Big Education Ape: Sep 24, 2012

James Baldwin said it best:

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

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

Technology Readiness Tool Survey - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 minutes ago

Technology Readiness Tool Survey - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): California Begins Gathering Data on School Technology SACRAMENTO—Forty-two percent of California schools participated in the technology survey of which there are to be six data extractions between 2012 and 2014 in a nationwide effort to gauge readiness for new online assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards, prompting State Schools Superintendent Tom Torlakson to urge more schools to take part in the future. "We know our schools already face enormous day-to-day challenges—but we also need to unders... more »

Jean-Claude Brizard, Chicago Schools CEO, Was Nearly Invisible During Teachers Strike

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 minutes ago

Jean-Claude Brizard, Chicago Schools CEO, Was Nearly Invisible During Teachers Strike: Jean-Claude Brizard, Chicago Schools CEO, Was Nearly Invisible During Teachers Strike by Joy Resmovits CHICAGO -- When teachers on strike took to the Chicago streets for nine days this month, news cameras followed the union president, the head of the school board and the mayor. The Chicago Teachers Union and city representatives would meet for hours, negotiating technical contract details. A throng of reporters was always waiting outside for the latest update. But the CEO of Chicago Public ... more »

Engaging the Whole Community to Support Positive Bus Behavior — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Engaging the Whole Community to Support Positive Bus Behavior — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]Engaging the Whole Community to Support Positive Bus Behavior September 24, 2012 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers [image: Jessica Bohn] *Post submitted by Jessica Bohn, principal at Gibsonville Elementary School in Gibsonville, N.C. She has worked at all levels K–16, including as a university assistant director, assistant principal, district curriculum specialist, and science teacher. Bohn is a member of the ASCD Emerging Leaders Class of 2012 an... more »

Response: Teaching Science By "Becoming A Learner" - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Response: Teaching Science By "Becoming A Learner" - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher: [image: Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo] Response: Teaching Science By "Becoming A Learner" By Larry Ferlazzo on September 23, 2012 4:14 PM ** *(Note: This is the third post in a four-part series on teaching science. You can see Part One here and Part Two here)* Two weeks ago I posed this question: *What is the best advice you would give to help an educator become better at teaching science?* I've been posting various guest responses in this four-part series, and invi... more »

The price of Paul Vallas’ no-bid contracts continues to grow… - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

The price of Paul Vallas’ no-bid contracts continues to grow… - Wait, What?: The price of Paul Vallas’ no-bid contracts continues to grow… by jonpelto *Will anyone stand up for taxpayers of Connecticut and Bridgeport?* Now that Bridgeport’s illegal Board of Education has been removed and a democratically elected board has taken its place, perhaps someone – anyone – will begin to ask the important questions that need to be asked. At the very top of the list is the growing controversy surrounding Bridgeport Superintendent of Schools, Paul Vallas’, decision to use a “no-bid” contract... more »

Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students: Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students 1. Corinne A. Moss-Racusina,b, 2. John F. Dovidiob, 3. Victoria L. Brescollc, 4. Mark J. Grahama,d, and 5. Jo Handelsmana,1 +Author Affiliations 1. aDepartment of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, 2. bDepartment of Psychology, 3. cSchool of Management, and 4. dDepartment of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 1. Edited* by Shirley Tilghman, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, and approved August 21, 201... more »

How ACT overtook SAT as the top college entrance exam - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

How ACT overtook SAT as the top college entrance exam - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: How ACT overtook SAT as the top college entrance exam By Valerie Strauss The ACT has for the first time overtaken the SAT as the most popular college admissions exam by a margin of a few thousand students. Look at how things changed over time (information from FairTest): (bigstock)1986: 730,000 students took the ACT compared with 1,000,748 who took the SAT. 1996: *924,663 * took the ACT;*1,084,725* took the SAT. 2006: *1,206,455* took the ACT;*1,465,744* took the SAT. 2011: *1,623,112* too... more »

IEA members should stop giving their money to IPACE. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

IEA members should stop giving their money to IPACE. « Fred Klonsky: IEA members should stop giving their money to IPACE. by Fred Klonsky IPACE is the Illinois Political Action Committee for Education. It is one of the largest political action committees in the state. Illinois Education Association members pay through automatic payroll deduction and many do it without following closely where that money goes. I have complained for years about the system of IPACE political recommendations and the awarding of members

