Latest News and Comment from Education

Friday, August 10, 2012

I Voted. And I'm Going to Vote Again. - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

I Voted. And I'm Going to Vote Again. - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:


I Voted. And I'm Going to Vote Again.

So, I voted Tuesday in the Michigan primary. I always vote, and I always get the little sticker, too, and wear it until the end of the day. Our whole family votes--we let our now-adult kids know that tuition payments weren't forthcoming unless they voted, while they were college students. Voting is a big deal at our house. I am the child of aVoter.jpg blue-collar, straight-ticket Democrat and a wishy-washy Republican. My parents joked at each election that they had to vote, to cancel each other out. But they never failed to act on that taunt, even though it meant standing in long, cold lines outside the township hall, after work.
Lately, I've been hearing educators who are unhappy with current education policy threaten not to vote in November. Or--claim they're going to sit out the top-ticket races. Or reluctantly agree to vote, but fail to financially support or work for candidates. Because they're so 

Rhee Continues Florida Cash Flow | Scathing Purple Musings

Rhee Continues Florida Cash Flow | Scathing Purple Musings:


Rhee Continues Florida Cash Flow

Michelle Rhee has continued to distribute cash into Florida politics. On top of last week’s list, Rhee has followed up with two more.
* On 7/27/12 Rhee’s StudentsFirst contributed $5000  to the PAC belonging to Rep. Erik Fresen (R-Miami) Floridians for a Strong 67. Like most republican PACs, it too, is run by Nancy Watkins. Fresen’s brother-in-law, Fernando Zulueta, is the president of controversial charter school, Academica. His sister is vice president. Academica donated $100,000 to John Kirtley’s Florida Federation for Children last month.
* On 8/2/12, Rhee’s organization gave $2500 to the PAC belonging t

Big Education Ape Nite Cap UPDATE 8-10-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE



Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch

Reach Out to Bill Moyers

Bill Moyers understands the danger of destroying public institutions and handing them over to profiteers.
Contact him and urge him to look into the privatization movement in education:

Why This Teacher Has Not Ended Poverty Yet

This teacher admits that he has not ended poverty.
But that doesn’t mean that he has been lazy or had nothing to do.
This is what he does every day.
This is typical of a teacher’s life today. I didn’t know I was suppose to end poverty. My bad. I’m already overwhelmed here in DC. Sorry. I ‘ll add poverty abatement to the list. Thanks for reminding me. In addition, I ‘ll also be mentoring, counseling, teaching, 

Here Come the Profiteers

Joe Bower is an educator who wants to reform education. But he has no sympathy for the rampant privatizationthat is now overtaking U.S. education with the support of the Obama administration. And it will only get worse under a Romney administration. In the post linked here, he has a video showing an advertisement for one of those aggressive for-profit operations now targeting American school children.
Why isn’t Secretary Duncan on the stump warning parents about these educational predators?
Technology is a good thing when used appropriately. But when advanced as it is now to lay off teachers and 

Outrage in Philadelphia!

The $2 billion William Penn Foundation has funded the Philadelphia Student Union for 17 years.
However, the student union does not support the foundation’s radical plan to privatize large numbers of public schools in Philadelphia.
Surprise! The William Penn Foundation will no longer fund the Philadelphia Student Union.
William Penn, the large-hearted man for whom the foundation is named, would not approve.

Faux Florida Teacher, Principals and Parents PAC Driven by Profit Charter School Cash

A dubiously named PAC appeared on the scene late this spring. Teachers, Principals and Parents United for Florida Schools (TTP United) is run by Florida republican power broker, Nancy Watkins. who serves as treasurerfor at least 26 different PACs associated with state republicans.
There aren’t any teachers, principals or parents of Florida children involved with TTP United. Just a shadowy education management corp, a charter school executive and a company whose CEO is a board member of Jeb 

Bill Introduced: S.3475 Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2012

A bill to increase the participation of historically underrepresented demographic groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and industry.

Bill Introduced: S.3474 Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act

A bill to provide consumer protection for students.

California State University campuses are debating whether to accept graduate students from other states and countries amid a freeze on admitting state residents for the spring term. Some departments say they will ignore the freeze. 

