Sunday, November 25, 2012

by ed notes online

The organization is disorganized, unresponsive and over promises. The worst part is they throw these kids into situations that they will likely fail .... If you know someone or if your child is considering this, DON'T let them go. There are other ways to teach and help the school system. Please. ---Parent of TFAer

A TFA parent left this comment today on a March, 2009 post: A Parent Vents At Teach for America --

My daughter is in Teach For America and nothing has changed since this [A Parent Vents At Teach for America] was first written. The program succeeds because they recruit well and once the best of the best leave this program they do good things because they were good to start with, not

Mexican Teachers Union Threaten Indefinite Strike in Oaxaca | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com

Mexican Teachers Union Threaten Indefinite Strike in Oaxaca | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com:

Mexican Teachers Union Threaten Indefinite Strike in Oaxaca

A section of the SNTE teachers union threatened to call an indefinite strike in all the schools of the southern state of Oaxaca if the regional government does not return to them the centers that it awarded six years ago to another local of the same union.
“If the government continues with the stupidity of knocking us around, of letting Local 59 take over, we’re going on an indefinite strike,” Cesar Martinez, a member of the center for press and advertising commuications at SNTE Local 22, told Efe.
The warnings came after more than 74,000 teachers took part in a day of blockading 37 highways in protest against the aggression suffered by a group of teachers, Martinez said.
Last Thursday, five teachers were seized and presumably attacked while imposing a blockade on a highway near

LAUSD: PUNISHMENT WITHOUT CRIME OR DUE PROCESS - Perdaily.com

LAUSD: PUNISHMENT WITHOUT CRIME OR DUE PROCESS - Perdaily.com:

LAUSD: PUNISHMENT WITHOUT CRIME OR DUE PROCESS

by Leonard Isenberg

(Mensaje se repite en Español)

(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)

Hundreds of teachers are either being "housed" without work in "rubber rooms," already been forced to resign, or are in a protracted stall process that LAUSD with the present complicity of UTLA drag on for years to starve out falsely charged teachers before they get their day in a neutral forum. I've been waiting for 3 years now with no end in sight. Other teachers have been buried alive in this kafkaesque nightmare for far longer.

There is:

1. A complete denial of

Fake skills gap. Fake need for training too? : blue cheddar

Fake skills gap. Fake need for training too? : blue cheddar:

Fake skills gap. Fake need for training too?

by bluecheddar

There’s a must-read article over at NYTimes. As part of his exploration into the mysterious American “skills gap” crisis, author Adam Davidson speaks to the CEO of a Milwaukee manufacturer and learns this: “At GenMet, the starting pay is $10 an hour. Those with an associate degree can make $15, which can rise to $18 an hour after several years of good performance. From what I understand, a new shift manager at a nearby McDonald’s can earn around $14 an hour.” The secret behind this skills gap is that it’s not a skills gap at all. I spoke to several other factory managers who also confessed that they had a hard time recruiting in-demand workers for $10-an-hour jobs. “It’s hard not to break out laughing,” says Mark Price, a labor economist at the Keystone Research Center, referring to manufacturers complaining about the shortage of skilled workers. “If there’s a skill shortage, there has to be rises in wages,” he says. “It’s basic economics.” So if the skills gap is laughable, what are we to make of Scott Walker repeating the skills gap meme during the state of the state address and on the recall campaign trail and pushing CNC machinist more »

Lincoln the Leader | Connected Principals

Lincoln the Leader | Connected Principals:

Lincoln the Leader

by Bill Carozza

Taken a few years ago on a family trip to D.C.

I have been fascinated by Lincoln since middle school when I became interested in his last days and specifically the controversy surrounding his assassination. (Did you know there’s revisionist historians who believe that his Secretary of War Edwin Stanton was behind his death?)
Tonight I went to the movies with my three kids and my wife to see Lincoln. Clearly, this movie was a work of art from the use of lighting (not much), to the attention to detail (yes, Robert Lincoln was truly with Gen. Grant at Appomattox Court House when Lee surrendered to him), and of course, to the Academy Award potentially-winning performance of Daniel Day-Lewis.
But my interest was viewing Lincoln the Leader. Here are some examples from the movie:
Heading True North
I’m not sure who wrote the lines, screenwriter Tony Kushner or Lincoln himself, but there is a telling scene with

