Sam Cooke - Wonderful World (lyrics)

How do you think ole Sammy will do on the Standardized Test?
(the basis of your next ev(i)luation)

School Tech Connect: Fun With Data.... And The New Data Guy

School Tech Connect: Fun With Data.... And The New Data Guy:

Fun With Data.... And The New Data Guy

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

There is simply nobody doing more interesting data work than Jeanne Marie Olson of Apple to Apples, and her crew of intensely talented volunteers.

In a nutshell, she's figured out the flaws in the CPS "utilization" formula, and created a more accurate list of schools that are "overcrowded," "efficient," and "underutilitized," all using crowd-sourced data and Google Fusion Tables.

In a suburban district, run by elected people, she would be invited in to give a presentation. Here in Chicago, 

Reclaim Reform | by Ken Previti

Reclaim Reform | by Ken Previti:

Starve the Beast: Us – In spite of Newtown

Posted on December 19, 2012

by kenpreviti

“Starve the Beast” is a political strategy employed by neoconservatives in order to limit government spending by cutting taxes, especially corporate taxes and those of the wealthiest, in order to deprive the government of revenue in a deliberate effort to force the federal government to reduce and cripple social programs thus forcing the privatization-profitization programs to be the only alternative to failed programs. The short and medium term effect of the strategy has increased U.S. debt rather than reduce actual spending which profits the corporate wealthy. This behavior is condoned, rationalized and propagandized via corporate owned and controlled media sources while pretending to offer both sides of an issue. There is no humanity involved; destroy a public system and replace 

School Tech Connect: The More Things Change..

School Tech Connect: The More Things Change..:

The More Things Change..

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

WBEZ has been doing a pension series for the past few days. I have arguments with it, and it's insanely incomplete, but all in all it's fair and I believe accurate.

Some of the illustrations on this page are mind-boggling; I'm going to steal one here:

Welcome To Blogging, Ken Priviti

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

Longtime activist, agitator, philosopher, humorist, educator, and free-range intellectual Ken Priviti has a new space online; let's hope he keeps at it. It's a nightmare blogging every day. When I look at the great ones, and you know who you are, I marvel.

How To Get Your Blog Banned From Your School District [It Takes A Nation Of Millions] | The Jose Vilson

How To Get Your Blog Banned From Your School District [It Takes A Nation Of Millions] | The Jose Vilson:

How To Get Your Blog Banned From Your School District [It Takes A Nation Of Millions]

by Jose

To whom it may concern:
Kick butt. Take names. Write them somewhere in your mind. Write to them when you’re writing. See their reactions. Smirk. Repeat.
At first, you’ll just write because it feels good to get your thoughts out. You’ll participate in a few blog roundups, showcase your work, and talk to some of the more influential parties in your supposed domain of interest. You’ll link up with them and form a bond around improving pedagogy.
But then your foot will land awkwardly at some point, and that sprain will either mean one of two things: the injury heals and you’ll keep walking as you did prior, or you have to change your walk so it won’t hurt anymore.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll sprain so hard that you change to the latter. You’ll see the potential to use your 

Blue Ribbon Nominees 2013 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

Blue Ribbon Nominees 2013 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Nominates
35 California Schools for 2013 National Blue Ribbon Honor

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today the nomination of 35 California public schools for the coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools Program award.

"I applaud the principals, teachers, staff, and families whose commitment to learning has led to success in the classroom," Torlakson said. "Schools nominated for this significant recognition are performing at very high levels or are making impressive strides in student progress under challenging circumstances."

Schools are eligible to be considered for the 2013 National Blue Ribbon Schools Program if they meet either one of two performance criteria:

Exemplary High-Performing Schools: Schools that achieve at least the 85th percentile statewide in the percent of students scoring proficient or advanced in English-language arts and mathematics on the state assessments. Schools nominated in this category may or may not have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Exemplary Improving Schools: Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from a disadvantaged background that are also among the top 10 percent of schools in the state showing the greatest improvement in the percent of students scoring proficient or advanced in ELA and mathematics on the state assessments over the last five years.

For additional information on Blue Ribbon Schools Program eligibility requirements, please go to the California Department of Education Web site at: Blue Ribbon Schools.

Based on student population, California may nominate up to 35 qualified schools each year. Blue Ribbon winners are usually announced in September.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is part of a larger U.S. Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school leadership and teaching practices. For more information on the federal program, please visit:Awards - Blue Ribbon Schools Program  .

