Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 2-16-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u



BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA 

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST



Florida’s School-to-Prison Pipeline is Largest in the Nation | Alternet

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Florida’s School-to-Prison Pipeline is Largest in the Nation | Alternet: Florida’s School-to-Prison Pipeline is Largest in the Nation More than in any other state, students in Florida are being arrested for incidents that once would have merited a trip to the principal's office. Photo Credit: DenisNata | Shutterstock.com *February 13, 2013* | *Reprinted with permission of Colorlines.com. For more news from a racial justice perspective, sign up to receive weeklyColorlines Direct.* It used to be that getting in a schoolyard fight meant a trip to the principal’s office—detention, ma... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-14-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: L.A. School Board Candidate Speaks Out by dianerav Robert Skeels is a pro-public school candidate in Los Angeles. He has raised $15,000. He will not get anything from Eli Broad or Michael Bloomberg. He comments: The LA Times asked me for a quote on Bloomberg’s $1 Million CSR donation. Here’s my response: “As a community candidate who has raised over $15,000 through myriad small contributions from local parents, community members, and classroom teachers, I find it dismaying that a single out-of-state billionaire has a greater voice in our school board elect... more »

Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 2-15-13 #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 minutes ago
*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* In Which I Try To Gather The Shards... by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) ...of Joe Moore's Charter School Logic. These are rough quotes, not exact. Joe has a lot of reasons why he's doing very very little for neighborhood schools and serving as a Welcome Wagon for the charters. *"I want parents to have the same options that I had."* Moore graduated from Evanston Township High School in 1976. The options he had included a high quality public school, parish schools, or private schools. Charter schools were not in the picture; if they h... more »

College Scorecard | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
College Scorecard | The White House: [image: U.S. Department of Education] [image: College Affordability and Transparency Center] College Scorecards in the U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center make it easier for you to search for a college that is a good fit for you. You can use the College Scorecard to find out more about a college’s affordability and value so you can make more informed decisions about which college to attend. To start, enter the name of a college of interest to you or select factors that are important in your college search... more »

#edreform - Shake Your Money Maker

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
*Shake Your Money Maker * [image: May

UPDATE: Common Core Claims Aren't Factual and Questions Remain Unanswered + Missouri Education Watchdog: Bill Gates, Education Reform and Philanthrocapitalism. .

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Bill Gates, Education Reform and Philanthrocapitalism. .: Common Core Claims Aren't Factual and Questions Remain Unanswered by stlgretchen Diane Ravitch makes some valid points and raises serious questions about Common Core standards and why the business community is so keen on seeing them implemented. The claims are bolded; the questions are highlighted. From 15153: Yesterday, 72 business corporations published a full-page advertisement in the New York Bill Gates, Education Reform and Philanthrocapitalism. . by stlgretchen Joy Pullman of t... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 2-11-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Black History Month: James Meredith and Ole Miss No Trust For Principals by Duke Carol Burris, who I will henceforth refer to as America's Principal™, has a clever piece out today about what's it's like to be trained as a teacher evaluator in our brave, new, reformy world. The trainers went on to explain why we were there. We would have four sessions to prepare for Calibration Day. We would learn “the tool,” and watch teaching videos for two days. Day Three—the pre-test. Day Four—Calibration Day and the Calibration Event. We would ... more »

Special Late Nite Cap #SOTU EXTRA 2-12-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
*Nite Cap **EXTRA**EXTRA** EXTRA EXTRA **EXTRA* School Hit List Released Soon; Act Today! by Server *Action Alert* School Hit List Released Soon; Act Today!Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Board of Education has threatened to shutter more than one hundred of our neighborhood schools. Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett is expected to release the hit list soon. CPS is currently holding “community hearings” underwritten by the Walton Family Foundation (Wal-Mart) to sell these school closings to the public. Concurrently, charter school profiteers have been pushing their message of r... more »

Special Late Nite Cap #SOTU UPDATE 2-12-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* On Edu-Blogging While Negro [We Ain't Even Supposed To Be Here] by Jose Vilson [image: Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.] Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. A couple of months ago, in the middle of a few good conversations, Leonie Haimson reminded me that I was one of the first NYC edubloggers to do “it.” By it, we all understood “it” to be using a blog to speak up and out about educational issues. People like NYC Educator, Norm’s Notes, JD2718, Pissed Off Teacher, and the now defunctEduWonkette, informed my early thinking... more »

A warning to college profs from a high school teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
A warning to college profs from a high school teacher: A warning to college profs from a high school teacher Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 9, 2013 at 12:00 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: warning]For more than a decade now we have heard that the high-stakes testing obsession in K-12 education that began with the enactment of No Child Left Behind 11 years ago has resulted in high school graduates who don’t think as analytically or as broadly as they should because so much emph... more »

Rise Above the Mark aims to make the US a world leader again - Documentary on public education debate finds voice.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Rise Above the Mark: Documentary on public education debate finds voice 1. [image: Thumbnail]4:31[image: Watch Later] *Rise Above the Mark* - Trailer 1 by riseabovethemark•6 months ago•3,328 views The next great ambition in public education. *Rise Above the Mark* aims to make the United States a world leader once again *...* - HD 2. [image: Thumbnail]6videos[image: Thumbnail][image: Thumbnail][image: Thumbnail] Change by Carl Hooker - •*Rise Above the Mark* - Trailer (4:31) - •AT&T Archives: Seeing *the* Digital Future (1961) (15:4... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 2-15-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* *Shifting attitudes about schools* SHARE: - facebook - twitter Posted by admin | February 15, 2013 | Category: #LoveSchools, teacher activism| Write Comment New York City teacher, poet and activist José Luis Vilson loves schools, but hates the loveless, joyless system in which they currently exist. He, like thousands of teachers, parents and students united by their love of public schools, is committed to changing that. “I love public school because every time we as educators go into the classroom, we have a chance to creat... more »

