Just Another Unschooling Story – No Big Deal | Lefty Parent
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 41 minutes ago
Just Another Unschooling Story – No Big Deal | Lefty Parent: Just Another Unschooling Story – No Big DealbyCooper ZaleMade my day to get notification from a friend on Facebook that this piece appeared in this week’sPsychology Today magazine, giving credence to the life path for young people known as “unschooling”. It particularly resonated with me because our own kids are peers of the piece’s subject, Kate Fridkis – our son Eric is 27 and our daughter Emma is 22. ... more »
Quinn the Governor. « Fred Klonsky
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 41 minutes ago
Quinn the Governor. « Fred Klonsky: Quinn the Governor.byFred KlonskySent by a reader.With apologies to Bob Dylan.Come all without, come all withinYou’ll not see nothing like the Mighty QuinnCome all without, come all withinYou’ll not see nothing like the Mighty QuinnEverybody’s after teachers pension fundsSome are after retirement funds, others are jotting down notesEverybody’s in despair, every Teacher with new pension realityBut when Quinn the Governor gets hereEverybody’s not gonna jump for joyCome all without, come all withinYou’ll not see ... more »
Youth United For Change - YUC launches new campaign | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 41 minutes ago
YUC launches new campaign | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: YUC launches new campaignbySamantha CogginA crowd of students, teachers, community activists, parents, and members of Youth United For Change rallied Wednesday afternoon to support YUC's new “Safe to Count on Me” campaign. Supporters gathered at Norris SquarePark's basketball court and sported white, orange, and black campaign T-shirts to kick off the rally with an energetic chant: “It’s safe to count on me. Is it safe to count on you?”Image:Image Caption:Signs from ... more »
Education Perspectives / Measuring Success - Opting Out
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Education Perspectives / Measuring Success - Opting Out: OPTING OUTOpting Out: Families and Advocates Against Standardized TestingCompiled by Education Perspectives for the Central Valley, Inc.Pursuant to California Education Code 60615, parents have the right to opt their children out of the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Assessment. And now for the burning question:What about “Accountability”? Isn’t standardized testing meant to hold teachers and schools accountable and to track progress?These are the sound bites that drive political debates, the phrases that ... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Super Search; Fast and Furious News
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 41 minutes ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Super Search; Fast and Furious News: Super Search; Fast and Furious NewsbyMelissa WestbrookUpdate: The information below has now disappeared from the website.You pick:1) We are paying some big bucks for Communications that makes huge errors in what they write to the point where they say something that is not true.2) Someone who put this information up originally had to back off because of how incredibly suspicious it looks to say the Committee made a recommendation when ... more »
RheeFirst! » How deceptive is this letter from Rhee’s organization?
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 41 minutes ago
RheeFirst! » How deceptive is this letter from Rhee’s organization?: How deceptive is this letter from Rhee’s organization?byadminRecently, Rheefirst received irate emails about being scammed to sign a deceptive petition from change.org and care2. It turns out this is the chief recruitment ploy of Rhee’s organization. Sign and you become a Rhee “member” for life. One missive enumerated the number of times the inadvertent signer asked to be removed from Rhee’s “membership” list. To no avail.Written by Valerie Strauss for ... more »
Register Today for the Whole Child Virtual Conference — Whole Child Education
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Register Today for the Whole Child Virtual Conference — Whole Child Education: Register Today for the Whole Child Virtual ConferencebyKlea ScharbergWe are excitedly preparing for the2012 ASCD Whole Child Virtual Conferenceto be held May 3–11. This year's theme is "Moving from Implementation to Sustainability to Culture," and focuses on highlighting the great work of ASCD-associated schools, providing a forum in which educators who implement the whole child approach to education can learn from one another and presenters, and expanding awareness ... more »
Sacramento Press / Use arena money to bolster school funding
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 41 minutes ago
Sacramento Press / Use arena money to bolster school funding: Use arena money to bolster school fundingbyJonathan Raymond, published onApril 27, 2012at1:58 PMLike the rest of Sacramento, I have followed the twists and turns of the city’s downtown arena saga with great interest. The Kings have been a valuable and generous partner of the Sacramento City Unified School District. I have attended many of their terrific “Get Fit” events at our schools and come away impressed by the team’s sincere ... more »
Robert Reich (How will you get beyond the outrage? Share your...)
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Robert Reich (How will you get beyond the outrage? Share your...): How will you get beyond the outrage? Share your ideas, actions,...How willyouget beyond the outrage? Share your ideas, actions, and long-term goals on tumblr and Twitter using the hashtag #beyondoutrage or on my Facebookpage.
