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Thursday, March 14, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 3-14-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS





Good morning. HB2404, HB3162, SB1 and SB35. 888/412-6570 | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago
Good morning. HB2404, HB3162, SB1 and SB35. 888/412-6570 | Fred Klonsky: Good morning. HB2404, HB3162, SB1 and SB35. 888/412-6570 by Fred Klonsky [image: a3621telephone-posters] Arggh!* So many numbers.* Last night the emails and tweets were humming. The Illinois Senate Executive Committee had voted out Senate Bill 1 and 35. Let’s go over it again. Senate Bill 1 is President Cullerton’s *see-what-sticks* bill. He doesn’t believe the massive attack on pensions by Biss, Nekritz and Cross is constitutional, so he mashed it up with his own COLA or health care forced choice bill and... more »

The Heart of Our Testing Disagreement - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 27 minutes ago
The Heart of Our Testing Disagreement - Bridging Differences - Education Week: The Heart of Our Testing Disagreement by Deborah Meier Dear Eric, I think you you've picked the heart of our disagreement, or maybe I should say the "brain" since heart seems wishy-washy! I might never have changed my views if I hadn't had the experiences I did—from going into the classroom to having a son who had trouble with testing, and had it not been for those interviews I did of 2nd and 3rd graders. With those experiences behind me, and having had access—as teachers no longer do—to the manuals... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 50 minutes ago
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. Big Data is “Not a Replacement for the Classic Ways of Understanding the World" Best of the Ed Blogs Larry Ferlazzo March 14, 2013 10 Signs You Might Be a Transph... more »

» SEC Charges Illinois with Securities Fraud for Failing to Properly Fund Public Pensions

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 53 minutes ago
» SEC Charges Illinois with Securities Fraud for Failing to Properly Fund Public Pensions: SEC Charges Illinois with Securities Fraud for Failing to Properly Fund Public Pensions by Steve Cooper Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn As Illinois Governor Pat Quinn looks to overhaul his state’s pensions system, the SEC is stepping in with charges that officials misled investors. An investigation shows that a series of political decisions almost two decades in the making have left Illinois with only 40 cents of assets for every dollar of pension liabilities. The national average for states is ... more »

Ending racial inequality in gifted education | Hechinger Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Ending racial inequality in gifted education | Hechinger Report: Ending racial inequality in gifted education by Sarah Garland [image: Ending racial inequality in gifted education] Starting in second grade, I took a school bus from my middle-class neighborhood to downtown Louisville, Ky., where my grade school was surrounded by public housing projects, as part of an effort to desegregate schools. The year I started there, I was identified as “gifted” and put in a separate, accelerated class where my classmates were mostly other white boys and girls from the suburbs. In 1975, the sch... more »

School vouchers: A threat to our very foundation | Other Views | NewsObserver.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
School vouchers: A threat to our very foundation | Other Views | NewsObserver.com: School vouchers: A threat to our very foundation Published: March 13, 2013 Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/13/2747300/school-vouchers-a-threat-to-our.html#storylink=cpy Superintendents, principals and teachers were invited recently to the General Assembly to share their ideas about improving and protecting public education in North Carolina. Brunswick County Superintendent Ed Pruden spoke boldly against the threat of privatization: “Unanimously, North Carolina’s superintende... more »

Don’t miss Diane Ravitch next week! « The Progressive Pulse

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Don’t miss Diane Ravitch next week! « The Progressive Pulse: Don’t miss Diane Ravitch next week! Post on March 13, 2013 by Rob SchofieldNo Comments [image: Diane Ravitch]America’s leading spokesperson for public education, Diane Ravitch, will be in Raleigh*next Thursday March 21* to headline an NC Policy Watch Crucial Conversation luncheon. Diane is, among other things, the author of several books including “The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education,” a professor at NYU, a former Bush I administration official and a pro... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-14-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Why Did the Teachers Strike in Chicago? by dianerav For more than a week in September, the nation was astonished to see thousands of Chicago teachers on strike. The media treated it as an old fashioned dispute over wages and hours, which it was not. Many of us who follow education issues knew that the teachers were striking against nearly 20 years of nonstop ill-considered “reforms” imposed on teachers by politicians and uninformed policymakers. The bottom line: ... more »

Preparing to fail ‘Radical’ Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's agenda syncs up with district's plan to close diverse schools Sacramento News & Review

