Big Education Ape: Nov 18, 2012

Sunday, November 18, 2012

by Emily Richmond

It would be tough to find a slope that’s potentially more slippery than this one: public schools setting different achievement expectations for students based on their race and ethnicity.

But that’s exactly what’s happening in dozens of states that have received waivers from the U.S. Department of Education, allowing them to replace the more onerous provisions of No Child Left Behind with more flexible accountability measures. NCLB’s core premise was that all students – regardless of ethnicity, socioeconomic or special education status – would have to be proficient in reading, writing and math by the 2013-14 academic year. States were given leeway in setting their definitions of proficiency, and in deciding how best to move students toward the final goal.

But with the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act more than seven years overdue (and a congressional stalemate unlikely to be solved anytime soon), U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan began authorizing waivers. In exchange, states agreed to adopt specific reform measures that were in line with

Creating The Conditions: Instructional Leadership | Connected Principals

Creating The Conditions: Instructional Leadership | Connected Principals:

Creating The Conditions: Instructional Leadership

by Chris Wejr

cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo by anna_t: http://flickr.com/photos/anna/204267895/

Cross-posted at “The Wejr Board Blog”. This is the 3rd part in the “Creating the Conditions” series; Part 1 was on Student Discipline, Part 2 was on Love of Reading.
I recently had the honour to present in the Leadership 2.0 MOOC series (in which I am learning alongside others) on “Providing Instructional Leadership” (To view the archive of the presentation click here - you can also view the slide embedded below). When George Couros asked me to be part of this, I looked over the sessions and chose Instructional Leadership not because I am an expert on this topic but more because this is the area of current focus for me as an educational leader and this would be a way to learn from others. I figured doing this would

School Tech Connect: Rogers Park Is Awake

School Tech Connect: Rogers Park Is Awake:

Rogers Park Is Awake

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

The great Jesse Sharkey dropped by Sullivan High School last week to meet community activists gathered in Sullivan's auditorium and describe the current threat facing neighborhood schools.

The people of the city, and soon the legislature too, are about to be bombarded with messages about half-empty schools, as if that phenomenon were not part of a planned strategy to privatize the schools. They won't mention the other half of the equation, which is that the "half empty" schools are populated with overcrowded classrooms.

This business would never stand in the suburbs or downstate, and I hope

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Just Wondering

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Just Wondering:

Just Wondering

by Melissa Westbrook

It is always my intention to learn so I read whatever is handy. So I was in a business office this past week and there was the Puget Sound Business Journal (which I don't regularly read). So I'm reading this article about how the EMP wants a break on its rent. (Apparently Paul Allen might not subsidize it forever.)

EMP agreed with the City that there would be rent increases every five years from the time it opened in 2000. But now EMP is saying they are a non-profit (albeit fronted by one of the wealthiest men in the world) and they say they do lots of "cultural education" to local schoolchildren.

It is also mentioned in the artilce that EMP has an exclusive liquor license that means no new potential restaurants or bars at Seattle Center can serve liquor. (Talk about a benefit.) So the City did offer them a rent

Is Mulgrew About To Sell Us Out?.southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

Is Mulgrew About To Sell Us Out?

by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)

I got an email, as I am sure others have, from El presidente de por vida de UFT Mike Mulgrew thanking all for the Sandy clean up effort and stuff like that. Nice.

However, towards the end of his email he reminded us that we still have to make up days that the students were out of school. OK, we know. The rumor floating around is that the days will be made up during the February vacation.

What really got The Crack Team's knickers in a tizzy was these lines;

We will have to make that time up. We have had to do this before on several occasions. Most recently, in the early 1990s, members had to give up vacation days to make up days when schools were closed because of the asbestos crisis.

