BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS
Lake Effect: Commentary: Some Efforts at School Reform Are "Waste of Time"
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago
Lake Effect: Commentary: Some Efforts at School Reform Are "Waste of Time": Commentary: Some Efforts at School Reform Are "Waste of Time" Lake Effect - - [image: Download] - Download - | - [image: Embed] - Embed - | - [image: RSS] - RSS - | - [image: Podcast] - Podcast [image: How should we approach school reform? -] [image: Click to Enlarge Photo]How should we approach school reform? LAKE EFFECT | DEC 19, 2012 *Lake Effect previously interviewed leaders from the coalition called Schools That Can Milwaukee, who talked about that group’s growth, an... more »
Modern School: Graduation Rates Highest in 40 Years
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 minutes ago
Modern School: Graduation Rates Highest in 40 Years: Graduation Rates Highest in 40 Years by Michael Dunn High school graduation rates are now at their highest level since the 1970s. In 2009-2010, 78.2% of students earned their diploma in four years, compared with 75.5% in 2008-2009. The graduation rate peaked at 78.7% in 1969-1970 and declined steadily until recently, dropping as low as 71% in the 1990s (data from Bloomberg News). The largest increases were among African American and Hispanic youth. On the one hand, we should all take a step back and relax. Our schools are not... more »
Joy Resmovits: Antonio Villaraigosa's Education Reforms Questioned By Mayoral Contenders: Ed Today
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 26 minutes ago
Joy Resmovits: Antonio Villaraigosa's Education Reforms Questioned By Mayoral Contenders: Ed Today: Antonio Villaraigosa's Education Reforms Questioned By Mayoral Contenders: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Reform Fatigue In L.A.?* "Antonio Villaraigosa Led The Way On Education Reform, But His Potential Successors Are Reluctant To Pick Up The Torch," reads the headline of an L.A. Weekly blog post.. The two top mayoral contenders to replace Villaraigosa at the helm of the nation's second largest school district aren't campaigning Villaraigosa-style reforms. The West Coast city's dynam... more »
Can traditional school systems be replaced by charters? - D.C. Schools Insider - The Washington Post
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Can traditional school systems be replaced by charters? - D.C. Schools Insider - The Washington Post: Can traditional school systems be replaced by charters? By Emma Brown When activists from the District and across the country gathered Tuesday at the U.S. Education Department to call for an end to school closures, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued a statement in solidarity: “It’s time to fix, not close, our schools,” she said. A few miles away, Andy Smarick argued the opposite: it’s time to close, not fix, our schools. D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya ... more »
Schools Matter: Simple Is As Simple Does
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Schools Matter: Simple Is As Simple Does: Simple Is As Simple Does by Storm Have you seen "Simple English Wikipedia"? This is a companion site for "Regular English Wikipedia." Here is the description (my emphasis): This is the front page of the Simple English Wikipedia. Wikipedias are places where people work together to write encyclopedias in different languages. We use Simple English words and grammar here. The Simple English Wikipedia is for everyone! *That includes children and adults who are learning English.* There are 91,451 articles on the Simple English Wikipedia. All...more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-30-13 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] Reader: How I Scored the FCAT Tests by dianerav A reader explains what happened when she was hired to score the FCAT: *My first job out of college in 2001 was scoring 8th grade FCAT essays. We made $10/hour in a small office building in Arizona, and we churned out scored tests like Big Macs.* *Sometimes the bossmen would test our overall consistency by having us score the same writing sample. One of these samples blew me away with its creativity and control of language. It had definite boy’s handwriting ... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: NSBA Pushes Back Against Arne Duncan but Supports Common Core Standards?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: NSBA Pushes Back Against Arne Duncan but Supports Common Core Standards?: NSBA Pushes Back Against Arne Duncan but Supports Common Core Standards? by stlgretchen National School Board Association issues press release: *Alexandria, Va. (Jan. 29, 2013) – More than 700 school board members and state school boards association leaders will be meeting with their members of Congress and urging them to co-sponsor legislation, developed by the National School Boards Association (NSBA), to protect local school district governance from unnecessary and counter-pr... more »
