Sunday, May 27, 2012

by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)

Every now and then we here at SBSB get an email throwing someone under the bus. Lately, we have a source that is giving away the farm on the machinations of Whitney Tilson. We here at SBSB wish to thank this brave source.

In the latest email from our source, we were told to goggle the phrase; "paragon of integrity Whitney Tilson gets laryngitis" It sure did wet our collective whistles here at SBSB to read such a cryptic phrase. However, like Curious George we just needed to find out what this was all about and where, once we found what we were directed to google, what would it mean?

So we found what it is. A blog article over at

Sacramento Press / 70 adults and children protest adult ESL budget cuts

Sacramento Press / 70 adults and children protest adult ESL budget cuts:

70 adults and children protest adult ESL budget cuts

by Kristin Thebaud, published on May 27, 2012 at 7:58 PM

Adult ESL learners and their children came out in droves to rally for Sacramento City Unified School District to reinstate funding for the ESL program at Fremont Adult School in Sacramento. Seventy people waved signs and cheered outside the school district office on 47th Avenue on Thursday. Countless cars honked and showed their support.
Student Juan Navarrete said in a letter to the school board, “I learned a lot as you see. Now I can write, read, speak. Also I completed my GED and some computer programs, but the more important thing is that I can help my kids with homework. Incredibly, their grades have gone up in school. They have dreams, hopes, they have a future.”
Teacher Marge Matoba said, “With the school slated for closure at the end of this semester, students are understandably devastated at the prospect of having nowhere to go to learn English so they can survive and thrive in Sacramento.”
To get involved, e-mail savefremont@hotmail.com.
With more than 2,000 students enrolled in its 181-day regular school year programs, Fremont School for Adults

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Decline To Sign - New Facebook Group

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Decline To Sign - New Facebook Group:

Decline To Sign - New Facebook Group

by Melissa Westbrook

Join my new Facebook group - Decline to Sign - Charter-Free Washington.

It's pretty simple - when (if) this charter initiative gets out to petitions, just Decline to Sign. Getting it on the ballot is NOT an invitation to discussion (despite what the Times' says/thinks). If they want a discussion, the time is NOW, not after it's on the ballot.

Tell your friends, neighbors, family members, co-workers and fellow PTA members, Decline to Sign.

The way the timeline works out, the coalition that is pushing this may have between 2 weeks to 10 days to get signatures.

I spoke with the Secretary of State's office to make sure I understood the timeline for the pro-charter folks to get

School Tech Connect: Notes From The Red Line Tap

School Tech Connect: Notes From The Red Line Tap:

Notes From The Red Line Tap

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

Came home early from Fred Klonsky's retirement celebration over at the Red Line Tap in Rogers Park. I know better than to stay late at the Red Line. The last time I closed that place, which is right at the Morse CTA stop, I woke up in Hammond, which in case you forgot is in another state.

Long story.

Anyway, what a tribute. The place was packed, and it was a virtual who's who of the people who elected Obama and were to one extent or another left behind by that particular President, whose campaign for the White House

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-27-12 #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

Animal Lover Alert « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago

Animal Lover Alert « Diane Ravitch's blog: Animal Lover Alert by dianerav This is my blog, and there’s no rule that says I’m only allowed to write about education. Right now, I want to write about the animals I lost in the past three years. It’s been really hard because I miss them. I miss them every day. Molly, a Tibetan terrier, died in 2010 at the age of 13. Molly had lymphoma for three long, hard years. What a wonderful, funny dog she was. She was a clown, and her last few years were so hard. Traditional western medicine didn’t work for her. The traditional vets said “put her d... more »

A Whole Month Left (A Freewrite) | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 minutes ago

A Whole Month Left (A Freewrite) | The Jose Vilson: A Whole Month Left (A Freewrite) by Jose “You’re going to miss us!” “Yes, I’m going to miss bothering the heck out of you!” I mean, why do students think we’re actually going to spend our off time thinking about them? Except when we do. Like now. There’s only a month left before we usher them on to their next stations in life (most of them anyways). They’re going to take new trips to school, new friends, different uniforms (if at all), and new teachers. The last one is probably of most concern to me because I at least like to know t... more »

