Barack Obama Supports Gay Marriage - Finally! #SOSCHAT

Obama declares support for gay marriage 

.
President Obama today announced that he now supports same-sex marriage, reversing his longstanding opposition amid growing pressure from the Democratic base and even his own vice president.

In an interview with ABC News' Robin Roberts, the president described his thought process as an "evolution" that led him to this place, based on conversations with his own staff members, openly gay and lesbian service members, and conversations with his wife and own daughters

Big Education Ape Nite Cap UPDATE 5-9-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

BEFORE NOON HONEST!

RahmPublican

by Mike Klonsky

What Rahm must be thinking: Hey, this is great. It's like I'm back in the White House -- embracing the GOP, attacking teachers unions, their pensions and health care, closing mental health clinics, and warring on NATO protesters -- all on the same day.

Testifying before a House committee, Emanuel called for a 10-year holiday on paying cost-of-living increases in Chicago's four pension funds and other government retirement systems around the state. That freeze would apply to both current workers and those who already have retired.

As for Rahm's Teacher Appreciation Day pat on the head, the Reader's Ben Joravsky writes:

Apparently, Mayor Emanuel's appreciation for teachers is a little like his affinity for the principles of the Democratic Party... He's certainly not shown much appreciation for Chicago's public school teachers... Having already cut their pay, he's ordering them to work longer for less, while converting more unionized schools into lower-paying, nonunion charters and playing hardball in contract negotiations. It sure looks like he's itching for a strike. All in the name of helping the kids, of course.

Morello raging against Rahm

Then, just to top off his fine RahmPublican day, he ordered the nation's largest Nurse's Association's march 

Email message from Barack Obama

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

Kenneth --Today, I was asked a direct question and gave a direct answer:
I believe that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.
I hope you'll take a moment to watch the conversation, consider it, and weigh in yourself on behalf of marriage equality:
http://my.barackobama.com/...
I've always believed that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally. I was reluctant to use the term marriage because of the very powerful traditions it evokes. And I thought 

Strongly urge people to read Andrew Sullivan

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

in his heartfelt post on marriage equality.  It is titled Obama Lets Go of Fear and it is powerful.
Let me just give a few snips.

So let me simply say: I think of all the gay kids out there who now know they have their president on their side. I think of Maurice Sendak, who just died, whose decades-long relationship was never given the respect it deserved. I think of the centuries and decades in which gay people found it  impossible to believe that marriage and inclusion in their own families was possible for them, so crushed were they by the weight of social and religious pressure. I think of all those in the plague years shut out of hospital rooms, thrown out of apartments, written out of wills, treated like human 

The NJDOE Makes Their Own Rules, Yet Again...

by darciecima

Now I've had it.  From State Street Wires:

State DOE to review several charter school applications TRENTON - The following charter school applications have been qualified for the approval process, the state Department of Education. Approval decisions will be made later, officials said. The following applications are listed by name, grade levels, number of student they are projected to take in, and the municipalities which they will serve. They are: Camden's Rosedale Charter School Grades Kindergarten to 4 Projected to serve

“the most effective way of helping children from low-income households to achieve their ambitions is engaging parents in their children’s learning”

by Larry Ferlazzo

Source: shareasimage.com via Larry on Pinterest    

The above quote comes from a new “meta-analysis” of scores of studies that found that parent involvement in

WE NEED TO ACCEPT SOME OF THE BLAME

by alkleen

I hate to say this, but Illinois teachers need to accept some of the blame for the current pension crisis.  Did we do everything possible over the years to combat the underfunding of our pension here in Illinois?  Did we see this crisis coming and start demanding years ago that the legislature stop stealing our funds? Did we hold rallies, protests, letter writing campaigns, and threaten to take action when the first few millions were stolen by the state?  I hate to say this, but I don’t think we did. I think we failed right along with our union leaders, lobbyists and legislative allies.  We should have voiced our outrage long before the millions became billions. We should have threatened state-wide strikes and done whatever it took to demand an end to the stealing of our pension funds. The question now is, what are we going to do now that the crisis is out of control? We probably have until November to do everything we can to fight for our pensions and insurance benefits. Will we make our outrage heard this time so the damage isn’t too severe?  I sure hope so.
Our failure to confront the pension problem early on, is very similar to how teachers failed to stop the trend of

