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
New York ELA day 3 more #pearson & #NYSED fail – @ the chalk face
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 minutes ago
New York ELA day 3 more #pearson & #NYSED fail – @ the chalk face: New York ELA day 3 more #pearson & #NYSED fail by Chris Cerrone [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] Here are some early updates: - *Nike sneakers in 6th grade reading passage. * Our children face enough commercialization in their lives as it is. We do not need this is our schools. I guess we can call the passages *“Infomercial texts”* (credit to Leonie for that quote) - From the NY Post on product placement. ( Yeah, I know) The future of our schools thanks to Common Core? Or are they the “Corporate ... more »
Leaders Develop Leaders — Whole Child Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 minutes ago
Leaders Develop Leaders — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Steven Weber]Leaders Develop Leaders April 18, 2013 by Steven Weber Do you remember your first year in the classroom? It was an adrenaline rush everyday! We wanted to change the world, inspire students to become great, support struggling students, establish our own reputations as excellent teachers, and earn the respect of our colleagues. I would not trade my first year of teaching for other opportunities. Whether we recognize it or not, the first several years of teaching and administration focus on pers... more »
Math Framework Public Comment Period Opens - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 minutes ago
Math Framework Public Comment Period Opens - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Public Comment Period Open on New Common Core Math Framework SACRAMENTO—California is moving one step closer to implementing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics with the release today of the draft *Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten through Grade Twelve*for public comment, said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. "This draft *Math Framework* is an important step on California's path toward the... more »
NYC Educator: Authentic Assessments
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 minutes ago
NYC Educator: Authentic Assessments: Authentic Assessments by NYC Educator It's remarkable that the geniuses at NYSED came up with new tests replete with product placements. They're very proud that the materials are all authentic. Perhaps this will teach our children how to more accurately process the next Diet Coke with Bacon ad, or the next coupon they find online. It will certainly help our kids if we are able to tell them, "Buy one, get one free," is advantageous to "Pay for two, and get one." Now I was personally never taught that, and as a result, I had to learn it on the ... more »
Position paper: Why Parents Across America. opposes mass school closings | Parents Across America
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 minutes ago
Position paper: Why PAA opposes mass school closings | Parents Across America: Position paper: Why PAA opposes mass school closings by pureparents *What are mass school closings?** ** *Mass school closings occur when school districts decide to close large numbers of public schools in a community within a single year, citing a variety of reasons like “underutilization” or academic failure. These closures go far beyond the periodic need to close schools because of drops in a district’s school-age population. Rather, they result from policies pushed by the corporate education refo... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Buyer's Remorse in Newark
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 29 minutes ago
Jersey Jazzman: Buyer's Remorse in Newark: Buyer's Remorse in Newark by Duke *NJ's new teacher evaluation system: Operation Hindenberg* The head of the Newark Teachers Union, Joe Del Grosso, is not very happy these days Six months since Newark and its teachers union agreed to a historic new contract,* the president of the NTU has publicly blasted Superintendent Cami Anderson over the district's finances.** * “I am writing to you about a serious problem that has persisted in the state-operated district of Newark,” wrote Joseph Del Grosso, president of the Newark Teachers Union, i... more »
Student Non-Discrimination Act: Jared Polis, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Reintroduce Anti-Bullying Bill
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Student Non-Discrimination Act: Jared Polis, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Reintroduce Anti-Bullying Bill: Student Non-Discrimination Act: Jared Polis, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Reintroduce Anti-Bullying Bill by Joy Resmovits Bayli Silberstein, an eighth-grade student in a Florida public school, saw it firsthand. Her friends, she said, were routinely bullied for their sexual orientation. "Watching it tear apart my friends is what scared me the most. It's not right, I don't like it, and I don't see my friends going through it." But when she tried to start the Gay-Straight Alliance in her school,... more »
Math framework for Common Core ready for your critique | EdSource Today