Daily Kos: a thought about the Florida voter purge

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago

Daily Kos: a thought about the Florida voter purge: a thought about the Florida voter purge by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) let's presume I am a US Citizen who has been voting regularly and legally. Let's further presume I receive one of the notices informing me that the state has been informed I might not be a citizen and I have to prove my right to vote by filing paperwork. Should not the state be required to provide me with the name of the person making that charge so I can sue that person for defamation? After all, asserting that I am not a citizen is tantamount of accusing me... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: RTTT - District-Style

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: RTTT - District-Style: RTTT - District-Style by Melissa Westbrook Secretary Arne Duncan and the Department of Education recently announced RTTT grants that allow districts, not just states, to apply for funds. From the Ed Week article: *The department anticipates giving out about 15 to 20 four-year grants, of up to $25 million each. Districts will be able to apply for the funds individually, or as part of consortia with other districts, even those in other states. And charter schools—as well as other organizations that are defined as a "local e... more »

“…..Start By Demanding Resignations From Those on the BOE Responsible for the FCAT Debacle” | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

“…..Start By Demanding Resignations From Those on the BOE Responsible for the FCAT Debacle” | Scathing Purple Musings: “…..Start By Demanding Resignations From Those on the BOE Responsible for the FCAT Debacle” by Bob Sikes Yowza.* The Fort Meade Leader *of Polk County sure isn’t buying the spin from Florida policy-makers on the recent FCAT Writes scoring disaster: Among the changes to the test grading this year was an increased emphasis on writing fundamentals such as capitalization, punctuation and grammar. In addition, a second reviewer was added. Thirdly, the pool of test tak... more »

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Diane Ravitch calls charter test passage “a new low”

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Diane Ravitch calls charter test passage “a new low”: Diane Ravitch calls charter test passage “a new low” by admin largest price drop for *PEARSON stock* Diane Ravitch’s blog today is about the Scantron charter school test passage PURE exposed on PURE Thoughts. She writes: The fake charters-are-best question is an even bigger scandal than Pearson’s pineapple question. The pineapple story (which by the way was given to Illinois students in the past) was at worst idiotic, not insidious. It was in some way typical of the s... more »

Pass / Fail : Former state Superintendent of Public Instruction weighs in on budget | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Pass / Fail : Former state Superintendent of Public Instruction weighs in on budget | 89.3 KPCC: Former state Superintendent of Public Instruction weighs in on budget California’s former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell has been traveling the state to brief school districts on the governor’s proposed budget and its potential effects on education. He now works for the educational consulting firm School Innovations & Advocacy. Here's an excerpt of a brief Q & A with him: *Q: Whats the good and the bad of this budget? * A: The good news for this is we know the budge... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: News Roundup

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: News Roundup: News Roundup by Melissa Westbrook Of possible interest to our readers: - From Education Week - an article about "a new breed of national education advocacy organizations" and the debate "about whether they can play a grassroots 'ground game' comparable to that of labor. - Another article on these groups, this one from Education Next, about Fight Club for ERAOs (Education reform advocacy organizations) in D.C. You remember the first rule of Fight Club? There is NO Fight Club. Why this emergence of these group... more »

Open Letter to Georgia Teachers « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Open Letter to Georgia Teachers « Diane Ravitch's blog: Open Letter to Georgia Teachers by dianerav In my experience, if you want to find a sympathetic ear in the media for public education, find someone who has a relative who teaches. Jon Stewart never fell for the teacher-bashing mania because his mother was a teacher. I have been interviewed on several occasions by talk show hosts who confessed that their mother or father was a teacher. They know how hard teachers work, and they share my outrage at the negative treatment of teachers and public schools today. Yesterday someone ... more »

Daily Kos: Class of 1967 - reflections on a reunion

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Daily Kos: Class of 1967 - reflections on a reunion: Class of 1967 - reflections on a reunion by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) I write this sitting in a Starbucks near my home, having driven the 158 miles from Haverford College late morning. The formal part of the reunion, the 45th of our class, ended with dinner last night, that coming after several other events - one of our lass getting an award for helping the College in fundraising - having a session with a number of faculty members from our time at Haverford, only one of which is still teaching - getting together with the paral... more »

