Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Quinn goes after collective bargaining again. Terminates AFSCME contract. Most anti-labor governor ever. « Fred Klonsky

Quinn goes after collective bargaining again. Terminates AFSCME contract. Most anti-labor governor ever. « Fred Klonsky:


Quinn goes after collective bargaining again. Terminates AFSCME contract. Most anti-labor governor ever.

Rich Miller’s Capitolfax broke the story this evening.
But is just supports what I have been saying for months: Pat Quinn is the most anti-labor governor in the history of Illinois.
While the Republican Scott Walkers of this world have their own ways of going after union collective bargaining



Black Friday. Boycott Walmart. Support the workers.

Schools Matter: Health hazard: Drs. Schack & Mehra: Teens not getting enough sleep because of school schedule & pressure

Schools Matter: Health hazard: Drs. Schack & Mehra: Teens not getting enough sleep because of school schedule & pressure:


Health hazard: Drs. Schack & Mehra: Teens not getting enough sleep because of school schedule & pressure

Mira Costa will look into zero-period, start time to address teen sleep issues
The Beach Reporter, November 14, 20
http://tinyurl.com/b4f7bvu

by Carley Dryden
Local doctor Linda Schack, an adolescent medicine specialist, had grown concerned.
High school students flooded her practice complaining of headaches, abdominal pain and fatigue. When she asked how much sleep they got on weekdays, she received the same answer: six hours. But on weekends, they would sleep until noon or 1 p.m.
Alarmed by the local teens’ sleep patterns and ailments, Schack and fellow doctor Mini Mehra reviewed scientific literature on the topic and presented their findings to the Manhattan Beach Unified School District’s Medical Advisory Board last year. Schack and Mehra found that schools with later start times reported less tardiness, better grades, less visits to the nurse’s office, and fewer disciplinary problems. Jessamine County, KY saw a 16.5% reduction in motor vehicle accidents in 2003, when the high school start time moved 50 minutes later.
“This is affecting the health of our kids,” Schack said. “That’s why we’re concerned. It’s a medical health issue.”

School Tech Connect: Best Practice

School Tech Connect: Best Practice:


Best Practice

I saw these two remarks on the Twitter tonight, and I thought, "Good questions."


Notice I didn't say, "and I thought to myself." That's one of my pet peeves, when people write that. Who else are you going to think to?

Anyway, what indeed are these "best practices?" If the charters are supposed to "transmit" (I think that's the 

St. Louis Fed Adds Free Educational Materials for Economics and Personal Finance

Personal Finance Education Resources | Economic Education Resources:


St. Louis Fed Adds Free Educational Materials for Economics and Personal Finance 

Economics and Personal Finance Education Resources

Online Learning Courses Econ Ed
We have award-winning, FREE classroom resources for K-16 educators to use to teach about money and banking, economics, personal finance and the Federal Reserve. We also have FREE resources for consumers and others who want to learn about economics, personal finance and the Federal Reserve.

ST. LOUIS  ― The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has added a dozen new materials to an already-robust supply of free personal finance and economic education resources for students and consumers.
The new materials can be found at the St. Louis Fed’s Econ Lowdown web site for economic education resources.  They include online courses, simulated online chats, videos, an audio podcast, and a mobile app.
The number of states requiring personal finance curriculum in public high schools is on the rise, and adults of all ages are often overwhelmed by choices when trying to decide how to save for retirement.
With the St. Louis Fed’s latest tools, students and consumers alike can learn about anything from choosing between retirement plans, to completing a W-4 form, to the basics of supply and demand.
“With the nation still recovering from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, it’s crucial that everyone—particularly our students—prepare themselves for a healthy financial future,” said Mary Suiter, economic education officer at the St. Louis Fed.
Here is a complete list of the new materials:
Econ Lowdown also has a new and improved, more user-friendly and searchable web site, plus social media accounts.  On the Econ Lowdown Facebook and Twitter pages, followers can find personal finance tips, information on new classroom materials, and economics context for headlines in the news.  
The St. Louis Fed offers free downloadable lesson plans, interactive whiteboard activities, and online courses for classrooms ranging from elementary school to college.  The organization reaches 275,000 students with its online tools and programming.  Materials also are available to help the general public understand anything from inflation to saving for retirement.
Visit http://www.stlouisfed.org/education_resources/ to see the complete collection of free online educational tools.

