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Friday, April 5, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 4-5-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS



Wrecking physical ed: Ohio’s P.E. assessment for kids

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 35 minutes ago
Wrecking physical ed: Ohio’s P.E. assessment for kids: Wrecking physical ed: Ohio’s P.E. assessment for kids Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 5, 2013 at 10:06 am [image: gym]On the list of absurdities connected to the national trend of evaluating teachers by student achievement are situations where, for example, teachers are assessed on the standardized test scores of students they didn’t have. Here’s an addition to the list: The physical education assessment tool that Ohio physical education teachers will use to evaluate their students. Students had been evaluated in the past in ... more »

Christian Roots of School Voucher Movement Still Pretty Obvious | Mother Jones

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 35 minutes ago
Christian Roots of School Voucher Movement Still Pretty Obvious | Mother Jones: Christian Roots of School Voucher Movement Still Pretty Obvious —By Kevin Drum | Thu Apr. 4, 2013 10:20 AM PDT 121 - - The hits just keep coming from the Tennessee legislature. This time it's the sudden realization that if you provide state money to religious schools, you can't just limit it to Christian schools: In Tennessee, [] a plan to transfer taxpayer money to religious academies is running into trouble as GOP lawmakers slowly realize that all religions will be eligible for public f... more »

The Dan to Dannel transformation on the most important education lawsuit in Connecticut history - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 43 minutes ago
The Dan to Dannel transformation on the most important education lawsuit in Connecticut history - Wait, What?: The Dan to Dannel transformation on the most important education lawsuit in Connecticut history by jonpelto Wait, What? readers know about the pending lawsuit known as CCJEF vs. Rell. It is the case in which Connecticut’s Supreme Court ruled that Connecticut’s children have a constitutionally guaranteed right to a quality education. They also know that in what can only be described as a truly outrageous move, Governor Dannel Malloy and Attorney General George Jepsen ar... more »

The Intersection Between the Common Core and School Culture | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 43 minutes ago
The Intersection Between the Common Core and School Culture | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: The Intersection Between the Common Core and School Culture by National Association of Elementary School Principals *By Gail Connelly, Executive Director of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)* Communications scholar Marshall McLuhan once said, "We don't know who discovered water, but we know it wasn't the fish." Water shapes a fish's existence so profoundly — and, swimming right in the middle of it, the fish can't grasp how water impacts th... more »

“your very existence is an act of rebellion” – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
“your very existence is an act of rebellion” – @ the chalk face: “your very existence is an act of rebellion” by Barbara Madeloni [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] We’ve been clanging the warning bells in higher education for years, maybe this story about computer scoring of essays as a way to *improve *students’ writing will get the attention of our colleagues in the academy. Like all of the data driven, computer based instruction that is being sold to us/imposed on us, this is dangerous in so many ways. We know that this eliminates jobs while increasing profits for corporations. ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-5-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Atlanta’s Lessons for Reformers by dianerav This smart blogger read all the investigators’ reports from the Atlanta cheating scandal. He or she realized that Atlanta was doing everything that reformers say is important. The educators there were focusing on test scores above all else. The teachers who got higher scores got bonuses and those who did not, got humiliated. Incentivizing the workforce, yes? The teachers had no tenure, so whistleblowers had no job prote... more »

Even in Victory, Trujillo Misrepresents Opposition to Parent Trigger | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Even in Victory, Trujillo Misrepresents Opposition to Parent Trigger | Scathing Purple Musings: Even in Victory, Trujillo Misrepresents Opposition to Parent Trigger by Bob Sikes The most surprising news from yesterday’s passage of Parent Trigger (HB 867) in the that they Florida House was that there were seven republican votes against it in the final 68-51 tally. What wasn’t surprising was that bill sponsor, Carlos Trujillo, continued with his dubious rhetoric. From *Palm Beach Post *reporter John Kennedy: A “parent-trigger” bill pushed by former Gov. Jeb Bush was among several ... more »

