Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, March 9, 2013

2nd Banana 3-9-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u



BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA 

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST



Not What They Signed Up For? International students complain about the quality of education at an unaccredited California institution | Inside Higher Ed

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
International students complain about the quality of education at an unaccredited California institution | Inside Higher Ed: Not What They Signed Up For? February 18, 2013 - 3:00am By Elizabeth Redden When Albert Anarwat applied to the for-profit Aristotle University, in California, the Ghanaian student said he asked the university if the institution was accredited. Not only was he told yes, he said, but he also was told that if the university was not accredited, “How could they get a SEVIS number” – SEVIS being the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. In othe... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 26 minutes 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 »

Taking Responsibility: Who Signs Off on Learning? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Taking Responsibility: Who Signs Off on Learning? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Taking Responsibility: Who Signs Off on Learning? by Nancy Flanagan In three decades of classroom teaching, I was a participant in hundreds of parent meetings convened because there were concerns about a student's academic performance. These meetings invariably ended by creating an action plan, with everyone present making promises about What Will Happen Next. More often than not, parents and teachers agreed to additional duties: Daily planner checks at home. Weekly written prog... more »

BREAKING NEWS: AFT president Randi Weingarten was among a group of protesters arrested in Philadelphia

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Tell Mayor Nutter to fix, not close, Philadelphia’s public schools.: *BREAKING NEWS:* AFT president Randi Weingarten was among a group of protesters arrested in Philadelphia this evening for engaging in civil disobedience to protest the city’s proposed public school closures. *Show your support for this courageous action. Tell Mayor Michael Nutter to fix, not close, Philadelphia’s public schools.* Mayor Nutter and the School Reform Commission want to close 29 of the city’s public schools, a reckless strategy that won’t help kids and won’t save money. These harmful closures will... more »

Joy Resmovits: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Group Opens South Carolina Outfit; Common Core Supporters Strike Back: Ed Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Joy Resmovits: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Group Opens South Carolina Outfit; Common Core Supporters Strike Back: Ed Today: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Group Opens South Carolina Outfit; Common Core Supporters Strike Back: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Michelle Rhee Sets Up Shop In SC* StudentsFirst, the former D.C. chancellor's national lobbying group, is branching out into South Carolina, reports the Post and Courier. The paper notes that SC received a "D" grade on SF's recent policy report card -- not exactly stellar. On the group's SC agenda: turnarounds, teacher... more »

Indian River SB Member Assails Ed Commish Robinson, Calls for Return of Local Control | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Indian River SB Member Assails Ed Commish Robinson, Calls for Return of Local Control | Scathing Purple Musings: Indian River SB Member Assails Ed Commish Robinson, Calls for Return of Local Control by Bob Sikes Reminding readers that Florida’s education commissioner Gerard Robinson is an “appointed” official, Indian River school board member Claudia Jimenez supported her board’s passage of a Resolution on High-Stakes Testing. She concluded her opinion piece in *TCPalm* this way: The cumbersome and counterproductive emphasis on testing fails its stated goal of using student eval... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Scrap the Map Event at UW

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Scrap the Map Event at UW: Ed Reform Flowchart by Melissa Westbrook A very nifty flowchart from our friends at the Seattle Education blog (Sue Peters and Dora Taylor) showing the "lines of influence" both nationally and locally. They created this awhile back and admit it needs updating like the line between Gates and the Alliance, that Goodloe-Johnson is gone, and there are even more connections than ever in 2013. Scrap the Map Event at UW by Melissa Westbrook From Scrap the Map: Standardized testing discussion at University of Washin... more »

VIDEO: Randi Weingarten Arrested For Protesting Philadelphia School Closure Hearing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Randi Weingarten Arrested For Protesting Philadelphia School Closure Hearing: Randi Weingarten Arrested For Protesting Philadelphia School Closure Hearing by Joy Resmovits NEW YORK -- Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, was arrested Thursday afternoon for blocking a school reform hearing in Philadelphia, an AFT spokesperson told The Huffington Post. Weingarten reportedly stood outside the meeting of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission, in which the group was supposed to decide which Philadelphia Public Schools would clos... more »

The U.S. Education System Is Not Failing | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
The U.S. Education System Is Not Failing | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: The U.S. Education System Is Not Failing by National Association of State Boards of Education *By Steve Berlin, Senior Communications Manager of the National Association of State Boards of Education(NASBE)* The American education system — inasmuch as it's actually a system — is *not * failing. For readers stunned by a phrase not often seen in print these days, I repeat: The U.S. education system is *not* failing. I know that's not a popular position these days, but it is the right one. The... more »

National Online Teacher of the Year - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
National Online Teacher of the Year - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Congratulates California Teacher Chosen as National Online Teacher of the Year SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today congratulated Renee Citlau, an online teacher at Cypress High School and a lead online teacher for the Anaheim Union High School District, for being named the 2013 National Online Teacher of the Year by the Southern Regional Education Board and the International Association for K-12 Online Learning. "Renee clearly has the speci... more »

Diane in the Evening Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Corporate Reform in Idaho by dianerav A reader in Boise sends the following comment about the trial of Khan Academy videos, funded by the Albertson Foundation: From the article linked in Diane’s post: “The statewide pilot received $1.5 million for training, technology, technical assistance and assessment from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation.” The Albertson Foundation has given over $500 million to Idaho schools over the years, but for the past few years its efforts have been devoted to promoting some... more »