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-20-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



James Baldwin said it best: 

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

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP




THE TWELVE DAYS OF CLASS « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CLASS « Teachers Fight Back: THE TWELVE DAYS OF CLASS by alkleen What next ? Now high school health centers are all the rage. More high schools are installing full-time health centers to make sure all the wonderful boys and girls have all their possible needs met. You know, needs like birth control pills, abortion advice and all manner of healthful tips. I can’t believe some community leaders and parents are worried about this new trend. What’s not to like ? Now that our students have every possible advantage in their school life, let’s review all the services ... more »

A distorted reality | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
A distorted reality | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: A distorted realityAn ex-principal says inflated test scores skewed decision-making and hurt students. The problem isn’t fixed.by Benjamin Herold for NewsWorks, a Notebook news Partner ="" title="Facebook_like" href="http://thenotebook.org/december-2012/125350/distorted-reality#" style="text-decoration: initial; color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on email COMMENTS (2)EMAILPRINT Photo: Kimberly Paynter for NewsWorks In 2010, math scores at Communications Technology High in Southwes... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Sandra Stotsky critiques the Common Core in NYC on Monday night

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
NYC Public School Parents: Sandra Stotsky critiques the Common Core in NYC on Monday night: Sandra Stotsky critiques the Common Core in NYC on Monday night by Leonie Haimson *Professor Sandra Stotsky, an eminent critic of the Common Core standards being implemented in 46 states including New York, will be speaking in NYC on Monday night, November 26, from 5-7 PM at Azure, 333 E. 91 St., along with Shael Suransky of DOE, who is a strong defender of the standards. It should be an interesting evening. For more information seeGothamSchools .* *Stotsky is the main author of the Massa... more »

NYC Educator: Daily News Inspired by the Merit Pay Fairy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
NYC Educator: Daily News Inspired by the Merit Pay Fairy: Daily News Inspired by the Merit Pay Fairy by NYC Educator Since Newark teachers ratified a contract full of unspecified bonuses for evaluations that don't exist, the Daily News editorial board thinks we ought to do the same thing. You know, we should be paid like professional athletes. This is not a new argument. I've been hearing it for years. Except, of course, that no one, ever, has remotely suggested we be paid on any such scale. Blogger Jersey Jazzman has been consistently brilliant on this issue, and wrote a fairly d... more »

PSAT for 11-20-12: Tell your state reps to vote NO on waiving the Dec. 1 school closure announcement deadline

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 11-20-12: Tell your state reps to vote NO on waiving the Dec. 1 school closure announcement deadline: PSAT for 11-20-12: Tell your state reps to vote NO on waiving the Dec. 1 school closure announcement deadline by admin For Public Schools Action Tuesday today, send a strong message to your state legislators. Contact for Illinois state senators here, and state representatives here. Most are in their home offices this week. The fall veto session, when action on the Chicago school closing deadline waiver will most li... more »

An Open Letter to Boaz Kantor « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
An Open Letter to Boaz Kantor « Student Activism: An Open Letter to Boaz Kantor by Angus Johnston [image: n7772graysmall] Earlier today I read your “Open Letter to Khalil from Gaza,” the one in which you imagined a Palestinian like yourself — a loving husband and father, trying to do right by his family — and informed him that tonight his seven-year-old daughter would die. “You’ll wake up in the middle of the night,” you wrote, “to a deafening explosion. Your whole house will tremble. Parts of the ceiling will fall on you. You’ll run to your daughter’s bedroom, and find the norther... more »

