BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS
Schools Matter: How To Know When Your Charter School Sucks
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 minutes ago
Schools Matter: How To Know When Your Charter School Sucks: How To Know When Your Charter School Sucks by Jim Horn Wisdom by Mark Naison: 1. It's leader calls himself/herself a CEO. 2. The CEO's salary is more than three times the salary of the highest paid teacher in the school. 3. The board of the school is full of hedge fund executives [or corporate directors]. 4. Teachers in the school are terrorized and students treated as though they were in prison or on the verge of being sent to prison. 5. The construction company who built the school is owned by a ... more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-16-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Zimmer Camp Reacts to Bloomberg Gift of $1 Million to His Opponent by dianerav [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)] As readers of this blog know, Steve Zimmer is a former TFA who became a career teacher in the Los Angeles public schools. He has served one term on the L.A. school board. He had the temerity to suggest that the school districts, which now has hundreds of charters, develop an accountability and oversight plan for the charters. That made the charter lobby very ... more »
"Ethnic" Studies Battles Continue in Arizona: Small Victory for Latinos: The Return of Chicano/Latino Studies to Tuscon Schools
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 minutes ago
Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: *"Ethnic" Studies Battles Continue in Arizona: * *Small Victory for Latinos: The Return of Chicano/Latino Studies to Tuscon Schools* Watch 2/15/2013: Banned in Arizona on PBS. See more from Need To Know. Need To KnowEpisode: 2/15/2013: Banned in Arizona“Need to Know’ travels to Tucson, Arizona, where a years-long dispute over a Mexican-American studies program has tensions high; supporters say it has helped re-engage at risk students and improved their test scores. Opponents contend it encourages subversive th... more »
Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 minutes ago
Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky [image: roti picture]*The late First Ward Alderman Fred “Peanuts” Roti.* I came to Chicago in 1973. In those days you could go anywhere in the world and if you said you were from Chicago people would open their eyes wide, form their hand into a pretend pistol and say, *“Bang, bang! Al Capone!”* Richard Daley, the elder, had been *Da Mayor* for two decades. The city’s reputation for Mob violence and corruption were even then still well-earned. When I arrived in the city the First Ward alderman was a guy named Fred Rot... more »
‘Whether Or Not You Want To Be In A Gang, You’re In One’ | toteachornototeach
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 minutes ago
‘Whether Or Not You Want To Be In A Gang, You’re In One’ | toteachornototeach: ‘Whether Or Not You Want To Be In A Gang, You’re In One’ by aristotlethewise *‘This American Life’ Harper High School Feature: * *‘Whether Or Not You Want To Be In A Gang, You’re In One’* by Lisa Belkin [image: derrion81]If it had been any other high school, you would know this story by now. Had some other “kind of school” logged a year that saw 29 current and recent students shot, eight fatally, “we would all know the name of that school,” says radio show host Ira Glass in a new episode of “This American... more »
How charter schools choose desirable students
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago
How charter schools choose desirable students: How charter schools choose desirable students Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 16, 2013 at 6:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: (By Matt McClain / For The Washington Post)] (By Matt McClain — For The Washington Post) The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools says this about charter schools on its Web site: *Charter schools are always public schools. They never charge tuition, and they accept any student who wants to attend. Ch... more »
Ed Notes Online: Brooke Parker on Public Schools: What’s Mayoral Control Got to Do with It?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 minutes ago
Ed Notes Online: Brooke Parker on Public Schools: What’s Mayoral Control Got to Do with It?: Brooke Parker on Public Schools: What’s Mayoral Control Got to Do with It? by ed notes online Great piece by parent activist Brooke Parker with historical perspective on my old District 14 scandals. One of the funny things I found was how when the attacks on the districts came from the proponents of mayoral control they landed on the black and Latino run districts while white -- very much Hasidic run District 14 which had as big a scandal as one could imagine (and the district UFT people we... more »
OUSD Says No to Renewing EOLA’s Charter, Concerns on Police Chief’s Report - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 27 minutes ago
