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
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Leadership Posts Announced
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 minutes ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Leadership Posts Announced: Seattle Schools Leadership Posts Announced by Melissa Westbrook From Superintendent Banda via SPS Communications (and I believe one of our astute readers called this one for Michael Tolley about a week ago): "I am pleased to announce that after a strong national search, Michael Tolley has been named Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, where he will oversee all aspects of students’ academic growth at Seattle Public Schools. Mr. Tolley stepped into this role as the Interim Assistant Superi... more »
PSAT for 2-26-13: Tell Congress no sequestration cuts to education! Parents United for Responsible Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 2-26-13: Tell Congress no sequestration cuts to education!: PSAT for 2-26-13: Tell Congress no sequestration cuts to education! by admin [image: Cliff] Congress and the White House are working to resolve the “sequestration” threat set up by their failure to agree on a federal budget last year. Without a budget agreement, massive across-the-board program cuts will kick in on Friday. This may include: - Loss of 100,000 Head Start slots. - Service cuts to 500,000 special needs students. - An end to Title 1 gran... more »
The in box. ISBE’s Koch wants repeal of class size limits AND 30 percent limit in GenEd. Act now! | Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
The in box. ISBE’s Koch wants repeal of class size limits AND 30 percent limit in GenEd. Act now! | Fred Klonsky: The in box. ISBE’s Koch wants repeal of class size limits AND 30 percent limit in GenEd. Act now! FEBRUARY 26, 2013 *Illinois State Superintendent of Education Chris Koch* *supports the complete “repeal” of BOTH special education* *class size limits AND the 30 percent limit in general education.* *This would directly affect EVERY special education teacher* *in Illinois, and EVERY student with disabilities in Illinois.* *Koch stated today that -* *(1) “our current rules g... more »
Respect, Compassion, and Fairness in Schools — Whole Child Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Respect, Compassion, and Fairness in Schools — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Paula Mirk]Respect, Compassion, and Fairness in Schools February 26, 2013 by Paula Mirk The current debate about school safety, as tragic as recent events may be, risks derailing the positive direction we need to go in as a nation if we want to uphold the broadest purpose of education: "What kind of people are we preparing to lead society into the future?" The very sad incident in Newtown was the result of one individual's mental impairment and a variety of factors—including his access... more »
NYC Educator: And Now for Something Completely Different …
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
NYC Educator: And Now for Something Completely Different …: And Now for Something Completely Different … by NYC Educator *by special guest reviewer Recovering ATR * You might have heard of the movie Life of Pi. It just picked up a bunch of Academy Awards, and it was overall my favorite movie of the year. The thing is, all the teachers talked about how "Lincoln" would be a great movie to show in history class. I actually think the movie to show students is Life of Pi. And that is because I lived the Life of Pi. No, I didn't get shipwrecked and stranded in the ocean with a huge tiger... more »
Diane in the Evening 2-26-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Illinois: No Class Size Limits for Special Education? by dianerav Please don’t say this is school “reform.” The state superintendent of education in Illinois wants to remove class size limits for special education. Time to ask why the richest nation on earth can’t afford to provide a free and appropriate education for children with the greatest needs. Today! Three Million Page Views! by dianerav Today, this blog passed the three million page view marks. That represents the number of times someone has read a post ... more »
Torlakson Urges Congress to Avoid Cuts - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Torlakson Urges Congress to Avoid Cuts - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Urges Congress to Prevent Devastating Cuts SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today urged Congressional leaders to work together and immediately pass legislation that would repeal drastic budget cuts set to take effect Friday under sequestration. "Without Congressional intervention, automatic budget cuts from sequestration will take effect on March 1," said Torlakson in a letter* to Congressional leaders. "After years of extensive state and ... more »
Students Bear the Consequences of the School Closure Vote | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Students Bear the Consequences of the School Closure Vote | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: Students Bear the Consequences of the School Closure Vote published by Kate_Lenox on Tue, 02/26/2013 - 11:18am Today's Bee editorial lauds the SCUSD board of education for "tough but wise" decision" on schools closures because the district needed to close schools because of shrinking enrollment. While it is true that the district has too many schools for its enrollment, the objections many had with these school closures was the process. It was too hasty, used questionable... more »
