Big Education Ape: Oct 4, 2012

Thursday, October 4, 2012

by Rachel Levy

Recently (or not so recently by the time I'm posting this), the state of Virginia was granted a waiver from NCLB requirements. This has been a relief for many, but it's also caused further stress, in that it exchanges one yoke for another. Fairfax County, for example, had no plans to evaluate their teachers according to the standardized test scores of their students, but now is being required to due to conditions of the waiver.

However, because the goals in the waiver application for some children are lower than for others, there have also been cries of low expectations and racism. Virginia has since re-written their goals. Certainly, we should not have one set of expectations for one set of children and a lower one for another set simply based on their socio-economic status or race--the outcry is understandable.

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 10-4-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Nite Cap UPDATE

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

LAUSD & NO ON PROPOSITION 32 - CONNECTING THE DOTS

by Leonard Isenberg

(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)There was a No On Proposition 32concert by Tom Morello and The Nightwatchmen opening forCrosby, Stills, & Nash last night at Nokia Theater in Downtown Los Angeles. On its face Proposition 32 purports to change state

Romney Tax Cut: What's The Point?!

by Duke

This is out of my usual wheelhouse, but...

Romney says he will close a bunch of "loopholes" (most favor the rich) and get rid of tax deductions - that will bring in about $5 trillion.

He then wants to cut tax rates by that same $5 trillion (most of that would go to the rich). He says this plan is "revenue neutral."

OK...

What the hell is the point?!

He'll be taking in just as much money in taxes after his plan as before. So it doesn't provide more money to

America's Invisible Poor Children

by Duke

I can't claim to have read all of the reporting and punditry following the debate. But it's remarkable that Diane Ravitch seems to be one of the very few people who noticed that childhood poverty is not a topic worthy of a presidential candidate's notice:

The Word Not Mentioned in the Debate

Poverty.

Lots of talk about the middle class. Tax cuts for the middle class. Saving the middle class. Doing more

Americans for Prosperity Blasts Common Core

by Shane Vander Hart

I had a brief conversation with Tim Phillips of Americans for Prosperity Foundation about the Common Core at RightOnline in Las Vegas, but I don’t know if I’m the one who put it on their radar. The Common Core State Standards was the focus of their August 2012 “Need to Know” newsletter. I’m just glad they focused on it because it seems like it would be a good fit for them to take on as an issue.

An excerpt:

Common Core’s catch is that the federal government has a long history of mismanaging education,

What Newt Gingrich told us about Mitt Romney

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

is perhaps relevant to what was saw last night
Popout

Somebody who will lie to you to get to you get to be president will lie to you when they are President.

He is asked "are you calling Mitt Romney a liar?And Gingrich's answer is simple: Yes.
What do you think?

The goal of the war against teachers: A conjecture

by skrashen

VILIFY and PUSH OUT TEACHERS, replace with temps and technology, make a lot of money for the .01%.
S. Krashen

"No matter how cynical you get, it is impossible to keep up." - Lily Tomlin,

The goal of the war against teachers is to eliminate the concept of teaching as a profession, to be replaced by temps (Teach for America, or TFAs) and eventually be replaced altogether by technology (ultimate goal of flipped

Stealing wheelbarrows and the move to digital texts

by skrashen

Comment on “Arne Duncan calls for textbooks to become obsolete in favor of digital,” Huffington Post, Oct 2.
S. Krashen
Posted on:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/02/education-chief-wants-tex_0_n_1933469.html#postComment

Remember the old joke about the worker who left the factory everyday with a wheelbarrow full of sand? The

On Stuyvesant High School and Having One Cocoa Puff In A Bowl of Milk [Why We Write]

by Jose

Bowl of Cocoa Puffs

In high school, my family used to get assorted flavors of high-sugar cereals. Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, and Corn Pops frequented the top of my fridge, and every morning, my brother and I would have a huge bowl of them just because. We’d pour so much milk into our bowls that we bought a gallon of milk every week (I later learned this wasn’t considered normal). When we found the magical crunch of chocolate cocoa puffs, we dug in. We’d have a bowl for breakfast, and a bowl on Friday and Saturday nights, just to hold us over during our midnight

The in box. Glen Brown writes to Diane Ravitch on teacher pensions. Update. Ravitch responds.

