Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 1-7-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

The Quick and the Ed » What Happens In California Matters

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago

The Quick and the Ed » What Happens In California Matters: What Happens In California Matters by Jeff Selingo Over the past fifty years, few states have been able to harness the power of higher education to drive growth and improve the quality of life for its residents quite like California. The state set its course in 1960, by adopting a Master Plan for Higher Education that landed it on the cover of*Time* magazine. The plan spelled out who should be guaranteed access to which state institutions and placed the state’s fast-growing but unorganized web of public colleges into three... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: J.B. Pritzker: Chicago's busiest venture capitalist

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 minutes ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: J.B. Pritzker: Chicago's busiest venture capitalist: J.B. Pritzker: Chicago's busiest venture capitalist by Mike Klonsky J.B. PritzkerHere's what the Pritzker's do when they're not busy running the family foundation, "reforming" public education or keeping their minimum-wage Hyatt Hotel workers from unionizing. *Mr. Pritzker's aim isn't ego gratification; it's all about making money, he insists. (Of course, in business the two go hand in hand.) But to move up to the top tier, New World will have to make more, larger investments on the West Coast... more »

When is 36 Percent equal to Near Zero Percent - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 30 minutes ago

When is 36 Percent equal to Near Zero Percent - Wait, What?: When is 36 Percent equal to Near Zero Percent by jonpelto When Capital Preparatory Magnet School’s principal Steve Perry says it is. Calling himself “America’s Most Wanted Educator,” Steve Perry serves as the principal of Hartford’s Capital Preparatory Magnet School. Traveling around the nation, on tv and radio and in his books, he talks about the extraordinary success of his “tough love” form of education. While never revealing that his public school completely fails to take on its fair share of students who are not flu... more »

The Dangers of ‘Outsourcing’ Public Education | NEA Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago

The Dangers of ‘Outsourcing’ Public Education | NEA Today: The Dangers of ‘Outsourcing’ Public Education by twalker Contracting out student lunches, bus transportation, and janitorial services have rippled across the nation’s 14,000 school districts since the 1980s, including teaching and learning. When it comes to outsourcing actual teaching and learning, whether online or in traditional classrooms, it’s hard to make the case that private companies save tax dollars and do the job as well as schools. Source: *The Washington Post* * * No Name-Calling Week, January 21-25 by twalker... more »

Deadbeat Illinois. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 56 minutes ago

Deadbeat Illinois. « Fred Klonsky: Deadbeat Illinois. by Fred Klonsky [image: g2e22e2000000000000c984e851a4da18f65eddd69508b4d4552a51e7c9] *Long-term care Medicaid patients will soon be turned away. They will die as a result. Photo: Springfield Journal Register.* As a Illinois House committee votes on the Nekritz pension bomb today, keep making those phone calls. But in the mean time, let us momentarily set the pension issue aside but continue the discussion of why this is a revenue problem, not a pension problem. Illinois is rich, but the state government is broke. It is the result... more »

Shanker Blog » The Test-Based Evidence On The "Florida Formula"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 57 minutes ago

Shanker Blog » The Test-Based Evidence On The "Florida Formula": The Test-Based Evidence On The “Florida Formula” by Matthew Di Carlo Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has become one of the more influential education advocates in the country. He travels the nation armed with a set of core policy prescriptions, sometimes called the “Florida formula,” as well as “proof” that they work. The evidence that he and his supporters present consists largely of changes in average statewide test scores – NAEP and the state exam (FCAT) – since the reforms started going into place. The basic id... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: If you can't buy it, Bad Mouth it!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

* ALEC INSPIRED* *Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: * *If you can't buy it, Bad Mouth it!* * * Our View: States' education laws aren't making the grade By *Michelle Rhee* and *Joel Klein*, Special to CNN

Our View: States' education laws aren't making the grade – Schools of Thought - CNN.com Blogs

