Sunday, September 30, 2012

How Our Principal Thinks Using Test Scores To Evaluate Teachers Will Hurt Students — What Are Your Thoughts? | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

How Our Principal Thinks Using Test Scores To Evaluate Teachers Will Hurt Students — What Are Your Thoughts? | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…:

How Our Principal Thinks Using Test Scores To Evaluate Teachers Will Hurt Students — What Are Your Thoughts?

Earlier today, I posted about New York Principal Carol Burris’ great article on how using test scores to evaluate hurts students.

I sent it to our school’s principal, Ted Appel (who has shared his thoughts on educational policy in previous posts here) to get his reaction. He liked it a lot, and shared these ideas on other ways their use in teacher evaluation can hurt students:

Using test scores to evaluate teachers can also have a significant impact on the inclusion of Special Education students. Fully including students with learning and other disabilities is not only a civil right, but pedagogically supported by research. While many special education students may struggle academically in “regular” education classes, and score poorly on

Louisiana Educator: Outrage!

Louisiana Educator: Outrage!:

Outrage!

by Michael Deshotels

Our state Department of Education keeps finding new ways of insulting the teaching profession in Louisiana. First our Superintendent and Governor claimed that education credentials mean nothing and changed the law so that persons without education certification will be allowed to teach in Louisiana charter schools. Then while public school teachers are being laid off because of loss of state and local funding to voucher schools, the State Superintendent started spending 12 thousand dollars per month to hire an additional public relations specialist.

But the action that demonstrates the most contempt for professional educators is the recent appointment of a TFA Corps member to manage the evaluation of 60,000 public school teachers and administrators. It turns out this person has never served as a principal, or evaluator. In fact she has no real teacher credentials, and taught for 2 years in a school that was considered by the Department to be a failing school. As far as we know, she has never demonstrated the ability to improve the education of students. Yet she will rule over a system that will evaluate persons with Masters and PhD's in Education and decades of teaching experience. She will have the power to order the firing and destruction of the careers (even terminate the certification) of thousands of qualified

NYC Public School Parents: Critics and audiences agree: "Won't Back Down" a tremendous flop

NYC Public School Parents: Critics and audiences agree: "Won't Back Down" a tremendous flop:

Critics and audiences agree: "Won't Back Down" a tremendous flop

by Leonie Haimson

The reviews are out, the box office returns have been counted and it's clear that the pro-charter propaganda film "Won't Back Down" is a huge critical and commercial flop.

All the advance screenings sponsored by astroturf corp reform groups and the film's distributor, Rupert Murdoch, the big push by CBS and Walmart, the promotion by NBC's Education Nation, the multi-million dollar advertising campaign financed by right-wing producer Philip Anschutz, and Students First sending in their staffers to write glowing reviews didn't bring people into the theaters. One assessment says it is likely to be one of the worst openings for a film ever, with an estimated gross of

Daily Kos: Segregated South Rises Again

Daily Kos: Segregated South Rises Again:

Segregated South Rises Again

byplthomasEdD Follow

PERMALINK	1 COMMENT

A half century seems to be a significant amount of time for change, but Minnijean Brown Trickey's visit to Little Rock Central High School fifty years after the federal government had to monitor her and eight other African American students entering public school shows that much more time is needed. Felicia Lee captured Trickey's experience, documented in the HBO filmLittle Rock Central: Fifty Years Later:

"On a recent visit to Central High, Ms. Trickey spoke to a self-segregated classroom: whites on one side, blacks on the other. An African-American student apparently dozed as she spoke. Students and teachers alike spoke blithely or painfully of the low educational aspirations and achievements of too many black students. Central, many

Schools Matter: Homeschooling, Freely Unequal

Schools Matter: Homeschooling, Freely Unequal:

Homeschooling, Freely Unequal

by Storm

Dismantling The Atlantic Monthly Reform Manifesto
2nd Installment

I introduced the The Atlantic's Reform pamphlet ("22 pages...") by focusing on the presentation of content. But, I regret to say I left out what might have been the most important part: the "cover" of the section. It's a TEST BOOKLET! Surprised?

II.

