Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Too Many Chiefs? | AMPS

Too Many Chiefs? | AMPS:


Too Many Chiefs?

by Thomas J. Mertz
The Wild Magnolias, Mardi Gras Indians. Click image for more information.
Just announced, special Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education meetings on Friday, July 27, Noon (Doyle Blg., rm 103), to create a new, one year Chief of Staff position at a cost of $170,000.  This has to be done via a budget amendment, so it will require five votes.  No public appearances;  in order to weigh in write the Board at board@madison.k12.wi.us.
I am agnostic on the need for this position, but believe that if Interim Superintendent Jane Belmore believes there is a need, than a case should be made in a manner that allows for public scrutiny and input.  The agenda linked above provides no justification.  Hell, it doesn’t even have a job description.   There is no way for anyone to weigh the need vs the cost,  and lacking that there is no way to give meaningful public input, except to say, “slow 
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In the News: TFA pushes into political arena | catalyst-chicago.org

In the News: TFA pushes into political arena | catalyst-chicago.org:


In the News: TFA pushes into political arena

By: Cassandra West / July 24, 2012
Tags: charter schools CPS budget
Teach for America — the program that recruits recent college grads to work in underperforming schools — is making a push into the political arena. Former TFA grads, as they're known, have won seats in state houses and on local school boards. (Marketplace.org)
The Chicago school board has nixed voting Wednesday on its 2012-13 budget because of uncertainty over a teachers contract that is stoking fears among charter school leaders that their funding could be cut.
Officials from the city’s most prominent charter schools, including United 
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Why Won’t They Let Teachers Teach? « Diane Ravitch's blog

Why Won’t They Let Teachers Teach? « Diane Ravitch's blog:


Why Won’t They Let Teachers Teach?

by dianerav

I asked a question about the value of online learning, and this teacher responded somewhat off-topic. But what he says raises an interesting question. Are public officials and their cascade of programs making it impossible for teachers to teach? Are they destroying the last vestiges of professional autonomy? Do they talk “respect” but act top-down? Why won’t they let teachers teach? What do they expect to accomplish by their constant interference?
This teacher wrote:
Well, as part of Reading First, all the K-3 classroom/reading/special education teachers and assistants in my school had to complete all the online modules in the New York State Reading Academy.  Why, it worked so well that the following year New York State made us complete all the online modules of Voyager: Reading for 
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How Many Houses Have You Built? [On The Future of Teaching Blog] | The Jose Vilson

How Many Houses Have You Built? [On The Future of Teaching Blog] | The Jose Vilson:


How Many Houses Have You Built? [On The Future of Teaching Blog]

by Jose


Excerpt:
However, I can’t help but feel some sort of way about the risk / reward dynamic that’s played itself out when it comes to advocacy. As professionals, how long can teachers wait until our profession gets completely stripped away from us? How much will we tolerate policy committees and education panels without so much as a former teacher, much less a current one? How often do we value the opinions of self-proclaimed experts and leaders and don’t look towards ourselves as such?
Share. Comment. Love. Thanks for everything.
Jose, who is patiently waiting …
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Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-24-12 #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




The Wall Street Journal Covers Up ALEC Link To Anti-Union School Privatization Law | Blog | Media Matters for America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
The Wall Street Journal Covers Up ALEC Link To Anti-Union School Privatization Law | Blog | Media Matters for America: *The Wall Street Journal* Covers Up ALEC Link To Anti-Union School Privatization LawBLOG ››› 5 HOURS AND 3 MINUTES AGO ››› MELODY JOHNSON 54 [image: Print] The *Wall Street Journal* this morning failed to report ties between the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and controversial "parent-trigger" legislation that would allow parents to take over and convert public schools to charter schools. They also failed to report that the *J... more »

School Tech Connect: Things Are Starting To Move In Chicago

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
School Tech Connect: Things Are Starting To Move In Chicago: Things Are Starting To Move In Chicago by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Busy morning tomorrow. The CTU rally outside the Appointed Board of Education starts at 9:00. Simultaneously, Communities Organized For Democracy in Education is having a press conference at 9:30 over a City Hall. I'll be at that. I'll post a more specific location inside City Hall when I find out. Lots going on. Meanwhile, last night people were standing in line to sign our petition for an elected, representative school board. I didn't even get... more »