Yes Mike, we know we need to make these days up, or at least some

LAME DUCKS ARE QUACKING « Teachers Fight Back

LAME DUCKS ARE QUACKING « Teachers Fight Back:

LAME DUCKS ARE QUACKING

by alkleen

Retired teachers and public employees in Illinois are being warned that the current “lame duck” session of the Illinois General Assembly is poised to undertake the “pension reform” issue.
I’ve never seen so many warnings and also explanations of why most meaningful legislation occurs during lame duck sessions. The “lame ducks” of course are the legislators who have lost elections and or are leaving at the end of the year for some other reason. These are the people who supposedly are ready to consider controversial legislation because they are soon to be accountable to no one.
Some people have suggested that all politicians should only be one term office holders so they wouldn’t be

Dear Deborah, - Bridging Differences - Education Week

- Bridging Differences - Education Week:

by Pedro Noguera

Dear Deborah, While we're still focused on pushing the Administration to promote a different plan, let's make sure that a commitment to equity is a central part of whatever we do. It is remarkable that despite all the rhetoric about education being the civil rights issue of the 21st century, our leaders make no mention of the need for equity, or conversely, the need to address the profound inequity, that characterizes so much of American education today. Many people do not realize that ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) was initially part of the civil rights laws enacted in the 1960s to insure that economically disadvantaged children received supplemental support. That commitment came to an end with the adoption of No Child Left Behind, and despite all the rhetoric about educating "all" children that accompanied NCLB, there has been very little attention to the growing isolation of poor children of color in under-resourced schools.
As you know, the US Supreme Court is presently hearing arguments in the latest attack on affirmative action in the case of Fischer vs. the University of Texas. The case is important for a number of reasons, and not just because if the court rules the university's policy to be a violation of the law it will constitute a major setback to efforts to maintain some degree of racial diversity in higher education. What makes the University of Texas policy

Are we winning yet? A 365 million deficit this year, $1.1 billion shortfall next year… - Wait, What?

Are we winning yet? A 365 million deficit this year, $1.1 billion shortfall next year… - Wait, What?:

Are we winning yet? A 365 million deficit this year, $1.1 billion shortfall next year…

by jonpelto

Last year, Governor Malloy raised income taxes only on those making less than $1 million. He left the wealthy completely untouched when it came having to pay higher income rates. Last week he reiterated his commitment to no new taxes.

So when it comes to equity, where do we really stand?

In Connecticut, since the mid-1990s (adjusted for inflation);

Income for the wealthiest 20 percent has INCREASED by 17.2%

Income for the middle 20 percent has INCREASED by 2.5%

Income for the poorest 20% has DECREASED by 9.8%

And note that this is post-federal tax income and does include the value of the Earned

Should Elementary Schools Be Modeled After Law Firms? | toteachornototeach

Should Elementary Schools Be Modeled After Law Firms? | toteachornototeach:

Should Elementary Schools Be Modeled After Law Firms?

by aristotlethewise

Should Elementary Schools Be Modeled After Law Firms?

This past weekend, The Daily Beast held its Innovators Summit in New Orleans, which gathered 300 leading thinkers to discuss big ideas for changing the world. One of the most interesting innovations, according to senior reporter Jacob Bernstein, came from a former lawyer named Rafiq Kalam Id-Din, who has a radical idea for stemming the flood of more than 1 million kids who drop out of American high schools every year: Make school more like a law firm, what he calls a “teaching firm.”
He wants to blend the taut, professional structure of the law firm with the success that home schooling-type situations have shown for minority students to create, in essence, one-room schoolhouses where a teacher is in charge of guiding students through their entire elementary school years. The teachers in these unique charters will be wholly accountable for their charges and will make the sort of salary that might normally lure education-minded young adults into law or finance: $150,000 to $300,000 per year.
Id-Din, who was a 2007 Echoing Green Fellow, said during an interview on Echoing Green’s site:
By creating a model for inner city schools that operate with the professional structure of a law firm, my idea will yield an educational enterprise with no choice but to give the highest quality instruction to those who need it most. The law firm is an organizational model that is driven by the delivery of the highest quality legal service—

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: A Teacher Accused!:When He Said/She Said Turns Ugly!

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: A Teacher Accused!:When He Said/She Said Turns Ugly!:

A Teacher Accused!:When He Said/She Said Turns Ugly!

by Lisa M

I learned about it by accident. I approached my principal about another child and she asked me not to get upset. I wondered why a simple response to a question about a situation with a student, could possibly upset me. And that's when she told me what a student had accused me of. I really think I was in shock, because I nodded, said, "What?", listened to what she was saying, and returned to the workshop I was attending.

As the day went on, what she said began to sink in. By the time I got home, and shared what was said with my husband, I was furious! How could this not be taken seriously? How could she not let me know? Why would this child say this? I immediately emailed my principal and told her that this would have to be handled.

