Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 2-23-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u



BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA 

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST















Not What They Signed Up For? International students complain about the quality of education at an unaccredited California institution | Inside Higher Ed

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
International students complain about the quality of education at an unaccredited California institution | Inside Higher Ed: Not What They Signed Up For? February 18, 2013 - 3:00am By Elizabeth Redden When Albert Anarwat applied to the for-profit Aristotle University, in California, the Ghanaian student said he asked the university if the institution was accredited. Not only was he told yes, he said, but he also was told that if the university was not accredited, “How could they get a SEVIS number” – SEVIS being the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. In othe... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Upcoming Special Events: tele-townhall about standardized testing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Upcoming Special Events: Upcoming Special Events by Melissa Westbrook Monday night, the 18th, I'll be moderating a *tele-townhall about standardized testing.* It's being sponsored by *Fair Test* ,"the National Center for Fair and Open Testing that works to end the misuses and flaws of standardized testing AND to ensure that the evaluation of our students, teachers and schools is done in a fair, open, valid and educationally beneficial manner." It starts at 7p.m. and the call-in number is 1-888-955-5369, PIN 514597 Speakers include Garfield stu... more »

UPDATE: Downtown School Update Seattle Schools Community Forum: Why I Can't Support Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee 's Efforts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Why I Can't Support Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee 's Efforts: Downtown School Update by Melissa Westbrook Councilman (and mayoral candidate) Tim Burgess has a regular newsletter that he sends out. Here's what he has to say about the South Lake Union development and a "public school." *3. Support our public school system. Two weeks ago, Seattle voters once again demonstrated generous support for public education by renewing two vital levies at a time when more parents are enrolling their children in public school. City government can do more ... more »

March 19 forum in Chicago with Garfield teacher Jesse Hagopian Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » March 19 forum in Chicago with Garfield teacher Jesse Hagopian: March 19 forum in Chicago with Garfield teacher Jesse Hagopian by admin [image: March 19 flyer] More Than a Score and the Chicago Teachers Union are co-sponsoring a forum featuring Seattle teacher Jesse Hagopian, a leader of the Garfield High School test boycott, along with CTU president Karen Lewis. It will be held on Tuesday, March 19, at 7 pm at the Mt. Carmel MB Church. 2976 S Wabash. The Garfield teachers made national headlines earlier this month when they ... more »

Modern School: 3 of California’s “Top” Schools On the Chopping Block, And Good Riddance

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 56 minutes ago
Modern School: 3 of California’s “Top” Schools On the Chopping Block, And Good Riddance: 3 of California’s “Top” Schools On the Chopping Block, And Good Riddance by Michael Dunn What makes a “top” school, top? According to the San Francisco Chronicle (and most other media) it is test scores. Thanks to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Obama’s Race to the Top (RttT), test scores are all that matter these days. This has led to numerous cheating scandals, as well as a reduction in science, arts, physical education and other curricula to make room for more test preparation. It has also ... more »

Copyright Infringement or good Marketing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
United Opt Out National: *Dan's Fresh Produce's photo.**United Opt Out National:* OCCUPY DOE 2.0: THE BATTLE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS READ ALL DETAILS HERE « Back to Events Event:Occupy DOE 2.0: The Battle for Public Schools READ ALL DETAILS HERE Start:April 4, 2013End:April 7, 2013Organizer:United Opt Out National Updated:December 16, 2012Venue:U.S. Department of EducationAddress: Google Map 400 Maryland Ave, SW ,Washington, DC, DC,20202, United States Official schedule for our second occupation of the Dept. of Ed. in D.C. from April 4-7, 2013, is available *HERE.* Official press relea... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 2-19-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Ohanian Nails the Common Core, and then Burns It by Jim Horn Too good to miss from our national treasure and every corporate education deformer's nightmare. At Daily Uncensored. Charter School Watch by Melissa Westbrook It's been awhile since we talked about charters. I have been stockpiling the stories because, yes, there's a lot happening. FYI, the Washington Board of Education is having a public hearing on charter rules. They seek input from citizens. It is on *Tuesday, Feb. 26th at 1:00 pm in Olympia at OSPI. * *Those wishi... more »

One Teacher's Perspective: School Choice, A Free Market Fantasy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
One Teacher's Perspective: School Choice, A Free Market Fantasy: School Choice, A Free Market Fantasy by Imagine Wisconsin *I worry Act 10 and the subsequent recall attempts have muddied the Wisconsin waters to a point many cannot see clearly what is best for our kids and schools. Clearly, the expansion of Wisconsin’s voucher program is a bad choice for Wisconsin public schools. Certainly, some anecdotal success stories exist among voucher-using students, but (as Diane Ravitch explains) two decades of comprehensive educational research distinctly shows that, overall, voucher schoo... more »

Daily Kos: Well, if you want to know how I responded

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago
Daily Kos: Well, if you want to know how I responded: Well, if you want to know how I responded by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) I can point you at what I wrote. If you do not understand what this is about, several days ago I posted So tell me how you might respond. Something I had written originally at * Academe* had been posted by Valerie Strauss at her blog at the*Washington Post*, where it proceeded to go viral. I had mentioned Jay Mathews in the piece, and he responded with a piece in which he somewhat disagreed with me. Jay and I will have our own direct back and forth, but ... more »

#edreformers: War Pigs! – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 minutes ago
#edreformers: War Pigs! – @ the chalk face: #edreformers: War Pigs! by Timothy D. Slekar In this latest installment of “someone has to say it” I again reveal my attempt to engage EDweek and *Teacher Beat* author Stephen Sawchuk in a legitimate discussion concerning education reform. Last week EDweek published Stephen’s story on the “proposed” changes to teacher accreditation unveiled by the new Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). In case you’ve forgotten NCATE and TEAC merged (CAEP) to further destroy professional teacher preparation and turn teaching into... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Massachusetts Professors Oppose High-Stakes Testing by dianerav Nearly 150 professors at universities in Massachusetts issued a statement in opposition to high-stakes testing. As the national movement against the misuse and abuse of standardized tests grows, the mainstream media is starting to take note and report on it. More than 800 school boards in Texas; prominent superintendents like Joshua Starr and Heath Morrison; teachers at Garfield High in Seattle; students in Portland, Oregon, and Providence, RI. Every day, the reaction against high-stakes testin... more »