by Fred Klonsky

Dear Diane Ravitch:
You are a powerful, reasonable, and articulate voice and an invaluable resource and forum for teachers in this country. Your blog offers rebuttals to many injustices, including educational reform, corporate privatization of public schools, and the denigration of teachers. Teachers need

Ed Week’s: Bridging Differences

by debmeier

A reminder that Pedro Noguerra and I are just starting to figure out how to deal with our differences–and the prospect really excites me. Precisely because we agree on so much, the sharp disagreements we also have raise for me (and hopefully readers too) important further exploration!
Meanwhile keep your eyes out for Diane Ravitch’s many posted blogs. Terrific resource for us all.
And finally, if you have trouble finding Bridging Differences, look for my home page: deborahmeier.com

I'm So Tired of UNO

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

I know Juan Rangel is this huge unstoppable force, but Gott in himmel I'm tired of his shtick.

This the heart of one of the most irksome things:

I mention that because charter supporters usually whine that it's unfair to compare them with higher-scoring schools whose students come from wealthier families. Which is the exact argument they disdain

Two Things You Could Do

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

Looks like Glen Brown has convinced Diane Ravitch to wade into the pension-raid crisis, and that's a good thing. I'm not sure exactly how the pension category is going to work within the architecture of her blog, but this is a good step.

It's weird that a 74 year-old historian in New York has such rock star power, but she does, and everyone knows it.

Please at least go leave a comment so that we can get some momentum over there. And definitely participate in

Has attorney general confused charter school question? As Nancy Grace says, bring in the lawyers.

by Maureen Downey

As I noted yesterday, the charter school amendment battle has turned into a legal minefield, with charges and counter charges flying back and forth.
Olens was approached by pro-amendment interests, who haven’t been identified by their attorney Glenn Delk. They were aghast at the public opposition to the amendment by GOP school chief John Barge and by many school boards around the state. They thought it crossed a line.

The Invisible Children, Left Out of the Obama-Romney Debate

by dianerav

Jersey Jazzman wonders how our two candidates for President spent two hours discussing domestic issues without noticing our nation’s greatest scandal: the nearly one in four children who live in poverty.

Perth Amboy Insanity

by Duke

I didn't think the madness in Perth Amboy could get worse. I was wrong:

State education officials today ordered Perth Amboy Schools Superintendent Janine Caffrey reinstated, overturning a city school board decision to place her on administrative leave, and marking the third time Caffrey was removed and then returned to office.

Assistant Commissioner Barrier Erlichson ordered the superintendent be returned to

Parent-teacher communication

by Jonathan Kantrowitz

Communication between K-12 teachers and parents has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. Parent-teacher communication represents a primary form of parental support or involvement, elements which have recently received much attention given the connections between parental support and academic achievement. In fact, parental involvement at the K-12 level represents a major component in recent education policies at the

What Makes Self-Directed Learning Effective?

by Jonathan Kantrowitz

In recent years, educators have come to focus more and more on the importance of lab-based experimentation, hands-on participation, student-led inquiry, and the use of “manipulables” in the classroom. The underlying rationale seems to be that students are better able to learn when they can control the flow of their experience, o

Factors to Help Parents and Professionals Recognize Teens in Distress

by Jonathan Kantrowitz

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for teens, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now, a University of Missouri public health expert has identified factors that will help parents,

South LA Schools team up to fight reconsitution

by By Vanessa Romo

The conflict between activists and LA Unified Superintendent John Deasy over the district’s reconstitution of Dorsey High School is coming to a head. Just as the final deadline to prevent a school takeover looms for Dorsey (it has until Oct. 31 to submit a school reform plan), Crenshaw High School faces a similar process.
That’s why the two South LA schools joined forces and organized a public meeting tonight to inform Crenshaw

Ain’t Too Proud to Beg? Parent/Teacher Communication!

by Oldschoolteach

I attend the same church as one of my students’ parents. I know her mom very well. After service she made, I guess what she thought was a joke, and said, “I have never had a teacher email the parents as much as you do! I asked my mom if you have a life?” I [...]

