Monday, December 17, 2012

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: 12 Days of Christmas: Teacher's Edition!

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: 12 Days of Christmas: Teacher's Edition!:

12 Days of Christmas: Teacher's Edition!

This is sung to the tune of " The Twelve Days of Christmas."

On the first day of Christmas

My principal gave to me

A classroom and my very own key

On the second day of Christmas

My principal gave to me

2 lesson planners

And a classroom with my very own key

On the third day of Christmas

My principal gave to me

WHAT CAN BE DONE ? « Teachers Fight Back

WHAT CAN BE DONE ? « Teachers Fight Back:

WHAT CAN BE DONE ?

by alkleen

I find it amazing that so many people are just throwing up their hands and saying it’s impossible to make sure all our schools are secure at all times. It’s impossible only if you find that it would be too expensive. There are many ways that schools could be made secure and Connecticut type attacks could be prevented. We have soldiers in over 150 countries in the world. We have 47,000 in Germany alone. What are they doing there ? Waiting for the Cold War to end ? We have 500,000 National Guard soldiers. I would suggest we put just two National Guard soldiers in each school on a rotating basis. They could be in civilian clothes and have a concealed weapon. No need to frighten anyone. They don’t actually have to be IN the school, just right outside

The Monday After Newtown « Cooperative Catalyst

The Monday After Newtown « Cooperative Catalyst:

The Monday After Newtown

by Paula White

SIGN the Sandy Hook Elementary School National Sympathy Card | causes.com

I really hate coming to school the first day after a school incident somewhere else. No one ever knows whether it will be a biggie to our kids or not, so we have to prepare and really think through how to support our kiddos. I don’t mind that, in fact, I want to be prepared and appreciate all that folks offer to help me get better at supporting kids–it’s more the worry that is the hassle for me.
So on Mondays I have two of our local middle school helpers in my room….and sometimes they show and sometimes not (when they are overwhelmed with homework, for example.) Today they both were here, and the 6th grader brought up the shootings, asking had we heard about them. The eighth grader responded with yeah, she had heard about it, but it apparently wasn’t a big deal to her at this point, days later. I asked the younger one if she had seen it on the news, and we talked about how it had been all that was on pretty much all weekend. Both helpers, though, seemed okay and didn’t seem to want to dwell upon it, but I did find it

California urges public schools to review security protocols | News - KCRA Home

California urges public schools to review security protocols | News - KCRA Home:

By Mike Luery

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —

California's school chief Tom Torlakson said Monday he believes public schools in California are safe, but he wants to make sure schools are reviewing their security plans to learn from the tragedy in Connecticut last Friday that claimed the lives of 20 children and six educators.

"So we are asking California administrators and principals to just carefully review their plans again and look at the best practices we can share," Torlakson told KCRA 3.

That message was reinforced at schools across California, including O.W. Erlewine in Sacramento, where the state flag was flying at half-staff.

"The one thing we've reminded our schools is keep your doors locked," said Jonathan Raymond, superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District. "This is everyone's responsibility. So keep an eye out for our kids and

WHAT KIND OF MEASURES CAN MAKE SCHOOLS SAFER?

The California Emergency Management Agency offers these guidelines to schools, including additional heightened procedures, that can be implemented for times of serious threats. Click through this slideshow to see how some school can become better prepared.
Source: Cal EMA

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-17-12 #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

Our teachers, the troops at home Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 minutes ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Our teachers, the troops at home: Our teachers, the troops at home by admin One of the many tragedies of the Vietnam War was the way that many soldiers were treated (or not treated) when they returned home. A nation that had been celebrating Veterans Day every 11-11-11 and mourning together every Memorial Day was largely unable to separate the Vietnam War soldier from the national anguish over the war itself. There wasn’t a New York ticker tape parade for Vietnam vets until 1985, more than a decade after the war ended. It wa... more »

NYC Educator: Rhee Rheedux

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago

NYC Educator: Rhee Rheedux: Rhee Rheedux by NYC Educator Hi, I'm Michelle Rhee. At a time like this, I think it's only fit we redouble my efforts to ensure our reforms reach every student in these United States. After all, people as wealthy as Broad, Gates, and the Walmarts are paying good money for these reforms, and if they weren't very, very smart, why would they have all that money? Of course every student deserves a good teacher, and the only way to determine whether or not the teacher is good is by the test scores of students. Here at Students First, we don't believe in all ... more »

Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. Mao Tse-Tung | Fox News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 39 minutes ago