Reading between the lines: Florida’s retention program is not worth replicating | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Reading between the lines: Florida’s retention program is not worth replicating | Get Schooled: Reading between the lines: Florida’s retention program is not worth replicating by Maureen Downey Paul Thomas, a Furman University associate professor of education, writes about range of education issues, including the push in South Carolina to follow Florida’s retention policy. This is *his second appearance on the Get Schooled blog*, but you can read more of his stuff at his “becoming radical” blog. Thomas sent me this opinion column on the issue of retention. Retention is still one... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Talk on the street

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Talk on the street: Talk on the street by Mike Klonsky Congressmen Danny Davis and Bobby Rush lead walking tour to dramatize the daily trip students will have to make to their receiving school. Safety is a major concern of parents around the proposed closings. LOOK OUT KID, THEY KEEP IT ALL HID... A cabbie who works 125 Clark St. tells me that in addition to the latest round of closures, CPS plans to open 14 new high schools next year, of which 12 will be charters. One is actually called "Social Justice" (not to be confused with the real Greater La... more »

Why Was Atlanta's Beverly Hall Indicted For Racketeering While Michelle Rhee Won't Be? | Black Agenda Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Why Was Atlanta's Beverly Hall Indicted For Racketeering While Michelle Rhee Won't Be? | Black Agenda Report: Why Was Atlanta's Beverly Hall Indicted For Racketeering While Michelle Rhee Won't Be? Wed, 04/03/2013 - 10:27 — Bruce A. Dixon Printer-friendly version *By BAR managing editor Bruce A. Dixon* Atlanta's black former school superintendent and 34 other black teachers and administrators have been indicted for “racketeering” in a cheating scandal. Why aren't others like former DC Schools chancellor Michelle Rhee and her team indicted? Should we be rallying the racial w... more »

Ed Notes Online: Portelos Talk Show From Rubber Room: Lois Weiner, Minnesota Eductors Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Portelos Talk Show From Rubber Room: Lois Weiner, Minnesota Eductors Today: Portelos Talk Show From Rubber Room: Lois Weiner, Minnesota Eductors Today by ed notes online Don't Tread On Educators Talk Show is back!!! Here is an interview I did with Professor Lois Weiner during lunch in the Rubber Room. Great talk with Lois. Mentioned unionism, MORE, along with a little Mulgrew and Unity and what they haven't done. Only my 430th day under investigation without being charged. Professor Weiner explains her views on why. http://wp.me/P31ecs-kK Email me if you are inte... more »

Brown’s funding plan faces vigorous review – and speed bump | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Brown’s funding plan faces vigorous review – and speed bump | EdSource Today: Brown’s funding plan faces vigorous review – and speed bump - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald The chair of the Assembly Education Committee turned Gov. Jerry Brown’s comprehensive plan for education finance reform into bill form Thursday, ensuring that all aspects will get an extensive review, while raising the possibility that the plan may not pass in time to take effect July 1, as the governor wants. [image: Buchanan is worried that funding for some districts would stagnate while funding for o... more »

Are charter schools being milked by the Louisiana Department of Education? | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Are charter schools being milked by the Louisiana Department of Education? | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Are charter schools being milked by the Louisiana Department of Education? by crazycrawfish A funny thing happened at a community organizing meeting I attended earlier this week. I was going there to meet with someone who was supposed to help me organize and mobilize an anti-student-data-sharing campaign, although I missed that person I made a few interesting contacts. I also heard a story that made me wonder if many charters are getting a bad rap, and being coerced into abusive re... more »

Daily Kos: Krugman: "The Urge to Purge"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Daily Kos: Krugman: "The Urge to Purge": Krugman: "The Urge to Purge" by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) This column is the Nobel Laureate's detailed explanation of why David Stockman is wrong in what Krugman calls "a mammoth screed," the former Reagan Budget director's “The Great Deformation.” Krugman begins by reminding us that when the Great Depression struck, When the Great Depression struck, many influential people argued that the government shouldn’t even try to limit the damage. Among these were Herbert Hoover's Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon, whom he quotes as opi... more »