UPDATE: Nite Cap 10-4-12 (UN-abridged) #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

Diane in the Evening 10-4-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: “High-Stakes Testing is Out of Control” by dianerav Peter DeWitt, principal of an elementary school in upstate New York, surveys the landscape and sees an educational system that is crushing principals, teachers and children with unreasonable mandates. At the center of the mandates is the endless demands for test scores. Higher and higher…or die. Complaints are rising. They are coming from all directions. The current course of “reform” is not sustainable when the object of the reforms reacts with sullen and suppressed rage. There is no joy in this Mudville. ... more »

Team Vallas: Saving money by giving the same standardized test to 9th, 10th and 11th graders? - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Team Vallas: Saving money by giving the same standardized test to 9th, 10th and 11th graders? - Wait, What?: Team Vallas: Saving money by giving the same standardized test to 9th, 10th and 11th graders? by jonpelto In order to understand things correctly, we have a question for Team Vallas. As we have come to learn, you all, as the experienced “education reformers” among us, believe that more standardized testing leads to an environment in which students will learn more. With that as one of your guiding principles, Team Vallas determined that Bridgeport students would be better off... more »

students of color "bleach bombed" at university of texas

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

students of color "bleach bombed" at university of texas: *students of color "bleach bombed" at university of texas* At the University of Texas in Austin, police are investigating multiple reports that black and Asian students have been targeted and hit with "bleach bombs":*Bleach Balloons Launched at Students of Color at University of Texas*. Four people -- all students of color -- filed reports with the UT police department saying they had been attacked by bleach-filled balloons dropped toward them from high-rise buildings near West Campus. The incidents occurred from June thr... more »

Schools Matter: Schools (Don't?) Matter, Nor Does Creativity

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Schools Matter: Schools (Don't?) Matter, Nor Does Creativity: Schools (Don't?) Matter, Nor Does Creativity by Storm Okay, I'll confess to being less than tactful most of the time. But I gotta tell you, I'm pretty sick of one particular complaint that I hear (rather, read) again and again on education sites and FB pages dedicated to parent organizations against testing regimes in public education: "Your stealing my child's creativity!" First, there's no such thing. ...since the criterion of creativity cannot distinguish between the artist and the nonartist, anyone who calls himse... more »

It is what it is. But what if it’s WRONG? « @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

It is what it is. But what if it’s WRONG? « @ the chalk face: It is what it is. But what if it’s WRONG?2 October 4, 2012 by slekar Last night I attended my local school board meeting to use my three minutes of public comment time to address the board. I was there to continue my comments from last school year on teacher evaluations and why the board should at least think about the consequences when our teachers and principals will be forced to have 50% of their evaluation determined by the invalid high stakes test scores of the children taking these invalid measurements. Here’s wh... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Quotables from last night's Republican primary debate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Quotables from last night's Republican primary debate: Quotables from last night's Republican primary debate by Mike Klonsky Debate? What debate?With snarky comments by me Romney: *"High-income people are doing just fine in this economy. They'll do fine whether you're president or I am."* Me: You bet they will. Obama: *"You know, I suspect that, on Social Security, we've got a somewhat similar position*." Me: Did you really say that? Obama: *"For -- so if you're -- if you're 54 or 55, you might want to * * * * *

Shanker Blog » Assessing Ourselves To Death

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Shanker Blog » Assessing Ourselves To Death: Assessing Ourselves To Death by Matthew Di Carlo I have two points to make. The first is something that I think everyone knows: *Educational outcomes, such as graduation and test scores, are signals of or proxies for the traits that lead to success in life, not the cause of that success*. For example, it is well-documented that high school graduates earn more, on average, than non-graduates. Thus, one often hears arguments that increasing graduation rates will drastically improve students’ future prospects, and the performance of the ec... more »

Choice?? When and why? « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Choice?? When and why? « Deborah Meier on Education: Choice?? When and why? by debmeier Re Choice. I just got an e-mail from someone who expresses surprise that anyone would not want choices between schools. Interesting. We’re led to believe that everyone wants school choice. But it’s more complex than that. Some surely do–for whatever reasons–and what should we do then? We have to balance lots of “goods” vs “bads” and figure out what we’re willing to trade off for what we value even more? Or how we can minimize the bad and maximize the good!!! When we pretended that all schools... more »

Diane R. goes to Texas | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Diane R. goes to Texas | Parents Across America: Diane R. goes to Texas by pureparents From PAA founding member Karen Miller: When I found out Diane was speaking at the school board/administrators convention, I asked her if she’d extend her stay and she agreed to remain an extra day. Lorie (Barzano, of PAA affiliate Coalition-SAUS) did a fantastic job with local arrangements, including a parent/teacher/community meeting at a high school in a low income area subject to takeover. I’ll let her describe that wonderful event (see below). We worked closely with the school board/admin... more »

