NYC Educator: End-Year Evaluation

NYC Educator: End-Year Evaluation:

End-Year Evaluation

by NYC Educator

I've got a few more years before the geniuses who run the government institute junk-science VAM tests so I can be fired for trying to teach high-needs kids. Meanwhile, I'm fortunate enough to work in a place without Leadership Academy lunatics pushing abject nonsense as the next up-and-coming religious icon.

Every year, I pass around a suggestion box for my students. I let them say whatever they want anonymously, and then read the responses aloud. It’s pretty popular with the kids. So I'll consider this my assessment for the year. Guarantee--all responses verbatim, and only changed for grammar,  spelling, or to exclude the names of the innocent.

A good number of my students are happy:

Your class is the best because we work like a dog.

This class is very good. Mr. E. is the best teacher.

Hey, Mr. E., your class is the best because you make a lot of 

Will Technology Cut the Budget? « Diane Ravitch's blog

Will Technology Cut the Budget? « Diane Ravitch's blog:

Will Technology Cut the Budget?

by dianerav

The answer to this question, says this reader, is no. Libertarians and folks on the right believe that technology will make it possible to replace teachers with machines. Machines don’t need health care or pensions. And their salaries don’t go up in a step schedule. When the machines get obsolete, you junk them. With teachers, you can’t just toss them aside, unless your state passed a law banning seniority and tenure.
This is the reader’s comment:
As a technology professional, I guarantee that technology is not a way to save money in education.
I do think it can be a way to improve instruction in some subjects, and to allow kids more options if they are willing to self-direct and take responsibility for their own learning. For example, an ambitious kid who wants to learn Mandarin in a school with no Mandarin teacher and no other students who want to learn Mandarin could do so online, on school time, using school resources, while guided by a non-Mandarin speaking teacher. I wholly 

Last Stand for Children First: A Message to Chicago Teachers from JC on the Strike Vote

Last Stand for Children First: A Message to Chicago Teachers from JC on the Strike Vote:

A Message to Chicago Teachers from JC on the Strike Vote

Dear Teacher,

Earlier this evening, I emailed you requesting that you reconsider voting yes in the strike authorization vote in our schools beginning Wednesday, June 6.  I have it on very good authority that many of you did not heed my missive and in fact some of you have even taken to openly mocking it on forums and on Facebook.  I am asking you again to reconsider and this time the gloves are off.

I told you already about SB7.   This legislation was carefully crafted by very wealthy people both inside and out of the state to crush your union and take away your ability to strike.  Frankly, we never even thought there was an outside chance that you could hit 50% in a strike vote.  You may have seen the Jonah Edelman video going around where 

Pass / Fail : Lawsuit against California officials, LA Unified would undo significant teacher job protections | 89.3 KPCC

Pass / Fail : Lawsuit against California officials, LA Unified would undo significant teacher job protections | 89.3 KPCC:

Lawsuit against California officials, LA Unified would undo significant teacher job protections

By Adolfo Guzman-Lopez

Tami Abdollah/KPCC

The lawsuit, known as Vergara vs. California, claims that teacher protections in the law violate students’ constitutional rights to an equal education.

A recently filed lawsuit against California public officials and the LAUSD would radically change the way the district hires and fires public school teachers.

The lawsuit is known as Vergara v. California and it pits major education players against each other. The suit claims that teacher protections in the law violate students’ constitutional rights to an equal education.

The plaintiffs are 13-year-old L.A. Unified student Beatriz Vergara and seven other public school students. Lawyers from a 120-year-old L.A.-based law firm (Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher) represent them.