Diane in the Evening 11-25-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Parent Asks for Your Help Writing a Petition

by dianerav

A parent in Massachusetts asked for help writing a petition. Can you help?
She wrote:
“I would like to petition to emphasize that the focus on charter schools is draining money, resources, and motivated students and their families from the traditional public school system. Instead of helping ALL students in public schools, focusing on starting charter schools only helps a small percentage of students in each district.
“As a parent who’s worked so hard in my district, I’m very frustrated that the progress being made in my city’s traditional public schools is being threatened with a loss of funding if a new charter school opens up.
“I’m sure we could get 25K signatures on a well-worded petition, but hope it will present positive steps, not just negative responses to what’s being done now.”

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-25-12 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] Profiteering in the Schools by dianerav A friend shared an invitation that came to his email. The for-profit sector is not only lurking, it is invading. Just think: while teachers and principals work 11hours a day, taking home salaries that barely cover the mortgage and living expenses, while an equity investor will make millions from their labor. Save the date! On January 15, there will be an exciting seminar on how to make a profit by investing in A Plague of Junk Food in the Schools by dianerav Marc Ep... more »

LAUSD English Learners To Move Faster Into Mainstream Classes

LAUSD English Learners To Move Faster Into Mainstream Classes:

LAUSD English Learners To Move Faster Into Mainstream Classes

Los Angeles Daily News | By Barbara Jones Posted: 11/25/2012 2:24 pm EST Updated: 11/25/2012 3:26 pm EST

Triggered by a federal civil rights investigation, Los Angeles Unified has launched a network of programs designed to more quickly move English learners into mainstream academic classes and help close the achievement gap.

The strategies are detailed in the 150-page English-Learner Master Plan, which the district overhauled last year after a U.S. Department of Education probe determined that English learners and African-American students were being denied access to educational opportunities.

Through more rigorous instruction and increased support, officials say that English learners and students who struggle with standard English can acquire the language

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-25-12 #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

Lincoln and arrested development « JD2718

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 40 minutes ago

Lincoln and arrested development « JD2718: Lincoln and arrested development by jd2718 Good movie, Lincoln. Some nice development of his sons’ characters (I spotted the Third Rock kid!). And I’ve usually always liked Sally Field. Not quite Norma Rae, but made Mary Todd Lincoln interesting. And the portrait of Lincoln is rich – story teller, backwoods lawyer, astute politician, caring husband and father – and politically adept at balancing expediency and long term goals, etc, etc. But Spielberg left Lincoln’s political allies and opponents flat. The motivations of Lincoln are easy ... more »

A new cheating scandal: Aspiring teachers hiring ringers | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 45 minutes ago

A new cheating scandal: Aspiring teachers hiring ringers | Get Schooled: A new cheating scandal: Aspiring teachers hiring ringers by Maureen Downey Interesting story in the AJC today on a cheating scandal involving hired ringers taking the teacher qualification exam for candidates in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. The ringers used faked IDs to sit for the Praxis exam, administered by the Educational Testing Service. Praxis exams are required by 40 states and territories to measure the academic achievement and proficiency of newly minted teachers. According to ETS: *The Praxis... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week 11 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week 11 2012: Week 11 2012 by alicemercer [image: number 11] I know, I know, I’m not being a good correspondent. The end of a busy election season, was followed by exhaustion, and preparation for report cards and parent conferences, which had a week for Thanksgiving plopped in the middle. But the wait is worth it readers (or at least I think so). With Common Core implementation, there is an emphasis on non-fiction, having students write more, and student generated questions about the text. I know this may not be how the whole thing shakes ou... more »

Schools Matter: Long-Term English Learners: Invest in Libraries and Librarians

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Schools Matter: Long-Term English Learners: Invest in Libraries and Librarians: Long-Term English Learners: Invest in Libraries and Librarians by skrashen Sent to the Daily Breeze (Torrance, CA, Nov. 25, 2012 Most of the proposals to deal with long-term English learners (“California's English language learners getting stuck in schools' remedial programs,” November 25) focus on tracking and measurement. None discuss a cure. Our research shows that students who develop a pleasure reading habit in English do better on English language tests, and a number of case histories confirm th... more »

