School Tech Connect: Ayodeji Griffin at Crane

School Tech Connect: Ayodeji Griffin at Crane:

Ayodeji Griffin at Crane

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)

"We will accept any student no matter how low their test scores are."
Crane teacher Ayodeji Griffin spoke from the heart about what Crane has been doing over the years. From the outside, it looks like nobody told them that the way to keep your doors open is to ixnay the open-to-all idea. The road to success now lies in sculpting your graduating class in such a way that those kids not headed for graduation are dispersed to other schools. It's all very old school, what they're doing at Crane.

I know I have a photo of this teacher somewhere, but I can't tell from my notes which one it is. If you see her in my Flickr stream will you let me know?



Just in case you missed it, this is what she said at the end.

A couple of years ago, I questioned an elementary counselor who attended our articulation

We Are the Present: Why Youth Voices are Necessary « Cooperative Catalyst

We Are the Present: Why Youth Voices are Necessary « Cooperative Catalyst:

We Are the Present: Why Youth Voices are Necessary

by rad fag

An education which denies the voices of youth can never benefit from their wisdom as to how to restructure it.

In many of the educational and teacher training programs I have been a part of, I’ve been frustrated by the intense focus given to preparing students for their academic futures (meaning standardized testing and ultimately college) while virtually none has been placed on creativity, question asking and critical thought. Indeed, if I were to take the training I had received from these programs at face value, I would understand my only duties as a

A Teacher Story: Why I’m Leaving Public Education | United Opt Out National

A Teacher Story: Why I’m Leaving Public Education | United Opt Out National:

A Teacher Story: Why I’m Leaving Public Education

by admin

As promised, we are going to begin sharing stories – these stories need to be heard – and many are being silenced through the use of fear tactics and the ever so silent mainstream media. So, with your help, we can make these stories be heard. Please read, please share, and welcome our first guest post by a teacher who wishes to remain anonymous.

I’ve had a radical change of heart recently. Those who worked with me in my previous position as an Instructional Coach (helping teachers to improve instruction and overcome difficulties with high-needs students) must be shocked by the links I am posting online. They might say that now that I’m back in the

For Bernardine in her 70th Year! Happy Birthday!! « Bill Ayers

For Bernardine in her 70th Year! Happy Birthday!! « Bill Ayers:

For Bernardine in her 70th Year! Happy Birthday!!

by billayers

A toast to Bernardine at the wild cast-of-thousands party last night from a sweet Chicago friend:

There are many people who know the name Bernardine Dorhn. We consider ourselves fortunate to know Bernardine, the friend, sister, leader, confidante, advisor, and deep thinker with such a big heart.

If there is anything we strive for in life, it is to walk with integrity, to always have a sense of purpose, to forge

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 1-22 Early Evening Posts #ows #edreform

The Alarming Silence on the Remediation Levels Needed by Florida College Freshmen | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 36 minutes ago

The Alarming Silence on the Remediation Levels Needed by Florida College Freshmen | Scathing Purple Musings:The Alarming Silence on the Remediation Levels Needed by Florida College Freshmenby Bob SikesOcala Star-Banner editorial page editor, Brad Rogers correctly points out that the number of Florida freshmen who need some sort of remediation is the most crucial – and disturbing piece of education data that no one is talking about:Over half of the incoming freshman at CF during the 2009-10 school year — ... more »

Weekly Update, January 20, 2012: Rent-a-preachers, teachers and a school that works | Seattle Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 36 minutes ago

Weekly Update, January 20, 2012: Rent-a-preachers, teachers and a school that works | Seattle Education:Weekly Update, January 20, 2012: Rent-a-preachers, teachers and a school that worksby seattleducation2011A lot has been gong on in the last two weeks nationally and I am now just getting caught up.There is a lot going on in the state of Washington with Stand for Children, et al, trying to do an end run around the people by going directly to the state legislators to attempt ... more »

Blue Jersey:: Christie Caught In a Whopper

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 36 minutes ago

Blue Jersey:: Christie Caught In a Whopper:Christie Caught In a Whopperby: Jersey JazzmanSun Jan 22, 2012 at 09:55:30 AM ESTI'm sure you're all shocked to hear this, but a video just released this morning pretty much proves that Chris Christie lied at his town hall in Voorhees last week:That's right: Amir Khan - charter school founder, anti-marriage equity activist, and terrible speller - has been on the dais for TWO Christie "town halls." Khan says he's met with Christie "frequently."But ...more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Day Posts 1-22 #ows #edreform #edchat

