Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, March 2, 2013

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




BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA 

RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST




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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Powerful Pro-School-Voucher Group May Have Violated State Law [Updated] | The Philly Post: Powerful Pro-School-Voucher Group May Have Violated State Law [Updated]PAC with ties to Jeffrey Yass connected to John McDaniel’s case. ** 0 Comments and 0 Reactions Students First PAC, a pro-school-voucher group backed by three managers of Bala Cynwyd-based Susquehanna International Group, may have violated state election law. Susquehanna’s Jeffrey Yass, an ardent charter and voucher advocate, and two like-minded associates, first got into the political game in 2010, pouring an unpreced... more »

UPDATE: Downtown School Update Seattle Schools Community Forum: Why I Can't Support Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee 's Efforts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Why I Can't Support Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee 's Efforts: Downtown School Update by Melissa Westbrook Councilman (and mayoral candidate) Tim Burgess has a regular newsletter that he sends out. Here's what he has to say about the South Lake Union development and a "public school." *3. Support our public school system. Two weeks ago, Seattle voters once again demonstrated generous support for public education by renewing two vital levies at a time when more parents are enrolling their children in public school. City government can do more ... more »


To Attract Investors, Pearson Boasts of Success in Acquiring State, PARCC and RTTT Contracts | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
To Attract Investors, Pearson Boasts of Success in Acquiring State, PARCC and RTTT Contracts | Scathing Purple Musings: To Attract Investors, Pearson Boasts of Success in Acquiring State, PARCC and RTTT Contracts by Bob Sikes Education giant, Pearson is bragging to potential investors about how well they did last year, and how well they expect to do next year. While admitting that ”state funding pressures and the transition to Common Core assessments continued to make market conditions tough for our state assessment and teacher testing businesses,” Pearson still had this to say... more »

UPDATE: Upcoming Elections and Public Education in Seattle Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Upcoming Elections and Public Education in Seattle by Melissa Westbrook This fall the citizens of Seattle will be voting for mayor. As of now, I believe there are seven candidates. I have interviewed one of them - Peter Steinbrueck - and have Kate Martin on tap. I will reach out to Mayor McGinn but from working with him over the last several years, I have a good idea of his views. One of the candidates is Councilman Tim Burgess. The Councilman has been deeply involved in Seattle public education and was a big supporte... more »

TNValleyNow - Alabama school flex bill with tax credits passes

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
TNValleyNow - Latest News for Huntsville, Decatur, Florence, Tuscumbia, Muscle Shoals and the TNValley: By PHILLIP RAWLS, Associated Press [image: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STATEMENT OF NEWS VALUES AND PRINCIPLES] *REALLY?* MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Republican legislators on Thursday expanded a routine education bill to include tax credits for parents who move their children from failing public schools to private schools, prompting the state school superintendent to withdraw his support and a teachers' group to assail it as "totally anti-public education." The revised version cleared... more »

UPDATE: Jersey Jazzman: Is Rhee's Book a Flop?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Is Rhee's Book a Flop?: Is Rhee's Book a Flop? by Duke I know nothing about the book publishing business, so maybe I'm wrong. Maybe a book like Michelle Rhee's *Radical* needs months to build up buzz and become a best-seller. Maybe her autobiography is a sleeper and will catch fire after a few more weeks. *But right now, Radical looks like a flop.* According to Amazon.com, *Radical* was released on February 5, 2013, almost three weeks ago. In that time, Rhee has been on what must be any author's dream book tour: *The Daily Show*, *This Week*, *Charlie Rose, *an... more »


Rally Tonight in Annapolis for Baltimore City Schools (Quick Links) | Re:education in Baltimore

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Rally Tonight in Annapolis for Baltimore City Schools (Quick Links) | Re:education in Baltimore: Rally Tonight in Annapolis for Baltimore City Schools (Quick Links) by Edit Barry Wish every Baltimore City Public School could look like something like this? Rally tonight at 6pm on Lawyer’s Mall in Annapolis. For more about the issue, click around: - Check out their site for all the legislative info you’ll need and ways to show your support: Transform Baltimore - Preview of tonight’s event: Supporters predict large turnout for schools rally in Annapolis: Baltimore advocates... 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 »

Governor's Budget for 2013-14 - Letters (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 minutes ago
Governor's Budget for 2013-14 - Letters (CA Dept of Education): GOVERNOR’S BUDGET FOR 2013–14 On January 10, 2013, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. released his proposed budget for the 2013–14 fiscal year. This letter, prepared by the California Department of Education (CDE), provides information on the Governor’s proposals that affect K–12 education and child development programs. Copies of this document, as well as other budget-related documents, are available through the CDE Education Budget Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fr/eb/. Official state budget documents, including prop... more »

'Oh, the Programs You'll Cut': A Dr. Seuss Sequestration Poem | Politics on GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 47 minutes ago
'Oh, the Programs You'll Cut': A Dr. Seuss Sequestration Poem | Politics on GOOD: 'Oh, the Programs You'll Cut': A Dr. Seuss Sequestration Poem [image: dr.seuss] Thanks to Congress' failure to reach a compromise today, the staggering federal spending cuts of the sequestration are upon us. Even if you're one of the 59 percent of people who thinks the sequestration will only have a minor impact on your life, you should expect to see what the*Washington Post *calls an "era of deeper austerity" and a "phase of uncertainty for Americans who rely on the government for employment or servi... more »

Remarks by the First Lady on Walmart and Other American Companies Making Healthy Changes | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Remarks by the First Lady on Walmart and Other American Companies Making Healthy Changes | The White House:

