Big Education Ape: Jul 7, 2012

Rank
1	The Importance of Mindset Added by Sandra Trach on July 4, 2012
2	Save money on Textbooks - BookGator.com: Your Social Bookstore Added by sarah dianna on June 29, 2012
3	Who Else Dreams About Creating a New Reality for Public Education? Added by Nikki Stansfield on June 3, 2012
4	Tech Tools Supporting C.R.I.S.S. Strategies Added by Ary Aranguiz on July 2, 2012
5	Personal Learning Networks for the Educator Added by Michelle Violet Basil on July 5, 2012
6	Oslo and Akershus University College Learning and Teaching in a Digital World Summer School 2012 Added by Deezthinking on July 7, 2012
7	Practical Ideas for Differentiation Posted by Morgan Kolis on July 21, 2010
8	What is Freedom in Education? Added by Dr. Raymond T. Heipp on July 5, 2012
9	Flat Classroom™ Projects Applications Open Added by mrsdurff on July 3, 2012

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

Where Power Resides « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago

Where Power Resides « Diane Ravitch's blog: Where Power Resides by dianerav A reader sent this list of the board of directors of the Broad Center for the Management of School Systems for 2009. The center is part of the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, which runs a training program for urban school superintendents. Some (many?) Broad-trained superintendents have been involved in controversy, due to their non-collaborative management style. *Joel Klein, Chair, Chancellor New York City Department of Education* *Barry Munitz, Vice Chair, Trustee Professor California State University, L... more »

Why Should We Reform Education Using Microsoft's Failed Ranking Policies? | Crooks and Liars

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago

Why Should We Reform Education Using Microsoft's Failed Ranking Policies? | Crooks and Liars: Why Should We Reform Education Using Microsoft's Failed Ranking Policies? 60 comments By Nicole Belle *Bill Gates addresses education reform, February 2011* Few people have been as visible as Bill and Melinda Gates on the subject of education reform. Certainly, in our society, where having a large portfolio trumps any possible personal failings, Bill Gates is held up by the mainstream media as someone leading the charge for innovation in education reform. But is he? Gates has been advocati...more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The End of Transparency in Program Placement

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The End of Transparency in Program Placement: The End of Transparency in Program Placement by Charlie Mas The new program placement policy will soon be adopted by the Board and when that happens they will close the door on transparency. Wendy London, while saying that they want to have a transparent process, essentially told the board that it is "staff work" and the public will not be allowed to know how decisions were made. Program placement will not be an open or honest process. That dream is dead. You can watch the video here. Jump to 73:00 for... more »

Green Dot charter schools move toward merit pay instead of seniority for teachers - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Green Dot charter schools move toward merit pay instead of seniority for teachers - LA Daily News: Green Dot charter schools move toward merit pay instead of seniority for teachers By Rob Kuznia Staff Writer Posted: 07/06/2012 07:56:04 PM PDT Updated: 07/06/2012 08:14:09 PM PDT Teachers unions in California tend not to be big fans of tying teacher evaluations to test scores or linking pay increases to performance ratings - a concept often referred to as "merit pay." One exception is the teachers union at Green Dot Public Schools, a cluster of 18 charter schools throughout Los ... more »

Seven Suggestions for Teachers to Make Their School Leaders More Effective - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Seven Suggestions for Teachers to Make Their School Leaders More Effective - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Seven Suggestions for Teachers to Make Their School Leaders More Effective by Nancy Flanagan Recently, I've been asked to review several books--new publications, second editions and drafts in the pre-publication process--about teacher leadership. Since my life's passion is bringing the voices of experienced teachers into the policy process, at all levels, this little cottage book-review industry has been really gratifying and fun. Most interesting are the ... more »