UPDATE: School Tech Connect: Maybe I'm Wrong...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Maybe I'm Wrong...: Maybe I'm Wrong... by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) ...but, what the hell does this even mean? Chicago ACTS has pushed for all charter school operators to agree to a code of conduct protecting the rights of charter school staff that choose to organize for a voice at their school. *We now have received a commitment from the management of UNO Charter Schools to respect your rights to choose to have a union.* This means you can feel confident in openly learning about and discussing how a union of teachers and staff at UNO schools can empo... more »

UPDATE: Oberlin Hate Crimes + Cooper Union Is Still Tuition-Free |

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Cooper Union Is Still Tuition-Free |: Were the Oberlin Hate Crimes Hoaxes? Sure Doesn’t Look Like It. by Angus Johnston Oberlin College has seen no fewer than seven alleged bias incidents in the last month — five separate acts of racist and homophobic graffiti, one robbery, and a sighting of a figure in a klan robe. The college cancelled classes this Monday for a series of all-campus events relating to the incidents, and as many as a third of Oberlin’s undergraduates are said to have attended a rally against hate that afternoon. Recently, however, some have alleged that the whole s... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 3-7-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* *CORPORATE ED REFORM* * * Chicago Students Boycott the NAEP to Demand Safety by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Leslie Leon with Yoseling Cueto.* Hello my name is Leslie Leon. I am an 18 year old senior at Gage Park High School on Chicago Southwest side. I was born in Chicago, Illinois but raised in Imlay city, Michigan. My parents only wanted the best for my family, therefore we moved to Michigan for a safer life. My parents decided to move back to my hometown in 2010. My life took a whole "U" turn. Everything was different, I couldn't a... more »

AFT leader Randi Weingarten arrested for protesting school closings hearing in Phillie

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
AFT leader Randi Weingarten arrested for protesting school closings hearing in Phillie: * * AFT leader Randi Weingarten arrested for protesting school closings hearing in Phillie Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 7, 2013 at 8:09 pm 2 Comments More [image: Randi Weingarten being put under arrest. (Photo By Helen Gym)] Randi Weingarten being put under arrest. (Photo By Helen Gym) American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten was arrested along with 18 other activists in Philadelphia today as they were protesting a hearing by the School Reform Commission on a plan to close n... more »

VIDEO: Randi Weingarten Arrested For Protesting Philadelphia School Closure Hearing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Randi Weingarten Arrested For Protesting Philadelphia School Closure Hearing: Randi Weingarten Arrested For Protesting Philadelphia School Closure Hearing by Joy Resmovits NEW YORK -- Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, was arrested Thursday afternoon for blocking a school reform hearing in Philadelphia, an AFT spokesperson told The Huffington Post. Weingarten reportedly stood outside the meeting of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission, in which the group was supposed to decide which Philadelphia Public Schools would clos... more »

BREAKING NEWS: AFT president Randi Weingarten was among a group of protesters arrested in Philadelphia

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Tell Mayor Nutter to fix, not close, Philadelphia’s public schools.: *BREAKING NEWS:* AFT president Randi Weingarten was among a group of protesters arrested in Philadelphia this evening for engaging in civil disobedience to protest the city’s proposed public school closures. *Show your support for this courageous action. Tell Mayor Michael Nutter to fix, not close, Philadelphia’s public schools.* Mayor Nutter and the School Reform Commission want to close 29 of the city’s public schools, a reckless strategy that won’t help kids and won’t save money. These harmful closures will... more »

Breaking News: New Group to Oppose Corporate Reforms by Diane Ravitch - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Breaking News: New Group to Oppose Corporate Reforms by Diane Ravitch - Perdaily.com: Breaking News: New Group to Oppose Corporate Reforms by Diane Ravitch by Leonard Isenberg [image: Diane Ravitch 2.jpeg] (Mensaje se repite en Español)Breaking News: New Group to Oppose Corporate Reformsby dianerav Dear Friends, It is time to organize to support our children, our schools, and our educators against the well-funded attacks on them. Please join me and a group of education leaders from across the country in building a movement for improving and strengthening our schools with research-b... more »

Diane in the Evening 3-7-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: THE NETWORK FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION (CLICK PICTURE) [image: The Network for Public Education (click picture)] WE ARE MANY. THERE IS POWER IN OUR NUMBERS. TOGETHER, WE WILL SAVE OUR SCHOOLS. THE NETWORK FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION CPS Plans to Close Schools, Increase Class Sizes by dianerav I just received a press release from the Chicago Teachers Union, alerting the public that CPS plans to close schools and to increase class sizes. To call this “reform” is outrageous. The children in Chicago needs smaller classes, not... more »

UPDATE: 119 of the 129 CPS schools on the closing list are in Black communities. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
119 of the 129 CPS schools on the closing list are in Black communities. | Fred Klonsky: Breaking: Action in the Illinois House on teacher pensions. by Fred Klonsky Three pension amendments to HB 1154 were debated on the House floor this afternoon. *Floor amendment #7 passed 65-7.* Amendments 6 and 8 failed. The amendments to House Bill 1154 included the following: - Limits/freezes pensionable salary of TRS employees to the greater of the Social Security base for the previous year (currently $113,700), or the annual salary of the member in the previous year – does not appl... more »

UPDATE: Rank, RANK amateurism from #PARCC tools and #commoncore + The Algebra of the Market: “Equality” Does Not Equal “Equity” – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The Algebra of the Market: “Equality” Does Not Equal “Equity” – @ the chalk face: Rank, RANK amateurism from #PARCC tools and #commoncore by Chalk Face, PhD I’ve commented on this previously. And one more here. I had forwarded to me an email message about PARCC releasing some kind of planning tools to get ready for the big assessments. I decided to examine the prototypes again to see if there was anything different. They’re the SAME things they released in November when I first looked at them. The exact same. But here’s what I want to emphasize, and this is REALLY important, so rea... more »