Firm partner Theodore Boutrous, a specialist in appellate and constitutional law, is co-counsel. He convinced U.S. Supreme Court justices to deny class action status to a 

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-5-12 #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

All Education Matters: My Interview on CNN's Newsroom With Carol Costello

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 minutes ago

All Education Matters: My Interview on CNN's Newsroom With Carol Costello: My Interview on CNN's Newsroom With Carol Costello by Cryn Johannsen Here's my interview on CNN's Newsroom with Carol Costello. I was invited on to speak about the student loan rate battle, but also made a point to discuss the student lending crisis and why "loan forgiveness" is such awful rhetoric. See the clip below. Popout

Major Bill Actions in Education H.R.5836: Veterans and Service Members Educational Benefits Safety Act - OpenCongress

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago

H.R.5836: Veterans and Service Members Educational Benefits Safety Act - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: *Open Congress* is a site that allows you to look up and communication with the folks you voted into office (you did vote, right?) and also allows you to get information regarding current legislations. Don't bury your head in the sand, know what your government is up to and let them know what you think Bill Introduced: H.R.5836 Veterans and Service Members Educational Benefits Safety Act Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 5 minutes ago To prohibit institutions of h... more »

“WE DO NOT BELIEVE IN MERIT PAY” « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 26 minutes ago

“WE DO NOT BELIEVE IN MERIT PAY” « Teachers Fight Back: “WE DO NOT BELIEVE IN MERIT PAY” by alkleen “We do not believe in merit pay” said Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewison when asked about Chicago Public Schools potentially losing a $35 million federal grant for a form of merit pay because the union won’t support the pilot program. Karen Lewison needs to learn how to speak to the press. She continues to say things that offer ammunition to the forces that are trying to convince people that teacher unions are evil. Instead of the above quote, she should have said, ” we ... more »

Modern School: Majority of New Grads Embrace Vow of Poverty

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Modern School: Majority of New Grads Embrace Vow of Poverty: Majority of New Grads Embrace Vow of Poverty by Michael Dunn The majority of new grads say they would gladly take a pay cut if that meant they could do something that “made a difference,” according to a recent survey by Net Impact. The survey found that 72% of graduating seniors felt that making a “positive societal impact” was essential to their happiness, while 45% said they would take a 15% pay cut to work at an organization they believed was making such an impact, according to Good Education. Of course similar secula... more »

I’d Rather Be Us Losing Than Them Winning « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

I’d Rather Be Us Losing Than Them Winning « Student Activism: Even if We Lose, We Win. by Angus Johnston As I write this, it’s an hour and a half until the voting booths close in Wisconsin for the Walker recall. This week’s polling shows the margin closing, and Twitter rumor says that turnout has been through the roof, but I tend to believe that what we thought was going to happen last month is going to happen tonight: Walker will win in another squeaker. He outspent Barrett seven-to-one, after all, and had an even bigger margin in soft money, and there are a lot of Republicans in... more »

Don’t call me, Senator. We’ll call you. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Don’t call me, Senator. We’ll call you. « Fred Klonsky: Don’t call me, Senator. We’ll call you. by Fred Klonsky *Senator Dan Kotowski meets with PREA members on May 2nd in Springfield.* Last year when we were battling a previous version of a pension bill, I received a phone call from Park Ridge Senator Dan Kotowski. The call came at about 10:30 PM on a Friday night. In case you are confused about what an old guy like me is doing on a Friday night at 10:30 PM, let me relieve you of any confusion. I am asleep. “Is this a bad time?” the Senator asked. It was. But I am nothing if not court... more »

Does Size Matter? « Diary of a Public School Teacher!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Does Size Matter? « Diary of a Public School Teacher!: Does Size Matter? by Oldschoolteach Yes, it does, at least when it comes to class size. Recently Governor Romney visited Pennsylvania and made the remark, “a think tank type group went and looked at South Korea and Singapore and around the United States and said, gosh, in the schools the highest performing in the world, their classroom sizes are about the same in the United States .” Is education a priority in those countries? I bet it is. Arne Duncan, the Education Secretary, has also called class size “a sacred cow,” “and I ... more »

As charter schools grow, so do management fees | www.wftv.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

As charter schools grow, so do management fees | www.wftv.com: As charter schools grow, so do management fees - VOTE (0) View Larger ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The charter school industry is growing rapidly in Florida and while the schools are funded solely by tax dollars, current law requires little accountability of how those tax dollars are spent. And Channel 9's Lori Brown discovered a charter school company operating threeOrange County schools recently tripled its management fees. The for-profit management company, Accelerated Learning Solutions out of Nashville, Tenn.,... more »