Victims in Connecticut school shooting | Fox News: Victims in Connecticut school shooting Authorities have released the names of the 26 victims killed when a gunman opened fire inside a Connecticut elementary school. Browse Slideshows Next SlidePreviousImage 1 of 24 Previous SlideNext Slide - - - - - - - - Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/slideshow/2012/12/15/victims-in-connecticut-school-shooting/?intcmp=related#slide=1#ixzz2FLxMDHcY

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: What to Apply to Be On the Charter Commission?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: What to Apply to Be On the Charter Commission?: What to Apply to Be On the Charter Commission? by Melissa Westbrook Here's how via the three possibilities - Governor, Lt. Governor and Speaker of the House. Each office gets to pick three Charter Commission members. *Governor * Governor Gregoire's office is taking the applications via their regular commissions form. They are then going to pass them along to Governor-elect Inslee's office and he will make the decisions. I was told both offices have received calls of interest about applying. *Lt.... more »

NEA, SEIU and AFSCME in Secret Negotiations « The Greenroom

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

NEA, SEIU and AFSCME in Secret Negotiations « The Greenroom: NEA, SEIU and AFSCME in Secret Negotiations POSTED AT 4:51 PM ON DECEMBER 10, 2012 BY MIKE ANTONUCCI The National Education Association is working more closely than ever before with its counterparts in organized labor. NEA, SEIU and AFSCME teamed up to fund a series of ads targeting key lawmakers in the fiscal cliff negotiations and they are the driving force behind today’s “day of action” rallies in a number of cities. While three of the largest public employee unions in the nation are cooperating on external communicatio... more »

How the Common Core State Standards Impacts Homeschoolers | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

How the Common Core State Standards Impacts Homeschoolers | Truth in American Education: How the Common Core State Standards Impacts Homeschoolers by Shane Vander Hart I’m am very pleased to see the Home School Legal Defense Association weigh in on the Common Core State Standards. Will Estrada, their federal relations point person writes on HSLDA’s website: The CCSS specifically do not apply to private or homeschools, unless they receive government dollars (online charter school programs have no such protection). However, HSLDA has serious concerns with the rush to adopt the CC... more »

Support, Optimism, and Hope — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Support, Optimism, and Hope — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]Support, Optimism, and Hope December 17, 2012 by Klea Scharberg No community is immune to the effects of traumatic events. Our ASCD community includes the students, teachers, and residents of Newtown, Conn. This morning we shared posts from our archives that speak to providing safe and connected learning environments. We hope the following resources from ASCD and our Whole Child Partners connect to educators, families, and communities' resilient spirit so that they can tap the resilient... more »

Resources for Schools to Prepare for and Recover from Crisis | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Resources for Schools to Prepare for and Recover from Crisis | ED.gov Blog: Resources for Schools to Prepare for and Recover from Crisis by Arne Duncan [image: Photo] All of us who work in education have broken hearts and are haunted by the tragedy visited on the educators, students, and families of the Newtown Public School District and Sandy Hook Elementary School. Whenever a school experiences violence and the lives of children and adults are lost, we struggle to find words to express our emotions and explain how this could have happened. Schools are among the safest places for... more »

Randi Weingarten: The Tragedy in Newtown, CT

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Randi Weingarten: The Tragedy in Newtown, CT: The Tragedy in Newtown, CT In this season that usually fills children and adults of all ages with joy and hope for the New Year, the entire AFT family is shaken and deeply saddened by the senseless, unspeakable loss of so many lives this past Friday in Newtown, Conn. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the 20 children and seven adults who were killed, as well as to Sandy Hook Elementary School, the Newtown Public School District, and the entire community of Newtown and its surrounding areas. In moments of great tragedy,... more »

How Walmart Helped Make Newtown Shooter's AR-15 the Most Popular Assault Weapon in America | The Nation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

“Seeing the massacre of so many innocent children has changed everything” : blue cheddar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

“Seeing the massacre of so many innocent children has changed everything” : blue cheddar: “Seeing the massacre of so many innocent children has changed everything” by bluecheddar I haven’t brought myself to write anything about the shooting in Newtown, CT because I’ve felt not only grief but a lack of faith that our elected leaders – and their constituents – will do anything to effectively deal with mass shootings in the United States. There is today at least a glimmer of hope on the political scene. A senator who holds an “A-rating” with the NRA is calling for his peers to work ... more »

How did Quinn come up with the idea of Squeezy, the pension cobra? From his canoe czar. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