Many Schools a No-Show at DCPS Job Fair

by Candi Peterson

Written by Candi Peterson


Eastern Senior high school, was the site for the first  DC Public Schools job fair held on May 9th. Surprisingly, it was not as crowded as it had been in years past. In fact the number of educators present seemed sparse and a little over 100 teachers. This year 333 teachers were officially hand delivered excess notices on Friday, May 4, 2012 which means they will no longer hold their current positions at the end of the school year. By definition an "excess is an elimination of a Teacher’s position at a particular school due to a decline in student enrollment, a reduction in the local school budget, a closing or consolidation, a restructuring, or a change in the local school program, when such an elimination is not a ‘reduction in force’ (RIF) or ‘abolishment."
According to a press statement released by DCPS earlier this week: "Excessed employees have until August 15 to find a placement for next school year. After that point, all unplaced excessed employees with Effective or

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-9-12 #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

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-9-12 #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

Big Education Ape Special Early Evening Update #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 57 minutes ago

*Big Education Ape Special Early Evening Update* Pineapplegate continues, with 20 more errors, and finally an apologia from Pearson by Leonie Haimson It has been nearly three weeks since I first blogged about the absurd Pineapple story on the NY State 8th grade exam, produced by Pearson. Since then, even more errors have been found, and just yesterday twenty newly discovered mistakes in the math exams in foreign languages were announced. That brings this year's total to 29-30 errors in all, including six Pineapple questions, a question on the fourth grade math test with tw... more »

Rheevealing Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Admits There Were Testing Irregularities - USATODAY.com Video

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Rhee Admits There Were Testing Irregularities - USATODAY.com Video: Rhee Admits There Were Testing Irregularities Former D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee says she welcomes an investigation into erasures on standardized tests during her tenure.

Please help Philadelphia: Poster child for disasters of corporate reform « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Please help Philadelphia: Poster child for disasters of corporate reform « Parents Across America: Please help Philadelphia: Poster child for disasters of corporate reform by leoniehaimson Dear parents and PAA colleagues: It’s taken me a while to talk about what’s happening in Philadelphia because of the destructive forces threatening public education in our city. In case you haven’t read the news, Philadelphia’s Chief Recovery Officer – a gas industry executive paid $150K over six months – hired the Boston Consulting Group for a cool $1.4 million to create a “Blueprint for Reform”... more »

Mother Crusader: Cerf's Hostile Takeover Of Public Ed; Charter Regulations Edition

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Mother Crusader: Cerf's Hostile Takeover Of Public Ed; Charter Regulations Edition: Cerf's Hostile Takeover Of Public Ed; Charter Regulations Edition by darciecima You wouldn't think a suburban mom would take changes to charter school regulations personally. But I am. I really am. There are some big changes here, and I will continue to outline them in the coming days and weeks. But you know what? The NJDOE has been operating as if many of these changes are already in effect. I have caught them not adhering to the existing regulations on more than one occasion, and I h... more »

UW-Madison Study Shows Impact of Walker’s Destructive Education Policies « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

UW-Madison Study Shows Impact of Walker’s Destructive Education Policies « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: UW-Madison Study Shows Impact of Walker’s Destructive Education Policies by millerlf *University of Wisconsin-­Madison* *ELPA Policy Brief* *May 2012* *Making Matters Worse: School Funding, Achievement Gaps and Poverty under Wisconsin Act 32* *By James Shaw and Carolyn Kelley* The 2011-­‐13 Wisconsin biennial budget (Act 32) reduced state aid to school districts by $792 million. This budget reduction follows a reduction of $284 million in the 2009-­‐11 biennial bud... more »

Chicago Teacher Union’s Karen Lewis on pensions. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Chicago Teacher Union’s Karen Lewis on pensions. « Fred Klonsky: Chicago Teacher Union’s Karen Lewis on pensions. by Fred Klonsky CTU President Karen Lewis on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight. *What are your thoughts on pensions for teachers?*“I think a lot of people don’t realize that we don’t get social security at all. Pension is the only retirement thing we have outside of individual savings and plans. So it matters to us. I’m a younger teacher, I’m 32, but of course I think about my retirement. I feel really bad for a lot of teachers who are getting out of the system now because they a... more »