Mother Crusader: The Charter Circus Is Back In Town

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Mother Crusader: The Charter Circus Is Back In Town: The Charter Circus Is Back In Town by darciecima Step right up to the dais and get yourself a charter school!! That's Pastor Michael McDuffie. Much like Pastor Amir Khan at the Voorhees Town Hall, McDuffie was sitting right behind Governor Christie at the Paterson Town Hall; one of only seven to make it onto the dais. New Jersey's last round of charter applications was a stealth affair. With no suburban applications, and no big controversies, nobody paid much attention. Well, except me of course... But mark my words, this ro... more »

NYC Educator: Who Puts Children First, Always?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
NYC Educator: Who Puts Children First, Always?: Who Puts Children First, Always? by NYC Educator I continue to be amazed at the depths reformy folks will sing when personally attacking their critics. Now, if you send your kid to a private school, you have no right to criticize charters. This is the new paradigm because charters are the "choice" you get if you aren't rich. Some choice. I should send my kid to some heavily regiment test prep factory instead of a public school. I went to a Gotham Schools fundraiser where I watched films by Doug Lemov. One showed the amazing teacher wh... more »

Accountability for Mr. Gates: The Billionaire Philanthropist Evaluation - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Accountability for Mr. Gates: The Billionaire Philanthropist Evaluation - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Accountability for Mr. Gates: The Billionaire Philanthropist Evaluation by Anthony Cody Bill Gates, who is more responsible than anyone for the absurd evaluations by which teachers are now being held accountable, had the gall to write this week in a tone of exasperation about the results of his own advocacy for these very practices. Yesterday I asked when Mr. Gates, the great enthusiast for accountability for others, might hold himself accountable for his own hand... more »

The Educated Reporter: Is Public School Activist's Status as Private School Parent Relevant?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: Is Public School Activist's Status as Private School Parent Relevant?: Is Public School Activist's Status as Private School Parent Relevant? by Emily Richmond There are plenty of education activists who aren’t also parents of school-aged children. But when parents opt for private school, does that diminish their standing as advocates for public education? It’s a familiar debate that’s in the spotlight this week in New York City, after it was learned that well-known education activist Leonie Haimson opted to put her younger child in private school. (She has ... more »

Politics K-12 - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Politics K-12 - Education Week: U.S. Dept. of Ed. Protesters Turn Fierce Rhetoric on 'Corporate' Reform *Washington* * * ** * * As they kicked off four days of protests at the U.S. Department of Education, organizers of Occupy DOE 2.0 today used inflammatory—and, in one case, racially insulting—rhetoric to rally opposition against high-stakes testing, "corporate" education reform, and the "dismantling of public education." Standing in front of the Education Department's headquarters in downtown Washington, Miami-Dade County teacher Ceresta Smith referred to former District of Colum... more »

Governance in the School Trenches | Lefty Parent

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Governance in the School Trenches | Lefty Parent: Governance in the School Trenches by Cooper Zale [image: peter dewitt 2]My friend, Peter DeWitt, is a public elementary school principal in upstate New York. He is a thoughtful and caring person, and I think probably represents the best of his public school principal profession, and I think any of my teacher friends would be happy to have such a leader for their school. He writes a daily blog for Education Week magazine online, and his pieces generally wrestle with trying to be a humanistic educational leader within a bureaucratic ... more »

Intention-to-Treat Analysis: A Primer for Those Not In “The Stats Club” | deutsch29

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Intention-to-Treat Analysis: A Primer for Those Not In “The Stats Club” | deutsch29: Intention-to-Treat Analysis: A Primer for Those Not In “The Stats Club” by deutsch29 In Patrick Wolf’s work with other researchers on this study of late, *Student Attainment and the Milwaukee Parent Choice Program: A Final Follow-Up Analysis*, Wolf et al. use a statistical analysis know as the Intention-to-Treat (ITT) analysis. In this post, I will explain the analysis, discuss its original intended usage, and discuss its application to Wolf’s work, including limitations. This post is meant to s... more »

