Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 1-17-13 #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

Dear Schools, Please Stop Discriminating Based on Pregnancy. Thanks, Title IX | MyFDL

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago

Dear Schools, Please Stop Discriminating Based on Pregnancy. Thanks, Title IX | MyFDL: Dear Schools, Please Stop Discriminating Based on Pregnancy. Thanks, Title IX by RH Reality Check *Written by Lara S. Kaufmann for RH Reality Check*. Imagine you’re an honors student at a community college. You’re doing great: you’ve got a merit-based scholarship and you’re enjoying your classes. You’re also pregnant and excited to welcome the new addition to your family. Being the conscientious student that you are, you approach your professors as soon as classes start, tell them that you’re du... more »

This Week In Education: Thompson: Rhee Defenders Increasingly Desperate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 minutes ago

This Week In Education: Thompson: Rhee Defenders Increasingly Desperate: Thompson: Rhee Defenders Increasingly Desperate by john thompson [image: Michelle_rhee]I can't deny my enjoyment of Michelle Rhee's fall from grace. It is also fun to witness the convoluted spin of her defenders, as her duplicity is further documented. Despite what he says in "More Rhee!," Andrew Rotherham must realize that Richard Kahlenberg is correct and we have two ways of testing whether Rhee's theories could work. Schools in the American South, where unions are not powerful, have lower student performan... more »

Torlakson, Lockyer Caution Against Bonds - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago

Torlakson, Lockyer Caution Against Bonds - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson, State Treasurer Bill Lockyer Caution School Districts Against Issuance of Capital Appreciation Bonds SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and State Treasurer Bill Lockyer today issued the following letter to local educational agencies regarding capital appreciation bonds: Dear County and District Superintendents: CAPITAL APPRECIATION BONDS We understand many districts face a critical need to build or modernize facilities for their children,... more »

School Discipline Report Highlights Tension Between Safety, Civil Rights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

School Discipline Report Highlights Tension Between Safety, Civil Rights: School Discipline Report Highlights Tension Between Safety, Civil Rights by Joy Resmovits In Holmes County, Miss., a sheriff's car once picked up 5-year-old. The crime? Wearing shoes with red-and-white symbols, an apparent school dress code violation. In DeSoto County, Miss., cops reportedly arrested and threatened six students for arguing on a school bus. The examples of what advocates are calling Mississippi's extreme discipline problem are part of a reportreleased Thursday by the Advancement Project, a ... more »

Schools Matter: Please Sign the Petition in Support of Garfield Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Schools Matter: Please Sign the Petition in Support of Garfield Teachers: Please Sign the Petition in Support of Garfield Teachers by Jim Horn *Go here to sign the petition.* The Measure of Academic Progress test used in Seattle Public Schools needs to be removed because: -The MAP’s margin of error is greater than expected gains. -The MAP is not aligned with state standards which teachers are expected to teach. There is no way to see the content of the test and thus prepare for it. -Administering the MAP takes time away from instruction. The test is taken 3 times a year and requir... more »

I am "Paul - .southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: I am "Paul" by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) You don't get to meet a lot of really good people in this "business" of education. The type of people where you know they will have your back, be honest with you, and hope for the best. Two of these people are David Greene and Diane Ravitch. The first time I met Dave, I got an instant respect for him when he put me in my place for generalizing TFA teachers. I was like, "Wow, this guy says what is own his mind!" But it was not only that, it was the encyclopedic knowledge he has of education and the ... more »

Rethinking Schools: Chicago points the way for a new teacher unionism. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Rethinking Schools: Chicago points the way for a new teacher unionism. « Fred Klonsky: Rethinking Schools: Chicago points the way for a new teacher unionism. by Fred Klonsky [image: edit272] The editors of Rethinking Schools draw lessons for the teacher union movement from the recent events in Chicago. Some people describe this new unionism as an organizing model. Others call it “social justice unionism” or “social movement unionism.” Regardless, the Chicago teachers demonstrated its main features: - Unapologetically defend wages and working conditions of public school ed... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Who is to blame for the failed negotiations over teacher evaluation?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

