Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 1-6-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS




'Frontline' documentary raises questions about Michelle Rhee - UPI.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago
'Frontline' documentary raises questions about Michelle Rhee - UPI.com: D.C. school testing questioned (0) | | | inShare Published: Jan. 6, 2013 at 1:41 AM WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Student test scores at an acclaimed District of Columbia school fell sharply after testing oversight was beefed up, a TV documentary to be aired Tuesday found. The hourlong "Frontline" documentary, "The Education of Michelle Rhee," raises questions about whether district officials adequately investigated suspicions public school employees may have altered standardized test answers while Rhee wa... more »

Education reform post-Bennett? - southbendtribune.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 minutes ago
Education reform post-Bennett? - southbendtribune.com: Education reform post-Bennett?Lawmaker, expert say much still on agenda. - [image: Email] - [image: print] - Comments 0 - 1 - - - - 1 - 2 - next - | single page By KIM KILBRIDESouth Bend Tribune 5:22 a.m. EST, January 6, 2013 As Indiana lawmakers return for a busy 2013 session on Monday, a big question mark is, will momentum for sweeping school reform initiatives continue? The answer isn't yet crystal clear, but it *is* apparent the hot topics that have been in the fore... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-6-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 minutes ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Can Rhee Still Pretend to Be Bipartisan? by dianerav Jersey Jazzman read Hari Sevugan’s comment on the blog last night and wondered if anyone still believes that StudentsFirst is bipartisan. JJ doesn’t think that any Democrat could sign on to Rhee’s anti-teacher, anti-union agenda. Would a bipartisan group pump money into Republican campaigns? Would a bipartisan group pump $500,000 into the anti-union campaign in Michigan? Not likely. Washington Post: DC Charters Expel Students at High Rate by dianerav ... more »

FAILED INDIANA SUPERINTENDENT TONY BENNETT’S Promise “gave way to punitive micromanagement, with overblown testing and outside opportunism” | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 minutes ago
FAILED INDIANA SUPERINTENDENT TONY BENNETT’S Promise “gave way to punitive micromanagement, with overblown testing and outside opportunism” | Scathing Purple Musings: FAILED INDIANA SUPERINTENDENT TONY BENNETT’S Promise “gave way to punitive micromanagement, with overblown testing and outside opportunism” by Bob Sikes *Indianapolis Star *columnist Dan Carpenter doesn’t hold back in expressing his exasperation with outgoing governor Mitch Daniels and education superintendent Tony Bennett. This on Bennett and Indiana’s way forward: Bennett’s promise gave way to punitive microman... more »

Daily Kos: The Four Freedoms

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 minutes ago
Daily Kos: The Four Freedoms: The Four Freedoms by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression -- everywhere in the world.The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way -- everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want -- which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants -- everywhere in the world. The fourth... more »

solidaridad: Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board January 5 Precinct Walking Kickoff

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 minutes ago
solidaridad: Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board January 5 Precinct Walking Kickoff: Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board January 5 Precinct Walking Kickoff by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene Students, Teachers, Parents, and Community volunteers canvassed Lincoln Heights getting the word out about School Board candidate Robert D. Skeels. We were walking neighborhoods, talking to voters, and distributing literature. Popout

Charter School Chain in Oregon Cheats Taxpayers Out of $17 Million – Can It Happen In Florida? | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 27 minutes ago
Charter School Chain in Oregon Cheats Taxpayers Out of $17 Million – Can It Happen In Florida? | Scathing Purple Musings: Charter School Chain in Oregon Cheats Taxpayers Out of $17 Million – Can It Happen In Florida? by Bob Sikes From the *Register-Guard*: PORTLAND — Two men who started a chain of taxpayer-funded charter schools across Oregon — two of them in Lane County — have been accused of cheating the state out of $17 million. The state Department of Justice filed a legal claim in Marion County Circuit Court against Tim King and Norm Donohoe, accusing them of racketeering a... more »

Whose View of the Past Matters on School Reform? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 29 minutes ago
Whose View of the Past Matters on School Reform? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Whose View of the Past Matters on School Reform? by larrycuban *History is more or less bunk. It is tradition. We want to live in the present, and the only history that’s worth a tinker’s dam is the history we make today.* In 1916, as the U.S. was gearing up to enter World War I, Henry Ford, who had applied new technologies to mass manufacturing of cars while earning profits for his company, said those words. He wanted the kind of history that would speak to the present, not ... more »