UPDATE: Downtown School Update Seattle Schools Community Forum: Why I Can't Support Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee 's Efforts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Why I Can't Support Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee 's Efforts: Downtown School Update by Melissa Westbrook Councilman (and mayoral candidate) Tim Burgess has a regular newsletter that he sends out. Here's what he has to say about the South Lake Union development and a "public school." *3. Support our public school system. Two weeks ago, Seattle voters once again demonstrated generous support for public education by renewing two vital levies at a time when more parents are enrolling their children in public school. City government can do more ... more »

Four reasons why teachers should not teach creationism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Four reasons why teachers should not teach creationism: Four reasons why teachers should not teach creationism Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 22, 2013 at 11:30 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: dino]Evolution is the animating principle of modern biology, uniting all biological fields. It’s a theory in the sense that everything in science is considered a theory but biologists have no doubt of its essential truth. Creationist theory is not a scientific alternative view to evolutio...more »

Superintendent & School Board Overrules Community Voice to Close Schools in Sacramento’s Poorest Communities

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
(69) Superintendent & School Board Overrules Community Voice to Close Schools in Sacramento’s Poorest Communities: *Superintendent & School Board Overrules Community Voice to Close Schools in Sacramento’s Poor Communities* * * * * * * SACRAMENTO, CA – Amidst hundreds of disenfranchised parents, four Board Members (Cueno, Woo, Hansen, Kennedy) and Superintendent Raymond arbitrarily and inconsistently applied standards to close seven schools in Sacramento Unified City School District (SCUSD). Moments before the School Board was prepared to vote on the “wrong-sizing” proposal, Superi... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] A “Push Poll” by University of Chicago and Tribune to Support Rahm Agenda by dianerav Have you ever gotten one of those seemingly innocuous phone calls where the caller asks if you will participate in a survey? You know, market research or social science. Here is a fascinating account of a “push poll” that starts off innocuous and then turns into advocacy for Mayor Rahm Emanel’s agenda of privatization and teacher-bashing. Was the caller really working for the University of Chicago? Who knows? They called ... more »

UPDATE: The In box. Jersey Jazzman: Chicago teachers have CORE and Lewis. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
The In box. Jersey Jazzman: Chicago teachers have CORE and Lewis. « Fred Klonsky: The In box. Jersey Jazzman: Chicago teachers have CORE and Lewis. by Fred Klonsky [image: ravitchlewis] *This world needs more women willing to speak truth to power. Diane Ravitch and Karen Lewis.* From the Jersey Jazzman’s blog: *Chicago Teachers, Be Thankful for Karen Lewis* * **I have made a point of staying out of local union politics. While I have shared my disagreements at times with labor leaders, I am ultimately on their team. I made a point of not telling members of the Newark Teachers Union ... more »

Copyright Infringement or good Marketing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
United Opt Out National: *Dan's Fresh Produce's photo.**United Opt Out National:* OCCUPY DOE 2.0: THE BATTLE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS READ ALL DETAILS HERE « Back to Events Event:Occupy DOE 2.0: The Battle for Public Schools READ ALL DETAILS HERE Start:April 4, 2013End:April 7, 2013Organizer:United Opt Out National Updated:December 16, 2012Venue:U.S. Department of EducationAddress: Google Map 400 Maryland Ave, SW ,Washington, DC, DC,20202, United States Official schedule for our second occupation of the Dept. of Ed. in D.C. from April 4-7, 2013, is available *HERE.* Official press relea... more »

March 19 forum in Chicago with Garfield teacher Jesse Hagopian Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » March 19 forum in Chicago with Garfield teacher Jesse Hagopian: March 19 forum in Chicago with Garfield teacher Jesse Hagopian by admin [image: March 19 flyer] More Than a Score and the Chicago Teachers Union are co-sponsoring a forum featuring Seattle teacher Jesse Hagopian, a leader of the Garfield High School test boycott, along with CTU president Karen Lewis. It will be held on Tuesday, March 19, at 7 pm at the Mt. Carmel MB Church. 2976 S Wabash. The Garfield teachers made national headlines earlier this month when they ... more »

PAA’s new weekly “Parent Voices Weekly Education Fax” to Congress | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
PAA’s new weekly “Parent Voices Weekly Education Fax” to Congress | Parents Across America: PAA’s new weekly “Parent Voices Weekly Education Fax” to Congress by pureparents Yesterday PAA launched our new weekly education update for legislators and anyone else who should be hearing more about education issues from the parents’ point of view. Our fax went to all the members of the U. S. House and Senate education committees. We will post them every week on our blog and link to that in our newsletter. We hope that you will also send these as faxes, e-mails, or snail mails to your Co... more »

Modern School: 3 of California’s “Top” Schools On the Chopping Block, And Good Riddance

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Modern School: 3 of California’s “Top” Schools On the Chopping Block, And Good Riddance: 3 of California’s “Top” Schools On the Chopping Block, And Good Riddance by Michael Dunn What makes a “top” school, top? According to the San Francisco Chronicle (and most other media) it is test scores. Thanks to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Obama’s Race to the Top (RttT), test scores are all that matter these days. This has led to numerous cheating scandals, as well as a reduction in science, arts, physical education and other curricula to make room for more test preparation. It has also ... more »

Sacramento Press / Decision time – board to decide fate of 10 elementary schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Sacramento Press / Decision time – board to decide fate of 10 elementary schools: Decision time – board to decide fate of 10 elementary schoolsby Karen Wilkinson, published on *February 21, 2013* at *1:38 PM* * * * Jerry Tambarino of Tahoe Park holds up a flyer while addressing the crowd at last week's meeting at Washington School. Tonight the future of 10 Sacramento schools will be decided by a board of seven. We'll be live blogging the meeting of the Sacramento City Unified School District's board of education, and will pay particular attention to the fate of Washington Elementar... more »

