Schools Add In-House Farms as Teaching Tools in New York City - NYTimes.com

Schools Add In-House Farms as Teaching Tools in New York City - NYTimes.com:

Schools Add In-House Farms as Teaching Tools in New York City

by By LISA W. FODERARO

Teachers at schools with their own gardens are bringing their classrooms to nature, encouraging students to plant, harvest and experiment with solar and wind energy.

Ángel Franco/The New York Times

By LISA W. FODERARO

Published: November 23, 2012

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In the East Village, children planted garlic bulbs and harvested Swiss chard before Thanksgiving. On the other side of town, in Greenwich Village, they learned about storm water runoff, solar energy andwind turbines. And in Queens, students and teachers cultivated flowers that attract butterflies and pollinators.

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Across New York City, gardens and miniature farms — whether on rooftops or at ground level — are joining smart boards and digital darkrooms as must-have teaching tools. They are being used in subjects as varied as science, art, mathematics and social studies. In the past two years, the number of school-based gardens registered with the city jumped to 232, from 40, according to GreenThumb, a division of the parks department that provides schools with 

NALEO Educational Fund Elects Dallas Mayor as New Chair | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com

NALEO Educational Fund Elects Dallas Mayor as New Chair | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com:

NALEO Educational Fund Elects Dallas Mayor as New Chair

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund announced the election of its new chair, Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Pauline Medrano along with new board members.
The chair and board leadership were elected at the organization’s board of directors meeting on November 16 in Washington DC during the organization’s 9th Biennial NALEO National Institute for Newly Elected Officials. Medrano assumes the leadership position from Fla., Representative Juan Carlos Zapata.
 
The NALEO Educational Fund Board of Directors unanimously elected Medrano to serve as chair of the organization. Medrano began her career as a Congressional aide to former U.S. Representative Martin Frost. She has also worked as the District Director for the Texas Department of Agriculture. More recently she served as the District Sales Manager for GTECH Corporation.
Medrano has also worked as an ESL instructor for the Dallas Independent 

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kindle Begins Food Stamp Challenge

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kindle Begins Food Stamp Challenge:

Congressman Kindle Begins Food Stamp Challenge

by Representative Kimble

Today, I began the Food Stamp Challenge.   I did this not because it is easy, but because even in a prosperous district like mine, there are many people who are hurting.   There many unemployed and underemployed people who rely on food stamps to feed their families.  I read today that 80% of Walmart employees are on food stamps and I wanted to know their struggle first hand.   Please check out the challenge for yourself.

According to the challenge, the food stamp benefit in California is only about $31.50 per day.   I've seen Rachel Ray survive on $40 per day, but that was a few years back.   I knew right away that some luxuries would be off limits this week.  I would not be able to afford my favorite 1.5 pound lobster stuffed with a smaller 1 pound lobster and even a second glass of wine at dinner would be a stretch.  I knew reducing tipping down to 5% would help, but for one of the first times in my life I would know real hunger.

Breakfast: I love my coffee and today was no exception.  I sat down to the paper at East of Java Coffee Shop for '

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: The Bullying Teacher:Can the Damage They Cause Be Fixed?

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: The Bullying Teacher:Can the Damage They Cause Be Fixed?:

The Bullying Teacher:Can the Damage They Cause Be Fixed?

by Lisa M

My car was hit the other day. I'm not worried about it. I was fine. My insurance will cover the damages and my car will be fixed.

The damage to my car caused an "education connection". It made me think about that kid who is being bullied by their teacher or teachers and no one knows. We have all seen videos of the extreme cases where teachers are bullying kids.

But what about the student who is bullied every day and it's not videoed? These poor kids are subject to whatever abuse that the small minded,big bully, teacher can throw at them.