Joy Resmovits: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Group Opens South Carolina Outfit; Common Core Supporters Strike Back: Ed Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Joy Resmovits: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Group Opens South Carolina Outfit; Common Core Supporters Strike Back: Ed Today: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Group Opens South Carolina Outfit; Common Core Supporters Strike Back: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Michelle Rhee Sets Up Shop In SC* StudentsFirst, the former D.C. chancellor's national lobbying group, is branching out into South Carolina, reports the Post and Courier. The paper notes that SC received a "D" grade on SF's recent policy report card -- not exactly stellar. On the group's SC agenda: turnarounds, teacher... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-7-13 Breaking News: New Group to Oppose Corporate Reforms Diane Ravitch's blog

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] Idaho Will Use Khan Academy Videos by dianerav Idaho will introduce Khan Academy videos to 10,000 students in 47 schools, a mix of public, private, and charter. The videos will teach math, science, history, and art. The project is underwritten by a local Idaho foundation. I would like to hear from teachers who have reviewed the Khan Academy videos. What do you think of them? NBCT Teacher Beats Rhee Candidate in West Sacramento by dianerav National Board Certified... more »

Guess the grade level of this Common Core homework. – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Guess the grade level of this Common Core homework. – @ the chalk face: Guess the grade level of this Common Core homework. by Chris Cerrone [image: 525350_4597216456332_477444975_n] Scroll down beyond my brief rant to find the answer. Let me start off by saying that I believe in challenging my 7th grade students and want the same for my own children. There is a significant difference between getting kids to strive beyond the basics and crossing the line to complete a task that is inappropriate for a certain age group. *At the Chalkface* has explored the issue of the Common Core and ... more »

School Tech Connect: The Queen of Failure

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
School Tech Connect: The Queen of Failure: The Queen of Failure First the Koch brothers fail. Now Bloomberg and Rhee. Every day people, who actually send their kids to public schools, are on to the fact that these people are doing a hell of a lot more harm than good.

UPDATE: Seattle Times on a Rampage + Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Commission Members-Early Parsing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Commission Members-Early Parsing: Seattle Times on a Rampage by Charlie Mas Man, the Seattle Times is pulling out all the stops in the days before retreating behind a paywall. There are several inflammatory articles and columns about education on the Times web site right now. You would think it was just before an election instead of just after one. Feds probing Seattle schools’ treatment of black students This story is about a U.S. Department of Education investigation into whether black students in Seattle schools are puni... more »

Diane in the Evening 3-6-13 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: Nashville: Charter School Sticker Shock by dianerav The Metro Nashville school board was surprised to learn that new charter schools will absorb millions of dollars from the district’s budget, with more on the way. The state legislature is about to approve legislation to override the veto of local school boards, so Nashville is sure to get more charters than it wants or needs. TFA Wins Award for Hubris by dianerav Louisiana is in a budget crisis, and Governor Bobby Jindal has been closing hospitals that serve... more »

This Community Won't Back Down | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
This Community Won't Back Down | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: This Community Won't Back Down by Kate_Lenox [image: Home] The Bee editorial board is concerned that the SCUSD school board will be perceived as acting unfairly by failing to close Mark Twain or Tahoe Elementary, in addition to the schools already closed. Evidently none of the Bee editorial board watched the SCUSD board meeting streaming online. If they had, they would know that the SCUSD board has already been accused of unfairness in the closure of seven elementary schools. The hasty process u... more »

Big data and schools: Education nirvana or privacy nightmare? | Digital

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Big data and schools: Education nirvana or privacy nightmare? | Digital: Big data and schools: Education nirvana or privacy nightmare? by Anya Kamenetz [image: Big data and schools: Education nirvana or privacy nightmare?] InBloom, a nonprofit startup founded with funding from the Gates Foundation and Carnegie Corporation, is taking center stage and spreading around some significant funds as an official sponsor of the South by Southwest Education conference in Austin, Texas this week. They hosted the official opening night party on Tuesday, are sponsoring a "networking lounge" with ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Depressing Suspension Investigation of SPS

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Depressing Suspension Investigation of SPS: Depressing Suspension Investigation of SPS by Melissa Westbrook The Times has a sad story this morning about a federal investigation by the US Department of Education against SPS over discipline rates of African Americans. The Times does point out that this information is really nothing new. The district (and parents) have know about this for years and yet it is still the case. *African-American students are suspended from school more than three times as often as white students from elementary school... more »

Taking Responsibility: Who Signs Off on Learning? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Taking Responsibility: Who Signs Off on Learning? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Taking Responsibility: Who Signs Off on Learning? by Nancy Flanagan In three decades of classroom teaching, I was a participant in hundreds of parent meetings convened because there were concerns about a student's academic performance. These meetings invariably ended by creating an action plan, with everyone present making promises about What Will Happen Next. More often than not, parents and teachers agreed to additional duties: Daily planner checks at home. Weekly written prog... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-6-13 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] A Parent Reflects on the LA Election by dianerav This parent was not opposed to charters. She didn’t pay much attention to battles over school issues, although her own children attend a public school in Los Angeles. But when she realized that millions of dollars were flowing into the school board race, many from out of state, she began to realize that something big was going on. She realized that the big money was interested in something other than its stated ... more »

UPDATE: Sometimes words are simply insufficient Daily Kos: Maureen Dowd takes apart Dick Cheney