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Math framework for Common Core ready for your critique | EdSource Today: Math framework for Common Core ready for your critique - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald A draft of the California math curriculum framework went online Wednesday for public comments and suggestions. While weighing in at 1,200 pages, the document is actually a readable grade-by-grade manual that puts meat on the bare-bones Common Core standards that the state adopted in 2010. It explains the rationale for key standards and puts them in context of what students will learn, while providing guidance on... more »
Who Created “Michelle Rhee”? | Taking Note
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Who Created “Michelle Rhee”? | Taking Note: Who Created “Michelle Rhee”? by John Merrow We know that the flesh and blood Michelle A. Rhee was born in Michigan 43 years ago, the second child of South Korean immigrants Shang Rhee, a physician, and Inza Rhee, a clothing store owner. She spent most of her childhood in Ohio, where she attended public and private schools. My question is about the public phenomenon known as *“Michelle Rhee.”* The one that’s has become America’s most prominent education activist. She’s loved by some, hated and/or feared by others. To her admirers, she’... more »
Diane in the Evening 4-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Karen Lewis Teaches Torah in Evanston by dianerav Karen Lewis taught a powerful lesson from the Torah at a synagogue in Evanston. This is the rabbi’s account of her moving reading of Numbers, in which she connects the Biblical story to recent events in Chicago. “Her portion, Shelach Lecha (Numbers 13:1-15:41) relates, among other things, the story of the twelve scouts send by by Moses to report on the Promised Land. Ten of them return with words of discouragement – they reported that they saw giants in the land.... more »
Open Letter to Political Leaders: Action, Not Tributes and Rhetoric | the becoming radical
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Open Letter to Political Leaders: Action, Not Tributes and Rhetoric | the becoming radical: Open Letter to Political Leaders: Action, Not Tributes and Rhetoric Posted on April 18, 2013 by plthomasedd To All Elected Local, State, and National Political Leadership: No American needs anymore to name specifically the tragedy or the media and political responses because all have become both commonplace and predictable. I will name nonetheless, not because these are unique, but because they are sobering messages that must not be ignored. In recent days, a bomb exploded at the finish line o... more »
UPDATE: Washington State Charter School Update Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools News
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools News: Washington State Charter School Update by Melissa Westbrook Back down to 12 school districts applying to be charter authorizers as yesterday Eastmont School district in Wenatchee dropped out. From The Wenatchee World: *“I think this isn’t the time,” said Steve Piccirillo..* ***“We don’t have the time, staff or money,” said Annette Eggers. Both are members of the five person school board.* *“It seems like an awful lot of work to become an authorizer when they have the option not to go to us. If we were * Seattle Schools New... more »
UPDATE: Luetkemeyer Addresses Common Core Concerns With Arne Duncan + Peacefully Surrendering Our Republic | Truth in American Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Peacefully Surrendering Our Republic | Truth in American Education: Luetkemeyer Addresses Common Core Concerns With Arne Duncan by Shane Vander Hart [image: 399px-Blaine_Luetkemeyer]Via Missouri Coalition Against Common Core: Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) has written, and is gathering co-signers in Washington for, a letter expressing serious concerns with the manner in which the US Department of Education has involved itself with Common Core standards. The letter also notes the highly irregular process used to change the Congressional FERPA allowing the sharing of individual... more »
Am I Who I Say I Am? | My Island View
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Am I Who I Say I Am? | My Island View: Am I Who I Say I Am? by tomwhitby I just spent the morning viewing a livestream from an Education Forum from Education Week. For those who may be unaware a livestream is a live transmission of an event over the Internet. This was a forum that recognized Education Leaders. It was titled Leaders To Learn From 2013. I think what Education Week did was great and I hope not to diminish their contribution. I do have some observations that I would like to share. My friend and colleague Kyle Pace, @kylepace, was the person who drew me to this f... more »
Punishing Students For Who They Are, Not What They Do | The Nation
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Punishing Students For Who They Are, Not What They Do | The Nation: Punishing Students For Who They Are, Not What They Do Chloe Angyal on April 17, 2013 - 10:05 AM ET - - - - - - [image: Decrease text size][image: Increase text size] - - *A student reads at a school in New Jersey. One in four black students were suspended in 2009-10, compared to one in fourteen white students. (AP Photo/Jose F. Moreno.)* Until last month, I had never seen a stop-and-frisk happen. Despite the amount of attention devoted to the controversial New York City policy in the ... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: 'You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.' -- Rahm Emanuel
