Big Education Ape: Oct 14, 2012

Sunday, October 14, 2012

by Sarah Boseley, The Guardian

Boy smells something bad via Shutterstock

New research finds that children with disorder are concerned that doctors do not understand the condition

Children with hyperactivity problems do not feel that Ritalin and other drugs they are given turn them into zombies or robots, but say they feel the medication helps them control their behaviour, according to a study that has asked for their views, in what is claimed as a first.

Dosing children with stimulants to control angry, aggressive or overly-impulsive behaviour has excited controversy for many years. Critics say medication is the wrong way to go and that ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is an extreme form of normal behaviour that needs

Short Notes: Comments On Suicide From Bill, Heather, And … Anonymous | The Jose Vilson

Short Notes: Comments On Suicide From Bill, Heather, And … Anonymous | The Jose Vilson:

Short Notes: Comments On Suicide From Bill, Heather, And … Anonymous

by Jose

Unbeknownst to me, October 10th was World Mental Heath Day, a day after I wrote my post on students and suicide. Rather than reflecting in meta, I’ll share some of my colleagues’ comments to the post, all of which moved me in a profound way.
First, Bill Ivey:

One of my former students, then a Senior at another local school, killed herself two weeks ago. Though she only passed through my classroom for a few weeks before she and her mother agreed she would return to her previous school (where the mother worked), I remembered her well and was (and remain) deeply shaken. Her funeral was last Friday, and my colleague (who had previously

SI&A Cabinet Report – Disproportionality in special ed poses new federal hazard to districts

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources:

Disproportionality in special ed poses new federal hazard to districts

Print this article

Disproportionality in special ed poses new federal hazard to districts
By Tom Chorneau
Monday, October 15, 2012

More aggressive federal attention to schools potentially mislabeling minority children as disabled has created an operational headache this fall for nearly 50 California districts, with another big cohort targeted for sanctioning next year.

In fact, the push from the U.S. Department of Education’s special education unit to seek out and remedy instances of racial disproportionality in California’s K-12 special education programs is likely to become an ongoing hazard for districts to navigate, rivaling the pitfalls posed by the performance benchmarks mandated under the No Child Left Behind Act.

At issue are long-standing concerns that minority students are more frequently identified than white students as having emotional or mental disabilities.

A 2007 memo to states from the director of federal special education programs noted that more minority children

Students Last: Who Should Be More Insulted? Let the Courts Decide

Students Last: Who Should Be More Insulted? Let the Courts Decide:

Who Should Be More Insulted? Let the Courts Decide

by Students Last

Los Angeles - Ann Coulter has filed a lawsuit against writer Jeff Bryant alleging defamation of character. The offending comment by Bryant appeared in a recently authored piece for "Campaign for America's Future" in which he referred to Founder and CEO of Students First Michelle Rhee as "a sort of - 'education Ann Coulter.'"

At a press conference Coulter's attorney, Max Dewey explained his client's lawsuit as follows, "Throughout her career, Ms. Coulter has been called some pretty foul names but to compare her to Michelle Rhee exceeds even the lowest of journalistic integrity levels."

No doubt when Mr. Bryant wrote the article entitled, "Michelle Rhee Misreads 'Shift Among Democrats' On Education" he expected to stir the education policy pot. After all, he describes Rhee as a "lobbyist" and shill for

Daily Kos: Bus tour with teacherken - the Greed Agenda and education

Daily Kos: Bus tour with teacherken - the Greed Agenda and education:

Bus tour with teacherken - the Greed Agenda and education

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

Crossposted from Education Votes of the National Education Association for whom I was an embedded blogger aboard the Stop the Greed Agenda Bus Tour of Patriot Majority
Now that the Stop the Greed Agenda Bus Tour is complete, I want to take this occasion to try to reflect upon the Greed Agenda in the context of public education, and to explore in a bit of depth the issue of cyber charter schools, a key component of that Agenda.
The American Legislative Exchange Council has long had a strong focus on education, with an emphasis on things like vouchers and “school choice.” Its current (17th ) Report Card on Public Education lists states by their rank on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) (often called the Nation’s Report Card and produced by the National Center for Educational Statistics), as well as by its own set of criteria, which

ranks states from A to F based on education reform policies including academic standards, school choice programs, charter schools, online learning, and that state’s ability to hire good teachers and fire bad ones