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Daily Kos: Maureen Dowd takes apart Dick Cheney: Sometimes words are simply insufficient by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) to express the horror and shame one can feel. That does not even come close to describe what i felt when a friend passed on a link, i opened it, and read From El Salvador to Iraq: Washington's man behind brutal police squads in *The Guardian*. The subtitle on the web page does not give you the full impact, but will point you at what to expect: In 2004, with the war in Iraq going from bad to worse, the US drafted in a veteran of Central America's dirty wars to ... more »

How closing schools hurts neighborhoods

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
How closing schools hurts neighborhoods: How closing schools hurts neighborhoods Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 6, 2013 at 6:00 am 0 Comments More [image: (thenotebook.org)] (thenotebook.org) On Thursday, the Philadelphia school district’s governing board, the School Reform Commission, will be voting on the most massive one-time downsizing of the system ever proposed. The district’s recently revised plan, which has encountered widespread community and teacher opposition, calls for closing 29 out of 239 district schools next fall – a step down from the original proposal to shutte... more »

Duncan and Gates Plan Documercial About Teachers: "Gotcha!" - DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Duncan and Gates Plan Documercial About Teachers: "Gotcha!" - DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News: Duncan and Gates Plan Documercial About Teachers: “Gotcha!” by Susan Ohanian [image: apple1] Arne Duncan, U. S. Secretary of Education, and Bill Gates, who needs no introduction, have teamed up as co-producers of a new 32-part education documercial “Gotcha!” Hosted by Oprah, the program will kick off NBC’s EducationNation 2013. The opening show explains the new law requiring teachers to wear radio-frequency identification tags that can be read... more »

Live-Tweeted Election Night Coverage - LA School Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Live-Tweeted Election Night Coverage - LA School Report: Live-Tweeted Election Night Coverage Alexander Russo at LA School Report - 2 minutes ago Watch live Twitter coverage from @laschoolreport here, in between blog updates. LAUSD School Board: Election Coverage Tonight LA School Report at LA School Report - 4 hours ago Visit LA School Report for live updates on the vote tally for the three School Board races, via the Office of the City Clerk of Los Angeles, starting at 8:30pm PST. We’re also live-tweeting election results @LASchoolReport. Deasy in Danger? It Might Depend on Vlado... more »

Schools Matter: MA Resistance to High Stakes Grows Among Professors

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Schools Matter: MA Resistance to High Stakes Grows Among Professors: MA Resistance to High Stakes Grows Among Professors by Jim Horn Please share this widely. JH __________________ [image: Opt Out of High Stakes Testing] Dear friends and colleagues, Thank you once again for supporting the Massachusetts Statement Against High-Stakes Testing. We wanted you to know that on February 19th, we sent out this press release to the MA Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, as well as to state and national media outlets, education reporters, and blogs. The media attention has been ... more »

A Suspension of Time and School | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
A Suspension of Time and School | The Jose Vilson: A Suspension of Time and School by Jose Vilson [image: Empty Chair] Empty Chair You weren’t supposed to come back. Even though you were on our school’s roster, rumor had it that your guardian put you in a different school, and you’d no longer half-bounce into my class, calling one of your friends a “nigga-what-the-fuck” for something they allegedly did to you. Before you came back, you only knew me as the second math teacher, the Black-possibly-Dominican guy who came in to help your math teacher at the time. You’d go off on one of ... more »

Special Episode of At the Chalk Face with Carol Burris 03/05 by Chalk Face | Blog Talk Radio

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Special Episode of At the Chalk Face with Carol Burris 03/05 by Chalk Face | Blog Talk Radio: Special Episode of At the Chalk Face with Carol Burris [image: Chalk Face] Chalk Face Tue, March 5, 2013 02:00 pm Play in your default playerDownload this episodeOpen in new window - - - - Share On LinkedinLinkedIn - Share On Emailemail - - EMBED 3.5.13: Another very special episode of At the Chalk Face, your favorite progressive education talk radio show, this time with Carol Burris, of NY Principals and APPR fame.

UPDATE: Protesters sit in outside the mayor's office | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Protesters sit in outside the mayor's office | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Protesters imply SRC is bulldozing schools by thenotebook Inside City Hall right now, a small group of protesters are staging a sit-in, a criticism of the mayor's support for the District's mass school-closings plan. Outside City Hall, the rally to Occupy Nutter is also in full swing. Here's a great photo from the protest, tweeted by the PFT. read more Protesters sit in outside the mayor's officeby Paul Socolar on Mar 05 2013 Posted in Latest news A crowd of about 20 opponents of the School Dist... more »

Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 3-5-13 #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* The History of the Term “Failing Schools” by dianerav Kevin Kosar, who earned his Ph.D. at NYU in a study of federal education policy, researched the use of the term “failing schools.” It was seldom used until 1990. Since then, as you can see when you open the link, it has become a commonplace term. This is clearly political, since test scores for every group are higher today than they were in 1990, graduation rates are higher, and dropout rates are lower. “Failing schools” is a term that enables privatizers to take over more public prop... more »

Arne Duncan: The newest rhetoric vs. the reality

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Arne Duncan: The newest rhetoric vs. the reality: Arne Duncan: The newest rhetoric vs. the reality Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 5, 2013 at 1:35 pm [image: Arne Duncan (Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post)] Arne Duncan (Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post) Education Secretary Arne Duncan appeared at a Washington Post-sponsored conference on families today, and he sounded (mostly) highly reasonable: Early childhood education is the absolute “best long-term investment” that the country can make for kids, families and the economy, he said. (Not, apparently, the billions of dollars he spen... more »