Rural educator speaks up for small schools - SFGate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 34 minutes ago
Rural educator speaks up for small schools - SFGate: Rural educator speaks up for small schoolsBy CAROL ROLF, Arkansas Democrat-GazetteUpdated 10:06 pm, Saturday, January 5, 2013 *Small Schools: Public School Reform Meets the Ownership Society Small Talk.* Email This Font PLAINVIEW, Ark. (AP) — Jimmy Cunningham is a champion for small rural schools. He is a product of one, having graduated from Plainview-Rover High School in 1970. During his 36 years in education, Cunningham, 60, has worked in small school districts throughout the state, first as a teacher and coach, then as a ... more »

Communities of Color And Public School Reform: Findings from Qualitative and Quantitative Research Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 40 minutes ago
Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: *USEFUL ED DOCUMENT:* Communities of Color And Public School Reform: Findings from Qualitative and Quantitative Research [image: Build the People's Board Of Education!] Nov 1, 2011 Brossard, Mario; Cantu-Helmstetler, Rebecca; Garin, Geoff Publisher(s): Brossard Research; Hart Research Associates; Insights Marketing Group Issue Area(s): Education and Literacy Geographic Focus: North America-United States ***The objectives of this research project were to:* * Understand the perceptions of low- to moderate-income Afri... more »

Sam Cooke- Another Saturday Night

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Another Saturday Night, but I ain't got nobody I got some money, 'cause I just got paid How I wished I had someone to talk to I'm in an awful way, take this I got to town a month ago, I seen a lot of girls since then If I could meet them I could get them But as yet I haven't met them That's why I'm in the shape I'm in Another Saturday Night, but I ain't got nobody I got some money, 'cause I just got paid How I wished I had someone to talk to I'm in an awful way Now, another fella told me, He had a sister who looked just fine Instead of being my deliverance She had a strange resemblanc... more »

The Rocketship Conspiracy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The Rocketship Conspiracy

School Tech Connect: In Hindsight, It Was Foresight

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
School Tech Connect: In Hindsight, It Was Foresight: In Hindsight, It Was Foresight by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) "The 1970 constitution, that gave us Article XIII...was put in there not because they had such great foresight in seeing what problems the pension system might have down the road, but because the state pension systems were indeed 40% funded, about where they are now." -Elaine Nekritz Um, no. It was foresight. In 1970, the delegates foresaw that in the future, legislators would be tempted to screw the public employees and break a contract. So they prevented that... more »

D.C. school closings push parents to charter schools | WashingtonExaminer.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
D.C. school closings push parents to charter schools | WashingtonExaminer.com: D.C. school closings push parents to charter schools *January 5, 2013 | 8:00 pm 1 Comment* [image: Photo - Washington, DC School Chancellor Michelle Rhee announces her departure with Mayor Fenty and Mayor Elect Gray and her interim replacement Deputy Chancellor Kaya Henderson, pictured, at a press conference at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC on Tuesday October 12, 2010. Andrew Harnik/Examiner] *Washington, DC School Chancellor Michelle Rhee announces her departure with Mayor Fenty and Mayor Elect... more »

D.C. charter schools expel students at far higher rates than traditional public schools - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
D.C. charter schools expel students at far higher rates than traditional public schools - The Washington Post: D.C. charter schools expel students at far higher rates than traditional public schools *Video: *An analysis of documents by The Washington Post shows the District’s charter schools expel dramatically more students than its traditional public schools. But how things should change depends on who you ask. - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - E-mail - Reprints By Emma Brown, Saturday, January 5, 3:31 PM The District’s public charter sc... more »

3 Ideas That Will Not Transform Schools | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
3 Ideas That Will Not Transform Schools | Connected Principals: 3 Ideas That Will Not Transform Schools by George Couros *In the spirit of “Festivus” and the tradition of “The Airing of Grievances” (sorry for the reference if you are not a Seinfeld fan), I wanted to share a couple of ideas that I think get way too much attention and definitely need some tweaking. Although there is merit for each idea, they do little to transform the culture of a school yet I have seen many jump on their individual bandwagons. Just because the object is shiny, doesn’t mean it is useful. As educa... more »

