THE INSPIRATION OF GREAT TEACHERS « City School Stories

THE INSPIRATION OF GREAT TEACHERS « City School Stories:

THE INSPIRATION OF GREAT TEACHERS

by fmurphy

Notes from the Field
Submitted on June 11, 2012 by Frank Murphy

Almost everyday, some bad news story concerning the School District of Philadelphia seems to be in the newspaper. Budget shortfalls, school closures and employee layoffs are commonplace events. The education of our city’s children has become a political football. It seems that nearly every person with some kind of power or title in our city and state wants to give a good kick to Philadelphia’s schools.

Everyone these days, powerful or not, proclaims to be an expert with their own ideas on how our schools should operate. They say our schools are “broken”. Are they really or have schools become the convenient scapegoats for our society’s unwillingness to take responsibility for all of its citizens? For all of these experts’ criticisms, 

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-11-12 #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

Dissent Magazine - Spring 2012 Issue - Hired Guns on Astrotur...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 25 minutes ago

Dissent Magazine - Spring 2012 Issue - Hired Guns on Astrotur...: Hired Guns on Astroturf: How to Buy and Sell School Reform By Joanne Barkan *For Barkan’s other writing on the self-proclaimed “education reform movement,” clickhere, here, and here.* If you want to change government policy, change the politicians who make it. The implications of this truism have now taken hold in the market-modeled “education reform movement.” As a result, the private funders and nonprofit groups that run the movement have overhauled their strategy. They’ve gone political as never before—like the Na... more »

Report: DPS lacks PE, recess, breakfast | EdNewsColorado

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Report: DPS lacks PE, recess, breakfast | EdNewsColorado: Report: DPS lacks PE, recess, breakfast by Rebecca Jones A group that has been tracking health trends among students of color today called on Denver Public Schools to step up its efforts to boost physical activity and improve access to nutritious food. Antwan Wilson, DPS assistant superintendent, signs a pledge to work toward full implementation of the recommendations made in the Health Justice Report. School officials say they couldn’t agree more with the conclusions reached in the “Health Justice Report” released this morni... more »

Time to focus more on student achievement for students with disabilities? - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Time to focus more on student achievement for students with disabilities? - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: Time to focus more on student achievement for students with disabilities? Monday, June 11th, 2012 at 11:03 am in No Comments *Stacey Smith is an Oakland school district parent and volunteer who has served on the District GATE Advisory Committee, the school board’s Special Committee on School Based Management, and the Community Advisory Committee for Special Education. I invited her to contribute periodically to The Education Report, and she wante... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Hinz tells Rahm: "Talking with a big mouth, not always smart..."

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Hinz tells Rahm: "Talking with a big mouth, not always smart...": Hinz tells Rahm: "Talking with a big mouth, not always smart..." by Mike Klonsky Rahm & Brizard strut.*Greg Hinz* covers politics from Crain's Chicago Business. Today, following the press conference where CTU Pres. Karen Lewis officially announced that 90% of its 25,000 members voted YES on a strike authorization vote, Hinz lit into Rahm and Brizard. *If Mr. Emanuel and schools chief Jean-Claude Brizard want to know why the figure was that high, they might start by looking in the mirro... more »

Save Our Schools Webinar Overhauling Testing and Accountability with Monty Neill

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Save Our Schools Webinar Overhauling Testing and Accountability with Monty Neill: Save Our Schools Webinar Overhauling Testing and Accountability with Monty NeillFairTest Executive Director Monty Neill will present and lead a discussion in three parts: 1) What is wrong with current testing and accountability; 2) What are some educationally sound goals in these areas; and 3) Action steps at local, state and federal levels to overcome the problems and win the goals.

