BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS
Closing the learning-time gap | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago
Closing the learning-time gap | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Closing the learning-time gap by thenotebook *by James H. Lytle* With all the debate about addressing the achievement gap, one obvious explanation has escaped attention: the amount of time kids from different backgrounds spend engaged in school or school-related activities. Having worked in or observed both public and private schools -- including inner-city, magnet, suburban, independent, and boarding schools -- I’ve concluded that there is a striking and straightforward explanation for why kids in the inner city d... more »
Explaining KIPP's 'SLANT' - Bridging Differences - Education Week
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago
Explaining KIPP's 'SLANT' - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Explaining KIPP's 'SLANT' by Deborah Meier *Elliott Witney blogs again with Deborah Meier today.* Dear Deb, You've asked how we can reconcile our practices with the Golden Rule of "Do unto others what you would have others do unto you." Or, in other words, how aligned are our practices with our beliefs? That's a question I've been focused on since I was in college, and I deeply appreciate the chance to get into it with you. I'll devote this second letter to discussing the educational practice you asked about, know... more »
Education coalition wants to stay course in L.A. Unified - latimes.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 56 minutes ago
Education coalition wants to stay course in L.A. Unified - latimes.com: Education coalition wants to stay course in L.A. Unified - [image: print] - Comments 0 - Email Share 0 - [image: Villaraigosa and Deasy] L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy, right, appears with L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at a downtown news conference on school safety. (Katie Falkenberg / For The Times / April 11, 2013) By Howard Blume April 10, 2013, 8:31 p.m. A coalition of groups, including the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, has launched an effort to put education at the ce... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: See you tonight at Weegee's Lounge
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: See you tonight at Weegee's Lounge: See you tonight at Weegee's Lounge by Mike Klonsky Come join us at Weegee's Lounge in Logan Square tonight where a group of us are hosting, the social event of the season, "Conversation and Cocktails with with the Chicago Teachers Union President *Karen Lewis*. The event is all about supporting the CORE Caucus of the Chicago Teachers Union as they launch their re-election campaign to keep the teachers union on the right track. Let's raise some dough and raise the roof at Weegee's, 5:30 to 8 p.m., 3659 W. Armitage.... more »
UPDATE: The in box. + I’m stickin’ to the union. | Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
I’m stickin’ to the union. | Fred Klonsky: The in box. The union movement will be a youth movement. by Fred Klonsky Fred, may I tell you a quick story? I was a local prez of an urban local here in Massachusetts. I heard repeatedly over the years that young teachers don’t “get” unions any more, that they “don’t understand” and that they won’t stick to the union. In 2007 we were on strike, with 100% participation. Not one scab. Every young teachers, too. They were great. So, we’re picketing in the city square, and we are done and leaving. A reporter comes up to me and says, “So what’s... more »
The iZone and the valley of death | Digital
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
The iZone and the valley of death | Digital: The iZone and the valley of death by Anya Kamenetz Popout The Gap App from NYCDOE iZone on Vimeo. If you hang around conferences, incubators or hackathons devoted to K-12 blended learning, you'll constantly hear people lament the so-called "valley of death"--the slowness of the public procurement process in particular, and bureaucracy in general, that provide an unbridgeable divide between innovations and students, teachers and classrooms. There's a metabolism mismatch here: In Silicon Valley the mantra is "fail fast" and an organization... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core Standards and JC Penney's: Tales of Failure?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core Standards and JC Penney's: Tales of Failure?: Common Core Standards and JC Penney's: Tales of Failure? by stlgretchen The Wall Street Journal wrote about Ron Johnson leaving as Penney's CEO as the company has floundered under his leadership. One paragraph caught my eye and could be applied to the adoption/implementation Common Core process. From *Penney CEO Out, Old Boss Back In:* *The board's decision ends a brief and turbulent career in the corner office for Mr. Johnson. He arrived at Penney to great fanfare in November 2011, but los... more »
Louisiana Educator: Attacks on the Teaching Profession Continue
