Monday, May 7, 2012

Perth Amboy school board votes again to place superintendent on paid leave | NJ.com

Perth Amboy school board votes again to place superintendent on paid leave | NJ.com:

Published: Monday, May 07, 2012, 9:37 PM Updated: Monday, May 07, 2012, 9:54 PM

Perth Amboy school board votes again to place superintendent on paid leave

By Tom Haydon/The Star-Ledger PERTH AMBOY — For the second time in two weeks, the Perth Amboy school board voted tonight to place outspoken Superintendent Janine Caffrey on paid administrative leave, removing her on charges of insubordination and "eviscerating" school district morale.

Board members, citing state law, invoked a "doctrine of necessity", allowing members to vote despite conflicts of interest. On April 25, the board voted 4-0 to remove Caffrey, with five members abstaining, with four citing conflicts as relatives work for the district.

Tonight’s vote was 6-0 to place Caffrey on leave, with three members not voting.

Board vice president Kenneth Puccio presided at the meeting, saying president Samuel Lebreault

Now That You’re Done, You’re Still Wrong [#IKnowATeacher Series, part 1] | The Jose Vilson

Now That You’re Done, You’re Still Wrong [#IKnowATeacher Series, part 1] | The Jose Vilson:

Now That You’re Done, You’re Still Wrong [#IKnowATeacher Series, part 1]

by Jose

The whole premise of some meetings is to listen to the person speak ad nauseam about the topic of their choice with little regard for others’ opinions. It happens all across America in offices where voice only matters insofar as the first one has first, second, and third say. Words to some serve as a beat down into acquiescence rather than inspiration to act onward. In such meetings, the most powerful person is always the one who puts his index fingers on his lips, takes a deep breath, waits until the speaker is done, and says, “Yea, I get that, but you’re wrong, and here’s why.”
That’s why I admire my former math coach. All praise is due to my first math assistant principal and first math coach, but, during his years at my school, I learned lots about how to handle the malcontents of the world. Some people have this belief that they don’t have time to waste, so they grow impatient and frustrated with those who they believe take up too much of their time. They cut people off, don’t want to deal with people, and take too

Rheevolting: "Stupid in America"? Fox's contribution to National Teacher Appreciation Week - Miami Dade County Education Policy | Examiner.com

"Stupid in America"? Fox's contribution to National Teacher Appreciation Week - Miami Dade County Education Policy | Examiner.com:

"Stupid in America"? Fox's contribution to National Teacher Appreciation Week

Jennie Smith

Dade County Education Policy Examiner

Today, Monday, May 7, marks the beginning of National Teacher Appreciation Week.

And John Stossel, courtesy of Fox, gave us teachers a little token of his appreciation last night.

The "report," wanting to make sure no viewers had to draw their own conclusions, was titled "Stupid in America." Who was he calling stupid? You might assume he was referring to the people who would accept at face value his incredibly one-sided presentation, no questions asked. But no, he wasn't calling his viewers stupid--at least not to their faces. He was calling me stupid...along with my roughly 20,000 colleagues here in Miami-Dade County, and 3.6 million colleagues across the country.

Just to make sure his viewers didn't miss his point, he wrapped up his "report," by chirping that, if students stop being bored in school and start learning math, "it will be thanks to those online classes. Or the charter schools. Or

Despite her much-touted firing of 241 teachers, Dr. Alan Ginsburg, retired Director of Policy and Program Studies for the U.S. Department of Education, published a report in January 2011 finding that test scores had already started rising under Rhee's predecessors, and that the rates of test score gains were no higher under Rhee than under her predecessors.

