Big Education Ape: Mar 31, 2013

Sunday, March 31, 2013

by The Christian Science Monitor

By The Christian Science Monitor
Monday, April 1, 2013 0:54 EDT

An African-American man behind bars. Photo: Shutterstock.com, all rights reserved.

Topics: Manhood Development Program ♦ Oakland High School

Oakland High School sophomore Barry Williams answers a question from instructor Tiago Robinson during the Manhood Development Program at Oakland High School on March 12 in Oakland, California. This is the cover story in the Apr. 1 issue of The Christian Science MonitorWeekly.(Ann Hermes/The Christian Science Monitor)

Two students set off fire alarms in the same school district. One of them, an African-American kindergartner, is suspended for five days; the other, a white ninth-grader, is suspended for one day.

•An African-American high-schooler is suspended for a day for using a cellphone and aniPod in class. In the same school, a white student with a similar disciplinary history gets detention for using headphones.

•Two middle-schoolers push each other; the white student receives a three-day, in-school suspension, while the native American student is arrested and suspended, out of school, for 10 days.

Civil rights groups have been saying for years that school discipline is not meted out fairly, citing examples like these reported last year from around the country by the US Department of Education.

High rates of suspensions and expulsions for certain groups – particularly African-Americans,

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

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

State still has a role in supporting and holding districts accountable - by Erin Gabel / commentary

by Erin Gabel / commentary

With the passage of Proposition 30 and almost nine out of 10 local ballot measures last November, the voters of California gave our schools an almost unprecedented chance to begin rebuilding after years of budget cuts.

With his budget proposal, Governor Brown kept the promises we made to voters and made education funding his top priority. But his proposal does more than fund schools — it stands to change the way we fund them.

And while the State Superintendent of Public Instruction — elected to oversee the education of 6.3 million school kids throughout California — appreciates the governor’s vision and agrees that we have a historic opportunity to redesign our school funding system, we also have to approach the proposedLocal Control Funding Formula carefully.

Almost all of us in the education community welcome the opportunity to improve transparency, provide more local control, and direct

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

CORPORATE ETHICS

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

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

State Takeovers: What Loss of Local Control Means for Schools

from The Educated Reporter by Emily Richmond

How bad does a public school system need to be for the state to take over? Are low student test scores alone enough? And what is a realistic time frame for the state to either turn schools around or restore local control?

The looming prospects of state takeovers are making headlines from Maryland to Ohio, as lawmakers express frustration with the glacial pace of school improvement and stagnant student achievement. Proponents of state takeovers say this drastic measure is the best way of promoting radical change in failing schools, improving accountability, and giving students access to better programs and services. State officials contend there must be consequences when schools continue to fall short of expectations, and that they have a constitutional obligation to step in. In some cases that means replacing the superintendent with a new (and ideally more effective) leader, and reallocating resources to target the areas of greatest need.

But critics contend that there can be significant downsides, including an over-reliance on test scores as the

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

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Emmy award-winning original video - NBC Learn series including "Science of NFL Football," "Science of the Olympic Winter Games," "Chemistry NOW!" and "Finishing the Dream: Learning from the Civil Rights Era."

Daily Kos: There is a truly remarkable Facebook Post

Daily Kos: There is a truly remarkable Facebook Post:

There is a truly remarkable Facebook Post

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

by Robert Valvano, brother of the late coach Jimmy V. He is a broadcaster for the Louisville basketball team. This post is written in the aftermath of today's game, including the horrifying injury to Kevin Ware.
Here is the beginning:

Okay violating my self imposed Facebook abstinence here just one time before June 1, but I hope you will understand...
Today was that exceptional...I have broadcast games for 17 years, 12 on radio with Paul Rogers for the University of Louisville games. Only one other time, of a much more personal nature, was I moved to tears on the air. In Albeuquerque, the same site as my brother Jim's national championship, Louisville came from 20 points down in an Elite Eight game to go to Rick Pitino's first Final Four with the Cards. For various reasons, including a tremendously generous gesture by then assistant coach Kevin Willard, I was so moved...but that was more personal...
Today, Kevin Ware suffered one of the most gruesome injuries you'll see on basketball court, or

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

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

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

by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)

All is not happy, least of all the books in the library at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, where learning, reading, and writing supposedly come first.

