Saturday, August 18, 2012

by Educator Musing

'Trigger' parents sue Adelanto School District
http://www.vvdailypress.com/articles/adelanto-33801-sue-trigger.html

Parent Revolution backed an expensive lawsuit against the Adelanto School District to impose a charter the parents claim to not want. Now Gabe Rose of Parent Revolution is consulting with attorneys to do it again. This small school district may not be able to stand against the big league juggernaut funded by wealthy foundations.

This is so wrong. While Parent Revolution is robbing needed funds from school kids through lawsuits, the community has gotten together with school

Beware of AstroTurf Ed Reformers

Just Like Michelle Rhee's Students first only BETTER

Astroturf lobbying refers to political organizations or campaigns that appear to be made up of grassroots activists but are actually organized and run by corporate interests seeking to further their own agendas. Such groups are often typified by innocent-sounding names that have been chosen specifically to disguise the group's true backers

Just Like Michelle Rhee's

Students first Astroturf lobbying (only Better)

Other Astroturf lobbying groups

Just Like Michelle Rhee's

Students first Astroturf lobbying (only Better)

Speed, Violence and Testing Culture | educarenow

Speed, Violence and Testing Culture | educarenow:

Speed, Violence and Testing Culture

Posted on August 17, 2012 | Leave a comment

I continue to think about Paul Thomas’s recent post, Time As Capital: The Rise of the Frantic Class. Essentially Paul is arguing that “busyness,” the frantic pace of our culture, takes away the time needed for the kind of reflection that can free us. Being busy insures the lack of time needed to ask questions such as, why am I so busy? What am I doing with my life? What is truly important to me? Thomas shows that this busyness functions to continue to allow the status quo to perpetuate itself, thus “… education reform is more concerned with producing workers than providing all children with equity, liberation, and autonomy.” (This short summary doesn’t do service to Paul’s article. Please take the time to read the whole thing here.)

This makes me wonder, what are the connections between the speed and

To Build Community, an Economy of More Gifts and Less Money | Lefty Parent

To Build Community, an Economy of More Gifts and Less Money | Lefty Parent:

To Build Community, an Economy of More Gifts and Less Money

by Cooper Zale

For many years now I’ve been uncomfortable walking into a big crowded shopping mall and feeling the energy of the place. It generally feels like most people are there for entertainment, shopping for stuff they don’t really need. Four years ago I remember people joking about how it is very much a contemporary American cultural practice to “Shop ’til you drop” (STYD), but since the Great Recession, I rarely hear that any more.
Good riddance I think! The United States has had an economy that depended on ever increasing domestic consumer spending more so than any other major economy in the world. I’m no economist, but I suspect that one of the reasons our unemployment rate continues to be stubbornly high through our slow recovery is that many of the STYD folks have found it necessary to hang up their shopping bags and cut up their credit cards.

Finally People are Talking About Medicaid | First Focus

Finally People are Talking About Medicaid | First Focus:

Finally People are Talking About Medicaid

By Lisa Shapiro

August 9, 2012

As a Medicaid advocate for almost two decades, I’ve done a lot of writing and other agitating about the uninsured and the importance of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for the poorest kids in our country. Over the years, my colleagues and I have worked hard to raise awareness about Medicaid and CHIP to be sure that all kids are able to get the medical care they need be healthy, like routine check-ups and vaccines, care for ear-infections, asthma, allergies, stitches, and broken arms, as well as care for special needs kids and those experiencing serious illnesses. We like to think lots of people were paying attention but we know the reality – very few were hearing our message.

Like everyone else, the Supreme Court’s decision on the Affordable Care Act came as a surprise. I am certainly concerned about the ruling’s impact on the very poorest and most uninsured segment of our population (a blog for another day), but with Medicaid now in the daily headlines, this is a good time to try again to get the word out about how important Medicaid is for kids. For starters, did you know that in 2011, 45 percent of all kids in America – 35.3 million – relied on Medicaid or CHIP for their health insurance? While this is a shockingly large portion of the child population, it shouldn’t come as a surprise given that nearly 25 percent of kids in America live in poverty. I regret the Court’s decision but now that people are talking about Medicaid I wanted to share the facts about Medicaid, how it works, who it covers, and why it is essential for kids.