California's 2013 National Blue Ribbon School Nominees

County	District	School
Alameda	Hayward Unified	Burbank Elementary
Alameda	Castro Valley Unified	Jensen Ranch Elementary
Alameda	Fremont Unified	Joshua Chadbourne Elementary
Contra Costa	Byron Union Elementary	Discovery Bay Elementary
Fresno	Central Unified	James K. Polk Elementary
Fresno	Clovis Unified	James S. Fugman Elementary
Kern	Beardsley Elementary	Beardsley Junior High
Kern	Wasco Union Elementary	John L. Prueitt Elementary
Los Angeles	El Monte City Elementary	Columbia Elementary
Los Angeles	Lawndale Elementary	Environmental Charter High
Los Angeles	Los Angeles Unified	Chapman Elementary
Los Angeles	Los Angeles Unified	Community Charter Middle
Los Angeles	Compton Unified	Anderson Elementary
Los Angeles	La Canada Unified	La Canada Elementary
Los Angeles	Manhattan Beach Unified	Opal Robinson Elementary
Los Angeles	ABC Unified	Frank C. Leal Elementary
Merced	Planada Elementary	Planada Elementary
Monterey	Soledad Unified	Rose Ferrero Elementary
Orange	Orange Unified	Sycamore Elementary
Orange	Tustin Unified	A. G. Currie Middle
Orange	Anaheim Union High	Oxford Academy
Orange	Fountain Valley Elementary	Plavan (Urbain H.) Elementary
Orange	Fullerton Elementary	Robert C. Fisler Elementary
Orange	Irvine Unified	Stonegate Elementary
Riverside	Corona-Norco Unified	John F. Kennedy High
San Bernardino	Etiwanda Elementary	Day Creek Intermediate
San Diego	San Diego Unified	Kearny International Business
San Diego	Del Mar Union Elementary	Ocean Air
San Diego	San Diego Unified	Torrey Pines Elementary
San Diego	San Diego Unified	Standley Middle
San Francisco	San Francisco Unified	Chin (John Yehall) Elementary
San Mateo	Millbrae Elementary	Taylor Middle
Santa Clara	Cupertino Unified	William Faria Elementary
Santa Clara	San Jose Unified	Simonds Elementary
Sonoma	Gravenstein Union	Hillcrest Middle

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

The ABCs of Hmong | Hyphen magazine - Asian American arts, culture, and politics

The ABCs of Hmong | Hyphen magazine - Asian American arts, culture, and politics:

The ABCs of Hmong

Submitted by Momo Chang on December 20, 2012 - 1:59pm

 

• Education
 
• Culture
 
• Diaspora
 
• History
• Immigration
 
• Parenthood
 
• Social Issues
 
• dual language immersion
 
• Hmong immersion
 
• Lee Yang
• Sacramento
 
• Susan B. Anthony Elementary

 0 24Email this page

Ninety percent of instruction is in Hmong for kindergartners in the Hmong immersion program at Susan B. Anthony Elementary. Photo by Andria Lo.

The ABCs of Hmong

By Momo Chang

At Susan B. Anthony Elementary, Mr. Vue’s kindergarteners sit on a brightly colored carpet as they look up at him, repeating sounds of the alphabet.

“Ahhh, aaay, eeeh,” he sings as the children sing along. The sounds are not in English. The school, located in South Sacramento, is home to the only Hmong dual-language immersion program on the West Coast — and the second in the country after a similar program in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Dual, or two-way, language immersion programs are ones where students learn English and another language with the goals of developing a high level of proficiency in both, academic 

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

James Baldwin said it best: 

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

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

Seattle Schools Community Forum: WA State Supreme Court Ruling to Leg - Get Busy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 32 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: WA State Supreme Court Ruling to Leg - Get Busy: WA State Supreme Court Ruling to Leg - Get Busy by Melissa Westbrook From the Times: The Washington Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the state Legislature isn't making enough progress toward finding more money for K-12 education in answer to the court's decision in the McCleary school funding lawsuit. The high court told lawmakers they must have something better to report after they finish their work in spring 2013. "Steady progress requires forward movement. Slowing the pace of funding cuts ... more »

Mass school closings: Why the numbers don't add up | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Mass school closings: Why the numbers don't add up | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Mass school closings: Why the numbers don't add upby Helen Gym on Dec 20 2012 Posted in Commentary ="" title="Facebook_like" href="http://thenotebook.org/blog/125462/mass-school-closings-why-numbers-dont-add#" style="text-decoration: initial; color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on email COMMENTS (0)EMAILPRINT *by Helen Gym* * * * * Like most of the public, I’ve been baffled by the District’s latest rationale for closing down an unprecedented number o... more »

A PAA welcome to new members of the Senate HELP Committee | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

