Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-9-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-9-13 #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

Punitive and Unsympathetic: Mathews is SOOOO Wrong on KIPP | Cloaking Inequity

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 minutes ago

Punitive and Unsympathetic: Mathews is SOOOO Wrong on KIPP | Cloaking Inequity: Punitive and Unsympathetic: Mathews is SOOOO Wrong on KIPP [image: Screen Shot 2013-02-08 at 7.32.09 AM] Jay Mathews is an education talking head, columnist, blogger and huge cheerleader for KIPP schools. KIPP is under fire for their attrition again— this time due to discipline in D.C. Mathews’ explanation and justification for KIPPactions were punitive and unsympathetic. Jay Mathews is clearly not an expert on this issue, so I asked someone who actually knows something about school discipline to respo... more »

Connecticut's teacher evaluation plan - even worse than we thought (by Wendy Lecker) - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 27 minutes ago

Connecticut's teacher evaluation plan - even worse than we thought (by Wendy Lecker) - Wait, What?: Connecticut’s teacher evaluation plan – even worse than we thought (by Wendy Lecker) by jonpelto When you take a break from digging out from the “Great Blizzard of 2013,” I strongly urge you to take a moment today to read Heart Newspaper columnist and fellow blogger, Wendy Lecker’s, latest commentary piece entitled* “Connecticut’s teacher evaluation plan – even worse than we thought.”* Wendy’s article is the clearest description to date of the dishonest, disastrous and counter-produ... more »

Longer school days: why? « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 51 minutes ago

Longer school days: why? « Deborah Meier on Education: Longer school days: why? by debmeier “Answer: so the kids have more time to learn and because they’ll have less time to get into mischief, hang out around with bad influences–like family and neighborhood.” Or somethng “comonsensical like tht. What we must do (see Ed Week, 12/12 by Nora Fleming.) is ensure that “every minute of the schoo day is well spent.” (Idle hands, et al) Oddly enough, our “competitors” abroad have shorter student work days and hours, and more time for professionals to gather and hone their craft. And all... more »

Daily Kos: A different kind of Saturday reflection

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Daily Kos: A different kind of Saturday reflection: A different kind of Saturday reflection by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) for one thing, it is afternoon, not morning for another, I did not teach this week, nor did I teach last week, since I have been caring for my wife, last week in the hospital, this past week at home that has given me a lot of time to think, to ponder, to reflect, particularly when she sleeps I do not pretend that the resulting thoughts are of great insight I do not know if sharing them will be of value to anyone except me - in writing them down I clarify some ... more »

‘Atlas Shrugged’ Should Be Required Reading | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

‘Atlas Shrugged’ Should Be Required Reading | toteachornototeach: ‘Atlas Shrugged’ Should Be Required Reading by aristotlethewise *‘Atlas Shrugged’ Should Be Required **Reading For Students, Republican Says * By John Celock A Republican state senator in Idaho has introduced legislation that would require all high school students in the state to read an Ayn Rand novel that has become popular with the Tea Party movement. State Senate Education Committee Chairman John Goedde (R-Coeur d’Alene) introduced legislation Tuesday that would require the reading of Rand’s 1957 novel Atlas Shrug... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-9-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: How Teachers Can Stop the Organized Attack on Teaching by dianerav Teachers often feel powerless in the face of the assaults against their profession. Often they are directed to do things that they know are educational malpractice, and they have no choice but to comply. The best way to resist is through collective action, like the testing boycott of the Seattle teachers. One person standing alone is admirable but will be fired. What is necessary is for entire faculties to speak as one. Think of the Chicago Teachers Union. Their detractors changed the state l... more »

UPDATE: Madder Than Hell About Common Core Missouri Education Watchdog: EPIC: Student Data Should Be Protected

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: EPIC: Student Data Should Be Protected: Teacher is Madder Than Hell About Common Core Standards by stlgretchen Time for teachers to form a rebellion against Common Core? A teacher wants to start a nationwide rebellion against Common Core Standards. From the San Leandro, CA Patch *Teacher Is Madder Than Hell And Ain't Gonna Test Kids Anymore:* *(Jerry Heverly is an English teacher at San Leandro High School. He has written before about how theCommon Core State Standards, a new federal mandate, will affect students and teachers.)* I’m starting a new orga... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Rhee On Stewart: A Final Thought

