Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break
Chicago parents pass petitions at 37 schools to limit CPS testing
More Than a Score press release – Feb 6, 2013Chicago parents pass petitions at 37 schools to limit CPS testing
Joining National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP Test Boycott
Chicago, IL: Demanding fewer standardized tests in their children’s schools, and more test transparency from the district, parents of children in 37 Chicago public schools gathered signatures before and after school today on a new petition created by the parent, teacher, student and community coalition, “More Than a Score.”
The event is also a show of support for the Feb. 6 National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP Test Boycott.
The petitions ask CPS and the Chicago Board of Education to limit standardized testing and provide more
Finding Middle Ground in a New UTLA
The first time I gave birth, it took 28 hours. It was painful. I had hallucinations. My doctor threatened me several times with a C-section, throwing me into a panic of pushing. When my baby arrived, my dad took the glass of Dom Perignon out of my hand and said, “you’re not going to poison my granddaughter with that!” And even though my baby was sweet and lovely, that was the moment the real pain began, (and it lasted 25 years).
Kind of like giving birth to a new United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA).
It’s been almost three years since I first met Jordan Henry, Jeff Herrold, Geroge Crowder, Wes Farrow, Bob Scott, Mike Stryer, Kathy Hagerman, James Encinas and Kelsey Cushing – the nucleus of NewTLA who made me feel welcome and showed me the ropes. We sat together at UTLA House of Reps meetings and gaped at each other in wonder while then- president A.J. Duffy led fabulously riotous meetings where people hissed (hissed!) whenever certain politicians were mentioned. Mike and Bob guided us in using Robert’s Rules of Order. In 2011, Warren Fletcher took the reins of the union and started gently guiding our rhetoric in a different
Guest Blog for Diane Ravitch
US Dept.of Education Faces Pushback on School Closures
By Candi Peterson
Last week on January 29, 2013, activists arrived in Washington, DC for what has been described as a "Journey for Justice."Seventeen cities were represented including: Atlanta, Ga., Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, District of Columbia, Detroit, Eupora- (Miss), Hartford, Kansas City- (Mo.), Newark, New York, L.A., New Orleans, Oakland, Philadelphia and Witchita, Ks. Among their chief demands is a call to the US Department of Education's civil rights office to end top down discriminatory closings of public schools, phase outs and turn-arounds nationally and the sabotage and disinvestment of public schools.
According to an AP article titled “SchoolTurn-arounds Prompt Community Backlash”, written by Christina Hoag on Feb. 5, 2013 - “The U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) civil rights office has
The Paterson Collegiate Charter School Application: A New Direction For New Jersey Charter Schools, Part I
NEA President: ESEA Reauthorization Must Focus on Equity in Education
Democrats want to tweak HOPE Scholarship again. Give full HOPE to top 3 percent of class
Kind of like giving birth to a new United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA).
It’s been almost three years since I first met Jordan Henry, Jeff Herrold, Geroge Crowder, Wes Farrow, Bob Scott, Mike Stryer, Kathy Hagerman, James Encinas and Kelsey Cushing – the nucleus of NewTLA who made me feel welcome and showed me the ropes. We sat together at UTLA House of Reps meetings and gaped at each other in wonder while then- president A.J. Duffy led fabulously riotous meetings where people hissed (hissed!) whenever certain politicians were mentioned. Mike and Bob guided us in using Robert’s Rules of Order. In 2011, Warren Fletcher took the reins of the union and started gently guiding our rhetoric in a different
Guest Blog for Diane Ravitch
Dear readers:
Please utilize this link to access my guest post today on Diane Ravitch's blog. It includes a brief summary of the shocking attacks on the teaching profession in Louisiana. I am very honored to have been asked to submit a guest post for this prestigious blog.
Thanks,
Mike Deshotels
Please utilize this link to access my guest post today on Diane Ravitch's blog. It includes a brief summary of the shocking attacks on the teaching profession in Louisiana. I am very honored to have been asked to submit a guest post for this prestigious blog.
Thanks,
Mike Deshotels
US Dept.of Education Faces Pushback on School Closures
Last week on January 29, 2013, activists arrived in Washington, DC for what has been described as a "Journey for Justice."Seventeen cities were represented including: Atlanta, Ga., Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, District of Columbia, Detroit, Eupora- (Miss), Hartford, Kansas City- (Mo.), Newark, New York, L.A., New Orleans, Oakland, Philadelphia and Witchita, Ks. Among their chief demands is a call to the US Department of Education's civil rights office to end top down discriminatory closings of public schools, phase outs and turn-arounds nationally and the sabotage and disinvestment of public schools.
According to an AP article titled “SchoolTurn-arounds Prompt Community Backlash”, written by Christina Hoag on Feb. 5, 2013 - “The U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) civil rights office has
The Paterson Collegiate Charter School Application: A New Direction For New Jersey Charter Schools, Part I
It's no secret that Commissioner Cerf has been making lots of changes at the New Jersey Department of Education. The Charter School Office is no exception. One of the changes implemented in 2012 was to the charter application process. The October application cycle, which in 2011 was nothing more than an expedited round for all and any applicants, (42 to be exact...) is now reserved solely for "existing operators with demonstrable experience." It's become a two phase application process, with only a certain portion of the applicants submitting Phase One applications moving on to Phase Two.
