Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-3-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Nite Cap UPDATE

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

Educators, politicians have stark reaction to Gov. Jerry Brown school funding revamp

by By Barbara Jones and Beau Yarbrough, Staff Writers

School districts that have long struggled to educate large numbers of poor students or English learners could see a massive influx of cash under a new funding formula expected to be unveiled next week by Gov.

LA school police still ticketing thousands of young students

Susan Ferriss

Tami Abdollah/KPCC L.A. city councilman Tony Cardenas and L.A. Unified board member Monica Garcia join students protesting citations in February. 

Even as Los Angeles authorities continue efforts to reform school-discipline standards, fresh data show that police from the city’s biggest school district are continuing to ticket thousands of young students, especially minorities, at disproportionate rates that critics charge are putting them on a track for dropping out.
Citation rates for last year are little changed from 2011 data. Disclosure of the 2011 data this past spring led 

REALITY TELEVISION

by alkleen

I’ve  never watched any reality t.v. programs.  I’ve seen snippets of them as I channel surf and I can’t believe their popularity.  It must be a generational thing. The content of the shows is what I feel the need to comment about.  I’ve previously written about how our school children are getting the exact education that they deserve. Very few families in this country have a true “culture of learning” and it’s reflected in the values and test scores of our students. The popularity of these reality t.v. shows should speak volumes about what young kids and young adults hold near and dear. When television shows such as Nova are as popular as reality t.v. shows, then I will listen to the critics that blame our schools and teachers for the failure of our students to achieve the desired standards. Our reality t.v. shows and our popular culture reflect our core values. Can anyone seriously say that a “culture of learning” has a high place in the average American family when people spend endless hours watching 

Please consider the following

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

Even the NRA agrees that a person with mental illness should not be able to purchase a gun.
But what if a person already has a gun and is diagnosed with a disqualifying mental condition?  Are we going to allow that person to continue to have access to guns?
CONSIDER THAT CAREFULLY.
Because if you agree that person should NOT have access to guns, then we would have to know that person has a gun.
Which means that every gun would have to be registered.
So let's acknowledge that we need to communicate appropriately when peopl

Sometimes They Need to Let Us Know, That They Know…

by Oldschoolteach

  Sometimes they need to know, that we know, that they are capable. Sometimes they need to know, that we know, that they are capable of so much more than what they might exhibit.   We switch classes for Literature Circles (Book Club), whatever you want to call it. I call it, “Let them read, [...]

Think tank to study privatizing most Postal Service operations

Source: [b]washington post[/b]

As members of Congress pledged Thursday to revive legislation to save the financially ailing U.S. Postal Service, a Washington think tank announced it will conduct an independent study of how the quasi-government agency could cede much of its operation to pr...

Despite ($1.04 billion) surplus, Michigan may need to cut school spending in 2013

Source: [b]Detroit News[/b]

January 3, 2013 at 5:00 pm
Despite surplus, Michigan may need to cut school spending in 2013
By Karen Bouffard
Detroit News Lansing Bureau


Lansing — Michigan will close the books on fiscal year 2011-12 with $1.04 billion more in general fund revenue tha...

NCAE Wins Challenge to Payroll Dues Ban

Source: [b]WRAL[/b]

[b]NCAE wins challenge to payroll dues ban[/b]

By Matthew Burns

Posted: 1:30 p.m. today

A Wake County judge has ruled a law prohibiting the North Carolina Association of Educators from using payroll deduction to collect dues from its members to be unconstituti...

For students' sake, Chicago must address poverty, violence

January 03, 2013

Jesse Sharkey

Recent tragedies related to gun violence have led to increased calls for more stringent gun control nationwide, but here in Chicago, atrocities occur daily. For some, it may be easier to obtain a gun than it is to get an education. More than 500 Chicagoans were killed due to gun violence in 2012. Of these deaths, 62 victims were children, and more than 440 children suffered gunshot wounds, according to various media outlets.
We are a city in crisis—because we are a city of poverty.

Your child’s future?

by Chris Cerrone

Do you want a monster corporation deciding what your child learns instead of your child’s teacher and school? Do you want a private company  to determine who gets certified as a teacher instead of a professional observation in the classroom? Do you want a for profit business to create the tools that evaluate your child’s [...]

Guest Post: Did the Tech fail or was there a failure to connect to the Tech?

by Larry Ferlazzo

I invited Myrdin Thompson to write a guest commentary on the article discussed in my last post, Tech May Have A Role, But Is Not Cure-All, For Parent Engagement.
Myrdin is Contributing Editor at MOMentumNation, Group Leader at RESULTSLouisville, Advocate for the UNF Shot@Life program, White House Champion of Change (Parents on Education), Regional Director at National Family Engagement Alliance, and public school parent of three students. She lives in Louisville, KY.
Our school district in Louisville, KY is similar in size and scope to the Dallas school district mentioned in a recent article about Parent Portal. We are a diverse, urban district, with a student population of just over 110,000, consisting of a large ESL (English as a second language) student population, and a robust magnet 

