Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, October 15, 2012

Jersey Jazzman: Newsflash: Students May Be Responsible For Themselves!

Jersey Jazzman: Newsflash: Students May Be Responsible For Themselves!:


Newsflash: Students May Be Responsible For Themselves!

This is going to come as something of a shock to my reformy readers. After all, you all believe "great" teachers can overcome all obstacles to learning, including poverty, racism, and inadequate funding of schools.

But it just may be that students themselves are responsible for their learning gains!
While boredom is a perennial student complaint, emerging research shows it is more than students' not feeling entertained, but rather a "flavor of stress" that can interfere with their ability to learn and even their health. An international group of researchers argues this month in Perspectives on Psychological Science that the 

Students Last: Boris and Natasha Charter A Course To America

Students Last: Boris and Natasha Charter A Course To America:


Boris and Natasha Charter A Course To America


Reality Alert:
Interested in how we came to write this? Read Charter School Financing Gets You A Green Card? The New U.S. Visa Rush

Pass / Fail : Education and the 2012 election: A strategist's analysis | 89.3 KPCC

Pass / Fail : Education and the 2012 election: A strategist's analysis | 89.3 KPCC:


Education and the 2012 election: A strategist's analysis

"The governor [has] got to get out there and say 'Look, this is the California that I envisioned, and in that California, schools play a critical role. It's about the future of our kids. It's about the future of the state and the country. And this is how [Prop.] 30 fits into that," said Darry Sragow, a longtime political strategist. Credit: Julie Small/KPCC
Over the weekend, I spoke with Darry Sragow, an attorney and longtime Democratic strategist, about education's role in the 2012 election. Sragow has worked on several school bond campaigns at L.A. Unified and the Los Angeles Community College District. I picked his brain on the role of education in the national debate this election season. I also got some of his thoughts on the campaigns for Prop. 30 and Prop. 38. Educators 

School Tech Connect: Rogers Park Is Getting Organized

School Tech Connect: Rogers Park Is Getting Organized:


Rogers Park Is Getting Organized

Blogging from the porch tonight. With darkness falling earlier, the dogs want to lie in wait for the raccoons at a pretty early hour.

I don't have much news. it appears that Diane's in town tonight, giving Rahm hell for his terrible education policy. For my part I can only report that Rogers Park is ready for the message.

I attended a local meeting on Sunday of a core group that's ready to stand up to the charter invasion up here. It's always encouraging to go to a meeting where other people are more versed in the issues than you are. We had people aware of the troubles up at the new UNO, and people aware of the Gulen connection at our other local charter.

I always feel like I'm talking to an empty room when I blog about the lackluster Chicago Math and Academy, and its direct connection to a worldwide religious-nationalist phenomenon. But apparently the whole neighborhood 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Boost STEM Learning - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Boost STEM Learning - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):


Basketball Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Serve
as California's After School STEM Ambassador