Here is what every American needs to know:

Medicaid is Designed to Help People When Times are Tough – That’s the Point.Medicaid serves an essential role in our health care system because it ensures that our nati

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Imagine That: Ex-charter students swell St. Louis, KC enrollment - SFGate

Ex-charter students swell St. Louis, KC enrollment - SFGate:

Ex-charter students swell St. Louis, KC enrollment

HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, Associated Press

Updated 11:08 a.m., Saturday, August 18, 2012

Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Enrollment has swelled in unaccredited St. Louis and Kansas City public schools as about 5,000 students from shuttered charter schools find a new place to get an education.

Years of declining enrollment, spurred by families moving to the suburbs or enrolling child in private, parochial or charter schools, meant the two districts saw less money from the state, which forced deep budget cuts. The Kansas City district had to close nearly half of its buildings before the 2010-11 academic year to avoid bankruptcy.

But when classes began Monday, the St. Louis district had 20,029 students, up about 6 percent from last year's first-day enrollment of 18,841. And in Kansas City, the district's first day count was nearly 1,000 students higher than last year, and officials projected that K-12 enrollment will hit 18,200, up about 15 percent from last year's 15,826 students.

Several academically struggling charter schools that had been run by Virginia-based

Parent Trigger Charter School Effort Ends in California | Scathing Purple Musings

Parent Trigger Charter School Effort Ends in California | Scathing Purple Musings:

Parent Trigger Charter School Effort Ends in California

by Bob Sikes

From the Los Angeles Times:

Board members for the Adelanto Elementary School District voted 3-1 to accept the parents’ petition for an overhaul at Desert Trails Elementary School, where more than three-fourths of sixth-graders fail to read and do math at grade level. But they rejected the parents’ preferred choice for change, a charter campus, after concluding there was insufficient time to start one up for the current school year.
The board voted to reform the school instead by forming a community advisory council to oversee such improvements as an extended school day, new curriculum, more technology, school progress reports and a school site coach. Teachers will be asked to pledge support for the reforms in commitment letters; those who choose not to sign may move to another school. The council,

Charter school group's chief blamed for 2010 cheating scandal - latimes.com

Charter school group's chief blamed for 2010 cheating scandal - latimes.com:

Charter school group's chief blamed for 2010 cheating scandal
Educators say John Allen asked Crescendo principals to show teachers the state standardized test. L.A. Unified was going to suspend him, but the board voted to fire him and close the campuses.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-crescendo-20120818,0,5414088.story

Two separate investigations into the cheating scandal blamed Crescendo's founder and chief executive, John Allen, who was driven, as one official said, by a desire to be “better, better, better, best." (Brian van der Brug, Los Angeles Times /March 4, 2011)

By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times

August 17, 2012, 5:34 p.m.
The meeting at Crescendo Preparatory South was progressing as usual when the acting principal dropped a bombshell: She had been given copies of the upcoming standardized tests. The teachers were to study them, take notes — and make sure the kids got it.
Some of the eight instructors were troubled by what seemed to be an order to cheat. One burst into tears.
So began one of the most brazen cheating scandals in the nation. Ultimately, all of Crescendo's schools in South Los Angeles, Gardena and Hawthorne were shut down, its teachers let go and 1,400 students forced to find new schools.
Only the rough outlines of the 2010 scandal were made public,

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky:

Saturday coffee.

by Fred Klonsky

Popout

“It’s a new day, Klonsky,” wrote a friend in an email to me this morning. “You’re in an IEA video.”
I had to laugh.
“Nah,” I wrote back. “It is just testimony to how few members the IEA bothered to mobilize yesterday. I was a desperate choice.”
It was only over the past couple days that the IEA encouraged people to attend the special session that the Governor called. And even then they made is clear in bold type that they would make no special efforts, no busses and no financial support. Any member who wanted to get to Springfield was on their own.
So Park Ridge Education Association President Erin Breen and I grabbed a couple of Peets coffees at 7AM

Old school.

by Fred Klonsky

Eric Clapton.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57Bm2xvuzCA&playnext=1&list=PL523465366E21D7F8&feature=results_main]

