Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 3-29-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best:

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

Daily Kos: Could paying a living wage help retail make better profits?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago

Daily Kos: Could paying a living wage help retail make better profits?: Could paying a living wage help retail make better profits? by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) That seems to be the conclusion to be drawn from reading The Trader Joe's Lesson: How to Pay a Living Wage and Still Make Money in Retail, Sophie Quinton's story in *the Atlantic* which is subtitled "Companies that invest in higher salaries for low-level employees find success in a competitive market." It focuses on three chains that pay their employees far more than most competitors, and treats employees as an asset, ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: It's Duncan's Race To The Top that should have been indicted

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: It's Duncan's Race To The Top that should have been indicted: It's Duncan's Race To The Top that should have been indicted by Mike Klonsky Indicted!When the Atlanta test cheating scandal broke two years ago, *Arne Duncan* pooh-poohed it. He started out saying how "stunned" he was and then called it an "isolated" problem. *"I think this is very isolated," Duncan said. "In Baltimore, there's two schools and they dealt with it. This (Atlanta) is an easy one to fix, with better test security.* Isolated? An easy one to fix? Today AJC reports: * Former ... more »

Too much to read… | Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago

Too much to read… | Deborah Meier on Education: Too much to read… by debmeier I get sent books, I buy them and I borrow them. I’m a sucker for a good title. But if they are in “my field” I think they deserve passing along. So here are some comments about ones I found I was glad t have read this past month or two. 1. Letters of Recommendation, by Maxine McClintock is a surprisingly engaging fictional dialogue between a high school teacher and a very sensitive student about the value of what they’ve has been engaged in. I kept turing down page corners (tsk tsk) and over time I shal... more »

Diane in the Evening 3-29-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Breaking News: Former Atlanta Superintendent Indicted by dianerav A report in the New York Times says that Dr. Beverly L. Hall was indicted by a grand jury for her role in the Atlanta cheating scandal. The story says, in part: *“Investigators laid blame for the biggest standardized-test cheating scandal in the country’s history on the superintendent, Dr. Hall, who led the 50,000-student school system from 1999 until her resignation in 2011. Dr. Hall, who was hailed as National Superintendent of the Year in 2009... more »

Thinking about sick days. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Thinking about sick days. | Fred Klonsky: Thinking about sick days. by Fred Klonsky [image: jp-sick-articleLarge] One of the things about being retired is that I never have to worry about taking a paid sick day again. *“Who worries about taking a sick day?” you may ask.* Most teachers I know do. They worry about who the sub will be. They worry about leaving plans. They worry that their students will miss a day of their invaluable presence. I’m thinking about sick days because the city of New York is about to pass a law that requires companies which employ five people or more to prov... more »

State investigating $98 million grant for UNO charter schools - Chicago Sun-Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

State investigating $98 million grant for UNO charter schools - Chicago Sun-Times: State investigating $98 million grant for UNO charter schools BY DAN MIHALOPOULOS Staff Reporter dmihalopoulos@suntimes.com March 29, 2013 4:28PM 0 0 Share 26 1 [image: Juan Rangel CEO United Neighborhood Organization. | Brian Jackson~Sun-Times file photo] Juan Rangel, CEO of the United Neighborhood Organization. | Brian Jackson~Sun-Times file photo RELATED DOCUMENTS Inspector general's letter ARTICLE EXTRAS [image: Story Image] View Gallery RELATED STORIES - For insiders, community group UNO’s... more »

Michelle Rhee, a private school parent?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Michelle Rhee, a private school parent?: Michelle Rhee, a private school parent? Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 29, 2013 at 5:13 pm The outspoken Michelle Rhee appears to be uncomfortable talking about where her children go to school in Nashville. Public or private? And why does it matter? Her reluctance is detailed in this Los Angeles Times piece by Michael Mishak headlined, “Michelle Rhee, ‘a public school parent?’ ” Mishak reports that Erin Shaw, a spokesman for Rhee’s StudentsFirst anti-union organization, told the Times, “She is a public school parent.” Based on ... more »