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Our View: States' education laws aren't making the grade – Schools of Thought - CNN.com Blogs: Our View: States' education laws aren't making the grade By *Michelle Rhee* and *Joel Klein*, Special to CNN *Editor's note: Michelle Rhee is the founder and CEO of StudentsFirst, a nonprofit organization that identifies as a “grassroots movement” to produce “meaningful results" for education on local and national levels. She previously served as chancellor of schools in Washington D.C.* *Joel Klein is CEO of Amplify, the education division of News Corporation, and a StudentsFirst boar... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-7-13 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] Prediction: Score Inflation in Louisiana by dianerav A reader forwarded this prediction and analysis of the forthcoming manipulation of school grades in Louisiana. We will hear that scores are going up and that the achievement gap is closing. Don’t believe it. It is what as known as gaming the system. This analysis was picked up and amplified by a blogger in Louisiana who knows the inside of the state Department of Education. This blogger describes the game as “John White’s White Lies” Michelle Rhee: The M... more »

Lawmakers ignore their moral and constitutional duty to support public education | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Lawmakers ignore their moral and constitutional duty to support public education | Get Schooled: Lawmakers ignore their moral and constitutional duty to support public education by Maureen Downey Here is an essay by Matt Jones, president of EmpowerED Georgia, a statewide education advocacy organization of students, citizens, parents and educators. He has taught world geography, civics, and English literature. He now teaches Engineering Technology at Toombs County High School in Lyons and is the Toombs County Teacher of the Year. By Matt Jones In a recent speech to the Marietta C... more »

High School Educators Resolve to Do Better in the New Year - High School Notes (usnews.com)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

High School Educators Resolve to Do Better in the New Year - High School Notes (usnews.com): High School Educators Resolve to Do Better in the New Year By KELSEY SHEEHY January 7, 2013 RSS Feed Print [image: Teachers resolve to challenge students and brag about their jobs in 2013.] Teachers resolve to challenge students and brag about their jobs in 2013. Educators across the country are wrapping up their winter breaks and returning to school with a fresh list of New Year's resolutions. Forhigh school teachers and administrators, 2013 will be about improving their craft and helping s... more »

A Backward Glance O’er Travel’d Roads « The Core Knowledge Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

A Backward Glance O’er Travel’d Roads « The Core Knowledge Blog: A Backward Glance O’er Travel’d Roadsby Robert Pondiscio *January 7th, 2013* Tags: civic education, core knowledge, Curriculum, E. D. Hirsch, Literacy Posted in Core Knowledge, Curriculum, Education News, Educational Policy, Literacy | No Comments » [image: #]NOT After over 5 years and 1500 posts, this will be my final blog entry as host of the Core Knowledge Blog. The good news – no, great news – is that the blog will continue to host an ongoing conversation on curriculum, literacy, teaching and learning. It will co... more »

Schools chief unveils plan to 'reset' the Philadelphia School District | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Schools chief unveils plan to 'reset' the Philadelphia School District | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Schools chief unveils plan to 'reset' the Philadelphia School District by thenotebook *by Dale Mezzacappa and Benjamin Herold* Saying it’s time to “reset our District,” new Superintendent William Hite this weekend released a reform blueprint based on consolidating scarce resources in the hopes of strengthening Philadelphia’s traditional public schools and staunching the flow of students and dollars to city charters. Photo: Harvey Finkle *by Dale Mezzacappa and Benjamin Hero... more »

What’s missing from Michelle Rhee’s memoir

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

What’s missing from Michelle Rhee’s memoir: What’s missing from Michelle Rhee’s memoir Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 7, 2013 at 5:00 am Michelle Rhee will soon be publishing her memoir, “Radical, Fighting to Keep Children First,” and I thought it would be interesting to see what the Washington Post reporter who covered her tenure as D.C. schools chancellor thought about it. Bill Turque agreed to review it, and here’s his piece. You can see a piece I recently wrote about the book here. By Bill Turque Michelle Rhee left town more than two years ago, but the debate about h... more »

