Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Liberator Call to Action: Time to Canvas the Neighborhoods | United Opt Out National

Liberator Call to Action: Time to Canvas the Neighborhoods | United Opt Out National:


Liberator Call to Action: Time to Canvas the Neighborhoods

UTLA: WHAT KIND OF A TEACHER DO YOU THINK I AM? - Perdaily.com

UTLA: WHAT KIND OF A TEACHER DO YOU THINK I AM? - Perdaily.com:


UTLA: WHAT KIND OF A TEACHER DO YOU THINK I AM?

teacher.jpg
(Mensaje se repite en Español)

(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)

A guy goes out with a girl and at some point toward the end of the evening he asks her, "Would you go to bed with me for a million dollar?" Without hesitation the girl says, "Sure." So the guy, reflecting on her response and his limited financial assets says, "How 

Last Stand for Children First: Parents Protest Against Chicago Teachers Union

Last Stand for Children First: Parents Protest Against Chicago Teachers Union:


Parents Protest Against Chicago Teachers Union

Some people would say that 5 days after the end of a teacher strike is a lousy time to hold a protest against striking teachers, but with the kick off of education nation, we just could resist.   While it is hard to have an exact number of participants in events like this, it's safe to say that several half dozens were in attendance for our First Annual Parents Against Teachers Protest and Box Lunch.

Will Dehring of Chicago reported than many of the complaints he heard teachers make were "complete balderdash" saying that when he attended school in Chicago there was no air conditioning and that was fine with 

Albert Einstein, Lewis Hyde, and The Gifts of Teaching « Cooperative Catalyst

Albert Einstein, Lewis Hyde, and The Gifts of Teaching « Cooperative Catalyst:


Albert Einstein, Lewis Hyde, and The Gifts of Teaching


“Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as hard duty. Never regard study as duty but as the enviable opportunity to learn to know the liberating influence of beauty in the realm of the spirit for your own personal joy and to the profit of the community to which your later work belongs.” –Albert Einstein

On the second day of teacher preparation this August, my building held a discussion regarding our use of grades and what we grade and what we don’t.  Eventually, the discussion turned to the issue of failure on a test or 

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week Three 2012

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week Three 2012:


Week Three 2012

Green Canister Buoy Number 3 in the Morro Bay, CA Harbor Channel adjacent to Morro Rock, inside the breakwater.
Beware the shoals was this week’s theme. It was the third week, but the first week of our grade-level mathematics swap. It was like starting the school-year all over again. It’s in the middle of the school day, after recess, but before lunch — a conspicuous time in the schedule of the day, which had some repercussions in both the end of the morning period before recess (preparing for the swap), and after lunch with the kids coming in buzzed with the change in routine. In addition, I have to put desks into groups to fit the math class in, and my class was not quite ready for that full time. I’m now having them move out of groups for direct instruction and 

Diane in the Evening 9-23-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:




Karen Lewis and Randi Weingarten Write an Article about the Strike in the Wall Street Journal

This is a good article. Unspoken, or only hinted at, in this very conservative newspaper, is that strikes are effective.
When employers treat workers shabbily, a strike is justified.
When working conditions are intolerable, a strike is justified.
When management engages in harmful practices–like closing schools and handing the kids over to private



A Tale of Two Farmers

I received this from a parent in Indiana. She said it is being circulated from person to person as a way of explaining why the reform policies of State Superintendent Tony Bennett don’t work and never will:
The Tale of Two Farmers
Once upon a time, the great and powerful Lord Idoe, in an uncharacteristic (some say scary!) burst of generosity, gave two of his serfs 1,000 acres of land. He told them, Farmer Oofy and Farmer Laden, that they were to plant them with the seeds he provided. Furthermore, the farmer who produced the best crop at the end of the growing season would obtain additional riches, while the other farmer would lose everything. Lord Idoe made it clear that 


Jersey Jazzman Takes One for the Team

Jersey Jazzman is watching Education Nation so the rest of us don’t have to.
He says that teachers are more outspoken this year than in the past. He thinks they are emboldened by the Chicago strike. They are mad as hell and they won’t sit still while non-educators bash them.
He reports that one fellow got up and made a brash statement abou



Daily Kos: Krugman's Monday column: "The Optimism Cure"

