Jersey Jazzman: Where Are Your Former Presidents?

Jersey Jazzman: Where Are Your Former Presidents?:

Where Are Your Former Presidents?

by Duke

As we here in Jersey sit in the dark, waiting for our aging electrical grid to crackle back to life, let's play a game to pass the time: Where Are Your Former US Presidents Right Now?

Bill Clinton:

The Big Dog is suddenly Barack Obama’s Top Dog – and the candidate is delighted at being upstaged by Bill Clinton.
In the closing days of this epic campaign, the former President is dashing across the battleground states, trying to seal the deal for Obama with undecided voters and white, blue-collar Democrats.
“I may be the only person in America, but I am far more enthusiastic about President Obama this time than I was four years ago,” Clinton told a crowd in Lake Worth, Fla. – the first of an 

LEGALESE AND THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT « Teachers Fight Back

LEGALESE AND THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT « Teachers Fight Back:

LEGALESE AND THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT

by alkleen

Have you read the ENTIRE amendment proposal that is on the ballot in the state of Illinois ? Wow, what a bunch of legalese.  Do you understand all of what was written ? Leave it to legislators and lawyers to make something virtually impossible for the average person to understand.
The language that describes what is necessary for the amendment to pass is confusing enough and it would make a great topic for a junior high math and or social studies class. To be adopted, the amendment requires a “yes” vote from 60 percent of the people voting on the question OR a majority of people casting ballots in the election overall.
To explain that to students, let’s imagine that only 20 people vote in the entire election in Illinois. (You remember 

All Education Matters: Student Loans and the Candidates: Obama's Team Responds, Romney Camp Remains Silent

All Education Matters: Student Loans and the Candidates: Obama's Team Responds, Romney Camp Remains Silent:

Student Loans and the Candidates: Obama's Team Responds, Romney Camp Remains Silent

Several months ago, I reached out to the Obama campaign team and the Romney campaign team to ask them several questions about the student lending crisis and higher education reform. Read to the end to see how the Romney team responded (spoiler alert: it's terribly disappointing).When I contacted Clo Ewing, a campaign spokeswoman, for the Obama campaign, she was at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. So, as you can imagine, she was, uh, pretty busy. Despite being swamped and involved in, Lord knows, millions of activities there, she provided me with answers in less than 24 hours. 

She first made the point to say: "I think it is clear that the Democratic party, including the President, has acknowledged that there is a student lending crisis, and that young people (Millienials) are struggling to start families, buy homes, etc. at this juncture." Good answer (obviously). A lot has change since I asked Jim Messina, 

What Do Students Think Are The Best Ways To Assess Their Learning? | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

What Do Students Think Are The Best Ways To Assess Their Learning? | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…:

What Do Students Think Are The Best Ways To Assess Their Learning?

by Larry Ferlazzo

Today is the last day of our first quarter, and I had my IB Theory of Knowledge students work in groups of three to prepare presentations on this topic:
How do each of the Ways Of Knowing — Perception, Language, Reason, and Emotion — help and hinder our search for knowledge. Give examples of each.
I suspect that the assignment won’t make much sense if you’re not familiar with the course, but most teachers certainly are familiar with the idea of students making presentations as summative assessments.
I had students prepare posters and six minute presentations that they gave in a “speed-dating” style — two 

Is Maverick Education Partnership (CFN 407) Complicit in PS 154's Failing??.southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

Is Maverick Education Partnership (CFN 407) Complicit in PS 154's Failing??

by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)

Is it funny, the ironic kind of funny, how Uncle Mike and his henchmen want to publicly out teachers TDR's and shame teachers? Yet, where is the voracious callings to show what those who are running the schools actually do, where they are, and what their assessments are?

In the "olden days" schools were part of a district and received support services from these districts. Parents who had issues with their schools, or with the district, knew where to go. These offices were located in the same community as their school and at worse was 

Sit-In; Mayor Rahm Emanuel Rescind School ClosingsSave Our Schools

Sit-In; Mayor Rahm Emanuel Rescind School ClosingsSave Our Schools:

Sit-In; Mayor Rahm Emanuel Rescind School Closings

by Server

Sit-In; Mayor Rahm Emanuel Rescind Decision to Close Schools

Popout
Video Footage Sent in Real Time. November 2, 2012 5:54:06 PM CT
Mayor Rahm Emanuel Rescind School Closings: http://youtu.be/M-kegILLSmo Sit-In. Save Our Schools joins concerned citizens in Chicago while they wait to speak with Mayor Emanuel about community school closings. With September’s teachers’ strike fading in the rear view mirror the Chicago School Board’s attention now turns to the subject of school closures. Reports have anywhere between 80 to 120 schools closing to be replaced with charter schools, and that the Emanuel administration will begin a targeted outreach program to promote the 

