Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 1-12-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best:

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

A Dress Code for Teachers? Or Anything Goes? | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 minutes ago

A Dress Code for Teachers? Or Anything Goes? | toteachornototeach: A Dress Code for Teachers? Or Anything Goes? by aristotlethewise A Dress Code for Teachers? Or Anything Goes?by Rae Pica Who could have imagined that the issue of teacher attire would be such a hot-button topic? But, then, who could have imagined that the day would come when teachers sported too-tight clothes and showed too much skin? And, no, I’m not talking about just the female teachers. This is *not *an issue merely because it’s a female-dominated profession, as one tweeter suggested to me. As far as I’m c... more »

PAA Mass affiliate writes letter of support for Seattle teachers | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 29 minutes ago

PAA Mass affiliate writes letter of support for Seattle teachers | Parents Across America: PAA Mass affiliate writes letter of support for Seattle teachers by pureparents CPS supports Seattle’s Garfield High Teachers: Test Boycott is Courageous Stand for Students, Against Test Abuse Citizens for Public Schools Issues Statement Supporting Seattle’s Garfield High Teachers: “Test Boycott is Courageous Stand for Students, Against Test Abuse” We, the members of Citizens for Public Schools, stand with the teachers at Garfield High School in Seattle for their courageous move to boycott ... more »

The Evaluation: schooling at the end of teaching, unions, & care « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago

The Evaluation: schooling at the end of teaching, unions, & care « Cooperative Catalyst: The Evaluation: schooling at the end of teaching, unions, & care by Chad Sansing [image: The Evaluation]Nearly sixth months ago, I posted “The Evaluation,” a near-future science fiction short story imagining public school teaching as day-labor inside a techno-bureaucratic panopticon. Since then, I’ve tried to hold myself accountable for posting about the work that my kids and I do together, which I love and in which I believe. I want to take the energy I’ve put into criticizing “what is” and cha... more »

Racism in America Today « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 33 minutes ago

Racism in America Today « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Racism in America Today by millerlf I recently read Michelle Alexander’s book, *The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness*. It takes head-on the “elephant in the room” concerning race in America. I feel it is a must read for anyone interested in equality and social justice. According to Alexander, more black men are behind bars or under the watch of the criminal justice system in the US than there were enslaved in 1850…and more *African-American men* are disenfranchised now because of fe... more »

Scarcity at the Table of Abundance | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 36 minutes ago

Scarcity at the Table of Abundance | Connected Principals: Scarcity at the Table of Abundance by Johnny Bevacqua [image: scarcity abundance]This was originally posted at Figuring It Out by J. Bevacqua @jvbevacqua *Thanks to the Internet and the technologies we use to access it, we’ve move from a world where all of these (information, knowledge, teachers, le**arning, getting an education)** were relatively scarce to one where they’re absolutely abundant…* *if we have an Internet connection, we have fingertip, on-demand access to an amazing library that holds close to the sum of hu... more »

Hunger Strike Saves PS 154 in the Bronx!!!.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Hunger Strike Saves PS 154 in the Bronx!!! by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) The first post of the New Year and the first post since a hunger strike had been announced. Lots to tell, lots to explain. The hunger strike was in support of PS 154 to keep it from closing and The Crack Team here at SBSB won.PS 154 is not closing thanks to the hunger strike, even an abbreviated one at that. I have learned that when one announces a hunger strike, one should notify one's spouse, or at least talk it over with said spouse. Last Wednesday, the 2nd, when I... more »

Seattle Education Association backs Garfield teachers in opposition to MAP testing. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Seattle Education Association backs Garfield teachers in opposition to MAP testing. « Fred Klonsky: Seattle Education Association backs Garfield teachers in opposition to MAP testing. by Fred Klonsky Popout*November, 2011. Garfield High School students occupy Seattle city hall demanding an end to budget cuts.* *Seattle Times:* In the statement, SEA President Jonathan Knapp said he wants the district to set a date to stop using the MAP exams. He also said that concerns over those tests are part of larger questions about the costs of testing, and how much time schools devote to it....more »