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee has MORE Impact | Widespread dissatisfaction with new teacher evaluations in Tennessee

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

HechingerEd Blog | Widespread dissatisfaction with new teacher evaluations in Tennessee: Widespread dissatisfaction with new teacher evaluations in Tennessee by Sarah Garland In many ways, Tennessee teachers have acted as guinea pigs in a new national movement to overhaul how teachers are evaluated. While many states are in the process of changing the measures used to gauge teacher effectiveness, Tennessee launched its system—which includes both classroom observations and student test-scores among the measures used to rate teachers—last school year. Teacher protest in Nashville, TN... more »

Healthy in Every Way — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Healthy in Every Way — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]Healthy in Every Way June 11, 2012 by Klea Scharberg "Today educators are interested in the whole life of the child. They are aware that experiences in school affect not only the child of today, but also the man of tomorrow. No longer is 'book learning' the total aim of the days and years of classroom attendance. There is also the recognition that the health of the child determines his ability to deal with his school tasks. The next step toward understanding man at his various stages of develo... more »

Jonah Edelman: “Oops.” « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Jonah Edelman: “Oops.” « Fred Klonsky: Jonah Edelman: “Oops.” JUNE 11, 2012 Okay. Salt in the wound. But I can’t help myself. Here is the video of *Stand For Children’s* Jonah Edelman. *“The union cannot strike in Chicago. They will never be able to muster the 75 percent threshold needed to strike.’’*

Right-wing Lobby Group, Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), Pick Pro-Voucher Candidates for August 14 Wisconsin Primary « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Right-wing Lobby Group, Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), Pick Pro-Voucher Candidates for August 14 Wisconsin Primary « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Right-wing Lobby Group, Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), Pick Pro-Voucher Candidates for August 14 Wisconsin Primary by millerlf Larry Miller [image: DFER Fake Democrats for Education Privatization (click on Picture)] IT IS A RULE: YOU CAN'T BE AGAINST PEOPLE AND FOR CORPORATIONS AND CALL YOURSELF A DEMOCRAT...EVER! *Katy Venskus*, Wisconsin State Director of Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), recently... more »

Support PURE! » More 100% bull from Noble

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » More 100% bull from Noble: More 100% bull from Noble by admin The first head-shaker this morning was Rahm in his own words extolling an improved CPS graduation rate but writing almost exclusively about the great things going on at the private, religious school, Christ the King, where he was speaking. Does he ever pay attention to where he is before he speaks? He still managed to spout the “100% seniors graduated 100% seniors accepted at college” bull that has become so prevalent. Geez, these privately-run boutique high schoo... more »

GLOBAL EDUCATION STRIKE – Resisting the increasing Commercialization and Financialization of Education | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

GLOBAL EDUCATION STRIKE – Resisting the increasing Commercialization and Financialization of Education | Dailycensored.com: GLOBAL EDUCATION STRIKE – Resisting the increasing Commercialization and Financialization of Education by Danny Weil http://ism-global.net/discussion_global_education_strike_2012 *WHY strike together GLOBALLY?* *It’s the SAME SHIT EVERYWHERE!!* *People worldwide are struggling against:* - Massive staff cuts and budget cuts - Privatisation and commercialisation of education - De-democratisation within schools and universities - Tuition fees hike ... more »

President Obama Honors Outstanding Math and Science Teachers | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

President Obama Honors Outstanding Math and Science Teachers | The White House: President Obama Honors Outstanding Math and Science Teachers by The White House WASHINGTON, DC -- President Obama today named 97 mathematics and science teachers as recipients of the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The educators will receive their awards in Washington, DC later this month. The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is awarded annually to outstanding K-12 science and mathematics teachers from across the c... more »

School Tech Connect: Juan Rangel Channels The Church Lady

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Juan Rangel Channels The Church Lady: Juan Rangel Channels The Church Lady by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Rangel went all Dana Carvey on Twitter yesterday. Remind me to revisit this when the numbers are actually released: According to *Catalyst*: The graduation rate has been inching up over the past decade. In 2000, less than half—about 47 percent—of students graduated. Last year, five-year cohort graduation rate was at 58 percent. CPS did not release school-by-school information so it is unclear if any particular type of school drove the increase. Distric... more »

Parents United for Responsible Education » A “CPS Mommy” and the bias of the liberal media

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » A “CPS Mommy” and the bias of the liberal media: A “CPS Mommy” and the bias of the liberal media by admin It really hit home today as I read the ugly Huffington Post blog by Jacqueline Edelberg, in which the self-described “CPS Mommy” who “love, love, l-o-v-e”s teachers describes Chicago’s as “the red-shirted mob now marching with pitchforks against the House of Brizard.” After considerable protest from commenters on the post, HuffPo actually deleted the words “midgets” and “freak show” from Edelberg’s description of the con... more »