NYC Public School Parents: My 20 questions to DOE about their failure to live up to their commitments to our children and in the C4E law to reduce class size
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: My 20 questions to DOE about their failure to live up to their commitments to our children and in the C4E law to reduce class size: My 20 questions to DOE about their failure to live up to their commitments to our children and in the C4E law to reduce class size by Leonie Haimson According to the Contracts for Excellence (C4E) law, the DOE is supposed to be reducing class size in all grades, and in the fall of 2007, submitted a plan to do so in along with annual targets and five year goals. Yet class sizes have risen every year since then. The DOE fin... more »
Bait-and-switch: Rebranding Public Schools as New Charter Schools
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Education Week: Rebranding Public Schools as New Charter Schools: Rebranding Public Schools as New Charter Schools —Susan Sanford By Jack Schneider Premium article access courtesy of Edweek.org. Read more FREE content! [image: Article Tools] - [image: Print]Printer-Friendly - [image: Email]Email Article - [image: Reprint]Reprints - [image: Comments]Comments - - - Charter schools are a silver bullet for urban education. But not for any of the reasons you might think. Charters, as research reveals, don't achieve particularly impressive results. In a study con... more »
The real reasons many low-income students don’t go to college | Hechinger Report
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
The real reasons many low-income students don’t go to college | Hechinger Report: The real reasons many low-income students don’t go to college by Sarah Carr [image: Hope against hope] *-Adapted from Hope Against Hope, a new book about the rebirth of the New Orleans schools after Katrina.* One spring afternoon, O. Perry Walker High School Principal Mary Laurie made her way to the school’s courtyard, where a lone student sat at a picnic table with a large stack of papers in front of him and a frustrated look on his face. Laurie recognized the student as a shy senior with one of the... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Should All Students Learn to Code?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Should All Students Learn to Code?: Should All Students Learn to Code? by Melissa Westbrook This is a new video circulating out in the Internet world. You'll recognize many of the faces in it. Look, I'm married to someone who knows how to program (and teaches computer science). He did a stint at Google and yes, it's an exceptional work environment (free food - for both you and your dog - free snacks, massage chairs, games - it's a swell place to work). But I would also gently point out that not everyone is cut out to be a programmer and many of... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Looking back at Clinton's campaign against youth violence
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Looking back at Clinton's campaign against youth violence: Looking back at Clinton's campaign against youth violence by Mike Klonsky It's difficult and heart-breaking to look at the news each day and see the growing body count of Chicago's mostly-young gun violence victims without thinking about what might have been. Pandemic gun violence with accompanying catastrophic effects on the families and friends of both the victims and shooters, could have been avoided or at least, diminished if appropriate measures would have been taken and policy decisions ... more »
From Seattle to Chicago: testing forum March 19th Parents United for Responsible Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » From Seattle to Chicago: testing forum March 19th: From Seattle to Chicago: testing forum March 19th by admin From Seattle to Chicago: testing forum March 19th *From Seattle to Chicago:* The Case Against High Stakes Standardized Testing Tuesday, March 19, 7:00pm Mt. Carmel MB Baptist Church, 2976 S. Wabash With Jesse Hagopian, teacher at Garfield High School in Seattle and leader of MAP test boycott and Karen Lewis, Chicago Teachers Union president Sign up for this event on Facebook! The well-publicized efforts of teachers... more »
A great day for public education | Parents Across America
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
A great day for public education | Parents Across America: A great day for public education by pureparents *Report from the 4-state regional Parents Across America/Public Schools Across America action planning meeting on February 25, 2013* Seventy-five public school activists from Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois braved ice and cold to come together for a half-day regional action planning meeting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, this past Saturday, Feb 23. This energetic and positive meeting was a great start to what we hope will be coordinated action across our four states and beyond to... more »
When it Comes to Education Reform, Can the Will of the People Triumph Over Big Money? | Education on GOOD
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