Cut services, borrow money: Connecticut State Budget Day - Wait, What?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Cut services, borrow money: Connecticut State Budget Day - Wait, What?: Cut services, borrow money: Connecticut State Budget Day It is budget day in Connecticut, the day Governor Malloy goes before a joint session of the Connecticut General Assembly to present his proposed budget for the next two fiscal years. A clear, concise snapshot of the “state of the state” can be seen through the CTNewsjunkie story that was posted late last night. Governor To Announce New Nonprofit Funding Initiative “Less than 24 hours before the state’s nonprofit community providers were to rally Wednesda... more »
State ordered to pay back districts $1 billion for 20-year-old mandate | EdSource Today
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
State ordered to pay back districts $1 billion for 20-year-old mandate | EdSource Today: State ordered to pay back districts $1 billion for 20-year-old mandate ** January 30th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on print More Sharing Services A state commission has ruled that the state must reimburse school districts about $1 billion in mandated special education costs dating back 20 years. But like many protracted mandate cases, the victory is largely one of principle. Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing to include a small payb... more »
Ed Notes Online: Susan Ohanian lays bare the roots of ed deform going back to the Clintons
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Susan Ohanian lays bare the roots of ed deform going back to the Clintons: Susan Ohanian lays bare the roots of ed deform going back to the Clintons by ed notes online History counts my chickadees, so if you want to understand the roots of ed deform read this entirely through. Susan doesn't get into the role Shanker and the union played in supporting so much of this as outlined in the Kahlenberg bio - which Kahlenberg paints as a good thing --- no wonder both the UFT/AFT and Broad backed the book. Thus when people accuse Randi of changing the direction of the uni... more »
School Tech Connect: A Note About Marketing
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
School Tech Connect: A Note About Marketing: A Note About Marketing by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) *Our research, marketing and brand-building tools** help clients navigate to their desired destinations every step of the way.* - Loran Marketing Listen, parents. If you find yourself being shunted off into a room to talk to a marketing person about keeping your neighborhood school closing, the thing you have to remember is this: You're not the client. You're the obstacle the client has to overcome. All of your complaints, your concerns, your from-the-heart advocacy for a co... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Latest Chicago gun deaths. Communities in distress.
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Latest Chicago gun deaths. Communities in distress.: Latest Chicago gun deaths. Communities in distress. by Mike Klonsky *"He hits the one that hurts the most to lose,” said Chicago Police Officer Damon Stewart, 36, Hadiya ’s godfather. “I changed her diapers, I played with her growing up. My heart is broken.”* Isolated and racially segregated neighborhoods in economic distress. Schools, medical and mental health facilities facing closure. The lives and family situations of thousands of mainly black and Latino youth in disarray and being further des... more »
The Vietnamization of public education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
The Vietnamization of public education: The Vietnamization of public education Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 30, 2013 at 6:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: the generals]Here’s an interesting look at the false metrics of success that characterized the Vietnam War, and now, school reform, by Steve Cohen, a senior lecturer in education at Tufts University. By Steve Cohen I have been reading a new book, “The Generals,” byTom Ricks. He looks at individual American military leader... more »
Bush Foundation “staff acted to promote their corporate funders’ priorities” | Scathing Purple Musings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Bush Foundation “staff acted to promote their corporate funders’ priorities” | Scathing Purple Musings: Bush Foundation “staff acted to promote their corporate funders’ priorities” by Bob Sikes Florida’s mainstream media have been poking around the embers of the relationship between Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education and it’s corporate sponsors. *Orlando Sentinel * reporter Leslie Postal reports that a government watchdog group will releasing emails which “paint a graphic picture of corporate money distorting democracy.” The group In the Public Interest plans to de... more »