Daily Kos: Krugman's Monday column: "The Optimism Cure":


Krugman's Monday column: "The Optimism Cure"

begins with these words:
Mitt Romney is optimistic about optimism. In fact, it’s pretty much all he’s got. And that fact should make you very pessimistic about his chances of leading an economic recovery.
Krugman, in this column, says that in what Romney said in the video with his donors in Boca Raton, makes it clear that his economic plan relies on "magic" -
“My own view is,” he declared, “if we win on November 6, there will be a great deal of optimism about the future of this country. We’ll see capital come back, and we’ll see — without actually doing anything — we’ll actually get a boost in the economy.”Are you feeling reassured?
The answer to that question, from anyone who is not blinded by the Republican theology on economics, is clearly not.Please keep reading.

SI&A Cabinet Report – Brown vetoes bill aimed at TK teaching standards

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources:

Brown vetoes bill aimed at TK teaching standards
By Tom Chorneau
Monday, September 24, 2012
 
Despite the concerns that teachers have not been properly prepared to handle the new transitional kindergarten program, Gov. Jerry Brown late last week rejected a bill that would have taken the first steps in creating new teaching standards in early education.
Brown, who earlier this year cast doubt over the transitional kindergarten program by failing to provide any funding for it as part of his January budget, said in a veto message that AB 1853 wasn’t needed.
“This bill would require the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to create a committee to do the preliminary work that would be required to create yet another teaching credential – something we don’t need,” the governor said.
The bill, authored by Democratic Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla of Martinez, would have convened a work group comprised of transitional kindergarten experts to develop program standards and to work with the state department of

 Non-profit’s STEM strategy catching on across the state
By Kimberly Beltran
Monday, September 24, 2012

When a small, non-profit group in a remote Southern California town won a prestigious national award for innovations in STEM education, Marcella Klein Williams knew her organization’s work was paying off.
As chief educational officer for the California STEM Learning Network, Williams and her colleagues strive to create partnerships between schools, colleges and business to expand access to science, technology, engineering and math programs, both for teachers 

Hoping taxes will pass, preparing school boards if they don’t
By Tom Chorneau
Monday, September 24, 2012

Solidly supporting the two tax measures on the November ballot but bracing for the fallout if both fail – the California School Boards Association has initiated a campaign to prepare local officials for what might be an unprecedented collision with fiscal insolvency.
Using webinars and policy briefs as well as direct outreach, the CSBA is pushing school board members to take a critical look at spending right now with an eye not only on next year but also 

School Tech Connect: The CTU Strike in Context

School Tech Connect: The CTU Strike in Context:


The CTU Strike in Context

I'm just going to go ahead and post my home recording of Mike Klonsky at the Heartland Cafe before I forget to. If Heartland Media posts a video, I'll switch over.

Mike appeared at Heartland yesterday to talk about the whole context of the recent triumphant CTU strike. It was a free-ranging conversation---- and well worth a listen.

Apologies for the noise from my kitchen. It's weird: this is a radio show taped in a restaurant, being recorded by a guy in his own kitchen, making an omelet and feeding two dogs. When I shut my microwave, it sounds like 

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-23-12 #ParentsEdNat #EducationNation #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



Won’t Back Down LIES & Real Community Empowerment: Action for the Week of 9/23/2012 | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 34 minutes ago
Won’t Back Down LIES & Real Community Empowerment: Action for the Week of 9/23/2012 | United Opt Out National: Won’t Back Down LIES & Real Community Empowerment: Action for the Week of 9/23/2012 by admin It’s time to make this go viral. Send it to all of your neighbors and friends. Post it on Facebook. The movie *Won’t Back Down* is a big slice of corporate propaganda created to encourage parents to use Parent Trigger, a law which promotes the privatization of public schools. *Parent Trigger has never worked successfully in a single school in this country.* *Parent Trigger will t... more »

Urge MMSD to Collectively Bargain, Now! | AMPS

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Urge MMSD to Collectively Bargain, Now! | AMPS: Urge MMSD to Collectively Bargain, Now! by Thomas J. Mertz Booker T. & the MGs – “Time is Tight” (click to listen or download) The Dane County Board approved new union contracts last week (YEAH and thanks to the Sups!); other local government units can do the same, including MMSD. The Board of Education will be considering ” Negotiations strategy concerning successor Collective Bargaining Agreements for MMSD Bargaining Units, pursuant to Wis. Stat. §§19.82(1) and 19.85(1)(e)” at a closed meeting 5:00 Monday. If you support Collectiv... more »