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Sacramento News & Review - Preparing to fail - News - Local Stories - March 14, 2013: Preparing to fail ‘Radical’ *Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee*'s agenda syncs up with district's plan to close diverse schools By Raheem F. Hosseini raheemh@newsreview.com This article was published on 03.14.13. *Related stories:* Fail Test scores are mixed, costs are high and teachers are pissed. Why critics say Sacramento city school reform could … SN&R, 11.17.11. Laugh it up Sacramento school closures are a bummer, negotiations with secret whales a joke. SN&R, 02.28.13. Michelle Rhee's... more »

UPDATE: Common Core: Will it hurt struggling readers?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Common Core: Will it hurt struggling readers?: Common Core: Will it hurt struggling readers? Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 14, 2013 at 4:00 am 2 Comments More [image: (Astrid Riecken/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST)] (Astrid Riecken/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST) The debate over the Common Core State Standards continues. Here an author writes about potential problems with Common Core implementation regarding reading instruction. This was written byLaura Robb, a veteran teacher, teacher mentor and author of books on reading for middle school teachers, early literacy and professional developm... more »

Turning Private Information of Florida’s Children Over to the Education for Profit Industry | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Turning Private Information of Florida’s Children Over to the Education for Profit Industry | Scathing Purple Musings: Turning Private Information of Florida’s Children Over to the Education for Profit Industry by Bob Sikes It’s quickly moved under the radar, and SB 878 will be considered by the Senate Appropriations today. Misleading titled Education Accountability on the senate website, Sen. Bill Galvano’s (R-Bradenton) bill follows adjustments Sec. of Education Arne Duncan made to the Federal Education Rights Privacy Act (1974) as a means to solidify Common Core Standard grip ... more »

Students Call For Action! Save Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Students Call For Action!: Students Call For Action! by Server Students call for action! *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* *DATE:* March 14th, 2013 *WHAT:* Students standing up for our education *WHERE:* West Steps of the Colorado State Capitol *TIME:* 11:00 AM to 3:00PM *Students call for action!**To Download Flyer* Walkout In-Between Tests Action Flyer On February 23rd, students gathered to discuss what is wrong with the current education system and how they could get their voices heard. From there, the students developed an action plan to have their voices heard. We, the students, are stand... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee : Not all charters created equal | UTSanDiego.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee : Not all charters created equal | UTSanDiego.com: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee : Not all charters created equal SAN DIEGO — Michelle Rhee, the former chancellor of schools in Washington, D.C., brought her controversial brand of reform to San Diego on Wednesday when she was featured as the keynote speaker at the California Charter Schools conference at the convention center. Rhee is a champion of the school choice movement because she said it often gives options to students who are otherwise trapped into attending bad neighborhood schools. ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: MO Department of Revenue Gathering/Storing Biometric Data. Is DESE gathering Data on Students?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: MO Department of Revenue Gathering/Storing Biometric Data. Is DESE gathering Data on Students?: MO Department of Revenue Gathering/Storing Biometric Data. Is DESE gathering Data on Students? by stlgretchen Citizens are concerned with the Department of Revenue in Missouri and the recent discovery of secret data mining of their information when they renew their driver's license. From The Dana Show and*EXCLUSIVE: DHS Plans Backdoor Gun Registration? *UPDATES:* *This from concerned citizen Eric Griffin and Missouri’s Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder. Department o... more »

NYC Educator: State of the State Education Funding.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
NYC Educator: State of the State Education Funding.: State of the State Education Funding. by NYC Educator Hi, I'm student lobbyist Governor Andrew Cuomo. Now I've been getting a little bit of a bad rap in the press lately because I took 240 million dollars away from New York City schoolchildren. But I did it for a good cause. The city and the UFT couldn't agree on an evaluation system, and someone must pay. As student lobbyist, it's my job to defend the children. That's why I'm making them pay. I mean, honestly, they're city kids. They can't afford private schools and they won't ... more »

Suspending some standardized tests could save state $15 million - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Suspending some standardized tests could save state $15 million - latimes.com: Suspending some standardized tests could save state $15 million A plan to suspend California’s standardized testing for certain grades while new computerized exams are developed could save $15 million, the state’s top education official said Wednesday. State Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson recommended to the state Board of Education that the savings be used instead to develop higher-quality tests linked to new uniform but voluntary academic standards. They have been adopted by 45 states, in... more »