I knew a team of bullying teachers. You know how it is when a group of students seem to feed off each other? That's what it was like with these teachers. They would sit around the table like witches around a cauldron, their 

Teacher Raises Earlier Correlates To Better Student Performance | toteachornototeach

Teacher Raises Earlier Correlates To Better Student Performance | toteachornototeach:

Teacher Raises Earlier Correlates To Better Student Performance

by aristotlethewise

Teacher Raises Earlier In Career Correlates To Better Student Performance: Study 

A new study has found that front-loading teacher salaries —that is, awarding larger raises early in a teacher’s career and smaller raises later — are associated with better student performance in multiple grades.
To test their hypothesis that districts are likely to benefit from a front-loaded salary schedule, the study’s authors — Jason A. Grissom and Katharine O. Strunk — matched compensation data to school-level student performance data on math and reading achievement tests in 4,500 districts across 28 states during the 1999-2000 school year. They examined the relationship between salary schedule frontloading and student performance across grades and at multiple points in the achievement distribution, i.e. basic competence, proficient and advanced proficiency.
The authors controlled for differences in cost of living in various districts when looking at teacher compensation

Personal and Professional vs. Public and Private | Connected Principals

Personal and Professional vs. Public and Private | Connected Principals:

Personal and Professional vs. Public and Private

by George Couros

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker
During my time over in Australia, there was a lot of talk about the notion of having both a “personal” and “professional” identity on social media. The “personal” account would be one that is used with friends and family, where as the “professional” account would be one that is used with the work that you do in school.  Although I understand the notion behind what is being said here, I don’t know if this is what I would really be focusing on when working with students or educators.  We should really be focusing on the notion of “public and private” and how that works in our world.
This is not to say that you can’t have separate accounts.  I, for one, choose not to and blur the lines between personal and professional all the time.  For example, on my Facebook account, I have “friends” that are both people that I have grown up with as well as educators I learn from.  On Twitter,  I follow educators as well as celebrities.  What I am always aware of is that no matter who sees what I put out there, anyone can see it eventually, whether if it is through me or someone else.  I don’t “friend” students or their parents on Facebook, but I have no issue of them following me on Twitter, since that is totally open and anyone can see what is up there whether they have a Twitter account or not.
For example. let’s say a student wrote about how much they hated another student and started bullying them 

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-23-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best: 

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

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

SAT ‘Problem of the Day’ gives wrong answer

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 minutes ago

SAT ‘Problem of the Day’ gives wrong answer: SAT ‘Problem of the Day’ gives wrong answer Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 23, 2012 at 5:55 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » The College Board’s SAT “Problem of the Day” is supposed to be helpful – but that’s hard when it cites the wrong answer. Over at the Rational Mathematics Education Web site, math assessment reform activist Michael Paul Goldenberg explains the problem with the problem, provided by the Educational Testing Service, whi... more »

Daily Kos: It should be personal to all of us - Please help the reservation Propane Project

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 minutes ago

Daily Kos: It should be personal to all of us - Please help the reservation Propane Project: It should be personal to all of us - Please help the reservation Propane Project by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) [image: indians at Rosebud Reservation] I have never REALLY known cold. I am a middle class white American of Jewish background.The house in which I grew up had an old oil burner, for which fuel had to be delivered. It heated hot water which was sent upas steam to old-fashioned radiators. So long as we had fuel, we had heat. We had a gas stove until we remodeled the kitchen, a... more »

Dedicated to the Children of Gaza | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Dedicated to the Children of Gaza | Seattle Education: Dedicated to the Children of Gaza by seattleducation2011 Chris Hedges America: The Silence of a Nation The author spoke at the Revolution Books Town Hall Meeting at Ethical Culture Society on January 13, 2009 condemning Israel and the United States’ complicity in Israel’s murderous destruction and genocide of innocent men, women and children of Gaza and the West Bank. About these ads Share this: -

A Conference Perspective - The Educator's PLN

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

A Conference Perspective - The Educator's PLN: A Conference Perspective by Thomas Whitby 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 educ... more »

Schools Matter: Walmart "Associates" and Charter School "Scholars"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Schools Matter: Walmart "Associates" and Charter School "Scholars": Walmart "Associates" and Charter School "Scholars" by Jim Horn The Gates Team out in Washington are trying to scare up some media attention on a "study" bought by the charter reform school industry that purportedly shows that charters, long known to exclude special ed kids, are, indeed, enrolling larger numbers of them. Even if you were to believe the findings, we still have the more serious and widespread law-breaking that takes place when no special ed teachers are to found in the charter reform schools that h... more »