What Obama’s debate performance says about his education policy - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

What Obama’s debate performance says about his education policy - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: What Obama’s debate performance says about his education policy By Valerie Strauss In the wake of President Obama’s lackluster performance in his first debate with Mitt Romney, commentators have suggested that part of the president’s problem was that during his time in the White House, he (like (Craig F. Walker/AP)other presidents before him) has rarely been challenged. People don’t interrupt him, tell him he is being obtuse and that he is dead wrong. So what does this have to d... more »

Strong Schools for a Strong Economy Tour - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Strong Schools for a Strong Economy Tour - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Leads 'Strong Schools for a Strong Economy' Tour SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson launched a month-long statewide tour today highlighting innovative career technical programs that help prepare students for jobs in the 21st-century economy. Partnering with California School Boards Association (CSBA) President Jill Wynns along with teachers, parents, administrators, and school employees, Torlakson said the "Strong Schools for a Strong Economy" ef... more »

Giving Teachers Tools to Stop Bullying: Free Training Toolkit Now Available | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Giving Teachers Tools to Stop Bullying: Free Training Toolkit Now Available | ED.gov Blog: Giving Teachers Tools to Stop Bullying: Free Training Toolkit Now Available Posted on October 4, 2012 by Deborah Temkin Over the past three years, at our annual Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Summits, we have heard the same call by educators-– teachers want to help stop bullying, but they don’t know how. Most try to help, but few receive training on how to do so. There are bullying prevention trainings available for teachers, but many are very expensive or not based on the best avail... more »

News Flash: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee had co-conspirators in the attempt to buy this week’s Democratic Primary. - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

News Flash: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee had co-conspirators in the attempt to buy this week’s Democratic Primary. - Wait, What?: News Flash: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee had co-conspirators in the attempt to buy this week’s Democratic Primary. by jonpelto Official reports indicate that Connecticut’s primary “education reform” group was part of Rhee’s attempt to influence the outcome of this week’s Democratic Primary It turns out that when Michelle Rhee dumped tens of thousands into this week’s re-vote to select the Democratic nominee in the General Assembly’s 5th Hou... more »

Missing the Real Story on Student Attrition at Charters | Edwize

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Missing the Real Story on Student Attrition at Charters | Edwize: Missing the Real Story on Student Attrition at Charters by Christina Collins At a time when the question of how to best serve our neediest students at all schools is a key focus at the local and national levels, media analyses of the impact of student attrition at charters and district schools can be a useful contribution to the discussion. Unfortunately, an article recently published by SchoolBook misses the key point of this question in its failure to acknowledge that charter attrition’s effects come not from the ... more »

Fail Mary Passes….in the Classroom but Not on the Field « City School Stories

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Fail Mary Passes….in the Classroom but Not on the Field « City School Stories: Fail Mary Passes….in the Classroom but Not on the Field by fmurphy *Notes from the Field* Submitted by Joy of Teaching on October 4, 2012 By now most Americans with any link to media has heard about the (now settled) National Football League Referee strike. This strike between the football officials and the NFL began in late August. The striking officials were replaced with referees from other organizations and were considered sub-par replacement officiates by most media outlets. Almost simultaneously... more »

Teachers stump for Prop. 30; PTA parents push for Prop. 38 - Inside Bay Area

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Teachers stump for Prop. 30; PTA parents push for Prop. 38 - Inside Bay Area: Teachers stump for Prop. 30; PTA parents push for Prop. 38 By Sharon Noguchi snoguchi@mercurynews.com Posted: 10/04/2012 06:16:50 AM PDT Updated: 10/04/2012 07:23:41 AM PDT English teacher Kimberley Gilles put off grading two piles of "To Kill a Mockingbird" essays to staff a phone bank Sunday and urge San Ramon voters to approve Proposition 30, the tax hike to help stabilize California schools and government, and a local bond measure. Susan Canty of Los Altos Hills has been living and breathing Proposi... more »

The power of parents in a public school – Schools of Thought - CNN.com Blogs

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

The power of parents in a public school – Schools of Thought - CNN.com Blogs: The power of parents in a public school By *Rose Arce*, CNN [image: The power of parents in a public school] *Editor’s note: **Rose Arce** is a senior producer in CNN’s New York Bureau who is also a regular contributor to Mamiverse.* *(CNN)* - I walked into Room 308 this year and made a beeline to see Luna’s contribution to the Art Wall, a rosy-cheeked self-portrait with an essay on her personal goal: learning to say hello to strangers. Her teacher has no such problem. “Hello, everyone!” Clare O’Connell s... more »