Time to edit the Democrats out of DFER » Parents United for Responsible Education

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Time to edit the Democrats out of DFER:

Time to edit the Democrats out of DFER

by admin

While teachers spend every day in school educating our children — against great odds — propaganda flaks like Rebeca Nieves Huffman, new Illinois director of Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), write ugly, extremist op ed pieces like the one the Sun-Times printed last week. It started out this way: “For much of the last year, while parents, community leaders and policy makers have been focused on bringing much-needed improvement to the Chicago Public Schools, the teachers’ union has been not-so-secretly planning to hold our city — and our schoolchildren — hostage by calling for a strike.” You don’t really need to read the rest of this toxic dump to know what it said.
Time for Democrats to take action
Recently the chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party sent DFER a “cease and desist” letter directing

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-7-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

A Big Education Ape Nite Cap

Daily Kos: The War on Public Education and What Progressives Can Do to Stop It

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 minutes ago

Daily Kos: The War on Public Education and What Progressives Can Do to Stop It: The War on Public Education and What Progressives Can Do to Stop It from Daily Kos by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) \ is the title of the educational panel I will be leading on Friday morning, June 8, at Netroots Nation in Providence. Here's the blurb on the panel: American public education is under concerted attack: Americans are told we are failing in international comparisons, urged to blame teachers and break their unions, turn more of our public education system over to private interests, rely e... more »

PAA-Connecticut letter to legislators about Gov. Malloy’s proposals « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 27 minutes ago

PAA-Connecticut letter to legislators about Gov. Malloy’s proposals « Parents Across America: PAA-Connecticut letter to legislators about Gov. Malloy’s proposals by leoniehaimson Dear Members of the Legislature: We are writing to you as a newly formed Connecticut chapter of Parents Across America. We have come together, as public school parents from different communities across Connecticut, to support our children and the public schools that educate them. We experience first-hand the challenges facing our schools and our children. We know what works and what does not. What works... more »

LACDP Statement on the Democrats for Education Reform’s Response to LACDP’s Cease & Desist Letter — Los Angeles County Democratic Party

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 53 minutes ago

LACDP Statement on the Democrats for Education Reform’s Response to LACDP’s Cease & Desist Letter — Los Angeles County Democratic Party: LACDP Statement on the Democrats for Education Reform’s Response to LACDP’s Cease & Desist Letter May 5, 2012 By clarklee Comments (1) *Link: Click here to view the cease and desist letter.* *LOS ANGELES* – Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chair and California Democratic Party Vice Chair Eric C. Bauman released the following statement in response to the Democrats for Education Reform’s statement on LACDP’s cease and desist letter: “The Los Angel... more »

Modern School: Trial Ends, Rotenberg Center Will Continue Shocking Students

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Modern School: Trial Ends, Rotenberg Center Will Continue Shocking Students: Trial Ends, Rotenberg Center Will Continue Shocking Students by Michael Dunn Discipline Policy at Your Schoo? (Image from Flickr, by Fung.Leo) A lawsuit against the Judge Rotenberg Education Center (JRC), in Canton, MA, came to a close on April 24. The lawsuit was filed by Cheryl McCollins, whose autistic son, Andre, was shocked 31 times over the course of several hours at the school. The Rotenberg Center is a “special needs” school that openly uses “aversion” therapy, including electric shocks, to discip... more »

RheeFirst! » Rhee’s anti-teacher tenure bill in MO passed with heavy bully tactics

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

RheeFirst! » Rhee’s anti-teacher tenure bill in MO passed with heavy bully tactics: Rhee’s “political contributions” in MO and the key votes for her anti teacher bill by admin Written by Jersey Jazzman for his blog. Read the entire post here. *Only one Missouri House member who received her “political contribution” voted against her bill.* A watered down HB 1526 *eliminating the use of seniority in determining teacher layoffs*passed by an 83-78 margin, one vote more than necessary, with Talboy, who received a $1,000 contribution from Students First on March 27, and Penny Hubba... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Are Your School Board Members Independent Thinkers or Parrots? Time to Find Out.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Are Your School Board Members Independent Thinkers or Parrots? Time to Find Out.: Are Your School Board Members Independent Thinkers or Parrots? Time to Find Out. by stlgretchen DESE and Local School Board Response to Arne Duncan's Educational Mandates? Do your state and local board members understand Common Core standards and the ramifications in the push for privatizing public education? You might just want to forward these three pieces against the standards and massive privatization to your state and local Board members and compare their response... more »

RheeFirst! » Study: Gap between best and worst D.C. schools growing–poverty is key difference