The Itty Bitty Voucher Plan « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

The Itty Bitty Voucher Plan « Diane Ravitch's blog: The Itty Bitty Voucher Plan by dianerav According to a story in today’s Alexandria (La.) “Daily Town Talk,” large parts of Louisiana have no private schools taking part in the voucher program. They prefer to wait and see or just keep their distance. Some say they have no seats available; in one case, a school principal said her board members were “philosophically opposed” to using government money to pay for private school tuition. With so few seats available for voucher applicants in Louisiana, I am beginning to wonder whether t... more »

Check Out Latin American History With @TodayInLatAm - Only on Twitter! - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Check Out Latin American History With @TodayInLatAm - Only on Twitter! - Hispanically Speaking News: Check Out Latin American History With @TodayInLatAm - Only on Twitter! [image: Check Out Latin American History With @TodayInLatAm - Only on Twitter!] Photo: Check Out Latin American History With @TodayInLatAm - Only on Twitter! Click Here to Enlarge Photo HS News is proud to announce our latest addition to the Twitter-sphere, * TodayInLatAmHistory(‏@TodayInLatAm)*. Updated daily, we’ll bring you interesting facts about what happened on that day in Latin American history. To re... more »

Jersey Jazzman: There is No "Grand Bargain" for Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: There is No "Grand Bargain" for Teachers: There is No "Grand Bargain" for Teachers by Duke There were some great segments on Melissa Harris-Perry's MSNBC show yesterday (check out the entire video at Crooks and Liars). In particular, NYC teacher Megan Behrent and Philadelphia City Paper's Daniel Denvir were both excellent. But I'd like to hone in on two particular exchanges: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy OK, stop right there, and let's get a few things straight: No one - and I mean, NO ONE - thinks the very worst teac... more »

Welcome to the Sunday Education Weekly Reader 05.27.2012. Missouri Education Watchdog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Welcome to the Sunday Education Weekly Reader 05.27.2012. - More like cubic zirconium....*"Race to the Top" was described in the Washington Post as "the crown jewel of the Obama adm's education reform agenda http://bit.ly/LzsRAt* - Perhaps this headmaster needs to choose his words a bit more carefully or enroll in a writing class....*Headteacher claims school had 'overcome accidents of birth' to produce ...: The head has previously been honoure... http://bit.ly/LlNeVT * - Does Team Obama even know what it and Arne Duncan... more »

WOW. Michelle Rhee was recently on CurrentTV... | Sabrina's Joy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

WOW. Michelle Rhee was recently on CurrentTV... | Sabrina's Joy: [image: WOW. Michelle Rhee was recently on CurrentTV (Seriously? Isn’t Current supposed to be a progressive news outlet?) talking about corporate education policy. The whole segment is pretty infuriating, particularly when she tries to act as though a relentless focus on high-stakes testing isn’t at the core of her brand of “reform”. (Apparently, she’d like us to believe that all those DCPS firings, and that cheating scandal, just appeared out of nowhere.) Even more offensive, however, was her lamentation of the fact... more »

The Right to Education | Education | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

The Right to Education | Education | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization: The Right to Education [image: Outside class in Pakistan] ©UNESCO/Françoise Pinzon Gil Education is a fundamental human right and essential for the exercise of all other human rights. It promotes individual freedom and empowerment and yields important development benefits. Yet millions of children and adults remain deprived of educational opportunities, many as a result of poverty. Normative instruments of the United Nations and UNESCO lay down international legal obligations for ... more »

The in box. “I’m an active Democratic precinct committeeman and a retired teacher.” « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

The in box. “I’m an active Democratic precinct committeeman and a retired teacher.” « Fred Klonsky: The in box. “I’m an active Democratic precinct committeeman and a retired teacher.” by Fred Klonsky *I wrote this message to the governor last Tuesday, May 22.* *Dear Governor Quinn:* *I’m an active Democratic precinct committeeman and a retired teacher. Speaker Madigan’s and your proposal of reducing our COLA and making us choose between COLA and health insurance is not a choice!!! It’s putting a gun to our heads. Teachers worked very hard for you in the 2010 election and they prov... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Christie: Slush Fund for Me, Not For Thee