Are U.S. Kids Spoiled Rotten? | Lefty Parent

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Are U.S. Kids Spoiled Rotten? | Lefty Parent: Are U.S. Kids Spoiled Rotten? by Cooper Zale In an article in the July 2 edition of New Yorker magazine titled, “Spoiled Rotten: Why do kids rule the roost?”, anthropologist Elizabeth Kolbert takes a critical look at the “rules of engagement” between young people and their parents, based on studying everyday life for a group of middle class Los Angeles families. Kolbert’s conclusion is that the conventional approach to parenting among the studied families shows a permissive attitude that leads to young people being more dependent on the... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Final Reflections on ISTE 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Final Reflections on ISTE 2012: Final Reflections on ISTE 2012 by alicemercer Conversations are criticalI’ve said it before, and so have most bloggers who were there, the conversations in the hallway and at the end of the day are as critical to what you will learn at a conference as the sessions. Sometimes they are more important, because as much as we are all intrigued by shiny new tools, its our personal relationships that make them work best. This blog would be nothing without the ongoing support I get from readers. My practice relies on ... more »

Students form human wall to protect soldier’s funeral from Westboro Baptist protesters | The Raw Story

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Students form human wall to protect soldier’s funeral from Westboro Baptist protesters | The Raw Story: Students form human wall to protect soldier’s funeral from Westboro Baptist protesters by David Ferguson [image: Maroon Wall College Park TX2] Topics: god hates fags ♦ westboro baptist ♦ westboro baptist church Students and alumni of Texas A&M University formed what they called a “maroon wall” of volunteers around Central Baptist Church in College Park, Texas on Thursday, shielding the funeral of Army Lieutenant Colonel Roy Lin Tisdale from a group of protesters from the notori... more »

California Releases Draft ELD (ESL) Standards | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

California Releases Draft ELD (ESL) Standards | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: English Language Development StandardsWeb page for those interested in following the alignment of English language development (ELD) standards with current English language arts standards. ------------------------------ Draft of ELD Standards Assembly Bill 124 (Fuentes, Chapter 605, Statutes of 2011) directed the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) convene a panel of English language development experts in English language instruction, curriculum, and assessment to assist in the up... more »

Just Let Me Sip My Coffee in Peace, Will ya… Another ‘Unabashed’ Cheerleader for My Union Awakes. Thanks, Fred. « Continuing Change

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Just Let Me Sip My Coffee in Peace, Will ya… Another ‘Unabashed’ Cheerleader for My Union Awakes. Thanks, Fred. « Continuing Change: Just Let Me Sip My Coffee in Peace, Will ya… Another ‘Unabashed’ Cheerleader for My Union Awakes. Thanks, Fred. by gatorbonbc *My comment on Fred Klosky’s blog: Saturday coffee.* *Fred writes, * *“Let me answer the charge that I am a cheerleader for the NEA. It is true.* *This is precisely what I tell the union leadership. I am an unabashed cheerleader for my union. “Unabashed.” Without regret or embarrassment.”* *Immediately, the comments started be... more »

Robert Reich (The Wall Street Scandal of all Scandals)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Robert Reich (The Wall Street Scandal of all Scandals): The Wall Street Scandal of all Scandals SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012 Just when you thought Wall Street couldn’t sink any lower – when its myriad abuses of public trust have already spread a miasma of cynicism over the entire economic system, giving birth to Tea Partiers and Occupiers and all manner of conspiracy theories; when its excesses have already wrought havoc with the lives of millions of Americans, causing taxpayers to shell out billions (of which only a portion has been repaid) even as its top executives are back to making... more »

The in box. The one hour that they sat on those metal chairs at that Rep meeting, for many, was the only hour that they sat, all day. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

The in box. The one hour that they sat on those metal chairs at that Rep meeting, for many, was the only hour that they sat, all day. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. The one hour that they sat on those metal chairs at that Rep meeting, for many, was the only hour that they sat, all day. by Fred Klonsky *ChalkFace* *In your original blog, that Fred linked above, you write: “I really don’t know what else to say at this point. I suppose we can’t expect anything from anyone during an election year, that’s the lesson. But all I know is that there are still children and communities sufferi... more »

What Really Happens When Parents Pull the "Parent Trigger?" | Center for Media and Democracy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