That Monday, I was told that my computer would be confiscated, and scanned by the district and the police. You can't hide anything on computers. I told them to take it, clear my name. Do anything they had to do to prove that

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-18-12 #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

Missouri Education Watchdog: College Graduates Find Jobs!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 minutes ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: College Graduates Find Jobs!: College Graduates Find Jobs! by stlgretchen A representative list of jobs college graduates are landing in New Orleans. Wonder if these jobs require college degrees in New Jersey? What types of jobs are college graduates finding these days in New Orleans? Peter Schiff interviews recent graduates about their jobs and college debt. Is a college degree worth the cost? Those pedicab drivers on Bourbon Street sure have a great education. A great job? Not so much. Popout From the Schiff Report: President Obama promotes ... more »

NEA - Crazy Things People Say To Teachers -- And How To Respond

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 minutes ago

NEA - Crazy Things People Say To Teachers -- And How To Respond: Crazy Things People Say To Teachers -- And How To Respond TIRED OF PEOPLE ASSUMING YOUR JOB IS EASY AND YOUR SUMMERS ARE FREE? YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE IT. *By Cindy Long. Adapted from content by **We Are Teachers* Ah, the holidays. ’Tis the season to gather round the hearth, feast on turkey and pie, and enjoy the company and conversation of loved ones we see but a few times a year. And thank goodness for that! You love them dearly, but it's exhausting fielding all those annoying questions about the teaching profession ... more »

Short Notes: Data Really Does Makes People Feel Comfortable | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 39 minutes ago

Short Notes: Data Really Does Makes People Feel Comfortable | The Jose Vilson: Short Notes: Data Really Does Makes People Feel Comfortable by Jose “And know where all the exits are.” – Dan Willingham A few notes: - NYC Educator discusses why teachers now more than ever should get a contract, in light of Hurricane Sandy. [NYC Educator] - My main man Prof. Christopher Emdin and rapper The GZA (Wu-Tang) team up for a lesson on science. Wow. [New York Times] - Angela Benton of the NewMeAccelerator speaks on asking the one big question of creating a new

EdX to Offer Exams at the End of Their MOOCs - Technorati Technology

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 40 minutes ago

EdX to Offer Exams at the End of Their MOOCs - Technorati Technology: EdX to Offer Exams at the End of Their MOOCs *Author:* Adi Gaskell *Published:* November 18, 2012 at 7:15 am [image: learning at work]I'm a massive fan of the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that are taking the world by storm. Around a million people have already signed up for free courses from leading universities via the likes of Coursera or edX. Something that was considered a drawback of the MOOCs however was that whilst they made it easy to acquire knowledge, they didn't come with any certification to pr... more »

Ed Notes Online: On Make-Up Days: Dear Mr. Mulgrew

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 59 minutes ago

Ed Notes Online: On Make-Up Days: Dear Mr. Mulgrew: On Make-Up Days: Dear Mr. Mulgrew by ed notes online The strong letter below touches on numerous issues. After the 68 strike they made up days from x-mas vacation and paid doubletime plus extending the day by 45 minutes until all time was made up. I and a friend already had xmas plans so we didn't work those days and we lost that doubletime pay.Dear Mr. Mulgrew: I was somewhat dismayed by your letter stating we must make up days in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. I'm a little shocked the union would conclude this without having eve... more »

Henderson aims to avoid mistakes of Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee school closings - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Henderson aims to avoid mistakes of Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee school closings - The Washington Post: Henderson aims to avoid mistakes of Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee school closings Katherine Frey/THE WASHINGTON POST - D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson speaks before the D.C. Council and the public about her reasons for proposing to close 20 schools. The public hearing at the Wilson Building on Thursday, November 15, 2012 in Washington, D.C. was the first of several hearings. The second is Monday, November 19, 2012. Buy This Photo - [image: Smaller Tex... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Merit Pay: Thoroughly Tested, Thoroughly Failed