Unpacking the Meaning of Appreciation « InterACT

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Unpacking the Meaning of Appreciation « InterACT: Unpacking the Meaning of Appreciation by David B. Cohen *Appreciation.* Let’s talk about the word, “appreciation.” By the time this blog post is done, you’re going to appreciate that word in whole new way. I love words – the sounds, the nuances, the etymology! (Did you know that the word “school” with reference to a group of fish has no linguistic relationship to the education term with the same spelling? The former is German and Dutch in origin, meaning “group” – while the latter is from Greek and related to learning). If a lov... more »

Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break 5-9 #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* Classified Employees of 2012 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education) coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 minutes ago Classified Employees of 2012 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces California's 2012 Classified School Employees of the Year SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today named six exemplary classified school employees as California's 2012 Classified School Employees of the Year - School/Teacher Recognition. "Across California, classified school employees are ... more »

Classified Employees of 2012 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Classified Employees of 2012 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces California's 2012 Classified School Employees of the Year SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today named six exemplary classified school employees as California's 2012 Classified School Employees of the Year - School/Teacher Recognition. "Across California, classified school employees are the people who do an awful lot of the work and get almost none of the credit," Torlakson said. "It's a pleasure to be able to recognize the contributions of... more »

Further Thoughts on Computer Scoring of Student Writing - Dana Goldstein

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Further Thoughts on Computer Scoring of Student Writing - Dana Goldstein: Further Thoughts on Computer Scoring of Student Writing by Dana Goldstein Today Slate published a piece I've been working on for about a month, about computer assessment of student writing. You may have read about a new University of Akron study that found computer programs and people award student writing samples similar grades. The results are impressive, but their applicability is limited. As I discuss in the article, the study looked exclusively at the current generation of state standardized tests, whi... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Rethinking Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Rethinking Reform: Rethinking Reform by Anngie Current education reform discussions revolve around modifications to the * existing* system of education delivery. They rarely touch on *what* is being delivered. Though there is a big push to develop a set of "Common Standards" which would cover the "what", those standards still really on focus on creating efficiencies in the delivery of education. If everyone is learning the same things, from the same source materials, we get economies of scale and measurable production line improvements. This is why ch... more »

Springfield yeas and nays Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Springfield yeas and nays: Springfield yeas and nays by admin Some bills to contact your Illinois House members and Senators about: *Please support SB 637 as amended:* This bill requires charter schools to waive fees for low-income families and was introduced to address the outrageous fees charged by the Noble Charter School Network for minor infractions such as eating chips and failing to track the teacher with your eyes. *From Raise Your Hand* (with a few informational comments I added *in italics*) *Please support Recess... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Juking the Stats: Hallmark of the Bloomberg administration

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Juking the Stats: Hallmark of the Bloomberg administration: Juking the Stats: Hallmark of the Bloomberg administration by Leonie Haimson Two of the most damning legacies of the 12-year Bloomberg imperium will likely be the fallacious, manipulative (over)use of data in the NYPD and the DOE -- what is commonly known in the police world as "juking the stats." For all who watch our children's educations and our city's public schools being systematically ruined by an ill-conceived and obsessive focus on "management by measurables," it is highly instructive to... more »

Thoughts on the Washington State PTA Convention | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Thoughts on the Washington State PTA Convention | Seattle Education: Thoughts on the Washington State PTA Convention by seattleducation2011 I had watched the charter resolution develop over the last several months from the time that the original plank was developed by Chad Mangendanz and Alison Meryweather through until the convention when Chad got up and talked about his visit to KIPP in San Diego as a school board member and how wonderful the school was and how there was a graduation rate of 95% and on and on. Chad called charter schools another “tool in the tool kit” during his... more »

Malloy’s 2012 Education Reform Initiative: It’s Not Whether You Win or Lose, But How You Spin the News… - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Malloy’s 2012 Education Reform Initiative: It’s Not Whether You Win or Lose, But How You Spin the News… - Wait, What?: Malloy’s 2012 Education Reform Initiative: It’s Not Whether You Win or Lose, But How You Spin the News… by jonpelto In the days and hours before the Connecticut legislature voted on the big “Education Reform” bill, Governor Malloy and his “education reform” allies where blasting Connecticut’s Democratic legislators. The attacks included the observation that Democrats were “killing hope in Connecticut,” that Democrats were dedicating to preventing “any real accou... more »

