Big Education Ape

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Afternoon Posts 2-1 #ows #edreform

2012-02-01T12:07:00.001-08:00

LAUSD, JOHN DEASY, AND EXTORTING A NEW PARCEL TAX (LAUSD, John DEASY, y extorsionar a un nuevo impuesto sobre parcelas) - Perdaily.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 31 minutes ago

LAUSD, JOHN DEASY, AND EXTORTING A NEW PARCEL TAX (LAUSD, John DEASY, y extorsionar a un nuevo impuesto sobre parcelas) - Perdaily.com:LAUSD, JOHN DEASY, AND EXTORTING A NEW PARCEL TAX (LAUSD, John DEASY, y extorsionar a un nuevo impuesto sobre parcelas)by Leonard Isenberg(Mensaje se repite en Español)(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)In the following videos from the January 24th Town Hall Meeting at El Camino High School, LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy ... more »

A Successful School Reform: The Age-graded School (Part 1) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 31 minutes ago

A Successful School Reform: The Age-graded School (Part 1) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:A Successful School Reform: The Age-graded School (Part 1)by larrycubanAnyone reading the literature published by contemporary school reformers cannot avoid such phrases as “teacher leaders,” “change agents,” and “dynamic entrepreneurs … who challenge the status quo to lead urban school systems.” One is bombarded with happy visions of peppy, smart, young teacher leaders replacing tired, ineffective staff. Eager change agents swapping places with ... more »

Teaching Quality Summit Review « InterACT

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 31 minutes ago

Teaching Quality Summit Review « InterACT:Teaching Quality Summit Reviewby David B. CohenFor Accomplished California Teachers, the highlight of our month was going to Sacramento to put on an event titled “Teaching Quality and California’s Future” (sponsored by the Stuart Foundation). I’ve had some prior opportunities to write about the event and its goals, in an op-ed for the Sacramento Bee, and in a blog post that provided a preview of the event. Interestingly, the Bee chose to title the op-ed ... more »

The Educated Reporter: Parent Trigger: Too Much Firepower for Public Education?

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 31 minutes ago

The Educated Reporter: Parent Trigger: Too Much Firepower for Public Education?:Parent Trigger: Too Much Firepower for Public Education?by Emily RichmondThere's a significant buzz out of Florida regarding proposed legislation that would enact a so-called "Parent Trigger:" Dissatisfied families could vote to have a local public school undergo significant restructuring including being converted to a charter school or turned over to a private operator.Similar legislation has passed in California and Texas, not without controversy and ensuing conflict, and Indiana is also ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: How To Get Chris Christie to Visit Your Charter!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 31 minutes ago

Jersey Jazzman: How To Get Chris Christie to Visit Your Charter!:How To Get Chris Christie to Visit Your Charter!by DukeBruce Baker has an important post about charter school student populations. It turns out that different charter schools have wildly different percentages of students who live in poverty, don't speak English as their first language, or are classified as needing special education services.Worse, it seems that many of the schools touted as "successes" actually have fewer of these children with special ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: What a night! The People Speak

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 31 minutes ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: What a night! The People Speak:What a night! The People Speakby Mike KlonskyLupe Fiasco performed last night at The People Speak [M.Klonsky pic]Packed house went wild last nigh at Metro in Chicago for The People Speak. Opened with Matt Damon reading Howard Zinn's "The Problem With Civil Obedience", Malcolm London doing Fred Hampton. Lupe Fiasco, Idris Goodwin, Avery Young (an amazing version of Nina Simone's "Mississippi Goddam"), Angela Jackson, She'Kira

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 2-1 AM Posts #edreform #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 31 minutes ago

“Blame the School District, Blame the School, and Blame the Teacher” « City School StoriesBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-8 hours ago“Blame the School District, Blame the School, and Blame the Teacher” « City School Stories:“Blame the School District, Blame the School, and Blame the Teacher”by fmurphyNotes from the FieldSubmitted by Frank Murphy, on January 31, 2012I started the new year cautiously optimistic about the future of education in our city and state. My hopeful spirit was quickly dashed. ... more »

Kimble's Corner: Jack Kimble Suspends Presidential Campaign

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Kimble's Corner: Jack Kimble Suspends Presidential Campaign:Jack Kimble Suspends Presidential Campaignby Representative KimbleI just got off the phone with my Mitt Romney. Once again, he attempted to fire me and had to be assured that I wasn't on his payroll by several of his people. I congratulated Mitt and informed him, that we still had a long way to go. Unfortunately, I also got off the phone with my father who informed me that when a candidate's blood alcohol content ... more »

The Pink Badge of Cowardice | TBogg

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

The Pink Badge of Cowardice | TBogg:The Pink Badge of Cowardiceby TBoggI have to say that killing women with breast cancer before they might consider abortion sometime in their lives is one way to eliminate a woman’s right to choose.Susan G Komen For the Cure has announced that it will stop funneling money to Planned Parenthood, ending a years-long partnership between the two organizations that provided mammograms and related services to low income women. But what accounts for the Komen ... more »

Education Fairs Reach Out to Parents in Spanish | latinoedbeat

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Education Fairs Reach Out to Parents in Spanish | latinoedbeat:Education Fairs Reach Out to Parents in SpanishSpanish-speaking Latino parents often shy away from parent involvement programs like the PTA when the many of the other members primarily speak English. For the past five years, a national Spanish-language education and college-readiness fair called the Feria Para Aprender has aimed to bridge that gap.Radio station KUT recently reported on the fair hosted by the Austin Independent School District in Texas on Saturday. ... more »

Hundreds of EGEA members attend education activist’s speech Elk Grove Citizen : News

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Elk Grove Citizen : News:Hundreds of EGEA members attend education activist’s speechBy Cameron Macdonald - Citizen News EditorPublished: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 4:45 PM PSTA few Elk Grove school district officials and more than 650 members of the Elk Grove Education Association (EGEA) attended a gathering of teachers at the Sacramento Convention Center last month where they heard a call to arms.Dr. Diane Ravitch, a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education, declared that American public schools are being ravaged by ... more »