Will the state’s union leadership take its membership to the streets to fight to protect pensions? Could happen. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Will the state’s union leadership take its membership to the streets to fight to protect pensions? Could happen. « Fred Klonsky: Will the state’s union leadership take its membership to the streets to fight to protect pensions? Could happen. by Fred Klonsky It is no secret that the IEA leadership is somewhat mass action averse. But the attack on 386,000 member pensions has made for a dire situation. Something can happen in the coming days or in the January sessions of the legislature. With the Democrats winning a veto proof majority in the election, there is little to stop Madigan ... more »

LSCs- key legacy of Harold Washington Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » LSCs- key legacy of Harold Washington: LSCs- key legacy of Harold Washington by admin I have been reading newspaper accounts of the late Chicago mayor Harold Washington’s legacy marking 25 years since Mayor Washington died. Very little has been said about what may arguably be the most lasting of Mayor Washington’s contributions to Chicago – our local school councils. Although the Mayor died before the Chicago School Reform law was passed, his support for strong community voice in public schools was a key catalyst for the mov... more »

Washington, D.C.: Mutual Aid in Mass Mobilizations | OccupyWallSt.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Washington, D.C.: Mutual Aid in Mass Mobilizations | OccupyWallSt.org: Washington, D.C.: Mutual Aid in Mass Mobilizations by OccupyWallSt [image: photo of occupy action in DC from Dec. 2011; aerial shot of protesters forming "99%" in formation inside a plaza with the washington monument in the distance -- via ] *The District of Columbia is the nation’s Capital and therefore a lightning rod for national organizing, but it is also the home of 600,000 people who deal day-to-day... more »

School Tech Connect: See You Thursday Night?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

School Tech Connect: See You Thursday Night?: See You Thursday Night? by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I'll be at this townhall, sponsored by Raise Your Hand: Culture of Testing November 29, 2012 Holstein Park 2200 N. Oakley 7PM Wendy Katten has a terrific post on the subject. I'll just clip a bit here: We have heard all year about all the failing schools and need for quality seats, as if the learning/seats in the building are fixed and intractable, and the culture inside a building is not something that is fluid to be developed and improved upon from teachers/administrators a... more »

Can You REALLY Describe Good Teaching? | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Can You REALLY Describe Good Teaching? | Connected Principals: Can You REALLY Describe Good Teaching? by cbirk Do you have a great teacher in your school? Several great teachers? Teachers whose classes students can’t wait to get into? I think we all have those teachers. Teachers who get the strongest endorsement that we can give–the “I want my own child to be in his/her class” endorsement. But now you get asked “What makes Mrs. Smith a great Math teacher?”. What do you say? What really makes a ‘great’ teacher? And at this point, I want to fully acknowledge that the anteceden... more »

Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky: Sunday Mail. by Fred Klonsky *If the Illinois General Assembly decides to go after promised pensions*, maybe 693,000 Illinois pension members and their friends need to turn out and remind the Illinois Supreme Court what our state constitution says, says Glen Brown. *Pat Quinn is the first Illinois Governor* to terminate a union contract in 40 years. Most. Anti-union. Governor. Ever. *Life in Rahm’s Chicago.* Run for cover. *Jersey Jazzman and segregation gone wild* with Race to the Top. *Some news I take personally.* These were the researchers who approv... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Seattle Schools This Week by Melissa Westbrook *Monday, November 26th* Superintendent Banda's meeting with the Latino community from 6-8 pm at El Centro de la Raza. Feedback, concerns and questions are welcome. *Tuesday, November 27th* Work Session: Strategic Plan Guiding Principles from 4:30-6:30 pm. No agenda available. Work Session: Ethics Training from 6:45-7:45 pm. (I'm not sure who this is for - the Board or staff or both.) No agenda available. *Wednesday, November 28th* School Board meeting starting at 4:15 pm... more »

Shelby parents using courts to discipline kids - seattlepi.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Shelby parents using courts to discipline kids - seattlepi.com: Shelby parents using courts to discipline kids MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Shelby County Juvenile Court officials say parents are using law enforcement to discipline children, but studies show that even one day in lockup can have a lasting negative impact. The Annie E. Casey Foundation is working in Memphis and nearly 200 other jurisdictions across the nation to find alternatives to detention for disadvantaged youths. Helping parents find alternatives for discipline problems is one piece of that puzzle. According to the fou... more »

