A Big Education Ape Nite Cap
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Meeting to Talk Charters: Meeting to Talk Charters by Melissa Westbrook [image: Home] As you recall, CRPE's Robin Lake had invited us all (well, most of us) to come for a discussion over coffee today. I attended part of the discussion as did a couple of SPS parents, two administrators from other districts and a colleague of Ms. Lake's. I can't tell you what the discussion was about because I was asked not to. I can tell you that it seems apparent that not everyone knows this initiative as well as you might think. And, it certainly help me s... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Required Reading: Required Reading One of the BEST things ever written about public education here at The Answer Sheet at The Washington Post. This is a guest post by Jeff Bryant, a marketing and communication consultant for nonprofits. He writes about public education policy. Here's his bottom line (to me - emphasis mine): *Furthermore, nothing about school choice, regardless of the form,guarantees parents get the kind of school quality they desire. Studies have shown that in a typical school choice program, the private school services that p... more »
CFPB Report Lays Bare Private Student Loan Market | FDL News Desk: CFPB Report Lays Bare Private Student Loan Market by David Dayen CFPB warns about massive student debt (photo: Kyle James / wikimedia) The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has delivered a report to the Senate Banking Committee on the rise of the private student loan industry. This industry took a hit after 2010, when the Affordable Care Act included a provision that ended the practice of private banks administering student loans guaranteed by the government, and just had the government issue the loans themselves.... more »
N.J. Dept. of Ed. releases guide on town spending on public schooling | NJ.com: N.J. Dept. of Ed. releases guide on town spending on public schoolingPublished: Friday, July 20, 2012, 3:57 PM Updated: Friday, July 20, 2012, 3:57 PM [image: Jessica Calefati/The Star-Ledger] By Jessica Calefati/The Star-Ledger [image: school-report.jpg] TRENTON — Taxpayers who want to know how much their home towns spend on public schooling can find that information in a guide released today by the state Department of Education. The data used to create the 2012 Taxpayer's Guide to Education... more »
James Holmes, Aurora Shooter, Described As 'Smart Kid,' Quiet Loner By Classmates: James Holmes, Aurora Shooter, Described As 'Smart Kid,' Quiet Loner By Classmates by Joy Resmovits James Holmes, who is accused of shooting 71 people, killing 12, in a crowded theater at a midnight showing of the new Batman movie Friday, was a smart, quiet first-year student in a highly competitive graduate program, former classmates said. "He was a loner," said a classmate of Holmes' in the neuroscience program at the University of Colorado Denver Aschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, who requested a... more »
Proposed NDSG platform! « Deborah Meier on Education: Proposed NDSG platform! Posted on July 20, 2012 by debmeier Thanks to Brenda Engel who put together a potential policy platform for the North Dakota Study Group (which is my favorite nonorganization). it never meets in North Dakota (except twice in its 38 year history—brrrrr), never engages in group-study, has no by-laws or elected leadership, never votes, occasionally acts (we ended our meeting early to show up in Madison, Wisc. one recent February), but makes us think
School Tech Connect: Charter Madness Creeps Northward: Charter Madness Creeps Northward by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] The suburbs are starting to wake up to the unfunded mandate-generator that is the state charter authority. Prairie Crossing, a small choice school, is within the boundaries of Woodland and Fremont Elementary District 79. Of roughly $3.47 million in general state aid allotted to Woodland for the 2011-12 academic year, a little more than $3 million of that total was forwarded to Prairie Crossing. A ... more »
Schools Do Need A Weatherman | Taking Note: Schools Do Need A Weatherman by John Merrow *“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.”* So sang Bob Dylan in “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” but the public schools are in desperate need of a weatherman, someone to point out that they are moving in the wrong direction. I grant that K-12 education is tougher and more complex than higher education, but that’s no excuse for what’s going on. It seems to me that most of the world is moving one way — and American K-12 education the other. Some parts of higher education hav... more »