SACRAMENTO—Basketball legend and New York Times best-selling author Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will help lead efforts to boost after school STEM learning opportunities for California's kids, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today at the California STEM Summit in San Diego.
Education in STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math—is widely considered to be one of the keys to California's economic future. It is a major cornerstone of Torlakson's Blueprint for Great Schools and the focus of a task force he created in the spring.
Abdul-Jabbar—whose Skyhook Foundation aims in part to use STEM education "To Give Kids A Shot That Can't Be Blocked" by helping them aspire to higher educational goals—will serve as the California After School STEM Ambassador, speaking publicly and raising awareness of the importance of education in these subjects.
Torlakson and Abdul-Jabbar appeared together Monday at the California STEM Summit in San Diego to announce the appointment.
"Few things are more important to children's educations and to California's economy than the STEM subjects, and few people have more vision and commitment to making an impact in kids' lives than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar," Torlakson said. "I've long admired Kareem as an athlete, and I'm delighted now to count him as an ally in giving California's kids every chance to succeed, not just in the classroom, but after school as well."
Hall of Famer Abdul-Jabbar, 65, is the NBA's All-Time Leading Scorer, having amassed 38,387 points over a 20-year career. He has won six NBA championships, was league MVP a record six times, has been chosen for a record-setting 19 NBA All-Star teams, was a High School All American, and is the only college graduate in the 75-year history of the NCAA to be named Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament three years in a row.
Since retiring from the game, the man who perfected the "skyhook" has become a speaker, author, film-maker, educator, and Global Cultural Ambassador. His latest book, What Color is My World? The Lost History of African American Inventors, is being used to encourage children to master the STEM subjects in elementary schools all over the United States.
"If America is to maintain our high standard of living, we must continue to innovate," said Abdul-Jabbar. "We are competing with nations many times our size, and STEM learning represents the engines of innovation. With these engines we can lead the world, because knowledge is real power."
This is a one-year appointment. Abdul-Jabbar will make appearances at several after school STEM events throughout the year and promote STEM as a critical issue in both education and the economy.
Abdul-Jabbar will launch a multi-city national tour in 2013in support of STEM Education that includes a 300+ piece memorabilia exhibit that allows kids to see how STEM Education continues to play a role in the business of basketball. More about the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Experience is at Skyhook Foundation External link opens in new window or tab. .
A 2011 U.S. Department of Commerce study, "STEM: Good Jobs Now and For the Future External link opens in new window or tab. ," found that over the past 10 years, growth in jobs involving STEM fields was three times greater than that of non-STEM occupations. The report also forecasts that STEM jobs are expected to continue to grow at a faster rate than others in the coming decade.
Convened by the California STEM Learning Network (CSLNet), the California STEM Summit External link opens in new window or tab. is bringing together business, government, education, nonprofit, and philanthropic leaders to launch new STEM education initiatives to drive improvement in STEM education and workforce development.
# # # #
Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Congratulates California
Winners of the Coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools Award



SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today congratulated 23 California public schools and one private school that have been named by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as national Blue Ribbon Schools for 2011-12.
The list of schools is attached.
"I congratulate these dedicated schools for receiving such a prestigious national honor," said Torlakson, who nominated the schools earlier this year. "This recognition was made possible by motivated teachers, administrators, and staff supported by involved parents who worked together to provide their students a firm foundation for a lifetime of learning."
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a U.S. Department of Education program. BRSP honors public and private schools from elementary through high schools, whose students achieve at very high levels or have made significant progress and helped close gaps in achievement, especially among disadvantaged and minority students.
Public schools are nominated by each Chief State School Officer (CSSO), including the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Based on state data, the CSSO must certify that the nominated schools meet one of two eligibility criteria:
  • Exemplary High-Performing defined as the achievement of the school's students in the most recent year tested places the school among the highest -performing schools in the state on state assessments of reading (or English language arts) and mathematics, and disaggregated results for student subgroups, including students from disadvantaged backgrounds, must be similar to the results for all students tested.
  • Exemplary-Improving defined as schools that have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds and have improved student performance to high levels in English-language arts and mathematics on state assessments or assessments referenced against national norms. Disadvantaged means students eligible for free or reduced-priced meals, who receive Title I services, are limited English proficient, migrant, or in need of special services.
Blue Ribbon Schools will be honored at a national awards ceremony on November 12-13 in Washington, D.C., where each winner will receive a plaque and flag. Blue Ribbon winners may fly this flag at their schools as a mark of excellence and a symbol of quality. In its 30-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed this award on nearly 7,000 of America's schools.
Details of the achievements of the 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools can be found on the U.S. Department of Education's Web site at: National Blue Ribbon Schools External link opens in new window or tab. .
For more information on California's past winners, please visit the California Department of Education's Web site at Blue Ribbon Schools.
Attachment

California Blue Ribbon Public Schools for 2011-12

County
District
School
Alameda
Fremont Unified
J. Haley Durham Elementary
Alameda
Fremont Unified
William Hopkins Junior High
Los Angeles
ABC Unified
Joe A. Gonsalves Elementary
Los Angeles
Arcadia Unified
Baldwin Stocker Elementary
Los Angeles
Bonita Unified
Arma J. Shull Elementary
Los Angeles
Glendale Unified
Anderson W. Clark Magnet High
Los Angeles
Los Angeles Unified
Clover Avenue Elementary
Los Angeles
Newhall
Stevenson Ranch Elementary
Orange
Fullerton Joint Union High
Sunny Hills High
Orange
Los Alamitos Unified
Sharon Christa McAuliffe Middle
Orange
Orange Unified
Fairhaven Elementary
San Bernardino
Redlands Unified
Judson and Brown Elementary
San Diego
San Diego Unified
San Diego International Studies
San Francisco
San Francisco Unified
Alice Fong Yu Alternative School
San Francisco
San Francisco Unified
Lowell High
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Coastal Unified
Teach Elementary
San Mateo
Redwood City Elementary
North Star Academy
San Mateo
Woodside Elementary
Woodside Elementary
Santa Clara
Cupertino Union
R. I. Meyerholz Elementary
Santa Clara
Los Altos Elementary
Oak Avenue Elementary
Santa Clara
Palo Alto Unified
Herbert Hoover Elementary
Santa Clara
Santa Clara Unified
Millikin Elementary
Ventura
Ventura Unified
Foothill Technology High

