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BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, January 14, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 minute ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Fensterwald: California drops to 49th in school spending in annual Ed Week report* Education Headlines *Monday, January 14, 2013* Modesto schools address discipline enforcementModesto City Schools is paying the price for kicking too many special-education kids out of school for discipline problems. But the district decided to tackle suspensions and expulsions districtwide, working to bring consistency to a hodgepodge of services and uneven enforcement. LAUSD's Tamar Galatzan, UTLA chief Warren Fletcher look at reforming system ... more »

Modern School: Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi—Father of Modern Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 55 minutes ago

Modern School: Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi—Father of Modern Education: Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi—Father of Modern Education by Michael Dunn Pestalozzi by Francesco Ramos (late 18th-early 19th century, Prado) {{PD-US }} Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (January 12, 1746—February 17, 1827) was a Swiss pedagogue and education reformer who believed that every individual had the ability to learn and the right to an education. He was also a strong believer in personal liberty and an advocate for the poor. Many of the principles of modern pedagogy have their roots in Pestalozzi’s philosophy and ... more »

Joy Resmovits: Nevada Gov. Seeks Merit Pay, Wyoming Drama: Ed Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Joy Resmovits: Nevada Gov. Seeks Merit Pay, Wyoming Drama: Ed Today: Nevada Gov. Seeks Merit Pay, Wyoming Drama: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Ed Reform In Nevada?* Gov. Brian Sandoval is putting the final touches on his Wednesday State of the State speech, and according to the Las Vegas Review Journal, education will factor high. Merit pay -- a plan in which teachers are paid partially in accordance with their students' test scores -- is looking good to him. "There is money in the budget to ensure we have a fair system by which we're going to measure the performance of teachers," S... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 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 »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-14-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] (title unknown) by dianerav Michelle Rhee was interviewed by “The City Paper” in Nashville. The story describes her thus: “A Tennessee transplant, she is turning her attention to schools in her new state.” It also refers to the “roots” she is “setting” in Nashville. Apparently, she never told the reporter that she lives in Sacramento, not Nashville. She describes herself as a “public school parent” because one of her daughters attends public school in Nashville. But she did not acknowledge that her older d... more »

Education Reform Carrion birds circling Windham – Where are Windham’s elected leaders? - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Education Reform Carrion birds circling Windham – Where are Windham’s elected leaders? - Wait, What?: Education Reform Carrion birds circling Windham – Where are Windham’s elected leaders? by jonpelto If Windham’s State Senator, State Representative and other elected officials don’t move quickly to intervene, Windham, Connecticut is on-track to become to the first Connecticut community in which local elected official and parents lose complete control of their community’s public education system. In addition to the steps already taken by the State Department of Education and its ... more »

California drops to 49th in school spending in annual Ed Week report | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

California drops to 49th in school spending in annual Ed Week report | EdSource Today: California drops to 49th in school spending in annual Ed Week report ** January 14th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services California tumbled two more spots, to 49th in the nation in per-pupil spending, in Education Week’s latest annual Quality Counts report, released last week. The ranking covers spending in 2010 and thus doesn’t include the impact of higher taxes that voters approved in passing Pro... more »

SI&A Cabinet Report – Uncertain ground complicates accountability remodel

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *Uncertain ground complicates accountability remodel* *By Kimberly Beltran* * * * * Two years ago, California adopted common core standards altering the academic curriculum structure for what students should learn and when they should learn it. Last week, state schools chief Tom Torlakson offered a sweeping new plan for assessing students based on the common core. And now focus turns to performing a similar makeover for how schools will be evaluated in the future using a system that reduces the influence of test scores to include new and nua... more »

Ed Notes Online: Weingarten and Sharpton, Perfect Together

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Weingarten and Sharpton, Perfect Together: Weingarten and Sharpton, Perfect Together by ed notes online Joining him will be Randi Weingarten; Lee Sanders, President of AFCEME; Arlene Holt Baker, of the AFL-CIO and "many more". So here's a supporter of union busting charters being supported by unions. You really can't make this stuff up. Would MLK support the charter school movement as it creates a dual school system of educational apartheid? And the UFT gave Sharpton 50 Grand (does anyone really think that means social justice unionism?). So whose side are they ... more »

