Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 1-8-13 #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

From No Child Left Behind to a Whole Child Education for All — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago

From No Child Left Behind to a Whole Child Education for All — Whole Child Education: [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]From No Child Left Behind to a Whole Child Education for All January 8, 2013 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers Since 2006, ASCD has worked to support educators, families, community members, and policymakers in implementing a whole child approach to education that ensures students are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. The latest issue of ASCD's *Policy Priorities* examines how much progress has been made at the federal and state levels in creating more... more »

Chicago school Inspector General: testing company conduct “egregious” Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 minutes ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Chicago school Inspector General: testing company conduct “egregious”: Chicago school Inspector General: testing company conduct “egregious” by admin Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Pearson, two national testing giants, have been charged with “serious ethical problems” in their dealings with the Chicago Public Schools in the 2012 Chicago Public Schools Office of the Inspector General’s report. The OIG report refers to them as Vendor A and Vendor B but the Tribune has identified A as HMH and B as Pearson. The OIG calls HMH’s con... more »

Teacher Layoffs Make Way for School Privatization

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 minutes ago

Teacher Layoffs Make Way for School Privatization: Teacher Layoffs Make Way for School Privatization by stuartbramhall [image: public schools] As he begins his second term, Obama’s school privatization agenda is chugging along at full steam. Citing the Department of Labor’s monthly employment report, the World Socialist Website reveals that 11,000 public school teachers were laid off in December 2012. This brings total teacher lay-offs since 2008 to 300,000. The layoffs are consistent with Obama’s decision to target public education for privatization and downsizing under Race to th... more »

The Character Clause and Bad School Rules | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago

The Character Clause and Bad School Rules | Connected Principals: The Character Clause and Bad School Rules by Aaron Ross Tomorrow, the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame will be announcing its newest inductees, paying tribute to those individuals whose lifetime on-field accomplishments have earned them the right to be called all-time greats. While there are always many long and involved discussions about who is worthy, what makes someone worthy, and so on, this year’s discussion is quite different than any that I can recall. For the first time, there are a significant number o... more »

New Statewide Testing System - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

New Statewide Testing System - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Superintendent Tom Torlakson Proposes New Statewide Testing System *Common Core Assessments to Focus on Problem Solving and Critical Thinking* **SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today recommended shifting the focus of standardized testing in California to require students to think critically, solve problems, and show a greater depth of knowledge—key tenants of the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS). In a report to the Governor and Legislature, *Recommendations for Transiti... more »

Schools Matter: Chicago Charter to Students: "Track Me" or Pay Up!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Schools Matter: Chicago Charter to Students: "Track Me" or Pay Up!: Chicago Charter to Students: "Track Me" or Pay Up! by Jim Horn "Track Me!" takes on a whole new dimension when students and their parents are fined for failing to kowtow to every total compliance whim of the slimebags who run the corporate charter reform schools. In Chicago, these crooks are taking in hundreds of thousands in fines every year from some of the poorest families in Chicago. Where the hell is the ACLU or the lawyers of the Advancement Project??? Helloooo. The piece below on the Ignoble Network of Ch... more »

UPDATE: No action on pension. Breaking: Once again Nekritz pisses on the Illinois Constitution. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Breaking: Once again Nekritz pisses on the Illinois Constitution. « Fred Klonsky: Breaking: Illinois House adjourns. No action on pension. We live to fight another day. by Fred Klonsky At about 4:50, Speaker Madigan moved to adjourn the current session of the Illinois House. After a 45 minute delay while the Republicans caucused on the last ditch Hail Mary attempt by Representative Nekritz to undermine the Illinois Constitution once again, the House briefly convened and then acted on Madigan’s motion to adjourn. Make no mistake. For Nekritz and Quinn this was a bad political day. I... more »

State schools chief proposes replacing paper Scantron tests with computer-based ones - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

State schools chief proposes replacing paper Scantron tests with computer-based ones - LA Daily News: State schools chief proposes replacing paper Scantron tests with computer-based ones By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer Posted: 01/08/2013 12:58:46 PM PST Updated: 01/08/2013 01:06:40 PM PST The standardized math and English exams that California students take each spring would be replaced with computer-based tests designed to assess critical-thinking and problem-solving skills under a proposal today by state schools chief Tom Torlakson. Outlined in a slate of a dozen recommendat... more »

