Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 3-4-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

Seattle Schools Community Forum: School Nurses Work Out Compromise on School Health Bill

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: School Nurses Work Out Compromise on School Health Bill: School Nurses Work Out Compromise on School Health Bill by Melissa Westbrook From the Times: *Potentially lifesaving allergy medication may soon be available to more students, thanks to an agreement reached last week by lawmakers and a school-nurses organization that had initially opposed the proposal due to safety and legal concerns.* *The now-amended Senate Bill 5104, likely to be approved this session, would allow schools around the state to stockpile epinephrine, which can be used to p... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago

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

Principal: ‘I was naïve about Common Core’

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 26 minutes ago

Principal: ‘I was naïve about Common Core’: Principal: ‘I was naïve about Common Core’ Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 4, 2013 at 10:15 am [image: common core 1]Here’s a powerful piece about how an award-winning principal went from being a Common Core supporter to an opponent. This was written by Carol Burris, principal of South Side High School in New York. She was named the 2010 New York State Outstanding Educator by the School Administrators Association of New York State. She is one of the co-authors of the principals’ letter against evaluating teachers by student test scores,... more »

A Tale of Two (Virtual) Students | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 27 minutes ago

A Tale of Two (Virtual) Students | EduShyster: A Virtual Charter Miracle (But Not a Milagro…) by edushyster2012 Virtual twins Chandra and Polly are exactly the same except that Chandra attends an academy of excellence and innovation while Polly goes to a union-stifled public school. Meet virtual twins Chandra and Polly. The two share a common strand of demographic and testing DNA, but while Chandra attends a local academy of excellence and innovation, Polly whiles away her short and ineffective days at a union-stifled public school in Boston. Now, thanks to some expert data analysi... more »

Schools Matter: Bruce Baker on the Final Piece of KIPP's 4 Million Dollar Study

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 28 minutes ago

Schools Matter: Bruce Baker on the Final Piece of KIPP's 4 Million Dollar Study: Bruce Baker on the Final Piece of KIPP's 4 Million Dollar Study Not to worry. Gates, alone, has given tens of millions to the KIPP home office and many of its chains. Hundreds of millions of tax-sheltered dollars have been given by hedge funds, CEOs, corporate foundations, etc. Gates has a history with Mathematica, having paid almost a half-million dollars for some research in 2009 on another of his projects. If there is any doubt that Gates expects to get his money's worth, have a look at the des... more »

Shanker Blog » Data Driving Under The Influence

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 39 minutes ago

Shanker Blog » Data Driving Under The Influence: Data Driving Under The Influence by Matthew Di Carlo In his State of the City address last month, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made some brief comments about the upcoming adoption of new assessments aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), including the following statement: But no matter where the definition of proficiency is arbitrarily set on the new tests, I expect that our students’ progress will continue outpacing the rest of the State’s[,] the only meaningful measurement of progress we have. On the surfa... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

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

Oberlin Cancels Classes After String of Bias Incidents |

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

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

Joy Resmovits: Saturday Night Live On Sequester; West Virginia Reform Battles: Ed Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Joy Resmovits: Saturday Night Live On Sequester; West Virginia Reform Battles: Ed Today: Saturday Night Live On Sequester; West Virginia Reform Battles: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *SNL Takes On Sequester..* On Friday night, President Barack Obama signed an executive order activating the across-the-board spending cuts known as "sequestration" that came as a result of an ongoing political budget standoff. Saturday Night Live explains the sequester, having an Obama impersonator bring up examples of folks affected by these cuts. Start at 1:15 to see a Philadelphia public schools teach... more »

Pass / Fail : SAT college entrance exam, a dreaded rite of passage, to get another makeover | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Pass / Fail : SAT college entrance exam, a dreaded rite of passage, to get another makeover | 89.3 KPCC: SAT, dreaded rite of passage, to get another makeover by Vanessa Romo *The SAT – that dreaded rite of passage for teenagers planning to go to college – will get a thorough redesign by the College Board. Credit: Sorcha/Flickr* Sometimes even a test can use a makeover. The SAT – that dreaded rite of passage for teenagers planning to go to college – will get a thorough redesign by the College Board. Details are about the changes have not yet been released. The last time the test wa... more »