Diane in the Evening 1-12-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: *You Are the Leaders* Seattle Writer Challenges Bill Gates to Be Consistent by dianerav A reader sent the following observation: Here’s a devastating article that points up Bill Gates’ hypocrisy when it comes to the variation between what he demands for his own children, and what he subjects children from lower income communities: THE SEATTLE TIMES’ Danny Weastneat takes Gates to task for promoting policy all over the country that jacks class size sky high, with Gates using the common-sense-defying logic that kids will fare better in larger classes. You Are... more »

Ray Glass, Student Governments, and Student Unionism «

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Ray Glass, Student Governments, and Student Unionism «: Ray Glass, Student Governments, and Student Unionism by Angus Johnston “Are Student Governments Obsolete?”, an early-70s essay by New York student activist Ray Glass, has enjoyed a boomlet of attention in recent months. A couple of people put the text up online, and it’s been getting passed around quite a bit — I keep seeing it pop up on Facebook and Twitter and various blogs. Ray Glass was one of the founders of SASU, the statewide student association for SUNY, New York’s upstate university system. He was the engine behind ...more »

Grumpy Educators: The Garfield Stand and the Common Core: Will They Both Come to a School Near You?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Grumpy Educators: The Garfield Stand and the Common Core: Will They Both Come to a School Near You?: The Garfield Stand and the Common Core: Will They Both Come to a School Near You? --> The “Garfield Stand” may eventually come to a school near you following the roll out of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and related assessment implementation across the country. What is the Garfield Stand? It is what the teachers at Seattle’s Garfield High School are doing---they are taking a stand on important issues related to student assessment. You can

The Garfield Stand and the Common Core: Will They Both Come to a School Near You? | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

The Garfield Stand and the Common Core: Will They Both Come to a School Near You? | Truth in American Education: The Garfield Stand and the Common Core: Will They Both Come to a School Near You? by chascherrie The “Garfield Stand” may eventually come to a school near you following the roll out of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and related assessment implementation across the country. What is the Garfield Stand? It is what the teachers at Seattle’s Garfield High School are doing—they are taking a stand on important issues related to student assessment. You can read abo... more »

Common Core’s David Coleman on How We Think and Feel | California Father

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Common Core’s David Coleman on How We Think and Feel | California Father: [image: California Father] Common Core’s David Coleman on How We Think and Feel by California Father Popout This past week, I learned more about what’s in store for public schools. I was dismayed to find out, at our Tuesday faculty meeting, that Common Core, a new set of learning standards mandated in 46 states, deemphasizes the importance of fiction as well as the experiences in a child’s life that make stories (fables,

No Teachers With Guns, No Police In Schools | K-12 News Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

No Teachers With Guns, No Police In Schools | K-12 News Network: No Teachers With Guns, No Police In Schools Posted on January 11, 2013 by admin On December 30, 2012, President Obama said he doubted arming school police with guns will prevent future school shootings, but then January 11, 2013′s EdWeek hints that he may yield to local law enforcement officers and communities if it has “bipartisan” support. While President Barack Obama said recently that he would be skeptical that more guns would be an answer to school safety, his administration is considering paying to add police ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Guns for our Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Guns for our Teachers: Guns for our Teachers by Melissa Westbrook There are few people in the Legislature who do not seem to represent the best thinking. To whit: - Newly-elected Rep Liz Pike, R-Camas wants "trained" teachers to carry guns in their classrooms. From the *Times*: *GOP state Rep. Liz Pike helped to kick off the state gun-laws conversation last month with a widely read Facebook post that floated the idea of allowing teachers to carry guns in the classroom if they undergo training and pass a psychological evaluation. The progr... more »

ChoppEd: The Artistry of Teaching « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

ChoppEd: The Artistry of Teaching « Cooperative Catalyst: ChoppEd: The Artistry of Teaching by Stephen Hurley For most of my friends, it’s the high-energy music that gets them through their regular gym workouts. For me, its the podcasts and, specifically, the podcasts about education. Lately, I’ve been filling my iPod with the recordings that having been coming out Stanford University over the past couple of years. I find them to be engaging, relevant and even entertaining. Today, I was listening to a talk given by Lee Schulman to teachers gathered at the 2011 Stanford Summer Teac... more »

