Thursday, February 7, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 2-7-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS




Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch shows what he’s made of - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 40 minutes ago
Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch shows what he’s made of - Wait, What?: Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch shows what he’s made of by jonpelto Last night, addressing the Bridgeport Board of Education’s evaluation of Paul Vallas, the City’s $234,000, part-time, superintendent of schools and the decision of whether they should extend Vallas’ contract for another year, Mayor Bill Finch explained… *“He’s a lot smarter than they are and they ought to let him do his job.” *(CT Post 2-6-13) Always classy, the Mayor was talking about a board made up of candidates he helped choose and who went on to b... more »

Competition vs. Collaboration - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 42 minutes ago
Competition vs. Collaboration - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Competition vs. Collaboration by Deborah Meier *For the third week, Alfie Kohn joins Deborah Meier on the blog.* Dear Debbie, It goes without saying that we're not going to convince everyone—and, in this culture, we may struggle to convince even a substantial number —of the merit of any of the positions we support. That doesn't mean we don't keep trying, of course. But when you ask, "If [our views are] as sensible as you and I think, how come the world is still plagued by its obsession with punishment?", well, ... more »

Districts must return to 180-day instructional year by 2015-16 | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 45 minutes ago
Districts must return to 180-day instructional year by 2015-16 | EdSource Today: Districts must return to 180-day instructional year by 2015-16 ** February 7th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on print More Sharing Services Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature agree: The state should again require a minimum 180-day school year, starting in 2015-16. Brown confirmed his view in a section of the 154-page education “trailer bill,” the supplemental legislation accompanying the state budget, that the administration release... more »

Modern School: Corruption at CTC Placed Kids at Risk, Denied Teachers Credentials

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 55 minutes ago
Modern School: Corruption at CTC Placed Kids at Risk, Denied Teachers Credentials: Corruption at CTC Placed Kids at Risk, Denied Teachers Credentials by Michael Dunn A recent lawsuit against the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), filed in November by former government lawyer and CTC whistleblower Kathleen Carroll, alleges that CTC lawyers and administrators engaged in numerous illegal acts that prevented qualified teachers from obtaining or maintaining their credentials. The charges against the attorneys include tampering with case outcomes, acting outside the... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: CPS privatizes its training of principals as test pushers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: CPS privatizes its training of principals as test pushers: CPS privatizes its training of principals as test pushers by Mike Klonsky Yesterday, as local parent groups at 37 schools, gathered signatures on petitions calling for more limited assessment tests, CPS announced that new principals are going to trained by private companies, basically as test pushers. The board has handed out lucrative contracts to politically-connected New Leaders for New Schools and Teach

Shanker Blog » A New Twist On The Skills "Blame Game"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Shanker Blog » A New Twist On The Skills "Blame Game": A New Twist On The Skills “Blame Game” by Randall Garton It is conventional wisdom that the United States is suffering from a severe skills shortage, for which low-performing public schools and inadequate teachers must shoulder part of the blame (see here and here, for example). Employers complain that they cannot fill open slots because there are no Americans skilled enough to fill them, while pundits and policymakers – President Barack Obama and Bill Gates, among them – respond by pushing for unproven school reform proposa... more »

Daily Kos: Hip-Hop Speaks to the Guns

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Daily Kos: Hip-Hop Speaks to the Guns: Hip-Hop Speaks to the Guns by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) is the title of this *New York Times* op ed by Ta- Nehisi Coates. Coates focuses on an album by hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar, "Good Kid," of which he says it perhaps has the most to offer to those shocked into action by the senseless massacres we’ve endured over the past few years. > Before exploring the contents of the album he continues by writing: This particular moment has shined a light on a gun lobby that argues for maximum firepower and minimum responsibility. If history ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-7-13 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] What Happens When TFA Takes Over Vegas and Nevada by dianerav EduShyster tells a fascinating story about Nevada’s love affair with TFA. It is humorous but not funny. Nevada has large numbers of non-English speaking students but does not want to pay what t csts to help them learn. Nevada has the lowest graduation rate in the nation, worse even than Michele Rhee’s D.C. Schools. Las Vegas has some of the most overcrowded classrooms in the nation–as many as 50 in some classes. Two TFA alumnae have been elected t... more »