Opt Out — Just Say No to the WKCE | AMPS

Opt Out — Just Say No to the WKCE | AMPS:

Opt Out — Just Say No to the WKCE

by Thomas J. Mertz

The Zombies – “Tell Her No” (click to listen or download)

The WKCE and related assessments testing is scheduled for next week in Madison Metropolitan School District schools (full schedule of MMSD assessments, here), but your child doesn’t have to be part of it.  You can opt out.  Families with students in grades 4,8, & 10 have a state statutory right to opt out of the WKCE; I have been told that it is district practice to allow families to opt out of any and all other, discretionary, tests.  We opted out this year.  In order to opt out, you must contact your school’s Principal (and do it ASAP, contact info here).
The WKCE does your child no good.  Just about everyone agrees that even in comparison to other standardized tests, it is not a good assessment.  Because results are received so late in the year, it isn’t of much use to 

The Closing Argument? Nah. It's the Romney Threat : blue cheddar

The Closing Argument? Nah. It's the Romney Threat : blue cheddar:

A Romney threat is tucked in “The Closing Argument”

by bluecheddar

Before I proceed – in case you missed this: Obama’s doing pretty well in Wisconsin. Obama polled 51 % to Mitt’s 42 % among likely voters in the recent St. Norbert/WPR poll. Margin of error is plus or minus 5 percent.

The speech Mitt Romney delivered in West Allis, Wisconsin today is being called “the closing argument” by his campaign. I forced myself to listen to all 26 minutes of it. The video above is only a few seconds – don’t be shy. Click on it and hear his threat [which I found over at TPM].

To be fair, the threat is just a sliver of the whole. He also recites his 5-point plan and the usual business-

Before I proceed – in case you missed this: Obama’s doing pretty well in Wisconsin. Obama polled 51 % to Mitt’s 42 % among likely voters in the recent St. Norbert/WPR poll. Margin of error is plus or minus 5 percent. The speech Mitt Romney delivered in West Allis, Wisconsin today is being called “the closing argument” by his campaign. I forced myself to listen to all 26 minutes of it. The video above is only a few seconds – don’t be shy. Click on it and hear his threat [which I found over at TPM]. To be fair, the threat is just a sliver of the whole. He also recites his 5-point plan and the usual business-delivers-dreams and Obamacare-is-bad messaging. He ignores the better numbers coming out on job growth and tells us if we stick with Obama we risk another recession. He also says what every new candidate on the block says: do you want more of the same or do you want my great new stuff? But that threat of obstruction… It’s at about the 14:30 min. mark and goes to the 15:12 mark – “You know that if the President is reelected he will still be [...]

Mr. Burns Endorses Romney | The Simpsons | Animation on FOX

An election eve appeal from Montgomery Burns. Mr. Burns puts Shamus the dog to the test of choosing between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum • NEW! Calaveras y Carritos Race: Tribute to Mexican...

Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum • NEW! Calaveras y Carritos Race: Tribute to Mexican...:

NEW! Calaveras y Carritos Race: Tribute to Mexican American Contemporary Pop Artist Gilbert ‘Magu’ Lujan 9:30PM, Location: LVM Ballcourt of the Sun of the Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum in Second Life. #Secondlife #virtualworlds #virtual events #latinoart #dayofdead

*Photo courtesy of First District Councilmember Ed P. Reyes of Los Angels, California 

“Councilmember Reyes and guests recently paid tribute to Gilbert “Magu” Luján, an internationally known Chicano artist, who died Sunday, July 24, after battling cancer. He was 70. The shrine dedicated to the Chicanismo pioneer was created by Avenue 50 Studio Board Members Sybil Venegas and Laura Medina, and Artist Yreina Cervantez.” - http://lacityorgcd1.blogspot.com/

About his work Magu says, “Low-riders are sculptures, alters were installations, graffiti calligraphy. So I developed a vocabulary for Cicano art.” Towards the end of his artistic career he focused almost exclusively on carritos-themed works calling them “cultural vehicles” because they carried with them embedded statements about culture.