NYC Public School Parents: New special education policies vs. failed special education policies by Jaye Bea Smalley

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: New special education policies vs. failed special education policies by Jaye Bea Smalley: New special education policies vs. failed special education policies by Jaye Bea Smalley by Leonie Haimson There are City Council hearings on the DOE’s new special education initiative tomorrow, Tuesday, June 12, starting at 1 PM at 250 Broadway. The DOE is intent on pushing through this initiative despite the fact that their own power point [see slide 13] shows *no gain in attendance or achievement*for students with disabilities who were moved into general educati... more »

The CTU overwhelming yes vote is a stinging rebuke of Rahm and Brizard. But not only them. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

The CTU overwhelming yes vote is a stinging rebuke of Rahm and Brizard. But not only them. « Fred Klonsky: The CTU overwhelming yes vote is a stinging rebuke of Rahm and Brizard. But not only them. by Fred Klonsky *IEA Executive Director Audrey Soglin bullied the CTU leadership. But teachers don’t like bullies.* After a weekend of unofficial reports, CTU President Karen Lewis officially announced the results Monday of the strike authorization vote taken last Wednesday through Friday. Not only did over 90% of the CTU members vote yes. 73% percent of the members voted yes *the first ... more »

Keeping the “Professionalism” in the Profession | Ideas and Thoughts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Keeping the “Professionalism” in the Profession | Ideas and Thoughts: Keeping the “Professionalism” in the Profession by Dean Shareski A quick scan of my blog reveals I've discussed the word "accountability" often. LIke the word rigor, it's a word I despise when it comes to education and yet is the word governments and schools and districts use to market themselves as doing what's in the best interest of students. I've sat in on many discussions with well meaning, caring people who have adopted this ideology of measuring and "holding people accountable" for the work they do. While... more »

Leonie Haimson: Will Our Federal Government Renounce Their Proposal to Increase Class Size?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Leonie Haimson: Will Our Federal Government Renounce Their Proposal to Increase Class Size?: Will Our Federal Government Renounce Their Proposal to Increase Class Size? *Go to Parents Across America.* The Obama administration has proposed that in next year's education budget, 25 percent of the funds to reduce class size or keep teachers on staff be diverted to a competitive grant program to create and expand "new pathways" to teaching -- e.g. to help fund organizations like Teach For America. That would mean a cut of more than $600 million that, if approved, would lead to even larg... more »

Fourth annual "Skinny award" dinner

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Fourth annual "Skinny award" dinner: ** *Leonie Haimson, Diane Ravitch, Patrick Sullivan* *Monica Major & Emily Horowitz * *invite you to* *the fourth annual Skinny Awards*** *When: Tuesday, June 12 at 6:00 PM* * Where: Bistro Lamazou* 344 3rd Avenue (betw. 25th & 26th St.) New York, NY 10010 *A fundraiser for Class Size Matters*** * Please join us for a special evening where we will honor two celebrated educators who stand up for parents, smaller classes and our children’s right to receive a quality education* *Dr. Kathleen M. Cashin, ** * *Brooklyn member of the NYS Board of Regents... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Trying to follow the policy review project

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Trying to follow the policy review project: Trying to follow the policy review project by Charlie Mas The Seattle School Board has launched a big project to review and update all of their policies. Phase I of this process is complete - they have renumbered the policies to conform to WSSDA conventions, they have added some non-controversial policies that other districts typically have but Seattle was missing, they deleted some non-controversial superfluous policies, and they have done some work to thoughtfully re-write the governance policies (seri... more »

In Case You Missed It: Take your money back, Super PAC; Charters, Charters everywhere « EdVox

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

In Case You Missed It: Take your money back, Super PAC; Charters, Charters everywhere « EdVox: In Case You Missed It: Take your money back, Super PAC; Charters, Charters everywhere by edvoxny *Here on EdVox we’re excited to bring you the latest news about education issues and policies affecting our communities. It can be hard to keep up with all of the events and happenings, so – in case you missed it… **Here is a recap of the latest stories in NYC education news, starting with Monday of last week:* *MONDAY* - Hedge fund-backed super PAC StudentsFirstNY announced it would sp... more »