How did Quinn come up with the idea of Squeezy, the pension cobra? From his canoe czar. « Fred Klonsky: How did Quinn come up with the idea of Squeezy, the pension cobra? From his canoe czar. by Fred Klonsky [image: Picture12_04] Did you know that Illinois Governor Pat Quinn had a *canoe czar?* Kurt Erickson in the Pentagraph did some digging to find out where the Governor came up with the idea of Squeezy, the pension cobra. It took some work because the governor kept the Squeezy thing pretty much under wraps. Highly confidential. On a need to know basis. But Erickson found out it w... more »

What is Education For? Education and National Security

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Education and National Security: *What is Education For?* [image: Education and National Security] The last week of September, 1938 was deemed “American Education Week” and for the occasion President Franklin Delano Roosevelt released a message to the citizenry. He noted that there were competitive systems of government that were fast coming into conflict and, when it came to the practice and preservation of the political system in the U.S., public education played a vital role. “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The rea... more »

The War Against Teachers as Public Intellectuals in Dark Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

The War Against Teachers as Public Intellectuals in Dark Times: The War Against Teachers as Public Intellectuals in Dark TimesMonday, 17 December 2012 08:22By Henry A. Giroux, Truthout | Op-Ed - 110 - font size [image: decrease font size] [image: increase font size] - Print - Email [image: Students in class](Image: Students in class via Shutterstock)*Please support Truthout’s work by making a tax-deductible donation: click here to contribute.* *A little learning is a dangerous thing.* *- Edgar Allan Poe* The tragic deaths of 26 people shot and killed at Sandy Hook ... more »

Diane in the Afternoon 12-17-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Most Absurd Comment on the Massacre by dianerav Mike Huckabee said that the murderous spree at Sandy Hook Elementary School happened because we have “systematically removed God” from the schools. So, let me get this right: If the children had been praying every day in school, the killer would never have entered the building? I don’t follow the logic. Public figures should get their facts right before they sound off. Michigan GOP Wants Concealed Guns in Schools and Churches by dianerav Eclectablog reports that the lame duck legislature in Michigan was set t... more »

A teacher talks to children about Sandy Hook tragedy | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

A teacher talks to children about Sandy Hook tragedy | Parents Across America: A teacher talks to children about Sandy Hook tragedy by pureparents [image: SIGN the Sandy Hook Elementary School National Sympathy Card | causes.com] We share this San Francisco Chronicle story about how teacher Steve Rubenstein, the husband of PAA founding member Caroline Grannan, talked to his students about the Sandy Hook school tragedy: Back at Buena Vista Horace Mann in San Francisco’s Mission District, another teacher, Steve Rubenstein, learned of the tragedy by phone as he and his sixth-grade... more »

"Teaching about a tragedy." December 17, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

"Teaching about a tragedy." December 17, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org: Teaching about a tragedy December 17, 2012 [image: NYSUT - A Union of Professionals] As school doors opened this morning, educators across New York state and throughout the nation searched for ways to help their students understand the horrific tragedy that occurred in Newtown, Conn., on Friday. NYSUT's two national affiliates — the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association — have provided online resources that will assist teachers and other education pro... more »

What's in Our Control: Safer, Connected Environments — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

What's in Our Control: Safer, Connected Environments — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Sean Slade]What’s in Our Control: Safer, Connected Environments December 17, 2012 by Sean Slade Almost no one has not been affected by the events in Newtown, Conn., last week—even more so if you are a teacher, parent, or have kids that go to elementary school as many of us do. It's hard to discuss and even harder to make any kind of sense out of what happened. Today we highlight posts from our archives, the ASCD community, and our partner organizations that speak to how we can ... more »

How to Help Families Affected by Newtown School Shooting - Newtown, CT Patch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

How to Help Families Affected by Newtown School Shooting - Newtown, CT Patch: How to Help Families Affected by Newtown School Shooting People all over the world want to know how to help Sandy Hook residents following Friday's horrifying mass shooting. Post "I want to help" in this comment thread to get updates on what you can do. - By Jaimie Cura - Email the author - December 16, 2012 Email Print 1219 Comments ‹ Back to Article Credit Gary Jeanfaivre Photos [image: Family members of victims in the Dec. 14, 2012 shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., th... more »

"I told them ... I love you all very much." | Mother Jones

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

"I told them ... I love you all very much." | Mother Jones: "I told them ... I love you all very much." A dispatch from Newtown father Ross MacDonald. —By Ross Macdonald | Sun Dec. 16, 2012 11:37 AM PST 6 - - *By Newtown father and MoJo contributing illustrator Ross MacDonald *Drawger A first grade teacher sheltered her students in a closet, listening to gunshots in the hallway outside. Fearing the worst, she said she wanted these tiny 6 and 7 year olds to know that somebody loved them, and for that to be the last thing they heard, not the gunshots. Other teachers and staff... more »