NYC Public School Parents: Who is to blame for the failed negotiations over teacher evaluation?: Who is to blame for the failed negotiations over teacher evaluation? by Leonie Haimson If the Governor goes ahead with punishing NYC children for the mayor’s failures by subtracting $250 million from state aid, it will be terribly unfair. Yet there is little doubt that most parents will blame Bloomberg for this latest fiasco, as the just-released Quinnipiac poll shows that NYC voters trust the UFT by 53 to 35 percent over the mayor. And 63 percent of those polled believe that the mayo... more »

SCUSD School Closure List Makes Some Students Winners or Losers | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

SCUSD School Closure List Makes Some Students Winners or Losers | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: SCUSD School Closure List Makes Some Students Winners or Losers by Kate_Lenox [image: Home] The SCUSD school closure list is out and some of the criteria behind the selection of the schools on it has been revealed. Three of the Superintendent's Priority Schools get a pass, despite the fact they are under enrolled. Oak Ridge was on a closure list two years ago because of low enrollment and the poor shape of its facility. Now it will be a receiving school for... more »

We Must Question and Dream | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

We Must Question and Dream | Connected Principals: We Must Question and Dream by John Marschhausen “Freedom is the right to question and change the established way of doing things,” President Ronald Reagan eloquently stated in his 1988 speech at Moscow State University. “It is the right to dream – to follow your dream or stick to your conscience even if you’re the only one in a sea of doubters.” [image: DSC_0144]I thought of this quote by President Reagan as I read the headline I had been anticipating – school reform is back on the state agenda. Ohio school districts will soon be ... more »

Green Dot to reorganize Locke High School - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Green Dot to reorganize Locke High School - latimes.com: Green Dot to reorganize Locke High School In a move to address slumping academic performance of incoming ninth-grade students, charter school operator Green Dot Public School is proposing to reorganize Locke High School in Watts. The Locke campus is split into five small schools. Rather than dividing the ninth-grade students among the five, most new freshmen will be placed in a single academy on the campus. One of the schools, Animo Watts, will continue to serve ninth through 12th grade. There will be three 10th-12th-grade ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Rhee-ly Big Trouble

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Rhee-ly Big Trouble: Rhee-ly Big Trouble by Duke Oh, my: It’s been over six months, and we have still not received the McGoldrick-Sanford emails. How hard can it be to find email? Or could there be something in the McGoldrick-Sanford communications that DCPS does not want the public to read? But we know the Sanford memo is out there. What does it say? *Three secondary sources have told us that Sanford was troubled by the widespread erasures. An anonymous letter was mailed to me on June 20, 2012, stating in part, “The memo indicated there was cause for concern wi... more »

Diane in the Evening 1-17-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Charter School Math in Connecticut by dianerav Connecticut has the misfortune to have a bad combination: a significant group of very rich hedge fund managers devoted to charter schools and a state commissioner of education who wants to open more charter schools. The charter schools in the state serve disproportionately small numbers of English language learners. So is it a good idea to open more of them? Here’s a Corporate Reformers Waste over Half Million in Bridgeport Election by dianerav A reader in Connecticut links to Jonathan Pelto’s report of spendin... more »

$500 million question: What to do with Mark Zuckerberg’s gift? | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

$500 million question: What to do with Mark Zuckerberg’s gift? | EdSource Today: $500 million question: What to do with Mark Zuckerberg’s gift? ** January 16th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By Contributors Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on print More Sharing Services In December, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg donated $500 million to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation for projects related to health and education. Zuckerberg and the Community Foundation haven’t announced yet what they have in mind, so that got us thinking: why not pass along some ideas? We asked ... more »

THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: 2011-2012 Gulen charter school enrollment = 51,950 students

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: 2011-2012 Gulen charter school enrollment = 51,950 students: 2011-2012 Gulen charter school enrollment = 51,950 students To date, a total of *140* U.S. charter schools have been established which can be associated with the secretive and controversial Gulen Movement. This school year (2012-2013), *136* of the 140 are still active. Two of the four which are no longer active as Gulen charter schools have been converted into private schools and are taking advantage of tax credit scholarship (in GA) or school voucher (in WI) programs. For the 2011-2012 school ye... more »