Jersey Jazzman: NJ Teacher Evaluation: Math Fail #1

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: NJ Teacher Evaluation: Math Fail #1: NJ Teacher Evaluation: Math Fail #1 by Duke *Do the Broad-funded interns at the New Jersey Department of Education understand math?* I ask because their disastrous teacher evaluation proposals, announced with great fanfare last week, betray an embarrassing misunderstanding of the fundamentals of mathematics. It will take a few posts to catalog them all, but let's start with this: A large portion of a "tested" teacher's evaluation will now include a metric called a "Median Student Growth Percentile," or mSGP. In a previous pos... more »

The Educated Reporter: Is There Really a Shortage of STEM Teachers?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: Is There Really a Shortage of STEM Teachers?: Is There Really a Shortage of STEM Teachers? by Emily Richmond *EWA recently held a one-day seminar focused on STEM education at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. We invited some of the journalists attending to contribute blog posts from the sessions. Today's entry is from reporter Zachary Reid of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. You can find additional resources from the seminar, including materials from many of the presenters, here.* *Session:* Recruiting and Training STEM Teachers Teachers with the bac... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: A regional war over school funding in IL

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: A regional war over school funding in IL: A regional war over school funding in IL by Mike Klonsky *"We're not here to ignite a regional war over school funding fairness. And we certainly recognize the very real challenges every school district in Illinois is facing." -- *Republican Senator Christine Radogno Yes they are. No they don't. IL leads nation in cuts to educationAs *Gov. Quinn* and the Democrats cut more than $300 million from the state's education budget, Republicans are claiming that Chicago's children are getting too big a share of that... more »

EVER WONDER WHY UTLA DOES NOTHING TO PROTECT TEACHERS? WHY NOT POSE THAT QUESTION TO UTLA'S DISBARRED CARL JOSEPH - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
EVER WONDER WHY UTLA DOES NOTHING TO PROTECT TEACHERS? WHY NOT POSE THAT QUESTION TO UTLA'S DISBARRED CARL JOSEPH - Perdaily.com: EVER WONDER WHY UTLA DOES NOTHING TO PROTECT TEACHERS? WHY NOT POSE THAT QUESTION TO UTLA'S DISBARRED CARL JOSEPH by Leonard Isenberg [image: Collusion.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español)*There is an eerie similarity between how the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) are run. Both leaderships are populated by refugees from the untenable classroom, who have sought upward mobility by getting as far away from... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* *CORPORATE ED REFORM* * * John Legend and the Well-Meaning Corporatists by Jose Vilson [image: Davis Guggenheim, John Legend, Michelle Rhee]Davis Guggenheim, John Legend, Michelle Rhee Last Wednesday, Huffington Post Education’s Twitter feed tweeted this out: John Legend: out to save schools? huff.to/14pCkEs — HuffPostEducation (@HuffPostEdu) March 7, 2013 In the pithiest attempt at a response, I said “From what?” After a more thorough read on all the school board races around the country, I noticed a disturbing trend of pundits fundi... more »

DFER lies about Garfield - Substance News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
DFER lies about Garfield - Substance News: MEDIA WATCH: DFER pushes slick attacks against Garfield High MAP boycott -- penned by a 'fourth grade teacher' (charter school variety) who is now a DFER 'policy analyst' George N. Schmidt - March 09, 2013 [image: DFER Fake Democrats for Education Privatization (click on Picture)] Back in the days before the movement against using body counts for "assessments" became stronger in Chicago (and across the USA), the late Jerry Bracey (whose books everyone should get and read before they go out of print forever) devoted an annual column in the... more »

Teaching Eight-Year-Olds to Sound Like Bankers Common Core [sic] Standards (Susan Ohanian Speaks Out)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Common Core [sic] Standards (Susan Ohanian Speaks Out): Teaching Eight-Year-Olds to Sound Like Bankers*by Susan Ohanian* AFT Share My Lesson Common Core fulfillment mania strikes again, with a lesson on informative/expository writing (free registration required) that tries to make eight-year-olds sound like bankers. Warning: They may forever lose their voices in the process. We're told that this lesson satisfies this Common Core Standard: Students will be able to: Core Standard W.3.2b: Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details. Core Standa... more »