History Repeats Itself in the Classroom « Diane Ravitch's blog

History Repeats Itself in the Classroom « Diane Ravitch's blog:

History Repeats Itself in the Classroom

by dianerav

A reader comments on an earlier post written by a teacher who taught in Hartford:
I have seen this teacher’s story played out in so many schools in NYC.
She asks who will subject themselves to teaching in the most challenging of communities?
I often had that same concern. I agree. At a point in the not so distant future, teachers will be retiring and schools will need to staff the classes.
There will be teachers available to teach in high needs schools, but despite Mr. Duncan and others who claim the best and the brightest for every classroom, what I see happening is that many best and brightest will not enter education at all. The ones that do will have their choice of schools in which to teach and most likely most, although not all, will choose schools which may or may not have adequate resources but more importantly,

Nearly Half the Teachers in New York City Are Denied Tenure in 2012 - NYTimes.com

Nearly Half the Teachers in New York City Are Denied Tenure in 2012 - NYTimes.com:

Many New York City Teachers Denied Tenure in Policy Shift

By AL BAKER

Published: August 17, 2012

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Nearly half of New York City teachers reaching the end of their probations were denied tenure this year, the Education Department said on Friday, marking the culmination of years of efforts toward Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s goal to end “tenure as we know it.”

Connect with NYTMetro

Only 55 percent of eligible teachers, having worked for at least three years, earned tenure in 2012, compared with 97 percent in 2007.

An additional 42 percent this year were kept on probation for another year, and 3 percent were denied tenure and fired. Of those whose probations were extended last year, fewer than half won tenure this year, a

Team Vallas, Bridgeport’s illegal board; where is the documentation? - Wait, What?

Team Vallas, Bridgeport’s illegal board; where is the documentation? - Wait, What?:

Team Vallas, Bridgeport’s illegal board; where is the documentation?

by jonpelto

It seems that every day we learn about some other consultants that have been brought in by Paul Vallas to work in Bridgeport’s Public School System. Many of these people are his friends, colleagues or actually work for his private consulting company.

At the same time, we continue to hear about new contracts for textbooks, software or various other products or services.

And yet it has become painfully clear that neither Vallas nor Bridgeport’s illegal board of education seems willing to abide by the most basic competitive bidding laws and requirements.

Contracts for products over $7,500 and individual contracts with consultants to provide

Florida’s EOC Requiremment Imperils Private School and Voucher Students While Amendment 8 Looms | Scathing Purple Musings

Florida’s EOC Requiremment Imperils Private School and Voucher Students While Amendment 8 Looms | Scathing Purple Musings:

Florida’s EOC Requiremment Imperils Private School and Voucher Students While Amendment 8 Looms

by Bob Sikes

Florida Governor Rick Scott followed through on his promise to be more open and created Project Sunburst, a web site which would publish the emails he receives and sends as governor. One email easily catches the eye of education policy observers across the state. It’s from a director of students affairs at a Florida private school.

Dear Governor Scott:
I am an administrator in a SACS accredited private school. Recently, laws have been passed requiring End of Course (EOC) assessments for classes such as Algebra I and Biology. I have been informed that students leaving our school will be denied credit for these classes because the EOC is not available to them, nor is there an alternative test that can be taken. This seems unfair

What Readers Said About CNN and Randi Kaye « Diane Ravitch's blog

What Readers Said About CNN and Randi Kaye « Diane Ravitch's blog:

What Readers Said About CNN and Randi Kaye

by dianerav

I taped an interview with Randi Kaye of CNN Newsroom on Friday August 17. I was invited to do this interview in response to her earlier interview with Michelle Rhee.
I went to CNN assuming I was invited to express my differences with Rhee, who gets far more airtime than I to present her agenda of attacking US education, smearing teachers, calling for an end to tenure and seniority, and demanding merit pay, charter schools, vouchers, for-profit charter schools, for-profit virtual schools, and more testing.
But there was no discussion of my views, no opportunity to present them. Instead I faced a series of loaded questions intended to put me on the defensive (some of the worst were left out of the televised version). They were “gotcha” questions. What do you say to this? And what about that?
My early response –before the interview aired–may have led them to edit out the first line of questioning, when Randi Kaye claimed that NAEP scale scores showed the “failure” of American education. She didn’t know what