You can make your own cultural statement at the Calaveras y Carritos Race at 

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-2-12 #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

LAUSD Board Filing Period Opens Monday - LA School Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago

LAUSD Board Filing Period Opens Monday - LA School Report: LAUSD Board Filing Period Opens Monday by LA School Report Starting *Monday, November 5*, LAUSD Board candidates for the District 2, 4, and 6 seats can take the next necessary steps towards running for office by filing a “Declaration of Intention to Become a Candidate” with the City Clerk’s office. Official announcement here. Official candidate and election information here. But they shouldn’t wait too long. Prospective candidates have less than a week to submit their paperwork. The filing period ends *Saturday, November ... more »

News Flash: Mayor Finch and “Education Reformers” spend record amount to take away Bridgeport voter’s rights! - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 minutes ago

News Flash: Mayor Finch and “Education Reformers” spend record amount to take away Bridgeport voter’s rights! - Wait, What?: News Flash: Mayor Finch and “Education Reformers” spend record amount to take away Bridgeport voter’s rights! by jonpelto *Mayor Mike Bloomberg and The Money Fairy have visited Bridgeport * Welcome to 21st Century America Lennie Grimaldi, Bridgeport’s leading political pundit, and author of the blog, Only in Bridgeport, broke the news today that Mayor Mike Bloomberg gave $20,000 to Residents For A Better Bridgeport, the political action committee behind the ... more »

Commentary: Parents deserve a better measure of school quality | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 27 minutes ago

Commentary: Parents deserve a better measure of school quality | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Commentary: Parents deserve a better measure of school qualityby Helen Gym on Nov 02 2012 Posted in Blogger commentary - COMMENTS (3)PRINT - EMAIL[image: ""] Tags: - school choice Every once in a while, it becomes apparent just how differently parents view quality education from the reformers out there defining it purportedly for our own good. The GreatPhillySchools website (GPS) is just one of those examples. GreatPhillySchools launched Oct. 15, touting its “gro... more »

Fresno teachers union backs controversial federal grant - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago

Fresno teachers union backs controversial federal grant - latimes.com: Fresno teachers union backs controversial federal grant After a marathon debate, the Fresno teachers union early Friday agreed to endorse its school district's application for a federal grant that will require controversial changes in instructor evaluations. The Fresno Teachers Assn. became one of the few teachers unions in California to back a federal Race to the Top grant proposal by signing off on it just before 2 a.m. The $40-million grant application proposes to boost literacy skills for young students in ... more »

rezoning District 15, diversity, petitions and contacts - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 36 minutes ago

rezoning District 15, diversity, petitions and contacts - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help: rezoning District 15, diversity, petitions and contacts by joyce [image: ask me about brooklyn schools] *Fascinating information from Michael Kamal about the effects of rezoning on diversity in the schools.* He has a gift for graphs: Historical trends for diversity in the affected schools. Give your general feedback on this issue to: Community Superintendent Anita Skop: 718-935-4317, Subject: District 15 zoning, email:ASkop@schools.nyc.gov Office of Portfolio Management: Subject: Di... more »

The Weekly Update: Chomsky on Public Education, SWF’s need only apply, a Stand for Children Fail in Chicago and more | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 40 minutes ago

The Weekly Update: Chomsky on Public Education, SWF’s need only apply, a Stand for Children Fail in Chicago and more | Seattle Education: The Weekly Update: Chomsky on Public Education, SWF’s need only apply, a Stand for Children Fail in Chicago and more by seattleducation2011 *The Weekly Update for the news and views you might have missed* This week we’ll start with EduShyster and their article *Single White Female* Many studies show that young white teachers are fresher and more innovative than their LIFO lifer peers of other races. The achievement gap is the civil rights issue of ... more »

Transform Principals into Instructional Leaders — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 44 minutes ago

Transform Principals into Instructional Leaders — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Efrain Mercado]Transform Principals into Instructional Leaders November 2, 2012 by Efrain Mercado [image: Fulfilling the Promise of the Common Core State Standards - ASCD] *ASCD has released a new report titled *Fulfilling the Promise of the Common Core State Standards: Moving from Adoption to Implementation to Sustainability*illuminating activities educators and policymakers at all levels can undertake to successfully implement the Common Core State Standards across the nation, incl... more »

Are Education "Reformers" Becoming Privatizers? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 47 minutes ago

Are Education "Reformers" Becoming Privatizers? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Are Education "Reformers" Becoming Privatizers? by Anthony Cody Quite a few "liberal" education reformers ought to be doing a bit of soul searching these days, as their movement seems to be veering into territory previously occupied by segregationists and anti-union business and political leaders. Diane Ravitch has begun calling people whom we used to know as "education reformers" by the more loaded term "privatizers." In California, we are seeing where this path is leading some of our s... more »

