Diane in the Evening 10-23-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Love Us Less. Respect Us More.

by dianerav

The blogger known as Students Last usually writes parodies.
But the last Presidential debate made him turn serious.
Both candidates said they “love teachers.”
Yes, everyone really, really loves teachers.
Students Last couldn’t stand the fake love and wrote this:
We know you come to this site for a laugh but some things are just NOT funny. Here’s a non-satirical editorial 

Teacher: How the DC Public Schools Ruined My Career

by dianerav

As a former DCPS teacher from 2008-2012, this system stressed me out so much so that now I’m on 6 different medications. Teaching is the least respected profession in this country, which is sad considering teachers go to college to earn a degree to teach, pay this high price tuition, get a teaching position, deal with the day to day issues with students, raise other peoples children, pull money out of our pockets for supplies, trips, food, absorb their problems, deal with an administration that says things like “you teachers ain’t s#%t”, and the likes of all I just stated. And yes, someone of position told me and another teacher to our face that “you teachers ain’t !@#$. The way I see it, the school system overall is doomed to fail….is that what the people up top want? I think so. Some things are set up to fail and unfortunately teachers are too. I was set up.

Why Learning Math Is Political | The Jose Vilson

Why Learning Math Is Political | The Jose Vilson:

Why Learning Math Is Political

by Jose

Paul Ryan Cartoon

For my own professional development, I picked up the book Radical Equations: Math Literacy and Civil Rights by Robert Moses. The book equates the struggles Moses had with developing voter representations amongst the most underrepresented in the South with developing math knowledge / pedagogy into the curriculum in America’s classrooms. Observe:

So algebra, once solely in place as the gatekeeper for higher math and the priesthood who gained access to it, now is the gatekeeper for citizenship; and people who don’t have it are like the people who couldn’t read and write int he industrial age. But because of how access to – the learning of – algebra was organized in the industrial era, its place in society under the old jurisdiction, it has become not a barrier to college entrance, but a barrier to citizenship.

When people tell me that they weren’t born to do math, a small part of me wonders about the ramifications of 

School Tech Connect: Pensions, Judges, Dogs....

School Tech Connect: Pensions, Judges, Dogs....:

Pensions, Judges, Dogs....

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

Night Two of intensive care here on the kitchen floor. I feel like the Bean has turned a corner--- she's showing mild interest in the idea of food. As in, she can stand to be in the same room as it.

Anyway, a little birdy pointed me to this well-done story on the constitutional amendment by Amanda Vinicky. There's a sound file on the story--- you can't embed it but it's worth a listen. At the 40 second mark, Speaker Madigan refers to the legislature in a weirdly detached voice, as if his career were somehow separated from the actions of that august body. When my own father became this delusional, we locked him up.*

It is possible that I'm misunderstanding the clip, and that it's not Madigan speaking about the legislature. I 

The Cure for Romnesia

Barack Obama:

 The Cure for Romnesia

 The Cure for Romnesia

The Cure for Romnesia

The Cure for Romnesia

The Cure for Romnesia

The Cure for Romnesia

The Cure for Romnesia

New college program targets students with grit, not high test scores - latimes.com

New college program targets students with grit, not high test scores - latimes.com:

New college program targets students with grit, not high test scores

A new college program that will primarily select students by personal characteristics -– grit, resiliency and motivation –- rather than test scores began accepting applications this week for campuses in California and Colorado.
Portmont College at Mount St. Mary’s aims to give students who have “the will but not the way” high-quality, personalized programs featuring online learning, success coaches and other services -- all for the bargain price of $5,240 per year.
The program, which will initially launch with a few hundred students in San Francisco and Denver, is a nonprofit joint venture between Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles and MyCollege Foundation, a charity of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation has donated $3 million to the effort.
“If you think about the American dream as offering a fair shot to all, it’s not as fair as it used to be,” Srikant Vasan, Portmont's founder and president, said Tuesday.  “This is our opportunity to make the dream true again.”
The required personal characteristics will be determined through an interview, psychological test and initial online 

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-23-12 #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

The in box. Responding to Ty Fahner about the Constitutional Amendment. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 minutes ago

The in box. Responding to Ty Fahner about the Constitutional Amendment. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Responding to Ty Fahner about the Constitutional Amendment. by Fred Klonsky Fred, *I received the following e-mails from a friend, and I wanted to know how YOU would respond to them. Thanks, Esther Allman* *Below are two emails that I received in response to my sending out my own emails to all of my friends and family to vote NO against the amendment. What arguments can be used to respond to these type of messages? Or does mean that we are in a tough battle and the lines are drawn?*... more »