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Christie: Slush Fund for Me, Not For Thee: Christie: Slush Fund for Me, Not For Thee by Duke If you've been trolling around the web and you live in Jersey, you've probably seen this ridiculous video about how Chris Christie and unnamed "reformers" are "getting the job done." FactCheck.org pretty much skewers the entire ad: Christie's job creation record sucks, he didn't put more money into schools, and the notion he and the Christiecrats "saved" pensions is laughable on its face. Bill Orrhas a great summary of how phony Christie's "Jersey Comeback" truly is; NJ S... more »

Our Views: The mirage of vouchers | Opinion | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Our Views: The mirage of vouchers | Opinion | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA: Our Views: The mirage of vouchers MAY 27, 2012 9 COMMENTS The state has launched Gov. Bobby Jindal’s new program to fund private and religious schools with state money. As was clear from the start, the hundreds of thousands of students who are considered “eligible” for the program from public schools rated from C to F on the state’s scale are not really eligible, because there are no places for them. Statewide, about 5,000 places have been identified by schools willing to take part in the program. About 1... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » This time…it’s personal

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » This time…it’s personal: This time…it’s personal from Reflections on Teaching by alicemercer Dear Melody Musgrove, I’ve read with alarm plans to have the OSEP change their approach to compliance with IDEA to emphasize test score monitoring, and cutting back on state compliance officers. As the parent of a child with an IEP, I have many concerns about this approach, and feel it would not meet my child’s needs and therefore would violate his rights. My child is more than a test score, and his IEP is about more than test scores. You see, my s... more »

Collaboration. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Collaboration. « Fred Klonsky: Collaboration. by Fred Klonsky I love music. But I have never been able to play an instrument. I have tried. I tried guitar when I was a kid. The son of a friend of my parents was even recruited to give me personal lessons. I just wasn’t any good. I once took lessons for blues harp at the Old Town School. I couldn’t get those notes to bend. Three years ago I tried again. Ukulele. Again I tried a class at the Old Town School. I had a wonderful teacher. But she was teaching us Hawaiian

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Everything You Need to Know about Charters

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Everything You Need to Know about Charters: Everything You Need to Know about Charters by Charlie Mas [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] I got a tweet from Stand for Children - Washington: Everything you need to know about non-profit public charter schools. with a link to this page. I went to the page and found a brief statement about the charter school initiative and video about a charter school in Tennessee. Not exactly everything I needed to know. I also found a link to this page, which proved more informative. This pa... more »

Obama Campaign ‘Truth Team’ Conflates Smears with Criticisms, Citing Disputed Study - ABC News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Obama Campaign ‘Truth Team’ Conflates Smears with Criticisms, Citing Disputed Study - ABC News: Leonie Haimson, the executive director of Class Size Matters, recently wrote an open letter to President Obama that appeared in the Washington Post, saying, “If you disagree with what Romney said, you should rein in your own education secretary and ask him to take back his erroneous statements on the subject.” Obama Campaign ‘Truth Team’ Conflates Smears with Criticisms, Citing Disputed Study [image: ap obama 120526 wblog Obama Campaign Truth Team Conflates Smears with Criticisms, Cit... more »

Teach Kids the Meaning of Memorial Day | Education.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Teach Kids the Meaning of Memorial Day | Education.com: Teach Kids the Meaning of Memorial Day Print Collect It! EmailTwitter [image: Teach Kids the Meaning of Memorial Day] Related Articles - Remembering Memorial Day - Kindergarten Independence: 7 Products That Teach Kids to Get Ready for School Themselves - How Can I Teach Kids to Be Smart About Strangers? - Do Kids Need a Longer School Day? - Community Resources Teach Kids About Water and the Environment - Keeping Kids' Packed Lunch Safe All Day Related Topics - Helping Your Child With Social Studies/... more »