Uncertainty in School Reform: The Untold Story | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Uncertainty in School Reform: The Untold Story | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Uncertainty in School Reform: The Untold Story by larrycuban Listen to Michael Mann, a climatolgist at Penn State University who talked about the science behind global warming and rising sea levels. *Any honest assessment of the science is going to recognize that there are things we understand pretty darn well and things that we sort of know. But there are things that are uncertain and there are things we just have no idea about whatsoever.* (Nate Silver, *The Signal and the Noise... more »
UPDATE: Fred Klonsky CPS under federal investigation for civil rights violations + John Dillon: Perhaps there are other voices besides the extremists. « Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
John Dillon: Perhaps there are other voices besides the extremists. « Fred Klonsky: Chicago Public Schools under federal investigation for civil rights violations in school closings. by Fred Klonsky [image: image640x480-1] From WBEZ: *National education officials are investigating how Chicago Public Schools has handled closing schools in recent years.* *A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Education confirmed Tuesday that CPS is one of six urban school districts being investigated by the department’s Office of Civil Rights. School * John Dillon: Perhaps there are other voices... more »
Gates-Financed Common Core Standards Turn Kindergarten into Global Economy Zone - DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Gates-Financed Common Core Standards Turn Kindergarten into Global Economy Zone - DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News: Gates-Financed Common Core Standards Turn Kindergarten into Global Economy Zone by Susan Ohanian [image: Gates-Financed Common Core Standards Turn Kindergarten into Global Economy Zone] The Council of Great City Schools (CGCS) promotes a video *From the Page to the Classroom: Implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English Language Arts and Literacy*that purports to supply the background for the Common Core...more »
Teaching Career Pathways: Peer Evaluation « InterACT
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Teaching Career Pathways: Peer Evaluation « InterACT: Teaching Career Pathways: Peer Evaluation by David B. Cohen [image: report2cover]*Note: in November 2012, Accomplished California Teachers (ACT) released the policy report “Promoting Quality Teaching: New Approaches to Compensation and Career Pathways.” The following post is the third in a series of profiles showing how California teacher leaders are beginning to develop and follow diversified career pathways. California teachers, and our peers around the nation, are looking for opportunities to innovate and lead in our field,... more »
LAUSD'S "RESPONSIBLE" ADMINISTRATORS AND THEIR TOADY TEACHER PERVERTS GET A PASS, WHILE INNOCENT TEACHERS GET SCREWED - Perdaily.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
LAUSD'S "RESPONSIBLE" ADMINISTRATORS AND THEIR TOADY TEACHER PERVERTS GET A PASS, WHILE INNOCENT TEACHERS GET SCREWED - Perdaily.com: LAUSD'S "RESPONSIBLE" ADMINISTRATORS AND THEIR TOADY TEACHER PERVERTS GET A PASS, WHILE INNOCENT TEACHERS GET SCREWED by Leonard Isenberg [image: Pervert.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español)* * * *Robert Pimental was arrested Wednesday, January 23, 2013 for sexual abuse of up to 20 children while he served as a teacher at George De La Torre Jr. Elementary School in Wilmington, CA. Authorities allege that Pimental inappropriately touched the children o... more »
10 Executive Actions "to our posterity" Dear Mr. President: Thinking About Schools
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Thinking About Schools: 10 Executive Actions "to our posterity" [image: My Photo] JHSTLMt. Kisco, New York, United StatesSuperintendent of the Bedford Central School District, NY. Lifetime public school teacher, principal, and superintendent. Blog is solely my opinion.View my complete profile Dear Mr. President: re: Education, please... 1. Read the Constitution and Declaration of Independence and note the word “education” does not appear; whereas words like life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, created equal, unalienable rights, general welfare, blessings of liberty, justic... more »
Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-29-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
* * *Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Teacher-led PD on Tech Tuesday by Joe Mazza *Teacher-led PD = the most meaningful and collaborative PD available in education today.* This morning, we held our bi-weekly Tech Tuesday for staff. The topic was on *Skype in the Classroom*. Two local district educators, Glenn Yetter ( @CoachYetter) and Brett Baker (@Bakerbg), Skyped into our before school meeting to teach us about the benefits of Skyping across the school, out to a nearby school or even a country 7 timezones away. We discussed #MysterySkype, Skype bookchats, Skype cultu... more »
PPB: Mission Hill School: The kind of learning, the kind of caring we want for all kids
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