Rise Above the Mark aims to make the US a world leader again - Documentary on public education debate finds voice.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Rise Above the Mark: Documentary on public education debate finds voice 1. [image: Thumbnail]4:31[image: Watch Later] *Rise Above the Mark* - Trailer 1 by riseabovethemark•6 months ago•3,328 views The next great ambition in public education. *Rise Above the Mark* aims to make the United States a world leader once again *...* - HD 2. [image: Thumbnail]6videos[image: Thumbnail][image: Thumbnail][image: Thumbnail] Change by Carl Hooker - •*Rise Above the Mark* - Trailer (4:31) - •AT&T Archives: Seeing *the* Digital Future (1961) (15:4... more »

Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 2-15-13 #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* In Which I Try To Gather The Shards... by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) ...of Joe Moore's Charter School Logic. These are rough quotes, not exact. Joe has a lot of reasons why he's doing very very little for neighborhood schools and serving as a Welcome Wagon for the charters. *"I want parents to have the same options that I had."* Moore graduated from Evanston Township High School in 1976. The options he had included a high quality public school, parish schools, or private schools. Charter schools were not in the picture; if they h... more »

UPDATE: Torlakson Announces 2013 Green Ribbon Schools - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Torlakson Announces 2013 Green Ribbon Schools - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Nominates Four Schools, One School District as 2013 U.S. Green Ribbon Schools LONG BEACH—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today nominated Charles Evans Hughes Middle School of Long Beach, Journey School of Aliso Viejo, Redding School of the Arts, Prospect Sierra School of El Cerrito, and Ventura County's Oak Park Unified School District to compete in the second year of the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School Awards. "These outst... more »


Dance! « Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Dance! « Seattle Education: Dance! by seattleducation2011 [image: Dance3] This post is dedicated to my daughter and all of the mothers, daughters, nieces, cousins, aunts and grandmothers in the world. February 14th was the day of 1 Billion Rising. From Democracy Now The original video Dance! « Seattle Education:

21st Century Skills: Deeper Learning is Essential Ingredient for Success | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
21st Century Skills: Deeper Learning is Essential Ingredient for Success | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: 21st Century Skills: Deeper Learning is Essential Ingredient for Success by Tarsi Dunlop Deeper learning will ensure students possess transferable knowledge, or the ability to use their knowledge and skills to solve problems and navigate new situations. As a 21st century skill set, it should be a core element of the public education academic experience. A recent report from the National Research Council, *Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferab... more »

Florida’s School-to-Prison Pipeline is Largest in the Nation | Alternet

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Florida’s School-to-Prison Pipeline is Largest in the Nation | Alternet: Florida’s School-to-Prison Pipeline is Largest in the Nation More than in any other state, students in Florida are being arrested for incidents that once would have merited a trip to the principal's office. Photo Credit: DenisNata | Shutterstock.com *February 13, 2013* | *Reprinted with permission of Colorlines.com. For more news from a racial justice perspective, sign up to receive weeklyColorlines Direct.* It used to be that getting in a schoolyard fight meant a trip to the principal’s office—detention, ma... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 2-14-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* *Black History Month February 2013* How Are You Going to Spend Your Half-Week Off? by NYC Educator I'm not bitter about losing the mid-winter recess. After all, I had big fun the week of October 29th, walking through a foot of water to get to what was left of my house. It was great being homeless for six weeks, and the least I can do for Mayor Bloomberg is give up a frivolous family vacation. I've no doubt my students will be thrilled to come in as well. As if that's not enough, the DOE, in its infinite wisdom, has decreed that June... more »

#edreform - Shake Your Money Maker

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
*Shake Your Money Maker * [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)]

H.R.510: Transition toward Excellence, Achievement and Mobility through Education Act of 2013 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
H.R.510: Transition toward Excellence, Achievement and Mobility through Education Act of 2013 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: H.R.510 Transition toward Excellence, Achievement and Mobility through Education Act of 2013 Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education programs funding - 10 minutes ago To amend the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to make improvements to the individualized education program under that Act and facilitate the transition of children with disabilities to adulthood, and for other purposes. Bill Introduced: H.R.497 America Works... more »

Mission Hill Chapter Two: Singing the Same Song | The IDEA Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Mission Hill Chapter Two: Singing the Same Song | The IDEA Blog: Mission Hill Chapter Two: Singing the Same Song by Dana Bennis in *Blog* *This is a guest post by Laura Thomas, Director of the Antioch Center for School Reform. Laura is currently involved in research around the experiences of students and educators in rural environments, particularly in the areas of social justice. Additionally, she is continuing her work in the study of school change (particularly resistance to change) as well as student advocacy and engagement in the change process.* “This little light of mine/... more »

Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 2-14-13 #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* Most of the 129 schools on The Mayor’s list to close are on the south and west side. by Fred Klonsky From the CTU Black Caucus: [image: 823553_450245221712114_1759762809_o] Indiana Bill Will Mandate Assessment and Public Input of Common Core by Shane Vander Hart *The Indianapolis Star* spun yesterday’s vote on SB 193 in the Indiana Senate Education and Career Development committee as a sign that the state will likely keep the Common Core State Standards. I disagree. This coming Tuesday the full Indiana Senate will vote on the bill. This ... more »

Big Data and Little Kids: "Assessment" in Obama's Pre-K Plan - Dana Goldstein

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Big Data and Little Kids: "Assessment" in Obama's Pre-K Plan - Dana Goldstein: Big Data and Little Kids: "Assessment" in Obama's Pre-K Plan by Dana Goldstein Via Twitter, I'm seeing a lot of anxiety about the part of President Obama's new universal preschool proposal that calls for "comprehensive data and assessment systems" to track student progress and program quality. I know what you're thinking: *Standardized tests for four-year olds? *And I agree, it is absurd to imagine toddlers filling in Scantron bubbles. But that isn't at all what the administration has ever meant when i... more »