Teacher Evaluations: When Process Makes a Difference | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Teacher Evaluations: When Process Makes a Difference | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Teacher Evaluations: When Process Makes a Difference by Tarsi Dunlop The power of collaboration seems, at times, to be the best kept secret in education reform. Despite district variance, efforts to increase student achievement levels often see higher levels of success when all stakeholders work together. Studyville School District (the name has been changed to preserve anonymity) is just one such example. It is a story of collaboration and compromise in which stakeholders c... more »

NEA, AFT Teachers To Build Common-Core Tools - Teacher Beat - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

NEA, AFT Teachers To Build Common-Core Tools - Teacher Beat - Education Week: NEA, AFT Teachers To Build Common-Core Tools by Catherine Gewertz *Guest post by Catherine Gewertz* The two national teachers' unions have won $11 million to build an online warehouse of instructional tools for the Common Core State Standards. Student Achievement Partners, whose founders led the writing of the standards, is also a grantee. It will work with the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Associationand their teachers to build the tools and post them on Student Achievement... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, December 17, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: SIGN the Sandy Hook Elementary School National Sympathy Card | causes.com]Schools prepare for shootings, other emergencies Education Headlines *Monday, December 17, 2012* El Monte Union auditoriums remain closedTwo local high school auditoriums remain closed as district officials work to figure out what went wrong with installation of roughly $2.6 million of heating, air and ventilation systems inside the facilities and how they can go about fixing the issue. Freedburg: National response needed to protect children from gun ... more »

Conservative Joe Scarborough Breaks with the NRA « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Conservative Joe Scarborough Breaks with the NRA « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Conservative Joe Scarborough Breaks with the NRA by millerlf By MACKENZIE WEINGER | *12/17/12 Politico* MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough launched today’s “Morning Joe” with a ten-minute address in response to the shooting in Newtown, Conn., last Friday. “Today as a nation we grieve and today we as a people feel helpless,” he said. “Helpless to stop these random acts of violence that seem to be getting less random by the day. You know it may be the geographic proximity of Newtown to my hometown, o... more »

John Thompson: Diane Ravitch and the Long View of School Reform - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

John Thompson: Diane Ravitch and the Long View of School Reform - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: John Thompson: Diane Ravitch and the Long View of School Reform by Anthony Cody [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] *Guest post by John Thompson.* Near the end of David Denby's New Yorker profile of Diane Ravitch (Public Defender), Denby quotes Ravitch saying, "If the testing vampire is slain, the whole facade of faux reform collapses. No test scores, no merit pay, no closing of schools by test scores." Shouldn't people who cannot agree with Ravitch on any... more »

Eighty-Six Things I Learned at P.S. 86 (Hallie Fox) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Eighty-Six Things I Learned at P.S. 86 (Hallie Fox) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Eighty-Six Things I Learned at P.S. 86 (Hallie Fox) by larrycuban *This guest post is written by Hallie Fox, who taught in a Bronx (New York City) elementary school–P.S. 86. She was a student in my Fall quarter seminar on “Good School and Districts.” For a final reflective paper, she attached a list of what she learned while teaching at P.S. 86. **I was struck by three things in reading the list. First, how complex and totally absorbing is the daily life of an elementary s... more »

Throughout December and January: Whole Child and Common Core — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Throughout December and January: Whole Child and Common Core — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]Throughout December and January: Whole Child and Common Core December 13, 2012 by Klea Scharberg Educators have a unique opportunity to reset the playing field and make the Common Core State Standards work for them. We can implement the standards, align them to a whole child approach to education, and ensure that both support and enhance each other. The Common Core standards and a whole child approach are not opposites, and they do not and should not hav... more »

Modern School: Explicable School Massacres—Violence is American as Apple Pie

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Modern School: Explicable School Massacres—Violence is American as Apple Pie: Explicable School Massacres—Violence is American as Apple Pie by Michael Dunn The tragedy at Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School last week was particularly appalling, as most of its victims were between the ages of 5 and 10. AFL-CIO Boss Richard Trumka lamented the “inexplicable horror” of the massacre, while President Obama called for “meaningful action” to stop the seemingly endless wave of violence (e.g., Milwaukee Sihk temple and California’s Oikos University massacres earlier this year). Ev... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Is it Now Time to Tackle the Issue of Mental Illness?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Is it Now Time to Tackle the Issue of Mental Illness?: Is it Now Time to Tackle the Issue of Mental Illness? by stlgretchen *What does mental illness look like and what can we do as a society to address the issue?* Here is a parent's heartbreaking account of living with a mentally ill child and navigating the educational and mental health system. From The Anarchist Soccer Mom and *Thinking the Unthinkable.* *The Blue Review had the article entitled, "I am Adam Lanza's Mother". * *************************************************************************... more »