The Shame of “School Reform” in New York City « Diane Ravitch's blog
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The Shame of “School Reform” in New York City « Diane Ravitch's blog: The Shame of “School Reform” in New York Citybydianerav Once again, a large group of New York City public schools will close their doors, their staffs will be fired and replaced, and new schools will open. Among the schools that will be closed are Flushing High School, reputed to be the oldest school in the city, and John Dewey High School, once highly regarded for its progressivism ... more »
The Common Core: The Technocrats Re-engineer Learning - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
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The Common Core: The Technocrats Re-engineer Learning - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: The Common Core: The Technocrats Re-engineer LearningbyAnthony CodyAs criticism of No Child Left Behind and the associated tests rises, we are hearing more and more about the Common Core Standards (CCS), the next great thing that is supposed to fix all that ails us. When atalking pineapplemade New York tests a laughing stock, state education commissioner John King reassured us,It is important to note that ... more »
What's missing from Bill Gates thinking on education reform?
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago
Will Small-Part Fixes Save Public Schools?What's missing from Bill Gates thinking on education reform?Published on September 22, 2011 byMarilyn Price-Mitchell, Ph.D.inThe Moment of YouthI've observed Bill Gates' philanthropic work for many years. I admire his passion, stewardship, and laser-sharp focus in a variety of efforts to improve human lives. But something is missing from his approach to Americaneducationreform that causes me concern. Lost in the milieu ofpolitics, power, and the lure of straightforward answers to complex questions are the research, ... more »
Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he will not approve of making teacher evaluations public - NY Daily News
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago
Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he will not approve of making teacher evaluations public - NY Daily News: Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he will not approve of making teacher evaluations publicCuomo's stance puts him at odds with Mayor Michael BloombergPrintALBANY TIMES UNIONGov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Michael Bloomberg may be headed toward a fight over teacher evaluations.RELATEDSTORIESTop aides to Mayor Bloomberg, Gov. Cuomo and union leaders reach historic agreement on teacher evaluationsNew ideas on tenure face union hurdleMayor Bloomberg and Gov. ... more »
Philanthropy gets in the ring - Education - AEI
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Philanthropy gets in the ring - Education - AEI: Philanthropy gets in the ringEdu-funders get serious about education policyThe year 2005 seems like a long time ago. That year, I published a hard look at education philanthropy titledWith the Best of Intentions: How Philanthropy is Reshaping K-12 Education, using the dismal experience of the then recently concluded $1.1 billion Annenberg Challenge as a jumping-off point. At the same time, the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation was walking away from the disappointing ... more »
Summer Matters | Summer Matters
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Summer Matters | Summer Matters: SUMMER MATTERSSummer Matters 2012 Kicks-Off in San Francisco with Superintendent Tom Torlakson and Mayor Ed LeeSF City Hall event also features Muhammed Chaudhry of Silicon Valley Education Fund, SFUSD Superintendent Carlos Garcia and parent Michelle Jacques-MenegazSummer began in California on Tuesday, Apr. 17at San Francisco City Hall. Although the calendar says it’s still spring, a celebratory event on the Mayor’s Balcony launchedSummer Matters 2012—a collaborative effort to expand access to quality summer-learning and enrichment programs ... more »
Schools Matter: Opt Out Movement Grows As Resistance to High Stakes Tests Intensifies
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Schools Matter: Opt Out Movement Grows As Resistance to High Stakes Tests Intensifies: Opt Out Movement Grows As Resistance to High Stakes Tests IntensifiesbyJim Hornht to Stan Karp:Opting Out of NJ ASKNJ SpotlightReilly, a former literacy director in Newark and then assistant superintendent in Hackensack as well as Morristown, said it has clearly led to a narrowing of curriculum that is only harming students. She is now a consultant in coaching teachers, including in New York City. “People don’t know ... more »
More Thoughts on Teacher Polls, Tenure, and School Funding - Dana Goldstein
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More Thoughts on Teacher Polls, Tenure, and School Funding - Dana Goldstein: More Thoughts on Teacher Polls, Tenure, and School FundingbyDana GoldsteinOver atThe NationI have anew piecelooking at surveys of public school teachers,one of whichfound job satisfaction at its lowest point since 1989. The most important thing to note is that polling shows teachers arenotunhappy because they resent new accountability policies like the more stringent teacher evaluations instituted in response to President Obama's Race to the Top program.In fact, most ... more »
Weekly Update: First for some fun, and then more fun | Seattle Education
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Weekly Update: First for some fun, and then more fun | Seattle Education: Weekly Update: First for some fun, and then more funbyseattleducation2011First, for some fun check out:The three-dayWorld Rhythm Festivalin Seattle, a weekend of immersion in world music, drum and dance. 3 days packed with an amazing range of world music traditions, including African, Middle-Eastern, Latin, Indian, Brazilian, North American, and more.The World Rhythm Festival, which starts today, is at Seattle Center and the corresponding International Marketplace will be ... more »