Tips from the Trenches: School Safety — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Tips from the Trenches: School Safety — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Stephen Sroka]Tips from the Trenches: School Safety January 10, 2013 by Stephen Sroka *During the last few months, I have had the chance to talk with several speakers who strongly affected their audiences. I started to think about the remarkable leaders with whom I have worked over the years and how they have made huge differences with their incredible wisdom, insights, and actions. I contacted some of them and asked them to comment on working in education in these difficult times. I asked th... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky English teacher Kit McCormick, left, discusses Garfield High School teachers' decision to refuse to give the MAP test to their students (Seattle Times) Garfield H.S. teachers *We are not troublemakers nor do we want to impede the high functioning of our school. We are professionals who care deeply about our students and cannot continue to participate in a practice that harms our school and our students.* -- Petition Nancy Carlsson-Paige *"I have decided that because of your collaboration with TFA... more »

Teacher: Why I won’t give students high-stakes standardized test

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Teacher: Why I won’t give students high-stakes standardized test: Teacher: Why I won’t give students high-stakes standardized test Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 14, 2013 at 4:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - - - - [image: test]I received the following email from a teacher at Garfield High School in Seattle, where nearly all of the teachers are refusing to give students mandated standardized district tests called the Measures of Academy Progress. The Garfield teachers say the tests are flawed and do... more »

Tony Bennett and Most of State Board of Education “Share a Devotion to Bush” | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Tony Bennett and Most of State Board of Education “Share a Devotion to Bush” | Scathing Purple Musings: Tony Bennett and Most of State Board of Education “Share a Devotion to Bush” by Bob Sikes When does this become creepy? From an AP story by Bill Kaczor: Tony Bennett’s style didn’t sit well with Indiana voters. In November, they voted him out of office after one term in favor of school librarian Glenda Ritz, a Democrat, while electing another Republican governor and backing Mitt Romney in the presidential race. Bennett may fare better when he begins his new job today in Florida,... more »

NYC Educator: The New Skill Set for Effective Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

NYC Educator: The New Skill Set for Effective Teachers: The New Skill Set for Effective Teachers by NYC Educator *by Recovering ATR* I go to a lot of dance performances, and sometimes the dancers are performing new "experimental" choreography. Sometimes the new choreography is wonderful, and everyone goes home happy. But there was one particular performance of a new dance that was so excruciatingly bad that when the dancers came out towards the end for a curtain call they looked mortified. Like "please don't remember me for this." This particular mortified look can be found on peo... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: StudentsFirst does NOT represent School Choice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: StudentsFirst does NOT represent School Choice: StudentsFirst does NOT represent School Choice by stlgretchen Does this woman want even more control of educational decisions and state coffers? *"Entrepreneurial investment in education technology has skyrocketed from $100 million in 2007 to $429 million in 2011. It’s peculiar that the huge increase in companies investing in digital classrooms and testing materials to eventually align with the Common Core State Standards’ requirements began the same year Rhee became Chancellor of DC Schools and Obama b... more »

DIANE RAVITCH SAYS LAUSD IS NOT ALONE IN THE CLONE WARS - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

DIANE RAVITCH SAYS LAUSD IS NOT ALONE IN THE CLONE WARS - Perdaily.com: DIANE RAVITCH SAYS LAUSD IS NOT ALONE IN THE CLONE WARS by Leonard Isenberg [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Obey or Quit-The Bullying In Educationby dianerav http://dianeravitch.net/2013/01/12/obey-or-quit/ A teacher sent me this post, which has generated lots of discussion on Facebook. She said that the discussion on this blog shows a widespread bullying of teachers by administrators, who are in turn being bullied to produce "results." Everyone is under pressure to meet demands created by... more »

SHOW SOME RESPECT FOR LAUSD, IT'S HARD WORK INSURING STUDENT FAILURE OVER GENERATIONS - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