Duncan Emphasizes Teacher Quality Over Class Sizes – SchoolBook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 27 minutes ago

Duncan Emphasizes Teacher Quality Over Class Sizes – SchoolBook: Duncan Emphasizes Teacher Quality Over Class Sizes by Yasmeen Khan When asked to rank the importance of class size among criteria for improving education, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan put it behind teacher quality although he said “in an ideal world” class sizes would be smaller. “I have yet to go to a great school that doesn’t have a great principal; you need a great teacher in every single classroom,” Duncan said during a tour of Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-Tech) in Brooklyn. In th... more »

Mitt Romney's 'I Love Teachers' Remark Spurs Fake Valentine From Union

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 33 minutes ago

Mitt Romney's 'I Love Teachers' Remark Spurs Fake Valentine From Union: Mitt Romney's 'I Love Teachers' Remark Spurs Fake Valentine From Union by Joy Resmovits [image: mitt romney i love teachers] Just how much does Mitt Romney love teachers? "I love teachers," he said repeatedly during a spirited exchange in Monday night's foreign policy debate that went off topic, to the annoyance of moderator Bob Schieffer, and delved into teacher hiring policies. But Romney also said he doesn't think the federal government should pay to hire teachers, even at a time when so many school syst... more »

Jersey Jazzman: No Matter What You Call It, It's Still Merit Pay

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 36 minutes ago

Jersey Jazzman: No Matter What You Call It, It's Still Merit Pay: No Matter What You Call It, It's Still Merit Pay by Duke Folks, considering my record on merit pay, I think I have been more than fair regarding the Newark contract. I've been laying out the facts and what I believe are the long-term consequences - that's it. While I believe this contract has ramifications for every teacher in New Jersey, I haven't called for rejecting the deal outright because it's not my place to make that call. And I understand as well as anyone that in negotiations you sometimes have to take w... more »

Did Nixon Win the Popular Vote in 1960? « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 37 minutes ago

Did Nixon Win the Popular Vote in 1960? « Student Activism: Did Nixon Win the Popular Vote in 1960? by Angus Johnston In a blogpost yesterday on the Electoral College, NY Times columnist Ross Douthat reported that “if you believe Sean Trende’s fascinating analysis,” Richard Nixon won the popular vote in the 1960 presidential election. I hadn’t seen this claim before, and I’m a dork, so I popped over to take a look. Trende’s piece, published over the weekend, notes that in 1960 Alabama voters didn’t vote for presidential candidates, but for individual electors, and that they we all... more »

Voucher law questioned in desegregation case | The Advertiser | theadvertiser.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Voucher law questioned in desegregation case | The Advertiser | theadvertiser.com: Voucher law questioned in desegregation case NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana's education chief has been summoned to federal court in a case involving the state's new school voucher law and a 47-year-old desegregation case. U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle has ordered White and the state education board to come to federal court in New Orleans next Tuesday. The Tangipahoa school system argues that the voucher law, which pays private school tuition for some lower-income students from low-performing school... more »

The next day the debate made me angry. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

The next day the debate made me angry. « Fred Klonsky: The next day the debate made me angry. by Fred Klonsky I laughed at Obama’s line about horses and bayonets. I chuckled at some of the clever Romney-bashing tweets that I followed simultaneously while watching the two of them. At one point I turned to Anne and asked if she thought Romney actually looked ill, as if he were about to throw up? I watched about a half hour of the post-debate spin on MSNBC and CNN. I agreed that Obama won on points. Then I went to bed. But this morning I woke up

Jersey Jazzman: Fact: Some Newark Merit Pay Will Go To the Wrong Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Fact: Some Newark Merit Pay Will Go To the Wrong Teachers: Fact: Some Newark Merit Pay Will Go To the Wrong Teachers by Duke * but only if they adhere to a merit pay program.* The teachers of Newark have a decision to make: they can accept a large sum of private money and settle their contract... but only if they adhere to a merit pay program. I am not about to tell anyone what to do, but I do feel compelled to lay out the facts. And one fact is for certain: If the merit pay bonuses are based on the state-mandated four-tier evaluation system, *at least some of the... more »