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: 'You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.' -- Rahm Emanuel: 'You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.' -- Rahm Emanuel by Mike Klonsky Popout * **"This is simply not the time for politics."* -- Rahm's PR flack, Sarah Hamilton When the mayor can't find a good crisis, he manufactures his own. Taking a cue from House Republicans, he cooked up a budget crisis that, could only be avoided by shuttering 54 schools in primarily African-American neighborhoods. Despite all the evidence showing that boarded up schools and transp... more »
What Is a Principal? — Whole Child Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
What Is a Principal? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]What Is a Principal? April 18, 2013 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers A recent Metlife survey (PDF) found that 75 percent of principals feel that the role has become too complex and a third are looking to move out of the role within the next five years. The role of principal has changed dramatically in the last decade and has, to many, become overwhelming. So what is the role of a principal? Or rather, what are the roles of a successful and effective principal? It seems that each year ano... more »
Natalie Meier – Another Level of LGBTQ* Education Student Voice
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Student Voice: Natalie Meier – Another Level of LGBTQ* Education by Editor Admin I’ll be honest: before I came to college, I truly thought that asexuality was only an expression. “I don’t have sex; I’m asexual.” It was a common phrase that I had heard a lot, especially coming from a small town. But asexuality, as I quickly found out, is a real identification, often discounted by society. I recently found a documentary while flipping through Netflix called (A)sexual, which featured San Francisco’s own resident, David Jay, an asexuality activist and the creator of AVEN, the Asexuali... more »
Meanwhile, Special Master Adamowski instructs Windham employees to forward Pelto emails to Pryor’s Office - Wait, What?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Meanwhile, Special Master Adamowski instructs Windham employees to forward Pelto emails to Pryor’s Office - Wait, What?: Meanwhile, Special Master Adamowski instructs Windham employees to forward Pelto emails to Pryor’s Office by jonpelto Just when you think you’ve seen it all… Steven Adamowski, Hartford’s former superintendent of schools, is in his second year as the Malloy Administration’s Special Master. His responsibilities include “overseeing” the Windham and New London School systems on behalf of the Connecticut State Department of Education. Adamowski’s $225,000, plus ben... more »
Top Ten List: Why “Choice” Demonstrates That Money Matters | National Education Policy Center
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Top Ten List: Why “Choice” Demonstrates That Money Matters | National Education Policy Center: Top Ten List: Why “Choice” Demonstrates That Money Matters by elaine Julian Vasquez Heilig Source: Cloaking Inequity [image: David-Letterman_top-ten] Apologize for the CI hiatus. I have six PhD students that want to graduate, which translates to about 1,000 pages dissertation reading these past few days. I recently had a conversation with a conservative Harvard-trained attorney last Saturday in Houston. We were discussing Finland (I blogged about Finland a few weeks ago) and her point was... more »
Public Education Fights for Its Life
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Public Education Fights for Its Life: Public Education Fights for Its LifeWednesday, 17 April 2013 16:46By Max Eternity, The Eternity Group | News Analysis [image: Parents and teachers protest planned school closures during a public Philadelphia school board meeting at Martin Luther King High School in Philadelphia, Dec. 19, 2012. The Philadelphia school district has proposed a plan to close 37 schools by June, citing deep financial troubles and a growing budget deficit. (Photo: Mark Makela / The New York Times)]Parents and teachers protest planned school closures during a publi... more »
UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, April 18, 2013
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Diana Rodriguez for State Assembly, District 9* Education Headlines *Thursday, April 18, 2013* New Fillmore school to serve growing area, superintendent saysA south Fillmore campus set to open next school year will help the school district serve a growing part of the community, the interim superintendent said Tuesday night at a school board meeting. Conejo Valley school board considers bond measureFifteen years after Thousand Oaks voters approved Measure R to provide money for school renovation, the Conejo Valley Unified Schoo... more »
UPDATE: New Orleans Shows the Limitations of "No Excuses" Schools Schools Matter: Coverage of Opt Out's Occupy DOE 2.0