Modern School: Even Union Run Charters Suck

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Modern School: Even Union Run Charters Suck: Even Union Run Charters Suck by Michael Dunn Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons The State University of New York’s (SUNY) Board of Trustees is voting today on whether or not to close the UFT Charter School in East New York, Brooklyn. UFT Charter School, which is run by the New York Teachers union (UFT) with UFT President Michael Mulgrew on its board of trustees, has been charged with a number of academic, financial and management failures, the New York Post reports. SUNY reviewers recently concluded that the school’s overspending has resul... more »

UPDATE: “We don’t have the votes yet.” – Nekritz. Keep calling those legislators. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

“We don’t have the votes yet.” – Nekritz. Keep calling those legislators. | Fred Klonsky: “We don’t have the votes yet.” – Nekritz. Keep calling those legislators. by Fred Klonsky [image: ct-met-aj-1-pension-reform-0301.jpg-20130228] *Queen Pension Buster Democratic Party Senator Elaine Nekritz.* When Illinois’ Democratic Boss Michael Madigan put his pension busting bills up for a vote on Thursday, none could get more than five votes. Sixty votes are needed to pass a bill in the House. Republicans refused to vote at all. Queen Pension Buster Democrat Elaine Nekritz admitted there is n... more »

Schools Matter: NYT Loves Charter...Propaganda

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Schools Matter: NYT Loves Charter...Propaganda: NYT Loves Charter...Propaganda by P. L. Thomas I sent the letter below to the NYT, but it wasn't included. See the letters they did post HERE. Re: “Better Charter Schools in New York City” The recent editorial on NY charter schools (Stanford CREDO report) offers misleading praise about charter-based educational outcomes and reform. Carefully considered, charter school data from NY, like charter school data across the U.S., tend to have a range of student outcomes strongly associated with factors such as race and class. Those same cl... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core is Not Just About Standards, it's also about Data Mining.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core is Not Just About Standards, it's also about Data Mining.: Common Core is Not Just About Standards, it's also about Data Mining. by stlgretchen Who knows where your child's data will end up and for what purpose? We've written through the years about Common Core and have been concerned about the data mining allowed to occur now that states use common assessments. The data mining is not just centered on educational information. This educational reform also requires personal information on students and their families. This is to create a man... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-4-13 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: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Why Does the National Media Ignore School Closings? by dianerav Bruce A. Dixon of Black Agenda Report asks a simple question: Why does the national media ignore mass closings of public schools? He says that if the national media gave as much attention to the school closings as it did to the privatization propaganda films “Waiting for Superman” and the “Won’t Back Down,” the public would be informed and outraged. Frankly, the idea of blaming schools for low test... more »

Louisiana Educator: What Do Real Edcuators Think About the Jindal Reforms?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: What Do Real Edcuators Think About the Jindal Reforms?: What Do Real Edcuators Think About the Jindal Reforms? by Michael Deshotels The recent LAE forums across the state highlighted much of the frustration teachers feel about the Jindal reforms, but also demonstrated the high level of professionalism and dedication of Louisiana teachers. I interviewed Ouachita Parish teacher, April Stockley after she made comments directed at local legislators at the forum in West Monroe. Ms Stockley, a 15 year veteran teacher who possesses National Board Certification, told ... more »

Parents United statement: Contracts should advance teaching & learning, not degrade them | Parents United for Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Parents United statement: Contracts should advance teaching & learning, not degrade them | Parents United for Public Education: Parents United statement: Contracts should advance teaching & learning, not degrade them by parentsunitedphila [image: Image] Last week’s announcement about appalling District proposals had us thinking that this cartoon might just be like negotiations at 440. Source: New Yorker, March 2013 [image: parents_united5.gif] *Parents United for Public Education: Statement on Philadelphia Teachers contract* Parents United for Public Education believes that the upco... more »