How to Balance the Art & Science of Teaching

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

How to Balance the Art & Science of Teaching: How to Balance the Art & Science of Teaching by Sam Recently, I gave a TED talk outlining why I think we’re in the midst of the most exciting and difficult time to be a teacher in American history. These sorts of things are always an imperfect effort to inject new ideas into the stratosphere, but I received lots of nice comments and feedback, including some observations that only a mom – my mom – would share (“Your posture was very relaxed, and you never even said ‘um’!”). It was another thing my mother said that struck me, though. “Do y... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Consulting companies the bain of public space, schools...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Consulting companies the bain of public space, schools...: Consulting companies the bain of public space, schools... by Mike Klonsky BSGDaniel Denvir has a great post over at The Atlantic Cities blog, "As Local Governments Shrink, Private Consultants Reap Rewards." Denvir describes the trend of supplanting public space and decision making with corporate consulting companies. One of the main proponents of this strategy is Mitt Romney, who started in business with the Boston Consulting Company. After leaving BCG, Mitt Romney went on to work at Bain... more »

Why Do Some of America's Wealthiest Individuals Have Fingers in Louisiana's Education System? | The Nation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Why Do Some of America's Wealthiest Individuals Have Fingers in Louisiana's Education System? | The Nation: Why Do Some of America's Wealthiest Individuals Have Fingers in Louisiana's Education System? Matthew Cunningham-Cook October 17, 2012 [image: Louisiana school board elections] Last fall, a coterie of extremely wealthy billionaires, among them New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, turned the races for unpaid positions on the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) into some of the most expensive in the state’s history. Seven pro-education “reform” ca... more »

The California Majority Report // STATE'S TOP EDUCATION LEADERS TORLAKSON AND O’CONNELL SAY NO ON PROPOSITION 31

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

The California Majority Report // STATE'S TOP EDUCATION LEADERS TORLAKSON AND O’CONNELL SAY NO ON PROPOSITION 31: NO ON PROPOSITION 31 California State Sen. Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and his predecessor in that position, former State Sen. Jack O’Connell, today announced their opposition to Prop 31, a ballot measure that would cap state spending on education. “With our schools in the midst of a financial emergency, the last thing California needs is to shift millions of dollars away from education – yet that’s exactly what Prop. 31 does,” said Torklason. “A... more »

The changing blame game in U.S. education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

The changing blame game in U.S. education: The changing blame game in U.S. education Posted by Valerie Strauss on October 23, 2012 at 12:15 pm Teachers have felt under such heavy assault for the past several years by school reformers intent on using assessment methods that experts say are invalid, reducing their collective bargaining rights and other actions that it may be hard to remember that it wasn’t always this way. In the following post, Larry Cuban, a former superintendent of Arlington Public Schools, writes about the changing “blame game” in American education. Cuban was s... more »

Like Romney, Obama Admin Has Supported Larger Class Sizes. Parents and Teachers Don’t Like It - Dana Goldstein

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Like Romney, Obama Admin Has Supported Larger Class Sizes. Parents and Teachers Don’t Like It - Dana Goldstein: Like Romney, Obama Admin Has Supported Larger Class Sizes. Parents and Teachers Don’t Like It by Dana Goldstein Despite moderator Bob Schieffer’s wrongheaded assertion that education isn’t a foreign policy issue, class size emerged as a flash point at Monday night’s debate. President Obama boasted about his administration’s record on saving teaching positions and spoke about his plan to hire more math and science educators in particular, which he argued would help Americ... more »

Miami-Dade Crowned Most Improved Urban School District - US News and World Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Miami-Dade Crowned Most Improved Urban School District - US News and World Report: Miami-Dade Crowned Most Improved Urban School DistrictGains in college readiness and student achievement helped the five-time finalist win the Broad Prize. By KELSEY SHEEHY October 23, 2012 RSS Feed Print [image: Gains in graduation rates and college readiness helped Miami-Dade win the 2012 Broad Prize for Urban Education.] Gains in graduation rates and college readiness helped Miami-Dade win the 2012 Broad Prize for Urban Education. Strong and steady won the race for Miami-Dade County Public School... more »

Program Improvement, Corrective Action and/or Restructuring With new AYP data comes corrective action and restructuring demands SI&A Cabinet Report.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *With new AYP data comes corrective action and restructuring demands * *By Rick Carder* Tuesday, October 23, 2012 With the California Department of Education’s release of 2012 Adequate Yearly Progress data some of your schools may have been identified for advanced stages of Program Improvement, Corrective Action and/or Restructuring. Additionally, you may have some schools exiting PI identification. Last week *“Categorical Connection”* provided information regarding the CDE waiver request for the current year 14-day parental notification man... more »