Now, this is clearly ideological content on all levels. There is ZERO subtlety here. How is this possible? For whom are these articles written? Surely these writers and these editors must realize that they are writing a very obvious form of "persuasion" empty of anything deeper than bald ideology. If I assume that, then what?

I think it's necessary now to approach much of this as if it were not solely propaganda. What I mean is, our first

Won’t Back Down: The Hilarious Sequel – via @jerseyjazzman and @dianeravitch #SilenceOfTheParents « Continuing Change

Won’t Back Down: The Hilarious Sequel – via @jerseyjazzman and @dianeravitch #SilenceOfTheParents « Continuing Change:

Won’t Back Down: The Hilarious Sequel – via @jerseyjazzman and @dianeravitch #SilenceOfTheParents

by gatorbonbc

Won’t Back Down: The Hilarious Sequel. reblogged from Diane Ravitch
Jersey Jazzman strikes again !!! Read his hilarious sequel to the movie, Won’t Back Down !!
A clip from the scene:

Nona: Well, we’re not standing for this! This isn’t what we wanted when we pulled the trigger!

Geoffrey pushes red button on his desk.

Jamie: We won’t back down! We’re going to take back our school, again!

Two very large men enter.

Geoffrey: These ladies were just leaving; escort them off the premises. If they attempt to reenter the grounds, call the police.

Nona: You can’t do this! This is our school!

Geoffrey: Not any more.

Jamie and Nona are dragged out, yelling. Barth-Moskowitz turns and looks at camera…

Fade to black.

CONTINUE LAUGHING @
.Won’t Back Down: The Hilarious Sequel – via @jerseyjazzman and @dianeravitch #SilenceOfTheParents « Continuing Change:

New School Year Brings More Cuts in State Funding for Schools — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

New School Year Brings More Cuts in State Funding for Schools — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

New School Year Brings More Cuts in State Funding for Schools

PDF of this report (14pp.)

By Phil Oliff, Chris Mai, and Michael Leachman ^[1]

Updated September 4, 2012

States Continue to Feel Recession’s Impact

RELATED AREAS OF RESEARCH

State Budget and Tax

States have made steep cuts to education funding since the start of the recession and, in many states, those cuts deepened over the last year. Elementary and high schools are receiving less state funding in the 2012-13 school year than they did last year in 26 states, and in 35 states school funding now stands below 2008 levels — often far below.

States made these cuts after the deepest recession in 70 years hit beginning in late 2007, precipitating a historic collapse in state revenues. Because states relied heavily on spending reductions in response to the recession, rather than on a more balanced mix of spending cuts and revenue increases, funding for schools and other public services fell sharply. While emergency aid from the federal government reduced the severity of cuts to school funding in the years immediately following the onset of the recession, Congress allowed that aid largely to expire at the end of the 2011 fiscal year, before state revenues had recovered from the recession.

Our review of budget documents for the 48 states that publish education budget data in a way that allows historic comparisons finds that:

Twenty-six states are providing less funding per student to local school districts in the new school year than

Rethinking the US Education System | Lefty Parent

Rethinking the US Education System | Lefty Parent:

Rethinking the US Education System

by Cooper Zale

I was intrigued by the title of this blog piece, “It’s Time to Re-Think the U.S. Education System”, by Tammy Erickson for the Harvard Business Review. When it comes to our education system, I translate any use of the “reform” word as “business as usual”, which is ever flogging more “accountability” and “rigorous academic standards” around ever expanding high-stakes testing. All done supposedly to improve the education available to our young people, but in my thinking, really about increasing the business market for standardized educational materials and services.
But when I see “rethink” or “transform”, that’s when I at least take notice and give a look at what’s being proposed. When an institution is profoundly out of sync with the society it is supposed to support, “reform”, particularly the perpetual inside the box reform of the past three decades, just doesn’t cut it!
Erickson appears to be one of those business guru types, the “About” page of her business consulting website

School Tech Connect

School Tech Connect:

The Rockford Files

Did I call this, or what?

Kerry Knodle, executive director of Comprehensive Community Solutions, the group behind the green-career-focused charter school and YouthBuild Rockford, said he plans to appeal the board’s decision with the State Charter School Commission, which has a multi-step, lengthy process.

