Tuesday, April 9, 2013

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School Part XI: More Crazy Shit!.southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School Part XI: More Crazy Shit!

by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)

More from the "You can't make this shit up department."

Oh my God! The wheels are falling completely off the bus at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School. The fail is going to be epic, but unseen by those with their heads so deeply buried in the ground or the (CENSORED) sphincter.

How nutty have things gotten? The shit just gets crazier by the day!

A student, one of the oldest students at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, but for the sake of the blog we shall call him Abe Vigoda turned and ratted out a teacher, who we shall call Phil Esposito.

Now Sal is the type, that never ever stays in his classroom, goes where he is supposed to be, or follows any rules but his. The(CENSORED) is scared of him, or worse, has given up dealing with him. Now this has not been going on just this year. It has been like this for Abe Vigoda at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Commission Meeting Wrap-Up

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Commission Meeting Wrap-Up:

Charter Commission Meeting Wrap-Up

by Melissa Westbrook

This particular thread will probably end up being quite long as there is both news to report from the actual meeting as well as the upshot of what we are going to end up getting for charter schools.

The meeting was held in a conference room off the Governor's office. There was a high wooden conference table with chairs that had low seats but high backs. (I found this both funny and irritating because it had the effect of a bunch of kids sitting at an adults' table but you also could not see almost anyone's face as they spoke because the chairbacks block all views.)

Not surprisingly, Steve Sundquist "volunteered" to chair the meeting (and, as I tweeted, I suspect he will end up chair of the commission). To his credit, he's very good at chairing meetings. I did not recognize anyone else noton the Commission except for long-time charter supporter, Jim Spady. (He left the meeting quite frequently to confer with various people.) I was seated next to a gentleman who wants to open a college-prep elementary charter school in Tacoma.

Sundquist had everyone go around the table and say something that wasn't on their bio. Almost to a person,

Modern School: CTA Overwhelmingly Supports Easing Teacher Dismissal Rules

Modern School: CTA Overwhelmingly Supports Easing Teacher Dismissal Rules:

CTA Overwhelmingly Supports Easing Teacher Dismissal Rules

by Michael Dunn

Teachers Unions: Protecting the Bosses at Teachers’ Expense

A common misperception is that unions exist to protect the interests of workers. If this were true, if unions really fought vigorously for the interests of workers, they would not be tolerated at all. The fact that they are legal, and that a large body of laws has been written to regulate their activities, is evidence of their acceptance by the employing class. Indeed, they serve the interests of the employing class by acting as intermediaries that help maintain the peace between employers and workers, keeping them on the job and working efficiently.

When looked at from this perspective, it should come as no surprise that the California Teachers Association (CTA is the state’s largest teachers union) is giving its unconditional support to new legislation that would make it easier to fire teachers. Assembly Bill 375, written by Democrat Joan Buchanan, has already received unanimous approval by the Assembly’s Education Committee and overwhelming support by both parties. It has also been praised by the CTA:

“We support AB 375 and AB 1338 because the bills reflect CTA’s goals to keep students safe, safeguard the integrity of the profession, and protect the rights of educators. CTA supports these bills because they provide immediate protections for students and streamline and shorten the dismissal process to ensure charges are handled fairly and in a timely manner. We commend Assembly Education Committee Chair Joan Buchanan for her hard work in developing the legislation and Senator Alex Padilla for signing on as co-author. We look forward to working with lawmakers as these bills make their way through the legislative process.”

—California Teachers Association website

The bills stem from the mass hysteria that there are rampant perverts in the classroom and the

Teacher quality at KIPP | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

Teacher quality at KIPP | Gary Rubinstein's Blog:

Teacher quality at KIPP

by Gary Rubinstein

I’ve written a bunch of posts about my visit to the KIPP high school in New York city over the past few months. The first was a general summary and, since then, I’ve gotten more deeply into some of the things I learned there. I thought the school was just OK. As we always hear that charter schools thrive because they have high quality teachers that they give flexibility too in return for accountability, I want to, in this post, describe the teaching I saw there.
Over the years I’ve worked, from time to time, as a teacher trainer for both TFA and for The New York City Teaching Fellows. I think my favorite part of those jobs was watching the trainees teach and then providing detailed feedback of the strengths and weaknesses of their practice. I spent the entire day at KIPP and popped in and out of classes at will, getting to see about twenty different teachers in my visit.
The KIPP teachers only teach four classes a day with class sizes between ten and twenty students. This is a very light schedule and it certainly costs a lot of money to have such a low student teacher ratio. I don’t know if

Jersey Jazzman: NJ Under Christie: "We're Falling Behind"

Jersey Jazzman: NJ Under Christie: "We're Falling Behind":

NJ Under Christie: "We're Falling Behind"

by Duke

And so it begins:

Popout

For all those reformy types who say that we have high unemployment because of our educational failings, answer me this:

How is it that New Jersey, one of the highest achieving states in education, has one of the highest unemployment rates? Our jobless recovery here has many causes, but our public education system is clearly not one of them.