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Jersey Jazzman: Merit Pay: Thoroughly Tested, Thoroughly Failed: Merit Pay: Thoroughly Tested, Thoroughly Failed by Duke To some people, like the *Star-Ledger's* Tom Moran, facts are stupid things: A few thoughts on the comments: No one can be sure that this will work, because*merit pay has only been tried in a few places,* and in different ways. It is pioneering stuff, so by its nature, there is not a long track record. But it sure makes intuitive sense, and is in place in almost every other profession, including journalism. So why not try it with teaching? [emphasis mine] In f... more »

newteacher: On the Rise of Pearson (oh, and following the money)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

newteacher: On the Rise of Pearson (oh, and following the money): On the Rise of Pearson (oh, and following the money) *A long post that is worth a read here on the rise and influence of Pearson and corporate influence in education reform. Take pause, friends. Take pause but feel free to share and post comments here. Thoughts?* * * * * *The Pearson Monopoly *Jennifer Job, *UNC Chapel Hill* If you haven’t heard of Pearson, perhaps you have heard of one of the publishers they own, like Adobe, Scott Foresman, Penguin, Longman, Wharton, Harcourt, Puffin, Prentice Hall, or Allyn & Baco... more »

All Things Education: A project-based loving billionaire with no education expertise is still a billionaire with no education expertise.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

All Things Education: A project-based loving billionaire with no education expertise is still a billionaire with no education expertise.: A project-based loving billionaire with no education expertise is still a billionaire with no education expertise. from All Things Education by Rachel Levy Another billionaire is out to reform education. George Lucas has sold Lucasfilm to Disney for $4 billion in cash and stock and plans to spend most of his fortune on education. Lucas is already involved in education with an educational foundation that includes the website *Edutopia*. Lucas's ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Week of Nov. 19-23

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Week of Nov. 19-23: Seattle Schools Week of Nov. 19-23 by Melissa Westbrook A short week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. * No school for elementary and K-8 students for Parent-Teacher conferences *(really? three whole days). Enrollment Services close at noon on Wednesday and *one-hour early dismissal on Wednesday for all students. * Community meeting with Director Patu on Saturday the 24th from 10 am to noon at Caffe Vita, 5028 Wilson Avenue S. I missed this but the district received in October- via the UW Office of Minority A... more »

D.C. vouchers: What you need to know

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

D.C. vouchers: What you need to know: D.C. vouchers: What you need to know Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 18, 2012 at 1:52 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Here are some things you should know about the D.C. school voucher program that House Majority leader John Boehner took on as a personal mission to save. According to this important investigation by my colleagues Lyndsey Layton and Emma Brown: * Hundreds of D.C. student who receive money from the congressionally created program a... more »

Teachers laugh: Visit each fun page of what we and our fellow teachers laugh about each day

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Home Page: Teachers laugh: Visit each fun page of what we and our fellow teachers laugh about each day as we yak, vent, gab, rant, jaw, schmooze, philosophize and share. Updated daily with a little help from you, my humorous friends. * Today's Focus Funny:* ** Current Issues:* Virtual education or corporate scam? Even the New York Times knows the truth. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/03/opinion/virtually-educated.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss *Back to humor:*Please share your ideas with us for any page or category. Everyone needs a good laugh. Share this site with your friends and... more »

Response: Celebrating our Students' Good Writing - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Response: Celebrating our Students' Good Writing - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher: Response: Celebrating our Students' Good Writing By Larry Ferlazzo on November 18, 2012 1:01 PM ** *(Note: This is the first post in a multi-part series on teaching writing)* Katie Ciresi asked: *What advice can you give to help teachers be more effective in helping students become better writers?* This series is a companion to last year's five posts on Helping Our Students Become Better Readers. I'm "kicking off" with guest responses from three educators: Mary Tedrow, Doug... more »

A Wedding and Some Free Advice | Mr. Teachbad

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

A Wedding and Some Free Advice | Mr. Teachbad: A Wedding and Some Free Advice We went to a wedding yesterday. It was two friends I used to teach with. They met at the school where we worked and found love in a hopeless place. My wife and I don’t go to many weddings anymore. There was a long period where we went to four or five weddings every year. That gradually tapered off and faded into the current era of second weddings and bar mitzvas. This was that rare first wedding of two good friends. Nothin’ better than that. Unless, of course, it doesn’t work out. Then it ca... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Tom Moran LOVES My Writing!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Tom Moran LOVES My Writing!: Tom Moran LOVES My Writing! by Duke Jersey Jazzman, 11/14/12: *So why cheat in a game you already know you're going to win?* Nothing's been proved yet; keep watching. Tom Moran, Star-Ledger Op-Ed Editor, 11/18/12: *If you are winning a game fair and square, why would you cheat to run up the score?* I'm flattered, Tom. Take as many metaphors as you want... (Come one, relax; I'm just kidding. Sort of...) What are we both talking about? The revelation that Robert Treat Academy, long the darling of the charter cheerleaders in New Jerse... more »