It's an interesting article---- looks like the school board basically just smelled a rat with this operator and said no. These credit-recovery people, as well as the boutique charter people are going to be nipping away at the public schools for the rest of time, given the uncritical cheerleading that the charter sector has gotten from the Obama administration.

Anyway, I only play an expert on tv; I'm not a real one. I've lost the thread of the charter law here in Illinois. It seems to me that the

Education Report: Oakland school district, teachers, to begin bargaining anew - Inside Bay Area

Education Report: Oakland school district, teachers, to begin bargaining anew - Inside Bay Area:

Education Report: Oakland school district, teachers, to begin bargaining anew

By Katy Murphy Oakland Tribune

Posted: 09/30/2012 12:00:00 AM PDT

This is a sampling of The Education Report, Katy Murphy's Oakland schools blog. Read more atwww.IBAbuzz.com/education. Follow her at Twitter.com/KatyMurphy.

Sept. 28: The initial proposals presented -- or "sunshined" -- to the Oakland Education Association at Thursday night's board meeting didn't mention any numbers. (You can find a link to it on the blog.)

Instead, they called for a restructuring of the step-and-column system, a career ladder for teachers, revamped evaluation systems and an agreement to give "school governance teams greater voice in determining the composition of their school staff teams."

It's been years since the two sides have been able to reach an agreement. In 2010, the Oakland school board imposed a contract, and the union held a one-day strike. But on Thursday, there seemed to be some hope in the room.

Board President Jody London said, "We look forward to what we hope will be a speedy and productive negotiation

School Lunch Showdown: 850-Calorie Meals Compared - ABC News

School Lunch Showdown: 850-Calorie Meals Compared - ABC News:

School Lunch Showdown: 850-Calorie Meals Compared

(Image Credit: Getty Images)

Have you seen that music video “We Are Hungry”? It isn’t a famine-relief fundraiser featuring well-meaning pop stars. It’s a musical complaint about the new, reduced-calorie public school lunch size made by students at Wallace County High School, in Sharon Springs, Kan. The video, set to the tune of Fun’s hit song “We Are Young,” has been viewed more than 500,000 times on YouTube.

The new rules, passed by Congress in 2010 to fight childhood obesity and promote health, took effect in August. High school cafeterias must serve

Bullied Michigan teen shines as homecoming princess - CNN.com

Bullied Michigan teen shines as homecoming princess - CNN.com:

Bullied Michigan teen shines as homecoming princess

By Chris Welch, CNN

updated 10:47 AM EDT, Sat September 29, 2012

Bullied teen shines at homecoming

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The teen was thrust into the spotlight after her peers nominated her for homecoming court as a prank
She attended coronation Friday night surrounded by cheering fans
"I'm so happy -- this is so much right now for me," she says

West Branch, Michigan (CNN) -- Whitney Kropp, the teen thrust into the spotlight after her peers nominated her for the school homecoming court as a prank, attended coronation Friday night surrounded by cheering fans.

Donning a red dress, she beamed as she clutched a bouquet of flowers.

"I had thoughts about not coming [still tonight]," the 16-year-old told reporters after halftime of the homecoming game.

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Impact Fees

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Impact Fees:

Impact Fees

by Charlie Mas

We have heard school district officials bemoan the fact that the City of Seattle does not collect impact fees (assessments on new development to offset the costs of additional demands on public resources) for schools. They are, as usual, crying crocodile tears. The District is authorized to assess their own impact fees and they simply have not bothered to do it.

Per RCW 43.21C.060, school districts can assess impact fees. The WAC regarding the Growth Management Act also clearly allows school districts to require new developments to set aside land for schools (WAC 365-

Big Ed Ape - Morning Wink 9-30 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Look who paid KIPP's way to New Zealand

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Look who paid KIPP's way to New Zealand: Look who paid KIPP's way to New Zealand by Mike Klonsky Hedge-funder, Julian RobertsonLook who paid KIPP founder, Mike Feinberg’s way to NZ where he got a cool reception. None other than conservative hedge-funder Julian Robertson. Robertson's Aotearoa Foundation, is the local arm of the right wing USA-based Robertson Foundation. It was *hedge-fund king* Robertson who founded the now-defunct Tiger Management Fund which was mired in scandal over the collapse of U.S. Airways. Robertson recently gave $1.25 mi... more »