Making Parents Pay A School Anytime Their Child Is Given Detention Is Not A Wise Parent Engagement Strategy

by Larry Ferlazzo

The Noble Network has ten charter schools in Chicago. Parents are charged $5 everytime their child is given a detention:
In addition to receiving detention (and, thus, having to pay a fee) for violating rules like having their shoes untied and bringing potato chips to school, Noble Street students can rack up demerits for failing to sit up, make eye 

MLA Annual Convention Makes Faculty Diversity Issues a Priority

by cmaadmin

MLA Convention

BOSTON — Nearly 8,000 literary scholars of all stripes braved sub-zero wind chills here to attend the 128th Modern Language Association Annual Convention which got underway Thursday. Among the hundreds of sessions covering a variety of topics related to American and European literature was one held yesterday titled, 

“Community School Model Seen as Valuable to Rural Areas”

by Larry Ferlazzo

Community School Model Seen as Valuable to Rural Areas is an interesting article over at Education Week.
I’ve written very positively about community schools in the past, as well as expressing my concerns about them.

Watching video of Bartow school board member, you have to wonder: How do these folks win elections?

by Maureen Downey

Bartow County school board vice chair Angela Cornett made a smart decision in resigning her post after a troubling surveillance video captured her seemingly lurching into a teen attempting to hold a parking spot in a Walmart.
The video has now gone viral, and Cornett has been charged with reckless conduct.
The teen involved appeared on national TV to decry the incident. Seventeen-year-old Emily Gulledge is a Bartow County student. On the “Today” show, Emily said, “I was the child in the situation and she acted like the 

Illinois teachers jam Capitol for pension rights. « Notes From The We Are One Rally

Illinois teachers jam Capitol for pension rights. « Fred Klonsky:

Illinois teachers jam Capitol for pension rights.

by Fred Klonsky

           

Notes From The We Are One Rally

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

Ok enough of Elaine Nekritz already!

Take, Ye, These Workers' Pensions

Except to say that I completely forgot there's a statue of her in the Rotunda. There she stands, giving away the pensions to the Civic Committee, and ushering an era of less is less for the new mobile workforce. It's really quite lovely, the statue.

Anyway, it was a good turnout today at the Capitol. Kudos to the Coalition for putting it together. I hope tomorrow's even better-- but as for me I'll be riding that lonely train back up to Big Shoulders.

Ok that was random but it's staying in.

Anyway, I put my camera down and just took in the rally. I'm a lousy photographer in good light, and the Capitol is like a tomb. And the people speaking were basically in silhouette. Feisty ralliers, those retirees, I'll 

Schools to Watch-Taking Center Stage - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

Schools to Watch-Taking Center Stage - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Congratulates California's 2013
Schools to Watch - Taking Center Stage Model Middle Schools

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that 12 high-performing California middle schools have been newly designated as model middle grades schools in the Schools to Watch™−Taking Center Stage (STW−TCS) program. Another nine high-performing California schools will also retain their model middle grades schools status under the same program.

"My congratulations and admiration go out to these schools for continually striving to improve student performance," Torlakson said. "Their success is the result of effective and innovative practices that motivate their students to learn and excel."

STW‒TCS middle grades schools are high-performing model schools that demonstrate academic excellence, developmental responsiveness to the needs and interests of young adolescents, social equity, and organizational support. STW‒TCS model schools host visitors from California and around the world who are looking for replicable practices that will help them improve their middle grades schools and close the achievement gap.

The 12 newly designated STW‒TCS model middle grades schools are:

Fresno County

1. Fairmont Elementary K-8 (Sanger Unified School District, Sanger).
2. Quail Lake Environmental Charter K-8 (Sanger Unified School District, Sanger).
3. Sanger Academy Charter K-8 (Sanger Unified School District, Sanger).

The three schools are small, rural K-8 schools that have specific programs for middle grades students and have significantly closed the achievement gap. They act as one professional learning community frequently collaborating on better instructional strategies. (In 2011, Sanger Unified's Washington Academic Middle School was designated a STW−TCS.)

Los Angeles County

4. Frank J. Zamboni Middle School (Paramount Unified School District, Paramount) is an urban school whose Academic Performance Index (API) scores (on a scale ranging from 200 to 1000, with 800 established as the statewide target) in nearly every student group have risen from the 600's in 2006-07 to the 800's in 2011-12. Students who are English learners scored at 789, but made a significant 27-point growth last year. The staff has focused on poverty issues facing their students as part of their concern for the whole child.

Orange County

5. Pioneer Middle School (Tustin Unified School District, Tustin) has seen significant and sustained improvement over the past five years in student achievement, meeting all significant subgroup targets on state standardized tests. The school developed a successful program, Pyramid on Interventions, to assist all students in becoming proficient, as well as having been recognized as a national professional learning community model.
6. Thurston Middle School (Laguna Beach Unified School District, Laguna Beach) is a suburban school and has made all its growth targets every year on state standardized tests by supporting all students in using "Best First Practices" and "Response to Intervention" strategies.

