Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-25-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Monday, February 25, 2013

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-25-13 #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

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble Introduces Freedom to Commute Bill

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 minutes ago

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble Introduces Freedom to Commute Bill: Congressman Kimble Introduces Freedom to Commute Bill by Representative Kimble It was a rainy February morning in Oakdale. Matilda Jenkins, a single mom doing her best to raise her four year old child, was late for work again and the bus still hadn't arrived. Would this be the day her boss fired her? Would this be the day she would have to tell her precious son that there was no money to pay the rent? She crossed her fingers, prayed and waited. Everyday, this all too familiar scene is repeated at bus st... more »

Jersey Jazzman: "This Study PROVES..."

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 minutes ago

Jersey Jazzman: "This Study PROVES...": "This Study PROVES..." by Duke The fine folks at B4K have a great advantage over schlubs like me: they are unencumbered by the doubts that come from thinking about stuff... WHAT HAS MORE IMPACT ON POOR KIDS: NEIGHBORHOODS OR SCHOOLS?A recent Harvard study shows schools and teachers matter more. *02/12/13* This is the question asked and answered by Harvard economics professors Roland Fryer and Lawrence Katz in their recent study (here). The short answer is: good schools and good teachers matter more. Oh, well, that's settled then! On the ba... more »

Schools Matter: A Retabulation of Tables Already Tabulated

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 39 minutes ago

Schools Matter: A Retabulation of Tables Already Tabulated: A Retabulation of Tables Already Tabulated by Storm Excerpted from an essay in *The New Age* in 1917. (Unabridged audio recordings of the parts of the essay at the links.) Part I (sound file, 12:21) Now, apart from intensive national propaganda, quite apart from German national propaganda, the 'university system' of Germany is evil. It is evil wherever in penetrates. Its 'universal pervasiveness' is a poisonous and most pestilent sort of pervasiveness. The drug is insidious and attractive. It is...the only system wh... more »

Byrd Bennett has a second job - Substance News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Byrd Bennett has a second job - Substance News: Rahm Emanuel's handpicked schools 'Chief Executive Officer', Barbara Byrd Bennett, has a second job working for Eli Broad against unions and public schools ... and the photographs of her works in Detroit show Chicago's future, despite the rhetoric and lies during the current 'underutilization' fight John Kugler - February 23, 2013 Sometimes one picture is worth even more than 1,000 words, and in the case of the recent people imported into Chicago as "Chief Executive Officer" of the nation's third largest school system, the photograp... more »

To Attract Investors, Pearson Boasts of Success in Acquiring State, PARCC and RTTT Contracts | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

To Attract Investors, Pearson Boasts of Success in Acquiring State, PARCC and RTTT Contracts | Scathing Purple Musings: To Attract Investors, Pearson Boasts of Success in Acquiring State, PARCC and RTTT Contracts by Bob Sikes Education giant, Pearson is bragging to potential investors about how well they did last year, and how well they expect to do next year. While admitting that ”state funding pressures and the transition to Common Core assessments continued to make market conditions tough for our state assessment and teacher testing businesses,” Pearson still had this to say... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-25-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Forget the Oscars, Here Are the Bunkum Awards by dianerav Each year, the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado presents its annual Bunkum awards. These are awards that acknowledge the very *worst* think tank reports of the year. Be sure to review previous winners of this not exactly coveted dishonor. Drum roll, please! The *“Three’s a Harm”* award goes to…(open the envelope)…the Friedman Foundation! Here is a quote from the Will Teachers Take Control of Their Profession? by dianerav This... more »

Interview with myself: pensions. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Interview with myself: pensions. | Fred Klonsky: Interview with myself: pensions. by Fred Klonsky *What is Senate Bill 2404?* *This is the bill backed by the We Are One coalition of public employee unions. It has three components.* *It requires ‘ironclad” funding of the state’s obligation to the employee pension fund. It also includes debt repayment.* *We Are One claims the bill allows for legal remedies, by the pension system or individuals, if the payments aren’t made.* *It also includes the requirement that those active employees pay an additional 2% into their pension systems.... more »