School Reformers Who Disagree Find Common Ground (John Thompson and Neerav Kingsland) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 50 minutes ago

School Reformers Who Disagree Find Common Ground (John Thompson and Neerav Kingsland) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: School Reformers Who Disagree Find Common Ground (John Thompson and Neerav Kingsland) by larrycuban *The following post was written by teacher John Thompson of Oklahoma City and Neerav Kingsland, CEO of New Schools for New Orleans. They introduce themselves below. The post was published by Rick Hess, a blogger for Education Week on September 21, 2012.* * *There is much we disagree on – don’t worry we’ll get to that. But in writing this join... more »

Rich, Real World, Performance-Based Learning - Woodbridge, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 53 minutes ago

Rich, Real World, Performance-Based Learning - Woodbridge, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators: Looking Ahead Rich, Real World, Performance-Based Learning Howard Gardner challenged that prevailing definition of intelligence with one concise description of what it means to be smart: “the ability to find and solve problems and create products of value in one's own culture.” It’s so simple it’s profound! There is no single measurement for intelligence in this definition. There is no “quotient” that can quantify ability or predict ... more »

Education Profiteering; Wall Street's Next Big Thing?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Education Profiteering; Wall Street's Next Big Thing?: Education Profiteering; Wall Street's Next Big Thing? More blog posts from Jeff Faux SUNDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER 2012 07:44 0 Comments The end of the Chicago teachers' strike was but a temporary regional truce in the civil war that plagues the nation's public schools. There is no end in sight, in part because -- as often happens in wartime -- the conflict is increasingly being driven by profiteers. The familiar media narrative tells us that this is a fight over how to improve our schools. On the one side are the self-styled reformers,... more »

'Religious Freedom' amendment reignites school voucher debate | TBO.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

'Religious Freedom' amendment reignites school voucher debate | TBO.com: 'Religious Freedom' amendment reignites school voucher debate By ROB SHAW | The Tampa Tribune Published: September 30, 2012 » 0 Comments | Post a Comment TAMPA -- The ballot title says it's an issue about religious freedom. Supporters, including Catholics statewide, say it's all about making sure that soup kitchens, elder care and other services provided by faith-based organizations aren't left out in the cold. Opponents say it's a smokescreen designed to pave the way for a school voucher program at church-run ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-30-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] This Is a Book You Should Read by dianerav Diana Senechal wrote an important book about the world we live in now, a world of buzz and noise, with no time to think, reflect, day dream. This is a review in a magazine for zcanadian teachers. Teachers and parents will enjoy this book. Ten Years of NCLB: A Student Says, “How Sad.” Her Teacher Agrees by dianerav Paul Karrer teaches fifth grade in Castroville, California. He is doing his best to educate parents and the public about the destructive farce called “re... more »

Short Notes: “If This Is A Problem, Get The F**k Out Of The Classroom” | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Short Notes: “If This Is A Problem, Get The F**k Out Of The Classroom” | The Jose Vilson: Short Notes: “If This Is A Problem, Get The F**k Out Of The Classroom” by Jose A few notes: - Michael Doyle: “If you want to teach children, you have to know them. If this is a problem, get the f**k out of the classroom.” [Science teacher] - Elianne Ramos (of LATISM fame) is nominated for Yahoo!’s “Women Who Shine.” Go vote. [Yahoo!] - Big Daddy Kane joins Jay-Z at the Barclays Center. As I said, “ Amazeballs.” [Rap Radar] - Kids in a NYC public school were stuck watch... more »

Daily Kos: I am a job creator: A manifesto for the entitled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Daily Kos: I am a job creator: A manifesto for the entitled: I am a job creator: A manifesto for the entitled by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) will explain a lot - about the mindset of many who are Republicans (and unfortunately more than a few who are at least nominally Democrats, including those in the group Democrats for Education Reform), and will most certainly help you understand the thinking of the likes of Mitt Romney. That is the title of this columnby Steve Pearlstein of *The Washington Post*, appearing in today's dead-tree edition, and online since last night. It is bri... more »