Ed Notes Online: Robert Rendo Blog: All Images Free

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Robert Rendo Blog: All Images Free: Robert Rendo Blog: All Images Free by ed notes online *A colleague of mine, Robert Rendo, is a teacher and illustrator and is now offering free license to use images from his blog, which you can now access at http://thetruthoneducationreform.blogspot.com/?view=snapshot The name of the blog is "The Truth About Education Reform: a Blog of Cartoons . . . Images with a Voice!" Users can literally enlarge and grab the image to incorporate into their own literature. All they have to do is click on the image, and it enlarges to be gr... more »

Teachers are True First Responders… (While State’s fiscal problems remain all too real) - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Teachers are True First Responders… (While State’s fiscal problems remain all too real) - Wait, What?: Teachers are True First Responders… (While State’s fiscal problems remain all too real) by jonpelto As our state and nation work to process the incomprehensible, the first thing that stands out when we look back on the Newtown tragedy, and the many other school shootings that have plagued our nation over the fourteen years since Columbine, is that time after time, faced with unimaginable horror and fear, teachers and other school personnel have inevitably stepped forward to p... more »

UPDATE: From the former IEA President who gave us Senate Bill 7 come words of advice: “Shared sacrifice.” Is he working for the Civic Committee now? « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

From the former IEA President who gave us Senate Bill 7 come words of advice: “Shared sacrifice.” Is he working for the Civic Committee now? « Fred Klonsky: From the former IEA President who gave us Senate Bill 7 come words of advice: “Shared sacrifice.” Is he working for the Civic Committee now? by Fred Klonsky [image: 0] *Retired IEA President Ken Swanson. The guy who, with Jonah Edelman, gave us SB7, now has words of advice on pensions. Did we ask him?* Ken Swanson was the IEA President who worked with Jonah Edelman and Stand for Children to bring the state Senate Bill 7. Senate... more »

The Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary | Lily's Blackboard

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

The Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary | Lily's Blackboard: Our Babies…The Tragedy at Sandy Hook by Lily [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] I have been busy. I like writing this blog, but when I get busy with meetings and reports and such, I put off writing. Today I have been busy not watching the news. I have been very busy finding anything, any little thing to keep me too busy to watch the news coming out of Newtown, Connecticut and hearing the voices of screaming parents and frightened little ones. I am so busy not wanting to think, that I will not put off writing ... more »

TO LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-17-12 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] A Brief Conversation with John Thompson by dianerav John Thompson wonders if I overstate my concern about the current direction of the education reform movement. He is not convinced that the end game is privatization. Perhaps I sat through too many closed-door meetings of conservative think tanks to think otherwise. As I read and listen to the leading lights of the movement (Jeb Bush; Tony Bennett; ALEC; DFER; Stand for Children; Michelle Rhee), I hear no liking for the public schools. I hear promises of t... more »

Daily Kos: Failing Children: "They're All Our Children"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: Failing Children: "They're All Our Children": Failing Children: "They're All Our Children" byplthomasEdDFollow It should not have taken the killing of 20 innocent children and 6 dedicated educators in a school, but I will not belabor that point. At a prayer vigil in Newtown, CT, on the evening of December 16, 2012, President Barack Obama asked and answered his own question about America's children: "And in that way, we come to realize that we bear a responsibility for every child because we're counting on everybody else to help look after ours; that we're all parent... more »

ED Ranks 18th... on the Wrong Question :: Frederick M. Hess

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

ED Ranks 18th... on the Wrong Question :: Frederick M. Hess: ED Ranks 18th... on the Wrong Question *by Frederick M. Hess • Dec 17, 2012 at 6:40 am Cross-posted from Education Week* U.S. Department of Education Last week, the Partnership for Public Service released its annual *Best Places to Work* in the federal government rankings. The survey polled nearly 700,000 civil servants in 10 workplace categories including leadership, teamwork, and work/life balance. The U.S. Department of Education ranked 18th out of 22 mid-side agencies. ED fared similarly last year, ranking 29th ou... more »

Fiscal Cliff May Force Some High Schools to Close - High School Notes (usnews.com)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Fiscal Cliff May Force Some High Schools to Close - High School Notes (usnews.com): Fiscal Cliff May Force Some High Schools to Close By KELSEY SHEEHY December 17, 2012 RSS Feed Print [image: Rural, low-income school districts would be hardest hit by automatic spending cuts.] Rural, low-income districts would be hardest hit by automatic spending cuts. If Congress goes off the so-called fiscal cliff, federal funding for K-12 education programs will go along with it—buthigh schools in some districts will see their budgets fall further than others. Technically called sequestration, the ... more »