Districts pay more for special ed, feds underfund | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Districts pay more for special ed, feds underfund | EdSource Today: Districts pay more for special ed, feds underfund ** January 6th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By Kathryn Baron Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services California school districts are shouldering a bigger share of the cost of special education, reflecting a further shift of the burden from state and federal governments, according to a new report from the state Legislative Analyst’s Office. Between the 2004-05 school year and 2010-11, the local portion of special educa... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky Michael Madigan *"We are telling people who have worked for governments, and who have been told for years how much their pension would be, that the number is going to change."* -- Ward Room Geri Armitage, Naperville North High School teacher *“The state has not paid their portion — we have paid our dues — and now they are attacking us from every which way saying it’s our fault when, in reality, this is their obligation to us.”* -- Daily Eastern News Charles Blow *As [Michelle] Alexander confirm... more »

Rhee, Klein Now Giving Grades Out to States on Education Policy | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Rhee, Klein Now Giving Grades Out to States on Education Policy | Scathing Purple Musings: Rhee, Klein Now Giving Grades Out to States on Education Policy by Bob Sikes So Joel Klein has jumped on the Michelle Rhee bandwagon as a board member of StudentsFirst. How fitting that two former big city education city school chiefs – both with dubious records presume to give grades out to all 50 states. Here’s a bit from their *CNN* piece today: *CNN)* – It’s hard to watch Robert Griffin III play football and not think about education policy. RG3, as fans call him, is a rookie who has be... more »

Boston Globe to Miracle Charter: You’re Not All That! | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Boston Globe to Miracle Charter: You’re Not All That! | EduShyster: Boston Globe to Miracle Charter: You’re Not All That! by edushyster2012 The red-hot love affair between the *Boston Globe* and UP Academy has officially hit the skids. It’s time now for another installment of EduShyster’s favorite *telenovela* : *“Nos Encanta Los Escuelos Chartero*s.” This long-running series features the *Boston Globe* in the role of love-besotted suitor, intent on showing its love for local charter schools through *cartas de amor*, otherwise known as news articles. When we last tuned in, the*Globe’... more »

StudentsFirst Issues Low Ratings on School Policies - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

StudentsFirst Issues Low Ratings on School Policies - NYTimes.com: 12 States Get Failing Grades on Public School Policies From Advocacy Group By MOTOKO RICH Published: January 7, 2013*Just Like Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Students first only BETTER* In just a few short years, state legislatures and education agencies across the country have sought to transform American public education by passing a series of laws and policies overhauling teacher tenure, introducing the use of standardized test scores in performance evaluations and expanding charter schools. Such policies a... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-6-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Michael Bloomberg Compares Teachers’ Union to the N.R.A. by By AL BAKER Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s comparison of the United Federation of Teachers to the National Rifle Association might have further damaged the already tense negotiations on an evaluation system. Rhee Enters Panic Mode by Duke So Michelle Rhee is scheduled to appear tomorrow on Morning Joe, talking about StudentsFirsts's new "state report card" (wow, what an original idea!). And that's followed by a presser at 11 AM. Golly, why ever would Michelle Rhee want to draw... more »

School Tech Connect: Who Is Stealing Our Education? Find Out!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Who Is Stealing Our Education? Find Out!: Who Is Stealing Our Education? Find Out! Busy times coming up--- between fighting off the bipartisan attack on the Illinois Constitution and the combating the highly politicized, shrouded-in-mystery school closing process here in the city, there's also a full schedule of unbelievably fabulous teach-ins scheduled here in Rogers Park. Check out what Occupy Rogers Park has put together on the 2nd Saturday of each month from here through May. There's nothing like a teach-in, and this series is the best I've seen in a lo... more »

LAUSD: PURVEYORS OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY RACISM - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