SHOW SOME RESPECT FOR LAUSD, IT'S HARD WORK INSURING STUDENT FAILURE OVER GENERATIONS - Perdaily.com: SHOW SOME RESPECT FOR LAUSD, IT'S HARD WORK INSURING STUDENT FAILURE OVER GENERATIONS by Leonard Isenberg [image: Ah Ha Moment.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) * *Probably the best indicator that racism is still alive and well in inner city public education in this country - and more specially at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) - is the fact that nobody wonders why Latino and African American students continue to do so abysmally- it's as if it's expected of the... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 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 - 11 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 - 12 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 - 13 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:

School Tech Connect: Do You Need Something To Do?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Do You Need Something To Do?: Do You Need Something To Do? by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I'm not going to lie, I slept most of the day. Actually, I fell on the ice this morning while walking Scout and Butterbean, and for the first time in my life, I fell like an old person rather than a young person. There was a moment, down there on the ground, when I had doubts about my ability to get back up. Currently my left arm refuses to let me use it anywhere above the elevation of my shoulder, and I'm pretty sure a rib is involved. It was pretty much a crawl-bac... more »

Dan Gelber: “Getting straight A’s for having lots of tests is not the same as getting A’s on the tests” | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Dan Gelber: “Getting straight A’s for having lots of tests is not the same as getting A’s on the tests” | Scathing Purple Musings: Dan Gelber: “Getting straight A’s for having lots of tests is not the same as getting A’s on the tests” by Bob Sikes And emphasizing twice that “testing is not teaching’ former Florida state senator Dan Gelber chided “the usual suspects engaged in the typical self-adulation,” for Education Week’s recent high-ranking of Florida. This from his column in *Florida Voices*: I don’t relish being the guy constantly throwing cold water on the party, but a cl... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 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 - 14 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 - 15 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 »

RheeFirst! » Democrats flee StudentsFirst, cite conservative policy stance

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

RheeFirst! » Democrats flee StudentsFirst, cite conservative policy stance: Democrats flee StudentsFirst, cite conservative policy stance by admin [image: DFER Fake Democrats for Education Privatization (click on Picture)] IT IS A RULE: YOU CAN'T BE AGAINST PEOPLE AND FOR CORPORATIONS AND CALL YOURSELF A DEMOCRAT...EVER! “Rhee purported to be the face of a bipartisan movement to “transform education,” while simultaneously battling Democratic teachers unions and appearing chummy in photo ops with conservative Republican governors like Rick Scott (Fla.) or John Kasich (Ohio). All th... more »

OCCUPY EDUCATION - Student Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

OCCUPY EDUCATION - Student Voice: Student Voice Student Voice: Student Voice is a grassroots support network that serves to aid and empower students in their efforts to be heard and earn their rightful seat at the table. It is a movement for students, by students, connecting and organizing America’s most underrepresented population – the students. We aim not to change a culture that ignores student voice, but rather create a culture that embraces it. Through the utilization of social media, millions of people have taken notice of students speaking out using the #StuVoice hashtag, ... more »

Ballard, Garfield, and Hamburg Teachers: We Stand with You | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Ballard, Garfield, and Hamburg Teachers: We Stand with You | United Opt Out National: Ballard, Garfield, and Hamburg Teachers: We Stand with You by admin A phrase many of us have heard as we have battled for public education, uttered by naysayers and skeptics, is “Why bother? You can’t change anything.” But any keen observer or philosopher of the universe knows the opposite to be true: *That the only constant in our world IS change*. But any kind of change to an existing system requires an agitation to that system. A body in motion stays in motion and patterns (even unhealthy on... more »