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Louisiana Educator: Attacks on the Teaching Profession Continue: Attacks on the Teaching Profession Continue by Michael Deshotels *HB 478* by Representative Simone Champagne who represents Iberia and Vermilion Parishes is purportedly an attempt to keep the best teachers in the classroom when teacher layoffs are necessary. (Click on the bill number to see the bill) It would do away with all seniority rights of teachers in determining the teachers selected for layoff and would instead use the teacher's ranking on the new Act 54 evaluation system. This means that the teachers rankin... more »
Schools Matter: Tennessee's Latest Stupidity: Take Food Away from Hungry Kids for Not Passing the State Test
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Schools Matter: Tennessee's Latest Stupidity: Take Food Away from Hungry Kids for Not Passing the State Test: Tennessee's Latest Stupidity: Take Food Away from Hungry Kids for Not Passing the State Test by Jim Horn I was in my hometown of Erin, TN for their Irish Day Celebration in March, and I was talking to an old friend of mine, now a judge. It occurred to both of as we were talking that when we were growing up there in the 60s, our town and our state was a much richer place with more to offer and more to gain. Since then the state's politics and policies have become increa... more »
Shanker Blog » The Plural Of Anecdote Is Data
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Shanker Blog » The Plural Of Anecdote Is Data: The Plural Of Anecdote Is Data by Esther Quintero Last week, I attended a Center for American Progress (CAP) discussion, where UC Berkeley professor David Kirp spoke about his research on Union City’s school system, and offered some ideas from his new book,*Improbable Scholars: The Rebirth of a Great American School System and a Strategy for America’s Schools*. Kirp’s work and Union City have received a lot of attention in the last month or so, and while most find the story heartening, a few commentators have had more skeptical react... more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-11-13 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] The Big Money Behind Parent Revolution by dianerav You have no doubt heard the story of Parent Revolution. That is the group that wants to “empower” parents to seize control of their schools so they can turn it overto a charter operator. The founder of Parent Revolution previously worked for Green Dot charters. Then he got funded by Walton, Gates, and Broad to start Parent Revolution. A typical corporate reform sham since there are no parents involved, unless yo... more »
Don’t let the word Democrat confuse you… - Wait, What?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Don’t let the word Democrat confuse you… - Wait, What?: Don’t let the word Democrat confuse you… by jonpelto *Connecticut Mirror, March 22, 2010;* “The state Supreme Court [ruled] that Connecticut schoolchildren are guaranteed an adequate standard of quality in their public schools — a crucial legal victory for a coalition seeking to force a dramatic increase in state spending on education.” *Connecticut Mirror, April 10, 2013:* *“State moves to dismiss long-standing challenge to education funding* Calling their demands “extreme and radical” as a trial draws nearer, the Connecti... more »
Parent Trigger Removes Parents Seat at the Table | Scathing Purple Musings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Parent Trigger Removes Parents Seat at the Table | Scathing Purple Musings: Parent Trigger Removes Parents Seat at the Table by Bob Sikes Parent Trigger makes a stop at the Senate Education Appropriations Committee today. A well-paid lobbyist or two from Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Florida’s Future will be there and insists that the bill is all about giving parents a seat at the table. We found out yesterday that this mantra isn’t even true. *Miami Herald *writer Daniel Shoer Roth took a closer look at what happened at the other California school where Parent Trigger was successfu... more »
How two South Georgia districts ended segregated proms: Lessons from Turner and Montgomery counties | Get Schooled
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
How two South Georgia districts ended segregated proms: Lessons from Turner and Montgomery counties | Get Schooled: How two South Georgia districts ended segregated proms: Lessons from Turner and Montgomery counties by Maureen Downey [image: Two nearby school districts have already gone through what Wilcox County is facing: ending the practice of private segregated proms. (AP Images.)]Two nearby school districts have already gone through what Wilcox County is facing: ending the practice of private segregated proms. (AP Images.) Veteran educator Henry Walding used to joke that if h... more »
Announcing Student Voice Live!’s Keynote Speaker: Andrew Jenks Student Voice
