Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-28-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-28-13 #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

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Gov. Snyder's privatization mess in Muskegon Hts.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Gov. Snyder's privatization mess in Muskegon Hts.: Gov. Snyder's privatization mess in Muskegon Hts. by Mike Klonsky What's left of Muskegon Heights Public Schools. Remember last year when Michigan's wing-nut Gov. Rick Snyder used his fascist powers to privatize the town and schools of Muskegon Heights? First he replaced the elected city government with a hand-picked business czar, Don Weatherspoon. Then, Czar Weatherspoon decided to turn the entire public school system over to a

NYC Educator: Spare the Cane, and Enable

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago

NYC Educator: Spare the Cane, and Enable: Spare the Cane, and Enable by NYC Educator About five years ago, I was asked to cover the class of an AP. It was a wondrous thing coming in from the trailers to a classroom full of computers, something I'd rarely seen. The kids were mostly doing something or other on them, and I mostly let them do it. One boy kept listening to music on his iPod. I asked him to put it away, and he did. I carried on, doing whatever I was doing, while the kids carried on doing whatever they were doing. But a few minutes later, there was the same boy, listenin... more »

Georgia among states with more non-teaching personnel than teachers. But does it matter? | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 54 minutes ago

Georgia among states with more non-teaching personnel than teachers. But does it matter? | Get Schooled: Georgia among states with more non-teaching personnel than teachers. But does it matter? by Maureen Downey *The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice released a report toda*y on which states have more non-teaching personnel than teachers, and Georgia is among the them. The study was done by Ben Scafidi, a one-time education adviser to Gov. Sonny Perdue and now an economics professor at Georgia College & State University. I am not sure what to make of the findings as the ... more »

L.A. Unified, other school districts seek new measures of success - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 58 minutes ago

L.A. Unified, other school districts seek new measures of success - latimes.com: L.A. Unified, other school districts seek new measures of success Nine California school districts, including Los Angeles Unified, will apply to the U.S. Department of Education for relief from rules that, over time, have labeled most schools that receive federal funds as failing, officials announced Thursday. In exchange, the districts pledged to adopt a broader system of measures that officials said would lead to better outcomes for students. “We are not seeking this waiver in any way, shape or form... more »

Please Don’t Call Me Coach | Taking Note

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Please Don’t Call Me Coach | Taking Note: Please Don’t Call Me Coach by John Merrow If I were still teaching, I don’t think I would want people calling me “Coach.” Referring to teachers as Coaches has been in vogue for the last dozen years or so. Instead of being “Sages on the Stage,” teachers became “Guides on the Side.” Better yet, they were “Coaches” who brought out the best in their students. “Coach” was understood to be a high compliment, a term of great respect. It carried the message that this particular teacher understood individual differences among his or her students a... more »

If they get a pension bill, will the courts find it legal. Not for current retirees. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

If they get a pension bill, will the courts find it legal. Not for current retirees. | Fred Klonsky: If they get a pension bill, will the courts find it legal. Not for current retirees. by Fred Klonsky [image: supremes-vintage-photo] *The Supremes.* I just came back from the luncheon of the North Lake Shore Illinois Retired Teachers Association up in Des Plaines. I sat at the table with Bob Lyons, one of the trustees of the Teacher Retirement System. Lyons was the featured speaker. The tone of his speech was generally optimistic. At least for those currently retired teachers. And th... more »

Welfare for the rich? Private school tax credit programs expanding

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Welfare for the rich? Private school tax credit programs expanding: Welfare for the rich? Private school tax credit programs expanding Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 28, 2013 at 4:14 pm [image: (By Daniel Acker - BLOOMBERG)] (By Daniel Acker – BLOOMBERG) At a time when government budgets at all levels are under enormous strain, families and businesses are struggling and federal agencies are facing dramatic across-the-board spending cuts, you would think lawmakers would be careful about spending public money. So it may surprise you to learn that in a growing number of states, l... more »

Trustees try to save Oakland's embattled American Indian Model Schools from losing charter - Inside Bay Area