Mi Pueblo DBQ available for download! « Classroom Struggle

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Mi Pueblo DBQ available for download! « Classroom Struggle: Mi Pueblo DBQ available for download! See below for a great resource from two OUSD teachers for teaching about the 1-9 audit at Mi Pueblo. —- *Please share with other educators! Check-out the lesson materials here! * Dear teacher colleagues in OUSD and other Bay Area schools, Many of you have probably heard about the impending 1-9 audit of Mi Pueblo stores (more info below) that poses a serious threat to the economic livelihood and stability of many of students’ families throughout the Bay Area. Both of us work at Oakla... more »

In Mississippi, solutions follow funding setbacks for early childhood education | Hechinger Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

In Mississippi, solutions follow funding setbacks for early childhood education | Hechinger Report: In Mississippi, solutions follow funding setbacks for early childhood by Sarah Carr McComb, Miss. — With Mississippi officials steadfastly refusing to fund public pre-kindergarten at a statewide level, local leaders across the state have taken matters into their own hands. Kindergarten students at Kennedy Early Childhood Center. (Photo courtesy McComb School District) From the Gulf Coast to the Delta, school district leaders are cobbling together resources, partnering with community ... more »

Expert on teacher evaluation has concerns about Louisiana's new system | NOLA.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Expert on teacher evaluation has concerns about Louisiana's new system | NOLA.com: *Expert on teacher evaluation has concerns about Louisiana's new system* [image: Grading the graders] The new teacher evaluation systemLouisiana 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. Charlotte Danielson is the creator of a method of observing and rating teachers based on their performance in the classroom known as theFramework for Teaching. Louisiana... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Friday Open Thread

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Friday Open Thread: Friday Open Thread by Melissa Westbrook A few updates: One - with less than 8,000 votes to count statewide, I-1240 appears to have passed. (I'm sure it's true but I'm not the Secretary of State and in a position to officially call it.) The margin appears to be 1.36% of the vote which is just under 41,000 votes. A win for sure but certainly no mandate. Two - Thanks to SPS Leaks for some very illuminating reading. To whit: Lynne Varner gets it wrong in an Times editorial and SPS gently points this out to her. I note that V... more »

What is the “Status Quo?” And What the Heck is a “Reformer?” | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

What is the “Status Quo?” And What the Heck is a “Reformer?” | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: What is the “Status Quo?” And What the Heck is a “Reformer?” by Cheryl S. Williams As I mentioned in a previous post, I am delighted with the election results from earlier this month. Well, I’m delighted with *most* of the election results. I’m sorely disappointed that my friend and colleague, Helen F. Morris, lost her position on the Alexandria City (VA) School Board, where she serves as Vice Chairman and has put countless hours into advocating for strong schools a... more »

Washington lawmakers scrambling for education cash | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Washington lawmakers scrambling for education cash | OregonLive.com: Washington lawmakers scrambling for education cash*Where is Bill Gates when you need him?* Lawmakers are making their holiday school funding wish list and it's a short one: please send cash. They need the money to give every child free all-day kindergarten, to pay for bus service for about a million school children and to take the pressure off local tax levies that help pay for basic education. A down payment on all of that will cost at least a billion dollars in the next biennium to answer the Supreme Court's orde... more »

Charter school corruption and Other CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Charter school corruption: Charter school corruption Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 23, 2012 at 1:27 pm [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Here’s how The Arizona Republic started a story detailing its investigation into charter school corruption in the state: *Board members and administrators from more than a dozen state-funded charter schools are profiting from their affiliations by doing business with schools they oversee.* *The ... more »

117 ALEC Members Voted Out of Office in 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

117 ALEC Members Voted Out of Office in 2012: 117 ALEC Members Voted Out of Office in 2012Friday, 23 November 2012 11:17 By Rebekah Wilce, PRWatch | News Analysis - 1 - font size [image: decrease font size] [image: increase font size] - Print - Email In primary and general elections in 2012 and recall elections in 2011 and 2012, a total of 117 members and alumni of the American Legislative Exchange Council(ALEC) were voted out of office, according to research and analysis by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), ColorOfChange, and others. Arizona Down 14 ALEC ... more »

Thinking About Schools: One for the "Education 'Signs of the Apocalypse'"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Thinking About Schools: One for the "Education 'Signs of the Apocalypse'": One for the "Education 'Signs of the Apocalypse'" Each week Sports Illustrated includes a "Signs of the Apocalypse" - a "can you believe this?" story or event like... SI May 28, 2012 - *"A 12-year-old San Antonio boy received a one-day suspension from middle school after he had a portrait of Spurs forward Matt Bonner—a fellow redhead and his favorite NBA player—shaved into the back of his head; the school declared the haircut a distraction and a violation of the dress code."* SI APRIL 4, 1994 - *"In resp... more »