UPDATE: Obama in Decatur on pre-k: ‘Give all of our kids that chance.’ | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Obama in Decatur on pre-k: ‘Give all of our kids that chance.’ | Get Schooled: Obama in Decatur on pre-k: ‘Give all of our kids that chance.’ 2:40 pm February 14, 2013, by Maureen Downey Here is the text of the Obama speech. The President deviated now and then but this is essentially what he said today in Decatur: Hello, everybody! Well, it is great to be in Georgia! Great to be in Decatur! I can’t imagine a more romantic way to spend Valentine’s Day — (laughter) — than with all of you, with all the press here. Actually, Michelle says hello. She made me promise to get back i... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-14-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Do You Like Bloomberg’s Education Policies? by dianerav Here is a chance to make your voice heard. Crain’s New York is running an opinion poll, asking which of Bloomberg’s policies the next mayor should get rid of. Bloomberg has promoted high-stakes testing, charter schools, school closings, co-locations of charters, and evaluation of teachers by test scores. Class sizes are at their highest in fourteen years. Express your views here. Setting the Record Straight About Central Park East by dianerav After I posted about the NYC DOE decision to place a new cha... more »

On Extremism, Inconsistency, and Uncertainty - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
On Extremism, Inconsistency, and Uncertainty - Bridging Differences - Education Week: On Extremism, Inconsistency, and Uncertainty by Deborah Meier *This is Alfie Kohn's final post with Deborah Meier on Bridging Differences. A new blogger joins Deborah next week.* Dear Debbie, I'm tempted to continue talking about competition with you, trying to hash out whether it (like conflict) is really inevitable, and asking what message we send to kids when we permit or even endorse activities that pit them against one another. But I was intrigued by your more general comments about consist... more »

The Quick and the Ed » President Obama’s “Fix-It-First” Program: Why We Need Modern Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
The Quick and the Ed » President Obama’s “Fix-It-First” Program: Why We Need Modern Schools: President Obama’s “Fix-It-First” Program: Why We Need Modern Schools by Peter Cookson Jr. In his State of the Union Address on Tuesday night President Obama laid out a wide array of programs and initiatives including many in education. Most of them laudable and important, but I must confess one really got my attention. Roughly mid-way through his speech he proposed a *Fix-it-First* program, “to put people to work as soon as possible on our most urgent repairs.” To get this done he is prop... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Data Mining: A "Kindler, Gentler Survelliance"?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Data Mining: A "Kindler, Gentler Survelliance"?: Data Mining: A "Kindler, Gentler Survelliance"? by stlgretchen Your human capital is important to Silicon Valley Data issues and invasion of privacy concerns crop up constantly these days. We hear reports of Anonymous hacking into government websites, credit card information compromised and people are upset their Facebook information gets posted in places unknown to the Facebook user. Quartz (qz.com) asked this question: * **Analysis: Is big data to Barack Obama what big oil was to George W. Bush?* an... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-14-13 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] Indiana Will Not Drop Out of Common Core by dianerav Despite protests from parents and teachers, the Indiana Legislature agreed to continue rolling out the Common Core standards, which have already been rolled out for kindergarten and first grade, and will soon be released for second grades (these are the grades in which early childhood experts say the Common Core standards are developmentally inappropriate). The state board of education, which is staunchly Republican, is firmly and unanimously committed t... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 2-13-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* MONICA GARCIA + L.A. FUND FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION REMOVE OFFENSIVE, ILLEGITIMATE, UNETHICAL & SELF–SERVING BILLBOARDS by smf see: LA GORDA DREAMS BIG: Monica’s Big Big Billboard The utla Arts Education Committee e-mails: The mere threat of our protests was enough. The offensive, illegitimate, unethical billboards have been taken down. They've whitewashed their wrongdoing by covering them up. But, hey, we still have photos. When faced with public denunciation of two protests originally planned later [image: MonicaBillboard] Education T... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Pundits: Listen To Teachers!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Pundits: Listen To Teachers!: Pundits: Listen To Teachers! by Duke [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] *Diane Ravitch is one of my heroes. So when she asked me to write a guest post for her blog, I was thrilled and honored. This piece was originally published here, but I wanted to have a copy at my blog as well.* As an American public school teacher, one of my greatest frustrations is how little our debate about education has been informed by the people who actually do the teaching. It's not that I think teachers are the only ones who should have a... more »

Anti-Common Core Bill Almost Ready to Go in Michigan House | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Anti-Common Core Bill Almost Ready to Go in Michigan House | Truth in American Education: Anti-Common Core Bill Almost Ready to Go in Michigan House by Shane Vander Hart [image: MichiganStateCapitol] To our Michigan Readers… Deborah DeBacker, one of our partners in Michigan, said that there is an anti-Common Core bill on the desk of State Representative Tom McMillin (R-Rochester Hills). He’s looking for co-sponsors and it will be on his desk only tomorrow. You can find your State Representative’s contact info here. Call them, email them and call them again if you need to. The po... more »

CHECK THIS! Who’s this @alderman_moreno guy? He called himself a “hipster?” Really? – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Who’s this @alderman_moreno guy? He called himself a “hipster?” Really? – @ the chalk face: Who’s this @alderman_moreno guy? He called himself a “hipster?” Really? by Chalk Face, PhD I saw pop up on my Facebook feed a video of some Chicago Alderman getting booed off the stage at a local meeting. Good deal. PopoutYou know, I think I remember a quote from the movie Hunt for Red October. Not worth looking up, but it was something to the effect of, oh hell, wait a minute. All right, here it is:

UPDATE: Common Core Claims Aren't Factual and Questions Remain Unanswered + Missouri Education Watchdog: Bill Gates, Education Reform and Philanthrocapitalism. .