Diane in the Evening 11-18-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Are Teachers Unions Bad for Education? by dianerav After several consecutive years of hearing that teachers’ unions are terrible, teachers’ unions are an obstacle to reform, teachers’ unions are greedy, it’s easy to cringe when the subject of unions comes up. I personally have gotten over that. I have come to realize that the war on unions is part of the larger war on public education. The unions are the strongest political ally for the public schools, which are the workplaces of their members, and they need make no apology to the far-right that wants to ... more »

A City Education: A Post-Sandy Day of Service in Staten Island | Education on GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

A City Education: A Post-Sandy Day of Service in Staten Island | Education on GOOD: A City Education: A Post-Sandy Day of Service in Staten Island *[image: staten.island]* *In our A City Education series, City Year corps members share their experiences working as tutors and mentors in schools in hopes of closing the opportunity gap and ending the dropout crisis.* "Why I serve" statements are an important aspect of City Year culture. At the beginning of the school year, corps members are asked to provide statements explaining why we choose to dedicate a year of service in schools. ... more »

Democurmudgeon: Walker's "Red State" push opposite Presidential Election Results. Education Big Target Again.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Democurmudgeon: Walker's "Red State" push opposite Presidential Election Results. Education Big Target Again.: Walker's "Red State" push opposite Presidential Election Results. Education Big Target Again. by Democurmudgeon With a super majority in the state legislature, any talk of bipartisanship or compromise is ridiculous and frustrating for me to watch. Democratic talk has centered on cooperation and "reaching across the aisle." This is what I've seen in every media interview so far, and I’m hoping that at some time we stop giving Republicans the benefit of the doubt. It makes... more »

Teachers Don't Suck !: My First Time!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Teachers Don't Suck !: My First Time!: My First Time! by Walt S. I read about the Newark teacher's settlement today in the Ledger. One of the statements made was "implementing a system known as merit pay for the first time in New Jersey". I beg to differ! Way back in 1965 when I first began teaching I worked at New Providence High School in Union County as a chemistry teacher. At that time there was a "merit pay" system in place. I was not part of it because it

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Correcting the Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Correcting the Times: Correcting the Times by Melissa Westbrook [image: Corporate Media = Corporate Lies] Correcting the Times gets tiresome but they just don't seem to want to get it right and/or be truthful. Today there is a wag-of-the finger editorial to Inslee, et al. about the passage of 1240. The Times should not be telling Inslee what to do given how roundly they denounced him as a candidate. That said, I-1240 does put quite the rush on the State Board of Education to get its work done under 1240 as well as Inslee, Chopp and Lt. Governor... more »

NYC Educator: Open Letter to UFT President

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

NYC Educator: Open Letter to UFT President: Open Letter to UFT President by NYC Educator Dear Mr. Mulgrew: I was somewhat dismayed by your letter stating we must make up days in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. I’m a little shocked the union would conclude this without having even consulted rank and file. This, however, is not at all my only concern. First of all, there has been very public talk of relaxing the minimum attendance requirement statewide. We certainly ought to be open to that, and examine our options before simply agreeing to Chancellor Walcott's very public pronouncemen... more »

Part 3: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out: The Variables | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Part 3: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out: The Variables | Parents Across America: Part 3: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out: The Variables by DoraTaylor *The Variables* High stakes testing has ramifications including ending careers and affecting communities by closing schools. Hence, we need to look carefully at the variables that might affect a student’s performance on a test. Teachers and principals do not work in a vacuum. They have students with lives outside school. Students live in a real world. The real world affects how they behave and their ability to focus in class. T... more »

Action for the Week of Thanksgiving: Donate to the Hurricane Sandy Student & Teacher Support Fund | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Action for the Week of Thanksgiving: Donate to the Hurricane Sandy Student & Teacher Support Fund | United Opt Out National: Action for the Week of Thanksgiving: Donate to the Hurricane Sandy Student & Teacher Support Fund by admin Bess Altwerger of Save our Schools has initiated a fund to support students and teachers affected by Hurricane Sandy. Please read the *call to action* and donate now: *Save Our Schools* calls on all local, state and federal authorities to spare no expense in rushing aide to thousands of school children and teachers affected by hurricane Sandy. The de... more »