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

RheeFirst! » Study: Gap between best and worst D.C. schools growing–poverty is key difference: Study: Gap between best and worst D.C. schools growing–poverty is key difference by admin Written by Lisa Gartner for The Washington Examiner. Read the entire article here. “*The gap between the District’s best- and worst-performing schools has been growing amid the most intense school reform in the city’s history, according to a report commissioned by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education.* *… The American Institutes for Research found that, if two students have the sam... more »

The in box. Florida’s Governor Scott and Illinois’ Governor Quinn. Common pension views. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

The in box. Florida’s Governor Scott and Illinois’ Governor Quinn. Common pension views. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Florida’s Governor Scott and Illinois’ Governor Quinn. Common pension views. by Fred Klonsky Ken Previti sends along this pension information: *FACT: Below is an excerpt and a link to the full Sunshine Review article about the Scott legislation that the courts just ruled as unconstitutional regarding teacher pensions. (This will continue to be argued in higher courts.) It is an ALEC boilerplate legislation that is so similar to Quinn’s proposal that only a fool c... more »

More on the WSPTA Convention: Oops, the new teacher evaluation system would not impact charter schools | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

More on the WSPTA Convention: Oops, the new teacher evaluation system would not impact charter schools | Seattle Education: More on the WSPTA Convention: Oops, the new teacher evaluation system would not impact charter schools by seattleducation2011 *It seems that in their zeal to promote charter schools, these same individuals who were giving impassioned speeches on how charter schools would provide equity to our students during the WSPTA convention, forgot about the other component of ed reform that they championed through Olympia and hailed as an advance in terms of educating... more »

TODAY: Advocates Deliver Over 600,000 Petitions and Letters Calling on U.S. Senate to Keep Student Loans Affordable

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Tell your Senator: Do not let the interest rate double on federal student loans: *TODAY: Advocates Deliver Over 600,000 Petitions and Letters Calling on U.S. Senate to Keep Student Loans Affordable* *Just Before Critical Senate Vote, Rebuild the Dream, CREDO Action, and USAction Show Widespread Support for Bill* On Tuesday, the Senate is scheduled to vote on the "Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012". The bill keeps the interest rate at 3.4% until 2013. Without Congressional action, the interest rate on subsidized federal Stafford student loans will double on Ju... more »

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Join NEA President Dennis Van Roekel for National Teachers Hall of Fame Induction | U.S. Department of Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Join NEA President Dennis Van Roekel for National Teachers Hall of Fame Induction | U.S. Department of Education: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Join NEA President Dennis Van Roekel for National Teachers Hall of Fame Induction *Contact: * Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov *Event Date 1: *May 08, 2012 05:00 pm - 06:00 pm U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will join National Education Association (NEA) President Dennis Van Roekel for a Teachers Hall of Fame reception at the NEA headquarters at 5 p.m. EDT on T... more »

National Teacher Day | Lily's Blackboard

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

National Teacher Day | Lily's Blackboard: [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] In Case You Were Wondering What Educators Do On National Teacher Day… May 7th, 2012 by Lily. It’s National Teacher Day. So, on this day, teachers will be teaching good nutrition. And first aid. And how to say, “Excuse me.” We’ll diversify our curriculum and instruction to meet the personal and individual needs of all our students including the blind, the hearing impaired, the emotionally disturbed, the physically challenged, the cognitively disabled, the gifted and talented and *the kids who do... more »

Cut the Red Tape for Homeless Kids- First Focus Campaign for Children

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Home page | First Focus Campaign for Children: [image: Kids Connect] *Ad: Cut the Red Tape for Homeless Kids* Our April, 2012, ad sends a simple message: kids shouldn’t be denied the help they need because government can't agree on definitions. This half-page adappeared in two go-to publications for Members of Congress and Capitol Hill staff, Roll Call and CQ Today, on April 16th. The Homeless Children and Youth Act, sponsored by Illinois Republican Congresswoman Judy Biggert, fixes a definitional problem that denies more than 700,000 homeless children the help they need. A key ... more »

China #edreform?: IV drips for cramming high school students in China - Boing Boing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

