Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break
In Which I Try To Gather The Shards...
...of Joe Moore's Charter School Logic.
These are rough quotes, not exact. Joe has a lot of reasons why he's doing very very little for neighborhood schools and serving as a Welcome Wagon for the charters.
"I want parents to have the same options that I had."
Moore graduated from Evanston Township High School in 1976. The options he had included a high quality public school, parish schools, or private schools. Charter schools were not in the picture; if they had been, the resources of ETHS would have been drained, and all the kids in the public system would have suffered as a result. The only people who would have benefitted would have been the charter management layer and some real estate people.
What the adults did in 1976 was build up their public community schools; they didn't tear them apart by adding
These are rough quotes, not exact. Joe has a lot of reasons why he's doing very very little for neighborhood schools and serving as a Welcome Wagon for the charters.
"I want parents to have the same options that I had."
Moore graduated from Evanston Township High School in 1976. The options he had included a high quality public school, parish schools, or private schools. Charter schools were not in the picture; if they had been, the resources of ETHS would have been drained, and all the kids in the public system would have suffered as a result. The only people who would have benefitted would have been the charter management layer and some real estate people.
What the adults did in 1976 was build up their public community schools; they didn't tear them apart by adding
Anti-Common Core Bill Filed in Missouri House
HB 616, a bill that would prohibit the Missouri State Board of Education from implementing the Common Core, had its second reading in the Missouri House today. It is sponsored by State Representative Kurt Bahr (R-O’Fallon) and co-sponsored by State Representatives Timothy Jones (R-Eureka), Andrew Koenig (R-Manchester), Doug Funderburk (R-St. Peters), Bryan Spencer (R-Wentzville), Bill Lant (R-Joplin), Dwight Scharnhorst (R-St. Louis), Paul Curtman (R-Pacific), Rick Brattin (R-Harrisonville), Mark Parkinson (R-St. Charles), Lyndall Fraker (R-Marshfield), Nick Marshall (R-Parkville), Sandy Crawford (R-Lebanon), Paul Fitzwater (R-Potosi),Caleb Jones (R-California) and John Diehl (R-Town and Country).
Here is the text of the bill:Section A. Chapter 161, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as
Office for Civil Rights Announces Resolution of Title IX Compliance Review Involving the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation in Evansville, Ind.
The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights today announced the resolution of a Title IX compliance review at the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation in Evansville, Ind.
Four Million!
There are more than 4 million practicing teachers in the United States. To put that figure in some perspective in terms of scale, there are more teachers than administrative assistants and secretaries (3.082 million). And it’s more people than all the doctors and lawyers thrown together (about two million). In other words, teachers are our largest class of B.A. workers. I thought of this in the aftermath of this post about a teacher in Indiana and her attitudes toward gay students and homosexuality more generally.
I got a few notes upset that I’d single out this teacher, ‘why are you highlighting that?’ My first reaction was frankly, whatever. In almost ten years of writing this blog – you can peruse the archives yourself to the right – I’ve never rushed to highlight bad behavior or malfeasance because it’s generally not that interesting. People steal
I got a few notes upset that I’d single out this teacher, ‘why are you highlighting that?’ My first reaction was frankly, whatever. In almost ten years of writing this blog – you can peruse the archives yourself to the right – I’ve never rushed to highlight bad behavior or malfeasance because it’s generally not that interesting. People steal
In Chicago, $98 million in charter school graft is “like picking your nose.”
When the story broke last week that Juan Rangel’s United Neighborhood Organization funneled $98 million dollars in state grants to friends and relatives of higher up in the organization, Patrick O’Connor, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s aldermanic floor leader said, “Nothing being reported means they’ve done anything illegal or improper. It might sound crude, but it’s kind of like picking your nose in public. It looks bad. It’s not classy. But it’s not illegal.”That’s the Chicago Way.
Not Classy.
Looks bad.
Like picking your nose.