Back to class: the tightrope teachers must walk

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Back to class: the tightrope teachers must walk: Back to class: the tightrope teachers must walk Posted by Valerie Strauss on December 17, 2012 at 5:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Flag flies at half staff in Newtown. (AP Photo/David Goldman) From the Exasperated Teacher blog is a post about returning to class on Monday, the first day back to school after the killings of 20 children and six adults at a Newtown, Connecticut school on Friday. Exasperated Teachers writes anonymously and offer... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky A man plays violin along Church Rd. in Newton. Stephen Landman (Global Research) *US civilian gun ownership is the highest worldwide. Yemen ranks second. America doubles the Yemeni level. Gun related violence follows. In America it’s endemic. In Chicago alone, gun-related deaths exceed one a day. More Chicagoans are shot and killed than US forces in Afghanistan by any means.* -- Gun violence in America Rev. Jesse Jackson *What more "do we require?" before something is done to stop such events fr...more »

State Chiefs to Examine Teacher Prep, Licensing | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

State Chiefs to Examine Teacher Prep, Licensing | toteachornototeach: State Chiefs to Examine Teacher Prep, Licensing by aristotlethewise *State Chiefs to Examine Teacher Prep, Licensing* [image: Teachprep] By Stephen Sawchuk Twenty-five state schools chiefs are vowing to take action to update their systems of teacher preparation and licensing, with an eye to ensuring teachers are ready the minute they take charge of their own classrooms. The announcement Friday morning from the Council of Chief State School Officers is probably state officials’ most explicit promise to engage in cha... more »

The Nation’s Most Powerful Pro-Voucher, Pro-Charter School Group Applauds Tony Bennett’s Florida Appointment | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

The Nation’s Most Powerful Pro-Voucher, Pro-Charter School Group Applauds Tony Bennett’s Florida Appointment | Scathing Purple Musings: The Nation’s Most Powerful Pro-Voucher, Pro-Charter School Group Applauds Tony Bennett’s Florida Appointment by Bob Sikes From* MELODIKA.net:* The American Federation for Children—the nation’s voice for educational choice—today praised the appointment of outgoing Indiana state superintendent Tony Bennett as Florida’s next education commissioner. Bennett, who is serving in his last month as state superintendent of public instruction in Indiana, sp... more »

Jersey Jazzman: What Has StudentsFirst Ever Done To Improve School Safety?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: What Has StudentsFirst Ever Done To Improve School Safety?: What Has StudentsFirst Ever Done To Improve School Safety? by Duke South Bronx School is a blogger who never minces his words. We could use that right now: So I decided to check out MichelleRheeFirst Facebook page and came across this little ditty; *Following today's tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the entire StudentsFirst family is mourning with the victims, their families, and the entire community of Newtown, Connecticut. We have offered our colleagues in the state any assistance they may nee... more »

LAUSD, Superintedent John Deasy, Conan Nolan, Philip Healy, KNBC - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

LAUSD, Superintedent John Deasy, Conan Nolan, Philip Healy, KNBC - Perdaily.com: LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT DEASY CONTINUES TO LIE WHILE KNBC LETS HIM GET AWAY WITH IT by Leonard Isenberg [image: Smiling John Deasy.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español)* * * *The following is a crystal clear example of how a mainstream local news media is able to document LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy in an outright lie then do nothing to confront Deasy or anybody else at LAUSD with the lie(s). The first video below is of an interview that KNBC Conan Nolan did with Superintendent John Deasy on February 1... more »

Tucson, Aurora, and Newtown Compared: Is President Obama Finally Ready to Act? « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Tucson, Aurora, and Newtown Compared: Is President Obama Finally Ready to Act? « Student Activism: Obama’s Speeches in Tucson, Aurora, and Newtown by Angus Johnston Here’s the entirety of the only passage in President Obama’s speech in Tucson after the Gabrielle Giffords shooting in 2011 that even implied advocacy for governmental action against gun violence: “We cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence. We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of such violence in the future.” Here’s the analogous passage from his speech... more »

The Educated Reporter: Update: Sandy Hook Tragedy, and Trying to Explain the Unimaginable