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Bill Gates, Education Reform and Philanthrocapitalism. .: Common Core Claims Aren't Factual and Questions Remain Unanswered by stlgretchen Diane Ravitch makes some valid points and raises serious questions about Common Core standards and why the business community is so keen on seeing them implemented. The claims are bolded; the questions are highlighted. From 15153: Yesterday, 72 business corporations published a full-page advertisement in the New York Bill Gates, Education Reform and Philanthrocapitalism. . by stlgretchen Joy Pullman of t... more »

UPDATE: Schools Matter: Stop Corporate Takeover of Local School Decision Making in TN

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Schools Matter: Stop Corporate Takeover of Local School Decision Making in TN: Stop Corporate Takeover of Local School Decision Making in TN by Jim Horn From a new grassroots groups in Nashville focused to stop corporate power grab in Nashville and Memphis schools: Power grab on the Hill! CALL TO ACTION!! Today we are seeing an outrageous power grab play out in the Tennessee legislature. Legislation creating a process to circumvent the local school boards of Davidson and Shelby counties that allows charter school applicants to go directly to the state for charter approval was f... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-13-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: What’s Happening in Hawaii by dianerav A reader just informed me about her blog, which describes the changes in Hawaii. Justice Louis Brandeis long ago referred to states as “laboratories of democracy,” where new ideas could be tried out, to succeed or fail. Each state could try out social or economic experiments without peril to other states. Now, a stifling blanket of standardization and conformity is covering the land. Read about Hawaii and you will be shocked and saddened to see the same tired ideas that are in your own state. Big Business and the Com... more »

Joy Resmovits: UTLA Can't Count On Money From NEA, Nation's Largest Teachers Union

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Joy Resmovits: UTLA Can't Count On Money From NEA, Nation's Largest Teachers Union: UTLA Can't Count On Money From NEA, Nation's Largest Teachers Union by Joy Resmovits [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)] School board races in Los Angeles are heating up -- and they're getting expensive. The nation's second-largest school district is at the center of a broader battle over the future over education reform. Since 2010, Superintendent John Deasy has run the district, implementing policies consistent with the national "education reform" movement, which ... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, February 13, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)]*N.Y. mayor gives $1 million to back L.A. school board slate* Education Headlines *Wednesday, February 13, 2013* Newspaper controversy puts Bear Creek High School in international spotlightThe story in question is that of the high school's principal temporarily confiscating a stack of student newspapers the day before they were meant to go out to students. Bullard group to voice concerns at school board meetingBullard High-area parents who say they are tired of ... more »

College Scorecard | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
College Scorecard | The White House: [image: U.S. Department of Education] [image: College Affordability and Transparency Center] College Scorecards in the U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center make it easier for you to search for a college that is a good fit for you. You can use the College Scorecard to find out more about a college’s affordability and value so you can make more informed decisions about which college to attend. To start, enter the name of a college of interest to you or select factors that are important in your college search... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-13-13 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] Big Business Supports the Common Core by dianerav Yesterday, 72 business corporations published a full-page advertisement in the New York Times supporting the Common Core State Standards. The ad asserts that the CCSS will prepare all children “to be successful in a competitive global economy.” How do they know that since the standards are only now being implemented and have never been demonstrated to be successful? The ad says that “the need for a strong employer voice is greater than ever.” Why would that ... more »

Special Late Nite Cap #SOTU EXTRA 2-12-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
*Nite Cap **EXTRA**EXTRA** EXTRA EXTRA **EXTRA* School Hit List Released Soon; Act Today! by Server *Action Alert* School Hit List Released Soon; Act Today!Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Board of Education has threatened to shutter more than one hundred of our neighborhood schools. Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett is expected to release the hit list soon. CPS is currently holding “community hearings” underwritten by the Walton Family Foundation (Wal-Mart) to sell these school closings to the public. Concurrently, charter school profiteers have been pushing their message of r... more »

Special Late Nite Cap #SOTU UPDATE 2-12-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* On Edu-Blogging While Negro [We Ain't Even Supposed To Be Here] by Jose Vilson [image: Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.] Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. A couple of months ago, in the middle of a few good conversations, Leonie Haimson reminded me that I was one of the first NYC edubloggers to do “it.” By it, we all understood “it” to be using a blog to speak up and out about educational issues. People like NYC Educator, Norm’s Notes, JD2718, Pissed Off Teacher, and the now defunctEduWonkette, informed my early thinking... more »

S. Fla. Troupe Giving Disabled The Gift Of Dance « CBS Miami

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
S. Fla. Troupe Giving Disabled The Gift Of Dance « CBS Miami: S. Fla. Troupe Giving Disabled The Gift Of Dance MIAMI (CBS4) – John Beauregard suffered a spinal cord injury in a fall many years ago. Bonnie Malcolm has brittle bones. James Salter has Down Syndrome. Guillermo Acosta has intellectual disabilities while Adam Eckstat was born with Spina Bifida. What do they have in common? All are dancers in The Karen Peterson Dance Troupe, a company created 23 years ago. “I love the collaborative spirit. They enjoy it too. Show me how you can do this and they’ll say I can’t do that,... more »

Mayor Mike picks up where Mayor Tony leaves off(ice): NEW YORK CITY MAYOR BLOOMBERG POURS $1 MILLION INTO LAUSD ELECTIONS TO OUST STEVE ZIMMER - 4LAKids