HechingerEd Blog | Survey: Today’s teaching force is less experienced, more open to change

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

HechingerEd Blog | Survey: Today’s teaching force is less experienced, more open to change: Survey: Today’s teaching force is less experienced, more open to change by Jackie Mader More inexperienced teachers are in today’s classrooms than ever before and they are more open than their veteran colleagues to performance-driven options for how they’re evaluated and paid, according to the results of a new survey conducted by the Boston-based nonprofit Teach Plus. For the first time in decades, more than 50 percent of the nation’s teaching force is comprised of teachers who have been in t... more »

The Passions of Ann Romney: Horses, Charter Schools | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

The Passions of Ann Romney: Horses, Charter Schools | EduShyster The Passion of Ann Romney: Horses, Charter Schools by edushyster2012 In a new interview with *Good Housekeeping* Ann Romney reveals that her major passions include horses and charter schools. Reader, I have been so worried about what will happen to the most vulnerable among us should Mitt Romney win the election: children Democrats for Education Reform. What if, even though DFER’s positions on education are straight out of the ALEC playbook, these scrappy ascot wearing advocates for reform should find themselves withou... more »

PSAT for 10-23-12: Why wait to vote on an elected school board in Chicago? Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 10-23-12: Why wait to vote on an elected school board in Chicago? PSAT for 10-23-12: Why wait to vote on an elected school board in Chicago? by admin Early voting started yesterday and most Chicagoans have a special opportunity this fall to make our voices heard on the issue of an elected school board, thanks to the determined hard work of a group of Chicago Public School parents and others who collected thousands of signatures on petitions, enough to get a referendum on the ballot in about half of Chicago’s voting p... more »

A memory of Russell Means, who I never met. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

A memory of Russell Means, who I never met. « Fred Klonsky A memory of Russell Means, who I never met. by Fred Klonsky Russell Means died yesterday at the age of 72. Means was a leader of the American Indian Movement that led the upraising at Wounded Knee in 1973. I never met him. I would have liked to. In 1973 I drove my 1968 little green Volkswagon in my move from LA to Chicago. All across the western part of the US I followed the events at Wounded Knee on the radio. At a stop in Gallup, New Mexico local Native people were protesting the shooting of a young Native teenager by the ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Vote on eliminating reporting on class size and TCUs postponed

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Vote on eliminating reporting on class size and TCUs postponed Vote on eliminating reporting on class size and TCUs postponed by Molly The mayor has established a Report & Advisory Board Review Commission through a charter amendment, which is supposed to decide which legally-mandated reporting requirements should be eliminated. The Commission has a majority of mayoral appointees and has the authority to override city law. DOE proposed the elimination of the November class size report and the annual report on TCUs or school trailers, making claims abou... more »

Early UPDATE: Diane in the Afternoon 10-23-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog Paul Tough’s How Children Succeed by dianerav While I was traveling in the Midwest, visiting states like Ohio and Michigan where public education is under attack, I read Paul Tough’s new book *How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character*. I read it the way I like to read when a book is important, with frequent underlining and occasional stars and asterisks. I found much to like in it. For one thing, Tough directly refutes the privatizers’ claim that poverty doesn’t matter. The book makes clear through the personal stories of youn... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, October 23, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team Education Headlines *Tuesday, October 23, 2012* Hanson asks community to help Fresno UnifiedFresno Unified Superintendent Michael Hanson gave a personal and sometimes emotional state-of-the district address Monday, calling on education, community and business leaders to stay connected for the future of the city's children. Measure E tax plan figures into Davis school board raceThe candidates voters choose for the two open seats this November will have a daunting task ahead of them: how to preserve programs, maintain class sizes and ...more »

SOCIAL JUSTICE MAN is Here! | EduSanity

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

SOCIAL JUSTICE MAN is Here! | EduSanity: SOCIAL JUSTICE MAN is Here! October 23, 2012 by jendacott Last week I had the pleasure of listening to a talk by Dr. P.L. Thomas, an Associate Professor at Furman University and author of Ignoring Poverty In the U.S.: The Corporate Takeover of Public Education. Dr. Thomas had much to say about the problems that childhood poverty causes in the United States in regards to education. For example, while many European countries that we compare ourselves to with the almighty test score have childhood poverty rates below 10%, the United States has... more »

