Tuesday, January 29, 2013

10 Executive Actions "to our posterity" Dear Mr. President: Thinking About Schools

Thinking About Schools:


10 Executive Actions "to our posterity"


My Photo
Mt. Kisco, New York, United States
Superintendent of the Bedford Central School District, NY. Lifetime public school teacher, principal, and superintendent. Blog is solely my opinion.

Dear Mr. President:

re: Education, please...

1.      Read the Constitution and Declaration of Independence and note  the word “education” does not appear; whereas words like life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, created equal, unalienable rights, general welfare, blessings of liberty, justice, and domestic tranquility do.  That pretty well covers education (so you can skip right to #4)

2.      Grasp Supreme Court decisions and legislative action of Brown v. Board of Education, PL 94-142 (IDEA), Title IX, Plyler vs. Doe, and the core values of your Inaugural speech that (finally) launched the 21st century "to our posterity"

3.      Make a statement revising every-year testing to testing only English and mathematics in grades 3, 6, 8, and 11 (transition years as benchmarks of school and district progress), dismantle remnants of NCLB, eliminate RTTT; and then…

4.      Shut down the Department of Education and resuscitate the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW)

5.      Maintain departments that monitor and protect Civil Rights, IDEA, and the Supreme Court rulings and legislation noted above and collaborate with content professional organizations (NCTE, NCTM, and others) to lead educational development

6.      Focus HEW on health and welfare (root factors in student achievement), research, convening and educating state leaders, and using its bully pulpit to advocate for Parents As Teachers and other birth to five readiness programs, addressing poverty, knocking down real impediments of every student achieving.

7.      Confront every corporate CEO with their academically demeaning and counter-productive tactics which make money off the backs of kids

8.      Leave teaching to career professionals (not teach for awhilers) and collaborate with every union to formulate professional 21st century contracts

9.      Call out every self-proclaimed quick fix reformer and politician to let them know the '50s called and wants their factory model of education back; to encourage them to spend days (not a photo op) in rural, urban, and suburban kindergarten classrooms and maybe give them 125 junior English essays to grade in one weekend. 

10.  Re-establish the WPA (Federal Works Project Administration) that built our parents, grandparents and some of our schools, provided opportunities in the arts, built highways and bridges, and created jobs.
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Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-29-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2




Nite Cap UPDATE

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE


Teacher-led PD on Tech Tuesday

by Joe Mazza
Teacher-led PD = the most meaningful and collaborative PD available in education today.
This morning, we held our bi-weekly Tech Tuesday for staff. The topic was on Skype in the Classroom. Two local district educators, Glenn Yetter (@CoachYetter) and Brett Baker (@Bakerbg), Skyped into our before school meeting to teach us about the benefits of Skyping across the school, out to a nearby school or even a country 7 timezones away. We discussed #MysterySkype, Skype bookchats, Skype cultural chats and ways to make the setting come to life in our literature.
We have these meetings scheduled every other Tuesday and topics are chosen based upon what the teachers wanted to learn more about. Future topics include Twitter, Edmodo, Study Island, Google Voice, KidBlogs, 

What If She Wants to Be a Teacher? Or Worse, a Professor?

by Lee Bessette
You want you kids to be happy, successful, fulfilled. You want them to make good choices. You try to help them avoid the same mistakes you made when you were younger.
And then you hear them teaching their younger brother. And panic sets in.
My daughter just started kindergarten this year. She is (quantifiably) the smartest kid in her class. And not just by a little. She has a wonderful teacher and we are working to make sure that she remains challenged by what she is learning, to avoid getting bored, but also so she learns some perseverance and how to “work” hard. These were two things that both my husband and I regret about our schooling; because school was easy, we didn’t try, 

Bill Introduced: S.3 Strengthen our Schools and Students Act

A bill to improve education and provide all students in the United States with the opportunity to succeed.

Teachers opposed to tests get a warning

by aristotlethewise
Teachers opposed to tests get a warning

Seattle Public Schools officials have told teachers boycotting the 
MAP tests that they must administer the tests or face suspension.
By Linda Shaw
testing5Seattle school officials sent a letter Wednesday asking principals to inform all their teachers by day’s end that they will be disciplined if they refuse to give district-required tests.
But at a rally Wednesday afternoon at Seattle Public Schools headquarters, teachers boycotting the Measures of Academic Progress, or MAP, said they would not back down because the tests are an unreliable measure 



Common Core Wars Heating up in Indiana from the Chamber of Commerce

by stlgretchen
Indiana will face a vote in the Senate to advance a bill to rid itself of Common Core.  Anngie and I were there for the testimony and rally a couple of weeks ago.  Five hundred citizens showed up at the Capitol to show their support for stopping Common Core in their state.

The reformers might be getting worried.  Below is an editorial insinuating taxpayers frankly don't understand why private corporations should be given the authority to own the copyright to the standards and assessments used in teaching their children...and if a parent or a school district 

The Best Resources About The New Push For Immigration Reform

by Larry Ferlazzo
My oh my, the tone about immigration reform and the idea of providing a path to citizenship to the undocumented sure seems to have changed recently!
I thought it would be useful for readers, my students and me to start bringing together useful resources.
By the way, be sure to check out my post on citizenship at The New York Times next week — I think people will 

PEW Report :A Nation of Immigrants A Portrait of the 40 Million, Including 11 Million Unauthorized

PEW Report :A Nation of Immigrants A Portrait of the 40 Million, Including 11 Million UnauthorizedThe nation’s immigrant population reached a record 40.4 million in 2011, including an estimated 11.1 million who are unauthorized, according to a new analysis of Census Bureau data by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center.