Truths About Education That Parents Need to Know | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Truths About Education That Parents Need to Know | toteachornototeach: Truths About Education That Parents Need to Know by aristotlethewise *Truths About Education That Parents Need to Know* [image: CompassMapcopy_zps59ce8c4a] by Dr. Rhonda Joy Edwards Vansant A six-year-old girl is excited about going to her neighborhood school. She was home schooled in kindergarten and now has her new backpack and lunchbox ready for first grade. She can’t wait to make new friends, share her love of art, and write stories. After the first day, her only news for her parents is that the teacher gave ... more »

Why Is Obama’s Agriculture Department blocking school integration?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Why Is Obama’s Agriculture Department blocking school integration?: Why Is Obama’s Agriculture Department blocking school integration? Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 7, 2013 at 5:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: iowa]The previous post looked school desegregation history, and this one looks at current events. It was written by Richard D. Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, a nonprofit public policy research organization, writes about education, equal oppor... more »

Sacramento News & Review - Sacramento city district's worst practices on school closures - Bites - Opinions - February 7, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Sacramento News & Review - Sacramento city district's worst practices on school closures - Bites - Opinions - February 7, 2013: *Sacramento city district's worst practices on school closures* *Sacramento News & Review* * * By Cosmo Garvin cosmog@newsreview.com This article was published on 02.07.13. *Related stories:* Downsizing the district Sacramento neighborhood schools to be shuttered, and the superintendent's “priority schools” will be spared. SN&R, 01.24.13. Superintendent man and the meddling mayor Michell Rhee and Mayor Kevin Johnson screw with other people's school syste... more »

A look at the MAP test and Value Added Measures (VAM) « Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
A look at the MAP test and Value Added Measures (VAM) « Seattle Education: A look at the MAP test and Value Added Measures (VAM) by seattleducation2011 [image: scrap the map5] Students and teachers at Ballard High School in Seattle *Beginning this fall, teachers who have been on this system for two school years prior to 2012-2013, and who teach tested subjects and grades, will receive a student growth rating based upon two assessments and a two year rolling average of student assessment data.”* *- José Banda, Superintendent Seattle Public Schools* There has been a push underway to ... more »

Are Teachers Interested in the Opportunity To Call the Shots? (Kim Farris-Berg) Part 2 | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Are Teachers Interested in the Opportunity To Call the Shots? (Kim Farris-Berg) Part 2 | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Are Teachers Interested in the Opportunity To Call the Shots? (Kim Farris-Berg) Part 2 by larrycuban *Farris-Berg is lead author of **Trusting Teachers with School Success: What Happens When Teachers Call the Shots**. She is a Senior Associate with Education Evolving, a policy design shop based in St. Paul, Minnesota, and an independent education policy strategist. Her Twitter handle is @farrisberg.* If we made it loud and clear, in both po... more »

“Reckless” Bill Creates Charter School Land Grab | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
“Reckless” Bill Creates Charter School Land Grab | Scathing Purple Musings: “Reckless” Bill Creates Charter School Land Grab by Bob Sikes From *Palm Beach Post *reporter John Kennedy: An effort backed by Gov. Rick Scott to expand charter school education in Florida cleared a state House committee Wednesday on a strict, party-line vote. The legislation offers a host of incentives to the lucrative charter school industry – a move defended by Republicans on the House Choice & Innovation Subcommittee, which called charters an important alternative for parents and students unhappy wit... more »

UPDATE: Joy Resmovits: No Child Left Behind Review, Fountainhead In Idaho: Ed Today + No Child Left Behind Hearing Features Waiver Attack By Obama Ally

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
No Child Left Behind Hearing Features Waiver Attack By Obama Ally: No Child Left Behind Review, Fountainhead In Idaho: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Happy Waiver Day!* Today, the Senate's Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee will hold an oversight hearing on the No Child Left Behind waivers, featuring none other than U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, the big cheese himself. Catch our preview here. *Mandatory Reading?* In Idaho, a lawmaker has proposed a bill that requires all students to read Tea Party favorite Atlas Shrugged before they can graduate. *Kind Cops?* In... more »

