Sunday, February 17, 2013

by Emily Richmond

In honor of Presidents Day today, here's an updated version of my post from the previous holiday.

The third Monday in February is better known for its association with good deals on sleeper sofas and sedans than for the presidential birthday supposedly being commemorated. For millions of American schoolchildren, it’s also a day off from class.

The official name of the federal holiday is Washington’s Birthday, although the nation’s first president was born on Feb. 22. However, the date is widely referred to as Presidents Day, and many states use it to recognize the

UPDATE: Katie Osgood: The Lowest Expectation of Them All + Schools Matter: Will Chicago Public Schools Be Sued Duing Black History Month for Its White Curriculum?

Schools Matter: Will Chicago Public Schools Be Sued Duing Black History Month for Its White Curriculum?:

Katie Osgood: The Lowest Expectation of Them All

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

Corporate education reformers love to rave about how schools that “beat the odds” are full of teachers with “high expectations”. There are echoes of George W’s “soft bigotry of low expectations” in this mantra implying that in the past, teachers–stifled no doubt by those innovation-hating unions–all had “low expectations” for their students and somehow THAT is why students from low-income backgrounds struggled in school. Regardless of the obstacles of poverty, homelessness, underfunding/lack of resources, large class sizes, mental health problems, special needs, or not yet knowing English, the rationale is that a teacher who just BELIEVES a child can graduate and go to college can make it happen (with a little grit and maybe a longer school day to boot. Oh, and don’t forget to hang up college banners in the hallways and talk about “college and career readiness” all the time.) This refrain is a constant in charter franchises, Teach for America circles, and the EdReform movement as a whole... continues
[Read the entire essay @ THE CHALK FACE]

Will Chicago Public Schools Be Sued Duing Black History Month for Its White Curriculum?

by Jim Horn

From DNAinfo.com:

CHATHAM — State Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) is urging a community group to file a lawsuit against Chicago Public Schools for not complying with a 22-year-old state law that requires all public elementary and high schools to include black history as part of its regular curriculum.

"I encourage you to file a lawsuit against CPS to make them comply with the state law," Flowers said at a Saturday meeting with community group We Can Inc. at Josephine's Cooking restaurant, 436 E. 79th St. . . .

In 1986, Flowers sponsored a state law, which took effect in 1991, mandating public schools make

LAUSD: Follow The Money by Joseph Kaye - Perdaily.com

LAUSD: Follow The Money by Joseph Kaye - Perdaily.com:

LAUSD: Follow The Money by Joseph Kaye

by Leonard Isenberg

Mensaje se repite en Español)

I have to do this my way. You tell me what you know, and I'll confirm. I'll keep you in the right direction if I can, but that's all. Just... follow the money.

-Deep Throat, "All the President's Men" (1976)

If you want to know the direction LAUSD School Board President Monica Garcia and new candidate Kate Anderson want to take the Los Angeles School District after the upcoming election, then follow the money. In this case following the money isn't difficult because there is just so damn much of it. Start with an astounding quarter of a million dollars by Eli Broad, Superintendent Deasy's mentor and puppet master, and another quarter million by fellow billionaire, Latino media magnate A. Jerrold Perenchio, formerly of Univision. Together they

Rethink TFA | The Harvard Crimson

Rethink TFA | The Harvard Crimson:

Rethink TFA

By EMMA M. LIND

6 days ago

Originally a 2009 Teach For America Mississippi Delta Corps Member, I am now a fourth-year teacher of low-income and minority students at a public charter high school in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. I would not be a teacher today without the support of TFA, and the majority of my incredible colleagues are Teach For America alumni. My principal—the most effective school leader I have ever witnessed as a teacher or a student—is a TFA alumnus.
But February 15 marks the final deadline to apply to be a 2013 TFA Corps Member, and you should not click “submit.”
Unfortunately, many TFA alumni (including myself) allow sentimentality to blind us to the harsh practicalities of TFA and its place in the education reform movement. The truth is, TFA teachers within their two-year corps commitment window do not, by and large, have tangible positive impacts on their classrooms. The natural extension is that if you join TFA, you will most likely