It will not surprise you that ALEC’s rankings favor states with stronger restrictions on unions and fewer on charters. Although since the rankings combine multiple factors heavily unionized California appears in the top ten while right to work Alabama is in the bottom 5.Please keep reading below the fold

Peg with Pen: Teaching President Obama the Conditions for Learning

Peg with Pen: Teaching President Obama the Conditions for Learning:

Teaching President Obama the Conditions for Learning

by Peggy

Dear President Obama,

I am done pleading with you. I am writing due to my great respect for Diane Ravitch, who has requested that everyone write to you by October 17^th. I am going to use this opportunity to teach you something, as it appears your administration is very uneducated regarding real teaching and real learning. I want to share the Conditions for Learning by Brian Cambourne. Teachers know and implement CFL in their classrooms on a daily basis – that is, they attempt to implement CFL in their classrooms, yet it is increasingly difficult under the crushing Race to the Top policies your administration has implemented with the zealous support of billionaires and a sell-out mainstream media.

As I share it, I would like you to visualize a child, named Josh, who is living in poverty. He is fictitious but he is based on many children I have taught. Imagine a child unclean, wearing the same shirt many days in a row,

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week Four – Six 2012

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week Four – Six 2012:

Week Four – Six 2012

by alicemercer

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted, and for that I apologize. My extra-curricular calendar has grown during election season. In addition I’m on a district committee of site leaders related to Common Core (more on that in another post). We’re wrapping up our first unit of language arts and other subjects this week and next.

Math Exchange

This class is my biggest challenge. I keep my most challenging students, and add a batch of talkative/attention-challenged kids from the other two classes. Mixed in are a bunch of obedient, but quiet types, some of whom need help but are shy to ask for it. This week was the piece-de-resistance though. Thursday was really awful, while I had a parent observing, then came Friday. I discovered on Thursday that the kids did not have as good

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-14-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best:

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

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Hot Week for Seattle Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Hot Week for Seattle Schools: Hot Week for Seattle Schools by Melissa Westbrook *Monday, October 15th* Superintendent Banda will be busy as he bounces from the Seattle Special Education PTA meeting and theSeattle Council PTA meeting. Both are from 7-9 p.m. The Seattle Council meeting is in the auditorium but it is unclear where the Special Ed PTA is meeting. I'll find out and post it. The Seattle Council PTA meeting includes Q&A on I -1240. It also includes a presentation of the BEX IV levy. *Tuesday, October 16th* Operation Committee Meeting ... more »

Florida and Affirmative Action: State To Apply Different Standards

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 33 minutes ago

Florida and Affirmative Action: State To Apply Different Standards: Florida to Use Different Academic Standards for Students by Race Another city, another affirmative action type argument by Gene Demby Posted: October 14, 2012 Share on pinterest_shareShare on tumblrMore Sharing ServicesShare on bloggerShare on print A- A A+ From *The Huffington Post* Florida is putting in place academic standards based on the race of students in the state’s schools. Approved this week by the Florida Board of Education, the new race-based standards affect all 2.6 million students that attend the... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Prop 39 Co-location Ruling by Court of Appeals: CHARTER SCHOOL NOT ENTITLED TO CHOOOSE ITS LOCATION + smf’s 2¢

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 35 minutes ago

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Prop 39 Co-location Ruling by Court of Appeals: CHARTER SCHOOL NOT ENTITLED TO CHOOOSE ITS LOCATION + smf’s 2¢: Prop 39 Co-location Ruling by Court of Appeals: CHARTER SCHOOL NOT ENTITLED TO CHOOOSE ITS LOCATION + smf’s 2¢ *Court Says LAUSD Offer of Facilities at Belmont H.S. Was Adequate* BY A METNEWS STAFF WRITER, METROPOLITAN NEWS-ENTERPRISE | HTTP://BIT.LY/RQDM8CFriday, October 12, 2012 :: The Los Angeles Unified School District did not violate the charter schools initiative by offering to locate a charter school in adjoining cl... more »