Good move for special needs children Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Good move for special needs children: Good move for special needs children by admin “Basically it was any excuse in the book to turn kids away.” Long time PURE member Amy Zimmerman and the group Health and Disability Advocates filed a complaint with the Illinois State Board of Education yesterday, charging that the Chicago Public Schools has repeatedly failed to evaluate the youngest children with disabilities and move them into special education preschool programs as required by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Edu... more »

Student test scores can identify effective teachers, new study says - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Student test scores can identify effective teachers, new study says - latimes.com: Student test scores can identify effective teachers, new study says Student standardized test scores can accurately identify effective teachers, along with other performance measures such as classroom observations and pupil surveys, according to a major national study released Tuesday. The study of 3,000 teachers in seven school districts by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation found that the controversial method of measuring student academic growth, known as value-added, was a valid indicator of ho... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Speaking of Education Backwaters...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Speaking of Education Backwaters...: Speaking of Education Backwaters... by Melissa Westbrook If you consider Washington State one of those (as the ed reformers in our state like to do), then how is this true? (from SPS Communications and OSPI): *For the fourth consecutive year, Washington state has placed second in the country in new National Board Certified teachers. * *Numbers released today by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards show that Washington has the second-most new NBCTs (575), behind only North Carolina, and is fou... more »

California Should Suspend Some Tests for 2013-14, Tom Torlakson Says - State EdWatch - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

California Should Suspend Some Tests for 2013-14, Tom Torlakson Says - State EdWatch - Education Week: California Should Suspend Some Tests for 2013-14, Tom Torlakson Says By Andrew Ujifusa on January 8, 2013 3:57 PM California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson has proposed suspending several non-No Child Left Behind tests for the 2013-14 school, as part of a proposed overhaul of the state testing system to prepare for the Common Core State Standards. On Jan. 8, Torlakson released his recommendations for changing California's testing regimen. Suspending those tests... more »

Mother Crusader: A Foot Soldier In Rhee's Army Giving Orders To New Jersey

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Mother Crusader: A Foot Soldier In Rhee's Army Giving Orders To New Jersey: A Foot Soldier In Rhee's Army Giving Orders To New Jersey by darciecima I have seriously had it with these reformers. The sheer hubris and arrogance they display on a regular basis is simply astounding. I was dragged into this ed reform cesspool almost 2 years ago now, when a group of people with little to no connection to the schools of my community attempted to open a charter school. Despite the lack of community support, they were able to get the backing of a demi-billionaire, the NJDOE and the USDOE... more »

Diane in the Evening 1-8-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Petrilli: What’s Wrong With Skimming the Best Students? by dianerav Mike Petrilli at the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute has an interesting post about the high expulsion rate in DC charters (72 students are expelled from DC charters for every one expelled from the public schools). Be sure to read the story in the Washington Post that he refers to as well as the short video, in which Mike Petrilli appears). Usually, corporate reformers insist that charter schools enroll exactly the same kids as the public schools. They even insist that attrition rat... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee responds to federal investigation of alleged DCPS cheating - D.C. Schools Insider - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee responds to federal investigation of alleged DCPS cheating - D.C. Schools Insider - The Washington Post: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee responds to federal investigation of alleged DCPS cheating By Emma Brown Federal investigators announced Monday that they found no evidence of widespread cheating in D.C. Public Schools, despite detailed allegations of systematic cheating laid out in a whistleblower complaintby former Noyes Education Campus principal Adell Cothorne. Now former D.C. Schools chancellor Michelle Rhee has released a statement in ... more »

Noa Rosinplotz- The Little Datapoint & The Big Bad Test | Student Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Noa Rosinplotz- The Little Datapoint & The Big Bad Test | Student Voice: Noa Rosinplotz- The Little Datapoint & The Big Bad Test by admin [image: Noa Rosenplotz] The following Article was originally posted here: http://dianeravitch.net/2012/12/31/secretary-duncan-please-read-noa-rosinplotzs-letter/ *The Little Datapoint and the Big Bad Test* *Once upon a time, there was a little datapoint named Rosin Plotz, Noa. Her friends called her by her ID number, 9——, or 9 for short. She liked her job-most of the time. But 6 times a year, or 19 days in total, came the Big Bad Test. The Little... more »