UPDATE: Parents Across America Seattle supports Garfield High School teachers’ principled opposition to the costly and inaccurate MAP test | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Parents Across America Seattle supports Garfield High School teachers’ principled opposition to the costly and inaccurate MAP test | Parents Across America: Why parents support teachers by pagrundy Parents Across America is pleased to stand with our nation’s schoolteachers in efforts to improve education for all children – efforts that range from the issues raised in the Chicago teachers’ strike to the Seattle teachers’ boycott of wasteful standardized tests. We are proud to be part of a long tradition of parent support for public schoolteachers. Parents voice support Although th... more »

The Washington Teacher: DC's Ward 8 Parents Tell Mayor "Enough is Enough" !

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

The Washington Teacher: DC's Ward 8 Parents Tell Mayor "Enough is Enough" !: DC's Ward 8 Parents Tell Mayor "Enough is Enough" ! by noreply@blogger.com (Candi Peterson) *By Candi Peterson* On a cold, rainy night (January 15) an estimated 300 parents, students and concerned citizens took a page from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s social action playbook on his official birthday and took direct action by holding a vigil at the home of Mayor Vincent Gray, who chose to work late rather than meet with his neighbors.****** *Led by Ward 8 State Board of Education representative Trayon White,... more »

School Tech Connect: Come Out And Meet Your Neighbors!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Come Out And Meet Your Neighbors!: Come Out And Meet Your Neighbors! I'm on the road, but here are a couple reminders. *January 19, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM:* Community Task Force For Gale. Meeting at Gale in the social room. Organizing the resistance to Gale's incorrect "underutilized" label. *January 31, 6:00 PM-8:00 PM:* *The Inconvenient Truth About Waiting For Superman*, Sullivan High School Auditorium, co-hosted by RPNPF and Parents 4 Teachers. Popcorn and panel discussion. Everyone is welcome. And this, which I just heard about.

Equity, Schmequity | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Equity, Schmequity | EduShyster: Equity, Schmequity by edushyster2012 *Elitism and the education reform movement* Like many of your fine states, Massachusetts is now home to a veritable alphabet-soup of education reform groups, albeit a can in which the letters FER seem to be somewhat overrepresented. Just yesterday, for example, a reader sent me a notice from a new chapter of a student reform group at Tufts University, headed up by a young equestrienne whose own secondary education came courtesy of a $33,000 private school. She is helping to mobilize the next generation of educat... more »

How Social Studies Should Be Taught Student Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Student Voice: Justin Strudler – How Social Studies Should Be Taught by admin Originally posted at: http://justinstrudler.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/how-social-studies-should-be-taught/ I love social studies. I love tracing the realities of now to the events of then. I love thinkin about what my ancestors were likely doing at each period of history. I love looking at todays problems and finding the causes or even the solutions in history. History can teach us so much about the world we in and the people we live in, but when If I were to step into the average Social Studies class in... more »

The Quick and the Ed » Common Core: What’s Educational Justice Got to Do With It?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

The Quick and the Ed » Common Core: What’s Educational Justice Got to Do With It?: Common Core: What’s Educational Justice Got to Do With It? by Peter Cookson Jr. Last spring I completed a study of American high schools; I looked at five schools serving very different economic and social communities. Here is the headline: If a student is not lucky enough to attend a high school located in an upper-middle or middle-class neighborhood, he or she is likely to get a watered down, uninspiring and inadequate set of academic choices — often taught in a hit-or-miss manner. If a student ... more »

Great Expectations: Transforming Practice Through Common Core Implementation — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Great Expectations: Transforming Practice Through Common Core Implementation — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Podcast][image: Whole Child Podcast]Great Expectations: Transforming Practice Through Common Core Implementation January 17, 2013 by Whole Child Podcast Download Podcast Now [Right-Click to Save] We as educators have a unique opportunity to reset the playing field and make the Common Core State Standards work for us. We can implement the standards, align them to a whole child approach to education, and ensure that both support and enhance each other to p... more »

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: In Advance of Today's Operations Committee Meeting