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky: The Sunday Mail. by Fred Klonsky *On Chicago’s west side. Photo: Bob Simpson* * * * * *Free speech is for billionaires.* Not teachers. *What happened to play?* 25 states mandate kindergarten testing. *Rahm should listen to the great school reformer John Dewey.* Want to improve schools? Work on poverty. *It’s banned books week.* Celebrating all those books that corrupt young kids’ minds. How about a free the Governor Quinn is bad for workers. by Fred Klonsky *In late September, Gov. Quinn took a six-day junket to meet with CEOs and politicians in ... more »

Radical Scholarship: 2nd Annual Critical Theories in the Twenty-First Century Conference

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Radical Scholarship: 2nd Annual Critical Theories in the Twenty-First Century Conference: What is the SAT Good For? Absolutely Nothing | Alternet | National Education Policy Center by P. L. Thomas What is the SAT Good For? Absolutely Nothing | Alternet | National Education Policy Center 2nd Annual Critical Theories in the Twenty-First Century Conference by P. L. Thomas 5 Biggest Lies About America's Public Schools -- Debunked | Alternet by P. L. Thomas 5 Biggest Lies About America's Public Schools -- Debunked | Alternet

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, PART TROIS southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, PART TROIS by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School is a happy place, an innovative place, a place in which the students themselves suffer no consequences and all is joyful. Students, usually the same ones every single day, who don't wish to go to class are coddled and given walks around the school all day long in which to contemplate how to keep from going to class the next day. So what if the wandering student doesn't learn, or even comes fro... more »

Union Backing Helps Us Help Children « InterACT

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Union Backing Helps Us Help Children « InterACT: Union Backing Helps Us Help Children by David B. Cohen I found this interesting story in the Sacramento Bee online yesterday, coming out of a small school district near Sacramento: *Rocklin Unified retaliated against school nurses, judge says*News involving schools always catches my eye, but this excerpt is particularly noteworthy in today’s education policy climate: The Rocklin Teachers Professional Association filed an unfair practice charge against the school district in 2010, alleging the four nurses were laid off in retaliation ... more »

Diane in the Evening 9-29-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Wendy Kopp Reviews Jonathan Kozol by dianerav As Edushyster calls it, Wendy is miffed that Jon didn’t mention TFA. Another hilarious article from one of our best satirists. Won’t Back Down: The Hilarious Sequel by dianerav Jersey Jazzman has written a brilliant screenplay that tells what happened after the characters in the movie opened their charter school. This is hilarious! A Teacher Responds to “Won’t Back Down” by dianerav Julie Cavanaugh is a special education teacher at PS 15 in Red Hook, Brooklyn. She was one of the makers of the documentary “The In... more »

Dichotomy of Co-Intentional Teaching and Our Current Education System « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Dichotomy of Co-Intentional Teaching and Our Current Education System « Cooperative Catalyst: Dichotomy of Co-Intentional Teaching and Our Current Education System by SngrLittle [image: Justice-statue.gif] Last week I attended a national conference on theatre education. It was an illuminating and frustrating experience. And this fall, I started attending graduate school in applied theatre at CUNY in New York, where I am participating in a wonderfully illuminating course, Group Theatre. Part of the ongoing dialogue and work in Group Theatre has centered on challenging ourselves... more »

Students Last: Stripper Fired For Being A Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Students Last: Stripper Fired For Being A Teacher: Stripper Fired For Being A Teacher by Students Last Teachers rejected: "We have our standards"*Grand Rapids, Michigan *- Stripper Bunny Halter has filed a federal employment discrimination lawsuit against her former employer strip club White Glove, claiming she was fired one year ago due to her previous employment as a teacher. "I know I made some bad choices," Ms. Halter apologized at a press conference organized by her attorney Gloria Allred. "But I've left the education field now and I don't think I should be punished for trying... more »

Schools Matter: Kopp's shameless self-promotion in the guise of a Kozol book review

