Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-15-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best:

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 minutes ago

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

Deasy orders test scores to count for 30% of teachers' evaluations - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour 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 - 1 hour 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 - 1 hour 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 - 2 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 - 2 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 - 3 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 - 3 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 - 3 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 - 3 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 - 3 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 - 4 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 - 4 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 - 4 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 - 4 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Zombie Ideas in Education by dianerav I have written on many occasions that merit pay is an idea that never works and never dies. It has been tried for over a century, and failed again and again. Yet it comes back. I didn’t realize it, but merit pay is a zombie idea. There are many more zombie ideas, like the well-known adage that “the beatings will continue until morale improves.” Today, the federal government mandates zombie policies in No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top. These Goldenberg: Why You Should Oppose the Common Core by dianerav As read... more »

Daily Kos: I have a problem with this

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 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 - 4 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 - 4 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 - 5 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 - 6 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 - 6 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 - 6 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 - 6 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 - 6 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 - 6 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 - 6 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 - 7 hours 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 - 7 hours 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 - 8 hours 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 - 8 hours 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 - 8 hours 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 - 9 hours ago

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

Special Report: Class Struggle - How charter schools get students they want | Reuters

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours 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 - 9 hours 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 - 9 hours 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 - 9 hours 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 »

The Innovative Educator: Strengthen the home-school connection right from your phone with Cel.ly

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

The Innovative Educator: Strengthen the home-school connection right from your phone with Cel.ly: Strengthen the home-school connection right from your phone with Cel.ly by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) ** School guidance counselor Willyn Webb says that Cel.ly has made a positive improvement for her school’s Parent Accountability Committee (PAC) which meets once per month. *Celly is a free, mobile social network that works via group texting. It is instant, private, and secure. There is never an exchange of personal cell phone numbers, yet everyone is connected in the ways th... more »

Open letter to Arne Duncan from Chicago teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Open letter to Arne Duncan from Chicago teachers: Open letter to Arne Duncan from Chicago teachers Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 15, 2013 at 4:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Arne Duncan (Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post) A coalition of teachers from public and private schools — including the school that Education Secretary Arne Duncan attended as a child and where President Obama’s daughters were enrolled before they moved to ... more »

UPDATE: When you want the right answer, ask the right question… Take the Survey - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

When you want the right answer, ask the right question… Take the Survey - Wait, What?: Another great lesson about the art and science of interpreting public opinion surveys by jonpelto Yesterday, the Hartford Courant’s Rick Green posted an article entitled, “Malloy Approval Ratings Up, Support For Re-Election Still Tepid.” Green wrote, “A new poll by the Yankee Institute finds that Mayor Dannel P. Malloy has his highest approval rating ever among voters…And while it looks like he faces a tough re-election fight, the governor is no longer trailing an un-named Republican opponent... more »

Did Don Gaetz Get the OK From Jeb Bush to Slow Accountability Reforms? | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Did Don Gaetz Get the OK From Jeb Bush to Slow Accountability Reforms? | Scathing Purple Musings: Did Don Gaetz Get the OK From Jeb Bush to Slow Accountability Reforms? by Bob Sikes So the most powerful lobbyist in Florida who strangely doesn’t have to register as one, made a trip to Tallahassee to talk education with legislators. This from Michael Van Stickler in the* Miami Herald* on Jeb Bush’s little visit: Bush hasn’t visited the Capitol since 2010, so he was asked why he was meeting with lawmakers. Bush said as the head of the non-profit Foundation for Excellence in Educati... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The closing of Jay Cooke Jr. High

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The closing of Jay Cooke Jr. High: The closing of Jay Cooke Jr. High by Mike Klonsky Philly activists pack a City Council hearing on school closures. (City Paper) Now it's Cooke K-8 in the Logan neighborhood of Philadelphia. I was transferred there in 1956, when it was Cook Jr. High, because I was a white kid, one of the last in my North Philly neighborhood, about to attend all-black, segregated Fitzsimons Jr. High. But after a minor scuffle with a group of kids over lunch money (mine), the system decided that the all-white Cooke would be a better pl... more »

Jersey Jazzman: What's Wrong With Paterson?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: What's Wrong With Paterson?: What's Wrong With Paterson? by Duke *Paterson: home of reformyness, and Lou Costello!* Paterson is the third-largest city in New Jersey. It's one of the poorest cities in America with a nearly 40% child poverty rate. Its schools have been under state control for 22 years. *And Paterson is now, apparently, the new center of reformyness here in New Jersey.* Start with the pressure teachers in Paterson are feeling to accept merit pay. According to the local teachers union, the latest contract offer is unprecedented in that it calls for *... more »

UPDATE: Daniel Biss’ fuzzy math + From Chicago’s teachers: Dear Secretary Duncan + Welcome to Bizarro World, Mr. President. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Welcome to Bizarro World, Mr. President. « Fred Klonsky: Daniel Biss’ fuzzy math. by Fred Klonsky [image: IMG_0031] *“I may not know about the constitution, but I know math,”* State Senator Daniel Biss told us at the town hall he and State Representative Robyn Gabel held in Wilmette last week. Biss, a formeer math professor at the University of Chicago, never fails to mention his math credentials when making his proposals to ignore the state’s pension promises and obligations. It appears he may not know much about the constitution or his pension math. Following the Pension Summit ca... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Missouri Files Anti-Common Core House Bill