Jersey Jazzman: The Reformy Campaign Finance Machine: Over $1/4 Million and Rising!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: The Reformy Campaign Finance Machine: Over $1/4 Million and Rising!: The Reformy Campaign Finance Machine: Over $1/4 Million and Rising! by Duke *Dave, I wonder what all these people have in common...* My previous post about the secret, coordinated, reformy campaign finance machine is going viral, which is great: I'm hoping people read it and say: "Hey, I've seen those names before!" *Let me know if your local school district or your state legislative district has seen an influx of money from these reformy folks.* The sad truth is that, despite all the campaign di... more »

“FAILING SCHOOLS” | Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
“FAILING SCHOOLS” | Teachers Fight Back: “FAILING SCHOOLS” by alkleen “Failing schools” is an interesting phrase that I had never heard of up until a few years ago. Now it seems to be the most frequently used phrase of school reformers, teacher- bashers, teacher union bashers, and politicians. I constantly hear reformers say, “we’ve got to close our failing schools.” “We need more charter schools so those students that attend failing schools have somewhere else to go.” “Failing schools”, the very phrase leads one to believe that somehow a school building itself is responsible f... more »

Parents with power over L.A. school weigh their options - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Parents with power over L.A. school weigh their options - latimes.com: Parents with power over L.A. school weigh their options by By Howard Blume Parents with power over L.A. school weigh their options*The Real Question: Is Eli for Public Schools or Will he Privatize?* - By Howard Blume April 4, 2013, 5:46 p.m. About 50 parents on Thursday attended a presentation to help them decide who should run 24th Street Elementary School, a campus whose fate is in the hands of families who are trying to change the management of the school under the controversial parent trigger law.... more »

For Students, No Success Goes Unpunished | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
For Students, No Success Goes Unpunished | The Jose Vilson: For Students, No Success Goes Unpunished by JOSE VILSON on APRIL 4, 2013 [image: Oscar Wilde] Oscar Wilde It started from the first time teachers found out I could read above grade level. The kindergarten teacher, Ms. Greene, calls on some of her colleague to watch me read a book, where they marveled that I already knew how to enunciate words a few grades above grade level. My first grade teacher, Mrs. Klein, already heard about the wunderkind going to her class after an accidental switch to a bilingual class. She pulls me ... more »

Live Show REPLAY [livestream] Thu Apr 4 2013 01:16:27 PMon CaliFather - live streaming video powered by Livestream

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Live Show [livestream] Thu Apr 4 2013 01:16:27 PMon CaliFather - live streaming video powered by Livestream: [image: Channel Banner] [image: califather] Live Show [livestream] Thu Apr 4 2013 01:16:27 PM Created 6 hours ago on *califather* - Pop-out - Expand Premium Channel Now Broadcasting on this Channel[image: Now Broadcasting on this Channel] CaliFather[image: video thumbnail] - Watch and Chat Live Related Live Channels - - Live Now[image: video thumbnail]janelafalcao - *27* viewers - Live Now[image: video thumbnail]RobertChristianshow ... more »

Ed Notes Online: MORE Elem Ex Bd Cand Jia Lee Helps Sponsor Ed Forum at Earth School on Testing April 8

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: MORE Elem Ex Bd Cand Jia Lee Helps Sponsor Ed Forum at Earth School on Testing April 8: MORE Elem Ex Bd Cand Jia Lee Helps Sponsor Ed Forum at Earth School on Testing April 8 by ed notes online Why MORE has a future? Activists like Jia Lee who doesn't just talk about the problems with high stakes testing. A number of MORE teacher/parents and allies are opting out of tests in increasing numbers. The big events in Washington DC starting tomorrow will spark a national movement. Jia and her school are doing their part. Please join us as we discuss our questions, conc... more »

Bubble tests take on new meaning Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Bubble tests take on new meaning: Bubble tests take on new meaning by admin [image: gum_1775702c]When my sons were in school, they were fed“superdonuts” on test days to boost test scores. Now kids are supposed to chew gum for better test scores. I first read this in a column by Tribune writer John Keilman, who reported that his children’s Chicago-area school recommended sending them to school with gum and mints on test days. In an earlier article on the same subject, he found that in a study funded by the Wrigley Science I... more »