California Blue Ribbon Private School for 2011-12

County
City
School
Contra Costa
El Cerrito
Tehiyah Day School

# # # #
Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-15-12 #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



Fla. Public Schools Looking to Set Education Goals Based on Race - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 55 minutes ago
Fla. Public Schools Looking to Set Education Goals Based on Race - Hispanically Speaking News: Florida Public Schools Looking to Set Proficiency Goals Based on Race [image: Florida Public Schools Looking to Set Proficiency Goals Based on Race]A Florida school plan which takes students’ race into account when setting proficiency goals is receiving a lot of criticism from both educators and civil rights groups. The plan, which looks to close the state’s immense achievement gap by the 2022-2023 school year, would take into account students’ race and socioeconomic status when setting g... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Munoz warns Byrd-Bennett on school closings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Munoz warns Byrd-Bennett on school closings: Munoz warns Byrd-Bennett on school closings by Mike Klonsky The Tribune reports Brizard had trouble connecting with aldermen almost since he took the job. His avowed support of charter schools made some residents skeptical of his motives, a situation *Ald. Ricardo Munoz *said Byrd-Bennett can avoid by seeking true collaboration on the politically sensitive question of which schools to close. *“As I’m sure (Byrd-Bennett) realizes, she has to have buy-in. With well over 30 members of the City Council signin... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Who's behind Washington state charter initiative? Who do you think?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Who's behind Washington state charter initiative? Who do you think?: Who's behind Washington state charter initiative? Who do you think? by Mike Klonsky Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton gave $1.7M. (Mug Shot)Washington voters have rejected the opening of public charter schools three times — in 1996, 2000 and 2004 — but this time around, big money is pouring in on the side of privately-run charter schools. Valerie Strauss at the Answer Sheet posts: To get an understanding of how America’s wealthiest people are using some of their fortunes to drive s... more »

Diane in the Evening 10-15-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Testing Madness Is Sick by dianerav The Wall Street Journal reports that New York City has adopted a new test for its gifted and talented classes. It is said to be “harder” than the previous test. The Bloomberg administration uses a test as the sole means of getting into these highly coveted classes. Critics say it will reduce the proportion of black and Hispanic students in these classes even lower than it is now, but the test-maker disagrees. Parents who have invested thousands in test prep for the old test are worried. Now they must invest thousands in ... more »

National Health Education Week Kicks Off Today — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
National Health Education Week Kicks Off Today — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Kristen Pekarek]National Health Education Week Kicks Off Today October 15, 2012 by Kristen Pekarek [image: National Health Education Week 2012] National Health Education Week 2012 kicks off today! This year's celebration looks to promote and establish healthy behaviors among U.S. youth through the theme, "Adolescent Health: Planting Seeds for a Healthier Generation." As part of the awareness week, whole child partner the Society for Public Health Education will be offering free resour... more »

RheeFirst! » “Juking the Stats”* in El Paso and DC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
RheeFirst! » “Juking the Stats”* in El Paso and DC: “Juking the Stats”* in El Paso and DC by admin The New York Times reported this weekend about fraudulent student test scores in El Paso and the scandal that led to the superintendent’s jail sentence : “It sounded at first like a familiar story: school administrators, seeking to meet state and federal standards, fraudulently raised students’ scores on crucial exams. “But in the cheating scandal that has shaken the 64,000-student school district in this border city, administrators manipulated more than numbers. They are accused of... more »