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he’s convinced his uncle’s assassination wasn’t work of 1 person - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he’s convinced his uncle’s assassination wasn’t work of 1 person - The Washington Post: *Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he’s convinced his uncle’s assassination wasn’t work of 1 person* (Tony Gutierrez/ Associated Press ) - Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, makes comments during the opening minutes of a interview with journalist Charlie Rose in front of a full audience at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Friday, Jan. 11, 2013, in Dallas, Texas. The Kennedys are in Dallas as a year of observances begins for the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assass... more »

Children before politics: Madison, Connecticut: Standing up to the Corporate Education Reform Movement - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Children before politics: Madison, Connecticut: Standing up to the Corporate Education Reform Movement - Wait, What?: Children before politics: Madison, Connecticut: Standing up to the Corporate Education Reform Movement by jonpelto This weekend, Hearst newspaper columnist and fellow public education advocate, Wendy Lecker, has published a “must read” commentary piece that reveals that in at least one Connecticut community local elected officials, school administrators, teachers and parents are have the courage and conviction to stand up for the needs of their children – even if i... more »

Schools Matter: Carl, Get Your Gun

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Schools Matter: Carl, Get Your Gun: Carl, Get Your Gun by Storm Just as I was about to start writing this an image that springs out of my "cultural" heritage popped into my head. In the movie *The Breakfast Club*, the man of superior conscience turns out to be Carl, the janitor. Do you remember? I'm pretty sure none of the teens in the movie will turn out to be of superior conscience or character, which is interesting too. I sometimes marvel at the actual complexity in our filmed representations of institutional roles and human responses. We know the assistant principal is a... more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Bill Gates:Experienced Educator!($50 Million Dollars Doesn't Lie)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Bill Gates:Experienced Educator!($50 Million Dollars Doesn't Lie): Bill Gates:Experienced Educator!($50 Million Dollars Doesn't Lie) by Lisa M Oh, wait a minute. He doesn't hold a degree in education? My bad. Well, then, he must have taken a few education courses? No? Not that either? He has traveled all over the world and visited different types of schools? Talked to educators all over the country? No? I know! He had a teacher relative, when he was young, who would regal him with quirky stories of what it was like to be an educator. Strike! Give... more »

Parents and students arrested after street brawls near Pittsburgh - Crimesider - CBS News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Parents and students arrested after street brawls near Pittsburgh - Crimesider - CBS News: Parents and students arrested after street brawls near Pittsburgh - comments 1 - - - - inShare - More ByCrimesider StaffTopicsDaily Blotter (CBS) SWISSVALE, Pa. - Swissvale police are increasing patrols near a school bus stop where two major brawls happened earlier this week, and they say they've been told to expect more violence,CBS Pittsburgh reports.. Cell phone videos shot by students show a crowd of as many as 60 students and parents fighting in the streets of Swi... more »

Building a professional learning network on Twitter « My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Building a professional learning network on Twitter « My Island View: Building a professional learning network on Twitter by tomwhitby For those who do not know, here are two basic Twitter principles: 1. If you only follow 10 people you will only see the general tweets of those 10 people. 2. If only 10 people follow you, only those 10 people will see your general tweets. Although some might argue that the right ten people might be enough, I would argue that ten educators is a very limited Professional Learning Network. The never-ending task of building a PLN is to continually fol... more »

The Efficiency Smokescreen, “Cuts Cause no Harm” Argument & The 3 Kansas Judges who Saw Right Through It! « School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

The Efficiency Smokescreen, “Cuts Cause no Harm” Argument & The 3 Kansas Judges who Saw Right Through It! « School Finance 101: The Efficiency Smokescreen, “Cuts Cause no Harm” Argument & The 3 Kansas Judges who Saw Right Through It! by schoolfinance101 State school finance litigation is a tedious – often annoying –politically charged process. Often, school finance litigation involves extensive debate over tedious statistical and other details underlying estimates of how much is should cost for states to meet their constitutional obligations. Too often, it seems, these debates o... more »