“Blame the School District, Blame the School, and Blame the Teacher” « City School Stories

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

“Blame the School District, Blame the School, and Blame the Teacher” « City School Stories:“Blame the School District, Blame the School, and Blame the Teacher”by fmurphyNotes from the FieldSubmitted by Frank Murphy, on January 31, 2012I started the new year cautiously optimistic about the future of education in our city and state. My hopeful spirit was quickly dashed. Shortly after I posted “To a Better School Year in 2012”, a wave of bad news washed over area schools. First the ... more »

Modern School: Teachers Offer the Wealthy an Escape from Poverty

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

Modern School: Teachers Offer the Wealthy an Escape from Poverty:Teachers Offer the Wealthy an Escape from Povertyby Michael DunnThe following is from Anthony Cody’s excellent critique of the education portion of Obama’s state of the union speech. In a nutshell, if a teacher really did increase the lifetime income of a classroom by $250,000, so what? Spread out over the 40 years of each student’s career, that would amount to only $250 per person per year, enough for a nice ... more »

Geaux Teacher!: Senator Landrieu vs. Public Education?

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

Geaux Teacher!: Senator Landrieu vs. Public Education?:Senator Landrieu vs. Public Education?by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT)"Mary Landrieu walks tightrope on Bobby Jindal's education plans"My comment to the article linked above on NOLA.com:Senator Landrieu does NOT represent, dare I say a majority, of Democrats on education issues. Her support of U.S.Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's destructive and intrusive education initiatives are just another example of POLITICS over PRINCIPLE that is so pervasive and destructive now. It is hoped that Obama will ... more »

New Resources Announced for Public Service Loan Forgiveness | ED.gov Blog

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

New Resources Announced for Public Service Loan Forgiveness | ED.gov Blog:New Resources Announced for Public Service Loan ForgivenessPosted on January 31, 2012 by Guest BloggerMartha Kanter joined Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) at the University of Maryland Baltimore. Photo by Ed Fishel courtesy of UofM Baltimore.Earlier today Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter joined Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) at the University of Maryland Baltimore to announce new efforts from the Department of Education to help public servants—including veterans, nurses, and teachers—take ... more »

Free Teleseminar: Improving School Climate Through a Whole Child Approach « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

Free Teleseminar: Improving School Climate Through a Whole Child Approach « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education:Free Teleseminar: Improving School Climate Through a Whole Child Approachby Klea ScharbergJoin ASCD Managing Director of the Whole Child Initiative Molly McCloskey in conversation with ASCD author and Rutgers University professor Maurice J. Elias. McCloskey will share information about specific initiatives and examples of how a whole child approach ensures that each child, in each community, is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and ... more »

The Achievement Gap and Teacher Training | Mr. Teachbad

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

The Achievement Gap and Teacher Training | Mr. Teachbad:The Achievement Gap and Teacher TrainingNote: The tone of this post is a little more serious and it has no very little swearing. I know that will turn some people off, and I apologize.Under normal circumstances, analogies between teachers and doctors trigger in me a powerful, irresistible gag reflex. I hate reading about how we both have a practice, for example. However, I have found a place where the analogy between teachers ... more »

Schools Matter: Sherman Alexie "Arizona has made our books sacred documents now."

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

Schools Matter: Sherman Alexie "Arizona has made our books sacred documents now.":Sherman Alexie "Arizona has made our books sacred documents now."by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene"A deepened consciousness of their situation leads people to apprehend that situation as an historical reality susceptible to transformation." — Paulo FreireThe Progressive has been compiling the responses of authors whose books were banned by Arizona bigots and arch-reactionaries Tom Horne and John Huppenthal's racist HB 2281, which, among other things, banned Ethnic Studies in ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: City Hall rally today protesting the epidemic of school closings and DOE's broken promises to Jamaica HS

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: City Hall rally today protesting the epidemic of school closings and DOE's broken promises to Jamaica HS:City Hall rally today protesting the epidemic of school closings and DOE's broken promises to Jamaica HSby Leonie HaimsonThere was a rally today, organized by the Coalition for Educational Justice, protesting against the mayor's wrecking ball policies and school closings. Speakers included NYC Comptroller Liu, Public Advocate De Blasio, Manhattan Borough President Stringer, former NYC Comptroller Thompson, parents and students ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 1-31 Early Evening Posts #ows #edreform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Half The StoryBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-11 minutes agoSchool Tech Connect: Half The Story:Half The Storyby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)Mayor's collaboration with nutcases and the odious Juan William getting some press, although it doesn't tell the whole story. I posted a comment; we'll see if it gets through.The story of the mayor’s collaboration with this right wing group is incomplete without a full description ofHow our dues are being used. « Fred KlonskyBig Education Ape - PostRank ...more »

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Negative study on longer school day

2012-02-01T12:05:00.000-08:00

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Negative study on longer school day:

Negative study on longer school day

by admin

From PAA’s Leonie Haimson on NYC Public School Parents blog:

Yet another negative study that finds that extended time made little difference in terms of achievement or teacher attitudes.

This one, from Abt Associates, examined the results of the much-touted Massachusetts expanded learning time initiative, which provides state funding to selected schools to increase their class time 25-30% over the district average.

So far the research is quite thin that this is the answer to low student achievement, despite the fact that the Gates folks (and their think tanks) continue to push it.

In a summary of the studies on extended time in

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools: For an Education Built to Last | ED.gov Blog

2012-02-01T12:02:00.000-08:00

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools: For an Education Built to Last | ED.gov Blog:

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools: For an Education Built to Last

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Andrea Falken

Last week President Obama asked us to work together to create an America built to last — one that thrives on innovation, collaboration, affordable education and spending within our means. As part of this effort, the U.S. Department of Education is working to encourage sustainable schools where facilities, health and education practices combine to support the nation’s needs in the long term.