Diane in the Evening 11-2-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: NYC Marathon Cancelled by dianerav Responding to growing outrage, Mayor Bloomberg reluctantly canceled the annual marathon scheduled for Sunday. Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers have no power, heat or water. First responders are still recovering bodies of victims. The city is not ready to celebrate. What Can We Learn from PISA? by dianerav Pat Buoncristiani raises interesting questions about what can be learned from PISA. Some nations see the international tests as a giant race, and their leaders all want to be number 1. This leads to more and more test... more »

Angry! (But grateful to be back on line, worried for the 239,000 who aren’t and the thousands who have lost so much) - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Angry! (But grateful to be back on line, worried for the 239,000 who aren’t and the thousands who have lost so much) - Wait, What?: Angry! (But grateful to be back on line, worried for the 239,000 who aren’t and the thousands who have lost so much) by jonpelto But since there are still a few days until Election Day, I’d like to re-post a comment that I made earlier this week on Facebook, thanks to the generator at the local community center. Let us take a moment to *IMAGINE* a world in which instead of giving $115 million in taxpayer funds to hedge fund criminals, or tens of millio... more »

Jersey Jazzman: NJDOE Meddles In Local Politics

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: NJDOE Meddles In Local Politics: NJDOE Meddles In Local Politics by Duke Not even superstorm Sandy can calm the rancor in Perth Amboy's schools: A final decision from the state assistant education commissioner on a judge’s ruling upholding the school board’s May vote to place Superintendent of Schools Janine Walker Caffrey on administrative leave has been delayed. On Wednesday, Board of Education President Samuel Lebreault said the board received a decision from the assistant state education commissioner that sent the case back to the administrative law judge beca... more »

NYC DOE Stop the colocation of a Success Academy in the Washington Irving HS Campus Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: New York City Department of Education: Stop the colocation of a Success Academy in the Washington Irving HS Campus *TO SIGN, GO TO:* https://www.change.org/petitions/new-york-city-department-of-education-stop-the-colocation-of-a-success-academy-in-the-washington-irving-hs-campus Petition by SOS from Eva 1. Six expanding high schools already reside in the building, with only one shared cafeteria and limited gym space. 2. Placing an elementary school in the building, which will occupy three floors, will divert resourc... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Update on plans for Monday and tragic losses suffered due to storm

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Update on plans for Monday and tragic losses suffered due to storm: Update on plans for Monday and tragic losses suffered due to storm by Leonie Haimson Jessie and her dog, Max After a week of disruption due to Hurricane Sandy, NYC public schools are due to restart on Monday. Yet according to Schoolbook, forty-four school buildings were severely damaged, and students at those schools will likely be relocated to other buildings on Monday. The DOE is supposed to announce which schools will NOT re-open and the re-location sites, hopefully soon. Check bac... more »

Is Distance Education Opposed to Face-To-Face Education? | Education | M.A.Escotet

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Is Distance Education Opposed to Face-To-Face Education? | Education | M.A.Escotet: Is Distance Education Opposed to Face-To-Face Education? by Miguel Angel Escotet Open *education *is particularly characterized by the removal of restrictions, exclusions and privileges; by the accreditation of students’ previous ex­perience; by the flexibility of the management of the time variable; and by substantial changes in the traditional relationship between professors and students. On the other hand, *distance or virtual education *is a modality which permits the delivery of a group of did... more »

ARE LAUSD TARGETED TEACHER STILL UTLA UNION MEMBERS WITH RIGHTS? - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

ARE LAUSD TARGETED TEACHER STILL UTLA UNION MEMBERS WITH RIGHTS? - Perdaily.com: ARE LAUSD TARGETED TEACHER STILL UTLA UNION MEMBERS WITH RIGHTS? by Leonard Isenberg [image: UTLA IMAGE.jpeg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) There is an interesting practice that UTLA engages in vis a vis teachers that have been targeted on bogus charges for removal by LAUSD, e.g. rubber room and others. This practice consists of UTLA depriving teachers put on "unpaid administrative leave" by LAUSD- pending a hearing- of a... more »

UPDATE: Disenfranchising the old folks in the IEA. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Disenfranchising the old folks in the IEA. « Fred Klonsky: Disenfranchising the old folks in the IEA. by Fred Klonsky I’ve been to every state convention of the IEA for the past twenty years. I won’t be a delegate at the next one. It’s not that I don’t want to sit through four days of meetings, speeches and bad food. I can’t. The deadline for nominations for IEA-Retired is past. I never got a copy of the nominations form in the mail (yes, the IEA still does these things by mail). Ballots went out this week. I didn’t get one of those either. I don’t take this personally. Even as a c... more »