Three Thousand San Francisco Janitors Prepare for a Strike

Source: [b]Truth-out.org[/b]

The national confrontation between janitors and some of the world's richest property owners has arrived in San Francisco where, on Wednesday, over two thousand building cleaners shut down the city's main artery, Market Street, in a huge march. Later, twenty-se...

LA Unified says no tickets for ditching

Hamilton HighHamilton High School in Los Angeles. Credit: Tony Pierce / KPCC
While most LA Unified students have been on summer break, school police chief Steven Zipperman  - head of the largest school police force in the country - and a handful of district administrators have been meeting with 

Move by one gay parent to Ga. raises parental rights issue for other parent

A judge in Hackensack has allowed a gay father and his son to move to Georgia over the objections of the boy’s other father, who contends his parental rights will be jeopardized by the move to a state that does not recognize same-sex adoptions.


Suspended because I 'didn't know when to keep [my] mouth shut' | catalyst-chicago.org

Suspended because I 'didn't know when to keep [my] mouth shut' | catalyst-chicago.org:


Suspended because I 'didn't know when to keep [my] mouth shut'

August 10, 2012
[Editor's note: During August, Catalyst Chicago is featuring op-eds from our archives that relate to current news in the education world. This column on one young black man's experience with school discipline disparity is from our 2009 Catalyst In Depth, "Reaching Black Boys."]  From kindergarten to 4th grade, I had serious problems in school. It started the day I came home and told my father that Columbus had discovered America, something 

Police, Protesters Clash at March for Underfunded Education System in Chile - Hispanically Speaking News

Police, Protesters Clash at March for Underfunded Education System in Chile - Hispanically Speaking News:


Police, Protesters Clash at March for Underfunded Education System in Chile

Police, Protesters Clash at March for Underfunded Education System in ChileA march in Santiago Wednesday by high school students demanding improvements to Chile’s underfunded public education system ended with three buses set ablaze and dozens arrested.
The protest was convened by the ACES high school students association, with support from the groups that represent Chile’s collegians.
Demonstrations also took place in the seaside resort of Viña del Mar, where 11 people were arrested and a pharmacy and supermarket destroyed, the northern town of La Serena and the southern city of Valdivia.
The Santiago regional government refused to issue ACES a permit to march on the city’s main thoroughfare, the 

School Tech Connect: Getting Out of Things

School Tech Connect: Getting Out of Things:


Getting Out of Things

Picky, I know, but here's what the Northwest Daily Herald is saying:

Pension reform continues to be a hot issue across the country, particularly in Illinois where the Legislature is expected to deal with the matter in a special session on Aug. 17. 
We all are stakeholders in pension reform, whether you're a teacher, a DMV employee, or a private-sector taxpayer. How Illinois chooses to get itself out of its $83 billion pension liability will affect us all.
I know they don't come right out and say it, but teachers are taxpayers, too. There's always this hint in the air 

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-10-12 #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




SAC Agenda for August 2012 - State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 minutes ago
SAC Agenda for August 2012 - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education): California State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care *California Department of Education 1430 N Street, Room 1101 Sacramento, CA 95814* *Wednesday, August 22, 2012 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.* Council Members Pete Cervinka, Co-chair Camille Maben, Co-chair Nancy Bargmann Magdalena Carrasco Julian Crocker Sydney Fisher-Larson Mark Friedman Linda James Perry Katie Johnson Nancy Remley Ryan Storm Natalie Woods Andrews MEETING AGENDAItem 1 Welcome, Introductions and Opening Comments Sue Burr, Senior Education ... more »

Pass / Fail : Size matters in new district-level 'Race to the Top' competition | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago
Pass / Fail : Size matters in new district-level 'Race to the Top' competition | 89.3 KPCC: Size matters in new district-level 'Race to the Top' competition by By Tami Abdollah [image: LAUSD board protesters]*Hundreds of protesters gathered outside L.A. Unified headquarters downtown as the board met inside to discuss the district's dire budget picture. (March 2012) LAUSD hopes the new Race to the Top competition will bring them much-needed dollars. Credit: Tami Abdollah / KPCC* The new Race to the Top application, which for the first time this year allows districts to apply directl... more »