Why Not Just Do It? « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Why Not Just Do It? « Cooperative Catalyst: Why Not Just Do It? by pamelamoran Adults at play as builders Will Wright, creator of SIM gaming, said in an interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson that “play and storytelling were*the* educational technologies” for generations of humans. Wright and Tyson “riffed” on the science of video gaming, early games, storytelling and play, an area of study known as “ ludology.” Their perspectives caught my attention. PopoutThis weekend I had the chance to re-frame my own thinking about the power of these early “low risk” learning technologies through a ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: What Charters Will We See?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: What Charters Will We See?: What Charters Will We See? by Melissa Westbrook [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] The Times has an article in this morning's paper about what we might expect about what charters come in first. They get it right in the opening paragraphs (with some irony): *The first charter schools in Washington probably won't be run by the nation's best-known charter groups with years of experience and strong reputations.* * **During the successful campaign for Initiative 1240, which will allow as many as 40 ch... more »

Arizona Charter School Officials Are Enriching Themselves With Public Funds | The New Republic

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Arizona Charter School Officials Are Enriching Themselves With Public Funds | The New Republic: How Charter Schools Fleece Taxpayers - Timothy Noah - November 20, 2012 | 2:10 pm - 4 comments - Share on redditShare on tumblrShare on stumbleupon|More Sharing ServicesMore - [image: Print]Print - SHARE inShare12 MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR The Two Americas Small Business Sells John Boehner Out Fred Barnes: Fine, We’re The Party Of Whitey Christopher Furlong/Getty Images In government, if I help myself to taxpayer dollars, we call that embezzlement and I go to jail. In th... more »

Jersey Jazzman: "Race To The Top": Segregation Gone Wild!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: "Race To The Top": Segregation Gone Wild!: "Race To The Top": Segregation Gone Wild! by Duke Late last week, New Jersey announced which of it school districts would be applying for Race To The Top grantsin a competition designs for individual districts. The controversial program started at the state level; it rewarded states with relatively small amounts of money for implementing policies like charter school expansion and using standardized test data to rank teacher effectiveness. There is no evidence that any of this will work, and Secretary of Education Arne Dunc... more »

What do elite private schools owe the public?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

What do elite private schools owe the public?: What do elite private schools owe the public? Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 25, 2012 at 12:45 pm Here are some questions about elite private schools that are raised in a probing article in the latest edition of Independent School magazine: Why aren’t more independent leaders speaking out about the pedagogical perversions of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top? Why aren’t more independent school leaders speaking out against growing inequality? As the nation moves deeper into a winner-takes-more economic model,... more »

Open Letters To Reformers I Know. Part 1: Whitney Tilson | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Open Letters To Reformers I Know. Part 1: Whitney Tilson | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: Open Letters To Reformers I Know. Part 1: Whitney Tilsonby Gary Rubinstein I think what gives me that extra motivation to participate, as much as I’m able to, in this current debate on how to improve this country’s schools (and yes, I do think they need to be improved) is the fact that I know, personally, many of the main people pushing the reforms that I consider destructive. Some I’ve known for over 20 years. Some I’ve only met recently. Some I’ve partied with at TFA events back when I was a c... more »

NYC Educator: Obama: Do as I Say, Not as I Do

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

NYC Educator: Obama: Do as I Say, Not as I Do: Obama: Do as I Say, Not as I Do by NYC Educator Leonie Haimson has a great new piece pointing out that the preposterous things we demand from American children don't apply to the kids of the President of the United States. Sasha and Malia attend the Sidwell Friends School, where they are not subject to high-stakes tests, and where they enjoy small class sizes. Obama was very vocal in criticizing Romney for opposing reasonable class sizes, yet his Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, did the same thing months earlier. One would think t... more »

solidaridad: Refocusing LAUSD on reading and learning instead of testing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

solidaridad: Refocusing LAUSD on reading and learning instead of testing: Refocusing LAUSD on reading and learning instead of testing by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene First published on Robert D. Skeels for School Board on November 24, 2012. ------------------------------ *It's difficult to explain exactly what being poor is all about, or why access to books and ideas might be as important as a free breakfast. — Walter Dean Myers* [image: The Power of Reading by Stephen Krashen]*Hope Is an Open Book*, an op-ed piece by author Walter Dean Myers, was tweeted this morning by educator Sus... more »