NYC Educator: In Which the DOE Shows Its Appreciation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
NYC Educator: In Which the DOE Shows Its Appreciation: In Which the DOE Shows Its Appreciation by NYC Educator I spent several days over at Bayside High School reading English Regents exams. I was entrusted with this task because I knew none of the kids whose papers I graded, and therefore was not prejudiced. I was "disinterested," which is apparently a desirable quality in a teacher nowadays. Because I did not care one way or another about the kids whose papers I read, my keen eye was somehow more accurate. *Thank you for your time and effort in serving as a scorer for Regents Di... more »

Glen Brown: Call “Prince” Madigan on Friday. “Should this matter to you? The answer is an emphatic ‘Yes.’” « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Glen Brown: Call “Prince” Madigan on Friday. “Should this matter to you? The answer is an emphatic ‘Yes.’” « Fred Klonsky: Glen Brown: Call “Prince” Madigan on Friday. “Should this matter to you? The answer is an emphatic ‘Yes.’” by Fred Klonsky [image: Madigan of Scorn] Glen Brown’s blog: *“…We now come to the case where a citizen becomes prince not through crime or intolerable violence, but by favor…, which may be called a civic principality. To attain this position depends not entirely on worth or entirely on fortune, but rather on cunning assisted by fortune. One attains it by... more »

Schools Matter: No evidence supporting the Common Core

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Schools Matter: No evidence supporting the Common Core: No evidence supporting the Common Core by skrashen Sent to the Los Angeles Times, Feb 6, 2013 The Times is correct to insist on “evidence-based, replicated, time-tested educational change.” (“Education miracles that aren't,” Feb. 6). Let’s add the Common Core Standards to the list of unsupported claims. There is no evidence that “rigorous” standards and massive testing improve student learning. Stephen Krashen Some sources:

Heard the One About Old Teachers Resisting Tests? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Heard the One About Old Teachers Resisting Tests? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Heard the One About Old Teachers Resisting Tests? by Nancy Flanagan When I was a novice teacher, I knew I was on a path to becoming the World's Greatest Band Director. I gave my students challenging music (which they didn't play very well). I joked around in class (unlike their other, boring teachers). I wasn't stuck in a rut (see previous sentence). I was up on all the educational trends of the day: diversity and equality, the open classroom, unschooling. I was against trackin... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-6-13Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Uncommon assessments for common core? by garyrubinstein Guest Post by Gary Rubinstein garyrubinstein.teachforus.org ‘Rigor’ is in, and the common core standards promise to raise the achievement in this country by raising expectations which students always rise to meet. As a staunch “status-quo defender,” it might surprise ‘reformers’ that I have some pretty radical ideas about how I’d change the math curriculum in this country if I could. While they tinker around with teacher evaluation formulas which could, at best, raise test scores by a little, I would... more »

School closures: “Too many questions, too little time.” | Sacramento Current

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
School closures: “Too many questions, too little time.” | Sacramento Current: School closures: “Too many questions, too little time.” Posted on February 6, 2013 by cosmog *Note: This is a somewhat longer version of a column that will appear tomorrow in the Sacramento News and Review.* * * The more you peel back the layers of the Sac City school district’s brutal “right-sizing” plan, the weirder it gets.* * The administration wants to shutter 11 elementary schools–*one out of every five* run by the district. It’s a drastic solution, suited for a drastic problem. Unfortunately, it’s n... more »

Won’t you be my neighbor? A lesson in community relations | Baltimore Brew

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Won’t you be my neighbor? A lesson in community relations | Baltimore Brew: Won’t you be my neighbor? A lesson in community relationsAnger over a proposed greenhouse at a Hampden high school leads a community activist to reflect on the need for educators to reach out to local communities. Edit Barry February 6, 2013 at 8:06 am Story Link 3 [image: green house at ACCE] Site of a dispute: this hoop house in Hampden has spawned opposition from residents on Berry Street, in background. Photo by: Mark Reutter The words “civic engagement” are the stuff of academic symposium titles and armc... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 2-6-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Fairy Tale Jeopardy! JeopardyLabs:This is Not Powerpoint! by Lisa M When I created my Fairytale Jeopardy, I used a PowerPoint template. (And, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that). The hard part for me was keeping score. The kids and I would get all mixed up. It was a hot mess! :) Then I discovered JeopardyLabs. Love it. The game is online so it can be played wherever, or on whatever,you use to access the Internet. It keeps score with a click and the Jeb Bush at the Trough by P. L. Thomas A picture is worth a 1000 words... ... more »