Diane in the Evening 3-5-13 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: Teachers in Grand Rapids Say They Qualify for Food Stamps by dianerav Want to know why teachers are demoralized? Read this story from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Michigan has been a national leader in attacking public education, increasing charters, and diminishing teachers’ pay and benefits. Governor Rick Snyder must take pride in crushing his state’s public school teachers. Oh, did you know that more than 80% of the charters in Michigan are for-profit? Breaking News! Public School Supporters Sitting In Philly Mayo... more »

UPDATE: Does #edweek add any value? + #Sequestration #edreform, the “cartoon” – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
#Sequestration #edreform, the “cartoon” – @ the chalk face: Does #edweek add any value? by Timothy D. Slekar Someone has to say it! Stop calling experiments that use value added data *“research”* unless you are willing to state up front that “the findings you are about to see have absolutely NO VALUE in understanding the complicated work of teaching and learning.” Just today, EdWeek let us know that, New teachers become much more effective with a few years of classroom experience, but aworking paper[image: Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader] by a team of researchers suggests the most—a... more »


CUNY Pathways Showdown Looms as Another College Governance Body Declares Opposition |

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
CUNY Pathways Showdown Looms as Another College Governance Body Declares Opposition |: CUNY Pathways Showdown Looms as Another College Governance Body Declares Opposition by Angus Johnston Pathways, the CUNY administration’s controversial system-wide general education plan, is supposed to be in place by this fall, but that goal will only be met by ignoring the stated views — and governance prerogatives — of a growing number of faculty and student governance bodies in the CUNY system. Yesterday the College Senate at LaGuardia Community College in Queens — a joint student-faculty ... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-5-13 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] The Smear Tactics of Corporate Reformers by dianerav Jersey Jazzman has pulled together an impressive collection of smears, wherein the corporate reformers’ attack machine tried to silence and/ or intimidate their critics. JJ’s recitation brought to mind some of the many brushes I have had with the smear machine. The first occurred in 2007, when I realized that someone in the NYC Department of Education was following me to my lectures and taping them. I saw t... more »

Guest Post By John Thompson: The Texas Standardized Test Revolt | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Guest Post By John Thompson: The Texas Standardized Test Revolt | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: Guest Post By John Thompson: The Texas Standardized Test Revolt by Larry Ferlazzo School “reformers” complain that the Garfield High School teachers’ boycott of testing, and the protests by teachers, parents, and students in Georgia, New York, and Massachusetts, are bringing the backlash against bubble-in accountability to a “crescendo.” Perhaps the best education news is that 818 Texas school districts oppose the educational malpractice encouraged by standardized testing. On... more »

Diane in the Evening 3-4-13 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: Walmart Foundation vs. Walton Foundation by dianerav Earlier today when I posted about President Obama’s decision to name the Sylvia Mathews Burwell, CEO of the Walmart Foundation, to become the head of the Office of Management and Budget, I made the error of identifying her as CEO of the Walton Family Foundation. It was obviously a mistake, and readers quickly called my attention to it. I made the change at once. I didn’t realize that the Walton billionaires have two different foundations. In addition, member... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Complete Letter to AG about 1240

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Complete Letter to AG about 1240: Complete Letter to AG about 1240 by Melissa Westbrook Here's the complete letter sent to Attorney General Bob Ferguson's office by the League of Women Voters, El Centro de la Raza, and the WEA. From the first paragraph: *We request that your office investigate and promptly institute legal proceedings to remedy the constitutional violations arising from ...(it continues on with the RCWs in question).* * Specifically, the Charter School Act improperly diverts public school funds to private non-profits in violation ... more »

State auditors call for better oversight of migrant worker ed program SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *State auditors call for better oversight of migrant worker ed program* *By Kimberly Beltran* Monday, March 04, 2013 Despite recent efforts to improve its oversight of the federally-funded migrant education program, the California Department of Education has not provided adequate guidance to the regional offices that administer the services, says a report from the state auditor released late last week. Instead, CDE has relied largely on the judgment of regional administrators and its individual program staff for decisions about allowable expen... more »

UPDATE: It gets worse….Bridgeport: Finch puts Deputy Mayor Thompson in attack mode to protect Paul Vallas… - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Bridgeport: Finch puts Deputy Mayor Thompson in attack mode to protect Paul Vallas… - Wait, What?: It gets worse…. by jonpelto One of the votes in favor of extending Paul Vallas’ contract as Superintendent of Bridgeport Schools tonight will certainly be Democrat Reverend Kenneth Moales, Jr. Unlike the spectacular “It Gets Better Project” which communicates to youth around the world that it gets better, and seeks to create and inspire the changes needed to make it better for them, Kenneth Moales Jr. is a sad reminder that when it comes to politics, sometimes it actually gets wors... more »

UPDATE: SPS and Graduation Requirements Seattle Schools Community Forum: School Nurses Work Out Compromise on School Health Bill

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: School Nurses Work Out Compromise on School Health Bill: SPS and Graduation Requirements by Melissa Westbrook Well, color me surprised because I just did a spot-check of graduation requirements at some of our SPS high schools. SPS requires 20 credits to graduate. I'm not printing everything required but here are some basics: LA - 3 credits Social Studies - 3 credits Science - 2 credits PE - 2 credits What I jogged me to look this up was a comment I read that The Center School is a "prep" high school and has higher graduation requirements than SP... more »

Sequestration will devastate the most vulnerable school children | Lily's Blackboard