NYC Educator: When Politicians Disagree

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

NYC Educator: When Politicians Disagree: When Politicians Disagree by NYC Educator In an unusual move, Sheldon Silver has declared that NYC kids should not be deprived of 260 million dollars just because Governor Andrew "1%" Cuomo is having a temper tantrum. While the governor is certainly free to bang his fists and kick his feet and throw whatever surprises Sandra Lee has been whipping up on the floor, it's beyond the pale that he do this to kids. After all, Andrew Cuomo is the self-proclaimed student lobbyist, the only person in the state who cares about kids. That's why he took ... more »

Parents Across America Webinar: The Journey for Justice in Education with Karran Harper-Royal | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Parents Across America Webinar: The Journey for Justice in Education with Karran Harper-Royal | Seattle Education: Parents Across America Webinar: The Journey for Justice in Education with Karran Harper-Royal by seattleducation2011 [image: journey] *Parents Across America Webinar* *The Journey for Justice* *With New Orleans Parent and Education Advocate Karran Harper-Royal* *March 3, 2013* *1:00 PM PST* Free tickets available through Eventbrite. Moderators: Dora Taylor, PAA and Seattle Education and Julie Woesterhoff, PAA andPURE. Journey for Justice is an emerging alliance currently... more »

New York City Parents Union Statement on Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s Legislation To Reverse Governor Cuomo’s $250 Million Punishment Of Children For Failures By Adults « New York City Parents Union

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

New York City Parents Union Statement on Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s Legislation To Reverse Governor Cuomo’s $250 Million Punishment Of Children For Failures By Adults « New York City Parents Union: New York City Parents Union Statement on Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s Legislation To Reverse Governor Cuomo’s $250 Million Punishment Of Children For Failures By Adults by admin *“We Are Glad You Heard Us, Mr. Speaker!”** New York City Parents Union Statement on Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s Legislation To Reverse Governor Cuomo’s $250 Million Punishment Of Children For ... more »

The Quick and the Ed » The Full Weight of a Moratorium on Testing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

The Quick and the Ed » The Full Weight of a Moratorium on Testing: The Full Weight of a Moratorium on Testing by Kris Amundson Like most people who have struggled with weight, there was a time when I decided to deal with the problem by simply refusing to get on the scale. I know I am not alone in this behavior. But eventually, other evidence (outgrowing a favorite pair of jeans, a bad blood pressure reading) usually brings people back to the recognition that, however unpleasant they may be, regular weigh-ins promote accountability. That’s true for school systems as well, particular... more »

UPDATE: Upcoming Elections and Public Education in Seattle Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Upcoming Elections and Public Education in Seattle by Melissa Westbrook This fall the citizens of Seattle will be voting for mayor. As of now, I believe there are seven candidates. I have interviewed one of them - Peter Steinbrueck - and have Kate Martin on tap. I will reach out to Mayor McGinn but from working with him over the last several years, I have a good idea of his views. One of the candidates is Councilman Tim Burgess. The Councilman has been deeply involved in Seattle public education and was a big supporte... more »

Meanwhile in Bridgeport, the Vallas no-bid contract gravy trains chugs along - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Meanwhile in Bridgeport, the Vallas no-bid contract gravy trains chugs along - Wait, What?: Meanwhile in Bridgeport, the Vallas no-bid contract gravy trains chugs along by jonpelto As Connecticut’s Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor faces more and more criticism about his use of no-bid contracts, Bridgeport’s Superintendent of Schools Paul Vallas continues to remind people that it was Pryor who recruited him to Connecticut. Vallas has been mired in his own no-bid contract controversy since his arrival in the state, but with a Board of Education, where five of the nine Bridge... more »

SI&A Cabinet Report – LAO calls for Title I-like compliance on extra state money for disadvantaged

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: LAO calls for Title I-like compliance on extra state money for disadvantaged To better ensure school districts spend billions of dollars in support of disadvantaged students – as proposed by the governor – lawmakers should adopt compliance requirements similar to the federal Title I program, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst recommended late last week. The suggestion is one of many contained in an overall favorable review of Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to replace the state’s existing system for funding K-12 schools with a formula that is ... more »

The Ends Do Not Justify the Mean(ness) – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