San Bernardino County

7. Summit Intermediate School (Etiwanda School District, Etiwanda) is a suburban school that has made significant increases on state standardized tests over the past five years. Nearly every numerically significant student group is at or above the 800 statewide target. These diverse learners have had increased learning opportunities with "X-Time," a period where teachers provide additional support.
8. Vanguard Preparatory K-8 (Apple Valley Unified School District, Apple Valley) is a rural school with more than 1,000 students that is consistently closing the achievement gap. With a focus on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), the school offers family STEM nights to explore these areas.

Santa Clara County

9. Union Middle School (Union Elementary School District, San Jose) is a suburban school whose API score is a noteworthy 932 points and is ranked in the top 10 percent of state middle schools. Part of the school's success is due to the school's collaborative approach, "Intervention on a Page," that provides all the necessary information for student support.

Santa Cruz County

10. San Lorenzo Valley Middle School (San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District, Felton) is a rural school with a smaller population of about 500 students. The school has gained 46 points on the API since 2007, while the socioeconomically disadvantaged student population has gained 82 points. During the third week of the year, academic counseling and intervention is started so that no child is allowed to fall behind academically.
11. Scotts Valley Middle School (Scotts Valley Unified School District, Scotts Valley) is a suburban school with a growing diverse population and whose state's standardized test scores show a closing of the achievement gap. The support strategy is using the "Enrichment" period where many services are offered to meet individual needs.

Ventura County

12. Sinaloa Middle School (Simi Valley Unified School District, Simi Valley) is a suburban school that is closing the achievement gap with all of its student groups. The API scores for students with disabilities have increased 96 points on state standardized tests since 2007. The school has a plethora of strategies that the faculty has developed through collaboration to engage its students.

The redesignated model middle schools are:

1. Canyon Middle School (Castro Valley Unified School District, Castro Valley, Alameda County); a STW‒TCS school for six years.
2. Edna Hill Middle School (Brentwood Union School District, Brentwood, Contra Costa County); a STW‒TCS school for six years.
3. Frank M. Wright Middle School (Imperial Unified School District, Imperial, Imperial County); a STW‒TCS school for six years.
4. Granger Junior High (Sweetwater Union High School District, National City, San Diego County); a STW‒TCS school for three years.
5. John Glenn Middle School (Desert Sands Unified School District, Indio, Riverside County); a STW‒TCS school for nine years.
6. Medea Creek Middle School (Oak Park Unified School District, Oak Park, Los Angeles County); a STW‒TCS schools for nine years.
7. Mistletoe School (Enterprise Elementary School District, Redding, Shasta County); a STW‒TCS school for three years.
8. Oliver Wendell Holmes Middle School (Los Angeles Unified School District, Northridge, Los Angeles County); a STW‒TCS school for six years.
9. Reyburn Intermediate (Clovis Unified School District, Clovis, Fresno County); a STW‒TCS school for three years.

In order to be named a STW‒TCS model middle school, school administrators must conduct a self-study evaluation and complete an extensive narrative application. Each site is then reviewed by a team of middle grades experts. In order to retain the designation, each school is re-evaluated every three years.

The nine redesignated schools named today were reviewed last October and are among 36 others selected in previous cycles since 2003 as STW‒TCS designees. All of the schools will be formally recognized at the California Middle Grades Alliance annual luncheon on February 28, 2013, and during the California League of Middle Schools Conference on March 1-3, 2013. Both events will be in Sacramento. At that time, the schools will have an opportunity to showcase their accomplishments and network with other middle grades educators from around the state.

For more information about the Schools to Watch™−Taking Center Stage model school program, visit the California Schools to Watch--Taking Center Stage - Middle Grades. 

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 1-3-13 #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

The Ethical Core of Common Core — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 minutes ago

The Ethical Core of Common Core — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Paula Mirk]The Ethical Core of Common Core January 3, 2013 by Paula Mirk Both the whole child approach and the Common Core State Standards "compel school instructional staff to develop and deliver effective, engaging instruction reflective of individual student needs and strengths." That's what we all want for our students, and we should expect nothing less. But the standards are undergirded by an "ethical core," and all educators should keep in mind that our ultimate purpose in teaching—indeed in ... more »

Armed Teacher Training Program launches in 15 states; ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws = increase in homicides | Pam's House Blend

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 minutes ago

Armed Teacher Training Program launches in 15 states; ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws = increase in homicides | Pam's House Blend: Armed Teacher Training Program launches in 15 states; study reveals impact of ‘Stand Your Ground’ on homicides by Pam Spaulding Boy, this is a bad idea on so many levels. Teachers are already in high-stress positions — imagine dealing with middle-school-age, hormone-racing kids all day for one thing. Add on the responsibility of being in charge of your firearm, to keep it safeguarded yet accessible on the chance someone is going to come in randomly guns-ablazi... more »

Diane in the EVENING 1-3-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 minutes ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: FOUND: One Brave Superintendent in Connecticut! by dianerav Earlier today, I posted Wendy Lecker’s article, in which she said she was in search of one brave superintendent in Connecticut, who would stand up against the data-driven, test-obsessed climate of the times. I have found him. He is Thomas Starice, the superintendent of the Madison, Connecticut, public schools. Superintendent Scarice consulted with his school board, parents and the local community. He has shown leadership in responding to the state’s recently passed legislation about linking tea... more »