OUSD Says No to Renewing EOLA’s Charter, Concerns on Police Chief’s Report - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: An Oakland Unified parent’s wish list for 2013 Friday, February 15th, 2013 at 1:54 pm in No Comments *Stacey Smith is an Oakland school district parent and volunteer who has served on the District GATE Advisory Committee, the school board’s Special Committee on School Based Management, and the Community Advisory Committee for Special Education. What she writes about does not reflect the view of any group.* I know it’s late, but I was just at the ...more »
Dennis Walcott Proves He Is A Puppet.southbronxschool.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Dennis Walcott Proves He Is A Puppet by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) Amazing that I and The Crack Team are still able to get these super duper secret emails that Sock Puppet Chancellor Walcott send out to his centurions, er, I meant principals. The emails are now harder to get, yet through quite nefarious mean, still quite obtainable. Attached to the email is a letter to hand to parents for them to prepare for low scores as well. So to summarize, Dennis' email he appears to be greasing the skids for the abject total complete shitty scores the... more »
solidaridad: Community Candidate speaks out against out-of-state billionaires buying elections
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 32 minutes 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]
Schools Matter: Media's Misguided "Miracle" Meme
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 35 minutes ago
Schools Matter: Media's Misguided "Miracle" Meme: Media's Misguided "Miracle" Meme by P. L. Thomas Paul Tough has built a career on "no excuses" approaches to teaching "other people's children" in the charter school racket, most recently touting the importance of "grit" (see "Paul Tough Is Way Off-Base. And Stop Saying 'Grit'" by Katie Osgood to understand why Tough is misguided). More recently, David Kirp has offered a call to re-invest in public education, not charter schools, by triggering the same "no excuses" argument embedded in a favorite meme among journalists, the "mirac... more »
Portland public schools teacher's ouster sparks uproar over state tests | OregonLive.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 35 minutes 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 »
The Diversity Crisis in Taxpayer-Funded Education « Cooperative Catalyst
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 35 minutes ago
The Diversity Crisis in Taxpayer-Funded Education « Cooperative Catalyst: The Diversity Crisis in Taxpayer-Funded Education by Jabreel Chisley With the happenings of “white flight,” unconstitutional school funding systems, the School-to-Prison Pipeline, the consequences of No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, and anti-grassroots corporatized School Choice…the education community in the nation has arrived at a point of hostility toward diversity. Constantly, diversity within the school has become something that governmental and societal action actively discourages from happening... more »
Pass / Fail : LAUSD issues guidelines on teacher evaluations, sparking new controversy | 89.3 KPCC
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Pass / Fail : LAUSD issues guidelines on teacher evaluations, sparking new controversy | 89.3 KPCC: LAUSD issues guidelines on teacher evaluations, sparking new controversy by Vanessa Romo [image: School Shooting]*(AP Photo/Nick Ut) Credit: Nick Ut/AP* L.A. Unified on Friday unveiled its plan for how principals will incorporate the results of student testing in teacher evaluations--and union officials said they were stunned by the details. Superintendent John Deasy said 30 percent of a teacher’s evaluation will be based on a mix of individual and school-wide testing data starting nex... more »
ConnCAN signs $200,000 contract with major Connecticut lobby firm - Wait, What?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
ConnCAN signs $200,000 contract with major Connecticut lobby firm - Wait, What?: ConnCAN signs $200,000 contract with major Connecticut lobby firm by jonpelto The Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now, Inc. (ConnCAN), the charter school advocacy group that was created by the founders of Achievement First, the state’s largest charter school management company, has signed a two-year, $200,000 lobbying contract with Connecticut government relations firm, Gaffney, Bennett and Associates. In addition, ConnCAN staff will continue to lobby on behalf of Governor Malloy’s education ref... more »
Jersey Jazzman: As Falls Paterson...
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Jersey Jazzman: As Falls Paterson...: As Falls Paterson... by Duke *Paterson: Home of Lou Costello and reformyness!* The NJDOE declares that Paterson is the new home of reformyness: The state education department announced on Friday that it has approved two new charter schools in Paterson. The new schools will be Paterson Arts and Sciences, a kindergarten through grade 8 school with an approved enrollment of 540, and Paterson Collegiate Charter School, a kindergarten through grade 5 school with approved enrollment of 548, according to a press release issued Friday evening. The A... more »
Daily Kos: A teacher affects eternity . . .