Keep promise to California’s new teachers and their students | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Keep promise to California’s new teachers and their students | EdSource Today: Keep promise to California’s new teachers and their students - by Liam Goldrick by Liam Goldrick [image: liam-goldrick-200x252] California’s recognized national leadership on developing and supporting new teachers is at risk. That’s bad news for beginning teachers—and for the students they teach. Here’s why—and how we can fix it. More than 200,000 new teachers enter the profession annually across the United States—10 percent of them in California alone. As New Teacher Center (NTC) reported in our* **Rev... more »

What is digital literacy? | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

What is digital literacy? | Connected Principals: What is digital literacy? by Lyn Hilt [image: CC licensed photo shared via Flickr by s@lly]CC licensed photo shared via Flickr by s@lly Digital literacy is the topic that made the ETMOOC learning space so irresistible to me… I think as educators we spout off about wanting our students to be digitally literate, but not many of us (myself included) have a firm grasp about what that actually means, and quite a number of us are still attempting to become digitally literate ourselves. Whatever that means. It turns out, defining digital l... more »

The Education Games Endure – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

The Education Games Endure – @ the chalk face: The Education Games Endure by plthomasedd [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] Writing about his students exploring George Orwell’s *Nineteen Eighty-Four* , Chris Gilbert explains: This idea is relevant because corporate education reformers deliberately mask history. In fact, their reforms require a forced forgetting, as the public will only embrace irrational notions if opposing ideas are concealed. Orwell’s words (below in quotes) are used here, as they were in my classroom, to expose misguided narratives and the history they obscure. ... more »

The Road Map Project, Race to the Top, Bill Gates, a national data bank, Wireless Gen…and FERPA? | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

The Road Map Project, Race to the Top, Bill Gates, a national data bank, Wireless Gen…and FERPA? | Seattle Education: The Road Map Project, Race to the Top, Bill Gates, a national data bank, Wireless Gen…and FERPA? by seattleducation2011 [image: road-of-money-e1356761688385-93125_700x309] One of the deals that we made with the devil when it comes to accepting Race to the Top dollars is the relinquishing of our children’s information. Gates and others have begun to collect information about our children from New York to LA and it is about to happen in Seattle thanks to the efforts o... more »

Big outside money pouring into L.A. school board races

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Big outside money pouring into L.A. school board races: Big outside money pouring into L.A. school board races Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 4, 2013 at 6:00 am 0 Comments More [image: l.a.]Local school board races used to be decided by local voters, but not anymore, at least in Los Angeles. Tuesday’s elections have attracted millions of dollars from outsiders who have a stake in the future of school reform in the country’s second-largest district. In fact, there is nothing ordinary about the races for three Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education: *Not the money*... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Center School Race and Social Justice Class Issue Heats Up

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Center School Race and Social Justice Class Issue Heats Up: Center School Race and Social Justice Class Issue Heats Up by Melissa Westbrook As Charlie previously reported (via The Stranger Slog), an issue has arisen in a class at The Center School where a student and his/her parents feel some of the material created"intolerable discomfort" for their student. I still don't have all the whys and whats about this issue but I am seeking clarification. I will put forth that I was wrong about further appeals. Upon examining the Superintendent procedure... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky Quotes are the actual fabric with which the mind weaves: internalizing them, but also turning them inside out, quarreling with them, adding to them, wandering through their architecture as if a single sentence were an expansible labyrinthine space. -- We Are What We Quote, Geoffrey O’Brien New York Times Editorial *The justices heard oral argument on the Shelby County case last Wednesday. This week’s events in Alabama should remind them of the enormous cost many Americans have paid to win the righ... more »