Solidarity with Garfield. by Kipp Dawson « @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Solidarity with Garfield. by Kipp Dawson « @ the chalk face: Solidarity with Garfield. by Kipp Dawson by Timothy D. Slekar [image: Seattle Public Schools: Support Garfield High School teachers refusing to administer the MAP!] As parents working to end the horrifying excesses of standardized testing in our children’s schools, we express our strongest possible solidarity with the teachers of Garfield High School in Seattle. Your resistance is an inspiration and a tremendous validation of our work. As parents, we will defend any teacher’s right to protect students from these harmful t... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-12-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Who Attends The Schools That the Mayor Will Close? by dianerav Mayor Bloomberg wants to close as many public schools as possible in this, his last year in office. So his Department of Education has announced that another 26 schools will close as soon as they can go through the formalities. All of these schools have Kudos to the Teachers of Hamburg Central School District! by dianerav When teachers stand together and refuse to be bullied by the powerful, they deserve our commendation. The teachers in the Ha... more »

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky [image: django-unchained-jackson-REELZ] Coffee at home. Anne cooked up a couple of bowls of Bob’s 10 Grain hot cereal. It’s what my mom used to call *binding. *The truth is that I like it. Better than oatmeal. Along with fighting for our promised pension, this is what happens when you retire at 64. No more bagels for breakfast. *Bob’s 10 Grain hot cereal.* Stop. I’m having a hard time keyboarding this morning. Lavert’s Casanova is on Pandora’s *R and B and Oldies station* and I keep bopping up and down. I have some o... more »

30 Myths About eLearning that Need to Die in 2013 - The Educator's PLN

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

30 Myths About eLearning that Need to Die in 2013 - The Educator's PLN: 30 Myths About eLearning that Need to Die in 2013 by Tess Pajaron [image: Sad lady] For as long as eLearning has been around, it has been haunted by the voices of those who aim to criticize its authenticity, viability, and quality. But is it true? Do students of traditional institutions boast more success than those who’ve chosen distance learning? It’s time for some of these myths to die. 1. The technology is unreliableEvery other arena in society- financial institutions, businesses, and government- do not avoid... more »

Taft classroom shooting: Bullying seen as motive for attack - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Taft classroom shooting: Bullying seen as motive for attack - latimes.com: Taft classroom shooting: Bullying seen as motive for attack [image: Taft Union High School] Police said the boy accused of opening fire inside a Taft, Calif., high school Thursday, critically injuring a classmate, felt he was being bullied and that appears to be a motive for the incident. Law enforcement officials said the suspect would be charged with attempted murder. They did not give his name because he is a minor. They said they were investigating what role bullying may have had in motivating him to alleg... more »

Arab Fifth Column Al Jabr Attacks U.S. Schools | MyFDL

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Arab Fifth Column Al Jabr Attacks U.S. Schools | MyFDL: Arab Fifth Column Al Jabr Attacks U.S. Schools by EdwardTeller Thank God for *FOX* News! They’ve uncovered another scary plot in our schools. That this one involves an ancient Islamist cult, started byMuhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī, when he wrote the revolutionary screed, *The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing*, sometime in the early ninth Century. In the succeeding 1,200 years, al-Khwārizmī’s terrorist ideas have infiltrated math, higher math, abstract thinking, logic and concepts of artificial inte... more »

Armed Janitors Approved To Stop School Shootings | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Armed Janitors Approved To Stop School Shootings | toteachornototeach: Armed Janitors Approved To Stop School Shootings by aristotlethewise *Armed Janitors Approved By Montpelier, Ohio, School Board To Stop School Shootings* by Jason Linkins [image: groundskeeper-willie]One of the big questions we’ve been asking ourselves in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting is what group of warm bodies are going to be flung into the path of the armed-to-the-teeth gunmen of tomorrow. Will it have to be the children themselves? It’s been suggested! (The huskier, the better, appare... more »