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Daily Kos: A teacher affects eternity . . .: A teacher affects eternity . . . by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) On this anniversary of his birth in 1838, it seems an appropriate time for me to reflect upon his famous statement, *A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.* I am again, for now, out of the classroom. Perhaps this time it will be for good, perhaps I will come fall again step into a classroom. I simply do not know. I can look back on 17 or so years in classrooms with some satisfaction, but also with some trepidation, because of the second... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: PTA Receives More Money to Push Common Core Standards
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: PTA Receives More Money to Push Common Core Standards: PTA Receives More Money to Push Common Core Standards by stlgretchen From Marketwatch.com and *GE Foundation Grant Helps National PTA Expand Common Core Work:* *ALEXANDRIA, VA, Feb 15, 2013 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- National PTA announced today that it received a one-year $240,000 grant from the GE Foundation to further its efforts on the Common Core State Standards. * ** *National PTA will expand its Common Core work by creating state-specific assessment guides for every state that has adopted ...more »
The "Achievement Gap"- A Seductive but Dangerous Euphemism for Poverty and Inequality
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
The "Achievement Gap"- A Seductive but Dangerous Euphemism for Poverty and Inequality: The “Achievement Gap”- A Seductive but Dangerous Euphemism for Poverty and Inequality by Server The “Achievement Gap”- A Seductive but Dangerous Euphemism for Poverty and Inequality.*Originally Posted by Mark Naison on “With A Brooklyn Accent.” February 8, 2013* Any time I see an advertisement or a fundraising appeal for an organization whose goal is to shrink the “achievement gap,’ I immediately put that organization on my personal “enemies list.” *******No phrase is more symbolic of our socie... more »
Top Content this Week - 2-16-13 The Educator's PLN
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Top Content this Week - The Educator's PLN: 1[image: Building Your School Culture...1 Relationship at a Time]Building Your School Culture...1 Relationship at a Time Added by Bill Burkhead on February 11, 2013 2[image: RSA Animate - Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us]RSA Animate - Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us Added by Thomas Whitby on October 30, 2012 3[image: Are you that teacher? Teach through learnership]Are you that teacher? Teach through learnership Added by Scott Kinkoph on February 8, 2013 4[image: 15 Education Technologies To Check Out ... more »
This Week's Education Research Report 2-16-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Can High Schools Reduce College Enrollment Gaps With a New Counseling Model? Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 hours ago Despite planning college, disadvantaged students are less likely to enroll in college, particularly 4-year colleges. Beyond cost and academic achievement, previous research finds that a lack of college-related social resources poses barriers. However, little research investigates whether schools can help. This study examines whether, how, and for whom a new counseling model a...more »
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 2-16-13 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL *LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAY* *LOOK FOR MY UPCOMING BOOK IN MARCH, 2013*[image: Ferlazzo200(1)] "Self-Driven Learning: Teaching Strategies for Student Motivation" will be a sequel to"Helping Students Motivate Themselves" The Best Resources For Learning About The Next Papal Election Larry Ferlazzo at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... - 8 hours ago The upcoming Papal election looks likes it may coincide with my IB Theory of Knowledge class covering “Religion,” though I’m not sure yet if or how I might ta... 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 »
Deasy orders test scores to count for 30% of teachers' evaluations - latimes.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Deasy orders test scores to count for 30% of teachers' evaluations - latimes.com: Deasy orders test scores to count for 30% of teachers' evaluations [image: Photo: Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent John Deasy makes at his Beaudry headquarters office in March 2012. Credit: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times] L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy announced Friday that 30% of a teacher’s evaluation will be based on student standardized test scores, setting off another round of contention in the nation’s second-largest school system just weeks before a critical school board el... more »
Learn about attack on public schools : Ct
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Learn about attack on public schools : Ct: Learn about attack on public schools Print Email 7 hours ago • Cap Times editorial (6) Comments Ethan Hemer, a defensive lineman for the Badgers and an education major, works with 2nd grade student Sebastian Carpenter, 7, on a reading and writing assignment at Schenk Elementary Dec. 5, 2012. (Photo � Andy Manis) Enlarge Photo As Madison voters prepare to cast ballots Tuesday in important primary elections for the state Supreme Court and the Madison School Board, it is vital to recognize that the most critical challenge facing school dis... 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 »
4LAKids - : LA Times: “We'll be upfront about this: We consider Garcia a poor choice for the school board…” but we’re endorsing her anyway!