For several months now, The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School has been without a professional in the library for several months. For years there had been a professional in the library, but alas, there is a professional no more. What is the The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School to do without one?

One can safely assume in a place such as The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School in which a premium is placed on the students having a happy good time learning, reading, and writing. One can assume that students needs and having a library professional in place would take precedence over those with ego and control issues. Sadly, The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School is not such a place.

Not only is there not a professional in the library at The Happy Good Time

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

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

Kevin Huffman Refuses to Meet Nashville School Board

by dianerav

Kevin Huffman, Tennessee’s State Commissioner of Education, taught for two years as a member of Teach for America. Then he was the TFA “communications director.” That is, the PR guy.
Somehow he got picked to be head of education in a whole despite his minimal experience and his lack of any

More Details on Tennessee Scrooge Plan

by dianerav

Here’s more about the Tennessee proposal to cut the welfare benefits of families if their children don’t make progress on state tests.
155,000 families will be affected if the bill passes.
Is this value-added right-to-eat?
The main sponsor of the bill has no children.
I knew it was Ebenezer Scrooge.

Jindal Competes With Tennessee for Scrooge Award

by dianerav

Governor Bobby Jindal is one our most notable reformers.
He wants to reform Louisiana’s tax code by abolishing income taxes and corporate taxes and replace them with an increase in the sales tax. This will shift the burden of taxation to poor and middle-income people. How clever to shelter the income of the rich.
But wait, there is more.
Jindal and his faithful liege John White wan

Email the “Health” Committee of the Tennessee Legislature

by dianerav

Here are the names and contact number for the committee in the Tennessee legislature that will decide whether to cut the welfare benefits of families whose children get low test scores.
Please contact them, in the name of decency.

Tennessee Wins Scrooge Award for Meanest Law Ever

by dianerav

Just when you think that things couldn’t get any worse, some legislator comes up with the meanest, cruelest, dumbest idea yet.
Tennessee is considering legislation to cut the welfare benefits to families if their children get low test scores.
Some exceptions are carved out, but the basic idea is that the kids need a carrot and stick approach. Or more likely, a whip. The kids need to be

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-31-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] How Vouchers “Worked” in Cleveland by dianerav A reader in Cleveland comments on today’s post about vouchers in Cleveland. He is responding to a comment by another reader, who defended vouchers: “I’m from Cleveland. The vouchers worked! They raised the cost of per-pupil expenditures in our public schools and resulted in cuts to funding for arts and enrichment programs, making public schools a less desirable “choice.” See Freakenomics for their take on vouchers. T... more »

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

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

Leaves on the Current - a brief update after 8 weeks

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

this past week has been somewhat difficult. After two rounds of chemo we now understand why the oncologist has her on a cycle of two weeks on, one week off. By the last day of the 14 days on, which was last Monday, Leaves was very wiped out and without much energy. In the ensuing week she has slowly recovered, but her sense of taste remains very unpredictable. I have, after 6 weeks of chemo treatment and several weeks before that of radiation that she will not be able to predict what will appeal to her, so I no longer buy in any kind of bulk unless it is canned - Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup remains a staple.
There is a back story on chicken soup. Once when she was at Harvard and told me by phone how sick she was feeling, I flew up to Boston, and on my way to her dorm stopped by Elsie's and got her a container of chicken soup. It has been known as Jewish penicillin for a reason. Similarly with the books of Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Leaves is not yet back to full-time work, although she is working 7-8 hour days with regularity.

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

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

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

by seattleducation2011

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel with the help of Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd Bennett who has connections with the Broad Foundation, Gates and all things corporate, is moving right along with the privatizers’ playbook of closing schools and converting many of those schools into charter schools. Fifty four schools are slated for closing.

