Wednesday, November 14, 2012

by Representative Kimble

Following last week's squeaker of an election night win for President Obama last week, The President has claimed that his victory has given him the right to unprecedented powers to make sweeping changes to this country. Fortunately, the Republican leadership is standing tough fighting President Obama every step of the way.   Before, turning this country into a socialist Heaven, it makes more sense for him to clean up the problems left over from his first term.

1. The attack on Ben Gazzi in Libya.   We must find who is responsible for the attack on Mr. Gazzi and we must hold hearings to make these people accountable. Mr. Gazzi was a hero and the Libyans who attacked him as well as the Americans that let it happen must be held accountable.

2. The growing gay marriage crisis in the army.   I believe that the recent scandal involving General Petraeus's affair with his biographer can be directly tied to gay marriage. I know that gay marriage has cheapened my own marriage and as Petraeus was at ground zero for the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, he

11% of children in California are uninsured, study says - latimes.com

11% of children in California are uninsured, study says - latimes.com:

11% of children in California are uninsured, study says

Children in California are more likely to be uninsured than children nationwide, with 1.1 million lacking health coverage in 2011, according to a new study by the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
About 11% of children lacked insurance last year -- and they were less likely to seek medical care than those with coverage, the authors reported.
The study, released Wednesday by the California HealthCare Foundation, detailed children's insurance trends over a 10-year period. During that time, the percentage of children covered by their parents' employers dropped while the percentage of children in public programs increased. In 2011, 56% of the state's children had private coverage and 38% had public insurance. Some children were covered by both types of programs.
The authors noted, however, that enrollment in the state's main public insurance program for children has stalled

Diane in the Evening 11-14-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Two Big Legislative Victories in Florida

by dianerav

Kathleen Oropeza of Fund Education Now is one of the state’s leading education activists.
She reports here on two crucial races for the State Legislature. In one contest, public education advocate Mike Clelland narrowly beat the future leader of the House, even though the Republican incumbent had a 12-1 funding advantage. In the other race, elementary school teacher Karen Castor Dentel handily beat her opponent, who ran a disgusting ad comparing her to convicted sexual predator Jerry Sandusky.
Kathleen writes:
On Election Day, Floridians stared down deliberate suppression and waited long hours to vote. These patriots didn’t just stand in line, they stood for democracy. In fact, Florida voters repeatedly chose authentic underfunded citizen-candidates over incumbents flush with PAC millions. The most powerful example is District 29 which many assumed would remain the property of the designated 2014 Speaker of the House Rep. Chris Dorworth. Challenger Mike Clelland, an attorney and former fire-fighter did his homework, studied the issues and walked his

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-14-12 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] Michigan Plans to Expand Power of Emergency Manager Covington by dianerav Last week, voters in Michigan repealed the state’s draconian emergency manager law, which allowed a hand-picked appointee of the governor to abolish public education in financially stressed districts. In two of those districts, the emergency manager turned the children over to for-profit charter chains. To compensate for the repeal, the Legislature in Michigan plans to expand the powers of the Achievement Authority Chancellor. The Ac... more »

Jersey Jazzman: The Merit Pay Fairy Lands in Newark

Jersey Jazzman: The Merit Pay Fairy Lands in Newark:

The Merit Pay Fairy Lands in Newark

by Duke

Hey, doofus: my name ain't Sue!

The Merit Pay Fairy has landed in Newark:

The 4,700-member Newark Teachers Union approved the state’s first teacher contract that offers bonuses based on classroom performance.
The three-year pact, which will award merit pay to teachers who earn ratings of "highly effective," was approved by a vote of 1767 to 1088 after a day in which educators lined up at union headquarters to cast ballots.
The contract would be the first in the state, and one of the first in the nation, to base teacher pay on classroom performance, including student progress.

Only 37% of the members approved the contract. And please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems as if many of

Fiscal Showdown & Reduced Federal Spending on Education? We Say Kids, Not Cuts | K-12 News Network

Fiscal Showdown & Reduced Federal Spending on Education? We Say Kids, Not Cuts | K-12 News Network:

Fiscal Showdown & Reduced Federal Spending on Education? We Say Kids, Not Cuts

from K-12 News Network by cynthia

My home state is California, and we just successfully survived our own state version of the “fiscal cliff” when it comes to education. Here, they were called the “trigger cuts.” If Proposition 30 — essentially part of the June 30, 2012 budget passed by the legislature that needed the people’s thumbs up at the ballot box — hadn’t gotten that thumb’s up, K-14 education would’ve seen $6 billion in “trigger cuts” starting in January, 2013. In our state alone.
It was a nailbiter. I advised everyone to hedge their bets with a Yes on 30-38-39 vote (as did State Superintendent of Instruction Tom Torlakson on Election Day). Luckily, a combination of voters who are parents, union members, public school supporters, and alumni as well as current college students came together to affirm Proposition 30, and even voted Yes on 39 to close a corporate loophole and put an additional $500 million in the general fund that pays for public education. We realized as a state that we cannot cut our way to excellence.
No, cuts to K-12 ever since Proposition 13 passed in 1978 have slowly whittled the Golden State down to 46th, 47th, and yes, even 50th in certain important measures of public school quality. And we’re among the 37 states that are still experiencing the lingering effects of the Great Recession. Our state budget, like the nation’s, still