Des Moines Education Association: Measure What Matters

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Des Moines Education Association: Measure What Matters: Measure What Matters by Andrew Rasmussen I frequently speak out against the overuse and abuse of standardized testing in our schools. In fact, our local union recently signed on to the National Resolution on High-Stakes Testing to express our concern about the proliferation of standardized tests and how they are narrowing the educational experiences our students get in school. Almost every time I speak up against this testing I get a response from someone asking, “Well how else are you going to tell that your kids are learnin... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Statement of Newark Teachers Against the New Contract

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Statement of Newark Teachers Against the New Contract: Statement of Newark Teachers Against the New Contract by Duke I'm reposting the entire statement of the NEWCaucus - a group of teachers who were against the Newark teachers contract - here, mostly because I don't think they've been treated fairly in the press and they deserve to have their voices heard. (It's also probably easier to read it here, as they put out their statement in a GoogleDoc.) I will save my comments for another post. *Now that we have a contract, do you have questions like:* *What do I do if... more »

In Greenwich, Malloy throws “heavy support behind the charter school movement” - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
In Greenwich, Malloy throws “heavy support behind the charter school movement” - Wait, What?: In Greenwich, Malloy throws “heavy support behind the charter school movement” by jonpelto [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] At last week’s ConnCAN Block Party (it took place in Greenwich – go figure), Governor Malloy “spoke about the dismal graduation rate in urban districts. He told the crowd that on average, four in 10 students never receive a diploma. ”We cannot compete as a state with the other 49 states, or the rest of the world, when we’re willing to thr... more »

The Tony Bennett Ouster Debate Continues | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The Tony Bennett Ouster Debate Continues | Truth in American Education: The Tony Bennett Ouster Debate Continues by Shane Vander Hart The debate continues. You may remember Matthew Laudner called anti-common core activists in Indiana a bunch of yahoos since they helped defeat incumbent Republican Tony Bennett in the Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction race. Erin Tuttle, who for a “yahoo” writes quite well [image: :)] , wrote in the* Ft. Wayne Journal-Gazette*: The Bennett fiasco brought an exceptionally nasty rebuke from Matthew Ladner, policy adviser to Jeb Bush’s Fou... more »

High-quality Preschool Ed a Research-Based Policy Winner | The Forum for Education and Democracy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
High-quality Preschool Ed a Research-Based Policy Winner | The Forum for Education and Democracy: High-quality Preschool Ed a Research-Based Policy Winner by William J. Mathis, National Education Policy Center, University of Colorado Boulder, November 2012 Publicly supported, high-quality preschool education is among the most successful and well-documented of education reforms. Four out of every five states provide preschool in some format or for some students, and nearly 75% of four-year-olds and just over half of three-year-olds have some form of preschool experience, ranging... more »

PS 90. Coney Island. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
PS 90. Coney Island. « Fred Klonsky: PS 90. Coney Island. by Fred Klonsky *Dear Sue,* *I just got back from delivering the 7 boxes of school supplies that the teachers at Carpenter School donated to PS 90, Edna Cohen School, in Coney Island.* *Everyone was very appreciative. Please extend thanks to all the Carpenter Staff.* *Here’s a first: The principal, Greta Hawkins, gave me a big kiss on the cheek. As you might guess, I have never been kissed by a principal before. Not in thirty years!* *After spending the last week following Sandy in another school doubled up in classroom, t... more »

A Common Core legal mess in — where else? — Florida

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
A Common Core legal mess in — where else? — Florida: A Common Core legal mess in — where else? — Florida Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 20, 2012 at 1:30 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » This isn’t the way it was supposed to work, but…. there’s a legal battle in the state of Florida over part of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. Education Week chronicles in this article why Tallahassee-based Infinity Software Development filed a lawsuit against the Florida Departmen... more »