Save Our Schools D.C. Convention 2012 www.saveourschoolsmarch.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

www.saveourschoolsmarch.org: Save Our Schools D.C. Convention 2012 Speakers/Supporters. Deborah Meier, Nancy Carlsson Paige, and Jonathan Kozol *Please Join Us in D.C.* Last summer, we brought thousands of people to the SOS March & Rally in D.C. This summer, teachers, parents, students and community activists are gathering again in the nation’s capitol at the SOS People’s Principles Convention. Join us to adopt a People’s Principles on the most urgent issues facing public education. Let’s use this meeting as a chance to have our voices heard as we head towards November’s elections....more »

For Memorial Day: Great poems about soldiers, war - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

For Memorial Day: Great poems about soldiers, war - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: For Memorial Day: Great poems about soldiers, war By Valerie Strauss Memorial Day commemorations ordinarily involve parades, concerts, barbecues, sporting events and a lot of flag-waving. Here's a more introspective way to commemorate the national holiday: Read some poetry about war. World War II veteran Jesse R. Turner embraces Helen Marie Misel at a display of over more than 1,700 United States flags in Shawnee, Kan. (Orlin Wagner/AP)Memorial Day is a federal holiday to honor all American... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Bad Reformy Arguments #2: Bipartisanship

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Bad Reformy Arguments #2: Bipartisanship: Bad Reformy Arguments #2: Bipartisanship by Duke Let's go back to the reformiest op-ed ever and look at another argument reformyists use to justify their schemes: Research over the last two decades has confirmed what most parents already knew: Teacher quality is any public school’s most important asset. Taking that simple and obvious premise seriously means working to identify and remove ineffective teachers. A *bipartisan group of lawmakers in New Jersey and nationwide* is pursuing this path. [...] There is *growing bipar... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-27 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

*BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS* How "No Child Left Behind" Unleashed a Nationwide Epidemic of Cheating | Education | AlterNet coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago How "No Child Left Behind" Unleashed a Nationwide Epidemic of Cheating | Education | AlterNet: How "No Child Left Behind" Unleashed a Nationwide Epidemic of Cheating On the 10-year anniversary of No Child Left Behind, the school-reform movement is in crisis. On Thursday, Mitt Romney made a visit to a West Philadelphia charter school to tout his education platform, which, as it happens, looks pre...more »

How "No Child Left Behind" Unleashed a Nationwide Epidemic of Cheating | Education | AlterNet

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

How "No Child Left Behind" Unleashed a Nationwide Epidemic of Cheating | Education | AlterNet: How "No Child Left Behind" Unleashed a Nationwide Epidemic of Cheating On the 10-year anniversary of No Child Left Behind, the school-reform movement is in crisis. On Thursday, Mitt Romney made a visit to a West Philadelphia charter school to tout his education platform, which, as it happens, looks pretty similar to President Obama’s: more privately managed schools and a reliance on high-stakes standardized tests to evaluate teachers. But on the 10-year anniversary of No Child Left Behind... more »

“You Guys Contrived This System” | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

“You Guys Contrived This System” | Scathing Purple Musings: “You Guys Contrived This System” by Bob Sikes Writing in the Orlando Sentinel, its clear that columnist Scott Maxwell has had it with FCAT and the policy-makers who brought it to us: To fully appreciate how deeply flawed Tallahassee’s approach to public education is, you must look beyond the recent news of abysmal FCAT scores — and look at how we got here. You see, FCAT was supposed to be a simple fix for a complicated problem. If we could just get our students to pass this standardized test, supposedly everything would be... more »

Education’s revolving door -- GazetteXtra

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Education’s revolving door -- GazetteXtra: Education’s revolving door CHICAGO — When you live in a school district where 64 percent of the students come from low-income homes and budgets have been squeezed to death, every official school communication has the potential to ruin your day. So it went when I read a letter from my youngest son’s school informing us we’re getting a new principal next year. We got the letter a few weeks ago, but only now, in the last days of this academic year, has it becoming gut-wrenchingly real. Our current principal is one of the best I’ve ever had t... more »

A Researcher’s Dilemma: Changes in Teaching Practice–Whose Judgment Matters? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