Modern School: Lack-of-School-to-Prison Pipeline

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Modern School: Lack-of-School-to-Prison Pipeline: Lack-of-School-to-Prison Pipeline by Michael Dunn Image from Flickr, by aclu.socal We often hear of the school-to-prison pipeline, where kids exit our public education system poorly educated and without a diploma or skills, leaving them vulnerable to unemployment and a future life of crime. While this is clearly a bombastic overstatement, it is true that prisoners tend to be less literate and educated than society at large. Indeed, some estimates indicate that as many as 66% of California’s inmates are reading below a 9th-grade read... more »

Help now! A call to action on the No on Initiative 1240 campaign. | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Help now! A call to action on the No on Initiative 1240 campaign. | Seattle Education: Help now! A call to action on the No on Initiative 1240 campaign. by seattleducation2011 What do we want? DIRECT VOTER CONTACT! When do we want it? NOW! Help People for Our Public Schools reach voters this week and tell them to vote NO on I-1240! To paraphrase Mr. Rogers, YOU are the only YOU there is. And we need YOU to help us now!! *1. Phone bank* – THIS WEEK, Tuesday Oct 23, Wednesday Oct 24 and Thursday Oct 25 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at our office in Seattle, 1914 N. 34th Street, Suite 20... more »

Ed Notes Online: Washington Irving Campus Acts Up Against Eva Moskowitz Invasion

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Washington Irving Campus Acts Up Against Eva Moskowitz Invasion: Washington Irving Campus Acts Up Against Eva Moskowitz Invasion by ed notes online Evil has been given a reported 27 rooms in the school, prime real estate located in the heart of Gramercy Park, the most outrageous land grab since the railroad barons. Public Hearing: Nov. 1, 6PM - *Anti Moskowitz Co-location Rally at Washington Irving* *October 18, 2012* Video at: http://vimeo.com/m/51866144 We made this happen today! Against all odds (a beaten down rest staff of the phasing out original school, 2 b... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Odd Corners of I-1240

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Odd Corners of I-1240: Odd Corners of I-1240 by Charlie Mas There are some potential consequences of I-1240 which have not been much discussed. [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] The proponents of the initiative are proud to say that the teachers in the charter schools will have to meet the same certification requirements as public school teachers. That's true, but it neglects to consider how the charter schools are much more likely to hire many more teachers with conditional certificates. As we know, the state doesn't make any effort whatsoev... more »

Schools Matter: A Common Reading of the Insidious State

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Schools Matter: A Common Reading of the Insidious State: A Common Reading of the Insidious State by Storm Dear Principal, My child will be absent for three days to visit grandparents out of state. Besides this form of notification (email) is there anything else that needs to be done to assure you take proper note of this absence? Sincerely, Child's Parent *** Dear Child's Parent, Thank you for this communication. Per School Board Policy students are allowed 10 excused/unexcused absences before any action would be

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Binders of horses and bayonets

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Binders of horses and bayonets: Binders of horses and bayonets by Mike Klonsky *"There were no binders full of women at the final presidential debate on Monday, but there were certainly horses and bayonets."* -- Huffington Post *"I love teachers"* -- Mitt Romney * "I think we all love teachers"* -- Bob Schieffer Sharpton spun it best, comparing Romney to a boxer clinching and holding on to his opponent just to keep from getting knocked out. Romney handlers knew that few among his right-wing base gave a crap about his foreign policy positions, thei... more »

As they say in public radio, it’s never too late to donate - Wait, What? needs your help - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

As they say in public radio, it’s never too late to donate - Wait, What? needs your help - Wait, What?: It is 10 A.M. on a School Day: Do you known what your children are doing? by jonpelto *At school, learning may not be the correct answer.* Thanks to the “education reform” movement, standardized testing now appears to be the Number #1 priority of public education. Governor Malloy’s 2012 “Education Reform” bill proposed a new standardized test for 11thgrade and ended with new standardized tests and assessments for kindergarten through second grade. Meanwhile, the new teacher evalu... more »