NYC Public School Parents: WABC News on our press conference today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

NYC Public School Parents: WABC News on our press conference today: WABC News on our press conference today Newsclips so far today of our press conference today about the violation of student privacy undertaken by the NYS Education Department, which is going to provide confidential student data to a Limited Corporation, run by the Gates Foundation and Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.. See video from ABC news below; also AP/Wall St. Journal and CBS radio, where you can comment on how you feel about this proposal. Posted by Leonie Haimson at 10/14/2012 06:41:00 PM

Diane in the Evening 10-14-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: JOIN THE CAMPAIGN FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS by dianerav Whether you are a teacher, a parent, a student, a principal, a school board member, or a concerned citizen, please join the Campaign for Our Public Schools. Speak out against high-stakes testing and privatization. Write a letter to President Obama and other elected officials. Here are instructions. Parent Groups Seek to Block Release of Student Data by dianerav Parent groups in New York are trying to block the release of student data to an entity that includes Wireless Generation, a technology company... more »

Why Does the U.S. Department of Education Support Privatization? « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Why Does the U.S. Department of Education Support Privatization? « Diane Ravitch's blog: Why Does the U.S. Department of Education Support Privatization? by dianerav A reader points out that the U.S. Department of Education has the following program information on its website: “The U.S. Department of Education’s Charter Schools Program (CSP) has invested more than $255 million in charter schools this year. The purpose of the program is to increase financial support for the startup and expansion of these public schools, build a better national understanding of the public charter s... more »

Is Michelle Rhee the Ann Coulter of Education? « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Is Michelle Rhee the Ann Coulter of Education? « Diane Ravitch's blog: Is Michelle Rhee the Ann Coulter of Education? by dianerav Jeff Bryant asks whether Michelle Rhee is the Ann Coulter of education. Rhee expends great energy insisting that Democrats support the hard-right agenda of ALEC. She tries to sell the idea of a bipartisan consensus to eliminate collective bargaining rights, teacher tenure, test-based evaluation, and privatization via charters and vouchers. Democrats would be wise to stick to their historic agenda of equality of educational opportunity and public educati... more »

Taking the Election to School; You Are InvitedSave Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Taking the Election to School; You Are InvitedSave Our Schools: Taking the Election to School; You Are Invited by Server Taking the Election to School:*Exclusive Webcast on edweek.org* *Register Now!* Taking the Election to School: Making Education a Focus of the 2012 Election Education Advisers to Obama and Romney to Debate at Teachers College, Columbia University To Register… http://www.edweek.org/ew/collections/election2012/debate_on_education.html *The Debaters:* *Jon Schnur*, co-founder of America Achieves. Previously, Mr. Schnur co-founded and served as CEO of New Leaders for N... more »

Ed Notes Online: Would you hand your child's private information over to Murdoch Owned and Klein Run Wireless Generation?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Would you hand your child's private information over to Murdoch Owned and Klein Run Wireless Generation?: Would you hand your child's private information over to Murdoch Owned and Klein Run Wireless Generation? by ed notes online Jack Cavanagh's first press conferenceJulie Cavanagh, a special education teacher in Brooklyn, explained: “As a public school teacher I am concerned not only for the privacy of my students, and the way this data will be provided to for-profit enterprises, but I am also worried that this national database may be used to blacklist members o... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Attorney and Parents Send Letter to NYS Attorney General & Education Officials Questioning Legality of Providing Confidential Student Data to Limited Corporation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Attorney and Parents Send Letter to NYS Attorney General & Education Officials Questioning Legality of Providing Confidential Student Data to Limited Corporation: Attorney and Parents Send Letter to NYS Attorney General & Education Officials Questioning Legality of Providing Confidential Student Data to Limited Corporation by Leonie Haimson We had a press conference at noon at Norman Siegel’s law offices today; lots of TV cameras were there and WNYC radio so watch/listen for the story tonight and tomorrow. The letter Norman sent Friday to the Attorney ... more »