Blame the Teachers « PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 minutes ago

Blame the Teachers « PWC Education Reform Blog: Blame the Teachers by pwceducationreform Blame the teachers. That’s the advice from PWCS for anyone with concerns about the Math program. According to PWCS staff, teachers developed the assessments and have the authority and autonomy to select and use any materials they want in any order no matter what the recommended pacing might suggest. Teachers can even disavow instructional materials [...] Blame the Teachers, Part (2) by pwceducationreform Blame the teachers. That’s the advice from PWCS for anyone with concerns about the Mat...more »

Quick! Look Busy, Set up a Sandy Hook Advisory Commission to Study the Problem - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago

Quick! Look Busy, Set up a Sandy Hook Advisory Commission to Study the Problem - Wait, What?: Quick! Look Busy, Set up a Sandy Hook Advisory Commission to Study the Problem by jonpelto A couple of hours ago, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced that he was creating the *Sandy Hook Advisory Commission,* a committee of 15 members who will “explore relevant issues of gun control, school security and mental health.” The governor named Hamden Mayor Scott Jackson to lead the committee and instructed him that an initial round of recommendations are expected no later than March 15, which woul... more »

Schools Matter: National Opt Out Day January 7

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 25 minutes ago

Schools Matter: National Opt Out Day January 7: National Opt Out Day January 7 by Jim Horn From Peg with Pen:Children are NOT Numbers: National Opt Out Day, January 7th Teachers, as you plan how to resist corporate education reform and rebuild public schools on National Opt Out Day (Jan.7th) - or any day for that matter - here is one way to do it - *do not allow others to refer to children based on their test scores*. Children cannot be called "UnSats" or "Partials" or any other label attached to a number. It is beyond disrespectful and allows teachers to become removed from the ... more »

Questions about school closings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 25 minutes ago

Questions about school closings: *Questions about school closings* Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 3, 2013 at 3:15 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Here is a letter sent to Barbara Byrd-Bennett, chief executive officer of Chicago Public Schools, asking important questions about the process being used to determine which public schools will be closed. It was written by Wendy Katten, executive director of a nonprofit organization called Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education, a grass... more »

California School Funding: Jerry Brown To Pursue Sweeping Overhaul | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 29 minutes ago

California School Funding: Jerry Brown To Pursue Sweeping Overhaul | toteachornototeach: California School Funding: Jerry Brown To Pursue Sweeping Overhaul by aristotlethewise *California School Funding: Jerry Brown To Pursue Sweeping Overhaul* [image: jerry-brown-california] By Theresa Harrington and Steve Harmon SACRAMENTO — In what promises to be one of his most significant policy moves this year, Gov. Jerry Brown will pursue a sweeping overhaul of the way California schools are funded, changing the way money has been allocated for four decades. Although the administration hasn’t ... more »

The grand education bargain Texas needs in 2013 | Education Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 30 minutes ago

The grand education bargain Texas needs in 2013 | Education Blog: The grand education bargain Texas needs in 2013 by Bill McKenzie / Editorial Columnist We are hearing a lot about grand bargains in Washington, so here is the grand bargain I’d like to see for education in Texas in 2013: First, legislators make some restitution to schools for the $5.4 billion in cuts that education took in the 2011 session. It may not be possible to put every single dime back into education, given competing budget priorities. But Austin should do more than look askance at restoring funding, as this DM... more »

Ed Notes Online: MORE Press Release on Cuomo's report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 32 minutes ago

Ed Notes Online: MORE Press Release on Cuomo's report: MORE Press Release on Cuomo's report by ed notes online *UFT Presidential candidate Julie Cavanagh said, "We hoped the Commission would place a greater emphasis on giving schools and teachers the tools they need to truly put children first. This would mean lowering class sizes, accepting parents as stakeholders in public education, listening to the perspective of career educators, and equitable funding for our schools. Unfortunately, it is precisely these issues the Commission has largely ignored."--- MORE press release* I... more »

Rally at Illinois Capitol: Representatives Abandon Teachers and All | Reclaim Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 34 minutes ago

Rally at Illinois Capitol: Representatives Abandon Teachers and All | Reclaim Reform: Rally at Illinois Capitol: Representatives Abandon Teachers and All by kenpreviti [image: mr smith]We Are One Illinois created a massive Jan. 3, 2002 rally in the capitol to address the pension crisis created by state representatives. The representatives canceled their scheduled legislative session. Shakespeare famously wrote, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” The reason for this is simply that Springfield, Illinois had not yet been founded when he wrote the line. The Illinois Educat... more »

Five Things That Changed At My School When We Adopted A Competency-Based Model | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 46 minutes ago

Five Things That Changed At My School When We Adopted A Competency-Based Model | Connected Principals: Five Things That Changed At My School When We Adopted A Competency-Based Model by Brian Stack ***“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”* This ancient Chinese proverb sums up my view on why just three years ago it was time for my school, Sanborn Regional High School in Kingston, NH, to stop “talking” about making the change to a competency-based grading and reporting model and why it was time to start “doing it.” With a leap of faith ... more »

