A Big Education Ape Nite Cap
Bullying of Teachers Pervasive in Many Schools | NEA Today: Bullying of Teachers Pervasive in Many Schools May 16, 2012 by twalker Filed under Featured News, Top Stories 2 Comments [image: Email][image: Share] *By Cindy Long* Workplace bullying is on the rise. About *a third of American workers have been impacted by bullying in the workplace,* either as a target or as witness to abusive behavior against a co-worker. Unfortunately, it’s even more prevalent in the field of education. In a recent survey of medium-sized school districts, 25 percent of employees reported that were bein... more »
Modern School: Gimme an A or I’ll Get You Fired—Student Blackmail, Latest in Ed Deform: ' Gimme an A or I’ll Get You Fired—Student Blackmail, Latest in Ed Deform by Michael Dunn [image: save image] Hot off the wire from Good Education and the Hechinger Report: a new K-12 pilot program in Georgia has students at every grade level evaluating their teachers, evaluations that will determine whether a teacher keeps her or his job. Sounds crazy, but it is becoming more and more common for administrators to demand evaluation reform that includes student test data, evaluations of teache... more »
Remarks by the President at Medal of Honor Ceremony to Specialist Leslie H. Sabo, Jr. | The White House: Remarks by the President at Medal of Honor Ceremony to Specialist Leslie H. Sabo, Jr. East Room 3:26 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Please be seated. Thank you, General Rutherford. Good afternoon, everyone. We gather today to present the Medal of Honor for valor above and beyond the call of duty. In so doing we celebrate the soldier, the life that produced such gallantry -- Specialist Leslie H. Sabo, Jr. Today is also a solemn reminder that when an American does not come home from wa... more »
Can a Democrat support charter schools? | Politics Northwest | The Seattle Times: Can a Democrat support charter schools? Posted by Joni Balter *What is a Democrat?* No, really. Can one be a Democrat and favor charter schools? No, says, Nicholas Carlson, chairman of the 1st Legislative District Democrats, in a pointed email to Guy Palumbo, a Democratic businessman running, gasp, against a fellow Democrat, state Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe. Here is an excerpt from the email, first reported on the Washington State Wire: "Finally -- and I cannot stress the importance of this enough -- a... more »
Brown and Zorn on pensions. The final exchange in which Zorn dismisses the constitution and shows he truly has a home at the Tribune. « Fred Klonsky: Brown and Zorn on pensions. The final exchange in which Zorn dismisses the constitution and shows he truly has a home at the Tribune. by Fred Klonsky *To Glen:* *Discussing future pension obligations with you is like discussing proposed restrictions on gun rights with an NRA member: Every answer invokes the constitution – the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in their case, the pension clause in the Illinois Constitution in y... more »
New TX Re-districting Map Splits Austin School District in Half « Parents Across America: New TX Re-districting Map Splits Austin School District in Half by Lorie Barzano Lorie Barzano, Co-Chair, CoalitionSAUS (Strengthen Austin Urban Schools), PAA affiliate and parent led group representing 20 public school campuses in Austin’s urban core, which has a vision of quality, accessible public education for all. According to the most recent US Census, Texas again gained population during the past ten years. That means TX legislators have re-drawn electoral district maps for the second ... more »
A Health Iceberg — Whole Child Education: A Health Iceberg by Sean Slade I use these slides often when discussing health. It starts with the tenets, becomes a pyramid, and then ends with what I call a "health iceberg." Let me show you what I mean. [image: Slade - Health Iceberg] The first slide should be fairly obvious to those who are familiar with the five Whole Child Tenets: healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. No need to go over them once more here, but this video offers a great explanation. The second slide places the tenets into a structure or hierarchy (a la ... more »
Comptroller finds improprieties with another tutoring provider | GothamSchools: Comptroller finds improprieties with another tutoring provider by Philissa Cramer Holes in the Department of Education’s oversight of tutoring companies that work in city schools allowed one of the companies to collect payments without proving it had delivered services, according to an audit by Comptroller John Liu. Liu found that Champion Learning Center collected about $860,000 in the 2009-2010 school year for tutoring students who had not signed into tutoring sessions or for tutoring sessions that ... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's spy got caught red-shirted: Rahm's spy got caught red-shirted by Mike Klonsky Before he was spotted and told to leave the union meeting, Marc Wigler tried to get a delegate's credential from the district supervisors. Substance photo by John Kugler.What war on teachers would be complete without spies and enemy infiltrators? What's next -- drones? The problem for Warlord Rahm and Gen. J.C. Brizard is that their spy got nailed. New word for spy in Chicago -- *Wigler.*