New Director of School Fiscal Services Division - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
New Director of School Fiscal Services Division - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Appoints New Director of School Fiscal Services Division SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today congratulated Peter Foggiato on his appointment as the new director of the California Department of Education's (CDE) School Fiscal Services Division. "Peter brings a wealth of knowledge to his new position at the department," said Torlakson. "School districts across the state rely on the department's fiscal experts for help navigating ...more »

No Pools For Schools « PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
No Pools For Schools « PWC Education Reform Blog: No Pools For Schools by pwceducationreform I spent most of my childhood swimming. Springboard pool in Springfield was my home, from early mornings at swim team practice to afternoons lounging around the pool. I remember the frozen hair after leaving practice in the winter and the chlorine smell that permeated everything I owned. One of the girls I swam with, Susie Rapp, received a silver medal in the 1984 Olympics for the 100 meter breaststroke. I swam on our neighborhood and high school teams until I turned 16, got a job, and d... more »

Glendale Unified, police settle suit over racial profiling - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Glendale Unified, police settle suit over racial profiling - latimes.com: Glendale Unified, police settle suit over racial profiling [image: Glendale Unified students take part in the ACLU lawsuit announcement in 2011. Credit: Raul Roa / Times Community News] The ACLU of Southern California announced Wednesday that it had reached settlements with the city of Glendale and the Glendale Unified School District on behalf of eight Latino students who alleged that officials engaged in racial profiling and illegal searches during a 2010 incident at Hoover High School. On Sept. 24, 2010, mo... more »

School Tech Connect: Call Madigan

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Call Madigan: Call Madigan by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Tomorrow is call/fax Mike Madigan day. I believe we're also calling our representatives and senators. For me the morning will begin with a short, pleasant call to Madigan, followed by a better, more hopeful call to Kelly Cassidy. I will think very carefully before calling my senator, given that I have called on her to resign on more than one occasion. *Rep. Michael J. Madigan(D-Chicago)* *22nd District**District Office* 6500 South Pulaski Road Chicago, IL 60629 (773) 581-8000 (773) 581-9414 (fax... more »

Council of the Great City Schools / Council of the Great City Schools - Homepage

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Council of the Great City Schools / Council of the Great City Schools - Homepage: - *Read the January/February edition of the Urban Educator* - *PRESS RELEASE: Statement on the Passing of Arlene Ackerman by the Council of the Great City Schools* - *PRESS RELEASE:* *Thousands of Educators Nationwide Taking Advantage of Resource to Help Urban School Districts Implement New Standards* - *NEWS RELEASE: New Common Core Academic Standards Advancing in Nation's Urban School Districts, Report Shows* - *NEW REPORT: Implementing the Common Core State Standards in Urba... more »

Daily Kos: Rebranding

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Daily Kos: Rebranding: Rebranding by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) as we listen to all the blather about Republican attempts to rebrand their party, it usually phrased in terms of taking an established product and presenting it in a different way, sometimes to differentiate it from competitors, in other cases to reintroduce the potential market to get them to reconsider the product or service. But there is an older and far more sinister use of the term, dating back to the last century and the American frontier. Remember the way one demonstrated ownership of certain livestock, es... more »

Enon Tabernacle seeks to counter 'top-down' approach to Philly school closings | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Enon Tabernacle seeks to counter 'top-down' approach to Philly school closings | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Enon Tabernacle seeks to counter 'top-down' approach to Philly school closingsby thenotebook on Feb 06 2013 Posted in Latest news ="" style="color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on email COMMENTS (0)PRINT Reverend Dr. Alyn E. Waller is the senior pastor at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Mt. Airy. *By Benjamin Herold for NewsWorks, a Notebook news partner* Add Alyn Waller, the influential pastor of the 15,000-member Enon ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: A Kinder, Gentler Michelle Rhee? Don't Count On It

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: A Kinder, Gentler Michelle Rhee? Don't Count On It: A Kinder, Gentler Michelle Rhee? Don't Count On It by Melissa Westbrook IS MICHELLE RHEE THE ANN COULTER OF EDUCATION? You may well have heard or seen Michelle Rhee on tv in the last week. She has a new book, Radical, that's she pushing. I have read a few excerpts and they don't fail to startle. As I had previously mentioned, the PBS series, Frontline, had Ms. Rhee as a focus of one show. It was quite the show as this was during the time period when she was DC Chancellor of schools. The re... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Carol Burris on grants for charters to share their "successful" practices