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: In Advance of Today's Operations Committee Meeting: Sanislo Supports Garfield Teachers by Melissa Westbrook ...but they are not boycotting the MAP test. Their letter to the Superintendent is both alloquent and heartfelt. From the West Seattle blog comes this report about a letter sent to Superintendent Banda from the teachers at Sanislo: *We the staff at Sanislo Elementary, by a unanimous vote, write to express our support for Garfield High School’s decision to not administer the MAP test. We share many of their same concerns, including the imp... more »

SI&A Cabinet Report – SBE moves one step closer to implementing common core math

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *SBE moves one step closer to implementing common core math * *By Tom Chorneau* Thursday, January 17, 2013 The California State Board of Education moved ahead Thursday on several fronts aimed at facilitating instruction in the common core math standards statewide within the next two years. In addition to setting a schedule for evaluating new and supplemental instructional materials aligned to the nationalized curriculum goals, the board also formally wiped away confusing, dual standards tied to eighth grade math – a lasting imprint from ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Reformers' narrative about lagging U.S. schools covers up poverty

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Reformers' narrative about lagging U.S. schools covers up poverty: Reformers' narrative about lagging U.S. schools covers up poverty by Mike Klonsky *“The brutal fact here is there are many countries that are far ahead of us and improving more rapidly than we are."* -- Arne Duncan *"Our competitors understand that the nation that out-educates us today will out-compete us tomorrow." -- *Pres. Obama The rationale behind corporate-style school reform begins and ends with this disturbing narrative that portrays U.S. schools as lagging behind in the glob... more »

News Flash: Corporate Education Reformers Spend $563,000 and counting in Bridgeport loss - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

News Flash: Corporate Education Reformers Spend $563,000 and counting in Bridgeport loss - Wait, What?: News Flash: Corporate Education Reformers Spend $563,000 and counting in Bridgeport loss by jonpelto The final reports from Bridgeport’s November 2012 education reform referendum are in and it turns out that the corporate education reform industry and its supporters spent at least $562,955.16 in their effort to pass Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch’s anti-democracy initiative, a proposal that would have eliminated the City’s democratically elected board of education and replaced it... more »

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Fensterwald: It’s final - State Board shifts policy on eighth grade Algebra * Education Headlines *Thursday, January 17, 2013* Board nixes legal fees for schools bossNot only did the San Ysidro school board reject a plan Tuesday night to pay criminal defense fees for Superintendent Manuel Paul, the board also placed him on administrative leave for 45 days. Alliance of big city school districts aims for more healthful mealsThe Los Angeles Unified School District and five others are striving to make wholesome food a national stand... more »

Wayne Au on His Alma Mater Garfield High School | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Wayne Au on His Alma Mater Garfield High School | Seattle Education: Wayne Au on His Alma Mater Garfield High School by seattleducation2011 Wayne Au on His Alma Mater Garfield High School Posted on January 17, 2013 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment *This article has been reposted in full with permission by the author.* ** *Proud to be a Garfield Bulldog* The growing support for Garfield teachers’ resistance to the MAP test is a testament to just how much the collective action of teachers at one school means to the rest of the world. On the afternoon of Thursday, January 10t... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. What’s Going On in Seattle? Best of the Ed Blogs Steph Rivera January 17, 2013 $50 million. 3 Years. No Clue. Best of the Ed Blogs Gary Rubinstein January 17, 2013 NC... more »

UPDATE: The inbox. From the Teacher Retirement System. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

The inbox. From the Teacher Retirement System. « Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. Making the CPS board more accessible. by Fred Klonsky [image: robyn ziegler] Click on image to enlarge. The inbox. From the Teacher Retirement System. by Fred Klonsky TRS members received this yesterday: *Dear Frederick Klonsky:* *The new 98th Illinois General Assembly convened on January 8, 2013, but will not return to Springfield and begin work on legislative proposals until the end of the month. * *All legislation introduced and debated during the 97th General Assembly, but not enacted, is no... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-17-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] John White Is #1, And So Is Louisiana by dianerav Crazy Crawfish has a regular blog where he skewers the mighty, the powerful, the phonies, and the masters of data manipulation. Like EduShyster, CC knows data, and he has humor. And he seems to know more about state school data–and the games people play–than most people. Read this brilliantly witty report of John White’s statistical legerdemain. So what if Education Week gave Louisiana an F for academic performance? Michelle Rhee *Diane in the Evening... more »