The Bus Drivers and Matrons New York Students Deserve Action

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
The Bus Drivers and Matrons New York Students Deserve Action: The Bus Drivers and Matrons New York Students Deserve Action by Server *Save Our Schools: A National Call to Action* www.saveourschoolsmarch.org *SAVE OUR SCHOOLS SUPPORTS THE BUS DRIVERS AND MATRONS STUDENTS DESERVE ACTION* - *Petition; Displaced Students Deserve the Best Busing* *Download January 6th Coalition Press Conference Rally Flyer* Consistent with the Save Our Schools Towards True Progress In Public Education Policy we endorse the*BUS FAMILIES AND BUS WORKERS MUTUAL SUPPORT RALLY/PRESS CONFERENCE,* *P... more »

Daily Kos: I don't belong here

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Daily Kos: I don't belong here: I don't belong here byteacherkenFollow - - - 24 Comments / 24 New ** * * * * *I originally posted this on February 24, 2007. For reasons not worth explaining, I had occasion to reread it this evening. It still speaks very much to my condition, and since I had not posted anything else today, I thought it was worth sharing again. You will decide whether I was right.* No, this is not a GBCW posting, let’s be clear about that. And the title is not directed specifically at dailykos, although this site is included in its intent. So... more »

No pension deal yet. Keep the pressure on. Call 888-412-6570. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
No pension deal yet. Keep the pressure on. Call 888-412-6570. « Fred Klonsky: No pension deal yet. Keep the pressure on. Call 888-412-6570. by Fred Klonsky *Call 888-412-6570.* ABC News is reporting trouble making a pension deal. Keep the pressure on. January 5, 2013 (CHICAGO) (WLS) – The prospects for solving Illinois’ worst-in-the-nation pension crisis grow dim as talks between Governor Pat Quinn and top legislative leaders ended without an agreement. Governor Quinn met with lawmakers Saturday morning at the Thompson Center.There’s still no deal as Illinois lawmakers make a la... more »

The Phoenix: A new newsletter from San Jose youth organizing group, 50/50 Crew « Classroom Struggle

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
The Phoenix: A new newsletter from San Jose youth organizing group, 50/50 Crew « Classroom Struggle: The Phoenix: A new newsletter from San Jose youth organizing group, 50/50 Crew by ClassroomStruggle We recently received this newsletter, named The Phoenix, from a San Jose group called 50/50 Crew. They formed out of frustration with non-profit and college campus organizing. Focusing on political work with youth, they place a strong emphasis on anti-police/prison industrial complex work. We found it pretty interesting and hope you do to… so let us know what you think! [image: ... more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Recipe for a Tasty Teacher! Not to Be Consumed!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Recipe for a Tasty Teacher! Not to Be Consumed!: Recipe for a Tasty Teacher! Not to Be Consumed! I attended my sorority meeting, the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa Inc, Rho Chapter today. At the end of the meeting, we always have food and fellowship. One of the sorors brought in 16 bean soup, It was muy delicioso! She shared the recipe, but when I arrived home I still Googled it. There are soooooo many different ways to make 16 bean soup, but I noticed that they all shared core ingredients. Of course, I started thinking about the educa... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Can't Play Both Sides Anymore

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Can't Play Both Sides Anymore: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Can't Play Both Sides Anymore by Duke Yesterday, we found out that Democrats are abandoning StudentsFirst, Michelle Rhee's right-wing, Republican money funnel that pretends to be a bipartisan education "reform" group. Among those leaving are Hari Sevugan, a Democratic insider who was serving as Rhee's communications director. According to Joy Resmovits'sreporting, Sevugan and other Dems were leaving SF because "*It gets tiresome to have to defend who we are." * * *... more »

School Tech Connect: Gravity Strikes Again

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Gravity Strikes Again: Gravity Strikes Again by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I know you're dying to know these things, so here goes... I write most of this blog on a little $200 netbook running Ubuntu. It's about the cheapest way to do computing known to man. However, when I'm editing video, I pull out the Mothership--- my top of the line quad-core Mac laptop that I paid for out of money that I should be saving for my retirement. I'm like the Illinois Legislature that way. I brought the Mac with me to Springfield so I could edit some Elaine Nekritz foota... more »