The Educated Reporter: EWA Webinar: Make the Most of Your Campus Visits

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: EWA Webinar: Make the Most of Your Campus Visits: EWA Webinar: Make the Most of Your Campus Visits by Emily Richmond [image: EWA Logo] For education reporters, visiting schools is a chance to observe students, teachers, and administrators carrying out the business of learning. Unfortunately, the time available for these visits is often limited, which makes the occasions when you can get on campus all the more valuable. On Wednesday, EWA will host a webinar to introduce the latest in our series of Reporters' Guides, focusing on how to make the most of classro... more »

Daniel Borenstein: Time to slow West Contra Costa's deceptive school construction program - ContraCostaTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Daniel Borenstein: Time to slow West Contra Costa's deceptive school construction program - ContraCostaTimes.com: Daniel Borenstein: Time to slow West Contra Costa's deceptive school construction program By Dan Borenstein Staff columnist Posted: 03/01/2013 05:00:00 PM PST Updated: 03/01/2013 05:13:52 PM PST Related - Document: West Contra Costa school district tax rate projections The West Contra Costa school district should slow its deceptive school construction program because it's pushing too much debt onto property owners and will soon exceed tax limits it promised voter... more »

As common core deadline looms, teacher training becomes major hurdle SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: As common core deadline looms, teacher training becomes major hurdle As common core deadline looms, teacher training becomes major hurdle *By Tom Chorneau* Monday, March 04, 2013 Most of the effort over the past two years aimed at preparing schools for the new common core curriculum has focused on developing instructional materials and assessments tied to the new standards. Now, as lawmakers consider a plan that calls for making the switch formal by the 2014-15 school year, there’s growing concern that the state’s 300,000 teachers may not b... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Wrap-Up of Board Retreat

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

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

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

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

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

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

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

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

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

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

School Tech Connect: In Which I Allow You To Access This Content

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

School Tech Connect: In Which I Allow You To Access This Content: In Which I Allow You To Access This Content by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I just read this comment from "Anonymous" over at *Catalyst. *Apparently it's some verbiage from the Charlotte Danielson framework, which has swept the nation. I don't know if it's real or not. Please tell me it's not real. "Teacher coordinates in-depth knowledge of content, students’ various needs, and available resources (including technology), to design units and lessons. Learning activities are fully aligned to standards-based learn... more »

We spoke to John Stoffel from Indiana tonight, make sure you give him a listen – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

We spoke to John Stoffel from Indiana tonight, make sure you give him a listen – @ the chalk face: We spoke to John Stoffel from Indiana tonight, make sure you give him a listen by Chalk Face, PhD [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] You can listen to the show here. One brief comment about it, largely based on a good final point John made. Our little show means to give voices to people who are fighting this stuff, like teachers. I know this from personal experience: if you speak out against what you know is wrong, what the evidence says is wrong, you ARE going to be pegged “crazy,” ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Education This Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

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

Meet the L.A. school board candidates - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Meet the L.A. school board candidates - latimes.com: Meet the L.A. school board candidates Ten candidates are on the ballot next Tuesday for three seats on the Los Angeles Board of Education. Four of them are backed by high-cost independent campaigns on their behalf; the others have had difficulty getting their messages out. The campaign also has been marked by misleading negative campaign mail as well as by exaggerated claims. Here are thumbnails of all the candidates: *BOARD DISTRICT 2* * * [image: Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board] * * *Robert D. Skeels*, 47, writer and rese... more »

Cornell University to offer the “hypodermic needle theory” of education in an attempt to colonize and groom future elites

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Cornell University to offer the “hypodermic needle theory” of education in an attempt to colonize and groom future elites: Cornell University to offer the “hypodermic needle theory” of education in an attempt to colonize and groom future elites by Danny Weil Before we explore elite Cornell University’s new course offering entitled “Waiting for Superman” and the connection between Bill Gates, Wall Street and the elite university a little history is in order. *The Powell Memo and the Growth of the Reactionary Right * As I wrote at Truthout.org back in August of 2012:[image: teacher] T... more »