Hechinger Report | Getting a teaching license may soon include a new test — can hopefuls handle a classroom?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Hechinger Report | Getting a teaching license may soon include a new test — can hopefuls handle a classroom?: Getting a teaching license may soon include a new test — can they handle a classroom? by Sarah Butrymowicz To earn a teaching license in most states, candidates must pass a handful of exams — largely multiple-choice — that test basic skills and knowledge of specific subjects. Some states also include tests that focus on teaching strategies. One state, Montana, requires no tests at all, just graduation from a teaching program. This pathway to the classroom has long been call... more »

Everyone has iPad except the BIG EDUCATION APE

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Orangutans at Miami's Jungle Island use iPads to communicate - Florida Wires - MiamiHerald.com: Orangutans at Miami's Jungle Island use iPads to communicate Related Content - http://orangutan.org - http://missmillie.org - http://redapes.org - http://jungleisland.com BY DAVID FISCHERASSOCIATED PRESS MIAMI -- The 8-year-old twins love their iPad. They draw, play games and expand their vocabulary. Their family's teenagers also like the hand-held computer tablets, too, but the clan's elders show no interest. The orangutans at Miami's Jungle Island apparently are j... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, May 9, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Wednesday, May 9, 2012* * * * * Lodi Unified says plans 'stable' for 2012-13 school yearThe Lodi Unified School District remains in position to fully implement an estimated $215 million spending plan for 2012-13. Bret Harte kids bring their own computersBret Harte Union High School District will continue its “Bring Your Own Device” program next year, after a successful spring trial run that allowed students to use their own laptops and other electronic devices for academic work on campus. Schools benefit change...more »

The Privatization of Creativity | Dissident Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

The Privatization of Creativity | Dissident Voice: The Privatization of Creativity by Max Haiven *1. The new hype about creativity* Who can hate creativity? Who would want less of it? No one, obviously. But something profound has happened to the idea of creative expression in the past 20-30 years that should give us pause. For one, it’s become big business: as the globalized economy becomes more and more competitive, corporations are increasingly desperate to have their workers “create” new and different things to sell. As advertising media accelerate and slowly fill up public spa... more »

Studying school quality, to fight inequality - MIT News Office

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Studying school quality, to fight inequality - MIT News Office: Studying school quality, to fight inequality New MIT center examines education and its lifelong effects. “The charter schools’ idea is, ‘Let a thousand flowers bloom,’” Angrist says. “Well, many of those flowers are dandelions. … [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Education has long been perceived as a great leveler in the United States, providing opportunities throughout society. But at a time of economic struggle, millions of people are wondering if the country’s schools can still provi... more »

David Chura: Who Are the True 'Failures' in America's School System?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

David Chura: Who Are the True 'Failures' in America's School System?: Who Are the True 'Failures' in America's School System? [image: "Those who can, teach. Those who cannot pass laws about teaching."] Like most teachers I've gotten some praise from my high school students over my 26 years of teaching -- a lesson "wasn't bad," or a particular class was "sorta interesting." I've even been told that I was a "pretty good teacher." High praise coming from teenagers. But the truth is I wasn't a "good teacher." I was a "failure," at least according to America's "education reformers" -- ... more »

Schools Matter: The Naked Truth about the National Reading Panel Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Schools Matter: The Naked Truth about the National Reading Panel Report: National Reading Panel Erred; Letter Incorrect Published in Education Week, May 9, 2012 To the Editor: I was astounded to read Linda Diamond's revisionist view of the last decade in literacy research ("Common-Core Standards in Reading Not 'Flawed,' " March 28, 2012). Ms. Diamond maintains that the National Reading Panel's conclusions supporting explicit and systematic instruction "in the reading-foundation skills" is "well supported by research." Either Ms. Diamond is not aware of the furious criticism that e... more »

Shanker Blog » The Weighting Game

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Shanker Blog » The Weighting Game: The Weighting Game by Matthew Di Carlo A while back, I noted that states and districts should exercise caution in assigning weights (importance) to the components of their teacher evaluation systems before they know what the other components will be. For example, most states that have mandated new evaluation systems have specified that growth model estimates count for a certain proportion (usually 40-50 percent) of teachers’ final scores (at least those in tested grades/subjects), but it’s critical to note that the *actual* importance of these ... more »