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Carol Burris on grants for charters to share their "successful" practices: Carol Burris on grants for charters to share their "successful" practices by Leonie Haimson *Carol Burris has been the principal of South **Side High School** in Rockville Centre, N.Y., for 12 years*. South Side is ranked as one of the top high schools in the country by Newsweek every year, and in 2010, she was named the NYS Outstanding Educator by the School Administrators Association of New York. She is one of the co-authors of the principals’ letter against evaluating teacher... more »

Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 2-6-13 #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* Chicago parents pass petitions at 37 schools to limit CPS testing by admin [image: standardized-tests]More Than a Score press release – Feb 6, 2013 Chicago parents pass petitions at 37 schools to limit CPS testing Joining National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP Test Boycott Chicago, IL: Demanding fewer standardized tests in their children’s schools, and more test transparency from the district, parents of children in 37 Chicago public schools gathered signatures before and after school today on a new petition created by the parent, te... more »

RheeFirst! » Michelle “I don’t love publicity” Rhee hits the press circuit

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
RheeFirst! » Michelle “I don’t love publicity” Rhee hits the press circuit: Michelle “I don’t love publicity” Rhee hits the press circuit by admin In a New York Times Magazine interview last Friday, Rhee balked at the notion that she “loved publicity.” Well, for someone that doesn’t love publicity, she seems to be hitting the press circuit pretty hard. Rhee is currently making the press rounds to peddle her new memoir. Rhee has commiserated with Hannity, and been grilled by John Stewart, coddled by Pierce Morgan, and adored by the right-wing talkshow circuit this morning. And t... more »

Pushing Arne Duncan to Fast-Forward

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Pushing Arne Duncan to Fast-Forward: Pushing Arne Duncan to Fast-Forward JAMES CERSONSKY FEBRUARY 1, 2013 Activists demand that the Department of Education address discriminatory policies. 25InstapaperShare on readitlaterPocketShare on emailEmailShare on printPrint At a March 15, 2011, sit-down at the Children’s Defense Fund, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent an unequivocal message to black community and faith leaders. “What we’re desperately missing in this country is parents who will demand better for their children,” he said. “I wish to God I had parents knocking on my do... more »

1943 Guide to Hiring Women

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
[image: Guide to hiring women] *The following is an excerpt from the July 1943 issue of Transportation Magazine. This was written for male supervisors of women in the work force during World War II.* “Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees: There’s no longer any question whether transit companies should hire women for jobs formerly held by men. The draft and manpower shortage has settled that point. The important things now are to select the most efficient women available and how to use them to the best advantage. Here are eleven helpful tips on the subjec... more »

The Revolution Will Not Be Quantified (Seattle boycott solidarity) « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
The Revolution Will Not Be Quantified (Seattle boycott solidarity) « Cooperative Catalyst: The Revolution Will Not Be Quantified (Seattle boycott solidarity) by iteach4change *This post was a submission to my local Patch news site as part of the national Garfield solidarity day today. Also I would like to thank Katie Strom for some of the information and wording on high stakes tests.* Revolutions are rarely, if ever, sudden. They are a final breaking point – the product of collective acts of resistance over a period of time. When we teach our own American Revolution, it is importan... more »

My Bus Ride and the Children of Sandy Hook | Taking Note

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
My Bus Ride and the Children of Sandy Hook | Taking Note: My Bus Ride and the Children of Sandy Hook by John Merrow The second graders on the bus were one year older than the 20 kids murdered in Sandy Hook. They were enjoying life in ways that Sandy Hook’s children will not. Why is life so unfair? As the bus approached my stop this morning, I could see through the windows that lots of seats were empty. Great, I thought, I can read the paper on my way to work. But as I boarded the bus, I realized I was mistaken. Those apparently empty seats had tiny occupants, close to 40 little ki... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: King Arthur Won't be Taught in this Private School Classroom Because of Common Core

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: King Arthur Won't be Taught in this Private School Classroom Because of Common Core: King Arthur Won't be Taught in this Private School Classroom Because of Common Core by stlgretchen King Arthur's Knights Was Arthur a true, historical figure or only a hero of legend? This is truly up to each and every one of us to decide for ourselves. Arthur represents a man who was the epitome of good against evil, light against darkness, and that eternal, never-ending struggle between what is right and that which is wrong. Students at Cathedral High School in India... more »