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Trustees try to save Oakland's embattled American Indian Model Schools from losing charter - Inside Bay Area: Trustees try to save Oakland's embattled American Indian Model Schools from losing charter By Angela Woodall Oakland Tribune Posted: 02/27/2013 08:56:38 PM PST Updated: 02/28/2013 07:57:54 AM PST OAKLAND -- Oakland's embattled American Indian Model Schools may have pulled back from the brink of closure by cutting ties with the controversial founder Ben Chavis, who was accused of improperly channeling millions of dollars to himself and his wife. The AIM Schools board gav... more »

Parent Voices – Weekly Legislative Fax 2-27-13 | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Parent Voices – Weekly Legislative Fax 2-27-13 | Parents Across America: Parent Voices – Weekly Legislative Fax 2-27-13 by pureparents Here’s the fax update PAA sent to the Congressional education committee members this week. Please share it with your Congressmen and Senators! *No sequestration cuts to effective education programs!* *The story:* Looming cuts to education** Congress needs no reminder of the major story of the week concerning education ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/25/education-budget-cuts_n_1703442.html) and other vital programs that keep our nation strong.... more »

LAUSD- IF CHARTERS DON'T WORK, JUST LIE AND SAY THEY DO - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

LAUSD- IF CHARTERS DON'T WORK, JUST LIE AND SAY THEY DO - Perdaily.com: LAUSD- IF CHARTERS DON'T WORK, JUST LIE AND SAY THEY DO by Leonard Isenberg [image: Joseph Goebbels.jpeg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español)* * * *Professor Diane Ravitch calls it "the dominant narrative." The incessant litany in the media that says the only things wrong with public education are bad teachers and not enough charge schools. Nazi Reich Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels called this same kind of dominant narrative the big lie :* * * *"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will ... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-28-13 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: A Teacher Writes New Book about the Corporate Reform Movement by dianerav One of the readers of this blog, experienced teacher Brian Ford, has written a new book. It seems to encapsulate the major themes of today’s privatization movement. Respect for Teachers and the Rhetoric Gap: How Research on Teaching and Schools is Laying the Ground for New Business Models in Education (A New Economy Story about the State of the Union) Author: Brian Ford Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Summary of Book For the last 30 years we ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: They're whistling Dixie again

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: They're whistling Dixie again: They're whistling Dixie again by Mike Klonsky Have they really put Jim Crow behind them? Now the segregationists and Dixie T-Party types believe they have enough backing in the Supreme Court to roll back all or many of the gains made during the Civil Right Movement. They're probably right. Even as a new statue of Rosa Parks is unveiled in the Capitol rotunda in D.C., the foul aroma of Alabama's Jim Crow laws is wafting through the same building. There's a new move afoot to overturn important provisions in the 1965 Voting... more »

UPDATE: Mathematica Study Reveals KIPP Cures Cancer! – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Mathematica Study Reveals KIPP Cures Cancer! – @ the chalk face: Article I authored available #openaccess in the journal Workplace #highered by Chalk Face, PhD workplace You can access the article here from the journal’s website. It’s going to be one of a few others in an upcoming print edition. Basically, it recalls my first year or so as someone who has increased efforts in direct advocacy for public schools. It has been challenging in many ways and the article flushes out some realities to a lot of fictions. I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to share. Mathematica Study Reveals KI... more »

Unlimited outside money - Spreadsheets - Los Angeles Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Unlimited outside money - Spreadsheets - Los Angeles Times: SPREADSHEET Unlimited outside money [image: Stop Closing Schools] [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)] RELATED ITEMS - Story: Labor pours millions into L.A. races Nearly $4.1 million has been spent by outside groups on the Los Angeles mayoral, city attorney, City Council and city controller races. Unlike donations given directly to candidates, there are no limits on how much these groups can spend. Here’s a look at the independent expenditures to date, in suppo... more »

Hispanic Education: Intervention Closes Achievement Gap for Latino | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Hispanic Education: Intervention Closes Achievement Gap for Latino | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com: Hispanic Education: Simple Intervention Closes Achievement Gap for Latino Students [image: Hispanic Education: Simple Intervention Closes Achievement Gap for Latino Students]It’s a troubling fact that Latino Americans and African Americans earn lower grades on average than their white peers and are much more likely to drop out of high school. In an article published online Feb. 11 by the *Journal of Personality and Social Psychology*, Geoffrey Cohen, David Sherman (professors of educa... more »