Chicago teachers take a step forward. Rahm does a dance. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Chicago teachers take a step forward. Rahm does a dance. « Fred Klonsky: Chicago teachers take a step forward. Rahm does a dance. by Fred Klonsky Rahm does a dance *“It’s certainly a step in the right direction,” *said CTU President Karen Lewis said.* “We have a long way to go before this contract is settled.”* With that, the CTU announced a breakthrough in the historic negotiations with the Mayor on the issue of the longer school day. From the beginning the Mayor had promised he would get a longer day out of the teachers. But he had no plan

QUESTION OF THE DAY: WHAT % OF NEW CHARTERS WILL BE FEATURED ON CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS WEBSITE?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Laboratory Charter School of Communication and Languages by The Perimeter Primate *“Feds charge Philly charter school mogul in massive fraud.”* Philadelphia Inquirer (PA), 7/24/2012 A charter school mogul was charged today in a multimillion-dollar fraud case by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Dorothy June Hairston Brown, who received accolades for students' test scores and gained Theodore Roosevelt Public Community School by The Perimeter Primate *“Thousands in receipts questioned in school firing... more »

Please Explain « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Please Explain « Diane Ravitch's blog: Please Explain by dianerav No, I am not a Luddite. No one can use technology as intensively as I do and be fairly accused of being anti-technology. I am just naturally skeptical of the claims made for all miracle cures, whether it is snake oil, video game-playing, or the Land of Oz. I promise you, when I see a guy with a crown who is buck naked, I’ll be the first to say so even if he is an emperor. So I want to know: Can you really learn to be a carpenter at an online college? Can you learn HVAC online? Can you become a Who Is Paying to Priv... more »

If the Public is in the Dark About the Common Core, Just Do Some Poll Manipulation | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
If the Public is in the Dark About the Common Core, Just Do Some Poll Manipulation | Truth in American Education: If the Public is in the Dark About the Common Core, Just Do Some Poll Manipulation by Shane Vander Hart Robert Holland, a senior fellow for education policy with the Heartland Institute, wrote an excellent op/ed in *The Washington Times* highlighting how the general public is in the dark about the Common Core State Standards: Achieve, a band of like-minded corporate moguls that formed in 1996 to push national education standards, had to report rather sheepishly last mo... more »

St.Hope Give Me Strength: Sacramento officials begin to react to credit card scandal

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
City Beat: Sacramento officials begin to react to credit card scandal: Sacramento officials begin to react to credit card scandal Johnson and Serna-Mayorga have been close for many years. She has served on the board of St. HOPE Public Schools - the non-profit founded by Johnson that operates charter schools in Oak Park - worked on Johnson's 2008 mayoral campaign and was one of the mayor's first hires when he was elected. City officials are beginning to react to the news that a mayoral aide resigned last week after it was revealed she allegedly racked up $9,000 in personal charge... more »

Grades Based on Test Scores Can't Measure a School's Success | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Grades Based on Test Scores Can't Measure a School's Success | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: [image: Home] Grades Based on Test Scores Can't Measure a School's Success by Kate_Lenox Sacramento's Mayor Kevin Johnson has said that the city should have a greater role in Sacramento's schools. State law, as well as the city's Council Manager form of government, prevents him from wresting control of the schools from the elected school board so he has proposed another means to put his stamp on the city's schools. In keeping with the federal emphasis on test sco... more »

Whole Child Network Schools Embark on a New Adventure — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Whole Child Network Schools Embark on a New Adventure — Whole Child Education: Whole Child Network Schools Embark on a New Adventure by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers [image: Whole Child Network of Schools] The 10 schools from across the continental United States and Guam chosen to participate in ASCD's Whole Child Network kicked off their efforts last week with ASCD in Alexandria, Va. Teams of administrators and teachers from the participating schools gathered to formulate strategies and learn tactics for implementing a whole child approach to education in their schools. The schools ch... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: CTU and community protests force more Rahm concessions

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: CTU and community protests force more Rahm concessions: CTU and community protests force more Rahm concessions by Mike Klonsky Rahm feeling the pressureWith national elections drawing near and a threatened teachers strike only 30 days away, Rahm is feeling pressure from inside his own camp to reach an agreement with the CTU. The Civic Federation is attacking his proposed school budget from one side while pro-union protests hit it from the other. CEO Brizard can't go anywhere these days without being greeted by community protests, even backing out of ... more »