Due Process for all « Deborah Meier on Education

Due Process for all « Deborah Meier on Education:

Due Process for all

by debmeier

“Tenure does not afford any advantages in pay or job assignments, or guarantee permanent employment. Its most important benefit is to grant teachers certain protections against dismissal without justification, including the right to a hearing before an arbitrator. Teachers and their unions embrace tenure as an important defense against indiscriminate or politically tinged hiring and firing.” notes Al Baker, NY Times, Friday, August 17 titled

Correction re PRRAC

by debmeier

Correction for those interested. Poverty and Race Research Action Council (PRRAC), which puts out terrific briefs and more on important topics, has an e-mail which I messed up, apparently, in a previous message. Their E-mail is info@prrac.org or www.prrac.org or 202-842-2885. Sorry.

The Weekly Update: The Gates Foundation, the Broad Foundation and vouchers. A few of my favorite things. | Seattle Education

The Weekly Update: The Gates Foundation, the Broad Foundation and vouchers. A few of my favorite things. | Seattle Education:

The Weekly Update: The Gates Foundation, the Broad Foundation and vouchers. A few of my favorite things.

by seattleducation2011

The Weekly Update for the news you might have missed.

We’ll start with this commentary on the Gates Foundation and how it has lost its way. A non-profit can have too much money.
Reforming Gates

Gates Foundation Headquarters in Seattle

In my last post I wrote about the pattern at the Gates Foundation of abusing the idea of “research”

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-18-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana

Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Breaking: Students occupying Social Justice High School. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Breaking: Students occupying Social Justice High School. « Fred Klonsky: Breaking: Students occupying Social Justice Hight School. by Fred Klonsky Breaking: *On the morning of Wed. Aug. 15th 2012, students began occupying the hallways of Social Justice HS in protest of the firing of a popular interim principal and other staff including a clerk who is a military veteran and a new mother. More to come soon.* *-Adam Heenan* Popout

Modern School: Lower Wages, Less Experience—Charter Schools' Recipe for Success

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Modern School: Lower Wages, Less Experience—Charter Schools' Recipe for Success: Lower Wages, Less Experience—Charter Schools' Recipe for Success by Michael Dunn By now most of the public ought to be aware that charter schools receive public money, like traditional public schools, but are freed from many of the rules that traditional schools must follow, including the hiring of unionized teachers and paying union wages. Many charter schools also ignore seniority and hire predominantly young, malleable and lower waged novices. These are just some of the labor cost cutting strategie... more »

Teachers unions blast Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan, calling it 'the most out-of-touch ticket in decades' | MLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Teachers unions blast Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan, calling it 'the most out-of-touch ticket in decades' | MLive.com: Teachers unions blast Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan, calling it 'the most out-of-touch ticket in decades' [image: Aft support.jpg]Dave Murray | MLive.comAmerican Federation of Teachers members loudly supported the Obama-Biden ticket during the vice president's appearance at the AFT convention in Detroit last month. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Teachers union leaders blasted Mitt Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate, saying that tapping the Wisc... more »

Popular Khan Academy draws criticism for first time - San Jose Mercury News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Popular Khan Academy draws criticism for first time - San Jose Mercury News: Popular Khan Academy draws criticism for first time By Sharon Noguchi snoguchi@mercurynews.com Posted: 08/10/2012 07:23:36 PM PDT Updated: 08/10/2012 07:23:37 PM PDT In the past year, education-reform icon Sal Khan has been lauded by Bill Gates as the "teacher to the world" and has been listed among Time magazine's 100 most influential people. His Silicon Valley-based Khan Academy posts free videos -- most of which star Khan himself -- and offers accompanying questions on everything from addition to c... more »

When the Common Core=Teaching Reading Strategies 2.0 « The Core Knowledge Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