Two Florida Civil Rights Groups Oppose Parent Trigger Bill | StateImpact Florida

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Two Florida Civil Rights Groups Oppose Parent Trigger Bill | StateImpact Florida: Two Florida Civil Rights Groups Oppose Parent Trigger Bill - DOCUMENTS FEBRUARY 21, 2013 | 10:59 AMBY GINA JORDAN - *1* Comment - Email - - DIVERSITYINTEACHING/FLICKR Resolutions issued by the NAACP and LULAC Florida refer to parent trigger bills as controversial and experimental. Two civil right groups have teamed up to write resolutions against the proposedParent Empowerment in Education bill in Florida. The bill — best known as the “parent trigger” — passed the Florida House... more »

Most closed schools don't stay that way for long - Data Center - The Sacramento Bee

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Most closed schools don't stay that way for long - Data Center - The Sacramento Bee: Most closed schools don't stay that way for long By Phillip Reese preese@sacbee.com Published: Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 - 10:36 am Last Modified: Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 - 10:46 am If the Sacramento City Unified school board votes to close 10 schools tonight, chances are many will reopen soon as specialty or charter schools. School districts across Sacramento County have closed about 60 schools in the last 10 years. Fewer than half remain shuttered, according to a Bee review of data from the state Dep...more »

Diane in the Evening 2-21-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Two Determined Moms in Indiana Take On Common Core by dianerav These days, parents and educators often feel powerless in the face of the powerful forces that are steamrolling them. In Indiana, two moms started a campaign against he Common Core standards. They started with small groups, then organized large ones, and eventually made their voices heard in the state legislature. The battle is far from over, but hey made an important point. This is still a democracy. Two informed citizens can make a difference. How One Man Makes a Difference by dianerav Tim ... more »

Feeling Stressed? MetLife Survey Shows You are Not Alone - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Feeling Stressed? MetLife Survey Shows You are Not Alone - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Feeling Stressed? Metlife Survey Shows You are Not Alone by Anthony Cody The Metlife Survey of the American Teacher is out, and it shows that more than half of all teachers feel under great stress. This relates closely to the number of teachers who describe themselves as "very satisfied," which has fallen to an all-time low, at 39%. I wrote about the implications of this state of affairs last March. Last year's survey discovered that 29% of the nation's teachers were planning to... more »

Tonight in Hampden: The Neighborhood School Event of My Dreams! | Re:education in Baltimore

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Tonight in Hampden: The Neighborhood School Event of My Dreams! | Re:education in Baltimore: Tonight in Hampden: The Neighborhood School Event of My Dreams! by Edit Barry [image: Screen Shot 2013-02-21 at 9.32.26 AM] Not your mama’s PTO meeting.

Scrap the MAP Forum with Diane Ravitch « Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Scrap the MAP Forum with Diane Ravitch « Seattle Education: Scrap the MAP Forum with Diane Ravitch by seattleducation2011 [image: MAP] Scrap the MAP Organizing Committee presents: *Scrap the MAP Forum:* *The Struggle for Quality Assessment* *Featuring: Diane Ravitch – Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education (via Skype)* *DATE: Thursday February 28, 2013 @ 6:30PM* *LOCATION: University of Washington — Physics & Astronomy Bldg room A102* Seattle teachers at Garfield High School, Ballard High School, Chief Sealth High School, the Center School, and Orca K-8 School voted to stop a... more »

In California, thousands of teachers missing needed credentials | California Watch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
In California, thousands of teachers missing needed credentials | California Watch: In California, thousands of teachers missing needed credentials by Joanna Lin Joanna Lin This story was edited by Robert Salladay and copy edited by Nikki Frick and Christine Lee. Daniel Anderson/California Watch Charlie Parker, a longtime biology teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, was assigned for two years to teach history and social studies – subjects he’s not licensed to teach. Thousands of teachers in California’s public schools every year are placed in classes they lack the cr... more »

Campaign Opposing Penny Pritzker For Commerce Secretary Heats Up | FDL News Desk

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Campaign Opposing Penny Pritzker For Commerce Secretary Heats Up | FDL News Desk: Campaign Opposing Penny Pritzker for Commerce Secretary Heats Up by DSWright Billionaire Penny Pritzker, of the plutocratic Pritzker family, has been floated by the Obama Administration as acandidate for Commerce Secretary. Penny Pritzker, an heiress to the Hyatt hotel fortune, is a leading candidate to become President Obama’s next commerce secretary as the president slowly moves to complete his second-term economic team. Ms. Pritzker, who led the groundbreaking fund-raising effort for Mr. Obama’s fi... more »

Daily Kos: Turned Around

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Daily Kos: Turned Around: Turned Around byShakespeares SisterFollow - - - 5 Comments / 5 New After four years, district and school administration finally made the teaching staff aware that our school is on year four of a five-year state turnaround plan. Yes, as a staff we were aware our students had needs. Yes, as a staff we knew we needed to improve student achievement. Did we, before this month, know the full extent of the severity of the situation? No. Did we know we might be forced into charter status by the state at the end of the 2013-2014 school year? No... more »

Oregon's largest charter school miseducated student for years, graduated her unable to read or write | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Oregon's largest charter school miseducated student for years, graduated her unable to read or write | OregonLive.com: Oregon's largest charter school miseducated student for years, graduated her unable to read or write by Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian [image: brafford.jpg]View full sizeKatherine Brafford, who grew up in Southern Oregon, is having to learn Braille and other blindness-navigation skills as an adult because Oregon Connections Academy and the Scio School District graduated her without equipping her to use basic assistive technology or other skills that are standard i... more »

LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy seeks No Child Left Behind waiver for his district and nine others - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy seeks No Child Left Behind waiver for his district and nine others - LA Daily News: LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy seeks No Child Left Behind waiver for his district and nine others Posted: 02/20/2013 02:14:47 PM PST Updated: 02/20/2013 03:03:26 PM PST LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy is seeking to leverage the district's move toward teacher-accountability standards into more freedom on how to spend tens of millions in federal dollars. (File photo by John McCoy/Staff Photographer) LOS ANGELES -- With California unable to get a waiver from the No ... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-20-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Breaking News: Rhee’s StudentsFirst Dumps $250,000 into Los Angeles School Board Race by dianerav Three candidates who support Superintendent John Deasy received a gift of $250,000 from M. Rhee today. This is added to the $1 million supplied by Mayor Bloomberg, and the $1.5 million raised by Eli Broad and his friends (including Joel Klein). Clearly there is an all-out effort to make sure that corporate reform policies favored by the Gates Foundation win Good News: Indiana Senate Panel Scraps School Grading System by dianerav The Republican controlled Se... more »