Dear Meryl Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 27 minutes ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Dear Meryl: Dear Meryl by admin Ms. Meryl Streep c/o Leslee Dart Dart Group sent by facsimile 212 277 7550 *If you really appreciate teachers, please pull out of* *phony “Teachers Rock” event promoting* *the themes of the “Won’t Back Down” movie:* *public school privatization and wholesale teacher firing* Dear Ms Streep: I am writing to ask you to reconsider your participation in the “Teachers Rock” event next week. As parents, we are concerned that this event is part of a larger propaganda campaign to force privatization on ... more »

Poverty & Race! A must read! « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Poverty & Race! A must read! « Deborah Meier on Education: Poverty & Race! A must read! by debmeier I’m resting up after a provocative conference of SOS in Washington D.C. I come away more determined, but full of questions. It was a gathering of good friends and allies and we all left with new ideas for next steps. While there I picked up a bi-monthly publication I had not read before. I just read it (14 pages in all). Advice: read Poverty and Race, published by Poverty and Race Research Action Council, (info@prrc.org) It’s advisory board includes some friends/colleagues such as ... more »

Outrage in Philadelphia! « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Outrage in Philadelphia! « Diane Ravitch's blog: Outrage in Philadelphia! by dianerav The $2 billion William Penn Foundation has funded the Philadelphia Student Union for 17 years. However, the student union does not support the foundation’s radical plan to privatize large numbers of public schools in Philadelphia. Surprise! The William Penn Foundation will no longer fund the Philadelphia Student Union. William Penn, the large-hearted man for whom the foundation is named, would not approve. A Student Voice of Wisdom by dianerav I discovered Stephanie Rivera on Twitter. Ah, the p... more »

Branstad Looks to Place His Chips on Centralization of Education | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Branstad Looks to Place His Chips on Centralization of Education | Truth in American Education: Branstad Looks to Place His Chips on Centralization of Education by Shane Vander Hart Do you remember when Republicans used to be considered the party of local control? I don’t think they can accurately be portrayed that way anymore, at least not when you look at the leadership within the party. There has been a bipartisan assault at the federal level by former President George W. Bush with No Child Left Behind and President Barack Obama with Race to the Top, the Common Core State St... more »

Pass / Fail : Calif. court overturns LAUSD's 'last hired, first fired' exemption | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Pass / Fail : Calif. court overturns LAUSD's 'last hired, first fired' exemption | 89.3 KPCC: Calif. court overturns LAUSD's 'last hired, first fired' exemption by By Tami Abdollah [image: Image of an empty classroom] *The California 2nd District Court of Appeal has invalidated LAUSD's 'last hired, first fired' exemption at 45 schools. Credit: Cayoup/Flickr (Creative Commons-licensed)* A major class-action settlement that gives LAUSD teachers layoff protection at several dozen schools in high-poverty areas has been invalidated by the California 2nd District Court of Appeal. The 2 to... more »

DREAMers: Mothers look forward to your success with the Deferred Action process, and we urge caution when applying ! « MomsRising Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
DREAMers: Mothers look forward to your success with the Deferred Action process, and we urge caution when applying ! « MomsRising Blog: DREAMers: Mothers look forward to your success with the Deferred Action process, and we urge caution when applying ! by Mary Olivella While we continue the momentum towards passage of the DREAM Act, mothers across the country are standing in support of the 1.76 million immigrant youth who will be able, starting August 15, 2012, to seek a form of administrative relief from deportation. This first step in the long-awaited deportation relief for yout... more »

HechingerEd Blog | Some states resisting Obama administration ed-reform requirements

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
HechingerEd Blog | Some states resisting Obama administration ed-reform requirements: Some states resisting Obama administration ed-reform requirements by Sarah Garland This week the Obama administration announced it had released a total of 33 states from some No Child Left Behind requirements with the approval of Nevada’s application for a waiver from the law. “While well intentioned, the law’s rigid, top-down prescriptions for reform have proved burdensome for many states,” a statement from the U.S. Department of Education said. But some states seem to be feeling the same way abou... more »

New Resources to Make the Financial Aid Process Easier | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
New Resources to Make the Financial Aid Process Easier | ED.gov Blog: New Resources to Make the Financial Aid Process Easier Posted on August 10, 2012 by Guest Blogger *Cross-posted from the White House Office of Public Engagement* Earlier this year, I had the most amazing opportunity – to be part of a dynamic and creative team of people who are making it easier for high-school students and adult learners to achieve their dreams of going to college. I work at the Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) which provides over $150 billion in grants, loans and work... more »