First the teachers. Now the Chicago Symphony. Wealthy patrons of the CSO are furious. They forget. This is a union town. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
First the teachers. Now the Chicago Symphony. Wealthy patrons of the CSO are furious. They forget. This is a union town. « Fred Klonsky: First the teachers. Now the Chicago Symphony. Wealthy patrons of the CSO are furious. They forget. This is a union town. by Fred Klonsky Chicago Sun-Times: More than 100 Chicago Symphony Orchestra musicians went on strike Saturday, infuriating patrons who came to Orchestra Hall expecting a show and upsetting world-renowned conductor Riccardo Muti. The CSO canceled the 8 p.m. concert less than two hours before the scheduled start. It was the fir... more »

Tests for kindergartners on their first days in school: Oregon piloting a system to screen every pupil's readiness | OregonLive.com #EdNatTTH #EducationNation:

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Tests for kindergartners on their first days in school: Oregon piloting a system to screen every pupil's readiness | OregonLive.com: Tests for kindergartners on their first days in school: Oregon piloting a system to screen every pupil's readiness by Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian [image: kinderglow.jpg] Five-year-old Lolo DeLeon didn't hang back on his first day of kindergarten atGilbert Park Elementary in Southeast Portland. After watching his teacher summon a few other students one by one to answer a series of questions, Lolo stepped forward and asked to go next. His teacher,... more »

Short Notes: Teacher Expectations Influence Student Performance [It's True] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Short Notes: Teacher Expectations Influence Student Performance [It's True] | The Jose Vilson: Short Notes: Teacher Expectations Influence Student Performance [It's True] by Jose The Jetsons A few notes: - When we believe kids can do something, they do better than when we think they can’t. Just a reminder. [NPR] - EduShyster cracks me up with this satirical look at the new “crack for billionaires”: education reform. [EduShyster] - Josh Eidelson thinks Chicago is just the beginning. I tend to agree. [Salon] - The way Chicago won had lots to do with social media.... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Education Nation & Charter School Myths #EdNatTTH #EducationNation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Education Nation & Charter School Myths: Education Nation & Charter School Myths by Duke The Education Nation conflagration is in full swing at MSNBC, and what a difference a year makes! Brian Williams looked a little stunned at times at the reactions of the teachers in the audience. I don't know if it's the Chicago strike, the election, or that we've simply had enough reformy nonsense, but it's clear teachers are not just going to sit quietly and take it anymore. Which means that those who are used to getting automatic applause for bashing teachers and unions ha... more »

Remarks by the First Lady at the Congressional Black Caucus Gala | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Remarks by the First Lady at the Congressional Black Caucus Gala | The White House: Remarks by the First Lady at the Congressional Black Caucus Gala Washington Convention Center Washington, D.C 7:33 P.M. EDT MRS. OBAMA: Thank you so much. (Applause.) Thank you. It is truly a pleasure and an honor to be here with all of you tonight. Thank you so much for having me. I want to start by thanking Congressman Cleaver and Shuanise Washington for their outstanding work and for their introduction. I also want to recognize your terrific CBC Foundation President and CEO, Elsie Scot... more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: #Why I Don't Use Technology: Anti-Tech Teachers Lament Has No Standing!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: #Why I Don't Use Technology: Anti-Tech Teachers Lament Has No Standing!: #Why I Don't Use Technology: Anti-Tech Teachers Lament Has No Standing! by Lisa M The conversation went something like this: *Teacher:* Do you know he suggested using Tagxedo at Reading Night? *Me*: What a wonderful idea! *Teacher:* I don't see why they want to use technology. (said with disdain) *Me*: Why not? The kids and parents would have a good time. *Teacher*: What if it doesn't work? What if it doesn't print? Then what are we supposed to do? *Me:* What do you mean doesn't... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education News: Education News by Melissa Westbrook On Saturday, September 22nd, at their Fall meeting in Yakima, *the Washington State Democratic Party unanimously passed a resolution OPPOSING Initiative 1240. * Out of nearly 500 delegates voting, not a single delegate from any county in our State voted to support 1240. The vote was 500 to ZERO to oppose Initiative 1240. From the NY Times, an important story about the use of *epi pens* at schools. B*ut school nurses in many districts face an agonizing choice if a child without a prescription... more »