Schools Matter: Is there a STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) crisis?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Schools Matter: Is there a STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) crisis?: Is there a STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) crisis? by skrashen It is not clear that there is a STEM shortage, Some analysts, in fact, have claimed that there is a surplus of STEM-trained professionals (Teitelbaum, 2007; Toppo and Vergano, 2009; Bracey, 2009.) A report of the World Economic Federation (Schwab, 2012) confirms that there is no crisis. The US ranks near the top of the world on all categories related to STEM education and availability of expertise: According to the World Economic... more »

Flunking Charter Schools » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Flunking Charter Schools » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names: Greed at the Top in Education Flunking Charter Schools by PAUL BUCHHEIT [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Now we know our ABCs. And charter schools get an F. The Chicago teacher strike is over, but the assault on our nation’s children has just begun. As with all free market systems, the price is set high enough to ensure a profit for the companies doing business, even though not everyone will be able to afford their product. With our private health care system, 1 out of 6 Americans a... more »

NEWS FLASH: Arbitrator rules against Malloy Administration on significant retirement issue - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

NEWS FLASH: Arbitrator rules against Malloy Administration on significant retirement issue - Wait, What?: NEWS FLASH: Arbitrator rules against Malloy Administration on significant retirement issue by jonpelto [image: News Flash] Although it hasn’t been officially confirmed, word is spreading that the Malloy Administration has lost a massive arbitration ruling today. Last summer, the Connecticut State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) filed a grievance against the Malloy Administration with the Connecticut Board of Labor Relations. The complaint revolved around the Mall... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: BEX IV Meeting tonight at Madison

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: BEX IV Meeting tonight at Madison: BEX IV Meeting tonight at Madison by Charlie Mas [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] School District officials bring their BEX IV road show to Madison Middle School in West Seattle tonight. The event begins at 6:30 with introductions and their slide presentation. They also have a handout. Followed by twenty minutes of Q & A from cards, twenty minutes of Q & A from the floor, and twenty minutes of "Individual Time With Staff". I hope to be there tonight because I have some questions Slide 11 of the slideshow "B... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Education Nation ignores parents but we make our voices heard at the premiere of "Won't Back Down"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Education Nation ignores parents but we make our voices heard at the premiere of "Won't Back Down": Education Nation ignores parents but we make our voices heard at the premiere of "Won't Back Down" by Leonie Haimson Yesterday was NBC's Education Nation's "parent engagement" town hall, which turned out Real-life public school parentsto be nothing but a big infomercial for the controversial film "Won't Back Down" promoting the "Parent Trigger" and the privatization of our public schools. (See our review of the film and our FAQ about its backers and their... more »

Diane in the Afternoon 9-24-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Why Great Hearts Appeals to Affluent Parents by dianerav A reader sent a blog post from Arizona, where the Great Hearts charter school chain is based. This is the charter that Tennessee Commissioner Kevin Huffman wants to bring to Nashville, over the opposition of the local school board. It is expensive to go to Great Hearts. The school asks parents for an upfront contribution (voluntary, of course), of $1200-1500. Then there are extra costs for books, supplies, physical education. But it is still less costly than paying for private school tuition. So it is... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Matt Farmer still on Rahm's trail at Clemente

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Matt Farmer still on Rahm's trail at Clemente: Matt Farmer still on Rahm's trail at Clemente by Mike Klonsky Matt FarmerNo topic has generated more heat and less light in the comments section of SmallTalk, than the Rahm/Brizard move to turn Clemente Community Academy High School into a "wall-to-wall" International Baccalaureate (IB) school. It was a move that led to the firing by new turn-around principal *Marcey Sorensen*, of some 24 Clemente teachers. It also led public school parent, lawyer, and community activist *Matt Farmer* to pursue the paper... more »

SAT Results for 2012 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

SAT Results for 2012 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): Latinos Now Account for Largest Share of SAT® Scores in California, State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Notes SACRAMENTO—SAT*®* results released today by The College Board show that for the first time, Latino students in California public* schools represented a larger percentage of SAT test-takers than any other ethnic group. Reflecting the state’s growing diversity, nearly 70 percent of California’s public school test-takers in the Class of 2012 were minority students, and of those, 36 percent—or 69,832 students—were Latino. Th... more »