Feds: Mississippi county runs 'school-to-prison pipeline' - CNN.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Feds: Mississippi county runs 'school-to-prison pipeline' - CNN.com: Feds: Mississippi county runs 'school-to-prison pipeline' By *Michael Martinez*, CNN updated 5:08 PM EDT, Fri August 10, 2012 *STORY HIGHLIGHTS* - U.S. Justice Department accuses Lauderdale County of violating constitutional rights of pupils - Juveniles accused of school offenses are jailed and not given due process, feds say - African-Americans and children with disabilities are most affected - In 2010, the county settled a separate class-action suit and pledged juvenile justice reforms *(CN... more »

Ed Roundup for 8-10-12 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Ed Roundup for 8-10-12 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): Education Roundup for the Week Ending August 10, 2012 SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Education (CDE) today issued this week's Education Roundup of education-related announcements of public interest. More High School Career Technical Education Courses Now Meet Rigorous UC Standards **More than 10,000 high school career technical education (CTE) courses now meet the rigorous college preparatory course standards, known as "a-g," that are used for admission at the University of California and California State Universi... more »

School Tech Connect: The National Idiocy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
School Tech Connect: The National Idiocy: The National Idiocy by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) When I get into a conversation about the Common Core, I try to ask the person I'm talking to to identify a particular standard in the CCS that he or she finds superior to its counterpart in the current Illinois Learning Standards. Nobody can ever name anything. Nobody has any idea what this is about, I find. Try it sometime. You get this stare and a stuttered statement about them just being more rigorous or whatever. It's all magical thinking. Like this new set of standards is goin... more »

Bain Capital, Stand for Children and Initiative 1240 | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Bain Capital, Stand for Children and Initiative 1240 | Seattle Education: Bain Capital, Stand for Children and Initiative 1240 by seattleducation2011 Birds of a feather and all, Stand for Children, which is about the takeover of our public schools, has not only received donations from members of Bain Capital but the Managing Director at Bain Capital is on the Board of Directors for Stand for Children. Oh what a web… Stand for Children is also behind Initiative 1240 in our state which is an illegal maneuver to privatize our public schools by setting up charter schools with no loca... more »

Schools Matter: Students Want a Voice in Ed Policy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Schools Matter: Students Want a Voice in Ed Policy: Students Want a Voice in Ed Policy by Judy Rabin Students stand up against high stakes testing, corporate education reform. Blogger Nikhil Goyal Common Core and Race to the Top are destructive. Day 33: SOS Convention and Featured in Newsday*Posted:* August 4, 2012 | * Author:* Nikhil Goyal | *Filed under:* Posts |*2* Comments » Today, I had a fabulous time at the Save Our Schools Convention in Washington D.C. I left my house at 7 AM sharp, hopped on a 8:45 flight from J.F.K., and arrived in D.C. a little more than a hour later.

Ravitch v. Rhee Fills Summer Lull – SchoolBook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Ravitch v. Rhee Fills Summer Lull – SchoolBook: Ravitch v. Rhee Fills Summer Lull by Patricia Willens [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] In the quiet days of August, after summer school ends and before principals return to work, followers of education issues and news found it a good time to re-hash ongoing debates, ourselves included. WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show re-aired interviews from leaders of different schools of thought regarding education reform. First up, former Washington, D.C. schools chancellor and the founder of Students First, Michelle Rhee, on the occ... more »

New Student Labor History Resource « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
New Student Labor History Resource « Student Activism: New Student Labor History Resource by Angus Johnston This is really cool. The Student Labor Action Project, a group that works with students across the US on economic justice organizing, has just completed a year-by-year history of its work. Here’s a sample, chosen pretty much at random: *2006* SLAP students at Temple University and University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia waged a campaign against security guard firm, AlliedBarton. Philly SLAP and the city’s Jobs with Justice coalition held numerous marches and protests to tr... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Ledger Logic

