Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Sabrina Stevens Shupe: The Other Trouble With 'Elites'

Sabrina Stevens Shupe: The Other Trouble With 'Elites':

The Other Trouble With 'Elites'

Posted: 01/19/12 12:10 PM ET

Wednesday morning, Denver progressive radio host David Sirota had DPS Superintendent (and Boulder, Colo. resident) Tom Boasberg on his show. The segment picked up on a point from Sirota's recent opinion piece, "America's dangerously removed elite": the significance of a high-profile school superintendent who, as neither an educator or a DPS parent, has virtually no stakeholder ties to the school district he runs.

Listening to Boasberg's comments, I was annoyed (though by now, not surprised) at his refusal to veer away from the standard DPS talking points, and I was grateful that I and other callers had the chance to address at least some of the problems he brushed over. But I spent the rest of the day irked by the fact that he didn't have to hear what was said, or question himself and his track record.

Though I'm skeptical by nature, I don't usually question the intentions of most people involved in this or other issues. For the most part, I find it's not a particularly useful exercise. I'm definitely

UPDATE: UCI uses force to silence students right to protest.: Prop 30 Won’t Save Us | Occupy UCI!

November 8th: Prop 30 Won’t Save Us | Occupy UCI!:

Student Conduct Charges from Nov. 8th Rally + March

by Occupy UCI

In response to the previous letter the lawyer sent to the administration (see here: UAW Lawyer’s email to the UCI admin), the Office of Student Conduct has released their first charge against a student-worker that organized and participated in November 8th’s Rally and March against UC privatization. Sure enough the charges are absurd, given that these are the same charges we accused the administration of taking against several student activists that same day. (Notice how conveniently they changed the time to say ‘you started it first’… we’ll see about that). This is how the UC chill’s student activist on campus. First brute force and then “conduct sanctions.”

UCI uses force to silence students right to protest.

by Occupy UCI

On November 8th, about 200 students gathered at the flagpoles in dissatisfaction of the misplaced priorities of the University and the state in funding public education. ”Prop 30 Won’t Save Us” because we have already suffered enough. Our situation as it is is not acceptable.
After the march, students and workers peacefully attempted to march through the campus to notice the heavy amount of repressive forces placed at every. Guards stood at every door of the administration building and public spaces such as the student center and the food court.
Check out the letter the UAW’s lawyer sent to the administration later on that week.

UAW Lawyer’s letter to UCI admin

November 8th: Prop 30 Won’t Save Us

by Occupy UCI

The Never-Ending Student Loan for Mothers « MomsRising Blog

The Never-Ending Student Loan for Mothers « MomsRising Blog:

The Never-Ending Student Loan for Mothers

by Valerie Young

As we find ourselves in the frenzy of holiday spending and gift giving, you may be surprised to know that the amount of student loan debt across the country actually exceeds the amount of credit card debt. It used to be that borrowing to buy a house or earn a college degree was called “good debt.” But is that still the case, if you can never pay off the loan? What if your ability to pay off the loan is affected by your gender? In other words, simply by being female, is your student loan debt burden likely to be greater than a man’s? The answer is yes, according to the latest data, and puts women, and especially mothers, at a serious disadvantage.
Imagine for a moment that Ms. Co-ed graduates, secures a job (lucky her!) and starts paying off her average debt of $20,000 in student loans. Eventually, she becomes a mother, assuming the joys and obligations of parenthood, all the while still making regular monthly debt payments. The debt goes down, but doesn’t go away, as her child grows up. Maybe she has a job loss, or a health issue, and misses a couple of payments. Then,

Grades Limit My Learning (Guest Post by Student Justin Strudler) « Cooperative Catalyst

Grades Limit My Learning (Guest Post by Student Justin Strudler) « Cooperative Catalyst:

Grades Limit My Learning (Guest Post by Student Justin Strudler)

by dloitz

Is this learning?

We all stress ourselves out to memorize the formulas. We all have had that cram night before the final. We all BS homework at the last second so as not to “get a zero”. We all use Spark Notes. We all discuss answers post-test.

I started writing my ideas about learning on My Blog. Like many of the people likely reading this post, I am a student, and my interest in education unfortunately comes out of frustration. From the time I was young, school was about grades, “good grades” to be more specific. Why? Well to get into a good college of course.

I believe learning and school can, and should be a lot more than what school has made it out to be. I find learning in many things, for instance, I enjoy arguing with pundits on the news and exploring the city of New York (My favorite place on earth). Experiences like these make my mind what it is, and I am thankful for all the

Schools Matter: School to Prison Pipeline in Mississippi

Schools Matter: School to Prison Pipeline in Mississippi:

School to Prison Pipeline in Mississippi

by Judy Rabin

From Alternet, originally published by Colorlines.com by Julianne Hing

The Shocking Details of a Mississippi School-to-Prison Pipeline

Wearing the wrong color socks, talking back and being late landed young Cedrico Green in jail. The Justice Department says there are many more students like him

November 27, 2012 |

In Meridian, when schools want to discipline children, they do much more than just send them to the principal’s office. They call the police, who show up to arrest children who are as young as 10 years old. Arrests, the Department of Justice says, happen automatically, regardless of whether the police officer knows exactly what kind of offense the child has committed or whether that offense is even worthy of an arrest. The police department’s policy is to arrest all children referred to the agency.

Once those children are in the juvenile justice system, they are denied basic constitutional rights. They are handcuffed and incarcerated for days without any hearing and subsequently warehoused without understanding their alleged probation violations.