Bush Foundation Ignores It’s Own Nazi Baiter in Zeal to Criticize Diane Ravitch | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Bush Foundation Ignores It’s Own Nazi Baiter in Zeal to Criticize Diane Ravitch | Scathing Purple Musings: Bush Foundation Ignores It’s Own Nazi Baiter in Zeal to Criticize Diane Ravitch by Bob Sikes Like most ed reformers, Foundation for Excellence in Education writer Mike Thomas reponds reflexively to anything education historian Diane Ravitch says. Today Thomas latched onto a recent post Ravitch made in her blog. Writes Thomas: Diane Ravitch has hit a new low in the hyperbole she allows on her blog site. This was written about charter schools: “But the privatizers declared wa... more »


Line Dalile – Invest in Teachers and The Art of Teaching Student Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Student Voice: Line Dalile – Invest in Teachers and The Art of Teaching by admin Let us redefine the word “Teacher”.Teaching is not a job; it is an art. An art hidden behind a load of responsibilities. It lays the foundation of discovering mysteries, solving problems, and training our minds to question, explore, and investigate. To a world where knowledge is a treasure, teaching is a mirror that reflects future generations.You can see that teaching is not an easy task. It is, in fact, a multi-task where a teacher has to combine creativity, intelligence, and passion when teaching ... more »

UPDATE: Tonight: Public Forum Race, MAP tests, and privatization: the fight for equality in public education « Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Tonight: Public Forum Race, MAP tests, and privatization: the fight for equality in public education « Seattle Education: That’s what friends are for: Rhee and the DC cheating scandal revisited by seattleducation2011 I am re-posting this from a Weekly Update that I wrote on August 18, 2012 to remind folks about how Ms. Rhee got off the hook for the cheating scandal while she was Chancellor of the DC school system. August 18, 2012 In the “You gotta’ be kiddin’ me” category we have the results of [...] Tonight: Public Forum Race, MAP tests, and privatization: the fight for equality ... more »

Former Education Commissioner Blasts Common Core Process - Update Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 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. Reforms Targeting Teachers, Schools, Districts, and the Nation (Part 1) Best of the Ed Blogs Larry Cuban February 20, 2013 New Report Urges Education Secretary To Take... more »

UPDATE: The Hunger Games, Archery, and Racing to the Top Schools Matter: Haslam Sends BRT Puppet to Help McIntyre Get Funds for Disproven Bonus Pay Plan for Knoxville Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Schools Matter: Haslam Sends BRT Puppet to Help McIntyre Get Funds for Disproven Bonus Pay Plan for Knoxville Teachers: The Hunger Games, Archery, and Racing to the Top by skrashen A major goal of PE is to introduce students to a variety of sports. In this spirit, it is exciting that archery has become so popular. According to “Archery coming to Frontier Middle School in Wentzville” (Feb 19), one of the motivations for including archery in school is The Hunger Games. But the message of The Hunger Games was not to get good at shooting arrows. The message was the Capitol’s efforts to... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core State (sic) Standards

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core State (sic) Standards: Common Core State (sic) Standards by stlgretchen "Whoo Hoo!" The word that started a revolution in opting out of Common Core State (sic) Standards testing. Susan Ohanian writing in the Daily Censored *Whoo-Hoo! Occupy the Schools!* about Common Core State (sic) Standards, details how the standards are not state led, a vehicle to establish a Global Work Force, funded primarily by Bill Gates, bipartisan in nature and a quest for a national curriculum/national test: In response to a poverty rate that tops 90% in many urb... more »

Another Voice: If New York State were serious about education ... - Opinion - The Buffalo News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Another Voice: If New York State were serious about education ... - Opinion - The Buffalo News: Another Voice: If New York State were serious about education ... - - - ** - ** - ** By Kara Kane Since becoming a School Board member, I’ve had a crash course in the financial, instructional, regulatory and political aspects of New York State’s education system. This list outlines a sample of my observations. If New York State was serious about education … • New regulations for reporting, school safety, training and instruction would come in two flavors: fully f... more »

Louisiana Educator: Why the Common Core will be a Disaster for Louisiana Public Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Louisiana Educator: Why the Common Core will be a Disaster for Louisiana Public Schools: Why the Common Core will be a Disaster for Louisiana Public Schools by Michael Deshotels I attended a public education forum this week sponsored by the LAE. Parents and teachers were encouraged to ask questions about current education issues to a panel representing BESE, Superintendents, and teacher leaders. One question by a young teacher really got me thinking about where Louisiana public education is headed. One of the panelists had made the point that many of our students are handicapped ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-20-13 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] Ohio: Charter Schools Cost Twice As Much As Public Schools by dianerav Innovation Ohio is a nonpartisan think tank that studies public policy in the state. Its reports are carefully researched and documented. It’s latest study finds that charter schools, a favorite “reform” of Governor John Kasich and the Republican-dominated legislature, cost taxpayers twice as much as public schools and hurt the public schools that enroll the other 90% of the children in the state. Jeb Bush Hits a New Low by dianerav ... more »

Sac City Unified Responds to Tough Questions on School Closures | KTXL FOX40

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Sac City Unified Responds to Tough Questions on School Closures | KTXL FOX40: Sac City Unified Responds to Tough Questions on School Closures - KTXL - [image: See bio, contact info, and more articles from Luana Munoz] 7 hours ago by Luana Munoz Reporter - *Sacramento Unified Considers Closing 11 Elementary Schools* Comments - - Share This Update - ** ** ** SACRAMENTO- Tuesday night was the last of 11 community meetings ahead of Thursday’s district vote on whether or not 11 elementary schools will close. FOX40 asked the Sacramento City Unif... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 2-19-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Ohanian Nails the Common Core, and then Burns It by Jim Horn Too good to miss from our national treasure and every corporate education deformer's nightmare. At Daily Uncensored. Charter School Watch by Melissa Westbrook It's been awhile since we talked about charters. I have been stockpiling the stories because, yes, there's a lot happening. FYI, the Washington Board of Education is having a public hearing on charter rules. They seek input from citizens. It is on *Tuesday, Feb. 26th at 1:00 pm in Olympia at OSPI. * *Those wishi... more »