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Ledger Logic: Ledger Logic by Duke *The Star-Ledger Editorial Board confronts logic.* Hoo boy: New Jersey’s teacher tenure bill was signed into law this week, a resounding victory in the first round of the reform fight — but it’s not over yet. To get that crucial legislation passed, reformers had to abandon their push to end the practice known as “last in, first out,” which protects absolute seniority rights during times of layoffs. The state’s largest teachers union insisted upon it. Now, that sacrifice will fall hardest on cities such as Newark that face hundre... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: What is the Policy Writing Process?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What is the Policy Writing Process?: What is the Policy Writing Process? by Charlie Mas As the day nears when the Board will vote on Policy 2200, Equitable Access to Programs and Services, I have to wonder about the policy writing process. I have to wonder because I don't understand how such a poorly conceived policy could be written in the first place or how such a badly written policy could advance so far without major re-writing. Who is in control of the policy writing and what is the process by which policies are formed, drafted, amended, and... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, August 10, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Jamestown*, *California* Education Headlines *Friday, August 10, 2012* Alvord to keep police on campusesRiverside police officers will be stationed at La Sierra and Norte Vista high schools when classes start Monday, the Alvord school board decided in a 3-2 decision. Security cameras to roll at Novato high schoolsA presence at most of Marin's high schools for several years, security cameras will roll at Novato's two main high schools for the first time this fall after the district completes a $177,000 installation project. LAU... more »

This Week In Education: NCLB: No Waiver? No Problem - Except For California

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
This Week In Education: NCLB: No Waiver? No Problem - Except For California: NCLB: No Waiver? No Problem - Except For California by Alexander Russo [image: Screen shot 2012-08-06 at 3.41.46 PM]Don't cry for the states that haven't gotten an NCLB waiver yet -- or haven't requested one. There's really only just one state I can find -- California -- that has requested a waiver but not gotten one but doesn't also have an AMO freeze in its back pocket. Several states without waivers have gotten one year freezes on changing their annual measurable objectives -- meaning that they don't h... more »

RheeFirst! » Second lawmaker rejects StudentsFirst endorsement

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
RheeFirst! » Second lawmaker rejects StudentsFirst endorsement: Second lawmaker rejects StudentsFirst endorsement by admin Can anyone else recall an organization so toxic that two legislators have publicly spoken out against the group making independent expenditures for them? Yesterday, Connecticut’s *The Day* reported that Tom Reynolds (D-Ledyard) had rejected the endorsement of StudentsFirst’s sneaky Connecticut front group. Reynolds’ statement reads, in part, “I never sought this group’s endorsement or support, and we do not condone their agenda or tactics.” Readers may recall ... more »

School Tech Connect: On Hiring The Wrong People

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
School Tech Connect: On Hiring The Wrong People: On Hiring The Wrong People by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I'm just going to point out here that Dennis Van Roekel is not personally responsible for the headline of this article, which is dreadful... ...but he doesn't do himself any favors in the way he answers question, either. I think he's trying to point out that as a nation, we don't want to be hiring these two-year temps, but there's got to be a clearer way to say that so that the messaging doesn't look like what it looks like--- which is to say, "teachers suck." If I had... more »

NYC Educator: Our Tax Dollars at Work

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
NYC Educator: Our Tax Dollars at Work: Our Tax Dollars at Work by NYC Educator Yesterday I took my 16-year-old daughter to take her driving permit test. It's tough for kids her age to come up with suitable ID, but she has a United States passport, which has proven sufficient to cross the border into foreign countries, so I figured that was pretty good. When we got there we found we needed her social security number. I had no idea, but I thought of calling my accountant, who recognized my voice and helped us out. After waiting on a long, long line, we got to the end and the woman d... more »

What Makes a Public School Public? « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
What Makes a Public School Public? « Diane Ravitch's blog: What Makes a Public School Public? by dianerav And now we step into a debate about charter schools and public schools: *Pulling public funds together to run public systems, such as public schools, is what communities do. By taking out the “per pupil” funds for the children going elsewhere, the community suffers.* *The public school IS the community’s for better or worse. Therefore, the community MUST take pains to make it the best it can be in order to provide for community success. I think working to improve the public sch... more »

When Policymakers Attack: Two Key Lessons :: Frederick M. Hess

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
When Policymakers Attack: Two Key Lessons :: Frederick M. Hess: When Policymakers Attack: Two Key Lessons *by Frederick M. Hess • Aug 10, 2012 at 9:22 am Cross-posted from Education Week* Print Send RSS [image: Share] Share Over at This Week in Education, the sharp-penned John Thompson offered his take on Monday's RHSU post(in which I advised educators to get over their policy allergies). Thompson wrote, "When 'smart, talented leaders complain about ill-conceived accountability systems,' Hess tells them to, 'get over themselves.'" He's got that partly right--but not entirely. I'm... more »