More on Digital Dualism | Ideas and Thoughts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

More on Digital Dualism | Ideas and Thoughts: More on Digital Dualism by Dean Shareski I continue to think about what is it that we struggle with as we consider mediated relationships, aka digital dualism. The following can be seen as a draft of challenges I hear and some attempt to respond to them and provide more fodder for discussion than simply a simplistic view of bad or good. This is not a zero-sum game. Complaint #1*Kids today expect immediate and constant feedback and connection. * Think back to the days just before the telephone. The only way to maintain a relationship ... more »

Did Obama Steal the Election? (No.) « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Did Obama Steal the Election? (No.) « Student Activism: Did Obama Steal the Election? (No.) by Angus Johnston There’s a conspiracy theory going around the right-wing blogosphere that says that Obama “stole” votes in heavily Democratic precincts in heavily Democratic cities in heavily Democratic states. Why he’d do this isn’t clear — the electoral college chooses the president, so a few extra votes in states that are in the bag aren’t going to change the outcome — but the drum is being beaten louder and louder. It’s “evidence of massive voter fraud” that “could have impacted the e... more »

How do we entice great teachers to move to remote rural schools? | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

How do we entice great teachers to move to remote rural schools? | Get Schooled: How do we entice great teachers to move to remote rural schools? by Maureen Downey How do we get great teachers to move to rural areas? (Johnny Crawford, jcrawford@ajc.com) [image: How do we get great teachers to move to rural areas? (Johnny Crawford, jcrawford@ajc.com)]In the Sunday paper today, the AJC takes a look at rural schools in a well researched package AJC reporter Jaime Sarrio spent time in Wilcox County and other rural school districts interviewing educators, officials and parents. She also ... more »

'Lost art' of cursive writing concerns parents - NorthJersey.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

'Lost art' of cursive writing concerns parents - NorthJersey.com: 'Lost art' of cursive writing concerns parents SUNDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2012, 9:29 AM BY TATIANA SCHLOSSBERG STAFF WRITER THE RECORD PAGES: 1 2 3 > DISPLAY ON ONE PAGE | PRINT | E-MAIL Even though the Declaration of Independence is written in cursive — and signatures, typically scrawled in script, are still required as legal identification — many schoolchildren throughout the country are no longer being taught how to write the flowing characters people have used for centuries. [image: Fifty students signed up for the Cursi... more »

What Students Actually Want in Their School « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

What Students Actually Want in Their School « Cooperative Catalyst: What Students Actually Want in Their School by Tara S Over the summer, when David Loitz sent out a request for Imaging Learning Listening Session planners, I said, “Why not?” and agreed to organize one. Months later, after numerous emails back and forth between David, Charles Kouns (the founder of Imagining Learning) and Mr. Bo Adams (my old teacher, who was helping me put it all together), I filled out my consent to be recorded form and knew that the day was finally here. On November 15, I arrived at Unboundary for... more »

A Conference Perspective « My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

A Conference Perspective « My Island View: A Conference Perspective by tomwhitby When I accepted an invitation to attend the World Innovation Summit on Education, WISE2012, in Doha, Qatar, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. In my own arrogance I thought I was a seasoned education conference attendee. I have been to maybe a hundred education conferences both good and bad. I planned or helped plan at least a dozen local or statewide conferences. I even considered myself an experienced critic having done several well-received posts on various professional education c... more »

Bill Gates. La educación rescatará a EEUU de la crisis - Univision Vida y Familia

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Bill Gates. La educación rescatará a EEUU de la crisis - Univision Vida y Familia: Bill Gates. La educación rescatará a EEUU de la crisis WASHINGTON - El presidente y cofundador de Microsoft, Bill Gates, pronosticó un crecimiento de la inversión pública y privada en educación en los próximos años y lo defendió como fórmula para que Estados Unidos fortalezca su recuperación económica. El magnate aseguró que la educación constituye "una de las maneras de caminar hacia la mejora" y "una de las piezas que llevará de nuevo a Estados Unidos al crecimiento con un buen control". Para G...more »

What's next for Indiana's public schools? | Palladium-Item | pal-item.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