The overall number of immigrants in the U.S. continues to grow steadily; it is up by more than 9 million since 2000. By contrast, the number of unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. grew for decades before peaking at 









Governor praises teaching profession in state of state address

Governor praises teaching profession in state of state address

In his address, Gov. Brown is right that we have to move beyond obsessing about standardized tests to focus on a well-rounded education. Governor praises our profession in state of state address
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Endorse the National Resolution on High Stakes Testing!

January 2013
With more and more states recognizing the flaws of high stakes testing, a National Resolution is online and gathering steam! CTA has officially signed the Resolution. Please endorse the resolution today – and ask your colleagues to do the same.
ENDORSE THE RESOLUTION TODAY!












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CTA supports districts that refuse to give flawed standardized test

January 2013
CTA and NEA support Seattle boycott of district-mandated Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) standardized test that is not aligned with state standards or the district curriculum.
CTA PRESIDENT LETTER SEATTLE EA PRESIDENT NEA SUPPORTS BOYCOTT












Mulgrew faces legislators, as Walcott promises to revisit sunset

by Geoff Decker
ALBANY — Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan kept her promise to question UFT President Michael Mulgrew with the same tenacity as when she interrogated Mayor Bloomberg on Monday.
Nolan chastised Bloomberg for his role in New York City’s failure to reach a teacher evaluation deal, which will likely cost the city $240 million in state school aid.
Today, she told Mulgrew, “This is the fault of labor and management together.” Nolan chairs the Assembly’s 


Remainders: Making more out of the Regents Week break

by Philissa Cramer
  • A parent wonders if Regents Week could mean more than letting students stay home. (Insideschools)
  • Attendance in District 75 schools was 73 percent today, the highest during the bus strike. (GS Twitter)
  • The UFT’s MORE caucus wants teachers to share their experiences with new observations. (MORE)
  • Two teachers were censured for using school email accounts to run for union chapter leader. (GS Scribd)
  • Reporters and advocates live-Tweeted a discussion in Washington, D.C., on school closures. (Twitter)
  • The feds say all school closure complaints get looked into, but not necessarily resolved. (Politics K-12)
  • Here’s a look at “teacher voice” organizations, which have some teachers unions concerned. (Ed Next)
  • A new study provides additional ammunition for opponents of helicopter parenting. (Atlantic)
  • Kids these days should probably be making videos to advertise books like these from 1983. (Hairpin)

Bloomberg lists central budget cuts to accompany schools’ hit

by Emma Sokoloff-Rubin
Following up on his promise to detail school budget cuts required by the collapse of a teacher evaluation deal earlier this month, Mayor Bloomberg today described how he plans to reduce costs in the Department of 

Bloomberg Outlines Tight Education Budget

by Beth Fertig
With the city losing nearly $250 million in state school aid this year for failing to negotiate a new teacher evaluation system, Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented a fiscal year 2014 budget with deep cuts to education.
His proposed budget includes the elimination of 700 teaching and counseling jobs in the current school year, 

Anti-abortion Group Files Lawsuit Against OSU

by cmaadmin
STILLWATER Okla. — An anti-abortion group has filed a federal lawsuit against Oklahoma State University after officials said the group couldn’t distribute leaflets with graphic images on campus.
Cowboys for Life filed the lawsuit Friday. The group is asking a federal judge to declare invalid OSU’s facility use 

Bill Introduced: S.3 Strengthen our Schools and Students Act

A bill to improve education and provide all students in the United States with the opportunity to succeed.

Bill Introduced: S.4 Rebuild America Act

A bill to create jobs and strengthen our economy by rebuilding our Nation's infrastructure.
at

PPB: Mission Hill School: The kind of learning, the kind of caring we want for all kids

PPB: Mission Hill School: The kind of learning, the kind of caring we want for all kids:


Mission Hill School: The kind of learning, the kind of caring we want for all kids

by Anne Geiger




Popout


Mission Hill School

Thanks, Deborah Meier for sharing this on Facebook--- Mission Hill School contains... "the ingredients for transformational learning itself: A richly diverse community. An integrated approach to academic study. A clearly defined set of aspirational habits of mind. A skilled, trusted and empowered community of adults. And a recognition that, in the end, school must be about more than reading and math. It must prepare young people to successfully navigate a world of rapid change, equipping them with skills to: Listen and empathize. Collaborate 
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Big Education Ape Nite Cap 1-29-13 #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



Sacramento Press / Opinion: Private money and public schools (Part II)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 minutes ago
Sacramento Press / Opinion: Private money and public schools (Part I + II): Private money and public schools: Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. team up part one by Seth Sandronsky [image: DFER Fake Democrats for Education Privatization (click on Picture)] Last December 3, the California Fair Political Practices Commission recommended fining Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a Democrat, $37,500 for improperly reporting donations to his multiple nonprofit groups. The political watchdog agency agreed to this penalty at a Dec. 13 meeting. The donations included a ... more »

Louisiana Educator: Is a Teacher Shortage Developing?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 minutes ago
Louisiana Educator: Is a Teacher Shortage Developing?: Is a Teacher Shortage Developing? by Michael Deshotels Our State Department of Education crack PR team apparently wanted to counteract the recent news reports about the large increase in teacher retirements in Louisiana. So they released their own report pointing out that total teacher attrition has not increased by much in the last few years. But in so doing they also gave the numbers of initial teacher licences granted in the last several years. So here is what the data released by the LDOE shows about number of teachers l... more »