Brizard plays Eddie Haskell to the CPS board. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Brizard plays Eddie Haskell to the CPS board. « Fred Klonsky: Brizard plays Eddie Haskell to the CPS board. by Fred Klonsky PopoutFor those of you old enough to remember the old *Leave it to Beaver* show, you will instantly know what I mean when I say that CPS CEO JC Brizard is our town’s own Eddie Haskell. Over the years, Eddie Haskell has become a cultural stereotype, the insincere ass kisser. Beaver Cleaver’ dad

Jersey Jazzman: The Incoherent World of Arne Duncan, Part VI (Last)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: The Incoherent World of Arne Duncan, Part VI (Last): The Incoherent World of Arne Duncan, Part VI (Last) by Duke I've been breaking down Arne Duncan's interview with Tom Moran of the * Star-Ledger* all week: - Part I: Duncan's signature program, Race To The Top, has little evidence to back it up. - Part II: The real legacy of Duncan, Rhee, and Klein. - Part III: Arne has a lot to learn about what makes teachers tick. - Part IV: Duncan's totally befuddled thoughts about testing. - Part V: Duncan doesn't understand poverty or logic. And so we come to ... more »

Corporate Reformer Bain Capital Much Like Terrible Corporate Education Reformers | Alternet

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Corporate Reformer Bain Capital Much Like Terrible Corporate Education Reformers | Alternet: Corporate Reformer Bain Capital Much Like Terrible Corporate Education Reformers Bain Capital has received a lot of negative press lately from President Barack Obama's reelection campaign as it's the corporation once run by current Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. As it turns out Romney made a killing from his time as CEO of Bain, but he was far from a job creator. Through his work thousands of people lost their jobs. The corporation uses a "Corporate Reform" model tha... more »

Schuette sues to oust 7 members of Detroit school board | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Schuette sues to oust 7 members of Detroit school board | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com: Schuette sues to oust 7 members of Detroit school board - By Shawn D. Lewis and Maureen Feighan - The Detroit News - 20 Comments * * * * * * *Detroit*— Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette asked a Wayne County court Thursday to remove seven of the 11 members of the Detroit Board of Education, as a power struggle over the state's largest school district heated up. Schuette said in a release issued by his office that the seven members were holding office illegally because Det... more »

Robinson, State Board Back Down – Polk Gets its Own Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Robinson, State Board Back Down – Polk Gets its Own Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings: Robinson, State Board Back Down – Polk Gets its Own Charter Schools by Bob Sikes [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] The curious opposition against Polk county schools desire to open its own at-risk charter schools ended yesterday. Writes Merissa Green in the *Lakeland Ledger*: BARTOW | The Polk County School District got the go-ahead today to open six charter schools for at-risk students. Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson told The Ledger that the B... more »

The Gulen Charter School Teacher Supply Problem « School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
The Gulen Charter School Teacher Supply Problem « School Finance 101: The Gulen Charter School Teacher Supply Problem by schoolfinance101 There’s been some increased interest in recent months in what are often referred to as Gulen Charter Schools, or those schools affiliated with Fethullah Gulen. I’ve tried to stay off of this topic for the most part because I don’t like to write about “conspiracy theories” or even potentially inflammatory religious/cultural issues – at least on this blog. Here are a few recent video clips/new stories: From Ohio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q... more »

See No Evil… - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
See No Evil… - Wait, What?: See No Evil… by jonpelto As noted by a Wait, What? reader… *Yesterday’s State Board of Education meeting began with the swearing-in of a new student member…* “Do you solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Connecticut, so long as you continue a citizen thereof; and that you will faithfully discharge, according to law, the duties of serving on the State Board of Education to the best of your abilities; so help you God.” And then the meeting continued without properly dea... more »

School vouchers lead to strange bedfellows: Why a hard-core Republican group is backing Democratic candidates - JSOnline