When the Common Core=Teaching Reading Strategies 2.0 « The Core Knowledge Blog: When the Common Core=Teaching Reading Strategies 2.0by Rachel Levy *August 17th, 2012* Tags: Common Core State Standards, Literacy, reading strategies, Teaching Posted in Education Practice | No Comments » According to its advocates, the Common Core Standards will usher in an era of equal opportunity to higher quality education via better, richer, and more career and college relevant standards. But if the account presented in this post on Education Sector’s *The Quick & The Ed* is any indication, I fear ... more »

Vouchering an Educational Adventure | Dissident Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Vouchering an Educational Adventure | Dissident Voice: Vouchering an Educational Adventure by Walter Brasch I hadn’t talked with Marshbaum for a couple of years, ever since he left newspaper journalism for more lucrative work in the fast food industry. But here he was in my office to ask if I would publicize his new educational adventure. “That’s great!” I said. “You’re finishing the last three years of college.” “I own the school. CEO of Little Minds Charter and Voucher Corp. We’re on the leading edge of the trend to privatize schools.” “How does mumbling into a broken speaker box m... more »

Troubled Oakland school padded enrollment, district finds | California Watch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Troubled Oakland school padded enrollment, district finds | California Watch: Troubled Oakland school padded enrollment, district finds Will Evans Michael Short/California Watch St. Andrew pastor Robert Lacy and son Robert Lacy Jr. declined to speak with reporters outside a June school board meeting A controversial West Oakland private school, now reportedly drawing FBI scrutiny, has padded its roster sheets with public school students, according to an Oakland Unified School District investigation. The district's inquiry aims to determine whether leaders at St. Andrew Missionary B... more »

Chicago Teachers Union Vs. Astroturf Billionaires

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

The Chicago Teachers Union is currently on the front lines of a fight to defend public education. On one side the 30,000 members of the CTU have called for a contract that includes fair compensation, meaningful job security for qualified teachers, smaller class sizes and a better school day with Art, Music, World Language and appropriate staffing levels to help our neediest students. On the other side, the Chicago Board of Education—which is managed by out of town reformers and Broad Foundation hires with little or no Chicago public school experience—has pushed to add two weeks to... more »

Ed Tech Task Force Recommendations - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Ed Tech Task Force Recommendations - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): Modern Technology a Major Tool in Preparing Students for the Future, Educators and Other Experts Say *"Education Technology Task Force" Submits Recommendations to State Schools Chief* **SACRAMENTO—Rather than seeing smart phones and other electronic devices as barriers to learning, educators should be using them as central tools in preparing students for the careers of the 21st century economy, according to a new report that teachers and other education experts prepared for State Superintendent of Public Instru... more »

ALEC's Annual Conference and OccupySLC's ALEC Welcoming Committee - Days 2 and 3 | MyFDL

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

ALEC's Annual Conference and OccupySLC's ALEC Welcoming Committee - Days 2 and 3 | MyFDL: ALEC’s Annual Conference and OccupySLC’s ALEC Welcoming Committee – Days 2 and 3By: pastfedup Wednesday August 15, 2012 1:31 pm [image: Tweet]Tweet [image: digg] [image: stumbleupon] [image: alec poster.1]Picking up where I left off last post, Day 2 of protesting ALEC in Salt Lake City was a bit quieter than Monday, primarily because July 24th is a very important holiday in Utah. That day, called Pioneer Day, commemorates Brigham Young’s arrival into the Salt Lake valley in 1847; and as ... more »

Healthy Steps for Healthy Lives Offers Free Instructional Materials for Nutrition Education — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Healthy Steps for Healthy Lives Offers Free Instructional Materials for Nutrition Education — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]Healthy Steps for Healthy Lives Offers Free Instructional Materials for Nutrition Education August 15, 2012 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 12.5 million children and adolescents between the ages of 2–19 are obese in the U.S., and the global prevalence of obesity related diseases among adolescents continues to be a growing concern amongst healthcare professio... more »

Mid Day Diane 8-15 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Which Public Services Should Have a “Trigger”? by dianerav What other public services might be subject to a “trigger” law? Should 51% of the tenants of a public housing project have the authority to seize control and hand the property over to a private management company? Should 51% of the patrons of a public library have the authority to seize control and privatize it if they don’t like the staff’s efficiency? Should 51% of the riders on a public bus have the power to seize control of the bus and privatize it... more »