Last Monday, the students held a protest against the closing of these schools:

Students March on City Hall, Call School Closings ‘Racist,’ Dangerous

Calling school closings “racist” and saying they could lead to “children dying,” dozens of students held a march Downtown Monday to protest last week’s announcement that 54 schools would close.

Declaring themselves the Chicago Students Organizing to Save Our Schools, they marched from Chicago Public Schools headquarters to City Hall to deliver a letter to

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

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

List of Common Core Corporate Sponsors and State Chiefs

by stlgretchen

Common Core Chief State Officers had 2013 Legislative Conference March 17-19 in Washington DC. It's interesting that it is listed as a legislative conference as state legislatures (and Congress) have had no idea on what these state chiefs and private interests have decided for states and local school districts.

On page 2/48 of the conference material (the first page) it states CCSSO is:

Supporting states in transforming education systems and policies.

Translated: a private trade organization is crafting plans/mandates that states must follow to receive federal funding. It's supporting states in telling them how CCSSO will develop education and how the states then need to deliver the CCSSO mandate.

Read through the document. Find out who is selling out your state sovereignty on the state level and

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

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

A Jam for Occupy DOE 2.0- The Battle for Public Schools, from Notorious Phd

Teachers and parents don’t be blue
Its Occupy DOE Number 2
Duncan must have hoped we’d disappear
But we’ve come from all over to bend his ear
From New York ,Virginia, Cali and Mass
We're taking no prisoners
And we're moving fast
Because k-12 testing
just won’t cut it
A young mind needs stirring
tests just shut it
To the best of our teachers
You’ve said “Goodbye M’am”
You don’t make the grade
According to VAM
We'll rate you, assess you
And make your job harder
Your school will be gone
Replaced by a charter
But though teachers are stressed
They surely won't wilt
They’ll fight for their students
Not succumb to test guilt
They’ll stand up for music,
gym, recess and art
For novels and poems
That inspire the heart
We bring to your doorstep
A teachers vision
A curriculum of love

What Is the Impact of a School District? | toteachornototeach

What Is the Impact of a School District? | toteachornototeach:

What Is the Impact of a School District?

by aristotlethewise

What Is the Impact of a School District?

by Eric Lerum
Do school districts matter?
The Brown Center on Education Policy at The Brookings Institute released an interesting report today that asks, and attempts to answer, this very question.
It’s an important question. The authors — Grover Whitehurst, Matthew Chingos, and Michael Gallaher — note that leaders of school districts soak up more than their share of the spotlight when it comes to education reform. And they’re compensated well to boot. As a result, one might expect that when it comes to raising student achievement, school districts and their leaders are a pretty big deal.
The findings?
For the Brookings authors, the conclusion is, “Yes, but other factors matter more and additional study is needed.” Districts do have a significant impact on student achievement. What we still don’t know, however, is

Endorsements - Monica Ratliff for Board of Education 2013

Endorsements - Monica Ratliff for Board of Education 2013:

Missouri Education Watchdog: Another Disenchanted Teacher on Common Core

Missouri Education Watchdog: Another Disenchanted Teacher on Common Core:

Another Disenchanted Teacher on Common Core

by stlgretchen

From tomakeaprairie.com and On Programs, Broken Promises and Why We Aren’t Finland:

And that brings me to another reason I’m heartsick. Having actually welcomed the Common Core Standards for the emphasis they seemed to place on reading for deeper levels of meaning, I now find myself feeling disappointed and duped.

I’m heartsick for another broken promise that’s explicitly stated in the Standards: that teachers would be “free to provide students with whatever tools and knowledge their professional judgement and experience identify as most helpful for meeting the goals set out

YouTube Is Shutting Down 2013 Official Video

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

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

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

by Jim Horn

Corporate ed reform schoolers across the country are in emergency mode to try to implement the latest testing deliver system, the Common Core, before parents and teachers and students can force a halt to the madness. In doing so, deformers make their desperation apparent as their agendas take precedent over learning or the opportunity to learn.

