BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-26-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 minutes ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Teachers, Please Read This and React by dianerav An article in Education Week reports on studies by economists claiming hat when teachers take early retirement, student test scores go up. Behind this is the assumption that new teachers are more successful than experienced teachers. This sounds counter-intuitive to me, but I would like to know what teachers think. A quote: “Boosting early retirement in cash-strapped districts doesn’t hurt students’ math and reading scores, according to new studies released a... more »
Daily Kos: Reflections at the midpoint of the school year
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago
Daily Kos: Reflections at the midpoint of the school year: Reflections at the midpoint of the school year by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) yesterday was the final day of 2nd quarter. The students were there for only half a day, as the afternoon was reserved for teachers to do grades and catch up on things. Most of us had completed our grading. I had, although I will head to school this morning to give some students a chance to raise their grades so that either they will not fail or they can achieve a higher letter grade. I have been with my students for almost all of the last ... more »
Close Achievement Gap by Addressing School Health - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 minutes ago
Close Achievement Gap by Addressing School Health - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News: Close Achievement Gap by Addressing School Health by Jonathan Kantrowitz Health in Mind, a new report from Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) and Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), details immediate solutions that can help close the achievement gap and create a healthy future for all children. American children are struggling academically and the nation faces a growing achievement gap that is increasingly tied to health disparities—today’s children could become the first generation to live sho... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: Anti-Common Core Bill Filed in Missouri
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 minutes ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Anti-Common Core Bill Filed in Missouri: Anti-Common Core Bill Filed in Missouri by stlgretchen FIRST REGULAR SESSION SENATE BILL NO. 210 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY INTRODUCED BY SENATORS LAMPING AND NIEVES. Read 1st time January 24, 2013, and ordered printed. TERRY L. SPIELER, Secretary. 1218S.01I AN ACT To amend chapter 161, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the Common Core Standards Initiative. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows: Section A. Chapter 161, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new 2... more »
“Irrational Exuberance”: The Case of the MOOCs | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago
“Irrational Exuberance”: The Case of the MOOCs | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: “Irrational Exuberance”: The Case of the MOOCs by larrycuban Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan said in 1996 that the high-flying stock market was an instance of “irrational exuberance.” [image: images]Nearly two decades later, were he so inclined to inspect the swift expansion of elite universities into sponsoring Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs), he might have said pretty much the same thing. Certainly, there is “exuberance.” The hype, the constant flow of words l... more »
With new rules, Pa. charter school performance plummets - Philly.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 25 minutes ago
With new rules, Pa. charter school performance plummets - Philly.com: With new rules, Pa. charter school performance plummets January 25, 2013|By Martha Woodall, Inquirer Staff Writer - - - Share on emailShare on printShare on redditMore Sharing Services - - - - [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] The percentage of Pennsylvania charter schools that met academic benchmarks plummeted after the state Department of Education was forced to recalculate the performance rates. Under a new and controversial method th...more »
Lice Like a Warm Head During Chilly Winter Days - Davis, CA Patch
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 33 minutes ago
Lice Like a Warm Head During Chilly Winter Days - Davis, CA Patch: Lice Like a Warm Head During Chilly Winter Days As parents, we have all worried and wondered about it: lice. Just hearing the word makes you itchy and stressed. What parent doesn't dread getting that note sent home in their child's backpack that there has been a case of lice in the classroom? With winter being a particularly active time for outbreaks—thanks primarily to extra clothing like hats and coats that provide a convenient way for bugs to spread—we bring you some tips to help you survive an outbreak without l... more »
DeKalb teacher: If you want good teachers to stay in your school, please let them know | Get Schooled
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 36 minutes ago
DeKalb teacher: If you want good teachers to stay in your school, please let them know | Get Schooled: DeKalb teacher: If you want good teachers to stay in your school, please let them know by Maureen Downey Mike Ritter/AJC [image: Mike Ritter/AJC]A DeKalb teacher sent me this note, which I thought was worth sharing here: I am an occasional commenter on your blog “Get Schooled,” but a frequent reader. Many, many parents and teachers I know follow it as well. Since I teach in DeKalb, you realize how I cannot use my real name…I sure wish that could change. I’m counting down the numb... more »