How Parent Trigger Brought Chaos and Divided a California Community | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
How Parent Trigger Brought Chaos and Divided a California Community | Scathing Purple Musings: How Parent Trigger Brought Chaos and Divided a California Community by Bob Sikes Jeb Bush’s foundation paraded the professional organizers of Parent Revolution around the legislature this time last year to promote Parent Trigger. The California charter school-funded group got to spin their version of events in the two Parent Trigger fights in their state. They eventually prevailed in Adelanto, but at a cost Florida’s republican legislators and Bush’s foundations don’t folks to know abou... more »

$15 Million Saved from Testing Suspension - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
$15 Million Saved from Testing Suspension - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Projects Savings of More Than $15 Million from Testing Suspension Proposal SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson projected today that his recommendation to suspend standardized tests not required by the federal government starting next year would save more than $15 million, and called for the savings to be used to develop new high-quality assessments. "Rather than continuing to spend scarce dollars and precious class time on outdated test... more »

Pass / Fail : States to consider financial literacy requirements for K-12 students | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Pass / Fail : States to consider financial literacy requirements for K-12 students | 89.3 KPCC: States to consider financial literacy requirements for K-12 students by Vanessa Romo [image: piles of cash]*Credit: Photo by 401K via Flickr Creative Commons* Schools have long tried to impart money management skills to students through a variety of programs: elective classes in partnership with banks and nonprofit groups, after-school programs that teach economic basics and “life-skills” to round out a student’s academic education. Now a nonprofit promoting financial education, the Counci... more »

The Washington Teacher: Save Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
The Washington Teacher: Save Our Schools: Save Our Schools by noreply@blogger.com (Candi Peterson) *COME MAKE HISTORY WITH US AS WE STOP DC SCHOOL CLOSURES! ***** *JOIN EMPOWER DC & THE WARD 8 EDUCATION COUNCIL & THE WARD 7 EDUCATION COUNCIL AT THE:***** *Save Our Schools Summit***** *Information Session & Rally building Support for Empower DC’s Lawsuit to STOP the planned closure of***** *15 DC Public Schools impacting over 2,700 students of color** ***** *Thursday, March 14th 2013***** *6:30-8:30 PM***** *****Temple**** of Praise**** – 700 Southern Ave, SE***** *To Include:***** *... more »

UPDATE: Pulling back the curtain. #CCSS + AWESOME #optout letter. – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
AWESOME #optout letter. – @ the chalk face: Pulling back the curtain. #CCSS by Chris Cerrone *by Bianca Tanis, New York educator and parent.* The more I learn about the new, Common-Core-based ELA exams and APPR protocols, the more I wonder who, exactly, is running the show. Who is the “man behind the curtain,” and what is his real agenda? Certainly, it is not someone with a background in child or educational psychology, or even anyone competent, for that matter. As we head into the high stakes testing season, the utter lack of regard for developmentally appropriate content boggle... more »

Daily Kos: now making the rounds on the 'net about the new Pope

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Daily Kos: now making the rounds on the 'net about the new Pope: now making the rounds on the 'net about the new Pope by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) is this Guardian piece from 2+ years ago in which we read .What one did not hear from any senior member of the Argentine hierarchy was any expression of regret for the church's collaboration and in these crimes. The extent of the church's complicity in the dark deeds was excellently set out by Horacio Verbitsky, one of Argentina's most notable journalists, in his book El Silencio (Silence). He recounts how the Argentine navy with ... more »

UPDATE: Let's Compare and Contrast, Shall We? Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle School District Boundaries - A New Thought?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle School District Boundaries - A New Thought?: Let's Compare and Contrast, Shall We? by Melissa Westbrook Or, let's not. From the AP: *Port of Seattle commissioners voted Tuesday for a sevenfold pay raise to $42,000 a year, about the same as a Washington state legislator.* *Port spokesman Jason Kelly says Commission President Tom Albro proposed the pay hike to make the job more attractive to applicants. The vote ties commission salaries to the pay of state lawmakers.* *The raise won't take effect until after the next election. Albro has said ... more »

Is the World Ready for a God-Embracing Atheist? | Lefty Parent

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Is the World Ready for a God-Embracing Atheist? | Lefty Parent: Is the World Ready for a God-Embracing Atheist? by Cooper Zale [image: Many Religions]They teach you that when in a job interview if asked whether you have a particular skill or experience and you must honestly say no, it is best to say “no but…” followed by sharing some other skill or experience you do or have had that is arguably comparable or at least applicable. For example, “No, I don’t have experience as a manager, but I do have a great deal of experience chairing committees in my congregation and leading volunt... more »