What Really Happens When Parents Pull the "Parent Trigger?" | Center for Media and Democracy: What Really Happens When Parents Pull the "Parent Trigger?" by Will Dooling — July 5, 2012 - 8:16am Topics: Corporations, Education Projects: ALEC Exposed *By Will Dooling and Brendan Fischer* Democrats at the U.S. Conference of Mayors have recently backed "parent trigger" laws that allow parents to seize control of their public schools and fire the teachers and principal, or privatize the schools -- a policy also supported by the American Legislative Exchange Council(ALEC) and the Heart... more »

Why Should Floridians Trust the FDOE and Jeb Bush’s Foundations to Tell the Truth About Testing? | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Why Should Floridians Trust the FDOE and Jeb Bush’s Foundations to Tell the Truth About Testing? | Scathing Purple Musings: Why Should Floridians Trust the FDOE and Jeb Bush’s Foundations to Tell the Truth About Testing? by Bob Sikes The Florida Department of Education took the remarkable step last week of Tweeting the Bush Foundation’s“Get the Facts on FCAT”. It was the latest instance which confirmed that the powerful former governor is doing the heavy PR lifting to save the test-based accountability system he began. Writes skeptical *Orlando Sentinel*reporter, Leslie Posta... more »

How to test for DNS Changer Malware - NorthJersey.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

How to test for DNS Changer Malware - NorthJersey.com: How to test for DNS Changer Malware SATURDAY JULY 7, 2012, 1:01 PM BY SALVADOR RODRIGUEZ LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT) THE RECORD PRINT | E-MAIL LOS ANGELES — As many as 64,000 Americans’ computers may still be infected by malware that will cause them to lose Internet service Monday, so make sure you aren’t among those affected if you haven’t already. The problem is a result of a large online advertising scam that took over more than 4 million computers around the world. When the FBI went in to shut down the scheme, the agency realiz... more »

An all-too-true parody on ed reform - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

An all-too-true parody on ed reform - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] An all-too-true parody on ed reform By Valerie Strauss When I first started reading the piece below, I wasn’t sure if it was real or if it was parody. I was relieved to find that it was the latter, though in these crazy days of education reform, it could have been the work of a real education department. So here is a parody written by Fred Smith, a retired analyst New York City public school system. He has written before on this blog about the crazy testing scheme; you can see a piec... more »

All Education Matters: Interview with Host Michael Castner, Wall Street Journal's Dail Wrap

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

All Education Matters: Interview with Host Michael Castner, Wall Street Journal's Dail Wrap: Interview with Host Michael Castner, Wall Street Journal's Dail Wrap by Cryn Johannsen The Economic Hardship and Reporting Project provided me with a grant to write an in-depth article about suicide and its relationship to student loan debt. The *piece *was also published by the Huffington Post, AOL, and Alternet.org. Thanks again to authors Barbara Ehrenreich and Gary Rivlin for being editors on this important project. Michael Caster, host of the Wall Street Journal's Daily Wrap, intervi... more »

Judge gives Creative Approach Schools MOU the kabosh | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Judge gives Creative Approach Schools MOU the kabosh | Seattle Education: Judge gives Creative Approach Schools MOU the kabosh by seattleducation2011 Per a recent post titled Innovation Schools/Creative Approach Schools and ALEC: …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(option schools), Montessori, STEM, the IB program and other schools and programs that could be considered “innovative sch... more »

Mother Crusader: We Can't Allow NJDOE To Deflect Blame For Regis Fiasco!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Mother Crusader: We Can't Allow NJDOE To Deflect Blame For Regis Fiasco!: Let's Not Let NJDOE Deflect Blame For Regis Fiasco! by darciecima ONE, TWO, THREE... FOUR! Regis Decision I hate to say I told ya so, but... District officials and community members have been alerting the Office of Charter Schools for months that eviction proceedings were underway. How that office saw fit to move forward with a preparedness visit on a facility that seems to have materialized out of thin air, is beyond me. Amir Khan and the NJDOE need to release the terms of Amir Khan's "deal" with ... more »