Problems with Charter Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Problems with Charter Schools: Charter schools can be more useful and focused if they are operated by school districts as part of a cooperative, symbiotic network, rather than under the existing cloak of independence, which creates more problems than it solves *Ronald G Corwin, Professor Emeritus* Department of Sociology, Ohio State University My colleagues and I published the nation’s first systematic studies of charter schools in 1994, and before that we embarked on a study of the 1992 California voucher initiative. Our results were published in the *Phi Delta Kappan*, and in mon... more »

Controversial Florida Charter School Mavericks Overstated Enrollment | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Controversial Florida Charter School Mavericks Overstated Enrollment | Scathing Purple Musings: Controversial Florida Charter School Mavericks Overstated Enrollment by Bob Sikes From* Palm Beach Post *reporter Jason Schultz: PALM SPRINGS — A Palm Beach County charter school got nearly $160,000 more in state education money than it was entitled to receive after overstating 2011-12 enrollment, a draft audit released last week by the school district’s inspector general claims. According to the draft audit from Inspector General Lung Chiu, Mavericks High School in Palm Springs count... more »

Diane in the EVENING 1-5-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Can Rhee Still Pretend to Be Bipartisan? by dianerav Jersey Jazzman read Hari Sevugan’s comment on the blog last night and wondered if anyone still believes that StudentsFirst is bipartisan. JJ doesn’t think that any Democrat could sign on to Rhee’s anti-teacher, anti-union agenda. Would a bipartisan group pump money into Republican campaigns? Would a bipartisan group pump $500,000 into the anti-union campaign in Michigan? Not likely. Happy Friday, Muskegon Heights For-Profit Charter School! by dianerav In response to an earlier post about the rocky beginn... more »

Manifesto for education change | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Manifesto for education change | Connected Principals: Manifesto for education change by sharris (This article is a compilation of tweets – feel free to add your comments and questions and advance the conversation.) Imagine Learning Manifesto for education change #edchat #education #cpchat The world is changing rapidly. Regrettably, education is not keeping pace with change. We need to re-think education. Toffler said 21st C learning is about learning, unlearning & relearning. So true. Governments are rarely visionary. Educators need to lead the vision of education as politicians ... more »

Why So Many Schools Remain Penitentiaries of Boredom | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Why So Many Schools Remain Penitentiaries of Boredom | toteachornototeach: Why So Many Schools Remain Penitentiaries of Boredom by aristotlethewise [image: article-2083310-02B636C7000005DC-382_468x370]*Why So Many Schools Remain Penitentiaries of Boredom* by Elizabeth English “It’s harder to change a school than it is to move a graveyard.” Or, as it’s also been said, “It’s harder to change a history course than it is to change history.” I think we can all agree that our schools should be among our most dynamic and innovative institutions; but despite the endless talk about school ... more »

Equally important Must Read by Wendy Lecker: Leaping to reform without first looking - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Equally important Must Read by Wendy Lecker: Leaping to reform without first looking - Wait, What?: Equally important Must Read by Wendy Lecker: Leaping to reform without first looking by jonpelto And for those following the “education reform” debate, here is another important – must read – piece from Wendy Lecker. This one published in the Hearst Newspapers on December 14, 2012 Wendy Lecker: Leaping to reform without first looking: Read the full piece at: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Wendy-Lecker-Leaping-to-reform-without-first-4119584.php#ixzz2H7vELpou “Show y... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Thanks NJEA For the Shout-Out!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Thanks NJEA For the Shout-Out!: Thanks NJEA For the Shout-Out! by Duke I want to thank my union, NJEA, for giving this blog a nice shout-out in this month's *NJEA Review*. One of the most important functions of public employee unions is to protect their members' right to free speech - especially political speech. I appreciate that NJEA protects my right, and the right of my colleagues, to express our views without fear of retribution at our jobs. And thanks to NJEA for including me on a list with such luminaries as Diane Ravitch, Bruce Baker, and Valerie Strauss. I... more »