Part 1 : High Stakes Testing and Opting Out: A Short History

high stakes testing:

Part 1 : High Stakes Testing and Opting Out: A Short History

by DoraTaylor

High Stakes Testing: A Short History

“…I discovered then, in my early teaching career, that learning is best driven by ideas, challenges, experiences, and activities that engage students. My experience over the past 45 years has confirmed this.
We have come far from that time in the ’60s. Now the mantra is high expectations and high standards. Yet, with all that zeal to produce measurable learning outcomes we have lost sight of the essential motivations to learn that moved my students. Recently I asked a number of elementary school students what they were learning about and the reactions were consistently, “We are learning how to do good on the tests.” They did not say they were learning to read.
It is hard for me to understand how educators can claim that they are creating high standards when the substance and content of learning is reduced to the mechanical task of getting a correct answer on a manufactured test.”
-An excerpt from An Open Letter to Arne Duncan by Herb Kohl.

As this quote by Herb Kohl denotes, the emphasis on testing has created a culture of test takers and test givers in our public schools. This focus on testing leads to unnecessary pressure on students to perform well on a standardized test. It causes a teacher to emphasize a narrow scope of material. It leaves little

Ohio’s latest education bill eliminates teacher expertise & bipartisanship

Ohio’s latest education bill eliminates teacher expertise & bipartisanship:

Ohio’s latest education bill eliminates teacher expertise & bipartisanship

screw bipartisanship

by Greg on November 14, 2012 · 1 Comment

The Ohio House Education Committee reconvened last evening with the introduction of the latest version (sub bill) of an education reform bill from Governor Kasich’s office, House Bill 555. The bill was introduced by Committee Chair, Gerald Stebelton who, as sponsor and chair, had to step down to the podium and turn his seat over to Mike Dovilla.

Sub House Bill 555 primarily focuses on revising the method for grading schools and districts, but when Stebelton completed his prepared remarks, committee members from both parties launched into a series of questions about a piece of the legislation not as well known – the elimination of the “Ohio Accountability Task Force” established in Ohio Revised Code 3302.021.

Currently, the law dictates that the task force consist of the thirteen members, with guarantees that both major political parties are represented. Additionally, the majority of voting members having significant experience, expertise, and a

Fiscal Cliff Ignites Education Activism As Poorest School Districts Stand To Lose The Most

Fiscal Cliff Ignites Education Activism As Poorest School Districts Stand To Lose The Most:

Fiscal Cliff Ignites Education Activism As Poorest School Districts Stand To Lose The Most

by Joy Resmovits

Juandiego Wade is worried.

As vice chair of the Charlottesville City School Board in Virginia, he's responsible for the well-being of its 4,000 students. And if Congress doesn't come up with a solution to upcoming automatic budget cuts soon, his students may feel the loss. "We've already been cut to the bone," Wade said. So with the estimated reduction of $350,000 to his district's budget, it's hard to see what else can go before cutting teachers. Charlottesville may have to fire four teachers, special education programs, and help for delinquent students.

As the federal government faces what's become known as the fiscal cliff, education advocates are lobbying, organizing and campaigning to protect their programs. On Wednesday, the National School Boards Association trotted out school board members, including Wade, on a conference call to make their case.

"Our state got a lot of attention during the last election. we got a lot of visits from all the politicians, a lot of

Georgia Cyber Academy responds to state board concerns: DOE not providing assistance or clarity | Get Schooled

Georgia Cyber Academy responds to state board concerns: DOE not providing assistance or clarity | Get Schooled:

Georgia Cyber Academy responds to state board concerns: DOE not providing assistance or clarity

by Maureen Downey

Con Academy

Browse Con Academy library of over 3,100 educational videos...

In light of the state board of education concerns about Georgia Cyber Academy, I asked the director of the online charter school to make a statement.
Here is a response from head of school Matt Arkin:

GCA has been committed to working collaboratively with the Department of Education since our launch in 2007. When, in early 2012 Department of Education staff came to us with concerns regarding the growth of our Special Education population, GCA met with DOE staff, provided all requested information in a timely manner, and cooperated fully in a completely transparent manner.
When the DOE identified a list of issues to be addressed in May, GCA moved swiftly to address

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-14-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best:

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

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

NYC Educator: Where Is This Man?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 55 minutes ago

NYC Educator: Where Is This Man?: Where Is This Man? by NYC Educator Popout This is the President I voted for in 2008, speaking for the power of people to organize. This is the President I've missed for four long years, as he failed to find those comfortable shoes and materialize in Wisconsin, as he failed to support, let alone pass, the Employee Free Choice Act, as he failed to stop the ruinous Bush tax cuts. Now he has another term, and teachers are saying it's time to dump Arne Duncan, who lacks the sensitivity of a number two pencil, who publicly declared that Katrina was th... more »

Millions in CA Prop 30 Tax Revenues Will Be Diverted from Higher Ed to Wall Street, Thanks to UC Board of Regents | The Dissenter

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Millions in CA Prop 30 Tax Revenues Will Be Diverted from Higher Ed to Wall Street, Thanks to UC Board of Regents | The Dissenter: Millions in Prop 30 Tax Revenues Will Be Diverted from Higher Ed to Wall Street, Thanks to UC Board of Regents by Leighton Woodhouse [image: UC regents protest]UC regents have cut programs & hiked tuition for years Millions of dollars in new tax revenue earmarked for the University of California system as part of the state’s recently passed Proposition 30 will instead be routed to major financial firms, because of bad bets made by a Wall Street-influenc... more »