LAUSD plans to add 1,000 new campus aides for security at elementary schools - LA Daily News
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 37 minutes ago
LAUSD plans to add 1,000 new campus aides for security at elementary schools - LA Daily News: LAUSD plans to add 1,000 new campus aides for security at elementary schools By Mariecar Mendoza, Staff Writer Posted: 01/25/2013 09:02:39 PM PST Updated: 01/25/2013 09:55:42 PM PST *LAUSD MEMO* To view an LAUSD memo about campus aides, click here. The Los Angeles Unified School District plans to make more than 1,000 new hires to bolster security at hundreds of campuses in a move some critics have called "security on the cheap." More than 400 LAUSD elementary school campuses are slated... more »
Sen. Don Gaetz on Florida’s Ed Accountability System: “There’s a danger of all this imploding” | Scathing Purple Musings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 39 minutes ago
Sen. Don Gaetz on Florida’s Ed Accountability System: “There’s a danger of all this imploding” | Scathing Purple Musings: Sen. Don Gaetz on Florida’s Ed Accountability System: “There’s a danger of all this imploding” by Bob Sikes In a story by *Florida Current’s *James Call, powerful Florida senate president Don Gaetz (R-Niceville) made a some stunning admissions. “If you have a C school, 90 percent of the teachers in a C school can’t be highly effective. That doesn’t make sense,” Gaetz said. Results released in December by the *Department of Education* revealed that 96 percent ... more »
Schools Requiring Criminal Background Checks For Visitors | toteachornototeach
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 42 minutes ago
Schools Requiring Criminal Background Checks For Visitors | toteachornototeach: Schools Requiring Criminal Background Checks For Visitors by aristotlethewise *Schools Background Check Visitors In Illinois For Criminal Record* [image: Monster_on_the_Campus_Monstruo_en_la_noche-415525458-large]Visitors to schools in a suburban Chicago, Ill., district are now required to undergo a background check as part of added security measures in the weeks following last month’s shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Frankfort School District 157-C has installed a $2,000 system ... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Reformy Maniac Ben Chavis Update
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 43 minutes ago
Jersey Jazzman: Reformy Maniac Ben Chavis Update: Reformy Maniac Ben Chavis Update by Duke *"Whitney, it's Ben. Hey, can you loan me $3.8 million?"* Oh, my goodness gracious... *Oakland's American Indian Model Schools organization has failed to fix the oversight failures that allowed for rampant conflicts of interest and misuse of public funds*, Oakland Superintendent Tony Smith reported this week. On Wednesday night, the Oakland school board agreed, putting American Indian's three charter schools -- which boast some of the highest test scores in California -- one step closer to ... more »
Top Content this Week - 1-26-13 The Educator's PLN
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 45 minutes ago
Top Content this Week - The Educator's PLN: 1[image: Our group lives on!]Our group lives on! Posted by Lisa Michelle Dabbs on January 24, 2013 2[image: What's a PLN?]What's a PLN? Added by Avi Spector on November 30, 2012 3[image: The New Teacher Mentoring Project]The New Teacher Mentoring Project Added by Lisa Michelle Dabbs on January 7, 2011 4[image: Commercials]Commercials Posted by Gérard Gatoux on January 19, 2013 5[image: Sophie 2.0]Sophie 2.0 Posted by Donna Murdoch on January 21, 2010 6[image: The Power of Introverts - Ep 1]The Power of Introverts - Ep 1 Added by Thomas Whitby ... more »
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 1-26-13
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 47 minutes ago
*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* LAUSD PLANS TO ADD 1,000 NEW CAMPUS AIDES FOR SECURITY AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 8 hours ago By Mariecar Mendoza, Staff Writer, LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/WayNZK 1/25/2013 09:02:39 PM PST :: The Los Angeles Unified School District plans to make more than 1,000 new hires to bolster security at hundreds of campuses in a move some critics have called "security on the cheap." More than 400 LAUSD elementary school campuses are slated to receive ...more »
This Week's Education Research Report 1-26-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 48 minutes ago
Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Content-focused literacy coaching is markedly more effective Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 19 hours ago The language and reading comprehension skills of low-income upper elementary-school students—especially English-language learners—can improve markedly if trained literacy coaches engage teachers in conducting interactive text discussions with students, according to a three-year University of Pittsburgh study. The Pitt researchers report in the journal Learning and Instruction that language... more »
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 1-26-13 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 51 minutes ago