Peg with Pen: The Teacher's Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Peg with Pen: The Teacher's Voice: The Teacher's Voice by Peggy Just a short note today. I am teaching again as an instructional coach in an elementary school so blogging time is limited, but here are my thoughts this November as I continue to advocate for our teaching profession and our public schools.... Thanksgiving break is over and tomorrow I head back to school - I am partly filled with dread and partly filled with hope. I am surrounded by testing, scripted curriculum, the god forsaken pacing guide and the common bore standards in a Broadie district which has plans to shove ... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: LAUSD’s REVAMPED TEACHER EVALUATION SYSTEM GETTING MIXED GRADE

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: LAUSD’s REVAMPED TEACHER EVALUATION SYSTEM GETTING MIXED GRADE: LAUSD’s REVAMPED TEACHER EVALUATION SYSTEM GETTING MIXED GRADE Teachers are finding value in the new evaluation system as it rolls out, but administrators doing the reviews complain about how time-consuming they are.BY TERESA WATANABE AND STEPHEN CEASAR, LOS ANGELES TIME3 | S HTTP://LAT.MS/10BCBVS [image: Principal Eduardo Solorzano of San Fernando Middle School] Eduardo Solorzano, principal of San Fernando Middle School, has taken part in the pilot program for L.A. Unified's ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Update in the Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Update in the Times: Charter Update in the Times by Charlie Mas Linda Shaw, writing for the Seattle Times, reported today on the likely near-term future of charter schools in Washington, Modest start for charter schools expected. Her predictions and report aligns with our predictions: national charter school chains will hang back, if they come to Washington at all. After all, they didn't have any plans to expand into Washington before the vote and they want to wait and see how the regulations are determined and how the inevitable Court ch... more »

John Thompson: Are Conservative "Reformers" Bailing Out? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

John Thompson: Are Conservative "Reformers" Bailing Out? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: John Thompson: Are Conservative "Reformers" Bailing Out? by Anthony Cody *Not Really Popular in Red States?* *Guest post by John Thompson.* Perhaps because they demonstrably lost the 2012 election, conservative school "reformers" are being much more candid about why bubble-in accountability has failed. A month ago, conservatives were united in their support of Indiana Superintendent Tony Bennett, Idaho's "Luna Laws," and other efforts to dramatically expand high-stakes testing. ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Leonie Haimson: Educate All Kids Like Sasha and Malia

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Leonie Haimson: Educate All Kids Like Sasha and Malia: Leonie Haimson: Educate All Kids Like Sasha and Malia by ed notes online Obama’s education policies are failing children, except for his own. BY Leonie Haimson Rather than follow blindly in the path of privatization and unleashed free-market competition that led to the collapse of our economy, it’s time for Obama to start listening to parents and teachers. Cramming kids into classes of 30 or more and putting them on laptops while supervised by novices will never enhance their creativity or critical thinking s... more »

Short Notes: Why We Shouldn’t Grade Schools | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Short Notes: Why We Shouldn’t Grade Schools | The Jose Vilson: Short Notes: Why We Shouldn’t Grade Schools by Jose *Before I proceed, dozens of people from various school districts have told me that my site is blocked on their school computers. In the event that it is, you can always get my articles via e-mail by signing up on the right-hand side of this blog or by subscribing via RSS for my savvy readers, also on the right-hand side. They can block my site’s URL, but they can’t block your e-mails or your RSS reader.* A few notes: - Michael Brick writes an op-ed on the delete... more »

Schools Woefully Underfunded, Formula Broken - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Schools Woefully Underfunded, Formula Broken - Wait, What?: Schools Woefully Underfunded, Formula Broken by jonpelto *Will Malloy rise to the occasion and make resolving Connecticut’s School Funding Crisis his legacy?* From today’s Hartford Courant Commentary by JONATHAN PELTO AND WENDY LECKER http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/hc-op-pelto-lecker-connecticut-schools-underfunded-20121123,0,6000165.story “Courts have been equally clear that when schools are given adequate resources, learning improves. In New Jersey, Maryland, Colorado, Massachusetts and elsewhere, increased spending... more »