California Father Special Ed, Part 1

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

[image: California Father] http://www.californiafather.com/ Uploaded videos 1-10 of 31 - [image: Thumbnail]12:59 Special Ed, Part 2CaliforniaFather 11 views 3 days ago - [image: Thumbnail]11:33 Special Ed, Part 1CaliforniaFather 13 views 3 days ago - [image: Thumbnail]2:53 Walmart Protest, The Cornfield, Los Angeles CaliforniaFather 49 views 6 days agoWalmart Protest, The Cornfield, Los Angeles, June, 30, 2012 - [image: Thumbnail]10:09 KRASHEN @ THE DoE PART IIICaliforniaFather 20 views 2 weeks agoSolutions - [image: Thumbnail]8:25 KRASHEN @ OCCUPY TH... more »

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky *My buddy Steve at the NEA RA.* The reports are that a front will come through about noon today and the four days of 100 degree temperatures will end. Poor Ulysses will be able to put his paws on the sidewalk again. Maybe next Saturday Anne and I can have our *Saturday Coffee* outside at Letizia’s. But not today. It was still too muggy and hot. We were back at Peet’s. The news is that Emma is back from Argentina. Laura is having a baby. And Kerry

Education Petition: Reject Destructive Changes to New Jersey's Charter School Regulations | Change.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Education Petition: Reject Destructive Changes to New Jersey's Charter School Regulations | Change.org: *Reject Destructive Changes to New Jersey's Charter School Regulations* * * [image: www.saveourschoolsnj.org] *TAKE 2 SECONDS TO PROTECT NJ PUBLIC SCHOOLS* *Please sign this petition* *TO STOP VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOLS & OTHER DESTRUCTIVE CHANGES TO CHARTER REGULATIONS* * * *TO STOP VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOLS & OTHER DESTRUCTIVE CHANGES TO CHARTER REGULATIONS* *We need as many signatures as possible before Wednesday'sState Board of Education meeting to let them know that we... more »

Teachers await selections of charter operators - SFGate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Teachers await selections of charter operators - SFGate: Teachers await selections of charter operatorsCOREY WILLIAMS, Associated PressUpdated 06:03 a.m., Saturday, July 7, 2012 DETROIT (AP) — Thousands of laid-off Michigan public school teachers don't know if they will have jobs waiting for them when classes resume this fall in their state-run districts. Detroit is expected to slice 800 teachers from its ranks by recalling only 3,300 of 4,100 teachers who received layoff notices earlier this year. Meanwhile, their counterparts in Muskegon Heights and Highland Park must wait until... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: "A More Misleading Article on Education Would be Hard to Write". Money Quote on Ed Reformer Article.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: "A More Misleading Article on Education Would be Hard to Write". Money Quote on Ed Reformer Article.: "A More Misleading Article on Education Would be Hard to Write". Money Quote on Ed Reformer Article. by stlgretchen Still waiting for a breeze of common sense in education reform. It was 108 degrees in St. Louis on Friday. Our heat wave has been unbearable as it has in many parts of the country. Intense heat creates short fuses in those who read articles containing education reform talking points rolled out by Arne Duncan, Michelle Rhee and Bill Gate... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Media Needs to Get It Right (or at least be fair)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Media Needs to Get It Right (or at least be fair): The Media Needs to Get It Right (or at least be fair) by Melissa Westbrook [image: Corporate Media = Corporate Lies] Well, this is disturbing. It appears that some of the media are going to subtly help the charter movement. I thought it was a blip but it is happening more and more. *#1 *Brian Rosenthal at the Times wrote this on July 2nd: *In the 41 states where they exist, charters have sometimes outperformed regular schools.* That's the entire sentence. Now Mr. Rosenthal says he "struggle... more »

