Welfare limits, education cuts kick in Saturday - BusinessWeek BUTT Snyder sez things are great in China

Welfare limits, education cuts kick in Saturday - BusinessWeek:

Welfare limits, education cuts kick in Saturday

By TIM MARTIN

MORE FROM BUSINESSWEEK

• McGraw-Hill Names Heidrick & Struggles to Find Education CEO
• House Republicans Seek Cuts in Pell Grants, Public Radio
• Is Chile Too Cheap to Educate Its Young?
• Washington Post Costs Investors 71% Forgoing Breakup: Real M&A
• Poor Students at Risk as Supercommittee Weighs $3.5 Billion Cut

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LANSING, MICH.

Michigan's new state government spending plan kicks in Saturday, with lost welfare benefits for some families and education funding cuts among the repercussions.

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder acknowledges there's some short-term pain ahead in the state's new fiscal year, but says the plan puts Michigan on more stable financial footing for the future.

"These are difficult decisions ... (but) we're going to be well positioned for the long term," Snyder told The Associated Press in a phone call during his trade trip to Asia. "We're doing things in a structurally balanced way."

New spending plans for state departments and programs

Chris Hedges: Occupy Wall Street! « Bill Ayers

Chris Hedges: Occupy Wall Street! « Bill Ayers:

Chris Hedges: Occupy Wall Street!

by billayers

The Best Among Us
Friday 30 September 2011
by: Chris Hedges, Truthdig | Op-Ed

There are no excuses left. Either you join the revolt taking place on Wall Street and in the financial districts of other cities across the country or you stand on the wrong side of history. Either you obstruct, in the only form left to us, which is civil disobedience, the plundering by the criminal class on Wall Street and accelerated destruction of the ecosystem that sustains the human species, or become the passive enabler of a monstrous evil. Either you taste, feel and smell the intoxication of freedom and revolt or sink into the miasma of despair and apathy. Either you are a rebel or a slave.

To be declared innocent in a country where the rule of law means nothing, where we have undergone a corporate coup, where the poor and working men and women are reduced to joblessness and hunger, where war, financial speculation and internal surveillance are the only real business of the state, where even habeas corpus no longer

Read Rashid Khalidi on US/Palestine/Israel below:

by billayers

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts

Retribalized by My Life’s Soundtrack: “Downtown” | Lefty Parent

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Retribalized by My Life’s Soundtrack: “Downtown” | Lefty Parent:Retribalized by My Life’s Soundtrack: “Downtown”by Cooper ZaleAs I have said before, my life has been lived to a soundtrack. Growing up in an age of ubiquitous car radios, restaurant juke boxes, record players and later stereos, it seems like the popular songs of the day were always playing in the background, over and over. Marshall McLuhan talks about the “retribalization” that is the “water we swim in” in an age of ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Time to change the stakes with testing? Join us for an evening with Yong Zhao!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Time to change the stakes with testing? Join us for an evening with Yong Zhao!:Time to change the stakes with testing? Join us for an evening with Yong Zhao!by Leonie HaimsonAmerican education is at a crossroads. Two paths lie in front of us: one in which we destroy our strengths in order to catch up with others on test scores and one in which we build on our strengths so we can keep the lead in ... more »

Why Teachers in High-Minority Schools Are Paid Less - Education - GOOD

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Why Teachers in High-Minority Schools Are Paid Less - Education - GOOD:Why Teachers in High-Minority Schools Are Paid Lessby Liz DwyerPlenty of headlines popped up this week about a new analysis of the U.S. Department of Education's 2009-2010Civil Rights Data Collection, which revealed that the average teacher working in a school serving Latino and black populations is being paid nearly $2,500 less per year than the average teacher working at a school in a whiter neighborhood. That’s a disturbing piece ... more »

Daily Kos: doing something that matters

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Daily Kos: doing something that matters:doing something that mattersby rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)has always been important to me.That is why I drove 6 hours to where I am, Grundy Virginia, for another round of volunteering in dental triage at a free dental and medical fair.Other than teaching this is the most important thing I do.It reminds me how little awareness many of us have of the reality of the lives of the one in five Americans who live in rural areas. We ... more »