Charters drain funds from other students, board chairwoman says | The Tennessean | tennessean.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Charters drain funds from other students, board chairwoman says | The Tennessean | tennessean.com: Charters drain funds from other students, board chairwoman says [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Charter schools are expected to siphon about $40 million from the Metro Nashville school budget next year, school board Chairwoman Cheryl Mayes said, leaving the district with a shortfall close to $30 million. The Metro school board spent several hours Tuesday discussing charter schools in two separate meetings, and the discussion in both centered on the financial... more »

Children Lose With House Budget | First Focus

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Children Lose With House Budget | First Focus: *Children Lose With House Budget* *March 12, 2013* [image: First Focus - Making Childen and Families the Priority] Washington — The bipartisan children’s advocacy organization First Focus expressed concern that the House Budget Committee’s proposed federal fiscal year 2014 budget resolution puts billions in federal funding for critical children’s initiatives at risk. A review of materials released by the committee shows that the proposal puts children’s health, child nutrition, education, child abuse and neglect prevention and response,... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: A r-r-r-radical 10-year plan for new tests

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: A r-r-r-radical 10-year plan for new tests: A r-r-r-radical 10-year plan for new tests by Mike Klonsky In a report that was set for release this week, a panel of top education research and policy experts has come up with a 10-year plan for states to develop a "radically" different systems of assessments that supposedly "go beyond identifying student achievement for accountability purposes and toward improving classroom instruction and giving greater insight into how children learn." Edweek's headline reads: *"Commission Calls for 'Radically Different'... more »

Cullerton’s forced choice pension plan gets attacked by corporate interests. It doesn’t go far enough! | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Cullerton’s forced choice pension plan gets attacked by corporate interests. It doesn’t go far enough! | Fred Klonsky: Cullerton’s forced choice pension plan gets attacked by corporate interests. It doesn’t go far enough! by Fred Klonsky [image: Illinois Concealed Carry] Crain’s Greg Hinz is reporting that Chicago business and corporate interests are attacking Democratic Party Senate President John Cullerton’s SB0001. The Cullerton bill is a mash-up of the Nekritz/Biss/Cross bill and his own forced choice between a COLA and heath insurance. Cullerton doesn’t believe the Nekritz bill... more »

Greedy Teachers vs Altruistic Billionaires | Reclaim Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Greedy Teachers vs Altruistic Billionaires | Reclaim Reform: Greedy Teachers vs Altruistic Billionaires by kenpreviti [image: Colbert for our children future]There is a parallel universe where experienced, qualified teachers are known for being non-teachers unable to teach and billionaires are known for giving away their money. It’s the Media Universe of infomercials and propaganda-as-truth. It calls stealing from retirees “sequestration compromise.” It calls profitization of public services “public-private partnerships.” It calls school closings a method of “securing the future of... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: The Network for Public Education (click picture)]THE NETWORK FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION Who Is Behind the Corporate Smear Machine? by dianerav I posted earlier about a web attack on the integrity of the distinguished scholar Gene Glass. Dr. Glass had the nerve to write a critical review of virtual charter schools, based on research and evidence. Observant readers discovered who created the domain name of the attack website. First, Sherman Dorn tracked down the domain owner. Then another reader added this commen... more »

Anchor Standards Approved - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Anchor Standards Approved - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Applauds Adoption of Anchor Standards SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today that the State Board of Education approved anchor standards for English-language arts and literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects (ELA and Literacy). This completes California's adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) that spell out clearly the broad skills students need to succeed in college and careers. "The College and Caree... more »

The Pineapple Question Redux - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
The Pineapple Question Redux - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.: The Pineapple Question Redux *The assessment has become the curriculum.* - Michael Guerriero * Overthinking? * Remember last year's pineapple test question controversy? Well, it's kind of baaack via a post by Michael Guerriero in *The New Yorker*: *Those with a mind for controversy or whimsy may recall the outrage last year over a certain talking pineapple on the New York State eighth-grade reading exam. The unfortunate pineapple passage was sliced, diced, and served up as an example of all that is w... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. A Controversial Consensus on KIPP Charter Schools Best of the Ed Blogs Matthew Di Carlo March 13, 2013 The Day the Teachers Said No Best of the Ed Blogs Diane Ravit... more »