Dear Teacher, Johnny Is Skipping the Test Save Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Dear Teacher, Johnny Is Skipping the Test Save Our Schools: Dear Teacher, Johnny Is Skipping the Test by Server Dear Teacher, Johnny Is Skipping the TestBy SONI SANGHA *Originally Published October 12, 2012.* *The New York Times* LATER this month, children at 169 New York City elementary and middle schools will, for the second time in a calendar year, take a 40-minute “field test” in math and English language arts to determine which questions will go on future state standardized exams. Lori Chajet’s daughter will not be among them, though the tests are scheduled to be given at her ... more »

Citywide testing resistance strategy session Nov 2 Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Citywide testing resistance strategy session Nov 2: Citywide testing resistance strategy session Nov 2 by admin When FairTest’s Monty Neill comes to town on Friday, Nov 2, for a public forum on testing issues at 7 pm at St Xavier University, he has also agreed to help lead an afternoon citywide strategy session on anti-testing resistance – how we can work across groups, unite behind some common messages, share resources and otherwise build a strong testing resistance in Chicago. The session will be from 2 to 4 pm on Friday No... more »

Traumatic lives of students affect teacher’s evaluation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Traumatic lives of students affect teacher’s evaluation: Traumatic lives of students affect teacher’s evaluation Posted by Valerie Strauss on October 14, 2012 at 12:30 pm Here is the story of Rebecca Cusick, a fourth-grade teacher in Fall River, Massachusetts, and her “value-added” evaluation score. This assessment method uses students’ standardized test scores to determine a teacher’s effectiveness. Assessment experts say the method is unreliable, but reformers still insist on using it. In state after state, teacher evaluations derived through this method are sometimes labeling ... more »

Will Vouchers, Charters and Virtual Schools Turn Out the Friday Night Lights? | Firedoglake

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Will Vouchers, Charters and Virtual Schools Turn Out the Friday Night Lights? | Firedoglake: Will Vouchers, Charters and Virtual Schools Turn Out the Friday Night Lights? by Glenn W. Smith Popout With a disgraceful and relentless disregard for America’s social fabric, Republicans around the country are doing what they can to destroy public education. Based on model legislation written by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the GOP is pushing vouchers, corporate virtual schools and charter schools. Meanwhile, they’ve rigged policy against public schools, draining the... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: From Concerned Eckstein Parents

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: From Concerned Eckstein Parents: From Concerned Eckstein Parents by Melissa Westbrook Sent to us: *Urgent Call To Action:* We are writing to urge, implore, BEG you to write to all members of the School Board *THIS WEEKEND!* The Superintendent and District Staff put their BEX levy proposal before the school board on Wednesday. The proposal includes a new middle school at Wilson-Pacific and repurposing the Jane Addams building for a 1000 seat comprehensive, attendance area middle school. The Board has *NOT* reached consensus on this topic, and... more »

Blue Jersey:: Another Blue Jersey Thank You

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Blue Jersey:: Another Blue Jersey Thank You: Another Blue Jersey Thank You by Marie Corfield *ICYMI, Here's the story of how the national Democrats recognized Marie Corfield's LD-16 special election as the top grassroots-powered race in the country, in their yearly Essential Races List. Below, her thanks for the small role Blue Jersey played. Promoted by Rosi* As someone who is rarely at a loss for words, I’m struggling to find some that can express how I feel about all that has transpired this week. For those of you who missed it, Corfield for Assembly was voted the *number one*... more »

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky: The Sunday Mail. by Fred Klonsky *Diane Ravitch posts Glen Brown’s* explanation of why breaking a contract with teachers doesn’t count as reform. *Barbara Byrd Bennett.* *The right stuff* or just the next through the CPS revolving door? She’s already done New York, Cleveland and Detroit. *Life in Rahm’s Chicago.* Another deadly weekend. *Students “disappeared” at test time in El Paso.* But if they jailed every administrator who cheated or juiced