PPB: Mission Hill School: The kind of learning, the kind of caring we want for all kids: Mission Hill School: The kind of learning, the kind of caring we want for all kids by Anne Geiger Popout Mission Hill School Thanks, Deborah Meier for sharing this on Facebook--- Mission Hill School contains... "the ingredients for transformational learning itself: A richly diverse community. An integrated approach to academic study. A clearly defined set of aspirational habits of mind. A skilled, trusted and empowered community of adults. And a recognition that, in the end, school must... more »
Sacramento Press / Opinion: Private money and public schools (Part II)
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Sacramento Press / Opinion: Private money and public schools (Part I + II): Private money and public schools: Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. team up part one by Seth Sandronsky [image: DFER Fake Democrats for Education Privatization (click on Picture)] Last December 3, the California Fair Political Practices Commission recommended fining Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a Democrat, $37,500 for improperly reporting donations to his multiple nonprofit groups. The political watchdog agency agreed to this penalty at a Dec. 13 meeting. The donations included a ... more »
Louisiana Educator: Is a Teacher Shortage Developing?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Louisiana Educator: Is a Teacher Shortage Developing?: Is a Teacher Shortage Developing? by Michael Deshotels Our State Department of Education crack PR team apparently wanted to counteract the recent news reports about the large increase in teacher retirements in Louisiana. So they released their own report pointing out that total teacher attrition has not increased by much in the last few years. But in so doing they also gave the numbers of initial teacher licences granted in the last several years. So here is what the data released by the LDOE shows about number of teachers l... more »
NYC Educator: Testing Blues
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
NYC Educator: Testing Blues: Testing Blues by NYC Educator This is the fifth time I'm taking this test, and I don't understand what the hell is so important about it. I mean, I don't even care about this stuff. Who does? What will I ever need to know it for? I mean, the teacher's pretty nice and I don't want to insult her, but it's not my fault she chose a job where she needs to talk about this stuff all the time. So anyway, the topic doesn't interest me, and I'm just not gonna write about it. Instead, I'm gonna talk about what I had for dinner last night. We had steak and rice. ... more »
First report on Journey for Justice 2 hearing in D.C. | Parents Across America
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
First report on Journey for Justice 2 hearing in D.C. | Parents Across America: First report on Journey for Justice 2 hearing in D.C. by pureparents “We don’t just have failing schools; we have a failing system of epidemic proportions. Community and parent voices have been removed from the process and the privatization has removed all checks and balances so that the system is no longer accountable to the public,” said *Karran Harper-Royal, parent with Parents Across America, New Orleans.* “The answer is not charter schools, the answer is fortifying traditional public schools thro... more »
PSAT for 1-29-13: Solidarity with Garfield teachers – and our new petition Parents United for Responsible Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 1-29-13: Solidarity with Garfield teachers – and our new petition: PSAT for 1-29-13: Solidarity with Garfield teachers – and our new petition by admin [image: psat_logo]Tomorrow, WEDNESDAY, January 30 is a national call/phone/fax day to tell Seattle Public Schools that you, your organization and your union stand with the Garfield test boycotters. Send your message to Seattle Schools Superintendant José Banda: - Phone: (206) 252-0180 - Fax: (206) 252-0209 - E-mail: superintendent@seattleschools.org Here’s t... more »
Call It a Story: Defining Our Profession - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Call It a Story: Defining Our Profession - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Call It a Story: Defining Our Profession by Nancy Flanagan *Guest post by Kelly Flynn.* [image: kellyflynn.jpg]*Halfway through her senior year, Kimberly suddenly stopped coming to school. Messages left for her parents went unreturned. When she finally showed up after a three-week absence, I pulled her aside and inquired about her well-being. She'd been kicked out of her parent's house, she said, but she did not want to say why. For three weeks she'd been living in her boyfriend's van. Sh... more »
On being disloyal. « Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
On being disloyal. « Fred Klonsky: On being disloyal. by Fred Klonsky An Illinois member of the NEA board of directors wrote and suggested that I was creating disunity in the IEA because of my criticisms of their handling of the pension issue. He asked that I not post his comments and, as always, I will adhere to his wishes. But I want to share my response. *I think that your suggestion that I am the cause of disunity is grossly unfair.* *That there are differences in our union is an objective fact. Some wish to remain quiet about those differences. I don’t. To be unified around ... more »