Why I Will Occupy the DOE in April – @ the chalk face

Why I Will Occupy the DOE in April – @ the chalk face:

Why I Will Occupy the DOE in April

from @ the chalk face by Kris Nielsen

In the last month of 2007, I finished my first real semester of being a teacher. It was an accomplishment that I chalked up to being my most difficult and most rewarding. I couldn’t wait to start the next year, and I worked all summer to prepare for it–going over the things I didn’t like and beefing up the things I did like. Most of all, I couldn’t wait to spend another year with preadolescents, a group of misunderstood people that needs our attention more than most. The challenge of getting them to see the world the way they did when they were younger was the most important in my book as a science and math teacher, and I reveled in every victory.

I will occupy the DOE in April because that has all been stripped from us. I’ve been through the most disheartening experience as I watched myself and my colleagues pressed under the new weight of heavier and more crushing mandates, which told us that we simply didn’t have time anymore to let our kids find joy and meaning in their learning. If we chose to “go rogue,” and simply close our doors to the orders from above, sooner or later we would be caught and corrected. Not only that, but now our kids were being forced to take more and

Peg with Pen: Why Am I Going to D.C.?

Peg with Pen: Why Am I Going to D.C.?:

Why Am I Going to D.C.?

by Peggy

This is such an emotionally charged question.

I am going because I feel as though I am on a mission that chose me and I am simply one of the vessels to help it reach its destination.

I am going because I watch my sons watch me. I see them examine the choices I make. I see them watching me refuse to back down and demand the truth out of all that life brings forth. I cannot let them down.

I am going because I have been told all of my years of teaching to simply “shut my door.” Simply shut my door and do what is right for children. This is not enough. I open my door wide. I scream to the world what I am doing for these children - I scream that I am giving them what they are rightfully owed – a whole and equitable education. I scream to the world that I am allowing them to make choices, give input, become a part of their learning experience and become empowered by their voice and their ability to make a difference in this world. I do so because it is the truth and because it is important to model for other women

Parents, students want to rename Cortines campus - latimes.com

Parents, students want to rename Cortines campus - latimes.com:

Parents, students want to rename Cortines campus

from L.A. Now

Parents, students and staff have voted in favor of changing the name of the downtown Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts, setting up an unprecedented conflict within the nation’s second-largest school system.
It’s been less than a year since the Los Angeles Board of Education voted to name its visually striking, $232-million arts high school after Ramon C. Cortines, who had just retired as L.A. schools superintendent. Cortines, 80, has been a leading national figure in education, an advocate for the arts and was involved in establishing the arts high school.
But the school board, following the wishes of school board President Monica Garcia, overrode its own process for naming the school, angering students and parents who had been involved. Then, the issue flamed up further when a district employee sued Cortines alleging sexual harassment.
Last week, the school system, which was defending Cortines, prevailed in court because the harassment claim

Consider crowd funding occupy the doe 2.0, coming up this April @unitedoptout – @ the chalk face

Consider crowd funding occupy the doe 2.0, coming up this April @unitedoptout – @ the chalk face:

Consider crowd funding occupy the doe 2.0, coming up this April @unitedoptout

by Chalk Face, PhD

UOO is trying to fund trips for students to attend the event in Washington, DC this April. Click the picture to access the GoFundME page and think about making a contribution. Plus, you get some serious swag depending on how much you give.

solidaridad: The 99% School Board Candidate versus the 1%'s Mayor

solidaridad: The 99% School Board Candidate versus the 1%'s Mayor:

The 99% School Board Candidate versus the 1%'s Mayor

Supporter sent this perfect juxtaposition of the 1%'s Mayor with a 99% #LAUSD School Board Candidate!pic.twitter.com/D4UKD8Dt

2:01 AM - 18 Feb 13 from Los Angeles, CA, United States

Private school tax credit: A $170 million tax diversion that Georgia lawmakers cloak in secrecy. Why? | Get Schooled

Private school tax credit: A $170 million tax diversion that Georgia lawmakers cloak in secrecy. Why? | Get Schooled:

Private school tax credit: A $170 million tax diversion that Georgia lawmakers cloak in secrecy. Why?

by Maureen Downey

By design, it is impossible to know how the $170 million in private school tax credit has been spent or on whom (AJC file photo)

State Rep. Edward Lindsey, R-Atlanta, met with the AJC Friday for a general discussion on education issues in the state.