Rocketship Schools Coming to an Urban Area Near You Soon « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Rocketship Schools Coming to an Urban Area Near You Soon « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Rocketship Schools Coming to an Urban Area Near You Soon by millerlf Rocketship Plans to Build an Education Empire According to a December 28, PBS NewsHour Report (See Link below.) In a 9 minute TV PBS NewsHour report Rocketship CEO John Danner stated that Rocketship Education’s goal is for a million students to be attending their schools. This would be over 1600 schools nationally. If they contract the same lucrative deal that the City of Milwaukee gave them , sending $600,0... more »

Revealing Debate over the Education Reform Dichotomy - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Revealing Debate over the Education Reform Dichotomy - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Revealing Debate over the Education Reform Dichotomy By Anthony Cody on January 5, 2013 12:08 PM The most hotly debated article on Education Week last week was the Education Reform Dichotomy, with about a hundred comments. Some of the comments reveal the deeper thinking behind the two schools of thought that are in contention. *Commenter Paul Hoss offers the following:* ...privatization is contemporary code for competition, as in opposing the public school monopoly that failed poor... more »

The inbox. “Pension reform is without legal or moral justification.” « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
The inbox. “Pension reform is without legal or moral justification.” « Fred Klonsky: The inbox. “Pension reform is without legal or moral justification.” by Fred Klonsky Glen Brown responds to my Saturday Coffee post. Rights of individuals are bound up with the theory and precepts of social and political justice we adopt (John Stuart Mill, On Liberty). When legislators swear an oath to uphold the state and federal constitutions, then citizens of Illinois and the United States have also acquired the right to expect that they will uphold that pledge. This is also a matter of impor... more »

Public or Private: Charter Schools Can’t Have It Both Ways

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
GoLocalProv | News | Public or Private: Charter Schools Can’t Have It Both Ways: Public or Private: Charter Schools Can’t Have It Both Ways [image: Twitter Favicon] [image: Facebook Favicon] [image: Digg Favicon] [image: Reddit Favicon] [image: StumbleUpon Favicon] [image: del.icio.us Favicon] Email to a friend Permalink Saturday, January 05, 2013 *Aaron Regunberg, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™* Are charter schools public? Are they private? Are they somewhere in between? There is a lively debate in the education community over these questions. Charter advocates claim that charter schools... more »

Change in California Education Funding to Focus on Achievement Gap

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Change in California Education Funding to Focus on Achievement Gap: Change in California Education Funding to Focus on Achievement Gap*By Michael Higham | 01/05/2013 | Budget, California, Education, Education, Issues Read Time: 4 - 7 minutes * [image: 1x1.trans Change in California Education Funding to Focus on Achievement Gap] Credit: sfgate.com California Governor Jerry Brown is proposing a shift in how the state funds K-12 education. In hopes of closing the achievement gap, a larger portion of California education funding would be allocated to schools with low-income and Engli... more »

UPDATE: #OPTOUT graphic from @unitedoptout in support of a day without testing on Monday « @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
#OPTOUT graphic from @unitedoptout in support of a day without testing on Monday « @ the chalk face: My interview on All Things Considered on #NPR Coming up between 5PM and 6PM EDT, I’m not sure of the exact time. If you can’t listen live, I think it says the archive audio should be available at 7PM EDT. Unfortunately, I’ll be at a wedding at 5, so won’t be able to listen live. I hope it goes all right. But I did get a mention of At the Chalk Face out of it, so that’s good. #OPTOUT graphic from @unitedoptout in support of a day without testing on Monday by Chalk Face [image: #... more »

Ed Notes Online: I Love the Sound of Vichy in the Morning

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: I Love the Sound of Vichy in the Morning: I Love the Sound of Vichy in the Morning by ed notes online As one who has tried to brand the UFT/AFT leadership as having a Vichy mentality, this was a fun read from Naked Capitalism sent over by Michael Fiorillo. This piece on how Obama is selling out the middle class to the wealthy refers to the Obama apologists, which includes the UFT/AFT in this way: With the Vichy Left now trying to soften up the public for Social Security and Medicare “reform,” it’s particularly important to keep an accurate scorecard on what has ... more »