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Student Voice: Announcing Student Voice Live!’s Keynote Speaker: Andrew Jenks by admin Andrew Jenks is an award-winning filmmaker, host of MTV’s critically-acclaimed series “World of Jenks,” and author of *Andrew Jenks: My Adventures as a Young Filmmaker.*In 2010, Jenks created the innovative documentary series “World of Jenks” for MTV. In each 30 minute episode, we saw Jenks live with a different person (from a homeless teen to a rapper) for a week, giving audiences a glimpse into their lives. With more than one million viewers per episode, the first season of “The World of Jenks”... more »
After the Billionaires Kick Down Teachers and Students, Who Is Next? | toteachornototeach
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
After the Billionaires Kick Down Teachers and Students, Who Is Next? | toteachornototeach: After the Billionaires Kick Down Teachers and Students, Who Is Next? by aristotlethewise *After the Billionaires Kick Down * *Teachers and Students, Who Is Next?* by John Thompson Commentator Jim Hightower’s metaphor nailed the latest assaults launched by the bubble-in school “reform” movement. The quotable Texan observes that a dog knows the difference between being stumbled over and being kicked. Over the last 20 years ago, non-educators have stumbled over our troubled inner city schools. Th... more »
Update: Tony Smith and AIMS - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Update: Tony Smith and AIMS - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: Update: Tony Smith and AIMS By awoodall Wednesday, April 10th, 2013 at 4:39 pm in charter schools, lawsuits, OUSD central office, superintendent search, Tony Smith, Uncategorized. At 6 p.m. tonight, the OUSD board is expected to speak publicly for the first time about the resignation of schools superintendent Tony Smith last week. There is nothing on the agenda but the board will say a few words and maybe we should expect some public comment. In the meantime, at 5 p.m., AIPCS teachers will ... more »
Teacher: Why I won’t quit despite ‘inane’ reform
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Teacher: Why I won’t quit despite ‘inane’ reform: Teacher: Why I won’t quit despite ‘inane’ reform Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 11, 2013 at 6:00 am 1 Comments More [image: i wont quit]A recent post of a teacher’s resignation letter struck a chord with many readers, who wrote more than 1,300 comments, tweeted it some 2,000 times, and “liked” it more than 91,000 times. That teacher, Gerald J. Conti, a social studies teacher at Westhill High School in Syracuse, N.Y., wrote that he felt that school reformers have decimated the teaching profession. Here is a different letter, one f... more »
NYC Educator: The Very Important Job
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
NYC Educator: The Very Important Job: The Very Important Job by NYC Educator It's not easy when you have a Very Important Job that takes all your time. You don't really have time for your kids, because the Job takes up every moment of your time. Sure, it bothers you when report cards indicate they're failing every one of their classes in school, but that's really the teacher's job, not yours, so what can you do? Still, when you get a Very Prestigious Offer to work in the United States, that's nothing to sneeze at. And it's pretty well known that the teachers there aren't nearly as... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Thanks for listening, Carlos. But here's how you know the decisions have already been made.
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Thanks for listening, Carlos. But here's how you know the decisions have already been made.: Thanks for listening, Carlos. But here's how you know the decisions have already been made. by Mike Klonsky Azcoitia just "listening"?CPS board member, *Carlos Azcoitia *showed up at Amundsen High School, host to back-to-back community meetings for Graeme Stewart and Joseph Stockton elementary schools. Both are on BBB's chopping block. Carlos said he was there to "listen" and knowing him, I believe that is true. But Carlos was also running the party line on pe... more »
Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 4-10-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE* * * ** *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* Preschool For All Plan In Obama Budget May Skip Some States by Joy Resmovits President Barack Obama's "Preschool for All" initiative in his 2014 2014 budget proposal is billed as a way to make sure every American child can attend preschool for free. Helping kids in their early years can ease achievement gaps and help them enter the workforce later on, the administration said. "This would constitute the largest expansion of educational opportunity in the 21st century," Secretary of Education Arne Dunca... more »
Reaction mixed in ed world to Obama budget proposal
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Reaction mixed in ed world to Obama budget proposal: Reaction mixed in ed world to Obama budget proposal Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 10, 2013 at 7:45 pm 0 Comments More [image: obama]The early reaction to President Obama’s newly released 2014 budget proposal has garnered mixed reviews from the education world. Here’s some of the reaction: *Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Association*, the country’s largest teachers union, both praised and criticized the proposal Referring to proposed cuts in Medicare and other health programs as well as other cuts, he sa... more »