Peter Dreier: Why Are Walmart Billionaries Bankrolling Phony School 'Reform' in LA?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Peter Dreier: Why Are Walmart Billionaries Bankrolling Phony School 'Reform' in LA?: Why Are Walmart Billionaries Bankrolling Phony School 'Reform' in LA? [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)] For years, Los Angeles has been ground zero in an intense debate about how to improve our nation's education system. What's less known is who is shaping that debate. Many of the biggest contributors to the so-called "school choice" movement -- code words for privatizing our public education system -- are billionaires who don't live in Southern California, but ... more »

Schools Matter: Growing Resistance to Money-Draining and Miseducative Charter Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Schools Matter: Growing Resistance to Money-Draining and Miseducative Charter Schools: Growing Resistance to Money-Draining and Miseducative Charter Schools by Jim Horn [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Wilson School Board rejects business *charter school* Allentown Morning Call Joe Lewis, former Bethlehem Area *School* District superintendent and a consultant for the *charter's* founders, said he wanted to read the resolution before responding to the board's reasons for denying the application. He said he wasn't surprised with *...* See all stories on thi... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, February 28, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *EdSource: Nine districts submit waiver for relief from NCLB* Education Headlines *Thursday, February 28, 2013* Jury decides liability of district in molestationThe Lodi Unified School District is 90 percent liable for the molestation of an 8-year-old girl on a school bus in November 2010, a San Joaquin County Superior Court jury decided Wednesday. Layoff notices given at Bret HarteBret Harte Union High School District is sending layoff notices to several staffers this spring, a move approved by its Board of Education Monday. Ele... more »

‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Threatens Trusting Relationship Between Educators and Students | NEA Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Threatens Trusting Relationship Between Educators and Students | NEA Today: ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Threatens Trusting Relationship Between Educators and Students February 28, 2013 by twalker Filed under Featured News, Top Stories Leave a Comment [image: Email][image: Share] *By Edward Graham* Last year, Tennessee lawmakers considered passing a controversial bill that would have restricted state elementary and middle school educators and administrators from offering “…any instruction and or material that discusses sexual orientation other than heterosexuality.” ... more »

It’s time for Teach For America to fold — former TFAer

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

It’s time for Teach For America to fold — former TFAer: It’s time for Teach For America to fold — former TFAer Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 28, 2013 at 11:00 am [image: TFA founder Wendy Kopp] TFA founder Wendy Kopp Teach For America is one of the most controversial school reform organizations operating today. TFA recruits new college graduates, gives them five weeks of summer training and then places them in some of America’s neediest classrooms, presuming that just a little over a month of training is sufficient to do the job. Critics point out that high-needs students, w... more »

School Safety: Ideas for PBL Projects — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

School Safety: Ideas for PBL Projects — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Andrew Miller]School Safety: Ideas for PBL Projects February 28, 2013 by Andrew Miller Creating a safe and supportive learning environment is a critical to a whole child approach to education. Usually when we reflect and work on implementing the Whole Child Tenets in our schools, we forgot one critical component in making them manifest: the students. Students are as important as actors in creating a safe school as teachers. They can be actors in helping to create a safe learning environment, ... more »

John Thompson: The Head vs the Heart: Which Should Rule in Our Schools? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

John Thompson: The Head vs the Heart: Which Should Rule in Our Schools? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: John Thompson: The Head vs the Heart: Which Should Rule in Our Schools? by Anthony Cody *Guest post by John Thompson.* Bellwhether's Andrew Rotherham, in "The Head - Heart Issue," nailed the essence of data-driven "reform." As the consultant explains, education has always been a battleground between "the Head" and "the Heart." When I attended public school, teachers were free to choose which side of the "head/heart clash" they were on. The contemporary "reform" mo... more »

Analysis: The Politics of Teacher Testing | NBC New York

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Analysis: The Politics of Teacher Testing | NBC New York: Analysis: The Politics of Teacher Testing By Gabe Pressman| Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 | Updated 5:44 PM EST View Comments ( 0 ) | Email | Print [image: Analysis: The Politics of Teacher Testing] New York City children are becoming “pawns” in a political struggle over teacher evaluation, warns a prominent advocate for children and parents. Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters says the battle over teacher evaluation in Albany could harm the city’s 1.1 million school children. Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to withhold $260 million in ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: URGENT: The Assault On NJ's Special Needs Kids