Jersey Jazzman: New Jersey Charter School Circus: New Jersey Charter School Circus Trying to follow charter school news in New Jersey is like going to the circus: spend too long watching Ring Number One and you'll miss what's going on in Ring Number Three. Cherry Hill: The organizer of Regis Academy Charter School, *denied final approval by state officials, on Tuesday said he’ll fight that decision.* Pastor Amir Khan, in an online letter to the parents of prospective students, said he plans to appeal his school’s rejection by acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf. “As things s... more »
Jersey Jazzman: For the Record: Cerf Is AGAINST Publishing Teacher Evals: For the Record: Cerf Is AGAINST Publishing Teacher Evals by Duke I feel like I need to get this on the record right now: Over the past couple of days, the press is suddenly interested in whether or not New Jersey's teacher evaluations will be published publicly (see stories here, here, here). I'd first point out that all of this really traces back to a single story, co-written for Gannett by two reporters, that's made it's way to a variety of outlets; such is the media world we live in that a single piece c... more »
To be vindicated on Senate Bill 7 doesn’t make it any better. « Fred Klonsky: To be vindicated on Senate Bill 7 doesn’t make it any better. by Fred Klonsky Let us go back to the Spring of 2011. When the teachers in our local took a look at Senate Bill 7, we were appalled. In fact, when we went to Springfield as a part of the 2011 Lobby Day effort and were told to push for pension protection and *for* Senate Bill 7, we absolutely refused to support the IEA leadership on Senate Bill 7. Both the IEA leadership and the NEA leadership called SB7 a victory for teachers and a model for t... more »
redefine public ed « Cooperative Catalyst: redefine public ed by monika hardy Declaration of Interdependenceoriginally posted at dmlcentral.net By MONIKA HARDY July 20, 2012 – 10:30am Tags Connected Learning, Public Education, Teaching [image: Declaration of Interdependence Blog Image] We have massive research and many evidences available…[ie: Diane Ravitch is declaring a bunch of them here, we’ve gathered particular ones here]…that what we’re doing in the name of public education is not serving us well. Perhaps we declare some new laws in regard to public education, in regard ... more »
NEWS FLASH - Embargo Comes Off, Political Spin Begins - Wait, What?: NEWS FLASH – Embargo Comes Off, Political Spin Begins by jonpelto Recalling that the greatest barriers to academic success, as measured by standardized tests, are poverty, language barriers and special education needs, what do the Connecticut Mastery Tests Mean? For that we turn to the experts; “We’re pleased to see that there are signs of progress in our schools. That said — while schools are moving more students into proficient and goal-level performance, significant gaps in achievement continue between economic... more »
Those Insane and Demoralizing Evaluations. « Diane Ravitch's blog: Those Insane and Demoralizing Evaluations. by dianerav A teacher faces the state’s new evaluation with anxiety, uncertainty, fear, and confusion. She has a great idea about how to game this invalid, meaningless, absurd and punitive system: *It’s not just in LA that teachers are afraid. VA is implementing new eval requirements that must include student progress worth 40% of a teacher’s overal eval. The plan at my former school (might be at the new school I will be working for in the fall as well) was to develop pre... more »
Is Education a Massive Failure of Federalism? | Truth in American Education: Is Education a Massive Failure of Federalism? by Shane Vander Hart Michael Gerson, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, complained in his op/ed in *The Washington Post* about the Obama Administration’s use of waivers in circumventing the law. He wrote: The Obama administration is increasingly becoming known not for its legislative achievements but for its federal waivers to legislative achievements. It has exempted favored groups from immigration laws, welfare-reform work requirements, eve... more »
*Debate: Why Does Alfie Kohn Make * *Alexander Russo All Visceral?* * * *I Think:* * * *What do YOU Think?:*
Weekly Update: The Zone of Doublethink, are charter schools leading to more gang violence in Chicago? and a legislator in Mississippi asked the question “Who ARE these people?!” | Seattle Education: Weekly Update: The Zone of Doublethink, are charter schools leading to more gang violence in Chicago? and a legislator in Mississippi asked the question “Who ARE these people?!” by seattleducation2011 The Seattle Education Weekly Update, news you might have missed. “Systems in history are defined above all by who controls the wealth. The top 400 people own more wealth now than the botto... more »