Michigan Parents for Schools – story from new PAA affiliate | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Michigan Parents for Schools – story from new PAA affiliate | Parents Across America: Michigan Parents for Schools – story from new PAA affiliate by pureparents Michigan public school supporters have just come out of a bruising lame duck session of the state legislature that promises even greater battles to come next year. I think our experience may be helpful to other states because of the common ideological framework behind all these attacks on public education. You may have heard about some of the damaging, and in come cases bizarre, bills that became law in the last days of t... more »

Welcome new Congress! | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Welcome new Congress! | Parents Across America: Welcome new Congress! by pureparents Today is the opening day of the new Congress. A couple of weeks ago, PAA sent a letter to three new Democratic members of the Senate education committee. Today we sent a similar letter to three new Republican members of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, Susan Brooks (R-IN), Luke Messer (R-IN) and Richard Hudson (R-NC) as well as the new chair of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, Todd Rokita (R-IN). We will reach out to any other new Senate or ... more »

Melinda Gates Leaves Post Board After Report Criticizes Kaplan - DiversityInc

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Melinda Gates Leaves Post Board After Report Criticizes Kaplan - DiversityInc: Melinda Gates Leaves Post Board After Report Criticizes Kaplan - Share this: - Print - Email - Facebook - LinkedIn - Twitter - **Melinda French Gates, philanthropist and wife of Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates, has resigned from The Washington Post Co.’s board of directors. Her resignation comes shortly after the release of a highly critical report, funded partly by her foundation, which likened for-profit colleges to subprime-mortgage lenders, targeting low-income and tradition... more »

LAUSD, lifelong learners, educrats - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

LAUSD, lifelong learners, educrats - Perdaily.com: LAUSD: NOT THE ONLY PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED TO RATIONALITY by Leonard Isenberg [image: Lifelong Learning.jpg] *(It is small consolation to know that the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is not the only public education system in this country where no good teaching act goes unpunished and where the educrats in charge would be hard pressed to rationally justify anything they do, when all they have had to do up until now is mindlessly stonewall any objection. **Clearly those in charge were not chosen b... more »

Education Justice | December 18, 2012 - Latest Race to the Top Grants Go to States at Bottom on School Funding Equity

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Education Justice | December 18, 2012 - Latest Race to the Top Grants Go to States at Bottom on School Funding Equity: *LATEST RACE TO THE TOP GRANTS GO TO STATES AT BOTTOM ON SCHOOL FUNDING EQUITY* * * Since 2009, the US Department of Education's (USDOE) Race to the Top (RTTT) initiative has given billions in federal funds to states conditioned on launching various education reforms. The USDOE has awarded these grant funds without regard to how equitably the states fund their schools. States control 90% of all school funding, and successful reform requires adequate resources, esp... more »

Mother Crusader: Center For Education Reform; "Important Partners" With NJDOE Office Of Charter Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Mother Crusader: Center For Education Reform; "Important Partners" With NJDOE Office Of Charter Schools: Center For Education Reform; "Important Partners" With NJDOE Office Of Charter Schools by darciecima Looks like to ring in the New Year the NJDOE Charter School Office website got a facelift. I needed to access information on the site to prepare for a bunch of blog posts which I hope to finish up and share in the next few weeks. I became COMPLETELY sidetracked however by some of the changes to the site. For instance, there is a new section titled Resources and Information, ... more »

Anti-Common Core Legislation Coming From Indiana Lawmaker - State EdWatch - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Anti-Common Core Legislation Coming From Indiana Lawmaker - State EdWatch - Education Week: Anti-Common Core Legislation Coming From Indiana Lawmaker by Andrew Ujifusa Ever since the defeat of a resolution opposing the Common Core State Standards at the American Legislative Exchange Council, a Washington-based conservative think tank which ideologically might have been sympathetic with common standards foes, the question for those foes has been where they would go from there. Without the stamp of ALEC's influential approval, what would be their strategy? Indiana Sen. Scott Schnei... more »

John Thompson: Could Rick Hess Become a Reluctant Warrior for Teachers? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

John Thompson: Could Rick Hess Become a Reluctant Warrior for Teachers? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: John Thompson: Could Rick Hess Become a Reluctant Warrior for Teachers? by Anthony Cody *Guest post by John Thompson.* Most teachers who I know would heartily endorse Rick Hess's top two blog hits of 2012. Common Core is likely to join the DeLorean automobile on the ash heap of history. And rather than viewing technology as a "miraculous balm," it should be seen more like Hamburger Helper." Education loves those sorts of quick fixes but, as the year's third top po... more »

Baasil Ebrahim- Music Programs in Middle Schools | Student Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Baasil Ebrahim- Music Programs in Middle Schools | Student Voice: Baasil Ebrahim- Music Programs in Middle Schools by admin [image: baasil-225x225] My school is extremely lucky because we have a tremendous music program for a middle school, but I understand that not all middle schools are this lucky. We have had the good fortune of being able to have three different types of saxophones, tubas, and bass clarinets and they add a whole new dynamic to a band. There are many reasons why schools should have a superb music program, but I am going to narrow it down to two. These reasons... more »