Where isn’t @plthomasedd these days? Talking top down crisis @dailykos – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Where isn’t @plthomasedd these days? Talking top down crisis @dailykos – @ the chalk face: Where isn’t @plthomasedd these days? Talking top down crisis @dailykos by Chalk Face, PhD I had this entry bookmarked, didn’t see at first it comes from our own Dr. Paul Thomas. Now the neoliberals are lamenting the neglect of our high achieving students. They are now in crisis. Do our moments of crisis ever end? Although, I will say this, from my anecdotal experiences. There’s a definite middle that schools are after. Basically, it’s a numbers game for a lot of teachers. How can we devote ... more »

UPDATE: racial entitlement + mKindergarten kids are pulling down our test scores. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Kindergarten kids are pulling down our test scores. | Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. Antonin Scalia. The perpetuation of racial entitlement. by Fred Klonsky [image: scalia] Click on image to enlarge. Kindergarten kids are pulling down our test scores. by Fred Klonsky [image: Blond Boy Crying] SB 1307 was voted out of the Senate Education Committee on an 8 to 5 vote. It is ready for a vote by the entire Illinois Senate. The bill would require lowering the mandatory school attendance age from 7 to 5. This is Rahm’s universal kindergarten proposal, but for the entire state. The Il... more »


MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-1-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Oregon: Legislator and Teachers Speak Out Against High-Stakes Testing by dianerav When I was in Portland, Oregon, last year, I met a very impressive and thoughtful state legislator, Lew Frederick. Please watch this video, which begins with Representative Frederick’s passionate plea for a new vision of the outcomes that matter most for students–not test scores on a single day–but the kind of person they are, the kind of lives they might live, the kind of contribut... more »

Is Lucy Calkins Legally Insane? southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Is Lucy Calkins Legally Insane? by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) We have called for the arrest and prosecution of Lucy Calkins. We have sampled the child abuse of Lucy Calkins methods. We have called for all administrators that buy into Lucy Calkins to be terminated post haste. And we have pulled back the sheath of the Cult of Lucy Calkins. The sign of insanity is doing what results in failure over and over again and hoping for a different outcome. Apparently if any administrator that relies on anything from Lucy Calkins to improve the reading... more »

Ed groups still want Brown funding formula debated outside budget SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: Ed groups still want Brown funding formula debated outside budget *By Kimberly Beltran* Friday, March 01, 2013 While broad consensus from the K-12 community for Gov. Jerry Brown’s new school financing proposal emerged Thursday during a Senate panel hearing, district administrators and lawmakers said they still want to see it developed through legislative education policy debate – not carried as part of the governor’s budget bill. Brown’s refusal to budge on that point last year led to the plan going nowhere but, as promised then, the governor... more »

TNValleyNow - Alabama school flex bill with tax credits passes

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
TNValleyNow - Latest News for Huntsville, Decatur, Florence, Tuscumbia, Muscle Shoals and the TNValley: By PHILLIP RAWLS, Associated Press [image: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STATEMENT OF NEWS VALUES AND PRINCIPLES] *REALLY?* MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Republican legislators on Thursday expanded a routine education bill to include tax credits for parents who move their children from failing public schools to private schools, prompting the state school superintendent to withdraw his support and a teachers' group to assail it as "totally anti-public education." The revised version cleared... more »

Voting and Learning Denied. Education and Entitlement

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Voting and Learning Denied. Education and Entitlement: Voting and Learning Denied. Education and Entitlement by Server *©copyright 2013. Betsy L. Angert * Is it fear of the darkness that dims our mind or is it the dim of our mind that is dark and damning? No one can be sure; however we can see what occurs and ask why. Why might Americans systematically deny rights to people of color? Why might the young, the most vulnerable among us, be victims of prey? Indeed, why do we prejudge people at all and why is it that even the elderly cannot escape our diabolical doings? The theories ... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-28-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: A Teacher Writes New Book about the Corporate Reform Movement by dianerav One of the readers of this blog, experienced teacher Brian Ford, has written a new book. It seems to encapsulate the major themes of today’s privatization movement. Respect for Teachers and the Rhetoric Gap: How Research on Teaching and Schools is Laying the Ground for New Business Models in Education (A New Economy Story about the State of the Union) Author: Brian Ford Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Summary of Book For the last 30 years we ... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Peter Dreier: Why Are Walmart Billionaries Bankrolling Phony School 'Reform' in LA?: Why Are Walmart Billionaries Bankrolling Phony School 'Reform' in LA? [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)] For years, Los Angeles has been ground zero in an intense debate about how to improve our nation's education system. What's less known is who is shaping that debate. Many of the biggest contributors to the so-called "school choice" movement -- code words for privatizing our public education system -- are billionaires who don't live in Southern California, but ... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Freedom of Information complaint filed against Commissioner Stefan Pryor and the Connecticut Department of Education - Wait, What?: Connecticut Lottery Board prepares to push through new “Management Compensation Program” by jonpelto State fiscal crisis? What state fiscal crisis? At 11:30 am today, the Connecticut Lottery Corporation’s Personnel Committee will meet. The agenda begins with an executive session to review a “Draft Management Compensation Report.” They will then return from executive session and are scheduled to vote on the meeting’s one agenda item – The Management ... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Vol.#22: The Dark Side of Choosing School Choice | Teaching Speaks Volumes: Vol.#22: The Dark Side of Choosing School Choice [image: Freedom-of-choice-a22077920]During the time I was visiting these four schools and writing these posts, this article was released about Wake County dropping the choice plan. However, when I entered my address in the Student Assignment page today, I still got a total of 16 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, and 9 high schools in varying Base, Calendar, and Magnet options for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year. This still looks far from resolved, ho... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-28-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Mathematica: KIPP Produces Big Gains by dianerav Mathematica Policy Research has good news for KIPP. Their students make significant gains. The press release follows with a link to the report and summary of the findings. A few questions occur to me about the replicability of the KIPP model. First, KIPP has raised hundreds of millions of dollars from philanthropists and the U.S. Department of Education. Does that extra money translate into smaller classes and othe... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Sacramento News & Review - Laugh it up - Bites - Opinions - February 28, 2013: *Laugh it up* City's school closures a bummer, negotiations with secret whales a joke By Cosmo Garvin cosmog@newsreview.com This article was published on 02.28.13. *Related stories:* Whale bites Will Mayor Kevin Johnson's billionaires club save Sacramento—or eat us? SN&R, 01.31.13. Sacramento city school-closure vote set for next week Sacramento's struggling neighborhoods feel bullied by city district's school-closure plan. SN&R, 02.14.13. [image: spacer] *The editor suggested a brief “post-mortem”...more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
All eyes on charter fallout - Sarasota News | Mysuncoast.com and ABC 7: 7 South Newsroom: All eyes on charter fallout - Story - Comments PrintCreate a hardcopy of this pageFont Size:Default font sizeLarger font size 8 [image: Imagine fallout] Related Stories - Related:Judge rules that Imagine principal can remain in place - Related:Board: Millions in taxpayer money wasted with Imagine - Related:Charter schools still answer to county school officials - Related:Charter school votes to break from parent company Posted: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 5:02 pm |*Upd... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Powerful Pro-School-Voucher Group May Have Violated State Law [Updated] | The Philly Post: Powerful Pro-School-Voucher Group May Have Violated State Law [Updated]PAC with ties to Jeffrey Yass connected to John McDaniel’s case. ** 0 Comments and 0 Reactions Students First PAC, a pro-school-voucher group backed by three managers of Bala Cynwyd-based Susquehanna International Group, may have violated state election law. Susquehanna’s Jeffrey Yass, an ardent charter and voucher advocate, and two like-minded associates, first got into the political game in 2010, pouring an unpreced... more »