Radical Scholarship: October 18, 2012: Poverty Is Destiny: Ignoring the MLK Imperative in Corporate Education Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Radical Scholarship: October 18, 2012: Poverty Is Destiny: Ignoring the MLK Imperative in Corporate Education Reform: October 18, 2012: Poverty Is Destiny: Ignoring the MLK Imperative in Corporate Education Reform by P. L. Thomas *Poverty Is Destiny: Ignoring the MLK Imperative in Corporate Education Reform* *• Introduction/Context* Working class background Father, junior college, paternal grandfather owned town gas station, Upstate SC Mother, dropped out of junior college, maternal grandfather died yarn, mill worker, hills of NC Home town, rural poverty Came to recognize priv... more »

Jennifer Garner: C- Is Just Not Good Enough for Our Kids

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Jennifer Garner: C- Is Just Not Good Enough for Our Kids: C- Is Just Not Good Enough for Our Kids [image: Jennifer Garner] [image: Mark Shriver] Jennifer Garner and Mark Shriver * * * * * * * * * * *‘America’s Report Card 2012′ Gives U.S. A C-Minus On* *Ensuring Educational Opportunities, Providing For Children* A report card marked with too many C's and D's is not something to boast about. Unfortunately, those are just the kinds of grades America brought home yesterday, earning an overall C- in *America's Report Card 2012: Children in the U.S.*, released by Save the Children and F... more »

Federal investigators looking into Jefferson Parish public schools' treatment of Latino students | NOLA.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Federal investigators looking into Jefferson Parish public schools' treatment of Latino students | NOLA.com: Federal investigators looking into Jefferson Parish public schools' treatment of Latino students Federal authorities have decided to investigate claims that the Jefferson Parish schoolsystem discriminates against Latino students. The Southern Poverty Law Center lodged the complaint in August and now the civil rights divisions of the Justice Department and Education Department say they will take up the matter. "The complaint we received raises concerns about the district's c... more »

Caring - Walter_McKenzie , ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Caring - Woodbridge, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators: Looking Ahead Caring Caring makes all the difference in the world. Not a mood or an attitude…caring is a way of being. You either care or you don’t. It’s easy to care when something is important to you. But how about caring when it’s important to someone else? How about caring when there’s nothing in it for you, because it makes the world a better place? Caring does not turn on and off. It doesn’t only count when it grabs your attention. It doesn’t matter just when you ... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Pearson profits while parents protest N.Y. test madness

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Pearson profits while parents protest N.Y. test madness: Pearson profits while parents protest N.Y. test madness by Mike Klonsky PARENTS UNITED From left, Lori Chajet, Abby Subak and Martha Foote outside Public School 321 in Brooklyn. The New York Times reports today that many N.Y. parents are opting out of field testing the state's new round of standardized tests related to the Common Core standards. Brooklyn parent Lori Chajet says: *“I want my school to use tests to help instruction, to help find out if kids don’t know fractions. I don’t wa... more »

Daily Kos: Save Unsuccessful Charter Schools (SUCS), Now!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Daily Kos: Save Unsuccessful Charter Schools (SUCS), Now!: Save Unsuccessful Charter Schools (SUCS), Now! byplthomasEdDFollow [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Increasingly over the past decade, children and their parents all across the U.S. are choosing to enroll in or are being chosen to attend charter schools that are average or failing. Since these children are our future, we must organize now and help reform the struggling charter school movement; thus, I am forming Save Unsuccessful Charter Schools (SUCS). The facts about charter schools in the U.S.... more »

PAC Uses Football to Target Voucher Proposals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

PAC Uses Football to Target Voucher Proposals: PAC Uses Football to Target Voucher Proposals photo by: Justin Dehn October 14, 2012 by: Maurice Chammah, The Texas Tribune In a video that ponders potential threats to the viability of high school football, Progress Texas PAC urges Texans to fight plans to institute school voucher programs. As they prepare for a battle over school vouchers during the next legislative session, a liberal advocacy group is calling attention to a program that few thought was under immediate threat in Texas: high school football. In a video called “Will Our... more »