Self-Serving v. Service: Teaching in a Celebrity Culture | the becoming radical

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Self-Serving v. Service: Teaching in a Celebrity Culture | the becoming radical: Self-Serving v. Service: Teaching in a Celebrity Culture Posted on January 8, 2013 by plthomasedd I taught high school English for eighteen years in rural upstate South Carolina, and two students remain with me. One student on his year-end final exam his junior year proceeded to ignore the exam and write a profanity-laced criticism of me and my course. He turned it in and calmly returned to his seat to wait out the exam period. Once I realized what he had written, I asked him to step across the hall wi... more »

The Role of 'Educators' | RealClearPolitics

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

The Role of 'Educators' | RealClearPolitics: The Role of 'Educators' *By* *Thomas Sowell* - January 8, 2013 EmailPrint 108 Comments[image: Share]Share Many years ago, as a young man, I read a very interesting book about the rise of the Communists to power in China. In the last chapter, the author tried to explain why and how this had happened. Among the factors he cited were the country's educators. That struck me as odd, and not very plausible, at the time. But the passing years have made that seem less and less odd, and more and more plausible. Today, I see our own educators pla... more »

SI&A Cabinet Report – One year cap on teacher prep programs up for debate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: One year cap on teacher prep programs up for debate *By Tom Chorneau* Tuesday, January 08, 2013 Growing demands on teacher preparation programs to cover all the necessary topics and issues needed to produce world-class educators have drawn new attention to the state law that restricts the training time to just one year. There are expectations that new teachers will not only graduate with some mastery of the latest and most effective instructional methods, but also that they will have developed some skills for dealing with California’s mus... more »

Statewide Pupil Assessment System - Assessment Information (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Statewide Pupil Assessment System - Assessment Information (CA Dept of Education): Statewide Pupil Assessment SystemLatest information about the reauthorization of California's assessment system. ------------------------------ SSPI’s Recommendations Report for Transitioning to a Future Assessment System California *Education Code* Section 60604.5 required the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) to consult with specific stakeholder groups in developing recommendations for the reauthorization of the statewide pupil assessment system, including a plan for transitioning ... more »

Schools Matter: For Rhee and Corporate Reform Schools, the Gig Is Up

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Schools Matter: For Rhee and Corporate Reform Schools, the Gig Is Up: For Rhee and Corporate Reform Schools, the Gig Is Up by Jim Horn The Face of Corporate Reform Schooling *From Stan Karp: Former Washington, DC Superintendent Michelle Rhee and her organization, Students First, will be the subject of a PBS documentary tonight. Despite misrepresenting her own teaching career, presiding over an extensive cheating scandal, and getting poor results during her tenure as Supt., Rhee has become the media face of corporate education reform. She recently released a “state report card” gradi... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee, Back in the News in a Big Way - Dana Goldstein

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee, Back in the News in a Big Way - Dana Goldstein: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee, Back in the News in a Big Way by Dana Goldstein I'm looking forward to this evening's episode of FRONTLINE, which will explore evidence of adult tampering with children's tests in certain Washington, DC public schools during the chancellorship of Michelle Rhee, who is perhaps the nation's most controversial school reformer. The allegations are not new. They were first revealednearly two years ago by my colleague Greg Toppo and his crack reporting team at *USA Tod... more »

Frontline: D.C. schools downplayed cheating allegations

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Frontline: D.C. schools downplayed cheating allegations: Frontline: D.C. schools downplayed cheating allegations [image: Greg Toppo]GREG TOPPO Greg Toppo is USA Today's national K-12 education writer. He's interested in tech & how video games are changing school. A new documentary raises questions about whether Washington, D.C., school officials downplayed allegations that educators were cheating to improve students' scores on high-stakes skills tests — even after a principal came forward with her own eyewitness account. Washington's Noyes Education Campus was the subject of ... 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. Bronx Teacher Planning To Go On Hunger Strike Tomorrow Best of the Ed Blogs Steph Rivera January 8, 2013 Research Evidence vs Soaring Ideology: School Vouchers and ... more »