By design, it is impossible to know how the $170 million in private school tax credits have been spent or on whom. (AJC file photo)

Among his concerns: Whether the private school scholarship tax credit is working as it was presented to the General Assembly — as a means to help low-income kids whose parents had no other way to afford private schools.
“I want us to make sure the money is going to the kids I have envisioned so they can have better choices,” he said. Lindsey said he disagrees with state Rep. Earl Ehrhart, R-Powder Springs, who recently said the scholarship “was never sold” as a program to benefit only low-income students.
“Rep. Ehrhart and I don’t always agree,” said Lindsey.
The AJC has done several good stories on the tax credit and the challenges — deliberately injected into the law

Slekar said what? – @ the chalk face

Slekar said what? – @ the chalk face:

Slekar said what?

FEBRUARY 17, 2013 BY TIMOTHY D. SLEKAR LEAVE A COMMENT

Last week I was invited to speak at a Rally for Public Schools in Pittsburgh, PA. Organized by a grassroots organization calledYinzercation and lead by a passionate advocate named Jessie Ramey. The event was amazing.

I was asked to explain the opt out movement and how fighting corporate education reform was the true Civil Rights fight of our generation.

Follow Timothy D. Slekar on Twitter: www.twitter.com/slekar

The text of the speech.
I have been a professional educator for over 20 years. Elementary school, Middle School, college. Three years ago

Oregon Save Our Schools: Thoughts on Oregon Education Funding Team Recommendations to the Governor

Oregon Save Our Schools: Thoughts on Oregon Education Funding Team Recommendations to the Governor:

Thoughts on Oregon Education Funding Team Recommendations to the Governor

by Oregon SOS

By Pat Muller

Oregon Save Our Schools

Students and teachers have recently faced many obstacles to success for English Language Learners (ELLs). Layoffs have increased workloads for remaining staff. Class sizes have increased. There is reduced support from the central office as a result of increased administrator workloads. Assistant time has been reduced for classroom support and interventions.

These conditions are made worse by tighter timelines for exiting students, higher goals for progressing students through proficiency levels at a rate not supported by research, rising cut scores for the English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) and the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS), and increased expectations for percentage of students passing the ELPA and the OAKS.

We have been doing more with less for some time now and we have reached the tipping point. Yet, the

203 Legislative Session Handouts

by Oregon SOS

Oregon SOS Guiding Principles

History of Education Reform by Tom Olson

Governor Kitzhaber's Education Reform Plan (aka Oregon Business Plan's Education Reform Playbook

2013 Priority Oregon State Education Legislative Bills

Oregon SOS 2013 Legislative Bills Flyer

Learnworks Participants and Affiliations

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-17-13 #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

Ms. Katie's Ramblings: The Exhaustion of The Longest School Day

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 minutes ago

Ms. Katie's Ramblings: The Exhaustion of The Longest School Day: The Exhaustion of The Longest School Day by KatieO I received this blog post from a special educator currently working in the Chicago Public Schools. The writer wished to remain anonymous, understandably. I have heard similar stories from far too many teachers out there. Rahm and his politically-motivated Longer School Day are going to drive away all our very best educators. This particular teacher is an absolutely phenomenal teacher and this story absolutely breaks my heart. Chicago Public Schools defines the... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Whiplash over at the Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Whiplash over at the Times: Whiplash over at the Times by Melissa Westbrook If you were someone who had moved to Seattle in the last year, you might be forgiven for trying to figure out what it is that the Seattle Times is doing in support of public school levies. Most of the time, according to them, the district can't do anything right (and this is over, say, the last two years when, coincidentally, there has been a majority power shift on the Board and we have a new superintendent who has received tepid support from them). First, the Times writ... more »

Teacher X Supports The Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE Caucus) In Upcoming UFT Elections.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Teacher X Supports The Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE Caucus) In Upcoming UFT Elections by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) Like Popeye eating a can of spinach, or A-Rod shooting up some HGH, I felt reinvigorated driving home from yesterday's Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE) meeting. I admit I was skeptical about the movement, in fact any movements, and sadly I said as much on these pages. I was wrong, I was mistaken. As I am heading up the West Side Highway on my way home yesterday afternoon I place a call to a friend of mi... more »