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
School vouchers lead to strange bedfellows: Why a hard-core Republican group is backing Democratic candidates - JSOnline: School vouchers lead to strange bedfellows: Why a hard-core Republican group is backing Democratic candidates By Barbara Miner Aug. 9, 2012 - - - - EMAIL - PRINT - |(1) COMMENTS Two powerful school voucher groups that ordinarily work behind the scenes have made headlines and raised eyebrows in Milwaukee in recent weeks: The American Federation for Children and School Choice Wisconsin. The American Federation for Children is a national ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-10-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] In China, the Cost of High Test Scores by dianerav *New York Times* columnist Thomas Friedman and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and billionaire Bill Gates and gadfly Michelle Rhee wring their hands over American students’ test scores. They look enviously at Shanghai and wonder why we can’t be like them. But the *Los Angeles Times* had a story explaining that Chinese educators have mixed feelings about those high Why the Koch Brothers Are Disappointed with Corbett by dianerav A columnist in Pennsylvani... more »

Do-or-die time for teacher evaluation bill | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Do-or-die time for teacher evaluation bill | EdSource Today: Do-or-die time for teacher evaluation bill - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald After laying dormant for a year, a bill to overhaul the state’s teacher evaluation law will resurface Monday, subject to continuing negotiations over its cost and some disagreements over its content. [image: AB 5 author Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes] AB 5 author Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes AB 5’s prospects have improved with the support of the California Teachers Association. CTA expressed reservations a year ago, but the bill’s author, ... more »

Viewpoints: State must change way schools are financed - Viewpoints - The Sacramento Bee

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Viewpoints: State must change way schools are financed - Viewpoints - The Sacramento Bee: Viewpoints: State must change way schools are financed By Jonathan Raymond and Ted Lempert Special to The Bee [image: 5OP10RAYMOND.JPG] Published: Friday, Aug. 10, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 13A Californians have reason to worry about the toll that the state's budget problems are taking on our students' education. After enduring years of recession, cuts to educational resources, overcrowded classrooms and fraying infrastructure, our public schools face fiscal disaster if voters reject a tax increa... more »

Why Alabama is going slow on charter schools - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Why Alabama is going slow on charter schools - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] Why Alabama is going slow on charter schoolsBy Valerie Strauss This *was written by Larry Lee, who led the study “Lessons Learned from Rural Schools,” a look at 10 high-performing, high-poverty rural schools in Alabama. This appeared in the Birmingham News.* By Larry Lee The collective sigh heard across Alabama recently came from educators pleased to hear Gov. Robert Bentley tell the Alabama Association of School Boards he would not include charter school legislation in ... more »

Two Languages Better Than One for Kids' Brains: Study - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Two Languages Better Than One for Kids' Brains: Study - Hispanically Speaking News: Two Languages Better Than One for Kids’ Brains: Study [image: Two Languages Better Than One for Kids’ Brains: Study] *Bilingual children excel at problem-solving, creative thinking, research suggests.* Children who speak more than one language seem to have a learning advantage: Being bilingual can improve children’s problem-solving skills and creative thinking, a new study suggests. The mental sharpness needed to switch between two languages may develop skills that boost other types of thinking, ... more »

Book Giveaway: Break The Habit by Tara Betts | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Book Giveaway: Break The Habit by Tara Betts | The Jose Vilson: Book Giveaway: Break The Habit by Tara Betts by Jose Hello and welcome to this installment of The Jose Vilson Book Giveaway, where I’ll do my best to offer the latest and greatest books I can scrounge up … and all for free. < whooping and hollering here > This week, I’m offering a very special, exclusive book for any and all contestants who wish to participate. Before I continue, though … The rules are as follows: 1. Leave a comment at the bottom of this post with the words: “Back in ’94 they call me Chi-town’s Nas, Now

Schools Matter: Freedom of Information Act and Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Schools Matter: Freedom of Information Act and Education: Freedom of Information Act and Education by Judy Rabin The Freedom of Information Act It's time to demand the information on where our tax dollars are going. End education corruption BATON ROUGE -- Louisiana's education chief has refused to provide records from the deliberations over how schools were chosen to participate in Gov. Bobby Jindal's new statewide voucher program, which is using tax dollars to send students to private and parochial schools. The Department of Education isn't claiming an exemption in public

Jersey Jazzman: Broadies Ready To Take Over Camden

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Broadies Ready To Take Over Camden: Broadies Ready To Take Over Camden by Duke The NJDOE paves the way for the Broadie takeover of Camden: Warning that that the school district needs “fundamental and transformational reform” because it is “in crises,” state Education Commissioner Chris Cerf personally delivered an in-depth review of the district’s failings this morning in Trenton to Interim Superintendent Reuben Mills and other district personnel. Cerf told school administrators, who will meet with the board of education tonight during a special meeting, that th... more »