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Schools Matter: Kopp's shameless self-promotion in the guise of a Kozol book review: Kopp's shameless self-promotion in the guise of a Kozol book review by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene *"Ms. Kopp's husband, Richard Barth, was an Edison executive before taking over as CEO of KIPP's national foundation, where he has sought to decertify its New York City unions." — Jesse James Alred* [image: Separate is never equal: TFA, KIPP, and corporate charter schools are the new Jim Crow.]One thing I'll concede to the corporate education reformers is their uncanny ability to use anything as a sal... more »

Schools Matter: Autism, ADHD, Adaptation and Randomization

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Schools Matter: Autism, ADHD, Adaptation and Randomization: Autism, ADHD, Adaptation and Randomization by Storm Some time ago I wrote a piece noting how it seems autism is becoming a useful "disorder" to have. (I used the quotes for a reason which I hope becomes clear.) The post, "Autism: the next 'specialty' credential," tried to create a kind of choral effect between an essay by Adam Philips on the cultural definitions (always changing) of "mental illness," and a *Wired* article detailing the hiring practices of an "entrepreneur" (someone with money, or access to money, who ca... more »

Jersey Jazzman: More Perth Amboy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: More Perth Amboy: More Perth Amboy by Duke It never ends in Perth Amboy: The large crowd of parents and teachers at Perth Amboy High School erupted in applause when the Perth Amboy Board of Education placed Superintendent Janine Caffrey on administrative leave last Saturday. After an hour-long private session, the Board passed a resolution to not only place Caffrey on leave but also name Assistant Superintendent Vivian Rodriguez as active Superintendent. The board also unanimously voted to not bring Caffrey back as Superintendent once her current deal expires ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Won't Back Down II: The Sequel

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Won't Back Down II: The Sequel: Won't Back Down II: The Sequel by Duke *Won't Back Down II: The Sequel* * * * * * **After credits roll, fade up on school office. A worker is taking down a sign that says "Adams Elementary" and putting up one that says "KKIP Super Success Academy." In walk Jamie Fitzpatrick (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and Nona Alberts (Viola Davis), smiling and chatting, clearly excited by changes in the school. * * **They enter the principal's office, where they are greeted by the new school leader, Geoffrey Barth-Moskowitz (Anthony Hopkins). He stands and s... more »

Dan Malloy just isn't that into Michelle Rhee - AMERICAblog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Dan Malloy just isn't that into Michelle Rhee - AMERICAblog: Dan Malloy just isn’t that into Michelle Rhee 9/28/2012 4:23pm by Matt Browner Hamlin 4 Comments Print Disgraced former DC schools chief Michelle Rhee is on a quixotic search to pretend she’s a Democrat in good standing, despite her pursuit of taking away workers’ rights and helping Republican governors bust teachers unions. In her Washington Post op-ed on how “real Democrats” support her education prioritization strategy, which reads like a Joe Lieberman op-ed arguing that real Democrats support endless war, Rhee offers ... more »

Prop. 30 isn't perfect, but if it fails, the results will be tragic - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Prop. 30 isn't perfect, but if it fails, the results will be tragic - latimes.com: Prop. 30 isn't perfect, but if it fails, the results will be tragicIf funding for public education is devastated, we will all pay the price. - [image: print] - Comments 174 - Email Share - - - - 1 - 2 - next - | single page [image: ] Gov. Jerry Brown at an August event supporting Proposition 30 in San Francisco. (Paul Sakuma, Associated Press) By Sandy Banks September 28, 2012, 7:38 p.m. It's the kind of education news that never makes head... more »

Engaged Pedagogy « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Engaged Pedagogy « Cooperative Catalyst: Engaged Pedagogy by Paul Freedman There’s one heck of a problem in American education today. There seems to be absolute consensus on this point. After all, student test scores are woeful in comparison to those of other industrialized nations. And the test scores of students of color reveal a gap that exposes a culture of privileging the already privileged, that shows little sign of change. Hands are wringing and policy makers and administrators scramble to increase standards and heighten the stakes of measurable achievement. We must c... more »