Fail - Test scores are mixed, costs are high and teachers are pissed - Sacramento News & Review
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago
Fail - Feature Story - Local Stories - November 17, 2011 - Sacramento News Review: FailTest scores are mixed, costs are high and teachers are pissed. Why critics say Sacramento city school reform could …ByCosmo Garvincosmog@newsreview.comRead 8 reader submitted commentsThis article was published on11.17.11.Full disclosure:Reporter Cosmo Garvin’s wife is a teacher in the Sacramento City Unified School District.School districts all over the country are struggling to turn around “failing schools.” It’s a harsh label, but the pressure to raise student ... more »
"Weingarten to leaders: Stay strong, stay together." April 27, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org
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"Weingarten to leaders: Stay strong, stay together." April 27, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org: Weingarten to leaders: Stay strong, stay togetherBy Sylvia Saunders - RA 2012 - April 27, 2012AFT President Randi Weingarten says anti-labor forces are using the economic downturn to weaken worker protections. Photo by Andrew Watson.At a time when activists are fighting for the very survival of the labor movement and public education, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten urged local union presidents to ... more »
LAUSD names 10 to lead its new regional offices - LA Daily News
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LAUSD names 10 to lead its new regional offices - LA Daily News: LAUSD names 10 to lead its new regional officesByDaily NewsPosted: 04/26/2012 09:06:10 PM PDTUpdated: 04/26/2012 09:09:51 PM PDTTen administrators were named Thursday to lead LAUSD's newly formed Local Education Service Centers, part of a reorganization designed to focus more attention on classroom instruction.The new structure consolidates Los Angeles Unified's eight local district offices into four regions, with a fifth office supervising struggling campuses. Each region will have ... more »
The Educated Reporter: For California, the SIG Program Has Shown Some Success, Study Finds
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: For California, the SIG Program Has Shown Some Success, Study Finds: For California, the SIG Program Has Shown Some Success, Study FindsbyEmily RichmondAnew studyfound student test scores improved in California’s lowest-achieving campuses that implemented aggressive reform measures, suggesting the federal School Improvement Grant program is showing early promise in the Golden State.The federal SIG dollars – with more than $4.6 billion awarded nationally since 2009 -- are earmarked for schools ranking in the bottom 5 percent for ... more »
Pearson and how 2012 standardized tests were designed - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
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Pearson and how 2012 standardized tests were designed - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Pearson and how 2012 standardized tests were designedbyValerie StraussThis was written by Fred Smith, a retired New York City Board of Education senior analyst who worked for the public school system in test research and development.By Fred SmithTherecent Pineapple and the Hare fiascodoes more than identify a daft reading passage on New York State’s 8th grade English Language Arts test. Education Commissioner John King ... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Phony Precision in Teacher Evaluations
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Jersey Jazzman: Phony Precision in Teacher Evaluations: Phony Precision in Teacher EvaluationsbyDukeLet's talk more about phony precision in teacher evaluations:As I said before, using standardized test scores for even a small part of teacher evaluations is problematic, because the test is only part of the evaluation, but it's all of the decision. Because the rest of a teacher's evaluation is based on imprecise measures like observations, the very precise score a teacher gets on his or her students' tests takes ... more »
Teaching Practices and Smaller Classes | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
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Teaching Practices and Smaller Classes | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Teaching Practices and Smaller ClassesbylarrycubanLarge classes of 50-plus students were commonin early 20thcentury schools, especially in cities.Class size fell throughout the past century to around 30 students in elementary and secondary classrooms, dipping to 25 and rising to 35 in times of budgetary retrenchment. Beginning in the 1980s, state efforts to reduce class size to 20 students or less per classroom, especially in primary grades, led ... more »
Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 4-27 AM Posts #soschat #edreform
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Coming next week to a neighborhood near youBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-1 hour agoMike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Coming next week to a neighborhood near you: Coming next week to a neighborhood near youbyMike KlonskyWas this version of The Surge, Rahm's idea or John McCain's? Will the troops be stationed here permanently? Will they be using drones along with boots on the ground, to attack anti-war protesters? How long will the First Amendment of the ... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: I Pick Enoch
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 14 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: I Pick Enoch: I Pick EnochbyMelissa WestbrookAfter reading and talking and researching, if I had to choose a superintendent, I would choose Steven Enoch.Pros - experienced, enthused, open to new ideas, nothing to prove, not using SPS as a stepping stone to next job, able to claim good academic outcomes for his district, keeps up with new educational ideasCons - had already planned to retire, possible financial issues at one districtFolks, there is no perfect superintendent. ... more »