IV drips for cramming high school students in China - Boing Boing: IV drips for cramming high school students in China By David Pescovitz at 1:30 pm Sunday, May 6 [image: Dripssss-1] Photos posted on China's Sina Weibo microblogging platform reportedly depict a Hubei province high school classroom where student are cramming for exams while hooked up to IV drips of amino acids. I hope the drips are equipped with a button for as-needed amphetamine boosts. From Ministry of Tofu: [image: Wp-Content Uploads 2012 05 Iv-Drip2-1] “(According to Mr. Xia, director of Office of Academic Affair... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Miracle Schools? Coming to your Neighborhood?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Gap between best and worst D.C. schools growing | Washington Examiner: The gap between the District's best- and worst-performing schools has been growing amid the most intense school reform in the city's history, according to a report commissioned by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education. The report calculates a "median growth percentile" for each school, which measures students' annual growth against similar students across the city. The American Institutes for Research found that, if two students have the same test scores in 2010, but one attends a wealthy, high-pe... more »

Day of the Teacher - California Teachers Association

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Day of the Teacher - California Teachers Association: DAY OF THE TEACHER [image: Share] California Teachers: Building a Better State for Public Education On May 9 we will mark the 30th anniversary of California’s Day of the Teacher. This year's Day of the Teacher theme is "California Teachers: Building a Better State for Public Education." We know that we are working hard every day to prepare our students for success in the future. We know that California's future success depends on these students, and that's why this year's theme is so aptly chosen. We are building a better stat... more »

Coalition for Community Schools 2012 National Forum

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

2012 National Forum: ** * * RegisterAgenda-at-a-GlanceTravel & AccommodationsPromote the ForumYouth@The Forum*This year, the Coalition for Community Schools* joins with California community school leaders and advocates to convene a diverse group of stakeholders committed to better results for young people across the nation. The 2012 National Forum will engage a broad audience of policymakers, administrators and practitioners who want to learn how to put together school and community assets to support student success. This year’s theme, Scaling up School and Community Partnershi... more »

Public Schools Do Pre-K Better, Says John White of Louisiana « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Public Schools Do Pre-K Better, Says John White of Louisiana « Diane Ravitch's blog: Public Schools Do Pre-K Better, Says John White of Louisiana by dianerav I just read an astonishing article by John White, the young TFA/Broad superintendent of Louisiana. He says that public school districts do a better job of providing pre-K schooling than other providers. http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20120507/OPINION/205070301/John-White-Make-important-changes-pre-K-education. This is the same John White who works for Governor Bobby Jindal, the hero of the privatization movement. This ... more »

Presidential Proclamation -- National Charter Schools Week, 2012 | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Presidential Proclamation -- National Charter Schools Week, 2012 | The White House: Presidential Proclamation -- National Charter Schools Week, 2012 NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOLS WEEK, 2012 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] As a Nation, we share a responsibility to provide our children with a world-class education. By keeping our young people engaged in learning, we help them develop the skills and values that will not only guide them in life, but also prepare them to thrive in the global economy. ... more »

U.S. Department of Education Kicks-Off Teacher Appreciation Week with a National Dialogue on Strengthening and Elevating the Teaching Profession | U.S. Department of Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

U.S. Department of Education Kicks-Off Teacher Appreciation Week with a National Dialogue on Strengthening and Elevating the Teaching Profession | U.S. Department of Education: U.S. Department of Education Kicks-Off Teacher Appreciation Week with a National Dialogue on Strengthening and Elevating the Teaching Profession MAY 7, 2012 *Contact: * Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov A vision document for reforming the teaching profession created by active classroom teachers working temporarily for the U.S. Department of Education has been posted for public comment on the Dep... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, May 7, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Monday, May 7, 2012* Two Stockton USD schools to go full serviceChildren will have the chance to stay long after school closes to participate in homework clubs or recreational activities. Parents will turn out to study English, take nutrition classes and receive dental services. Schools preparing for new teaching standardsHow are local school districts preparing for a new set of teaching strategies and tests that will start in 2014? Humboldt school districts update bullying policiesHumboldt County educators ... more »