The wrong remedies

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

The wrong remedies: The wrong remedies Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 12, 2013 at 10:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » This past week No Child Left Behind turned 11 years old and Michelle Rhee made big news with a “report card” that judged states on how well they implemented policy of which she approves. Here is a look at what connects them, by Jeff Bryant, a marketing and communications consultant for nonprofits. He is a marketing and creative strategist with nearly 30 years of expe... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 1-12-13

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* “YOU DON’T FIX EDUCATION BY LOWERING THE BAR. YOU DO IT BY LIFTING THE KIDS.” smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 day ago Florida and Virginia have adopted new academic standards for students based on race and ability. These states used their federally-granted NCLB waivers to create separate and unequal performance standards for their black, white, Hispanic, Asian and disabled children. In Virginia, in order to pass the standardized math exam, an Asian student has to get an...more »

This Week's Education Research Report 1-12-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Some of the most popular study strategies -- such as highlighting and even rereading -- don't show much promise for improving student learning Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago Students everywhere, put down those highlighters and pick up some flashcards! Some of the most popular study strategies -- such as highlighting and even rereading -- don't show much promise for improving student learning, according to a new report published in *Psychological Science in the Public Interest,* a jou... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 1-12-13 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours 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 week 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 »

Ed Notes Online: Chicago TU: Social Justice Unionism IS Trade Unionism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Chicago TU: Social Justice Unionism IS Trade Unionism: Chicago TU: Social Justice Unionism IS Trade Unionism by ed notes online *A lot of times if you talk to other members about a teacher who is being targeted by the administration, they’ll say, “Oh, that’s one of the crazies.” We tried to have our members embrace disaffected teachers rather than isolate them. ---* *While parents liked the longer day, they also thought we should be compensated for it. They didn’t like the idea of forcing people to work longer without being paid for it. Parents are very clear ab... more »

Daily Kos: It is another Saturday morning

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Daily Kos: It is another Saturday morning: It is another Saturday morning by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) As has been my practice for several years, I pause to reflect, but this time is different. I'm tired, bone tired. I am worried for my beloved spouse. I am worried for my country. I am worried for the students I teach. Not necessarily in that order. This week's Saturday morning reflection may not be coherent or cogent, although I will attempt to keep it from devolving into stream of consciousness. If you decide it is not for you, I will understand. But perhaps what I share can ... more »

A Call for a Moratorium on Cyber Charter Charter Schools in PA | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

A Call for a Moratorium on Cyber Charter Charter Schools in PA | Scathing Purple Musings: A Call for a Moratorium on Cyber Charter Charter Schools in PA by Bob Sikes From a story last month from* Public News Service of Pennsylvania*: HARRISBURG, Pa. – Some Pennsylvania groups say cyber charter schools in the state aren’t making the grade, and they’re urging state education officials to impose a moratorium on any new ones. Rhonda Brownstein, the executive director of the Education Law Center, says only one of the cyber charters operating in Pennsylvania in 2011 made adequate yearl... more »

NYC Educator: UFT Sponsors Blockbuster Film

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

NYC Educator: UFT Sponsors Blockbuster Film: UFT Sponsors Blockbuster Film by NYC Educator After the astroturf folks brought out two propaganda films, neither of which exactly hit box office gold, the United Federation of Teachers has decided to sponsor its own film, to bring the true story of education "reform" to Mr. and Mrs. Joe Sixpack. It's clearly been difficult for the astroturfers to get their message across, as their ideas are supported neither by research, practice, or any objective semblance of reality. The UFT film will focus on bold leadership willing to tackle tough i... more »

Policy by Algorithm (Jeff Henig), Part 2 | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Policy by Algorithm (Jeff Henig), Part 2 | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Policy by Algorithm (Jeff Henig), Part 2 by larrycuban * Jeff Henig is a professor of political science and education at Teachers College, Columbia University. This post appeared July 27, 2011 on Rick Hess’s blog in Education Week.* There is a satisfying solidity to the term “data-based” decision-making. But basing decisions on data is not the same thing as basing them on knowledge. Data are collections of nuggets of information. Compared with “soft” rationales for action–opinion, intu... more »