Citing Costs, Poor Service, Charters Ditch District Special Ed - voiceofsandiego.org: Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Citing Costs, Poor Service, Charters Ditch District Special Ed - voiceofsandiego.org: Education: Citing Costs, Poor Service, Charters Ditch District Special Ed *Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 6:00 am* There's a quiet, studious hum in Deborah Armusewicz's classroom. Kids dressed neatly in button-down, pine-green sweater vests and neckties politely raise their hands to answer questions while two support teachers mill around the room like earnest chaperones, pausing occasionally to whisper encouragement or corrections over a child's shoulder. Observing this calm period at one of t... more »

Rheeform faces Rheesistance in Nashville | The Tennessean | tennessean.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Great Hearts charter school faces resistance in Nashville | The Tennessean | tennessean.com: Great Hearts charter school faces resistance in NashvilleParents fear school wants affluent, white families Officials with Arizona-based Great Hearts Academies charter school chain say they never have had resistance trying to start schools around Phoenix like they’re having in Nashville. After laws changed in Tennessee to lift a cap on the number of charter schools that can open, and also allow any student to enroll, Great Hearts targeted the Volunteer State and Texas to expand. But about ... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-9 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

*BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS* The heat is on. « Fred Klonsky coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago The heat is on. « Fred Klonsky: The heat is on. by Fred Klonsky *Illinois State Representative Darlene Senger.* It is getting harder and harder for Illinois legislators to hide. And pressure from active and retired teachers is not just coming in the form of traditional IEA lobbying. For example, Naperville tomorrow from 4 to 6 PM. Folks will gather at the Free Speech Pavillion at the corner of Webster and Jackson and march to *Darlene Senger’s* office a block ... more »

The heat is on. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

The heat is on. « Fred Klonsky: The heat is on. by Fred Klonsky *Illinois State Representative Darlene Senger.* It is getting harder and harder for Illinois legislators to hide. And pressure from active and retired teachers is not just coming in the form of traditional IEA lobbying. For example, Naperville tomorrow from 4 to 6 PM. Folks will gather at the Free Speech Pavillion at the corner of Webster and Jackson and march to *Darlene Senger’s* office a block away. Senger is a State Representative and sits on the Governor’s Pension Panel. Senger is one of those who put her name on th... more »

Ay, caramba! Foreign language versions of school exams riddled with errors - NY Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Ay, caramba! Foreign language versions of school exams riddled with errors - NY Daily News: Ay, caramba! Foreign language versions of school exams riddled with errorsState throws out 20 questions, blaming bad translations, from test versions in Spanish, Chinese, Haitian creole, Korean and Russian *GO TO * *National Resolution on High-Stakes Testing* STATE OFFICIALS tossed out 20 questions from the foreign-language versions of the state math exam, citing sloppy translations, the Daily News has learned. The latest revelations brought the total number of discredited state exam ques... more »

ALEC Gets a Break From State Lobbying Laws | Mother Jones

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

ALEC Gets a Break From State Lobbying Laws | Mother Jones: ALEC Gets a Break From State Lobbying Laws The American Legislative Exchange Council says it's not a lobbying group. Then why have three states specifically exempted it from their rules for lobbyists? —By Paul Abowd | Tue May. 8, 2012 3:00 AM PDT 16 - - On April 20, Common Cause submitted awhistleblower complaint to the IRS, claiming that the American Legislative Exchange Council is "a corporate lobbying group masquerading as a charity." The move was the latest salvo in progressive groups' campaign to limit the inf... more »

Senator Mary Landrieu: Please Investigate! « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Senator Mary Landrieu: Please Investigate! « Diane Ravitch's blog: Senator Mary Landrieu: Please Investigate! by dianerav My last two posts about the alleged miracle in New Orleans referred to a good news story that appeared–at least online, if not in print–in the New Orleans Times-Picayune. The story included a photograph of Senator Mary Landrieu standing with a group of students from the New Orleans College Prep Charter School. Something about that school rang a bell. I remembered that the Southern Poverty Law Center filed a complaint against the Louisiana Department of Educatio... more »

Modern School: The Pendulum of Stupidity: All Reforms Lead to Broken Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Modern School: The Pendulum of Stupidity: All Reforms Lead to Broken Schools: The Pendulum of Stupidity: All Reforms Lead to Broken Schools by Michael Dunn Are We There Yet? (Image from Flickr, by Phillie Casablanca) I’ve written a lot about the Common Core Standards movement recently and its corporate benefactors (click here, here and here). Anthony Cody just published a wonderful interview withYong* *Zhao (Presidential Chair and Associate Dean for Global Education, College of Education at the University of Oregon) on the topic. Rather than republish the entire interview (you can... more »