Wealthy Foreigners Fund Charter Schools for Visas

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Wealthy Foreigners Fund Charter Schools for Visas: Wealthy Foreigners Fund Charter Schools for Visas Photo: Wikimedia Commons - By STEPHANIE SIMON, Reuters October 14, 2012 It's been a turbulent period for charter schools in the United States, with financial analysts raising concerns about their stability and regulators in several states shutting down schools for poor performance. The volatility has made it tough for startup schools to get financing. But an unlikely source of new capital has emerged to fill the gap: foreign investors. [image: submit] The Fiscal TimesFREE N... more »

San Antonio mayor says education is key for Latinos

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

San Antonio mayor says education is key for Latinos: San Antonio mayor says education is key for Latinos Rick Jervis, USA TODAY Only about 13% of Hispanic 25- to 29-year-olds complete at least a bachelor's degree, compared with 39% for whites in the same age group and 53% for Asians, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. [image: julian castro] 7:30AM EDT October 14. 2012 - SAN ANTONIO – To Julian Castro, the issue most vital to Latinos is not immigration or jobs. It's their access to a decent education. Education is one of the top issues that could help the country's more than 50 m... more »

Malala Yousafzai is now face of global girls education movement - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Malala Yousafzai is now face of global girls education movement - latimes.com: Wounded Pakistan teen is now face of girls education movementMalala Yousafzai, who publicly demanded an education and was shot by Taliban militants, becomes a potent symbol for the global push to improve developing countries by educating their girls. [image: Rally on behalf of Malala Yousafzai] Pakistani Americans join a Los Angeles rally to protest the Taliban shooting of 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai in Pakistan. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times / July 31, 2012) By Scott Gold, Los Angeles Times Oc... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-14-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Join the Campaign for Our Public Schools by dianerav Whether you are a teacher, a parent, a student, a principal, a school board member, or a concerned citizen, please join the Campaign for Our Public Schools. Speak out against high-stakes testing and privatization. Write a letter to President Obama and other elected officials. Here are instructions. Lessons from a Top-Rated Charter in Minnesota by dianerav People often ask me, “Why don’t the public schools learn from the charter schools?” Good question. The top-rated charter school in Minneapolis has lessons... more »

‘Million Muppet March’ Planned To Defend PBS After Romney Big Bird Comments | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

‘Million Muppet March’ Planned To Defend PBS After Romney Big Bird Comments | toteachornototeach: ‘Million Muppet March’ Planned To Defend PBS After Romney Big Bird Comments by aristotlethewise *‘Million Muppet March’ Planned To Defend PBS After Romney Big Bird Comments * By Daniel Trotta Plans to save Big Bird, the fuzzy yellow character on U.S. public television’s “Sesame Street,” from possible extinction are taking shape in the form of a puppet-based protest next month dubbed the “Million Muppet March.” The demonstration is planned for Nov. 3 at the National Mall in Washington, ... more »

Pass / Fail So Cal education, LAUSD, the Cal States and the UCs | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: [image: save image] Parent Trigger group wins another legal battle By Vanessa Romo at Blog: Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC - 4 hours ago Parents in the desert community of Adelanto have won a critical victory in their mission to take over Desert Trails Elementary School under the “parent trigger law.” A San Bernardino County Superior Court judge has upheld a ruling that allowed the Desert Trails Parent Union to move forward with plans to convert the failing elementary school into a charter school. The judge also ordered the Adelanto School District to halt efforts ... more »

Sunday Dialogue - Transforming Our Schools - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Sunday Dialogue - Transforming Our Schools - NYTimes.com: Sunday Dialogue: Transforming Our Schools Till Hafenbrak Published: October 13, 2012 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - Readers react to a student’s ideas for a learning ‘revolution.’ *To the Editor:* When President George W. Bush signed No Child Left Behind into law, few would have predicted that the next decade of education policy would unfold into a disaster of epic proportions. The law was based on a flawed concept of a “good education” — high scores on standardiz... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is Public Education For Sale?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Is Public Education For Sale?: Is Public Education For Sale? by Melissa Westbrook From The Answer Sheet in the Washington Post, a column about the high funding by a small group of wealthy people for I-1240. She asks some good questions. *Another billionaire occupies the No 2 spot — Alice Walton of Walmart Stores, Inc., fame, who, unlike Gates, doesn’t live in the state. Her Oct. 5 donation is listed at $1.1 million. She is also fourth on the list, with a July 11 donation of $600,000, giving her an aggregate total of $1.7 million.* * **Walton is ... more »

“Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Came Down From The Mountain” Song | Mr. Teachbad

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

“Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Came Down From The Mountain” Song | Mr. Teachbad: “Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Came Down From The Mountain” Song by teachbad

Meducation: how did we land here? « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Meducation: how did we land here? « Cooperative Catalyst: Meducation: how did we land here? by ktenkely * |Kelly Tenkely| Originally published on http://ilearntechnology.com* I recently saw this bit on the Colbert Report...it would be funnier if it weren’t accurately reporting something that is actually happening. It is unbelievable to me that we, as a society, choose to medicate (meducate) instead of challenging the system and fixing the problem. As educators, it is up to us to fix this problem. I would love to believe that politicians will wake up and change the education envir... more »

No charter schools in Tacoma! | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

No charter schools in Tacoma! | Seattle Education: ' No charter schools in Tacoma! by seattleducation2011 I love my state and am so proud of its people. This was done in downtown Spokane, WA, in a place called Riverfront Park thanks to Parents Across America, Spokane. The clock tower is in the heart of the park. How frickin’ awesome! Dora

My Letter to President Obama! October 17, 2012!:Write the President! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

My Letter to President Obama! October 17, 2012!:Write the President! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!: My Letter to President Obama! October 17, 2012!:Write the President! by Oldschoolteach * “One thing I never want to see happen is schools that are just teaching the test because then you’re not learning about the world, you’re not learning about different cultures, you’re not learning about science, you’re not learning about math,” the president said. “All you’re learning about is how to fill out a little bubble on an exam and little tricks that you need to do in order to take... more »

Teachers Don't Suck !: The Tall Tale of Mr. Me

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Teachers Don't Suck !: The Tall Tale of Mr. Me: The Tall Tale of Mr. Me * **This article is long but certainly worth reading* *I think it shows what really goes on in the heads of our* *"Educational Experts"* *I have included my comments at the end.* *********************************** This article originally appeared on The American Prospect. Former school chancellor Joel Klein's dishonest new book reflects the corruption endemic in our school system By Richard Rothstein, The American Prospect This is a story about a story, of how a fiction about impoverished children and public s... more »

Daily Kos: Bus tour with teacherken - we end in Kansas

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Daily Kos: Bus tour with teacherken - we end in Kansas: Bus tour with teacherken - we end in Kansas by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) *Cross-posted from Education Votes of the National Education Association (please visit), for whom I am served as an embedded blogger aboard the Stop the Greed Agenda Bus Tour of Patriot Majority USA* When I say "we: it is because on Friday both buses, the one I was on in the East and the one that had been traveling the West, caught up with one another in Topeka, the state capitol, and then finished the tour at a union hall in Kansas City. Oh yes, an... more »

Honesty | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Honesty | toteachornototeach: *Honesty * by Kevin McCrea *An enlightened citizenry is indispensable for the proper functioning of a republic. Self-government is not possible unless the citizens are educated sufficiently to enable them to exercise oversight. It is therefore imperative that the nation see to it that a suitable education be provided for all its citizens – Thomas Jefferson* As I have watched the recent battles over education in the United States, from the teacher’s strike in Chicago, to the arguments about charter schools in the national election to the debates about ... more »

Diane in the Evening 10-13-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: HOW TO JOIN THE CAMPAIGN FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS by dianerav As a result of many comments on this blog, and in response to a great yearning to raise our voices, many teachers, parents, students, administrators and concerned citizens plan to join together in a mass letter-writing campaign to the President. We want all letters submitted here to this blog or to Anthony Cody no later than October 17. You may write to the White House directly, and the mail address is in the instructions link. But if you do, you will be required to disclose your identity in full. ... more »