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Sequestration will devastate the most vulnerable school children | Lily's Blackboard: Pull Congress Over For Drunk Driving by Lily [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] The Spanish word for “hold hostage” is SECUESTRAR – The sequester is holding hostage all those who are about to get hit by the across-the-board meat ax. And these across-the-board automatic cuts *fall heavily on the heads of little children who are being held hostage in this political standoff.* I was talking to a radio host yesterday who assured me that the hostage-takers in Congress would inevitably h... more »

chools Matter: Why Can't Corporate "Reformers" Get Their Spin Straight?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Schools Matter: Why Can't Corporate "Reformers" Get Their Spin Straight?: Why Can't Corporate "Reformers" Get Their Spin Straight? by John Thompson My first question was why Rick Hess took a sabbatical from his blog, Rick Hess Straight Up, and turned it over to someone who would promote the opposite of the “Billionaires Boys Club’s” vision of “reform.” Guest blogger Becca Bracy Knight wrote that system leaders should take a “team of rivals” approach. They should start with a listening tour and solicit ideas from the entire community. Knight promoted a decentralized approach whe... more »

Oberlin Cancels Classes After String of Bias Incidents |

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Oberlin Cancels Classes After String of Bias Incidents |: Oberlin Cancels Classes After String of Bias Incidents by Angus Johnston Oberlin College has cancelled classes for the day in the wake of “a report of a person wearing a hood and robe resembling a KKK outfit” walking around campus. But the cancellation isn’t a public-safety lockdown. The KKK sighting, which is still under investigation, is the latest in a string of bias incidents on campus. On five separate occasions in February, graffiti bearing swastikas and racial and homophobic slurs were left at various campus location... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Wrap-Up of Board Retreat

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Wrap-Up of Board Retreat: Wrap-Up of Board Retreat by Melissa Westbrook (This is a quite long wrap-up of the latest Board retreat held this past Saturday. Not all will want to wade through it but I can say it allowed me to see how the Board is interacting and some issues within the group. I believe that all seem to have high regard for Superintendent Banda.) First, I have to say that this was a slightly odd Retreat as I had never been to this venue, The Hub Seattle, before. The set-up had us sitting in a seating area - with couches and chairs... more »

All Education Matters: Book Sold On Behalf of the Indentured Educated Class . . .

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
All Education Matters: Book Sold On Behalf of the Indentured Educated Class . . .: Book Sold On Behalf of the Indentured Educated Class . . . by Cryn Johannsen I am so pleased to announce that I just sold my book about the student loan debt crisis to Seven Stories Press. This is a great opportunity to widen the reach of our message, and it is a privilege to be working with such an amazing publishing house. The book's title is *Higher Ed, Greater Debt: The Student Loan Crisis*, and I am honored that Barbara Ehrenreich will be writing the Foreword (she also played a pivotal role in s... more »

K-12 student database jazzes tech startups, spooks parents | Reuters

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
K-12 student database jazzes tech startups, spooks parents | Reuters: K-12 student database jazzes tech startups, spooks parents (Reuters) - An education technology conference this week in Austin, Texas, will clang with bells and whistles as startups eagerly show off their latest wares. But the most influential new product may be the least flashy: a $100 million database built to chart the academic paths of public school students from kindergarten through high school. In operation just three months, the database already holds files on millions of children identified by name, addre... more »

Short Notes: The Realest Podcast You’ll Hear All Month (Thanks, Zac Chase) | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Short Notes: The Realest Podcast You’ll Hear All Month (Thanks, Zac Chase) | The Jose Vilson: Short Notes: The Realest Podcast You’ll Hear All Month (Thanks, Zac Chase) by Jose Vilson [image: bin Laden Shake] bin Laden Shake A few notes: - Zac Chase interviews me on math, wrong answers, and *MisEducation of the Negro.* Gangsta.[Autodizactic] - Umair Haque spit some serious critique about the TED talk genre. Yes, I’ve done a TED talk. This is worth a read, still. [Storify] - Daniel Pink does a cool interview with Copyblogger on how he writes. Not every writer has ... more »

Bad O-PR-ah for TFA | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Bad O-PR-ah for TFA | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: Bad O-PR-ah by Gary Rubinstein Yesterday I watched, for the first time, an episode of Oprah’s new reality show ‘Blackboard Wars.’ The show chronicles a first year ‘turnaround’ high school in New Orleans which has been taken over by a charter company. New Orleans is ‘ground zero’ for the corporate reform model with a TFAer as state education commissioner and the Recovery School District which is mostly charters, often run and staffed by TFAers. I had not planned to watch this show and avoided the first two episodes. I know that a lo... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Education This Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Education This Week: Seattle Education This Week by Melissa Westbrook *Wednesday, March 6th* Announcement of Charter Commission members by the Governor, Lt. Governor and Speaker of the House. Two-hour early dismissal for SPS. School Board meeting at 4:15 p.m. Agenda. It includes: - action on approving the contracts for the Arbor Heights rebuild (at about $24M which is much more in line with the costs in other districts) as well as for Cedar Park, Van Asselt*, John Marshall**, Thornton Creek (or "equivalent site), Pinehurst*** and Wilson... more »

PTA Children's Clothes Closet Sacramento Council PTA

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Sacramento Council PTA: [image: SAC COUNCIL LOGO] PTA Children's Clothes Closet PURPOSES OF THE PTA To promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, community, and place of worship. To raise the standards of home life. To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth. To bring into closer relation the home and the school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth. To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest adva... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Michelle Rhee's Book Is A Huge Failure