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Mayor Mike picks up where Mayor Tony leaves off(ice): NEW YORK CITY MAYOR BLOOMBERG POURS $1 MILLION INTO LAUSD ELECTIONS TO OUST STEVE ZIMMER, ELECT MONICA GARCIA: Mayor Mike picks up where Mayor Tony leaves off(ice): NEW YORK CITY MAYOR BLOOMBERG POURS $1 MILLION INTO LAUSD ELECTIONS TO OUST STEVE ZIMMER, ELECT MONICA GARCIA by smf [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks!] Mayor Mike picks up where Mayor Tony leaves off(ice): NEW YORK CITY MAYOR BLOOMBERG POURS $1 MILLION INTO LAUSD ELECTIONS TO OUST STEVE ZIMMER, ELECT MONICA GARCI... more »

Right-Sizing Update Sacramento Council PTA

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Sacramento Council PTA: [image: Sacramento Council of PTAs] February 12, 2013Right-Sizing Update Read response to Public Information Request from January 17 Board Meeting. Read updated (February 5) Frequently Asked QuestionsAs we perform our work on behalf of families and communities across the Sacramento City Unified School District boundaries our processes are guided in matters of policy such as school closures by California State PTA's position statements. The California State PTA School Closure Position Statement reads: The California State PTA believes that while school cl... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-12-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Breaking News: Mayor Bloomberg Gives $1 Million to L.A. School Board Candidates by dianerav This is an astonishing development. Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City, a multibillionaire, is giving $1 million to support three candidates in the Los Angeles school board election. The candidates he is backing are in favor of privately managed charter schools and are generally anti-union. The people of Los Angeles will decide in next month’s election whether the super-rich elite can buy control of the public school system and impose their pet project of pr... more »

Investigation uncovers non-certified teachers at Muskegon Heights new charter school | Michigan Radio

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Investigation uncovers non-certified teachers at Muskegon Heights new charter school | Michigan Radio: Investigation uncovers non-certified teachers at Muskegon Heights new charter school Share Tweet E-mail 3 Comments Print By LINDSEY SMITH Next imagePrevious image Image 0Image 1 Enlarge image Credit Lindsey Smith / Michigan Radio This Muskegon Heights teacher at Edgewood Elementary school holds a valid teaching certificate in Michigan. Teachers in Michigan need some kind of certificate or permit to teach. Whether it's in a public school or a charter school, it doesn’t matter; it's ... more »

Building Tomorrow’s Walmart Workers—Today | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Building Tomorrow’s Walmart Workers—Today | EduShyster: Building Tomorrow’s Walmart Workers—Today by edushyster2012 Our nation’s fate hangs in the balance—and once again the blame can be laid squarely at the feet of our union-stifled public schools. Reader: I give you the skills gap. Perhaps the most fiercely urgent chasm we’ve encountered to date, the skillz gap refers to the vast unfilled space between current and future job openings and the skills of the people looking for jobs. Or that’s what we’re supposed to think it means. The real skillz gap—is between what workers *have*—a... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-12-13 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] In Praise of Senator Lamar Alexander by dianerav Some 20 years ago, I worked as Assistant Secretary of Education in the administration of President George Herbert Walker Bush. I was in charge of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement and also Counselor to the Secretary of Education, who was Lamar Alexander. Secretary Alexander took a big risk with me because I was a Democrat with no prior experience in government. I developed great admiration for him as a thinker and leader. He understood the li... more »

UPDATE: We should not valorize all educators with impunity + Competition, Choice and Market Forces – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Competition, Choice and Market Forces – @ the chalk face: We should not valorize all educators with impunity by Chalk Face, PhD Because of this woman, an Indiana bigot educator who wants to exclude students who are gay from prom. We have to admit, as ardent public school and teacher advocates, that not everyone in the classroom is playing with a full deck. Competition, Choice and Market Forces by Activism in paradise - Voices from down under When it comes to education, governments bandy the word choice around with evangelical fervour saying, amongst other things, they are openin... more »

Daily Kos: What not being covered by FMLA now means for us

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Daily Kos: What not being covered by FMLA now means for us: What not being covered by FMLA now means for us by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) As many know, I have been on leave from the school in which I had been teaching since we found out about my wife's cancer. I had been prepared to return as soon as Wednesday, but knowing that I would periodically have to take time off - for example, when she begins chemo next Wednesday. I had informed the school that I would not be returning for next year. It is not a great fit for me, even though they were quite pleased as what I had done... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 2-11-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Black History Month: James Meredith and Ole Miss No Trust For Principals by Duke Carol Burris, who I will henceforth refer to as America's Principal™, has a clever piece out today about what's it's like to be trained as a teacher evaluator in our brave, new, reformy world. The trainers went on to explain why we were there. We would have four sessions to prepare for Calibration Day. We would learn “the tool,” and watch teaching videos for two days. Day Three—the pre-test. Day Four—Calibration Day and the Calibration Event. We would ... more »

CTU President Karen Lewis discusses school closings. #EDCHAT #EDREFORM

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
*CTU President Karen Lewis discusses school closings.* The Mayor's office and Board of Education have threatened to close up to one hundred of our neighborhood schools. CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett is expected to release the hit list within a week. Through the month of February, CPS held hearings underwritten by the Walton Family Foundation (Wal-Mart) to sell these school closings to the public. Concurrently, charter school profiteers have been pushing their message of replacing neighborhood schools with charters through the so-called "School Choice Week." The public did not buy wha... more »

Reimagining Public Education, One Story at a Time — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Reimagining Public Education, One Story at a Time — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Sam Chaltain]Reimagining Public Education, One Story at a Time February 11, 2013 by Sam Chaltain I know we're already six weeks into 2013, but think back to last year for a second: What were the most talked about education stories of 2012? I'm guessing your list looks something like this—Common Core. The Chicago Teacher Strike. Newtown. And what worries me is that no matter what other stories you recalled—from Michelle Rhee to the Dropout Crisis to Race to the Top—they're all likel... more »