Student Voice 101 - Student Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Student Voice: Student Voice 101 by Student Voice Staff Writer We are Student Voice. I am student voice. YOU are student voice. Student voice is “a movement for students, by students, connecting and organizing America’s most underrepresented population – the students. We aim not to change a culture that ignores student voice, but rather create a culture that embraces it.”Our website, stuvoice.org is a platform for students to share their thoughts and be heard. We additionally connect through twitter using #stuvoice chats every Monday on various topics relating to students in edu... more »

Thunderclap , A New Tool For Amplifying Your Tweet Into a Sonic Boom

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Thunderclap: BE HEARD BY SAYING SOMETHING TOGETHER What is Thunderclap? ------------------------------ *If a tweet falls in the forest...* Social media is an easy way to say something, but it’s a difficult way to be heard. Thunderclap is the first-ever crowdspeaking platform that helps people be heard by saying something together. It allows a single message to be mass-shared, flash mob-style, that rises above the noise of your social networks. By boosting the signal at the same time, Thunderclap helps a single person create action and change like never before. *You don't need a huge ... more »

Today We Are All Garfield Teachers! - John Wilson Unleashed - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Today We Are All Garfield Teachers! - John Wilson Unleashed - Education Week: Today We Are All Garfield Teachers! By John Wilson on February 6, 2013 7:35 AM [image: John Wilson Unleashed] We all knew that we would get to this point someday, that, somewhere, teachers would decide that their students were not served well by the proliferation of testing, test preparation, and test stress. We knew that someday and somewhere, teachers would declare that their students should come first and that their declaration would be written in civil disobedience. That is the American way, not to me... more »

UPDATE: Bush’s Education Foundation Sought to Influence Other State’s Employees + New Mexico Ed Boss – With Close Ties to Jeb Bush – Overrules State Commission in Favor of Another Bush Foundation Donor | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
New Mexico Ed Boss – With Close Ties to Jeb Bush – Overrules State Commission in Favor of Another Bush Foundation Donor | Scathing Purple Musings: Bush’s Education Foundation Sought to Influence Other State’s Employees on Louisiana School Board Races by Bob Sikes Maine was among the states which In the Public Interests obtained emails in an FOIA request regarding contacts between Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education (FEE) staff and numerous state employees. Only 13 emails were acquired, but one cloud included an exchange which revealed to what length FEE staff and state e... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, February 6, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Fensterwald: Brown details how to hold districts accountable under funding reform Education Headlines *Wednesday, February 6, 2013* Former school official sues districtA former Lodi Middle School vice principal who ordered a citizen's arrest against a physical education teacher for allegedly shoving her in 2011 has filed suit against the Lodi Unified School District, claiming she was forced to resign and has suffered "extreme and severe emotional distress." Committee says it didn't break law in decision on Cayucos student transfe... more »

Pencils down and dukes up: Two views of the growing anti-testing campaign among teachers. Is it for students or self-preservation? | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Pencils down and dukes up: Two views of the growing anti-testing campaign among teachers. Is it for students or self-preservation? | Get Schooled: Pencils down and dukes up: Two views of the growing anti-testing campaign among teachers. Is it for students or self-preservation? by Maureen Downey [image: crcted.0920 (Medium)]Two views of the growing organized resistance to standardized testing: From the Chicago Teachers Union, which is distributing an anti-testing petition today: As part of its “Pencils Down” campaign against high-stakes standardized testing, the Chicago Teachers Uni... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Wear Red for Ed Day

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Wear Red for Ed Day: Wear Red for Ed Day by Melissa Westbrook Don't forget to wear red today in support of teachers, parents and students against the MAP. This is especially true if you are going to the Board meeting tonight. *Updates from yesterday at Garfield:* From Scrap the MAP: *A bunch of substitute teachers were called in this morning, to cover the many weeks of testing the 430+ ninth graders. Asst Principals came into the classrooms and tried to pull out students to take the MAP. Many of the students stared straight ahead and would not... more »