“[D]efendants engage in a pattern or practice of unlawful conduct through which they routinely and systematically arrest and incarcerate children, including for minor school rule infractions, without even the most basic procedural safeguards, and in violation of these children’s constitutional rights,” the DOJ’s 37-page complaint reads. Meridian’s years of systemic abuse punish youth “so arbitrarily and severely as to shock the conscience,” the complaint reads.

My Secretary of State - NYTimes.com

My Secretary of State - NYTimes.com:

My Secretary of State

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Published: November 27, 2012 Comment

Mr Friedman could be RIGHT!
If there ever was someone who could sell stuff!

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President Obama is assembling his new national security team, with Senator John Kerry possibly heading for the Pentagon and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice the perceived front-runner to become secretary of state. Kerry is an excellent choice for defense. I don’t know Rice at all, so I have no opinion on her fitness for the job, but I think the contrived flap over her Libya comments certainly shouldn’t disqualify her. That said, my own nominee for secretary of state would be the current education secretary, Arne Duncan.

Josh Haner/The New York Times

Thomas L. Friedman

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Times Topic: Arne Duncan

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Yes, yes, I know. Duncan is not seeking the job and is not the least bit likely to be appointed. But I’m nominating him because I think this is an important time to ask the question of not just who should be secretary of state, but what should the secretary of state be in the 21st century?

Let’s start with the obvious. A big part of the job is negotiating. Well, anyone who has negotiated with the Chicago Teachers Union, as Duncan did when he was

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Special Ed PTSA General Meeting This Week

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Special Ed PTSA General Meeting This Week:

Special Ed PTSA General Meeting This Week

by Melissa Westbrook

Seattle Special Education PTSA
General Meeting

THIS WEEK! SPECIAL DATE!
"Meeting Special Education Student Needs in General Education Classrooms"
featuring Dr. Bridget Walker
Assistant Professor in Seattle University's Master in Teaching Program

Wednesday, Nov 28, 2012
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
John Stanford Center, Room 2700
2445 3rd Ave. S., Seattle 98134

We have a fantastic program for you and for your child's teachers. Please invite them, and
your friends! "Special Education Students are General Education Students First!" But when
the rubber hits the road, with crowded classrooms, funding shortages, limited
opportunities for teacher professional development, and parental questions about how to
start a conversation with teachers, are our children's learning needs fully being met
alongside their typically developing peers?

Dr. Walker, who works with school districts throughout the area on special education
issues, offers practical, timely, cost-effective information for parents and teachers in
differentiating instruction for the spectrum of student learning needs in general education
classrooms. Q&A will follow.

Also scheduled: Updates on state legislation issues of interest to the special education
community, as well as an SPS District update on its progress in reshaping the Special
Education department.

The meeting will also provide you with an opportunity to renew your PTSA membership.
Last year's membership expired at the end of October. Bring cash or a check. General
membership fees are $14 and educator memberships are $10. Membership keeps our
PTSA robust and enables our PTSA leaders to advocate for your interests.

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble Gives Up on Food Stamp Challenge

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble Gives Up on Food Stamp Challenge:

Congressman Kimble Gives Up on Food Stamp Challenge

by Representative Kimble

It is with great sorrow that I throw in the towel on the Food Stamp Challenge that I began only a few days ago with such trepidation. I can tell you right now, it is an amazing feat to be able to feed oneself on a meager $31.50 a day. What doomed me in the long run was a miscalculation on my part. I went out to dinner with former Congressman Tom Ensign to discuss a new PAC he wishes to start advocating for candidates with a strong focus on Family Values. Unfortunately, I mistakenly thought it was his turn to treat. In reality, I got stuck with the bill for steaks and Maker's Mark Manhattans totaling $325 blowing my budget out of the water for the week. The only way to have made it work, would have been to rely solely on my own kitchen for the rest of

Video: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan discusses Dallas ISD | Education Blog

Video: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan discusses Dallas ISD | Education Blog:

Last Stand for Children First: Chicago Public Schools Want to Do the Right Thing

Last Stand for Children First: Chicago Public Schools Want to Do the Right Thing:

Chicago Public Schools Want to Do the Right Thing

by Last Stand for Children

When I was a child, I had the cutest dog in the world named Milton after University of Chicago economist Milton Friedman. The dog was always happy to see me when I came home from my private tutoring and he always smiled and wagged his tail. Unfortunately, he also drooled and as a result my cousin took an instant dislike to Milton. My cousin used to kick the dog and pull his tail until the dog yelped and I cried.

Finally, when I was 9 and my cousin was 11, I told him that he had better leave my dog alone or he'd be sorry. He looked down at me and though he was much bigger than I was, he must have seen the determination in my face. He told me, "Let me kick Milton really hard 10 times. If you do that, I won't kick him again for 5 years."

Needless to say, I was overjoyed. When my cousin was done, Milton was in agony for a few days, but afterwards, he didn't have to worry about my cousin teasing him or picking on him. When I visited my cousin in prison last Summer, I reminded him of the story and we shared a laugh about how I stood up to him and

Schools Matter: Private Prison Corporation Participates in Public School Drug Raid Plus other Stuff

Schools Matter: Private Prison Corporation Participates in Public School Drug Raid:

Private Prison Corporation Participates in Public School Drug Raid

by Jim Horn

Vista Grande High School in Case Grande has this the bottom of its lengthy list of violation and procedures on its Discipline Page:

The administration retains the right and privilege to issue consequences for acts of behavior not specifically stated herein and to alter any consequences, as they consider necessary. Furthermore, the administration reserves the right to amend any provisions in this handbook which they deem to be in the best interest of the educational process. We promise that students are the focus of all our efforts.