Ed Notes Online: Unity Hack Peter Goodman Compares MORE to Tea Party for Opposing Any Deal on Evaluation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Unity Hack Peter Goodman Compares MORE to Tea Party for Opposing Any Deal on Evaluation: Unity Hack Peter Goodman Compares MORE to Tea Party for Opposing Any Deal on Evaluation by ed notes online ** *The opposition party in the union will oppose any settlement... reminiscent of the Tea Party ---**The union must satisfy the membership and the mayor the public at large –especially the print media and the pro-(de)reform factions, Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) and StudentsFirstNY, the Rhee klaven.... Peter Goodman* *We DO NOT need to pander to Rhee, Students... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Los Angeles Community Fights to Block School Closing by dianerav Los Angeles Superintendent John Deasey plans to shut down Crenshaw High School, which has been making rapid strides with its school improvement plan. The school community is fighting back. Here is the exciting news: Community organizers from several cities (LA, Philly, New Orleans and others) are joining together to file a Civil Rights complaint against the US Department of Education around school closings. If you are in LA, join parents and the community on January 14 and 15. This email came f... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Comments in the Seattle Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Comments in the Seattle Times: Comments in the Seattle Times by Michael Rice In the Sunday edition of the Seattle Times there is an article about education funding and how the State House and Senate is going to find ways to comply with the court mandate to fully fund basic education. As of 4:00 on Sunday, there are 145 comments, mostly negative toward teachers. I posted the following comment. I don't know if it will make a difference, but I felt compelled to respond. I have posted the comment below. Long time readers of this blog will know th... more »

The Seattle Education Association’s response to the Garfield High School boycott of the MAP test | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

The Seattle Education Association’s response to the Garfield High School boycott of the MAP test | Seattle Education: The Seattle Education Association’s response to the Garfield High School boycott of the MAP test by seattleducation2011 *For the record, from the teacher’s union in Seattle, the Seattle Education Association.* The Seattle Education Association (SEA) supports all of our teachers in wanting to provide the best learning environment for Seattle’s students. Garfield teachers want to do just that. The concerns of using the MAP test are not new ones for our teachers and ... more »

This is an example of the fight we need to stop the destruction of public education:L.A. Teachers Use Privatization Fight to Build Community Power

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

This is an example of the fight we need to stop the destruction of public education:L.A. Teachers Use Privatization Fight to Build Community Power: This is an example of the fight we need to stop the destruction of public education:L.A. Teachers Use Privatization Fight to Build Community Power by Danny Weil [image: LAUSD] Fighting the privatization, financialization and corporatization of education is a daunting task. It is made so by one, separating the struggle behind K-12 from the struggle to stave off the authoritarian insects of reactionary revolution and the struggle in hi... more »

Style and Substance (or, At Least Three Things You Don’t Say To A Man of Color) | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Style and Substance (or, At Least Three Things You Don’t Say To A Man of Color) | The Jose Vilson: Style and Substance (or, At Least Three Things You Don’t Say To A Man of Color) by Jose Vilson [image: Martin Luther King Jr. by Marvin Koner] Martin Luther King Jr. by Marvin Koner Moments like this make me want to ask, “Who ASKED you?!” Some of my frustration lately stems from the perception that making something look easy equates to the task actually being easy. Especially as it pertains to the site and everything surrounding it. The design, the content, the schedule, the photos, an... more »

The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Leave | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Leave | EduShyster: The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Leave by edushyster2012 *The case of the disappearing (and *unusually effective*) charter school teachers* Do you dream of CRUSHING the achievement gap but aren’t sure that a 14 hour work day is right for you? Are you MAD passionate about training the next generation of test takers but worry that you lack the hand gestures to keep a large class of minority students on task? Reader: I’ve got excellent news. Thanks to our excellent and innovative friends at MATCH Education you can test drive your dream with... more »

John Thompson: "Choice" Leaves Detroit's Special Ed Students Behind - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

John Thompson: "Choice" Leaves Detroit's Special Ed Students Behind - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: John Thompson: "Choice" Leaves Detroit's Special Ed Students Behind by Anthony Cody *Guest post by John Thompson.* The Detroit Free Press's Chastity Pratt Dawson reports that the decline in Detroit's overall school population has increased the percentages of its special education students, making it harder to meet high-stakes accountability goals. The percentage of students on IEPs has increased from 14% to over 18% since 2005. In Michigan, 12% of all students and 10%... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 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 - 21 hours 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 »