Unlike Alderman O’Connor, I’m no expert on nose picking. But the story of the $98 million in graft and corruption
White House Announces 2013 White House Easter Egg Roll
The President and First Lady announced today that this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll will be held on Monday, April 1st. The event will feature live music, sports courts, cooking stations, storytelling and, of course, Easter egg rolling. In support of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative to ensure that all our children grow up healthy and reach their full potential, the activities will encourage children to lead healthy, active lives. The White House will open its South Lawn for children ages 13 years and younger and their families.
White House Easter Egg Roll tickets will be distributed through an online lottery system, allowing guests from
White House Easter Egg Roll tickets will be distributed through an online lottery system, allowing guests from
A Selection Of Nelson Mandela Videos
We’re in the minds of our ninth-grade English unit on Nelson Mandela, and here are several videos I’m adding toThe Best Sites For Learning About Nelson Mandela:
UTLA-PACE Attacks District 4 Challenger Anderson
An election mailer sent out this week by UTLA-PACE is just the latest negative entry in the high-stakes LAUSD election.
UTLA-PACE’s new mailer targets candidate Kate Anderson, who is running against LAUSD Board incumbentSteve Zimmer for a seat representing the Westside and Hollywood’s District 4.
Among other things, the mailer accuses Anderson of wanting “to use school board as a path to higher office,” and criticizes her for missing a high number of meetings when she served for three years on the LA County Child Care Planning Committee. Click here to see the front and back of the mailer.
The 2013 LAUSD Board races are getting ever-closer to breaking $4.5 million school board election spending records. As LA School Report has noted, negative ads have already begun and could increase in the next two
Image of Kate Anderson from UTLA-PACE mailer
UTLA-PACE’s new mailer targets candidate Kate Anderson, who is running against LAUSD Board incumbentSteve Zimmer for a seat representing the Westside and Hollywood’s District 4.Among other things, the mailer accuses Anderson of wanting “to use school board as a path to higher office,” and criticizes her for missing a high number of meetings when she served for three years on the LA County Child Care Planning Committee. Click here to see the front and back of the mailer.
The 2013 LAUSD Board races are getting ever-closer to breaking $4.5 million school board election spending records. As LA School Report has noted, negative ads have already begun and could increase in the next two
City school bus drivers union weighing request to end strike
Months of tortuous and torturous commutes could end as soon as next week for the tens of thousands of students whose school bus drivers have been on strike for the last month.
Five mayoral candidates who have supported the drivers’ demands for seniority protections in city contracts have asked the Amalgamated Transit Union to end the strike, and the union’s national and local leaders have said
Five mayoral candidates who have supported the drivers’ demands for seniority protections in city contracts have asked the Amalgamated Transit Union to end the strike, and the union’s national and local leaders have said
Bloomberg rep lone vote to keep guns in teacher pension fund
The city’s $46.6 billion teacher pension system sold its shares in the firearms industry yesterday, becoming the country’s largest retirement fund to divest from publicly-traded gun manufacturers since December’s elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn., Comptroller John Liu announced today.
But the vote to do so wasn’t unanimous — and the single dissenting ballot came from a member appointed by the city’s most powerful gun control advocate: Mayor Bloomberg.
Ray Sarola, acting as a fill-in for Bloomberg appointee Carolyn Wolpert, voted against divestment during an
But the vote to do so wasn’t unanimous — and the single dissenting ballot came from a member appointed by the city’s most powerful gun control advocate: Mayor Bloomberg.
Ray Sarola, acting as a fill-in for Bloomberg appointee Carolyn Wolpert, voted against divestment during an
District Makes Student Achievement (TEST SCORES) 30% of Teacher Evaluation*
But UTLA President Warren Fletcher says that the guidelines may violate the underlying agreement, which was ratified by UTLA on January 19th and approved by the School Board on Tuesday.
Under the new guidelines from LAUSD, assessment of student progress will account for up to 30% of a teacher’s total evaluation, comprised both of individual test scores and school-wide Academic Growth Over Time (or AGT).
Part of LAUSD teacher performance evaluation now tied to student test data
Thirty percent of a teacher's performance evaluation will be tied to student test data as part of a system designed to better gauge an educator's effectiveness, LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy announced Friday.
The Best Multimedia On The Russian Meteor
As I’m sure everybody knows by now, a meteor hit Russia earlier today causing damage and injuring hundreds.