Rick Hess is from Venus. Teachers are from Earth. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Rick Hess is from Venus. Teachers are from Earth. « Fred Klonsky's blog:Rick Hess is from Venus. Teachers are from Earth.by Fred KlonskyWhy Achievement Gap Mania Undermines Reform.Rick Hess’ home is the right-wing think tank of the American Enterprise Institute.Ed Week has provided Hess with a second home.Why?Couldn’t tell you.His column this week attacks what he calls The Achievement Gap Mania.What is that? The Gap is the persistent failure of public policies aimed at narrowing the differences in educational opportunities ... more »

Former Obama Spokesman Bill Burton Whacks GOP Field For Toeing Tea Party Anti-Education Line | Mediaite

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Former Obama Spokesman Bill Burton Whacks GOP Field For Toeing Tea Party Anti-Education Line | Mediaite:Former Obama Spokesman Bill Burton Whacks GOP Field For Toeing Tea Party Anti-Education Lineby Tommy Christopher | 1:34 pm, September 30th, 2011» 1 commentIn a memo to reporters, former Obama Spokesman and current Senior Strategist for Priorities USA Action Bill Burton is calling out the current Republican presidential field for veering sharply from support for federal education programs, in an attempt to appeal to a ... more »

Education Secretary to Engage in Discussion on Hispanic Education During Virtual Town Hall | U.S. Department of Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Education Secretary to Engage in Discussion on Hispanic Education During Virtual Town Hall | U.S. Department of Education:Education Secretary to Engage in Discussion on Hispanic Education During Virtual Town HallContact: Toby Chaudhuri, toby.chaudhuri@ed.gov Ida Kelley, ida.kelley@ed.gov Event Date 1: October 03, 2011 02:30 pm - 03:30 pmTo kick off the Administration's focus on Hispanic education as a part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will engage with the Latino community through a virtual town hall at 2:30 ... more »

ED’s Carmel Martin to Answer ESEA Flexibility Questions via Twitter Chat | ED.gov Blog

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

ED’s Carmel Martin to Answer ESEA Flexibility Questions via Twitter Chat | ED.gov Blog:ED’s Carmel Martin to Answer ESEA Flexibility Questions via Twitter ChatPosted on September 30, 2011 by Cameron BrenchleyCarmel Martin, the U.S. Department of Education’s assistant secretary for planning, evaluation and policy development will host a Twitter chat on Wednesday, October 5, from 4-5 PM EDT to answer questions about the Obama Administration’s recent announcement that states can get relief from provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education ... more »

Blue Jersey:: Christie Founded a He-Man Woman Haters Club Chapter in High School

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Blue Jersey:: Christie Founded a He-Man Woman Haters Club Chapter in High School:Christie Founded a He-Man Woman Haters Club Chapter in High Schoolby: joeynovickWed Sep 28, 2011 at 03:54:36 PM EDT(TGIF - promoted by DSWright)Cross-posted at What Exit NJ?'Who gives a f#$k what 'X' equals anyway?', the young Christie yelled at his algebra teacher.Chet Helmsley, 72, a retired UPS driver from Morristown, used the New Jersey Open Public Records Act to obtain the Livingston High School records of the young ... more »

Teamster Nation: Politicians endorse Occupy Wall St; movement spreads to 81 cities

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago

Teamster Nation: Politicians endorse Occupy Wall St; movement spreads to 81 cities:Politicians endorse Occupy Wall St; movement spreads to 81 citiesAbove, last night's Occupy Wall Street March. They also leafleted with CWA members picketing Verizon.@masseydaniel: #occupywallstreet protesters leafleted w @cwa members, who are fighting for new contract @verizon HQ Thurs. More 2 comeMore and more people are declaring their support for the movement, including U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Kansas state Sen. Marci Francisco and San Francisco city Supervisor John Avalos, ... more »

Remarks by the President in an "Open for Questions" Roundtable | The White House

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 1 day ago

Remarks by the President in an "Open for Questions" Roundtable | The White House:Remarks by the President in an "Open for Questions" Roundtableby The White HouseRelease Time: For Immediate ReleaseMap Room11:40 A.M. EDTMR. SIADE: Ladies and gentlemen, señores y señoras, welcome to "Open for Questions with President Obama." I'm Jose Siade from Yahoo Español -- your host today, coming to you from the White House. I'm honored to be joined by industry colleagues Karine Medina from MSN Latino, and Gabriel ... more »

District tells dozens of parents to stay away - SignOnSanDiego.com

District tells dozens of parents to stay away - SignOnSanDiego.com:

District tells dozens of parents to stay away

Letters say they must stay off campus for 14 days, with no appeal process

BY AARON BURGIN, REPORTER - WATCHDOG

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011 AT 4:58 P.M.