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: URGENT: The Assault On NJ's Special Needs Kids: URGENT: The Assault On NJ's Special Needs Kids by Duke There are times when the people who run our education system do something so awful that I can hardly believe it: *URGENT:* State Board of Education is fast-tracking changes in the special education regulations that would, if enacted, allow teachers and other certified staff to be designated as case managers of students with disabilities. Unless we intervene, these changes will be acted on at the Board’s *MARCH 6* meeting. Please write to the Board *IMMEDIATELY... more »

This Week In Education: Thompson: Edu-Philanthropy's Unintended Threat to Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

This Week In Education: Thompson: Edu-Philanthropy's Unintended Threat to Public Education: Thompson: Edu-Philanthropy's Unintended Threat to Public Education by john thompson Sarah Reckhow's recent TWIE post, Philanthropy Critique Can Obscure Key Differences reviews her research findings on the growing "convergence" of edu-philanthropy and her concerns about the consequences of the coordination of their efforts. [image: Citizensunited] Among other things, Reckhow worries that "policy priorities of major philanthropists are not well supported by research." But she also warns agains... more »

State Education Reforms (SER) - Welcome to the Website on State Education Reforms

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

State Education Reforms (SER) - Welcome to the Website on State Education Reforms: *Welcome to the Website on State Education Reforms*This site, which draws primarily on data collected by organizations other than NCES, compiles and disseminates data on state-level elementary and secondary education reform efforts in the five areas indicated below. School finance is also an important area of educational reform. A few tables on this topic are included in the Accountability section. Additional state-level information on school finance is available in "Revenues and Expenditures for P... more »

Shanker Blog » Teacher Surveys And Standardized Tests: Different Data, Similar Warning Labels

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Shanker Blog » Teacher Surveys And Standardized Tests: Different Data, Similar Warning Labels: Teacher Surveys And Standardized Tests: Different Data, Similar Warning Labels by Matthew Di Carlo As a strong believer in paying attention to what teachers think about policy, I always review the results of MetLife’s annual teacher survey. The big theme of this year’s survey, as pushed by the press release and reiterated in most of the media coverage, was that job satisfaction among teachers is at “its lowest level in 25 years.” It turns out that a change in question wording precludes ... more »

Modern School: Brown’s Budget Shuffle: Something From Nothing is Still Nothing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Modern School: Brown’s Budget Shuffle: Something From Nothing is Still Nothing: Brown’s Budget Shuffle: Something From Nothing is Still Nothing by Michael Dunn "*Equal treatment for children in unequal situations is not justice*"—Gov. Jerry Brown, California (quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle) Gov. Brown is correct—funding poor schools the same as affluent schools is not only unjust, it is pedagogically irrational. Poor children have greater educational needs, while their parents have far less to donate to school fundraisers. Funding them equally only guarantees unequal outc... more »

To Arne Duncan: ‘Check your facts’

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

To Arne Duncan: ‘Check your facts’: To Arne Duncan: ‘Check your facts’ Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 28, 2013 at 9:18 am 0 Comments More [image: pinocchio_4]Education Secretary Arne Duncan is probably mighty sorry he linked pink slips being given to some teachers to the sequester, not just because that connection is tenuous at best but because he got called out for it. The Washington Post’s “Fact Checker,” Glenn Kessler, gave him four Pinocchios, which are given to stories not only with some shading of the facts (one Pinocchio), or significant omissions and/or exaggerations ... more »

UPDATE: Freedom of Information complaint filed against Commissioner Stefan Pryor and the Connecticut Department of Education - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Freedom of Information complaint filed against Commissioner Stefan Pryor and the Connecticut Department of Education - Wait, What?: Connecticut Lottery Board prepares to push through new “Management Compensation Program” by jonpelto State fiscal crisis? What state fiscal crisis? At 11:30 am today, the Connecticut Lottery Corporation’s Personnel Committee will meet. The agenda begins with an executive session to review a “Draft Management Compensation Report.” They will then return from executive session and are scheduled to vote on the meeting’s one agenda item – The Management ... more »