Please help student with high-stakes testing documentary Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Please help student with high-stakes testing documentary: Please help student with high-stakes testing documentary by admin I just received this e-mail and am posting it here with permission: My name is Ankur Singh and I am a recent high school graduate from Bloomington-Normal, IL about 3 hours south of Chicago. I’m making a feature length documentary film about how standardized testing affects students. This film is deeply personal for me since I had a really negative experience with standardized testing and desperately need... more »

The Real Parents Who Won’t Back Down « EdVox

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

The Real Parents Who Won’t Back Down « EdVox: The Real Parents Who Won’t Back Down by edvoxny Last night, parents held a mock Red Carpet Event outside the world premiere of “Won’t Back Down,” a fictionalized story inspired by California’s Parent Trigger law, legislation which allows parents to vote to close their school or turn it over to a private corporation. Speaking out against the film, parents walked their own red carpet, held movie posters with superimposed images of two of the film’s prominent supporters, News Corp’s Rupert Murdoch and Joel Klein, and celebrated real parent... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Tribune reports: Rahm taking the charter route on union busting

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Tribune reports: Rahm taking the charter route on union busting: Tribune reports: Rahm taking the charter route on union busting by Mike Klonsky Fred Klonsky toonMayor *Rahm Emanuel'*s first attempt at union busting was beaten back by the CTU strike. The union and its community supporters held the line against the assault by corporate "reformers" like Stand For Children and Democrats for Education Reform (DFER). Now the mayor and his patrons are coming at it another way -- with the expansion of privately run, union-free charter schools. Accordin... more »

SAT® Report: Only 43 Percent of 2012 College-Bound Seniors Are College Ready

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

SAT® Report: Only 43 Percent of 2012 College-Bound Seniors Are College Ready: SAT® Report: Only 43 Percent of 2012 College-Bound Seniors Are College Ready Report Underscores Importance Of Increasing Rigor In America’s Schools 09/24/2012 *NEW YORK — **The SAT Report on College & Career Readiness* released today revealed that only 43 percent of SAT® takers in the class of 2012 graduated from high school with the level of academic preparedness associated with a high likelihood of college success. These findings are based on the percentage of students in the class of 2012 who met the S... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, September 24, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Monday, September 24, 2012* Shrinking pool of future teachers worries stateThe number of people in California who are studying to become teachers has fallen by more than a third since the onset of the recession, and that's not good for the state's future, according to state education officials. Cayucos student shift would drain Coast UnionCayucos parents who want their kids to attend high school in San Luis Coastal School District instead of in Cambria may have their goal hampered by the financial consequence... more »

Chicago Strike Lessons: Teacher Activists Explain How it was Done - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Chicago Strike Lessons: Teacher Activists Explain How it was Done - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Chicago Strike Lessons: Teacher Activists Explain How it was Done by Anthony Cody [image: chicagoflyer.jpg] Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody Chicago's students and teachers returned to their classrooms last Wednesday, having taught us all some valuable lessons. I spent some time this summer with a couple of teacher activists from the big city, Xian Barrett and Adam Heenan, and they were clear about what was giving them strength. This strike action was not a whim. I... more »

A Federal Education Agenda > Publications > National Affairs

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

A Federal Education Agenda > Publications > National Affairs: A Federal Education Agenda FREDERICK M. HESS and ANDREW P. KELLY The conservative approach to education policy is nothing if not confused. Conservatives cheer top-down federal standards and accountability while demanding bottom-up parental choice. They call for eliminating the federal Department of Education, but support spending on major federal education programs like Title I aid for disadvantaged students, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and student loans. They treat restoring "local control" as a pa... more »

Challenged by Old Allies, Teachers’ Unions Court G.O.P. - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Challenged by Old Allies, Teachers’ Unions Court G.O.P. - NYTimes.com: Teachers’ Unions Court G.O.P.By MOTOKO RICHPublished: September 24, 2012 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - SINGLE PAGE - REPRINTS - The strike by public school teachers in Chicago this month drew national attention to a fierce debate over the future of education and exposed the ruptured relationship between teachers’ unions and Democrats like Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Related - What Do Teachers Deserve? In Idaho, Referendum May Offer Answer (September 24, 2... more »