[image: Glenda Ritz] What's next for Indiana's public schools? | Palladium-Item | pal-item.com: What's next for Indiana's public schools?With changes in superintendent, governor, come questions Just where does Indiana public schools reform stand in light of the state GOP’s only upset of the Nov. 8 election? Tony Bennett, who attracted national attention for taking a public schools’ voucher and charter system arguably faster and farther than any Hoosier predecessor or national colleague, saw his single term in office halted in favor of Glenda Ritz. The relatively unknown Indianap... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-18-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] About That Bipartisan Consensus to Privatize Public Education by dianerav If ever evidence was needed about the bizarre mind meld between the Obama administration and the far-right of the Republican party, here it is. Secretary Arne Duncan is giving the keynote to Jeb Bush’s Excellence in Education summit in Washington, D.C. on November 28. Another keynote will be delivered to the same gathering of the leaders of the privatization movement by John Podesta of the Center for American Progress, who headed the... more »

Ed Notes Online: Rockaway Update: Small Steps Toward Normalcy - Day 1 of Not Living Out of an ice chest a Real Dinner, Some Heat, Plus Bill Clinton Supposed to Visit Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Rockaway Update: Small Steps Toward Normalcy - Day 1 of Not Living Out of an ice chest a Real Dinner, Some Heat, Plus Bill Clinton Supposed to Visit Today: Rockaway Update: Small Steps Toward Normalcy - Day 1 of Not Living Out of an ice chest a Real Dinner, Some Heat, Plus Bill Clinton Supposed to Visit Today by ed notes online Gee, I better run out and get some munchies in case Bill stops by to help haul wet sheetrock.I'm looking forward to reports of MORE monthly meeting yesterday. If you were there shoot me an email or leave a comment. Sunday, Nov. 18, 8AM I w... more »

NYC Educator: The Amish Are Wimps

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

NYC Educator: The Amish Are Wimps: The Amish Are Wimps by NYC Educator For years, I've been hearing about those hearty souls, up with the sun, and asleep with the moon, using only a candle now and then to make their way in the evening. And no they don't have electricity, so they aren't frittering away their time with Facebook and Twitter, and certainly they aren't indulging in anything so inane as a blog. So we'll grant them that. But in my house, we don't have any stinking electricity either. Now here's where the Amish lose me. In their homes, they have to have walls, and floors ... more »

Louisiana launches controversial new teacher evaluations to praise, fear | Hechinger Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Louisiana launches controversial new teacher evaluations to praise, fear | Hechinger Report: Louisiana launches controversial new teacher evaluations to praise, fear by Andrew Vanacore Times-Picayune Teachers in Louisiana have all but lost the tenure rules that once protected their jobs. Beginning this year, all 50,000 of them will be evaluated and ranked on an annual basis, often with test scores factoring in heavily. Soon, consistently “ineffective” teachers will no longer be welcome in the classroom. With a grading sheet in hand, Dr. Scott Steckler watches intently during teache... more »

Through the eyes of a teacher: A student's story - ContraCostaTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Through the eyes of a teacher: A student's story - ContraCostaTimes.com: Through the eyes of a teacher: A student's story By Debora Gordon Oakland Voices Posted: 11/17/2012 03:56:51 PM PST Updated: 11/17/2012 03:56:52 PM PST This is an excerpt from an ongoing blog about 21-year-old Lam Vo, a former student of Oakland Voices correspondent Debora Gordon. As a teacher in Oakland, I often face the sense of unease as each new shooting or homicide is reported. I seem to read every few days the news of another shooting, and I always fear that I will encounter the name of a former or e... more »

Thanksgiving break. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Thanksgiving break. « Fred Klonsky: Thanksgiving break. by Fred Klonsky *Our Honda trunk is full of books and school supplies.* You won’t find the usual postings this weekend. We’re headed for Brooklyn to spend the holidays with our kids and grand kids. So we are on the road. We left Chicago yesterday morning. Spent last night in Cleveland. We will be in Brooklyn tonight. Our trunk is filled with seven boxes of books and school supplies for a school in Coney Island that was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. At the present the school is uninhabitable and the kids and teachers have been mo... more »