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Rhee On Stewart: A Final Thought: Rhee On Stewart: A Final Thought by Duke What does Michelle Rhee want to do to fix our "failing" schools? It's not a secret: you can find the policy prescriptions for her Republican money funnel education reform organization, StudentsFirst, right at their website. The basic plan is as follows: - Use standardized tests and Value-Added Models as at least half of the evaluation for teachers and principals; this should not be subject to collective bargaining. - Dilute the credentialing and training of teachers. - Instal... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG

Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Fax the Speaker of the House? Fax him? Fax? | Reclaim Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Fax the Speaker of the House? Fax him? Fax? | Reclaim Reform: Fax the Speaker of the House? Fax him? Fax? by kenpreviti [image: Madigan arms crossed]His Arrogance Mike Madigan holds the position of Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. How can he represent you if you are told that you cannot email him? “You may Fax him,” was the response of the person who answered his phone when a retired teacher friend asked her how to get a message to him. Fax? How quaint. We all have them in 2013, right? Arrogance and lack of representation go hand in hand regarding the man who leads ... more »

The Secret To Fixing Bad Schools - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

The Secret To Fixing Bad Schools - NYTimes.com: The Secret to Fixing Bad SchoolsBy DAVID L. KIRPPublished: February 9, 2013 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - SINGLE PAGE - REPRINTS - WHAT would it really take to give students a first-rate education? Some argue that our schools are irremediably broken and that charter schools offer the only solution. The striking achievement of Union City, N.J. — bringing poor, mostly immigrant kids into the educational mainstream — argues for reinventing the public schools we have. Tim L... more »

Schools Matter: It's the Poverty Stupid

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Schools Matter: It's the Poverty Stupid: It's the Poverty Stupid by Judy Rabin More empirical evidence that poverty is at the root cause of education problems in the United States. Will this important information and science continue to be ignored by politicians and the business community as they dismantle a public education system that took 200 years to build? Chicago is just latest city where students are begging to keep their community, public schools open as charters and for-profits move in to take over. They starved the beast, the public schools and the teachers unions, and ... more »

What Three Things Bother You Most about the Common Core? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

What Three Things Bother You Most about the Common Core? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: What Three Things Bother You Most about the Common Core? by Nancy Flanagan Question of the Day, from Jean Schutt-McTavish, a principal in New York who is briefing a political candidate on education issues: * What are your top three criticisms of the Common Core?* Schutt's gotten some pretty amazing responses, including this one--Won't Get Fooled Again-- from my Michigan buddy and rational math teacher extraordinaire, Michael Goldenberg. Mike doesn't hold back: *It is ano... more »

School Tech Connect: Today's Policy Event

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Today's Policy Event: Today's Policy Event by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) *Today's Policy Event* *Uno and the Charter School Movement* A teach-in by Steve Serikaku and colleagues. 2:30 PM- 4:30 PM Rogers Park Branch Library 6907 N. Clark Street Upstairs Meeting Room This will be a fair and comprehensive look at Chicago's charter movement with a special focus on the Jowls of Patronage. Ok, I just made that last part up. It will be a good policy event, not a harangue. I'm running around like a madman; I hope people were able to get to the CEFT meeting an... more »

Schools Matter: The Dummy American

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Schools Matter: The Dummy American: The Dummy American by Storm It is tempting, always, to try to explain why some things are important, important to every single soul of us...those of us here or those of us reading blogs that same the exact opposite of what this one does. However, the rule of change is that it must come from within. As in a chemical reaction, there may be a catalyzing agent, like the match that starts the bonfire...but what catches and flames must be "ready" to become a conflagration. Otherwise, the match is wasted and the brief spark is extinguished. That ... more »

UPDATE Saturday coffee + Springfield’s Biggest Loser wants to undermine the constitution. Owns no books. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Springfield’s Biggest Loser wants to undermine the constitution. Owns no books. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky [image: ct-met-schmich-0210-20130210-001] They will bury Hadiya Pendleton today. Michelle Obama has come to attend the services. There will be lots of other politicians. Including the Mayor. There were five hundred funerals for victims of gun violence in Chicago last year. There will be more than that this year. Springfield’s Biggest Loser wants to undermine the constitution. by Fred Klonsky [image: 20490308_BG3] *Illinois Representative Joe Sosnowski,... more »