NYC Educator: Testing Blues

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago
NYC Educator: Testing Blues: Testing Blues by NYC Educator This is the fifth time I'm taking this test, and I don't understand what the hell is so important about it. I mean, I don't even care about this stuff. Who does? What will I ever need to know it for? I mean, the teacher's pretty nice and I don't want to insult her, but it's not my fault she chose a job where she needs to talk about this stuff all the time. So anyway, the topic doesn't interest me, and I'm just not gonna write about it. Instead, I'm gonna talk about what I had for dinner last night. We had steak and rice. ... more »

First report on Journey for Justice 2 hearing in D.C. | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago
First report on Journey for Justice 2 hearing in D.C. | Parents Across America: First report on Journey for Justice 2 hearing in D.C. by pureparents “We don’t just have failing schools; we have a failing system of epidemic proportions. Community and parent voices have been removed from the process and the privatization has removed all checks and balances so that the system is no longer accountable to the public,” said *Karran Harper-Royal, parent with Parents Across America, New Orleans.* “The answer is not charter schools, the answer is fortifying traditional public schools thro... more »

PSAT for 1-29-13: Solidarity with Garfield teachers – and our new petition Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 26 minutes ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 1-29-13: Solidarity with Garfield teachers – and our new petition: PSAT for 1-29-13: Solidarity with Garfield teachers – and our new petition by admin [image: psat_logo]Tomorrow, WEDNESDAY, January 30 is a national call/phone/fax day to tell Seattle Public Schools that you, your organization and your union stand with the Garfield test boycotters. Send your message to Seattle Schools Superintendant José Banda: - Phone: (206) 252-0180 - Fax: (206) 252-0209 - E-mail: superintendent@seattleschools.org Here’s t... more »

Call It a Story: Defining Our Profession - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 27 minutes ago
Call It a Story: Defining Our Profession - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Call It a Story: Defining Our Profession by Nancy Flanagan *Guest post by Kelly Flynn.* [image: kellyflynn.jpg]*Halfway through her senior year, Kimberly suddenly stopped coming to school. Messages left for her parents went unreturned. When she finally showed up after a three-week absence, I pulled her aside and inquired about her well-being. She'd been kicked out of her parent's house, she said, but she did not want to say why. For three weeks she'd been living in her boyfriend's van. Sh... more »

On being disloyal. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 28 minutes ago
On being disloyal. « Fred Klonsky: On being disloyal. by Fred Klonsky An Illinois member of the NEA board of directors wrote and suggested that I was creating disunity in the IEA because of my criticisms of their handling of the pension issue. He asked that I not post his comments and, as always, I will adhere to his wishes. But I want to share my response. *I think that your suggestion that I am the cause of disunity is grossly unfair.* *That there are differences in our union is an objective fact. Some wish to remain quiet about those differences. I don’t. To be unified around ... more »

Common Core Standards Will Benefit At-Risk Students — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 30 minutes ago
Common Core Standards Will Benefit At-Risk Students — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Elizabeth Pfiffner]Common Core Standards Will Benefit At-Risk Students January 29, 2013 by Elizabeth Pfiffner As part of the school team, school social workers share the goal of ensuring that all students receive a quality education. We work with students and their families to address personal, family, and societal issues that create obstacles for learning. The adoption of the Common Core State Standards will create a strong foundation for school social workers in our mission ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Who is Bradley Tusk and why should we care?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Who is Bradley Tusk and why should we care?: Who is Bradley Tusk and why should we care? by Leonie Haimson On Sunday, there was a front page story about how Bradley Tusk is coordinating the campaign against Obama’s appointment of Chuck Hagel as US Secretary of Defense on the grounds that Hagel was anti-choice and anti-gay (apparently Hagel made an anti-gay comment in 1998). Tusk’s campaign includes TV ads and sending mailers that push Sen. Schumer to oppose the nomination with the mysterious name of “Use your Mandate” as the return address. I’ve receive... more »

Divided We Fail: Replicating the successes and avoiding the mistakes of desegregation | Hechinger Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Divided We Fail: Replicating the successes and avoiding the mistakes of desegregation | Hechinger Report: Divided We Fail: Replicating the successes and avoiding the mistakes of desegregation by Hechinger Report [image: Divided We Fail] On June 28, 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling that officially ended the era of school desegregation that followed *Brown v. Board of Education*. Five of the nine justices declared that race alone could no longer be used to assign students to a school, undermining the biggest civil rights cases of the previous century. Under the new... more »

Scalia berates school children visiting court: Constitution is ‘dead, dead, dead!’ | The Raw Story

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Scalia berates school children visiting court: Constitution is ‘dead, dead, dead!’ | The Raw Story: Scalia berates school children visiting court: Constitution is ‘dead, dead, dead!’ By David Edwards Tuesday, January 29, 2013 15:20 EST [image: Print Friendly] Share on facebookShare on redditShare on diggShare on twitterShare on farkShare on stumbleupon1 [image: Antonin Scalia speaks to Fox News] Topics: SMU law professor Bryan A. Garner ♦ Southern Methodist University ♦ supreme court justice antonin scalia Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Monday said the U.S. Constitution ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Teacher Uprising in Seattle: Garfield HS Test Boycott on Democracy Now