The Ends Do Not Justify the Mean(ness) – @ the chalk face: The Ends Do Not Justify the Mean(ness) by plthomasedd [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] Amputation is an instant and effective weight-loss strategy, but I don’t recommend it. Mathematica Policy Research releases a new report on Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) charter schools Tuesday, February 26, 2013: “The new KIPP evaluation covers 41 KIPP middle schools in 13 states and in the District of Columbia.” Let me state for the record, and using a George W. Bush-style pre-emptive strike, that regardless of Mathematica’s conclu... more »

Only Whole Children Can Make Schools Safe — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Only Whole Children Can Make Schools Safe — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Thom Markham]Only Whole Children Can Make Schools Safe February 25, 2013 by Thom Markham In the long term, there is just one answer to the problem of school safety: more love. The short term solution, on the other hand, lies in the unhealthy mix of force, fear, guns, security, locks, and other devices meant to barricade our children from a small, but obviously lethal, subset of the population. I'll leave the short-term answers to parents and politicians. Instead, let's support advances in... more »

Doctors oppose automatic school suspensions, expulsions

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Doctors oppose automatic school suspensions, expulsions: Doctors oppose automatic school suspensions, expulsions Gregg Toppo, USA TODAY9:47a.m. EST February 25, 2013 [image: zero tolerance002] (Photo: Jimmy May, AP) STORY HIGHLIGHTS - Doctors say zero-tolerance suspension and expulsion policies are drastic - Policies were originally intended to keep guns and drugs out of schools - Statement says removing a student from school is increasingly ineffective Automatically suspending or expelling misbehaving students is an "increasingly questionable" response to school d... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, February 25, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Brown's school funding plan draws mixed reactions* Education Headlines *Monday, February 25, 2013* Coordinated effort to push math, science education is paying offAbout 44 percent of Kern students scored proficient in math in state testing last year, up from 34 percent five years ago. Statewide, 51 percent of students were proficient in math last year. During the same period, Kern students who scored proficient in science rose from 25 percent to 41 percent, compared with 46 percent of California students last year. Gov. Jerry Br... more »

Shanker Blog » School Choice And Segregation In Charter And Regular Public Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Shanker Blog » School Choice And Segregation In Charter And Regular Public Schools: School Choice And Segregation In Charter And Regular Public Schools by Matthew Di Carlo A recent article in *Reuters*, one that received a great deal of attention, sheds light on practices that some charter schools are using essentially to screen students who apply for admission. These policies include requiring long and difficult applications, family interviews, parental contracts, and even demonstrations of past academic performance. It remains unclear how common these practices might be in the g... more »

» Media Matters identifies greatest threat to education — John Stossel - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

» Media Matters identifies greatest threat to education — John Stossel - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion: Media Matters identifies greatest threat to education — John Stossel [image: Comments] [image: Permalink] Posted by William A. Jacobson Monday, February 25, 2013 at 9:44am 1 3 You know the greatest threat to American education as Media Matters wants it? John Stossel. Libertarian. Possibly the greatest threat to the children ever, The Right-Wing Money Putting John Stossel In School Classrooms: Two foundations that have been described as “the dark money ATM of the right” have s... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. Where Chahter Rhymes with Wicked Smahter Best of the Ed Blogs EduShyster February 25, 2013 District Reforms Past and Present: An Interpretation (Part 3) Best of the... more »

Rally Tonight in Annapolis for Baltimore City Schools (Quick Links) | Re:education in Baltimore

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Rally Tonight in Annapolis for Baltimore City Schools (Quick Links) | Re:education in Baltimore: Rally Tonight in Annapolis for Baltimore City Schools (Quick Links) by Edit Barry Wish every Baltimore City Public School could look like something like this? Rally tonight at 6pm on Lawyer’s Mall in Annapolis. For more about the issue, click around: - Check out their site for all the legislative info you’ll need and ways to show your support: Transform Baltimore - Preview of tonight’s event: Supporters predict large turnout for schools rally in Annapolis: Baltimore advocates... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Follow the money. UNO's kick-backs to Madigan.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Follow the money. UNO's kick-backs to Madigan.: Follow the money. UNO's kick-backs to Madigan. by Mike Klonsky *Dan Mihalopoulos* reports in this morning's Sun-Times that UNO has kicked back more than $24,000 to campaign funds controlled by Boss Madigan after receiving millions in charter school construction grants that Madigan greased. *Madigan had given a big boost to the group’s aspirations to be a major operator of charter schools in the city when he helped it get a $98 million state school-construction grant in 2009, without any requirement for... more »