Jake Frackson – An Idealist’s View on Bullying Student Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Student Voice: Jake Frackson – An Idealist’s View on Bullying by admin *“Today, thousands of youth across Canada will don pink in support of Anti-Bullying Day. Together they will express their shared view and in doing so, condemn the abuse that is bullying. But what are they really condemning? And more importantly, what do schools want to replace it with? To answer these questions, another look needs to be given to what bullying is.”* In an adult world brimming with alienation, arrogance, and animosity, it is not difficult to imagine these sentiments overflowing into the world of... 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 »

Remarks by the President at Dedication of Statue Honoring Rosa Parks -- US Capitol | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Remarks by the President at Dedication of Statue Honoring Rosa Parks -- US Capitol | The White House: Remarks by the President at Dedication of Statue Honoring Rosa Parks -- US Capitol Remarks by the President at Dedication of Statue Honoring Rosa Parks -- US Capitol United States Capitol 11:45 A.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Speaker, Leader Reid, Leader McConnell, Leader Pelosi, Assistant Leader Clyburn; to the friends and family of Rosa Parks; to the distinguished guests who are gathered here today. This morning, we celebrate a seamstress, slight in stature but mighty in courage. ... more »

Is Working From Home a Feminist Issue? - Dana Goldstein

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Is Working From Home a Feminist Issue? - Dana Goldstein: Is Working From Home a Feminist Issue? by Dana Goldstein I've worked in offices for small magazines, large media companies, and think tanks. So I know there's a lot about office culture that sucks: useless meetings, crackberries that ruin your precious out-of-the-office hours, and sometimes an assumption that whoever stays latest or arrives earliest is working hardest. In New York, there's competitive dressing. In DC, there are old-school dress codes, as if everyone were about to meet with a senator,*any minute now*! A lot ... 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 »

John Kuhn: Our Schools are Touchstones, and We Will Stand and Fight to Save Them - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
John Kuhn: Our Schools are Touchstones, and We Will Stand and Fight to Save Them - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: John Kuhn: Our Schools are Touchstones, and We Will Stand and Fight to Save Them from Living in Dialogue by Anthony Cody Two years ago we met superintendent John Kuhn, as a result of his booming speech at the Save Our Schools rally in the great state of Texas. Last Saturday, once again there were 10,000 people marching on behalf of public schools, brought together by Save Texas Schools. Once again, John Kuhn delivered. Please watch the video to hear his wo... more »

Schools Matter: Shelby County Schools Slashing, But Charter Plans Remain Untouched and Invisible

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Schools Matter: Shelby County Schools Slashing, But Charter Plans Remain Untouched and Invisible: Shelby County Schools Slashing, But Charter Plans Remain Untouched and Invisible by Jim Horn [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] The Gates Plan for Memphis schools is proving to be more expensive than Bill fans ever dreamed, and apparently the superintendents of city and county plan to push forward without public knowledge or discussion among themselves, preferring instead to present a phony-baloney budget to the County Commission that they know will not surviv... more »

Arts Education, Chinese Food and Matt Yglesias’ Tale of Non Sequiturs

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Arts Education, Chinese Food and Matt Yglesias’ Tale of Non Sequiturs: Arts Education, Chinese Food and Matt Yglesias’ Tale of Non Sequiturs FEBRUARY 27, 2013 BY M.D. ANDERSON LEAVE A COMMENT You know the saying: one is a coincidence, two is a pattern, three makes you a certified glutton for punishment. For months I’ve watched Slate writer Matt Yglesias flail away, writing on education issues. First, he tried to pit teachers unions against taxpayers in a smug piece on the Chicago Teachers Union strike. Then he analyzed the phony StudentsFirst report card, treating it like an objectiv... more »

