Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 3-5-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, March 5, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Parents allege massive enrollment fraud at Carpenter Community Charter in Studio City* Education Headlines *Tuesday, March 5, 2013* Parents allege massive enrollment fraud at Carpenter Community Charter in Studio CityLos Angeles Unified will let schools use public records to verify student addresses after a high-performing charter in Studio City complained that scores of parents from outside the neighborhood committed fraud to get their kids admitted, officials said Monday. Santa Clara County Office of Education to shed a net ... more »

John Thompson: Texans Debunk Test-Driven Reform - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago

John Thompson: Texans Debunk Test-Driven Reform - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: John Thompson: Texans Debunk Test-Driven Reform by Anthony Cody *Guest post by John Thompson.* Addressing the Save Texas Schools rally in Austin on Feb. 23, Superintendent John Kuhn nailed the essence of test-driven "reform." "Some people have forgotten that good teachers actually exist. They spend so much time and effort weeding out the bad ones that they've forgotten to take care of the good ones. This bitter accountability pesticide is over-spraying the weeds and wilting the entire g... more »

Seattle School District orders teacher to stop teaching class... | www.wpxi.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago

Seattle School District orders teacher to stop teaching class... | www.wpxi.com: Seattle School District orders teacher to stop teaching class on race - 0 0 0 22 View Larger [image: Center School students] Center School students SEATTLE — A required class on race was suspended at one Seattle public school just two weeks before it was scheduled to end. The Center School class was stopped last Monday on orders from School Superintendent Jose Banda after a student said teacher Jon Greenberg had created an intimidating environment. KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Deborah Horne ... more »

Joy Resmovits: John Legend On Education; North Dakota Withdraws No Child Left Behind Waiver Request: Ed Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 minutes ago

Joy Resmovits: John Legend On Education; North Dakota Withdraws No Child Left Behind Waiver Request: Ed Today: John Legend On Education; North Dakota Withdraws No Child Left Behind Waiver Request: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *John Legend, Saving Your Schools?* Musician John Legend appeared at USC last night to promote his education reform agenda, according to the Daily Trojan. "If we think demography is destiny, we will allow our school system to confirm that belief," Legend said, echoing basically the entire reform movement. He serves on the board education advocacy group Stand fo... more »

High School Student Disarms Gunman…Gets Suspended? | TheBlaze.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago

High School Student Disarms Gunman…Gets Suspended? | TheBlaze.com: HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT DISARMS GUNMAN…GETS SUSPENDED? Mar. 2, 2013 10:12am Madeleine Morgenstern - 1.7K - 64.3K - 285 - 30 - - - 724 [image: Florida High School Student Disarms Gunman...Gets Suspended?] Image source: WFTX-TV A Florida high school student wrestled a loaded gun away from another teen on the bus ride home this week and was slapped with a suspension in return. The 16-year-old Cypress Lake High student in Fort Myers, Fla. told WFTX-TV there was “no doubt” he saved a life after grappl... more »

The IEA’s Uncle Charlie. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

The IEA’s Uncle Charlie. | Fred Klonsky: The IEA’s Uncle Charlie. by Fred Klonsky A few days ago I was talking to a guy who is high up in the Illinois Federation of Teachers. He told me that he didn’t understand the level of what he called **vituperativeness in the IEA. “But I guess it’s a family thing,” he said with a shrug. I laughed to myself thinking, “Oh, so you know our Uncle Charlie.” That would be the IEA’s Director of Communications Charles McBarron. In service to whoever is President, whether it was Ken Swanson or now Cinda Klickna, he runs the IEA website and Facebook pag... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

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

National Standards, Local Control - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

National Standards, Local Control - Bridging Differences - Education Week: National Standards, Local Control by Deborah Meier Dear Deborah, Now that I am into my first "Bridging" venture, I see the value of the format. Many discussions of education founder on both differing perspectives and a tyranny of language. Our prior discussion of the re-authorization of the No Child Left Behind Act leads me to see important agreement even if described as disagreement, but I also see some talking past each other, and I finally see some fundamental differences. Let me begin with a very import... more »

