Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 1-19-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u


BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA 

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST




Modern School: Former Porn Actress Appealing Her Firing as a Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 minutes ago
Modern School: Former Porn Actress Appealing Her Firing as a Teacher: Former Porn Actress Appealing Her Firing as a Teacher by Michael Dunn Stacie Halas was a science teacher at Richard B. Haydock Intermediate School, in Oxnard, California, until she was fired for having once been a porn actress. Her school board argued that her past was disruptive to the teaching environment. Halas is now appealing her dismissal. Halas acted in pornographic films for 8 months from 2005 to 2006 because of financial duress, her attorney told a panel of judges last week, but she never acted in any... more »

LAUSD, Future Is Now Schools announce partnership for 2013-14 - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
LAUSD, Future Is Now Schools announce partnership for 2013-14 - LA Daily News: LAUSD, Future Is Now Schools announce partnership for 2013-14 by Barbara Jones, Staff Writer Los Angeles Unified and Future Is Now, a reform organization led by charter pioneer Steve Barr, today announced a partnership to create "hybrid learning" middle and high schools in Silver Lake, Fairfax and Venice in time for the 2013-14 school year. Dubbed the Campaign for Great Los Angeles Public Schools, the effort will create will allow for more autonomy at the designated campuses, with teacher-led programs a... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Week of December 10-15

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 minutes ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Week of December 10-15: Seattle Schools Week of December 10-15 by Melissa Westbrook Very busy week. *Monday, December 10th* Curriculum & Instruction Policy Committee Meeting from 4-6 p.m. Agenda Some interesting issues but there is not enough detail to know what they are specifically going to cover. Work Session on Weighted Staffing Standards from 6-7:30 p.m. Agenda *Tuesday, December 11th * Work Session on Creative Approach Schools from 5-6:30 p.m. Agenda Special Ed Advocacy & Advisory Council Meeting from 6:30-9:00 p.m., R...more »

If We Don't Have Time to Do the Standards Right, When Will We Have Time to Do Them Over? — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
If We Don't Have Time to Do the Standards Right, When Will We Have Time to Do Them Over? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Bryan Goodwin]If We Don’t Have Time to Do the Standards Right, When Will We Have Time to Do Them Over? January 14, 2013 by Bryan Goodwin As 46 states move to adopt Common Core State Standards, the opportunity may never be better to rethink not only standards themselves, but also how we get students interested in learning. Let's face it. We haven't always done a good job getting kids interested in learning. Studies suggest that the longer stud... more »


Rethinking Schools: Chicago points the way for a new teacher unionism. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Rethinking Schools: Chicago points the way for a new teacher unionism. « Fred Klonsky: Rethinking Schools: Chicago points the way for a new teacher unionism. by Fred Klonsky [image: edit272] The editors of Rethinking Schools draw lessons for the teacher union movement from the recent events in Chicago. Some people describe this new unionism as an organizing model. Others call it “social justice unionism” or “social movement unionism.” Regardless, the Chicago teachers demonstrated its main features: - Unapologetically defend wages and working conditions of public school ed... more »

Principal, Under Fire For Showing Students ‘Terminator’ Parody | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Principal, Under Fire For Showing Students ‘Terminator’ Parody | toteachornototeach: Principal, Under Fire For Showing Students ‘Terminator’ Parody by aristotlethewise *Erik Naumann, Everett High School Principal, * *Under Fire For Showing Students Violent ‘Terminator’ Video* [image: terminator_2] Erik Naumann, Everett High School Principal’s attempt to get tough on students by creating a parody of the film “Terminator 2 – Judgment Day” is under fire by parents and public school officials. Apparently, his attempt at being creative is being seen as poor judgment on his part. Consideri... more »

11 Sacramento schools are slated to close next school year as part of a plan to balance SCUSD's budget | news10.net

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
11 Sacramento schools are slated to close next school year as part of a plan to balance SCUSD's budget | news10.net: 11 Sacramento schools are slated to close next school year as part of a plan to balance SCUSD's budget SACRAMENTO, CA - A $10 million to $12 million budget deficit in the Sacramento City Unified School District is leaving some school board members questioning if closing schools is the right decision and parents wondering what will happen next. Thursday's overflow crowd at a district board meeting pleaded with district officials to reconsider the plan to close 11 s... more »

WINNER 2013 Golden Globe BEST MOTION PICTURE in the CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS CATEGORY

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
*WINNER 2013 GOLDEN GLOBE* *for the* *BEST MOTION PICTURE * *in the * *CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS CATEGORY * is *http://peopleforourpublicschools.org/* *Brought to you with the EXTRA$$$ EXTRA$$$ * *Generous **Support from the* * * * * *AND THE WINNER IS ... NOT YOU!!!* *CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS WEBSITE* * * CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS *A compilation of news articles about charter schools which have been charged with, or are highly suspected of, tampering with admissions, grades, attendance and testing; misuse of funds and embezzlement; engaging in nepotism and conflicts of interest;...more »


Parents Across America Seattle supports Garfield High School teachers’ principled opposition to the costly and inaccurate MAP® test | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Parents Across America Seattle supports Garfield High School teachers’ principled opposition to the costly and inaccurate MAP® test | Seattle Education: Parents Across America Seattle supports Garfield High School teachers’ principled opposition to the costly and inaccurate MAP® test by seattleducation2011 Posted on January 13, 2013 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment [image: paa4] Parents Across America, Seattle, fully support and applaud the Garfield High School teaching staff in their refusal to administer the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP®) test to their students. T... more »


Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Names Kahlil Byrd as StudentsFirst New President - LA Sentinel

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Names Kahlil Byrd as StudentsFirst New President - LA Sentinel: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Names Kahlil Byrd as StudentsFirst New President ** *Kahlil Byrd* StudentsFirst, a bipartisan grassroots education reform movement, announced key new hires as the organization transitions into its next phase of development. The new hires include individuals with a breadth of knowledge and experience in politics and nonprofit management. They will all work of out the StudentsFirst headquarters located in Sacramento, California. “I am thrilled to wel... more »