Debate Over Federal Role in Public School Policy - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Debate Over Federal Role in Public School Policy - NYTimes.com: Amid Deluge of Waivers, Goals of No Child Left Behind Are QuestionedBy MOTOKO RICHPublished: February 9, 2013 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - As Congress contemplates rewriting No Child Left Behind, President George W. Bush’s signature education law, legislators will tussle over a vision of how the federal government should hold states and schools accountable for students’ academic progress. Enlarge This Image Mark Humphrey/Associated Press Senator... more »

Global education market reaches $4.4 trillion — and is growing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Global education market reaches $4.4 trillion — and is growing: Global education market reaches $4.4 trillion — and is growing Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 9, 2013 at 11:25 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: global]Good news for those who see school reform as a way to make big bucks: A new report says that the global education market is now worth $4.4 trillion — that’s TRILLION — and is set to grow a lot over the next five years. The report, issued by the London-based investment... more »

Smacking Down Florida Charter School’s Outrageous Waiting List Claim | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Smacking Down Florida Charter School’s Outrageous Waiting List Claim | Scathing Purple Musings: Smacking Down Florida Charter School’s Outrageous Waiting List Claim by Bob Sikes Outrageous Waiting List Claim Miami Demorat Representative Kionne L. McGhee didn’t let Florida charter school lobbyist Jim Horne off the hook during this week’s public testimony on the Florida House’s latest charter school bill. Horne, whom sources say wrote the bill, made the claim that there are 80,000 children on charter school’s waiting lists. (The exchange begins around the 30 minute mark of the Febru... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Looking for Something to Do With the Kids?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Looking for Something to Do With the Kids?: Looking for Something to Do With the Kids? by Melissa Westbrook It's a busy Saturday. Info from the Times: *Neighbor Appreciation Day* Events include open houses for visitors at 21 fire stations around Seattle, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday; free (www.seattle.gov/fire); the sharing of stories about good neighbors and other activities, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Wallingford Center, 1815 N. 45th St., Seattle, free; snacks in the lobby and public swims, 1-2 p.m. Saturday, Southwest Pool, 2801 S.W. Thistle St., S... more »

The Weekly Cheddar : blue cheddar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

The Weekly Cheddar : blue cheddar: The Weekly Cheddar February 9, 2013 By bluecheddar February 3 - 9, 2013 [image: Share] *Greetings cheeseheads and out-of-state agitators. This is my weekly collection of important political news and views from around the state. If I missed a biggie, leave me a note in a comment, please. Thanks!* *Give me triple the sales tax in Wisconsin and hold the income tax… Oh wait. No. Not just yet. *Mike Ivey has a bit more on this at Huebsch floats sales tax hike idea; Walker shoots it down *Wisconsin is one of the top 10 states people are fleeing right no... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Diane Ravitch: WHY YOU SHOULD SUPPORT STEVE ZIMMER FOR L.A. SCHOOL BOARD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Diane Ravitch: WHY YOU SHOULD SUPPORT STEVE ZIMMER FOR L.A. SCHOOL BOARD: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Diane Ravitch: WHY YOU SHOULD SUPPORT STEVE ZIMMER FOR L.A. SCHOOL BOARD BY DIANE RAVITCH, FROM HER BLOG | HTTP://BIT.LY/14JHCGF *Dr. Ravitch* is the author of *The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Undermine Education* – the best selling indictment of of the charter school/corporate privatization driven School ®eform agenda. She is a former Assistant Secretary of Ed in th... more »