The CHE's Craven Blow Against Honest Speech :: Frederick M. Hess

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

The CHE's Craven Blow Against Honest Speech :: Frederick M. Hess: The *CHE*'s Craven Blow Against Honest Speech*by Frederick M. Hess • May 9, 2012 at 9:02 am* *Cross-posted from Education Week* Last week, the *Chronicle of Higher Education* blogger Naomi Schaefer Riley posted a tough, skewering (dare we say "mean-spirited") item blasting what she sees as a lack of academic rigor in black studies departments (hardly an earth-shattering observation, given that similar complaints have been made about all sorts of race and gender studies programs). For her trouble, on Monday she wa... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Tenure Hypocrisy Update

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Tenure Hypocrisy Update: Tenure Hypocrisy Update by Duke Here's your latest update on the Perth Amboy tenure hypocrisy case: When we last checked in, ACTING NJDOE Commissioner Chris Cerf had reinstated anti-tenure superintendent Janine Caffrey, overriding the vote of the PA school board. In other words, Caffrey used an appeal to a third-party to protect her right to due process - which is *exactly* the definition of tenure. The hypocrisy here is stunning. NJ Spotlight has posted Cerf's decision. You'll notice that he's very slick here (he is, after all, a lawyer)... more »

The Dangerous Facts About New Orleans « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

The Dangerous Facts About New Orleans « Diane Ravitch's blog: The Dangerous Facts About New Orleans by dianerav I wrote in a blog yesterday about a balanced news story about the New Orleans story. It began with the usual paeans of praise to the charter miracle and the miracle of having great (inexperienced TFA) teachers, but then shifted gears and gave time to critics of this narrative. This is the link: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/05/sen_mary_landrieu_touts_new_o r.html However, the story did not appear in the print edition, and critics of the miracle in New Orlea...more »

Telling Lies About US Education « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Telling Lies About US Education « Diane Ravitch's blog: Telling Lies About US Education by dianerav Someone sent me a link to an organization I had not previously heard of. It’s called the State Government Leadership Foundation, and it sounds a lot like ALEC. It takes positions and offers policy advice on many different issues, all from a conservative point of view. After much scouring of the site, I discovered that SGLI is a 501(c)(4) organization associated with the Republican State Leadership Committee. When I went to the section of the website on education reform, I was not ... more »

Bullets, marijuana and other barriers to school reform in East Oakland - Inside Bay Area

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Bullets, marijuana and other barriers to school reform in East Oakland - Inside Bay Area: Bullets, marijuana and other barriers to school reform in East Oakland By Katy Murphy Oakland Tribune Posted: 05/08/2012 04:01:47 PM PDT Updated: 05/09/2012 04:56:49 AM PDT Click photo to enlarge Principal Daniel Hurst asks some direct questions of local law enforcement, school district... - - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - » OAKLAND -- East Oakland's Fremont High School campus is undergoing a transformation this year -- the second major reform effort in a decade. Its three... more »

Philly School District goes to Supreme Court in charter case - Philly.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Philly School District goes to Supreme Court in charter case - Philly.com: Philly School District goes to Supreme Court in charter case May 08, 2012|By Martha Woodall, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER - - - Share on emailShare on printShare on redditMore Sharing Services - - - - [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] The Philadelphia School District has asked the state Supreme Court to consider overturning a recent Commonwealth Court ruling about charter schools that could have dire consequences for Philadelphia and oth... more »

Students must summon our inner superheroes for educational justice | Thoughts on Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Students must summon our inner superheroes for educational justice | Thoughts on Public Education: Students must summon our inner superheroes for educational justice Share Posted on 5/08/12 • Categorized as Achievement Gap By *Citlali Hernandez* When I was a young child, every Saturday morning I would watch cartoons, especially Batman. Although people may think it’s a cliché for children to be inspired by superheroes, the feeling children get from watching people who can change the world into a better place touches a true emotion. I don’t have superpowers, but I do have the power t... more »

Cerf Enters Perth Amboy Superintendent Fight

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

NJ Spotlight | Fine Print: Cerf Enters Perth Amboy Superintendent Fight: Fine Print: Cerf Enters Perth Amboy Superintendent Fight Acting commissioner's ruling puts embattled school administrator back to work print | email | share By John Mooney, May 9, 2012 in Education |3 Comments *What it is:* New Jersey’s acting education commissioner, Chris Cerf, yesterday ruled on a legal challenge that Perth Amboy superintendent Janine Caffrey must be reinstated to her job, at least for now, after the district’s school board voted in April to dismiss her over a number of political differences... more »