When Commissioner Cerf testified before the Senate Education Committee last week he reiterated what both he and Governor Christie have been saying for a while now - he is focusing charter growth in urban, not suburban areas.
When Commissioner Cerf testified before the Senate Education Committee last week he reiterated what both he and Governor Christie have been saying for a while now - he is focusing charter growth in urban, not suburban areas.
Our old friends at the Star Ledger Editorial Board like to pretend Cerf is focusing on urban districts because he is
NEA President: ESEA Reauthorization Must Focus on Equity in Education
By John Rosales
When the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee meets on Thursday to take a closer look at NCLB waivers, Pam Geisseihardt will be hanging on every syllable spoken by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and several state education chiefs who are scheduled to testify. And she will be wishing she were there in the hot seat, again.
“Oh, gosh, I would love to talk to those people again and tell them what the real world is like,” says Geisseihardt, Gifted and Talented coordinator for the Adair County School District in Columbia, Kentucky. An educator for 28 years, Geisseihardt spoke before the HELP Committee in 2011 on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly known as No Child Left Behind.
“They need to get down to the grassroots and hash things out,” she says. “The closer the discussion gets to the target group, that is, local schools and districts, the better.”
The National Education Association welcomes the hearing as a catalyst to reauthorizing the Elementary and
When the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee meets on Thursday to take a closer look at NCLB waivers, Pam Geisseihardt will be hanging on every syllable spoken by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and several state education chiefs who are scheduled to testify. And she will be wishing she were there in the hot seat, again.
“Oh, gosh, I would love to talk to those people again and tell them what the real world is like,” says Geisseihardt, Gifted and Talented coordinator for the Adair County School District in Columbia, Kentucky. An educator for 28 years, Geisseihardt spoke before the HELP Committee in 2011 on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly known as No Child Left Behind.
“They need to get down to the grassroots and hash things out,” she says. “The closer the discussion gets to the target group, that is, local schools and districts, the better.”
The National Education Association welcomes the hearing as a catalyst to reauthorizing the Elementary and
Democrats want to tweak HOPE Scholarship again. Give full HOPE to top 3 percent of class
The Democrats in the Senate are getting busy on education issues.
One of their chief targets is the Zell Miller Scholarship, the top tier HOPE award that goes to high school graduates who perform well in both GPA and SAT. Democrats want to expand the scholarship to students who graduate in the top 3 percent, regardless of their SAT score.
Zell Miller scholars must graduate high school as the valedictorian or salutatorian, or with at least a 3.7 grade-
One of their chief targets is the Zell Miller Scholarship, the top tier HOPE award that goes to high school graduates who perform well in both GPA and SAT. Democrats want to expand the scholarship to students who graduate in the top 3 percent, regardless of their SAT score.
Zell Miller scholars must graduate high school as the valedictorian or salutatorian, or with at least a 3.7 grade-
Accountability to its extreme: Wisconsin teacher pens a hilarious essay on his family's love rating system: Chalk It Up
Hey, if the family's love for each other is not statistically measured and publicly reported, how will they be motivated to keep the love flowing?
How about 'Beaverton: We graduate more students than PPS?' Beaverton schools hire a PR firm: Chalk It Up
Beaverton schools are spending $58,000 for a PR expert to help them burnish their image. They'll start by listening to a lot of focus groups and could end up suggesting a signature slogan for Oregon's third-largest district
Chinese, American students study together in OUSD schools
Feb 6, 2013, 6 a.m.OCEANSIDE — For 32 Chinese students visiting Lincoln and King middle schools in Oceanside this week, the lessons learned were not just about math, science and geography. The students also were learning about American education, and said they liked what they saw. “In China, our class is silent,” said Yang Weryu, 12, whose American name is Cecilia. “Only the teacher can talk. The class here is more funny and interesting.” The school days also are shorter and the homework is lighter, but classroom lessons also are more engaging and thought-provoking, she and other students said about their American experience. Foreign visitors are nothing new at Lincoln Middle School, where teacher Eli Alvarado introduced an exchange program with German students 17 years ago. But this was the first year the school was host to students from China, he said about the
“Brainy Box” Is A Winner!
Russel Tarr has created lots of great online learning tools, and I’ve blogged about many of them.
His latest is called Brainy Box, and it lets you easily create a 3-D animated cube with any content you want to include in it. Students will love it.
It’s like Read Write Think’s well-known Cube Creator — but with ten times more features!
His latest is called Brainy Box, and it lets you easily create a 3-D animated cube with any content you want to include in it. Students will love it.
It’s like Read Write Think’s well-known Cube Creator — but with ten times more features!
public prek primer 2013
Public Prek is the fours year. They are housed in public schools and they are free for everyone, no matter your income (the "universal" in UPK). Some programs are half day and some are full day (it depends on what the school provides) and they are all 5 days programs.When the DoE releases this year's information it will be located here.
The application period for prek begins March 4, 2013.
The application deadline is April 5, 2013.
You will hear about your placement in early June.
Registration for prek will be June 5 - June 19.
SUNY Geneseo forum promotes proactive steps against bullying
NYSUT's ongoing campaign about the dangers of bullying reached more than 1,000 students, educators and community activists this week during a day-long forum at SUNY Geneseo that focused on prevention and proactive responses.
State AFL-CIO president discusses leadership with NYSUT activists