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Ed Trust just likes tests
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Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Ed Trust just likes tests: Ed Trust just likes testsbyadminThe Education Trust. I’ve seen their schtick before – the 72 power point slides that they run through in 10 minutes, making it seem as though their ideas are heavy on data and research, when they are really allbaloney.Today I saw it again at an otherwise wonderful conference about racial healing in New Orleans put together by the Kellogg Foundation for their ... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Best Piece on Education This Year
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 14 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Best Piece on Education This Year: Best Piece on Education This YearbyDukeSeriously, it is, fromPaul Thomas:One distinct flaw in that development has been a trickle-down effect reaching from presidents and governors to state superintendents of education and school board chairs and members:people who have no or very little experience or expertise as educators or scholars attain leadership positions responsible for forming and implementing education policy.The faces and voices currently leading the education reform movement in the U.S. are ... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Coming next week to a neighborhood near you
Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 17 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Coming next week to a neighborhood near you: Coming next week to a neighborhood near youbyMike KlonskyWas this version of The Surge, Rahm's idea or John McCain's? Will the troops be stationed here permanently? Will they be using drones along with boots on the ground, to attack anti-war protesters? How long will the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution be suspended? These are some questions I have for the Mayor. It appears that members of the ... more »
LA School Police ticket more than 33,000 students; many are middle schoolers
Pass / Fail - 35 minutes ago
The police working for the L.A. Unified School District, the largest force in the country, came under scrutiny in recent months over charges that they were ticketing a disproportionate number of black and Latino kids for truancy. Now the school police are under fire over another issue: how many tickets they give out for a variety of infractions, and to whom. * * The Labor Community Strategy Center analyzed data provided by L.A. Unified on how many tickets school police handed out from 2009 through 2011. What they found is that, in that time, school police issued more than 33,500 ... more »
LAUSD adult education teachers, students protest proposed cuts
Pass / Fail - 35 minutes ago
Teachers and students in LAUSD’s Adult Education Division rallied in Van Nuys on Friday in an attempt to pressure the district to not lay off a large portion of its adult education teachers. To help balance a severe budget deficit, L.A. Unified sent preliminary layoff notices to about two-thirds of adult education teachers in the district. The planned layoffs stand to affect mostly the lower class and immigrants, who learn English using adult education classes. "We still don’t see a lot of movement from the school board or superintendent," said teacher Matthew Kogan. "In fact, we... more »
Students post several hundred images of state tests on social media networks
Pass / Fail - 35 minutes ago
Students have posted several hundred images of this year's state tests online on social networking sites including Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, California Department of Education officials said today. The California Department of Education learned about the testing security breach within the last 24 hours after a district notified them that a student was seen taking a photo of an exam with their cell phone, said department spokesman Paul Hefner. Schools across the state are currently in their annual testing season (which spans several months) for the STAR, ... more »
Details: LA Unified plans to impose all five allowable furlough days
Pass / Fail - 35 minutes ago
L.A. Unified plans to impose all five furlough days on teachers as allowed by an arbitration ruling earlier this week and is in negotiation with the union for additional furloughs next year, district officials said today. An arbitrator ruled earlier this week that L.A. Unified can force teachers to take up to five furlough days in order to help offset drastic cuts to state funding and the district's $390 budget shortfall. UTLA has maintained the district had enough money to make it through the school year without the need for furloughs. Four furlough days will break down into one ... more »
LA Unified schools to let out 3 days early; schedule details
Pass / Fail - 35 minutes ago
L.A. Unified officials said today it will end this school year three days earlier after an arbitrator ruled the district could impose up to five furlough days on teachers. The district will send out a letter to parents today that details the scheduling change depending on the calendar the school is on. "We regret having to reduce the number of instructional days, but with our continuing loss of State financial support, we believe it is necessary," wrote LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy in the letter. "I am relieved that the upcoming reduced instructional time for this school year ... more »
Arbitrator rules LA Unified can impose 5 furlough days; school ends early
Pass / Fail - 35 minutes ago
An arbitrator has ruled that L.A. Unified can impose up to five furlough days on teachers this school year to save the district $75 million in payroll costs, according to UTLA. L.A. Unified spokesman Thomas Waldman said the district will impose four furlough days: one will be a pupil free day and three will be taken in June to end the school year earlier, on June 19, for a traditional single-track school schedule. The early start calendar would end May 29, Waldman said. The district will be sending out a letter to parents today informing them of the ruling and schedule changes, he... more »