UPDATE: Thousands Protest Chicago School Closures and Budget Lies Schools Matter: "Minimum" tech standards to give common core tests

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Schools Matter: "Minimum" tech standards to give common core tests: Thousands Protest Chicago School Closures and Budget Lies by Jim Horn February 8, from George Schmidt: Things are exploding here, with protests of more than 1,000 people against Chicago's school policies every night. We are only reporting some of them, and just about everyone leading them will need some rest this weekend. The CORE re-election campaign is holding the Second City benefit Sunday night, and that will provide everyone with some respite. In addition to the local protests against the latest round of prop... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-11-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Gerald Coles Replies to Critics: Obama’s Second Term by dianerav I posted Gerald Coles’ predictions about President Obama’s second term. Many commenters responded. This is Coles’ response to those who raised questions: With respect to the suggestion that the “federal govt. should get out of the classroom entirely,” I think that’s a complicated issue, given, for example, the federal government’s role in ending LEGAL segregation of schools. While issues of curriculum and what should and should not be discussed in the classroom do caution against a A Reader... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Why Does Your School District Have to Take Orders from a Private Trade Organization?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Why Does Your School District Have to Take Orders from a Private Trade Organization?: Why Does Your School District Have to Take Orders from a Private Trade Organization? by stlgretchen The Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is "offering guidance" to school districts toward the implementation of Common Core standards. *Question: Why is a private organization telling local school districts how they must direct their educational delivery and what requirements they must meet?* From edweek.com: One of the tw... more »

UPDATE: #data that matters… + #ASCDforum discussing #teacher #education – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
#ASCDforum discussing #teacher #education – @ the chalk face: [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] Allow me to revisit the previous #SOTU on #education by Chalk Face, PhD [image: SOTU Wordle] Much, much ado about what the President will say about education in tomorrow’s SOTU address. The Answer Sheet has what SHOULD be said. But I’m revisiting a post I have up here from the previous SOTU speech. The image to the left is a Wordle graphic of the speech. Notice how, from the transcript, the word APPLAUSE is the most prominent one. That’s because, well, he didn’t really say much about anyt... more »

CTA Expanding Teacher Leadership « InterACT

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
CTA Expanding Teacher Leadership « InterACT: CTA Expanding Teacher Leadership by David B. Cohen Christal Watts, President of the Vallejo Educators Association, speaking at the Good Teaching Conference in San Jose. [image: Christal Watts, President of the Vallejo Educators Association, speaking at the Good Teaching Conference in San Jose, 2/8/13 (photo by the author)]I spent Friday at a pre-conference workshop for the Good Teaching Conference put on by the California Teachers Association, talking and working with teachers dedicated to improving our profession, and seeing our union a... more »

Joy Resmovits: Bobby Jindal Shills For Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's Education Reforms; Warriors Vs. Worriors: Ed Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Joy Resmovits: Bobby Jindal Shills For Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's Education Reforms; Warriors Vs. Worriors: Ed Today: Bobby Jindal Shills For Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's Education Reforms; Warriors Vs. Worriors: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Huffington Post Education Reporter* *McDonnell Gets By With A Little Help From His Friend* As Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) continued his push for education reforms in Virginia, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) stopped by for a little nudge in the right direction, reports the Associated Press. "Jindal was in Richmond for U.S. House Majority Leader ... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-11-13 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] New Orleans Reform Group: Choice Falls Short by dianerav As we all know, New Orleans has been presented as a national model of school reform: eliminate public schools, open lots of charters staffed by inexperienced young teachers, watch for miraculous results. But now a major promoter of the all-charter model–the Cowen Institute at Tulane University– has released a The Fleecing of Public Education by dianerav This is a guest post by Peter DeWitt on a topic that should concern us all. We lack the infrastru... more »

LAUSD - District 2 Board Candidate's Forum - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
LAUSD - District 2 Board Candidate's Forum - Perdaily.com: LAUSD - District 2 Board Candidate's Forum by Leonard Isenberg [image: LAUSD Board.jpg] *LAUSD** -** District 2 **Candidate's Forum* *Monday, February 11, 2013* *6**:00-**8**:00pm** at** **El Sereno Senior Citizen's Center*** *4818 Klamath Pl., Los Angeles, 90032 * *EDUCATION CAN'T WAIT: Meet the candidates for the March 5, 2013 election and hear them share their views.* For the future of our children & their schools: Please ask questions + voice your concerns 教育不能等待 表达您关注的问题 满足候选人 2013 年 2 月 11 日 6 ... more »

All Education Matters: Round Five: Restoring Bankruptcy Protection Rights To Student Loan Borrowers (HR 432)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
All Education Matters: Round Five: Restoring Bankruptcy Protection Rights To Student Loan Borrowers (HR 432): Round Five: Restoring Bankruptcy Protection Rights To Student Loan Borrowers (HR 432) by Cryn Johannsen Last Wednesday, HR 432, which would allow private loans to be discharged in bankruptcy, was introduced by Congressmen Danny Davis (D-Ill.) and Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.). This is the fifth time that that this type of legislation has been presented for passage. As most of my readers are aware, I am in full favor in restoring bankruptcy protection rights to borrowers with pri... more »

Cornel West on the "shameless silence" of progressives about Obama and education reform - C-SPAN Video Library

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Cornel West on the "shameless silence" of progressives about Obama and education reform - C-SPAN Video Library: CORNEL WEST ON THE "SHAMELESS SILENCE" OF PROGRESSIVES ABOUT OBAMA AND EDUCATION REFORMClipped from:Tavis Smiley Presents Poverty in America Jan 17, 2013 "PUBLIC EDUCATION IS PREDICATED ON THE NOTION YOU ARE FOCUSED ON OTHER KIDS -- YOU HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT ALL CHILDREN....NOT ANY LONGER -- ALL THIS PRIVATIZING PROFIT OBSESSION, THIS PREOCCUPATION WITH THIS SHORT-TERM GAIN AS OPPOSED TO LONG-TERM INTEGRITY, IS BEING PUSHED TO THE SIDE." 3 minutes, 42 seconds | 6 view... more »