School Tech Connect: Things That Aren't Slogans

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Things That Aren't Slogans: Things That Aren't Slogans by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I'm not a subscriber over at Education Week any more, so I can't comment on Pedro Noriega's recent post,which I hesitate to characterize as "overwrought and under-thought" but only because I'm a bit of a fly on the wall compared to Pedro Noriega. However, there's this: If we really want to change the direction of reform then we have to articulate a clear strategy on how it can be achieved. It can't just be a new set of slogans or a manifesto like that adopted by the C... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Your Children Belong to the Government via their Personal Data. The Holy Grail of Education Realized?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Your Children Belong to the Government via their Personal Data. The Holy Grail of Education Realized?: Your Children Belong to the Government via their Personal Data. The Holy Grail of Education Realized? by stlgretchen Do children tracked from birth by the US government give up individual right to privacy and freedom for the government's "right" to their data? Do you like your data being shared on Facebook? No? Then why is it permissible for the Federal Government to track your child *from birth and this information shared with various agencies and p... more »

Learn from All Successful Schools, Not Just Charters | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Learn from All Successful Schools, Not Just Charters | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Learn from All Successful Schools, Not Just Charters by obriena Few would argue with the notion that public education in America needs to improve to ensure that our country remains prosperous in the coming years. And we should look wherever we can for ideas on how we can increase student achievement for each child in the nation. One possible source for these ideas: charter schools. Last week, the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution released “Learning from the Succes... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, October 4, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Bankrupt Inglewood schools to be governed by local graduate Taylor Education Headlines *Thursday, October 4, 2012* San Diego administrator contests demotionBrenda Campbell, a longtime San Diego Unified School District administrator placed on paid leave the first week of the school year, is now suing her employer in an attempt to be reinstated. Pajaro Valley errs in superintendent salaryThe Pajaro Valley Unified School District owes Superintendent Dorma Baker more than $30,000 because of a payroll error. Sacramento Mayor Johnson hi... more »

Schools Matter: Memphis District to Lose $212 Million to Charter Schools by 2016

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Schools Matter: Memphis District to Lose $212 Million to Charter Schools by 2016: Memphis Raising Most Regressive Taxes to Pay for $212 Million Hole Created by Charter Schools by Jim Horn In June we posted on the Gates-SfC plan for school consolidation in Shelby County, which the State report says will cost Shelby County $212,000,000 over the next four years to pay for the segregated charter chain gangs that are being created to contain, separate, and indoctrinate the next generation of the poor in Memphis. The County solution: raise the sales tax another penny, which will push ... more »

Romney’s Claim That Half of College Grads “Can’t Find Work” Is False. But What’s the Real Story? « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Romney’s Claim That Half of College Grads “Can’t Find Work” Is False. But What’s the Real Story? « Student Activism: Romney’s Claim That Half of College Grads “Can’t Find Work” Is False. But What’s the Real Story? by Angus Johnston In last night’s presidential debate, Mitt Romney made a claim that was specific, shocking, and false. “Fifty percent of college graduates this year,” he said, “can’t find work.” There are a few ways of interpreting this statement, but none of them add up. A study published this summer found that for college graduates under the age of 24, the unemployme... more »

Why We Need Common Core: A Parody - The Educator's PLN

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Why We Need Common Core: A Parody - The Educator's PLN: Why We Need Common Core: A Parody - Added by Thomas Whitby on October 4, 2012 at 9:48am - View Videos A parody on our current educational system...:)

Modern School: Cruel and Unusual Punishment: Testing Kindergartners

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Modern School: Cruel and Unusual Punishment: Testing Kindergartners: Cruel and Unusual Punishment: Testing Kindergartners by Michael Dunn Kindergarten Entrance Exam (image from Flickr, by emrank) It is already crazy how much we test high school students. In addition to the usual internal quizzes and exams used by teachers to assess whether their students are grasping the concepts and skills being taught in their classes, there are increasing numbers of high stakes standardized state and federal exams like No Child Left Behind and high school exit exams. The teacher-initiated exams g... more »