It Breaks My Heart - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

It Breaks My Heart - Bridging Differences - Education Week: It Breaks My Heart by Deborah Meier Dear Pedro, I'm so glad that you mentioned the New York Performance Standards Consortium. It has been a pioneer for a different approach to standards and accountability for more than 25 years! One of the many "failed" successes in New York City's and state's history. Founded under the "regime" of Superintendent Tom Sobol in the late 1980s, alas subsequent superintendents never followed up on the commitment to study the results of their work. But when the schools waivers were threatened... more »

Ms. Katie's Ramblings: Teaching in the Time of Obedience

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Ms. Katie's Ramblings: Teaching in the Time of Obedience: Teaching in the Time of Obedience by KatieO Last night on facebook, I lamented about becoming a teacher during the craziness that is corporate education reform. I wrote: "I am in a foul mood. I feel this way anytime I look around and think about my career prospects. Why couldn't they have destroyed the teaching profession AFTER I spent my years in the classroom? I wish I had never become a teacher. #Selfish #PityParty" My friends were kind and supportive, offering many words of encouragement. But here is what I said in... more »

Shanker Blog » A Few Points About The Instability Of Value-Added Estimates

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Shanker Blog » A Few Points About The Instability Of Value-Added Estimates: A Few Points About The Instability Of Value-Added Estimates by Matthew Di Carlo One of the most frequent criticisms of value-added and other growth models is that they are “unstable” (or, more accurately, modestly stable). For instance, a teacher who is rated highly in one year might very well score toward the middle of the distribution – or even lower – in the next year (see here, here and here, or this accessible review). Some of this year-to-year variation is “real.” A teacher might get better over the ... more »

Modern School: Teachers Lack of Rights at Work AND Home

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Modern School: Teachers Lack of Rights at Work AND Home: Teachers Lack of Rights at Work AND Home by Michael Dunn In a stunning defeat for free speech and privacy rights a two-person appellate panel has upheld the firing of Jennifer O’Brien (see North Jersey.com). O’Brien, you may recall, was the Paterson elementary school teacher who was suspended for posting to her Facebook page that she felt like a warden for future criminals (see Teachers, Check Your Freedoms at the Door). The panel ruled that her behavior was not protected by the First Amendment and that her right to make th... more »

The Educated Reporter: Common Core State Standards: New Assessments Mean New Challenges

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: Common Core State Standards: New Assessments Mean New Challenges: Common Core State Standards: New Assessments Mean New Challenges by Emily Richmond My EWA colleague Mikhail Zinshteyn has a fine write-up over at EdMedia Commons on a new report digging deeper into plans by consortia of states to use the same assessments to measure the effectiveness and impact of the Common Core State Standards. Education Week's Catherine Gewertz also has a solid overview, which you can read here. The report, published Wednesday, comes from the National Center for Research o... more »

Pre-k paying off for Georgia according to study | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Pre-k paying off for Georgia according to study | Get Schooled: Pre-k paying off for Georgia according to study by Maureen Downey Pre-k pays off, according to the early results of a new study. (AJC photo) There is near universal agreement in the research community that early childhood education benefits disadvantaged children despite the contention of skeptics that Georgia pre-k is just free daycare. To address that skepticism, Georgia commissioned a study to look at the impact of its pre-k program. According to the AJC: [image: Pre-k pays off, according to the early results of a new... more »

Charter School Growth In Michigan Brings Cautionary Tale On Quality

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Charter School Growth In Michigan Brings Cautionary Tale On Quality: Teachers With Poor Ratings Clustered In NYC, Charter School Quality: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Cluster Suck?* The New York Daily News takes another look at the StudentsFirstNY teacher distribution report and finds something stunning: 20 percent of teachers are "bad" teachers in each of 14 Brooklyn schools. To give you some perspective: only 3 percent of all city school teachers got these negative ratings. And two of those schools received "A" ratings from the Department of Education. (I should note here that th... more »