In New York, high stakes decisions will be made this year based on test scores for which teachers and students had no materials or time to prepare. This is the perfect opportunity to bring this violation into the courts. FromNorth Country Now:
___________

Sunday, March 31, 2013 - 8:39 am

New York’s largest teachers’ union is asking parents to join teachers in opposing the state’s use of what the

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 3-31-13 #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

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 minutes ago

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

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 minutes ago

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

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 minutes ago

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

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

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

PD: Will It Float? | My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

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

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

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

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Transportation Changes May Be Coming

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

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

Missouri Education Watchdog: Bill Gates Promises More Money for Accelerated Common Core Implementation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Bill Gates Promises More Money for Accelerated Common Core Implementation: Bill Gates Promises More Money for Accelerated Common Core Implementation by stlgretchen Teachers, don't worry that your accountability will be based on assessments not yet written to be taught from curriculum not yet available and tests mandated to be taken on computers that are non-existent. Bill Gates wants you to buy into his vision. He's "here to help you". It's sort of like "it's for the kids". From foundationcenter.org: Gates Foundation Seeks Proposals to Accelerate ... more »

50 ways adults in schools ‘cheat’ on standardized tests

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

50 ways adults in schools ‘cheat’ on standardized tests: 50 ways adults in schools ‘cheat’ on standardized tests Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 31, 2013 at 2:51 pm 0 Comments More [image: test2]Here’s a list of 50-plus ways that schools manipulate standardized test scores to make the results look better than they actually are. They were compiled by the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, or FairTest, a nonprofit dedicated to ending the misuse of standardized test scores, and were taken from actual cases documented in government and reports. You can learn more here about t... more »

California Father | @califather Califather all spiffed up and ready to stream Occupy the DoE! #edchat #soschat #uoodc13

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

California Father | Educating Sullivan: [image: California Father] califather on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free - ON DEMAND - ABOUT OCCUPY THE DEPT OF ED - HOW TO CHAT

Chesar Chavez, Jesus Christ, and Commitment to Eradicating Poverty [To The Foolish] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Chesar Chavez, Jesus Christ, and Commitment to Eradicating Poverty [To The Foolish] | The Jose Vilson: Chesar Chavez, Jesus Christ, and Commitment to Eradicating Poverty [To The Foolish] by Jose Vilson [image: Cesar Chavez Day Google Doodle]I’m Feeling Lucky Dear critics of Google’s choice for their Google Doodle of the Day: What part of “serving the poor” is not aligned with today, a celebration of Jesus’ renewal and purpose in life? In no way am I saying Cesar Chavez is Jesus, but are Chavez’s (and Dolores Huerta, by the way) works not aligned with the auspices of serving the poor... more »

City College of San Francisco (CCSF) fights back against the corporate raiders and enemies of education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

City College of San Francisco (CCSF) fights back against the corporate raiders and enemies of education: City College of San Francisco (CCSF) fights back against the corporate raiders and enemies of education by Danny Weil [image: images-1] Recently, students, faculty and community supporters rallied to save the *City College of San Francisco* (CCSF), once known as a “junior college” or “community college” ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ohmyNueU94&feature=youtu.be). However, the names ‘junior college and community college” no longer find resonance in the snaky plans of the pr... more »

New York Times Easter Puzzle: Too Many Effective Teachers | InterACT

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

New York Times Easter Puzzle: Too Many Effective Teachers | InterACT: New York Times Easter Puzzle: Too Many Effective Teachers by David B. Cohen The New York Times has a front-page story on teacher evaluation, and the connundrum faced by reformers who came up with misguided attempts to use test scores and cut scores and all manner of quantification and formulation in their efforts to find the “bad teachers.” But now, it turns out their systems aren’t working as intended. A couple of quick reactions here. First, as Randi Weingarten suggests in the story itself, perhaps there aren’... more »

Google Doodle: Cesar Chavez | Photos - ABC News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Google Doodle: Cesar Chavez | Photos - ABC News: Google Doodle: Cesar Chavez Cesar Chavez Day is celebrated on March 31 in California, Colorado and Texas. Share 93 Share on emailEmail Print More Sharing ServicesMore Google Doodle1 of 30 [image: Previous][image: Next] [image: Google Doodles Cesar Chavez] [image: Google Celebrates Mary Leaky] [image: Google Honors MLK] [image: Google Doodle: A Zamboni Machine] [image: Google Doodle: Zamboni machine] [image: Google Doodle: Ada Lovelace] [image: Google Doodle: Ada Lovelace] [image: Google Doodle: Thanksgiving 2012] [image: Google ... more »

