Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-1-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Monday, April 1, 2013

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-1-13 #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

Why Teachers Cheat | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Why Teachers Cheat | toteachornototeach: Why Teachers Cheat by aristotlethewise [image: original]*Why Teachers Cheat* by David Callahan The indictment last week of 35 teachers and administrators in Atlanta for manipulating test scores is just the latest chapter in that city’s long festering “teacher cheating” scandal. In turn, Atlanta is just one of many cities where evidence has surfaced that educators fudged testing data. Perhaps the best way to think of these cheating scandals is that they are the result of a natural experiment: What happens when you change incentives so that l... more »

Diane in the Evening 4-1-13 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: Louisiana Teacher to NBC: Not for Sale! by dianerav Just got this in the email. It was posted on Facebook: Deborah Hohn Tonguis posted in LA Public Teachers: Our Classrooms are Not for Sale! Here is my email response to Holly Boffy, who sent an email request to all of the Louisiana Teachers of the Year to participate in an upcoming visit by NBC. She has no shame… From: Holly Boffy Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 9:53 PM Subject: Unique opportunity in the New Orleans area Dear Teachers of the Year, If you live in ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Cheating in Atlanta; but didn't it happen here too?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Cheating in Atlanta; but didn't it happen here too?: Cheating in Atlanta; but didn't it happen here too? by Leonie Haimson The indictments in Atlanta of the former superintendent, Beverly Hall and 32 associates for conspiracy in encouraging cheating on the Georgia state tests are shocking enough. But the evidence suggests that the much the same has happened over the last ten years in NYC. The only difference is no effort or resources have been put by the city or the state into uncovering the phenomenon; in fact, quite the reverse. Under Bloomberg and ... more »

#Syracuse Has the Virus – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

#Syracuse Has the Virus – @ the chalk face: #Syracuse Has the Virus by Kris Nielsen I’ve been very busy communicating with parents and teachers in my state, finishing my speech for Occupy DOE 2.0 (Woohoo!), and stuff like that. My contributions to *The Chalk Face* have been a little wanting, but it’s not because I’ve been quiet. Honestly, I’ve felt a little sick. Not because I have an illness or a virus, but because my new city does. Yes, Syracuse, New York, has caught a deadly virus–the Broad Virus. [image: 2011-10-13-db-syracuse1jpg-51f2c8cdb66a6fb5]From Paul Riede at syracu... more »

Rally and Teach In at Serna Center Thursday, April 4th 2013, 4:30 to 5:30 pm

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

*Rally and Teach In at Serna Center Thursday, April 4th 2013, 4:30 to 5:30 pm * * * https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7wdDUUSR15dMVpGTk55V2lRQ2M/edit?usp=sharing Post navigation← Previous Next →OFFICIAL POSTER FOR OCCUPY DOE IN DC NOW AVAILABLE Please feel free to go to this link and download the file to create a poster and/or t-shirt! There are several options – the first two downloads are for posters and the third one is specifically created to be used on a t-shirt. Enjoy! A big thank you goes to Jay Rivett who designed our poster. Jay can be reached at jayrivett81@gmail.c... more »

A Whole Child Education Transformation — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

A Whole Child Education Transformation — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Walter McKenzie]A Whole Child Education Transformation April 1, 2013 by Walter McKenzie Everyone freeze! Stop right where you are and look around. Survey the landscape. With all the clamoring and commotion in education, have you stopped to notice? Education transformation is already well underway. I know, I know. With all the posturing and politicking going on from your local school board to the state house to the White House, there's a public perception that it's business as usual. Voices o... more »

Schools Matter: Easier, more pleasant, less expensive path

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Schools Matter: Easier, more pleasant, less expensive path: Easier, more pleasant, less expensive path by skrashen SENT TO The State (South Carolina) NOTE: This newspaper typically does not accept letters out-of-state. But I submitted it anyway. NOTE: The State is running a poll: The question and the results: Should South Carolina toughen standards that would hold back more third-graders not reading at grade level? 71% say yes, 29% say no. An easier, more pleasant, less expensive path to high literacy South Carolina is eager to require children to read “proficiently” by grade thre... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Commission to Have First Meeting