11 Sacramento schools are slated to close next school year as part of a plan to balance SCUSD's budget | news10.net

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
11 Sacramento schools are slated to close next school year as part of a plan to balance SCUSD's budget | news10.net: 11 Sacramento schools are slated to close next school year as part of a plan to balance SCUSD's budget SACRAMENTO, CA - A $10 million to $12 million budget deficit in the Sacramento City Unified School District is leaving some school board members questioning if closing schools is the right decision and parents wondering what will happen next. Thursday's overflow crowd at a district board meeting pleaded with district officials to reconsider the plan to close 11 s... more »

Common Core State Standards: 2014 is a Year Away | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Common Core State Standards: 2014 is a Year Away | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Common Core State Standards: 2014 is a Year Away by Tarsi Dunlop The arrival of 2013 brings us one year closer to the rollout ofCommon Core State Standard (CCSS) assessments, scheduled for 2014-15. As the deadline approaches, the complexities surrounding implementation of the standards and their accompanying assessments come into sharper focus. The issues listed below are hardly exhaustive, but they begin to convey the challenges of implementation facing our nation’s schools and ... more »

solidaridad: Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA) endorse Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
solidaridad: Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA) endorse Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board: Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA) endorse Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board Precinct Walking January 19 and 26 by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene Boyle Heights Precinct Walking Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board by Robert D. Skeels Koreatown Precinct Walking Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board by Robert D. Skeels Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA) endorse Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board by Robert D. Skeels About AALAThe Associ... more »


Diane in the Evening 1-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Indiana Debates Dropping Out of Common Core by dianerav Friends and foes of the Common Core standards packed a meeting room in Indiana to discuss its future. This issue creates strange alliances. The new state superintendent Glenda Ritz opposes them. So does the Tea Party. But other hard-right conservatives like former superintendent Tony Bennett and Jeb Bush are strong advocates for CC. Mike Petrilli of the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute urged the legislators to stay the course because A Rhee Puzzle by dianerav With PBS preparing a documentar... more »

Aspire Charter Schools: Behind the Reversal - LA School Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Aspire Charter Schools: Behind the Reversal - LA School Report: Aspire Charter Schools: Behind the Reversal by Hillel Aron Changed votes by two Board members over the approval of two Aspire charter schools at this week’s Board meeting gave the public a glimpse at a much larger debate over whether charter schools based in Los Angeles should be allowed to operate their special education programs through a partnership with a far-off district that costs them less. Initially, the Board deadlocked 3-3 over the proposed approval of Aspire, a highly rated charter operator founded by Don Sha... more »


FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, January 18, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991]*Charter schools see largest boom since their inception 20 years ago* Education Headlines *Friday, January 18, 2013* Schools wage battle against bullyingTwo major conferences are coming to town to address bullying on school campuses, and Compton Jr. High School is looking to partner with other schools to bring in singer Keenan West next month. Paso Robles school district's budget situation improving, official saysOnce on the brink of a state takeover due to its financial d... more »

Modern School: Teacher Fired For Being Poor Role Model

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Modern School: Teacher Fired For Being Poor Role Model: Teacher Fired For Being Poor Role Model by Michael Dunn Madonna in Sorrow or The Perfect Teacher? In another stunning defeat for free speech and privacy, the California Commission on Professional Competence (CPC) has upheld the dismissal of Stacie Halas, finding her “unfit” to teach 8th-grade science because she had acted in pornographic films in the past, the Los Angeles Times recently reported. (An East Coast appellate court just ruled that a school could fire a teacher for a Facebook posting) The CPC argued that her pornogr... more »



UPDATE: NY teacher evaluation blows up + Seattle’s Garfield High teacher: “Why we boycotted the MAP test.” « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Seattle’s Garfield High teacher: “Why we boycotted the MAP test.” « Fred Klonsky: Watching from a distance. NY teacher evaluation blows up. by Fred Klonsky *New York’s bully-boy Mayor.* [image: 18.1N004.Teacherevals1.C--300x300]Watching from a distance, I responded with a smile when I heard that the negotiations over teacher evaluations between the UFT and New York’s Mayor Bloomberg blew up yesterday. Governor Cuomo had put a deadline for an agreement to evaluate teachers based on student test scores, a stupid idea to be sure. We’ve covered that territory before. Cuomo threatened ... more »


No, Sidwell Friends School has no armed guards

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
No, Sidwell Friends School has no armed guards: No, Sidwell Friends School has no armed guards Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 18, 2013 at 5:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: Sidwell Friends School. (Gerald Martineau/The Washington Post)] Sidwell Friends School. (Gerald Martineau/The Washington Post) The National Rifle Association is airing a television ad (and has on its website thisfour-minute video) that says the private school that President Obama’s daughters attend, Sidwell ... more »


Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-17-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Organized Parents, Organized Teachers: A Video by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform by Edit Barry This is what parent empowerment looks like. Popout Organized Parents, Organized Teachers – Working together for effective reform in America’s public schoolsFrom the Annenberg Institute on Vimeo. To get related resources on parent-teacher collaboration, visit www.realparentpower.com When the teacher is ready, the student will appear by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Wait, you say. Can it be that teacherken is confused about the ancien... more »

Big Education Ape - Early Eveving Banana Break 1-17-13 #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
*Big Education Ape - Early Eveving Banana Break* Parents Across America Are Opting Out by Judy Rabin Looks like parents have finally had enough testing too. The Superintendent of Montgomery County Maryland called for a three year moratorium on high stakes standardized testing. The budget squeeze is making it impossible to ignore all the money for testing. The perfect storm. * * *On **January 27 at 1:00 PM PST, 3:00 PM Central and 4:00 PM EST,** Parents Across America will be hosting an online seminar on high stakes testing and opting out of such tests.* Our guests will be: ... more »


Rethinking Schools: Chicago points the way for a new teacher unionism. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Rethinking Schools: Chicago points the way for a new teacher unionism. « Fred Klonsky: Rethinking Schools: Chicago points the way for a new teacher unionism. by Fred Klonsky [image: edit272] The editors of Rethinking Schools draw lessons for the teacher union movement from the recent events in Chicago. Some people describe this new unionism as an organizing model. Others call it “social justice unionism” or “social movement unionism.” Regardless, the Chicago teachers demonstrated its main features: - Unapologetically defend wages and working conditions of public school ed... more »