Oregon Save Our Schools: Nike and Exponential Corporate Welfare

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Oregon Save Our Schools: Nike and Exponential Corporate Welfare: Nike and Exponential Corporate Welfare by Oregon SOS [image: Putting the Public Back in Our Public Schools!] On Tuesday, Washington County Commissioners will vote on a proposal to expand Beaverton's enterprise zone.*They should vote NO on any expansions in unincorporatedWashington County. That specifically includes Nike's World Headquarters "near Beaverton."* The Citizens for Tax Justice ranks Nike in the top 10 of Fortune 500 companies sheltering income in *overseas*tax shelters! Besides Oregon, 3 mores states su... more »

26 Acts of Kindness Campaign Still Inspiring Schools | NEA Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

26 Acts of Kindness Campaign Still Inspiring Schools | NEA Today: 26 Acts of Kindness Campaign Still Inspiring Schools by twalker *By Cindy Long* When a children’s book editor from National Geographic visited a group of third graders at Carlin Springs Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, she fielded a bunch of questions about wildlife. Topping the list – what’s the deadliest creature on the planet? It’s not a shark or a lion, as some of the children guessed, so she gave them a hint: It’s an annoying insect that causes a lot of itching in the summertime. Rebecca Baines reads to ... more »

Schools Matter: A Kindergarten Teacher Stands Up to Bill Gates

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Schools Matter: A Kindergarten Teacher Stands Up to Bill Gates: A Kindergarten Teacher Stands Up to Bill Gates by Judy Rabin *An Open Letter to Bill Gates,* *By Ruth Rodriguez-Fay* *American education has a long history of infatuation with fads and ill-considered ideas. The current obsession with making schools work like a business may be the worst of them, for it threatens to destroy public education. Who will stand up to the tycoons and politicians and tell them so? * * * * **- Diane Ravitch, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, How Tes... more »

Charter School Finance Footnoted

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Charter School Finance Footnoted: [image: Charter School Finance Footnoted] Why this Topic & What I Intend to Do First a little bit of my qualifications: I was trained at FAST/AFL-CIO in the 1995 to do deep corporate research of all kinds to dissect the financial and operational disclosures of employers in many industries including many leading edu-profiteers like Edison. I had a hand in the Ohio Federation of Teachers exposure work on David Brennan and White Hat Management. I had a hand in the years of exposure work on the Walton family. Most recently I was an under-utilized... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-17-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: What a Good Public School District Looks Like by dianerav Jere Hochman, superintendent of the Bedford, New York, public schools wrote the following for his colleagues among NewYork superintendents: “If you want to see Superman solve the problem of the day with the fix of the day, go to the movies or buy a comic book. If you want to see a student motivated intrinsically with drill-skill learning and a standardized test, go the DMV. If you want to make money off the backs of kids, open a small business that sells video games, not tests. If you want to see aut... more »

How Much Longer Must We Wait? Join Us. April 4th – 7th, 2013. | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

How Much Longer Must We Wait? Join Us. April 4th – 7th, 2013. | United Opt Out National: How Much Longer Must We Wait? Join Us. April 4th – 7th, 2013. by admin Join us in D.C. from April 4th – 7th, 2013 to Occupy the DOE 2.0: The Battle for Public Schools. All details here. This entry was posted in Uncategorized by admin. Bookmark the permalink.