Reply to SCOE Board President Geeting The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: [image: Home] [image: slideshow 2] April 4, 2013 President Geeting: Thank you for catching that error in my letter of April 2 about the Fortune School location. I meant to say that SCOE approved the re-zoning of the location without input from the public in Elk Grove. You are correct in stating that the Aspire case dealt with a statewide benefit charter--I did mention that in my letter. I wrote that the situations with Aspire and the Fortune school charter were analogous. However, I didn't quote you in my letter. I paraphrased a... more »

9-year-old Orlando boy with severe disabilities forced to take state-mandated test | News - Home

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
9-year-old Orlando boy with severe disabilities forced to take state-mandated test | News - Home: 9-year-old Orlando boy with severe disabilities forced to take state-mandated testFla. rep. pushes to change law to eliminate state testing for special needs students Author: Sheli Muniz, Reporter, smuniz@wkmg.com Published On: Apr 04 2013 04:44:15 PM EDT Updated On: Apr 04 2013 06:21:35 PM EDT video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player ORLANDO, Fla. - A 9-year-old blind boy with severe disabilities is being forced to take a state-mandated test, despite his special ... more »

Special Diane in DC 4-4-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: *Diane Ravitch* 3h *In DC with Ceresta Smith of Florida and Karran Harper Royal of Néw Orleans *pic.twitter.com/VlEamGq441 More: Texas Legislature Turns Down Vouchers by dianerav Read here for first summary. Will post again when new stories available. Breaking News: Vouchers Fail in Texas! by dianerav Wayne Slater, senior political writer for the Dallas Morning News, tweeted this: @WayneSlater Put a fork in school vouchers in Texas — ban on taxpayer money for private schools passes overwhelming in conservative ... more »

The business of education in Wisconsin

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
The business of education in Wisconsin: The business of education in Wisconsin from Dailycensored.com by Danny Weil [image: Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker and the business of educational reform] From: *The Progessive* http://progressive.org/education.html On August 30 the newly-formed School and District Accountability Design Team held the first of five meetings on the UW-Madison campus. The Design Team is led by “Quad-Chairs” Governor Scott Walker, Senator Luther Olsen, chair of the Senate Education Committee, Representative Steve Kestell, chair of the Assembly Education Com... more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: "Ed Reformers" Are Bullies:They Know Who to Pick On!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: "Ed Reformers" Are Bullies:They Know Who to Pick On!: "Ed Reformers" Are Bullies:They Know Who to Pick On! from DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER! by Lisa M [image: bullying at school] As an educator, I have to deal with bullies every year. There's a pattern that I have noticed in every instance. They know who to pick on. They find the weakest kids, the kids who won't tell, the kids who, most likely, won't fight back. *See the connection?* When I first read Diane Ravitch's post about Tennessee cutting 30% of welfare benefits if their children ... more »

Emotions running high in Atlanta Public School cheating scandal

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Emotions running high in Atlanta Public School cheating scandal: Emotions running high in Atlanta Public School cheating scandal Atlanta : GA : USA | Apr 04, 2013 at 5:37 AM PDT BY Harold Michael Harvey, J. D. [image: send a private message][image: SelectMedia] 40 VIEWS: 4,875 [image: Shirley Franklin] [image: Back] 1 of 4 [image: Next] Former Atlanta Mayor Shirely Franiklin weighs in on the Atlanta Public School Cheating Scandal [image: Atlanta School System Caught in Epic Cheating Scandal] Emotions are running at a fever pitch in the southern Piedmont area of Georgia. One by one, w... more »

UPDATE: “Hell Raiser”: Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Roger and me. | Fred Klonsky: IEA Retired Skokie “Hell Raiser” chapter is ready to go. by Fred Klonsky [image: 20130404-172420.jpg] Roger and me. by Fred Klonsky Popout. When I read yesterday that Roger Ebert announced he would no longer do any more writing, I figured the writing was already on the wall. I posted this on Facebook yesterday. *I wish Roger Ebert the best of luck in fighting the latest illness. I was lucky enough to take two film classes with Ebert about a dozen years ago. One was a survey of 10 significant films that included some I’d seen, and a few I’d never seen.... more »