UPDATE: Pat Quinn ain’t nothing but a hound dog. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Pat Quinn ain’t nothing but a hound dog. « Fred Klonsky: I want to be in Atlanta in July. Who doesn’t? by Fred Klonsky [image: 530703_10151504122022067_1979784825_n] The NEA Representative Assembly is in Atlanta the week of July 4th. The IEA Representative Assembly is in April. I have gone to every one of those as a delegate for twenty years. But this year, I somehow didn’t receive the nominating form in the mail to run as a retired delegate. I’m not suggesting anything. It is just interesting that I didn’t get it. In the mail. From the state leadership. They were also the ones who as... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, January 8, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Tuesday, January 8, 2013* In wake of Connecticut school shooting, LAPD begins campus patrolsOfficers with the Los Angeles Police Department and other law enforcement agencies stepped up their presence at school campuses Monday in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre in Connecticut. Long Beach school board to consider cuts to AVID college prep programIn its regular meeting Tuesday, the LBUSD board will consider a plan to reduce the high school AVID program by 13 course sections, about half of those ... more »

The Empire Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Built - Esquire

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Finances - Esquire: The Empire Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Built By Charles P. Pierce at 11:01am *One problem with* the education "reform" industry is not merely that it generally looks at "education" as though it were a commodity, like soybeans, and that the problems with how we educate a great many children of our fellow citizens can be solved if we just refine the delivery systems for the product. In other words, most education "reform" proponents treat "education" as though it exists in a vacuum unaffected by the factors — like, sa... more »

Watch this video and ask, “what do you desire?” #commoncore? I think not. « @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Watch this video and ask, “what do you desire?” #commoncore? I think not. « @ the chalk face: Watch this video and ask, “what do you desire?” #commoncore? I think not. by Chalk Face Will schools in the coming years of CCSS and PARCC help students with what they desire? The makers of this video likely have no idea what is to come in education in the next few years. There was a stock image in the video of education: students sitting in desks, arranged in rows, and taking some kind of exam in a gymnasium. This is a very traditional image of education or schooling. If we are to believ... more »

NEA Health Information Network Surveys Schools on Indoor Environmental Quality | NEA Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

NEA Health Information Network Surveys Schools on Indoor Environmental Quality | NEA Today: NEA Health Information Network Surveys Schools on Indoor Environmental Quality by twalker *By Cindy Long* As communities began to tally up the astronomical costs left in Superstorm Sandy’s wake, there was an unexpected toll to add to the list – the cost of removing asbestos from storm damaged schools. Mark T. Sheehan High School in Wallingford, Connecticut, for example, was forced to close its doors after the winds tore off parts of the roof and littered the second floor with asbestos-conta... more »

Indiana’s Anti-Common Core Bill | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Indiana’s Anti-Common Core Bill | Truth in American Education: Indiana’s Anti-Common Core Bill Posted on January 8, 2013 by Shane Vander Hart Erin Tuttle at Hoosiers Against Common Core announced that the Indiana Senate Education Committee will be voting on a bill on January 16th co-authored by State Senators Scot Schneider and Dennis Krause. Embedded below is a draft of the bill. Indiana’s Anti-Common Core Bill We’ll be watching this vote closely.

What We Can Learn From Malala - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

What We Can Learn From Malala - Bridging Differences - Education Week: What We Can Learn From Malala by Pedro Noguera Happy 2013 Deb, I hope you had a restful holiday. I've been thinking about Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old girl from Pakistan who was shot in the head by the Taliban for promoting the education of young women and girls. Though the injury she suffered was considered life-threatening, she was released from a hospital in Birmingham, England, late last week, and it looks as though she could recover fully. Her story is truly remarkable and it should be shared with you... more »

The Educated Reporter: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: Getting as Good as She Gives

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: Getting as Good as She Gives: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: Getting as Good as She Gives by Emily Richmond I've put together a round-up of the latest coverage of Michelle Rhee, from the new Frontline documentary airing tonight to her advocacy group's new report grading states for how well they hew to StudentsFirst's agenda. You'll find it all at EdMedia Commons. I've also got an in-depth Q&A with veteran education journalist John Merrow of PBS Newshour -- The Education of Michelle Rhee is the result of five years o...more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-8-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] When Is a Zero Percent Dropout Rate Not a Zero Percent Dropout Rate? by dianerav Jonathan Pelto takes a closer look at the media hype surrounding Dr. Steve Perry’s fabled Capitol Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Connecticut. Dr. Perry has claimed that the school has a zero percent dropout rate. This claim has repeated again and again by others. But is it true? Read on. What Did Rhee’s Report Card Actually Measure? by dianerav G.F. Brandenburg, retired math teacher, has done a close analysis of Miche... more »