Four charter schools will be launched under initiative started by Mayor Bloomberg - NYPOST.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Four charter schools will be launched under initiative started by Mayor Bloomberg - NYPOST.com: Classy Mike wants to fund own schools - By YOAV GONEN, Education Reporter - Last Updated: 3:41 AM, March 5, 2013 - Posted: 1:31 AM, March 5, 2013 EXCLUSIVE Mayor Bloomberg is backing — and also wants to bankroll — the creation of four charter high schools, The Post has learned. The state Education Department has received applications to open the schools as part of the mayor’s Young Men’s Initiative, which is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies and George Soros’ Open Society Fo... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-5-13 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] Occupy DOE Calls on States to Drop Common Core Testing by dianerav This just in from organizers of protest demonstration in D.C. From April 4-7: Campaign to Withdraw from Assessment Consortia The Common Core was a clever plan hatched by the corporate sponsors of ACHIEVE to ensure that national standards based tests, now being completed by the federally financed PARCC and SBAC consortia, would be cemented in place for years to come. States were pressured to sig... more »

Louisiana Educator: Congratulations to LFT; The Fight for Public Education Continues

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: Congratulations to LFT; The Fight for Public Education Continues: Congratulations to LFT; The Fight for Public Education Continues by Michael Deshotels The Louisiana Federation of Teachers and its president Steve Monaham deserve to be commended for anexcellent legal challenge to Governor Jindal's Act 1 of 2012. Judge Caldwell agreed with the Federation claim that the new law was unconstitutional and should be struck down in its entirety because it addressed several subjects instead of the one issue per bill required by the Constitution. Act 1 was a very bad l... more »

Late donations bolster pro-Deasy school board candidates - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Late donations bolster pro-Deasy school board candidates - latimes.com Late donations bolster pro-Deasy school board candidates [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)] Two eleventh hour donations have added financial muscle to a campaign seeking to bolster Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy through the results of Tuesday’s Board of Education elections. The Sacramento-based California Charter Schools Assn. has donated $300,000. And New York City-based News America Inc. has donated $250,000, according to reports filed Monday with the Los Angeles City Et... more »

What it means for parents to support teachers + Our Public Ed Hero of the Day: Senator Vincent Hughes | Parents United for Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Our Public Ed Hero of the Day: Senator Vincent Hughes | Parents United for Public Education: Our Public Ed Hero of the Day: Senator Vincent Hughes by parentsunitedphila [image: Hughes at Gompers] Senator Vincent Hughes visits Gompers Elementary, one of 29 schools slated for closure. (Source: senatorhughes.com) Color us grateful. In response to last week’s jaw-dropping summary of the District’s preliminary contract proposals to Philadelphia teachers, Senator Vince Hughes tweeted: What it means for parents to support teachers by helengym [image: This sign from last summer's Chicago T... more »

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss? | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss? | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss? by Gary Rubinstein A few days ago The Pope of the Catholic church and The Pope of Teach For America, Wendy Kopp, both stepped down. I was not always thrilled with the direction that Wendy Kopp was steering the organization in, and I publicly aired my grievances in my open letter to her. I was pleased with her lengthy response. Though she evaded my most important questions, she did admit that TFA needs to do a better job with highlighting alumni who have different views tha...more »

Worst is over: Sharp decline in districts in financial straits | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Worst is over: Sharp decline in districts in financial straits | EdSource Today: Worst is over: Sharp decline in districts in financial straits - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald The number of school districts in financial distress has fallen significantly after cresting last year, according to a state report released Monday. [image: Qualified (in yellow) certifications and negative (in red) district financial certifications from 1999-2000 through last year. This year's totals for the first interim for 2012-13, not shown, are 117 qualified and seven negative. Chart by FCM... more »