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Teacher Uprising in Seattle: Garfield HS Test Boycott on Democracy Now: Teacher Uprising in Seattle: Garfield HS Test Boycott on Democracy Now by ed notes online I don't want to lose that kind of money on a teacher's salary. But I'm willing to do it. Because that's the right thing to do. And it's also educational for my students to see me standing up for things that are right. --- Garfield HS Teacher Teachers will not back down in face of Supe threat of 10 day suspension without pay. "Teachers will volunteer their time." This is must see as teacher Jesse Hagopian... more »

Schools Matter: Poverty and the “achievement gap”: Some new data

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Schools Matter: Poverty and the “achievement gap”: Some new data: Poverty and the “achievement gap”: Some new data by skrashen Carnoy and Rothstein (2013) compared US performance with Korean, Finland and Canada on the PISA 2009, given to 15-year-olds. All three of these countries generally score about 1/3 of a standard deviation better than the US in reading and math on international tests; Arne Duncan refers to these three countries as the three “consistent high-performers” (Carnoy and Rothstein, 2013 p. 10). In the PISA 2009 reading test, Korea had the highest score of all OECD... more »

Teachers as Activists Part One: Little “p” politics « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Teachers as Activists Part One: Little “p” politics « Cooperative Catalyst: Teachers as Activists Part One: Little “p” politics by robinclane Recently, I attend a meeting of the Austin Social Justice Teachers Inquiry Group, during which we talked about… politics. A scary word in a school. Big “P” Politics referred to ways teachers can be involved politically beyond the walls of their classroom; little “p” politics meant bringing current events and social justice into lessons and activities. One concern that always comes up when talking to other teachers about bringing social just... more »

Diane in the Evening 1-29-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Florida’s Nutty Accountability System by dianerav Between the two Bush brothers–George W. and Jeb–the nation’s education system is locked into a regime of endless testing, grading, evaluating, marking, measuring, etc. It doesn’t seem to get us very far. After all, Texas has been in this business for as long as anyone can Australian Educators Thank Garfield Teachers by dianerav Our compatriots in Australia are watching the growing rebellion against high-stakes testing with interest and hope. They are impressed by the courage and unity of teachers at Garfi... more »

Students in Portland are opting out « Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Students in Portland are opting out « Seattle Education: Students in Portland are opting out Posted on the Portland Student Union website: [image: testunderduress (2)] *Portland Public Schools & Portland Student Unions urge students to boycott Standardized Testing.* Schools are required to test a minimum of 95% of their students in order to be qualified for a score other than “In Need of Improvement” on the state report card. The idea behind the campaign is to get as many students as possible to opt-out of taking their tests so that every high school in PPS earns an “In Need of Imp... more »

Daily Kos: Misreading Teacher Evaluation and Retention

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Daily Kos: Misreading Teacher Evaluation and Retention: Misreading Teacher Evaluation and Retention by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) The League of Women Voters of South Carolina has released “How to Evaluate and Retain Effective Teachers” (2011-2013), but this report misreads the evidence on teacher evaluation and thus distracts high-poverty states from needed educational reform. [1] A review of the report shows it does not establishing a clear problem with teacher quality in SC and misrepresents the current body of research on teacher evaluation, particularly value added method... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Grading Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Grading Schools: Grading Schools by Melissa Westbrook Over at the Times there's this article reporting that Republicans in the State Senate are sponsoring a bill to assign a letter grade - A-F - to every public school based on outcomes from standardized testing and "other measures." *High schools also would be graded by graduation rate, SAT scores and AP course participation. * Details: *Schools that earn “A” grades would be eligible for teacher bonuses and get more control over the money the state allocates to them.* *The bill is sponsored ... more »

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Fensterwald: LAUSD to compete with charters to run ‘parent trigger’ school Education Headlines *Tuesday, January 29, 2013* Lowder asks for contract extensioneven months into his tenure at Stockton Unified, Superintendent Steve Lowder is asking the school board for a contract extension. The 61-year-old Lowder could be offered a longer, higher-paying contract as soon as tonight's school board meeting. School bosses get raises amid troublesWith California’s public school system facing economic uncertainties – even with the passage of... more »

Oregon Save Our Schools: Oregon's Children Lose and Friend

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Oregon Save Our Schools: Oregon's Children Lose and Friend: Oregon's Children Lose and Friend by Oregon SOS by Steve Buel [image: Putting the Public Back in Our Public Schools!] Oregon's children, and particularly Beaverton's children, lost a friend this last weekend when John Burns died of a heart attack. Very few people have a combined commitment to both schools and good government and understand how it should all fit together. John was one of those people. His death will have a negative impact on the Beaverton School District for years to come. For he was committed to making ... more »

The Evil that Schools Do « PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
The Evil that Schools Do « PWC Education Reform Blog: The Evil that Schools Do by pwceducationreform Anyone who has paid the least bit of attention to education reforms in the past 20 – 30 years knows that rote memorization, or drill and kill, are the single worst things a developing child can be exposed to. Not only does rote memorization take the joy out of learning, it undermines children’s ability to understand numbers and arithmetic operations. Teachers forcing children to memorize math facts to automatic recall are committing what can only be characterized as educational... more »

UPDATE: Where the Oxymoronic Meets the Moronic + Schools Matter: After Cornerstone Charter Abuse Scandal Deepens in Memphis, NAACP Demands Accountability from State and Charter Operators