PTA Children's Clothes Closet Sacramento Council PTA

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

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

Daily Kos: The Holocaust Just Got More Shocking

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Daily Kos: The Holocaust Just Got More Shocking: The Holocaust Just Got More Shocking by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) is the title of this story in today's *New York Times* by Eric Lichtblau. Lichtblau begins by telling of an effort begun 13 years ago at the Holocaust Museum to all the ghettos, slave labor sites, concentration camps and killing factories that the Nazis set up throughout Europe.What they have found so far has shocked even scholars steeped in the history of the Holocaust. The researchers have cataloged some 42,500 Nazi ghettos and camps throughout Europe, spannin... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Hopkinson: Is School Reform About Escaping Blackness? by dianerav Natalie Hopkinson is one of our nation’s most interesting and provocative writers. In this article, she asks the question that is the title of this post. She could have gone further to look at the strict disciplinary rules of the “no excuses” schools. Or the nearly all-white young teaching staffs in all-black schools. What is the subtext? I am sure we will more about these issues from her. Des Moines Reader Ask for Advice by dianerav A question ... more »

New Mexico Education Secretary's Hearings Bring More Light to Corruption in Education Reform - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

New Mexico Education Secretary's Hearings Bring More Light to Corruption in Education Reform - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: New Mexico Education Secretary's Hearings Bring More Light to Corruption in Education Reform by Anthony Cody Confirmation hearings for acting state secretary of Education Hanna Skandera in New Mexico took a decided turn towards the sensational yesterday, as testimony revealed details of the inner workings of what is looking more like a political machine advancing the combined interests of education "reformers" and the companies whose interest... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

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

Teacher standoff stokes debate over standardized tests | Reuters

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Teacher standoff stokes debate over standardized tests | Reuters: Teacher standoff stokes debate over standardized tests By Eric M. Johnson SEATTLE | Sun Mar 3, 2013 8:37am EST (Reuters) - A boycott by Seattle teachers a widely-used standardized test has attracted national attention and given new momentum to a growing protest movement that seeks to limit standardized testing in public schools. The revolt by Seattle public school teachers and students elsewhere comes at a time of bitter political wrangling over how best to reinvigorate a $525 billion public school system that leaves... more »

Schools Matter: Gov. Pence's Pal, Doden, to Collect Over Half-Million in Ft. Wayne Charter Rent

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Schools Matter: Gov. Pence's Pal, Doden, to Collect Over Half-Million in Ft. Wayne Charter Rent: Gov. Pence's Pal, Doden, to Collect Over Half-Million in Ft. Wayne Charter Rent by Jim Horn With permission from Karen Francisco: *Charter school charades* *Karen Francisco | The Journal Gazette* * * *That sound you heard Wednesday? That was the sound of the Indiana Charter School Board rubber-stamping a real estate deal to benefit a politically connected Fort Wayne business owner.* *How else to explain a 5-1 vote to "replicate" an unproven school that has drawn few students in Indi... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Opt out letter for parents who do NOT want their children's confidential info shared with private corporations, and our follow-up questions to NY State

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Opt out letter for parents who do NOT want their children's confidential info shared with private corporations, and our follow-up questions to NY State: Opt out letter for parents who do NOT want their children's confidential info shared with private corporations, and our follow-up questions to NY State 1. There is an article in today’s Reuters about the Gates-funded database called inBloomInc. that is collecting all the most private, sensitive, and confidential student data from New York and 8 other states, and plans to place it on a vulnerable... more »

One million blog visits contest. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

One million blog visits contest. | Fred Klonsky: One million blog visits contest. by Fred Klonsky [image: designall.dll] Some time by the end of March, my little blog will reach one million page visits. I decided to celebrate by running a contest. The winner will receive the t-shirt pictured on this post. It is one-of-a-kind. Size: 2XL. It is the color orange. Perfect for being recognized at IEA Representative Assemblies. To win, you must submit to this blog a tweet-length statement (140 characters) or a haiku (a poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five). ... more »