Analysis Examines L.A. Teacher Characteristics - Teacher Beat - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Analysis Examines L.A. Teacher Characteristics - Teacher Beat - Education Week: Analysis Examines L.A. Teacher Characteristics by Stephen Sawchuk Los Angeles has an unusually wide spread in the relative effectiveness of its teachers, according to an analysis released today by the Strategic Data Project, an initiative housed at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. The study looks primarily at math teachers in the district who were teaching in grades 3-8 from the 2004-05 to 2010-11 school year, and uses a growth measure to arrive at the calculations. Amon... more »

Engineering School Cultures for Successful Teacher Evaluation — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Engineering School Cultures for Successful Teacher Evaluation — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]Engineering School Cultures for Successful Teacher Evaluation November 14, 2012 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers *Post written by Elle Allison, cofounder and president of Wisdom Out in Danville, Calif. Wisdom Out is a leadership and organizational development company that helps people sustain transformational change and bring their best initiatives to deep implementation. Connect with Allison by e-mail at elle@wisdomout.com. This post was origina... more »

Among biggest cities, Philadelphia has most charter students | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Among biggest cities, Philadelphia has most charter students | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Among biggest cities, Philadelphia has most charter studentsby David Limm on Nov 14 2012 Posted in Latest news ="" title="Facebook_like" href="http://thenotebook.org/blog/125329/among-biggest-cities-philadelphia-most-charters#" style="text-decoration: initial; color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on email COMMENTS (0)EMAILPRINT With nearly one in four city students in publicly-funded schools attending a charter, Philadelphia is among the top... more »

Several NYC teachers on state’s new Teacher Advisory Council | GothamSchools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Several NYC teachers on state’s new Teacher Advisory Council | GothamSchools: Several NYC teachers on state’s new Teacher Advisory Council by Philissa Cramer Jeff Li, who stepped down at Teach for America to return to the classroom this year, is one of seven city educators on the state's new Teacher Advisory Council. Among the 23 teachers from across the state that Education Commissioner John King has tapped to give him feedback about how policy is playing out in the classroom, seven work in New York City schools. The commissioner’s Teacher Advisory Council, announced today, will me... more »

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Mayor Daley’s brother not in favor of New Orleans-style school privatization

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Mayor Daley’s brother not in favor of New Orleans-style school privatization: Mayor Daley’s brother not in favor of New Orleans-style school privatization by admin The latest “our schools suck” report from Advance Illinois would seem to suggest that the testing and privatization policies this group has been successfully promoting in the state legislature for the past 4-5 years are not helping much. But instead, AI CEO Robin Steans wants to double down on failure: “We’re going to have to hit this with a 2-by-4,” Robin told the... more »

Superman has left the house. Even Idaho. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Superman has left the house. Even Idaho. « Fred Klonsky: Superman has left the house. Even Idaho. by Fred Klonsky I received an email from my friend Bill Ayers directed me to an article by David Sirota in Salon. Sirota continues to report on last Tuesday’s good news. Phony ed reform got a push back in three states. Colorado: In Colorado, the out-of-state, corporate-funded group Stand for Children, which previously made national headlines bragging about its corrupt legislative deal making, backed a campaign to hand the state Legislature to pro-privatization Republicans, specifically... more »

New York Teacher | Edwize

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

New York Teacher | Edwize: New York Teacher by W.J. Levay [image: New York Teacher, Nov. 1, 2012]Highlights from the latest issue of *New York Teacher*: Answering the call *Thousands of UFT members volunteer at evacuation sites to help victims of Hurricane Sandy * While Hurricane Sandy was still swirling around the Caribbean, the UFT was already reaching out to members to tell them how they could volunteer when the storm hit New York. And they volunteered — by the thousands. UFT members spent days and nights in 76 hurricane shelters, most in city public schools, helping however the... more »

Kids, Not Cuts | Mocha Momma

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Kids, Not Cuts | Mocha Momma: *Kids, Not Cuts* by MOCHA MOMMA on NOVEMBER 13, 2012 Speaker of the House, John Boehner, wants to extend George W. Bush’s break to the 1% of America, but that’s exactly what will increase the wealth gap we see in schools. In January of next year there will *$1.2 trillion in across-the-board cuts to reduce the deficit over 10 years*.What do I mean by the wealth gap in schools? Let me explain.. *When Weren’t There Budget Cuts to Teachers? Ever Since I Can Remember…* The first year of teaching for me was a tough one. Illinois had just done a massive early... more »

L.A. school board rejects charter oversight measure - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

L.A. school board rejects charter oversight measure - latimes.com: L.A. school board rejects charter oversight measure November 14, 2012 | 10:57 am [image: increase text size][image: decrease text size] 2 0 A majority on the Los Angeles Board of Education wanted no part of a resolution that sought to impose more oversight on charter schools. The proposal, by school board member Steve Zimmer, was voted down 4-2 Tuesday after a brief discussion. Charters are independently operated and exempt from some rules that govern traditional schools. L.A. Unified has more charters than... more »