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: LA Times: “We'll be upfront about this: We consider Garcia a poor choice for the school board…” but we’re endorsing her anyway!: LA Times: “We'll be upfront about this: We consider Garcia a poor choice for the school board…” but we’re endorsing her anyway! by smf THE TIMES' L.A. SCHOOL BOARD ENDORSEMENTS - LATIMES.COM HTTP://LAT.MS/VW4DPR - Garcia’s a poor choice *…but she likes Deasy.* - Kate’s a politician who’s been ineffectual at changing policy she won’t be able to control on the board *...but she likes Deasy.* - ... more »
UTLA BACKS DOWN ON SURVEY ON LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT DEASY- PERDAILY COMES TO THE RESCUE - Perdaily.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
UTLA BACKS DOWN ON SURVEY ON LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT DEASY- PERDAILY COMES TO THE RESCUE - Perdaily.com: UTLA BACKS DOWN ON SURVEY ON LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT DEASY- PERDAILY COMES TO THE RESCUE by Leonard Isenberg [image: Survey.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español)* * * *United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) has backed down on their plan to poll rank-and-file on the effectiveness of Superintendent John Deasy, so we at perdaily would like to take on this function. In addition to the following questions designed to ascertain the qualifications, honesty, and effectiveness of the Los Angeles Un... more »
Former House Education Chairman Lobbying for Pearson | The Texas Tribune
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Former House Education Chairman Lobbying for Pearson | The Texas Tribune: Former House Education Chairman Lobbying for Pearson - by Morgan Smith - February 12, 2013 - 13 Comments - ** Comment - ** Republish - ** Email - ** Tweet - ** Recommend [image: State Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, talks with his colleagues about HB500 the education bill on April 6, 2011.] Enlargephoto by: Bob Daemmrich State Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, talks with his colleagues about HB500 the education bill on April 6, 2011. Former House Public Education ChairmanRob E... more »
The Two Americas Continued: Schmidt and McKnight « The Core Knowledge Blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
The Two Americas Continued: Schmidt and McKnight « The Core Knowledge Blog: The Two Americas Continued: Schmidt and McKnight by E. D. Hirsch, Jr. In my last post (“Antonio Who?”) about the great Italian thinker Antonio Gramsci (pronounced *gram-shee* who was cited as a big influence by Michael Gove the British Secretary of Education), I hinted—but didn’t venture to say—that maybe our educational systems would be in better shape if our top authorities followed Gove’s lead and read more challenging books, while holding fewer committee meetings. Albert Shanker, the brilliant union-... more »
Ed Notes Online: Trashing Citizens of the World Scam Charter Scheme
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Trashing Citizens of the World Scam Charter Scheme: Trashing Citizens of the World Scam Charter Scheme by ed notes online As registration is happening for citizens of the world (part of Eva Moskowitz empire), if you could circulate these negative articles and have everyone click on them, it would be very helpful. We need to let everyone know that there is significant opposition. http://www.scribd.com/doc/94382088/WAGPOPS-Letter-to-Suny-Opposing-Citizens-of-the-World-Charter-Schools http://www.williamsburggreenpointschools.org/truth-about-charters/citizensoftheworl... more »
Washington state step closer to being rid of No Child Left Behind law | OregonLive.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Washington state step closer to being rid of No Child Left Behind law | OregonLive.com: Washington state step closer to being rid of No Child Left Behind law by The Associated Press SEATTLE — Washington state has taken another step toward saying goodbye to the federal No Child Left Behind law. In July, the U.S. Department of Education gave Washington a conditional waiver from some requirements of the federal education law, including the need for every child to pass statewide reading and math tests by 2014. On Wednesday, state education officials mailed an update on their progress... more »