Chris Hedges on where we are and education as a caste system | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Chris Hedges on where we are and education as a caste system | Seattle Education: Chris Hedges on where we are and education as a caste system Posted on November 23, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment Chris Hedges spoke at West Virginia State University last year just before Occupy Wall Street. He begins about 15 minutes into the video. A highly recommended watch this weekend. For me, his best talk to date. Dora

Talking Turkey on Junk Food in Schools « MomsRising Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Talking Turkey on Junk Food in Schools « MomsRising Blog: Talking Turkey on Junk Food in Schools by Monifa Bandele Whatever your cultural or ethnic background, conversations inevitably turn to food this time of year. Do you celebrate Thanksgiving or just “get together”? Do you eat meat and is it free-range? Are the vegetables organic? What is a healthy dessert? Gluten free? What about sugar? And then there is the ever-present concern; how will we all keep off those extra holiday pounds? Getting family members together with different practices, politics and palates for one big meal... more »

Jersey Jazzman: The Incoherent World of Nick Kristof

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: The Incoherent World of Nick Kristof: The Incoherent World of Nick Kristof by Duke Nicholas Kristof, New York Times columnist, 11/21/12: So time and again, we see the decline of public services accompanied by the *rise of private workarounds for the wealthy*. [...] Are public schools failing? Well, superb private schools have spaces for a mere $40,000 per child per year. [emphasis mine] Kristof, 10/14/09: It’s difficult to improve failing schools *when you can’t create alternatives such *

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. Expose of Charter Corruption in The New Republic Best of the Ed Blogs Diane Ravitch November 21, 2012 In Pearson We Trust. Really? But Our Blood is Never Blue Best o... more »

New York Teacher | Edwize

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

New York Teacher | Edwize: New York Teacher by W.J. Levay [image: New York Teacher, Nov. 22, 2012] Highlights from the latest issue of *New York Teacher*: Resupplying relocated students with 30,000 backpacks Calling it the “best of New York City coming together” UFT President Michael Mulgrew praised the efforts of educators, administrators, elected officials and corporate citizens who all pulled together with the goal of raising $1.5 million to deliver 30,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to students whose schools were flooded by Hurricane Sandy. Members roll up their sleeves... more »

Pennsylvania’s charter cheaters. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Pennsylvania’s charter cheaters. « Fred Klonsky: Pennsylvania’s charter cheaters. by Fred Klonsky They tried to bury the news of Pennsylvania’s charter school cheaters by releasing it right before the Thanksgiving holiday. But they got busted anyway. Cheaters. The back story is this: The Duncan Department of Education requires schools to meet certain benchmarks to qualify as making Annual Yearly Progress (AYP). They require districts to meet a more lenient benchmark. So the Pennsylvania Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis treated charter schools as districts, not schools. But didn’t ... more »

Thankful (After Thanksgiving) | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Thankful (After Thanksgiving) | The Jose Vilson: Thankful (After Thanksgiving) by Jose Charlie Brown Thanksgiving I try to be thankful everyday. I’m always reminded that I have ancestors who didn’t and don’t have the same fortune I have, and how blessed I am to partake in meals with *all* of my family. It’s hard to celebrate a day you know was dedicated to what pilgrims perceived as manifest destiny but that the victims and survivors perceive as the pillage, rape, and genocide of their people. Of our people. Our blessings in the present came from a legacy of a foul philosophy place... more »

Grading Schools Isn’t the Answer. It’s the Problem. - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Grading Schools Isn’t the Answer. It’s the Problem. - NYTimes.com: When ‘Grading’ Is Degrading Bee Things By MICHAEL BRICKPublished: November 22, 2012 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - Austin, Tex. Related in Opinion - Times Topic: Education [image: Opinion Twitter Logo.] Connect With Us on Twitter For Op-Ed, follow@nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow@andyrNYT. IN his speech on the night of his re-election, President Obama promised to find common ground with oppos... more »

It's Black Friday. Time to support Walmart workers. Here's how. : blue cheddar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