Educación Sexual Integral : vivirlaeducacion

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Educación Sexual Integral : vivirlaeducacion: Educación Sexual Integral by Maju Hoy más que nunca se observa en varios países, como una cuestión importante y urgente, incorporar en todos los *ámbitos educativos*, formales y no formales, la temática sobre la sexualidad. Muchos educadores, y en especial muchos padres, probablemente se encuentren anonadados, y hasta atemorizados, con la simple idea de tener que hablar de sexo con sus niños pequeños, y se rehúsan a que estos temas sean abordados en el ámbito escolar. En pos de disminuir las ansiedades, los miedos, y en especial, los ta... more »

Shift the Paradigm on Family Engagement for Literacy «

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Shift the Paradigm on Family Engagement for Literacy «: Shift the Paradigm on Family Engagement for Literacy November 14, 2012 by Irene Sege (From left), Karen Mapp, Theresa Lynn, Carolyn Lyons, Maryellen Coffey, Tanisha Harris, Joan Kelley, Francheska Reveron and Kelly Kulsrud. (Photo: Caroline Silber for Strategies for Children) CAMBRIDGE — Tanisha Harris and Francheska Reveron, two mothers who live in the Robinson Gardens public housing complex in Springfield, were the final speakers at our event yesterday on family engagement and literacy. Their stories reinforced the messages d... more »

A Winning Advantage: Cash Contributions for: YES ON 1240 WA COALITION FOR PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

contributions: [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] *Cash Contributions for: YES ON 1240 WA COALITION FOR PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS * Contact Information C1PC ReportTotal Raised:$10,928,862.03Total Spent:$10,801,109.53(Cash Contributions(Inkind Contributions(Anonymous(Loans (Miscellaneous(Small Contributions$10,768,540.00$148,169.52$1.00$0.00 $9,279.10$0.00NOTE: Click on a column header to sort by that column, or click on the [image: filter icon] icon to filter your results[image: PDF] [image: PDF] [image: EXCEL] [image: HTML] [image: RSS] [im... more »

MILLIONAIRE BUSINESS OWNERS – WHY THE HOSTILITY TOWARDS TEACHERS ? « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

MILLIONAIRE BUSINESS OWNERS – WHY THE HOSTILITY TOWARDS TEACHERS ? « Teachers Fight Back: MILLIONAIRE BUSINESS OWNERS – WHY THE HOSTILITY TOWARDS TEACHERS ? by alkleen I encourage everyone to expose the Illinois Policy Institute and other such groups for what they really are. These groups run by millionaires and billionaires are out to privatize public schools so they and all their business friends will no longer have to pay taxes to support education. They also want to destroy public teacher unions whose unity have allowed teacher salaries and benefits to grow and thereby cause ...more »

Physical Education Programs Stalled By State Loopholes: 2012 Shape Of The Nation Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Physical Education Programs Stalled By State Loopholes: 2012 Shape Of The Nation Report: Physical Education Programs Stalled By State Loopholes: 2012 Shape Of The Nation Report **Posted: 11/14/2012 12:14 pm EST Updated: 11/14/2012 12:14 pm EST [image: Physical Education Loopholes] A report by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education and the American Heart Association has found that while nearly 75 percent of states require physical education in elementary through high school, over half of states permit students to substitute other activities for their required p... more »

SI&A Cabinet Report – Autism growth headlines annual demographic report on special ed

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *Autism growth headlines annual demographic report on special ed* *By Tom Chorneau* Wednesday, November 14, 2012 Perhaps it’s no surprise that the fastest-growing segment of California’s special education population is students with autism. But what is eye-opening is that group’s rate of growth over the past decade – a whopping 512 percent. Indeed, a new overview report on students with disabilities served by California public schools notes that autism represented just 2.2 percent of the special education population in 2000-01 with a total o... more »

Georgia Cyber Academy: Is virtual charter ignoring real problems with special ed services? | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Georgia Cyber Academy: Is virtual charter ignoring real problems with special ed services? | Get Schooled: Georgia Cyber Academy: Is virtual charter ignoring real problems with special ed services? by Maureen Downey The last time we discussed Georgia Cyber Academy was in response to parent comments about their significant roles as academic coaches under the online school’s instructional model. Now, it is the state board of education discussing the state’s first online school, suggesting it will pull its charter if it does improve services for students with special needs. Georgia ... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, November 14, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, November 14, 2012 Education Headlines *Wednesday, November 14, 2012* San Dieguito, Del Mar school bonds closer to passing in latest ballot countsThe latest round of ballots counted by the Registrar of Voters showed bond propositions in the San Dieguito Union High and Del Mar Union school districts closer to passing, but still falling short. San Dieguito, Del Mar school bonds closer to passing in latest ballot countsThe latest round of ballots counted by the Registrar of Voters showed bond propos... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Legal Issues for I-1240

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Legal Issues for I-1240: Legal Issues for I-1240 by Melissa Westbrook [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Interesting article/op-ed from The Sun Break about just some of the legal issues that may arise from I-1240. *Another question is whether charter schools are in fact “common schools” (i.e., public schools), as required by the Washington State constitution if they are to receive public funds:* *The legislature shall provide for a general and uniform system of public schools. The public school system shall include common s... more »

High School Dropouts Blame Lack of Parental Support, Teen Pregnancy - High School Notes (usnews.com)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