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Commission to Have First Meeting: Charter Commission to Have First Meeting by Melissa Westbrook From the Governor's office: *Date:* Thurs. April 4, 2013 *Time: *11 a.m. - 6 p.m. *Location:* Governor's Conference Room Legislative Building, 2nd Floor 416 Sid Snyder Ave. SW Olympia, WA 98501 Printable map of Capitol Campus *Handouts:* Agenda Commission Members - Dr. Doreen Cato - Trish Millines Dziko - Kevin Jacka - Chris Martin - Dr. Margit McGuire - Dave Quall - Steve Sundquist - Cindi Williams - Larry Wright Read c... more »

Does fixing schools have to punish teachers and their union? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Does fixing schools have to punish teachers and their union? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Does fixing schools have to punish teachers and their union? by Ron Whitehorne Education reform's dominant narrative, in both the nation and this city, assumes that the traditional protections unions provide for teachers need to be sacrificed in the interest of improving children's education. While the well-compensated CEOs and hedge fund managers who feed regularly at the public trough are portrayed as disinterested champions of poor children, unionized teachers are characterized as... more »

UPDATE: For the Tribune’s Eric Zorn, calling racism racism is just a bargaining gambit + The in box. What the hell, Furman? | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

The in box. What the hell, Furman? | Fred Klonsky: For the Tribune’s Eric Zorn, calling racism racism is just a bargaining gambit. by Fred Klonsky When I pointed out what a lazy reporter the Trib’s Eric Zorn was, he wrote here and said he was sorry he disappointed me. I think he wasn’t being sincere. See, Zorn’s own daughter goes to Lane Technical College Prep. It was there that the story broke about the CPS ban of *Persepolis*, the hugely popular graphic novel. His daughter came home and told him about it. Typical of the way major Chicago media covers education stories, he dismiss... more »

California Superintendents, Elected Officials Launch Californians for President Obama’s Early Learning Plan Transitional Kindergarten Online Resource - TKCalifornia

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Transitional Kindergarten Online Resource - TKCalifornia: *California Superintendents, Elected Officials Launch** Californians for President Obama’s Early Learning Plan**Pre-K Students Sign, Seal Open Letter to Obama from CA School Superintendents * *Sacramento, CA – April 1, 2013 –* Superintendents, legislators, advocates, civic leaders will join teachers, parents and child advocates to launch “Californians for President Obama’s Early Learning Plan” *at 10am* *on Tuesday, April 2 *at a pre-kindergarten classroom at H.W. Harkness Elementary School in Sacramento. The event kicks ... more »

Gates and Murdoch "Personalize" Learning with Larger Classes and Big Data Systems - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Gates and Murdoch "Personalize" Learning with Larger Classes and Big Data Systems - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Gates and Murdoch "Personalize" Learning with Larger Classes and Big Data Systems by Anthony Cody Do you ever get the feeling that your mind has been boggled once too often? That was my reaction when I readthis enthusiastic report about the way the next generation's educational experience will be "personalized" by the tremendous data systems being developed by Bill Gates and Rupert Murdoch. The Gates Foundation has worked with Rupert Murdoch's Amplify to... more »

National voices in the debate about testing and accountability — ain’t just Texas | Education Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

National voices in the debate about testing and accountability — ain’t just Texas | Education Blog: National voices in the debate about testing and accountability — ain’t just Texas By Jeffrey Weiss JWeiss@dallasnews.com 11:58 am on April 1, 2013 | Permalink 0 0 0 Every day, I get delivered via email links to stories about various education topics. And every *every**every* day, several are about the testing and accountability debate. I find it useful to he reminded that the Texas version of the debate is neither the only version nor, in many ways, all that different from many other... more »

"Public Employee Performance Evaluation: Superintendent".

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

*Leo Bennett-Cauchon**ROCKS!!!* Good morning, There is a special board meeting on Wednesday April 3rd starting with open session starting at 4:30pm. http://www.scusd.edu/sites/main/files/file-attachments/april_3_2013_special_agenda_1.pdf The public has a right to comment at 4:35pm prior to closed session on topics listed for closed session. The only topic listed is *"Public Employee Performance Evaluation: Superintendent". * I will be adding my input and urge others to consider joining me. If you like I have created a brief survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GTWLDWW I wi... more »

Feds look to reclaim funding granted rural schools under sequester SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: Feds look to reclaim funding granted rural schools under sequester Hundreds of rural school districts across the U.S. – including many in northern California – face the unhappy prospect of returning to the federal government millions of dollars in aid already delivered but reclaimed under the requirements of sequestration. Secure Rural Schools and Communities Act, which dates back to the Theodore Roosevelt administration, was most recently reauthorized last year to provide $328 million in support of schools, road services and other governme... more »