Modern School: Americans Working Longer, Harder and Paid Less

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Modern School: Americans Working Longer, Harder and Paid Less: Americans Working Longer, Harder and Paid Less by Michael Dunn Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons The working and living standards for the majority of Americans have been on a downward spiral since the 1970s. While workers’ productivity is up, allowing their bosses to bring in greater profits, most workers have been working longer hours and doing more work per hour, while their wages have remained stagnant, according to the recent report *State of Working America* , *12th Edition* (Mishel et al. 2012) Below are some of the r... more »

UPDATE: IsSTEMbul (Not ConSTEMtinople) + Where Chahter Rhymes with Wicked Smahter | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Where Chahter Rhymes with Wicked Smahter | EduShyster: IsSTEMbul (Not ConSTEMtinople) by edushyster2012 To prevent an anticipated gaping gap in STEM graduates, Massachusetts must lift the charter fez. *Can a burgeoning Turkish empire of science charters that is absolutely not affiliated with the Gulen movement solve our looming STEM emergency?* By the time you finish reading this sentence, our failing public schools will have failed to produce 1,283 engineers, 396 brain surgeons and four rocket scientists. (Chances are, if you are a product of our failing public schools you are sti... more »

Low achievement imperils black students in L.A., report says - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Low achievement imperils black students in L.A., report says - latimes.com: Low achievement imperils black students in L.A., report says African American students in Los Angeles County demonstrate significant learning gaps by second grade, which widen with age and lead to the highest school dropout rate among all races, according to a new report released Monday. Black students are far less likely to take the rigorous college preparatory classes required for admission to California universities and miss more school days because of suspensions than their white counterparts, accordin... more »

Bill would open the door to undergraduate teaching credentials | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Bill would open the door to undergraduate teaching credentials | EdSource Today: Bill would open the door to undergraduate teaching credentials - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald For the first time in decades, aspiring teachers in California would be able to major in education as undergraduates and get both a preliminary teaching credential and a baccalaureate degree in four years if a bill in the Legislature becomes law. [image: Teachers in California must major in a subject other than education, then pass a test of their knowledge of the subject or subjects they plan to ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: States Rejecting the Common Core State (sic) Standards

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: States Rejecting the Common Core State (sic) Standards: States Rejecting the Common Core State (sic) Standards by stlgretchen States are represented here that have had serious discussion on a legislative floor or have legislation to withdraw from the CCSS, delay the implementation, or not fund the implementation. You can download the map here: https://www.box.com/s/tddm9y7t699u9sb1zzuf Yes, Virginia. Alabama is not an island.

UPDATE: Rating Ed Schools by Graduate’s Value-Added + What does the New York City Charter School Study from CREDO really tell us? | School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

What does the New York City Charter School Study from CREDO really tell us? | School Finance 101: Revisiting the Foolish Endeavor of Rating Ed Schools by Graduate’s Value-Added by schoolfinance101 Knowing that I’ve been writing a fair amount about various methods for attributing student achievement to their teachers, several colleagues forwarded to me the recently released standards of the Council For the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, or CAEP. Specifically, several colleagues pointed me toward Standard 4.1 Impact on Student Learning: 4.1.The provider documents, using val... more »

Schools Matter: The Best Things about the Anti-Testing Backlash in Texas and Elsewhere

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Schools Matter: The Best Things about the Anti-Testing Backlash in Texas and Elsewhere: The Best Things about the Anti-Testing Backlash in Texas and Elsewhere by John Thompson What is the greatest recent victory in the backlash against standardized testing that has terrified “reformers” as it has reached a "crescendo?" A) The Garfield High School teachers’ boycott of the administration of standardized tests. B) The 120 Massachusetts professors’ protest against standardized testing. C) The Chicago, Georgia, and New York protests that inspired the Massachusetts stand.... more »

UPDATE: cozy Madigan – UNO relationship + If they insist on closing our schools, we’ll shut down the city. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

If they insist on closing our schools, we’ll shut down the city. | Fred Klonsky: That little * isn’t enough to hide the cozy Madigan – UNO relationship. by Fred Klonsky [image: dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls] *Madigan in his UNO attire.* The Chicago Sun-Times has a blistering report this morning, documenting the cozy relationship between Illinois Democratic Party Chairman and House Speaker Mike Madigan and the United Neighborhood Organization. UNO, one of the largest charter school operators in the city, is now involved in a funding scandal involving $98 million dollars in state... more »

