Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 2-18-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

The Official Schedule for Occupy DOE 2.0: The Battle for Public Schools Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 minutes ago

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: *To Help Save & Improve Public Education... Join Us In Washington, DC April 4 to 7, 2013!!* Contact: INFO@UNITEDOPTOUT.COM The Official Schedule for Occupy DOE 2.0: The Battle for Public Schools ** *Today, January 21st, 2013, is a remarkable day in history – a day that pays tribute to leadership, civil rights, and the power found in the voice of each individual. * *In his second inaugural address, President Obama declared, “You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time – not only ... more »

Another Bush Chief For Change, Another Misinformation Campaign | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago

Another Bush Chief For Change, Another Misinformation Campaign | Scathing Purple Musings: Another Bush Chief For Change, Another Misinformation Campaign by Bob Sikes It appears that another one of Bush’s Chiefs for Change, Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi, is on a similar state-wide tour to advance another Bush policy. And like Robinson in Florida last year, Barresi is spinning to protect his agenda. From the editors of *Tulsa World*: You need a scorecard to keep track of the outrages coming out of state Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barre... more »

There should be federal money to study how the brain of Representative Robyn Gabel works. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 26 minutes ago

There should be federal money to study how the brain of Representative Robyn Gabel works. « Fred Klonsky: There should be federal money to study how the brain of Representative Robyn Gabel works. by Fred Klonsky [image: gray1197_custom-ff1c0fc05916713c53df19f3ec1871f244aa86c1-s6-c10] A story in the NY Times this morning reports that the Obama administration is proposing a decade-long study of the human brain costing $3 billion dollars. Composed of roughly 100 billion neurons that each electrically “spike” in response to outside stimuli, as well as in vast ensembles based on consci... more »

Georgia Bill Filed That Would Withdraw State From Common Core | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 27 minutes ago

Georgia Bill Filed That Would Withdraw State From Common Core | Truth in American Education: Georgia Bill Filed That Would Withdraw State From Common Core by Shane Vander Hart [image: Georgia State Capitol]State Senator William Ligon (R-Brunswick) has filed a bill in the Georgia Senate that would withdraw Georgia from the Common Core State Standards. Senate Bill 167 was filed on Thursday. It is cosponsored by State Senators Barry Loudermilk (R-Cassville), John Albers (R-Roswell), Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome), Hunter Hill (R-Atlanta), and Tommie Williams (R-Lyons). The summary of the... more »

NYC Educator: The Law is the Law. Except When Governor Cuomo Doesn't Like It

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

NYC Educator: The Law is the Law. Except When Governor Cuomo Doesn't Like It: The Law is the Law. Except When Governor Cuomo Doesn't Like It by NYC Educator If you've been following the comments on this blog and others, a frequent justification for the collaboration-oriented policies of UFT leadership is, "It's the law." For example, we have to give up our week off. It's the law. Or, more to the point, we have to accept teachers being rated and fired based on junk science. It's the law. When you read these things, you'd think that UFT leadership had no part in composing the law, a... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: The True Goal of Common Core?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: The True Goal of Common Core?: The True Goal of Common Core? by stlgretchen Happiness and Mental Health as decided by the State. From invisibleserfs.com and* Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies: Is This Really Mental Health First-Aid?:* Now some people were relieved and others alarmed since the conflict-laden CCSSO (look at who sponsors it to see what I mean. Hello tech companies and accreditors!) was a co-sponsor of the Common Core State Standards Initiative. And CCSSI is what the states have adopted supposedly to make content consistent. Might... more »

Testing Boycott Spreads to Portland High Schools and Beyond - High School Notes (usnews.com)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Testing Boycott Spreads to Portland High Schools and Beyond - High School Notes (usnews.com): Testing Boycott Spreads to Portland High Schools and Beyond By KELSEY SHEEHY February 18, 2013 RSS Feed Print [image: Protests against high-stakes tests spread after a group of teachers refused to give exams they say are irrelevant.] Protests against high-stakes tests spread after a group of teachers refused to give exams they say are irrelevant. Feigning sickness to avoid a big test is one of the oldest tricks in the teen playbook, buthigh school students atPortland Public Schoolsaim to take... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Inside the Interlocking Directorate of Corporate Reform by dianerav In this installment of her investigative analysis of the National Council on Teacher Quality, Mercedes Schneider reviews the career of Deborah McGriff. This provides a fascinating insight into the tangled web of the corporate reform movement. How Mayor Vincent Gray Is Failing DC Students by dianerav During Michelle Rhee’s book tour, the nation will hear a lot of claims about the dramatic changes she imposed on the D.C. schools, which qua... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 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 »