SCUSD School Closure List Makes Some Students Winners or Losers | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
SCUSD School Closure List Makes Some Students Winners or Losers | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: SCUSD School Closure List Makes Some Students Winners or Losers by Kate_Lenox [image: Home] The SCUSD school closure list is out and some of the criteria behind the selection of the schools on it has been revealed. Three of the Superintendent's Priority Schools get a pass, despite the fact they are under enrolled. Oak Ridge was on a closure list two years ago because of low enrollment and the poor shape of its facility. Now it will be a receiving school for... more »

Diane in the Evening 1-17-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Charter School Math in Connecticut by dianerav Connecticut has the misfortune to have a bad combination: a significant group of very rich hedge fund managers devoted to charter schools and a state commissioner of education who wants to open more charter schools. The charter schools in the state serve disproportionately small numbers of English language learners. So is it a good idea to open more of them? Here’s a Corporate Reformers Waste over Half Million in Bridgeport Election by dianerav A reader in Connecticut links to Jonathan Pelto’s report of spendin... more »



The Quick and the Ed » Common Core: What’s Educational Justice Got to Do With It?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
The Quick and the Ed » Common Core: What’s Educational Justice Got to Do With It?: Common Core: What’s Educational Justice Got to Do With It? by Peter Cookson Jr. Last spring I completed a study of American high schools; I looked at five schools serving very different economic and social communities. Here is the headline: If a student is not lucky enough to attend a high school located in an upper-middle or middle-class neighborhood, he or she is likely to get a watered down, uninspiring and inadequate set of academic choices — often taught in a hit-or-miss manner. If a student ... more »

Great Expectations: Transforming Practice Through Common Core Implementation — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Great Expectations: Transforming Practice Through Common Core Implementation — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Podcast][image: Whole Child Podcast]Great Expectations: Transforming Practice Through Common Core Implementation January 17, 2013 by Whole Child Podcast Download Podcast Now [Right-Click to Save] We as educators have a unique opportunity to reset the playing field and make the Common Core State Standards work for us. We can implement the standards, align them to a whole child approach to education, and ensure that both support and enhance each other to p... more »


UPDATE: The inbox. From the Teacher Retirement System. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The inbox. From the Teacher Retirement System. « Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. Making the CPS board more accessible. by Fred Klonsky [image: robyn ziegler] Click on image to enlarge. The inbox. From the Teacher Retirement System. by Fred Klonsky TRS members received this yesterday: *Dear Frederick Klonsky:* *The new 98th Illinois General Assembly convened on January 8, 2013, but will not return to Springfield and begin work on legislative proposals until the end of the month. * *All legislation introduced and debated during the 97th General Assembly, but not enacted, is no... more »

Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » More Questions about the Common Core: Response to Marc Tucker

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » More Questions about the Common Core: Response to Marc Tucker: More Questions about the Common Core: Response to Marc Tucker by YongZhao I have been waiting for a serious conversation about the sensibility of the Common Core State Standards Initiative with its staunch supporters. I am thus very pleased to read Marc Tucker’s response to my five questions about the Common Core. I am honored that Tucker considers my questions worth responding to. His response, while thoughtful and more nuanced than the usual slogan-shouting, emo...more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-16-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Quick action contemplated on new assessments, API rewrite The state commission charged with overhauling the Academic Performance Index may have recommendations ready as soon as May, officials said Thursday. Why The Rich Need To Scapegoat Teachers by Duke Every once in a while, the corporate media goes too far and gives away the game: So this is apparently a real thing from the Wall Street Journal. *The Onion* couldn't top this. Whether it's the sad faces of all these put-upon dejected rich people, or the elderly minority couple who is... more »


Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislative Goals: Merit Pay, Union Busting and Protecting High-Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislative Goals: Merit Pay, Union Busting and Protecting High-Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings: Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislative Goals: Merit Pay, Union Busting and Protecting High-Stakes Testing by Bob Sikes After cutting through lofty platitudes in their legislative agenda the FCOC include these talking points about education. First in their letter to “Letter to Florida Business Leaders” *Education reform is hurting because union leaders make it about the adults when it should be all about kids. Union dues enable them to have thousand... more »

Report: Savings marginal after D.C. Public Schools closes schools | WashingtonExaminer.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Report: Savings marginal after D.C. Public Schools closes schools | WashingtonExaminer.com Report: Savings marginal after D.C. Public Schools closes schools *January 15, 2013 | 8:00 pm * Rachel BayeStaff writer - Montgomery County Closing 20 DC Public Schools will save the school system barely more money than it will cost to close them, according to a report released Tuesday by the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, or DCFPI. While closing the proposed schools could save DC Public Schools $10.4 million in the 2013-2014 school year, consolidating them could cost $10.2 million, signifi... more »

21st Century Skills and the Common Core — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
21st Century Skills and the Common Core — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Andrew Miller]21st Century Skills and the Common Core January 16, 2013 by Andrew Miller 21st century skills are quickly becoming taught and assessed in schools across the nation. Whether through explicit instruction or models like project-based learning, educators are quickly realizing that lower level content comprehension is not enough. The Whole Child Initiative calls for tenets that rely on these skills. We create a safe environment through collaboration. Critical thinking creates rigor... more »


UPDATE: California Adopts Modified Math Standards and Sweeping Updates to Career Technical Education Standards - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
California Adopts Modified Math Standards - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): California Adopts Modified Math Standards to Restore Local Decision Making *Required by Legislation, Move Allows Progress Toward Common Core* SACRAMENTO—The State Board of Education today voted to modify the California Additions to the adopted Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). The Board's action will help the state continue its progress toward implementing the Common Core State Standards, and provides options for accelerating to higher mathematics in middle school while maintaining the... more »