“ALL WE CAN DO” « Teachers Fight Back: “ALL WE CAN DO” by alkleen The following is a quote from Gary Elmen, the president of the Illinois Retired Teacher Association. The quote was part of the president’s message in the latest Association News that is sent to retired teachers. “Retired teachers do not have the resources of corporate executives who want to cut the cost of taxation in Illinois, and they are not able personally to contribute millions to polished media campaigns designed to brainwash the public and scapegoat teachers for the state’s problems. ALL WE CAN DO is visit... more »
NYC Working Group on School Transformation « EdVox: NYC Working Group on School Transformation by edvoxny by Norm Fruchter Last April, the New York City Working Group on School Transformation issued a reportexamining the impact of the school closing policy of the city’s Department of Education (DOE). The Working Group’s report argued that by closing schools instead of helping them to improve, the DOE was abdicating its responsibility to support struggling schools. The Working Group’s report called on the DOE to develop a Success Zone to help struggling schools improve, and to build... more »
What If? and Who Cares? « Deborah Meier on Education: What If? and Who Cares? debmeier at Deborah Meier on Education - 5 minutes ago A NY Times headline, July 20, 2012! “Libor Scandal Shows Many Flaws in Rate-Setting/ The lending benchmark, a convenient tool for the markets, has flaws that have some people even questioning its existence.”The day will come when the headline reads, “Standardized Testing Scandal Shows Many Flaws in School/Teacher Rating…..that have some people even questioning its [...] Being driven out of teaching. debmeier at Deborah Meier on Education - 18 hours ago... more »
The Last Living Defender of NCLB Speaks « Diane Ravitch's blog: Kudos to Jennie Shanker! Debate Ended. by dianerav If you have been following these posts for the past few days, you will recall that New Jersey Acting Commissioner Chris Cerf claimed that legendary union leader Al Shanker would be on his side, supporting more of the (non-union) charters that Cerf wants to open all over New Jersey. I wrote a post pointing out that Al Shanker was an original proponent of charters but turned against them in 1993 when he realized that they would become the leading edge of privatization. I ... more »
Joe McCarthy goes to summer camp. « Fred Klonsky: Joe McCarthy goes to summer camp. JULY 20, 2012 Nobody would every confuse right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson for a progressive Jew. My grandma Esther might have called him a *putz*. But she would never use such language. Some might confuse him for Joe McCarthy, however. Carlson’s *Daily Caller* has decided to go after a progressive Jewish summer camp as some kind Bolshevik training operation. All because President Obama has nominated Erica Groshen to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and she once sent her
California Preschools SHINE Forums - Healthy Eating & Nutrition Education (CA Dept of Education): California Preschools SHINE Forums ------------------------------ Welcome to California Preschools Shaping Healthy Impressions through Nutrition and Exercise (SHINE) Forums. Four forums will be offered statewide. Each forum will demonstrate how to integrate nutrition education, edible gardens, and physical activity into child care center classrooms and day care homes. Participants will learn ways to create learning environments that maximize opportunities for children to develop hea... more »
Will One Flagler School Board Election Serve As a Referendum On Resolution Against High-Stakes Testing? | Scathing Purple Musings: FairTest Fact-Checks Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson by Bob Sikes *FairTest* Pubic Education Director Bob Schaeffer responds to the narrative that Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson is advancing during appearances around the state which he’s making to defend the state’s test-dominated accountability system: *Despite Governor Rick Scott’s recent admission that Florida may be testing too much, state Education Commissioner Gerard... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Your Own Lyin' Eyes: Is ACTING Commissioner Cerf Really Getting a Hearing This Time? by Duke *Cross-posted from Blue Jersey* * * The press is reporting that ACTING NJDOE Commissioner Chris Cerf is finally going to get a confirmation hearing, after nearly two years: Cerf's nomination first hit a snag because of a practice known as senatorial courtesy. The unwritten rule allows state senators to block gubernatorial appointees who reside in the counties they serve from ever being considered. State Sen. Ron Rice Your Own Lyin' Eyes by Duke Who are you gonna bel... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: MEW Presentation On The State of Education In Missouri: MEW Presentation On The State of Education In Missouri by Anngie Last night we gave a presentation on the state of education in Missouri to a group of concerned motivated citizens. They say you have to pick your battles. The subject of education is very broad and the system as a whole is very entrenched. We will have to take many bites of this apple to get where we would really like to be. For this presentation we tried to focus on the issues of control and finance and identified actions people c... more »
Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 7-20 AM Posts #soschat #edreform: Ape Educación Big - Wink Mañana 20.07 AM Mensajes # # soschat edreform APE EDUCACIÓN GRANDE - POR LA MAÑANA WINK PM Mensajes Jersey de Jazzman: Reformyists perder las guerras Shanker coopmike48 en Educación Grandes Simios - 14 minutes ago Jersey de Jazzman: Reformyists perder las guerras Shanker: Reformyists perder las guerras Shanker por el duque ACCIÓN NJ Comisionado de Educación de Chris Cerf recientemente invocada Albert Shanker, los maestros de la legendaria dirigente sindical, en el apoyo a ... more »
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: logo] Education Headlines *Friday, July 20, 2012* Novato group proposes new charter schoolLess than a year after a popular Novato school lost its magnet status, some parents want to create a new charter school they say would offer more choice to families. Fensterwald: State to adopt Common Core view of Algebra I in 8th gradeThe State Board of Education left unresolved a contentious issue of how much algebra should be taught in eighth grade, and to which students, when it approved the state version of the Common Core math... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Reformyists Lose the Shanker Wars: Reformyists Lose the Shanker Wars by Duke ACTING NJ Education Commissioner Chris Cerf recently invoked Albert Shanker, the legendary teachers union leader, in supporting Cerf's expansion of charter schools: First, it is often forgotten that one of the first advocates for public charter schools was Albert Shanker, the former New York City teachers' union leader, who supported charter schools as a way to empower public school educators to innovate. While certainly charter schools are not the only schools that innovate, because of ... more »
Will Governor Quinn be able to get a pension deal in August? « Fred Klonsky: Will Governor Quinn be able to get a pension deal in August? by Fred Klonsky H/T Roger Sanders. Capitol Fax reported that Governor Quinn still has dreams of getting the General Assembly back in session before the November election. The members of the General Assembly may have other ideas. But in Springfield two things can always be counted on. Either nothing happens. Or it happens before you can do The in box. That Governor Quinn – what a swell guy. by Fred Klonsky *Fred,* *That Gov. Quinn – what a swell ... more »
Cyber excess: Taxpayers should not over-fund charter schools - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: *Cyber excess: Taxpayers should not over-fund charter schools* Con Academy Browse Con Academy library of over 3,100 educational videos... There is something very wrong with an education funding system that has public school districts chopping staff and ending programs while a publicly funded charter school is making so much money that it can pay millions to its spinoff companies. The operators of the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, the state's first and largest online charter with more ... more »
The famous international scholar and the N.J. Education Commissioner — NewsWorks: The famous international scholar and the N.J. Education Commissioner July 19, 2012 By Laura Waters, of NJ Left BEhind .. Rate This: - - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (6 votes) Ask a question In this January photo, Christopher D. Cerf, center, acting New Jersey Commissioner of Education, applauds as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie delivers the annual State of the State address in Trenton. (Mel Evans/AP Photo) More Info: - NJ SPOTLIGHT Op-Ed: Charter schools -- a single strand in N... more »
Op-ed by President Obama: Taking the Cyberattack Threat Seriously | The White House: Op-ed by President Obama: Taking the Cyberattack Threat Seriously The full text of the op-ed by President Barack Obama is printed below. The piece will be published tomorrow in The Wall Street Journal and can be found HERE. *Taking the Cyberattack Threat Seriously By President Obama* Last month I convened an emergency meeting of my cabinet and top homeland security, intelligence and defense officials. Across the country trains had derailed, including one carrying industrial chemicals that exploded ... more »