Why Conservatives Object to the Common Core | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Why Conservatives Object to the Common Core | Truth in American Education: Why Conservatives Object to the Common Core by Shane Vander Hart [image: Common Core State Standards] Kathleen Porter-Magee & Sol Stern ask in the subheading of their *National Review* article defending the Common Core State Standards ask “why are prominent conservatives criticizing a set of rigorous educational standards?” There are others who have provided direct rebuttals. I want to answer their primary question. While I’m not a “prominent conservative,” I am a conservative who has written extensively a... more »

How is a standardized test like a zombie? | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
How is a standardized test like a zombie? | Parents Across America: How is a standardized test like a zombie? by pagrundy *How is a standardized test like a zombie?* *They’re mindless, and they just keep coming.* The MecklenburgACTS.org “Stop Testing Madness in North Carolina” campaign is off to a great start, closing in on 600 signatures, and with almost half our state’s 100 counties represented. We’re talking to school boards, superintendents and other organizations about endorsements, and working on a piece of state legislation that would place a moratorium on state-imposed con... more »

Schools Matter: A conservative approach to teacher evaluation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Schools Matter: A conservative approach to teacher evaluation: A conservative approach to teacher evaluation by skrashen Sent to the Washington Post, April 4, 2013 Gates’ suggestions ("A fairer way to evaluate teachers," April 3) assume that there is something seriously wrong with teacher quality and teacher evaluation in the United States. I question both assumptions. We are always interested in improving teaching, but there is no evidence of a teacher quality crisis: When poverty is controlled, American students’ scores on international tests are near the top of the world. Ou... more »

Eating Our Young | Taking Note

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Eating Our Young | Taking Note: Eating Our Young by John Merrow When the pilot announced that we were making our final approach into Atlanta, I was reading about the shocking increase in ADHD diagnoses among children. That started my head reeling: I was landing in the city that is the poster child for adults cheating (mostly poor) children out of educational opportunities, while I was reading about a man-made epidemic that is drugging (mostly) middle- and upper-middle kids and depriving many of them of opportunities to be–and discover–who they are. And the longer I thought about ... more »

News Flash: What the Hell is going on...Malloy snubs nose at Connecticut law - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
News Flash: What the Hell is going on...Malloy snubs nose at Connecticut law - Wait, What?: News Flash: What the Hell is going on…Malloy snubs nose at Connecticut law by jonpelto Earlier today, Connecticut’s Board of Regents for Higher Education met and voted to forward three names to Governor Malloy with the request that he pick one to serve as President of the combined State University and Community College System. But the fact is that neither the Board of Regents nor the Governor has the authority to make the choice in this way. According to Connecticut law, the Governor nomina... more »

Bill Gates Dances Around the Teacher Evaluation Disaster He Sponsored - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Bill Gates Dances Around the Teacher Evaluation Disaster He Sponsored - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Bill Gates Dances Around the Teacher Evaluation Disaster He Sponsored by Anthony Cody *No one in America has done more to promote the raising of stakes for test scores in education than Bill Gates.* Yesterday, Mr. Gates published a column that dances around the disaster his advocacy has created in the schools of our nation. You can read his words there, but his actions have spoken so much more loudly, that I cannot even make sense out of what he is attempting to say ... more »

Social Justice in the Classroom: Not Always the Easiest Lesson | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Social Justice in the Classroom: Not Always the Easiest Lesson | toteachornototeach: Social Justice in the Classroom: Not Always the Easiest Lesson by aristotlethewise *Social Justice in the Classroom: Not Always the Easiest Lesson* by Holly Spinelli On March 4, I became a fellow of The Academy for Teachers, an organization that honors teachers who, despite everything, make their classrooms havens for passion and creativity. The Academy organizes “master classes” led by prominent experts in all subject areas, but mine was led by the incredible Gloria Steinem. The assembled English... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Joke's On Us: 20 U.S.C. § 3403 : US Code - Section 3403: Relationship with States