Leaked Broad School Closure Guide

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
1344-schoolclosureguide: *Leaked Broad School Closure Guide * 1344-schoolclosureguide by John Kugler

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-27-13 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] This Florida Teacher Is Running for School Board by dianerav Michael Weston got fed up with being bullied. So he did what he had to do: he is running for the school board. Good luck, Michael! We will be rooting for you. Hi Diane. I am the Hillsborough County, Florida, teacher you featured in your post “Vote for this man for School Board”. Many thanks for that! I want to let you, and any others interested in our fight against Bill Gates, know that my Campaign web... more »

Cartoons: Doctors and Teachers | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Cartoons: Doctors and Teachers | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: [image: 130128_cn-surgery-2_p465]

A Tale of Two Open Letters | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
A Tale of Two Open Letters | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: A Tale of Two Open Letters by Gary Rubinstein Wendy Kopp announced that she is stepping down as CEO of Teach For America, and around that time on The Huffington Post, a TFA alum named Kate Casas wrote an open letter to Wendy. This letter was in stark contrast to the one I wrote which I was pretty proud of and which actually got written about in The New York Times andThe Washington Post. In this letter, Casas complains that Wendy has not been ‘reformy’ enough: *During the eight years that I have been associated with Teach for Am... more »

The Educated Reporter: Poorest Schools Face Deepest Cuts from Sequestration

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: Poorest Schools Face Deepest Cuts from Sequestration: Poorest Schools Face Deepest Cuts from Sequestration by Emily Richmond Without a last-minute deal by lawmakers across-the-board reductions in funding to every federal agency -- known as sequestration -- will happen Friday. While public schools wouldn't see most of the cuts take effect until the new fiscal year on July 1, education officials at the local, state and federal levels are warning of dire consequences for programs and services that assist the most vulnerable students. Talking with reporters ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: "Choice" Ain't Choice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: "Choice" Ain't Choice: "Choice" Ain't Choice by Duke See, when a charter school fails, it shows the system is working! You know, except for the kids... “*Part of the genius of the charter model is it does allow for a certain innovative churn, where you close low performers and thereby create space for new innovators to come in and try new models,*” said Brian Jones, the outgoing chairman of the charter board. Board members elected John “Skip” McKoy, who has been the board’s vice chairman, to succeed Jones. [...] Among the schools to be closed is Septima Clark in A... more »

S.217: High School Data Transparency Act of 2013 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
S.217: High School Data Transparency Act of 2013 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: H.R.700 ARPA-ED Act Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 2 minutes ago To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Education to fund directed development projects to support targeted breakthroughs in teaching and learning. Bill Introduced: S.288 Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2013 Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 2 minutes ago A bill to increase the participation of historically underrepresented demo... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Leadership Posts Announced

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Leadership Posts Announced: Seattle Schools Leadership Posts Announced by Melissa Westbrook From Superintendent Banda via SPS Communications (and I believe one of our astute readers called this one for Michael Tolley about a week ago): "I am pleased to announce that after a strong national search, Michael Tolley has been named Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, where he will oversee all aspects of students’ academic growth at Seattle Public Schools. Mr. Tolley stepped into this role as the Interim Assistant Superi... more »

PSAT for 2-26-13: Tell Congress no sequestration cuts to education! Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 2-26-13: Tell Congress no sequestration cuts to education!: PSAT for 2-26-13: Tell Congress no sequestration cuts to education! by admin [image: Cliff] Congress and the White House are working to resolve the “sequestration” threat set up by their failure to agree on a federal budget last year. Without a budget agreement, massive across-the-board program cuts will kick in on Friday. This may include: - Loss of 100,000 Head Start slots. - Service cuts to 500,000 special needs students. - An end to Title 1 gran... more »

Respect, Compassion, and Fairness in Schools — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Respect, Compassion, and Fairness in Schools — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Paula Mirk]Respect, Compassion, and Fairness in Schools February 26, 2013 by Paula Mirk The current debate about school safety, as tragic as recent events may be, risks derailing the positive direction we need to go in as a nation if we want to uphold the broadest purpose of education: "What kind of people are we preparing to lead society into the future?" The very sad incident in Newtown was the result of one individual's mental impairment and a variety of factors—including his access... more »

Students Bear the Consequences of the School Closure Vote | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Students Bear the Consequences of the School Closure Vote | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: Students Bear the Consequences of the School Closure Vote published by Kate_Lenox on Tue, 02/26/2013 - 11:18am Today's Bee editorial lauds the SCUSD board of education for "tough but wise" decision" on schools closures because the district needed to close schools because of shrinking enrollment. While it is true that the district has too many schools for its enrollment, the objections many had with these school closures was the process. It was too hasty, used questionable... more »

NYC Public School Parents: My 20 questions to DOE about their failure to live up to their commitments to our children and in the C4E law to reduce class size

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: My 20 questions to DOE about their failure to live up to their commitments to our children and in the C4E law to reduce class size: My 20 questions to DOE about their failure to live up to their commitments to our children and in the C4E law to reduce class size by Leonie Haimson According to the Contracts for Excellence (C4E) law, the DOE is supposed to be reducing class size in all grades, and in the fall of 2007, submitted a plan to do so in along with annual targets and five year goals. Yet class sizes have risen every year since then. The DOE fin... more »