Just Say No to Just Read, Florida, South Carolina | the becoming radical

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Just Say No to Just Read, Florida, South Carolina | the becoming radical: Just Say No to Just Read, Florida, South Carolina Posted on April 1, 2013 by plthomasedd “Nearly 3,000 of South Carolina’s third-graders who struggle with reading could be held back if the state adopts a plan that would require students to read at or near grade level,” Jamie Self reports in *The State* (“Education leaders: Florida holds key to SC literacy fix,” March 31, 2013), adding later, Under Peeler’s bill, 2,886 SC third-graders scored low enough on a 2012 reading test to be held back a year — more tha... more »

UPDATE: Beverly Hall worried about asking too little of inner city students. But is there also a danger of asking too much? | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Beverly Hall worried about asking too little of inner city students. But is there also a danger of asking too much? | Get Schooled: Beverly Hall worried about asking too little of inner city students. But is there also a danger of asking too much? by Maureen Downey [image: downeyart (Medium)]Despite all the cheering on the blog that APS administrators are now facing justice for their roles in the CRCT cheating scandal, an unresolved issue remains: Why was there so much cheating in APS? (And elsewhere in the country, as uncovered by a later AJC investigation?) The Georgia CRCTs are... more »

A Special Message From the President | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

A Special Message From the President | The White House: A Special Message From the President [image: Kori Schulman] Kori Schulman April 01, 2013 10:00 AM EDT President. Watch it here: Related Topics:

How the Kansas House Committee on Education Voted on HB 2289 | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

How the Kansas House Committee on Education Voted on HB 2289 | Truth in American Education: How the Kansas House Committee on Education Voted on HB 2289 by Shane Vander Hart [image: Kansas-State-Capitol] I was able to obtain a breakdown of how the members of the Kansas House Committee on Education voted on their anti-Common Core bill, HB 2289, that was defeated 7-11 in committee on 3/21. *Yes*Kelly (R) Bradford (R) Dove (R) Ghandi (R) Lunn (R) Highland (R) Hedke (R)*No*Cassidy (D) Trimmer (D) Boldra (R) Bridges (D) Dierks (R) Ewy (R) Houston (D) Lusk (D) Meigs (R) Rooker (R) Winn (D... more »

UPDATE: Monday read. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Monday read. | Fred Klonsky: Monday read. by Fred Klonsky [image: pay-to-park-sign] *Rahm Emanuel fires CPS spokesperson Becky Carroll.* “Forty kids in a classroom! Is she nuts?” says the Mayor. *In an exclusive interview the Education Secretary* admitted he doesn’t know the first thing about education. “I was hoping for a career in the NBA,” admits Duncan. “But I was too short.” *“Who is Vladimir Gompers?”* asks Michael Petrilli. “I think maybe he’s the guy everybody avoids in the Fordham cafeteria.” *Michael Bloomberg reflects on the end of his third term as Mayor of New York.* ... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, April 1, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: April Fool's greeting by animated cartoon mime] Education Headlines *Monday, April 1, 2013* USDA snack rules will have indirect impact on schoolsNewly proposed rules on the nutrition of snack foods that Chico schools don't produce and don't directly sell, are having an impact on the district's nutrition program. 11 O.C. districts expect trouble paying billsFinancial reports filed by Orange County's 28 school districts this month show that while fewer schools are facing cash problems than last year, 39 percent of distric... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Rhee's millions

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Rhee's millions: Rhee's millions by Mike Klonsky Michelle Rhee's anti-union group Students First is bankrolled mainly by a collection of corporate billionaires and power philanthropists. The group is not required by law to disclose its donors or what they give. She refused last week, to give L.A. Times reporters, Michael Mishak and Howard Blume, a list. But she names several in her new memoir, "Radical." She uses their money to send out lobbyists to dozens of states to push anti-union and anti-teacher legislation with a staff of more than 120 ba... more »