LAUSD: PURVEYORS OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY RACISM - Perdaily.com: LAUSD: PURVEYORS OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY RACISM by Leonard Isenberg [image: Institutional Racism.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español)* * * *All that one has to do to know that nothing has changed for the better at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is to take note of the fact that the academic achievement of the vast majority of Latino and Black students, in a district that is close to 90% Latino and Black, has not only not changed for the better, it has significantly worsened. In light of the continuing abysmal ... more »

Government Transparency OR Destruction of Public School Teachers? | Reclaim Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Government Transparency OR Destruction of Public School Teachers? | Reclaim Reform: Government Transparency OR Destruction of Public School Teachers? by kenpreviti By doing as much damage as possible to teachers, both active and retired, state legislators are damaging public schools to make way for juicy government contracts to charter & testing corporations and their investors. [image: Madigan Nekritz]Connect the dots; educated people can connect these dots despite the constant corporate paid propaganda repeated in every profitable media source. By the way, legalized corruption kn... more »

Educator Musing: Official Coach Lerning Academies

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Educator Musing: Official Coach Lerning Academies: Official Coach Lerning Academies by Educator Musing Official Coach Lerning Academies is a 21st century concept of education. Making it a reality is my ultimate professional goal. Our current education system is based on a late 19th century model of teaching meant for preparing workers for factory work in an industrialized nation. It is not surprising that special interests have become entrenched in a system that is more than a hundred years old. It wouldn’t be a problem except that this antiquated system is not preparing studen... more »

Truth from the Trenches - The Reality of Education Reform in Washington, DC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Truth from the Trenches - The Reality of Education Reform in Washington, DC: *RECUPERATING* The end of the DCPS two week winter break is near. While I have done some work over the vacation to catch up on paperwork, for most of the break I have been recuperating. I haven’t been sick or had surgery, I am recuperating from the all of the pressure, anxiety, and absurdities related to working for DCPS so I can return on Monday able to effectively teach (and survive until spring vacation). That last week before the break left me feeling bipolar. Part of me was excited for my well-des... more »

A colleague asks, “Why tax the rich?” « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

A colleague asks, “Why tax the rich?” « Fred Klonsky: A colleague asks, “Why tax the rich?” by Fred Klonsky *Fred,* *Good speech as always. I am wondering why you believe the “rich” should be the ones to pay our pension? Don’t you think the state should follow through with THEIR promises instead of taking our money? Don’t you think our politicians need to look at government and see what went wrong there? I am concerned if we tax the rich more, they will not spend their money like we need them to. Some of them have also worked hard for their money. Why should they suffer for that?... more »

Education propagandists: Do it for the children « @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Education propagandists: Do it for the children « @ the chalk face: Education propagandists: Do it for the children by Chris Cerrone In New York, school districts across the state have been scrambling to complete and revise their agreements to a new teacher evaluation system. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a wannabe Presidential Candidate, has used the now common carrot and stick approach to education policy by threatening to withhold a district’s state aid increase for this year unless a new teacher evaluation plan is approved by January 17th. Of the approximately seven hundr... more »

CT State Representative Tells Gabby Giffords to Stay Out of Newtown - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

CT State Representative Tells Gabby Giffords to Stay Out of Newtown - Wait, What?: CT State Representative Tells Gabby Giffords to Stay Out of Newtown by jonpelto Six days into 2013, 359 days to go in the New Year – and we already have a top contender for the nation’s “*A**hole politician of the year*” award. No it is not some right-wing Arizona sheriff or an ultra-conservative right-wing tea-bag southern politician; it is a Connecticut State Representative who serves as one of the House Republican’s Assistant Minority Leaders. According to a Hartford courant update this afterno... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Week of Jan. 7-12, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Week of Jan. 7-12, 2013: Seattle Schools Week of Jan. 7-12, 2013 by Melissa Westbrook *Monday, January 7th* If you wish to speak at Wednesday's Board meeting (where the Transition Plan for 2013-2014 will be introduced), sign up today beginning at 8 am, either boardagenda@seattleschools.org or 252-0040. * * *Tuesday, January 8th* Special Education Advocacy & Advisory Council Meeting from 6:30-9:00 p.m., JSCEE, second floor, room 2700. The open forum part of the meeting is from 6:30-7:30 pm with a Working Group Session from 7:30-9:00 ... more »