Democracy is Nourished in Our Nation’s Public Schools | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Democracy is Nourished in Our Nation’s Public Schools | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Democracy is Nourished in Our Nation’s Public Schools by Tarsi Dunlop The civic mission of schools has a tendency to get lost in the din of other debates surrounding our nation’s education system. Beyond the uproar over teacher evaluations, standardized testing and the role of government, we must keep in mind the fundamental purposes of public education, the heart and soul of a public system. This civic purpose of public education seeks to empower our nation’s children, and ... more »

Karen Lewis and Randi Weingarten on the Chicago teachers strike | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Karen Lewis and Randi Weingarten on the Chicago teachers strike | Seattle Education: Karen Lewis and Randi Weingarten on the Chicago teachers strike by seattleducation2011 This article was originally published in the Wall Street Journal. It was written by Karen Lewis, president of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), and Randi Weingarten, president of the CTU’s national union, the American Federation of Teachers. *After more than a decade of top-down dictates, disruptive school closures, disregard of teachers’ and parents’ input, testing that squeezes out teaching, and cuts to the ... more »

Bringing German-Style Apprenticeships to the U.S. - Dana Goldstein

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Bringing German-Style Apprenticeships to the U.S. - Dana Goldstein: Bringing German-Style Apprenticeships to the U.S. by Dana Goldstein My new piece at Slate explains why it's a good idea to replace the concept of an "internship" with that of an "apprenticeship" -- and how community colleges and employers are working together in Tennessee, Maine, and North Carolina to do just that. This model could be applied to many industries, but here I report on training workers to manage the computer-programmed, robotic assembly lines that manufacture cars, turbines, generators, and other hu... more »

Modern School: CSU Considering Large Fee Hikes Regardless of November Tax Initiative

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Modern School: CSU Considering Large Fee Hikes Regardless of November Tax Initiative: CSU Considering Large Fee Hikes Regardless of November Tax Initiative by Michael Dunn California voters will have a chance in November to vote for Proposition 30, which is predicted to bring in more than $7 billion to temporarily bail the state out of its now perennial budget deficits. Governor Jerry Brown has threatened extreme austerity measures should the bill fail in November, including large across the board cuts to K-12 and higher education. This would trigger an automatic $250-million cut... more »

Schools Matter: Charter Advocacy Misses Point, Misleads

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Schools Matter: Charter Advocacy Misses Point, Misleads: Charter Advocacy Misses Point, Misleads by P. L. Thomas [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] In an Op-Ed focusing on how the Chicago teachers' strike is relevant to SC education concerns, I offered one point that included a caution about committing to charter schools in our state: If we want to hold our schools and teachers accountable for the best education we can offer to all children regardless of their backgrounds, we must reject top-down education policy created by political leaders with no exper... more »

Hechinger Report | Education Nation: Mentoring becomes as much about parents as it is about kids

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Hechinger Report | Education Nation: Mentoring becomes as much about parents as it is about kids: Education Nation: Mentoring becomes as much about parents as it is about kids by Sarah Butrymowicz CHICAGO — Carolina Hernando was a senior in high school in 1999 when her guidance counselor delivered a devastating blow: She needed a Social Security number to go to college. An illegal immigrant from Mexico, Hernando had no idea what a Social Security number was, let alone that it would prevent her from becoming a teacher. Parent mentor coordinators with the Logan Square program prepar... more »

Shanker Blog » That's Not Teacher-Like

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Shanker Blog » That's Not Teacher-Like: That’s Not Teacher-Like by Esther Quintero I’ve been reading Albert Shanker’s “The Power of Ideas: Al In His Own Words,” the *American Educator*’scompendium of Al’s speeches and columns, published posthumously in 1997. What an enjoyable, witty and informative collection of essays. Two columns especially caught my attention: “That’s Very Unprofessional Mr. Shanker!” and “Does Pavarotti Need to File an Aria Plan” – where Al discusses expectations for (and treatment of) teachers. They made me reflect, yet again, on whether perceptions of teache... more »