Shanker Blog » Common Core Opens The Second Front In The Reading Wars

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Shanker Blog » Common Core Opens The Second Front In The Reading Wars: Common Core Opens The Second Front In The Reading Wars by Kathleen Porter-Magee *Our guest author today is Kathleen Porter-Magee, Bernard Lee Schwartz policy fellow and editor of the Common Core Watch blog at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Previously, Ms. Porter-Magee served as both a middle and high school teacher, as well as the curriculum and professional development director for a network of public charter schools.* Up until now, the Common Core ELA standards were considered path-breaking mostly because o... more »

Activists Warn of Possible Dangers of Deferred Action in Video - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Activists Warn of Possible Dangers of Deferred Action in Video - Hispanically Speaking News: Activists Warn of Possible Dangers of Deferred Action in Video Published at 7:08 am EST, August 15, 2012 [image: Activists Warn of Possible Dangers of Deferred Action in Video] Photo: Still from the video Click Here to Enlarge Photo A group of pro-immigrant activists in Chicago on Tuesday released an informational video warning about the possible dangers of deferred action, which on Wednesday will begin to register undocumented young people who want to try and postpone deportation. The video,... more »

UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-15-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] RTTT: More Lipstick on a Pig? by dianerav Larry Ferlazzo notes that the latest requirements for Race to the Top is just more lipstick on a pig. By which, he means that when RTTT refers to “personalized learning,” what it really means is using online learning for adaptive testing. That’s pretty much what the hawkers of technology mean too. But teachers had something else in mind, something that would encourage students to explore and think and make their own decisions, not just answer test questions. Is This... more »

School Tech Connect: On The Taking of A Mile

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

School Tech Connect: On The Taking of A Mile: On The Taking of A Mile *What..... .....Really?* I'm supposed to be getting ready for bed.... but after reading this letter by the great Ken Previti over at the Mothership, I'm too agitated. Ken makes the point that the history of pension systems is full of examples of miles being taken after inches were conceded. In fact, it's the conceding of the inches that appears to green light court rulings in favor of pension-raids that should have been plainly illegal. He's recommending a terrific book called *Retirement Heist* by Ellen E. Shul... more »

L.A. teachers union urges members to ignore performance program - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago

L.A. teachers union urges members to ignore performance program - latimes.com: L.A. teachers union urges members to ignore performance program As L.A. Unified reopened for the new school year Tuesday, the teachers' union is urging its members not to participate in a voluntary performance review program that ties student test scores to teacher evaluations. In a recorded back-to-school message sent Monday evening to 38,000 teachers and healthcare service professionals, Warren Fletcher, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, told members he "strongly advises" them to reject distri... more »

Deferred Action Request Forms Now Available Online - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Deferred Action Request Forms Now Available Online - Hispanically Speaking News: Deferred Action Request Forms Now Available Online [image: Deferred Action Request Forms Now Available Online]Earlier this afternoon, the Department of Homeland Security officially released the forms to request deferred action that may be filed by undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as children and meet various other requirements. Beginning tomorrow, August 15, applicants may mail their requests to specified facilities maintained by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an ... more »

Article Shows Ryan Money Connection to Koch Brothers, Tea Party and Right-Wing « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Article Shows Ryan Money Connection to Koch Brothers, Tea Party and Right-Wing « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Article Shows Ryan Money Connection to Koch Brothers, Tea Party and Right-Wing by millerlf *Ryan Has Kept Close Ties to Donors on the Right* *By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE* August 13, 2012 NY Times This month, as a handful of Republicans auditioned at town halls and on bus tours to be Mitt Romney’s running mate, Representative Paul D. Ryan joined a private conference call. For 20 minutes, he walked through his plan to cut government spending and bashed President Ob... more »

Schools Matter: The Walmart Model for Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Schools Matter: The Walmart Model for Education: The Walmart Model for Education by Judy Rabin *In These Times* Wamart, Right-Wing Media Company Hold Star-Studded Benefit Promoting Education Reform Film by Josh Eidelson (My bolds) Asked over e-mail how AFG expected *Won't Back Down* to influence education policy debates, Weil said the movie "explores many different approaches to issues that parents face every day as they selflessly advocate for their children to receive the promise of a great education." Weil adds that the film does not "advocate any specific approach," and that... more »