Scientists Get A New Look At Einstein's Brain : Shots - Health News : NPR

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Scientists Get A New Look At Einstein's Brain : Shots - Health News : NPR: *Scientists Get A New Look At Einstein's Brain* [image: Pathologist Thomas Harvey took dozens of photos of Einstein's brain. This one shows that Einstein's prefrontal cortex (associated with higher cognition and memory) is unusually convoluted. On the right side of the brain there are four large ridges, where most people have only three.]Enlarge image Pathologist Thomas Harvey took dozens of photos of Einstein's brain. This one shows that Einstein's prefrontal cortex (associated with higher cognition and mem... more »

Please Sign to Oppose Suspension of Democracy in Michigan « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Please Sign to Oppose Suspension of Democracy in Michigan « Diane Ravitch's blog: Please Sign to Oppose Suspension of Democracy in Michigan by dianerav From a reader in Michigan: *Repeal Michigan’s Emergency Manager Law* A Message to all Supporters of Democracy The people of 77 the 83 counties in Michigan voted successfully to repeal Michigan’s Emergency Manager Law. Governor Rick Snyder and the extremist-controlled Michigan legislature are now attempting to circumvent the will of the people by passing new legislation that is every bit as unconstitutional, anti-democratic and vile ... more »

U.S. officials tell state to use same standards to grade charter schools - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

U.S. officials tell state to use same standards to grade charter schools - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: *U.S. officials tell state to use same standards to grade charter schools* November 24, 2012 12:30 am PHILADELPHIA -- Federal education officials have denied Pennsylvania's request to evaluate charter school achievement using more lenient criteria, saying they must be assessed by the same standard as traditional schools. The rejection means Pennsylvania cannot substitute a less stringent method for measuring "adequate yearly progress," the federal benchmark known as AYP. Critics said... more »

Modest start for CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS expected | Local News | The Seattle Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Modest start for charter schools expected | Local News | The Seattle Times: Modest start for CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS expected The first charter schools in Washington probably will be kitchen-table charters, started by a teacher or principal or two. Many of the nation's best-known charter chains are already committed elsewhere or want to wait and see how the first charters fare. By Linda Shaw Seattle Times education reporter [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] The first charter schools in Washington probably won't be run by the nation's best-known charter group... more »

Tim Skubick: Will Gov. Snyder's education plan succeed where others have failed? | MLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Tim Skubick: Will Gov. Snyder's education plan succeed where others have failed? | MLive.com: *Tim Skubick: Will Gov. Snyder's education plan succeed where others have failed?* * * When will it ever end? Here comes yet another “reform” movement to improve the education of our school kids. Let’s see, this is “reform” effort number 537…or is it 538? Seems like every governor is not really the governor unless he or she takes a whack at this age old problem: Our kids can’t read, or write, or do math, or even compose a letter to get a job…text messaging has turned our children into non-... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-25-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Rockaway Update: Did Your Jewelry Enjoy the Swim?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Rockaway Update: Did Your Jewelry Enjoy the Swim?: Rockaway Update: Did Your Jewelry Enjoy the Swim? by ed notes online Here's a surreal Friday scene: Being escorted through the corridors of the Chase building at 4 Metrotech in downtown Brooklyn by a Chase employee you recognize from the Rockaway Beach 116th branch (10ft of water in basement, 7 ft on main level that must have penetrated the vault) where you kept your safe deposit box. You are there to pick up the contents that may or not still exist. You seem to remember having to reach up for the box so maybe you'... more »

How grossly underfunded are public schools?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

How grossly underfunded are public schools?: How grossly underfunded are public schools? Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 25, 2012 at 5:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - - - - (MARVIN JOSEPH/THE WASHINGTON POST) It is common to hear school reformers say that money isn’t a real issue in improving schools. Here’s a piece that says otherwise. It was written by Wendy Lecker, parent of three children in Stamford, Connecticut’s public schools, and Jonathan Pelto, a former member of the Connecticut House of R... more »

Education Report: Readers debate teacher evaluations, career ladders, merit pay - Inside Bay Area

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Education Report: Readers debate teacher evaluations, career ladders, merit pay - Inside Bay Area: Education Report: Readers debate teacher evaluations, career ladders, merit pay By Katy Murphy Oakland Tribune Posted: 11/25/2012 12:00:00 AM PST This is a sampling of The Education Report, Katy Murphy's Oakland schools blog. Read more atwww.IBAbuzz.com/education. Follow her at Twitter.com/KatyMurphy. Last week I wrote about the Oakland school district administration and Oakland Education Association returning to the bargaining table after the passage of Proposition 30, a state t... more »