It's Black Friday. Time to support Walmart workers. Here's how. : blue cheddar: It’s Black Friday. Time to support Walmart workers. Here’s how. by bluecheddar Overpass Light Brigade holds light-up letters that spell "Respect the workers" in front of a Kenosha, Wisconsin Walmart. November 22, 2012 (Go all the way to the bottom of this to see the Kenosha Walmart security visit photo.) If you said to me, “Hey. I really need to get to the nearest Walmart. Where do I go?” I would have to say, “I have no idea. There’s a big one on the West side of Madison somewhere.” I also don’t re... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Grading or Degrading?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Grading or Degrading?: Grading or Degrading? by Mike Klonsky *Michael Brick*, writing in yesterday's N.Y. Times, ("When Grading is Degrading") offers a devastating appraisal of current reform policies which are based increasingly on fostering competition and on grading schools and teachers. Brick takes a look at the situation in Texas, which he calls "nobody’s model for educational excellence", where the state has long used complex algorithms to assign grades of Exemplary, Recognized, Acceptable or Unacceptable to its schools. *So far, such competiti... more »

Obama's 2nd term to test his education program - CBS News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Obama's 2nd term to test his education program - CBS News: *Obama's 2nd term to test his education program* * * President Obama has already begun to sketch the outlines of an ambitious second-term agenda, touting his mandate on tax rates and making comprehensive immigration reform a top legislative priority. But when it comes to education reform, looming battles over politics and funding threaten to leave students and educators nationwide in the lurch - and could derail the president's legacy on an issue he's long touted as paramount to his vision for governing. The Department of E... more »

The US education system didn't get any thanks at our table this year | ZDNet

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

The US education system didn't get any thanks at our table this year | ZDNet: *The US education system didn't get any thanks at our table this year* Summary: It wasn't so long ago that many students and parents considered themselves lucky to have access to public education in the States. I'm afraid, though, that I'm headed into 2013 utterly discouraged by the system. [image: Christopher Dawson] By Christopher Dawson for ZDNet Education | November 23, 2012 -- 08:43 GMT (00:43 PST) *No One Loves Corporate Ed Reform except Money * Thanksgiving Day was rather nice in the Dawson househo... more »

Daily Kos: 66.5

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Daily Kos: 66.5: 66.5 by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) I was born on May 23, 1946, into a middle class Reformed Jewish family in New York City. Today, my half-birthday, I am a Quaker married to an Orthodox Christian, living in a middle class neighborhood in Arlington VA. I have remarked to my wonderful spouse, Leaves on the Current, that in 2 months, when I reach 66 2/3, I will qualify as a Long Playing Record of some sort :-) - for those of you old enough to remember when LPs were the dominant form of hove music entertainment. At this stage of my life, I often find myself refle... more »

Snyder's draft of major K-12 changes ‘opens the door to private investors' | Observer and Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies | hometownlife.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Snyder's draft of major K-12 changes ‘opens the door to private investors' | Observer and Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies | hometownlife.com: Snyder's draft of major K-12 changes ‘opens the door to private investors' *Corporate Ed Reform It's About The Money* Gov. Rick Snyder has made it clear he believes the state needs to restructure the way it pays for and oversees public education. The draft of his new act to govern the financing of education would allow K-12 students to choose school districts, expand use of online learning and hand out monetary incentives of $2,5... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-23-12 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] A Wonderful Article About Destructive Reforms by dianerav The New York Times has a terrific article today by Michael Brick about the destructive policies that are called “reforms.” This is the first time in my memory that an article in the newspaper of record–albeit an opinion piece–has acknowledged that both political parties share the same demented and punitive approach and that their ideas are hurting, not helping. Please read it. It gives me hope that our message is breaking through the elaborate public... more »

STEM Visa Considered for a House Vote Next Week | NewsTaco

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

STEM Visa Considered for a House Vote Next Week | NewsTaco: STEM Visa Considered for a House Vote Next Week by Voxxi By Raisa Camargo, Voxxi After the Thanksgiving break, Congressional members in the House will consider voting on a Republican-backed STEM Visa bill next week adding to their list of legislative priorities during the lame-duck session. The STEM Jobs Act was introduced by House ranking member Lamar Smith (R-Texas), this fall as an effort to increase the number of green cards to persons with advanced degrees in science, math, engineering and technology. The House bill is... more »