Bait-and-switch: Rebranding Public Schools as New Charter Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Education Week: Rebranding Public Schools as New Charter Schools: Rebranding Public Schools as New Charter Schools —Susan Sanford By Jack Schneider Premium article access courtesy of Edweek.org. Read more FREE content! [image: Article Tools] - [image: Print]Printer-Friendly - [image: Email]Email Article - [image: Reprint]Reprints - [image: Comments]Comments - - - Charter schools are a silver bullet for urban education. But not for any of the reasons you might think. Charters, as research reveals, don't achieve particularly impressive results. In a study con... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Should All Students Learn to Code?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Should All Students Learn to Code?: Should All Students Learn to Code? by Melissa Westbrook This is a new video circulating out in the Internet world. You'll recognize many of the faces in it. Look, I'm married to someone who knows how to program (and teaches computer science). He did a stint at Google and yes, it's an exceptional work environment (free food - for both you and your dog - free snacks, massage chairs, games - it's a swell place to work). But I would also gently point out that not everyone is cut out to be a programmer and many of... more »


FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, February 26, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Black students' learning gaps start early, report says* Education Headlines *Tuesday, February 26, 2013* Layoff notices looming for teachers, counselorsNearly 100 teachers and counselors may receive initial layoff notices from Stockton Unified ahead of a March 15 state deadline as the school district begins its effort to balance its budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year. Champion of education for 38 yearsGary Dei Rossi, the 61-year-old deputy superintendent at the San Joaquin County Office of Education, is spending a lot of time re... more »

EXCLUSIVE: Rarely Seen Film "King: A Filmed Record" Traces MLK's Struggle from Montgomery to Memphis

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
EXCLUSIVE: Rarely Seen Film "King: A Filmed Record" Traces MLK's Struggle from Montgomery to Memphis EXCLUSIVE: Rarely Seen Film "King: A Filmed Record" Traces MLK’s Struggle from Montgomery to Memphis In a Black History Month special, we air excerpts of a rarely seen Oscar-nominated documentary about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the rise of the civil rights movement. Produced by Ely Landau, "King: A Filmed Record...Montgomery to Memphis" is made from original newsreel footage and other original video footage shot of marches, rallies and church services. "King" was originally... more »

Breastfeeding One, Nourishing Many « MomsRising Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Breastfeeding One, Nourishing Many « MomsRising Blog: Breastfeeding One, Nourishing Many Shannon Shelton Miller at MomsRising Blog - 2 minutes ago Long before my bouncing baby boy entered my life, I knew I would be breastfeeding. I’d read all the studies that detailed how breast milk was the ideal food for infants, the biological norm that provided the perfect combination of nutrients and immune system boosters for baby, and plenty of health benefits for mom too, [...] Breastfeeding tale Paperdoll cincy at MomsRising Blog - 2 minutes ago To be honest, I never considered not breastfe... more »

Editorial bashes Jeb Bush’s education ‘reform’ efforts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Editorial bashes Jeb Bush’s education ‘reform’ efforts: Editorial bashes Jeb Bush’s education ‘reform’ efforts Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 26, 2013 at 9:54 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Former Florida governor Jeb Bush (R). (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Former Florida governor Jeb Bush (R) has made a national name for himself in education reform over the past several years. He pushes states to adopt the corporate-based reforms he implemented in the Sunshi... more »

UPDATE: Our pension future was the topic at a north suburban meeting. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Our pension future was the topic at a north suburban meeting. | Fred Klonsky: Our pension future was the topic at a north suburban meeting. by Fred Klonsky [image: IMG_0089] *North suburban State Senator Dan Biss.* Several hundred teachers, mostly members of the IFT’s North Suburban Teachers Union, came to Niles North High School last night to hear IFT President Dan Montgomery, Ralph Martire of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, Senator Dan Biss and Representatives Elaine Nekritz, Laura Fine and Robyn Gabel. If this was a war of wits between Martire and Montgomery on the ... more »

Mother Crusader: Why Is A "Fox News Contributor And NJ Democratic Strategist" Hatikvah's Spokeswoman?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Mother Crusader: Why Is A "Fox News Contributor And NJ Democratic Strategist" Hatikvah's Spokeswoman?: The photogenic and versatile Roginsky Why Is A "Fox News Contributor And NJ Democratic Strategist" Hatikvah's Spokeswoman? by darciecima Before the suburban charter backlash gained momentum, a handful of suburban charters managed to open their doors. We have seen the kind of dramatic upheaval this has caused in community after community, when parents and residents realize that local tax dollars are diverted to charters that serve only a small fraction of a town's children. Mor... more »

LAUSD; HOW CRENSHAW STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND TEACHERS CAN FINALLY SUCCEED - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
LAUSD; HOW CRENSHAW STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND TEACHERS CAN FINALLY SUCCEED - Perdaily.com: LAUSD; HOW CRENSHAW STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND TEACHERS CAN FINALLY SUCCEED by Leonard Isenberg [image: Crenshaw Cougars.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español)* * * *There was a meeting last week at the Radical Women center for the Crenshaw Cougar Coalition to discuss how to address the attack on Crenshaw High School by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and its proposed reconstitution of the school. Although Beatriz Paez, who chaired the meeting, said they were interested in formulating a... more »

Colorado Parent & Teacher Offers Advice & Insights on Opting Out of TCAP | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Colorado Parent & Teacher Offers Advice & Insights on Opting Out of TCAP | United Opt Out National: Colorado Parent & Teacher Offers Advice & Insights on Opting Out of TCAP *Guest post by Darciann Samples, Colorado Parent and National Board Certified Teacher* The following is a letter from Darciann to all parents and students in Colorado who are interested in learning more about opting out of TCAP. Hello, Here is the first update on our second experience with opting out of high-stakes testing in Colorado, a state with a statute requiring that all students participate in the test. ... more »