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: The Joke's On Us: 20 U.S.C. § 3403 : US Code - Section 3403: Relationship with States: The Joke's On Us: 20 U.S.C. § 3403 : US Code - Section 3403: Relationship with States by stlgretchen Neal McCluskey writes how *the Federal Government seems to be directing testing in the Common Core consortia.* From *Saying Common Core Not Federal a Joke, but Joke’s on Us:* Last week I posted video from an American Enterprise Institute conference featuring supporters of national curriculum standards—the Common Core—dismissing concerns that implementing the standa... more »

More schools need “robotic” learning | InterACT

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
More schools need “robotic” learning | InterACT: More schools need “robotic” learning by David B. Cohen Click to view slideshow.The images in the slideshow above are all pictures that I took at the 2011 and 2012 FIRST Robotics Competiton Silicon Valley Regional. (FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology”). I’ve taken my sons to this event for four years now, partly to encourage my school and my participating students, and partly because it’s fun watching six robots zooming around and smacking into each other in a race to lift and place large inf... more »

A Virginia parent speaks truth to Arne Duncan | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
A Virginia parent speaks truth to Arne Duncan | Parents Across America: A Virginia parent speaks truth to Arne Duncan by pureparents We welcome our first chapter in Virginia, PAA-Roanoke Valley, and its leaders, Laura Bowman. Here’s the story Laura told us about why she wanted to start a PAA chapter: I think it’s so important to have a parent group in my area speaking up in support of our public schools, teachers, and students. I believe that high stakes testing and the education reform movement have hijacked our schools and turned them into testing factories. In Virginia we hav... more »

Why renowned educators — and new teachers — are ‘occupying’ Ed Dept

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Why renowned educators — and new teachers — are ‘occupying’ Ed Dept: Why renowned educators — and new teachers — are ‘occupying’ Ed Dept Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 4, 2013 at 1:30 pm [image: occupy]Today teachers, students, parents, researchers and other activists are starting the second annual “Occupy the DOE” event on the grounds of the U.S. Education Department to protest corporate-based school reform. Among those attending the four-day event, sponsored by United Opt Out, an organization dedicated to the elimination of high-stakes standardized testing in public schools, ... more »

Josh Birdwell – Education Reform Is Becoming a Revolution Student Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Student Voice: Josh Birdwell – Education Reform Is Becoming a Revolution by admin The Huffington Post will be promoting various Student Voice articles prior to the *Student Voice Live! *summit on April 13th. The following is from *Josh Birdwell:* Our voices matter because we are the most heavily affected by choices made in education policy and curriculum. I refuse to be simply a number who passed all of his End of Instruction tests (EOIs) and met the requirements. Without voices, we can give no feedback on the effectiveness of the system. Recently more students have been voicing ... more »

Arizona Lawmakers Poised to Outlaw Student Funding for Activist Groups |

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Arizona Lawmakers Poised to Outlaw Student Funding for Activist Groups |: Arizona Lawmakers Poised to Outlaw Student Funding for Activist Groups from Student Activism by Angus Johnston [image: jan brewer AZ]*What a ...* A bill passed the Arizona state senate Tuesday that would ban all use of student fees for lobbying or in support of organizations not chartered by the university. It is currently awaiting Governor Jan Brewer’s signature, amid a lobbying campaign to push her to veto. HB 2169 was drafted in response to controversy over the Arizona Students’ Association support for las... more »

Leveling and Raising the Playing Field — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Leveling and Raising the Playing Field — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Podcast][image: Whole Child Podcast]Leveling and Raising the Playing Field April 4, 2013 by Whole Child Podcast Download Podcast Now [Right-Click to Save] Addressing students' needs levels the playing field. Or rather, addressing students' needs is *only* leveling the playing field. If a child is hungry, then the need can be addressed by providing breakfast, lunch, and assistance as needed. The same applies if the child is unwell. Many schools have made great strides in addressing students' ... more »

UPDATE: The racists smile + Study the faces of the new tyrants. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Study the faces of the new tyrants. | Fred Klonsky: The racists smile. by Fred Klonsky It is the anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., murdered in Memphis in 1968. I read Barbara Byrd-Bennett’s declaration on the eve of this anniversary. She was “insulted” to be called a racist. Of course, nobody called her a racist. She certainly makes the racists smile. As does the ethnic cleansing of the City of Chicago. The very neighborhood that Martin Luther King chose to live in during his Chicago fair housing campaign has seen some of the greatest losses in African-America... more »