Senators Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Honor Hispanic-Serving Institutions - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Honor Hispanic-Serving Institutions - Hispanically Speaking News: Senators Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Honor Hispanic-Serving Institutions September 23, 2012 | by HS News Staff [image: Senators Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Honor Hispanic-Serving Institutions] Photo: Honoring Hispanic-Serving Institutions Click Here to Enlarge Photo U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced a bipartisan resolution designating the week of September 16-22 as “National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week” t... more »

Unschooling in the Art of Writing | Lefty Parent

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Unschooling in the Art of Writing | Lefty Parent: Unschooling in the Art of Writing by Cooper Zale This is another chapter in my series of looks back at my own development and how I learned most of the skills that are critical to my life today outside of any school or other formal education environment. Based on the sum total of this reassessment, I have become a strong advocate for informal learning, what 1970s radical educator John Holt coined as “unschooling”. Wikipedia defines “unschooling” as representing… A range of educational philosophies and practices centered on allowing ... more »

Talk Budget Cuts With Tony Evers This Wednesday at MPS Central Office « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Talk Budget Cuts With Tony Evers This Wednesday at MPS Central Office « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Talk Budget Cuts With Tony Evers This Wednesday at MPS Central Office by millerlf *“What to Expect When You’re Expecting More Budget Cuts” previews education budget and policy reform* *State Superintendent Tony Evers to preview his proposed 2013-15 state education budget to MPS parents* *EVENT: What to Expect When You’re Expecting More Budget Cuts* *WHEN:* Wednesday, September 26, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. *WHERE*: MPS Central Office, 5225 W. Vliet Stre... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Do Charters Serve ALL Children?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Do Charters Serve ALL Children?: Do Charters Serve ALL Children? by Duke [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] I was just watching the Education Nation conflagration on MSNBC. A teacher from the Flint International Academy got up and claimed that his school is a "public charter school" and that their door is open to everyone. Well... I went to the Michigan Department of Education and looked up some numbers. The website says: *The Michigan Merit Examination (MME) assesses students in grade 11 and eligible students in grade 12 based on Michig... more »

10 great tweets from Education Nation - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post #EdNatTTH #ParentsEdNat

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
10 great tweets from Education Nation - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] 10 great tweets from Education Nation By Valerie Strauss Thanks for joining today’s conversation. Taking a break, then we’re back on @msnbc at 6PM w/ @alexwagner talking w/ parents #ParentsEdNat NCB launched its third Education Nation summit today in New York City. Here are 10 great tweets about a range of issues that appeared on Twitter during a town hall with teachers moderated by anchor Brian Williams. *Education Nation ‏@educationnation* MT @webster 1 in 5 students in the US... more »

Common Core State Standards Initiative | The Standards @educationnation #ednatTTH

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Common Core State Standards Initiative | The Standards: *The Standards* Building on the excellent foundation of standards states have laid, the Common Core State Standards are the first step in providing our young people with a high-quality education. It should be clear to every student, parent, and teacher what the standards of success are in every school. Teachers, parents and community leaders have all weighed in to help create the Common Core State Standards. The standards clearly communicate what is expected of students at each grade level. This will allow our teachers to b... more »

Facts for Features — Back to School: 2011-2012 - Facts for Features & Special Editions - Newsroom - U.S. Census Bureau

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Facts for Features — Back to School: 2011-2012 - Facts for Features & Special Editions - Newsroom - U.S. Census Bureau: [image: Facts for Features] CB11-FF.15 June 27, 2011 Back to School: 2011-2012 By August, summertime will be winding down and vacations will be coming to an end, signaling that back-to-school time is near. It's a time that many children eagerly anticipate — catching up with old friends and making new ones, and settling into a new daily routine. Parents and children alike scan the newspapers and websites looking for sales to shop for a multitude of school supp... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: CHICAGO SCHOOLS: DEMOCRACY DENIED \ LAS ESCUELAS DE CHICAGO: UNA DEMOCRACIA DENEGADA