Will Wisconsin Republicans Increase Education Funding? « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Will Wisconsin Republicans Increase Education Funding? « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Will Wisconsin Republicans Increase Education Funding? by millerlf By JACK CRAVER The Capital Times January 3, 2013 The same discord over taxes that we see among Republicans in Congress is taking place in the Wisconsin Legislature. On Wednesday morning I wrote that some moderates in the state Senate, such as Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, are suggesting the Legislature authorize increased spending on K-12 education at the local level by allowing school districts to increase property taxes... more »

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky [image: URUGUAY-articleLarge-v2] I poured two cups of hot coffee this morning while Anne made the cooked cereal. Not oatmeal for a change. Some stuff that reminds me of the * Wheatina *I haven’t had since I was a kid. Anne threw in some berries, hot milk and a little maple syrup. It was good. Before we go any further, here is the number to call starting around 4PM tomorrow afternoon to reach your state legislators: *888-412-6570* While eating the cereal and sipping the coffee I opened my laptop to read the NY Times. It... more »

All Things Education: A Rocketship to Disappointment

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
All Things Education: A Rocketship to Disappointment: A Rocketship to Disappointment by Rachel Levy John Merrow came out recently with a segment about Rocketship charter schools, touting high test scores among their low-income students. Merrow looks at Rocketship through the lens of a provocative metaphor: Is Rocketship doing what Ford did with the Model T, i.e, mass producing quality education? First of all: Yuck. Though some certainly see education this way, education is not a product, or shouldn't be. It's not a car. It's not an item that can or should be mass produced. Even ... more »

Schools Matter: Adding Value to the Worthless?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Schools Matter: Adding Value to the Worthless?: Adding Value to the Worthless? by Jim Horn *Why Embrace 19th Century Assessments for the 21stCentury?* *Guest Commentary by Stephen Stollmack* * * Public education is part of the conceptual framework of this country. Most accept the basic format of a homeroom teacher keeping the younger children all or most of the day, phasing into different teachers, each one responsible for one of the menu of subjects laid out for every child based on his or her age. Most probably recognize that their children are facing an environment much diffe... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-5-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Carl Cohn: The “Parent Trigger” Is Obscene Verbiage by dianerav Carl Cohn is one of our nation’s most distinguished educators. He had led many school districts, received innumerable awards, and now serves as a member of the California State Board of Education. Like many people, Dr. Cohn finds the imagery of the “parent trigger” unseemly. Why suggest that parents take up arms and shoot someone, even metaphorically? Violence, whether real or metaphorical, is not the path to education or knowledge or wisdom. ... more »

Great News DC Students: You’ve Got Choice™ | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Great News DC Students: You’ve Got Choice™ | EduShyster: Great News DC Students: You’ve Got Choice™ by edushyster2012 Dear Washington DC student: Great news! Your union-stifled public school is closing its doors due to low expectations. That means that you are now on the road to excellence and innovation, a path that proceeds directly to college and onto an outstanding 21st century job. In other words, you are about to enter an exciting new world of choice™. Did you know that The Brookings Institution recently ranked Washington, DC third in the country for school choice on itsEducat... more »

Modern School: Today in Labor History--1-5-13

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Modern School: Today in Labor History--January 5: Today in Labor History--January 5 Michael Dunn at Modern School - 1 hour ago First Negro Labor Convention (From Harpers) *January 5, 1869* -- The First U.S. Negro Labor Convention was held on this date. (From the Daily Bleed) *January 5, 1914* - Ford raised its basic wage from $2.40 for a nine-hour day to $5 for an eight-hour day. (From Workday Minnesota) Rosa Luxemburg Karl Liebknecht *January 5, 1919* – The Spartacists, led by Karl Liebknecht & Rosa Luxemburg, led a revolt to renew the November revolution lasting 6 days (in Berlin... more »

Oregon charter school founders accused in $20 million racketeering lawsuit | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Oregon charter school founders accused in $20 million racketeering lawsuit | OregonLive.com: *Oregon charter school founders accused in $20 million racketeering lawsuit* [image: Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian]By Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian on January 04, 2013 at 7:21 PM, updated January 04, 2013 at 10:16 PM * * * * Tim King and Norm Donohoe, who ran a chain of taxpayer-funded charter schools across small-town Oregonfrom their headquarters in Clackamas, scammed the state out of $17 million and must repay that plus $2.7 million more, the state said in a court filing this week. The lega... more »