Does Common Core Encourage War? | History News Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Does Common Core Encourage War? | History News Network: Does Common Core Encourage War? - [image: share] - By Alan Singer *6-11-12* Alan Singer is a historian and Professor of Secondary Education at Hofstra University, author of "New York and Slavery: Time to Teach the Truth" (Albany, NY: SUNY Press, 2008), and editor of the New York and Slavery: Complicity and Resistance curriculum that received the 2005 National Council for the Social Studies program of excellence award. At the end of May, the Obama administration granted eight states, including New York, waivers from B... more »

This Week In Education: Think Tanks: Brookings "Fires" Ravitch For Being "Inactive"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

This Week In Education: Think Tanks: Brookings "Fires" Ravitch For Being "Inactive": Think Tanks: Brookings "Fires" Ravitch For Being "Inactive" by Alexander Russo Diane Ravitch has announced on her blog that she's been nonrenewed as a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institute, and in the process raised questions about the necessity of her removal from the unpaid position and the timing of the move (she recently posted a few entries critical of Romney, for whom Whitehurst is a campaign advisor). [image: Screen shot 2012-06-11 at 12.38.41 PM] There's no word back yet from Whitehu... more »

CPS “shares” parent phone numbers in anti-CTU propaganda campaign

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » CPS “shares” parent phone numbers in anti-CTU propaganda campaign: CPS “shares” parent phone numbers in anti-CTU propaganda campaign by admin Well, it’s looking as though the big bucks CPS and its corporate sponsors spent on discouraging a teacher strike authorization vote were wasted. For example, many CPS parents received a robo call over the weekend from Ed Reform Now. Raise Your Hand shared around an audio clip of the recorded message — the speaker identified herself as Jennifer Herron, a parent and Local School Council ... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, June 11, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Monday, June 11, 2012* School builders back bonds most generouslyCompanies that design, build and consult on school construction projects contributed almost all of the money raised to help pass two local bond measures in Tuesday's election. Adult ed falls to flexibilitySince [2009], local school boards have closed 32 adult education programs and cut at least half the funding for more than 40 others, according to a survey conducted a few months ago by the adult education administrators in Montebello Unified Sch... more »

Innovation Schools/Creative Approach Schools and ALEC | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Innovation Schools/Creative Approach Schools and ALEC | Seattle Education: Innovation Schools/Creative Approach Schools and ALEC by seattleducation2011 Last year legislation was pushed through referred to as the Innovation Schools bill. Sue and I called this bill a charter school bill in sheep’s clothing and that’s exactly what it was. Then, our district’s union leadership decided to take this on to show that we could have innovative schools in Seattle and therefore didn’t need charter schools even though we have “Option Schools”, which are progressive alternative schools, Montessor... more »

Is Teach For America Failing? : NPR

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Is Teach For America Failing? : NPR: Is Teach For America Failing? Teach for America has been touted for its success in bringing talented people into the field of education. But it has also been drawing criticism, even from former supporters, about whether the program is effective. Host Michel Martin talks with Gary Rubenstein, a Teach for America alum, a veteran teacher and a critic of the program. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us In Defense Of Teach For America Teach for America is drawing criticism from some education policy observers who say its training for new recruits ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Education Venture Capitalists Want Government Money but not Government Mandates....

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Education Venture Capitalists Want Government Money but not Government Mandates....: Education Venture Capitalists Want Government Money but not Government Mandates.... by stlgretchen ...however, if you dance with the Devil, you pay the Devil his due. Venture capitalists are in the business of making money and one area to funnel capital is into charter schools. Charter start ups are partially funded by federal government money (aka known as taxpayer funding) so there is no true entrepreneurial risk. They primarily operate as traditional public schoo... more »

"NYSUT calls for major overhaul of standardized testing system." June 11, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

"NYSUT calls for major overhaul of standardized testing system." June 11, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org: NYSUT calls for major overhaul of standardized testing system NYSUT Media Relations - June 11, 2012 ALBANY, N.Y. June 11, 2012 - New York State United Teachers today called for a major overhaul of New York's standardized testing system, saying the nearly 4,500 minutes, or 74 hours, the average student spends on standardized testing over their school years profits giant testing companies, but cheats students out of a rich and full education. While empha... more »