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Upcoming Special Events: tele-townhall about standardized testing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Upcoming Special Events: Upcoming Special Events by Melissa Westbrook Monday night, the 18th, I'll be moderating a *tele-townhall about standardized testing.* It's being sponsored by *Fair Test* ,"the National Center for Fair and Open Testing that works to end the misuses and flaws of standardized testing AND to ensure that the evaluation of our students, teachers and schools is done in a fair, open, valid and educationally beneficial manner." It starts at 7p.m. and the call-in number is 1-888-955-5369, PIN 514597 Speakers include Garfield stu... more »

UPDATE: The tale of the pendulum and the bus + The Lowest Expectation of Them All – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

The Lowest Expectation of Them All – @ the chalk face: The tale of the pendulum and the bus. by Timothy D. Slekar For the first time ever, @the chalkface presents a children’s story. *There once was a shiny pendulum. It was a happy pendulum. Everyday it would swing one way and then swing back. Day after day the shiny pendulum would swing one way and then back. The pendulum was happy because it always knew that as soon as it would swing so far out one way it would ALWAYS reach a point a swing back. Over and over again. Back and forth. Consistent and predictable. Life was goo... more »

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky: The Sunday Mail. by Fred Klonsky [image: Ravenswood] *Photo credit: Sarah Jane Rhee/loveandstrugglephotos.com. Ravenswood says no to school closings. Blogger Tim Furman on right.* *A report called “In the Public Interest”* shows the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a Jeb Bush front group, is writing and editing education laws and regulations in six states in ways that could benefit its private funders. Essentially a “pay-to-play” scheme in which corporations can influence policy and then reap the profits. *Tara Stamps, a teacher at Jenner Sch... more »

Putting Students First Rally!!!! Hmong Innovating Politics

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Hmong Innovating Politics: Putting Students First Rally!!!! ‎5 MORE DAYS!!! The California State PTA, Sacramento Council of PTAs, California Teachers Association, Sacramento City Unified District Advisory Committee, and Putting Students First Coalition (parents, students, Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP), Making Cents Work, Democratic Party of Sacramento County, Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education, and local activists all agree the District's "Right-Sizing" Proposal is the wrong choice. "Invest in our schools. Don't close them!" URGE YOUR BOARD MEMBER TO PUT STUDENTS FIR... more »

You Paid For It! | An Antique Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

You Paid For It! | An Antique Teacher: You Paid For It! Thanks to WGRZ TV in Buffalo for this piece about the cost to taxpayers of NY’s APPR. If the use of NY’s RTTT money doesn’t make you furious, just think about the budget shortfalls in your district. Think about what’s already been cut and what’s on the chopping block for this year Remember, it’s this same mandate (RTTT) that has been the driving force behind the APPR mess. It’s the same mandate that has your child tested and tested and tested – losing precious instructional and play time! Is it really a good use of OUR MO... more »

ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN? A Test Cheater :) - SFGate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

NY sets up website for problems with student exams - SFGate: *NY sets up website for problems with student exams* ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN? A Test Cheater ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York education officials say they've set up a website for reporting tips about cheating or other problems with the state's school testing program. Education Department Commissioner John King Jr. says more than five million students take exams every year and the results are critical to improving the performance of schools. He says his department must handle any complaints of fraud or impropriety ... more »

Teachers For Social Justice: School Closings: People Say NO!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Teachers For Social Justice: School Closings: People Say NO!: School Closings: People Say NO! by sarah-ji On February 13th, CPS released its list of potential school closings, which contains 129 schools, 124 of which are north of North Ave. Thousands of parents, teachers, students and community members have been showing up at CPS's school closings commission hearings to denounce CPS's plan to balance the budget on the backs of Black and Brown students and outsource neighborhood schools. We are building a city-wide coalition, the Grassroots Education Movement, made up of teachers, ... more »

The Bush Foundation’s “Air Cover” Hack and Flack | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

The Bush Foundation’s “Air Cover” Hack and Flack | Scathing Purple Musings: The Bush Foundation’s “Air Cover” Hack and Flack by Bob Sikes Reporters across the nation are sifting through the emails which *In the Public Interest *released two weeks ago. It’s that drip, drip, drip you hear. Now this *Associated Press *story about contacts Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education (FEE) made with Oklahoma state education commissioner Janet Barresi, one of FEE’s Chiefs for Change: An email from December 2011 indicates that the Bush foundation was heavily involved with the Okl... more »

The Truth Behind The Project School Closing: The Indiana Corporate School Complex

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

The Truth Behind The Project School Closing: The Indiana Corporate School Complex: The Truth Behind The Project School Closing: The Indiana Corporate School Complex [image: Our Daily Expedience] Our Daily Expedience Our Daily Expedience *(Below is Doug Martin’s in-depth look into the corporate forces in Indianapolis working to keep true community-led charter schools from operating. Please sign the petition to “Save The Project School.”)* On July 17, Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard announced he was closing The Project School, one of the few community-led charter schools in Indiana a... more »