Enough is enough! What Can Education Workers, Students & Parents Do To Defend

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Enough is enough! What Can Education Workers, Students & Parents Do To Defend: Enough is enough! What Can Education Workers, Students & Parents Do To Defend Public Education?Public Education, Privatization and strenghten the role of the NEA/CTA and AFT/CFT By Danny Weil on January 12, 2013 4:31 am / no comments Please tell all those you know in the Bay Area of California and beyond about the meeting that we must have on privatization, financialization, and corporatization of education. We need to build statewide and nationwide movements to confront these well-heeled reactionarie... more »

Aaron Swartz «

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Aaron Swartz «: Aaron Swartz by Angus Johnston Internet activist Aaron Swartz killed himself yesterday in New York. He was 26. Aaron had long suffered from depression and other medical issues, but at the time of his death he was facing a more tangible challenge as well — a thirteen count federal felony indictment arising from a 2011 incident in which he snuck into MIT and downloaded a huge number of academic journal articles from the website JSTOR. JSTOR declined to press charges, as did MIT, but the government went after him anyway, and went after him very very hard. He pled not ... more »

Astroturf Activism: Who is Behind Students for Education Reform? | The Nation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Astroturf Activism: Who is Behind Students for Education Reform? | The Nation: Astroturf Activism: Who is Behind Students for Education Reform? George Joseph and Extra Credit on January 11, 2013 - 4:47 PM ET * * * * *ATEACHERS FOR EDUCATION REFORM PART OF THE GROWING AL-ALEC PRIVATIZATION NETWORK* *الشركات استيلاء التعليم العام* * * * * * * * * In late November, a small crowd of Columbia University and New York University students organized byStudents For Education Reform (SFER) marched from the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) building in downtown Manhattan to the steps of the... more »

Seattle Ballard High School teachers have followed suit: No MAP test! | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Seattle Ballard High School teachers have followed suit: No MAP test! | Seattle Education: Seattle Ballard High School teachers have followed suit: No MAP test! by seattleducation2011 *This just in:* *25 teachers at nearby Ballard High School signed a letter today against continuing to use the MAP test, and in support of our Garfield colleagues.* Whereas The MAP test is a resource expensive and cash expensive program in a district with very finite financial resources, The MAP test is not used in practice to inform student instruction, The MAP test is not connected to our curricula... more »

Tony Bennett: Partisan Republican | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Tony Bennett: Partisan Republican | Scathing Purple Musings: Tony Bennett: Partisan Republican by Bob Sikes *StateImpact Indiana *reporter Elle Moxley provides this quote from outgoing state schools superintendent Tony Bennett: Bennett starts his new job as Florida Commissioner of Education Monday. But he says he’s not worried about state lawmakers dismantling the education system he built with Gov. Mitch Daniels. “I think we have a huge amount of political will in [Gov. Mike Pence's] office around education reform,” says Bennett. “I think the fact *we have a supermajority* in th... more »

School Tech Connect: This Ought To Be Interesting...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

School Tech Connect: This Ought To Be Interesting...: This Ought To Be Interesting... by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) ...but I suspect that it will just be sad. My lakefront liberals are having a meeting to defend the flat tax. God love 'em. Before I forget to make the point, it occurred to me that gay marriage in Illinois seemed like such a martian concept only ten years ago. And yet gay marriage advocates know how to do things. You keep pushing and rallying and organizing, and talking talking talking about gay marriage until one day you find yourself at the altar with som... more »

2013 Golden Globe Nominations Announcement: BEST MOTION PICTURE – CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: *2013 Golden Globe Nominations Announcement:* * BEST MOTION PICTURE – CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS* 1 *http://peopleforourpublicschools.org/* 2 EdVantages Academics by The Perimeter Primate *“Charter schools pay off for CEO’s family.”* Dayton Daily News (OH), 12/15/2012 A Dayton Daily News investigation found that a company managing several taxpayer-funded charter schools in the area is a lucrative family business whose husband-and-wife management team makes more than $400,000 a year. The nonprofit, EdVantages, manages seven charter schools in Ohio, incl... more »