Teacher Takes on StudentsFirst Machine in Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Back Yard - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Teacher Takes on StudentsFirst Machine in Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Back Yard - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Teacher Takes on StudentsFirst Machine in Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Back Yard by Anthony Cody Michelle Rhee has made her home in Sacramento, ever since she married the city's mayor, former basketball player Kevin Johnson. Since landing here, she has been working to expand the influence of her lobbying group, StudentsFirst. Last fall, a school board member resigned in nearby West Sacramento, too late to be replaced in the fall election... more »



Sen. Scott Schneider reintroduces bill to withdraw state from Common Core standards | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Sen. Scott Schneider reintroduces bill to withdraw state from Common Core standards | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com: Sen. Scott Schneider reintroduces bill to withdraw state from Common Core standards [image: Tuesday, January 15, 2013, Jamie Gass, director, Center for School Reform, Boston, Mass. (foreground) along with Indiana State Senator, Scott Schneider (R-Indianapolis), and Williamson Evers, held a news conference in support of Senator Schneider,s new proposal to withdraw Indiana schools from Common Core State Standards. (The news conference was held within Statehouse Se...more »


UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: In The News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: In The News: Seattle Student Senate Supports MAP Opposition by Melissa Westbrook From Dexter Tang, President of the Seattle Schools Student Senate from their meeting at Ingraham High School: *The Seattle Student Senate, the main student advocacy organization of Seattle Public Schools, supports the opposition to the MAP test. * *The MAP test inefficiently uses district resources and consumes valuable instruction time. We support alternative methods of student evaluation. We encourage the district o explore alternative methods of assessing student... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-15-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* LAUSD's Crenshaw High to become three magnet schools Vanessa Romo | January 15th, 2013, 8:14pm [image: Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy sp] AFP/AFP/Getty Images Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy, seen here in a file photo, told Crenshaw parents "the quality of instruction is not what it needs to be.” LA Unified voted Tuesday to revamp Crenshaw High School – one of the worst performing schools in the district. But the plan has some parents and teachers up in arms. Crenshaw’s 1,500 students will be split into three separate magnet ... more »

H.R.209: To authorize the appropriation of funds to be used to recruit, hire, and train 100,000 new classroom... OpenCongress

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
H.R.209: To authorize the appropriation of funds to be used to recruit, hire, and train 100,000 new classroom... OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: H.R.209 To authorize the appropriation of funds to be used to recruit, hire, and train 100,000 new classroom paraprofessionals in order to improve educational achievement for children. To authorize the appropriation of funds to be used to recruit, hire, and train 100,000 new classroom paraprofessionals in order to improve educational achievement for children. Bill Introduced: H.R.86 Cybersecurity Education Enhancement Act of 2013 To autho... more »

Diane in the Evening 1-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Philly Youth Do Zombie Flash Dance to Protest Closings by dianerav Members of the Philadelphia Student Union performed a Zombie flash dance in front of school district headquarters to protest school closings. The district leadership insists it needs to save money by closing Matt Damon and Nancy Carlsson-Paige to Garfield Teachers! by dianerav This is a personal message from actor Matt Damon and early childhood educator Nancy Carlsson-Paige, addressed to the teachers of Garfield High: *We are writing to support all of the teachers at Garfield High School. ... more »

Remembering Dr. King on his birthday. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Remembering Dr. King on his birthday. « Fred Klonsky: Remembering Dr. King on his birthday. by Fred Klonsky My latest retirement project is volunteer teaching ukulele to a mixed kindergarten and first grade class at a public school in Chicago’s Little Village. Once a week on a Monday for about an hour. More fun than anything else. I’m an art teacher, not a music teacher. But I know kindergarten and first grade. I taught those kids for nearly three decades. We take small steps: Which direction the neck of the uke goes. Strumming in a pattern together. I bought a pack of little color... more »

Deellan Kashani – Standardized Tests vs. Deellan Student Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Student Voice: Deellan Kashani – Standardized Tests vs. Deellan by admin The key to doing well on tests is knowing what you’re being asked. This was the mantra of my middle school humanities teacher. “Know what you are being asked.” What the fuck is so special about that? Shouldn’t everyone taking the test know what they’re being asked when they read the question? If that were true, we wouldn’t see such variation in test scores between students with the same GPA. Aside from the racial and socio-economic ways that standardized testing stratifies students, it also divides them by in... more »

UPDATE: Joy Resmovits: Iowa Education Reform Plan, Texas Budget Fight: Ed Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Joy Resmovits: Iowa Education Reform Plan, Texas Budget Fight: Ed Today: Teachers Union Donations: Who Gets NEA Cash? by Joy Resmovits Mike Antonucci went through the National Education Association's financial disclosure report so you don't have to. The NEA is the nation's largest teachers union. He found that the union spent $15 million on advocacy -- $3.8 less than the previous year. Some interesting (but mostly predictable) grantees include Center for American Progress, American Bridge, Committee for Education Funding, Economic Policy Institute, Education Writers Association, Ma... more »


Bruce Lesley: 'Our First Task, Caring for Our Children'

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Bruce Lesley: 'Our First Task, Caring for Our Children': Our First Task, Caring for Our Children' *"This is our first task, caring for our children. It's our first job. If we don't get that right, we don't get anything right. That's how, as a society, we will be judged."* - President Obama at the prayer vigil in Newtown, December 16, 2012 As our nation grieves for the children, the families, the teachers, and the first responders in the tragedy that has befallen Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., many feel utterly helpless or overwhelmed by the complexity of what sho... more »


UPDATE: Paul Vallas: Grow up or get out… - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Paul Vallas: Grow up or get out… - Wait, What?: CABE: Why the silence as Pryor undermines the role of local Boards of Education? by jonpelto Where is the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education? Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor instructed towns that if they had a local school that they wanted to become part of the new Commissioner’s Network, ”Expression of Interest Forms” needed to be submitted by January 4, 2013. On its face, the commissioner’s action seemed simple enough. [...]*(Read more...)* Paul Vallas: Grow up or get out… by jonpelto For the second meeting ... more »