Between the Rap Sheets | Edwize

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Between the Rap Sheets | Edwize: Between the Rap Sheets by Ron Isaac The best thing to happen to democracy in recent years may be the popularity of blogs. They’re especially influential in politics and education. Anyone can access everyone these days. The marketplace of ideas is wide open. Edwize is, of course, the UFT’s blog. But the views contained in the following piece are solely those of the author and are independent of the UFT’s positions and policies. Remember Rick Perry, the governor of Texas and unflappable former front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination ... more »

How do You Defeat an Army of Determined Educators? You Don't! - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
How do You Defeat an Army of Determined Educators? You Don't! - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: How do You Defeat an Army of Determined Educators? You Don't! by Anthony Cody The election of 2012 was a tough one for some who consider themselves "reformers" of education. Michael Petrilli, of the Hoover and Fordham Institutes wrote yesterday, in an op-ed that appeared in the Charlotte Observer, that "Teachers unions remain the Goliath to the school reformers' David." This framing is, in itself, remarkable. That a "movement" generously financed from the deep pockets of o... more »

What is ED’s Stance on Using Testing Data in Teacher Evaluation? | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
What is ED’s Stance on Using Testing Data in Teacher Evaluation? | ED.gov Blog: What is ED’s Stance on Using Testing Data in Teacher Evaluation? Posted on November 20, 2012 by Guest Blogger A recent letter to the Department of Education from a teacher in Cincinnati contained a quote that really struck me: “It is not at all that I am afraid of what my test scores might reveal. I am more concerned about what my student’s test scores will not reveal.” The quote rings true of so many classrooms across the country, including my own. I teach students who have been removed from other inst... more »

Diane in the Evening 11-20-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: America’s Favorite Parlour Game? by dianerav What is America’s favorite parlour game? If you are talking about the average American, I don’t know though I would guess that parlour games have been replaced by watching TV. However, if you are talking about the wonks in conservative think tanks, a rare breed to be sure, I will share their secret: they are obsessed with trying to understand how their idol, Tony Bennett, got beat at the polls. He had everything going for him: the nation’s leading advocate of privatization. Chair of Jeb Bush’s Chiefs fo MORNI... more »

What’s the Matter With Kids Today? | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
What’s the Matter With Kids Today? | toteachornototeach: What’s the Matter With Kids Today? by aristotlethewise What’s the Matter With Kids Today? by Evan Shapiro There is a perception among many in my cohort and among my elders that the generation currently coming of age — aka Millennials — are an entitled bunch of slacker know-it-alls who expect to get medals for just showing up. For numerous GenXers and Boomers, this disdain goes beyond stereotype and into specific, vehement bias against the entire generation. Many of my friends in the media industry, whose staff and customer base... more »

Needed: STEM education for Marco Rubio

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Needed: STEM education for Marco Rubio: Needed: STEM education for Marco Rubio Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 20, 2012 at 11:36 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » A few years ago Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, put out a 12-point plan that he posited would improve public education. (One item, to give you a sense of the list, was a federal corporate income tax credit to boost “school choice.”) This was Idea No. 7: *Overcome The Science, Technology, Engineering And Mathemati... more »

Academic Performance Not Top Reason for High Dropout Rates | NewsTaco

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Academic Performance Not Top Reason for High Dropout Rates | NewsTaco: ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE NOT TOP REASON FOR HIGH DROPOUT RATES By Hope Gillette, Voxxi Poor academic performance ranked fourth on decisive reasons for high school student drop out , states the *2012 High School Drop Outs in America* study. The data indicates the number one reason (23 percent) for high school student drop out rates is lack of parental encouragement, followed closely by teenage pregnancy (21 percent) and poor attendance (17 percent). Tied for fourth place at 15 percent were reasons relating to academic... more »

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: New policy allows dagger-like objects on campusThe Jurupa Unified School District board of education on Nov. 19 approved a new district policy that will allow Sikh students to wear a kirpan to school but with strict restrictions. Under the new policy, parents agree to sign a statement that requires the kirpan — a daggerlike object that is a sacred article of faith — to be worn under clothing, to have the blade dulled, to be soldered or sewn into its sheath so it cannot be removed and to have a blade that is 2 1/2 inches or less.... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: LAO Report: The 2013-14 Budget - CALIFORNIA’S FISCAL OUTLOOK