News Conference: Clear Channel Comes under Fire for Biased Advertisements Intended to Intimidate Voters « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
News Conference: Clear Channel Comes under Fire for Biased Advertisements Intended to Intimidate Voters « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: News Conference: Clear Channel Comes under Fire for Biased Advertisements Intended to Intimidate Voters by millerlf * Community Leaders Respond to Voter Suppression Billboards-* * Demand Clear Channel Remove Billboards Aimed at Intimidating Voters* Billboard at Corner of Holton and Nash *Today membe... more »

Impact of NCLB waiver on poor schools challenged

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Impact of NCLB waiver on poor schools challenged: Impact of NCLB waiver on poor schools challenged Posted by Valerie Strauss on October 15, 2012 at 2:33 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » President Obama and Arne Duncan talk about NCLB waivers last Feb. 9. (YURI GRIPAS/Reuters) Below is a letter sent today to Education Secretary Arne Duncan from a coalition of organizations, researchers, activists and government officials who are questioning the racial and economic impacts of the No Child Left ... more »

AP Classes Are a Scam - John Tierney - The Atlantic

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
AP Classes Are a Scam - John Tierney - The Atlantic: AP Classes Are a Scam inShare33OCT 13 2012, 8:15 AM ET 132 *The College Board earns over half of all its revenues from the courses -- and, in an uncertain environment, students keep being suckered.* [image: APLogoban.jpg]Fraudulent schemes come in all shapes and sizes. To work, they typically wear a patina of respectability. That's the case with Advanced Placement courses, one of the great frauds currently perpetrated on American high-school students. That's a pretty strong claim, right? You bet. But why not be straightforward whe... more »

Allan Elementary shows solid academic progress in year before charter takeover « A "Fuller" Look at Education Issues

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Allan Elementary shows solid academic progress in year before charter takeover « A "Fuller" Look at Education Issues: Allan Elementary shows solid academic progress in year before charter takeover by Dr. Ed Fuller [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] As Austin-area readers know, the Austin school board decided to hand over Allan elementary school to IDEA Charter Schools based in the Rio Grande Valley. This decision was based partially on the relatively poor performance on the state mandated Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills at Allan (although other Ea... more »

Proposition 32 Divides California's Education Reformers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Proposition 32 Divides California's Education Reformers: Proposition 32 Divides California's Education Reformers by Joy Resmovits When Californians enter voting booths this November, they will face a slew of ballot propositions. Among them will be Proposition 32, a "paycheck protection" measure that the state's labor groups liken to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's union-busting bills. Prop 32 would prevent unions from using dues automatically pulled from employees' paychecks to sponsor political activity. The measure is backed by $4 million from the Koch brothers and the contributio... more »

Debate Watch: Obama, Romney Education Advisers to Square Off Tonight - Politics K-12 - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Debate Watch: Obama, Romney Education Advisers to Square Off Tonight - Politics K-12 - Education Week: Debate Watch: Obama, Romney Education Advisers to Square Off Tonight by Michele McNeil This is the debate before the debate. Two key education advisers are facing off tonight in a debate at Teachers College, Columbia University, which is being co-sponsored by *Education Week *. You can watch it online at 7 p.m. by signing up here. In President Barack Obama's corner is *Jon Schnur*, an education adviser to President Obama who co-founded New Leaders for New Schools and has more recen... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: ADVICE FOR PARENTS WHO WANT TO BE PARTNERS IN THEIR KID’S EDUCATION

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: ADVICE FOR PARENTS WHO WANT TO BE PARTNERS IN THEIR KID’S EDUCATION: ADVICE FOR PARENTS WHO WANT TO BE PARTNERS IN THEIR KID’S EDUCATION BY *SAM MACER*, SPECIAL TO CNN | HTTP://BIT.LY/TN7BF6*[image: Courtesy Lisa Macer]CNN Editor’s Note: Sam Macer** is a PTA dad and foster parent. As the immediate past president of the Maryland PTA and the current president of the Maryland Foster Parent Association, he uses his 30 years of PTA experience to support Maryland’s foster parents as they strive to provide the youth in their care with safety, p... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Ed Roundup for 10-12-12 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): Education Roundup for the Week Ending October 12, 2012 SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Education (CDE) today issued this week's Education Roundup of education-related announcements of public interest. CDE to Participate in Green Ribbon Schools Award Program The CDE will participate once again this year in the U.S. Department of Education's Green Ribbon Schools award program. The award recognizes schools that are taking a comprehensive approach to greening their campuses. This includes environmental learning and posi... more »