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Schools Matter: Coverage of Opt Out's Occupy DOE 2.0: New Orleans Shows the Limitations of "No Excuses" Schools by John Thompson The debate over "No Excuses" schools has focused on their attrition rate and their potential for being scaled up. Schools such as New Orleans Sci Academy have produced great college acceptance rates for students who are dedicated enough to meet their goal of "100% of cultural expectations 100% of the time." It is too soon to tell, however, whether their culture prepares their graduates for life beyond the classroom. An important subtheme of Sarah Carr's ... more »
Pulling the Trigger
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Pulling the Trigger: Pulling the Trigger By Yasha Levine When NSFWCORP sent me to Victorville this January, I little expected that the neighboring town of Adelanto would become ground zero for a fight between billionaires on one side, and poor, vulnerable minority parents and children on the other. I first heard about the fight through the local right-wing paper, the Victorville Daily Press, which gleefully announced on its front page that a local school, Desert Trails Elementary, had just made history as the first school in the nation to be privatized under California's new "... more »
UPDATE: Why I’m not writing (anything new) about Jay’s High School Challenge Index this year + Gabby Giffords nails it on Senate’s failure
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Gabby Giffords nails it on Senate’s failure: Gabby Giffords nails it on Senate’s failure Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 18, 2013 at 9:15 am [image: Jesse Lewis, Gabby Giffords and President Obama in the Rose Garden (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)] Former congresswoman Gabby Giffords and President Obama in the Rose Garden on Wednesday talking about the Senate’s failure on gun control . (By Jacquelyn Martin/AP) So much for making children and adults in schools safer. As anybody following the news knows by now, the Senate on Wednesday rejected a water-down compromise of a watered-down versi... more »
Remember teachers, as this happens, YOUR jobs are on the line. Think about it. – @ the chalk face
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Remember teachers, as this happens, YOUR jobs are on the line. Think about it. – @ the chalk face: State test “puke” policy trumps parents refusal attempts. by Timothy D. Slekar After the first week of opt out or “refusals” across the country there have been some interesting stories emerging—one that is bit troubling. I won’t call it a trend but it is worth mentioning. Principals and teachers are coercing children into taking state tests even after parents have made it clear that they do not want their children to take the tests. Example: Last night I posted the following Facebo... more »
Modern School: Fixing LAUSD’s Rubber Room With Hot Knives
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Modern School: Fixing LAUSD’s Rubber Room With Hot Knives: Fixing LAUSD’s Rubber Room With Hot Knives by Michael Dunn Teachers Locked Down in LAUSD's Notorious "Rubber Room" Los Angeles Superintendent John Deasy’s take all prisoners approach to teacher discipline in the wake of the Miramonte Elementary School molestation case last year (see here and here) has swelled the number of teachers in LAUSD’s rubber room (teacher jail) to over 300. Today the school board will consider a proposal to speed up and “improve” investigations, ostensibly to speed up the removal of criminals and e... more »
Questioning Assumptions About the Poor - Bridging Differences - Education Week
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Questioning Assumptions About the Poor - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Questioning Assumptions About the Poor by Deborah Meier Dear Elliott, Your explanation of SLANT seems sensible, but my problem, in a nutshell, is that it seems more like "Five rules for success" rather than a set of moral or intellectual rules. Actually, at the three colleges where I recently spoke—Bates, Wesleyan, and Brandeis—I didn't see a lot of SLANT behaviors, but their absence didn't make me feel unwanted, uncomfortable, or unheard. Still, I appreciate your concern that your students not waste ... more »
UPDATE: not in Kansas anymore + NEA joins Florida lawsuit + hearings on school closings + The in box. UIC grad employees strike vote. | Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
The in box. UIC grad employees strike vote. | Fred Klonsky: BBB works in Chicago but votes in Cleveland. Rahm’s best friend Bruce Rauner votes in Chicago but lives in Winnetka. And I’m not in Kansas anymore. by Fred Klonsky Popout. By law, if you work for CPS you have to live in Chicago. Unless you’re the Chief Operating Officer Tim Cawley. He got a pass to live in north suburban Winnetka. But it has recently been disclosed that CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett actually lives and votes in Cleveland,which is not even a suburb of Chicago. And now it turns out the Republican gubernatorial c... more »
Yesterday’s Senate Gun Control Vote Was Even More Undemocratic Than It Appeared |
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Yesterday’s Senate Gun Control Vote Was Even More Undemocratic Than It Appeared |: Yesterday’s Senate Gun Control Vote Was Even More Undemocratic Than It Appeared by Angus Johnston Yesterday the United States Senate voted by a 55-45 margin to require background checks before all commercial sales of guns. Because of the filibuster threat, however, the proposal failed, needing 60 votes to move forward. That in itself is bad enough. That a measure supported by 90% of Americans and 55% of their elected officials could be torpedoed by the other 45% is a reflection of the dysfunction ... more »