Van Roekel Responds to Daniels Echoing Romney’s Attack on Teachers | NEA Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Van Roekel Responds to Daniels Echoing Romney’s Attack on Teachers | NEA Today: Van Roekel Responds to Daniels Echoing Romney’s Attack on Teachers June 11, 2012 by twalker Filed under Must Reads Leave a Comment [image: Email][image: Share] Appearing today on “Fox News Sunday” with Chris Wallace, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, a high-profile Romney campaign supporter and potential candidate for vice president, continued the attack on working families when he called for the elimination of unions for teachers, police officers and firefighters. Source:*Education Votes* Related posts: ... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-11 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

*BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS* New education standards end rote learning, cursive coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago New education standards end rote learning, cursive: New education standards end rote learning, cursive Jill Tucker Monday, June 11, 2012 ------------------------------ PrintE-mailShareComments (33)Font | Size: ------------------------------ 28 Michael Short / Special to the Chronicle Third-graders practice cursive writing at Encompass Academy in East Oakland. Cursive writing and repetitive learning are not priorities under a new set of na... more »

New education standards end rote learning, cursive

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

New education standards end rote learning, cursive: New education standards end rote learning, cursive Jill Tucker Monday, June 11, 2012 ------------------------------ PrintE-mailShareComments (33)Font | Size: ------------------------------ 28 Michael Short / Special to the Chronicle Third-graders practice cursive writing at Encompass Academy in East Oakland. Cursive writing and repetitive learning are not priorities under a new set of national education standards offered to states. IMAGES[image: Third-graders practice cursive writing at Encompass Acade...][image: A student looks at ... more »

RheeFirst! » Four Years On, Checking in With Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's ’s DC ‘Army of Believers’–like her, they’ve failed

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

RheeFirst! » Four Years On, Checking in With Rhee’s DC ‘Army of Believers’–like her, they’ve failed: Four Years On, Checking in With Rhee’s DC ‘Army of Believers’–like her, they’ve failed by admin Written by Julia Lawrence for Education News. Read the entire article here. “*During Michelle Rhee’s tenure as the head of the Washington D.C. public school system, she presided over a wide-ranging staffing overhaul that saw over a third of the district’s principals and administrators fired and replaced. Rhee’s 2008 recruits were called “an army of believers” by a the non-profit New Le... more »

Take Politics Out of Student Loan Process | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Take Politics Out of Student Loan Process | ED.gov Blog: Take Politics Out of Student Loan Process by Arne Duncan *This op-ed appeared in today’s edition of Politico.* Last month, I had the honor of giving the commencement address at Howard University. I was filled with hope and inspiration looking out at the faces of all those young people, often the first in their family to attend college. Those students and their families worked hard, sacrificed and saved to go to Howard. And for many of them, getting a degree would not have been possible without the help of Pell Grants and low-... more »

Straight Up Conversation: Common Core Architect and New College Board President David Coleman :: Frederick M. Hess

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Straight Up Conversation: Common Core Architect and New College Board President David Coleman :: Frederick M. Hess: Straight Up Conversation: Common Core Architect and New College Board President David Coleman *by Frederick M. Hess • Jun 11, 2012 at 8:50 am Cross-posted from Education Week* Print Send RSS [image: Share] Share The whip-smart and polished David Coleman has been the quiet architect behind the Common Core. With no formal position, he's played a pivotal role in shepherding and selling the work coordinated by the NGA and CCSSO. Of late, he's been spending most of his t... more »

Vallas on Spending Spree – Another Major Contract For Another Firm He’s Used Before - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Vallas on Spending Spree – Another Major Contract For Another Firm He’s Used Before - Wait, What?: Vallas on Spending Spree – Another Major Contract For Another Firm He’s Used Before by jonpelto The illegally appointed Bridgeport School Board is meeting tonight. One of their agenda items is a discussion about extending the City’s contract with Paul Vallas. Reportedly, board members want to sign a multi-year contract with Vallas in order to prevent the democratically elected board that will soon take office from conducting their own review of whether Vallas is the most appropria... more »