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 36 minutes ago

Kansas City schools chief: ‘We are NOT the worst district’ - KansasCity.comBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-5 hours agoKansas City schools chief: ‘We are NOT the worst district’ - KansasCity.com:Kansas City schools chief: ‘We are NOT the worst district’Interim superintendent points to improvements and rails against “campaign political rhetoric.”BY JOE ROBERTSON AND LYNN HORSLEYThe Kansas City StarFallout from a meeting between Mayor Sly James and the U.S. education secretary brought out the ire in Kansas City Interim Superintendent Steve ... more »

How To Cure The Autism Epidemic? Make Believe It Doesn’t Exist. | Addicting Info

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 36 minutes ago

How To Cure The Autism Epidemic? Make Believe It Doesn’t Exist. | Addicting Info:How To Cure The Autism Epidemic? Make Believe It Doesn’t Exist.January 20, 2012By Justin "Filthy Liberal Scum" RosarioIn their infinite wisdom, the American Psychiatric Association is, after almost two decades, updating the medical definition of autism and by “updating” I mean “narrowing.” It almost appears that, in a misguided attempt to deal with the increasing rate at which autism is being diagnosised, they have decided to exclude ... more »

Schools Matter: Hawaii's Teachers Take a Stand: Take Your RTTT Bribe and Shove It

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 36 minutes ago

Schools Matter: Hawaii's Teachers Take a Stand: Take Your RTTT Bribe and Shove It:Hawaii's Teachers Take a Stand: Take Your RTTT Bribe and Shove Itby Jim HornFrom Valerie Strauss at WaPo:Public school teachers in Hawaii have rejected a contract that called for a move to a performance-based evaluation and compensation system, as required by the Race to the Top grant that the state won from the Obama administration.The rejection comes shortly after Hawaii was warned by the U.S. Education Department ... more »

Who Should Have Access to Student Records? - US News and World Report

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 36 minutes ago

Who Should Have Access to Student Records? - US News and World Report:Who Should Have Access to Student Records?Education data can be useful, but privacy experts are concerned about data misuse.By JASON KOEBLERJanuary 19, 2012 RSS Feed PrintSince “No Child Left Behind” was passed 10 years ago, states have been required to ramp up the amount of data they collect about individual students, teachers, and schools. Personal information, including test scores, economic status, grades, and even disciplinary problems and student ... more »

Charter schools: Where's the beef? | The Asbury Park Press NJ | APP.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 36 minutes ago

Charter schools: Where's the beef? | The Asbury Park Press NJ | APP.com:Charter schools: Where's the beef?Just how badly does the public education system in New Jersey need to be fixed? And what is the best way to go about fixing what is broken?Over the past two years, we have heard from Gov. Chris Christie and his administration that our schools, and our teachers, are failing our children. He has hammered away at the need for a series of reforms, ... more »

L.I. education guru hit by Gov. Cuomo defends her income - NY Daily News

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 36 minutes ago

L.I. education guru hit by Gov. Cuomo defends her income - NY Daily News:L.I. education guru hit by Gov. Cuomo defends her income Ellen Cooper says she's done nothing wrong to earn $3.2 million per yearComments (3)BY KENNETH LOVETT, MARK MORALES AND JONATHAN LEMIRE / NEW YORK DAILY NEWSSaturday, January 21 2012, 7:44 PMStumbleUponTumblrRedditEmailCHRISTIE M FARRIELLA FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWSEllen Cooper, whose taxpayer-funded business was criticized by Gov. Cuomo, can afford this stylish home in posh neighborhood of Syosset, ... more »

John Thrasher Wants to Ban Lawmakers from Holding Jobs at Post-Secondary Schools They Fund but Silent on Doing the Same for Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings

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

John Thrasher Wants to Ban Lawmakers from Holding Jobs at Post-Secondary Schools They Fund but Silent on Doing the Same for Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings:John Thrasher Wants to Ban Lawmakers from Holding Jobs at Post-Secondary Schools They Fund but Silent on Doing the Same for Charter Schoolsby Bob SikesFrom the Tampa Bay Times:TALLAHASSEE — Amid a clamor to overhaul a state university system lawmakers say isn’t cutting it, Sen. John Thrasher wants to ban lawmakers from holding jobs ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Evening Posts #ows #edreform 1-21

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

Miles Davis Quintet - DianeBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-34 minutes agoHawaii teachers reject contract in ‘blow’ to Race to the Top - The Answer Sheet - The Washington PostBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-34 minutes agoHawaii teachers reject contract in ‘blow’ to Race to the Top - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:Hawaii teachers reject contract in ‘blow’ to Race to the TopBy Valerie StraussPublic school teachers in Hawaii have rejected a contract that called for ... more »