Sacramento News & Review - Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's report card doesn't add up - Bites - Opinions - January 17, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Sacramento News & Review - Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's report card doesn't add up - Bites - Opinions - January 17, 2013: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's report card doesn't add up California gets an F for bucking corporate education reform This article was published on 01.17.13. *Related stories:* Mayor Kevin Johnson and wife Michelle Rhee bring Students First education road show back to Sacramento The mayor asks, “Is education the civil-rights issue of our time?” SN&R, 02.02.12. [image: spacer] *Like a lot of local folks, Bites tuned in to The Education of* *Michell... more »

It’s final: State Board shifts policy on eighth grade Algebra | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

It’s final: State Board shifts policy on eighth grade Algebra | EdSource Today: It’s final: State Board shifts policy on eighth grade Algebra ** January 17th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on print More Sharing Services The State Board of Education ended a decade-long controversial policy of pushing eighth graders to take Algebra I when members voted unanimously Wednesday to strip California’s Algebra I standards from the state’s eighth grade math standards. [image: Ilene Straus said the goal should be to encourage st... more »

U.S. Education Deserves the Same Statistical Sophistication as Baseball and Elections | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

U.S. Education Deserves the Same Statistical Sophistication as Baseball and Elections | toteachornototeach: U.S. Education Deserves the Same Statistical Sophistication as Baseball and Elections by aristotlethewise [image: AchievementGap]*U.S. Education Deserves the Same Statistical* *Sophistication as Baseball and Elections* by Martin Carnoy (Co-authored with Richard Rothstein) For better or worse, we’re a nation that’s coming to respect statistics. Billy Bean convinced us that better statistics could beat bigger payrolls in sports. Nate Silver helped humble Karl Rove’s money machin... more »

UPDATE: Superintendent: Reforms could ‘wreak havoc’ on great schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Superintendent: Reforms could ‘wreak havoc’ on great schools: Virginia lawmakers wimp out on U-Va. by Valerie Strauss Here's how tough Virginia's tough legislative leaders were on Helen Dragas, who, in her role as rector of the governing board of the University of Virginia, threw the school into unneeded turmoil last summer with an ultimately unsuccessful effort to remove the president for reasons that have still not been explained to the public. Read full article >> New questions on the Common Core Standards by Valerie Strauss Here is the third post in a debate between Yong Zhao... more »

Schools Matter: The tests will survive, even if school doesn't

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Schools Matter: The tests will survive, even if school doesn't: The tests will survive, even if school doesn't by skrashen The US Department of Education reassures the public about funding: The new tests will survive, even if school doesn't. Press Conference held by the US Department of Education. Published in Language Magazine, January 2013: http://languagemagazine.com/?page_id=5627 Dolores Umbridge, Assistant Secretary of Education, US Department of Education, reassured educators and parents today that the huge budget cuts mandated by the new budget agreement will not harm our ... more »

Why Hasn’t FLDOE Established New ACT and SAT Cut Scores? | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Why Hasn’t FLDOE Established New ACT and SAT Cut Scores? | Scathing Purple Musings: Why Hasn’t FLDOE Established New ACT and SAT Cut Scores? by Bob Sikes This is a troubling story from Jeff Solocheck of the *Tampa Bay Times*: WESLEY CHAPEL — Alan Sourk thought his son had finally passed his exit-level high school reading test. The Wiregrass Ranch High School junior scored a 20 on the ACT reading test in December. That was two points above the mark listed on state documents as an acceptable replacement score for the FCAT graduation requirement. He excitedly returned to school in Ja... more »

Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » More Questions about the Common Core: Response to Marc Tucker