Meanwhile, it turns out that we have Mayor Bloomberg to thank…. - Wait, What?: Meanwhile, it turns out that we have Mayor Bloomberg to thank…. by jonpelto Categories: Education, Malloy, Michelle Rhee, StudentsFirst Tags: Education Reform, Malloy, Michelle Rhee, StudentsFirst Yup, Despite having his own full agenda of issues, it turns out that we have Mayor Bloomberg to thank for the obnoxious television advertising blitz that Michelle Rhee and StudentsFirst ran here in Connecticut leading up to the vote on Governor Malloy’s “education reform” bill. As you may have seen, Reuters is... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: MO Lawmakers Make Way For More Charters: MO Lawmakers Make Way For More Charters by Anngie [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Yesterday the senate passed SB 576 which expands opportunities for charters within the state. In addition to allowing them in unaccredited and provisionally accredited districts, the bill allows local school districts to sponsor charter schools (meaning they could now be anywhere in the state.) The bill also attempts to make charters more accountable so that problems, like those with Imagine Schools in S... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle School Board Case Study: Seattle School Board Case Study by Melissa Westbrook Thanks to Miramac for this heads up on the report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Chamber Foundation and Institute for a Competitive Workforce about the Seattle School Board. I'm reading it now and so far I have found a couple of errors: *Because there is no campaign contribution limit, they can exercise significant power. *(They being WEA and private donors.) Luckily, this issue got rectified during the last session of the Legislature and the campaig... more »
RheeFirst! » Rhee sets to destroy public schools backed by conservatives, evangelicals and business: Rhee sets to destroy public schools backed by conservatives, evangelicals and business by admin Written by Stephanie Simon for Reuters. Read the entire article here (via the Chicago Tribune). “*But critics say Rhee risks destroying the very public schools she aims to save by forging alliances with political conservatives, evangelical groups and business interests that favor turning a large chunk of public education over to the private sector. She won’t disclose her donors, but pub... more »
Tweed Finds New Way to Harm Teachers: Flag them for Principals « JD2718: Tweed Finds New Way to Harm Teachers: Flag them for Principals by jd2718 by Lynne Winderbaum, retired ESL teacher, JFK HS, and former Bronx High School UFT District Rep *Principal’s Weekly May 1, 2012* *New Notification of Employee Disciplinary Flags* *All schools* *In accordance with the DOE’s effort to provide more comprehensive personnel information to principals, employees who have been the subject of disciplinary action will be identified with a flag symbol in Galaxy. The DOE is currently conducting a re... more »
Student-Testing Backlash Grows - WSJ.com: School-Test Backlash GrowsSome Parents, Teachers and Boards Rebel, Saying Education Is Being Stifled By STEPHANIE BANCHERO The increasing role of standardized testing in U.S. classrooms is triggering pockets of rebellion across the country from school officials, teachers and parents who say the system is stifling teaching and learning. The increasing role of standardized testing in classrooms is triggering pockets of rebellion across the U.S. from school officials, teachers and parents. Stephanie Banchero has details on The News Hub. Photo:... more »
A Secret Plan to Cut the University of California Loose? « Student Activism: A Secret Plan to Cut the University of California Loose? by Angus Johnston The Council of University of California Faculty Associations is saying there’s a deal in the works between Governor Jerry Brown and UC President Mark Yudof to “loosen the most important ties between the university and the state.” Under the terms of the reported deal, UC will be freed up to raise tuition, increase out-of-state enrollment, and divert state funds to construction projects. And crucially, it will no longer have to make... more »
ETHNIC STUDIES INTEGRATES ALL AMERICANS - Perdaily.com: ETHNIC STUDIES INTEGRATES ALL AMERICANS by Leonard Isenberg [image: Knowledge is power.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) *The only way we will know that we have succeeded in creating in a public education system "with liberty and justice for all" is when we can see ourselves in the brown and black faces of those demanding a right to a quality education system that reflects their history in a manner that should make us aware that it is our history... more »
“One Win” Quinn. The Governor uses bridge opening to attack teacher pensions. « Fred Klonsky: “One Win” Quinn. The Governor uses bridge opening to attack teacher pensions. by Fred Klonsky In 2010, in an overwhelmingly blue state, Pat Quinn could only beat right-wing Tea Party GOP candidate Bill Brady by 32,000 votes. There are 360,000 members of the Teacher Retirement System in Illinois. You do the math. “One Win” Quinn. In a classless and truthless statement, Quinn opened the rebuilt Congress Parkway Bridge that goes under the old post office by attacking teacher pensions. The mon... more »