Have you called yet? « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Have you called yet? « Fred Klonsky: Have you called yet? by Fred Klonsky [image: bilde] *The devil and his handmaiden. Democrats Madigan and Nekritz. * The Daily Herald: SPRINGFIELD — State Rep. Elaine Nekritz said Sunday she believes there is still time to get a pension deal done before a Wednesday deadline, and a hearing on one proposal she agreed to with House Republican Leader Tom Cross is set for Monday.“I certainly, to my core, hope for a resolution to this,” Nekritz said. “As much as anybody, I hope to move on to different issues than this.”Though a plan that would cut teac... more »

Ed Notes Online: NYC and DC Charters Expel Students at Higher Rates Than Public Schools --

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: NYC and DC Charters Expel Students at Higher Rates Than Public Schools --: NYC and DC Charters Expel Students at Higher Rates Than Public Schools -- by ed notes online Wait a min -- pub schls can't expel kids. Holy shit. Even the NY Post is reporting this: Here it says in NYS, “charter schools set their own suspension rules and don't report expulsion data -- although experts believe thousands of difficult students are dumped every year to public schools.” This is repeated here: http://insideschools.org/blog/item/1000359-vanishing-students-at-harlem-success *Har... more »

Ohio Third Graders Must Learn to Read or Repeat the Year

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Ohio is one of 14 states to put in place a retention rule that holds back students who are not reading at grade level. Special correspondent John Tulenko reports on the "reading guarantee," which educators say puts enormous pressure on them, and may not actually ensure educational success or lower dropout rates in the future.

“Making History: The People Fight Back to Save San Francisco City College”

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

“Making History: The People Fight Back to Save San Francisco City College”: “Making History: The People Fight Back to Save San Francisco City College” by Danny Weil *NEWS MEDIA ADVISORY: Friday, January 11, 2013* *Contact:* Rodger Scott* xgtel@prodigy.net* *Wendy Kaufmyn (510) 714-8687 kaufmyn@aol.com* *“Making History: The People Fight Back to Save City College”* San Francisco, CA – City College of San Francisco students, staff, teachers and department chairs will picket and boycott their interim chancellor’s welcome address which traditionally kicks off the new semester. Instead o... more »

Diane in the Evening 1-6-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Tennessee Governor and Legislature: Reformers All by dianerav Tennessee was one of the first two states to win a Race to the Top grant, so of course the governor and legislature are busy thinking of how to privatize their public schools. They heard glowing (if erroneous) reports about the parent trigger in California, so they want one too. They are thinking of vouchers and charters. The only awkward thing is the abject failure of the Tennessee Virtual Academy, a K12 school that is in the bottom 11% of Is This the School-to-Prison Train? by dianerav A rea... more »

Texas Takes Tax Credit Voucher Plan From Jeb Bush’s Foundation | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Texas Takes Tax Credit Voucher Plan From Jeb Bush’s Foundation | Scathing Purple Musings: Texas Takes Tax Credit Voucher Plan From Jeb Bush’s Foundation by Bob Sikes From skeptical* Fort Worth Star-Telegram *columnist Bob Ray Sanders: Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, while vowing to make the next legislative session “the most conservative session in history,” announced an education plan last month that includes “school choice.” Using a Catholic elementary school near the state Capitol as a backdrop, Dewhurst joined with Senate Education Committee Chairman Dan Patrick, R-Houston, t...more »