Parents' Rights (novel concept) School Activities Leave | California Employer's Association Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

School Activities Leave | California Employer's Association Blog: *Questions Surrounding School Activities Leave* Many California employers and employees are unaware of the School Activities Leave Law, but if you have 25 or more employees, you need to be aware of the implications and workings of this labor code. *Labor code section 230.8* requires employers who have 25 or more employees working at the same location to allow their employees a leave of absence to permit their employees time off for their children’s school activities. The basics around this law include: - Cove... more »

Daily Kos: Labor board decides Chicago charter school is really private, subject to private sector laws.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Daily Kos: Labor board decides Chicago charter school is really private, subject to private sector laws.: Labor board decides Chicago charter school is really private, subject to private sector laws. byfloridagalFollow - - - 8 Comments / 8 New This school has gotten at least 23 million in taxpayer money. I am assuming they will still get public taxpayer money. Yet they will not be subject to any regulation by elected school boards or local districts. Jersey Jazzman caught the implications of the ruling right away. Reformers like Michelle Rhee et al have repeat... more »

New UGA study: Their classroom demeanors give girls a boost in grades over boys in classroom | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

New UGA study: Their classroom demeanors give girls a boost in grades over boys in classroom | Get Schooled: New UGA study: Their classroom demeanors give girls a boost in grades over boys in classroom by Maureen Downey [image: downeyart (Medium)]Interesting release from the University of Georgia on why girls fare better than boys in elementary school. If interested in this issue, check out this interview I did with the author of “The Way of Boys: Raising Healthy Boys in a Challenging and Complex World.” Author and behavioral psychologist Anthony Rao maintains that today’s classro... more »

Why are Tax-Funded Common Core Meetings Closed to the Public? | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Why are Tax-Funded Common Core Meetings Closed to the Public? | Truth in American Education: Why are Tax-Funded Common Core Meetings Closed to the Public? by Shane Vander Hart Joy Pullman, research fellow at The Heartland Institute and the managing editor of School Reform News, reports that the meeting of Council of Chief State School Officers to write and discuss the Common Core State Standards are closed to the public. Meetings between members of the Council of Chief State School Officers to write and discuss these standards and corresponding tests are closed to the public, th... more »

Mayoral Control Stopped in Bridgeport Connecticut « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Mayoral Control Stopped in Bridgeport Connecticut « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Mayoral Control Stopped in Bridgeport Connecticut by millerlf *“Elections shouldn’t exist”: The new war on school boards* *The new education “reform” fight is over who chooses school boards: the mayor or the people. One city fought back* By Josh Eidelson Salon Monday, Dec 31, 2012 On Election Day 2012, as voters around the country chose between two presidential candidates who both touted policies that would make it easier to fire teachers, voters in Bridgeport, Conn., rebuffed a referend... more »

New College Board chief cites ‘problems’ with SAT

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

New College Board chief cites ‘problems’ with SAT: New College Board chief cites ‘problems’ with SAT Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 3, 2013 at 11:23 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - - - - (College Board) Guess who thinks there’s more than one problem with the SAT? The man who was recently selected to run the organization that owns the SAT. That man is David Coleman, who last fall became the ninth College Board president after his stint as co-lead author of the Common Core State Standards. Coleman’s commen... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, January 3, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Group won't challenge Sacramento school trustee appointee* Education Headlines *Thursday, January 3, 2013* Fensterwald: Federal cuts to education left unresolvedCongress’ New Year’s Day drama, ending a stalemate over extending tax cuts for all but the wealthy, delays rather than resolves an across-the-board 8.2 percent decrease in federal education spending. That’s the spending piece of the “fiscal cliff” that Congress decided to put off deciding until early March. Group won't challenge Sacramento school trustee appointeeIt appea... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Anti-union NLRB ruling confirms that charters aren't public school

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Anti-union NLRB ruling confirms that charters aren't public school: Anti-union NLRB ruling confirms that charters aren't public school by Mike Klonsky Charter school lobbyists are quick to remind critics that they are still * public* schools in need of public funding and public support. But when it comes to preventing their teachers from unionizing, they have no problem describing themselves as*private* entities, free from constraints and laws governing public-sector employees. Pres. Obama's appointed NLRB has ruled that teachers at a Chicago char... more »

Ed Notes Online: E4E Mauled in Chapter Election by ICE Candidate and at Raging Horse

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: E4E Mauled in Chapter Election by ICE Candidate and at Raging Horse: E4E Mauled in Chapter Election by ICE Candidate and at Raging Horse Here is an E4E story Gotham won't report. I forgot to tell you the story of how one of the most extreme ICEers -- a guy who makes me look like a pussycat and even scares me -- a 23 year hard-bitten militant anti-Unity candidate --- defeated an E4Eer in a chapter election in a small high school in the Bronx this past fall, an indication of the outrage of so many teachers. When I heard the news I said, "Holy shit," at the idea that ... more »