Fourth-graders who flunk reading have faces marked | General Headlines | Comcast

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Fourth-graders who flunk reading have faces marked | General Headlines | Comcast: Fourth-graders who flunk reading have faces marked *Must Read?*Yes* **52* Email StoryPrint 1 day ago DECLO, Idaho — A fourth-grade teacher in southern Idaho is being criticized after having her students use permanent markers to draw on the faces of classmates who failed to meet reading goals. Some parents and administrators say the punishments given to nine students in Summer Larsen's class were inappropriate and left the children feeling shamed. Cindy Hurst said recently her 10-year-old son cam... more »

RIP Hostess

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Hostess closing all plants and laying off 18,500 to avoid labor deal By David Ferguson Friday, November 16, 2012 10:24 EST [image: Print] Share on facebookShare on redditShare on diggShare on twitterShare on farkShare on stumbleupon134 [image: Twinkies by Christian Cable via Flickr Commons] Topics: Hostess brands ♦ Hostess Twinkies ♦ strikes ♦ unions Texas-based Hostess Brands, the company that makes Twinkies, Hostess Cupcakes and Wonder Bread has announced that it is laying off all of its 18,500 employees and closing all of its U.S. facilities in response to a labor strike that h... more »

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble Demands Snack Cake Bailout

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble Demands Snack Cake Bailout: Congressman Kimble Demands Snack Cake Bailout by Representative Kimble Like any red-blooded patriotic American, I was horrified to hear that Hostess was going out of business. Surely, a company that hasn't demanded concessions from its workers in over 7 years deserves a break. I put this tragedy surely on the head of President Obama and his administration. The American Snack Cake Industry must survive. Our nation is too big for it to fail. Courageous steps must be taken in order to ensure that future generations... more »

4LAKids - UTLA Tuesday Talking Points: VICTORY FOR SCHOOLS

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: UTLA Tuesday Talking Points: VICTORY FOR SCHOOLS: UTLA Tuesday Talking Points: VICTORY FOR SCHOOLS [image: image] *NOVEMBER 13, 2012 **LATEST NEWS AND ISSUES | HTTP://BIT.LY/SCW1BD**1. **Voters stand with us to pass Prop 30 and defeat Prop 32: *Prop. 30 does not solve all of our schools’ fiscal problems but it begins to repair the damage done by years of budget cuts. This victory paves the way for a full school year for 2012-13 and the cancellation of furlough days. On Prop 32, voters saw through the deceptive power grab by wealthy busin... more »

I know nothing…but I’m learning « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

I know nothing…but I’m learning « Cooperative Catalyst: I know nothing…but I’m learning by Paul Freedman I had a wonderful meandering conversation recently with Co-op Cat, Scott Nine. We shred ideas and thoughts on a wide range of topics. But one has really stuck with me: “maybe we should be less focused on knowing and more focused on learning.” Our educational system and our culture as a whole has seriously privileged knowledge. To know things, to have knowledge of facts and to possess skills these are *the* goals, aren’t they? That is why we teach at, and lecture to, and tes... more »

My Election Dashboard | Lefty Parent

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

My Election Dashboard | Lefty Parent: My Election Dashboard by Cooper Zale My “ministry” is all about celebrating and championing human development at an individual and societal level. A key thread in that development (at both the individual and societal level) is our society’s transition from hierarchies of control towards circles of equals. So in that regard, what light (if any) does the recent election shed on our path forward? I’m a lover of lists, and here is my list of the areas of this transition that continue to be of most interest to me… *1. The engagement between youth and... more »

The Failure of Those in Charge Permeates District 7.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: The Failure of Those in Charge Permeates District 7 by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) Juan Gonzalez wrote a great piece in yesterday's Daily News on how the Young Leaders Elementary School, a school opened up by Uncle Mike in 2008, is now on the list of possible closures. Funny thing is, Young Leaders Elementary School replaced another closed school, PS 220 back in 2008. PS 220 was run by one of the classiest principals ever to work for the DOE, Michelle Kahn. I know Michelle is up above having the last laugh. She should. Again, students and ... more »

An Urban Teacher's Education: Resources from NCTE

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

An Urban Teacher's Education: Resources from NCTE: Resources from NCTE by James Boutin This week I have the pleasure of attending the NCTE national convention in Las Vegas. I've gathered a few resources so far I thought might be worth sharing. I'll write more about the conference later, but for now, here are some links: http://www.nwp.org/ http://kellygallagher.org/ www.informationisbeautiful.net http://www.heinemann.com/authors/902.aspx http://pennykittle.net/ https://depts.washington.edu/pswpuw/

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