The hard fact is that Chris Christie has been an awful governor. He told us that cutting taxes on the wealthy, giving away scads of tax breaks for corporate interests, and neglecting our infrastructure and education priorities would lead to economic growth and job creation. It hasn't. I understand a governor can only do so much, but

Why I opted out of the PSSA circus | Parents United for Public Education

Why I opted out of the PSSA circus | Parents United for Public Education:

Why I opted out of the PSSA circus

by tomikaanglin

Credit: Boston Globe

On December 13, 2012 the School District of Philadelphia recommended 37 schools for closure. There were impassioned pleas and hard-worked proposals. There were well-written reports of community input. There was anger. There were tears. There were rallies, chants and marches. There was organization, mobilization and solidarity. And then the School Reform Commission voted to close 23 schools. They voted against our children. Against their safety. Against their education. Against their future. So what do we do now as parents and a concerned community? How do we impact this bureaucracy that is called the School District of Philadelphia? How do we impede this assault on our children’s future?
We rebel. We no longer accept what is handed to us. We “do not go gentle into that good night”.¹ We fight “against the dying of the light”.¹Our children need us to continue to stand and fight for them. We need to protect them because the School Reform Commission has chosen to abandon them. We need to pick up all our marbles and refuse to play if we can’t play together. But, how do we?
We opt-out of the PSSA.
I have chosen to exercise my option to have my daughter excused from the state’s two-week long, one-size-

Philly mom talks about ‘opting out’ of state standardized tests | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Philly mom talks about ‘opting out’ of state standardized tests | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Philly mom talks about ‘opting out’ of state standardized tests

by thenotebook

by Benjamin Herold for NewsWorks, a Notebook news partner

Last month, Jo-Ann Rogan started noticing a big change in her 9-year-old son, Ryan.
"As the PSSAs came closer, he was becoming extremely anxious and stressed," Rogan said. "They were sending home practice packets, and it was just getting worse and worse."
So Rogan joined the small but increasingly visible group of Pennsylvania parents who have decided to opt their children out of taking high-stakes state standardized tests.
read more

Last Stand for Children First: Accidental Racist: School Closing Edition

Last Stand for Children First: Accidental Racist: School Closing Edition:

Accidental Racist: School Closing Edition

by Last Stand for Children

Yesterday, I heard a great new song from Brad Paisley and L.L. Cool Jay. Now, I don't listen to a lot of the rap music and like many education reformers I am quite tone deaf, but this song represents a coming together from a white guy who wants to wear his Confederate Flag shirt and an African-American guy who wants to dress fashionably. One thing I picked up from the song is that while white people have done many hurtful things to black people over the years like apartheid and slavery, but most of the offenses that black people have hurt whites with are fashion crimes like wearing doo rags and gold chains. It would be nice if we could get past it.

Now, in Chicago the school debate has made a lot of people uncomfortable with talk of racism. The Tribune today warned that discussing racism is a very dangerous thing that could lead who knows where. I suppose

New science standards call for teaching climate change and more - latimes.com

New science standards call for teaching climate change and more - latimes.com:

New science standards call for teaching climate change and more

By Teresa Watanabe

April 9, 2013, 5:36 p.m.

The politically touchy topic of climate change will be taught more deeply to students under proposed new national science standards released Tuesday.

The Next Generation Science Standards, developed over the last year by California and 25 other states in conjunction with several national scientific organizations, represent the first effort in some 15 years to transform the way science is taught in million of classrooms. The multi-state consortium is proposing that students learn fewer standards more deeply and not merely memorize information but understand how scientists actually investigated and gathered it.

“What’s important here is that the standards will give students a deep understanding of how science and scientists actually work,” said Phil Lafontaine, a California Department of Education official who has helped spearhead the development of the new standards. “It’s not just what we know but how we

Staffing a universal preschool program will be no small task | EdSource Today

Staffing a universal preschool program will be no small task | EdSource Today:

Staffing a universal preschool program will be no small task - by Marcy Whitebook

by Marcy Whitebook

But Should be Profitable :(

President Obama’s rhetorical plea for universal preschool has yet to be translated into an actionable policy proposal, but we can reasonably assume that any expansion of early learning services for young children will create a demand for more preschool teachers. And not just more teachers but trained ones: Twenty-nine state-funded preschool programs currently require educators with a bachelor’s degree, and many of them demand additional teacher certification. Two days after the State of the Union, the president called for programs staffed by “highly qualified, educated” teachers, saying, “This is not babysitting. This is teaching.”