Documents »

Download: School letters banning parents from campus

Stay-away letters

(Since 2008, ranked by district size)

San Diego Unified: 74

Sweetwater Union: 3

Poway Unified: 0

Vista Unified: 4

Grossmont Union High: 3

Oceanside Unified: 1

Escondido Union High School: 2

San Marcos Unified: 3

Carlsbad Unified: 2

Numbers were not available for Chula Vista Elementary and Cajon Valley schools.

Dozens of San Diego Unified parents each year receive letters alerting them that their behavior on campus has triggered a 14-day ban from their child’s school, which the parent can’t appeal.

San Diego school officials said that state law empowers school principals to protect students, teachers and staff from people who are deemed disruptive or threatening to school affairs.

San Diego Unified, with an enrollment of 132,000, has issued 74 “stay-away” letters since 2008.

Several other large school districts in a survey by The Watchdog — Sweetwater, Poway, Vista, Grossmont, Oceanside, Escondido, Carlsbad and San Marcos — have

Jersey Jazzman: America SUCKS!

Jersey Jazzman: America SUCKS!:

America SUCKS!

by Duke

So says the corporate-deucation "reform" movement - and they will distort, deceive, and outright lie to convince you it's true.

Don't believe me? Start with this completely mendacious "report card" that bemoans how awful American education is. Too bad for them that Bruce Baker is on the case:

So, while it may be fun to play with the tool and see how different local public school districts compare, more or less to one another as they relate to other countries, it is totally inappropriate to make bold claims that any of these findings speak to the supposed “mediocrity” of the best public schools in the U.S. Many may appear mediocre when transported internationally for no reason other than the penalty points

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:

EDUCATION POLICY CHOICES: Unsuccessful, Unproven or Unaffordable

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 6 hours ago

Themes in the News for the week of Sept. 26-30, 2011 by UCLA IDEA | http://bit.ly/o6gr2Q 09-29-2011 - Last week, President Barack Obama affirmed that states were struggling under unrealistic requirements of the No Child Left Behind law. States can now obtain waivers from meeting proficiency rates in reading and mathematics, in return for adopting key pieces of the administration’s reform agenda.

UC TURNS CAREER TECH ED FRIENDLY: Approval of Business Algebra II and Automotive Physics for A-G signifies change

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 6 hours ago

By John Fensterwald - Educated Guess | http://bit.ly/pdVdVE Posted on 9/30/11 • A decade ago, 258 career technical education courses counted toward satisfying requirements for admission to the California State University or the University of California. Today, the number has grown to 9,079 courses, closing in on the 2012 goal of 10,000 courses that the Legislature set several years ago.

CCCTEC CHARTER FAILURE “…symptomatic of other charter school defaults, which happen ‘with great regularity’”. Zeiger sees tens of millions of dollars lost

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 6 hours ago

previous CCCTEC stories: CHARTER SCHOOL SHUTDOWN LEAVES STUDENTS, TEACHERS SCRAMBLING + smf’s 2¢ + comments and response By John Fensterwald - Educated Guess | http://bit.ly/oroElV 9/29/11 • The bankruptcy of a one-year-old charter school in West Sacramento has underscored difficulties with state and federal funding of startup schools and raised questions about the State

SCHOOL DISTRICTS REPORTING WIDESPREAD COMPLIANCE WITH WHOOPING COUGH VACCINATIONS

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 7 hours ago

By J.D. Velasco, Staff Writer | San Gabriel Valley Tribune | http://bit.ly/pNPNW7 Wilson High student Kevin Mendoza, 16, gets a Tdap shot during the last day to get a free vaccination at Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights on Friday, Sept. 23, 2011. (Watchara Phomicinda / Staff) Posted: 09/28/2011 04:31:13 PM PDT - Despite some dire predictions earlier this year, school districts in the