Straight Outta Brockton | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Straight Outta Brockton | EduShyster: Straight Outta Brockton by edushyster2012 Brockton, MA is home to one of the best large urban high schools in the country. But instead of celebrating that success, state officials are poised to approve a massive, for-profit charter school here. *A Massachusetts city says ‘no thanks’ to a for-profit charter school chain. * Nearly 300 people packed a recent hearing to determine the fate of the public school system in Brockton, Massachusetts. The bulk of the crowd belonged to the system’s defenders—students, parents, community organizers, local and... more »

Five key questions about the Common Core standards

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Five key questions about the Common Core standards: *Five key questions about the Common Core standards* Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 8, 2013 at 5:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: common core]The Common Core State Standards are inexorably coming to the 46 states and the District of Columbia, which have approved them. We’ve heard pros and cons of them in previous posts but here’s a broader look at what they may mean for public education. This was written by Yong Zhao, presid... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Whose Child is Next (And When Will It Matter to You)?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Whose Child is Next (And When Will It Matter to You)?: Whose Child is Next (And When Will It Matter to You)? by Melissa Westbrook 2013. *Let's make this the year when gun control matters.* Enough of these (seemingly) endless mass shootings. Folks, we can agree to disagree on what the Second Amendment means. (I personally believe our Founding Fathers meant a militia of many and not of one but that's not how the Supreme Court ruled.) Let me be clear. Yes, it's is about who has the gun, not the gun. But way too many guns means access to those ... more »

Ed Notes Online: MORE on Opt-Out Day and Ravitch on Opt-Out and Change the Stakes

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: MORE on Opt-Out Day and Ravitch on Opt-Out and Change the Stakes: MORE on Opt-Out Day and Ravitch on Opt-Out and Change the Stakes by ed notes online [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] One of the best organized groups functions in New York state. It is called Change the Stakes. .... Diane Ravitch Having a group I belong to and helped found described by Diane Ravitch no less as "one of the best organized" is shocking. But given that I leave most of the work to all the other amazing people I wrote about on Friday, it works for me. CTS has been ve... more »

EdWatch 2013: Teacher evaluation law will be taken on again | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

EdWatch 2013: Teacher evaluation law will be taken on again | EdSource Today: EdWatch 2013: Teacher evaluation law will be taken on again ** January 7th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services Breakthrough agreements in two California school districts and a much anticipated report on improving teacher effectiveness have raised expectations that it might actually be possible to amend or rewrite the state’s outdated and ineffective state law on teacher evaluations in a way that can work f... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: An opportunist mayor compares teachers union with the NRA

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: An opportunist mayor compares teachers union with the NRA: An opportunist mayor compares teachers union with the NRA by Mike Klonsky Bloomberg's anti-union rant. (Daily News) *“Teachers want to work with the best, and most of them are not in sympathy with the union,” he said on Friday. “…The NRA’s another place where the membership, if you do the polling, doesn’t agree with the leadership.” -- Mayor Bloomberg* Remember back in '04 when Bush's Sec. of Education *Rod Paige* was calling the teachers union, a "terrorist organization"? Now N.Y. *Mayor Blo... more »

Louisiana Educator: Jindal War on Public Education Will Continue

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: Jindal War on Public Education Will Continue: Jindal War on Public Education Will Continue by Michael Deshotels Members of the *Coalition For Louisiana Public Education* meeting in Baton Rouge Monday predicted that Governor Jindal will continue his deliberate dismantling of public education in the coming legislative session. Key members of the Coalition representing the LSBA (Louisiana School Boards Association), LAE, LFT, parent groups, and other organizations of public educators expect that the Governor and his big business allies will find new ways of getti...more »

Jersey Jazzman: StudentsFirst: We Don't Care About Student Achievement!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: StudentsFirst: We Don't Care About Student Achievement!: StudentsFirst: We Don't Care About Student Achievement! by Duke A quick note on the super awesome state report card put out yesterday by Michelle Rhee and the folks atMicrosoftWalMartNewsCorpSunLife StudentsFirst: With no states receiving an A, two states receiving B-minuses and 11 states branded with an F, StudentsFirst would seem to be building a reputation as a harsh grader. Ms. Rhee said that the relatively weak showing reflected how recently statehouses had begun to address issues like tenure and perfor...more »