When it Comes to Education Reform, Can the Will of the People Triumph Over Big Money? | Education on GOOD: When it Comes to Education Reform, Can the Will of the People Triumph Over Big Money? Continue to link Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Michelle Rhee's StudentsFirst have collectively donated $1.5 million to ousting LA Unified school board member Steve Zimmer from office. His offense? Questioning the rapid spread of charters. Now their cash is buying smear-tactic TV ads and mailers, leaving Zimmer, a grassroots former teacher and community activist "sick of the idea that school bo... more »
Annual ed survey finds serious skepticism over common core SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: Annual ed survey finds serious skepticism over common core Only 17 percent of teachers and 22 percent of school principals believe the new common core curriculum standards will improve student achievement or prepare them for college and the workforce, according to findings of a new national poll. That lack of confidence comes even though nearly nine out of 10 educators interviewed in the annual *MetLife Survey of the American Teacher* said they are knowledgeable about the common core and believe they have the academic skills and ability to ... more »
The Connecticut Post: The Tale of Two Contracting Controversies… - Wait, What?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
The Connecticut Post: The Tale of Two Contracting Controversies… - Wait, What?: The Connecticut Post: The Tale of Two Contracting Controversies… by jonpelto There should be no question that the Connecticut Post deserves an award for its investigative journalism and editorial work surrounding Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor’s inappropriate efforts to illegally sidestep Connecticut’s bidding laws to deliver public contracts to particular consultants. The CT Post’s Ken Dixon broke the story and successfully pushed, prodded and followed it through to its conclusion. The CT Po... more »
Ex-TEA chiefs concede too must testing | K-12 Zone | a Chron.com blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Ex-TEA chiefs concede too must testing | K-12 Zone | a Chron.com blog: Ex-TEA chiefs concede too must testing Tuesday, February 26, 2013 [image: Comment] Comments | [image: Email] E-mail | [image: Print] Print Texas Tribune editor-in-chief Evan Smith gets ready to interview former state education commissioners Mike Moses, Jim Nelson, Shirley Neeley and Robert Scott on Feb. 25, 2012 at Rice University. It was the first time these four men and woman had shared a single stage, at least in recent years. The Texas Tribune billed the event as “Ex-Commissioner Confidential.” Four of the fiv... more »
Answering Questions about National Board Certification | InterACT
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Answering Questions about National Board Certification | InterACT: Answering Questions about National Board Certification by David B. Cohen For a couple weeks now I’ve been meaning to write something to Lori Walton, but of course, in this venue, it’s really for anyone interested in National Board Certification for teachers. Lori raised some important questions and concerns in an exchange that took place on Twitter, but feeling the constraints of that format, I opted to write a longer response here. Let me put some important information and disclaimers up front. I’m a National Board ... more »
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, February 26, 2013
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Black students' learning gaps start early, report says* Education Headlines *Tuesday, February 26, 2013* Layoff notices looming for teachers, counselorsNearly 100 teachers and counselors may receive initial layoff notices from Stockton Unified ahead of a March 15 state deadline as the school district begins its effort to balance its budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year. Champion of education for 38 yearsGary Dei Rossi, the 61-year-old deputy superintendent at the San Joaquin County Office of Education, is spending a lot of time re... more »
EXCLUSIVE: Rarely Seen Film "King: A Filmed Record" Traces MLK's Struggle from Montgomery to Memphis
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
EXCLUSIVE: Rarely Seen Film "King: A Filmed Record" Traces MLK's Struggle from Montgomery to Memphis EXCLUSIVE: Rarely Seen Film "King: A Filmed Record" Traces MLK’s Struggle from Montgomery to Memphis In a Black History Month special, we air excerpts of a rarely seen Oscar-nominated documentary about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the rise of the civil rights movement. Produced by Ely Landau, "King: A Filmed Record...Montgomery to Memphis" is made from original newsreel footage and other original video footage shot of marches, rallies and church services. "King" was originally... more »
Breastfeeding One, Nourishing Many « MomsRising Blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Breastfeeding One, Nourishing Many « MomsRising Blog: Breastfeeding One, Nourishing Many Shannon Shelton Miller at MomsRising Blog - 2 minutes ago Long before my bouncing baby boy entered my life, I knew I would be breastfeeding. I’d read all the studies that detailed how breast milk was the ideal food for infants, the biological norm that provided the perfect combination of nutrients and immune system boosters for baby, and plenty of health benefits for mom too, [...] Breastfeeding tale Paperdoll cincy at MomsRising Blog - 2 minutes ago To be honest, I never considered not breastfe... more »