Judge rules that student’s lawsuit over C plus doesn’t make grade. Should courts ever get involved in grade disputes? | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Judge rules that student’s lawsuit over C plus doesn’t make grade. Should courts ever get involved in grade disputes? | Get Schooled: Judge rules that student’s lawsuit over C plus doesn’t make grade. Should courts ever get involved in grade disputes? by Maureen Downey [image: report card]The Pennsylvania woman who sued her graduate school professors over a C plus lost in court last week. *Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano ruled that Megan Thode failed* to prove that her grade in a Lehigh University fieldwork course was the result of any sort of discrimination. (*See our earl... more »

Does the Common Core Demoralize Teachers? | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Does the Common Core Demoralize Teachers? | toteachornototeach: Does the Common Core Demoralize Teachers? by aristotlethewise *Does the Common Core Demoralize Teachers? * It’s a serious question, with serious implications. It’s a question that arises for me all too often when I see tired faces, confused looks, or disheartened shoulders. It’s a question that I feel a responsibility to wrestle with; after all, I’ve spent the last few years working to make sense of the Core, to put it in language that resonates with others, to make it accessible in ways that teachers won’t feel like th... more »

2013 Presidents’ Day quiz

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

2013 Presidents’ Day quiz: 2013 Presidents’ Day quiz Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 18, 2013 at 1:05 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: (www.mountvernon.org)] (www.mountvernon.org) Presidents’ Day is something of an odd holiday, given that there is no universal agreement on which presidents are being honored, on the actual name of the holiday or whether there is an apostrophe in “presidents.” To the U.S. government, Presidents’ Dayis still recognized as “Washington’s Birthday,” th... more »

A Presidents’ Day pop quiz on the presidents’ education | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

A Presidents’ Day pop quiz on the presidents’ education | EdSource Today: A Presidents’ Day pop quiz on the presidents’ education - by Kathryn Baron by Kathryn Baron A Presidents’ Day pop quiz on the presidents’ education ** February 18th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By Kathryn Baron Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on print More Sharing Services [image: With only six months of formal education, this president didn't graduate from college but later became president of one.] With only six months of formal education, this president didn’t graduate from college but later ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky Thousands rally in D.C. against Keystone XL pipeline (MANUEL BALCE CENETA/AP) Evangeline Lilly *“I’m ashamed of what my country is doing. I’m ashamed we’re knocking on your door with dirty oil. I want to stand up here as a Canadian and say I’m sorry to the workers in Canada and the workers in America who have to go home and look their kids in the eye and know that they are damaging their future." *-- Raw Story: Thousands protest Keystone XL pipeline in D.C. Paul Krugman *For today’s Republican lea... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 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 »

Schools Matter: Will Chicago Public Schools Be Sued Duing Black History Month for Its White Curriculum?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Schools Matter: Will Chicago Public Schools Be Sued Duing Black History Month for Its White Curriculum?: Will Chicago Public Schools Be Sued Duing Black History Month for Its White Curriculum? by Jim Horn From DNAinfo.com: CHATHAM — State Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) is urging a community group to file a lawsuit against Chicago Public Schools for not complying with a 22-year-old state law that requires all public elementary and high schools to include black history as part of its regular curriculum. "I encourage you to file a lawsuit against CPS to make them comply with the sta... more »

LAUSD: Follow The Money by Joseph Kaye - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

LAUSD: Follow The Money by Joseph Kaye - Perdaily.com: LAUSD: Follow The Money by Joseph Kaye by Leonard Isenberg * Mensaje se repite en Español) * [image: Follow the money.jpg] * * *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 Angeles School District after the upcoming election, then foll... more »

Rethink TFA | The Harvard Crimson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Rethink TFA | The Harvard Crimson: Rethink TFA By EMMA M. LIND 6 days ago - 15 COMMENTS - EMAIL - PRINT - SHARE ON TWITTERMORE SHARING SERVICES Originally a 2009 Teach For America Mississippi Delta Corps Member, I am now a fourth-year teacher of low-income and minority students at a public charter high school in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. I would not be a teacher today without the support of TFA, and the majority of my incredible colleagues are Teach For America alumni. My principal—the most effective school leader I have ever witnessed as a teacher or a student—is... more »