Ohio superintendent, community support portrait of Jesus hanging in public school | Pam's House Blend

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Ohio superintendent, community support portrait of Jesus hanging in public school | Pam's House Blend: Ohio Superintendent, Community Support Portrait of Jesus Hanging in Public School by Pam Spaulding *Jackson City School District Superintendent Phil Howard finds support at school board meeting where hundreds boo those expressing that the portrait’s presence violates the U.S. Constitution*. Yes, it’s time again for an episode of “Might Makes Right” and “Majority Rules.” The trouble began when the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent Superintendent Phil Howard a letter p... more »

Schools Matter: Support Seattle Teachers in Their Campaign of Conscience

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Schools Matter: Support Seattle Teachers in Their Campaign of Conscience: Support Seattle Teachers in Their Campaign of Conscience by Jim Horn From Monty Neill at FairTest: *Support Seattle Teachers’ Boycott* Show your support for the teachers’ boycott of the MAP tests. The teachers have set up a petition, which you can sign at https://www.change.org/petitions/seattle-public-schools-support-garfield-high-school-teachers-refusing-to-administer-the-map?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=url_share&utm_campaign=url_share_before_sign Please circulate it widely! The teachers wrote... more »

Pass / Fail : Feedback: Here's what you think about the state's changes to standardized tests | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Pass / Fail : Feedback: Here's what you think about the state's changes to standardized tests | 89.3 KPCC: Feedback: Here's what you think about the state's changes to standardized tests by Vanessa Romo [image: An empty classroom]*Credit: BES Photos/Flickr (cc by-nc-nd)* State school officials say standardized tests as we know them — the multiple choice kind that require Scantron forms and No. 2 pencils — are not working for teachers or students. What we need, California Schools Superintendent Tom Torlakson said last week, is to move away from memorization-driven tests. He's prop... more »

CEO Patricia Levesque’s Misleading Defense of Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

CEO Patricia Levesque’s Misleading Defense of Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education | Scathing Purple Musings: CEO Patricia Levesque’s Misleading Defense of Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education by Bob Sikes Within her response to Mississippi parent advocate, Nancy Loome, Foundation for Excellence in Education CEO, Patricia Levesque included this: Loome notes that we take funding from for-profit providers. In fact, *more than 90 percent of the Foundation’s budget comes from family foundations or philanthropic organizations*dedicated to improving students’ ... more »

Diane in the Evening 1-11-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: A Letter About Gun Appreciation Day by dianerav Tonight, I watched a lovely tribute to Joan Baez on PBS. Joan is a pacifist, a wonderful human being, and a great singer. She is also very courageous. She put herself in mortal danger as a fighter for human right. Minutes after turning off the television, I received this email. It upset me. I thought I would share it with you. My reply is at the end of he letter. On Jan 11, 2013, at 10:03 PM, “Dick Brauer, Colonel, USAF (Ret.)” wrote: We’re calling for Adell Cothorne Contacted Me by dianerav I received an em... more »

No Teachers With Guns, No Police In Schools | K-12 News Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

No Teachers With Guns, No Police In Schools | K-12 News Network: No Teachers With Guns, No Police In Schools by admin On December 30, 2012, President Obama said he doubted arming school police with guns will prevent future school shootings, but then January 11, 2013′s EdWeek hints that he may yield to local law enforcement officers and communities if it has “bipartisan” support. While President Barack Obama said recently that he would be skeptical that more guns would be an answer to school safety, his administration is considering paying to add police officers to secure public s... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Newark Parents Fight School Closings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Jersey Jazzman: Newark Parents Fight School Closings: Newark Parents Fight School Closings by Duke I've just received a copy of a remarkable letter from a parent group in Newark: Parents Unified for Local School Education (PULSE). The letter is reprinted below; here's the story: Newark, like so many other urban districts, just went through a round of neighborhood school closings. The pattern seems to be the same in every city: an autocratic mayor or a conservative governor comes in and disenfranchises the local citizens (see New York City, Detroit, New Orleans, Chicago, etc.). ... more »