Universal Shame « City School Stories

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Universal Shame « City School Stories: Universal Shame by fmurphy *Notes from the Field* Submitted by Frank Murphy on June 5, 2011 If you haven’t seen Benjamin Herold’s recent post at the Notebook.org, you should take the time to read it. Ben is doing an excellent job of investigative reporting concerning the operations of the School District of Philadelphia. Here is a slightly revised comment that I posted on the Notebook blog in response to his article. According to Chief Academic Officer Penny Nixon, “We lack the appropriate funding to provide our students with the education t... more »

Auditors on Fulton Science Academy: “Environment of resistance and obstructionism.” | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Auditors on Fulton Science Academy: “Environment of resistance and obstructionism.” | Get Schooled: Auditors on Fulton Science Academy: “Environment of resistance and obstructionism.” by Maureen Downey [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Here are examples of what the auditors reported encountering at Fulton Science Academy Middle School. Here is a link to the full audit. Here is a link to a letter from the school chief to the school board on this issue. Here is a link to a blog on the implications of this audit for charter schools in general. I have includ... more »

Schools Matter: Broadie PerfPay Plan Gets Smacked Down

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Schools Matter: Broadie PerfPay Plan Gets Smacked Down: Broadie PerfPay Plan Gets Smacked Down by Jim Horn by Jim Horn and Anonymous Knoxvillian The Broad Agenda for Tennessee public schools was crippled last evening when Knox County Commissioners rejected the McIntyre school budget increase to fund a meritless performance pay plan for teachers. For months now the Broad Machine, steered in Knoxville by Supt. Jim McIntyre, has been on a non-stop PR campaign to waste public dollars on a tried-and-failed merit pay plan. Despite unerring support by the TN Business Roundtable, the l... more »

Shanker Blog » Teachers: Pressing The Right Buttons

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Shanker Blog » Teachers: Pressing The Right Buttons: Teachers: Pressing The Right Buttons by Esther Quintero The majority of social science research does *not* explicitly dwell on *how* we go from situation A to situation B. Instead, most social scientists on associations between different outcomes*,* and to what* degree*. This “static” approach has advantages but also limitations. Looking at associations might reveal that teachers who experience condition A are twice as likely to leave their schools than teachers who experience condition B. But what does this knowledge tell us a... more »

A Short Note on Educational Leadership | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

A Short Note on Educational Leadership | The Jose Vilson: A Short Note on Educational Leadership by Jose Last night, after talking with my life partner about educational structures, I came to the realization that education leaders actually need to care about kids. Any school leader worth their weight in pencils has some dimension of caring about kids that they can handle. If their forte is instruction, then I expect for them to have strategies for how to work with students on a certain piece of pedagogy and be able to demonstrate that in a few given situations. If their forte is ma... more »

Is teacher tenure a myth? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Is teacher tenure a myth? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Is teacher tenure a myth? By Valerie Strauss My colleague Emma Brown wrote a terrific story detailing a hearing in which a tenured veteran teacher was challenging her principal’s efforts to fire her. The teacher was portrayed by Fairfax County Public School officials as incompetent and rigid. She said that her principal didn’t like her — especially after she became the school’s union representative — and wanted to get rid of. Violet Nichols, a tenured teacher who was terminated by Fairfax County Public Schools wit... more »

Teacher evaluation lawsuit hearing begins Tuesday - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Teacher evaluation lawsuit hearing begins Tuesday - latimes.com: Teacher evaluation lawsuit hearing begins Tuesday In a case that could transform teacher evaluations in California, a landmark parent lawsuit aimed at forcing L.A. Unified to use student test scores to review instructors is set for a hearing Tuesday. The lawsuit demands that L.A. Unified follow a 40-year-old state law, known as the Stull Act, that requires all school districts to use evidence of student learning in job performance evaluations, including state standardized test scores. But Scott Witlin, attorney for th... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Reality: Charter School Job Insecurity Leads to Tragedy | Crooks and Liars