From Huffington Post: 7/23/12 Bold Leaders for our Public Schools by Martin J. Blank | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
From Huffington Post: 7/23/12 Bold Leaders for our Public Schools by Martin J. Blank | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: [image: Home] Bold Leaders for our Public Schools by Martin J. Blank by jasonhonig Strong leaders are key to building strong and innovative schools, and so I want to share some insights about the tremendous people who are leading the community schools movement. I'm talking about people like John Porter, Jan Christensen, and Richard Carranza, all superintendents and, all of whom are working to transform their local schools into community hubs. I h... more »

The cost of the No Child Left Behind Waiver for Washington State | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
The cost of the No Child Left Behind Waiver for Washington State | Seattle Education: The cost of the No Child Left Behind Waiver for Washington State by seattleducation2011 [image: free animations] From a Seattle Times article, Waivers free Washington, Wisconsin from ‘No Child Left Behind’: In order to get a waiver, each state had to promise to show in other ways that its students and schools are improving, and they were required to more closely link teacher evaluations to student test scores, among other requirements. And how much will the cost be to link teacher evaluations t... more »

Irony In Parent Trigger’s California Ruling: A Disempowering of Parents | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Irony In Parent Trigger’s California Ruling: A Disempowering of Parents | Scathing Purple Musings: Irony In Parent Trigger’s California Ruling: A Disempowering of Parents by Bob Sikes Yesterday’s odd ruling by a California judge which paved the way for the nation’s first parent trigger to actually occur is based on one startling reality. Explains *Parents Across America* (PAA) founder Caroline Grannan: The parent trigger, an idea presented by the voices of corporate education “reform” as parent empowerment, won a round in court this week. Ironically, the court came down firmly ... more »

Bain Plan for Public Schools: Astonishing News from Philadelphia « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Astonishing News from Philadelphia « Diane Ravitch's blog: Astonishing News from Philadelphia by dianerav As readers of this blog know, the School Reform Commission of Philadelphia has recommended a vast expansion of charter schools. It is acting on the recommendation of the Boston Consulting Group, business management consultants with no deep knowledge of education but a deep love of privatization. The business leaders of Philadelphia are pushing hard for the privatization plan. But today, the U.S. Attorney for Philadelphia charged a major charter school leader in Philadelphia wi... more »

Charter founder June Brown charged with fraud | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Charter founder June Brown charged with fraud | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Charter founder June Brown charged with fraudby Dale Mezzacappa on Jul 23 2012[image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] - COMMENTS (1)PRINT - EMAIL[image: ""] June Brown, a longtime School District administrator who jumped on the charter bandwagon early by founding three small charters and then co-founding a cyber school,has been charged in a massive fraud case by the U.S. Attorney. The federal investigation was partly the result of dogged reporting over several years b... more »

Surviving in Ones Native Land « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Surviving in Ones Native Land « Deborah Meier on Education: Surviving in Ones Native Land from Deborah Meier Homepage by debmeier I just finished reading Diane Ravitch’s latest blog–and the response from David Berliner. If you haven’t seen it go to Diane Ravitch’s Blog. She gave me the idea of writing very short comments–i my case also as a way of getting rid of some of te clippings that pile up on my desk! Thanks for the idea, Diane. It’s also a take off from Mike Klonsky’s blog. Bu, of course all three are very different! Which is precisely part of the point behind my educationa... more »

Your College's Endowment Is Probably Supporting Shady Businesses - Education - GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Your College's Endowment Is Probably Supporting Shady Businesses - Education - GOOD: Your College's Endowment Is Probably Supporting Shady Businesses by Liz Dwyer A generation ago American college students successfully pressured their schools to divest their multimillion-dollar endowments from apartheid South Africa, which helped bring an official end to the racist policies and proved to the world that economic sanctions work. However, despite being pioneers in socially responsible investing, a new report from the Investor Responsibility Research Center Institute and the Tellus Ins... more »

Are We Addicted to Our Blinking Screens? « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Are We Addicted to Our Blinking Screens? « Diane Ravitch's blog: Are We Addicted to Our Blinking Screens? by dianerav Guess who is warning that we have become too addicted to computers, cell phones, and all those other devices? Read here. I may be addicted but I don’t think it is the usual kind of screen-addiction. I love to communicate and exchange ideas. Before I started this blog, I would tweet about 50-80 times daily. It wasn’t for the joy of tweeting. I never tweeted to say “I am now at the corner of Broadway and 30th street,” or “I am sitting down to dinner.” I communicated st... more »