High School Dropouts Blame Lack of Parental Support, Teen Pregnancy - High School Notes (usnews.com): High School Dropouts Blame Lack of Parental Support, Teen Pregnancy By KELSEY SHEEHY November 14, 2012 RSS Feed Print [image: Nearly half of high school dropouts surveyed cited disengaged parents and teen pregnancy as reasons they quit.] Nearly half of high school dropouts surveyed cited disengaged parents and teen pregnancy as reasons they quit. A lack of parental support and the challenges of teen pregnancy are among the primary factors driving students to leavehigh school before e... more »

Park Slope rezoning update, and more cents from me - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Park Slope rezoning update, and more cents from me - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help: Park Slope rezoning update, and more cents from me by joyce I attended the meeting at John Jay last night where the new version of zone lines where announced. As DNA info leaked, the *39 zone changes have been taken off the table*. The 107/10 zone lines remained the same. *The 321 zone has been cropped at 5th Ave.* The PS 39 parents pledged to remain active to help the new St. Thomas building program ramp up their new PTA. There will be meetings, yet to be scheduled, so that rezoned famil... more »

UPDATE: CT Taxpayers invest in “Hot App” company, will the Wait, What? Blog be next? - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

CT Taxpayers invest in “Hot App” company, will the Wait, What? Blog be next? - Wait, What?: CT Taxpayers invest in “Hot App” company, will the Wait, What? Blog be next? by jonpelto An 18-month old company, incorporated in Delaware, with an office in Westport, but its chief financial officer and chief operations officers in California, landed $750,000 in Connecticut taxpayer funding this week, thanks to Connecticut Innovations, a quasi-state agency that works to support the Connecticut economy by investing public funds in private companies. deets, inc., who has had no sales to da... more »

What is a WISE Conference? « My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

What is a WISE Conference? « My Island View: What is a WISE Conference? by tomwhitby A few weeks ago I received an email invitation to attend an education conference with all expenses paid. This is done to get the conferences noticed in the education community. It is an expense and a necessary element of Public relations. Depending on the quality of the conference, sometimes it pays off, but sometimes it exposes flaws of a conference to the world of connected educators. This is not an uncommon practice, and as a connected educator, I look upon it as an opportunity with each occu... more »

Free Webinar: Critical Strategies for Empowering 21st Century Teachers with Coaching and Capacity Building — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Free Webinar: Critical Strategies for Empowering 21st Century Teachers with Coaching and Capacity Building — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]Free Webinar: Critical Strategies for Empowering 21st Century Teachers with Coaching and Capacity Building November 14, 2012 by Klea Scharberg [image: Andrew Miller] Join ASCD Faculty member Andrew Miller for an exciting, free webinar to learn critical strategies for empowering teachers with coaching and capacity building. *Wednesday, November 14, 2012, 3:00 p.m. eastern time* *Register now!* Real change in our... more »

Beaverton parents ask school board to 'please tax me' after seeing the effects of teacher layoffs | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Beaverton parents ask school board to 'please tax me' after seeing the effects of teacher layoffs | OregonLive.com: Beaverton parents ask school board to 'please tax me' after seeing the effects of teacher layoffs by Wendy Owen, The Oregonian Beaverton parent Kevin O'Donnell held up his property tax statement and asked the Beaverton School Board to tax him. O'Donnell said things are looking up now compared tolast November when Beaverton voters said no to a local option levy that would have raised about $14 million for this school year, in which the district laid off nearly 100 ... more »

Modern School: Dysfunctional Do-Gooders

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Modern School: Dysfunctional Do-Gooders: Dysfunctional Do-Gooders by Michael Dunn *“The nonprofit sector, which roots for the underdog, supports tax breaks to the wealthy because charitable deductions help us.”* --Jan Masaoka, CEO of the California Association of Nonprofits (quoted in the Bay Citizen) *Corruption or Rational Response to an Irrational Premise* Non-profit organizations are often the strongest advocates for the neediest Americans, yet they also tend to be strong advocates for tax breaks for the nation’s millionaires. From their perspective, this is not a corruption, ... more »

Is Segregation the New Black? | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Is Segregation the New Black? | EduShyster: Is Segregation the New Black? by edushyster2012 Closing the achievement gap requires any means necessary, even segregating minority students into special schools with all white teaching staffs. Once upon a time there was something terrible in our nation’s schools called segregation. Reader: this separation of students into racial groups was viewed as a terrible scourge. In fact ending segregation in the public schools was viewed as so essential that it became *the civil rights issue of our time*. I only bring up this *awkward* little trip ... more »

ALEC INSPIRED: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee, George Parker Talk Tenure, Report Cards, And Innovation In Teaching | Fast Company

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee, George Parker Talk Tenure, Report Cards, And Innovation In Teaching | Fast Company: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee, George Parker Talk Tenure, Report Cards, And Innovation In Teaching BY LINDSAY HARRISON | NOVEMBER 13, 2012 inShare In a highlight from Fast Company's Innovation Uncensored event in San Francisco, Students First founder Rhee says teachers should be graded, while Washington (D.C.) Teachers Union president Parker says treat teachers' contracts more like those of sports stars. George Parker was indeed uncensored in...more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-14-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Charter Schools Grow Rapidly, Adding 200,000 Students: Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Charter Schools Grow Rapidly, Adding 200,000 Students: Report: Charter Schools Grow Rapidly, Adding 200,000 Students: Report by Joy Resmovits Twenty years after their creation, charter schools constitute the fastest-growing sector of American public education, according to a report released Wednesday. Enrollment in these publicly funded but often privately run institutions rose by more than 200,000 students in the 2011-2012 school year compared to the previous year, the report found. That increasing enrollment has yielded a total of more than 2 million students in charter schools... more »