NYC Educator: If You're Reformy and You Know It, Tell a Lie

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

NYC Educator: If You're Reformy and You Know It, Tell a Lie: If You're Reformy and You Know It, Tell a Lie by NYC Educator There have been some incredible stories coming out this weekend, not the least of which is that of uber-reformy Michelle Rhee. Rhee proudly boasts of being a public school parent, but it appears one of her kids attends an elite 22K per year private school. This would not be of any consequence whatsover, but for two things. One, of course, is that she lies about it. The second is the school she chooses for her kids does not indulge in the high class sizes or rel... more »

The Selfish Case for the Common Good | educarenow

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

The Selfish Case for the Common Good | educarenow: The Selfish Case for the Common Good Posted on April 1, 2013 | Leave a comment *“Now Tom said ‘Mom, wherever there’s a cop beatin’ a guy Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries Where there’s a fight against the blood and hatred in the air Look for me mom I’ll be there Wherever there’s somebody fightin’ for a place to stand Or a decent job or a helpin’ hand Wherever somebody’s strugglin’ to be free Look in their eyes Mom you’ll see me.’”* Bruce Springsteen *The Ghost of Tom Joad* This is a hard post to write, because… I’m white. I’m male. ... more »

Shanker Blog » A Miracle In The Mid-Atlantic

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Shanker Blog » A Miracle In The Mid-Atlantic: A Miracle In The Mid-Atlantic by Matthew Di Carlo The National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, is often called “the nation’s report card.” Advocates sometimes use the results of the main NAEP tests to argue for their policy agendas. One example (among many) is when supporters of the so-called “Florida Formula,” a battery of market-based reforms that went into effect throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s and are currently spreading throughout the nation, make their case primarily on Florida’s NAEP performance. The basi... more »

Common Core and the Suspension of Child Development | The Public Educator

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Common Core and the Suspension of Child Development | The Public Educator: Common Core and the Suspension of Child Development It was 1977 and I was taking a child development course for my Master’s level program to become a special education teacher. The assignment was simple. Take two children of different ages and conduct some learning experiments on them. The objective was to see if Piaget’s theories were true. I needed two children, so I asked my cousin if I could borrow her two kids—David and Rachel (who still remember as adults the fun we had doing all this). David was eight... more »

Realistic Expectations for New Teacher Evaluation Systems - Dana Goldstein

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Realistic Expectations for New Teacher Evaluation Systems - Dana Goldstein: Realistic Expectations for New Teacher Evaluation Systems by Dana Goldstein I'm seeing some off-the-mark responses to the news--first reported by *Education Week*'s Stephen Sawchuck, and then picked up by the *New York Times*--that many of the new, high-stakes teacher evaluation systems are rating only 2-6 percent of teachers ineffective. This is being greeted by some supporters of numbers-driven teacher reform as a disappointment; while skeptics, like American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weinga... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-1-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] SC: Just Say No to Florida “Miracle” by dianerav As Jeb Bush’s claims of miraculous powers of education reform spread across the land, South Carolina is considering legislation to flunk third-graders who don’t pass the state’s standardized test. The legislation, introduced by State Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler, would cause about 3,000 children to be held back. Research is clear that grade retention is highly associated with dropping out in later grades. L... more »

Daily Kos: Sometimes there is little one can add

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: Sometimes there is little one can add: Sometimes there is little one can add by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) In this case, the subject of my title is a must-read column by Paul Krugman, titled Lessons from a Comeback He points out California is the birth of much of the modern Conservative Republicanism, dating back to Reagan, a conservatism that has loved to bash California. Except most of what it likes to say has been proven untrue, and the problems the state does have bear little if any relationship to the charges Republicans like to make. You can and should read th... more »

Critique of Scott Walker’s Destructive Policies Aimed at Milwaukee | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Critique of Scott Walker’s Destructive Policies Aimed at Milwaukee | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Critique of Scott Walker’s Destructive Policies Aimed at Milwaukee by millerlf *Walker loves Milwaukee? We’re not feeling it* By John Gurda March 29, 2013 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel It hasn’t been this bad since the 1950s. You have to go back more than half a century to find a time when Wisconsin’s highest elected officials were so antagonistic to the state’s largest city. Then, it was a rural bloc kept in power by skewed legislative boundaries. Now, it’s a Republican bl... more »

Lack of dental services a factor in grades, attendance in state schools - Inside Bay Area