More UTLA and LAUSD Collusion? The De Facto Tenure Scandal by Anonymous - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
More UTLA and LAUSD Collusion? The De Facto Tenure Scandal by Anonymous - Perdaily.com: More UTLA and LAUSD Collusion? The De Facto Tenure Scandal by Anonymous by Leonard Isenberg ** [image: Teacher Tenure.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)**A few years ago, somebody associated with UTLA filed a PERB charge against LAUSD alleging that LAUSD's Division of Adult and Career Education was out of compliance with State law with respect to tenure.* * It alleged that there were many non-tenured / non-permanent t...more »

Update: Jersey Jazzman: The Chris Cerf Story (pre-Jersey)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: The Chris Cerf Story (pre-Jersey): The Chris Cerf Story (pre-Jersey) by Duke In January of 2011, I published a four-part series on ACTING Education Commissioner Chris Cerf's career prior to coming to New Jersey. It may well be the most comprehensive look at the man available. Given that his long-awaited confirmation hearing is this Thursday, I'm posting the links to the story again here. You'll find links to all of the primary sources I used within the posts. The Chris Cerf Story - Part I *Cerf's tenure at Edison Schools and the sweetheart deal he made to take th... more »

“State Blinded By Its Devotion to School Testing” | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
“State Blinded By Its Devotion to School Testing” | Scathing Purple Musings: “State Blinded By Its Devotion to School Testing” by Bob Sikes *Tampa Bay Times *columnist John Romano takes the latest breakdown in Florida’s test-dominated accountability system and leads to where fault really lies. Florida’s education policy-makers are obsessively devoted to standardized tests. The state’s devotion to standardized testing is admirable. It is also foolish, political, expensive, dangerous, maniacal, shortsighted, suspicious, self-serving, arbitrary and unfair But, man, you got to admir... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, July 24, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: El Capitan, Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California]*El Capitan, Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California* Education Headlines *Tuesday, July 24, 2012* Possible student cheating incidents delay release of state test resultsPossible student cheating incidents at a dozen California schools, including Long Beach's Millikan High School, have delayed the release of the state standardized test results this year, officials said. Natomas Unified and its teachers agree on two-year contractNatomas Unified School Dis... more »

Reliable Sources say Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Is Shameless « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Michelle Rhee Is Shameless « Diane Ravitch's blog: Michelle Rhee Is Shameless by dianerav I have resisted watching the ad that Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst created and played on NBC. A reader sent it to me, and I relented. It is disgusting. It is a lie. It smears America. It smears our teachers and our students. It makes fun of obesity. A few facts: 1) the US was never first on international tests. When the first test was given in 1964 (a test of math), our students came in 11th out of 12. 2) On the latest international tests, students in American schools with low poverty (10% or l... more »

To Senator Kotowski health care for seniors is a sweetheart deal. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
To Senator Kotowski health care for seniors is a sweetheart deal. « Fred Klonsky: To Senator Kotowski health care for seniors is a sweetheart deal. by Fred Klonsky In a tweet responding to criticism of his active support for the pension cutting HB1447, Park Ridge Democratic Senator Dan Kotowski goes after state employees. Referring to retirees, seniors living on a state pension and receiving health care insurance subsidies, Kotowski says, “Nobody receives a sweetheart deal like that.” For a member of the Illinois General Assembly, a group which gave massive tax breaks to corporatio... more »

Scrutiny Intensifies Around Zero Tolerance, School to Prison Pipeline | NEA Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Scrutiny Intensifies Around Zero Tolerance, School to Prison Pipeline | NEA Today: Scrutiny Intensifies Around Zero Tolerance, School to Prison Pipeline July 23, 2012 by twalker Filed under Featured News, Social Issues, Top Stories 7 Comments [image: Email][image: Share] *By Ava Wallace* As suspensions and expulsions continue at an alarming rate across the nation, lawmakers are taking another look at decade-old zero tolerance discipline policies that are doing more harm than good. Civil rights advocates have long called out harsh disciplinary measures for the disproportionate effec... more »