Teacher Appreciation Week - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Teacher Appreciation Week - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Releases Top 10 List of Ways to Appreciate Teachers SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson urged all Californians to find ways to appreciate teachers during May 6-12, designated as National Teacher Appreciation Week. "Teaching is the most important job there is," Torlakson said. "Ask just about anyone about the person who made the biggest difference in their life, chances are that person is a teacher. Let's all take a moment this week to say `thank you' to Cal... more »

NEA - National Teacher Day

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

NEA - National Teacher Day: [image: National Teacher Day] May 8, 2012 *Great Teachers Make Great Public Schools* On National Teacher Day, thousands of communities take time to honor their local educators and acknowledge the crucial role teachers play in making sure every student receives a quality education. Planning Materials and Artwork Download our 2012 artwork including poster, web buttons, and banners. My Amazing Teacher Campaign Join the National Education Association and Parenting.com in honoring public school teachers for their unwavering passion, dedication and commitment to... more »

Common Core Challenges our Unity - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Common Core Challenges our Unity - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Common Core Challenges our Unity by Anthony Cody Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody In recent weeks controversy over the Common Core standards has heated up. As we get closer to the decision point at the state level across the country, it has become clearer what a massive overhaul the Common Core represents. New curriculum, new professional development and most controversial of all, new assessments, with no relief in sight from the heavy-handed accountability systems that are the legacy of NCLB, I h... more »

With Arne down the rabbit hole. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

With Arne down the rabbit hole. « Fred Klonsky: With Arne down the rabbit hole. by Fred Klonsky *Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, `and what is the use of a book,’ thought Alice `without pictures or conversation?’* *So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the troub... more »

In leaked memo, Pearson stands behind “Pineapple” test items | GothamSchools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

In leaked memo, Pearson stands behind “Pineapple” test items | GothamSchools: In leaked memo, Pearson stands behind “Pineapple” test items by Philissa Cramer Even when it seemed that everyone had something to say about“The Hare and the Pineapple,” the seemingly nonsensical story that appeared on New York’s eighth-grade reading exam, the company that created the test remained silent. Now, a leaked memo makes it clear that state officials sought an explanation from Pearson of why the story appeared on some exams — and that Pearson offered a vigorous defense of its test-construction c... more »

Report: Some charters spend more than traditional schools - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Report: Some charters spend more than traditional schools - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Report: Some charters spend more than traditional schools by Valerie Strauss A new report concludes that charter schools operated by major charter management organizations in three states often spend more to educate children than the surrounding public schools. The study, published by the National Education Policy Center, compares per-pupil spending in charter schools run by major management organizations with local district schools in New York, Ohio, and Texas. It says that in som... more »

No Excuses! Really? Another look at our NEPC Charter Spending Figures « School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

No Excuses! Really? Another look at our NEPC Charter Spending Figures « School Finance 101: No Excuses! Really? Another look at our NEPC Charter Spending Figures by schoolfinance101 Not surprisingly, KIPPs first response to our recent NEPC study was to declare it outright flawed. KIPP then proceeded to make up every possible explanation they could – every possible “excuse” – conjure every possible out of context – or different context estimate or “fact” to make their case that they in fact spend equal or less than schools in New York City and Houston. I guess what continues to pe... more »

ED Celebrates Public Service Recognition Week with #AskFAFSA Office Hours | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

ED Celebrates Public Service Recognition Week with #AskFAFSA Office Hours | ED.gov Blog: ED Celebrates Public Service Recognition Week with #AskFAFSA Office Hours by Guest Blogger Teachers, firefighters, police officers, government employees, military—day in and day out these public servants work tirelessly for citizens across the country. To celebrate Public Service Recognition Week (May 6th-12th) and the positive impact these individuals’ work has on our lives, we are dedicating this month’s #AskFAFSA Office Hours to our nation’s public servants. Were you aware of these governm... more »