Read Dallas ISD school board candidates’ responses to Dallas Kids First questionnaire | Education Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Read Dallas ISD school board candidates’ responses to Dallas Kids First questionnaire | Education Blog: Read Dallas ISD school board candidates’ responses to Dallas Kids First questionnaire By Matthew Haag mhaag@dallasnews.com 3:57 pm on March 29, 2013 | Permalink 0 11 0 Dallas Kids First released its Dallas ISD candidate scorecards this week and then endorsed the board’s three incumbents in the May election. Dallas Kids First’s roughly 1,000 members used the candidates’ responses to help pick the group’s endorsements. (The group’s members who contributed more than $200 to the polit... more »

Educators set to march on Washington for DREAMer students | NewsTacoNewsTaco

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Educators set to march on Washington for DREAMer students | NewsTacoNewsTaco: Educators set to march on Washington for DREAMer students by NewsTaco [image: DREAM march California] [image: education votes]By Félix Pérez, EducationVotes It has been more than 15 years since he was in her classroom, but choral music teacher Jill Denny still lights up when describing Jose. “I just think Jose is a fantastic role model for our students. He is the ideal kid. He comes in and says, ‘I’m dying to learn things. Let me learn,’ ” reminisced Denny, who teaches at California’s Mountain View High S... more »

UPDATE: list of people indicted today + Former Atlanta school chief Beverly Hall and 34 others indicted in APS cheating case | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Former Atlanta school chief Beverly Hall and 34 others indicted in APS cheating case | Get Schooled: Former Atlanta school chief Beverly Hall indicted in APS cheating case by Maureen Downey [image: Former Atlanta Superintendent Beverly Hall was among 35 people indicted today in APS cheating scandal. (AJC photo)]Former Atlanta Superintendent Beverly Hall was among 35 people indicted today in APS cheating scandal. (AJC photo) Among those named in the indictment just handed down by a Fulton County grand jury looking into the APS cheating case is former school chief Beverly Hall. Acc... more »

California Public School News Updates | K-12 News Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

California Public School News Updates | K-12 News Network: California Public School News Updates by admin School Wellness Recognition Program deadline extended to April 5. Click here to learn more. (pdf) Thu, Mar 28, 2013 6:14:00 PM, Continue reading at the source Fabian Nunez To Work With Michelle Rhee's StudentsFirst [image: moore_1731.jpg] Former Assembly Speaker hopes to mediate with California Teachers by Brian Leubitz If you are planning to come to the CDP convention in Sacramento in a couple of weeks, it will be no secret that the teachers are an important constituency withi... more »

Youth Science Camp Delegates Selected - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Youth Science Camp Delegates Selected - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces California's National Youth Science Camp Delegates SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that Arashpreet Kaur Gill, a senior at Tracy High School in Tracy (San Joaquin County), and Veronica Alissa Rivera, a senior at Claremont High School in Claremont (Los Angeles County) have been selected as California's 2013 National Youth Science Camp delegates. "As a science teacher, it's a thrill to be able to send these two young ... more »

Want to teach better? New study says use your hands | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Want to teach better? New study says use your hands | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Want to teach better? New study says use your hands by Mary Plummer [image: Dual Language API - 2]*Sixth grade dual language teacher Luz Valasquez leads a math class on polyhedrons. A new study out this week finds that students who receive instruction with hand gestures perform better on tests. Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC* One key to more effective teaching could be as simple as talking with your hands, according to a new study from the University of Iowa and Michigan State University. The study released ... more »

Mike Klonsky...: From pineapples to small schools, alum Mike Klonsky's work is no small talk

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Mike Klonsky...: From pineapples to small schools, alum Mike Klonsky's work is no small talk: From pineapples to small schools, alum Mike Klonsky's work is no small talk by Mike Klonsky From UIC Alumni Magazine, UIC College of Education April 30, 2012 [image: From pineapples to small schools, alum Mike Klonsky's work is no small talk] *Professor Michael Klonsky teaches in the College of Education at DePaul University in Chicago. He also serves as the national director of the Small Schools Workshop, and on the national steering committee of Save Our Schools, a national movement ded... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Perth Amboy Follies Update

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Perth Amboy Follies Update: Perth Amboy Follies Update by Duke Let's check back in on the Reformiest District In New Jersey™: City schools Superintendent Janine Walker Caffrey insists her district is out of ideas.Time and again, she said, administrators have tried — and failed — to attract bilingual math and science teachers to Perth Amboy’s public schools. “We’ve posted positions a total of 26 times,” Caffrey said. “We’ve had face-to-face meetings with students at five universities over the last few months. We’ve posted jobs on 13 national websites, had numerous... more »