A Sociological Eye on Education | Nineteen months of stonewalling by NYC Department of Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

A Sociological Eye on Education | Nineteen months of stonewalling by NYC Department of Education: Nineteen months of stonewalling by NYC Department of Education by Aaron Pallas [image: Nineteen months of stonewalling by NYC Department of Education] It’s nearly springtime, when a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). At least in odd-numbered years. I’m not so young, but lately I’ve been thinking about NAEP, which is widely regarded as the best barometer of changes over time in the academic performance of U.S. students. No asses... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-25-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] The New Teacher Is Surviving. Guess Why? by dianerav Readers may recall that I posted a desperate plea from a struggling new teacher. He posted a comment months ago, but I kept pushing it back to make way for pressing news. So I posted it a day ago and just heard from the new teacher. Here is the report: I might be posting this for the second time…but I can’t figure out how this works. Oh well. Hello! This is the new teacher, a few months later. I had no idea tha... more »

Washington Preps For First Charter School Commission; Texas School Funding Protest: Ed Today + High School Graduation Rate In U.S. On Pace To Reach 90 Percent By 2020: Powell Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

High School Graduation Rate In U.S. On Pace To Reach 90 Percent By 2020: Powell Report: Washington Preps For First Charter School Commission; Texas School Funding Protest: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Chartering Hits Washington* Last November, Washington state voted to allow the creation of its first ever charter schools. Now, reports the Associated Press, activists, teachers and parents are applying to be on the state's first charter commission, the body that decides which charter schools are approved and denied. "I've seen the power that specialized programs can have," said fifth ... more »

Sherick Hughes: Why I Am Coming to Occupy DOE in DC | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Sherick Hughes: Why I Am Coming to Occupy DOE in DC | United Opt Out National: Sherick Hughes: Why I Am Coming to Occupy DOE in DC by admin I am coming to Occupy the DOE 2.0, to fight humbly alongside a group of brilliant fighters (some that know me and some that don’t), because equitable and excellent traditional public schools are not only a democratic right, but a democratic responsibility. The Department of Education has a narrative of civil rights as well, but the aftermath of their current policies in action, seem to be neither civil nor right, particularly for the most vul... more »

Firing Bad Teachers Has Surprisingly Meager Effects | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Firing Bad Teachers Has Surprisingly Meager Effects | toteachornototeach: Firing Bad Teachers Has Surprisingly Meager Effects by aristotlethewise Firing Bad Teachers Has Surprisingly Meager Effects By Kevin Drum Dylan Matthews of the Washington Post has an interview with Thomas Kane today about ways in which we can measure teacher performance in the classroom. This comes at the very end: *Dylan Matthews: *Now, the three components you measure predict future performance on achievement tests. But a lot of people dismiss that, even though there’s growing evidence that achievement test ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky [image: My Photo] Alex Kotlowitz *In the wake of Hadiya Pendleton’s shooting, we’ve talked about stiffer gun control laws, about better policing, about providing mentoring and after-school programs, all of which are essential. But missing from this conversation is any acknowledgment that the violence eats away at one’s soul — whether you’re a direct victim, a witness or, like Anita Stewart, simply a friend of the deceased. Most suffer silently. By themselves. Somewhere along the way, we need to f... more »

The Incomplete Outrage Over NorthStar Charter School Payouts | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

The Incomplete Outrage Over NorthStar Charter School Payouts | Scathing Purple Musings: The Incomplete Outrage Over NorthStar Charter School Payouts by Bob Sikes The $800,000 that a couple made off with after the NorthStar charter school closure even embarrassed some rich charter school operators. So when a top charter school lobbyists is critical of another charter school’s grab of taxpayer cash, there’s obviously a there..there. “The isolated incident tarnishes the entire movement,” said Chris Moya, a lobbyist for Charter Schools USA, a charter management company that runs sc... more »