Why I Will Occupy the DOE in April – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Why I Will Occupy the DOE in April – @ the chalk face: Why I Will Occupy the DOE in April from @ the chalk face by Kris Nielsen [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] [image: FUND] In the last month of 2007, I finished my first real semester of being a teacher. It was an accomplishment that I chalked up to being my most difficult and most rewarding. I couldn’t wait to start the next year, and I worked all summer to prepare for it–going over the things I didn’t like and beefing up the things I did like. Most of all, I couldn’t wait to spend another year with preadolescents, a group of... more »

Peg with Pen: Why Am I Going to D.C.?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Peg with Pen: Why Am I Going to D.C.?: Why Am I Going to D.C.? by Peggy This is such an emotionally charged question. I am going because I feel as though I am on a mission that chose me and I am simply one of the vessels to help it reach its destination. I am going because I watch my sons watch me. I see them examine the choices I make. I see them watching me refuse to back down and demand the truth out of all that life brings forth. I cannot let them down. I am going because I have been told all of my years of teaching to simply “shut my door.” Simply shut my door and do wha... more »

Parents, students want to rename Cortines campus - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Parents, students want to rename Cortines campus - latimes.com: Parents, students want to rename Cortines campus from L.A. Now Parents, students and staff have voted in favor of changing the name of the downtown Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts, setting up an unprecedented conflict within the nation’s second-largest school system. It’s been less than a year since the Los Angeles Board of Education voted to name its visually striking, $232-million arts high school after Ramon C. Cortines, who had just retired as L.A. schools superintendent. Cortines, 80, has been a lea... more »

Consider crowd funding occupy the doe 2.0, coming up this April @unitedoptout – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Consider crowd funding occupy the doe 2.0, coming up this April @unitedoptout – @ the chalk face: Consider crowd funding occupy the doe 2.0, coming up this April @unitedoptout by Chalk Face, PhD [image: Image]UOO is trying to fund trips for students to attend the event in Washington, DC this April. Click the picture to access the GoFundME page and think about making a contribution. Plus, you get some serious swag depending on how much you give.

solidaridad: The 99% School Board Candidate versus the 1%'s Mayor

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

solidaridad: The 99% School Board Candidate versus the 1%'s Mayor: The 99% School Board Candidate versus the 1%'s Mayor Robert D. Skeels @*rdsathene* Supporter sent this perfect juxtaposition of the 1%'s Mayor with a 99% #* LAUSD* School Board Candidate!pic.twitter.com/D4UKD8Dt 2:01 AM - 18 Feb 13 from Los Angeles, CA, United States [image: View image on Twitter]

Private school tax credit: A $170 million tax diversion that Georgia lawmakers cloak in secrecy. Why? | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Private school tax credit: A $170 million tax diversion that Georgia lawmakers cloak in secrecy. Why? | Get Schooled: Private school tax credit: A $170 million tax diversion that Georgia lawmakers cloak in secrecy. Why? by Maureen Downey [image: By design, it is impossible to know how the $170 million in private school tax credit has been spent or on whom (AJC file photo)] State Rep. Edward Lindsey, R-Atlanta, met with the AJC Friday for a general discussion on education issues in the state. By design, it is impossible to know how the $170 million in private school tax credits have ... more »

Slekar said what? – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 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 - 15 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 - 15 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 »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Whiplash over at the Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Whiplash over at the Times: Whiplash over at the Times by Melissa Westbrook If you were someone who had moved to Seattle in the last year, you might be forgiven for trying to figure out what it is that the Seattle Times is doing in support of public school levies. Most of the time, according to them, the district can't do anything right (and this is over, say, the last two years when, coincidentally, there has been a majority power shift on the Board and we have a new superintendent who has received tepid support from them). First, the Times writ... more »

Teacher X Supports The Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE Caucus) In Upcoming UFT Elections.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Teacher X Supports The Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE Caucus) In Upcoming UFT Elections by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) Like Popeye eating a can of spinach, or A-Rod shooting up some HGH, I felt reinvigorated driving home from yesterday's Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE) meeting. I admit I was skeptical about the movement, in fact any movements, and sadly I said as much on these pages. I was wrong, I was mistaken. As I am heading up the West Side Highway on my way home yesterday afternoon I place a call to a friend of mi... more »