Paying attention to 9th graders | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Paying attention to 9th graders | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Paying attention to 9th graders by thenotebook Sub Title: Graduation rates keep climbing, but many students still founder in the first year of high school. Author: by Dale Mezzacappa Philadelphia’s graduation rate continues to improve, yet only about two-thirds of students who start 9th grade in public schools get a diploma four years later. As the *Notebook* does its eighth annual edition focusing on the city’s dropout crisis, this is both encouraging and sobering news. Encouraging because the gains are slow an... more »

Occupy DOE 2.0: The Battle for Public Schools – last minute details | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Occupy DOE 2.0: The Battle for Public Schools – last minute details | United Opt Out National: Occupy DOE 2.0: The Battle for Public Schools – last minute details by admin Please read here for all details regarding the occupation. The event will take place at the Dept. of Education, 400 Maryland Ave, SW , Washington, DC 20202. We will be outside, in the plaza on the north side of the building. If possible, bring your own camping chair and be prepared for any kind of weather. Official schedule for our second occupation of the Dept. of Ed. in D.C. from April 4-7, 2013, is available ... more »

Activists file lawsuit to stop D.C. school closures - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Activists file lawsuit to stop D.C. school closures - The Washington Post: Activists file lawsuit to stop D.C. school closures Katherine Frey/THE WASHINGTON POST - FILE: DC Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson speaks before the DC Council and the public about her reasons for proposing to closeschools at the Wilson Building Thrsday, November 15, 2012 in Washington, DC By Emma Brown, Friday, March 29, 11:08 AM Opponents of the District’s plan to close 15 under-enrolled public schools filed a lawsuit Friday in an effort to force Chancellor Kaya Henderson to keep them open. The ... more »

Letter to Civil Rights and school “choice” advocate (p.s. neoliberals skip this) | Cloaking Inequity

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Letter to Civil Rights and school “choice” advocate (p.s. neoliberals skip this) | Cloaking Inequity: Letter to Civil Rights and school “choice” advocate (p.s. neoliberals skip this) [image: washingtondc_201006A32_07] Dear Civil Rights and choice advocate, I have noticed that some Civil Rights advocates are supporting and leading the school “choice” movement. They are searching for alternatives as our nation has *consistently* and* purposely* underserved students of color. As one reformer from Los Angeles told me, Latina/os and African Americans have been forced to attend “f_cked u... more »

A Part of Us Is Dying in Chicago - Of, By, For: In Search of the Civic Mission of K-12 Schools - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

A Part of Us Is Dying in Chicago - Of, By, For: In Search of the Civic Mission of K-12 Schools - Education Week: [image: Of, By, For: In Search of the Civic Mission of K-12 Schools] A Part of Us Is Dying in Chicago By Sam Chaltain on March 28, 2013 4:46 PM | No comments I can't reconcile the deep sense of community that filmmakers Amy and Tom Valens have captured in their 10-part video series about a year in the life of a public school in Boston, with the painful public clashes we're witnessing in Chicago - where 54 of the city's schools will soon be shuttered. Indeed, although t... more »

Michelle Rhee, 'a public school parent'? - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Michelle Rhee, 'a public school parent'? - latimes.com: Michelle Rhee, 'a public school parent'? By Michael J. Mishak March 29, 2013, 7:05 a.m. SACRAMENTO -- In the course of reporting a story about Michelle Rhee, the controversial former District of Columbia chancellor seeking to take her brand of education reform to statehouses across the country, the Los Angeles Times asked her spokeswoman a simple question: Do Rhee’s children attend public or private school? The response from Erin Shaw seemed clear. “She is a public school parent,” Shaw told the paper in an email. So The Tim... more »

Quantifying Teacher Effectiveness — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Quantifying Teacher Effectiveness — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Melissa Mellor]Quantifying Teacher Effectiveness March 29, 2013 by Melissa Mellor [image: ASCD Policy Priorities - Spring 2013] Can you quantify the effectiveness of a good teacher? How much of that can be determined from student test scores? And how can teachers of untested subjects like the arts, physical education, and social studies be fairly evaluated? These are some of the questions raised in the newest edition of *Policy Priorities*, ASCD's quarterly policy newsletter, which examines U.S. ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Public Private Partnership in Nationalized Education. Local Control is Non-Existent.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Public Private Partnership in Nationalized Education. Local Control is Non-Existent.: Public Private Partnership in Nationalized Education. Local Control is Non-Existent. by stlgretchen From ed.gov and *Education Department Launches 2013 Investing in Innovation Competition:* The U.S. Department of Education announced the start of the $150 million 2013 Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition today with the release of the program's invitation for pre-applications for the i3 "Development" grant category and the notice of final priorities for the ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Reformy Buyers Remorse