High School Stadiums, Packed With Loopholes - Businessweek

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

High School Stadiums, Packed With Loopholes - Businessweek: High School Stadiums, Packed With Loopholes By Kathy Warbelow on September 27, 2012 [image: The cost of the Carthage Bulldogs’ new scoreboard: $750,000] Texas isn’t a place you’d expect to see the words “equalized wealth,” but there they are in the state’s education code. The so-called Robin Hood provision passed in 1993 requires that school districts with taxable property values above a certain level, currently $319,500 per student, surrender some of their revenue to poorer communities. For the 2012-13 school year, a rec... more »

"Won't Back Down": Round-Up Of Reviews Find It Boring, Propaganda-Filled | K-12 News Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

"Won't Back Down": Round-Up Of Reviews Find It Boring, Propaganda-Filled | K-12 News Network: Won’t Back Down”: Round-Up Of Reviews Find It Boring, Propaganda-Filled Posted on September 29, 2012 by admin What’s supposed to be a charming, compelling movie that tugs at heart-strings and delivers the message that teacher’s unions are bad is instead dull, heavy-handed, and uninvolving, according to critics. In this movie, parents and teachers unite, and voila! The result is always and only a charter school. “Won’t Back Down” isn’t passing the low bar of being at least mildly entertaini... more »

Education Radio on “Won’t Back Down” and the Parent Trigger | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Education Radio on “Won’t Back Down” and the Parent Trigger | Seattle Education: Education Radio on “Won’t Back Down” and the Parent Trigger by seattleducation2011 Leonie Haimson Highly recommended. On this program you will hear from *real* parents who are active in education. *“Won’t Back Down”: Corporate Education Reform and the Rhetoric of Fiction* *In the past weeks, we have watched with renewed energy and hope as the teachers, parents, students and community members of Chicago have shown us the power of solidarity. Their resistance to the privatization of public education an... more »

Expired food products being served by Walmart Foundation funded LAUSD Breakfast in the Classroom - Echo Park-Silver-Lake, CA Patch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Expired food products being served by Walmart Foundation funded LAUSD Breakfast in the Classroom - Echo Park-Silver-Lake, CA Patch: Expired food products being served by Walmart Foundation funded LAUSD Breakfast in the Classroom Posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:26 pm Email Print 6 Comments PHOTOS (2) [image: Expired Oatmeal Bars arrive for the day's Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC)] [image: LAUSD officials insist kids with syrup leave classes cleaner] Upload Photos and Videos *"So long as there are children who are coming to school hungry, there will be a need for school b...more »

The Unseen Casualties of the Budget War: California Adult Schools | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

The Unseen Casualties of the Budget War: California Adult Schools | Dailycensored.com: The Unseen Casualties of the Budget War: California Adult Schools by Danny Weil You’ve heard about the severe budget cuts to K-12 schools, and you’ve probably seen countless stories about the dire straits colleges and universities are in. Chances are, you don’t know much about the schools that have been hit the hardest:California’s adult schools. About 10% of adult schools have already closed, and about 15% more have been cut 50%-90%. That’s about 25% of adult schools that have had their funds... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Merit Pay Fairy Lands In Jersey!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Merit Pay Fairy Lands In Jersey!: Merit Pay Fairy Lands In Jersey! by Duke *No Not Her, She's the MONEY Fairy* Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Rutgers University's newest mascot: the Merit Pay Fairy! The best teachers in Asbury Park, Lakewood, Hillside and North Plainfield will be among the first in the state to earn federally financed merit pay, a spokesman from the U.S. Department of Education said. In partnership with the four low-income districts, Rutgers University will distribute $39.7 million over five years through the department’s Teacher Innovation Fund... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-29-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] A Teacher Responds to “Won’t Back Down” by dianerav Julie Cavanaugh is a special education teacher at PS 15 in Red Hook, Brooklyn. She was one of the makers of the documentary “The Inconvenient Truth Behind ‘Waiting for Superman’” She now reviews “Won’t Back Down” and explains what is really necessary to reform schools today. Is It Really “All About the Kids”? by dianerav The review in the New York Times of the anti-union film makes an important point: when people loudly insist that “it’s all about the kid... more »