Eduwonk » Blog Archive » Why Chicago Matters

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Eduwonk » Blog Archive » Why Chicago Matters: Why Chicago Matters by arotherham There’s some buzz about how what happened in Chicago with the strike really doesn’t matter that much. ‘Nothing to see here, please move along’ say some folks in management and in labor. Union watcher Mike Antonucci is right that Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis isn’t poised to seize the reins of the American Federation of Teachers. But no matter what different people may hope (for different reasons), what happened this month will have implications for the education labor-management convers... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: In Common Core Math, the Answer isn't that Important. The Collaboration and Communication and Argument is Paramount.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: In Common Core Math, the Answer isn't that Important. The Collaboration and Communication and Argument is Paramount.: In Common Core Math, the Answer isn't that Important. The Collaboration and Communication and Argument is Paramount. by stlgretchen It's all about process. The student must explain the method in solving the problem. Now the student will talk about the problem with the other students. It's the standards requirement. SBAC (Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortia) weekly update #65 includes information on Illustrative Mathematics Project,... more »

Pulling the 'Parent Trigger' on School Reform - High School Notes (usnews.com)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Pulling the 'Parent Trigger' on School Reform - High School Notes (usnews.com): Pulling the 'Parent Trigger' on School Reform By KELSEY SHEEHY September 24, 2012 RSS Feed Print [image: "Parent trigger" laws in seven states allow parents to take control of failing public schools.] "Parent trigger" laws in seven states allow parents to take control of failing public schools. School reform is getting the Hollywood treatment this week with the premiere of *Won't Back Down*, which tells the story of a parent and teacher who join forces to take over a failing public school. While the scen... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-24-12 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] What’s at Stake in Nashville Charter Fight by dianerav Readers of this blog know we have been following the story of Great Hearts Charter School and its effort to locate in an affluent section of Nashville. Here is a good and objective summary in a Nashville newspaper. State Commissioner of Education Kevin Huffman–whose only prior experience in education was working for Teach for America (he taught for two years, went to work for TFA, was never a principal or a superintendent)– wants this particular charte... more »

Brown signs bill spelling out evaluations (for principals) | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Brown signs bill spelling out evaluations (for principals) | EdSource Today: Brown signs bill spelling out evaluations (for principals) - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald [image: Sen. Carol Liu, author of SB 1292 (click to enlarge).] Sen. Carol Liu, author of SB 1292 (click to enlarge). Without the acrimony and fanfare that doomed a teacher evaluation bill last month, the Legislature with near unanimity passed and Gov. Brown has now signed a milestone principal and teacher evaluation bill. Key differences between SB 1292 for administrators and the ill-fated AB 5 for teachers ... more »

Daily Kos: A modest proposal for Obama

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Daily Kos: A modest proposal for Obama: A modest proposal for Obama by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) from Matt Miller of the Center for American Progress in this *Washington Post* op ed>: Take all of the undecided voters that matter, 4% each in the six states that Paul Begala say are still in conflict, VA, FL, IA, NM & Co (Begala says it is 916,643 people.. Miller says to simplify the arithmetic assume it is an even million voters. Pay them each $100 for <2 br="br" hours="hours" of="of" their="their" time.="time."> The Obama campaign should pay (yes, pay) undecided voters to watc... more »

Superintendents fight Ohio’s ‘Third Grade Guarantee’ - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Superintendents fight Ohio’s ‘Third Grade Guarantee’ - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] Superintendents fight Ohio’s ‘Third Grade Guarantee’ By Valerie Strauss The Chicago teachers strike was the biggest action that we’ve seen against aspects of modern school reform, but people in other places are fighting too. Here’s a report from Ohio, by George Wood, superintendent and secondary school principal at the Federal Hocking Local School District in Stewart, Ohio. He is also the executive director of the Forum for Education and Democracy — on whose blog t... more »

Oct 6 Anti-Colonial, Anti-Captalist March « occupy california

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Oct 6 Anti-Colonial, Anti-Captalist March « occupy california: Oct 6 Anti-Colonial, Anti-Captalist March by * from Indybay: Columbus Day 2012 marks the 520 year anniversary of the genocidal and ecocidal project of Empire building and colonial expansion that began with the conquistador invasion of this continent and continues to this day through the daily violence and exploitation of global capitalism. It also marks the 20 year anniversary of the first American Black Bloc which disrupted the 1992 Columbus Day Parade in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. This year during Colum... more »

OCCUPY EDUCATION - Parent Protest outside of Won’t Back Down...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