Prospective teachers may find their way to the preschool classroom via multiple pathways, depending on their educational and work experience. Each pathway, however, will require specific professional development opportunities and attendant resources to ensure that teachers, regardless of their route to preschool, can effectively promote children’s learning. For instance, some teachers currently working in kindergarten and the early elementary grades might choose, or find themselves assigned to, a classroom of 4-year-olds. Because these teachers would likely only have student teaching experience in the elementary (K-3) grades, additional practice and coursework on earl

Ed Notes Online: Norm in the Wave: UFT Election Season: The Game is ON as Mulgrew Ducks Debate

Ed Notes Online: Norm in the Wave: UFT Election Season: The Game is ON as Mulgrew Ducks Debate:

Norm in the Wave: UFT Election Season: The Game is ON as Mulgrew Ducks Debate

by ed notes online

April 5, 2013

http://www.rockawave.com/news/2013-04-05/Columnists/School_Scope.html

UFT Election Season: The Game is ON as Mulgrew Ducks Debate

By Norm Scott

Recently a reporter asked me why a 10-year retiree is still doing this UFT union stuff. “I’m crazy,” I told her. Probably as a result of hitting my head while attempting to walk under my house to see if it meets flood standards.

Every three years, the United Federation of Teachers holds an election for 12 officers, 89 Executive Board members and some 700 AFT/NYSUT convention delegates. With ballots going out on April 3 and due back by April 24, we have reached that point once again. Full disclosure: I am a member and activist with Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE) a new group challenging the ruling Unity Caucus party which has held onto

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-9-13 #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

Next Step in Push to Teach 21st Century Science - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 minutes ago

Next Step in Push to Teach 21st Century Science - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Next Step in Nationwide Push to Teach Students 21st Century Science Skills SACRAMENTO—New education standards that reflect the major advances in science over the past 15 years are one step closer to completion with the launch of a final public comment period before they go to the State Board of Education for adoption, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today. Achieve, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C.... more »

Michelle Gunderson Offers Pledge for Ethical Use of Student Data - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 minutes ago

Michelle Gunderson Offers Pledge for Ethical Use of Student Data - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Michelle Gunderson Offers Pledge for Ethical Use of Student Data by Anthony Cody *I attended the Occupy Department of Education 2.0 protest in Washington, DC, last week, and had a chance to spend some time with Chicago elementary teacher Michelle Gunderson. Michelle has become concerned about the myriad ways in which student data is now being used, and she shared with me this Personal Pledge for the Ethical Use of Student Data. She explains why she feels this is needed:* ... more »

CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION MEETING IN LONG BEACH 4/13/13 - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 minutes ago

CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION MEETING IN LONG BEACH 4/13/13 - Perdaily.com: CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION MEETING IN LONG BEACH 4/13/13 by Leonard Isenberg *A purposefully failed and monetized for profit public education system that seeks conformity and obedience from students and teachers in lieu of developing a questioning intellect is inconsistent with maintaining a democratic society. * * * *The elite that is pushing for such a debased system of public education doesn't seem to have the intelligence to realize that a society that self-imposes mediocre in the public education of the majori... more »

The Network For Public Education | Network for Public Education News! Volume 1, Issue: #4

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

The Network For Public Education | We are many. There is power in our numbers. Together, we will save our schools.: *Greetings!* Welcome to the fourth edition of the NPE News! In this issue, we share news from Occupy Dept of Ed 2.0 in DC, and some great ways to get involved in grassroots activism. Please share this newsletter with friends, so we can build our network of those working to support our schools. If you would like to make a donation, or become a member, you can do so here. And don't forget to "like us" on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter! *Note from Anthony* *Repor... more »

SEZ Who? Bigger Math Gains Seen In Middle School TFA Teachers' Pupils - Teacher Beat - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Bigger Math Gains Seen In Middle School TFA Teachers' Pupils - Teacher Beat - Education Week: Bigger Math Gains Seen In Middle School TFA Teachers' Pupils By Stephen Sawchuk on April 9, 2013 4:48 PM Middle school Teach For America teachers in Texas seem to be holding their own in the classroom, outperforming other novice teachers in math, according to a recently released study from the San Antonio, Texas-based Edvance, an independent evaluation firm. TFA alumni also did better than other veteran teachers in that subject, the study found. The study stands out for several reasons. For... more »

#msnbc The Cycle: Smothering Occupy the DOE #uoodc13 and #optout. – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

#msnbc The Cycle: Smothering Occupy the DOE #uoodc13 and #optout. – @ the chalk face: #msnbc The Cycle: Smothering Occupy the DOE #uoodc13 and #optout. by Timothy D. Slekar Occupy the DOE 2.0 and the Battle for Public Schools finally got some media coverage from MSNBC. Check it out: Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-cycle/51444548#51444548 I know. Are you kidding me? Really? Four days of amazing groups and individuals speaking passionately about the abusive nature of corporate education reform and clear ... more »