Oregon Save Our Schools: Nike and Exponential Corporate Welfare

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Oregon Save Our Schools: Nike and Exponential Corporate Welfare: Nike and Exponential Corporate Welfare by Oregon SOS [image: Putting the Public Back in Our Public Schools!] On Tuesday, Washington County Commissioners will vote on a proposal to expand Beaverton's enterprise zone.*They should vote NO on any expansions in unincorporatedWashington County. That specifically includes Nike's World Headquarters "near Beaverton."* The Citizens for Tax Justice ranks Nike in the top 10 of Fortune 500 companies sheltering income in *overseas*tax shelters! Besides Oregon, 3 mores states su... more »

26 Acts of Kindness Campaign Still Inspiring Schools | NEA Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

26 Acts of Kindness Campaign Still Inspiring Schools | NEA Today: 26 Acts of Kindness Campaign Still Inspiring Schools by twalker *By Cindy Long* When a children’s book editor from National Geographic visited a group of third graders at Carlin Springs Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, she fielded a bunch of questions about wildlife. Topping the list – what’s the deadliest creature on the planet? It’s not a shark or a lion, as some of the children guessed, so she gave them a hint: It’s an annoying insect that causes a lot of itching in the summertime. Rebecca Baines reads to ... more »

Schools Matter: A Kindergarten Teacher Stands Up to Bill Gates

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Schools Matter: A Kindergarten Teacher Stands Up to Bill Gates: A Kindergarten Teacher Stands Up to Bill Gates by Judy Rabin *An Open Letter to Bill Gates,* *By Ruth Rodriguez-Fay* *American education has a long history of infatuation with fads and ill-considered ideas. The current obsession with making schools work like a business may be the worst of them, for it threatens to destroy public education. Who will stand up to the tycoons and politicians and tell them so? * * * * **- Diane Ravitch, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, How Tes... more »

Charter School Finance Footnoted

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Charter School Finance Footnoted: [image: Charter School Finance Footnoted] Why this Topic & What I Intend to Do First a little bit of my qualifications: I was trained at FAST/AFL-CIO in the 1995 to do deep corporate research of all kinds to dissect the financial and operational disclosures of employers in many industries including many leading edu-profiteers like Edison. I had a hand in the Ohio Federation of Teachers exposure work on David Brennan and White Hat Management. I had a hand in the years of exposure work on the Walton family. Most recently I was an under-utilized... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Ken Previti: Brevard County Schools Did Not Have to Close by dianerav Ken Previti writes this comment about the three public schools closed in Brevard County over the objections of the parents. The best solution: Elect a new school board. Run for school board. Organize and mobilize. One harsh fact needs to be remembered about school closings, teacher evaluations and school ranking by student test scores. The total amount that “needed” to be cut from the budget by closing three Brevard schools was identical to the amount “needed” to build the new charter sch... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 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 - 20 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 - 21 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 »

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky: The Sunday Mail. by Fred Klonsky [image: Ravenswood] *Photo credit: Sarah Jane Rhee/loveandstrugglephotos.com. Ravenswood says no to school closings. Blogger Tim Furman on right.* *A report called “In the Public Interest”* shows the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a Jeb Bush front group, is writing and editing education laws and regulations in six states in ways that could benefit its private funders. Essentially a “pay-to-play” scheme in which corporations can influence policy and then reap the profits. *Tara Stamps, a teacher at Jenner Sch... more »

Putting Students First Rally!!!! Hmong Innovating Politics

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 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 »

You Paid For It! | An Antique Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

You Paid For It! | An Antique Teacher: You Paid For It! Thanks to WGRZ TV in Buffalo for this piece about the cost to taxpayers of NY’s APPR. If the use of NY’s RTTT money doesn’t make you furious, just think about the budget shortfalls in your district. Think about what’s already been cut and what’s on the chopping block for this year Remember, it’s this same mandate (RTTT) that has been the driving force behind the APPR mess. It’s the same mandate that has your child tested and tested and tested – losing precious instructional and play time! Is it really a good use of OUR MO... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 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 »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 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 »

The Bush Foundation’s “Air Cover” Hack and Flack | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