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Lack of dental services a factor in grades, attendance in state schools - Inside Bay Area: Lack of dental services a factor in grades, attendance in state schools By Jane Meredith Adams EdSource Today Posted: 03/31/2013 05:46:04 AM PDT Updated: 03/31/2013 05:46:09 AM PDT As California educators struggle to boost student achievement across economic lines, the teeth of poor children are holding them back. Hundreds of thousands of low-income children suffering from dental disease, some with teeth rotted to the gum line, are presenting California school districts with a widespread ... more »

Diane Ravitch: Good Grief! Teachers Get High Marks on New Evaluations | Classroom Struggle

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Diane Ravitch: Good Grief! Teachers Get High Marks on New Evaluations | Classroom Struggle: Diane Ravitch: Good Grief! Teachers Get High Marks on New Evaluations by ClassroomStruggle Some of you might have already seen the shocking results in the New York Times today. Apparently, all the teacher evaluations programs pushed on school districts by Obama’s Race To The Top and the corporate de-formers have found a shocking conclusion: most teachers are, in fact, “highly effective” at their jobs. Diane Ravitch does a great job of poking holes in this “realization” and cites some of t... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Atlanta's testing scandal

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Atlanta's testing scandal: Atlanta's testing scandal by Mike Klonsky I highly recommend these two excellent articles on Atlanta's testing scandal: Atlanta test cheating: Tip of the iceberg? by Valerie Strauss in the Washington Post and Ex-Schools Chief in Atlanta Is Indicted in Testing Scandal by Michael Winerip in the New York Times. Both emphasize the connection between the widespread testing scandals and current policies and practices associated with corporate-style school reform, *No Child Left Behind* and *Race To The Top*. Writes Strauss:... more »

Parent Trigger “Uses Parents Like a Cheap Dinner Napkin | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Parent Trigger “Uses Parents Like a Cheap Dinner Napkin | Scathing Purple Musings: Parent Trigger “Uses Parents Like a Cheap Dinner Napkin by Bob Sikes *The following is an opinion piece from Kathleen Oropeza, co-founder of FundEducationNow.org. She has granted permission to publish it here.* Despite a bruising defeat in the 2012 Florida Legislative session, parent trigger is something proponents are too stubborn to drop. Anointed 2013 sponsors Rep. Carlos Trujillo and Sen. Kelli Stargel, struggling to re-position their brand say, “We want to give parents a seat at the table.” Tha... more »

Schools Matter: Japan dem party wants TOEFL univ. entrance/exit in Japan

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Schools Matter: Japan dem party wants TOEFL univ. entrance/exit in Japan: Japan dem party wants TOEFL univ. entrance/exit in Japan by skrashen Sent to the Japan Times, March 31, 2013. English: A suggestion The Japan Times has it right: Money should be investing in teaching English, not testing it (“Testing English versus teaching it.” March 31). Here is a suggestion that will save money and give excellent results. Instead of investing money on expensive standardized testing, invest in English libraries, filled with interesting and comprehensible reading material that students are re... more »

Jersey Jazzman: File Under: "Shameless"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: File Under: "Shameless": File Under: "Shameless" by Duke Gloria Bonilla-Santiago was a guest columnist in yesterday's *Star-Ledger*. Here's how the paper describes her (all emphases in this post mine): *Gloria Bonilla-Santiago is the founder of the LEAP University Academy Charter School, which has a STEM curriculum, in Camden. She is also a Board of Governors Distinguished Professor of Public Policy at Rutgers University. * *Let me intersperse Bonilla-Santiago's words in her op-ed with some other stories about her and LEAP Academy that have been uncovered this pas... more »

Wealthiest Americans donate 1.3% of their income; the poorest, 3.2%… - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Wealthiest Americans donate 1.3% of their income; the poorest, 3.2%… - Wait, What?: Wealthiest Americans donate 1.3% of their income; the poorest, 3.2%… by jonpelto As so many religions celebrate this season of renewal and rebirth, it would seem that some among us have forgotten the core teachings and guidance of the Wise. Whether those words come from the Holy Books or the Holy Visionaries, they follow a common theme; *“A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.”* – Proverbs 22: v 9 *“For it is in giving that we receive.*” – St. Francis of Assisi... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky The Strip/ By Brian McFadden Linda Darling-Hammond *"If it moves, we test it." *-- NYT, "The Test? Find More Straight-A Teachers" Jackson Potter, CTU *Mayor Emanuel has a responsibility to back this train off the cliff and do the right thing.* -- Sun-Times, Op-ed Michael Winerup * Ms. Moner told Mr. Hyde that she carried the tests in a tote bag to the principal, Clarietta Davis, *