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: CHICAGO SCHOOLS: DEMOCRACY DENIED \ LAS ESCUELAS DE CHICAGO: UNA DEMOCRACIA DENEGADA: CHICAGO SCHOOLS: DEMOCRACY DENIED \ LAS ESCUELAS DE CHICAGO: UNA DEMOCRACIA DENEGADA BY WILLIAM H. WATKINS PH.D. | TRUBUNO DEL PUEBLO (CHICAGO) | HTTP://BIT.LY/URXLOV September | October 2012 :: Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a vast network of pre-school, elementary, secondary, military, charter and disability schools. 92% of its students are of color. Beyond education, it feeds, nurses and counsels children. It is the second largest employer in Chic... more »

EduShyster: Stuff White People Like: Education Reform | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
EduShyster: Stuff White People Like: Education Reform | Seattle Education: EduShyster: Stuff White People Like: Education Reform by seattleducation2011 Here’s an excerpt. *One lesson made abundantly clear by the recent Chicago teachers’ strike was that our nation suffers from a dearth of African-American hedge fund managers and venture capitalists. What can we do about this shameful scourge? I have no idea, but what I do know is that the strike revealed a fascinating split along race and class lines over what white hedge fund managers like to call priming the edu-pump for future pr... more »

Teachers unions to fight 'top-down' school reform | www.palmbeachpost.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Teachers unions to fight 'top-down' school reform | www.palmbeachpost.com: Teachers unions to fight 'top-down' school reform - SHARE - FAVORITE - VOTE (0) The Associated Press CHICAGO — Seeking to capitalize on the momentum of the Chicago teachers strike, unions and allied parent and community groups promised Friday to launch a nationwide fight against government-led school reform efforts that they say are only making public education worse. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten announced at a news conference in Washington that they plan works... more »

UPDATE: The Great Connecticut State Employee Pension Fix of 2012 ---- A Bust! - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The Great Connecticut State Employee Pension Fix of 2012 ---- A Bust! - Wait, What?: Hartford’s Milner School debacle gets attention across Connecticut by jonpelto Categories: Charter Schools, Corporate Viewpoint, Hartford, Malloy, Stefan Pryor, Steven Adamowski,Wendy Lecker Tags: Jumoke Academy, Malloy, Milner Sch, Stefan Pryor “Connecticut’s May 2012 education reform law provides for state intervention to implement “turnaround plans” in the neediest schools. Hartford’s Milner School was among the state’s first targets. The reformers’ solution was to help Milner School by simply ha... more »

School Tech Connect: Will Someone Go Say Something?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Will Someone Go Say Something?: Will Someone Go Say Something? by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Man, I hate Facebook commenting. It's the sign of lazy management at a newspaper. Anyway, will someone with a Facebook account go over to this Indiana-based Gannett paper and let Michael Hicks know that his column probably makes sense to an economics professor, but that in the reality of the classroom, he's wrong? I'd do it, but I'm not in the walled garden known as Facebook. He's wrong because of the sheer numbers, too. Numbers of minutes, I mean. The coming i... more »

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky: The Sunday Mail. by Fred Klonsky *Photo: Chicago Teachers Solidarity Campaign.* *John Dillon’s Pension Vacabulary Part 2* of Structural Revenue Problem. *The State of Illinois is only one of seven states left in the entire nation operating under a flat tax.* *Diane Ravitch* asks, “Do Democrats support vouchers?” *How a political poem was bullied out of me.* Molly Meachem. *Happy birthday* Miles, Ray and Bruce. *Rahm is a conduit between*

NYC Educator: What Do You Do When Truth Doesn't Matter?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
NYC Educator: What Do You Do When Truth Doesn't Matter?: What Do You Do When Truth Doesn't Matter? by NYC Educator In the United States today, you can pretty much sell anything. Maybe those of us who've been trying to respond the the education "reform" movement have been going about it all wrong. Is it really a good idea to simply address the issues media brings up? Maybe we should ignore them and simply start attacking the media. I mean, sure, there are good reasons to do so. What can you say about an education summit hosted by Rush Limbaugh aficionado Brian Williams? What can you... more »

Daily Kos: Three important musical birthdays today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Daily Kos: Three important musical birthdays today: Three important musical birthdays today by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) All three are musical giants. Each probably deserves a music-video heavy diary of his own let me offer one of my favorites for each: John Coltrane, born in 1926: Popout Ray Charles Robinson, born in 1930: Popout Bruce Springsteen, born in 1949 (and don't worry about dark video at beginning): Popout Perhaps you might want to add a favorite clip of one of these in the comments?