The walk Michelle Obama didn’t walk in Chicago today. | Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
The walk Michelle Obama didn’t walk in Chicago today. | Fred Klonsky: The walk Michelle Obama didn’t walk in Chicago today. by Fred Klonsky [image: 2013_4_10_walk] *Photo: Raise Your Hand.* I heard Michelle Obama’s talk to Chicago corporate and political leaders about gun violence on TV this evening. “Hadiya Pendleton was me,” Mrs. Obama said, referring to the Chicago high school student who was gunned down after returning from Washington, DC having marched in the Obama inauguration. Michelle Obama was very moving in her words and in the sincerity of her voice. What she didn’t do th... more »
A response to the NYSSBA attorneys. #optout #refuse – @ the chalk face
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
A response to the NYSSBA attorneys. #optout #refuse – @ the chalk face: A response to the NYSSBA attorneys. #optout #refuse by Chris Cerrone I have been very fortunate to have worked with Eric Mihelbergel the last few months on education advocacy in Western New York. Eric has been a bundle of energy and a trusted source of information and research. His passion to to fight the high-stakes testing madness is truly appreciated by parents and educators across New York. Eric’s “refusal” letter has helped justify the parental and student right to boycott the New York State Assessment... more »
2014 Education Budget: What’s the Bottom Line? | ED.gov Blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
2014 Education Budget: What’s the Bottom Line? | ED.gov Blog: 2014 Education Budget: What’s the Bottom Line? Posted on April 10, 2013 by Cameron Brenchley [image: Budget Logo]As Education Secretary Arne Duncan often says, budgets aren’t just numbers in a ledger – they are a reflection of our values. President Obama’s 2014 budget proposal, released today, demonstrates his belief in education as the engine that will keep America competitive in a global innovation economy and grow a thriving middle class. The proposal builds on momentum for reform and protects the most vulnerable. Now... more »
BOR: DoJ Issues Temporary Restraining Order in BISD Trustee Election Based On Section 5 Of VRA
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
BOR: DoJ Issues Temporary Restraining Order in BISD Trustee Election Based On Section 5 Of VRA: DoJ Issues Temporary Restraining Order in BISD Trustee Election Based On Section 5 Of VRA by: Joe Deshotel*Wed Apr 10, 2013 at 05:35 PM CDT*On Wednesday, a District Court in D. C., at the behest of the Department of Justice, issued a temporary restraining order postponing the May 11th election of Beaumont Independent School District Trustees. The DoJ will have 60 days to review the plans that could disenfranchise a majority of minority voters in 3 of the 7 single member districts. *The D... more »
Chicagoland Researchers and Advocates for Transformative Education (CReATE): CReATE Researchers on Impact of Proposed School Closing
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Chicagoland Researchers and Advocates for Transformative Education (CReATE): CReATE Researchers on Impact of Proposed School Closing: CReATE Researchers on Impact of Proposed School Closing by CReATE Chicago CReATE researchers Josh Radinsky and Federico Waitoller (University of Illinois-Chicago) have prepared a report that details the impacts of the proposed school closings in Chicago in terms of student relocation and faculty dismissal. These researchers find that CPS statements on this matter greatly underestimate the scale of the impact. One of the stunning facts this repor... more »
Ethnic Cleansing: Chicago Style? | Reclaim Reform
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Ethnic Cleansing: Chicago Style? | Reclaim Reform: Ethnic Cleansing: Chicago Style? by kenpreviti Ethnic cleansing is considered by some to be too harsh a term to use for the school closings in Chicago being performed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his financial supporters. Ethnic cleansing goes well beyond bigotry and prejudice. It reeks of racial and ethnic undertones, murder, vast wealth accumulation, enforced poverty, inflicted suffering, mass territorial shifts, erasure of cultural history and other vile behavior. But, this is precisely what appears to be happening. [image: murder ... more »
Weekly Leg Fax: Charter school waiting lists | Parents Across America
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Weekly Leg Fax: Charter school waiting lists | Parents Across America: Weekly Leg Fax: Charter school waiting lists by pureparents *Parent Voices Weekly Education Fax* April 10, 2013 *Oppose rapid expansion of charter schools* *This week’s update:**Charter waiting list numbers greatly exaggerated* Local Chicago NPR station WBEZ-FM reported this week that the charter school waiting list figure cited by advocates*“significantly overstates demand”* and that “the 19,000 figure counts applications, not students, meaning if a student applies to four schools, he or she is counted four ... more »