Vol.#22: The Dark Side of Choosing School Choice | Teaching Speaks Volumes

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Vol.#22: The Dark Side of Choosing School Choice | Teaching Speaks Volumes: Vol.#22: The Dark Side of Choosing School Choice [image: Freedom-of-choice-a22077920]During the time I was visiting these four schools and writing these posts, this article was released about Wake County dropping the choice plan. However, when I entered my address in the Student Assignment page today, I still got a total of 16 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, and 9 high schools in varying Base, Calendar, and Magnet options for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year. This still looks far from resolved, ho... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-28-13 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] Mathematica: KIPP Produces Big Gains by dianerav Mathematica Policy Research has good news for KIPP. Their students make significant gains. The press release follows with a link to the report and summary of the findings. A few questions occur to me about the replicability of the KIPP model. First, KIPP has raised hundreds of millions of dollars from philanthropists and the U.S. Department of Education. Does that extra money translate into smaller classes and othe... more »

Nine districts submit waiver for relief from NCLB | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Nine districts submit waiver for relief from NCLB | EdSource Today: Ten districts submit waiver for relief from NCLB - by Kathryn Baron and John Fensterwald by Kathryn Baron and John Fensterwald [image: CORE's accountability system would replace the current system, with most schools in Program Improvement, facing NCLB sanctions, with a three-tiered system that rewards top Schools of Distinction and identifies the 15 percent of Title I schools needing improvement. Teams of teachers from Schools of Distinction would mentor their peers in the Priority and Focus schools. All subgroups... more »

Joy Resmovits: School Safety Addressed At House Education Committee Hearing; Arne Duncan's Sequestration Hype -- Ed Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Joy Resmovits: School Safety Addressed At House Education Committee Hearing; Arne Duncan's Sequestration Hype -- Ed Today: School Safety Addressed At House Education Committee Hearing; Arne Duncan's Sequestration Hype -- Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *House Education Panel On School Safety* On Wednesday, members of the House Education & Workforce Committee mulled over ways to keep schools safe in light of the horrific Newtown, Conn. elementary school shooting, reports Politics K-12. Witnesses told the committee that "school resource officers, additional guidance counselors, and profe... more »

Children of the Core: Our Kids are at Risk – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Children of the Core: Our Kids are at Risk – @ the chalk face: Children of the Core: Our Kids are at Risk by Kris Nielsen [image: 51b3oNSMFnL._SY300_ (1)]The more and more I see how the education “reform” movement is operating, the more it makes me ill. I wish I were exaggerating with that statement, but I’m not. Every time I hear about some millionaire telling us to increase class sizes, or some high-paid wannabe teacher tells us that teachers are the problem with America, it makes me want to vomit. I get sick because these are people who pretend to care about kids, with fancy ... more »

Laugh it up City's school closures a bummer, negotiations with secret whales a joke Sacramento News & Review

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Sacramento News & Review - Laugh it up - Bites - Opinions - February 28, 2013: *Laugh it up* City's school closures a bummer, negotiations with secret whales a joke By Cosmo Garvin cosmog@newsreview.com This article was published on 02.28.13. *Related stories:* Whale bites Will Mayor Kevin Johnson's billionaires club save Sacramento—or eat us? SN&R, 01.31.13. Sacramento city school-closure vote set for next week Sacramento's struggling neighborhoods feel bullied by city district's school-closure plan. SN&R, 02.14.13. [image: spacer] *The editor suggested a brief “post-mortem”...more »

Research on preschool: Setting the record straight

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Research on preschool: Setting the record straight: Research on preschool: Setting the record straight Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 28, 2013 at 6:00 am [image: President Obama at a preschool in Georgia] President Obama at a preschool in Georgia Now that President Obama has proposed a new initiative to broaden preschool programs, the debate about the value of early childhood education has gotten a lot louder. To help sort out what is true and what isn’t, W. Stephen Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University, has just releas... more »