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: Update: Sandy Hook Tragedy, and Trying to Explain the Unimaginable: Update: Sandy Hook Tragedy, and Trying to Explain the Unimaginable by Emily Richmond [image: SIGN the Sandy Hook Elementary School National Sympathy Card | causes.com] *Update: At a webinar for journalists on Tuesday, Dec. 18 at 1 p.m. Eastern time, EWA will share information from a forthcoming guide to interviewing children. Click here for more information and to register. I also spoke with Huffington Post senior media reporter Michael Calderone about the controversy over how the media h... more »

SI&A Cabinet Report – With NCLB waiver all but dead, state officials look to soften federal sanctions

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: With NCLB waiver all but dead, state officials look to soften federal sanctions In a largely overlooked action last month, the California State Board of Education formally designated another 56 local educational agencies as failing as defined by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The move came even as California’s long-shot waiver request seeking relief from federal performance mandates sat unresolved before U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan – now nearly six months since the application was made. If hope has long since faded that th... more »

Responding to, and Recovering from, School Violence | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Responding to, and Recovering from, School Violence | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Responding to, and Recovering from, School Violence by obriena All children deserve to be safe at school. But sometimes, as on December 14, 2012, the unthinkable happens. The deepest sympathies of the entire education community go out to those in Newtown, Connecticut, as they deal with a horrendous tragedy. As American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said on the day of the incident, "The entire AFT community is shaken to its core by this massacre of young ... more »

LAUSD board seeks control over grant applications - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

LAUSD board seeks control over grant applications - LA Daily News: LAUSD board seeks control over grant applications By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer Posted: 12/16/2012 06:21:58 PM PST Updated: 12/16/2012 06:22:43 PM PST In a move that could stem the flow of tens of millions of dollars to cash-strapped Los Angeles Unified, the school board has empowered itself to endorse -- or veto -- applications for grants topping $1 million.Members voted 4-3 last Tuesday to require the board to approve every major grant proposal before it can be submitted. The move was prompted by concerns th... more »

The Heroes at Sandy Hook | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

The Heroes at Sandy Hook | Seattle Education: The Heroes at Sandy Hook by seattleducation2011 *I am reposting this article in full because it deserves it.* *Kudos to the author Dave Lindorff.* *America’s Teachers: Heroes or Greedy Moochers at the Public Trough?* I’ll be brief here. Let’s just note that the heroic teachers who died while courageously trying to protect their kids at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, and the others who survived but stayed to protect the kids, were all part of a school system where the employees are members of the American Federation of T... more »

President Obama speaks at interfaith vigil for Connecticut shooting victims

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

*Published on Dec 16, 2012* Connecticut School Shooting: Obama Offers Newtown 'Love and Prayers of a Nation' President Obama told the grieving community of Newtown, Conn., that the nation has wept with them for the loss of 20 children and six teachers and school staff members killed in a senseless massacre. WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will attend a memorial service Sunday, December 16th in Newtown, Conn., the site of Friday's deadly elementary school shooting. Twenty-six people, including 20 children, were killed when a man opened fire inside the school. Hours after ... more »

Our Responsibility « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Our Responsibility « Cooperative Catalyst: Our Responsibility by peterberg7468 In the wake of the horrible tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newton, Connecticut, it may be time to reflect on our responsibilities as a society. No matter our role, we all have an individual and collective responsibility in how we respond to tragedies of this magnitude. Certainly our hearts, thoughts, prayers and support go out to all those who were involved. Our responsibility extends beyond this, to respond in a way that doesn’t muddle this tragedy with irrelevant statist... more »

Diane in the Evening 12-16-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Districts: Send Teachers to the Funerals in Newtown by dianerav When a police officer or firefighter dies in the line of duty, colleagues turn out in the hundreds or thousands to attend their funeral or present an honor guard. Could every school district within 250 miles of Newtown do the same for the fallen teachers and principal and staff? Could teachers fly in from Chicago and Los Angeles and Boston and everywhere else? AOL has a story that the loathsome Westboro Church plans to send a delegation to the Sandy Hook Elementary School to “celebrate” the kil... more »

Resistance to Education Attacks in Mexico: Lessons for Oakland « Classroom Struggle

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Resistance to Education Attacks in Mexico: Lessons for Oakland « Classroom Struggle: Resistance to Education Attacks in Mexico: Lessons for Oakland by ClassroomStruggle Here we take a look at a fraction of the Mexican teachers’ union called the CNTE. La CNTE works within the larger union (the SNTE)–and outside the SNTE in larger social movements–in a variety of ways. This snapshot of their work focuses particularly on Escuelas Integrales (holistic schools). These are schools run by parents and teachers with locally developed and relevant curriculum that stands against the push... more »