An Education Engine - Woodbridge, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
An Education Engine - Woodbridge, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators: Looking Ahead An Education Engine In this election year we continue hearing about “twenty-first century” skills. But what we should be talking about, IMHO, is what’s after the twenty-first century threshold. At the outset, the challenge seemed to be to simply be able to manage the data with which we are inundated. But as the tools to manage data have become more and more user-friendly, the next challenge is to find contexts for the pertinent information we e... more »

Schools Matter: Today in NYC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Schools Matter: Today in NYC: Today in NYC by Jim Horn [image: Stealing Schools = Won't Back Down (click Picture)] Please consider coming to this event and help spread the word! PARENTS "*Won’t Back Down"***** FROM FIGHTING THE *CORPORATE TAKEOVER* OF OUR SCHOOLS!**** The film “Won’t Back Down” is backed by conservative billionaires Rupert Murdoch and Philip Anschtuz. The law portrayed in the movie, called parent trigger, claims to be about parent empowerment but actually promotes the privatization of public schools and blaming teachers for struggling schools. * *The movie claim... more »

Anti-Union Ads in Chicago Paid for By Hedge Funds, Billionaires | FDL News Desk

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Anti-Union Ads in Chicago Paid for By Hedge Funds, Billionaires | FDL News Desk: Anti-Union Ads in Chicago Paid for By Hedge Funds, BillionairesBy: David Dayen Wednesday September 19, 2012 6:17 am [image: Tweet]Tweet27 [image: digg] [image: stumbleupon] I wish I had known about this before the Chicago Teachers Union suspended their strike and returned to work, but it may shed some light on the timing of the suspension. At the least, it provides a little more context for what teachers unions have to deal with on the ground. Apparently the above anti-union ad played non-stop on t... more »

Daily Kos: Romney to teacher "I didn't ask you a question"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Daily Kos: Romney to teacher "I didn't ask you a question": Romney to teacher "I didn't ask you a question" byThatPoshGirlFollow 79.7K PERMALINK234 COMMENTS Sorry to post twice in one day. When I saw this I had to share it. It has only received around 300 views so far, and it really needs to go viral. It is a video of a CO teacher describing her experience at a round table with Mitt Romney. According to the teacher, Romney was going on about schools failing and how we need a voucher system. When she said she had an answer for that he told her "I didn't ask you a question." The v... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-23-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Charters Riding High in CT by dianerav No matter what the calendar says, it’s springtime for charters in Connecticut. The State Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor was a member of the board of Achievement First, a charter chain in Connecticut. He believes in charters, like his colleague John King, the state commissioner in New York, whose only experience was in the charter sector (Uncommon Schools). Jonathan Pelto has been writing about the massing of hedge fund money in support of the charter agenda in ... more »

A thank-you letter to Chicago teachers from some Georgia colleagues | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
A thank-you letter to Chicago teachers from some Georgia colleagues | Get Schooled: A thank-you letter to Chicago teachers from some Georgia colleagues by Maureen Downey [image: @CTULocal1 members march for "student needs, not corporate greed!] *I have published two pieces* by t*he Teaching Georgia Writing Collective,* which is a group of educators, parents and citizens who engage in public writing and public teaching about education in Georgia. The group had its impetus in Athens and includes UGA professors. The collective defines its goals as: 1) empowering educators to reclaim... more »

Schools Matter: GUEST POST: Instructed to Ignorance, Douglas Storm

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Schools Matter: GUEST POST: Instructed to Ignorance, Douglas Storm: GUEST POST: Instructed to Ignorance, Douglas Storm by P. L. Thomas [Original post can be found HERE.] [Instructional Hoops for Sale from Pearson] I started out thinking I could assert that the school curriculum (the "what" of instruction) is irrelevant but that is of course not what I would mean to say. Rather, curriculum is ALL possible responses to all possible utterances.* That means the space of instruction (fancy critical theory calls this the "scene")--home, church, playground, friend's home, school bus, s... more »