Students must have been the focus of their efforts last month when the principal approved the use of Corrections Corporation of America to participate in a drug raid at the school. Could this part of an Adopt-A-School Program, whereby the school collects an institutional bounty for every bed they help fill for one of the

Hey, ExxonMobil: Let's Solve This!

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 4 hours ago

ExxonMobil is spending millions in PR lying to us about how committed they are to solving the world's biggest problem: *bad teachers.* Meanwhile, their CEO continues as one of the world's richest global warming deniers, even as the grip of climate change begins to cut off our air supply. It provides me no consolation that Exxon Mobil executives will die along along with the rest of our grandchildren as a result of corporate duplicity, lies, and misleading propaganda. Moving forward after Hurricane Sandy has her 15 minutes of infamy, one thing is for sure: ExxonMobil's karma beco... more »

Why Schools Are Tools of Indoctrination

Storm at Schools Matter - 8 hours ago

Wisdom, be attentive. *** Excerpted from Jonathan Schwartz at A Tiny Revolution. *Oliver Stone's Untold, Unboring History of the United States* * * *American history! Whose heart doesn't race when you remember being initiated into its excitement and mystery in high school? There's the Logan Act of 1799! And the presidency of Benjamin Harrison! And the Open Door Policy. And, uh, and the Fordney–McCumber Tariff of 1922...and "A Return to Normalcy"... and the Federal Aid Highway Aczzzzzzzzzzzzzptsphttzzzz.* * * *Almost everyone in high school hates history, and they should. Just 7% of U... more »

Jim McIntyre Tries Pushing Knoxville Onto Dollar Guzzling Charter Reform School Bus

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 11 hours ago

If there is another thing that Knoxville does not need and can't afford (besides Lane Kiffin) is a string of corporate welfare charter reform schools that will benefit Wall Street hedge fund investors and philanthrocapitalists like Eli Broad, while draining millions from public schools. This was issued this morning: *KCS issues charter school request for proposals* The Knox County Schools is accepting charter school proposals for the 2014-2015 school year to cultivate strong school capacity to provide high quality academic instruction. Proposals will be entertained b... more »

Louisiana Constitution on Trial and Schools on the Chopping Block

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 1 day ago

Louisiana has the highest number of black student retentions in the nation to go along with the highest black incarceration rate in the U. S. The private prison industry is worth $182 million a year when beds are full, and "Louisiana's incarceration rate is nearly five times Iran's, 13 times China's and 20 times Germany's." To say that it is a police state is hardly an exaggeration, and the charter reform schools in poor black areas are run like junior penitentiaries. The State hired a new State Superintendent a couple of years back, a former English major from UVA with TFA cred... more »

Ohanian: I wonder why The New York Times gives so much space to the opinion of amateurs without even a nod to professionals in the field.

skrashen at Schools Matter - 1 day ago

Susan Ohanian responds to Sara Mosle’s What Should Children Read” (http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/22/what-should-children-read/) “I wonder why The New York Times gives so much space to the opinion of amateurs without even a nod to professionals in the field.” Dear Editor: Bringing about 20 years more teaching experience than Sara Mosle brought to her out-of-balance article (“What should children read?” Nov. 25), I can cite hundreds of instances of student writing being informed by the fiction they love, though, admittedly, I'm not talking about a fixation on sentence ... more »

A very short open letter to President Obama

skrashen at Schools Matter - 1 day ago

A very short open letter to President Obama There is enormous frustration and dissatisfaction among professional educators about current educational policy. Many, especially those in the classroom and closest to the children, feel that current policy, one of closing public schools, encouraging privatization, and imposing more testing than has ever been seen on this planet, is badly misguided and will lead to tragic consequences for our children, damage that will take decades to repair. Professional educators feel that government is not paying attention to their expert opinions, an... more »

Long-Term English Learners: Invest in Libraries and Librarians

skrashen at Schools Matter - 2 days ago

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 that those who successfully acquire “academic English” were dedicated readers. California makes this very difficult to happen. Many English learners come from ... more »

Refocusing LAUSD on reading and learning instead of testing

Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene at Schools Matter - 3 days ago

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 Susan Ohanian. While written in 2005, Myers' message about access to books is profound and even more urgent today with canned corporate education solutions that narr... more »

Division of Labor: Conquering the "Public"

P. L. Thomas at Schools Matter - 3 days ago

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 Duncan), and tepid political leadership (Barack Obama). To the strategies aimed at dividing workers against themselves, the... more »

Walmart "Associates" and Charter School "Scholars"

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 4 days ago

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 have special ed kids with IEPs. I recently visited a charter reform school in Memphis that provided a clear example of special needs c... more »

Let's Be Thankful for Karen Lewis: Hear a Real Union Leader's Vision for Education

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 6 days ago

You won't get this kind of honesty and genuine care from the mealy-mouthed sellouts who run AFT and NEA. Karen Lewis speaking at the City Club of Chicago on November 20:

Houston, You've Got a Problem: It's Called EVAAS

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 6 days ago

Never really understood what value-added test scores mean, and how they affect teachers and kids? Ever wondered why the National Academy of Sciences sent a a 14-page letter to Arne Duncan warning him against high stakes use of value-added in RTTT. That's okay, you're not alone--many of us are puzzled. One thing is for sure, however--when teachers band together and get a couple of good lawyers to shine a penetrating light on this Oz-inspired scheme and the wreckage it is causing, that's when this house of cards will come tumbling down. Take a few minutes to have a look at this vide... more »

Rhee Announces Teachers Should Suffer During Holidays, Too

Jim Horn at Schools Matter - 6 days ago

Exclusive: Michelle Rhee Takes Aim at Teachers During Holidays [image: Michelle Rhee] The former D.C. chancellor, leader of Michelle First, believes that if we’re going to use tenure to retain teachers, we must do it 'based on measures that matter' to Eli Broad and Bill Gates Read More >> When you get on the *Waiting for Superman* email list like I did, you get an uninterrupted supply of propaganda, with headlines, stories, and pics like the one above (slightly altered) of Eli Broad's poisonous puppet, Michelle Rhee, in one her most Hitlerian poses, complete with backlighting spots.... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-27-12 #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

NSBA supports Louisiana school boards in voucher case « School Board News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 minutes ago

NSBA supports Louisiana school boards in voucher case « School Board News: *National School Boards Association Supports Voucher Lawsuit Challenging Public Education Funding in Louisiana* * * * * *NSBA President C. Ed Massey to attend the Baton Rouge hearing* Alexandria, Va. (November 27, 2012) – The National School Boards Association (NSBA) is supporting a lawsuit filed by the Louisiana School Boards Association (LSBA), the state’s main teachers’ organizations, and 43 school districts that challenges the constitutionality of Louisiana’s law to provide vouchers to students in low ... more »

Beware of the DPI: District Performance Index: - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago

Beware of the DPI: District Performance Index: - Wait, What?: Beware of the DPI: District Performance Index: by jonpelto Forget the “Fiscal Cliff,” Governor Malloy and Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor are hell-bent on forcing Connecticut to utilize something called a District Performance Index (DPI) and worse, they want to use it to determine how much education funding each community will receive. To put it bluntly, despite the fact that their concept is completely untested, their solution to education funding and property tax relief is to rely on how well children do on variou... more »

Stand united: an appeal to commenters | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Stand united: an appeal to commenters | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Stand united: an appeal to commentersby Frank Murphy on Nov 27 2012 Posted in Commentary I have been troubled by the negative tone of several comments posted in response to *Notebook* articles over the last few months. Anonymous posters have increasingly engaged in highly critical and often sharply worded personal attacks on individual Philadelphia school district employees and union personnel. Though I can understand the depth of emotion that motivates people to make such remarks I do not support such ... more »

UPDATE: A Challenge for Chris Cerf - Jersey Jazzman: NJ CREDO Report: No Evidence Charter "Success" Can Be Replicated

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: NJ CREDO Report: No Evidence Charter "Success" Can Be Replicated: NJ CREDO Report: No Evidence Charter "Success" Can Be Replicated by Duke [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] A Challenge for Chris Cerf by Duke Here's the statement from NJDOE Commissioner Chris Cerf about today's CREDO charter report (thx Mother Crusader). The money quote: *Key findings from the **report*:**** **· ***School level:* “At the school level, 30 percent of the charter schools have significantly more positive learning gains *than their TPS (traditional public ... more »

UPDATE: Senator Iris Martinez. No deal on a school closing timeline. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Senator Iris Martinez. No deal on a school closing timeline. « Fred Klonsky: *Fred Said Don't Be Fooled* Seasonals. by Fred Klonsky I saw something posted on Facebook today about making holiday ornaments with elementary students. When I went to the site, it was *actually a serious post* about where you could go to get directions for making holiday ornaments. I guess I was hoping for something else. When I first was hired as a K-6 art teacher, I was warned by my boss, *the administrator in charge of Art teachers*, not to make *“seasonals.”* Nothing special for Halloween. No Valentines... more »

Book Review: The Future of Our Schools; Teacher Unions and Social Justice - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Book Review: The Future of Our Schools; Teacher Unions and Social Justice - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Book Review: The Future of Our Schools; Teacher Unions and Social Justice by Anthony Cody Today I am taking time to review an insightful new book, authored by Lois Weiner: The Future of Our Schools; Teachers Unions and Social Justice (2012, Haymarket Books.) This work presents a useful guide to teachers who wish to make the most out of one the most powerful tools we have - our unions.[image: futureofourschools.jpg] In our discussion of how to improve schools, teac... more »

Support Kids not Cuts | Education Votes #edchat

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Kids Not Cuts | Education Votes: Support Kids not Cuts Last updated November 21, 2012 Across the board cuts, scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 2, 2013, are a bad idea and would be devastating to the programs and services ordinary Americans depend on including education,* *transportation, public safety, medical research, and environmental protection. These cuts could also lead to the *loss of* *nearly 80,000 education jobs.* TAKE ACTION › Visit our Kids Not Cuts topic page for all the latest news and ways to get involved in the fight against the looming across the board cuts... more »

UPDATE: Mother Crusader: Cerf's Spin On CREDO Report, The CREDO Study; Dubious Conclusions About New Jersey Charter Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Mother Crusader: The CREDO Study; Dubious Conclusions About New Jersey Charter Schools: Cerf's Spin On CREDO Report by darciecima And here is the shiny NJDOE spin on the CREDO report. More on this later. I'm too spun from trying to unspin the CREDO press release to deal with Cerf's spin right now... * * *Statement by Commissioner Cerf on New Report on New Jersey Charter Schools from **The Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO)*** *For Immediate Release:***** *Contact:* Barbara Morgan Rich Vespucci**** *Date:* November 27, 2012**** 609-292-1... more »