We Got The Injunction Stopping Cuomo! « New York City Parents Union

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

We Got The Injunction Stopping Cuomo! « New York City Parents Union: We Got The Injunction Stopping Cuomo! by admin *Statement On Our Preliminary Injunction Stopping Governor Cuomo* *From Taking Back $250 Million* *We Got The Injunction! Parent Power!* We are happy to announce State Supreme Court Judge Manuel J. Mendez just granted us a preliminary injunction stopping Governor Cuomo from taking back $250 Million in education funding as punishment for the city and teachers union’s failure to reach a teacher evaluation system by January 17, 2013. Parents Union members Jacqueline Col... more »

Commercialism is Kidnapping Our Brains Without Our Consent | Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Commercialism is Kidnapping Our Brains Without Our Consent | Cooperative Catalyst: Commercialism is Kidnapping Our Brains Without Our Consent by zoeweil Image courtesy Koninklijke NKBV/Flickr. Every February the Banff Festival of Mountain Films World Tour comes to Ellsworth, Maine, near where I live; it’s a highlight of the winter for us. We love watching the best films of the several hundred submissions in Mountain Sports and Mountain Culture, and without fail, unless I am traveling for work, I attend all the nights of the tour. As I did this year. As usual, there were amazing film... more »

The Educated Reporter: Who Decides What's Off the Record?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: Who Decides What's Off the Record?: Who Decides What's Off the Record? by Emily Richmond To do their jobs, education reporters on the federal beat depend on access to congressional staffers. But what happens when those staffers want anonymity while discussing policy at a public forum? I asked two reporters – Libby Nelson of Inside Higher Ed and Eric Kelderman of The Chronicle of Higher Education – to explain why they’re pushing back against what they contend is an unreasonable demand. When you read Nelson's and Kelderman's pieces at EdMedia Commons, you'll ... more »

One Teacher's Perspective: Staff Swap: A Revealing School Experiment

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

One Teacher's Perspective: Staff Swap: A Revealing School Experiment: Staff Swap: A Revealing School Experiment by Imagine Wisconsin *Mixed in with voucher and school choice nonsense, Wisconsin Gov. Walker pitched yet another useless and wasteful education reform this past week that panders to his free market-minded friends. * * * *His unproven plan to improve Wisconsin schools involves financially rewarding schools that score well on the state’s flawed school report cards.I suppose Gov. Walker believes the free market fairy will miraculously motivate the staff at underperforming sc... more »

Lester Long and Bronx Classical Charter School To Invade PS 154 .southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Lester Long and Bronx Classical Charter School To Invade PS 154 by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) We here at SBSB pride ourselves in having integrity and honor. We hope and pray that those of the upper echelon of the NYC DOE will look to SBSB and see what we stand for and hope those people say, "Hey, let's be like SBSB." But we know it will never happen. With that being said, we would like to correct ourselves for erroneously reporting on February 2, 2013that Bronx Community Charter will be co-locating at PS 154 come next September. We are vett... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Support Alabama in Anti-Common Core Fight. It is NOT an "island" Withdrawing from Common Core.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Support Alabama in Anti-Common Core Fight. It is NOT an "island" Withdrawing from Common Core.: Support Alabama in Anti-Common Core Fight. It is NOT an "island" Withdrawing from Common Core. by stlgretchen Send the above message to Alabama legislators. From CE White in Alabama: As you may know, Alabama has two identical bills to repeal Common Core. House Bill 254 and Senate Bill 190. There is a public hearing on Wednesday, February 27th at 3pm at the State House. I feel we have the votes for this to pass in the Senate, but the House is dealing

Oooh Lord, here we go, #stuvoice or #studentvoice, take your pick – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Oooh Lord, here we go, #stuvoice or #studentvoice, take your pick – @ the chalk face: Oooh Lord, here we go, #stuvoice or #studentvoice, take your pick by Chalk Face, PhD [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] The sniping has begun, apparently, to which I must personally respond. Unschooling/homeschooling advocate, and employee of the NYDOE (could that be argued as the belly of the beast?), is going after us here At the Chalk Face because I had the temerity to suggest that folks who have taught might have more to say about their profession than someone observing from the outside. Here’s... more »