Thanking Teachers | Taking Note

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Thanking Teachers | Taking Note: Thanking Teachers by John Merrow Have you done so lately? *For those in the NY area: *John will be speaking live with Merryl Tisch, the Chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents, on October 24th at the JCC in Manhattan (Upper West Side). You can purchase tickets here. ------------------------------ The bumper sticker “If you can read this, thank a teacher” is a clever way of reminding us that teachers deserve our thanks. I agree and wish I had taken the time to thank Mr. Sullivan, my high school English teacher many years ago. He taught me ... more »

Daily Kos: Delusion and Negligence: The Two-Party System in the U.S.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: Delusion and Negligence: The Two-Party System in the U.S.: Delusion and Negligence: The Two-Party System in the U.S. byplthomasEdDFollow With Twitter, texting, and hundreds of cable stations surrounding me, my goal last night was a Herculean one: Avoid at all costs the waste that was the so-called presidential debates. I've now crested the first half of a century and am sliding into whatever portion of the second half this existence allows me. On the other side of 50, I have vocally joined the late George Carlin in my public denouncing of both political parties, a probl... more »

Let's Find Issues to Unite Around - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Let's Find Issues to Unite Around - Bridging Differences - Education Week: [image: Bridging Differences] Let's Find Issues to Unite Around by Deborah Meier My Dear Pedro, Actually, I was only responding to one paragraph of your *Nation* piece. It probably suggests disagreement, but hardly would lead me to conclude that you were anti-teacher or anti-union. I may even be more open to closing large, failing schools than you—if we could do it as well as we did with Julia Richman High School in New York, with the union's support as we had there. But the way closing schools is now being ... more »

Obama and Romney debate: Guess who floated the far-left education idea?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Obama and Romney debate: Guess who floated the far-left education idea?: The Far-Left Education Idea Floated in the Debate by ... Romney? By Dana Goldstein | Posted Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012, at 11:30 PM ET [image: 153333769] Mitt Romney at the first presidential debate on Wednesday Photo by Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images. Mitt Romney has floated the most radical, furthest left idea currently in the mainstream education debate: to allow poor and disabled schoolchildren to move their federal education funding across district lines. Romney first outlined the idea in an education pol... more »

Learned Humanity « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Learned Humanity « Cooperative Catalyst: Learned Humanity by Jason Flom [image: Image] While in DC a couple of weeks ago for the Bammy Awards I had the chance to tour the Holocaust Museum with a few colleagues. It was powerful, moving, and saddening. I left convinced more than ever that what we do matters, and matters mightily. Wandering the beautifully and hauntingly constructed museum, the visceral taste of blind bigotry seared images

Testing, Graduation, and the Numbers Behind Charter Schools in Chicago - The 312 - October 2012 - Chicago

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Testing, Graduation, and the Numbers Behind Charter Schools in Chicago - The 312 - October 2012 - Chicago: Testing, Graduation, and the Numbers Behind Charter Schools in Chicago Posted October 3, 2012, at 4:36 p.m. By Whet Moser [image: Rahm Emanuel charter schools] The Chicago teachers strike was settled relatively quickly, but it's almost certain that it was merely a preview of issues to come: school closings, pensions, and the expansion of charter schools, for example. Ben Joravsky has been writing about the last of these for awhile, and he takes another shot across the bow th... more »

CT News Junkie | OP-ED | Why Is Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Trying To Buy Elections?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

CT News Junkie | OP-ED | Why Is Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Trying To Buy Elections?: OP-ED | Why Is Failed DC Chancellor Michelle RheeTrying To Buy Elections? Education reform was the major issue of the last legislative session. It took months of discussion among all stakeholders to ensure the legislation we passed would improve education for all children in Connecticut, not just a select few. You know who wasn’t at the table for that discussion? Michelle Rhee. Two months into the legislative session, Rhee showed up with her anti-teacher organization, Students First, call... more »

UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-4-12 Hey, Arne, Read This

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Hey, Arne, Read This by dianerav In an earlier post, a parent expressed frustration that her child’s teacher never explained how awful the testing is, how it was stealing time from instruction and was of little or no value. Many teachers wrote to say that without tenure, they can’t take any risks, can’t upset administrators, can’t speak up without endangering their jobs. This parent has a different take. I wish Arne Duncan would read this and realize that he is destroying teacher morale and professionalism in s... more »