A PAA welcome to new members of the Senate HELP Committee | Parents Across America: A PAA welcome to new members of the Senate HELP Committee by pureparents We just sent the following letter to Senators-elect Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin(D-WI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) who will be new members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee: December 20, 2012 Dear Senator-elect: Congratulations on your election! There are so many challenges ahead and we wish you the best as you begin your term. We are a grass-roots network of activist public school parents fr... more »

Fiction vs “Information” « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Fiction vs “Information” « Deborah Meier on Education: Fiction vs “Information” by debmeier The debate on the Common Core’s mandate that schools put less emphasis on fiction and more on “informational books” is an odd one. I get a lot of my information about the world from fiction, even from pulp fiction (mysteries, sci fi, etc) I read “information” when I want “information”–google or otherwise. I don’t read history books for information, but to get insight into another way of seeing the story–a plot with characters. I read books on education for the same reason. I often pick up... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Anthony Cody on the Lessons of Newtown by dianerav Anthony Cody, an experienced middle-school teacher in California, regularly blogs at *Education Week*. He has won national attention because he writes eloquently, seeks dialogue with those who disagree with him, displays the compassion and sensitivity of an educator, and writes from many years of experience. Please read his reflections on the heroism of the Newtown educators and what we can learn from them. *MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-20-12 Diane Ravitch's blog* coopmike48 at Big Educa... more »

NYC Educator: UFT Comes to Tentative Agreement Over Evaluations

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

NYC Educator: UFT Comes to Tentative Agreement Over Evaluations: UFT Comes to Tentative Agreement Over Evaluations by NYC Educator UFT President Michael Mulgrew announced that, despite the preposterous demands of Tweed, there may be a road to a new evaluation process after all. "As you know," stated President Mulgrew, "there's been a lot of talk about arming teachers. We've seen this come up, most recently in Michigan, and we think there may be a compromise here. You've probably heard the expression an armed society is a polite society. We at the UFT believe that an armed teacher m... more »

Thoughts on “Randomized” vs. Randomized Charter School Studies « School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Thoughts on “Randomized” vs. Randomized Charter School Studies « School Finance 101: Thoughts on “Randomized” vs. Randomized Charter School Studies by schoolfinance101 [image: Slide1] There’s much talk in education research about Randomized Control Trials and truly “experimental” research being the “gold standard” for determining whether a specific intervention “works” or not. Thus is the basis for the Institute for Education Sciences *What Works Clearing House. *It is often argued that randomized, or experimental studies are “good” and decisive, and that other approaches simply ... more »

FEDS SHUT DOWN BOGUS PA CHARTER PERFORMANCE SYSTEM

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Citizens Alliance for a Better Future [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] *FEDS SHUT DOWN BOGUS PA CHARTER PERFORMANCE SYSTEM* The federal government has intervened in the attempt by the Governor and Secretary of Education to establish a separate and unequal evaluation method to it easier for charter and for-profit schools to appear to score higher on the Average Yearly Progress (AYP) test than Pennsylvania’s Public Schools. "Pennsylvania is obligated to make AYP decisions for all schools and hold all schools to the same standards," the order, signed by Deb... more »

Today in Poverty: An Education Wish List | The Nation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Today in Poverty: An Education Wish List | The Nation: Today in Poverty: An Education Wish List Greg Kaufmann on December 19, 2012 - 11:37 AM ET * * * * *A Broader, Bolder Christmas: Top Ten “Gifts” for Under the (Education Policy) Tree* *Co-authored with Elaine Weiss* 10. *A Roof Over Every Student’s Head*: Children who lack stable homes are more anxious and less focused than their peers who have adequate housing. They are also at higher risk for poor health and developmental problems, and have lower educational attainment. There is no reason why any child in the United States shou... more »

Teachers unions reject arming educators in schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Teachers unions reject arming educators in schools: Teachers unions reject arming educators in schools Posted by Valerie Strauss on December 20, 2012 at 2:01 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » A school bus nears a memorial for victims of the Newtown school shootings. (Charles Krupa/Associated Press) The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, the nation’s dominant teachers unions with a total of some 4.5 million members, have issued a joint statement on school saf... more »

Erik Loomis’s Critics Like Violent Rhetoric Just Fine — As Long as the Targets Are Gay. « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Erik Loomis’s Critics Like Violent Rhetoric Just Fine — As Long as the Targets Are Gay. « Student Activism: Erik Loomis’s Critics Like Violent Rhetoric Just Fine — As Long as the Targets Are Gay. by Angus Johnston University of Rhode Island labor historian Erik Loomis has garnered a lot of conservative attention in the last few days. After the Newtown shootings, Loomis tweeted that he wanted “Wayne LaPierre’s head on a stick.” (LaPierre is the head of the NRA.) Though this statement was obviously metaphorical, some high-profile conservatives pounced on it, and gave it a lot of at... more »

The Washington Teacher: What's the Impact of DCPS School Closures on Teachers & School Staff?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

The Washington Teacher: What's the Impact of DCPS School Closures on Teachers & School Staff?: What's the Impact of DCPS School Closures on Teachers & School Staff? by noreply@blogger.com (Candi Peterson) *By Candi Peterson* There has been a great deal of confusion and angst over what will happen to DCPS teachers and school staff after the school consolidation takes place in 2013-14. The districts plans have been made clear in a recent *"DCPS School Consolidation Staffing Overview."* ( Click on the words DCPS School Consolidation Staffing Overview for attachment). Some DCPS teache... more »

Imtiaz Majeed- Escape: How to Avoid Being a Product of the System

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Imtiaz Majeed- Escape: How to Avoid Being a Product of the System: The system is a terrible thing. It draws you in by advertising a false sense of security and stability. It hijacks your life and holds you hostage. It hinders your thought process, stifles your creativity, and leaves you feeling frustrated. Consider your imagination murdered. This is what being a product of our current education system is like. And it hasn’t been getting better. In fact, it’s been getting worse. But I’m not here today to discuss how to make it better. I want to share how you can escape. First, remember... more »

UPDATE: Appeals court imposes restrictions on parcel taxes + Mum’s the word on uses for Zuckerberg’s $500 million foundation gift | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Mum’s the word on uses for Zuckerberg’s $500 million foundation gift | EdSource Today: Appeals court imposes restrictions on parcel taxes ** December 20th, 2012 | 1 Comment | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services Democrats in the Legislature are poised to help make it easier for school districts to pass parcel taxes, but a court ruling this month – if it withstands an appeal – will narrow the scope of what parcel taxes can tax. [image: Screen Shot 2012-12-19 at 11.23.08 PM]The First District Court of Appeal... more »

It's morning in Connecticut: Do you know what the budget bill means? - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

It's morning in Connecticut: Do you know what the budget bill means? - Wait, What?: It’s morning in Connecticut: Do you know what the budget bill means? by jonpelto With little debate, and even less awareness of the ramifications of passing the bill, the State House of Representatives voted 140 to 3 and the State Senate voted 31 to 3 to pass a deficit mitigation bill that included a record breaking set of cuts to social services and education programs. Considering the bill wasn’t even available to review until just before the vote, legislators would be hard-pressed to claim that... more »

Whole Child and All Children: Expanding the Common Core Standards Movement — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Whole Child and All Children: Expanding the Common Core Standards Movement — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]Whole Child and All Children: Expanding the Common Core Standards Movement December 20, 2012 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers *Post written by Howard Adelman, PhD, and Linda Taylor, PhD, codirectors of whole child partner Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA.* While we share many of the concerns critics have raised about the Common Core State Standards (and we know that the debates and the boycotts will continue), we do appreci...more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Waiting Until the Nth Hour

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Waiting Until the Nth Hour: Waiting Until the Nth Hour by Melissa Westbrook Despite the weather, several of us came to last night's Work Session believing we would see some real progress in what the interim plan for capacity management might be for 2013-2104. I left at 7:45 p.m. shaking my head. Once AGAIN, the district is a day late and a dollar short. I know staff works hard. I know they want to get input via the public both formal (FACMAC) and informal (community meetings). But it's December 20th (and neigh the end of the world upon us) an... more »

Shanker Blog » The Year In Research On Market-Based Education Reform: 2012 Edition

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Shanker Blog » The Year In Research On Market-Based Education Reform: 2012 Edition: The Year In Research On Market-Based Education Reform: 2012 Edition by Matthew Di Carlo 2012 was another busy year for market-based education reform. The rapid proliferation of charter schools continued, while states and districts went about the hard work of designing and implementing new teacher evaluations that incorporate student testing data, and, in many cases, performance pay programs to go along with them. As in previous years (see our 2010 and 2011 reviews), much of the *research* on these ... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, December 20, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Thursday, December 20, 2012* Marine calls himself to duty as guard of California elementary schoolMarine Sgt. Craig Pusley was on duty Wednesday. Desert camo fatigues, knees slightly bent, the young father stood a self-imposed watch at Hughson Elementary School. One man. No rifle. No pay. No breaks. California teachers fund reviewing firearm holdingsThe nation's largest teachers' pension fund announced Tuesday that it was reviewing its firearms holdings after determining that its investment in a gun maker was... more »

How the brain’s development affects the boy/girl achievement gap | Education Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

How the brain’s development affects the boy/girl achievement gap | Education Blog: How the brain’s development affects the boy/girl achievement gap by Bill McKenzie / Editorial Columnist *Why is it that boys are falling behind girls in critical academic ways, such as high school graduation rates? For example, 88.2 percent of high school females in Texas finished on time during the 2010-2011 school year. By contrast, 83.7 percent of Texas males completed high school in the traditional four years.* High school is not the only place where a graduation gap exists. The Dallas Morning Ne... more »

Public School Teachers Claim Our Heroes - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Public School Teachers Claim Our Heroes - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Public School Teachers Claim Our Heroes by Anthony Cody [image: SIGN the Sandy Hook Elementary School National Sympathy Card | causes.com] The tragic shootings in Newtown have given us all a heavy dose of grief, as we contemplate the horror of twenty young lives snuffed out, and the loss of six brave educators. As we have read of the heroic behavior of the teachers and administrators at Sandy Hook, there has also been reflection on the awesome responsibility we take on when we are teaching chil... more »

Ed Notes Online: Ed Notes Uncovers Draft of Mulgrew Letter to DOE Never Sent

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Ed Notes Uncovers Draft of Mulgrew Letter to DOE Never Sent: Ed Notes Uncovers Draft of Mulgrew Letter to DOE Never Sent by ed notes online *We regret having tried to fool you into believing we were going to dupe our members into an evaluation system that could not be fair when we endorsed the new evaluation framework which became law.** Our internal union elections are coming and we have come to the conclusion that forcing the evaluation system based on bogus student scores and unreliable data will hurt our chances to get re-elected. **We are willing to take the ... more »

UPDATE: “I do not think I can be that technician.” « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

“I do not think I can be that technician.” « Fred Klonsky: “I do not think I can be that technician.” by Fred Klonsky [image: 524222_4174740409888_288646699_n] Even though I have not seen Celia Oyler for nearly 30 years, I’ve kept up. We first met back when we were in the graduate progam at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Celia finished. I did not. She moved to New York and got a job at Columbia’s Teacher College, teaching teachers. How do I know how good she is? Well, as grad students we both taught classes in introduction to curriculum, Ten minute drawing. Person of the ye... more »

Online Courses: Cartoons | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Online Courses: Cartoons | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Online Courses: Cartoons by larrycuban [image: Students OnLine Courses] U.S. schools, K-12 through higher education, are in the midst of another reform wave. From states mandating online courses as a requirement for high school graduation to university-driven Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), hyperbole-filled Kool-Aid mixed with stark fear fuel reform rhetoric about the impending “revolution” in teaching and learning. I offer my monthly feature* of how some cartoonists poke and tear at the rhetoric a... more »

Modern School: Exchange Students Win $200K Settlement for Exploitation at Hershey Plant

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Modern School: Exchange Students Win $200K Settlement for Exploitation at Hershey Plant: Exchange Students Win $200K Settlement for Exploitation at Hershey Plant by Michael Dunn Last year there was strike at Hershey Chocolate by 300 foreign students living here on J-1 work-study visas. According to Democracy Now, it was the first time that foreign students had engaged in a strike against their employer. Their actions are now starting to pay off. Over 1,000 students from Eastern Europe and Asiarecently won more than $200,000 in back wages for their work at Hershey in a settlement ... more »

Putting a face to the pension issue. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Putting a face to the pension issue. « Fred Klonsky: Putting a face to the pension issue. by Fred Klonsky Rich Miller of Capitolfax puts a face on it. One of the things I talked about in my City Club speech yesterday was the fact that the pension reform debate has been far too heavily dominated by people who blame the scammers for all the problems. All the major media outlets have run stories about how this or that person was able to scam a really sweet pension deal.Lost in this debate, though, is the very hardcore fact that in many ways we’re talking about giving the shaft to li... more »

How Can We Learn From Newtown? - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

How Can We Learn From Newtown? - Bridging Differences - Education Week: How Can We Learn From Newtown? by Deborah Meier *A version of this piece appeared initially on deborahmeier.com.* Dear friends, If we extended the logic of the NRA, one could say, "atomic weapons don't kill, people do." So why are most people, including almost all NRA supporters, so worried about Iran developing a bomb? Because countries (like people) can't kill without the weapons to do so, and they can't kill a lot of people in one stroke without weapons of mass destruction. That's why we rightly fear the spr... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-20-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] John Thompson: Maybe The Goal of Reformers IS Privatization by dianerav A few days ago, John Thompson posted a blog wondering if I was too hasty in spotting a privatization movement on the near horizon. The emergence of a secret memo in Tulsa has caused him to rethink his views. Another Corporate Reform Group Sets Up Shop in Connecticut by dianerav Connecticut was the scene this year of a bitter battle over legislation that was intended to diminish teachers’ tenure and to impose a punitive evaluation plan... more »

What $10 Million Means for Girls’ Education in Pakistan: Not Much | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

What $10 Million Means for Girls’ Education in Pakistan: Not Much | toteachornototeach: What $10 Million Means for Girls’ Education in Pakistan: Not Much by aristotlethewise *What $10 Million Means for Girls’ Education in Pakistan: Not Much * [image: pb-121019-pakistan-girl-education-kb-11a-04.photoblog900] by Joelle Wyser-Pratte While gender equality in Pakistan got a significant public relations boost with the announcement that the country’s government will put $10 million towards the education of girls, given how dire the situation is today (note the targeting of 14-year-old educa... more »

Have teachers changed their minds about reform?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Have teachers changed their minds about reform?: Have teachers changed their minds about reform? Posted by Valerie Strauss on December 18, 2012 at 6:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » What do teachers really think about the current school reform movement? Matthew Di Carlo, senior fellow at the non-profit Albert Shanker Institute in Washington, D.C. explains. Thisoriginally appeared on the institute’s Shanker Blog. By Matthew Di Carlo In a recent Washington Post article called “Teachers leanin... more »

Ed Notes Online: PEP Again? Today at Fashion Industries HS, Tweed Gives Charters the Store

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: PEP Again? Today at Fashion Industries HS, Tweed Gives Charters the Store: PEP Again? Today at Fashion Industries HS, Tweed Gives Charters the Store by ed notes online EVAcuate our schools now! Shit, Tis that season again and later this afternoon I have to drag my ass out of Rockaway where I'm enjoying the pleasures of mold spraying to head over the PEP meeting where every Tom, Dick and Charter will get whatever they want from Tweedies and the PEP. Eva is getting prime real estate school buildings in Grammacy Park and Hell's Kitchen (where I was at a Weds matine... more »

Daily Kos: NRA: America's Next Big Tobacco?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: NRA: America's Next Big Tobacco?: ' NRA: America's Next Big Tobacco? by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s in a loving household with wonderful working class parents—who smoked in the house and the car with me and my sister breathing daily their second-hand smoke. My parents would have done anything for us, including risking their own lives for our safety. Yet they smoked right there beside us, filled our living room and our cars with their tobacco smoke. It seems nearly impossible now for us to comprehend how it took the U.S. public so long ... more »

Daily Kos: Maya Angelou Public Charter School - where I teach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: Maya Angelou Public Charter School - where I teach: Maya Angelou Public Charter School - where I teach by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) here is a video that will give you a sense of the school where I now teach Take a few minutes and you will see why I have come out of retirement to teach here Popout we call our students "scholars" we challenge them not only on their academic work, but also on their social skills We are a non-profit school we are working with students who often were not succeeding in regular public school

Vocabulary is the New Black « The Core Knowledge Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Vocabulary is the New Black « The Core Knowledge Blog Vocabulary is the New Black by Robert Pondiscio Many of us remember studying word lists to prepare for SAT tests. But if you have a big vocabulary, it is highly unlikely you developed it through memorization. Consider that a 12th-grade student who scored well enough on the verbal portion of the SAT to get into a selective college has a vocabulary somewhere between 60,000 and 100,000 words. Do the math: acquiring such a sizable vocabulary by rote would mean learning 10-20 new words every day until freshman orientation, assu... more »

Bush Foundation Wants Another Bill to Fix SB 736….Seriously | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Bush Foundation Wants Another Bill to Fix SB 736….Seriously | Scathing Purple Musings: Bush Foundation Wants Another Bill to Fix SB 736….Seriously by Bob Sikes I’ve always wondered how many of Florida’s 67 district school superintendents roll their eyes when getting an email from non-educator, Patricia Levesque, who is Jeb Bush’s top policy wonk. Well they got another one this week. She apparently thinks that all SB 736 needs is just a little tweak. And oh, just a little more time. From Jeff Solochek of the *Tampa Bay Times:* Patricia Levesque, executive director of Jeb Bush’s ... more »

Schools Matter: Hess Concerned about "Commercialization of Tragedy"?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Schools Matter: Hess Concerned about "Commercialization of Tragedy"?: Hess Concerned about "Commercialization of Tragedy"? by P. L. Thomas Staunch and relentless advocate for free market reform—enamored with terms such as "innovative"—Rick Hess at his *EdWeek* blog has offered a concern about coverage and reactions to the horror at Sandy Hook Elementary: "But I've also been disheartened, once again, by the commercialization of tragedy. I've been appalled by news coverage that quickly bleeds from respectful to rapacious, as reporters and cable bookers find ever more angles to keep... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Wait, what? I thought "we are one."

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Wait, what? I thought "we are one.": Wait, what? I thought "we are one." by Mike Klonsky We Are One Coalition leaders make their case at Wednesday's press conference *A coalition of public employee unions Wednesday blasted legislation to address the state's underfunded worker pension systems and offered instead to make increased contributions — if the state guarantees its share of retirement payments and raises $2 billion by ending corporate tax benefits and imposing new taxes. *-- Chicago Tribune I'm sorry, but I don't remember giving these guys the ... more »

Who will represent District 7 on the Oakland school board? James Harris — for now. - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Who will represent District 7 on the Oakland school board? James Harris — for now. - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: Who will represent District 7 on the Oakland school board? James Harris — for now. By Katy Murphy Wednesday, December 19th, 2012 at 4:42 pm in Uncategorized. [image: Staff Photojournalist][image: Staff Photojournalist] On Jan. 7, James Harris is sworn in as the new representative for OUSD’s District 7 seat. But just two weeks later, he goes back to court, where a judge might declare him ineligible to serve on the board because of where he ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Reprehensiblity

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Reprehensiblity Reprehensiblity by Duke How dare Diane Ravitch and Karen Lewis stand up for teachers after what happened in Newtown! How dare they point out the obvious fact that these educators were career teachers and union members! It's reprehensible! Clearly, it's wrong to stand up for those who work in schools after six of their own were killed in an act of senseless violence! *Because it's not like there's been a systemic assault on teachers and their unions over the last few years, right? *[all emphases mine] Dannel Malloy: "*And to earn that tenure -- th... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Why is Advance Illinois still running corporate reform?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Why is Advance Illinois still running corporate reform?: Why is Advance Illinois still running corporate reform? by Mike Klonsky DaleyBill Daley, writing in Crain's on behalf of his powerful Advance Illinois corporate reform pals, bemoans the state's flat test score performance and lack of college readiness. *The single most reliable indicator of long-term success is whether a child can read proficiently by third or fourth grade. Just 33 percent of all Illinois students, 12 percent of African-American, 18 percent of *

The Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby (HQ Audio)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

All Things Education: Sandy Hook: Celebrating Lives in the Midst of Death

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

All Things Education: Sandy Hook: Celebrating Lives in the Midst of Death: Sandy Hook: Celebrating Lives in the Midst of Death by Rachel Levy Dawn Hochsprung@*DHochsprung* Sandy Hook students enjoy the rehearsal for our 4th grade winter concert - a talented group led by Maryrose Kristopik!pic.twitter.com/EEN0afV7 As my husband and I were reading about and processing the news from Newtown, Connecticut my husband pointed me to Dawn Hochsprung’s twitter feed. “People should read that,” he said. I kind of shrugged. I am quite an active user but after reading this 2011 *New York Times*... more »

The in box. Glen Brown responds to my comments on the White Paper. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

The in box. Glen Brown responds to my comments on the White Paper. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Glen Brown responds to my comments on the White Paper. by Fred Klonsky *A brief response:* *An “Ironclad guarantee that the state will fulfill its funding responsibilities”: since Illinois Democrats want to shift the state’s payment for the pension systems to school districts and universities, besides reforming the “pension ramp,” I believe that a graduated income tax is the most important proposal to consider for raising revenue in Illinois.* *“A Well-Designed Graduated Income Tax Rate ... more »

Final Project 2.0 « Teaching Between the Lines

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Final Project 2.0 « Teaching Between the Lines: Final Project 2.0 by Laura Our junior high semester ends with three days of finals: two classes per day, two hours for each class. I could easily create a semester final exam that would take my students two hours to complete, but I’m not sure that would be the best use of our time (nor am I convinced that junior high students should be taking two-hour finals). So each year I look for effective ways to fill that two-hour block of time, allowing students to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways, providing time for breaks a... more »

Getting Back to the Top | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Getting Back to the Top | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Getting Back to the Top by obriena We often hear that the United States has dropped to 16th in the world when it comes to the percentage of adults who earn college degrees – it is a talking point used consistently by both U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and President Obama. And the Administration is calling for us to regain the lead in this arena, for the good of the nation. But is the situation really so simple? As with so many education claims, do we do ourselves a disservice when we accept the... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Marooned In a Blizzard of Lies

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Marooned In a Blizzard of Lies: Marooned In a Blizzard of Lies by Duke Once, again, I sense a pattern: Gary Rubinstein takes on the claims of Wendy Kopp [all emphases mine unless noted]: So it was with great surprise that I read an interview with Wendy in The Huffington Post where she said “On average, our corps members stay in the classroom for eight years.” When I first read this, I assumed that she simply misspoke, like when she said in a speech at Harvard that only 3% of alumni are in the private sector, while that number, according to one of my TFA cont... more »

Principals oppose efforts to allow them to carry guns in response to Newtown | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Principals oppose efforts to allow them to carry guns in response to Newtown | Get Schooled: Principals oppose efforts to allow them to carry guns in response to Newtown by Maureen Downey A joint statement from the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the National Association of Elementary School Principals on allowing principals and teachers to carry guns in school: In the aftermath of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, we all feel a desperate need to honor the memories of the victims and take steps to prevent such horror from happening again. In tha... more »

School Tech Connect: Aiding And Abetting The Crapification of America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Aiding And Abetting The Crapification of America: Aiding And Abetting The Crapification of America by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Just saw this on Twitter today; it's from March. I'm really trying to live a local life here. I've pretty much stopped driving, I shop at the local fresh market instead of Jewel or Dominick's -- it costs more but the experience is infinitely better. I recently had to run into a Jewel for something out in Skokie, and it was just a grating, unpleasant environment, comparatively speaking--- and then they hustle you into these do-... more »

S.3682: A bill to establish and operate a National Center for Campus Public Safety. - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

S.3682: A bill to establish and operate a National Center for Campus Public Safety. - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: S.3682 - A bill to establish and operate a National Center for Campus Public Safety.view all titles (1) - Overview - Actions & Votes - News (0) & Blogs (0) - Comments (0) Bill's Views - Today:5 - Past Seven Days:40 - All-Time:40 Introduced Senate Passes House Passes President Signs *12/12/12* * * * * * * Sponsor Senator Mark Warner D-VA View Co-Sponsors (7) Committees - Senate Judiciary Related Issue Areas - Violent crime - Ment... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Yes, Virginia, charter school co-locations do indeed cause more overcrowding

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Yes, Virginia, charter school co-locations do indeed cause more overcrowding: Yes, Virginia, charter school co-locations do indeed cause more overcrowding by Leonie Haimson Protesters against a charter co-location credit: Daily NewsToday’s report from the NYC Charter Center claims that buildings where charter schools are co-located tend to be less overcrowded than average school buildings. Our analysis of the Education Impact Statements (EIS’s) of charter co-location proposals considered by thePanel for Educational Policy between December 2010 and Mar... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Odds and Ends

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Odds and Ends: Odds and Ends from Seattle Schools Community Forum by Melissa Westbrook *Olympic Hills Capacity Mtg on Monday night* Packed house, I was almost surprised they had it such a small school but it was cozy. Attendees - SPS staff, Directors Peaslee and Carr (but oddly, not Martin-Morris as one of the central issues was Eckstein that sits in his district) and FACMAC co-chairs and other members of the Committee. Rep. Gerry Pollet also was in attendance. The room was packed full. I liked the way this meeting went. There was just a brief ... more »

The We Are One White Paper. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The We Are One White Paper. « Fred Klonsky: The We Are One White Paper. by Fred Klonsky Popout I’m reminded of an old joke. *A woman goes into a meat market and asks the butcher why his pork chops are 7 dollars a pound, when the guy across the street is selling his for 4 dollars a pound?* The butcher says, “Well, then, why don’t you go over there and buy his?” The lady customer says, “Well, he don’t have any. The butcher says, “Well, that’s nothing. When I don’t have ANY, I sell mine for only 3 dollars a

Ladner’s False Choice | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Ladner’s False Choice | Truth in American Education: Ladner’s False Choice by Shane Vander Hart Matthew Ladner wrote a guest post at Jay P. Greene’s blog today that lays out a false choice either support the Common Core State Standards or support status quo where in some states their standards were a joke. He wrote about his experience in Arizona when he was asked to oppose Arizona’s adoption of the Common Core State Standards: I had deep misgivings regarding Common Core at the time, the most serious of which was the governance of the standards over time. At the time I was of the... more »

A closer look at the alternative plan to reform Philly schools | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

A closer look at the alternative plan to reform Philly schools | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: A closer look at the alternative plan to reform Philly schools from Philadelphia Public School Notebook by thenotebook *by Bill Hangley, Jr.* Photo: Harvey Finkle Philadelphia Federation of Teachers' secretary, Freda Sydnor-Joell, addresses the crowd outside the School District building on Dec. 13, the day the school closings plan was announced. * * The report released Tuesday by the Philadelphia Coalition Advocating for Public Schools (PCAPS) is ambitious to say the least: it repr... more »

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-15-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-8-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-1-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-24-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-17-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-10-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-3-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-27-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

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

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-19-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-18-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-17-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-16-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-15-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-14-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-13-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-12-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-11-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-10-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-9-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-8-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-7-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-6-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-5-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-4-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-3-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-2-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2