Daily Kos: So maybe I am not as smart as people think

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Daily Kos: So maybe I am not as smart as people think: So maybe I am not as smart as people think by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) because I cannot understand how anyone can think a democratic republic can continue when those with more money get to buy elections and officials and write the rules and laws to their benefit while screwing the vast majority of the people. If we are supposed to have the equal protection of the law why is some money more privileged than other money when it comes to taxation? Is Capital really so much more valuable than LABOR that the former can pay 15%... more »

“Is this really all there is?” + The School-to-Workforce Pipeline: At Least it isn’t Prison – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

The School-to-Workforce Pipeline: At Least it isn’t Prison – @ the chalk face: Guest Post: Nichole Berg. “Is this really all there is?” by Timothy D. Slekar As a teacher in this new political climate of school reform, teacher-bashing, high stakes testing, and arbitrary merit pay, I frequently find myself wondering, “Is this really all there is? I mean, did I really spend all those years building my professional repertoire and meaningful relationships with kids just to have it all taken away and replaced with pacing guides and a barrage of initiatives and chores that occupy so much ... more »

Is school reform about replacing blackness?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Is school reform about replacing blackness?: Is school reform about replacing blackness? Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 5, 2013 at 8:00 am 1 Comments More [image: Fifth-graders from Watkins Elementary School in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News)] Fifth-graders from D.C.’s Watkins Elementary School (By Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News) Here is an original look at the modern school reform movement. It was written by Natalie Hopkinson is a Washington-based writer, and author of “Go-Go Live: The Musical Life and Death of a Chocolate City”. This appeared on The ... more »

Schools Matter: What Happens If the Billionaires Boys Club Takes Over Los Angeles Schools?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Schools Matter: What Happens If the Billionaires Boys Club Takes Over Los Angeles Schools?: What Happens If the Billionaires Boys Club Takes Over Los Angeles Schools? by John Thompson Educators have grown increasingly concerned that the "Billionaires Boys Club's" plan for test-driven "reform" of schools is more than misguided. Basically, it advocates "disruptive innovation" to destroy the "status quo" and so that schools can overcome the legacies of poverty. So many of their theories are so silly that many teachers worry that their real plan is to privatize schools. On one hand,... more »

Vallas Gets Illegal 3 year contract on 5 to 4 vote - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Vallas Gets Illegal 3 year contract on 5 to 4 vote - Wait, What?: Vallas Gets Illegal 3 year contract on 5 to 4 vote by jonpelto The Bridgeport Board of Education, with Mayor Bill Finch, Faux “Deputy Mayor for Education” Joshua Thompson, Finch’s Chief of Staff Adam Wood and Pryor’s chief of Staff Adam Goldbarb in attendance, voted 5 to 4 to make Paul Vallas Bridgeport’s Superintendent of Schools, instead of Acting Superintendent, and give him a three-year contract. Last legislative session, Governor Malloy’s Education Reform bill included a special provision to allow Commissioner... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Vallas pulls a fast one in Bridgeport

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Vallas pulls a fast one in Bridgeport: Vallas pulls a fast one in Bridgeport by Mike Klonsky VallasThey pulled a fast one in Bridgeport last night. At a "special" meeting of the board, called to head off any further debate, school privatizer/profiteer *Paul Vallas* was handed a new 3-year contract. The 5-4 vote came just days after the Connecticut Working Families Party mounted an all-out campaign to derail a contract extension for Vallas. Board members *Maria Pereira, Sauda Baraka and John Bagley*, all members of WFP, voted against the extension, alo... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Another Day; Another Reformy Smear!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Another Day; Another Reformy Smear!: Another Day; Another Reformy Smear! by Duke Good mroning, America! So, what are *you* going to do today for our nation's children? Me, I'll be destroying American society by indoctrinating the tykes in socialist rhetoric from my cushy, union-protected, ultra-high-paid job-for-life as a public school teacher! But maybe you'll spend your day nobly saving the kids from lazy and evil teachers like me! You'll be promoting excellence and accountability by suing protectors of the status quo for talking to their town councilperson... ... more »

'Blackboard Wars': Oprah's Education Reality Show Reveals Reform Isn't Always Students-First | Education on GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

'Blackboard Wars': Oprah's Education Reality Show Reveals Reform Isn't Always Students-First | Education on GOOD: 'Blackboard Wars': Oprah's Education Reality Show Reveals Reform Isn't Always Students-First [image: blackboard.wars] As an educator in New Orleans, I've been asked dozens of times, "What do you think of *Blackboard Wars*," the documentary series featured on Oprah's OWN Network about troubled John McDonough High school. My first and most enduring reaction to *Blackboard Wars* is fatigue. I'm simply tired of New Orleans education reform, the spectacle. This is not becau... more »

REALITY, NOT THEORY, WHY LAUSD IS HIRING SUBSTITUTES - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

REALITY, NOT THEORY, WHY LAUSD IS HIRING SUBSTITUTES - Perdaily.com: REALITY, NOT THEORY, WHY LAUSD IS HIRING SUBSTITUTES by Leonard Isenberg [image: David Holmquist.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español)* * * *L.A. Subs website has several posts under the title: "Theory Why LAUSD Is Hiring." There is no theory as to why the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is hiring substitute teachers- it's a financially motivated reality. They are hiring lots of subs to take the place of top of the salary scale teachers like many of you that they got rid of, because it's much cheaper wit... more »

March 14th: Colorado Students Stand Up for Education | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

March 14th: Colorado Students Stand Up for Education | United Opt Out National: March 14th: Colorado Students Stand Up for Education admin at United Opt Out National - 1 hour ago March 4th, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WHAT : Students standing up for our education WHEN : March 14th, 2013 from 11am – 2:30pm WHERE : West Steps of the Colorado State Capitol On February 23rd, students gathered to discuss what … MORE Bess Altwerger: Why I am Coming to Occupy the Dept. of Ed. in DC admin at United Opt Out National - 1 hour ago How could I NOT come to Occupy the DOE in DC? At this pivotal m...more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 3-4-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* *sequester* * * * * Wealth Inequality in America [Video] by Edit Barry This is why every American who makes a middle class living should care about millionaires’ and billionaires’ dabbling in education reform. Why sequestration is hogwash. Why anyone who tells you there is no money for school buildings or public school teachers or health care or medical benefits is full of it. There is more than enough to go around. Commence reality check. Popout Walmart Foundation vs. Walton Foundation by dianerav Earlier today when I posted about Pres... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours 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 everythingesl.net This week on #PTchat we will be sharing strategies on how to involve the diverse families of English language learners (ELL) in order to foster the partnership between the home and school. @JudieHaynes Schools must constantly seek ways to improve the communication with ELL families and recognize how it parallels with the communication with non-ELL families. How are schools reaching out to their ELL families? Are traditional pare... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

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

Are school closings the new urban renewal? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Are school closings the new urban renewal? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Are school closings the new urban renewal? by thenotebook *by Elaine Simon* Recent analyses show that most students from schools recommended for closing in Philadelphia would not end up in better-performing schools. They are likely to wind up in schools much like the ones they were in before, as a recent study by Research for Action shows. Most of the displaced students will not benefit academically from the closings as planned. In addition, they would have to travel a distance outside their nei... more »

Charter schools ‘undemocratic’ – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Charter schools ‘undemocratic’ – @ the chalk face: Charter schools ‘undemocratic’ by Activism in paradise - Voices from down under As part of the New Zealand government’s mindless rush to show like minded governments that they too can implement GERM without rhyme or reason, the process of establishing charter schools is underway, in as undemocratic a fashion as it is possible to imagine in the New Zealand environment. Public and expert opinion is being, and will continue to be, totally disregarded in this process. Sadly, this mindset isn’t just restricted to education, and as a resul... more »

Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 3-4-13 #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* Sequestration Cuts Forcing Schools That Serve Military, Native American Students To Squeeze by Joy Resmovits When President Barack Obama signed an executive order Friday night mandating across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration, Henry Strom, the superintendent of public schools in Mt. Adams, Wash., was prepared. But the preparations hurt. Mt. Adams serves Washington's Yakima Reservation -- many of its students are Native Americans who live in poverty. That means that unlike most U.S. school districts, Strom counts on a fund... more »

Daily Kos: Is teaching an art or a science?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Daily Kos: Is teaching an art or a science?: Is teaching an art or a science? by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) The thoughts in this piece were occasioned by a conversation where i was asked if I thought teaching more of an art rather than a science. I responded that the question was a false frame, and was asked to explain. My explanation comes in part from my background and formal education in music. I think what we are seeing in education is neither art nor science, but the attempt to turn education into an engineering problem. In engineering, it is of course important to have ... more »

Diane in the Evening 3-4-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

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

No Kid Hungry Starts with Breakfast — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

No Kid Hungry Starts with Breakfast — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Kumar Chandran]No Kid Hungry Starts with Breakfast March 4, 2013 by Kumar Chandran [image: No Kid Hungry - Share Our Strength] More than 16 million children in the U.S. struggle with hunger, or one out of five American kids. Teachers see this hunger first-hand in their classrooms. In a recent survey, three out of five K–8 public school teachers said they taught kids who regularly came to school hungry because they weren't getting enough to eat at home. What if I told you that there was a solutio... more »

Jersey Jazzman: NJ Special Education Under Attack

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: NJ Special Education Under Attack: NJ Special Education Under Attack by Duke Last week, I reported on proposed changes to the NJ administrative code that would shift the responsibility for special education case management away from full-time Child Study Teams. *These changes would allow districts to fire case managers and either dump their caseloads on to teachers and other staff, or allow the privatization of special education case management.* *This is a horrendous idea.* Under the guise of "flexibility," special education students would no longer have a full-... more »

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Complete Letter to AG about 1240

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Complete Letter to AG about 1240: Student Database Raises Alarms by Melissa Westbrook From Reuters, well, I'll let their headline say it all: "*K-12 Student Database Jazzes Tech Startups, Spooks Parents."* (Bold mine) *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 sch... more »

NYC Educator: Why Is Unity/ New Action Waving White Flag Without a Fight?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

NYC Educator: Why Is Unity/ New Action Waving White Flag Without a Fight?: Why Is Unity/ New Action Waving White Flag Without a Fight? by NYC Educator It's remarkable to see where we've come over the last decade with Mayor4Life Bloomberg in charge. We have a Board of Education in which he's got 8 of 13 votes, and it's served as a rubber stamp for the richest and most reformy guy in the richest city in the world. Worse, Unity/ New Action leadership endorsed mayoral dictatorship not once, but twice. If I'm not mistaken, the UFT offered measures to improve the system, but then chose t... more »

First Interim Status Reports for 2012-13 - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

First Interim Status Reports for 2012-13 - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Reports Smaller Number of Districts in Financial Jeopardy SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson reported today that 500,000 fewer California students attend school districts in financial jeopardy now than last May, though an unacceptably high number of districts still face deep fiscal challenges. The state's First Interim Status Report for 2012-13 shows that 124 local educational agencies (LEAs) serving 2.1 million students are in either a ... more »

National School Breakfast Week 2013 — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

National School Breakfast Week 2013 — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Kristen Pekarek]National School Breakfast Week 2013 March 4, 2013 by Kristen Pekarek [image: National School Breakfast Week] This week, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the School Nutrition Association are co-sponsoring National School Breakfast Week! Launched in 1989, the event is used to educate students, parents, and the community across the U.S. about the benefits of a healthy school breakfast. A recent study titled *Ending Childhood Hunger: A Social Impact Analysis* by whole child partner Sh... more »