Closing North Philly School wins Championship - Collaborate Philly

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Closing North Philly School wins Championship - Collaborate Philly: *Closing North Philly School wins Championship* *Vaux High School beats Math, Civics & Science High School, 40-10, in the African-American History Challenge.* ** *Fred Whiten, President of 100 Black Men of Philadelphia, poses with the winning Vaux team at the African-American History Challenge. (Photo Credit: C. Norris - ©2013)* *By Christopher “Flood the Drummer®” Norris* *2.24.13: Philadelphia –(**Education/Nonprofit/Activism):* The majority of students at Vaux High School don’t know where they’ll end up in the fal... more »

Schools Matter: Broad's Puppet McIntyre: "Misleading At Best"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Schools Matter: Broad's Puppet McIntyre: "Misleading At Best": Broad's Puppet McIntyre: "Misleading At Best" by Jim Horn *"Misleading At Best"* It's obvious that Jim McIntyre is about to become the latest in a long line of discredited and corrupt Broad trainees that have been planted in central offices around the U. S. to do the bidding of plutocrat, Eli Broad. When you lose the News-Sentinel, you're a goner in Knoxville. From the Knoxville News-Sentinel: Leaders of the area Public Building Authority are accusing the Knox County Schools chief and school board members of misle... more »

Press Release: Library of Congress Selects United Opt Out National | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Press Release: Library of Congress Selects United Opt Out National | United Opt Out National: Press Release: Library of Congress Selects United Opt Out National by admin Washington, D.C., February 17, 2013 — The United States Library of Congress announced that it has selected United Opt Out National for inclusion in its Public Policy web archival collection. United Opt Out National is a grass roots education advocacy organization dedicated to preserving public education as an institution that is equitable, available to all children, and free of corporate influence and interferen... more »

Reality Has Shown Itself in NY: The State and Districts Forge Ahead | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Reality Has Shown Itself in NY: The State and Districts Forge Ahead | Truth in American Education: Reality Has Shown Itself in NY: The State and Districts Forge Ahead Posted on February 24, 2013 by chascherrie Ken Mitchell has written a report for the Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Ken is the District Superintendent of the South Orangetown School District in Rockland County in New York State. *Federal Mandates on Local Education: Costs and Consequences—Yes, it’s a Race, but is it in the Right Direction? *tell... more »

Yes, Virginia, There Really IS a Billionaire Boys Club - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Yes, Virginia, There Really IS a Billionaire Boys Club - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Yes, Virginia, There Really IS a Billionaire Boys Club by Anthony Cody *The second largest school district in the nation, Los Angeles Unified, is in the midst of what must surely be the costliest school board race ever.* This month we have seen report after report of billionaire donations rolling in, totaling almost $3 million. First we learned that Eli Broad and former Univision head Jerrold Perenchio had each pitched in $250,000. Then New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg dropped a coo... more »

NEA’s Read Across America Cat-a-Van Tour Hits the Road | NEA Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NEA’s Read Across America Cat-a-Van Tour Hits the Road | NEA Today: NEA’s Read Across America Cat-a-Van Tour Hits the Road by twalker *By Tim Walker* This week, three Cat-a-Vans will log more than 5,100 miles as they travel from coast to coast to celebrate NEA’s Read Across America and deliver an important message about reading—and brushing their teeth. NEA’s Cat-a-Van Reading Tour – made possible through a unique partnership between the National Education Association and Renaissance Dental – begins on Monday, February 25, and concludes on Friday, March 1—the official Read Across ... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter: This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter by Larry Ferlazzo Guest post by Joe Mazza Image credit: stuvoice.org *This week’s chat hosted by Stuvoice.org Founder Zak Makamed. * The Student Voice movement strives to create an international network of empowered students by providing them with the tools they need to use their voice in policy discussions. While we are students working for students, the support of adult stakeholders has enabled us to take our movement above and beyond what we could have ever anticipated. This chat will se... more »

We Need to Move Away from One-Size-Fits-All Education | Lefty Parent

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

We Need to Move Away from One-Size-Fits-All Education | Lefty Parent: We Need to Move Away from One-Size-Fits-All Education by Cooper Zale [image: one-size-fits-all]On Thursday I read an Education Week blog piece, “Survey Finds Rising Job Frustration Among Principals”, highlighting the Metlife Survey of American Teachers documenting declining morale among both teachers, principals, and other school leaders. It rekindled my frustration with the mainstream approach to endless inside-the-box “reform” of our public education system rather than making some real substantive changes. I p... more »