Here are some resources on the event:
The New York Times has a fascinating collage of videos.
Meteor falls over Russia is from the CBBC Newsround.
Here are some resources on the event:
The New York Times has a fascinating collage of videos.
Meteor falls over Russia is from the CBBC Newsround.
Education Roundup for the Week Ending February 15, 2013
SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Education (CDE) today issued this week's Education Roundup of education-related announcements of public interest.
CDE Cosponsors Summit to Help African-American
CDE Cosponsors Summit to Help African-American
Students Succeed Academically
The CDE is cosponsoring an important summit next week in Sacramento titled "Strategies to Increase Excellence in Education for African-American Students 
" The event is designed to spotlight practical and alternative solutions to help increase the academic achievement of African-American students.
" The event is designed to spotlight practical and alternative solutions to help increase the academic achievement of African-American students.
African-American students have historically fallen below national norms in student achievement and performance measures. Their graduation rates, dropout rates, receipt of special education services, and rates of suspension and expulsion are also critical concerns.
The event is designed for anyone in the education community interested in discussing effective solutions to these issues. People can sign up online for the summit through the California Association of African-American Superintendents and Administrator'sWeb site.
The three-day summit at the Sacramento Sheraton Grand Hotel is also cosponsored by the California Association of African-American Superintendents and Administrators and the Association of California School Administrators.
CDE Division Director Wins National Afterschool Honor
CDE After School Division Director Michael Funk was named this month as a State Afterschool Champion by the Afterschool Alliance. Funk earned the title for his ceaseless support of afterschool programs.
Funk was one of 19 state champions named from around the country and honored at a Breakfast for Champions gala event in Washington, D.C., by the Afterschool Alliance. The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to ensure all children have access to quality afterschool programs.
is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to ensure all children have access to quality afterschool programs.
Funk has been a leader in ensuring access to afterschool programs for low-income children. He was a founder and director of the Sunset Neighborhood Beacon Center in San Francisco, where he worked to ensure that the program was student-centered, meaningful, and life-changing. He is committed to ensuring all of California's publicly funded programs do the same.
In January 2012, Funk became the Director of CDE's newly formed After School Division, which had been a unit of another division until the recent CDE realignment. The creation of a new division to provide leadership and support to afterschool programs is part of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson's A Blueprint for Great Schools initiative.
# # # #
Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Travel to Houston to Visit Lee High School, Take Part in NBA Day of Service, Participate in a Google Hangout, and Play in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game
Thompson: How Do We Engage Students in Learning for the 21st Century?
So, charter school advocate Joe Nathan deserves a hat tip for "Student 'Engagement' Declining Dramatically - and What Schools Can Do." which summarizes a 2012 Gallup poll of almost 500,000
Washington House passes bill to stop variable tuition
Four-year colleges were given permission to set different tuition rates for different majors in 2011, but none has put the idea into practice.
Belkin Tablet Stage Named One of 20 Hottest EdTech Products at TCEA 2013 by K-12 TechDecisions
Belkin today announced that its recently announced Tablet Stage was named by K-12 TechDecisions as one of the 20 Hottest EdTech Products at TCEA (Texas Computer Education Association) 2013 which took place last week. The Belkin Tablet Stage is an ergonomic stand for tablets that makes classroom presentations easy to deliver and, coupled with the Belkin Stage app for iPad, reduces the expense of outfitting a digital classroom.
More than 400 companies at TCEA 2013 featured products that included tablets, interactive projectors, a 3D
More than 400 companies at TCEA 2013 featured products that included tablets, interactive projectors, a 3D
INFOGRAPHIC: How do First and Second Generation Hispanic Americans Compare?
Half of the 44 million immigrants who have come to the United States since 1965 have been from Latin America. Currently, there are 50.3 million Hispanics living in the U.S. and studies show that Hispanics will represent an even larger percentage of the total population in only a few years.As first and second generations of Hispanic Americans thrive in the U.S., PewResearch has created a report comparing numerous socioeconomic factors between these two groups.
Check out Hispanically Speaking News’ infographic representing this information.
Published in Latino Daily News