UPDATE: Student ‘zombies’ protest standardized tests + The problem with our ‘first in the world’ education obsession

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

The problem with our ‘first in the world’ education obsession: Student ‘zombies’ protest standardized tests Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 17, 2013 at 11:27 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: test2]The year-long revolt against high-stakes standardized testing by teachers, parents, principals and superintendents and others is being increasingly fueled by students. In Providence, R.I., dozens of students decked out to look like zombies staged a rally recently at the State House to p... more »

Rick Meyer: Why I am Coming to Occupy DOE 2.0 – The Battle for Public Schools | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Rick Meyer: Why I am Coming to Occupy DOE 2.0 – The Battle for Public Schools | United Opt Out National: Rick Meyer: Why I am Coming to Occupy DOE 2.0 – The Battle for Public Schools by admin Imagine this! Thousands of teachers, children, and other supporters of public education are at the plaza in front of the Department of Education in Washington DC. In the center of the crowd is a table. It is our table. It is the table around which we sit in order to make policy decisions about the futures of our teachers, students, schools, and communities. Silence spreads throughout the la... more »

A City Education: Telling the Truth About Modern School Segregation | Education on GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

A City Education: Telling the Truth About Modern School Segregation | Education on GOOD: A City Education: Telling the Truth About Modern School Segregation [image: final.circle] *In our A City Education series, City Year corps members share their experiences working as tutors and mentors in schools in hopes of closing the achievement gap and ending the dropout crisis.* By all accounts, the walk down Auburn Avenue in downtown Atlanta is very different today than it was 50 years ago. What was once a truly vibrant black community is now divided by Interstate 75 and Interstate 85. Th... more »

NYC Educator: Hopeless Addictions

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

NYC Educator: Hopeless Addictions: Hopeless Addictions by NYC Educator A few weeks ago I got a pretty substantial check from FEMA paying off my flood insurance. I decided, as a loyal American, that I needed to do my bit to support the economy. Therefore, I ran out and bought an iPhone. This is a really cool little thing. You can talk to it. You just say, "Call Recovering ATR," or anyone, and there, on the other side of the phone, is the voice you seek. It also plays well with my school's wifi. This is good because T-Mobile, if you ask, will not charge minutes for wifi calls. And y... more »

Schools Matter: A Cereal Box Prize of Hatred

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Schools Matter: A Cereal Box Prize of Hatred: A Cereal Box Prize of Hatred by Storm I wonder at the necessity of asserting that reading and writing foster reading and writing. But beyond that there is the familiar disconnect, in the "What's the Matter with Kansas" sort of way, where the idea of testing and drill and vocabulary lists or word recognition lists being used *ad nauseum* in the lower grades--exactly the time when doing this induces and abject hatred for and distrust of WORDS as they are offered in the context of judgement--that this method of "education" is extraordi... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Is Lack of Universal Preschool the Reason For Poverty?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Is Lack of Universal Preschool the Reason For Poverty?: Is Lack of Universal Preschool the Reason For Poverty? by stlgretchen Or is it that children need fathers? The call for universal preschool programming has created an avalanche of comments from academics, politicians and the citizens paying for these programs. Gail Collins in the NY Times supports increased spending. From *The State of the 4-Year-Olds:* One of the big moments of the State of the Union address was President Obama’s call for “high-quality preschool” for 4-year-olds. Nobody was h... more »

Walk In Our Shoes « City School Stories

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Walk In Our Shoes « City School Stories: Walk In Our Shoes by fmurphy [image: meade rally and walk] Evaluating the success of America’s public schools has become a national focus. Elected officials, business leaders, wealthy philanthropists, and a host of educational entrepreneurs are typically the individuals who have been most active in characterizing the performance of public schools for the American media. These non-educators generally do not speak well of the effectiveness of our public schools and systems. The purpose of City School Stories.com is to tell the story of urban p... more »