Beyond Charter Schools: Thinking About Public Education's Future - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Beyond Charter Schools: Thinking About Public Education's Future - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Beyond Charter Schools: Thinking About Public Education's Future by Pedro Noguera Dear Deborah, I hope that you enjoyed your time in Belgium and returned with some interesting stories to share about the schools there. Although Belgium is not one of the countries typically cited as an example of educational innovation and success that we can learn from, I imagine that like other nations in Western Europe that have a strong social-welfare system, its education policies must be v... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Your Future is Not in Your Hands.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Your Future is Not in Your Hands.: Your Future is Not in Your Hands. by stlgretchen Educational tidbit for the Day: The government is here to plan your life via data tracking. You are incapable of making your own decisions. Below is a short video explaining how the Oklahoma P20 Statewide Longitudinal Data System will operate and how it will place students in jobs based on data gathered on them from birth. This data is not so much for education as it is to provide workforce data and how that student's data will (or will not) fit employers' specifica... more »

Governor Quinn brings Diane Ravitch to Chicago | Bleader

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Governor Quinn brings Diane Ravitch to Chicago | Bleader: Governor Quinn brings Diane Ravitch to ChicagoPosted by Ben Joravsky today at 06.45 AM [image: Diane Ravitch] - - Diane Ravitch For many years, Chicago's been ground zero for what passes as school reform—bashing teachers, busting teacher unions, doling out millions to the mayor’s charter school cronies and forcing kids to take one high-stakes standardized test after another. And for much of that time, the sharpest voice of opposition to all those things on the national level has been education historian Diane Ravi... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-23-12 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] Bobby Jindal’s Little White Lies by dianerav Voters in one of Louisiana’s high-performing school districts are angry that their public schools will lose funding to pay for Governor Bobby Jindal’s harebrained voucher scheme, which sends students to backwoods fundamentalist schools that teach religious doctrine. Jindal insisted that this could not possibly be true, that the vouchers were drawing money from someplace else, not from local taxes. Where does he think taxes come from? Is there a reserve fund in th... more »

solidaridad: Second Community Based LAUSD District 2 Candidate Forum Announced

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

solidaridad: Second Community Based LAUSD District 2 Candidate Forum Announced: Second Community Based LAUSD District 2 Candidate Forum Announced by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene I am honored to have been invited to this event and am looking forward to discussing critical education issues. Many thanks to the *District 2 Neighborhood Coalition* for organizing these forums. Thanks to PESJA, CARECEN, MALDEF, and others for endorsing the event. Popout A very prominent candidate was missing from the first forum...

10 great education tweets from debate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

10 great education tweets from debate: 10 great education tweets from debate Posted by Valerie Strauss on October 23, 2012 at 12:30 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - - - - Highlights from Monday’s debate between President Obama and Governor Romney at Lynn University. (The Washington Post) Monday night’s debate between President Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney was supposed to be exclusively about foreign policy, but education came up anyway (though not, it should be noted, in any illuminating way.) Here are some of... more »

Common Core will falter if global competitiveness is sole goal | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Common Core will falter if global competitiveness is sole goal | EdSource Today: Common Core will falter if global competitiveness is sole goal ** October 23rd, 2012 | Add a Comment | By Merrill Vargo Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services [image: Merrill Vargo] Merrill Vargo Why have public schools anyway? We’ve all heard the answer: Public schools are the engine of our economy, the cornerstone of our democracy, and the avenue for individuals to achieve their dreams. This list of goals sounds like mere rhetoric, but these three g... more »

A Binder Full of Bad Ideas | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

A Binder Full of Bad Ideas | toteachornototeach: A Binder Full of Bad Ideas by aristotlethewise *A Binder Full of Bad Ideas* by Randi WeingartenEarlier this year at a roundtable discussion in Colorado, Mitt Romney was talking about education — extolling the virtues of private schools and vouchers, and criticizing public schools and teachers unions. When a teacher participating in the discussion tried to offer her perspective, Romney shot back: “I didn’t ask you a question.” But teachers, like many other Americans, have questions about Romney’s policies and proposals. They worry abo... more »

Daily Kos: NY Times slams Romney for final debate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Daily Kos: NY Times slams Romney for final debate: NY Times slams Romney for final debate by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) in an editorial titled simply The Final Debate Here's the first paragraph: Mitt Romney has nothing really coherent or substantive to say about domestic policy, but at least he can sound energetic and confident about it. On foreign policy, the subject of Monday night’s final presidential debate, he had little coherent to say and often sounded completely lost. That’s because he has no original ideas of substance on most world issues, including Syria, Iran and ... more »