Why Democrats Should Oppose Parent Trigger Laws | OurFuture.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Why Democrats Should Oppose Parent Trigger Laws | OurFuture.org: Why Democrats Should Oppose Parent Trigger Laws [image: Jeff Bryant's picture] By Jeff Bryant March 15, 2012 - 2:35pm ET Last week in Florida there was an important victory for progressive Democrats that not many Democrats know about. Even worse, most Democrats may not even be aware why this was a victory. The important win was generated by a coalition of parent groups, schoolteachers, and advocates for public education who were able to pressure the Florida State Senate to block HB 1191, called "The Parent Empowerme... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 7-7-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Education Research Report: This Week's Education Research Report Study: physical education mandates not enough in most states Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 19 hours ago Children need quality physical education to combat obesity and lead healthy lives. Georgia elementary schools make the grade when it comes to providing that education, but middle and high schools in the state don't even come close, according to a University of Georgia study. A study by UGA kinesiology professor Bryan McCullick examined the mandates for school-based physical education in all 50 U... more »

This Week's Answer Sheet - School Survival Guide for parents (and everyone else). - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

The Answer Sheet - School Survival Guide for parents (and everyone else). - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] How to get kids reading and writing over the summer Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 1 day ago This *was written by Anindita Basu Sempere, executive director of TheWritingFaculty.com.* By Anindita Basu Sempere The summer reading lists provided by schools and libraries have two purposes: to foster a love of reading and to keep students intellectually engaged over summer. These book lists span genres and styles, from classics to nonfiction and from poetry to p... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Money talks in Philly schools new privatization plan

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Money talks in Philly schools new privatization plan: Money talks in Philly schools new privatization plan by Mike Klonsky Jeremy NowakExcellent piece by Daniel Denvir in City Paper, "Money Talks", reveals the big money behind Philly's plan to dismantle the Philadelphia School District and potentially put public schools under private management. The power broker behind the plan is Jeremy Nowak, chief executive of the William Penn Foundation. The foundation had given $1.45 million directly — and helped obtain at least $1.2 million more — to pay t... more »

WEEKLY ADDRESS: Pushing Congress to Create Jobs, Keep College in Reach for Middle Class | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

WEEKLY ADDRESS: Pushing Congress to Create Jobs, Keep College in Reach for Middle Class | The White House: WEEKLY ADDRESS: Pushing Congress to Create Jobs, Keep College in Reach for Middle Class WASHINGTON, DC—In this week’s address, President Obama spoke to the American people from Ohio about a bill signed on Friday that does two important things: it keeps thousands of construction workers on the job rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, and it stops interest rates on federal loans from doubling this year for more than seven million students. The President urges Congress to ... more »

Teachers Working with Teachers: Reform through Collaboration and Continuity of Leadership (Part 1) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Teachers Working with Teachers: Reform through Collaboration and Continuity of Leadership (Part 1) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Teachers Working with Teachers: Reform through Collaboration and Continuity of Leadership (Part 1) by larrycuban Want to give a “no excuses” reformer a stroke? Suggest that teachers working together on a daily basis have a better shot at improving teaching and learning than the highly marketed structural changes of standards-based testing and accountability, Common Core standards, more charter schools, and evaluating educator pe... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: GIVE COLLEGES MORE CREDIT v. A MORE CORPORATE COLLEGE MODEL smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 23 minutes ago THE DOOMSAYERS ARE WRONG: America's higher-education model isn't broken. Op-Ed By Barry Glassner and Morton Schapiro, LA Times | http://lat.ms/LEDjZM Graduating students attend New York University's commencement ceremony at Yankee Stadium. (Mario Tama / Getty Images / May 16, 2012) July 3, 2012 :: Higher education as we know it is about to come to an end. After all, there are no jobs for 26 get out, 24 left b... more »

Could Shanghai's School Improvement System Work Here? - Education - GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Could Shanghai's School Improvement System Work Here? - Education - GOOD: Could Shanghai's School Improvement System Work Here? by Liz Dwyer Popout 15-year-olds in Shanghai, China outscored their peers around the globe in 2010 on the Program for International Student Assessment, a test that's given every three years to measure and compare achievement. It turns out that the secret to Shanghai's success is less about competition and more about collaboration between the city's excellent schools and its subpar schools. In the video above we see how instead of sending experts to offer ad... more »

State Backs Up Accusation by Harris Lirtzman, Bronx Teacher, on Special Education - Gotham - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