Better pay equals better education - Politics - The Detroit News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Better pay equals better education - Politics - The Detroit News: Better pay equals better education - BY DALE HANSEN - 2 COMMENTS [image: Dale Hansen] Dale Hansen - - - - EMAIL - SHARE - A - A - A When it comes to education there is one thing that most Democrats and Republicans can agree on – improving outcomes. Unfortunately everything after that is up for debate. The Cato Institute offers a good example of the standard Republican argument, which basically boils down to “We spend more money now than ever yet we get mediocre results... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-9-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] The Waivers Are Worthless and Destructive by dianerav The waivers offered to states by Arne Duncan removed the NCLB deadline of 2014, in exchange for states agreeing to accept punitive mandates and loss of state and local control. The waivers took the heat off Congress to repeal NCLB. NCLB is a train-wreck. By removing the deadline, Congress can now tinker around the edges. The punishments, the firings, the school closings, the toxic testing– Charter Schools Unionize by dianerav About 90% of the nation’s ... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 2-9-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Can Breakfast Make Kids Smarter? Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago New research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing has found that children who regularly have breakfast on a near-daily basis had significantly higher full scale, verbal, and performance IQ test scores. In one of the first studies to examine IQ and breakfast consumption, researchers examined data from 1,269 children six years old in China, where breakfast is highly valued, and concluded that children who ... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 2-9-13 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL *LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAY* *LOOK FOR MY UPCOMING BOOK IN MARCH, 2013*[image: Ferlazzo200(1)] "Self-Driven Learning: Teaching Strategies for Student Motivation" will be a sequel to"Helping Students Motivate Themselves" You Can Now Pre-Order My Book, Self-Driven Learning, On Amazon Larry Ferlazzo at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... - 8 hours ago My new book, Self-Driven Learning: Teaching Strategies for Student Motivation, is now available for pre-order on Amazon. It should be released by March 1st.... more »

Schools Matter: Join Portland Students to Stop High Stakes Testing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Schools Matter: Join Portland Students to Stop High Stakes Testing: Join Portland Students to Stop High Stakes Testing by Jim Horn From *The Oregonian:* on February 06, 2013 at 10:10 AM, updated February 06, 2013 at 5:08 PM About 30 students gathered outside the Portland Public Schools district office to kick off a campaign urging students to opt out of state standardized tests. A group of students from the Portland Student Union and the Portland Public Schools Student Union are asking students to boycott the annual Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exams, which are requir... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Education, a $4.4 Trillion (with a T) Business

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Education, a $4.4 Trillion (with a T) Business: Education, a $4.4 Trillion (with a T) Business by Mike Klonsky Sean Cavanagh posts on Edweek's Marketplace K-12blog, that the global market for education is $4.4 trillion, and poised to grow significantly over the next five years, according to an analysis by an international investment bank that advises companies on educational technology. *Clearly, the United States isn't the only viable market for online learning—there are more than 3,000 e-learning companies in Europe, the investment bank says. ... more »

UTLA to expand teacher training camp for managing schools - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

UTLA to expand teacher training camp for managing schools - LA Daily News: UTLA to expand teacher training camp for managing schools By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer Posted: 02/08/2013 06:37:35 PM PST Updated: 02/08/2013 06:39:03 PM PST *"This shared-governance model should be celebrated and replicated," AFT President Randi Weingarten* Touting the success of an innovative school-governance system created as an alternative to charters, teachers union officials announced Friday they'd received a $150,000 grant to help expand the program to other Los Angeles Unified campuses. Unit... more »

WHY THE PARTNERSHIP FOR LOS ANGELES SCHOOLS (PLAS) EXPERIMENT MUST END AT ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL by JOHN FERNANDEZ - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

WHY THE PARTNERSHIP FOR LOS ANGELES SCHOOLS (PLAS) EXPERIMENT MUST END AT ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL by JOHN FERNANDEZ - Perdaily.com: WHY THE PARTNERSHIP FOR LOS ANGELES SCHOOLS (PLAS) EXPERIMENT MUST END AT ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL by JOHN FERNANDEZ by Leonard Isenberg [image: Dr. John Fernandez.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) * *On December 7, 2007 teachers and parents voted 152-62 in favor of the Mayor's Partnership for Los Angeles Schools (PLAS) to work "collaboratively" with teachers, parents, classified staff, and students to increase student achievement at Roosevelt High School... more »

H.R.426: Race to the Top Act of 2013 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

H.R.426: Race to the Top Act of 2013 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: H.R.426 Race to the Top Act of 2013 Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 1 hour ago To provide incentives for States and local educational agencies to implement comprehensive reforms and innovative strategies that are designed to lead to significant improvement in outcomes for all students and significant reductions in achievement gaps among subgroups of students, and for other purposes. Bill Introduced: S.111 Safety for Our Schoolchildren Act of 2013 Open Congress : Major Bill Actio... more »