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: LAO Report: The 2013-14 Budget - CALIFORNIA’S FISCAL OUTLOOK: LAO Report: The 2013-14 Budget - CALIFORNIA’S FISCAL OUTLOOK ** *…your rose-colored-glasses are located in a compartment under the center armrest.* *FROM THE 11/20 CCSA EMAIL TO THEIR MEMBERS:*** * ***The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) released its annual Fiscal Outlook last week, updating its projections on the state’s fiscal situation. With the passage of Propositions 30 and 39, the LAO reports that *“the budget situation has improved sharply” and that we can expect ... more »

ALEC Votes Down Anti-Common-Core Resolution - State EdWatch - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
ALEC Votes Down Anti-Common-Core Resolution - State EdWatch - Education Week: ALEC Votes Down Anti-Common-Core Resolution by Andrew Ujifusa The way the American Legislative Exchange Council, the controversial conservative think tank in Washington, has handled the Common Core State Standards has generated an interesting conflict in the education community. Some who have dealings with ALEC believe the common standards could mean progress for K-12 schools, but others involved in the group believe the standards represent the camel's nose in the tent and a prelude to greater federal ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Gov. "Squeezy" and autocrat Rahm

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Gov. "Squeezy" and autocrat Rahm: Gov. "Squeezy" and autocrat Rahm by Mike Klonsky It would be hilarious if it wasn't so tragic. It's not only the low point of this once-progressive governor's career, it is characteristic of the buffoonery that marks state Democrats' attack on public employees' pensions and on their own political base. Of course I'm referring to Gov. "Squeezy's" pet python and his "grass-roots" campaign to "reform" the pension fund. It all makes me wonder, first why are we taxpayers footing the bill for this crap? And second, what i... more »

UPDATE: Students Clash at UC Davis Gaza Protest « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Students Clash at UC Davis Gaza Protest « Student Activism: Gaza Demonstrations at More Than a Dozen US Campuses by Angus Johnston Students have held demonstrations in connection with the Israeli assault on Gaza at more than a dozen campuses — some in support of the Palestinians, some in support of Israel. What follows is a list of the demonstrations I’ve been able to learn of through the media. Presumably many more have occurred that haven’t received press coverage. *Monday* - Cornell - Florida State - Purdue - University of California Davis - University of Massachus... more »

Modern School: Charter School Enrollment Rising Rapidly

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Modern School: Charter School Enrollment Rising Rapidly: Charter School Enrollment Rising Rapidly by Michael Dunn Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons Between the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years, the number of students enrolled in charter schools rose by nearly 13%, to just over two million students nationwide, according to a new report from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. 110 school districts across the nation have at least 10% of their students enrolled in charter schools, 16 more than last year. New Orleans leads the nation with 70% of its students enrolled in charte... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: The privatization of the University of California: THE FIGHT TO SAVE EDUCATION MUST CONTINUE

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: The privatization of the University of California: THE FIGHT TO SAVE EDUCATION MUST CONTINUE: The privatization of the University of California: THE FIGHT TO SAVE EDUCATION MUST CONTINUE OP-ED BY ELANA EDEN AND MARGARET HARDY IN THE DAILY CALIFORNIAN - THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF U.C. BERKELEY |HTTP://BIT.LY/S8BYEMTuesday, November 20, 2012 :: Lately, my friends have been asking me: “Proposition 30 just passed… so why mobilize?” In the relief following a narrow escape from a 20.3 percent fee hike, it seems like a reasonable question... more »