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » More Questions about the Common Core: Response to Marc Tucker: More Questions about the Common Core: Response to Marc Tucker by YongZhao I have been waiting for a serious conversation about the sensibility of the Common Core State Standards Initiative with its staunch supporters. I am thus very pleased to read Marc Tucker’s response to my five questions about the Common Core. I am honored that Tucker considers my questions worth responding to. His response, while thoughtful and more nuanced than the usual slogan-shouting, emo...more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-16-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Quick action contemplated on new assessments, API rewrite The state commission charged with overhauling the Academic Performance Index may have recommendations ready as soon as May, officials said Thursday. Why The Rich Need To Scapegoat Teachers by Duke Every once in a while, the corporate media goes too far and gives away the game: So this is apparently a real thing from the Wall Street Journal. *The Onion* couldn't top this. Whether it's the sad faces of all these put-upon dejected rich people, or the elderly minority couple who is... more »

“American’s Didn’t Always Yearn for Riches.” « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

“American’s Didn’t Always Yearn for Riches.” « Deborah Meier on Education: “American’s Didn’t Always Yearn for Riches.” by debmeier Dear readers I’ve noticed that even amongst my allies on school reform that tracking by so-called ability (test scores of some sort nowadays) is now back in fashion, and charter schools are another way to make it happen. The arguments for the practice, now conducted by essentially separating kids by test scores as early as possible, has probably never been more popular. In some ways it was our victory over earlier forms of tracking that led to using t... more »

Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislative Goals: Merit Pay, Union Busting and Protecting High-Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislative Goals: Merit Pay, Union Busting and Protecting High-Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings: Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislative Goals: Merit Pay, Union Busting and Protecting High-Stakes Testing by Bob Sikes After cutting through lofty platitudes in their legislative agenda the FCOC include these talking points about education. First in their letter to “Letter to Florida Business Leaders” *Education reform is hurting because union leaders make it about the adults when it should be all about kids. Union dues enable them to have thousand... more »

Report: Savings marginal after D.C. Public Schools closes schools | WashingtonExaminer.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Report: Savings marginal after D.C. Public Schools closes schools | WashingtonExaminer.com Report: Savings marginal after D.C. Public Schools closes schools *January 15, 2013 | 8:00 pm * Rachel BayeStaff writer - Montgomery County Closing 20 DC Public Schools will save the school system barely more money than it will cost to close them, according to a report released Tuesday by the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, or DCFPI. While closing the proposed schools could save DC Public Schools $10.4 million in the 2013-2014 school year, consolidating them could cost $10.2 million, signifi... more »

21st Century Skills and the Common Core — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

21st Century Skills and the Common Core — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Andrew Miller]21st Century Skills and the Common Core January 16, 2013 by Andrew Miller 21st century skills are quickly becoming taught and assessed in schools across the nation. Whether through explicit instruction or models like project-based learning, educators are quickly realizing that lower level content comprehension is not enough. The Whole Child Initiative calls for tenets that rely on these skills. We create a safe environment through collaboration. Critical thinking creates rigor... more »

Education - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Education - LA Daily News: Hebrew-English charter school in Van Nuys approved by LAUSD By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer at Mobile_Education - 57 minutes ago A proposed Hebrew-English charter school in Van Nuys won the approval Tuesday of the LAUSD board, which also OK'd the renewal of two landmark charters and the conditional approval of a third. LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy warns suspending standardized tests would hurt at-risk students By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer at Mobile_Education - 57 minutes ago Los Angeles Unified Superintendent John Deasy has fired off a letter to the C... more »

What Teachers Are Trying to Tell Us About Guns in Schools - National - The Atlantic Wire

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

What Teachers Are Trying to Tell Us About Guns in Schools - National - The Atlantic Wire: What Teachers Are Trying to Tell Us About Guns in Schools by David Wagner No matter what Obama says about putting armed police officers in schools, the NRA keeps on criticizing him. The President announced 23 executive orders aimed at limiting gun violence today, even offering to fund armed police officers for schools that request them. But that still wasn't enough to meet the NRA's demands for more guns in schools, and the pro-gun group accused him of "ignoring children." Lost in all that s... more »

UPDATE: California Adopts Modified Math Standards and Sweeping Updates to Career Technical Education Standards - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

California Adopts Modified Math Standards - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): California Adopts Modified Math Standards to Restore Local Decision Making *Required by Legislation, Move Allows Progress Toward Common Core* SACRAMENTO—The State Board of Education today voted to modify the California Additions to the adopted Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). The Board's action will help the state continue its progress toward implementing the Common Core State Standards, and provides options for accelerating to higher mathematics in middle school while maintaining the... more »