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Reformy Buyers Remorse: Reformy Buyers Remorse by Duke *AchieveNJ: Operation Hindenburg* Ruh-roh: As the Christie administration’s new regulations for teacher evaluation near a critical juncture, *the prime author of the landmark tenure reform law behind the proposed rules said the administration may be moving too aggressively in some places.** * State Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex), the legislator most credited for the new tenure law, said yesterday in some of her first public comments on the regulations that the administration’s plans to base 35 percent of certain ... more »

The District’s budget: Key facts and figures | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

The District’s budget: Key facts and figures | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: The District’s budget: Key facts and figures by Paul Socolar The School Reform Commission adopted a $2.66 billion “lump-sum budget” Thursday evening. The lump-sum budget provides overall projections for revenue, expenses, and any surplus or deficit, but does not include a detailed breakdown. The detailed budget typically comes in late April and must be adopted by May 31. From the budget and Thursday's presentation by District staff, here are some key numbers on this year and how officials propose to... more »

UPDATE: Friday Open Thread Seattle Schools Community Forum: No Surprise-Burgess Would Consider Taking Over Seattle Schools as Mayor

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: No Surprise-Burgess Would Consider Taking Over Seattle Schools as Mayor: Friday Open Thread by Melissa Westbrook Update: Free Admission to Washington State Parks this Saturday! Beautiful weather, beautiful parks - get out there! West Seattle HS culinary students place 5th in state competition with two students winning scholarships. Our own Top Chefs in SPS. Congrats kids! From the "what do you want him to call it" category, comes this story about an Idaho science teacher who was called out by parents for using the word "vagina" during a unit ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Sound and fury over crowd estimate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Sound and fury over crowd estimate: Sound and fury over crowd estimate by Mike Klonsky The current dust-up about the various estimates of the crowd size at Wednesday's school closing protest qualifies as *sound and fury, signifying nothing*, to quote Will Shakespeare. What difference does it make whether the size of this particular march and rally was 2,000 or 10,000? The point is, it was big, loud and militant enough to be heard all the way up to the fifth floor of City Hall and in BBB's offices at CPS. The message was loud and clear and was picked... more »

Communication and Engagement Pave the Way to School Success | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Communication and Engagement Pave the Way to School Success | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Communication and Engagement Pave the Way to School Success by National School Public Relations Association *By Rich Bagin, APR, Executive Director of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA)* Years ago the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) offered a guidebook entitled *Making and Marketing Your School as a School of Choice *. This was even before the charter movement, open enrollment, vouchers, and the home schooling surge began nibbli...more »

Indictments may come today in APS cheating scandal. Grand jury looking at suppressed report on “culture of wrongdoing” at one school | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Indictments may come today in APS cheating scandal. Grand jury looking at suppressed report on “culture of wrongdoing” at one school | Get Schooled: Indictments may come today in APS cheating scandal. Grand jury looking at suppressed report on “culture of wrongdoing” at one school by Maureen Downey The AJC is expecting indictments possibly later today related to the APS cheating scandal first brought to light by the newspaper. When those indictments come down, please be sure to come back to the blog as there will be a lot to discuss about who was indicted and who was not. The AJC ... more »

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium: Not very smart or balanced. – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium: Not very smart or balanced. – @ the chalk face: Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium: Not very smart or balanced. by Timothy D. Slekar My turn to say it. “The common core is nothing more than a new *product* designed to suck tax dollars from public schools. The tax dollars will be spent on *assessment* systems that do nothing for children, teachers and schools.” How do I know? I received an invitation from the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities to review the *Achievement Level Descriptors and College Content... more »