Remarks by the President at Presentation of 2012 Presidential Citizens Medals | The White House
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Remarks by the President at Presentation of 2012 Presidential Citizens Medals | The White House: Remarks by the President at Presentation of 2012 Presidential Citizens Medals East Room 11:30 A.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, everybody. Please, please have a seat. Well, it is a pleasure to welcome some of our nation’s finest citizens here to the people’s house. And let me be the first to congratulate each of you and your family members for the receipt of the highest honor a civilian can receive –- the Citizens Medal. We host a lot of events at the White House but I... more »
A+ Denver surveys DPS board candidates | EdNewsColorado
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
A+ Denver surveys DPS board candidates | EdNewsColorado: A+ Denver surveys DPS board candidates by Julie Poppen [image: DPS headquarters]Want to know more about where nine people vying for a seat on the Denver school board stand on education issues? DPS headquarters at 900 Grant St. A+ Denver, an advocacy group focused on improving student performance in Denver, on Thursday released survey results showing where the nine finalists stand on a range of education issues including teacher evaluation and recruitment strategies, whether teacher salaries should be made public, the role of ... more »
A Sociological Eye on Education | Just how many ineffective teachers are out there?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
A Sociological Eye on Education | Just how many ineffective teachers are out there?: Just how many ineffective teachers are out there? by Aaron Pallas [image: Just how many ineffective teachers are out there?] How many New York City public schoolteachers are so incompetent that they should be fired? That’s the 250-million-dollar question that must be addressed by both sides wrangling over what kind of teacher-evaluation system the city is going to build. For months now, despite a state mandate to build such a system, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the city’s Department of Education ha... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Update on Eckstein Capacity Issues + Friday Open Thread
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Update on Eckstein Capacity Issues: Update on Eckstein Capacity Issues by Melissa Westbrook I hope this to be the last word on capacity issues at Eckstein (but I suspect not as these parents are quite persistent). From the DPD/FMO. (I am not posting the entire thing but here's pertinent info.) *"During inspection, staff walked the halls and observed class sizes and hall traffic between classes. No signs of overcrowding in halls or classrooms was observed with respect to allowing safe exiting in the event of emergency. " "For purposes of saf... more »
Diane in the Evening 2-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Florida Pays Crooks and Liars to Tutor Kids by dianerav Florida hands out millions of dollars to ex-convicts, profiteers, and crooks to tutor poor kids. People who would never be hired to teach in a public school because of their criminal history are paid as much as $60 an hour to tutor needy students. The program has no accountability or quality. The next time you hear boasting about Florida, think of this story. Privatization opens the public treasury to corruption. It’s predictable. Another step backward for American education. Zombie Ideas in Educatio... more »
Daily Kos: I have a problem with this
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Daily Kos: I have a problem with this: I have a problem with this by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)][image: MAYOR BLOOMBERG YOUR MONEY Cant Buy My Vote! (LEARN MORE CLICK PICTURE)] as I look at the front page right now, the top story is Bloomberg's Super PAC Endorses Robin Kelly in IL-02 and we read that it is spending on her behalf. So in this race the big money player is on our side. But that legitimizes the wealthy swamping the financial contributions of the rest of us. To take the same Michael Bloomberg, there... more »
Teachers Don't Suck !: Let's Privatize Everything and Get It Over With !