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Schools Matter: After Cornerstone Charter Abuse Scandal Deepens in Memphis, NAACP Demands Accountability from State and Charter Operators: MASE, First Memphis Charter, Up for Renewal or Closure: Where the Oxymoronic Meets the Moronic by Jim Horn When the Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering (MASE) opened 10 years ago, it was supposed to herald a new day of great achievement in Memphis schools. Now ten years and millions of wasted dollars later, what was to be the solution to low test scores is now scraping the bottom of the barrel in test score achievement. Here's the late... more »

National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP test Boycott: « Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP test Boycott: « Seattle Education: National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP test Boycott: by seattleducation2011 [image: action alert] *National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP test Boycott* *“We demand quality assessment!”* *Wear Red on Wed for Ed! Scrap the MAP!* *What:* The City-wide Scrap the MAP Organizing Committee is calling on Educators, Students, Parents and supporters of Public Education nation-wide to take action in support of Garfield High School teachers and all teachers in Seattle Public Schoolsrefusing to adminis... more »

Teachers For Social Justice: Teachers for Social Justice Statement on Obama’s Gun Control Plans

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Teachers For Social Justice: Teachers for Social Justice Statement on Obama’s Gun Control Plans: Teachers for Social Justice Statement on Obama’s Gun Control Plans by sarah atlas In the wake of the Newtown tragedy, the Obama administration proposed a series of gun control recommendations and policies. His four-point plan includes "making schools safer" and "increasing access to mental health services." The plan states "We need to make our schools safer, not only by enhancing their physical security... but also by creating safer and more nurturing school climates that help preve... more »

School Board Leaders Advocate for Less Intrusive Role of the U.S. Department of Education National School Boards Association

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
National School Boards Association: *School Board Leaders Advocate for Less Intrusive Role of the U.S. Department of Education* * * * * * * Alexandria, Va. (Jan. 29, 2013) – More than 700 school board members and state school boards association leaders will be meeting with their members of Congress and urging them to co-sponsor legislation, developed by the National School Boards Association (NSBA), to protect local school district governance from unnecessary and counter-productive federal intrusion from the U.S. Department of Education. School board leaders are in Washington D... more »

Discipline: Responding to Bad Behavior in School - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Discipline: Responding to Bad Behavior in School - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Discipline: Responding to Bad Behavior in School by Deborah Meier Dear Alfie, As I read some of the responses to the blog, I have more and more sympathy for your viewpoint. The idea of a disguised punishment—the "thinking chair" with Teddy Bear—reminds me of many similar ideas coming from people I admire and respect (like Responsive Classrooms). And as I read the comment from "jyatvin" on natural consequences, I think to myself: If they are natural, than we don't have to intervene as teachers... more »

Modern School: Union Membership Lowest in 70 Years, Thanks in Part to Unions

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Modern School: Union Membership Lowest in 70 Years, Thanks in Part to Unions: Union Membership Lowest in 70 Years, Thanks in Part to Unions by Michael Dunn Union membership declined from 11.8% of the workforce in 2011, to 11.3% in 2012, according a recent report by the national Bureau of Labor Statistics and is now the lowest it has been since the 1930s, according to the Washington Post. Union membership peaked in the 1950s at nearly 33% of the total workforce. By 1983, that number had dropped to 20%, and today it is just barely 11%. Public sector union membership (35.9%) is sti... more »

Dropout Nation? | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Dropout Nation? | EduShyster: Dropout Nation? by edushyster2012 *What exactly are college prep academies preparing students for?* A young test-taker at Boston’s City on a Hill Charter School, which is seeking to open two more college prep academies. And now it’s time for today’s high-stakes test question: which of the following is better at preparing students to attend and complete college? *A *. Our union-stifled (and indisputably failing) public schools or *B*. The college prep academies that are popping up like payday loan services in cities everywhere. The correct answer, as you ... more »

Joy Resmovits: Scott Walker Wants Merit Pay, Arizona School Funding Screwup: Ed Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Joy Resmovits: Scott Walker Wants Merit Pay, Arizona School Funding Screwup: Ed Today: Scott Walker Wants Merit Pay, Arizona School Funding Screwup: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Scott Walker-Style Merit Pay?* Speaking at a Friday convention, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) said he wants the state to begin a program that would pay teachers partially in accordance with their ratings, reports the Badger Herald. "One of the things we're looking to do going forward is to put additional resources into public education over the next two years in this budget in a variety of different ways ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Susan Ohanian: The best rebuttal of the Common Core. The BEST.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Susan Ohanian: The best rebuttal of the Common Core. The BEST.: Susan Ohanian: The best rebuttal of the Common Core. The BEST. by ed notes online Susan has a plethora of common core critiques. Now, not being directly involved in teaching anymore, I really don't pay much attention to the details of common core. "So why are you opposed," I am often asked? Because of the people and orgs who are supporting it: Every ed deformer and the UFT/AFT. When Tweed and the UFT are on the same side, watch out. Susan also highlights an article by MORE candidate for UFT Secretary... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-29-13 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] Local School Boards to Duncan: Back Off! by dianerav The U.S. Department of Education is not supposed to control U.S. education. It was created to serve schools, protect the rights of the neediest children, and coordinate funding programs, not to tell schools what to do. One prong of the corporate reform movement seeks to strip local school boards of their responsibility, because they don’t like privatization. The National School Boards Association listened to Secretary Duncan and a leading Republican member... more »