Des Moines Education Association: Just Let Me Teach!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Des Moines Education Association: Just Let Me Teach!: Just Let Me Teach! by Andrew Rasmussen A teacher group in Indiana has gained some attention in education circles for little black wristbands they have created. (LINK) On the wristbands is a simple request, “Just let me teach!” The wristbands are the brainchild of 35 year old Indiana teacher Justin Oakley. He is 10 year veteran of teaching and also the president of his local teacher’s association. He created the wristbands because he had grown tired of so-called school reformers telling teachers how to do their jobs. The “Just L...more »

Seattle Times Buries Info that is Critical of Initiative I-1240 | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Seattle Times Buries Info that is Critical of Initiative I-1240 | Seattle Education: Seattle Times Buries Info that is Critical of Initiative I-1240 Posted on November 2, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment Over at the Seattle-McKenna Times, the ‘copy editors’ continue to allow errors in the headlines of stories that contain negative viewpoints on I-1240, the pro-charter initiative its publishers support. Take a look: The headline in yesterday’s Letters section about the *charter school initiative(1240)* erroneously lists the number for the *legalizing marijuana initiative... more »

Detroit Teacher Wonders: What If I Could Quit When I "Didn't Have the Tools" I Need? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Detroit Teacher Wonders: What If I Could Quit When I "Didn't Have the Tools" I Need? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Detroit Teacher Wonders: What If I Could Quit When I "Didn't Have the Tools" I Need? By Nancy Flanagan on November 2, 2012 11:58 AM *Next Tuesday, Michigan voters will decide whether to dump a new law that grants broad powers to "emergency managers" who, under Public Act 4, passed in 2011, assume managerial control over financially floundering municipalities and school districts, stripping elected boards and officials of power. Detroit Public ... more »

Daily Kos: My predictions - by how much Obama wins, and more - if anyone cares

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Daily Kos: My predictions - by how much Obama wins, and more - if anyone cares: My predictions - by how much Obama wins, and more - if anyone cares by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Above the fold I will offer what are, for now my predictions. EV 347- 191. The states Obama won last time now have 359 EVs. Subtract IN and 2nd CD of NE takes you to 347. Obama holds all other states, NC and FL and CO narrowly. He narrowly loses AZ. Popular Vote currently thinking 51-47-2. I note Romney has ceiling in most battlegrounds of 47 or 46. I presume 2% to minor parties. If that go... more »

Louisiana Educator: LDOE Proposing Radical Changes in Teacher Salary Schedules

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: LDOE Proposing Radical Changes in Teacher Salary Schedules: LDOE Proposing Radical Changes in Teacher Salary Schedules by Michael Deshotels If you thought that the Governor and John White were through messing with teachers for a while, you were wrong. A recent briefing session for local personnel directors by the State Department of Education on implementation of Act 1 salary mandates proposed radical changes in teacher salary schedules for all parishes. The examples provided by the DOE to local systems are just suggestions. No particular salary schedule is ma... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, November 2, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Friday, November 2, 2012* Third Stockton USD campus has gun incidentA 14-year-old freshman was arrested Thursday afternoon at one of Stockton Unified's small high schools after he was found in possession of a loaded semiautomatic handgun, the third incident involving a gun on a district campus in less than one month. Schools report is first everThe Calaveras County Office of Education is distributing its first “Annual Report to the Community,” part of a larger effort to inform the public about local schools... more »

Michael Moore's Latest Ad: 'Romney STEALS The Election' - Home - The Daily Bail

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Michael Moore's Latest Ad: 'Romney STEALS The Election' - Home - The Daily Bail: Michael Moore's Latest Ad: 'Romney STEALS The Election' Grandma goes off. A Message From The Greatest Generation (NSFW) - Profanity Warning Seniors accuse Romney of stealing the election through voter ID laws. Not a Michael Moore fan, but this is pretty funny. One grandmother threatens to cock-punch Romney in the nut satchel. Moore produced this ad for MoveOn.org, which I mention so that I can link to this classic letter Occupy Wall St. sent to MoveOn *telling them to F*CK OFF.* **Occasionally, I sti...more »

New What for New Who?: Some More | The G Bitch Spot

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

New What for New Who?: Some More | The G Bitch Spot: New What for New Who?: Some More by G Bitch Document 6: A roundup of some of NSNO’s highest-paid “independent contractors for professional services.” One question—I thought NSNO offered professional services for charter schools and their boards? And looking at the mission statement again, I’m not sure what funds where went to “[a]ttracting and preparing talent to teach and lead” or “[a]dvocating for accountable and sustainable high quality public schools.” From 2007-2011, The New Teacher Project in Brooklyn got $1,031,571, Marci ... more »