Education Reformer Vallas reverses course, now open to keeping part-time, $234,000 Bridgeport superintendent’s job. - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Education Reformer Vallas reverses course, now open to keeping part-time, $234,000 Bridgeport superintendent’s job. - Wait, What?: Education Reformer Vallas reverses course, now open to keeping part-time, $234,000 Bridgeport superintendent’s job. by jonpelto Just before the Christmas holiday, the Only in Bridgeport blog reported that Paul Vallas has changed his mind and that although he is scheduled to leave his post as Bridgeport’s Superintendent of Schools in June, “he’d be open to an extended contract offer from the Board of Education beyond the end of the school year in June.... more »

School Board Report – January 2, 2013 « PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

School Board Report – January 2, 2013 « PWC Education Reform Blog: School Board Report – January 2, 2013 by pwceducationreform School Board Report for January 2, 2013 The meeting began at 7:18 PM. All members were present. *Organizational Meeting* The big event of the night was the appointment of the Woodbridge representative to the school board. Steve Keen was nominated as approved in a 6 – 1 vote as the Woodbridge representative. Ms. Jessie (Occoquan) voted against Mr Keen. Congratulations to Mr Keen! Dr Otaigbe was nominated and unanimously approved as Vice Chairman of the S... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee : Debate Still Rages Over Her Tenure in D.C. Schools - District Dossier - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee : Debate Still Rages Over Her Tenure in D.C. Schools - District Dossier - Education Week: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: Debate Still Rages Over Her Tenure in D.C. Schools By Lesli A. Maxwell on January 2, 2013 4:33 PM Michelle Rhee's record as chancellor of the District of Columbia public schools remains contentious, and her leadership style polarizing, more than two years after she resigned and left the nation's capital. That record—which gets rehashed often amid larger debates about what strategies hold the most promise for turning around... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-3-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Tough Choices: TFA or Goldman Sachs or McKinsey? by dianerav Today the New York Times ran an admiring article about Teach for America. I almost missed it because it was in the business section. The young people interviewed intend to move on to six-figure jobs on Wall Street after they put in their two years in the classroom. Some say they are making quite a financial sacrifice by deferring their entry into their “real” career. The comments are almost as interesting as the article. In Search of One Brave Sup... more »

Louisiana Educator: Researchers Discredit LA School Rating System

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: Researchers Discredit LA School Rating System: Researchers Discredit LA School Rating System by Michael Deshotels The linked study here by Herb Bassett, is the most recent study that discredits the school performance and grading system used by Our Louisiana Department of Education. That study cites specific (BESE Bulletin 111) rule changes - made as late as June 2012 - and shows their effects on the SPS scores. Mr Bassett's study is related to the analysis by Dr Mercedes Schneider reported on this blog on November 27th that showed a major disparity in 2012 bet... more »

EdWatch 2013: The next budget bill | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

EdWatch 2013: The next budget bill | EdSource Today: EdWatch 2013: The next budget bill - by Kathryn Baron by Kathryn Baron California may finally get the “Year of Education” that former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger promised for 2008, which, ironically, is now remembered as the year school funding began its descent to the lower depths. 2013 is full of promise for education, notably due to increased tax revenues from voter approval of Proposition 30 last November. The year will also tax the facility of legislators, Gov. Jerry Brown, educators and education advocates to agree on how... more »

School Tech Connect: Elaine Nekritz To Pensioners: DROP DEAD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Elaine Nekritz To Pensioners: DROP DEAD: Elaine Nekritz To Pensioners: DROP DEAD by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Just having a little fun with the titles this evening. She was less open than that. Ugh. Getting on a very, very early train, but let me just record a few impressions from tonight's Northern Illinois Jobs With Justice forum out in Aurora. First of all, with God as my witness, I will never drive that far again. I understand that there are people who drive out the Eisenhower and down the Ronald Reagan every day, but I submit to you that it surel... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Last night in Aurora

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Last night in Aurora: Last night in Aurora by Mike Klonsky Daily Herald pic*Tim Furman* somehow found a faux-Irish bar in depressed, butmurder-free Aurora last night. He also found his way to East Aurora High School where Jobs For Justice folks had organized a Town Hall Pension Forum. Here's Tim's account, complete with video of Brother Fred plunging his oratorical dagger into the heart (how did he find it?) of Rep. Elaine Nekritz, her unconstitutional and immoral pension-robbing bill, and the soulless state Democrats who somehow get union support by ... more »

The Innovative Educator: This is how Democracy ends — Apology from a former teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

The Innovative Educator: This is how Democracy ends — Apology from a former teacher: This is how Democracy ends — Apology from a former teacher by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) Recently Kris Nielsen, the Teacher Dropout I featured on my blog last month, wrote this to me on Facebook: A while back, I asked you if you saw any redeeming qualities about CCSS. Your answer got me thinking. Since then, you could say I've seen the light. To follow is the post he wrote that appears on his blog Middle Grades Mastery. Almost a year ago, I offered my time to the middle school at which I was... more »

In 2013, another proposal to change California’s education funding formula - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

In 2013, another proposal to change California’s education funding formula - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: In 2013, another proposal to change California’s education funding formula Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013 at 7:24 pm in No Comments Next week, when he lays out his 2013-14 budget proposal Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to introduce a new version of an old idea: a simplified funding model for California school districts. The so-called “weighted student formula” Brown proposed last year and then dropped would have given districts a base amount of mone... more »