A letter to Arne Duncan about the No Child Left Behind Waiver: New Jersey doesn’t want it | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
A letter to Arne Duncan about the No Child Left Behind Waiver: New Jersey doesn’t want it | Seattle Education: A letter to Arne Duncan about the No Child Left Behind Waiver: New Jersey doesn’t want it by seattleducation2011 *Washington State is applying for this No Child Left Behind Waiver.* *Let’s learn from the mistakes of others as we have done with the Race to the Top bribe to privatize our public schools and the beleaguerment of our public school systems across the country by way of charter schools.* *Let us also be concerned with how much this would cost the state in terms of ... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Undermining higher order thinking in the pursuit of the mundane…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Undermining higher order thinking in the pursuit of the mundane…: Undermining higher order thinking in the pursuit of the mundane… by alicemercer [image: What is going on ?] My district has made a strong commitment to starting to switch over to Common Core standards *before* the 2014 deadline. How committed? Folks have been sent to trainings, in the face of a $28M budget shortfall. Hearing what was being brought back, second-hand, was not giving me a good idea of what the district has in mind, so I made the leap of volunteering to go as a re... more »

CULTURE: Parent Attention Gap Behind Class Divide | NewsTaco

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
CULTURE: Parent Attention Gap Behind Class Divide | NewsTaco: CULTURE: Parent Attention Gap Behind Class Divide by NewsTaco By Sam Quiñones, A Reporter’s Blog Fascinating piece in *The Atlantic* online this morning about what’s behind the class chasm in America. The magazine holds that a major reason for* the class divide in this country is the number of kids born into single-parent families*. Or put another way, single-parent families and less parental time spent with kids are both cause and effect of the class divide. More-educated people are more likely to get married later, and ... more »

This post is not about explaining the Illinois Constitutional Amendment on pensions. It is just explaining why it is important for you to vote and get everyone you know to do the same. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
This post is not about explaining the Illinois Constitutional Amendment on pensions. It is just explaining why it is important for you to vote and get everyone you know to do the same. « Fred Klonsky: This post is not about explaining the Illinois Constitutional Amendment on pensions. It is just explaining why it is important for you to vote and get everyone you know to do the same. by Fred Klonsky We have done a good number of blog posts on why the Constitutional Amendment on the November 6th ballot is a bad idea. Not today. This is just about why you need to be sure to vote and ge... more »

Shanker Blog » Looking Backwards Into The Future

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Shanker Blog » Looking Backwards Into The Future: Looking Backwards Into The Future by Eugenia Kemble *This is an adaptation of a recent message to AFT staff and leadership from Eugenia Kemble, on the occasion of her departure as the Albert Shanker Institute’s founding executive director, a position she held from March 1998 through September 2012.* I hope you will accept a few reflections from an old-timer as I leave the Albert Shanker Institute, which was launched with the support of the American Federation of Teachers in 1998, a year after Al’s death. I started in 1967 as a cub r... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, October 15, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Monday, October 15, 2012* Proposition to create school district left off some ballotsA proposition on the Nov. 6 ballot that would create a new Bonsall Unified School District was mistakenly left off the ballots of voters in two areas it would affect. Oxford Prep's Orange County branch suspected of inflating test scoresThe Orange County branch of a well-respected Chino charter school is being investigated by school officials there, who suspect the school's sky-high test scores may have been inflated. How to ... more »

Amendment would let religious groups get public funds | www.palmbeachpost.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Amendment would let religious groups get public funds | www.palmbeachpost.com: Amendment would let religious groups get public fundsSome say its passage may bring a revival of school vouchers. - COMMENT (11) - SHARE - FAVORITE - VOTE (0) By John Kennedy Palm Beach Post Capital Bureau [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] TALLAHASSEE — Florida voters must weigh far-ranging claims from both sides in deciding a proposed constitutional amendment lifting a 127-year-old ban on public money going to religious institutions. Opponents say Amendmen... more »

C. M. Rubin: The Global Search for Education: The Education Debate 2012 -- Diane Ravitch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
C. M. Rubin: The Global Search for Education: The Education Debate 2012 -- Diane Ravitch: The Global Search for Education: The Education Debate 2012 -- Diane Ravitch [image: 2012-10-14-cmrubinworlddianeravitchnationaleducation500.jpg]*"I believe that it is a public duty to provide a good public school with adequate resources and a rich curriculum in every neighborhood." -- Diane Ravitch* Making education a focus during the 2012 election debates is our ongoing goal in The Global Search for Education series. Today I am honored to share the perspectives of Diane Ravitch as we contin... more »