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL *LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAY* *LOOK FOR MY UPCOMING BOOK IN MARCH, 2013*[image: Ferlazzo200(1)] "Self-Driven Learning: Teaching Strategies for Student Motivation" will be a sequel to"Helping Students Motivate Themselves" More On Seattle Test Boycott Larry Ferlazzo at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... - 1 hour ago Here are new additions to A Beginning List Of The Best Resources On The Seattle Standardized Test Boycott: Seattle Teachers Protest Exams is from The Wall Street Journal. Seattle Education h... more »
Education Dept. Clarifies Law on Disabled Students’ Access to Sports - NYTimes.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Education Dept. Clarifies Law on Disabled Students’ Access to Sports - NYTimes.com: Education Dept. Orders Sports Access for DisabledBy MARY PILONPublished: January 25, 2013 [image: Obama Orders Schools to Provide Disabled Kids Access to Sports] - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights clarified legal obligations Friday for school districts in providing access to sports for students with disabilities. Related - Forging Path to Starting Line for Younger Disabled A... more »
The in box. John Dillon on Nekritz’s Three Card Monte. « Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
The in box. John Dillon on Nekritz’s Three Card Monte. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. John Dillon on Nekritz’s Three Card Monte. by Fred Klonsky *Here are some considerations that Rep. Nekritz omits in her response to Ralph Matire’s suggestions. The General Assembly is already acting on borrowed time for the 2% increase the Democrats forced through an earlier lame duck session, an increase designed to sunset in 2015. With the current state of affairs in Illinois, the fiscal irresponsibility and scapegoating of nearly 600,000+ public sector employees; an assurance of a “next” Democra... more »
New look « Seattle Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
New look « Seattle Education: New look [image: elliott_bay_books-300x225] Life is a series of actions and reactions, adjustments and readjustments, and so it is with our blog. When I posted the very first post on this blog four years ago one quiet Saturday evening, I had no idea who, if anyone, would read what I had written. What was important to me at the time was that I sent it out in hopes that someone, anyone, would become informed of what was happening in Seattle, of what I saw. Four years since and from what I know, from the stats that are available to me every hour of the da... more »
Oregon Save Our Schools: Another Way to “Balance” Jefferson Cluster
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Oregon Save Our Schools: Another Way to “Balance” Jefferson Cluster: Another Way to “Balance” Jefferson Cluster from Oregon Save Our Schools by Oregon SOS [image: Putting the Public Back in Our Public Schools!] ***Oregon SOS supports "no more closures" of our public schools. Join members of the community this Saturday at 1 pm at Jefferson High School to support keeping the Jefferson Cluster of schools open.* *The following blog post is by Elizabeth Thiel, a parent and teacher at Vernon School in NE Portland.* Again, Portland Public Schools is talking about fiddling around with... more »
State plan to help charter schools irks Palm Beach County... | www.palmbeachpost.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
State plan to help charter schools irks Palm Beach County... | www.palmbeachpost.com: State plan to help charter schools irks Palm Beach County School Board By Jason Schultz Palm Beach Post Staff Writer [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Some Palm Beach County School District officials are incensed at a state proposal to offer once again millions of dollars next year for capital improvements at charter schools — and none at traditional public schools. That plan, those officials say, has set up a political fight for the legislative session that begins in Marc... more »
How My Theory Of Knowledge Students Evaluated Me This Semester — “We learned things that are different than normal classes” | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
How My Theory Of Knowledge Students Evaluated Me This Semester — “We learned things that are different than normal classes” | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: How My Theory Of Knowledge Students Evaluated Me This Semester — “We learned things that are different than normal classes” by Larry Ferlazzo As usual, during the semester finals, I had my students provide anonymous evaluations of classes and me. I always tell them (and always follow-through) that I will be posting the results — warts and all — on my blog and also share it directly with colleagues. I doing that enhanc... more »
Last Stand for Children First: Let's All Celebrate School Choice Week
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Last Stand for Children First: Let's All Celebrate School Choice Week: Let's All Celebrate School Choice Week by Last Stand for Children It's National School Choice Week and I believe if there is one thing worth celebrating, it's school choice. Choice means a great deal in education and even more amazing, it means different things to different people. I think it's important that we celebrate school choice in all it's forms. Charter schools across this country can celebrate school choice because they have the right to choose if they are public schools or private schools. An NLR... more »
CORPORATE WELFARE?: Public Charter Schools Grant Program Dissemination Sub-grant (CA Dept of Education)
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