Legacies of the Civil Rights Era: Accountability and Attention to Poverty (John Spencer) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Legacies of the Civil Rights Era: Accountability and Attention to Poverty (John Spencer) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Legacies of the Civil Rights Era: Accountability and Attention to Poverty (John Spencer) by larrycuban *John P. Spencer is a former high school social studies teacher and an associate professor in the Education department at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania. He is the author of In the Crossfire: Marcus Foster and the Troubled History of American School Reform**.* * *The past decade has brought a steady stream of commentary on how education... more »

Students Last: Not Our Usual Fare

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Students Last: Not Our Usual Fare: Not Our Usual Fare by Students Last *We know you come to this site for a laugh but some things are just NOT funny. Here's a non-satirical editorial from Students Last.* ------------ How nice to be told by presidential candidates that they "love teachers." Too bad it's bullshit, like the flowers a woman gets the day after her abuser gives her a black eye. In fact America has, at least as of late, quite the abusive relationship with teachers. Claiming to love teachers but repeatedly disrespecting them in a myriad of ways. What teachers need is few... more »

NYC Educator: Sick Days? ATRs Don't Need No Stinking Sick Days!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

NYC Educator: Sick Days? ATRs Don't Need No Stinking Sick Days!: Sick Days? ATRs Don't Need No Stinking Sick Days! by NYC Educator For the past couple of weeks I've been feeling sick. Not 'can't get out of bed' sick, but I have a runny nose and cough that never seems to go away, for a few days I had a nasty intestinal virus that made me weak and nauseous, and the constant changes of schedule have made me tired and sluggish. Had I been in a normal teaching situation, I probably would have called in sick one of those days to recuperate. I often found that taking one day off just to ... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 10-22-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Is It Something I Said?: What We Say...What They Hear! by Lisa M I received an email from a parent the other day. It wasn't a hostile email. It was written in a polite tone. It was just a parent trying to find out what was going on in my classroom regarding his daughter. If this happened with my kids, I probably would have written an email like it as well. I also really appreciated the fact that this parent sent the email to me, instead of going straight to my principal. The email went something like this: "K" was very upset last nig... more »

Big Education Ape - Late Day Banana Break 10-22-12 #lynndebate #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

*Big Education Ape - Late Day Banana Break* More Special Ed Coverage by Melissa Westbrook KUOW also has a report on Special Education in SPS. It is heartbreaking and, to me, confusing. Confusing because in the first story, about a little boy named Ryder, it labels him as being on the "autism spectrum." It states he received services in preschool and yet, he can't get them in SPS? If he has a diagnosis, then he should be receiving services. Then there is another child in the story, Tenzin, who also has autism and yet he can't get something simple like instructions in a written... more »

2012 Digital Slate Card #lynndebate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

2012 Digital Slate Card: *Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama* * VOTE FOR:* * * *Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama* [image: save image]

Daily Kos: Armstrong's Invisible Hand: The Strong Arm of Corporate Sponsors

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Daily Kos: Armstrong's Invisible Hand: The Strong Arm of Corporate Sponsors: Armstrong's Invisible Hand: The Strong Arm of Corporate Sponsors by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) Professional cycling is a sport rich in tradition. One such tradition is personified by Bernard Hinault, known with equal parts respect and disdain as le Patron (the boss of the peloton). On the road, during races, veteran and successful team leaders have often taken over control of entire races. That command of the event included many strong personalities, such as Lance Armstrong. The recent fall from grac... more »

ED Mailbag: Arne Answers Your Questions | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

ED Mailbag: Arne Answers Your Questions | ED.gov Blog: ED Mailbag: Arne Answers Your Questions Posted on October 22, 2012 by Cameron Brenchley Secretary Arne Duncan sat down recently to answer questions he received from social media, email and regular mail. Duncan responded to Dillon’s question about the future of charter schools, saying that “good charter schools are part of the solution, bad charter schools are part of the problem.” Arne noted that there needs to be more successful coordination between charters and school districts. ED recently announced new grants to help fost... more »

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-20-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-13-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-6-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-29-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-22-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-15-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

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

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-22-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-21-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-20-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-19-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-18-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-17-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-16-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-15-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-14-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-13-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-12-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-11-12 AT Smokey Joe's Cafe Edition #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-10-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-9-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-8-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-7-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-6-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-5-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

UPDATE: Nite Cap 10-4-12 (UN-abridged) #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Big Education Ape SPECIAL PRE DEBATE Nite Cap 10-3-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-2-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2