Shanker Blog » Reviving Labor After Wisconsin: Unions Need A New Approach Emphasizing Civil Rights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Shanker Blog » Reviving Labor After Wisconsin: Unions Need A New Approach Emphasizing Civil Rights: Reviving Labor After Wisconsin: Unions Need A New Approach Emphasizing Civil Rights by Richard D. Kahlenberg *Our guest authors today are Richard D. Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, and Moshe Z. Marvit, a civil rights attorney. They are authors of the book *Why Labor Organizing Should Be a Civil Right: Rebuilding a Middle-Class Democracy By Enhancing Worker Voice.** Conservatives are calling the failure of public sector unions to recall Wisconsin Governor Scott... more »

The Day I Was Terminated « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

The Day I Was Terminated « Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] The Day I Was Terminated dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 18 minutes ago A few years ago, when I began speaking candidly about the destructive policies that are now called “education reform,” I had the comfort of knowing that no one could punish me. I didn’t want a job, I didn’t want a political appointment, and I didn’t want a foundation grant. Imagine my surprise, therefore, when I [...] The Textbooks in Voucher Academies dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 hour ago There are... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky Jonah Edelman *Jonah Edelman of Stand for Children bragged last year that “the union cannot strike in Chicago. They will never be able to muster the 75 percent threshold needed to strike.’’* -- Sun-Times, "Sources: CPS teachers authorize strike" N.Y. high school student *“Everyone in school either has a prescription or has a friend who does.”* -- Risky Rise of the Good-Grade Pill Valerie Strauss *In the ‘you-can’t-make-up-this-stuff’ category, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is spending a... more »

Adult ed falls to flexibility | Thoughts on Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Adult ed falls to flexibility | Thoughts on Public Education: Adult ed falls to flexibility Share Districts are sweeping the funds into K12 Posted on 6/11/12 • Categorized as State Budget By *Kathryn Baron* *This is the first of two articles on the state of adult education in California. The second piece will run on Wednesday, June 13.* The sun was still melting through the gray morning sky as teacher Don Curtis rode his bicycle into a warehouse yard belonging to Oakland Unified School District, opened a large garage door, and backed his classroom into the parking lot. [image: The mo... more »

LAUSD: COURT TO RULE IF STULL CAN BE USED TO SCAPEGOAT GOOD TEACHERS - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

LAUSD: COURT TO RULE IF STULL CAN BE USED TO SCAPEGOAT GOOD TEACHERS - Perdaily.com: LAUSD: COURT TO RULE IF STULL CAN BE USED TO SCAPEGOAT GOOD TEACHERS by Leonard Isenberg [image: Think.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)* *According to a recent Los Angeles TImes article, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant will rule today on requiring the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to use student test scores in teacher STULL evaluations, which are supposed to determine if the te... more »

The Innovative Educator: Are teachers keeping students prisoners of their past?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

The Innovative Educator: Are teachers keeping students prisoners of their past?: Are teachers keeping students prisoners of their past? by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) *For today’s youth life outside of school is a fast-paced, connected environment where students have the freedom to learn in the spaces and with the tools they love. Once inside school walls however, in many cases digital devices are banned, collaborating is viewed as cheating, and students are often prohibited from accessing the very sites that are necessary for real-world success. * * * *I will be speaking t... more »

$1.1 million-plus Gates grants: ‘Galvanic’ bracelets that measure student engagement - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

$1.1 million-plus Gates grants: ‘Galvanic’ bracelets that measure student engagement - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: $1.1 million-plus Gates grants: ‘Galvanic’ bracelets that measure student engagement by Valerie Strauss In the ‘you-can’t-make-up-this-stuff’ category, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is spending about $1.1 million to develop a way to physiologically measure how engaged students are by their teachers’ lessons. This involves “galvanic skin response” bracelets that kids would wear so their engagement levels could be measured. Read full article >> Cha... more »

Schools Matter: Evaluate This! Shows the way forward for authentic education reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Schools Matter: Evaluate This! Shows the way forward for authentic education reform: Evaluate This! Shows the way forward for authentic education reform by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene *"I am heading for a four-year college. The classes that most helped me prepare for this were NOT test prep classes. They were the ones where I got to explore stuff and do projects." — Tiffany Tuggle (CEJ Member and Senior at UCLA Community School)* Jessica Kochick teaches at the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex in the Westlake District of Los Angeles near my home. Jess and I come out of the same p... more »