GATES FOUNDATION TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS RESEARCHER SEEMS TO SUPPORT THE ‘STATUS QUO’ + CIRCULAR REASONING AT THE GATES: Education Nation off to a Confusing Start

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 7 hours ago

John Thompson: Gates Foundation Teacher Effectiveness Researcher Seems to Support the 'Status Quo' By Anthony Cody /EdWeek – Living n Dialogue | http://bit.ly/q42prj September 27, 2011 10:48 AM | The National Bureau of Economic Research just published "School Choice, School Quality and Postsecondary Attainment" by David J. Deming, Justine S. Hastings, Thomas J. Kane and Douglas O. Staiger. Tom

DEASY WARNS L.A. SCHOOL BOARD TO STAY NEUTRAL OVER BIDDING OVER CAMPUSES

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 8 hours ago

-- Howard Blume | LA Times/L.A. NOW | http://lat.ms/puK7Iq September 30, 2011 | 6:36 pm - L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy has cautioned school board members to avoid taking sides over who should control 15 new and 22 low-performing campuses next year. Deasy was responding to complaints that school board member Bennett Kayser is openly backing plans being developed by three groups of district

CA Dept. of Corrections Threatens Crackdown on Prisoners Hunger Striking « occupy california

CA Dept. of Corrections Threatens Crackdown on Prisoners Hunger Striking « occupy california:

CA Dept. of Corrections Threatens Crackdown on Prisoners Hunger Striking

by *

from PrisonerHungerStrikeSolidarity:

California – With the hunger strike continuing to spread from Pelican Bay and Calipatria State Prisons to at least 6 other prisons, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has threatened to crack down on the at least 6,000 participants, including sending prisoners to solitary confinement. The CDCR also faxed expulsion orders to two mediation team lawyers, notifying them that they had been banned from all prisons pending an investigation into whether or not they had “jeopardized the safety and security of CDCR” institutions. Meanwhile, the prisoner-selected mediation team that has been trying to negotiate with the CDCR since the strike was initiated in July sent a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown, demanding a meeting and lodging their vehement objections to the actions of CDCR officials.

“This is very worrisome to say the least,” says Carol Strickman, one of the mediation team lawyers banned from CDCR facilities. “We have been receiving steady reports from prisoners of CDCR intimidation and retaliation leading up to the strike. Now, we have the CDCR threatening prisoners and cutting off contact with our legal

Schools Matter: Trigger Happy Parent Revolution Refuses Form 990 Request

Schools Matter: Trigger Happy Parent Revolution Refuses Form 990 Request:

Trigger Happy Parent Revolution Refuses Form 990 Request

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

"Soviet style elections" — Ben Austin in response to parents and communities voting for community school plans over corporate charters.

The scoundrels, scandal-mongers, and assorted criminals at the so-called Parent Revolution have been very active lately. Meeting with other astroturf groups on a statewide privatization bus tour. Hosting meetings with their ideological counterparts of the extreme right-wing The Heartland Institute. Lying toMother Jones. Covering up the fact that their Executive Director, that foppish millionaire from Benedict Canyon — Ben

Will Rick Scott’s Parent Trigger Push Bring California Style Fraud to Florida? | Scathing Purple Musings

Will Rick Scott’s Parent Trigger Push Bring California Style Fraud to Florida? | Scathing Purple Musings:

Will Rick Scott’s Parent Trigger Push Bring California Style Fraud to Florida?

by Bob Sikes

Largely escaping the notice by Florida’s ed policy observers this week was a blurb from the Miami Herald that the so-called “parent trigger law ” is part of Rick Scott’s agenda for schools in the next legislative session. Scott’s mouthpieces just didn’t call it that.

* EDUCATION — The governor appears to be reviving the proposal to require a percentage of a school’s budget be spent on the classroom with a plan to require the classroom spending in districts “not meeting standards.” He also is considering asking legislators to adopt the Texasapproach to higher education “and better link job market demands to degrees.” A Tier 2 priority is creating “Education Spending Accounts” so that parents can take money from the public school system and spend it on outside educational needs.

* PUBLIC PENSIONS — Unnamed reforms to the Florida Retirement System appear on the