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Michelle Rhee's Reality: Charter School Job Insecurity Leads to Tragedy | Crooks and Liars: Michelle Rhee's Reality: Charter School Job Insecurity Leads to Tragedy 58 comments By karoli ENLARGE [image: 7307492124_091f917608_n.jpg] Credit: mitco Michelle Rhee loves charter schools. She hates teacher unions. She thinks teachers shouldn't have pensions, only 401k plans. She really, really loathes teacher tenure and is doing her very best to make sure teachers get no respect, have no long term career plans, and that they're divided on a generational basis. She's funded by lots of right... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: MO GOP Passes Platform Resolution Against Common Core Standards

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: MO GOP Passes Platform Resolution Against Common Core Standards: MO GOP Passes Platform Resolution Against Common Core Standards by Anngie The Missouri GOP convention was held last weekend in Springfield. In addition to delegates to the national convention, the convention also voted on the state GOP platform. The education portion of the platform was a mixture of the expected GOP issues like; restricting access to porn on public school computers, rejecting school based clinics that dispense contraceptives or abortion counseling, and acknowledging the r...more »

What is Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Buying: Education PAC Pours $400K into CA Charter School Executive's Campaign

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Blog: Education PAC Pours $400K into CA Charter School Executive's Campaign: Education PAC Pours $400K into CA Charter School Executive's CampaignAnn Kane Why has an education PAC poured $400,000 into a charter school executive's campaign in Southern California? Michelle Rhee's newly formed "Parents and Teachers for Putting StudentsFirst" opened with $2 million in its accounts and made its first contribution to Democrat Brian Johnson (no relation to Rhee's husband Kevin Johnson) who is running for the California state assembly's 46th district in the June 5 primaries. In the past, ... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, June 5, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Tuesday, June 5, 2012* Defense wants Dumanis off Sweetwater caseAn attorney defending Sweetwater school board member Arlie Ricasa against allegations of bribery and corruption requested Monday that San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis be removed from the case. Unusual partnership offers students birth controlThe Los Angeles Unified School District and Planned Parenthood collaborate on a clinic at Roosevelt High, which is in an area with a disproportionately high number of teenage mothers. Lodi Unif... more »

This Week In Education: Thompson: Blaming Arne Duncan For Scott Walker

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

This Week In Education: Thompson: Blaming Arne Duncan For Scott Walker: Thompson: Blaming Arne Duncan For Scott Walker I have been slow in realizing that the Obama Administration has been distancing itself from the anti-Walker campaign. [image: Walker] But then again I was also slow in realizing that Arne Duncan was willing to attack the hard-earned right of teachers. By coercing teachers to give back negotiated rights such as seniority, and incentivizing the mass dismissal of educators through SIG, Duncan helped open a Pandora's Box which, predictably, led to the assaults on colle...more »

Should Duncan Apologize? « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Should Duncan Apologize? « Diane Ravitch's blog: Should Duncan Apologize? by dianerav Secretary Arne Duncan has been on the road selling his idea of “RESPECT” for teachers, but teachers don’t feel any respect from the U.S. Department of Education. Teacher John Thompson has called on Secretary Duncan to apologize for the ways he has encouraged and promoted the currently hostile environment surrounding teachers. The Metlife Survey of the American Teacher reported a dramatic decline in teacher morale from 2009 to 2011. What happened in 2009 that changed the climate? Could it have be... more »

Don’t overlook the Asterisk when looking at Connecticut’s “big investment” in Education. - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Don’t overlook the Asterisk when looking at Connecticut’s “big investment” in Education. - Wait, What?: Don’t overlook the Asterisk when looking at Connecticut’s “big investment” in Education. by jonpelto On a national television show the other day, Governor Malloy called his “education reform” bill a massive investment of new funds for Connecticut’s schools. Meanwhile, towns across Connecticut are laying off teachers and other key school personnel. While additional funds are desperately needed and undoubtedly appreciated, the hyperbole surrounding the new “education reform” law’s... more »