NYC School Bus Strike: The Impact | Sailling Autistic Seas

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
NYC School Bus Strike: The Impact | Sailling Autistic Seas: NYC School Bus Strike: The ImpactPosted by Miz Kp on Jan 15, 2013 in Blog | 4 comments Every afternoon, Angel’s school bus matron calls to let me know that he will be home in two minutes. She takes the initiative to do this because she knows that his arrival time can vary. I really appreciate this. After Hurricane Sandy, our school bus driver called us the night before schools were scheduled to open to confirm whether Angel would be going to school. I appreciated this also. We have a special relationship with Angel’s schoo... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-15-13 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] Denver: So Much Reform. So Little Success. by garyrubinstein Jeannie Kaplan is an elected member of the Denver Board of Education. She has been critical of corporate-style reform and of the heavily-funded effort to persuade the public that it is successful. When she heard that Jonah Edelman of Stand for Children told an audience in Tulsa recently that Denver was a national model of success, she decided to review the score card for the district. (Stand for Children boasts of its civil rights credentials bu... more »


Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-14-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* One benefit of my musical training by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) just became apparent in a conversation with my brilliant spouse, who told me she could only handle two channels of information at a time. I know I can handle at least four. But then, I grew up playing in string quartets. I have listened to orchestral recordings with a full score since before I was ten. I have conducted *a cappella* choruses. In short, I am used to handling multiple streams of information simultaneously. I can listen to multiple conversations at one tim... more »

SI&A Cabinet Report – Governor’s top school aid named to state board

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *Governor’s top school aid named to state board* *By Kimberly Beltran* Less than a month after she retired as executive director of the State Board of Education, Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday tapped his former top education advisor Sue Burr to fill a vacant seat on the panel that sets state-wide K-12 education policy. It was also expected that Brown would name Burr’s replacement sometime today. Burr retired at the end of December, and just last week, the state board appointed its chief counsel, Judy Cias, to serve as Acting Executive Direc... more »

Principal, Under Fire For Showing Students ‘Terminator’ Parody | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Principal, Under Fire For Showing Students ‘Terminator’ Parody | toteachornototeach: Principal, Under Fire For Showing Students ‘Terminator’ Parody by aristotlethewise *Erik Naumann, Everett High School Principal, * *Under Fire For Showing Students Violent ‘Terminator’ Video* [image: terminator_2] Erik Naumann, Everett High School Principal’s attempt to get tough on students by creating a parody of the film “Terminator 2 – Judgment Day” is under fire by parents and public school officials. Apparently, his attempt at being creative is being seen as poor judgment on his part. Consideri... more »

Four More Years? | The Forum for Education and Democracy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Four More Years? | The Forum for Education and Democracy: Four More Years? January 14, 2013 - George Wood About this time four years ago I was on my way to Washington to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama. I was looking forward to his administration, hoping that having Linda Darling-Hammond as the leader of his education transition team meant good things for public schools. I have to say I have been disappointed. While there have been some good things, there has been much to puzzle over. I wonder why there has been so much support for Teach for America and so little support ... more »

If We Don't Have Time to Do the Standards Right, When Will We Have Time to Do Them Over? — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
If We Don't Have Time to Do the Standards Right, When Will We Have Time to Do Them Over? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Bryan Goodwin]If We Don’t Have Time to Do the Standards Right, When Will We Have Time to Do Them Over? January 14, 2013 by Bryan Goodwin As 46 states move to adopt Common Core State Standards, the opportunity may never be better to rethink not only standards themselves, but also how we get students interested in learning. Let's face it. We haven't always done a good job getting kids interested in learning. Studies suggest that the longer stud... more »

Teachers For Social Justice: Upcoming TSJ Events

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Teachers For Social Justice: Upcoming TSJ Events: Upcoming TSJ Events JANUARY 14, 2013 LEAVE A COMMENT Teachers for Social Justice and CORE will be having two joint events in the coming month, both related to the work of Lois Weiner. The first will be a discussion of Weiner's new book, The Future of Our Schools: Teachers Unions and Social Justice. This is an important, short, very readable book. You can buy it from Haymarket Books, (they'll send right out), or email here. We will be discussing Part 1, pp. 3-81, and Chapter 12. Here are details and a link to RSVP: TSJ/CORE Book Di... more »


Time for Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee to probe test tampering - Class Struggle - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Time for Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee to probe test tampering - Class Struggle - The Washington Post: Time for Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee to probe test tampering By Jay Mathews Why do I still have hopes for Michelle Rhee, the leading symbol of education reform in America? It’s because of a call from her two years ago telling me she had said something stupid. In March 2011, USA Today reported startling numbers of wrong-to-right erasures on the annual D.C. Comprehensive Assessment System tests in the three years Rhee served as D.C. schools chancellor. The evidence sugges... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-14-13 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 Disillusioned Ex-Parent at Rocketship by dianerav A comment from a reader: It is alarming that Rocketship can be allowed to grow as it is – they just received city approval for a contested area of public land in San Jose for another campus while they already have 7 running. Rocketship’s strag Rocketship says parents have a quota for volunteer hours – 30 per year to be exact. The most recent “volunteer” opportunity afforded to me was that I would get 5 hours for EVERY adult I brought with me to this event –... more »


Jersey Jazzman: How Many Golden Globes Did "Won't Back Down" Win?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: How Many Golden Globes Did "Won't Back Down" Win?: How Many Golden Globes Did "Won't Back Down" Win? by Duke Congratulations to all of the Golden Globe winners tonight! Hey, how many awards did the "blockbuster" reformy hit *Won't Back Down* win? You know, the refromy film that was "based on a true story" that wasn't true and wound up becoming one of the biggest flops Hollywood has ever seen? I hear Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis were at home washing their hair tonight... Well, maybe Michelle Rhee can pass out a bunch of gift cards on Bill Gates's dime and gen... more »

This Week in Baltimore Education News | Re:education in Baltimore

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
This Week in Baltimore Education News | Re:education in Baltimore: This Week in Baltimore Education News by Edit Barry These are three of the stories that jumped out at me this week. Lots of room to opine, but I am biting my tongue. (Trying my best, anyway). I said I’d spend only an hour a week on this blog. (Trying on that score, too.) *Methadone clinic next to Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle?* Denied. No sooner than it was proposed, the appeal to the zoning board was dismissed because the woman who filed it didn’t show. Big sigh of relief from parents. Adam Bednar from *North Ba... more »