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Jersey Jazzman: Michelle Rhee's Book Is A Huge Failure: Michelle Rhee's Book Is A Huge Failure by Duke A week ago, I asked if Michelle Rhee's anti-teacher, anti-union screed book *Radical* was a flop. It hadn't cracked the *NY Times* bestseller list, and sales were not strong on Amazon: As I said, I know nothing about publishing, so maybe a book like *Radical* needs time to get traction - even if Rhee has been on a dream book tour that included many national media outlets including *The Daily Show*,*Charlie Rose*, and *This Week *(let's see if Diane Ravitch gets the same bookings ... more »

‘Neovouchers’: A primer on private school tax credits

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
‘Neovouchers’: A primer on private school tax credits: ‘Neovouchers’: A primer on private school tax credits Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 3, 2013 at 11:30 am 0 Comments More [image: tax1]Some people, not surprisingly, weren’t thrilled with my post titled “Welfare for the rich? Private school tax credit programs expanding.” Here Kevin Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center, housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, looks at the criticism and gives us a primer on private school tax credit programs, which he calls “neovouchers.” He’s the ... more »

The Onion Apologizes | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
The Onion Apologizes | The Onion - America's Finest News Source: The Onion Apologizes Dear Readers, On behalf of The Onion, I offer my personal apology to QuvenzhanĂ© Wallis and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the tweet that was circulated last night during the Oscars. It was crude and offensive—not to mention inconsistent with The Onion’s commitment to parody and satire, however biting. No person should be subjected to such a senseless, humorless comment masquerading as satire. The tweet was taken down within an hour of publication. We have instituted new and ... more »

Week Six Of Twitter Chat On Student Motivation Using #selfdrivenlrng Hashtag | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Week Six Of Twitter Chat On Student Motivation Using #selfdrivenlrng Hashtag | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: Week Six Of Twitter Chat On Student Motivation Using #selfdrivenlrng Hashtag My next book, Self-Driven Learning: Teaching Strategies for Student Motivation, was published on March 1st by Eye On Education. It’s a sequel to my book, Helping Students Motivate Themselves. Starting in Feb and continuing for 6 weeks, I’ll be tweeting quotes from both books. 1. You can see tweets from Week One of this Twitter conversation here , Week Two here , Week Three here , Week... more »

Kate Anderson and John Deasy: A Love Story?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
I'm a RIF'd teacher who got laid off by LAUSD in June. I am a PUBLIC SCHOOL teacher to my core, and I am determined to fight my way back into the classroom. I feel like Kate Anderson is living in a bubble, completely oblivious to challenges we face in our classrooms and communities. Her mommy persona belies the fact that she worked as corporate lawyer (at a firm founded by Charles Munger, architect of Prop 32) and defended tobacco companies; she has also taken big money from people who want to privatize public education in our city (Eli Broad and his minions). I get the feeling th... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-3-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Hear John Kuhn Speaking Candidly by dianerav John Kuhn is recognized among many educators as our most eloquent spokesman, a champion of students, educators, and public school. Here he is interviewed on “The Chalkface,” speaking as he always does, from the heart What Happened in Alabama: The GOP Coup by dianerav The Republicans in Alabama are not usually thought of as the guardians of minority children, the poor, and oppressed. Last week, they slipped through ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Mandated Behavioral Assessments for Connecticut Students? Homeschoolers Included?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Mandated Behavioral Assessments for Connecticut Students? Homeschoolers Included?: Mandated Behavioral Assessments for Connecticut Students? Homeschoolers Included? by stlgretchen CT Senator Toni Harp introduces legislation for ALL children to undergo behavioral assessments. Home schoolers included. Do you think you can keep your children from government mandates if you home school? It is increasingly doubtful you can shield your children from having to submit to governmental data mining of their personal information, even if you don't have your chil... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: VIDEO - ZIMMER’S RESPONSE TO BILLIONARE BLOOMBERG: “If you have enough money you can say anything."

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: VIDEO - ZIMMER’S RESPONSE TO BILLIONARE BLOOMBERG: “If you have enough money you can say anything.": VIDEO - ZIMMER’S RESPONSE TO BILLIONARE BLOOMBERG: “If you have enough money you can say anything." by smf A *SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER AT AN LAUSD MAGNET WHO BLOGS AS* *TRIESTOBEFAIR ** WRITES:* If students' progress was a concern for the billionaires and right wing zealots who fund Kate Anderson, they would not be privatizing education for profit. They would have been spending their money on reducing class size and investing in early c... more »


United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
United Opt Out National: [image: leader3] BESS ALTWERGER: WHY I AM COMING TO OCCUPY THE DEPT. OF ED. IN DC How could I NOT come to Occupy the DOE in DC? At this pivotal moment in history when failure to act will mean the virtual collapse of public education there is nothing more important for any of us to do …MORE BESS ALTWERGER: WHY I AM COMING TO OCCUPY THE DEPT. OF ED. IN DC How could I NOT come to Occupy the DOE in DC? At this pivotal moment in history when failure to act will mean the virtual collapse of public education there is nothing more important for any of us to do …M...more 

Crack the CCSS Egg to See What is Inside | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Crack the CCSS Egg to See What is Inside | Truth in American Education: Crack the CCSS Egg to See What is Inside by chascherrie [image: OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA]After reading the article* Huntsville, Madison legislators back off of bill to revoke common core standards (updated*), I couldn’t help but think of the saying “There’s a sucker born every minute.” I encourage you to click on the link above and read the article. I don’t know if this is a situation with suckers, fools, people on the take, or something altogether different—possibly succumbing to groupthink. These two legisla... more »