Diane in the EveningDiane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Mississippi Bests Florida by dianerav For years we have heard about the Florida miracle, supposedly the result of Jeb Bush’s tough accountability measures. But whoa! The latest federal data show that Mississippi has a higher graduation rate than Florida. Is there a Mississippi miracle? New Report on New Jersey Charter Schools by dianerav Bruce Baker here analyzes the new CREDO report on charter schools in New Jersey. Charters in Newark outperform district schools, and Baker explains the secrets of their success. Outside of Newark, charters were no differen... more »

KIPP’s special status gets more special

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

KIPP’s special status gets more special: KIPP’s special status gets more special Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 27, 2012 at 11:30 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » There are charter schools, and then there are special charter schools. In this story my colleague Nick Anderson writes about how special the KIPP charter school network has become. Already the recipient of many millions of dollars from private foundations, and a finalist in the Obama administration’s Race to the Top-District ... more »

Daily Kos: Misreading Customer Satisfaction, Compromise in Education Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Daily Kos: Misreading Customer Satisfaction, Compromise in Education Reform: TUE NOV 27, 2012 AT 09:40 AM PST Misreading Customer Satisfaction, Compromise in Education Reform byplthomasEdDFollow I am sick for the second time in about a month—and I am rarely sick, having accumulated a rather robust immune system over almost thirty years of teaching. While sick, however, my rational self wilts under the weight of just wanting to be well. The first time I was sick a few weeks ago, I rode out the symptoms for over a week before seeing a doctor, and then taking a round of antibiotics. ... more »

New Network Works for Racial and Social Justice in Education | The IDEA Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

New Network Works for Racial and Social Justice in Education | The IDEA Blog: New Network Works for Racial and Social Justice in Education Posted by Dana Bennis on Nov 27, 2012 - 07:48 AM [image: IDEA logo] Last month in San Francisco, the newly formed Justice in Education Network (JEN) met for the first time. JEN is an outgrowth of the powerful work of Justice Matters, an organization whose mission is "is to bring about racially just schools by developing and promoting education policy rooted in community vision." The work of Justice Matters is "to build and support a national r... more »

Detroit Schools Battle For Custody Following Public Act 4 Repeal

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Detroit Schools Battle For Custody Following Public Act 4 Repeal: Detroit Schools Battle For Custody Following Public Act 4 Repeal by Joy Resmovits Brooke Harris, a teacher at Detroit's Mumford High School, is confused. The English and journalism teacher faces class sizes of 45, and her colleagues have to teach as many as 60 students at a time. Special education teachers at the school, she says, have 10 to 12 students above the legal limit. But she doesn't know who she really reports to, or who is running things. "I have no idea who's in charge of our public schools, and I don't ... more »

Schools Matter: Why Schools Are Tools of Indoctrination

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Schools Matter: Why Schools Are Tools of Indoctrination: Why Schools Are Tools of Indoctrination by Storm Wisdom, be attentive. *** Excerpted from Jonathan Schwartz at A Tiny Revolution. *Oliver Stone's Untold, Unboring History of the United States* * * *American history! Whose heart doesn't race when you remember being initiated into its excitement and mystery in high school? There's the Logan Act of 1799! And the presidency of Benjamin Harrison! And the Open Door Policy. And, uh, and the Fordney–McCumber Tariff of 1922...and "A Return to Normalcy"... and the Federal Aid Highway... more »

The Secrets to Charter School Success in Newark: Comments on the NJ CREDO Report « School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

The Secrets to Charter School Success in Newark: Comments on the NJ CREDO Report « School Finance 101: The Secrets to Charter School Success in Newark: Comments on the NJ CREDO Report by schoolfinance101 Today, with much fanfare, we finally got our New Jersey Charter School Report. The unsurprising findings of that report are that charter schools in Newark in particular seem to be providing students with greater average annual achievement gains than those of similar (matched) students attending district schools. Elsewhere around the state charter schools are pretty much average.... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: LAUSD: CRENSHAW HIGH’S BIG BULLY

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: LAUSD: CRENSHAW HIGH’S BIG BULLY: LAUSD: CRENSHAW HIGH’S BIG BULLY JANET DENISE KELLY CITYWATCH VOL 10 ISSUE 95 | HTTP://BIT.LY/SNT6SD27 Nov 2012 :: URBAN PERSPECTIVE - South Los Angeles advocates are lining up to take on its big bully in education, Los Angeles Unified School District. Recently, Superintendent Deasy announced a restructuring of Crenshaw High School to a full-school magnet causing a reconstitution of staff. The community is in an absolute uproar. Unlike a childhood bully, LAUSD seems to be brushing off the assertiveness ... more »

Ed Notes Online: E4E Bans People From Walcott Event Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: E4E Bans People From Walcott Event Today: E4E Bans People From Walcott Event Today by ed notes online *E4E is an unethical undemocratic group, to say the least* ... The dishonest slimebags at Educators 4 Excellence are at it again. After sending out plea after plea for people to come to see Walcott spout his nonsense today -- you know, part of the pressure to get the UFT to agree to enslavement and send the diminishing E4E teachers back to their schools to lobby for the DOE, they withdraw the invites of people who might actually raise a question with Walcott-- l... more »