Daily Kos: A brief moment of personal reflection

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Daily Kos: A brief moment of personal reflection: A brief moment of personal reflection by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) In exactly two weeks I will turn 66. Each year as May 23 approaches, I find myself reflecting, looking back on the year that has passed, wondering what if anything I might have to offer on that date itself. Certainly in the year that I turned 60 that seemed most appropriate. This year is somewhat different. My birthday will occur less than 3 weeks before I leave the school at which I have taught, except for one year, since 1998. It will be exactly one week ... more »

Teacher evaluation: What it should look like - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Teacher evaluation: What it should look like - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Teacher evaluation: What it should look like Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 2 hours ago A new report from Stanford University researcher Linda Darling-Hammond details what the components of a comprehensive teacher evaluation system should look like at a time when such assessments have become one of the most contentious debates in education today. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon] Ben Carson's creationist...more »

FINALLY MAKING A STAND AGAINST LAUSD IN THE OAH - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

FINALLY MAKING A STAND AGAINST LAUSD IN THE OAH - Perdaily.com: FINALLY MAKING A STAND AGAINST LAUSD IN THE OAH by Leonard Isenberg [image: Case dismissed with prejudice.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) *For years the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has been running roughshod over teachers, who they have succeeded in removing from their livelihood as professional tenured teachers as if they had no rights under collective bargaining or to due process of law. With the Miramonte Child Abuse ... more »

The Innovative Educator: Parent opts child out of field test and opts into meaningful learning

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

The Innovative Educator: Parent opts child out of field test and opts into meaningful learning: Parent opts child out of field test and opts into meaningful learning by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) *Opt Out of Field Tests*Students across the nation have been unnecessarily subjected to the most expensive and least effective assessments possible over the past few months...standardized tests. While in all cases this resulted in stolen instructional time, in many cases it was even worse and also resulted in students forced to take tests against parental will even if it meant emot... more »

Arts high school students walk out to protest proposed budget cuts - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Arts high school students walk out to protest proposed budget cuts - latimes.com: Arts high school students walk out to protest proposed budget cuts [image: Cortines school student protest] More than 1,000 students from the Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts walked from their downtown campus to school district headquarters Tuesday afternoon to protest budget cuts that have the potential to devastate the school’s arts program. The high school opened three years ago as the district’s flagship arts program in a gleaming, high-tech campus on the north edge of downtown. The s... more »

NYC Educator: Obama to Teachers--Drop Dead

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

NYC Educator: Obama to Teachers--Drop Dead: Obama to Teachers--Drop Dead by NYC Educator To show how much he appreciates the endorsements of NEA and AFT, President Barack Obama declared this week, Teacher Appreciation Week, to be National Charter School Week. So all you public school teachers wasting your time with kids who don't speak English, kids who have special needs, kids who need alternate assessment, and all the other kids who don't improve the test scores can go straight to hell. The President has taken your week and given it to Bill Gates, Eli Broad, Michelle Rhee and the... more »

Peg with Pen: Mind Trust's David Harris: His Next Step Will Be Over You

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Peg with Pen: Mind Trust's David Harris: His Next Step Will Be Over You: Mind Trust's David Harris: His Next Step Will Be Over You by Peggy As a former public school teacher who knows a lot about authentic assessment, I am always fascinated to read directives given by the likes of Mr. Harris, who hasn't taught - yet can suggest a school closing based on standardized test data - data that quite honestly, is worthless – if indeed you wish to know about real student learning. Mr. Harris, CEO of Mind Trust, recently stated that The Project School (as well as three other schools) in I... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap UPDATE 5-8-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-8-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2: *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* *BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS* *BEFORE NOON HONEST!* North Hollywood school is part of Maurice Sendak's legacy by By C.J. Lin, Staff Writer Former North Hollywood elementary school Principal Nancy Oda took the news of beloved children's author Maurice Sendak's death especially hard. Original enclosure (20120508_071913_do08 maurice sendak obit 1.jpg) DOE Response on Opting Out of State Tests by Patrick J. Sullivan *After reports of some families receiving harsh treatme... more »