Why Are Walmart Billionaires Bankrolling Phony School ‘Reform’ In LA? | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Why Are Walmart Billionaires Bankrolling Phony School ‘Reform’ In LA? | toteachornototeach: Why Are Walmart Billionaires Bankrolling Phony School ‘Reform’ In LA? by aristotlethewise *Why Are Walmart Billionaires Bankrolling Phony School ‘Reform’ In LA?* by Peter Dreier 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 w... more »

Diane in the Evening 3-2-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Oregon: Fight to Protect Student Privacy Rules by dianerav This parent warns that BIG DATA is working its way into the schools, not only in Oregon but across the nation. Why do they want to know everything about your child? The most likely reason: for marketing stuff to them. We have already learned about the collaboration between the Gates Foundation and Rupert Murdoch to collect student data. Parents in Louisiana are worried about this. So should parents in New York, Massachusetts, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky... more »

Jersey Jazzman: NJ Charters: Leaving Special Ed Kids Behind

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: NJ Charters: Leaving Special Ed Kids Behind: NJ Charters: Leaving Special Ed Kids Behind by Duke The Christie Administration has just issued its decisions on New Jersey charter school renewals. Some have been approved and allowed to expand, some have been approved with no expansion allowed, some are on probation, and three must shut their doors at the end of the school year. As I wrote earlier, *there doesn't seem to be much correlation between each school's performance on state tests, relative to its student population, and whether or not it was approved*: a rela... more »

Why Are Walton Billionaires So Interested in Los Angeles Schools? | Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Why Are Walton Billionaires So Interested in Los Angeles Schools? | Diane Ravitch's blog: Why Are Walton Billionaires So Interested in Los Angeles Schools? by dianerav [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)] The big school board race is this week in Los Angeles, and we know that the billionaires have lined up behind their slate. We know that Eli Broad wants to own his hometown’s school board and Mayor Michael Bloomberg has tossed $1million into the race to help the same candidates that Eli wants. What is less well known is that one of the biggest foun... more »

How Much Does it Cost to Build a High School? | PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
How Much Does it Cost to Build a High School? | PWC Education Reform Blog: How Much Does it Cost to Build a High School? by pwceducationreform PWCS is looking at incurring $505 million in debt in the next 5 years for new school construction and renovations and expansions of existing schools. That’s a lot of money, money which will have to be paid back by taxpayers as debt service over the next 20 years. Debt service money, which is the interest and principal on the bonds we issue to pay for school construction, comes from the school division’s annual allocation of tax receipts fro... more »

BREAKING NEWS!!! Lucy Calkins and Her Failed Experiment Are Out at the NYC DOE!!!! southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: BREAKING NEWS!!! Lucy Calkins and Her Failed Experiment Are Out at the NYC DOE!!!! by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) Like the Tenctonese (Newcomers) finally able to live free, the persecution of NYC's over 1 million students finally ceased with a whimper rather than a thud. The NYC DOE is; *...recommending a set of math and English curriculum options for grades K-8 and will spend the coming months supporting principals and teachers in becoming familiar with these new materials.* Now break out the champagne. None of these options involves Te... more »

Teaching Math: The Driftwood and the Vortex (Michele Kerr) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Teaching Math: The Driftwood and the Vortex (Michele Kerr) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Teaching Math: The Driftwood and the Vortex (Michele Kerr) by larrycuban [image: vortexdriftwood] *Michele Kerr is a second-career teacher, credentialed in math, history, and English, with a master’s in education from Stanford University, She teaches math from CAHSEE prep to pre-calc at Kennedy High School in Fremont, CA. She also wrote about teaching English in an previous guest post.* “Ms K, I need to do my work with Ms. V. My education plan is my civil right!” Deo... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 3-2-13

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* AB 1575: SCHOOL DISTRICTS CAN’T CHARGE PARENTS FOR BASIC EDUCATION, MUST CREATE COMPLAINT PROCESS. Deadline is March 1 (Today) smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 8 hours ago Vanessa Romo - Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC | http://bit.ly/XMEo6E Erika Aguilar/KPCC February 27th, 2013, 12:32pm :: 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 boo... more »

Top Content this Week - 3-2-13 The Educator's PLN

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Top Content this Week - The Educator's PLN: 1[image: Edchat Twitter List]Edchat Twitter List Posted by Shelly Terrell on November 11, 2009 2[image: If students designed their own schools...]If students designed their own schools... Added by Thomas Whitby on February 20, 2013 3[image: 15 Education Technologies To Check Out in 2013]15 Education Technologies To Check Out in 2013 Added by Tess Pajaron on January 15, 2013 4[image: Instructional coaches]Instructional coaches Added by Carole Fuller on March 31, 2011 5[image: Media Matters]Media Matters Added by Thomas Whitby on February 24,... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 3-2-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Sex Education Requiremennts and Teen Pregnancy Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 50 minutes ago This brief from the Guttmacher Institute summarizes state-level sex and HIV education policies, as well as specific content requirements, based on a review of state laws, regulations and other legally binding policies. HIGHLIGHTS: General Requirements: Sex Education and HIV Education 22 states and the District of Columbia mandate sex education.  20 states and the District of Columbia mandate both sex ... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 3-2-13 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 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" This Week’s “Links I Should Have Posted About, But Didn’t” Larry Ferlazzo at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... - 9 hours ago I have a huge backlog of resources that I’ve been planning to post about in this blog but, just because of time constraints, have not gotten around to doing.... more »