SCUSD Action Alert: Update concerning the challenge of protecting neighborhood schools targeted for closure
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
*SCUSD Action Alert: Update concerning the challenge of protecting neighborhood schools targeted for closure* I would like to thank the DAC for giving me time on their agenda yesterday for an update concerning the challenge of protecting neighborhood schools targeted for closure - this year and in the coming years. It is my understanding that a motion of support for the following resolution will be an action item at the next meeting: *NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Education hereby finds and determines as follows:* * *... more »
House sticks it to the 99% of public school students who attend public district schools by confirming charter school executive to the State Board of Education - Wait, What?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
House sticks it to the 99% of public school students who attend public district schools by confirming charter school executive to the State Board of Education - Wait, What?: House sticks it to the 99% of public school students who attend public district schools by confirming charter school executive to the State Board of Education by jonpelto Earlier today, the Connecticut House of Representatives confirmed Governor Malloy’s nomination of Andrea Comer to serve a four-year term on the State Board of Education. Comer, who works as the Chief Operations Officer for the FUSE/Jumoke Ac... more »
MUIR RANCH EARTH DAY FUNDRAISER Muir Ranch Long Table Dinner - Eventbrite
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Muir Ranch Long Table Dinner - Eventbrite: *MUIR RANCH* *EARTH DAY FUNDRAISER* * *Sunday, April 14, 2013* *3-6 pm* *Come Support the Food Lab* *at **Pasadena's John Muir High School* *A farm-to-table dinner in farm benefiting the students of Muir Ranch* * *FEATURING GUEST OF HONOR * *Ron Finley* CLICK HERE to watch his TED talk! * *Family Style Dinner Served from Heirloom LA Food Truck* *Service provided by Muir Ranch student servers* *Salad* **Black Kale and Purple Kohlrabi Salad with Cilantro Passion Fruit Vinaigrette, Sage Blossoms, Spicy Pumpkin Seeds and Asian Pears *Entrees* ... more »
Diane in the Evening 4-10-13 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: Should Computers Grade Student Essays? by dianerav The New York Times recently reported on the introduction of software that is able to grade student essays and give instant feedback. It is currently being used in a number of universities; many others are likely to follow suit. The student submits an essay and instantly receives a graded response from a computer. The student can then revise in hopes of improving the grade. The software inevitably will be adopted for use in schools as well as colleges and univer... more »
Universal preschool: Important but no panacea
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Universal preschool: Important but no panacea: Universal preschool: Important but no panacea Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 10, 2013 at 2:45 pm [image: President Obama at a preschool in Georgia] President Obama at a preschool in Georgia President Obama just released his proposed 2014 budget, which includes a push for universal preschool for low- and middle-income four year olds, fulfilling a promise he made in his recent State of the Union message. Research over the years has shown that quality preschool programs benefit all children, especially those from disadvantaged families. ... more »
Obama Administration 2014 Budget Prioritizes Key Education Investments to Provide Opportunities for All Americans | U.S. Department of Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Obama Administration 2014 Budget Prioritizes Key Education Investments to Provide Opportunities for All Americans | U.S. Department of Education: Obama Administration 2014 Budget Prioritizes Key Education Investments to Provide Opportunities for All Americans *Core proposals would strengthen the middle class by expanding preschool education, building on reforms that work, and making college more affordable * APRIL 10, 2013 *Contact: * Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov *Related Resources*[image: Related Resources icon]FY 2014 Education Budget Summary and Background ... more »
Obama Budget Increases Education Spending, But Flatlines Funds For Poor And Students With Disabilities
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Obama Budget Increases Education Spending, But Flatlines Funds For Poor And Students With Disabilities: Obama Budget Increases Education Spending, But Flatlines Funds For Poor And Students With Disabilities *Obama Budget * by Joy Resmovits While President Barack Obama's 2014 budget proposal asks for an overall spending increase to education, most of that will go to new programs and competitive grants as two key funds devoted to poor students and students with disabilities flatline. According to the administration's budget documents, amid a slew of other budget cuts, the Obama ad... more »