Common Core Standards Will Benefit At-Risk Students — Whole Child Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Common Core Standards Will Benefit At-Risk Students — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Elizabeth Pfiffner]Common Core Standards Will Benefit At-Risk Students January 29, 2013 by Elizabeth Pfiffner As part of the school team, school social workers share the goal of ensuring that all students receive a quality education. We work with students and their families to address personal, family, and societal issues that create obstacles for learning. The adoption of the Common Core State Standards will create a strong foundation for school social workers in our mission ... more »
NYC Public School Parents: Who is Bradley Tusk and why should we care?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Who is Bradley Tusk and why should we care?: Who is Bradley Tusk and why should we care? by Leonie Haimson On Sunday, there was a front page story about how Bradley Tusk is coordinating the campaign against Obama’s appointment of Chuck Hagel as US Secretary of Defense on the grounds that Hagel was anti-choice and anti-gay (apparently Hagel made an anti-gay comment in 1998). Tusk’s campaign includes TV ads and sending mailers that push Sen. Schumer to oppose the nomination with the mysterious name of “Use your Mandate” as the return address. I’ve receive... more »
Divided We Fail: Replicating the successes and avoiding the mistakes of desegregation | Hechinger Report
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Divided We Fail: Replicating the successes and avoiding the mistakes of desegregation | Hechinger Report: Divided We Fail: Replicating the successes and avoiding the mistakes of desegregation by Hechinger Report [image: Divided We Fail] On June 28, 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling that officially ended the era of school desegregation that followed *Brown v. Board of Education*. Five of the nine justices declared that race alone could no longer be used to assign students to a school, undermining the biggest civil rights cases of the previous century. Under the new... more »
Scalia berates school children visiting court: Constitution is ‘dead, dead, dead!’ | The Raw Story
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Scalia berates school children visiting court: Constitution is ‘dead, dead, dead!’ | The Raw Story: Scalia berates school children visiting court: Constitution is ‘dead, dead, dead!’ By David Edwards Tuesday, January 29, 2013 15:20 EST [image: Print Friendly] Share on facebookShare on redditShare on diggShare on twitterShare on farkShare on stumbleupon1 [image: Antonin Scalia speaks to Fox News] Topics: SMU law professor Bryan A. Garner ♦ Southern Methodist University ♦ supreme court justice antonin scalia Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Monday said the U.S. Constitution ... more »
Ed Notes Online: Teacher Uprising in Seattle: Garfield HS Test Boycott on Democracy Now
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Teacher Uprising in Seattle: Garfield HS Test Boycott on Democracy Now: Teacher Uprising in Seattle: Garfield HS Test Boycott on Democracy Now by ed notes online I don't want to lose that kind of money on a teacher's salary. But I'm willing to do it. Because that's the right thing to do. And it's also educational for my students to see me standing up for things that are right. --- Garfield HS Teacher Teachers will not back down in face of Supe threat of 10 day suspension without pay. "Teachers will volunteer their time." This is must see as teacher Jesse Hagopian... more »
Schools Matter: Poverty and the “achievement gap”: Some new data
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Schools Matter: Poverty and the “achievement gap”: Some new data: Poverty and the “achievement gap”: Some new data by skrashen Carnoy and Rothstein (2013) compared US performance with Korean, Finland and Canada on the PISA 2009, given to 15-year-olds. All three of these countries generally score about 1/3 of a standard deviation better than the US in reading and math on international tests; Arne Duncan refers to these three countries as the three “consistent high-performers” (Carnoy and Rothstein, 2013 p. 10). In the PISA 2009 reading test, Korea had the highest score of all OECD... more »
Teachers as Activists Part One: Little “p” politics « Cooperative Catalyst
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Teachers as Activists Part One: Little “p” politics « Cooperative Catalyst: Teachers as Activists Part One: Little “p” politics by robinclane Recently, I attend a meeting of the Austin Social Justice Teachers Inquiry Group, during which we talked about… politics. A scary word in a school. Big “P” Politics referred to ways teachers can be involved politically beyond the walls of their classroom; little “p” politics meant bringing current events and social justice into lessons and activities. One concern that always comes up when talking to other teachers about bringing social just... more »