Daily Kos: Steven Rattner offers ideas on raising tax revenue and I respond

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: Steven Rattner offers ideas on raising tax revenue and I respond: Steven Rattner offers ideas on raising tax revenue and I respond by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) in a *New York Times* blog post titled More Chips For Tax Reform. In case you do not recognize the name, Rattner is a long-time Wall Street player who served as the "car czar" in the first Obama term and currently chairs Willett Advisors LLC, the investment firm that manages New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's personal and philanthropic assets. He also is highly visible as the economic analyst on Morning Jo... more »

How Teachers Unions Lead the Way to Better Schools | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

How Teachers Unions Lead the Way to Better Schools | toteachornototeach: How Teachers Unions Lead the Way to Better Schools by aristotlethewise *How Teachers Unions Lead the Way to Better Schools* *Contrary to mainstream wisdom, poverty and inequality cause* *failing schools, not teachers unions and the teachers themselves.* BY Amy Dean I have a concern: Teachers are getting pummeled. Too often, they are being demonized in the media and blamed by politicians for being the cause of bad schools. Right-wing governors, power-hungry mayors and corporate “reformers”—all ignoring root issues... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Understand this about Education Reform: "The state’s claim to godhood does not make it so"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Understand this about Education Reform: "The state’s claim to godhood does not make it so": Understand this about Education Reform: "The state’s claim to godhood does not make it so" by stlgretchen “Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of man that state is obsolete.” -Rod Serling Daniel Taylor in Old-Thinker News has written a thought provocative article about education and how individuals can fight against governmental control in *The Best Kept Open Secret of Our Time: Individuals Have... more »

ASCD Presents Common Core State Standards

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Common Core State Standards: *Common Core State Standards* [image: Photo of ASCD]ASCD *2,360* followers, *38* pins Unfollow [image: Core Connection, October 3, 2012] Core Connection, October 3, 2012 1 like20 repins ascd.org [image: Susan Ryan and Dana Frazee, Common Core Standards for High School English Language Arts: A Quick-Start Guide] Susan Ryan and Dana Frazee, Common Core Standards for High School English Language Arts: A Quick-Start Guide 2 likes13 repins ascd.org [image: From Common Core Standards to Curriculum: Five Big Ideas (Part 5) by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins] From C... more »

California's English language learners getting stuck in schools' remedial programs - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

California's English language learners getting stuck in schools' remedial programs - LA Daily News: California's English language learners getting stuck in schools' remedial programs by By Rob Kuznia, Staff Writer Melanie Perez wishes she could have played the saxophone. Octavio Reyes would have liked to take a computer science class. Both students at San Pedro High School say they can't sign up for these electives because, at some point in their school careers, they were stuck having to take remedial classes for English learners - even though both speak English fluently and hav... more »

The Quality of Review at PS 154.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: The Quality of Review at PS 154 by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) We're having a big day this week at PS 154. Company is coming, the quality review type of company. Like your rarely seen great-aunt coming over to visit, everyone at PS 154 will be on our best behavior this coming Tuesday and Wednesday and impress District 7 Superintendent Yolanda Torres and her QR minions as they poke, prod, probe, and have us turn our heads and cough as they determine not only whether or not we are proficient enough, but also if we stay open as a school. We he... more »

Let's get something straight: Squeezy the Pension Python isn't in Wisconsin : blue cheddar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Let's get something straight: Squeezy the Pension Python isn't in Wisconsin : blue cheddar: Let’s get something straight: Squeezy the Pension Python isn’t in Wisconsin by bluecheddar Meet Illinois Governor Quinn’s Squeezy the Python. He’s supposed to symbolize that state’s mismanaged pension fund placing the squeeze on every other Illinois government program. As ridiculous as this looks, I did not go out of my way to create an orange joke snake for Illinois. This is real. Here’s the accompanying video from Gov. Quinn. I’d just like to make double sure everybody is reminded that t... more »