Daily Kos: In the afterglow (or is it aftermath) of the election

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: In the afterglow (or is it aftermath) of the election: In the afterglow (or is it aftermath) of the election by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Some reflections of a political junkie. 1. Non-partisan redistricting and its effects. The pattern is not completely clear. In Iowa, which went from 5 to 4 seats, the Democrats went from a 3-2 majority to a 2-2 tie in a state Obama won by more than 5%. On the other hand, in AZ, which added a seat, and in which the Governor tried to mess with the results of the non-partisan redistricting effort, the Dems went from 3-5 to an ... more »

The ultimate education reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

The ultimate education reform: Problems with D.C. teacher retention report by Valerie Strauss A new report says that the D.C. schools system, operating under reforms instituted by former chancellorMichelle Rhee, is holding onto its best teachers at nearly twice the rate as its lowest performers, though teacher turnover is still too common. But there are issues with the report that raise serious questions about its conclusions. Read full article >> The ultimate education reform Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 14, 2012 at 4:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger T... more »

Math Professor Teaches High School Classes (Darryl Yong) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Math Professor Teaches High School Classes (Darryl Yong) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Math Professor Teaches High School Classes (Darryl Yong) by larrycuban *Darryl Yong is a professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont (CA). For the entire PDF, see rtx121001408pDarry Yong* During the 2009–2010 academic year I did something unusual for a university mathematician on sabbatical: I taught high school mathematics in a large urban school district. This might not be so strange except that my school does not have a teacher preparation program and... more »

General Strike! Historic Transeurope Solidarity Against Austerity | OccupyWallSt.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

General Strike! Historic Transeurope Solidarity Against Austerity | OccupyWallSt.org: General Strike! Historic Transeurope Solidarity Against Austerity by OccupyWallSt [image: Peoples of Europe Rise Up!] *via http://europeanstrike.org [with minor edits -- see below an extensive list of General Strike actions]:* *European Strike: people of Europe, rise up!*On November the 14th, Portugal, Spain and other peoples will engage global strike to say "NO" to austerity measures. Everywhere in Europe, activist social movements are organising themselves to say "STOP" to austerity, "STOP" to th... more »

School Tech Connect: Your Common Core Moment

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Your Common Core Moment: Your Common Core Moment by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) From a discussion they evidently had over in Frankfort, which I formerly thought was in Germany but is actually in Illinois: Grand Prairie Elementary School principal Eileen Nelson explained how the school is making changes in accordance with the new state standards. She said Grand Prairie is encouraging student engagement and transitioning from a knowledge and recall style of teaching to a style focused on application and analysis. For example, the school no longer conducts sp... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Numbers that leave me shock-and-awed

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Numbers that leave me shock-and-awed: Numbers that leave me shock-and-awed by Mike Klonsky I am hardly one to try and quantify everything, particularly teaching/learning. But there are some numbers that I find fascinating if only for purposes of shock and awe. Here are a few: *50.8* -- The percent of votes cast by Washington state voters in support of Initiative 1240. The new law will permit up to 40 privately-run charter schools over the next five years in the state. Votes are still being counted a week after the election which marked the fourth time... more »

UC Irvine Student Government Passes Israel Occupation Divestment Resolution « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

UC Irvine Student Government Passes Israel Occupation Divestment Resolution « Student Activism: UC Irvine Student Government Passes Israel Occupation Divestment Resolution by Angus Johnston The student government at the University of California at Irvine last night voted unanimously to divest itself of investments in companies that support the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, and to urge the UC Irvine administration to do the same. The resolution, titled “Divestment from Companies that Profit from Apartheid,” is the second such policy to be adopted by a UC student government ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Cheating At Chris Christie's Fav Charter School?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Cheating At Chris Christie's Fav Charter School?: Cheating At Chris Christie's Fav Charter School? by Duke Ruh-roh: *Three officials from a Newark charter school under investigation for possible cheating on state tests were found to have breached the security of sixth grade students' tests*, according to a report released today by the State Department of Education. The school, *Robert Treat Academy*, is among the state's oldest and most celebrated charter schools. Founded by Newark political boss Steve Adubato, the school has been praised by members of the state ... more »

Swedish School De-emphasizes Gender Lines - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Swedish School De-emphasizes Gender Lines - NYTimes.com: Stockholm Journal: Swedish School De-emphasizes Gender Lines from NYT > Education by By JOHN TAGLIABUE The Nicolaigarden school in Stockholm tries to free girls and boys from traditional gender roles, starting with replacing “him” or “her” with “friend.” [image: New York Times] STOCKHOLM — At an ocher-color preschool along a lane in Stockholm’s Old Town, the teachers avoid the pronouns “him” and “her,” instead calling their 115 toddlers simply “friends.” Masculine and feminine references are taboo, often replaced by the pro... more »