Teacher evaluation architect warns of lawsuits against Louisiana’s new system | Hechinger Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Teacher evaluation architect warns of lawsuits against Louisiana’s new system | Hechinger Report: Teacher evaluation architect warns of lawsuits against Louisiana’s new system by Sarah Garland The new teacher evaluation system Louisiana launched this fall may be too simplistic, according to the architect of one of the most widely used evaluation systems in the country – and the one on which Louisiana’s new system is based. 4th grader Noah Nafziger finds a quiet place to read during breakout groups in Lora Johnson’s class at George Cox Elementary School in Gretna, La. Thursday, Oct... more »

President Obama, Congress face ticking education time bombs: Fiscal cliff, college costs and student loan deadline | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
President Obama, Congress face ticking education time bombs: Fiscal cliff, college costs and student loan deadline | Get Schooled: President Obama, Congress face ticking education time bombs: Fiscal cliff, college costs and student loan deadline by Maureen Downey John Konop steered me to this *article from MSN.com on the compelling education policy challenges facing President Obama and Congress.* Seems like a lot to get done, some of which has to be done in a matter of weeks. Here is an excerpt but try to read the full piece before commenting:** …First up is sequestration, the auto... more »

Racing, Striving, Accelerating, Winning, Yada, Yada. And Reading. - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Racing, Striving, Accelerating, Winning, Yada, Yada. And Reading. - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Racing, Striving, Accelerating, Winning, Yada, Yada. And Reading. by Nancy Flanagan When my kids--now young adults--were in elementary grades, their school participated in Pizza Hut's *Book It*program. The idea was to promote reading by giving kids coupons for free individual pizzas if they read a specific number of books, or were the "top" readers in their classes. Whole classes got pizza parties for reading the greatest number of books. Teachers and principal ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Now Common Core is not only "State Led" it's Also "Teacher Designed"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Now Common Core is not only "State Led" it's Also "Teacher Designed": Now Common Core is not only "State Led" it's Also "Teacher Designed" by stlgretchen Common Core explained: Common Sense not allowed. Comments today are reprinted with permission from Barry Garelick. *Garelick has written extensively about math education in various publications including Education Next, Educational Leadership, and Education News. He is currently doing student teaching at a junior high school in the central coast area of California, and plans to teach math as his s... more »

Schools Matter: The Cucumber Austerity of Teaching: Merit Pay and Grapes

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Schools Matter: The Cucumber Austerity of Teaching: Merit Pay and Grapes: The Cucumber Austerity of Teaching: Merit Pay and Grapes by P. L. Thomas This isn't dystopian fiction, but it certainly could be. Nancy Flanagan led (by way of Twitter) me and Jersey Jazzman to this wonderful and chilling video of monkeys confronting the concept of fairness: 2 Monkeys Were Paid Unequally; See What Happens Next I agree with Jersey Jazzman that this video makes me think of how teachers are being treated under the Arne Duncan era of austerity in education, how Duncan/Obama have been pulled int... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-20-12 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] Credit-Rating Agency: Charter Schools Are Risky Investment by dianerav Well, we are into big-time business talk about education. For-profit colleges are losing market share. K12 Inc.’s stock price drops after Wells Fargo downgraded its rating in response to the poor performance of K12′s Colorado Virtual Academy, where the graduation rate is 22 percent. Now a rating agency finds that despite the passage of an ALEC-style amendment in Georgia, allowing a Democracy for Sale? by dianerav Somebody is dumping a lo... more »

Iowa’s Plan for Education Success–Assess, Assess, Assess | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Iowa’s Plan for Education Success–Assess, Assess, Assess | Truth in American Education: Iowa’s Plan for Education Success–Assess, Assess, Assess by Shane Vander Hart [image: image]There is nothing earth shattering in the Iowa Department of Education’s latest report entitled “Overcoming the Achievement Divide: Key Challenges and Solutions for Iowa Schools.” It’s main goal is to address the news that Iowa is stagnant in seeing growth in math and reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). They are using the following qualifiers for the selection of programs... more »