Vote yes. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Vote yes. « Fred Klonsky: Vote yes. by Fred Klonsky I’m a teacher union member. But not a member of the Chicago Teachers Union. If your read this blog regularly you know that I never tell teachers in another local or another union whether they should accept a contract or not. Members know best. In fact, our local is negotiating a contract as I write this and if a tentative settlement were to be reached tomorrow (which it won’t be), I wouldn’t vote on it. It’s not a contract I, as a retiree, will be bound by. However, Chicago Teacher Union members will be voting tomorrow and for se... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: An Article of Note in Crosscut

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: An Article of Note in Crosscut: An Article of Note in Crosscut by Charlie Mas I read an article in Crosscut this morning that was one of the more thought-provoking pieces I've seen about the state of Education Reform in Washington State. "Washington's new education initiative is no A+" by Alison Krupnick explored the wading pool depth of A+ Washington, the Education Reform initiative from Excellent Schools Now. I find myself in a place very much like Ms Krupnick. I feel a great disconnect. In fact, I feel at least three great disconnects. Like her... more »

The Commonwealth Triple-Screw: Special Education Funding & Charter School Payments in Pennsylvania « School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

The Commonwealth Triple-Screw: Special Education Funding & Charter School Payments in Pennsylvania « School Finance 101: The Commonwealth Triple-Screw: Special Education Funding & Charter School Payments in Pennsylvania by schoolfinance101 This post is the second in a series (of unknown number) focusing on how states harm local public school districts through illogical, ill-conceived state school finance systems and components of those systems. One goal of this post is to illustrate the types of problems/manipulations that exist in state school finance systems, how they work, and...more »

The Pearsonizing of the American Mind - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

The Pearsonizing of the American Mind - Bridging Differences - Education Week: The Pearsonizing of the American Mind by Diane Ravitch Dear Deborah, People keep asking why states are spending more and more money on testing at the same time that states are cutting the school budget, laying off teachers, closing school libraries, eliminating the arts, and increasing class size. A good question. Now that parents are feeling the effects of these decisions, as they see their children spending more time on tests and less time learning, they are getting involved in the movement to stop... more »

Love Giver - Excerpt from Mark Shriver's Book, A Good Man | Maria Shriver | The Open Field Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Love Giver - Excerpt from Mark Shriver's Book, A Good Man | Maria Shriver | The Open Field Network: JUNE 5, 2012 ALZHEIMER'S AND CAREGIVING Love Giver - Excerpt from Mark Shriver's Book, A Good Man By Mark K. Shriver You learn that your parent has Alzheimer’s, and you keep hearing this word: “caregiver.” I grew to hate that word. It was inaccurate, belittling, and fell far short of the job requirements. You can summon the patience to be an Alzheimer’s caregiver only if you care a lot, care with all your heart and soul and guts. The practical demands are so relentless that your impu... more »

A New Agenda for Public Education | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

A New Agenda for Public Education | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: A New Agenda for Public Education by obriena On May 17, the Learning First Alliance (LFA) honored Jack Jennings, who founded (and recently retired from) the Center on Education Policy after a long and distinguished career on Capitol Hill, with our 2012 Education Visionary Award. In accepting the award, Jennings explained what he believes will bring about major improvement in education in the United States: A focus on curriculum, teacher quality, and funding. What follows is an excerpt from his ... more »

Architecture 101 Summer Workshops for Grades 3 through high school | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Architecture 101 Summer Workshops for Grades 3 through high school | Seattle Education: Architecture 101 Summer Workshops for Grades 3 through high school by seattleducation2011 This is a commercial break for introductory classes to architecture that I offer throughout the summer. The Architecture 101 Workshops are for students at all levels including IEP and ELL students. We review and discuss the topic for the week, look at images and do sketches of our ideas. After the introduction of the subject, I present the students with a design challenge based on that topic. The students c... more »

This Week In Education: Video: Melinda Gates & Diane Ravitch Talk Teacher Evaluation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

This Week In Education: Video: Melinda Gates & Diane Ravitch Talk Teacher Evaluation: Video: Melinda Gates & Diane Ravitch Talk Teacher Evaluation Watch Melinda Gates on the Importance of Evaluations in Teaching on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour. Listen to the Audio or the NewsHour transcript here. Ravitch segment scheduled to air tonight on PBS.