Defend Public Education - Who is Eli Broad and why is he trying to destroy public education?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Defend Public Education - Who is Eli Broad?: Eli Broad *Who is Eli Broad and why is he trying to destroy public education?* February 24, 2013 Introduction The historically unprecedented explosion of wealth in recent decades for the top one percent of the American populace is leading to a reshaping of the American economy in the interests of this one percent. Having more wealth than they know what to do with, many of the corporate leaders, hedge fund managers, and bankers are putting their wealth into “venture philanthropies”. They hope to advance an unregulated, free market economy... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, April 4, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: @CALIFATHER CALIFATHER ALL SPIFFED UP AND READY TO STREAM OCCUPY THE DOE! @califather Califather all spiffed up and ready to stream Occupy the DoE! Watch live streaming video from califather at livestream.com *California Father | @califather Califather all spiffed up and ready to stream Occupy the DoE! #edchat #soschat #uoodc13* coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago California Father | Educating Sullivan: [image: California Father] califather on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free - ON DEMAND - ABOUT OCCUPY THE DEPT OF ED - H... more »

ConnCAN dropped $35,800 on opinion poll to make Malloy and education reform appear popular - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
ConnCAN dropped $35,800 on opinion poll to make Malloy and education reform appear popular - Wait, What?: ConnCAN dropped $35,800 on opinion poll to make Malloy and education reform appear popular by jonpelto On February 6, 2013 Governor Dannel Malloy gave his Bi-annual budget address to a joint session of the Connecticut General Assembly. On the issue of public education he said, “We’re turning around struggling schools by growing our Commissioner’s Network, with funding for 17 more schools…We’re continuing to broaden the range of educational opportunities by maintaining our... more »

Harvard Dean Justifies Snooping on Faculty Email for the Children |

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Harvard Dean Justifies Snooping on Faculty Email for the Children |: Harvard Dean Justifies Snooping on Faculty Email for the Children by Angus Johnston The Harvard email spying scandal got worse this week, with an admission that administrators had engaged in broader surveillance of faculty communications than had been previously disclosed. The spying was prompted by public disclosure of an incident in which as many as half of the students in one Harvard class were accused of cheating on a take-home exam, and was intended to root out a faculty member believed to have leaked an in... more »

Schools Matter: "Reformers" Seek to Overturn California Education Laws Based Solely on Evidence-Free Beliefs, Part Two

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Schools Matter: "Reformers" Seek to Overturn California Education Laws Based Solely on Evidence-Free Beliefs, Part Two: "Reformers" Seek to Overturn California Education Laws Based Solely on Evidence-Free Beliefs, Part Two by John Thompson As I explained last week, the "astroturf" school "reform" organization, Students Matter, and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group want to strike down five education laws that supposedly "are destroying California's public education system, demoralizing the teaching profession, and robbing California children of their future." In*Vergara v Calif... more »

Where’s the Outrage about KIPP? – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Where’s the Outrage about KIPP? – @ the chalk face: Where’s the Outrage about KIPP? by plthomasedd Former Rutger’s basketball coach Mike Rice is the outrage of the moment, but his firing took months and a viral video: Video shows Mike Rice’s ire Popout Maybe a moral response to Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) requires a viral video. Apparently that is what it takes for organizations and the public to respond to inexcusable but prevalent behavior—especially when that behavior is mostly by white men in authority at the expense of mostly African American young men who are essentially...more »

Bill Gates: We’re fumbling evaluations when we rate teachers on how students skip | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Bill Gates: We’re fumbling evaluations when we rate teachers on how students skip | Get Schooled: Bill Gates: We’re fumbling evaluations when we rate teachers on how students skip by Maureen Downey [image: downeyart0401]In a Washington Post op-ed, Bill Gates says there should be a fairer way to evaluate teachers. While he is all for accountability, Gates cautions against using student test scores as the primary basis for making decisions about firing, promoting and compensating teachers. *Here is an excerpt*: (Please read full piece before commenting.) Efforts are being made to de... more »