“Dynamic Conservatism” and Stability in Teaching | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
“Dynamic Conservatism” and Stability in Teaching | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: “Dynamic Conservatism” and Stability in Teaching by larrycuban Why has the act of teaching in public schools (including charters) that serve wealthy, middle-class and poor children looked so familiar to generation after generation of journalists, researchers, parents and grandparents who enter classrooms? In short, why has there been so much continuity in teaching over the decades? Surely, things have changed in classrooms. Desktops and laptops are prevalent in schools; teachers ... more »

Friday Finance 101: On Parfaits & Property Taxes « School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Friday Finance 101: On Parfaits & Property Taxes « School Finance 101: Friday Finance 101: On Parfaits & Property Taxes by schoolfinance101 Public preference for property taxes stands in perfect inverse relation to the public taste for parfaits. Everybody loves parfaits[i] and everybody hates property taxes.[ii] No, I don’t plan to spend this blog post bashing parfaits. I do like a good parfait. But, even more blasphemous, I intend to shed light on some of the virtues of much maligned property taxes. I often hear school funding equity advocates argue that if we could only get rid ... more »

Reforming School Reform - Philadelphia Writing Project | Journal

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Reforming School Reform - Philadelphia Writing Project | Journal: *Reforming School Reform * ------------------------------ *by Matthew L. Mandel, NBCT* It’s not about the children. The education reform movement, at least here in Pennsylvania, may be about a lot of things, but it certainly isn’t about our children. If it were, efforts to bridge the achievement gap and advance opportunities for all children would look a hell of a lot different. If it were about children, each and every public school would be awash in resources and technology. A licensed school nurse would be in ea... more »

Reclaiming the Commons : blue cheddar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Reclaiming the Commons : blue cheddar: Reclaiming the Commons by Worley Dervish Advertisements insidiously worm their way into our hearts and minds despite our best efforts to tune them out (which is why Tom and I don’t watch TV anymore). They must be accomplishing something, or advertisers wouldn’t shell out the big bucks for them, would they? But isn’t there some kind of saturation point? Aren’t we getting to a place where people are just sick to death of always having stuff hawked and pushed at them? Does anyone else ever feel like you spend your whole goddamn life in a marketp... more »

Jersey Jazzman: The Obnoxious Sanctimony of Reformy Types

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: The Obnoxious Sanctimony of Reformy Types: The Obnoxious Sanctimony of Reformy Types by Duke Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP! The article asserts that white suburban children actually score the highest on the international assessments—rivaling the the coveted student achievement of Finland and South Korea. *The article blames 35 percent of our student population—poor blacks and Latinos—for pulling down our otherwise stellar scores*, making America's ranking plummet. Lind writes: *"If you look at the facts, then, they don't suggest that the U.S. public K-12 system is a ... more »

Labor and the Community Defend Public Education A Teach-In to Save Our Schools Saturday, August 25th | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Labor and the Community Defend Public Education A Teach-In to Save Our Schools Saturday, August 25th | Dailycensored.com: Labor and the Community Defend Public Education A Teach-In to Save Our Schools Saturday, August 25th by Danny Weil *Title:**Labor and the Community Defend Public Education** START DATE:** Saturday August 25** TIME:** 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM** Location Details:**SEIU 1021 Headquarters, 350 Rhode Island St. enter on Kansas St between 16th & 17th Streets Map at http://tinyurl.com/c2gk6ru, # 10, 19, 22 buses** Event Type:** Teach-In* *Labor and the Community Defend Public... more »

NEA - Back to School Guide

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
NEA - Back to School Guide: Back to School Guide Educator-tested tips, advice, and resources for a successful start to the school year. *Found In*: advice & support [image: founded in 1863] ARTICLE SECTIONS - Classroom Setup - Prepping for the First Week - Classroom Management - Working with Parents - Year-Long Support - Keeping a Sense of Humor Students may still be enjoying their summer vacations, but for educators, the beginning of the next school year is just around the corner. NEA editors have compiled a list of our best articles and resources to help yo... more »





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