Latino Students Attending Increasingly Segregated Schools in Virginia | NewsTacoNewsTaco

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Latino Students Attending Increasingly Segregated Schools in Virginia | NewsTacoNewsTaco: Latino Students Attending Increasingly Segregated Schools in Virginia by NewsTaco [image: classroom] By Michael Alison Chandler, Washington Post Latinos, the largest minority group in Northern Virginia, are attending increasingly segregated schools, according to a report released Tuesday that examines enrollment patterns across the state during the past two decades. Nearly four out of five Latino students were enrolled in predominantly minority schools in 2010, according to the Civil Rights Pro... more »

SEIU 21LA in New Orleans Leading the Way | The IDEA Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
SEIU 21LA in New Orleans Leading the Way | The IDEA Blog: SEIU 21LA in New Orleans Leading the Way by Dana Bennis in *Blog* * * * * A powerful new report out by the SEIU Local 21LA of New Orleans surveyed school service workers and students, revealing the poor conditions they face every day, and proposes valuable changes that would make schools better and more inspiring places both for learning and working. The research and report itself is a model of democratic community-led change: led by SEIU Chief of Staff and IDEA Senior Fellow Jayeesha Dutta, a diverse group of students and se... more »

Due Process and My Skelly Rights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
My Skelly Rights: ** *What Are My “Skelly Rights”?* In the late ‘70’s, the California Supreme Court established your “Skelly Rights.” This means that public employees must be provided a “pre-disciplinary hearing” with management *before *they may be suspended (for five days or more,) demoted or terminated. The Court decided that this right is rooted in the federal constitution which says that a citizen cannot be deprived of property without due process. In other words, when a governmental agency threatens to take income from one of its employees, this threat to his “property” req... more »

The problem with high-tech ‘personalized’ learning tools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
The problem with high-tech ‘personalized’ learning tools: The problem with high-tech ‘personalized’ learning tools Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 13, 2013 at 7:00 am [image: tech]SWSXedu was a big hit in Texas last week, where technology companies (such as Rupert Murdoch’s Amplify Education) hawked their new education gadgets that they promised would help kids learning by providing “individualized” instruction. Really? Here’s a skeptical view on that notion from educator Sabrina Joy Stevens, who attended SWSXedu and came away disturbed. Stevens is a teacher-turned-education acti... more »

Chris Christie - Yelling Match Over Education in Paterson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Chris Christie - Yelling Match Over Education in Paterson *Chris Christie's Message: Competition Works *

FairTest to honor Jonathan Kozol with Deborah W. Meier Hero in Education Award in May | FairTest

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
The National Center for Fair & Open Testing | FairTest: [image: Home] The National Center for Fair & Open Testing The *National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) *works to end the misuses and flaws of standardized testing and to ensure that evaluation of students, teachers and schools is fair, open, valid and educationally beneficial. Learn more about us and our mission. Spotlight FairTest to honor Jonathan Kozol with Deborah W. Meier Hero in Education Award in May *Date: *Thursday May 9, 2013; 6:00 – 8:30 pm *Place:* Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second Street, Cambridge, ... more »

UPDATE: Poor performing, high-profit virtual charter chain + ALEC member, Naperville legislator sponsors Illinois parent trigger law Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » ALEC member, Naperville legislator sponsors Illinois parent trigger law: Updates to Illinois General Assembly school closing moratorium by admin [image: Bill - Congressional]Bill numbers for school closing moratorium legislation in the Illinois Senate and House (info from Jackie Leavy): SB 1571: As of now, Sen. Delgado plans to call the bill for debate and a vote in the Senate Education Committee on TUESDAY, MARCH 19th, 1:00 PM in Springfield. HB3283: Chief Sponsor State Rep. Elgie R. Sims, Jr, Chief Co-Sponsor State Rep. ... more »