We were the zinger we have been waiting for. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

We were the zinger we have been waiting for. « Fred Klonsky: We were the zinger we have been waiting for. by Fred Klonsky We are in Union Pier for a few weeks, enjoying the Fall colors by the Lake. It is Eastern Time, so the debate started an hour later than in Chicago. That combined with the unrelieved boredom of the 90 minute exchange made keeping our ours open somewhat difficult. We had been promised some *zingers* coming from Mitt. Who would of thought that the zinger would come from Obama and aimed squarely at every teacher watching? It was barely a few minutes into the debate... more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Ain't Too Proud to Beg? Parent/Teacher Communication!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Ain't Too Proud to Beg? Parent/Teacher Communication!: Ain't Too Proud to Beg? Parent/Teacher Communication! by Lisa M I attend the same church as one of my students' parents. I know her mom very well. After service she made, I guess what she thought was a joke, and said, "I have never had a teacher email the parents as much as you do! I asked my mom if you have a life?" I didn't think it was funny. I told her that I have a life, it doesn't take me that long to send an email, and that I had only sent three emails that month. I guess I answered ... more »

solidaridad: First Community Based LAUSD District 2 Candidate Forum Announced

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

solidaridad: First Community Based LAUSD District 2 Candidate Forum Announced: First Community Based LAUSD District 2 Candidate Forum Announced by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene I am honored to have been invited to this event and am looking forward to discussing critical education issues. Many thanks to the District 2 Neighborhood Coalition for organizing these forums. ALEC/DFER's Gloria Romero Stands Her Ground on Won't Back Down by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene ALEC/DFER's Gloria Romero Stands Her Ground on Won't Back Down*"The idea of “choice” has been manipulated by the corporate ... more »

UPDATE: McKenna Speaks on Public Education Seattle Schools Community Forum: I-1240 Debate Featured in Tomorrow Night's Forum

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: I-1240 Debate Featured in Tomorrow Night's Forum: McKenna Speaks on Public Education by Melissa Westbrook Over at The Stranger Slog, they gave over several threads to the McKenna campaign to discuss various issues. (This is incredibly generous of The Stranger and I give them full credit.) Here's his education thread entitled "*A New Direction for Washington's Public Schools*" wherein he recites tired ed reform phrases and yet says absolutely nothing specific about what he would do. He says this: *At the same time, we cannot spend more money on ex... more »

Schools Matter: ALEC/DFER's Gloria Romero Stands Her Ground on Won't Back Down

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Schools Matter: ALEC/DFER's Gloria Romero Stands Her Ground on Won't Back Down: ALEC/DFER's Gloria Romero Stands Her Ground on Won't Back Down by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene *"The idea of “choice” has been manipulated by the corporate reformers and spread by groups like ALEC, who seek to use methods such as the Parent Trigger to turn public schools over to privately-managed charters. This is not real choice; nor is it parent empowerment." — Parents Across America.* My commentary in response to: Gloria Romero: 'Parent Trigger' fight hits the big screen Photo by Mark Warner (CC ... more »

NYC Educator: Skedula Sucks

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

NYC Educator: Skedula Sucks: Skedula Sucks by NYC Educator In our school, we have a new system. It's new and very glitzy looking. And you can enter grades and attendance on it, if you dare. We used to have a system called Daedalus, with which we could look up student schedules, and phone numbers, and things like that. You can do that in Skedula too, with only a few more inconvenient steps. Daedalus had a big calendar you could pull up and show to parents. All the cuts would show a sea of pink, if I recall correctly. It was a very dramatic thing to show a parent. Skedula does somet... more »

Modern School: Democracy is No Place for the People

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Modern School: Democracy is No Place for the People: Democracy is No Place for the People by Michael Dunn Americans love democracy so much that some will kill or attempt to harm those who they think oppose it. (Image from Flickr, by dahnielson) Yet what is it that they love so much? If it is the notion that “The People” get make the social and political decisions that most impact their own lives, they are in love with a fantasy that has never existed. Democracy is about voting for others who get to make these decisions and almost always in the interests of the wealthiest subset o... more »