Testing resistance heating up in Chicago Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Testing resistance heating up in Chicago: Testing resistance heating up in Chicago by admin FairTest’s Monty Neill, the undisputed leader of the national testing resistance movement, will be in Chicago on Friday, November 2, for a citywide strategy session on fighting Chicago’s standardized testing insanity, and a public forum on testing issues at 7 pm at Xavier University. Anti-testing fever has been heating up ever since the CTU strike, where the issue of excessive and unfair testing and test-based “accountability” as forc... more »

How Can One Teacher be Both the Best and the Worst? A Letter to President Obama - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

How Can One Teacher be Both the Best and the Worst? A Letter to President Obama - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: How Can One Teacher be Both the Best and the Worst? A Letter to President Obama by Anthony Cody Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody I have volunteered to help Diane Ravitch collect and organize letters for the Campaign for our Public Schools, which will culminate on Thursday, October 17. All the letters collected by then will be sent to the White House and to the Department of Education. Instructions on how to send a letter are at the bottom of this post... more »

North Atlanta drama continues. Parents now alarmed over teacher resignation. | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

North Atlanta drama continues. Parents now alarmed over teacher resignation. | Get Schooled: North Atlanta drama continues. Parents now alarmed over teacher resignation. by Maureen Downey I am getting copied on emails between parents at North Atlanta High School and APS, and it doesn’t sound like detente has been reached over the purge of the school’s leadership team a week ago. I am also getting calls now on the resignation of an English/journalism teacher whose hiring created tensions between principal Mark MyGrant and APS, although it remains unclear why. The resignation of Amy ... more »

School Tech Connect: Relentless Spin

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

School Tech Connect: Relentless Spin: Relentless Spin by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Interesting. I covered Brizard’s tenure extensively. He engaged in gross misrepresentations of data and sometimes outright lied. He made promises he didn’t keep. He did one thing while saying another. But I was the only one holding him accountable. The business and political establishment loved the guy. The rest of the media in Rochester, particularly the *Democrat and Chronicle,* did not question the superintendent. (Around the country, the media has been slow to challenge the

On Both Sides of the Border, Teachers Fight Corporatization | MyFDL

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

On Both Sides of the Border, Teachers Fight Corporatization | MyFDL: On Both Sides of the Border, Teachers Fight Corporatization by Michelle Chen The Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación has been fighting for greater respect for Mexican teachers, often against the country's teachers union itself. (Saúl Arroyo Morales / CNTE) Last month, the success of the Chicago teachers’ strike forced the mainstream media to present a rare picture of public school teachers: as organized, defiant and victorious. But prior to the Chicago teachers winning a major deal, there was no s... more »

Karran Royal Thanks You–and Me « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Karran Royal Thanks You–and Me « Diane Ravitch's blog: *http://karran4kids.com/ * Karran Royal Thanks You–and Me by dianerav Yesterday I urged you to send donations to help Karran Harper Royal in her campaign to win a seat on the New Orleans school board. Karran faces an uphill battle against the leader of the charter sector in New Orleans, who has received $110,000 from the supporters of privatization. I sent her $100 via Paypal. Others sent whatever they could: $5, $10, $20, $50, or more. If 1,000 people who read this post each sent Karran $10, we could match the campaign fund of th... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education News Roundup

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education News Roundup: Education News Roundup by Melissa Westbrook Well, look who's opting out of standardized tests? Parents in NYC. It's detailed here from the NY Times. *Ms. Chajet is one of a small but growing number of parent activists in New York City opposed to the system’s emphasis on high-stakes testing. Many of them took part in a boycott of the field tests in June, when parents at 47 public elementary and middle schools of the 1,029 tested had their children sit them out. In their eyes, it was a win-win situation: Children who skip... more »

Karran For Kids | Karran Harper Royal OPSB District 3

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Karran For Kids | Karran Harper Royal OPSB District 3: Karran Harper Royal kickoffs school board campaign By Mason Harrison Longtime education advocate Karran Harper Royal officially kicked off her campaign Thursday evening for the Orleans Parish School Board’s District 3 seat that encompasses parts of Gentilly, Mid-City, Lakeview and the City Park area. During a kick-off event at the Community Book Center, Harper Royal fashioned her campaign a movement to “redefine reform” in the Orleans Parish school system as the debate over how to best overhaul schools in the area continues. H... more »