Teach for America critics organizing ‘resistance’ at summit + Atlanta test cheating: Tip of the iceberg?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Atlanta test cheating: Tip of the iceberg?: Atlanta test cheating: Tip of the iceberg? Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 1, 2013 at 4:00 am 5 Comments More [image: Iceberg near Greenland (By Bob Strong/Reuters)] Iceberg near Greenland. (By Bob Strong/Reuters) It would be easy to think that the Atlanta cheating scandal by adults on standardized tests is the worst we have seen, given last week’s startling indictment against former Atlanta schools superintendent Beverly Hall and 34 others under a law used against mobsters. But you shouldn’t. In the past four academic years, test chea... more »

Inside the Black Box of the Classroom Practice: Change without Reform in American Education | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Inside the Black Box of the Classroom Practice: Change without Reform in American Education | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Inside the Black Box of the Classroom Practice: Change without Reform in American Education by larrycuban [image: insideblackbox_223]Readers who have been with me from August 2009 know that I have mentioned writing a book on the linkages between policy and practice in technology, curriculum, and accountability; I posted pieces of my research, for example, on laptops in a school fictitiously-named Las Montanas (see here, here, and here).... more »

Racial bias feeds the school-to-prison pipeline | The Raw Story

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Racial bias feeds the school-to-prison pipeline | The Raw Story: Racial bias feeds the school-to-prison pipeline by The Christian Science Monitor By The Christian Science Monitor Monday, April 1, 2013 0:54 EDT [image: An African-American man behind bars. Photo: Shutterstock.com, all rights reserved.] Topics: Manhood Development Program ♦ Oakland High School [image: Temp Headline Image]Oakland High School sophomore Barry Williams answers a question from instructor Tiago Robinson during the Manhood Development Program at Oakland High School on March 12 in Oakland, California. This ... more »

State still has a role in supporting and holding districts accountable | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

State still has a role in supporting and holding districts accountable | EdSource Today: State still has a role in supporting and holding districts accountable - by Erin Gabel / commentary by Erin Gabel / commentary With the passage of Proposition 30 and almost nine out of 10 local ballot measures last November, the voters of California gave our schools an almost unprecedented chance to begin rebuilding after years of budget cuts. With his budget proposal, Governor Brown kept the promises we made to voters and made education funding his top priority. But his proposal does more th... more »

DIANE RAVITCH Joins GATES FOUNDATION as HEAD of CORPORATE ETHICS #edchat #soschat #uoodc13

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

*CORPORATE ETHICS *

The Educated Reporter: State Takeovers: What Loss of Local Control Means for Schools s

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

The Educated Reporter: State Takeovers: What Loss of Local Control Means for Schools s: State Takeovers: What Loss of Local Control Means for Schools from The Educated Reporter by Emily Richmond How bad does a public school system need to be for the state to take over? Are low student test scores alone enough? And what is a realistic time frame for the state to either turn schools around or restore local control? The looming prospects of state takeovers are making headlines from Maryland to Ohio, as lawmakers express frustration with the glacial pace of school improvement and st... more »

VERT INTERESTING BUT...NBC Learn K-12 makes thousands of historic videos, current events, and original resources available to K-12 teachers and students, all aligned to state standards and mapped to curriculum

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

K-12: < > See more > - Visit NBC Learn K12 - Get a Free Trial - Take a Tour - Schedule a Webinar - NBC Learn Toolkit NBC Learn K-12 subscription includes: - *Over 10,000 resources* - short 2 to 5 minute videos are engaging, relevant and inspiring, and help students develop critical thinking skills. - *Current events* - updated daily Monday-Friday, use these resources to help connect the real world to the classroom. - *Aligned to state standards and the common core* - search titles by state, subject, and grade level. - *Mapped to curriculum* - ... more »

Daily Kos: There is a truly remarkable Facebook Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Daily Kos: There is a truly remarkable Facebook Post: There is a truly remarkable Facebook Post by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) by Robert Valvano, brother of the late coach Jimmy V. He is a broadcaster for the Louisville basketball team. This post is written in the aftermath of today's game, including the horrifying injury to Kevin Ware. Here is the beginning: Okay violating my self imposed Facebook abstinence here just one time before June 1, but I hope you will understand... Today was that exceptional...I have broadcast games for 17 years, 12 on radio with Paul Rogers for the... more »