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Teachers Don't Suck !: Let's Privatize Everything and Get It Over With !: Let's Privatize Everything and Get It Over With ! by Walt S, The paper is recently full of the news about the US Post Office ending Saturday delivery due to ever increasing deficits. The crux of the problem is explained as the dramatic increase in electronic communications usurping the first class letter business of the USPO. Much of this is, of course true, but there is another major factor accelerating the Post Office's demise. That factor is a law passed by the Congress relating to the postal employee pe... more »
Safer Schools for Living, Growing, and Learning — Whole Child Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Safer Schools for Living, Growing, and Learning — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Sean Slade]Safer Schools for Living, Growing, and Learning February 15, 2013 by Sean Slade Often, when people talk about the basics of education, they are referring to the three Rs: reading, (w)riting and (a)rithmetic. There is, however, an even more foundational aspect to educating students is ensuring that schools are safe. If a school isn't a safe place then it can't be a school as we know it—a place to learn and grow. If a school isn't a safe place it becomes reactive to inciden... more »
Reaction to President's State of the Union - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Reaction to President's State of the Union - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Statement on the President's State of the Union Address SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today issued the following statement regarding President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address: "I welcome President Obama's call for making early learning a national priority. "We know that there are significant benefits to helping children start school excited and ready to learn—and that those benefits last the rest of their lives. "Like oth... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Study: School closings 'may hinder, rarely help students' academic progress'
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Study: School closings 'may hinder, rarely help students' academic progress': Study: School closings 'may hinder, rarely help students' academic progress' by Mike Klonsky *In the weeks ahead, as Chicago, Philadelphia and other large urban school districts pursue large-scale school closing reform policies, I will be taking a look at some of the current research on how such policies impact the lives of students. * *Research for Action,* a non-profit education research organization, has done a study of large-scale school closings which includes the impac... more »
ADD Deja Vu | Taking Note
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
ADD Deja Vu | Taking Note: ADD Deja Vu by John Merrow On Sunday, February 3, the front page of the The New York Times featured some brilliant reporting by Alan Schwarz about the misuse and abuse of the prescription drug Adderall, commonly prescribed for Attention Deficit Disorder. Schwartz tells the gripping and tragic story of one young man, Richard Fee, who, as the headline puts it, “drowned in a stream of prescriptions.” If you haven’t read it, I urge you to online and do so as soon as you can. It’s a salutary tale of medical indifference and–to my eyes anyway–malpractice. And... more »
Unanswered question: Has focus on math and reading squeezed out civics? SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *Unanswered question: Has focus on math and reading squeezed out civics?* *By Kimberly Beltran* Friday, February 15, 2013 The impetus for a new national study on civics education in K-12 schools was to evaluate claims that classroom focus on math and reading skills was squeezing out traditional study of citizenship in America. The conclusion, said researchers from the Center on Education Policy, is murky because too little data is available on the subject. Further, the team found little difference in performance between the overall civics ac... more »
UPDATE: Missouri Education Watchdog: If Common Core Standards REALLY Were State Led...
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: If Common Core Standards REALLY Were State Led...: Excellent Observation from a Reader on Common Core Standards by stlgretchen We previously wrote asking why Common Core Standards were copyrighted by the NGA and CCSSO. After all, if they were state led and state standards currently aren't copyrighted, why would copyrighting occur with these standards? The disclaimers might be even a more important aspect of the NGA/CCSSO public license. A reader responded: *Basically, if your student completes 12 years of CCSS and is NOT college ready, the controlli... more »
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 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. The Unthinkable: Dreams and Nightmares Best of the Ed Blogs Deborah Meier February 14, 2013 #Cagebusting 101 Best of the Ed Blogs EduShyster February 14, 2013 MOOCs... more »
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, February 15, 2013
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Top Ten Best School Systems in CA NAME1San Marino2Hermosa Beach3Manhattan Beach4Belvedere5Orinda6Piedmont7Oak Park8Palo Alto9Moraga10Mill Valley *Affeldt: Shame on districts seeking to perpetuate funding advantages* Education Headlines *Friday, February 15, 2013* Teachers picket Eureka City Schools district officeEureka Teacher's Association members picketed outside of Eureka City Schools district office on Walford Avenue in Eureka on Thursday morning before the second round of 2013-2014 contract talks. Turmoil grips San Jose ch... more »