California's Prop. 32 would be Citizens United on steroids - The Hill's Congress Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

California's Prop. 32 would be Citizens United on steroids - The Hill's Congress Blog: California's Prop. 32 would be Citizens United on steroids By John Logan, professor, San Francisco State University - 08/14/12 07:57 AM ET Conservative activists in California are promoting a deceptive ballot proposition that would increase the ability of business groups and billionaires to dominate state elections. The measure, Proposition 32, claims to be an even-handed effort at campaign finance reform – but nothing could be further from the truth. Prop. 32 (or “Stop Special Interest Money... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-14-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] For-Profit Charter Chains Pour Money into Florida State Senate Races by dianerav Coach Sikes, our reliable Florida informant, describes how that state’s for-profit charter chains are pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into four key races for the state senate. This past spring, the state senate deadlocked on a 20-20 vote and did not pass a parent trigger law supported by Why Is K12 Online Corp. Advertising on Kansas TV? by dianerav David Reber is a teacher in Kansas who happens to be a terrific writer.... more »

Time to Speak Out and Act Up for Teachers and Public Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Time to Speak Out and Act Up for Teachers and Public Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog: Time to Speak Out and Act Up for Teachers and Public Schools by dianerav [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Teachers and parents often ask me: What can I do? How can I stop the attacks on teachers, on their unions, on public schools? Here is one way: Tomorrow night there will be an event called “Teachers Rock” to promote a film that is anti-teacher, anti-union and anti-public schools. Let the stars involved in “Teachers Rock” know that the film they are promoting is NOT pro-teach... more »

Jersey Jazzman: "Teachers Rock 2012": An Insult To Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: "Teachers Rock 2012": An Insult To Teachers: "Teachers Rock 2012": An Insult To Teachers by Duke Tomorrow there will be a concert in Los Angeles called "Teachers Rock 2012." Portions will be broadcast on CBS this Friday. *The entire thing is an insult to teachers.* No one who cares at all about teachers should watch, and *we should all be demanding that the stars who have aligned themselves with this thing immediately pull out and disavow any connection to it.* Here's why: - "Teachers Rock 2012" is a promotional scheme for the upcoming anti-teacher movie, *Won't... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, August 13, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Its Hot in California* Education Headlines *Monday, August 13, 2012* East Bay school bans social media in student campaignsAlthough technology is king on campuses these days, student government campaigns at Heritage High are strictly old-school. Leading up to this week's election of freshman class officers, candidates put up all the usual posters and handed out fliers around the Brentwood campus, but one communications tool was missing: social media. No Twitter. No Facebook. No Instagram. Baldwin Park Unified celebrates completi... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Befuddled Thinking On Teachers Unions

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Befuddled Thinking On Teachers Unions: Befuddled Thinking On Teachers Unions by Duke Usually, I like Bob Braun of the *Star-Ledger*. He did some stellar work on Education Commissioner Chris Cerf'ssecret deals and shifting stories right after Cerf took office. He's called Governor Chris Christie out on much of his teacher-bashing nonsense. Braun also got Chris Cerf to admit that student characteristics were an important part of "successful" charter schools' achievements (an inconvenient truth Cerf tries to ignore whenever he can). So it's a shame to see Braun take... more

Jay Matthews Slams D.C. Cheating Investigation « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Jay Matthews Slams D.C. Cheating Investigation « Diane Ravitch's blog: Jay Matthews Slams D.C. Cheating Investigation by dianerav [image: Class Struggle] Jay Matthews does not believe the investigation of the DC cheating scandal is credible. The DC Inspector General concluded that nothing much happened. He confined his investigation to one school only. He didn’t investigate any other schools. Matthews writes: *Now we know who did it. D.C. Inspector General Charles J. Willoughby has concluded his 16-month probe of cheating on the D.C. schools’ annual tests by saying that kids, no... more »