Louisiana Educator: 10 Education Forum Questions for Legislators

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: 10 Education Forum Questions for Legislators: 10 Education Forum Questions for Legislators by Michael Deshotels The 10 questions below reveal serious problems with our education system that should be discussed at the upcoming education forums. These problems are the responsibility of our state legislators to correct. If they are not corrected, thousands of children will continue to receive a substandard education at the hands of incompetent amateur educators at our State Department of Education and in the Recovery School District. Also, if they fail to correc... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-17-13 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] Support Glenda Ritz by dianerav Glenda Ritz walloped uber-reformer Tony Bennett in the race for State Superintendent of Indiana schools. Now the Indiana state board of education is trying to strip her of all powers, thus nullifying her election and the will of the voters. The board wants to protect Bennett’s efforts to privatize public education and to lower standards for teachers and principals. Please sign this petition to support Glenda. Always be careful on change.org website. Do not sign other petitio... more »

Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » Global Education Leadership: A Graduate Program for Educators and Education Leaders in the Age of Globalization

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » Global Education Leadership: A Graduate Program for Educators and Education Leaders in the Age of Globalization: Global Education Leadership: A Graduate Program for Educators and Education Leaders in the Age of Globalization by YongZhao In my latest book *World Class Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students*, I list a globalized campus as the context for cultivating globally competent creator and entrepreneurs. The idea is to use technology to bring global education resources to schools to personalize educat... more »

Daily Kos: Thinking about schools - something to share

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Daily Kos: Thinking about schools - something to share: Thinking about schools - something to share by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) that I encountered because Diane Ravitch wrote about it. Jere Hochman is the Superintendent of Schools for the Bedford Central School District in Westchester County, just north of New York City. He has recent piece on his personal blog, Thinking About Schools, titled 10 Executive Actions "To our posterity" that is in the form of a letter to President Obama about things he can do to make a difference, a real difference, in the lives of our young peo... more »

Schools Matter: Nineteen NY Legislators Protest Unproven and Damaging Teacher Evaluation Scheme

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Schools Matter: Nineteen NY Legislators Protest Unproven and Damaging Teacher Evaluation Scheme: Nineteen NY Legislators Protest Unproven and Damaging Teacher Evaluation Scheme by Jim Horn A clip from a post at *Ed in the Apple*: . . . The testing system is deeply flawed. *“Testing and education experts have expressed serious concerns about the validity of the model, pointing to the inability of this methodology to identify the most effective teachers. As an Economic Policy Institute briefing paper mentions, one study found that across five large urban districts, among teachers... more »

H.R.455: High School Data Transparency Act of 2013 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

H.R.455: High School Data Transparency Act of 2013 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: R.455 - High School Data Transparency Act of 2013 To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct certain coeducational elementary and secondary schools to make available information on equality in school athletic programs, and for other purposes. view all titles (2) - Overview - Actions & Votes - News (0) & Blogs (0) - Comments (0) Bill's Views - Today:5 - Past Seven Days:25 - All-Time:53 IntroducedHouse PassesSenate PassesPresident Signs *02/03/13*... more »

Schools Matter: Mark Your Calendars--Occupy the U. S. Department of Education 2.0

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Schools Matter: Mark Your Calendars--Occupy the U. S. Department of Education 2.0: Mark Your Calendars--Occupy the U. S. Department of Education 2.0 by Jim Horn From Peggy Robertson, with this note: "First. . . please let students know that we have free sleeping available should they need it - it would be most helpful if they would let me know personally so that I have a head count. Second - please let everyone know this is a LEGAL occupation. We have permits for everything and the Dept. of Ed. knows we are coming :)." Contact: United Opt Out National FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Em... more »

Blue Jersey:: Paterson Collegiate Charter School Approved. What Now?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Blue Jersey:: Paterson Collegiate Charter School Approved. What Now?: Paterson Collegiate Charter School Approved. What Now?by: Mother Crusader*Sat Feb 16, 2013 at 06:36:49 PM EST* *promoted by Rosi* Yesterday Education Commissioner Cerf approved two new charters for New Jersey. Both will be located in Paterson, where as Jersey Jazzman has reported, some serious reformyness seems to be underway. One of the applications approved, Paterson Collegiate Charter School, is founded by Boston native Steven Wilson who is also the president and founder of a Charter Management Organization (CM... more »