The Next Gates Things | EduShyster
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
The Next Gates Things | EduShyster: The Next Gates Things by edushyster2012 *At last a tool to weed out bad teachers: the edu-drone* Coming to a classroom near you: advanced edu-drone technology. A sophisticated algorithm has calculated that visionary and change agent Bill Gates produces approximately 3.7 excellent transformational ideas per day. (Note: due to a glitch in the program, neither bad ideas nor ideas that Gates himself is ‘walking away from’ are included in this calculation.) So what’s the next Gates idea that will at last enable our low-achieving educators to guide thei... more »
Teacher and Columbine Survivor Stands Up For Common Sense School Safety Measures | NEA Today
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Teacher and Columbine Survivor Stands Up For Common Sense School Safety Measures | NEA Today: Teacher and Columbine Survivor Stands Up For Common Sense School Safety Measures by twalker *By Brian Washington* Colorado art teacher Katie Lyles hoped her students would be spared from the sort of dark specters that haunt her memories of high school. But during an emergency “lock down” drill at her elementary school, while crammed into a storage room with about 24 second graders, one student, a 7-year-old named Anthony, reached for her hand in fear. At that moment, her hopes began to fad... more »
UPDATE: NPE Webinar + Grassroots Report: Allentown, Pennsylvania plans to cut vital programs despite public outcry | The Network For Public Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Grassroots Report: Allentown, Pennsylvania plans to cut vital programs despite public outcry | The Network For Public Education: Notes from Diane – April 18, 2013: Public education is not “broken,” but federal education policy is by admin Diane Ravitch President [image: Diane Ravitch President]*Dear Friends,* Earlier this week, I was in San Diego to speak to the annual meeting of the National School Boards Association. My message was this: American public education is not “broken,” but federal education policy is. Anthony Cody joined me and after my speech, we met with a large numbe... more »
A conversation with a New Orleans Parent about Vouchers and Choosing a School. «Education Talk New Orleans Education Talk New Orleans
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
A conversation with a New Orleans Parent about Vouchers and Choosing a School. «Education Talk New Orleans Education Talk New Orleans: *A conversation with a New Orleans Parent about Vouchers and Choosing a School.*Thursday, Apr 18 2013 Uncategorized edutalknola 7:07 am Last night I received a call from a very distress parent who was concerned about her child’s voucher school and it’s ability to provide a quality education for her 9 year old child. Sadly this child has already attended 3 different private schools and one charter school. This mother was surprised to find out that... more »
Shanker Blog » America’s Union Suppression Movement (And Its Apologists), Part Two
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Shanker Blog » America’s Union Suppression Movement (And Its Apologists), Part Two: America’s Union Suppression Movement (And Its Apologists), Part Two by Leo Casey *This is part two of a two-part post. The first part can be found here.* As the war against American unions reached a fever pitch in recent years, there emerged a small group of right-wing academics and think tanks that have taken up the anti-union cause in intellectual circles. Of particular note for our purposes are Terry Moe’s book, *Special Interest*, and a recent study, *How Strong Are U.S. Teacher Unions?,* which... more »
MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Raleigh, NC: Show Your Support for Public Schools This Saturday by dianerav A teacher in North Carolina contacted me to let me know that Students for Education Reform, an offshoot of DFER, will hold a rally this Saturday from 2-5 pm at Halifax Court in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. No doubt they will mimic their parent group in demanding more high-stakes testing, more privatization, more evaluation of teachers by test scores (but NOT in charter schools), a... more »
Louisiana Educator: Education Summit: Just Another Bogus Propaganda Effort
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Louisiana Educator: Education Summit: Just Another Bogus Propaganda Effort: Education Summit: Just Another Bogus Propaganda Effort by Michael Deshotels I attended the so called "Education Summit" called Leadership For Change yesterday in Baton Rouge. This was an invitation only conference sponsored mostly by LABI, the big business group, and several astro turf organizations that promote charter schools, vouchers and merit pay schemes all over the country. (Oh yes, a+pel was also a sponsor) There were very few real educators in attendance, and no real educators as speakers or panel... more »