Dear Carmelo Anthony, Because It’s That Necessary [From a Knicks Fan] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Dear Carmelo Anthony, Because It’s That Necessary [From a Knicks Fan] | The Jose Vilson: Dear Carmelo Anthony, Because It’s That Necessary [From a Knicks Fan] by Jose Dear Carmelo Anthony, Let’s start out with the easy stuff. Congratulations on another gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London. You impressed us with your usual array of offensive weapons, specifically the hot 3-point shooting. At some points, it really seemed like you flicked the ball off your fingers and it would still go in. You seem to thrive in international play, impressing the world in the 2006 World Champio... more »

STUDENTS CONVERGE AT OBAMA OFFICE TO RECLAIM VOICE Student Power Convergence 2012 #HereUsNow @StudentPower12 #ows

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Student Power Convergence 2012: *EMAIL: **info@studentpower2012.org* *WHAT: Press Conference to Reclaim Voice* *WHEN: Monday, August 13th at 1:00PM EST* *WHERE: 1570 N. High St., Suite C10 Columbus, OH* ** *STUDENTS CONVERGE AT OBAMA OFFICE TO RECLAIM VOICE* * * * * ** COLUMBUS, Ohio – Students from across the United States are gathering this week at Ohio State University for the National Student Power Convergence 2012, mobilizing for a new wave of student organizing and action. Against the backdrop of the upcoming elections, discontent among students is rising. We are aware that ne... more »

Comics Journalism Takes on Education Reform | Graphic Novel Reporter

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago

Comics Journalism Takes on Education Reform | Graphic Novel Reporter: Comics Journalism Takes on Education Reform *This interview was conducted by Doré Ripley, a lecturer at Cal State East Bay and an adjunct professor at Diablo Valley College. She specializes in intensive writing. You can visit her on the web at* www.RipleyOnline.com. ------------------------------ We hear it on the television news, radio talk shows, and the internet: America’s public education system is failing. At least that’s what the media wants you to believe. In fact, American school children are doing better... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee never built a consensus - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Ms. Rhee never built a consensus - The Washington Post: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s missing consensus - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - E-mail - Reprints Published: August 8 Richard Whitmire’s Aug. 5 Local Opinions piece expressing nostalgia for former D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee [“What if Rhee had stayed?”] missed the point, which should be a lesson for all school leaders. Whatever opinions one might have about Ms. Rhee’s impact, she unnecessarily created the dynamics of her own demise. Mr. Whitmire suggested that “kind... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education News Roundup

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education News Roundup: Education News Roundup by Melissa Westbrook I bookmark many education stories but wait until I have a mass and/or time to post them. First, up worry over teachers labeled "*highly qualified"* teaching Special Ed students. This story comes from the Special Ed section at Ed Week. *Earlier this year, the Senate merely left the door open to extending a provision that allows teachers still working on their certification to be considered "highly qualified"—a designation created by 2001's No Child Left Behind law. The law says t... more »

Founding Mothers!~ « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Founding Mothers!~ « Deborah Meier on Education: Founding Mothers!~ by debmeier …and others. It’s the title of an old book edited by Alan Sadovnik and Susan Semel on the women who came before us in education (Palgrave, 2002. What a crew! Each chapter is written by a different author, and between them they cover Charlotte Hawkins Brown, Marietta Johnson, Caroline Pratt, Margaret Willis, Margaret Haley, Elsa Flagg Young and many more. Willis was a name I didn’t remember and ended up feeling the closest to. She saw the Ohio University lab school as a place to explore “democracy as a... more »

Teachers unions blast Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan, calling it 'the most out-of-touch ticket in decades' | MLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Ryan Budget Forces Deeper Cuts to Child Tax Credit, Child Care, and Child Welfare | First Focus

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

House Budget Forces Deeper Cuts to Child Tax Credit, Child Care, and Child Welfare | First Focus: [image: First Focus - Making Childen and Families the Priority] House Budget Forces Deeper Cuts to Child Tax Credit, Child Care, and Child Welfare FACT SHEETS Search resources April 20, 2012 By Megan Curran Download this Resource The House federal fiscal year 2013 budget resolutions requires congressional committees with jurisdiction over critical investments in children to make deep budget cuts. The House Ways and Means Committee passed the required budget "reconciliation" legislation ... more »