Suggestion to GOP: “It’s OK to Support Regular-Old Public Schools” | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Suggestion to GOP: “It’s OK to Support Regular-Old Public Schools” | Scathing Purple Musings: Suggestion to GOP: “It’s OK to Support Regular-Old Public Schools” by Bob Sikes The winds of change for the republican party and it’s mouthpieces have taken them to areas they’d never considered prior to getting shellacked by an incumbent with a poor record on the economy and one who clearly stood in opposition to many traditional conservative values. Has support for public schools joined the list? According to influential Florida columnist, Matt Reed, it needs to. In a poignant critique... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Rhee: Hire me as a consultant and I will give you at least a 'B+'

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Rhee: Hire me as a consultant and I will give you at least a 'B+': Rhee: Hire me as a consultant and I will give you at least a 'B+' by Mike Klonsky Gov Scott and high-prices consultant, Rhee, visit a privately-run charter school in Opa Locka, FL.In the crazy, mixed-up world of Michelle Rhee, the states with the best performing schools get poor grades while the worst ones are on the top. Louisiana and Florida, two of the worst states when it comes to providing support for public education and educating all of its children, got the highest marks... more »

NYC Educator: UFT Democracy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

NYC Educator: UFT Democracy: UFT Democracy by NYC Educator I was pretty surprised to read this on the ICE-UFT Blog yesterday. A lot of us have issues with what the UFT determines to be democracy. For example, at a recent DA, a motion to have rank and file vote on any new evaluation system was denied. This, ostensibly, was to preserve the power of the DA. Actually, in a democracy, ultimate power belongs with the people, in this case, the rank and file. When we vote in UFT elections, all branches vote for all reps. This is because, a few decades ago, the uppity high school teachers ... more »

For My Bud Rita: Sugartime - The McGuire Sisters and Perry Como

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

*Over and **Over and Over again.*... Da-da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da-da Well Sugar in the mornin' sugar in the evenin' sugar at supper time Be my little sugar and love me all the time Honey in the mornin' honey in the evenin' honey at supper time So be my little honey and love me all the time Put your arms around me and swear by stars above You'll be mine forever in a heaven of love Sugar in the mornin', sugar in the evenin', sugar at supper time Be my little sugar and love me all the time Well, well Sugar in the mornin', sugar in the evenin', sugar at supper tim... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-7-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Cal Grant Rules Disqualify 80 Percent of For-Profits by cmaadmin *LOS ANGELES —* A state report examining Cal Grant’s new eligibility standards says the tighter rules have disqualified 80 percent of California’s for-profit colleges from the financial aid program. The state Legislative Analyst’s Office released the 20-page report Monday to update lawmakers on how the rules adopted last year have affected higher education. The new standards were designed to steer students toward a Heads Up Seattle! “Charter School Moguls Scam Oregon O... more »

Coalition reacts to Hite's plan | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Coalition reacts to Hite's plan | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Coalition reacts to Hite's planby thenotebook on Jan 07 2013 Posted in Latest news ="" title="Facebook_like" href="http://thenotebook.org/blog/135483/pcaps-reacts-hites-plan#" style="text-decoration: initial; color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on email COMMENTS (0)EMAILPRINT Photo: Bill Hangley, Jr. Jerry Jordan (second from right), head of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, calls for additional school funding and a halt to school closures outside of Philadelphi... more »

Katie Osgood: Choice or Equity -- You Can't Have Both - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Katie Osgood: Choice or Equity -- You Can't Have Both - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Katie Osgood: Choice or Equity -- You Can't Have Both by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Katie Osgood.* Note: This post is a followup to the discussions triggered by this post, The Education Reform Dichotomy, Big Choices Ahead. 'No Excuses' Reformers make the central claim that offering "choice" is a fundamental mechanism to closing the achievement gap. They say that students and families must be "saved" from their failing schools through "high-quality" options. They say that only when... more »

Diane in the Evening 1-7-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Ironic Twist in Rhee’s Report by dianerav Mercedes Schneider, who has been writing up terrific statistical analyses of Louisiana’s fudging of school data, read the New York Times account of Rhee’s report card on education reforms and makes a great observation: “The ratings, which focused purely on state laws and policies, did not take into account student test scores.” Waltons Will Spend More to Privatize Public Education by dianerav The Walton Foundation likes vouchers and charters. It does not like public schools. Last year, it spend $159 million to pro... more »

Last Stand for Children First: Last Stand for Children First Awards State Education Report Cards