Aaron Swartz. RIP. How the kids fought for civil liberties and pissed off the Feds. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Aaron Swartz. RIP. How the kids fought for civil liberties and pissed off the Feds. « Fred Klonsky: Aaron Swartz. RIP. How the kids fought for civil liberties and pissed off the Feds. by Fred Klonsky Aaron Swartz was found dead in his New York apartment on Friday. Apparently it was suicide. His family issues this statement: “Aaron’s death is not simply a personal tragedy. It is the product of a criminal justice system rife with intimidation and prosecutorial overreach. Decisions made by officials in the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s office and at MIT contributed to his death.”

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Road Ahead

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours 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 - 23 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 »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

PBS | Ombudsman | Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: Reformer, Zealot, Both or Something Else?: Failed DC Chancellor 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 »

Will longer school year help or hurt US students? - NorthJersey.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Will longer school year help or hurt US students? - NorthJersey.com: Will longer school year help or hurt US students? SUNDAY JANUARY 13, 2013, 11:45 AM BY JULIE CARR SMYTH ASSOCIATED PRESS PAGES: 1 2 3 4 > DISPLAY ON ONE PAGE | PRINT | E-MAIL Did your kids moan that winter break was way too short as you got them ready for the first day back in school? They might get their wish of more holiday time off under proposals catching on around the country to lengthen the school year. But there's a catch: a much shorter summer vacation. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, a chief proponent of th... more »

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky: The Sunday Mail. by Fred Klonsky [image: The writers] *Springfield, Illinois. January 3, 2013. Photo: John Laesch.* *Matt Damon and his mom, teacher Nancy Carlsson-Paige, won’t be in Hotlanta this July for the NEA RA.* They are unhappy with the NEA’s collaboration with Teach for America’s Wendy Kopp. They turned down the NEA’s nomination for their Friend of Education Award. Good for them. *Larry Lessig remembers Aaron Swartz. *Swartz committed suicide Friday. Aaron was a target of the feds for his insistence on freedom of access to public informatio... more »

The Diverse Schools Dilemma - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

The Diverse Schools Dilemma - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help: The Diverse Schools Dilemma by joyce I am reading *"The Diverse Schools Dilemma: A Parent's Guide to Socioeconomically Mixed Public Schools" by Michael J. Petrilli *and I am riveted. He is the executive vice president of the Thomas B.Fordam Institute a think tank focused on K-12 education policy, and excecutive editor of the journal "Education Next". He is also a father living just outside Washington DC in Tacoma Park, MD (self described as Berkeley East... I thought Park Slope was Berkeley East!). Looking for ... more »

Judge upholds firing of Paterson teacher who called students 'future criminals' - NorthJersey.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Judge upholds firing of Paterson teacher who called students 'future criminals' - NorthJersey.com: Judge upholds firing of Paterson teacher who called students 'future criminals' FRIDAY JANUARY 11, 2013, 11:41 AM BY ANTHONY CAMPISI STATE HOUSE BUREAU THE RECORD PRINT | E-MAIL An appellate panel upheld the firing of a Paterson first grade teacher who called her first-grade students “future criminals” in a Facebook post. The two-judge panel ruled Friday that Jennifer O’Brien’s conduct wasn’t protected by the First Amendment and that her “right to express those comments was outweigh... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 »

Engaging with Godzilla « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Engaging with Godzilla « Cooperative Catalyst: Engaging with Godzilla by Paul Freedman I am Godzilla! Hear me roar! [image: I am Godzilla! Hear me roar!]“We are *bad* Godzillas!” I heard the familiar husky little voice of a 4-year-old student at my school while I was out working in the recess yard of my school. This boy, Vlad often exhibits a somewhat negative influence on the world around him, and is the source of many student complaints and staff hand-wringing. The verbal warning here was clear: Vlad, and his little three-year-old protégé, Thomas, were bent on destruction. Th... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Segregation By Behavior: Chartery Secret Sauce

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day 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 »

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