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School Part IX: No Library Allowed!.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School Part IX: No Library Allowed! by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) All is not happy, least of all the books in the library at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, where learning, reading, and writing supposedly come first. For several months now, The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School has been without a professional in the library for several months. For years there had been a professional in the library, but alas, there is a professional no more. What is the Th... more »

Diane in the Evening 3-31-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Kevin Huffman Refuses to Meet Nashville School Board by dianerav Kevin Huffman, Tennessee’s State Commissioner of Education, taught for two years as a member of Teach for America. Then he was the TFA “communications director.” That is, the PR guy. Somehow he got picked to be head of education in a whole despite his minimal experience and his lack of any More Details on Tennessee Scrooge Plan by dianerav Here’s more about the Tennessee proposal to cut the welfare benefits of families if their children don’t make ... more »

Daily Kos: Leaves on the Current - a brief update after 8 weeks

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Daily Kos: Leaves on the Current - a brief update after 8 weeks: Leaves on the Current - a brief update after 8 weeks by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) this past week has been somewhat difficult. After two rounds of chemo we now understand why the oncologist has her on a cycle of two weeks on, one week off. By the last day of the 14 days on, which was last Monday, Leaves was very wiped out and without much energy. In the ensuing week she has slowly recovered, but her sense of taste remains very unpredictable. I have, after 6 weeks of chemo treatment and several weeks before th... more »

The Weekly Update: Chicago, Atlanta and the Twin Cities, all victims of corporate reform and Diane Ravitch shares her thoughts | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

The Weekly Update: Chicago, Atlanta and the Twin Cities, all victims of corporate reform and Diane Ravitch shares her thoughts | Seattle Education: The Weekly Update: Chicago, Atlanta and the Twin Cities, all victims of corporate reform and Diane Ravitch shares her thoughts by seattleducation2011 [image: chicago students] Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel with the help of Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd Bennett who has connections with the Broad Foundation, Gates and all things corporate, is moving right along with the privatizers’ playbook of closing schools and converting many o... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: List of Common Core Corporate Sponsors and State Chiefs

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: List of Common Core Corporate Sponsors and State Chiefs: List of Common Core Corporate Sponsors and State Chiefs by stlgretchen Common Core Chief State Officers had 2013 Legislative Conference March 17-19 in Washington DC. *It's interesting that it is listed as a legislative conference as state legislatures (and Congress) have had no idea on what these state chiefs and private interests have decided for states and local school districts.* On page 2/48 of the conference material (the first page) it states CCSSO is: *Supporting states in transforming ... more »

With A Brooklyn Accent: A Jam for Occupy DOE 2.0- The Battle for Public Schools, from Notorious Phd

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

With A Brooklyn Accent: A Jam for Occupy DOE 2.0- The Battle for Public Schools, from Notorious Phd: A Jam for Occupy DOE 2.0- The Battle for Public Schools, from Notorious Phd Teachers and parents don’t be blue Its Occupy DOE Number 2 Duncan must have hoped we’d disappear But we’ve come from all over to bend his ear From New York ,Virginia, Cali and Mass We're taking no prisoners And we're moving fast Because k-12 testing just won’t cut it A young mind needs stirring tests just shut it To the best of our teachers You’ve said “Goodbye M’am” You don’t make the grade According to VAM We'... more »

What Is the Impact of a School District? | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

What Is the Impact of a School District? | toteachornototeach: What Is the Impact of a School District? by aristotlethewise *What Is the Impact of a School District?* by Eric Lerum *Do school districts matter?* The Brown Center on Education Policy at The Brookings Institute released an interesting report today that asks, and attempts to answer, this very question. It’s an important question. The authors — Grover Whitehurst, Matthew Chingos, and Michael Gallaher — note that leaders of school districts soak up more than their share of the spotlight when it comes to education reform.... more »

Endorsements - Monica Ratliff for Board of Education 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Endorsements - Monica Ratliff for Board of Education 2013:

Missouri Education Watchdog: Another Disenchanted Teacher on Common Core

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Another Disenchanted Teacher on Common Core: Another Disenchanted Teacher on Common Core by stlgretchen From tomakeaprairie.com and *On Programs, Broken Promises and Why We Aren’t Finland:* And that brings me to another reason I’m heartsick. Having actually welcomed the Common Core Standards for the emphasis they seemed to place on reading for deeper levels of meaning, I now find myself feeling disappointed and duped. I’m heartsick for another broken promise that’s explicitly stated in the Standards: that teachers would be “free to provide students ... more »