The Bush Foundation’s “Air Cover” Hack and Flack | Scathing Purple Musings: The Bush Foundation’s “Air Cover” Hack and Flack by Bob Sikes Reporters across the nation are sifting through the emails which *In the Public Interest *released two weeks ago. It’s that drip, drip, drip you hear. Now this *Associated Press *story about contacts Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education (FEE) made with Oklahoma state education commissioner Janet Barresi, one of FEE’s Chiefs for Change: An email from December 2011 indicates that the Bush foundation was heavily involved with the Okl... more »

The Truth Behind The Project School Closing: The Indiana Corporate School Complex

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

The Truth Behind The Project School Closing: The Indiana Corporate School Complex: The Truth Behind The Project School Closing: The Indiana Corporate School Complex [image: Our Daily Expedience] Our Daily Expedience Our Daily Expedience *(Below is Doug Martin’s in-depth look into the corporate forces in Indianapolis working to keep true community-led charter schools from operating. Please sign the petition to “Save The Project School.”)* On July 17, Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard announced he was closing The Project School, one of the few community-led charter schools in Indiana a... more »

UPDATE: Student ‘zombies’ protest standardized tests + The problem with our ‘first in the world’ education obsession

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

The problem with our ‘first in the world’ education obsession: Student ‘zombies’ protest standardized tests Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 17, 2013 at 11:27 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: test2]The year-long revolt against high-stakes standardized testing by teachers, parents, principals and superintendents and others is being increasingly fueled by students. In Providence, R.I., dozens of students decked out to look like zombies staged a rally recently at the State House to p... more »

Rick Meyer: Why I am Coming to Occupy DOE 2.0 – The Battle for Public Schools | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Rick Meyer: Why I am Coming to Occupy DOE 2.0 – The Battle for Public Schools | United Opt Out National: Rick Meyer: Why I am Coming to Occupy DOE 2.0 – The Battle for Public Schools by admin Imagine this! Thousands of teachers, children, and other supporters of public education are at the plaza in front of the Department of Education in Washington DC. In the center of the crowd is a table. It is our table. It is the table around which we sit in order to make policy decisions about the futures of our teachers, students, schools, and communities. Silence spreads throughout the la... more »

A City Education: Telling the Truth About Modern School Segregation | Education on GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

A City Education: Telling the Truth About Modern School Segregation | Education on GOOD: A City Education: Telling the Truth About Modern School Segregation [image: final.circle] *In our A City Education series, City Year corps members share their experiences working as tutors and mentors in schools in hopes of closing the achievement gap and ending the dropout crisis.* By all accounts, the walk down Auburn Avenue in downtown Atlanta is very different today than it was 50 years ago. What was once a truly vibrant black community is now divided by Interstate 75 and Interstate 85. Th... more »

NYC Educator: Hopeless Addictions

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day 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 »

Schools Matter: A Cereal Box Prize of Hatred

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Schools Matter: A Cereal Box Prize of Hatred: A Cereal Box Prize of Hatred by Storm I wonder at the necessity of asserting that reading and writing foster reading and writing. But beyond that there is the familiar disconnect, in the "What's the Matter with Kansas" sort of way, where the idea of testing and drill and vocabulary lists or word recognition lists being used *ad nauseum* in the lower grades--exactly the time when doing this induces and abject hatred for and distrust of WORDS as they are offered in the context of judgement--that this method of "education" is extraordi... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Is Lack of Universal Preschool the Reason For Poverty?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Is Lack of Universal Preschool the Reason For Poverty?: Is Lack of Universal Preschool the Reason For Poverty? by stlgretchen Or is it that children need fathers? The call for universal preschool programming has created an avalanche of comments from academics, politicians and the citizens paying for these programs. Gail Collins in the NY Times supports increased spending. From *The State of the 4-Year-Olds:* One of the big moments of the State of the Union address was President Obama’s call for “high-quality preschool” for 4-year-olds. Nobody was h... more »

Walk In Our Shoes « City School Stories

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Walk In Our Shoes « City School Stories: Walk In Our Shoes by fmurphy [image: meade rally and walk] Evaluating the success of America’s public schools has become a national focus. Elected officials, business leaders, wealthy philanthropists, and a host of educational entrepreneurs are typically the individuals who have been most active in characterizing the performance of public schools for the American media. These non-educators generally do not speak well of the effectiveness of our public schools and systems. The purpose of City School Stories.com is to tell the story of urban p... more »

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Monday, February 18, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 2-18-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2