Disavowing the Common Core Standards | PWC Education Reform Blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Disavowing the Common Core Standards | PWC Education Reform Blog: Disavowing the Common Core Standards by pwceducationreform Diane Ravitch is one of the most influential people working to improve public education. I’ve disagreed with her on some topics, but on the issue of the Common Core State Standards we’ve found common ground. Below is her latest article wherein she disavows the Common Core State Standards. Those of you who prefer to click off of this page without reading the rest be forewarned. Virginia is one of only 4 states that hasn’t adopted the Common Core State Sta... more »
Modern School: Academic Performance is Contagious
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Modern School: Academic Performance is Contagious: Academic Performance is Contagious by Michael Dunn I Hope I Catch Some of Her Smarts (Image modified from Flickr image by Kodomut) *The Bowl Curve Syndrome* I once observed that the test scores and class averages in many of my low income classes produced graphs with a shape very different than the stereotypical bell curve, with a majority of students earning C’s (the top of the bell) and fewer students earning A’s, B’s, D’s and F’s (the sides of the bell). In my classes, the curves were shaped like inverted bells, or bowls, with v... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: IB and CSCOPE Activities Have American Students Wearing Burqas
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: IB and CSCOPE Activities Have American Students Wearing Burqas: IB and CSCOPE Activities Have American Students Wearing Burqas by stlgretchen *Fox News* CSCOPE in Texas has come under fire lately for its lesson plans, curriculum and taxpayers unable to access the content of these plans/curriculum. An article recently was circulating about girls having to wear burqas in Texas classrooms as part of a CSCOPE lesson plan. From wnd.com: ...in Lumberton, Texas, this week, high school girls were made to wear burqas as part of a CSCOPE study of Islam. One... more »
Editorial bashes Jeb Bush’s education ‘reform’ efforts
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Editorial bashes Jeb Bush’s education ‘reform’ efforts: Editorial bashes Jeb Bush’s education ‘reform’ efforts Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 26, 2013 at 9:54 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Former Florida governor Jeb Bush (R). (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Former Florida governor Jeb Bush (R) has made a national name for himself in education reform over the past several years. He pushes states to adopt the corporate-based reforms he implemented in the Sunshi... more »
UPDATE: Our pension future was the topic at a north suburban meeting. | Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Our pension future was the topic at a north suburban meeting. | Fred Klonsky: Our pension future was the topic at a north suburban meeting. by Fred Klonsky [image: IMG_0089] *North suburban State Senator Dan Biss.* Several hundred teachers, mostly members of the IFT’s North Suburban Teachers Union, came to Niles North High School last night to hear IFT President Dan Montgomery, Ralph Martire of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, Senator Dan Biss and Representatives Elaine Nekritz, Laura Fine and Robyn Gabel. If this was a war of wits between Martire and Montgomery on the ... more »
Joy Resmovits: Rahm Emanuel's Full-Day Kindergarten Push; Trouble For Renaissance Charter Schools: Ed Today
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Joy Resmovits: Rahm Emanuel's Full-Day Kindergarten Push; Trouble For Renaissance Charter Schools: Ed Today: Rahm Emanuel's Full-Day Kindergarten Push; Trouble For Renaissance Charter Schools: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Chicago Full-Day K?* In the midst of much bitter infighting over school closures in Chicago, Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett are announcing an initiative that is perhaps aimed to quell the melee: all CPS schools will have full-day kindergarten, reports the Sun-Times. "The change will make full-day kindergarten available to 30,700 ... more »
I See Conflicts Of Interest, Everywhere | District 299: The Inside Scoop on CPS
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
I See Conflicts Of Interest, Everywhere | District 299: The Inside Scoop on CPS: I See Conflicts Of Interest, Everywhere By Alexander Russo, today at 7:56 am [image: Fist-of-Money-1]Uh-oh? Chicagoist has a story about a [low-level] CPS employee working to create a new charter school in the Pershing network. And Catalyst notes a Substance article about a [presumably part-time and very lucrative] coaching contract Byrd-Bennett has with the Broad Foundation [whose head is a major Democratic fundraiser and considered by some to be the Darth Vader of school reform]. Also: More news ab... more »
Is Right-Wing School Reform (Texas) Toast?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Is Right-Wing School Reform (Texas) Toast?: Education Opportunity Network [image: Education Opportunity Network -] Is Right-Wing School Reform (Texas) Toast? *by Jeff Bryant* What happened this weekend in the Texas capital of Austin revealed a groundswell of resistance, from multiple political factions, against what has been heretofore defined as “education reform.” A rally brought thousands of people into the streets to hear education historian Diane Ravitch declare Texas, the place where reform “madness” started, would be where “the vampire gets … a stake in its heart.” Sequestr... more »
MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-26-13 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] Carol Burris: My Concerns about the Common Core by dianerav Carol Burris, principal of South Side High School in Rockville Center, New York, explains her concerns about the Common Core. She previously wrote a book about how to implement the standards and now wishes she could retract it. She writes here: Diane, I am coming to the same conclusion regarding the CCSS despite the fact that I have advocated college readiness for students during my entire professiona... more »
Are education reforms hurting the students who need the most help, poor and minority kids? | Get Schooled
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Are education reforms hurting the students who need the most help, poor and minority kids? | Get Schooled: Are education reforms hurting the students who need the most help, poor and minority kids? by Maureen Downey [image: downeyart (Medium)]*In his blog “becoming radical*,” Paul Thomas, a Furman University associate professor of education, contends that the education reform movement perpetuates inequity and increases segregation. Thomas draws on the findings of the *Civil Rights Project*, which has done extensive research on the resegregation of schools. While the South once led ... more »
LAO would cut money from basic aid districts, other programs Brown would protect | EdSource Today
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
LAO would cut money from basic aid districts, other programs Brown would protect | EdSource Today: LAO would cut money from basic aid districts, other programs Brown would protect - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald The Legislative Analyst’s Office has added its endorsement of Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal for sweeping school finance reform, praising the simplicity and clarity of Brown’s funding formula and the “reasonable” amounts of extra money he’d direct to high-needs students. At the same time, in an analysis released last week, the LAO is suggesting a half-dozen changes... more »
Why I oppose Common Core standards: Ravitch
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Why I oppose Common Core standards: Ravitch: Why I oppose Common Core standards: Ravitch Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 26, 2013 at 7:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: common-core21]Education historian Diane Ravitch, the leading voice in the movement opposing corporate-based school reform, has for several years said she has no definitive opinion on the Common Core State Standards. Now she has come out against them, in this post, which appeared todayon her blog. This is the t... more »
For-Profit Charter School Fights Back Against Parents Who Rejected Them In Sarasota | Scathing Purple Musings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
For-Profit Charter School Fights Back Against Parents Who Rejected Them In Sarasota | Scathing Purple Musings: For-Profit Charter School Fights Back Against Parents Who Rejected Them In Sarasota by Bob Sikes [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Blogger *David Safier *has more on Imagine Charter Schools’ battle with Sarasota parents and local school leadership over their decision to secede from the nation’s largest charter school provider: North Port, Florida, could prove to be the tipping point for the Imagine Schools chain of charter schools. When the local... more »
Is it 2007 Yet? - Bridging Differences - Education Week
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Is it 2007 Yet? - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Is it 2007 Yet? by Deborah Meier *Eric A. Hanushek joins Bridging Differences today. He will blog with Deborah Meier for the next month.* [image: Hanushek_Blog (2).jpg] Dear Deborah, I am honored to participate in this dialogue with you. But readers should know that, because of unforeseen circumstances, this "bridge" is being constructed in an unusual manner. I am actually setting the first set of pilings that anchor this bridge, and Deborah will construct the rest. A little more than a decade ago we embarked on what is arguabl... more »
DEMAND NOT ONE CUT! Rally at School Board Wed & March 18 forum | Classroom Struggle
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
DEMAND NOT ONE CUT! Rally at School Board Wed & March 18 forum | Classroom Struggle: DEMAND NOT ONE CUT! Rally at School Board Wed & March 18 forum by ClassroomStruggle How we see it… We know that the district has gotten infusions of money, some of which we’ve fought for like Prop 30 and Measure J. We know there is money in the reserve budget. We know consultants get paid out millions every year. But yet, the district is still claiming empty pockets. They’re trying to hide political moves – to close schools, eliminate adult education, shift funding to charters and private cont... more »
Louisiana Educator: The Real Truth About VAM in Louisiana