NEA President: Cuts to Social Security and Healthcare Programs in Obama Budget Plan ‘a Disappointment’ | NEA Today
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
NEA President: Cuts to Social Security and Healthcare Programs in Obama Budget Plan ‘a Disappointment’ | NEA Today: NEA President: Cuts to Social Security and Healthcare Programs in Obama Budget Plan ‘a Disappointment’ by twalker *By Sara Robertson* President Barack Obama sent his annual budget plan to Capitol Hill on Wednesday. The proposal would cut Medicare and other health programs by $400 billion, and lead to benefit cuts to Social Security by converting the current cost-of-living payments to a new inflation formula known as chained C.P.I. “Right now the focus should be on pro... more »
On Misrepresenting (Gates) MET to Advance State Policy Agendas | School Finance 101
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
On Misrepresenting (Gates) MET to Advance State Policy Agendas | School Finance 101: On Misrepresenting (Gates) MET to Advance State Policy Agendas by schoolfinance101 In my previous post I chastised state officials for their blatant mischaracterization of metrics to be employed in teacher evaluation. This raised (in twitter conversation) the issue of the frequent misrepresentation of findings from the Gates Foundation Measures of Effective Teaching Project (or MET). Policymakers frequently invoke the Gates MET findings as providing broad based support for however they might ch... more »
Jon Stewart ridicules bill linking welfare to good grades
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Jon Stewart ridicules bill linking welfare to good grades: Jon Stewart ridicules bill linking welfare to good grades Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 10, 2013 at 12:35 pm [image: (www.barstoolsports.com/)] (www.barstoolsports.com/) I recently wrote a post about a Tennessee state senator who has advanced legislation that would cut welfare payments to families whose kids get really bad report cards and test scores. The senator is Stacey Campfield, a Republican, who was quoted in the Knoxville News Sentinelas saying this was a great way to “break the cycle of poverty.” Here’s Jon Stew... more »
UPDATE: The Waiting List Game + Dear TFA: You Don’t Need to Keep Telling Us How Excellent You Are (Because We Already Know) | EduShyster
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Dear TFA: You Don’t Need to Keep Telling Us How Excellent You Are (Because We Already Know) | EduShyster: The Waiting List Game by edushyster2012 No doubt your state is home to a lengthy waiting list of students trapped in union-stifled public schools. In Massachusetts we call this list a “waiting list” and it is growing lengthier by the day. Not only is there virtually no one left who is NOT on the list, I believe that in fact you are on the list and you don’t even live here and are frankly not a high achiever. Our waiting list for excellence and innovation has now grown so long ... more »
State moves away from using test scores to assess schools but moves closer to using them for teachers | Get Schooled
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
State moves away from using test scores to assess schools but moves closer to using them for teachers | Get Schooled: State moves away from using test scores to assess schools but moves closer to using them for teachers by Maureen Downey [image: crcted.0920 (Medium)]Since we are talking about standardized testing related to *the teacher letter in an earlier blog* today, I want to share a good AJC piece by my colleague Nancy Badertscher. I recommended some experts for the story and am glad to see two of them in the piece. My only caveat to the views expressed by State School Superint... more »
FEDERAL SPECIAL ED REVIEW CALLS FOR UNIFORM ‘DISPROPORTIONALITY’ STANDARDS SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: Federal special ed review calls for uniform ‘disproportionality’ standards A federal watchdog analyzing state management practices under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is recommending the U.S. Department of Education adopt a standard approach for identifying overrepresentation of racial and ethnic groups in special education classrooms across the nation. The U.S. Government Accountability Office concluded that the discretion given states to define “significant disproportionality” has resulted in a wide range of benchmarks ... more »
RNC Draft Resolution on the Common Core | Truth in American Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
RNC Draft Resolution on the Common Core | Truth in American Education: RNC Draft Resolution on the Common Core by Shane Vander Hart *RESOLVED, the Republican National Committee recognizes the CCSS for what it is– an inappropriate overreach to standardize and control the education of our children so they will conform to a preconceived “normal,” and, be it further* The Republican National Committee Spring Meeting starts today in Los Angeles. One of the items that will be discussed and voted on is a draft resolution on the Common Core State Standards which you can see below: *RESO... more »
UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, April 10, 2013
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Parent trigger group votes for force changes on Los Angeles school* Education Headlines *Wednesday, April 10, 2013* Kern dropout rate ticks upThe school dropout rate in Kern County rose nearly 2 percent between the 2011 and 2012 academic years despite a decrease in the number of students who make up the group that was studied, according to data released Tuesday by the California Department of Education. Baldwin Park, West Covina receive high grades amongst California school districtsImproving the success of Latino, African-Ameri... more »
What Kind of School Do You Want to Lead? — Whole Child Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
What Kind of School Do You Want to Lead? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Peter DeWitt]What Kind of School Do You Want to Lead? April 10, 2013 by Peter DeWitt *Experience isn't just about what you bring to the table as the leader. It's about what you learn when you're there.* Lately, I have been thinking a great deal about my first few years as an administrator. It seems so long ago, although it has only been seven years. The truth is that I never wanted to be a school principal. As a public school educator, I wanted to be in the classroom with students. They hav... more »
Shanker Blog » Is There A "Corporate Education Reform" Movement?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Shanker Blog » Is There A "Corporate Education Reform" Movement?: Is There A “Corporate Education Reform” Movement? by Leo Casey *Urban Legend * One of the more thoughtful voices in education, Larry Cuban, has delivered an interesting brief for the argument that there is no such thing as a “corporate reform movement.” While he acknowledges that America’s corporate elite largely share a view of how to reform America’s schools, focused on the creation of educational marketplaces and business-model schools as the engines of change, Cuban argues that it is mistake to overstate the ho... more »
UPDATE: Logan Square’s coolest joint with the hippest folks + The corpse of IVI IPO. Lunch with pension killers. | Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
The corpse of IVI IPO. Lunch with pension killers. | Fred Klonsky: Join me at Logan Square’s coolest joint with the hippest folks tomorrow night. by Fred Klonsky [image: l] This is not what *Weegee’s Lounge* will look like tomorrow night when we host a *Conversation and Cocktails with with the Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis.* It will be jammed full of people supporting the Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators and their slate of candidates in the May CTU election. But Weegee’s is a cool Logan Square neighborhood bar known for their fine cocktails. I once asked for Scotch.... more »
Modern School: Astroturf Organizing 101: Walton Family Gives $6.3 Million to Parent Revolution
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Modern School: Astroturf Organizing 101: Walton Family Gives $6.3 Million to Parent Revolution: Astroturf Organizing 101: Walton Family Gives $6.3 Million to Parent Revolution by Michael Dunn Huck/Konopacki Labor CartoonsParent Revolution (the Los Angeles organization behind many of that city’s Parent Trigger charter conversion attempts) has a radical, populist-sounding name. Its stated goal is to empower poor parents to transform their low-performing neighborhood schools into successful ones. Everyone from politicians and right wing demagogues to teachers and their unions pay l... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: CCSSO and Its "State" Led Efforts Look Increasingly Like Collusion With the Federal Goverment & Private Corporations
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: CCSSO and Its "State" Led Efforts Look Increasingly Like Collusion With the Federal Goverment & Private Corporations: CCSSO and Its "State" Led Efforts Look Increasingly Like Collusion With the Federal Goverment & Private Corporations by stlgretchen Have you heard of Next Generation Schools? *They are schools based on business models stressing sustainability, competency (outcome) goals and public/private partnerships:* *Next Generation Schools will be built on a sustainable business model. That means we’ll do business differently. * How will Next... more »
Who will be held responsible when state officials are factually wrong? On Statistics & Teacher Evaluation | School Finance 101
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Who will be held responsible when state officials are factually wrong? On Statistics & Teacher Evaluation | School Finance 101: Who will be held responsible when state officials are factually wrong? On Statistics & Teacher Evaluation by schoolfinance101 While I fully understand that state education agencies are fast becoming propaganda machines, I’m increasingly concerned with how far this will go. Yes, under NCLB, state education agencies concocted completely wrongheaded school classification schemes that had little or nothing to do with actual school quality, and in rare cases... more »