Education Research Report: Charter Schools: How Many Bucks for the Desired Bang: Charter Schools: How Many Bucks for the Desired Bang by Jonathan Kantrowitz Do charter schools live up to their supporters’ claim that they deliver a better education for less money? While previous research has focused on the first half of that claim – education quality -- a new report published by the National Education Policy Center examines the second half – what charters spend. Schools operated by major charter management organizations (CMOs) generally spend more than surrounding public schools, ... more »
A Pot Luck Meal Of Ideas | Taking Note: A Pot Luck Meal Of Ideas by John Merrow Books, service programs, arts partnerships, and more -- a smörgåsbord of educational initiatives that are piquing John's interest. Remember pot-luck suppers, when everyone brought a dish or two? What follows is the the equivalent — although substituting ideas for food. Because the last few entries on this blog have been pretty grim, this week I want to share some good stuff that has come across my desk or into my professional life somehow. My pot-luck includes books, and school and service programs. I h... more »
Charter School Myths | Seattle Education: Charter School Myths by seattleducation2011 When Chad Magendanz stood up in front of the Washington State PTA at the convention a few weeks ago and stated that a KIPP school that he visited had a 95% graduation rate, I decided that it was time to bust some myths about charter schools that have been floating around. I’ll start with Chad’s lalapalooza that basically *charter schools have this incredible and truly unbelievable success rate at graduating students on time.* It’s easy when a school can cherry pick their students or counsel them o... more »
Ignoring Poverty in the U.S. || Information Age Publishing: Ignoring Poverty in the U.S.The Corporate Takeover of Public Education By: *P. L. Thomas*, *Furman University*. - *Buy Online* - *Paperback* 978-1-61735-783-1 Web Price: $39.09 (Reg. $45.99) + add to cart - *Hardcover* 978-1-61735-784-8 Web Price: $73.09 (Reg. $85.99) + add to cart - *eBook* - ISBN: 978-1-61735-785-5 *SHARE:* Tell a Friend | Link to this | Embed this *In Press 2012* Ignoring Poverty in the U.S.: The Corporate Takeover of Public Education examines the div...more »
John Thompson: Would a Reformers' Code of Ethics Help End Our Educational Civil War? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: John Thompson: Would a Reformers' Code of Ethics Help End Our Educational Civil War? by Anthony Cody *Guest post by John Thompson.* Early in my career, I floated a naive idea with my union business representative. What if education embraced a school reform code of ethics? The attacks on teachers by "reformers" who had declared war on the educational "status quo," were ramping up their attacks on teachers. I could already see that the blame game could ... more »
Save Our Schools and Vietnam War Protests: Save Our Schools and Vietnam War Protests By Mark Naison [image: save our teachers Save Our Schools and Vietnam War Protests]How the Struggle Against Corporate Education Reform Resembles the Movement Against the War in Vietnam The struggle against Corporate Education Reform has chilling similarities to the struggle against the Vietnam War. Like Test Driven School Reform, the escalation of the Vietnam War initially had great bipartisan support. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed by 414 to O in the House of Representatives, and 88 to 2 in... more »
*BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS* Shanker Blog » Rethinking Affirmative Action coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 minutes ago Shanker Blog » Rethinking Affirmative Action: Rethinking Affirmative Action by Esther Quintero President Kennedy first introduced the term "affirmative action." Affirmative action has been defined as “voluntary and mandatory efforts undertaken by federal, state, and local governments, private employers and schools to combat discrimination, foster fair hiring and advancement of qualified individuals regardless of their race, ethnicity and gender; ... more »
Shanker Blog » Rethinking Affirmative Action: Rethinking Affirmative Action by Esther Quintero President Kennedy first introduced the term "affirmative action." Affirmative action has been defined as “voluntary and mandatory efforts undertaken by federal, state, and local governments, private employers and schools to combat discrimination, foster fair hiring and advancement of qualified individuals regardless of their race, ethnicity and gender; and to promote equal opportunity in education and employment for all.” It is also a highly controversial policy, with few fans and many d... more »