A Researcher’s Dilemma: Changes in Teaching Practice–Whose Judgment Matters? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: A Researcher’s Dilemma: Changes in Teaching Practice–Whose Judgment Matters? by larrycuban The issue of change as perceived by individual teachers and by a researcher poses a dilemma for the researcher. I was a researcher at Las Montanas high school for two years to study their 1:1 laptop program. I had also been at the school in 1998-1999 when the school had a computer lab program. At Las Montanas between 2008-2011, for example, It was clear to me—and ... more »

Memorial Day. Letter from my dad. Spain. 1937. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Memorial Day. Letter from my dad. Spain. 1937. « Fred Klonsky: Memorial Day. Letter from my dad. Spain. 1937. by Fred Klonsky *March 15, 1938* *Dear Mom, Pop and family,* *This past Friday was my 19th birthday – and was I proud. I’m one of the youngest men up here – that is excluding the Spanish boys themselves. One feels very old when he sees children on 14 and 15 years going to the front lines to fight. And one feels very proud to be part of it all – I can’t really find the words suitable to describe the country. Spain is very rich in natural resources – especially agriculture. ... more »

Keep an Eye on Jindal’s Reforms « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Keep an Eye on Jindal’s Reforms « Diane Ravitch's blog: Keep an Eye on Jindal’s Reforms by dianerav I just came across an interesting statistic about Louisiana that puts the Jindal education reform plan into context.* The majority of white children in Louisiana do not go to public school. The majority of white children go to private schools. Black children are the majority in the public schools of Louisiana. According to Census data, 17% of Louisiana children enrolled in grades K-12 attended a private school in 2007. By comparison, 11% of U.S. children enrolled in grades K-12 atten... more »

Diary of a Social Art-tivist Mommy: Stregths-Based School.....brilliant ideas by Author Jenifer Fox

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Diary of a Social Art-tivist Mommy: Stregths-Based School.....brilliant ideas by Author Jenifer Fox: Stregths-Based School.....brilliant ideas by Author Jenifer Fox by ART-tivist Mommy Thsi morning I listened to an hour-long live online interview with Jenifer Fox on a Stregths-Based School. http://www.stevehargadon.com/2012/04/live-tuesday-april-9th-jenifer-fox-on.html Very inspiring! *Here what is says online about her:* Jenifer Fox is the author of *Your Child's Strengths*, and now Head of School at The Clariden School of Southlake. We'll be talking about what ... more »

The Innovative Educator: Parents don’t look the other way

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

The Innovative Educator: Parents don’t look the other way: Parents don’t look the other way by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) *Written by Lisa Nielsen | Edited by Lisa Cooley, The Minds of Kids* * * *“Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it.” ― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones Humans come equipped with a primitive defense mechanism aimed at reducing anxiety: "If I ignore it, it'll go away." Very human, very natural, very understandable. We all do it. It may even have some evolutionary advantage. After all, facing away from a problem can lower blood pressure an... more »

Scott Maxwell: FCAT's failures show test-obsessed teaching falls short - Orlando Sentinel

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Scott Maxwell: FCAT's failures show test-obsessed teaching falls short - Orlando Sentinel: FCAT failures show test-obsessed teaching falls short Scott Maxwell, TAKING NAMES 3:55 p.m. EST, May 26, 2012 - - - - Comments 57 - - - - Share917 - To fully appreciate how deeply flawed Tallahassee's approach to public education is, you must look beyond the recent news of abysmal FCAT scores — and look at how we got here. You see, FCAT was supposed to be a simple fix for a complicated problem. If we could just get our stude... more »

Philadelphia and the attempted coup of their school district | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Philadelphia and the attempted coup of their school district | Seattle Education: Philadelphia and the attempted coup of their school district by seattleducation2011 By now you hopefully know what is happening in Philadelphia. There is a plan underfoot to privatize as many schools as possible in the district. Here is an excerpt from an article that I posted previously, For Philly public schools, barbarian is Gates : Into the Philadelphia School District’s state of fiscal desperation rides Bill Gates. Who can say “no” to free money when you are so deep in the hole? But the money is ... more »

An Open Letter to the Mainstream English Media, From Montreal | OccupyWallSt.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