Education reform: The San Jose lesson - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Education reform: The San Jose lesson - latimes.com: Education miracles that aren'tIn seeking reform models, L.A. Unified should be cautious about untested solutions. [image: Protesters demonstrate outside an L.A. school board meeting] Protesters demonstrate outside an L.A. school board meeting over a proposal to require high school students to pass rigorous college-prep courses. (Los Angeles Times / May 5, 2005) February 6, 2013 Beware of education miracles. Too often, there's less there than meets the eye. Remember the extraordinary gains in test scores and lowered dropout rat...more »

National Day of Action-Seattle Testing Boycott « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
National Day of Action-Seattle Testing Boycott « Cooperative Catalyst: National Day of Action-Seattle Testing Boycott by Paul Freedman Scrap the MAP! [image: Scrap the MAP!]Sorry for the late notice on this, Co-op friends. But in case you haven’t heard… Teachers at the Garfield School in Seattle have been boycotting the mandated administration of the MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) test here in Seattle. This is a WA State mandated standardized test. Garfield teachers say they have been forced to administer this test up to three times a year for kids in grades K-12. They cla... more »

UPDATE: Malloy’s incredible and stunningly irresponsible budget plan makes an appearance - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Malloy’s incredible and stunningly irresponsible budget plan makes an appearance - Wait, What?: Malloy presents his blueprint for Connecticut: Record borrowing, cuts to vital services and non-tax tax increases by jonpelto Governor Malloy told the Connecticut General Assembly; “The budget I am proposing today keeps Connecticut moving forward… [and is] “an honest, balanced budget [that emphasizes] living within our means.” A proposed state budget that Coddles the rich by refusing, once again, to require them to pay their fair share in taxes Includes the largest gas [...]*(Read mor... more »

Modern School: Another Domino Falls--UTLA Rolls Over and Accepts Student Test Data to Evaluate Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Modern School: Another Domino Falls--UTLA Rolls Over and Accepts Student Test Data to Evaluate Teachers: Another Domino Falls--UTLA Rolls Over and Accepts Student Test Data to Evaluate Teachers by Michael Dunn United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA), which represents teachers at the nation’s second largest school district, recently signed what some are calling a landmark agreement to use student test scores to evaluate teachers. 66% of the 16,892 members who voted approved the agreement, the Los Angeles Times reported, bringing L.A. in line with Chicago, New York and many smaller ci... more »

Seattle MAP Boycott update: Students refuse to take the MAP test « Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle MAP Boycott update: Students refuse to take the MAP test « Seattle Education: Seattle MAP Boycott update: Students refuse to take the MAP test by seattleducation2011 [image: garfield's got] After being pressured by the superintendent to administer the MAP test days earlier than required, students refused to take the MAP test. School administrators went into classrooms to pull students out of their classes to take the test in the library but instead the students stared ahead and would not budge. Most of the handful of students who ended up in the library in front of computers

Jersey Jazzman: Rhee on Stewart: A Breakdown, Part II

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Jersey Jazzman: Rhee on Stewart: A Breakdown, Part II: Rhee on Stewart: A Breakdown, Part II by Duke *sinfest.net* As I said last post, I thought Jon Stewart did a pretty good job, all things considered, in interviewing Michelle Rhee. You should watch the entire, extended interview, and not just what aired, to get the full effect. This isn't the skewering of Rhee I and so many others crave, but Stewart does take her on in a way the mainstream media - which has had a love affair with St. Michelle for quite some time - does not. That said, I have a real problem with something Stewa... more »

MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-6-13 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] Charter Schools and the New Segregation by dianerav A reader offers his observations: Charter Schools, a failure that cannot be measured. January 12, 2013 by Joe Hernandez As I drive happily and optimistically through our South Florida roads, I can’t fail to notice the familiar signs we are all accustomed to viewing, the burger chains, gas stations and the strip malls. As an educator and more specifically, a school psychologist, something catches my eye in a decrepit, run down strip mall, a charter school. ... more »

Brown details how to hold districts accountable under funding reform | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Brown details how to hold districts accountable under funding reform | EdSource Today: Brown details how to hold districts accountable under funding reform - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald Responding to criticism that he is offering flexibility without accountability, Gov. Jerry Brown has offered up specifics on how he would hold school districts responsible for extra money he is proposing to give them for high-needs children under his proposed sweeping reforms of how California schools are funded. Under his plan: - Districts and charter schools would be required ... more »



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