The First Real Incident of the Royal Visit « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

The First Real Incident of the Royal Visit « Student Activism: The First Real Incident of the Royal Visit by Angus Johnston Via Twitter, a lovely 1964 antidote to the week’s Diamond Jubilee gushfest. • • • Quebec Students Heckle The QueenQUEBEC CITY (UPI) — Queen Elizabeth was booed by student hecklers Saturday as she began her controversial two-day visit to this bastion of French Canada. The booing was heard at least twice as the royal motorcade pulled up in front of the Provincial Legislature. It was the first real incident of the royal visit. Some 50 policemen —... more »

Estimating Common Core costs | Thoughts on Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Estimating Common Core costs | Thoughts on Public Education: Estimating Common Core costs - by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess The adoption of the Common Core standards comes at tough time for districts that have cut teacher training days and textbook purchases to stave off further layoffs. But a new study for the *Fordham Institute *co-authored by a University of San Francisco political science professor concludes that the transition to the new standards in the next few years need not be onerous. “The bottom line is that successful (Common Cor... more »

School Tech Connect: An Argument About Opera

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

School Tech Connect: An Argument About Opera: An Argument About Opera by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Ken Previti, over at Illinois Teachers and Neighbors United, after I took a swipe at *Stand For Children *and opera in a single sentence. * * *"Stand for Children (or as CTU President Karen Lewis calls them, Stand On Children) is much more like the Hansel & Gretal Foundation dedicated to having witches living in candy houses (Edelman) devour children. Actually, this is an excellent comparison."* * * There Are Two Wisconsins by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) The one the people ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Steering clear of the fight

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Steering clear of the fight: Steering clear of the fight by Mike Klonsky After Romney laid out the Republican platform on eduction, including union busting, vouchers and larger class size, the Democrats, including Pres. Obama and Sec. Duncan, immediately went into hiding. The reason? Thus far, their own agenda on education has been essentially the same as the Republicans and their appears to be no change in sight. Even on the few issues where they supposedly disagree, for example on school vouchers, Obama won't take Romney head-on, for fear I suppose,... more »

ConnCAN: Half a Million Dollars of CT Lobbying over 100 days, Nationally Recognized for their Misleading Propaganda - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

ConnCAN: Half a Million Dollars of CT Lobbying over 100 days, Nationally Recognized for their Misleading Propaganda - Wait, What?: ConnCAN: Half a Million Dollars of CT Lobbying over 100 days, Nationally Recognized for their Misleading Propaganda by jonpelto As Governor Malloy and the Connecticut General Assembly prepare for a June 12thSpecial Session that will include adopting language to “clean up” this year’s “education reform” bill, the stench of inappropriate efforts to influence public policy hangs over the Capitol – and it doesn’t just have to do with license fees and tax in... more »

Alachua, Hernando School Boards to Take Up Resolution on High Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Alachua, Hernando School Boards to Take Up Resolution on High Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings: Alachua, Hernando School Boards to Take Up Resolution on High Stakes Testing by Bob Sikes *The Gainesville Sun *and *Tampa Bay Times *reports that two more school boards, Alachua and Hernando, will be strongly considering resolutions against Florida’s suffocating high-stakes test regime. The Sun has this from Alachua board chairman: To base everything on one high-stakes test is not in the best interest of our children,” said April Griffin, chair of the School Board. ….Griffin emp... more »

NYC Educator: The Zombie Apocalypse Comes to TMS2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

NYC Educator: The Zombie Apocalypse Comes to TMS2: The Zombie Apocalypse Comes to TMS2 by Miss Eyre If you didn't pick up this brilliant post via GothamSchools' Remainders last night, you should go and read it now. I LOL'd, especially because the"zombie apocalypse" definitely happened at TMS2 at lunch today. I typically open up my classroom for lunch a couple of days a week so kids can get tutoring or make up work or just hang out, but today, I really needed those precious fifty (which became forty-three after a conference with a young woman who was trying my patience) duty-free ... more »