Rating teachers: Ruining the profession and running off good people | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Rating teachers: Ruining the profession and running off good people | Get Schooled: Rating teachers: Ruining the profession and running off good people by Maureen Downey With teacher ratings becoming a reality, many people are expressing concerns about the impact on the profession. I read two great pieces this weekend that I want to share here. (Also, please read the column I ran Friday from *a charter school principal in Atlanta about his concerns over the low value-added score given his school.)* In an op-ed in The New York Times, Deborah Kenny, chief executive and founding pri... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: What They Say vs What They Do

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What They Say vs What They Do: What They Say vs What They Do by Charlie Mas Tell me that I'm not the only one troubled by the wide gap between what the District leadership says - mostly the Board, but senior staff as well - and what they do. They say that they are committed to transparency, but they never offer any. We went through this long process for the BEX IV plan with all kinds of community meetings and you would think that every idea was aired and discussed, but then, at the 11th hour, they interject this weird Jane Addams to Pinehurst ide... more »

My Letter for the Campaign for Our Public Schools « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
My Letter for the Campaign for Our Public Schools « Cooperative Catalyst: My Letter for the Campaign for Our Public Schools by Kristan Morrison Dear President Obama and Senators Webb and Warner, I am a professor of education who helps prepare individuals to be licensed VA school teachers, and who also provides professional development to in-service teachers. I myself have 5 years of public school (and one year of private) middle school teaching experience in NC schools starting in 1996. I write to you today as part of a letter writing campaign (Campaign for Our Public Schools) to... more »

Modern School: Doctor Visits Drop 20%—Life Expectancy for the Poor Drops 5%

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Modern School: Doctor Visits Drop 20%—Life Expectancy for the Poor Drops 5%: Doctor Visits Drop 20%—Life Expectancy for the Poor Drops 5% by Michael Dunn Image from Flickr, by Metro Centric Pretty much everyone I talk to at work or in my neighborhood has been raving about how wonderful Obamacare is going to be. Granted, most of these people are liberals (I do live in San Francisco, after all). And they are correct that Obamacare will offer some advantages over the status quo, particularly for women’s reproductive health, as I described in a recent post*. *It will also no doubt prov... more »

Fisher v Texas, The Oral Argument « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Fisher v Texas, The Oral Argument « Student Activism: Fisher v Texas, The Oral Argument by Angus Johnston The typical Supreme Court oral argument lasts an hour, with the lawyer for the petitioner (whoever brought the suit) taking the first thirty minutes, and the lawyer for the respondent (the other party) taking the second. Each attorney stands at a podium when it’s his or her turn, and gives a presentation on their case to the nine justices. Or tries to. That half hour isn’t just their time for making arguments, it’s also the justices’ time for questioning, and they can — and do ... more »

Teachers United, and Apart, in Washington State - State EdWatch - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Teachers United, and Apart, in Washington State - State EdWatch - Education Week: Teachers United, and Apart, in Washington State by Andrew Ujifusa [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] When I visited the offices of the Kent Education Association south of Seattle, where teachers were manning a phone bank to support Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jay Inslee, there was a white board on one of the walls with a schedule of campaign events for the next few days. But there was also something more lively: a collection of their favorite quotations from Washington residents in respon... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-15-12 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] A Model Letter for October 17 by dianerav The deadline to send emails to the President to support the Campaign for Our Public Schools is October 17. Here are instructions about where to send them. Send them either to this blog or to Anthony Cody at Anthony_Cody@hotmail.com. Below is a model letter for teachers. It can be revised to make it appropriate for parents or anyone else. Write your own letter, in your own words. The Latest Charter Scam by dianerav An earlier post described how Chinese investors can ... more »