Partiers Mock Trayvon Martin, Throw Bottles at Black Women from Cornell Frat Roof « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Partiers Mock Trayvon Martin, Throw Bottles at Black Women from Cornell Frat Roof « Student Activism: Partiers Mock Trayvon Martin, Throw Bottles at Black Women from Cornell Frat Roof by Angus Johnston A group of partiers on the roof of a Cornell frat house allegedly taunted black students and threw objects — including an empty Jack Daniels bottle — at them as they passed on the street. Beverly Fonkwo, a sophomore, says she and a friend were walking home when people began throwing things at them from the Sigma Pi roof. When she confronted the crowd, she says, they threw more tras... more »

The United States of Pearson? « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

The United States of Pearson? « Diane Ravitch's blog: The United States of Pearson? by dianerav Ever since the debacle of Pineapplegate, it is widely recognized by everyone other than the publishing giant Pearson that its tentacles have grown too long and too aggressive. It is difficult to remember what part of American education has not been invaded by Pearson’s corporate grasp. It holds billions of dollars to test students. Its scores will be used to calculate the value of teachers. It has a deal with the Gates Foundation to store all the student-level data collected at... more »

Finally gets one right: Arne Duncan Endorses Marriage Equality | ThinkProgress

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Arne Duncan Endorses Marriage Equality | ThinkProgress: *ARNE DUNCAN ENDORSES MARRIAGE EQUALITY | *Arne Duncan, President Obama’s Secretary of Education, endorsed marriage equality during an appearance on Morning Joe on Monday following Vice President Joe Biden’s support for the issue. “Yes, I do,” Duncan said in response to a question from Mark Halperin, noting that he had never been publicly asked his opinion on marriage equality. Watch it: Duncan is the second cabinet official to support same-sex marriage. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan voiced his endorsem... more »

The Big Philanthropic Shift: Now What? :: Frederick M. Hess

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

The Big Philanthropic Shift: Now What? :: Frederick M. Hess: The Big Philanthropic Shift: Now What? *by Frederick M. Hess • May 7, 2012 at 8:43 am Cross-posted from Education Week* Print Send RSS [image: Share] Share I recently wrote a piece for *Phi Delta Kappan* exploring a couple of the key developments in edu-giving since 2005. That's the year I published *With the Best of Intentions: How Philanthropy is Reshaping K-12 Education*, in which I (in my usual mean-spirited fashion) used the dismal experience of the then-recently concluded $1.1 billion Annenberg Challenge as a ju... more »

Bringing the PTA into the 21st Century or What I learned at the Washington State PTA Convention | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Bringing the PTA into the 21st Century or What I learned at the Washington State PTA Convention | Seattle Education: Bringing the PTA into the 21st Century or What I learned at the Washington State PTA Convention by seattleducation2011 It was painfully apparent on Friday during the general assembly meeting what regions and districts were represented at the Washington State PTA (WSPTA) Convention and what communities, towns and cities were not. The General Assembly during the WSPTA Convention is when members vote on candidates for leadership positions and on resolutions that have be... more »

Shanker Blog » Staff Matters: Social Resilience In Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Shanker Blog » Staff Matters: Social Resilience In Schools: Staff Matters: Social Resilience In Schools by Esther Quintero In the world of education, particularly in the United States, educational fads, policy agendas, and funding priorities tend to change rapidly. The attention of education research fluctuates accordingly. And, as David Cohen persuasively argues in *Teaching and Its Predicaments*, the nation has little coherent educational infrastructure to fall back upon. As a result of all this, teachers’ work is almost always surrounded by important levels of uncertainty (e.g.,... more »

Ask the Teachers | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Ask the Teachers | ED.gov Blog: Ask the Teachers Posted on May 7, 2012 by Arne Duncan *Cross-posted from the Huffington Post.* ** * * When I ask teachers why they teach, they almost always say that it is because they want to make a difference in the lives of children. They talk about the joys of teaching and the singular rewards of watching children learn. Often they mention former students who get in touch years after they graduate to thank them for their success. Yet stories of lasting and life-changing teacher-student relationships contrast starkly with what teachers say when ask... more »