Education Voter Guide, CA State Senate & Assembly Races, June 5, 2012: Who Are the Bullies of 2011? (UPDATE: Now With Assembly Races) | K-12 News Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Education Voter Guide, CA State Senate & Assembly Races, June 5, 2012: Who Are the Bullies of 2011? (UPDATE: Now With Assembly Races) | K-12 News Network: Education Voter Guide, CA State Senate & Assembly Races, June 5, 2012: Who Are the Bullies of 2011? (UPDATE: Now With Assembly Races) by admin Coming up on June 5, 2012: California’s first open primary election in which anyone can vote for any candidate for state legislative offices, so long as you live in the district. Among other things, you’ll be choosing new State Senators in odd-numbered districts, and new Assembly members... more »

A forshadowing. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

A forshadowing. « Fred Klonsky: A forshadowing. by Fred Klonsky H/T: Glen Brown Here is the roll call vote for HB 1447. This bill imposes pension reductions on the General Assembly Retirement System and the State Employee Retirement System. System participants would have to choose between (1) reduced COLA’s and having salary increases apply to their pensions along with access to retiree health insurance; or (2) existing COLA but no pensionable salary increases and no access to retiree health insurance. Sound familiar? This is the model for what Madigan and company want to do to TRS ... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Students First [sic] Uses Children to Attack Teachers « InterACT

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Students First [sic] Uses Children to Attack Teachers « InterACT: Students First [sic] Uses Children to Attack Teachers by David B. Cohen Here we go. Michelle Rhee and her ironically named “Students First” organization will soon announce their *first*big political move in California. Will it be about *students*, and putting their needs *first*? Well, heads up, Los Angeles! They’re coming your way, and your students sure could use some help from this influential and well-funded crowd. I know your students are dealing with shorter school years, class sizes over thirty, over forty i... more »

NJ Spotlight | Facebook Founder and Broad Foundation to Pitch in More for NJ School Reforms

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

NJ Spotlight | Facebook Founder and Broad Foundation to Pitch in More for NJ School Reforms: Facebook Founder and Broad Foundation to Pitch in More for NJ School Reforms If approved, $600,000 from the high-profile private foundations to help with charters, school turnarounds print | email | share By John Mooney, June 5, 2012 in Education |Post a Comment The Christie administration is harnessing funds from two high-profile private foundations to press some of its statewide education reforms. Related Links Broad Foundation Resolution StartUp: Education Resolution The State Board of Edu...more »

U.S. Department Of Education Tries To Put Lipstick On A Pig | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

U.S. Department Of Education Tries To Put Lipstick On A Pig | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: U.S. Department Of Education Tries To Put Lipstick On A Pig by Larry Ferlazzo The U.S. Department Of Education just released a report titled “Impact in Place: A Progress Report on the Department of Education’s Place-Based Strategy.” Except for an incomprehensible and fairly useless section on the use of data, it’s actually a fairly decent report on how schools can connect with local neighborhoods and community groups to better serve students. Unfortunately, apart from the Adminstrat... more »

An Urban Teacher's Education: Things Fall Apart

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

An Urban Teacher's Education: Things Fall Apart: Things Fall Apart by James Boutin In the fall of 2005, the Academy for Citizenship and Empowerment (the school I teach at) was created out of Tyee (formerly a large comprehensive high school) along with two other small schools. From what I can gather, the conversion process was intense, and many of the staff members uninterested in working in a small school transferred to other large schools in the district. Seven years later, staff members who were there when it happened tell stories of the immense effort and valuable payoffs tha... more »

School funding formula clears Legislature in late, controversial vote | NOLA.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