Daily Kos: 29 days since we got the news

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Daily Kos: 29 days since we got the news: 29 days since we got the news by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) 4 weeks ago last night Leaves on the Current and I learned she has cancer. Four weeks since our lives got turned upside down. As of now, she is half-way through the ten occasions of her second set of radiation As of tomorrow, she will get the 3rd injection of chemotherapy out of the four in this cycle of 2 weeks on, 1 week off (she takes a second med by pill for all 14 days of the 2 weeks on). She still has had no nausea, her appetite holds. And now we are seeing positive things a... more »

Quvenzhané Wallis, Matthew McConaughey, and How We See Our Children of Color | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
QuvenzhanĂ© Wallis, Matthew McConaughey, and How We See Our Children of Color | The Jose Vilson: QuvenzhanĂ© Wallis, Matthew McConaughey, and How We See Our Children of Color by Jose Vilson [image: QuvenzhanĂ© Wallis on the cover of Entertainment Magazine] QuvenzhanĂ© Wallis on the cover of Entertainment Magazine I have a confession: I’ve never seen *Beasts of the Southern Wild*. As a relatively new parent, I don’t always have the time or the funds to make it out to the movies very often. But that’s not the purpose for my essay because, when it comes out on Netflix, I know I have to wat... more »

Byrd Bennett has a second job - Substance News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Byrd Bennett has a second job - Substance News: Rahm Emanuel's handpicked schools 'Chief Executive Officer', Barbara Byrd Bennett, has a second job working for Eli Broad against unions and public schools ... and the photographs of her works in Detroit show Chicago's future, despite the rhetoric and lies during the current 'underutilization' fight John Kugler - February 23, 2013 Sometimes one picture is worth even more than 1,000 words, and in the case of the recent people imported into Chicago as "Chief Executive Officer" of the nation's third largest school system, the photograp... more »

To Attract Investors, Pearson Boasts of Success in Acquiring State, PARCC and RTTT Contracts | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
To Attract Investors, Pearson Boasts of Success in Acquiring State, PARCC and RTTT Contracts | Scathing Purple Musings: To Attract Investors, Pearson Boasts of Success in Acquiring State, PARCC and RTTT Contracts by Bob Sikes Education giant, Pearson is bragging to potential investors about how well they did last year, and how well they expect to do next year. While admitting that ”state funding pressures and the transition to Common Core assessments continued to make market conditions tough for our state assessment and teacher testing businesses,” Pearson still had this to say... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-25-13 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: Good News from Indiana–MAYBE! by dianerav Many people signed a petition calling on the Indiana legislature not to dilute the powers of newly elected state superintendent Glenda Ritz. This just in: “Both of the bills mentioned in this petition, HB1309 and HB1251, died in the legislature! As did a few others that diminished the power and job of the elected Supt. of Public Instruction and/or the DOE – some without a hearing. Forget the Oscars, Here Are the Bunkum Awards by dianerav Each year, the National Educatio... more »

NYC Educator: When Politicians Disagree

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
NYC Educator: When Politicians Disagree: When Politicians Disagree by NYC Educator In an unusual move, Sheldon Silver has declared that NYC kids should not be deprived of 260 million dollars just because Governor Andrew "1%" Cuomo is having a temper tantrum. While the governor is certainly free to bang his fists and kick his feet and throw whatever surprises Sandra Lee has been whipping up on the floor, it's beyond the pale that he do this to kids. After all, Andrew Cuomo is the self-proclaimed student lobbyist, the only person in the state who cares about kids. That's why he took ... more »

Parents Across America Webinar: The Journey for Justice in Education with Karran Harper-Royal | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Parents Across America Webinar: The Journey for Justice in Education with Karran Harper-Royal | Seattle Education: Parents Across America Webinar: The Journey for Justice in Education with Karran Harper-Royal by seattleducation2011 [image: journey] *Parents Across America Webinar* *The Journey for Justice* *With New Orleans Parent and Education Advocate Karran Harper-Royal* *March 3, 2013* *1:00 PM PST* Free tickets available through Eventbrite. Moderators: Dora Taylor, PAA and Seattle Education and Julie Woesterhoff, PAA andPURE. Journey for Justice is an emerging alliance currently... more »

The Quick and the Ed » The Full Weight of a Moratorium on Testing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
The Quick and the Ed » The Full Weight of a Moratorium on Testing: The Full Weight of a Moratorium on Testing by Kris Amundson Like most people who have struggled with weight, there was a time when I decided to deal with the problem by simply refusing to get on the scale. I know I am not alone in this behavior. But eventually, other evidence (outgrowing a favorite pair of jeans, a bad blood pressure reading) usually brings people back to the recognition that, however unpleasant they may be, regular weigh-ins promote accountability. That’s true for school systems as well, particular... more »

UPDATE: Upcoming Elections and Public Education in Seattle Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Upcoming Elections and Public Education in Seattle by Melissa Westbrook This fall the citizens of Seattle will be voting for mayor. As of now, I believe there are seven candidates. I have interviewed one of them - Peter Steinbrueck - and have Kate Martin on tap. I will reach out to Mayor McGinn but from working with him over the last several years, I have a good idea of his views. One of the candidates is Councilman Tim Burgess. The Councilman has been deeply involved in Seattle public education and was a big supporte... more »

Rally Tonight in Annapolis for Baltimore City Schools (Quick Links) | Re:education in Baltimore