Diane in the Evening 1-29-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Civil Rights Protestors to Duncan: Stop Closing Our Schools! by dianerav Protestors from across the nation journeyed to Washington, where they received 45 minutes of Arne Duncan’s time. They told Duncan and President Obama’s education advisor, Roberto Rodriguez, that the closings in minority communities were harming the students and the communities, but Duncan said he had no control over the Ed Reformer Leads Campaign Against Chuck Hagel by dianerav Just when you thought politics could not get weirder, we learn that a public relations guy is running a cam... more »
Students in Portland are opting out « Seattle Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Students in Portland are opting out « Seattle Education: Students in Portland are opting out Posted on the Portland Student Union website: [image: testunderduress (2)] *Portland Public Schools & Portland Student Unions urge students to boycott Standardized Testing.* Schools are required to test a minimum of 95% of their students in order to be qualified for a score other than “In Need of Improvement” on the state report card. The idea behind the campaign is to get as many students as possible to opt-out of taking their tests so that every high school in PPS earns an “In Need of Imp... more »
Daily Kos: Misreading Teacher Evaluation and Retention
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Daily Kos: Misreading Teacher Evaluation and Retention: Misreading Teacher Evaluation and Retention by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) The League of Women Voters of South Carolina has released “How to Evaluate and Retain Effective Teachers” (2011-2013), but this report misreads the evidence on teacher evaluation and thus distracts high-poverty states from needed educational reform. [1] A review of the report shows it does not establishing a clear problem with teacher quality in SC and misrepresents the current body of research on teacher evaluation, particularly value added method... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Grading Schools
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Grading Schools: Grading Schools by Melissa Westbrook Over at the Times there's this article reporting that Republicans in the State Senate are sponsoring a bill to assign a letter grade - A-F - to every public school based on outcomes from standardized testing and "other measures." *High schools also would be graded by graduation rate, SAT scores and AP course participation. * Details: *Schools that earn “A” grades would be eligible for teacher bonuses and get more control over the money the state allocates to them.* *The bill is sponsored ... more »
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Fensterwald: LAUSD to compete with charters to run ‘parent trigger’ school Education Headlines *Tuesday, January 29, 2013* Lowder asks for contract extensioneven months into his tenure at Stockton Unified, Superintendent Steve Lowder is asking the school board for a contract extension. The 61-year-old Lowder could be offered a longer, higher-paying contract as soon as tonight's school board meeting. School bosses get raises amid troublesWith California’s public school system facing economic uncertainties – even with the passage of... more »
Oregon Save Our Schools: Oregon's Children Lose and Friend
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Oregon Save Our Schools: Oregon's Children Lose and Friend: Oregon's Children Lose and Friend by Oregon SOS by Steve Buel [image: Putting the Public Back in Our Public Schools!] Oregon's children, and particularly Beaverton's children, lost a friend this last weekend when John Burns died of a heart attack. Very few people have a combined commitment to both schools and good government and understand how it should all fit together. John was one of those people. His death will have a negative impact on the Beaverton School District for years to come. For he was committed to making ... more »
The Evil that Schools Do « PWC Education Reform Blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
The Evil that Schools Do « PWC Education Reform Blog: The Evil that Schools Do by pwceducationreform Anyone who has paid the least bit of attention to education reforms in the past 20 – 30 years knows that rote memorization, or drill and kill, are the single worst things a developing child can be exposed to. Not only does rote memorization take the joy out of learning, it undermines children’s ability to understand numbers and arithmetic operations. Teachers forcing children to memorize math facts to automatic recall are committing what can only be characterized as educational... more »
UPDATE: Where the Oxymoronic Meets the Moronic + Schools Matter: After Cornerstone Charter Abuse Scandal Deepens in Memphis, NAACP Demands Accountability from State and Charter Operators