State Backs Up Accusation by Harris Lirtzman, Bronx Teacher, on Special Education - Gotham - NYTimes.com: On Special Education, Spurned Teacher Is Vindicated Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times Harris Lirtzman, who was a deputy New York State comptroller before turning to public school teaching at age 53, lost his job after warning his principal that their school in the Bronx was violating the rights of special education students. By MICHAEL POWELLPublished: July 6, 2012 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - EMAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - Perhaps it pays to... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: It will be published in the summer of 2012. You can find out more about it here. “Learning Begins At Home” Larry Ferlazzo at Engaging Parents In School... - 1 day ago Learning Begins At Home is a video about a New York City school that makes home visits. The process and content of the visits that we do are different, but it’s still worth viewing (if you’re reading this post on an RSS Reader, you might have to click through to the blog to view the [...] Feds Investigate North Carolina Schools For Not Translating ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Culture of Lawlessness

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Culture of Lawlessness: Culture of Lawlessness by Charlie Mas In the Comments of the blog post on the C.A.S. M.O.U. decision (or was it the M.I.C. K.E.Y. decision?) I wrote this paragraph: "Seattle Public Schools suffers from a culture of lawlessness. No one enforces the rules (whether they be superintendent procedures, board policies, state law or federal law), so no one bothers to follow them. Typically, no one even bothers to check them before making decisions - decisions which often violate the rules. This culture of lawlessness pervades the ... more »

Rick Scott Blinks On Testing; Seperates from Jeb Bush on Ed Policy | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Rick Scott Blinks On Testing; Seperates from Jeb Bush on Ed Policy | Scathing Purple Musings: Rick Scott Blinks On Testing; Seperates from Jeb Bush on Ed Policy by Bob Sikes Rick Scott created a little daylight between himself and Jeb Bush yesterday and admitted that students might be tested too much. MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Rick Scott said on Friday schools might be doing too much of a good thing when it comes to student testing and he is talking with state education officials, school superintendents and teachers about possibly changing the Florida Comprehensive Assessmen... more »

Schools Matter: Why An Offer from Bill Gates Should Send You Running in the Other Direction

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Schools Matter: Why An Offer from Bill Gates Should Send You Running in the Other Direction: Why An Offer from Bill Gates Should Send You Running in the Other Direction by Jim Horn Posted by Anthony Cody at his blog: *Guest post by Chemtchr.* Part One of Two. Philanthropy wonk Lucy Bernholz defines the buzzword *leverage* as "the idea that you can use a little money to access a lot of money." It's hard to think of the Gates Foundation's $26 billion leverage effort as "a little money", especially since it's been spread over the globe to gain access to vastly more resources than i... more »

Pass / Fail : LA school police work with community groups to cut down number of citations in new year | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Pass / Fail : LA school police work with community groups to cut down number of citations in new year | 89.3 KPCC: LA school police work with community groups to cut down number of citations in new year by By Vanessa Romo *A squad car with the Compton School Police. Credit: Code20Photog/KPCC* L.A. Unified’s school police issued nearly 34,000 tickets to students for minor offenses, from possession of tobacco to fighting, in the last three years. In 2011 they wrote up an average of 28 tickets a day — more than any other department in the country has reported. Most of those went to mid... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Citizens 1, Charters 0

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Jersey Jazzman: Citizens 1, Charters 0: Citizens 1, Charters 0 by Duke Regular readers here have been following the story of Regis Academy Charter School, a charter foisted on a high-performing school district that neither wanted nor needed it. When we last left the tale, the charter (scheduled to open its doors this September) was so desperate for students, it was drawing them from an area over 50 miles across. Then Darcie Cimarusti clued us in that Regis was evicted from its location for failure to secure funds to close on its mortgage. They tried to switch the location witho... more »

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 7-7-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-30-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-23-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-16-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-9-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-2-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-24-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-23-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2 Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-22-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Saturday, July 7, 2012

The hardest jobs to fill (think plumbers)

James Baldwin said it best:

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