Tony Bennett: There Will Be No Delay in Common Core, PARCC | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Tony Bennett: There Will Be No Delay in Common Core, PARCC | Scathing Purple Musings: Tony Bennett: There Will Be No Delay in Common Core, PARCC by Bob Sikes From an *Associated Press report in the Tampa Tribune*: TALLAHASSEE — Florida shouldn’t delay new academic standards it’s sharing with 44 other states or a related test despite looming obstacles, the state’s schools chief said today at an education summit sponsored by business interests. Other participants at the meeting in Orlando, though, said they were worried Florida was moving too fast by attempting to fully implement t... more »

solidaridad: Despicable: Mónica García accuses fellow candidates of "standing up for predators"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

solidaridad: Despicable: Mónica García accuses fellow candidates of "standing up for predators": Despicable: Mónica García accuses fellow candidates of "standing up for predators" by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene This flyer, at the behest of the candidate, LAUSD Board President Mónica García, explicitly states "Her opponents stand up for predators..." Categorically untrue, this deplorable accusation should be widely condemned by everyone. Some of García's opponents are parents whose children attended LAUSD schools, highlighting all the more how depraved is García to make such libel...more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: One More Reason to Wonder about Tom

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: One More Reason to Wonder about Tom: One More Reason to Wonder about Tom by Melissa Westbrook From The Stranger Slog (with the headline "Rodney Tom Hates Teachers"): *With zero notice Sunday, just one day before it was heard by the Ways & Means Committee, millionaire state Senate Majority "Leader" Rodney Tom (R-Medina) filed a bill that would eliminate defined pension benefits for most state and public school employees, replacing them with a risky 401-K-style savings plan that would subject future retirees to the whims of the market. SB 5856, of w...more »

Unions and charters are strange bedfellows | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Unions and charters are strange bedfellows | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: Unions and charters are strange bedfellows by Gary Rubinstein When you ask the leader of an allegedly high performing charter school what makes them so successful, they generally say that they have more flexibility with hiring and firing since they are free from pesky union contracts. This is why I found it quite odd that I received an announcement with job openings at a charter school called Green Dot High School the other day from the New York City teacher’s union, called the UFT. It turns out that some charte... more »

S.322: Ready to Learn Act - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

S.322: Ready to Learn Act - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: S.322 Ready to Learn Act Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 36 minutes ago A bill to set the United States on track to ensure children are ready to learn when they begin kindergarten. Bill Introduced: S.274 Children Eating Well Act Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 36 minutes ago A bill to strengthen nutrition education for elementary school and secondary school students to promote healthy eating choices through developmentally appropriate lessons and activities integrated into ... more »

Zimmer Irate Over Reform Coalition Attacks - LA School Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Zimmer Irate Over Reform Coalition Attacks - LA School Report: Zimmer Irate Over Reform Coalition Attacks by Hillel Aron Zimmer, Villaraigosa, and Sullivan It was perhaps no surprise that District 4 School Board member *Steve Zimmer * was visibly upset when he happened to run into Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Deputy Mayor for Education, Joan Sullivan, at today’s United Way education event. “RFK, Joan? Really?” said Zimmer as the two rode the escalator together. “That’s just wrong.” “I don’t know what you want me to say, Steve,” responded Sullivan. The exchange, followed by harsh rem... more »

Education Standards and Totalitarian conformity

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Education Standards and Totalitarian conformity: Education Standards and Totalitarian Conformity by Danny Weil [image: barbie] This is the seventh of a series of guest posts by Dr Danny Weil from an article (World Class Standards: Whose World, Which Economic Classes and What Standards?) he originally published in Daily Censored. http://stuartbramhall.aegauthorblogs.com/2013/02/23/the-link-between-education-standards-and-totalitarian-control/comment-page-1/#comment-931674 In this seventh section, Dr Weil argues that federal imposition of educational standards essentially programs chil... more »

The Future of Education in America? All eyes on charter fallout - Sarasota News | Mysuncoast.com and ABC 7: 7 South Newsroom

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

All eyes on charter fallout - Sarasota News | Mysuncoast.com and ABC 7: 7 South Newsroom: All eyes on charter fallout - Story - Comments PrintCreate a hardcopy of this pageFont Size:Default font sizeLarger font size 8 [image: Imagine fallout] Related Stories - Related:Judge rules that Imagine principal can remain in place - Related:Board: Millions in taxpayer money wasted with Imagine - Related:Charter schools still answer to county school officials - Related:Charter school votes to break from parent company Posted: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 5:02 pm |*Upd... more »