Asimov’s “Cult of Ignorance” and Education Reform? – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Asimov’s “Cult of Ignorance” and Education Reform? – @ the chalk face: Asimov’s “Cult of Ignorance” and Education Reform? by plthomasedd What does an essay by science fiction giant Isaac Asimov in 1980 have to do with education reform in 2013? Writing in *Newsweek* (1980, January 21) in the cusp of America’s shift into the Reagan era of conservatism that included the roots of the current education reform movement built on accountability, standards, and high-stakes testing, Isaac Asimov declared the U.S. “a cult of ignorance,” explaining: There is a cult of ignorance in the United... more »

School vouchers don't work | Arkansas Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

School vouchers don't work | Arkansas Blog: School vouchers don't workPosted by Max Brantley on Sat, Mar 30, 2013 at 5:15 AM You just have to follow* Diane Ravitch* if you live in this land of Stepford legislators who accept pronouncements from the Billionaire Boys Club school reform lobby as holy writ. If a Walton says it — or somebody paid by the Waltons — it must be so. There is another side. Speaking of the Waltons: They finance a school up at the *University of Arkansas*'s Walton branch campus in Fayetteville dedicated to churning out support for the BBC's anti-union, pro-vo... more »

Daily Kos: 40 Years After Watergate, It's Almost Impossible to Hold Government Accountable

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Daily Kos: 40 Years After Watergate, It's Almost Impossible to Hold Government Accountable: 40 Years After Watergate, It's Almost Impossible to Hold Government Accountable by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) is the title of this piece by Michael Winship. I am linking to an Alternet version of the piece. It is written in the context of a recent conference on Watergate with many important participants present. Winship had himself been a journalist at the time. to give a quick sense of his attitude, let me quote the following: Yet make no mistake — for all the general hilarity (an... more »

Poison seeds: The bitter harvest of the APS cheating scandal | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Poison seeds: The bitter harvest of the APS cheating scandal | Get Schooled: Poison seeds: The bitter harvest of the APS cheating scandal by Maureen Downey [image: downeyart0401]In 2009, the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education featured Atlanta’s Parks Middle School on its annual bus tour of high-achieving schools, and I joined the visit. I arrived early in my own car, beating the bus and getting a chance to chat with students for an hour. The enthusiastic students expressed pride in their school, which was decorated with banners announcing its awards and distinctions. An... more »

Louisiana Educator: Parents and Educators Object to LDOE Takeover Policies

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: Parents and Educators Object to LDOE Takeover Policies: Parents and Educators Object to LDOE Takeover Policies by Michael Deshotels Please click on this link to view an open letter written to New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu, Steve Barr and the Oprah Winfrey Network by the John McDonogh advisory committee. I believe this advisory committee is made up of dedicated community leaders who would like to see a much better future for the students of John McDonogh High School. Their letter expresses legitimate concerns about the unfair negative depiction of the school ... more »

Is Scientology Sneaking Into Classrooms?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Is Scientology Sneaking Into Classrooms?: Is Scientology Sneaking Into Classrooms? Applied Scholastics, a teaching method explicitly linked to L. Ron Hubbard, has put a group of Phoenix charter schools in the hot seat. [image: Is Scientology Sneaking Into Classrooms?]Actor Tom Cruise attends the grand opening of Applied Scholastics International's new headquarters on July 26, 2003, in St. Louis, Missouri. Applied Scholastics is an international teacher training centre utilizing the learning methods developed by L. Ron Hubbard. (Photo: Getty Images) Scientology could be creeping in... more »