Why wealthy foreigners invest in U.S. charter schools
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Why wealthy foreigners invest in U.S. charter schools: Why wealthy foreigners invest in U.S. charter schools Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 15, 2013 at 11:10 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: (By Andrew Harrer / Bloomberg)] (Andrew Harrer / Bloomberg) Wealthy Americans have been funding U.S. charter schools for years now through their hedge funds, private foundations or personal fortunes, but it turns out that super-rich foreigners are forking over big money to American charters ... more »
Schools Matter: Can You Please Pull Back the Curtains?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Schools Matter: Can You Please Pull Back the Curtains?: Can You Please Pull Back the Curtains? by Storm It has occurred to me that we are wasting our time. Culture, economics, government, any and all of our organizing institutions, are against the individual "becoming" fully a thinking and feeling being...something more than an animal, but also something more than an animal with a modicum of mind. That is, it seems to me that most of us have done little more growing into the vast spaces of our becoming than simply thinking we are "selves" and that we are "special" because of i... 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:
Daily Kos: So why do hedge funds so favor charter schools?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Daily Kos: So why do hedge funds so favor charter schools?: So why do hedge funds so favor charter schools? by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Allow me to quote Deep Throat, as played by Hal Holbrook in "All the President's Men" - "Just follow the money" - Embedded in the middle of an Alternet story by Kristin Rawls titled Corporations Advise School Closings, While Private Charters Suck Public Schools Away are several paragraphs that help explain why hedge funds and other corporate interests are so enamored of charter schools. Please continue to see what I mean. Thanks to a litt... more »
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 »
More Challenges to Kirp’s “Miracle” Narrative – @ the chalk face
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
More Challenges to Kirp’s “Miracle” Narrative – @ the chalk face: More Challenges to Kirp’s “Miracle” Narrative by plthomasedd [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] While researching and writing two books on key education issues, school choice (*Parental Choice?*) and poverty’s impact on education (*Ignoring Poverty in the U.S.*), I discovered the importance of and then committed significant sections of both works to examining the intersection of research on education and the media. The disturbing picture I uncovered was that the so-called liberal media failed the education debate repe... 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 Report: Class Struggle - How charter schools get students they want | Reuters
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Special Report: Class Struggle - How charter schools get students they want | Reuters: Special Report: Class Struggle - How charter schools get students they want - - inShare - Share this - - Email - Print Related News - Charter schools put parents to the test 7:08am EST Analysis & Opinion - Pre-K would be an economic winner for America - Compliance is today’s slogan for upcoming law graduates, conference speakers say Related Topics - Investing and Taxes Simplified » - Special Reports » [image: Teresa Villanueva (L) and her 11-year-ol... more »
MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Tim Slekar: Rhee’s Biggest Lie by dianerav Tim Slekar is a tireless advocate for public education and teachers. He was upset that Michelle Rhee got a chance to sell her book on the Jon Stewart show, because Jon is one of the best friends of public schools and teachers on national television. Tim knew that Rhee would use the opportunity to say how much she loves teachers, and that she loves them so much, that she wants to fire more of them. He was even more upset that she went unchallenged when she repeated h... more »
High School Allows Same-Sex Valentines After Controversy | toteachornototeach
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
High School Allows Same-Sex Valentines After Controversy | toteachornototeach: High School Allows Same-Sex Valentines After Controversy by aristotlethewise [image: il_570xN.418841119_kqqz]*Utah High School Reverses Policy, Allows Same-Sex Valentines* By Meredith Bennett-Smith A Utah high school has reversed course this week, after controversy arose over a potential ban on same-sex Valentine’s Day messages. The issue at Copper Hills High arose earlier this month, when members of the school’s choir handed out fliers announcing that there would be “No Same-sex Delivery” of their sing... more »
Shame on districts seeking to perpetuate funding advantages | EdSource Today
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Shame on districts seeking to perpetuate funding advantages | EdSource Today: Shame on districts seeking to perpetuate funding advantages ** February 14th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By John Affeldt Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on print More Sharing Services [image: John Affeldt] John Affeldt Kudos to Jerry Brown for proposing to end the inequities in California school funding – and shame on the districts that seek to fossilize the advantages they have enjoyed for decades now. Brown is the first governor in recent times to acknowledge what the education community... more »
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