The Educated Reporter: How Are States Tracking Teacher Training Programs?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: How Are States Tracking Teacher Training Programs?: How Are States Tracking Teacher Training Programs? by Emily Richmond With the election behind us, it’s time to focus on what’s ahead for education policy. One area of particular importance – and expected emphasis for the Obama administration’s second term – is teacher effectiveness. Teachers unions are closely monitoring (and taking part) in the conversation, particularly when it comes to new requirements being adopted by many states which require student test scores to be a factor in evaluating educator j... more »

Castle Crier ONLINE REPORTING FROM CASTLEMONT HIGH IN OAKLAND

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Castle Crier: CASTLE CRIERONLINE REPORTING FROM CASTLEMONT HIGH IN OAKLANDABOUT CONTACT LINKS SPONSOR SUBMIT

Another Oakland student news blog: Castle Crier! - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Another Oakland student news blog: Castle Crier! - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: Another Oakland student news blog: Castle Crier! Tuesday, November 13th, 2012 at 5:05 pm in 1 Comment *High school newspapers, ready to be distributed (not at Castlemont) from elizasizzle’s site at flickr.com/creativecommons.* Student journalism in Oakland has popped up at yet another high school. At Castlemont High, students have launched an online site with a wonderfully old-school newspaper name, the Castle Crier. AP English language students are the publication’s first ... more »

School District Sued For Restricting Book Featuring Lesbian Couple | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

School District Sued For Restricting Book Featuring Lesbian Couple | toteachornototeach: School District Sued For Restricting Book Featuring Lesbian Couple by aristotlethewise *Davis School District In Utah Sued For Restricting* *‘In Our Mothers’ House,’ Book Featuring Lesbian Couple* ** The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Utah filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Davis School District after officials told elementary schools in the district to remove a children’s book about a family with same-sex parents from their libraries. “In Our Mothers’ House” tells the story of ... more »

Finland's educational success story: Less testing, more trusting | Local News | The Seattle Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Finland's educational success story: Less testing, more trusting | Local News | The Seattle Times: Finland's educational success story: Less testing, more trusting Finland has become an educational star by doing the opposite of what's happening in many U.S. schools and school districts. Pasi Sahlberg, an official with Finland's Ministry of Education and Culture, is in Seattle this week to share the story of Finland's success. By Linda Shaw Seattle Times education reporter *Free lecture* *Pasi Sahlberg,* Finland education official and author of "Finnish Lessons," a book about Finl... more »

L.A. school board adopts comprehensive food policy - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

L.A. school board adopts comprehensive food policy - latimes.com: L.A. school board adopts comprehensive food policy In line with its previous commitments to balanced nutrition, the Los Angeles school board voted Tuesday to implement one of the largest and most comprehensive food procurement polices of any school district. The policy calls for using the $100 million the Los Angeles School District spends annually on food as leverage to ensure that food service providers comply with fair workers' rights, provide organic and sustainable farming, and protect animal welfare. "Where an... more »

Jersey Jazzman: B4K Buys Revenge Against An Outspoken Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: B4K Buys Revenge Against An Outspoken Teacher: B4K Buys Revenge Against An Outspoken Teacher by Duke B4K was founded by two hedge fund managers to lobby for the removal of teacher tenure. Its Executive Director,Derrell Bradford, has admitted that he came into the education sphere not because of any deep conviction, but because he needed a job (it's obvious who is being referred to in the linked post). This is the same noble fellow who said (all emphases mine): We can be about pure activism because *we don't have anything to gain from the success of the agenda* other... more »

It’s Looking More Likely That CA Schools May Get Long-Term Monies They Need, But Not For Another Two Years… | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

It’s Looking More Likely That CA Schools May Get Long-Term Monies They Need, But Not For Another Two Years… | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: It’s Looking More Likely That CA Schools May Get Long-Term Monies They Need, But Not For Another Two Years… by Larry Ferlazzo Proposition 30 passed in California last week, and that provides schools the funds required not to cut-back any further. But, as I’ve previously posted, the biggest electoral news in our state is that it appears that the Democrats are gaining a two-thirds supermajority in the state legislature. That surprise c... more »

Khan Academy founder, Salman Khan, talks future of education today at Cal Poly Pomona - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Khan Academy founder, Salman Khan, talks future of education today at Cal Poly Pomona - LA Daily News: Khan Academy founder, Salman Khan, talks future of education today at Cal Poly Pomona By Beau Yarbrough, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin Posted: 11/13/2012 11:07:44 AM PST Updated: 11/13/2012 06:37:16 PM PST ------------------------------ *Related stories:* Salman Khan bio | Salman Khan timeline ------------------------------ POMONA -- Khan Academy founder Salman Khan spoke about reinventing education to about 1,000 people, a crowd which was two-thirds teachers and university stu... more »

UNPROFESSIONAL, CONFRONTATIONAL WORDS « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

UNPROFESSIONAL, CONFRONTATIONAL WORDS « Teachers Fight Back: UNPROFESSIONAL, CONFRONTATIONAL WORDS by alkleen One of my prestigious “Golden Chalk Awards” goes out to the Chicago Teachers’ Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey. The union and other supporters held a protest demonstration in Chicago this past Tuesday. They were protesting the planned closings of Chicago public schools and also the money that was being taken from those schools and being given to charter schools. Jesse Sharkey addressed the protesters and what he said was very unprofessional and confrontational. His wo... more »