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) recognizes public and private schools for meeting some of the most critical challenges of our time. All schools are capable of reducing their energy consumption, and some are even candidates for renewable energy projects. Every school can implement a coordinated school health program that addresses student health, fitness and nutrition to improve academic achievement. And every school can offer students a well-rounded environmental education with strong science and mathematics foundations—an education that can help students learn robust civics skills and environmental stewardship as they enhance their career and college preparedness.

ED-GRS is just one effort by the Department of Education that addresses the environmental factors that can improve a child’s ability to learn. To ensure the health and wellness of all students, ED collaborates with the First Lady’s Let’s Move!, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Surgeon General’s office to underscore the link between good health and positive academic outcomes.

ED has proposed a $265 million grant to expand support for the subjects important to a complete curriculum, including environmental literacy. As the President said, in order to fill the innovation and research –based jobs our nation’s companies require, students must engage early and stay hooked on the critical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects. Environmental education engages students in these subjects, and a host of others.

To assist older students, ED administers vocational grants to help states develop green high school career programs that will prepare graduates for jobs in the green economy and funds energy and cost-saving improvements at minority-serving campuses. Along with roughly a dozen other agencies, ED is developing a comprehensive Environmental Justice strategy and has joined the Federal Urban Waters Partnership to help connect all students to healthful environments and revitalize their communities.

These various programs all aim to help students achieve, go on to college, and graduate ready for the innovation and high-skill based job market. Fostering a sustainable education means that our economy will possess the trained employees and creative thinking it requires to grow and flourish for years to come. With these programs, we set a bar for graduates prepared to invent, renew, take responsibility and collaborate on behalf of our nation. This new, sustainable generation will be up to the task, fortified by an education built to last.

Find grants and programs to green your school and learn about ED-GRS.

See all U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools blogs.

Connect with U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools on Facebook.

Please note: U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools is a federal recognition award and should not be confused with any green schools program conducted by non-governmental entities.

Missouri Education Watchdog: Keeping An Eye On The Prize of Quality Legislation

2012-02-01T11:21:00.000-08:00

Missouri Education Watchdog: Keeping An Eye On The Prize of Quality Legislation:

Keeping An Eye On The Prize of Quality Legislation

by Anngie

The Missouri legislature has hit the ground running, as they always do this time of year, and is moving forward rapidly on a number of proposed bills. Yesterday Senate Bill 706, which attempts to provide framework for fixing the problem associated with the unaccredited school districts transferring students to the adjoining accredited districts, got its first public hearing. The cyber world was abuzz with issues about it and several groups provided input through the public hearing process. It should have been a time to admire the legislative process, where elected officials perform their duty to address issues that cannot be addressed solely by private citizens, and private citizens can provide input to their elected officials on the specific work they are doing. But in the world of politics, it seems, it is very difficult to separate ego from process.

The way the process is supposed to work is that citizens can

Summer Meal Site Application - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

2012-02-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

Summer Meal Site Application - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Urges Agencies to
Apply to Become Summer Food Service Program Sponsors

SACRAMENTO—In an effort to help keep children well-nourished during the summer recess and ready to learn when they return to school in the fall, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today urged eligible organizations to apply as summer meal sites through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).

"Often the only nutritious meal a low-income child receives is at school, but that all comes to a halt during the summer recess," said Torlakson. "I urge eligible organizations to sign up to provide nutritious meals to these kids through the summer, so their growing minds and bodies won’t be hampered by a lack of proper nutrition."

Research shows children who fail to engage in high-quality summer learning, have unproductive summers, are not physically active, and don’t receive the proper nutrition, all contribute to a phenomenon called summer learning loss. Also, when these children, particularly low-income children, come back to school, they fall even further behind their peers that contribute to a persistent achievement gap. This is part of the reason why Torlakson started his Team California for Healthy Kids initiative, designed to keep children active and properly nourished throughout each day, in and out of school.

SFSP serves meals to children in geographic areas where at least 50 percent of students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price school meals. The program works by reimbursing agencies that serve nutritious meals to children 18 years and younger during school vacation. SFSP operates when schools in a community are on vacation for at least 15 continuous school days or when year-round schools are off-track. Non-school sponsors may also now serve snacks to children after school under the program. The program benefits all children in accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy, and is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

Eligible sponsors may include schools, camps, Indian tribal governments, private nonprofit agencies, and municipal, state, county, or local government offices. Sponsors may prepare meals or obtain meals from another SFSP sponsor, public or commercial food vendor, or a school food service department. All meals must meet the USDA minimum meal patterns.

Agencies interested in becoming SFSP sponsors must obtain training by California Department of Education staff before their applications can be approved. These training sessions are usually available from mid-March through early May.

All commercial food service vendors are also invited to participate in the training sessions. The training will benefit food service vendors by providing information for meeting SFSP meal pattern and contract requirements. Commercial food service vendors must register with the California Department of Education before entering into a vending contract with an SFSP sponsor.

To receive training information, learn how to access the online application, or learn how to become a SFSP Sponsor or SFSP food vendor, visit the California Department of Education Web site at Summer Food Service Program Information - Summer Food Service.

To find a summer meal site or locate summer sponsors, go to the interactive map of California Summer Feeding sites atSummer Meal Service Sites - Food Programs.

Agencies interested in becoming summer food sponsors may contact Melissa Garza at 800-952-5609, 916-322-5885, ormgarza@cde.ca.gov; or Dennis Arena at 800-952-5609, 916-324-9073, or darena@cde.ca.gov.

For information and tools for running a successful summer program, visit the California Summer Meal Program Coalition Web site at Summer Meal Coalition | California Center for Research on Women & Families (Outside Source).

For more information about the Team California for Healthy Kids campaign, please visit the California Department of Education Web site at Team California for Healthy Kids - Initiatives & Programs.

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Does merit pay really increase teacher retention? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

2012-02-01T11:03:00.001-08:00

Does merit pay really increase teacher retention? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

Does merit pay really increase teacher retention?

by Valerie Strauss

This was written by Eleanor Fulbeck, who has a doctorate in education policy from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. Here she explains that the evidence on whether merit pay increases teacher retention is less than clear — despite recent articles in the media suggesting otherwise. A version of this post originally appeared on the blog of the Albert Shanker Institute in Washington, D.C.

Read full article >>

What do teachers do? | Taking Note

2012-02-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

What do teachers do? | Taking Note:

What do teachers do?

by John Merrow

John wonders: is there one word that can describe the true role of a teacher?

If you live in New York, John will be appearing in discussion with former NYC Schools Chancellor Joel Klein on February 15th. You can purchase tickets here.

Last night over dinner, a retired educator — still very involved — suggested that the job of a teacher today was fundamentally different from what it was ten or so years ago. “Teachers are more like coaches now,” he said. I chimed in with the view that, in the best of circumstances, teachers were explorers, and I riffed about the changed world, the internet, and the importance of adults helping kids formulate questions, not regurgitate answers. (If you’ve read The Influence of Teachers, you know the drill).

Listening quietly to us two old guys were two relatively young history teachers from an independent school. At one point one of us (finally) asked what they thought. The younger of the two smiled politely and said, in effect, “Your theories are fine, but we teach Advanced Placement History, and there’s not

THE TWO TEACHER SOLUTION « Teachers Fight Back

2012-02-01T11:01:00.000-08:00

THE TWO TEACHER SOLUTION « Teachers Fight Back:

THE TWO TEACHER SOLUTION

by alkleen

I firmly believe that unless we put two teachers in every elementary classroom we will never get the achievement results that people want. Having only one teacher in a classroom of thirty or thirty-five students is a recipe for disaster. It’s possible for a teacher to succeed with fifteen or fewer students in a room, but not the usual thirty or so. I don’t think any elementary school teacher with a classroom of thirty kids would honestly say that every child in the room is reaching their full potential.

It’s interesting that a high school basketball team of twelve kids usually has one full-time coach and as many as two to four assistants depending on the school. It would be very difficult for one coach to get twelve players to reach their full potential, and yet we expect one elementary school teacher to succeed with thirty kids.

I have no idea how we are going to come up with the money to place two teachers in most classrooms, but until

The education competition myth | eSchool News

2012-02-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

Viewpoint: The education competition myth | eSchool News:

Viewpoint: The education competition myth

By Seth Rosenblatt
Read more by Contributor

Most of the fundamental conditions of capitalism don't exist in the world of public education, the author asserts..

I received lots of feedback from myeSchool News article last year, “Viewpoint: Why education is not like business,” which postulated there was a fundamental fallacy in viewing the world of public education through the lens of normal business paradigms.

An overwhelming number of the comments I received were positive and supportive (and gave additional examples of such fallacy), but a few folks thought I was just perpetuating the problem of government being resistant to change, serving its own interests rather than those of the public, and apologizing for a lack of innovation. As I mentioned in that article, I’m a strong believer in capitalism

Shanker Blog » Schools' Effectiveness Varies By What They Do, Not What They Are

2012-02-01T09:47:00.000-08:00

Shanker Blog » Schools' Effectiveness Varies By What They Do, Not What They Are:

Schools’ Effectiveness Varies By What They Do, Not What They Are

by Matthew Di Carlo

There may be a mini-trend emerging in certain types of charter school analyses, one that seems a bit trivial but has interesting implications that bear on the debate about charter schools in general. It pertains to how charter effects are presented.

Usually, when researchers estimate the effect of some intervention, the main finding is the overall impact, perhaps accompanied by a breakdown by subgroups and supplemental analyses. In the case of charter schools, this would be the estimated overall difference in performance (usually testing gains) between students attending charters versus their counterparts in comparable regular public schools.

Two relatively recent charter school reports, however – both generally well-done given their scope and available

Top NYC Elected Officials Criticize School Closings « EdVox

2012-02-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

Top NYC Elected Officials Criticize School Closings « EdVox:

Top NYC Elected Officials Criticize School Closings

by edvoxny

Popout
Public Advocate de Blasio, Comptroller Liu, Borough President Stringer, Former Comptroller Thompson Demand City Tell Truth About “Lost” High-Needs Students

Elected officials ask: What happened to the kids who didn’t make it into the new schools? Is “warehousing” of high-needs students at other schools dooming them to fail?

(New York, NY – January 31, 2012) Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Comptroller John Liu, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and former Comptroller Bill Thompson joined together at City Hall to demand the

California's Annual State Application for 2012 - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education)

2012-02-01T08:41:00.000-08:00

California's Annual State Application for 2012 - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education):

California's Annual State Application for 2012

Annual State Application under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is to be submitted by May 10, 2012, for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2012.

The California Department of Education (CDE), Special Education Division, completed its application for FFY 2012 federal funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as Amended in 2004, Public Law 108-446.

The state application will be available for at least 60 days and public written comment accepted for at least 60 days prior to submission to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Written comments will be accepted between February 1 and April 1, 2012.

The IDEA, as amended in 2004, changed the content for the state’s application. The state plan or description of current policy is replaced with a series of assurances, certifications of federal policies as detailed by the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), a chart indicating the allocation of federal funds, and a list identifying any rule, regulation, or policy that is state-imposed (not required by IDEA or Federal regulations). OSEP requires the state to follow this application process for funding.

Section I - Submission Statement for Part B of IDEA and Section II - Assurances Related to Policies and Procedures(Posted 01-Feb-2012; DOC; 77KB; 9pp.)
The state makes the assurances that it has policies and procedures in place as required by IDEA.
Section III - Description of Use of Funds Part B of IDEA (Posted 01-Feb-2012; DOC; 35 KB; 1pp.) and Excel Interactive Spreadsheet (Posted 01-Feb-2012; XLS; 37KB; 4pp.)
A description of the process used to get input from local educational agencies regarding the distribution of funds. The estimate of how the state intends to utilize these funds is not yet available. The final 2012 allocation will be available after the California Legislature passes, and the Governor approves, the 2012 state budget. Until that time, the FFY 2011 Use of Funds Part B of IDEA is provided.
Section IV - State Administration (Posted 01-Feb-2012)
List of state statutes, regulations, or policies that are state-imposed and are not required by the IDEA of 2004 or federal regulations.

Peg with Pen: Parental Rights in the Kingdom of Colorado

2012-02-01T08:37:00.000-08:00

Peg with Pen: Parental Rights in the Kingdom of Colorado:

Parental Rights in the Kingdom of Colorado

by Peggy

Things are brewing here in Colorado – or should I sayboiling. The events over the last few months have been an eye opener to say theleast.

We can begin with the petitionI sent out this fall. This petition spoke to the negative effects of highstakes testing and has received close to 4,000 signatures. The petitionstates: Colorado school children are spending too much time onstandardized tests and not enough time learning. These tests do nothing toactually help the students who take them. Worse yet, politicians are using theresults of these tests to justify deep budget cuts for public schools and topunish good teachers. It's time to end the era of high-stakes standardizedtests in Colorado. We, the undersigned, demand that the era of high-stakesstandardized tests in Colorado must end

Big money ready to buy legislative votes on pensions. Unless we fight our pensions can vanish in a day. « Fred Klonsky

2012-02-01T08:31:00.000-08:00

Big money ready to buy legislative votes on pensions. Unless we fight our pensions can vanish in a day. « Fred Klonsky:

Big money ready to buy legislative votes on pensions. Unless we fight our pensions can vanish in a day.

by Fred Klonsky

Jim Broadway in his authoritative Illinois School Policy Update reports that big corporate money is ready to buy whatever votes are needed to make another pass at SB 512.

SB 512 would create a three-tier pension system as a prelude to doing away with state employee pensions altogether.

A massive campaign by unions and rank-and-file activists stopped SB 512 last session. Democratic Party Chair and House Speaker Mike Madigan, GOP House Leader Tom Cross and Civic Committee President Ty Fahner could not round up enough votes in the House to pass the bill. It never got to the Senate.

The Civic Committee and the Civic Federation, another corporate lobby group, have doubled down for the upcoming session. They have raised a ton of money to get House and Senate votes. They apparently have the backing of Governor Quinn.

The bill is now in the House Rules Committee but could be restored to third

Susan G. Komen Attacks Women Seeking Breast Cancer Screenings in Fight With Planned Parenthood | FDL News Desk

2012-02-01T08:30:00.000-08:00

Susan G. Komen Attacks Women Seeking Breast Cancer Screenings in Fight With Planned Parenthood | FDL News Desk:

Susan G. Komen Attacks Women Seeking Breast Cancer Screenings in Fight With Planned Parenthood

by David Dayen

Susan G. Komen officials just took a wrong turn (Photo: michaelhyman300, flickr)

TBogg has already done the heavy lifting here, so just a comment or two about the Susan G. Komen for the Cure charity dropping its support for breast cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood.

Unless they are putting all that money into finding that cure for breast cancer they’ve been chasing all these years, the practical effect of this action is to deny women the ability to get screened for breast cancer – women who have nothing to do with this ideological fight over abortion and who would probably gladly go somewhere

Diane Ravitch exhorts city principals to join evaluations protest | GothamSchools

2012-02-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

Diane Ravitch exhorts city principals to join evaluations protest | GothamSchools:

Diane Ravitch exhorts city principals to join evaluations protest

by Philissa Cramer

Principals union president Ernest Logan with Diane Ravitch after Ravitch's speech to union members on Tuesday

City principals should overcome their fear and join with more than a thousand of their colleagues from across the state who oppose New York’s teacher evaluation rules, Diane Ravitch urged during a speech to the principals union Tuesday.

A group of Long Island principals launched a petition in November arguing that the state’s evaluation regulations

Arizona Lawmaker Seeks $2000 Out-of-Pocket Tuition Minimum « Student Activism

2012-02-01T08:06:00.001-08:00

Arizona Lawmaker Seeks $2000 Out-of-Pocket Tuition Minimum « Student Activism:

Arizona Lawmaker Seeks $2000 Out-of-Pocket Tuition Minimum

by Angus Johnston

A bill in the Arizona legislature would bar the state’s university system from providing scholarships that reduced out-of-pocket tuition to less than $2000 a year.

Republican John Kavanaugh says that keeping tuition low creates “perverse incentives” for students to enroll in college. His bill, which has 24 co-sponsors in Arizona’s 60-member House of Representatives, would restrict all grants, scholarships, and awards administered by the university, even those funded by private donors.

Students on full academic scholarships would be exempted from the regulation, as would those on athletic

Why is Booker T. Washington’s Philosophy Being Resurrected? « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

2012-02-01T08:06:00.000-08:00

Why is Booker T. Washington’s Philosophy Being Resurrected? « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!:

Why is Booker T. Washington’s Philosophy Being Resurrected?

by millerlf

Larry Miller

Booker T. Washington: The Debate Continues

I recently heard a lecture in Milwaukee in which the speaker stated “Booker T. Washington was right.” While suggesting valuable proposals for economic development for Milwaukee’s devastated communities, he went on to say he had been a disciple of Cornell West and W.E.B. Du Bois, but converted.

The comment about Booker T. Washington caused concern. So I went back to look at the philosophy and work of Booker T. Washington and the controversies that surrounded him.

Following is some historical analysis and some of my thoughts concerning the work of Booker T. Washington.

Washington entered Hampton Institute in 1872 at the age of 16. In 1881 he took charge of a small school in Tuskegee Alabama and began to put his theories into practice. The school became the Tuskegee Normal and

Mother Crusader: Take Back The Fight! Defend Public Ed With One Phone Call! (Don't Let Big Money Win)

2012-02-01T08:05:00.000-08:00

Mother Crusader: Take Back The Fight! Defend Public Ed With One Phone Call! (Don't Let Big Money Win):

Take Back The Fight! Defend Public Ed With One Phone Call! (Don't Let Big Money Win)

by darciecima

The following email went out to charter schools and charter school parents from the New Jersey Charter Schools Association.

The State Legislators need to hear from the charter school community. We need your help!

On Thursday, February 2, 2012 the Assembly Education committee will hold a hearing to consider the vote on two charter school bills A- 1877- and A-2147.

A-1877- would require community approval on all charter applications and petitions for expansionsbefore the charter application goes to the Department of Education for review.

A-2147- Would require automatic enrollment of all students in the charter school district.

NJCSA does NOT support A-1877 and A-2147 for the following reasons:

A-1877-

The charter approval process will become a political campaign, diverting scarce resources intended for children to operate and fund a campaign.
It creates an unfunded mandate. Referendums require the expenditure of funds at the county and local level.
Voter referendums will impede the development of innovative schools in urban and suburban communities.
Parents vote with their feet. If parents did not want more options, then a charter school would not open.

A-2147-

This will cause a logistical nightmare for all charter schools.
However, this bill does attempt to address increased accountability and collaboration between school districts and charters. We feel that any change to current charter law should come from the people within the charter community who know it best.

Our recommendation is to OPPOSE A-1877 and A-2147 and amend the current Charter law to provide for more diverse authorizers and more community input throughout the process.

How Can You Help?

We would like to ensure that the people who will be impacted by these proposals be informed

I am a parent with kids Support AB 1172 (Mendoza)

2012-02-01T08:03:00.000-08:00

Clayton Valley High charter agreement up for discussion by Contra Costa County Board of Education - ContraCostaTimes.com:

Clayton Valley High charter agreement up for discussion by Contra Costa County Board of Education

By Theresa Harrington
Contra Costa Times

Posted: 01/31/2012 08:44:36 PM PST

Updated: 01/31/2012 08:44:37 PM PST

PLEASANT HILL -- The Clayton Valley Charter High School is moving forward with enthusiasm, but there are still many details to be worked out before it can open in the fall.

"I think all of us on the board are feeling pretty similar," said parent and charter trustee Alison Bacigalupo on Tuesday. "We're all so excited, and it's very difficult to rein in."

The Contra Costa County Board of Education will discuss Wednesday an amendment to its Memorandum of Understanding with the charter, which will extend time for finalizing special education details and require a fiscal review after the first year.

Meanwhile, the committee has been meeting with Mt. Diablo district officials to hammer out a facilities agreement for the Clayton Valley building and talk about recruiting current eighth-graders to attend the charter next year.

"Parents Across America.org"

I am a parent with kids in the in the Mount Diablo Unified School District (not a lobbyist or politician). Here in our District in the Bay Area (Contra Costa County ) one of our public high schools, Clayton Valley High School, recently converted to charter. During the course of analysis of the proposal, it became evident that the conversion will result in a loss of funding to the District to the tune of $2 Million -$4 Million, which will affect all the other schools in the District. Conversion charter high schools are funded in accordance with a formula that provides them with funds at a higher rate than the rate applicable to the other high schools in our District. The District, and not the state, is required to make up this difference in funding from its other funds. Further, under the charter law, the District is expressly prohibited from considering the financial impact of the charter conversion on the District. Therefore neither the District, nor the County Office of Education, which approved the conversion, could consider that we were hurting 31,000 other students of the District to help 2,000 at this high school. The proponents of this particular charter (it's a local nonprofit formed by parents, teachers businesspeople and politicians or former politicians), have expressed their wish that other public high schools in our District follow their example. If this were to happen, it would devastate the District's finances available for elementary and middle schools.

A bill (AB 1172) has been introduced to allow a school district to consider the adverse impact of a conversion on the District’s finances in voting to deny a charter. According to the latest update, it was passed out of committe and is now under consideration in the Senate. Please review the law. It seems like something that perhaps you personally, or an organization like yours ( "Parents Across America.org" or at least your California constituents), might wish to support. We ask that you consider writing, or asking your constituents to write, letters to your state representatives in support of the bill. I have attached a sample letter that we have developed in cooperation with a member of our local school board.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

_______, 2012

[Name of Assemblyperson/Senator]

State Capitol, Room ____

1303 Tenth Street

Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear [Assemblyperson/Senator] _________,

I am a resident of the ________________ School District and I'm writing to ask you to support AB 1172 (Mendoza).

AB 1172 would help school districts by giving boards of education broader authority to consider the fiscal impact of a charter petition.

Specifically, AB 1172 would permit a school district to deny a charter petition if the district determines the petition would have a negative fiscal impact on the district. A negative fiscal impact would be established if any of the following exist:

1) The district has received a negative financial certification;

2) The district has received an emergency loan and is operating under the oversight of a state administrator; or

3) The school district, due to declining enrollment of pupils, is in the process of closing a school that a charter school petition has identified as the proposed site for its charter school, and the district has received a qualified financial certification or would receive a qualified financial certification if the charter school petition is approved.

Funding for public education has already been cut by about $20 billion over the past three years. Please give us the discretion to deny a charter petition if it would exacerbate financial hardships and reduce services to students who remain in the district.

Please support AB 1172 (Mendoza). Thank you.

Sincerely,

Join and Support "Parents Across America.org"

No History is Illegal: A Campaign to Save our Stories Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog

2012-02-01T07:51:00.000-08:00

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog:

Teacher Activist Groups (TAG) invites you to participate in No History is Illegal: A Campaign to Save our Stories, a month of solidarity teach-ins in support of Tucson's Mexican American Studies (MAS) program. Right-wing Arizona politicians recently banned the teaching of Mexican American Studies. In the month of February, strike back against this attack on our history by teaching lessons from and about the banned MAS program. On the No History is Illegal website you will find a guide that includes sample lesson plans from the MAS curriculum as well as creative ideas and resources for exploring this issue with students. Whatever happens in Arizona, we can keep the ideas and values of MAS alive by teaching about them in our classrooms, our community centers, our houses of worship, our homes.

TAG is launching this campaign today because February 1 is the first day on which Tucson

In what other profession... - Topeka K-12 | Examiner.com #edreform #ows

2012-02-01T07:15:00.000-08:00

In what other profession... - Topeka K-12 | Examiner.com:

In what other profession...

August 27th, 2010 by David Reber

I’m going to step out of my usual third-person writing voice for a moment. As a parent I received a letter last week from the Kansas State Board of Education, informing me that my children’s school district had been placed on “improvement” status for failing to meet “adequate yearly progress” under the No Child Left Behind law.

I thought it ironic that our schools were judged inadequate by people who haven’t set foot in them, so I wrote a letter to my local newspaper. Predictably, my letter elicited a deluge of comments in the paper’s online forum. Many remarks came from armchair educators and anti-teacher, anti-public school evangelists quick to discredit anything I had to say under the rationale of “he’s a teacher.” What could a teacher possibly know about education?

Countless arguments used to denigrate public school teachers begin with the phrase “in what other profession….” and conclude with practically anything the anti-teacher pundits find offensive about public education. Due process and collective bargaining are favorite targets, as are the erroneous but tightly held beliefs that teachers are under-worked, over-paid (earning million-dollar pensions), and not accountable for anything.

In what other profession, indeed.

In what other profession are the licensed professionals considered the LEAST knowledgeable about the job? You seldom if ever hear “that guy couldn’t possibly know a thing about law enforcement – he’s a police officer”,

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Day Posts 2-1 #ows #edreform #edchat

2012-02-01T07:13:00.001-08:00

Hundreds of EGEA members attend education activist’s speech Elk Grove Citizen : News

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 34 minutes ago

“Blame the School District, Blame the School, and Blame the Teacher” « City School Stories

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 hours ago

Modern School: Teachers Offer the Wealthy an Escape from Poverty

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 hours ago

Geaux Teacher!: Senator Landrieu vs. Public Education?

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 hours ago

New Resources Announced for Public Service Loan Forgiveness | ED.gov Blog

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 hours ago

Free Teleseminar: Improving School Climate Through a Whole Child Approach « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 hours ago

The Achievement Gap and Teacher Training | Mr. Teachbad

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 hours ago

Schools Matter: Sherman Alexie "Arizona has made our books sacred documents now."

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: City Hall rally today protesting the epidemic of school closings and DOE's broken promises to Jamaica HS

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 hours ago

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 1-31 Early Evening Posts #ows #edreform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Half The Story

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Half The Story:Half The Storyby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)Mayor's collaboration with nutcases and the odious Juan William getting some press, although it doesn't tell the whole story. I posted a comment; we'll see if it gets through.The story of the mayor’s collaboration with this right wing group is incomplete without a full description of

How our dues are being used. « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

How our dues are being used. « Fred Klonsky:How our dues are being used.by Fred KlonskyIn preparation for the IEA RA in March, local Regions held budget hearings last night. The meeting I was at had three Regions present.The news I got was this:The IEA leadership says they will be launching a legislative campaign to do away with the existing regressive flat tax in Illinois and replace it with a progressive income tax.The IEA Budget Committee is proposing a five ... more »

Foster youth deserve to be left out of Brown’s plan to combine categorical funds | Thoughts on Public Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

Foster youth deserve to be left out of Brown’s plan to combine categorical funds | Thoughts on Public Education:Foster youth deserve to be left out of Brown’s plan to combine categorical funds - by Daniel Heimpelby Daniel HeimpelIn 1981, the California State Legislature launched the Foster Youth Services program to address the educational needs of foster children, putting California at the vanguard of a national movement to level the educational playing field for students in foster care. But dramatic changes ... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Romney, Bain took over test giant Princeton Review

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Romney, Bain took over test giant Princeton Review:Romney, Bain took over test giant Princeton Reviewby Mike KlonskyOne of Bain's takeover targets while Gov. Romney ran the predator investment firm, was Princeton Review, one of the largest testing and test-prep operations in the country. In 2007, Bain and Prides Capital, made a $60 million preferred stock investment in Princeton and effectively took the company over, replacing former CEO John Katzman with Michael J. Perik, former CEO ...more »

Jersey Jazzman: Can't Tell the Players Without a Scorecard!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Can't Tell the Players Without a Scorecard!:Can't Tell the Players Without a Scorecard!by DukeI've been at this edu-blogging thing for nearly two years; I'd like to believe I have a fairly good handle on the reformy scene here in Jersey. I'd like to think that I know the players, the connections, the whole tomato pie...So it's more than a little embarrassing to admit I had no idea that Excellent Education for Everyone (E3) - the big dog in ... more »

Miami – Dade Superintendent: “Thanking, Not Ranking a Teacher” | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

Miami – Dade Superintendent: “Thanking, Not Ranking a Teacher” | Scathing Purple Musings:Miami – Dade Superintendent: “Thanking, Not Ranking a Teacher”by Bob SikesAmidst a Mary McGrory FCAT rankings piece in the Miami Herald was this takeaway in a quote from Miami-Dade County superintendent Alberto Carvalho:Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said he took pride in the district’s accomplishments, but contended that “overall rankings provide an overly simplistic view of academic success.”Carvalho added: “Thanking, not ranking, a teacher in Miami is in order.”While ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: View of SOTU from right field

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: View of SOTU from right field:View of SOTU from right fieldby Mike KlonskyMy friend called me yesterday. She sounded irate. "Do you read the Tribune?" she asks. I try not to but can't avoid it sometimes, I respond. "Did you read that column Sunday by Steve Chapman?" No I didn't but I guess I will have to now, I answer. "He's actually calling on kids to drop out of school. If you don't write something about ... more »

ASCD Inservice: The Truth About Restructuring

2012-02-01T07:08:00.000-08:00

ASCD Inservice: The Truth About Restructuring:

The Truth About Restructuring

Conventional wisdom tells us that restructuring schools will improve teachers' practice.

We restructure school governance by creating site councils where teachers and principal make decisions together. We restructure the comprehensive high school into small high schools with longer school days and a college-prep curriculum. We restructure teaching and learning by equipping students with laptops. We restructure teacher staff development by establishing professional learning communities. And on and on.

Yet changing structures rarely alters classroom practice, and there is no evidence that the new structures lead to more student engagement or learning. (See my February EL article, "Standards vs. Customization: Finding the Balance.")

Andrew J. Rotherham: Can GE Help Bring Common Core Standards to Life? | TIME Ideas | TIME.com

2012-02-01T07:03:00.001-08:00

Andrew J. Rotherham: Can GE Help Bring Common Core Standards to Life? | TIME Ideas | TIME.com:

Can GE Help Bring Common Core Standards to Life?

With an $18 million donation, the corporate giant is taking a controversial stand on education reform

By ANDREW J. ROTHERHAM | @arotherham | February 1, 2012 | +

AARON M. SPRECHER / BLOOMBERG / GETTY IMAGES

This morning the GE Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the multinational General Electric Company, announced a landmark $18 million investment to support state implementation of the new Common Core standards and train teachers how to use them. It is sure to set off alarm bells among critics of education reform who worry that too many companies are trying to treat school productivity like a business problem. But the truth is the GE gift is a reminder of how rare meaningful corporate involvement actually is.

(MORE: 12 Education Activists to Watch in 2012)

Quick background: The Common Core standards are the shared voluntary academic standards

John Kuhn: America, Stop Making Excuses for Inequality - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

2012-02-01T07:03:00.000-08:00

John Kuhn: America, Stop Making Excuses for Inequality - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

John Kuhn: America, Stop Making Excuses for Inequality

by Anthony Cody

Guest post by John Kuhn.

Part Two of two.

I ended the last posting with a list of possible causes of the superior academic results seen in Highland Park ISD as compared to Everman ISD. In this posting, I want to talk at length about causality, because it is at the core.

The battle line over causality, like all battle lines, is defined by two sides. One side shouts, "It's poverty, stupid," and the other shouts, "Quit making excuses and get results." Who to side with?

There are two main reasons I side with the poverty faction (not including the fact that I am a teacher and tend to

Legislative Update: The Charter School Bill and the Teacher Evaluation Proposal | Seattle Education

2012-02-01T06:14:00.000-08:00

Legislative Update: The Charter School Bill and the Teacher Evaluation Proposal | Seattle Education:

Legislative Update: The Charter School Bill and the Teacher Evaluation Proposal

by seattleducation2011

As expected, several business interests including Boeing and Gates along with LEV and SFC have put a lot of pressure on our representatives to vote for the House and Senate bills related to charter schools and teacher evaluations.

There is at least one more month to go and anything can happen. LEV and SFC, Boeing lobbyists and Gates’ folks have been relentless in their push for the privatization of our public school system and they get paid well to do just that so don’t expect them to slow down after this bump in the road for them. Still, the news is good and

Big Education Ape

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Afternoon Posts 2-1 #ows #edreform

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Negative study on longer school day

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools: For an Education Built to Last | ED.gov Blog

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools: For an Education Built to Last

Missouri Education Watchdog: Keeping An Eye On The Prize of Quality Legislation

Summer Meal Site Application - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Urges Agencies toApply to Become Summer Food Service Program Sponsors

Does merit pay really increase teacher retention? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

What do teachers do? | Taking Note

THE TWO TEACHER SOLUTION « Teachers Fight Back

The education competition myth | eSchool News

Viewpoint: The education competition myth

Shanker Blog » Schools' Effectiveness Varies By What They Do, Not What They Are

Top NYC Elected Officials Criticize School Closings « EdVox

California's Annual State Application for 2012 - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education)

California's Annual State Application for 2012

Peg with Pen: Parental Rights in the Kingdom of Colorado

Big money ready to buy legislative votes on pensions. Unless we fight our pensions can vanish in a day. « Fred Klonsky

The bill is now in the House Rules Committee but could be restored to third

Susan G. Komen Attacks Women Seeking Breast Cancer Screenings in Fight With Planned Parenthood | FDL News Desk

Diane Ravitch exhorts city principals to join evaluations protest | GothamSchools

Arizona Lawmaker Seeks $2000 Out-of-Pocket Tuition Minimum « Student Activism

Why is Booker T. Washington’s Philosophy Being Resurrected? « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

Mother Crusader: Take Back The Fight! Defend Public Ed With One Phone Call! (Don't Let Big Money Win)

I am a parent with kids Support AB 1172 (Mendoza)

No History is Illegal: A Campaign to Save our Stories Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog

In what other profession... - Topeka K-12 | Examiner.com #edreform #ows

In what other profession...

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Day Posts 2-1 #ows #edreform #edchat

ASCD Inservice: The Truth About Restructuring

The Truth About Restructuring

Andrew J. Rotherham: Can GE Help Bring Common Core Standards to Life? | TIME Ideas | TIME.com

Can GE Help Bring Common Core Standards to Life?

John Kuhn: America, Stop Making Excuses for Inequality - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Legislative Update: The Charter School Bill and the Teacher Evaluation Proposal | Seattle Education

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Urges Agencies to
Apply to Become Summer Food Service Program Sponsors