School funding formula clears Legislature in late, controversial vote | NOLA.com: [image: nola.com] School funding formula clears Legislature in late, controversial votePublished: Monday, June 04, 2012, 6:56 PM Updated: Monday, June 04, 2012, 6:57 PM [image: Bill Barrow, The Times-Picayune] By *Bill Barrow, The Times-Picayune * BATON ROUGE -- Lawmakers waited until the final hours of the legislative session Monday to adopt *the resolution* that allows $3.4 billion in spending for basic public education needs, in addition to the financing for *Gov. Bobby Jindal*'s high-profile pr... more »

Top Ed Official Tells NY to Keep Up Reforms – SchoolBook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Top Ed Official Tells NY to Keep Up Reforms – SchoolBook: Top Ed Official Tells NY to Keep Up Reforms by Yasmeen Khan United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said the country is lagging far behind its international competitors, and he supported New York’s efforts to implement a reform agenda. He told an audience of foundation leaders that he supports revisions to teacher evaluation systems, new learning standards and the tests to assess them, all to ensure students leave high school with “21st century skills.” “The biggest challenge I think we all face is that we’re all to... more »

Last Stand for Children First: CTU Respect Yourself

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Last Stand for Children First: CTU Respect Yourself: CTU Respect Yourself by Last Stand for Children Popout I've been so upset about the Chicago Teachers Union strike authorization this week, but I haven't been able to figure out why. Sure I care about the students who will be left without a school to go to and the hardship these families face, but I realized what the answer was when I head CPS' CEO Jean Claude Brizard tell reporters, "What are they voting on? You’re asking educated professionals to decide something that they don’t know what they’re deciding on. That is disingenuo... more »

Why we need vocational education - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Why we need vocational education - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] Why we need vocational education By Valerie Strauss This was* written by Mark Phillips, professor emeritus of secondary education at San Francisco State University. This was written for hisblog on Edutopia , and he also publishes a monthly column on education for the Marin Independent Journal.* ** By Mark Phillips I was hired by Norway’s Ministry of Education to train vocational education teachers some years ago . Having myself attended a comprehensive high school where vocational studen... more »

Geaux Teacher!: THE MEDIA IS WAKING UP!!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Geaux Teacher!: THE MEDIA IS WAKING UP!!: THE MEDIA IS WAKING UP!! by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT) [image: Corporate Media = Corporate Lies] A growing army of educators nationwide have been throwing bones at the media for several years. In the end it is small town journalism that took the bite and is now stirring up interest in the debacle name Bobby Jindal and his efforts to trample democracy on his way up the political ladder. We won't give up in what has become a battle to save public education and the communities that have traditionally been built around our ... more »

http://www.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Marsha Elliott Forgets What Christianity Is All About by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) More to come as promised. Still on the subject of Marsha Elliott, my former principal at PS 154. Today we will learn just how low a principal will sink and lie to get their way. As a dean and SAVE room coordinator at my school it is very hard work though there are some who think it is easy. Back in December of this school year we had a 4th grade student who was assigned to me for several days and basically a terror. She refused to stay in the room and was mo... more »

Schools Matter: Attention All Teachers: Your Union Leaders Are Betraying You

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Schools Matter: Attention All Teachers: Your Union Leaders Are Betraying You: Attention All Teachers: Your Union Leaders Are Betraying You by Jim Horn Last year Paul Toner, the ostensible leader of the MA Teachers Association, surrendered his membership by capitulating without a whimper to the first step in the corporate blueprint to replace tenured and experienced teachers with a new generation of untrained neophytes who will cycle through the system after a two to three year stint. That first step in that process was to establish a teacher evaluation scheme based on student te... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Marie Corfield for NJ Assembly

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Marie Corfield for NJ Assembly: Marie Corfield for NJ Assembly by Duke Tomorrow is primary day in New Jersey. I'll keep this really simple: If you are an educator and/or a parent, you deserve a voice in government. You deserve to have one of your own fight for your interests and the interests of your students and/or children (and don't let anyone ever tell you those two interests are not aligned). I'm not saying you should automatically vote for any teacher or parent who runs. But when you find a smart, tough, engaging, charismatic, funny, and brave teacher and mot... more »

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-2-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

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