A warning to college profs from a high school teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
A warning to college profs from a high school teacher: A warning to college profs from a high school teacher Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 9, 2013 at 12:00 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: warning]For more than a decade now we have heard that the high-stakes testing obsession in K-12 education that began with the enactment of No Child Left Behind 11 years ago has resulted in high school graduates who don’t think as analytically or as broadly as they should because so much emph... more »

Black History Month: Billie Holiday-Strange fruit- HD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
*Black History Month: Billie Holiday-Strange fruit* Billie Holiday Strange Fruit Lyrics * Songwriters: FROST,DAMON/PHIRI,AARON / Southern trees bear a strange fruit, Blood on the leaves and blood at the root, Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze, Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. Pastoral scene of the gallant south, The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth, Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh, Then the sudden smell of burning flesh. Here is fruit for the crows to pluck, For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck, For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop, Here is... more »

Common Core math blues + The emotional violence of the accountability regime: part one – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Common Core math blues – @ the chalk face: [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] Common Core math blues by Chris Cerrone So parents, have you noticed that your children’s math homework is much more difficult this year? Are you having problems helping your child? Welcome to Common Core math. This new education reform is permeating our children’s classrooms and the result is not pretty. 44 States and D.C. have signed on to the Common Core Standards, many for the opportunity to get the Race to the Top bribes, err, grants. Ask any veteran teacher: there have been many educational movemen... more »

21st Century Education Is the Way Forward | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
21st Century Education Is the Way Forward | toteachornototeach: 21st Century Education Is the Way Forward by aristotlethewise *21st Century Education Is the Way Forward * by John Thomas Everywhere you turn in education today, you hear mention of “21st Century Learning.” It is very natural that whenever there is talk about “change,” there is anxiety and confusion until people fully understand what is meant by the change. A parent in a very direct and honest way reached out to me recently after hearing me talk about the growing emphasis of teaching, collaboration, creativity, and cri... more »

Daily Kos: Sacramento School District Rushing to Close 1/5 of its Elementary Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Daily Kos: Sacramento School District Rushing to Close 1/5 of its Elementary Schools: SUN FEB 10, 2013 AT 09:03 AM PST Sacramento School District Rushing to Close 1/5 of its Elementary Schools byERTBenFollow - - - 7 Comments / 7 New On January 16th, the Sacramento City Unified School District announced that it was planning to close 11 elementary schools - 1/5 of the total elementary schools in the entire district. This came as a shock to many, since city voters had just overwhelmingly passed Measures Q and R, providing $414 million in bonds to fund repairs and... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-10-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Georgia: “The Chaos Theory of Running Our Schools” by dianerav Myra Blackmon, a columnist for the Athens, Georgia, Banner-Herald, explains how the state legislature is determined to destabilize and disrupt public education with a wacky “parent trigger” bill. Read her terrific analysis here. It won’t do anything to improve education nor will it “empower” parents, but it will make ALEC and others advocates of privatization very happy. Amazing Reporting on New Orleans Charters by dianerav Bobby Jindal went to Virginia to boast of the miraculous transformation ... more »

House Charter School Bill Corrupted by Cozy Relationship Between Tony Bennett and Charter Schools USA | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
House Charter School Bill Corrupted by Cozy Relationship Between Tony Bennett and Charter Schools USA | Scathing Purple Musings: House Charter School Bill Corrupted by Cozy Relationship Between Tony Bennett and Charter Schools USA by Bob Sikes House Charter School Bill Corrupted by Cozy Relationship Between Tony Bennett and Charter Schools USA Chris Moya, Charter Schools USA lobbyist testified this week that Rep. George Moraitis charter school bill was about ‘improving accountability”. Moya and Florida Charter School Alliance lobbyist Jim Horne’s smug performances this week were... more »

The exaggeration of charter school waiting lists

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The exaggeration of charter school waiting lists: The exaggeration of charter school waiting lists Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 10, 2013 at 11:18 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: the-waiting-list-one-sheet]No doubt there are excellent charter schools in the country where the waiting lists are very, very long. But there also are instances where waiting lists aren’t exactly as long as they appear. That became clear at a recent legislative hearing in Florida, when charter school... more »

JCPS blasted in what education chief calls 'academic genocide' | The Courier-Journal | courier-journal.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
JCPS blasted in what education chief calls 'academic genocide' | The Courier-Journal | courier-journal.com: JCPS blasted in what education chief calls 'academic genocide'State could step in after 16 of 18 low-performing schools show little progress; JCPS Superintendent Donna Hargens notes challenge - - - - ** - ** - ** - ** - ** - ** - - A - A - [image: Discussion of JCPS low performing schools] Discussion of JCPS low performing schools: The Kentucky Board of Education on Wednesday discussed the State's 41 priority... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-10-13 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] Cody to Gates; What Should We Measure? by dianerav Anthony Cody advises Bill gates that test scores are not the best measure of effectiveness. Here he tells Gates what really matters. Bridget, Don’t Give Up! by dianerav An administrator in Louisiana writes about how the Jindal administration tries to strike fear in the hearts of all educators while boasting of their great success. Dear Bridget, here is my advice: “*Illegitimi non carborundum.”* Be there when their pathetic regime is toppled by the good and... more »