1984: Melinda and Bill Gates’ Dystopian Ethos of Propaganda « Living Behind the Gates

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

1984: Melinda and Bill Gates’ Dystopian Ethos of Propaganda « Living Behind the Gates: 1984: Melinda and Bill Gates’ Dystopian Ethos of Propaganda by livingbehindthegates *“Our** ethos is all that we currently hold to be true. It is what we act upon. It governs our manners, our business, and our politics.”* ~ Howard Zinn *Big Brother*: [*voice-over*] “*This is our land. A land of peace and of plenty. A land of harmony and hope. This is our land. Oceania. These are our people. The workers, the strivers, the builders. These are our people. The builders of our world, struggling, fi... more »

The Educated Reporter: A Troubling Time Capsule: JFK On The State Of Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: A Troubling Time Capsule: JFK On The State Of Education: A Troubling Time Capsule: JFK On The State Of Education by Emily Richmond In his commencement speech at San Diego State College, the President of the United States covered unsurprising territory in describing the challenges facing the nation’s public schools – inequities for minority students, a high dropout rate, and the need for better teacher training. What might be surprising is that the president was John F. Kennedy, and he was addressing the class of 1963. “Our current education programs, much a... more »

NYC Educator: The Bad Business of Being a "Bad" Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

NYC Educator: The Bad Business of Being a "Bad" Teacher: The Bad Business of Being a "Bad" Teacher by NYC Educator * by special guest blogger Turnaround Teacher* I am working at one of the dozens of high schools that Mayor Mike, in his wisdom, has decided to "turnaround." "Turnaround" really means "closing," with all teachers put in excess and forced to reapply for their own jobs. Rumors circulate about how many teachers will be re-hired, but we all know that if only 50% of the staff is rehired, the school gets some extra $1.5 million. The teachers at our school are all obviously ... more »

Gloria Romero, the Charter Queen on Seducing Gov.Jerry Brown and Starving the Beast

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Last Stand for Children First: The Secret to Effective Teaching - Galvanic Response Bracelets

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Last Stand for Children First: The Secret to Effective Teaching - Galvanic Response Bracelets: The Secret to Effective Teaching - Galvanic Response Bracelets by Last Stand for Children Diane Ravitch recently broke the story of the Gates Foundation awarding grants to both Clemson University and The National Center on Time and Learning for a combined 1.2 million dollars to study the use of Galvanic Response Skin bracelets to determine student engagement. This high tech bling measures emotional arousal via skin conductance, a form of electrodermal activity that grows higher during... more »

Daily Kos: a few brief thoughts after Providence

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Daily Kos: a few brief thoughts after Providence: a few brief thoughts after Providence by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) I was delighted with how packed the room was for the session I organized on education with Diane Ravitch and John Jackson. Both Diane and John enjoyed themselves. While I am aware of a diary that was critical of the session, I was honored by the number of people who came up to me and thanked me for the session, who got value from it. I found the part of Providence in which we were located to be delightfully walkable. I enjoyed many of the events and parties out... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Jonah Edelman: Massive Fail!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Jonah Edelman: Massive Fail!: Jonah Edelman: Massive Fail! by Duke While I hate the thought of the damage a strike will do to Chicago's children and teachers, I can't help but take a little satisfaction in thinking that Jonah Edelman has much to answer for to his masters: *Chicago Teachers Union officials are expected to announce Monday that they have handily met a new 75 percent strike authorization threshold*, despite a blitzkrieg of emails and ads against the action, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned. The union concluded three days of voting Friday and a weeke... more »

Florida Backtracks on Standardized State Tests - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Florida Backtracks on Standardized State Tests - NYTimes.com: Backtracking on Florida Exams Flunked by Many, Even an EducatorBy MICHAEL WINERIPPublished: June 10, 2012 2 Comments - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - EMAIL - SHARE - PRINT - SINGLE PAGE - REPRINTS - SANFORD, Fla. — Bill Vogel, the superintendent of schools in this suburb of Orlando, has always been vigilant about preparing his district for the state tests. Enlarge This Image Roberto Gonzalez for The New York Times Edlexander Rabassa, a high school sophomore in Orlando, Fla., qualified for coll... more »

 

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-9-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

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