RFA: Public Charter Schools Grant Program Dissemination Sub-grant (CA Dept of Education): Request for ApplicationsPublic Charter Schools Grant Program Dissemination Sub-grant ------------------------------ Projected Funding Profile: No due date information is available. The federal Public Charter School Dissemination Grant Program (PCSGP) is administered by the Charter Schools Division. Grants are reviewed by peer evaluators and awarded on a competitive basis to charter schools that will disseminate best practices likely to significantly improve academic achievement in Californ... more »
ACCS Meeting Notice--Advisory Commission on Chart - Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (CA Dept of Education)
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
ACCS Meeting Notice--Advisory Commission on Chart - Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (CA Dept of Education): CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION1430 N Street, Suite 5111 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916-319-0827 Fax: 916-319-0175 Meeting Notice Advisory Commission on Charter Schools An advisory body to the State Board of Education [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Wednesday, February 6, 2013 9:30 a. m. ± – 4:30 p. m. ±California Department of Education 1430 N Street, Room 1101 Sacramento, CA 95814-5901 916-322-6029Commission Members Brian Bauer Gary Davi... more »
Tennessee state senator: Reduce welfare payments to families if children don’t do well in school | Get Schooled
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Tennessee state senator: Reduce welfare payments to families if children don’t do well in school | Get Schooled: Tennessee state senator: Reduce welfare payments to families if children don’t do well in school 6:52 pm January 25, 2013, by Maureen Downey A Tennessee state senator has come up with what I believe is a first: Republican State Sen. Stacey Campfield of Knoxville proposes to cut welfare benefits to parents whose children don’t make “satisfactory academic progress” in school. Campfield believes that his bill would compel parents to work harder to ensure their kids excel i... more »
Washington state Sen. Ed Murray seeks capital gains tax to help education | OregonLive.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Washington state Sen. Ed Murray seeks capital gains tax to help education | OregonLive.com: Washington state Sen. Ed Murray seeks capital gains tax to help education from Oregon Education by The Associated Press The Democrat says the 5 percent excise tax would affect a small fraction of residents. [image: Legislative_Preview.jpg] Washington state Sen. Ed MurrayThe Associated Press The leader of the Senate Democrats in Washington state is proposing a capital gains tax to help add hundreds of millions of dollars to education. Sen. Ed Murray of Seattle said Friday that he'd like to s... more »
Modern School: The Coming Influenza Pandemic Part V
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Modern School: The Coming Influenza Pandemic Part V: The Coming Influenza Pandemic Part V by Michael Dunn In Parts I-IV I discussed the biology, morphology, etiology, genetics and ecology of influenza, the various influenza pandemics that have occurred over the past century and the current socioeconomic factors that increase the likelihood and potential severity of another deadly flu pandemic. In Part V, I further examine these socioeconomic factors and propose some solutions. Over the past several decades there has been a dramatic decline in public health funding and infrastruc... more »
Got Choice? Ubetcha! Kickoff - National School Choice Week
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Kickoff - National School Choice Week: Kickoff Can't make it to Phoenix, AZ tonight for our official kickoff? No worries! You can be a part of the celebration right here. A partial live stream of our official kickoff celebration in Phoenix, AZ begins at 8:30pm EST/5:30pm PST on January 25, 2013. Got Choice? Ubetcha! - Celebrating National School Choice Week *National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) Group: 1 in 5 charter schools not doing well enough to stay open* A group that oversees more than half of the nation's 5,600 charter schools said as many as one i... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Superintendent's Press Conference on MAP
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Superintendent's Press Conference on MAP: Superintendent's Press Conference on MAP by Melissa Westbrook It was interesting to be sure. The Superintendent was accompanied by Michael Tolley, Interim Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning and Eric Anderson, head of Assessments. The room was packed with reporters, several of which were student reporters from Hale and Garfield. Unless otherwise noted, these are Superintendent Banda's answers and not all the questions were mine. Q- If teachers boycott MAP, what about those suspensions? A. ...more »
State legislators seek crackdown on expensive form of school finance - latimes.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
State legislators seek crackdown on expensive form of school finance - latimes.com: State legislators seek crackdown on expensive form of school finance [image: Photo: Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach is part of the Newport Mesa School District, which issued $83 million in long-term notes in May 2011. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times] Two state lawmakers moved on Friday to crack down on a costly method of finance that hundreds of school districts have been relying on to pay for new construction. Assembly members Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) and Joan Buchanan (D-Alamo)...more »