The truth simply isn’t important… As Malloy’s budget chief concedes emergency deficit reduction plan is “likely” - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

The truth simply isn’t important… As Malloy’s budget chief concedes emergency deficit reduction plan is “likely” - Wait, What?: The truth simply isn’t important… As Malloy’s budget chief concedes emergency deficit reduction plan is “likely” by jonpelto According to today’s CTMirror article, written by Keith M. Phaneuf and Jacqueline Rabe Thomas. “One day after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy called it ‘premature’ to talk about state budget deficits, his budget chief told reporters that state finances were far enough in the red to “likely” trigger a mandatory deficit-reduction plan.” No Gove... more »

NYC Educator: The Fifteen Commandments

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

NYC Educator: The Fifteen Commandments: The Fifteen Commandments by NYC Educator * by Suddenly ATR * Since Hurricane Sandy hit I've been assigned to the same high school. It's a new school, only in its second year. The principal has Big Plans for this school. He wants it to eventually become a specialized high school, along the lines of Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, or Townsend Harris. This is a school with Very Strict Rules. The AP is a very brusque lady who one morning accused me of being late. I calmly told her I wasn't late, I was sent by her very own payroll secretary to cover a... more »

School Tech Connect: Many Things Are Disturbing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Many Things Are Disturbing: Many Things Are Disturbing by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) What I find disturbing is that this woman is the unelected, self-appointed queen of Illinois education policy. Steans called it “disturbing” that in 10 years, the percent of Illinois students hitting proficiency benchmarks on a national fourth-grade reading test has only moved from 31 percent to 33 percent. On the same national test, only a third of students were proficient in eighth-grade — the same amount as two years ago. This ten year timeframe is pretty much th... more »

Endangered Species: In Defense of Cursive Writing | Technology on GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Endangered Species: In Defense of Cursive Writing | Technology on GOOD: Endangered Species: In Defense of Cursive Writing from GOOD [image: cursive] On the second day of fourth grade, my teacher—Sister Paula—called me up to the front of the class. She had a piece of notebook paper in her hand, which I quickly realized was the homework I'd just turned in—three paragraphs on a topic I can't recall (but I'm sure was quite important at the time.) "Elizabeth Dwyer," she intoned severely, "do you know how to write?" The question confused me because, well, I'd obviously completed the assi... more »

Pass / Fail : L.A. Unified restores cut classroom days and rescinds teacher furloughs for this year | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Pass / Fail : L.A. Unified restores cut classroom days and rescinds teacher furloughs for this year | 89.3 KPCC: L.A. Unified restores cut classroom days and rescinds teacher furloughs for this year by By Adolfo Guzman-Lopez The L.A. Unified school board voted Tuesday to restore five instructional days to the district's calendar and to rescind 10 unpaid days off teachers had agreed to earlier this year. These actions didn't surprise observers. L.A. Unified and ever other district in the state avoided mid-year state funding cuts after last week’s ballot box victory of Proposition... more »

Diverse Charter Schools : Education Next

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diverse Charter Schools : Education Next: Diverse Charter Schools *Popular, controversial, and a challenge to run successfully* *By Alexander Russo* *Attention Bootlicker ALERT!* * * 0 COMMENTS | PRINT | NO PDF | SHARE WINTER 2013 / VOL. 13, NO. 1 In February 2009, newly elected President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama visited Capital City Public Charter School in northwest Washington, D.C. They were greeted at the front entrance of the school by 5th-grade students and given a brief tour before taking a seat in the library to read *The Moon Over Star* to a group of 2n... more »

Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter: This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter by Larry Ferlazzo Guest post by Gwen Pescatore This week’s Parent-Teacher Chat (#ptchat) on Twitter – Creating a Positive Learning Environment at Home & at School Maxine Shaw, Head of Hazelwood School in Surrey, England said in an article for the autumn issue of Attain Magazine, “The very best schools will set children on a journey.” She continues on to say, “…each child sees themselves as an octopus, in a string bag, on a zip wire. As the child travels along the zip wire they will be able... more »

Nominations Open – The 2012 Edublog Awards are here! | The Edublog Awards

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Nominations Open – The 2012 Edublog Awards are here! | The Edublog Awards: *Nominations Open – The 2012 Edublog Awards are here!* November 13, 2012 by Ronnie Burt | 0 comments 3 [image: logo-small] It is that time of year again! The 2012 Edublog Awards are a go! The Edublog Awards is a community based initiative started in 2004 in response to community concerns relating to how schools, districts and educational institutions were *blocking access* of learner and teacher blog sites for educational purposes. The purpose of the Edublog awards is *promote and demonstrate the educationa... more »

NYC Public School Parents: What should be done instead of pushing our kids off the "fiscal cliff"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NYC Public School Parents: What should be done instead of pushing our kids off the "fiscal cliff": What should be done instead of pushing our kids off the "fiscal cliff" by Leonie Haimson I know; the words “fiscal cliff” probably fills you with the same mixture of dread and ennui as it does me. But let’s take a moment and focus on the decisions the President and Congress have to make in the next few weeks to address the yawning deficit. Unless they make the right choices by January 2, huge across-the-board cuts to education and other critical domestic programs will be automatica... more »

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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Ohio’s latest education bill eliminates teacher expertise & bipartisanship

screw bipartisanship

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