Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break
Rich Kids of Northern Virginia
Its’ that time of year, when the feds, state, and local government’s prepare their budgets for the coming fiscal year. Each year we hear different claims about the relative wealth and tax burden borne by residents in our jurisdictions, with the statistic cited generally the one that supports the argument of whomever is asking for […]
2013 on-time graduation rates for District and Renaissance high schools
What does the District's 64 percent on-time graduation rate look like, school-by-school? It ranges widely, from a 99 percent graduation rate at Masterman to a half dozen neighborhood high schools with graduation rates in the low 40s. Not surprisingly, special admission high schools with strict entrance requirements are clustered near the top, while neighborhood schools nearly all fall below th
1/28/2014 – What’s Wrong With School Choice
January 28, 2014 Subscribe THIS WEEK: Subprime Learning … Childhood Poverty At Record Levels … Public Schools Teaching Creationism … Will SOTU Address Opportunity Gap? … Liberal Arts Beats Other Degrees TOP STORY What Could Be Wrong With ‘School Choice’? By Jeff Bryant “This week brought us ‘National School Choice Week’ with its recurring theme that ‘parents should be empowered to choose the be
What Could Be Wrong With ‘School Choice’?
Everyone loves “choice,” right? In a country where in a single year there are more than 100 new choices for what to use to brush your teeth, it stands to reason that maximizing “choice” might be a goal for all kinds of enterprises. With that in mind, this week brought us “National School Choice Week” with its recurring theme that “parents should be empowered to choose the best educational environm
National teachers union leader joins protest of Newark school ...
NEWARK — American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten returns to Newark tonight to join community members, parents and ...
Only One Out of Three Kids Read Proficiently by Fourth Grade
66 percent of all fouth-graders, and 80 percent of fourth-graders from low-income families, are not reading at grade level. The end of third grade marks an important transition when young students move from "learning to read" to "reading to learn." However, 66 percent of all fouth-graders, and 80 percent of fourth-graders from low-income families, are not reading
Early Reading Proficiency in the US: Kids Count Data Snapshot
Publication Date: Tue, 2014-01-28 Organization: Annie E. Casey Foundation Type: Report Early Reading Proficiency The end of third grade marks an important transition when young students move from "learning to read" to "reading to learn." However, 66 percent of all fouth-graders, and 80 percent of fourth-graders from low-income families, ar
ED Pulse Poll Results: Will a Longer School Day and Year Better Prepare Students for Success?
ASCD continually seeks to provide solutions to the challenges that face educators of all levels. A recent ASCD SmartBrief ED Pulse poll asked readers if instituting a longer school day and year will better prepare students for success in college and the workforce. The concept of the longer school day or year in the U.S. has developed a strong following and is being implemented or discussed in a v
Colorado wins $5 million in federal aid to turnaround schools, despite mixed results
The Centennial State has earned another round of federal aid, more than $5 million, to help turn around its lowest performing schools. the Department of Education announced Monday. The award comes one month after education advocacy organization A+ Denver released a report that detailed how nearly $60 million in School Improvement Grant monies given to Colorado has produced poor results. Fewer than
Colorado’s achievement gap in reading one of the largest in the nation
The gap in reading ability between Colorado’s low-income and affluent students is the seventh largest in the nation and growing, according to a report released Tuesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The report looks at fourth grade proficiency in reading nationwide, based on this year’s National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), released last November. “Ensuring that all children, regard
State implementation of education reforms
A new report from the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance summarizes state implementation of key education reform strategies promoted under the Recovery Act.Major findings include:State implementation of education reforms in 2010-11 varied depending on the area of reform and specific strategy being examined. For example, in the area of educator workforce development, j
School Ditches Rules and Loses Bullies
A school in Auckland, New Zealand (which not that long ago had one of the highest teen depression and suicide rates in the world) finds a new way to let kids have recess, with unforeseen benefits.
People Are Awesome: This Hero Iranian Teacher Shaved His Head to Stop Bullying in His Classroom
After Ali Mohammadian, an elementary school teacher in Iran "noticed that one of his students was being bullied after going bald as a result of a mysterious illness, he decided to show solidarity and shave his own hair. In no time, his entire class shaved their heads and the bullying stopped." Mohammadian tells The Guardian, "Everyone in the school now wants to shave their head.&quo
Professional Learning is Essential for Success of Common Core
Each month during the 2014 calendar year, the Learning First Alliance will be highlighting our members’ expertise and resources around the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. This month, we spoke to a team of individuals at Learning Forward (formerly the National Staff Development Council) to showcase professional learning and its critical role in helping teachers across the country
The Tisch-Bloomberg Genius
Because teachers cannot be trusted to grade the papers of their students, in NY State they're prohibited by law from doing so. Thanks Merryl. Teachers might be prejudiced in favor of the kids, and pass them. How unforgivable. They might even find ways of taking 64 papers and finding another point, and that would be a disaster. It's far better to make kids sit in classes for half a year, a whole ye
Washington school funding should be boosted by closing tax breaks, Governor Jay Inslee says
Republican leaders in the Legislature have said they will oppose efforts to add to the education budget this year.
What Obama Could Learn From Pete Seeger for SOTU Address
In Tuesday's State of the Union address, will President Obama channel the spirit of Pete Seeger?
Study: Little Has Changed in Climbing the Economic Ladder
Income mobility hasn’t become tougher or much easier in the past three decades according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Minnesota Clings Onto Top Spot in NAPCS Charter Law Rankings; Ind., Miss. Rise
The composition of the ten states with the strongest charter-school law didn't change much, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
The billionaires are getting nervous
Nervous billionaire Tom Perkins compared American populists to Nazis and billionaires to their Jewish victims in a recent letter to The Wall Street Journal.Seriously.Here's what he wrote:I would call attention to the parallels of fascist Nazi Germany to its war on its "one percent," namely its Jews, to the progressive war on the American one percent, namely the "rich."...This i
Maps: Creationism Being Taught Everywhere
I have my doubts about this Slate infographic purporting to show where creationism is being taught (in some cases with the support of public dollars), but it's great linkbait and @knowmore picked it up so I guess I'd rather you saw it here than somewhere else. Congrats, Chris Kirk!
Chicago: School Buildings Can't Stay Open Because Contract
News from Chiberia today is that school is closed yet again (4th day this year) because of the cold -- and CPS buildings can't stay open for safety or working parents' convenience because of the labor agreement. It wasn't local reporters who figured this out and started asking questions, however, but rather local elected officials: "Several aldermen, pointing to the burden placed on parents
Costa Mesa Conference Will Focus On Teaching Science, Technology ... - PR Web (press release)
Costa Mesa Conference Will Focus On Teaching Science, Technology ...PR Web (press release)Mijares, who will give the opening address, is a former Santa Ana Unified superintendent with 34 years of experience in education. Friday's Keynote Speaker will be Patricia Hunter McGrath, the executive director of the Branches Atelier in Culver City ...
Budget committee firms up rescue plan for DeBeque, Meeker and Pawnee
The legislative Joint Budget Committee on Tuesday tweaked the details of its plan to help three small school districts caught in a mid-year budget squeeze. The committee agreed to provide a total of $940,400 in additional funds to compensate Meeker and Pawnee primarily for the loss of local revenues and DeBeque for an increase in enrollment. The money would come from the state General Fund, not th
January's Epidemic: 11 School Shootings in 19 Days
AP January 2014 is threatening to become the month when gun violence became a matter of routine in America's schools. Since the start of the month, there have been at least 11 active shooting incidents on a high school or college campus, one for every two weekdays of the month (including New Year's Day.) Those shootings — all on or near school grounds while students were present, and most perpe
Will Guzzardi. “Let’s not heed those who continually beat the drums of war on pensions.”
Today the We Are One coalition of state public employees filed their class action suit against the state’s pension theft. A few days ago Senate President John Cullerton took aim at Chicago pensions, proclaiming that cutting police, fire and Chcago teacher pensions was job one of this session of the General Assembly. I asked Will Guzzardi, candidate for 39th State Representative what he thought
1-27-14 The Whole Child Blog - ED Pulse Poll Results: Will a Longer School Day and Year Better Prepare Students for Success? — Whole Child Education
ED Pulse Poll Results: Will a Longer School Day and Year Better Prepare Students for Success? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGED Pulse Poll Results: Will a Longer School Day and Year Better Prepare Students for Success?January 28, 2014 by Kit Harris, ASCD ResearchASCD continually seeks to provide solutions to the challenges that face educators of all levels. A recentASCD SmartBrief ED
Send Arne Duncan to Mars!: A State of the Union wish list for liberals - Salon.com
Send Arne Duncan to Mars!: A State of the Union wish list for liberals - Salon.com: Send Arne Duncan to Mars!: A State of the Union wish list for liberalsWe asked left-of-center groups what they hope to hear in the president's speech tonight. Here are the best repliesPresident Obama’s address tonight will be closely watched by advocates on a wide range of issues, including some progressives who’ve
How to Steal Public Schools for Dummies (excerpts)
How to Steal Public Schools for Dummies (excerpts)Learn how to "Encourage" your local and state representative withlow upfront investments Learn Astroturf lobbyingto Beat Taxes and the IRSJust Like Michelle Rhee's Students first only BETTERAstroturf lobbying refers to political organizations or campaigns that appear to be made up of grassroots activists but are actually organized and run
1-28-14 LA School Report - USC Rossier offers new program for LA Unified charter teachers - LA School Report
USC Rossier offers new program for LA Unified charter teachers - LA School Report: USC Rossier offers new program for LA Unified charter teachersThe debate over what makes a good teacher can be, at best subjective and at worst litigious. (See Vergara v California, which got underway yesterday.) But USC’s Rossier School of Education may have cracked the code and is now partnering with Los Angeles U
GO RANDI: National teachers union leader joins protest of Newark school makeover | NJ.com
National teachers union leader joins protest of Newark school makeover | NJ.com: National teachers union leader joins protest of Newark school makeoverNEWARK — American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten returns to Newark tonight to join community members, parents and teachers to protest Superintendent Cami Anderson’s reorganization plan for the city’s schools.The protest will coinc
Morning Wink 1-28-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-28-14 Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all #EDCHAT #P2Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Houston Learned from Los Angeles What NOT to Do with TechnologyThe Los Angeles iPad program has become a national lesson in what NOT to do. Other districts, watching the slow-motion di