Guess when this warning about testing was written - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Guess when this warning about testing was written - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Guess when this warning about testing was written By Valerie Strauss The following, published in an American newspaper, warns about the dangers of attaching high stakes to standardized test results and about the growing dependence on these assessments in public education. The piece was written by Fred Smith, who was a research analyst in testing for the New York Public Schools for many years. This sounds like it was written this year, but it wasn’t. Read it and at the end you’ll see when and ... more »

“Fighting for the children while the shrapnel seems only to be killing teacher after teacher.” | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

“Fighting for the children while the shrapnel seems only to be killing teacher after teacher.” | Get Schooled: “Fighting for the children while the shrapnel seems only to be killing teacher after teacher.” by Maureen Downey [image: over (Medium)]I wrote a column for the print AJC on national Teacher Appreciation Week, which I will post later today. I decided to post this essay first to kick off the week. This was written by a local teacher who asked me to withhold her name. Here is her piece: It’s teacher appreciation week, again, and the fact the fact that teacher morale is at th... more »

Jersey Jazzman: King Christie

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: King Christie: King Christie by Duke Chris Christie will take as much power as he can grab: But on his education agenda at least, the governor is also finding he can move on some key issues without the legislature’s full consent, creating tensions along the way but with, so far, no one stopping him. An example came last week when Christie announced a new plan for high school testing that would effectively do away with the current High School Proficient Assessment and replace it with yearly exams in language arts and math, as well as possibly other subjects. When a... more »

Break Up UC? | California Progress Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Break Up UC? | California Progress Report: Break Up UC? by megan *By Peter Schrag* There was no great surprise in last month’s proposal to devolve more control of the University of California’s ten campuses – and thus more autonomy -- to the campuses themselves. And it’s even less surprising that it came from Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau, former Provost C. Judson King and other Berkeley officials. All ten are supposedly equal, but it’s no secret that Berkeley, possibly with UCLA and San Diego, are more equal than others. Similar proposals have come from Berkeley administrat... more »

LAUSD'S MIRAMONTE SCANDAL- HOW DOES IT HAPPEN? (VIDEO #5) - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

LAUSD'S MIRAMONTE SCANDAL- HOW DOES IT HAPPEN? (VIDEO #5) - Perdaily.com: LAUSD'S MIRAMONTE SCANDAL- HOW DOES IT HAPPEN? (VIDEO #5) by Leonard Isenberg [image: Top-down.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) The Miramonte Child Abuse Scandal shows a disquieting picture of the Los Angeles Unified School District's (LAUSD) top-down model of school administration, where the defensive mechanisms that should have been in place to protect students were sabotaged by a culture where nobody dares contradict the pr... more »

NYC Educator: The Emperor Speaks

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

NYC Educator: The Emperor Speaks: The Emperor Speaks by NYC Educator To kick off teacher appreciation week, Mayor Bloomberg has unilaterally declared that there will be no retroactive pay for teachers. In Mayor Bloomberg's New York, as in much of the country, putting "children first" means teachers, alone among city employees, get nothing. They should be happy they get paid at all. Billionaire Bloomberg takes a dollar a year to run his fiefdom and thinks that ought to be enough for anyone, except cops, firefighters, clerks, and everyone else but educators. This is a remarkable pos... more »

Deep Inside Whitney Tilson and His Future Issues With the SEC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Deep Inside Whitney Tilson and His Future Issues With the SEC by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) Sometimes you create your own luck, sometimes it just falls right on your lap. Today, it fell on our lap. A person deep inside Whitney Tilson's organization contacted the SBSB newsroom to share some of of what Whitney Tilson truly is. We here at SBSB wish to applaud this deep background source on his feeling the need to expose Whitney for what he truly is. We vetted this person and all checks out that he is quite familiar with Whitney and his antics.... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Protesting Pearson's latest move on teacher licensing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Protesting Pearson's latest move on teacher licensing: Protesting Pearson's latest move on teacher licensing by Mike Klonsky Ilana Panich-Linsman for The New York Times Barbara Madeloni, front right, who runs the high school teacher training program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with some of her students, who have refused to participate in a pilot program for a new licensing procedure being developed by the education company Pearson and Stanford University to be marketed to states nationwide. Education students are refusing to ... m