Sunday read. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Sunday read. | Fred Klonsky: Sunday read. by Fred Klonsky [image: IMG_0253] *Photo: Fred Klonsky. Anna Maria Island, Florida.* *No matter what they do, how they measure it or what scheme they put in place*, the results keep coming back showing that we’re pretty damn good. And they act surprised when even their stupid data keeps saying that. *But that doesn’t keep them* from doing away with tenure. *Data collecting, Big Brother and the crazy Glenn Beck.* Even a broken clock is right twice a day. *The rich and powerful are just like us* except they’re rich and powerful. *Michael Madiga... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-31-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Victory for Seattle MAP boycott teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Victory for Seattle MAP boycott teachers: Victory for Seattle MAP boycott teachers by ed notes online No punishment for teachers in Seattle test boycott Posted by Linda Shaw Superintendent Jose Banda announced today that no teachers would be disciplined for boycotting the exams known as the Measures of Academic Progress, or MAP, this winter. District leaders concluded that none of the protesting teachers had responsibility for administering the exams, Banda said, so they were not insubordinate by failing to carry out their duties. At many schools, Banda said, other... more »

Educators debate validity of MAP testing | Local News | The Seattle Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Educators debate validity of MAP testing | Local News | The Seattle Times: Educators debate validity of MAP testing The set of exams now under attack in Seattle was originally developed in the ’70s by an informal group of school administrators from Washington and Oregon, an attempt to improve upon the tests of their day. By Linda Shaw Seattle Times education reporter [image: Jesse Hagopian, left, a Garfield teacher, spoke out against MAP testing during a noontime teacher rally in February.] [image: Enlarge this photo] GREG GILBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES Jesse Hagopian, left, a Garfield ... more »

Lisa Nielsen: The Innovative Educator: College is costly: 7 innovative ideas for funding

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Lisa Nielsen: The Innovative Educator: College is costly: 7 innovative ideas for funding: College is costly: 7 innovative ideas for funding by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) ** ** *For some, the hardest part about going to college is not deciding whether college is right for you, the admissions process, or the workload you have once you get there. For many the hardest part about going to college is paying for it. Regardless of where you go to school, College costs a lot of money.* * For students who choose to go to college, here are some ideas for great places to turn for fund... more »

Schools Matter: Grammar/spelling instruction fever in the UK

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Schools Matter: Grammar/spelling instruction fever in the UK: Grammar/spelling instruction fever in the UK by skrashen How to improve grammar and spelling Sent to the Telegraph (UK) According to the Telegraph, Kent County “Teachers (are) 'to be given lessons in spelling and grammar'” (March 31) so they can better prepare 11-year-olds to take tests in grammar and spelling. Neither the Kent County Council nor the UK Department of Education appears to be aware that there has been extensive research on this topic, and the results are very consistent: (1) Direct instruction in grammar a... more »

Daily Kos: King Cotton’s Long Shadow

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Daily Kos: King Cotton’s Long Shadow: King Cotton’s Long Shadow by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) is the title of this piece in the Opiniator section of the *New York Times* website. It was written by Walter Johnson, a professor of history and African and African-American Studies at Harvard. It is not long, and definitely worth the read. A couple of things caught my eye. He posits that the normal viewpoint that the Civil War represented the victory of capitalism over slavery is incorrect: In actual fact, however, in the years before the Civil War, there was no capitalism witho... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Happy Birthday To Me: 3 Years of the Jazzman!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Happy Birthday To Me: 3 Years of the Jazzman!: Happy Birthday To Me: 3 Years of the Jazzman! by Duke *Since March 30, 2010:* - 1,905 posts - 7,868 tweets. - Approx. 15,000 dangling prepositions. - 3,142 uses of the phrase "*massive hypocrite*." - 76 spreadsheet files. - Easily 50 separate downloads of the same damn file from NJDOE. - Untold tables built at the Common Core of Data. - Weekly astonishment at how much you Facebookers *love* posts about Michelle Rhee. - Great inspiration from all the writers at the left. - Great inspiration from all the commenters... more »

School Tech Connect: This Isn't Goodbye-Goodbye...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