Shanker Blog » Value-Added As A Screening Device: Part II

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Shanker Blog » Value-Added As A Screening Device: Part II: Value-Added As A Screening Device: Part II by Douglas N. Harris *Our guest author today is Douglas N. Harris, associate professor of economics and University Endowed Chair in Public Education at Tulane University in New Orleans. His latest book, *Value-Added Measures in Education*, provides an accessible review of the technical and practical issues surrounding these models. * This past November, I wrote a post for this blog about shifting course in the teacher evaluation movement and using value-added as a “screening devi... more »

LAUSD to compete with charters to run ‘parent trigger’ school | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
LAUSD to compete with charters to run ‘parent trigger’ school | EdSource Today: LAUSD to compete with charters to run ‘parent trigger’ school - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald The parents at 24th Street Elementary School in Los Angeles Unified will have plenty of choices for an operator to take over their school under the “parent trigger” process they initiated this month. One of the contenders will be the district itself. The school’s Parents’ Union announced Monday it had received letters of intent from eight organizations saying they would submit detailed proposals o... more »

Quantify This! | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Quantify This! | toteachornototeach: Quantify This! by aristotlethewise [image: 60585_130040773711681_850822_n]*Quantify This!* by Robert J. Cabin “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.” Albert Einstein A first-generation college student stays after class to talk with his professor about something he found particularly interesting, even though this topic will not be on the test. An introverted student slowly gains enough confidence to start raising her hand and speaking her mind. A group of formerly disengaged and apathetic stude... more »

Do we put students first when we promote them when they aren’t ready? | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Do we put students first when we promote them when they aren’t ready? | Get Schooled: Do we put students first when we promote them when they aren’t ready? by Maureen Downey A retired APS teacher sent me this note in response to my entry a few ago on Michelle Rhee’s state report cards. I thought it was worth sharing as it addresses a problem that I hear about all the time — the promotion of kids who are not ready or prepared for the next grade: I am a retired teacher from an APS middle school. I have tried to get someone to listen to what I consider a big problem in APS schools. ... more »

UPDATE: National school boards group blasts U.S. Education Department + A tough critique of Common Core on early childhood education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
A tough critique of Common Core on early childhood education: National school boards group blasts U.S. Education Department Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 29, 2013 at 2:01 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - - - - [image: (Jacquelyn Martin-Associated Press)] (Jacquelyn Martin-Associated Press) The National Schools Board AssociationTuesday blasted the Obama administration’s education policies, saying that the Education Departmentunder Secretary Arne Duncan has pushed “unnecessary and counter-productive federa... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Where's The Math in Common Core Math Problems?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Where's The Math in Common Core Math Problems?: Where's The Math in Common Core Math Problems? by stlgretchen Yesterday we linked an article about the stress on kindergartners because of Common Core standards. Today we highlight Barry Garelick's article on 5th grade Math taught via Common Core standards. From EdWeek and *Developing the Habits of Mind for Algebraic Thinking*: `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ....a friend of mine who lives in Spokane directed me to the website of t... more »

DeWitt Clinton – How a School Can Change Us All « JD2718

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
DeWitt Clinton – How a School Can Change Us All « JD2718: DeWitt Clinton – How a School Can Change Us All by jd2718 Danny Schecter is a filmmaker, and a DeWitt Clinton graduate. And he’s making a documentary film about Clinton. The DoE was going to close Clinton, but afraid of a fight with a loyal alumni, they chose to try to move in two small schools instead. Those of us in the Bronx know, those schools are the first steps towards closing DWC. So we will fight. And Danny’s work is part of that. Below are a two-minute promo and a five-minute trailer. Both excellent, by the way. Pro... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: What a night! Belafonte at Northwestern and protest at CPS hearings in Uptown

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: What a night! Belafonte at Northwestern and protest at CPS hearings in Uptown: What a night! Belafonte at Northwestern and protest at CPS hearings in Uptown by Mike Klonsky "Without radical thought, our society cannot move forward." -- Harry Belafonte (M. Klonsky pic)I drove up to Evanston last night to hear the great *Harry Belafonte* deliver an keynote to a packed house at Northwesteern's Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration 2013. Belafonte was a close friend and supporter of Dr. King. He minced no words last night while talking about our nation's ... more »

UPDATE: Hundreds turn out to confront CPS on school closings + The in box. National call-in to Scrap the MAP. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
The in box. National call-in to Scrap the MAP. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. National call-in to Scrap the MAP. by Fred Klonsky GET READY! THIS *WEDNESDAY, January 30* is a national call/phone/fax day to tell Seattle Public Schools that you, your organization and your union stand with the teachers in the MAP test boycott. Send your message to Seattle Schools Superintendent José Banda: *Phone: (206) 252-0180* *Fax: (206) 252-0209* *Email: superintendent@seattleschools.org* If you send an email, share it with us here in the comments! Next week, *WEDNESDAY, February 6* will be a National... more »

Schools Matter: High-tech tots?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Schools Matter: High-tech tots?: High-tech tots? by skrashen Science education: No reason to panic Sent to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, January 27, 2013 The Hopkins District has introduced science education into preschool (“Hopkins School District takes science ed down to the next level,” Jan 27), apparently under the impression that the US is experiencing a shortage of science and technology experts. Hopkins administrators may want to consult research done by Rutgers Professor Hal Salzman, who concludes that there are two to three qualified graduates for each science/tech openi... more »