YouTube Is Shutting Down 2013 Official Video

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

YouTube Is Shutting Down 2013 Official Video

Schools Matter: New York's Race to Implement Common Core Before Revolt Breaks Out

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Schools Matter: New York's Race to Implement Common Core Before Revolt Breaks Out: New York's Race to Implement Common Core Before Revolt Breaks Out by Jim Horn Corporate ed reform schoolers across the country are in emergency mode to try to implement the latest testing deliver system, the Common Core, before parents and teachers and students can force a halt to the madness. In doing so, deformers make their desperation apparent as their agendas take precedent over learning or the opportunity to learn. In New York, high stakes decisions will be made this year based on test score... more »

No reprimand for the MAP boycotting teachers in Seattle | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

No reprimand for the MAP boycotting teachers in Seattle | Seattle Education: No reprimand for the MAP boycotting teachers in Seattle by seattleducation2011 [image: Teachers at Orca K8 in Seattle who boycotted the MAP test.] Teachers at Orca K8 in Seattle who boycotted the MAP test. Excerpts from the Scrap the MAP website: *Superintendent Banda promised that teachers who boycotted the MAP test would be disciplined, but because of the overwhelming solidarity from around the nation, he was forced to back down. In his letter he tries to save face by saying that no test coordinators or t... more »

Indiana Wants Me, Lord I can't go Back There!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Indiana Wants Me, Lord I can't go Back There!: Indiana Wants Me, Lord I can’t go back there! by Danny Weil Friday, March 29, 2013 From Advance Indiana http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com Indianapolis Islamic School Accused Of Cheating On ISTEP Exam The Indiana Supreme Court this past week held that Indiana’s Choice Scholarship program did not violate the Indiana Constitution’s prohibition on the drawing of funds from the state’s treasury for religious purposes. Under the school voucher program, parents are permitted to send their children to a private school of their choice instea... more »

How 2 Send Your Child 2 a Rheely Expensive (and Excellent) Private School | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

How 2 Send Your Child 2 a Rheely Expensive (and Excellent) Private School | EduShyster: How 2 Send Your Child 2 a Rheely Expensive (and Excellent) Private School by edushyster2012 It’s a conundrum faced by nearly every public school parent. You run an organization that puts students first, but sending your own personal student to an elite private school costs a flippin’ fortune. Twenty two thousand large to be exact. And that’s just the start of it. As any public school parent who also sends her child to an elite private school with an annual tuition bill of $22,000 knows all too w... more »

Closing Schools: Why it’s not a good idea | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Closing Schools: Why it’s not a good idea | Seattle Education: Closing Schools: Why it’s not a good idea by seattleducation2011 [image: chicago closing2] Two ALEC style education bills that Washington State Senator Steve Litzow sponsored,SB5328 and SB 5329. The first bill would grade schools and the second bill would either close the “low performing” schools permanently, convert them into charter schools, have the principal fired or replace half of the teaching staff. These two bills represent what has become the favored process for privatizing our public schools; label schools as ... more »

PD: Will It Float? | My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

PD: Will It Float? | My Island View: PD: Will It Float? by tomwhitby I have long been a David Letterman fan on any of the shows he has hosted. Over the years one of my favorite Letterman bits has been when he and Paul Shaffer would discuss the possible ability of a specific item to float in water. After their predictions the item would be tossed into a giant, transparent vat of water to determine who was correct. The results were apparent and immediate. Professional Development has long been an element in American education. At one time things changed slowly so that the need for ... more »

How to Save Your Child's (and Yours) Sanity From Hi Stakes Testing Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública:

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: How to Save Your Child's (and Yours) Sanity From Hi Stakes Testing:

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Transportation Changes May Be Coming

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Transportation Changes May Be Coming: Transportation Changes May Be Coming by Melissa Westbrook In starting this discussion, I will make a point about transportation in SPS that was made at the Work Session on the Budget. Overall, SPS transports many more students than the average district does. My understanding of that meaning is that many other districts do not provide transportation to schools outside of your neighborhood and the amount of transportation available to middle/high school students is far less in other districts. I understand th... more »