Good to highlight this perspective from a #TFA un-supporter… – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Good to highlight this perspective from a #TFA un-supporter… – @ the chalk face: [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] *Sundays at 6PM on Blog Talk Radio* Good to highlight this perspective from a #TFA un-supporter… by Chalk Face, PhD But, I have to say, one can now be a hero for both JOINING TFA and for REJECTING it? Amazing. Us educators don’t have a chance. Bravo [slow clap] Jumping on the #whatido meme, if that’s what it is, the #education #reformer by Chalk Face, PhD [image: Jumping on the #whatido meme, if that's what it is, the #education #reformer] I think it speaks for itsel... more »

Back to the Future: High School Graduation Rates | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Back to the Future: High School Graduation Rates | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Back to the Future: High School Graduation Rates by larrycuban [image: images]Yes, the rate for U.S. students graduating high school reached 78 percent in 2010, the highest since 1970. And furthermore, dropout rates has fallen to three percent, its lowest since that year. Have you heard any bells chiming the good news? Any upbeat news flashes interrupting CNN anchors? Where are the bloggers posts of U.S. schools finally turning around and on the upswing refuting those school ref... more »

All Education Matters: Interview with Jerry Ashton

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

All Education Matters: Interview with Jerry Ashton: Interview with Jerry Ashton by Cryn Johannsen I now consider Jerry a long-time friend. He's interviewed me on several occasions, and I had the pleasure of meeting him when I went to Occupy in NYC last year. In fact, Jerry took me on a tour of the camp, just a week before it was demolished. I am grateful to know Jerry and appreciate his support of my work. Here's my latest interview with him - http://wgrnradio.com/blog/2013/02/15/from-graduating-class-to-indentured-class-will-america-continue-to-eat-its-young/ Check it out. It's... more »

Why Educators’ Wages Must Be Revamped Now | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Why Educators’ Wages Must Be Revamped Now | toteachornototeach: Why Educators’ Wages Must Be Revamped Now by aristotlethewise Why Educators’ Wages Must Be Revamped Now By Eric A. Hanushek It is no secret that some school districts spend their money better than others. One can easily find groups of districts with the same student demographics and with the same expenditure levels producing very different levels of student achievement. Put another way, some (many?) districts are spending more than they need to spend, based on what other districts show is possible. Economists would su... more »

Decadent fBillionaires: They walk amongst us

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Decadent fBillionaires: They walk amongst us: Decadent billionaire Zombies: They walk amongst us By Danny Weil on February 16, 2013 8:19 pm / no comments [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)] How much more pain will the working class allow the decadent billionaire zombies to inflict on the working class in America? The answer is ssimple: as much as an unorganized working class will allow them. These disaster capitalist zombies are in the captain’s seat, that is for sure. What this spells for Amerrica is a crisis of proportions not even imagin... more »

Is "Scalable" a Code Word for Top-Down Reform? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Is "Scalable" a Code Word for Top-Down Reform? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Is "Scalable" a Code Word for Top-Down Reform? by Anthony Cody About a week ago, John Thompson posted a note in which he conceded that "Educators who oppose the testing mania must admit that our preferred strategies would require high-quality implementation, and neither do we know how to scale them up." *I want to explore this idea of "scalability," because I think we may have a problem here*. As I wrote in a comment to his post, we have been told that the only way schools can improve is... more »

The Weekly Update Part 1 + Part 2 : More school closings, tests for tots and Seattle still scraps the MAP + More school closings, the Common Core blasted by one who would know, hedge fund Whiteousness and much, much more « Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The Weekly Update Part 1: More school closings, the Common Core blasted by one who would know, hedge fund Whiteousness and much, much more « Seattle Education: The Weekly Update Part 1: More school closings, the Common Core blasted by one who would know, hedge fund Whiteousness and much, much more by seattleducation2011 The Weekly Update Part 1: More school closings, the Common Core blasted by one who would know, hedge fund Whiteousness and much, much more *The Weekly Update for all the news and views you might have missed.* There is so much going on in the world of education that t...more »

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