And now $9.2 million to design “better” standardized tests for 4 year olds! - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
And now $9.2 million to design “better” standardized tests for 4 year olds! - Wait, What?: And now $9.2 million to design “better” standardized tests for 4 year olds! by jonpelto Hooray! The U.S. Department of Education is giving away $9.2 million to help states devise better tests for 4 year olds! According to a recent article in Education Week, “Some state officials say the money would be welcome as they revamp their early-childhood-assessment programs. But others suggest that if the Education Department wants to focus attention on just one part of early learning, an avenue oth... more »

Equity And Excellence Commission Report Warns Of Failure To Right Unfair U.S. Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Equity And Excellence Commission Report Warns Of Failure To Right Unfair U.S. Schools: Equity And Excellence Commission Report Warns Of Failure To Right Unfair U.S. Schools by Joy Resmovits Advocates have shouted about inequalities in the U.S. education system for decades, with issues ranging from the availability of good teachers to the amount of money spent on schools with poor students. The gaps in standardized test scores between minorities and white students, and between rich and poor children, are longstanding and well-known facts. Today, a diverse group of 27 education ex... more »

New Report Urges Education Secretary To Take Inequality ‘More Seriously’ - Jeff Bryant

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
New Report Urges Education Secretary To Take Inequality ‘More Seriously’ - Jeff Bryant: New Report Urges Education Secretary To Take Inequality ‘More Seriously’ By Jeff Bryant | February 19, 2013 - - Raising the alarm that “America has lost its place as a global leader in educational attainment,” a report issued today by an independent commission chartered by Congressto advise the U.S. Department of Education concludes that the “federal government must take more seriously its profoundly important responsibility” to address inequality in the nation’s K-12 public school... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-19-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: What About the Good Charters? by dianerav This parent takes issue with Mark Naison and Bruce Bernstein, who wrote a post about how to tell whether your local charter school is avaricious. The few “good charters” are used by the corporate charter chains to clear the path. Superb list. Very true. However, I must disagree with this sentence: “We will not categorically write off charter schools because there are some great ones.” Maybe. But the privatizers declared war on our schools, our kids, our teachers, our parents and our taxpayers. We didn’t start thi... more »

Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 2-19-13 #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* The Eduttante’s Balls by edushyster2012 *Eduttante: /ˌedjuˈtänt/ Noun: A shill or paid spokesperson advocating strict no-excuses charters for the urban communities in which he or she does not live. Related terms: educolonialist, whiteousness.* Today we meet a new character in our fast-paced edu-drama: the eduttante. This individual is among the most enthusiastic cheerleaders for the academies of excellence and innovation that are rapidly setting up shop in our urban centers. Among his traits: the eduttante, often paid for his efforts (an... more »

Race to the Bottom: A story about the strings attached to federal funding; - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Race to the Bottom: A story about the strings attached to federal funding; - Wait, What?: Race to the Bottom: A story about the strings attached to federal funding; by jonpelto On any given day, Governor Malloy, his Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor and other “education reformers” including superintendents in Bridgeport, Hartford and elsewhere are racing around – often in circles – in pursuit of some of the money that is being handed out by the United States Department of Education’s “Race to the Top” Program. Applications and waivers are the terms of the day as more and... more »

UPDATE: Special Education News Seattle Schools Community Forum: Events Update

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Events Update: Special Education News by Melissa Westbrook From SPS: Do you have a child with special needs headed for kindergarten, 1st, 6th or 9th grade in Seattle Public Schools in the next academic year (2013-14)? Do you have a child with special needs in other grades within SPS, but have questions about his/her building or program placement? Wednesday, Feb. 20th, Seattle Public School representatives, in conjunction with Seattle SPED-PTSA and SEAAC, will offer the chance to ask questions about the "riser" process in general and how it relat... more »

Joy Resmovits: Scott Walker's Voucher Fight; School Safety Questions: Ed Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Joy Resmovits: Scott Walker's Voucher Fight; School Safety Questions: Ed Today: Scott Walker's Voucher Fight; School Safety Questions: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Walker-Style Voucher Fight?* Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker first tangled with his state's teachers union when he signed a bill that upended collective bargaining. Now he's at it again, and this time, the fight is over school vouchers. "The debate over Walker's public education funding proposal and desire to grow alternatives such as private school vouchers is likely to be one of the fiercest in the Statehouse this year, ev... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-19-13 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] Los Angeles School Board Race: Follow the Money by dianerav This just arrived in my email box: LAUSD: Follow The Money by Joseph K *Mensaje se repite en Español)* *I have to do this my way. You tell me what you know, and I’ll confirm. I’ll keep you in the right direction if I can, but that’s all. Just… follow the money.* * * *-Deep Throat, “All the President’s Men” (1976)* *If you want to know the direction LAUSD School Board President Monica Garcia and new candidate Kate Anderson want to take the Los Angel... more »

Ed Notes Online: Susan Ohanian Update

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Susan Ohanian Update: Susan Ohanian Update by ed notes online *Confiscated Plan Books Languish in Death Valley Repository* NOTE: The product below is gluten-free; contains no peanuts, pesticides, or growth-enhancing hormones. However, exposure to sensitive content may cause rapid heartbeat, dizziness, blurred vision, rash, seizure, or temper tantrum. *by Susan Ohanian* Death Valley--At 282 feet (86 m) below sea level in the Mohave Desert, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation maintains the Substation for Confiscated Lesson Plans. It is a secure site that bears a... more »


Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter: This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter by Larry Ferlazzo Guest post by Joe Mazza This week on #PTchat (Wed., 2/20 9PM EDT) we’ll be working on our school websites and mobile app offerings. Today, most schools have a website. Whether the website is useful to the specific family needs at the school is the real question. Does the site serve as simply an information storage bank or does it offer two-way communication and an opportunity to build a relationship with the school? How do you know? Have parents been part of the team creat... more »