Special Education teachers are an aging population: Local schools see shortage in speech and language pathologists and occupational therapists | Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Special Education teachers are an aging population: Local schools see shortage in speech and language pathologists and occupational therapists | Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.: Special Education teachers are an aging population: Local schools see shortage in speech and language pathologists and occupational therapists By Corrie Pelc California is currently facing as shortage of qualified teachers – including special education teachers – according to an article printed in September on US News onNBCNews.com. The article cited a report, “Greatness by Design” released by the Califor... more »

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble's Food Stamp Challenge - Day 2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble's Food Stamp Challenge - Day 2: Congressman Kimble's Food Stamp Challenge - Day 2 by Representative Kimble Day 2 of the Food Stamp Challenge was even harder than day 1 if that is possible. Again, hunger wasn't the big issue as much as the way other people have begun perceiving me. Also, with the big Notre Dame game tonight, I knew I was going to have to find a way to squeeze beer and chips into the very tight $31.50 food budget. *Breakfast: *I was back at East of Java again today for another 12 shot venti vanilla cinnamon white hazelnut mocha... more »

Finding Our Footing After Superstorm Sandy « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Finding Our Footing After Superstorm Sandy « Cooperative Catalyst: Finding Our Footing After Superstorm Sandy by SngrLittle Last Monday I decided to invest ten or fifteen minutes out of our forty-nine minutes of instruction to reconnect. Sandy changed us all. The students have varying reactions. Some were impacted minimally. They aren’t aware of the outside world beyond what impacts them directly and they only lost internet for twelve hours. Which was devastating for them at the time but survivable. Others lost power for days, had structural damage and struggled in the dark for ... more »

Let’s Close Prisons Instead of Schools « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Let’s Close Prisons Instead of Schools « Deborah Meier on Education: Let’s Close Prisons Instead of Schools by debmeier “Message to President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan: the nation would be a lot better off if you concentrated on closing prisons rather than closing schools” from Mark Naison’s blog. Thank you, Mark. Every time I go to Chicago I’m reminded about by obsessive fear and fascinating with imprisonment. My friend, Amanda Klonsky, has spent her adult life on the issue of juvenile imprisonment, in part as a teacher of imprisoned juveniles. On returning f... more »

SVW7MEPP2KHE | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

SVW7MEPP2KHE | The Jose Vilson: SVW7MEPP2KHE by Jose SVW7MEPP2KHE Most Commented Posts - [image: Book Giveaway: OIL – Money, Politics, and Power in the 21st Century by Tom Bower] - Book Giveaway: OIL – Money, Politics, and Power in the 21st Century by Tom Bower - [image: Howl If You Hear Me] - Howl If You Hear Me - [image: Book Giveaway May 2010: War by Sebastian Junger] - Book Giveaway May 2010: War by Sebastian Junger - [image: All I Ever Had: Redemption Songs] - All I Ever Had: Redemption Songs - [image: On The Reason Why You May Only Get One Bl... more »

Ed Notes Online: Run Like Hell From Common Core Scam Pushed by UFT/AFT and DOE/Deformers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Ed Notes Online: Run Like Hell From Common Core Scam Pushed by UFT/AFT and DOE/Deformers: Run Like Hell From Common Core Scam Pushed by UFT/AFT and DOE/Deformers by ed notes online *Imagine someone trying to sell you a car with a speedometer but no engine.... Patrick Walsh, Raging Horse Blog* Patrick Walsh nails the common core. *Somehow in the frenzied production of all these Common Core based paraphernalia, both city and state failed to insure the production of the element most essential to the possibility of the Common Core having any kind of real educational success. So... more »

Schools Matter: Refocusing LAUSD on reading and learning instead of testing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Schools Matter: Refocusing LAUSD on reading and learning instead of testing: Refocusing LAUSD on reading and learning instead of testing by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene First published on Robert D. Skeels for School Board on November 24, 2012. ------------------------------ *It's difficult to explain exactly what being poor is all about, or why access to books and ideas might be as important as a free breakfast. — Walter Dean Myers* [image: The Power of Reading by Stephen Krashen]*Hope Is an Open Book*, an op-ed piece by author Walter Dean Myers, was tweeted this morning by educator... more »

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-24-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-17-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-10-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-3-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-27-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-20-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-13-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-6-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-29-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-22-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-15-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-8-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, November 25, 2012

LAUSD English Learners To Move Faster Into Mainstream Classes

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