OCCUPY EDUCATION - Parent Protest outside of Won’t Back Down...: Parent Protest outside of Won’t Back Down Premiere! Parent Protest outside of Won’t Back Down Premiere! http://changethestakes.wordpress.com/ Standardized test scores are worst way to evaluate teachers As a university professor and educational researcher, I sometimes feel like I’m in that old ’50s horror movie, “The Blob.” Remember that one, where an invader from outer space grows with everything it eats, until it is a giant monster that threatens the entire town? Testing has done the same to education, harming s... more »

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra. « Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. Bruce Rauner. SEPTEMBER 24, 2012 Click on drawing to enlarge. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra. by Fred Klonsky A couple of years into my teaching I was approached by one of the two music teachers in my building about a field trip she wanted to take the sixth graders on. That was back before they had moved the sixth grade to the middle school. A move I still think was a mistake. Anyway, her idea was to take the students to the Art Institute in the morning and then go across Michigan

NYC Educator: Yes, I'm Happy to Help. Until They Dump Me in Two Weeks.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

NYC Educator: Yes, I'm Happy to Help. Until They Dump Me in Two Weeks.: Yes, I'm Happy to Help. Until They Dump Me in Two Weeks. by NYC Educator * by special guest blogger Suddenly ATR* The usual routine of office duties came to a brief halt today. See, the school I work at tries to recruit the best and the brightest of NYC. The best and brightest students usually have very concerned, involved parents. The problem is not all of these concerned, involved parents speak English. So today I was asked to call one interested parent in his native language (which I happen to speak) to tell... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky Rauner's revolution *In any case, Rauner sees the strike as the start of "a multi-year revolution." His reactionary "revolution" imposed from above, however, now faces a revolution from below.* -- David Moberg, In These Times Poverty's death sentence *“We’re used to looking at groups and complaining that their mortality rates haven’t improved fast enough, but to actually go backward is deeply troubling,” said John G. Haaga, head of the Population and Social Processes Branch of the National Institu... more »

Thoughts on the late MMSD budget recommendations | AMPS

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Thoughts on the late MMSD budget recommendations | AMPS: Thoughts on the late MMSD budget recommendations by Thomas J. Mertz The Dolly Mixture — “Spend Your Wishes” (click to listen or download). With all the appropriate attention given this weekend to the opportunity to re-engage in collective bargaining (if you haven’t weighed in the Board, there is still time: board@madison.k12.wi.us) another and very important items on the Madison Metropolitan Board of Education’s agendas for Monday, September 24 2012 has slipped somewhat under the radar. I’m talking about the Administrative ... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Liberator Call to Action: Time to Canvas the Neighborhoods | United Opt Out National: Liberator Call to Action: Time to Canvas the Neighborhoods by admin It is time to educate and push harder. I would ask that each of you place the following message below on your Facebook page and something similar in the signature of your email (adapt or create a new message to fit your situation). We have many handouts that can be left on doorsteps and we can also help you create your own. *Teachers in Colorado, if you are silenced and unable to spread the word of opt out but would like assistan... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

UTLA: WHAT KIND OF A TEACHER DO YOU THINK I AM? - Perdaily.com: UTLA: WHAT KIND OF A TEACHER DO YOU THINK I AM? by Leonard Isenberg [image: 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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Last Stand for Children First: Parents Protest Against Chicago Teachers Union: Parents Protest Against Chicago Teachers Union by Last Stand for Children 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 report... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Albert Einstein, Lewis Hyde, and The Gifts of Teaching « Cooperative Catalyst: Albert Einstein, Lewis Hyde, and The Gifts of Teaching by garreth12 “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 rega... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week Three 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week Three 2012: Week Three 2012 by alicemercer [image: 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 (prepa... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Karen Lewis and Randi Weingarten Write an Article about the Strike in the Wall Street Journal by dianerav 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 by dianerav I received this from a parent in Indiana. She said it is being circulated ... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Daily Kos: Krugman's Monday column: "The Optimism Cure": Krugman's Monday column: "The Optimism Cure" by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) 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 ... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

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 ... more »

School Tech Connect: The CTU Strike in Context

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

School Tech Connect: The CTU Strike in Context: The CTU Strike in Context by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) 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, ... more »

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 - 1 day 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 day 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

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