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Rally Tonight in Annapolis for Baltimore City Schools (Quick Links) | Re:education in Baltimore: Rally Tonight in Annapolis for Baltimore City Schools (Quick Links) by Edit Barry Wish every Baltimore City Public School could look like something like this? Rally tonight at 6pm on Lawyer’s Mall in Annapolis. For more about the issue, click around: - Check out their site for all the legislative info you’ll need and ways to show your support: Transform Baltimore - Preview of tonight’s event: Supporters predict large turnout for schools rally in Annapolis: Baltimore advocates... more »

One Teacher's Perspective: Staff Swap: A Revealing School Experiment

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
One Teacher's Perspective: Staff Swap: A Revealing School Experiment: Staff Swap: A Revealing School Experiment by Imagine Wisconsin *Mixed in with voucher and school choice nonsense, Wisconsin Gov. Walker pitched yet another useless and wasteful education reform this past week that panders to his free market-minded friends. * * * *His unproven plan to improve Wisconsin schools involves financially rewarding schools that score well on the state’s flawed school report cards.I suppose Gov. Walker believes the free market fairy will miraculously motivate the staff at underperforming sc... more »

Oooh Lord, here we go, #stuvoice or #studentvoice, take your pick – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Oooh Lord, here we go, #stuvoice or #studentvoice, take your pick – @ the chalk face: Oooh Lord, here we go, #stuvoice or #studentvoice, take your pick by Chalk Face, PhD [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] The sniping has begun, apparently, to which I must personally respond. Unschooling/homeschooling advocate, and employee of the NYDOE (could that be argued as the belly of the beast?), is going after us here At the Chalk Face because I had the temerity to suggest that folks who have taught might have more to say about their profession than someone observing from the outside. Here’s... more »

Closing North Philly School wins Championship - Collaborate Philly

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Closing North Philly School wins Championship - Collaborate Philly: *Closing North Philly School wins Championship* *Vaux High School beats Math, Civics & Science High School, 40-10, in the African-American History Challenge.* ** *Fred Whiten, President of 100 Black Men of Philadelphia, poses with the winning Vaux team at the African-American History Challenge. (Photo Credit: C. Norris - ©2013)* *By Christopher “Flood the Drummer®” Norris* *2.24.13: Philadelphia –(**Education/Nonprofit/Activism):* The majority of students at Vaux High School don’t know where they’ll end up in the fal... more »

Reality Has Shown Itself in NY: The State and Districts Forge Ahead | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Reality Has Shown Itself in NY: The State and Districts Forge Ahead | Truth in American Education: Reality Has Shown Itself in NY: The State and Districts Forge Ahead Posted on February 24, 2013 by chascherrie Ken Mitchell has written a report for the Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Ken is the District Superintendent of the South Orangetown School District in Rockland County in New York State. *Federal Mandates on Local Education: Costs and Consequences—Yes, it’s a Race, but is it in the Right Direction? *tell... more »


NEA’s Read Across America Cat-a-Van Tour Hits the Road | NEA Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
NEA’s Read Across America Cat-a-Van Tour Hits the Road | NEA Today: NEA’s Read Across America Cat-a-Van Tour Hits the Road by twalker *By Tim Walker* This week, three Cat-a-Vans will log more than 5,100 miles as they travel from coast to coast to celebrate NEA’s Read Across America and deliver an important message about reading—and brushing their teeth. NEA’s Cat-a-Van Reading Tour – made possible through a unique partnership between the National Education Association and Renaissance Dental – begins on Monday, February 25, and concludes on Friday, March 1—the official Read Across ... more »

Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter: This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter by Larry Ferlazzo Guest post by Joe Mazza Image credit: stuvoice.org *This week’s chat hosted by Stuvoice.org Founder Zak Makamed. * The Student Voice movement strives to create an international network of empowered students by providing them with the tools they need to use their voice in policy discussions. While we are students working for students, the support of adult stakeholders has enabled us to take our movement above and beyond what we could have ever anticipated. This chat will se... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-24-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: *Diane Ravitch - Walkin' the Talk* What If the Diagnosis Is Based on Junk Science? by dianerav The letter-grading system that is spreading across many states originated in Florida during Jeb Bush’s tenure as governor. His goal was to show how poorly public schools were doing and to blame schools if students had low test scores, thus diverting attention from the social and economic causes of poor performance in school. Red states love letter grades, as does Mayor Bloomberg in New York City, who has advanced priv... more »

UPDATE: Jersey Jazzman: Is Rhee's Book a Flop?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Is Rhee's Book a Flop?: Is Rhee's Book a Flop? by Duke I know nothing about the book publishing business, so maybe I'm wrong. Maybe a book like Michelle Rhee's *Radical* needs months to build up buzz and become a best-seller. Maybe her autobiography is a sleeper and will catch fire after a few more weeks. *But right now, Radical looks like a flop.* According to Amazon.com, *Radical* was released on February 5, 2013, almost three weeks ago. In that time, Rhee has been on what must be any author's dream book tour: *The Daily Show*, *This Week*, *Charlie Rose, *an... more »

UPDATE: Do Florida Lawmakers Revere or Fear Jeb Bush? + “….Already Lawmakers are Climbing Back in the Sack with Charter School Business Interests” | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
“….Already Lawmakers are Climbing Back in the Sack with Charter School Business Interests” | Scathing Purple Musings: “….Already Lawmakers are Climbing Back in the Sack with Charter School Business Interests” by Bob Sikes Here’s a bit from this morning’s column by the *Tampa Bay Times *John Romano: Theoretically, the role of a state legislator is simple. You are in Tallahassee to look out for the people back home. Special interest groups, lobbyists, political parties? In a perfect world, that’s just drama and noise. And yet here we are, just about a week before the Legislature is... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-24-13 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] Bridgeport Parents Call for Vallas’s Ouster by dianerav A report from Bridgeport, Connecticut: Connecticut Working Families Party 30 Arbor Street, Suite 210, Hartford, CT 06106 (860) 523-1699 http://www.connecticutworkingfamilies.org For an event occurring on February 25th, 2013, 4 pm Advisory – Parents Call on Bridgeport Board of Education not to renew Paul Vallas’ Contract as Superintendent For more information contact Taylor Leake at (860) 670-1408 or tleake@w... more »