Ed Notes Online: Join the 6% Club: Parents Who Opt Out of High Stakes Tests

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Join the 6% Club: Parents Who Opt Out of High Stakes Tests: Join the 6% Club: Parents Who Opt Out of High Stakes Tests by ed notes online Parents have the RIGHT to opt their children out of this cycle of madness. If just 6% of the children per school site were opted out of this grossly over-rated system of assessing students and holding educators accountable, we could begin to have a productive dialogue about more humane and complex systems of assessment and education. Just saw this video (http://youtu.be/RJ26p7IKAgI) in an email from Janine Sopp. The growing opt... more »

The economics of higher education 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

The economics of higher education 101: The economics of higher education 101 Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 23, 2012 at 4:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » ((Butch Dill – Associated Press) ) The cost of going to college is one of the most difficult issues facing education policymakers. Here Catharine Hill, president of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY, explains the basics of higher education economics. During her almost seven years as president, Vassar’s signature effort has been ... more »

‘Farm-to-School’ initiative puts fresh produce in classes Page 1 of 2 | UTSanDiego.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

‘Farm-to-School’ initiative puts fresh produce in classes Page 1 of 2 | UTSanDiego.com: ‘Farm-to-School’ initiative puts fresh produce in classesSan Marcos district works with Redlands farmer to promote nutrition, better eating [image: Knob Hill Elementary School in San Marcos fifth graders shop for produce during a Farmers’ Market held at the school Wednesday. BILL WECHTER@] Knob Hill Elementary School in San Marcos fifth graders shop for produce during a Farmers’ Market held at the school Wednesday. BILL WECHTER@ SAN MARCOS — When you hear the popular phrase “farm to table,” it... more »

Daily Kos: Division of Labor: Conquering the "Public"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Daily Kos: Division of Labor: Conquering the "Public": Division of Labor: Conquering the "Public" byplthomasEdDFollow Anthony Cody, in his Living in Dialogue blog, has recently addressed the strategy common among "No Excuses" Reformers (NER) using a corporate playbook to render all that is public*private*: Cody identifies "division [as] the key weapon that reformers will be using in the years to come." Divide and conquer has never been more powerful and subtle than it is in the education reform debate, driven by Big Money (Bill Gate), faux-progressives (Michelle Rhee and Arne Dunca... more »

Daily Kos: Krugman: Grand Old Planet

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Daily Kos: Krugman: Grand Old Planet: Krugman: Grand Old Planet by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Yes, that is G-O-P. And Krugman starts with - and focuses on - a key figure in that political party, Senator Marco Rubio, whose recent remarks sidestepping a definitive statement on the age of the earth offended some, but was dismissed by others as merely positioning himself for 2016 and pandering a bit to the religious right voters who are dominant in such primaries. But we shouldn’t let go that easily. Reading Mr. Rubio’s interview is like driving through a deeply eroded canyon;... more »

U.S., Mexico Sign Education Agreement | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

U.S., Mexico Sign Education Agreement | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com: U.S., Mexico Sign Education Agreement November 22, 2012 | by HS News Staff [image: U.S., Mexico Sign Education Agreement] Photo: U.S.-Mexico relations Click Here to Enlarge Photo The United States and Mexico signed an agreement to promote student exchanges and increase educational opportunities for young people from both countries, the Mexican Education Secretariat said. The agreement, which covers educational cooperation over the next two years, was signed Tuesday by Mexican Education Secretary Jose Angel Cordova. ... more »

Part 4: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out : The Consequences | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Part 4: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out : The Consequences | Parents Across America: Part 4: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out : The Consequences by DoraTaylor *The Consequences* As long as policy and funding are determined by test results, we will be dealing with the consequences. There is the narrowing of focus to math and reading and less focus on history, social studies, the arts, foreign languages, writing, physical education, or developing research and critical thinking skills. The emphasis on test scores precludes looking more carefully at the cause of low test scores w... more »

The in box. The most angry union meeting I have ever seen. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

The in box. The most angry union meeting I have ever seen. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. The most angry union meeting I have ever seen. by Fred Klonsky *Hello Fred!* *Been real busy with Union stuff.* *I think the Governor just stepped in the pile that was left by the neighbors dog. Tuesday evening I attended what can only be described as “The most angry Union meeting I have ever seen” The Correctional employees including security and non-security workers are tired, fed up, angry, and ready for out right war. If PQ does not immediately get his act together the workers across the Stat... more »