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Louisiana Educator: The Real Truth About VAM in Louisiana: The Real Truth About VAM in Louisiana by Michael Deshotels *Readers: It gives me great pleasure to present this guest post by Louisiana teacher Mercedes Schnieder, which includes a link to an excellent 5 minute video by Louisiana teacher Herb Bassett. This post and the Bassett video demonstrate exactly how VAM is being misused in our public schools. I am so proud of these Louisiana teachers! We have great talent and expertize in our teaching force.* For the Teachers Feeling Low Because of VAM By: Mercedes Schneider I wou... more »
Mother Crusader: Why Is A "Fox News Contributor And NJ Democratic Strategist" Hatikvah's Spokeswoman?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Mother Crusader: Why Is A "Fox News Contributor And NJ Democratic Strategist" Hatikvah's Spokeswoman?: The photogenic and versatile Roginsky Why Is A "Fox News Contributor And NJ Democratic Strategist" Hatikvah's Spokeswoman? by darciecima Before the suburban charter backlash gained momentum, a handful of suburban charters managed to open their doors. We have seen the kind of dramatic upheaval this has caused in community after community, when parents and residents realize that local tax dollars are diverted to charters that serve only a small fraction of a town's children. Mor... more »
LAUSD; HOW CRENSHAW STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND TEACHERS CAN FINALLY SUCCEED - Perdaily.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
LAUSD; HOW CRENSHAW STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND TEACHERS CAN FINALLY SUCCEED - Perdaily.com: LAUSD; HOW CRENSHAW STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND TEACHERS CAN FINALLY SUCCEED by Leonard Isenberg [image: Crenshaw Cougars.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español)* * * *There was a meeting last week at the Radical Women center for the Crenshaw Cougar Coalition to discuss how to address the attack on Crenshaw High School by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and its proposed reconstitution of the school. Although Beatriz Paez, who chaired the meeting, said they were interested in formulating a... more »
Colorado Parent & Teacher Offers Advice & Insights on Opting Out of TCAP | United Opt Out National
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Colorado Parent & Teacher Offers Advice & Insights on Opting Out of TCAP | United Opt Out National: Colorado Parent & Teacher Offers Advice & Insights on Opting Out of TCAP *Guest post by Darciann Samples, Colorado Parent and National Board Certified Teacher* The following is a letter from Darciann to all parents and students in Colorado who are interested in learning more about opting out of TCAP. Hello, Here is the first update on our second experience with opting out of high-stakes testing in Colorado, a state with a statute requiring that all students participate in the test. ... more »
Daily Kos: 29 days since we got the news
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Daily Kos: 29 days since we got the news: 29 days since we got the news by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) 4 weeks ago last night Leaves on the Current and I learned she has cancer. Four weeks since our lives got turned upside down. As of now, she is half-way through the ten occasions of her second set of radiation As of tomorrow, she will get the 3rd injection of chemotherapy out of the four in this cycle of 2 weeks on, 1 week off (she takes a second med by pill for all 14 days of the 2 weeks on). She still has had no nausea, her appetite holds. And now we are seeing positive things a... more »
Quvenzhané Wallis, Matthew McConaughey, and How We See Our Children of Color | The Jose Vilson
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Quvenzhané Wallis, Matthew McConaughey, and How We See Our Children of Color | The Jose Vilson: Quvenzhané Wallis, Matthew McConaughey, and How We See Our Children of Color by Jose Vilson [image: Quvenzhané Wallis on the cover of Entertainment Magazine] Quvenzhané Wallis on the cover of Entertainment Magazine I have a confession: I’ve never seen *Beasts of the Southern Wild*. As a relatively new parent, I don’t always have the time or the funds to make it out to the movies very often. But that’s not the purpose for my essay because, when it comes out on Netflix, I know I have to wat... more »
Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble Introduces Freedom to Commute Bill
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours 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 - 23 hours 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 - 1 day 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 day 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 day 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 - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Good News from Indiana–MAYBE! by dianerav Many people signed a petition calling on the Indiana legislature not to dilute the powers of newly elected state superintendent Glenda Ritz. This just in: “Both of the bills mentioned in this petition, HB1309 and HB1251, died in the legislature! As did a few others that diminished the power and job of the elected Supt. of Public Instruction and/or the DOE – some without a hearing. Forget the Oscars, Here Are the Bunkum Awards by dianerav Each year, the National Educatio... more »
Interview with myself: pensions. | Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day 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 »