An alternative to standardized testing for student assessment

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

An alternative to standardized testing for student assessment: An alternative to standardized testing for student assessment Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 2, 2012 at 10:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » (Scholastic.com) Standardized tests have dominated the school reform discussion for years, with students scores used – often unfairly – to judge the kids as well as their schools, teachers, principals, districts and even states. Here, Monty Neill, executive director of the non-prof... more »

Peg with Pen: A Video for Diane Ravitch: Join Us in D.C.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Peg with Pen: A Video for Diane Ravitch: Join Us in D.C.: A Video for Diane Ravitch: Join Us in D.C. by Peggy Popout April 4th - 7th: The Battle for Public Schools - OCCUPY DOE 2.0 *www.unitedoptout.com*

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Accreditation Game

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Accreditation Game: The Accreditation Game by Anngie If you live in or around St. Louis you are very familiar with the crisis created when St. Louis Public Schools lost their accreditation from the Missouri State Board of Education. Loss of accreditation is meant to send a message to the school district, "You really need to do better." For the individual student the consequences are less dramatic. They still receive a diploma. They are still eligible for all scholarships they would otherwise be eligible for. While they might, in theory, have a harde... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-2-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Councilman in NYC Has Idea for Marathon Runners by dianerav The council member from southern Brooklyn suggested that marathon runners should deliver water, food, medicine and other supplies to elderly people trapped in high-rise buildings in the Coney Island area, who have no power. No elevator, no refrigerator, no heat. Mayor Bloomberg says the Marathon will go on, no matter what. The Most Astonishing Post Ever On This Blog Is… by dianerav When I printed the post by Kris L. Neilsen explaining why he quit ... more »

Student-centered teacher evaluations focus on learning goals | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Student-centered teacher evaluations focus on learning goals | EdSource Today: Student-centered teacher evaluations focus on learning goals ** November 2nd, 2012 | Add a Comment | By William Slotnik and Joan McRobbie Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services [image: William Slotnik] William Slotnik By now the consensus is clear: California needs a better, more systematic way of supporting and ensuring teacher effectiveness. Though the teacher evaluation bill, AB 5, collapsed again in August, there is wide agreement on the state’s re... more »

Daily Kos: Read Paul Krugman's column - NOW

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: Read Paul Krugman's column - NOW: Read Paul Krugman's column - NOW by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) It is called The Blackmail Caucus. He begins by laying out the start policy differences between the two candidates: If President Obama is re-elected, health care coverage will expand dramatically, taxes on the wealthy will go up and Wall Street will face tougher regulation. If Mitt Romney wins instead, health coverage will shrink substantially, taxes on the wealthy will fall to levels not seen in 80 years and financial regulation will be rolled back. He suggests is it... more »

Enrollment plunges in Oakland schools - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Enrollment plunges in Oakland schools - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: Enrollment plunges in Oakland schools Thursday, November 1st, 2012 at 1:32 pm in 5 Comments » *photo by Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group* On the 20th day of school, Oakland’s district schools counted about 36,260 students. That’s 1,750 fewer kids than there were a year ago, a drop of 4.6 percent, according to 2012-13 enrollment figures recently released by OUSD. Multiply that loss by $5,000, a rough estimate of general-purpose, per-student state funding (otherwise known as the revenu... more »

Charter schools amendment: Say “no” to ed biz “shamans” and “snake charmers” | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Charter schools amendment: Say “no” to ed biz “shamans” and “snake charmers” | Get Schooled: Charter schools amendment: Say “no” to ed biz “shamans” and “snake charmers” by Maureen Downey In the final stretch of the charter school amendment battle, I am going to run a few more pro and con pieces. Here is the con from high school educator Ian Altman of Athens. Stay tuned for a pro piece shortly. By Ian Altman Georgia voters will decide next week on Amendment 1 and whether to allow a politically appointed commission in Atlanta to override elected boards of education. Hence, they wi... more »

How should schools be funded?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

How should schools be funded?: How should schools be funded? Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 2, 2012 at 4:00 am With school systems struggling to deal with slashed budgets and fears rising of more cuts next year, the question of how public schools are funded has never been more relevant. Here’s a look at the subject by Tarsi Dunlop, program and operations manager of the Learning First Alliance, a partnership of 16 education associations with more than 10 million members dedicated to improving student learning in America’s public schools. By Tarsi Dunlop Election Day is just... more »

NYC Educator: Good Morning World

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

NYC Educator: Good Morning World: Good Morning World by NYC Educator I just woke up in a friend's apartment. Even though there is power, I haven't got an alarm clock. I have no idea exactly what time Mayor Bloomberg wants me to report to my school to not teach. It's good I'm not teaching because the only clothes I have are jeans, t-shirts and hoodies. Our town is supposed to get power tomorrow so I may be able to do better by Monday. But we can't turn the power on until we change the circuit breakers, which got wet. Apparently there's a risk of the house blowing up if you do that.... more »