Kansas City schools chief: ‘We are NOT the worst district’ - KansasCity.com

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

Kansas City schools chief: ‘We are NOT the worst district’ - KansasCity.com:Kansas City schools chief: ‘We are NOT the worst district’Interim superintendent points to improvements and rails against “campaign political rhetoric.”BY JOE ROBERTSON AND LYNN HORSLEYThe Kansas City StarFallout from a meeting between Mayor Sly James and the U.S. education secretary brought out the ire in Kansas City Interim Superintendent Steve Green on Thursday.“I refuse to let the district be used as a platform for campaign political rhetoric,” Green said.The ... more »

Ravitch: ‘No Child Left Behind has been a disaster’ | Davis Enterprise

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

Ravitch: ‘No Child Left Behind has been a disaster’ | Davis Enterprise:Ravitch: ‘No Child Left Behind has been a disaster’from Davis Enterprise by Jeff Hudson Diane Ravitch, education historian and prominent critic of federal education policy, made time for a wide-ranging 30-minute one-on-one interview with Enterprise reporter Jeff Hudson on Friday morning at Sacramento State University. Here are Ravitch’s thoughts and observations on education policy under President Obama, California Gov. Jerry Brown and other topics, presented in a question-and-answer format.Q: ... more »

It Can’t Happen Here… Really? | GoingPublic

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

It Can’t Happen Here… Really? | GoingPublic:It Can’t Happen Here… Really?by Nancy LettsSinclair Lewis wrote the satirical political novel, It Can’t Happen Here, in 1935, when the United States and Western Europe had been in a depression for six years. Lewis asks us to consider what could happen if some ambitious politician used the 1936 presidential election to make himself dictator by promising quick, easy solutions to the depression – just as Hitler had done in Germany in 1933. Of ... more »

A Chance to Choose a New Direction for Education in California - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

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

A Chance to Choose a New Direction for Education in California - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:A Chance to Choose a New Direction for Education in Californiaby Anthony CodyLast night I had the honor of speaking to an audience of several thousand teachers from the greater Sacramento area, at an event that featured State Superintendent Tom Torlakson, California Teachers Association vice president Eric Heins, Linda Darling Hammond and the woman who has emerged as the champion for teachers, ... more »

School Tech Connect: Crane Teacher Steven Godfrey and Student Mara Howard

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

School Tech Connect: Crane Teacher Steven Godfrey and Student Mara Howard:Crane Teacher Steven Godfrey and Student Mara Howardby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)"You have misinformation about Crane."Crane Teacher Steven GodfreyA Crane teacher points out that some of fake protesters were holding up signs referencing the ISAT, a test that doesn't even apply to high school students here in Illinois."Since Crane is a neighborhood school, you think it's filled with neighborhood fools."Crane Student Mara HowardStudent Mara Howard spoke with such passion---

SRC can't afford to leave democracy behind | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

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

SRC can't afford to leave democracy behind | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:SRC can't afford to leave democracy behindby Helen GymThursday’s move by the School Reform Commission to hire a Chief Recovery Officer who will be advised by an "outside team of experts" signals a potentially troubling path around both mission and process for the School District as it struggles to keep afloat amid fiscal chaos.District 1201 union President George Ricchezza, whose 2,700 members have all received layoff notices, said what’s ... more »

Field Trip! (And I Don’t Mean Virtual) « Diary of a Public School Teacher!

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

Field Trip! (And I Don’t Mean Virtual) « Diary of a Public School Teacher!:Field Trip! (And I Don’t Mean Virtual)Posted January 21, 2012 by Oldschoolteach in Classroom Issues. Tagged: connecting field trips to lessons, educators and field trips, field trips, learning from field trips, pen pals, real life learning. 1 CommentMy former principal only allowed us to take only two field trips a year. (If you’ve been teaching long enough,you know how he came to that decision. Can anyone say ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Tesa Wilson on the charter invasion of Williamsburg: "We can no longer let the one percent dictate to the 99 percent"

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

NYC Public School Parents: Tesa Wilson on the charter invasion of Williamsburg: "We can no longer let the one percent dictate to the 99 percent":Tesa Wilson on the charter invasion of Williamsburg: "We can no longer let the one percent dictate to the 99 percent"Tesa Wilson, public school parent and president of the Community Education Council in District 14, Williamsburg denounces the "separate but unequal" proposal to insert a Success Academy charter school in PS 19 in her community: "We ... more »

Mother Crusader: Four Strikes and Tikun Olam's Still Not Out?

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

Mother Crusader: Four Strikes and Tikun Olam's Still Not Out?:Four Strikes and Tikun Olam's Still Not Out?by darciecimaThe New Jersey Department of Education, according to their timeline, was supposed to release the decisions on the latest round of charter applications on Tuesday, January 17th.Notice that charter applicants must submit their applications and addenda not just on particular days, but by a specific time. If they fail to meet these deadlines their applications are automatically disqualified. OK, let's put that aside. ... more »