The Flawed Assumptions and Intentions of Florida’s Education Accountability System | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
The Flawed Assumptions and Intentions of Florida’s Education Accountability System | Scathing Purple Musings: The Flawed Assumptions and Intentions of Florida’s Education Accountability System by Bob Sikes It’s not certain where the most recent work of the Shanker Institute’s* Matt DiCarlo *will take the debate on Florida’ education accountability system. DiCarlo weighed in on Florida Senate president Don Gaetz comment (here and here) that Florida’s entire education accountability system was “in danger of imploding.” DiCarlo asserts that Gaetz’ assumptions that a correlation sho... more »

Brian Jones discusses Real vs. Phony Education Reform « Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Brian Jones discusses Real vs. Phony Education Reform « Seattle Education: Brian Jones discusses Real vs. Phony Education Reform by seattleducation2011 Brian Jones discusses Real vs. Phony Education Reform I had the pleasure of hearing Brian Jones speak in Portland a few weekends ago, the day after the MAP boycott began, so things have been a bit crazy but…I want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to view this wonderful presentation. Then, we’ll get back to the struggle at hand. Education activist Brian Jones discusses Real vs. Phony Education Reform and punctures the m... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Charters Get Even MORE Brazen

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Charters Get Even MORE Brazen: Charters Get Even MORE Brazen by Duke *Soon, every school in America will look like this...* You think the story of the foul-mouthed Bay Area charter cheerleader Ben Chavis is bad? Wait until you hear what's going on in Albany! The former chief financial officer for the* Brighter Choice Foundation*, which provides funding and support to 10 public charter schools in Albany, has been *charged with embezzling $202,837 from the organization.* The arrest Wednesday of Ronald A. Racela marks the *second time in four years that Racela has be... more »

Public Ed Advocate Kathy Carroll on MLK And The Privatization & Re-segregation of Education (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Public Ed Advocate Kathy Carroll on MLK And The Privatization & Re-segregation of Education (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com: Public Ed Advocate Kathy Carroll on MLK And The Privatization & Re-segregation of Education (VIDEO) by Leonard Isenberg [image: Kathleen Carroll.jpg] *On the 2013 commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, public education advocate, lawyer and whistleblower at the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Kathy Carroll discusses the re-segregation of public schools and the role of privatizers and unions in the attack on public education. * *The conference was spon... more »

School Tech Connect: My Reaction To Tonight's Forum At Truman

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
School Tech Connect: My Reaction To Tonight's Forum At Truman: My Reaction To Tonight's Forum At Truman by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) *Activist, not a blogger* Yes, it's true. I was an activist tonight at Truman, not a blogger. I felt I had to be because I work with a community that is in jeopardy of being railroaded. And I do feel bad that the people running the event didn't get to have things go their way. They're in an impossible spot--- they've chosen to take jobs for a board that should be elected but isn't elected. In the public sector, if your board doesn't have any d... more »

A Review of Django Unchained « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
A Review of Django Unchained « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: A Review of Django Unchained by millerlf *I spent years teaching U.S. history in MPS. I focused on African-American experience in U.S. history and its meaning today. When the movie *Django Unchained* was released this year, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, I planned not to see it because of my low respect for his work. But there has been so much discussion about the movie, I decided to see it so I could compare its depiction to the narrative I had established with my students over the years in te... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-28-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* On Writing As Revenge by Jose Vilson What happens when your writing becomes revenge? [image: The Rock, WWE Champion 2013]The Rock, WWE Champion 2013Not the Twilight-Mean-Girls type of revenge, but the revenge that James Brown yells in “The Big Payback“? I get that hate is too big a burden to bear a-la MLK Jr, but this isn’t hate. This harkens back to a remembrance, a devaluing, a necessity to reprove one’s ostensible skill even before it fully blossomed. As with other motivations in life, they’ve asked you to step aside, break out a ... more »

Pat Hermann questions the IEA’s present behavior regarding bargaining the constitutionally guaranteed rights of teachers and retirees | Reclaim Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Pat Hermann questions the IEA’s present behavior regarding bargaining the constitutionally guaranteed rights of teachers and retirees | Reclaim Reform: Pat Hermann questions the IEA’s present behavior regarding bargaining the constitutionally guaranteed rights of teachers and retirees by kenpreviti [image: guest20110307004845] The Illinois Education Association has sent signals to the state legislators that on behalf of its members the IEA is willing to make a new deal and grant an additional 2% of current teachers’ incomes (from the present 9.4% to 11.4% of gross) and consider red... more »

Oregon Save Our Schools: Values and Value

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Oregon Save Our Schools: Values and Value: Values and Value by Kris Alman [image: Putting the Public Back in Our Public Schools!] Death leaves a frightening void. To shed light on this darkness, we often take a step back to re-evaluate our own lives and to pause for reflection. John Burns died on January 27, 2013. Who is John Burns? I can't really say. I was just getting to know him. Like most people who are unafraid of sticking their hands into a messy situation, he couldn't fully figure out how to keep the mess from obscuring his message. It grieves me that his own big heart s... more »

Michelle and Marion: True Love? | Mr. Teachbad

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Michelle and Marion: True Love? | Mr. Teachbad: Michelle and Marion: True Love? by teachbad *’m like, ‘You know what? I don’t give a crap.’ Don’t get me wrong. Cre­ativ­ity is good and what­ever. But if the chil­dren don’t know how to read, I don’t care how cre­ative you are. You’re not doing your job*. –Founder/CEO of *Stu­dents First* and for­mer DC Schools Chan­cel­lor *Michelle Rhee* on teach­ers, *Time Mag­a­zine* cover story, Novem­ber 8, 2008. *I don’t know what it is about young boys that they love to throw rocks. It hap­pens more in low-income communities…where there are a... more »