The Problem With America’s History Books | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

The Problem With America’s History Books | toteachornototeach: The Problem With America’s History Books by aristotlethewise *Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick are co-authors of* *The Untold History of the United States (Gallery Books, $30)* by Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick It has become commonplace to deplore U.S. students’ dismal performance in math and science when their test results are compared to those of students in other advanced and not-so-advanced industrial countries. But, it turns out, according to the Nation’s Report Card, or National Assessment of Educational Progress, the...more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: 'I'm incentivizing responsible parenting' -- Rahm

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: 'I'm incentivizing responsible parenting' -- Rahm: 'I'm incentivizing responsible parenting' -- Rahm by Mike Klonsky Rahm takes the low road once more. This time on so-called "parent involvement". He cuts a deal with Walgreen Co. CEO *Greg Wasson* to offer CPS parents gift cards loaded with 25,000 ”customer loyalty” points (worth $25) for attending report card pick up yesterday. Rahm claims he got the gift card idea during one of his morning workouts: *'That’s what happens when I start swimming. I start coming up with ideas.' * On previous swims,... more »

Top 10 List Of Things To Do For NYC Teachers Going To Work On Friday | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Top 10 List Of Things To Do For NYC Teachers Going To Work On Friday | The Jose Vilson: Top 10 List Of Things To Do For NYC Teachers Going To Work On Friday by Jose NYC schools are officially closed on Friday … for students. For teachers, Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Walcott sent out a memo to all teachers and administrators to go back to school on Friday. The cynical me remembers the few days in the school year when I tell my students they don’t have school but I do and they giggle and point, to which I reply, “It’s OK. We don’t want you here, either.” Gasps from them. “Just ki... more »

Educación Nominate Your Candidate for the Immigrant Youth Achievement Award - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Nominate Your Candidate for the Immigrant Youth Achievement Award - Hispanically Speaking News: [image: Nominate Your Candidate for the Immigrant Youth Achievement Award]* Educación * Nominate Your Candidate for the Immigrant Youth Achievement Award Educacion - 11 minutes ago The American Immigration Council is now accepting nominations for their 2013 Immigrant Youth Achievement Award. Each year the Council receives hundreds of nominations from around the country lifting up exceptional young people whose accomplishments and dreams inspire others. The Immigrant Youth Achievement Awar... more »

Banda, School Board say charters would hamper efforts to improve Seattle public schools | Education | The Seattle Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Banda, School Board say charters would hamper efforts to improve Seattle public schools | Education | The Seattle Times: Banda, School Board say charters would hamper efforts to improve Seattle public schools [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] School leaders, educators and parents from 260 of Washington's 295 school districts have signed a letter opposing I-1240, warning that charter schools would siphon off millions of dollars from other publicly funded schools with no guarantee they'd be any better. MOST POPULAR COMMENTS HIDE / SHOW COMMENTS No comments have been posted to t... more »

Modern School: Another Looming Illinois Teachers Strike

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Modern School: Another Looming Illinois Teachers Strike: Another Looming Illinois Teachers Strike by Michael Dunn [image: A resident on Kaneville Road shows support for Geneva teachers in their contract negotiations with the school district. The Geneva Education Association Friday said negotiations were at an impasse.] Last week, teachers from Geneva School District 304, in Illinois, gave formal notice that they intend to strike, after a 12-hour bargaining session failed to reach an accord, the Chicago Tribune. Because state law requires a 14-day waiting period, the earliest the s... more »

California's Prop 32: The Most Dangerous Ballot Measure in the Country | MyFDL

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

California's Prop 32: The Most Dangerous Ballot Measure in the Country | MyFDL: California’s Prop 32: The Most Dangerous Ballot Measure in the Country by Leighton Woodhouse Popout If you live in California, thanks to the Electoral College system, the box you check next Tuesday in the section of your ballot for the two presidential candidates won’t make an iota of difference to the outcome of the election. But further down the ballot is the second (if not first) most important vote in the country: Proposition 32. That’s no exaggeration. If Prop 32 passes, it will warp the landscape o... more »

BRIBING CLUELESS PARENTS – A CLUELESS EFFORT « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

BRIBING CLUELESS PARENTS – A CLUELESS EFFORT « Teachers Fight Back: BRIBING CLUELESS PARENTS – A CLUELESS EFFORT by alkleen Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and Walgreen company have announced a plan to increase parental involvement in Chicago Public schools. Parents who pick up their children’s report cards and participate in teacher conferences will receive one of the drugstore chain’s “Balance Rewards” cards worth $25 in free merchandise at stores. The plan is to be implemented at 70 schools with low parental involvement. The city will track data on parental involvement to measure ... more »