Connected Educators: 122 Awesome Twitter Accounts | My Town Tutors

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Connected Educators: 122 Awesome Twitter Accounts | My Town Tutors: Connected Educators: 122 Awesome Twitter Accounts Posted on January 10, 2013 by mmolloy ***If you are a teacher who tutors, for a limited time, you can register for FREE using promo code:usteachers. “Teachers are great tutors!” Teachers keep 100% of the profits! If you are a teacher PLEASE join! We need great teachers who tutor to be the #1 resource in America for parents looking for tutors!* The feedback from teachers has been incredible to our top 10 twitter accounts for teachers. We would like to continue to prov...more »

Common Core State Standards: A New Foundation for Student Success — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Common Core State Standards: A New Foundation for Student Success — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]Common Core State Standards: A New Foundation for Student Success January 11, 2013 by Klea Scharberg This Hunt Institute video discusses the rationale behind the development of the Common Core State Standards. "These standards now being implemented by more than 44 states across the nation were built upon strengths and lessons learned in states. They were informed by other top performing countries and grounded in research and evidence," says the Hunt... more »

Hopes for the New Year: Begone Ghosts of Reform Past! - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Hopes for the New Year: Begone Ghosts of Reform Past! - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Hopes for the New Year: Begone Ghosts of Reform Past! by Anthony Cody The first few weeks of 2013 have greeted us like a trip with old Marley revisiting school reforms of the past. In the very first weeks, we have Michelle Rhee's StudentsFirst lobby announce letter grades for states based on their adherence to her favorite pillars of reform policies. John Merrow provided us with a reprise of her greatest hits as the head of DC schools, along with some news regarding the cheating t... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: GET in Danger in the Legislature

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: GET in Danger in the Legislature: GET in Danger in the Legislature by Melissa Westbrook David Goldstein over at The Stranger Slog lays out the case for the GET (Guaranteed Education Tuition) program. The legislators who are talking it down are - no surprise - some of very legislators who have turned on their own party, Rodney Tom and Steve Litzow along with Ross Hunter. (And, as Goldy points out, some live in some of the most expensive areas of Washington State.) *GET is Washington's prepaid tuition program, a variant of the federally sanction... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Kahlenberg on so-called 'High-flying, high-poverty schools'

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Kahlenberg on so-called 'High-flying, high-poverty schools': Kahlenberg on so-called 'High-flying, high-poverty schools' by Mike Klonsky Don't miss *Richard Kahlenberg's* provacative piece in American Educator (Winter 2012-2013) which examines the roles of poverty and racial segregation and their impact of student learning. Kahlenberg takes on those who exaggerate the effect of "high-flying, high-poverty schools" or those [like Michelle Rhee--m.k.], who consider poverty to be mainly an "excuse" made by bad teachers who fail to produce high standard... more »

Show us the money: “Master Class” for private equity investors in public education | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Show us the money: “Master Class” for private equity investors in public education | Parents Across America: Show us the money: “Master Class” for private equity investors in public education by pureparents Even when people recognize how hard corporations are working to take over public education, they still wonder – is there really that much money to be made in education? Maybe the hedge funders are really doing all this just to help children. It’s a natural question given the fact that teachers are modestly paid and schools are mostly underfunded, hardly one’s idea of a lucrativ... more »

The letter from the teachers at Garfield High School regarding the MAP test | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The letter from the teachers at Garfield High School regarding the MAP test | Seattle Education: The letter from the teachers at Garfield High School regarding the MAP test by seattleducation2011 December 21, 2012 To Whom It May Concern: We, the Garfield teachers, respectfully decline to give the MAP test to any of our students. We have had different levels of experiences with MAP in our varied careers, have read about it, and discussed it with our colleagues. After this thorough review, we have all come to the conclusion that we cannot in good conscience subject our students to... more »

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Saturday, January 12, 2013

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 1-12-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best:

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."