WINNER 2013 Golden Globe BEST MOTION PICTURE in the CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS CATEGORY

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
*WINNER 2013 GOLDEN GLOBE* *for the* *BEST MOTION PICTURE * *in the * *CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS CATEGORY * is *http://peopleforourpublicschools.org/* *Brought to you with the EXTRA$$$ EXTRA$$$ * *Generous **Support from the* * * * * *AND THE WINNER IS ... NOT YOU!!!* *CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS WEBSITE* * * CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS *A compilation of news articles about charter schools which have been charged with, or are highly suspected of, tampering with admissions, grades, attendance and testing; misuse of funds and embezzlement; engaging in nepotism and conflicts of interest;...more »


Media Silence on #edreform? Not @ the chalk face « @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Media Silence on #edreform? Not @ the chalk face « @ the chalk face: Media Silence on #edreform? Not @ the chalk face by Timothy D. Slekar *January 13th, 2013 @ the chalk face internet radio* [image: at-the-chalk-face] Louisiana has a VAM scam going on. Shaun and Tim talk to Dr. Mercedes Schneider about how Louisiana’s teacher evaluation system is worthless and really serves as a dehumanizing system meant to harm the children and teachers of Louisiana. Read Dr. Schneider’s report here:


Jersey Jazzman: David Coleman Doesn't Give a S#@! What You Think

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: David Coleman Doesn't Give a S#@! What You Think: David Coleman Doesn't Give a S#@! What You Think by Duke David Coleman, architect of the Common Core, explains the "real world": Popout Diane Ravitch posted about this speech last year: In a speech last year, David Coleman, the new president of the College Board, who was one of the chief creators of the Common Core, worried about students’ focusing on opinion over analysis in their writing. “As you grow up in this world, you realize people really don’t give a s— about what you feel or what you think,” he said. “It i... more »

Jersey Jazzman: If VAM Is So Awesome, Why Sneak It In?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: If VAM Is So Awesome, Why Sneak It In?: If VAM Is So Awesome, Why Sneak It In? by Duke If someone tries to sneak something in under the cover of darkness, you know that *they* know that they're up to no good: Over the Holidays, the Governor signed the latest education bill, HB 555. StateImpact has a decent rundown of most of the items that were addressed in the bill. However, one major piece of policy change made in HB555 has gone totally unreported, not surprisingly since it was done in the 11th hour, *with no testimony or hearings*. Indeed, we're doubtful many... more »


Parents Across America Seattle supports Garfield High School teachers’ principled opposition to the costly and inaccurate MAP® test | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Parents Across America Seattle supports Garfield High School teachers’ principled opposition to the costly and inaccurate MAP® test | Seattle Education: Parents Across America Seattle supports Garfield High School teachers’ principled opposition to the costly and inaccurate MAP® test by seattleducation2011 Posted on January 13, 2013 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment [image: paa4] Parents Across America, Seattle, fully support and applaud the Garfield High School teaching staff in their refusal to administer the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP®) test to their students. T... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Today's NY Times on the Gifted and Talented programs

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Today's NY Times on the Gifted and Talented programs: Today's NY Times on the Gifted and Talented programs by Leonie Haimson Today’s New York Times has a long critical article about the racially discriminatory effect of NYC’s gifted and talented admissions policies, a system that was imposed by Joel Klein in 2007. Some things that stand out in**this piece*:* - *"Despite months of repeated requests, the city's Education Department would not provide racial breakdowns of gifted and talented programs and the schools that house them.”* So much fo... more »

Peg with Pen: Teachers Boycott the MAP: Who Should be in Charge of Formative Assessment?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Peg with Pen: Teachers Boycott the MAP: Who Should be in Charge of Formative Assessment?: Teachers Boycott the MAP: Who Should be in Charge of Formative Assessment? by Peggy [image: Occupy the Dept. of Ed. in D.C. April 4-7, 2013] Earlier this year I opted my son out of the MAP test to demonstrate my respect for his teachers who already know how to assess my son’s growth as a learner. I am now watching brave teachers in Washington at Garfield High School and Ballard High School refuse to administer the MAP. They state many reasons for the rejection of this test, but one particula... more »


Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Road Ahead

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Road Ahead: The Road Ahead by Melissa Westbrook A couple of important stories to check out this morning. One is from the Seattle Times about how our Legislative leaders are going to figure out how to enact McCleary. (I will point that charter schools only complicates this process.) The other is Seattle Channel's interview with Superintendent Banda. Once again, the Superintendent comes across as quiet but firm. There is also an interesting op-ed from outgoing Governor Chris Gregoire who says there should be one education department for the s... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Our Nation's Goofy Education Debate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Our Nation's Goofy Education Debate: Our Nation's Goofy Education Debate by Duke So here's how it seems to work now: 1) A well-heeled think-tank puts out a report - like, say, the Gates Foundation's Measures of Effective Teaching- that confirms the previously articulated predilections of its funding source. 2) Since the report is published by a think tank funded by a wealthy celebrity, its conclusions are widely disseminated throughout the press. 3) But the report is not subject to peer review, *which means it isn't vetted by experts in the field before its conc... more »


I DID NOT use the word “Failed” in the headline. You inserted that in an absolutely unethical and outrageous bit of editing. (Failed DC Chancellor edit in question) Michelle Rhee: Reformer, Zealot, Both or Something Else?

PBS | Ombudsman | Michelle Rhee: Reformer, Zealot, Both or Something Else?:

Content Removed at the request of Mr. Getler


I am the ombudsman at PBS. The headline on my column of Jan. 11 was: “Michelle Rhee: Reformer, Zealot, Both or Something Else?” I DID NOT use the word “Failed” in the headline. You inserted that in an absolutely unethical and outrageous bit of editing. Please take it down immediately and issue a correction. For an “education” website to do this is truly remarkable.