An Open Letter to the Mainstream English Media, From Montreal | OccupyWallSt.org: An Open Letter to the Mainstream English Media, From Montreal by OccupyWallSt Popout*Written and published at Translating the printemps érable* Thank you; you are a little late to the party, and you are still missing the mark a lot of the time, but in the past few days, you have published some not entirely terrible articles and op-eds about what’s happening in Quebec right now. Welcome to our movement. Some of you have even started mentioning that when people are rounded up and arrested each night, the... more »

NYC Educator: Thought for the Day

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

NYC Educator: Thought for the Day: Thought for the Day by NYC Educator

Sunday links. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Sunday links. « Fred Klonsky: Sunday links. by Fred Klonsky *Sweet home. Photo: Leigh Klonsky* *John Dillon’s vocabulary word this week?* Emolument. Who doesn’t know more about *pension sweeteners*then Democratic Chairman Madigan? *Teachers in Philly give Mittens an earful* over his position that class size doesn’t matter. But we only get silence from Obama and Duncan. Are they worried about offending their money-bag friends from *Democrats for Education Reform?* *Meanwhile, Philly schools are being sold* to the highest bidder. *Somehow Rahm can afford to put thousands of cops on the... more »

May’s Best Posts | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

May’s Best Posts | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: May’s Best Posts by Larry Ferlazzo I regularly highlight my picks for the most useful posts for each month — not including “The Best…” lists. I also use some of them in a more extensive monthly newsletter I send-out. You can see my previous Best Posts of the Month at Websites Of The Month. These posts are different from the ones I list under the monthly “Most Popular Blog Posts.” Those are the posts the largest numbers of readers “clicked-on” to read. I have to admit, I’ve been a bit lax about writing those posts, though. H... more »

Education experts disagree on importance of school class size - The Denver Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Education experts disagree on importance of school class size - The Denver Post: Education experts disagree on importance of school class size POSTED: 05/27/2012 01:00:00 AM MDT *By Kevin Simpson* *The Denver Post* First-graders at East Elementary School in Littleton study land forms with teacher Gina Maestas in class. Two pupils were absent from the class of 16. Class size is considered most important at younger levels such as the first grade. (*Karl Gehring, The Denver Post*) When Greg Sumlin looks at the incoming kindergarten class at East Elementary School in Littleton, he see... more »

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Teach Your Children / Southern Cross

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Crosby Stills Nash & Young "Teach Your Children" Lyrics album: Deja Vu [1970] genre: - You who are on the road Must have a code that you can live by And so become yourself Because the past is just a good bye. Teach your children well, Their father's hell did slowly go by, And feed them on your dreams The one they picked, the one you'll know by. Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry, So just look at them and sigh and know they love you. And you, of tender years, Can't know the fears that your elders grew by, And so please help them with your youth, They seek th... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Ed.gov set to gut IDEA/IEP Compliance…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Ed.gov set to gut IDEA/IEP Compliance…: Ed.gov set to gut IDEA/IEP Compliance… by alicemercer From Diane Ravitch: *…DoEd will reform (translation: eliminate) OSEP’s compliance procedures assuring IDEA and special education IEPs are effectively working for children with disabilities. OSEP director Melodie Musgrove told us at the Council for Exceptional Children’s international convention (CEC) in April, 2012 that they will be monitoring “achievement data” (translation: standardized test scores) from Washington and cutting back on state com... more »

Mt. Diablo school board trustee warns that ignoring school problems constitutes 'educational malpractice' - ContraCostaTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Mt. Diablo school board trustee warns that ignoring school problems constitutes 'educational malpractice' - ContraCostaTimes.com: Mt. Diablo school board trustee warns that ignoring school problems constitutes 'educational malpractice' By Theresa Harrington Contra Costa Times Posted: 05/26/2012 02:45:51 PM PDT Updated: 05/26/2012 06:03:25 PM PDT This is an excerpt of On Assignment, education writer Theresa Harrington's blog on Contra Costa County schools. Read more and post comments at IBABuzz.com/onassignment. Follow her atTwitter.com/tunedtotheresa. May 22 For the past three ye... more »

Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, May 27, 2012

70 adults and children protest adult ESL budget cuts

by Kristin Thebaud, published on May 27, 2012 at 7:58 PM

James Baldwin said it best:

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."