Here come the latest pension bills. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Here come the latest pension bills. « Fred Klonsky: Here come the latest pension bills. by Fred Klonsky *Elaine Nekritz. She’s baaaaaack!* My pal Glen Brown reports on the latest pension bills. These are likely to be introduced in the post-election veto session of the Illinois General Assembly or in the next session that will be convened after January 1. HB 6209 and HB 6210 were filed by north suburban Democratic Representative Elaine Nekritz. These two bills are the latest version of the plan to force state retirees to choose between health care and their yearly cost of living adju... more »

Last Stand for Children First: Won't Back Down is the Greatest Story Ever Told

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Last Stand for Children First: Won't Back Down is the Greatest Story Ever Told: Won't Back Down is the Greatest Story Ever Told by Last Stand for Children As I am writing this blog, Won't Back Down has just been released to movie theaters across the country. It is on its way to setting huge box office records, but if you care about children or education you must go see this film immediately and preferably multiple times. While, I haven't seen this movie myself yet, I can guarantee you that this is a powerful and uplifting story that will forever change the way that movies are ma... more »

Daily Kos: You must read - and pass on - "40 Days of Night"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Daily Kos: You must read - and pass on - "40 Days of Night": You must read - and pass on - "40 Days of Night" by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) The title of this Charles Blow *New York Times* column comes from the final line of this superb column: If Obama doesn’t slip up, the next 40 days or so will be one long, dark night for Mitt Romney. while this diary by xaxner mentions the Blow column (and is worth reading for the comment xaxner wrote and crossposted here) I think the Blow column deserves more attention, and was surprised not to see it featured in the Pundit Roundup.It is ... more »

In split vote, OUSD board puts American Indian charter schools on notice - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

In split vote, OUSD board puts American Indian charter schools on notice - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: In split vote, OUSD board puts American Indian charter schools on notice [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] By Katy Murphy Friday, September 28th, 2012 at 9:27 am in Uncategorized. Last night, as the Oakland school board issued a 1,080-page “notice of violation” to all three American Indian Model Schools over its fiscal and governance practices. (Link to the massive file here.) It’s the first step in a long process that could... more »

Leading School Board Member and High-Stakes Testing Opponent Applies for Florida Ed Commish Post | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Leading School Board Member and High-Stakes Testing Opponent Applies for Florida Ed Commish Post | Scathing Purple Musings: Leading School Board Member and High-Stakes Testing Opponent Applies for Florida Ed Commish Post by Bob Sikes You gotta hand to Rich Roach for chutzpah. Read this from Jeff Solochek in * Gradebook*: Rick Roach, a veteran educator and Orange School Board member since 1998, has contacted friends to let them know he will apply for Florida education commissioner. He also asked them to back his candidacy, if they agree with his views. “I have long been concerned wi... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Stay in School

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Stay in School: Stay in School by Charlie Mas Seattle Public Schools is exploring new ways to support our students to stay in school and is asking families to join District staff in discussions regarding student truancy, suspension and discipline. The meetings will be held Oct. 4, 8, 11, 17 and 24 at several high schools around the region. The meetings are being organized by the District Ombudsman, in collaboration with the Disciplinary Appeals/Truancy Office; and the office of School-Family Partnerships/Equity & Race. The meetings will be hel... more »

Saturday coffee 9-29-12 « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky *Union Pier, Michigan.* Anne, Ulysses and I have left the City for a month. We have rented a little cottage a few yards from Lake Michigan. We are planning little more than walking, reading and watching the colors change. The change has begun. That picture above was taken last Monday when we arrived and already the road is lined with gold, yellow and rust. Ten more days and we will be in peak colors. Saturday coffee is here at the cottage. Or maybe a latte at the Whistle Stop, a ten minute walk down Red Arrow Highwa... more »

Standardized Testing Stole Our Day! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Standardized Testing Stole Our Day! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!: Standardized Testing Stole Our Day! Posted September 29, 2012 by Oldschoolteach in Blogging about Education, Standardized Testing. Tagged: Education,loss of instructional time due to standardized testing, NCLB, No Child Left Behind Act, standardized testing, the negatives of standardized testing. Leave a Comment I planned in advance and completely forgot that we were having the standardized Math test today! Bummer! Wonderful plans put on hold…. *This is what my students and I lost today because Standardized test... more »