Two Alabama State Senators Flip Flopped on SB190 | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Two Alabama State Senators Flip Flopped on SB190 | Truth in American Education: Two Alabama State Senators Flip Flopped on SB190 by Shane Vander Hart No sooner than I published on Dr. Tommy Bice’s press conference yesterday a reader in Alabama informed me that there were two State Senators on the Alabama Senate Education Committee had changed their positions. They were evidently swayed by Dr. Bice’s comments their actions effectively killed SB190 in committee. The State Senators in question were identified by this reader as: - Senator Bill Holtzclaw (R-Madison): bill.holtzclaw... more »

Gifted and Talented Academy leaves Latino and Special Education Students out - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Gifted and Talented Academy leaves Latino and Special Education Students out - Wait, What?: Gifted and Talented Academy leaves Latino and Special Education Students out by jonpelto [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Fellow columnist and pro-public education blogger, Wendy Lecker, and I have both written about the plan to open “gifted and talented” academies next fall in Windham, New London and Bridgeport. The three new schools will be called Renzulli Academies and modeled after the school in Hartford by the same name. Details about the plan can be found by... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, March 13, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Fensterwald: Brown’s school funding formula lauded, then picked apart at hearing* Education Headlines *Wednesday, March 13, 2013* Bolinas, Stinson Beach voters will face school tax increaseVoters in Stinson Beach and Bolinas will soon be asked to renew an annual $250-per-parcel schools tax and increase it by $50 after officials voted to place an initiative on the June 4 ballot. Desert Sands Unified School District board member, Matt Monica, lashes outA school board meeting escalated to a shouting match last week when a group in... more »

The Best and Worst of Times | Taking Note

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
The Best and Worst of Times | Taking Note: The Best and Worst of Times by John Merrow [image: The Network for Public Education (click picture)] With apologies to Charles Dickens, “It is the best of times (to be an education reporter); but it is the worst of times (to be in a classroom).” Why a field day for reporters? Let me count the ways: The ‘war’ that I wrote about in The Influence of Teachers in 2011 is far hotter today. Michelle Rhee and her non-profit advocacy organization, Students First, have been instrumental in persuading 25 states to use test scores to evaluate teachers... more »

Leadership Profile: Eli Broad | Scholastic.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Leadership Profile: Eli Broad | Scholastic.com: Leadership Profile: Eli BroadThe impatient philanthropist. By Alexander Russo - PRINT - EMAIL *Broad Strokes* *1991* Endows Michigan State University’s business school *2002* Launches $1M Broad Prize for Urban Education; launches Superintendents Academy and Residency in Urban Education *2007* Launches $60M “ED in ’08” campaign with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation *2008* Provides $6M to launch the Education Innovation Laboratory at Harvard *2010* Pledges to give away 75 percent of his money as part of Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledg... more »

Modern School: Why Weingarten Got Arrested

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Modern School: Why Weingarten Got Arrested: Why Weingarten Got Arrested by Michael Dunn This week, Valarie Strauss (Answer Sheet) interviewed American Federation of Teachers boss Randi Weingarten about why she went to Philadelphia and got arrested. Weingarten correctly noted that the people of Philadelphia, who had asked for a one-year moratorium on school closures, have been repeatedly ignored by the mayor. She also correctly pointed out that the push to close the schools is largely the initiative of the mayor, governor, the city’s School Reform Commission (SRC) and an outside co... more »

Where does a teacher’s dues check go? | Hechinger Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Where does a teacher’s dues check go? | Hechinger Report: Where does a teacher’s dues check go? by Sarah Darville Every two weeks, $49.89 is taken out of teachers' paychecks as UFT dues. Other jobs have different dues amounts, ranging from $24.95 for paraprofessionals to $51.08 for psychologists and social workers, but union dues are a flat fee determined by position, not salary. Of course, the union doesn't spend all of its money every year, or immediately, but since member dues and fees are spent on all facets of the union's operation, it's reasonable to track dues to spending. I... more »

UPDATE: Even the Trib calls it “fraud.” + North suburban retiree hell raisers. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
North suburban retiree hell raisers. | Fred Klonsky: Even the Trib calls it “fraud.” by Fred Klonsky [image: Focus_on_Fraud] Chicago Tribune editorial: *Monday’s humiliating accusation that state officials intentionally misled investors about a ruinous pension debacle easily justified the Tribune’s front-page headline: “Illinois is guilty of fraud, SEC says.” But that narrow accusation by the federal Securities and Exchange Commission underplays the far more damning tale that unfolds on page after page of the agency’s cease-and-desist order.* *The order documents how Illinois poli... more »



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