Bingo! Pattern-on-the-Rug Time « Diane Ravitch's blog: Bingo! Pattern-on-the-Rug Time by dianerav One of the brilliant readers of this blog sent in a comment that made me understand what has been happening to American public education for the past 15-20 years. It is the conscious, purposeful application of a marketing strategy called FUD: Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. Wikipedia says that FUD is used in sales, marketing, public relations, politics, and propaganda. I sensed that this was happening but I didn’t realize that it was a tried and true strategy that has a name and a docu... more »
Teacher voice. CTU teachers get to tell their story on my favorite TV show, Chicago Newsroom. « Fred Klonsky: Teacher voice. CTU teachers get to tell their story on my favorite TV show, Chicago Newsroom. by Fred Klonsky PopoutChicago Newsroom host Ken Davis couldn’t believe a hundred percent of teachers agree on anything. I had to laugh at that. And then cry a little. Team Englewood High School teacher and four-year member of the CTU House of Delegates David Stieber says Bill Gates’ dreams. by Fred Klonsky Rahm’s CPS budget puts a dagger into the heart of neighborhood schools. by ... more »
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] A Charter Takeover of Public School District? by dianerav There is a rapidly expanding charter chain in Pennsylvania called Propel. It has charter schools in several districts in the state with a total enrollment of 2,000. They are “no excuses” schools, and they reportedly get high test scores. The Propel charter chain wants to open a K-12 charter school in the small district of Sto-Rox, which has 1,400 students. The charter school would enroll 800 students. Last November, the school board unanimously reject... more »
Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Proud to be a teacher: Proud to be a teacher by noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Davis) [image: English: teacher and its importance]English: teacher and its importance (Photo credit:Wikipedia) "In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have." :Lee Iacocca See, Iacocca agreed that teaching is noble. Let's look at people who know th... more »
Redefining the F-Bomb: Who Needs Feminism? - Technology - GOOD: Redefining the F-Bomb: Who Needs Feminism? by Julie Ma For the 16 women behind Who Needs Feminism?, the GOOD Goes Viral challenge winner on GOOD Maker, the topic alone was taboo enough to toss Duke University and the internet into a frenzy. The organizers (and classmates) dropped what they jokingly refer to as “the F-bomb” on campus in the name of a social media campaign. Armed with a camera, whiteboard, and dry-erase marker, these women were determined to bring awareness to a matter they believe is central to everyo...more »
News from The Associated Press: Study: Private student loans parallel subprime By DANIEL WAGNER AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -- Risky lending caused private student loan debt to balloon in the past decade, leaving many Americans struggling to pay off loans that they can't afford, a government study says. Private lenders gave out money without considering whether borrowers would repay, then bundled and resold the loans to investors to avoid losing money when students defaulted, according to the study, which is being released Friday. Those practices are closely associated wi... more »
The Depth of a Simple Solution (Guest Post by Bryant Muldrew) « Cooperative Catalyst: The Depth of a Simple Solution (Guest Post by Bryant Muldrew) by dloitz In my work with the Baltimore Algebra Project (BAP), I and my peers waged a dramatic struggle against the State of Maryland, Baltimore City, and the Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS). The state of Maryland was (and still is) systematically underfunding the BCPSS. I discuss this in detail in the Case for the National Student Bill of Rights . Baltimore City and BCPSS believed that the solution to the school funding iss... more »
A mind is still a terrible thing to waste | EdSource Today: A mind is still a terrible thing to waste ** July 20th, 2012 | Add a Comment | By Michele Siqueiros and Arun Ramanathan Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services [image: Michele Siquieros] Michele Siquieros What if we told you that no matter how hard you tried, you only had a 5 percent chance of succeeding? What if it was your first day of kindergarten and we told youthose were your odds of getting a college degree at a California university? We don’t tell our kindergartener... more »