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Last Stand for Children First: Last Stand for Children First Awards State Education Report Cards: Last Stand for Children First Awards State Education Report Cards by Last Stand for Children *Last Stand for Children Also Sucks! :)* Today, Last Stand for Children First was proud to announce it's state report card for education. Scores were generated by a wide variety of data and sadly, it shows that America's schoolchildren are not being put first and are not getting the education that they deserve. - Only 2 states received a B-, and there was only 1 C+ - Only 9 states rec... more »

Michelle Rhee's Report Card On State Education Policies Draws Union Ire

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Michelle Rhee's Report Card On State Education Policies Draws Union Ire: Michelle Rhee's Report Card On State Education Policies Draws Union Ire by Joy Resmovits NEW YORK -- Louisiana is ranked number one on an education score card. The Bayou State's surprising achievement comes thanks to Michelle Rhee's StudentsFirst organization, which on Monday released its first annual report card of states' education policies. The results are notable because Rhee's effort doesn't measure student performance, it looks instead at what StudentsFirst calls states' environments for passing laws to... more »

The Teacher Pension Crisis in Illinois Is Not About the Teacher Pension Crisis in Illinois | Reclaim Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The Teacher Pension Crisis in Illinois Is Not About the Teacher Pension Crisis in Illinois | Reclaim Reform: The Teacher Pension Crisis in Illinois Is Not About the Teacher Pension Crisis in Illinois by kenpreviti [image: teachersfirst]Education reform is neither; the term refers to corporate profit taking via education tax monies being reallocated – privatization, private public partnerships, etc. ALSO: The teacher pension crisis in Illinois is not about the teacher pension crisis in Illinois. The pro-teacher, pro-union Democrats in Illinois are not pro-teacher or pro-union. Illin... more »

Daily Kos: Rhee's StudentsFirst grades education on ideology, not results

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Daily Kos: Rhee's StudentsFirst grades education on ideology, not results: Rhee's StudentsFirst grades education on ideology, not results byLaura ClawsonFollowforDaily Kos Labor - - - 38 Comments / 38 New [image: Apple with big red letter F] Michelle Rhee continues her descent into parody. You might have thought that teaching students to read would be a good way to evaluate educational performance, but no. Rhee's StudentsFirst organization has released a report card grading states—on their education policies, not their educational results. In fact, not one of the... more »

In the News: Michelle Rhee under a harsh light | catalyst-chicago.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

In the News: Michelle Rhee under a harsh light | catalyst-chicago.org: In the News: Michelle Rhee under a harsh light - Share on windycitizenShare on facebookShare on email *By: *Cassandra West / January 07, 2013 *Tags: *Michelle Rhee Former District of Columbia schools chancellor Michelle Rhee is coming under some withering criticism of late. In addition to her coming memoir getting panned, PBS' "Frontline" raises questions about test-score tampering under her administration. Rhee's StudentsFirst group loses top Democrats, hires new president. (Huffington Post) Rhee has... more »

Trust Nothing You Hear from the Education Establishment « PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Trust Nothing You Hear from the Education Establishment « PWC Education Reform Blog: Trust Nothing You Hear from the Education Establishment by pwceducationreform When it comes to education we parents have to trust that the teachers and education administrators in our public school systems won’t do anything that will harm our children. While I think most of our classroom teachers have our children’s best interests at heart, I doubt everything I hear from the education administrators & bureaucrats. I’m sorry to say that, but I have seen far too much evidence that the education ad... more »

There Is No Debating the Six Shifts — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

There Is No Debating the Six Shifts — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Peter DeWitt]There Is No Debating the Six Shifts January 7, 2013 by Peter DeWitt In education we debate many issues. Sometimes it feels as though we debate just to debate. Whether it's the way we teach reading, writing, or math or the harmful effects of high-stakes testing, many issues create an ongoing dialogue in education. It should be that way only as long as it doesn't prevent us from ever moving forward. As we debate back and forth, a generation of students are waiting for us to get our a... more »

Education Reformer Michelle Rhee tells Connecticut: You Suck! - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Education Reformer Michelle Rhee tells Connecticut: You Suck! - Wait, What?: Education Reformer Michelle Rhee tells Connecticut: You Suck! by jonpelto *Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee:** If you can't buy it, Bad Mouth it!* First Governor Malloy proposed the most anti-teacher, anti- union “education reform” bill of any Democratic governor in the nation. While minor changes were made, the final bill was touted as a major victory for the corporate reformers. It promoted the expansion of charter schools and took a major step forward in the effort to turn our public schools into t... more »

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