BILL GATES WANTS 3 POLITICAL PARTIES: REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS, AND ARITHMETIC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

gates Technocracy education: Bill Gates Wants 3 Political Parties: Republicans, Democrats, and Arithmetic from Dailycensored.com by Susan Ohanian In China all but one of the nine members of the Politburo Standing Committee are engineers.—-The Economist, Nov. 19, 2011 I had to watch a video conversation between Bill Gates and Thomas Friedman twice because during the first viewing I focused on their jockeying for the commandant general position. Then, I discovered there are two versions of this conversation, so I had to each each one of those. At the *New York Times* websit... more »

A Model T Education: Public Schooling on the Assembly Line

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

A Model T Education: Public Schooling on the Assembly Line: A Model T Education: Public Schooling on the Assembly LineSunday, 06 January 2013 12:05By Adam Bessie, Daily Censored | News Analysis “Mass production is a problem the auto industry solved over 100 years ago,” veteran education reporter Jonn Merrow narrates over grainy images of Model Ts being rolled out of a factory in his most recent PBS NewsHour report. He observes that with the Model T, Henry Ford’s innovation was not in creating a quality car, but in constructing an assembly-line which could mass-produce them, prov... more »

The witch hunt continues: Gannett Media inputs salaries of most Wisconsin public employees into online searchable databases : blue cheddar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

The witch hunt continues: Gannett Media inputs salaries of most Wisconsin public employees into online searchable databases : blue cheddar: The witch hunt continues: Gannett Media inputs salaries of most WI public employees into online searchable databases January 6, 2013 By bluecheddar Gannett Media has spent 7 months formally requesting, paying for, and in some cases manually entering information into online searchable databases so that you can see what most public employees in the State of Wisconsin made in the latest available fiscal year. Excluded from the results: those wh... more »

VIDEO. “It’s a revenue problem. Not a pension problem.” Tax the rich. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

VIDEO. “It’s a revenue problem. Not a pension problem.” Tax the rich. « Fred Klonsky: VIDEO. “It’s a revenue problem. Not a pension problem.” Tax the rich. by Fred Klonsky Popout Guest blog: The chutzpah of Illinois! by Fred Klonsky By Mark Stefanik, middle school teacher. Mike Madigan – *“They (teachers, cops, firemen, state employees of all kinds) are going to get less in retirement than they thought they would.”* Didn’t Speaker Madigan contradict the Constitutional protections afforded the pension systems with these words? If this is not a call for reduction of benefits, wh... more »

Charter schools: Public or private? Brian Jones in Portland, teachers rally in Illinois and a petition to Obama: Stop privatizing our schools! | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Charter schools: Public or private? Brian Jones in Portland, teachers rally in Illinois and a petition to Obama: Stop privatizing our schools! | Seattle Education: Charter schools: Public or private? Brian Jones in Portland, teachers rally in Illinois and a petition to Obama: Stop privatizing our schools! by seattleducation2011 *The Weekly Update: For the news and views you might have missed* First up, more Facebook pages are popping up on the subject of education: *Our Village Our Schools* *Public Education Crusaders* *Long Island Chapter Save Our Schools March* *350 *This one is ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Pension "Reform" = Legalized Welching

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Pension "Reform" = Legalized Welching: Pension "Reform" = Legalized Welching by Duke Meanwhile, in Illinois, the government is forced to confront a pension mess of their own making: The prospects for solving Illinois' worst-in-the-nation pension crisis may have grown brighter Friday when powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan said he was open to deferring a contentious teacher retirement issue that has deadlocked lawmakers for almost a year. Madigan's shift was announced by Gov. Pat Quinn, who is pushing to solve the $96 billion pension problem during a lame-duck... more »

Is Michelle Rhee About to Take a Lance Armstrong Like Fall From Grace? | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Is Michelle Rhee About to Take a Lance Armstrong Like Fall From Grace? | Scathing Purple Musings: Is Michelle Rhee About to Take a Lance Armstrong Like Fall From Grace? by Bob Sikes On Tuesday America will find out if Michelle Rhee’s DC miracle was a fraud. From *Washington Post *reporter Emma Brown: Student standardized-test scores at an award-winning D.C. school dropped dramatically in 2011 after the principal tightened security out of concern about possible cheating, according to a new “Frontline” television documentary to be broadcast Tuesday. The hour-long program raises que... more »