Teachers Are Poor Consumers of Learning « My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Teachers Are Poor Consumers of Learning « My Island View: Teachers Are Poor Consumers of Learning by tomwhitby There are only a few explanations that many educators offer up as reasons not to learn and use any technology as tools for learning. One of the most popular excuses, frequently cited by educators, is that there is not enough time to learn all of the stuff that is out there. It certainly is true that there are a huge number of things to learn out there that are linked to technology. When thought about as a complete package, it most definitely can be overwhelming, and I wh... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: National School Board Association Concerned about Unfunded Federal Mandates. Common Core Unplugged?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: National School Board Association Concerned about Unfunded Federal Mandates. Common Core Unplugged?: National School Board Association Concerned about Unfunded Federal Mandates. Common Core Unplugged? by stlgretchen Common Core MANDATES: Unproven, Untested, Unconstitutional and UNDERFUNDED. Unless you live in Missouri. Missouri taxpayers are special. Our common core implementation will have no additional cost. Are the local school districts going to refuse to implement the Common Core mandate because of cost? Forget that they are unproven, unteste... more »

Shanker Blog » The Real “Trouble” With Technology, Online Education And Learning

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Shanker Blog » The Real “Trouble” With Technology, Online Education And Learning: The Real “Trouble” With Technology, Online Education And Learning by Esther Quintero *PROUDLY SPONSORED BY* Con Academy Browse Con Academy library of over 3,100 educational videos... It’s probably too early to say whether Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a “tsunami” or a “seismic shift,” but, continuing with the natural disaster theme, the last few months have seen a massive “avalanche” of press commentary about them, especially within the last few days. Also getting lots of press attention... more »

Chris Lehmann on educational colonialism | Dangerously Irrelevant

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Chris Lehmann on educational colonialism | Dangerously Irrelevant: Chris Lehmann on educational colonialism by dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod) I am posting Chris Lehmann’s recent post almost in its entirety because it’s that important. Some pictures are below… *there are a lot of powerful folks right now who are advocating for a pedagogy that they do not want for their own children. Some of these powerful people are running networks of schools that have a pedagogical approach that is directly counter to the educational approach they pay for for their own children. Moreov... more »

Are Parent Trigger Laws a Good Idea?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Are Parent Trigger Laws a Good Idea?: Are Parent Trigger Laws a Good Idea? by Sam It’s hard not to feel excited for the group of parents who successfully took over their California community’s school, and who now are dreaming of bigger things. “Our children will now get the education they deserve,” said Doreen Diaz, whose daughter attends Desert Trails Elementary in Adelanto. “We are on the way to making a quality school for them, and there’s no way we will back down.” It’s equally hard to feel confident that this story will have the ending Ms. Diaz and others envision. For starte... more »

Schools Matter: Paul Toner and the TURNcoats

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Schools Matter: Paul Toner and the TURNcoats: Paul Toner and the TURNcoats by Jim Horn The other day one of my colleagues here in Massachusetts asked me if I knew that out in Ohio, where they have a Republican governor and legislature, teachers are about to be evaluated based on test scores. When I responded that that was already a reality here in Massachusetts, she said flatly: When did that happen? And so now are many teachers waking up and wondering, when did that happen, especially in the bluest of states, right? This is the kind of stuff we

Right wing takes aim at public education - Ted Frier - Open Salon

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Right wing takes aim at public education - Ted Frier - Open Salon: Right wing takes aim at public education RATE: 5 Flag - Email - - - - - How sad -- and suicidal - that conservatives have decided to declare open warfare on public education. In a previous life, I played a minor role as speechwriter and special assistant to our state's Secretary of Education during the development and public roll out of the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993. This landmark law, and many like it, passed during what was known as the "second wave" of education reform ... more »

Update: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH - 7-24-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] One School’s Secrets of Success by dianerav A high school in the Bronx has figured out how to be high performing. It’s not hard. It pushes out kids with low test scores. It expels them. It works! 107 students started as freshmen, A Dialogue with the Gates Foundation by dianerav Anthony Cody has emerged, in the eyes of many people, as a voice on behalf of the teaching profession. This is quite amazing in itself because he is an experienced middle school science teacher in a high-poverty district, Oakland, Ca... more »

NEWS FLASH: “It is not a conflict” says Malloy school board appointee whose family “wins” half a million dollar contract. - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
NEWS FLASH: “It is not a conflict” says Malloy school board appointee whose family “wins” half a million dollar contract. - Wait, What?: NEWS FLASH: “It is not a conflict” says Malloy school board appointee whose family “wins” half a million dollar contract. by jonpelto Not a Conflict says Malloy school board appointee whose family company will get 60 of 130 new preschool slots in Bridgeport. The Connecticut Post has picked up on the news that two daycare facilities that are personally connected to one of the Malloy Administration’s seven appointees to Bridgeport’s illegal board of... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Teacher unions will be a key issue at SOS Convention