Donors and School Reform (Stanley Katz) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Donors and School Reform (Stanley Katz) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Donors and School Reform (Stanley Katz) by larrycuban *Scholars, educators, and pundits have written often about well-funded foundations distributing cash to reform schools since the late-19th century. Diane Ravitch, Rick Hess, Sarah Reckhow, and Joanne Barkan, for example, have scolded, defended, and analyzed contemporary philanthropists who see public schools as a useful lever for improving children’s lives and correcting injustices. In this essay, Stanley Katz describe the history of... more »
FL GOP Want to End Local Control of Schools; Except When They Don’t to Get Parent Trigger Passed | Scathing Purple Musings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
FL GOP Want to End Local Control of Schools; Except When They Don’t to Get Parent Trigger Passed | Scathing Purple Musings: FL GOP Want to End Local Control of Schools; Except When They Don’t to Get Parent Trigger Passed by Bob Sikes So Republican Altamonte Springs senator David Simmons has crafted an amendment to Parent Trigger which he says was inspired by a letter from education commissioner Tony Bennett. *StateImpact *writer Gina Jordan explains: Senators said they changed a key provision in the session’s most controversial education bill on the advice of Education Commissio... more »
Education advocate Michelle Rhee fends off accusations | toteachornototeach
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Education advocate Michelle Rhee fends off accusations | toteachornototeach: Education advocate Michelle Rhee fends off accusations by aristotlethewise *Education advocate Michelle Rhee fends off accusations** Michelle Rhee, head of a group that advocates using student test scores to evaluate teachers, fends off accusations that she failed to pursue evidence of cheating when she ran the D.C. school system.* By Howard Blume Michelle Rhee, head of an influential education advocacy group that backs using student test scores to evaluate teachers, this week fended off accusations that sh... more »
UPDATE: Daily Kos: "The United States has done it again — and not in a good way."
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Daily Kos: "The United States has done it again — and not in a good way.": Mark Warner - I will no longer support you by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Mark Warner voted against the assault weapons ban Mark Warner voted against limiting the size of magazines Mark Warner is the most popular political figure in Virginia, and could have voted for both measures without in any way jeopardizing his reelection in 2014 Mark Warner is from a state that saw the slaughter at Virginia Tech. Cho used both ten and fifteen round magazines for his two handguns. Think how much damage he did. Think ... more »
Lobby Firms and 'community colleges' in California: Monetizing students for MOOCs | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Lobby Firms and 'community colleges' in California: Monetizing students for MOOCs | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News: Lobby Firms and ‘community colleges’ in California: Monetizing studentsfor MOOCs by Danny Weil Harrison Wills, once the Student Body President of Santa Monica College who worked for Opensecrets.org in Washington D.C. where he learned some excellent research skills has discovered the following. Wills will be attending Whitman College soon on a full-boat scholarship. His research is excellent and as a young student, he k... more »
Schooling in the Ownership Society: School Reform Mississippi-style
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: School Reform Mississippi-style: School Reform Mississippi-style by Mike Klonsky Arkansas 1958 (Atlantic Monthly) Mississippi Gov. *Phil Bryant* has signed a charter school expansion bill into law continues the state's long tradition of two-tier schooling and racial segregation. The new law is one that expands the authority to create charter schools -- public schools run by private groups that are freed up from government regulation. Charters in states like Mississippi and Alabama are the latest version of the "segregation academies" which allow... more »
Support for AB 420 (Dickinson) – Disruption and Defiance: Reducing Grounds for Harsh Discipline National Lawyers Guild of Sacramento
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
National Lawyers Guild of Sacramento April 16, 2013 The Honorable Joan Buchanan Chair, Assembly Education Committee State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 Fax: (916) 319-2187 RE: Support for AB 420 (Dickinson) – Disruption and Defiance: Reducing Grounds for Harsh Discipline Dear Assemblymember Buchanan, and Committee: The National Lawyers Guild of Sacramento supports the passage of Assembly Bill 420, which would limit the use of suspension and expulsion for acts of disruption and defiance. We support elements of the measure, including encouraging the use of other means of correction ... more »
Photos from Wrong-Sizing Fall Out Forum created by Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP) 4-17-13
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
*Photos from Wrong-Sizing Fall Out Forum created by Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP) 4-17-13 * * *
Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 4-17-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE* * * ** *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* Informative CCSS Conference Call Scheduled in Wisconsin by chascherrie Daniel Webster once said: “If truth be not diffused, error will be.” *Common Core State Standards* in education have garnered a growing degree of attention from all sides of the educational policy field in the last several months. Wisconsin was one of the first states to adopt this new set of academic standards and is right at the center of this lively debate. Common Core’s advocates say it raises the educational bar in Wisconsin.... more »
McDuffie presses inspector general for more information on D.C. schools cheating probe - The Washington Post
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
McDuffie presses inspector general for more information on D.C. schools cheating probe - The Washington Post: McDuffie presses inspector general for more information on D.C. schools cheating probe D.C. Council Member Kenyan McDuffie on Wednesday renewed his criticism of the city’s inspector general for conducting an “anemic” investigation of test-cheating allegations in D.C. Public Schools. In a strongly worded letter to Inspector General Charles Willoughby, McDuffie (D-Ward 5) requested permission to review confidential files compiled during that investigation. The probe laste... more »
ALERT: Documents reveal Adamowski and Windham Officials misled public on STEM Academy Operations Plan - Wait, What?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
ALERT: Documents reveal Adamowski and Windham Officials misled public on STEM Academy Operations Plan - Wait, What?: ALERT: Documents reveal Adamowski and Windham Officials misled public on STEM Academy Operations Plan by jonpelto After dragging their feet for nearly three months, the Connecticut State Department of Education has finally responded to a Freedom of Information request by releasing a series of documents and emails related to the Charles Barrows STEM Academy that is schedule to open in Windham this coming fall. Despite multiple claims to the contrary, the documentat... more »
Freestyle Week: Just Getting To The Test Is A Challenge [Common CorrrUGH] | The Jose Vilson
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Freestyle Week: Just Getting To The Test Is A Challenge [Common CorrrUGH] | The Jose Vilson: Freestyle Week: Just Getting To The Test Is A Challenge [Common CorrrUGH] by Jose Vilson [image: finishline]*This week, I’m writing blog posts based on people’s submissions to my Facebook page right here. My second one is based on online friend Theresa DeVore’s suggested title, “How can we keep our compassion in this era of high stakes accountability? When told to make sure test scores are raised but in the classroom students are not motivated. I have had to personally remind myself that ... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Chris Christie Is a Little Sneak
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Chris Christie Is a Little Sneak: Chris Christie Is a Little Sneak by Duke *Cross-posted from Blue Jersey.* From the fine folks at the Education Law Center, more proof that Chris Christie is a slippery little sneak: Governor Christie’s proposed FY14 State Budget contains a special “assessment” or tax on 493 school districts that *wipes out the small aid increases many of those districts were initially notified they would receive *. The Administration’s special tax is contained in language buried deep in the Governor’s budget. According to the Governor’s proposal, ... more »
The in box. North suburb forum and rally on pension justice. | Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
The in box. North suburb forum and rally on pension justice. | Fred Klonsky: The in box. North suburb forum and rally on pension justice. by Fred Klonsky From Northern Illinois Jobs with Justice: The Daily Herald and a billionaire funded, for-profit media site (called Reboot Illinois) are holding a Pension Forum at Harper’s Wojcik Conference Center next Wednesday on April 24th from 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Speakers include State Rep. Elaine Nekritz of Northbrook (sponsor of a key pension cutting measure, HB 3411), State Rep. Tom Morrison of Palatine, and Cinda Klickna, president of the ... more »
Contact Your Senators to Co-Sign Grassley’s Request to Halt Common Core Funding | Truth in American Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Contact Your Senators to Co-Sign Grassley’s Request to Halt Common Core Funding | Truth in American Education: Contact Your Senators to Co-Sign Grassley’s Request to Halt Common Core Funding by Shane Vander Hart [image: View of the Capitol from the Newseum] I reported at Caffeinated Thoughts that Senator Chuck Grassley’s (R-IA) office emailed me about a letter they were sending to the Senate Appropriations Committee on education to request that they prohibit future funding for the Common Core State Standards, their assessments, and the assessment review panel that was recently laun... more »
Katie Osgood A collection of links from Occupy the DOE 2.0 #uoodc13
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