Students Last: Time To Be Cruelty-Free

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Students Last: Time To Be Cruelty-Free: Time To Be Cruelty-Free by Students Last Won't you work for cruelty-free schools?*Virginia -* People for the Ethical Treatment of Students (PETS) issued a statement on Monday against the standardized testing industry. ----------- Every year millions of children are routinely tortured in the name of educational measurement. They suffer through cruel, painful and unnecessary field, diagnostic and predictive testing. It has been estimated that at any given minute during the school day, more than 1,100 American children are being tested in some c... more »

Group battling L.A. teachers union raises $1.5 million for March election - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Group battling L.A. teachers union raises $1.5 million for March election - latimes.com: Group battling L.A. teachers union raises $1.5 million for March election An outside group seeking to counter teacher-union influence in the March election for the Los Angeles Board of Education has raised more than $1.5 million, mostly from a small group of wealthy donors who helped fund past campaigns. Education and arts philanthropist Eli Broad leads the way with a contribution of $250,000 to Coalition for School Reform, which includes L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Also in for $250,000 is... more »

Bill Gates and the Cult of Measurement: Efficiency Without Excellence - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Bill Gates and the Cult of Measurement: Efficiency Without Excellence - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: An Open Letter to Bill Gates: Why Not Measure This? by Anthony Cody Yesterday I posted an essay that pointed out that Bill Gates apparently uses a different set of outcomes in choosing a school for his own children than the measurable ones his foundation advocates for the children of the less fortunate. I shared the thoughts of mathematician Cathy O'Neil, who points out ...the person who defines the model defines success, and by obscuring this power behind a data ... more »

District 2 Candidate Skeels' Grassroots Campaign - LA School Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

District 2 Candidate Skeels' Grassroots Campaign - LA School Report: *District 2 Candidate Skeels’ Grassroots Campaign* Posted on February 8, 2013 by Hillel Aron District 2 candidate Skeels stands with supporters There is, arguably, just one School Board candidate running a truly grassroots campaign built on dozens of volunteers and more than a thousand small contributions of as little as $5 — and little else by way of outside support. His name is *Robert Skeels*. Skeels is one of several candidates running for the Eastside District 2 spot on the LAUSD School Board, and will face ... more »

UPDATE: Bumbershoot for Teens Seattle Schools Community Forum: Teachers Carrying Guns at School - That's a Paramount Duty?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Teachers Carrying Guns at School - That's a Paramount Duty?: Teachers Carrying Guns at School - That's a Paramount Duty? by Melissa Westbrook In a newbie display of idiocy, newly elected Rep. Liz Pike (R-Camas) and several other Republicans are sponsoring HB 1788 that would authorize teachers to carry guns at school. Hilariously, here's their name for the bill: *Sec. 1. This act may be known and cited as the safer schools act of 2013.* Given the huge number of accidental shootings in this country, nothing could go wrong here. (The latest is a 3-... more »

Daily Kos: Updating on Leaves on the Current

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Daily Kos: Updating on Leaves on the Current: Updating on Leaves on the Current by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) She was discharged from Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington on Saturday evening, around 7:30 PM and moved into what we call our music room (used to have an upright piano there) with the tv, with a bathroom off it, and with the kitchen and dining room next door. In the week since we have had 5 additional radiation treatments, with this round scheduled for completion on Tuesday. The following Tuesday she will begin her chemotherapy, which will be a combination of peri... more »

Aspects of Whole Child Classrooms — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Aspects of Whole Child Classrooms — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Celina Brennan]Aspects of Whole Child Classrooms February 8, 2013 by Celina Brennan We are in an intense time of change within education; from the Common Core State Standards Initiative, to the rapid advancement of technology, to new teacher and principal evaluation processes. Ordinarily, the changes we face in education are often just old practices with innovative twists. Today's challenging changes are different, requiring educators to dig deeply for a mindset that will withstand and embrace th... more »

UPDATE: Popular backlash against high stakes testing grows stronger NYC Public School Parents: Mayor's Appointees Force Big Testing Contract Despite Looming Classroom Cuts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NYC Public School Parents: Mayor's Appointees Force Big Testing Contract Despite Looming Classroom Cuts: A Guide to Corporate Education "reform" by Leonie Haimson Lots of parents are confused by the large number of education organizations that have sprouted up like weeds in recent years, many of which have “Children” or “Students” in the title, and claim to be working in the interests of children but actually pursuing the free-market ideology of privatizers, hedge funders and billionaires. Yesterday on Diane Ravitch’s blog, I wrote how one could identify these astroturf groups... more »