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Teacher unions will be a key issue at SOS Convention: Teacher unions will be a key issue at SOS Convention by Mike Klonsky For those readers who don't know, I have spent much of the past year as an elected National Steering Committee member of SOS. It has been a difficult but rewarding experience helping guide SOS's development and transition from an ad hoc group of last year's march organizers into a viable national organization. In the remaining 10 days leading up to the SOS Convention in D.C., I will try and post some thoughts about key issues, cha... more »

What’s missing from congressional hearing on teachers - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
What’s missing from congressional hearing on teachers - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] What’s missing from congressional hearing on teachers By Valerie Strauss Congressional hearings are supposed to provide lawmakers wth information they need to make policy and legislative decisions. But sometimes, when you look at the witness lists, it is hard to figure out why legislators bother to hold them. Take the hearing being held on Tuesday by the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, chaired by Republican Rep. Duncan ... more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Burned-Out? Please Reignite the Flame Or Get Out the Kitchen!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Burned-Out? Please Reignite the Flame Or Get Out the Kitchen!: Burned-Out? Please Reignite the Flame Or Get Out the Kitchen! by Lisa M Usually what happens on Linkedin, stays on Linkedin, but this discussion topic warranted a post. A teacher started a discussion regarding 50+ educators and survival tips. Many, many 50+ educators responded with wonderful, positive, ideas and comments about what they do in order to "survive" teaching. As a matter of fact, the responses weren't even those of educators who are just "surviving". Most of the teachers w... more »

The Legacy of Sally Ride, the First American Woman in Space - Education - GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
The Legacy of Sally Ride, the First American Woman in Space - Education - GOOD: The Legacy of Sally Ride, the First American Woman in Space by Liz Dwyer [image: sally.ride] In 1983 every American woman who'd ever been told that she wasn't good at science, technology, engineering, or math cheered as Sally Ride broke the astronautical glass ceiling with her journey aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. Ride, who died on Monday at the age of 61 after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer, will forever be known as the first American woman in space. That's more notable than what most ... more »

THE DEFECTIVE 2007 LAUSD PAYROLL SYSTEM IS STILL A THREAT TO YOUR RETIREMENT - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
THE DEFECTIVE 2007 LAUSD PAYROLL SYSTEM IS STILL A THREAT TO YOUR RETIREMENT - Perdaily.com: THE DEFECTIVE 2007 LAUSD PAYROLL SYSTEM IS STILL A THREAT TO YOUR RETIREMENT by Leonard Isenberg [image: CALSTRS.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)** * *For some time now it has been the unexpressed goal of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to curtail its operating costs by reducing teaching staff. Of course, not so for administrators but rather the opposite. But by far their preference for depart... more »

Judge: Parents can’t rescind “parent trigger” signatures « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Judge: Parents can’t rescind “parent trigger” signatures « Parents Across America: Judge: Parents can’t rescind “parent trigger” signatures by CarolineSF The parent trigger, an idea presented by the voices of corporate education “reform” as parent “empowerment,” won a round in court this week. Ironically, the court came down firmly in favor of disempowering parents, as the parent trigger’s sponsors had requested. The ruling by a California Superior Court judge decreed that parents who have signed a parent trigger petition do not have the right to change their minds and may not res... more »

NYC Educator: To Be an Activist

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
NYC Educator: To Be an Activist: To Be an Activist by NYC Educator If you wish to join Unity Caucus, and participate in leadership decisions, you have to agree to support all Unity/ UFT decisions. One of those decisions, in 2002 and again in 2009, was to support mayoral control. Many of us are painfully aware of what that entails--afake school board called the PEP that rubber stamps absolutely anything our billionaire mayor desires. In 2002 many members had reservations about giving all that power to any one person. I know I did. Giuliani had always tried to get that sort of cont... more »

Are we leaving LGBTQ and Pansexual students behind? « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Are we leaving LGBTQ and Pansexual students behind? « Cooperative Catalyst: Are we leaving LGBTQ and Pansexual students behind? by Jabreel Chisley Youth deserve the right to be educated, to educate, to be empowered, and to empower, regardless of their sexual, racial, religious, or ethnical identities. Youth deserve the right to feel safe and protected in an environment that lets them be themselves without any fear of intimidation or unchecked ignorance. While the US has come a long way in ensuring that those rights are protected, especially in the areas of racial and ethnical inc... more »