One Teacher's Perspective: School Choice, A Free Market Fantasy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
One Teacher's Perspective: School Choice, A Free Market Fantasy: School Choice, A Free Market Fantasy by Imagine Wisconsin *I worry Act 10 and the subsequent recall attempts have muddied the Wisconsin waters to a point many cannot see clearly what is best for our kids and schools. Clearly, the expansion of Wisconsin’s voucher program is a bad choice for Wisconsin public schools. Certainly, some anecdotal success stories exist among voucher-using students, but (as Diane Ravitch explains) two decades of comprehensive educational research distinctly shows that, overall, voucher schoo... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Charter School "Chef" Makes More Than Teachers!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Jersey Jazzman: Charter School "Chef" Makes More Than Teachers!: Charter School "Chef" Makes More Than Teachers! by Duke Want to make money at a charter school? Don't become a teacher; be a chef! A March 2012 menu feature at Camden's LEAP Academy University Charter School was grilled cheese, tomato soup, peas, and fresh fruit. This month, the menu features grilled cheese, tomato soup, and strawberry applesauce. A more striking change than in the menu is what executive chef Michele Pastorello is getting for his work now - a $24,000 raise from last year. *He will make $95,000 thi... more »

Educational Eugenics » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Educational Eugenics » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names: The Corporate Reform of Public Schools Educational Eugenics by MARK GRAHAM Teachers and students are having a rough time in the United States—and not just because they are in danger of being murdered in their classrooms. Public education itself is under attack, fueled by foundation dollars, government policies and media hype. The problem isn’t international rankings, teacher pensions, or outdated theories. These are smokescreens. The enemies of American education hate it because it is public-powered, union... more »

Scott Walker Wants You To Think He Is Increasing Money to Public Schools by $129 Million « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Scott Walker Wants You To Think He Is Increasing Money to Public Schools by $129 Million « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Scott Walker Wants You To Think He Is Increasing Money to Public Schools by $129 Million by millerlf Funding for Wisconsin public schools is restricted by a revenue limit (cap). If that cap is not raised, any increase in State funding ($129 million) means there is a decrease in contribution from property tax by $129 million.*Revenue for school districts remains the same*. Example: If the revenue limit (cap) were $10,000 per student, $5000 from the... more »

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Seattle Schools This Week by Melissa Westbrook *Monday, Feb. 18th* No school for the Presidents' Day holiday. Reminder: Seattle Testing Tele Town Hall: *What’s Next After the MAP boycott?* Mon. Feb 18, 7pm PST. Toll-free dial in (866) 476-7782. A discussion of standardized testing in K-12 public education. Also, you DO call in today (even if a holiday) to get on the speakers list for the Board meeting on Wednesday. It's 252-0040 or boardagenda@seattleschools.org *Tuesday, Feb. 19th* Protest of Michelle Rhee before her... more »

Schools Matter: Robert D. Skeels: a community candidate for LAUSD School Board

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Schools Matter: Robert D. Skeels: a community candidate for LAUSD School Board: Robert D. Skeels: a community candidate for LAUSD School Board by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene *"Alongside this began a sharp rise in the costs of elections, which drove the political parties even deeper into the pockets of the corporate sector." — Professor Noam Chomsky* [image: Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board]Readers have probably already seen the news of how the morning after I trounced the incumbent at a local candidate forum, that NYC Mayor Bloomberg increased my opponent's already obscene ... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Save Texas Schools Rally This Saturday! by dianerav I will be in Austin this Saturday to support the children and educators of Texas. Please join me! Final Countdown Save Texas Schools March & Rally This Saturday! Dear Save Texas Schools Supporter, WE NEED YOU to join thousands from across Texas calling for an end to under-funding and over-testing our children! This is a crucial week at the legislature, with education funding and testing bills being considered. An overwhelming response on Saturday can provide the momentum to turn the tide. Confirmed speakers... more »

ePortfolio Templates for Teachers & Leaders | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
ePortfolio Templates for Teachers & Leaders | Connected Principals: ePortfolio Templates for Teachers & Leaders by Joe Mazza Image credit: danblackleadership.info Here in Pennsylvania, we’re transitioning to a new evaluation system for educators. The “Educator Effectiveness Project” was designed for teachers, educational specialists, and principals. The system includes a method to assess teaching and leadership practice as well as multiple measures aimed assess that educators, through best practice, have demonstrated a positive impact on student achievement. *The following two ePor... more »

Professor: Why Teach For America can’t recruit in my classroom

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Professor: Why Teach For America can’t recruit in my classroom: Professor: Why Teach For America can’t recruit in my classroom Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 18, 2013 at 11:15 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: Wendy Kopp] TFA founder Wendy Kopp **Teach For America is an organization that recruits new college graduates, gives them five weeks of training in a summer institute and then places them in some of America’s neediest schools, with only a two-year commitment. When it started... more »

UPDATE: Modern School: Bay Area Air Sickening and Killing Kids

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Modern School: Bay Area Air Sickening and Killing Kids: Bay Area Air Sickening and Killing Kids by Michael Dunn Richmond, CA (image from Flickr, by bionicteaching)The wonderfully clear and sunny days the San Francisco Bay Area experienced during January and early February were also “spare the air” days because of the high levels of smog—also typical of Bay Area winters (at least lately). This is because the Bay Area is home to several oil refineries in Richmond and West Contra Costa County, as well as numerous other polluting chemical and industrial facilities along the waterfron... more »

Not What They Signed Up For? International students complain about the quality of education at an unaccredited California institution | Inside Higher Ed

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
International students complain about the quality of education at an unaccredited California institution | Inside Higher Ed: Not What They Signed Up For? February 18, 2013 - 3:00am By Elizabeth Redden When Albert Anarwat applied to the for-profit Aristotle University, in California, the Ghanaian student said he asked the university if the institution was accredited. Not only was he told yes, he said, but he also was told that if the university was not accredited, “How could they get a SEVIS number” – SEVIS being the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. In othe... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-18-13 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] How Charter Schools Exclude the Kids They Don’t Want by dianerav Stephanie B. Simon, investigative reporter for Reuters, has written a stunning exposé of the many ways that charter exclude kids who might drag down their test scores. Getting in to a charter school, she writes, can be a “grueling experience.” Examples: “Students may be asked to submit a 15-page typed research paper, an original short story, or a handwritten essay on the historical figure they would most like to meet. There are interviews. Ex... more »