This Moment of Clarity [On Sandy Hook and Telling Adults To Shut Up Already] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

This Moment of Clarity [On Sandy Hook and Telling Adults To Shut Up Already] | The Jose Vilson: This Moment of Clarity [On Sandy Hook and Telling Adults To Shut Up Already] by JOSE on DECEMBER 16, 2012 This post was supposed to be about me. The myriad of questions I’ve faced, the situations I’ve encountered, the tribulations of a Black-Latino NYC educator looking for reasons why our system continues to work against the interests of children, and the constant shaking of my head, not to the beat of whatever my iPod’s playing, but of the things I would deem adult problems. My mood has ... more »

Education in the Age of Globalization » TIMSS/PIRLS: Reactions from Asia’s Top Performers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » TIMSS/PIRLS: Reactions from Asia’s Top Performers: TIMSS/PIRLS: Reactions from Asia’s Top Performers by YongZhao 16 DECEMBER 2012 158 NO COMMENT Handwringing and head scratching around the 2011 TIMSS and PIRLS results released yesterday continue around the globe. While Western countries show great admiration of the outstanding scores of East Asia and lament on their own abysmal performance, the East Asian education systems, while celebrating their achievement, are worried about something that the media in Western countries ... more »

Supporting Newtown/Sandy Hook Community | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Supporting Newtown/Sandy Hook Community | United Opt Out National: Post navigation← Previous SUPPORTING NEWTOWN/SANDY HOOK COMMUNITY Posted on December 16, 2012 Many of us are trying to find a way to express our love and condolences to the families and the community affected by the events in Newtown/Sandy Hook, Connecticut. You may donate to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund as well as send a note to Sandy Hook Elementary School at the following address: Sandy Hook Elementary School 12 Dickenson Drive Sandy Hook, CT 06482 Also, please take a moment of silence and send love to the fam... more »

Over $1B and counting for TFA, Inc., de facto discrimination in charter schools, the failed Microsoft model hoisted onto our educational system and Maryland superintendent says “Stop the insanity” | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Over $1B and counting for TFA, Inc., de facto discrimination in charter schools, the failed Microsoft model hoisted onto our educational system and Maryland superintendent says “Stop the insanity” | Parents Across America: Over $1B and counting for TFA, Inc., de facto discrimination in charter schools, the failed Microsoft model hoisted onto our educational system and Maryland superintendent says “Stop the insanity” by DoraTaylor *The Weekly Update for the news and views you might have missed.* *“Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure o... more »

NYC Public School Parents: How to talk to your kids about the school shootings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NYC Public School Parents: How to talk to your kids about the school shootings: How to talk to your kids about the school shootings by Leonie Haimson *Two days later and there is still no word from NYC Department of Education about the school shootings in nearby Connecticut. The below is from Noah Gotbaum, parent leader, passing on some links on how to help our kids (and ourselves) deal with this tragic event.*** The first link from the National Association of School Psychologistsis particularly good. These were passed on to me by a friend whose children attend a private school h... more »

'I Am Adam Lanza's Mother': A Mom's Perspective On The Mental Illness Conversation In America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

'I Am Adam Lanza's Mother': A Mom's Perspective On The Mental Illness Conversation In America: 'I Am Adam Lanza's Mother': A Mom's Perspective On The Mental Illness Conversation In America **Posted: 12/16/2012 9:15 am EST | Updated: 12/16/2012 2:34 pm EST [image: Share on Google+] [image: Lizalongnotforreuse] 67,086 6,298 - 4,889 3624 *GET PARENTS ALERTS:* SIGN UP REACT: AmazingInspiringFunnyScaryHotCrazyImportantWeird FOLLOW: Autism, Asperger's, Newtown Elementary School Shooting, Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting, Blue Review, Connecticut Shooting, Liza Long, Mental Illness, ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools for the Week of Dec. 17-23

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools for the Week of Dec. 17-23: Seattle Schools for the Week of Dec. 17-23 by Melissa Westbrook *Monday, December 17th* Capacity Management meeting for the NE area from 6:30-8 p.m. at Olympic Hills cafeteria, 13018 20th Avenue *Tuesday, December 18th* Audit&Finance Quarterly Audit Meeting from 4-7 p.m. Agenda. Much of this is the higher-level work of this committee - internal audit, external audit, risk management. The last hour of this committee is just for committee members to discuss labor negotiations. Superintendent Meeting wi... more »

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Monday, December 17, 2012

12 Days of Christmas: Teacher's Edition!

California urges public schools to review security protocols

State schools chief wants schools to be alert and prepared

James Baldwin said it best:

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

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