President Obama’s Plan to Make Our Schools Safer | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

President Obama’s Plan to Make Our Schools Safer | ED.gov Blog: President Obama’s Plan to Make Our Schools Safer Posted on January 16, 2013 by Cameron Brenchley Earlier today, President Obama introduced a new plan to keeps guns out of the wrong hands, make schools safer, and increase access to mental health services. “While reducing gun violence is a complicated challenge,” President Obama said during the announcement. “Protecting our children from harm shouldn’t be a divisive one,” he said. [image: now is the time image]Admitting that we won’t be able to stop every violent act, the... more »

Inequality in American Education Will Not Be Solved Online - Ian Bogost - The Atlantic

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Inequality in American Education Will Not Be Solved Online - Ian Bogost - The Atlantic: Inequality in American Education Will Not Be Solved Online inShareJAN 16 2013, 4:27 PM ET 1 *With funding tight, the state of California has turned to Udacity to provide MOOCs for students enrolled in remedial courses. But what is lost when public education is privatized?* [image: 6036909731_cb40773ae4_z.jpg] Unlit road at night (MRBECK/Flickr) One night recently, it was raining hard as I drove to pick my son up from an evening class at the Atlanta Ballet. Like many cities, Atlanta's roads are in... more »

How important is preschool? If you are researching early education philosophies, not very. - Slate Magazine

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

How important is preschool? If you are researching early education philosophies, not very. - Slate Magazine: The Early Education RacketIf you are reading this article, your kid probably doesn’t need preschool. By Melinda Wenner Moyer|Posted Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, at 1:56 PM ET [image: To go to preschool or not to go to preschool ... ?] To go to preschool or not to go to preschool ... ? Jupiterimages/Getty Images/Thinkstock. One morning last September, my husband dragged himself out of bed at 5 a.m. and rode his bike to a nearby preschool. The moonlit block was empty but for the fi... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee and the missing memo

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee and the missing memo: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee and the missing memo Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 16, 2013 at 3:37 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: (by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post )] Former D.C. Schools chancellor Michelle Rhee. (by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post ) There’s a new twist in the story about whether or not there was cheating on standardized tests in D.C. public schools during the period when Michelle Rheewas ... more »

Report on CUNY Protest Buries Evidence of Police Violence «

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Report on CUNY Protest Buries Evidence of Police Violence «: Report on CUNY Protest Buries Evidence of Police Violence January 16, 2013 in Administration, Campus Protests, Civil Liberties, Occupy Wall Street,Organizing, Police, Student Power, Tuition and Fees A new report on a 2011 CUNY protest that saw more than a dozen arrests leaves core questions unanswered while misrepresenting evidence of police violence. On November 21, 2011, City University of New York students and faculty assembled with others at Baruch College for a public meeting of the CUNY board of trustees. The gathe... more »

Using the Power of Litigation to End the Addiction to Testing and to Further Student Voice « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Using the Power of Litigation to End the Addiction to Testing and to Further Student Voice « Cooperative Catalyst: Using the Power of Litigation to End the Addiction to Testing and to Further Student Voice POSTED BY JABREEL CHISLEY ⋅ JANUARY 16, 2013 ⋅ LEAVE A COMMENT Now that educators and parents are on a full revolt against the addiction to testing in the United States when it comes to public education, we have to arrive at a point where we have to consider the possibility of suing the U.S Department of Education and a few SEA’s. The suits would occur on the premise that NCLB ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Quinn's speech on education: high and low points

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NYC Public School Parents: Quinn's speech on education: high and low points: Quinn's speech on education: high and low points by Leonie Haimson Speaker Christine Quinn, thought to be thefrontrunner in the race to replace Mayor Bloomberg, gave a major speech on education yesterday at the New School. The full transcript is here; there’s also a Video, including a brief Q and A by Clara Hemphill of InsideSchools. I highly recommend people read the speech and watch the video of the entire event. Some observations: The speech was pretty comprehensive and its strengths were that she... more »

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 1-12-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 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