How Does Rhee Sleep at Night? « Diane Ravitch's blog: How Does Rhee Sleep at Night? dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog The latest report on Michelle Rhee shows her collecting millions of dollars from Wall Street financiers, assorted billionaires, and mega-foundations, all to redesign American education as she sees fit. www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-usa-education-rheebre84e1oa-20120515,0,7834441.story She has become a convenient vessel for the most rightwing governors who want to dismantle public education and reduce the teaching profession to at-will employees. How can sh... more »
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Wednesday, May 16, 2012* * * High school execs get a look at 'all the craziness'Throughout Kern HSD -- one of just 10 districts chosen statewide by California School Employees Association to participate this year -- about 35 or so school administrators and district officials watched and learned from the classified school workers. School districts laying off more teachersMore than 100 Ventura County teachers have received final layoff notices, but that's fewer than some school districts had anticipated in Ma... more »
Activist targeting schools, backed by big bucks - chicagotribune.com: Activist targeting schools, backed by big bucks (Reuters) - During her tumultuous three years at the head of the Washington D.C. public schools, Michelle Rhee set off a lot of fireworks. She's still doing it - on a national stage. Rhee has emerged as the leader of an unlikely coalition of politicians, philanthropists, financiers and entrepreneurs who believe the nation's $500 billion-a-year public education system needs a massive overhaul. She has vowed to raise $1 billion for her national advocacy group, Stude... more »
GASB: Governmental Accounting Standards Board: *New GASB User Guide to School Districts’ Finances* *Helps Taxpayers Find Answers to Many Questions* *Norwalk, CT, **May 16, 2012*—How can taxpayers follow how their money is being spent on public education? What is the difference between a school district’s budget and its financial statements? How can you determine if your school district’s financial health is improving or declining? What assets does your school district own, and how much does it owe?**** Taxpayers can learn the answers to those questions—and many others—in a new, ea... more »
How Romney Should Grade Obama on Education :: Frederick M. Hess: How Romney Should Grade Obama on Education *by Frederick M. Hess • May 16, 2012 at 8:51 am Cross-posted from Education Week* Given concerns about the economy, jobs, and health care, education policy isn't likely to be a make-or-break issue in November's presidential election. But it matters a great deal, nonetheless. As was the case for George W. Bush in 2000 and Barack Obama in 2008, Mitt Romney's stance on education will powerfully color how Americans view his broader domestic agenda. Romney's been largely silent on... more »
Life in Rahm’s Chicago. The CTU is kicking his ass. « Fred Klonsky: Life in Rahm’s Chicago. The CTU is kicking his ass. by Fred Klonsky Rahm is basically a north shore rich kid. So, he can be forgiven if he doesn’t yet understand that Chicago is a union town. In the latest Tribune poll that compares Rahm’s support with that of the Chicago Teachers Union, Rahm gets beaten. Bad. 92% of CPS parents support a pay raise for teachers. And of all Chicagoans, only 17% support the Mayor over the CTU on the question of who do you support for improving Chicago schools.
NYC Public School Parents: Results of survey from 8000 parents about impact of this year's state tests: Results of survey from 8000 parents about impact of this year's state tests by Leonie Haimson Over the course of two weeks, 8000 parents across the state responded to a survey developed by New York principals regarding their children’s experiences with the recent state 3-8 Assessments in ELA and mathematics. The parent survey was conducted bywww.newyorkprincipals.org The purpose of the survey was to find out more about the effects of these exams. Teachers and principals of 3-8... more »
Daily Kos: Thank the unions: Thank the unions by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) I will shortly leave for work as a classroom teacher. I have protection from arbitrary firing - because I am in a union I am not forced into downward competition for compensation - because I am in a union I have paid holidays and paid leave - because I am in a union I still have a defined benefit pension - because I am in a union If you have any of those things, or any of these - 8 hours or less work per day - workplace safety rules - 5 day work week - paid overtime or compensatory time off or any of man... more »
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Alvarez & Marsal to the Rescue dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 minutes ago I learned yesterday that the Colorado Department of Education has hired the ubiquitous firm Alvarez & Marsal to investigate a cheating scandal in Denver (http://www.ednewscolorado.org/2012/05/15/38261-state-investigating-two-denver-schools). Alvarez & Marsal has no experience in investigating cheating scandals. The firm is a business consulting firm in New York City. It was hired a few weeks ago to investigate [...] Who Is Rea... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: News from Chicago's War Zone: News from Chicago's War Zone by Mike Klonsky The mayor has created a war zone in Chicago. By bringing the NATO war makers into town, bringing in federal troops and police from across the country to patrol the city's downtown and neighborhoods, Rahm Emanuel has lit a fuse that will inevitably explode. Protesters are already being jailed and clashes between protesters and Bridgeport (Daley's old neighborhood and power base) residents. I think that's what he wants so he can offer
Schools Matter: Not quite what I was trying to say: Comments about the Common Core Standards and Tests: Not quite what I was trying to say: Comments about the Common Core Standards and Tests by skrashen Not quite what I was trying to say: Comments about the Common Core Standards and Tests Stephen Krashen I was quoted in an article in the NY Times about David Coleman’s appointment as head of the College Board. I had sent the reporter written statements and a few of my short articles before the interview, but like most reporters, she preferred the oral interview. Coleman is “an arch... more »
FairTest Calls for Independent Audit of FCAT, Pearson | Scathing Purple Musings: FairTest Calls for Independent Audit of FCAT, Pearson by Bob Sikes From the *Bradenton Times*: BRADENTON – Based on a history of grading errors, the National Center for Fair & Open Testing has called for an independent audit and investigation of Pearson, the company that designed and graded the state’s 2012 FCAT exams. “Pearson has a troubling history of testing errors, the worst in an unregulated, irresponsible industry,” said FairTest Public Education Director Bob Schaeffer, a Southwest Florida re... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is Education Going to Divide the Dems?: Is Education Going to Divide the Dems? by Melissa Westbrook As you may recall, earlier this year there was some rancor among Washington State Democrats when Nick Hanauer, a businessman and philanthropist, released an e-mail he had written about his unhappiness with the Washington State Democratic party (and elected officials) over its public education stance. It set off a firestorm because, and although many of us have at least one issue we don't agree with our party's stand on, rarely does such a high-pr... more »
NYC Educator: Bad, or Worse? You Decide: Bad, or Worse? You Decide by NYC Educator Chancellor Walcott is always thinking of us. That's why, during Teacher Appreciation Week, he issued this statement as part of the Principals' Weekly: *I believe the best way I can show my appreciation is to support you actively in our critical work, and that’s why I’m pleased to share the 2012-13 citywide instructional expectations with you.* Thanks, Chancellor. Words can barely express how much I appreciate your sharing your list of demands with us. I've no doubt they'll be equally effective as ... more »
Thinking about “Corporate Reform”–Part 2 | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Thinking about “Corporate Reform”–Part 2 by larrycuban *Positive Outcomes from Three Decades of Economic-driven School Reforms* 1. *Hastened shift from defining school effectiveness as the level of resources that go into schooling children and youth to an exclusive concentration on outcomes.* Since the late-19th century, policymakers judged the quality of schools and their effectiveness by how much money was spent per-student, the credentials teachers possessed, the worth of ... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Perth Amboy Follies Update: Perth Amboy Follies Update by Duke The saga of anti-tenure-for-teachers-but-pro-due-process-for-herself Janine Caffrey and the BOE of Perth Amboy continues. When last we left, Caffrey had been reinstated as the superintendent by ACTING NJDOE Commissioner Cerf, despite the board's vote to remove her. And Cerf has retained the right to act as the final arbiter in this matter, despite the fact that it's clear the board doesn't want her. Now, it appears that the teachers would also like her to pack her bags. From the local union's website:... more »
Geaux Teacher!: MYTHS!: MYTHS! by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT) This was a quick response I made to an article today in *The Advocate* - Baton Rouge newspaper. One of the myths we're addressing in our efforts to inform the public about the ALEC reform agenda and my stance on working with our local unions. http://theadvocate.com/news/2832484-123/teachers-leader-assails-jindal-laws *ABayouBoy *- Much of the "failure" of our public schools has been orchestrated beginning with NCLB (No Child Left Behind federal legislation) - actually before, but this law sealed the ... more »
A sudden school closure in Oakland - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: A sudden school closure in Oakland Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 at 5:10 pm in 2 Comments » *photo by Kristopher Skinner/Bay Area News Group* All year long, people have been complaining about the Oakland school board’s decision to close five elementary schools — and how they did it. Almost everyone who goes through a school closure must suffer to some degree, regardless of the process or the timing. But as I reported the story I wrote today about the closure of Civicorps Elementary School, a... more »