First World Education Problems in Detroit (Part II, Catherine Ferguson Academy) - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
First World Education Problems in Detroit (Part II, Catherine Ferguson Academy) - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: First World Education Problems in Detroit (Part II, Catherine Ferguson Academy) by Nancy Flanagan School closing protests--a first-world ed-problem, if there ever was one--are everywhere these days. In crumbling rust-belt urban centers and leafy suburbs, we're closing, consolidating, belt-tightening. It's hard to argue with population migration--Detroit lost a quarter of its citizens in the last decade--or for keeping every beloved neighborhood schoo... more »

State must take serious look at school funding (according to Wendy Lecker) - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
State must take serious look at school funding (according to Wendy Lecker) - Wait, What?: State must take serious look at school funding (according to Wendy Lecker) by jonpelto It is time for a real, serious and honest look at Connecticut’s school funding crisis, not the cop-out version that has been recently proposed as part of Connecticut’s budget plan. Fellow pro-public education blogger and commentator, Wendy Lecker, has another “MUST READ” column this week in the Stamford Advocate, CT Post and the other newspapers that are part of the Hearst Connecticut Media Group. You can ... more »

Northwest Philly community fights to keep three 'anchor institutions' open in Germantown | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Northwest Philly community fights to keep three 'anchor institutions' open in Germantown | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Northwest Philly community fights to keep three 'anchor institutions' open in Germantownby thenotebook on Feb 23 2013 Posted in Latest news ="" style="color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on email COMMENTS (0)PRINT Photo: Nat Hamilton/NewsWorks School Reform Commission Chair Pedro Ramos listens to testimony on day two of the school-closing hearings. *by Aaron Moselle* The Philadelphia School District's plan to close... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Greedy, Overpaid NJ Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Jersey Jazzman: Greedy, Overpaid NJ Teachers: Greedy, Overpaid NJ Teachers by Duke *And it's pretty damn ugly right now.* Remember when Chris Christie used to run up and down New Jersey complaining about "*... the teachers union demanding raises at 4 to 5 times the rate of inflation...*"? Remember when I was one of the few places you couldgo to regularly find out this was absolutely ridiculous? Remember when I repeatedly wrote that the notion of "overpaid teachers" with "gold-plated benefits" was transparently idiotic? Good times... So, how is the allegedly greedy, overpaid teac... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-23-13 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: Goliath Collects Millions in Los Angeles Race by garyrubinstein Monica Garcia is president of the Los Angeles school board and Superintendent John Deasy ‘s strong supporter in Los Angeles. He supports charter schools and evaluating teacgers by test scores. Los Angeles has more charters than any other city in the nation. They have little supervision. They get public money to do as they please (in reformer-speak, that is called “innovation”). Garcia’s friends do not want to take any chances. Here are the latest ... more »

Teachbad’s Secret Project | Mr. Teachbad

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Teachbad’s Secret Project | Mr. Teachbad: Teachbad’s Secret Project by teachbad For all the right rea­sons, I am try­ing to write a book about teach­ing in the mod­ern era. I’ve been work­ing on it for a long time and now it’s get­ting a lit­tle more seri­ous. I don’t have any­thing to post because I’ve been work­ing on that, so I’m going to give you a lit­tle taste of the book proposal. This is the first page; where I must grab a publisher’s atten­tion so com­pletely that she is com­pelled to read the sec­ond page. See what you think. (Maybe add a com­ment about what a great ide... more »

The Weekly Update: NPEC gives out the Bunkum Awards for bad studies, Duncan gets an “F” on education equity, Edushyter’s Eduttantes and much, much more | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
The Weekly Update: NPEC gives out the Bunkum Awards for bad studies, Duncan gets an “F” on education equity, Edushyter’s Eduttantes and much, much more | Seattle Education: The Weekly Update: NPEC gives out the Bunkum Awards for bad studies, Duncan gets an “F” on education equity, Edushyter’s Eduttantes and much, much more by seattleducation2011 [image: A protester at the Rhee event in Seattle.] A protester at the Rhee event in Seattle. We definitely had a better time outside than the audience did inside on Tuesday evening at the Rhee event. In fact, some members of the audience, a... more »

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Voucher Expansion: “Walker’s voucher plan goes too far, too fast” | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Voucher Expansion: “Walker’s voucher plan goes too far, too fast” | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Voucher Expansion: “Walker’s voucher plan goes too far, too fast” by millerlf http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/walkers-voucher-plan-goes-too-far-too-fast-ee8rbqm-191911461.html We urge the Legislature to substantially modify the governor’s plan or kill it outright. Feb. 19, 2013 MJS Editorial We have long supported choice in public education. We still believe that, despite its flaws, the Milwaukee Parental Ch... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-23-13 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] Duncan Press Secretary Working for Rupert Murdoch by dianerav Justin Hamilton, who recently stepped down as Arne Duncan’s press secretary, has accepted an executive position at Rupert Murdoch’s Amplify. This division, headed by Joel Klein, sells technology to the schools. This is funny, because last May I had a Twitter debate with Justin about the role of entrepreneurs in education. I didn’t see much good coming from injecting the profit motive into schooling, ... more »