School Tech Connect: This Isn't Goodbye-Goodbye...: This Isn't Goodbye-Goodbye... by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) ...but it's goodbye for now. And so we have come to the end of School TechConnect. It's been a hell of a ride. I'm taking a few months off. I'll still be active on Twitter because as you know, I have to chime in on every little thing. And if I have something more extensive to say, I have a space ready for that. And I fully intend to be out on the streets with my cameras, so you ain't heard the last from Ernest T. Bass, as a famous hillbilly once said. But the... more »

The Next MORE Bronx Happy Hour on April 5.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: The Next MORE Bronx Happy Hour on April 5 by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) * * *Come one, come all, the next, best MORE happy hour and is this coming Friday, April 5th at 4 PM in the Beautiful Bronx.* * * *Again, mention Frank Sinatra Jr and get a glass of vino on the house. * * * * * * * * * *ATTENTION : BRONX UFTer**s* * * * * *MORE (Movement of Rank and File Educators) * * * *ANNOUNCES......* * * * * *PRE-ELECTION * * * * H A P P Y H O U R @* * * * **Friday, April 5……… 4 pm to 7 pm** * *"G" BAR and LOUNGE* * * * ... more »

Education programs funding - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Education programs funding - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: H.R.1303 School Nutrition Flexibility Act Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 13 seconds ago To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to provide flexibility to school food authorities in meeting certain nutritional requirements for the school lunch and breakfast programs, and for other purposes. Bill Introduced: H.R.1258 Strengthen and Unite Communities with Civics Education and English Development Act of 2013 Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 13 seconds ago To... more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: When Learning is the Last Thing on a Student's Mind!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: When Learning is the Last Thing on a Student's Mind!: When Learning is the Last Thing on a Student's Mind! by Lisa M I decided to fast on Fridays for Lent. I have never fasted before, so this was as big deal for me. I decided that I would eat something in the morning, and then eat at sunset. I was hungry. My stomach started growling a little before lunch.Food was on my mind the entire day. It was hard for me to concentrate on anything but my empty stomach.But here's the difference between myself and some of the kids we teach. I had a mea... more »

Alabama Accountability Act will devastate public schools without improving education (Guest column) | al.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Alabama Accountability Act will devastate public schools without improving education (Guest column) | al.com: Alabama Accountability Act will devastate public schools without improving education (Guest column) [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] *By Dr. Diane Ravitch* The Republicans in the state legislature pulled a fast one on the Democrats. They pretended to negotiate in good faith, but then passed a bill that the Democrats never saw. The Republicans also pulled a fast one on the citizens of Alabama by passing the so-called "Alabama Accountability Act" that wil... more »

Kimble's Corner: An Easter Gift for my Constituents and Friends

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Kimble's Corner: An Easter Gift for my Constituents and Friends: An Easter Gift for my Constituents and Friends by Representative Kimble There are two huge pieces of news on the book front. First, Profiles in Courageousness will be coming out in paperback form and secondly, it's been proofread and copy edited. The new version will be appearing in the eBook stores soon and when that happens, I will make sure that anybody who bought the first version will be able to get the proofread copy free of charge. In addition, I am as always on a crusade to save Easter from the Communists,... more »

Scathing excerpts from Atlanta indictment in test cheating scandal

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Scathing excerpts from Atlanta indictment in test cheating scandal: Scathing excerpts from Atlanta indictment in test cheating scandal Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 30, 2013 at 5:00 pm 0 Comments More [image: test1]Here are some excerpts from the 96-page indictment returned in Fulton County, Ga., against former Atlanta Schools superintendent Beverly Hall and 34 others in a massive cheating scandal. The indictment portrays Hall as the head of a corrupt organization that used standardized test scores to financially reward and punish employees, and it alleges that those involved ag... more »

Political Animal - What Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee doesn’t want you to know

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Political Animal - What Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee doesn’t want you to know: What Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee doesn’t want you to know By Kathleen Geier FacebookTwitterDiggRedditStumbleUponDelicious What’s good enough for other people’s kids apparently isn’t good enough for the daughter of Michelle Rhee. As The Washington Post’s Valerie Strauss reports, one of education reform advocate Michelle Rhee’s daughters apparently attends an elite prep school for grades 5-12 that charges tuition of upwards of $20,000 a year. On one level, the hypocrisy is hardly shocking. Eli... more »