Are Boasberg’s education days numbered? | DeFENSE

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Are Boasberg’s education days numbered? | DeFENSE: Are Boasberg’s education days numbered? by defensedenver When one of the metro area’s most conservative papers calls for the termination of DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg, you know the wheels are starting to finally come off the little yellow school bus. We quote from the February 2012 editorial from *The Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle*, “(t)he first thing the new DPS board member should do is to lead the fight to fire Boasberg as superintendent.” The entire editorial is below. Now, we don’t agree with the paper’s assessment th... more »

California Schools Finance Upgrades by Making the Next Generation Pay - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
California Schools Finance Upgrades by Making the Next Generation Pay - NYTimes.com: California Schools Finance Upgrades by Making the Next Generation PayBy IAN LOVETTPublished: February 9, 2013 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - LOS ANGELES — School officials in Santa Ana were in a bind several years ago: they wanted to build hundreds of new classrooms, but feared that voters would rebel against tax increases to pay for the construction. Enlarge This Image Robert Galbraith/Reuters Bill Lockyer, the state treasure... more »

Read to Learn « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Read to Learn « Deborah Meier on Education: Read to Learn by debmeier Out of the mouths of the experts designing our new expanded prekindergarten program. “*We’re trying to ensure all children are ready to learn when they get to school,”* said Neera Tanden, the president and CEO of the think tank and a former top policy official in the Obama administration. “Investing in early learning and pre-K is the best investment that we can make. The return on investment is significant.” What does Neera Tandeny think little children are doing from the time they leave the womb until they arr... more »

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Notes to Aspiring Activists

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Notes to Aspiring Activists: Notes to Aspiring Activists by Melissa Westbrook In the continuing kerfuffle over BEX, one of the women in the trio of NE moms trying to get the BEX to fail (albeit quietly via very large neighborhood e-mail lists) has sent quite a pointed e-mail to Director Peaslee that was less-than-effective. This e-mail is in reference to a video that Director Peaslee helped Jane Addams K-8 make in order to try to attract more students that in turn, would help take the pressure off neighboring elementaries and, of course, Eckstein.... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-9-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: How Teachers Can Stop the Organized Attack on Teaching by dianerav Teachers often feel powerless in the face of the assaults against their profession. Often they are directed to do things that they know are educational malpractice, and they have no choice but to comply. The best way to resist is through collective action, like the testing boycott of the Seattle teachers. One person standing alone is admirable but will be fired. What is necessary is for entire faculties to speak as one. Think of the Chicago Teachers Union. Their detractors changed the state l... more »

UPDATE: Madder Than Hell About Common Core Missouri Education Watchdog: EPIC: Student Data Should Be Protected

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: EPIC: Student Data Should Be Protected: Teacher is Madder Than Hell About Common Core Standards by stlgretchen Time for teachers to form a rebellion against Common Core? A teacher wants to start a nationwide rebellion against Common Core Standards. From the San Leandro, CA Patch *Teacher Is Madder Than Hell And Ain't Gonna Test Kids Anymore:* *(Jerry Heverly is an English teacher at San Leandro High School. He has written before about how theCommon Core State Standards, a new federal mandate, will affect students and teachers.)* I’m starting a new orga... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Rhee On Stewart: A Final Thought

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Rhee On Stewart: A Final Thought: Rhee On Stewart: A Final Thought by Duke What does Michelle Rhee want to do to fix our "failing" schools? It's not a secret: you can find the policy prescriptions for her Republican money funnel education reform organization, StudentsFirst, right at their website. The basic plan is as follows: - Use standardized tests and Value-Added Models as at least half of the evaluation for teachers and principals; this should not be subject to collective bargaining. - Dilute the credentialing and training of teachers. - Instal... more »

Fax the Speaker of the House? Fax him? Fax? | Reclaim Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Fax the Speaker of the House? Fax him? Fax? | Reclaim Reform: Fax the Speaker of the House? Fax him? Fax? by kenpreviti [image: Madigan arms crossed]His Arrogance Mike Madigan holds the position of Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. How can he represent you if you are told that you cannot email him? “You may Fax him,” was the response of the person who answered his phone when a retired teacher friend asked her how to get a message to him. Fax? How quaint. We all have them in 2013, right? Arrogance and lack of representation go hand in hand regarding the man who leads ... more »

The Secret To Fixing Bad Schools - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
The Secret To Fixing Bad Schools - NYTimes.com: The Secret to Fixing Bad SchoolsBy DAVID L. KIRPPublished: February 9, 2013 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - SINGLE PAGE - REPRINTS - WHAT would it really take to give students a first-rate education? Some argue that our schools are irremediably broken and that charter schools offer the only solution. The striking achievement of Union City, N.J. — bringing poor, mostly immigrant kids into the educational mainstream — argues for reinventing the public schools we have. Tim L... more »

Schools Matter: It's the Poverty Stupid

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Schools Matter: It's the Poverty Stupid: It's the Poverty Stupid by Judy Rabin More empirical evidence that poverty is at the root cause of education problems in the United States. Will this important information and science continue to be ignored by politicians and the business community as they dismantle a public education system that took 200 years to build? Chicago is just latest city where students are begging to keep their community, public schools open as charters and for-profits move in to take over. They starved the beast, the public schools and the teachers unions, and ... more »

UPDATE Saturday coffee + Springfield’s Biggest Loser wants to undermine the constitution. Owns no books. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Springfield’s Biggest Loser wants to undermine the constitution. Owns no books. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky [image: ct-met-schmich-0210-20130210-001] They will bury Hadiya Pendleton today. Michelle Obama has come to attend the services. There will be lots of other politicians. Including the Mayor. There were five hundred funerals for victims of gun violence in Chicago last year. There will be more than that this year. Springfield’s Biggest Loser wants to undermine the constitution. by Fred Klonsky [image: 20490308_BG3] *Illinois Representative Joe Sosnowski,... more »