund money and run by a professional schmoozer of the rich, Derrell Bradford. Considering the money B4K spent to buy the defeat of Corfield, I think it's worth going back and giving a listen to what these guys are all about. To paraphrase Bradford: "The problem with ... more »

LAUSD TEACHER TELLS THE SAME STORY OF BEING TARGETED - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

LAUSD TEACHER TELLS THE SAME STORY OF BEING TARGETED - Perdaily.com: LAUSD TEACHER TELLS THE SAME STORY OF BEING TARGETED by Leonard Isenberg [image: The Secret Life of Words.jpg] (Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) As Superintendent John Deasy and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) receive no real opposition from United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) nor the city, state, or federal authorities, the war against teachers continues, not only unabated, but increasing in intensity. This past Sunday I ... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 12-3-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Great Reading by debmeier I’d like a moratorium on publishing any more good books—so I could catch up. Even if restricted to books on current educational dilemmas from my viewpoint, I can’t catch up. So over the next week I plan to share four books I’ve been eading about schools and reform, and one “booklet”. . There are at least a dozen others that I probably also should read—and will soon. In no particular order, I’ll start with: Mrs. Cook: Teacher of the Year, “Unsatisfactory” by dianerav I published a post with a photo of a te... more »

AFT Report on Teacher Preparation Recommends Bar-Like Exam And Demonstration of Teaching Competency

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

AFT - A Union of Professionals - AFT Report on Teacher Preparation Recommends Bar-Like Exam And Demonstration of Teaching Competency: AFT Report on Teacher Preparation Recommends Bar-Like Exam And Demonstration of Teaching Competency [image: AFT - American Federation of Teachers] *AFT's Weingarten: "It's time to do away with a common rite of passage into the teaching profession—whereby newly minted teachers are tossed the keys to their classrooms, expected to figure things out, and left to see if they and their students sink or swim. This is unfair to both students and their teac... more »

Diane in the Evening 12-3-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Mrs. Cook: Teacher of the Year, “Unsatisfactory” by dianerav I published a post with a photo of a teacher who was named Teacher of the Year by her colleagues but found “unsatisfactory” or “ineffective” by the value-added methods of her state. I knew her name–Mrs. Cook–but nothing more. How to Speak Out Against Race to the Top by dianerav Parents and teachers have organized a telephone campaign to register their objections to the Race to the Top program, which has led to more testing and more school closings and more disruptions for students and teachers.... more »

Looking back on racial violence at South Philly High | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Looking back on racial violence at South Philly High | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Looking back on racial violence at South Philly High by thenotebook *by Duong Nghe Ly* Today marks the three-year anniversary of the day that changed my life. On Dec. 3, 2009, I was at South Philadelphia High School when Asian immigrant students were targets of racially charged attacks that lasted from 8:30 a.m. in the morning to 4 p.m. after school. My friends and I received little to no help from the school, even though many of us had asked for protection or permission to leave early. At t... more »

Emory walkout tomorrow: Taking a stand for lost programs | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Emory walkout tomorrow: Taking a stand for lost programs | Get Schooled: Emory walkout tomorrow: Taking a stand for lost programs by Maureen Downey I am not sure how many Emory students will heed the call for a walkout tomorrow to protest university cuts to liberal arts programs. But I applaud students for taking a stand on the direction and focus of their university. *In September, Emory announced that it intends to phase* out the journalism program, department of visual arts, division of educational studies and department of physical education. The university will also suspend ad... more »

Pass / Fail : Billboards promote law that lets students leave low performing schools | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Pass / Fail : Billboards promote law that lets students leave low performing schools | 89.3 KPCC: Billboards promote law that lets students leave low performing schools by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez *Credit: Photo courtesy of Ed Reform Now* The Open Enrollment Act became California law two years ago with the goal to give kids a way out of the worst schools in the state. The law compels the state to develop a list of the 1,000 worst public schools based on each one's Academic Performance Index. Parents must fill out applications by December 31 if they wish to leave their current school and ... more »

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