UPDATE: Play Well With Others ... Be Active Against Bullying — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Play Well With Others ... Be Active Against Bullying — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Kristen Pekarek] Play Well With Others ... Be Active Against Bullying November 27, 2012 by Kristen Pekarek Bullying is a major societal issue affecting everyone worldwide. According to current statistics, more than 30 percent of our school-aged children—approximately 5.7 million children—are bullied in schools, on playgrounds, and in recreational facilities each year. Research shows that these numbers can be reduced by nearly half through the use of effective bullying preventi... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, November 27, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *LAUSD NOT A RACE TO THE TOP 2012 FINALIST, JOHN DEASY REACTS* Education Headlines *Tuesday, November 27, 2012* Civil rights groups raise concerns about Novato charter school planIn the latest twist in a contentious debate over a proposed Novato charter school, two San Francisco civil rights groups have entered the fray, arguing the school could isolate minorities and poor students. Galt high school district administrator Audrey Kilpatrick takes new jobAudrey Kilpatrick, who has served as Galt Joint Union High School District's chi...more »

Teacher in China slaps girl, 5, repeatedly for getting math wrong

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Teacher in China slaps girl, 5, repeatedly for getting math wrong: Teacher in China slaps girl, 5, repeatedly for getting math wrong Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 27, 2012 at 9:34 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » In the you-can’t-make-up-this-stuff category, a kindergarten teacher in China slaps a 5-year-old girl over and over when the child gets a math problem wrong, according to a Chinese news program. Here’s part of the video that was on the Chinese station showing the girl get slap...more »

Pass / Fail : Steve Barr leaves Green Dot board of directors, organization he founded | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Pass / Fail : Steve Barr leaves Green Dot board of directors, organization he founded | 89.3 KPCC: Steve Barr leaves Green Dot board of directors, organization he founded by By Adolfo Guzman-Lopez It’s the end of an era. Steve Barr, the founder of the 10,000 student Green Dot charter schools organization, resigned last week from the group’s board of directors, the company announced Monday. Barr, who stepped down from day-to-day operations in 2009, said other school improvement projects are eating up his time. “I’m the chair of a board for our school in New York," said Barr. "I’m th... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: BBB's School-Closing Chicanery

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: BBB's School-Closing Chicanery: BBB's School-Closing Chicanery by Mike Klonsky So this is why *Byrd-Bennett* was brought in to replace the bumbling * Brizzard.* Where he played the Rahm's fool, she's the sleight-of-hand magician -- now you see it now you don't. She tells Rahm: You want 200 school closed without a community rebellion? Keeping the aldermen in line? Watch this! Let us close 100-200 schools in the next year, she tells the City Club:, and then we'll give them a five-year moratorium on closing schools. That's the "deal" she's now offering... more »

Modern School: America’s Class War Against Youth

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Modern School: America’s Class War Against Youth: America’s Class War Against Youth by Michael Dunn Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons If the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement accomplished anything it was to focus public anger on America’s extreme and growing wealth gap, portraying it as the product of the greed and selfishness of the richest 1%. This overly simplistic view obscures the actual socioeconomic relationships that are responsible for the transfer of wealth from the majority to the few, as well as who comprises this “few.” The wealth gap is actually the by-product and goal of... more »

Moving Beyond the Polarized Debate - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Moving Beyond the Polarized Debate - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Moving Beyond the Polarized Debate by Pedro Noguera Dear Deborah, While the debate over the direction of education policy continues at national and local levels and the new administration begins to consider what, if any, new initiatives it might take to promote school reform, we know there are educators across the country who are thinking about what schools can do right now to meet the needs of the students they serve. I think it is important for us to weigh in on these matters for the sake of the educato... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: On Data Driven Pronouncements: "They Were Wrong, it was Possible".

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: On Data Driven Pronouncements: "They Were Wrong, it was Possible".: On Data Driven Pronouncements: "They Were Wrong, it was Possible". by stlgretchen Data is King...or is it? Watch the video below about a physically challenged Vietnam vet and his quest to remake his life despite doctors' findings based on his medical data. Frame the video in terms of educational data driven sets determining a student's place in society. Imagine a student struggling educationally in the place of the vet as you watch what he goes through to improve his situation. The ... more »

Schools Matter: Jim McIntyre Tries Pushing Knoxville Onto Dollar Guzzling Charter Reform School Bus

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Schools Matter: Jim McIntyre Tries Pushing Knoxville Onto Dollar Guzzling Charter Reform School Bus: Jim McIntyre Tries Pushing Knoxville Onto Dollar Guzzling Charter Reform School Bus by Jim Horn *Oh What to Buy? It's Black Friday in Education!* If there is another thing that Knoxville does not need and can't afford (besides Lane Kiffin) is a string of corporate welfare charter reform schools that will benefit Wall Street hedge fund investors and philanthrocapitalists like Eli Broad, while draining millions from public schools. This was issued this morning: *KCS issues char... more »

Louisiana Educator: SPS Scoring Bias

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: SPS Scoring Bias: SPS Scoring Bias by Michael Deshotels Dear Readers: I am very pleased to publish a guest post this week by Dr Mercedes Schneider, a Louisiana educator who has a doctoral degree in statistics. It is an excellent analysis of a major flaw in our Louisiana school grading system. The grades that our schools in Louisiana have been assigned by our LDOE have almost no relation to the actual quality of education offered by each school. By far the dominant factor measured by the SPS scores and the resultant grade of “A” through “F” is the level of po... more »