Founding Fathers on Universal Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

* * *Founding Fathers on Universal Public Education* Washington to Franklin, Adams and Jefferson, every one offered his ideas about the state of education and the best ways to build an informed citizenry — from the lowliest mechanic's son to the most exalted Harvard grad. Each called at least implicitly for public education. Jefferson wrote of his Virginia education plan in a letter to his friend George Wythe, *"The tax which will be paid for the purpose of education is not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to kings, priests and nobles who will rise up among us... more »

The secret e-mails about Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million donation to Newark schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

The secret e-mails about Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million donation to Newark schools: The secret e-mails about Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million donation to Newark schools Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 6, 2013 at 11:27 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: Facebook Hosts Conference On Future Of Social Technologies]A detail that got buried on the day that Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) announced he would not challenge Gov. Chris Christie (R) next year was the news that a judge had ordered ... more »

More On Rocketship Schools, by Barbara Miner « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

More On Rocketship Schools, by Barbara Miner « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: More On Rocketship Schools, by Barbara Miner by millerlf *Do Milwaukee’s children deserve art and music classes?* By Barbara Miner Jan. 5, 2013 View from the Heartland MJS Blog *Do young children deserve art and music classes?* Or, instead of art and music, should kindergarten and first-graders spend two hours a day in Dilbert-like cubicles, keyboarding answers into computers while uncertified aides monitor the room and maintain order? Such questions should be part of a much-needed public disc... more »

U.S. public schools cut 11,000 jobs in December | Reuters

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

U.S. public schools cut 11,000 jobs in December | Reuters: U.S. public schools cut 11,000 jobs in December By Anna Yukhananov and Lisa Lambert WASHINGTON | Fri Jan 4, 2013 4:44pm EST (Reuters) - Local U.S. governments cut jobs for the fourth straight month in December, including 11,000 in public schools, dragging down the nation's fragile economic recovery, jobs data showed on Friday. Local government jobs are now at their lowest level since October 2005, with the bulk of the decline coming from layoffs of teachers and other school employees, according to the Labor Department. For ... more »

National Opt Out Day: January 7, 2013 | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

National Opt Out Day: January 7, 2013 | United Opt Out National: National Opt Out Day: January 7, 2013 by admin How will you opt out of corporate education reform on National Opt Out Day? How will you rebuild public schools and resist from within? There are many ways to opt out of corporate education reform through resistance and rebuilding. Share what you plan to do in the comment box. Review our Flyers and Handoutssection of the website to find materials to read and share. Here is a poster depicting various levels of opting out of corporate education reform; all levels are po... more »

Jersey Jazzman: A New Jersey Parent Nails It

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: A New Jersey Parent Nails It: A New Jersey Parent Nails It by Duke Anthony Cody has been hosting a big, contentious discussion about education "reform" under a piece of his based on a controversial argument by Paul Thomas. I and many others weighed in, but my favorite respone is from NJ parent Tamar Wyschogrod, who runs NJ Parents Against Gov. Christie's School Budget Cuts. Wyschogrod's response is so succinct, so insightful, and just so darned good that it deserves to be read far and wide in its entirety: Much of what I described is not corruption, but hypocrisy... more »

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky: The Sunday Mail. by Fred Klonsky [image: 8347641338_7b365977bd] *Springfield Capitol Rotunda. Friday. Photo: IEA* *Veteran teachers* explain their view of the the pension issue. You won’t see this on the channel seven news. *There is no pension deal yet.* Keep the pressure on. Call 888 412 6570. *Has the Newark Teachers Union brought on its own destruction?* A lesson for union leadership everywhere. *Have today’s schools become* penitentiaries of boredom? *A PBS Frontline documentary* examines Michelle Rhee’s cheating legacy in DC. *And Rhee’s BS is to...more »