Dear Mr Getler:
Yes I do edit headlines for effect, if the main stream media can use the phrase "failed schools and bad teachers" then stating the same about the icon of the reform movement seems to be fair (to me).
I have noted your objection.
Thanks
Mike Simpson
Big Education Ape

PBS | Ombudsman | Michelle Rhee: Reformer, Zealot, Both or Something Else?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
PBS | Ombudsman | Michelle Rhee: Reformer, Zealot, Both or Something Else?: Michelle Rhee: Reformer, Zealot, Both or Something Else?By Michael Getler JANUARY 11, 2013 This past Tuesday evening, Jan. 8, PBS's top-rated documentary series Frontline, focused its cameras and its veteran education correspondent, John Merrow, on a now 43-year-old Korean-American woman named Michelle Rhee. She was the chancellor of the Washington, D.C., public school system for three years, from 2007 to 2010. She was not at all well-known before then, but during t... more »


D-day for DeKalb: State board considers fate of school board Thursday | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
D-day for DeKalb: State board considers fate of school board Thursday | Get Schooled: D-day for DeKalb: State board considers fate of school board Thursday by Maureen Downey The state Board of Education will hold a hearing Thursday on the fate of the fractious DeKalb school board, which was the subject of a devastating critique by the district’s accreditation agency. Last month, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accused DeKalb* * officials of engaging in bickering and nepotism while letting district finances collapse. SACS placed the district on probation. The probat... more »

“Expect Nothing, Get Nothing”: Common v. Standard | the becoming radical

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
“Expect Nothing, Get Nothing”: Common v. Standard | the becoming radical: “Expect Nothing, Get Nothing”: Common v. Standard Posted on January 13, 2013 by plthomasedd In Chapter 7 (a “hard-boiled wonderland” section) of Haruki Murakami‘sHard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, the narrator details: “I wound up my purchases and pulled into my convenient neighborhood fast-food restaurant. I ordered shrimp salad, onion rings, and a beer. The shrimp was straight out of the freezer, the onion rings soggy. Looking around the place, though, I failed to spot a single customer bangin... more »


Jersey Jazzman: Segregation By Behavior: Chartery Secret Sauce

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Segregation By Behavior: Chartery Secret Sauce: Segregation By Behavior: Chartery Secret Sauce by Duke Diane Ravitch points us to this piece by Michael Petrilli, where wonk-in-chief wonk of the reformy movemenet finally comes clean: But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. *In my view, we should be proud of the charter schools that are identifying and serving high-potential low-income students*—kids who are committed to using education to escape poverty and are often supported in that effort by education-minded parents. The reason to celebrate these schools and the ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-13-13 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] How Can Parents Fight School Closings? by dianerav Jersey Jazzman explains what is now obvious: School closings have a disparate impact on children and communities of color. Community schools are closed, destabilizing the neighborhood. Charter schools open, which choose and reject those they want or don’t want. Most charters don’t want the kids with the greatest needs. A new parent group has formed in Newark, which has been a playground for the rich and famous, who move Kasich Pulls a Fast One by dianerav... more »


UPDATE: Schools Matter: Segregated Schools, Upper West Side Style

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Schools Matter: Segregated Schools, Upper West Side Style: Segregated Schools, Upper West Side Style by Jim Horn U. S. schools have been using standardized tests now for a hundred years to sort and segregate by race and class. How long can it continue? Big story from the New York Times. Chart below from NYTimes: Published: January 12, 2013A Major Gap in Gifted Programs The city started using tests as the main determinant of entry to gifted programs in 2008. Since 2009, the number of schools offering such classes has fallen, especially in minority areas of the city like central ... more »

JSTOR Statement On Aaron Swartz’s Death «

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
JSTOR Statement On Aaron Swartz’s Death «: JSTOR Statement On Aaron Swartz’s Death January 12, 2013 in Students The academic journal repository JSTOR, whose archives Aaron Swartz was under federal indictment for allegedly breaching when he committed suicide yesterday, released a supportive and laudatory statement on his death this evening. In a strange and somehow beautiful irony, the traffic to that statement crashed their servers. Here it is, via Hacker News. *We are deeply saddened to hear the news about Aaron Swartz. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Aaron’s family, frien... more »

Indiana State Legislator Touts Guns on Campus As Rape Prevention Measure «

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Indiana State Legislator Touts Guns on Campus As Rape Prevention Measure «: Indiana State Legislator Touts Guns on Campus As Rape Prevention Measure by Angus Johnston Jim Banks, a Republican state senator from Indiana, wants to legalize concealed carry on the state’s public college campuses. And he’s got a novel argument in favor of the proposition. Rape prevention. “That’s what’s compelling about this issue,” he told an Associated Press reporter. “how many female students there are around the state, who have very specific and real reasons to be afraid for their own safety on their... more »

The Weekly Update: What can I say…Seattle teachers rock!!!! | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
The Weekly Update: What can I say…Seattle teachers rock!!!! | Seattle Education: The Weekly Update: What can I say…Seattle teachers rock!!!! by seattleducation2011 [image: united] As you might know by now, teachers at Garfield High School in Seattle held a press conference on Friday and announced that they were not going to give theMeasurement of Academic Progress (MAP) test to their students for a number of reasons. For the details, see the letter that was issued by the teachers of Garfield High School. Within hours, teachers at Ballard High School followed suit. The Garfield High... more »


A Dress Code for Teachers? Or Anything Goes? | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 minutes ago
A Dress Code for Teachers? Or Anything Goes? | toteachornototeach: A Dress Code for Teachers? Or Anything Goes? by aristotlethewise A Dress Code for Teachers? Or Anything Goes?by Rae Pica Who could have imagined that the issue of teacher attire would be such a hot-button topic? But, then, who could have imagined that the day would come when teachers sported too-tight clothes and showed too much skin? And, no, I’m not talking about just the female teachers. This is *not *an issue merely because it’s a female-dominated profession, as one tweeter suggested to me. As far as I’m c... more »

PAA Mass affiliate writes letter of support for Seattle teachers | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 29 minutes ago
PAA Mass affiliate writes letter of support for Seattle teachers | Parents Across America: PAA Mass affiliate writes letter of support for Seattle teachers by pureparents CPS supports Seattle’s Garfield High Teachers: Test Boycott is Courageous Stand for Students, Against Test Abuse Citizens for Public Schools Issues Statement Supporting Seattle’s Garfield High Teachers: “Test Boycott is Courageous Stand for Students, Against Test Abuse” We, the members of Citizens for Public Schools, stand with the teachers at Garfield High School in Seattle for their courageous move to boycott ... more »

The Evaluation: schooling at the end of teaching, unions, & care « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago
The Evaluation: schooling at the end of teaching, unions, & care « Cooperative Catalyst: The Evaluation: schooling at the end of teaching, unions, & care by Chad Sansing [image: The Evaluation]Nearly sixth months ago, I posted “The Evaluation,” a near-future science fiction short story imagining public school teaching as day-labor inside a techno-bureaucratic panopticon. Since then, I’ve tried to hold myself accountable for posting about the work that my kids and I do together, which I love and in which I believe. I want to take the energy I’ve put into criticizing “what is” and cha... more »

Racism in America Today « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 33 minutes ago
Racism in America Today « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Racism in America Today by millerlf I recently read Michelle Alexander’s book, *The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness*. It takes head-on the “elephant in the room” concerning race in America. I feel it is a must read for anyone interested in equality and social justice. According to Alexander, more black men are behind bars or under the watch of the criminal justice system in the US than there were enslaved in 1850…and more *African-American men* are disenfranchised now because of fe... more »

Scarcity at the Table of Abundance | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 36 minutes ago
Scarcity at the Table of Abundance | Connected Principals: Scarcity at the Table of Abundance by Johnny Bevacqua [image: scarcity abundance]This was originally posted at Figuring It Out by J. Bevacqua @jvbevacqua *Thanks to the Internet and the technologies we use to access it, we’ve move from a world where all of these (information, knowledge, teachers, le**arning, getting an education)** were relatively scarce to one where they’re absolutely abundant…* *if we have an Internet connection, we have fingertip, on-demand access to an amazing library that holds close to the sum of hu... more »

Hunger Strike Saves PS 154 in the Bronx!!!.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Hunger Strike Saves PS 154 in the Bronx!!! by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) The first post of the New Year and the first post since a hunger strike had been announced. Lots to tell, lots to explain. The hunger strike was in support of PS 154 to keep it from closing and The Crack Team here at SBSB won.PS 154 is not closing thanks to the hunger strike, even an abbreviated one at that. I have learned that when one announces a hunger strike, one should notify one's spouse, or at least talk it over with said spouse. Last Wednesday, the 2nd, when I... more »

Seattle Education Association backs Garfield teachers in opposition to MAP testing. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Seattle Education Association backs Garfield teachers in opposition to MAP testing. « Fred Klonsky: Seattle Education Association backs Garfield teachers in opposition to MAP testing. by Fred Klonsky Popout*November, 2011. Garfield High School students occupy Seattle city hall demanding an end to budget cuts.* *Seattle Times:* In the statement, SEA President Jonathan Knapp said he wants the district to set a date to stop using the MAP exams. He also said that concerns over those tests are part of larger questions about the costs of testing, and how much time schools devote to it....more »

Diane in the Evening 1-12-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: *You Are the Leaders* Seattle Writer Challenges Bill Gates to Be Consistent by dianerav A reader sent the following observation: Here’s a devastating article that points up Bill Gates’ hypocrisy when it comes to the variation between what he demands for his own children, and what he subjects children from lower income communities: THE SEATTLE TIMES’ Danny Weastneat takes Gates to task for promoting policy all over the country that jacks class size sky high, with Gates using the common-sense-defying logic that kids will fare better in larger classes. You Are... more »


30 Myths About eLearning that Need to Die in 2013 - The Educator's PLN

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
30 Myths About eLearning that Need to Die in 2013 - The Educator's PLN: 30 Myths About eLearning that Need to Die in 2013 by Tess Pajaron [image: Sad lady] For as long as eLearning has been around, it has been haunted by the voices of those who aim to criticize its authenticity, viability, and quality. But is it true? Do students of traditional institutions boast more success than those who’ve chosen distance learning? It’s time for some of these myths to die. 1. The technology is unreliableEvery other arena in society- financial institutions, businesses, and government- do not avoid... more »


Top Content this Week - 1-12-13 The Educator's PLN

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Top Content this Week - The Educator's PLN: 1[image: 20 Tips for Creating a Professional Learning Network]20 Tips for Creating a Professional Learning Network Added by Tess Pajaron on January 4, 2013 2[image: Rick Wormeli: Redos, Retakes, and Do-Overs, Part One]Rick Wormeli: Redos, Retakes, and Do-Overs, Part One Added by Thomas Whitby on January 8, 2013 3[image: Flipping Tools]Flipping Tools Posted by Bonnie Birdsall on January 8, 2013 4[image: Edchat]Edchat Added by Shelly Terrell on October 17, 2009 5[image: Born to Learn]Born to Learn Added by Thomas Whitby on October 29, 2012 6[i... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 1-12-13

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* “YOU DON’T FIX EDUCATION BY LOWERING THE BAR. YOU DO IT BY LIFTING THE KIDS.” smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 day ago Florida and Virginia have adopted new academic standards for students based on race and ability. These states used their federally-granted NCLB waivers to create separate and unequal performance standards for their black, white, Hispanic, Asian and disabled children. In Virginia, in order to pass the standardized math exam, an Asian student has to get an...more »

This Week's Education Research Report 1-12-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Some of the most popular study strategies -- such as highlighting and even rereading -- don't show much promise for improving student learning Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago Students everywhere, put down those highlighters and pick up some flashcards! Some of the most popular study strategies -- such as highlighting and even rereading -- don't show much promise for improving student learning, according to a new report published in *Psychological Science in the Public Interest,* a jou... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 1-12-13 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL *LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAY* [image: Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers To Classroom Problems.] “Community School Model Seen as Valuable to Rural Areas” Larry Ferlazzo at Engaging Parents In School... - 1 week ago Community School Model Seen as Valuable to Rural Areas is an interesting article over at Education Week. I’ve written very positively about community schools in the past, as well as expressing my concerns about them. Making Parents Pay A School Anytime Their Child Is Given De...more