Opt out letter & fact sheet for parents who do NOT want their child’s confidential information shared with private corporations | Class Size Matters

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Opt out letter & fact sheet for parents who do NOT want their child’s confidential information shared with private corporations | Class Size Matters Opt out letter & fact sheet for parents who do NOT want their child’s confidential information shared with private corporations New York State and NYC Department of Education, along with 8 other states (*MA, LA, CO, IL, NC, GA, DE, KY)*, have *agreed to share confidential student and teacher data* with a Gates-funded corporation called inBloom Inc. There is an article about this unprecedented project here. Below is more information ... more »

Home « A Community Concern

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Home « A Community Concern: A Community Concern *A film giving visibility to the power of organizing as a way to improve urban public schools* *NOW PART OF THE AMERICAN GRADUATE PROJECT, A NEW PBS INITIATIVE* Amy Shaw, Sr. VP of Community Engagement, managing the initiative for the CPB, writes,*“The ability to view the film and segments on multiple platforms will be ideal for the community hubs around the country. I so appreciate the work that you are doing and think it is so important.”* Across the United States, graduation rates in most urban districts still remain between 50 and ... more »

Charter Schools USA Stonewalls in Refusal to Answer Questions About Relationship With Bush Foundation | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Charter Schools USA Stonewalls in Refusal to Answer Questions About Relationship With Bush Foundation | Scathing Purple Musings: Charter Schools USA Stonewalls in Refusal to Answer Questions About Relationship With Bush Foundation by Bob Sikes Fresh off news that it’s about to build an $11 million charter school in Jacksonville, it’s no surprise that Charter Schools USA wouldn’t want to answer any questions about the entity that’s enabled it’s rise. But when asked to respond to questions about it’s relationship to Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education, the charter sch... more »

UPDATE: The Dumbest Thing Anyone Has Ever Said, Ever Jersey Jazzman: Camden's Schools: It's All Going According to Plan

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Camden's Schools: It's All Going According to Plan: The Dumbest Thing Anyone Has Ever Said, Ever by Duke I posted about this yesterday, but it really does deserve repeating, because it is so very, *very* dumb: ACTING Secretary of Education Hanna Skandera - protege of Jeb! Bush and a political hack - is facing a tough confirmation hearing. One of the primary complaints against her is that, according to the New Mexico Constitution, Skandera is not qualified to serve: * Sec. 6. [Public education department;* *public education commission.]* *A. There is hereby created... more »

‘Neovouchers’: A primer on private school tax credits

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

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

Jersey Jazzman: Teachers As Political Targets?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Jersey Jazzman: Teachers As Political Targets?: Teachers As Political Targets? by Duke Teachers in New Mexico have had enough of reformy "leaders" like Hanna Skandera: The Senate Rules Committee will have to meet for a third time to vote on whether to recommend Hanna Skandera as the [New Mexico] state’s secretary of education following a long day of testimony from her supporters and opponents Saturday — the second day of the process. [...] Sen. Sander Rue, R-Albuquerque, said *this is the first time in his five years in the Legislature in which a confirmation hearing has laste... more »

“The Night That We Were Shocked, That We Were Shocked…By CPS” by Missy Hughes & Dave Stieber. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

“The Night That We Were Shocked, That We Were Shocked…By CPS” by Missy Hughes & Dave Stieber. | Fred Klonsky: “The Night That We Were Shocked, That We Were Shocked…By CPS” by Missy Hughes & Dave Stieber. by Fred Klonsky From: Dave Stieber’s blog. Performed at this week’s Louder Than a Bomb, Chicago. Popout. Our skin has become thicker From Chicago Thicker from the winters Thicker from the corruption The lies and double speak “The Night That We Were Shocked, That We Were Shocked…By CPS” by Missy Hughes & Dave Stieber. | Fred Klonsky:

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Monday, March 4, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 3-4-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2