Blue Jersey:: Education Round-Up 3/30/13

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Blue Jersey:: Education Round-Up 3/30/13: Education Round-Up 3/30/13 by Jersey Jazzman A pre-Easter round-up this week, so I'll be keeping it short in order to preserve maximal egg-rolling time:*Camden Takeover* So Chris Christie and Education Commissioner Cerf finally pulled the trigger and took over Camden's schools.It's worth noting that the district already had a state monitor and a mayor-appointed school board, so it's not like Camden is a case of an elected board run amuck. Newark has been under state control for 18 years, Paterson 22 years, and Jersey City 24 years. There'... more »

Sun-Times claims credit for PURE state EIG complaint Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Sun-Times claims credit for PURE state EIG complaint: Sun-Times claims credit for PURE state EIG complaint by admin [image: UnoS-T] Well, I’ll have to admit that it’s flattering for a major metropolitan newspaper to take credit for our action. But the actual reason the state is investigating UNO’s $98 million grant is not the Sun-Times’s story, but the complaint PURE and LSC members from Pilsen Elementary filed with the state Office of the Executive Inspector General on January 17. That was a story the Sun-Times failed to rep... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: How will Common Core/National Science Standards Address Climate Change?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: How will Common Core/National Science Standards Address Climate Change?: How will Common Core/National Science Standards Address Climate Change? by stlgretchen A recent post by MEW reported on a parent's delight about the forthcoming national science standards and her belief they would teach climate change is primarily due to humans. She wrote: *Federal science standards coming later this month will recommend that public schools educate students about climate change. Once students understand, they may just educate their parents. * * Oops. From Hot... more »

Diane in the Evening 3-30-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Pedro Noguera on Atlanta Cheating Scandal by dianerav Pedro Noguera, my colleague at New York University, said the following in an email this morning: *“How ironic. Not one banker in jail for ruining the economy but a superintendent is under indictment for cheating. Says a lot about our nation’s priorities. – pedro”* I asked and got his permission to post this. He added: “*I don’t condone cheating but I see what happened in Atlanta and the other districts where cheating has occurred as a direct result of th... more »

List of charges against 35 in Atlanta test cheating indictment

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

List of charges against 35 in Atlanta test cheating indictment: List of charges against 35 in Atlanta test cheating indictment Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 30, 2013 at 4:00 pm 0 Comments More [image: atlanta]Here is the release from the Office of the Fulton County District Attorney, Paul L. Howard Jr., about a grand jury indictment of 35 administrators and educators in a massive test cheating scandal in Atlanta. (The misspellings are in the original): *GRAND JURY INDICTS 35 IN CONNECTION WITH ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHEATING SCANDAL* *Former Superindent Beverly Hall Accused of... more »

Close Corporate Tax Loopholes, Not Public Schools | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Close Corporate Tax Loopholes, Not Public Schools | toteachornototeach: Close Corporate Tax Loopholes, Not Public Schools by aristotlethewise *Close Corporate Tax Loopholes, Not Public Schools* by Carl Gibson If you’re in a canoe that’s got a hole letting in water, do you throw the other passenger overboard who is helping you row, or do you just patch the hole and keep rowing? Chicago public schools are facing a $1 billion deficit. The corporate media would like you to believe it’s due to excessive spending and that Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposal to close more than 50 schools, most o... more »

All Education Matters: Taegan Goddard's Coverage on Mounting Defaults

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

All Education Matters: Taegan Goddard's Coverage on Mounting Defaults: "increase in student loan defaults," Taegan Goddard's Coverage on Mounting Defaults by Cryn Johannsen This subject, that of an increase in student loan defaults, has been covered for several years on AEM. So, this won't come as a surprise to most of my readers, but student loan defaults are worsening. Over at Political Wire, Taegan Goddard provided a short brief about the increase in student loan defaults. Here's a snippet: The Department’s Office of Inspector General… blames a system installed in 2011 by Xer... more »