At School, Overweight Children Carry A Heavy Burden : NPR

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
At School, Overweight Children Carry A Heavy Burden : NPR: At School, Overweight Children Carry A Heavy Burden by KAVITHA CARDOZA One in three children in the United States is overweight or obese. Significant numbers of those young people are grappling with health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Those conditions can be difficult for children to manage in any setting, but they can pose particular challenges for children during the school day. Dr. Yolandra Hancock used to be an elementary school teacher, and it shows. She's patient, encouraging and has an... more »

Study Guide: Program or Be Programmed - Ten Commands for a Digital Age | Technology on GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Study Guide: Program or Be Programmed - Ten Commands for a Digital Age | Technology on GOOD: Study Guide: Program or Be Programmed - Ten Commands for a Digital Age GOOD.is - 7 hours ago A leap across chasms: making the virtual visible GOOD.is - 8 hours ago Will English Go the Way of Latin and Sanskrit? GOOD.is - 13 hours ago Point by Point: Obama and Romney on the Higher Education Crisis GOOD.is - 15 hours ago Shouldn't K-12 schools help build students coding skills? GOOD.is - 1 day ago Send a Teacher a Care Package or an Inspirational Note GOOD.is - 1 day ago The Lessons Learned in Sc... more »

Mom angry that male vice principal spanked child | ABC News Blogs - Yahoo! News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Mom angry that male vice principal spanked child | ABC News Blogs - Yahoo! News: Mom angry that male vice principal spanked child By Abby Ellin | ABC News Blogs – 13 hrs ago - Email - - - 6 - Print Mom Angry That Male Vice Principal Spanked Her Daughter Rather than spend two days in in-school suspension for allegedly letting another student copy her classwork, Taylor Santos, a well-regarded student and athlete at Springtown High School, near Fort Worth, Texas, chose to get paddled. As her mother, Anna Jorgensen, told ABC News affiliate WFAA-TV in Dallas, Taylor di... more »

Cartoons on Common Core Standards | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Cartoons on Common Core Standards | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Cartoons on Common Core Standards by larrycuban For this monthly* post of cartoons, I have selected images about the impending Common Core curriculum standards in math and English for K-12 students. While many countries have a national curriculum, the U.S. does not. Since the Common Core standards have been adopted by 46 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. will soon have a national–not federally mandated–one. According to a recent analysis of the Common Core standards there are two ... more »

ChipIn: US Ed Reform: the comic

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
ChipIn: US Ed Reform: the comic: What's This All About? This is a page set up by Dan Archer and Adam Bessie, co-creators of a comic that explains the flipside to the US education reform debate: the one that went untold in films like "Waiting for Superman", that is generally left out of mainstream media discussion. For more info, scroll down for a comprehensive introduction to the topic. By clicking the "chipin!" button to the right, you can send money via paypal to us: $8 buys you a copy of the comic, plus $2

Jersey Jazzman: As Perth Amboy Turns

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: As Perth Amboy Turns: As Perth Amboy Turns by Duke Because nothing is better for schools and children than having the same superintendent fired, rehired, and then fired again. A five month battle to remove Superintendent Janine Caffrey has come to a close unless Republican Gov. Chris Christie’s education commissioner once again overturns the elected Board of Education (BOE) members that originally gave her the job. Caffrey has been placed on suspension and officially notified that her contract will not be renewed when her term expires. She is expected to be rep... more »

School Tech Connect: Reviewing The Basic Understanding

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Reviewing The Basic Understanding: Reviewing The Basic Understanding by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Let us now review the Basic Understanding. Which goes something like this.... The term "college-ready" means one thing now, in spite of all the vastly different admissions criteria that our 4,500 colleges and universities currently have. In the future, there will only be one set of admission criteria, because everyone graduating from high school will be "college-ready." And the mechanism that guarantees this phenomenon, which has never existed in human hi... more »

Primeros pasos hacia el éxito Parte 1 - Univision Vida y Familia

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Primeros pasos hacia el éxito Parte 1 - Univision Vida y Familia:

Maria Shriver Celebrates her Mother's Legacy of Hope

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Maria Shriver shares a personal message in celebration of her mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Help Maria celebrate her mom's legacy of hope for people with intellectual disabilities on September 22, 2012. See how at http://www.eksday.org/