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Missouri Files Anti-Common Core House Bill: Missouri Files Anti-Common Core House Bill by stlgretchen FIRST REGULAR SESSION HOUSE BILL NO. 616 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY ------------------------------ INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES BAHR (Sponsor), JONES (110), KOENIG, FUNDERBURK, SPENCER, LANT, SCHARNHORST, CURTMAN, BRATTIN, PARKINSON, FRAKER, MARSHALL, CRAWFORD, FITZWATER, JONES (50) AND DIEHL (Co-sponsors). 0394L.01I ... more »

THE ASSAULT: ON PUBLIC EDUCATION, ON TEACHERS, AND ON DUE PROCESS by Susan Lee Schwartz - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

THE ASSAULT: ON PUBLIC EDUCATION, ON TEACHERS, AND ON DUE PROCESS by Susan Lee Schwartz - Perdaily.com: THE ASSAULT: ON PUBLIC EDUCATION, ON TEACHERS, AND ON DUE PROCESS by Susan Lee Schwartz by Leonard Isenberg [image: Susan Lee Schwartz 1.jpeg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español)* * * *Many years have passed, Lenny Isenberg, since you and I talked about breaking the enormous silence that surrounds the assault on teachers, -- the first round in ending the national institution of public education. In order to lie and rewrite history, an uninformed ignorant citizenry is required. To c... more »

Mother Crusader: The Paterson Collegiate Charter School Application, Ascend and Sabis, Part IV

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Mother Crusader: The Paterson Collegiate Charter School Application, Ascend and Sabis, Part IV: The Paterson Collegiate Charter School Application, Ascend and Sabis, Part IV by darciecima This is last of a four part series about the Paterson Collegiate Charter School Application. In Part III we explored how lead founder Steven Wilson figured out how to exploit New Markets tax credits to build a charter empire. Today we will look at the program Wilson is offering the people of Paterson, in exchange for the public funds he will receive. Community and Parent Involvement First, i... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

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

#edreform - Shake Your Money Maker

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

*Shake Your Money Maker * [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)]

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

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

School Tech Connect: Joe Moore: He Wants A Charter At Gale

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Joe Moore: He Wants A Charter At Gale: Joe Moore: He Wants A Charter At Gale I can't keep doing this..... I don't know how to describe this feeling to all the suburban people who really aren't paying attention to the CPS closings. You basically have to go to battle with the system night after night after night. My colleagues go home after work--- I prep for war. Gale had a lovely evening tonight. Craig Benes came out to bask in an evening of not getting yelled at. He wears expertly tailored pants; I never noticed that before. Skinny pants, even. I wish I coul... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

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

Report: Unfair Funding – How Charter Schools Win & Traditional Schools Lose

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Report: Unfair Funding – How Charter Schools Win & Traditional Schools Lose: Report: Unfair Funding – How Charter Schools Win & Traditional Schools Lose FEBRUARY 14, 2013 BY STEPHEN DYER LEAVE A COMMENT [image: unfairfundinghomepage]*Research Overview* Innovation Ohio has analyzed data from the Ohio Department of Education that demonstrates that the way charter schools are funded in this state has a profoundly negative impact on the resources that remain for the 1.6 million kids in Ohio’s traditional public schools. In the vast majority of cases — even in many urban school districts ... more »

Last Stand for Children First: School Closings Offer Opportunities for Students to Learn a Trade

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Last Stand for Children First: School Closings Offer Opportunities for Students to Learn a Trade: School Closings Offer Opportunities for Students to Learn a Trade by Last Stand for Children Commentary by Representative Jack Kimble (R-CA, 54) Unfortunately, it's very easy for parents to get angry over school closings. After all, neighborhood schools can be sanctuaries in a neighborhood of boarded up and abandoned buildings and the school community can be a family for children whose own parents are unable to provide them with the stability every child deserves. This is a nationwi... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

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

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

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

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

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

Sacramento Press / 'Our families walk their students to school'

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Sacramento Press / 'Our families walk their students to school': 'Our families walk their students to school'by Karen Wilkinson, published on *February 13, 2013* at *4:40 PM* The crowd listens as a school official speaks. While Washington Elementary School is the smallest school in the district, you wouldn't know it by the amount of impassioned community members that spoke up Wednesday night to oppose a plan to shut its doors. Hundreds of parents, teachers, students and education supporters criticized the Sacramento City Unified School District's plan, calling it unfair and a dir... more »

How Can Teachers Overcome Depression and Strife? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

How Can Teachers Overcome Depression and Strife? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: How Can Teachers Overcome Depression and Strife? by Anthony Cody A message sent via Twitter tells the tale. "My fellow teacher residents and I are going through deep strife and depression right now and I'm holding a healing session tomorrow evening. Any meditative or healing resources you can share? Anything will do!" The pressures we are subjecting teachers to are taking a toll. When our leaders hold schools responsible for overcoming poverty, teachers sometimes feel as if their work i... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

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

Schools Matter: Why Does Corporate Ed "Reform" and Arne Duncan Love the GA Model for Early Childhood?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Schools Matter: Why Does Corporate Ed "Reform" and Arne Duncan Love the GA Model for Early Childhood?: Why Does Corporate Ed "Reform" and Arne Duncan Love the GA Model for Early Childhood? by Jim Horn Today the President is in Georgia trying to sell the corporate plan that he has bought for early childhood education in America. Everyone at ED is hot for the Georgia Model. Why? Could it have anything to do with the fact that Georgia does not require a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education, or even a Bachelors Degree? Could it be related to Georgia's market friendly mo... more »

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