Observe Fred Korematsu Day - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Observe Fred Korematsu Day - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Urges Public to Observe Fred Korematsu Day SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today encouraged all Californians to take a moment during the last week of January to observe the third annual "Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution," as well as participate in the Korematsu Day events throughout California. "History offers us many lessons, among them the cost of war and racism, and the strength it takes to achieve justice," said Torlakso... more »
Teaching Reading Comprehension Through Content Areas — Whole Child Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Teaching Reading Comprehension Through Content Areas — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]Teaching Reading Comprehension Through Content Areas January 25, 2013 by Klea Scharberg What is the most effective way to teach a reading comprehension strategy? Does explicit instruction in one type of reading comprehension strategy facilitate acquisition of similar types of reading comprehension strategies? This video, from Best Practices Weekly, dissects a study that posed these questions in an article published in the *Journal of Educational Psychology*. Foc... more »
Seattle Grace - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Seattle Grace - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Seattle Grace by Nancy Flanagan *What would happen if teachers refused to do things that harmed their students?* Actually, it's a common occurrence. Ms. Smith decides making her students write their spelling words ten times each is unproductive make-work, and finds a better routine. Mr. Jones stops his embarrassing (but time-saving) habit of exchange-papers-and-correct. Mrs. Johnson realizes that reflexively assigning kids to all-day detention is counterproductive and substitutes real, difficult one-to-one conver... more »
Diane in the Evening 1-25-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Teachers, Please Read This and React by dianerav An article in Education Week reports on studies by economists claiming hat when teachers take early retirement, student test scores go up. Behind this is the assumption that new teachers are more successful than experienced teachers. This sounds counter-intuitive to me, but I would like to know what teachers think. A quote: “Boosting early retirement in cash-strapped districts doesn’t hurt students’ math and reading scores, Will Contempt for Unions Mar Bloomberg’s Legacy? by dianerav Well, that’s the questi... more »
Schools Matter: Teachers and CCSS: To Implement or To Resist?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Schools Matter: Teachers and CCSS: To Implement or To Resist?: Teachers and CCSS: To Implement or To Resist? by P. L. Thomas At the *Teaching Now* blog (*Education Week*), a recent debate among Larry Ferlazzo, Stephen Krashen, David Cohen, and Paul Thomas has prompted the post: "Should Teachers Resist the Common Core?" In a series of blog posts as well as comments on those posts, Ferlazzo and Cohen have offered skepticism about CCSS, but maintain implementation of CCSS and the high-stakes tests to follow are inevitable, and thus the realistic and practical response from teachers... more »
Better than tests Parents United for Responsible Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Better than tests: Better than tests by admin *If not standardized tests, then what?* That question was soundly answered last night at the forum, “Assessments that Make Sense” in Bronzeville (photos coming) A room crowded with parents, teachers, students and community members from all over the city heard Monty Neill present two successful alternatives to standardized testing accountability: - the Performance Assessment student project-based model used in New York in place of state Regents’ exams, and - the Learni... more »
SI&A Cabinet Report – Auditors looking at LEAs, CDE and anti-bullying enforcement
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: Print this articleAuditors looking at LEAs, CDE and anti-bullying enforcement *By Tom Chorneau* Friday, January 25, 2013 Spurred perhaps by disturbing disclosures out of the school shooting incident in Taft earlier this month, the Bureau of State Audits has launched a review of how local educational agencies deal with on-campus bullying as well as state oversight. The audit, which state schools chief Tom Torlakson announced to district administrators in a letter last week, comes in the wake of the Jan. 10 shooting at Taft Union High School ... more »
The Weekly Update: Seattle teachers stand firm, testing push back around the country, a parent offers ideas for those opt-out days and Yong Zhao on testing and standardization | Seattle Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
The Weekly Update: Seattle teachers stand firm, testing push back around the country, a parent offers ideas for those opt-out days and Yong Zhao on testing and standardization | Seattle Education: The Weekly Update: Seattle teachers stand firm, testing push back around the country, a parent offers ideas for those opt-out days and Yong Zhao on testing and standardization by seattleducation2011 *The Weekly Update for the news and views you might have missed.* [image: weekly] It’s been quite a week in our fair city. Many of us here in Seattle have watched the destruction of the teachi... more »
Teachers Don't Suck !: New Jersey Pension "Deform"!