Walker Implicated « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Walker Implicated « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Walker Implicated by millerlf *Prosecutors: Walker county staff, guv campaign met regularly to ensure ‘good coordination’* 11/19/2012 Wispolitics.comMILWAUKEE — Prosecutors today said Scott Walker had regular meetings with his Milwaukee County staffers and his 2010 guv campaign to ensure there was “good coordination” between the two. Milwaukee County prosecutors made the disclosure during the sentencing of Kelly Rindfleisch, a former Walker county aide who reached a plea deal to settle charges against her stemming fro... more »

Beyond Bloomberg: On The 2013 Mayoral Candidate Forum on Education | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Beyond Bloomberg: On The 2013 Mayoral Candidate Forum on Education | The Jose Vilson: Beyond Bloomberg: On The 2013 Mayoral Candidate Forum on Education by Jose Blackboard Awards on the 2013 Mayoral Candidate Forum on Education Tonight, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Blackboard Awards’ 2013 Mayoral Candidate Forum on Education at the Fordham Law School, moderated by Philissa Cramer of GothamSchools and Lindsey Christ of NY1, Time Warner Cable’s main New York City news station. Five out of the six main mayoral candidates (City Council Speaker of the House Christine Qu... more »

Fiscal cliff, with federal cuts, not imminent for school districts | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Fiscal cliff, with federal cuts, not imminent for school districts | EdSource Today: Fiscal cliff, with federal cuts, not imminent for school districts ** November 20th, 2012 | Add a Comment | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services For California’s K-12 districts and federally funded preschools, the “fiscal cliff” that is now consuming politics in Washington is more like a distant canyon. [image: (Photo by Juan Pablo Garnham)] (Photo by Juan Pablo Garnham) The abyss refers to an across-the-board 8.2 percent cut... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 11-19-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* The first mayoral debate on education! by Leonie Haimson This afternoon, the first debate on education among the mayoral candidates took place, hosted by Manhattan Media. The candidates included two Bills, one Tom, one John and one Christine, absent Scott Stringer, given his announcement today that he will run for City Comptroller instead. The consensus among most of the observers I talked to afterwards is that the candidates did not distinguish themselves much from one another on the hot-button issues. Also, despite the best eff... more »

School Exclusion Policies Stigmatize Arrested Teens and Contribute to Educational Failure, - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
School Exclusion Policies Stigmatize Arrested Teens and Contribute to Educational Failure, - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News: School Exclusion Policies Stigmatize Arrested Teens and Contribute to Educational Failure, November 19, 2012 at 5:04 pm by Jonathan Kantrowitz [image: Comment] Comments | [image: Email] E-mail | [image: Print] Print [image: Jonathan Kantrowitz]“Zero- tolerance” policies that rely heavily on suspensions and expulsions hinder teens who have been arrested from completing high school or pursuing a college degree, according to a new study from The Universit... more »

“SQUEEZY – THE PENSION PYTHON” « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
“SQUEEZY – THE PENSION PYTHON” « Teachers Fight Back: “SQUEEZY – THE PENSION PYTHON” by alkleen *Squeezy and Wheezie (Gov. Quinn?)* Oh my ! Governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn, you are a hoot. All of you must go to the Governor’s new pension publicity website, www.thisismyillinois.com. Did you see the governor when he announced the new site ? There he was surrounded on stage by over a dozen children. There were the posters of the children, saying, ” thanks in advance”. Why the children, you might ask ? Didn’t you know this pension issue is about saving the future of our children her... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed News from Around the Country

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed News from Around the Country: Ed News from Around the Country by Melissa Westbrook I'm finally catching up on some backreading on education issues. Arne Duncan. According to this article in Ed Week on the first speech Secretary Duncan has made since the re-election of President Obama, it appears he will stay on if asked. His priorities? *In his first major postelection remarks, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that he will use his second term to continue to leverage education improvement at the state and local levels, with a new ... more »

OCCUPY EDUCATION - Be part of Documentary of Student Loan Debt

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
OCCUPY EDUCATION - Be part of Documentary of Student Loan Debt: Be part of Documentary of 








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