UPDATE: PSAT for 11-27-12: Push back on closing extension this morning! Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 11-27-12: Push back on closing extension this morning!: PSAT for 11-27-12: Push back on closing extension this morning! by admin Pressure is mounting on the Illinois General Assembly not to go along with Mayor Emanuel’s ill-conceived request to push back the school closing announcement until March 31 and allow CPS to close up to 120 schools with little time for families, communities, and school staff to prepare for the massive upheaval this will cause. Right now, this morning, you need to contact your state senator a... more »

Jeb Bush, with cash and clout, pushes contentious school reforms | Reuters

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Jeb Bush, with cash and clout, pushes contentious school reforms | Reuters: Jeb Bush, with cash and clout, pushes contentious school reforms Nov 27 (Reuters) - Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush soared to rock star status in the education world on the strength of a chart. A simple graph, it tracked fourth-grade reading scores. In 1998, when Bush was elected governor, Florida kids scored far below the national average. By the end of his second term, in 2007, they were far ahead, with especially impressive gains for low-income and minority students. Those results earned Bush bipartisan ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-27-12 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] Ms. Katie Looks into the Heart of the Elites by dianerav Katie Osgood reviews Chris Hayes’ new book “Twilight of the Elites” and ponders how the elites–the so-called best and the brightest–are now running education policy. Their ideas fail and fail but they boldly push ahead, utterly unfixed by the damage they inflict on others. They enjoy money, power, prestige, unlike those poor teachers and children whose lives they mess up with their hapless schemes. The New Yorker Profile by dianerav In its issue of... more »

Boston Tea Party Was Act Of Terrorism? | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Boston Tea Party Was Act Of Terrorism? | toteachornototeach: Boston Tea Party Was Act Of Terrorism? by aristotlethewise *Boston Tea Party Was Act Of Terrorism? * *Texas Public Schools Teaching New History Lesson* Some Texas parents are upset over a history lesson that depicts the Boston Tea Party as an act of terrorism. The historical protest against taxation without representation will mark its 239th anniversary next month. But a report by The Blaze, a right-wing site started by Glenn Beck, reveals that as recently as this January, the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Coll... more »

School Tech Connect: Fake Offer In A Zero-Trust Climate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Fake Offer In A Zero-Trust Climate: Fake Offer In A Zero-Trust Climate by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I suppose I should chime in on BBB's faux-ratorium proposal, which sounds to me like something an abusive spouse might say to a cop who's been called to a domestic. However, Julie Woestehoff has already said what needs to be said. For my part I'll just add that BBB very likely won't be around in five years; certainly the fresh-to-town folks compiling the hit lists won't be, and that any five-year ceasefires need to start today and include the expansion... more »

The Innovative Educator: The Plight of the Parent Education Advocate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

The Innovative Educator: The Plight of the Parent Education Advocate: The Plight of the Parent Education Advocate by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) Guest post by David Bernstein I’m relatively new to the battle for wholesale educational change, but have fast learned that fighting for a different school model while parenting kids who go to fairly traditional schools requires a tortuous mental balancing act. On the one hand, I’m agitating for change to a badly broken education system, and on the other, I’ve got to make sure that my own alternative-learning-style kids come out of... more »

NYC Educator: Suddenly ATR Drops ATRhood and Supports Economy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

NYC Educator: Suddenly ATR Drops ATRhood and Supports Economy: Suddenly ATR Drops ATRhood and Supports Economy by NYC Educator * by Formerly Suddenly ATR* I haven't blogged in two weeks, and I wanted to give all the readers of this great blog an update as to why. About two weeks ago I was contacted by a school out of my district for an interview. I went to the interview and was explained the situation -- the "regular" teacher had suddenly retired in September. The school went through a series of day-to-day subs, but the situation was spiraling as it was nearly December, and the stu... more »

Four CA districts make Race to the Top finals | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Four CA districts make Race to the Top finals | EdSource Today: Four CA districts make Race to the Top finals ** November 27th, 2012 | Add a Comment | By Kathryn Baron and John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services The U.S. Department of Education passed over California’s largest school districts in selecting finalists for the Race to the Top district competition. Out of 17 districts that applied for a share of the nearly $400 million in federal grant money, only four made the cut to the finals: Galt Joint Union E... more »

SI&A Cabinet Report – SBE waivers provide LEAs relief from class size restrictions

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *SBE waivers provide LEAs relief from class size restrictions* *By Kimberly Beltran* Tuesday, November 27, 2012 Requests to exceed class size limits continue to dominate the State Board of Education’s waiver calendar, with 10 districts this month seeking relief from various provisions of the laws aimed at maintaining low student-teacher ratios. In all, SBE members approved 35 of 39 waiver requests, including those on class size but also others ranging from community day school locations to removal of a school from the open enrollment list fo... more »

Mother Crusader: Smarick Says It Simply; Chartering Can Replace The District. But Can It?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Mother Crusader: Smarick Says It Simply; Chartering Can Replace The District. But Can It?: Smarick Says It Simply; Chartering Can Replace The District. But Can It? by darciecima My blogging buddy Jersey Jazzman has already done a fantastic job skewering Andy Smarick's Ouija Board fantasy of a chartery future for Newark. Said simply, chartering can replace the district. And it can happen in Newark. Well, can't get much more blunt than that. Kudos to Smarick for just coming right on out and saying what it seems like the NJDOE really wants. Urban districts overrun with charters, wi... more »