UPDATE: Daily Kos: my totally useless sense of what will happen in the election

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Daily Kos: my totally useless sense of what will happen in the election: my totally useless sense of what will happen in the election by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Let's start with the presidential. I am not yet ready to lock down percentages or electoral votes, but I have not swayed from this - Obama will win by at least 4% in the popular vote and at least 303 electoral votes. On EV calculation - the states he won last time now have 359 EV, from which I subtract IN and 2nd CD of NE for a starting baseline of 347. He will at worst lose FL and NC, which is how I get to 303. I ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: It's Time To Get Real About Charter Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: It's Time To Get Real About Charter Schools: It's Time To Get Real About Charter Schools by Duke [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Paul Thomas tweeted a funny: If u posted a blog about the need 4 more giraffes in elementary school lunch rooms, 57 charter advocates would post comments about charters All too true: check out the discussion here, for example. Charter cheerleaders are relentless; evangelical soldiers in the reform wars, they are absolutely convinced that charters are laboratories full of innovation and creativity. And it matte... more »

NYC Educator: ATR-Clear and Present Danger

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
NYC Educator: ATR-Clear and Present Danger: ATR-Clear and Present Danger by NYC Educator *by special guest blogger Suddenly ATR * It was rainy, 5:30 in the morning, cold, and I was headed for my new weekly assignment. I don't have a car so the commute to this new school is over an hour and a half and they start soon after 7 in the morning. Two subway and bus transfers later, I finally arrived at the school. I was immediately given my coverage assignments and then sent to talk to the AP. Her first question shocked me: "Have you ever been brought up on disciplinary

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky Byrd-BennettBarbara Byrd-Bennett (for future reference) *“I’m here for the long haul. I don’t know what to do other than sign in blood. . . . I’m here. I’m not gonna say ‘I’m outta here.’ That’s not who I am.”* -- Chicago's 4th CEO in last 2 years. Michelle Gunderson ‏ *It takes a Chia Pet longer to grow than the 6 weekends a person spends at the Broad Academy training to be a superintendent.* -- Tweeting @MSGunderson Dan Quinn, Texas Freedom Network * "That's where all these culture war battles w... more »

The poster child for Education Reform’s fraudulent performance evaluation movement - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
The poster child for Education Reform’s fraudulent performance evaluation movement - Wait, What?: The poster child for Education Reform’s fraudulent performance evaluation movement by jonpelto The story of how Hartford’s Superintendent of Schools Christina Kishimoto got a poor performance evaluation, yet got her raise AND still wanted her performance bonus. Teacher Evaluations are the key to “Education Reform, at least according to Governor Malloy, Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor and the “education reformers.” Last February, Governor Malloy defined the issue when ... more »

Rich siblings spend big bucks to affect California education funding

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Rich siblings spend big bucks to affect California education funding: Rich siblings spend big bucks to affect California education funding Posted by Valerie Strauss on October 14, 2012 at 11:08 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Molly Munger ( Rich Pedroncelli/AP) *The Munger siblings vs. California Gov. Jerry Brown*: Here is this week’s case study in our continuing look at how billionaires (and millionaires) are throwing around their money to drive education reform. Last week I wrote about a... more »

Schools Matter: Progressive Eugenics and Liberal Institutions

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Schools Matter: Progressive Eugenics and Liberal Institutions: Progressive Eugenics and Liberal Institutions by Storm For a time I was a fan of Jane's Addiction (everyone was doing it), but that "Been Caught Stealin'" song was really one of their least interesting off of their break-out album *Ritual de lo Habitual*. I was partial though to the prior album *Nothing's Shocking *and particularly amazed at the song "Pigs in Zen." Now I won't share those lyrics here, but I will tell you that I think they're very appropriate to our national (and by that I mean everyone) somnolence. ... more »

Schools Confront Scandal; Students Who ‘Disappeared’ at Test TimeSave Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Schools Confront Scandal; Students Who ‘Disappeared’ at Test TimeSave Our Schools: Schools Confront Scandal; Students Who ‘Disappeared’ at Test Time by Server El Paso Schools Scandal; Students Who ‘Disappeared’ at Test TimeBy MANNY FERNANDEZ *Originally Published October 12, 2012.* *The New York Times* EL PASO — It sounded at first like a familiar story: school administrators, seeking to meet state and federal standards, fraudulently raised students’ scores on crucial exams. . But in the cheating scandal that has shaken the 64,000-student school district in this border city, admini... more »