AFT prez sees best, worst in DPS, Dougco | EdNewsColorado

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

AFT prez sees best, worst in DPS, Dougco | EdNewsColorado: AFT prez sees best, worst in DPS, Dougco by Rebecca Jones Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.5 million-member American Federation of Teachers, viewed her visit to Colorado on Wednesday as a kind of tale of two cities, with lots of Dickensian overtones. AFT president Randi Weingarten and members of the Denver Federation for Paraprofessionals and Nutrition Service Employees, who helped design an incentive plan with the help of a union grant. On the one hand, there was her lunchtime visit to Denver’s Cole Arts & Science Acade... more »

'Parent trigger' law divides struggling school, community | California Watch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

'Parent trigger' law divides struggling school, community | California Watch: 'Parent trigger' law divides struggling school, community by Natasha Lindstrom Anonymous David Pardo/Victorville Daily Press Desert Trails Elementary School Principal David Mobley (left) receives 465 signatures representing nearly 70 percent of students at the Adelanto, Calif., school. The signatures are part of the state’s “parent trigger” law to force dramatic overhauls at underperforming schools. Doreen Diaz left the red carpet movie premiere of “Won’t Back Down” in New York City last week feeling enc... more »

An Education: How Prop 32's Backers Have Tried to Ditch Public Schools | California Progress Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

An Education: How Prop 32's Backers Have Tried to Ditch Public Schools | California Progress Report: An Education: How Prop 32's Backers Have Tried to Ditch Public Schools by callen *By Matthew Fleischer* The billionaire backers of Proposition 32 are an eclectic bunch–from bow-tied Tory parodies like Charles Munger Jr., to Bible-thumping fire-breathers like Larry T. Smith, to old-fashioned oil tycoons like the Koch brothers. Over the years members of this crew have combined to push a number of conservative pet projects through the halls of Sacramento's Capitol - on every issue from... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: "A victory for students, communities and our profession"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: "A victory for students, communities and our profession": "A victory for students, communities and our profession" by Mike Klonsky CTU members voted 79.1 percent to accept the strike-won contract, which reportedly was the highest approval rating for any contract in the CTU’s history. Of the 20,765 valid ballots submitted, 16,428 were for the new agreement and 4,337 were against it. More than 80 percent of CTU members voted on the contract. CTU President *Karen Lewis* hailed the vote: *“This shows overwhelming recognition by our members that this co... more »

Gimme Some Truth

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

NEA to Expand STEM Teacher Training Program

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

NEA - Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM): Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Leading the STEM Challenge From the Huffington Post: NEA President Dennis Van Roekel If the United States is to hold a competitive edge in a rapidly changing global workforce, bolstering the nation’s science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce is essential. The nation needs to connect students to jobs of the future by reengaging them in these important fields, says NEA President Dennis Van Roekel, and we must have the teachers to help get them there. Watch the official ... more »

solidaridad: Help Save LAUSD's Crenshaw and Dorsey High Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

solidaridad: Help Save LAUSD's Crenshaw and Dorsey High Schools: Help Save LAUSD's Crenshaw and Dorsey High Schools by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene PREVENT SCHOOL CLOSURE/RECONSTITUTION! Join Crenshaw and Dorsey High Schools at an EMERGENCY Community Meeting Join Us at Our Community Meeting *Thursday, October 4, 5:30pm – 7:30pm* *African-American Cultural Center* 3018 W. 48th Street, LA, 90043 (at corner of 9th Avenue) [image: Save LAUSD's Crenshaw and Dorsey High Schools.]After years of instability and lack of support from LAUSD, Crenshaw High School has been on its way back. A dedica... more »

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Parent testing opt-out meeting tomorrow

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Parent testing opt-out meeting tomorrow: Parent testing opt-out meeting tomorrow by admin This meeting started out as a small parent meeting for Drummond school and is not being advertised it as a huge event, but there is so much interest in this topic that I just want people to be aware that it is happening. Meanwhile, several parent groups are working on a larger testing forum for later in the fall. PSAT for 9-2-12: How to boycott hedge funder “reformers”? by admin Have been spending some time thinking about how to call f... more »

The State of Education | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The State of Education | ED.gov Blog: The State of Education Posted on October 3, 2012 by Cameron Brenchley [image: Arne_Press_Club] Secretary Duncan spoke on the state of education at the National Press Club. Official Department of Education photo by Joshua Hoover. “States and districts, schools and communities are driving more change than ever before,” Secretary Arne Duncan told reporters during a speech at the National Press Club yesterday. “Educators at every level are being more and more creative — pairing good schools with struggling schools, creating smaller, more manageable ... more »