A lawsuit has been filed in Washington State challenging the legality of charter schools | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

A lawsuit has been filed in Washington State challenging the legality of charter schools | Seattle Education: A lawsuit has been filed in Washington State challenging the legality of charter schools by seattleducation2011 [image: no privatization] *Educators and community groups file legal challenge to new charter school law* Statement by the Washington Education Association (WEA): A coalition of educators and community groups has filed a legal demand with the Washington Attorney General challenging the constitutionality of Initiative 1240, the state’s new charter school law. The d... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Legal Challenge Filed to I-1240

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Legal Challenge Filed to I-1240: Legal Challenge Filed to I-1240 by Melissa Westbrook It's on. From the WEA: *Educators and community groups file legal challenge to new charter school law* A coalition of educators and community groups has filed a legal demand with the Washington Attorney General challenging the constitutionality of Initiative 1240, the state’s new charter school law. The demand asserts I-1240, the Charter School Act, violates the Washington Constitution by improperly diverting public school funds to private non-profit groups that ... more »

Districts drop at-large elections to comply with voting rights law | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Districts drop at-large elections to comply with voting rights law | EdSource Today: Districts drop at-large elections to comply with voting rights law - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald Next week, Pasadena Unified voters will elect school board members by trustee areas for the first time, switching from at-large elections in which all candidates compete districtwide. Education Week reports that dozens of California school districts have switched to trustee areas to encourage racial and ethnic diversity on their boards and avoid being sued under the California Voting... more »

NYC Educator: My Filmmaking Career

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NYC Educator: My Filmmaking Career: My Filmmaking Career by NYC Educator This year, I was asked to do a project with my kids. I chose to have them make films, with the cooperation of MyBlock NYC, which I highly recommend. I made a short video introducing my block as that my school was on, and introduced the students to people in the building I thought could help them. I then told them to make their own videos, and let some of them borrow the ancient flip cameras our school owns. I thought it would be easy. I edited my video on a Mac using iMovie, never having used it before, and f... more »

Tweedledee and Tweedledum – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Tweedledee and Tweedledum – @ the chalk face: Tweedledee and Tweedledum by Activism in paradise - Voices from down under I was intrigued by this quote from a Diane Ravitch article: *‘The Common Core standards have been adopted in 46 states and the District of Columbia without any field test. They are being imposed on the children of this nation despite the fact that no one has any idea how they will affect students, teachers, or schools. We are a nation of guinea pigs, almost all trying an unknown new program at the same time.’* The New Zealand variant of CCS is called National Sta... more »

Michelle Rhee: Wrong again - Powerful Pro-School-Voucher Group May Have Violated State Law [Updated] | The Philly Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Powerful Pro-School-Voucher Group May Have Violated State Law [Updated] | The Philly Post: Powerful Pro-School-Voucher Group May Have Violated State Law [Updated]PAC with ties to Jeffrey Yass connected to John McDaniel’s case. ** 0 Comments and 0 Reactions Students First PAC, a pro-school-voucher group backed by three managers of Bala Cynwyd-based Susquehanna International Group, may have violated state election law. Susquehanna’s Jeffrey Yass, an ardent charter and voucher advocate, and two like-minded associates, first got into the political game in 2010, pouring an unpreced... more »

Pass / Fail : School districts can't charge parents for basic education; must create complaint process | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Pass / Fail : School districts can't charge parents for basic education; must create complaint process | 89.3 KPCC: School districts can't charge parents for basic education; must create complaint process Vanessa Romo | February 27th, 2013, 12:32pm [image: school supplies] Erika Aguilar/KPCC Out of necessity, cash strapped schools have for years been asking parents to cover some of the most basic classroom needs: craft supplies, a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird, an Algebra book. But it turns out that is illegal and California school districts have until Friday to draw up procedures ... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-27-13 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: Will the Democratic Party Listen? by dianerav In this terrific article, you can see the beginnings of a popular uprising against the testing obsession and the rush to put public dollars into private hands. In Texas, Republicans are paying attention, even threatening to pull the plug on testing. Rural Republicans seem Corporate Bloc Collects $3 Million to Buy L.A. School Board by dianerav Corporate reformers are taking no chances. They have raised more than $3 million to make sure that they control the Los Angeles... more »