Why schools used to be better

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Why schools used to be better: Why schools used to be better Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 3, 2013 at 4:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » It’s one of the ironies of education reform that despite wave after wave, schools are seen by many as in worse shape as before all the changes. Here’s a look at why from Marion Brady, who was a classroom teacher for years, has written history and world culture textbooks (Prentice-Hall), professional books, numerous nationally distributed columns ... more »

solidaridad: Echo Park Patch: Robert D. Skeels' responses to the Arts for LA Spring LAUSD Candidate Survey

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

solidaridad: Echo Park Patch: Robert D. Skeels' responses to the Arts for LA Spring LAUSD Candidate Survey: Echo Park Patch: Robert D. Skeels' responses to the Arts for LA Spring LAUSD Candidate Survey by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene First published on Echo Park Patch on January 2, 2013. ------------------------------ *"Thinking is not the intellectual reproduction of what already exists anyway." — Theodor Adorno* [image: LAUSD Candidate Robert D. Skeels supported the struggle to save LAUSD K-6 Arts]One of the more intriguing aspects of being a candidate for a high profile office li... more »

Nekritz is just awful. Awful. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Nekritz is just awful. Awful. « Fred Klonsky: Nekritz is just awful. Awful. by Fred Klonsky [image: dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls] *Sun-Times photo.* It is early, very early Thursday morning. I’m leaving for Niles in a little while to catch the bus to the Springfield pension rally. It’s a 6:30AM bus. And I got home last night at about 10:30PM from the Jobs for Justice meeting at East Aurora High School organized by *Jobs with Justice* folks and their leader John Laesch. I was on the panel that was there to present the lesson of the evening to Representative Elaine Nekrtiz. Nekri...more »

NYC Educator: The Inconvenient Truth About Bad Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

NYC Educator: The Inconvenient Truth About Bad Teachers: The Inconvenient Truth About Bad Teachers by NYC Educator *by Recovering ATR * Mayor Bloomberg is very, very intent on firing bad teachers. He seems equally intent on firing good teachers, but let's just give him the benefit of the doubt and say that some of the teachers that he wants to fire are indeed very bad teachers. We all know he puts children first. And I have no doubt that there are some really bad teachers in New York City. I have no doubt of this because I was once the victim of one of the worst teachers to ever s... more »

Education Reform: Teachers Have Always Been at the Forefront | VIVA Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Education Reform: Teachers Have Always Been at the Forefront | VIVA Teachers: Education Reform: Teachers Have Always Been at the Forefront By Mary Cathryn Ricker I was intrigued by Jay Mathews’ Washington Post column that proclaims “Teachers leaning in favor of reforms.” I do appreciate that he points out he has never once written about unions hindering reform, even if he back-hands the compliment with*“**that is not the same as saying the unions have worked hard to make all teachers more successful in the classroom.”* That is where I part very good company with him. I appreciate t... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-2-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* It's Official: Charters are NOT Public Schools by Duke The National Labor Relations Board gives its verdict: charter schools are NOT public schools! *Teachers at a Chicago charter school are now subject to private-sector labor laws, rather than state laws governing public workers.* The move could impact how public schools are run down the road. The ruling, made by the National Labor Relations Board last month, *said the Chicago Math and Science Academy is a “private entity” and therefore covered under the federal law * My Intervi... more »

SHOW ME THE MONEY « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

SHOW ME THE MONEY « Teachers Fight Back: SHOW ME THE MONEY by alkleen [image: Moving picture cash money wallet gif animation] Some of the suggestions for improving our schools and education system that appear in the newspaper just amaze me. I’m sure the people who suggest these improvements are well-meaning, but the cost of many of these suggestions is prohibitive. A group of American pediatricians is urging all school districts to have a doctor to oversee school health services. The group recommends having a doctor in every school district and a nurse in every school. A nice i... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: New Year comes in with roar of Chicago gunfire

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: New Year comes in with roar of Chicago gunfire: New Year comes in with roar of Chicago gunfire by Mike Klonsky The new year rolled into Chicago the same way the old year rolled out -- in a blaze of gunfire. Chicago ends 2012 with a total of 506 murders, a `16% jump from Rahm's first year in office. 2013 didn't exactly come in like a lamb. Three homicides, and 15 more other non-fatal shootings were reported around the city's South and West sides between the early morning hours and early evening on New Year's Day. Rahm's people, including top-cop Mc... more »

Common Core, Whole Child, Teacher Leadership, & Action Research: A Perfect Storm? — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Common Core, Whole Child, Teacher Leadership, & Action Research: A Perfect Storm? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Craig Mertler]Common Core, Whole Child, Teacher Leadership, & Action Research: A Perfect Storm? January 2, 2013 by Craig Mertler My sense is that most educators are viewing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as another inconvenience, yet another requirement to be met in our classrooms. However, I would argue that the CCSS presents us with an incredibly unique set of opportunities, if we choose to embrace them as a collective "opportunity." 

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