Support Anti-Bullying Day, Oppose Right Wing Christian Group’s Homophobia « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Support Anti-Bullying Day, Oppose Right Wing Christian Group’s Homophobia « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Support Anti-Bullying Day, Oppose Right Wing Christian Group’s Homophobia by millerlf *Christian Group Finds Gay Agenda in an Anti-Bullying Day* *By KIM SEVERSON October 14,2012 NY Times* On Mix It Up at Lunch Day, schoolchildren around the country are encouraged to hang out with someone they normally might not speak to. The program, started 11 years ago by the Southern Poverty Law Center and now in more than 2,500 schools, was intended as a way to break up cliques... more »

Expeditionary Learning Charter for Toki? | AMPS

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Expeditionary Learning Charter for Toki? | AMPS: Expeditionary Learning Charter for Toki? by Thomas J. Mertz The Replacements – “I Don’t Know” (click to listen or download). The biggest item on the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education committee agendas this weekis the “Expeditionary Learning Model at Toki Middle School and Timeline” before the Planning and Development Committee (Monday, October 15, 2012, 6:30 p.m. Doyle Administration Building, Room 103, there are Public Appearances on the agenda). The proposal is to convert Toki Middle School from a district ... more »

Student success, Georgia economy threatened by state’s declining support | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Student success, Georgia economy threatened by state’s declining support | Get Schooled: Student success, Georgia economy threatened by state’s declining support by Maureen Downey Taifa S. Butler is the deputy director of *Georgia Budget & Policy Institute,* which will release a survey today of Georgia’s 180 school districts on the impact of state funding cuts. The 150 districts that responded too the survey educate more than 92 percent of the students in public schools. The survey found that the state’s lack of support for education diminishes learning opportunities for students ... more »

New CPS CEO Byrd-Bennett does well by the CEO circuit. A revolving door of payouts. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
New CPS CEO Byrd-Bennett does well by the CEO circuit. A revolving door of payouts. « Fred Klonsky: New CPS CEO Byrd-Bennett does well by the CEO circuit. A revolving door of payouts. by Fred Klonsky Chicago teachers, who lost some ground on the issue of sick and personal days in the last contract, might find an ally in the new CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett. Byrd Bennett has done rather well on the CEO circuit – New York, Cleveland, Detroit. Among the rewards she was given when she left her Cleveland job was a payout of 140 sick days for the seven years she was there. When she left Cl... more »

How Did the Quebec Student Movement Win? | Dissident Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
How Did the Quebec Student Movement Win? | Dissident Voice: How Did the Quebec Student Movement Win? by subMedia For over 4 months, students and their allies, took over the streets of Montreal every day, to protest a tuition hike imposed by the liberal party in Quebec. On September 21st, the newly elected Premier of Quebec scrapped the tuition hike and repealed a controversial law, that effectively banned public demonstrations. While this is being touted as a victory by many in the student movement, one element that made this success possible is already being overshadowed. How the ...more »

LAUSD: WHERE SOCIAL PROMOTION REMAINS UNADDRESSED - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
LAUSD: WHERE SOCIAL PROMOTION REMAINS UNADDRESSED - Perdaily.com: LAUSD: WHERE SOCIAL PROMOTION REMAINS UNADDRESSED by Leonard Isenberg [image: Heist.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) Probably the greatest antidote for too much government is a well educated and self-sufficient citizenry. Clearly, the way this self-sufficiency has been achieved in the past is through excellent public education. For conservatives who now decry the intrusion of too much government, one must wonder why public education i... more »

Study reveals ADHD children’s views on drugs, doctors | The Raw Story

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Study reveals ADHD children’s views on drugs, doctors | The Raw Story: Study reveals ADHD children’s views on drugs, doctors by Sarah Boseley, The Guardian [image: Boy smells something bad via Shutterstock] Topics: ADHD ♦ ADHD children ♦ Dr Ilina Singh *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 ... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
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 bef... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: Disproportionality in special ed poses new federal hazard to districts Print this articleDisproportionality 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... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
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.... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
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 A... more »

Peg with Pen: Teaching President Obama the Conditions for Learning

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
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 17th. 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 bas... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
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 ExchangeThis class is my biggest challenge. I keep my most challenging students, and add a batch of talkative/attention-challenged kids from the oth... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Hot Week for Seattle Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 day 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 day 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. El Paso Cheating Scandal: who Is Next? by dianerav http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/education/el-paso-rattled-by-scandal-of-disappeared-students.html?hpw THIS is what Bush/Spellings/Obama/Duncan/Bloomberg/Kle... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 »