*Katie Osgood at Occupy the Dept of Ed* A collection of links from Occupy the DOE 2.0 #uoodc13 – @ the chalk face coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago A collection of links from Occupy the DOE 2.0 #uoodc13 – @ the chalk face: A collection of links from Occupy the DOE 2.0 #uoodc13 by Chalk Face, PhD As the dust finally settles on a great event, there’s still work to be done. Namely, collecting coverage of the event. I’m going to start posting links here. If I’ve missed any, please let us know in the comments. We’re expecting some long form pieces in the coming days, so the... more »
Agenda Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) (CA Dept of Education)
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Agenda May 1 and 2, 2013 - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education): Agenda May 1 and 2, 2013Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting agenda. ------------------------------ Advisory Commission on Special Education Members Kristin Wright, Chair Diane Fazzi, Vice Chair Feda Almaliti Maureen Burness Morena de Grimaldi Kristi Hagans Somer Harding Sara Jocham Betty Karnette Gina Plate Nancy Portillo Naomi Rainey Mariano Sanz Barbara Schulman Jaclyn Vincent Student Members Matthew Stacy Timothy Higgins Legislative Members Carol Liu, Senate Joan Buchanan, Assembly S... more »
Anti-Bullying Doesn’t Apply at Test Time – @ the chalk face
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Anti-Bullying Doesn’t Apply at Test Time – @ the chalk face: Anti-Bullying Doesn’t Apply at Test Time by Kris Nielsen [image: test3]The New York refusal movement is going extremely well, as students–with the support of their parents and friends–proudly stand against what they know is harming them. They watch their classmates taking the tests and they know they made the right choice. Students around the state are walking out of school defeated, exhausted, and disappointed. The tests are literally beating them down: many have not been able to finish, which affects their scores; se... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What Do We Want Girls to Think?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What Do We Want Girls to Think?: What Do We Want Girls to Think? by Melissa Westbrook Is it me? I don't think so. Lately there have been a swelling of stories that involve misogyny. First up, is this story from ThinkProgress from West Virginia where a high school brought in a faith-based speaker to talk to the teens about abstinence. I think all high school should be talking to teens about sex and abstinence can certainly be part of that discussion. But this discussion was not just saying "wait kids." In fact, the fliers that advertised it sa... more »
UPDATE: The Power of Play | Parents Across America
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
The Power of Play | Parents Across America: Weekly Leg Fax for 4-17-13: Failure of market-based reform by pureparents Parent Voices Weekly Education Fax April 17, 2013 Fix our schools, don’t privatize them This week’s update:Market-driven school reforms, mayoral control causing more harm than good A new study, “Market-oriented education reforms’ rhetoric trumps reality,” on the effects of market-driven reform in Washington, D.C., New York City and Chicago concludes that little has been accomplished and some harm has been done to students, especially the underprivileged…. Market... more »
Report Card: Volunteers sought on future of Sacramento's closing campuses
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Report Card: Volunteers sought on future of Sacramento's closing campuses: [image: Photo: Sacramento parents and activists meet over school closures Members of Hmong Innovating Politics will meet with parents and community leaders at 6 p.m. today to discuss decisions by Sacramento City Unified School District Superintendent Jonathan Raymond and district trustees' to close seven neighborhood schools. With less than two months before the start of summer vacation, students and families at the seven closed Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/report-card/2013/04/sacramento-parents-... more »
Rethinking Teacher Evaluation For The Competency-Based Grading & Reporting System | Connected Principals
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Rethinking Teacher Evaluation For The Competency-Based Grading & Reporting System | Connected Principals: Rethinking Teacher Evaluation For The Competency-Based Grading & Reporting System by Brian Stack *[image: 022212nyevaluation_512x288]* *Introduction: Rethinking the Effectiveness of the Dog & Pony Show Model* During my first three years as a high school math teacher in Massachusetts back in the early 2000’s, I had grown accustomed to having an administrator in my classroom to observe me teach a math lesson. As a *new*teacher I was required by district policy to be observed at l... more »
Diane in the Evening 4-17-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Duncan Urges US Chamber of Commerce to Defend Common Core by dianerav Arne Duncan is concerned about the backlash against the federal government’s heavy-handed imposition of the Common Core. At a speech to business leaders in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, he urged their support for Common Core. He probably forgot that the U.S. Department of Education is legally prohibited from being involved in any matters that prescribe curriculum or instruction to the nation’s public schools. When Students in New Orleans Got... more »