Blue Jersey:: Cerf, Fulop, & Jersey City: What Went Down?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Blue Jersey:: Cerf, Fulop, & Jersey City: What Went Down?: Cerf, Fulop, & Jersey City: What Went Down? by Jersey Jazzman The *Hudson Reporter* is publishing more details about a "confidential" meeting between Jersey City councilman and mayoral candidate Stephen Fulop, members of the JC Board of Education, and ACTING NJ Education Commissioner Chris Cerf.Some background: Jersey City schools are under partial state control. Two days ago, the *Reporter* published the contents of an email Fulop send titled "Cerf meeting." Among those invited to the meeting were two members of the boar... more »

A Letter About My View on the Common Core Learning Standards [Because "Shut Up" Isn't Clear Enough] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
A Letter About My View on the Common Core Learning Standards [Because "Shut Up" Isn't Clear Enough] | The Jose Vilson: A Letter About My View on the Common Core Learning Standards [Because "Shut Up" Isn't Clear Enough] by Jose Dear Reader, Frankly, this post shouldn’t matter. I’m a classroom teacher first and foremost, and am often in situations where I can readily embody what most of my colleagues believe about education and the teachers’ role in education reform. It’s a privilege at times to rub elbows with union leaders, well-known activists, and other thought leaders and sharpe... more »

A new project, on childhood asthma - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
A new project, on childhood asthma - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: A new project, on childhood asthma Monday, July 23rd, 2012 at 6:30 pm in No Comments Every so often, reporters have the luxury of stepping back from the routine of our daily beats and consider ways of doing work that is more ambitious, wider-reaching — to learn about what we’re not covering, but should be, or, maybe, a fresh take on an issue we’ve been following closely. For me, that’s happening this week. Photographer Alison Yin and I are teaming up on a project for the Oakland Tri... more »

TEACHER DECISION MAKING – PRE CRISIS VS THE PRESENT « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
TEACHER DECISION MAKING – PRE CRISIS VS THE PRESENT « Teachers Fight Back: TEACHER DECISION MAKING – PRE CRISIS VS THE PRESENT by alkleen A friend asked me what I thought was the biggest difference between teaching forty years ago and teaching today. There are many, but none more so than the fact that today’s teachers are solely responsible for the success of every child and yet have virtually no say in how to achieve that success. Years ago most teachers devised their own curriculum, (I taught for 15 years before I ever heard of a curriculum director). Teachers were responsible ... more »

Miami-Dade Superintendent: “A Flawed Accountability System….That Needs Reform” | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Miami-Dade Superintendent: “A Flawed Accountability System….That Needs Reform” | Scathing Purple Musings: Miami-Dade Superintendent: “A Flawed Accountability System….That Needs Reform” by Bob Sikes Influential Miami-Dade Superintendent of Schools Alberto Carvalho ripped into Florida’s entire accoutability system in an afternoon press conference today. *Miami Herald *reporters Laura Insensee and Michael Vasquez were there: State education administrators, who are in charge of grading schools and students, failed to follow their own formula. In fact, they forgot part of it. The err... more »

In Victory for Corporatized Education, Federal Court Strikes Down Regulation of For-Profit Colleges

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
In Victory for Corporatized Education, Federal Court Strikes Down Regulation of For-Profit Colleges: In Victory for Corporatized Education, Federal Court Strikes Down Regulation of For-Profit CollegesMonday, 23 July 2012 00:00By Danny Weil, Truthout | News Analysis - 47 - font size [image: decrease font size] [image: increase font size] - Print - Email *Do you support Truthout's reporting and analysis? Click here to help fund it this week!* [image: Arne Duncan]US Education Secretary Arne Duncan. (Photo: Luke Sharrett / The New York Times)On Saturday, June 30, 201... more »

The Army Occupying America's Public Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
The Army Occupying America's Public Schools: The Army Occupying America’s Public Schools By Mark Naison [image: michelle rhee The Army Occupying Americas Public Schools]When a nation is invaded by an occupying army, there are multiple responses from those whose communities have been occupied. Some resist openly, at great risk; some decide to collaborate; others grimly go about their business in sullen compliance; still others decide to feign compliance, but take their resistance underground. Such would be a good description of the varied resistance to the corporate takeover of Amer... more »




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