UPDATE: “No Excuses” and the Culture of Shame + GERMS Down Under – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
GERMS Down Under – @ the chalk face: Just for kicks, I mapped the chalk face by Chalk Face, PhD [image: Map the Chalk Face] I created a map of our authors here to emphasize the diversity of opinion and experience we bring to the table. Interesting, and we have international connections now. But what’s not obvious from the map are the multiple connections we have in NY and MA. Perhaps other sites have more authors and more geographic diversity. Yet, at the very least, we cannot be accused of some kind of monolithic voice. We have multiple perspectives and independent voices to bring... more »

The Educated Reporter: Presidents Day: Would Lincoln or Washington Approve of Closing Schools?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: Presidents Day: Would Lincoln or Washington Approve of Closing Schools?: Presidents Day: Would Lincoln or Washington Approve of Closing Schools? by Emily Richmond *In honor of Presidents Day today, here's an updated version of my post from the previous holiday. * The third Monday in February is better known for its association with good deals on sleeper sofas and sedans than for the presidential birthday supposedly being commemorated. For millions of American schoolchildren, it’s also a day off from class. The official name of the federal holiday is Washi... more »

Slekar said what? – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Slekar said what? – @ the chalk face: [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] Slekar said what? FEBRUARY 17, 2013 BY TIMOTHY D. SLEKAR LEAVE A COMMENT Last week I was invited to speak at a Rally for Public Schools in Pittsburgh, PA. Organized by a grassroots organization calledYinzercation and lead by a passionate advocate named Jessie Ramey. The event was amazing. I was asked to explain the opt out movement and how fighting corporate education reform was the true Civil Rights fight of our generation. *Follow Timothy D. Slekar on Twitter: www.twitter.com/slekar* *The text of the speech.*... more »

Oregon Save Our Schools: Thoughts on Oregon Education Funding Team Recommendations to the Governor

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Oregon Save Our Schools: Thoughts on Oregon Education Funding Team Recommendations to the Governor: Thoughts on Oregon Education Funding Team Recommendations to the Governor by Oregon SOS By Pat Muller Oregon Save Our Schools Students and teachers have recently faced many obstacles to success for English Language Learners (ELLs). Layoffs have increased workloads for remaining staff. Class sizes have increased. There is reduced support from the central office as a result of increased administrator workloads. Assistant time has been reduced for classroom support and intervention... more »

Ms. Katie's Ramblings: The Exhaustion of The Longest School Day

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Ms. Katie's Ramblings: The Exhaustion of The Longest School Day: The Exhaustion of The Longest School Day by KatieO I received this blog post from a special educator currently working in the Chicago Public Schools. The writer wished to remain anonymous, understandably. I have heard similar stories from far too many teachers out there. Rahm and his politically-motivated Longer School Day are going to drive away all our very best educators. This particular teacher is an absolutely phenomenal teacher and this story absolutely breaks my heart. Chicago Public Schools defines the... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-17-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: What a Good Public School District Looks Like by dianerav Jere Hochman, superintendent of the Bedford, New York, public schools wrote the following for his colleagues among NewYork superintendents: “If you want to see Superman solve the problem of the day with the fix of the day, go to the movies or buy a comic book. If you want to see a student motivated intrinsically with drill-skill learning and a standardized test, go the DMV. If you want to make money off the backs of kids, open a small business that sells video games, not tests. If you want to see aut... more »

How Much Longer Must We Wait? Join Us. April 4th – 7th, 2013. | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
How Much Longer Must We Wait? Join Us. April 4th – 7th, 2013. | United Opt Out National: How Much Longer Must We Wait? Join Us. April 4th – 7th, 2013. by admin Join us in D.C. from April 4th – 7th, 2013 to Occupy the DOE 2.0: The Battle for Public Schools. All details here. This entry was posted in Uncategorized by admin. Bookmark the permalink.

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Upcoming Special Events: tele-townhall about standardized testing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Upcoming Special Events: Upcoming Special Events by Melissa Westbrook Monday night, the 18th, I'll be moderating a *tele-townhall about standardized testing.* It's being sponsored by *Fair Test* ,"the National Center for Fair and Open Testing that works to end the misuses and flaws of standardized testing AND to ensure that the evaluation of our students, teachers and schools is done in a fair, open, valid and educationally beneficial manner." It starts at 7p.m. and the call-in number is 1-888-955-5369, PIN 514597 Speakers include Garfield stu... more »

UPDATE: The tale of the pendulum and the bus + The Lowest Expectation of Them All – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
The Lowest Expectation of Them All – @ the chalk face: The tale of the pendulum and the bus. by Timothy D. Slekar For the first time ever, @the chalkface presents a children’s story. *There once was a shiny pendulum. It was a happy pendulum. Everyday it would swing one way and then swing back. Day after day the shiny pendulum would swing one way and then back. The pendulum was happy because it always knew that as soon as it would swing so far out one way it would ALWAYS reach a point a swing back. Over and over again. Back and forth. Consistent and predictable. Life was goo... more »

Putting Students First Rally!!!! Hmong Innovating Politics

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Hmong Innovating Politics: Putting Students First Rally!!!! ‎5 MORE DAYS!!! The California State PTA, Sacramento Council of PTAs, California Teachers Association, Sacramento City Unified District Advisory Committee, and Putting Students First Coalition (parents, students, Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP), Making Cents Work, Democratic Party of Sacramento County, Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education, and local activists all agree the District's "Right-Sizing" Proposal is the wrong choice. "Invest in our schools. Don't close them!" URGE YOUR BOARD MEMBER TO PUT STUDENTS FIR... more »