Quebec: The Fight for Free Education Continues | OccupyWallSt.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Quebec: The Fight for Free Education Continues | OccupyWallSt.org: Quebec: The Fight for Free Education Continues by OccupyWallSt [image: Marchers in Montreal; banner reads "The strike is for students, the struggle is for everyone" in French] If you listen to the mainstream media in Canada and Québec (or elsewhere), you could be forgiven for believing that Québec's student movement is running on cold embers these days. After a historic and lively protest movement that saw hundreds of actions and hundreds of thousands of people in the street demanding an end to the continued neoliber... more »

Stand With Striking Walmart Workers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Stand With Striking Walmart Workers: Walmart Workers Walmart has become the focus of viral, historic strikes by workers in stores and at warehouses across the country. Time and time again, when Walmart workers have come together to call on the company to address issues with understaffing, scheduling, wages, benefits, safety, and just plain respect in the workplace, the company has attempted to silence them. Without an end to the retaliation and mistreatment, *Walmart workers around the country are prepared to strike on the biggest sales day of the year - Black Friday, November 23... more »

UFT Sues the DOE to Obtain Full Access to Joel Klein Emails - ParentAdvocates.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Parent Advocates - ParentAdvocates.org: UFT Sues the DOE to Obtain Full Access to Joel Klein Emails The UFT sued the Department of Education on Nov. 15 over its failure to comply with Freedom of Information requests for copies of emails that link former Chancellor Joel Klein and senior DOE staffers with City Hall political figures and charter school proponents. The union charged that the copies of the emails that were provided after a wait of nearly two years were so heavily redacted and blacked out that the DOE’s “unlawful conduct” has violated the state law that makes governme... more »

Norquist's grip is loosening. Chambliss: "I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge" : blue cheddar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Norquist's grip is loosening. Chambliss: "I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge" : blue cheddar: Norquist’s grip is loosening. Chambliss: “I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge” by bluecheddar [Don't miss out on the convenient links at the bottom of this post. Wisconsin legislators who signed Norquist's pledge need to know what you think of them.] Here’s a sign that the elected officials who’ve been helping Norquist drown government in a tub are abandoning ship. U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia told local Gannett TV st... more »

School Tech Connect: Thank You!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Thank You!: Thank You! by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I pretty much write this blog for myself; it always surprises me when anyone else drops by. But thank you for doing so! Also, thanks to the Illinois Policy Institute for the chuckle today. Thank you, warriors.

“My Best Posts On Building Parent Engagement In Schools — 2012 (Part Two)” | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

“My Best Posts On Building Parent Engagement In Schools — 2012 (Part Two)” | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: “My Best Posts On Building Parent Engagement In Schools — 2012 (Part Two)” by Larry Ferlazzo I’ve just posted My Best Posts On Building Parent Engagement In Schools — 2012 (Part Two) over at “Engaging Parents In School,” my other blog. You might also be interested in seeing all my parent engagement “The Best…” lists in one place here.

Upcoming battles in California Legislature pit education reformers against teacher unions and their backers - San Jose Mercury News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Upcoming battles in California Legislature pit education reformers against teacher unions and their backers - San Jose Mercury News: Upcoming battles in California Legislature pit education reformers against teacher unions and their backers By Sharon Noguchi snoguchi@mercurynews.com Posted: 11/22/2012 02:53:34 PM PST Updated: 11/22/2012 02:53:35 PM PST * "We're not opposed to education reform," CTA President Dean Vogel said. "We're opposed to stupid reform."* A nearly $6 billion infusion from Proposition 30 and a Democratic supermajority in the Legislature are a welcome pre-ho... more »

I GIVE THANKS « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

I GIVE THANKS « Teachers Fight Back: I GIVE THANKS by alkleen I’m thankful that I retired several years before the Teachers Retirement System of Illinois was accused of bankrupting the State, the Country and the entire Western Hemisphere. I’m thankful I taught during a time when parents and students were considered as important as the teacher when it came to a student’s success. I’m thankful I taught before millionaires and billionaires decided they would reform education and that they knew what worked more than any teacher. I give thanks that I taught in an era before political cor... more »

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