School Tech Connect: I'm Listening In (Updated)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
School Tech Connect: I'm Listening In (Updated): I'm Listening In (Updated) by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Mike Klonsky at the Heartland. 9AM Central Time WLUW I live right down the street from the Heartland, but my dogs are making it clear that I'm not allowed to leave them alone today, so we're tuning in on the web stream instead. I could sure use some *huevos rancheros *and coffee, though. *Update: *Ok, that was awesome. Mike reviewed the entire history--- this would make a great primer for anyone interested in knowing the full context of the CTU strike. I'm going to p... more »

Schools Matter: Nineteenth Century English Schools for the Poor in Yuma, AZ: Only the Monitors Have Been Swapped Out

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Schools Matter: Nineteenth Century English Schools for the Poor in Yuma, AZ: Only the Monitors Have Been Swapped Out: Nineteenth Century English Schools for the Poor in Yuma, AZ: Only the Monitors Have Been Swapped Out by Jim Horn Above is an illustration of cutting edge pedagogy in the early 19th Century for English children who could not afford private schools. The monitorial system was based on older boys monitoring younger ones who parroted back memorized lessons before they could move up to the next row. As many as 500 boys could be schooled in these learning sweat shops by... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX: IN THE MAILBOX by Mike Klonsky Hi, You may be hearing the same things we are. But if not, I thought I would share. The CPS Board of Ed monthly meeting has been moved at the last minute from next Wednesday to Tuesday. George Schmidt of Substance News has said that the BOE will be approving many no-bid contracts on Tuesday in an attempt to bankrupt the budget. One of the first pieces to go private will be early childhood ed. I feel that connected to this is the latest requirement that 3 year-old children will be given standardized tes... more »

Memories. Nine years ago we went on strike. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Memories. Nine years ago we went on strike. « Fred Klonsky: Memories. Nine years ago we went on strike. SEPTEMBER 22, 2012 This past week’s Chicago teacher strike brought back memories of November, 2003 when my own local, the Park Ridge Education Association, went on strike for the first time in 25 years. The issues were fair compensation and the cost burden of health insurance for teachers with families. We were on strike for a week. It was a difficult time for both families and teachers The resulting contract meant that the district has been able to attract terrific teachers. Sinc... more »

The Weekly Update: Edu Bully Kevin Huffman in Tennessee, a few last words about the teachers’ strike in Chicago, cashing in on online learning and the web of ed reform | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
The Weekly Update: Edu Bully Kevin Huffman in Tennessee, a few last words about the teachers’ strike in Chicago, cashing in on online learning and the web of ed reform | Seattle Education: The Weekly Update: Edu Bully Kevin Huffman in Tennessee, a few last words about the teachers’ strike in Chicago, cashing in on online learning and the web of ed reform by seattleducation2011 *The Weekly Update for the news and views you might have missed* One item of business first. We have to defeat charter school Initiative 1240. In the right column of this page are the organizations and promine... more »

A Week without Homework Challenge #aweekwithouthomework « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
A Week without Homework Challenge #aweekwithouthomework « Cooperative Catalyst: A Week without Homework Challenge #aweekwithouthomework by John T. Spencer I’ve written before about my belief that homework is far more destructive than constructive. I don’t think it increases learning, adds to motivation or develops a strong work ethic. For a long time, I assigned homework out of a sense that I was “supposed to.” I never questioned it as a practice. After getting rid of it, I remained quiet on the topic. After watching my sons lose necessary playtime and learning time to do extra-d... more »

Anderson Cooper: This Teacher Has Something to Tell America… No to Parent Trigger !!! « Continuing Change

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Anderson Cooper: This Teacher Has Something to Tell America… No to Parent Trigger !!! « Continuing Change: Anderson Cooper: This Teacher Has Something to Tell America… No to Parent Trigger !!! by gatorbonbc *Anderson Cooper wants teachers on his show. If you know me, you know I do not watch TV. I never even knew he had a show lol… but I applied anyway. I sent his show this statement:* *“I am a public school teacher and activist for public education. I joined with other parents and teachers around Florida last year to stop the parent trigger law. We have founded grassroots nonpro... more »







Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-22-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-15-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-1-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-25-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

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