Teachers For Social Justice: School Closings: People Say NO!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Teachers For Social Justice: School Closings: People Say NO!: School Closings: People Say NO! by sarah-ji On February 13th, CPS released its list of potential school closings, which contains 129 schools, 124 of which are north of North Ave. Thousands of parents, teachers, students and community members have been showing up at CPS's school closings commission hearings to denounce CPS's plan to balance the budget on the backs of Black and Brown students and outsource neighborhood schools. We are building a city-wide coalition, the Grassroots Education Movement, made up of teachers, ... more »

ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN? A Test Cheater :) - SFGate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
NY sets up website for problems with student exams - SFGate: *NY sets up website for problems with student exams* ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN? A Test Cheater ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York education officials say they've set up a website for reporting tips about cheating or other problems with the state's school testing program. Education Department Commissioner John King Jr. says more than five million students take exams every year and the results are critical to improving the performance of schools. He says his department must handle any complaints of fraud or impropriety ... more »

NYC Educator: Hopeless Addictions

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
NYC Educator: Hopeless Addictions: Hopeless Addictions by NYC Educator A few weeks ago I got a pretty substantial check from FEMA paying off my flood insurance. I decided, as a loyal American, that I needed to do my bit to support the economy. Therefore, I ran out and bought an iPhone. This is a really cool little thing. You can talk to it. You just say, "Call Recovering ATR," or anyone, and there, on the other side of the phone, is the voice you seek. It also plays well with my school's wifi. This is good because T-Mobile, if you ask, will not charge minutes for wifi calls. And y... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-17-13 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] Support Glenda Ritz by dianerav Glenda Ritz walloped uber-reformer Tony Bennett in the race for State Superintendent of Indiana schools. Now the Indiana state board of education is trying to strip her of all powers, thus nullifying her election and the will of the voters. The board wants to protect Bennett’s efforts to privatize public education and to lower standards for teachers and principals. Please sign this petition to support Glenda. Always be careful on change.org website. Do not sign other petitio... more »

Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » Global Education Leadership: A Graduate Program for Educators and Education Leaders in the Age of Globalization

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » Global Education Leadership: A Graduate Program for Educators and Education Leaders in the Age of Globalization: Global Education Leadership: A Graduate Program for Educators and Education Leaders in the Age of Globalization by YongZhao In my latest book *World Class Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students*, I list a globalized campus as the context for cultivating globally competent creator and entrepreneurs. The idea is to use technology to bring global education resources to schools to personalize educat... more »

Schools Matter: Nineteen NY Legislators Protest Unproven and Damaging Teacher Evaluation Scheme

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Schools Matter: Nineteen NY Legislators Protest Unproven and Damaging Teacher Evaluation Scheme: Nineteen NY Legislators Protest Unproven and Damaging Teacher Evaluation Scheme by Jim Horn A clip from a post at *Ed in the Apple*: . . . The testing system is deeply flawed. *“Testing and education experts have expressed serious concerns about the validity of the model, pointing to the inability of this methodology to identify the most effective teachers. As an Economic Policy Institute briefing paper mentions, one study found that across five large urban districts, among teachers... more »

H.R.455: High School Data Transparency Act of 2013 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
H.R.455: High School Data Transparency Act of 2013 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: R.455 - High School Data Transparency Act of 2013 To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct certain coeducational elementary and secondary schools to make available information on equality in school athletic programs, and for other purposes. view all titles (2) - Overview - Actions & Votes - News (0) & Blogs (0) - Comments (0) Bill's Views - Today:5 - Past Seven Days:25 - All-Time:53 IntroducedHouse PassesSenate PassesPresident Signs *02/03/13*... more »

The Weekly Update Part 1 + Part 2 : More school closings, tests for tots and Seattle still scraps the MAP + More school closings, the Common Core blasted by one who would know, hedge fund Whiteousness and much, much more « Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
The Weekly Update Part 1: More school closings, the Common Core blasted by one who would know, hedge fund Whiteousness and much, much more « Seattle Education: The Weekly Update Part 1: More school closings, the Common Core blasted by one who would know, hedge fund Whiteousness and much, much more by seattleducation2011 The Weekly Update Part 1: More school closings, the Common Core blasted by one who would know, hedge fund Whiteousness and much, much more *The Weekly Update for all the news and views you might have missed.* There is so much going on in the world of education that t...more »

Jersey Jazzman: Can't Deny the Truth About Segregating Charters Anymore

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Can't Deny the Truth About Segregating Charters Anymore: Can't Deny the Truth About Segregating Charters Anymore The charter cheerleaders have been telling us, over and over again, that charters are "public schools" that "must take everyone." Too bad for them that the truth keeps getting in the way: Students may be asked to submit a 15-page typed research paper, an original short story, or a handwritten essay on the historical figure they would most like to meet. There are interviews. Exams. And pages of questions for parents to answer, including: How do you inten... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-16-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Mother Crusader Finds Another Smelly Charter Deal in New Jersey by dianerav Mother Crusader has done another smashing job of research, showing how one smart person can accomplish the job of an investigative reporter. Charter advocates like to say they are responding to popular demand for choice, but in Paterson, New Jersey, ther was no popular demand. A charter with no roots in the community and no input community was Ed down by Chris Cerf. A pattern, she says, is emerging. Governor Christie drops in charters where he gets no votes but leaves his solid Rep... more »

solidaridad: Community Candidate speaks out against out-of-state billionaires buying elections

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
solidaridad: Community Candidate speaks out against out-of-state billionaires buying elections: Community Candidate speaks out against out-of-state billionaires buying elections by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene Popout Friday, February 15, 2013 Montecito Heights Precinct Walking — Robert D. Skeels for School Board Montecito Heights Precinct Walking by Robert D. Skeels [image: Robert D. Skeels, a Social Justice Schoolboard Candidate]

Portland public schools teacher's ouster sparks uproar over state tests | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Portland public schools teacher's ouster sparks uproar over state tests | OregonLive.com: Portland public schools teacher's ouster sparks uproar over state tests by Special to The Oregonian The recent midyear dismissal of a much-loved Japanese language immersion teacher atRichmond Elementary School in Southeast Portland is fueling a long-simmering debate about teacher licensing tests. Upset parents say the third-grade teacher was one of the school's best but was tripped up by a standardized teacher-certification test given statewide that they suspect has cultural and linguistic bia... more »