Whac-A-Mole Leadership — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Whac-A-Mole Leadership — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Steven Weber]Whac-A-Mole Leadership April 9, 2013 by Steven Weber One of my favorite arcade games is Whac-A-Mole. When you drop your token in the machine, you have a limited amount of time to "whac" as many moles as you can. In the beginning of the game, one or two moles pop their heads up and it is fairly easy to hit each one. About twenty seconds into the game, the moles start popping up three at a time and when you smash a mole with the mallet it may pop up again. Whac-A-Mole is similar to the daily rout... more »

Schools Matter: Newark Students Fighting for Their Lives

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Schools Matter: Newark Students Fighting for Their Lives: Newark Students Fighting for Their Lives by Judy Rabin One of the most hopeful signs at Occupy the DOE 2.0 in DC this weekend were the number of students from all over the U.S. who showed up. Students are beginning to stand up for their rights to a quality education and calling out the corporate criminals who continue to suck the life and soul out of public education while fattening their bottom lines and stockholder profits. That's what market driven education looks like, but that is not what democracy looks like. This i... more »

Harris-Perry to Beck and Limbaugh: ‘Allow me to double down’ | The Raw Story

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Harris-Perry to Beck and Limbaugh: ‘Allow me to double down’ | The Raw Story: Harris-Perry to Beck and Limbaugh: ‘Allow me to double down’ By David Ferguson Tuesday, April 9, 2013 15:09 EDT [image: Melissa Harris Perry screecap] Topics: glenn beck ♦ rush limbaugh - 12 - - - - - Email Melissa Harris-Perry responded Tuesday to charges by right-wing commentators like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh who say that her recently released 30-second MSNBC promo is part of a United Nations plot to collectivise U.S. children and remove them from their parents’ custody... more »

When Making Deals In D.C. Hurts Children

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

When Making Deals In D.C. Hurts Children: When Making Deals In D.C. Hurts Children By Jeff Bryant | April 9, 2013 - - Everyone at all familiar with the Judgment of Solomon has to be aghast as political leaders reverse that Biblical wisdom and proceed to “split the difference” over who gets whose way on matters affecting children. Instead of putting the interests of children first, there’s a prevailing wisdom among political centrists inside the Beltway that “compromising” with radical conservatives is the only serious approach to governance and policy-making. So when “... more »

Ron Paul's Home Schooling Curriculum Will Turn Your Kid into a Little Ron Paul - Philip Bump - The Atlantic Wire

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Ron Paul's Home Schooling Curriculum Will Turn Your Kid into a Little Ron Paul - Philip Bump - The Atlantic Wire: Ron Paul's Home Schooling Curriculum Will Turn Your Kid into a Little Ron Paul by Philip Bump Ron Paul's revolution is not yet complete. The two-time presidential candidate has launched a home schooling curriculum which promises to get your elementary school student up-to-speed on the hijacking of the Constitution in no time. Seriously. It promises that. The curriculum was announced on Sunday in a post from Paul himself. A common feature of authoritarian regimes is the ... more »

Cohort Graduation and Dropout Rates for 2012 - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Cohort Graduation and Dropout Rates for 2012 - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Continued Improvement in State's High School Graduation Rate SACRAMENTO—Graduation rates among California's public school students are climbing and dropout rates are falling, with the biggest gains being made among African-American and Hispanic students, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today. Overall, nearly eight out of 10 students, or 78.5 percent, who started high school in 2008-09 graduated with their class in 2012. Tha... more »

PSAT for 4-9-13: Fax the IL Leg Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 4-9-13: Fax the IL Leg: PSAT for 4-9-13: Fax the IL Leg by admin I just faxed this message to the Illinois House and Senate Education Committees. For Public Schools Action Tuesday, why not share this message with your Reps and Senators, too? *RE: Support school closing moratorium bills **SB 1571 and HB 3283* ____________________________________________________________________________ *This week's updates on school closing issues:* [image: psat_logo]*11% of students lost in last year's CPS closings: **From Catalyst:... more »

Zak Malamed – Our Student Voice to Discover Student Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Student Voice: Zak Malamed – Our Student Voice to Discover by admin The Huffington Post will be promoting various Student Voice articles prior to the *Student Voice Live! *summit on April 13th. The following is from* Zak Malamed * [image: zak-malamed] I was 18 years old. On January 16, 2012 a student, who shall remain nameless, contacted me through a 700-student member Facebook group, and expressed interest in what “cool projects [I had] been working on.” Being an over-involved student, it was not unusual for me to receive such messages, but we had no mutual friends, no past inter... more »

Just in time Jerry: LAO seeks conditions on Brown’s surplus property-charter proposal

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: LAO seeks conditions on Brown’s surplus property-charter proposal Just in time Jerry:*Sacramento City district trustees vote to close seven schools* Help! Action Alert! Kate and Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education Needs Your Help!! The governor’s plan to provide charter schools with more access to surplus property appears to have support within the Legislature – but lawmakers also seem interested in conditioning the proposal. The plan would extend for five years existing requirements that school districts with surplus land offer t... more »

UPDATE: CPPS Announces First Mayoral Forum Seattle Schools Community Forum: Dream Act Dies (But It's Okay if It Happens When a Republican Rules a Committee)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Dream Act Dies (But It's Okay if It Happens When a Republican Rules a Committee): CPPS Announces First Mayoral Forum by Melissa Westbrook From the press release: Community & Parents for Public Schools (CPPS) Seattle announces the first mayoral election season forum discussing Seattle public education: *"Focus on Students, Families, Communities: The CPPS 2013 Mayoral Education Forum." * The forum will take place *April 30th* in the Garfield High School Commons. CPPS will hold its annual meeting from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The 90-minute forum will tak... more »

UPDATE: Will the Connecticut House vote tomorrow to confirm a Charter School Executive to the State Board of Education? - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Will the Connecticut House vote tomorrow to confirm a Charter School Executive to the State Board of Education? - Wait, What?: The bill? Oh, just hand that over to the Hartford City Official in the far corner, he’ll be paying by jonpelto I was recently introduced to a blog written by Kevin Brookman called “We the People.” Brookman created the site as a way to shine the light of truth into the inner-workings of Hartford City Hall. One look at the blog and you can see why some of Hartford’s political elite should be living in fear of his efforts to inform the taxpayers of Hartford... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, April 9, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch]*Diane Ravitch's blog* Education Headlines *Tuesday, April 9, 2013* Soulsbyville, Twain Harte could share WinfieldTwain Harte-Long Barn Union School District will decide this week on whether to share a superintendent with Soulsbyville School District. San Luis Coastal's budget deficit puts 43 jobs at riskSan Luis Coastal Unified School District could cut more than 43 jobs, eliminate bus transportation for high school students and postpone installing Wi-Fi capabilities at its hig... more »

The Textbooks Have Eyes: Now E-Books Can Track If You Do Your Homework - Rebecca Greenfield - The Atlantic Wire

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

The Textbooks Have Eyes: Now E-Books Can Track If You Do Your Homework - Rebecca Greenfield - The Atlantic Wire: The Textbooks Have Eyes: Now E-Books Can Track If You Do Your Homework by Rebecca Greenfield Welcome to the future of education where your textbook—and therefore your teacher—knows exactly how much of your homework you did, how, and when. The idea is that this *data* will improve outcomes, helping teachers better understand their students habits. And with CourseSmart teachers can do just that, as *The New York Times*' David Streitfeld explains today. Through what is ca... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Making college accessible only to the rich

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Making college accessible only to the rich: Making college accessible only to the rich by Mike Klonsky Despite all the talk about college readiness and 21st-century jobs, a college education is becoming inaccessible to all but the children of the rich or to those able to take on a burden of life-long debt. Like the indentured servants of old, today's poor or working-class students will graduate with dimming prospects for working in the field for which they are trained and will be working as much for the bankers as for their employer or themselve... more »

The Time is Now for Dreamers: Join the rally April 10 - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

The Time is Now for Dreamers: Join the rally April 10 - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard: The Time is Now for Dreamers: Join the rally April 10 by Lily The Time is Now for Dreamers: Join the rally April 10 Apr 9th, 2013 by Lily. Wednesday I will stand on the West Lawn of our nation’s capitol with thousands of others and demand that a dream come true. *Congress isn’t Disneyland and I am not wishing on a star for Tinker Bell to wave a magic wand.* It’s not that kind of dream. *Real dreams aren’t about magic. They’re about work and sacrifice and never giving up*. Martin Luther Kin... more »

Roger would have given Squeezy Quinn a thumbs down. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Roger would have given Squeezy Quinn a thumbs down. | Fred Klonsky: Roger would have given Squeezy Quinn a thumbs down. by Fred Klonsky I can’t say I *knew* Roger Ebert personally. [image: images]But, as I wrote last week, I took two film classes with him. I had more than a few conversations with him. And like many of you, I have watched him and read his reviews of movies and his comments on social and political issues for 40 years. Roger Ebert wasn’t just an observer, thinker and writer. Roger was in SDS in college at the University of Illinois. He was a union rep at the Sun-Times. B... more »

Understanding 'No Excuses' - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Understanding 'No Excuses' - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Understanding 'No Excuses' by Deborah Meier *Today, Deborah Meier continues her blog conversation with Elliott Witney.* Dear Elliott, We're going to have to converse for more than a month to get ourselves straightened out! It would be a useful learning experience for me so I'm hoping you're willing. I've been trying for the past few months to get into a healthy and vigorous disagreement with some other bloggers. It has been much more difficult than I anticipated it would be to get people to engage in constructive s... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Newark students walking out today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Newark students walking out today: Newark students walking out today by Mike Klonsky Popout Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet: *Three years ago, thousands of Newark students chanting “Save Our Schools” walked out of class and marched down city streets to protest budget cuts by the administration of Gov. Chris Christie. Another student demonstration is set for today, this time to protest more budget cuts and the closing of public schools.*

Daily Kos: SC Considering Flawed Reading, Fiscal Policy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Daily Kos: SC Considering Flawed Reading, Fiscal Policy: SC Considering Flawed Reading, Fiscal Policy by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) SC Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee, has introduced an education bill modeled on a third-grade retention policy widely promoted by Jeb Bush as one aspect of the larger so-called Florida formula. Superintendent Mick Zais has endorsed the bill as well as suggested implementing similar policies at seventh grade. SC political leadership must not follow Florida’s lead in reading or grade retention policy for several reasons, including t... more »

UPDATE: Breaking: Reported 15 of 17 Newark, NJ high schools see walkouts protesting budget cuts +Pension call Tuesday. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Pension call Tuesday. | Fred Klonsky: Pension call Tuesday. by Fred Klonsky [image: mike] *“I’m taking Mike Madigan at his word that there will be a comprehensive bill put together,” said Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, a leading pension reform negotiator.* There is so much to unpack in that sentence. Taking Madigan at his word? Nekritz is a leading pension reform negotiator? Anyone who is not actually sitting at Madigan’s table at Saputo’s will admit that his word is worth no more than the word of any common gangster. And what has happened to the English language when a pension b... more »

MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-9-13 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] Bobby Jindal Admits a Mistake by dianerav Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal backed off his big Thatcherite idea of reforming the tax code. He wanted to eliminate income taxes and corporate taxes and raise sales taxes. That way, the poor would subsidize the rich. But his poll numbers plummeted, and legislators told him that his plan would be defeated, even by his faithful followers, who want to be re-elected by the voters in their districts. So he backed off his reg... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. My Discussion with Matt Barnum Part 1 Best of the Ed Blogs Gary Rubinstein April 9, 2013 Why Is the US Department of Education Weakening FERPA? Best of the Ed Blog... more »

Show Up For Tests and Win + Big data strikes again with Coursesmart, #highered take notice – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Big data strikes again with Coursesmart, #highered take notice – @ the chalk face: Big data strikes again with Coursesmart, #highered take notice by Chalk Face, PhD According to the NYT, professors can now track how students are reading digital materials: Major publishers in higher education have already been collecting data from millions of students who use their digital materials. But CourseSmart goes further by individually packaging for each professor information on all the students in a class — a bold effort that is already beginning to affect how teachers present material an... more »

Wilcox school chief applauds student effort to integrate proms, but stresses that these aren’t school events | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Wilcox school chief applauds student effort to integrate proms, but stresses that these aren’t school events | Get Schooled: Wilcox school chief applauds student effort to integrate proms, but stresses that these aren’t school events by Maureen Downey [image: downeyart (Medium)]Wilcox County Schools finds itself in the unflattering eye of a social media storm after reports of its integrated proms — a vestige of 1970s integration when many high schools stopped sponsoring proms and it fell to parents to organize the dances – hit the newspapers, TV stations and Facebook. The south G... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Sun-Times takes a tour of 'underutilized' school. Guess what they find?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Sun-Times takes a tour of 'underutilized' school. Guess what they find?: Sun-Times takes a tour of 'underutilized' school. Guess what? by Mike Klonsky *“Our guarantee is that no child will go to a school that is lesser performing than the school that they’re in,” Byrd-Bennett explains, adding that for many years students have been “trapped in under-utilized and under-resourced schools.”* The S-T editorial board goes from classroom to classroom at supposedly "half-empty" Garvey Elementary and finds every one of them in use. * In fact, during a visit... more »

The absolute worst story (and video) about standardized testing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

The absolute worst story (and video) about standardized testing: The absolute worst story (and video) about standardized testing Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 9, 2013 at 12:07 am 4 Comments More [image: fcat1]I recently ran a post about how the state of Florida was forcing a 9-year-old blind boy who was born with a brain stem but without most of his brain to take the state’s standardized test, known as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. The piece, written by veteran educator Marion Brady, explains that this travesty came to light when a state legislator, Linda Stewart of... more »

Eugenics, Standardized Tests Schools Matter: Feds Making More on Student Loans Annually Than Ford Motor Co.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Schools Matter: Feds Making More on Student Loans Annually Than Ford Motor Co.: Past and Present: Eugenics, Standardized Tests, and the Politics of School Reform by Douglas Storm *[Editor's note: An early draft version was posted in error. This has been corrected.]* * ***Guest Post by John Loflin* *Past and present: Eugenics, standardized tests, and politics of school reform* “If such a thing as a psycho-analysis of today’s prototypical culture were possible such an investigation would needs show the sickness proper to the time to consist precisely in normality.” ... more »

Legislators Are Against Making Teacher Evaluations Public… Except When They Aren’t in Parent Trigger | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Legislators Are Against Making Teacher Evaluations Public… Except When They Aren’t in Parent Trigger | Scathing Purple Musings: Legislators Are Against Making Teacher Evaluations Public… Except When They Aren’t in Parent Trigger by Bob Sikes In a curious story that largely sailed under the radar, the *Florida Times-Union *has sued the Florida Department of Education to make value-added data from SB736 public. The Florida Education Association has joined the FLDOE in opposition. The Florida legislature has weighed in. Topher Sanders reports in the Times-Union: About a week after ... more »

NYC Educator: My Latest Unity-New Action Mass Email

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

NYC Educator: My Latest Unity-New Action Mass Email: My Latest Unity-New Action Mass Email by NYC Educator Today's mass email complained bitterly about receiving mass email. In fact, it compared mass email to spam. The fact its sender was doing exactly the same thing was apparently not relevant. Actually, this too came from someone I know and like. Yet it was riddled with misconceptions. One thing that was true was that there are indeed Unity-New Action people who work hard. You'd have to be a fool to say the union, dominated by Unity-New Action, never done anything of value or fo... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 4-8-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE* * * ** *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* Newark's Students Fight Back Tomorrow! by Jersey Jazzman Now that's what I'm talking about:Popout First things first: if any of the yahoos on talk radio or in the press decide to make a big stink about these kids cutting classes tomorrow, remind them of this: This past week, pro-voucher forces in New Jersey bussed kids in from local Catholic schools to rally in support of a school voucher bill. Quote Of The Day: “I Was Tired Of Giving In” by Larry Ferlazzo There’s an excellent review of a new biograph... more »

An Open Letter From The Trenches [To Education Activists, Friends, and Haters] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

An Open Letter From The Trenches [To Education Activists, Friends, and Haters] | The Jose Vilson: An Open Letter From The Trenches [To Education Activists, Friends, and Haters] by Jose Vilson [image: martin-luther-king-arrested] To my fellow education activists: I’ve come across a few pieces that concern me and others in the last few months, and we got some shit to talk about. On normal days, I wake up at 5:30am hellbent on kicking butt at work, metaphorically of course. The stirring in my belly long after my butter toast and coffee is the passion with which I approach my students... more »

School 'Discipline Gap' Explodes As 1 In 4 Black Students Suspended, Report Finds

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

School 'Discipline Gap' Explodes As 1 In 4 Black Students Suspended, Report Finds: School 'Discipline Gap' Explodes As 1 In 4 Black Students Suspended, Report Finds by Joy Resmovits For years, education advocates have highlighted the dire importance of closing the achievement gap of academic performance between students of different ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Now, another group of advocates is drawing attention to the discipline gap of unequal punishments to different groups of students. The Center for Civil Rights Remedies at the University of California, Los Angeles Civ... more »

A collection of links from Occupy the DOE 2.0 #uoodc13 – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

A collection of links from Occupy the DOE 2.0 #uoodc13 – @ the chalk face: A collection of links from Occupy the DOE 2.0 #uoodc13 by Chalk Face, PhD As the dust finally settles on a great event, there’s still work to be done. Namely, collecting coverage of the event. I’m going to start posting links here. If I’ve missed any, please let us know in the comments. We’re expecting some long form pieces in the coming days, so they’ll be updated. Democracy Now! Mother Jones Truth Out MSNBC’s The Cycle [Although, I must say, that we at no point in any of our work contacted the United Way for... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Is Thatcher's ghost haunting the White House?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Is Thatcher's ghost haunting the White House?: Is Thatcher's ghost haunting the White House? by Mike Klonsky Margaret Thatcher with her pal PW Botha in 1984. Botha was first leader of the Apartheid regime accorded the privilege of a state visit to UK since 1961, a diplomatic coup for the white supremacist regime in South Africa. via @Tobias AgricoltoreI know that diplomacy dictates that when a former head of state passes on, our president has to pay his respects and not say anything critical. But today's statement by Pres. Obama on the death of *Marga... more »

Sometimes truth is… – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Sometimes truth is… – @ the chalk face: Sometimes truth is… by Chris Cerrone Back a few weeks ago I created a quick graphic for a post asking for examples of test prep and Common Core assignments using an online graphic generator. This picture went viral as parents and teachers passed it on via social media. [image: newsign] I created this picture to gain a few laughs and make a statement about the amount of time that is lost to testing in our schools. Detractors might say my creation is a piece of propaganda, but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, or pretty darn close. S... more »

Daily Kos: Principal warns parents: ‘Don’t buy the bunk’ about new Common Core tests

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Daily Kos: Principal warns parents: ‘Don’t buy the bunk’ about new Common Core tests: Principal warns parents: ‘Don’t buy the bunk’ about new Common Core tests by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) That is the title of this post at the Answer Sheet Blog of the *Washington Post*, run by Valerie Strauss. The author is Carol Burris, an award-winning principal in Long Island who originally supported the idea of Common Core but has become increasingly concerned about the damage it will do as she has watched it take shape, particularly with respect to the assessments that will go with the ... more »

My discussion with Matt Barnum Part 1 | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

My discussion with Matt Barnum Part 1 | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: My discussion with Matt Barnum Part 1by Gary Rubinstein A few weeks ago I was invited by Matt Barnum to discuss various issues in education reform through a series of letters. Matt is a TFA alum who is now in law school. He has written several articles in various newspapers about the complexity of improving education. Most recently he wrote something about how it is time for TFA to fold. My first thought was that since we have so much in common, these discussions would not have enough conflict to make them very int... more »

Zorn may think I’m contemptible. But he really hates CTU Prez Karen Lewis. I call that good company. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Zorn may think I’m contemptible. But he really hates CTU Prez Karen Lewis. I call that good company. | Fred Klonsky: Zorn may think I’m contemptible. But he really hates CTU Prez Karen Lewis. I call that good company. by Fred Klonsky *Scorned by Zorn* Eric Zorn took a few minutes out of his busy schedule chasing down leads to send me an email calling me contemptible for objecting to his ugly discourse on race and school closings. But just to remind readers where Zorn is coming from, here’s a Trib column of his from November of 2011. *Karen Lewis should step down as president of ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: More on inBloom, including parent right to opt out denied and potential costs to states and districts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: More on inBloom, including parent right to opt out denied and potential costs to states and districts: More on inBloom, including parent right to opt out denied and potential costs to states and districts by Leonie Haimson Many NY parents received an email from Commissioner King last week, in response to their request to opt their children’s personally identifiable confidential educational records out of the inBloom database and shared with vendors without their consent. He made it clear that he does not intend to honor any requests from parents to opt ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Leonie Haimson Offers Parents Real Choice: Low class size, rich non-test driven curriculum

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Ed Notes Online: Leonie Haimson Offers Parents Real Choice: Low class size, rich non-test driven curriculum: Leonie Haimson Offers Parents Real Choice: Low class size, rich non-test driven curriculum by ed notes online There is no little irony in the Daily News assault on Leonie Haimson for sending her son to a private school while supposedly denying choice to other parents without that option open to them. Leonie has been such a thorn in the side of the deformers, they must disparage her work. How interesting that they chose one of their funding darlings, Gotham Schools and wri... more »

Low test scores are the symptom, not “The Cause” | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Low test scores are the symptom, not “The Cause” | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Low test scores are the symptom, not “The Cause” by crazycrawfish [image: Problem solved!] Problem solved! Recently my posting has started dropping off because of some nasty fatigue issues that seemed to come out of nowhere. (Hopefully you haven’t noticed the lull too much, as I have quite a few pieces I’m working on at any given time, and researching others.) Sometimes a recent event or flash of insight drives me to squeeze one out in the wee hours of the morning, so I assumed that was the cause of my fatig... more »

I’m Angry | Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

I’m Angry | Cooperative Catalyst: I’m Angry by robinclane It’s Monday, and I’m angry. I’m angry because, after a weekend of careful planning, after differentiating an assignment for students who have mastered skills at different levels, after catching up on all of my grading, after getting my lesson plans in on time with the TEKS and the Reading Comprehension standards and the ELPS, I couldn’t print anything I needed for class because our copy machine is broken. *Again*. I’m angry because I had to make something up on the fly, putting my students further behind from where we sho... more »

Message from Mali: Sacramento City USD DAC April Agenda

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

*Message from Mali: Sacramento City USD DAC April Agenda * Open in full size window: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7wdDUUSR15dUGRoUHJaa1Y2YWM/edit?usp=sharing

Jersey Jazzman: Newark's Students Fight Back Tomorrow!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Jersey Jazzman: Newark's Students Fight Back Tomorrow!: Newark's Students Fight Back Tomorrow! by Duke Now that's what I'm talking about: Popout First things first: if any of the yahoos on talk radio or in the press decide to make a big stink about these kids cutting classes tomorrow, remind them of this: This past week, pro-voucher forces in New Jersey bussed kids in from local Catholic schools to rally in support of a school voucher bill. [image: N.J. protesters rally in Trenton to support school vouchers] Chris Christie condemned that rally; he thinks it is wrong to take kids... more »