Documentary examines Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s legacy in D.C. - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Documentary examines Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s legacy in D.C. - The Washington Post: ‘Frontline’ raises questions about test-score tampering under Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Sarah L. Voisin/TWP - The “Frontline” examines Rhee’s record in Washington, where her aggressive reforms between 2007 and 2010 turned her from a relative unknown into a polarizing edu-celebrity. - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - E-mail - Reprints By Emma Brown, Published: January 4 Student standardized-test scores at an award-winning D.C. school drop... more »

The dangers of ‘outsourcing’ public education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
The dangers of ‘outsourcing’ public education: The dangers of ‘outsourcing’ public education Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 5, 2013 at 9:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: outsource2]The privatization of public education is becoming perhaps the biggest controversy in public education. Here’s a different look at the subject from Larry Cuban, a former superintendent of Arlington Public Schools. Cuban was superintendent for seven years and a former high school social studies teach... more »

Educational school gardens are cropping up all over Page 1 of 2 | UTSanDiego.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Educational school gardens are cropping up all over Page 1 of 2 | UTSanDiego.com: Educational school gardens are cropping up all over [image: A Cajon Park student gently holds young lettuce plants that are headed for the school's garden.] Want to grow a school garden? San Diego Master Gardeners have been helping start and sustain school gardens since 1998. Today more than 150 Master Gardeners volunteer in schools around the county. Over the years, the group has compiled an extensive resource guide on its website that is available at no charge to interested parents, teachers and ... more »

Are Some Indiana Legislators Looking to Scrap FAILED Indiana Superintendent Tony Bennett ’s School Grade System? | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Are Some Indiana Legislators Looking to Scrap FAILED Indiana Superintendent Tony Bennett ’s School Grade System? | Scathing Purple Musings: Are Some Indiana Legislators Looking to Scrap FAILED Indiana Superintendent Tony Bennett ’s School Grade System? by Bob Sikes Incoming Florida education commissioner said in an interview with * Gradebook’s* Jeff Solochek, “I was the person who was described as bringing the Florida reforms to Indiana.” Well it appears one of those reforms isn’t seen as so great to some Indiana legislators. Jeff Schultz of the *Chesterton Tribune *writes: Her ... more »

Top Content this Week - 1-5-13 The Educator's PLN

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Top Content this Week - The Educator's PLN: 1[image: My 2012 @tomwhitby]My 2012 @tomwhitby Added by Thomas Whitby on January 1, 2013 2[image: My 2012 @tomwhitby]My 2012 @tomwhitby Added by Thomas Whitby on January 1, 2013 3[image: Para celebrar la san Valentin con mi clase de AP]Para celebrar la san Valentin con mi clase de AP Posted by Gérard Gatoux on December 30, 2012 4[image: 20 Tips for Creating a Professional Learning Network]20 Tips for Creating a Professional Learning Network Added by Tess Pajaron on January 4, 2013 5[image: A personal challenge in the new year]A personal cha... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 1-5-13

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* LAPD, SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES BEGIN PATROLS AT L.A. SCHOOLS ON MONDAY smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 8 hours ago By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer, LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/VBghdc 1/04/2013 06:27:04 PM PST :: Police officers and sheriff's deputies who have simply cruised by elementary and middle schools in the past will add campus visits to their daily patrols beginning Monday, the first day that LAUSD students will be back in class since the Dec. 14 school shootings in... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 1-5-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * School layouts can influence a child’s development by as much as 25 percent Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago A study of school design has discovered that school layouts can influence a child’s development by as much as 25 percent — positively or negatively — over the course of an academic year. The 751 pupils using 34 classrooms across seven primary schools in Blackpool were studied over the 2011-12 academic year by the University of Salford’s School of the Built Environment and archit... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 1-5-13 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF

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





Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 1-5-13 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-29-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-22-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-15-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-8-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-1-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-24-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-17-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-10-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-3-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-27-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 






Big Education Ape Nite Cap 1-5-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 1-4-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 1-3-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 1-2-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 1-1-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-31-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-30-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-29-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-28-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-27-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-26-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-25-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-24-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-23-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-22-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-21-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-20-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-19-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-18-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-17-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-16-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2