Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 3-9-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-9-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Michelle Rhee’s Dishonorable Attack on the Garfield Teachers by dianerav In this brilliant essay, John Prosser dissects Michelle Rhee’s attack on the teachers of Garfield High School in Seattle. The teachers decided unanimously to boycott the MAP test for their students. On March 6, Rhee wrote (or someone in her organization wrote) an opinion piece in a Seattle newspaper making false claims about the teachers and what they were doing and why they were doing it. ... more »

February 25 & 26, 2013: The Annual California PTA Legislative Conference (Teacher Evaluations) | K-12 News Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 minutes ago

February 25 & 26, 2013: The Annual California PTA Legislative Conference (Teacher Evaluations) | K-12 News Network: February 25 & 26, 2013: The Annual California PTA Legislative Conference (Teacher Evaluations) by cynthia There are so many reasons why California is poised to regain her leadership among states in public education. Most of them stem from the fact that policy-wise, we haven’t completely knuckled under to the damaging policies put forth by the Obama administration. We’ve been evasive on bending to the conditions required for a Race to the Top waiver. We have a large ... more »

‘Operation Beautiful’: High School Students Participate In Makeup-Free Day | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 minutes ago

‘Operation Beautiful’: High School Students Participate In Makeup-Free Day | toteachornototeach: ‘Operation Beautiful’: High School Students Participate In Makeup-Free Day by aristotlethewise *‘Operation Beautiful’: High School * *Students Participate In Makeup-Free Day* How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? According to a student-made video by the teens at Plano Senior High School in Texas, girls from the school take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours to get ready for school in the morning. However, when male students were interviewed, they said it only took them... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Independent Panel Members Call for Moratorium on School Closures

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 minutes ago

NYC Public School Parents: Independent Panel Members Call for Moratorium on School Closures: Independent Panel Members Call for Moratorium on School Closures by Patrick J. Sullivan *On Monday, March 11th, the Panel for Educational Policy will vote on Chancellor Dennis Walcott's extensive set of proposals to close public schools or cede space in public school buildings for privately-managed charter schools. The mayoral bloc of eight appointees to the Panel is expected to rubber stamp the proposals. These members are appointed to the Panel with the understanding they will suppo... more »

Daily Kos: what are our responsibilities to our talents?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago

Daily Kos: what are our responsibilities to our talents?: what are our responsibilities to our talents? by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) In the 8 summers I spent at what was then called National Music Camp in Interlochen, MI, known then as "the home of America's gifte youth" (and trust me, we could take the Mickey Mouse Club song and have fun with gifted youth)(, atone of he Sunday Morning non-denominational services, we would have a reading from Matthew of the Parable of the Talents. Yes, many of us understood that a talent was an ancient measure of money, but the clear inten... more »

Are Dunwoody parents interested in education or economics in proposal to flee DeKalb schools? (Or both?) | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 25 minutes ago

Are Dunwoody parents interested in education or economics in proposal to flee DeKalb schools? (Or both?) | Get Schooled: Are Dunwoody parents interested in education or economics in proposal to flee DeKalb schools? (Or both?) by Maureen Downey [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Jeffrey Dorfman is a professor of applied economics at the University of Georgia. Here is an interesting piece he wrote on the economics of Dunwoody breaking away from DeKalb and forming its own school system. (Such a move would require a statewide referendum to change the state cons... more »

Long Not-Strange Trip | theteachingwhore

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 30 minutes ago

Long Not-Strange Trip | theteachingwhore: Long Not-Strange Trip by theteachingwhore View out my window at work [image: View out my window at work]I found myself thinking about this blog a few times in the last week and decided to see if I could remember the password to get back in to it. Obviously, I did. Can I remember why I wrote it? Obviously, I can. I was in the middle of my third decade of teaching and thoroughly fed up with the educational system that continued to become every year more a place of schooling and obedience than of learning and growth. The last entry I wrote in ... more »

Schools Matter: Buying Indianapolis Public Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago

Schools Matter: Buying Indianapolis Public Schools: Buying Indianapolis Public Schools by Storm *Guest Post: *John Harris Loflin of the Education-Community Action Team of Indianapolis * **Who runs our IPS?* * * *“The crisis is not about education at all. It’s about power.”* **~ James Baldwin * **Overview:*Traditionally, local school board races are nonpartisan. Such elections are supposed to be about grassroots politics and connections made at doorways between candidates and voters. Campaign chests are small: some yard signs, political buttons, and lots of volunteers. As well, sch... more »

Gaetz Says No to Scott’s Teacher Pay Raises | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 34 minutes ago

Gaetz Says No to Scott’s Teacher Pay Raises | Scathing Purple Musings: Gaetz Says No to Scott’s Teacher Pay Raises by Bob Sikes Not that anyone really felt that Scott’s political ploy had a chance, it was going to be interesting to see the end game of it’s dispatch. Senate president Don Gaetz took care of that yesterday. From the *Orlando Sentinel* : Senate President *Don Gaetz* served notice on Gov. *Rick Scott* Friday that his chamber is not looking favorably on Scott’s proposal to give every public-school teacher a $2,500 raise. Though the governor has said the raise is one of... more »

Interview with David Bollier: Viewing Education as a Commons - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 36 minutes ago

Interview with David Bollier: Viewing Education as a Commons - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Interview with David Bollier: Viewing Education as a Commons by Anthony Cody Two weeks ago I posted an entry that pointed to the "investment" wealthy reformers were making in the Los Angeles school board race, and suggested this was evidence that there was, indeed, a "billionaire boys club" funding the advance of market-driven education reform. One commenter took me to task, asserting that education MUST be viewed as a market, and that any other framework is useless. I offe... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core Opt Out Form for Parents

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 42 minutes ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core Opt Out Form for Parents: Common Core Opt Out Form for Parents by stlgretchen - Would you like to fight back against the private trade organizations funded by federal dollars directing your child's education? - Would you like your child's teachers to have more autonomy and professional decision making ability in the classroom? - Would you like your state/school to be able to make decisions on standards and assessments for your child, instead of a 26 state consortia directing copyrighted standards and assessments? ... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee : Wrong again | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 43 minutes ago

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee : Wrong again | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee : Wrong again by millerlf Tuesday, Feb 26, 2013 By David Sirota *Her education “reform” movement sends the lovely message that communities should stay out of their schools* Most who are reading these words will probably agree that our country is facing a democracy crisis, thanks, in part, to the dominance of money in our political process. Many who read these words will also probably insist that our country is facing an education crisis (though many t... more »

MOOCs and the Mechanization of Education: Widening the Gap Between the Haves and Have-Nots (Greg Graham) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 46 minutes ago

MOOCs and the Mechanization of Education: Widening the Gap Between the Haves and Have-Nots (Greg Graham) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: MOOCs and the Mechanization of Education: Widening the Gap Between the Haves and Have-Nots (Greg Graham) by larrycuban *Greg Graham teaches writing at a midwestern university. This appeared November 8, 2012 on his blog* * *Sebastian Thrun left his tenured teaching job at Stanford University after 160,000 students signed up for his free online version of the course “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence.” The experience c... more »

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 49 minutes ago

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky [image: 644124_10151395931747067_113663940_n] Shortly after I retired from teaching last June I sent in my dues money to IEA Retired. A month or so later I received my plastic membership card. Too late, I was told, for the state office in Springfield to switch my membership from active to retired so that I could run for delegate to the IEA state convention that will take place in April downtown. It will be the first RA I haven’t attended as a delegate in several decades. I plan to go for a couple hours Friday and Satu... more »

Adult education's fate in limbo in California - San Jose Mercury News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 56 minutes ago

Adult education's fate in limbo in California - San Jose Mercury News: Adult education's fate in limbo in California By Katy Murphy Oakland Tribune Posted: 03/08/2013 08:38:59 PM PST Updated: 03/09/2013 07:07:48 AM PST *PHOTO GALLERY* > View more images in this slideshow | Mercury News Media Center Documents - *The Restructuring California's adult education report* - *Reaction to the report* Related Stories - Mar 8: - California adult schools: Then and now School districts throughout California are weighing the fate of adult education courses that serve dropouts, r... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 3-9-13

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* ADVOCACY GROUP FOUNDED BY DIANE RAVITCH TO MONITOR REFORM EFFORTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 8 hours ago By MOTOKO RICH, New York Times | http://nyti.ms/YSbjpL Published: March 8, 2013 :: Diane Ravitch, the historian and former assistant education secretary who has become an outspoken critic of those who favor high-stakes testing, tenure reforms and other controversial measures aimed at the public schools, has joined with other education advoca... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 3-9-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * School-based kitchen gardens are getting an A+ Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago Grow it, try it, and you just might like it is a motto many schools are embracing to encourage children to eat more fruits and vegetables. Through community-based kitchen garden programs, particularly those with dedicated cooking components, schools are successfully introducing students to healthier foods. In a new study released in the March/April 2013 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavi... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 3-9-13 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL *LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAY* *LOOK FOR MY UPCOMING BOOK IN MARCH, 2013*[image: Ferlazzo200(1)] "Self-Driven Learning: Teaching Strategies for Student Motivation" will be a sequel to"Helping Students Motivate Themselves" Resources On Daylight Savings Time Larry Ferlazzo at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... - 30 minutes ago It’s that time of year again… You might be interested in The Best Sites For Learning About Daylight Savings Time. The Best Posts & Articles On MOOC’s — Help Me Find More Larry Ferlaz... more »

Hold on…Now let me see if I understand what you are saying…. - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Hold on…Now let me see if I understand what you are saying…. - Wait, What?: Hold on…Now let me see if I understand what you are saying…. by jonpelto Pick up any newspaper and you are bound to see at least one story about the impact of budget cuts and another about how state governments are giving money away to private companies in an attempt to convince them to create or retain jobs. It is quite a commentary about our times. A lack of adequate funding means people who work for schools, hospitals and nonprofit providers of human services are or will be losing their jobs, while tax... more »

Is a half year of learning equivalent to one question on a multiple choice test? | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Is a half year of learning equivalent to one question on a multiple choice test? | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: Is a half year of learning equivalent to one question on a multiple choice test? by Gary Rubinstein I read an article yesterday about a new study which ‘proves’ how effective TFA teachers and TFA alumni teachers are. The study, which can be accessed here, claimed that middle school math TFA corps members get an extra half year of learning than non-TFA novice teachers, that middle school reading TFA alumni get an extra half year of learning than non-TFA experienced teachers... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

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

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

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

New Mexico Early Education Bill: NM Could Become First State With Pre-School Funding Constitutionally Guaranteed

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

New Mexico Early Education Bill: NM Could Become First State With Pre-School Funding Constitutionally Guaranteed: New Mexico Early Education Bill: NM Could Become First State With Pre-School Funding Constitutionally Guaranteed by Joy Resmovits New Mexico is weighing a bill that could make it the country's first state to protect early education funding in its constitution. For the last three years, New Mexico Senate majority leader Michael Sanchez (D) has introduced a bill that would let the state vote on a constitutional amendment to fund preschool by an additional $100 million a... more »

SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 3-8-13 #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Reports More Children Participate in School Breakfast Programs *Torlakson Urges Proper Nutrition to Aid in Student Achievement* **SACRAMENTO—While an average of 1.3 million California children each day participate in the state's School Breakfast Program, about 63,000 more last year than in 2011, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson marked National School Breakfast Week by urging families to make sure all children get the nourishing food they need to succeed in school. "Breakfast is th... more »

Jersey Jazzman: NJ Teacher Evaluation: Based On a Mistruth

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: NJ Teacher Evaluation: Based On a Mistruth: NJ Teacher Evaluation: Based On a Mistruth by Duke The new proposals for changes in teacher evaluation in New Jersey - code name: *Operation Hindenberg* - have been made public by Education Commissioner Chris Cerf. And you know what's really amazing? The first sentence in Cerf's proposal - the *very first sentence *- is a mistruth, slickly packaged to give the NJDOE plausible deniability for misleading the public about the need for a revision in teacher evaluations. Here it is: In schools, teachers and leaders have the ... more »

High School Feminism Students Address School Sexual Harassment at UN Commission on Status of Women « Feminist Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

High School Feminism Students Address School Sexual Harassment at UN Commission on Status of Women « Feminist Teacher: High School Feminism Students Address School Sexual Harassment at UN Commission on Status of Women by feministteacher My high school feminism students, Josey Stuart and Noel Diggs, (front) and Emily Morenike Carpenter from Girls for Gender Equity spoke on a panel addressing the findings in the AAUW report, Crossing the Line: Sexual Harassment at School. (photo credit: Ileana Jiménez). * *This year’s 57th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women taking pl... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

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

UPDATE: Scenes from a day of protest (with images) · PSNotebook · Storify

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Scenes from a day of protest (with images) · PSNotebook · Storify: A disappointing morning after at Germantown High and Fulton Elementary by thenotebook *by Neema Roshania* It was a solemn Friday morning in Northwest Philadelphia as students, parents and teachers grappled to come to terms with the School Reform Commission's decision on Thursday night to shutter three neighborhood schools. Image: Image Caption: On Thursday, supporters of Germantown High School learned their high school would be closing. read more Listen: Hite and mayor's top education officer discuss closings vote... more »

Ravitch forms advocacy group to counter Rhee and other school reformers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Ravitch forms advocacy group to counter Rhee and other school reformers: Ravitch forms advocacy group to counter Rhee and other school reformers Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 8, 2013 at 12:33 pm [image: ravitch] (DianeRavitch.com) Diane Ravitch, the education historian who has become the leader of a national movement opposing corporate-inspiredschool reform, has formed an advocacy group as a counter to Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst and like-minded organizations that are pushing standardized test-based and other changes in education policy. The Network for Public Education will c... more »

The Cla$$room of the Future | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

The Cla$$room of the Future | EduShyster: The Cla$$room of the Future by edushyster2012 A Teach for the Universe corps member bringing excellence from another planet. Today we’re headed to a magical place where excellence is the order of the day, expectations are always set to 11 (one point higher than their highest setting) and the Harlem Shake is but a distant, embarrassing memory. Where is this dream destination, you ask? *In the future*. Make that the cla$$room of the future to be precise. But what will this super cool place look like and is there any limit to the number of stu... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

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

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

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

Deasy: Political contributors “invest in L.A. schools” | InterACT

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Deasy: Political contributors “invest in L.A. schools” | InterACT: Deasy: Political contributors “invest in L.A. schools” by David B. Cohen Like many interested observers around the country, I’ve been following the school board elections in Los Angeles. That’s partly out of general interest in a high profile drama involving the politics of education, the same way I’d pay some attention to a large district election almost anywhere in the country. It’s also a personal interest in my hometown, in a district where I was a student, and where I have friends and relatives attending the... more »

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report Released Today — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report Released Today — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report Released Today March 8, 2013 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers In an effort to increase physical activity levels of all American youth, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today released the report, *Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report: Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Youth* (PDF), as a five-year follow-up to the 2008 Physic... more »

In Connecticut, Where There’s a Reformy Con, There’s a CAN! (a new post by Prof. Bruce Baker) - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

In Connecticut, Where There’s a Reformy Con, There’s a CAN! (a new post by Prof. Bruce Baker) - Wait, What?: In Connecticut, Where There’s a Reformy Con, There’s a CAN! (a new post by Prof. Bruce Baker) by jonpelto Below is a link to a new column written by Bruce Baker on his blog School Finance 101. Baker is a Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers. He is also one of the nation’s leading experts on school finance policy. No, actually I take that back, he is the nation’s leading expert on school finance policy. He is also very knowledgeable about the strength... more »

A teachers’ contract not for teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

A teachers’ contract not for teachers: A teachers’ contract not for teachers Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 8, 2013 at 10:30 am [image: contract]What does it mean for parents to support teachers? Philadelphia school activist and parent Helen Gym tells us in this post, which appeared on the Parents United for Public Education website. By Helen Gym Like many parents across the city, thepreliminary release of some of the terms of the Philadelphia teachers contract made me heartsick. For months I had watched city and district leaders make promises about mass school closings – they w... more »

Interns lose status as authorized English learner instructors SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *Interns lose status as authorized English learner instructors* *By Tom Chorneau* Friday, March 08, 2013 Despite pleas from an overflow crowd largely supporting existing state policies governing the role of interns in the classroom, the state credentialing commission moved Thursday to end a practice that gave some student teachers an authorization to oversee English learner instruction before completing the specialized training. Although the Commission on Teacher Credentialing will need to take formal action amending state regulations sometim... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, March 8, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Sacramento City district trustees vote to keep open Tahoe, Twain schools* Education Headlines *Friday, March 8, 2013* San Luis Coastal weighs cutting summer schoolThe San Luis Coastal Unified School District is contemplating a one-year hiatus for the majority of its summer school courses to save money as the district grapples with a $6 million deficit. Fresno Unified wants energy funds linked to poverty, climateFresno Unified leaders Thursday afternoon urged state lawmakers to consider poverty and extreme weather conditions wh... more »

Charter School Authorizers Group Issues 2012 Professional Practice Index - National Association of Charter School Authorizers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Charter School Authorizers Group Issues 2012 Professional Practice Index - National Association of Charter School Authorizers: Charter School Authorizers Group Issues 2012 Professional Practice Index [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] *NACSA report provides roadmap for better charter schools* March 6, 2013 (CHICAGO) –The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) today released its *2012 Index of Essential Practices*, a set of professional practices to guide quality charter school approval and monitoring. Good charter school authorizing is ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Byrd-Bennett's 'independent" panel

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Byrd-Bennett's 'independent" panel: Byrd-Bennett's 'independent" panel by Mike Klonsky What's wrong with this loaded lead sentence in today's Sun-Times editorial? *The head of the Chicago Public Schools got the blessing this week to close as many as 70 schools by June, the nod coming from an independent panel she convened to help her decide how many under-used schools CPS could responsibly shutter. -- *"Close schools over two years, not one" Well first, how can a panel be "independent" if it is hand-picked by the schools CEO? And why call it "ind... more »

UPDATE: Center School Ruling Seattle Schools Community Forum: Friday Open Thread

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Friday Open Thread: Center School Ruling by Melissa Westbrook From Superintendent Banda (partial): *The committee made the following recommendations, which I am implementing. The race and gender units of the course are to be reinstated, with the following actions occurring as soon as possible: · The race unit curriculum should be age appropriate and taught in a non-threatening manner. The class should not use the “Courageous Conversations” activities, which were intended as training for adults. The District has used this as professional development... more »

Is Rick Scott a wildcard on 'parent trigger' bill? | Tampa Bay Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Is Rick Scott a wildcard on 'parent trigger' bill? | Tampa Bay Times: Is Rick Scott a wildcard on 'parent trigger' bill? - [image: Kathleen McGrory]Kathleen McGrory, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau Thursday, March 7, 2013 6:44pm Facebook 8 Email Share 18 - Print - 14 TALLAHASSEE — A bill that empowers parents. A bill that hands public schools over to private interests. A red herring. No matter what you think of the so-called "parent trigger" proposal, one thing was made clear Thursday: The bill will be among the most contentious of the legislative session. The pro... more »

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 3-2-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 2-23-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

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Saturday, March 9, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 3-9-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2