Florida’s New High School Requirements and Alternatives Show Legislators Were Listening | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Florida’s New High School Requirements and Alternatives Show Legislators Were Listening | Scathing Purple Musings: Florida’s New High School Requirements and Alternatives Show Legislators Were Listening by Bob Sikes Some could say that they even offered a mea culpa. From Travis Pillow in the *Tallahassee Democrat:* The expansion of career education has been tied to broader changes to high school graduation requirements in competing proposals advanced by both House and Senate. Right now, students must pass the geometry exam to graduate under a law passed in 2010, which took full ... more »

The Right Leans In | The Nation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

The Right Leans In | The Nation: The Right Leans In Lee Fang March 26, 2013 | This article appeared in the April 15, 2013 edition of The Nation. The mood at the beginning of the meeting matched the weather: gray and dreary. The warm-up speaker told a joke about how local Republicans could merit placement on the endangered species list, which met with polite laughter. Talk of the most recent presidential election elicited audible groans. This article was reported in collaboration with the Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute, where Lee Fang is a reporting fellow. I... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-29-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Beware of Self-promotion When Your Stats Are Bad by dianerav Julian Vasquez Heilig is one of the bloggers I enjoy enormously because he has the statistical smarts and energy to vet dubious claims. Follow his blog. He always has smart insights, with the data to back them up. It is called cloakinginequity.com. The other day I put up a post about an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal that asserted that Texas needs many, many, many standardized tests because... more »

Your Children For Sale . . . Sold! | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Your Children For Sale . . . Sold! | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Your Children For Sale . . . Sold! by crazycrawfish There is an insidious plot unfolding all around us that poses a grave danger to our children, and to many adults. Not many people know about this yet, or understand the implications of what is happening, so I thought you would like to know. I’ve seen a few pieces that show both sides of this issue, the good and the bad, but I really don’t think the “bad” has received nearly enough attention. The bad far outweighs the good that is being touted, but most of the articles ... more »

UPDATE: Patrick J. Buchanan again appears on the scene Daily Kos: Paul Krugman: "Cheating Our Children"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Daily Kos: Paul Krugman: "Cheating Our Children": Patrick J. Buchanan again appears on the scene by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) He has what I consider to be an outrageous piece in *American Conservative* of which I am aware only because it was featured among the five best columns of the day in an email I receive from *Atlantic Magazine*. If you must, you can read Can One Nation Have Two Moralities?. I past below the comment I offered in response, which I do not know if it will be suppressed - as of my posting this, it is "awaiting moderation" America has NEVER had one morality,... more »

Key education activists protesting in D.C. next week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Key education activists protesting in D.C. next week: Key education activists protesting in D.C. next week Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 29, 2013 at 6:00 am 0 Comments More [image: testedtodespair]Education activists opposed to corporate-based school reform are converging on Washington D.C. next week for the second annual United Opt Out National event on the grounds of the U.S. Education Department. Among those who will be speaking at the event are education historian Diane Ravitch, Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis, veteran educator Deborah Meier, and early childhoo... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: DESE States Common Core Effective without Empirical Evidence

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: DESE States Common Core Effective without Empirical Evidence: DESE States Common Core Effective without Empirical Evidence by stlgretchen Missouri DESE released this statement: Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro says the new Common Core State Standards are relevant to the real world that would focus on the knowledge and skills in areas such as Mathematics and English Language Arts, that students will need in order to succeed in life after high school. There is no research/data with this statement and it is ... more »

The Educated Reporter: Two Takes on the `Well-Being' of Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: Two Takes on the `Well-Being' of Teachers: Two Takes on the `Well-Being' of Teachers by Emily Richmond Teachers rank second only to physicians when it comes to reporting the sense of "well-being" they derive from their chosen profession, a new Gallup Poll has found. The poll asked more than 170,000 people, more than 9,000 of whom were teachers, to create a "Well-Being Index," based on answers to questions about their physical, emotional and fiscal health. So how does the new poll stack up against the recent headlines proclaiming that teacher job satisfac... more »

Blackboard Wars episodes 5 and 6 | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Blackboard Wars episodes 5 and 6 | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: Blackboard Wars episodes 5 and 6 by Gary Rubinstein So the first season of Blackboard Wars has ended and, as I expected, it reached the conclusion it was created to. Yes, ‘reform’ isn’t easy. The community resists radical change, even when it is what is best for it. The early ‘success’ of this school and its teachers validates the idea that all you need to accomplish a ‘turnaround’ is a $1.5 million dollar SIG grant to use, in part, on a charismatic leader and some new teachers who, despite their inexperience, have hig... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 3-28-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* *CORPORATE ED REFORM* What to do with Chicago's Abandonned Schools by Last Stand for Children Assuming that CPS goes ahead with their planned school actions, there will be nearly 60 abandoned schools located mostly in Chicago's poorest neighborhoods. In previous mass closings, the cities wound up losing a lot of money on the schools, which soon became abandoned and derelict. Even The Chicago Tribune has called for the city to sell these buildings to charter schools, but the city has so far refused. Fortunately, there is a way for... more »