Pa. education secretary rejects all 8 proposed cyber charters | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Pa. education secretary rejects all 8 proposed cyber charters | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Pa. education secretary rejects all 8 proposed cyber chartersby thenotebook on Jan 28 2013 Posted in Latest news ="" style="color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on email COMMENTS (0)PRINT *by Benjamin Herold of NewsWorks, a Notebook news partner* * * Con Academy Browse Con Academy library of over 3,100 educational videos... * * Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Ronald Tomalis rejected on Monday all eight cyber charter school application...more »

Former state Senator Martha Escutia calls for LAUSD probe into perceived pattern of teacher abuse of Latino youth - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Former state Senator Martha Escutia calls for LAUSD probe into perceived pattern of teacher abuse of Latino youth - LA Daily News: Former state Senator Martha Escutia calls for LAUSD probe into perceived pattern of teacher abuse of Latino youth By Rob Kuznia The Daily Breeze Posted: 01/28/2013 03:13:46 PM PST Updated: 01/28/2013 04:19:03 PM PST Former state Senator Martha Escutia, an attorney and child sex abuse survivors advocate, calls for an immediate investigation into what she believes is a pattern of alleged sexual abuse perpetrated against students by teachers and other ... more »

Listen to the 1-27-13 PAA testing webinar | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Listen to the 1-27-13 PAA testing webinar | Parents Across America: Listen to the 1-27-13 PAA testing webinar by pureparents Here is the link to PAA’s testing webinar which took place on Sunday, January 27, 2013. Our guests were: *Jesse Hagopian,* teacher at Garfield High School and part of the MAP test boycott *Shaun Johnson,* a former public school teacher, current teacher educator and online radio show co-host ofAt the Chalk Face who is a founder of United Opt Out National. *Monty Neill,* Executive Director of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest). Dr. Neill a... more »

School Tech Connect: Divide and Conquer

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
School Tech Connect: Divide and Conquer: Divide and Conquer by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Check out the media guidance from CPS in advance of tonight's network "hearing" at Truman College at 7PM. If you're new around here--- CPS is having a number of public events where people are purportedly being given a "voice" in the school closing crisis that the district has manufactured through inept planning and a privatization agenda. Here's what they sent out: As many of you are aware, the second phase of community engagement around school utilization begins this evening. These ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Legislative Round-Up

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Legislative Round-Up: Supporting the MAP Boycott by Melissa Westbrook From the Solidarity with Garfield Facebook page: *GET READY! THIS WEDNESDAY, January 30 *is a national call/phone/fax day to tell Seattle Public Schools that you, your organization and your union stand with the Garfield test boycotters. Send your message to Seattle Schools Superintendant José Banda: Phone: (206) 252-0180 Fax: (206) 252-0209 Email: superintendent@seattleschools.org Legislative Round-Up by Melissa Westbrook As most of you know, public education, both K-12 and ... more »

Honoring Our Beliefs « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Honoring Our Beliefs « Deborah Meier on Education: Honoring Our Beliefs by debmeier When I was a child I went to an independent school that annually honored its founding fathers (maybe mothers?) It was a school that largely served upper middle class white New Yorkers–designed as a progressive school from K-12. The story was told about how the founders mission was to be a school for workingmen’s children so that they would learn to build a more democratic society, especially a more co-operative one. But year after year I wondered, why are we celebrating instead of grieving a lost ... more »

Philadelphia City Council Takes the Lead « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Philadelphia City Council Takes the Lead « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Philadelphia City Council Takes the Lead by millerlf *MEDIA ALERT*: MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013 *PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL SUPPORTS 1-YEAR MORATORIUM ON SCHOOL CLOSINGS PRIOR TO HEARING WITH DUNCAN & DEPT. OF ED TO CALL FOR END TO DISCRIMINATORY SCHOOL ACTIONS* Philadelphia Leads Nation With Approval of Moratorium On School Closings & Debates Heat Up In Detroit, New York and Across the Country In Anticipation of Hearing WHAT: In the wake of publicity about the upcoming community hearing before Ar... more »

Bloomberg blast teacher evals as 'sham,' 'fraud' - NorthJersey.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Bloomberg blast teacher evals as 'sham,' 'fraud' - NorthJersey.com: Bloomberg blast teacher evals as 'sham,' 'fraud' MONDAY JANUARY 28, 2013, 2:05 PM BY MICHAEL GORMLEY ASSOCIATED PRESS PAGES: 1 2 > DISPLAY ON ONE PAGE | PRINT | E-MAIL ALBANY, N.Y. — New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Monday blasted new teacher evaluations statewide as "shams" and "a fraud on the public," created to extract school aid, not improve teachers. He told state legislators that it was irresponsible for them to pass the 2010 law because he said it ties school aid to union approval of local teacher eva... more »

Diane in the Evening 1-28-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: The Rationale for the Reform Movement by dianerav A reader from Wisconsin points out that Governor Walker’s reforms are not intended to improve the schools, but to turn schooling into a free-market activity: Thank you Diane for highlighting yet another unproven attempt to inject free market ideology into Wisconsin public schools. The recent recall attempt exposed the forces supporting Gov. Walker and how they wish to dismantle public Bobby Jindal and Social Justice, part 2 by dianerav A reader in Louisiana shows how the budget cuts affect the neediest perso... more »





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