Violence, Abuse Documented at Florida, Pennsylvania For-Profit Schools | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Violence, Abuse Documented at Florida, Pennsylvania For-Profit Schools | Scathing Purple Musings: Violence, Abuse Documented at Florida, Pennsylvania For-Profit Schools by Bob Sikes The school privatization juggernaut – cloaked under a shroud of false benevolence (It’s about students first) – received some indefensible bad press this weekend in two state’s key to their movement. First from Florida in an Alexandra Zayas story in the *Tampa Bay Times:* State officials asked a judge Friday to shut down an unlicensed Port St. Lucie children’s home that for years has been allowed to op... more »

Lessons for a Principal from a 9 Year Old Boy | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Lessons for a Principal from a 9 Year Old Boy | Connected Principals: Lessons for a Principal from a 9 Year Old Boy by Sandra Trach I assume you are one of the millions that are as inspired as I am by “Caine’s Arcade,” the endearing story of a boy who created his dream from the ground up – *out of cardboard*. Every time I watch these videos, I flash back to my own childhood, where I fashioned tents out of sticks and blankets, and sailed homemade boats in puddles. I flash forward to my students now, as I observe them engineer “houses wired with electricity” and “robots with sola... more »

Texas school districts seek testing waivers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Texas school districts seek testing waivers: Texas school districts seek testing waivers Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 6, 2013 at 10:24 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: test]There’s something almost poetic about this: In Texas, the state where the high-stakes standardized testing era began, a consortium of school districts is asking officials to grant them exemptions from both state and federal testing requirements. Twenty-three members of the Texas High Performance Schools Cons... more »

The Golden Age: Keynes, Marx, Malthus and the Post-Scarcity Vision - Online University of the Left

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The Golden Age: Keynes, Marx, Malthus and the Post-Scarcity Vision - Online University of the Left: The Golden Age: Keynes, Marx, Malthus and the Post-Scarcity Vision by admin *The 15-hour working week predicted by Keynes may soon be within our grasp – but are we ready for freedom from toil?* *By John Quiggin**SolidarityEconomy.net via Aeon Magazine* Sept 27, 2012 – I first became an economist in the early 1970s, at a time when revolutionary change still seemed like an imminent possibility and when utopian ideas were everywhere, exemplified by the Situationist slogan of 1968: ‘Be re... more »

Analysis: Charter schools kick out far more problem students, but what is the alternative? | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Analysis: Charter schools kick out far more problem students, but what is the alternative? | Get Schooled: Analysis: Charter schools kick out far more problem students, but what is the alternative? by Maureen Downey Many educators on this blog complain that charter schools enjoy a critical edge over their non-charter counterparts: They have far more freedom to kick out problem students. The Washington Post decided to test that claim and found that the District of Columbia’s public charter schools expel students at a far higher rate than the city’s traditional public schools. Thos... more »

Jersey Jazzman: How To Break a Teachers Union

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Jersey Jazzman: How To Break a Teachers Union: How To Break a Teachers Union by Duke *I'm invincible!* The Newark Teachers Union has apparently sown the seeds of its own destruction: As Newark’s landmark teachers contract begins to be implemented, *only about 20 percent of district teachers who can opt to earn bonuses for exemplary evaluations and service in hard-to-fill slots have actually decided to do so*. "Opt" is the key word here. New teachers and those with only bachelor's degrees are automatically enrolled in the program -- defined in a new salary guide -- which pays u... more »

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

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

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Mother Crusader Takes on the Center for Education Reform by dianerav Mother Crusader noticed that the New Jersey office of charter schools has a list of important partners. One of them is the Center for Education Reform. Mother Crusader does her customary research and finds that Jeanne Allen, who founded CER, claimed credit for writing the ALEC proposal for the parent trigger. She should not have been surprised. CER is one of the leading voices on the right that supports charters and AIR: VAM Not Ready fo... more »

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

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-20-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-13-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-6-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Monday, January 7, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 1-7-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS