Big Education Ape

Big Education Ape: 1-31-12 PM Does Obama understand Race to the Top? EDition #EDREFORM #ows

2012-01-31T16:19:00.000-08:00

Big Education Ape: Ed News Now

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livestream.com - The mission of Teach Plus is to improve outcomes for urban children by ensuring that a greater proportion of students have access to effective, experienced teachers. It is founded on the premise th...

arneduncan

“MORE THAN A NUMBER” Is the new New York State principal...

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DianeRavitch

The test score hypothesis

edexcellence.net - yes Michael J. Petrilli / January 31, 2012 The entire school reform movement is predicated on a hypothesis: Boosting student achievement, as measured by standardized tests, will enable greater pr...

DianeRavitch

Hundreds protest Lehman High School turnaround plan

bronxpresspolitics.blogspot.com - By MIAWLING LAMFormer Bronx teacher and education activist Peter Lamphere speaks during a rally to save Lehman High School.THE odds are stacked against them, but more than 200 former and current st...

leoniehaimson

Does Obama understand Race to the Top? — Ravitch - The Answer Sheet

washingtonpost.com - This was written by education historian Diane Ravitch for her Bridging Differences blog, which she co-authors with Deborah Meier on the Education Week website. Ravitch and Meier exchange letters ab...

DianeRavitch

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Claremont McKenna College inflated freshman SAT scores, probe finds

latimes.com - Claremont McKenna College exaggerated the collective SAT exam scores of incoming freshman classes for the last six years, boosting statistics used for national school rankings, an internal probe ha...

DianeRavitch

IFF Study Released to Criticism of Research Methodology

realeducationreformdc.blogspot.com - Quality Schools, Every Child, Every Neighborhood Indeed A response by Teachers and Parents for Real Education Reform The Illinois Facilities Fund report titled: Quality Schools, Every School, E...

DianeRavitch

Does President Obama Know What Race to the Top Is? - Bridging Differences

blogs.edweek.org - Dear Deborah, I don't know about you, but I am growing convinced that President Barack Obama doesn't know what Race to the Top is. I don't think he really understands what his own administration is...

DianeRavitch

SocietySee all

Sherman Alexie | The Progressive

progressive.org - Let's get one thing out of the way: Mexican immigration is an oxymoron. Mexicans are indigenous. So, in a strange way, I'm pleased that the racist folks of Arizona have officially declared, in bann...

mikeklonsky

Letters of Note: To My Old Master

lettersofnote.com - In August of 1865, a Colonel P.H. Anderson of Big Spring, Tennessee, wrote to his former slave, Jourdan Anderson, and requested that he come back to work on his farm. Jourdan — who, since being ema...

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NH GOP: Lynch's ideas too expensive

boston.com - CONCORD, N.H.—Republican leaders say Gov. John Lynch's state of the state address is calling for too much spending.Lynch urged increasing higher education funding, restoring the tobacco tax reducti...

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Do I Still Have a Place Here? « Cooperative Catalyst

coopcatalyst.wordpress.com - I teach in the shell of a once-suburban enclave of Phoenix. We have pretty euphemisms for it. Low-SES. Title One. Poverty. Underprivileged. Diverse (in the deep-red state of Phoenix, it’s the new r...

tbfurman

Chicago is Number One in Hating -- According to New York

chicagonow.com - Something called the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, put their collective egg heads together and wrote a study about something they have no knowledge of: anything west of the Hudson River...

coopmike48

School Tech Connect: Um, No. He Has No Clue

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - School Tech Connect: Um, No. He Has No ClueUm, No. He Has No Clueby noreply@blogger.com (Tim) President Obama cannot possibly understand what is going on as a result of Race To Nowhere. He's simply...

coopmike48

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Bloomberg Defends 9/11 Memorial Salaries - Metropolis

blogs.wsj.com - By Michael Howard SaulAssociated Press Some of the first visitors to the National September 11 Memorial last year.New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended the nearly $300,000 in severance pai...

leoniehaimson

Civilian Deaths Due to Drones Are Not Many, Obama Says

nytimes.com - WASHINGTON — President Obama on Monday defended the use of drones to strike suspected terrorists in Pakistan and elsewhere, saying the clandestine program was “kept on a very tight leash” and enabl...

fklonsky

Second Year In, Republican Governors Moderate Tone

nytimes.com - A year after a coterie of new Republican governors swept into the statehouses and put in place aggressive agendas to cut spending and curb union powers, sparking strong backlashes in many places, m...

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Romney, Bain took over test giant Princeton Review

schoolingintheownershipsociety.blogspot.com - One 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...

mikeklonsky

Buyout Profits Keep Flowing to Romney

nytimes.com - Almost 13 years ago, Mitt Romney left Bain Capital, the successful private equity firm he had helped start, and moved to Utah to rescue the Salt Lake City Olympic Games and begin a second career in...

mikeklonsky

Blog posts on this issue

whitehouse.gov - The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release January 31, 2012 Administration Takes Immediate Steps to Accelerate Startup and Small Business GrowthToday, on the one-year anniv...

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EnvironmentSee all

Illinois nuclear reactor shutdown probed

cbsnews.com - In this March 2011 photo, steam escapes from Exelon Corp.'s nuclear plant in Byron, Ill. (AP) (AP) CHICAGO - Officials are investigating the events surrounding a power failure at a nuclear reactor...

mikeklonsky

Officials investigating Illinois reactor shutdown

democraticunderground.com - http://apnews.excite.com/article/20120131/D9SJT4EO0.html Officials investigating Illinois reactor shutdown By TAMMY WEBBER CHICAGO (AP) - Officials are investigating the events surrounding a power ...

coopmike48

How our dues are being used. « Fred Klonsky

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - 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 ha...

coopmike48

#edu Read this paperSee all

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

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - School Tech Connect: Half The Story Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 minutes ago School Tech Connect: Half The Story:Half The Storyby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)Mayor's collaborat...

coopmike48

Schools Matter: New York Principal's Heroic Stand

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Schools Matter: New York Principal's Heroic Stand:New York Principal's Heroic Standby Judy RabinZeppie said Gov. Andrew Cuomo's recent implementation of standardized testing reviews is unhealthy an...

coopmike48

Peg with Pen: Awake in Indiana

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Peg with Pen: Awake in Indiana:Awake in Indianaby PeggyWhat does it mean to be awake? We hear that phrase a lot. When will they wake up? Whatwill it take to wake the 99%? Simply look at Indiana. ...

coopmike48

#edreform Read this paperSee all

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

coopmike48

Big Education Ape: 1-31-12 AM Race to the Top costs leave schools behind EDition #EDSOTU #edreform

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Big Education Ape: Ed News Now: Big Education Ape: Ed News NowPublished by Coopmike48 – 7 news spotters todayNext update in about 10 hoursSee all articlesHEADLINESEDUCATIONSOCIETYPOLITICSBUSINESSCR...

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Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts 1-30 #edreform #ows

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - My Problem(s) With #Educon | Connected Principals Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago My Problem(s) With Educon | Connected Principals:My Problem(s) With Educonby Patric...

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Arden mall December 22 2011

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

2012-01-31T16:16:00.000-08:00

“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 fmurphy

Notes from the Field

Submitted by Frank Murphy, on January 31, 2012

I 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 Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced plans to close forty-nine schools in the next school year. The Chester Upland School District, which is tottering on the verge of bankruptcy, scrambled to find additional monies in order to keep its schools open. And in Philadelphia, members of the School Reform Commission announced more bad news regarding the district’s budget. It was revealed that a $61 million budget gap still exists for this current school year. Even worse news was the possibility that a $269 million shortfall in next year’s budget could continue to hobble the district’s effort to provide educational services to the city’s public

Modern School: Teachers Offer the Wealthy an Escape from Poverty

2012-01-31T16:14:00.000-08:00

Modern School: Teachers Offer the Wealthy an Escape from Poverty:

Teachers Offer the Wealthy an Escape from Poverty

by Michael Dunn

The 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 date, Sunday afternoon beers or some practical work clothes, but nowhere near enough to bring poor kids into the middle class. And if he really wanted us to not teach to the test, he wouldn’t tie our evaluations and salaries to students’ test scores.

Last night in President Obama's State of the Union address, he repeated a familiar refrain

Geaux Teacher!: Senator Landrieu vs. Public Education?

2012-01-31T16:13:00.000-08:00

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 CANDuncan when he realizes that the privatization of public schools that is the aim of his reform agenda is dissolving a HUGE base of support that he previously enjoyed.

When I last visited Senator Landrieu's offices in Washington in August of 2011, she was, of course, not available

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

2012-01-31T16:12:00.000-08:00

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

New Resources Announced for Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Guest Blogger

Martha 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 advantage of Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Public Service Loan Forgiveness cancels the balance of a borrower’s federal student loan debt after they have served full time in a public service role for at least 10 years, while making on-time qualifying loan payments each month.

The new materials from ED include an employment certification form that allows borrowers to keep track of eligible employment and payments. This form will help those borrowers who have made a service commitment to this country while honoring their responsibility to repay their federal student loans and allow them to more easily receive loan forgiveness when they are able. In addition, these new materials will allow borrowers to find out now if their job and loan payments will qualify them for loan forgiveness in the future as well as how many payments they have left to make – information that is not currently available.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness was established through the bipartisan College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, and applies to careers such as active-duty military officers and veterans, public school teachers, law enforcement officials, firefighters, and many nonprofit employees. Borrowers must make 120 monthly payments on their eligible federal student loans after Oct. 1, 2007, before they qualify for the loan forgiveness.

More details about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, including a detailed Q&A and copy of the form, can be found at: www.studentaid.ed.gov/publicservice.

Sara Gast is a Press Aide at the U.S. Department of Education

Experts Convene for College Completion Symposium at ED

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Guest Blogger

How do we meet the diverse needs of the 21^st century scholar and meet the President’s 2020 goal of once again leading the world in college graduation rates.

Secretary Duncan speaks at the College Completion Symposium. Official Department of Education photo by Leslie Williams.

This is the challenge Secretary Duncan posed to researchers, policy experts, and practitioners from 30 postsecondary institutions from across the country who shared evidence-based best practices and ideas during a one-day symposium on college completion at the U.S. Department of Education on Monday.

“All the good ideas are out there with you guys,” Duncan said. “I urge you to be creative and thoughtful.”

If there was one important takeaway from the presentations and discussions, it was that one size does not fit all.

Tom Brock, Director of the Young Adults and Postsecondary Education Policy Area from the nonprofit MDRC, presented results from studies looking at student services programs to address the benefits of “increasing the amount of counseling and advising students receive and attaching students to tutoring services on campus.”

Regina Bain, Regional Vice President of the nonprofit organization Posse Foundation, said she learned a lot from the various institutions represented at the symposium.

“I appreciated the idea of online coaching tools. I really believe in one-on-one, intensive, multilayered coaching and advising for individuals,” she said.

The symposium is one more step in ED’s commitment to meeting the President’s 2020 goal, and ensuring that America’s graduates are prepared for the jobs of the 21st century.

Click here to read President Obama’s Blueprint for making college more affordable.

Natalie Torentinos is an intern in the Office of Communications and Outreach

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

2012-01-31T16:08:00.000-08:00

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 Approach

by Klea Scharberg

Join 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 challenged.

Monday, February 27, 2012, 12:00 p.m. eastern time
Call in to 1-800-868-1123 and use code 70187505

The teleseminar is part of a series of monthly meetings of the Improving School Climate for Academic and Life Success (ISCALS) project at Rutgers, designed to support social-emotional character development (SECD) and anti-bullying initiatives in schools. The format allows you to call in and listen (only), though you can e-mail questions

The Achievement Gap and Teacher Training | Mr. Teachbad

2012-01-31T16:05:00.000-08:00

The Achievement Gap and Teacher Training | Mr. Teachbad:

The Achievement Gap and Teacher Training

Note: 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 and doctors makes sense, but only if we proceed seriously and follow where it leads.

Be warned.

It leads us to a very expensive, inconvenient and time-consuming place. It leads us to a disruptive place where the value of sloppy but lucrative teacher preparation programs is sharply questioned. It leads us to a place where teachers will be forced to invest more and be far more deliberate as they decide to take up this job. It’s a place where poli

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

2012-01-31T16:03:00.000-08:00

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 Freire

The 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 Arizona schools. Of course Huppenthal and Horne's vicious legislative colonization didn't actually ban ethnic studies, it just limited Arizona's curriculum to the oppressive historical narrative of "wealthy white male studies."

Today former Schools Matter contributor Kenneth Libbytweeted the response from author Sherman Alexie, which is

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

2012-01-31T16:02:00.000-08:00

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 HS

by Leonie Haimson

There 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 from the closing schools, Advocates for Children, and many others... Here is my speech; video will be posted soon..

For more on why parents and community members throughout the country strongly oppose the epidemic of school closings, and distrust the top-down "solutions" imposed by them from above, this excellent Public Agenda survey "What's Trust Got to Do With It?"

Theodore Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, John Jay, Martin Luther King Jr.

John F. Kennedy, John Dewey, Paul Robeson, Louis Brandeis, Thomas Jefferson.

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

2012-01-31T14:25:00.001-08:00

School Tech Connect: Half The Story

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 minutes 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) - 11 minutes 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) - 11 minutes 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) - 11 minutes 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) - 11 minutes 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) - 11 minutes 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) - 11 minutes 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 »

Diane Ravitch in Sacramento, Continued « InterACT

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 minutes ago

Diane Ravitch in Sacramento, Continued « InterACT:Diane Ravitch in Sacramento, Continuedby David B. CohenIn a prior post, I shared two video clips from Diane Ravitch’s speech at the Sacramento Convention Center on January 20th. I managed to record two other portions of the speech, and have embedded those clips below.In the first clip, I picked up in the middle of a larger segment of the speech in which Ravitch points out that union detractors might have more credibility if they ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts 1-30 #edreform #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 minutes ago

My Problem(s) With #Educon | Connected PrincipalsBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-2 hours agoMy Problem(s) With Educon | Connected Principals:My Problem(s) With Educonby Patrick LarkinAs I reflect on my third Educon experience, I feel the need to get a few things off my chest in regards to the conference put on by Mr. Lehmann and his crew at Science Leadership Academy.The sessions – What’s up with so many great conversations in each time slot? I am used to attending ... more »

My Problem(s) With #Educon | Connected Principals

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

My Problem(s) With Educon | Connected Principals:My Problem(s) With Educonby Patrick LarkinAs I reflect on my third Educon experience, I feel the need to get a few things off my chest in regards to the conference put on by Mr. Lehmann and his crew at Science Leadership Academy.The sessions – What’s up with so many great conversations in each time slot? I am used to attending conferences where I struggle to find one quality session in each time slot.Between the ... more »

PARENTS COMPLAIN ABOUT LONGER SCHOOL DAY « Teachers Fight Back

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

PARENTS COMPLAIN ABOUT LONGER SCHOOL DAY « Teachers Fight Back:PARENTS COMPLAIN ABOUT LONGER SCHOOL DAYby alkleenA mini revolt is being staged by parents of some elementary school children in Chicago. The Chicago public school administrators increased class time at several schools. The school day is now up to seven and a half hours at some schools. Many parents are upset that they had to change bedtimes, reset alarm clocks, and alter homework and dinner schedules for their little ones.The biggest ... more »

PAA on real parent empowerment – an antidote to phony “parental choice” « Parents Across America

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

PAA on real parent empowerment – an antidote to phony “parental choice” « Parents Across America: PAA on real parent empowerment – an antidote to phony “parental choice”by pureparentsJanuary 31, 2012Contacts:Julie Woestehoff, PAA co-founder, Parents United for Responsible Education, Chicago 773-715-3989Leonie Haimson, PAA co-founder, Class Size Matters, New York City – 212-674-7320Lorie Barzano, PAA, The Coalition to Strengthen Austin (TX) Urban Schools – 512-447-5577Karran Harper Royal, PAA founder, Education advocate – 504-722-8174Parents Across America releases a proposalfor real... more »

Digital Educators Needed for 21st Century Digital Learners! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Digital Educators Needed for 21st Century Digital Learners! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!:Digital Educators Needed for 21st Century Digital Learners!by OldschoolteachI am not a digital native by any means. I am 52 years old and have been teaching for 27 years. I am the teacher people assume is scared to touch a computer for fear of contracting a virus. I am the teacher they assume has dust gathering on the classroom computers like moss on a stone.I am ... more »

"Teachers & Parents for Real Education Reform": IFF Study Released to Criticism of Research Methodology

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

"Teachers Parents for Real Education Reform": IFF Study Released to Criticism of Research Methodology:IFF Study Released to Criticism of Research MethodologyQuality Schools, Every Child, Every Neighborhood IndeedA response by Teachers and Parents for Real Education ReformThe Illinois Facilities Fund report titled: Quality Schools, Every School, Every Child, Every Neighborhood was released last week at a briefing by Deputy Mayor for Education De’Shawn Wright. There were no surprises in the report. Back in November, local analyst Mary Levy had accurately predicted ... more »

Teachers Inject Their Own Message Into Union-Busters' Twitter Campaign | Truthout

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Teachers Inject Their Own Message Into Union-Busters' Twitter Campaign | Truthout:Teachers Inject Their Own Message Into Union-Busters' Twitter CampaignMonday 30 January 2012by: Adam Bessie, The Daily Censored | Op-EdIn the last year, the national education debate has been occupied by economists, billionaires, hedge-fund managers, corporate columnists and party-politicians –indeed, it seems like the further a person is from the classroom, the more weight his opinion carries.Call it the Gates Paradox – the power of your voice in the “education reform” ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 1-30 Early Evening Posts #ows #edreform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Teacher Unionism Reborn | The IndypendentBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-18 minutes agoTeacher Unionism Reborn | The Indypendent: Teacher Unionism RebornBYLOIS WEINERJANUARY 30, 2012 In the past five years, we have witnessed a demonization of teachers unions that is close to achieving its goal: destruction of the most stable and potentially powerful defender of mass public education. Teacher unionism’s continued existence is imperiled — if what we define as "existence" is organizations having the legal capacity to bargain over ... more »

RIP: National School Counseling Week - Resources (CA Dept of Education)

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

National School Counseling Week - Resources (CA Dept of Education):National School Counseling WeekInformation regarding National School Counseling Week, February 6-10, 2012, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). National School Counseling Week will be celebrated from February 6-10, 2012 to focus public attention on the unique contribution of professional school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week (Outside Source), sponsored by ASCA, highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve scho... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Christie's Lies: Golden Oldies

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Christie's Lies: Golden Oldies:Christie's Lies: Golden Oldiesby DukeI haven't posted about this in a while:Christie joined with Democratic leaders last year to shift a greater share of the pension burden to public workers and to end cost-of-living increases for current and future retirees. The legislation helped drive down the state’s unfunded pension liability from $53.9 billion to $36.3 billion when the administration revised its figures for fiscal 2010, according to the actuarial reports made public on Tuesday. [emphasis ... more »

What the New Yorker Piece on Tyler Clementi and Dharun Ravi Gets Wrong « Student Activism

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

What the New Yorker Piece on Tyler Clementi and Dharun Ravi Gets Wrong « Student Activism:What the New Yorker Piece on Tyler Clementi and Dharun Ravi Gets Wrongby Angus JohnstonThe New Yorker has published a major new article by Ian Parker on the September 2010 death of Rutgers first-year Tyler Clementi who, targeted by his roommate in a campaign of webcam spying and harassment, killed himself by jumping off the George Washington Bridge. (Clementi’s roommate, Dharun Ravi, will face trial ... more »

Mother Crusader: Can a Man Of God Run a School For The State?

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

Mother Crusader: Can a Man Of God Run a School For The State?:Can a Man Of God Run a School For The State?by darciecimaJersey Jazzman and I have been using our blogs in the last week or so to raise questions about the Regis Academy that was approved by Acting Commissioner Cerf for Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Lawnside and Somerdale. Jersey Jazzman came up with a great timeline that raises some serious questions as to how and why this application made ...more »

Schools Matter: New York Principal's Heroic Stand

2012-01-31T13:40:00.000-08:00

Schools Matter: New York Principal's Heroic Stand:

New York Principal's Heroic Stand

by Judy Rabin

Zeppie said Gov. Andrew Cuomo's recent implementation of standardized testing reviews is unhealthy and wrong.

"I don’t believe in stressing kids out so that they have no childhood," Zeppie said. "Sooner or later it will trickle down and lead to more suicides in children."

RYE, N.Y. - Osborn School Principal Clarita Zeppie announced in a letter to schools Superintendent Ed Shine and the Osborn School staff that she would be

When University Press Releases are Scholarly Malpractice « Student Activism

2012-01-31T13:34:00.000-08:00

When University Press Releases are Scholarly Malpractice « Student Activism:

University Press Releases as Scholarly Malpractice

by Angus Johnston

An obscure academic publishes a strange paper in a no-name journal. Scholars uniformly repudiate it as worthless. Some speculate that the author is mentally ill. But in the meantime the theory attracts huge attention online, and even makes it into some mainstream news outlets, lauded as a potentially earth-shaking discovery.

How does this happen?

University public relations departments.

The academic in question is biochemist Erik Andrulis, and the paper is called “Theory of the Origin, Evolution, and Nature of Life.” It was published in the premiere issue of a minor new journal called Life last week, and if that had been all the exposure it received, it likely would have sunk without a trace.

But Andrulis is an assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University, and six days ago the CWRU public

Peg with Pen: Awake in Indiana

2012-01-31T13:24:00.000-08:00

Peg with Pen: Awake in Indiana:

Awake in Indiana

by Peggy

What does it mean to be awake? We hear that phrase a lot. When will they wake up? Whatwill it take to wake the 99%?

Simply look at Indiana. While corporate education reformers circle and attack, Indiana folks areholding their ground - they recognizethat all children in Indiana are entitled to a whole and equitableeducation. They recognize that theirtax dollars are being used to create a public school system that harms childrenand profits the 1%.

They are organized.

They ask questions that everyone should be asking:

What would it take to get people to understand howimportant education is?

A Teacher Testifies in Opposition to House Bill 2426, the Charter School Bill | Seattle Education

2012-01-31T13:02:00.000-08:00

A Teacher Testifies in Opposition to House Bill 2426, the Charter School Bill | Seattle Education:

A Teacher Testifies in Opposition to House Bill 2426, the Charter School Bill

by seattleducation2011

Eric Muhs, a teacher in the Seattle Public School district, braved the ice and snow on Friday, January 20th, with several other brave souls to provide testimony regarding House Bill 2426, the charter school bill. To follow is what he stated:

Hello. My name is Eric Muhs. I teach physics & astronomy at Ballard High School in Seattle. I’ve been teaching for 25 years, and achieved National Board Certification 5 years ago. I work 70 hours a week, and was in the news last year for leading a group of students in placing an experiment aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. I

School Tech Connect: Um, No. He Has No Clue

2012-01-31T12:30:00.000-08:00

School Tech Connect: Um, No. He Has No Clue

Um, No. He Has No Clue

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)

President Obama cannot possibly understand what is going on as a result of Race To Nowhere. He's simply too smart, and the situation is so obvious and easy to understand, that he clearly has no clue. He's obviously been given a certain small universe of facts, been introduced to some very, very special interests, and been sold a line of bull by whoever's been running ed policy through Arne Duncan's flapping jaws.

This kills me:

Gates, the Bizarro Foundation « Jay P. Greene's Blog

2012-01-31T12:21:00.000-08:00

Gates, the Bizarro Foundation « Jay P. Greene's Blog:

Gates, the Bizarro Foundation

January 31, 2012

Comic book geeks are familiar with Bizarro World, a place where everything is the opposite of what it is in the normal world. In Bizarro World, people would abandon a policy strongly supported by rigorous evidence while embracing an alternative policy for which the evidence showed little promise.

I was thinking about Bizarro World and then it struck me — Perhaps the Gates Foundation has somehow fallen into the Bizarro World. It’s just about the only thing that makes sense of their Bizarro choices with respect to education reform strategies.

The dominant education reform strategy of the Gates Foundation

This Week In Education: Thompson: MDRC Study Doesn't Justify Bloomberg/Duncan Turnarounds

2012-01-31T10:14:00.000-08:00

This Week In Education: Thompson: MDRC Study Doesn't Justify Bloomberg/Duncan Turnarounds:

Thompson: MDRC Study Doesn't Justify Bloomberg/Duncan Turnarounds

by john thompson

The latest Gates-funded MDRC study of small high schools in New York City has stimulated an outstanding debate which could inform a discussion of best ways to turnaround schools, as long as those conversations remain intellectually honest. GothamSchools' Geoff Decker quoted the study's co-author, Howard Bloom, who argued that " these new schools made a positive change for a very large population of highly-disadvantaged students." The Coalition for Educational Justice, however, makes an equally compelling case that, "the new small schools are producing higher graduation rates, [but] it is not clear that these schools serve the same population.” Then, MDRC's Bloom, replied that the two papers’ were

Alliance-AFT demands Dallas ISD reinstate teacher on leave and to end bullying of employees | Dallas ISD Blog | dallasnews.com

2012-01-31T09:32:00.000-08:00

Alliance-AFT demands Dallas ISD reinstate teacher on leave and to end bullying of employees | Dallas ISD Blog | dallasnews.com:

Alliance-AFT demands Dallas ISD reinstate teacher on leave and to end bullying of employees

By

Matthew Haag/Reporter

mhaag@dallasnews.com | Bio

11:14 AM on Tue., Jan. 31, 2012 | Permalink

Dallas teacher association Alliance-AFT has demanded that Dallas ISD reinstate a teacher placed on leave Friday for sending a trustee a critical email and for the district to stop bullying employees.

Alliance-AFT president Rena Honea said that Dallas school principals and administrators get away with intimidating teachers and trying to silence them. Her comments came days after Dallas ISD teacher Joseph Drake was placed on paid leave after he sent an email to trustee Edwin Flores expressing his

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Alliance-AFT demands Dallas ISD reinstate teacher on leave and to end bullying of employees | Dallas ISD Blog | dallasnews.com

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