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Schools Matter: After Cornerstone Charter Abuse Scandal Deepens in Memphis, NAACP Demands Accountability from State and Charter Operators: MASE, First Memphis Charter, Up for Renewal or Closure: Where the Oxymoronic Meets the Moronic by Jim Horn When the Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering (MASE) opened 10 years ago, it was supposed to herald a new day of great achievement in Memphis schools. Now ten years and millions of wasted dollars later, what was to be the solution to low test scores is now scraping the bottom of the barrel in test score achievement. Here's the late... more »
National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP test Boycott: « Seattle Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP test Boycott: « Seattle Education: National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP test Boycott: by seattleducation2011 [image: action alert] *National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP test Boycott* *“We demand quality assessment!”* *Wear Red on Wed for Ed! Scrap the MAP!* *What:* The City-wide Scrap the MAP Organizing Committee is calling on Educators, Students, Parents and supporters of Public Education nation-wide to take action in support of Garfield High School teachers and all teachers in Seattle Public Schoolsrefusing to adminis... more »
Teachers For Social Justice: Teachers for Social Justice Statement on Obama’s Gun Control Plans
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Teachers For Social Justice: Teachers for Social Justice Statement on Obama’s Gun Control Plans: Teachers for Social Justice Statement on Obama’s Gun Control Plans by sarah atlas In the wake of the Newtown tragedy, the Obama administration proposed a series of gun control recommendations and policies. His four-point plan includes "making schools safer" and "increasing access to mental health services." The plan states "We need to make our schools safer, not only by enhancing their physical security... but also by creating safer and more nurturing school climates that help preve... more »
School Board Leaders Advocate for Less Intrusive Role of the U.S. Department of Education National School Boards Association
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
National School Boards Association: *School Board Leaders Advocate for Less Intrusive Role of the U.S. Department of Education* * * * * * * Alexandria, Va. (Jan. 29, 2013) – More than 700 school board members and state school boards association leaders will be meeting with their members of Congress and urging them to co-sponsor legislation, developed by the National School Boards Association (NSBA), to protect local school district governance from unnecessary and counter-productive federal intrusion from the U.S. Department of Education. School board leaders are in Washington D... more »
Discipline: Responding to Bad Behavior in School - Bridging Differences - Education Week
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Discipline: Responding to Bad Behavior in School - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Discipline: Responding to Bad Behavior in School by Deborah Meier Dear Alfie, As I read some of the responses to the blog, I have more and more sympathy for your viewpoint. The idea of a disguised punishment—the "thinking chair" with Teddy Bear—reminds me of many similar ideas coming from people I admire and respect (like Responsive Classrooms). And as I read the comment from "jyatvin" on natural consequences, I think to myself: If they are natural, than we don't have to intervene as teachers... more »
Modern School: Union Membership Lowest in 70 Years, Thanks in Part to Unions
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Modern School: Union Membership Lowest in 70 Years, Thanks in Part to Unions: Union Membership Lowest in 70 Years, Thanks in Part to Unions by Michael Dunn Union membership declined from 11.8% of the workforce in 2011, to 11.3% in 2012, according a recent report by the national Bureau of Labor Statistics and is now the lowest it has been since the 1930s, according to the Washington Post. Union membership peaked in the 1950s at nearly 33% of the total workforce. By 1983, that number had dropped to 20%, and today it is just barely 11%. Public sector union membership (35.9%) is sti... more »
Dropout Nation? | EduShyster
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Dropout Nation? | EduShyster: Dropout Nation? by edushyster2012 *What exactly are college prep academies preparing students for?* A young test-taker at Boston’s City on a Hill Charter School, which is seeking to open two more college prep academies. And now it’s time for today’s high-stakes test question: which of the following is better at preparing students to attend and complete college? *A *. Our union-stifled (and indisputably failing) public schools or *B*. The college prep academies that are popping up like payday loan services in cities everywhere. The correct answer, as you ... more »
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