An Urban Teacher's Education: Too Much Structure and Style; Not Enough Content

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

An Urban Teacher's Education: Too Much Structure and Style; Not Enough Content: Too Much Structure and Style; Not Enough Content by James Boutin Earlier in my career teaching writing, I often found myself focusing on structure and style. It's important to have appropriate conventions, to make your writing move logically throughout its delivery, to consider the way you communicate your ideas. But in considering the quality of a piece of writing, there is another factor that affects the outcome more: content. Perhaps I found it easier to focus on structure and style because they s... more »

Idaho's education overhaul: a summary of three propositions | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Idaho's education overhaul: a summary of three propositions | OregonLive.com: Idaho's education overhaul: a summary of three propositions by The Associated Press [image: luna.office.JPG]In this Sept. 7, 2011, file photo, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna poses for a photo in his office in Boise.AP Photo/Jessie L. Bonner, File On Tuesday, voters head to the polls in Idaho to weigh in on public schools chiefTom Luna's education overhaul. A "Yes" vote for the three propositions keeps Luna's 2011 "Students Come First" laws in place; a "No" vote repeals them. Here's a... more »

Call me NaNo… « Teaching Between the Lines

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Call me NaNo… « Teaching Between the Lines: Call me NaNo… by Laura It’s Day One of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and my 8th graders wrote for a full hour in class, tap-tap-tapping away on the first chapters of their novels. They wrote in a Google Doc, which they shared with me, so when I should have been working on my own novel, I was taking peeks at theirs. Wow! Some great stuff. Here are just a handful of opening lines that caught my attention: *My favorite sound in the world is the click of a camera shutter, not the crack of a gunshot. (AG)* *School sucks. Yet ... more »

THE WAY WE DO SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT The Whole Child Newsletter - November 1, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The Whole Child Newsletter - November 1, 2012: THE WAY WE DO SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTEvery school has a culture. Some are positive, while others are toxic; many are somewhere in between. A school's culture affects the lives of everyone in the building. Educators working in a positive school culture(PDF) experience collegiality, trust, and tangible support as leaders and peers, creating an environment where there are high expectations, involvement in decision making, and open communication. Students entering a positive school culture feel safe, engaged, and connected and see school as a p... more »

Jane Watson Writes Charters Not NeededSave Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Jane Watson Writes Charters Not NeededSave Our Schools: Jane Watson Writes Charters Not Needed by Server Jane Watson, Save Our Schools Information Coordinator Writes*Charters Are Not Needed.* *As published in the Yakima Herald-Republic Charters not needed* November 1, 2012 To the editor — Thank you for the Oct. 24 article and editorial concerning charter schools. Parents and older students do have a variety of school choices, including private schools, public school, home schooling, computer school, EPIC Headstart, Oakridge Montessori, etc. There is a Migrant Education Center in S... more »

Must See Video: Romney Walking Out of an Interview in Iowa « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Must See Video: Romney Walking Out of an Interview in Iowa « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Must See Video: Romney Walking Out of an Interview in Iowa Filed under: Mitt — millerlf @ 5:21 pm *Observe Romney walking out of a radio interview in Iowa in 2007 because of questions about Mormonism, the Second Coming and abortion.* He apparently did not know he was being videotaped.

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Fairly Unified on the Education Front Against I-1240

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Fairly Unified on the Education Front Against I-1240: Fairly Unified on the Education Front Against I-1240 by Melissa Westbrook [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] The No On I-1240 campaign has released an open letter rejecting I-1240. The people listed represent those from 260 school districts across Washington State. That's nearly 90% of the school districts in the state. “The open letter shows that opposition to I-1240 is not bound by geography or income,” said Michael DeBell, Seattle School Board President. “It’s a bad plan for every stu... more »

Preen for America | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Preen for America | EduShyster: Preen for America by edushyster2012 I dedicate this post to my Premium Club readers who simply aren’t excellent enough to Teach for America. Let’s face it: you and I are never going to be Teach for America material. But while we may not have the goods to join Wendy Kopp’s Kidz we can still experience their freshness and innovation vicariously: by watching the Real Housewives of Miami host a benefit for TFA on Bravo this week. No doubt you are wondering how in the world EduShyster could know such a thing…Reader: I fear that mine is a wasted life of de... more »

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-27-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

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 11-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-31-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-30-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-29-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-28-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-27-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-26-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-25-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-24-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-23-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big 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 #P2