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Teachers Don't Suck !: New Jersey Pension "Deform"!: New Jersey Pension "Deform"! Republican Christine Todd Whitman, running on a tax-cutting platform, defeated Florio in the 1993 governor's race. To help pay for her promised tax cuts, Whitman, like her predecessor, turned to the pension fund. In 1994, at her urging, the legislature adopted another pension*"reform" act that allowed her to reduce state and local contributions to the plan by nearly $1.5 billion*in 1994 and 1995, according to the task force report. Florio's and Whitman's accounting changes were "the one-two punch fr... more »
Philadelphia Council calls for moratorium on school closings | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Philadelphia Council calls for moratorium on school closings | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Philadelphia Council calls for moratorium on school closingsby thenotebook on Jan 25 2013 Posted in Latest news ="" style="color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on email COMMENTS (0)PRINT *by Tom MacDonald* As Philadelphia City Council got back to work for the first time in 2013, one of its first actions was approval of a nonbinding resolution calling for a one-year moratorium on public school closings in the city. The financially struggling ... more »
UPDATE: NEA President Dennis Van Roekel on Garfield + The Seattle Garfield movement spreads + Mark Stefanik. Savage indignation. « Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Mark Stefanik. Savage indignation. « Fred Klonsky: The inbox. NEA President Dennis Van Roekel on Garfield. by Fred Klonsky *Fred,* *We have been witness this week to a defining moment within the education profession as educators at Seattle’s Garfield High School take a heroic stand against using the MAP test as a basis for measuring academic performance and teacher effectiveness. I, along with 3 million educators across the country, proudly support their efforts in saying ‘no’ to giving their students a flawed test that takes away from learning and is not aligned with the curricul... more »
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *A chipper Brown targets education funding* Education Headlines *Friday, January 25, 2013* Justice Dept. helps soothe issues on Stockton USD campusesThe campus climates at Edison and at Chavez High were a central topic at the schools this week. At the request of Stockton Unified, a representative from the United States Department of Justice's Community Relations Service led daylong gatherings at each school aimed at addressing a full range of student concerns. Board vote will result in closure of Bayside School in SausalitoDespit... more »
D.C. Council members fear schools near tipping point as students flee system - The Washington Post
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
D.C. Council members fear schools near tipping point as students flee system - The Washington Post: D.C. Council members fear schools near tipping point as students flee system - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - E-mail - Reprints By Emma Brown, Published: January 23 The District’s traditional public school system is in danger of shrinking significantly unless officials make changes that persuade parents to stop fleeing to public charter schools, D.C. Council members said Wednesday. “I believe we are within a year or two of hitting an irrever... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: CHICAGO SCHOOL-CLOSING QUOTABLES
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: CHICAGO SCHOOL-CLOSING QUOTABLES: CHICAGO SCHOOL-CLOSING QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky School closers Babbitz & Byrd-Bennett *“CPS needs to make sure it’s not fixing what isn’t broken. The District must not shutter schools that, though technically underutilized, are vibrant hubs of community activity housed in high-quality buildings, and that serve as an anchoring force in their neighborhoods.” *-- *Commission on School Utilization*, Interim Report, Jan. 10th *“We know that in the past we haven’t done a terrific job of tracking students and understandin...more »
It’s politics – not asbestos that clouds UConn's downtown Hartford move - Wait, What?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
It’s politics – not asbestos that clouds UConn's downtown Hartford move - Wait, What?: It’s politics – not asbestos that clouds UConn’s downtown Hartford move by jonpelto There must be big money and politics at play behind UConn’s downtown move. Or as they say at the Legislative Office Building – “You can small a rat with this one.” On Wednesday the Hartford Business Journal wrote, “The University of Connecticut’s relocation of its West Hartford campus to downtown Hartford has hit a stumbling block as the office building the school is targeting for relocation in Constitution Plaz... more »
Shanker Blog » The Cartography Of High Expectations
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Shanker Blog » The Cartography Of High Expectations: The Cartography Of High Expectations by Matthew Di Carlo In October of last year, the education advocacy group ConnCAN published a report called “The Roadmap to Closing the Gap” in Connecticut. This report argues that the state must close its large achievement gaps by 2020 – that is, within eight years – and they use to data to argue that this goal is “both possible and achievable.” There is value in compiling data and disaggregating them by district and school. And ConnCAN, to its credit, doesn’t use this analysis as a blatant ... more »
Brown lashes out at regulators and testers, makes case for his reforms | EdSource Today
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Brown lashes out at regulators and testers, makes case for his reforms | EdSource Today: Brown lashes out at regulators and testers, makes case for his reforms ** January 24th, 2013 | 2 Comments | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on print More Sharing Services With a caustic critique of excessive testing and overregulation and a fervent call for respecting the “dignity and freedom of teachers and students,” Gov. Jerry Brown laid out the case for returning primary control of education to local hands and distributing state money equitably in his... more »
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