Report: cheating on standardized tests in 75 percent of U.S. states | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Report: cheating on standardized tests in 75 percent of U.S. states | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Report: cheating on standardized tests in 75 percent of U.S. states by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez The National Center for Fair & Open Testing issued a report Thursday that tallies cases of cheating on standardized tests in 37 states across the country, including notable cases in Southern California. The manipulation hurts the most needy students, said he center’s president, Bob Shaeffer: “Most of the most significant cases of cheating have occurred in low income communities where students have ... more »

An Urban Teacher's Education: How Do We Retain Excellent Teachers?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

An Urban Teacher's Education: How Do We Retain Excellent Teachers?: How Do We Retain Excellent Teachers? from An Urban Teacher's Education by James Boutin Yesterday, I had the privilege of Skyping with students of Kathleen Nolan (whose book, *Police in the Hallways*, I reviewed on this blog last summer). They are currently studying education reform and the urban teaching experience. One of the students asked about teacher burnout, and it sparked a need in me to write about it. You hear the statistic often: Nationally, one-third of teachers leave after three years, and nearly half... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Sun-Times editorial calls the union, 'bomb throwers'

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Sun-Times editorial calls the union, 'bomb throwers': Sun-Times editorial calls the union, 'bomb throwers' by Mike Klonsky A funny thing happened to me this morning. I read the Sun-Times. The editorial page that is. What's funny about a S-T editorial, you ask? Well, the title for one thing -- *'CTU, don’t burn down the house'.* But the really funny thing was that the editorial is essentially in agreement with the teachers union in its critique of the announced 54 school closings over the next few months. So why have they resorted to such offensive me... more »

UPDATE: NOTES FROM DIANE + A Report from Chicago | The Network For Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

A Report from Chicago | The Network For Public Education: NOTES FROM DIANE – MARCH 29, 2013 by admin [image: Diane Ravitch President]Diane Ravitch President Dear Friends and Allies, The major issue of the day is the rapid increase in school closings in cities across the nation. The latest and most outrageous example is the decision of the Chicago Public Schools to close 54 public schools and displace some 30,000 students. This is unprecedented in American history. This is the bitter fruit of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top. As alarming as the Chicago action is, what is eve... more »

SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 3-28-13 #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* * * *CORPORATE ED REFORM* Update on parent trigger proposal in Texas by pureparents From PAA Houston member Karen Miller: This morning the Senate Ed Comm did pass the parent trigger bill, SB 1263 with some amendments, one, by bill sponsor Sen Taylor would require the school to be defined as low performing for three years rather than two. Sen Lucio was concerned about governing body of open enrollment charter school cannot coerce, bribe or induce a parent to sign a petition for the parent trigger. Intent is to assure this is grassroots pare... more »

The Best-Case Scenario — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The Best-Case Scenario — Whole Child Education THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]The Best-Case Scenario March 28, 2013 by Klea Scharberg As demonstrated by the tragic events of not only the last few months in Connecticut, Georgia, and California, but also the last 10 years across the nation, school safety is a complicated issue with no single or simple solution. We have read, listened to, and participated in discussions on how to keep our schools safe and secure. From our homes, faculty rooms, school board meetings, and the halls of Congress, we are all moving from shock to... more »

NYC Public School Parents: The pushback begins: my response to inBloom's attorney

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

NYC Public School Parents: The pushback begins: my response to inBloom's attorney: The pushback begins: my response to inBloom's attorney by Leonie Haimson The pushback and spin begins. See the WaPost oped today, On the question of student privacy by Steve Winnick, the attorney for InBloom, the Gates-funded corporation that is collecting, storing and sharing the confidential student data from nine states, including NY, *MA, LA, CO, IL, NC, GA, DE, and KY. More states may get added on over time as Gates offers states & districts cash to participate. (See ourfact sheet here.)* ... more »