Another reason for summer school: national security? - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: Another reason for summer school: national security? Thursday, July 19th, 2012 at 5:51 pm in 1 Comment Retired military officers think so. The nonprofit Mission: Readiness (affiliated with the public safety-related group Fight Crime: Invest in Kids) put out a report this week arguing that summer inactivity was contributing to the obesity crisis and high dropout rate — which, in turn, poses a threat to the economy and the military’s ability to recruit. What do you make... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Here's What the Charter Initiative Should Be: Here's What the Charter Initiative Should Be by Melissa Westbrook [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] So there was a bit of a kerfuffle between Diane Ravitch, the noted educator and Chris Cerf, New Jersey's Education Commissioner, over what he said about Albert Shanker, who is thought to be the father of the charter school movement. Now, I outlined Mr. Shanker's role in charter schools in my multi-part series on charters, saying that he approved of lab classrooms within schools... more »
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Navin Johnson Gets Excited About PS 154x Test Scores by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) Remember when Navin Johnson was so excited that the new phone books arrived? We here at SBSB are just as excited as he that the test scores have arrived. Yes, with PS 154 sliding down its slippery slope, due to upper echelon *(NOT AT ALL THE FAULT OF THE TEACHERS!!!!)* incompetence, the test scores are out and like Navin Johnson PS 154 is going places. Down to be exact. (click below to enlarge) If it wasn't for PS 154, there would be no need for summer school... more »
WHAT "BUSINESS" OTHER THAN LAUSD WOULD FORCE OUT ITS MOST EXPERIENCED? - Perdaily.com: WHAT "BUSINESS" OTHER THAN LAUSD WOULD FORCE OUT ITS MOST EXPERIENCED? by Leonard Isenberg [image: The Music Man.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) Given a choice between having a first year intern operate on you or having a skilled surgeon with 20 years of experience perform the operation, which would you choose? So why is it different when it comes to teachers and the art of teaching? Because what goes unchalleng... more »
NYC Educator: Are You Afraid of Tech?: Are You Afraid of Tech? by NYC Educator I can't say as I blame you. Principals can't wait to install another Smartboard, put out another iPad, hook up WiFi to the boiler room, and incorporate computers into everything and everyone. Now, don't get me wrong. I love computers. I love the internet. It's like the public library right here on my laptop. Why deprive anyone of that? On the other hand, there are some things we still need to do ourselves--like writing. How many times have you received a paper with the internet address still on top of i... more »
School Tech Connect: Popping Out The Rivets In Chicago: Popping Out The Rivets In Chicago by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Rahm is destroying the schools. That's all there is to it. The new *de facto * ed policy in Chicago is set parents against teachers and against each other, and to fan the fire kindled by segregation. The whole message is *get your kids away from those other kids who are so problematic.* They don't do these things in the suburbs or downstate. People have neighborhood schools. Everyone attends them. There's this quaint idea that we're all in this together. In... more »
Reflections on “How To Break Free from Our 19th Century Factory-Model Education”” | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Reflections on “How To Break Free from Our 19th Century Factory-Model Education”" by larrycuban Two comments from readers got me thinking about the guest post by Joel Rose that I just published The first is from Joe Nutt, former teacher and consultant in the UK: *There is a very real and very serious error underneath what so often passes for the enthusiasm of the reformers. It’s evident in this piece where the author refers to the “factory-model ... more »
Bain Capital Ventures Introduces StartUp Academy -- PALO ALTO, Calif., July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --: Bain Capital Ventures Introduces StartUp Academy New initiative to identify top talent and provide college students with unique opportunity to gain entrepreneurial experience at Bain Capital Ventures' portfolio companies PALO ALTO, Calif., July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bain Capital Ventures, a leading venture capital and growth equity firm with over $2 billion in committed capital, today announced the launch of StartUp Academy, a newly created initiative to provide students wit... more »
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-24-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