The Macroeconomics of Raising Robots (or Children) - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

The Macroeconomics of Raising Robots (or Children) - NYTimes.com: The Macroeconomics of Raising Robots (or Children)By KJ DELL'ANTONIA Jonathan McIntosh On the Economix blog, Nancy Folbre has another take on our cost-benefit analysis of child-rearing, one that the parents among us, and their supporters, will love. In “Of Parents, Puppies and Robots,” she writes: Capitalism, that masterful force, would have to pay much more for workers if families weren’t willing to pony up most of the time, money and effort necessary to raise them, train them and educate them. Imagine a world in whi... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 11-26-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* There's Gold In Them There Schools! by Walt S. Public education is being bought and paid for, all under the guise of helping children. If my suspicions are correct, the welfare of children is being used to camouflage the takeover of the public schools by private interests. Access to the vast sums of money spent each year on educating our children is the golden goose they seek. This article was published in Salon on November 17th. It makes clear much of the tactics and ploys that will be and are being used to ultimately transfe... more »

The Washington Teacher: Here We Go Again: More DC Public School Closures!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

The Washington Teacher: Here We Go Again: More DC Public School Closures!: Here We Go Again: More DC Public School Closures! by noreply@blogger.com (Candi Peterson) Written by Candi Peterson Let's take a trip down memory lane back to 2008 when Michelle Rhee was the Chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools. Rhee rolled out a plan to abruptly close 23 public schools. Her premise was that the closing of under enrolled public schools would save the taxpayers $23 million dollars and that these cost savings could be used to hire additional teachers and create new programs. S... more »

Enslaved to the Enslaved by the Enslaving. « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Enslaved to the Enslaved by the Enslaving. « Cooperative Catalyst: Enslaved to the Enslaved by the Enslaving. by Jabreel Chisley *Is the school the source of the feeling of perpetual entrapment that the youth claim to fill? Is the number 2 pencil the slave master for the children, the ones doped up on Adderall and Ritalin, and removed from society so that they can tend to the slave masters distant cousin, the standardized assessment? Are the children the sheep in a corporatist panacea of reform? Are the teachers the herders, unknowingly herding the children of tomorrow into a fie... more »

Schools Matter: Louisiana Constitution on Trial and Schools on the Chopping Block

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Schools Matter: Louisiana Constitution on Trial and Schools on the Chopping Block: Louisiana Constitution on Trial and Schools on the Chopping Block by Jim Horn *RIGHT Again Sec. Duncan* Louisiana has the highest number of black student retentions in the nation to go along with the highest black incarceration rate in the U. S. The private prison industry is worth $182 million a year when beds are full, and "Louisiana's incarceration rate is nearly five times Iran's, 13 times China's and 20 times Germany's." To say that it is a police state is hardly an exaggeration, and the cha... more »

KIPP DC a finalist in Race to the Top competition - D.C. Schools Insider - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

KIPP DC a finalist in Race to the Top competition - D.C. Schools Insider - The Washington Post: KIPP DC a finalist in Race to the Top competition by Emma Brown Charter school operator KIPP DC is one of 61 finalists in the federal government’s $400 million Race to the Top-District grant competition, U.S. Department of Education officials announced Monday. “We’re very excited,” said Susan Schaeffler, KIPP DC’s chief executive. “This was a heavy lift for all of us to get this application done, make it meaningful — and at this point we’re really excited to be in the top 61.” The final... more »

Charter group, but not L.A. Unified, finalist for Race to the Top - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Charter group, but not L.A. Unified, finalist for Race to the Top - latimes.com: Charter group, but not L.A. Unified, finalist for Race to the Top A local charter school organization is a finalist for a high-profile federal grant, but the Los Angeles Unifed School District failed to qualify in the same competition. Green Dot Public Schools, which operates 18 charter schools, remains in the running for a “Race to the Top” grant, the U.S. Department of Education announced Monday. If successful, Green Dot could receive $30 million over a four-year period. In the application process,... more »

Ed Notes Online: What Happened to Public Education on Election Night?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Ed Notes Online: What Happened to Public Education on Election Night?: What Happened to Public Education on Election Night? by ed notes online The Always Amazing Joanne Barkan Does it AgainDissent: http://www.dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/what-happened-to-public-education-on-election-night By Joanne Barkan - November 26, 2012 Barack Obama’s K-12 “reform” policies have brought misery to public schools across the country: more standardized testing, faulty evaluations for teachers based on student test scores, more public schools shut down rather than improved, more privately... more »

Wyoming Proves that Common Core is a Federal-Led Initiative | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Wyoming Proves that Common Core is a Federal-Led Initiative | Truth in American Education: Wyoming Proves that Common Core is a Federal-Led Initiative by Shane Vander Hart Common Core State Standards advocates typically make an argument that the development of the Common Core was state-led since it came out of the National Governors Association and Council for Chief State School Officers. They seem to neglect the fact that these are trade organizations not states and that state legislatures were bypassed as different state departments of education or state school boards said yes ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed News Roundup

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed News Roundup: Ed News Roundup by Melissa Westbrook First up, this is not directly ed related (although peripherally), a letter from a whiter-than-white (his term) Republican who was mightily unhappy with his party this election. (Caution: he minces no words so if you are a delicate reader, do not read this section.) He does speak to some of what ed reformers on the Dem side like to do; namely, name-call and harangue which to my mind, never works. *One of the reasons my family is affluent is that my wife and I have a collective fifteen year... more »