People can be awesome - Facing History and Ourselves at Palo Alto High School

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Facing History and Ourselves at Palo Alto High School: People can be awesome In discussion of such a satanic topic, it becomes hard not to assume a somber attitude. There is such unwritten devastation, such disgusting injustice, such grotesque images that we can sometimes forget that people are willing to do good, too. A recent article in the New York Times reminds me that people can be awesome! A recent demonstration in Dresden had Neo-Nazis outnumbered 12:1 by counter-demonstrators consisting of police and anti-fascists. Over 10,000 people attended the anti-Nazi march, reaffir... more »

Education Secretary Arne Duncan says he misspoke concerning pink slips - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Education Secretary Arne Duncan says he misspoke concerning pink slips - The Washington Post: Education Secretary Arne Duncan says he misspoke concerning pink slips Chris Usher/CBS News via Getty Images - Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on "Face the Nation" on Feb. 24. - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - E-mail - Reprints By Lyndsey Layton, Monday, March 4, 10:37 AM Education Secretary Arne Duncan offered a mea culpa of sorts Monday, saying that hemisspoke on national television last week when he said that teachers were already losing job... more »

Family: Slain Alabama mayoral candidate beaten, burned : page 1 - NorthJersey.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Family: Slain Alabama mayoral candidate beaten, burned : page 1 - NorthJersey.com: Family: Slain Alabama mayoral candidate beaten, burned MONDAY MARCH 4, 2013, 1:37 PM ASSOCIATED PRESS PAGES: 1 2 > DISPLAY ON ONE PAGE | PRINT | E-MAIL JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The body of a slain Mississippi mayoral candidate was beaten and burned, a family member said Monday. Marco McMillian's godfather, Carter Womack, said McMillian's family received the information from the Coahoma County coroner. Coroner Scotty Meredith declined to comment Monday, and a spokesman for the Coahoma County Sheriff's Dep... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: The Language of the Ownership Society

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: The Language of the Ownership Society: The Language of the Ownership Society by Mike Klonsky I'm always taken by the language of the Ownership Society. I'm dazzled by how it's used and misused to obfuscate and mystify. For example, I love the word *sequestration*. For one thing, as a blogger, I've gone about as far as I can go with the *fiscal cliff*, as in:* "We're not afraid of the fiscal cliff. Many of us are already over it."* I even had the term banned as own of my New Year's resolutions. You've never heard it since then. Have you? Of cou... more »

States Fighting Back | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

States Fighting Back | Truth in American Education: States Fighting Back by Shane Vander Hart James Wilson has updated our map. [image: RetainMap030313v2] Below is the list of bills and stories outlining the battle currently underway. *Alabama* - SB 190 - Alabama Exists National Common Core Tests *Colorado* - Common Core’s Race to the Middle in Colorado Dec. 6, 2012 *Florida* - HB 377 SB 524 - Should Florida postpone implementation of the Common Core? - Florida Lawmakers Might Delay New Education Standards, Testing for some Grades. - Lawmakers, commissioner... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Sequestration: The language of the ownership society

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Sequestration: The language of the ownership society: Sequestration: The language of the ownership society by Mike Klonsky I'm always taken by the language of the Ownership Society. I'm dazzled by how it's used and misused to obfuscate and mystify. For example, I love the word*sequestration*. For one thing, as a blogger, I've gone about as far as I can go with the *fiscal cliff*, as in:*"We're not afraid of the fiscal cliff. Many of us are already over it."* I even had the term banned as own of my New Year's resolutions. You've never heard it since t... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

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

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, March 4, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: Stop Closing Schools]*Election 2013: Reform at center of LA Unified race* Education Headlines *Monday, March 4, 2013* Too much candy at school? Not everyone agreesClassroom snacks, incentive prizes and the goodies parents provide for holidays and birthdays are at the discretion of individual school districts, and there are very different rules among school boards about how to handle them. Sacramento region rural schools see rapid enrollment declinesSacramento City Unified captured headlines last month with its decision to... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

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

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

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

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

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

Principal: ‘I was naïve about Common Core’

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours 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 - 23 hours 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 - 23 hours 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 - 23 hours 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 day 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 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 »

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